The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 626 Seven Kills Achievement Completed, Merit Confirmed (Seeking monthly votes at the end of the month~)

After the banquet, the coming-of-age ceremony was drawing to a close, but most of the representatives of the various factions remained in Ruyi Tower and did not leave.

Today's coming-of-age ceremony, ostensibly for Chen Ping'an's younger sister, has in reality become a social gathering for the upper echelons of Canglong Prefecture.

During the day, there were rituals and procedures, but due to the presence of the Gu family and the imposing presence of Chen Ping'an, the group couldn't communicate freely.

But after the dinner, there was no such concern.

People chatted freely, gathering in small groups, creating a lively atmosphere.

There were servants attending to him, ready to do as he pleased.

As the host, Chen Ping'an had just finished celebrating his younger sister's coming-of-age ceremony and was in a good mood, entertaining everyone present.

"Lord Chen, it's a pleasure to meet you. I, Xu, offer my respects!"

"Lord Chen, this gentleman is from Huichuntang."

"."

Amidst the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere was lively and boisterous.

Chen Ping'an remained calm, his mood unaffected by the daytime incident.

Early in the morning, right after the coming-of-age ceremony ended, Li Wusheng left the scene ahead of time.

He didn't say much when he left, and there was little smile on his pale face.

Such an attitude is somewhat disrespectful.

However, considering Li Wusheng's status, position, and cultivation level, this phenomenon seems reasonable.

As a core figure in the Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division, Li Wusheng's willingness to condescend to attend the coming-of-age ceremony of Chen Ping'an's younger sister, the "Mangya Blade," was already a great honor.

How could there be any reason to make demands of him!

As for his demeanor when leaving, it was simply his personality, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Despite differing opinions, many representatives of various factions present offered Li Wusheng seemingly plausible reasons for his actions.

Given Chen Ping'an's actions, it's clear that he understands the situation perfectly well.

Once a person becomes strong, there will always be others to make up for their mistakes.

Although the banquet would continue until dawn, Chen Ping'an did not linger in the main hall after his round of entertaining guests.

As a Grandmaster and an elder of the Gu family, Elder Lan did not engage in much small talk with the representatives of various factions.

Seeing Chen Ping'an leave the main hall, Elder Lan followed.

"Safety."

"Elder Lan." Chen Ping'an stood in the back garden, a smile on his face.

Mr. Lan attended the coming-of-age ceremony as the honored guest today, which is a great honor for Chen Ping'an.

"Today, that Li Wusheng..."

When Lan Lao met Chen Ping'an in private, he didn't hold back and directly brought up the matter of Li Wusheng.

Although the situation was ambiguous when the gift was presented, she, as a Grandmaster, clearly saw it clearly.

Besides her, quite a few other representatives of various factions also noticed something amiss. However, it's hard to say how clear they were about it.

"He went too far today! When I return to the family, I will raise this matter in the Hall of Elders, using the family's influence and pressure to deal with him. However..."

Elder Lan glanced at Chen Ping'an: "The outcome may not be ideal! Li Wusheng has been famous for many years. He once traveled to Bicang. His abilities are now probably close to the level of a Grandmaster of the Wind and Cloud. Even I am no match for him. Before he makes any major mistakes, it is unlikely that we can get to the root of the problem."

Old Lan shook his head and sighed, seemingly somewhat disappointed.

"Elder Lan, please don't worry about it. Ping An understands." Chen Ping An said with a smile, "Ping An will keep this in mind and will not do anything impulsive."

Chen Ping'an knew Lan Lao's concerns; he worried that Lan Lao might act rashly and unwisely in a fit of temper. This would escalate the situation, and given Chen Ping'an's current influence, he would have virtually no chance of winning if he rashly confronted Li Wusheng.

Especially when it comes to a direct confrontation, there's absolutely no room for maneuver.

Even with the Gu family's help, under these circumstances, it could only make Chen Ping'an's disadvantage less significant.

To act rashly would be extremely unwise, with little chance of success.

Seeing that Elder Lan was so worried, Chen Ping'an naturally wanted to comfort her.

"It's good that you think that way." A smile appeared on Old Lan's face. "Don't worry, we will get you an explanation for this incident. Even if we can't shake his foundation, we will at least cause him some trouble."

"Thank you for your kindness, Elder Lan." Chen Ping'an bowed respectfully.

"There's no need for that," Elder Lan said dismissively. "Although Li Wusheng is powerful, fortunes change every thirty years. With your talent, it's only a matter of time before you surpass him. Just be patient for now, and you'll pay him back tenfold in the future."

"Understood." Chen Ping'an nodded calmly.

Seeing Chen Ping'an like this, Elder Lan felt much more at ease. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Chen Ping'an, he left.

As a senior member of the Gu family, Elder Lan has a considerable number of things to do on a daily basis, though not many. He has spent almost the entire day here, and now that things are settled, it is time for him to depart.

Chen Ping'an naturally fulfilled his duties as a host, escorting Elder Lan to the door and watching him board the Gu family's specially made carriage before turning back.

"Li Wusheng"

Chen Ping'an's eyes were deep, as deep as an ancient well or a cold pool.

The coming-of-age ceremony has come to a successful conclusion.

With the help of the Gu family, the coming-of-age ceremony was conducted in an extremely proper manner, and both the host and guests were delighted.

Like Instructor Lin and his wife, Chen Ping'an also had a gift prepared for them as a token of gratitude for their care of Er Ya at the school.

It's a bit inappropriate to talk about Er Ya now; she should be expressing her gratitude to Zhao Heng for taking care of her at the school.

Besides Instructor Lin and his wife, Chen Ping'an, the headmaster of Canglong Academy who came this time, also received special attention.

I believe that those below will know what to say about such matters.

With the coming-of-age ceremony concluded, Chen Ping'an's primary objective in coming to Canglong Prefecture City was achieved.

Normally, he should be at home with Er Ya and Zhao Heng for a few days before heading back to Thunder City.

However, since he had promised the Gu family that he would attend Gu Qingcheng's promotion celebration as her son-in-law and fiancé, he would have to stay in Canglong Prefecture City for a while longer.

The matter of delaying the holiday has been handled properly in the past few days, so there's no need to worry about it anymore.

In truth, the coming-of-age ceremony was successfully concluded, but because of it, he unexpectedly gained another matter that he had to deal with.

This wasn't something he wanted to do on his own; it was someone else who eagerly offered it to him.

If he still doesn't take it to heart, then he's being somewhat disrespectful.

"Wait two more days."

Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and a murderous intent flashed within him.

Although Li Wusheng didn't care, he still had to be somewhat concerned since he was in Canglong Prefecture.

"In a dark room, light shines forth, and the fragrant herbs bloom naturally. Bright and clear, like the stars, you are so talented in literature."

The little girl's face was full of admiration, and her eyes were sparkling.

Peony, standing to the side, had a similar expression; her red dress was quite pleasing to the eye.

"You little rascal, who are you trying to embarrass?" Chen Ping'an said with a smile, unable to resist tapping the little girl's forehead with his finger.

However, halfway through the journey, he suddenly realized that the little girl had grown up and it was no longer appropriate to do this.

So his hand stopped in mid-air.

"No, I really mean it," the little girl said with a smile, seemingly unaware of what had happened.

"You," Chen Pingan shook his head.

He himself knew his own limited literary talent. This short piece of writing was the result of months of reading and painstaking effort.

"My brother is the best writer." The little girl's face lit up with admiration.

Chen Ping'an smiled and didn't dwell on the topic. He looked at the little girl in front of him and said solemnly, "Zhaoheng, what I said back then was all from the bottom of my heart. I sincerely wish that you will be open-minded and move forward firmly in the days to come. You can rest assured that I am here for you."

"Yes." The little girl nodded emphatically.

The shadows of the trees swayed in the courtyard, the green leaves rustled, and time seemed to slow down.

Under the shade of the tree, the brother and sister remained silent, everything understood without words.

After a long while, the little girl's voice finally rang out.

"Brother, I have a question."

"what?"

"Could you please not call me so seriously? It feels so strange."

"Oh, are you not used to it?"

"Ah."

"You'll get used to it after listening to it a few more times."

"elder brother!"

"."

The shadows of the trees are silent, yet they speak of the passage of time. The breeze is just right, like the bright moon of yesteryear.

"This girl"

Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged in the room, thinking about the little girl's appearance just now, and couldn't help but smile.

To be honest, not only the little girl, but even he himself hasn't gotten used to calling her that yet.

Zhaoheng, Chen Zhaoheng!

No matter how old the little girl is, where she is, or what her name is, in his heart, she is still that little girl who hasn't grown up.

With the coming-of-age ceremony over, one wish was fulfilled, and the next step was to attend to matters concerning the academy.

Yin-Yang Academy, Jixia Academy!
I wonder where this little girl will end up!

Chen Ping'an never doubted whether the little girl could pass the entrance exam for the academy.

Given the girl's academic talent, if it doesn't work out next year, then we'll wait another three years.

If it doesn't work in three years, then wait another six years.

As long as there's still a chance, I'll keep taking the exam.

Until the little girl's wish for a certain location was fulfilled.

In fact, according to Chen Ping'an's expectations, he still had high hopes for the little girl.

However, while we may have expectations, some things are better kept to ourselves and don't need to be said aloud, putting so much pressure on the little girl.

If you've tried your best, you'll have no regrets.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted, and he gradually regained his composure.

At this coming-of-age ceremony, he also gave the little girl the warm-sun jade he had prepared for her.

The Warm Sun Jade can withstand three attacks from a Grandmaster. It operates autonomously and does not require any special activation!
While it may not be of much use against true masters, it can at least help avoid some of the aftermath of the battle, preventing one from inexplicably losing their life in the wake of a single commotion.

With the protection of the Warm Sun Jade, Chen Ping'an's worries lessened considerably. However, it was impossible for them to completely disappear.

As long as the little girl is around, his worries will never completely disappear.

"I still need to collect similar protective treasures. If a suitable opportunity arises, I'll buy them," Chen Ping'an thought to himself.

The little girl received many congratulatory gifts for her coming-of-age ceremony. Although these gifts were mostly given out of respect for him, there were also quite a few good things among them.

It was of little use to him, but quite suitable for the little girl.

The various factions were quite adept at catering to their preferences; aside from a few who lacked relevant resources, many offered them literary and artistic items.

Pens, ink, paper, inkstones, and so on.

The Gu family's gift was the most substantial, including a collection of books.

This collection of books is not a martial arts manual, but rather a rather rare and precious literary scroll. It records many changes in celestial phenomena and also touches upon divination and fortune-telling.

The classification of literary and moral objects is somewhat similar to the classification of cultivation resources.

Items are categorized by their function and spiritual properties, with those suitable for beginners in literature being classified as non-ranked. The inkstone presented by Li Wusheng is an example of this.

As for those who have a deeper understanding of literature and Taoism, and have sufficient family background to support them, they will gradually switch to using items of higher rank.

For example, first-tier literary artifacts and first-tier literary auxiliary items.

Within each tier, there are top-tier, superior, mid-tier, and inferior grades. Within the same tier, there is also the concept of a near-high-tier grade, which is located at the threshold of the next higher tier.

Such as Tier 1 superior grade, Tier 1 top grade, quasi-Tier 2 grade, etc.

The classification here is the same as that for rare and precious materials, great medicinal herbs and spiritual objects, and fine precious ores. For cultivators in the Qi and Blood Realm, martial arts cultivation only involves refining Qi and Blood and nourishing the internal organs. The cultivation resources they need are not particularly precious items; most of them are just ordinary great medicinal herbs.

This type of resource allocation is mostly categorized under non-ranked cultivation resources.

Once you reach the Inner Qi Realm, the value of materials needed to aid your cultivation increases significantly, reaching the first tier. The specific tier varies depending on the cultivation effect and circumstances, but generally, they all fall within the first tier.

Tier 1 Low Grade, Tier 1 Mid Grade, etc.

Correspondingly, reaching the Profound Light Realm is the second tier, and the Jade Balance Realm is the third tier.

The cultivation resources typically required by a Grandmaster are mostly of the upper or top tier of the third level.

Cultivation elixirs, rare herbs, precious minerals, and powerful medicinal and spiritual items are mostly like this!

Theoretically speaking, any refined mineral material of the third rank can be used to forge divine weapons.

Whether it is a primary material, a secondary material, or an auxiliary material depends on the specific circumstances.

Those who have reached the peak of the Grandmaster realm, touched the level of the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster, or are even figures on the Wind and Cloud Ranking, often possess near-fourth-order or even fourth-order spiritual treasures and materials.

The specific circumstances depend on one's social standing and are not necessarily forcibly tied to cultivation level.

This method of classifying materials is not common in Canglong Prefecture, and ordinary cultivators rarely come into contact with it. Only those in higher circles would encounter similar discussions. However, generally speaking, Yuan Crystals are still used as the standard for measuring the value of items.

However, the higher up the social circle, the more important this rank division becomes, because when materials become extremely rare, people often exchange them for other materials.

In such cases, the distinction between ranks becomes very necessary.

Besides grade, rarity and suitability are also among the standards for measuring value.

Even among near-fourth-tier treasure materials, there are significant differences in value between different categories.

For this coming-of-age ceremony of the young girl, in addition to the gifts brought by the Gu family, Elder Lan also gave an extra gift, saying that Gu Qingcheng had specially prepared it before going into seclusion.

The gift Gu Qingcheng sent was a small, exquisite gold lock.

Chen Ping'an didn't know if the gift was sent by the Gu family on behalf of Gu Qingcheng, his future sister-in-law, or if it was actually prepared in advance by Gu Qingcheng.

However, when Chen Ping'an saw Jin Suo, a few words inexplicably popped into his mind.

A perfect match!

The gift he gave the little girl was a warm-sun jade pendant, and a gold lock given to him by Gu Qingcheng.

When the two are paired together, they are like gold and jade, a perfect match.

When Chen Ping'an thought about this, he felt like he was possessed. But now, upon closer reflection, it really makes sense.

To be honest, Gu Qingcheng is still in seclusion.

This surprised Chen Ping'an somewhat.

Given Gu Qingcheng's foundation, why would she need to consolidate it for so long to break through the Grandmaster level?

Chen Ping'an pondered, "Could it be that they're avoiding me?"

Previously, when they were still in Thunder City, Gu Qingcheng had sent a letter to Chen Ping'an, making a promise that if they met again someday, they would drink plum wine together and hang a raft on a tree.

Now, Chen Ping'an has arrived, but Gu Qingcheng is in seclusion.

This inevitably leads people to think in this direction.

However, Chen Pingan quickly dismissed the idea.

Upon closer examination, this seems highly unlikely.

He's not that arrogant, that Gu Qingcheng would avoid him!
Besides, Gu Qingcheng isn't some shy girl.

Could it be that I'm afraid to see him?

"What have you been doing in seclusion for so long?" Chen Ping'an's gaze was deep, as if he could see through the walls and into the high courtyard.

Gu Qingcheng
After the little girl's coming-of-age ceremony, everything returned to normal for Chen Ping'an.

He lived a secluded life, practicing the Seven Killings Heavenly Gang Fist and the Azure Yang Blood Refining Method.

He also did not give up on the refining of the Black Iron Mask, Black Iron Ingot, Patterned Cloth, and White Bone Claw Gauntlets.

Aside from the Black Iron Mask, which didn't yield much progress, the other divine weapons showed considerable improvement. The Patterned Cloth, in particular, was about to undergo initial refinement and be put to his use.

Three days after the coming-of-age ceremony, the date for the Gu family's celebration was finally set.

The meeting was scheduled for two weeks later, at the Gu family's residence, on Xiaopan Mountain.

Within Canglong Prefecture, the debate over swords and sabers raged on. Gu Qingcheng's promotion celebration further fueled the controversy.

"A fierce sword? What's a fierce sword? What makes you think you can compare to my beautiful woman?"

"Your home? When did Qingcheng become your home?"

"Do you dare say that to Mangdao's face?"

"What's there to be afraid of?"

"Alright! Alright! Let's go, Mang Dao is in the city right now, let's go find him!"

"I'll look for it! But I'm busy today, let's talk about it another time!"

"When?"

"Next time! Next time for sure!"

"."

Various debates filled the streets and alleys of Canglong Prefecture. People from all walks of life and of all statuses were engaged in similar arguments.

However, with the arrival of Chen Ping'an, the "Reckless Blade," the discussions among some high-end circles quieted down.

It was unusually quiet.

Even when there are occasional discussions, they mostly focus on the identity of the swordsman and the knife-wielder, rather than on the brute himself!

In comparison, it was the lower and middle circles that were having the most lively discussions.

They dare to say anything, and they dare to put on airs.

Saying things like "the most beautiful fairy is my dream lover" is something I say without hesitation or reservation.

There are die-hard fans of Gu Qingcheng who rallied the crowd, declaring that Fairy Qingcheng is the number one in Canglong, surpassing all her contemporaries without any controversy.

There are also some troublemakers who want to argue about everything and fight over everything.

What? You're saying Mang Dao is stronger than Gu Qingcheng? Fine, let's put aside the facts and have a debate today.

You said you wanted to tell me the facts?

Excuse me, who argues about facts these days?

Amidst the turmoil of public opinion in the city, Chen Ping'an, one of the parties involved, was peacefully staying in his courtyard, practicing the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist.

hum~
The azure-blue true energy flowed, like a scroll of light ink painting, slowly unfolding.

Chen Ping'an's eyebrows gleamed with spiritual light, and within his spiritual platform, a vast amount of spiritual energy was incredibly active.

Although he is currently at the first level of martial arts breakthrough, in terms of the quantity and quality of his spirituality, he has already surpassed the vast majority of those at the third level of breakthrough.

To be precise, among those at the Grandmaster level, there are very few who can rival his spirituality.

Those who can compare to him are all geniuses of the world, old monsters who have been nurtured for many years.

+1!

Just as Chen Ping'an was cultivating, a cultivation experience flashed by.

"It's done!"

Chen Ping'an was overjoyed and slowly opened his eyes.

Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Late stage of Jade Balance - Breakthrough to the third stage (Spiritual Pattern Condensation)
武学：青阳血炼法未入门（865/1920）颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（0/8640）、七杀天罡拳入门（1440/1440）、霸刀大成（0/3200）、七绝神功圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满
Chen Ping'an's eyes gleamed, and he held his breath and concentrated.

As soon as he had a thought, the cultivation experience after the Seven Killings Heavenly Fist on his golden finger panel began to stir wildly.

Wow~
It swirled and churned continuously, growing faster and faster until it transformed into specks of starlight, heading towards Chen Ping'an's brow.

Chen Ping'an focused his mind and did not resist at all, allowing it to enter his brow.

Starlight entered between his brows and appeared in his spiritual platform. On the platform, a spiritual fruit shone, covered with fine cracks, the cracks containing life energy.

Countless spiritual energies stirred and merged with the starlight, giving rise to a wealth of insights in Chen Ping'an's mind.

Seven Killing Heavenly Fist, Second Kill, Wrathful Kill.

His heart burned with rage, and his killing intent surged like a tide.

The fists were ferocious, driven by a murderous intent, each strike containing the power to shatter mountains and break peaks. The shadows of the fists surged like raging waves, continuous and relentless, crushing the opponent's defenses with their fierce momentum.

Secret Technique: Raging Slaughter, Raging Waves Collapse!
Its ferocity can destroy mountains!
Seven Killing Heavenly Fist, the third kill, Frenzied Kill.

His madness ran rampant, and his killing intent was unrestrained.

His fist techniques were frenzied and unrestrained, unleashing a barrage of punches with a frenzied killing force. His fists were like ghosts, their shadows intertwined, making it difficult to discern reality from illusion.

Secret Technique: Frenzied Slaughter, Shadow Frenzy!

A wild dance that shakes the world!
As his understanding deepened, Chen Ping'an also mastered the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist, specifically the second and third forms of the Seven Killing Fist.

With these two fist techniques, his combat power increased once again!
Seven Killing Heavenly Fist, Minor Success!

Breaking through the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist not only increased Chen Ping'an's killing power, but also improved his cultivation level.

With the help of the Golden Finger Panel, a large amount of dazzling spiritual light converged towards the spiritual fruit, interacting with its core through the cracks on the fruit's surface.

As the spiritual light shone, a rich life force gradually emanated from the cracks of the spiritual fruit. When the life energy reached its peak, it began to nurture the source of the divine soul.

The source of the soul is within the spiritual platform, and also at the core of the spiritual fruit.

Nourishing the soul from the inside out, reaching this stage is the second level of breaking through the realm.

At this moment, the life energy within the spiritual fruit on Chen Ping'an's spiritual platform was extremely vigorous, so dense it was almost tangible.

Ordinary grandmasters who reach this stage can already attempt to nurture the source of their divine soul using the core of a spiritual fruit as a foundation.

However, Chen Ping'an broke through the cultivation realm with nine spiritual runes, and the core of his spiritual fruit was extremely stable. The difficulty of nurturing a divine soul in this way was far greater than that of a martial arts grandmaster who broke through with only six spiritual runes.

So even at this stage, he is still far from being able to cultivate the source of his divine soul based on the core of the spiritual fruit.

With this breakthrough, Chen Ping'an's martial arts realm has greatly improved, and he has taken a solid step towards the second breakthrough.

But it's still quite a distance from actually stepping into it.

Although the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist is of a good grade, it is still quite lacking in terms of its level from beginner to minor mastery.

"3840 points!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes narrowed slightly as an updated cheat code panel appeared in front of him.

To reach the Great Perfection stage of the Seven Killings Heavenly Fist, 3840 points of cultivation experience are required.

Based on his previous progress in cultivation, it would take him at least two and a half months to advance the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist from minor to major mastery.

"I wonder if my cultivation speed of the Seven Killing Heavenly Gang Fist will be faster after breaking through the realm?"

Chen Ping'an guessed in his heart.

If so, he should actually need less than two and a half months.

However, it's uncertain how much faster it will be.

The benefits gained from breaking through to a higher realm are better than nothing, serving only as a small consolation.

It is far less beneficial to cultivation than the benefits brought by the Snow Spirit Leaf.

Chen Ping'an, nicknamed "Snow Spirit Leaf," looked expectant.

As the Gu family had previously stated, the matter of the Snow Spirit Leaf had made progress. If all goes well, he should be able to use the Snow Spirit Leaf to aid his cultivation soon.

If that's the case, his cultivation progress will be at least 30% higher, and he might be able to master the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist in less than two months!
Once he masters the Seven Killings Heavenly Fist, it remains to be seen whether it will allow him to advance further in his martial arts realm, truly nurture the source of his divine soul, and step into the second stage of breaking through to the next realm.

With this breakthrough, his regular combat skills have improved considerably. Although his overall combat strength hasn't changed significantly, it has certainly increased somewhat.

Once he cultivates his martial arts to the second stage of the breakthrough realm, the benefits he gains from breaking through with nine spiritual runes will far exceed those of ordinary breakthrough grandmasters. At that time, his martial arts spirituality might even surpass that of almost all martial arts grandmasters. Even those long-established monsters, in terms of the foundation of their spirituality, are far from his match!

Chen Ping'an was invigorated. After a brief adjustment, he closed his eyes and continued practicing the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist.

hum~
A pale blue light shimmered, reflecting the spiritual light and illuminating a bright and clear world.

Just as Chen Ping'an was in seclusion cultivating, the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command completed the verification and issuance of the merits he had previously reported.

Furthermore, after several days of meetings and discussions, it was decided that the matter of Chen Ping'an, the slayer of the slashing blade, killing the Evil Duo would not be reported to the Northern Border Garrison for the time being.

We'll wait for the Chief Administrator to return before making a decision.

(End of this chapter)