The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 584 Four Directional Flags, True Skill Scroll (Seeking monthly votes~)

hum~
A burst of spiritual light flashed from Chen Ping'an's brow, and a large amount of spiritual energy spread outwards from him.

At this moment, he did not deliberately suppress his spiritual foundation. Within his brow and spiritual platform, spiritual patterns shone brightly, spiritual energy was abundant, and a large amount of spiritual energy was being drawn out, sensing the surrounding land.

"Besides those two, there was no one else!"

Chen Ping'an suddenly opened his eyes and withdrew his spiritual perception.

With his martial arts prowess at the level of an eight-patterned Grandmaster, even if he were to fully unleash his spiritual power, it would be difficult for even a top-tier Grandmaster to detect him. Not to mention, he had just left the couple.

"No one is hiding!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes narrowed, confirming that the place was safe.

Normally, given his personality and habits, after killing one person and gaining his spoils, he should have fled far away.

However, this time it's not necessary.

Firstly, this person's strength was low, far inferior to his own, so killing him earlier did not cause much of a stir.

Secondly, a cultivator who hasn't even reached the Grandmaster level wouldn't have much to offer in terms of wealth and possessions that would attract unwanted attention. Even if he did, his strength wouldn't be a major concern.

His perception was also a precaution, to prevent any powerful figures from spying on him.

Normally, with his current strength, he would be able to dominate Thunder Mountain. Even his apparent cultivation level would be enough to make him the undisputed king of this place.

Chen Ping'an's face lit up with joy as his gaze fell upon the animal-hide book in his hand.

"It's actually the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique!"

The Qingyang Blood Refining Method is not well-known, but Chen Ping'an was fortunate enough to see related records in an ancient book and thus had some understanding of it.

The Qingyang Blood Refining Method was once the most treasured secret manual of the Qingyang Sect, a sect in the Eastern Territory.

However, since the destruction of the Qingyang Sect a thousand years ago, this body-refining method has been lost and almost extinct.

I never imagined that I would have the honor of seeing such a Dharma today!

Although this animal hide book is not a jade book that carries the meaning of inheritance, it is still an excellent opportunity for Chen Ping'an.

Although the Qingyang Blood Refining Method is not a true body-refining secret technique or a cultivation method, its power far surpasses that of ordinary body-strengthening techniques!
During its heyday, Qingyang Sect was a renowned cultivation sect in the Eastern Region, with a Celestial Realm patriarch presiding over it.

According to the records Chen Ping'an had read, the practitioners of the Qingyang Sect prioritized physical strength over true essence, and most members were physical strength cultivators. The Qingyang Blood Refining Method was an excellent method for refining the body.

Ordinary physical training techniques, once mastered to their limit, offer little further progress. However, the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique takes a different approach, using the blood of demonic beasts as a catalyst to refine the blood, strengthen the body, and ultimately achieve power comparable to that of a demonic beast!

Although this Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique doesn't possess many miraculous powers, its benefits to the physique are unparalleled. If one could obtain the blood of a suitable demon beast for tempering and undergo three rounds of refinement, one could probably ascend to the ranks of the Grandmasters of the Wind and Cloud Sect solely based on physical strength!
In the history of Qingyang Sect, there were great cultivators who practiced the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique, whose physical strength alone was comparable to that of martial arts celestial beings!
Although it is aided by many secret techniques for replenishing qi and blood, its extraordinary nature is enough to demonstrate the terrifying power of the Qingyang Blood Refining Method.

Chen Ping'an flipped through the pages extremely quickly, finishing the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique in no time.

"It's actually a complete cultivation technique!"

Chen Ping'an finished reading and felt much better. His last trace of worry vanished.

The Qingyang Blood Refining Method recorded in this animal hide book is not a fragment, but a complete method.

After reading through the book, Chen Ping'an truly understood this body-refining auxiliary method.

The Azure Sun Blood Refining Method is not a traditional cultivation technique. Its practice does not enhance spirituality or true essence; it only benefits the physical body. However, the physical body, true essence, and spirituality are interdependent. Theoretically, if the physical body is enhanced, it will also slightly boost spirituality and true essence.

However, compared to orthodox cultivation methods, the Qingyang Blood Refining Method seems to be a unique method that focuses on body refining.

This is quite different from normal external martial arts training methods.

While external martial arts techniques are primarily for strengthening the body, they are essentially still a form of cultivation. However, the Azure Yang Blood Refining Method has a unique flavor. Rather than a cultivation technique, it is more like a systematically improved secret method of body refining.

"I wonder if improving the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique will trigger the effects of the Golden Finger Panel?" A similar thought flashed through Chen Ping'an's mind.

These things are not urgent; you will know after you have practiced them.

The Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique is divided into four realms, which correspond perfectly to the entry, minor success, major success, and perfection of normal cultivation techniques.

However, unlike other cultivation methods, the Qingyang Blood Refining Method allows users to choose the blood of a demonic beast as the foundation for each breakthrough in cultivation level. Using the demonic beast's blood as a base, the user refines and tempers themselves using the secret blood refining technique.

According to the records in the Qingyang Blood Refining Method, the completion of each realm gives one the chance to possess the innate divine ability to refine demonic beasts through blood refining.

However, the specific circumstances depend on the actual practice.

The same blood is used to refine the blood of demonic beasts, but different people may have different results due to different processes in their cultivation.

This also leads to differences in combat strength among practitioners of the same cultivation level.

This is just one level of difference. If one reaches the fourth level of perfection, the differences between different cultivators will only be greater.

If the same demonic beast blood can produce such results, then if it is a fourth-level blood-refined demonic beast with different combinations and choices, then even if the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique is cultivated to perfection, the final combat power will be vastly different.

"According to the Qingyang Blood Refining Method, the higher the bloodline grade and realm of the demonic beast used for blood refining, the more it focuses on physical protection, and the better the body refining effect will be."

A glint flashed in Chen Ping'an's eyes, and he put the animal skin book in his hand into his pocket.

The fourth level of the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique means that he can choose four types of demonic beast blood to use for blood refining and body tempering. The effects of earth-grade demonic beast blood are naturally stronger than those of superior-grade demonic beast blood.

The effects of blood from superior-grade demonic beasts are naturally stronger than those from medium-grade demonic beasts.

Furthermore, even among Earth-grade demonic beasts, different species exhibit different effects. For instance, the blood of bear-type, tortoise-type, and armored demonic beasts is naturally more potent than that of some demonic beasts that emphasize offensive combat.

Furthermore, whether the bloodline of a monster of the same type has matured is also one of the important indicators for measuring the effectiveness of blood refining.

In short, if Chen Ping'an wants to maximize the effectiveness of the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique, he must choose stronger and more compatible demonic beast blood as the foundation for the blood refining process.

"This is really great!" Chen Ping'an exclaimed with delight, and began to explore his surroundings.

With his current martial arts level, if he wanted, he could easily find a low-grade demon beast and use its blood for blood refining and body tempering. In that case, if he cultivated the Azure Sun Blood Refining Method, its power would be stronger than most of the cultivators of the Azure Sun Sect back then.

His current physique is already among the best in his realm. If he were to receive the assistance of the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique, he would truly stand out from the crowd.

If one cultivates to the peak, then ordinary external things will truly not catch his eye.

No matter how powerful or top-tier your divine weapon is, he can shatter it with a single punch!
He doesn't have suitable demon beast blood at the moment, so there's no rush to cultivate the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique.

Chen Ping'an looked around. The cave was quite large, with a stone bed, miscellaneous items, and a pool of water.

It's clear that this cave was a secret base for the Axe-wielding man, and he probably rested here frequently.

It's worth noting that this axe-wielding man possesses such a resilient physique, suggesting he has also cultivated the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique. However, judging from his actions, the blood he uses for cultivation is likely not the blood of any demonic beast, but rather the blood of a human martial arts practitioner.

Strictly speaking, the Qingyang Blood Refining Method does not specify in detail that it must be refined with the blood of demonic beasts.

Any blood can have the effect of refining and strengthening the body, whether it's chicken blood, duck blood, or pig blood.

However, the worse the blood quality, the weaker the effect of blood refining.

Although the blood of human martial arts practitioners is not as potent as that of demonic beasts, it still yields considerable benefits through cultivation. Especially for those at the Profound Light Realm, their bloodlines can likely rival those of lower-grade or even mid-grade demonic beasts.

It's unclear whether the axe-wielding man did this intentionally, or if this was his first time undergoing blood tempering and he had chosen the blood of a human cultivator, so he could only stick to it and cultivate in this way!
According to what Chen Ping'an had read, the man with the axe should still be in the first level of the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique, which is considered to be relatively advanced in his cultivation, but obviously he has not yet reached perfection.

Otherwise, given the axe-wielding man's mastery of the Profound Light Realm, his physique wouldn't just be comparable to a Dragon Tiger Ranking expert proficient in external martial arts techniques. Instead, it would rival that of some ordinary, formally recognized Grandmasters!
Of course, this comparison only refers to physical strength, not overall ability.

However, in any case, the physical strength is enough to rival that of a grandmaster, which is an extremely rare achievement. This means that, in terms of physical strength alone, in a comprehensive comparison, he has already caught up with a formal grandmaster.

"Hmm!?" Chen Ping'an frowned slightly, having made a discovery.

At the bottom of the pool, there are several places where his spiritual perception is rather vague.

thump!
Chen Ping'an leaped into the pool.

He was surrounded by true energy, which kept the pool water out. In addition, to prevent any accidents, he was ready to unleash a strike at any time.

Although the mouth of the pool wasn't large, the bottom of the pool was quite spacious. Chen Ping'an moved extremely fast and soon arrived at one of the spots.

"This is!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up with joy as he discovered a command flag under a reef.

Whoosh!
With a single grab of his hand, Chen Ping'an brought the command flag into his grasp.

The command flag has a dark blue shaft and a bluish-red flag surface.

Chen Ping'an had previously tried to discern the true form of the command flag, but had failed. It was as if his spiritual perception had been consciously ignored.

If Chen Ping'an hadn't been meticulous, he probably would have overlooked this detail. With a normal, cursory investigation, even with his spiritual foundation as an eight-patterned grandmaster, he wouldn't have noticed anything unusual here.

"There are three more!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up with joy. He flashed, stirring up the undercurrents at the bottom of the pool, and headed towards another place.

Just as he expected, there was another array flag nearby, exactly the same as the one in his hand.

He ran to several places in succession, and when he reached the pool, he had four blue and red command flags in his hands.

These command flags possess a spiritual quality that is difficult to fathom; they can only be seen with the naked eye.

"This is."

Chen Ping'an examined it carefully, his expression changing from joy to surprise.

"Domain-type divine weapon!"

These four blue and red command flags, though somewhat old, indicate that the restrictions are intact and there is no damage whatsoever.

The four command flags, arranged in a set, are sufficient to form a confinement zone.

"I searched high and low without finding it, but it came to me without any effort!" Chen Ping'an was overjoyed and gently touched the command flag in his hand.

He had previously intended to forge a top-tier divine weapon, but things were thwarted and he did not succeed. Unexpectedly, this time, by a twist of fate, he gained such an opportunity.

It's true what they say: you may try to plant flowers but they won't bloom, while you may plant willows without thinking and they will thrive!

Although Chen Ping'an hadn't fully grasped the four blue and red command flags, judging from their design, they were probably no ordinary divine weapons. Interlocking and coordinated, their combined power and quality were likely comparable to top-tier divine weapons!

However, this consideration is only Chen Ping'an's guess. The actual power can only be known through practice.

"I wonder what kind of magical powers this command flag possesses?"

Chen Ping'an suppressed his curiosity and prepared to leave first.

Although the cave was secluded, it was not a good place for secluded research. He glanced at the axe-wielding man whose corpse was already cold beside him.

"That's fine!"

With a flick of his fingertip, a green light appeared, and flames ignited from his body.

Beneath the raging flames, the corpses were soon reduced to nothing.

This axe-wielding man was quite fortunate; not only did he obtain the Azure Sun Blood Refining Method, but he also found treasures like the Azure and Crimson Command Flags within this cave.

I just don't know if the other party is aware of the latter!

It seems they are unaware of this at present. If they were, these four command flags would not have been left lying around in Tandi.

Although the four command flags were placed at the bottom of the pool, they were all concealed. If Chen Ping'an had not had spiritual guidance, he probably wouldn't have been able to see them clearly with the naked eye.

Unless the axe-wielding man conducts a thorough search, simply diving into the water won't reveal the location of the command flag.

With this Qingyang Blood Refining Method, which benefits the body and in turn enhances the spirituality, this axe-wielding man may have a chance to become a grandmaster.

After becoming a grandmaster, one is guided by a spirit. If one examines carefully, one might be able to discover the command flag at the bottom of this pool.

At that time, even with powerful protective treasures, he would not be considered an ordinary master.

But it's a pity.
A wicked thought will lead to death and the annihilation of one's spiritual realm!
Opportunities may be good, but if one cannot hold onto them, they will obviously be of no benefit. Holding onto opportunities and reaching the pinnacle is the true principle of martial arts.

Chen Ping'an looked at the ashes that had been burned to ashes in front of him, his mind racing with a myriad of emotions.

"Let's check again to see if there's anything we've missed."

Chen Ping'an made up his mind and looked around.

He found the array flags at the bottom of the pool, and a careful search might reveal other discoveries.

Although his spiritual intuition was good, Chen Ping'an still relied on his eyes and checked it again.

He searched the entire cave thoroughly, making sure there were no places he had overlooked.

If it weren't for his sudden impulse to follow along, he might have missed this opportunity.

If you find out later, you'll really regret it.

Fortunately, he had a helpful heart, which is why he had such an opportunity.

These four command flags, even if they are not top-tier divine weapons, are still an extremely powerful set of divine weapons.

Although the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique is not a traditional cultivation method, if we were to rank it, it would probably have transcended the category of supreme divine skills and reached the category of treasure scrolls and true skills!
In terms of value, it's beyond measure!

Although it was just a rubbing, it was no different from the Jade Book of Inheritance to Chen Ping'an.

To be fair, this axe-wielding man is quite talented in body tempering. Otherwise, although the difficulty of cultivating body tempering techniques is not as high as orthodox techniques, it is still beyond the reach of those in the Profound Light Realm.

Besides the physical training method, the Qingyang Blood Refining Method is also a typical example of something that is easy to learn but difficult to master, and extremely difficult to achieve great success.

Since joining the ranks of the state's powerful figures, Chen Ping'an has been consciously gathering intelligence. He has a relatively deep understanding of the classification of cultivation techniques.

Inferior martial arts techniques, intermediate martial arts techniques, superior martial arts techniques, divine skills, supreme divine skills
Within the categories of divine skills and supreme divine skills, there are more detailed distinctions. For example, the supreme divine skills include ordinary supreme divine skills such as the Ten Thousand Demons Body Forging Technique, more powerful supreme divine skills such as the Seven Absolute Divine Skill, powerful supreme divine skills such as the Dragon Capturing Hand practiced by Nie Yunlong, and top-tier supreme divine skills such as the Mysterious Maiden Heart Method practiced by Gu Qingchan.

Within the category of top-tier divine skills, there are more specific divisions, such as top-tier divine skills and those that are close to the category of precious scroll true skills, like the Hundred Forged Vajra Skill that Jing Xingyan cultivates, and the Taixu Wind Control Step that Chen Ping'an has his eye on.

Although this kind of technique is still within the category of supreme divine skills, it is worlds apart from ordinary supreme divine skills.

This is also why Chen Ping'an, despite accumulating so many merits, still has no way to exchange them for a Taixu Wind-Riding Step technique with incomplete inheritance.

If we disregard family background and extraordinary opportunities, normally only top-tier masters would have the chance to access supreme divine skills.

Grandmasters, unless they have a particularly shallow foundation, generally possess unparalleled divine skills.

As for what level of supreme divine skill one cultivates, that depends on each person's fate.

Those whose combat strength reaches the level of a top-tier grandmaster generally possess a formidable supreme divine skill. Alternatively, they may not have a strong technique themselves, but they have a powerful divine weapon as a means of protection.

Those who achieve the prestigious title of Grandmaster are generally those who possess powerful and unparalleled divine skills. Examples include Nie Yunlong's Dragon-Capturing Hand and Ning Zhengyue's Five Thunder Transformation Hand.

Among them were some supreme masters who cultivated top-tier divine skills, such as Yao Guang of the Eight Desolations Fist who had previously gifted Chen Ping'an the Snow Spirit Leaf, and Li Wusheng of the Absolute Sound Palm who had a grudge against Chen Ping'an in the Zhenfu Division of Canglong Prefecture.

Take Jing Xingyan, for example. He cultivates the most powerful and top-tier divine skill, which is close to the category of a true skill scroll. However, his cultivation progress is average, and he has not truly brought out the power of this skill. Therefore, in terms of combat strength, he is not particularly outstanding among the top grandmasters.

However, due to the extraordinary nature of his cultivation technique, he was able to contend with powerful individuals who were close to or even approached the level of Grandmasters of the Wind and Cloud Realm, simply by virtue of his physical strength.

As for those at the pinnacle of Grandmaster level and beyond, those who have reached the level of Wind and Cloud Grandmaster, relying solely on cultivation techniques is not enough. Cultivation techniques are only one means of enhancing combat power, not the whole picture. Factors such as one's own martial arts realm, combat skills, external protective objects, explosive secret techniques, and trump cards are all indispensable.

However, being listed on the Grandmaster Ranking means that he has reached the pinnacle of cultivation within the Grandmaster realm. His skills, no matter what, cannot be lacking.

If he has any weaknesses that hold him back, he won't be able to climb the Grandmaster Ranking. Even if he manages to make it, he'll probably be challenged and knocked down very soon.

Generally speaking, those who rank high on the Grandmaster Ranking are either exceptionally skilled in external means and protected by powerful treasures, or possess a special physique and divine abilities, or have formidable cultivation techniques and have reached a certain level of mastery.

For example, the True Skill Scroll, which is above the rank of Supreme Divine Skill!

As far as Chen Ping'an knew, the top-ranked geniuses on the Hidden Dragon List all possessed genuine cultivation scrolls! Although they might not have mastered them perfectly, the quality of their cultivation techniques was undeniable.

Techniques like Yin Shangjin's Blood Sea Demon Art, the Snow Goddess Xuan Yueli's Profound Ice True Technique, and Dugu Yiren's Five Poison Divine Palm are all considered to be true martial arts scrolls.

Speaking of the Snow God Palace's Profound Ice True Technique, there's an interesting story. It was previously called the Chili Profound Ice Technique, but for some reason, it was later changed to the Profound Ice True Technique.

The reason these prodigies stand atop the Hidden Dragon Ranking is not only due to their innate talent, but also inseparable from the cultivation methods they practice. Good cultivation methods can often maximize their talents.

They can cultivate ordinary techniques to perfection, but those monstrous geniuses who are slightly inferior to them can also cultivate them to perfection.

In this way, the difference in natural talent between the two sides cannot be widened. However, if there is a more difficult technique, then the difference between the two sides can be shown.

Sometimes, even when both achieve perfection, there can be a vast chasm between them. Your perfection stems from your limits. My perfection, however, is due to the limits of my cultivation method!

Among them are many prodigies who have improved upon or created their own cultivation techniques!
However, such matters are too mentally and physically demanding, and if there is a ready-made solution, most people would choose the ready-made method.

After all, neither improvement nor original creation can guarantee results. Except for those with absolute confidence, most people wouldn't choose this path.

The Qingyang Blood Refining Technique that Chen Ping'an has now obtained, disregarding its benefits to cultivation, is a true treasure scroll in terms of its grade.

In other words, if Chen Ping'an could cultivate this method, it would mean that he had truly closed the gap between himself and those peerless geniuses in terms of advanced cultivation techniques.

Chen Ping'an has a cheat-like interface, so he's not afraid of difficult techniques; he's afraid of techniques that aren't strong enough! Theoretically speaking, as long as he can successfully cultivate a technique once, there won't be any technique that can stump him.

The higher the grade of the cultivation technique, the greater the gap between him and those monstrous geniuses!
One day, he will make those unparalleled geniuses feel despair!
What those once-proud geniuses felt in front of them, one day they too will feel in him!
"Feng Lingyin, Jiang Wuyai, Dugu Yiren, Xuan Yueli, Lu Mengyao, Ruan Yushu, you will all feel it!"

Rumble!
With a casual strike, Chen Ping'an smashed down a large amount of rubble, completely burying the cave entrance.

Before leaving the cave, he carefully checked it again to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Only after confirming that he hadn't overlooked anything did he leave.

As he knocked down the rubble, Chen Ping'an suddenly realized that all the top-ranked geniuses on the Hidden Dragon List had cultivated the Precious Scroll True Technique, so why hadn't the Heavenly Luo Saintess cultivated it?

He had previously fought with the Heavenly Net Saintess, nearly pushing her to the brink of defeat, and knew that she hadn't held back any of her techniques. The techniques she cultivated were the few supreme divine arts that were openly known. Among them, the highest-ranking was the Purple Qi Heavenly Net, followed by the Moon Tide Spirit Palm.

"Logically, this shouldn't be the case!"

The Tianluo Sect is a large and powerful organization; it shouldn't be unable to produce even a single genuine martial arts manual. Facing the current Holy Maiden, they shouldn't be stingy with that one technique.

But why?

A hint of doubt flashed in Chen Ping'an's eyes.

However, this slight doubt quickly disappeared.

Whether he has it or not, it has little to do with him.

In their previous encounter, the Holy Maiden of Heavenly Net managed to escape by relying on the power of a powerful treasure.

But the next time they meet, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Net may not be so lucky.

Since the Holy Maiden of Heavenly Net has been defeated by him once, she will be defeated a second time.

One step ahead leads to another, and the gap between them is destined to widen.

Once he has fully digested this gain and perfected the Seven Absolute Divine Skill, his combat power will increase significantly.

At that time, he will be one of the strongest on the list of top masters!
Whoosh!
Chen Ping'an's figure flickered, heading towards the distant dense forest.

This opportunity made him temporarily abandon his idea of ​​going to the black market.

Prioritize increasing combat power above all else!

The most urgent task is to understand the formation flags and divine weapons as soon as possible!

Furthermore, once things are settled, the collection of demon beast blood and the cultivation of the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique should be put on the agenda as soon as possible.

If he can cultivate the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique to the first level, his physical strength will be greatly enhanced.

The Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, the Dragon Elephant Overlord Body Technique, and the Perfected Myriad Demons Body Forging Technique already made his physique far superior to others of the same level. If he could receive another boost, it's hard to imagine how much his physical resilience would improve.

It seems that in the end
We still have to take the reckless path!
The Thunder Mountain Range is a majestic ridge with undulating peaks. In one part of the range, there is a narrow, long rift valley, as if the earth has been torn apart, with towering cliffs on both sides and strangely shaped rocks.

A fierce wind howled through the valley, like the roar of a ferocious beast, sounding from afar like thunder. At the bottom of the valley, a river flowed ceaselessly, its surging waters crashing against the rocks and splashing high into the air.

In a swiftly flowing section of the river, a massive rock stands. At the base of the rock, arrayed flags swirl, concealing the unusual surroundings.

Rumble~
The swift current, like a wild horse unleashed, carries immense force, crashing and churning at the bottom of the river, stirring up an undercurrent.

Amidst the surging undercurrents, a long, deep waterway slowly emerges.

On one side of the rock, a woman in a black dress stood quietly. Her face was ethereal and exquisitely beautiful, with a dreamlike quality like a galaxy, and the black skirt cascaded down, outlining her stunning curves.

A glass lamp hovered lightly above the woman, emitting a soft, ethereal light that enveloped her.

"found it!"

The woman in the black dress's chest rose and fell slightly, a blush appeared on her face, and a ripple appeared in her indifferent eyes.

After years of searching, we have finally found this ultimate secret place!
The Demon Lord's Secret Treasure!

The water flowed turbulently, and waterways took shape.

Without further hesitation, the woman darted into the water.

(End of this chapter)