Li Fire Finger!

"Break through!"

As Chen Ping'an focused his mind, the experience points on the Golden Finger Panel began to churn wildly.

The experience points turned into specks of starlight and sank into Chen Ping'an's brow.

A vast amount of insight and memories surged forth from his heart, as though he had spent decades on the divine skill Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger. It was not merely cultivation, but countless life-and-death battles. Through constant refinement and combat, he had explored the deadly second move of the Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger!

Li Fire Finger!

Driven by True Qi, the Li Fire Finger caused incomparably scorching flames to rise from the fingertips. Unlike ordinary flames, this fire possessed extremely strong adhesion and burning effects.

Even if an opponent possessed exceptionally robust protective True Qi, once the flames attached themselves, they could continuously weaken the strength of that protective True Qi. Compared with the domineering, fierce force of the Xun Wind Finger, the Li Fire Finger placed greater emphasis on sustained weakening. In terms of pure Killing Power, the Li Fire Finger was inferior to the Xun Wind Finger. However, it possessed extremely strong restraining effects against certain sinister, vicious unorthodox cultivation arts. With a single finger strike, it could leave an opponent unable to wield even eighty percent of their full strength!

Furthermore, the Li Fire Finger's Finger force could likewise reach several dozen zhang. However, the most ideal distance remained around ten zhang!

Beyond ten zhang, its power diminished in sequence. If the Li Fire Finger directly struck the opponent's body, then against Cultivators with unstable True Qi foundations, the flames could invade their bodies and possibly cause them to burst into flames and die on the spot.

Even if it could not kill the opponent immediately, the flames that invaded the body could effectively restrain the opponent's internal True Qi, greatly reducing their combat strength.

Compared to the Xun Wind Finger's singular killing purpose, the Li Fire Finger had somewhat more diverse applications!

As the divine skill Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger entered the major mastery realm, Chen Ping'an had completely absorbed and mastered the Li Fire Finger after the Xun Wind Finger.

Of the three great killing secret arts, Chen Ping'an had now obtained two.

The changes brought by the Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger reaching major mastery did not end there. With the Golden Finger Panel's help, the True Qi within his body, already nearly perfect, gained further foundation.

From the gaps between the cracks covering the Profound Light Seed at his brow, a Sprout of Spirituality emerged. This moment, it began to grow wildly. From as thin as a thread, it gradually thickened. By the time Chen Ping'an had fully digested his many insights, these Sprouts of Spirituality had already grown into stems and leaves.

The Profound Light Seed had sprouted, and its embryonic form had appeared! The next step would be for it to form flower buds, until the Flower of Spirituality was born! Strictly speaking, these latter two steps were no longer within the scope of the Profound Light High Realm. They already counted as the stage of formally charging at the bottleneck barrier of the Grandmaster realm.

It could be said that Chen Ping'an had now nearly reached the limit of the Profound Light High Realm. Those famed top supreme masters were mostly at this level of cultivation as well.

In terms of Martial Path Realm alone, Chen Ping'an was enough to stand on equal footing with those top supreme masters.

But Chen Ping'an's realm was not his only strength. He had cultivated two divine skills to major mastery, mastered numerous killing secret arts, and with the perfect insights granted by the Golden Finger Panel, his combat strength had likely already neared—or stepped onto—the level of the Dragon and Tiger Rankings.

If he fully activated the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill and transformed into the small giant form of Bronze Body Indestructible, then...

"I wonder, if I unleash everything, where would my combat strength rank on the Dragon and Tiger Rankings?"

Chen Ping'an smiled, bright light flickering in his eyes as boundless ambition surged in his heart.

Day after day, he had worked tirelessly, never daring to slacken in the slightest. After cultivating bitterly until now, his cultivation had finally risen another step!

"Lord Zhong, a massive clash has erupted over at Orchid Flower Lane. Chief Constable Xiang has already rushed over, but it involves multiple Inner Qi Realm experts and requires you to personally go suppress it!"

Inside the Town Pacification Office Room of Five Peaks Mountain City, a constable in a Fish Scale Uniform reported with an anxious expression.

"What? Orchid Flower Lane was only just suppressed Two days ago. Why has it erupted again? What happened!?"

The first thing a burly Large Man with a dark-red complexion did upon hearing the news was seize his saber and head for the door.

This man was Zhong Shanyong, Deputy Commander of Five Peaks Mountain City. While Chen Ping'an had Went into seclusion, he had been fully presiding over Five Peaks Mountain City's affairs.

"The exact circumstances have not yet been investigated, but this clash was suspected to have been caused by old grudges from before." The constable followed closely behind Zhong Shanyong, explaining at a rapid pace.

"Fine!"

Zhong Shanyong hurried toward the Town Pacification Office's entrance. Before he could even leave the main gate, two anxious men came rushing up to report. They had not expected to come Face-to-face with Zhong Shanyong at Just right this moment.

"Lord Zhong!" The two men hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"What is it?"

"My lord, a conflict has broken out at the Red Mill. Several Qi Blood Sixth Level martial artists have begun fighting fiercely. The brothers patrolling nearby have already gone over to support them, but there are currently no experts there to hold the scene down, making it difficult to control the situation. This subordinate and the others have come specifically to request reinforcements."

"Qi Blood Sixth Level?" After hearing this, Zhong Shanyong paid it no further attention. Compared to the Red Mill, the conflict at Orchid Flower Lane was clearly on a much larger scale. It was Also is the issue he needed to resolve most urgently.

"Chief Constable Wu should still be stationed inside the Town Pacification Office. Make him provide support!"

"Yes!" The two constables clasped their fists and hurriedly ran back into the Town Pacification Office.

After saying this, Zhong Shanyong had no mood to concern himself with what followed. He hurried outside the Town Pacification Office.

"Lord Zhong, ever since the second finale item of the North Azure Auction was revealed, even more people have been coming to the mountain city in recent days. All sorts of frictions and fights have risen with the tide. My lord, the brothers are nearly unable to keep up!"

The constable's expression was grave, as though an invisible burden had settled upon his shoulders.

The North Azure Auction's second finale lot was a divine skill inheritance!

Everyone knew that divine skills were difficult to cultivate, but that did not hinder people's yearning for them in the slightest. With the exposure of this finale auction item from the North Azure Auction, everyone's enthusiasm for attending the auction grew even more fervent.

Coupled with the approaching date of the auction, even more people were passing through Five Peaks Mountain City!

"Once we weather this stretch, things will be fine!" Zhong Shanyong offered a few words of reassurance.

"But, my lord, frictions and conflicts keep breaking out all over the city. The brothers are running themselves ragged, and we are nearly out of manpower! But manpower alone would be one thing. The biggest problem now is that the intensity of these frictions and conflicts is increasing. The number of Inner Qi Realm experts involved in these clashes is also rising. This situation is already faintly slipping out of control and heading toward collapse!"

"Have the Wei Family send some people! Stabilizing the city's situation is not merely the responsibility of our Town Pacification Office—it is also the Wei Family's responsibility! The Wei Family has developed in the mountain city for So many years, drawing nourishment and gradually growing stronger. Now it is time for them to contribute!"

"Yes, this subordinate understands! But we have negotiated with them before and explained the reasoning as well. The Wei Family did indeed send people. However, the Martial Path Realm of those they sent was somewhat unsatisfactory! Most of it was mere perfunctory effort! Right now, their minds are entirely focused on their own business!"

"Fine, I understand. After suppressing Orchid Flower Lane, I'll personally speak with Wei Zhenheng!" As he spoke, Zhong Shanyong could not help but sigh.

Though he was the Deputy Commander of Five Peaks Mountain City, his cultivation had only just entered the Inner Energy Second Level. Meanwhile, the Wei Family had vast wealth and influence, with a Profound Light Realm ancestor stationed within their ranks. If he went to reason with them and wanted the Wei Family to provide men and effort, then his little bit of weight...

Was not nearly enough!