The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 132 Sword Palace Master
Han Qing was the first to absorb Luo Yueshuang's soul light.

Numerous images flashed before his eyes. Han Qing closed his eyes slightly and soon digested most of these fragmented memories.

Han Qing thus learned more about the Luo family, and his understanding of the Luo family became deeper and more detailed.

A variety of martial arts techniques immediately appeared before him. Han Qing glanced at them and immediately chose to inherit the Legalist Refining Spirit Technique.

This method of refining the spirit is called the "Criminal Name and Guarding the Center Technique." Han Qing chose the sixth chapter, which can directly lead to the Body Possession Realm, and his proficiency is already at its peak.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, and the seventh visualization image of the Zhige Sutra appeared in his mind.

This time, it was a black-armored warrior wielding a longbow, an arrow nocked, bending down to shoot at the moon, his energy surging forth.

On the panel, the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing has been entered, with a proficiency level of 0, indicating that the level is still not at the entry level.

The transformation then began.

The proficiency level of the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing (止戈经) begins to slowly increase.

A large amount of information flooded Han Qing's mind, and his power of Dharma thought continued to grow stronger.

Two hours later, the proficiency of this Spirit Refining Technique had reached zero, while the proficiency of the seventh chapter of the Ceasefire Scripture had only increased by 2%.

Such a slow progress was within Han Qing's expectations. It was foreseeable that the higher the realm, the slower the improvement would become.

To improve quickly, one must hunt down more powerful individuals, or even saints.

Han Qing then chose two other martial arts skills: a first-class sword technique and a first-class lightness skill, both of which he mastered.

As the eldest elder of the Luo family, Luo Yueshuang naturally possessed superb martial arts skills. In addition, she was a genius of the Luo family in her youth. Therefore, after more than a hundred years of hard training, her martial arts skills had reached an unfathomable level. It was normal for her to have mastered two first-grade fighting techniques.

Han Qing then transferred the proficiency of these two martial arts techniques to the Zhige Jing.

Soon, the proficiency levels of these two martial arts skills were completely reduced to zero, while the proficiency level of the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing increased by 1%.

Han Qing then absorbed and transformed the martial arts skills of the two first-class retainers of the Chen family, a total of six martial arts. The proficiency of all of them was reset to zero. In the end, he pushed the proficiency of the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing to 7%, which is still a long way from mastering it.

However, Han Qing was not in a hurry. With this shackle broken, the realm of half-saint was almost within reach.

He got up and went out. Yan Qiuling had already noticed him. Suddenly, she flew down from a pavilion not far away and stood in front of him.

"Han Qing, you give me a different feeling. Could it be that you've broken through that mental barrier?"

"That's right! I owe it all to you. That overwhelming pressure from heaven and earth gave me the opportunity to break through. Now, I have overcome my fear of life and death." Han Qing's eyes shone brightly.

Great courage means knowing that this path is extremely arduous and carries the pain of being shattered to pieces, yet remaining ignorant and fearless, and resolutely moving forward.

Han Qing has now truly disregarded life and death, and when a person can do this, then there is really nothing in the world worth fearing.

"Not bad! Countless geniuses throughout history have been blocked at this hurdle, yet you were able to overcome it so easily, which shows that you are a person with extremely bold courage." Yan Qiuling said with a smile.

She admired Han Qing more and more, and was genuinely happy that Han Qing was able to overcome this obstacle.

Han Qing nodded slightly: "Miss Yan, judging by the time, Xiang Ying's group of men will be arriving in Bai Feng City soon. Why don't we make a move now and wipe them out!"

"Let's go!" Yan Qiuling said softly.

...

Outside Baifeng City.

In a dense forest, the shadows of the trees swayed, and birds flew up and down from time to time.

A caravan of about three hundred men was traveling through the dense forest, with flags bearing the words "Taining" on them.

The Taining Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest chambers of commerce in the northern ice fields.

"Sir, the scouts in the city haven't replied. Could something have happened?" A dark-faced man walked straight up to a man with a goatee wearing a blue robe, bowed his head, and lowered his voice.

The man in the green robe gripped the hilt of his sword, his gaze deep and unfathomable as he looked at the faintly visible walls of White Phoenix City ahead.

"Keep waiting! Wait three more days. If there's still no news, then retreat! The lord ordered us to find an opportunity to loot the White Phoenix City treasury, burn its grain supplies, and kill the White Phoenix City Lord and Commander Qiu Changxuan. But that's impossible. Our priority is to save our lives!"

"I understand!" The dark-faced man was about to bow and retreat.

Suddenly, a woman's clear and melodious voice drifted from the distant horizon.

"No need. I have already killed the spies you sent into the city. I will now send you to meet them!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Yan Qiuling descended from the sky with Han Qing, landing at the very front of the caravan.

The man in the green robe narrowed his eyes when he saw the red figure. Everyone knew that Yan Qiuling, the enchantress of the North, was fond of red gauze and was ruthless and cold-blooded. He never expected to run into this evil star here.

A thought flickered in his mind, and he suddenly revealed a kind smile.

"We are from the Taining Chamber of Commerce, and we have come into the city to sell our goods. May I ask what you are talking about, young lady?"

Yan Qiuling sneered: "You're quite the actor. The spies who entered the city have already confessed clearly that you are Xiang Ying's men, and you were going to impersonate members of the Taining Chamber of Commerce to take Baifeng City. Am I right?"

The man in the green robe's face immediately darkened. He stopped pretending and said coldly, "I am Duan Zangfeng of the Sword Palace. Since things have come to this, there is nothing left to hide. We will leave now, and this matter will be as if it never happened."

"Since you're here, don't leave. I see you're all quite strong. I'll give you a choice: come with me into the city obediently, and I'll spare your lives," Yan Qiuling said loudly.

Duan Zangfeng laughed heartily: "Yan Qiuling, although you are one of the top ten masters in the world, you are alone. Facing so many of us masters, I have no fear. As for the one next to you..."

He looked Han Qing up and down, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

Despite her young age, she had the illusion of being extremely powerful.

He then carefully observed Han Qing's face and suddenly remembered someone.

"Han Qing! Who do we have here? It's that genius from Shu! You actually associate with that vixen Yan Qiuling! You are a disgrace to our human race!" Duan Zangfeng cursed.

"Hmph! Demons can be good or bad, and so can humans. How can you generalize? You can't distinguish right from wrong, and you can't tell black from white. I have nothing to say to you. Just destroy you!" Han Qing said coldly.

"Haha! Get out of the way, everyone. When I became a Grandmaster of Martial Arts, you weren't even born yet. How dare you be so arrogant and even want to destroy me? You really don't know the immensity of heaven and earth." Duan Zangfeng laughed loudly.

However, while he appeared extremely arrogant on the surface, he had a different plan in mind.

He pondered to himself that Han Qing and Yan Qiuling seemed to have a close relationship. If he could capture Han Qing alive and use him to threaten and force Yan Qiuling, he might be able to escape this life-or-death crisis.

The thought flashed through Duan Zangfeng's mind, and he drew his sword and charged towards Han Qing alone.

Han Qing also moved. At first, he was very slow, but when the distance closed to a hundred paces, he suddenly accelerated, leaving afterimages in his wake. In an instant, he arrived directly in front of Duan Zangfeng and then threw a punch.

Duan Zangfeng suddenly felt a vast martial arts essence envelop him, causing his mind to tremble and his spirit to be in disarray.

"No!"

Duan Zangfeng let out a scream as he was blasted apart in mid-air.

The punch was too fast and too powerful; he had no chance to dodge or fight back.

Before he could even draw his sword, he had completely lost consciousness and fallen into a dark space.

"Martial Saint!"

Someone cried out in surprise.

In an instant, all three hundred-plus people looked shocked.

They never expected that Han Qing, at such a young age, would have already become a Martial Saint; it was truly astonishing.

Han Qing reviewed the battle just now and felt that it was very easy. He didn't need to use any moves. With just one punch, he simply and brutally crushed Duan Zangfeng, as if he had crushed an ant.

This is called "one force can overcome all techniques." When a person's most basic physical strength reaches a certain level, no matter how exquisite the skill, it cannot make up for the gap.

"kill him!"

A loud shout broke the crowd's concentration, and eighteen people rushed out from the crowd, each carrying a long sword on their back.

Sonorous!

With the sound of swords being drawn, the eighteen swords suddenly soared into the air, leaving afterimages as they pierced straight towards Han Qing.

"Eighteen sword cultivators, truly worthy of the Sword Palace!" Han Qingxin thought to himself.

The eighteen flying swords collided suddenly in mid-air, subtly merging into a new giant sword, which pierced straight down at Han Qing from above.

At that moment, before the sword fell, a sharp intent approached, as if to pierce Han Qing's body and soul.

"interesting!"

Han Qing suddenly moved, his figure flashed, and he leaped up, arriving directly below the giant sword. He then punched the side of the giant sword.

Bang!
With a muffled thud, the giant sword shattered, and the eighteen flying swords swirled and fell to the ground.

Han Qing landed, suddenly drew his sword, and turned to pounce on the controller of the eighteen flying swords.

The eighteen men's expressions changed slightly as they tried to dodge, but Han Qing's speed was incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he rushed in front of the eighteen men and suddenly swung his sword forward to strike.

In an instant, the blade flashed like a shadow, and everywhere the eye could see, there was a cold glint.

After becoming a Martial Saint, Han Qing's sword-wielding speed increased dramatically. With the enhancement of this first-grade sword technique, the power of this strike was even more terrifying, as if a bright, white light had been scattered, like smoke and mist, instantly enveloping the eighteen people.

The eighteen people dodged and recalled their flying swords in an attempt to stop Han Qing.

But they were too slow. Suddenly, a surge of blood appeared, and as soon as the eighteen swords took flight, the eighteen men were beheaded by the blades, turning into corpses that collapsed to the ground.

The eighteen swords that were flying in the air lost power and fell to the ground one after another.

"What terrifying swordsmanship!"

"Why don't we join forces?"

With a loud shout, the hidden experts in the group all took action, instantly unleashing a surge of powerful auras.

Han Qing glanced around and discovered that there was a Martial Saint and a Half-Saint hidden in the group.

The Martial Saint was a burly man with thick eyebrows, wielding a halberd and dressed in hemp clothing.

The half-saint was a fair-skinned young man with delicate features, dressed in a long robe, and holding a long sword in his hand.

Besides these two, the auras unleashed by the other six people were all those of martial arts grandmasters.

Han Qing was also filled with emotion. Xiang Ying's subordinates were truly full of experts. Just one team included a Martial Saint, a Half-Saint, six Martial Arts Grandmasters, and eighteen Sword Dao Refiners. This was an extremely powerful force. No wonder only three hundred people dared to attack Bai Feng City.

It's no exaggeration to say that without Yan Qiuling, even with his own Tiger Might Battalion in command, he wouldn't have been able to withstand this group of people, or even if he could, he would have suffered heavy losses.

At this moment, Yan Qiuling also realized that this group of people were not easy to deal with, so she immediately stepped in to help. Holding the Starlight Greatsword, she suddenly swung it forward, and strands of starlight flew out from the sword, flickering in the air, splitting into two groups, which stabbed at the Martial Saint and the Half-Saint respectively.

"Well done! Xiao Wuliang, how about we join forces to kill this demoness today?" the burly man with the halberd said loudly.

"Haha, good! Duan Tiannan, today is the day when you and I join forces to kill that demoness and become famous throughout the world!" the pale-faced man laughed.

When the sword struck, each of them had their own way of dealing with it.

Duan Tiannan suddenly swung his halberd, the shadows of which intertwined to form a fan shape, sweeping all the swords to the ground.

Xiao Wuliang also made his move at the same time, drawing his longsword and leaving afterimages, as if a dozen flying swords were flying in the air at the same time, and suddenly stabbing one sword after another to the ground.

However, with a flash of starlight, the eighteen swords immediately disappeared from their original spot and stabbed at the two men from a different direction.

While these two were facing off against Xiao Wuliang, Han Qing was also besieged by six martial arts grandmasters.

The six people were of different appearances, some old and some young, five men and one woman, and their weapons and martial arts styles were also different.

Han Qing glanced around and asked calmly, "Who are you people?"

"Hmph! It's fine to tell you, I am Qi Lianshan, the sect leader of the Three Sounds Sect of Chu!" an old man with a white beard shouted first, and then cracked his long whip.

"I am Hu Yifeng, the master of Longhu Mountain in Chu!" shouted a yellow-faced man beside him, whose weapon was a bright copper rod as thick as an arm.

"I am Zhong Ren, the abbot of the Fulong Temple in Chu..."

...

These six people announced their names one after another, and they were all leaders of second-rate forces in Chu.

Back then, when Emperor Yu roamed the land, some forces in the Chu region were wiped out, while others broke up and went into hiding.

Now that Xiang Ying has risen up in rebellion, many factions that harbor resentment towards the imperial court have regrouped and joined forces with him to overthrow the dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Han Qing did not rush to attack. He calmly said, "The six of you are no match for me. Quickly drop your weapons, kneel before me, and I will spare your lives!"

The six men looked at each other, but simultaneously chose to make their move.

"Overestimating yourselves! It seems you haven't realized how vast the gap is between a Martial Saint and a Grandmaster of Martial Arts!"

Han Qing uttered a sentence, then his body sprang to life, moving at incredible speed while simultaneously wielding his sword.

In an instant, the shadows of knives appeared densely, weaving into a large net, or like an autumn rain falling.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

With a series of crisp collisions, the weapons in the hands of the six men were knocked away one after another. One of them was caught in the blade's light and was instantly killed by the chaotic blades, his body turning into more than a dozen pieces.

The remaining five people looked horrified. They had never fought against a Martial Saint before, and had only heard that the Martial Saint was powerful. Now they truly understood that the gap between them was unimaginably large.

The five retreated, trying to escape, but Han Qing struck first. With a swift movement, he seemed to transform into five afterimages, each lunging at the five.

Brush brush!
Five flashes of cold light appeared, splitting into countless blades that blinded and confused the five men.

They couldn't track the movement of the blades at all, nor could they distinguish which of the countless flashes of light were real and which were fake.

Accompanied by a series of screams, the protective energy on the five people collapsed, and their bodies were then cut in half by a series of chaotic sword lights.

When Han Qing sheathed his sword, the sky filled with sword light vanished, and the five people had turned into corpses.

"Including Duan Zangfeng, seven martial arts grandmasters have died just like that!" Han Qing thought to himself with emotion.

This doesn't mean there are many martial arts grandmasters, but rather that he became a martial saint, and this place is an icy plain, a gathering place for heroes and the world's top experts. Martial arts grandmasters can command the wind and rain outside, but here, they are completely insignificant.

With the deaths of these six martial arts grandmasters, Han Qingteng immediately stepped in to help Yan Qiuling.

Although Yan Qiuling was very strong, she was still under immense pressure facing the combined attack of a half-saint and a martial saint. Seeing Han Qing rushing over, Xiao Wuliang immediately abandoned Yan Qiuling and turned to deal with Han Qing.

"go with!"

He put two fingers together and pointed at Han Qing from a distance. A long sword flew out and suddenly split into thousands of sword shadows and cold light, approaching Han Qing from different directions and enveloping him like mist.

Han Qing also suddenly swung his blade, still using the Phantom Thousandfold Blade technique. The blade light and sword light clashed fiercely, and for a moment, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Just then, a cold wind swept around Han Qing, and strands of magical energy suddenly pierced into his body, causing him to feel a chilling sensation all over his body.

Han Qing understood that this old thief was manipulating his magical powers to invade his body.

He immediately activated the Zhige Jing (a Buddhist scripture), and strands of Dharma thoughts collided with these distracting thoughts, causing illusions to constantly appear in his mind.

Han Qing took a deep breath, and his blood and qi suddenly flowed rapidly throughout his body, like a rushing river, making a series of gurgling sounds.

A vast martial arts intent was activated, bursting forth from within his body and enveloping a considerable area. The wisps of distracting thoughts that had invaded his body were instantly dispersed by this martial arts intent.

Xiao Wuliang sensed this martial arts essence, and his expression suddenly changed slightly. He even had a feeling that the sky was falling and the earth was cracking.

"What incredible martial arts essence! This child is truly a peerless genius!"

Just as he was about to change his move, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a ball of flame flying towards him at lightning speed. He quickly leaped to dodge, and the flame slammed into the open ground in front of him with a loud bang, exploding and kicking up a cloud of dust.

He glanced around and noticed that Duan Tiannan was in a very sorry state, with multiple wounds on his body, as if he had been pierced by flying swords several times.

His face darkened, and he shouted, "Duan Tiannan, this man is yours! I'll deal with that vixen!"

Normally, a Martial Saint cannot defeat a Half-Saint.

Because a half-saint is also a martial saint, and with his many unpredictable methods, a martial saint, though possessing the true essence of martial arts, has too limited attack methods and is ultimately inferior to a half-saint.

At this moment, the two suddenly switched opponents. Duan Tiannan picked up a halberd to deal with Han Qing, while Xiao Wuliang turned around to deal with Yan Qiuling.

Duan Tiannan saw Han Qing, pointed his halberd at him, and said in a deep voice, "Han Qing, it's a real pity that such a peerless talent as you died in the North. Why not seek refuge with my master? With my master's protection, it's not impossible for you to become a saint in the future!"

"Enough with the nonsense!" Han Qing was too lazy to argue with this person, so he drew his sword and pounced on him.

Duan Tiannan's face darkened: "Since I gave you a chance and you refused to seize it, then you might as well die!"

"drink!"

He took a deep breath and suddenly exhaled a powerful wave of air, which contained a profound martial arts essence, vast and surging to the extreme.

Han Qing also clenched his fist and fully activated the Heavenly Profound Technique, consuming his qi, blood, and spirit to unleash a vast martial arts intent once again.

The next instant, Han Qing threw a punch, and a powerful shockwave shot out from the tip of his fist.

Two waves of wind collided, and two martial arts wills also clashed fiercely.

Crackling!

A series of loud noises suddenly rang out from the open space, and the grass, trees, rocks, and other vegetation on it collapsed and turned into dust.

Both sides are caught up in this "storm" at the same time, with two turbulent currents surging, intertwining, and colliding.

Han Qing could sense that the true essence of Tiannan's martial arts was like a savage beast, extremely ferocious and barbaric, as if it wanted to devour everything.

In terms of quality, Han Qing's martial arts essence far surpasses that of Duan Tiannan.

Therefore, the two turbulent currents quickly determined which was superior after a short period of collision.

Han Qing's martial arts essence almost shattered the opponent with overwhelming force, and then devoured Duan Tiannan.

Duan Tiannan's five senses suddenly became confused, and his brain's thinking slowed down.

The true essence of martial arts, though it cannot directly harm the physical body, will impact the soul and spirit.

Some weak individuals may even have their souls and spirits shattered by a single blow.

A look of horror suddenly appeared in Duan Tiannan's eyes. Immersed in this martial arts essence, he realized even more deeply how terrifying Han Qing was.

"This martial arts essence has the power to overturn the heavens and the earth. How can it be so terrifying? What is this person thinking?"

As his mind raced, Han Qing lunged forward with his knife.

He hurriedly swung his halberd to deal with the situation, and with this swing, eight halberd shadows appeared.

This is a first-class combat technique called the Eight Desolate Heaven-Sweeping Halberd, which is his most skilled and powerful unique skill.

Han Qing continued to fight with the Phantom Thousandfold Blade, and in an instant, the halberd and the blade clashed fiercely hundreds and thousands of times.

Although Han Qing had just become a Martial Saint, he had broken through the limits of each realm and had an extremely solid foundation. Therefore, he was even stronger than Duan Tiannan, who had been a Martial Saint for fifteen years.

Duan Tiannan thought he would easily break through the net of interwoven blades, but unexpectedly his halberd was caught in it, trembling violently in his hand. In the end, he felt like he couldn't hold on to it and it suddenly flew out of his hand.

"not good!"

"How can this boy's knife be so fast and so heavy?"

He hurriedly stepped back, but a mirror that was difficult to distinguish from reality suddenly appeared above Han Qing's head. A red light flashed from the mirror and suddenly enveloped Duan Tiannan.

Duan Tiannan's spirit was already being constantly impacted by the true meaning of martial arts, and now, illuminated by this crimson light, his thoughts became extremely sluggish in an instant, and the world in his eyes seemed to slow down.

Although it is extremely brief, the life-or-death struggle between martial artists is more dangerous the higher their level. Often, the outcome can be decided in an instant, with the slightest carelessness.

That was exactly what happened. Duan Tiannan hurriedly used his lightness skill, dodging left and right to try to dodge, but Han Qing had already drawn his knife.

This time it was no longer a thousand phantoms, but the Cloud-Stilling Illusionary Wind Blade.

The blade traced intricate patterns in the air, suddenly weaving into a cloud of smoke, like both smoke and rain, elusive and unpredictable.

If Duan Tiannan had not been enveloped by the true meaning of martial arts and illuminated by the bloody light in the mirror, he might have had a chance to dodge.

But at this moment, he had absolutely no way of judging the trajectory of the attack.

A flash of cold light, and a head was severed and fell to the ground.

Duan Tiannan is dead!
Looking at his corpse, Han Qing suddenly felt a strong sense of confidence.

So what if he's a martial saint? He's still a victim of the blade!
Xiao Wuliang, standing to the side, was no match for Yan Qiuling either. He was being beaten back step by step, but he was still gritting his teeth and struggling to hold on.

He glanced back and saw Duan Tiannan's corpse, his pupils shrinking in shock.

"Duan Tiannan is dead just like that?"

"waste!"

"This young man is actually this strong?"

Xiao Wuliang immediately felt the urge to retreat, and suddenly took flight, fleeing rapidly into the distance.

Yan Qiuling immediately made her move. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, shattering Xiao Wuliang's protective sword body and then engulfing his body.

Xiao Wuliang plummeted towards the ground, creating a large crater.

Just as he was about to get up, a gust of wind blew past him.

He suddenly turned around and saw Han Qing wearing a fierce armor and holding a long sword. He suddenly swung the sword forward, scattering a bright light. A surge of martial arts intent also rushed in, instantly enveloping his entire body.

Xiao Wuliang's expression changed drastically; the surging true meaning made his thinking extremely sluggish.

"What kind of swordsmanship is this? Such terrifying martial arts essence!"

His own body seemed to have transformed into a mountain, giving him the illusion that it was about to collapse.

He hurriedly swung his sword to try to block, but Han Qing's blade was fast. He reacted hastily and was knocked to the ground by Yan Qiuling, suffering serious injuries.

With all these unfavorable factors combined, Xiao Wuliang ultimately couldn't withstand the blow.

Brush brush!
Several flashes of cold light appeared, and more than a dozen crisscrossing blood lines suddenly appeared on Xiao Wuliang's body. Then he suddenly collapsed, and blood flowed everywhere.

Han Qing sheathed his sword; Xiao Wuliang was already beyond dead.

Although the Martial Saint has strong self-healing ability, it is also limited. He can regenerate a severed arm, but if his body is dismembered, he will basically die.

With Xiao Wuliang's death, all the leaders of this group, big and small, had been killed.

"escape!"

"Come on!"

The remaining two hundred or so people were terrified and dared not stay any longer, so they immediately scattered and fled.

Han Qing had absolutely no intention of letting these people go.

He suddenly pounced out, his figure flashing, his blade flashing wildly, stirring up a bloody storm in the crowd.

People were frequently beheaded, collapsed to the ground, and died.

In just a few breaths, more than half of the two hundred-plus people had been killed, with only twenty or thirty managing to escape.

Yan Qiuling had no interest in pursuing them to the end. These people were just small fry. Killing them would be satisfying, but if they ran away, it wouldn't be a big deal.

At this moment, Han Qing's attention was entirely focused on Xiao Wuliang.

With a sweep of his magical senses, he discovered several items in the pool of blood that the corpse had turned into, each containing a scorching magical energy.

"A magical artifact! And there's more than one!"

Han Qing stepped forward and quickly searched the bloodstains for the magical treasures: a crimson pearl, a palm-sized triangular command flag, and a bronze bell engraved with intricate patterns.

Yan Qiuling also came to Han Qing's side and noticed the three magical treasures.

"Xiao Wuliang has quite a few magic treasures. This pearl is called the Crimson Thunder Pearl. When activated by magic, it can unleash crimson thunder to kill enemies. This small flag is called the Cloud Dragon Flag. When activated, it can summon cloud dragons to surround and kill enemies. The combination of the two is extremely powerful. With the help of the cloud thunder, if this person's strength were not far inferior to mine, I might have been injured just now."

Both of these magical treasures are famous treasures of Lingbao Taoist Temple. I don't know how they ended up in Xiao Wuliang's hands.
As for this last bronze bell, I have no idea what its origin is.

Yan Qiuling explained.

Han Qing nodded slightly, then dispersed three streams of magical thought, probing into the three magical treasures, where they intertwined and merged with the magical thought within them.

He immediately discerned a great deal of information. All three items were magical treasures refined by Taoist practitioners of the Divine Refining School. In the instant his thoughts merged with theirs, numerous images would appear in his mind, including mountains, rivers, clouds, thunder, and the cycle of birth and death.

However, he was not clear about the functions of these three magical treasures. Only by deeply integrating the two magical thoughts could he control and activate them.

"Han Qing, since Xiao Wuliang died at your hands, you can keep these three magic treasures. Let's go back to Baifeng City now!" Yan Qiuling said softly.

Han Qing shook his head: "Miss Yan, you should keep it. This magic weapon can only play its greatest role when it is in your hands. You are a Taoist cultivator of the spirit refinement school, and you are most compatible with these three Taoist magic weapons!"

A hint of appreciation flashed in Yan Qiuling's eyes: "Han Qing, you're not tempted by such a precious treasure. You're truly an honest person. You should keep it. If I wanted it, I wouldn't hesitate!"

"Alright!"

Han Qing knew that Yan Qiuling was a generous and open-minded person, and continuing to refuse would only make him seem petty.

Yan Qiuling then waved her hand, and a gust of wind swept up Han Qing, and the two of them flew rapidly towards Bai Feng City.

Before long, the two returned to the manor.

Han Qing immediately returned to his courtyard to begin cultivating. He had gained a great deal from this battle and might even become a half-saint in one fell swoop.

"One half-saint, six grandmasters, one martial saint, plus eighteen sword cultivators, and more than two hundred martial artists of varying levels of skill. If I could absorb and transform all of their martial arts techniques, I would surely become a half-saint!"

Han Qing took a deep breath, closed his eyes slightly, summoned the Seven Killings Stele, and immediately began the transformation.

The first soul light point absorbed came from Xiao Wuliang. Immediately, a panel appeared in front of him, on which many martial arts techniques were faintly visible.

He quickly made his choices: a minor-level sword cultivation technique called the Wisdom Sword Visualization Method, which can be cultivated to the level of a half-saint; a martial arts technique at the seventh level called the Mountain Devouring Technique, which is at a minor-level proficiency; and a first-grade sword technique called the Cloud Dragon Thousand Swords, which is at a major-level proficiency.

All three martial arts can be converted into a large amount of proficiency using the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, chose the first Refining Spirit Method, and immediately began the transformation.

Over the next period of time, he used the Seven Killings Stele to absorb one soul light point after another, selecting martial arts techniques from them and transforming them into the seventh chapter of the Ceasefire Sutra.

Sunrise and sunset, and five days have passed in the blink of an eye.

In the center of the manor, in a magnificent pavilion, Yan Qiuling sat in a chair as a maid brought her breakfast: a bowl of translucent, shimmering pigeon soup, containing no fewer than twenty kinds of rare and precious medicinal herbs—Yan Qiuling's favorite dish.

"Do not worry!"

Yan Qiuling gave an instruction, then got up and went to the window, gazing at the courtyard where Han Qing lived in the distance.

For five days, Han Qing remained in seclusion, forbidding anyone from entering the small courtyard. A hint of worry flickered in her eyes.

The hurdle of becoming a semi-saint is not easy to overcome; if one is too hasty, it is not impossible to suffer from qi deviation.

She pondered, losing her appetite for the bowl of pigeon soup, and suddenly flew up and landed at the entrance of the courtyard.

She wanted to check Han Qing's current state; if he showed signs of demonic possession, she would immediately intervene to save him.

The moment she reached out and pushed open the door, a sudden, biting wind swept through the courtyard. Then, Han Qing appeared out of thin air, looking at Yan Qiuling with a calm and composed gaze.

Yan Qiuling was startled at first, then a look of joy appeared in her eyes.

"Han Qing, you truly are a genius!"

This figure was not Han Qing's real body, but an image formed by his mental power. However, the image was so similar to the real body that it was almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.

"The feeling of becoming a demigod is wonderful!" Han Qing laughed.

The statue has now become incredibly sturdy. Even if it were separated from the body, it could exist for a very long time. No matter if it is windy or rainy, or bathed in sunlight or moonlight, the statue will not collapse.

Not only that, when his body ages and his lifespan is about to end, he can also possess the body of another person. However, this comes with great risks, and all his previous hard work will be for naught. It is equivalent to being reborn. Only by cultivating to the level of a half-saint in the second life can he awaken his memories of the previous life.

Even so, a demigod is essentially given a second life and the opportunity to experience a second life.

The image of Han Qing's true self, formed from numerous condensed thoughts, suddenly dissipated and quickly returned to Han Qing's body.

(End of this chapter)