The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 118 Killing streak
As he charged within fifty paces, Han Qing tensed, drew his sword to his chest, and prepared to unleash a powerful strike.

Suddenly, he felt a dizzying sensation as his consciousness abruptly plunged into a vast starry world.

He found himself on a desolate plain, looking up at the stars that swirled slowly above, drawing his gaze and making it impossible to look away.

"What a remarkable Yin-Yang Dao cultivator!"

"It seems that the Luo family and the Yin-Yang Sect are indeed secretly colluding."

Han Qing sneered. Those who cultivate the Yin-Yang Dao can manipulate the power of stars, and this illusion is one of their special abilities.

When a person is in this situation, their vital energy and blood will rapidly decline. If they cannot escape in time, their body will become weaker and weaker, eventually leading to death from exhaustion of vital energy and blood.

Han Qing was naturally fearless. With a cold snort, a surge of magical power erupted from the temple, quickly sweeping over his body and directly dispelling the distracting thoughts that had invaded his body.

The illusion suddenly collapsed, and Han Qing regained his five senses. He saw Wen Feiruo rushing towards him, a pair of short daggers aimed at his eyes.

Not only that, Wen Feiruo's body was also shimmering with starlight. This was a special ability of the Yin-Yang Dao cultivators, whose spiritual power could be transformed into the power of stars, possessing all sorts of incredible wonders, such as divination of the future, prediction of good or bad fortune, or enhancement of themselves, causing their physical attributes to increase dramatically.

Han Qing suddenly swung his sword, and the sword shadow transformed into a ball, directly entangling the pair of daggers.

Wen Feiruo was startled, and a look of horror flashed in her eyes.

He hadn't expected Han Qing to wake up so quickly, and a terrible thought immediately flashed through his mind.

"This person is also a Spirit Refiner!"

"not good!"

A strong sense of crisis immediately arose in his heart. The unique instinct of a Yin-Yang Dao cultivator to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune was activated. In the darkness, a voice told him that if he continued forward, he would surely die.

Without hesitation, Wen Feiruo used his lightness skill to retreat rapidly, abandoning the pair of water-splitting daggers in the process.

Han Qing's sword flashed but missed, yet he had no intention of letting him go, and immediately gave chase.

He moved with the grace of a startled swan, faster than Wen Feiruo, closing the distance in just a few steps, and suddenly unleashed a slash.

A sense of despair suddenly appeared in Wen Feiruo's eyes. The knife was too fast. Even if he had a weapon in his hand, he couldn't block it, let alone now that his hands were empty.

In the moment of crisis, Long Xiuming suddenly made a move, and a ball of flame suddenly appeared above Han Qing's head, smashing down on him.

Long Xiuming had extremely precise control over this spell.

If Han Qing continues his pursuit, it seems inevitable that he will crash into it and be engulfed by the flames.

A thought flashed through Han Qing's mind, and he paused, then dodged backward, letting the ball of flame crash down upon him.

However, as he retreated, the Star Shuttle flew out of his arms, piercing through the rain and suddenly shooting towards Wen Feiruo.

Wen Feiruo was unable to dodge in time, but he twisted his body to avoid many of his vital points.

The Star Shuttle buzzed as it pierced back and forth, leaving more than ten wounds in an instant.

Wen Feiruo let out a muffled groan, fell to the ground, rolled forward a distance, and finally escaped Han Qing's pursuit.

As the Star Shuttle repeatedly broke through Wen Feiruo's protective force, the power of its magical energy was rapidly depleted, leaving it with no strength to pursue.

At the same moment, in front of Han Qing, the fireball crashed to the ground with a loud bang, creating a large crater. The scorching fire wave swept in all directions, causing water vapor to rise from the surroundings.

Han Qing's eyes narrowed, his gaze locking onto Long Xiuming. He suddenly strode forward, his entire body transforming into a blur as he pounced on Long Xiuming.

Long Xiuming's expression was solemn. Han Qing's close combat ability, displayed in just a short time, was truly terrifying. He naturally dared not rush up to confront him head-on.

Then, with a thought, a gust of cold wind rose from the ground, and strands of Dharma thoughts surged from the temple above his eyebrows, suddenly condensing into a divine statue above his head.

The statue was about two zhang tall, surrounded by flames. It was a Taoist priest holding a long sword, and his face was exactly the same as Long Xiuming's.

At the same moment, Wen Feiruo also rolled up from the ground, and a ten-foot-tall divine statue also condensed above his head, holding a long spear, wearing a light blue robe, and surrounded by stars that flickered uncertainly.

Han Qing glanced around, then suddenly changed direction and charged towards Wen Feiruo.

The reason is simple: Long Xiuming's statue is more solid, and his combat power is significantly stronger.

Han Qing wanted to kill one person first, so he naturally chose Wen Feiruo.

When Wen Feiruo saw Han Qing rushing towards him, he immediately dodged and retreated.

Having just suffered a great loss, he was filled with immense fear and would never dare to approach Han Qing again.

However, while others retreated, the Star God Statue stepped forward, looking down at Han Qing and thrusting its spear at him.

After Han Qing stepped within twenty steps of the statue, he couldn't stop seeing star illusions appearing before his eyes. Although he would immediately see through them, the constant appearance and disappearance of the illusions still caused him some interference.

“Each statue has different characteristics. It seems that this person’s statue can make the surrounding enemies fall into the star illusion naturally.”

A thought flashed through Han Qing's mind, and he immediately summoned the black-armored statue.

The next instant, the black-armored statue swung its heavy hammer and smashed it down on the star statue.

The latter was no match at all and was directly blown apart in mid-air, turning into a gust of cold wind that drifted away between heaven and earth.

Wen Feiruo, who was still dodging and retreating, suddenly froze and let out a scream.

The dissipation of a large amount of spiritual energy caused a severe backlash against him, to the point that his five senses were confused and his brain was experiencing waves of tearing pain, as if he were convulsing.

"What a terrifying idol!"

A thought flashed through Wen Feiruo's mind, and a strong sense of life-or-death crisis suddenly arose in her heart.

Han Qing seized the opportunity, drew his sword and charged towards him, when suddenly a surging heat wave rushed towards him from behind.

Without turning his head, he already understood that it was Long Xiuming's statue approaching.

So he split his attention between two things: he charged at Wen Feiruo with his sword, while the black-armored statue turned back to fight Long Xiuming's fiery colossus.

The two colossal statues met in mid-air, their warhammers and longswords clashing violently, while flames and malevolent energy also clashed against each other.

With the first strike, Long Xiuming's flaming statue was directly knocked back, flying uncontrollably dozens of steps backward.

A look of shock flashed in Long Xiuming's eyes. Han Qing's black-armored giant was incredibly strong, making him feel like he couldn't resist it.

Immediately afterward, the black-armored colossus caught up and delivered another blow.

The fiery colossus was completely overwhelmed; the statue faded considerably in an instant, becoming hazy and indistinct, as if it were about to be destroyed at any moment.

"This colossus is too powerful and so solid that it cannot be defeated by force. Could it be a master of the Possession Realm?"

"Wen Feiruo is doomed!"

Many thoughts popped into Long Xiuming's mind. The fiery colossus suddenly dissipated, and wisps of magical energy returned to the spirit temple, causing the black-armored colossus's third hammer to miss its target.

His mastery of the Dharma of Thought was still deeper than Wen Feiruo's; the latter's statue was smashed in mid-air, and he didn't even have a chance to recover and stop the damage.

At the same moment, Han Qing's blade struck Wen Feiruo. A flash of cold light appeared, and his head fell to the ground, blood shooting into the sky. He had become a corpse.

In that instant, all eyes of the martial artists present were focused on Han Qing.

Long Xiuming and Nan Jinbei exchanged glances, both with fear in their eyes.

One against four, the four martial arts grandmasters were completely overwhelmed, and two of them were killed. Such combat power is truly terrifying.

Long Xiuming and his companion had previously held Han Qing in low regard. After all, they had followed Luo Hanqiu and traveled all over the country over the years, where they had seen many top experts. They did not have any impression of someone like Han Qing. Although they were wary, they did not pay much attention to him.

At that moment, they no longer dared to underestimate him; they felt only fear and a trace of confusion.

Behind Han Qing, Yue Xiaobiao was excited. He was overjoyed to see how strong Han Qing was in combat.

His original theory of the power of destiny was nothing but a fabrication, created to flatter Han Qing.

But now, he genuinely feels that choosing to follow Han Qing was an absolutely correct decision.

Han Qing was truly a peerless genius. He secretly resolved to cling to Han Qing's coattails, hoping that he might rise to prominence in the future.

The nine elders of the Crimson Dragon were exchanging glances, their eyes full of admiration.

After spending the past few days together, they have come to understand why Han Qing is so highly regarded by Qi Wufeng. His temperament and talent are both outstanding. If it were him, he would also do his best to cultivate him.

Han Qing's amazing performance immediately stirred the hearts of everyone present.

Han Qing himself, on the other hand, appeared completely calm and unperturbed.

This performance was exactly what he had expected. He hadn't used his full strength at all, because he hadn't felt the slightest bit of pressure.

"My strength should be invincible among the grandmasters of martial arts."

"I just don't know if I have any chance of winning against a Martial Saint?"

Han Qing murmured to himself.

He felt that it was possible, even though the book said that from Grandmaster to Martial Saint, a martial artist's combat power would experience another amazing leap.

But don't forget, he is still a Nascent Soul cultivator at the Integration Realm. With the help of the black-armored giant, he may not be without the power to fight.

Of course, all of this is just wishful thinking, and Han Qing wouldn't go looking for trouble or deliberately cause problems for the Martial Saint.

Although he is confident, he is not arrogant, and he always acts with caution.

As he pondered, a clang rang out, and Luo Hanqiu, who had been watching the battle from the sidelines, drew his sword.

"I have been a Grandmaster of Martial Arts for twelve years now. I'd like to see just how capable you are."

He thought that with his four guards working together, taking down Han Qing would be a piece of cake, but he never expected to be defeated so easily.

Now, the situation has become very bad, and he is very tense.

Putting aside Han Qing, the ten people in the distance also gave him a vague sense of threat.

He judged that there must be a martial arts grandmaster among those ten people, or even, to be extreme, all ten of them.

In total, there are eleven martial arts grandmasters.

Luo Hanqiu's expression grew even more solemn. A force capable of mobilizing such a massive power must be either an old, established family, a martial arts holy land, or a major force second only to a martial arts holy land.

Many guesses flashed through his mind, but he couldn't determine which enemy it was, because the Luo family, as well as himself, had also made many enemies in the North. He couldn't tell which side was behind it.

"There is only one way now: capture the leader of the thieves, kill or capture this person alive, and we may be able to turn the tide!"

A thought flashed through Luo Hanqiu's mind, and he immediately drew his sword and charged toward Han Qing.

As the person charged forward, the light and shadow around him suddenly distorted, and he disappeared from everyone's sight.

Han Qing remained calm. Luo Hanqiu, a cultivator at the Piercing Dao Body Refining Realm, was also a Grandmaster of Martial Arts. He was a renowned expert in the North and a major pillar of the Luo family.

All matters, big and small, of the Luo family in the North were decided by this person, which is why Han Qing traveled thousands of miles and insisted on ambushing and killing him along the way.

Killing him would plunge the Luo family in the north into chaos, and his situation would become much safer.

While pondering, Han Qing's hands continued to move, and the black-armored statue flew back to the top of his head, emitting wisps of baleful aura that condensed into a baleful domain around him.

Although those who refine the Dao of Incision can become invisible, the Fiend Domain can still sense their presence.

Suddenly, Han Qing's body transformed into a dark, lightless domain.

His five senses were thus confined to an extremely narrow area.

A figure suddenly appeared directly in front of Han Qing. It was Luo Hanqiu. He raised his sword and thrust it forward. The sword shadows were numerous and converged into a single point of cold light, piercing straight towards Han Qing's brow.

This sword strike appeared simple and unadorned, but Han Qing felt immense pressure. It was as if a sharp edge was about to burst forth from the tip of the blade, piercing through a person's body.

Just as Han Qing was about to swing his sword, suddenly, wisps of magical energy invaded his body, causing him to feel an intense sense of disharmony, almost uncontrollably, and to actively crash into the sword's edge.

This is the power of those who cultivate spirit in the body-possessing realm: their spiritual power enters the body, allowing them to control the human body.

However, below the level of physical existence, the Dharma can only lead to illusion.

Even after seeing how strong Han Qing's close-combat skills were, Luo Hanqiu still dared to choose to engage in close combat.

On the one hand, he was quite confident in his own fighting ability.

On the other hand, he knew that Fa Nian could control Han Qing's body, so even if Han Qing was strong in close combat, he couldn't use it at all.

However, Han Qing was already on guard. The moment he felt his body become uncoordinated, he immediately activated the Zhige Jing.

Two streams of spiritual energy surged from the temple. One swept across the entire body, colliding fiercely with Luohanqiu's spiritual energy, while the other entered the Pure Heart Jade in his bosom.

This jade pendant came from Luo Ding and was also a magical artifact that helped him escape from the Thunderstorm Heavenly Pearl.

Although a crack appeared on the jade pendant, it still functions.

At this moment, Han Qing's spiritual energy probed into the jade pendant, and the pendant immediately emitted a burst of light, enveloping his body.

This radiance can both clear away any distracting thoughts that may invade his body and resist magical attacks from the outside world, making it an extremely powerful protective artifact.

At this moment, Han Qing used a two-pronged approach, instantly sweeping away Luo Hanqiu's magical thoughts. He immediately regained absolute control over his body, and the discomfort that enveloped him quickly subsided.

Luo Hanqiu's heart sank. He could also feel that all the Dharma thoughts he had scattered had been shattered.

He hadn't expected it to happen so quickly; he couldn't even hold on for a single breath.

In the past, other cultivators who had not reached the Body Reincarnation Realm were almost powerless against his move. Today was the first time such an unexpected event had occurred.

"This person has multiple magical treasures protecting him, and his magical power is also incredibly profound and powerful. This indicates that his spirit-refining method is of extremely high quality. Just who is he?"

A name vaguely surfaced in his mind: Han Qing.

Based on the moves shown so far, he felt that Han Qing seemed to meet the requirements, but he was also a little uncertain.

Firstly, according to intelligence, Han Qing's strength is not that great; he is not a martial arts grandmaster.

Secondly, Han Qing doesn't look like that either.

In the blink of an eye, many thoughts flashed through the minds of Luo Hanqiu and Han Qing.

The moment Han Qing regained control of his body, he raised his hand and slashed out with his sword.

Although he was a step slower, Luo Hanqiu was stronger in close combat.

This slash was unleashed as the Phantom Thousandfold Blade.

The attack arrived first despite being delayed; with a single strike, hundreds of blade shadows materialized, intertwining like a net, while wisps of cold light resembled a vortex, enveloping Luo Hanqiu's longsword.

Clang! In the blink of an eye, the blade and the longsword seemed to have clashed dozens or even hundreds of times.

Luo Hanqiu's longsword was constantly being slashed, causing it to tremble incessantly, and even his arm was shaking violently, as if he was about to lose his grip.

"What amazing swordsmanship!"

"Hmm? This is the Phantom Thousandfold Blade!"

"Who is this person who wields two first-class sword techniques?"

A storm raged in Luo Hanqiu's heart. Even with his vast experience and knowledge, he found it utterly unbelievable.

First-class sword techniques are often very difficult to learn, and most people may not be able to master even one in their entire lives. Being able to master two at the same time can only mean that one has extremely terrifying martial arts talent.

Just as his mind was shaken, the sword in his hand finally slipped out of his grasp and flew away.

"die!"

Han Qing swung his sword again, unleashing a Thousand Phantom Blades.

In an instant, the shadows of blades formed a net, as if countless cold lights were surging in from all directions, directly blocking every escape route and every direction of evasion for Luo Hanqiu.

"not good!"

Luo Hanqiu was shaken, feeling a strong sense of life-or-death crisis.

He seemed to see himself being hacked to pieces.

Although he had protective energy, he could clearly feel that he could not withstand the barrage of sword light.

At this critical moment, Luo Hanqiu activated another special ability of a Daoist cultivator: Shadow Escape.

A surge of magical power was rapidly consumed, quickly enveloping his entire body, while shadows flowed around him like water.

In an instant, Luo Hanqiu transformed into a shadow, completely merging with the dark, lightless realm.

In the next instant, he teleported directly into the dark, lightless domain, arriving at the edge, dodging the barrage of sword light, and also creating a hundred-step distance between himself and Han Qing.

"You're fast, but the Shadow Escape Technique can only be used once in a short period of time. Let's see how you dodge next time."

As the darkness dissipated, Han Qing pointed his blade diagonally, his eyes calm as still water.

He is now quite familiar with the abilities of cultivators from various schools of spiritual cultivation, including the Assassin Path.

Luo Hanqiu twitched his right hand fingers, and a piercing pain shot through his right arm. Strands of blood flowed down his arm and slid from his fingertips to the ground.

Although he activated Shadow Cloak immediately, he was still a step too slow. His right arm was slashed with a deep wound, and blood gushed out.

"What amazing swordsmanship!" Luo Hanqiu murmured.

Nan Jinbei and Long Xiuming, who were standing nearby, also noticed the injury on Luo Hanqiu's arm and were both secretly surprised.

"Even though you are a Spirit Refiner in the Body Residual Realm, you are no match for me."

"Just who is this person? His combat strength is truly unfathomable."

The two looked at each other and whispered to each other, both feeling that something was wrong and wondering about Han Qing's identity.

Luo Hanqiu flicked his arm, and drops of blood spilled onto the ground.

"Your swordsmanship is indeed quite good, but I am a Spirit Refiner in the Body Residual Realm. The real battle is about to begin!"

In an instant, a gust of cold wind rose from the ground, and strands of divine thoughts surged out from the temple, converging in front of the Arhat Hill to form a divine statue.

The statue is dressed in a black bodysuit, with a tall and slender body, holding a short knife in both hands, and covered from head to toe by a layer of writhing shadows.

This is a divine statue formed by a cultivator at the Body Refining Realm, and its solidity far exceeds that of a divine statue at the Integration Realm.

"go with!"

Luo Hanqiu let out a low shout, and without moving, clusters of shadows spread outwards, instantly transforming into a dark domain that enveloped Han Qing and the black-armored statue.

Han Qing frowned. He discovered that this dark, lightless domain could not only suppress the five senses, but also bind people and statues.

In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into a swamp, the shadows thick and sticky like water, enveloping his body from all sides, greatly restricting his every move.

"It seems that this is the special ability of the Luohan Hill statue, which can release an enhanced version of the Dark Domain without light," Han Qingxin said.

"die!"

With a low shout, Luo Hanqiu caused the shadow statue to suddenly soar into the air. It seemed to gain some kind of power in the dark domain, moving at an extremely fast speed, like a swimming fish.

"cut!"

As he lunged at Han Qing, he crossed two short swords and brought them down heavily on Han Qing's head.

With a thought, Han Qing noticed that the black-armored statue had moved forward to meet him.

He wanted to see if he could fight beyond his own realm. The Zhige Jing was the foremost scripture of warfare, and this statue was formed from pure Dharma thought, so its combat power far exceeded that of ordinary statues in the He Xiang realm. He felt that he might have a chance.

Thus, the two statues collided in mid-air, their twin swords slashing down and striking the heavy hammer repeatedly, producing a series of dull sounds.

The black-armored statue was surrounded by a surge of malevolent energy, which transformed into a powerful malevolent domain. This domain clashed with the dark domain, eventually creating a space within it. Han Qing was placed inside, and the binding force surrounding him instantly dissipated.

However, Han Qing's previous idea was shattered.

Although the black-armored statue did not fall quickly, it was suppressed.

The shadow statue of Luohan Hill was far more agile than the black-armored statue, constantly rotating around the latter and striking with an extremely high frequency.

The black-armored statue could unleash a single hammer blow, but its opponent could deliver three to five strikes.

Under these circumstances, the black-armored statue was ultimately unable to withstand the attack. After several rounds of fierce fighting, the black-armored statue was suddenly struck in the chest and flew backward a distance. As a result, its magical power was depleted, and the statue's solidity also decreased, making it appear somewhat blurry.

"The statue of the Parasitic God is indeed powerful," Han Qing murmured.

Moreover, he felt that the divine technique cultivated by Luohanqiu was of a high grade. If it were a mediocre incarnation-stage divine statue, he thought he might still have a fighting chance.

Luo Hanqiu was also secretly surprised. He thought it would be a one-sided battle, but he did not expect that the black-armored statue could hold out for so long. Although it was suppressed, its combat power was quite remarkable. It was one of the most powerful statues in the Integration Realm that he had ever seen.

"Could this person be the one who has cultivated the first classic of military strategy, the Classic of Ceasefire?" Luo Hanqiu wondered to himself.

The first classic of military strategy, the Book of Ceasefire, cultivates a fighting spirit that far surpasses that of others in the same realm.

However, this method of refining the spirit is too difficult. He has not seen anyone practice it for a long time, let alone achieve any results.

Recently, he had heard of someone named Han Qing, and he suddenly wondered to himself, is this person Han Qing?

At this moment, seeing Han Qing at a disadvantage, the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon all stepped forward with their spears to help. They could also see that the Shadow Statue was very powerful.

If the fight continues, Han Qing's statue will definitely be destroyed, and Han Qing will suffer a great backlash as a result.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, Han Qing knew that the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon were rushing over.

He waved his hand and said loudly, "Wait! I have an extremely powerful sword technique here that I have never used in battle. Today I will test it on you."

His gaze was fixed on Luohan Hill, his eyes calm and his heart undisturbed.

Luo Hanqiu sneered: "Arrogant and conceited. Unless you are a Martial Saint, you wouldn't even last three breaths against my divine statue."

"Fine, I'll smash your idol first, then deal with you slowly."

As soon as he finished speaking, the shadowy statue lunged at the black-armored colossus once again.

But this time, the situation is different.

A sonorous sound.

Han Qing drew his sword, his mind calm, and entered a state of extreme focus.

The blade danced, tracing curves in the air.

These curves are irregular and appear extremely complex.

At the same moment, the black-armored statue was also mimicking his movements, swinging its warhammer according to a fixed rhythm and trajectory.

Han Qing's sword swings became faster and faster, and consequently, the warhammer he swung also became faster and faster.

The two remained consistent, and began to exude a unified aura.

Seeing this, Luo Hanqiu stared intently at Han Qing and said in a deep voice, "Are you a master of the Chen family? The 'Man and Image as One' technique is rumored to be a first-class ancestral sword technique of the Chen family. The 'Cloud-Leaving Illusionary Wind Blade' can be mastered to the point of entering a state of man and image as one, greatly increasing the combat power of the divine image. However, apart from the Chen family ancestor who created this sword technique, in recent decades I have only heard of the military sage Chen Liuyun and a junior named Chen An who have mastered it. This shows how difficult it is to learn this sword technique. And who are you?"

Luo Hanqiu was knowledgeable and experienced. He came from a prominent family and had been wandering the martial arts world for many years. He could distinguish some of the most famous first-class martial arts techniques in the world.

At this moment, his confusion deepened.

The Chen family and the Luo family were not close, but they were by no means enemies either. He had never provoked the Chen family, so why would they send such a master to ambush and kill him?

Seeing that Han Qing didn't respond, he sneered again, "It doesn't matter if you don't respond. I'll smash your idol, break your limbs, and interrogate you thoroughly until I get to the bottom of your secrets."

As soon as he finished speaking, he manipulated the shadow statue to pounce on Han Qing's black-armored giant statue once again.

Although he had heard of the formidable reputation of the Great Completion Cloud-Retaining Illusionary Wind Blade, he had never personally fought against it and could not judge its strength.

However, although he was wary, he was not afraid and wanted to test just how powerful this sword technique was.
The moment the shadowy colossus pounced, Han Qing's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light, and he slashed out with his sword, while the black-armored colossus swung its hammer at the same time.

This time, the warhammer swung at a speed several times faster, and its trajectory was unpredictable and erratic.

The shadow colossus was wielding its blade on instinct, fighting fiercely; how could it possibly withstand this extremely mysterious strike?

But the warhammer bypassed the pair of swords and slammed into the chest of the shadow colossus.

The shadow colossus was immediately blasted away and retreated rapidly.

After landing a powerful blow and gaining the upper hand, Han Qing controlled the black-armored giant to quickly close in, followed by a second and a third hammer blow.

With the enhancement of the first-class sword technique, the Black Armored Colossus experienced an explosive increase in combat power.

The situation reversed in an instant. The shadow behemoth was forced to retreat continuously, and heavy hammers pounded on it one after another, causing the magical power contained within it to be consumed rapidly, and the image became fainter and fainter.

Luo Hanqiu's face instantly turned ugly. He wanted to withdraw his magical power, but there was a prerequisite: the statue had to remain stable and not be attacked from the outside, even for a very short time.

At this moment, Han Qing's black-armored statue attacked it relentlessly, giving it no chance to escape.

"not good!"

The ninth hammer fell, and with a bang, the shadow statue was shattered in mid-air. Strands of magical energy scattered and flew away, turning into a gust of cold wind that swept in all directions.

Luo Hanqiu's face changed drastically. A sudden, throbbing pain shot through his brain, and his body swayed back and forth.

"How could this be? I'm a Spirit Refiner in the Body Reincarnation Realm, how could I lose?"

His five senses were in disarray, and the backlash from the destruction of the idol was extremely severe, but his mind remained clear, constantly flashing back to this one thought.

"The Great Completion of the Cloud-Retaining Illusionary Wind Blade is indeed powerful!" Han Qing thought to himself.

He was able to win for three reasons: first, the Zhige Jing was strong enough; second, the Liuyun Huanfeng Blade was extremely exquisite; and third, Chen Hanqiu was too confident.

Relying on his higher level of cultivation, he chose to confront Han Qing head-on, which was a very wrong choice.

If he chooses to engage in hit-and-run tactics, avoiding direct confrontation after Han Qing enters a state of perfect harmony with his form, and instead stalls for time, then Han Qing won't be able to hold out for long, and his swordsmanship will naturally become scattered.

The combination of human form and image is extremely taxing on both mental and physical strength, and Han Qing couldn't hold on for long.

However, the outcome is already decided.

Even if Luo Hanqiu felt remorse at this point, it was too late.

With a whoosh, a phantom of a green snake shot out and instantly arrived in front of Luohanqiu, encircling him and binding him to the spot.

Luo Hanqiu's five senses returned to normal somewhat. His gaze swept over the area and he saw the chain on his body. He exclaimed in surprise, "The Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain! You are Han Qing!"

"Impossible! I've heard that Han Qing is a young man who is not yet twenty years old. How could he have such powerful combat strength?" Luo Hanqiu exclaimed again.

Han Qing ignored him and glanced around, landing on Nan Jinbei and Long Xiuming in the north.

"Take them down!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon pounced on him.

Nan Jinbei and Long Xiuming wanted to resist, but when they saw the aura of martial arts grandmasters emanating from the nine people, they were immediately shocked.

The two looked at each other, their faces showing bitterness.

Such formidable combat power left them utterly devoid of any thought of resistance.

As for escaping, Han Qing was watching them intently from the sidelines. Moreover, the nine of them were spread out and surrounded them in the center immediately, leaving them no chance to escape.

"Don't resist yet, there might be a glimmer of hope." Long Xiuming secretly transmitted his thoughts.

Nan Jinbei nodded slightly, making no move, allowing the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon to rush in front of him and seize his weapon.

The accompanying guards, seeing this, dared not resist, dropped their weapons, squatted on the ground, and dared not utter a word.

In an instant, Han Qing had complete control of the situation.

He stepped forward to Luohanqiu, whose magical power was greatly diminished. He was still pale and had not fully recovered. In addition, the Illusory Soul Suppressing Chain could suppress his magical power, making him even weaker.

He wanted to break free, but it was extremely difficult, and Han Qing wouldn't give him the chance.

Upon seeing Han Qing approach, Luo Hanqiu's gaze turned icy: "Who exactly are you? Luo Ding died at Han Qing's hands, and the Illusory Soul Suppressing Chain was also taken by him. Even if you are not Han Qing, you must be closely related to him."

Han Qing said calmly, "No need to guess anymore. Yue Xiaobiao, dispel the spell and let him see who I am."

"Yes!"

Yue Xiaobiao responded from the side, and with a thought, he stirred up a gust of cold wind. In an instant, Han Qing and the others' faces were distorted, and they all returned to their original appearances.

"Han Qing, it really is you!" Luo Hanqiu stared intently at Han Qing's face, feeling both envy and fear.

He's too young. To have such combat power at such a young age, who knows how far he'll grow in a few years? It's foreseeable that if he doesn't die young, he will definitely become a top expert and a major threat to the Luo family.

"Why aren't you kneeling down?" Yue Xiaobiao shouted loudly when he saw Luo Hanqiu standing straight.

Luo Hanqiu took a deep breath, his expression arrogant: "Han Qing, you want to force me to bow down? Dream on! I, Luo Hanqiu, am not a coward who fears death. Make your move!"

"I'll ask you questions, and you answer them. If you cooperate sincerely, I'll send you on your way without any trouble!" Han Qing said coldly.

(End of this chapter)