The Great Martial Saint!

"A fourth-tier treasure?"

Chen Ping'an's gaze fell on the fiery red flying boat beneath the old man, sensing the aura of a treasure of great value.

A fourth-tier flying boat, huh?
Rumors have it that alchemists are incredibly wealthy, far surpassing their peers, and seeing this today confirms it.

This treasure possesses the power to protect one's path, and even among martial arts masters, it is extremely rare. Only those who have reached the second realm of martial arts mastery have access to it.

However, while it may be widespread, it doesn't mean that one can afford to use the "escaping light treasure" to travel.

Most cultivators at the Second Realm possess treasures primarily for defense and offense, with very few possessing anything special that involves restriction or suppression. Such treasures as those of the old man are extremely rare.

"Master Gu".

Before the old man's fiery red flying boat could even land, several streaks of light rushed towards it.

The leader among them was none other than the Hidden Sword Elder of the Asking Heart Sword Pavilion.

"Brother Gu, it's been many years since we last met. You are still as energetic as ever." Elder Cangjian clasped his hands in a simple and ancient manner, performing a traditional greeting.

Upon seeing Elder Cangjian, Master Gu's face broke into a smile.

"Brother Tong, if it weren't for your insistence on inviting me, I might not have come to today's trade fair."

"Of course." Elder Cangjian laughed heartily, his voice full of energy: "We have known each other for hundreds of years, and I naturally understand Brother Gu's temperament. Today, I must thank Brother Gu for coming to lend a helping hand. With Brother Gu here, I feel much more at ease."

“Brother Tong, we met when we were both humble beginnings. Although we haven’t been in touch much over the years, since you’ve asked, I, Gu, must come over no matter what.”

Perhaps recalling the events of that year, Master Gu's smile deepened, and the deep furrows between his brows seemed to fade considerably.

"Hahaha," Elder Cangjian laughed heartily.

"Lin Yuan, this is Master Gu, one of my few good friends in this life."

"Master Gu." Shen Linyuan bowed respectfully, his expression solemn.

The value of a fourth-level alchemist is beyond the imagination of the world.

Especially someone like Master Gu, who is not just an ordinary fourth-level alchemist, whose alchemy skills are outstanding even among fourth-level alchemists.

He once possessed a high-quality fourth-tier pill that he had successfully refined, and he was extremely famous in the surrounding areas.

The key is
Master Gu is also a martial arts master who has entered the second realm.

Master Gu's reaction to Shen Linyuan's greeting was much more subdued.

"This must be the newly promoted Martial Arts Celestial of Sword Pavilion. I've heard of you. You defeated Hei Yue of the Yokoyama Sect at the Celestial Grand Ceremony. You're quite impressive."

"These are just some minor tricks, not worthy of Master Gu's praise." Shen Linyuan said modestly.

Compared to Shen Linyuan's reaction, Elder Cangjian's response was undoubtedly much more natural: "This is my Sword Pavilion's prodigy, a child of destiny. Brother Gu, if you encounter any obstacles or difficulties in your future cultivation, I will have to rely on you a lot."

Master Gu smiled noncommittally, neither agreeing nor refusing.

Seeing this, Elder Cangjian didn't take it to heart. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he welcomed Master Gu down.

Compared to him, who had been confined to his sect for many years, Master Gu had a much wider circle of friends. What he sought was not necessarily Master Gu himself, but rather the vast network of relationships centered around him.

Given Master Gu's status and his exquisite skill in fourth-order alchemy, his network of connections included many martial arts masters at the peak of the second realm, possessing formidable combat power. He even had good ties with some of the great masters of the celestial realm back in the day.

Although it may not be a great relationship, having this good connection makes it much easier to negotiate many things.

Even among the many celestial beings in Beishan Pass, Master Gu's status can be said to be in a class of its own.

The only one who can rival him is Yu Minglong, the garrison commander of Beishan, who is in charge of the system and holds the authority of righteousness.

The others, though also quite remarkable, were relatively weaker in terms of influence and impact.

Elder Cangjian wasn't surprised by Master Gu's attitude.

He and Master Gu had known each other for hundreds of years, which was indeed true. However, their relationship was far from being a life-or-death bond. In addition, they had not kept in touch for many years, and their feelings for each other had long since faded.

A small favor might not seem like much. But if you want the other party to put in some effort, that little bit of kindness might not be enough, and you'll inevitably have to spend some money.

However, the bond formed from humble beginnings is ultimately different. Even if it's not deep, the relationship is still far beyond that of ordinary friends.

Especially compared to the group of greedy people who surrounded Master Gu after he became famous, the relationship between the two was far superior.

As they spoke, the light faded and gradually dimmed, and the group landed on the cloud-covered mountain.

Although the exchange just now seemed long, it was actually only a fleeting moment to outsiders.

As soon as Master Gu landed and his figure became visible, people came to greet him.

"Master Gu Dan, this old man greets you." The speaker was an elderly man in his sixties with a simple and unadorned appearance.

"Fellow Daoist Huang." Facing the old man, Master Gu was quite polite, exchanging a few pleasantries.

This trading event is backed by the Qingmu Sect's Qingmu Workshop, which provides basic spiritual item transactions as a safety net to prevent any martial arts masters from making a wasted trip.

This elderly man in his sixties is the head of Qingmu Workshop, a subsidiary of the Qingmu Sect.

He is also a martial arts master who has entered the second realm, but in terms of prestige, he seems to be weaker than the likes of Lei Xiaotian and Gu Yueqianfang.

However, when they met before, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but pay more attention to this person.

Although this person looks old, he is actually full of vitality.

The Cuiwei region where the Qingmu Sect is located is rich in spiritual energy. Compared with other regions, it is more vibrant and often produces rare and exotic fruits and spiritual herbs.

Master Gu was stationed at Beishan Pass, and many of the spiritual materials and rare treasures used in alchemy came from the Cuiwei region. In addition, some of the pills he refined were also sold through the Qingmu Workshop.

There is a certain cooperative relationship between him and Qingmufang.

The reason for coming to Yunshan for this transaction is partly due to Elder Cangjian's influence, and partly because the shop Baoge, which was chosen to endorse this small meeting, was exquisitely selected.

“Master Gu.” Lei Xiaotian stood to the side and exchanged a few words with Master Gu.

"Pavilion Master Lei." Master Gu nodded slightly, neither warm nor cold.

"Hmph." Gu Yueqianfang stood at a distance from the crowd, looking at the scene before her, and snorted coldly in her heart.

"That old scoundrel."

As he scoffed inwardly, the other person seemed to sense something and gave him a cold look.

Gu Yueqian's expression was unfriendly, and he made no attempt to hide his attitude towards Master Gu.

Compared to the other martial arts masters, Gu Yueqianfang's attitude was undoubtedly somewhat unconventional.

However, the two had never had a good relationship. Many of the celestial beings present were aware of their past history, so they weren't surprised at the moment.

"He does look quite respectable," Gu Yueqianfang thought with a sneer, but did not step forward to provoke him.

The two had been rivals for years and knew each other's strengths and weaknesses well.

Although the other party is not skilled in killing, he is wealthy and possesses a wealth of protective techniques. If a fight were to break out, he might not be a match for him.

The wealth of a top-tier alchemist, especially with his profound skills and years of experience as a second-realm Celestial, would be enough for even Yu Minglong, known as the strongest in Beishan Pass, to disregard if he were to truly fight.

In addition, the other party has a wide circle of friends and has good karmic connections with many great spiritual practitioners.

Although he was confident, backed by the ancient Yue clan, he was still wary of a renowned fourth-tier alchemy master.

"Elder Gu Yue and Master Gu had a conflict when they were young because of a woman, which escalated and became a long-standing feud."

Ying Congyun's voice rang in Chen Ping'an's ears, gently explaining something to him.

Celestial beings possess keen hearing and sharp eyesight, with clear and pure souls. Even without consciously sensing, they can perceive many details. Even with the barrier of their souls, they dare not explain too loudly.

"I see." Chen Ping'an nodded gently.

Humans, too, have emotions and desires. Driven by self-interest, they differ in temperament and harbor old grudges. Even a small meeting cannot be entirely harmonious.

However, different personalities lead to different approaches to handling situations. Some people are cold and taciturn, while others are aggressive, and still others wear a forced smile, acting like a menacing tiger.

Many of the martial arts masters present are from opposing factions, and there is competition between them. However, this does not affect their business dealings.

Trade in competition, and compete in trade.

With the arrival of Master Gu, all the cultivators participating in this trade fair gradually arrived.

It has to be said, a fourth-level alchemist is quite prestigious.

The current situation, as evidenced by the attitudes of all parties, provides a clear indication of this.

The vast majority of the celestial beings present regarded Master Gu with a friendly attitude.

Master Gu seemed to be used to such occasions, and his expression did not change much in the face of the crowd's friendly greetings.

He only responded with words to a very small number of people.

Even so, this did not affect the attitude of others at all.

For martial arts practitioners, a good alchemist is like a benefactor on their path of cultivation.

Whether it's for healing and nourishing the spirit, or for advancing in spiritual practice, the support of elixirs is indispensable.

Such spiritual substances, though they can be consumed directly, are wasted if consumed in this way, as their effects are not fully integrated and their medicinal power is not fully refined and activated.

In such circumstances, a good alchemist becomes extremely valuable.

Even though Chen Ping'an wasn't directly involved, he could feel the adoration people had for alchemists. "It's a pity he's not a fourth-tier blacksmith."

Compared to elixirs, Chen Ping'an focuses more on forging.

Whether it's the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade he openly possesses, or the refined minerals and precious materials he secretly prepares, he has a need to forge powerful treasures.

In addition, he had previously traded with Hua Ruyue and obtained the feathers, wings, scales, claws, and inner core of the Golden-Crowned Bird.

He also intended to utilize all available resources through the blacksmith's intervention.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, Master Gu is currently very busy with social engagements. When he has some free time later, I will introduce you to him.” Ying Congyun’s voice rang in Chen Ping’an’s ear.

Although Chen Ping'an had no intention of making the acquaintance and was not particularly interested in whether or not he would, he accepted Yun's offer out of kindness.

"In that case, thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Ying. However..."
Just let things take their natural course; there's no need to force it.

Finally, when asked about the scene before they met, Chen Ping'an added a sentence.

"It's alright." Ying Congyun smiled lightly: "Fellow Daoist Chen is a young prodigy, ranking among the hidden dragons of the wind and clouds, and being listed on both lists. I'm sure Master Gu would also like to get to know Fellow Daoist Chen."

"That would be excellent."

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly, not taking Ying Congyun's words to heart.

This trade fair was a grand event, attracting a large number of people from all walks of life.

Even within the broader context of Beishan Pass, this is a unique and prestigious exchange event. Its high entry requirements likely place it among the most prestigious events in the region.

"Welcome, fellow Daoists, to the Cloud Mountain Gathering organized by my Wenxin Sword Pavilion. We are honored to have Master Gu with us today. With Master Gu here, you need not worry about the supply of pills for this trade fair."

We've heard that Master Gu has brought many miraculous elixirs this time, and we eagerly await his masterpieces. We also thank Qingmufang and Fellow Daoist Huang for their strong support of this small gathering. And thank you to Pavilion Master Lei and Elder Guyue. The rules for this Cloud Mountain Gathering and Cloud Trading are the same as in previous years.”

At the start of the trade fair, Elder Cangjian, with his long white eyebrows and beard, took charge of warming up the atmosphere and making introductions, and presided over this Yunshan Small Meeting.

Although Elder Cangjian has not been very active lately, all the Celestials present treated him with great courtesy and were quite respectful in their words.

Even someone like Gu Yueqianfang restrained her emotions and patiently listened to the other party's opening introduction.

The Sword Elder of the Sword Pavilion, known for his sword-wielding prowess, can cleave mountains with a single strike, leaving peaks suspended in mid-air. He is renowned among the second-realm Celestials for his formidable combat strength.

Even the mighty Rui Xiaotian and Gu Yueqianfang were not entirely confident in facing Elder Cangjian.

Without a doubt, these are strong individuals on the same level as them.

If this is the case for a few, then the remaining martial arts masters are even more so.

Even the red-haired old man restrained his emotions and listened to the other party's opening explanation.

In this atmosphere, the Cloud Mountain Meeting and Cloud Trading officially began.

The first phase of the meeting was the trading of spirit items supported by Qingmu Workshop.

Above the cloud-shrouded mountains, white mist swirls, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.

Various martial arts masters and pseudo-masters made bids and traded for the spiritual items that were constantly being presented.

Many pseudo-celestial beings were extremely enthusiastic about this, as it might be their only chance to gain something. In such a situation, they naturally offered their highest bids.

The spiritual items offered for trade at Qingmu Workshop are of excellent quality, far superior to those circulating in the market. Many of these items are also quite rare and not available on the market.

"Spirit Beast Supplies, Spirit Beast Feeding Pills."

Chen Ping'an noticed that An Qingyang had bought several bottles of nourishing elixirs at a considerable price.

Quasi-fourth-tier demonic beasts can breathe out the essence of heaven and earth and absorb the essence of the sun and moon, but in the long run, the supply may not be sufficient. In such cases, spirit beast provisions and spirit beast feeding pills are a powerful means of supplementation.

Such as spirit beasts, although they have been domesticated, they have not lost their blood and energy. Some species even contain a fierce aura. If the supply is insufficient for a long period of time, they may devour their master.

Even if the master is confident in his strength, there will be times when he is not careful, allowing the tamed spirit beast to take advantage of the situation, harm the innocent, and do evil.

However, in most cases, spirit beasts are quite obedient if they are properly trained.

"Indeed, raising more animals means more expenses."

Having witnessed the spectacle of Hou Xibai's spirit beast pulling a cart, Chen Ping'an had also considered taming spirit beasts. Therefore, he naturally paid closer attention to this matter.

Although An Qingyang is known as the number one pseudo-celestial being in Beishan, this title is mostly earned through the support of spiritual objects and financial resources.

Without that tamed spirit beast, even with his strength, though he might surpass many top-tier pseudo-celestial beings, he wouldn't have been able to earn such a reputation in the powerful Beishan Pass.

Besides the spirit beast provisions and spirit beast feeding pills, Chen Ping'an also noticed that the other party had made another purchase, buying some spirit wood resources and Qingling Spring water.

Without a doubt, it was also bought for the spirit beast.

The spirit beasts, after being tamed, reside within the spirit beast pouch. Unlike storage pouches and Thousand-Mechanism Pouches, the spirit beast pouch is closely connected to the outside world, its aura concealed only by secret techniques.

The size of the space varies depending on the grade of the spirit beast pouch.

Some large-sized spirit beasts have extremely strict space requirements, which in turn means huge and expensive expenses.

Due to spatial limitations and connection to the outside world, spirit beast bags are less valuable than storage bags, but if the space is extremely large, the price can still be quite high.

In addition, the environment inside the spirit beast bag is also crucial, such as the spirit spring water that it needs to drink daily, the habitat, and some picky spirit beasts are particular about the soil and minerals they live in.

In such circumstances, it would be no exaggeration to call the tamed spirit beasts a den of iniquity.

The stronger one's cultivation level and the higher one's realm, the faster one can earn Yuan Crystals, but this does not mean that their accumulation speed is the same.

Someone like An Qingyang, without special opportunities, would probably be a beast of burden for life in the Zhenfu Division.

His situation is merely a microcosm of many martial arts prodigies and pseudo-prodigies. They are all largely the same, differing only slightly in their circumstances.

Even those who cultivate to the level of a Celestial Being still have all sorts of needs. The higher one's cultivation level, the more ways one can earn money, but the expenses involved also increase.

Even with both factors combined, the overall situation may not be much easier.

However, for cultivators in the lower realms, the celestial beings stand on the clouds, and even a tiny bit between their fingers is enough for someone to struggle for half a lifetime.

These differences stem from differences in social status, but they do not reflect how comfortable the lives of celestial beings are.

Of course, if viewed from a lower perspective, it is indeed nourishing.

However, for celestial beings, compared to those in the same realm, such circumstances may not be so.

Chen Ping'an felt a sense of understanding and gained a deeper appreciation for the survival ecology of martial arts immortals.

Under these circumstances, the first phase of the spiritual item trading gradually came to an end.

This transaction is a safety net, to ensure that no celestial being leaves empty-handed. The spiritual items included, while not particularly rare to celestial beings, are still quite noteworthy.

Among them were celestial beings who purchased some spiritual items.

Although Chen Ping'an didn't fancy any of the spiritual items being traded, he would still symbolically make a move if he came across a suitable one.

After a series of transactions, he managed to buy several suitable items.

Most of them are auxiliary materials for forging, and there are also some spiritual resources, which can more or less help the cultivation of grandmasters and promote the loosening of barriers.

The rarest item among them is a Golden Light Thunder Pearl of considerable quality. Compared to ordinary Golden Light Thunder Pearls, its power is one-third greater, and its destructive power is enough to threaten the life of a top-tier pseudo-celestial being. It also carries considerable weight and threat to martial arts celestial beings.

This is equivalent to the peak strike of a normal martial arts master.

This transaction cost Chen Ping'an a considerable amount of Yuan Crystals. However, compared to his net worth, it was nothing.

The Golden Thunder Pearl was useless to him, but it would be a good choice to give it as a gift.

The opportunity is right now, so it's just a convenient way to make a deal.

Seeing Chen Ping'an make a transaction and purchase the Golden Thunder Pearl, the others were not surprised.

After all, no matter how famous Chen Ping'an is, he is still only a Grandmaster. Even if he is among the most influential, he can only contend with pseudo-Celestials, and there is still a significant gap between him and a true Martial Celestial.

It's not unusual to acquire a trump card for survival.

Refining artifacts like the Golden Thunder Pearl hold little appeal for celestial beings; even if they desire them, it's primarily for the benefit of future generations. For them personally, they are merely ordinary.

If it's a black lightning pearl above a golden lightning pearl, then that's a different story.

This is a top-tier killing technique capable of contending with a second-stage perfected Celestial Being, and for a Martial Celestial Being, it is also a powerful weapon to be used as a trump card. Among them, the finest Thunder Pearl can even contend with a great cultivator for a short time.

Even someone as skilled as Lei Xiaotian and Gu Yueqianfang would go to great lengths to acquire such items.

However, it is clear that Qingmufang does not possess such items in its reserves. Even the defective products among them are not items that can be sold through ordinary channels.

perhaps
In places like Wentian City, a major city in the northern border, there are exhibitions and trades of various crafting techniques.

In the ensuing transactions, all the spiritual items provided by Qingmu Workshop were quickly sold out.

This cloud-based meeting and cloud-based trading has officially entered its second phase.

All parties showcased their resources, stated their needs, planned transactions, and exchanged information.

Under these circumstances, Chen Ping'an finally mustered his spirits.

"coming."

His gaze fell upon the first martial arts master in the distance, who was displaying his spiritual resources. (End of Chapter)