Chapter 469 Retreat? No, it's a tactical reset!

Inside the Challenge Space.

The silver-grey Void Realm was boundless, with twisted spatial light flowing slowly in all directions.

The Void Guardian, its giant python body woven from spatial rifts, hovered in the center of the battlefield. The storm of silver-grey spatial fragments around it was still spinning at high speed, and that circular hole formed by dense rifts was locked firmly onto the direction of Nether Abyss.

Nether Abyss had already broken free from the shackles of the void anchor.

Cold killing intent surged within its dark purple Law eyes.

Little Fire had also compressed its Water-Fire Dragon Domain onto the surface of its dragon body, its Taiji light armor, interwoven with golden flames and blue water, stubbornly holding on amidst the residual gravity of the spatial collapse.

Little Skylark was blocking in front of Nether Abyss, its wings covered in dozens of wounds of varying depths, dripping blood in a shocking manner.

Jiang Yun's gaze swept over Little Skylark.

The pupils beneath his silver-white mask shrank violently.

A surge of uncontrollable self-reproach welled up in his heart.

Careless.

He had been too careless.

He had seen the entry information clearly.

The passive evasion of Void Stealth, the defense-ignoring imprisonment of Void Anchor, the main body switching of Dimensional Mirror, the area gravity field of Void Collapse, the single-target forced isolation of Dimensional Banishment.

He had seen every skill, and he had read every skill description word for word.

But when formulating the tactics, he still underestimated the actual power of these skills when combined.

There is always an invisible chasm between armchair strategy and actual combat.

The entry tells you that Void Anchor is a single-target imprisonment that ignores conventional defense, but it doesn't tell you how tricky the timing of this skill is.

The Void Guardian precisely seized the moment when Nether Abyss broke away from Shadow Shuttle, before its aura was fully concealed.

The window of that moment was less than one-tenth of a breath, but the Void Guardian caught it.

The entry tells you that Dimensional Mirror can instantly switch positions between the main body and the mirror, but it doesn't tell you that this switch can be completed in an instant, with no pre-cast animation and no warning.

The main body had already switched away the moment it was locked by the Fire Domain Cage, leaving behind only an afterimage that was dissipating.

The entry tells you that Void Collapse is an area gravity field, but it doesn't tell you what kind of chain reaction will occur when this gravity field is used in conjunction with Void Anchor.

A target locked in place and unable to move has absolutely no possibility of escaping when facing a spatial collapse.

He saw the description of every skill, but he didn't see what a terrifying combo chain would be formed when these skills were combined.

And this lesson was learned with Little Skylark's blood.

Jiang Yun took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the surging emotions.

Self-reproach is meaningless; the only thing he can do now is to cut losses before the situation gets worse.

The Void Guardian's combo was far from over.

The spatial rift was already aimed at Nether Abyss, and the Void Collapse was still pulling at Little Fire. If he continued to let the three Beasts stay on the battlefield to fight hard, the next wave of skill connections would injure more than just Little Skylark.

"Little Fire, Nether Abyss, Little Skylark! Come back first!"

His intent was transmitted to the three Beasts simultaneously through the Soul link.

Nether Abyss's pair of dark purple Law eyes turned sharply toward Jiang Yun, a flash of unwillingness in its eyes.

It had just broken free from the anchor chain, its Battle Intent was high, and it was holding back a surge of energy to settle the score with the Void Guardian.

But after its consciousness came into contact with Jiang Yun's unquestionable command, it was silent for a moment before obediently turning into a dark radiance and shooting toward Jiang Yun.

Little Fire also stopped its struggle against the spatial collapse.

Its huge dark golden dragon body swung violently in the air, the Water-Fire Dragon Domain instantly retracted, and the dragon body turned into a stream of golden flame light, following closely behind Nether Abyss.

It was also unwilling.

It hadn't really outputted at full power since the fight started, and the power of Dragon Flame Burst Kill was only half-released before it was interrupted by the Void Collapse.

And Little Skylark.

It folded its wings and turned back the moment Jiang Yun gave the order.

The divine feathers, interwoven with Azure and dark purple, swept an azure-purple arc in the air, and the blood seeping from the wounds scattered into a string of fine blood beads in the Void Realm.

The three rays of light simultaneously submerged into the Beast Taming Space entrance on Jiang Yun's chest and disappeared.

Just at the moment the three Beasts were retracted.

The Void Guardian's attack stopped abruptly.

The spatial rift that was gushing out suddenly solidified as if a pause button had been pressed, and the spatial turbulence dissipated in the Void Realm.

The Void Guardian's thirty-zhang-long giant python body paused slightly in the air, the storm of spatial fragments around it slowly decelerated, and the dazzling silver-grey light in the circular hole formed by the spatial rifts gradually dimmed.

Its aura receded like a tide, falling all the way back from the violent state of Diamond Rank Seven, finally falling into silence.

The huge giant python body floated in the Void Realm, turning back into that quiet, motionless guardian phantom, as if the thrilling fierce battle just now had never happened.

The rules of the Challenge Space never change.

Without Beasts present, the phantom will not actively attack.

Jiang Yun looked at the Void Guardian, which had returned to calm, and let out a long breath of turbid air.

He loosened his clenched fists, his palms already full of sweat.

"Fortunately, this rule hasn't changed."

He whispered, his voice carrying a trace of relief at having survived a disaster.

In that situation just now, if the rules of the Challenge Space were that the phantom would continue to pursue until the challenger died or surrendered, then Little Skylark would likely have been in great danger.

The Void Guardian's next wave of skills was already ready to go: spatial rifts, Void Collapse, and even that Dimensional Banishment that had not been used yet.

Any one of these skills could cause fatal damage in a situation where Nether Abyss was anchored and Little Skylark was injured.

But now, the three Beasts were safe.

His Divine Sense probed into the Beast Taming Space on his chest for the first time.

Inside the Beast Taming Space.

Little Skylark was lying quietly on the branches of the Wutong Divine Tree by the lake.

Its wings were slightly retracted.

Its divine feathers were covered with dozens of wounds of varying depths.

Those wounds were not ordinary physical tears, but scars left by the erosion of spatial turbulence.

Fine silver-grey spatial Law fragments remained on the edges of the wounds, and those fragments were continuously eroding the surrounding flesh, preventing the wounds from healing naturally.

Spatial erosion effect.

An additional effect of the Void Rift.

The space around the hit target will continue to distort for three breaths, during which all movement commands will have random position deviations.

This effect will also remain on the wound after hitting the target, allowing the power of the spatial Law to continuously destroy the flesh.

Little Skylark's aura was significantly weaker than usual.

The miniature thunderstorm patterns rotating in its pupils were dimmed, and the three slender purple feathers on its head hung down weakly.

But it still proudly raised its slender neck when it saw Jiang Yun's Divine Sense probe in.

It even forced itself to let out a low cry.

The meaning was roughly.

"I'm fine, Master, just a small injury."

"Don't push yourself."

Jiang Yun's voice sounded in the Beast Taming Space, carrying a trace of heartache and deeper guilt.

But he had no time to indulge in guilt.

Because just under his Divine Sense's gaze, the miraculous effect of the Beast Taming Space had already begun to take effect.

The rich life aura in the Beast Taming Space, which was almost tangible, seemed to have been summoned by something.

It swarmed toward Little Skylark.

All the negative effects on its body disappeared instantly.

Under the nourishment of the life aura, the divine feathers began to regain their luster.

The silver-grey spatial Law fragments remaining on the edges of the wounds were repeatedly washed, dissolved, and disintegrated by layers of pure spiritual power.

On the edges of those shocking wounds, new flesh was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the wounds were healing at an astonishing speed, from deep to shallow, from large to small.

Rapid recovery.

This Heaven-Defying effect of the Beast Taming Space was faithfully, efficiently, and unstoppably fulfilling its duty.

Jiang Yun breathed a sigh of relief, but the guilt in his heart did not diminish with the recovery of Little Skylark's injuries.

He stood in place for a moment, then raised his head, his gaze passing through the boundary of the Beast Taming Space and casting it back onto the Void Guardian quietly floating in the silver-grey Void Realm outside.

"This time it was my problem."

He said through the Soul link, his voice not loud, but every word carried sincere self-reflection.

"I have already seen the entry information, but I still underestimated the power of its skill combination. The combo of Void Anchor plus Void Collapse, I should have made a prediction the first time I saw the entry; these two skills are theoretically a natural combo. One locks you in place, the other puts a gravity field on your head; a target locked in place can't even run, they can only take the five breaths of continuous damage plus the final explosion head-on."

"But I didn't make this prediction."

His voice lowered a few degrees.

"I let you guys fight according to the strategy of fighting the Azure Ancient Dragon: Nether Abyss breaks defense and marks, Little Fire suppresses from the front, Little Skylark controls the field and supplements damage. This tactic is indeed easy to use when dealing with head-on opponents, but against a spatial type, this tactic has a fatal loophole: Nether Abyss is the core of defense breaking; once Nether Abyss is controlled, the entire output chain is broken. And what the Void Guardian is best at is precisely killing the opponent's core position."

"So this adjustment is my mistake."

There was a moment of silence in the Soul link.

Then Little Fire's consciousness popped out first.

"Master! It's not your fault! It's that spatial bug that's too insidious! It couldn't win head-on, so it specifically targeted Nether Abyss for sneak attacks! And Master letting us come back is right; Little Skylark is injured, and it would be more dangerous if we continued to fight. Master protecting Little Skylark, Little Fire thinks Master did the right thing!"

Nether Abyss's consciousness followed closely, as short and calm as ever.

"Master need not blame yourself. The target of the Void Anchor was me. I didn't predict the timing of its attack; it was my lack of vigilance. Next time, I will always maintain Law protection in the gaps of Shadow Shuttle and will not give it a window to anchor again."

Little Skylark's consciousness came last, with a weak but still proud tone.

"Master, although those spatial turbulences hurt me, they also exposed its true combat rhythm. Although its skill combos are strange, there is a clear pattern: Void Anchor is the core of its combo, and all subsequent skills are unfolded around the anchored target. As long as it is not allowed to anchor to a key position, its combo chain will be broken. My Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain can continuously interfere with the spatial structure around it, causing its anchoring to deviate."

Hearing the response from the three Beasts, Jiang Yun nodded.

He didn't say any more sentimental words, just pressed this guilt deep into his heart, turning it into a heavy determination.

Next time, he would not let the same mistake happen again.

Just at this moment, the surrounding silver-grey Void Realm suddenly began to fade slowly.

The invisible barriers of the Challenge Space retreated like water waves, the Void Realm under his feet, the spatial light in the distance, the Void Guardian floating in the center of the battlefield.

Everything was slowly fading away.

Because it had been too long since the last challenge.

Jiang Yun was automatically teleported out by the Challenge Space.

When his vision refocused, he was already standing in the hall on the seventh floor of the treasury.

The display stand for the void seed was still standing quietly in front of him, and the distorted halo inside the fist-sized silver-grey crystal was still rotating slowly, rippling out circles of fine spatial ripples.

The protective Restriction was intact, and the light of the Challenge Space's Formation had returned to silence.

Jiang Yun was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

"It seems that if you don't summon Beasts to challenge, this Challenge Space will also teleport the person inside out. This is a reasonable mechanism to prevent people from staying in there and not leaving."

He looked back at the seventh-floor hall, then looked down at the Beast Taming Space entrance on his chest, and calculated the time.

Although Little Skylark's injuries were recovering rapidly, this injury was different from the previous spiritual power consumption.

The erosion effect of the spatial turbulence caused real flesh damage, and even with rapid recovery, it would take ten minutes to fully heal.

And although the battle just now was short, it exposed the fatal flaw in his previous tactical framework.

Insufficient prediction of the combo rhythm of spatial-type opponents.

"Can't rush."

Jiang Yun said to himself, then sat cross-legged in front of the display stand.

Under the silver-white Grand Tutor Dongxuan mask.

His eyes closed slowly, and he began to play back every frame of the battle just now in his mind.

The process of the Void Guardian from the beginning to the outbreak, the release timing of every skill, the connection point of every combo, every switch between the main body and the mirror—everything was reviewed in his mind again.

"From the start until it was marked, it was constantly probing. The Space Rift is its initial probing skill—low consumption, long range, and carrying Void Realm erosion, used to test the opponent's defensive measures. This skill itself isn't hard to deal with, but it serves two purposes: first, to create spatial turbulence and pave the way for subsequent skills; second, to attract attention, making me concentrate my firepower on the front."

"Then there's its passive, Void Realm Stealth. After Nether Abyss's Law mark was applied, its passive evasion probability was cut in half, but it didn't completely fail. This is why it could use Dimensional Mirror to complete its main body switch. At the moment of switching, it still retained a thirty percent evasion probability. Although Little Fire's Water-Fire Dragon Domain is an area-of-effect attack, it isn't a lock-on attack, so it still had a chance to pass through within that area."

"The key point is Void Realm Anchoring."

Jiang Yun's brows furrowed slightly.

"This skill is the core of its combo. All its subsequent burst damage—Void Realm Collapse and Space Rift follow-up attacks—are centered around the anchored target. Moreover, the release conditions for Void Realm Anchoring are very strict; it requires the target to be in a non-fully concealed state, and it must precisely capture the target's spatial coordinates when releasing it. When Nether Abyss disengages from Shadow Shuttle, its aura reappears in the spatial coordinates for a fleeting instant, and the Void Guardian grasped that very moment."

"So, the core strategy for the next battle will change."

Jiang Yun opened his eyes again.

A calm and sharp light flickered in his pupils.

"The previous battle's tactic was: Nether Abyss initiates with defense-breaking marks, Little Fire suppresses from the front, and Little Skylark controls the field and provides supplementary damage. This tactic is invincible when dealing with frontal, hard-hitting opponents, but against spatial types, the risk of the defense-breaker being sniped is too high."

"The core of the new tactic is: do not let it anchor to any critical position."

Jiang Yun's train of thought became increasingly clear.

"Specifically: First, change the initiation sequence. Last time, Nether Abyss initiated with the defense-breaking mark; this time, Little Skylark will initiate. As soon as the battle begins, Little Skylark will immediately expand the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain to the extreme. Instead of covering half the battlefield, it will concentrate on the area within three hundred zhang of the Void Guardian. The continuous impact of ten thousand thunders on the spatial structure will cause the Void Guardian's spatial skills to deviate slightly. While this deviation isn't enough to interrupt its skills, it's enough to lower the precision of Void Realm Anchoring by a notch."

"Second, Nether Abyss will not rush to break defenses. Under the thunderous interference of the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain, the Void Guardian's spatial positioning ability will be affected. But it will sooner or later find a way to disperse the interference of the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain; it will either use Space Rift to bombard Little Skylark from a distance or use Void Realm Collapse to create a gravitational field in the center of the Calamity Domain to disrupt the distribution of the thunder. Regardless of which skill it uses, there will be a fleeting moment of energy-gathering preparation. Nether Abyss's task is to grasp this preparation, strike from the shadows the instant before the Void Guardian releases its skill, and use Nether Claw to interrupt its casting. Not to break defenses, but to interrupt."

"Third, Little Fire will no longer bear the pressure from the front. Although the Void Realm's frontal attacks are not as domineering as the Azure Ancient Dragon's, its control skills are too disgusting. Once Little Fire is affected by Void Realm Anchoring, it would have to rely on Nether Abyss for rescue, which would break the entire damage chain. Therefore, Little Fire's role is adjusted from frontal combatant to mid-range fire suppression. It won't get close; instead, it will maintain its position at the edge of Little Skylark's Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain, using Water-Fire Dragon Breath and Water-Fire Dragon Domain to bombard the Void Guardian's body from a distance, attracting its attention and creating output pressure, but never giving it the distance or angle to anchor."

"Fourth, Nether Abyss's Law marks must not stop. Although not rushing to break defenses, the Law marks remain the key to countering Void Realm Stealth. While interrupting the Void Guardian's skills, Nether Abyss must seize every close-combat window to stack Law marks on its body. One mark can weaken passive evasion by fifty percent, and two marks can suppress its passive evasion to below twenty percent. Once the marks are stacked to two or more, switch back to the defense-breaking output rhythm."

"Fifth, if it uses Dimensional Banishment—this skill can be used at most twice per battle, five breaths of banishment, three breaths of slow, it's very disgusting. But if it banishes one of my beasts, let it banish Little Fire. Little Fire is the one with the fiercest frontal firepower, but it is also the one least afraid of being banished. Because Little Fire doesn't rely on movement, if it is banished to the Other-dimensional Void Realm for five breaths, it can charge up a super-charged Dragon Flame Burst Kill inside. When the five breaths end and it is sent back, it can directly blast out from the Other-dimensional Void Realm with that fully charged Dragon Breath, giving the Void Guardian a surprise."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, a hint of cunning in his smile.

"If it banishes Nether Abyss, there's a plan for that too. When Nether Abyss is banished, the Void Guardian will temporarily lift the suppression of the Law marks, and its passive evasion probability will recover to full. But Little Skylark can increase the thunder density of the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain to the limit within those five breaths, turning the entire battlefield into a thunder prison. Although the Void Guardian doesn't fear thunder damage, it will trigger spatial turbulence with every step it takes, greatly reducing its movement speed. When the five breaths of banishment end and Nether Abyss returns from the Other-dimensional Void Realm, the Void Guardian will still be struggling in the thunder prison. And Nether Abyss's next Nether Claw will already be ready."

"If it banishes Little Skylark... it likely won't do that. Because when Little Skylark is on the field, it can use the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain to interfere with the Void Guardian's spatial positioning. Once Little Skylark is banished and the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain disappears, the Void Guardian's skill precision will actually recover—but this also means Nether Abyss and Little Fire can output at full power within those five breaths. And although the Void Guardian's passive evasion can recover after losing the interference of the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain, the Law marks have already been applied, so the evasion probability will be at most only twenty to thirty percent. The concentrated fire from Little Fire and Nether Abyss within those five breaths will be enough to beat it half-crippled."

Jiang Yun took a deep breath and reviewed the entire tactical framework in his mind once more.

Hand the initiative to Little Skylark, using the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain to cover the battlefield and suppress the spatial structure.

Nether Abyss should not be greedy with attacks; wait for the interruption window.

Strike to interrupt when the Void Guardian is in the preparation phase of its skill, while seizing the close-combat window to stack Law marks.

Little Fire maintains mid-range, using the Water-Fire dual Domain for remote suppression, denying the distance and angle for anchoring.

The three beasts will always maintain a range where they can support each other.

Little Fire and Nether Abyss are on the same straight line, so if Little Fire is anchored, Nether Abyss can immediately cut in to break the anchor.

Little Skylark maintains a high-altitude advantage, with the Wind-Thunder Calamity Domain continuously interfering with the Void Guardian's spatial skill precision.

Patience.

Entanglement.

Attrition.

Wait until the marks are stacked to two or more, and wait until the Void Guardian's skill cooldown windows are completely figured out.

Then close the net.

"I will not repeat the mistakes of the previous battle a second time."

Jiang Yun stood up, his Divine Sense slightly probing into the Beast Taming Space.

Little Skylark's injuries had already recovered by ninety percent.

The wounds left by the space rifts had almost completely healed.

Its divine feathers were once again shimmering with brilliant light.

Little Fire was still coiled in the center of the lake, its Dragon Breath long and steady, its dark golden scales glistening under the immersion of the Water-Fire spiritual power.

Nether Abyss was lying quietly in the shadows, the dark purple light in its Eyes of Law becoming rich and profound once again; its aura was even more refined than before the battle.

Because in that battle just now, although it had been locked by Void Realm Anchoring, in the process of breaking free from the anchor, its control over the Origin Law had improved by another point.

Three beasts.

Status restored.

Strategy reset.

Ready to fight again at any time.

And during the time Jiang Yun spent sitting cross-legged pondering the strategy.

On the Liu family plaza outside the mystic light mirror, the atmosphere had completely changed.

When Jiang Yun withdrew his three beasts in the mystic light mirror, the Void Guardian returned to silence, and immediately after, Jiang Yun was teleported out of the challenge space.

The entire plaza fell into a brief dead silence.

"With... withdrawn?! Grand Tutor Dongxuan withdrew all three beasts?! He's not fighting anymore?!"

A young Disciple widened his eyes, his voice full of disbelief and shock.

"No way?! Grand Tutor Dongxuan actually stopped?! When he fought the Azure Ancient Dragon earlier, he suppressed it from start to finish and finished it off in one go!! This time, he stopped after fighting for less than half a quarter of an hour?! Is this Void Guardian that troublesome?!"

"Didn't you see the situation just now?! That shadow beast was locked by Void Realm Anchoring, and that Wind-Thunder Divine Roc was injured while blocking a Space Rift!! Grand Tutor Dongxuan must have seen that the situation wasn't right and decisively retreated to cut losses!! That's called being smart—knowing you can't win and still blindly rushing in, that's not courage, that's stupidity!!"

"Indeed, indeed. That three-hit combo from the Void Guardian just now was too sinister: first anchor, then collapse, then follow-up attack. If I were the one on the field, I would have been stunned long ago. That Grand Tutor Dongxuan could decisively stop shows that his mind is very clear."

"But having said that... is the void seed not obtainable anymore?! Since Grand Tutor Dongxuan has retreated, is this treasure safe?!"

"Nonsense, if he's retreated, how can he take it?! But it's also good; there are three clan-protecting treasures on the seventh floor. If Grand Tutor Dongxuan really took two of them alone, where would our Liu family's face go?!"

The discussions among the ordinary Disciples were mostly centered on the battle itself.

They cared about the excitement, who won and who lost, and whether the treasure could be kept.

But in the area where the stewards and managing Elders were located, the depth of the discussion was completely different.

"Has he given up?"

A managing Elder frowned slightly, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"Grand Tutor Dongxuan clearly still had two beasts in perfect condition; only the Divine Roc was injured. Why didn't he continue fighting?! With his command ability, two beasts should have been able to contend with the Void Guardian for a while, right?!"

"No."

The white-haired steward Elder slowly shook his head, a glimmer of deep thought flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

"He hasn't given up. He is cutting losses. In that situation just now, the Void Guardian's combo had found its rhythm: Void Realm Anchoring locked the shadow beast, Void Realm Collapse absorbed the True Dragon, and Space Rift finished off the Divine Roc. If Grand Tutor Dongxuan had continued to fight hard, the Void Guardian's next skill would most likely have been Dimensional Banishment; it hasn't used that powerful single-target banishment skill yet. Once it banished the shadow beast or the True Dragon to the Other-dimensional Void Realm for five breaths, the remaining two beasts would be sitting ducks in front of the Void Guardian."

He paused, his tone filled with a bit more admiration.

"So he withdrew. It's not that he couldn't win, but that he didn't want to gamble with his beasts' lives. This judgment to assess the situation, this self-control to remain calm in the heat of battle—a sixteen-year-old youth being able to reach this point is more awe-inspiring than any command technique he displayed in battle. How many veteran Beast Tamers have lost their minds on the battlefield and disregarded everything, yet Grand Tutor Dongxuan could decisively call a halt in a disadvantageous situation. This Heart-Nature is extraordinary."

"But he has already exited the challenge space now."

Another managing Elder chimed in.

"Exiting the challenge space means that this challenge has failed. According to the treasury's rules, one can only stay in the challenge space for a certain amount of time each time. After being teleported out, if one wants to challenge the same treasure again, one must re-trigger the Restriction to go back in. But the problem is, his Wind-Thunder Divine Roc was just injured by the Space Rift. Such special injuries cannot recover without a month or two of recuperation. And the time limit for staying in the treasury is only two days... does he still have time?!"

"That depends on Grand Tutor Dongxuan's next move."

The white-haired steward Elder's gaze fell back onto the mystic light mirror, a meaningful light flashing in his eyes.

"Look at him... after he withdrew, he didn't leave the seventh floor of the treasury."

Everyone looked at the mystic light mirror.

In the image, Jiang Yun was sitting cross-legged in front of the void seed display stand, eyes closed in deep thought.

His beasts had been withdrawn, and he didn't touch the challenge Restriction again, but he just wouldn't leave, sitting there quietly as if thinking about something.

"What is he doing?"

A managing Elder asked in confusion.

A white-haired steward Elder slowly stroked his beard, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity.

"If this old man is not mistaken..."

"This Prodigy is likely reviewing the battle..."

"He is re-enacting every detail of the battle just now. The timing of the Void Guardian's skill releases, the patterns of its combo connections, the trigger conditions for its passive evasion—he is looking for flaws..."

"He is not giving up; he is preparing for a second challenge..."