Daqian Martial Saint

Ever since the dark figure appeared like Mount Tai crashing down, Chen Ping’an had been observing him.

His build was bulky and his frame corpulent, making him look like a little giant.

His aura was scorching, his True Qi immense—he was in the Profound Light High Realm!

Combining these various details with the intelligence he possessed, Chen Ping’an quickly identified the man.

Cao Yingxiong, a Silver Gong Qiankun Envoy of the Qiankun Bureau!

Cao Yingxiong was the head of the Qiankun Bureau’s Weishui Branch in Canglong Province. Having reached the Profound Light High Realm many years ago, he ranked among the top-tier absolute masters with his Tiger Roar Dragon Cry Technique!

Rumor had it he possessed combat prowess comparable to those at the bottom of the Dragon and Tiger Chart!

Whether the rumors were true or not, Cao Yingxiong’s reputation as the number one combatant below the Dragon and Tiger Chart was genuine.

Furthermore, because the Qiankun Bureau held partial supervisory authority over the Garrison Commandant’s Office, Cao Yingxiong, as the head of the Weishui Qiankun Bureau, held a status that was implicitly a notch above the Commander-in-Chief of the Weishui Garrison!

In other words...

Within the Dynasty’s hierarchy, the man’s rank was far above Chen Ping’an’s.

’So that was the Tiger Roar Dragon Cry Technique! Truly worthy of being a sound-wave based Divine Skill—it’s utterly domineering! A single roar from such a distance made that Profound Light Middle Realm Elder from the Ten Thousand Demons Sect collapse. Although my prior spear thrust contributed to it, it’s still enough to show how terrifying this Divine Skill is!’

Chen Ping’an was slightly startled. That tremendous roar had made even his Qi and blood roil. He hadn’t lost control, but the feeling was extremely unpleasant!

Of course, this was only because Chen Ping’an hadn’t activated his Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill and had taken the blow relying solely on his own physique and Qi Blood.

Had he activated the Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill, even partially, it would have been enough to make his physique, Qi Blood, and Divine Intent perfectly unified, fortifying his core and rendering him unmoved by external forces!

At the very least, a Tiger’s Roar and Dragon’s Chant of that level wasn’t enough to shake Chen Ping’an from a distance.

However, experiencing the combat power of a top-tier absolute master up close for the first time gave Chen Ping’an a flash of insight.

’Hmm, just based on that one move from Cao Yingxiong, if I don’t activate my Divine Skill, I’m really not sure I’d be his match. Even if I used the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger, without using my two trump cards—the Xunfeng Finger and the Departing Fire Finger—I could probably only fight him to a standstill at best!’

’Also, this is only Cao Yingxiong’s publicly known strength. No one would believe that an absolute master of his level doesn’t have some hidden trump cards!’

’Hmm, if we really fought, he would likely unleash a flurry of techniques. Even if I used both the Xunfeng Finger and the Departing Fire Finger, I might not be able to definitively suppress him. A preliminary calculation suggests I would need to use the Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill just to gain an advantage! Killing him would be nearly impossible. However, if I fully activate the Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill and transform into the Golden Indestructible Form, maybe I could give it a try!’

As Chen Ping’an’s figure descended, he saw Cao Yingxiong’s gaze turn toward him.

"Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy Chen Ping’an greets Lord Cao."

In terms of rank, Cao Yingxiong was far superior to Chen Ping’an. But since they did not belong to the same organization, Chen Ping’an simply offered a cupped fist salute and made no other superfluous gestures.

"Chen Ping’an!" Hearing Chen Ping’an’s introduction, Cao Yingxiong’s gaze sharpened. His look now held a hint of scrutiny.

This was the first time he had met Chen Ping’an, the rising star who had shot to fame within the Garrison Commandant’s Office system.

"You know who I am?"

While Cao Yingxiong was sizing up Chen Ping’an, Chen Ping’an was also secretly assessing him. To be honest, Chen Ping’an was quite curious about this absolute master who was rumored to have power rivaling the bottom ranks of the Dragon and Tiger Chart.

Aside from Liu Yuanhua, Cao Yingxiong was the second absolute master Chen Ping’an had encountered at such close range!

Unlike Liu Yuanhua, Cao Yingxiong’s combat prowess far surpassed that of an ordinary absolute master, making him a much more significant reference point.

Although Chen Ping’an was powerful now, his understanding of other experts at his level was severely lacking. Most of his information came from written intelligence reports.

Opportunities like this—to meet an absolute master face-to-face and gain a deeper understanding—were far too rare.

Naturally, Chen Ping’an would not pass up such a golden opportunity.

"Lord Cao’s name shakes Canglong Province; your reputation is as loud as thunder. Of course I know of you," Chen Ping’an replied to Cao Yingxiong, the Profound Light between his brows faintly pulsing as he stealthily sensed the other man’s aura.

However, worried about being discovered, Chen Ping’an dared not be too obvious about it.

"Are you the one who inflicted the injuries on this man!?" Cao Yingxiong asked, looking at the gray-robed old man on the ground—the Profound Light Middle Realm Elder of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.

When he saw the wound on the man’s chest, Cao Yingxiong had wondered which absolute master had struck.

But looking around, he saw no absolute master—only Chen Ping’an.

Could it be...

Cao Yingxiong looked at Chen Ping’an, but after seeing his ridiculously young face, he dismissed the speculation in his heart.

Impossible!

"He already had old injuries when he appeared. After a fight, I was lucky enough to injure him severely," Chen Ping’an said modestly.

But with his words, he had indirectly admitted that he was the one who had caused the gray-robed old man’s injuries.

Hm?

Cao Yingxiong’s gaze immediately turned grave.

’To be able to push a Profound Light Middle Realm expert to such a state... this Chen Ping’an’s true strength is probably even greater than the rumors say! Also...’

Cao Yingxiong’s gaze shifted to the distance, where the ground was a total wreck, indicating that another battle had taken place there.

’Still, the man was already injured. For Chen Ping’an to accomplish this much is still astonishing, but it’s barely within the realm of what I can accept.’