Bicang Interception, Celestial Will (Seeking Monthly Pass)

Bicang Interception, Celestial Will (Seeking Monthly Pass~)

Dark clouds gathered around the moon, and the night deepened.

Several figures stood atop a small hillside beside the Official Road.

"Ahead is Reckless Saber's carriage!"

Earth Splitting Old Man, dark-skinned, watched the carriage traveling along the distant Official Road.

Liang Xiaoxian stood to one side, her dress fluttering in the wind. Her full, shapely thighs appeared and vanished beneath it, exuding an ultimate sense of tautness.

"It is about time! I ask Elder Di to make his move."

Drawing Reckless Saber over had to remain secret. They had pursued him all the way out of the city for precisely this moment.

Now that they were far from Azure Dragon Province City, with silence and no one around them beneath the deep night, it was the perfect time to act.

Previously, when she had recruited Reckless Saber, he had seemed willing to agree. Yet from that day onward, she and Reckless Saber had had no further dealings.

She had originally wanted to wait until news came back from Foster Father before speaking with him again and making matters clear, but now it seemed there was plainly no need.

She had once been fairly certain of Reckless Saber's attitude. But after news spread that he had spent the night at the Gu Family, she had become a bit less sure.

Could it be that the Gu Family had offered some new bargaining chip, making Reckless Saber regret his decision?

After pondering it for days, she had formed a suspicion. Reckless Saber Chen Ping'an's sudden departure only confirmed it.

By now, Foster Father's side should have received her message as well. She should have waited longer, but now she could wait no more.

Rather than let Reckless Saber hold her at his mercy and place bets on both sides, she might as well seize the initiative and bring the chips to her own side.

With Reckless Saber leaving the city, this was an excellent opportunity.

"Miss Liang, rest assured. Leave it to this old man." Earth Splitting Old Man grinned broadly, his fan-sized hands stirring up soundless gusts.

According to Miss Liang, this Reckless Saber possessed astonishing talent, and his combat strength had long surpassed that of ordinary Great Grandmasters.

He truly wanted to see what this Hidden Dragon Heavenly Talent of the younger generation was made of!

Watching Earth Splitting Old Man prepare to strike, Liang Xiaoxian's mind eased slightly.

Reckless Saber's combat strength was extremely strong, and his methods filled her with fear. If she were alone, she would never have dared take even half a step down this road today. But with Elder Lan and Elder Di here, no matter how capable Reckless Saber was, he would be unable to escape even with wings.

Not to mention Reckless Saber—even if a Peak Great Grandmaster came in person, he would be no match for Elder Di!

Let alone with Elder Lan standing by to support him.

"Reckless Saber, I trust you will make the smart choice!" Liang Xiaoxian, with her jade nose and almond eyes, stood in a graceful pose as she gazed at the distant carriage.

"They're here."

Inside the carriage, Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes.

His brows and eyes were profound, like an ancient well without a ripple.

He had already sensed the auras of Raging Wave Guest and Earth Splitting Old Man, concealed atop the distant hillside.

Chen Ping'an had long wanted to test himself against the two joining forces.

Previously, wary of causing a disturbance in the province city and affecting his attempt on Li Wusheng, he had temporarily held himself back.

But if he acted tonight, there was no such concern.

He wondered how many exchanges Raging Waves Splitting the Earth could withstand when joined together.

Chen Ping'an moved, just about to strike, when his expression changed abruptly. His brows furrowed deeply, and his whole person froze in place.

"This is..."

The starlight was sparse, the moonlight hazy.

On the hillside, Earth Splitting Old Man's body went stiff, as though mourning his parents. Beside him, Raging Wave Guest was no longer refined and elegant as before; his pupils contracted, and a chill ran down his spine.

Liang Xiaoxian's breathing nearly stopped. The mountain wind swept past, lifting the loose strands by her temples.

Under the hazy moonlight stood a figure in midair, clad in coarse gray cloth, the hem of his clothes snapping in the wind.

The mountain wind lifted half the sleeve robe on his right arm, revealing nothing but emptiness.

A longsword was strapped over his left shoulder, wrapped tightly in hemp cloth. A trace of rust showed through the gaps.

"Senior... Senior Gu."

Inside the carriage, Chen Ping'an's expression was grave, and a trace of sweat seeped onto his forehead.

But that trace of sweat soon vanished without form.

"Celestial will!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes narrowed sharply, a faint stabbing pain arising within them.

The other party had not concealed his aura. Once released, it made Chen Ping'an feel immense pressure.

Yet this pressure seemed to have been filtered. The elite guards around the carriage felt nothing at all, as did Wang Chao.

"So this is the sense of oppression of a Martial Dao Celestial!"

Chen Ping'an's mind trembled as he felt the invisible force filling the Four Directions of Space.

This sense of oppression far surpassed their previous battle.

The two were on completely different levels; they simply could not be mentioned in the same breath.

It was said that only three Pseudo Celestials together stood a chance of truly contending against a Martial Dao Celestial. He had been half-convinced, half-doubtful before, but now that he had glimpsed a fraction of a Celestial's bearing, he truly believed it.

A Martial Dao Celestial could live for a thousand years, look down upon the world, and stand above countless millions!

Chen Ping'an's mind was taut as he watched the situation outside.

Under the moonlight, that figure gave Chen Ping'an's carriage a deep look before vanishing from where he stood.

From his appearance to his departure, he had said nothing, yet he had said everything.

On the hillside, Raging Wave Guest and the others were breathing heavily. Liang Xiaoxian's body went limp; fragrant sweat drenched her as she collapsed to the ground, drawing breath in big gulps. Her skirt spread across the earth like a blooming lotus, its curves revealing an indescribable tautness.

The sense of oppression from a Martial Dao Celestial was not something just anyone could imagine.

Even for Great Grandmasters of Raging Wave Guest and Earth Splitting Old Man's caliber, the Celestial Will of a Martial Dao Celestial was beyond what they could endure.

"Clear wind brushes the mountain ridge, bright moon shines upon the great river—the Clear Wind Bright Moon Sword, the Gu Family Ancestor, Gu Tianren!"

Earth Splitting Old Man's forehead was full of sweat, his wide grin somewhat stiff.

Raging Wave Guest's eyes were grave, the solemnity in his expression plain to see.

Only after a long while did Liang Xiaoxian recover, speaking blankly.

"Let's head back first!"

A confrontation had ultimately dissipated into nothing because of the one-armed swordsman's appearance.

It had come quickly, and gone just as quickly.

Throughout the entire affair, the elite guards surrounding the carriage had noticed nothing, as though everything were no different from usual.

Chen Ping'an sat silently within the carriage, sinking into stillness.

This was the first time since he had begun cultivating that he had truly encountered a Martial Dao Celestial!

It had seemed light and casual, yet it had actually carried the power of heaven and earth!

A Martial Dao Celestial achieved Unity of Heaven and Man. Guided by Soul Power, they could wield the might of heaven and earth.

Such methods were far beyond the reach of a Yuheng Great Grandmaster!

A Pseudo Celestial's soul had flaws, and the power of heaven and earth they could draw upon was exceedingly limited. Other than when fighting for their lives, they would not employ such methods most of the time.

But Martial Dao Celestials were different. Their souls were whole and polished, their intent condensed and refined, allowing them to wield the power of heaven and earth with far greater frequency.

To face a Celestial was like facing the overwhelming momentum of heaven and earth itself, making one's heart tremble with helpless dread.

Only after truly sensing a Celestial's might did Chen Ping'an realize that a Martial Dao Celestial's methods were far more formidable than the rumors claimed.

The only fortunate thing was that the other party bore him no ill will. Still, that final glance had carried a somewhat profound meaning.

What the other party had been thinking at that moment, Chen Ping'an did not know.

But what he had been thinking was: could he preserve his life against a Martial Dao Celestial!?

Chen Ping'an did not know.

His previous battle with old man Qing Fan had given him a clear measure of his own combat strength. Other than not truly fighting to the death that day, he could say that he had held nothing back, using every means at his disposal.

Only the final divine wonder of the Azure Flame Four Directions Command Flags—the burst-enhancing effect—had yet to be used.

Assuming old man Qing Fan had no other trump cards, Chen Ping'an believed that after employing that divine wonder, his overall combat strength should be able to surpass the other party by a notch.

But what the final outcome would be was hard to say!

After all, if he possessed explosive pills and spiritual items to preserve his life, it would be stranger still if old man Qing Fan, who had lived for over six hundred years, possessed none.

He had once been quite confident in that conclusion. He felt that, with every method at his disposal unleashed, he might be able to preserve his life even against a Martial Dao Celestial at full strength.

But now—

After truly experiencing a Celestial's sharp edge, that confidence was gone.

In the end—

His vision had still been too limited.

Looking across Azure Dragon Province and the Several Provinces surrounding it, among all the various factions, there was one and only one true Martial Dao Celestial.

Combined with the other party's characteristics and the place they were currently in, who he was and what his identity was needed no further explanation.

From this perspective, this was also Chen Ping'an's good fortune!

Had it been someone else, the consequences tonight would truly have been unthinkable!

Even if he had not wished to fight to the death, he would have had no choice but to fight!

Cultivating martial arts appeared infinitely glorious, but only those within knew whether the water was warm or cold.

Tonight had been his good fortune, but one could not live forever relying only on luck.

In this life, strength was what ultimately did the talking!

With that thought, the urgency in Chen Ping'an's heart grew ever stronger.

Tonight was Chen Ping'an's good fortune—more precisely, it was also the good fortune of Raging Wave Guest, Earth Splitting Old Man, and the others.

Had a Martial Dao Celestial not appeared, the outcome for the few of them tonight would have long since been set in stone.

He had revealed part of his strength before Liang Xiaoxian, and plans had already formed in his heart.

Tonight, since they had delivered themselves to his door, he naturally would not let the chance slip away.

More precisely, even if they had not come, he would have found an opportunity to kill them all and be done with it.

By his estimation, they should not expose his strength for the time being, but in the long run, it was hard to say.

Rather than pinning his hopes on them keeping their mouths shut, it was better to kill them early and wipe the slate clean.

He had already intercepted and slain the messenger falcon from before. As long as he killed these people as well, no one else would know of his Martial Dao Great Grandmaster strength.

But unfortunately.

Chen Ping'an's eyes were still, calm and indifferent.

Working backward, there had been slight flaws in his previous decisions. Yet considering the circumstances at the time, there had been no major problem with what he had done.

If there was one issue, it was that he had ultimately still been too careless.

Fortunately, he had revealed only part of his strength. Even with some reservations, the consequences remained within an acceptable range.

Combined with his recent plans, he believed that before long, his apparent strength would gradually rise to this level as well.

Although the few people from Azure Cang Prince Manor had learned of it beforehand, the differences in their respective progress were not particularly obvious.

As for comparing information after they returned to Azure Cang Prince Manor, that would be easy enough to resolve. Given tonight's events, they would naturally have their own answers in their hearts.

Those were merely minor details. The pressing matter, the core issue that needed resolving, was still his own strength.

As long as his true realm rose, revealing a little more outside would not matter much. The risks would naturally descend.

"Though ten thousand changes arise, they never stray from their root—it all comes down to the word strength!"

Chen Ping'an's expression remained calm. His gaze sharpened, and a Golden Finger Panel appeared before him.

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 (1554/1920), Turbulent Phoenix Dance - Yin-Yang Pivot Entry Level (0/8640), Grand Void Wind Riding Step Entry Level (920/2160), 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

"Soon. Very soon."

A glint flashed through Chen Ping'an's eyes, and the Golden Finger Panel vanished out of thin air.

His thoughts sank, and he entered cultivation.

Buzz~

A pale azure light flowed around him, tightly enveloping his whole person.

The impact brought by the appearance of a Martial Dao Celestial ran far deeper than it seemed on the surface.

Liang Xiaoxian and the others abandoned all their plans and hurried back to Azure Green Province overnight.

The Gu Family Ancestor—the Clear Wind Bright Moon Sword—had personally shown himself.

In such a situation, not to mention recruiting Reckless Saber, they were already blessed by heaven simply to have kept their lives.

Raging Wave Guest and Earth Splitting Old Man in particular felt the lingering relief of survivors when they thought back on it now.

The Gu Family Ancestor's vicious reputation was well known. Back then, even those with real authority in Azure Cang Prince Manor could be injured whenever he said so. Much less people like them.

If they angered him, even if they died here, they would have nowhere to seek justice.

First-Class Guest Officials of Azure Cang Prince Manor might seem lofty and exalted, but before a Martial Dao Celestial, they were nothing at all.

"Elder Lan, Elder Di, we must report this to Foster Father as soon as possible. The effort to win over and recruit Reckless Saber needs to be reassessed!" Liang Xiaoxian looked grave, her complexion somewhat unsightly.

"Miss Liang, we understand!" The two clasped their fists in unison, their expressions equally solemn.

Just as Liang Xiaoxian and the others rushed back to Azure Green Province overnight, Chen Ping'an's carriage also left the territory of Azure Dragon Province City.

From Azure Dragon to Leiming, traveling day and night at full speed, the journey would take roughly ten days.

Yet whether deliberately or not, Chen Ping'an's carriage traveled at an unhurried pace. When it passed through Guangyuan Great City, he even went into the city to rest for a while.

Within the city, Chen Ping'an also heard quite a few stories concerning himself and Gu Qingcheng.

Celebration gifts, spending the night at the Gu residence, meeting beneath the moon, sharing a single quilt.

Truth and lies were mixed together; there were all sorts of versions.

Some people had even imagined further details and added embellishments, spreading elaborate accounts.

Love at the celebration.

The story of Alluring Fairy and Reckless Saber that had to be told.

Sleepless Night.

A State Territory Giant's Delicate Little Wife.

The Forbidden Secret of the Cold Fairy.

All manner of versions spread far and wide, and the corresponding rumors clamored through the streets.

By comparison, there was scarcely any word of the turmoil in the prefectural city, the midnight assassination, or the fierce battle in the night sky.

It was as though they had vanished out of thin air.

Public attention was focused mainly on Gu Qingcheng's breakthrough, the reversal of public opinion surrounding the contest between saber and sword, and Reckless Saber Chen Ping'an's romantic exploits.

As for the truly important affairs of the prefectural territory, they were rarely heard of. Even news like the Dragon Peace Turmoil, which had been circulating for more than half a year, was no exception.

Chen Ping'an stayed one night in Guangyuan Great City before promptly leaving the city.

He could slow things down, but he could not make it too obvious. Though he was not concerned about accusations and questioning from the Town Pacification Office, there were some matters in which there was no need to add unnecessary risk.

As he departed the city, Chen Ping'an also gave Xiong Sanrang something.

"Sanrang!"

"My lord, this subordinate is here." Xiong Sanrang's voice was rough and booming, yet his posture was respectful to the utmost degree.

"You have rendered merit in escorting us all the way. Take it!"

"My lord, this is..." Looking at the porcelain-jade bottle in his hand, Xiong Sanrang was somewhat dazed.

Chen Ping'an said nothing, merely smiling as he boarded the carriage.

Only after the convoy had set out and all matters had been settled did Xiong Sanrang carefully inspect the item his lord had bestowed upon him.

When he saw the silver-veined treasure pill inside the porcelain-jade bottle, The whole person was utterly frozen on the spot.

When he looked up again, tears already brimmed in his eyes.

This was—

A Realm Breaking Treasure Pill!

The journey from Canglong to Leiming took ten days, yet Chen Ping'an forcibly stretched it out to more than ten days.

On this day, Chen Ping'an sat upright within the carriage. No Spiritual Light showed at his brow, but pale azure true essence flowed around him, sealing off the inside from the outside.

Drops of Earth Dragon True Blood, containing savage baleful intent and violent, dense power, floated around Chen Ping'an, tempering his physique in an extraordinarily peculiar manner.

The Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method used a secret art to refine blood, borrowing true blood to temper the body!

According to the orthodox cultivation methods of the Azure Sun Sect, the great Eastern Border cultivation sect that had already been destroyed, it naturally would not be so crude.

It required a specific cultivation environment, along with matching secret arts and resources to assist in tempering the body.

Things such as blood spirit pools, mountain-wind stone caves, spirit-gathering grand formations, and a whole series of resources and treasures were needed to safeguard the fleshly body.

Using demon beast blood to temper the body was fraught with extreme danger. One slight mistake could result in torn muscles and broken bones at best, or eternal damnation at worst.

Every step required the utmost caution. Even the proud geniuses of great clans and true disciples of sects were no exception.

As for someone like Chen Ping'an, who relied on no external objects or environment and advanced boldly without any scruples, there truly had not been many such people in the history of the Azure Sun Sect.

To be precise, there might not even have been a single one.

Yet Chen Ping'an naturally had his own confidence in cultivating this way.

With the Golden Finger Panel, so long as he succeeded once, the road ahead in cultivation would become as natural as water flowing into a channel. He could use the most natural and correct method to cultivate this blood refinement secret art all the way to Perfection.

"Refine!"

Chen Ping'an's Clear Spiritual Platform was lucid, his will sharp as a saber as he refined the bloodline's savage baleful intent within the Earth Dragon True Blood.

Demon beasts were famed for their savage baleful intent. To use their blood for blood refinement naturally required layer upon layer of procedures.

However, Chen Ping'an had cultivated the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method for more than two months. He was naturally already exceedingly familiar with this step.

As his will gathered, the bloodline's savage baleful intent within the Earth Dragon True Blood grew increasingly sparse, until it was completely purified and turned into incomparably refined Bloodline Divinity, which merged into Chen Ping'an's fleshly body.

"Transform!"

A vast amount of Bloodline Divinity surged in. Chen Ping'an's will stood firm as a mountain; no matter how his body and physique changed, he remained immovable as a mountain.

The power of the demon beast bloodline gradually spread apart, little by little becoming something he could wield.

How long this process continued, none could say. Chen Ping'an slowly opened his eyes.

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 (1920/1920), 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

"1,920 points!"

Looking at the Golden Finger Panel before him, Chen Ping'an's eyes shone with delight, the joy on his face impossible to suppress.

After nearly three months of bitter cultivation, he had finally cultivated the first stage of the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method's Cultivation Experience to Perfection.

Spiritual Light flickered at Chen Ping'an's brow as he sensed the situation around him.

"Once it gets deep into the night, I'll go out and break through!"

This was the first time Chen Ping'an had attempted a breakthrough with this Body Tempering Secret Technique. He did not know whether any unusual disturbance would arise during the breakthrough.

To be safe, it would be more prudent to go outside and break through.

Breaking through inside this carriage was good and all, but the space was far too cramped. If anything truly went wrong, it might not be able to withstand it.

Even if Chen Ping'an had now been granted the title of Senior Division Head Candidate, the Mysterious Pattern Jade Ornament carriage assigned to him was not particularly large. At most, it was three or four times the size of an ordinary carriage.

Overall, the space was still rather limited.

Since this concerned a body-tempering cultivation method, Chen Ping'an did not dare be the slightest bit careless.

There was still quite some time before night fell completely. Chen Ping'an gradually calmed his emotions and resumed cultivating the Grand Void Wind Riding Step.

The Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method was good in this one respect: its cultivation primarily consumed Martial Will and did not expend much true essence. Thus, after Chen Ping'an finished cultivating it, he did not need to regulate his breathing for a while as he would with ordinary cultivation methods. He could transition seamlessly into cultivating other martial arts methods.

Buzz~

Spiritual Light rose, and the manifestation of Grand Void Wind Riding gradually emerged around Chen Ping'an, curling around him.

His true essence circulated, continuously moving along a particular trajectory.

Who knew how long passed before a strand of Cultivation Experience flashed into view.

+1!

The Grand Void Wind Riding Step was close to minor mastery as well!

Night had deepened, and the stars were sparse.

A group of elite guards surrounded the carriage on all sides. Following a particular formation, they formed their own camp and kept watch in every direction.

"My lord is merciful! He has spared us the toil and allowed us to rest. But do not forget our duties! Keep your eyes peeled, every one of you! If so much as a mosquito or fly gets in and disturbs my lord's quiet cultivation, then..."

"..."

Though the carriage had stopped, the many elites did not dare slacken in the slightest. It was not merely a matter of mosquitoes and flies; they had to remain alert in real time to every rustle and movement around them. Let alone anyone Approaching—even making a trace of noise would be disrespectful to their lord.

Under the night sky, the elites stood guard around the carriage.

But in a place unnoticed by everyone, a figure silently left the camp.

Whoosh!

Chen Ping'an streaked through the mountain forest. Leaving the Official Road, he headed into the dense woods to one side. At first the trees were sparse, but they gradually thickened.

With his abilities, leaving without drawing anyone's attention was only natural. Not to mention him—even an ordinary Great Grandmaster possessed the ability to muddle the senses and disrupt one's line of sight.

Below Spirituality, even if he stood right there, no one might necessarily notice him.

With all his methods, he was no different from a ghost or god!

Of course, the further one advanced along the martial path, the more deeply one felt awe.

Great Grandmasters, whom others had to revere as gods, were no more than toddling children before martial Cultivators a level higher.

"This should be far enough!"

Chen Ping'an sensed his surroundings. Trees stood densely all around, sealing the place off from view, with a hillside at his back. It was a fine place for a breakthrough.

Whoosh!

With a flash, Chen Ping'an landed steadily atop a mountain rock.

"To prevent any disturbances, I'll set up a few measures first!"

Chen Ping'an looked around. Spiritual Light flashed between his brows, and four command flags spun into his hand.

"Suppress!"

With a casual toss from Chen Ping'an, the four command flags shot off in four directions and embedded themselves in the ground.

Buzz~

Spiritual Light trembled. The command flags took their places in the four directions, and a space formed on its own!

Once the command flags were concealed, they could hide one's aura and cut off all sound.

Afterward, Chen Ping'an carved several Spirituality Restrictions.

Though these restrictions were simple, they were better than nothing—multiple layers of protection.

Once he was done, Chen Ping'an sat down cross-legged.

He held his breath, focused his mind, and adjusted his condition.

A full quarter-hour later, Chen Ping'an slowly Opened his eyes.

Buzz~

The Golden Finger Panel Appeared.

Looking at the Cultivation Experience behind the Azure Sun Blood Refinement Method on the panel, Chen Ping'an's eyes snapped wide open, brilliant light shooting forth.

"Break through!"

Crash~