The First Sage of Military Strategists

Han Qing nodded slightly. After careful consideration, he felt that what Yan Qiuling said was correct.

"Qi Wufeng has just taken control of the Black Sparrow Alliance and his position is not yet secure. If he is caught off guard by these two, he could very well lose his life. This would plunge the Black Sparrow Alliance into chaos again and create many unpredictable events," Han Qing pondered.

"Husband, what do you plan to do? In my opinion, we should send a letter to the Black Sparrow Alliance. After all, it is a major martial arts holy land. As long as we are on guard in advance, it won't be so easy for Han Yi and his group to succeed," Yan Qiuling suggested.

Han Qing nodded slightly: "You're right, we can't underestimate the Black Sparrow Alliance."

As he spoke, he went back into the house and wrote a letter, which he then handed to Yue Jinbiao, asking him to send it to Tongzhou as quickly as possible.

...

late at night.

The manor was completely silent.

Han Qing thought everything would be peaceful after the Red Lotus Demoness left, but unexpectedly, someone else came knocking on his door again.

North of Zhuangzi, in a courtyard, an old man dressed in coarse cloth and short clothes paced back and forth, his eyes scanning, seemingly searching for something.

Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky.

"Sneaking around like that, thinking you can hide from me by disguising yourself as a woodcutter from the village? Tell me, who are you?"

The visitor was none other than Han Qing. Before falling asleep, he scanned the entire manor with his spiritual senses and suddenly discovered that this person was up to something.

Although he used a method of concealment, it wasn't very sophisticated, and given Han Qing's current strength, he easily saw through his disguise.

How could a woodcutter possess such a massive surge of vital energy? He's clearly a spy.

Upon seeing Han Qing's face, the old man was first taken aback, then let out a dry laugh.

"Young Master Han is indeed exceptionally skilled. I never imagined that even with the imperial palace's secret treasure and the Shadow Concealment Talisman to conceal my aura, I still couldn't hide from you."

As he spoke, his figure shifted, the light and shadow distorted, and he transformed into another person, dressed in a red robe with a sinister face—a eunuch from the imperial palace.

"People from the imperial court? You're well-informed. There must be others besides you. Come out here and let me see your methods," Han Qing said calmly.

He played a significant role in the struggle for control of the Black Sparrow Alliance in Tongzhou, and the imperial court must have received the news, so it's normal for them to send people to cause trouble.

His combat power has recently increased significantly, and he also wants to find someone to test his skills. In addition, he has the Eight Directions Puppet and the Yin-Yang Curse Seal, so he is very confident. Therefore, even if he is not defeated, he is fully confident that he can escape. He just wants to see who the court has sent to ambush and kill him this time.

"Young Master Han is indeed confident. Knowing that someone from our court has come, you remain so calm. Hand over the Eight Directions Puppet, and you can leave safely," the old man said with a sinister smile.

"Then you should just die!" Han Qing said in a deep voice.

This old man seems to be a tough nut to crack, unwilling to tell the truth. There's nothing more to say; just kill him, one at a time.

Han Qing immediately made his move, and it was a killing move; the Tenfold Yin-Yang Curse Seal struck directly at him.

"What? Ten levels!"

Yin Linghua was shocked; this was quite different from the intelligence.

He had thought he could put up a fight, but seeing this scene filled him with immense fear.

He erupted instantly, unleashing several moves, each a deadly weapon.

He first reached into his robes, then flung out a shower of flying needles gleaming with a chilling light. These were imperial treasures, known as the Frost Nether Flying Needles, possessing immense penetrating power and destructive force.

Then he drew his sword and slashed forward with a dazzling blade of light. Finally, he raised his hand and threw a punch forward, a punch named Heavenly Chill.

These three deadly moves simultaneously met the Yin-Yang Curse Seal. Accompanied by a series of earth-shattering roars, the Frost Needle was knocked away, the Flying Chain Blade was blasted away, and finally, the cold energy blasted out by the fist collapsed directly.

Extreme fear appeared in Yin Lingshui's eyes as she watched the Yin-Yang Curse Mark rapidly enlarge in her eyes, unable to dodge or resist it.

"How could this kid be so strong? The intelligence must be wrong!" Fear surged through Yin Lingshui's heart.

Just at this critical moment, a figure suddenly descended from the sky and instantly stood in front of Yin Lingshui. He raised his hand and threw a punch, and a vast martial arts intent surged from the fist, transforming into countless gods and Buddhas, each bound by chains, emitting silent wails.

This surge of martial arts essence collided violently with the Yin-Yang curse seal, creating a deafening roar throughout the world.

Yin Lingshui suddenly felt his body lighten, and the intense feeling of restraint disappeared without a trace. He immediately retreated and flashed out of the light field created by the Yin-Yang curse seal.

A look of surprise flashed in Han Qing's eyes. The ten layers of Yin-Yang Curse Seal were actually knocked back by a single punch. Han Yi's strength was indeed formidable.

However, when he scanned it with his spiritual sense, he could sense that although its strength was great, the oppressive force it exuded was not as strong as the Heavenly Serpent King he had encountered that day. This indicated that what had come was still an avatar, not the real body.

His spiritual power expanded outwards, covering a considerable area outside the manor, where he could vaguely sense another top expert hiding in the darkness.

Han Qing pondered that these people were probably on their way to Tongzhou to kill Qi Wufeng, but they learned of his whereabouts along the way and decided to ambush him.

Despite his turbulent thoughts, Han Qing remained remarkably calm.

This was the second time he had faced Han Yi, an enemy with whom he shared blood ties but with whom he had no father-son relationship.

Last time, he destroyed one of Han Yi's clones, but that clone was extremely weak. The one in front of him was obviously much stronger, and his strength was no longer what it used to be. A strong fighting spirit arose in his heart, and he wanted to fight Han Yi again and destroy his clone once more.

"You scoundrel! What are you trying to do? Assassinating a top imperial guard is a serious crime! Kneel down now!" Han Yi suddenly shouted, his voice booming like thunder.

"Han Yi, don't impose your own ideas on me. So what if Yin Lingshui? Kill her and that's it!" Han Qing said loudly.

"Outrageous! Under the law, justice prevails! All who stand in our way will perish! Han Qing, for your actions, I have no choice but to destroy you!" Han Yi's eyes were dark and filled with a vast killing intent.

"Hahaha! Han Yi, what nonsense! You're just an avatar. What do I have to fear? I am now a saint, completely different from how I was a few years ago!" Han Qing laughed.

"So what if you're a sage? Destroying you is still as easy as turning my hand!" Han Yi shouted.

"Then let's give it a try!!" Han Qing soared into the air, unleashing a surging aura.

However, it wasn't Han Yi who made the first move, but rather the top expert who was hiding in the shadows.

Han Qing felt something and suddenly looked up. A bright blade of light suddenly appeared in the void in front of him, transforming into a dazzling river of blades that descended from the sky with overwhelming momentum.

In that instant, Han Qing felt as if he were locked on. Before the blade even arrived, his body and soul felt as if they had been cut off a thousand times over.

Since entering the realm of half-saint, he has seen many top martial artists, and there are quite a few skilled in using the sword, but none of them can compare to the one in front of him.

"This sword technique has the shadow of the Cloud-Stilling Illusionary Wind Blade, but it is more fierce and more turbulent."

"The Crimson Lotus Demoness was right after all; the master hiding in the shadows is none other than the Military Sage Chen Liuyun!"

In an instant, his thoughts raced, but Han Qing's hands moved swiftly. A suit of demonic armor materialized on his body, and his battle blade merged with the demonic mist, transforming into a jet-black blade, its sharpness greatly increased. "Slash!"

Han Qing let out a low shout, raised his hand and slashed out with his sword. In an instant, the sword light surged like a tide and collided violently with the dazzling river of sword light.

Boom boom boom!
The sounds of clashing and annihilating blades echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

However, the blade light unleashed by Han Qing was ultimately no match for Chen Liuyun, and was annihilated and vanished completely.

That dazzling river of swords continued to surge forward, rushing towards us.

"What a powerful blade aura! No wonder he's a top martial artist who created such a wondrous sword technique as the Cloud-Leaving Illusionary Wind Blade." Han Qing thought to himself.

The next instant, a Yin-Yang seal flew out from between his brows, slamming forward and striking the surging blade light.

With a series of crackling sounds, the surging blade light immediately collapsed and dissipated.

Han Qing also saw the figure concealed behind the blade's edge: the military strategist, Chen Liuyun.

This person's feet were in mid-air, his face was distorted, and it was almost impossible to see his true appearance. He was dragging an extremely large battle blade in his hand, and his body was exuding a surging aura.

Han Qing did not sense any surge of magical power from him, which meant that this person was flying through the air using the power of the hidden aperture.

Chen Liuyun must have mobilized a large amount of hidden energy in that last strike.

"Liuyun Illusionary Wind Blade?" Chen Liuyun suddenly spoke, his gaze fixed on the blade in Han Qing's hand.

"Chen Liuyun, I didn't expect you to be alive. Not bad, this is indeed your Chen family's ancestral treasured sword!" Han Qing casually twirled the sword.

"My Chen family's treasured sword can only be used by descendants of my Chen family, that's one point. What you just used was my Chen family's secret technique, the Liuyun Illusionary Wind Blade. This is a technique that is not passed down. If an outsider learns it, his entire family will be exterminated, that's another point. For these two reasons alone, I will not let you leave today!" Chen Liuyun said in a deep voice.

"As expected, every top expert is absolutely confident in their own strength. You want to kill me? I'd like to see where your confidence comes from." Han Qing said calmly, without the slightest fear.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Liuyun moved, and with a whoosh, he transformed into a streak of light, charging straight towards Han Qing.

After experiencing firsthand the skill of this man's swordsmanship, Han Qing naturally decided against engaging him in close combat. Although he felt he might not lose, combat is not about showing off one's strengths; one must know how to play to one's strengths and avoid one's weaknesses.

With a whoosh, the Yin-Yang Curse Seal brought up a howling wind and waves, slamming fiercely towards the surging blade light unleashed by Chen Liuyun.

Rumble!
The blade's light collapsed once more, and the Yin-Yang Curse Seal shone brightly, transforming into a domain of light that enveloped Chen Liuyun, causing his figure to freeze.

However, Chen Liuyun was also extremely powerful. Although his actions were greatly affected, he did not completely lose his ability to act.

This palm strike shattered the blade's edge in front of him, and then moved forward to strike his body.

Although Chen Liuyun remained calm, he felt immense pressure. He hurriedly swung his sword to counterattack, unleashing dozens or even hundreds of consecutive slashes that formed a continuous, surging barrage of sword light. In this way, he finally managed to repel the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

Han Yi frowned slightly. He had thought that even if Chen Liuyun couldn't kill Han Qing quickly, he could at least suppress him. After all, Chen Liuyun was one of the three strongest martial saints in the Han court of the Great Yu Dynasty, and had already opened more than 300 acupoints.

The other two were himself and Meng Chong, the commander of the Divine Might Army.

The latter focuses on martial arts and does not cultivate the spirit and soul, and is recognized as the number one in the world on the path of martial arts.

With a thought flashing through his mind, Han Yi suddenly made his move. His figure flashed, and his speed increased to the extreme. He shot straight into the sky, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.

Han Qing was already on guard. A flash of eerie light appeared, and the Eight Directions Puppet material materialized out of thin air and soared out in a flash.

Two dark figures sped forward and collided violently in mid-air at an astonishing speed.

boom!
A loud bang was followed by a series of booming sounds.

Han Yi and Bafang Kui engaged in a fierce battle in the air, exchanging blows with their fists and palms. Their figures flashed and they flew like lightning, leaving afterimages everywhere in the air.

Whether it's the Eight Directions Puppet or Han Yi, every punch and palm strike contains immense power, capable of causing mountains to collapse and rivers to flow backward.

In the blink of an eye, Han Yi had already fought the Eight Directions Puppet hundreds of times.

Han Yi frowned. Every time he struck the Eight Directions Puppet, a tremendous force rebounded, leaving the puppet unharmed. The sturdiness of its body was truly unimaginable.

"We can't get too entangled with this Eight Directions Puppet. If we want to win, we have to start with that little beast himself!" A thought flashed through Han Yi's mind, and he quickly adjusted his tactics.

Suddenly, his body flashed, creating a series of afterimages that flew rapidly in all directions.

For a moment, the Eight Directions Puppet couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion. He raised his hand to slap the shadow in front of him, but unexpectedly, his fist passed right through it.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Han Yi himself suddenly bypassed the Eight Directions Puppet and rushed straight at Han Qing.

Han Qing also felt a surge of murderous intent rushing towards him.

With a thought, his magical powers converged, and a giant dragon of poisonous fire suddenly appeared before him, soaring forward and crashing fiercely into Han Yi.

Han Yi threw a punch, his fist flashing with sharpness, and collided violently with the giant dragon of poisonous fire.

boom!
A deafening roar filled the heavens and earth as the giant dragon of poisonous fire exploded in mid-air, transforming into wisps of fire that rained down from the sky, like a chaotic rain of fire.

"Can't stop it!"

With a thought, Han Qing saw Han Yi leap out from the raging flames and rush towards him at an even faster speed, raising his hand to deliver another punch.

Han Qing also threw a punch. After this period of training, he had successfully opened sixty-five hidden acupoints. Of course, this was nothing compared to Han Yi.

Besides this hidden power, there was also a surging power of magical intent on the fist. The two combined and collided violently with Han Yi's fist.

Two forces of fear clashed, creating ripples emanating from the point of contact between their fists, stirring up a storm across the heavens and earth.

Han Yi swayed but didn't retreat a step, while Han Qing felt an overwhelming force surge forward like a tidal wave, crashing into his body and causing him to drift uncontrollably backward.

"What terrifying power! I wonder how much of Han Yi's original power this clone possesses. If this punch were to hit an ordinary Saint of the Incense Realm, his body would probably explode into a cloud of blood mist in no time."

"With my current strength, it's still too much for me to face two top experts like Chen Liuyun and Han Yi at the same time!"

After this exchange, Han Qing realized that he would have a hard time winning this battle. The two of them were too powerful when they joined forces, and he estimated that only experts at the level of leaders of holy lands could deal with them.

"go!"

Han Qing turned and left, his body flashing as he disappeared into the Boundless Monument. At the same time, the Eight Directions Puppet and the Yin-Yang Curse Seal merged into one, suddenly bursting out with an astonishing speed. With a whoosh, he grabbed the Boundless Monument and flew away into the distance.

"Want to leave? Do you think you can?"

Han Yi sneered, about to give chase, when suddenly, sensing something, he abruptly looked up at the sky. He first saw a point of crimson light, which then rapidly expanded, transforming into a red lotus that shot towards him at astonishing speed. (End of Chapter)