The First Sage of Military Strategists

into the night.

The moonlight was beautiful, and the night was cool as water.

At the summit of Autumn Moon Mountain, in a lush maple forest, Sarina sat on a chair in front of a treehouse, holding the Sun and Moon Tide Fan. Strands of her magical thoughts probed into the fan, intertwining with the vast Yin-Yang Daoist magical thoughts within it.

The fan emitted faint, ethereal light, as if absorbing the moonlight.

At one point, Sarina opened her eyes, a hint of joy flashing in them, but also a trace of weariness between her brows.

"This fan is finally finished being refined. Now let me see how powerful you are!"

Sarina pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved her sun and moon fan forward.

Wow!
With a wave of the Dharma fan, a radiant light, interwoven with gold and silver, surged forth, like ocean waves rolling forward.

The golden light was incredibly hot, instantly turning large swathes of maple trees to ashes. The silver light was the other extreme, extremely cold, covering the forest with a layer of frost wherever it passed, turning it into a world of ice crystals.

The two colors of light intertwined, one cold and one hot, unleashing astonishing destructive power, instantly turning several miles of maple forest into a blank area.

Sarina's eyes lit up. She had only waved her hand casually, without even mobilizing her magical power to activate the magic weapon, yet it had produced such destructive power, which truly surprised her.

"This magic weapon is indeed powerful!" Sarina chuckled.

"The supreme treasure of Yin and Yang, the Sun and Moon Tide Fan? This magical artifact is actually in your hands."

Suddenly, Sarina's expression changed. She heard a man's voice behind her, turned around abruptly, and saw the three of them standing side by side, suspended in mid-air.

The leader was dressed in black, with delicate features, and looked to be no more than twenty years old, but he had a deep and imposing presence, emanating a terrifying aura that made her feel a sense of dread.

Her gaze swept across the room and she saw a woman standing beside her with a cold and aloof demeanor, dressed in red. She immediately understood who the newcomer was.

"You are the enchantress Yan Qiuling! Then this must be Young Master Han Qing. What brings you here so late at night?" Sarina quickly regained her composure.

"Where's Xiang Ying? Tell him to come out!" Han Qing asked.

“What do you need him for? I can pass on your message,” Sarina replied.

"It seems he's not here. Very well, I'll capture you first, and then follow the clues to find him!" Han Qing said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Sarina's alarm bells rang loudly, and she said in a loud voice, "Han Qing, this is the capital city. I advise you not to act recklessly. Besides, my husband's combat power is unparalleled. Don't think that you can act recklessly just because Yan Qiuling is helping you. If you really anger my husband, your end will be very miserable!"

Han Qing smiled faintly: "Oh? I came here today precisely to see what your husband is capable of."

Yan Qiuling said coldly from the side, "Sarina, hand over the Sun and Moon Tide Fan and come with us. I promise I won't make things difficult for you!"

"Be bold!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man's stern shout came from the horizon, followed by a mighty, eerie wind that rose from the ground.

Han Qing looked up and saw a purplish-black claw descending from the sky, slapping down at the three of them.

With a thought, Han Qing summoned a domain of malevolent energy, where numerous Yin soldiers converged and quickly coalesced into a Yin spirit warrior.

The warrior suddenly leaped into the air and charged towards the purplish-black giant claw. With a single punch, he shattered the claw in mid-air.

The instant he made his move, Han Qing activated the Yuanling Treasure Pearl, and in an instant, white mist enveloped the entire Qiuyue Manor, isolating it from the outside world.

"Heavenly Sable King, come out!" Yan Qiuling suddenly shouted, raising her eyes to stare at the sky above.

A figure emerged from the clouds, clad in a purple robe; it was none other than the Heavenly Sable King.

“Princess, why be angry? Why not come with me and join the Overlord? This is the right path! The Overlord’s strength is beyond your imagination. He is a person who is destined by Heaven. Princess, do not be so stubborn!” King Tian Diao said with a smile.

"Hmph, no matter how strong you are, you can't compare to my husband. Enough with the nonsense, you traitor! I've wanted to kill you for a long time, and today I finally have the chance!" Yan Qiuling attacked fiercely, with clouds rolling above her head and silver snakes winding out, surging from all directions to attack the Heavenly Sable King.

The Heavenly Sable King was suddenly swallowed by the silver lightning, but in the next instant, he soared up and escaped from it.

Yan Qiuling frowned, realizing that he was completely unharmed.

Han Qing glanced at it and saw that its body was covered with a layer of purple scales, with many hooks and spikes on the armor, making it look ferocious and terrifying.

"Princess, this is a treasure of our demon race, the Purple Scale Thorn Heavy Armor. You think you can kill me? This is no match for you!" King Sable chuckled dryly.

Upon hearing this, Yan Qiuling felt an even greater chill in her heart.

This treasure had always been stored in the treasury of the Demon Clan's Holy City. During the great battle in the Northern Ice Plains, Xiang Ying was the first to enter the city and looted several treasuries, taking away their treasures, including this Purple-Gold Thorn Heavy Armor. It is likely that Xiang Ying bestowed it upon the Heavenly Sable King.

This originally belonged to the demon race, but it was taken away by someone else and ended up in the hands of the person she hated most. How could she not be angry?

Han Qing also sensed a chilling aura emanating from Yan Qiuling and instantly understood what she was thinking.

"Qiu Ling, today, I'll help you slay this Heavenly Sable King!"

As he spoke, with a whoosh, the Yin Spirit Warrior soared into the sky, like a streak of light, charging straight towards the Heavenly Sable King.

The Heavenly Sable King swept his gaze across the area, and a nameless rage surged within him.

Han Qing didn't lift a finger himself, but instead sent a ghost soldier to attack. This behavior made him feel extremely humiliated.

"Break it for me!!"

The Heavenly Sable King flashed and charged in front of the Yin Spirit Warrior. The two attacked almost simultaneously, their fists carrying a tremendous force as they collided violently.

Bang!
An explosion echoed between heaven and earth. The Heavenly Sable King thought that his punch would shatter the Yin Spirit Warrior, but the result was completely different.

A tremendous force suddenly blasted him back, sending him flying backward over a thousand steps.

"What the hell is this thing?" A thought popped into the Sky Sable King's mind.

He had never seen anyone's ghostly army so powerful.

The next instant, the Yin Spirit Warrior pressed closer and charged towards the Heavenly Sable King once again.

The two figures clashed fiercely in the air, creating afterimages everywhere and the deafening roar of their immense power colliding.

Sarina watched the battle from the sidelines, thinking that the Sky Sable King would win easily, but she didn't expect this. Not only did he not win quickly, but he was completely suppressed.

"Just how terrifying is his strength?" A sense of fear suddenly arose in Sarina's heart.

Han Qing herself didn't even make a move; it was just a spell. Yet, this Yin soldier possessed such combat power that Han Qing couldn't fathom its strength at all, as if she were shrouded in a layer of mist.

"That's enough, it's time to end!"

Han Qing murmured. He hadn't even used his full strength as a Yin Spirit Warrior. He understood that there must be many other experts around, hiding their strength. The best strategy was to wait until they all showed themselves before unleashing their power to wipe them all out. If he revealed his overwhelming and terrifying strength right away, wouldn't all of them be scared away?

However, now, the time is almost right. He clearly sensed that there were many experts watching from the sidelines, and those who were going to come had all arrived. Now was the time to close the net.

On that day, the Sable King's fist collided with the Yin Spirit Warrior's fist once again, but this time, the outcome was completely different.

The Yin Spirit Warrior suddenly unleashed an even more astonishing power, more than ten times stronger than before.

This immense force surged within the fist, then erupted in a concentrated burst. With a muffled thud, the Heavenly Sable King's right arm was blasted apart in mid-air, turning into a cloud of blood mist that scattered in all directions.

The Sable King, his face contorted in horror, retreated rapidly. "What the hell is that?"

"How can they have such terrifying combat power?"

The Heavenly Sable King couldn't help but ask a question, but Han Qing had no intention of answering him. The Yin Spirit Warrior charged at him once again.

The Heavenly Sable King's expression changed drastically, and he suddenly spat out a bone bead with pale purple patterns.

The precious pearl transformed into a streak of light and shot out, instantly striking the Undying Yin Spirit Warrior. Purple light emanated from within the pearl, which also resembled a large net, enveloping the Yin Spirit Warrior and drastically reducing its speed.

"This is also a treasure in my demon clan's treasury, called the Purple Spirit Bone Pearl. It has the effect of trapping enemies and sealing space and time!" Yan Qiuling couldn't help but say.

Seeing the Sky Sable King in such a sorry state, Sarina finally couldn't bear to watch any longer.

She suddenly waved the Sun and Moon Tide Fan, and in an instant, golden and silver light surged like ocean waves, engulfing the Yin Spirit Warrior in a mere moment.

Bang!
The Yin Spirit Warrior could not withstand it and suddenly twisted, turning into a cloud of black mist.

"Ok?"

"This Sun and Moon Tide Fan is quite powerful!" Han Qing commented.

He is now at the first level of the Incense Realm, and the Yin Spirit Warrior he has condensed is a combat power that only Saints possess. In other words, if Sarina's move can destroy the Yin Spirit Warrior, it means that it can also injure a Saint. This shows that the fan is of a very high grade and has great power.

But that's it.

In the face of an absolute disparity in strength, the variables brought about by a magical artifact cannot change the outcome of the entire battle.

In an instant, Han Qing activated the Ceasefire Sutra, and black mist suddenly surged within his body, spreading rapidly in all directions like ocean waves.

In the blink of an eye, the black mist enveloped the entire Autumn Moon Mountain, leaving nothing hidden within. Figures emerged, all with horrified expressions.

A strong sense of fear also arose in Sarina's heart.

He had fought against many military strategists and cultivators, but he had never seen a situation like Han Qing's, where the evil domain could cover such a large area and the evil mist was so thick that it was almost tangible.

She felt her body stiffening, as wisps of malevolent energy invaded it, controlling her form and corrupting her soul.

One by one, the ghostly soldiers emerged, gathered once more, and coalesced again into the ghostly warriors.

As far as Han Qing could see, the Yin soldiers were in formation and the evil mist was churning. Everything was under his control, and he was quite satisfied.

Those who cultivate their spirit in military strategy become stronger the further they progress. The scene before us finally has the feel of a single thought summoning an army of ghosts.

The next instant, the Yin Spirit Warrior's figure flashed, transforming into a streak of light as he once again pounced on the Heavenly Sable King, this time with even greater ferocity.

Sarina immediately brandished the Sun and Moon Tide Fan to attack and kill the Yin Spirit Warrior.

This time, however, the golden and silver radiance surged forward but was met with heavy obstruction from the evil mist, and the two forces clashed against each other.

When the golden and silver radiance fell upon the Yin Spirit Warrior, its power had already decreased many times over.

The Yin Spirit Warrior was completely unaffected and charged straight at the Heavenly Sable King, smashing his body apart with a single punch, causing blood to splatter onto the ground.

Within the Fiend Domain, the Yin Spirit Warriors' strength has greatly increased, while the Heavenly Sable King's strength has been greatly weakened. With this shift in power, the two are no longer on the same level.

Therefore, when this punch landed, the Heavenly Sable King was completely unable to withstand it and was directly blown to pieces.

After being struck by a heavy blow that exceeded its limit, the purple-scaled thorn armor it was wearing suddenly transformed into a deep purple scale, and the purple spirit bone bead also floated out from its body.

With a wave of his hand, Han Qing summoned the evil mist, and the scales and bone beads flew back into his hand. With a flash of eerie light, they were directly stored in the Boundless Monument.

Even the Heavenly Sable King's soul could not escape this calamity. The Yin Spirit Warrior raised his hand and punched again, once again sending it exploding in mid-air, turning into a warm breeze that spread throughout the world.

The screams of the Sable King echoed outwards, and the Yin Spirit Warrior continued its movements, turning around and rushing straight towards Sarina below.

Sarina screamed, "Help me!"

Although she had the Sun and Moon Tide Fan to help her, she knew that the fan might not be able to protect her.

"Be bold!"

"Quickly, save them!"

Brush brush!
Four figures suddenly appeared from the side and attacked the Yin Spirit Warrior together.

The two were enveloped in a vast martial arts essence. One wielded a knife, and the other a spear. The one with the knife was male, named Xiang Yunfeng, and the one with the spear was female, named Xiang Yueru. Both were martial saints from the powerful Xiang family and possessed extremely strong combat power.

There were also two old men, each carrying a long sword on their backs. Suddenly, they drew their swords.

These two are Yuan Qiushui and Yuan Qingfeng, both experts from the Sword Palace and half-saints in the art of swordsmanship.

Brush brush!
In an instant, the sword light flashed like a shadow, splitting into countless forms, like waves and waterfalls.

The four attacked almost simultaneously, unleashing a barrage of attacks that instantly engulfed and devoured the Yin Spirit Warrior.

Although the Yin Spirit Warrior is strong, it is ultimately just a spell cast by Han Qing, so its strength is limited.

With a loud bang, the Yin Spirit Warrior was instantly blasted apart, turning into a cloud of black mist that dissipated into the world.

Just as Han Qing was about to make a move, a figure suddenly appeared behind him, raised his hand and struck out a bronze square seal, which resembled a small mountain and pressed down from behind him.

Han Qing had anticipated this. A black-armored deity suddenly appeared behind him, raised his hand, and slashed out with a sword. The dazzling sword light directly shattered the ancient bronze square seal in mid-air.

However, the seal caused a secondary explosion, which also caused the black-armored statue that Han Qing had casually conjured to collapse and shatter.

"Yue Jinbiao, your escape techniques are indeed remarkable, but they're not very effective in the Fiend Domain," Han Qing said with a smile.

The newcomer was Yue Jinbiao, a powerful figure known for his disguises, deceptions, ever-changing abilities, and escapes.

He had been sneaking around in the dense forest until the four powerful figures joined forces, at which point he suddenly launched a sneak attack. His fighting style was truly despicable.

However, out of consideration for Yue Xiaobiao, Han Qing did not use his full strength, but simply conjured a divine statue to block his attack.

Even so, Yue Jinbiao's expression changed drastically.

The instant the statue was destroyed, a gust of wind swept out in all directions, carrying a sense of warmth.

"You are a saint!"

Yue Jinbiao blurted it out.

These words immediately stunned the four masters and Sarina, leaving them speechless.

Han Qing smiled and said, "Now that you understand this, you know what to do next, right? Don't resist, come with me. Although Xiang Ying is strong, he is far inferior to me. It's better to follow me than him."

"Hmph! You're quite confident!" Yue Jinbiao laughed.

"So it was you! You must have stolen the Eight Directions Puppet!" Sarina's eyes suddenly lit up, and she exclaimed loudly. (End of Chapter)