The First Sage of Military Strategists

"Opening the fourth Heavenly Gate is extremely difficult. No matter how strong you are, there is a high chance that you will be stuck and unable to pass this level."

"Breakthroughs in the heat of battle are something mysterious and have little to do with comprehension or talent."

"If I didn't have the Seven Killings Tablet, this thing seems to transcend the Heavenly Dao of this world, cannot be copied, and could not easily pass through the fourth Heavenly Gate." Han Qing felt the changes in his body while reviewing the battle in his mind.

The four heavenly gates have blocked countless powerful figures throughout history.

As time slowly passed, Han Qing sat cross-legged in the void before the gate of the fourth heaven, patiently waiting for his Dharma thoughts to transform.

This transformation was more drastic, and therefore took longer.

Under the Heavenly Tribulation, all magical treasures will lose their effectiveness, including the Boundless Stele.

He tried to channel his spiritual energy into the Boundless Stele in an attempt to communicate with it, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea – completely useless. Therefore, he was unable to enter the space inside the Boundless Stele.

However, the space in front of the Fourth Heaven Gate was extremely safe, so he wasn't worried that anyone would break in.

He closed his eyes slightly, and within the temple, Fa Nian's soul was undergoing a dramatic transformation.

Previously, the statue in the temple was blurry, but now, strands of divine thoughts, imbued with golden light, suddenly converged and condensed into a golden statue, making it incredibly clear and real.

With a thought, Han Qing sent out a golden statue from between his eyebrows, which transformed into a giant above his head.

Its appearance is exactly the same as Han Qing's original self, but compared to before, it has a more solid feel.

"The soul of a Golden Body Realm cultivator has become more robust, and has the ability to fight the physical body head-on."

In the past, although the soul and the body could fight each other to some extent, it was ultimately too fragile and could be easily broken apart.

However, once the soul transforms into gold, its sturdiness increases dramatically, becoming as indestructible as diamond, making it ten or even a hundred times more difficult to break apart.

"The soul of the Golden Body Realm can exist independently of the body for a long time and can be resurrected continuously."

"Even if the body and soul perish at the same time, as long as there are believers, there will be faith. When the number of believers reaches a certain level, the soul will be re-formed."

"Therefore, there are rumors that faith is immortal and saints are immortal, referring to saints above the Golden Body Realm."

"Throughout the world, only a few sages can reach this level."

Han Qing manipulated his soul to wander in the surrounding void for a while, and then, with a whoosh, his soul flew back to his brow.

Thus, the transformation is complete.

Han Qing stood up and could feel an even more powerful surge of magical energy. Each strand of magical energy shone with a pale golden light, and its intensity was many times stronger than that of the third realm of incense offering.

"Now, if I were to face the Sirius King again, I wouldn't be able to win, but at least I wouldn't be completely crushed," Han Qing murmured.

His gaze then turned to the fifth heavenly gate, and for a moment he had the idea to try again.

"The fourth Heavenly Gate didn't cause me too much trouble, but what about the fifth Heavenly Gate? I've heard that the fifth Heavenly Gate is meant to break the thief in one's heart."

The Heavenly Dao will mimic and manifest the enemy a person fears most deeply. Only by defeating this formidable foe and breaking free from the fear within can one open the fifth Heavenly Gate.

"So, who is the enemy I fear?" Han Qing wondered.

He had a vague answer in his mind, but he wasn't entirely sure.

After a moment's thought, he made up his mind and decided to give it a try.

"Even if we fail to pass through the fifth Heavenly Gate, it won't be like opening the third Heavenly Gate, leaving us with no way out."

Han Qing immediately took flight, suddenly passing through the fourth heavenly gate and stepping into the vast space in front of the fifth heavenly gate.

In an instant, the weather changed drastically. Strands of magical thoughts appeared out of thin air and suddenly converged to form a figure wearing a red crown, with a tall and straight posture and a cold temperament like the wind blowing from the deepest hell. This person was none other than Han Yi.

"As expected, Heaven believes that the enemy I fear most is Han Yi."

"That's not a problem either. Han Yi is stationed in the Great Yu, and his combat strength is stronger than that of the leaders of the major holy lands. He might only be three points weaker than the leader of the Mo family."

"Although Sirius King crushed me that day, judging from past encounters, his combat strength is not as good as Han Yi's. Therefore, the enemy I fear most is Han Yi."

"Then, what Heaven simulates and transforms should be the original body, representing its peak combat power, which I can use to test it."

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then his golden body soared away from his physical form and flew forward to attack.

"You unfilial son, you're asking for death!"

Han Yi let out a loud shout. After all, it was an illusory creation made by the Heavenly Dao. Although his tone and demeanor looked very similar, there were still flaws upon closer inspection. In particular, Han Yi's cold and almost ruthless eyes were something the Heavenly Dao could not imitate. It only had the form, but not the spirit.

In that instant, Han Qing struck first, unleashing a series of spells to kill Han Yi from a distance.

Han Yi was completely fearless, and with a whoosh, he charged forward to meet the onslaught of spells.

Boom boom boom!
One spell after another shattered in mid-air, yet Han Yi's physical body remained completely unharmed, truly giving the impression of being indestructible and invincible.

Then, he charged towards Han Qing's golden body and divine soul, and suddenly struck out with a palm.

This palm strike looked light and airy, but when it actually landed on the soul, it suddenly produced a loud bang.

Han Qing's soul was violently blasted back thousands of miles by this powerful palm strike, and cracks appeared on it.

"Such powerful combat strength. Is the Han Yi simulated by the Heavenly Dao truly at his peak? Or is this only a portion of his combat strength? If he is at his peak, and if Han Yi has the powerful combat strength to open the seventh Heavenly Gate, then wouldn't it be very difficult for me to open the fifth Heavenly Gate in this lifetime?" Many thoughts flashed through Han Qing's mind.

But one thing he was certain of was that he was probably no match for Han Yi in his current state, even if it was a fake Han Yi created by the Heavenly Dao.

So Han Qing didn't turn around and leave. The moment he flew over the fourth Heavenly Gate again and returned to the vast space in front of the gate, the fake Han Yi also suddenly disappeared, and everything returned to silence.

"It seems my accumulation can only go as far as the fourth Heavenly Gate. However, it's enough. At the Golden Body Realm, my combat power is more than ten times that of the Incense Realm. Perhaps I already have the ability to compete with the leaders of the Holy Land. I can try it out this time." Han Qing pondered, then turned around and flew back the way he came.

Before long, he passed through three heavenly gates. The moment he passed through the first heavenly gate, everything fell silent, and the oppressive aura that had reverberated between heaven and earth, as well as the rolling crimson thunderclouds, all vanished.

With a thought, he swept his magical energy across the area, expanding the detection range more than tenfold, covering an area of ​​tens of thousands of miles in a single thought.

Not far away, Yan Qiuling seemed to have not yet completed her tribulation; crimson lightning could still be seen rolling across the sky.

He suddenly sensed a figure lurking nearby, and such people were usually up to no good.

Because, unless they are freaks like Han Qing, most cultivators who have passed through the Heavenly Gate will be in very poor condition, with their combat power less than one-tenth of their peak. This is the easiest time to take advantage of their weakness, sever their bodies, destroy their souls, and plunder their magical powers and treasures, gaining a huge reward in one go.

Throughout history, many enemies have been created because of this, and many renowned and powerful figures have also perished because of it.

Han Qing did not rush to make a move, because the latter did not react after being scanned by his spiritual power, which meant that its strength was below his own.

This situation only occurs when one's mental concentration far exceeds that of the other.

"I'd like to see what you're up to. If you're really just trying to take advantage of the chaos, then you'd better leave your lives behind," Han Qingxin said.

Thinking about it.

The crimson clouds in the sky suddenly and rapidly dissipated, and the overwhelming pressure that echoed between heaven and earth also weakened rapidly, which meant that Yan Qiuling's opening of the Heavenly Gate had ended.

"coming!"

Not far away, the person lying in wait was Wu Dangfeng. He had successfully opened the third Heavenly Gate, and his combat power had increased significantly.

He passed by this place and inadvertently discovered that others were opening the Heavenly Gate, which aroused his greed.

"If this person who opened the Heavenly Gate is seriously injured, then I will kill him. If he is still alive and well, then I will try to make friends with him. Either way, I won't lose anything," Li Dangfeng thought to himself.

He was a stubborn and unruly person with little moral character, and his primary concern was strengthening himself.

After waiting for a while, a beautiful figure dressed in red descended from the sky.

"Hmm? Yan Qiuling!"

Li Dangfeng was startled and immediately recognized the identity of the person undergoing tribulation.

"Yan Qiuling is known as one of the top ten masters in the martial arts world, but her strength is only at the level of a half-saint. Now it seems that she should have become a saint. However, her aura is extremely unstable. Now is the time to take advantage of the situation."

Rumor has it that he has a partner, Han Qing, a prodigy from Sichuan, and it's unknown whether he's nearby. Li Dangfeng pondered this.

Generally speaking, those undergoing tribulation are protected by someone, unless they are as certain as he is that they will succeed, in which case they don't need to.

"Never mind, so what if Han Qing is nearby? I can just take care of him together. I, Li Dangfeng, am now a third-level expert in the Incense Realm. Taking on two at once is no problem." Li Dangfeng quickly made up his mind.

He suddenly leaped into the air and pounced on Yan Qiuling.

"Hmm?" Yan Qiuling frowned. She had just passed through two Heavenly Gates in one go and tried to pass through the third, but failed and was seriously injured. Now, she suddenly saw someone flying towards her and knew that the other party wanted to take advantage of her.

However, she was not flustered at all, because she knew that Han Qing was nearby.

"Yan Qiuling, I never expected you to open the Heavenly Gate and undergo the tribulation of lightning here. But you're unlucky to have run into me. I'll take all your magical powers and treasures. Don't worry, I'll protect the demon race in your place, hahaha." Li Dangfeng laughed loudly.

"Who are you?" Yan Qiuling asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My name is Li Dangfeng."

“Li Dangfeng?” Yan Qiuling frowned; she had never heard of this name before.

"It doesn't matter if you haven't heard of me. Before long, my name will resound throughout the world!" Li Dangfeng was extremely confident.

He has already passed through the three heavenly gates and entered the three realms of incense offerings. Unless he is unlucky enough to encounter some holy land leaders or the heads of ancient families, he is confident that he will not lose to anyone.

Moreover, he felt that he was still young and might become a powerful figure who could rival the heads of aristocratic families in the future.

"I don't care who you are, get out of my sight right now. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because I'm injured. My husband is nearby, don't blame me for not warning you," Yan Qiuling said coldly.

"Hahaha! Yan Qiuling, I am a Saint of the Third Realm of Incense Offering. Your husband is nothing in my eyes. So-called genius is nothing but a strongman who has not yet grown up. He dares to stop me, and I don't mind killing him as well." Li Dangfeng laughed even more unrestrainedly.

Suddenly, he heard a young man's voice behind him.

"Li Dangfeng, the third realm of incense offerings? The royal family of the Great Shun Dynasty is surnamed Li, could you be a remnant of the Great Shun?"

"Who?"

Li Dangfeng's expression changed drastically. He had been using his magical senses to cover the surrounding area, but he hadn't detected anyone behind him. This meant that the other party either possessed an extremely powerful concealment technique or had a higher level of magical cultivation than him.

He turned around abruptly and saw a young man in black looking him up and down.

"So young, are you Han Qing?" Li Dangfeng asked in return.

"Answer a few questions and I'll let you go; otherwise, leave your life behind," Han Qing said in a deep voice.

A hint of suspicion flashed across Li Dangfeng's face. After he revealed his strength at the third level of the Incense Realm, Han Qing was so calm and even made outrageous remarks about taking his life. Was he crazy? Or did he really have the confidence?
If it's the latter, where does their confidence come from? Could there be a powerful figure lurking nearby?
A number of thoughts flashed through Li Dangfeng's mind in an instant. He was not going to be scared away by Han Qing's words. What if there was a trap?
The thought flashed through Li Dangfeng's mind, and he flipped his hand, revealing an ancient ink brush. He suddenly flicked it in the air, and the tip of the brush shot out specks of ink, which transformed into powerful and fierce beasts that converged into a tidal wave of beasts and charged fiercely towards Han Qing.

"Arrogant fool, let's see how you take my life!"

However, before he could finish speaking, Han Qing had already given his answer. A ray of golden light suddenly shot out from between his eyebrows, transforming into a golden statue that rushed towards Li Dangfeng amidst the tide of ink beasts.

This statue was indestructible; wherever it passed, all the ink beasts were directly smashed apart, turning into puffs of ink mist that drifted away.

"This is a golden statue? You are a Saint of the Golden Body Realm? Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Li Dangfeng exclaimed in shock.

In that instant, Han Qing's statue had already rushed in front of him and slapped it down with a palm.

Li Dangfeng immediately responded, his mind surging with divine thoughts that converged into a divine image, colliding with the golden statue in mid-air.

As a result, his idol was no match for him and was smashed apart with a single palm strike.

"What? How can he be so strong?"

Li Dangfeng's expression changed drastically. He had thought that even if Han Qing had entered the Golden Body Realm, he would at least be able to put up a fight, even if he was not his match. However, he did not expect that he would shatter with a single touch and would be no match for him at all.

Before he could think further, the Dharma thoughts that had been drifting in all directions quickly gathered again, trying to coalesce into a divine soul.

But Han Qing wouldn't let him have his way. He suddenly stretched out a palm and grabbed at the scattered magical thoughts from a distance. A strong suction force burst out from his palm, and a vortex of air swirled around it, instantly sucking in a large amount of magical thoughts belonging to Li Dangfeng.

"Stop!" Li Dangfeng was shocked. With so much of his magical energy being absorbed, his strength would plummet.

"My Great Ancestor of the Great Shun Dynasty will soon return to the Great Yu Dynasty. Han Qing, although you are a Saint of the Golden Body Realm, you are still far inferior to my Great Ancestor. I advise you not to be presumptuous and to let me leave immediately. Let today's events be as if they never happened. Otherwise, you will create a powerful enemy for yourself and you will definitely regret it in the future!" Li Dangfeng was also anxious and said whatever came to mind, shouting at Han Qing.

Upon witnessing this, Han Qing shook his head, his opinion of Li Dangfeng plummeting several notches. (End of Chapter)