I Can See Your Combat Power

Chapter 814: Chapter 108: Tang Luo’s Sermon

Xiao Ziyu’s face showed joy, although he knew his “Dark Yang Qianli Formation” was definitely mysterious and powerful, he didn’t know why.

Now, having listened to Tang Luo’s explanation, he suddenly had an epiphany and said with a laugh and joy, “So, my combination should perform very well in the third challenge, right?”

“Enmmm… not necessarily.”

“Why not?”noveldrama

Xiao Ziyu, who had been smiling radiantly, suddenly stiffened and asked, “Is the strength of my combination not good enough?”

“The strength is very high; after forming the formation, a conservative estimate is that its strength could exceed 25, and any common creature from the Fierce Realm would die upon contact.”

Xiao Ziyu glanced at Cui Haoran, puzzled and asked, “Then why? You said Cui’s combination intensity of 13 wouldn’t do poorly, and mine exceeds 25, isn’t that enough?”

“This is the difference between theoretical strength and actual strength. Do you still remember what the kind old grandmaster said, that our constructed secret technique combinations will be turned by Master Chen into illusionary spirits to fight against other martial artists, and that victory rates will determine the ranking?”

“Since it involves fighting illusionary spirits, your set faces two scenarios. The first is that your formation is successful. We have all experienced the illusion in the second challenge; you know the illusionary spirits created by Master Chen with the surname Chen are almost indistinguishable from real people, right? I don’t believe there will be such a foolish spirit ghost that would enter your spiritual formation. If the opponent doesn’t rashly enter the formation, the most likely outcome will be a draw at best.”

“The second scenario is that you haven’t managed to form the array, and the opponent has already killed their way to your front. In that case, your combination is frankly just a common Fierce Realm warrior enhanced by four types of Spiritual Fire. As such a common warrior from the Fierce Realm, you definitely won’t be able to form the formation with your body, and you can only use Spiritual Fire to fend off enemies. Without the ‘Dark Yang Qianli Formation’, relying only on the mutual enhancement of the four types of Spiritual Fire, your combination’s strength would only be about 8, and facing a stronger opponent, you would inevitably feel somewhat powerless.”

Having explained the reasons, Tang Luo concluded with some regret, “If this ‘Dark Yang Qianli Formation’ were replaced with a body-refining technique or a spell or Dharma Aspect that can withstand the power of the four fires, maybe your combination could have progressed further, possibly reaching a strength of 30. What a pity…”

The trio originally thought that building a combination only required considering compatibility and strength, but they didn’t expect to have to differentiate between theoretical and practical strength. This revelation suddenly made their heads swell, and the three teammates felt their heads ache from the overload of information. Li Xuanba, the most straightforward among them, couldn’t help but ask, “Then captain, how should we assemble the secret techniques so that both the practical and theoretical strengths are strong?”

“You’re so impatient,” Tang Luo chided with a smile, “Although the ‘Secret Technique Catalogue’ encompasses everything, it’s not difficult to assemble an extraordinary model. In fact, it’s just like imagining your own martial arts future. Let me ask you, in what way is a martial artist fundamentally strong?”

“Spiritual Power profound, physique powerful, spirit robust?” Xiao Ziyu ventured uncertainly.

“That’s right, to combine a high-quality secret technique, you must consider these three aspects. For example, Cui Haoran’s combination, why it performs better in actual combat than yours, is because it has no obvious weaknesses: secret techniques for killing, body refining, and soul strengthening, all enhanced, making this combination stable against any opponent,” Tang Luo said to the three, “But this cycle of mutual generation is not the only way to become stronger. The matter of becoming stronger, besides the righteous path, also has many unorthodox methods.”

“For a simple example, the Great Elder of the Tang Clan, with just his Extreme Light Finger, rendered the families of Longxi colorless. If he were building a secret technique combination for this third challenge today, with his martial arts style, he would pick a secret technique for killing and then find four other techniques that could enhance it, strengthening the killing technique to its limit. This way of combining has advantages and disadvantages that are equally clear, but it definitely won’t disappoint.”

“By the same token, although we always hope to have a bit of everything, before achieving sufficient martial arts cultivation, specialized focus is better than a wide array. Perhaps simplifying to focus on a singular aspect might offer better chances to break into the forefront. One should never underestimate the qualitative change that can result from quantitative accumulation.”

The trio nodded. Although they were of similar age, at the moment, facing Tang Luo, they felt nothing but awe, like they were receiving teachings from a martial arts master, their hearts filled with nothing but humility.

And Tang Luo did not hide anything, sharing his understanding of martial arts, “Now that we’ve discussed the methods, let’s talk about the theoretical foundation for constructing models. I believe you must be full of doubts, wondering why some are strong and others weak, feeling that martial arts is full of unknowns. However, the differences in strength usually have a traceable pattern.”

“The combination we construct is actually a complete martial arts world for a martial artist. The ultimate destination of this world largely determines the martial artist’s strength. Even something as egalitarian as Spiritual Power has levels of strength; how much more so the world of a martial artist? Therefore, I’ve designed a basic grading system for this world that you can refer to.”

“Of course, being able to achieve one’s own martial arts world is already quite impressive. This grading is just for comparing extreme strengths, and it doesn’t mean that by using a higher-level world to construct, you’ll definitely be able to beat those of a lower level, because when it comes to strength, in the end, it’s about the person.”

“The lowest world for a martial artist is one that specializes in a single system. Next, to construct the Perfection of the Five Elements, and even further, to deduce the Dual Polarity of Yin and Yang, to re-affirm the Great Dao of Chaos – this is the Righteous Realm!”

“And for the Reversed Realm, the lowest begins with the Five Poisons and Insects, then Resentful Ghosts and Spirit Ghosts, followed by the Soul Curse and Blood Murder. If one can understand the silence of life and death, one may grasp the Endless Void.”

“Therefore, when constructing combinations, if you can accurately identify the goal of your martial arts world and follow the order of that world, the strength of your combination will definitely not be low. Otherwise, it’s just a test of luck. Of course, you might also find another path, but the probability is lower.”

“I told you all this today not just to make you understand the gains and losses of this challenge but also to hope that you will think seriously. Think about what kind of martial arts world you want to construct for your future selves. Once you clear away the fog in your heart, you will naturally be able to see clearly what your ultimate martial arts pursuit is, and then keep satisfying yourself.”

Tang Luo said to the three, who were staring at him in awe, “This Dragon Boat Martial Arts Competition is just a game of the holy land, but I hope you can gain the nourishment to continue growing from this game. After all, the world of martial arts is vast, life is long, and disciples of the holy land are just beings with a head and two arms, no different from us.”

“Ca… Captain,” Cui Haoran swallowed nervously, looking at Tang Luo with reverence and trembling asked, “Could you show us your secret technique combination?”