The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 882 Luan Ming's First Cultivation, Celestial Chariot (Bonus Chapter for 3000 Monthly Tickets! Please vote! Explosive votes!)

As Chen Ping'an continued to fly, a majestic, dark blue city gate grew larger and larger in his field of vision.

The surrounding rolling hills and towering mountains seem like ordinary little hills in comparison to this giant city.

Beishan Pass!

The first formidable pass in the Bicang region!

In terms of city size, it is second only to Bicang Prefecture City, the central city of Bicang and home to the Bicang Prince's Mansion.

Beishan Pass, majestically situated amidst the mountains, is surrounded by a cluster of fortified cities, each with its own undulating walls, forming a magnificent and intricate defensive network.

"Beishan Pass. We've arrived."

Chen Ping'an gazed into the distance, looking at the majestic, dark green city of Daguan, shrouded in a thin mist, standing tall between heaven and earth, exuding the solemnity and vicissitudes of time.

The entire pass, as well as the surrounding fortified city, are shrouded in array formations and restrictions.

Dark blue clouds and flowing light enveloped the majestic city of Daguan, guarding its perimeter.

The light was dim, but it possessed a power that could not be ignored.

"This is..." Chen Ping'an's expression hardened slightly, his gaze becoming quite serious: "A fourth-order formation."

This was the first time he had faced a fourth-order restriction formation since he began cultivating, and it was such a large-scale cluster formation at that.

Before coming, he had a detailed understanding of the situation in Beishan Pass.

Beishan Pass is a majestic city, guarded by eighteen garrison towns. Each garrison town has its own defense commissioner, belonging to a system of institutions directly under the jurisdiction of the Beishan Garrison Command.

During large-scale scheduling, the decision-making and management are handled by the Beishan Assistant Directorate.

Between the fortified city and the main pass lies a buffer zone, a playground for most independent cultivators and small to medium-sized family gangs. An additional barbican serves as a supplementary defense system.

In the outer areas of the fortified city, there are occasional scattered cultivators, but compared to other groups, they are not organized into a cohesive system. After all, compared to the area between the fortified city and the Great Pass, the outer area of ​​the fortified city has no protective barriers.

This place is adjacent to a branch of the Black Nether Mountains. Although there are elite patrols that patrol here from time to time, they may not be able to take care of such details.

Occasionally, there are still individual monster attacks and some chaotic incidents that are not under our jurisdiction.

Living on the outskirts of the Acropolis was hardly safe.

Those who are able to practice spiritual cultivation generally do not reside here.

Those located on the outskirts of the fortress, within the entire Beishan Pass, are generally considered to be in the lower tiers.

Even better are those within the citadel and the barbican.

Most of the independent cultivators in the entire Beishan Pass frequent these few places.

In reality, very few independent cultivators can actually enter the North Mountain Pass. Those who can enter the majestic city of the pass, establish a foothold, and build a foundation all have considerable reputations among independent cultivators.

They must either possess profound cultivation or have mastered exquisite skills.

Throughout the entire Beishan Pass, different social classes are clearly separated, with varying social statuses, forming a chasm-like divide.

Even so, there is still a steady stream of independent cultivators coming to Beishan Pass, which they regard as a sacred place.

Those independent cultivators who can make a living in Beishan Pass seem to be looked up to in other places.

If one can achieve something within the Great Pass and have it spread, that would be an even greater achievement to be proud of.

But in reality, only those who are deeply involved truly know.

Although they both lived in Beishan Daguan, there were still great differences between them.

Whether you're doing well or not depends on your specific position within the system.
Is it outside the acropolis, or inside the acropolis, or within the barbican, or perhaps...?
Within the true grand city!

These differences are no less significant than the disparity between a small town and a prefecture-level city.

Not every rogue cultivator who comes to Beishan Pass will necessarily stand out from the crowd and be superior to others. Nor does every cultivator in Beishan Pass have the right to look down on people from other states.

Only a small minority can ultimately rise to the top.

The first lesson to learn here is that a platform cannot guarantee success; you have to work hard yourself to get ahead.

The closer Chen Ping'an got, the more in-depth his understanding of the array formations and restrictions within the Beishan Pass became.

A fourth-tier restriction is something that even a typical prefecture or city wouldn't have the resources to inscribe such a restriction of this rank, let alone on this scale.

Only a majestic city like Beishan Pass possesses such profound cultural heritage.

As a near-third-tier restriction master, he had just touched the threshold of the third tier. Although his attainments in the art of restriction were not particularly profound, he had already reached a high level.

Furthermore, his current level of understanding has granted him unique insights. His current perception is giving him a different kind of understanding.

"Formations, combinations, and more."

As Chen Ping'an flew through the sky, his understanding of the restriction became clearer with each passing moment.

However, the restrictions enveloping this magnificent city were not fully activated. Therefore, Chen Ping'an was unable to fully appreciate the grandeur of the high-level restrictions.

Even so, the insights he gained from this experience were considerable.

Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
The sound of air being torn apart continued to echo in the sky, accompanied by various kinds of light and occasional strange escape techniques, attracting attention.

"A false celestial being!"

Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened, locking onto the middle-aged man in the distant sky, whose robes were billowing.

Compared to other places, the proportion of high-level cultivators here is far greater. People like the pseudo-celestial beings usually remain hidden in the background in ordinary states.

However, this is not particularly rare in Beishan Pass.

As the saying goes, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," even though Chen Ping'an saw the majestic city gate early on, it still took him quite a while to actually reach it, even with his normal escape speed.

The city wall is twenty zhang high, which is an insurmountable barrier for ordinary people. But what is shocking is that this is just a garrison city on the outskirts of Beishan Pass.

Before the majestic and massive city gate, cultivators came and went in a constant stream.

Chen Ping'an noticed that the pseudo-celestial being from earlier did not queue at the city gate, but went directly to another place, showed a token, and flew straight into the city.

Clearly, as a pseudo-celestial being, he possesses considerable privileges, even within the North Mountain Pass.

At least within the Acropolis, this was the case.

It's a rare opportunity to come to Beishan Pass. Although he already knew about many things, he still wanted to see them with his own eyes.

Having just arrived at Beishan Pass and not yet taken up my post, it wouldn't be a bad thing to get to know him.

There may not be such leisure and inclination later on.

With this in mind, Chen Ping'an did not reveal his identity. Following the flow of people, he registered his information briefly and then entered the fortified city called Pan Shi City.

Upon entering the city, one is struck by its impressive grandeur; its layout and overall structure are comparable to those of a typical prefectural capital. However, compared to other cities, its overall atmosphere is more rugged and imposing.

There are many things that were never designed so ingeniously.

Furthermore, the quality of cultivators in this city is generally much higher than that of ordinary prefectural cities and large cities. It is even comparable to Canglong Prefecture City.

However, there are clearly significant differences among the top-level cultivators.

With Weicheng in such a state, Chen Ping'an became even more interested in what was to come.

After a brief tour of the city, he entered the buffer zone behind it, which was the gathering place for most of the independent cultivators in Beishan Pass, and also home to a large number of small and medium-sized gangs and families.

The fortified city stretches out, guarding the Beishan Pass, and the area within it is extremely vast.

This is only a small part of the area.

"Inner Qi Realm, Profound Light Realm"

Chen Ping'an sensed the surrounding situation and came over for a quick look, without needing to be meticulous in every detail.

This area is mostly populated by cultivators of the Inner Qi Profound Light realm, including many at the high level, but very few are Grandmasters.

"The grandeur of Beishan Pass is truly extraordinary; even its outer perimeter surpasses that of many prefectural cities."

Half a day later, looking at the majestic city in front of him, Chen Ping'an sighed slightly.

Compared to the previous area, the management here is undoubtedly much stricter, and even the registration for entering the city involves much more complicated information.

"The quality of the elite troops stationed here is quite good."

Chen Ping'an glanced around, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face.

“Brother Lan, why is Daguan so strict? The entrance fee alone costs a whole Yuan Crystal. How can this be?” “Brother Wang, you are mistaken. Daguan is a magnificent city with an extraordinary atmosphere. If it weren’t so strict, I’m afraid all the rogue cultivators from the surrounding areas would flock here. Besides, although the entrance fee to Daguan is huge, the surrounding garrison cities and barbicans are much cheaper. If you can’t afford it, you can go there.”

"."

The people around him were chatting and laughing, and Chen Ping'an listened quietly without saying much.

Now that we've experienced enough of the local customs and culture, it's time to get down to business.

Just then, a carriage appeared from afar, passed through the crowd, reached the other side of the city gate, and entered directly. It didn't even bother to check anything along the way.

"Brother Lan, wasn't the inspection supposed to be strict? Why aren't they even checking the carriages?" The middle-aged man who spoke looked at the city gate in the distance with a surprised expression.

“Brother Wang, you don’t know this. What do you see on the patterns on that carriage?” a long-faced man said with a smile.

"This is."

"It's the Pill Alliance, the Pill Alliance's emblem. The person sitting in that carriage is a Pill Alliance alchemist."

"The Pill Alliance!" The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he immediately became interested: "I've heard that there are fourth-level alchemy masters and renowned craftsmen in Beishan Pass. Is that true?"

"Of course it's true. Master Gu is renowned far and wide for his fourth-tier alchemy skills. The previously famous fourth-tier premium pills were all refined by Master Gu himself. In addition..."

Listening to the two's casual conversation, Chen Ping'an remained calm and thoughtful.

"The Dan Alliance?"

According to intelligence, there are forces from the Dan Alliance stationed inside Beishan Pass.

Besides the Dan Alliance, the Forging Alliance also has influence in the North Mountain Pass.

Although the Alchemy Alliance and the Forging Alliance are only loose alliances, their influence and power are no less than, and perhaps even greater than, that of a region. The areas they inhabit are also governed by special institutions.

The interests within Beishan Pass clearly include a share for these two forces.

"A fourth-level alchemist? I wonder if there are any fourth-level blacksmiths stationed here?" Chen Ping'an asked thoughtfully.

In the past, there were fourth-tier blacksmiths in Beishan Pass, but they were later recruited and went to Bi Cang Prefecture City. Since then, there have been no more resident fourth-tier blacksmiths or master craftsmen.

However, whether it happens secretly or not is unclear.

As Chen Ping'an pondered, he remembered the prototype of the great treasure in his hand, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade.

He has now almost finished preparing the minerals and precious materials. As long as a blacksmith is willing to help, it is possible to refine and upgrade this precious treasure.

If the weapons on the surface can be improved, then the corresponding strength can also be improved accordingly.

另外
Beishan Pass is so prosperous, with various regional forces stationed there. I wonder if we can find a trading channel for the Wanling Bag?
"Various regional powers, Hengshan Sect, Wenxin Sword Pavilion, and the five great families."

With his current resources, the apparent situation of Beishan Pass is not something he is particularly afraid of.

However, the influence of the forces behind this should still be taken seriously to some extent.

Ancient Fang Clan, Luanming Sect, Qingmu Sect, and Bicang Prince's Mansion
These forces all have Celestial Realm cultivators in charge. The Ancient Fang Clan, in particular, is the oldest and most powerful force in the surrounding region. Within the Ancient Fang Clan, there are at least three Celestial Realm cultivators openly in charge!

In addition, there is the Luanming Sect, a newly emerging hegemonic force in the Yunxia region, whose momentum is quite rapid. The sect's top cultivator, Fairy Luanyue, is exceptionally talented. As a newly promoted Grand Cultivator, she went head-to-head with the first Grand Cultivator of the Ancient Yue Clan, and the battle ended with them holding their own and neither being at a disadvantage.

Within the sect, there is a constant generational shift among the Grand Masters of the Celestial Realm. Currently, the Luanming Sect has two Grand Masters of the Celestial Realm jointly overseeing the sect.

In addition, there is the Qingmu Sect. Compared to the other two regional overlords, it is much weaker, with only one Celestial Realm cultivator in charge. However, the Qingmu Sect's Grand Elder is skilled in the art of health preservation, has a wide circle of friends, and a strong network of connections. Unless absolutely necessary, ordinary Celestial Realm cultivators would never easily provoke him.

Under normal circumstances, even if there is some competition, no one will deliberately target anyone.

If targeted lightly, it could easily backfire due to public opinion. Over the years, the other party has cultivated an image of being indifferent to fame and fortune, a kind-hearted person who doesn't compete or fight for anything, which is deeply ingrained in people's minds.

"Not a single one of them is easy to deal with."

In contrast, the Bicang Prince's Mansion, with its internal factional strife and the old prince critically ill and dying, was the weakest in the surrounding area.

If it weren't for the bloodline-based enfeoffment, judging from the current situation, the Bicang County Prince's Mansion would probably have already been targeted by these forces and seen as easy prey.

Even now, there are probably still quite a few of these covert actions. It's just that, compared to the past, they haven't gone as far.

Sad, sigh.

The Bi Cang County Prince's Mansion, which once founded a lineage and produced a Great Celestial Being of the Fourth Realm, has fallen to its current state. Even the Great Celestial Being cultivator on the surface may not be able to maintain this status for long.

I wonder what our ancestors would think if they saw the current state of the Bicang Prince's Mansion.
The struggle for the throne of the Bicang County Prince's Mansion is fierce, with various factions vying for power. Each faction has its own outstanding candidates, but from Da Xiu's perspective, there is no truly suitable successor among the bloodline of the Bicang County Prince's Mansion to take over the throne.

The only one who could barely be considered a suitable replacement, Ji Shulan, was still a woman.

In the system of bloodline-based enfeoffment, it is rare for women to succeed to high positions. This is not due to gender discrimination, but rather to the unique physiological structure of the body.

The first thing a successor needs to ensure is the continuation of their lineage and the expansion of their family.

A woman's unique physiological structure means that even if she can stay in a family, marry into another man's family, or change her surname and household, these physiological characteristics will prevent her from having children as frequently as a man.

Or, to put it another way, bloodline offspring were born at the same time.

This poses a severe test to the stability of power and the cohesion of the family.

Of course, martial arts practitioners enjoy long lifespans, and if one's cultivation level is high enough, this is not impossible. However, relatively speaking, it is much more difficult.

However, the current situation of the Bicang Prince's Mansion is that although Ji Shulan's talent is obvious, it is not as obvious as that of other candidates.

Her slight advantages were not enough to completely erase the differences. On the contrary, she was often criticized for using tradition and her past tenure as reasons.

Is there any family in this world that is invincible? No one is as lucky as the Luanming Clan.

Before he even passed away, a successor emerged, surpassing his predecessor and taking over perfectly without any controversy.

In terms of the general trend of the world, the Bi Cang Prince's Mansion is already considered quite good. The successor and descendants of his bloodline are still considered capable. If it were like that, where the bloodline is entirely incompetent, the family would inevitably decline.

That is why powerful families with long histories branch out and cast their nets wide to catch as many fish as possible, in order to ensure the family line has a high tolerance for error.

Like those ancient powers, they have a complete mechanism in place to promote the capable and demote the weak, strictly eliminate those who are incompetent, and make the best use of resources, all in order to prevent such phenomena.

"Ji Shulan." Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened.

Based on his previous interactions with Princess Bicang, he knew that she had a good relationship with him.

In fact, as a neutral faction, Princess Bicang, the most favored descendant of the old Prince of Bicang, had good relationships with all the factions.

However, relatively speaking, she got along better with the other person.

Judging solely from her martial arts talent, Princess Ji Shulan of Bi Cang, who entered the second realm of Heaven and Man in her early years and was close to perfection, is indeed a suitable candidate.

After all, the talent to potentially achieve the Great Cultivation of Celestial Beings is an extremely unique asset for any power.

The only pity is that Ji Shulan's competitors, the other candidates, could all be considered top choices.

Ji Dongqing and Ji Xuanmo possess the ability to compete with him.

Thus, the struggle for the throne of the Prince of Bicang continued endlessly within the Prince's Mansion, with no clear successor even as the old Prince lay critically ill and on his deathbed.

As Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted, he sensed an aura from afar.

Ok?
Chen Ping'an's gaze sharpened slightly as he looked intently at the object.

A carriage flew in from afar, leaving a trail of dazzling light and vibrant colors in its wake.

A strange beast, with a single horn on its head and an elegant figure, strolled leisurely, pulling a chariot of flowing light, bathed in auspicious clouds.

"A flying chariot! Celestials! They are celestials!"

"A celestial chariot! Which celestial being is it?"

"The solitary spirit beast is Lord Hou!"

"."

A burst of exclamations erupted from the crowd, filled with boundless excitement.

A Celestial Being! A true martial arts Celestial Being appeared before them.

Even if it's just a fleeting glimpse, for the vast majority of them, it's an opportunity that's hard to come by and can only be sought after.

"Hou Xibai? The deputy garrison commander of Beishan, what a coincidence."

Amidst the crowd, Chen Ping'an remained calm and chuckled softly.

boom!
A breath rises, coloring the sky.

Chen Ping'an, the powerful deputy commander of the Beishan Prefecture Garrison and deputy garrison commander of Beishan Pass, known as the Imperial Envoy, the Hidden Dragon, and the Rugged Blade, personally arrived at Beishan Pass!

(End of this chapter)