Daqian Martial Saint

It had taken Xing Rongzi decades of arduous cultivation and exploration to barely reach the entry level of the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger.

Yet, from the moment Chen Ping’an began formally cultivating the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger to mastering its entry level, it had taken him just over ten days!

Decades versus a little over ten days.

If Xing Rongzi knew of this from beyond the grave, one could only wonder what he would think.

After reaching the entry level with the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger, Chen Ping’an did not immediately end his seclusion. Everything at the outpost was proceeding in an orderly manner, and no new messages had arrived from the Weishui Garrison, so there was no need for him, the Deputy Inspection Envoy, to make an appearance.

+1!

+1!

...

Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged, cultivating in silence.

Mastering the entry level of the Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger had greatly increased his combat power, but he was still far from being able to dominate the ranks of absolute masters. Even so, Chen Ping’an had no intention of relaxing in the slightest.

...

The matter of Chen Ping’an joining the Qiankun Bureau to encircle and annihilate a Celestial Net Church was deliberated internally by the Weishui Garrison, compiled into a report, and submitted to the Canglong Province Garrison Command.

Since the matter involved the Celestial Net Sect, even though Liu Yuanhua was displeased, he could do little to manipulate the situation in the face of such a major development.

Originally, if Guan Yu Ping had been involved, Liu Yuanhua could have used his ”Mandarin Duck Brush Technique” to split the credit and assign some to Guan Yu Ping, thereby diminishing Chen Ping’an’s role. However, the actual circumstances had put an end to that idea.

Guan Yu Ping, the Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy for the Long’an Trade Route, was suspected to have perished in the Five Peaks Mountains.

The report from the Weishui Garrison was sent by express rider to the Canglong Province Garrison Command.

The first to receive the report was the Dispatching Bureau of Canglong Province. As a key department within the State Garrison Command, the chief of the Dispatching Bureau was of the Deputy Commander-in-Chief level, a status not much inferior to that of the Commander-in-Chief of the Weishui Garrison.

The chief of the Canglong Province Dispatching Bureau was named Yu Zhanhong. He had entered the Profound Light High Realm over thirty years ago and was a renowned absolute master.

His Breaking Army Wu Jin Fist was perfected to a sublime degree, and when combined with his exceptional body technique, he could be considered among the top tier of absolute masters.

’A Vice Inspector of Trade Route, collaborating with the Qiankun Bureau to annihilate a Celestial Net Church! Directly killed the Rising Star Chart prodigy, Soul-Breaking Spear? And he’s only twenty-one...’

Yu Zhanhong scanned the report before him, growing more astonished the more he read.

Soul-Breaking Spear Gu Wu: Profound Light Realm cultivation, a prodigy on the Rising Star Chart ranked twenty-eighth, and inheritor of the Celestial Net Sect’s Seven Extremes Soul-Breaking Spear.

In fact, if not for the fact that Gu Wu’s grasp of the Seven Extremes Soul-Breaking Spear’s intent was not yet pure enough, this spear technique alone would have been enough to rank him among the top ten prodigies on the Rising Star Chart!

This Soul-Breaking Spear Gu Wu held a significant position within the Celestial Net Sect. A while ago, when news of his breakthrough to the Profound Light Realm had spread, it had attracted considerable attention within the Canglong Province Garrison Command.

A prodigy like that, if allowed to mature, was destined to become a grave threat to them. Who would have thought that the next time they heard news of him, it would be of his death?

’Only twenty-one years old, at the Celestial Rain Descending Realm Perfection, and he forcefully killed Soul-Breaking Spear Gu Wu of the Profound Light Realm. This Mang Blade...’

Yu Zhanhong closed the report. With his eyes slightly shut, he leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face.

’With the Martial Dao talent he’s displayed, he could absolutely reach the Profound Light Realm before he’s thirty. Combined with the outrageous combat power he’s shown, once he breaks through, he’ll surely be a powerhouse among those in the Profound Light Realm! He’d be a shoo-in for the top ten of the Rising Star Chart! Such talent...’

Yu Zhanhong’s eyes flew open, and he shot up from his chair.

’A clean family background, and he just so happens to have appeared within our Garrison Commandant’s Office system... A prodigy like this, my Canglong Province Garrison Command must hold on to him tightly!’

’I must report this to Director Gu as soon as possible and ask him to make a decision!’

With this in mind, Yu Zhanhong hurriedly left his office and headed out.

Compared to the Weishui Garrison, the Canglong Province Garrison Command was a much larger organization, rife with factions and cliques. The fact that Yu Zhanhong could secure the position of a bureau chief amidst the political games meant he naturally had his own supporters.

The Director Gu he spoke of was his backer.

Gu Haoqing, a Candidate for Chief of the Canglong Province Garrison Command—Director Gu.

Across all thirty-seven counties of Canglong Province, a Candidate for Chief stood above the Capital Envoys of each county city, a figure who stood among the clouds.

A person of this stature could make all the counties of Canglong Province fall silent with a single cough. Their power and influence were illustrious, their momentum overwhelming.

Only a Grandmaster was qualified to hold such a high and powerful position!

...

「Canglong State Qiankun Bureau, Weishui Branch.」

”Deputy Inspection Envoy of the trade route, Chen Ping’an! Are you saying that although he hasn’t entered the Profound Light Realm, he has the combat power of someone at its threshold? That he single-handedly killed the Rising Star Chart prodigy Soul-Breaking Spear Gu Wu in a direct confrontation? And that he worked with you to successfully annihilate a Celestial Net Church?”

A bloated, fleshy man sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, enjoying a massage from several maids behind him. He wore the specially made Sun and Moon Robe of the Qiankun Bureau, which was stretched tightly around his round belly.

In fact, if the material of the Qiankun Bureau’s Sun and Moon Robe wasn’t so tough, it probably would have burst long ago.

This was an incomparably fat and tall man.

Yet Zhao Zhiteng, standing before this man, did not dare show the slightest disrespect.

The man before him looked incomparably fat and seemed as if he could barely move, but he was, in fact, the head of the Canglong State Qiankun Bureau’s Weishui Branch: the Silver Gong Qiankun Envoy, Cao Yingxiong.

The Qiankun Bureau held partial supervisory authority over the Garrison Commandant’s Office!

Within the system of the Daqian Dynasty, the rank of a Silver Gong Qiankun Envoy was implicitly a notch higher than that of the Capital Envoy of the Weishui Garrison.

Without a doubt, anyone who could hold such a crucial position had to be an absolute master, and Cao Yingxiong was no exception! With his Tiger Roar Dragon Cry Technique, he stood among the top tier of experts!

He was definitively the number one fighting power below the Dragon and Tiger People Chart!

Some even speculated that Cao Yingxiong’s combat power was likely not inferior to some of the masters on the Dragon and Tiger People Chart itself.

”Replying to Lord Cao, yes. This young man’s talent is exceptional, and he conceals his abilities well. Your subordinate was wondering if we might be able to recruit him into the Qiankun Bureau!”

Zhao Zhiteng said, standing before Cao Yingxiong with his head bowed in reverence.

”To have the combat power of the Profound Light threshold at only twenty-one... he is indeed a rare talent! We can begin the process of recruiting him!” After a moment of thought, Cao Yingxiong agreed with Zhao Zhiteng’s proposal.

”However... what level of status do you think would be appropriate to bring him in with?”

Seeing Cao Yingxiong agree, Zhao Zhiteng was overjoyed. ”Thank you, Lord Cao. Given the young man’s current situation, his talent is remarkable and his future potential is limitless. Your subordinate believes we could perhaps offer him the status of a Two-Seal Qiankun Guard.”

”Hmm?” Cao Yingxiong frowned slightly. On his incomparably bloated face, however, the expression was barely noticeable.

”A Two-Seal Qiankun Guard? Unacceptable!” Cao Yingxiong refuted. ”He’s a newcomer with no established merits. To give him the status of a Two-Seal Qiankun Guard right after he joins—what would the other Qiankun Guards think? It’s unreasonable! Unacceptable! Unacceptable!”

”Lord Cao, within our Qiankun Bureau, anyone who reaches the Profound Light Realm is eligible for the position of a Two-Seal Qiankun Guard. Although this young man hasn’t reached the Profound Light Realm, he possesses Profound Light Battle Power! Giving him the status of a Two-Seal Qiankun Guard would be in line with the Bureau’s conventions!” Zhao Zhiteng argued.

”I’ve already considered everything you’ve said. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have even agreed to recruit him. How about this: when he joins, I’ll waive his observation period and give him official status as a One-Seal Qiankun Guard,” Cao Yingxiong said.

’A One-Seal Qiankun Guard?’

Hearing this, Zhao Zhiteng hesitated, a troubled look appearing on his face.

”Lord Cao, Chen Ping’an established great merit in this recent encirclement, and the Garrison Commandant’s Office will likely reward him generously. He’s currently a Deputy Inspection Envoy, which is a Deputy Commander-level position. I’m afraid recruiting him with the status of a One-Seal Qiankun Guard might not be successful.”

”A One-Seal Qiankun Guard is the most I’m willing to offer! If he can’t accept that condition and refuses to join the Qiankun Bureau, it’s his loss, not ours! Don’t worry about it, just go and make the offer,” Cao Yingxiong said, his tone final.

”Yes.” Zhao Zhiteng wanted to argue further, but seeing that Cao Yingxiong’s mind was made up, he could only bow his head and accept the order.

Watching Zhao Zhiteng leave, Cao Yingxiong sat on his meditation cushion enjoying the maids’ massage, looking utterly relaxed.

’A rising star prodigy? Until they’ve fully matured, they ain’t shit!’