The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 131 The Nine Realms of Saints, Heroes Gather!
"The realm of incense offerings?" Han Qing grasped the key point in Yan Qiuling's words.

"Legend has it that saints are divided into nine realms: the realm of incense offerings, the realm of golden bodies, and the realm of rainbow transformation."

Each realm requires undergoing heavenly tribulations, opening the heavenly gates, and seizing the creation of heaven and earth.

"I tried to push open the first Heavenly Gate yesterday, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult and dangerous," Yan Qiuling explained.

"I see. The path to sainthood is indeed incredibly difficult." Han Qing nodded.

He had seen the concept of the nine realms of a sage in Kong Xiu's notes, but he had never verified its authenticity. Now, having seen and heard it with his own eyes and ears, he was finally certain that the concept was true.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing how deep the waters of this world were. Back in Baiyun County, he thought that becoming a Martial Saint would allow him to control his own destiny, but now that he had truly become a Martial Saint, he realized that there were always people more powerful than him, and that there was always something beyond his reach.

"It is indeed very difficult. The path of a sage requires accumulating a massive amount of spiritual power with every step. One must be fully prepared before attempting to break through the gate, otherwise one careless move will result in annihilation," Yan Qiuling sighed.

"Miss Yan, is there any way to obtain a large amount of magical power?" Han Qing pressed.

Now that the topic has been brought up, he naturally wants to get to the bottom of it, so that his path to becoming a sage will be smoother in the future.

"There have been many methods throughout history to obtain a large amount of magical power, but there are three most orthodox methods."

Firstly, after breaking through the Heavenly Gate, there is a certain period of time to absorb the Qi of Heaven and Earth. This Qi enters the human body, which can strengthen both the physical body and the spiritual power.

This is the most orthodox path, and the Dharma thoughts obtained are all pure and singular, the purest and most powerful.

Secondly, it gathers the thoughts of all people, also known as incense offerings. Throughout history, countless sects have been born and died because sages founded religions to absorb the incense offerings of believers to strengthen their own beliefs.

However, the mental thoughts generated by this method are mostly extremely mixed. Although the quantity is large, the intensity is very low, and there are too many distracting thoughts, which poses a risk of going astray and becoming possessed by demons.

The third is to seize the thoughts of others. If a cultivator can become a half-saint, their spiritual thoughts will become extremely solid. Even if the physical body dies, the spiritual thoughts will not immediately dissipate. If one can capture them in time and store them in one's own spiritual temple, one can make them one's own.

These three paths are the most common methods for strengthening one's spiritual power today.

"Although you are currently in the Parasitic Realm, you may become a Half-Saint at any time. It's good to know this in advance," Yan Qiuling explained patiently.

This knowledge is a core secret of all major powers, and they will not easily reveal it to others.

She was willing to explain to Han Qing because Han Qing's previous actions had deeply moved her.

"I've learned a lot." Han Qing nodded slightly, and in that instant, the path ahead became much clearer.

"Now that my injuries have healed, I might as well set off for White Phoenix City today," Yan Qiuling suddenly said.

"Miss Yan, your injuries have just healed, why not rest for a few more days?" Han Qing asked.

"No need," Yan Qiuling said slowly, "Just now, a demon clan expert sent a message from afar saying that a group of Sword Palace experts disguised themselves and infiltrated White Phoenix City, intending to assassinate the White Phoenix City Lord. I need to return to the city immediately and deal with these people." Her eyes were fixed on the distance, and her stunningly beautiful face was almost breathtaking in the sunlight.

"Sword Palace? Could it be that Xiang Ying, the leader of the rebel army in Chu, is about to make a move against Bai Feng City?" Han Qing pondered.

A few years ago in Chu, when Xiang Ying was only twenty-five years old, he defeated 30,000 elite troops of the Great Yu with only 800 men. He even broke through the enemy lines and killed the Great Yu Zhenwu Marquis, making him famous throughout the world.

As a result, he gained the allegiance of many forces, the largest of which was the Sword Palace.

The people of the Sword Palace specialize in swordsmanship. Although they have no Great Saints, they have many Half-Saints, making them a force to be reckoned with among unorthodox sects.

"It was this man. Xiang Ying sent people into the palace, claiming that he wanted to join forces to deal with Dayu, but in reality, he was extremely arrogant and made many unreasonable and harsh demands. My father did not agree. Xiang Ying said he wanted to withdraw from the North, but unexpectedly, he sent people to seize the city. I thought he was a hero of the times, but I did not expect him to act so despicably."

"I will make sure that this group of warriors who infiltrated White Phoenix City never return, to intimidate this thief and tell him that the Northern Demon Clan is not someone to be trifled with," Yan Qiuling said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Han Qing recalled the many rumors he had heard about Xiang Ying before.

This person was born with double pupils. It is said that the soul of such people is extremely special, capable of opening two spirit temples and cultivating two major schools of spirit refining techniques.

Furthermore, this person was born with supreme bones, which are the best in the world, giving him the strength of a thousand pounds, making him invincible in the same realm.

Some ancient books record that those with supreme martial bones who cultivate to become martial saints possess arm strength several times greater than ordinary martial saints, with the power to uproot mountains and rivers, which is extremely terrifying.

"This person is truly a prodigy. At only twenty-seven years old, he is already a top expert renowned throughout the world. However, I have heard that he is cruel and arrogant, and is not a benevolent person at all," Han Qing said slowly.

"This person is indeed very strong. He was already a Martial Saint two years ago, and his combat power must be unfathomable now. However, no matter who it is, if they dare to invade my demon race, I, Yan Qiuling, will definitely not let them off the hook," Yan Qiuling said coldly.

"The situation is critical, so we'll do as you say. Let's set off now and get to Baifeng City as soon as possible!" Han Qing said in a deep voice.

...

Two days later.

A cold wind howled across the vast wilderness.

Han Qing and his group were speeding towards Bai Feng City along a wide avenue.

If Han Qing were leading the team himself, this road would be absolutely off-limits, because three thousand people would be too conspicuous and would inevitably attract attacks from the demon race.

But with Yan Qiuling around, the journey is smooth sailing.

Before long, a fortress appeared ahead, constructed entirely of large gray-white stones, with many figures moving about above it.

When Han Qing and his group arrived a thousand paces in front of the fortress, a loud shout suddenly came from the fortress.

"Halt! Who goes there?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Qiuling leaped off her horse and shouted, "Let them pass!"

Upon seeing Yan Qiuling's figure, the demon general on the fortress was startled and immediately ordered his soldiers to open the fortress gate.

Han Qing and his group quickly passed through the fortress and sped towards Bai Feng City.

Thus, under Yan Qiuling's guidance, Han Qing and the others traveled smoothly and arrived at Baifeng City a day later.

Led by Yan Qiuling, the group successfully entered the city again.

Han Qing had assumed that the city of the demon race would be incredibly rough, but upon entering the city, he discovered that it was extremely prosperous and not much different from human cities, except that the buildings were taller, the style was more rugged, and the goods sold were full of northern characteristics.

Not all demons have strange appearances. Although most of them have some animalistic features, they are not obvious. Under the cover of clothing, it is even difficult to tell whether the person in front of you is a human or a demon.

"I never imagined that there would be such a prosperous city on the icy plains of the North!" Cheng Xuanji exclaimed.

"My demon race has developed in the northern ice plains for thousands of years, and is no longer the barbaric and brutal civilization it once was. There are several cities similar to this on the ice plains, the most prosperous of which is the capital of my demon race."

"You can rest in Baifeng City for a few days. If you're interested, I can take you to the capital!" Yan Qiuling said with a smile.

"The capital of the demon race? If I have time, I will definitely go and have a look." Han Qing nodded.

"Now I'll take you to a manor to settle these three thousand soldiers," Yan Qiuling said.

on the street.

Han Qing's three thousand men were very conspicuous. Although they did not wear the standard armor of the Great Yu Dynasty when they set off, their large numbers would still make many demon warriors in the city wary, even with Yan Qiuling present.

After a short while, the group crossed two long streets and arrived in front of a manor.

"This is an unused manor in White Phoenix City, large enough to accommodate all three thousand of you," Yan Qiuling explained softly to the group as she stood outside the manor.

"Miss is back!"

The manor was well-managed. When Yan Qiuling returned, the gate opened wide, and an old man in gray robes strode out and came straight to the group.

The old man looked very similar to a human, except that he had black scales on his temples, and it was unknown what kind of demon blood he had.

"Uncle Fu, these people are all my friends. Quickly arrange accommodations for them. Also, send someone to the city to summon Qiu Changxuan. I need to speak with him!" Yan Qiuling instructed.

“This old servant understands!” The gray-robed old man bowed and replied.

Uncle Fu led the way, inviting everyone into the manor. The manor was indeed very large, with many houses, and the more than three thousand people were quickly settled in.

In the very center of the manor, there were also pavilions. Han Qing and the others followed Yan Qiuling to one of the pavilions, where a maidservant came forward and served them tea.

Han Qing sipped his tea while admiring the beautiful scenery of the estate. After about half an hour, he heard footsteps outside.

A tall, imposing man with pointed horns on his head, wearing heavy armor, carrying a bronze hammer, strode into the hall.

"Qiu Changxuan greets Your Excellency!"

Upon entering, the man knelt on one knee, displaying utmost respect.

"Get up, Han Qing. This is the commander of the White Phoenix City Guard! This is my friend, Han Qing!" Yan Qiuling introduced.

"Commander Qiu, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Han Qing bowed slightly.

Qiu Changxuan stood up and looked Han Qing up and down. At first glance, he thought Han Qing was very young. However, when their eyes met, he felt a faint pressure, which startled him.

“I am a Grandmaster of Martial Arts, why would I feel fear upon encountering this young man? Could it be that he is also a Grandmaster of Martial Arts, and his strength far surpasses mine? Moreover, although this person appears to be calm, he exudes an aura of confidence and ruthlessness, he is definitely not an ordinary person.” In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Qiu Changxuan’s eyes, and he cupped his hands and said, “Young Master Han, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

"Han Qing, just hand over the eight hundred men from the Chen family to Qiu Changxuan. He's quite experienced in handling these kinds of things!" Yan Qiuling added.

"Miss, where are these eight hundred people?" Qiu Changxuan asked in confusion.

"Come with me!"

The group immediately got up and went to a large courtyard in the north of the manor. Inside the courtyard were the eight hundred warriors, their hands bound.

Qiu Changxuan glanced around and said in a deep voice, "These eight hundred warriors are all vigorous and strong. They are probably the personal guards or assassins carefully trained by a major human force."

"Can you eat it?" Yan Qiuling asked.

"Of course we can. The situation in the North is tense right now, and White Phoenix City is short of manpower. If we break up these eight hundred men and disperse them into different camps, they won't be able to cause any trouble," Qiu Changxuan said in a deep voice.

"Alright, Qiu Changxuan, you often trade slaves with the Yinshan human forces. These eight hundred people are all bought and sold according to the rules. You can't treat my friend unfairly," Yan Qiuling instructed again.

"Understood! I wonder if you want to exchange for supplies or gold and silver, young master?" As Qiu Changxuan spoke, he carefully examined Han Qing, feeling that Yan Qiuling was treating Han Qing with unusual favor.

"Supplies," Han Qing replied.

On the icy plains, gold and silver would be of little use to him. After all, in the event of chaos, gold and silver might not be able to buy what he wanted, so it would be better to exchange them for supplies.

“Alright! The supplies that can be exchanged for these eight hundred people are not a small amount. Why don’t you come with me to the City Lord’s Mansion? Just tell me what supplies you want to exchange for, and I will arrange everything for you as soon as possible,” Qiu Changxuan said.

"Alright, I'll give you a list later. Lin Yueqiu and Bai Yunfei, you two take your men and go with Commander Qiu!" Han Qing said thoughtfully.

"Okay!" Lin Yueqiu and Bai Yunfei both nodded.

"Qiu Changxuan, you sent a message earlier saying that experts from the Sword Palace had infiltrated the city. Where are they now? Take me there, and I'll deal with them right now," Yan Qiuling suddenly asked.

"My lord, I have located the whereabouts of a group of Sword Palace warriors. They are currently staying at the Qingfeng Tower Inn," Qiu Changxuan said.

"Qingfenglou Inn? I understand, I'll handle this!" Yan Qiuling said calmly.

"it is good!"

Qiu Changxuan responded and then led Lin Yueqiu and the other person to the City Lord's Mansion.

Yan Qiuling then set off for Qingfeng Tower, but Han Qing quickly said, "Miss Yan, I'll go with you. There's nothing to do here in the manor anyway."

“Okay!” Yan Qiuling nodded.

The two then left the manor and headed straight for Qingfeng Tower.

Before long, Han Qing was standing in front of a tall building, which was bustling with people.

"This is the largest inn in the city. Let's go in first." When Yan Qiuling set off, she covered her face with a red veil, making it difficult for others to see her true face. However, her temperament and figure were top-notch, and even this veil could not hide it. Therefore, when she entered the inn, she immediately attracted a lot of attention, and countless men's eyes gleamed with greed.

The two sat down, and Yan Qiuling quickly ordered a table full of food and drinks.

Before long, Han Qing tasted all the dishes on the table and found that the demon race's food preparation was rather rough, far inferior to that of the human race, especially the meat, which often had a faint bloody smell.

"Miss Yan, how do you plan to find these people?" Han Qing took a big gulp of fruit wine and asked in a low voice.

"No rush, I'll search slowly after we finish this meal! Since they are warriors from the Sword Palace, they can't hide anything from my eyes," Yan Qiuling said calmly.

"Okay!" Han Qing nodded slightly.

The two stayed for a while longer, and just as they were about to finish their meal, seven or eight burly men, all bearing the characteristics of demons, suddenly entered from outside.

However, Han Qing immediately sensed something was wrong with these seven people.

The hair on their faces and the scales on their arms, upon closer inspection, all had an unreal quality.

Moreover, these seven people possessed a subtle yet sharp aura, clearly indicating they were not ordinary individuals.

Yan Qiuling, standing to the side, immediately locked her gaze on the seven people.

This doesn't mean the seven were poorly disguised; rather, both of them were Martial Saints and high-level Divine Refiners, possessing extremely strong perception of details.

“Miss Yan, there’s something wrong with these seven people.”

“Indeed, I think these seven are the Sword Palace warriors we’re looking for. I’ll find an opportunity to wipe them out later.” Yan Qiuling sneered.

Han Qing shook his head. Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free. Yan Qiuling was constantly displaying her cold and ruthless nature as a vixen, but he didn't quite agree with this approach. If the innocent were killed, it would be an indiscriminate killing of the innocent, which was not a benevolent act.

"Miss Yan, don't be anxious. I'll find an opportunity to test them later and lure these seven people into making a move. We'll know whether they are Sword Palace warriors or not once they make a move!" Han Qing said slowly.

“Okay!” Yan Qiuling nodded.

While the two were chatting, the seven people sat down at a table not far away and also started chatting in hushed tones.

"This time, the ice plains are truly teeming with experts. I've heard that three of the hall masters from Sky Wolf Fortress have been dispatched, and they're coming with great force."

"Indeed, could it be that they've all come for the Boundless Monument?"

"It's hard to say! Nobody knows if this thing is real or fake."

The people spoke in hushed tones, but Han Qing could still vaguely hear what they were saying.

They seemed to know a lot of information, mentioning that many powerful figures from various forces had arrived in the Ice Plains, or that several of these powerful figures had recently engaged in fierce battles.

As Han Qing listened, he became certain that these seven people were not simple. Even if they were not experts from the Sword Palace, they were likely from some powerful force.

They chatted amiably, keeping their voices low, unaware that two martial saints were eavesdropping nearby.

Han Qing was pondering how to lure these seven people into making a move when he unexpectedly discovered that one of them was a lecherous man. His gaze swept over Yan Qiuling wantonly, his eyes filled with lewd light.

"This girl is really something. Although her face is covered by a red veil, based on my years of experience, she must be an absolute beauty. It's a pity that this icy plain is so cold, I don't have a chance to vent my frustrations on a beauty." The pockmarked martial artist whispered.

"Third brother, how many times have I told you? When you're out and about, you need to be more discreet. Your gaze is too presumptuous; be careful not to get into trouble," a bearded man with purple scales on his face frowned.

"What's the panic? That pretty girl is facing a pretty boy who's all looks and no substance. No matter how outrageous I am, he won't dare to cause me any trouble." The pockmarked man sneered.

Han Qing heard it all clearly. He was just looking for a reason to make a move, but this pockmarked man had come to him on his own initiative, so he couldn't be blamed.

However, Yan Qiuling had an even more fiery temper, and she threw a glass of wine at him first.

The wine glass was incredibly fast, heading straight for the pockmarked man's head. The man heard a whooshing sound behind his head and immediately got up to dodge, but he was a beat too slow.

Snapped!
The wine glass smashed squarely onto his forehead, splashing wine everywhere and shattering instantly.

The latter swayed and fell to the ground, blood streaming from his forehead. It was unclear whether he was dead or alive.

With Yan Qiuling's strength, even a leaf could be incredibly lethal if flicked with her finger.

"The third one!"

"Be bold!"

With a loud shout, the burly man with the thick beard stood up and smashed the table in front of him to pieces.

Yan Qiuling didn't even turn her head, and coldly snorted: "You lecherous scoundrel, if you look around like that, I'll gouge out your dog eyes. If you're talking nonsense, I'll cut out your tongue so you can learn a lesson!"

"you wanna die!"

Upon hearing this, a burly man with a thick beard, strong muscles, and bronze skin was the first to lose his temper and immediately threw a punch at Yan Qiuling.

Han Qingyi stepped in front of Yan Qiuling, grabbed his fist, and felt it was as light as a ball of cotton, without any force.

He twisted it hard, and with a crack, the big man's arm twisted and the bones broke.

The latter let out a muffled groan, his face contorted with intense pain.

Han Qing raised his hand and struck the man's chest with lightning speed. It looked light and airy, but with his current combat strength, even a casual strike had astonishing destructive power.

The man was immediately sent flying, crashing into another martial artist beside him, and died on the spot.

At this moment, Han Qing no longer needed to determine whether these people were experts from the Sword Palace, because their actions were already a death sentence.

He spoke rudely in public and then tried to kill a woman. Luckily, he and Yan Qiuling were strong and skilled. If it had been someone else, that punch would have killed them instantly.
Han Qing's move immediately threw the restaurant into chaos, with many guests scattering in all directions.

"What are you doing? You dare to cause trouble in Qingfeng Tower? This is the property of Yan Qiuling, the daughter of the Demon Emperor. Are you looking for death?"

Hearing the commotion, a large group of guards rushed in from outside. They were all strong and had unfriendly expressions. They quickly surrounded the two groups.

Yan Qiuling slowly removed her red veil: "Take them down!"

The guards were stunned when they saw Yan Qiuling's face, and then they all knelt down.

"See my lord!"

This kneeling gesture shocked all the guests present.

With such stunning beauty, dressed in red, and surnamed Yan, who else could it be but Yan Qiuling?
"Get up, all of you, and take them down!" Yan Qiuling said again.

"Oh no! It's the demoness Yan Qiuling! Run!"

The bearded man and his men were all shocked and tried to break through to the surrounding area.

"Get 'em!"

In an instant, more than thirty guards drew their swords, and the five burly men also drew their greatswords, and a melee was about to break out.

At this moment, Han Qing made his move; the blade flashed like a gust of wind, sweeping past the five people.

Those present didn't even see what happened clearly; they only saw a dark shadow flash by, followed by flashes of sword light, before the five people were beheaded and died instantly.

"What a fast knife!"

This thought crossed everyone's mind, and for a moment, they looked at Han Qing with more awe.

The demon race, similar to the Western Barbarians, does not value benevolence and morality, but only strength and the law of the jungle. Therefore, they must respect the strong even more.

At this moment, the man who had been hit by Yan Qiuling's wine cup at the beginning struggled to his feet.

He didn't die. Although his face was covered in blood, his injuries weren't serious; he had just fallen unconscious.

"Take it down!"

Several guards quickly pounced on him and tied him up.

"Take him with you into the inner courtyard. I need to interrogate him thoroughly." Yan Qiuling stood up and walked towards the spacious courtyard connected to the back of the restaurant.

Han Qing quickly followed, and then absorbed several more soul light points. Immediately, a large number of images formed by memory fragments flashed through his mind.

By the time Han Qing reached the depths of the inner courtyard, he had fully digested this part of the memory and extracted a great deal of information from it.

"Your Majesty!"

With a loud shout, the guards on both sides kicked the martial artist hard in the legs, and he immediately knelt down.

The latter stared intently at Yan Qiuling, then suddenly shouted, "I am a martial artist from the Sword Palace, serving Lord Xiang Ying. My master possesses a naturally superior martial bone and unparalleled combat power. Release me immediately, or your White Phoenix City will soon be in dire straits!"

"As expected, he is a martial artist from the Sword Palace!" Upon hearing this, Yan Qiuling's mind stirred, and strands of magical energy gathered, suddenly transforming into a ball of flame that enveloped the man. The latter quickly turned into ashes within the flames and vanished into nothingness.

“Miss Yan, in three days, another group of martial artists belonging to Xiang Ying will arrive in Bai Feng City. This group is extremely powerful. The seven or eight people we just saw were just spies. We need to make preparations as soon as possible,” Han Qing suddenly said.

A strange light flashed in Yan Qiuling's eyes. She didn't know when Han Qing had obtained the information, but hearing Han Qing's confident words, she didn't press for details, because everyone has their own secrets.

“Three days from now? Xiang Ying has already broken ties with my father. These people cannot be allowed to live. I will go out of the city to ambush and kill them, and find an opportunity to wipe them out in one fell swoop.” Yan Qiuling raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, I'll go with you then!" Han Qing nodded.

...

Not long after.

The two returned to the manor.

The steward had already arranged accommodations for Han Qing in a large courtyard on the east side of the manor, with no fewer than fifty maids and servants.

Whoohoo!
Han Qing took the lead and practiced a set of boxing techniques in the open space of the courtyard.

As the fists and feet moved, the wind howled and the air surged, creating a powerful and imposing scene.

Before long, Han Qing finished his practice and returned to his room to sit in a chair. A maidservant came forward and served him a cup of hot tea.

Han Qing picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and found the first sip to be very bitter, followed by an even more bitter taste.

As he savored the bitter taste, he pondered what he needed to do next.

"I wonder how powerful Xiang Ying is? He was a Martial Saint two years ago, and he can also cultivate two different schools of Divine Refining Techniques. He also has many experts under his command. His strength is truly terrifying."

"If I want to get a share of the martial arts tournament in the Northern Ice Plains, my current strength is still too weak. I still need to find a way to become a half-saint!"

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. He turned around and sat on the bed, calming his mind and slowly seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough.

He had no clue before, but when he rescued Yan Qiuling, the overwhelming power of heaven descended upon him, making him deeply experience the great terror between life and death.

Only by overcoming this fear can one go further on the path to sainthood in the future.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, repeatedly recalling the feeling of fear in his mind.

On his journey to Baifeng City these past few days, he sought a spiritual transformation through this method.

He hadn't held out much hope, but to his surprise, this method proved quite effective.

When he enters a state of extreme fear, he can deeply feel that there is a barrier blocking him, and that this barrier seems to be slowly loosening.

After realizing this, Han Qing began to try this method repeatedly. He meditated every day and clearly felt that the barrier was loosening little by little.

"There's hope! Perhaps it won't be long before I break through to the Half-Saint realm!" A hint of joy flashed through Han Qing's mind as he continued meditating to break through.

...

Tiannan City.

In the magnificent manor, on the training ground, Han Zhuang was practicing the Crimson Dragon Fist. His fist techniques were domineering and fierce, with shadows of fists intertwining.

At one point, he threw a punch that struck a large rock in front of him, shattering it into pieces.

Han Zhuang withdrew his fist and slowly exhaled a wisp of clear air.

At this moment, a figure walked over from not far away; it was Yang Wanxiu.

"Young Master Zhuang, your boxing skills have improved even more. At this rate, it won't be long before you reach mastery, or even perfection," Yang Wanxiu said with a smile.

Han Zhuang was also extremely proud. He glanced around and saw that Yang Wanxiu's arms had grown back. He couldn't help but sigh, "The self-healing power of the Martial Saint is indeed terrifying. In such a short time, this severed arm has regenerated."

Yang Wanxiu shook his head: "Young Master Zhuang, the self-healing power of a Martial Saint is not enough to regenerate an arm in half a month. It was only because the head of the family sent several medical practitioners to treat me in turn that I was able to recover in such a short time. Now I am ordered to leave the manor and go deep into the Ice Plains to assist the court in competing for the Demon Emperor's relics. You must be very careful if you stay in the manor alone."

"Elder Yang, I've heard that a group of experts from Lingqing Dao and Lingbao Dao recently arrived in the North. Is that true?" Han Zhuang suddenly asked.

“Young Master Zhuang is indeed well-informed. Indeed, this old servant is about to follow this group of experts deeper into the northern lands,” Yang Wanxiu said.

"Elder Yang, I'll go with you. I've long wanted to see the vast scenery of the Northern Ice Plains. A few years ago, I missed the epic battle at Yuelu Academy when I was young, and I've regretted it for many years. But now, I don't want to miss this grand martial arts event." Han Zhuang's eyes gleamed with a deep light.

"Young Master Zhuang, please think it over. The Northern Ice Plains are now teeming with experts. Even this old servant has to be extremely careful when venturing there. There are countless Martial Saints and Half-Saints clashing among them. Even the Mo Family's leader, the number one person in the world, has appeared. If anything were to happen to you, this old servant would have no way to explain it back home," Yang Wanxiu hurriedly said.

Han Zhuang frowned: "The leader of the Mohist school? Is this demon clan's treasure really that attractive?"

"I heard that it's because half a year ago, news about the Boundless Stele was leaked. This is an ancient treasure, a small space that can contain the land of a city. It is extremely mysterious. Some of the top experts have come here for this, including the leader of the Mo family. In short, there will definitely be several epic battles in the Northern Ice Plains this time. I also want to see how much the strength of the experts in the world has improved after the battle at Yuelu Academy, and whether any new talents have emerged." Yang Wanxiu's words were full of anticipation, his empty eyes gazing into the distance.

"The Boundless Monument! I've read about this ancient treasure in many ancient books, and I've always believed it was real. I never expected it to actually appear in the Ice Plains. It's a pity I'm going to miss this great battle again," Han Zhuang sighed, his words filled with regret.

"Young Master Zhuang, this old servant will take his leave first!" Yang Wanxiu cupped his hands, then leaped up, soaring more than thirty feet into the air, landing on a pavilion not far away. He then took flight again, like a bird, and vanished in an instant.

Han Zhuang witnessed this scene and a hint of envy flashed in his eyes.

"The body of a Martial Saint is indeed powerful, soaring and falling unpredictably. I wonder when I, Han Zhuang, will be able to become a Martial Saint!"

...

Two days later.

Bai Fengcheng.

In the manor.

Han Qing was still resting with his eyes closed.

For three days, he remained motionless and did not eat or drink anything.

At his behest, the maids and servants in the manor were also forbidden from stepping into the courtyard.

Han Qing could deeply sense that the barrier in his mind was loosening, and this was a crucial moment; he didn't want to be disturbed by anyone.

Yan Qiuling was the only one who entered the courtyard midway through, but she discovered that Han Qing had entered a deep meditative state, extremely quiet, as still as a statue, and exuding a powerful aura.

She didn't go forward to disturb them, because she had experienced this state before. It was a sign that she was breaking through that mental barrier and was about to step into the realm of a semi-saint.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged him; he truly is Su Jin's child!"

Yan Qiuling murmured to herself, took a step, and soared into the air, quickly disappearing from the courtyard.

Shortly after she left, Han Qing suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them, and the surging aura surrounding him increased several times over.

"Two days of meditation! This mental barrier is finally about to crumble."

Click!

With a muffled thud, Han Qing could clearly feel that a layer of restraint within his body had been released. Although his strength had not increased, his overall energy and spirit had improved considerably.

With a thought, the Seven Killings Stele appeared in his mind, with several points of soul light flickering uncertainly.

On that day, he absorbed the soul light points of Luo Liang and Chen Lianfeng, but he did not absorb the soul light points of Luo Yueshuang and the two great elders.

Now that this mental shackle has been broken, and his realm can continue to improve, he finally decided to absorb these few soul light spots and break through to the semi-saint realm.

(End of this chapter)