The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 769 Thunderous Secret Technique, Treasure's Foundation

Within the Xuanling City, there are five provincial garrison offices, each with a key defensive position representing the interests of its respective province and serving as the central hub of the organization.

In addition, the Qiankun Division is responsible for important supervisory duties and has branches in various prefectures.

This is the official system. Forces like the Gu family, however, are stationed in various parts of the city, depending on their business interests.

The Gu family's business in Xuanling City is not particularly large, and its scale has been declining year after year. However, compared to trade, the Gu family's interests in Xuanling City lie more in mining.

The profits from these mineral resources are primarily used to supply various powerful entities directly from the source for consumption. In the early years, when the Gu family was at its peak, it had internal trade channels, handling everything from the source to refining, from refining to weapon manufacturing, or directly supplying shops to customers. The entire supply chain was established and streamlined.

However, this trade has been declining in recent years. Compared to the internal channels for processing and operation, the proportion of direct supply from the source to various chambers of commerce has been increasing year by year.

This means that the profits that were once entirely under one's control have been divided among other forces. Moreover, the proportion of these profits is gradually increasing.

This is also a predicament that Gu Jia faces under the current circumstances.

The lack of top-level combat power left the Gu family unable to handle many matters effectively. Although they had the remaining prestige of their ancestor, they faced pressure from the Bi Cang Prince's Mansion above, the constant infighting among various forces in the middle, and the frequent actions of the Xue and Wang families below. Under this pressure, the Gu family was in a rather unfavorable situation.

Some interests are too difficult to manage on one's own, so it's best to omit certain steps and delegate the profits to different parties. Although this means less profit, it ultimately reduces the time and energy spent caring for family while away from home, and the involvement of multiple parties provides an additional layer of security.

With the involvement of various forces and the existence of more things, things will eventually be able to proceed.

It's better to have something than nothing at all.

However, according to the intelligence Chen Ping'an had gathered, the various forces were not content with this situation. Groups such as Hengshan Sect, Tianwu Pavilion, Xuanling Chamber of Commerce, and even Bicang Chamber of Commerce were all quite interested in the profits from this mineral resource and attempted to gain a larger share on the existing basis.

This mine was originally acquired by the Gu family from the Tianwu Pavilion of Xuanling Prefecture during their conflict with the Hengshan Sect. Now that the Gu family is weak, these forces naturally cannot remain indifferent.

The Gu family's core interests in Xuanling lie not in trade, but in mining. They have built a large-scale mining operation centered around a single mine, along with supporting industrial facilities.

For this reason, strictly speaking, the Gu family actually has two bases in Xuanling. One is inside Xuanling City, and the other is a mining base hundreds of miles outside Xuanling City.

The garrisons within the city are more focused on name recognition and are used for negotiations between various parties, while the garrisons outside the city are more focused on quality and tangible production. Because the mines are close to the Xuanling Mountains, the surrounding area is not very peaceful, and the area had previously suffered an attack due to the fleeing demons.

The Gu family has invested considerable resources in protecting the mines.

However, due to the lack of top-tier combat power, the Gu family's highest combat strength in Xuanling only reached the Martial Arts Grandmaster realm. Compared to the Tianwu Pavilion's home-field operations and the Hengshan Sect's overwhelming strength, the Gu family's disadvantage was undoubtedly extremely obvious.

In a head-on confrontation, the Gu family, with their power in Xuanling, is no match for these forces.

If it weren't for the lingering influence of the Gu family patriarch, all parties would likely have already resorted to underhanded tactics, escalating the power struggle from covert maneuvering to a full-blown battle.

However, as the probing intensifies, the intensity of the game is also trending towards escalation.

Chen Ping'an had a fairly clear understanding of similar information long before he took up his post at Xuanling.

Today he went to the Gu family's residence in Xuanling City. He had met Elder Rong at the residence when he attended the Xuanling Auction with Gu Qingchan.

There is quite a distance between the important garrison location and the Gu family's residence.

Before boarding the vehicle, Chen Pingan had already instructed that the speed should be slowed down and the vehicle should be driven steadily.

Therefore, it took him quite a long time to get there.

This time was also given to Chen Ping'an to study and comprehend the Thunderous Blade Technique.

hum~
Inside the vehicle, a pale blue halo flowed, creating an atmosphere of artistic conception.

The four command flags fluttered in the wind, driven by the power of the divine soul, isolating the inside from the outside.

Chen Ping'an sat with his eyes closed, a blue light swirling around him, casting flickering shadows on his face.

"The Thunderous Blade Technique takes the form of wind and the essence of thunder."

"The sword's momentum was like a sudden gust of wind, its force like the roar of thunder and lightning, possessing the fury of thunder and the speed of wind."

"."

A series of insights kept emerging in Chen Ping'an's mind.

The Thunderous Blade Technique, as the most supreme divine skill, is even more difficult to master due to its flawed artistic conception.

Even for a celestial being of supreme status, studying its mysteries would not be a matter of a day or two.

However, with the help of the Golden Finger Panel, Chen Ping'an's research and insights were extremely smooth.

With the blessing of the inherited artistic conception, he easily comprehended the true meaning of the Thunderous Blade Technique.

The light and shadow flickered, and the sense of heritage gradually faded.

hum~
In a flash of light, Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, as if lightning bolts were shooting out and thunder was roaring.

Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Celestial Being 1st Realm - Pivotal Light Realm
武学：青阳血炼法小成（0/15360）颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（225/8640）、广寒剑法（残篇）小成（0/7680）、狂雷刀法未入门（612/720）太虚御风步大成（1078/14400）、七绝禁法圆满、七杀天罡拳圆满、霸刀圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满
Secret Technique: Soul-Guiding Incantation
"612 point."

This Thunderous Blade Technique has a flawed lineage of artistic conception, although it is much better than the previous Void Wind Control Step. However, it is clearly unlikely that one can master it in one fell swoop by simply comprehending its artistic conception.

Since his cultivation technique hadn't broken through to the next level, the corresponding indicator on the screen didn't show any changes. Chen Ping'an's cultivation level remained unchanged.

However, Chen Ping'an was already quite satisfied with this achievement.

"Raging Thunder Blade Technique." Chen Ping'an murmured softly, as information about the Raging Thunder Blade Technique surfaced in his mind.

The Thunderous Blade Technique has three secret moves.

Correspondingly, there are three stages: minor achievement, major achievement, and perfection.

After mastering the basics of the Thunderous Blade Technique, lightning flashes as the technique is executed, changing with the momentum of the blade, shining brilliantly like a torrent of light, possessing unfathomable power.

Such a flash of light would send shivers down the spine of anyone who witnessed it. In battle, it would provide a decisive advantage.

For Chen Ping'an, the changing sword techniques, with their leaping blades and flashing lightning, were undeniably impressive, regardless of their actual power.

After mastering the basics of the Thunderous Blade Technique, one can then learn the first secret technique.

The blade transforms into a raging storm, flashing with lightning, forming a thunderous vortex. Its momentum sweeps across the area like a storm, containing lightning that explodes upon contact with enemies, causing group paralysis and continuous damage.

The blade moved like a raging storm, destroying everything in its path; with a single strike, it stirred up winds and clouds from all directions.

This is the secret technique of Thunderstorm, Gale and Thunder.

After mastering the Thunderous Blade Technique, one can then learn the second secret technique.

He used his divine soul essence to drive the blade's momentum, instantly unleashing a thousand lightning blades that covered all his field of vision like a torrential downpour, shooting in all directions like lightning.

The blades flashed like thunder, a thousand blades were unleashed simultaneously, defeating the enemy in an instant. The blades shook the eight directions like thunder, with immense power.

This is a secret technique, Thunderous Breakthrough.

Once the Thunderous Blade Technique is perfected, one can master the ultimate secret technique, a technique whose power is comparable to that of a true martial arts scroll.

With the true essence of raging thunder, he drew upon the lightning of heaven and earth, gathering it into the blade and transforming it into a bolt of heavenly lightning that pierced through the heavens and earth, striking down with devastation. The blade was a divine punishment; this was the wrath of raging thunder!
The awe-inspiring might of Heaven, already drawn by the blade, will decide the fate of the world in a single move.

This sword technique is incredibly powerful, capable of destroying mountains and severing rivers, and is in no way inferior to a true martial arts manual.

However, compared to ordinary secret techniques, this one requires an extremely high price to pay.

Besides depleting one's life essence and damaging meridians and the spiritual platform, it can also affect lifespan. If one's foundation is unstable and one forcibly activates this move, it is quite common to lose several decades of lifespan.

Furthermore, forcibly activating the technique and drawing down heavenly lightning can easily injure oneself if the swordplay is not refined. It could very easily result in a situation where one kills a thousand enemies but loses eight hundred of one's own.

Due to various limitations, this lineage of swordsmanship can never truly compare to genuine martial arts manuals.

Reduced lifespan, difficult to control, risk of self-harm
Despite numerous unfavorable factors, this technique remains incredibly powerful.

In a moment of crisis, where life and death hang in the balance, who would be willing to pay such a price? To use it would mean sacrificing decades or even centuries of lifespan; not using it might mean immediate death and annihilation.

Having a choice and not having a choice are ultimately different.

No matter how high the cost, having a chance to escape is ultimately a trump card.

Furthermore, such secret techniques, if mastered, can be used as a deterrent trump card. They don't necessarily require activation.

Subduing the enemy without fighting is of course the best outcome.

However, the practice of the Thunderous Blade Technique is extremely difficult. To reach perfection and master the ultimate secret technique is generally very difficult even for a martial arts grandmaster.

However, even if a martial arts grandmaster possessed such a secret technique, given his lifespan, he probably wouldn't be able to use it more than a few times in his entire life.

Reaching the level of a martial arts grandmaster, and perfecting this particular sword technique, would undoubtedly require a considerable number of years. It's even possible that unleashing the ultimate secret technique once would essentially mark the approach of one's death.

The pseudo-celestial martial artist is somewhat better off, since their lifespan and foundational strength are already established. Although this ultimate secret technique does deplete lifespan, the exact amount depleted depends on their foundational strength.

If one's foundation is strong enough, the lifespan lost will naturally be minimal.

For someone with profound foundational knowledge, the cost of unleashing their ultimate secret technique might be manageable within twenty years, or even ten. "Secret technique limitations, huh?"
"Given my current level of cultivation, if I were to master the Thunderous Blade Technique to its fullest extent and unleash its secrets, I wonder how much of my lifespan I would have to expend?"

Chen Ping'an's eyes flickered as he pondered quietly.

However, this matter is still quite far off for him at the moment. There's no time to think about it, and thinking about it wouldn't do any good anyway.

The most urgent task is to first cultivate the Void Wind Control Steps. However, before perfecting the Void Wind Control Steps, some energy can be spared to cultivate the Thunderous Blade Technique to the beginner level. In this way, one's strength can be more legitimately displayed.

After comprehending the Thunderous Blade Technique, Chen Ping'an put away the inheritance jade scroll. The inherited intent within had disappeared, but the jade scroll still held some value.

Keep it and when the time is right, return it to the Zhenfu Division to compensate for some of the merits.

Whether it was due to the power of his soul or the improvement in his realm and foundation, Chen Ping'an's comprehension this time was much faster than expected.

Seeing that the vehicle had not yet reached the Gu family's residence, Chen Ping'an did not remain idle.

He sensed with his soul and observed the situation within his spiritual platform.

The spiritual platform was vast and boundless, seemingly without limit, containing the source of the divine soul, its radiant light faintly illuminating the sky. There, suspended in mid-air, were treasures and pseudo-treasures such as the Illusionary Dream Pearl, the Evil Extreme Eye, and the Bloodthirsty Demon Jar, their divine power unseen.

The different ranks of the various treasures can also be seen from their arrangement.

The Dream Pearl is extremely close to the Source of the Soul, almost adjacent to it. The Evil Eye, a powerful treasure, is significantly farther away, but compared to the Bloodthirsty Demon Jar, which is almost on the edge, it is still considered to be in the center.

"I wonder what grade of treasure this Dream Pearl is. Compared to it, the Evil Eye seems like a mere accessory."

In recent days, Chen Ping'an has also been using his divine soul power to reforge the Dream Pearl.

Previously, before he reached the Martial Dao Celestial Realm, refining the Dream Pearl required a slow process of infiltration and accumulation over several days before being gradually eroded and refined. But now, he no longer has this problem; with his extremely pure and flawless divine soul, he can directly pass through the barrier and refine the pearl.

With the foundation laid by his previous refinement, he put in almost no effort in refining it. Now, he is using the power of his divine soul to refine the second chain.

Compared to the previous spiritual refining method, the speed is undoubtedly much faster, and it should not take as long as before.

Chen Ping'an has only initially refined the pearl, and currently he can only activate one kind of divine ability: the Bewitching Divine Ability.

Compared to his previous use, his current level is higher, and driven by the power of his divine soul, its power is much greater. According to his calculations, it should be invincible against celestial beings of the same level. Without the protection of powerful treasures, those under the influence of the Bewitching God should directly succumb, or at least be greatly affected.

However, martial arts masters possess profound knowledge and experience, so even those at the same level cannot be generalized. The specific outcome depends on the opponent.

However, Chen Ping'an still had full confidence in the magical power of the Dream Pearl. Under such magical power, even a second-realm Celestial Being should not be immune to its effects and it should be able to achieve remarkable results.

If a single divine ability can have such an effect, then what if one could master another divine ability?
Judging from the performance of the Dream Pearl, if the refinement can be further improved, it will definitely be of great benefit to Chen Ping'an.

Therefore, refining the Dream Pearl has been one of the more important things Chen Ping'an did in his spare time during this period of cultivation.

As for items like the Evil Eye and the Bloodthirsty Demon Jar, Chen Ping'an reforged them using his divine soul power. With his previous foundation, the process was extremely fast, requiring little effort.

Now that their cultivation level has improved and they have received the blessing of divine soul power, the divine power of the two treasures has also been greatly enhanced.

Such improvements do not raise the upper limit of the treasure, but are within a reasonable range.

For Yu Zhongbao, the best medium for activation is the power of his soul; previously, using spiritual energy to activate it was only a stretch. Although Chen Ping'an's spiritual energy is extremely pure, it still has some deviations and effects in terms of power.

Now that it is activated by the divine soul, its power naturally increases.

Furthermore, Chen Ping'an's foundation is extraordinary, and when activated, his endurance is extremely long.

Items like the Evil Eye and the Bloodthirsty Demon Jar can now be used as the main offensive weapon, instead of having limited endurance as before.

Among ordinary martial arts masters, those equipped with powerful offensive weapons are not many. Most are only equipped with pseudo-powerful weapons or imitations. Only veteran masters are likely to possess genuine powerful weapons.

Even with such a powerful treasure, a cultivator at the Pivot Light Realm level would find it difficult to use it as a primary offensive weapon for sustained combat. To withstand such losses, one would need to at least reach the Piercing Rainbow Realm, using their divine soul to bridge the gaps throughout their body and resonate with the heavens and earth.

This point also reflects the significant difference in combat strength between the Piercing Rainbow Realm and the Pivot Light Realm.

Apart from the few treasures inside the Spirit Platform, Chen Ping'an had almost all the other treasures.

Items like the Black Iron Mask, the Meteor Frost Star Blade, and the Golden Illusion Robe.

In truth, he now possesses quite a few treasures, fully deserving of the title of a martial arts master. During battles, he also has a multitude of techniques, and can switch between them at any time when facing specific countermeasures, demonstrating remarkable ease and skill.

However, it was still not enough for Chen Ping'an's own standards.

Martial arts masters typically accumulate wealth over hundreds of years. Even disregarding the Illusionary Dream Pearl and the Ice Jade Hairpin, his current fortune is more than enough for an average celestial being. However, compared to true great cultivators, he is still considerably less powerful.

We still need to continuously accumulate experience, enhance our capabilities, and increase our resources to cope with unforeseen circumstances.

In truth, the black iron mask in his possession could be considered a secret treasure. Although it wasn't classified as a major treasure, its divine power was in no way inferior to that of a major treasure.

After being reforged with the power of the soul, its power was further enhanced.

Now that he has broken through to a higher realm, he can use his divine soul power to disguise himself. Even without activating his unique divine ability, it's enough to fool a considerable number of martial arts masters. He can't say for sure about others, but at least below the third level of the Celestial Realm and the Hidden Radiance Realm, virtually no one will be able to see through his disguise. Unless there's some secret technique or a powerful treasure specifically designed to counter him.

If he were to use genuine divine abilities to simulate his aura, his disguise would be several levels higher. He should be able to conceal himself even against a Grandmaster of the Celestial Realm or the Hidden Radiance Realm.

As for going any further up...
Such supernatural phenomena were too mysterious and unpredictable; Chen Ping'an wasn't confident in his abilities. Even if he improved his cultivation and entered the Piercing Rainbow Realm, it was still difficult to say whether he could completely deceive his opponent.

"Besides realistic simulation, to ensure the authenticity of my disguise, I also need a secret method of concealment. The two complement each other to ensure that there are no flaws." Chen Ping'an pondered, analyzing and planning.

Compared to cultivation techniques, he didn't have many secret methods to practice, and even if he did, they were mostly incidental.

However, it hasn't been entirely useless. For example, he has incorporated the essence of the Spiritual Secret Thorn into the Seven Absolute Forbidden Techniques, enhancing the power of the Seven Absolute Bewilderment. While causing the opponent to fall into despair, the Secret Thorn can still deliver a fatal blow.

Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted slightly, turning from the concealment technique to the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade.

This precious artifact, in its initial form, was a gift from the Gu family and is now worn at his waist as his primary weapon in battle.

Possessing the power to break through restrictions, this treasure is a crucial protective asset for a martial arts grandmaster, akin to a divine weapon that, once activated, grants unparalleled power. With the enhancement of this treasure, he can openly display his strength more recklessly.

Strictly speaking, given the rudimentary nature of this treasure, while it might not be considered a stretch for Chen Ping'an's true strength and foundation, it certainly doesn't live up to the name of his foundation.

It can only be said to be average.

However, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade is in its original form and has great potential for improvement. If a master craftsman can be found to forge it, it can be upgraded to a treasure.

If that were truly the case, it would be a tremendous gain for Chen Ping'an.

“Master craftsmen of great caliber.” Chen Ping’an pondered quietly, his eyes deep.

The Golden Illusionary Robe he purchased at the Azure Dragon Grand Ceremony was forged by the senior master blacksmith, Master Du. Master Du is a direct disciple of the renowned blacksmith, Master Mo Sidao, and has trained under him for many years.

With this slight connection, he might be able to get in touch with Mo Sidao, and with some leverage, get the other party to refine the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade, reforge it, and elevate it to the level of a heavy treasure.

If there's no opportunity along this path, you can try to visit the Forging Alliance and see if you can find a suitable master forger to help you.

Chen Ping'an secretly made plans in his mind.

Besides the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade, Chen Ping'an also carried a sword, the Star Sword. This sword had no engravings or divine fluctuations, but its blade was tough and indestructible, capable of withstanding extremely high levels of divine soul essence, making it perfectly suited for ultra-high-intensity combat.

For Chen Ping'an, it was also a rare treasure.

The sword was dazzling and extremely high-class. In Chen Ping'an's mind, the value of this sword was even higher than that of ordinary treasures.

Besides the treasures mentioned above, Chen Ping'an also possessed another precious item: the Ice Jade Hairpin, a trophy he had seized from the silver-haired girl during the battle at the grotto.

This treasure possesses terrifying power; its single-target attack is icy cold, even the Bloodline Golden Wheel finds it difficult to withstand.

Chen Ping'an also planned to refine it as a trump card to enhance his protective power.

At Chen Ping'an's current level, even the finest examples of powerful divine weapons have gradually fallen from the historical stage and lost their original value.

Even the most powerful divine weapon he acquired, the Hundred Illusions Divine Blade, became largely useless during his all-out attacks. He dared not use it excessively, as in the previous battle at the grotto, fearing that the weapon's spiritual energy would dim and its blade would be damaged under intense assault.

Today, top-tier divine weapons have become standard equipment for Chen Ping'an in battle. As for going all out, he will even use powerful or pseudo-powerful treasures.

All previous wealth and external gains should be carefully sorted out and monetized as soon as the time is right, transforming them into valuable assets.

"Blood of a Heavenly-grade demon beast, concealing secret techniques, forging precious treasures, true skill scrolls, and enhancing spiritual items."

Clearly, during his time in Xuanling City, besides cultivation, he had many other matters to attend to. Each of these matters required a great deal of his time and energy.

If circumstances are unfavorable, it may not be possible to accomplish this.

Inside the vehicle, Chen Ping'an sat with his eyes closed, lost in thought.

As he pondered, the vehicle slowly came to a stop.

We've arrived at the Gu family's residence.

(End of this chapter)