The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 801 The Realm of Celestials and Humans, Fellow Daoist Appears

The night was deep, and the moon had set high in the sky.

Chen Ping'an, dressed in a black robe with a ghostly glow, soared through the sky.

The abilities of celestial beings are sufficient to break through the air and travel, but if they conceal their power and influence, their speed will be greatly reduced, far from their peak.

If one can exert all one's strength and still conceal the fluctuations of one's power, then such a thing would be absolutely impossible with profound secret techniques or the Escape Scroll.

In biographical novels, the chosen ones, seemingly born of destiny, can effortlessly soar through the sky at astonishing speed—such scenarios are almost nonexistent in real life.

If one wants to conceal the fluctuations, one must limit one's escape speed. If one goes all out without any restrictions, there will be no spare strength to conceal the fluctuations.

The best balance between the two factors is the choice that most practitioners face in reality.

While spiritual practice offers immense power and freedom, it is not without limitations. Given numerous factors, choices must still be made.

For someone like Chen Ping'an, who needs to conceal his inner turmoil while using a disguise, the difficulty is naturally even greater.

Although he cultivated a speed-escaping movement technique, his Tai Xu Wind-Riding Steps did not make much progress in the art of concealment. At this moment, when concealed, his speed was considerably inferior to his peak.

However, although it is not at its peak, it is still far ahead of the likes of pseudo-celestial beings.

In real battles, during chases and interactions, both sides often engage in scheming and maneuvering. For example, one side might use their speed to fly at full speed, then carefully conceal themselves after creating distance to avoid pursuers.

Firstly, escaping at full speed consumes a great deal of energy and is difficult to maintain for an extended period. Secondly, exerting full power creates a tremendous amount of noise and could easily trigger unpredictable dangers.

If the pursuers are accompanied by reinforcements, they will inevitably find themselves in a disadvantageous situation.

In such situations, cultivators who possess the secret technique of concealment and stealth will naturally have an advantage in these chases.

This is one of the reasons why some cultivators skilled in using light-based escape techniques can more easily escape with their lives.

On the one hand, it's about speed; on the other hand, it's about their ability to weigh these limitations and mitigate their impact.

Such intricacies are incredibly complex and cannot be fully explained in just a few words.

However, real combat, chasing through the skies, is not a turn-based game at all; it involves extremely complex details. A slight mistake can lead to errors. And with those errors, mistakes are inevitable.

Even with a lead in raw strength, neglecting details can still lead to situations where an opponent manages to overpower their rival but manages to escape unscathed.

The pursuit of reality is not just about piling up data; it also involves the constraints of flexibility, combat skills, and the complex factors of the situation.

Unless one side achieves a cross-dimensional advantage in strength, the final outcome of the battle may not be as the realm of cultivation suggests.

If victory or defeat could be determined solely by realm of cultivation, then many things would no longer need to be complicated and entangled.

Before a true head-on clash, no one knows how many tricks the other party possesses, or just how astonishing their fighting skills are.

In some biographical novels and travelogues, as long as the opponent's level is slightly higher, a decisive and swift defeat can be achieved.

In reality, it's not that such differences don't exist, but they mostly occur when crossing major realms. Differences in minor realms, however, can still be bridged with the help of external cultivation techniques and protective foundations.

Even if they are ultimately defeated, they won't be reduced to being completely annihilated.

For example, a second-realm Celestial Being, compared to a first-realm Celestial Being, has significantly improved combat power, but the difference is far from being catastrophic. A second-realm Celestial Being can freely wield powerful treasures, and can even unleash their full power by using two treasures simultaneously.

However, even a Celestial being of the first realm wouldn't be completely helpless against such an opponent.

In theory, a second-realm Celestial Being can kill a first-realm Celestial Being, but in reality, it is not so easy for a Martial Dao Celestial Being to die.

Unless the gap between the two is significant enough, such as a newly ascended Celestial being with shallow foundations facing a seasoned second-realm Celestial being with profound accumulation, or unless there happens to be a situation where their cultivation techniques are mutually exclusive, it would indeed be difficult for them to clash and determine life or death.

In most cases, one side senses something is wrong, that there is a life-or-death situation, and plans ahead, suffering heavy losses before fleeing at all costs. In such situations, it may be a crushing defeat, but it will not necessarily result in loss of life.

In such fierce battles, the losing side may pay a heavy price, suffering severe damage and possibly being unable to recover its peak strength for a very long time. But ultimately...
He survived, though.

Those who achieve greatness are all exceptional individuals possessing innate talent, perseverance, and a strong character. They are the cream of the crop, standing out from countless others.

He was a true high-level cultivator who suppressed his contemporaries in a region and achieved great success through perseverance, courage, and character.

Killing a Celestial Being is not so easy.

Those who achieve the state of "Heavenly Man" are in harmony with Heaven and Man, possessing an extremely keen perception of crisis. Even if there are methods to conceal the matter, in a true confrontation, the opponent's accumulated experience and shrewd tactics will be far more effective, employing one method after another.

Even if you manage to gain the upper hand, the intense battle will leave you feeling mentally and physically exhausted.

Unless the opponent's fate is exhausted and their resources are depleted, killing a Celestial Being, while not as difficult as ascending to heaven, is still far more difficult than an ordinary predicament.

Those who can slay a Celestial Being of the same realm are all highly regarded for their achievements, and their strength and reputation are extremely well-established. Such beings are mostly senior members of the Second Realm Celestial Beings, and only they can unlock this milestone achievement.

Amidst the vast sky, Chen Ping'an's emotions shifted, his demeanor free and unrestrained.

Upon first encountering the Celestial Circle and personally experiencing the demeanor of fellow practitioners, he gained many insights and learned a great deal.

To the world, the term "Martial Arts Celestial" is merely a lofty, unattainable figure, high above the clouds. But to him, it is a tangible reality he can truly reach.

Entering this circle meant he had truly stepped into the world, unveiled the mysteries of this realm, and learned how those people in the celestial palaces above the clouds lived, thought, and...
Spiritual practice.

Chen Pingan gained a lot from this small meeting.

A fourth-tier rare artifact, the Deep Sea Pearl, possesses power comparable to a guardian treasure. Its coverage is extremely wide, and the power of the water is sufficient to restrict ordinary martial arts masters. If combined with other methods, even seasoned second-realm masters would find it difficult to ignore.

Most importantly, it perfectly complements the ice jade hairpin and the Evil Eye he wears. With such divine power, it possesses immense killing power even against seasoned Second Realm Celestials. Furthermore, under the influence of the Illusionary Dream Pearl, it can pose a fatal threat to Second Realm Celestials.

Fourth-tier spiritual pills, used to heal injuries; near-fourth-tier pills, used for recuperation; for ordinary pseudo-celestial beings, they could even be considered strategic reserves. For him, they were also relatively rare healing spiritual items.

His cultivation was different from others; he focused on refined cultivation. Elixirs and precious medicines that could enhance one's cultivation held almost no appeal for him. Even breakthrough pills and powerful spiritual items that could boost one's cultivation level were merely bargaining chips in his hands.

On the contrary, these healing and recuperating pills are of great value to him. They can be used to increase his margin for error in battle and restore his peak combat strength in the shortest possible time.

With his physical strength, recovery, and these medicinal reserves, he is perfectly capable of handling ordinary battles.

In addition, there is an accumulation of refined mineral materials. Although there are no fourth-tier minerals, they are all of near-fourth-tier quality, which is enough to serve as rare auxiliary materials when forging heavy treasures.

Combined with his previous accumulation, Chen Ping'an had made ample preparations in terms of the ore reserves needed to forge powerful treasures.

Previously, at the Xuanling Auction, he spent a large sum of money to acquire a forging opportunity from a renowned forging master craftsman of the Hundred Refinements Pavilion of the Forging Alliance. Such reserves are naturally extremely necessary.

Now, his mineral reserves are only lacking the suitable main forging material and a few auxiliary mineral materials to forge a powerful artifact.

As for what specific preparations are needed, that depends on the direction of the treasure he needs to forge.

However, he would only know the truth about this matter after visiting the Hundred Refinement Pavilion. For now, all he could do was to do as much as possible and make preparations as early as possible.

After all the transactions, he had basically cleared out all his belongings.

After this transaction, the key bargaining chips remaining are the White Bone Secret Technique, the Withered Tree Everlasting Technique, and the Bloodstained Robe of Ten Thousand Demons. In addition, there is the Yin-Yang Dew, a rare spiritual treasure whose whereabouts were already clearly determined.

"The cash flow of 120,000 crystals, along with all the rare materials, strategic reserves, and protective treasures." Chen Ping'an's mind was clear, and all the plans were in his mind.

"His background and resources are comparable to those of a seasoned second-realm celestial being."

Chen Ping'an's combat power has improved, especially after entering the Celestial Realm. Some of the divine weapons that he used to be able to use easily are now gradually becoming less effective.

If this continues, some of the divine weapons previously used in main battles will begin to be phased out.

However, for now, things are alright. Only the black jade ring obtained from Li Wusheng is a little out of step with it. Other divine weapons, such as the withered wooden staff and the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flag, are still usable.

Although martial arts masters possess a wealth of treasures, they still frequently employ top-tier divine weapons in ordinary battles.

Especially for those at the first level of the Celestial Realm, it is difficult to sustain the consumption of heavy treasures in long-term battles, so they often use top-tier divine weapons as their main means of attack.

Activated by the power of the soul, it is not only extremely powerful and fiercely lethal, but also allows for the simultaneous use of multiple items, making it exceptionally effective.

Upon reaching the second realm of Celestial Being, while powerful treasures are the primary means of combat, it doesn't mean the use of top-tier divine weapons is completely abandoned. Some exquisite top-tier divine weapons, whose power and destructive force are no less than ordinary pseudo-treasures or imitations, can serve as a supplementary means of combat.

Only seasoned second-realm Celestials with profound foundations and substantial accumulations truly begin to phase out the use of top-tier divine weapons. The means used for protection are either genuine treasures for primary combat or powerful pseudo-treasures or imitations.

This process will continue until the second realm is perfected.

Only when one reaches the three realms of Heaven and Man, and enters the ranks of Hidden Stars, will their abilities undergo a true and fundamental change.

The advancement of the Hidden Radiance Realm is not only about lifespan, but also about all aspects.

Although both are martial arts celestial beings, the methods of a master cultivator in the Hidden Radiance Realm are beyond the comprehension and defense of ordinary celestial beings.

This small trading meeting yielded significant results. For Chen Ping'an, in addition to the material gains, there were also crucial gains in information and intelligence.

During this exchange, Chen Ping'an had close contact with several martial arts masters and gained firsthand experience. Through this exchange, he also gained a comprehensive understanding of his own combat strength.

Compared to the previous method of relying solely on book allusions for prediction, this positioning is far more accurate.

The patriarch of the Wang family in Beishan Prefecture, Wang Changlie, the King of the Cloud-Splitting Spear, is quite famous. If his opponent had not held back in their previous encounter, then his current spiritual power should be above that of a Celestial Being at the peak of the first realm.

If one were to utilize the Black and White Intent, it would be enough to contend with a second-realm Celestial Being. In addition, there are various other methods, such as bloodline and physique.
Chen Ping'an's eyes gleamed with a deep light, as if they contained a profound essence.

In addition to this information, there is also some key information such as the transformed demon king, the ecology of the celestial beings, and his experiences in the terrestrial realm, which greatly makes up for his lack of information.

The profits were substantial, amounting to a fortune.

The objectives of this exchange meeting were fully achieved. Apart from a few minor shortcomings, the overall outcome exceeded expectations.

In addition, he also met Cangmingzi, a guest elder of the Whale Sea Sect, and obtained his token. If he were to plot against the North Sea in the future, he would not be completely without leverage.

Speaking of
He had previously established a relationship with Yun Ya, so his presence in Beihai wasn't entirely without prior preparation.

However, the Beihai Sea is vast and has many islands, so it would be beneficial to have more connections with such people.

He has never followed the path of fighting alone, but rather relied on a system, steadily managed his affairs, and made steady progress until he reached the ears of the emperor, his voice resounded throughout the world, and even...
Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and a multitude of emotions were silently concealed within him.

Chen Ping'an, dressed in a wide black robe, soared through the night sky, his figure almost completely hidden by the darkness.

He controlled his fluctuations, and although his speed was not as fast as at its peak, it was still extremely astonishing, like lightning.

Although it was late at night, Xuanling City was still bustling with activity. Looking down from the sky, lights were lit up in most places, shining with various colors in the darkness.

Mysterious mist and rain, ten thousand lights.

Looking at the scene below, Chen Ping'an's black robe billowed, and a faint, ambiguous smile appeared on his deeply lined, aged face.

Although the Xuanling Heavy City was extremely vast, Chen Ping'an quickly left the city at high speed.

After leaving the city, Chen Ping'an stopped there. The night was silent, and he didn't land until he was a hundred miles away.

This is a desolate, rocky mountain forest, far from the official road, making it an excellent secluded spot.

Chen Pingan slowly raised his head, revealing his aged face. His eyes were like two bottomless pools, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.

"The night grows deeper and the dew grows heavy; the area outside the city is desolate and quiet."

Chen Ping'an's black robes fluttered like dark clouds surging in the night: "Fellow Daoist, it's time for you to show yourself."

The voice was cold, deep, and eerily hoarse, as if it were rising from a deep, cold pool.

(End of this chapter)