The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 643 A safe retreat, returning to the Azure Dragon (Seeking monthly votes~)

Whoosh!
A figure streaked across the night sky with astonishing momentum.

"No more chasing?"

Chen Ping'an, his gray robe fluttering, was constantly sensing the atmosphere around him.

At this moment, having consumed the Violent Essence Pill and the Millennium Stone Milk, the spirituality within his mind had already reached its peak.

The Bursting Yuan True Elixir unleashes true essence, stimulating activity.

The ancient stalactites nourish the soul and uplift the spirit.

With the two factors combined, his overall combat strength has been significantly enhanced.

At his current level, even the slightest improvement he could achieve by relying on external aids would be incredibly precious, let alone such a significant improvement.

At this moment, Chen Ping'an was in better condition than ever before. Although he was not yet out of danger, he was extremely excited and had a strange sense of exhilaration.

In the battle just now, although we only exchanged a few moves, every move was made with full force, making it a truly fierce fight.

A fierce battle doesn't necessarily have to last hundreds or thousands of rounds. As long as it involves exerting all one's strength, focusing one's will, and giving it one's all, it can be considered a fierce battle.

Hundreds of rounds of fancy moves are no match for a head-on collision with all your might.

After sensing the situation repeatedly, Chen Ping'an finally confirmed that the other party had given up the pursuit.

Chen Ping'an was meticulous. When he sensed something, he repeatedly checked to see if there was any Sixth Brother hiding his aura and quietly following him.

Although this possibility is slim, Chen Ping'an still cannot be complacent or ignore it.

Many times, things fail because of assumptions.

If there is even the slightest possibility, we must be extremely cautious.

Logically speaking, Chen Ping'an's approach is a bit too cautious.

Unleashing its full power, unlike ordinary flying, with its true essence exploding, it's impossible to care about concealing its aura.

If they can still manage to keep track of things, it means they haven't truly unleashed their full potential yet.

The so-called full-force burst means using all means and expending all energy, with a willingness to pay any price, to stimulate true essence and spirituality, squeeze out every bit of power, and turn it into one's own.

How could they possibly have the spare energy to also take care of concealing their presence?
This is why the commotion Chen Ping'an made when he flew through the night sky during the chase was so great.

He could fly by silently, but his speed would never be as fast as it is now.

On the other hand, the other side is the same.

To follow him silently would require either a vast difference in cultivation level or the possession of some secret treasure. Aside from these two possibilities, only a very few secret techniques could possibly achieve this.

Even if such a possibility existed, Chen Ping'an's current level of cultivation, combined with careful sensing, would be able to eliminate most of the possibilities. Not to mention, after consuming the Bursting Yuan True Pill and the Thousand-Year Stone Milk, Chen Ping'an's spiritual perception had already reached its peak.

The possibility of anything escaping his notice after careful observation is extremely slim.

Even so, Chen Ping'an did not let his guard down.

His figure flashed and changed direction constantly, without showing any intention of slowing down.

During the process, he sensed several auras rising from all directions around the city.

However, he took the initiative and completely widened the gap.

Whoosh!
Chen Ping'an's figure darted around, and he quickly flew out of Canglong Prefecture City.

Although Canglong Prefecture City was a fortified city with high walls and wide defenses, it was still somewhat beyond the capabilities of someone of his level.

Especially when he plays with his cards face up.

In this situation, he doesn't need to have any scruples; all he needs to do is exert all his strength to escape this place.

"Sure enough!"

As Chen Ping'an flew away, a wisp of green smoke rose from his body and quickly disappeared into the air.

That old man Qingfan had indeed left some tricks on him.

Fortunately, he was a cautious person and had a lot of thought. After repeated investigations, he was able to detect the barely perceptible tracking mark.

Clearly, this was a mark left on him during the chase and fight. The opponent wanted to use this mark to pinpoint his exact location.

Once we've calmed down, we'll gather the experts to resolve this matter completely.

"As expected, these old monsters who have lived for countless years are not to be underestimated. One can easily fall into their trap if you're not careful."

Chen Ping'an pondered it again and again, but still couldn't figure out exactly when he had fallen into the trap.

Throughout the entire process, they were completely unaware.

If he hadn't been meticulous, bold, and careful, managing to keep this matter in mind while fleeing, he might have truly fallen into the other party's trap.

Furthermore, the later this matter is discovered, the greater the risk of exposure.

Once he returns and discovers the mark, it will be too late!
"Indeed, every move carries unpredictable danger. No matter how confident you are, it's still the same. Although this time it went smoothly, we're not out of danger yet, so we can't afford to be careless!"

As he darted away, Chen Ping'an's mind was inexplicably calm, his spirit clear, and his heart pure. With the utmost composure, he absorbed and learned from every bit of what he gained in practice.

All these gains will become his accumulation, his resources and foundation, and shape his experience and vision over the long years.

The same experience can lead to different reactions and insights for different people.

For some, an experience is unforgettable, even after just one. But for others, even after several experiences, they may not learn a lesson.

Different feelings and different progress influence everyone's development.

Some people, after just one lesson, can apply the knowledge to other situations and completely eliminate such risks. Others, however, suffer repeatedly but still struggle to grasp the essence of the matter.

Some people experience a century, while others experience only ten years; their experiences and perspectives may be the same!

Some people can achieve in ten years what it takes in a hundred, while others can only achieve in a hundred years what it takes in ten!

The differences are difficult for ordinary people to explain.

But those who stand out among their peers and reach the pinnacle are, without exception, the best of the best.

None of them should be underestimated.

To catch up with them, you need to put in more effort and put in more hard work.

Even if Chen Ping'an possesses the cheat-like interface, the same applies!
The panel provided him with the foundation for success, but it doesn't represent everything!
After erasing the mark, Chen Ping'an repeatedly sensed the surroundings to confirm there were no oversights. Only then did he gradually reduce his speed. At the same time, the fluctuations and traces around him became increasingly faint, until...
Completely disappeared!

Outside Canglong Prefecture, on both sides of the official road, behind an inconspicuous tree, a figure stood silently, almost blending into the void, without any ripples or waves, making him completely unnoticed.

"This Canglong Prefecture City is truly a place where dragons and tigers hide!"

Chen Ping'an sighed sincerely.

During the chase through the night sky, although the only person he faced was the old man Qingfan from the Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division, Chen Ping'an actually sensed several other auras of the same level.

However, for some unknown reason, these auras did not show any intention of attacking at the beginning.

It wasn't until Chen Ping'an defeated the old man Qing Fan and fled in a burst of speed that these auras truly rose from all directions, seemingly indicating a desire to pursue him.

However, despite their pursuit, whether due to insufficient foundation or lack of skill in movement techniques, the speed of these auras was shaky. Given the already considerable distance between them, Chen Ping'an easily widened the gap.

“These old guys,” Chen Ping’an said calmly, “are all cunning old foxes!”

Whatever the reason, these people's reactions were exactly what he wanted.

Otherwise, if they all attack at once, he might not be able to withstand it.

He had meticulously planned this matter long before he took action. He had also accumulated some similar intelligence over the years.

However, to his surprise, the number of powerful individuals in Canglong Prefecture City was even greater than he had anticipated.

Fortunately, these people's reactions were pretty much what he had expected.

To be precise, it was better than he had anticipated.

When it came to a real fight, these people stopped pretending and simply stood by and watched. Otherwise, while he was entangled with Old Man Qingfan, these people could have unleashed their full power and closed the gap between them.

Even if Chen Ping'an manages to extricate himself from this situation, it will likely require immense effort. At the very least, he will likely lose most of the thousand-year-old stalactites he possesses.

Sure enough, the older people get, the smarter they become, but the more timid they become!
Saying that it means being timid is not entirely accurate.

The honor and disgrace of the family rest on his shoulders; how could he so easily risk his life?

Let alone risking one's life, even minor injuries are unacceptable.

Especially after what happened just now, without even understanding what was going on, how could one rashly step forward and attack?

Without any incentive, they would just blindly and foolishly take on such a task. Even a low-level constable might not do it, let alone a senior expert of this level.

Those who disregard all consequences and maintain peace in a region are ultimately a tiny minority among a tiny minority.

Even if he were willing to help, it would likely be out of courtesy, only after ensuring there would be no damage or risk. Given Chen Ping'an's demonstrated combat prowess, anyone at the same level would have to think twice.

This move signifies a battle of wits, and a battle of wits signifies exhaustion. And who will replenish that exhaustion?

If an injury occurs by accident, who will provide the necessary elixirs and spiritual items?
If you lose money, who will compensate you?

This is a very real problem.

Experts at this level generally have long since withdrawn from worldly affairs; at the very least, they rarely concern themselves with ordinary matters.

As long as you don't provoke them, they usually won't take action!
Even when they do intervene, it's usually because their interests are harmed, or it's a forced transfer order issued in the name of the government!

Corresponding to the transfer order was the dynasty's internal merit system, which provided compensation to a certain extent.

Only when these factors are met will powerful figures from various factions make their moves.

For powerful individuals of their caliber, ordinary laws are easily disregarded. Those within their clans who cannot disregard the legal system are simply unable to participate in battles of this level.

A multitude of factors combined to create the situation that occurred before.

Even so, Chen Ping'an was still slightly surprised by the response and cooperation from all parties.

Who could have imagined that the righteous cause of the dynasty would decline to such a state!

A midnight attack, a disturbance of the city, and the powerful figures from all sides didn't even bother to pretend. They just stood by and watched!
Who could have imagined that such a dynasty, in its heyday, could summon followers with a single call to arms? With banners raised high, they would flock to the front lines, and with spears pointed at them, countless people would risk their lives without hesitation?

According to historical records, the dynasty's fortune in the past was like a vast sea of ​​clouds soaring into the sky, and the people's hearts were drawn to it like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

but now.
However, it was visibly weakened.

The will of the people, though seemingly ethereal and elusive, actually manifests in every aspect of the world.

The dynasty is declining, and the people's hearts are no longer with it.

Factionalism, power struggles, rigid class structures, inflexible systems, and malfunctioning mechanisms.
Given all these factors, how many people are truly willing to risk their lives?

Each of them wears a facade of righteousness while harboring their own agenda.

For the family, for oneself, for the bloodline, and for what will happen after death.
This is true not only in the state, but also in the powerful families and the officials in the imperial court.

Those who act for the public good often confuse public and private matters, using public affairs to pursue private interests.

If public and private matters conflict, then private matters should take precedence!

If those who act for the public good are like this, what about those who act for private gain?

Lacking ambition and self-interest, and accustomed to filth, how could they possibly exert their full effort?

Chen Ping'an's gaze narrowed slightly.

Besides these reasons, the fact that Old Man Qingfan did not loudly call for help or rebuke the situation also contributed to the previous predicament.

As for why old man Qingfan didn't speak, the reason is probably worth pondering.

Perhaps he anticipated a similar situation, or perhaps he had other motives.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted, seemingly over a long period, but in reality, it happened in the blink of an eye.

After confirming that there was no other movement around him, he gently raised his hand, and several objects appeared in front of him.

Black jade ring, gold-threaded belt, blue lightning pearl, Thousand-Machine Bag
These items were all obtained by him from Li Wusheng.

It was tainted with Li Wusheng's aura, and he needed to remove it as soon as possible.

His time is precious right now, but in order to minimize the risk, he needs to handle this matter before returning to the city.

Without the slightest hesitation, Chen Ping'an's eyes flickered, and he began to process the first item.

Eliminating the aura, unlike refining items, doesn't require much time. Right now, the effects of the Millennium Stone Milk and the Bursting Yuan True Pill that Chen Ping'an consumed haven't worn off yet, making this the perfect time.

He used his extremely powerful and pure spirituality to refine and eliminate the impurities, and in just a few breaths, he had refined the first item.

Next came the second item, and then the third.
The Thousand Machine Bag had Li Wusheng's spiritual inscription on it, and Chen Ping'an needed to wash away the mark first in order to unlock it. This took up a lot of his time.

Fortunately, his spiritual foundation is far superior to Li Wusheng's, and with the help of spiritual objects, the overall time consumption is still acceptable.

During the purification process, Chen Ping'an kept a close eye on the changes in the surrounding atmosphere.

If anything goes wrong, he will stop the purification process.

Strictly speaking, carrying out such operations outside Canglong Prefecture City required him to bear a certain degree of risk.

But to completely clean up the mess, he had to take this risk. Who knew what methods the State Garrison Command might have to pinpoint his identity and location? At this moment, he had to be on guard.

Actually, the best time to cleanse and purify was after killing Li Wusheng, but the situation was urgent at the time, and he was discovered before he could clean up the mess.

He was forced to stop and leave hastily.

While the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags are effective at isolating movement, they are still quite inadequate at concealing true essence fluctuations and spiritual energy.

During the process of cleansing and refining, Chen Ping'an multitasked, carefully learning from each lesson.

Some lessons are unavoidable due to limited conditions, while others can be avoided by improving the details.

Chen Pingan carefully distinguished between the two lessons. For the former, he needed to accumulate experience and address external needs. For the latter, he needed to strive for excellence, improve his control over details, and prevent similar mistakes from occurring again.

With continuous improvement and refinement, we can eventually achieve perfection in similar situations.

Whoosh!
Inside Canglong Prefecture City, Chen Ping'an moved silently.

He had changed completely.

He was no longer the old man in a gray robe, but an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

He activated the Black Iron Mask with all his might, using its concealing effect to hide his aura. At the same time, he restrained the spiritual energy within his mind, eliminating any possibility of leakage.

Contrary to his expectations, no large-scale riots broke out in Canglong Prefecture City at this time. Although there were occasional noises, the overall situation was under control.

"There's someone there!"

Chen Ping'an's change in movement allowed him to detect the aura ahead early on, and he adjusted his position in time to avoid it.

With Chen Ping'an's cultivation level, although he was confident that he could deceive the other party, he did not want to create unnecessary trouble in this situation and gamble on the slightest possibility of being exposed.

After all, every martial arts practitioner is different; some are good at movement techniques, some are good at attacking targets, and some are good at sensing.

The same level of achievement can have different details, so they cannot be generalized.

Chen Ping'an remained highly alert throughout, sensing various auras and adjusting his range in real time as he headed towards the Gu family.

Fortunately, he did not encounter any particularly strong auras along the way, and there were none like the old man Qingfan.

Clearly, neither the old man Qingfan nor the powerful figures from other forces had expected that he would actually come back.

Or perhaps they had considered this possibility, but given the current situation, it would be more advantageous to guard each household than to conduct a pointless investigation.

Even after returning to the Gu family home, Chen Ping'an's tense state did not relax. In fact, he was even more nervous than in other places.

Canglong Gujia
Chen Ping'an's eyes were deep, calming the turmoil in his heart.

To prevent any mishaps, he changed his appearance again as soon as he approached the Gu family, reverting to his former identity as the ruthless Chen Ping'an.

The corresponding aura was completely cleansed and eliminated.

Throughout the entire process, we were extremely careful and cautious, and no problems arose.

He made this preparation in order to prevent any unexpected problems. In case of any issues, he would have a backup plan.

Even if he were discovered, he could easily use the excuse that the city was in chaos and he had come out to investigate.

While it may not be effective, it is certainly better than having someone reveal their identity and being caught red-handed.

With meticulous planning, Chen Ping'an strived to ensure that every detail was flawless.

Compared to other places, the Gu family residence was undoubtedly much calmer. The moment the loud bang echoed through the night sky, the Gu family residence did indeed experience a certain degree of commotion. However, it quickly subsided.

Such order and discipline are unmatched by ordinary forces.

Whoosh!
Chen Ping'an flashed and returned to the villa that the Gu family had prepared for him.

Upon returning to the villa, Chen Ping'an immediately checked the surroundings.

"No one has been here!"

After confirming the matter, Chen Ping'an finally felt relieved.

He returned to his room, set up a spiritual barrier, and then sat down cross-legged.

hum~
A pale blue light appeared, indicating that true energy was separating the inside from the outside.

(End of this chapter)