Blood Refinement Breakthrough, Bloodline Divinity (Seeking Monthly Passes)

The night was deep, and all was still.

Yet within the dense forest far from the Official Road, an exceedingly miraculous transformation was taking place.

Rustle, rustle~

Chen Ping'an sat cross-legged, the panel before him rippling like water as it churned madly.

As the panel churned, vast amounts of starlight began to emerge.

Chen Ping'an was calm and composed, unmoving as a mountain.

The Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method refined demon beast blood and tempered the physique. At this moment, Chen Ping'an had finally brought the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method to completion.

Using the true blood of an Earth Dragon Beast—a top-grade Earth-rank bloodline demon beast—as the foundation for blood refinement, he had achieved the completion of the first refinement.

The Earth Dragon Beast possessed Bloodline Divinity and formidable innate gifts.

A fully grown Earth Dragon Beast could run rampant through the Great Grandmaster realm. As an overlord of the Same Realm, it could rival and contend against a Pseudo Celestial.

If its Bloodline Divinity was involved, it could even contend on equal terms with a Pseudo Celestial in every respect.

Theoretically speaking, an Earth Dragon Beast with a top-grade Earth-rank bloodline had a chance to attempt transformation.

The true blood of such a bloodline demon beast was naturally steeped in savage Baleful Intent, primitive and tyrannical.

Under normal circumstances, using Earth Dragon True Blood as the foundation of blood refinement, bringing the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method to completion would entail an extraordinarily shocking impact of savage Baleful Intent. The difficulty of breaking through would be beyond imagination.

But now, before Chen Ping'an, all these difficulties vanished into nothingness.

A great deal of starlight entered his body, and Chen Ping'an felt an immense, surging strength quietly begin to arise from within.

Unlike the changes brought by external body cultivation, this primitive, immense strength seemed to come from the deepest reaches of his bloodline. It was an inborn bloodline endowment, gradually stirred and awakened through growth.

It was as surging as a tidal wave, yet as weighty as a mountain range—roiling with turbulent force, while carrying the feeling of primitive tyranny.

Chen Ping'an's fleshly body and physique continued to change.

These changes did not lie in his outward appearance, but arose naturally from the deepest parts of his body.

Bit by bit, thread by thread, they altered the foundation of his body.

A complete rebirth!

Chen Ping'an kept his eyes tightly shut, sensing every minute change in his body. In the unseen depths, he seemed to have touched something.

"This is..." Chen Ping'an focused his senses and seized that faint, illusory trace of aura.

This was a gift from his bloodline, a power from the deepest level of his bloodline. And this power should originally have belonged to the Earth Dragon Beast, a top-grade Earth-rank bloodline demon beast.

But now, Chen Ping'an had precisely locked onto it.

The power of bloodlines was vague and intangible, and Bloodline Divinity even more so. According to the orthodox cultivation method of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method, every blood refinement breakthrough offered only an exceedingly slim chance of capturing bloodline power. As for comprehending Bloodline Divinity from it, that possibility was even rarer.

Yet at this moment, Chen Ping'an naturally captured the bloodline power mixed within the demon beast's bloodline, as effortlessly as water flowing into a channel.

And through an exceptionally unique method, he comprehended from it—

Bloodline Divinity!

The entire process had taken less than half an hour.

If the Azure Sun Sect of the Eastern Border had still existed in its former days and learned of this, they would likely have trembled in shock and hailed him as heaven-sent.

They expended countless resources, arranged suitable environments, and provided enhancements, all to increase the odds in the setting of capturing bloodline power.

As for comprehending a demon beast's Bloodline Divinity from it, that depended entirely on opportunity and luck. Talent might account for some portion of it, but it could not be said to be everything.

If one did not capture enough bloodline power, then even if one's talent was extraordinary, it would be extremely difficult to comprehend the corresponding Bloodline Divinity.

Even if one succeeded, it would often take several days, or even more than ten days.

Someone like Chen Ping'an could be called absolutely unprecedented.

If there truly were such a prodigy, he could enter a sect's true inheritance, become its Holy Son, press down his generation, and be called the sect's senior brother.

Naturally, Chen Ping'an, immersed in his breakthrough at this moment, knew nothing of such matters. With his temperament, even if he did know, he would not care too much.

A sect's true inheritor, the title of senior brother of his generation—though they sounded pleasant, they were merely the words of one house.

What he desired could not be satisfied by merely becoming a sect's senior brother!

Pressing down his generation and dazzling the current age were merely the nearest goals before him. His true ambition surpassed everyone's imagination.

It was so vast that even Imperial Relatives and blood kin of Clan Elders would be astonished upon hearing it, finding it utterly inconceivable.

Such breadth of spirit and vision was something even Imperial Relatives and members of the imperial clan might not possess.

Patriarchs of great clans, sect magnates, provincial governors—

And now, Chen Ping'an was approaching his goal step by step, with incomparably steady strides.

Who knew how much time had passed before Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes.

His robes had been completely shredded, exposing a powerful physique as though cast from gold and bronze. His body was hard and forceful, like a Jiaolong coiled in repose, every inch of him brimming with an indescribably tyrannical power.

"The first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method is complete!"

A brilliant gleam shot from Chen Ping'an's eyes. He slowly spread his brawny, sinewy arms, while a Dark Gold luster surged across the surface of his skin.

Bang!

Chen Ping'an gave a slight shake, and a terrifying force of blood and qi instantly surged forth, setting off a thunderous roar of blood and qi that boomed like startled lightning, resounding in every direction.

If not for the confinement domain formed by the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, that roar of blood and qi alone would have carried far, far away, leaving countless beasts trembling in fear and unable to know peace.

"Such mesmerizing power!"

Chen Ping'an's voice was like muffled thunder as he slowly rose to his feet.

Boom!

His blood and qi roared, and a terrifying pressure surged forth, whipping up a tide of blood and qi.

Bang!

The tide swept through the surroundings like raging waves. The nearby rocks instantly shattered, trees fell in unison, and leaves rustled down, only to be annihilated within the pressure in an instant.

Buzz~ Buzz~ Buzz~

The Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags stood in the four directions, their Spiritual Light trembling and chiming, treasure radiance flowing as their divine properties stirred amid the haze, sealing off all movement and sound around them.

Within the terrifying tide of blood and qi, Chen Ping'an's sturdy, powerful physique suddenly swelled, growing by more than half a body's height.

"Bloodline Divinity, Savage Overlord!"

Chen Ping'an's hair danced wildly. Faint scales emerged over his Dark Gold physique, gleaming with an uncanny metallic luster.

At this moment, from afar, he looked like a savage giant who ruled over an ancient heaven and earth.

Unlike the divine properties of body-tempering physique cultivation methods, every change in Chen Ping'an's body at this moment came from the power of the bloodline within the Earth Dragon True Blood. It was an incomparably pure bloodline enhancement, without the support of any divine ability or secret art, nor any circulation of true essence.

All the changes to his physique stemmed from the two words: bloodline.

As one of the most elite bloodline demonic beasts among earth-grade demonic beast bloodlines, Earth Dragon Beasts inherited the bloodline power of the savage wilderness, granting them an extraordinarily formidable and violent enhancement.

When faced with a life-and-death crisis, triggering their Bloodline Divinity gave them the power to turn the tide of battle.

Under the bloodline enhancement, their strength could rise by one level, or even two. Enemies who had once been far beyond their ability to defeat could now be defeated with the aid of that bloodline enhancement.

And Chen Ping'an's current transformation originated from precisely this Bloodline Divinity.

With his fleshly body as the foundation, he had used the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method to grasp Bloodline Divinity.

Blood refinement, blood refinement—using demonic beast blood as the basis to capture the power of bloodlines, borrowing it for his own use, and achieving the situation he possessed today.

In terms of sheer physique size, the divine property unleashed purely through bloodline power was completely incomparable to the Ten Thousand Demons True Body activated by the Ten Thousand Demons Body Forging Art. It was not even as good as the Golden Body Indestructible under the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill.

But in terms of oppressive force, how much more did Chen Ping'an at this moment suppress the divine properties of those body-tempering cultivation methods!?

Even the mightiest Ten Thousand Demons True Body paled before Chen Ping'an at this moment.

The difference in scale between the two was simply not something that could be mentioned in the same breath.

"So this is the Bloodline Divinity within Earth Dragon True Blood!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes shone brilliantly, his voice like muffled thunder.

A casually thrown punch surged with incomparably dense blood and qi. Its terrifying destructive power pulverized every tree and rock in its path, grinding them into dust.

At the edge of the confinement domain, the light flickered and trembled, faintly showing signs of exceeding its limits.

"A casual strike rivals the power of a Pseudo Celestial!"

With just one punch, Chen Ping'an had made a clear judgment of his current strength.

With the support of Bloodline Divinity, his fleshly physique had undergone an extraordinarily terrifying transformation.

This transformation came from his years of unrelenting effort in tempering his physique, and also from the boon granted by completing the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method.

When Chen Ping'an cultivated the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method to completion, his fleshly physique underwent a series of changes.

The power of his physique had already surpassed what it had been before.

And atop this kind of foundation, activating Bloodline Divinity caused his combat power to soar even further!

When demonic beasts used Bloodline Divinity, they could turn defeat into victory and reverse the course of battle. When humans used it, the same held true!

But this power was not inexhaustible.

Like Chen Ping'an at this moment, though he had only briefly triggered Bloodline Divinity and casually thrown a single punch, he could feel the frenzied depletion of the blood and qi within his body.

This expenditure far exceeded that of the Ten Thousand Demons True Body!

When the Ten Thousand Demons True Body was activated, it also consumed the body's blood and qi, but its greater consumption lay in spirituality and true essence. Bloodline Divinity, however, truly consumed nothing but the power of blood and qi.

Even with Chen Ping'an's robust physique, he could not withstand such casual squandering and depletion.

His blood and qi surged, the Dark Gold faded, and Chen Ping'an swiftly returned to normal, becoming as he had been at the beginning.

The completion of the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method had still brought immense changes to Chen Ping'an's fleshly physique. However, with a turn of his thoughts, his body changed back into its previous form once more.

Once his clothes covered his body, not a trace of the Savage Overlord from moments ago could be seen upon him.

This cultivation method's breakthrough had brought a considerable increase to Chen Ping'an's combat power. The corresponding improvement had even exceeded Chen Ping'an's expectations.

First, just as he had guessed, the breakthrough of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method had not caused the Golden Finger Panel to provide any spiritual aid, allowing his Martial Path Realm to advance further and enter the ranks of the second stage of breakthrough.

However, the breakthrough of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method had benefited his fleshly physique far more than he had expected. Clearly, the Golden Finger Panel had played a major role in this process.

His physical constitution underwent an even greater transformation. He believed this change was enough to leave the vast majority of cultivators practicing the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method far behind.

The Earth Dragon True Blood he had blood-refined had already put him ahead of nearly every cultivator of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method. Now, with the aid of the Golden Finger Panel, the gap had only widened further. Even the true disciples and peerless prodigies from the Azure Sun Sect at its height could only sigh from afar and admit themselves inferior.

The Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method involved tempering the flesh and physique, while the Golden Finger Panel's effects were also exerting force in that direction. The two stacked together, providing even greater assistance, just as they did with other cultivation methods. Under such circumstances, Chen Ping'an's increase in strength was naturally obvious.

Secondly, Chen Ping'an had cultivated the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method and also grasped the Bloodline Divinity of blood-refined demon beasts. This was something others might not necessarily possess. Even if some incredibly fortunate cultivator had grasped a Bloodline Divinity, the power of the divinity they could wield might not compare to his due to the rank of the blood-refined demon beast.

The emergence of Bloodline Divinity brought the greatest possible transformation to Chen Ping'an's strength.

If, previously, without using true essence, spirituality, or any other means, Chen Ping'an could rely solely on the power of his physique to stand shoulder to shoulder with a Martial Dao Great Grandmaster, then now, with the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method complete, his physique had reached a level surpassing almost every Great Grandmaster.

And bolstered by the demon beast bloodline and its innate divinity, his qi, blood, and physique swelled even more explosively!

They surged to the point where the power of a single strike could rival that of a Pseudo Celestial.

Of course, Chen Ping'an's current assessment of Pseudo Celestial power used Old Qing Fan as its benchmark. He was treating Cold Nail Qing Fan as the standard unit for a Pseudo Celestial's offensive strength; not every Pseudo Celestial could be measured by that same logic.

In theory, Cold Nail Qing Fan should not have excelled at direct offensive combat. Setting aside all else, solely in terms of offensive prowess, he ought to have been somewhat weaker than an ordinary Pseudo Celestial.

But regardless, Chen Ping'an's improvement was a leap beyond imagination.

Though Cold Nail Qing Fan was not skilled in offense, that one strike of his had merely been a casual blow!

If he were to trade moves with Old Qing Fan again now, then provided the other party had no further means, Chen Ping'an could establish an extremely obvious advantage and might even secure victory.

As for whether he could ultimately defeat him, that would depend on whether the other party had any additional methods.

Generally speaking, gaining an advantage was easy, and even suppressing one's opponent completely was possible. But truly defeating a Pseudo Celestial was far more difficult than one might imagine.

Pseudo Celestials were not figures molded from mud. How could they be defeated so easily?

Especially when the other party was fully committed to battle.

Still, if it truly came to that, then even if it was not a battle of life and death, it would not be far from one.

Pseudo Celestials had different temperaments, but one thing was certain: without sufficient drive or motive, they generally would not strike with their full strength.

That was true for the various factions and systems, and even more so for those lone Rogue Cultivators.

Each had their own concerns—some worried over their lives and fortunes, some over resources and foundations, and others for different reasons altogether.

In short, there were few occasions that could make a Pseudo Celestial truly go all out.

Once they got serious, the damage would be far more than a scratch or two.

Within the same realm, everyone's strength was roughly evenly matched. Even if someone was stronger than you, a hard-fought battle could still be dragged into a war of attrition.

One battle might not seem like much, but burning through ten or twenty thousand Origin Crystals was fairly easy.

If real fury flared and life-preserving trump cards, lifespan-burning secret arts, or one-use consumables were deployed, then the loss would be truly ruinous.

They were all old turtles who had lived for who knew how many years.

They could see this point clearly enough.

In conflicts at the provincial level, Pseudo Celestials often would not take action. As each side's foundation-level force, they formed a strategic standoff. Even in struggles spanning Several Provinces, it was often merely Pseudo Celestials sitting at the negotiating table, gaming against one another in conversation as hidden blades crossed, rather than choosing to truly fight.

Even when an unavoidable situation arose, they more often chose wagers and debates.

As for genuine life-and-death clashes where one spared no cost, under normal circumstances, they could almost be said not to exist.

Everyone had struggled step by step to cultivate to where they were today. They all cherished their lives dearly.

Of course, cherishing one's life did not mean fearing death.

Who, after walking such a difficult path, had not experienced life and death?

The reasons people cherished their lives differed. Some did so for the grand ambitions in their hearts; some for their clans and descendants; some to pass on their legacy to disciples and followers. There were even those who did so to pursue that single dazzling instant.

But whatever the reason, none had truly taken the path of cowardly clinging to life.

Though Pseudo Celestials did not act lightly, and were even less likely to engage in life-and-death battles, once they truly made a decision, they would not hold back in the slightest when the fight began.

Sharp in resolve, decisive in purpose, and ruthless in slaughter.

For the cultivation they sought and the conviction in their hearts, why would cultivators such as us begrudge a battle!?

But then again, a large forest harbored all kinds of birds. Among Pseudo Celestials, there were also a few utterly mad individuals whose logic of action ordinary people found difficult to comprehend. There were also some who seemed afraid of life and death, yet from another angle, was that not their conviction as well!?

All I want from this life of cultivation is to live well—to live above others and enjoy the utmost bliss of the Human World!

Only by living did one have everything. If one died, then it was truly all over.

In short, all manner of convictions filled this group. There was a general standard by which to judge them, but no single principle could encompass them all.

Having cultivated all the way to this point, Chen Ping'an had finally entered this level in the truest sense.

Without relying on spiritual treasures or secret medicines, he had entered this tier of combat power purely through his Own Strength.

At this level, he could look down proudly upon an entire province and dominate One side!

Only a very small number of Storm Cloud Great Grandmasters and reclusive Great Grandmasters could possibly achieve this. As for everyone else, they could only obediently remain in the lower realms, gazing upon it as though gazing at the Blue Sky!

The completion of the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method had not brought any change to Chen Ping'an's Martial Path Realm. His true essence and spirituality remained as before. With the Thousand-Year Stone Milk and Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags, his combat power could contend on equal terms with Pseudo Celestials such as Old Qing Fan. Under normal conditions, his strength was a trace inferior to that of a Pseudo Celestial.

But that was judging by Martial Path Realm, spirituality, and true essence.

If speaking of physique alone, then in Chen Ping'an's current state, solely through the power of his body, he could suppress and kill most Great Grandmasters. He should belong to the level of a Storm Cloud Great Grandmaster, though his overall ranking likely would not be particularly high.

But once he activated his Bloodline Divinity, empowered by that divinity, he could draw upon the Primordial Power within his bloodline and transform into a Savage Overlord. A casual strike would carry the power of a Pseudo Celestial.

At full strength, one blow could pose an immense threat to a Pseudo Celestial. In fierce battle, it could greatly suppress Pseudo Celestials like Cold Nail Qing Fan, giving him hope of defeating them.

Between Pseudo Celestials, aside from differences in combat power, each person had different strengths. Their cultivation arts and methods might counter or reinforce one another. Even when their combat power was equal, different forms of suppression could still arise.

Actual combat differed from broad verbal generalizations. The division of combat power depended on many factors: the restraint of methods, the types of cultivation arts, the circumstances of battle, psychological factors, environmental conditions, and so on.

Strictly speaking, combat power among Pseudo Celestials was not divided in such fine detail. More often, a relatively accurate judgment was made based on how much of a true Celestial's divinity they possessed.

By Chen Ping'an's current assessment, his combat power should be considerably stronger than that of ordinary Pseudo Celestials. However, if he faced those skilled in breaking through defenses, that might not necessarily be the case.

Yet his physique's defenses and bloodline power naturally restrained opponents skilled at entangling combat and agile exchanges. If the other party focused solely on attacking, they would place themselves at a disadvantage.

But then again, everything had two sides. If he wanted to focus solely on attacking, that disadvantage would fall upon him instead.

Like that night's circumstances—if he had been the one pursuing, and Cold Nail Qing Fan the one fleeing, then the situation might have changed.

All things considered, with a precise estimate, he could now suppress ordinary Pseudo Celestials, though he was still slightly inferior to formidable Pseudo Celestials.

However, there was one shortcoming: he could not maintain this state for too long.

Under his Bloodline Divinity, the consumption of blood and vitality every moment was immense. Even with his blood and physique, he could not sustain it for long.

If his Bloodline Divinity faded before he could establish the situation, then what awaited him would be a reversal of the tide.

Fortunately, aside from his Bloodline Divinity, he possessed many other methods. He would not be reduced to too passive a position.

No matter what, aside from his own Martial Path Realm, he had gained another trump card.

Bloodline Divinity, Primordial Power!

Chen Ping'an's change of mood took place within a single breath.

Buzz~

His gaze flashed, and the Golden Finger Panel appeared.

Name: Chen Ping'an

Realm: Jade Balance Late Stage - Third Stage of Breakthrough (Spirit Pattern Condensation)

Martial Arts: Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method Entry Level (0/5760), Turbulent Phoenix Dance - Yin-Yang Pivot Entry Level (0/8640), Grand Void Wind Riding Step Entry Level (1638/2160), Seven Kill Heavenly Dipper Fist Small Accomplishment (65/3840), Overlord Saber Great Accomplishment (0/3200), Seven Absolute Divine Skill Perfection, Ten Thousand Demons Body Forging Art Perfection

"5,760 points."

With the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method complete, what he needed to consider next was the second refinement. To bring the second refinement to completion, he needed to accumulate 5,760 points of Cultivation Experience.

But that was not the main issue. The problem was that he now needed to find new demonic beast blood.

Each refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method required a different kind of demonic beast blood refinement.

Though the Earth Dragon True Blood on him was nearly exhausted, there was still a little left. Unfortunately, this remaining Earth Dragon True Blood could no longer be used to cultivate the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method.

Next, he needed to find a new demonic beast blood refinement for the second refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method.

For Chen Ping'an, finding demonic beast blood was not difficult. But finding suitable demonic beast blood was far from simple.

For the demonic beast blood of his first refinement, he had used a demonic beast with an Earth Grade top-tier bloodline. No matter how low the requirements for the second refinement were, they could not possibly fall below that.

Moreover, Chen Ping'an had even higher requirements for the demonic beast blood of his second refinement!

A Heaven Grade Demonic Beast!

Only the higher the bloodline grade of the demonic beast blood used for blood refinement, the greater the benefits he would gain upon completing his cultivation, and the more obvious his improvement would be.

It was the same Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method, yet the final benefits and improvements could be utterly different. That result depended entirely on the standards and requirements of the cultivation process.

Others had to consider the difficulty of cultivation and the cost-effectiveness of being stuck at a realm bottleneck, but Chen Ping'an had no such concerns whatsoever.

All he needed to consider was how to make himself stronger and maximize the cost-effectiveness of the cultivation art.

However, while setting the requirements was easy, fulfilling them was not.

Previously, while in Azure Dragon Province City, he had learned quite a bit about the situation. In a place the size of Azure Dragon Province City, the hub of an entire province, the demonic beast blood normally traded was mostly from demonic beasts with Middle Grade Bloodlines. Demonic beasts with High Grade Bloodlines were already quite rare.

As for the blood of demonic beasts with Earth Grade Bloodlines, it would only possibly appear at certain regularly held auctions and higher-level Trading Conventions.

As for Earth Grade top-tier bloodlines, he would likely have to wait for the upcoming Azure Dragon Grand Ceremony to even consider them.

Earth Grade top-tier bloodlines were already like this, let alone the blood of demonic beasts with Heaven Grade Bloodlines!

A Heaven Grade Bloodline meant a demonic beast possessed the potential to assume human form upon reaching adulthood!

Though they might not all successfully assume human form, such bloodlines were already enough to be called kings among demonic beasts!

Heaven Grade Bloodlines were exceptionally rare. Not to mention Azure Dragon Province—even looking across the surrounding Several Provinces, there might not be a single demonic beast with such a bloodline.

However, while bloodline demonic beasts were hard to find, simply obtaining demonic beast blood was still possible.

"Should I go look for Gu Qingchan again?"

Chen Ping'an calculated inwardly.

For a Heaven Grade bloodline demonic beast, it was not convenient for him to inquire under his true identity. Asking too much would easily arouse suspicion, much less seeking one out.

First, he lacked a reasonable motive. Second, he lacked the proper conditions.

Under such circumstances, using an Alternate Identity was naturally the first choice.

"Gu Qingchan can continue to be tested, but pay attention to seizing the right moment, so as not to arouse suspicion. Besides."

Chen Ping'an recalled the words spoken at their parting.

"If fate lets us meet again, then we shall continue the bond of today!"

Continue the bond of today...

Chen Ping'an's thoughts shifted, returning from the dual cultivation method, Inverted Phoenix, Overturned Wind · Yin-Yang Pivot, to the blood of Heaven Grade Demonic Beasts.

Aside from Gu Qingchan, he could also try his luck at auctions and Trading Conventions.

However, since this involved demonic beasts with Heaven Grade bloodlines, there was no need even to consider ordinary auctions.

Only the Azure Dragon Grand Ceremony to be held later, and the super-large auction in Mystic Spirit Major City, were worth considering.

As for Trading Conventions...

Chen Ping'an's thoughts changed. At the very least, they had to be at the level of Storm Cloud Great Grandmasters and Pseudo Celestials.

When it came to Heaven Grade Demonic Beast blood, ordinary cultivators did not possess such resources or boldness.

Besides, if none of these paths worked...

Perhaps the Heavenly Luo Saintess...

Chen Ping'an's gaze deepened, his thoughts difficult to put into words.

The Heavenly Luo Sect was vast and wealthy. Perhaps its treasury held similar treasures.

But honestly, if possible, he truly did not wish to deal with the Heavenly Luo Saintess.

Under the Illusory Dream, his true identity had most likely already been exposed.

No!

Given the circumstances at the time, it had already been exposed.

Even if there were still slight doubts, before the contract, they could likely be easily dispelled, allowing for a definite judgment.

This was the first time since he had begun cultivating that his identity had truly been exposed.

Exposed plainly and completely, laid utterly bare.

If not for the influence of the Illusory Dream and the interference of the contract, he might well have harbored the urge to kill.

But now...

"Qu Feiyan!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes narrowed slightly, countless thoughts lurking within them.

His exposure could not be undone, but he could minimize its impact as much as possible. Being exposed before the Heavenly Luo Saintess still left him room to maneuver, but if this caused him to fall into the sight of the Heavenly Luo Sect's upper ranks...

Then it would truly be no longer able to be salvaged!

For precisely this reason, unless necessary, he truly did not wish to deal with the Heavenly Luo Saintess.

As for the matter of demonic beast blood refinement, he would first seek other methods. If it could not be done, then he would make plans for this matter again!

Although he had already been exposed before the Heavenly Luo Saintess, the one thing worth being glad about was that his rate of improvement far exceeded everyone's imagination.

When he had fought the Heavenly Luo Saintess before, his combat power had not yet reached the level of a Pseudo Celestial. On the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Rankings, he would at most have ranked among the middle tier. But now, his combat power overpowered ordinary Pseudo Celestials.

Moreover...

Chen Ping'an's gaze narrowed as it fell upon the Grand Void Wind Riding Step, whose experience had already accumulated beyond the greater half.

"With the aid of the Snow Spirit Leaf, I can cultivate the Grand Void Wind Riding Step to the Minor Accomplishment realm in at most ten days!"

A sharp gleam burst from Chen Ping'an's eyes as he gradually reined in his thoughts.

After dealing cleanly with the loose ends, Chen Ping'an returned to the carriage as though nothing had happened.

After the first refinement of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method reached completion, the road ahead of him became even clearer.

Strengthen his physique, bolster his methods, cultivate his realm diligently, and break through as soon as possible! Scheme for resources and deepen his foundations.

His corresponding plans were also built around these principles.

The blood of Heaven Grade Demonic Beasts, the Snow Spirit Leaf, a spiritual treasure that continuously enhanced cultivation, precious treasures to improve his external means, and—

Cultivation techniques that could bring improvement.

However, given Chen Ping'an's current horizons, he no longer thought much of ordinary cultivation techniques.

At the very least, only top-tier Supreme Divine Skills could provide him with substantial benefit in cultivation. If he considered the future, then they had to be techniques at the level of a True Scroll of Divine Skill. Even if they were somewhat inferior, they still had to touch upon that level.

Taken together, not a single one of the things he needed to seek was easy to obtain.

Besides that, he had quite a few matters to handle.

Refining the Treasure Prototype Skyfall Cold Star Saber, the Black Mystic Iron Mask, the Black Jade Ring, the Golden Silk Belt, and numerous other divine weapons; studying demonic beast carvings; cultivating techniques; and more.

Each and every one of these matters occupied no small amount of his energy.

Additionally, there was the matter of Thunderclap Mountain...

Chen Ping'an's eyes were tranquil, like an ancient well steeped in coldness, like a frozen deep pool.

"Thunderclap..."

After more than ten consecutive days of travel, Chen Ping'an's carriage finally entered the territory of Thunderclap Mountain.

And on the very day Chen Ping'an arrived at Thunderclap Mountain, the Wind and Cloud Grandmaster Rankings, which had lain silent for over three years without an update, unexpectedly updated once more. Through special channels, the update was simultaneously released across every region of the dynasty.

For a time, wind and clouds churned.