The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 720 The Four Realms of Heaven and Man, Orders from the Northern Border (Bonus Chapter for 14000 Votes in September)
"Welcome, my lord!"

"Greetings, Lord Chen!"

"."

At the gate of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, the constables bowed and greeted them respectfully.

However, although there were many people in front of the gate, compared with the past, the scene of returning to Zhenfusi was undoubtedly more deserted this time.

Chen Ping'an has stepped down from his post at Leiming and is currently unemployed at home with no official duties.

The corresponding reporting relationships are naturally much weaker.

In addition, the previous impeachment incident had made it common knowledge that Chen Ping'an was at odds with the Qiankun Division.

They were all forces within the Canglong Prefecture system, and they would see each other all the time. Even if they wanted to get closer to Chen Ping'an, they still had some reservations because of the Qiankun Division's supervisory responsibilities.

Furthermore, Chen Ping'an's sudden return was also a contributing factor. His calculated actions, though unintentional, provided an excuse for those with reservations.

In some situations, they can't easily refuse without a suitable excuse, but now it's convenient to go with the flow and feign ignorance. This way, when the matter is brought up later, they'll have a pretext.

There are many reasons, too numerous to mention.

Chen Ping'an, dressed in a light blue brocade robe, exuded an extraordinary air as he strode into the Canglong Prefecture's Zhenfu Division.

Speaking of which, the Gu family's residence had prepared quite a few robes for him during his journey through Leiming. The light blue brocade robe he was wearing was one of them.

With his outstanding demeanor and appropriate attire, Chen Ping'an was quite satisfied.

But who prepared these robes?

"Greetings, Lord Ning." Inside the official residence, Chen Ping'an bowed respectfully, neither humble nor arrogant.

Ning Zhengyue was initially sitting on a large chair, but when he saw Chen Ping'an bow, he stood up abruptly and did not accept the bow in return.

After inviting Chen Ping'an to sit down, he looked at Chen Ping'an intently for a long time.

Unbeknownst to many, the young man from back then has grown to such a height.

His resolute words from the past still echo in his ears, but looking back, the person before him is now an equal to him.

After his journey to Xuanling and his slaying of the Golden Circle Protector, Chen Ping'an's combat strength has likely firmly entered the ranks of top-tier Grandmasters.

Given the other party's reputation as a rising star, even he had to be cautious and dared not underestimate him in the slightest.

"Ping An, you really know how to surprise people," Ning Zhengyue said in a deep voice.

At the same time they met, he could tell Chen Ping'an's current cultivation level.

The mid-term of Yuheng has been successfully completed!

His cultivation level improved, which was one aspect. But to be able to suppress a top-tier Grandmaster at the mid-stage of the Jade Balance Realm was truly astonishing and unbelievable.

After this incident, Chen Ping'an's status in the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command will likely experience a qualitative leap.

The previous impeachment was shrouded in mystery. Although there was a move to resign, considering all the circumstances, it's likely that Chen Ping'an has powerful backers supporting him. Now, with his unparalleled talent and astonishing brilliance, he's like a dragon soaring through the clouds, roaming the heavens.

"It was just a fluke, nothing to take seriously," Chen Ping'an said with a modest smile.

For him, killing a top-tier grandmaster was hardly something to brag about.

It's more like slaying a celestial being!

"You..." Ning Zhengyue shook his head and sighed, but there was no displeasure in his expression. He poured Chen Ping'an a cup of tea, which was the first time he had poured tea for Chen Ping'an since he met him.

What are your plans after coming back this time?

Ning Zhengyue's expression was gentle, and his words were more intimate.

Having worked within the system for many years, Ning Zhengyue, though upright, was not oblivious to worldly affairs. Under such circumstances, even if he were slow-witted, he would be happy to befriend Chen Ping'an.

Take advantage of this opportunity while you're in a good position; seize the moment during this lull.

Looking at Ning Zhengyue in front of him, Chen Ping'an recalled the scene when they first met.

This person!
Things will change eventually!

In my youth, I stood like a lackey; now I've become a distinguished guest.

but
Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and a sense of ambition surfaced in his heart.

not enough!
Not enough!
After meeting Ning Zhengyue, Chen Pingan also paid a visit to Zhang Tianyuan.

This visit is mostly symbolic.

This visit gave Chen Ping'an a better understanding of Zhang Tianyuan.

During his previous visit, he knew very little about the pseudo-celestial being and dared not sense him too much. But now, he no longer had that concern.

After fighting against the Demon Lord and Blood Nightmare Luo, he gained a deeper understanding of the pseudo-celestial beings. With the results of his suppression, the filter he had held in his heart had long since disappeared.

After some sensing and probing, Chen Ping'an discovered that Zhang Tianyuan's combat strength should be at the level of a powerful pseudo-celestial being, and he might be able to approach the level of a top-tier pseudo-celestial being with the help of his sword cultivation offensive capabilities.

But overall, they are not as good as top-tier pseudo-celestial beings.

If we were to compare him to someone I know, he would be stronger than the Golden-haired Old Monster of Xuanling City, but weaker than the Black Rock Old Monster of Hengshan Sect.

"The powerful deputy head of the Yizhou Zhenfu Division." Chen Ping'an smiled, looking at Zhang Tianyuan not far away, a ripple of emotion stirring in his heart.

As the deputy head of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, the only person who could truly surpass Zhang Tianyuan was that head he had never met.

Within the Canglong Prefecture, he can be considered a truly pinnacle figure!

There may be one or two experts of similar level in the Qiankun Division, but at most they are only roughly equal in skill.

Looking across the entire state, there are probably fewer than a handful of people with the power of Zhang Tianyuan.

Today, he has grown to the point where he can dominate an entire state.

Zhang Tianyuan was very happy to see Chen Ping'an return, and his words were full of encouragement. During the conversation, he also reminded him that his merit in killing the Golden Circle Protector had been reported to the Northern Border Garrison, and he believed that a response would be received soon.

Chen Ping'an naturally expressed his gratitude.

Although he still looked aweful when talking to Zhang Tianyuan, he seemed more relaxed and at ease.

This composure stems from his strength.

With Zhang Tianyuan as a benchmark, only now did he truly understand his current level of strength.

Rising from the outer city and alleys of the former Weishui County, it has come a long way, step by step, until today, finally able to overlook the entire prefecture.

The stage of the state that was once a behemoth to him is now nothing more than ordinary. His perspective has gradually shifted from one prefecture to several prefectures, then to the Canglong State, and now, as he moves in and out, his gaze has settled on several states.

Azure Dragon Prefecture, Blazing Flame Prefecture, Mysterious Spirit Prefecture.
The legendary power of Bi Cang, which had been rumored in the past, was no longer something he could only hear about but not touch. On this huge stage, he finally had his own weight.

If one day we go even further...
Even if it were to influence the overall trend, it wouldn't be impossible!
Chen Ping'an's emotions were in turmoil. Looking at the second-in-command of the State Garrison in front of him, a faint sense of accomplishment welled up in his heart.

This sense of accomplishment does not stem from external things, but from the inner drive to always strive for the highest peaks.

Even after leaving the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, Chen Ping'an still felt a slight surge of excitement.

Nothing is more fulfilling than holding firmly in your hands something that was once out of reach.

If there is one, it will only be the next one!
Weishui Commandery, Canglong Prefecture, and several surrounding prefectures, within the Bicang region.
Step by step, he will eventually reach a bigger stage.

During his return to the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, Chen Ping'an made a special trip to review some secret files. Although he was now retired and at home, with Zhang Tianyuan's tacit approval, he had learned quite a bit of information.

For example, the distribution of power in the seventeen states of Bi Cang, and the formidable pass within the Black Nether Mountains.
Chen Ping'an quickly skimmed through the relevant news, gaining a deeper understanding of the surrounding situation.

After leaving the Canglong Prefecture Garrison, Chen Ping'an naturally went to the Gu family.

As the son-in-law of the Gu family, a promising young talent, he naturally received extremely high honors from the Gu family.

When meeting with the elders, the topic of Xuanling's gains on this trip naturally came up. When they asked about Gu Qingchan and how the journey was, Chen Ping'an remained calm, but a slight embarrassment still crept into his heart.

How about traveling together?

What could he say? Could he say that he just took her without thinking?

To be honest, this matter seems to have wronged Gu Qingcheng somewhat.

With this thought in mind, after paying his respects to the elders, Chen Ping'an suggested that he go and see Gu Qingcheng.

Unfortunately, several elders mentioned that Qingcheng is currently in seclusion and has been there for quite some time.

"Seclusion?" Chen Ping'an was taken aback.

Has she been in seclusion since before?
"Does it really take this long?" Chen Ping'an thought to himself.

Normally, a Grandmaster's seclusion lasts from several days to more than ten days. It rarely exceeds half a month, unless they are studying some secret technique or practicing some cultivation method.

Those that lasted longer than a month were already very few and far between.

Even for grandmasters, seclusion lasting more than one or two months is rare. Aside from consolidating breakthroughs and healing injuries, such situations are practically unheard of.

What has Gu Qingcheng been doing in seclusion for so long?
Chen Ping'an couldn't help but have a few more thoughts.

Could it really be true?
Chen Ping'an had deep eyes and a calm expression.

"elder brother!"

Chen Zhaoheng, dressed in a light-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), looked excited.

"Zhaoheng." Chen Ping'an smiled, his joy beyond words.

After not seeing him for many days, the little girl started using a simpler way of addressing him.

It seems the girl has grown up quite a bit!
Looking at the little girl in front of him, Chen Ping'an felt a sense of pride, like a daughter growing up in her own home.

The eldest brother is like a father. Old Chen passed away early, and in the early years, the two of them depended on each other for survival.

"Did the class just end?" Chen Ping'an asked with a smile.

"Mmm." The little girl nodded.

In fact, judging by the timeline, the school's selection process and the academy's assessment are not far off.

During this trip to Xuanling, Chen Ping'an was away from home for several months. Everything was fine at home, and there was nothing of great importance to be done.

The little girl's studies are going quite smoothly, and she seems very confident when the topic of the academy comes up.

"Oh, right." Chen Ping'an suddenly remembered something. "I bought this on a whim in Xuanling City. You can take a look." As he spoke, a scroll appeared in Chen Ping'an's hand. It was the divination book he had traded from the Grandmaster of Tianwu Pavilion at the Cloud Bamboo Trade Fair.

The art of divination is closely related to literary cultivation. Although the little girl has not yet truly come into contact with literary cultivation, it is good for her to learn more about it now.

"A book of literature and philosophy!" The little girl's eyes lit up as she stared at the item in Chen Ping'an's hand.

She took the book, flipped through a few pages, and seemed quite fond of it.

Seeing the little girl enjoying herself, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but smile.

"No rush, let's keep it for later."

Chen Ping'an smiled gently and said.

He always showed more patience with his family than usual, especially with his little girl.

"Mmm." The little girl nodded emphatically, "Thank you, brother!"

"fine."

Inside the main hall, the brother and sister chatted, the candlelight casting long shadows on them.

As long as time itself.

Perhaps in the days to come like this...
It's still a long way off!

"Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, astrology and celestial hexagrams, the I Ching and numerology, the Zhou Tian Tui Bei, and the secrets of destiny."

Inside the room, Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged, his mind flashing through classic theories of divination.

Those who cultivate their literary and spiritual path, if they delve into their destiny, are skilled in fortune telling, divination, face reading, and geomancy.

If the little girl is interested in this, embarking on this path of literary cultivation would be a good choice.

However, if the little girl has other interests, such as studying astrology and divination, he will do his best to help her.

The cultivation of literature and Tao is an extremely complex system, involving military formations, war games, deduction, astrology, fortune, geomancy, celestial questions, and many other complex logics.

Each aspect forms its own system, and if one can reach the pinnacle within a single system, one can be called a master of literature and the arts.

However, this goal is too far away. If we can achieve something, then we will have lived up to our studies.

"I wonder what path of cultivation this little girl will take in the future?" Chen Ping'an wondered, and looked forward to it.

If one day I could attain immortality, wouldn't I have family by my side?

Longevity, life, life—what is longevity?
To live a hundred years in this world, can that be considered immortality?

Three hundred years of ups and downs, can this be considered immortality?
Five hundred years of glorious history—can that be considered immortality?
A thousand years
Can this be considered immortality?
For him, a hundred years of life was like a fleeting moment, passing in the blink of an eye. A thousand years was also nothing more than a trivial matter, ultimately to be consumed in the long river of time.

Forty-eight thousand years have passed since then, and though the stars have shifted and the constellations have changed, I remain evergreen.

The world has changed countless times, but I have lived on forever!
"What use is immortality to me!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes shifted, his thoughts racing.

hum~
In a flash of inspiration, something appeared in front of Chen Ping'an.

The most important treasure, the evil eye!

The journey was long and arduous, and the timing was inconvenient.
It's time for the ritual!

hum~
A surge of spiritual light erupted, and Chen Ping'an's spirituality spread towards the deep, vertical pupil suspended in mid-air.

Only the power of the divine soul can activate the treasured heirloom, and the same applies to refining it.

In the past, when the Holy Maiden of Tianluo forcibly activated the precious Glazed Lamp, she must have used some special secret method to forcefully activate the treasure with spiritual power.

Although Chen Ping'an is not currently driven by divine soul power, his spirituality is pure, comparable to, or even surpassing, the divine soul power of a pseudo-celestial being.

After a series of refinements, the efficiency was not affected.

A shimmering, ethereal light enveloped the vertical pupils.

A deep and eerie aura mingled under the spiritual light, creating an indescribable sense of unease.

hum~
As the light faded, Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes, a barely perceptible hint of joy appearing on his face.

"Excellent efficiency and encouraging progress!"

He used his spirituality to refine the Evil Eye without encountering any obstacles. After a round of refinement, it went smoothly and effortlessly, like a fish in water.

Compared to the Dream Orb, the efficiency of the two is worlds apart.

This comparison gave Chen Ping'an a deeper understanding of the quality of the Dream Pearl.

Clearly, the Dream Pearl is far superior to ordinary treasures, and even among treasures, it has an extremely high grade.

Judging from the arrangement of the former hidden treasures, there is no doubt that this Dream Pearl should be one of the greatest gains.

Inside the inner hall, there are three treasures: two are cultivation techniques, and the other is this Dream Pearl.

He obtained the Golden Scroll of Cultivation, which is a dual cultivation technique. The Heavenly Luo Saintess obtained the Mysterious Jade Stele, which, according to her, records the Great Luo Heart Method.

Of the three treasures, he obtained two, while the Holy Maiden of Heavenly Net obtained one.

In terms of numbers, he has the advantage.

However, this is based on the premise that the Holy Maiden of Tianluo did not lie.

What if the Xuan Yu Stele is not just a simple record of cultivation techniques?
Chen Ping'an's mind was filled with various thoughts.

It's likely that the Holy Maiden of Heavenly Net acquired quite a few treasures within the outer palace space. Among them, there are probably quite a few truly priceless treasures!

With the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord's resources, there's no need to leave behind most of it; just half is enough to ensure that ordinary celestial beings have no worries on their path to immortality.

Things like precious treasures, protective techniques, deadly weapons, and trump cards.
After some consideration, Chen Ping'an realized that the Holy Maiden of Tianluo was indeed a wealthy woman.

"This little Tianluo," Chen Ping'an muttered with a hint of jealousy.

Putting aside the background of the Tianluo Sect, the Demon Lord's secret treasure alone is enough for her to cultivate for a long time.

The unity of heaven and man, and the enlightenment of one's mind and nature, is the way of the martial arts.

Those who are celestial beings possess a pure and clear mind. Whether they are demons or evil, whatever their thoughts may be, they have a clear conscience, as clear as water.

Because of his pure and clear mind, his spirit and soul are flawless. He uses the power of heaven instead of his own, and every move he makes exudes immense power.

However, all so-called heavenly power is guided by the divine soul. Different divine souls borrow different heavenly power.

There is also a distinction between high and low among humans and celestial beings.

The four realms of Heaven and Man are thus determined!

"A celestial being!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes shone with golden light, revealing a hint of anticipation.

Those who are celestial beings enjoy a lifespan of a thousand years, and seek the power of heaven as the path to longevity!

hum~
A flash of inspiration struck again, and the imagery of riding the wind emerged. Chen Ping'an sat with his eyes closed, his expression serene, like a gentle breeze and drifting clouds, free and unrestrained.

+1!

For the next period of time, Chen Ping'an's days were quite fulfilling.

Cultivation techniques: Azure Sun Blood Refining Method, Void Wind Control Step. Expertise: Myriad Demon Blood Restriction, Soul Guiding Technique. Refining precious treasures: Illusionary Dream Pearl, Evil Extreme Eye.

Every day, Chen Ping'an feels that he doesn't have enough time.

Study day and night, make good use of time, and allocate resources efficiently.

Everything is proceeding at a tight pace, with the schedule as full as it can be.

As a grandmaster of martial arts, one basically does not need sleep, but when one's mental energy is exhausted, one still needs to use sleep to nourish oneself properly.

It is foreseeable that such a packed and compact schedule is destined not to last long.

Martial arts training is not simply about spending time; one cannot achieve mastery without dedicated practice. Diligent practice may not be ideal. At appropriate times, one should also enjoy nature, write poetry, and appreciate beauty to cultivate one's character.

Prolonged periods of intense, high-intensity cultivation are only suitable for special circumstances such as seclusion; they are not advisable in ordinary times. This is especially true for cultivators at higher levels.

If burying oneself in arduous cultivation and simply going into seclusion could produce results, then those high-level cultivators would probably have already retreated to the deep mountains and never emerged again.

Even seclusion requires accumulation. Many things, seemingly mundane, are actually ways to build up knowledge and skills subtly.

Such decision-making and calculation may seem useless, but in fact it is also a form of self-cultivation.

The benefits gained from seclusion are mostly due to sufficient accumulation in daily life. When the crucial moment arrives, one needs to concentrate on cultivation and make a final push.

Like that immortal who traveled the world and roamed freely among mountains and rivers, wasn't that a form of spiritual practice?

Chen Ping'an has a cheat-like interface, so he doesn't need to follow this logic, but this only applies to cultivation techniques. If it involves secret arts or refining skills, he still needs to spend his time and effort.

If one's energy is depleted and one's mind is lifeless, then the idea of ​​a burst of inspiration is simply absurd.

Chen Ping'an harbored great ambitions, and naturally he would not allow himself to become a person of indifferent temperament who disliked mountains and rivers and practiced asceticism.

If there is no joy in this life, what joy is there even if one attains immortality?
However, special times call for special measures. With all matters complicated and Chen Ping'an having just returned from his trip, he naturally needs to calm down and focus on his cultivation.

Once he has fully absorbed and digested all his knowledge and has all the necessary skills, that will be the time for him to emerge from seclusion.

And that is the meaning of seclusion.

Thus, under these circumstances, more than half a month had passed.

Over the course of the past two weeks, Canglong Prefecture City has become increasingly bustling. The already prosperous streets have become even more noisy.

The once-in-a-decade Azure Dragon Grand Ceremony is about to be held, drawing together forces from all sides to Azure Dragon. In addition to forces within the state, there are also top forces from several surrounding states, such as the Great Banner Sect and the Heavenly Martial Pavilion.

In addition, forces such as Hengshan Sect and Wenxin Sword Pavilion have sent representatives, along with their elite disciples, to broaden their horizons and gain knowledge.

Even the Chamber of Commerce, located far away in Beihai, participated in the event, was invited to exchange ideas, and came to Canglong Prefecture.

In an instant, the entire Canglong Prefecture was a scene of turbulent change and upheaval.

Under such circumstances, the order from the Northern Border Garrison Command was also delivered to the Canglong Prefecture Garrison Command via the Tian Shu Ling Yi.

(End of this chapter)