Daqian Martial Saint

’Breakthrough!’

As Chen Ping’an focused his will, the Experience Points on his Golden Finger Panel began to churn frantically.

The Experience Points transformed into specks of starlight and sank into the center of Chen Ping’an’s brow.

A vast torrent of insights and memories flooded his mind, as if he had spent decades on the Divine Skill Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger. It felt like he had not only practiced its Cultivation but had also endured countless life-and-death battles. Through this constant refinement and combat, he finally grasped the second of the Killing Techniques for the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger!

The Departing Fire Finger!

When activated with True Qi, the Departing Fire Finger produced an intensely scorching flame at the user’s fingertip. Unlike ordinary fire, this flame possessed extremely strong adhesive and searing properties.

Even if an opponent was protected by an incredibly dense layer of Protective True Qi, the flame would adhere to it, continuously weakening its strength. Compared to the domineering ferocity of the Xunfeng Finger, the Departing Fire Finger focused more on gradual debilitation. In terms of pure Power of Slaughter, the Departing Fire Finger was inferior to the Xunfeng Finger. However, it was extremely effective against certain sinister and vicious Evil Techniques. A single strike could render an opponent unable to exert even eighty percent of their full strength!

Furthermore, the lethal range of the Departing Fire Finger’s Finger Power could extend for hundreds of feet. However, its ideal range was still around a hundred feet!

Beyond a hundred feet, its power would gradually diminish. If the Departing Fire Finger struck an opponent’s body directly, especially a Cultivator with an unstable True Qi foundation, the flame could invade their system. This could potentially cause them to be incinerated from within, killing them instantly.

Even if it didn’t kill them instantly, the invading flame would effectively suppress the True Qi in their body, causing a significant drop in their combat effectiveness.

Compared to the singular, destructive power of the Xunfeng Finger, the Departing Fire Finger was far more versatile in its applications!

As his Divine Skill Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger reached the Great Success Realm, Chen Ping’an fully mastered the Departing Fire Finger, just as he had the Xunfeng Finger before it.

Of the three great Slaughter Secret Techniques, Chen Ping’an had now mastered two.

But reaching the Great Success Realm with the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger brought more changes than just that. With the help of his Golden Finger Panel, the True Qi in his body, which was already nearing Perfection, gained an even deeper foundation.

From the cracks covering the Seed of Profound Light at the center of his brow, a tender sprout of Spiritual Energy emerged and began to grow at a frantic pace. It started as thin as a silk thread and gradually thickened. By the time Chen Ping’an had fully absorbed all the new insights, the tender spiritual sprout had already grown into the shape of a stem with leaves.

The Seed of Profound Light had sprouted, its basic form now apparent! The next step would be for it to form a flower bud, and then, for the Spiritual Flower to bloom! Strictly speaking, these next two steps were no longer within the scope of the Profound Light High Realm. This was considered the stage of formally challenging the bottleneck of the Grandmaster Pass.

In other words, the current Chen Ping’an had all but reached the absolute limit of the Profound Light High Realm. Most of the famous, supreme experts out in the world were also at this same level of Cultivation.

In terms of Martial Arts Realm alone, Chen Ping’an was now on equal footing with those supreme experts.

But Chen Ping’an didn’t just have his Realm. He had also cultivated two Divine Skills to the Great Success Realm and mastered numerous Slaughter Secret Techniques. Combined with the perfect insights granted by his Golden Finger Panel, his combat power had likely already approached, or even reached, the level of those on the Dragon and Tiger Chart.

And if he were to fully activate his Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill and transform into the Unbreakable Copper Body’s Little Giant form, then...

’I wonder... if I unleash my full power, where would I rank on the Dragon and Tiger Chart?’

A smile touched Chen Ping’an’s lips and his eyes gleamed. His heart swelled with heroic ambition.

He had trained tirelessly every single day, never daring to relax for even a moment. After so much bitter Cultivation, his strength had finally ascended to a new level!

...

"Lord Zhong, a massive conflict has broken out over on Orchid Lane! Chief of the Patrol Office Xiang has already rushed over, but several Inner Qi Realm masters are involved. We need you to go personally and suppress the situation!"

Inside an office of the Five Peaks Mountain Town Pacification Bureau, an inspector in Fish Scale Armor reported with an anxious look on his face.

"What? We just put a stop to the trouble in Orchid Lane two days ago! How did it erupt again? What’s going on?!"

A burly, dark-complexioned man immediately grabbed his saber and headed for the door the moment he heard the news.

This man was none other than Zhong Shanyong, the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Five Peaks Mountain City. While Chen Ping’an was in seclusion, he had been given full authority over the city’s affairs.

"The specific details haven’t been confirmed yet, but it’s suspected this conflict was sparked by an old grudge," the inspector explained rapidly, following close behind Zhong Shanyong.

"Alright!"

Zhong Shanyong hurried toward the entrance of the Garrison Commandant’s Office. Before he could even step through the main gate, two men rushed up to him, their faces etched with anxiety. They clearly hadn’t expected to run right into him.

"Lord Zhong!" the two men greeted, saluting in a fluster.

"What is it?"

"Sir, a fight broke out over at the Red Mill. Several Martial Artists at the Qi Blood Sixth Layer are going at it. The brothers on patrol nearby have already gone to provide support, but there aren’t any high-level experts there to take control, so the situation is getting out of hand. We came to request reinforcements."

"Qi Blood Sixth Layer?" After hearing their report, Zhong Shanyong’s focus shifted away. Compared to the Red Mill, the conflict in Orchid Lane was clearly on a much larger scale. That was the problem he needed to solve first.

"Chief of the Patrol Office Wu should still be at the Garrison Commandant’s Office. Have him provide support!"

"Yes, sir!" The two constables cupped their fists and hurried into the Garrison Commandant’s Office.

Having said his piece, Zhong Shanyong was in no mood to worry about the aftermath. He rushed out of the Garrison Commandant’s Office.

"Lord Zhong, ever since the second finale item for the Beicang Auction was announced, even more people have been flooding into the mountain city. The number of fights and conflicts has skyrocketed. Sir, our men can barely keep up!"

The inspector’s expression was grim, the weight of his duties pressing down on his shoulders.

The second finale item of the Beicang Auction was the inheritance of a Divine Skill!

Everyone knew that cultivating a Divine Skill was incredibly difficult, but that did nothing to dampen their desire for one. As news of this finale item from the Beicang Auction spread, the public’s excitement to attend grew even more intense.

And with the auction date drawing near, the number of people passing through Five Peaks Mountain City surged!

"We just have to endure this period, and things will be fine," Zhong Shanyong said, trying to offer some reassurance.

"But, sir, conflicts are breaking out all over the city at all hours. Our men are being run ragged, and we’re already short on manpower! But the manpower issue is the least of our worries. The biggest problem now is that the intensity of these fights is escalating. The number of Inner Qi Realm experts getting involved is also rising. The situation is already showing signs of spiraling out of control and collapsing completely!"

"Have the Wei Family send some of their people! Stabilizing the city isn’t just the responsibility of our Garrison Commandant’s Office; it’s their responsibility too! The Wei Family has been growing and prospering in this city for years, feeding off its resources. Now it’s time for them to do their part!"

"Yes, I understand, sir! But we’ve already tried negotiating with them and explained all this. The Wei Family did send some men, but their Martial Arts Realms were... less than satisfactory. It was a token effort at best! Right now, all they care about is their own business!"

"Alright, I understand. After I handle the situation in Orchid Lane, I’ll go have a word with Wei Zhenheng personally." As he spoke, Zhong Shanyong couldn’t help but sigh.

Although he was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Five Peaks Mountain City, his Cultivation Realm had only just reached the Second Stage of Inner Qi. The Wei Family, on the other hand, was large and powerful, with a Profound Light Realm ancestor overseeing things. For him to show up at their door and try to persuade them to contribute manpower... his own influence...

...was simply not enough.