The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 677 The Struggle of Strategy, the Situation in Xuanling (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

"Gu Qingcheng is really good at this."

Chen Ping'an calmed the ripples in his heart and put away the miniature jade sword in front of him.

This sword-shaped jade pendant, which carries the legacy of swordsmanship, still retains a lingering artistic conception after undergoing a period of contemplation.

If needed, one can also undergo a process of inheriting and experiencing enlightenment.

This was the first time Chen Ping'an had encountered such a rich vessel of inherited artistic conception since he had studied and comprehended so many cultivation techniques.

As with the previous insights, whether it was the Tai Xu Yu Feng Bu or the Qi Sha Tian Gang Quan, the inherited intent within the Jade Scroll could only support one manifestation of the insight.

If Chen Ping'an doesn't accumulate enough insights at this critical juncture, then these inheritance jade scrolls, acquired at great expense, will become useless without fulfilling their intended purpose.

Gu Qingcheng was quite thoughtful; worried that he might not have enough insight from the manifestation of the artistic conception in one go, she deliberately left an extra copy.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts.

While it's possible that Gu Qingcheng acquired this sword technique by chance, considering the names of the sword moves, Chen Ping'an still leans towards the idea that it originated with Gu Qingcheng.
Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and he glanced at the hairpin in his hand again. In a flash of inspiration, the hairpin disappeared from his hand.

The two gifts, a hairpin and a sword, are of great significance.

hum~
Chen Ping'an focused his mind slightly, and a wisp of sword intent appeared at his fingertips, flowing freely like a dragon.

"Sword intent".

With the help of the inherited artistic conception, he mastered the basics of these three sword moves. Although he could not yet use them as flexibly as his own, sword intent was beginning to emerge.

Sword intent may be said to be mysterious, but in reality it is the embodiment and manifestation of the artistic conception of a move.

The Guanghan Sword Technique is currently only an incomplete version. Its main killing techniques all come from the three sword moves. Chen Ping'an has only just mastered the basics and his understanding of the three sword moves is not deep enough. He can only use some conventional variations.

Even so, he made great progress in his swordsmanship.

With his current level of skill, no one would disagree that he is a Grandmaster-level swordsman.

Moonlight! Suspended raft! Misty rain!

Chen Ping'an currently only understands the outline of these three sword moves. To fully utilize them, he needs continuous advancement in his cultivation technique. According to his estimation, when he masters this incomplete sword technique to a minor level, he will be able to use the first move flawlessly and gain a killing boost.

The next two sword moves correspond to Suspended Raft and Misty Rain, respectively.

When he perfects the incomplete sword technique, he will be able to fully master these three sword moves and achieve extremely high attainments in swordsmanship.

These three sword moves are not ordinary techniques. With his current level of cultivation, if he were to unleash a full-force attack, he could achieve terrifying results even in a battle between pseudo-celestial beings.

"If the guess is true, Gu Qingcheng's talent in swordsmanship is truly terrifying!" Chen Ping'an was secretly shocked as he comprehended the profoundness of the sword moves.

Now that I've acquired a sword technique, I don't seem to have any impressive sword weapons to show for myself.

It's really unacceptable that someone who knows swordsmanship doesn't carry a sword.

After all the twists and turns and going astray, it seems we're finally getting back on track.

A gentleman as refined as jade, unparalleled in the world. Like jade, he roams the world with his sword, and all the world's troubles are contained within his single stroke.

Chen Ping'an was filled with anticipation, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

"When the opportunity arises, I will acquire a divine weapon, a longsword."

Speaking of
Chen Ping'an's thoughts were racing, and he thought of the sword that the girl had always held.

That sword looks pretty good.

"elder brother!"

After not seeing Chen Ping'an for several months, the little girl was very excited.

"Zhaoheng." Chen Ping'an's gaze softened, and his smile was warm.

Despite their separation and reunion, the brother and sister met again.

Seeing the usually quiet and elegant young lady now showing excitement, Peony stood in the hall, a genuine smile on her fair and round face.

The siblings' brief reunion after a long separation was filled with warmth.

At Chen Ping'an's level, he had long since passed the stage of simply eating to fill his stomach. But he still spent a meal with the little girl.

"Peony, don't stand, sit down too." Chen Ping'an smiled at the girl in the red dress standing to the side.

“Young master, I…” Peony opened her eyes wide.

"Have a seat," Chen Ping'an said. "We're all old folks who came together, no need for formalities."

"Yes, Peony, let's eat together," the little girl chimed in.

"Thank you, young master and young lady." Peony hesitated for a moment, then lifted her skirt and carefully sat down.

"Don't be shy, relax," Chen Ping'an said, picking up a bite of food for himself.

Mmm, it tastes just like before.

After not seeing each other for many days, the two were very excited and seemed to have endless topics to talk about.

After dinner, they sat in the shade of the trees in the courtyard, watching the bright moon, enjoying delicious food and pastries, and savoring the warmth of human connection.

The moonlight tonight is also very cooperative. Although some clouds obscure the view, the bright moonlight still shines, together telling the story of this human world.

That night, Chen Ping'an talked a lot with the little girl.

From childhood to now, from Nanquan Lane to Canglong Prefecture City, I have experienced so many things and memories, grown so much and gained so much along the way.

These are the experiences and memories that the brother and sister shared.

They fought together on their respective battlefields.

This scene is destined to become an extremely precious memory in their lives.

"This taste is something I haven't felt in a long time."

Chen Ping'an raised his head and looked at the moon, as if he had returned to the past.

hum~
Inside the room, Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged, surrounded by shimmering spiritual light and flowing true essence.

After acquiring the sword techniques, his training approach remained unchanged. He planned to master the Seven Killing Heavenly Fist in one go before adjusting his state to practice this incomplete sword technique.

Now that he has obtained the Snow Spirit Leaf, the duration of his cultivation enhancement can be sustained for a longer period.

In the following days, Chen Ping'an stayed at home, ignoring everything else, and devoted himself to cultivation.

While Chen Ping'an was cultivating, the city of Canglong was also in an uproar.

As time went by, the news of Chen Ping'an's return to the city became increasingly known to outsiders.

Previously, the impeachment by the Qiankun Division and the subsequent resignation of Mangdao Chen Ping'an from Leiming were already widely known. Now that Mangdao has returned to the city, the matter has been pushed to the forefront of public attention.

The Qiankun Division also inquired about the progress of the Zhenfu Division and learned about the follow-up handling of the matter.

The various factions within the state capital were also paying close attention, keeping abreast of the latest developments.

Under such circumstances, the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command remained unusually quiet.

Silent and without any response or movement.

It's not a silence in public opinion, but a silence at the decision-making level.

This matter has sparked extensive discussion within the Canglong Prefecture Garrison. The future of Chen Ping'an, the "Mangdao" (a nickname for a powerful figure), has also aroused curiosity among most within the system.

There are various opinions within the Zhenfu Division regarding this matter.

Different viewpoints are intertwined with all sorts of emotions.

Among the many viewpoints, one viewpoint has gained the approval of the majority.

That is, the State Garrison Command is prepared to handle this matter in a low-key manner.

A bizarre balance was found between the Qiankun Division's impeachment, the power struggle, and the reckless Chen Ping'an.

We should wait for the public opinion to subside, carefully consider the matter, and then deal with it.

The thoughts and schemes of the State Garrison Command are not only held by those within the command itself, but also by external forces and the Qiankun Division.

The main force of impeachment within the Qiankun Division, naturally, would not let the matter pass so easily, given the state's plans, and relentlessly pursued it.

In a battlefield unknown to the public, a silent struggle and battle unfolded between the Qiankun Division and the Zhenfu Division.

Chen Ping'an didn't care about the situation outside. At this stage, his main concern was his own cultivation progress.

Every day, his progress in martial arts is undergoing significant changes.

With increasing cultivation experience, he began to accumulate knowledge and skills, and was getting closer and closer to mastering the Seven Killing Heavenly Gang Fist.

After five days of secluded cultivation, Chen Ping'an also went out for a while.

His purpose for this trip was clear: he headed straight for the Ruyi Pavilion.

He gained a lot of resources from this trip to Leiming, all of which could be dealt with openly.

Since he was going to Xuanling City to scheme for resources and treasures, he naturally planned to travel light and sell off some resources.

These resources can be sold in Xuanling City, but ultimately, it's more profitable for family members to sell them.

At least, I won't cheat you!
He went to Xuanling, a newcomer with no connections or influence, and was essentially being ripped off by someone offering him a bargaining chip. As for the offer of goods as payment during the transaction, given that the items weren't particularly rare, this was clearly an attempt to force the seller to lower the price.

Although, with a little effort, there are ways to address these issues at different stages.

But right now, since there are suitable channels available in Canglong Prefecture, Chen Ping'an naturally wouldn't go to great lengths and create unnecessary trouble for himself.

The Gu family is the biggest owner behind Ruyi Baoge. As the son-in-law of the Gu family, his visit to Ruyi Baoge is naturally based on personal connections.

With the elder token given to him by Gu Qingchan, Chen Ping'an's sale of the tokens was incredibly successful.

Many supplies are sold in bundles with a unified price, resulting in profits slightly higher than the market price.

Furthermore, some divine weapons have received extremely good returns.

These divine weapons mainly come from the Blood Owl Gang, specifically from the ranks of Owl Dragon and Owl Tiger.

Things like bone chains and blood-red ribbons.

Chen Ping'an had no interest in these divine weapons and was primarily looking to sell them. His main focus was on swordsmanship, and he had other skills such as black iron ingots, patterned cloth, and white bone claws as supplementary items, so he had no need for these divine weapons.

As for the secret aspect, these divine weapons are even less valuable. Firstly, they easily expose one's identity and arouse speculation. Secondly, the assistance provided by the divine weapons is minimal, far below Chen Ping'an's expectations.

After careful consideration, Chen Ping'an sold all of these supplies.

After a series of transactions, Chen Ping'an's cash flow officially exceeded 120,000 crystals, reaching nearly 130,000 crystals.

It must be said that as the central hub of a state, the Ruyi Pavilion in Canglong State City is truly wealthy and powerful, with a profound foundation.

Transactions of this size can be treated as payments, with money and goods exchanged immediately.

However, Chen Ping'an speculated that if the specifications were higher and the quantity larger, a pre-arranged transaction time might be necessary. This would require waiting for payment and subsequent resale.

After all, no matter how large Ruyi Pavilion is, it is ultimately just a commercial enterprise in one state, and its influence can only reach a few states. There is a limit to how far it can go.

Unlike Ruyi Pavilion, Xuanling City was a well-known commercial city in the seventeen states of Bi Cang, connecting the trade of several states and serving as a trading hub.

In addition, the internal commerce of Xuanling City has been integrated, with the participation of various forces, to form the Xuanling Chamber of Commerce, which jointly controls the market share. Furthermore, the Bicang Chamber of Commerce, under the jurisdiction of the Bicang Prince's Mansion, is also widely involved in Xuanling's trade and transactions.

In addition, there are large forces such as Hengshan Sect and Wenxin Sword Pavilion, which are above the state boundaries, involved in the matter and openly or secretly control some trade channels and interests.

On top of these, chambers of commerce from the Beihai Business Alliance would occasionally come to Xuanling for trade and auctions, further enhancing the reputation and influence of Xuanling City.

The entire Xuanling City is influenced by local forces within Xuanling Prefecture, forces from neighboring prefectures, forces from various prefectures' garrison and Qiankun Division, large forces spanning prefectures, the full coverage of influence from the Bi Cang County Prince's Mansion, and the occasional interference from the Beihai Merchant Alliance.

Interests are intertwined, and the situation is complex and difficult to describe.

In comparison, Long'an, a major town that connects the two states and has a complex situation, seems a bit like playing house.

All the supplies were sold out.

What Chen Ping'an has left now, besides cash flow crystals, are some illicit supplies and resources, such as the supplies on Li Wusheng's person, and things like the Ghost-Faced Old Man.

Furthermore, the divine weapon longsword he obtained a long time ago has always been kept on Chen Ping'an's person.

Apart from these items that he planned to sell but didn't have a suitable channel to sell, everything else on Chen Ping'an's person was useful to him.

From small items like Black Jade Ointment and Spirit-Nourishing Pills to large items like the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flag, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade, the Black Mysterious Iron Mask, and even the Illusionary Dream Pearl.

Chen Ping'an meticulously categorized and sorted all these items.

From the perspective of divine weapons, ordinary divine weapons, or even powerful divine weapons, are of little significance to him.

At the very least, only a top-tier, powerful weapon can provide him with any assistance.

If we're talking about truly helpful weapons, then top-tier divine weapons like the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flag are the best.

Of course, it would be even better if there were a prototype of a high-potential treasure like the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade.

As for elixirs, only rare resources like millennium-old stone milk can provide significant assistance. While ordinary Spirit-Nourishing Pills and Heavenly Purification Water aren't entirely useless, their overall effect is minimal.

However, the spiritual spring water obtained from the Demon Lord's secret realm can still play a significant role when the quantity is large.

Speaking of the thousand-year-old stalactite
Chen Pingan smiled.

"I really miss her."

How can I not think about her!
What a good man!
He was able to acquire so many rare resources through a single veil transaction.

If he had the chance again, he would definitely rip her off just as badly.

Besides these supplies, there were also some minerals and precious materials that could be used to forge divine weapons. There were also some powerful medicines, but overall, their value wasn't particularly high. For Chen Ping'an at this point, they were better than nothing.

Oh, right, there's also a Azure Lightning Pearl, which I obtained from Li Wusheng.

As a one-time consumable refining product, the Azure Light Thunder Pearl is definitely a powerful trump card.

Even a Grandmaster of Wind and Cloud would be on high alert and dare not be careless in the slightest after being struck by it.

Its power is indeed impressive, but it falls short for Chen Ping'an's current needs.

He can fight like a Grandmaster of Wind and Cloud on his own; he doesn't need to use the Azure Light Thunder Pearl.

If only I had the Golden Light Thunder Pearl, which is on the Azure Light Thunder Pearl!

With this trump card, coupled with his methods, he could even fight against an ultimate pseudo-celestial being unleashed by a secret technique.

As for the Azure Lightning Pearl
Perhaps, Xuanling and his group could be properly exonerated, serving as a trump card that can be used openly.

As a trump card and ultimate weapon, the key is the secrecy of information. Even if someone knows that Li Wusheng possesses the Azure Light Thunder Pearl, the number of people who know this is definitely not very large.

He displayed his wealth, transferring some of it to others, so that when he later produced the Azure Light Thunder Pearl, it wouldn't seem too abrupt, nor would it lead to unnecessary speculation.

In addition to clearing out his personal assets, he also intended to showcase his wealth and power through this transaction.

Only if he is wealthy enough would it be reasonable for him to openly plot to acquire some treasures later.

In the Thunder Mountain Range, he killed a martial arts grandmaster, a top-tier grandmaster, and established his authority by subduing the Blood Owl Gang. His considerable wealth wasn't considered excessive.

In addition, he had previously revealed his wealth when he made a deal with Gu Qingchan.

Given his current reputation and talent, his wealth is entirely traceable, reasonable, and without any questionable aspects. His current combat prowess and potential are more than enough to protect this wealth.

Sometimes, the more you reveal yourself, the less likely you are to arouse suspicion.

What they don't know is that what he's showing us now is just the tip of the iceberg.

During these transactions, Chen Ping'an also took the opportunity to inquire about the divine sword weapon. However, unfortunately, the results were not ideal.

Even in a city like Canglong Prefecture, with the size of Ruyi Treasure Pavilion, there wouldn't be many transactions of divine weapons through ordinary channels.

Moreover, this is a transaction involving specially designated divine weapons.

If one wants to acquire a sword weapon of sufficient grade, one can only do so at high-level trading fairs or in larger commercial areas.

Chen Ping'an had already anticipated this matter; although it wasn't ideal, it was still acceptable overall.

Okay, we can use the Hundred Illusions Divine Weapon for now.

We will make further plans when the time is right.

Besides the sword and divine weapon, Chen Ping'an also inquired about some rare and precious materials. Of course, his purpose in asking about these was not the materials themselves, but rather the blood of the demonic beasts mixed in with them.

The final conclusion, as before, is that if one wants high-grade demon beast blood, one can only try their luck at the upcoming Azure Dragon Grand Ceremony.

Chen Ping'an's expectation for the second refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refining Method was Heaven-grade demon beast blood. Of course, if there was anything higher, that would be the best.

However, he should be realistic and, given his current level, he really wouldn't dare to dream of higher-level demon beast blood.

A Heavenly Grade Bloodline—that's the king of demonic beasts, possessing the potential to transform into human form.

Even if it doesn't necessarily succeed, it still means a very high floor for safety.

Such demonic bloodline is not something ordinary people can obtain.

Even he, at present, is not entirely confident.

but
Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and he slowly closed his eyes, beginning a new stage of cultivation.

"Sir, I've found out."

Xiong San bowed respectfully and handed over a piece of intelligence.

"Okay, I understand." Chen Pingan said calmly, "You can go now."

"Yes, sir." Xiong Sanrang respectfully took his leave.

As his true essence circulated, the information from the intelligence system appeared before Chen Ping'an's eyes.

Qinghe Lane

Chen Ping'an slightly opened his eyes, and a golden finger panel that only he could see appeared.

Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Late stage of Jade Balance - Breakthrough three stages (Nurturing the Divine Soul)
武学：青阳血炼法入门（0/5760）颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（0/8640）、广寒剑法（残篇）入门（0/2880）太虚御风步小成（0/5760）七杀天罡拳小成（3775/3840）、霸刀圆满、七绝神功圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满
"Seven Killing Heavenly Fist, almost there."

Chen Ping'an's eyes narrowed, and the golden finger panel in front of him disappeared in an instant.

He stood up and went outside.

(End of this chapter)