The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 595 Trip to the Black Market, Auction of Divine Weapons (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

Whoosh!
A figure darted through the dense forest at a speed far beyond what ordinary cultivators could imagine.

Black Spirit Mountain!

Chen Ping'an shifted his position, gazing into the distance at the majestic mountains that stretched out like giant beasts.

After leaving the secret place, he did not delay and flew all the way, spending most of the day to finally arrive near Black Spirit Mountain.

Although that secret place had lost its usefulness, Chen Ping'an still concealed it to some extent when he left.

No spiritual means were used in the process; only conventional methods such as moving rocks and altering traces were employed.

The secret location was situated at the bottom of a narrow rift valley, with reefs and waterways, further concealed by the cover he made before leaving.

Normally, the chances of it being discovered are extremely slim!
Without any spiritual activity, no one would deliberately investigate this place.

Even if they were to investigate, ordinary Inner Qi Realm cultivators, not to mention Profound Light Realm cultivators, simply wouldn't have the ability.

A master-level cultivator, with a clear purpose, might have a slight chance of finding traces of the secret place.

However, the probability of such a scenario is extremely slim.

Even if an investigation were conducted, it might not be within this river area.

Chen Ping'an composed himself and slowed his flight. He began to maneuver and shift his movements within the dense forest.

As we approached Black Spirit Mountain, the surrounding area became increasingly lively.

Although the Black Spirit Mountain Black Market is not as large as the Thunder Bamboo Mountain Black Market, it is still a top-tier large black market within the Thunder Mountain Range.

Its throughput and trading volume far exceeded that of ordinary county towns.

In addition, due to the unique positioning of the black market, most of the goods and resources traded here are mid-to-high-end.

However, the origin and source of the goods being traded are questionable.

It could have been obtained through murder, arson, and robbery, or through some unorthodox or sham means of deception, or even through some shady business practices.

In short, the goods on the black market always carry a certain degree of mystery and unverifiable nature.

It is also filled with all sorts of characters, including ruthless bandits, powerful figures of evil, and unorthodox sects, as well as...
Some factions and groups came because of its reputation.

Some needs cannot be met through legitimate trade due to power struggles or high barriers to entry, making the black market the first choice for such forces and individuals.

Like the protagonists in biographical novels, when they have made enemies and are hunted down by powerful forces, they can't easily appear in the open, so they often mingle in places like the black market.

Through the chaotic black market and its unique channels, he secretly developed his skills, acquired the necessary resources, made great progress in his cultivation, and finally achieved a counterattack when pursued by powerful forces.

After a long and arduous journey, even when he openly sought revenge, he still managed to achieve the glory of a chosen one!

Of course, Chen Ping'an had never experienced anything like this.

He followed the violent institutions of the dynasty, and his promotion through the Zhenfu Division was a factional path; things like being hunted down were too far removed from his reality.

To say his head was on some assassination list is perhaps possible. But to say he was openly hunted down is as if the Zhenfu Division doesn't exist!
The word "hunt down" seems too niche in the face of a prosperous dynasty.

Even though the Great Qian Dynasty is far from its former glory, it is not a place where just anyone can try to take advantage of it.

The actions of various heretical sects and cults within the dynasty are, in the grand scheme of things, merely small-scale internal disturbances, not true rebellions.

Riots and rebellions—a difference of just one word, yet the responses to them are worlds apart.

The former, the Zhenfu Division, intervened, the Qiankun Division supervised, and all parties actively cooperated to mitigate the impact.

The latter, with its massive army, marched out with overwhelming force, sweeping away all obstacles and quelling the situation with ruthless measures!
The dynasty is declining, class divisions are solidifying, and conflicts of interest are increasing day by day. However, there are still pillars supporting the central government, and the government has not yet shown signs of decay and collapse.

There may have been forces that were dissatisfied with and rejected the dynasty, and there may have also been those who harbored malice towards the dynasty.

but.
However, no force dared to stand up openly, raise its banner, and rebel against the dynasty!
Unless it's a rebellion, many disturbances are nothing more than child's play in the eyes of the dynasty's central government.

As long as the greater good is at stake, everything is negotiable. They have more important things to do.

Black Spirit Mountain is massive and imposing, far surpassing ordinary small mountains. Many of the paths leading up to it are winding, rugged, and treacherous.

Even ordinary cultivators at the Qi and Blood Realm who have already achieved a high level of organ refinement would find it somewhat difficult to climb Black Spirit Mountain.

However, with Chen Ping'an's cultivation level, it was naturally not an obstacle at all.

He moved nimbly and climbed to the mountainside of Black Spirit Mountain.

The Black Market of Black Spirit Mountain was located on the mountainside.

During the climb, Chen Ping'an also encountered some cultivators, some of whom concealed their tracks, some of whom covered their faces, and some of whom traveled in groups.

Once you get near Black Forest Mountain, the surrounding security is noticeably better.

They did not encounter any further robberies or murders along the way.

Black Spirit Mountain is the headquarters of the Black Spirit Sect, a top power in the Thunder Mountain Range. With the Black Spirit Sect maintaining order and its prestige, ordinary cultivators would never dare to make a move in the vicinity.

After crossing the stone steps, Chen Ping'an arrived at a small platform halfway up the mountain.

"Black Spirit Mountain Market, pay one hundred taels of silver upon entry!"

Several people, three men and one woman, were standing on the platform. They were dressed in the attire of the Black Spirit Sect, and their attitude was neither particularly good nor bad.

There are many black markets within the Thunder Mountain Range, but while outsiders call them black markets, they are mostly referred to as market districts within the mountains.

Before arriving, Chen Ping'an had made preparations. Without much small talk, he paid the fee and received a completely black wooden token.

The black market isn't a charity. Besides taking a cut from the trade within its own territory, the black market run by the Black Spirit Sect naturally generates other revenues as well.

A single spot costs ten taels of silver, which is just the most basic price.

The Black Spirit Sect controls such a large black market, and the profits are considerable.

When Chen Ping'an entered the black market, many other people also came up the stone steps.

The Black Market in Black Spirit Mountain is about to hold an auction, and the number of people will be larger than usual.

The auction has already been announced, and judging from the timing, it should take place in the next couple of days.

The black market was larger than Chen Ping'an had expected, which pleased him greatly.

Originally, it was Leizhushan Black Market, a second-best choice, but given its scale, it shouldn't disappoint him.

The black market was fairly well-organized, with varying elevations scattered across the mountainside, and the mountain paths along the way showed signs of alteration. The shops included wooden huts and stone houses of various styles, as well as some stalls set up in fixed locations.

Besides the mountainside, there seems to be another hidden world inside the mountain, perhaps a higher-level trading venue.

Having just arrived, Chen Ping'an wasn't in a hurry.

Although he didn't specifically inquire after entering, he learned from others that the black market auction would be held early the day after tomorrow.

"First, consign the divine weapon there, and then start selling other supplies!"

Once Chen Ping'an made up his mind, he made a decision instantly.

Half an hour later, Chen Ping'an came out of the Black Spirit Pavilion, having already completed the consignment of the divine weapon.

Divine weapons are extremely rare and precious, no matter where they are placed.

The same applies to the Black Spirit Mountain black market.

Although the Black Spirit Mountain Black Market has a large transaction volume, the transaction of a single divine weapon is not something that can be easily ignored.

After Chen Ping'an revealed his intention to consign the divine weapon for auction, he received great attention from the Black Spirit Pavilion.

Black Spirit Pavilion, a commercial enterprise under the Black Spirit Sect, is also one of the organizers of this black market auction.

Although the black market is chaotic, it still has rules, especially regarding trade, which is the foundation of its existence.

The corresponding commission and share can be higher, even ridiculously high, as long as it's agreed upon beforehand. If everyone has no other options, they'll just have to accept it.

However, if one engages in fraudulent practices in transactions, it undermines the very foundation of the black market.

At least that's how it appears on the surface!
For some small businesses, in places where it's not visible, you can just rip them off.

However, the Black Spirit Pavilion is extremely cautious when it comes to trading items of the caliber of divine weapons.

However, to avoid trouble, Chen Ping'an still revealed his cultivation level at the early stage of the Jade Balance Realm.

This level of cultivation is also his true cultivation level as his true self, as revealed in public.

After he revealed his cultivation level, the attitude of the pseudo-grandmaster who was being received by the Black Spirit Pavilion improved significantly.

After receiving the 1,800 Yuan Crystals from the Black Spirit Pavilion, Chen Ping'an left with the transaction voucher.

The auction of divine weapons is, in essence, a transaction based on trust.

Given the complete lack of trust between the two parties, especially since this is on the black market, how could anyone simply send someone to bid without any proof?

The normal process for consignment auctions is to first collect a certain fee and then take away the transaction receipt.

The idea that in biographical novels, the protagonist arrives at the black market and immediately drops off the divine weapon and takes away the credentials is pure nonsense.

Being new here and acting completely inexperienced, so naive and foolish—isn't this just inviting trouble?

The black market takes a significant cut; the price of 1,800 yuan crystals this time was negotiated by Chen Ping'an.

According to the head manager of the Black Spirit Pavilion, at most 1,200 Yuan Crystals can be withdrawn in advance.

After the auction of the divine weapon is completed, the commission will be deducted, and the corresponding difference will be made up.

However, Chen Ping'an was concise and confident, and ultimately, following his suggestion, 1,800 yuan crystals were withdrawn in advance.

The divine weapon that Chen Ping'an consigned for auction was the longsword he obtained during the siege of the Ten Thousand Demons at Sanqi Mountain. Its design was slightly worn, and its value should be over two thousand yuan crystals.

It just so happens to be at an auction, so the overall price will be slightly higher. However, after deducting commissions and handling fees, this premium will probably be negligible.

"Grandmaster level cultivation, divine weapon auction, unfamiliar face."

Inside a temple on a mountain peak in Black Spirit Mountain, a man with hemp hair lay on a rocking chair made of sunken wood, listening to the report from a short, stout old man beside him.

"Old Ma, that person's aura is unfamiliar; I've never seen him before. Do you think we should take him?"

The short, stout old man's eyes flickered as he asked for instructions.

"No rush!" The man with the hemp hair tucked in his hair waved his hand gently. "It's normal for an auction that's only organized once every two years to have some unfamiliar grandmasters." The short, stout man stood to the side, bowing, listening to Elder Ma's instructions.

If Chen Ping'an were there, he would recognize that this short, stout man was the former retainer of the Black Spirit Pavilion, who was also the nominal head manager.

“However, it’s worth investigating a stranger who wields a divine weapon right off the bat.” The man with the hemp cloth on his face showed a hint of interest.

"This matter is not urgent for now. Report it to the young sect leader at the same time, and let him make a decision once we have information!"

"Yes, Elder Ma," the short, stout man replied respectfully.

The black market has strict rules, but no matter how strict they are, they can't compare to those of legitimate businesses.

To protect the reputation of the black market, it's best not to make a move there, but once the person is far away, things might change!
Ordinary goods are not worth the risk, but a divine weapon would be.
That’s a different story!
Furthermore...
Since the other party has put the divine weapon up for auction, they probably have more than one divine weapon on them!
As for the roots
Once someone dies here, who cares about their origins?

Those who can make a living in the Thunder Mountain Range, regardless of their background or power, have far less mental burden than those of ordinary forces!
Those who can gather here, none of them don't have some kind of murder on their hands.

Murder and robbery are just commonplace for them!

There are some things that the Black Spirit Pavilion cannot easily handle, but the Black Spirit Sect might be able to.

The short, stout man was referring to Elder Ma, who was none other than the Third Elder of the Black Spirit Sect, known as Yin Feng Tui Ma San.

Mid-stage Jade Balance cultivation!

He was once a prodigy from a powerful force in another state. On one of his expeditions, just as he was about to embark on his journey, he ended up on a path of no return.

After a century of life and death, we have finally reached this position today!
He is a core member and high-ranking member of the Black Spirit Sect!

After leaving the Black Spirit Pavilion, Chen Ping'an began selling spiritual herbs and other resources in the black market.

Now that his cultivation has reached the level of an eighth-level Grandmaster, he can no longer use most of the pills and spiritual items he has acquired before.

Even if there are individual benefits to one's practice, one has a panel on hand and does not need to use it.

He had sold some of these resources in previous black markets. Now that he was in a large black market like Black Spirit Mountain, he naturally wanted to sell them again.

Besides the elixirs and spiritual items he no longer needed, he also needed to find a suitable shop to trade away the quasi-divine weapon, the Silver Moon Spear.

Ever since he killed Xue Mingde, this quasi-divine weapon has been on his person, and a long time has passed.

It's been largely unused, so it's time to sell it today.

The Black Spirit Mountain Black Market does indeed operate on a mid-to-high-end trading model. However, this mid-to-high-end positioning only applies to ordinary Profound Light Realm cultivators and pseudo-Grandmasters.

From Chen Ping'an's perspective, the things were really nothing special.

After all, with his current cultivation level, the black market of this scale could not possibly meet the needs of him.

Even in the Canglong Prefecture City, under normal circumstances, his core needs could not be met.

He probably only has the supplies he wants at the once-a-decade Azure Dragon Festival.

Come to think of it, the Azure Dragon Grand Ceremony is fast approaching.

Maybe we can try our luck then!
He has quite a few treasures on him now, but he can't use the Dream Pearl for the time being, so we'll leave it aside for now.

For top-tier divine weapons, there are complete sets of Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags and Black Xuan Iron Masks.

As for cultivation techniques, I recently acquired a body-forging secret method, the Azure Sun Blood Refining Method, which is no less advanced than the True Cultivation Treasure Scroll in terms of rank.

There are also dual cultivation techniques obtained from the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord's secret realm, namely, the Inverted Phoenix and Yin-Yang Pivot.

All of these can be used for cultivation.

In addition, there are some consumable rare resources, such as Millennium Stone Milk, Exploding Yuan True Pill, Spirit Spring Water, and some secret medicines for detoxification and healing.

Such resources are extremely precious, and if he could use them in battle, they would be of great benefit.

For example, the Bursting Yuan True Pill, although not as effective as those methods that unleash spiritual energy, is clearly far superior to the Blood Burning Great Pill that was taken before.

Even with Chen Ping'an's current cultivation level, taking the Bursting Yuan True Pill would still forcibly boost his combat power slightly.

If combined with the stamina-enhancing and spiritually active effects of the Millennium Stone Milk, he could even boost his combat power by a significant margin.

In summary, it can be considered a means of survival and a way to unleash one's full potential.

Although the black market was a mixed bag, the trade order was relatively stable. Chen Ping'an spent most of the day selling off a considerable amount of resources.

Although there were some losses and deductions during the process, the overall returns met expectations.

In addition, Chen Ping'an also took the opportunity to inquire about the blood of some demonic beasts.

He needed to use the blood of demonic beasts to cultivate the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique. He had been quite concerned about this matter.

Especially after being injured alongside the Holy Maiden of Tianluo, he became even more concerned about this matter.

Without a strong physique, how can you withstand a beating!
Previously, all he needed to do was ensure that he played it safe and steady!

Now that there's another Heavenly Net Saintess, we also need to ensure that nothing happens to her!
Fortunately, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Net is strong enough and has powerful treasures protecting her, so under normal circumstances, she rarely encounters life-or-death crises.

Now that he has obtained the Demon Lord's secret treasure, after a period of reflection, his strength should be able to achieve a leap forward again.

In terms of security, there is sufficient guarantee!
But while guarantees are in place, Chen Ping'an still cannot afford to be complacent; he must be strong himself!
He himself isn't strong enough; how could he withstand the Heavenly Net Saintess?

With his current mastery of the Myriad Demons Body Forging Technique, along with the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art and the Dragon Elephant Overlord Body Technique, his physique is incredibly strong, enough to handle ordinary crises. But if he were to encounter an attack from across the border, then he would truly be helpless.

Fortunately, he had enough self-awareness and kept a low profile, but now that the Heavenly Net Saintess was there, things were different!

The Heavenly Luo Saintess possesses extraordinary talent, standing proudly at the pinnacle of geniuses in the Great Qian Dynasty. She is the current Saintess of the Heavenly Luo Sect and the number one prodigy in nearly three thousand years. Any one of her titles is enough to attract hatred.

If he were to attract the attention of a martial arts master, he would truly be in trouble.
An undeserved disaster has befallen innocent bystanders!

"At the very least, we must train our physique to the point where we can withstand even celestial beings!"

Walking through the black market, Chen Ping'an set his first goal.

His combat power has now reached the level of the Grandmaster Ranking. If he goes all out, he might be able to rank well on the list.

However, he still has a lot of room for improvement.

One is his own martial arts realm; his foundation is solid, and he follows the path of breaking through to the ultimate realm. The spiritual fruit is inscribed with nine spiritual runes. With these nine runes, he condenses and refines the spiritual runes, nourishes his soul, breaks through the outer shell, and ultimately achieves unity with heaven and man, becoming a martial arts master!
He now has eight spirit runes engraved on him, and his combat power has reached the peak of the Grandmaster realm!
In terms of skill level, he still has a lot of room for improvement.

Whether it was inscribing the ninth spirit rune or breaking through the three realms later, both greatly boosted his strength.

Given his current situation, if he could condense his ninth spirit rune, his overall combat strength would undoubtedly improve significantly. His ranking on the Grandmaster Ranking would rise by at least several places!

If he can successfully condense the spirit runes, there won't be many people on the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Ranking who can still be his opponent.

If he reaches the second stage of breaking through the realm and the stage of nurturing his divine soul, he might be able to dominate the Fengyun Grandmaster Ranking. He might not dare to say he's in the top three, but he should be able to easily get into the top ten! And this situation is still taking into account the fact that others have many external aids.

After all, on the Grandmaster Ranking, he faced not only the geniuses of his generation, but also those old monsters who had lived for hundreds of years, mastered secret techniques, and whose foundations were unfathomable.

On this basis, if he can reach the third level of the Breakthrough Realm and break through the Shell Realm, then his combat power can truly be called the pinnacle among Grandmasters.

With the foundation of nine spiritual patterns, he reached the pinnacle of the Grandmaster realm. Even though his cultivation techniques and external aids were inferior to those old monsters, his extremely profound realm allowed him to beat them to a pulp!
To put it more boldly, being number one on the Grandmaster Ranking is nothing more than a piece of cake for him!

To put it conservatively, he cannot underestimate the heroes of the world. If he ranks second on the list, perhaps no one would dare to claim to be number one!

This is the space for improvement in martial arts realm, and it is also Chen Ping'an's most core development space. As long as his realm is up, even if he is lacking in other areas, he can still crush everything with his incomparably powerful cultivation.

Besides improving one's realm, there is also the improvement of one's cultivation techniques.

However, with the cheat system on him, Chen Ping'an's realm improvement and cultivation technique improvement are sometimes synchronized.

Therefore, what he mainly needs to consider is the grade of the cultivation technique.

Besides the techniques he is currently practicing, such as the Seven Absolute Divine Skill, the Overlord Blade, and the Seven Killing Heavenly Gang Fist, he also has the newly acquired dual cultivation technique and body tempering secret method!

Chen Ping'an hasn't studied the former yet, so let's leave it aside for now, but the effect of the latter is already clear.

The Azure Sun Blood Refining Method has four realms, each stronger than the last, and each realm requires the selection of a type of demon beast's blood as the foundation for blood refining.

Once Chen Ping'an can master the Qingyang Blood Refining Technique and reach the first level, his physique will definitely be able to advance further based on his current level!
If the blood of the demonic beasts used for blood refining is strong enough, it is not a dream for his physical body to surpass that of the vast majority of grandmasters!
If he were to take this a step further and cultivate the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique to the second level, his physical body would be unparalleled at the Grandmaster level! Combined with his cultivation, his strength would receive an extremely terrifying boost.

With sufficient cultivation and physical strength, it may become a reality to confront the celestial beings with one's own body!
If one cultivates to the third level, as long as the blood of the demon beast refined is of a high enough grade, one's physical strength alone could probably threaten a Martial Dao Celestial! If one is lucky enough to master the innate wonders of the demon beast during the blood refinement, even if the power is weakened considerably, one can still contend with a Martial Dao Celestial with this method.

As for the fourth level
Once the Azure Sun Blood Refining Technique is cultivated to the fourth level, it signifies the state of perfection. With this level of mastery, one could probably suppress a peak martial arts celestial being with just physical strength! Without needing any external means, the physical body alone possesses the power of a celestial being!

With one's qi and blood as strong as a pillar, like the spirit of a wolf soaring into the sky, and one's physical body and spirit activated in a miraculous way, influencing changes in celestial phenomena, such a realm is not a difficult thing to achieve!
The Azure Sun Blood Refinement has four levels! Each level represents a different world, which also represents Chen Ping'an's future potential for improvement.

As for the last remaining point, it lies in external means.

With the resources available, Chen Ping'an can mainly rely on three treasures.

Black iron mask, blue flames on four command flags, and dreamlike pearl.

The Black Iron Mask is a support-type treasure, so we won't discuss it for now. As for the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flag, Chen Ping'an hasn't fully explored its fourth divine ability yet.

Once he has fully completed the refining process and received the fourth divine blessing, his combat power will also be slightly enhanced.

As for the Dream Pearl, it is an object that Chen Ping'an needs to focus on studying.

This also involves intelligence gathering on the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord. This Dream Pearl is extraordinary, and its value is probably even greater than that of a major treasure.

As long as he can harness it, even if he can only draw upon a portion of its power, the enhancement it provides to him will be extremely terrifying.

Improving in any one of these three areas—martial arts realm, cultivation techniques, and external methods—will positively impact Chen Ping'an's combat strength.

With all three aspects progressing simultaneously, Chen Ping'an's strength will experience an extremely terrifying boost.

If he can fully digest what he possesses, one day, when he achieves the status of a martial arts master, he will surely...
Overwhelming all others in the same realm!

Chen Ping'an spent most of the day trading on the black market. Although he hadn't completely sold off all his resources, the auction was the day after tomorrow, and there was still one day left in the world, so he wasn't in a hurry.

There are inns in the black market for those who wish to study; although the conditions are rather basic, safety and privacy are guaranteed.

Although Chen Ping'an's cultivation level didn't require him to rely on this, the back-and-forth trips were too troublesome. To avoid the hassle, he settled down in the black market.

The prices were significantly higher than in the city, but considering the location of the black market, they were still reasonable.

For Chen Ping'an's wealth, it was just a drop in the ocean.

"Looks like we're being watched!"

As Chen Ping'an watched the Yuan Crystals, which were slightly stained with colorless powder during the daytime transactions, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

(End of this chapter)