The Great Martial Saint!

"Shen Linyuan is coming?"

Inside the public housing, Chen Ping'an, who had learned the news from Yu Minglong, was surprised by the coincidence.

Unfortunately, it happened to be the time when he was preparing to go to Wentian City.

There has been no news regarding the transaction of fourth-tier precious materials and fire-elemental essence for some time now.

He had already prepared to take a break under the pretext of seclusion before heading to Wentian City.

But before he could even speak, he learned of this news from Yu Minglong.

"That's fine, it'll only take a few days anyway. A month is enough to go to Wentian City and back. Also, if time is tight, you can consume fire-elemental essence in Wentian City to activate the Golden-Crowned Feathered Sparrow and mutate its bloodline."

Chen Ping'an was clear-headed and calm, with a keen understanding of the situation.

Shen Linyuan's visit is likely to flex his muscles and bolster the reputation of the Wenxin Sword Pavilion!
Within the Beishan Pass, the ecology is complex and the forces are numerous. Although the Wenxin Sword Pavilion is a large force within the Bicang territory, in terms of prestige and influence, it is second only to the Bicang County Prince's Mansion.

However, within the Beishan Pass, a single, all-encompassing authority could not ultimately exert its influence far and wide. Leaving aside the projections of power from various regional overlords, the Hengshan Sect alone was enough to give them a hard time.

Compared to the Bicang region and other states, the importance of Beishan Pass to Wenxin Sword Pavilion is beyond doubt.

Under such circumstances, with Shen Linyuan's recent advancement and the Wenxin Sword Pavilion's growing prestige, the first priority was naturally the Beishan Pass.

"That's interesting."

Chen Ping'an calmed himself down and then closed his eyes.

Now, his Thunderous Blade Technique is progressing steadily, and although he still lacks fourth-tier materials and fire-elemental essence for his bloodline body forging, he will not stop because of this.

The worst-case scenario is that one's bloodline tempering will be stuck at the last step, and one will have to wait for the fire-type spiritual object to arrive before attempting a breakthrough.

hum~
A glint of light flashed, and a bluish glow shone around Chen Ping'an.

Amidst the rolling mountains, the peaks are steep and the trees are tall, with a thin, dark mist swirling around them.

The distant mountains, majestic and imposing, dark green and towering, seemed to represent the vastness of heaven and earth, carrying an endless sense of oppression.

"The Netherworld Mountains!"

Amidst the mountains, a flash of light revealed two figures.

The speaker was dressed in a black sword robe, with a tall and handsome figure, sharp eyes like cold stars gleaming from swords, thick eyebrows that slanted into his temples, and a dark gold sword pattern between his brows.

Although he had some gray hair at his temples, he still retained a youthful spirit.

Shen Linyuan, Supreme Elder and Newly Appointed Celestial of the Sword Pavilion.

"It's been a long time since I've been here. The last time I came was to escort the sect's disciples on their training." The speaker was an old man with long, white eyebrows, his face showing a hint of nostalgia, as if he was recalling something.

"Elder Cangjian, returning to this familiar place, what are your thoughts?"

"Insights? Hahaha. I'm old, unlike you young people, what insights could I possibly have?" The old man laughed heartily, his face showing delight.

Wenxin Sword Pavilion, Supreme Elder, Second Realm Celestial, Hidden Sword Elder.

"As for you, having just experienced the grand event of testing swords and discussing the Dao, what are your feelings about coming to Beishan?" As he spoke, Elder Cangjian lowered his gaze and turned his head to look at him.

"My sword has traveled ten thousand miles, and I alone sing its praises." Shen Linyuan's gaze was calm, yet his spirit was high.

"Excellent!" Elder Cangjian was overjoyed and couldn't help but praise, "What spirit! This is the true destiny of our Sword Pavilion."

Shen Linyuan remained calm, gazing at the distant mountains, unmoved by the praise.

"Let's go, let's meet those old guys from Beishan, it's time to show them the might of my Sword Pavilion." Elder Cangjian said, and his sword flashed like lightning, shooting into the distance.

Shen Linyuan glanced at him, then transformed into a sword beam and followed.

In the distance, amidst the mountains, the majestic Daguan Fortress stands tall and imposing, its dark green walls conveying a sense of solemnity and the vicissitudes of time.

The Supreme Elder of the Sword Pavilion, the Hidden Sword Elder, and Shen Linyuan arrived at the North Mountain Pass with a grand procession.

Not only did the elders in charge of the Wenxin Sword Pavilion and other local authorities come forward, but the Beishan Town Pacification Division also sent people to welcome them, giving them ample face.

After entering the city, Yu Minglong, who was in charge of the Beishan Town Pacification Office and the garrison commander of Beishan Pass, made a special trip to meet with the two of them.

Shen Linyuan, a newly promoted Celestial Being from the Wenxin Sword Pavilion, has recently risen to fame, especially after the celebration. Despite being a newcomer, his combat strength is approaching that of a Celestial Being at the peak of the first realm.

With his talent, he may very well become a seasoned Celestial Being of the Second Realm, known for his ruthless and decisive killing prowess.

Leaving aside the future, even now, Shen Linyuan is not to be underestimated. In terms of killing prowess alone, looking across the Northern Mountain Pass, few below the Second Realm Celestial Being can match him.

Perhaps only Hou Xibai, the former prodigy and now the deputy garrison commander of Beishan, can surpass him.

Furthermore, even those like Ying Congyun and Wang Changlie are inferior in comparison.

However, Ying Congyun is known for his ability to escape danger and save his life, but killing power is not his forte.

Furthermore, Elder Cangjian accompanied the Wenxin Sword Pavilion on this trip. This Supreme Elder, whose combat strength consistently ranks among the top three within the Wenxin Sword Pavilion, has been renowned for many years. Looking across the Northern Mountain, perhaps only figures like Gu Yueqianfang and Lei Xiaotian can rival him in discussing the Dao.

In terms of sheer combat strength, Yu Minglong was superior to them, but he still showed sufficient respect to the distinguished guests who had come from afar.

"Fellow Daoist Tong, it must have been sixty years since we last parted." Yu Minglong's expression was bold and his laughter was hearty, which was infectious.

"Lord Yu."

Elder Cangjian's secular name was Tong, but few people knew it since he became famous. Hearing it now, he was quite grateful.

"It seems that your cultivation has improved even more in the years since we last met."

"Hahaha," Yu Minglong laughed heartily, then turned his gaze to Shen Linyuan beside him: "This must be Fellow Daoist Shen. Sharp eyes like swords, truly remarkable demeanor."

Shen Linyuan had silver hair at his temples, but he still retained a youthful air. Standing there, he resembled a divine sword, making it difficult for anyone to look away.

"Greetings, Lord Yu." In response to Yu Minglong's goodwill, he gently cupped his hands and performed a sword salute.

"Welcome, welcome, fellow Daoists. Your presence is an honor for Beishan."

During the exchange of pleasantries, Ying Congyun, who was standing to the side, also offered his welcome, his words conveying a sense of warmth and comfort.

As he spoke, he could faintly sense the sharp and vigorous sword intent emanating from Shen Linyuan.

Compared to Elder Cangjian, this newly promoted Celestial of Wenxin Sword Pavilion has a more flamboyant sword intent.

Ying Congyun smiled, but his mind was serious.

Under that sword intent, he faintly felt a trace of pressure.

Although he is a seasoned veteran of many years, he might not be very confident if he were to fight his opponent one-on-one.

However, he is known for his survival skills and, compared to sword cultivators, has more methods to subdue enemies and can handle more complex situations. In times of crisis, he has a higher chance of survival.

"Lord Ying."

Although Elder Cangjian had been guarding the sect for many years, he was familiar with the situation in Beishan. He was quite familiar with Ying Congyun, the deputy guard of Beishan, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, he casually mentioned Chen Ping'an.

Where is Lord Chen?

"Lord Chen has just taken office and is in charge of important affairs. He is very busy with official duties and cannot get away. Before coming here, he asked me to apologize to you both on his behalf."

Ying Congyun's answer was standard and smooth, without any flaws. However, Elder Cangjian's eyes were deep, and he still asked a question.

"Lord Chen has been in office for over two months, yet he still hasn't sorted out his official duties?" Elder Cangjian's words were not very polite, it was unclear whether it was because he hadn't attended the celebration or because he hadn't shown up today.

“It is good that you do everything yourself, but with Lord Chen’s talent, such hard work may affect your cultivation.” Perhaps realizing that his tone was too harsh and that he might be interfering in the internal affairs of the Zhenfu Division, Elder Cangjian turned to Yu Minglong and said a conciliatory sentence.

“Fellow Daoist Tong is right. However, Lord Chen is a prodigy who achieved fame at a young age and has always been cautious in his cultivation.” Yu Minglong laughed heartily, “My busy schedule this time is due to my upcoming retreat and seclusion. Fellow Daoist Tong, please don’t worry about it.”

"Seclusion?" Upon hearing this, Elder Cangjian was taken aback and asked in surprise, "Is Lord Chen preparing to break through the Heavenly Human Pass?"

This left him no choice but to be surprised. Although Chen Ping'an was a rising star, how long had it been since he became a Grandmaster? How could he have accumulated enough experience and made sufficient plans to break through to the next level?! Upon hearing Yu Minglong's words, even Shen Linyuan couldn't help but take a look.

Cultivation is not arithmetic. If you are fast at the beginning, you will naturally be fast later. If your natural talent is exhausted and your potential is exhausted, it is quite common to be stuck in a bottleneck for a hundred years.

Not to mention bottlenecks like the Heavenly Gate or the Illusionary Realm of the Heart Demon; even with ample preparation, one still needs to cultivate one's character and adjust one's state.

This now renowned rising star had met the other party several times in the Xuanling region. The fact that the other party now held a prominent position and could manipulate the situation in the region was enough to astonish him, let alone the information revealed by Minglong's words.

At that time, Chen Ping'an had not even reached the Grandmaster realm!
In just one or two years, he was well-prepared, consciously grasped the opportunity, and intended to break through the barrier.
Shen Linyuan glanced sideways, surprised, but his expression remained unchanged.

Among those present was Ying Congyun, who was similar to him. He was unaware of what Yu Minglong had said and was hearing it for the first time.

Are you preparing for a break and seclusion?
This is?

One should be aware of the ups and downs in one's heart and the complexities of one's thoughts.

The path of spiritual cultivation is long and arduous, with one mountain higher than another and one hurdle harder than another.

He was once considered a peerless genius by others.

Having just embarked on the path of martial arts, he entered the training stage in less than a day. Within a month, his Qi and blood began to form, and after three months, he entered the inner Qi stage, enabling him to fight against the three barriers of inner Qi.

Zhi Xuanguang's secret techniques and killing methods far surpass those of others in the same realm. Crossing borders is nothing more than commonplace for him.

The practice of cultivation, which others find extremely difficult, is as simple as eating and drinking for him. He rose through the ranks of the Dragon and Tiger, broke through to the Grandmaster realm, and then became a Great Grandmaster.
The journey of cultivation has been smooth sailing.

Then, years passed, and he was stuck at a bottleneck, unable to make any progress for many years.

After more than two hundred years of planning, they finally achieved their goal of becoming a celestial being.

Two hundred years of hardship and adversity, a day of triumph and high spirits.

Feeling the vastness of the world, taking in the scenery from the clouds, and looking down upon the splendor of the world.

The winds and clouds follow my will, and the scenery becomes ever-changing.

but.
For three hundred years, the bottleneck has remained unchanged; secret techniques and methods of killing have hindered progress.

In the past, we far surpassed those in our region; now we can barely protect ourselves.

Only when he reached the level of a celestial being did he realize how insignificant he was.

original
This world has never revolved around me.

Only by stepping outside his own limited perspective did he realize how vast the world was, and how extraordinary a prodigy like him was among those of similar talent.
There are plenty!
Those who can become celestial beings are all exceptionally talented and possess astonishing combat prowess.

But among the celestial beings, most ultimately become mere supporting characters. They must make way for the superior! The stronger must yield!
There are differences even among talents!

Those with natural talent often have smooth sailing, but once they reach their limit, they begin to realize how difficult it is to move forward. And when they exhaust their talents, they are trapped in the same place, unable to make any progress.

To break through limitations, one must either find a new path, rely on the wonders of nature, or seek a sliver of opportunity on the brink of life and death. Some travel far and wide, some contemplate the universe, and some live a simple, secluded life in seclusion.
Regardless of the choice made, it stems from the exhaustion of potential and the lack of natural talent, as the most ambitious and enterprising years have already passed.

Just like he always was.
The mighty blade of tomorrow!

This step, sooner or later, will eventually be faced!
But what he didn't expect was that even with the Heavenly Gate in front of him, Chen Ping'an was still able to forge ahead with determination and high spirits.

However, Yu Minglong's next words quickly dispelled his suspicions and his complicated thoughts of bullying him.

"Fellow Daoist Tong misunderstands. It was merely a chance gain that improved my skills a little."

"I see." Upon hearing this, Elder Cangjian breathed a sigh of relief.

Shen Linyuan, who was standing to the side, also lowered his gaze and stopped paying attention.

If Mang Dao is truly preparing to break through to the Celestial Realm, then regardless of whether he succeeds or not, his accumulated resources and talent alone are enough to move people.

But now.
It seems that this worry was somewhat unnecessary.

From different perspectives, the assessment of talent will naturally differ. To a master like Mang Dao, such talent is terrifying and can be described as astonishing.

But for celestial beings, their considerations extend far beyond that. Their long lifespans have allowed them to witness countless lives.

While they were amazed by Mang Dao's talent, it wasn't enough to completely move them or leave them speechless with shock.

After all, they were once considered peerless geniuses by everyone, capable of becoming celestial beings.

Some of the powerful cultivators at the Grand Cultivation level are even among the top three, or even the number one, of the Hidden Dragons throughout history. While they do value Mang Dao's talent to some extent, it shouldn't have affected their decisions to this extent.

The meaning of "talent" varies depending on one's circumstances.

Some people are fast while others are slow; some achieve fame at a young age while others are late bloomers. In terms of future achievements, there is no absolute difference between the two.

Those who cultivate quickly may not go far, and those who seem to have a glorious beginning may not end up the same way.

Everything in life is in your own hands!

With such a long lifespan, it's hard to say what the future holds for Mang Dao.

If Ying Congyun had been cut short at the height of his ambition and drive, those who heard of it would have sighed with regret, feeling that if he hadn't perished, he could have become a great cultivator of the Celestial Realm. How could one not lament the loss of such a promising future great cultivator of the Celestial Realm?

But the truth is that for the next two hundred years, he was always plotting against the heavens and man.

Having cultivated to this point, now nearing old age, he is still confined to the realm of the celestial being.

Let alone a major cultivation, even reaching the second level of the Celestial Realm would require him to exert all his strength and risk his life to have any chance of success.

Such things have happened many times in the world.

When one's natural talents are not yet exhausted, one is eager to make progress. But once one becomes tired, one can no longer maintain the momentum. When one's talents are depleted, a hundred years will be spent in hardship and stagnation, with little chance of making any progress.

Of the countless talented individuals in the world, how many will actually make it to the end?

The only one who can command the attention of all cultivators is the Precious Body Prodigy!

This is a talent that would move even a great cultivator. Born with extraordinary abilities and possessing hidden treasures, he is a prodigy with a precious body.

Such prodigies possess the true spirit of striving, and even at the realm of celestial beings, they find it difficult to overcome any bottlenecks. The key lies simply in the concept of time.

Of course, there are many different kinds of Treasure Body Prodigies, and there are also differences between them.

Ying Congyun's thoughts swirled in a hundred directions, and in the blink of an eye, endless ideas surfaced.

It seems that even a brute like Mang Dao, having reached this point, feels increasingly powerless as he approaches the impasse.

Ying Congyun recalled the pleasantries she exchanged with Chen Ping'an at the dinner party.

"I apologize for my presumption, Fellow Daoist. In the path of cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and environment are all essential, with wealth being the most important. The other three are determined by wealth. How difficult is that?"

"Oh? Fellow Daoist Chen is exceptionally talented and possesses outstanding combat skills, yet he also dares to make trouble over this?"

"To be honest, Fellow Daoist Ying, I intend to ascend to the Celestial Realm, which has cost me a great deal. Although I have made some gains, the precious materials, spiritual items, elixirs, and secret treasures are probably just a drop in the ocean. Not to mention the planning of other external resources, I have the will but not the means."

Although he had not exhausted his words, he clearly felt that he was no longer able to speak.

"It seems that Chen Ping'an's talent is nearing its limit."

After exchanging pleasantries, Ying Congyun entered the inner city with Shen Linyuan and the others.

Based on the analysis, Chen Ping'an has clearly passed the stage of being eager to make progress. If he does break through to the Celestial Realm one day, it will probably be when his talent is almost exhausted.

What we need to ask for next is only through chance, spiritual objects, good fortune, and luck.

We should judge based on how much of the cloud is real and how much is fake.

However, regardless of the circumstances, Chen Ping'an's situation is far better than it used to be; that's beyond doubt. (End of Chapter)