The First Sage of Military Strategists

The demonic armor on Han Qing's body suddenly collapsed, and he was blasted away.

He felt an immense force pour into his body from Han Yi's fist, which he was completely unable to resist. This caused his armor to collapse, his body to be torn apart, and blood to fall to the ground.

"As expected of the number one person in the Great Yu Dynasty, even as an avatar, his physique is incredibly powerful. The force of this punch could truly shatter a mountain!"

Han Qing retreated a distance and quickly regained his footing.

His gaze swept across the body and he saw more than a dozen wounds of varying lengths, from which blood gushed. This was the first time he had suffered such a great loss in close combat. No matter how strong his body was, he could not withstand the immense force that had been poured in.

At this moment, Han Yi did not press his advantage. Instead, he suddenly reached out and grabbed, causing a gust of wind to rise around him. Drops of blood from Han Qing suddenly gathered in his palm, forming a blood ball of moderate size.

Then he flicked his finger, and a drop of blood shot out from his fingertip, flying into the blood sphere.

The blood cells suddenly changed drastically, constantly transforming into various shapes, but eventually returned to silence.

Han Yi's face grew even colder, his gaze sharp as lightning. With a sudden squeeze, the blood sphere exploded in mid-air, turning into a gust of foul wind that swept in all directions.

"You truly are of the Han family bloodline. I came here to verify this. You unfilial son, kneel down and surrender!"

Han Yi's voice suddenly rose many times higher, truly like rolling thunder, echoing for hundreds of miles, deafeningly loud.

Han Qing never expected his identity to be exposed so easily. However, things are different now. If he hadn't become a half-saint, he would be terrified. But now, he only has a boiling fighting spirit in his heart.

"So what if my identity is exposed? With my current strength, there are only a handful of people in the world who can kill me. As long as I want to leave, few people can stop me, and even Han Yi might not be able to."

Han Qing's mind was in turmoil. Although he had suffered a loss, there was not a trace of panic on his face. He was very confident.

This confidence comes from the Cloud Dragon Flight Technique and the Yin-Yang Incantation Seal.

So what if we can't win? If we can fly fast, we won't die. And as long as we don't die, with the Seven Killings Stele to help us, we'll get our revenge sooner or later.

Thinking of this, Han Qing stared directly at Han Yi and shouted, "Han Yi, you forced my mother to kill her in the past in order to gain power and status. If I do not comply today, do you intend to kill your son?"

"It really is you. Back then, Yuelu Academy was powerful and plotted to assassinate the Emperor and overthrow the country. Su Jin was the ringleader, so I naturally had to kill her. As for you, hmph, Heaven is impartial and ruthless. I, Han Yi, act according to the law and only seek to be worthy of the Emperor. I want to kill all those who dare to oppose the court and the Emperor. If you are still stubborn and refuse to bow down, then today I will grind you to dust to prevent you from becoming a force to be reckoned with, spreading your infamy throughout the world, and disgracing the reputation of my Han family!" Han Yi said coldly.

"Hahahaha!" Han Qing couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing this.

Although he had no feelings for Han Yi to begin with, hearing these words still made him feel disgusted with Han Yi.

Everyone says Han Yi is cold-blooded and ruthless, but he has experienced it firsthand today. To achieve his goals, he can sacrifice everything, including his family and children. Such a person may be very powerful, but in his eyes, he cannot be called a human being; it would be more appropriate to describe him as a beast.

"If a person becomes heartless and ruthless, what good is gaining the greatest power? Han Yi, in my eyes, there is no father-son relationship between you and me. Today we meet, so let's sever our ties and become mortal enemies. If you want to kill me, then make your move. It's just an avatar, and I will not be afraid of you." After laughing, Han Qing's voice suddenly slowed down and became extremely calm.

"Rebel!"

Han Yi said no more. He had no feelings for his son Han Qing, or rather, he was extremely indifferent to all blood ties and family affection.

Han Qing's astonishing talent made him feel threatened, so he had to take action to eliminate the threat, regardless of Han Qing's identity.

Whoosh!
Han Yi shot upwards again like lightning, heading straight to kill Han Qing.

A star-shaped greatsword appeared in Han Qing's hand; it was the Mother-Child Star Sword.

He suddenly swung his sword, pouring a massive amount of magical power into it.

Starlight shimmered on the greatsword, and with a whoosh, thirteen smaller swords flew out from it, stabbing at Han Yi from different directions.

In the next instant, the sub-swords flashed and instantly appeared around Han Yi, each one pointing at his vital points.

However, Han Yi reacted extremely quickly, suddenly striking out with both palms at an astonishing speed. In an instant, countless palm shadows surrounded him, knocking all thirteen swords to the ground.

"You unfilial son, let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve?" Han Yi's voice was deep, and he continued to fly upwards without slowing down, rapidly approaching Han Qing.

Han Qing frowned. Han Yi's clone was indeed formidable in combat. Conventional methods were ineffective against it, so he had to resort to his trump card.

The next instant, a Yin-Yang incantation appeared above Han Qing's head, and in a flash, the surrounding area of ​​a hundred miles was frozen.

Han Yi, who was soaring upwards, suddenly stopped and his speed decreased significantly.

"Sevenfold Yin-Yang Curse Seal!"

Han Yi's tone was tinged with surprise. He was well-informed and knew how difficult it was to cultivate the Yin-Yang Curse Seal. It required a massive amount of Yin and Yang energy to condense. There were only three in the world at that time: one in the hands of the Yin-Yang Sect's Grand Master of Fate and one in the hands of the Crown Prince. How come there was one more now?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Han Yi didn't have time to ask any further questions. He felt his blood and qi rapidly draining away. If he couldn't finish the battle quickly, his body would become weaker and weaker, and his combat power would continue to decline until he was finally killed by Han Qing.

So he suddenly exerted his strength, his blood and qi surging, the sound of a rushing river echoing in his ears, trying to break free from the curse seal and continue to attack Han Qing.

However, Han Qing had anticipated this; he knew that a single curse seal wouldn't be enough, so he had a backup plan.

The next instant, he opened the Zen Meditation Umbrella, and golden light flashed, directly engulfing Han Yi.

Under the double restraints, Han Yi's body was finally unable to move and was directly fixed in the air.

His vital energy was rapidly depleting, and Zhou Xiaoru and Yan Qiuling seized the opportunity and suddenly attacked.

In an instant, all sorts of terrifying spells rushed towards Han Yi.

Han Yi suddenly roared, and his blood and qi ignited. According to his divine eye, blood flames surged all over his body, which greatly increased his aura and made his physique even stronger.

"Walk!"

Han Yi turned and left, suddenly breaking free from the two restraints, and fled into the distance at an astonishing speed, his entire body transforming into a long rainbow in the air.

Han Qing naturally didn't want to let him leave. With a thought, the Yin-Yang Incantation Seal above his head transformed into a streak of light and chased after him.

The curse seal transformed into a giant hand surrounded by black and white energy, which slammed into Han Yi, who was flying at top speed.

Blood was seen falling to the ground, and among it was a jade slip.

"Rebel!"

A furious shout echoed between heaven and earth, and Han Yi then disappeared into the horizon.

"Such speed!" Han Qing frowned.

He put away the Meditation Umbrella, and the Yin-Yang Mantra Seal transformed into a stream of light and flew back to his brow.

"Such speed! No wonder you are the number one person in the Great Yu Dynasty. Even your clone is so powerful!" Zhou Xiaoru came to Han Qing's side and couldn't help but exclaim.

Han Qingfei's speed was just too fast; even if his flight speed were doubled, he still couldn't catch up.

"Even the Zen-inspired Umbrella and the Yin-Yang Mantra couldn't contain this clone. I wonder just how powerful Han Yi's true form is?" Han Qing murmured.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly arose in his heart.

Even a clone almost killed him, which means that there must be a huge difference in combat power between him and Han Yi's main body.

"We must find a way to become stronger; we're not strong enough yet!" Han Qingxin thought to himself.

He had previously thought he could escape from Han Yi using his flying escape technique, but Han Yi's sudden burst of escape speed was incredibly fast, and he could barely keep up. This made him even more eager to improve his strength.

"Han Yi just took a hit from your Yin-Yang Curse Seal, so he must be seriously injured. If there's a chance, it would be best to completely destroy this clone. This person's strength is indeed terrifying; we should weaken him as much as we can," Yan Qiuling suddenly said.

Han Qing nodded slightly, agreeing with Yan Qiuling's words. He waved his hand, and a gust of wind swept up the jade pendant that had just fallen to the ground.

He probed into it with his spiritual sense and discovered that it was actually a flying escape technique called the Seven Luminaries Escape.

This delighted him, as he had seen records of this escape technique in ancient books many times. It was the most advanced flying escape technique of the ancient Yin-Yang Dao.

Its special feature is that it can be used simultaneously with other flying techniques.

"If I learn this flying technique, my flight speed will definitely increase further, and even Han Yi's clone will not be able to match me," Han Qingxin thought.

So he quickly read through the Seven Luminaries Star Escape Technique, entered the secret method into his panel, and then absorbed soul light points to convert them into proficiency, rapidly improving the level of this secret method.

"Mr. Zhou, Qiu Ling, you two return to the team and continue along the planned route. I'm going to hunt down Han Yi and completely eliminate this clone of his," Han Qing instructed.

"Young master, do you have a way to ascertain Han Yi's whereabouts?" Zhou Xiaoru asked.

"Wanbo City in Shu is the Luo family's stronghold. Han Yi is injured, so he should find a place to heal first. He will most likely go to Wanbo City. I will search for him. If I can find him, I will kill him. If I can't find him, then so be it," Han Qing said thoughtfully.

“Since this is the Luo family’s main base in Shu, there must be many experts inside. Han Qing, I will go with you.” Yan Qiuling’s eyes showed some worry. Although Han Qing’s current strength was invincible among half-saints, he was still at risk of dying when facing a group of experts.

"It's alright. I have great confidence in my abilities. Even if I am defeated, I will be able to escape unscathed."

After saying that, Han Qing didn't discuss it with the two of them anymore. Time was of the essence, so he suddenly took off and sped off towards Wanbo City.

Yan Qiuling and the other person did not force themselves to follow. Han Qing's speed was too fast, and if he flew at full speed, the two of them would indeed not be able to keep up.

...

Whoohoo!
The cold wind howled.

In just two days, Han Qing arrived at Wanbo City.

This great city is located on a plain in the mountains, with roads leading in all directions. It is one of the most prosperous cities in Sichuan.

Looking down from the air, he could clearly see that there were pedestrians and caravans coming and going at all four city gates, and the city was bustling with noise and extremely lively.

He suddenly put on a mask, found a secluded forest nearby, and landed. When he landed, he had transformed into another person, with a hunched back, gray hair, and a wrinkled face. He was extremely inconspicuous in the crowd. In this way, he easily entered Wanbo City.

"First, kill a few key members of the Luo family, absorb their soul points, read their memories, determine Luo Heng's whereabouts, and then use Luo Heng to track down Han Yi's location," Han Qingxin said.

He glanced at the panel and realized he had already mastered the Seven Stars Escape Technique.

"My current speed of flight is already faster than Han Yi's clone. As long as I can catch him, I will definitely be able to kill him."

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then stepped forward and disappeared into the congested crowd ahead.

...

Three days later.

In the north of the city, there was a large mansion belonging to the Luo family.

In the flower hall, several bronze cauldrons burned smokeless animal charcoal, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Several large rosewood chairs were placed under a landscape screen.

Han Yi was sitting in one of the chairs, his eyes slightly closed, meditating.

There were no fewer than twelve maids in the room, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive. All twelve knelt on the ground, heads bowed, not daring to be the slightest bit unrestrained. "My lord, I have brought the person you requested."

Someone knocked on the door first, followed by a deep male voice.

Han Yi got up and went out. Luo Heng was standing outside the door, his attitude was respectful, his body was half bent, and he dared not look Han Yi in the eye.

Han Yi's gaze swept over the seven prisoners in the courtyard one by one, each of them wearing prison uniforms and heavy shackles.

These shackles are also specially made, forged from extraterrestrial meteorite iron combined with dozens of rare materials. No one below the level of a Martial Saint can break free from them.

"My lord, these seven are experts from the rebel army in Shu, and each of them has undergone six transformations!" Luo Heng saw that Han Yi was not speaking and assumed that he was dissatisfied, so he hurriedly added.

"Seven martial artists at the sixth level of martial arts, hmm, not enough!" Han Yi said in a deep voice.

"My lord, there are only these seven people in the entire Wanbo City death row. I beg your forgiveness," Luo Heng hurriedly said.

"Keep searching!"

"Yes!"

Luo Heng dared not delay and turned to walk out of the courtyard.

He had just stepped out when he glanced back and saw Han Yi place his hand on the shoulder of one of the prisoners. The latter let out a shrill scream, his life force seemingly draining away rapidly, and soon turned into a dried-up corpse.

This scene terrified the other five people around, and even Luo Heng felt a chill run down his spine.

He didn't dare look any longer and turned to leave.

in the courtyard.

Han Yi sat cross-legged on the ground, meditating quietly. He quickly digested the surge of powerful energy and his aura increased significantly.

"It's not enough. The amount of blood and qi contained in the body of a sixth-realm martial artist is far too little. Even if I drain it all, it will be difficult for my injuries to heal."

He whispered, Han Qing's face appearing in his mind, and a murderous intent surged in his eyes.

"I never imagined that I would suffer such a great loss at the hands of this boy. First, I was forced to use forbidden techniques and burn my blood and qi to briefly gain powerful combat strength. Then, I was struck by the Yin-Yang Curse Seal, which caused this clone to lose most of its blood and qi. Its strength is now less than 30% of its peak. This boy is so powerful at such a young age. I wonder how far he will grow in the future?" Han Yi thought to himself.

His true self had to stay in the capital, and it was extremely difficult for him to travel. He could only send an avatar to act on his behalf. Unexpectedly, the avatar was unable to defeat Han Qing.

"We'll discuss this further when we get back to the capital." Han Yi stood up, walked over to a man in the courtyard, and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Just as he was about to drain the man's life force, his face suddenly darkened, and he looked up at the horizon.

"What a rebellious son! How dare you chase me all the way here! Get out here!"

The sound was extremely loud and spread throughout the entire manor in an instant.

Han Qing revealed himself above, drawing upon the power of heaven and earth to conceal his figure with clouds as he arrived above the manor. He intended to search for Luo Heng, but unexpectedly, he was discovered by Han Yi.

However, in doing so, he achieved his goal.

He had originally intended to find Luo Heng in order to follow the clues and take action against Han Yi. Now that Han Yi had revealed his whereabouts, he couldn't have been happier.

However, this was the Luo family's stronghold in Shu, and after he shouted, there were immediate responses from all directions.

"Be bold!"

"There are assassins!"

"Destroy him!"

...

Han Qing dared not hesitate. This city was so large, with a population of tens of millions, and many experts among them. It was a place where hidden talents lurked, and he could not afford to linger in battle.

"die!"

He made a sudden move, and the Yin-Yang Incantation Seal flew off his body, transforming into a large palm above, which suddenly slammed down on Han Yi below.

At the same time, the curse seal completely froze the courtyard. Anyone who stepped into it would be unable to move as if frozen, and their blood and energy would be rapidly drained.

Han Yi's clone had already used a forbidden technique to forcibly break free of the restraints once before. This forbidden technique could not be used a second time in a short period of time, especially since his internal energy and blood were insufficient to support it.

The next instant, the seven-colored palm slammed down from mid-air.

boom!
With a loud bang, a large crater was created in the center of the courtyard. The aftershocks swept across the area, raising dust and debris. Many bluestone slabs were reduced to powder, and more than a dozen lush willow trees in the courtyard were broken into several pieces. A large number of pieces of wood were scattered and flying everywhere.

"Han Yi's clone is dead!"

Han Qing whispered. Within the Yin-Yang Curse Seal's domain, he could clearly perceive everything. Han Yi's clone was directly shattered by the palm formed by the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

The last time Han Yi escaped, although he was also hit by the curse mark, it wasn't strong enough. This time, however, it hit him squarely.

"The Yin-Yang Curse Seal is indeed powerful!"

Han Qing turned and flew out of the city, the Yin-Yang Curse Seal also transformed into a stream of light and flew back to his brow.

He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking that it truly deserved to be called the number one divine soul technique in the world. Although it was extremely difficult to master, its combat power was also terrifying.

He first used the Cloud Dragon Leap, and then used the newly learned flying technique, Seven Luminaries Escape.

A wisp of starlight appeared around him, and the light then entered his body, making him feel extremely light.

"I see. This Seven Luminaries Star Escape technique allows my body to enter an extremely strange state, making my body lighter and reducing the resistance I experience when moving forward at high speed. It indirectly allows me to fly faster, which is why I can use it simultaneously with other flying techniques, such as Cloud Dragon Leap."

In that instant, Han Qing's speed increased dramatically, and he disappeared into the horizon in a flash.

From the moment he appeared, to the moment he took action, and then to the moment he fled, the entire process took no more than five breaths.

Before long, he flew to the outskirts of the city and landed in a dense forest, where he slowly relaxed.

"With my current speed, there should be no one in this city who can catch me."

"Huh? What's this?"

Just as Han Qing was about to leave, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

He noticed that the surrounding vegetation was emanating a sense of malice.

He was a master of military strategy and spiritual cultivation, possessing an extremely keen sense of malice and hostility, and was quite certain that his intuition was highly accurate.

"Could it be that there are farmers practicing spiritual cultivation nearby?" Han Qing pondered.

Taoist practitioners who cultivate their spirit can control all beasts, while agricultural practitioners can control all herbs.

Just as he was about to take flight, suddenly, a dark shadow descended from the sky above him; it was a plant puppet.

The puppet was dressed in a rattan armor, inside which was a lifelike wooden figure, a handsome young man, holding a round shield in his left hand and a short sword in his right. It was shrouded in white smoke, and it seemed to possess the true essence of martial arts.

"Heavenly Cloud Vine Puppet!"

Han Qing immediately recognized the puppet's origin; it was one of the ten most precious treasures of the Shennong Dao Palace, on par with the Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain in his hand.

He had seen a description of the Heavenly Cloud Vine Puppet in Kong Xiu's notes. It was said that this thing could fly, manipulate plants within a certain range, possess combat power comparable to a martial saint, have the true meaning of martial arts, have no sense of pain, and exist between a living thing and an inanimate object. It was a treasure forged by an ancient agricultural master, and was extremely mysterious.

At that moment, he saw it with his own eyes and found it quite amazing.

The next instant, the puppet rushed in front of him and slashed down with its sword.

This knife is also made of wood. It looks shiny black, but when wielded, it carries a heavy blade aura and is extremely lethal.

Han Qing didn't dare to underestimate him either, and went to meet him with the Cloud-Retaining Illusionary Wind Blade in hand.

The two figures clashed more than ten times in the dense forest in the blink of an eye. The sky was filled with sword shadows, and the area within a radius of several miles was affected by the sword light, pulverizing the rocks and vegetation.

Han Qing was also quite surprised. He hadn't expected this magic weapon to be so powerful that it could fight him to a standstill.

Its body is not only extremely sturdy, but also has an amazing self-healing ability. When a blade strikes it, it will leave wounds, but these wounds will heal in an instant.

"We can't stay here long, but we can take this puppet with us; it would be a great help!"

Han Qing was worried that the intense fighting here would attract other experts in the city, and if he got entangled, his life might be in danger.

He decided to finish the battle quickly. With a thought, the Yin-Yang incantation flew out from between his eyebrows and suddenly transformed into a large palm, slamming it down hard on the puppet.

The latter was completely overwhelmed. Its body was frozen, and it struggled desperately. Although it could still make some movements, these movements were extremely slow.

Bang!
The next instant, the puppet was slammed into the ground, creating a large crater.

The latter was covered in fine cracks, but these cracks were healing rapidly.

He struggled desperately, trying to stand up and continue his attack.

But Han Qing didn't give him a chance. The Yin-Yang Curse Seal transformed into a giant hand that grabbed him like a claw machine, and a surging force completely imprisoned him in his palm.

Then, Han Qing activated the Boundless Monument, and with a wave of his hand, he threw the puppet doll directly into the space inside the Boundless Monument.

"go!"

With a whoosh, Han Qing took to the air and quickly moved away from Wanbo City.

...

After a while, Luo Heng led a group of experts to this dense forest, which was in a state of chaos.

"Sir, the assassin has vanished. We're too late!" said an elderly man with a long, thin beard.

After he finished speaking, everyone around him breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that the assassin had left. If he hadn't left, they wouldn't have been willing to fight to the death. It was better that he was gone.

Luo Heng's face was extremely ugly. Han Yi's clone was instantly killed, and he, as the head of the family, might be held accountable. But the most important thing was that he lost the Heavenly Cloud Vine Puppet, which was his most important protective magic treasure, and now he couldn't feel it at all.

"My lord, what should we do?" asked another black-clad warrior beside him.

Luo Heng flicked his sleeve: "Let's go back to the city first and wait for a letter from our family in the capital before making any plans!"

"Yes!" the warriors responded in unison. (End of Chapter)