The First Sage of Military Strategists

Brush brush!
In the blink of an eye, the shadows of the spears intertwined to form a large net, instantly enveloping the Yin Spirit Warrior. The latter swung his sword to try to block, but he couldn't stop it at all.

The Yin Spirit Warrior was immediately pierced through by the spear, leaving no less than twenty empty "holes" in just a moment.

The remnants of spear light still lingered within these holes. At a certain moment, this power suddenly erupted, and the terrifying force instantly tore apart the body of the Yin Spirit Warrior, turning it into a cloud of black mist that dissipated into the world.

Having landed a successful blow, Xiang Ying immediately advanced, thrusting his spear repeatedly, the dense spear shadows transforming into a large net that enveloped Han Qing.

This seemingly ordinary attack actually contains astonishing destructive power. Its power can be seen from the fact that it can kill the Yin Spirit Warrior in an instant. If an ordinary Saint of the Incense Realm is accidentally stabbed, he will be seriously injured even if he does not die.

Han Qing flipped his palm, and the Buddhist Sound Bone Scripture appeared. This was both a treasured manual of the Great Vajra Temple, containing a large number of Buddhist secret techniques, and a protective magic weapon.

As a massive amount of Buddhist chanting poured into the Buddhist scripture, the latter shone brightly, and strands of Buddhist light suddenly intertwined to form a shield, blocking all of Xiang Ying's attacks.

"Um?"

Xiang Ying frowned and suddenly intensified his attack. His spear was like a shadow, extremely sharp and fierce, faster and more ferocious than before.

Bang bang bang!
The spear's rays fell like a torrential rain of pear blossoms, striking the layer of Buddha's light shield with frenzied force. The shield trembled violently, its light dimmed rapidly, and ripples spread out in concentric circles.

"Buddha's Sound Bone Scripture? Hmph, my battle prowess is unparalleled, this magic treasure can't protect you!" Xiang Ying sneered.

Han Qing remained silent, then changed his moves again. A golden light shot out from his body, revealing a precious umbrella radiating Buddhist light.

"open!"

With a low shout, the precious umbrella suddenly opened, and a massive amount of golden light surged out from it, instantly spreading out and transforming into a field of light that enveloped Xiang Ying.

Then, a Sun and Moon Tide Fan appeared in Han Qing's left hand, and he suddenly swung it forward.

The front of the fan emitted rays of sunlight and moonlight, rushing forward like ocean waves and launching a fierce attack on Xiang Ying.

The combination of these two means that the attack can be launched in an instant. Xiang Ying tried to dodge, but his body was immobilized by the Zen-Standing Umbrella, and it was too late.

"die!"

With a low shout, Han Qing caused the light of the sun and moon to immediately engulf Xiang Ying.

The power of this magic weapon in Han Qing's hands was much greater than in Xiang Ying's hands. When he swung it, the entire sky seemed to shimmer with golden and silver light.

Not far away, the Lord of the Azure Lake and the others did not make a move. Seeing this scene and feeling the breathtaking power surging within, they were filled with apprehension.

However, amidst the radiance of the sun and moon, Xiang Ying's arrogant laughter suddenly rang out.

"Well done, Han Qing. I never imagined you possessed so many treasures. Perfect, I'll kill you, and all these treasures will be mine."

With this burst of laughter, Xiang Ying's figure suddenly transformed into a streak of light, soaring upwards at high speed, breaking free from the coverage of the sun, moon, and tides.

Everyone looked up and saw that Xiang Ying was now covered in a grayish-white, ferocious bone armor, with numerous pale bone spikes faintly visible on its surface.

"This is the Dragon Devouring the Sky Armor, my innate spirit armor, with astonishing defensive power. This so-called Sun and Moon Flowing Light seems to have amazing destructive power, but it is actually useless against me. Even if I stand here and let you make a move, you still can't do anything to me!" Xiang Ying laughed.

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes flashed with a hint of jealousy and envy.

With a sweep of their spiritual senses, they could all sense that the armor contained a vast spiritual energy, making it indeed an unparalleled treasure.

Legend has it that when Xiang Ying was born, this spear and armor were already hidden within his body. When he turned eighteen, the spear and armor awakened simultaneously, providing him with powerful combat capabilities.

This is what they call comparing people; it's infuriating. Many people fight tooth and nail for a single powerful magic weapon, but Xiang Ying was born with two powerful magic weapons, making him completely incomparable.

To everyone's surprise, Xiang Ying suddenly transformed into a streak of light and charged towards Han Qing.

"die!"

He thrust his spear forward, about to stab Han Qing in the head.

Suddenly, a dark figure blocked his way and threw a punch.

Xiang Ying was shocked and hurriedly parried with his gun, but he was a beat too slow.

The fist landed on Xiang Ying's chest. With a loud bang and a tremendous shockwave, Xiang Ying was blasted away and crashed to the ground, creating a large crater. The ground trembled and dust billowed up.

"Ok?"

"What's this?"

"How did Xiang Ying get blasted away?"

Everyone thought Xiang Ying had the situation under control and that Han Qing would be easily defeated, but unexpectedly, the situation completely reversed in an instant, and Xiang Ying was beaten so badly.

"It's the Eight Directions Puppet! How did you end up with this Mo family's most precious puppet?"

The Lord of the Azure Sea Lake was an old monster who had cultivated for three hundred years. He was knowledgeable and experienced. Upon seeing this situation, his eyes suddenly gleamed.

Upon hearing this, everyone looked enlightened.

This puppet is said to possess combat power comparable to a Martial Saint with a hundred apertures, with immense strength capable of destroying mountains and shaking seas. Its body is extremely sturdy, so it is not surprising that Xiang Ying was suddenly blasted away.

"You stole my Eight Directions Puppet!"

Inside the pit, Xiang Ying suddenly let out a thunderous roar, his words filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

With a whoosh, Xiang Ying transformed into a streak of light and rose into the air, his gaze fixed on the puppets in all directions.

In that instant, his hatred for Han Qing rose to a new level.

"die!"

With a whoosh, Xiang Ying charged out again. Although the punch he had just received had damaged his internal organs to some extent, it had not completely rendered him unable to fight.

Han Qing also controlled the Eight Directions Puppet to charge towards it. The two figures collided suddenly in mid-air, creating a deafening roar.

The Eight Directions Puppet uses its fists as its blades, which can withstand Xiang Ying's Manglong Spear. Moreover, both of them are extremely fast, and they exchanged blows dozens of times in the air in the blink of an eye.

With each fierce exchange, Xiang Ying's expression turned quite grim.

The Eight Directions Puppet has no sense of pain, is unafraid of life and death, and is fearless; it simply charges forward relentlessly.

With each clash, a terrifying force was transmitted through the gun into his body, causing his vital energy to be rapidly depleted.

If the fight continued like this, Xiang Ying had a premonition that his blood and energy would be depleted, his body would become weaker and weaker, and he would eventually be defeated.

"What are you all standing there for? Make your move!" Xiang Ying shouted.

Han Qing sneered coldly, "Oh? You pride yourself on your strength, so why do you need help from others to deal with me?"

Xiang Ying laughed loudly: "Han Qing, if it weren't for the puppets from all directions interfering, killing you would be as easy as turning my hand!"

Upon hearing Xiang Ying's words, the others around him stopped watching and each of them unleashed a fierce aura, preparing to use their magic to join forces with Xiang Ying to attack Han Qing.

"So what if you join forces? Xiang Ying, you'll still die!"

Han Qing sneered, and suddenly a Yin-Yang curse mark flew out from between his eyebrows. With a whoosh, the curse mark transformed into a stream of light and flew into the body of the Eight Directions Puppet. The two merged into one, greatly increasing the Eight Directions Puppet's combat power.

Whoosh whoosh!
His figure flickered erratically, making it difficult even for Xiang Ying to catch a glimpse of him. In just one exchange, Xiang Ying was struck in the chest by a powerful punch. The force of the punch sent him flying, crashing to the ground and creating a large crater, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Then, the Eight Directions Puppet flashed and suddenly appeared in front of Jing Tuohai. Although everyone present was in a fighting stance, most of them were just pretending and did not actually take action. Only Jing Tuohai actually made a move.

Han Qing could sense the surging killing intent emanating from him, and naturally would not spare his life.

When the Eight Directions Puppet suddenly appeared in front of him, Jing Tuohai was first startled, and then his face showed fear.

He was enveloped by the light field emanating from the Yin-Yang Curse Seal, rendering him completely immobile. Then he could only watch helplessly as the Eight Directions Puppet's fist slammed into his body.

With a shrill scream, Jing Tuohai's body suddenly exploded, turning into a cloud of blood mist that drifted between heaven and earth.

As soon as Jing Tuohai's soul appeared, it was swallowed by a wisp of dark light and sucked into the space inside the Boundless Monument.

This scene startled everyone else, who quickly retreated.

The first to choose a place to escape was Xiang Ying. He suddenly rose from the ground, smashed through the roof of the underground palace, and transformed into a streak of light, rapidly ascending into the air to escape.

The others also took flight and scattered in all directions.

The combined power of the Eight Directions Puppet and the Yin-Yang Curse Seal was truly terrifying, and no one could help but feel fear.

"Want to go?"

Han Qing was about to give chase with his Eight Directions Puppet when suddenly light and shadow twisted behind him, and a figure appeared out of thin air. A sharp sword, carrying a cold, sharp light, stabbed fiercely into his back.

"Ok?"

A strange light flashed in Han Qing's eyes. He hadn't even noticed that there was such a person in the palace. His ability to hide and conceal himself was truly terrifying.

The one who made the move was naturally Venerable Fengxing. The Eight Directions Puppet was incredibly terrifying, but if it could kill Han Qing in one strike, then the Eight Directions Puppet would be useless no matter how strong it was.

However, the moment the sword was drawn, a cloud of energy suddenly rose from Han Qing's body, and his speed increased dramatically. In a flash, he transformed into a streak of light and flew away into the distance, causing the sword strike to miss its mark.

The Eight Directions Puppet and the Yin-Yang Curse Seal suddenly separated. The former rose from the ground and shot straight into the sky at an astonishing speed, chasing after Xiang Ying. The Yin-Yang Curse Seal transformed into a giant hand of colorful light, which turned around and slapped towards Venerable Fengxing.

The latter was immediately struck, spitting out a mouthful of blood, flying backward and crashing to the ground, creating a large crater.

Then, the colorful hand reached out and grabbed him, directly into its palm. Venerable Fengxing struggled desperately, but was completely unable to break free.

At a certain moment, a faint light flashed, and its figure was directly swallowed up and absorbed into the space inside the Boundless Monument.

Then, Han Qing withdrew the Yin-Yang Seal, empowered himself, and his speed increased dramatically. He also flew upwards at high speed, chasing after the direction where Xiang Ying had disappeared.

In just a few breaths, he had already rushed out of the Blue Sea Lake and arrived in the outside world.

Xiang Ying was fleeing into the distance, but his speed was not too fast. Han Qing quickly calculated in his mind that as long as he was fast enough, he could easily catch up with him.

Just then, the situation changed again. Above Xiang Ying, under the sky, clouds churned, and a huge figure appeared out of thin air. It was a giant mechanical puppet, the Vermilion Bird Giant Spirit.

"Xiang Ying, come up here, I'll take you away!"

Lin Motong was standing on the back of the Vermilion Bird Giant Spirit, with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping back and forth, landing on the Eight Directions Puppet and Han Qing beside him.

Upon seeing the Vermilion Bird Giant, Xiang Ying was overjoyed. He soared upwards at lightning speed and landed on the back of the Vermilion Bird Giant, letting out a slight sigh of relief.

Lin Motong said loudly, "Han Qing, every time we meet you, I am surprised. I never thought that my Mo family's treasure, the Eight Directions Puppet, would fall into your hands."

"Oh? Is Young Master Lin going to take it back?" Han Qing asked with a smile.

Lin Motong shook his head: "You were able to retrieve this treasure, that's your skill, it has nothing to do with me."

"go!"

After saying that, Lin Motong had no intention of staying any longer. The Vermilion Bird Giant Spirit suddenly flapped its wings, stirring up a storm, and its whole body soared into the sky in a flash, becoming a streak of light that shot straight into the clouds. Its speed was even faster than that of the Eight Directions Puppet, which was blessed with the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

Han Qing originally wanted to intercept and kill him, but in the blink of an eye, the other party disappeared without a trace, and he couldn't catch up with him, so he had to give up.

"With the Mo family as a powerful force behind me, killing him is indeed not an easy task," Han Qing pondered.

However, he was not discouraged when he missed the opportunity this time, believing that there would be another chance in the future.

At this moment, Xiang Ying left, but many other experts remained.

With a thought, Han Qing first controlled the Eight Directions Puppet to chase after the direction where Xiang Ying disappeared at high speed, while he himself, carrying the Yin-Yang Curse Seal, flashed and blocked Yue Bairu, who wanted to fly away.

“Young Master Han is truly a peerless genius with unparalleled combat prowess. Why make things difficult for this humble woman? Why not let me off the hook?” Yue Bairu said softly, remaining calm.

"Yue Bairu, you are an enemy, not a friend. Now that you're in my hands, you can leave if you want, but you'll have to show enough sincerity." Han Qing said loudly, his hands behind his back.

"What does the young master desire?" Yue Bairu asked.

"The secret techniques of the Path of Vertical and Horizontal Strategies," Han Qing said loudly.

“This humble woman does know a few secret techniques, but these are secrets that the Dao Palace does not pass on. If they are leaked, my master will certainly not forgive me. Young master’s request is too unreasonable. Why not choose another one?” Yue Bairu shook her head.

"Then don't leave."

Just as Han Qing was about to make a move, he suddenly frowned. He saw a colorful road suddenly appear in the distance, and a figure stepped on this road and flew over at high speed, appearing behind Yue Bairu in an instant.

Han Qing glanced at the man and saw that he was dressed in a straw raincoat and cloak, carrying a fishing rod and a fish basket. He had a simple and honest demeanor and looked like a fisherman at first glance, but Han Qing did not dare to underestimate him.

He could clearly sense that the old man was radiating a powerful aura; his so-called simplicity was merely a facade.

"Could you perhaps be the current Palace Master of the Zongheng Dao Palace?" Han Qing pondered for a moment before voicing his guess.

The old man smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“Indeed, this is my precious disciple. I beg Young Master Han to show mercy and let her go.”

"Letting her go isn't impossible, but please give me a reason, sir," Han Qing said loudly.

"Reason?" the old man chuckled. "Consider it as giving me face and establishing a good relationship. This wicked fellow is unruly. If Young Master Han needs any help in the future, he can always ask me for assistance."

"I see that the old gentleman is a kind and trustworthy person, so I agree. You can take Yuebai with you. From this day forward, our grudges will be wiped clean!" Han Qing said.

After witnessing the strength of the Sirius King, Han Qing gained a better understanding of the strength of the leaders of these martial arts holy lands.

Although the Zongheng Dao Palace is not one of the six great holy lands, it is second only to them, and many people call it the seventh great holy land.

Han Qing did not want to become mortal enemies unless absolutely necessary.

Although he and Yue Bairu had some past grievances, they weren't serious enough to be considered blood feuds. It would be better to take a step back, resolve their differences, and gain a friend instead of an enemy.

Upon hearing this, the old man laughed heartily: "Young Master Han is indeed a reasonable person. In that case, I shall take my leave."

"Bai Ru, let's go!"

"Yes, master!"

As he spoke, the old man waved his hand, and an ancient array diagram, tinged with a burnt yellow, flew out from his sleeve. The array patterns on the diagram shimmered with light, then suddenly transformed into a whirlwind, sweeping away the moonlit night in an instant. (End of Chapter)