The First Sage of Military Strategists

However, the Thunderstorm Heavenly Pearl in Nalan Qian's hand is far more powerful than the one he had before.

With a rumbling sound, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the clouds, and streaks of lightning, like silver snakes, were guided and instantly engulfed Han Qing.

"If you dare to hurt me, then you shall be reduced to ashes!" Upon seeing this, Nalan Qian burst into laughter, laughing so hard she bent over backwards, displaying extreme debauchery.

However, as the lightning gradually subsided, Han Qing suddenly emerged from it, wielding a black blade covered in a layer of energy, with wisps of white mist swirling around it – this was the true essence of martial arts.

Nalan Qian's laughter stopped abruptly, and a look of astonishment appeared on her face.

Despite the fierce lightning strike, Han Qing appeared completely unharmed, and his aura was even rising.

Seeing her expression, Han Qing said coldly, "This Thunderstorm Heavenly Pearl is indeed very powerful, but my physique is stronger than you can imagine. Nalan Qian, you should just die!"

"not good!"

A look of panic crossed Nalan Qian's face as she suddenly leaped into the air, but Han Qing's blade had already been unleashed.

Before the blade even arrived, a vast surge of martial intent erupted forth like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing Nalan Qian.

The latter, being in the midst of it, felt as if he were being crashed by a wave, his whole mind and spirit trembling, and the Dharma thoughts that had just left his body quickly extinguished and dissipated like a candle in the wind.

"What terrifying martial arts essence!"

Nalan Qian's heart was once again filled with turmoil. She suddenly regretted her decision to fight such a monster alone.

However, it was all too late.

She wielded the Heavenly Mystery Sword, unleashing streaks of sword light that clashed with the myriad blade shadows unleashed by Han Qing.

With a series of rapid sounds, the sword light that Nalan Qian wielded was once again shattered.

Then, with a flash of cold light, as Nalan Qian retreated, her right arm was directly severed by Han Qing's blade and fell to the ground, along with the Heavenly Mystery Sword, which also plummeted downwards.

Han Qing flew downwards and directly snatched the Heavenly Mystery Sword.

Although he has always preferred using a knife, with the Seven Killings Stele, learning another advanced sword technique in the future will be a breeze.

Even if Yan Qiuling doesn't have a good sword, he could give her the Heavenly Mystery Sword if he doesn't need it.

Since the two have become Daoist partners, their fates are intertwined: one suffers, the other suffers; one prospers, the other prospers.

"Put down the Heavenly Mystery Sword, junior. It is true that you have some skill in severing Nalan Qian's arm, but there are many powerful people in the vicinity of Tianlang Fortress. You can't take this sword out; instead, you will lose your life!"

Suddenly, an old man's aged voice drifted from behind Han Qing.

Han Qing turned around and glanced at the newcomer. He saw that the newcomer's eyes were as sinister as a venomous snake, and he was holding a scroll in his hand. The scroll depicted a wide river with blood-red water, and there were people moving in the water. Han Qing immediately realized that the newcomer was Ouyang Tong, the head of Tian Tong Hall, and the scroll he was holding was the Blood-Coagulating Luo River Scroll, which was also a remarkable magic weapon.

Han Qing held the Impermanence Sword, casually twirling it, and sneered, "Ouyang Tong, I've been wanting to experience the power of the Blood Condensation Luo River Diagram!"

“Overestimating yourself, but before you make a move, let me ask you, what is your name, junior? Being able to sever Nalan Qian’s arm is enough to make you famous throughout the world!” Ouyang Tong said in a hoarse voice.

Han Qing did not respond. Instead, he leaped up like an arrow, hurtling straight at Ouyang Tong.

"Don't come near him!"

Nalan Qian grabbed her right arm, let out a scream, her expression ferocious, her eyes filled with hatred.

Ouyang Tong had actually arrived long ago, but he hadn't made a move yet. He thought Han Qing was just an unknown nobody with little strength, and that Nalan Qian's move would be enough to kill him. However, he didn't expect Han Qing to display such terrifying close combat ability.

"This boy's martial arts level is probably extremely high. In close combat, only Tu Jingang and Prince Yuan can hold their own against him."

Ouyang Tong soared upwards, glancing at Tu Jingang not far away, his expression darkening further.

Historically, the Western Mang had several periods where its national strength was far greater than that of the Dayu and the Sacred Desert Empire, yet it never unified the world. The reason for this was its constant internal strife.

He and Nalan Qian were experts from Tianlang Fortress, while Tu Jingang was a member of the royal family. Before setting off, they agreed to join forces to seize the treasure. Now, Tu Jingang was up to something again, and despite seeing Nalan Qian's arm being severed, he hesitated to make a move.

However, he did not have time to resolve the internal strife at that moment.

Seeing Han Qing rushing over, he suddenly poured a surge of magical power into the Blood-Coagulated Luohe Scroll in his palm. The scroll suddenly emitted a bright red light and began to writhe strangely, like flesh and blood.

Suddenly, tiny wounds appeared on Ouyang Tong's body, emanating wisps of blood energy. This energy was absorbed by the scroll, which, as if satiated, quickly fell silent.

Nalan Qian was also making a move. Although she had lost an arm, she could still cast spells.

She suddenly waved her hand, and a ray of starlight descended from the sky, enveloping Han Qing; it was the Starry Sky Illusion Technique.

However, Han Qing was enveloped by a vast martial intent, so he didn't even need to circulate the Ceasefire Sutra. This intent instantly dispersed the magical thoughts approaching him and broke through the Star Illusion.

However, just as he escaped, a burst of blood-red light surged forth and enveloped his body.

This time it wasn't an illusion, but a projection of a river of blood, like a small world, trapping Han Qing inside.

Within this small world, there were "villagers" who, upon seeing Han Qing enter, suddenly took flight, merged with each other, and formed a tall, blood-armored divine general who brandished a giant sword and pounced upon him.

Han Qing swung his sword to meet the attack, the sword light flashing like a shadow, still dazzlingly beautiful, but it was shattered by the blood-armored general's sword.

Han Qing frowned. In this small world, he was under great suppression. Every movement was restricted and he could not move freely. Naturally, the lethality of his swordsmanship was reduced considerably.

With a thought, he unleashed a surge of malevolent energy from his body, instantly forming a malevolent domain that enveloped the Blood Armored General.

With the blessing of the evil domain, the binding force dissipated instantly, and the Blood Armor God General was visibly slowed down by more than a fraction of a second.

Han Qing was still not satisfied. He suddenly took a deep breath and fully activated his blood and qi. With the rushing sound of his blood, he suddenly opened his mouth and let out a loud shout. Martial intent burst forth from his body and instantly surged out in all directions.

The world projection formed by the Blood-Coagulated Luo River Map was instantly shattered by the dual impact of the martial arts essence and the evil domain.

Han Qing took the opportunity to escape the predicament, but the Blood Armored General in front of him did not disappear immediately. However, his power and aura were rapidly declining at a visible speed.

"cut!"

Han Qing stepped forward and unleashed a slash, the blade light enveloping the blood-armored statue and shattering it in mid-air.

The statue then transformed into a cloud of blood mist, which drifted in all directions and eventually vanished completely into the world.

Upon seeing this scene, Ouyang Tong's face darkened, and his eyes flashed with deep apprehension.

"Who exactly are you? To be able to decipher the Blood Condensation Luo River Diagram so easily, you must be no nobody."

Han Qing remained silent. He did not pursue fame, nor did he want his reputation to be too prominent. It was one thing to be unable to suppress it, but at least he would not actively publicize it.

Without saying a word, he charged toward Ouyang Tong with overwhelming murderous intent.

"Hmph! You ungrateful brat! I asked your name to see if there was any chance of recruiting you into my Heavenly Wolf Fortress. Although you are from Dayu, as long as you are not a lackey of the imperial court, my Heavenly Wolf Fortress will not refuse to take you in. On the contrary, as long as you show enough talent, you will obtain a lot of martial arts resources, and it is not impossible for you to become a hall master in the future. However, there is no chance now!"

As Ouyang Tong retreated, he quickly uttered these words, essentially trying to persuade Han Qing to back down.

Han Qing had no intention of joining the Heavenly Wolf Fortress. Without pausing for a moment, he flew up to Ouyang Tong and slashed out with his sword.

Ouyang Tong immediately retaliated. A sudden gust of cold wind blew, and a blurry divine image appeared above his head. At the same time, a divine image also appeared above Nalan Qian's head.

Before the two statues had truly taken shape, they transformed into two streams of light that merged together, eventually forming a colossal statue with an extremely strange appearance, standing nine zhang tall.

Its face has eleven eyes, its three legs stand in a tripod shape, and its six arms each hold a treasure of a different shape. Its body is covered with shimmering stars, giving people a hazy and elusive feeling.

As soon as Han Qing slashed out with his sword, the six arms of the statue simultaneously swung forward, colliding with the chaotic sword light. In an instant, the sword light was shattered, and a tremendous force was unleashed, causing Han Qing to stagger back more than thirty steps.

"What kind of magic is this? The two statues can actually merge into one, increasing their power to an even higher level." Han Qing frowned and muttered.

“Telling you won’t hurt. This is a secret technique of my Tianlang Fortress. Only the two hall masters of Tianji Hall and Tiantong Hall can perform it together. It is called Tianji Xuantong Dharma Image. Its combat power is unparalleled. Countless strongmen have been defeated by it. I want to see how capable you are.” Ouyang Tong revealed a sneer on his face.

"As expected of a martial arts god statue, it even possesses such magic." Han Qing murmured to himself, then a stronger killing intent suddenly rose within him, wanting to kill the two of them, absorb their soul light points, and seize this secret technique.

At this moment, the Heavenly Mystery and Profound Unity Dharma Image suddenly soared up and pressed down on Han Qing at lightning speed.

A cold wind swept around Han Qing, and a black-armored deity statue suddenly appeared above his head, holding a longbow and looking majestic.

This is the divine image condensed in the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing (Scripture of Ceasefire), and it is also the first time that Han Qing has condensed this divine image to fight against the enemy.

Generally speaking, the fighting power of these seven statues increases with each subsequent increase.

The next instant, the black-armored statue pulled back the bowstring, drawing the longbow in its hand to a full moon shape. Suddenly, specks of black light appeared on the bowstring, quickly condensing into an arrow.

"go with!"

With a low shout, Han Qing sent the arrow flying, which transformed into a black streak of light. With an unstoppable force, it pierced through the oncoming statue of Tianji Xuantong, which was blasted apart in mid-air. Its magical power dissipated, and a vast, eerie wind swept around it.

Upon the destruction of the statue, both Ouyang Tong and Nalan Qian turned extremely pale, and a look of shock appeared in their eyes.

Han Qing was also somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected that the seventh divine statue, formed by mobilizing his thoughts with the Zhige Sutra, would have such terrifying destructive power, making Ouyang Tong's so-called secret technique of Tianlang Fortress a joke.

"The Treatise on Ceasefire is indeed powerful!" Han Qingxin thought to himself.

At this moment, Ouyang Tong stared intently at the image above Han Qing's head, trying to discern what kind of visualization Han Qing was practicing.

The Western Wilderness is the origin of military strategists who cultivate their spiritual essence, because the Western Wilderness has been extremely chaotic since ancient times, with constant warfare between various tribes. This environment makes it easier for military strategists who cultivate their spiritual essence to emerge.

Tianlang Fortress is the largest force in the world with the most military strategists who cultivate their spiritual power, and its treasury contains a large number of military strategist meditation techniques.

Ouyang Tong considered himself knowledgeable, but after quickly searching his mind, he couldn't find a visualization method that matched this black-armored deity statue.

"I have personally studied almost all the advanced military strategists' visualization techniques in the world. Could it be that someone in the Great Yu has created a brand new military strategist's spirit-refining method?"

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and he screamed out.

"The Book of Ceasefire!"

"It must be the 'Stop War' manual!"

"Looking across the world, only this 'Stop War' manual was created by the Great Yu Military Sage and is not included in the treasury of my Tianlang Fortress. It is known as the number one military manual!"

"This Zhige Jing was previously kept in Yuelu Academy. Our Tianlang Fortress experts went to snatch it, but failed."

"I've heard that this scripture is extremely difficult to learn, requiring the concentration of pure killing intent. I never expected you to be able to learn it. Who exactly are you?" Ouyang Tong asked again. Han Qing's unfamiliar face made him unable to match it with any of the world's top experts who had already made a name for themselves. However, the strength and methods that Han Qing displayed made him feel both apprehensive and surprised time and time again.

Han Qing remained silent. The statue drew its longbow again, aimed at Ouyang Tong, and fired.

Ouyang Tong hurriedly dodged, and the arrow missed its target, landing on the ground and exploding into a shocking hole.

In an instant, the black-armored statue unleashed its full firepower, whistling through the air with arrows faster than ever before. Ouyang Tong and Nalan Qian had witnessed the destructive power of these arrows before, and dared not take them head-on, forced to dodge constantly.

Seeing the two of them in such a sorry state, Han Qing's confidence soared.

Before stepping into this ancient city, he was extremely confident in his own strength, but he was not sure if he could defeat these world-renowned top experts. Now, he was certain that his strength could also be considered that of a top expert in his own right, and what he had just shown was far from his limit.

"Tu Jingang, if you don't take action now, I will go back and report you to the Lord of the Fortress for treason!"

Ouyang Tong was also pushed to the limit by Han Qing, and turned around to curse Tu Jingang, who was watching from the sidelines.

Tu Jingang revealed a disdainful smile, which made Ouyang Tong feel like his lungs were about to explode.

The meaning of that smile was simple: it was a mockery of how the two hall masters, working together, had been forced into such a sorry state by an unknown nobody.

Ouyang Tong couldn't lash out, but he felt very aggrieved because it was indeed true; their behavior just now was too embarrassing.

"Let me see how far you've come!"

Tu Jingang's voice was deep. He raised his staff and leaped into the air, falling from the sky like a meteor crashing to the ground, and crashed hard into Han Qing.

Han Qing's figure flashed, and Tu Jingang's attack missed, creating a large crater in the ground that shook the earth.

While dodging, Han Qing glanced at Yan Qiuling not far away.

The latter and Temujin fought fiercely.

Temu Yuanzhen's physique was extremely powerful, and his body was shrouded in a vast martial arts intent. This martial arts intent sometimes transformed into a Kun and sometimes into a Peng, rendering many of Yan Qiuling's spells ineffective, and for a time the battle was evenly matched.

At this moment, Tu Jingang, who had fallen to the ground, wriggled and made a series of crackling sounds. He suddenly expanded and grew to three zhang in size, just like a real giant ape. The armor he wore also changed along with his size.

When the transformation ended, Tu Jingang's aura also increased dramatically.

"die!"

In the next instant, Tu Jingang flashed out and rushed in front of Han Qing. His huge fist, carrying golden power and vast martial arts intent, slammed out.

Han Qing was also prepared, and he suddenly threw a punch forward.

This seemingly ordinary punch actually contained a sense of serene emptiness and tranquility, a first-class fist technique known as the Emptiness Fist.

Before their fists even collided, the two martial arts essences had already clashed head-on.

The white smoke billowing around Tu Jingang condensed into a giant golden ape above his head, which charged fiercely towards Han Qing.

Han Qing's martial arts essence seemed to contain a devastating power, directly tearing apart the golden giant ape that slayed the Vajra, and also dispersing this martial arts essence.

When their true intentions clashed, the outcome was decided the instant they came into contact; the difference was obvious, and the superiority was immediately apparent.

Tu Jingang frowned, not expecting his martial arts essence to be so easily defeated.

Immediately afterwards, the two men's fists collided violently, and as their forces clashed, two terrifying forces exceeding 100,000 jin (50,000 kg) collided with each other.

Bang!
With a thunderous roar like a drumbeat, a surge of air erupted, ripples spreading outwards from the center of the fist. The ground beneath their feet cracked layer by layer, and some nearby zombies were caught in the blast, flying out on the spot, their bodies completely disintegrating into fragments.

Tu Jingang was originally very confident in his physique, but at this moment, he felt a sense of powerlessness.

He felt a giant wave crashing against him, making his body sway uncontrollably.

Ultimately, he couldn't withstand the impact of the giant wave and took a step back.

Although it was just one step, Han Qing had already overwhelmed her in terms of momentum, which also proved that Han Qing was stronger in a direct confrontation of punches.

Tu Jingang's expression became even more solemn, with only one thought in his mind: where did such a master come from?

Immediately afterwards, the situation deteriorated rapidly, and his predicament took a sharp turn for the worse.

Han Qing stepped forward and pressed closer, his fists raining down, employing the Kongming Fist Technique. His punches were unpredictable and varied, forcing Tu Jingang to retreat step by step.

Bang bang bang!
Even as he retreated, he continued to fight back.

As a result, their fists collided more than ten times in an instant, and the open space was filled with the resounding sounds of their powerful impacts.

At one point, Tu Jingang finally couldn't withstand the blow and took a solid punch to the chest from Han Qing. He flew backward and crashed into a dilapidated pavilion behind him.

Seeing this, Ouyang Tong revealed a gloating smile.

Just now, Tu Jingang mocked the two of them for their weakness, but what about now?
However, despite their schadenfreude, the two completely abandoned their contempt for Han Qing and raised their vigilance to the highest level.

At this moment, Tu Jingang leaped up from the dust and smoke, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of his mouth.

"Attack together! This kid is extremely powerful and should not be underestimated. The most urgent thing is to put aside our differences and join forces to kill him, otherwise there will be endless troubles in the future!" Ouyang Tong shouted loudly.

"Alright!" Tu Jingang nodded.

In that instant, the three top experts of Western Mang quickly reached a consensus.

Although they were secretly vying for power, at this moment, their interests were aligned, and they understood that the greater good should take precedence.

Whoosh whoosh!
The three attacked simultaneously, forming a triangle that surrounded Han Qing in the center.

"The Roar of the Vajra!"

"Blood-Splitting Spear!"

"Celestial Star Greatsword!"

...

After witnessing Han Qing's formidable close-combat skills, Tu Jingang dared not approach him again. Instead, he stood at a distance, took a deep breath, and suddenly let out a deafening roar.

All that could be heard was the rolling sound waves, and wherever they passed, the living corpses, boulders, vegetation and other things were annihilated and crushed.

Ouyang Tong then activated the Blood Condensation Luohe Diagram once more, and the blood energy converged to form a long spear, which suddenly stabbed down at Han Qing.

Finally, it was Nalan Qian's turn. Starlight shimmered, and a greatsword of stars slashed heavily down at Han Qing from another direction.

Triple attack, three completely different forms of spells.

Han Qing's expression turned serious and his body tensed at that moment, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

His body was filled with murderous aura, which quickly transformed into a malevolent domain, and a series of ghostly soldiers appeared.

Han Qing, clad in demonic armor, suddenly unleashed several slashes in all directions.

In an instant, there was flashing sword light and shadow everywhere.

The triple attack landed in succession, and Han Qing was immediately engulfed in the dust.

"If the three of us join forces, let's see how he can resist?" A hint of resentment flashed in Nalan Qian's eyes.

Just then, Yan Qiuling flew over at great speed from afar.

When she saw Han Qing being surrounded by three people, a look of anxiety appeared in her eyes.

"Yan Qiuling, don't even think about saving him!"

Temu Yuanzhen let out a loud shout and suddenly took flight, like a hawk, chasing after Yan Qiuling from behind at an extremely fast speed.

Just as the three experts were about to join forces to attack Yan Qiuling, suddenly, a black streak of light shot out from the dust and smoke, hitting Tie Muyuanzhen who was rapidly approaching from behind and knocking him back a distance.

Han Qing soared into the air, his breathing steady, without a single scratch on his body.

Tu Jingang and the other two all showed strange expressions. Although the military strategist who had refined his spirit possessed the power of Asura and could transfer injuries and repair himself, it was still an extremely incredible thing that he could remain unscathed under the attack of the three of them.

"go!"

A hint of joy flashed in Yan Qiuling's eyes, and two magical treasures suddenly appeared beside her: a Crimson Thunder Pearl and a Cloud Dragon Banner.

The clouds rolled and lightning flashed, and the two merged into a red thundercloud that quickly enveloped the two and also isolated Temu Yuanzhen and his group of four.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the two turned and fled, quickly flying away into the distance.

"Don't even think about leaving!"

Ouyang Tong let out a low shout, but did not move, because if he chased after them alone, he would surely die.

Neither Tu Jingang nor Temu Yuanzhen showed any intention of moving.

In the short time it took to hesitate, Han Qing and his companion had already disappeared into the distant horizon.

Temu Yuanzhen said in a deep voice, "Stop chasing. The important matter is to seize the Boundless Monument and capture the Demon Emperor alive."

All three nodded slightly.

After a moment's thought, Temu Yuanzhen said, "Even the three of you working together can't defeat that young man in black?"

Ouyang Tong's face showed a hint of shame: "Your Highness, it's not that we didn't try our best, but this person's combat strength is too strong. The visualization method he cultivates is likely the first classic of military strategy, the Ceasefire Classic. In addition, he has a strong physique and possesses multiple first-grade combat techniques. Killing him is extremely difficult!"

As Ouyang Tong spoke, he glared fiercely at Tu Jingang beside him.

He felt that Tu Jingang's initial indifference was a major reason why Han Qing was able to leave safely.

"The Treatise on Ceasefire?" Temu Yuanzhen raised an eyebrow. "This visualization technique is extremely difficult. In recent years, I have only heard of a martial arts prodigy named Han Qing who has mastered it in the Shu region of the Great Yu. Could this young man be Han Qing?"

The three exchanged bewildered glances and shook their heads, finding the matter utterly unbelievable. If true, then Han Qing's martial arts talent could only be described as unparalleled in the world. (End of Chapter)