The First Sage of Military Strategists

Han Qing glanced around and saw that the three people who had suddenly appeared were all dressed in the Western Mang style. He then turned to the monks from the North and South and cast a suspicious look at them.

The monks from both the north and south hurriedly explained via telepathy: "I took the Taiyin True Scroll with me from the Kuchan Temple, but somehow the news was leaked to Tianlang Fortress."

"Although my master won that duel back then, the people of Tianlang Fortress have always held a grudge and want to take back the Taiyin True Scroll. These three must have come for that reason. If you want to avoid trouble, young master, just return the Taiyin True Scroll to them and everything should be fine."

Han Qing nodded slightly, then looked at the three people in front of him and said slowly, "Who are you three? The Taiyin True Scroll is not with the monks Nanbei. It is in my hands now. If you want it, I can give it to you, but I need you to give me a suitable reason."

The Taiyin True Scroll is a priceless treasure; there's no reason to hand it over so easily.

Everything should be based on reason, and with his current strength, he has the right to reason with the vast majority of people in the world.

"We three are the three hall masters of Tianlang Fortress: Tianxiang and Tianfu. Who are you? State your name!" one of them said loudly. He was extremely tall, about two zhang high, and carried a large and heavy battle axe on his shoulder.

Han Qing searched his mind and found that his understanding of Tianlang Fortress was more detailed and in-depth than before. He knew that this great holy land had a total of eighteen hall masters, who were either martial saints or magic saints, and all of them were extremely powerful.

The fact that these three people would secretly infiltrate the sandbar in pursuit of the Taiyin True Scroll shows how much they desire it.

In the past, Han Qing would have attacked these three without hesitation.

However, not long ago, he met with the Holy Maiden of the Underworld, and the two reached a verbal alliance, during which neither side would attack the other during this great war.

Therefore, upon seeing these three individuals, he prioritized negotiation.

However, his goodwill seemed to be judged as weakness by the three men.

"Sir, I don't care who you are, we must take the Taiyin True Scroll back today. If you don't want to die, hand it over now!" A gaunt man wearing a wolfskin coat stood beside him, his eyes sweeping back and forth between Han Qing and Yan Qiuling.

He couldn't gauge the strength of Han Qing and the other man; otherwise, given his cruel and bloodthirsty nature, he would have already killed them.

But even if he couldn't see clearly, he was still the head of the Tianlang Fortress. He wasn't even afraid of death, so how could he be inferior to others in terms of aura?
"Hmph, three overconfident fools, how dare you threaten my husband! Get out of here!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Qiuling, with her fiery temper, couldn't hold back any longer and let out a sharp shout.

"you wanna die!"

The leader of the Giant Gate Hall was furious and immediately swung his battle axe, slashing down at Yan Qiuling from a distance.

Yan Qiuling also immediately made a move. A cold wind suddenly arose, her magical thoughts surged, and she drew upon the power of heaven and earth. A ball of flame appeared out of thin air and collided with the axe's edge.

Bang!
The flames immediately collapsed and scattered in all directions, but the leader of the Giant Gate Hall also took a few steps back, staring at Yan Qiuling with a surprised expression.

"This is sorcery. Are you Yan Qiuling?"

Yan Qiuling used a secret technique to change her appearance and temperament, so the three of them did not recognize her identity at first. However, as this ball of demonic fire appeared, the three of them immediately guessed her identity.

The demonic fire is more violent and differs somewhat from human magic. Moreover, the demon race is now weak, and apart from Yan Qiuling, there is no other powerful demon warrior. The Red Lotus Demoness does not belong to this category; she is a legendary figure, and many people do not even know that she still exists in this world.

Upon hearing this, Yan Qiuling became too lazy to continue pretending. With a thought, the light and shadow around her body distorted, and she transformed into her original appearance: dressed in a red robe, with a cold and elegant demeanor and a face that could topple kingdoms.

The head of Tianxiang Hall immediately looked solemn and turned his gaze to Han Qing beside him.

"Then you must be Young Master Han Qing? This Taiyin True Scroll originally belonged to my Tianlang Fortress. Now it is simply being returned to its rightful owner. I hope Young Master Han will return this secret technique." The head of Tianxiang Hall said, cupping his hands.

This was the man wearing the wolf-skin coat, and his tone suddenly softened considerably.

Intelligence from Tianlang Fortress indicates that Han Qing is likely the most talented martial artist in the Great Yu Dynasty, or even in the world today, surpassing even Xiang Ying. He also possesses the formidable combat power to easily annihilate a Saint of the Incense Realm. Such a person is someone he would only provoke if absolutely necessary.

"I made an agreement with the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Netherworld that I would not take the initiative to attack your warriors of the Heavenly Wolf Fortress during this war. Otherwise, you would not even have the right to speak to me. I originally intended to let you go and even offer you conditions that tempted me enough. Handing over the Taiyin True Scroll would not be out of the question. However, your attitude is so bad that I have changed my mind. The Hall Master of the Giant Gate Hall will stay, and the other two can get lost!" Han Qing said unhurriedly.

He is no longer the knife-sharpening servant in the small county town who had to watch other people's faces. He is now a top expert in his own right, and he will never back down or bow down to anyone who dares to make him unhappy.

As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the Giant Gate Hall turned grim. He was an old-school expert who had been famous in the Western Wilderness for a long time. How could he swallow this insult when he was looked down upon by a junior?
"Han Qing, do you really think you're invincible? The three of us joining forces can kill you without any difficulty!" the leader of the Giant Gate Hall shouted.

"It seems the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Netherworld didn't warn you that my current strength is beyond the reach of you so-called eighteen hall masters. Fine, then it's your bad luck!"

As Han Qing spoke, he suddenly made a move. A yin-yang incantation mark flew out from between his eyebrows, transforming into a large hand of colorful light, which slammed down on the three of them.

The three were instantly enveloped in a hazy light, their bodies bound, and they felt a surging aura rushing towards them, the pressure as heavy as a mountain.

The three men's expressions changed slightly, all becoming extremely solemn. Before they infiltrated the sandbar, the Heavenly Nether Saintess had warned them that there were certain people they should not provoke and that they should retreat immediately to save their lives, including Han Qing.

However, the three of them were skeptical of what the Holy Maiden of the Underworld said, feeling that she had overestimated Han Qing and underestimated their own people.

So what if he's a martial arts genius? He's only been practicing martial arts for five years, yet he's already considered a peerless prodigy to have reached the first level of the Incense Realm Saint? Could he possibly be on par with the leaders of martial arts holy lands?
All three had this thought in mind, so their first thought wasn't to run away, but to take a gamble and test Han Qing's strength. If they were no match for him, they felt that running away shouldn't be too much of a problem.

However, at this moment, when Han Qing made his move, they realized they were completely wrong.

They had anticipated the Tenfold Yin-Yang Curse Seal, so this was not unexpected.

The most important thing is that the pressure and aura emanating from Han Qing far exceeded that of a Saint of the Incense Realm, and even gave them the feeling that he was no less than the Heavenly Nether Saintess.

"Could his combat strength really be comparable to that of the leader of a martial arts holy land?"

"Could he really be a terrifying figure comparable to an ancient monster?"

Before they could even think, the Yin-Yang Curse Seal had already struck down. The three of them roared simultaneously, unleashing a fierce aura as they prepared to unleash their strongest moves to shatter and repel the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

The leader of the Giant Gate Hall suddenly shouted, brandishing his battle axe and unleashing a beam of axe light forward.

This axe-shaped beam was much larger and sharper than the previous one, giving people a sense of creation and destruction.

The leaders of Tianxiang Hall and Tianfu Hall each unleashed a spell.

With a low shout, the former unleashed a murderous aura that coalesced into a massive eagle, which pounced on Han Qing at incredible speed.

The latter then raised his hand and slashed out with his sword, a streak of blood flashing from the blade.

In an instant, the blood-red light, the axe's edge, the flying eagle, and the colorful handprint descending from the sky collided simultaneously, creating a deafening roar that echoed throughout the heavens and earth. As a result, these three major spells shattered one after another, transforming into a gust of wind and dissipating into the world, while the Yin-Yang Curse Seal transformed into a giant hand, continuing forward and slamming down.

The three were simultaneously slapped away, flying hundreds or even thousands of miles backward, with bursts of blood mist erupting from their bodies.

"What a terrifying fighting power!"

"I never imagined this person was so incredibly strong?"

"Come on!"

The three of them reached a consensus in an instant: staying would surely mean certain death, so they immediately flew away in all directions.

But Han Qing's next spell had already arrived. A vast, eerie wind swept across the world, and magical thoughts suddenly converged to form a golden lotus, instantly enveloping the three of them.

Then the golden lotus quickly shrank, enveloping all three of them.

In the blink of an eye, the golden lotus shrank to the size of a palm, transforming into a streak that flew into Han Qing's hand, slowly rotating in his palm. It was small, exquisite, and crystal clear.

Within this golden lotus, Han Qing could clearly see that the three hall masters were struggling desperately to break through the barrier of the Sun True Realm, but they were simply unable to do so.

The young monks from the north and south witnessed the entire battle and their confidence soared.

Previously, his master, Abbot Kuchan, instructed him to seek help from Han Qing. Regardless of whether Han Qing agreed to help or not, he had to give away the Taiyin True Scroll as a way to establish a good relationship.

When he actually met Han Qing and saw how young Han Qing was, he immediately began to doubt his master's judgment. After all, Han Qing was too young. To deal with Abbot Kuchan, he would likely have to go head-to-head with the top experts of the Great Vajra Temple. If he was not strong enough, he would be throwing his life away.

However, at this moment, all his doubts had completely vanished.

Han Qing easily dealt with the three hall masters of Tianlang Fortress. In his eyes, their strength was already comparable to his master's, which was truly amazing.

At this moment, within the True Realm of the Sun, the three hall masters scanned back and forth, seeing only a dazzling golden expanse.

"How could this be?" The head of Tianxiang Hall frowned.

"This is the True Realm of the Sun. The Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Netherworld warned us long ago not to provoke this person. Now look what's happened. We are trapped in the True Realm of the Sun, our power is constantly being lost, and we will become weaker and weaker in the future. If this continues, we will surely die!" The Hall Master of the Heavenly Mansion Hall said loudly, glancing at the Hall Master of the Giant Gate Hall next to him, with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

He was a cautious man, while the head of the Giant Gate Hall was the opposite, known for his recklessness and rage.

"Damn it, what are we afraid of? The three of us will join forces to unleash the Blood Refining Soul Condensation Array, shatter this damned Sun True Realm in one fell swoop, and then we'll take down this scoundrel and seize the Taiyin True Scroll!" The leader of the Giant Gate Hall roared, his voice like thunder, deafening.

"Using the Blood Refining Soul Condensation Array comes at a great cost, but we have no other choice right now," sighed the head of the Tianxiang Hall.

"Don't wait any longer, make your move immediately!"

"good!"

The three suddenly took flight and sat on the ground in a triangular formation, each with a phantom red flame burning fiercely on their body.

"Formation!"

"Gather Souls!"

As soon as the head of Tianxiang Hall finished speaking, the crimson flames on the three of them suddenly grew stronger. However, the price was that a portion of their vital energy and spiritual power dissipated, which meant that several or even ten years of hard work would be wasted, and their strength would decline significantly.

The three flames soared upwards and suddenly merged into an even larger flame.

The flames changed rapidly, eventually transforming into a figure.

The figure wore a long black robe, with long hair that stretched for several feet and flowed behind it. Its face was extremely strange, constantly switching between nine different faces, sometimes becoming a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes an old man, and sometimes a child.

"Greetings, Great Sage Nine Yin!"

"We beg the Great Sage of Nine Yin to lend a hand!"

"Great Sage, please help us escape this deadly situation!"

All three shouted loudly, and the tall, illusory figure of the divine soul suddenly emitted a surging evil mist, like a tide, surging outwards in all directions.

At this moment, Han Qing was holding the Sun True Realm in his hand, leading Yan Qiuling and the little monks from the North and South, riding his horse at top speed towards the border camp.

Halfway there, he felt something, his brow furrowed, and his gaze fell on the golden lotus.

Bang!
The golden lotus suddenly collapsed, turning into countless points of light that scattered and flew away.

A dense cloud of malevolent mist surged forth from the mist, transforming into a black tide that soared upwards and suddenly became a sea of ​​mist, spreading across the entire sky and dimming the light of the world.

Han Qing raised his eyes and glanced around. He first saw the three leaders of Tianxiang Hall. Their auras had dropped drastically, obviously because they had used some kind of forbidden technique.

Han Qing's gaze finally fell on the tall, black-robed phantom behind the three people. The nine faces were constantly changing, extremely eerie, and the figure was radiating a surging aura.

"The Nine Yin Great Sage?"

A name popped into his mind: the Western Wilderness Grassland had produced many legendary masters during the medieval period, one of whom was the Nine Yin Great Sage, who also had another identity: one of the founders of the Heavenly Wolf Fortress.

Many ancient books in the Great Yu Dynasty record the deeds of this legendary master. Through these deeds, Han Qing can deduce that the Nine Yin Great Sage was a master of the Rainbow Transformation Realm at his peak, and was likely on the same level as Han Yi and the Mo Family Leader, that is, surpassing the leaders of the Holy Land.

"Han Qing, you've certainly seen a lot! The man behind you is none other than the Nine Yin Great Sage!" the Hall Master of the Giant Gate Hall exclaimed.

"The Nine Yin Great Sage is the legendary martial artist with the highest realm and strongest combat power in the history of our Western Wilderness Grassland. It is an honor for you to die at his hands." The Hall Master of Tianfu Hall also said loudly.

Han Qing shook his head, his expression indifferent: "If it were the real Nine Yin Great Sage descending, I would be somewhat afraid, but this is just a phantom of a divine soul, so what is there to be afraid of?"

"Ignorance is bliss. Blood Refinement and Soul Condensation only summons an illusion, a wisp of remnant soul, capable of casting only one spell. But this spell is enough to kill a Saint of the Golden Body Realm. You are truly facing death without even realizing it," the Hall Master of Tianfu Hall mocked.

"Oh? Then let me experience the combat power of this strongest warrior in the history of Western Mang!" Han Qing said, taking the initiative to attack. He poured his magical power into the Sun and Moon Tide Fan in his hand, and then swung it forward. A surging tide of sun and moon surged from the front of the fan, rushing upwards towards the illusory image of the Nine Yin Great Sage. (End of this chapter)