The Great Martial Saint!

hum~
Beneath the ancient trees on the mountainside, a figure sat quietly, command flags fluttering in the wind, and blue flames flickering in the air.

A large amount of starlight continuously entered his brow and spiritual platform. Within the platform, the spiritual bridge was like a rainbow, and the spiritual light was shining, undergoing strange changes.

The figure sitting quietly here is none other than Chen Ping'an, who is about to achieve mastery of the Thunderous Fury.

The progress of one's practice can be small or big, but no matter how careless one may be, one should proceed with caution.

Although the spirit boat's concealment restriction is good, there are still some instabilities when flying in mid-air and making progress.

In the current situation, it would be safer for Chen Ping'an to remain seated quietly.

Of course, this is only because the spirit boat is at the quasi-fourth tier. If it were a fourth-tier spirit boat with high-level restrictions, he would never have gone to such trouble.

hum~ hum~ hum~
A flash of inspiration illuminated Chen Ping'an's face, flickering between light and shadow. As the light trembled, a flood of insights surged within him.

"The swords flashed like thunder, a thousand blades striking simultaneously."

"Thunder shakes all directions, and the raging thunder breaks the limits."

"."

At the same time, starlight shone brightly, transforming into incomparably pure divine soul power, nourishing the spiritual platform.

Above the spiritual platform, a rainbow bridge spans the spiritual realm, and the soul swirls like a vortex, with the spiritual rainbow climbing forward once more.

In the blink of an eye, they climbed up a step.

But the nourishing light did not stop there; it continued to rise.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming with intelligence and his spirits high.

"Thunderous Blade Technique, perfected!"

hum~
As his gaze flickered, a panel appeared.

Name: Chen Ping'an
Realm: Celestial Realm 2 - Rainbow Penetration Realm (5th Stage)
武学：青阳血炼法小成（9967/15360）颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（1435/8640）、三分归元真卷小成（0/15360）、无相自在法（残篇）未入门（237/1920）广寒剑法（残篇）大成（0/19200）、狂雷刀法大成（0/14400）、太虚御风步圆满、七绝禁法圆满、霸刀圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满
Secret Techniques: Soul Suppression Technique, Soul Guiding Technique, Butterfly Dream Bewitching Technique, Illusionary Eye

"Fifth Dan of the Piercing Rainbow Form!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes shone brightly as he felt the surging divine soul power within his spiritual platform, and the dazzling essence of the rainbow-piercing spiritual bridge.

The mastery of the Thunderous Fury has been of great benefit.

His previous realm was already close to the fifth stage of the Piercing Rainbow Realm. Now, with the help of the panel, he easily pushed his realm to the fifth stage.

After that, he received continuous help and although he is still at the fifth level, he has already faintly touched the sixth level.

These differences, perhaps with a little help, can easily overcome obstacles and enter the sixth stage of the Guanhong realm.

A sixth-level Guanhong cultivator is considered extremely senior even among second-realm celestial beings.

Not to mention, his foundation is extraordinary. With his current spiritual foundation, even without using the Black and White Intent, his perfect Dao Foundation is enough to crush ordinary second-stage perfection cultivators at the conventional level.

If a perfect Dao foundation were fully revealed, its aura, even if not as great as that of a Celestial-level cultivator, would likely be quite similar. If one were to add divine soul phenomena and the black and white intent, then…
Chen Ping'an looked quite pleased, his gaze sharpened, and the golden finger panel on the interface disappeared.

After mastering the Thunderous Blade Technique, he also successfully mastered the second secret technique of the Thunderous Blade Technique, Thunderous Breakthrough.

When unleashed, the Thunderous Strike unleashes a barrage of blades like a thunderstorm, a thousand blades striking simultaneously, vanquishing the enemy in an instant. Like a torrential downpour, it covers all angles of vision; like lightning, it flashes in all directions.

Among martial arts grandmasters, his power is absolutely unmatched.

If he were to unleash his full potential, even if his external cultivation level were only revealed at the Grandmaster level, and even without using his divine soul, his power would likely be enough to make even the most powerful martial artists wary.

As for those who falsely claim to be celestial beings...
It will only be shock and horror!
Whether a single strike can kill a top-tier pseudo-celestial being is uncertain, but anyone below that level will surely die upon contact.

Even a top-tier pseudo-celestial being, even if lucky enough to survive, would likely be severely injured.

Unless one is a top-tier pseudo-celestial being like Black Rock Monster, who is proficient in external martial arts, it might be easier for them to cope.

This is truly the ultimate combat power of a pseudo-celestial being!

To unleash power comparable to the ultimate pseudo-celestial being at the Grandmaster level—if such a spectacle were to spread and become known to others, it would likely cause countless people to tremble.

This is at least the fighting prowess of the top five on the popularity chart.

However, for Chen Ping'an now, this level is just a game.

On the surface, raising the level of deterrence a bit is enough. But if you really want to accomplish something with that, it's clearly not sufficient for him.

If one truly wants to use one's power openly to do something that would benefit oneself, then one must at least wait until one's openness reaches the level of a Celestial Being.

Given his current demeanor, whether he is at the pinnacle of pseudo-divine beings or comparable to them, it is ultimately just a disguise he leaves for the outside world, and a margin for error he reserves for himself.

A breakthrough in a visible area can be impressive, but it must never be without logic. Progress in all aspects must be gradual and step-by-step; this is the only way to ensure long-term success.

The matter of breaking through to the Celestial Realm can wait. However...
As the thought took hold, Chen Ping'an became somewhat interested in the ultimate secret technique of the Thunderous Blade Technique.

If he could master the Thunderous Blade Technique to perfection, wouldn't he be able to unleash the true power to overpower even the celestial beings?
The ultimate secret technique of the Thunderous Blade Technique: Thunderous Wrath!
The might of Heaven is awe-inspiring; it is provoked with a sword—this is the wrath of Heaven!
This move is extremely powerful, no less so than the most powerful killing moves in those true martial arts manuals.

Judging solely by this one secret technique, the Thunderous Blade Technique deserves the name of a true martial arts treasure. Its overall structure and spirit are perfectly fulfilling.

just
The actual combat of Thunderous Wrath is not without conditions; there are many limiting factors involved. In addition, the other secret techniques of Thunderous Blade Technique, as well as the imagery and overall structure, are all lacking.

Therefore, the Thunderous Blade Technique he practiced only touched upon the level of a True Skill Scroll, and was not a true True Skill Scroll at all.

The Raging Thunder Wrath, if used in actual combat, will not only deplete one's life essence and damage one's meridians and spiritual platform, but will also shorten one's lifespan. If one's foundation is unstable, forcibly activating this move would easily result in losing decades of lifespan, which is quite normal.

Furthermore, forcibly activating the technique and summoning 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.

Such limiting factors are something that even a pseudo-celestial being, let alone a grandmaster of martial arts, would not dare to use lightly if they had truly achieved mastery.

The pseudo-celestial being has a lifespan of eight hundred years, and if he loses several decades of his lifespan at a time, how many more times can he afford to squander his remaining lifespan?
Perhaps only a martial arts master could possibly make use of this. With flawless divine soul control and a solid foundation of cultivation, one could perhaps minimize the backlash by using it once.

Even so, it is absolutely impossible to use it as a regular secret technique.

But
This situation, however, does not exist for Chen Ping'an.

While these limiting factors objectively exist, Chen Ping'an's foundation is extraordinary. If he were to actually unleash his power, with his robust foundation, it would be impossible for him to damage his meridians and spiritual platform.

Furthermore, with precise sensing and profound understanding, one can accurately and flawlessly draw lightning.

Even assuming there were some discrepancies, with his robust physique, how could he possibly end up with a situation where he inflicts heavy damage on himself while injuring a thousand enemies?
If there were a large crowd, it might be possible to put on a show. But with power at this level, for his physique, let alone a slight aftershock, even a direct hit would be nothing more than that!
It's alright if he fails to complete the three rounds of training, but if he does succeed, it's just scratching the surface.

In addition, he possesses abundant vital energy, a stable spiritual platform, and a well-developed foundation in Taoism.

In such circumstances, to overdraw one's life essence is simply a joke.

It's impossible to say there won't be any losses, but to damage the foundation in this way is a pipe dream!
While it might be difficult to continuously unleash these techniques without revealing one's true level of power, performing them once or twice is likely just a matter of procedure.

"Raging Thunder and Heavenly Wrath." Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened.

If one can perfect the Thunderous Blade Technique and master this secret skill, then even if he doesn't openly ascend to the Celestial Realm, with this secret skill as a support, his combat power can rival or even suppress ordinary martial arts Celestial Realm beings, which makes sense.

If he were to be accompanied by some precious treasure or secret artifact, even if he were to win the battle, others would only marvel at his extraordinary talent and would not have any negative associations with him.

If so
Before breaking through to a higher level, he might still be able to rise a bit more on the popularity rankings.

If you're lucky, you might even be able to become a second-in-command.

Chen Ping'an chuckled softly.

Come to think of it, although he has been powerful enough since he began his cultivation, he has never been number one on any of the various lists.

On the rookie rankings, Gu Qingcheng was dominating. By the time he revealed his true strength, he had already entered the Grandmaster realm and was no longer on the rookie rankings.

The same principle applies to the Dragon and Tiger List.

With Hua Ruyue's terrifying combat power and his current scheming, it seems unlikely that he can get the top spot on the current Grandmaster Ranking.

Besides, he has already ascended to the celestial realm, so there's probably no point in him being number one again.

If I'm going to be one, I'll start by being number one on the Hidden Dragon List! "Fengling Yin"

Chen Ping'an's gaze was calm, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

The title of number one is never just empty words.

If you want to become the number one hidden dragon, you must first overcome this mountain.

Simply being comparable to a major overhaul is not enough! Far from enough!

"Hidden Dragon Number One?"

Chen Pingan shook his head with a faint smile.

He is not yet twenty-eight years old, while Fenglingyin is nearly forty.

There is a gap of at least ten years between the two.

These ten years are insignificant and unworthy of mention to others, but in the long lifespan of a martial arts master or even a great master, they are merely fleeting moments.

But for him, it was of paramount importance.

He is still no match for Feng Lingyin.

But one day, he will be able to appear in front of his opponent, leave him in his dust, suppress his peers, and become the strongest!
Cultivation!

Only through spiritual practice!

Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, and then he slowly closed it.

hum~
Beneath the ancient trees on the mountainside, a spiritual light shone, with true essence flowing and the soul undulating.

+1!

After mastering the Thunderous Blade Technique, Chen Ping'an did not adjust his cultivation direction and continued to practice the Thunderous Blade Technique according to the previous approach.

Whether it was due to a deeper understanding of the way of the sword or a slight improvement in his realm, the speed at which he practiced the Thunderous Blade Technique had increased slightly compared to before.

Such improvements may seem insignificant on a daily basis, but over time they become quite substantial.

Under these circumstances, Chen Ping'an also entered the territory of Beishan Prefecture.

Beishan Prefecture is a large prefecture, with a territory far exceeding that of Canglong Prefecture. The location he was reporting for duty at was Beishan Pass, which borders a branch of the Black Nether Mountain Range and is adjacent to surrounding areas.

There was still quite a distance between them and his location.

However, Chen Ping'an wasn't in a hurry. There were still five or six days until his scheduled time, so he traveled by spirit boat, studying the restrictions, cultivating and comprehending, and refining the precious pearl, which was quite leisurely for him.

On this journey, his mastery of restrictive techniques has fully entered the quasi-third tier, faintly touching the threshold of the third tier. With just a spark of inspiration, he could successfully achieve the third tier.

In addition, he had already read through all sorts of miscellaneous books and treatises. Both his perspective and experience had improved slightly. His understanding of the art of poisons had also deepened considerably.

Although he couldn't compare to those specialized poison masters, he understood all the basic principles.

The study of the Broken Green Lotus Secret Technique is now taking shape, awaiting continuous improvement and the addition of its essence before it can truly become a secret technique.

Of course, there is still a very long way to go before it is truly a secret method, but compared with the past, it has undoubtedly made a great leap forward.

The price he paid for this was that the two jars of near-fourth-tier spirit wine he had left were completely consumed.

His research on the Soul Suppression Technique was lukewarm, but now that he was on the right track in the path of the soul, he wasn't in a hurry.

This soul-suppressing secret technique, obtained from Hua Ruyue, is profound and mysterious. Even with Chen Ping'an's current accumulated knowledge and skills, it is difficult for him to truly master it.

To attempt to fuse it into a Seven Forbidden Techniques is, at present, simply a pipe dream. Even setting aside the matter of fusing it, the very task of understanding its essence to perfect a Seven Forbidden Techniques would be fraught with difficulty.

However, it is foreseeable that if he succeeds in this step, then the Seven Forbidden Techniques will truly possess the aura of a genuine martial arts scroll.

The secret techniques within, with their destructive power, are immeasurably enhanced.

The newly refined Three-Part Returning to Origin True Scroll is still being perfected. When he has truly perfected a feasible cultivation path, that will be the time when he truly begins to cultivate this precious scroll of true skill.

After all, a newly created cultivation technique, though already refined, still requires careful consideration of its details. It's not like a fully developed, mature technique that can be directly started practicing.

Of course, creating one's own method also has unique advantages that other methods cannot match. The true meaning of this can only be known through experience.

It's not just about a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction; there are many more wonderful uses that are best left unsaid.

Such as the effective use of techniques, a fully compatible martial arts system, and so on.

These days, I've been busy with various things, so the time for refining the pearl has been somewhat compressed. But overall progress has continued uninterrupted.

Perhaps, before long, this Dream Pearl, which he obtained from the Demon Lord's secret treasure, will bring him new surprises.

Whenever he was refining the precious pearl, Chen Ping'an would think of the Heavenly Luo Saintess, the girl with whom he had spent a thousand years in a dream.

For the past few days, he had been feeling a dull ache in his chest. Although it wasn't obvious, given his precise control over his physique, there was no doubt that the pain was real.

It was not some illusion or misjudgment on his part.

With his current level of cultivation, he can feel even the slightest injury on his body. With his physique and perfect cultivation under his cheat system, there is absolutely no chance of him suffering any hidden injuries or losses.

But this hidden pain is real.
Almost at the same instant, Chen Ping'an thought of the Heavenly Luo Saintess.

The Pact of Dreams: Shared Injuries.

We share the same pain!

It is obvious that these injuries originated from the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Net!

A ripple appeared in Chen Ping'an's eyes, his gaze distant and unfathomable like a deep pool.

With his current physique, his physical strength alone is enough to suppress the vast majority of second-realm Celestials. Even Celestial cultivators, who are nourished by the power of heaven and earth and whose bodies are strengthened by it.

In terms of physique alone, apart from those great cultivators who have refined their physical strength, most other great cultivators would not be his match.

Even under these circumstances, he still felt a dull pain, a sign of his injury.
This is probably no small matter!
The Pact of Dreams allows for the sharing of injuries. However, the severity of the injuries varies from person to person.

Such injuries might be considered acceptable for a seasoned Celestial Being at the Second Realm. However, for a Martial Celestial Being, it would be quite serious.

倘若
He's just a grandmaster of martial arts, that's all.
With this thought in mind, Chen Ping'an's gaze became even calmer.

According to the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Xiao Tianluo's cultivation level has not yet reached the Celestial Realm!

Given these injuries...
With a deep gaze, Chen Ping'an stepped out of the spirit boat's quiet room, looking out at the vast sky and the distant, continuous mountain range.

In the night battle of the city years ago, during the battle at the grotto, the Holy Maiden of Tianluo took some injuries for him.

I never imagined that I would suffer for her now.

"Have you run into trouble?"

Chen Ping'an's sleeves billowed at his sides, and beneath his deep gaze lay a profound, hidden worry.

The next moment, Chen Ping'an realized that his emotions were not right, calmed himself down slightly, and chuckled.

"No matter what, he was someone I called 'Dad' in my dreams. It's normal to be worried about her now that something's happened to her. Besides..."
The effects of this dream contract are still unclear. If she dies, then what about me?
In such situations, if someone is in trouble, we naturally have no choice but to help!

With his mind at peace and all doubts gone, Chen Ping'an had made up his mind.

Now, the question remains: where exactly is this Heavenly Luo Saintess?

If he were to encounter it, he would inevitably...
Chen Ping'an's emotions were still fluctuating when he suddenly sensed the fluctuations of a battle.

"Ok?"

Chen Ping'an's expression shifted, and he lowered his gaze, probing and sensing the mountain range below. (End of Chapter)