Daqian Martial Saint

Chen Ping'an only entertained the thought of the Thousand Mechanism Bag for a moment before quickly dismissing it.

Obtaining the Hundred Treasures Pouch was already an unexpected windfall. To covet a Thousand Mechanism Bag on top of that would be far too greedy.

Thousand Mechanism Bags were extremely valuable and precious. For some Noble Families, they even held strategic significance and were generally treated as heirlooms to be passed down through generations.

Aside from a few exceptions, an individual qualified to carry a Thousand Mechanism Bag was at least at the Grandmaster Realm! Of course, that was usually the case. There were also a handful of legitimate sons and daughters from prominent noble houses who would be granted one as an exception to the rule.

Hundred Treasures Pouch, Yuan Crystals, Treasure Artifacts...

His gains from this battle were substantial; Chen Ping'an's net worth had skyrocketed. With this foundation, he would have the confidence and financial backing to bid freely on a few items at the Beicang Auction.

Elated and filled with anticipation, Chen Ping'an's figure flickered as he sped toward the Red Maple Market.

Beyond these major gains, the battle with Cao Yingxiong held a deeper significance for Chen Ping'an.

After this battle, his assessment of his own strength was no longer just a theoretical exercise; it was now backed by a concrete combat record.

Cao Yingxiong's strength was considerable. Even without Dragon Tiger Battle Power, he was undoubtedly at the peak among Absolute Masters. Yet, Chen Ping'an could easily suppress such an expert head-on without even fully activating his Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill.

Every move of the fight had fallen into his rhythm!

Cao Yingxiong had been utterly stifled for the entire duration, never getting a chance to use his trump cards like Thousand-Catty Fall or Mount Tai Pressing Down!

From start to finish, he had been completely outmaneuvered by Chen Ping'an, with no chance for a comeback.

It was safe to say that in his normal state, Chen Ping'an's combat power could reliably suppress an expert on Cao Yingxiong's level. And with the aid of the Divine Skill Three-Point Human Tribulation Finger, he might even be able to kill his opponent in a prolonged battle!

Generally, experts with similar rankings on the Dragon and Tiger Chart might win or lose against each other, but actually killing an opponent was exceedingly difficult, bordering on impossible.

Based on his performance against Cao Yingxiong, Chen Ping'an, in his normal state, was likely an entire combat tier higher than him.

Even if Cao Yingxiong's combat power didn't qualify for the Dragon and Tiger Chart, by extension, a baseline Chen Ping'an could still rank in the top 300!

What's more...

Chen Ping'an had a hunch that Cao Yingxiong might have possessed the battle power of someone at the very bottom of the Dragon and Tiger Chart. If that were true, then his own baseline combat power was even stronger than he imagined.

In the final stage of the battle, Cao Yingxiong, knowing he couldn't escape, had unleashed a Burst Secret Technique. Based on what happened, it was more accurate to call it a Realm-Breaking Technique that sacrificed his future cultivation path and potential.

After using the Burst Secret Technique, the aura emanating from Cao Yingxiong, though reeking of blood, completely surpassed the Profound Light High Realm!

However, it wasn't a true Grandmaster Realm. Based on Chen Ping'an's knowledge, Cao Yingxiong had stepped into the Pseudo-Grandmaster Realm.

Although a Pseudo Grandmaster was inferior to a true Grandmaster, they were not someone any Profound Light High Realm expert could challenge. In the Pseudo-Grandmaster Realm, Cao Yingxiong's combat power was likely no weaker than that of the Vice Beicang Garrison Commander, Xue Kunsheng! He might have even been stronger!

But even in that state, Cao Yingxiong couldn't escape the fate of being killed by him in a single strike. The might of the Vajra Little Giant transformation, brought on by fully activating the Vajra Unbreakable Divine Skill, was far greater than Chen Ping'an had estimated!

If one equated Cao Yingxiong in his Pseudo-Grandmaster Realm to Xue Kunsheng, who was ranked 233rd on the Dragon and Tiger Chart, it meant that Chen Ping'an could kill even him in a single strike!

The power of a Divine Skill was truly terrifying!

Analyzing all these factors, he realized that with two great Divine Skills, his true strength was far greater than he had previously estimated!

If he were to fully reveal his strength and be ranked on the Dragon and Tiger Chart, his position would be even higher than the Mountain Elder's! He would be at least in the top 150!

As for his exact rank, he would need to fight stronger opponents to find out.

This battle gave Chen Ping'an an incredibly clear understanding of his own strength.

There are three great stages in life: to see yourself, to see the world, and to see all living things. By clearly perceiving his own self, Chen Ping'an had taken a solid first step.

...

「At the foot of Red Maple Mountain, Red Maple Market.」

With the fierce-faced man's escape and more market Guards joining the fray, the Ten Thousand Demons Sect's assault on the market was swiftly brought under control. By now, the incident had completely subsided, and post-conflict matters were being handled in an orderly fashion.

For the Ten Thousand Demons Sect Elder who had planned this operation, the outcome of feigning a bandit raid on Red Maple Market had been foreseen long before it began.

Their true strategic objective was not to assault or capture Red Maple Market; it was merely a crucial step in one of the many plots against Chen Ping'an.

In other words, from the moment the plan was conceived, the fates of these men had already been sealed.

And these followers of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect knew nothing of it!

The purpose of their sacrifice was to serve the grand plan of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect. And for the Ten Thousand Demons Sect Elder, this grand plan was to successfully assassinate the Outer Trade Road Patrol Envoy, Chen Ping'an, thereby glorifying the name of the Ten Thousand Demons!

Those at the bottom do not know, understand, or even comprehend the grand plans of those at the top. But such grand plans are always forged from the blood and flesh of the people below.