The First Sage of Military Strategists

"That's normal. We shouldn't underestimate anyone." Qi Wufeng nodded.

"I certainly won't underestimate them. I gained a lot from this battle, and it won't be long before my strength reaches a new level," Han Qing said with a smile.

He was confident but not arrogant. During the battle, he could sense that many powerful figures were watching him from the sidelines, and powerful magical thoughts were constantly sweeping around him.

"By the way, Xiang Ying has already appeared in Tongzhou, and experts from various forces are also rushing to Tongzhou. Just those I know of include the Western Mang Heavenly Wolf King, the Palace Master of the Zongheng Dao Palace, and the Grand Master of the Yin Yang Sect," Qi Wufeng added.

"Looks like it's going to be another martial arts extravaganza," Han Qing said softly.

"This is a sign of the coming of a humanitarian revolution, or perhaps it has already begun. After all, the Black Sparrow Alliance is one of the six great martial arts holy lands, with abundant resources, and everyone wants a piece of the pie," Qi Wufeng sighed.

"I will go into seclusion now. Once I emerge, I will immediately head to Tongzhou," Han Qing said in a deep voice.

"Okay." Qi Wufeng nodded.

...

In the secret room.

Han Qing and Yan Qiuling sat facing each other, studying and discussing the Supreme Reincarnation Heavenly Scripture for a while. Yan Qiuling seemed to sense something and silently closed her eyes.

Han Qing didn't disturb him and turned to do his own thing. Suddenly, a faint light flashed, and he appeared in the space inside the Boundless Monument.

He flashed and appeared in a corner of the ancient city. The two Yin-Yang seals in front of him were still connected, and waves of power spread outwards, looking extremely unstable.

Han Qing then activated the Yin-Yang Incantation Scripture, controlling one of his own Yin-Yang Incantations to invade, devour, and absorb the power of the other Yin-Yang Incantation.

He has been doing this for the past few days, and the results are excellent.

One Yin-Yang seal shone brightly, while the other quickly dimmed.

For three whole days, Han Qing neither ate nor drank, and continued doing the same repetitive task.

At a certain moment, the Yin-Yang Mantra Seal belonging to the Buddha Sound Child suddenly shattered, its power completely absorbed and assimilated by Han Qing's Yin-Yang Mantra Seal.

Han Qing looked slightly tired; this task was extremely mentally taxing. However, after the assimilation was successful, the Yin-Yang Curse Seal's power increased significantly, and it had now evolved from the seventh level to the ninth level.

With a thought, Han Qing unleashed a nine-colored radiance that spread rapidly outwards like ripples on water, quickly covering a considerable area of ​​the surrounding sky, creating a visual effect even more spectacular than when he was at the seventh level.

Of course, the greatest benefit is that the Ninefold Yin-Yang Seal can automatically absorb the power of heaven and earth to repair itself.

Han Qing manipulated the Yin-Yang curse seal, transforming it into a giant hand that flew around in the air, repeatedly sensing and testing its power. He finally concluded that its basic power had increased at least three times.

"If this Yin-Yang Curse Seal is unleashed now, even an ordinary Saint of the Incense Realm who is accidentally struck will be severely injured, if not killed," Han Qing thought to himself, quite satisfied.

With a thought, the curse mark transformed into a stream of light and flew back to his brow.

Then, Han Qing took a step forward, activated the Boundless Monument, and his figure flashed, appearing in another part of the ancient city. In front of him was a divine soul floating, which was none other than the Wonderful Sound Child.

Han Qing raised his hand and threw a punch. Bang! The soul of the Myriad Sound Child was shattered in mid-air. Strands of magical thoughts scattered and flew away, and a gust of Yang God wind echoed between heaven and earth.

These thoughts were about to reassemble, but Han Qing didn't give them a chance. He immediately activated the Ceasefire Sutra, and a powerful attraction burst forth from his body, as if it had turned into a vortex, drawing all these thoughts into his body.

Only saints at the incense-burning realm dare to do this. Below the saint level, daring to directly absorb the Dharma thoughts of others is very likely to lead to demonic possession.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, and strands of magical thoughts from the Wonderful Sound Child were purified and absorbed into the Spirit Temple, becoming part of his own magical thoughts, causing his magical thoughts to increase rapidly in quantity.

At the same time, in front of the Seven Killings Stele, the soul light of the Wonderful Sound Child also appeared.

With a thought, Han Qing absorbed another point of soul light, and many images appeared in his mind.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, and after a short while, the image disappeared. He had obtained a lot of information about the Holy Desert Empire and the Great Vajra Temple.

This information may not be useful now, but it may come in handy when a world-shaking war breaks out between the Great Yu and the Holy Desert Empire in the near future.

Several more days passed, and Han Qing stayed in this secret room, constantly transforming and absorbing the magical thoughts of the Wonderful Sound Boy, and his strength increased rapidly.

By the fifth day, he had absorbed more than 80% of the magical thoughts of the Wonderful Sound Child into the Spirit Temple. As for the remaining 20%, he used the Ceasefire Sutra to erase the Wonderful Sound Child's thoughts, turning them into pure magical thoughts. However, he did not absorb any more because he felt that if he continued to absorb, his strength would actually decrease.

"I now have two kinds of Dharma thoughts within me. One is from the Zhige Sutra, which is a pure Dharma thought with extremely high intensity. The other comes from the Wonderful Sound Child, and the intensity varies."

“Currently, the number of the former and the latter are in balance. If we continue to absorb them, this balance will be broken, the overall strength of the Dharma will decrease, and my strength will also decrease. A large number of Dharma does not necessarily mean strong combat power,” Han Qingyin said.

There are no rules here, it's just a feeling.

"The remaining 20% ​​of the Dharma power has not been absorbed and has been wandering in my body. It will dissipate over time, and even if it doesn't, it will still interfere with me and will eventually become a problem," Han Qing said.

He stepped out and appeared in the secret room, just as Yan Qiuling finished her secluded meditation.

"Qiu Ling, don't resist. I have a batch of pure Dharma thoughts here, which are useless to me now. I might as well give them to you, and I can help you absorb them. This will make you stronger, and you will have a greater chance of opening the Heavenly Gate in the future." As Han Qing spoke, he stretched out his palm, and a ball of light appeared in his palm, shimmering with a hazy clear light. It was formed by the Dharma thoughts gathered by Miao Yin Tong Zi.

"Okay!" Yan Qiuling had complete trust in Han Qing.

Han Qing immediately sent the Autumn Light Paddle into Yan Qiuling's body, and then guided and restrained the strands of magical thoughts to fly towards Yan Qiuling's temple.

This process must be controlled by him. If it were Yan Qiuling herself, she would not be able to control this huge amount of magical power. The moment it entered her body, it would plunge her into an endless illusion, and she might not even be able to wake up.

With Han Qing's help, the ball of light was like a silkworm cocoon, gradually being unraveled. Strands of magical energy were absorbed by Yan Qiuling. Six hours later, the last strand of magical energy would also be absorbed. Yan Qiuling suddenly opened her eyes, and a sharp aura burst forth from her body.

Han Qing stopped. Six hours seemed like a long time, but for him now it was just a moment, especially when he was immersed in it and extremely focused. Time passed even faster, and he couldn't even feel it passing.

Yan Qiuling closed her eyes, calmed herself, and then opened them, a look of joy in her eyes.

"My husband, you've worked hard. My strength has indeed improved greatly. There are some extremely powerful ancient demonic techniques that I never dared to use before, but now I finally have the confidence to use them."

"My lady, we are of one mind, why thank me? I wonder what kind of magic you are using?" Han Qing asked with a smile.

“Since you’re curious, my husband, I’ll demonstrate for you. But this place is too cramped. Let’s go to the space inside the Boundless Monument,” Yan Qiuling said with a light laugh.

"Alright." With a flash of light, the two appeared inside the Boundless Monument.

"My husband, watch closely, this move is called Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire!"

As soon as she finished speaking, a dark red flame suddenly rose from Yan Qiuling's body. In an instant, the flame spread across the world and then converged behind her to form a dark red fire lotus, which slowly rotated, extremely beautiful.

Han Qing's gaze fell on the fire lotus, and he also felt a faint sense of danger. This meant that if the fire lotus were to hit him, he might also be injured.

This is enough to show how terrifying the power of the fire lotus is. You must know that his current strength has completely surpassed Yan Qiuling's, so it is an extremely unusual thing that he could be injured.

After a moment's thought, he recalled a piece of history.

"Could this Crimson Lotus Karmic Fire be a secret technique of the Crimson Lotus Sect Master?"

"That's right. Before the Great Yu Dynasty, there was a dynasty called the Great Shun Dynasty. The Red Lotus Sect was the number one sect in the world during the Great Shun Dynasty, even surpassing the Yin Yang Sect, and was designated as the state religion."

"At that time, the leader of the Red Lotus Sect relied on this move, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, which swept across the world and killed countless masters."

"Later, the Great Shun Dynasty was destroyed, the Great Shun Emperor disappeared without a trace, and the Red Lotus Sect also vanished. No one ever used this sorcery again."

"So, the Red Lotus Cult Leader is a powerful demon?" Han Qing pondered.

"That's right, the Crimson Lotus Cult Leader is a red fox, a great demon."

"This Red Lotus Karmic Fire is extremely difficult to unleash. It consumes physical strength and blood energy, and it also burns away my magical power. Before, my magical power was weak, so I dared not unleash it. Now that I have such a large amount of powerful magical power, I am more confident and dare to go all out," Yan Qiuling said with a smile.

As she spoke, with a thought, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire dissipated.

"Who killed the Red Lotus Cult Leader in the end?" Han Qing was quite interested in the past of such a legendary figure.

"I don't know. There are many conflicting accounts, but that's how history is. There's a fog of mystery, and many truths are obscured by time. Perhaps we'll never have an answer," Yan Qiuling said.

"By the way, husband, are Sarina and the others still unwilling to back down?" Yan Qiuling suddenly asked, changing the subject.

"These people seem determined to follow Xiang Ying, especially Sarina, who refuses to bow down no matter what." Han Qing's words also contained a hint of helplessness. These people were quite strong, and he was currently lacking helpers. It would be a pity to kill them just like that, but since they refused to bow down, if this continued, he would have no choice but to kill them.

"My lord, this is easy to handle; leave it to me."

Yan Qiuling then landed in a courtyard not far away. In the courtyard, Sarina and the others were tied to a pillar and suppressed by the power of the Boundless Monument, which made it difficult for them to break free.

"Witch Yan Qiuling? What, Han Qing couldn't persuade me, so you sent her instead? Hmph, I, Sarina, will never bow my head. My husband is incredibly powerful. I advise you to release me immediately, or you'll regret it sooner or later." Sarina raised an eyebrow and sneered coldly when she saw Yan Qiuling arrive.

"Hmph, my husband acts with method, but I am different. People call me a witch, but do you know I have another name, a demoness?"

Today I'll show you why I have this title.

Yan Qiuling flipped her palm, revealing a tiny, palm-sized, fiery red lotus, which she then casually slapped into Sarina's body.

The latter trembled and suddenly let out a shrill, miserable cry, his entire face contorted as if he were enduring immense pain.

"This is the Crimson Lotus Sinful Flame!" Yuan Qiushui exclaimed in shock.

"You seem to have seen a lot. The Crimson Lotus Flame can burn away the soul and spiritual power, causing immense pain to enemies. Even saints cannot withstand it. Sarina, enjoy it," Yan Qiuling laughed.

A deep fear flickered in Sarina's eyes, but she gritted her teeth and stubbornly refused to bow her head.

Yuan Qiushui and the others nearby didn't dare to utter a sound, thinking to themselves, "What a female demon!"

Han Qing watched this scene from a short distance away but did not stop it.

Yan Qiuling was quite docile in front of her, appearing like a little woman, but in front of outsiders, her sharp and ruthless side was fully exposed, constantly reminding everyone that she was still the demoness who struck fear into the hearts of countless people in the icy plains of the North.

“Husband, no one can withstand the Fiery Red Lotus. This woman is very stubborn. Let her suffer. Before long, she will naturally bow her head.” Yan Qiuling turned around and returned to Han Qing’s side, her voice quite gentle.

Han Qing nodded slightly. When dealing with enemies, he would naturally be as ruthless as possible; he was not a soft-hearted person.

...

Inside the imperial palace, a magnificent and imposing palace.

"I have heard that things have not been peaceful in the capital recently. A few days ago, Hongfeng Manor was razed to the ground. I wonder what happened?" Emperor Yu raised his eyes and looked at Han Yi.

"Your Majesty, it was merely some petty thieves causing trouble. There is no need to fear. I have already subdued the rebels," Han Yi reported calmly.

On that day, he defeated the Azure Dragon Giant Spirit, but because he was concerned about the safety of the capital and feared that he had fallen into a trap, he did not pursue him, allowing Lin Motong to escape.

However, it doesn't matter. In his eyes, Lin Motong is just a nobody.

"The Crown Prince mentioned to me yesterday that he encountered a powerful figure outside the city, who is suspected to be Han Qing, a prodigy from Shu, who has already reached the realm of sainthood. I don't know if it's true or not. If it is, then this young man has unparalleled talent. If he can be used by the court, it would be a great blessing," Emperor Yu said in a deep voice.

"I believe the Crown Prince has misjudged the situation. This boy has only practiced martial arts for three years. How could he possibly become a saint? Even if he does become a saint, I do not think he should be recruited. This boy is ambitious and has the intention to overthrow the country. He should be killed, not used!" Han Yi said again.

"It is astonishing that someone can become a saint in three years, but it is not impossible. Do you remember the child I sent to the palace two years ago? He is now ten years old and has become a saint!" Emperor Yu suddenly said.

"Achieving sainthood at ten years old?" Han Yi's words finally showed a slight fluctuation. "Could it be that demon child Ma Meng? This child was born with a demonic seed, and is suspected to be the reincarnation of an ancient demon. It is indeed possible for him to achieve sainthood at ten years old."

"Indeed, it is him. I intend to release him from the palace to train him on the western border and see how strong he is," said Emperor Yu.

“That kid is arrogant and extremely cruel. If we let him out, he could become a menace if we can’t control him,” Han Yi frowned.

"It's alright. If that demon child is truly unruly and disobeys the court's orders, you can kill him yourself," Emperor Yu said.

"Your subject obeys the decree." Han Yi bowed slightly.

"There is one more thing. I have heard that the old devil of the Mo family is preparing to refine the Heavenly Profound Pill. Is this true?" Emperor Yu asked again.

"That is indeed true. That old ghost keeps talking about promoting a change in humanity, but I think it's nothing but wishful thinking. The Heavenly Profound Pill is such a legendary medicine that can make someone an instant saint. How could it be so easy to refine? Your Majesty need not worry. Even if he has collected enough materials, it doesn't matter. I will definitely take action to disrupt his plans," Han Yi said loudly again. (End of this chapter)