The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 987 Refining a Precious Treasure, Inviting Witnesses

Upon receiving Mo Sidao's message, Chen Ping'an arrived at Bixin Lake as promised.

Unlike before, this time he was traveling in his true form, as the acting guardian of Beishan, the prodigy of the hidden dragon, and the ruthless swordsman Chen Ping'an.

Unlike before, when they used various aliases to move from one small trading meeting to clear out traded goods.

Although he has been in Bi Cang for a long time, he has rarely gone out in his true form.

One time was to seek out Mo Sidao to improve his refining skills; another time was to publicly express his support for Ji Shulan according to the agreement. And the third time was when he was summoned by the Prince of Bi Cang.

This is the fourth time today. If we get what we want, then this trip to Bi Cang will be a complete success.

Oh, right, and once everything has settled down, the young princess should fulfill the remaining promises and agreements.

The previous transaction regarding the spiritual resources has been completed.

However, the matter of accessing the secret files and archives of the Prince of Bicang's residence can only be fulfilled after the situation has settled down.

This matter is unrelated to the final outcome; it is merely a part of the transaction.

As long as he expresses his support, regardless of whether Ji Shulan takes the throne or not, it will be the little princess who needs to accomplish this.

The Bicang Prince's Mansion has a long history. As a royal family that was granted a fiefdom, its treasured documents and records from many years ago are still worth looking forward to.

Even for Chen Ping'an now, it is an extremely good source of information.

Once he finished reading through it, the last shortcoming he had overcome after his major overhaul was completely resolved.

Unlike those celestial cultivators who have experienced the world and whose lineage is well-established, young cultivators like him can only rely on piecing together information from various sources to improve their foundation and perspective.

Only in this way can the gap of time between us be bridged.

Some things others experienced firsthand, or heard about from their peers, but he digested them through secret files and archives, which could be considered a rough agreement.

In this situation, when he sets out under a false identity, especially when he appears as a senior expert, he can calmly reveal his inner strength and vision without showing the slightest flaw.

Furthermore, whether it's cultivating a powerful image or establishing the unfathomable vision of a reclusive successor, a vast and profound understanding is essential.

Without these, all pretense is nothing but a castle in the air, crumbling at the slightest touch. Even with overwhelming strength as a backing, without these, one will be riddled with flaws upon deeper contact with others.

He disguises himself as someone else, and although he often appears in situations involving killing, it's impossible for him to continue doing so indefinitely.

Using an alias, he aimed to reach higher circles, obtain the information, resources, spiritual objects, and even cultivation techniques and scrolls he desired. These were Chen Ping'an's goals.

These things all require advance preparation; you can't just cram at the last minute and expect to be calm and at ease.

Such fantasies as those about Dihua ultimately only appear in classic scenes of biographical novels. While they may occasionally occur in real life, such events are rare and ultimately unsustainable.

If this continues consistently, you can't expect others to keep filling in the blanks. Eventually, they'll figure out the pattern and see things for what they really are.

Since he began cultivating, Chen Ping'an has paid particular attention to this aspect. Especially after considering the possibility of using a disguise, he has spared no effort to make up for these shortcomings.

The aim is to use information and intelligence to compensate for the differences in experience and understanding over the years. Such things may seem ethereal, but if you make friends with like-minded people and go through different circles, you will find that they are needed in all aspects.

After all, in social circles, you can't always be the silent one. Even if you're silent, you still need to understand what others are talking about.

All of these require extensive experience, knowledge, and intelligence as support.

Furthermore, whether it's a battle or a transaction, the key is to know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

This applies to information warfare as well as life-or-death battles.

If you can learn about the other party's methods in advance, even if you can't take immediate action, you can at least be prepared.

Chen Ping'an now possesses considerable resources and abilities, posing a significant threat to cultivators at the same level.

However, if some methods are known to others in advance and the other party is prepared, they may not meet expectations or achieve the desired effect.

For example, the rare marine artifacts he recently acquired, such as the Deep Sea Pearl, contain both cold and poisonous water. If these were known to others earlier, they would never be able to exert their hidden effects.

As for the withered bone spikes, if the fact that the two spikes can separate the mother and child is known to everyone, and they are prepared in advance, then the effect will certainly not be as expected.

Furthermore, this is just a microcosm; there is also a full-scale information war and a game of strategy.

If he were to produce a withered bone spike, someone with discerning insight would recall the powerful White Bone cultivator who had previously dominated the field. This would lead them to suspect that he possessed other methods employed by the White Bone cultivator.

Examples include Yin Bone Corpse Fire and Avici Thunder Sound.

All measures were prepared well in advance, and even the aggressive strategy was changed to a conservative one. With a cultivator of the same realm who was intentionally attacking and defending, or even defending with all his might, it would not be an easy task for him to break through the defense line.

One step, one step.

The former's effect was less than expected, and the successive measures taken by the latter are likely to have diminished results as well.

The importance of information and intelligence is evident.

Of course, some famous skills, if used well, can create a buzz and build prestige among cultivators of the same level.

In some situations, it is not even necessary to take action; one can subdue the enemy without fighting simply by relying on previous achievements and momentum.

This is the name of a person, the shadow of a tree.

For example, Gu Yuezhong, the first cultivator of the Gu Yue clan, was known as the number one cultivator in the surrounding area, which was his reputation and prestige.

There was also the newly promoted Grand Master of the Luanming Sect, who was also the first Grand Master of the contemporary era. With his newfound talent, he fought to a draw with Gu Yuezhong, and his reputation for extraordinary talent spread far and wide.

Even if others did not intervene, they knew that his combat prowess was exceptional, and thus dared not make any rash moves.

Furthermore, her astonishing achievements further enhanced her already widespread reputation. Her appeal as a cultivator within the same realm also skyrocketed.

After all, being driven by instinct is human nature; some people can overcome it, while others simply let it take its natural course.

A powerful cultivator at the peak of his cultivation is far more attractive than an ordinary celestial being with a widely known reputation.

Besides, it's always better to fight for food. The more admirers you have, the more admirers you attract.

Conformity is a human psychology. Even if one is not sincere, seeing what others are doing will arouse curiosity and a desire to win a smile from a beautiful woman.

Over time, this psychological infatuation will transform into admiration.

Or perhaps it was what I perceived as admiration.

In addition, there are complex psychological factors, such as the desire to show off in front of others, and the superiority that others cannot obtain but which one can easily possess. All of these factors can create an unprecedented situation where one is surrounded by admirers and is the object of everyone's longing.

This is the importance of public opinion.

Like the first cultivator of the Luanming Sect, Fairy Luanyue, who was known as the most beautiful woman in the surrounding area, her beauty was renowned far and wide, and her charm was extremely outstanding.

The reasons for this, besides his record of fighting Gu Yue to a draw as a newly promoted Grand Master, are also closely related to the fact that Wan Baocheng, the vice president of the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce, had extended an olive branch to him, intending to make him his official Daoist partner.

Wan Baocheng is known as the number one cultivator in Beihai and is also the vice president of the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce, one of the seven core chambers of the Beihai Business Alliance. He has a noble status and great power. Even if a martial arts master came, he would have to think twice.

His intention to seek out Luan Yue, the top cultivator of the Luanming Sect, as his official Daoist partner naturally caused a great stir.

Naturally, the fame and renown of Fairy Luanyue spread far and wide.

Chen Ping'an's emotions shifted, and he also descended into Bixin Lake.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and Chen Ping'an was naturally very familiar with the islands and reefs below Bixin Lake. Unlike before, no one stopped him this time; instead, they greeted him respectfully as he entered.

With his divine soul fully restored, he possessed an unparalleled understanding of his surroundings. His divine soul perception was incredibly precise, down to the smallest detail.

Mo Sidao posed no real threat to him, but he still had to be cautious when traveling.

Are accidents that happen unexpectedly often?

Only by ensuring real-time safety and eliminating risks can risks be minimized to the greatest extent possible.

"Lord Chen."

Mo Sidao, his face flushed, came out to greet them.

Having just finished forging, a trace of earth fire still lingered on his body, faintly exuding a scorching aura.

"Master Mo." Chen Ping'an greeted him warmly and took a seat under the other's guidance.

"Please have some tea, sir." The young man, who had previously appeared quite arrogant, was now extremely humble, holding the tea in both hands as he stood before Chen Ping'an.

"Thank you." Chen Ping'an calmly accepted the tea, but his mind was on the refined and successfully forged product.

Fortunately, Mo Sidao was well aware of his thoughts and didn't engage in much small talk. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he went straight to the point and took out the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade that had been successfully forged.

"Lord Chen, I have not failed you." Mo Sidao's face was flushed with pride. A flash of crimson light appeared before him, and a finely crafted sword with a chilling gleam appeared in mid-air.

A chilling aura instantly swept through the surroundings, its biting coldness sending shivers down one's spine.

The young man standing nearby couldn't help but shudder, and tiny bumps instantly appeared on his skin.

"A refined treasure!"

Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up with joy.

In just one glance, he sensed the extraordinary nature of the refined and forged Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade. Its power far surpassed that of ordinary treasures.

"Lord Chen has excellent taste." Mo Sidao's face showed satisfaction: "I refined this item using a secret method, adding Cold Soul Stone and extracting it with Spirit Light Water, and..."

Mo Sidao explained the forging process, which involved many complex terms. Normally, Chen Ping'an would have studied it in detail. But at this moment, his mind was entirely focused on the refined Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade.

Compared to before, the size of the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade seems to have shrunk. However, the overall blade appears more profound, possessing an obsidian-like depth, like the deep starry sky, captivating the eye.

Chen Ping'an took the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade and played with it with it, unable to put it down.

Meanwhile, Mo Sidao spoke eloquently about a series of sacrificial techniques.

Although this item had already been used by Chen Ping'an, after being refined, it still needed to be nurtured and refined again by him to achieve the best effect and unleash the power of this precious treasure.

Chen Ping'an hadn't expected that Mo Sidao still had a bit of an old-fashioned scholar's air about him; when it came to forging, he spoke eloquently and at length.

I never realized before that the other person was such a talkative person.

However, upon closer reflection, it makes sense. Without such dedication, how could one have perfected their forging skills to such an extent?

Even among fourth-tier artisans, there are few blacksmiths capable of forging exquisite and powerful artifacts.

Even though it was made using a secret refining method and cannot be used for a long time, its capabilities are still remarkable.

A top-quality treasure, that's something that can be used as a main battle treasure for a Celestial Realm cultivator!

That's right, the refined and upgraded Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade has crossed several grades and been upgraded to the finest level among heavy treasures.

According to Mo Sidao, it was only due to favorable timing, location, and people that he barely managed to reach this level.

But without a doubt, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade has undergone a qualitative leap in quality, now ranking alongside the Yin Wind Pearl in Chen Ping'an's hands.

The reasons for this are twofold. First, it stems from Mo Sidao's experience and skill, and his willingness to invest heavily in rare and precious ingredients. Second, he uses a secret refining method that can only be used once every sixty years to significantly enhance the grade of the treasure.

Thirdly, there is also the issue of the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade itself. As a superior product among the prototypes of a great treasure, the Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade itself possesses considerable potential.

With Mo Sidao's introduction, Chen Ping'an also learned about the extraordinary abilities of the newly refined and upgraded Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade.

The Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade's previous ability to break through restrictions has been greatly enhanced. Even fourth-order restrictions can be easily broken with sufficient divine soul power.

In addition, it adds a frosty aura, which can paralyze the opponent's true energy and obscure their spirit during battle. While the effect isn't particularly outrageous, it often proves surprisingly effective in battles between opponents of the same realm.

In addition, it has high compatibility with high-grade divine souls. This means that this refined treasure will accompany Chen Ping'an for a long time in the open.

Whether it was because such a rare opportunity for equal exchange was rare, or because they were intentionally trying to build a closer relationship, Mo Sidao and Chen Ping'an went to great lengths in their introductions, effortlessly weaving together various secrets and anecdotes. Much of the information, naturally, was related to forging.

Chen Ping'an wasn't particularly interested in forging techniques.

He is now an expert in forbidden techniques, poisons, and some basic divination.

In this regard, his energy has reached a relatively saturated stage, and he has no intention of participating in further research on forging techniques. Naturally, he has no expectations or considerations in this area.

However, he found some of the secret stories and anecdotes that Mo Sidao mentioned quite interesting.

For example, the origins of forging some top-tier treasures include stories of lovers who, to resist demonic forces, had a woman sacrifice her blood to forge a demonic sword for the man to wield.

These kinds of things involve romantic entanglements, human relationships and ethics, and even profound reflections on using evil to fight evil, making them full of philosophical implications.

There are also figures like the powerful figure in the Southern Territory, the former master of the Divine Water Palace, who once gifted the Southern Ming Li Hai Pearl to a younger generation as a token of his trust. The younger generation lived up to his high expectations and became famous throughout the world.

However, some complicated events occurred later, and the two harbored resentment towards each other, never speaking to each other again.

And, like the Western Medicine King Valley, when the current Medicine King was young, he once...

It must be said that Mo Sidao possesses an extremely profound understanding, knowledge, and information in this area.

Numerous anecdotes and historical stories can be readily recalled without any hesitation.

Mo Sidao was also a great scholar of Taoism.

Chen Ping'an absorbed the information and listened with great enjoyment.

During this time, he even heard about the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord from Mo Sidao.

Long ago, the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord and the Lady of the Ruan family had a past story. At that time, the Lady of the Ruan family had just set out to travel the world when she met the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord, who was hiding his identity at the time. The two became friends, and the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord once gifted her a treasure called the Divine Sound Jade Ring.

There was also the token of love between the former Purple-Eyed Demon Lord and the Princess of the Dynasty, which was a pair of ice-glass blue hairpins carved from glass dragons.

When discussing the princess's past, Mo Sidao spoke very cryptically, glossing over the matter in just a few words.

Chen Ping'an remained calm, but a thought stirred within him.

"A princess of a dynasty? The ruler of the Ruan family?"

Is there such a rumor about the Purple-Eyed Demon Lord?

Chen Ping'an had a pleasant conversation with Mo Sidao, and it wasn't until several hours later that he got up and left.

In this conversation, besides mentioning some secrets and old stories about forging precious artifacts, Mo Sidao also subtly touched upon the matter of the Forging Alliance.

Then, on the eve of their parting, he made it clear that the promises he had made in the past were related to the Forging Alliance.

I hope that when I visit you again someday, Lord Chen will remember our promise from that day.

Chen Ping'an smiled and readily agreed.

This matter concerns the exchange, so he naturally has no reason to refuse. If Mo Sidao were to come to him for a favor in the future, as long as it doesn't go against his conscience and is within his capabilities, he would certainly lend a helping hand.

As for when that will happen, that depends on when Mo Sidao asks for help.

It is foreseeable that the value of Mo Sidao's personal connections will only increase.

However, this favor might be a gain for Mo Sidao. But from today's perspective, Chen Ping'an has not suffered any loss.

In a transaction based on personal relationships, it's a matter of mutual consent, with transparent pricing, and is perfectly reasonable.

"Heavenly Meteor Frost Blade!"

Inside the Qingchi Courtyard, Chen Ping'an examined the cold, gleaming longsword before him, a look of satisfaction on his face.

This newly forged and refined treasured sword has reached the finest level among great treasures.

All its divine powers have undergone considerable changes.

Calling it the Heavenly Meteor Frost Star Blade would be inappropriate, so Chen Ping'an called it the Heavenly Meteor Frost Soul Blade.

Once the blade is fully refined, Chen Ping'an will have another exquisite treasure at his disposal.

With this as a foundation, it might not be surprising if, in the future, one were to kill a second-realm Celestial Being with normal combat power.

With exceptional talent and exquisite treasures, it's not surprising that he possesses such powerful combat strength.

Of course, to be on the safe side, one could further improve one's apparent combat strength level.

His true cultivation level has now reached the level of a great cultivator, so he can relax his apparent cultivation level a bit.

After carefully examining the Heavenly Meteor Cold Soul Blade, Chen Ping'an began cultivating the Three-Part Return to Origin True Scroll.

For the next two days, Chen Ping'an stayed in Qingchi Courtyard. In addition to cultivation and research, he also had to refine the Heavenly Meteor Cold Soul Blade.

Although the grade of the Heavenly Meteor Frost Soul Blade has been greatly improved, it still bears the marks of previous refinement and the enhancement of his true realm. Therefore, the time spent on the refinement is not excessive.

On this day, Chen Ping'an also received an invitation from the Prince of Bicang's Mansion.

Five days later, invite him as a distinguished guest of the Prince's Mansion to witness the grand event in Bicang on Biling Mountain.

"An invitation from the Prince's residence?"

Chen Ping'an remained calm as he looked at the exquisitely decorated invitation card in front of him, adorned with dragons and phoenixes.

He smiled gently, flicked his sleeve, and put away the invitation, his eyes revealing a vacant expression.

"Interesting." (End of Chapter)