The First Sage of Military Strategists

"I wondered who was fighting, but it turns out to be Ancestor Xuanchan and the traitor of Da Shun. Two Golden Body Third Realm Refining Gods are locked in a life-or-death battle. This is indeed quite a commotion," the Crown Prince joked, a faint smile on his lips, his expression calm and composed.

After exchanging another palm strike, the power of the palm strikes reverberated, and the two retreated, their brows furrowed as they looked the suddenly appearing Crown Prince of Da Yu up and down.

"How dare a junior like him criticize us like this? He's really courting death!"

Master Xuanchan looked displeased and suddenly made a move, flashing forward to deliver a palm strike to the Crown Prince of Dayu from a distance.

The Crown Prince of Da Yu still wore a playful smile: "Old bald monk, if I didn't have some backing, how would I dare to appear before you? You underestimate me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of colorful light shot out from between the prince's eyebrows, instantly transforming into a yin-yang seal.

In that instant, the entire area within a radius of ten thousand miles was enveloped in colorful light, resembling a quagmire. Everyone was immersed in it, and their mobility was greatly hindered, leaving them unable to move.

"Hmm? A perfect Yin-Yang curse seal!" The Great Emperor of Da Shun exclaimed in surprise.

The Yin-Yang incantation seal hovered in the air, its thirteen layers of light alternating and rotating, shining brightly and radiating an awe-inspiring and powerful pressure.

The power of Master Xuanchan's palm strike was terrifying, but it paled in comparison to the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

The two collided suddenly, and the dazzling light of the Yin-Yang incantation was momentarily dimmed, but it quickly returned to normal. Master Xuanchan trembled and drifted backward, retreating more than a thousand miles.

"How about it? You old bald monk, I, the Crown Prince, am protected by thirteen layers of Yin-Yang curse seals. What can you do to me? On the contrary, you are the one who should be worried. Today, I, the Crown Prince, will make you die here!" As the Crown Prince spoke, a sharp aura burst forth from his body, and his eyes shone with a confident and composed light.

The thirteen Yin-Yang seals suddenly transformed into a giant hand of colorful light, which soared up and slammed towards the Xuan Chan Patriarch who was suspended in the air in the distance.

Master Xuanchan's expression shifted. With thirteen layers of curse seals protecting him, he was indeed powerless against the Crown Prince. More importantly, the Great Shun Emperor and the Red Lotus Demoness were also watching him closely.

If he reveals a weakness in the confrontation, he has no doubt that the two will launch a sneak attack. At that time, he will likely be at a disadvantage, and may even risk his life.

With a thought flashing through his mind, Master Xuanchan immediately responded. He let out a low shout, and the Sangji Pagoda suddenly shone with golden light. With the spire as its corner, golden light gathered and formed a high-speed rotating drill. With a whoosh, it flew out and crashed hard into the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

At the same moment, Master Xuanchan looked up at the sky and shouted loudly, "Believer Xuanchan, please grant me the help of the Peacock King Buddha!"

In an instant, a mysterious force surged between heaven and earth, and golden light appeared, suddenly converging and condensing behind him to form a golden gate.

The moment the Yin-Yang Mantra Seal collided with the Sangji Pagoda, Master Xuanchan also flashed into the gate.

The surrounding Zen Master Muhua and others immediately flew towards the gate. They were all shining with golden light, and a mysterious power surged out from the gate, landing on them and pulling them towards the gate.

"Where to go?"

Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty unleashed a massive golden light gate with a single punch.

The portal shattered suddenly, transforming into a golden vortex.

Han Qing's gaze sharpened, and through the vortex, he could vaguely see another world, with numerous temples and many Buddhist monks walking among them.

"This is the inner world of the Great Brahma Heaven, a priceless treasure!" Han Qing was shocked.

The claim that Brahma is a Buddha Kingdom in the palm of his hand is not unfounded. It is said that there is a space within it that can cover any part of the Sacred Desert Empire. Any Buddhist cultivator can communicate with Brahma at any time and borrow his power, or escape into it to get rid of powerful enemies, but a certain price must be paid.

In the Great Brahma Realm, there is a supreme Buddha, namely the Peacock King Buddha.

This Buddha is spiritually powerful and is said to be the most powerful being in the entire Great Vajra Temple.

In the blink of an eye, the golden vortex had transformed into countless specks of light, scattering across the heavens and earth.

Master Xuanchan, Master Muhua, as well as Xuanjingang and Wujingang, were nowhere to be found. Only Kujingang was the most unlucky. Before he could escape into the golden gate, the gate was smashed by the Great Emperor of Shun with a single punch, cutting off his way.

Ku Jingang's face instantly turned extremely ugly. Han Qing reacted very quickly, and the Eight Directions Puppet soared into the air, rushing in front of him in an instant and throwing a punch.

With a look of anger on his face, Bitter Vajra suddenly dodged and retreated.

However, his was inferior to the Eight Directions Puppet, which was blessed with the Yin-Yang Curse Seal.

The two figures clashed more than ten times in the air in an instant, but Ku Jingang was no match for him at all.

Each punch from the Eight Directions Puppet could disperse a portion of its vital energy, causing its aura to plummet.

After being struck by more than a dozen punches, Ku Jingang's vital energy was mostly dissipated. Finally, under the horrified gaze of the Eight Directions Puppet, he was smashed to pieces by a single punch, his body and soul vanishing into the world.

"Hmm, as expected of a powerful figure from the Great Vajra Temple. Despite being at the same Incense Realm Level 3, he is so difficult to kill. I'm afraid his combat strength is comparable to that of an ordinary Golden Body Level 1 Refining Spirit cultivator!" Han Qing silently analyzed in his heart.

Normally, the Eight Directions Puppet has the strength to fight against a Golden Body Realm expert, and should be able to defeat the Bitter Vajra with a single punch.

Unexpectedly, the Bitter Vajra could withstand it for so long, surviving more than a dozen punches. This is proof of the profound heritage of this martial arts holy land.

With a thought, a faint light appeared, and the many thoughts of the Bitter Vajra were already collected into the Boundless Monument.

At the same time, a new soul light appeared outside the Seven Killings Stele.

At this moment, Emperor Taizu of Da Shun glanced at the Crown Prince of Da Yu and then focused his gaze on the thirteen Yin-Yang seals beside him.

"To condense the thirteen layers of Yin-Yang seals, one needs to collect a massive amount of Yin and Yang energy. Countless people will perish because of this. Hmph, is this what the Crown Prince of Great Yu is doing? To become stronger, he uses the people of the world as his resources. How is this any different from the actions of demons?"

The Crown Prince of Da Yu laughed loudly: "Li Chuang, you still want to rebuild Da Shun? How laughable! As for this Yin-Yang Curse Seal? I destroyed the Yin-Yang Sect some time ago and took it from their Grand Master of Fate. It was done honorably. How can you say it caused widespread suffering?"

A single sentence stirred up a great deal of discussion; those present were either startled or showed signs of deep thought.

"You killed the Yin-Yang Sect's Grand Master of Fate? Impossible. That old ghost was protected by twelve layers of Yin-Yang curse seals. Who could possibly harm him?" The Great Emperor of Da Shun shook his head, his eyes full of doubt.

"Hmph, human lifespan is finite. Even if he is the number one person in the Yin-Yang Dao, he cannot live forever. However, whether it is true or false is none of your business. I, the Crown Prince, am too lazy to waste my breath on you. Prepare to die!"

With a whoosh, the Yin-Yang curse seal transformed into a giant hand of colorful light, striking heavily towards the Great Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty. The Great Emperor of the Great Shun Dynasty raised his hand and unleashed another powerful punch, the force of which trembled as it collided violently with the Yin-Yang curse seal.

His body jolted, and he retreated a short distance. Without lingering in the fight, he suddenly turned around and transformed into a streak of light, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Han Qing's eyes burned with fervor upon seeing this: "If the Yin-Yang Curse Seal can break through the thirteenth level, one will immediately become a top expert in the world, able to escape even from a Golden Body Realm third-level martial artist!"

His gaze then fell on the Crown Prince, who was dressed in a python robe, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly, thinking how profound and unfathomable the imperial court's foundation was.

He sensed that the Crown Prince's true strength was comparable to his own, also at the Golden Body Realm. However, the Crown Prince possessed thirteen Yin-Yang curse seals, making him equivalent to a top expert at the level of a Holy Land leader.

Adding Han Yi, the imperial court already has two experts at the level of leaders of holy lands. And these are just those who have surfaced; it remains to be seen whether there are others hidden in the shadows.

"To break free from the constraints of the imperial court and truly attain true freedom, one must at least possess the strength of the third level of the Golden Body Realm," Han Qingxin said.

The leaders of the holy lands are basically all at the third level of the Golden Body Realm.

As he was pondering this, the Crown Prince suddenly said to the Red Lotus Demoness beside him, "Red Lotus Demoness, the Red Lotus Sect has been destroyed. If you wish to rebuild it, why not submit to my Great Yu? I can help you rebuild the Red Lotus Sect in the North?"

The Crimson Lotus Demoness laughed, "Hehe, you want me to pledge allegiance? Fine, fine! Let me sit on the emperor's throne for a few days, and I'll agree. I've heard that the Human Emperor receives a massive amount of incense and spiritual energy every day. Even if he does nothing, his cultivation level can improve rapidly. I'm trying to break through to the Rainbow Transformation Realm, but I lack the necessary resources. If you can help me, I'll go with you."

The Crown Prince shook his head: "The throne of the Emperor cannot be changed at will. Forget it, there's no need to communicate with a crazy woman like you!"

He didn't intend to take action. He could only rely on the Thirteen Yin-Yang Curse Seal to entangle her for a while, but there was absolutely no possibility of killing the Red Lotus Demoness.

Throughout history, the number of top-tier leaders of holy lands has never exceeded a hundred, and the fall of any one of them could potentially change the course of the world.

How could someone like that be killed so easily?

His gaze shifted to Han Qing standing to the side.

"Such a talented person is fit to be used by me. Han Qing, it won't be long before I become the next Human Emperor. If you follow me now, I will definitely reward you handsomely in the future. Treasures, magic, beauties, power, incense offerings, whatever you want, I will give you!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you're really not being fair. Han Qing is the person I chose, the leader of this humanitarian revolution. How could he possibly go with you? Am I right, Han Qing!" The Red Lotus Demoness turned around and looked Han Qing up and down with a grin.

Han Qing laughed and said, "Does the Crown Prince value me so much? Very well, I want this Yin-Yang Curse Seal. If you're willing to give it to me, following you is not out of the question!"

"If you really want it, it's not that I can't give it to you, but you must swear to the heavens that you will serve me for a hundred years and help me kill the leader of the Mohist school in the future. If you agree, I will immediately give you this cursed seal after this war ends!" the prince said in a deep voice.

Han Qing shook his head: "No need. If the Crown Prince really wants to give it to me, then give it to me now. I don't trust you to give it to me later!"

"Fine, it doesn't matter if you don't believe me. I didn't lie about anything I said. Come find me again when you've figured it out!"

After saying that, the Yin-Yang Incantation Seal flew back into his body in a flash, and then he soared into the air and disappeared in an instant. His speed was so fast that even the Great Emperor Taizu of the Great Shun Dynasty could not compare.

A surge of desire welled up in Han Qing's heart again; the thirteenth Yin-Yang Curse Seal was far stronger than the tenth.

Under the blessing of this seal, the flying speed of those who refine their spirit will also increase dramatically.

The Crown Prince was determined to leave, and even if Ancestor Xuanchan and Emperor Taizu of Dashun pursued him with all their might, they would most likely not be able to catch up.

"Hehe, Han Qing, I didn't expect you to be so bold as to appear alone in the Great Brahma Domain with the Great Vajra Temple's treasure. If I hadn't been nearby, you would have been dead today. You would have been captured by that old bald monk and taken back to the Great Vajra Temple. Even the gods wouldn't have been able to save you then!"

As the Crown Prince left, the place fell completely silent. The Red Lotus Demoness turned her gaze and landed on Han Qing beside her.

"I've heard that Brahma can cover every region of the Sacred Desert Empire. I always thought this rumor was exaggerated. Now it seems, could it be true?"

“Of course it’s true. Even in ancient times, Brahma was the most powerful treasure. The magic weapon you seized from the experts of the Great Vajra Temple is tainted with the aura of Brahma. If it is not removed, there will be another wave of such calamities. I can save you once, but I won’t save you a second or third time!” the Red Lotus Demoness said loudly.

Upon hearing this, Han Qing's mind stirred, a flash of light appeared, and Buddhist chants and the Meditation Umbrella materialized beside him.

He scanned the two magical treasures with his spiritual senses, but found nothing unusual about them, nor did he detect the aura of a Buddhist or Taoist cultivator that the Red Lotus Demoness had mentioned.

"It's normal that you can't find it. Only those who have reached the second level of the Golden Body Realm and are skilled in Spirit Refining can search for it. I'll help you!"

As he spoke, a gust of wind surged, and two streams of magical power suddenly enveloped the two magical treasures.

In the next instant, a golden stream of energy was drawn from both magical treasures, and they suddenly converged into two balls of golden light in the hands of the Red Lotus Demoness.

Han Qing's gaze sharpened. He could indeed sense a familiar aura emanating from the two orbs of light, which belonged to Brahma.

"I didn't expect there to be such a hidden danger. Do other martial arts holy lands also have similar methods?" he murmured.

"No, that's not true. This is a unique function of Brahma. Therefore, if someone steals the treasures of the Great Vajra Temple, it's like planting a hidden danger, and most of them will lose their lives because of it," the Red Lotus Demoness explained.

"What was the name of the spell that Emperor Taizu of Da Shun used to unite his body and soul? It was truly unbelievable that it could increase his combat power several times over." Han Qing suddenly recalled the scene from earlier. Since he finally had a knowledgeable and peerless expert like the Red Lotus Demoness by his side, he naturally had to ask her about it.

"That's a technique that combines magic and martial arts, which can unite the soul, body, and martial arts essence to unleash astonishing power. It's a supreme secret technique that only Golden Body Realm experts can use, called Blood Essence Sacred Body. I also have a technique called Red Lotus Sacred Body, but it's my unique skill and I can't just teach it to you. However, if you want to learn it, I can point you in the right direction. Yuelu Academy has a supreme scripture called Future Great Harmony Scripture, which records a supreme secret technique that combines magic and martial arts, called Future Great Harmony Body. It is the number one sacred body in the world, with extremely powerful combat strength."

Besides Confucian and Taoist practitioners of spirit cultivation, practitioners of other schools of thought can also learn this skill.

Han Qing's heart stirred. He suddenly remembered that there was a strange place deep in the mountains of Sichuan, where half of the Great Harmony Sutra of the Future was kept.

Previously, his strength was insufficient, making it difficult to obtain the prize. Now that he has reached the Golden Body Realm, he is certain of success if he goes again.

"Hmph, Han Qing, if you die, I'll kill everyone around you. Hehe, I'm outta here!"

As the Crimson Lotus Demoness spoke, a ball of crimson flames rose around her, transforming into a crimson lotus. With a whoosh, she soared into the air and vanished in an instant as a streak of light.

Han Qing glanced at it, his expression indifferent. That was just the Red Lotus Demoness's personality, and he didn't take it to heart.

"Yes, I need to merge the Taiyin and Taiyang True Realms as soon as possible, then return to Shu to retrieve the Future Great Harmony Scripture and cultivate the Future Great Harmony Body. This will greatly enhance my combat power!" Han Qingxin thought. (End of Chapter)