"If I'm not mistaken, Lyu Bu should now be the number one in the world. There's someone who could challenge him aging, while Lyu Bu is stepping towards his peak, uh..." Chen Xi shrugged, but then remembered that it was only the year 190, and Huang Zhong was just 43 years old, at his peak as well—whosever head would be chopped off was still uncertain! And considering their physical quality, their pinnacle period shouldn't be too short, should it? With that thought, it seemed that Master Huang was actually the most fearsome.
"Why has Zichuan gone silent?" Zhang Fei grunted inquisitively.
"I was thinking about something. How long do you think your lifespans will be, and how long will your peak periods last? I suspect there's something wrong with the data I've calculated," Chen Xi said with a darkened expression, thinking that if their peak periods were very long, then the strength of people like Huang Zhong and Yan Yan would need to be reassessed.
"Why does Zichuan ask such a question?" Zhao Yun asked, puzzled.
"There's something wrong somewhere. Just answer if you know," Chen Xi's demeanor returned to normal.
"As for lifespan, reaching the state of Inner Qi Separation, one should live from one hundred twenty to one hundred fifty years. However, due to different Inner Qi cultivation techniques, there can be a variation of fifty years, and even some special health preservation techniques can extend life to nearly three hundred years, although those are extremely rare." These were not secrets, and Zhao Yun didn't hesitate to inform Chen Xi.
"Oh, and how long would the peak period last?" Chen Xi frowned, contemplating some troubling thoughts.
"That depends on the individual's constitution and the cultivation technique. Generally, with vigorous cultivation techniques, unless one achieves the completeness that feedback to nourish oneself, which is the Inner Qi forming its own perpetual cycle, one will quickly age after reaching seventy. As for those who practice gentler techniques, generally, they will remain at their peak until death." Zhao Yun seemed to have considerable understanding of these matters, explaining very meticulously, so much so that even Guan Yu and Zhang Fei weren't entirely aware of these details.
"Tch, practicing a gentler cultivation technique has no combat power. On the battlefield, cultivating such would mean you couldn't survive, so how could there be such a long peak period?" Zhang Fei stated contemptuously.
Chen Xi raised an eyebrow, thinking historically. Well, it appeared that Zhao Yun most likely practiced a gentler cultivation technique; he would remain at his peak until death without showing much aging.
"That's also true," Chen Xi said, unable to help feeling speechless as Zhao Yun surprisingly agreed with Zhang Fei's opinion.
"Oh, now that you put it that way, I have a clearer picture. Without a doubt, Lyu Bu is number one. There's someone in the south who has slipped from their peak, but whether they win or lose against Lyu Bu is still uncertain. Zilong has not yet reached his peak, or rather, Zilong has already reached what is currently his peak. He will maintain this level for a significantly long time, until one day..." Chen Xi thought of a version where, after the battle at Changban Slope, Zhao Yun had the Golden Dragon soul attach to him, slaying gods in his path, annihilating buddhas he encounters, and vanquishing devils he faces!
"Until one day what?" Before Chen Xi could speak, Zhao Yun was already looking at him anxiously, eager to learn of the future, a fleeting unusual glint in his eyes, but the tension on his face betrayed his inner excitement.
"At that time, how to put it? What Lyu Bu can do, you will be able to do. What Lyu Bu can't do, you will still be able to do it. Even by that estimation, at that moment, Lyu Bu wouldn't last a hundred moves against you—you'd practically be like a god," Chen Xi thought about the portrayal of Changban Slope. He guessed that even Lyu Bu would likely fall to a rampaging Zhao Yun...
"Really?" A hint of disappointment flashed in Zhao Yun's eyes.
[In the end, it was still used, huh? But that's good too. As a final farewell, a hero's funeral is a proper resting place.] With that thought, Zhao Yun's gaze regained its resolve, knowing that the path of a martial artist will never fear death.
"Hey, hey, hey, Zichuan, you didn't miscalculate, right? How could this guy be so powerful? That's Lyu Bu we're talking about!" Zhang Fei's booming voice began to impose his presence again.
"It's just the way it is, no helping it," Chen Xi spread his hands, expressing his helplessness.
"Next up in the north is another one, but his whereabouts are unknown, he's the type that Second Brother really dislikes—born with Innate Divine Strength. It's estimated he could arm-wrestle with King Xiang on the ground, the outcome of which is anyone's guess. Next would be Second Brother, and then... someone whose location is in Xiliang, but no name can be discerned..." Chen Xi shrugged, indicating his limited capability, which was all he could do.
"Hey, hey, hey, Zichuan, what about me? Where am I? Second brother was mentioned, what about me? What about me? And why is this guy ranked before me?" Zhang Fei's explosive sound once again echoed in Chen Xi's ears, buzzing around his head.
"As for you..." Chen Xi deliberately drew out his words to keep Zhang Fei in suspense.
"Where am I? Where am I?" Zhang Fei asked urgently.
"Next up is you. There are some others that I'll discuss after meeting them—since mismatching can be quite troublesome. Most importantly, there are several reasons due to some people not yet rising to prominence, and some just began to emerge before being killed off," Chen Xi said helplessly, knowing that not matching people is indeed a hassle.
"Hey, hey, hey, what about me?" Hua Xiong saw the pretty boy, Big Beard, and the charcoal head all make the list. After the three were evaluated, it was his turn, but Chen Xi seemed ready to brush him off without saying a word.
"Actually, I'm quite curious, huh. If I hadn't told Second Brother not to kill you, would you have been chopped to death by him?" Chen Xi turned around and studied Hua Xiong with a scientific gaze. Whether or not Hua Xiong would have been chopped to death was of great research interest, and since he wasn't killed, then all of this cannot be predestined.
Images of that excessively large Green Dragon Crescent Blade flashed through Hua Xiong's mind, leaving him feeling utterly cold, and before he could respond, Guan Yu, stroking his beard, said, "Chopping down would be much easier than how I had to change my force direction to catch him alive. For someone like him who refuses to surrender and eats so much, I wish I had known to just..." As he spoke, Guan Yu made a swiping motion with his right hand, emitting a strong wind!
"Big Beard, do you have to be so harsh? I've been guarding the military camp for you guys, and you still speak like that," Hua Xiong complained.
Looking past the manly facade, "I won't hold it against you," Guan Yu said haughtily, turning to Chen Xi.
"He didn't make the list. My abilities are limited to only calculating the top twenty-four. Others can calculate the Small Circulation numbers, and this is as far as I go. But his strength should be around the twentieth, not higher, because in my memory, you were 'snapped' by Second Brother," Chen Xi mimed snapping his fingers. Alright, everyone got the message, and Guan, Zhang, and Zhao looked at Hua Xiong with sympathy.