The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 932 The Azure Giant, Ethereal and Mysterious

"We warmly welcome the esteemed envoy for his field research. His presence is truly an honor for Beishan."

Before the majestic city of Beishan Pass, a group of high-ranking officials from the Zhenfu Division stood on both sides, respectfully welcoming the arrival.

"Get up, everyone."

Within the flowing clouds and jade palace, inside the blue beast-drawn carriage, a soft sound arose, as gentle as the wind and as clear as a mountain spring.

"Yes," everyone responded and stood up.

Yu Minglong, dressed in a long robe, stood before the assembled executives, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, and rose to greet them.

“Envoy Meng, you have come from afar. We have prepared a luncheon to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey.”

"Lord Yu, thank you for your trouble."

The carriages rushed past the Jade Palace, their black feathers gleaming, and a graceful, ethereal figure could be faintly seen.

Her figure was cinched at the waist with a white jade belt and a warm, precious jade pendant hanging from it. Her face was elegant, her hair was as black as ink, and she wore an antique jade hairpin, which added to her otherworldly and ethereal air.

The giant of the Azure Sky and the master of the Mysterious Jade Gate descended upon the Great Pass of the Northern Mountain.

"Culture Collector"

Chen Ping'an remained calm, standing on either side with Ying Congyun, watching as the flowing cloud jade carriage flew into the North Mountain Pass.

Since it was their first meeting and he didn't know anything about the other party, he didn't use his full senses to avoid the other party discovering anything amiss.

But he could vaguely sense an aura similar to that of Jiang Ruotong and Guan Shendao emanating from the other person.

It wasn't a major overhaul, but it already possessed that kind of supernatural power.

Watching the carriage disappear from sight, Chen Ping'an and Ying Congyun exchanged a glance and then also disappeared into Beishan Pass.

Although flying is strictly prohibited within the Beishan Pass, such prohibitions naturally do not apply to them.

Within the territory of Bi Cang, there is no directly subordinate Zhenfu Division. The Northern Zhenfu Division appoints officials to collect local customs and information to soothe the people's livelihood and understand the general situation.

In terms of power, the Bicang Cultivation Commissioner and the Beishan Daguan Garrison Command had no direct jurisdictional relationship.

They are more like system supervisors and inspectors, but unlike real supervisors and inspectors, the corresponding power of action is not in the hands of the field surveyors. They need to submit the documents to the Northern Border Garrison and have them reviewed by a specialized agency.

Therefore, the field research envoy is more like a bridge between the higher and lower levels, facilitating information exchange, observing the people's livelihood below, and reporting to the country above.

At the welcoming banquet held by the Beishan Town Government, Chen Ping'an finally got to know Meng Yichen, the Envoy of the Bicang Region and the Head of Xuanbi.

Meng Yichen wore a light blue robe and held a jade folding fan in his hand. The fan was painted with landscapes and rivers, giving him an air of elegance and otherworldly grace.

"Lord Yu, I've heard of the beast tide in the Northern Mountains. My main purpose in coming here is to see the situation for myself." Meng Yichen, with his thin face, and...

Standing next to Yu Minglong, he looks even younger.

"However, seeing the situation in Beishan today, I am relieved. Lord Yu's overall planning is truly commendable, worthy of being called the pillar of the governor's office." Meng Yichen chuckled, his expression amiable, showing no airs of a field surveying envoy.

"Envoy Meng, you flatter me." Yu Minglong's voice was loud and clear as he stood up and raised his cup: "Envoy Meng has come from afar to help alleviate the worries of the Ministry of Justice. This cup of wine is to toast Envoy Meng."

After their exchange, the atmosphere became lively. With Yu Minglong taking the lead, the key officials of the Zhenfu Division followed suit, all showing their respect.

Meng Yichen didn't refuse, and seemed very easy to get along with throughout the process.

During their conversation, his gaze also fell on Chen Ping'an.

"This must be Lord Chen Ping'an. It is said that Lord Chen is a prodigy with unparalleled talent and formidable combat prowess. Seeing him today, it is indeed true."

During their first meeting, Meng Yichen was extremely easygoing, and showed Chen Ping'an unusual respect throughout the meeting.

On the contrary, Hou Xibai was not mentioned much in any of the communications, except for a brief greeting when they first met.

Throughout the luncheon, Chen Ping'an behaved very normally, but with Meng Yichen's attention and deliberate mentions, he suddenly became one of the focal points of the conversation.

"Headmaster Meng." Chen Ping'an raised his glass slightly and toasted Meng Yichen as well.

"Okay, okay." Meng Yichen seemed quite pleased.

"It is truly an honor for my Bicang region to have such a brilliant and talented person as Lord Chen," Meng Yichen said with a light laugh, giving him high praise.

In this atmosphere, the welcoming banquet came to an end.

Chen Ping'an also officially made contact with Meng Yichen, the top figure in the Bicang region and the Bicang Cultural Envoy, in his open identity.

"A partial major overhaul?"

Chen Ping'an's gaze narrowed slightly as he recalled the previous events.

Meng Yichen's situation was similar to that of Jiang Ruotong and Guan Shendao; this close encounter made his senses even clearer.

The opponent's spirituality and realm of perception are clearly far superior to those of ordinary second-realm Celestials. Even highly experienced second-realm Celestials like Cangjian and Zhenyue are no match for them.

However, it was clearly not a major overhaul at the third realm. Under such circumstances, although he did not know the specific details, he undoubtedly made a reasonable conjecture.

It is above the second realm, but not yet the third realm; this is half a step.

"It seems that since the old Prince of Bicang is critically ill, none of those who are active in the Bicang region are truly great cultivators."

The struggle for the throne of Bi Cang is intensifying. Even during a casual encounter at the welcoming banquet, Yu Minglong and Meng Yichen briefly mentioned the matter in their conversation.

With no major repairs planned for Bi Cang and the old prince critically ill, who would be the most suitable person to take his place in the prince's residence?

Is it Ji Dongqing, Ji Xuanmo, Ji Shulan, or someone else strongly recommended by other factions?

do not know.

To this day, nobody knows.

Judging from the current situation, Ji Xuanmo, who is strongly supported by the direct descendants faction and some of the long-term descendants faction, has the highest prestige.

As the eldest son of his generation, he embodies both major principles and enjoys the support of numerous factions, making Ji Xuanmo the most likely candidate to succeed to the throne among all the popular choices.

Next is Ji Dongqing, then Ji Shulan, and then the other recommended candidates.

There will be some overlap, and there is a priority relationship between the candidates. Only if the previously recommended candidate fails will the candidate be supported instead.

From an outsider's perspective, if Ji Shulan were a man, her eligibility for selection would be indisputable. As the eldest legitimate daughter, with a cultivation level approaching the peak of the second realm, she simultaneously aligns with the principles of various factions, including those advocating for selection based on legitimacy, seniority, and virtue.

But her being a woman ultimately caused her to lose a significant portion of her support.

Among many popular candidates, he could only rank third.

Chen Ping'an wasn't particularly interested in the struggle for the throne of Bicang. However, he had previously made a deal with Ji Qingyu, the young princess of Bicang. He had promised her verbal support once, and in the future, he would inevitably have to step forward and express his opinion in the struggle for power.

The other party's offer was very high, and there were no specific requirements regarding his level of understanding.

This was a fairly large venture capital investment.

If he doesn't reach the Celestial Realm soon, even if he makes a public statement, the effect will likely be minimal. Even if he is a hidden genius, his influence will ultimately be limited until he reaches the Celestial Realm.

Only by becoming a prodigy and achieving the realm of the celestial being, or even going further, can such a statement achieve the effect that Ji Qingyu desires.

After all, he's only making statements, not actually doing anything. The corresponding support is clearly much weaker. It's unclear who Ji Qingyu will ultimately support.

Is it one of these three top contenders, or someone else?

Chen Ping'an had a slight thought, but quickly put it out of his mind.

Compared to the struggle for the throne of Bi Cang, he was more concerned about the powerful figures in the Bi Cang territory and even the surrounding areas.

Given his current situation, those who can catch his eye and deserve his attention are undoubtedly experts at the Great Cultivation level.

Others, like Meng Yichen and Jiang Ruotong, who were half-step Grand Cultivators, were not even worthy of his attention.

Given his current condition, even without using his bloodline supernatural abilities, his foundation in the Piercing Rainbow Realm and his spiritual imagery alone would probably be enough to overwhelm them.

Unless these people possess extraordinary protective foundations or powerful treasures, they have little chance of winning against him.

It's not that there's no chance of winning, it's that there's no chance of saving our lives!

Of course, in this situation, Chen Ping'an would need to use his bloodline supernatural abilities and some of his foundation. Based solely on his cultivation level, he could defeat his opponent, but killing him would obviously be quite difficult.

At this level, even a powerful cultivator at their peak would find it difficult to kill.

Otherwise, Meng Yichen would not have been entrusted with such an important task, stationed in this Bicang territory.

After having some guesses in mind, Chen Ping'an and Ying Congyun took another opportunity to chat. Through subtle questioning, they learned a lot of useful information from each other.

Just as he guessed, there is indeed a concept of "half-step major cultivation" between the second and third realms.

The landmark in this passage is the Hidden Radiance Three Steps that Chen Ping'an is about to take.

The pivotal light fades, the spiritual bridge becomes empty, and a vortex forms.

However, Shu Guangyin's step can only be described as the completion of the second realm, a step forward. It cannot yet be considered a true half-step great cultivator. Only after completing the Spirit Bridge Void and reaching the vortex formation, truly touching the image of great cultivation, can it be considered a half-step great cultivator.

In the following days, with the arrival of the envoy, various factions in Beishan also paid their respects symbolically.

Although the Bicang Cultural Survey Envoy lacks actual jurisdiction, their recommendations regarding inspections and oversight still carry considerable weight. Under normal circumstances, none of the local authorities would want to offend such a powerful figure.

Especially Meng Yichen, who is a half-step Grand Cultivator who has touched upon the concept of a Grand Cultivator.

Such powerful individuals are distant beings, unattainable to ordinary forces within the territory.

Even to the local tyrants, they are honored guests who require utmost respect.

With the arrival of Meng Yichen, the Envoy of the Azure Clouds, the number of half-step Grand Cultivators stationed in the Northern Mountain Pass has reached three. Under these circumstances, Yu Minglong's title as the so-called Number One Person of the Northern Mountain is naturally impossible to maintain at this stage.

However, if we really talk about it, among all the celestial beings, he is the only one who resides in the North Mountain, so such a title is quite reasonable.

What surprised some of the Celestials was that the Guyue Clan had always acted domineeringly and had many experts within the clan. Why did no experts of similar level come during this beast tide? Instead, a young master of Guyue who was only at the peak of the first realm and had not yet stepped into the second realm came.

Being in the northern mountains, with limited information, I was naturally unaware of the chaotic situation. I was filled with doubt about the current circumstances.

Under these circumstances, with the intervention of powerful figures from all sides, the Northern Mountain beast tide was truly brought to a state of suppression. Although the beast tide's impact was fierce, it was nothing more than an egg striking a rock under the combined attack of these powerful individuals; it shattered upon impact.

Transformed demonic beasts possess intelligence, and in such cases, they should conceal their tracks and reduce their presence.

But strangely, this time the transformed monsters seemed to be doing the opposite of what was expected.

For a time, various forces had more doubts about the root cause of this beast tide.

"Could it be..." During a brief gathering, the celestial beings exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing joy in each other's expressions: "Is a rare treasure about to be born?"

"Since we haven't seen any unusual phenomena in the heavens and earth, it shouldn't be a rare treasure. Judging from the current situation, it's highly likely that there is a spiritual fruit of heaven and earth that is about to ripen, and the various demons and beasts are eager to seize it. The lure of opportunity has outweighed their considerations for survival."

"A spiritual fruit of heaven and earth!"

"."

With just a few words, he attempted to outline the whole picture. With this conjecture, the group of celestial beings from Beishan were naturally extremely excited.

If the guess is true, a spiritual fruit of this quality is definitely not an ordinary thing.

Against this backdrop, the reconnaissance teams dispatched by various parties are larger than ever before.

Various parties in Beishan have been making frequent moves.

Despite these circumstances, Chen Ping'an remained calm and composed, keeping to himself and rarely venturing out.

Apart from participating in routine deliberation meetings, he devotes all his other time to daily spiritual practice.

hum~

The spiritual light dimmed, his spirit calmed, and Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes, looking at the information on the panel in front of him.

Name: Chen Ping'an

Realm: Celestial Realm 2 - Rainbow Penetration Realm (Ninth Stage)

武学：青阳血炼法大成（0/38400）、颠鸾倒凤·阴阳枢入门（1435/8640）、三分归元真卷小成（0/15360）、无相自在法（残篇）入门（4520/5760）、广寒剑法（残篇）大成（0/19200）、狂雷刀法圆满、太虚御风步圆满、七绝禁法圆满、霸刀圆满、万魔铸身诀圆满

Secret Techniques: Soul Suppression Technique, Soul Guiding Technique, Butterfly Dream Bewitching Technique, Illusionary Eye

"4520 point."

After more than half a month of practice, my experience in practicing the Formless Freedom Dharma has taken another step forward.

The cultivation progress is close to 80%, and the cultivation level is steadily improving.

Under such circumstances, in another half month or so, this incomplete precious scroll should be completed to a minor level.

At that time, with the advancement of his cultivation technique and the help of its benefits, it is unknown how many steps his realm will advance.

Is it the Hidden Pivot Light, the Void Spirit Bridge, or...?

Directly allowing him to enter the Hidden Radiance Realm and achieve the status of a Celestial Great Cultivator!?

Chen Ping'an looked expectant.

Besides his steady progress in cultivation, Chen Ping'an's mastery of forbidden techniques has also truly reached the middle level of the third tier in recent days. It's not just touching upon it, but truly approaching it.

With such skill, he can also cast some more complex concealment and tracking spells.

However, from the perspective of a celestial being, it is still rather rudimentary overall, and its application in actual combat at this level is probably too superficial.

The corresponding insights still need to be further refined.

With his cultivation progressing and a promising future, Chen Ping'an was naturally in a good mood.

That night, he unusually went to the green cliff behind the mountain, sat in the viewing pavilion, and looked up at the sky to admire the moon.

Feeling the gentle evening breeze, he was in a good mood and in excellent condition.

I vaguely sensed a hint of inspiration.

Chen Ping'an smiled, looking pleased. He faced the void, opened his arms, and felt the evening breeze and the bright moon in the sky. He felt that the world was vast and boundless.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Ping'an slowly came back to his senses, his mind seemingly elevated.

Before he could even process what was happening, he heard a clear, ethereal voice behind him.

"Chen Ping'an."

He turned around abruptly, and in the moonlight, a beautiful and ethereal figure appeared before him.

A dreamlike starry sky, purple eyes and stars, flowing black hair like fireflies in the night, ethereal and graceful, dancing lightly in the night sky.

This moment was beautiful and dreamlike, deeply moving. (End of Chapter)