Qin Chuan didn't need to consider whether the other party's words were true or false. His immediate priority was to repel all approaching enemies.
The previous feasting was insignificant; even opponents deserved respect. If an opponent respected him, he could respect them in return.
Many people live their entire lives without friends, surviving solely on their rivals—it's a belief, a source of sustenance.
For some, losing their rivals is truly agonizing, making life unbearable.
Such rivals are more than just rivals; they are friends, very good friends.
Many people define friendship narrowly. In a narrow sense, it's mutual acquaintance, closeness, and mutual help.
That's friendship.
But help isn't always superficial; there's also intangible help, like encouragement and
motivation. However, that's not all.
True friendship requires mutual care and genuine appreciation. Therefore, some people's rivals can indeed be considered friends.
It's just that there are many types of friends, and many people don't acknowledge this, but these are all friends.
The location was found, and the two stood on the mountaintop. Qin Chuan smiled at his opponent, saying, "Let's begin. Don't feel guilty just because you've eaten and drunk my food. Life is precious; you only have one."
Qin Chuan knew his opponent wouldn't show mercy, and he was putting pressure on him, just as he had told himself before that he wouldn't kill even if he could.
Now, any words were empty promises; it was essentially a way to lull the opponent into a false sense of security. Survival was paramount, so psychological warfare and winning hearts were essential for survival. It's said
that in battle, winning hearts is paramount; if you can break through the opponent's heart, you're invincible.
Winning hearts is also called breaking through their mental state.
Once a firm mental state is broken, you win. For example, now everyone's playing the emotional card; whoever's heart flutters, softens, considers the other a friend, and believes their words—
the outcome is obvious.
"Alright, don't be shy. If we don't die, I'll definitely be your brother. Over the years, very few people have felt truly connected to me. I feel an instant connection when I see a brother," the middle-aged man said earnestly.
Qin Chuan smiled, "Me too, let's begin!"
Life is like a play, all about acting.
Qin Chuan was still a little unaccustomed to it. This time, he didn't know what his mindset was. Was he slowly changing in this melting pot?
Or was this just how he was at heart? Had he changed?
No, this didn't count as a change. This was just a temporary measure. The other party was stronger than him, yet they were doing this; he was simply giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Actually, Qin Chuan didn't want to be so hypocritical, but deep down, he didn't really dislike this middle-aged man.
If this middle-aged man was acting, then his acting was truly impressive. Qin Chuan couldn't see any major flaws even with his Golden Divine Eye.
He could only be certain that there was seven parts sincerity in the other party's words. This was the most difficult part—you could see seven parts sincerity amidst the truth and falsehood.
But even with seven parts sincerity, could you be sure it was genuine? There was still three parts uncertainty. Let alone three parts, even just one part uncertainty would be unfathomable.
Therefore, sometimes you can't rely on the Golden Divine Eye. The Golden Divine Eye is powerful, but it's not omnipotent.
Qin Chuan was already prepared. His treasured beasts were hidden beneath the earth;
whether the enemy discovered them or not was unimportant.
The array formations and divine array positions were already activated, along with the auspicious dragon and phoenix formation visible only to him.
Qin Chuan's defensive capabilities had reached their peak, his greatest asset. He had to be resilient; only by withstanding attacks could he find an opportunity to counterattack.
"Please!"
"Please!"
Qin Chuan took out the Forging God Sword Hammer.
This was, after all, a divine weapon, greatly amplifying Qin Chuan's strength. Moreover, the power of a divine weapon was undeniable; it could resonate with Qin Chuan's will, enhancing his offensive capabilities.
Combined with Qin Chuan's current Divine Path Step, and the divine weapon, the effect was far greater than the sum of its parts.
The Forging God Sword Hammer possessed the abilities of Yin-Yang Strike and Stone-Turning-Gold, making Qin Chuan's Yin-Yang Strike and Stone-Turning-Gold slowing abilities significantly different from before.
Qin Chuan's greatest advantages now were speed and defense.
While his attack was also strong, if the opponent was of similar cultivation level, Qin Chuan's attacks could easily kill them instantly.
However, the opponent's cultivation level was far superior to Qin Chuan's, so Qin Chuan's attacks were only considered average in their eyes.
This exchange shocked both sides; Qin Chuan was shocked by the opponent's sharp attacks.
The long sword slashed out twice, resembling two sword dragons, and most importantly, these two sword dragons had the ability to ignore defense.
This was terrifying.
Qin Chuan's defense was strong, but the opponent could ignore it—not completely, because there is no attack in this world that completely ignores an opponent's defense.
In principle, there isn't.
But this ignoring was close to complete ignoring. Fortunately, Qin Chuan's defense was strong enough, and his foundation was solid and incredibly resilient, so the opponent's ignoring wasn't too much.
But the opponent's cultivation level was high, and his attack power was high; although the ignoring wasn't much, the power still made Qin Chuan dare not be careless.
Qin Chuan was surprised, and the middle-aged man was even more surprised.
He knew that Qin Chuan's strength and cultivation level were far inferior to his own.
After so many events, he naturally knew that Qin Chuan couldn't be measured by normal standards, but he couldn't imagine just how far Qin Chuan could go.
This first exchange left him utterly astonished, truly experiencing the monstrous talent of his opponent.
In a single exchange, the middle-aged man felt the terrifying power of the young man, greatly surprised; this young man's prowess far exceeded his expectations.
Although not directly contacting Qin Chuan, Qin Chuan's attacks could now be transmitted to his opponent's body through his weapon.
This was a huge breakthrough for Qin Chuan, because with his divine weapon, whose neutralizing ability was also very strong, he could even engage in combat with a much stronger opponent.
As long as he could parry, Qin Chuan could unleash his Yin-Yang Strike and Stone-Turning-Gold techniques, combined with the Divine Path Step—a near-perfect synergy.
This made Qin Chuan feel almost invincible.
After all, his evasion and resilience were strong, and most importantly, the Divine Path Step—this footwork was truly divine; even now, Qin Chuan felt he had underestimated it.
A swift attack would be advantageous for Qin Chuan. The more contact he made, the stronger his Yin-Yang and Stone-Turning-Gold techniques would become; it was an accumulation, a gradual buildup, leading to a qualitative change.
The middle-aged man was somewhat flustered. His greatest strength lay in his attack, ignoring many defenses, and his terrifyingly powerful Dragon-Slaying Slash.
However, he had used the Dragon-Slaying Slash in the previous battle, but it seemed to have no effect.