The First Sage of Military Strategists

"Compared to the ninth level, the power of the tenth level has doubled!" Han Qingjing sensed it for a while and made a judgment.

He then activated his magic technique and stored the ten-fold Yin-Yang seal between his eyebrows.

Finally, he didn't spare Jing Tuohai's soul either, smashing it with a single punch and gathering the magical energy into his own soul.

Thus, numerous thoughts of Dharma formed three great divine soul pearls, which together constituted a vast power of Dharma thoughts.

"If I refine all these magical thoughts, my strength will surely reach a new level, and breaking through to the second realm of incense offering will be a piece of cake."

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then immediately began absorbing the three divine soul pearls.

Strands of magical thoughts were drawn from the precious pearl, flying into his body and being guided upwards at high speed, falling into the spirit temple and merging with the magical thoughts within it, causing his soul to grow rapidly.

Last time, he fused with the Dharma thoughts from the Wonderful Sound Child. Today, he has spent a lot of time refining the numerous Dharma thoughts he has absorbed from the outside world to a pure and unified strength. Therefore, he can now absorb the thoughts of others again.

As time went by, more and more magical thoughts were absorbed. In the Spirit Temple, the number of Han Qing's magical thoughts became much larger in a very short period of time. Correspondingly, the strength of these newly acquired magical thoughts was too low, not as good as the old pure magical thoughts. Therefore, the two merged, and the overall strength continued to decline.

Han Qingjing quietly sensed the changes in the divine soul and spiritual thoughts within the spirit temple.

At a certain point, when the overall intensity of his spiritual power dropped to a certain level and his soul felt a sense of loss of control and collapse, Han Qing chose to stop.

“If I continue absorbing this, my soul risks going out of control, and my combat power will decrease. It’s time to stop,” Han Qingxin thought.

These newly absorbed thoughts are actually considered distracting thoughts, carrying various strong emotions, and are easily influenced by other thoughts.

Saints in the Incense Realm can resist the emotions emanating from distracting thoughts and avoid losing control, but there are limits. Even Han Qing cannot endlessly absorb the thoughts of others.

Han Qing then calmly sensed the changes in his body. His soul had indeed grown stronger, but it had entered a state of being large but not strong. It was like a person whose body size had become large, but with too much "fat," making him look bloated and his movements more sluggish, thus reducing his combat power.

"In the coming period, as long as I refine all my distracting thoughts into pure Dharma thoughts, the overall strength of my Dharma thoughts will increase, and my combat power will also become stronger. At that time, I should have enough strength to break through and open the second Heavenly Gate." Han Qing had a clear plan in mind.

He glanced at it, and in his palm, he had absorbed all the magical thoughts from Jing Tuohai and Venerable Fengxing, but a considerable portion of the magical thoughts from the Lord of Bihai Lake remained.

Han Qing took away the soul pearl of the Lord of the Azure Sea Lake, and with a thought, soul points flickered before the Seven Killings Stele, one of which came from Venerable Windwalker.

Han Qing was most interested in this one Dharma thought; the escape technique of Venerable Fengxing had left a very deep impression on him.

He immediately absorbed the soul light point from Venerable Windwalker, and a large amount of information appeared before him.

He quickly found the escape technique that interested him the most, Wind Demon Soaring Through the Void, also known as Wind Travel Escape Technique.

"I see. This is one of the most exquisite escape techniques of the Black Sparrow Alliance. Its speed is average, but its strength lies in concealing one's aura. It is one of the strongest aura-concealing techniques in the world." Han Qing immediately inherited this technique and also learned a close-combat assassination technique called Instant Shadow Strike.

Before long, the two secret techniques had been fully inherited.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, and with a thought, he activated the first secret technique, Wind Demon Soaring Through the Void, which is also known as the Wind Travel Escape Technique.

In an instant, the light and shadow around him twisted and he vanished from his spot.

"What an amazing escape technique! It gives you a feeling of being completely integrated with the world," Han Qing exclaimed in surprise.

When he used other escape techniques, he could feel resistance from the world and from all directions, but after using this escape technique, the resistance disappeared, as if he had become a part of the world.

"No wonder I couldn't detect Venerable Fengxing even when he was right next to me. This escape technique can completely block the detection of magical thoughts. If Venerable Fengxing doesn't show himself, I'm afraid he will never be discovered," Han Qing thought to himself.

"Let's try this Instant Shadow Strike again!"

Han Qing emerged from this special state, and with a thought, he unleashed another secret technique. The shadow beneath him twisted, and with a whoosh, a clone shot out, instantly appearing a thousand paces away under a lush locust tree. The clone stood upright, transforming into another Han Qing, but his body and face were blurred, only outlines remained, without a clearer face.

"cut!"

Suddenly, the shadow unleashed a slash—the Phantom Wind Blade—its blade flashing like a tide, instantly shredding the tall locust tree into dust.

However, after using this move, the shadow clone also dissipated into the air.

"I can only use one move, and this move contains almost all of my power. Its advantage lies in its secrecy and its surprise," Han Qing thought to himself. "It might play a big role at a crucial moment."

Han Qing stood up and flew out of the pavilion, took a deep breath, and adjusted his state to a new peak.

"Having absorbed a large amount of magical energy and learned several powerful secret techniques, my combat strength has become even greater."

“However, that’s not enough. Only when I can defeat a master of the level of the Sirius King in a head-on confrontation can I truly stand at the pinnacle of this world,” Han Qingxin thought to himself.

As he pondered, he flipped his palm over, and a pearl radiating a gentle, clear light appeared in his hand. This pearl was formed from the remaining magical thoughts of the Lord of the Azure Sea Lake.

"My divine soul has expanded to a certain extent, and I can no longer absorb more magical energy. The remaining magical energy cannot be stored and will dissipate over time. I need to absorb and utilize it as soon as possible," Han Qingxin said.

As he pondered, a faint light rose from his body, and he appeared inside the Boundless Monument.

The inner space center courtyard is crowded with people.

Some of them were Han Qing's confidants, including Lin Yueqiu, Yue Xiaobiao, and Liu Xiaofeng.

Some were prisoners, including Sarina and Xiang Yunfeng.

Han Qing ignored Sarina and her group, and instead stepped forward to stand in front of Yan Qiuling and the others.

He suddenly crushed the Clear Light Pearl in his hand. With a muffled bang, the pearl exploded, turning into countless specks of light that flew down.

"Don't resist, I'll grant you a great fortune!"

Han Qing said loudly, and under his guidance, the light spots split into more than a dozen streams, each heading towards a different martial artist present.

Among them, the number of light spots flying towards Yan Qiuling and Zhou Xiaoru was the largest and the most numerous.

The others were allocated according to their strength; the stronger they were, the more soul points they received.

In an instant, the dozen or so people had merged with these dozen or so points of soul light.

Everyone felt an extremely pleasant and joyful feeling, because their souls were being nourished and were growing rapidly.

Although one cannot refine and absorb incense and the thoughts of others without entering the Incense Realm, Han Qing can purify these thoughts into a pure spiritual power and then inject them into people's bodies to strengthen their spiritual power.

This kind of growth will not improve one's realm, but it will obviously increase one's combat power, just as if a person has gained a powerful force out of thin air.

Seeing this, Xiang Yunfeng and the others standing nearby were filled with envy.

They were knowledgeable and immediately recognized that the pearl in Han Qing's hand was formed from the spiritual energy of a high-level cultivator.

This substance was extremely precious, yet Han Qing was willing to share it with those around him—an act of extraordinary generosity, a treatment they had never received from Xiang Ying. After a while, everyone finished absorbing it, their faces beaming with joy. They could clearly feel their divine souls significantly strengthened and their combat power greatly enhanced.

"Thank you, young master!"

"Young master is so generous, it is a blessing we have accumulated over eight lifetimes to be able to follow you!"

"I would gladly give my life for you, my lord!"

...

Everyone spoke up, expressing their immense gratitude towards Han Qing.

Han Qing shook his head and said loudly, "Since you have followed me, I will certainly not treat you unfairly. This is just the beginning. There will be more opportunities and more benefits in the future."

After speaking, he glanced around and his gaze fell on Sarina and the others standing to the side.

Sarina had lost her former arrogance. She looked at Han Qing with indifference and felt a deep fear in her eyes when she saw Yan Qiuling standing to the side.

"Well? After being locked up in the Boundless Monument for so many days, have you thought it through?"

"Don't expect Xiang Ying to save you. I fought a great battle with him in Tongzhou before. Xiang Ying fled in a sorry state. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of the Mo family's Vermilion Bird Giant Spirit to rescue him, he would be a corpse by now." Han Qing said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Sarina and the others all showed varying degrees of surprise on their faces.

Han Qing took in the changes in everyone's expressions and laughed, "What? Don't you believe it? In your eyes, isn't Xiang Ying invincible? Especially since he can't possibly lose to a rising star like me, because in your eyes, his martial arts talent is unparalleled and he is a person with great fortune. Hmph, now, open your eyes and I'll let you see whether it's true or not."

As Han Qing spoke, he suddenly opened his palm, and a pearl emitting a clear light appeared in his palm. Many images rose and fell within it, recording the process of his fight with Xiang Ying.

When they saw Xiang Ying soar onto the Vermilion Bird Giant Spirit and flee in a sorry state, Xiang Yunfeng and the others' beliefs completely collapsed.

"Impossible, this can't be, it must be fake!"

The most vehement reaction came from Sarina, whom Han Qing had just been referring to. She was the only one who firmly believed that Xiang Ying was invincible.

“Sarina, you can deceive yourself, but this is reality, this is the truth. Now, I’m giving you one last chance: death or submission to me?” Han Qing said loudly.

"I am willing to serve you, young master!" Xiang Yunfeng was the first to bow his head.

He refused to back down before because he thought Xiang Ying was stronger and that Han Qing would be easily killed, thus saving them.

However, Xiang Ying's combat strength is now inferior to Han Qing's, so the hope of being saved is extremely slim. Moreover, Han Qing is younger and has more potential than Xiang Ying, and he is also generous to those around him. Joining forces with Xiang Ying might not be a bad choice.

With Xiang Yunfeng taking the lead, the others also chose to bow their heads. Even Sarina hesitated for a while before giving up her resistance.

"I am also willing to follow you, young master!"

"That's right, everyone, rest assured. As long as you are willing to work for me sincerely, I will certainly not treat you unfairly," Han Qing said slowly. "However, if anyone dares to betray me, I will never show mercy and will make him disappear into thin air."

"Rest assured, young master, we will do our utmost!" Xiang Yunfeng said loudly.

"Yes, we would never dare to betray our young master!" the others echoed.

"Sarina, you must know a lot of detailed information about Chu and the Marquis of Champion. Write it down and give it to Mr. Zhou. Mr. Zhou, please organize it and give it to me," Han Qing instructed.

“Okay.” Zhou Xiaoru nodded slightly.

Han Qing turned and left the inner space.

into the night.

The moon was bright and the stars were few; a night breeze was blowing across the sky.

Han Qing sat in an attic, his eyes slightly closed, calmly refining his magical thoughts.

"Um?"

At one moment, he sensed something and suddenly opened his eyes, looking out the window. He saw a red dot of light appear in the night sky. At first, it was quite faint, and the light flickered. In the next instant, the dot of light suddenly enlarged and flew towards the courtyard at an extremely fast speed.

"Who's there? Stop right there!"

Han Qing frowned. He could sense that the flame contained a terrifying power. If it were to fall to the ground and explode, it would probably level the entire manor.

So he took a step forward and soared above the manor, with billowing evil mist behind him. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike at any moment.

"Is this the Red Lotus Karmic Fire?"

Han Qing whispered that this flame was even larger and more terrifying than the one Yan Qiuling had condensed before.

A person immediately popped into his mind.

"Could you perhaps be the Red Lotus Demoness?" Han Qing asked in a loud voice.

"Hehe, is Yan Qiuling with you?" A girl's voice echoed in the air.

"Indeed, Yan Qiuling is my Daoist partner. If you have come here seeking revenge, I, Han, will accompany you to the end. If you have other matters to discuss, please put away your flames and come with me into the manor for a chat!" Han Qing said loudly.

"Seeking revenge? I am a member of the demon race. Yan Qiuling is the strongest among the younger generation of my demon race. I will not kill him. I just happened to be passing by and came to take a look, and also to see if you, this peerless genius, have real skills or are just all talk." The Red Lotus Demoness chuckled.

"Oh, so do you understand now?" Han Qing asked with a smile.

"Not bad, not bad, you have some ability. We'll meet again in the future! By the way, there's something I need to tell you. The imperial court wants to kill Qi Wufeng and has already dispatched Han Yi's clone and Chen Liuyun to Tongzhou."

As he spoke, a sliver of light flew out from the crimson lotus karmic fire and landed between Han Qing's eyebrows, causing a flood of information to appear in his mind.

"Hehe! Let's go!"

The next instant, the ball of flame soared into the sky, disappeared into the starry sky, and vanished without a trace.

Han Qing landed, and Yan Qiuling, having heard the commotion, flew out from the pavilion and landed in front of him. Seeing his furrowed brows, she knew something was wrong and asked with concern, "What happened? Was that the Red Lotus Demoness just now?"

"Indeed, this Crimson Lotus Demoness is said to be cruel and bloodthirsty. I wonder if that's true?"

As he spoke, Han Qing pointed, and a wisp of condensed light flew from his fingertip, landing between Yan Qiuling's eyebrows. Immediately, a large amount of information appeared in the latter's mind, which was exactly what the Red Lotus Demoness had given her before.

Yan Qiuling quickly processed this information and immediately understood what Han Qing was worried about.

"The Crimson Lotus Demoness is the most powerful member of our demon race in the last five hundred years. Her combat strength is at the level of a holy land leader. Her personality is eccentric and unpredictable. However, she must be full of hostility towards the Great Yu Dynasty. After all, the Crimson Lotus Sect was destroyed because of the Great Yu Dynasty, and she was also seriously injured and has been hiding her identity for so many years. Therefore, I judge that this news is true. She wants to use you to prevent the Dynasty from taking control of the Black Sparrow Alliance." (End of this chapter)