The First Sage of Military Strategists

An hour later, Han Qing arrived at Bihai Lake. As far as the eye could see, crimson lava flowed and converged to form a vast lake, which was Bihai Lake.

He was suspended above it and could feel the surging heat rising into the sky.

"What a magnificent lava lake! I never imagined that someone could build a palace at the bottom of this lake. They must be an extraordinary person with extraordinary abilities."

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then plunged headfirst into the lava lake, using his magical power to create a barrier around himself, isolating the lava from the fire.

The lava was indeed incredibly hot. Han Qing estimated that if a martial artist who had undergone six transformations of the Body Dao were to rashly step into it, their body would be burned to ashes.

However, with his current strength, this lava is nothing to fear.

"Since it's an underground palace, it must be quite large. Although this lake is vast, I can use my spiritual sense to scan it, and I should be able to find its location in no time," Han Qingxin thought.

So he flew at high speed through the lava lake, quickly exploring and searching.

At this moment, in the center of the lake, slightly to the east, a lava palace lay prostrate on the ground, a layer of crimson light rippling and repelling the lava.

At this moment, a large group of powerful individuals are discussing important matters inside the palace.

The one sitting in the center, wearing a purple-gold crown and black armor, was large and imposing. Even without doing anything, he could instill a strong sense of fear and oppression in those around him.

This man was Xiang Ying. He was playing with a precious pearl in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the people around him. He seemed quite relaxed, as if he had everything under control, as if he were the master of this Fire Rock Palace.

His gaze lingered longest on a woman beside him, dressed in a silk brocade robe with a jade belt around her waist. She was voluptuous and possessed a fiery and alluring charm. This woman was named Jing Ying.

Jing Ying's two prominent breasts were extremely eye-catching.

Xiang Ying's aggressive gaze swept over the man's chest with almost no attempt to conceal it.

The latter didn't care at all, and even seemed to be deliberately trying to please him; she was also a woman with a bold and unrestrained style.

Beside him sat a cold-looking young man with narrow eyes, wearing a purple robe and two swords at his waist; his name was Jing Tuohai.

Both of them are contenders for the position of leader of the Black Sparrow Alliance; at least according to the sect's rules, they are qualified to compete.

Besides these two, there were three other important figures in the palace.

One was a red-haired, hunched old man sitting on a fiery lotus-shaped red jade throne, with flames rising from the throne, and his eyes flashing with a sinister and cunning light.

Apart from Xiang Ying, this person is the strongest, and in terms of aura, the two are almost evenly matched.

And he is the master of this Fire Rock Palace, the Lord of Azure Sea Lake, Jing Wuliang.

One of them was a middle-aged man standing to the side, fanning himself with a fan, wearing a bright yellow robe, and with a kind smile on his face. His name was Yuan Shixiu.

In theory, he was a powerful figure on the side of the imperial court and should not be in this place.

However, the reason he was able to gain a foothold in Tongzhou was because he had the ability to be shrewd and adaptable to all situations.

He was nominally affiliated with the imperial court, but in reality, he could get along well with experts from various factions.

The last person was Yue Bairu, who was dressed in a long robe with ink and wash style and had a gentle temperament.

At this moment, Xiang Ying looked around at the fiery underground palace, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"I never imagined there was such a magnificent palace beneath the Azure Sea Lake. It's truly a wonder. I've heard it was built by a legendary master known as the Great Sage of Fire Rock."

"Indeed, the Great Sage of Fire Rock was a top expert of the Great Shun Dynasty hundreds of years ago, belonging to the Taoist school. It is said that he had already entered the third realm of the Golden Body. Even in today's era, he would be a legendary expert who could rival the leaders of the major holy lands and the heads of ancient families. I also obtained his inheritance by chance, opened the Heavenly Gate and became a saint in one fell swoop, and then broke through one after another to have the strength I have today. This Fire Rock Underground Palace is also part of the inheritance." The Lord of Azure Sea Lake said slowly.

His voice was hoarse, like metal rubbing against stone, harsh and unpleasant to hear.

Xiang Ying nodded slightly. Every legendary figure who is famous throughout the world must have had extraordinary encounters, and sometimes there are more than one.

"Enough with the nonsense, time is of the essence, let's get straight to the point. I've gathered you all here to end the chaos in Tongzhou. Before the major powers get involved, let's join forces, strike first, and elect the leader of the alliance. I'm sure those old devils in the Black Sparrow Alliance won't object." Xiang Ying straightened his back, his tone becoming serious.

"Those elders of the Black Sparrow Alliance are indeed extremely rigid in their actions. They strictly follow the rules in every move. They say that according to the ancestral law, they will fight against the successors of the major alliance leaders at the foot of Red Rock Mountain in two months to determine the winner and also to decide the position of alliance leader. I think they are just stupid and corrupt."

"The situation is chaotic now. Countless powerful figures are heading towards Azure Sea City, and countless forces are making plans for the grand competition in two months. If we wait until then, the situation will spiral out of everyone's control, and who will be chosen as the alliance leader will be completely unpredictable. I agree with the Overlord's words; we should strike first and secure the alliance leader position as soon as possible, catching them off guard," said the Azure Sea Lake Master.

Everyone around nodded in agreement.

"Overlord, you've really got some good ideas. You've gathered all the strong individuals who meet the sect's rules and are capable of inheriting the position of Alliance Leader in this Fire Rock Palace. As long as we reach a consensus and determine the Alliance Leader, those old guys will have no choice but to agree." Jing Ying said with a smile. While talking and laughing, she even gave Xiang Ying a flirtatious wink, just like a thousand-year-old fox, extremely charming.

“Xiang Ying, we are still missing an important person. I heard that the Qi family is also qualified to run for the position, and their candidate is Qi Wufeng,” Yue Bairu said.

"Qi Wufeng has been severely injured by my men. He has been poisoned by my fire poison. Even if he doesn't die, he won't be able to participate in the competition in two months. There's no need to consider him anymore," the Lord of Bihai Lake sneered.

"The Overlord truly has some impressive methods," Yue Bairu sighed softly.

"Hmph, Qi Wufeng is backed by Liu Yue, the leader of the rebels in Shu. This man is my greatest enemy, and Qi Wufeng is his right-hand man, so I cannot let him live," Xiang Ying said coldly.

His gaze swept over Yue Bairu, sizing her up and down, and a strong desire to conquer and possess her arose in his heart.

On one hand, Yue Bairu was indeed beautiful and exuded an elegant, scholarly air, which made him want to possess her; this was his inherent lust.

Secondly, Yue Bairu has an extremely powerful background. She has a powerful father as her backer and is also the closed-door disciple of the Palace Master of the Zongheng Dao Palace.

The latter kept a low profile, rarely appeared in public over the past century, and was not very well-known. In fact, many powerful individuals with average strength and limited information did not even know that such a person existed.

Even if they keep a low profile, they are still the second largest power in Western Mang. If they were weak, Zongheng Dao Palace would have been wiped out long ago.

"If I had the chance to possess this woman's body, first I would win her body, then her heart, and I would gain the help of many powerful figures. How could I not destroy the Great Yu?" Xiang Ying's thoughts were churning. Unfortunately, Yue Bai was a woman who was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao and was impervious to reason. He was helpless.

A thought flashed through Xiang Ying's mind, and he suddenly asked, "Miss Yue, where is your father? If he were to join forces with me, what great thing in this world couldn't we accomplish?"

Yue Bairu said calmly, "My father has come to Tongzhou on important business. He's not interested in the position of leader of the Black Sparrow Alliance. He's here to see an old friend. If you want to join forces with my father, you must offer him a sufficiently large benefit to sway him, such as the Heavenly Profound Pill. I've heard that the leader of the Mo family is searching everywhere for materials to refine the Heavenly Profound Pill. If you give my father one, joining forces will be a piece of cake." "Miss Yue, do you not believe me? Hahaha, you underestimate me. Let alone a Heavenly Profound Pill, I, Xiang Ying, will have anything I want in the future. My talent is unparalleled. Before long, I will be even stronger than the leader of the Holy Land." Xiang Ying suddenly burst into laughter.

"The Overlord is truly extremely confident," Yue Bairu chuckled.

"Your father joining forces with me is the wisest choice. I will lead the greatest humanitarian revolution in history. This is an opportunity not to be missed!" Xiang Ying said, then suddenly clapped his hands and shouted, "Venerable Fengxing, come out and meet me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly rose from the ground, and the light and shadow around Xiang Ying distorted, revealing the figure of a short, fierce-looking man.

This scene immediately surprised everyone around, except for the owner of Bihu Lake.

"What an exquisite technique for stealth and concealment!" Jing Ying exclaimed in surprise.

She was completely unaware that such a person was lurking around her.

“Feng Juexing was originally the Great Sage Assassin of my Black Sparrow Alliance. Later, he was caught stealing secret techniques from the treasury and fled to Western Mang. I didn’t expect that after so many years, you are still alive and your strength has even increased.” Jing Tuohai frowned and said from the side.

"Past grievances are wiped clean. Now I am the Overlord's personal bodyguard," Feng Juexing said in a deep voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, the light and shadow distorted, and he vanished from the spot once again.

Jing Ying and the others scanned the area with their magical senses, but they could not detect his whereabouts at all.

“The secret technique that Feng Juexing stole back then was a stealth technique called Fengmo Lingxu, which is also the strongest stealth technique in the world. It seems that he has learned this secret technique, otherwise his ability to conceal his breath would not be so powerful,” Jing Tuohai analyzed.

"How is it? Miss Yue, my strength is far greater than you imagine. What I have shown to the world is just the tip of the iceberg." Xiang Ying looked Yue Bairu up and down with burning eyes.

If he could gain the help of someone like You Songchuan, the Five Spirits Dao Saint, his strength would increase dramatically.

“The Overlord’s power is indeed profound, but you boast that your martial arts talent is unparalleled. I know that there are two people in this world who can compare to the Overlord. One is Han Qing, a genius from Shu, and the other is Ma Meng, the Demon Child who has recently become famous in Tongzhou,” Yue Bairu said with a smile.

"Hmph, Demon Child Mamon? He's nothing but a clown. He became a saint at the age of ten, but he's immature and his fame is just a flash in the pan. He's nothing to be afraid of!"

As for Han Qing, he's even more laughable. Whether this thief is a saint is another matter. If he were in front of me, I could crush him as easily as crushing an ant. Once this trip to Tongzhou is over, I will set about capturing and killing this thief!" Xiang Ying said with a contemptuous smile.

"Is that so? Xiang Ying, you have quite the nerve. I'm standing right in front of you now, and I'll see what you're capable of, how you plan to crush me with one hand."

Suddenly, Han Qing's voice echoed through the palace.

"Who?"

The Lord of Bihai Lake was the first to let out a low shout, his face darkening.

He never expected that someone could bypass so many guards and sneak into the core of the palace silently. Wasn't this a slap in his face?
Xiang Ying's gaze sharpened and fell on the suddenly appearing Han Qing. Before he could speak, the Lord of Bihai Lake shouted first, "How dare you! You dare to break into the Fire Rock Palace alone. You completely disregard me, the Lord of Bihai Lake."

"Death!"

In an instant, the Lord of the Azure Sea Lake made a fierce move. Wisps of flame appeared out of thin air inside the palace, instantly gathering into a giant azure fire serpent, several dozen feet long. It suddenly soared up and pounced towards Han Qing.

Xiang Ying looked at Han Qing with great interest. If Han Qing were only a half-saint, he would definitely not be able to withstand this move and would die instantly.

The fire serpent formed by the Lord of the Azure Sea Lake not only has scorching heat, but also fire poison. Even a saint would die suddenly if he were to come into contact with the fire poison, let alone a half-saint.
"What a vicious person! You're always trying to kill me. I'd like to see just how capable you are." Han Qing's face darkened, and a deep killing intent flashed in his eyes.

He flipped his palm, and suddenly the Sun and Moon Tide Fan appeared. He swung it forward, and the golden and silver light intertwined, like ocean waves, crashing forward and colliding violently with the poisonous fire serpent.

boom!
With a deafening roar, the two collided violently, and the venomous fire serpent was suddenly swallowed up, exploding in mid-air and turning into a rain of fire that scattered in all directions.

The golden and silver light surged forward for a distance, forcing the Lord of the Azure Lake to mobilize the power of the entire underground palace to extinguish the aftershocks.

He narrowed his eyes slightly; from this probing move, he already understood that the newcomer was a sage.

"He must have something to rely on to dare to break into my Fire Rock Palace alone. I'm not in a hurry to make a move against him." Many thoughts flashed through the mind of the Lord of Azure Sea Lake. He had lived for so long and was already cunning and shrewd. He never acted rashly.

At this moment, a terrifying aura erupted from Xiang Ying, who was standing to the side.

"Sun and Moon Tide Fan!!"

"This is a protective magic weapon I bestowed upon Sarina. What have you done to her?" Xiang Ying roared, standing up from his throne, his eyes sharp and fixed on Han Qing.

“Sarina is in my hands. Xiang Ying, if you have the ability, take her back from me!” Han Qing laughed.

"Fine, very well, Han Qing, I will grind you to dust!" Xiang Ying gritted her teeth, spitting out the words almost one word at a time, her eyes blazing with murderous intent.

"Death!"

Xiang Ying suddenly leaped into the air, reached out and grabbed a Manglong spear.

He took a step forward, using some mysterious footwork and escape technique, and his whole body flickered in the air. In an instant, he had rushed to within a hundred paces of Han Qing and thrust out with his spear.

Before the gun even arrived, a vast surge of martial arts essence erupted, instantly engulfing and swallowing Han Qing.

Han Qing felt as if a giant, primordial dragon was flying toward him, or as if his body had been pierced by a spear, and a strong sense of crisis filled his heart.

In that instant, Han Qing immediately made a decision.

With a thought, a cloud of malevolent mist billowed behind him, from which thousands of Yin soldiers flew out, instantly converging and coalescing in front of him to form a Yin spirit warrior.

"die!"

With a whoosh, the Yin Spirit Warrior transformed into a streak of light, brandishing his battle blade and slashing fiercely at Xiang Ying.

The spear and blade lights collided in mid-air, producing a loud roar, and both were annihilated at the same time.

The undying spirit's battle blade was repelled, and Xiang Ying immediately attacked, his spear thrusting forward with astonishing speed. (End of Chapter)