Daqian Martial Saint

Looking at Wan Yuanze, who had turned into a cloud of blood mist, Chen Ping’an retracted his long spear and slung it onto his back.

"Next up, harvest time!"

SWOOSH!

Chen Ping’an’s figure flickered as he began a rapid search.

A short while later, Chen Ping’an stood in place, the corner of his mouth twitching as he looked at the three sabers laid out before him.

The bodies of Guan Yu Ping and Wan Yuanze, along with everything they carried, had exploded into fine dust that scattered throughout the area.

The only loot remaining was three sabers: Guan Yu Ping’s Long and Short Dual Sabers and Wan Yuanze’s scimitar.

’Crushing people with sheer force... it feels great while you’re doing it! But the spoils afterward are a bit worrying!’

’Looks like I’ll have to be a little gentler next time! This is a bit too wasteful!’ Chen Ping’an reflected seriously.

Setting Wan Yuanze aside, Guan Yu Ping was, after all, a veteran Profound Light Realm master. Holding a high position and having accumulated wealth over many years, he must have had a substantial fortune.

Even if he didn’t carry everything with him, he certainly would have had quite a few good things on his person.

"What a pity."

Chen Ping’an sighed briefly but didn’t linger. After cleaning up the scene, he quickly departed.

His business wasn’t finished yet!

Although he had missed out on other items, the haul this time was still decent. For instance, Guan Yu Ping’s Long and Short Dual Sabers were a matching set of Genuine Treasure Artifacts, making them much more valuable than ordinary Genuine Treasure Artifacts.

In addition, Wan Yuanze’s scimitar was an exceptionally fine blade, its quality not far off from a low-grade Treasure Artifact.

Of course, from Chen Ping’an’s current perspective, these items were no longer anything special. Still, this haul was a small addition to his assets.

He had no use for them himself, but he could trade them later for resources he actually wanted.

The three sabers were too distinctive, and Chen Ping’an wanted no connection to the deaths of Guan Yu Ping and his companion.

While passing a rocky outcrop, he lifted a boulder and blasted a hole with his Palm Power, hiding the three sabers inside. After replacing the boulder and checking that there were no obvious signs of disturbance, Chen Ping’an went straight on his way.

He would leave the three sabers here for now. It wouldn’t be too late to deal with them after this whole affair was over.

...

Amidst a cluster of rugged, disorderly rocks halfway up Five Peaks Mountain, Xing Rongzi sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, regulating his breathing and doing his utmost to recover.

His condition was far from good; his clothes were in tatters, and his eyes were slightly sunken.

Normally, Xing Rongzi wouldn’t have been in such a state. As a Profound Light Middle Realm expert, he was faster, even with two men from the Qiankun Bureau in hot pursuit. With the foundation he had built over many years, he was confident he could drag things out until their Burst Secret Technique wore off.

After using a Burst Secret Technique, there was usually a period of weakness that wasn’t short. At that time, he might even have a chance to turn the tables and kill them.

So, although he was fleeing and the situation seemed critical, Xing Rongzi wasn’t actually anxious.

Everything had been going according to his plan, but who could have expected a Profound Light Realm expert to pop out of nowhere on his escape route!

The man had suddenly attacked, clashing with him for a single move!

’The Mandarin Duck Combined Blade Technique!’

His opponent’s characteristics were too obvious; the moment he struck, Xing Rongzi recognized his identity.

’The Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy, Guan Yu Ping! He’s not supposed to be in Five Peaks Mountain City, so what is he doing here?’

BOOM!

The violent collision was accompanied by a deafening roar, and the resulting shockwave of qi blew all the branches and leaves off the surrounding trees.

"Damn it!"

Xing Rongzi was furious, and a hint of crimson welled up in his throat.

Guan Yu Ping was no ordinary Profound Light Realm expert. Wielding his Mandarin Duck Dual Sabers, he was definitely among the most formidable experts in the Profound Light Initial Realm.

Although he had managed to repel the attack, he had responded hastily, causing his internal True Qi to roil and backlash against him. Normally, this wouldn’t have been a major issue; he could have simply regulated his breathing to calm it.

But with the two from the Qiankun Bureau in pursuit, he had no time to regulate himself. He had to redirect his momentum to change direction and flee, causing his True Qi to surge.

This chain reaction left Xing Rongzi in bad shape.

’What the hell is Wei Zhixing doing? He was supposed to keep Guan Yu Ping lost in a lover’s paradise, so why did he show up here?!’

Xing Rongzi’s eyes spat fire, his chest filled with rage.

Delayed by Guan Yu Ping, he had reacted instantly to minimize the damage. But Zhao Zhiteng and Chu Long behind him were no pushovers; their True Qi flared, and they actually closed the distance between them.

After he had barely managed to flee for several miles, the two from the Qiankun Bureau finally caught up to him.

This caused all of Xing Rongzi’s plans to fall apart. Originally, he could have bided his time, waiting for their Burst Secret Technique to wear off. The situation would have reversed, the roles of pursuer and pursued would have switched, and he would have had an opportunity to counter-kill them.

But now, he had been caught prematurely...

An unavoidable, major battle erupted between them.

Under the effects of the Burst Secret Technique, Zhao Zhiteng’s Sword Skill was ferocious and Chu Long’s Fist Force was powerful, putting him under immense pressure. Fortunately, having been in the Profound Light Middle Realm for many years, he had a few trump cards of his own.

After a bitter struggle, Zhao Zhiteng and Chu Long were unable to take him down. Seeing that their Burst Secret Technique was about to expire, they ultimately retreated in disappointment.

To be honest, when the two retreated, Xing Rongzi had considered chasing them down and killing them one by one.

But Guan Yu Ping’s sudden appearance had made him wary. Furthermore, after the difficult battle, his own condition was far from perfect; he was even in a rather sorry state. After careful consideration, Xing Rongzi decided to give up on the idea for now.

He found this cluster of rugged rocks and decided to rest and recover here first.

Although he still possessed the combat power of the Profound Light Realm, he might not be a match for Guan Yu Ping at his peak. Therefore, his top priority was to restore his cultivation as quickly as possible.

As long as his cultivation recovered, anything was possible!

After their Burst Secret Technique wore off, the two from the Qiankun Bureau were bound to enter a period of weakness. As long as he recovered his Profound Light Middle Realm combat power, no one would be able to restrain him for a short time. If the opportunity was right, he might even be able to hunt them down and kill them one by one!

His branch hall had been besieged and annihilated this time, and the sect members had suffered heavy losses. As the Hall Master, he would inevitably face harsh criticism within the Celestial Net Sect.

In this situation, he desperately needed to wash away this shame!

If he could kill a few Profound Light Realm experts from the Qiankun Bureau or the Garrison Commandant’s Office, he could atone for his failure with merits, and perhaps even earn a commendation!

Killing several of the enemy’s Profound Light experts in a desperate situation—such an act would demonstrate fearless courage and tenacity.

At that time, the sect would want to make an example of him. Not only would he avoid being reprimanded and punished, but he might even be rewarded.

As he thought about this, Xing Rongzi’s mood grew fervent.

’I wonder how things are going on Gu Wu’s end. He should have killed those two by now.’

Xing Rongzi had great confidence in Gu Wu’s strength.

He had observed the Qiankun Guard who went after Gu Wu. Aside from his rather unorthodox weapon, which was suitable for large-scale group battles, his actual strength was only a sliver above that of an ordinary Profound Light expert.

’He’s more than a little weaker than Gu Wu. With Gu Wu’s methods, if he went all out and took him by surprise, he should be able to kill him with ease!’

’As for that so-called prodigy from the Rising Star Chart, Mang Blade...’

’Heh!’

’Even among prodigies, there are vast differences.’

’So what if his Martial Dao talent is exceptional, and he possesses the combat power of a Profound Light Realm threshold expert at the Celestial Rain Descending Realm Perfection? If he hasn’t stepped into the Profound Light Realm, he isn’t qualified to be seen as our equal!’

’In front of Gu Wu, he’s just a bonus, a clay chicken and a pottery dog—he’ll shatter at the first touch!’

’A prodigy who hasn’t fully developed is ultimately worthless! Nothing at all!’

Just as Xing Rongzi was thinking this, his mind suddenly went cold. He snapped his eyes open and saw a familiar young man.

"Master Xing, what a coincidence!"

The young man stood before him with a gentle smile, his presence as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze.