The First Sage of Military Strategists

"I understand!"

Yuan Baigong then selected several powerful Sword Palace warriors as his followers, and the group sped towards Feather Dragon City.

...

Whoohoo!
The cold wind howled, and the night was vast.

Han Qing and his two companions were sitting cross-legged in the western part of the ice field, with a campfire burning in front of them. The flickering flames and orange-red light illuminated a small clearing.

"Miss Yan, we have been traveling westward for many days, have we made any progress?" Zhou Xiaoru waved a fan in one hand and held a wooden stick in the other, poking at the firewood in the campfire.

The campfire illuminated Yan Qiuling's delicate face. She looked up and gazed westward, where she could vaguely see the outline of a magnificent city in the far distance.

"Our destination is Feather Dragon City, and we will arrive tomorrow!"

“However, before we arrive at Feather Dragon City, we need to be prepared. The Demon Emperor’s whereabouts are bound to be exposed, and there may be enemies searching for him in Feather Dragon City. At that time, a fierce battle may break out. In my opinion, we should stay here for a few days and maximize our combat strength before setting off! Although the situation is critical, we cannot lose our composure.” Han Qing said from the side.

“Young master is right!” Zhou Xiaoru nodded.

As Han Qing spoke, he flipped his palm, and a ghostly light flickered, revealing the divine soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella, which was bound by the Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain.

Since the arrival of the Boundless Marker, Han Qing's travels have become much more convenient. Many items can be stored inside, and with the infusion of magical energy, they can be retrieved at any time.

In the past few days, while traveling, he has also been refining the Boundless Monument, further improving his control over it. Now he can make it change shape flexibly.

"Qiu Ling, don't you have a way to refine this person's soul and transform it into pure magical power? Give it a try!"

Yan Qiuling didn't hesitate. She grabbed at the Treasure Umbrella Heavenly King's soul from a distance, and the soul fell into her palm. Due to the severity of the injury and the repeated shattering of his soul, the Treasure Umbrella Heavenly King had lost consciousness and even lacked the basic ability to communicate with people.

The next instant, a ball of flame rose in her palm, but it was an eerie pure black. Her vital energy was also decreasing. Han Qing could clearly feel that Yan Qiuling's aura had become extremely unstable and her momentum was rapidly declining.

"My demon race has a secret technique that can erase a person's consciousness from their soul and transform it into the purest power of magical thought!" Yan Qiuling explained.

But the soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella was enveloped by this ball of black flames, and was being scorched within it, causing his face to gradually become distorted and blurred.

About an hour later, the divine soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella became flickering and uncertain, as if it might collapse at any moment.

Han Qing pointed a finger from afar, completely shattering the divine soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella. Then, it transformed into a precious pearl in Yan Qiuling's hand. Upon closer inspection, the pearl seemed to contain a starry sky, with starlight twinkling and flickering.

"These stars are the purest manifestations of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella's divine power. We must hurry and refine them to quickly enhance our combat strength!"

As she spoke, Yan Qiuling waved her hand, and the precious pearl shattered in mid-air, transforming into three clusters of starlight that landed on the three people respectively.

Han Qing could feel strands of pure magical power entering his body. He closed his eyes slightly, circulated the Zhige Jing, and guided this power into the spirit temple, where it was absorbed by strands of magical power.

After absorbing this power, these thoughts became purer and more powerful.

Han Qing understood that Yan Qiuling had erased his consciousness and transformed it into pure Dharma power because none of the three of them had entered the Incense Realm. Otherwise, there would have been no need for such trouble; they could have simply devoured and refined his Dharma power directly.

Before long, Han Qing had finished refining this pure power of Dharma thought, and each strand of Dharma thought was much stronger than before.

Han Qing glanced at the panel. His proficiency in the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing had not increased, but he could clearly feel that his strength had become stronger.

With a thought, a suit of demonic armor appeared on his body, and a black-armored divine statue materialized, allowing him to experience it in detail.

"My magical power has increased by at least 30%, and my combat strength will also see an astonishing boost!"

"I never imagined that a broken soul could be so useful." Han Qing thought to himself, and as the demonic armor dissipated, he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

"So, if a person can absorb and refine a large number of divine souls and absorb their power of magic, even if their magic realm is relatively low, their combat power will be raised to an extremely terrifying level," Zhou Xiaoru pondered.

Yan Qiuling shook her head: "Yes and no. Although Dharma power can absorb the Dharma power of others to strengthen itself, there is an upper limit. To increase this limit, one must increase one's realm. Furthermore, the number of saints in the world is extremely small. The death of even one Treasure Umbrella Heavenly King would cause a terrible storm in the martial world. No one can hunt down saints in large numbers. If such a person really existed, he would not need to rely on this method to increase his strength."

After careful consideration, Zhou Xiaoru realized that this was indeed the case.

Han Qing remained silent. The instant he pierced the soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella with a single finger, a soul light spot appeared before the Seven Killings Stele, which belonged to this person.

His biggest worry was that since the three of them had divided up and absorbed the soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella, there wouldn't be any soul light spots appearing in front of the Seven Killings Stele. It turned out that he had worried too much.

The Seven Killings Stele is like something that transcends the rules, existing above the cultivation rules of this world.

He breathed a sigh of relief. If no soul light had appeared, he would rather not absorb this power of Dharma thought and instead use the most rudimentary method to smash the soul of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella one punch at a time.

He immediately chose to absorb this point of soul light, and in an instant, a large number of memories about the Heavenly King of the Umbrella appeared in his mind.

These memories flashed before his eyes like flowing water. In a moment, Han Qing opened his eyes and saw many secrets about the Great Vajra Temple and even the entire Sacred Desert Empire.

These secrets are useless now, but he still keeps them in mind, knowing he might need to deal with this powerful force someday.

Then, a lot of information appeared before him, all of which were the martial arts skills of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella throughout his life.

His gaze swept across the area and he discovered as many as 96 martial arts techniques, including training methods, combat techniques, soul magic, spirit refining techniques, and some incantations.

"This Treasure Umbrella Heavenly King must have practiced martial arts and cultivated Taoism for countless years. His foundation is so profound. He has nearly a hundred skills, many of which he has mastered. If he hadn't been injured, with his full strength, I think killing him would have been as difficult as ascending to heaven."

However, Han Qing made her choice quickly.

Because some of the martial arts skills here are exceptionally outstanding, and their value is significantly higher than the others.

These three martial arts techniques are Cloud Dragon Leap, the Yin-Yang Incantation Fragment, and a perfected semi-saint realm refining spirit technique, the Precious Elephant Bodhisattva Sutra.

The Cloud Dragon Soars – this was a technique Han Qing desperately desired to possess.

This escape technique is at the minor mastery level. It is an ancestral escape technique of the Great Vajra Temple and is ranked as second grade.

However, escape techniques are extremely rare, and even a second-grade technique is extremely difficult to obtain. Han Qing is not picky, since even Yan Qiuling does not have a good escape technique.

Next was the Yin-Yang Curse Yin Fragment. Because it was a fragment, Han Qing didn't want to choose it at first, but after seeing the introduction on the panel, he hesitated for a while and still chose it.

The panel says that this is a soul magic technique, which is not only the number one secret technique of Yin-Yang Dao, but also the number one soul magic technique in the world, and is good at offense.

Such high praise greatly moved Han Qing. He had long heard that the Grand Master of the Yin-Yang Sect possessed a Yin-Yang Curse Seal that had been passed down for thousands of years. It had been condensed by absorbing the Yin-Yang energy of countless people and was extremely powerful, intimidating all the heroes under heaven. This was also a major reason why the Yin-Yang Sect was deeply hated by the people of the world, yet it had always thrived.

It's strong enough to stand firm!
"No wonder the Luo family and the Yin-Yang Sect went to great lengths to collect young men and women from the common people. To condense a powerful Yin-Yang seal, a large amount of Yin-Yang energy is needed, and the Yin-Yang energy in the bodies of young men and women is the purest," Han Qing pondered.

"Since this secret technique is so powerful, I must find an opportunity to learn it!"

"Although this is an incomplete piece, I have the Seven Killings Stele. By constantly converting my proficiency, I may be able to perfect it to perfection, or even go a step further."

With this in mind, Han Qing took the lead in inheriting the Yin fragment of the Yin-Yang Incantation. A large amount of information appeared in his mind, and an old man was telling him about the core essence of this secret technique.

Because it's an incomplete piece, my proficiency level plateaued at 16%, and I couldn't even get to the beginner level.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly and took a while to digest the information represented by the 16%.

"As expected of the number one soul-binding secret technique in the world, it is indeed complex!"

He has gained a comprehensive understanding of this secret technique. By gathering Yin and Yang energies to condense a spell seal, it can freeze a space-time, extract and devour the essence and Yin-Yang energy of all living beings within that space-time, and directly bombard the enemy's soul with the spell seal. Its power is unpredictable and can be described as unstoppable, capable of killing gods and Buddhas alike.

"It's a pity that the Yin-Yang Incantation Seal that the Heavenly King of the Umbrella has learned is too incomplete. But it doesn't matter. With the Seven Killings Stele, he can continuously improve his proficiency and gradually raise his level. Sooner or later, he will be able to push it to perfection."

Han Qing stopped thinking about it and immediately went to learn another martial art, Cloud Dragon Leap.

The Heavenly King of the Umbrella did not use this escape technique that day. The battle was sudden, and coupled with his misjudgment of Han Qing's strength, he was at a disadvantage from the start, and was suppressed at every turn, and was killed in an instant.

On the panel, the proficiency of this escape technique increased rapidly, and it soon reached the minor mastery level.

Han Qing suddenly soared into the air. He did not use this escape technique at first, but used it when he was in the air. In an instant, strands of magical thoughts converged and transformed into a cloud dragon that wrapped around his body, making his body much lighter and his speed increased by more than twice as fast as before.

"Indeed, with this escape technique, my ability to protect myself and pursue has been greatly enhanced!" Han Qing thought to himself, feeling even more confident and delighted.

When Han Qing returned to his original spot, Yan Qiuling and Han Qing also sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating and improving their martial arts skills.

Han Qing did not disturb the two. He flipped his hand, and a faint light flashed, revealing the Zen Meditation Umbrella.

With another thought, he probed into it with strands of Dharma thought, which intertwined and merged with the vast Dharma thought contained within.

In the past few days, he has spent a certain amount of time each day refining this magic weapon. The quality of this magic weapon is extremely high, but after so many days, he still cannot use it, and he cannot even use it in its initial stages.

However, Han Qing was not in a hurry. The more this happened, the more it proved the great value of this magic weapon.

The moment the two spiritual energies touched, Han Qing immediately fell into an illusion.

This magical artifact was crafted by a Buddhist spiritual cultivator, and therefore the illusion created by the spiritual energy within it is most suitable for Buddhist spiritual cultivators to break through.

Other schools of spiritual refiners will spend more time refining this magic weapon, and the degree of fusion will also decrease, which will reduce the power of this magic weapon after the refinement is completed.

However, despite the decrease, the number of magical treasures is already scarce, so there's no room for pickiness.

Han Qing was completely absorbed in the illusion, rapidly deciphering one layer after another.

In the illusion, he played various roles, such as a woodcutter, a fisherman, or a minor official, as if experiencing different lives.

Each illusion tests different aspects of one's character, whether it's overcoming murderous intent, greed, or anger...

Fortunately, Han Qing has now become a half-saint. With the improvement of his realm, his temperament will become stronger, and his ability to break through illusions will also be greatly enhanced.

Some simple illusions can't trap him at all; he can break them in just a few breaths.

In the past few days, he has been able to break through more than a hundred illusions every day, and his control over the Zen Umbrella is also constantly improving.

Time passed slowly, and a day was gone in the blink of an eye.

The next day, it was pitch black again.

Han Qing opened his eyes, breaking through the 392nd illusion, and finally achieved initial control over the Zen Meditation Umbrella.

He suddenly opened the umbrella upwards at an angle, and a large amount of golden light poured out from it, spreading out between heaven and earth like a body of water.

Zhou Xiaoru and Yan Qiuling were also startled at the same time. The moment the golden light shone on their bodies, they felt as if they could not move, and even their five senses were shut down. However, this feeling only lasted for a moment before Han Qing quickly closed the umbrella, and the golden light dissipated into the world.

There's no other reason than that it consumes too much energy.

Activating the Meditation Umbrella requires both the power of Dharma thought and the energy of blood.

When Han Qing opened the umbrella upwards, he could clearly feel that the power of his magical thoughts and blood energy within his body were dissipating at an alarming rate.

He suddenly remembered a scene he had seen in the remaining memories of the Heavenly King of the Umbrella.

The latter held up an umbrella in the ancient city, freezing dozens of powerful figures in place for more than ten breaths. It is unknown how much blood energy and magical power it would take to snatch the Boundless Monument from their hands.

"This magic weapon is powerful, but it consumes too much energy. It can't be used as a regular means of combat yet; it can only be used as a trump card," Han Qing pondered.

With a thought, he retrieved the Meditation Umbrella from the Boundless Monument.

After repeatedly breaking through the illusions, he was also very tired, so he decided to rest for a while.

He sat on a smooth, large rock beside him, facing the biting cold wind, and took several large gulps of warm green ant wine. He then closed his eyes slightly, emptied his mind, and felt the tranquility of the icy wilderness. His mental fatigue disappeared without him even realizing it.

"Continue to improve your strength!"

Han Qing opened his eyes, and with a thought, the Seven Killings Stele reappeared in his mind. A series of martial arts techniques also appeared before his eyes, all of which came from the Heavenly King of the Treasure Umbrella.

He previously learned and inherited the incomplete Yin-Yang Incantation Seal and the Cloud Dragon Flight Technique. Now he is going to learn the third one, the Buddhist Refining Spirit Method, the Precious Elephant Bodhisattva Sutra.

He silently recited the word "inheritance" in his mind, and the Refining Spirit Technique appeared on the panel, with his proficiency increasing rapidly.

Han Qing immediately transferred it to the seventh chapter of the Zhige Jing, causing the latter's proficiency to slowly increase.

Han Qing closed his eyes, and as his proficiency increased, the intensity of his magical power also continued to rise.

Two more days passed in the blink of an eye, and Yan Qiuling and Zhou Xiaoru successively finished their arduous cultivation.

Han Qing also opened his eyes and stood up from the ground. His mastery of the Precious Elephant Bodhisattva Sutra had been completed. Although his level of the Ceasefire Sutra had not improved, he could feel that his power of Dharma thought had greatly increased.

He glanced around and saw that Yan Qiuling and the other person's aura had also improved, clearly indicating that they had adjusted to their best state.

"Let's go, we're heading to Feather Dragon City!" Yan Qiuling said softly.

"go!"

Feather Dragon City.

On the icy plains, there is an inconspicuous little town of the demon race, which can only accommodate two or three hundred thousand people, and is not even comparable to some of the more prosperous towns in the Great Yu Dynasty.

"The demon city is enormous, but the number of demon people is quite small; it truly is a vast land with a sparse population!"

Yuan Baigong strolled along a street in Yulong City, where the view was empty and deserted, with hardly anyone in sight.

The houses on both sides are mostly built with huge gray-white stone blocks, which are tall and rugged.

"Elder Yuan, is the Demon Emperor really hiding in this city?" A man beside him asked in a deep voice. He held a Zen staff, had a round belly, and bronze skin. He was Long Yinchan, a monk from the Great Vajra Temple.

Of course, he is no longer so; he is considered a traitor by the Daikon Temple.

Yuan Gong's white eyebrows danced in the cold wind. He paused, gazing at the gray-white stone gate that was seven or eight zhang tall in front of him. This was the city lord's mansion, and also the gathering place of the demon clan experts of Yulong City.

However, the turmoil in the Demon Capital has also affected this place. At this moment, the gray-white stone door is tightly closed, and the inside is silent.

"Whether it is or not, a question will tell." Yuan Gong murmured, then suddenly raised his voice eight octaves and shouted, "I am Yuan Baigong, the Supreme Elder of the Chu Sword Palace. I have come to pay my respects to the Demon Emperor on the orders of the Overlord. Please show yourself!"

The sound was extremely eerie, echoing throughout the city lord's mansion and lingering there for a long time. However, standing outside the mansion, one could not hear the sound at all.

"No movement? Should we charge in?" After waiting for three breaths, Long Yin Chan raised his staff.

"They're here!" Yuan Baigong narrowed his eyes slightly.

With a loud crash, the gray-white gate swung open to both sides, revealing a spacious courtyard.

"Come in!"

A deep, powerful male voice echoed in the ears of Yuan Baigong and his group of seven.

"It's inside after all," Yuan Gong said softly.

He was about to take a step forward when Long Yinchan interjected, "Master Yuan, could this be a trap?"

"It's alright. With my strength, even if there's a trap, so what? I have plenty of ways to get you out of here!" Yuan Gong said calmly.

Long Yin Chan nodded slightly. Yuan Baigong's strength ranks among the top five in the Sword Palace. Not only is he extremely strong in direct combat, but he also possesses an extremely powerful flying escape technique that ordinary people cannot catch up with.

“However, you’re right. I’ll go in and have a go at this Demon Emperor. You all wait here. If anything changes, whether to fight or retreat, listen to my orders!” Yuan Gong said in a deep voice.

"it is good!"

Long Yinchan nodded, feeling that this was the safest approach.

With that, Yuan Gong strode toward the courtyard, while Long Yin Chan and the other six remained where they were, waiting silently.

The former stepped through the gray-white stone door, and with a loud crash, the door immediately slammed shut.

Yuan Gong passed through two more doors and entered a spacious courtyard. His gaze swept across the courtyard and he saw a person sitting cross-legged on a bluestone slab. He wore a crown and a black robe, and his aura was profound and deep, like an abyss or the sea. It was the Demon Emperor.

Yuan Baigong squinted at him, then glanced around.

Although he didn't see any other figures, he vaguely sensed that there were quite a few experts in the courtyard.

However, he felt no fear whatsoever.

So what if he has them? The demon race's power has collapsed like a mountain, irreversible. Now he has arrived as the victor.

"Let me guess, what did Xiang Ying send you here for? Is it to persuade me to bow down to him and become his subordinate, so that he can recruit more powerful demons and expand his power!" The Demon Emperor also sized up Yuan Baigong, speaking with a blank expression and an extremely calm tone, making it impossible to discern any joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

“What the Demon Emperor says is absolutely right. It seems you know my master very well. Indeed, do you know how many forces and powerful figures are hunting you down on the Ice Plains? In your current state, you will be killed sooner or later. I am here to point out a clear path for you: join my master. Not only will you be able to escape the current crisis, but it is not impossible that one day the Demon Clan will regain its glory!” Yuan Baigong said in a deep voice.

"You're quite confident. Xiang Ying is being hunted down by the Great Yu Dynasty and can barely protect himself. What ability do you have to help me? Besides, how can I, the dignified Emperor of the Demon Clan, bow down to a mere junior human? Leave quickly, and I'll pretend you were never here!" The Demon Emperor waved his hand.

Yuan Baigong squinted and drew a light blue longsword from behind his back.

"Demon Emperor, I see that your aura is fluctuating, and I am afraid that you are seriously injured. I do not want to take advantage of your distress, but since your attitude is so firm, and we cannot negotiate, I will have to resort to force."

I'm giving you two choices. First, come with me, and I'll take you to meet my master. Second, I'll kill you with one sword!

"Be bold!"

"court death!"

"kill him!"

...

Brush brush!
Upon hearing his words, more than a dozen figures descended into the courtyard from different directions, directly surrounding Yuan Baigong.

Yuan Baigong laughed and said, "Demon Emperor, your guards are no match for me. If you do not heed my advice, you will surely perish today."

A cold glint flashed in the Demon Emperor's eyes. He was indeed severely injured and needed to recuperate quietly. It was not advisable for him to fight again.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted his breath talking to Yuan Baigong.

But how could he back down when Yuan Baigong was so aggressive?
"Although I am injured, I am not someone that can be easily defeated by a few Tom, Dick, or Harry. Since you are determined to die, I will grant your wish!"

A sudden burst of violent energy erupted from him, and just as he was about to make a move, his gaze swept across the sky to the northwest.

Yuan Baigong also felt something and turned to look in the same direction.

"What a shrewd Sword Palace expert! So arrogant! Does he really think my demon race has no one to rely on?"

A figure in crimson descended from the sky, Yan Qiuling's gaze fixed on Yuan Baigong, a murderous intent lurking beneath the surface.

Han Qing and Zhou Xiaoru also landed one after another from the sky and stood beside Yan Qiuling.

Yuan Baigong's gaze swept across the room, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.

If it were just an injured demon emperor, he would not hesitate to take action, and he was extremely confident that he could kill the demon emperor, or at the very least, escape unscathed.

But with the addition of Yan Qiuling, Zhou Xiaoru, and an unidentified young man, his confidence waned.

"So it's Miss Yan. Did you hear what I just said?"

"Hmph, you old thief, you think you can force my father to bow down? Let me see just how capable you are!"

Yan Qiuling was too lazy to waste words and made a sudden move. With a wave of her hand, a cold wind suddenly arose, and strands of magical thoughts gathered together. In an instant, a ball of flame rushed towards Yuan Baigong.

Suddenly, Zhou Xiaoru waved his jade-white feather fan, and a surge of magical energy arose, a cold wind suddenly rose, and a chill burst forth, instantly invading his body.

Yuan Baigong's expression changed repeatedly. With the two of them working together, how could he possibly be a match for them?

"cut!"

He immediately swung his sword forward, unleashing a dazzling sword light. Suddenly, he soared into the sky, surrounded by the shadows of white cranes. His flight speed was extremely fast, like a streak of white light, and in an instant, he flew into the sky.

"Hmph! Demon Emperor, it won't be long before I return to take your head!"

Yuan Baigong's voice echoed between heaven and earth. Zhou Xiaoru frowned, thinking to himself that he was moving so fast that he couldn't be stopped, and it seemed that he couldn't catch up even if he chased after him.

But in the next instant, Han Qing soared into the air, with swirling clouds around him, sometimes gathering into a white dragon that coiled around his body, allowing him to catch up at an even faster speed. (End of Chapter)