The First Sage of Military Strategists

Han Qing looked northwest and saw a black mist like a tide, with a fierce aura rolling in, and countless evil spirits running around in it, as if a thousand troops were descending from the sky.

"Such a strong aura of blood." Han Qing frowned.

Even though they are all military strategists who cultivate their spirit, the Fiend Domain has different characteristics.

The evil aura of this newcomer was filled with a heavy bloody aura, and every Yin spirit running within it shone with an eerie red light. Overall, it looked like a blood-red ocean spreading out between heaven and earth.

The number of his spirits was also extremely large. Han Qing glanced at them and found that they were at least ten times more than his own. This indicated that this person had committed numerous killings in his lifetime and had killed countless powerful figures.

Amidst the vast army, a tall, ethereal figure emerged, clad in a red robe, bald, with deep-set eyes and purple markings on his face, resembling a demon, inspiring fear at first glance.

"So it was the founding emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty, who ruled the world for eight hundred years. No wonder he had such a powerful presence," Han Qing said softly.

Rumor has it that the Great Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty was an extremely bloodthirsty man who opened the gate of military strategy. In order to become stronger, he also practiced demonic arts. Therefore, he carried a demonic aura, which perfectly matched many of the characteristics of the person in front of him. So Han Qing easily judged his true identity.

"Han Qing, I have been watching you for a long time. I never thought that more than eight hundred years later, such a martial arts prodigy with unparalleled talent as you could be born in this world. I admire you very much."

"You just captured my descendant. Release him and come with me. I can overlook this matter."

Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty suddenly opened his mouth, and his voice boomed, echoing between the Milky Way.

"Hahaha!" Han Qing laughed loudly. "Great Emperor Taizu of Da Shun, this world is no longer called Da Shun, but Da Yu. Do you really think you can still command the wind and rain as before?"

If you want me to release Li Dangfeng, that's not impossible. Just offer me a treasure that's tempting enough, and I'll naturally agree.

If you think you can force me to submit, you've miscalculated.

"Huh? You're courting death!" The Great Emperor of Da Shun suddenly unleashed a surging killing intent, which, like a tidal wave, rolled and surged toward Han Qing.

Han Qing sensed the killing intent, but felt no fear whatsoever.

"I never imagined that a single sentence from me could ignite such murderous intent in you. It seems you still harbor resentment over the overthrow of the Great Shun Dynasty. However, times have changed. The Great Shun Dynasty is now history, and any attempt to restore it is nothing but wishful thinking," Han Qing said loudly.

"It seems I've been away from this world for too long, and people have forgotten my former glory. How did the Great Shun Dynasty come to be? It was through my own hard work and battles that I achieved it step by step! Today, I'll show you your true strength. There are some people you shouldn't mess with!"

The Great Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty spoke in a chilling tone. Suddenly, thousands of Yin Soldiers emerged from the black mist, their bodies radiating crimson light. They descended from the sky and charged straight at Han Qing.

Han Qing suddenly opened his mouth, and a great sound wave came out, which was the wondrous sound of Buddha.

These thousands of Yin soldiers suddenly twisted and deformed amidst the roar, then shattered and dissipated into a wisp of black mist between heaven and earth.

Thousands of Yin soldiers were wiped out in the blink of an eye. But that wasn't the end of it. The shockwave still had residual power, rising from below and attacking the Great Shun Emperor who sat on the war throne in the Fiend Domain.

Suddenly, two ghostly soldiers appeared from the left and right sides of Emperor Taizu of Da Shun, each wielding a sword and shield, and abruptly blocked the front of this wave of sound.

The two collided, and the sound waves eventually dissipated. The two Yin soldiers were forced back a distance by the impact, their figures dimming, but they were not destroyed.

This exchange was merely a test, so Han Qing wasn't too surprised. He had long anticipated the strength of the Great Shun Emperor, who was likely a master at the level of a leader of a holy land.

At this moment, he just wanted to test how far he could fight against a master of the Holy Land's leadership level. Escaping should not be a problem, but could he fight to a draw, or even defeat him?

"The strength of Geng Buxiu, the Grand Elder of the Black Sparrow Alliance, is above mine, but the Great Ancestor of Da Shun may not be. Although he once dominated the world, his soul and body collapsed along the way, and he suffered extremely serious injuries. Now that he has returned, he may not still be at his peak." Han Qing's thoughts were churning, and his eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

Emperor Taizu of Da Shun frowned slightly. Han Qing's performance in the previous test was stronger than he had expected, which meant that it would be basically impossible to suppress Han Qing with ordinary methods.

If we're going to take action, we need to use our ultimate move.

In that instant, Emperor Taizu of Da Shun made a decision. He suddenly stood up and threw a punch at Han Qing.

Han Qing suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis. This punch was extraordinary. It was the famous move of the Great Shun Emperor, the King Chuang Fist. Countless powerful heroes and warriors in history had died under the power of this punch.

The last time Li Dangfeng escaped from him, he had a firsthand experience with this trick, and it was indeed very effective.

But this time, it was personally unleashed by the Great Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty, making its power even more terrifying. He observed it more meticulously and felt it more deeply.

First, a vast surge of Dharma thought appeared, and then a grand martial arts essence burst forth from the fist of the Great Ancestor of the Great Shun Dynasty. This martial arts essence manifested in myriad forms, revealing a battlefield strewn with corpses and white bones.

In that instant, a considerable area around Han Qing was enveloped by this vast martial arts essence.

"Those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish. Slay all enemies under heaven—this is the true meaning of the martial arts of the Great Shun Emperor." Han Qing murmured to himself.

Historically, Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty was indeed an extremely bloodthirsty person, and Han Qing was not surprised at all that his martial arts essence manifested in this way.

However, in the next instant, this grand martial arts essence suddenly disappeared, merging with the power of the Dharma thoughts that the Great Ancestor of Da Shun was scattering around his body. The two became one, forming an extremely terrifying power.

The force approached in an instant, transforming into a giant fist phantom that crashed down from above. The space beneath the fist phantom was imprisoned, and Han Qing, standing within it, felt an earth-shattering, immense pressure.

"What a magnificent King Chuang's Fist!" Han Qing thought to himself.

He could feel his body being constantly squeezed, making creaking sounds. There was no way to escape or dodge; the only option was to face the attack head-on and break through it.

Whoosh!
The Eight Directions Puppet, clad in the Yuan Crystal Star Armor, charged out, crashing straight into the enormous fist phantom.

Bang!
With a deafening roar, the illusory fist shattered, and the Eight Directions Puppet was immediately blasted thousands of miles away, turning into a streak of light as it crashed to the ground, creating a huge crater and stirring up a cloud of dust.

However, in the next instant, the Eight Directions Puppet soared into the sky again. Protected by armor and with its own extremely sturdy body, the two combined into one, so even if the power of the King Chuang Fist was strong, the Eight Directions Puppet could withstand it.

Having caught that move, Han Qing felt confident and chuckled, "Great Ancestor of the Great Shun Dynasty, do you have any other moves? Everyone says that your King Chuang Fist is unparalleled in power, capable of killing gods and Buddhas alike. But I think it's nothing special. You can't even defeat my Eight Directions Puppet alone!"

"Ignorant fool!" The Great Emperor of Da Shun suddenly reached out and grabbed at the air, and a fiery red longbow appeared in his hand. Its entire body was covered in raging flames, and there were intricate flame patterns on the bow.

"This is the national treasure of my Great Shun Dynasty, the Divine Phoenix Sun-Shooting Bow, the number one magic bow in the world. I want to see if you can withstand it this time."

The voice of the Great Emperor of Da Shun echoed between heaven and earth. Suddenly, he drew back the bowstring, and wisps of flame appeared out of thin air, converging on the bow to form an arrow. A huge phoenix phantom appeared behind him, its cold eyes staring at Han Qing, as if it were about to pounce on the arrow at any moment.

Han Qing immediately felt locked on; even before the arrow was fired, he had the illusion that his body was about to be pierced through.

His expression was solemn, a vast surge of magical energy emanated from him, and a Yin-Yang incantation seal flew out from between his brows, preparing to fight to the death with all his might.

This bow is also extremely famous in history. It is indeed the number one magic bow in the world. Kong Xiu once used five words to describe it in his notes: "When the bow is drawn, heaven and earth are destroyed." This shows how terrifying the bow's destructive power is.

Just as the two sides were on the verge of a desperate battle, the situation changed again.

A crimson lotus, shimmering with an eerie red light, suddenly flew in from the distant horizon, and in an instant, it transformed into a red-robed witch.

She has delicate features, a petite figure, and long hair in pigtails that sway in the wind.

Her eyes darted back and forth between Han Qing and the Great Emperor of Da Shun, a sly glint in them.

"Hehe, stop, Li Chuang, give me some face, don't hit me anymore!" she suddenly shouted.

Emperor Taizu of Da Shun frowned slightly. Li Chuang was his original name. After the establishment of Da Shun, few people dared to call him by his name directly, but the Red Lotus Demoness was not among them.

Back then, the Red Lotus Sect was the state religion of the Great Shun Dynasty, and the two were friends, not enemies.

However, the Red Lotus Demoness had a fickle personality and was unpredictable, making her difficult to get along with, so he didn't have much affection for her.

Their collaboration back then was more driven by self-interest than by friendship.

"Li Chuang, if you don't stop, I'm going to attack you! Han Qing is someone I value. If you kill him, where am I going to find someone with such high martial arts talent? Stop now!"

Seeing that the Great Emperor of Da Shun was hesitant, the Red Lotus Demoness shouted loudly again.

Han Qing watched coldly from the sidelines, also very curious about what the Red Lotus Witch was up to.

Emperor Taizu of Da Shun suddenly felt a headache coming on. Since the Red Lotus Witch had made such a statement, she might actually take action.

His combat strength has not yet recovered to its peak. If he were to fight, he might not be a match for the Red Lotus Demoness. However, he was extremely unwilling to give up so easily. Moreover, he was the founding emperor of a dynasty, and it would be a loss of face to bow down like this.

"Red Lotus Demoness, you've chosen him? Do you think he's the one leading the trend of humanity?" The Great Emperor of Da Shun still didn't let go; the arrow was on the bow, ready to be released.

"Indeed, after my observation, Han Qing is the true Son of Heaven. So you two stop fighting and listen to me. I've gathered a lot of information this time. If you two fight to the death, the real beneficiary will be the Great Yu Dynasty. The Emperor of Yu has been making many big moves recently, and I'm planning to unite experts from all sides to stop him." The Red Lotus Demoness said loudly again, her voice clear and crisp, like a child's voice, like a little girl, but in reality, she was a true old demoness.

"Hmm? Emperor Yu is making a big move?" Upon hearing this, Emperor Taizu of Da Shun frowned, released the bowstring, and the flaming arrow on the bow suddenly dissipated, turning into wisps of flame that drifted into the sky and earth. "I have just finished my seclusion, and information from all sides is blocked. What important intelligence do you know? Tell me."

Seeing the arrows dissipate, Han Qing's tense body relaxed slightly, and for a moment, the tense atmosphere eased.

However, both sides still exude malicious intent and could fight each other again at any time.

"Hehe, that's right. Do you know about the Nine Yang True Thoughts?" the Red Lotus Demoness asked.

"The Nine Yang True Thought is the thought left behind by a Saint of the Third Realm of Rainbow Transformation. It is said that its thought is immortal. If its master dies, the thought will fly to the void outside the Ninefold Gale and roam. What, does Emperor Yu want to capture the Nine Yang True Thought?" Emperor Taizu of Da Shun replied.

Han Qing remained silent. He knew a little about these secrets, but not in full detail. Listening attentively was a way for him to broaden his horizons.

This is also a drawback of advancing too quickly. His combat strength is comparable to these legends, but his knowledge is somewhat lacking, and these gaps cannot be bridged in a short time.

"Indeed, the Nine Yang True Thought is the most solid and magical thought in the world. Some of the stars in the world are born with heaven and earth, while others are transformed from the Nine Yang True Thought. Therefore, ancient books often record that sages traveled through the void, picked stars and refined them to strengthen themselves. This is what it means."

Han Qing was startled. This was the first time he had ever heard such an explanation. The stars were the Nine Yang True Thoughts? This was truly unbelievable.

He had previously seen countless stars twinkling in the night sky, vast and ethereal, and wondered what stars were. Could there be a universe in this world?
Later, he read in an ancient book that there were nine layers of gale-force winds above the heavens, above which was the void, and in the void were stars, each of which was a small world, mysterious and unparalleled.

Now, the words of the Crimson Lotus Demoness have revealed the answer to his question.

"If these words are true, what does it have to do with Emperor Yu? Could it be that he wants to pass through the nine layers of gale, escape into the void, and refine the stars?" Emperor Taizu of Da Shun asked, his words full of disbelief.

To refine stars, it is estimated that only a Saint of the third level of the Rainbow Transformation Realm can do it. Even the Mo family leader, who is recognized as the number one master of the Dao in the world today, cannot do it, let alone Emperor Yu.

"With Emperor Yu's current strength, it is indeed impossible to do so. However, do you know that there was an unparalleled magic treasure in ancient times called the Imperial Nine Dragon Palace?" the Red Lotus Demoness asked with a smile.

"The Nine Dragons Palace of Imperial Supreme Power? This treasure ranks first among all ancient magical treasures and is known as the King of Treasures. I have naturally heard of it. However, it was lost to the world during the Middle Ages. What? Could it be in the hands of Emperor Yu?" Emperor Taizu of Da Shun asked, his tone slightly fluctuating.

This is simply because the Imperial Nine Dragons Palace is so renowned, possessing extremely comprehensive and powerful functions: it can kill enemies, provide cover, store items, and facilitate escape...

"Emperor Yu does indeed possess the Imperial Nine Dragons Palace. I do not know where he obtained this treasure, but the good news is that this supreme treasure is currently in a damaged state and urgently needs a large number of magical treasures to repair it, otherwise it cannot be activated."

Over the years, Emperor Yu has used a large number of magical treasures from the imperial treasury to repair this supreme artifact. Once this artifact is fully repaired, there will truly be no way for any martial artist in the world to survive. Even the leader of the Mohist school will not be a match for it. This is why I, the Red Lotus Witch, have come here to stop you from fighting each other. Only by uniting can we jointly resist this formidable enemy, the imperial court. When the Red Lotus Witch spoke of serious matters, her attitude finally became more serious, no longer as joking as before.

Han Qing listened intently, growing increasingly alarmed. The court's trump cards were being revealed layer by layer, each one astonishing.

“If he truly manages to repair the Nine Dragons Palace of the Imperial Palace, the difficulty for me to rebuild the Great Shun Dynasty will increase more than tenfold. You are right, we must find a way to stop him!” the Great Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty said in a deep voice.

"Emperor Yu wishes to repair the Nine Dragon Palace of Imperial Supreme Power, then ride his magical artifact into the void to refine the Nine Yang True Thoughts and strengthen himself," the Crimson Lotus Demoness continued. (End of Chapter)