The First Sage of Military Strategists

"You must be Wei Qiong. I've been entrusted by General Qi to escort you back to Shu," Han Qing said in a deep voice.

Wei Qiong stood up from the bathtub, and with a splashing sound, the medicinal liquid spilled all over the floor.

He looked Han Qing up and down with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"You pretty boy with that pink hair don't seem to have any skills. If I go with you, our whereabouts will be exposed, and I'll be doomed!"

Han Qing frowned: "It seems you don't trust me?"

Wei Qiong grinned: "If you want me to believe you, show me some real skills first!"

The next instant, a Yin-Yang curse seal suddenly flew out from his body, freezing the surrounding space in an instant.

Wei Qiong's expression changed drastically, but Han Qing immediately retracted the Yin-Yang curse seal into his body and asked with a smile, "How was it?"

"Sevenfold Yin-Yang Curse Seal? You're from the Yin-Yang Sect? No, only the Greater and Lesser Masters of Fate in the Yin-Yang Sect possess such a magical artifact. Who exactly are you?" Wei Qiong asked.

Han Qing chuckled and said, "Who I am is not important. This is Lord Qi's secret letter. Take a look!"

With a flick of his wrist, a letter fell into Wei Qiong's hands. The latter quickly opened it, glanced at it, and nodded slightly: "It is indeed a letter from Old Qi himself. Putting aside everything else, this single seven-fold Yin-Yang curse seal is enough to prove that you are extremely strong. Even if I hadn't been injured, you would definitely be above me. No wonder he sent you here alone."

"Now that you have dispelled your doubts, let's set off back to Shu now, lest things get complicated!" Han Qing said in a deep voice.

"Let's wait a few more hours. This barrel of medicinal liquid is invaluable and we can't waste it!" Wei Qiong said, sitting down in the wooden barrel.

Han Qing could sense that Wei Qiong's aura was extremely unstable and that he was indeed seriously injured, so he complied with him and waited for a while, which would not be more than a few hours.

After a while, having nothing better to do, he suddenly asked, "Brother Wei, why was your identity exposed and you are being hunted down like this?"

Wei Qiong gritted his teeth and cursed, "Damn it! I don't know which damned beast ruined me. I accidentally found out that the imperial court was going to send experts to Tongzhou in the north to assassinate the leader of the Black Sparrow Alliance and prevent him from passing his tribulation. So I immediately sent a message to inform Lao Qi about this. But for some reason, my identity was exposed. I was surrounded by more than a dozen eunuchs and had no choice but to flee the capital. If it were a one-on-one fight, I would definitely grind those bastards to dust!"

Just as they were cursing, a deep voice suddenly echoed from above the manor.

"Oh? Wei Qiong, if it were a one-on-one fight, I don't think you'd be a match for me!"

Brush brush!
Several figures descended from the sky. First were four eunuchs in purple robes, followed by a scruffy old man with cross-eyed eyes wearing a wool sweater and carrying a wooden sword.

"Li Qingniu, you son of a bitch, what are you pretending for? If you have the guts, let's fight now. Even if I'm injured, killing you will be a piece of cake!" Wei Qiong cursed angrily.

Han Qing looked the old man up and down, never expecting that this person was the famous Lingqing Daozun Li Qingniu.

Rumor has it that this person is the number one Taoist master in the imperial court. Although he is not among the top ten masters in the world, he is still a top expert in his own right, and even stronger than the top ten masters in the world.

He also heard that this person disliked being outside and often secluded himself to improve his strength, making him one of the most powerful people in the court.

Li Qingniu glanced casually at Han Qing before returning his gaze to Wei Qiong, and said unhurriedly, "Then let's give it a try!"

"you wanna die!"

With a loud shout, Wei Qiong suddenly soared into the air, stretched out his hand and slapped forward. A burst of pure white frost energy surged from his palm, instantly freezing most of the small courtyard in front of him.

The chill then surged forward with a powerful force, heading straight for Li Qingniu.

Li Qingniu suddenly waved his hand and threw out twenty or thirty talismans.

These runes collided suddenly with the frost, and a series of loud explosions echoed as the runes exploded, with surging flames and frost clashing against each other.

Wei Qiong suddenly let out a muffled groan, and his whole body began to sway inside the wooden tub.

Han Qing glanced around and asked slowly, "Do you need any help?"

Wei Qiong gritted his teeth: "No need!"

Before he could finish speaking, a muffled groan escaped his lips, and blood spurted from Wei Qiong's mouth.

"Stubborn!" Han Qing muttered, ignoring Wei Qiong, and suddenly took flight. Seeing that Wei Qiong was injured, Li Qingniu launched another wave of attacks.

One by one, talismans flew out from Li Qingniu's hands, some emitting lightning, some surging with flames, and some enveloped in a frosty aura. Each talisman was surging with a breathtaking power.

The cultivators of the Lingqing Dao Sect are extremely skilled at crafting talismans, capable of containing all kinds of spells within a palm-sized square of clear yellow paper—a truly wondrous feat.

As the contemporary leader of the Lingqing Dao, Li Qingniu naturally had no shortage of talismans, and he used dozens or even hundreds of them at once.

Han Qing dared not be careless. He suddenly opened the Zen Meditation Umbrella. In an instant, golden light spread out, covering a large area of ​​the sky like water. The talismans flying in the sky were suddenly frozen in mid-air, and the four purple-robed eunuchs who rushed forward were also bound.

Li Qingniu felt the same way; he suddenly found himself unable to move.

A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he stared at Han Qing and demanded sharply, "The Zen Meditation Umbrella! This is a treasure of the Great Vajra Temple, how did it end up in your hands?"

Han Qing ignored it. While holding the umbrella, a large amount of his vital energy was consumed, and he was unable to move.

However, he cannot move, but he can still use magical artifacts and spells.

As golden light shone across the sky, malevolent mist swirled around him, and in an instant, the Yin soldiers merged into a Yin spirit warrior.

Then, a faint light flashed beside Han Qing, and the Heavenly Cloud Vine Puppet emerged from it.

In the past few days, he has erased the thoughts of others left in this puppet, and then used the Ceasefire Sutra to control his own thoughts to merge with it. He has already begun to control this magic weapon.

The Yin Spirit Warrior and the Heavenly Cloud Vine Puppet charged out from the left and right, respectively attacking the nearest martial artist.

The Yin Spirit Warrior struck first, and with the latter's terrified expression, he unleashed a punch that instantly shattered the latter's body, turning it into a shower of blood.

At the same time, Tianyun Tengkui also made a move, suddenly slashing the martial artist's body in two.

Just as Han Qing was about to kill everyone else here in one fell swoop, Li Qingniu suddenly erupted. A yin wind swept through the air, and a powerful force of magic power surged between heaven and earth, suddenly converging above his head to form a precious mirror that emitted a blazing white light.

"Great Sun Treasure Mirror Technique!"

The Great Sun Mirror suddenly shone brightly, and a beam of pure white light descended from the mirror to the earth. In an instant, it was as if a stream of light had fallen from the sky, and everything around was a vast expanse of white.

The golden light domain formed by the Zen Meditation Umbrella was instantly dispersed. Han Qing could feel a terrifying power surging around him, rendering the Zen Meditation Umbrella ineffective. The two purple-robed eunuchs took the opportunity to break free, their eyes revealing a fierce and ruthless glint.

"Kill him!"

Brush brush!
Two figures moved, and Han Qing's situation instantly became very dangerous.

He was surrounded by scorching white light, which burned his body and tried to burn him to ashes.

The two purple-robed eunuchs launched an extremely fierce attack, and in an instant, they had rushed to within thirty feet of Han Qing.

Wei Qiong's pupils shrank, and his heart jumped into his throat. Li Qingniu's Great Sun Treasure Mirror Technique was too terrifying. He was only affected by the residual power and had an unbearable feeling that his body was about to be reduced to ashes. Han Qing was in the center of the scorching light. Wouldn't he be burned to ashes in an instant?
At this critical moment, suddenly, a Yin-Yang curse mark shot out from between Han Qing's eyebrows.

Click!

The black and white energies spread out in this space, and the blazing white light and the power of the Yin-Yang incantation engaged in a silent confrontation, with booming explosions echoing throughout the world.

In the end, the Yin-Yang Curse Seal prevailed. Visibly, the blazing white light was suppressed and eroded by the gray and white energies, eventually falling into complete silence. The precious mirror above, shining like a great sun, made a cracking sound and then shattered completely, turning into specks of light that dissipated into the world.

The two purple-robed eunuchs were flying forward and attacking when they were suddenly restrained again, unable to move in the air. Moreover, their blood and qi were rapidly draining away, causing fear and horror to show on their faces.

Their eyes were filled with fear when they looked at Han Qing. He was so young, yet every move he made made them feel like they couldn't resist him.

"die!"

Han Qing suddenly made his move, his body surrounded by swirling clouds of energy, his figure flashing rapidly through the air as he arrived in front of the two men and unleashed a slash.

Countless blades rained down, instantly engulfing the two figures. Before they could even utter a scream, they were reduced to a shower of blood, scattering across the earth.

At this moment, Li Qingniu broke free from the Yin-Yang curse seal, soaring up and down, and quickly retreated from the range of the curse seal.

She landed on the eaves of a tall pavilion, her messy gray hair blowing in the wind.

Han Qing thought to himself, "This Li Qingniu truly lives up to his reputation as the leader of the Lingqing Sect. He is incredibly powerful and was able to break free from the Yin-Yang Curse Seal so quickly."

Li Qingniu also had a solemn expression. He had been in seclusion, not discussing anything with outsiders, and had never heard of the affairs of the world. When he first saw Han Qing, he noticed that Han Qing was young and did not take him seriously. But after fighting him one after another, he was shocked to find that Han Qing's strength was so great that he was almost invincible among the half-saints.

"It seems I have indeed been in seclusion for too long. I never imagined there would be such a top expert as you in this world. Now I remember, could you be Xiang Ying, the leader of the rebel army in Chu?"

Han Qing shook his head: "If you survive today, you will surely know my name one day!"

The next instant, the Yin-Yang seal suddenly slammed forward, descending from above like Mount Tai pressing down on Li Qingniu.

Li Qingniu suddenly drew his wooden sword from his waist, leaped upwards, and thrust forward thirteen times in succession. With each thrust, a point of condensed light would burst forth from the blade.

Each point of condensed light was extremely sharp, containing an incredibly terrifying power that seemed capable of piercing through space.

However, the Yin-Yang Curse Seal was even more terrifying. When it collided with these thirteen points of condensed light, the thirteen points of condensed light collapsed instantly upon contact, turning into specks of light that scattered throughout the world.

Li Qingniu leaped upwards in time to dodge, but the tall restaurant below suffered the consequences, turning into ruins with dust and mist flying everywhere.

A hint of apprehension flashed in Li Qingniu's eyes. He knew that it was impossible to take Wei Qiong away today. Putting aside everything else, he couldn't handle this single Sevenfold Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

"When I return, I will definitely find out your name and background. This time, the attack was hasty and unprepared. With the Yin-Yang Incantation Seal and the Zen Meditation Umbrella, you are indeed extremely powerful. I have lost this battle, but it doesn't matter. Next time we fight, I will definitely show you the power of my Lingqing Dao talismans!"

After saying that, Li Qingniu first waved his hand and scattered more than thirty talismans. Each one was surrounded by clouds and mist, emitting light. Suddenly, they exploded and turned into a cloud that enveloped the four directions.

This cloud could actually block the detection of magical thoughts. Han Qing's magical thoughts covered the surrounding area, and he knew the movements of every blade of grass and tree within a radius of hundreds of miles. At this moment, within the range of his magical thoughts, the cloud suddenly disappeared.

Han Qing immediately manipulated the Yin-Yang Curse Seal, transforming it into a giant black and white hand that struck out. Although it dispersed the cloud of energy, Li Qingniu had already disappeared without a trace.

"They're gone? This Li Qingniu truly lives up to his reputation as the leader of Lingqing Dao; his abilities are indeed remarkable!" Han Qing did not pursue them.

In this exchange, he could sense a vast power of magical energy surging within his opponent's body, suggesting that he had likely broken through to the Incense Realm.

Although he had repelled Li Qingniu, he could sense that Li Qingniu had not used his full strength. Perhaps he was wary of other experts around, which was why he fled so quickly. If they had truly fought to the death, it was hard to say who would have won.

"I must become a saint as soon as possible!" Han Qing felt a strong sense of urgency.

The imperial court is like a colossal beast of unfathomable power, with countless experts in the capital, and surely there will be sages among them.

He had previously heard people say that Han Yi was a half-saint of the Legalist school, which now seemed quite ridiculous. If Han Yi was truly the number one person in the Great Yu Dynasty, then he must be a saint. After all, even his clone was so powerful, with combat strength reaching the peak of a half-saint. Who knows how powerful his true self must be.

"Once I reach the first level of the Incense Realm, my combat power will be greatly enhanced!" Han Qing pondered.

Once one enters the realm of incense offerings, the spiritual power of a cultivator will grow rapidly at an astonishing speed, reaching a total strength three to nine times that of a semi-saint.

This is thanks to the fact that those who cultivate their spirit in this realm can collect and absorb incense offerings, transforming the thoughts of others into their own, no longer having to rely solely on meditation to gather thoughts as before. The speed at which they accumulate spiritual thoughts is naturally many times faster.

However, the journey from a semi-saint to a saint is an immense hurdle, accompanied by enormous risks.

He still vividly remembered the scene when Yan Qiuling broke through and lost most of her life.

"To break through to sainthood, one must either rely on one's own accumulation to forcefully open the Heavenly Gate, or wait for a great change in the human realm and follow the will of Heaven, at which time the Heavenly Gate will open automatically."

Every humanitarian revolution produces a significant number of saints.

"Humanitarian change may happen in the next two or three years. Only by understanding the global trend and following the right people can we take the second path!"

“However, I can take the first path. My accumulation is deep enough that breaking through the first Heavenly Gate should not be difficult!” Han Qing whispered.

He is now fairly confident, about 70%, but it's not enough; he needs to accumulate more experience.

"Seventy percent is not enough; it should ideally be over ninety percent. Otherwise, if we fail, we could lose our lives!"

As Han Qing pondered, Wei Qiong approached him, a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Damn it, I never imagined this young man was so powerful! Even that old bastard Li Qingniu was no match for him! It's a pity I was injured. If I were at my peak, killing him would be as easy as killing a dog!" (End of Chapter)