Chapter 421 - 360: Canglong Envoy, Beicang Unsealed
Mountain-Shattering Fist was an Evil Master with a Profound Light Middle Realm Cultivation. He often roamed the Li Yang County area and had made quite a name for himself.
When Chen Ping’an brought his head to the Beicang Garrison to have his merit certified, it caused a small stir.
First, it was because Chen Ping’an had been promoted to Candidate for Commander-in-Chief at such a young age, and he already had a considerable reputation within the Garrison system.
Second, it was because of the incident itself.
Among those in the Same Realm, Mountain-Shattering Fist’s combat power wasn’t particularly outstanding. But no matter how you put it, he was a genuine Profound Light Middle Realm master. The fact that Chen Ping’an could slay him was a testament to his extraordinary strength.
Previously, it was rumored that Mang Blade Chen Ping’an might possess the combat strength of the Profound Light Middle Realm, but it seemed that rumor would now have to be updated!
To be able to slay a Profound Light Middle Realm master meant that his combat strength was, at the very least, at the peak of the Profound Light Middle Realm.
For Chen Ping’an to have reached this level at such a young age, his ranking on the Rising Star Chart was likely even higher than anyone had guessed.
If his suspected Profound Light Middle Realm combat strength could have placed him in the top fifteen of the Rising Star Chart...
...then with the level Chen Ping’an had now displayed, if the Rising Star Chart were updated, his ranking wouldn’t fall out of the top ten even in the worst-case scenario! He even had a chance to compete for the top five!
On the Rising Star Chart, besides the three prodigies who had long since entered the Profound Light High Realm, the only one among the rest who could definitively suppress Chen Ping’an was that prodigy from the Shadowless Blade Sect who was nearly an Absolute Master.
No one else could say with absolute certainty that they could defeat Chen Ping’an.
The top ten of the Rising Star Chart—what an incredible achievement!
The small-scale commotion and shock even drew out Liu Gongxi, the Defense Commander of the Beicang Garrison.
"Lord Chen, to possess such combat strength at such a young age, it truly makes me admire you!" Liu Gongxi said with a complimentary smile.
Unlike Xue Kunsheng, who already stood at the pinnacle of the Profound Light High Realm, an ordinary Absolute Master like Liu Gongxi still placed great importance on the Rising Star Chart.
Not to mention that Chen Ping’an was now a Candidate for Commander-in-Chief within the Garrison Commandant’s Office, with a status not far from his own. His top-ten rank on the Rising Star Chart alone was enough to make Liu Gongxi humble himself and seek friendly relations.
Even among the top ten on the Rising Star Chart, not all achievements were of equal value.
He was different from those prodigies who had exhausted their potential and were about to age out of the chart. At not even twenty-two years old, Chen Ping’an had already ranked in the top ten. He still had plenty of years before reaching the age limit for the Rising Star Chart and was sure to aim even higher in the future.
A prodigy like this was the most worthy of befriending!
If news of this were to reach the State Garrison Command, the importance they placed on Chen Ping’an would likely increase even more.
This young man, Mang Blade, had a promising future!
Now that the opportunity was perfect, Liu Gongxi naturally wouldn’t let the chance to build a good relationship slip by.
"Lord Liu, you flatter me," Chen Ping’an said, exchanging a few pleasantries with a smile.
Besides Liu Gongxi, quite a few others from the Beicang Garrison also came up to chat for a bit and make their faces known.
The bustling scene made Chen Ping’an sigh with a bit of emotion.
’People really are pragmatic.’ He had been in Beicang Town for so long, yet not one of his colleagues from the Beicang Garrison had gone out of their way to befriend him. Now, just because he had killed a Profound Light Middle Realm master and revealed a bit of his talent, people were flocking to him as if drawn by a scent.
𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
However, Chen Ping’an saw these things clearly. Since they were intent on building a good relationship, he naturally wouldn’t put on airs. After a few exchanges, the conversations turned out to be quite pleasant.
Taking the opportunity, Chen Ping’an inquired about various matters, like how many Absolute Masters had died in the recent turmoil, the respective losses of the Evil and Demon Dao, and the casualties in the town.
However, when he asked about the results of the duels between Grandmasters, Liu Gongxi remained tight-lipped.
Liu Gongxi’s reaction undoubtedly confirmed the suspicions in Chen Ping’an’s heart.
Since the other party wouldn’t answer, Chen Ping’an didn’t press the issue. ’What I need to know, I’ll find out eventually!’
"Lord Liu, thank you for the information. The town is busy with many affairs, so I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll take my leave now!"
"Take care, Lord Chen," Liu Gongxi said with a smile. This exchange had achieved his initial goal; he had earned a small favor. With this foundation, he could build upon it further in the future if needed.
Chen Ping’an clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and left.
"I used to think this Lord Chen was all talk and no substance. So many of the rumors out there are false. This whole affair has really opened my eyes!"
"See? I told you you have no judgment, but you wouldn’t believe me. For Lord Chen to be able to slay a Profound Light Middle Realm master at his age, he’s truly a prodigy of this generation! There’s no doubt about it!"
"Yeah, before, rumors were spreading around town that Lord Chen was avoiding a fight, supposedly because he was afraid of Little Five Poison. I actually believed it back then. Thinking about it now, I feel so stupid!"
"Hahaha... look at you, you idiot!"
"Don’t you laugh at me, you believed it back then too!"
"Ahem... alright, stop gossiping. Get back to work, there’s still a lot to do!"
"..."
...
The news that Chen Ping’an had slain the Evil Master, Mountain-Shattering Fist of the Profound Light Middle Realm, slowly began to spread out from the heart of the Beicang Garrison.
Those who had previously criticized Chen Ping’an for avoiding a fight all fell silent after hearing the news!
Almost no one knew that Lan Yingjun had revealed the power of an Absolute Master when she acted that day. Everyone’s perception of her was still stuck on the impression she left when she defeated the Lin Family’s prodigy in a single move. In their eyes, no matter how strong Little Five Poison Lan Yingjun was, she was at most a slightly stronger Profound Light Middle Realm master.
Since Mang Blade Chen Ping’an could slay an Evil Master of the Profound Light Middle Realm, it was naturally impossible that he was afraid of Little Five Poison Lan Yingjun. There must have been some other reason he avoided the fight back then.