The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 585 Top-Tier Divine Weapons, Devastatingly Powerful (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

"These banners are truly extraordinary!"

Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged on an ancient tree, surrounded by dense foliage, his true essence separating him from the outside world.

He looked at the blue and red command flags swirling in front of him, a look of joy on his face.

Five days have passed since he left that day. During these five days, Chen Ping'an has focused most of his energy on these four array flags.

After initial training, he had already mastered the key to these four command flags.

As he had expected, these four command flags were indeed domain-type and confinement-type divine weapons.

However, slightly deviating from the initial assessment, these four command flags were not pure trapping divine weapons, but rather seemed to have the connotation of assisting in combat.

Four command flags are placed in the four directions. With the command flags as the base, spiritual guidance and true energy drive the process, triggering divine miracles.

During battle, a confinement zone is formed.

Within this domain, there is an effect of confusing the mind and interfering with spirituality. If one disregards the depletion of true essence and spiritual energy, one can trigger azure flames to defend against enemies!
The azure flames are extremely powerful, capable of scorching even true essence. Ordinary Grandmaster-level cultivators, once touched by them, will be severely injured, if not killed. Even against Great Grandmasters, it has a very strong deterrent effect.

Furthermore, if he is within the command flag's domain, he can manipulate the flag to change its location to some extent. However, this method is much more energy-consuming; an ordinary grandmaster would be exhausted after using it once or twice.

Even with Chen Ping'an's spiritual foundation, he couldn't use it frequently. In battle, using it two or three times should be the limit without affecting his combat strength.

This change in location, though only a hundred feet away, carries a sense of being close yet a thousand miles apart.

Besides these three divine abilities, these four command flags also seem to carry a layer of restrictions. However, it is unclear whether this is because Chen Ping'an has not yet truly refined them or because he did not use the correct method when controlling them, and thus did not truly unleash their power.

As for the option of damaged restrictions, Chen Ping'an ruled out this possibility after careful examination.

Although he was not skilled in spiritual restrictions, he could still tell whether the spiritual lines engraved on the divine weapon were connected smoothly.

After all, although there are spiritual restrictions inscribed on divine weapons, their operation is still relatively straightforward. There won't be numerous loops and closed loops that interfere with each other and trigger divine phenomena.

The command flag fluttered in the wind, radiating a bluish-red light as true energy flowed through it.

Chen Ping'an was increasingly delighted as he looked at it.

After his investigation over the past few days, he has definitively confirmed the grade of these four command flags. Without a doubt, these four command flags are a truly top-tier divine weapon! And a complete set of top-tier divine weapons at that!
Although the fourth divine power of this command flag is still unknown, the ones that have been revealed so far are enough to rank it among the top divine weapons.

"I wonder if these blue and red command flags are related to the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique?"

Chen Ping'an pondered.

His brows gleamed with spiritual light as he continuously refined this divine weapon.

There are no marks left on these four command flags. It is unknown whether they have been washed away by the power of time or were originally ownerless.

Without the step of washing away the mark, Chen Ping'an could refine the command flag extremely quickly.

In just five days, he achieved remarkable success and was able to use the four command flags effectively.

Chen Ping'an refined his skills on the ancient tree for several hours before finally stopping.

"Let's refine this part first, and then we can refine the rest slowly!"

His trip to the black market has already taken five days, and he can't afford to delay any longer.

Although this command flag weapon can be refined quickly, it will take at least seven or eight days to refine it properly.

He could already use the divine weapons on both sides to a basic extent, so there was no need to rush.

A glint of light flashed in Chen Ping'an's eyes, and the command flags hovering in front of him fell into his hands one by one.

"From now on, I will call you the Azure Flame Four Directions Banner!"

Chen Ping'an smiled and put the command flag into his Thousand Machine Bag.

"set off!"

Bang!
With a loud bang, Chen Ping'an's figure disappeared from the ancient tree and flew away into the distance.

"Sir, if you encounter any more exquisite treasures like these in the future, you are welcome to come to our shop for transactions. We can discuss the price with you!"

A slightly shrewd, round-faced man rubbed his hands together and looked at the man in front of the counter with a smile on his face.

The man was dressed in a blue robe, with a long sword hanging at his waist. He had bright eyes and striking features, and was exceptionally handsome.

The man nodded slightly but said nothing more.

Seeing that the man agreed, the round-faced man presented a bag of Yuan Crystals with both hands.

"Sir, here are the Yuan Crystals for this transaction. Please take a look."

"Hmm!" The man took the Yuan Crystals, seemingly without counting them, and walked straight out of the shop.

After the man left, a man with a fierce look came out from backstage.

"Boss, this sheep is pretty fat, want some?" The man made a gesture.

Snapped!
The chubby man slapped the person's head hard.

"How many times have I told you, we're doing legitimate business now, not the robbery and plundering we used to do!"

"Boss, I was wrong." The man covered his head and begged for forgiveness, "I just thought that person's face was unfamiliar, and he wasn't covering himself up at all, looking like a greenhorn!"

"Nothing to hide!?" The chubby man snorted. "A Grandmaster! What do they need to hide?"

"Huh? Grandmaster level!" The fierce-looking man was somewhat surprised.

The round-faced man glanced at him but said nothing.

Having fought his way through so many dangers over the years, he'd finally found some peace and quiet; he certainly had some discernment. If he wasn't mistaken, this man in blue was a pseudo-grandmaster!

The fact that the Yuan Crystals were not counted earlier is the best evidence; with spiritual perception, there is no need to count them at all.

Without sufficient strength to back them up, who would dare to swagger around in this black market without any disguise!
If that's true, he's doing business here, not running a charity!
"Not bad!"

Chen Ping'an, dressed in a blue robe, walked along the streets of the black market.

At this moment, although he didn't have any external coverings, he did some disguise on his appearance. Overall, he looked to be in his thirties or forties.

Grandmasters have long lifespans, and with his current appearance, it wouldn't be surprising if he lived to be over a hundred years old.

Generally, facial features can only be used as a reference when inferring the age of a master, and cannot be used as an absolute basis.

Upon reaching the Grandmaster realm, aging is significantly slowed down. Even Grandmasters who have lived for two hundred years often still have the appearance of middle-aged people.

However, while a Grandmaster can slow down aging, it is still quite unlikely to reverse the aging process.

There won't be any cases of people living to be two or three hundred years old but still having the appearance of a young person.

No matter how slowly you slow down aging, you will still age eventually.

This is something that even grandmasters cannot avoid.

Those grandmasters who have lived for three or four hundred years still look like young women; it's mostly just a matter of facial disguise.

However, once one reaches the Grandmaster realm, one's mind is clear and enlightened. Except for a few who value appearance, one will not deliberately disguise oneself and will mostly let oneself age naturally.

Of course, if there were any spiritual fruits or precious medicines that could slow down aging, they would certainly pursue them.

However, if the cost is too high, some people may be willing, but others may not.

After all, delaying aging only affects appearance, not lifespan.

No matter how young one may appear on the outside, one's inner self will eventually grow old!
Unless one can reach the level of a Grandmaster, eternal youth is merely a legend.

The black market where Chen Ping'an was located was one of the larger ones in the Thunder Mountain Range. It was situated in a valley, surrounded by mountain peaks and cliffs, and could only be reached via specific paths without the ability to leap and fly.

Behind this black market are numerous powerful forces, and overall, the order is relatively stable. However, the atmosphere during their sales pitches and conversations is not always as courteous as it should be.

After leaving the previous shop, Chen Ping'an wandered around and entered another shop. The shop's decoration was not luxurious, and could even be described as simple, showing that black market shops mostly adhered to a pragmatic approach.

"Spiritual herbs and elixirs, will you take them or not?"

After entering the shop, Chen Ping'an didn't waste any time and went straight to the point.

A tall, muscular man stood behind the counter, his voice sounding somewhat cold and hard.

"Buy! What kind!?"

Chen Ping'an didn't say much. He simply raised his hand, and some pills and herbs appeared in front of him.

These were all things he no longer needed, and this trip to the black market provided an opportunity to sell them off.

Chen Ping'an had two plans regarding the supplies he had.

He planned to sell the items that were publicly available in Thunder City. As for those that couldn't be sold openly, he intended to do so on the black market.

Although Chen Ping'an didn't offer many resources this time, it still surprised the tall, muscular man.

However, those who frequent this black market are generally worldly-wise. He quickly suppressed his emotions and began to assess the value of the items in front of him.

"Lilac, Forsythia, and Salvia miltiorrhiza"

Before long, the man had taken stock of all the items.

"One price, two hundred Yuan Crystals!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping'an didn't hesitate. He grabbed a roll of pills and left.

"Wait a minute," the tall, muscular man called out to him. "The price is negotiable. How much are you looking for?"

"Five hundred Yuan Crystals!"

"Impossible!" the tall, strong man exclaimed in unison.

Chen Ping'an said no more and walked out of the shop.

"Grandma's!"

The tall, muscular man looked gloomy as he watched Chen Ping'an leave.

We finally found a fat sheep, but we haven't even managed to slaughter it yet!

The actual value of this batch of goods should be between four and five hundred yuan crystals. He can make at least half a profit by paying two hundred.

Surprisingly, the man's estimate was quite accurate.

He glanced at the doorway, hesitated for a moment, then closed the door and went straight into the back room.

After leaving the shop, Chen Ping'an went to several other places.

The black market lived up to its name; the prices offered by different places varied greatly. In the end, Chen Ping'an sold the item for 465 yuan crystals.

Although the price fluctuated, it generally met Chen Ping'an's expectations.

Normally, even if he were to trade these items in a major city, he wouldn't be able to sell them for their full value.

After all, the shop is there, and people and animals need to pay for food and supplies, so there has to be a profit to be made.

Next, Chen Ping'an went to some other places and sold off some weapons, magical artifacts, elixirs, and mineral materials.

Overall, the value of these items is not very high, but when accumulated, they amount to a considerable sum.

During this time, while selling the items, Chen Ping'an also inquired about the details of the demon beast blood. Demon beast blood, as a type of cultivation material, has many uses.

Besides nourishing blood and strengthening muscles and bones, it can also be used to assist in the refining of elixirs, the forging of weapons, and the cultivation of martial arts techniques.

Most shops have stock of monster blood, but the quality varies considerably.

Some shops sell blood from monsters that doesn't even qualify as low-grade bloodlines; at best, it's an inferior bloodline, and it might not even be worthy of the title of monster. At most, it's just a rather ferocious wild beast.

The best among them is only blood that is close to that of a mid-level demon beast, and in terms of classification, it still belongs to the lower-level demon beast bloodline.

"It seems the black market isn't big enough!"

After gaining a general understanding of the black market, Chen Ping'an made a decision.

"I'll sell one last batch, then leave and check out other black markets."

There are many black markets in the Thunder Mountain Range, and Chen Ping'an hadn't planned to visit just one place on this trip. Given the opportunity, he naturally wanted to explore as many places as possible.

In the last shop, Chen Ping'an sold a considerable amount of resources. The overall quality was much higher than what he had sold before, with the most valuable item being a large medicinal herb he obtained from the Ghost-Faced Old Man.

In the end, a total of over a thousand yuan worth of crystals were sold.

"Alright, it's time to go!"

Chen Ping'an walked out of the shop with a strange smile on his face.

"Manager, everything is arranged! As you instructed, one of his spirit crystals has been marked. As long as he stays within ten miles, he won't be able to escape!"

A short man was standing in front of a woman with a fawning expression.

The woman had a beautiful face, but a scar at the corner of her eye marred her overall beauty.

"Okay!" The woman held a round fan, her orchid-like fingers slightly raised, her nails painted with bright floral pollen.

"Anyone who can spend over a thousand yuan crystals is not to be underestimated. Take my token and go find the Black Protector. Tell him there's a big fish out there and to prepare to make a move."

"The Black Protector?" A flicker of fear flashed in the short man's eyes, but it quickly disappeared. He bent over and said with a smile, "Manager, aren't you giving the Black Protector too much credit by attacking at the same time as you?"

"Hmm?" The woman's casual glance made the short man's heart tremble. He immediately flattered her, "I was just being nosy. The head manager has considered everything perfectly and is confident in his plans. With you and Protector Black taking action, that person will definitely have no chance of escaping and will become his meal!"

"Go down! Don't mess things up." The woman fanned herself with a round fan, a smile appearing on her face.

"Yes, Manager."

Chen Ping'an walked out of the black market.

The black market was located in a valley, and apart from the entrance controlled from the back of the black market, there was only one small path leading out of the valley. With Chen Ping'an's abilities, he naturally didn't need to rely on the path; if he wanted, he could easily leap up the mountainside.

Even without the mountain wall, with his martial arts level, he could still fly through the air.

just
"It's fine to have some fun."

A faint smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's lips.

He made no attempt to conceal his activities during this black market sale. The multiple sales, without any deliberate time intervals, suggested he was also looking to fish for fish.

Besides engaging in black market transactions, he also hoped to gain merit in the Thunder Mountains.

It seems that after his repeated attempts, the fish have taken the bait!
Chen Ping'an, dressed in a green robe with a long sword at his waist, walked along the valley path with a graceful air.

Swordsmen are still the best.

Chen Ping'an stretched out his hand, looked at his own attire, and was quite pleased with himself.

"You think you can let the meat that's already in your mouth get away?"

Behind Chen Ping'an, a tall, burly man sneered.

He was controlling a flying insect, dressed in black, and his face was concealed.

For cultivators at the Profound Light Realm, appropriate clothing can reduce interference during combat. Although the impact on combat power is negligible, once a fight is initiated, one should naturally go all out without holding back.

The tall, strong man moved with light steps, clearly having mastered superior movement techniques. He followed closely, searching for a suitable opportunity to strike.

"This kid is completely unpretentious; he probably has some tricks up his sleeve. We should still be on guard."

The tall, muscular man's eyes gleamed as he took several black throwing blades and darts from his robes, tucking the blades to his waist and placing the darts at the top of his boots. He then checked the mechanism sleeves at his cuffs, and only after confirming everything was in order did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Kid, now that I, Mountain Eagle, have my eye on you, you can prepare to die."

"Manager, there seem to be more people ahead!"

The short man, concealing himself, spoke to the woman beside him.

"Very well!" The woman held up a round fan, a charming smile on her face. "It's good to let this person scout things out first!"

"The head manager is wise," the short man complimented.

As she moved around, she unconsciously moved a little further away from the masked man beside her.

"Black Charcoal, what do you think?" The woman's gaze fell on the masked man.

The masked man was entirely black, with a sinister glint in his exposed eyes.

"Since you've made your move, don't be careless. When you attack later, don't hold back, go all out!" A cold, hard voice rang out, like metal clashing.

"Okay." The woman nodded and licked the corner of her mouth with her tongue.

"It's been a long time since I've killed anyone. I hope this time, I won't be disappointed."

"It's not just small shrimp. Although we're still not full, the two extra small fish make the trip worthwhile."

Chen Ping'an's clothes fluttered in the breeze, and his smile was casual and carefree.

After six years of martial arts training, this is the first time I've ventured out as a swordsman. In a way, this fulfills a long-held wish.

Although it wasn't the scene I had imagined, it was still some consolation.

In his early years, he practiced martial arts, hoping that one day such a scene would occur.

Amidst the misty rain, he stood at the bow of the boat, a long sword at his waist, holding an umbrella. Upon seeing the beautiful woman standing on the riverbank, his graceful figure, like a swimming dragon, appeared in a fleeting moment, and he was now standing on the riverbank from the bow of the boat.

"Girl, it's raining."

The stranger is like jade, and the young master is unparalleled in the world!
Chen Ping'an's smile deepened.

To roam the world with a sword—a childhood dream!

Forced by circumstances, he developed a swordsman's heart, practicing the Overlord Blade and earning the reputation of the Savage Blade. Even his most powerful techniques had absolutely nothing to do with swordsmanship.

People thought he was a master of the sword, but who knew that what he, Mang Dao, wanted to cultivate was swordsmanship all along! In fact, Gu Qingcheng cultivated swordsmanship and even perfected the supreme divine skill, Bright Moon Sword Technique.

I don't know if I'll have the chance to learn a thing or two from you later.

My fiancée is a swordswoman; I wonder if that fulfills my dream from back then.

A female swordsman! A female swordsman!

Speaking of which, I wonder what happened to the letters I sent earlier?

Chen Ping'an's thoughts were racing as he savored the experience.

call out!
Just as he was spacing out, several flying blades came from afar, flashing with cold light and moving with great speed.

At the same time, a figure suddenly sprang into action, attacking from afar.

"die!"

The tall, muscular man held a dark red short blade, which gleamed with a cold light.

Outsiders, blinded by his tall and muscular appearance, would assume he excels at direct assaults. But who would know that his true strength lies in stealthy and ruthless attacks?

Kill one person in ten steps, leave no trace behind in a thousand miles!
Attack with flying blades, catching the enemy off guard; the short blade is behind, a single strike is fatal.

Whether it's a flying blade or a short blade, the edge is coated with poison. If an ordinary cultivator encounters it, at best they will be paralyzed and unable to move, and at worst the poison will penetrate their heart and internal organs, causing them to die suddenly.

The tall, muscular man's face was full of sneers.

He had been in the business for decades, and countless people had died by this one move.

Today, it should be the same!
The tall, muscular man's eyes grew increasingly fierce; he had already foreseen the other man's fate.

He held a short blade and was already in front of his opponent.

then
With a flash of cold light, he fell to the ground.

The tall, strong man collapsed to the ground, his face filled with terror and his eyes brimming with disbelief.

He hadn't used his long dart, his mechanical sleeves, or his backup plan.
How could he die?

"Heh heh." He covered his throat, trying to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

"Gentlemen, you've followed us all this way, it's time to come out." Chen Ping'an stood with his sword in hand, his expression calm and composed.

"There's still someone?" The tall, muscular man's eyes widened as he sensed the life force gradually fading away.

shhhhhhhh!

One after another, silver needles shot out.

Chen Ping'an brandished his longsword, his moves changing rapidly.

Ding ding ding.
One by one, silver needles fell upon hearing the sound.

"Fellow Daoist, what skillful methods you have!" A soft, charming voice rang out, seemingly coming from all directions.

"Fellow Daoist, you should die today!"

Whoosh!
A frail, boneless figure hovered around the tree trunk, its location unpredictable, as it approached Chen Ping'an.

At the same time, true energy exploded, and a heavy punch came whistling in.

Bang!
Amidst the explosion, a figure entirely covered in black appeared, hurtling towards Chen Ping'an.

"Well done!"

Chen Ping'an held the sword in one hand, the longsword rising lightly, creating a ripple.

boom!
As his true energy surged, his jet-black figure retreated with a thud, the immense force of which caused him to crash into a tree and break it in two.

"what?"

The beautiful woman gasped in surprise, her face filled with astonishment.

At this moment, she was striking down on Chen Ping'an's crown with her palm. According to her original plan, she intended to coordinate with Black Charcoal to deliver a fatal blow. However, she hadn't expected that Black Charcoal couldn't even manage a moment's resistance.

This situation, however, put her in a precarious predicament.

In that life-or-death moment, she hesitated no longer. With a wave of her fan, a large number of feather needles shot out.

Before the needle could strike, she saw a flash of cold light.

Swish!
then
The woman's expression darkened, and she fell heavily to the ground.

"Grandmaster"

Bang!
Dust billowed up, swirling across the ground, and the black charcoal body crashed heavily to the ground.

"Grandmaster!" Black Charcoal's voice remained cold and hard, but beneath the mask lay a look of utter horror.

Who would have thought that an assassination attempt would lead to an encounter with a grandmaster!

He defeated him in one move without moving an inch himself. Such skill is definitely not that of an ordinary grandmaster!

"run!"

Black Carbon's mind raced, and he made a decision immediately.

As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. He's cultivated for so long; he's not here to die.

Third Sister, I've remembered your grudge. I'll report this to the gang leader and avenge you!

Bang!
He stomped his foot hard on the ground, his true energy surging, and he shot off into the distance.

"run?"

Chen Ping'an glanced indifferently into the distance.

He held his longsword and casually swung it forward, but it unleashed a terrifying sword light.

Swish!
The sword's edge was sharp and incomparably fierce.

"What?" Ebony felt a chill run down his spine as he sensed the threat of death behind him.

"Why so fast!?"

He was terrified, and his brows flashed with intense light. At this moment, he no longer cared about his life. He surged with his true energy, sacrificing his lifespan to gain a moment of overwhelming power!
"Break!" He slammed his fist backward, unleashing a burst of energy.

With his secret technique, this punch from him is enough to rival a formal grandmaster!
Even if we can't block the opponent's sword, it's enough to buy us some time!
just
The fist's energy shattered, as easily as thin paper.

next moment!
The sword's edge struck, piercing right through his body.

puff!

Blood splattered across the sky as Black Charcoal's body plummeted to the ground.

"I am
"Are you going to die?"

Black Charcoal stared at the man in the blue robe not far away, his vision blurring until he completely disappeared into the darkness.

"This...this..." The short man's heart pounded wildly, filled with terror. From the moment he made his move until now, only a breath had passed, but in that short time, both the head manager and the Black Protector were dead, without even a proper resistance.

Recalling what had just happened, his eyes were filled with fear.

How did they manage to provoke this evil god!
He had already reached his maximum speed, but he still felt it wasn't fast enough.

"Hurry up, hurry up!"

"Since you've chosen to take action, you must be prepared to die at any time!"

With a swift movement, Chen Ping'an snatched the treasure pouch from the alluring woman's arms. He glanced at the short man fleeing frantically in the distance, and with a flick of his hand, a sharp, cyan blade shot forth.

Whoosh!
The short man felt a sharp pain in his back and screamed in agony.

A surge of powerful true energy exploded within his body, causing him to instantly lose consciousness and plunge into boundless darkness.

"Two pseudo-grandmasters, one at the high level of the Profound Light Realm, and the other at the middle level of the Profound Light Realm."

Chen Ping'an stood with his sword in hand, and with a swirling of his true essence, the remaining supplies on the others fell into his hands.

The two pseudo-grandmasters each had a treasure pouch, while the remaining two were far less well-off, carrying only some weapons.

However, Chen Ping'an did find a hidden mechanism sleeve on the tall, strong man's body.

It appears to be an extremely ingenious design, convenient to carry, and can be slipped into a sleeve to kill enemies invisibly.

This mechanical sleeve is quite powerful; if caught off guard, even a high-level Xuan Guang cultivator would likely fall victim to it.

The person who can make these mechanical sleeves must have some knowledge of puppetry.

Otherwise, relying solely on the power of mechanisms to unleash such power would require extremely stringent conditions.

"We're pretty lucky; two of our heads are on the Azure Dragon's bounty list!"

The woman and the tall, strong man were once wanted criminals in Canglong Prefecture. Although they were not ranked high on the list, it was still a meritorious deed.

As for that man who looked as black as charcoal, I hadn't seen him on the bounty list.

However, just in case, Chen Ping'an still cut off his head and sealed it in a wooden box that had been prepared in advance.

Chen Ping'an used his spiritual senses to monitor his surroundings, and after dealing with the aftermath, he left the place.

"Grand opening!"

Within the Thunder Mountain Range, numerous black markets exist, but they are still quite far apart from each other. In terms of terrain, half of the Thunder Mountain Range is larger than the three prefectures of Wei River, Earth Fire, and Li Yang.

Due to the concentration of interests, there are quite a few evil tyrants, villains, and ruthless criminals mixed in with them.

Chen Ping'an moved extremely fast. In the following days, he went to a new black market and sold a lot of resources.

This black market was built on a hillside and was much larger than the previous one. Chen Ping'an sold some unused cultivation resources and mineral medicines.

The resources provided this time were even more than before, significantly boosting Chen Ping'an's cash flow.

During this time, he also inquired about some information about the bloodlines of demonic beasts. This black market did have reserves of blood from medium-level demonic beasts, but Chen Ping'an still found them somewhat unappealing.

He needs to cultivate the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique, which requires not only high-quality demon beast blood but also a large quantity, something that a single black market cannot provide.

This sale cleared out a significant amount of Chen Ping'an's resources. Most of the miscellaneous items had been disposed of. What remained were some of the more valuable items, such as the Silver Moon Spear and the divine weapon longsword.

There are also some supplies that are prepared for sale openly, but don't need to be dealt with on the black market.

Whether they were lucky or Chen Ping'an was unlucky, no fish took the bait this time, even though Chen Ping'an only revealed the aura of a pseudo-grandmaster.

In the past few days, aside from selling items and traveling, Chen Ping'an did not neglect his cultivation. In the wilderness, it was impossible to meditate while traveling, but studying spiritual manuals was not a problem.

Chen Ping'an was perfectly capable of multitasking, studying the secret techniques while traveling.

He has been studying this spiritual book for some time now, ever since he bought it from the Long'an auction.

He has mastered all the corresponding spiritual applications, but he is still a little short of comprehending the secret technique, Soul Splitting Thrust.

"Compress your spirituality to form sharp spikes, guide them with your will, and attack the enemy's soul!"

"The execution of this secret technique is like an upgraded and enhanced version of the burst of spiritual perception. Ordinary spirituality slowly extends, like a gaze scanning and sensing the surroundings. But the Soul-Splitting Thorn requires a sudden burst, like an arrow shooting out rapidly. In addition, there is the condensation of spirituality. If it is simply combined, the resulting spike is not pure enough. When it encounters a barrier, it will shatter before it can even attack the enemy."

To unleash a sharp strike, one must ensure that one's spirituality is pure and resilient enough to prevent oneself from collapsing.

In addition, there is the construction of spikes, with spikes as the points to attack the enemy at a single point, breaking through the surface and breaching the barrier.

Chen Ping'an moved nimbly, constantly pondering how to use the Soul-Splitting Thorn.

“Try again!”

Chen Ping'an landed on a boulder.

hum~
His mind began to tremble, and spiritual fruits were engraved on his spiritual platform, reflecting each other.

"Gather!"

Above the spiritual platform, spiritual energy frantically coalesced, forming a sharp spike.

"not enough!"

Chen Ping'an had another flash of inspiration, his consciousness focused, and he added a layer of oppressive force.

The spirituality begins to compress and solidify.

"Not enough! Keep going!"

The oppressive force grew stronger, and the spiritual spikes became increasingly solid.

Just when the spiritual spike was one step away from being completely solid, the spirituality suddenly collapsed.

"pity."

hum~
As the light faded, Chen Ping'an opened his eyes.

"Just a little bit."

"However, it's a significant improvement over before. It seems that mastering the Soul Splitter is only a matter of time."

Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and with a flash, he disappeared from the boulder.

Over the next two days, Chen Ping'an tried the Soul Split Strike every now and then. He became increasingly proficient in the first half of the steps of the Soul Split Strike.

"After we finish visiting Black Spirit Mountain, it's about time we headed back!"

Judging by the time, Chen Ping'an has been in the Thunder Mountain Range for more than ten days.

If the return trip is also taken into account, it will obviously take more than half a month longer than originally expected.

However, five days of that time were spent researching cultivation techniques and array flags.

If it can enhance his combat power, then it cannot be considered a waste for him.

So what if it's delayed? It'll only put us a day or two behind schedule. It shouldn't cause any real trouble, and even if it does, it's negligible compared to our combat strength.

That being said, the schedule for the rest of the time still needs to be tight.

According to Chen Ping'an's plan, after going to Black Spirit Mountain and dealing with the last batch of supplies, he would head straight back home.

Black Spirit Mountain is a mountain in the Thunder Mountain Range. It is quite famous among the many peaks and is also the location of the Black Spirit Sect.

On the mountainside of Black Spirit Mountain, there is a black market of enormous size, whose daily transactions rival those of some major cities.

It is said that every year, many people from out of state travel to this black market.

Of course, "black market" is the official term; according to their own account, this trading place is called "fangshi" (坊市).

Black Spirit Mountain Market is among the top-tier black markets in the Thunder Mountain Range.

This black market is large enough to absorb the rare resources that Chen Ping'an is preparing to sell.

Just now, I received news from the previous black market that the Black Spirit Mountain Market is preparing to hold a fairly large auction. It will be held soon, which is why Chen Ping'an changed his mind and decided to go to the Black Spirit Mountain Market.

Otherwise, according to his previous plan, he would have gone to the largest black market in the Thunder Mountain Range, the Thunder Bamboo Mountain Black Market.

This black market is one that several major powers have their hands on, and its trade volume is comparable to almost half of that of Thunder City!
Such phenomena seem unlikely from a common-sense perspective. Yet, they have indeed occurred in reality.

Besides its natural geographical advantages and proximity to Xuanling Prefecture, there must be other reasons behind it.

However, Chen Ping'an wasn't interested in delving into this matter. For him, selling the resources properly was good enough. If conditions allowed, he might even acquire some treasures.

There wasn't enough time this time. We'll have to leave the Leizhushan black market for another time. There's plenty of time in the future!

Half a day later, Chen Ping'an arrived at a narrow, long rift valley.

A fierce wind howled through the valley, sounding like thunderous roars. At the bottom of the valley, a river flowed ceaselessly, surging and turbulent.

Whoosh!
Chen Ping'an's figure flashed and landed on a cliff face.

The rift valley is long and narrow, like a sliver of sky, and coupled with the surging torrents and howling winds, it evokes a sense of magnificence.

"Try the Soul-Splitting Thorn again!"

Filled with heroic spirit, Chen Ping'an stood on the cliff and used secret techniques to unleash his spiritual magic.

hum~
A spiritual light trembled, and spiritual energy surged on the spiritual platform, causing the Soul-Splitting Thorn to slowly condense.

Until
call out!
Chen Ping'an's eyes shone with golden light, and a three-inch spike shot out.

The spikes shimmered with a cold, liquid light, seemingly capable of piercing through all illusions. On the cliff face, pebbles fell without wind, instantly turning to dust upon touching the spikes.

Spiritual mysticism not only works on the spiritual level, but can also have a significant impact on the physical realm!
"happy!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes gradually returned to normal, and he shouted.

Looking down at the rift valley, his spirits soared.

Whoosh!
His figure flickered, flying along the river surface.

As it flew, its true energy surged, stirring up torrents of energy.

"Ok?"

Just as Chen Ping'an was enjoying himself, his spiritual senses detected something unusual.

"This is."

A hint of unspeakable surprise appeared in Chen Ping'an's eyes.

"A hidden realm!"

(End of this chapter)