The Great Martial Saint!

Below the cliffs of the Black Nether Mountains.

hum~
Four command flags fluttered out, hovered in mid-air, and transformed into blue flames, forming a confining space that isolated the inside from the outside.

Chen Ping'an sat down cross-legged, raised his hand, and many things appeared in front of him.

"A very fruitful harvest."

Chen Ping'an looked delighted, his eyes sparkling with delight.

To be precise, the word "abundant" is insufficient to describe this harvest.

Master Hongfeng, Venerable Zhenyue, Hidden Sword, Shen Linyuan, and others.
They were willing to give up all the resources and bargaining chips that Gu had.

They made a fortune and reaped a rich harvest.

hum~
A flash of light appeared on Chen Ping'an's brow, and a rainbow bridge shone brightly on his spiritual platform. His divine soul power rippled out without reservation.

The perfect Dao foundation is revealed, and the black and white meanings of the divine soul and phenomena intertwine.

Previously, due to the presence of many celestial beings, he had not conducted a thorough investigation to prevent any oversights.

At least in terms of revealing his spiritual power, he held back to prevent it from affecting his persona and causing any flaws or oversights.

But now that he has left the battlefield, he naturally wants to eliminate all future troubles.

A flash of inspiration, a surge of spiritual energy, and he began to examine each of the many spiritual objects before him in the order they appeared.

Since we are dealing with a matter of life and death, we should proceed with utmost caution.

When something is of great importance, no amount of trouble is necessary.

As he is now, he has not yet regained his true appearance and continues to act as a middle-aged man in a scholar's robe.

As a set of top-tier divine weapons, the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags are of excellent quality, but their effect is still too poor for a seasoned Celestial Being at the Second Realm.

Even if he uses his divine soul to enhance his power, it is difficult to guarantee that this isolated space can achieve the desired effect and conceal all prying eyes.

Although he senses all directions with his soul and is on constant alert, if he were to revert to his original form...

If a problem does arise, it may be too late to cover it up.

Even if we manage to catch up, there's no guarantee that things won't go wrong.

He can succeed countless times, but he cannot fail even once.

The consequences of a single failure may be unbearable.

Taking chances is absolutely unacceptable.

"Even a complete set of top-tier divine weapons, in terms of overall effectiveness, is still lacking."

Chen Ping'an sighed.

At his current level, even top-tier divine weapons are completely out of his league. They can still be used appropriately on the surface, but in reality, their effectiveness is almost nonexistent.

Top-tier divine weapons like the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags might offer some assistance. However, it's likely that before long, this set of confinement-type divine weapons, which he relies so heavily on, will be relegated to the dustbin of history.

Great treasure!

At his current level, to provide significant assistance, it would need to be at least a treasure of the highest quality.

If it were of the highest quality, that would be even more ideal.

As for
A top-tier treasure!?
This was something he had been planning all along.

Chen Ping'an used his spiritual senses to examine the spiritual object in front of him.

Today's harvest has exceeded my expectations.

He attended the Cloud Mountain Gathering today specifically for the fourth-tier treasure material, fire-elemental essence. He hadn't given any other thought to it.

Who would have thought that, starting with Venerable Zhenyue of Hengshan Sect and True Man Hongfeng, this harvest would be endless.

After a series of transactions and planning, not only did he not spend any resources, but his personal wealth also skyrocketed, more than doubling.

He obtained a secret treasure, three pseudo-heavy treasures, and a fourth-grade refined ore from Venerable Zhenyue and True Man Hongfeng. The total value of these resources was equivalent to hundreds of thousands of yuan in crystals.

That treasure was obtained from Master Hongfeng. It looked like a tortoise shell, with mottled marks and faint cracks.

Chen Pingan carefully sensed it and found that there were no traces of human intervention left on it. After his soul was cleansed, there was no trace of any remaining aura.

Unlike treasures, most secret treasures do not require refining and can be used directly upon acquisition.

The advantage is that it is extremely efficient and does not waste too much time. However, the disadvantage is also obvious: if not properly stored, it can easily be used by others, thus becoming an asset to them.

There was a rumor that during a battle between martial arts masters, one of them used a secret treasure that was made from the opponent's special treasure, which he then seized on the spot and used for his own purposes. With the balance of power shifting, he naturally ended up in a miserable state.

However, there are also some secret treasures that, while not requiring refining, have extremely restrictive conditions and cannot be used by just anyone. These kinds of treasures are mostly quite powerful, and some are even from secret realms, left behind by ancient cultivators.

Chen Ping'an examined the tortoise shell and discovered that although this treasure could also be activated with true essence and divine soul, it was most effective when activated with blood and qi.

This is a magical artifact with protective properties. Although it is damaged, its effects are still quite good.

"good."

Chen Ping'an tried it briefly and then carefully stored it away.

Unlike ordinary treasures, most secret treasures, no matter how powerful, are difficult to store in one's spiritual platform. They can only be stored using storage tools like the Thousand-Mechanism Bag.

As for spirit beast pouches, those can naturally be collected as well. However, the space inside a spirit beast pouch is not isolated, offering extremely poor privacy and security. For some cultivators skilled in sensing, it's like holding a fire in broad daylight, completely exposed.

Although the interior space of the spirit beast pouch is large, it is mostly used for spirit pets and spirit beasts. Even some high-level spirit beast pouches have a concealing effect, but that is only for the spirit beast itself.

With this tortoise shell, Chen Ping'an has gained another valuable asset.

While it may not be considered top-of-the-line, it's a decent vest for certain situations.

As for those fake treasures, Chen Ping'an didn't take a liking to any of them.

Once a suitable opportunity arises, it can be used as a bargaining chip to be traded in exchange for appropriate resources.

When certain sects or powerful factions engage in transactions, the items they require are not necessarily high-end strategic resources. Items like pseudo-heavy treasures, used to enrich a sect's resources, can also serve as valuable bargaining chips.

Aside from secret treasures and pseudo-heavy treasures, the highest grade of those spiritual items was only quasi-fourth grade, and the resources and supplements for body tempering and physical training held no appeal for him.

That piece of fourth-tier refined ore, however, is not bad. It can be kept as a resource reserve for later use.

Compared to the Red Peak of Hengshan Town, the harvest at Cangjian is much simpler.

Whether it was because this old scoundrel didn't have the habit of carrying resources with him, or for some other reason, he didn't have many truly valuable items on him.

The most valuable item among them was his sword, with its cold blade and unique edge.

This is a truly precious treasure, and even among treasures of this rank, it is quite remarkable.

If a suitable channel can be found, the value should not be less than 250,000 yuan per crystal.

"But they still hold small trading meetings, even though they don't have any decent resources."

Chen Ping'an had a flash of inspiration and immediately put away the sword. He had already refined the sword's aura with his divine soul, but further refining it was not something that could be done in a short time.

Even with his current cultivation level and spiritual foundation, it would be impossible for him to finish refining this sword in less than one or two months.

However, he had no intention of performing the ritual.

The symbolism of this sword is too obvious; it's inappropriate for either the real person or an alias to use it.

Its ultimate purpose is to be used in transactions and as a bargaining chip.

Chen Ping'an remained calm and did not feel any regret.

He admired swordsmen and longed to wear swords, but all of that was impossible.
Gu Qingcheng had already satisfied his needs.

Swordsmanship as vast as the moon, swords adorned with stars.

Speaking of which, as his cultivation level has increased, he can feel the resilience of that sword more and more. Even with his current physical training and all-out effort, he cannot do anything to that sword.

It's unclear where Gu Qingcheng found this treasure. Although it has no magical properties, its toughness surpasses that of many other treasures.

Although Cangjian didn't have a lot of resources, all things considered, he still gained nearly 400,000 yuan crystals. The biggest part of it was naturally that precious sword.

Normally, a renowned and experienced Celestial Being like Cangjian would typically possess two or three powerful treasures.

The gains should be more than just these.

It's unclear whether Cangjian, being a sword cultivator, lacks other valuable treasures or whether his long-term guarding of the sect has led to a change in his approach.
Regardless of the reason, the gains this time are quite considerable.

Besides the Hidden Sword, there are also the items on Shen Linyuan's person. Compared to the seasoned Celestial Sword Master Hidden Sword, this youngest Supreme Elder and the pride of the Heart Sword Pavilion, Shen Linyuan's resources are clearly beyond his expectations.

The harvest was comparable to that of the Hidden Sword Sect.

It's important to know that Chen Ping'an didn't take the sword that Shen Linyuan was carrying.

If that portion is included, his wealth is even greater than that of Cangjian.

Although some of the wealth carried by the Hidden Swordsman may not represent his entire fortune, it is still a formidable foundation.

As a newly promoted martial arts master, Shen Linyuan's accumulated experience undoubtedly far surpasses that of his peers, exceeding that of most, and even a considerable number, of the veteran masters.

"It seems that the previous Grand Ceremony of Heaven and Man was quite successful."

In grand ceremonies like the Celestial Ceremony held by sects, a portion of the celebratory gifts belong to the sect as a return gift in exchange for favors among sects. However, a considerable portion of the gifts are given to the main figures of the Celestial Ceremony.

As for the profit-sharing ratio, it depends entirely on the specific circumstances, the person's status and the degree of importance they receive within the sect.

Clearly, Shen Linyuan holds a significant position within the Wenxin Sword Pavilion and receives extremely high-level treatment.

Chen Ping'an's emotions shifted, and he couldn't help but let his mind wander.

"Could this be considered as him indirectly participating in Shen Linyuan's Celestial Ceremony?"

Although he didn't attend Shen Linyuan's Heavenly Ceremony, he still shared in the congratulatory gifts, didn't he?

As Chen Ping'an pondered this, his gaze fell upon the final harvest.

This gain is the most significant among all the gains.

Three Rejuvenating Pills, two Spirit-Clearing Pills, one Divine Soul Secret Pill, one Fourth-Order Longevity Pill, and a bottle of Ice Soul Cold Water.
A four-tiered flying boat!
Its total value is nearly one million yuan!

In particular, the fourth-order longevity pill is an extremely rare strategic resource, which even a Grandmaster cultivator might covet.

"Alchemists are really rich," Chen Ping'an couldn't help but sigh again.

"What a pity," he thought for a moment, then dismissed his plan.

Gu Yuansheng has been famous for many years, and his alchemy skills are profound. Even among fourth-level alchemists, he is extremely outstanding. Over the years, who knows how much wealth he has accumulated, or how many life-saving trump cards he has?

From the red flames covering the talisman, one can glimpse a part of the whole picture.

If you really want to take advantage of him, you might not get what you want.

Given the other party's wealth, it's not surprising that they would devise a real trump card to save their life.

The other party has a wide circle of friends and has cultivated many relationships, which is more than just a few.

Those who can treat others as equals must have something to rely on.

His intention was not this; the gains he has made have already exceeded expectations, so there is no need to increase the risks or add extra costs.

No matter how good the resources or how wealthy he is, once he achieves mastery and his combat power surpasses all others in the same realm, what need will he have for resources?

His move this time was perfectly timed, not only achieving all his objectives but also aligning with his strategic vision.

His actions, though seemingly casual, were actually guided by a set of rules.

Hengshan Sect, Hongfeng Zhenren, Zhenyue Venerable, preserve your life and clear away your possessions appropriately.

By sparing their lives, the Hengshan Sect's prestige can be maintained, and pressure can be exerted on the Wenxin Sword Pavilion, creating a situation of rivalry without complete conflict, thus stabilizing Bi Cang and ensuring that he can cultivate in peace.

He spared Cangjian's life for two reasons: first, to settle the matter openly and transparently, merely collecting some interest in advance; second, to use this opportunity to sow discord within the Wenxin Sword Pavilion. After this incident, will the relationship between Gu and Cangjian remain as harmonious as before?

That's questionable.

Gu might make up for today's losses elsewhere. Especially since this involves Cangjian's life, he has a legitimate reason and a justifiable cause. With Gu's influence, if he insists on suppressing them, Wenxin Sword Pavilion will definitely not be able to shirk its responsibility.

In addition, there is Shen Linyuan as a bargaining chip.

This move, under the sharp sword, not only deprived the Heart Sword Pavilion of Gu's support, but also caused internal strife and additional losses.

Although he did not directly attack the Asking Heart Sword Pavilion, this move is likely to give them a hard time.

Regardless of the outcome, causing some trouble is probably not difficult.

Thirdly, and quite importantly, Cangjian is half-crippled and has suffered a great loss. Even if he recovers, it's difficult to guarantee he'll still be at the second realm level, which is not enough to cause any trouble. Today's foreshadowing also sets the stage for what's to come.

As for Shen Linyuan, he had not shown any clear malice at the previous gathering in Yunshan. This time, taking away his Thousand Machine Bag can be considered punishment for his actions.

Back in Xuanling City, during the Yunzhu transaction, although the other party's intentions were not with him, in retrospect, they did act as a recommender to him.

It was during this brief meeting that he came into contact with the Black Rock Monster and learned about the Xuan Turtle's True Blood. He then plotted to use it as the Qingyang Blood Refinement for the second refinement of True Blood.

Because of this cause and effect, Chen Ping'an spared Shen Linyuan's life, and did not pick up the sword.

In this way, the merits and demerits will be balanced, and the cause and effect will be eliminated.

If any disputes arise again in the future, then each should rely on their own abilities, and there is no need for further discussion.

The Hidden Sword is half-crippled, Shen Linyuan is seriously injured, and his relationship with Gu changes.
With the balance of power shifting between the Wenxin Sword Pavilion and the Hengshan Sect, their former prominence has likely diminished considerably.

From this point on, the roles of offense and defense changed!
Although he did not intervene in the overall situation, his influence was felt within it.

Such a demeanor is what defines the atmosphere and pattern that governs the fate of a region!

Even the most advanced cultivators, those at the highest level, could not surpass this! (End of Chapter)