Divine Augmentation, Qingcheng's Letter (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Buzz~

A golden finger panel flickered into existence before Chen Ping'an.

Name: Chen Ping'an

Realm: Jade Balance Late Stage - Spirit Pattern Spirit Fruit (Nine Patterns)

Martial Arts: Turbulent Phoenix Dance·Yin-Yang Pivot Novice (0/8640), Seven Kill Heavenly Dipper Fist Novice (0/1440), Overlord Saber Mastery (0/3200), Seven Absolute Divine Skill Mastery (3565/4800), Ten Thousand Demons Body Forging Art Perfection, Soaring Dragon Movement Technique Perfection, Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill Perfection, Dragon Elephant Overlord Body Art Perfection, Three Points of Human Tribulation Finger Perfection

"3565 points!"

Chen Ping'an's gaze narrowed, a sharp glint flashing within his eyes.

In the ten-plus days since taking up his post in Thunderous Roar, his cultivation of the Seven Absolute Divine Skill had progressed steadily.

At this pace, in about half a month more, he would be able to fully master the Seven Absolute Divine Skill.

At that point, with his current martial path situation, he estimated he could take another solid step forward, entering the first stage of breaking through realms, the Spirit Pattern Condensation Realm!

A look of anticipation appeared on Chen Ping'an's face as he straightened up from the stone platform, which was about ten feet wide.

He was currently in the cultivation quiet room beneath the courtyard.

This cultivation quiet room was quite spacious and cleverly arranged, featuring a stone door mechanism and a hidden passage.

With the aid of the golden finger panel, Chen Ping'an had no need for martial arts practice. Therefore, his primary expectation for the cultivation quiet room was its privacy and security.

In fact, with Chen Ping'an's current realm, surrounded by True Essence and isolated by Spirituality in Thunderous Roar Great City, his safety and privacy were already sufficiently guaranteed.

However, having extra security measures never hurt anyone.

This cultivation quiet room was located privately, its walls were thick, and it was even constructed from special materials. It was enough to prevent the prying eyes of ordinary Grandmasters and even some Veteran Grandmasters.

If the precise location of the quiet room was unknown, it could even momentarily block the prying eyes of Top Grandmasters.

While such an effect was not particularly useful to Chen Ping'an, having this cultivation quiet room as a cover was a good option for him.

The main theme of his trip to Thunderous Roar was cultivation as the priority, external aids as supplementary, steady progress, and stable development.

Both the title of Hidden Dragon Heavenly Talent and the mutual injury mechanism with the Heavenly Luo Saintess made him feel an urgent desire to improve his own strength.

Today was Chen Ping'an's day off, so he didn't need to go to the Thunderclap Town Pacification Office to work.

If there was anything urgent, a dedicated person would come to report to him. For matters that were important but not urgent, his subordinates would not disturb him. They would choose to organize these affairs in advance and present them to him systematically the next day when he appeared at the Thunderclap Town Pacification Office, offering suggestions and plans for him to choose from!

As for routine matters, Chen Ping'an naturally didn't need to worry about them. He only needed to oversee the overall situation, and his subordinates would handle everything else perfectly.

Chen Ping'an walked to one side of the cultivation quiet room and pressed a mechanism. The thick stone door before him slid open to both sides, disappearing from Chen Ping'an's sight.

Chen Ping'an stepped out of the stone door, feeling quite pleased.

In addition to the significant progress he had made in cultivating the Seven Absolute Divine Skill during these days, he had also successfully refined the Top Divine Weapon, the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags.

He had also officially mastered the fourth function of this complete set of Top Divine Weapons. When fully exerted, it could trigger a divine ability, using the space of the command flags as a boundary to slightly enhance the strength of the flag refiner.

The duration of the enhancement depended on the duration of the divine ability and the depth of the refiner's Spirituality.

With the aid of the golden finger panel and having undergone the first purification of the Turbulent Phoenix Dance·Yin-Yang Pivot cultivation technique, Chen Ping'an's spiritual foundation was incredibly profound. Paired with the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, it was an absolutely perfect match.

After refining the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, Chen Ping'an briefly tested the power of the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags' fourth divine ability within the cultivation quiet room.

With a limited supply, he found that his own combat power could be increased by about half a stage. Its effect was roughly equivalent to taking an Exploding Essence True Pill, and its effect was even better than a Burning Blood Great Pill.

If he were to disregard the consumption of True Essence and the depletion of Spirituality and exert his full power, Chen Ping'an estimated that this enhancement effect could be further increased. During a major battle, the power that could be unleashed would be above that of an Exploding Essence True Pill, second only to heaven and earth spiritual items and precious medicinal pills that consumed Spirituality.

The completion of the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags meant that Chen Ping'an's trump cards had increased by another one.

In his normal state, he could now unleash the combat power of a Storm Cloud Great Grandmaster. Although he didn't know his exact ranking, he figured he was definitely not at the bottom of the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Rankings.

If he were to fully activate the Ten Thousand Demons Body Forging Art and manifest the Ten Thousand Demons True Body, his combat power and defensive capabilities would increase to a certain extent.

His overall combat power would increase by more than one stage.

In such a state, among the Storm Cloud Great Grandmasters, he would certainly be among the top contenders.

And in this situation, if he were to further add the divine ability assistance of the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, his combat power would be even greater.

Furthermore, Chen Ping'an also had the Exploding Essence True Pill, Thousand-Year Stone Milk, and other means. If he were to spare no expense and go all out, his combat power would be immeasurable!

Previously, when he fought the Heavenly Luo Saintess, he was not an ordinary existence on the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Rankings.

Afterward, his martial path realm improved, he inscribed nine Spirit Patterns, and he had undergone a purification of his True Essence and Spirituality, greatly increasing his foundation and heritage.

Now, with the addition of a complete set of Top Divine Weapons, the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, his combat power and methods were indeed difficult to assess for the time being.

The specific ranking or combat power situation would only become clearer after he fought with all his might.

After all, no one who could ascend the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Rankings was easy to deal with. Their trump cards, their accumulated resources, and their Dao-protecting treasures were definitely not few.

Especially those top-ranked Storm Cloud Great Grandmasters, they might even possess precious treasures for self-defense. Although Chen Ping'an's foundation was strong and his combat power was formidable, compared to those old monsters who had accumulated resources for three to four hundred years, his wealth and heritage were still somewhat lacking.

However, even so, with Chen Ping'an's current realm and heritage, he could still ignore some treasures and significantly shorten the combat power gap.

And this was the situation before he had even entered the first stage of breaking through realms.

If his martial path realm were to advance another step, and his physical body were to improve further, his combat power would once again break through.

As for those old monsters on the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Rankings, each of them had almost pushed their combat power to its limit. To take another step forward, every step was extremely difficult, and they could not advance further.

Beyond the external benefits and breakthroughs in major realms, there wasn't much room for self-improvement.

In contrast to their stagnation, Chen Ping'an's every day undoubtedly brought new vitality and hope.

Whether it was external items, realm advancements, physical conditioning, or techniques, Chen Ping'an had ample room for improvement.

Lost in thought, Chen Ping'an emerged from his cultivation chamber and entered his room in the three-courtyard residence. The cultivation chamber was located beneath the main house, connected by a hidden passage, making it very convenient for Chen Ping'an to go up and down.

In addition to the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, Chen Ping'an also officially began refining the Gale Knee Guard. Compared to the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, a top-tier divine weapon, the Gale Knee Guard, an ordinary divine weapon, was undoubtedly much easier to refine.

Especially with Chen Ping'an's martial foundation, the refining process was progressing at lightning speed. He expected to completely finish refining this divine weapon in a few more days.

As divine weapons, different tiers also affected the speed of refinement. Furthermore, for the same divine weapon, the difficulty of refinement varied greatly depending on the martial realm and spiritual foundation.

Given Chen Ping'an's high-tier foundation, there was no need to elaborate on how quickly he could refine ordinary divine weapons.

After the Gale Knee Guard was refined, Chen Ping'an planned to officially tackle the refinement of the Black Mystic Iron Mask. This concealment-type divine weapon, obtained from the Heavenly Luo Saintess, was traded for with her black veil.

In terms of rank, it surpassed even top-tier divine weapons, and its value was comparable to ordinary treasures.

If he could successfully refine it, it would have an immensely significant impact on Chen Ping'an, especially on his alternate identity.

In Chen Ping'an's vision, whether he was seeking demonic beast blood or participating in top-tier auctions, this Black Mystic Iron Mask would play a crucial role.

With the cover of his alternate identity, he could unscrupulously spend his wealth, participate in auctions, and acquire resources.

Whether it was the Snow Spirit Leaf, Dao-protecting treasures, or any other spiritual items and resources, he would need this item.

Cultivating techniques, refining divine weapons, improving strength, and acquiring external items.

All his plans were progressing steadily and as envisioned by Chen Ping'an.

"Sir." Upon exiting the mansion, a carriage was already waiting outside.

Xiong Sanrang, holding his great axe, respectfully stepped forward to greet him.

Chen Ping'an nodded slightly, said nothing more, and smoothly boarded the carriage.

Xiong Sanrang had been transferred with him from Northern Cang to the Thunderclap Town Pacification Office, preparing to take up a leading position under the Supervisory General Office. However, due to the timing, the official transfer order had not yet been issued. Therefore, he was currently serving by Chen Ping'an's side, acting as the head of the personal guards.

The Thunderclap Town Pacification Office was, after all, not comparable to the Northern Cang Town Pacification Office. Although Chen Ping'an held a high and powerful position, he was not the ultimate authority. Many matters were not solely within his power to decide.

Of course, given his current influence within the Thunderclap Town Pacification Office, if he were willing to intervene, Wu Benqing would likely be happy to grant him that favor.

However, to incur such a favor from Wu Benqing for such a trivial matter was simply unnecessary.

If he intended to foster a good relationship with Wu Benqing, this back-and-forth interaction would be beneficial for his social networking. But his current visit to Thunderclap was not focused on such matters.

Moreover, although Wu Benqing was a legitimate Great Grandmaster, in Chen Ping'an's opinion, he was just so-so.

In terms of conventional combat strength, he hadn't even reached the level of a Top Great Grandmaster. Only by employing all his techniques and sparing no expense could he potentially touch upon the level of a Top Great Grandmaster.

As he sat in the carriage, looking at the grand five-courtyard mansion beside him, Chen Ping'an thought of Guan Dongxiang. This Northern Land Swordsman was currently traveling to the Northern Land to recruit personal guards for him.

Having ascended to the ranks of a "Giant," he was entitled to personal guards.

Under normal circumstances, he could completely use this as a foundation to gradually establish his own forces.

However, his martial progress was too rapid, and his position changes were too frequent, making it difficult to nurture his own team for a long period.

Many things had to be delegated to subordinates.

Matters concerning influence held no significance for him in the short term.

As for matters that accumulated over time, he could handle them as they arose, but expending extra effort for them held little meaning.

When fortune smiles upon you, the heavens themselves lend their strength. If he were to rise, many things would happen spontaneously through other factions without him needing to exert himself.

Whether he sought any resources or channels, there would be people and factions to meticulously arrange everything for him.

The reason he currently felt a lack of channels and encountered difficulties was fundamentally because his strength had improved too quickly, and his overt strength was severely mismatched with his true needs.

This resulted in many matters being unmanageable through overt forces, or even if his true needs were pursued through overt forces, it would be difficult to achieve significant gains.

If this factor were ignored, considering his overt strength and needs, acquiring most resources would simply be a matter of a word. Even for slightly more challenging matters, they wouldn't be excessively difficult.

For instance, regarding divine weapons, if one didn't excessively pursue top-tier or powerful ones, within Thunderous Roar Great City, auctions were held regularly, and the featured items often included divine weapons.

Even powerful divine weapons, with patient waiting, would eventually be put up for auction.

Given Chen Ping'an's status in Thunderous Roar, if he had a need and focused on acquiring one, this matter would not be difficult at all!

However, Chen Ping'an's true need was for top-tier divine weapons, which caused his current resources and authority to be somewhat inadequate.

To resolve this issue, there were only two methods. One was to significantly elevate his overt status, thereby greatly increasing the level of factions he interacted with daily.

This way, acquiring many things would become much more convenient. Even without relying on external forces, the Town Pacification Office itself could satisfy many of his needs. Once he officially entered the Northern Border Pacification Bureau's system, the resources within its treasury would be sufficient to meet the vast majority of his needs.

However, doing so would also lead to an exponential increase in risks. If he didn't have a golden finger panel, he might have chosen this path, trading status for resources, and taking a step ahead.

But now that he had a golden finger panel, he could tread a smooth path to the heavens through stable development, so he naturally wouldn't take such a risk.

Or rather, given the choice, he would not take this path.

Therefore, the only remaining method to resolve the current conflict was the other option.

That was for his hidden alternate identity to join a faction, which could greatly alleviate this problem.

Of course, this joining had many nuances. It would be best to join as a guest scholar without restrictions. This way, the risks could be controlled, and the returns could be anticipated.

However, Chen Ping'an had always been hesitant about such methods and hadn't carried them out for a long time.

While joining forces with an alternate identity was effective, it also came with risks. The specific situation required extensive scrutiny and evaluation.

Based on this, Chen Ping'an had a better idea by leveraging his existing connections and resources!

The root of all this would fall upon the Seven Absolute Divine Skill and the Black Mystic Iron Mask.

Chen Ping'an left his residence, got into the carriage, and headed to the Gu Family's base.

Previously, he had packed and sold a large amount of resources. Assessed by Gu Qingchan, the value was determined to be over thirty thousand Essence Crystals. At the time of the transaction, he had only received half of the Essence Crystals.

Now, seven or eight days had passed, and Gu Qingchan had also sent a letter stating that the remaining balance could be settled in advance.

It had to be said, the Gu Family was truly wealthy and powerful. Even in just one branch in Thunderous Roar, they could command such a massive amount of Essence Crystals.

In just seven or eight days, they had managed to gather such a sum of liquid cash without affecting their commercial operations.

"Greetings, Son-in-law!"

"We pay our respects to the Son-in-law!"

"."

As the saying goes, the first time is unfamiliar, the second time is familiar.

This time, when visiting Gu Qingchan, Chen Ping'an was undoubtedly more at ease.

On the way into the Gu Family's base, Chen Ping'an deliberately memorized the surrounding environment and paths, preparing for his future plans.

In the rear garden of the Qiong Pavilion deep within the base, Chen Ping'an saw Gu Qingchan again.

Today, Gu Qingchan seemed even more elegant.

She wore an ice blue dress, resembling the clearest lake water in the cold winter. Her skin was as white as snow, appearing even more crystal clear against the backdrop of the ice blue dress. She stood by the clear pond, her hands like white jade, scattering fish food, watching the fish eagerly compete for it.

"Senior Gu," Chen Ping'an greeted respectfully as usual.

Gu Qingchan did not acknowledge him. Instead, she finished scattering the fish food in her hand before turning around.

"Ping'an, you're here."

Gu Qingchan raised her hand slightly, and the maidservant beside her withdrew.

Soon, only Chen Ping'an and Gu Qingchan remained by the pond.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, there was no need to elaborate further.

"Here is the remaining balance, take a look."

Buzz~

With a flash of spiritual light, a finely crafted Hundred Treasures Pouch appeared before Gu Qingchan and slowly floated towards Chen Ping'an.

"Thank you, Senior Gu."

Chen Ping'an bowed respectfully and took the Hundred Treasures Pouch containing the Essence Crystals.

His spirituality probed it, and the Essence Crystals inside were all accounted for, exactly matching the remaining balance.

At this level of transaction, a Hundred Treasures Pouch was merely an accessory for the exchange.

If a Profound Light Realm Cultivator were present, they would undoubtedly be filled with emotion.

The things they dreamed of their entire lives were merely casually given items during a transaction.

Only after glimpsing a corner of the heavenly palace does one realize the vast differences in the world.

Gu Qingchan seemed unwilling to chat further, and their conversation did not last long.

However, Chen Ping'an subtly sensed that compared to a few days ago, Gu Qingchan's realm seemed to have improved by another level.

No wonder she had the leisure to feed the fish here; it turned out she had broken through her realm and was in a good mood.

After leaving the Gu Family's base, the amount of Essence Crystals Chen Ping'an could control officially surpassed eighty thousand.

This sum, in terms of personal wealth alone, was not insignificant among Great Grandmasters, but it could not be considered top-tier by any means.

After all, those old monsters among the Great Grandmasters had accumulated resources for countless years. While their liquid cash might not be much, their total net worth might not be less than this amount.

It's just that...

What Chen Ping'an possessed was truly controllable liquid cash. It could be used anytime, anywhere, without needing to be traded, sold, or borrowed against. It didn't require layers of approval from various elders and venerable members, as was the case with such forces.

As long as Chen Ping'an wished, he could use it at any time.

This amount of Essence Crystals was entirely at his personal disposal.

With eighty thousand Essence Crystals in liquid cash, even those old monsters on the Wind and Cloud Rankings would not easily claim to be able to produce it.

On one hand, many old monsters were not lone wolves; they had descendants to nurture and family forces to support, which consumed vast amounts of resources in the process.

On the other hand, both Dao Protecting External Objects and elixirs/spiritual items required significant resources. For old monsters to maintain their combat power or advance further, they needed greater expectations, which meant more consumption.

The fundamental reason Chen Ping'an could accumulate so much liquid cash was that he had ways to earn but no ways to spend.

He looked down on what he could buy, and what he desired, he couldn't buy.

This situation required him to put in effort to break through it.

In addition to his eighty thousand cash flow, Chen Ping'an also had quite a few resources and materials that could be sold. For example, the congratulatory gifts he had recently received from various factions.

If these materials were sold one by one, they could fetch a considerable price.

However, Chen Ping'an did not arrange to sell them all to Gu Qingchan this time.

Firstly, since they were both in Thunderous Roar, him receiving gifts and then immediately selling them would be somewhat disrespectful. While he didn't care about such things, as long as it didn't affect the fundamentals, he would still consider the dignity of the parties involved.

After all, regardless of the reason, the act of sending gifts was a gesture of goodwill. Having risen from humble beginnings, he possessed a certain empathy in such matters.

Secondly, and most importantly, he was not short of money at the moment. He didn't need to sell these materials to achieve any particular goal; selling them was an optional action. He didn't need to rush.

Notably, upon leaving the Gu Family's residence, Chen Ping'an also had a letter in his hand.

The letter was given to him by Gu Qingchan, who stated it was sent from the Gu Family in Azure Dragon Province City. She did not mention who had sent it.

However, as Chen Ping'an received the letter, he already had a vague guess in his mind.

He boarded the carriage and opened the letter. As expected, it was just as he had surmised.

The letter was from his betrothed, the Gu Family's current Heavenly Talent, Gu Qingcheng.

This letter was Gu Qingcheng's response to his previous invitation.

Without any surprise, Gu Qingcheng rejected his invitation to Thunderous Roar.

When he had sent the letter previously, Chen Ping'an had felt that his words were somewhat abrupt. By the time he wanted to revise them, the letter had already been sent, and it was too late to make changes.

He hadn't held high expectations about whether he could invite Gu Qingcheng.

After all...

The thought flashed through Chen Ping'an's mind, and a hint of a helpless smile appeared on his face.

However, although Gu Qingcheng rejected him, it wasn't without reason, and her words in the letter were extremely tactful.

"I have long heard of Thunderous Roar's magnificent peaks and flowing springs. Upon seeing your letter, Qingcheng was also filled with joy and longed to visit. However, while strolling in the rear garden yesterday, I saw the spiritual flowers blooming, their stamens trembling slightly. I was moved by this, had a sudden realization, and am currently at a critical juncture for breaking through my realm. I fear I will not be able to make the trip in the near future."

Although Gu Qingcheng tactfully refused his invitation in the letter, she also mentioned something else, which seemed like a tacit agreement.

"Although I cannot travel with you this time, Qingcheng also has a wish in her heart. When we meet again in Azure Dragon in the future, I wish to drink plum wine with you under the peach trees, hang a raft from the treetops, and tie our hearts together in hope for the future."

In addition, Gu Qingcheng also included a gift with the letter.

A gift of great significance.

This chapter is a transitional one. I originally wanted to write more, but as I was writing, I realized my state was not right, so I stopped. I'll adjust my state.

Oh, right, tomorrow night is the lottery draw for monthly votes. Interested fellow daoists can come and participate in the next couple of days.

In the past few days, several fellow daoists have given me tips: "Happy Has Good Luck," "Mr. V," "The Dream of That Year," "Love Like Flowing Water," "STRIVE-Time," "Yuko Tanaka's Boyfriend," "Fu Wen-DE," "A Single Elm Seed," "The Cowardly Ox That Can't Lie Down," "Happy Brother Ge," and several daoists with numerical IDs. Thank you all.

I will strive to adjust my state and move towards higher plot points soon.