The First Sage of Military Strategists

Zhou Xiaoru stood up, looked Han Qing up and down, and suddenly asked, "May I ask what your name is, young master?"

"Han Qing!"

"Han Qing? What a nice name. Is the divine technique you cultivate called the Ceasefire Sutra?" Zhou Xiaoru asked again.

"Not bad." Han Qing nodded.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaoru's eyes lit up: "The Treatise on Ceasefire! Good, in that case, the credibility of what you just said is much higher, and I can basically conclude that it is true."

"Oh? How did you make that judgment, sir?" Han Qing pressed.

“Young Master’s eyes are very similar to Madam Su’s, that’s one point. The Zhige Jing (止戈经) is only available in the Yuelu Prefecture’s treasury. Madam Su once told me that whether or not one has mastered the Zhige Jing can be used as a major piece of evidence to determine Young Master’s identity,” Zhou Xiaoru explained.

"Sir, you are truly a loyal and righteous man. It was for this reason that I stepped in to save you," Han Qing praised.

"Young master, you don't need to worry about me for now. The most urgent thing is to search for the Boundless Stele. The lady said that there is an amazing treasure hidden inside the stele that can help you achieve great things."

"Putting all that aside, the Boundless Stele itself is an ancient treasure. I've kept it safe for so many years, and I can't just stand by and watch it fall into the hands of others. It must be returned to its rightful owner," Zhou Xiaoru said in a deep voice.

Over the years, this boundary marker has become almost an obsession for him.

"Since you possess such a treasure, why not refine it yourself? Sometimes one must be flexible and adaptable, and not blindly keep promises," Han Qing said.

Despite his dire situation, being surrounded and nearly killed by Xiang Ying, Zhou Xiaoru still kept his promise and wanted to complete the task assigned by Su Jin.

In his eyes, such behavior was indeed unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, but it was somewhat unwise.

“Young master, you may not know this, but there is a seal on the Boundless Stele that ordinary people cannot open. This seal can only be broken by your blood combined with pure killing intent. Otherwise, it will require years of accumulated ink-washing skills to break it little by little. This requires extremely strong talisman-making skills, which I cannot do even if I wanted to,” Zhou Xiaoru explained.

"So that's how it is. My mother has really gone to great lengths for me." Han Qing sighed.

Although he came from another world, he was not a heartless person. He was quite moved by how his mother, whom he had never met, treated him.

“This boundary marker carries the wishes of my master and my mother. I originally didn’t intend to fight for it, but now I’m going to give it my all.” Han Qing looked up, her eyes bright and sparkling with fighting spirit.

He didn't compete before because he was worried about his own strength and felt it was unnecessary. With the Seven Killings Stele, even without the Boundless Stele, he could become a top expert in the future.

But now he is certain that although he has just become a half-saint, his foundation is solid and his combat power is far stronger than that of ordinary half-saints. He is a powerful figure in this ancient city and is fully capable of competing for the Boundless Monument.

“Young Master is right. The Boundless Monument was left for you by Madam Su. You are just going to take back what is rightfully yours. The others are the robbers,” Zhou Xiaoru said softly.

“However, if I leave, you may be in danger of dying alone here. But if you come with me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you in the heat of battle,” Han Qing pondered.

“It’s alright, you can go ahead. I’m safe here,” Zhou Xiaoru said slowly. Then he changed the subject, “However, before you leave, I’ll give you a magical artifact and a minor spell.”

As Zhou Xiaoru spoke, he suddenly tore off a human skin mask from his face. The mask was thin and transparent, and under his divine eyes, wisps of white vapor floated on it. It was actually a magical artifact.

“Young master, if you have the opportunity to obtain the Boundless Monument, you would be best off concealing your true identity, otherwise there will be endless troubles,” Zhou Xiaoru added.

Han Qing took the mask and found that Zhou Xiaoru's appearance had changed drastically. He used to be a slightly weathered middle-aged man, but now he was an old man with a face full of wrinkles.

However, he only glanced at it before looking away.

He didn't care about his appearance at all.

He immediately set about refining this magical artifact, probing it with his magical senses. There was also a magical sense within it, but it wasn't very strong.

The two streams of spiritual energy quickly intertwined and merged together, and before long, Han Qing had completely completed the refining process.

After becoming a half-saint, his speed in refining magic treasures also increased greatly, unlike when he was in the Integration Realm, when refining the Illusory Soul Suppressing Chain took several days or more.

After completing the refining process, Han Qing put the mask on his face.

In an instant, he transformed into another person, his appearance changed drastically from top to bottom, and he was none other than Yue Jinbiao with a goatee.

This mask is not just a disguise; it's more like an added form of deception magic, allowing one to change in countless ways, not only in appearance but also in aura.

Then, Zhou Xiaoru pointed his finger, and a stream of magical thought entered Han Qing's mind, immediately displaying a piece of information.

This is less of a spell and more of a mantra. It can resonate with the Boundless Monument. The closer you are, the stronger the resonance; the farther away you are, the more indistinct the resonance becomes.

As Han Qing silently recited the incantation, a strange sensation immediately arose in his mind.

"In the northeast!"

Without further hesitation, Han Qing took to the air and flew rapidly towards the northeast.

Zhou Xiaoru stayed in the attic to continue healing. Given his strength, even if he went with Han Qing, he would most likely be a hindrance.

...

As Han Qing continued to fly forward, the sensations grew stronger, and he gradually heard loud fighting sounds in his ears.

Soon, he arrived at the edge of the battlefield, still shrouded in a murderous aura, concealing his true appearance.

His gaze swept across the area, his brows furrowing slightly as he realized that the situation of the demon race was extremely dire.

Although he was human, almost everyone present, whether from the Western Mang, the Great Yu, or other forces, was an enemy. On the contrary, because of his relationship with Yan Qiuling, he stood on the same side as the demon race and naturally hoped that the demon race could gain the upper hand.

"The Demon Emperor is likely to perish!"

Han Qing gazed into the distance, where the Demon Emperor was being besieged by numerous powerful figures from the Great Yu Dynasty.

He spotted a familiar figure among them: Yang Wanxiu, who was wearing a bright yellow battle armor that allowed him to fly into the sky.

Besides him, there were no fewer than thirteen other experts, all wearing bright yellow armor, attacking the Demon Emperor from different angles.

When Han Qing saw the group of people, he suddenly remembered what Qi Wufeng had mentioned before: the Great Yu Imperial City had a royal guard composed entirely of powerful individuals, directly commanded by the Yu Emperor, and it was called the Xuanjia Guard.

The vast majority of these people were powerful figures from various martial arts factions who surrendered to the imperial court in order to survive when Emperor Yu conquered the martial arts world. They were then organized into this personal guard by Emperor Yu, and their distinctive feature was their bright yellow armor.

The Xuanjia armor, originally black, was worn in bright yellow, but Han Qing didn't know why it was called Xuanjia. However, judging from the scene, the Demon Emperor was being suppressed by these dozen or so people and was in danger at every turn.

"The Boundless Stele is in the hands of the Demon Emperor, but in the current situation, seizing the Boundless Stele would be a dead end!" Han Qing pondered.

Besides him, there were many other powerful figures watching from the sidelines.

The most powerful force here is the Great Yu side. The appearance of these thirteen Xuanjia Guards has directly deterred other powerful forces from interfering.

"If the situation doesn't change, then the Boundless Monument will eventually fall into the hands of Emperor Yu."

Han Qing frowned; this was a situation he desperately wanted to avoid.

However, he is powerless to change the outcome on his own right now, and can only take it one step at a time.

"Let's go find Yan Qiuling and meet up first."

Han Qing took flight and wandered along the edge of the chaotic battlefield. Before long, he spotted Yan Qiuling.

His situation was even worse than that of the Demon Emperor.

On the roof of a dilapidated attic, Yan Qiuling sat cross-legged on the ground, her face pale and her breath weak, clearly indicating that she had suffered serious injuries.

She was protected by many powerful demons, but there were even more enemies around her, all of whom wanted to kill Yan Qiuling. Some wanted to seize the treasures, while others wanted to step on Yan Qiuling to become famous martial artists.

Han Qing did not hesitate to make a move, and when he got close, he sent a telepathic message to Yan Qiuling.

"Qiu Ling, it's me. I've come to help you break through this encirclement!"

Yan Qiuling opened her eyes and saw the flying Taoist with the goatee. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly returned to normal.

He didn't know what methods Han Qing had used to transform himself into a completely different person, from appearance to aura, to the point that even she couldn't tell the difference.

However, when she saw the illusory and real soul-suppressing chains flying outside, as well as the extremely viscous baleful aura, she knew that the person who came was Han Qing.

Only the pure and concentrated Dharma thought gathered by the Zhige Sutra can condense such viscous evil energy.

Therefore, Yan Qiuling immediately sent a message to the several powerful demons beside her, ordering them not to stop Han Qing.

Thus, Han Qing flew smoothly to Yan Qiuling's side. After scanning her with his magical sense, he discovered that Yan Qiuling's injuries were more serious than he had imagined. Her internal organs had been damaged, and her magical sense power had also been greatly depleted.

"How could you be so badly injured?" Han Qing's face darkened, and a murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"It's the Xuanjia Guards. That old thief Yang Wanxiu was carrying a jade gourd containing thirteen Xuanjia Guards. I fell into their trap and was injured by several of them," Yan Qiuling transmitted her voice.

"It's that old scoundrel again," Han Qing cursed inwardly.

"I'll lead you out of here. You're badly injured and need to find a place to heal as soon as possible!" Han Qing transmitted his voice.

Yan Qiuling wanted to say something, but her injuries were too severe, and she fainted.

Han Qing reached out and hugged her, then suddenly took flight and sped away into the distance.

Upon seeing this, many powerful figures immediately stepped forward to block them, with a one-eyed giant standing at the very front.

"Yue Jinbiao, put him down!"

In response, Han Qing delivered a close-range slash to his face, the blade flashing like a large net that instantly enveloped him.

He hurriedly swung his sword to block, but the two were not on the same level. The man had his arm severed and was also slashed with wounds all over his body. He fell to the ground in a sorry state.

"roll!"

Han Qing swept his sharp gaze across the crowd and let out a low shout, instantly silencing the seven or eight people around him.

They could all sense that Han Qing's strike was extremely powerful, something that ordinary people could not withstand.

Although Yan Qiuling possesses many magical treasures, it's not worth risking her life for a few.

However, to Han Qing's surprise, Yue Jinbiao's identity brought him new trouble.

He suddenly heard a loud shout from behind him.

"Old dog Yue, return my Qian family's most precious treasure, or I, Qian Cangming, will hunt you down to the bitter end, until my death!"

Han Qing frowned. He glanced around and saw an old man with white hair, wielding two purple-gold hammers, rushing towards him at top speed.

The old man's appearance bore a resemblance to the Qian brothers, Qian Hou and Qian Feng.

"Qian Cangming? The previous head of the Qian family! This generation should be his son, Qian Jiuyue."

"The two strongest fighters in the Qian family this generation are both half-saints of the Qian Dao, and are known to the world as the Qian Family Twin Heroes!"

"Yue Jinbiao has such a bad reputation that he has made too many enemies. I had forgotten about him."

Han Qing suddenly felt a headache coming on. He didn't know what Yue Jinbiao had done to the Qian family or how many treasures he had swindled away. At least Qian Cangming seemed to have a strong sense of hatred for him, as if he were his father's killer.

"Qian Cangming, I have no intention of fighting you today. Retreat at once!" Han Qing said in a deep voice.

He didn't change his way of speaking, because Yue Jinbiao's deception was always ever-changing, a mix of truth and falsehood, making him unpredictable; any voice he used was perfectly normal. "Old thief, prepare to die!"

Qian Cangming completely ignored Han Qing's words and continued to leap forward, slamming his double hammers down heavily.

Han Qing dared not be careless. He channeled his killing intent into his body, donned his killing armor, and mobilized his martial arts essence to unleash the Illusionary Thousandfold Blade. He raised his hand and delivered a strike.

The blade and the double hammers clashed violently, producing a series of crisp, clanging sounds.

Qian Cangming leaped backward a distance, his face grim and his gaze hesitant.

Han Qing turned and left, leaving behind a single sentence.

"Qian Cangming, if you keep pestering me, I won't be so polite. This strike is just a warning!"

Qian Cangming didn't reply, but a figure flashed out from behind him. The figure was incredibly tall, more than half a body taller than Qian Cangming, but his face still bore some resemblance to Qian Cangming's. He was also carrying a broad-faced axe.

"You old scoundrel, how dare you spout such nonsense! Prepare to die!"

This person was Qian Jiuyue. He was about to give chase when Qian Cangming grabbed his arm.

"Stop chasing, something's not right!" Qian Cangming's eyes flickered.

"Hmm?" A look of doubt flashed in Qian Jiuyue's eyes.

“This person is not Yue Jinbiao; someone is impersonating him!” Qian Cangming explained.

"That old dog has such a bad reputation, he has enemies everywhere. How could someone impersonate him?" Qian Jiuyue wondered.

“I don’t know, but think about it, if it were Yue Jinbiao, why would he show his true face? Even if he were nearby, he would most likely be hiding in the crowd disguised as someone else,” Qian Cangming said.

Qian Jiuyue suddenly realized something, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"Father, what a brilliant idea! This old thief is elusive and his escape skills are unparalleled. It's too difficult for us to catch him. Why don't we impersonate him, do evil deeds all over the world, and make many powerful enemies for him? In this way, we can use others to force him out, or even use someone else to do our dirty work," Qian Jiuyue suddenly said.

Qian Cangming nodded slightly: "Good idea, that old dog deserves to die!"

Just then, a loud shout suddenly came from afar.

"If you want the Boundless Stele, then fight over it!" The Demon Emperor raised his hand and flicked it, sending the Boundless Stele flying out of his hand and transforming into a streak of light that flew rapidly into the distance. He then turned and fled in the opposite direction.

After such a long and fierce battle, the Demon Emperor had no choice but to give up this precious treasure.

The entire arena erupted in cheers, and many powerful figures who had been observing couldn't hold back any longer and made their moves.

The thirteen Xuanjia Guards instantly split into two groups: one group went to pursue the Demon Emperor, and the other group went to compete for the treasure.

In that instant, a figure suddenly soared into the sky.

"Gentlemen, this precious treasure is now mine!"

A monk in gray robes suddenly opened the precious umbrella in his hand. In an instant, the umbrella emitted endless golden light, forming a field of light that covered almost all the powerful figures around.

The martial artists in this sky all felt as if their bodies were stuck in a quagmire, unable to move.

"It's the Heavenly King of the Umbrella!"

"Rumor has it that the umbrella can fix a spacetime, and the Boundless Monument is about to fall into the hands of this thief!"

"Go away!"

...

Within this realm of light, everyone's mind can move, but their bodies are immobile, except for the Heavenly King of the Umbrella.

If other powerful individuals nearby also enter this area of ​​light, they will also be unable to move.

For a moment, everyone stared at the Heavenly King of the Treasure Umbrella, their eyes filled with shock.

More than twenty martial artists were all immobilized by this treasure umbrella; this golden umbrella was incredibly powerful.

However, the Heavenly King of the Umbrella did not seem to be having an easy time either. The moment he opened the umbrella, his aura plummeted, and he visibly weakened. Clearly, he had paid a great price to open this umbrella.

Under the fervent gazes of many, the Heavenly King of the Umbrella reached out and grasped the boundary marker.

The next instant, he opened the umbrella further forward, releasing an even more dazzling radiance that suppressed the magical senses of everyone around him, temporarily numbing their five senses. They could only see a golden expanse around them, unable to discern the specific scene.

After a few breaths, the golden light suddenly dissipated, and everyone regained their five senses. Their spiritual thoughts could leave their bodies, and their bodies could move freely again.

"Don't run away, old thief!"

One of the Xuanjia guards shouted first and chased after them in the due east direction.

As everyone saw the Heavenly King of the Umbrella flying rapidly into the distance, the large group immediately gave chase.

...

the other side.

Han Qing carried Yan Qiuling as they flew, quickly analyzing and reviewing the battle they had just fought in his mind.

"Judging from our exchange just now, if Qian Cangming were to fight me to the death, I'm quite confident I could kill him!"

"In just one year, I have grown from a servant in Baiyun County into a powerful figure, capable of going toe-to-toe with the heads of second-rate families." Han Qing couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

The Qian family is extremely wealthy, but it has too few top experts, so it cannot be considered a first-class family.

While Han Qing was pondering this, he returned to the pavilion where he had parted ways with Zhou Xiaoru, who was still waiting for him.

Upon seeing the two arrive, his gaze swept over them and landed on Yan Qiuling, causing him to be startled.

"How could he be so badly injured?" Zhou Xiaoru asked in surprise.

"This chaotic battle was filled with experts, and the Demon Emperor was the target of everyone's attack. She was so eager to save her father that she fell into their trap," Han Qing explained.

Yan Qiuling opened her eyes at this moment, but her breathing was still extremely weak and unstable.

“Miss Yan, I have another Frost Lotus Seed here. It was brought from the Yuelu Academy years ago. Take it first, and it will suppress your injuries!” Zhou Xiaoru took out a dark purple square wooden box from his bosom. In the center of the box was a crystal-clear snow lotus seed.

"it is good!"

Yan Qiuling immediately swallowed the snow lotus seed, sat cross-legged on the ground, and began to use her cold energy to suppress her injuries.

The effects of the snow lotus seeds were immediate; in about three to five breaths, her breathing had stabilized.

She opened her eyes, stood up from the ground, and said softly, "My injuries are temporarily suppressed, but they will flare up again as the cold dissipates."

Zhou Xiaoru, standing to the side, said, "Miss Yan, I suggest we leave here immediately. In our current state, we can't fight for the Boundless Monument, and the Demon Emperor can't save us! If we are severely injured again, we could very well die!"

Yan Qiuling suddenly sighed: "If there were holy medicines for healing, such as Creation Blood Crystal, Dragon Tiger Pill, or Golden Blood, what would this injury be? But now I need to rest for a while."

“The Dragon Tiger Pill is the most precious secret medicine of the Great Vajra Temple. It takes sixty years to refine one pill. The Golden Blood is a thousand-year-old medicinal wine brewed by the imperial court of the Holy Desert Empire. It is ranked first in the world. Both are extremely rare and difficult to obtain,” Zhou Xiaoru said.

After a moment's thought, Han Qing suddenly stood up and said, "How about this, I'll go again. Whether it's the Demon Emperor or the Boundless Monument, I'll save them if I can, and seize them if I can."

He could sense Yan Qiuling's worry; if the Demon Emperor were to die, Yan Qiuling would be heartbroken.

Furthermore, how could he be willing to simply hand over the boundary marker to someone else? It was originally his, how could he let someone else take it away?
“I’ll go with you!” Yan Qiuling suddenly said.

"Your injuries are too severe; it would be best if you stayed here to rest and recuperate!" Han Qing said.

"It's alright. The Iceberg Snow Lotus Seed has suppressed my injuries. Now I can exert about 70% of my combat power, which will definitely be of help to you!" Yan Qiuling said again.

Han Qing shook his head; he saw a hint of worry in Yan Qiuling's eyes.

"Alright then, give me the Mother-Child Star Sword, the Cloud Dragon Banner, and the Crimson Thunder Pearl!"

"it is good!"

Yan Qiuling handed over the three magical treasures without hesitation. Han Qing took the treasures and flew up, silently reciting the incantation, and flew at high speed towards the location of the Boundless Stele that he had sensed.

As he flew, he worked diligently to refine the three magical treasures.

With his current strength, refining these three treasures wouldn't take him too long.

"With the help of these three magical treasures, my combat power has been greatly enhanced, and my chances of successfully seizing the Boundless Monument have increased even more," Han Qingxin thought.

...

the other side.

The many powerful figures finally caught up with the Heavenly King of the Treasure Umbrella. However, the Heavenly King of the Treasure Umbrella put his hands together and showed a gentle smile on his face.

"Gentlemen, the Boundless Monument is now mine!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly turned into a bronze statue and fell to the ground.

"The substitute bronze figure! This is one of the most famous treasures of the Great Vajra Temple, there are a total of eighteen of them. We have been deceived by this old monk. We don't know where his real body is now!" A knowledgeable Xuanjia Guard shouted angrily.

"Destroying the bronze statue will also backfire on your own body!"

The powerful figures attacked simultaneously, and the bronze man was immediately blasted into pieces that scattered in all directions.

...

same moment.

In another part of the ancient city, the Heavenly King of the Umbrella, who was flying away at high speed with the Boundless Monument, spat out a large pool of blood.

"The bronze dummy has been blown to pieces!"

"However, it doesn't matter. This boundary marker is already in my hands. A mere bronze figure is nothing to me, so what if it's destroyed?"

Excitement gleamed in the eyes of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella. He took out the Boundless Stele from his robes and rubbed it repeatedly with his palm. Another thought of magic probed into it, but it was blocked from entering.

"This Boundless Stele contains extremely complex seals, which I cannot open by myself alone. I can only take it back to the temple and decide what to do next!"

"The most urgent task is to find a safe place as soon as possible, swallow the Dragon-Tiger Pill, and adjust our combat power to its peak state," the Treasure Umbrella Heavenly King pondered.

He is in a terrible state right now. He just used the Zen Meditation Umbrella to immobilize more than twenty powerful people, which consumed a lot of his blood and energy and his magical power. His substitute bronze man was also destroyed, which caused a backlash and resulted in serious injuries to his body.

The weakness of the Stand is that although it can disguise itself as the original body, a certain proportion of the damage it suffers will be reflected back to the original body. If it is destroyed, the original body will also be injured as a result.

However, he made thorough preparations before setting off, carrying a Dragon Tiger Pill with him.

The Dragon-Tiger Pill is extremely potent and requires a safe place to digest. (End of Chapter)