The Great Martial Saint!

"Fellow Daoist Chen, this time it was due to my lack of foresight."

He should lower his head and bow to express his apology.

This introduction, by no means, can be considered pleasant.

"Fellow Daoist Ying, there's no need for that. This is not something that could have been predicted."

Chen Pingan raised his hand slightly, seemingly unconcerned.

A mere ancient alchemist is not worthy of such treatment.

"No matter what, it's Ying's fault." Ying Congyun said apologetically in a soft voice.

Chen Ping'an then offered a few gentle words.

Regardless of what Yun thinks from her heart, this attitude is undoubtedly comforting.

Ying Congyun had been in Beishan Pass for many years. Although his combat strength was not as good as Hou Xibai's, he had been able to stand on equal footing with him for so long, so he must have some skill.

As they talked, Chen Ping'an overheard some of the conversations around him, including people mentioning the Ice Soul Cold Water.

"Ice Soul Cold Water?"

Chen Ping'an's heart stirred; this was the second time he had heard of the Ice Soul Cold Water.

The first time was with the ancient alchemist, using fourth-grade treasure pills and breakthrough spirit pills as bargaining chips for priority trading, one of which was this Ice Soul Cold Water.

As alchemists, ancient alchemists needed medicinal guides to harmonize the properties of other medicines during the alchemy process.

Among them, some spiritual water is needed, such as Heavenly Spring Water and Clear Spring Water. This Ice Soul Cold Water is one of them, and it is a relatively rare type.

Chen Ping'an's focus on the Ice Soul Cold Water was naturally not on its efficacy as a medicinal ingredient, but rather...
The icy water is frozen solid and chills to the bone; even a celestial being would find it difficult to withstand immersion in it.

He possesses a fourth-tier rare artifact, the Deep Sea Pearl, whose inner water can be completely replaced with Ice Soul Cold Water.

Its destructive power and the force of the water are so great that even a celestial cultivator would find it difficult to withstand its might!

The deep sea realm formed by the icy, frigid waters is so cold that even a celestial cultivator cannot withstand it. Some cultivators who are not skilled in physical training, even with the nourishment of the power of heaven and earth, will likely experience paralysis of their limbs and stagnation of their qi and blood if they are delayed even slightly. Even their true essence and divine soul will become stagnant.

Although he didn't know much about the extraordinary power of the Martial Dao Grand Celestial, according to his imagination, if such a water realm really existed, even a Martial Dao Grand Celestial would probably find it difficult to operate freely in this icy water realm formed by the Ice Soul Cold Water, and his strength would definitely be limited, making it difficult to exert his full strength.

Even if one wanted to escape and leave the water realm, the deep-sea pearl, a fourth-tier wonder, was filled with a continuous stream of icy, cold water, creating an oppressive atmosphere that was utterly hopeless.

If that fourth-tier wonder, the Deep Sea Pearl, truly reaches such a level, completely filled with Ice Soul Cold Water, its power would probably be unmatched even by top-tier treasures.

but
In this situation, Chen Ping'an could only think about it.

The Ice Soul Cold Water is extremely rare, and when used as a medicinal ingredient, it's stored in bottles. Even a small jar is considered quite remarkable. Its value is at least in the tens of thousands of crystals.

To fill the deep sea with pearls to create a water realm, that level of...
Chen Ping'an recalled the astonishing volume of water that swept across the mountain cliffs during his previous battle with the Dream Lotus Lord.

Leaving aside whether it's possible to collect so much Ice Soul Cold Water, and how much effort it would take, even if it were possible, the sheer wealth it represents would likely be enough to make a martial arts master despair.

Using bottled rare spiritual items to replenish a fourth-tier wonder, the Deep Sea Pearl—such a bizarre idea is probably only something Chen Ping'an could come up with.

However, filling it with icy cold water is impractical; using cold water would be more realistic.

Compared to the Ice Soul Cold Water, the Cold Water also possesses some unique characteristics. Although its icy chill does not threaten a Martial Dao Grandmaster, its sheer power is enough to give an ordinary Grandmaster cultivator a run for their money.

Furthermore, if a small amount of Ice Soul Cold Water is mixed in, it may have unexpected effects.

When combined, their power is probably not much different from that of a top-tier treasure.

The key is
If we could use the method of refining heavy water to refine cold water, and then supplement it with some Ice Soul Cold Water, Hundred Poison Water, Thousand Poison Water, or even Ten Thousand Poison Water, then...
This fourth-tier wonder, the Deep Sea Pearl, has an extremely promising future.

Unfortunately, Chen Ping'an has not yet mastered the method of refining heavy water, so such an attempt can only be made later.

As for those strange objects, they are naturally present in the deep sea, but without human intervention. Although they have the effect of heavy water, their overall power is not substantial enough.

If there is a special method, even without cold water, the power of the deep-sea pearl can be greatly enhanced after being refined.

However, even with Chen Ping'an's strong foundation and reputation for endurance, truly refining such a large amount of heavy water would likely require a considerable amount of effort.

No wonder those celestial beings and old monsters, if they want to improve the power of their cultivation techniques, often go into seclusion for several or even more years.

This kind of refining is truly a time-consuming and energy-intensive task.

For a puppeteer, just imagining the scenario of accumulating a diverse and unique puppet army is enough to tell you how much time that would take.

Leaving aside resource planning and material collection, the refining process alone takes a massive amount of time.

The most despairing thing is that there is still a possibility of failure during the refining process. The more you want to enhance the puppet's power and make it unique, the more this is the case.

How much of the material can be recycled depends entirely on luck.

It's no wonder that puppeteers are heartbroken when their puppets are damaged.

In those biographical novels, the villainous puppet army is severely wounded, which makes him appear so enraged.

Reasonable.

You don't feel any pain because the injury isn't on your body. But if it were on your own head, you'd probably want to tear someone to pieces.

You see the whole picture; he sees each and every one of them.

This was painstakingly crafted, bit by bit, day and night, with immense effort and countless hours of work!
All that painstaking effort has led to today's achievements, only to have them crumble so quickly. Who could withstand that?
Just as Chen Ping'an was pondering and calculating, a voice rang out from Mount Yun.

"I have long admired Lord Chen for his unparalleled talent and astonishing combat prowess. Today, with such a momentous occasion, I, Qiu, am eager to learn from you. I humbly request Lord Chen's guidance."

The swords rang out in unison, as if tearing through the sky, pointing directly at Chen Ping'an.

After a brief silence, many celestial beings looked at the scene before them with great interest.

"Oh?"

Chen Ping'an narrowed his eyes and looked at the man pointing his sword in the distance.

The man had high brow bones and sharp eyes; it was Qiu Siping.

Ask the Heart Sword Pavilion, Rifting Sky Sword, Qiu Siping.

At that time, at the Azure Dragon Banquet, the first-class existence received all the attention.

Unexpectedly, in just two years, the other party would point a sword at him and use him as a test of their swordsmanship.

"That's really true."
interesting."

"Qiu Siping".

Among the group of pseudo-celestial beings, An Qingyang focused his gaze on the spirit beast in the spirit beast pouch, which was stirring restlessly.

The sword intent emanating from the cloud-covered mountain clearly excited his spirit beast.

An Qingyang never expected that such a scene would occur at this Yunshan Small Meeting, with a challenge being issued to Chen Ping'an of their Beishan Town Commandery.

"This Qiu Siping is really getting worse as he gets older," a pseudo-celestial being sneered.

To challenge a grandmaster to a duel—how could he even think of that?

However, some pseudo-celestial beings were quick-witted and immediately saw through the mystery. Elder Cangjian secretly glanced at Shen Linyuan, who stood on a distant mountain peak.

Regardless of the reactions on the field, everyone was curious about Chen Ping'an's response.

Qiu Siping, with his fierce swordsmanship and nicknamed the Sky-Splitting Sword, possesses combat prowess sufficient to suppress even top-tier pseudo-celestial beings.

Even among the many pseudo-celestial beings in Beishan Pass, he is still considered one of the top. Looking around the scene, among the pseudo-celestial beings, only An Qingyang can be said to be superior to him.

As for the others, I have absolutely no confidence.

"Mangdao"
Will you accept the challenge?

A pseudo-celestial being looked at Chen Ping'an not far away with deep eyes and a look of fear on his face.

Qiu Siping's sudden challenge drew the attention of not only pseudo-celestial beings but also celestial beings.

Master Gu gently opened his slightly closed eyes. He didn't look at Qiu Siping, who was holding a sword in the arena, but glanced at Elder Cangjian before looking away.

"This Qiu Siping." Fang Chengping's eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting this turn of events.

"The Sword Pavilion of Inquiry into the Heart, they really can't wait." Wang Changlie glanced at the arena and made a clear assessment of the situation.

The Grand Ceremony of Heaven and Man, Shen Linyuan's marriage proposal, the Gu family's response, the reputation of the valiant swordsman, and the small gathering at Yunshan.
The Taoist priest in the yellow robe, with a curious expression, sat cross-legged on a rock, watching the scene with great interest.

The lean old man hid under a rock, muttered to himself that he was courting death, and then looked away.

The celestial beings were all lost in thought, and at that moment, Chen Ping'an's response rang out from above the clouds.

"Today's small meeting, a transaction within the clouds, is quite inappropriate, Fellow Daoist Qiu? I'd like to know, is this Fellow Daoist Qiu's intention, or..."

Chen Ping'an remained calm as he spoke, slowly raising his eyes to look at Elder Cangjian and Shen Linyuan on the distant peak.

"What do you all think, members of the Asking Heart Sword Pavilion?"

His words, though calm, were like a wildfire, seemingly poised to erupt.

Such a response was clearly unexpected by most of the celestial beings present.

"This 'wild knife'?" Someone looked wary, their eyes deep.

Some of the older, more experienced individuals watched with amusement and interest.

Chen Ping'an raised his eyes and looked down, his expression calm as he gazed at the figure in the distance, as if asking a normal question, yet also as if accusing it.

"It is Qiu's will to challenge me." Qiu Siping stood with his sword, the sword intent resounding: "Sir, you are a prodigy with amazing talent. As a Grandmaster, you can kill a pseudo-Celestial. Ranked seventh in the Wind and Cloud, I, Qiu, am itching to fight. Today, I, Qiu, am not talented enough to challenge you. I am willing to learn from your superior skills."

Qiu Siping's sharp and resonant voice rang out, stirring up wisps of white mist. Chen Ping'an remained calm, his gaze fixed on the two figures.

He seemed oblivious to Qiu Siping's response, waiting for the reply from Cangjian and the other man.

A brief silence seemed to descend upon the cloud-capped peaks.

"Lord Chen, you misunderstand. Today's meeting was originally for a transaction. My Wenxin Sword Pavilion has absolutely no such intention. Whether to fight or not is entirely up to your will. My Wenxin Sword Pavilion will never force anyone." The Hidden Sword Elder's gentle voice rang out. He had long, snow-white eyebrows and a hearty laugh, and seemed very easy to get along with.

"Elder Tong, you have quite the refined taste. After hundreds of years, you still find it enjoyable to play these tricks with me, Chen."

Chen Pingan chuckled and then turned his gaze to Qiu Siping.

"In that case, Fellow Daoist Qiu, I accept this challenge. However..."

Chen Ping'an paused, his gaze calm and unfathomable.

"Are you aware of Chen's rules, Fellow Daoist Qiu?"

"Please enlighten me, Lord Chen." Qiu Siping's expression was cold and stern.

"Since Fellow Daoist Qiu has challenged me, then be prepared to leave your life here." Chen Ping'an slowly reached out and placed his hand on the sword at his waist.

The Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade had a jet-black scabbard, so black it was almost heavy.

"Chen's blade, once drawn, will surely draw blood; a battle to the death will decide everything!"

After he finished speaking, there was a brief silence in the room.

Scenes flashed through Ying Congyun's mind. His words were gentle and polite. Looking at the scene in front of him, he couldn't tell which one was the Mangdao he knew.

That's it.
Mangdao?

Chen Ping'an, the valiant swordsman!
A ruthless and decisive blade, a reckless and aggressive warrior?

Ying Congyun stood not far from Chen Ping'an, as if he were meeting him for the first time.

"Ok?"

Master Gu raised his eyes slightly, surprised. He hadn't expected that Mang Dao, who had seemed so peaceful before, would speak so forcefully and with such imposing manner.

Lei Xiaotian, Gu Yueqianfang, and the other celestial beings looked at the figure in the distance with surprise, never expecting such a scene.

A sword drawn will surely draw blood; a duel to the death is here!

Chen Ping'an
So resolute, leaving no room for negotiation!
In the distance, the Taoist priest in the yellow robe had a kind face and a hint of appreciation in his eyes. He looked at the scene in front of him and found it quite interesting.

Amidst swirling clouds and mist, a swordsman wields his sword, while a young man strokes his blade, their demeanor serene as still water.

"Today, fellow Daoists have gathered, which is a grand and elegant occasion. Lord Chen, if it is a friendly exchange, why be so resolute?" Elder Cangjian's voice rang out, his words seemingly intended to appease.

"Since Fellow Daoist Qiu does not represent the Sword Inquiry Pavilion, then this matter has nothing to do with Elder Tong. Since it has nothing to do with Elder Tong..."

Chen Ping'an remained calm, his gaze deep, and he didn't even glance at Elder Cangjian.

"Take care of yourself first. Whether to respond or not is up to Fellow Daoist Qiu."

"you"

Elder Cangjian's face twitched, and he almost lost his composure.

He looked at the celestial beings around him, finally suppressing his displeasure, and stared at Chen Ping'an below with a gloomy expression.

"You brat, I'll see how you die!"

"I, Qiu, accept Lord Chen's request. However, given your noble status and high position, I dare not harm you." Qiu Siping's voice was calm, but his words were full of confidence.

He has cultivated his swordsmanship for many years, but his Dao heart was flawed in the past, preventing him from truly ascending to the celestial realm. However, today, his combat prowess, swordsmanship, and sword intent are all top-notch.

Even if Chen Ping'an truly possessed the legendary top-tier pseudo-celestial power, he would still suppress him here.

To kill him?

How absurd!
"Fellow Daoist Qiu, there's no need to hold back. This is Chen."

Chen Ping'an's gaze was deep, calm, and indifferent.

"That is also true."

Clang!
The long sword was drawn, its blade gleaming white, exuding an aura of dominance that soared into the sky.

Overlord Blade, domineering blade intent!
"So good."

Qiu Siping's brow bones were high and his sharp sword intent soared into the sky.

"I, Qiu, have learned a great deal from Lord Chen!"

Swish!
A surge of sword light erupted, tearing through the sky.

The sword's cry echoed like a crane's call in the heavens, piercing through countless layers of clouds and mist on the green peaks.

The Sky-Splitting Sword, a single strike cleaves the sky! (End of Chapter)