The First Sage of Military Strategists

"I never imagined that someone as powerful as you, a Saint of the Third Realm of Incense Offering, would have such a poor character. I suspect there's a lot of exaggeration in your cultivation. Could it be that you only achieved this with the help of the Great Ancestor of the Great Shun Dynasty?" Han Qing said with a smile.

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Dangfeng's eyes. Han Qing's words hit the nail on the head. He had indeed received a large amount of Dharma power from the Great Shun Ancestor, which greatly increased his strength and allowed him to break through to the third realm of Incense in one fell swoop.

"Am I right? Li Dangfeng, your strength is like water taken from the sky. Without enough training, your temperament is not commensurate with your strength. You lost your composure in the face of life and death. Even if you were given greater power, you would hardly achieve anything in the future," Han Qing added.

"Don't even think about disturbing my mind!" Li Dangfeng roared. He suddenly swung his ink brush, and drops of ink flew out, transforming into ink beasts that bared their fangs and claws, ferocious and terrifying, charging fiercely towards Han Qing like a beast tide.

A ray of colorful light flew out from between Han Qing's eyebrows, transforming into a large, colorful handprint. He slammed it down on the beast tide, and with a bang, the beast tide was instantly shattered, turning into wisps of ink that drifted into the world.

Then, with a thought, Han Qing suddenly grabbed at Li Dangfeng with the giant handprint.

Li Dangfeng was startled and tried to escape, but found himself enveloped in a domain of colorful light, his body bound. He struggled desperately, but could not move.

"Want to leave? Do you think you can?" Han Qing sneered.

After he became a Saint of the Golden Body Realm, the power that the Yin-Yang Curse Seal could unleash also increased several levels.

In the past, his idea of ​​trapping a Saint of the Third Realm of Incense Religion with the Yin-Yang Curse Seal was pure wishful thinking.

But now, everything is different, and Li Dangfeng struggles but cannot break free.

"What terrifying strength! How could I be so unlucky as to run into a freak like Han Qing?" Li Dangfeng was filled with regret.

Just as the Yin-Yang Curse Seal reached out and was about to grab his body, a blur suddenly flew out from between Li Dangfeng's eyebrows.

"Ok?"

The afterimage behind him transformed into an emperor in a golden robe, his face distorted and unfathomable, wearing a crown and exuding an aura of supreme authority.

He raised his hand and suddenly threw a punch forward. With a loud rumble, a vast golden stream of energy surged from his fist, rushing through like a long river, giving people a feeling of being unstoppable and invincible.

The Yin-Yang Curse Seal was thus repelled, and the light domain of the seal that permeated the world also collapsed.

Li Dangfeng was suddenly freed from his predicament. He dared not linger in the same spot any longer. He suddenly took flight and fled towards the North Pole at top speed.

Just as Han Qing was about to give chase, he discovered that the emperor's shadow transformed into a stream of light and entered Li Dangfeng's body, causing the latter's speed to increase dramatically in an instant, and he disappeared into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

Han Qing hesitated for a moment and did not give chase. He estimated that even if he chased with all his might, he might not be able to catch up in a short time. Moreover, even if he did catch up, there would be variables. He guessed that the figure just now should be the Great Emperor Taizu of Da Shun.

Li Dangfeng was a descendant of the founding emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty, hence he had a protective aura between his eyebrows.

"The Great Shun Emperor repelled my Yin-Yang Curse Seal with a single thought of his magic. Judging from this, his strength is at least at the fifth or even sixth level of the Golden Body Realm," Han Qing pondered.

Yan Qiuling nodded slightly: "Another top expert at the level of a holy land leader. His move just now should be the famous Chuang Wang Fist."

Legend has it that this founding emperor was once known as the "Rebel King," and he created his own style of fist fighting, a terrifying technique combining martial arts and magic.

Reminded by Yan Qiuling, Han Qing carefully recalled the punch he had just thrown. It seemed as if the true meaning of martial arts and the power of magical thought had merged together, producing a wonderful reaction. The power that erupted at the moment of the punch was extremely terrifying.

"Hmm, that is indeed quite interesting. I think I will see this Great Shun Emperor again in the future, and I must have a proper talk and learn from him then." Han Qing suddenly felt a strong interest.

As he spoke, he glanced around and sensed that Yan Qiuling's aura was fluctuating. He then flipped his palm, and a Dragon Tiger Pill appeared. This was a pill he had snatched from the Heavenly King of the Treasure Umbrella years ago. It was a top-notch healing medicine in the world, and he had never had the chance to use it. Now it was the perfect time to give it to Yan Qiuling.

Yan Qiuling did not hesitate, took the pill, swallowed it, then sat cross-legged and silently began to circulate and refine it.

As the Dragon-Tiger Pill's power was activated, Yan Qiuling unleashed an astonishing aura. Under her divine eye, one could faintly see the shadows of dragons and tigers swirling around her, a truly wondrous sight.

Han Qing patiently watched over her. After about an hour, Yan Qiuling slowly exhaled a puff of white breath, and she had recovered to her best condition.

She took flight, a confident and composed smile on her face.

"Now I am a Saint of the Second Realm of Incense Offering, all thanks to you, my husband. Without your help, even opening the first Heavenly Gate would be as difficult as ascending to heaven," Yan Qiuling said with a smile.

"My wife, that's too formal. We're life partners, we should help each other," Han Qing said with a smile.

As he spoke, he looked up and gazed into the distance, then changed the subject.

"Now is the time to enter Mangshan and see just how vast the Black Sparrow Alliance's hidden power is."

Since it can become a sacred place of martial arts, it must have a profound foundation. Although the Black Sparrow Alliance of Tongzhou has many experts, they are not enough to support a sacred place. The group of experts deep in Mangshan should be the core pillars.

Han Qing had always been curious about just how powerful this martial arts holy land was and how many experts it had. With the Black Sparrow Alliance as a reference, he had a better idea of ​​the situation.

"Walk."

The two immediately took flight, transforming into two streaks of light, heading straight for Mangshan, one after the other.

In a short while, the two had flown tens of thousands of miles and appeared in the sky outside Mangshan.

After entering the Golden Body Realm, Han Qing's flight speed increased dramatically, and he could teleport short distances and teleport long distances.

The latter requires a beacon, such as a magical artifact that retains its own magical power.

However, he usually doesn't use this ability because it has many drawbacks.

For example, there cannot be turbulence in the surrounding space when teleporting, otherwise it will be disturbed and the teleportation will fail. This means that teleportation is often unusable during combat.

For example, when flying the same distance, teleportation consumes several times more magical energy than normal flight.

Therefore, this ability, though seemingly mysterious, is actually of little use.

“This is Mangshan! It does indeed have some peculiar features,” Yan Qiuling said.

Her gaze swept across the area and she saw that the vegetation in Mangshan was lush and green, and white mist floated on the mountain peaks, resembling a vast sea of ​​qi.

When she tried to probe into it with her spiritual power, she was swallowed up by the sea of ​​energy and couldn't probe very far.

This situation is very strange. She is now a Saint of the Second Realm of Incense Offering, with extremely high strength of Dharma power.

If even her spiritual thoughts can be devoured, it means that cultivators below the second level of the Incense Realm cannot enter, otherwise they will easily get lost.

“This fog is indeed strange. Mangshan is known as a forbidden zone for life, largely because this fog can restrict people’s spiritual power. Even saints can easily get trapped inside.”

As Han Qing spoke, he flipped his palm, and a faint light flashed, revealing an ancient token. It was completely black, with a square, gold-plated character on the front that read "Thorn".
"Uncle Qi said that Mangshan is a scenic spot, and this strange sea of ​​fog is also part of the scenic spot. The core base of the Black Sparrow Alliance is located deep in this sea of ​​fog. To find out, we need a token to guide us." As Han Qing spoke, he immediately manipulated a powerful magical thought and injected it into the token.

In an instant, the token shone brightly, like a small sun, illuminating a large area of ​​the fog sea, where a winding path could be faintly seen leading into the depths of the fog sea.

"go!"

The two then flew rapidly inward along the path that appeared in the sea of ​​mist. Before long, a figure suddenly appeared ahead, dressed in black robes and wearing a white fox mask. Upon seeing Han Qing and Yan Qiuling, the figure asked loudly, "Are you two Young Master Han Qing and Miss Yan Qiuling?"

“It’s me,” Han Qing replied.

"The one who holds this order is a distinguished guest of our Black Sparrow Alliance and may enter the ancestral land. However, our Black Sparrow Alliance has a rule that one cannot fly and must enter the city on foot. Otherwise, one may easily be identified as an enemy and attacked," the white-faced fox announced loudly.

"it is good!"

The two landed, and the white-faced man also landed, bowing slightly: "I am a warrior of the Black Sparrow Alliance of Ancestral City, originally named Kun Wuji, code name 337. Please follow me into the city."

"Thank you for leading the way, Mr. Kun." Han Qing nodded slightly.

The two followed Kun Wuji, walking briskly along the path. On both sides, floating mist made it difficult to see anything.

If Han Qing hadn't trusted Qi Wufeng so much, he would never have ventured into the depths of Mangshan, because the fog was simply too eerie.

He sized him up for a while, then turned his gaze to Kun Wuji, who was walking ahead. The latter walked silently, exuding a sharp aura that made him feel a sense of threat to his life, which showed that this person's combat strength was also quite remarkable.

As Han Qing was pondering this, he took a step forward, and suddenly the clouds and fog dispersed, revealing a vast plain in front of him, with a magnificent stone city in the very center of the plain.

"Gentlemen, this is the ancestral land of my Black Sparrow Alliance. Only those who have reached a certain level of strength and seniority within the Black Sparrow Alliance can enter the city, or distinguished guests who are invited by the elders." Kun Wuji said in a deep voice.

Han Qing nodded slightly. If he hadn't helped Qi Wufeng seize the position of leader of the Tongzhou Black Sparrow Alliance, he probably wouldn't have been invited.

As they talked, the three of them strode toward the giant city in the center of the plain.

Before long, the three entered the city.

Most of the houses in the city were empty. Occasionally, pedestrians could be seen, all dressed like Kun Wuji: covered in black robes, wearing masks, with swords and daggers at their waists. They moved silently, with a faint killing intent emanating from them.

These people do not communicate with each other, but each of them is quite capable.

Han Qing wasn't surprised by this. The martial arts holy land had been able to stand for so long because it naturally had its own set of rules and regulations.

The two were soon led to a stone house. Kun Wuji said slowly, "Young Master Han, please wait here for a moment. I will send someone into the inner city to inform them."

"Alright." Han Qing nodded slightly and sat down on a chair next to them. A maid came in to pour tea for the two of them.

The two maids were dressed in a style characteristic of the Black Sparrow Alliance, wearing tight-fitting black clothes, with two swords at their waists, and rapeseed masks on their faces, making it difficult to see their true faces.

Han Qing wasn't in a hurry. He stayed in the stone house, sipping tea and waiting patiently.

Everything in the city had a wild and untamed feel to it, as if he had returned to ancient times, to the era when humans ate raw meat and drank blood, which he found quite novel.

...

the other side.

As Han Qing and his companion ventured deeper into Mangshan, Li Dangfeng flew all the way back to the small town where Blind Qiu lived.

He landed with a grim face, and Blind Qiu immediately approached and said loudly, "Congratulations, young master, on opening the third Heavenly Gate."

He could sense that Li Dangfeng's aura was much stronger than before, but it was extremely unstable, fluctuating greatly.

This is normal. Many people get injured when they open the Heavenly Gate. After a while, they can recover by taking some healing medicine.

However, Li Dangfeng was furious when he heard this. He suddenly reached out and struck out with his palm, shattering the stone table under the pavilion next to him. Blind Qiu immediately showed a look of fear and knelt down on the ground.

"Young master, this old servant is guilty."

Li Dangfeng took a big gulp of wine and waved his hand: "Get up. This matter has nothing to do with you. I encountered Han Qing when I opened the Heavenly Gate. This thief stole nearly a third of my Dharma power. He is too arrogant. Even if I cultivate hard for a year, I may not be able to make up for it."

"What? You mean Han Qing, the genius from Sichuan?" Blind Qiu stood up, looking surprised.

“Not bad.” Li Dangfeng nodded.

"I've heard that this person has only been practicing martial arts for five years. How can he have such strong combat power?" Blind Qiu wondered.

“I also find it strange. This Han Qing is already a Saint of the Golden Body Realm. If it is really as the rumors say, his martial arts talent is probably unbelievably strong. He can be called a peerless genius.” Li Dangfeng frowned.

"Four Heavenly Gates? This person has already become a very important figure." Blind Qiu exclaimed upon hearing this.

“It’s alright. The Great Ancestor will return soon. His body was destroyed back then, but his soul was not completely destroyed. He fled into a strange place and hid for so many years, accumulating incense offerings and rebuilding his soul and golden body. Now he has recovered to 80% of his peak combat power. When he returns, he will surely stir up a bloody storm,” Li Dangfeng said.

"The tide of humanitarian change is coming, and the world will inevitably descend into chaos. Many masters will emerge, stirring up the winds of change. At that time, heroes will vie for supremacy, and everyone will have a chance," said Blind Qiu.

“You’re right, but I originally planned to go to the border after successfully opening the Heavenly Gate. Now I’ll have to wait until I’ve recovered from my injuries before setting off.” Li Dangfeng said, getting up and walking towards a nearby house.

"Whatever you say, young master, this old servant will do." Blind Qiu nodded.

...

Mangshan.

Yan Qiu stroked the teacup, in which green tea leaves swirled and steam rose.

After waiting for half an hour, the person still hadn't arrived. Just as he was about to get up and go out, he heard footsteps outside. Kun Wuji had returned.

"The Supreme Elder is currently receiving a distinguished guest and is temporarily unavailable. Young Master, please follow me into the inner city." Although Kun Wuji spoke in a cold tone, his attitude was very respectful.

"it is good."

Han Qing got up and followed Kun Wuji out of the room, with Yan Qiuling following behind him.

The three walked along a flat, straight bluestone road toward the inner city, and soon they passed through the city gate.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

The layout and scenery of the inner city seemed not much different from those outside the city, except that there were many more blacksmith shops. As soon as Han Qing stepped into the inner city, he could hear the clanging and banging of blacksmithing.

Every time he walked a short distance forward, he could see a blacksmith forging iron in the shop next door.

Han Qing suddenly remembered the previous rumors that the Black Sparrow Alliance possessed an ancient armor-forging technique that could create top-quality battle armor for use by Martial Saints and Human Immortals.

Seeing this scene before him, he knew in his heart that the rumor must be true.

"I'm also lacking a powerful suit of armor right now. I wonder if there's any chance of obtaining one from the Black Sparrow Alliance?" Han Qing pondered to himself. (End of Chapter)