The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 735 The Inheritance of the Sword Dao, The Barrier Between Heaven and Man (Seeking Monthly Tickets~)

Whoosh!
Chen Ping'an's figure changed, transforming into a streak of light that flew across the sky.

Driven by his Grandmaster-level cultivation, his spirituality was brilliant and his true essence was abundant, making him much faster than before.

Previously, when he displayed his top-level Grandmaster cultivation, he demonstrated a speed slightly faster than that of an average Grandmaster by using his entry-level Taixu Wind-Riding Step and perfected Youlong Body Technique.

Now that he has entered the Grandmaster realm, his improved cultivation level has naturally led him to display a speed that is no less than that of a top-tier Grandmaster.

In these situations, the speed is still at a normal level. However, in certain circumstances, one can use secret techniques to unleash the speed of a Grandmaster.

However, the terms "peak" and "top" are only general definitions. After all, even among grandmasters of the same combat power level, there are varying levels of ability and strengths.

Some excel at speed, some focus on defense, and others prioritize offense.

"Just who is this woman? She gives away precious Snow Spirit Leaves without batting an eye?"

Chen Ping'an obtained the box of rare Snow Spirit Leaves from Yun Ya. The box contained a large quantity of Snow Spirit Leaves; calculated that if he cultivated with one leaf per day, Chen Ping'an could use them for about half a year.

With the inventory he has, it's enough for him to use for almost a year.

Such a gain is truly an unexpected delight.

As a result, the amount of Yuan Crystals on Chen Ping'an's person decreased from 180,000 Yuan Crystals to 150,000 Yuan Crystals.

Such a large sum of money, given away so readily, speaks volumes about this woman's generosity and magnanimity.

Although Chen Ping'an ultimately made the purchase through a transaction, the price offered by the other party was extremely low.

After careful consideration, not only was there no premium, but the price was not much different from that of ordinary Snow Spirit Leaves.

Chen Ping'an had a good impression of this woman.

If the opportunity arises later, we could get to know each other better.

Although the woman's identity is currently unknown, judging from her extravagant lifestyle, she must have an impressive background.

Given that Yuanhai Tower is backed by the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce, this woman is very likely a bloodline descendant of a powerful figure within the Yunhai Chamber of Commerce.

For Chen Ping'an, being able to make connections with some high-ranking members of the chamber of commerce is not necessarily a bad thing.

And since it happens to suit my taste, getting to know it better would be a good thing.

另外
Chen Ping'an's gaze narrowed slightly as he recalled the sword-wielding scroll the woman had mentioned.

He has now openly reached the level of a Grandmaster in martial arts, relying on the Overlord Blade inheritance bestowed upon him by the Gu family. His previous public display of skill at this level indicated it was near perfection.

After that, it erupted again, revealing that once the Overlord Blade reached its peak, there was no more room for maneuver.

There is still some room for improvement in the Taixu Wind Control Step, but after all, the Taixu Wind Control Step is a footwork-type divine skill, and it does not provide much benefit in terms of combat power.

At most, the added speed makes him more agile in battle.

However, if one wants to openly and legitimately unleash greater combat power, in addition to improving one's cultivation level, one should also consider seeking out a cultivation technique.

Chen Ping'an also had some considerations regarding the new cultivation method.

Judging from the character's past persona, the best aspect of this skill is naturally the sword technique.

Considering the actual situation, the quality of the cultivation technique should ideally be no less than that of a top-tier, supreme divine skill. If one could obtain a true cultivation scroll, or even be a true cultivation scroll, that would be the best outcome.

"We really need to consider a new cultivation technique." Chen Ping'an smiled, and with a flash of light, he descended downwards.

Although Canglong Prefecture City covers a vast area, with his current speed, he can reach his destination in no time if he uses all his strength.

Yun Ya mentioned the Sword Dao Treasure Scroll, which was good, but as a cultivation technique, it was a case of "distant water cannot quench immediate thirst."

Putting aside the question of whether the cultivation methods are compatible or not, even if they are compatible, who knows what kind of price or conditions the other party has?

Chen Pingan naturally didn't have high expectations for this.

However, even if expectations are not high, it wouldn't hurt to go and take a look when the opportunity arises.

Given his current situation, strictly speaking, there's no such thing as a good fit or a bad fit; it's just a waste of some combat power gains and a pointless loss.

If the technique is powerful enough, it is actually acceptable.

The only thing to consider is the price and conditions the other party might propose.

A true martial arts manual of the level of a treasure scroll, if its artistic conception is perfected, is enough to make even martial arts masters risk their lives.

However, even among martial arts practitioners, there are different levels and grades.

Some martial arts masters with shallower foundations, who have only recently advanced, have lost a lot of their accumulated strength in order to break through to the next level, and whose backing is mostly supported by themselves, or who are independent cultivators.

In such circumstances, without a suitable opportunity, it is difficult to immediately cultivate a genuine skill manual.

The protective items that accompany these items are at most pseudo-treasures, merely imitations of genuine treasures.

Some martial arts masters with weak foundations may not even be as wealthy as pseudo-masters if they haven't accumulated enough time.

After all, the pseudo-celestial being had genuinely broken through to the next realm for so long, accumulating so much power at the pseudo-celestial level. Furthermore, because their path to cultivation was severed, they didn't have much need for cultivation resources.

This indirectly saves a lot of resources, which can be used to transform external protective items, trump cards, cultivation techniques, etc.

But the martial arts masters are different. Before breaking through to the next realm, even if they have considerable combat power and a solid foundation, they are still grandmasters.

Without the support of a powerful force behind them, relying solely on their own accumulation, their speed of accumulation is indeed slower than that of pseudo-celestial beings.

After all, even the weakest pseudo-celestial being still needs to be ranked in the upper-middle range of the Wind and Cloud Ranking to be comparable to and contend with them.

But there are so many grandmasters in the world, how many are truly legendary grandmasters?

Even if you include some reclusive powerhouses who aren't on the list, no matter how you calculate it, they wouldn't possess that many.

Such a difference in combat power naturally leads to a significant difference in the speed at which the two sides accumulate strength.

However, this situation will greatly improve after one breaks through to the Celestial Realm.

The circumstances of both sides would be completely reversed.

The longer one's ascension to the Celestial Realm, the more terrifying one's accumulated wealth becomes. Numerous protective treasures, spiritual resources, and cultivation techniques will come one after another.

In such circumstances, even without a powerful background, the accumulated wealth of a celestial being would be extremely terrifying.

Because, for the vast majority of forces in the world, the Martial Dao Celestial Being is the best background.

Looking across the world, there are very few forces that can be regarded as a background by martial arts masters.

Even in the vast northern region, there are probably only a handful of forces at this level.

Those forces that could be considered large within the Northern Territory were mostly formed by a few Celestial Beings who supported each other and built their own power bases. Through generations of inheritance, they were eventually passed down to the present day.

Some of them declined, while others became increasingly glorious. Looking across the northern border, they have all become behemoths.

After the banquet, Chen Ping'an first went to the Gu family's house.

As soon as he arrived at the Gu family, many elders, looking excited, came out to greet him.

"Safety!"

"Grandmaster! The realm of Grandmaster!"

"A prodigy."

"."

Upon seeing Chen Ping'an, the elders of the Gu family appeared very excited.

Clearly, they had already learned of Gu Zhengnan's breakthrough from him, who had gone ahead of them.

Not only will the elders of the Gu family know, but it is believed that after this event, the news of Chen Ping'an's breakthrough will spread from the mouths of the guests at the banquet, reaching far and wide until his fame spreads throughout the world.

A martial arts grandmaster who is not yet twenty-seven years old.

With such talent, he has every chance to break into the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List before the age of fifty!

To be in the top ten of the Hidden Dragon List—what an honor!

He is a truly prodigy who can stand at the pinnacle of the dynasty!
And now.
Chen Pingan has this opportunity.

The excitement of the Gu family elders was palpable.

During the exchange of pleasantries, Chen Ping'an met Gu Zhengnan once again.

“Ping An, the Ancestor is currently in seclusion and cannot receive guests. Once he emerges from seclusion and receives the news, he will certainly summon you as soon as possible,” Gu Zhengnan explained simply.

"I understand," Chen Ping'an replied respectfully with a bow.

As he spoke, the image of the one-armed swordsman from the past flashed through his mind.

Her graceful figure remains vivid in my memory to this day.

It was at that moment that he felt the oppressive feeling of the martial arts celestial being from the bottom of his heart.

Even at his current level, he still felt a chill from that oppressive feeling.

"This Gu family patriarch is definitely not an ordinary celestial being!"

Chen Ping'an spent about half a day at the Gu family's residence, mostly with the elders who inquired about details. Others curiously observed his latest cultivation level and speculated about his current combat strength.

Faced with inquiries from the elders, Chen Ping'an did not remain silent.

"Given the current situation, there should be no rivals below the Grandmaster level."

Chen Ping'an's words were rather conservative, but they still aroused excitement among the elders of the Gu family.

"Little Yuanzi, you've been overtaken now. Hahaha," Old Lan said with a kind expression, though his excitement was barely concealed.

"Below the pinnacle, you should have no rivals! With such combat power, Ping An, if you have a proven track record, your ranking will likely be [higher/impressive] when the next Hidden Dragon Ranking is updated."

"."

Looking at the many excited elders, Chen Ping'an also showed a smile.

Some people and some things, after being around them for a long time, will eventually develop into feelings.

Besides the excitement and inquiries, some people also expressed their indignation at Chen Ping'an's previous ordeal and reminded him to be careful when going out in the future.

Faced with so much concern, Chen Ping'an naturally took note, reassuring the elders.

He was a member of the Zhenfu Division, and moreover, a rising star registered in the Northern Zhenfu Division. Ordinary forces dared not do anything to him.

"Haha, yes."

"However, it's always better to be safe than sorry, so we should still be careful."

"."

After a long chat, Chen Pingan left the Gu family.

It's worth mentioning that Chen Ping'an still didn't see Gu Qingcheng during this trip to the Gu family.

Of course, Chen Ping'an did not mention this matter.

Otherwise, given his current situation, if it were mentioned, many elders would likely actively seek out Gu Qingcheng for him.

However, since Gu Qingcheng was in seclusion, Chen Ping'an did not want to disturb her.

If the other party is willing, they should be able to meet him.

"This way of thinking, this mentality, doesn't it feel a bit like a simp?" Chen Ping'an chuckled to himself, then smiled incredulously.

However, it must be said that based on their previous interactions, she was sometimes aloof, sometimes warm, sometimes giving gifts, and sometimes not even meeting. This unpredictable behavior—hot and cold, close yet distant—could Gu Qingcheng really be some kind of high-level tea lady?

My main partner is a tea maiden?
Shocking! Chen Ping'an's lawfully wedded wife is actually...
Chen Ping'an's mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts, some of which were quite far-fetched.

Or.
Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened as he considered another possibility.

"No, no, how could this be?"

Chen Ping'an smiled awkwardly but politely, dismissing the guess.

Forehead.
How could that be impossible!
Chen Ping'an felt a numbness in his head and a wave of dizziness.

"Forget it, the more debts I have, the less I worry. Let's just leave it at that."

In just a few breaths, Chen Ping'an quickly adjusted his mindset.

What's meant to come will come, and what's not meant to leave can't be avoided. Overthinking is useless; seizing the moment is the only true path.

Chen Ping'an maintained a good mindset and quickly calmed the ripples in his heart before heading towards the State Garrison Command.

Now that he ostensibly needed to acquire a new sword technique, Chen Ping'an set his sights on the Zhenfu Division. Previously, after exchanging for the flawed Taixu Yufeng Steps, he still had some merit points remaining.

Not long ago, he killed the Golden Circle Protector, a top-tier evil grandmaster, accumulating a considerable amount of merit.

The two awards combined amounted to a considerable sum. In addition, there were some earnings from his time on duty, which, though not much, were better than nothing.

However, it is not an easy task to exchange all these merits for a decent sword technique inheritance.

but.
According to the rules of the Northern Garrison, young talents within the system, especially those with untapped potential, receive some resource support. With the talent he has shown so far, he is fully qualified to apply for this resource support.

Although Chen Ping'an has not yet applied for permission, this matter can be considered essentially settled.

If even the top thirty geniuses on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, who have broken through to the Grandmaster level in martial arts, can't get this support program, then they shouldn't have it.

The support for meritorious service is distributed in stages, according to plan, and step by step.

With this support, coupled with his own accumulation, he could exchange it for a fairly good sword-wielding inheritance.

Chen Ping'an came here today, naturally for this reason.

Amidst the welcoming greetings, Chen Ping'an soon met Zhang Tianyuan.

This time was different from the previous ones. This meeting also alarmed Leng Dingqingfan, the Grand Master of the Canglong Prefecture Garrison.

Leng Dingqingfan's eyes were deep-set like wells, his eyelashes were as black as raven feathers, his hair was gray, and the bluish-gray nail embedded between his eyebrows was particularly dazzling.

As soon as Chen Ping'an entered, the old man from Qingfan looked him over as if he had seen a rare and precious object.

As Chen Ping'an's understanding deepened and his perspective broadened, he realized that he had previously misunderstood Old Man Qingfan.

It seems this old man isn't exactly weak among the pseudo-celestial beings.

Using him as a unit of measurement for combat strength is truly disrespectful. Judging by the levels, this old man Qingfan should be close to the powerful category among pseudo-celestial beings, and can be considered a senior celestial being.

"Ping An greets Your Excellency, Lord Chief Administrator and Your Excellency." Chen Ping An bowed respectfully with humble manners.

"No need for formalities, come, come, Ping An, please take a seat." Zhang Tianyuan was especially enthusiastic during this meeting.

During this grand banquet, he personally witnessed the prowess of the Mang Dao, and Chen Ping'an's importance in his heart increased more than double.

With a single thought, the Grandmaster realm is broken!
With such talent, if Chen Ping'an isn't greedy, the probability of him becoming a martial arts master is definitely not low.

I just don't know how Chen Ping'an will be able to break through to the Celestial Realm with only a few basic patterns!

If he has six lines, it seems that Chen Ping'an's talent is somewhat wasted.

However, if it's an eight-pattern rune, both the difficulty and the accumulation increase exponentially, the obstacles are more solid, and the probability is greatly reduced.

In summary, given Chen Ping'an's talent, inscribing seven spiritual runes to break through to the Celestial Realm is the best course of action.

With the foundation of seven spiritual runes, even after achieving the status of a celestial being, it won't have too much of an impact.

However, Chen Ping'an has only just achieved the status of a Grandmaster of Martial Arts, so it is somewhat premature for him to be thinking about this matter.

It's not too late to consider this matter in another year or two.

Zhang Tianyuan thought to himself.

Spirit rune inscription is difficult. Although Chen Ping'an's progress is rapid, it will still take several years to inscribe six or seven runes, no matter how fast he tries.

Then, based on the foundation of spiritual patterns, he stepped into the three stages of the breakthrough realm, passing through each stage one by one.

Breaking through the three stages of the realm is increasingly difficult, with each stage proving more challenging than the last. It's quite normal for it to take twenty or thirty years to complete.

All things considered, with Ping An's talent, he should be able to reach the pinnacle of Grandmaster before the age of fifty and enter the third stage of breakthrough.

Then, cultivate oneself, accumulate resources, gather methods, and improve one's plans for breaking through to higher realms.

Preparation time varies from person to person; some are long, some are short, depending on the progress of accumulation and good fortune.

If we consider a ten-year timeframe, Ping An is expected to attempt his first breakthrough at the Heavenly Realm before the age of sixty.

The Heavenly Gate Pass, though incredibly difficult and fraught with peril, still offers a chance for maneuver if one hasn't yet reached the stage of rebuilding their spiritual platform. If one has prepared elixirs and protective medicines in advance, they can return to accumulate experience for the next attempt.

However, if the progress goes smoothly and you reach the stage of reshaping your spiritual platform, then there will be no turning back.

Especially when it comes to the mental barrier, it's a matter of life and death.

Advancing or retreating depends entirely on opportunity, enlightenment, and the blessings and fortune of one's heart.

Chen Ping'an and Zhang Tianyuan didn't chat for long before getting straight to the point and explaining his plans.

“Resource support?” Zhang Tianyuan hesitated for a moment, then readily agreed: “The State Garrison Command will do its best to secure it, pending approval from the Northern Garrison Command.”

Hearing Zhang Tianyuan's words, Chen Ping'an felt relieved.

Before some policies are approved and the outcome is determined, all we can say is that we are trying our best to achieve them.

Whether it succeeds or not depends on the specific attitude of those above and your actual situation.

If even his current situation can't get approval, then the Zhenfu Division might as well not release any policies at all.

This cover-up is too obvious.

Chen Ping'an already had an exchange book in his hand, so he didn't need to go to the merit treasury to check which cultivation techniques he needed to exchange for.

As for the details of exchanging cultivation techniques, they depend on how many merit points are awarded during this support and assistance program.

The resource support from the Northern Border Garrison Command is phased and planned, so Chen Ping'an did not expect too much in terms of the amount.

However, I think exchanging for a decent sword-wielding inheritance shouldn't be a problem.

It is worth mentioning that, given Chen Ping'an's current situation, although the Northern Border Garrison's treasury access has not yet been granted to him, he would need to be at least at the level of a deputy garrison commander with real power to gain access.

However, he was able to view and exchange the various treasures and resources of the Zhenfu Division within the Bicang territory.

Comparatively speaking, there are many more options available.

Having finished his important business, Chen Ping'an didn't rush to leave. Instead, he spent quite a bit of time talking with the two men.

Seeing that the atmosphere was harmonious and suitable, Chen Ping'an took the opportunity to inquire about cultivation.

Whether he cultivates or not is actually not important. Given his current situation, he doesn't actually need Zhang Tianyuan and others to guide him.

However, asking about this matter was just a prelude; Chen Ping'an's real purpose was to learn about the Heavenly-Human Pass.

Both Zhang Tianyuan and Leng Dingqingfan went through the Heavenly Human barrier. Although they did not succeed, they achieved pseudo-Heavenly Humanity, so it cannot be considered a failure.

After several exchanges, Chen Ping'an finally learned the answer he was looking for from them.

Indeed, it is human nature to like to teach others!
However, this tendency to be a know-it-all depends on the situation. If you don't meet the other person's expectations, then there's no point in discussing this matter.

The two men's responses were polite, mostly because Chen Ping'an now held considerable influence.

With the talent he has shown so far, as long as he doesn't perish halfway, even if his luck is bad, he can still become a pseudo-celestial being.

Moreover, given Chen Ping'an's talent and abilities, if he were to become a pseudo-celestial being, he would likely be a powerful one among them.

Such people are naturally someone they would be willing to befriend in advance.

Although the words were exchanged in the name of superior and subordinate, the conversation had already subtly revealed an attitude of treating each other as peers.

However, due to limitations in status and cultivation level, there is still a certain distance between them.

Strictly speaking, he should be above the junior friend and below the fellow Daoist.

"all the best."

Chen Ping'an was in a good mood as he left the prefectural garrison.

"Indeed, when fortune smiles, heaven and earth lend a hand; when fortune turns, it leaves no trace."

This trip was a complete success, and everything went smoothly.

The matter of resource support will be reported as soon as possible, and the matter of the Heavenly Pass has also been fully understood.

The martial arts path leads to the realm of the celestial being; to reach this realm, one must achieve oneness with the celestial being.

The so-called unity of heaven and man means that one's thoughts are connected with heaven and earth, and one's intentions are connected with the will of heaven. If one wants to achieve this, one must lay the foundation of the spiritual platform, which is the will of the spirit and the heart of heaven and earth in all directions.

The first hurdle encountered by those who break through to the Celestial Realm is to reshape their spiritual platform!
This level is quite difficult, but with proper preparation and repeated attempts, most people should be able to pass it.

However, it is worth mentioning that the more spirit patterns inscribed, the more solid the foundation, the more difficult it is to reshape the spirit platform, and the greater the resistance encountered in this stage.

If too much mental effort is consumed, the resources available in the next level will inevitably be affected.

After the spiritual platform is reshaped, the source of spiritual fruit is transformed.

The spiritual fruit becomes the source of the soul, and from then on, the soul is no longer a tree without roots or water without a source; the power of the soul is everlasting.

At least half of those who attempt to break through will fail at this stage.

If one can pass this test, as long as one does not perish in the inner demon barrier or stops the damage in time, one can become a pseudo-celestial being.

The same source of the soul exists at different levels, and what determines all of this is the final hurdle: the barrier of inner demons.

The more resilient one's Dao heart, the more refined one's soul becomes. Each illusion of inner demons is a cleansing of the Dao heart and a further refinement of the source of the soul.

The foundation of the spiritual platform, the source of the divine soul, and the resilience of the Dao heart—each of these factors will determine the purity of the final divine soul power.

The most important of these is the source of the soul transformed from the spiritual fruit.

This determines the upper limit of spiritual power.

The source of the soul is closely related to the foundation of the spiritual platform.

There are connections between the three.

According to Zhang Tianyuan, even among true martial arts masters, there are differences in the source of their divine souls. In the mainstream understanding of cultivation, the source of the divine soul is roughly divided into several categories: flawed, imperfect, flawless, and pure.

Those who are flawed and imperfect achieve only pseudo-divine status. Only those with a flawless spirit and soul can achieve true martial arts mastery.

However, even among martial arts masters, there are differences in their foundations, and these differences lie in their flawlessness and purity.

The former is fairly standard, while the latter is the best of the best.

It is said that there are other levels beyond purity, but Zhang Tianyuan knows little about them.

According to unconfirmed reports, across the vast territory of the dynasty, at most only one out of ten true martial arts masters can obtain the Pure Source.

Given such a probability, the difficulty is self-evident.

It should be understood that those who can achieve the status of a martial arts master have already eliminated a large number of other cultivators at the same level, and can be considered the chosen ones of their time in their respective regions.

In the Canglong Prefecture and surrounding areas, the only person openly in charge so far is the Gu family patriarch.

The prestige of a martial arts master is self-evident.

"Pure Dao Foundation?" Chen Ping'an's gaze narrowed slightly.

He possesses a spiritual item for purifying the soul, the Yin-Yang Dew. If he were to consume it upon breaking through to a higher realm, it is unknown to what extent it could elevate the source of his soul.
I should collect more information about the Martial Arts Celestials when I have time.

He's close to that point.
We're getting closer.

For the next few days, Chen Ping'an devoted himself to seclusion and cultivation, ignoring everything else.

The effects of the precious Snow Spirit Leaf did not disappoint Chen Ping'an's expectations.

On top of the original benefits, it added even more efficiency, which made Chen Ping'an's cultivation speed even faster.

While Chen Ping'an was in seclusion, news about his breakthrough to the Grandmaster level of martial arts continued to circulate and intensify.

With a single thought, the Grandmaster realm is achieved!
As for statements such as, "Martial Arts Grandmaster? If I wanted, I could reach that level today!", they are widely circulated among the people.

In no time, Chen Ping'an's reputation as a ruthless swordsman grew even stronger.

Chen Ping'an, a prodigy with unparalleled talent, reached the level of a Grandmaster of Martial Arts on Bihu Island in a single day!
Under such circumstances, the cultivation experience of the Taixu Wind-Riding Step also reached perfection.

After several months of practice, Tai Xu Yu Feng Bu (a martial arts technique) reached the Great Completion Pass.

In the quiet room, Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged, his expression calm and serene, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

hum~
Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Late stage of Jade Balance - Breakthrough Three Barriers (Breaking through the Shell Barrier)
武学：青阳血炼法入门（3175/5760）颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（152/8640）、广寒剑法（残篇）小成（0/7680）太虚御风步小成（5760/5760）七杀天罡拳大成（0/9600）、霸刀圆满、七绝神功圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满
Secret Techniques: Soul-Guiding Technique, Blood Restriction of Ten Thousand Demons

After a few breaths, Chen Pingan slowly closed his eyes and uttered a soft whisper.

"breakthrough!"

hum~
In an instant, the true energy flowed freely in the quiet room, and spiritual light shone brightly.

(End of this chapter)