The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 658 Public Opinion Uproar, the Power to Break the Restriction (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

A weary messenger hurriedly arrived at Chen Ping'an's residence.

Upon seeing Chen Ping'an, he immediately knelt down.

"I have failed in my mission, please punish me, sir!"

"Get up."

"Yes." The man stood up respectfully, bowed his head, and dared not look at Chen Ping'an.

"Tell me the details," Chen Ping'an said calmly, without a trace of anger.

Chen Ping'an's tone lessened the visitor's anxiety considerably. He then respectfully recounted the details of his journey to deliver the message.

He was in charge of relaying messages for the Black Spirit Sect.

He traveled day and night until he reached the Black Spirit Gate, but in the end he couldn't even enter the gate. After introducing himself, he met an outer elder and stayed at the Black Spirit Gate for a day, finally getting a clear attitude from the Black Spirit Gate.

Matters concerning evil spirits are matters for the Suppression Division; the Black Spirit Sect refuses to cooperate!
Chen Pingan sat in the large chair, listening quietly.

Only after the other person finished speaking did he softly say, "Go down."

"Yes, sir." The visitor felt somewhat relieved and left in fear.

"Black Spirit Gate"

Chen Ping'an looked down at the files on the long table.

The words "Black Spirit Gate" were prominently displayed on the file.

The Black Spirit Sect, one of the five top forces in the Thunder Mountain Range, is led by its sect leader, Dou Jizhao, who is a Grandmaster.
Chen Ping'an watched quietly, his expression calm, like a still well.

The special envoys sent to the Thunder Mountains have all returned one after another.

They were all travel-worn and looked haggard.

Following the Black Spirit Sect's stance, the Left Path Alliance and the Outer Path Alliance have also made their stances clear one after another.

Compared to the Black Spirit Sect, the attitudes of the two alliances were significantly more aggressive. The Left Path Alliance, in particular, was extremely aggressive, not only rejecting the message from the Thunderous Town Pacification Division on the spot, but also questioning them on the spot whether they should give an explanation for the death of their expert, the Blue-Faced Fang.

If they don't give an explanation, don't blame them for turning ruthless!
The Left Path Alliance, based in the Thunder Mountain Range, has always been a powerful force in the region. How could they tolerate the inexplicable death of one of their experts?
The response from the Left Alliance caused many in the Thunderous Town Pacification Division to experience a surge of intracranial pressure and a rush of blood to their heads.

Some things, even if you disagree with them, are still so blatantly humiliated that even they can't help but feel their emotions rise.

Some people want to do something, but after analyzing the pros and cons, they find that they can't do anything.

After several rounds of internal strife, some people couldn't help but blame Chen Ping'an's actions.

"Lei Ming replied, feeling deeply humiliated, alas," someone sighed.

What he didn't say was that if Lord Chen hadn't insisted on his own way, he wouldn't have suffered this humiliation today.

After some maneuvering, a few experienced people within the Zhenfu Division managed to calm everyone down and ease their emotions.

When the news reached Wu Benqing's ears, he sneered a few times and said, "This kid is ignorant and doesn't know anything!"
Two more days passed, and news also arrived from the five families that bordered Xuanling Prefecture and were furthest from Leiming City. The messenger, traveling at breakneck speed, reported the news.

Among the five major forces in the Thunder Mountain Range, although there is no specific ranking, in terms of influence alone, the Five Families are the largest of the five major forces.

In terms of overall strength, the five families may not be able to compare with the two alliances, but in terms of influence, the five families undoubtedly have the advantage.

The attitudes of the five major families also have a crucial impact on the Thunderous Town Pacification Division.

Although they know some of these ideas are unrealistic, many still harbor unrealistic fantasies.

Unfortunately, fantasy is just fantasy.

The five families showed no sign of relenting and completely disregarded the warning from the Thunderous Town Pacification Division.

If there's anything different about them compared to the other forces, it's that the replies from the five families were relatively calm and not as aggressive.

However, regarding the transfer mentioned by the Thunderous Garrison Command, they made their stance clear: they wouldn't even consider it!
The five major powers of Thunder have already responded, and their attitudes are so clear.

For a time, those who had previously held hope were disheartened and felt that there was no future in sight.

Especially for those who were previously full of fighting spirit, the greater their initial hopes, the heavier the blow they have now.

Amidst this situation, public opinion within the city of Thunder was stirred up in waves.

In particular, the previous remarks by Lei Mingzhenfusi and the guidance of public opinion, which led them to wait for good news and for the matter to be settled, have amplified their dissatisfaction to the extreme.

Among them were some words of resentment.

"We should have thought of that! Mang Dao had already offended four powerful forces. How could he possibly succeed in delivering the message?"

"Oh no, this is bad! The situation is even worse now!"

"Iron-fisted methods? What happened to the iron-fisted methods you promised?! They've already refused, so what's the action?! What's the action of the Thunderous Garrison Command?!"

"Are we just going to stand by and watch them take advantage of us?"

"Weak and powerless, a bunch of cowards!"

"."

The Gu family, located far outside Thunder Mountain, naturally received the news. Four of the five major powers in the Thunder Mountain Range had already made their stance clear; the Mang Dao faction wouldn't be able to cause any trouble!

All previous worries, no matter how slight, have been completely dispelled in the face of absolute facts.

As for the remaining faction, regardless of the Blood Owl Gang's stance—which has always been the most hardline of the five and is known for its madness—even if they were to defect and agree, it wouldn't affect the overall situation.

Having offended the forces in the Thunder Mountain Range, and with them not putting in any real effort, and with the Thunder Town Commandery's own strength greatly diminished, how could Mang Dao possibly clean up this mess?
"Next, no matter how confident Mang Dao is, he should lower himself and beg them!" The members of each family looked mocking, their eyes filled with unreadable meaning.

They all stood by and watched, waiting for Chen Ping'an, the ruthless swordsman, to come and visit.

In the current situation, the only hope for the Mangdao faction rests on them.

Unfortunately, Chen Ping'an, the ruthless swordsman, had already lost this round before it even began!

There was much discussion and public opinion was rife.

In this situation, Chen Ping'an went out early and returned late every day. Besides handling official business and gathering intelligence, he focused on cultivation and refining divine weapons.

For several days in a row, his cultivation of the Overlord Blade took another small step forward. He accumulated nearly a thousand points of cultivation experience. Overall, his cultivation progress was close to one-third of what it was in its complete state.

hum~
Chen Ping'an's brow twitched with a burst of spiritual light, and he put away the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade that was enveloped in spiritual light in front of him.

After several days of refining, he is about to complete the refining of this precious treasure, which is only half a step away from being fully refined.

Based on the timeline, it should take at most two days for him to fully utilize the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade.

The various envoys sent to the Thunder Mountain Range all returned, and the results they brought back were undoubtedly disheartening.

No faction was willing to cooperate with the Thunderous Garrison's actions, not even in the form of providing intelligence support.

This was foreseen long ago, when the attitudes of each faction were made clear.

Even though it was foreseen, it was still disheartening when it actually happened.

During the deliberation meeting, most people remained silent, and those who did speak mostly expressed dejection.

Wu Benqing did not participate in this review meeting. After confirming that Chen Ping'an was in charge of this matter, Wu Benqing had not interfered in anything else.

And now, in this situation, everything is exactly what he wanted.

At the deliberation meeting, Feng Wuhen offered a few words of comfort, but it was clear that it had little effect, or rather, almost no effect at all.

Everyone was looking at Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an had already said what needed to be said when the tone was set earlier. He didn't say much more this time. After listening to everyone's reports, he mentioned waiting for the Blood Owl Gang's attitude before leaving the deliberation room.

Each person in the room had their own thoughts and plans.

As if things weren't going to go wrong, on the afternoon the deliberation meeting ended, an urgent letter arrived from the Leiming Town Pacification Office.

A horrific tragedy occurred near the Thunder Mountain Range, where evil spirits wreaked havoc and caravans were wiped out.

This incident instantly caused a stir within the Thunderous Garrison.

After many days, the evil spirits that had been dormant for so long have started causing trouble again!
With Wu Benqing out of the picture, Gu Luping seriously injured, and the power of Leiming Town's pacification division limited, the situation became dire.

After an emergency meeting, Feng Wuhen, the chief deity of the Offering Pavilion, was tasked with handling the matter.

Before leaving, Chen Ping'an met with Feng Wuhen for a while to discuss things, and only let him go after everything was settled.

A robbery and murder tragedy has ignited public opinion.

Throughout the entire city of Thunder, public opinion was in an uproar.

Demons ravaged the land, but Mang Dao remained firmly seated on his high platform. None of his previous boasts were fulfilled.

All the forces in the Thunder Mountain Range have already expressed their stance, but Mang Dao has not reacted at all.

The lack of further action is outrageous.

Similar comments are not uncommon, and there are even some people secretly encouraging and fueling these comments behind the scenes.

Some are urging Mangdao to come up with a solution, while others are demanding he step in as soon as possible. In any case, some action is due.

"Has public opinion been stirred up yet?" Wu Benqing asked casually.

"Everyone's up. Everything's been arranged as you instructed," a man in black robes said from the shadows.

Wu Benqing smiled but remained silent.

He had all the plans under his control. At the crucial moment, Mang Dao wanted to cower like a turtle, but he wouldn't let his opponent have his way.

Since this grand drama was started by the other side, it's their turn to bring it to a close.

Have all parties made their stances clear?

"It's clear! As long as Mang Dao begs, they'll cooperate on the surface, but the people they send won't be very strong!"

"Excellent!" Wu Benqing exclaimed.

If Lei Ming doesn't cooperate and no one else helps, then there's no turning back.

Now all we need to do is watch as the ruthless swordsman quietly fades into obscurity.

Speaking of
A thought flashed through Wu Benqing's mind: "Gu Qingchan has been in seclusion for quite a long time! Otherwise, I really wouldn't dare to try this game!"

Wu Benqing laughed heartily.

Brave Blade, Heaven is against you!
Two more days passed, and all the envoys who had gone to Leiming to deliver the message returned, but the envoy sent to deliver the message to the Blood Owl Gang was nowhere to be seen. This long wait clearly aroused suspicion among many.

Of the five major forces in Thunder City, the Blood Owl Gang is the closest, and should have returned long ago.

Even if things weren't going well, it shouldn't have taken this long.

He hasn't returned yet, I'm afraid...
Some people were horrified, but dared not admit it.

During exchanges between the two sides, the envoy should not be harmed!
This matter concerns one's reputation; once it becomes clear, even if one doesn't want to explode, they will have no choice but to.

Some things are understood in private, and there's still room for negotiation between the two sides. But once they're spoken out, there's no turning back.

Regardless of whether the speculation is true or false, for the sake of the bigger picture, we can only swallow our anger and bear it.

Everyone was indignant, but there was nothing they could do.

Some marveled at the Blood Owl Gang's audacity, while others speculated about something else entirely, and still others simply chose to remain silent and ignore the outside world.

The consequences of this situation were sown by Mang Dao. The current predicament was created by Mang Dao. Whether it is a difficulty or a disaster, it is up to Mang Dao to deal with it.

hum~
Inside the office, spiritual light trembled. Chen Ping'an's eyes remained calm as he quietly gazed at the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade before him.

"Feast!"

With a clear mind, Chen Ping'an carried out the final step of the sacrificial refining.

A hazy, radiant light emanated from the room.

Many years have passed, and the spiritual light surrounding the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade gradually diminished until it completely dimmed.

"It's done!"

Chen Ping'an stared calmly at the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade before him.

As his thoughts shifted, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade in front of him shone with light and slowly shrank until it was completely placed in his palm.

Even after shrinking, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade remained as heavy as ever, still carrying a substantial weight. However, to the naked eye, it appeared as a miniature longsword.

"Collect!" Chen Ping'an's brows lit up, and he drew the long sword in his hand inside.

In an instant, he disappeared from Chen Ping'an's sight.

At the same time, on his forehead, a long sword as cold as a starry night was quietly floating.

The Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade, as a prototype of a high-quality treasure, clearly has the function of being stored in the Eyebrow and Heart Platform after it has been thoroughly refined.

The Lingtai space is incredibly secluded, far surpassing even the most complexly restricted Thousand Machine Bag.

Once the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade is stored in one's spiritual platform, there will be no risk of it exposing one's true identity. Overall concealment and security are greatly increased.

With the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade fully refined, Chen Ping'an will finally be able to utilize the unique divine power of this nascent treasure.

The power to break through restrictions!

With its unparalleled sharpness, it broke through the restriction. With such power to break through restrictions, coupled with his martial arts realm, a single strike would likely be enough to cause ordinary divine weapons to lose their spirituality and for the restrictions to dissipate.

Even the most powerful divine weapons probably wouldn't be able to withstand it for long.

Only top-tier divine weapons can withstand its sharpness. However, how long it can last depends on the difference in cultivation levels between the two sides and the intensity of the battle.

Besides targeting divine weapons, this power to break restrictions is also extremely effective against some array-type restrictions and trapping restrictions.

It can be said that with this divine power, Chen Ping'an's direct combat capabilities have increased even further. In particular, he is now more adept at dealing with methods of confinement and restraint.

However, as a divine weapon of the sword path, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade is wondrous, but its only enhancement is its sword technique.

As a divine weapon of the sword, it was destined from the moment it was born to be used for swordsmanship.

"The messenger has not returned for a long time!" Chen Ping'an's eyes were calm as water, yet seemed to hold a chilling starlight: "It seems... we have someone to establish our authority!" Chen Ping'an's expression was calm and undisturbed. He slowly stood up and walked out of the office.

In the city of Thunderclap, public opinion was in an uproar. Amidst the clamor, a group of a dozen or so riders left the city.

As dusk settled and the setting sun shone like blood, the vast outskirts of Leiming City were dyed crimson.

A breeze is beginning to rise.

As it whistled, it seemed to spread the crimson hue even further.

At the same time the group left Leiming, Wu Benqing, Gu Luping, and the heads of various major forces, including the Gu family of Leiming, all learned that Chen Ping'an, the ruthless swordsman, had personally led his elite troops away from Leiming City.

(End of this chapter)