The First Sage of Military Strategists

This battle instilled in him an even stronger sense of crisis.

He only wanted to become stronger as soon as possible, but opening the fifth heavenly gate required extremely deep accumulation, which he had not accumulated enough for now, so he could only start from other aspects.

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then with a whoosh, he flew at top speed towards the direction where Yan Qiuling and the others were in the distance.

In the eyes of Xuan Chan and the others, these thousands of soldiers were like ants, so no one attacked them.

Although a small number of people died in the aftermath of the battle, the vast majority were alive and well.

Han Qing landed right in front of Yan Qiuling, who asked with concern, "Husband, how are you? Are you alright?"

"It's alright. Although the battle was intense, it was mainly the Great Ancestor of the Great Shun Dynasty who was fighting against Ancestor Xuanchan. I was not injured at all," Han Qing comforted him.

"My husband, it's a pity that I'm too weak to help you!" Yan Qiuling sighed.

She tried her best, but Han Qing's strength improved too quickly, to an unbelievable degree. She tried her best to catch up, but she just couldn't catch up.

As Han Qing's strength increased, her opponents became more and more formidable. Now, they were leaders of holy lands, and she could not intervene at all, only watching anxiously from the sidelines.

Han Qing could also sense Yan Qiuling's emotional change, and quickly reassured her, "My lady, don't worry, just do your best."

As he spoke, he flipped his palm, and strands of Dharma thoughts converged to form a transparent ball of light. This was formed by the convergence and condensation of the Dharma thoughts of Zen Vajra and Bitter Vajra.

He raised his hand and sent the ball of light into Yan Qiuling's body.

"My lady, refine this stream of magical energy as soon as possible, and your strength will greatly improve!" Han Qing said with a smile.

He has absorbed too many distracting thoughts recently. If he continues to absorb them, the temple will be filled with too many distracting thoughts, which will cause his soul to become bloated. It would be better to give them to Yan Qiuling instead.

After all, Yan Qiuling was his closest person, and the stronger she was, the more help she could provide him.

"Thank you, my husband!" Yan Qiuling smiled.

"Let's go! We'll continue towards Guiqiu!" Han Qing turned around, his gaze sweeping over the numerous soldiers, each one looking at him with fervent and worshipful eyes, as if they were looking at a god.

They had never witnessed such a battle before, and it deeply shocked them.

"Yes!"

After a moment of silence, the soldiers shouted in unison, and after a short rest, they continued their advance towards Guiqiu City.

While traveling, Han Qing was not idle. With a thought, he absorbed the soul light points from Zen Vajra and Bitter Vajra respectively, selected the three martial arts techniques with the highest proficiency, and transferred them to Taiyin True Realm and Taiyang True Realm.

With the help of the Seven Killings Stele, the proficiency of these two spells increased rapidly, and their levels also rose at an astonishing pace, soon reaching perfection one after another.

Normally, even a martial arts prodigy would need to spend a great deal of effort to master these two spells, taking anywhere from a few years to several decades. Yet Han Qing managed to do it in less than half a year, which is what makes the Seven Kill Stele so extraordinary.

Upon reaching the state of perfection, Han Qing's understanding of these two spells reached an unprecedented level of clarity.

"Perhaps I can combine these two spells into one, creating an ancient sealing technique, the Yin-Yang True Realm!"

As Han Qing pondered, his spiritual power surged, and a golden lotus and a black lotus condensed in his left and right palms respectively. Then, he clapped his hands together, and the two lotuses suddenly merged into one. However, the two forces collided abruptly and were unstable.

The next instant, the sphere of light formed by the convergence of these two streams of Dharma thoughts collapsed, dissipating into wisps of Dharma thoughts.

"Huh? Again!!"

Han Qing frowned. He knew that combining the two spells into one was not an easy task, so after failing the first time, he remained calm and immediately began the second attempt.

This time, he slowed down, carefully controlling the inner power of the two lotus flowers, trying to combine them and achieve a delicate balance.

After a few breaths, it was, without a doubt, another failure.

However, Han Qing was not discouraged. After a moment's thought, he decided to try again and combine the two lotus flowers together once more.

This time, he failed again, but the time it took to combine the energy was much longer than before, reaching thirteen breaths.

"continue!"

Han Qing has enough patience to keep trying. As long as he succeeds in the end, it doesn't matter how many times he fails.

So he tried again and again, and one lotus flower after another collapsed in his palm. But as time went by, the two would merge and remain stable for longer and longer.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye, and Han Qing had lost count of how many times he had failed.

But the two lotuses came together again. This time, they finally solidified perfectly, with golden and black lines intertwined and entwined, creating a beautiful sight. The two forces no longer clashed, but instead hung quietly in the palm of the hand, perfectly stable.

"It's done, the Yin-Yang True Realm!" Han Qing played with the lotus flower, a faint smile on his face.

A new understanding dawned on him.

"Compared to the Yin and Yang True Realm and the Taiyin and Taiyang True Realms, the Yin-Yang True Realm has been strengthened in many aspects."

First, its sealing power is stronger.

Secondly, it can exist for a longer period of time without Han Qing constantly infusing it with the power of Dharma thought.

Thirdly, this true realm can not only seal others, but also seal oneself, for concealment and protection.

Han Qing played with it for a while longer, then with a thought, the lotus collapsed, turning into wisps of magical energy that drifted into the world.

"With this Yin-Yang True Realm, my combat power will be greatly enhanced!" A stronger sense of confidence welled up in Han Qing's heart.

The sealing power of either the Sun or the Moon True Realm is extremely strong on its own. Now that the two have been combined into one, he dares not imagine how powerful the sealing power of this secret technique will become.

Just as I was pondering this, I heard soldiers shouting outside.

"We've arrived at Guiqiu City!"

Han Qing got up and walked out of the tent. His gaze swept across the area and he saw a magnificent city standing in the middle of the barren plain.

Under the watchful eye of the law, the entire city was shrouded in a powerful aura of malevolence, rolling and dispersing, with a heavy and solemn atmosphere pervading the air, causing everyone who approached the city to naturally feel their killing intent boiling.

"Enter the city!"

With another clear shout, Han Qing, along with the tens of thousands of soldiers, marched towards Guiqiu City.

It was late at night, and the bastions around Guiqiu City were lit up. At this moment, these flames joined together, resembling a dazzling sea of ​​fire.

As Han Qing approached the city gate, he could clearly see that the tall city wall was covered with mottled "scars," some were pits, some were knife marks, and dark bloodstains could be faintly seen in the soil under his feet.

As Han Qingmai walked along it, a faint smell of blood still lingered in his nostrils, clearly indicating that a fierce battle had recently taken place here.

After waiting for a moment, suddenly, with a loud bang, the city gates opened wide, and a hundred-man cavalry unit rushed out.

"Greetings, Lord Han!"

The leader, clad in gleaming silver armor, approached, suddenly dismounted, knelt on one knee, bowed with clasped hands, and shouted loudly with great force.

Han Qing glanced at them and nodded slightly. The soldiers' armor still had traces of blood, and each of them had a determined look in their eyes and exuded a fierce killing intent. They were clearly elite soldiers who had been through countless battles.

"Get up, let's enter the city!" Han Qing said slowly.

Wow!
The hundreds of kneeling soldiers rose to their feet in unison, their armor clanging against each other with a clattering sound.

"Welcome Lord Han into the city!"

"Welcome, Lord Han, to the city!"

...

Hundreds of soldiers lined up on both sides, shouting in unison. Han Qing rode forward, leading tens of thousands of soldiers behind him, carrying a large amount of food and supplies, and filed in.

After entering the city, Han Qing separated from the main force behind him.

Cao Tieshan led his soldiers to the treasury in the south of Guiqiu City to hand over grain and supplies, while Han Qing, led by hundreds of soldiers, marched toward the inner city of Guiqiu.

He rode his horse slowly down the street, taking in the scenery on both sides. Most of the shops were closed, and there was no one to be seen on the street.

The entire city was silent, like a ghost town. Occasionally, a patrol would pass by, and all that could be heard were the orderly footsteps and the clanging of armor and weapons clashing together.

Compared to outside the city, the atmosphere inside the city was more tense, filled with a menacing aura and a more intense sense of impending doom.

Cities caught in the crossfire of war usually impose curfews to prevent unrest among the populace under pressure, which would further destabilize the situation.

However, very few cities can achieve the same level of success as Guiqiu City, which shows that its city lord has extremely strong management and military capabilities and is no ordinary person.

"My lord, we've arrived at the inner city!"

Before long, the group passed through a heavy iron and wooden gate and arrived at the inner city.

Han Qing glanced around and saw that the scenery inside and outside the city was completely different.

In the very center of the inner city stands a magnificent palace, entirely constructed of milky-white giant stones. Its style is not that of the Great Yu, but rather leans towards the Holy Desert Empire, with a hemispherical dome on top, and its colors are extremely rich and bright.

Around the palace were numerous pools of varying sizes, creating a humid environment unlike the dry, windswept outer city. "Guiqiu City was originally a key city of the Holy Desert Empire. In the last battle with my Great Yu Dynasty, this city fell into our hands. This palace was built by the powerful figures of the Holy Desert Empire who guarded this city back then. Unfortunately, it fell into our hands not long after its completion." The armored man on horseback acted as Han Qing's guide, patiently explaining each unique sight they passed.

Han Qing nodded slightly and dismounted outside the palace gate. There was a long carpet under his feet, woven from alpaca wool from the desert.

Han Qing then stepped onto the carpet and entered the magnificent palace.

The palace was very spacious, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people, but it was not dark. This was because the ceiling and the four walls were inlaid with a large number of jewels, which emitted a soft and bright light in the darkness, illuminating the entire hall so that even an ordinary person could see clearly.

"Lord City Lord, Lord Han has arrived!"

After the armored man accompanying him entered the palace, he quickly went to the inner part of the palace, knelt on one knee in front of the woman sitting on a tall red stone throne, and reported loudly.

Han Qing's gaze also fell on the woman. He hadn't expected that the city lord of Guiqiu City would be a woman.

"I have long admired Young Master Han's name. Meeting you today, I can see that you are indeed composed and capable. My name is Meng Qingxi, and I am Meng Chong's older sister. I am responsible for guarding Guiqiu City!"

The woman was dressed casually in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and she spoke with a bright smile, giving off an air of elegance and poise.

"I never imagined that the city lord of Guiqiu City would be a woman. I admire you!" Han Qing said loudly.

"Young Master Han flatters me. I was just gritting my teeth and holding on. If I hadn't received any reinforcements, I wouldn't have been able to hold on for another month at most, and Guiqiu City would likely have fallen into enemy hands. But now that Young Master Han has arrived, the burden on my shoulders has been lightened considerably," Meng Qingxi said with a smile.

“Lord Meng is a very honest person, which I admire,” Han Qing said softly. “By the way, I heard that General Meng has been in Guiqiu recently, but I haven’t seen him.”

“Meng Chong has gone out on business and will return in a few days. Young Master Han, there’s no need to worry. I do have something I’d like to ask for your help with.” Meng Qingxi said, glancing around. The maids on both sides quickly stepped forward and served Han Qing wine.

Han Qing had no intention of drinking at the moment, so he only glanced at it and did not reach out to touch it.

"I wonder what favor Lord Meng wants me to do? If it's just to assist in defending the city and fighting the enemy, there's no need to be so polite; it's simply my duty!"

"It's not about defending the city, but a private matter." Meng Qingxi shook her head, her gaze sweeping over Han Qing. "Young Master Han, have you ever heard of the Heavenly Profound Divine Pill?"

"I've heard of it, but it seems very mysterious. Some say that swallowing this pill can make someone a saint in half a lifetime, some say that it can make a martial artist quickly open a thousand apertures and become a mid-level martial saint, and some say that it can make a person's cultivation level advance greatly, directly catching up with the leaders of the holy land. I don't know which statement is true, or whether this pill is extremely powerful and can make a person gain an all-round improvement in a very short time!" Han Qing pondered.

“Not necessarily. The Heavenly Profound Pill mainly targets the soul. Although it is beneficial to the body, the effect is only so-so. If one can swallow a Heavenly Profound Pill, one’s magical thoughts can be purified, and one’s combat power will be greatly increased. I wonder if you, young master, are interested in refining this pill?” Meng Qingxi still had a bright smile on her face.

"Oh? Putting aside how Lord Meng refines the Heavenly Profound Pill, you say it increases combat power, but I wonder how much it will actually increase. If it only increases by 20% or 30%, then the Heavenly Profound Pill doesn't deserve the title of the number one divine pill in the world," Han Qing pressed.

"It's definitely more than 20%. If a leader of a holy land could swallow one, their combat power would at least double, and the success rate of opening the next Heavenly Gate would greatly increase," Meng Qingxi added.

"Double the price?" Han Qing raised an eyebrow. "If City Lord Meng's information is accurate, this pill is indeed very powerful!!"

The combat power of a leader of a holy land is already incredibly strong. To double that power by consuming a single pill is simply unbelievable.

“It is true. This news comes from the leader of the Mohist school. The Mohist school has a long history and has refined the Heavenly Profound Pill. Someone has also consumed it and written down the refining process, which formed a scripture called the Supreme Heavenly Profound Pill Scripture. And I happen to have a rubbing of this scripture in my hand.” Meng Qingxi said with certainty.

"Since Lord Meng has the refining method, what kind of help do you need? Is it to collect materials?" Han Qing asked.

"Young Master Han need not trouble himself with gathering materials. What I wish to ask you to refine it yourself is that this Supreme Heavenly Profound Pill Scripture is extremely profound and complex. Even many world-renowned saints find it difficult to even begin to understand it, let alone attempt to refine it. In other words, this pill scripture has extremely demanding requirements for the refiner's comprehension. I have heard that Young Master Han is the number one martial arts talent in the world today, and his comprehension must be exceptional. If even you cannot comprehend this pill scripture, then I suppose there is no one else in the world who can refine it!" Meng Qingxi explained.

"I see. As long as there's nothing wrong with your alchemical text itself, I'm confident I can fully comprehend it!" Han Qingying exclaimed.

With the Seven Killings Stele, he was not afraid that the alchemical scriptures were too difficult. At worst, he could kill a few more people, absorb their soul light points, and convert them into skill proficiency. He could then forcefully push them to the perfect state.

"Young Master Han is indeed confident. I've found the right person. This is the first part of the Supreme Heavenly Profound Elixir Scripture." Meng Qingxi said, taking out an ancient scroll from his sleeve. In his eyes, the scroll was surrounded by a thick white mist that kept changing, sometimes transforming into a hundred beasts, sometimes into the shadows of gods and Buddhas, appearing infinitely mysterious.

Han Qing took the book, opened it, and quickly glanced at it. He had already memorized the first half of the alchemical text.

"Lord Meng, if you want to quickly comprehend this scripture, you must give me the second half as well!" Han Qing closed the scroll and said loudly.

"Okay!" Meng Qingxi originally wanted to see if Han Qing could comprehend the first half before making a decision. If he couldn't understand it, then giving him the second half would be meaningless.

But since Han Qing had taken the initiative to ask, he couldn't refuse, so he handed over the second half of the alchemical text.

Han Qing quickly memorized the second half of the scripture.

In an instant, the Supreme Heavenly Mystic Elixir Scripture was recorded on the panel.

Han Qing felt relieved. As long as the skills could be recorded on the panel, mastering them was only a matter of time.

"Is Young Master Han confident?" Meng Qingxi asked tentatively.

"I'm pretty confident." Han Qing nodded.

"That's good. I will gather the materials as soon as possible in the coming days. Young Master Han should also master this Supreme Heavenly Profound Pill Scripture as soon as possible." Meng Qingxi was overjoyed, and her smile widened.

"I will certainly keep that in mind!" Han Qing nodded slightly.

"By the way, Young Master Han, there might be a great opportunity in the city waiting for a destined person to claim it. I think you are that destined person." Meng Qingxi changed the subject and brought up another matter.

"What good fortune?" Han Qing's expression remained unchanged, without the slightest fluctuation between his brows.

He has experienced too much and obtained too many treasures. His mentality has long been tempered to an unbreakable level, and no amount of good fortune can cause his mentality to be greatly disturbed.

"Among the Divine Might Army is a Saint of extremely powerful strength named Shui Yuan Daojun, who has opened the five Heavenly Gates. However, he was injured by the Lord of Ximang Tianlang Fortress many years ago and was on the verge of death. Although he forcibly saved his life with a secret method, he also lost too much of his lifespan. Now he has been recuperating in the city."

"Master Shuiyuan has cultivated diligently and harbors ambitions to open his own gate to the waterway. Now, with his life hanging by a thread, he has neither children nor outstanding disciples. He does not wish for his life's work to return to dust, and therefore seeks a disciple with exceptional talent to inherit his methods and carry them forward. Young Master Han perfectly fits the bill," Meng Qingxi explained.

"Water Element Daoist Lord?" Han Qing rummaged through his memories and indeed remembered such a person. "Then let's go take a look."

"it is good!"

Han Qing immediately stood up and led Yan Qiuling and the little monk from the North and South towards the outside of the palace.

After a short while, the group arrived at another side hall next door.

“Young master, the person is inside, so I won’t go in with you,” Meng Qingxi said.

“Alright, Qiuling, Monk Nanbei, you two come in with me and take a look. Since everyone has a chance at this opportunity, we must try it,” Han Qing said.

“This humble monk is a practitioner of Buddhist and Taoist spiritual cultivation and has no intention of switching to other schools of thought. Let’s just wait outside,” the young monk from the North and South said in a low voice, bowing.

Han Qing didn't insist. After spending the last few days with him, he had figured out the little monk's personality: he was afraid of trouble and would resolutely avoid getting involved in things that didn't concern him.

Yan Qiuling, who was standing to the side, had no objections. The two of them walked one after the other toward the side hall ahead.

The moment Han Qing pushed open the door, the scenery before him suddenly changed, transforming into another world. Instead of a palace, he found himself in a clear blue lake, where an elderly man in a blue robe, with smooth, delicate skin like a baby, sat cross-legged in the very center.

At first glance, the old man exuded a vigorous vitality, but under Han Qing's keen eye, he could vaguely see a black aura swirling around him, a sign that his lifespan was nearing its end and his life was declining.

Human lifespan is finite, and so is that of a saint. The Golden Body Realm is immortal and can be resurrected continuously, but the conditions are very demanding. It requires a large number of believers. If there are none, even if one can seize another's body, one can only keep the physical body alive, but not the soul.

When lifespan is nearing its end, the first thing to collapse is the spirit and mental energy.

Shuiyuan Daojun was like that; his soul was on the verge of collapse and dissipation.

The so-called transmission of the Dharma was intended to be carried forward and developed by future generations. His reluctance to accept defeat was perhaps only one reason. More importantly, he did not want to die. If this Dharma spread throughout the world and many people learned it and many believers were born, perhaps his soul might be reborn.

As he was pondering, Daoist Shuiyuan slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping back and forth before finally settling on Han Qing.

"Now that you two have come in, you must know the cause and effect. My life is nearing its end, and I am unwilling to give up. I want to make one last gamble. If you two receive my teachings, you must carry them forward and make them flourish in the future, so that they will not be lost in the long river of history!" Daoist Shuiyuan said slowly.

"If you want me to become your disciple in order to receive your teachings, then forget it. I have no intention of becoming your disciple," Han Qing said loudly.

Shuiyuan Daojun shook his head: "Whether you become my disciple or not is fine. I just want to test your combat strength. You are so young. If your combat strength can pass my test, your martial arts talent must not be too bad. You can take this method with you. I don't care what you do with it in the future!"

"It seems that Daojun really doesn't have much time left," Han Qing sighed.

"Yes, less than a hundred days. If we look for someone else, I'm afraid we won't have that much time." Daoist Shuiyuan sighed. Time was of the essence, so he had no choice but to relax the conditions.

“Qiu Ling, you are a Taoist practitioner of the Spirit Refining School, and you are more suitable than me to inherit its methods. You may go first!” Han Qing said loudly.

Although those who cultivate their spiritual power through military strategy can also learn Taoist magic, its power will be reduced.

“Okay, I’ll give it a try first.” Yan Qiuling didn’t refuse. He and Han Qing were so close that there was no need for complicated formalities.

"Daojun, make your move!" Yan Qiuling soared into the sky.

This palace is a small world of its own, constructed by Daoist Shuiyuan. It is extremely stable and can withstand the clash between the two saints. Therefore, Yan Qiuling had no intention of changing the location of the clash.

"Young lady, be careful! This is the most powerful treasure I have ever acquired in my life, and its name is Xuanming Heavy Water!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a water snake emerged from the bottom of the lake with a splash. Its entire body shimmered with black light, and it was about ten feet long. It suddenly pounced on Yan Qiuling.

Yan Qiuling also immediately took action, her magical power surging and suddenly converging to form a ball of crimson flame. This crimson flame transformed into a red lotus and smashed fiercely towards the giant snake.

boom!
With a loud bang, the red lotus collapsed abruptly, while the black serpent remained unharmed and continued its charge towards Yan Qiuling. Then, it suddenly swung its long tail, shattering the protective flames on Yan Qiuling's body.

Yan Qiuling's body went out of control, and she was violently pushed back a distance.

Daoist Shuiyuan said calmly, "Young lady, your strength isn't bad either, barely meeting my requirements. However, I'd like to see the abilities of the person next to you." (End of Chapter)