I Can See Your Combat Power
Chapter 1811 - 242: The Way

Chapter 1811: Chapter 242: The Way

"The way to advance in all disciplines under heaven is the same: confronting rules after conforming to them. Martial arts are no exception."

Tang Luo explained with a smile, "That is why there exist icy flames, fountains of fury that surge mid-air, flowers and trees that never fade through the seasons, and soil hardened like gold. Extraordinary wisdom coupled with extraordinary control allows us to draw immense power from opposing the rules. But, in situations that demand absolute effort, this power can reveal significant flaws."

"Those flaws stem from the arrogance of overemphasized control, which eventually cripples one’s path forward."

"Fire burns upwards—this is a fundamental rule of the Great Thousand World. Even a Human King may possess the ability to alter rules, yet such acts themselves embody opposition. The greater the scope and intensity of your rule-breaking, the greater the accompanying energy loss."

Saying this, Tang Luo casually reached out toward a nearby eternal lamp. The quivering flame obediently leaped from the lamp onto his fingertip.

Wiggling his fingers, Tang Luo let the orange-yellow flame sway delicately on his fingertip. He continued, "When a flame burns, it releases heat—normally, the higher the temperature, the greater the energy. But this principle can also be reversed, like this..."

As his words fell, the flame on Tang Luo’s fingertip underwent a sudden change. Its original orange-yellow hue deepened, becoming a profound blue.

The surrounding temperature plummeted along with the shifting flame, as though this small flicker were absorbing all nearby light and heat. Within mere breaths, Yun Xiu sensed the room turn icy cold—she glanced at the corners of the table to find frost forming. Her soul trembled in shock, her sharp spiritual instinct frantically warning her of the danger posed by this seemingly innocuous flame.

"A flame can release heat, but it can also absorb heat. Rules themselves are inherently feasible, but because we exist within this realm known as Xiehe, the cost of operating certain rules is vastly different."

Tang Luo grinned and said, "For instance, as it stands now, this flame could kill most Fierce Realm practitioners without bloodline inheritance or formidable secret techniques. Do you think it’s strong enough?"

"Very strong,"

Yun Xiu, shuddering from the soul-deep tremors, agreed sincerely.

Her expression was earnest; she even felt Tang Luo was overly modest. Merely plucking a flame from the eternal lamp and enhancing it with rules to the extent it could slay a Fierce Realm opponent—such feats bordered on godlike.

Judging by the level of soul tremors, Yun Xiu knew that without her Immortal Cloud Whisk Soul artifact in hand, even she could not confidently block this flame.

So this is the principle of the King Realm, Yun Xiu faintly began to grasp some understanding.

But Tang Luo wasn’t speaking for self-aggrandizement. Continuing, he said, "Strength and weakness are always relative—take the Mortal Realm, for instance. For them, transcending mortality is considered mastery. However, to a Fierce Realm warrior, transcending mortality is merely the first step on the path of cultivation. Transforming a flame into an amplifier capable of harming the Fierce Realm might seem sufficient in their eyes, but in the objective evaluation system of the King Realm, it is far from ideal."

As he spoke, the flame on Tang Luo’s fingertip transformed once more. The rising warmth melted the frost and snow collecting on the table’s edges, and the flame reverted to its initial orange-yellow state, flickering softly.

Tang Luo raised his left index finger, lightly tapped the flame, splitting it into two, and then spread his arms, separating the two flames.

The flames on his two fingers underwent simultaneous changes.

One turned a deep and dark blue, devouring all ambient yang energy and causing a sharp plummet in temperature.

The other blazed white-hot, filling the room with scalding radiance, causing the moisture in the air to sting and even curling the tassels hanging from the bed curtains.

Though these two flames adhered to completely opposing rules, one commonality existed—the soul-chilling tremors they induced. Even knowing Tang Luo would certainly cause her no harm, Yun Xiu instinctively took two steps back, seeking distance from the perilous dual flames.

Tang Luo tilted his chin approvingly to signal Yun Xiu to retreat further. Once she had backed against the wall, he began to move his fingers closer together.

The white and blue flames contracted toward the center at an equal pace, seemingly aware of their destined collision. The two flames of distinct coloration and vastly different properties began to distort and sway before colliding forcefully.

The energy sufficient to annihilate a Fierce Realm practitioner could naturally flatten an estate—especially now, as two forces met in confrontation. Yet the fascinating aspect was how their frenzied power seemed confined to an extraordinarily small area.

It was as if an invisible force had delineated a battlefield for them, enabling Yun Xiu, observing from afar, to clearly witness the chaos.

Amid the rumbling explosion, the white flame ultimately consumed the dark blue one. In its aftermath, the white flame burned slightly larger, seemingly with little effort.

Tang Luo shook the remaining white flame and addressed Yun Xiu, "These are two flames created using equal amounts of mental energy to invoke rules, yet their final collision results were vastly different. This disparity isn’t due to a gap between rules themselves but arises from the energy loss incurred when smaller rules act under larger rules."

"This is where martial cultivation’s inherent conflict lies. While advancement calls for opposing rules, to harness the full power of a rule, you must conform to the Great Thousand World’s overarching principles."

"From the perspective of rule refinement, Elder Jiang surpasses me by several strides. Yet unfortunately, he channels his immense power entirely into opposing the innate rules of all things under heaven. Even when defeated, he opts to claim that the rule was inferior rather than acknowledge his own loss."

Shaking his head lightly, Tang Luo commented indifferently, "This kind of rebellion against rules becomes the barrier blocking his path to sainthood. The more he resists, the more the obstacle solidifies, and the harder the road ahead becomes."

"Could Husband not give Elder Jiang a friendly reminder, perhaps fostering a goodwill bond?"

In Yun Xiu’s view, merchants habitually prioritized harmony above all else. Such an act of timely assistance would be a simple gesture of goodwill—one to be undertaken as often as possible.

Yet certain matters transcended the boundaries of mere reminders. Tang Luo extinguished the flame on his fingertips with a light chuckle, responding, "No need to remind him; Elder Jiang understands perfectly well."

"The Divine Monarch understands?"

Yun Xiu expressed shock, "Then why doesn’t he change?"

"Some people are born proud."

Tang Luo shrugged, "Perhaps, in Elder Jiang’s eyes, choosing to conform equates to admitting defeat and bowing his head. So he’d rather tread a path more difficult."

"Then... does Elder Jiang have a chance to succeed?"

Thinking of the elderly man, white-haired and feeble, Yun Xiu’s heart stirred with compassion as she hesitantly asked.

"The path exists, but traversing it is extremely challenging."

Tang Luo answered earnestly and, perhaps finding his statement insufficiently precise, emphasized, "Incredibly challenging!"

...

Suspending Pot Peak, Reflection Cliff

Since the ambush by Tang Luo years ago, Yiqi Tianlong had come to fully grasp the gap between himself and the apex powers of this era.

Even figures like Lei Gongteng of Little Miasma Peak, mighty among Divine Sect elites, could only exhaust every technique before fleeing from Tang Luo.

This humiliation was unbearable for someone as proud as Yiqi. Thus, he turned his confinement into a chamber of bitter cultivation, amassing three thousand varieties of Poison Saliva and foul herbs from the Undying World.

His aim was to fuse the path of toxin arts with the path of flora, creating a truly fatal technique that even spiritual entities could not evade.