Chapter 453 - 373: Finger Technique Perfection, Cultivation Advancement

During the few days he spent in Cultivation, quite a lot had happened.

In this time, the Canglong Province Garrison Command had been working with various factions to crack down on the Evil and Heterodox Dao, and their efforts had borne considerable fruit. Many strongholds belonging to Evil Dao forces like the Extreme Evil Dao and the Rising Dragon Dao were eliminated. The Celestial Lotus Sect even had an entire branch hall destroyed. This string of successes greatly boosted the Garrison Commandant’s Office’s reputation!

However, what Chen Ping’an found rather strange was that the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, the most rampant of them all at the start, had only had a single stronghold eliminated. Logically, of all the factions, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect was most active around Weishui and should have been the easiest target.

’Are they holding back, planning to make a big move?’ Chen Ping’an wondered.

If the investigation continued, it was only a matter of time before the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s strongholds were exposed. Under such a tight lockdown and intense scrutiny, it wouldn’t be easy for them to relocate and escape, even if they wanted to.

It was also worth noting that his subordinates were investigating the matter of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s strongholds. Chen Ping’an’s men had gathered numerous clues from the merchant caravan massacre near Red Maple Mountain. He had ordered them to follow the leads and do their best to uncover the sect’s bases.

According to You Yongming’s reports over the past few days, their progress had been quite smooth. With a little more time, they should see a major breakthrough.

If they could successfully eliminate one or two of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s strongholds, it would reflect well on Chen Ping’an, and the corresponding Merit would be credited to his name.

Aside from that, the credit for killing the Evil Master known as Earth-Shattering Fist in Beicang Town had finally been verified, more than a month after the fact.

Normally, it wouldn’t have taken nearly this long. But Chen Ping’an was affiliated with the Weishui Garrison, and the verification was being handled by the Beicang Garrison. Procedurally, the corresponding Merit had to be transferred from the Beicang Garrison to the Weishui Garrison before the matter could be considered officially closed.

However, due to the Beicang Chaos, the Beicang Garrison was swamped with an overwhelming and complex number of tasks. This caused a considerable delay in processing the Merit.

At least it was finally verified.

The Merit awarded for an Evil Master at the Profound Light Middle Realm was no small amount.

’The Merit was finally verified, but I’m still a long way from having enough to exchange for a Divine Skill Body Technique!’ Chen Ping’an was frustrated.

The credit for killing the three Profound Light Elders from the Ten Thousand Demons Sect was still being disputed with the Qiankun Bureau and had yet to be verified. A few days prior, Chen Ping’an had specifically written a letter to the Weishui Garrison to inquire about it. The response was that negotiations were ongoing, with no clear outcome.

If the credit for those three Profound Light Elders was approved, his total Merit would increase significantly, bringing him one step closer to affording a Divine Skill Body Technique.

’They’re really dragging their feet on this!’

He had killed those three Ten Thousand Demons Sect Elders before the Beicang Auction had even begun. How long ago had the auction ended now? And the credit still hadn’t been approved! Even if the verification was delayed, there should at least be a decision on the dispute with the Qiankun Bureau!

He hadn’t killed all three of those Ten Thousand Demons Sect Elders himself. Strictly speaking, he had only killed two of them.

He had killed the fierce-faced giant and the sallow-skinned old man. The remaining gray-robed elder, however, had effectively committed suicide.

Chen Ping’an had severely wounded him, and as he was trying to escape, Cao Yingxiong had appeared. Cao Yingxiong’s Tiger’s Roar and Dragon’s Chant had interfered, robbing the man of his ability to flee. In his despair, the elder had shattered his own heart meridians and died.

And that gray-robed elder, a Profound Light Middle Realm master, was worth the most Merit of the three!

But with Cao Yingxiong dead, it was now impossible to say for sure how the elder had died. The whole affair was a muddled mess.

The final allocation of credit would come down to the power struggle between the Garrison Commandant’s Office and the Qiankun Bureau.

’Should I go ahead and get the credit for killing Li Pingjiang certified?’ Seeing how large his Merit deficit was, Chen Ping’an carefully weighed his options.

Li Pingjiang’s Martial Arts Realm had reached the pinnacle of the Middle Perfection Realm, and his combat power was nearly at the Peak Realm. If the kill were certified, the Merit would undoubtedly be greater than that for the Ten Thousand Demons Sect’s gray-robed elder.

Before, Chen Ping’an’s true strength wasn’t apparent, so he hadn’t officially confirmed the kill. All the rumors circulating used the word "allegedly." But now, he had displayed more than enough power—he had even killed Tong Jin of the Qiankun Bureau, another master at Profound Light Middle Realm Perfection, right in front of the Five Peaks Mountain Town Pacification Bureau. He had few reservations about coming forward to certify the kill now.

The only thing giving him pause was the man behind Li Pingjiang: the Celestial Net Sect Elder, the Seven Extremes Elder!

The Seven Extremes Elder had been famous for many years; he was a Veteran Grandmaster at the Mid-Jade Balance Stage. Though his life was nearing its end and he didn’t have many years left, his combat power was not to be underestimated.

At the Grandmaster Realm, Spiritual Energy was abundant and True Essence was perfectly contained. Even if a Grandmaster’s lifespan was nearing its end and their body was failing with age, they could still maintain ninety-nine percent of their combat power from their prime!

In other words, as long as their foundation wasn’t damaged, age alone had almost no effect on a Grandmaster’s Combat Power. What little impact it had would only surface during a drawn-out battle of life and death. In a one-sided fight, they were no different from a Peak Grandmaster!

’I hope the strength I’ve shown publicly will cloud the Seven Extremes Elder’s judgment,’ Chen Ping’an prayed. ’I need him to think that sending a disciple is enough to get revenge.’

Although he was now ranked fifth among the rising stars and had gained considerable fame, the Realm he had displayed was only Profound Light Middle Realm Perfection. He had not yet entered the Peak Realm; at best, his power was merely comparable to it.

Such combat power was a far cry from the experts on the Dragon and Tiger Chart, and it fell short even when compared to veteran Peak Realm masters. The Seven Extremes Elder could send almost any top-tier Peak Realm master to kill him and avenge his disciple.

By that logic, even if the Seven Extremes Elder was a cautious man, the most he would do was send his first disciple.

Chen Ping’an had, of course, done his own research on the Seven Extremes Elder. The man had served as a Celestial Net Sect Elder for many years and taken on numerous disciples. The most famous of them was his first disciple, Bi Shengdong, known for his Soul-Breaking Three Extremes.

Bi Shengdong was a master of three Divine Skills: the Soul-Breaking Leg, the Soul-Breaking Palm, and the Soul-breaking Fist. His combat power placed him at the very pinnacle of the Peak Realm, and he was ranked three hundred and twelfth on the Dragon and Tiger Chart!

If Bi Shengdong was the one to come, it would be like a free gift delivery for Chen Ping’an. Plus, the travel time alone would buy him a considerable delay.

’With my current strength, I’m still not quite a match for the Seven Extremes Elder. It would be best if Bi Shengdong came instead!’ Chen Ping’an thought, but then his mind turned to Erya in Weishui County City, and he quickly added, ’No! It would be best if no one came at all!’

In theory, an expert from the Dragon and Tiger Chart could infiltrate Weishui County City, assassinate someone, and escape completely unscathed.

At that thought, a renewed sense of urgency gripped Chen Ping’an.

Against an enemy of that caliber, even Weishui County City wasn’t safe enough. It seemed he had to arrange for Erya to go study in Canglong State City as soon as possible.

The only saving grace was that the Canglong Province Garrison Command was currently cracking down on the Evil and Heterodox Dao throughout the province at all costs. For the time being, the villains from the Celestial Net Sect likely wouldn’t dare to show their faces.

’Hm! The best-case scenario would be for the State Garrison Command to wipe them out before they even get a chance to come for me. That would save me the trouble of worrying about them every day!’

Even as he thought it, Chen Ping’an knew it was unlikely. The Celestial Net Sect’s branch had maintained its foothold in Canglong Province for many years; they naturally had their own methods and couldn’t be uprooted by the State Garrison Command overnight.

’It’s a truly awful feeling, knowing someone is out there who wants to kill me.’

’This whole affair has been a lesson. From now on, I’ll avoid making enemies with my public persona as much as possible. A wise man doesn’t stand beneath a collapsing wall, as they say. If something needs doing, I’ll use an alternate identity. My real self won’t get involved!’

...

While Chen Ping’an was still in seclusion, a letter was delivered with utmost haste to the Five Peaks Mountain Town Pacification Bureau.