The First Sage of Military Strategists

The pill entered the stomach, and its powerful medicinal force surged and permeated the entire body.

Han Qing felt a sense of ethereal bliss, as if he were floating on the water, rising and falling with the waves.

Then, he felt as if a fireball was stuck in his stomach, burning intensely, and then, like a volcanic eruption, a surge of heat filled and rippled through his limbs and bones.

"What a potent medicine!"

Han Qing was surprised. He felt his whole body getting hot, with steam rising from it, and his skin faintly glowing. From a distance, the light shimmered and swirled, like a small sun.

After a while, as the medicinal effects were further activated, Han Qing's changes became more and more drastic. Radiant light burst forth from every pore, as if a colorful rain of light had fallen. Many of his meridians felt a faint swelling and stinging sensation, as if they were being torn apart.

Han Qing opened his mouth and exhaled a breath of hot air. His eyes were reflecting a radiant light, from which beams of light as thick as chopsticks extended, making him appear as if a god had descended.

He stood up, recalling Xiang Ying's Overlord Scripture in his mind, and began to practice it earnestly according to the scripture.

The entire scripture contains 360 movements, each of which contains numerous details, such as posture, angle, and breathing rhythm.

With the help of the Seven Killings Stele, he had already understood and mastered these movements, so he demonstrated them without any awkwardness. The 360 ​​movements rotated rapidly, as smoothly as flowing water.

During the demonstration, his internal energy was fully mobilized, and the sound of a rushing river echoed in the quiet room, deliberately guiding it towards various hidden acupoints.

Click!

With a muffled thud, a hidden passage was opened. In just three breaths, celestial power surged out, reverberating throughout the body and causing muscles and organs to undergo a transformation and rebirth.

The human body is a great treasure, and the celestial power buried in the hidden orifices is the most useful "medicine of heaven and earth", which can make people's physique stronger quickly without any side effects.

Inside the quiet room, Yan Qiuling was also present. She could feel Han Qing's aura rapidly increasing, his oppressive presence overwhelming her.

"He's getting stronger again. My husband's talent is truly unbelievable." Yan Qiuling thought to herself, not daring to continue observing. She got up and left the room, worried that if she stayed any longer, the oppressive aura would completely crush her.

...

After Yan Qiuling left, Han Qing continued his arduous cultivation in the quiet room.

The medicinal power was being digested and transformed into a vast amount of qi and blood, which continued to impact the acupoints under its guidance. One hidden acupoint after another was opened up, and an even more powerful celestial force resonated throughout the body.

The strange phenomena surrounding Han Qing's body became increasingly dazzling, with silver light shimmering and enveloping his entire body. Furthermore, strands of golden threads extended out, weaving together on his body to form a golden gauze garment, which complemented the silver radiance, creating an extremely mystical effect.

And so time passed, and seven days went by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Han Qing finally finished his arduous cultivation. He had mastered the Overlord Scripture to perfection, which helped him open a total of 96 acupoints, bringing his total number of acupoints to 616.

As for why the number of acupoints opened is lower than the 321 acupoints recorded in the Overlord's Classic, it is because he had already opened many of the acupoints. In other words, only one-third of the acupoints in the Overlord's Classic were never opened by him.

This situation will become more and more common as time goes on. As the number of acupoints increases, the repetition rate of acupoints in the martial arts manuals collected later will also increase. Therefore, the path of martial arts becomes more and more rugged and difficult as one progresses.

However, Han Qing was not in a hurry, because there was still the second half of the Great Harmony Scripture waiting for him to retrieve in the mountains of Shu. It was said that it contained thousands of acupoints and was one of the top martial arts scriptures in the world.

He felt it was time to retrieve this martial arts manual. He was certain that he would be able to unlock a large number of acupoints and take another big step forward in his martial arts realm.

Han Qing pondered as he entered the courtyard. He casually swung his fists forward a few times and could feel his arms gain immense strength, more than doubling their previous strength. His skin also became tougher, radiating a soft white light, as if it were made of white jade, indestructible.

Moreover, the medicinal power of the Heavenly Demon Blood Soul Pill had not been exhausted. It remained within Han Qing's body, like a source of vital energy, from which a vast amount of vital energy continuously surged and circulated throughout his body, nourishing his physique at all times and making his body stronger.

Another benefit of this is that his ability to survive has greatly increased, because if he is injured, the medicinal power of the Heavenly Demon Blood Soul Pill will be automatically activated to repair and heal all the wounds on his body, which makes his self-healing ability several times greater than before.

With this, coupled with the Yuanjing Star Armor, he felt that even if his body was destroyed, he could recover completely in an instant, and his combat power would not decline significantly, because the lost blood and qi would be quickly replenished.

"With my physique greatly enhanced, my combat power has also increased dramatically. It's time to open the sixth Heavenly Gate!" Han Qing thought to himself.

His current strength is enough to rival the leader of the Holy Land, so there's no reason why he can't open the sixth heavenly gate.

If he was only 50% confident last time, this time he's 90%.

Han Qing pondered for a moment, then took flight, once again arriving deep in the desert.

He decided to immediately open the Six Heavenly Gates, and he didn't even let Yan Qiuling accompany him, because he had absolute confidence in his own strength. Even if he went through the Heavenly Tribulation, he would not be injured. If anyone dared to take advantage of his misfortune, he would not mind sending them on their way.

Before long, he arrived at a deserted place and immediately began to circulate his magic.

Rumble!
In a short while, thunder rumbled and crimson clouds rolled. Han Qing looked up and saw that above the clouds, layers of heavenly gates stood tall, and a powerful pressure descended.

Han Qing, however, felt extremely relaxed. The pressure from the first Heavenly Gate was no longer a threat or obstacle to him.

In the next instant, he soared into the air, passed through five heavenly gates in succession, and stood in front of the sixth heavenly gate.

The test begins.

Whoohoo!
The invisible power of heaven and earth surged, and it was the same test again: the thirty-three layers of heavenly seal.

Han Qing didn't hesitate either. He reached out and grabbed the Manglong Spear, which appeared. He thrust the spear forward, its sharp edge striking the first barrier like lightning. A powerful force erupted, and the barrier collapsed, turning into specks of light that scattered between heaven and earth.

The first layer of heaven was easily broken through, and Han Qing felt no pressure at all.

However, a new seal has already taken shape rapidly, and a third, fourth, fifth... seal is also rapidly emerging.

Han Qing continued to charge outwards with his spear, and layer upon layer of celestial seals collapsed. He broke through nine layers in one go, but finally could not break through the tenth layer.

However, he remained calm, because he had only used his physical strength and the Manglong Spear, which was only a part of his overall strength, less than 10%.

In the next instant, Han Qing mobilized his magical power, transforming it into billowing evil mist. He donned a jet-black evil armor and was further empowered by a massive amount of Yin soldiers, transforming into an Asura and causing his combat power to surge once again.

This time, he thrust his spear out again, and the spatial barrier in front of him collapsed instantly.

Next, he broke through nine more barriers in one go, only to encounter obstacles once again.

With a thought, Han Qing poured a massive amount of magical power into the Manglong Spear, directly activating the true dragon power within it.

He thrust his spear forward, and a burst of spear light shot out from the tip, causing a solid dragon shadow to soar up and crash straight into the spatial barrier ahead.

Click!

With a crisp sound, the barrier collapsed, and the dragon shadow advanced unstoppably, breaking through layer after layer of sealing barriers.

In the end, Han Qing broke through the thirty-three heavenly barriers in one go with this vast dragon power.

The whole process went as he had anticipated, without any difficulties.
Rumble!
The moment he appeared, the sixth heavenly gate suddenly opened, and a warm breeze wafted out, blowing over his body and soul. Han Qing felt a warm sensation, as if he were soaking in warm water, and his soul began a new round of transformation.

Within the temple, 100,800 thoughts surged forth; when combined, they formed a dazzling golden statue; when separated, they transformed into a vast ocean.

Each wisp of Dharma thought was as full as a bright pearl, radiating a bright golden light.

As this gust of wind blew by, all the Dharma thoughts grew stronger, their light shone even brighter, radiating a brilliant glow, like sharp golden needles.

After successively killing powerful figures such as Xiang Ying and Luo Yueying, Han Qing absorbed their magical energy and made it his own, causing his magical energy quantity to increase dramatically. However, it reached its limit after increasing to 100,800.

This is due to the rules of Heaven, and no one can break through them. 100,008 is the maximum number of Dharma thoughts that a cultivator can possess.

Han Qing silently closed his eyes, sensing the changes within himself. His power of magical thought rapidly increased silently, and his aura became even deeper, as immeasurable as an abyss, with no upper limit visible at a glance.

After an unknown amount of time, Han Qing opened his eyes, slowly exhaled a breath of pure air, and the transformation ended.

With a thought, strands of magical energy surged from between his brows, instantly converging and condensing into a divine soul before him. This divine soul shone with golden light, as if cast from gold, indestructible. Even if his physical body collapsed, he could live in the world for a long time and possess powerful combat strength.

"Am I capable of killing Xuan Chan one-on-one right now? Am I capable of going toe-to-toe with Han Yi?"

As Han Qing pondered this, his confidence soared.

He thought it was possible, but whether it would actually work remained to be seen in real combat.

Han Qing's gaze then passed through the sixth heavenly gate and looked even higher, where the seventh heavenly gate stood.
"Can you push it away?"

Han Qing considered it briefly and decided not to try, because, throughout history, the number of people who had reached the Rainbow Transformation Realm and refined their spirit was pitifully small.

A dynasty that lasts for a thousand years can generally produce a dozen to several dozen powerful leaders of holy lands, but those who have reached the Rainbow Transformation Realm and refined their spirit are extremely rare, generally numbering no more than a handful.

For example, in the present era, there are only three people with this level of combat power: the leader of the Mohist school, Han Yi, and the Peacock King Buddha. Even with some old guys hiding in the shadows, the number would hardly exceed ten. This shows how difficult and dangerous this Heavenly Gate is.

Legend has it that everyone has only one chance to cross the seventh heavenly gate; success means ascension, failure means annihilation. It is best not to try lightly without absolute certainty.

...

A few hours later.

Han Qing returned to Linchuan City.

The city and its surroundings remained calm. In the courtyard, Yan Qiuling was practicing a martial arts manual, also known as the Overlord Manual.

Han Qing landed and found that Yan Qiuling's body was depleted of qi and blood. He raised his hand and sent a powerful medicinal force into her body.

Yan Qiuling's blood and energy immediately surged again, her eyes lit up, and she smiled: "Thank you, husband!"

"The Heavenly Demon Blood Essence Pill is incredibly potent, and its energy and blood are inexhaustible. My lady, just keep studying it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me!" Han Qing said with a smile.

"it is good."

For the next few days, Han Qing and Yan Qiuling stayed in the courtyard practicing martial arts.

Occasionally someone would come to visit, but it wasn't anything serious, and there were no major changes in the outside world. The war remained at a small-scale stage, without any major conflicts breaking out.

This continued until the seventh day, when finally a distinguished guest arrived.

"Young Master Han, I come from the Zongheng Dao Palace. My master has instructed me to invite you to a gathering at Fangcun Mountain." The newcomer was a dark-skinned young man with rough skin and a large build. His clothes and hairstyle were typical of the Western Mang style.

"Your master is the Palace Master of the Zongheng Dao Palace?"

In the courtyard, Han Qing held a cup of hot tea and asked a question in a slow voice.

"Yes," the man replied.

“Alright, I’ll go with you!” Han Qing nodded. He quickly searched his mind and found that Fangcun Mountain was located in the border area between the Holy Desert Empire and the Great Yu Dynasty. There was a vast mountain range there, rarely visited by people. Fangcun Mountain was one of them. It was once the secluded residence of a top Taoist master, and therefore quite famous.

"Husband, is something the matter?" Yan Qiuling came over upon hearing this.

"It's nothing serious. The Palace Master of the Zongheng Dao Palace wants to break through to the seventh level of the Heavenly Gate, but someone might try to sabotage him in secret. He asked me to go and protect him." Han Qing said, finishing his hot tea in one gulp.

“I’ll go with you,” Yan Qiuling said.

"Have you finished practicing the martial arts manual?" Han Qing asked.

"It's unlikely we'll make much progress in the short term, so we might as well go out and gain some experience first," Yan Qiuling said.

"Okay, let's go together." Han Qing nodded.

On the day.

Han Qing led Yan Qiuling into the air, traversing the sky, crossing the desert, and reaching Fangcun Mountain.

It was late at night. On the summit of Fangcun Mountain, Taoist temples stood in rows. There was a large maple forest on the mountain. When the wind blew, the maple leaves swayed, like surging red fire, and made a series of strange rustling sounds.

Inside one of the Taoist temples, Han Qing and Yan Qiuling each sat on a chair, next to the Palace Master of the Zongheng Taoist Palace, as well as some other experts, all of whom he had specially invited to protect him and ensure his safe opening of the Heavenly Gate.

"Young friend Han, seeing you come makes me feel much more at ease. I think even if I fail to open the Heavenly Gate, I should be able to keep my old life." The old fisherman laughed heartily, still kind and gentle, making it impossible to feel any dislike for him.

"Sir, you flatter me. Your Zongheng Dao Palace is full of experts. Why would you need me? Even if you didn't, who would dare to attack you?" Han Qing shook his head. He saw seven or eight bearded old men next to him, all from Zongheng Dao Palace, and all of them were quite powerful.

"Young friend Han is now so powerful that even I am no match for him. There is no need to be modest. I am not very confident about opening the Heavenly Gate this time. I am more likely to be seriously injured and attract terrible enemies." As the old man spoke, his expression became much more serious.

"I've heard that a person can only open the Seven Heavens Gate once in their lifetime, and if they fail, they die. Since you're not very confident, why are you taking action now?" Han Qing asked, puzzled.

"What you said, young friend Han, is half right and half wrong. A person can indeed only attempt to break through the Seventh Heaven Gate once in their lifetime, but even if they fail, they will not necessarily die. As for why you are attempting to break through the Seventh Heaven Gate at this time, there is a secret that is difficult to tell..." The old man then told a story about a secret that happened to him.

It turned out that he had been implanted with a demonic seed by a demon lord. This demonic seed was extremely strange and difficult to deal with, and it would continue to grow stronger over time, constantly eroding his soul and body.

He had been suppressing the demonic seed, but recently he could no longer suppress it. Only by breaking through to the Rainbow Transformation Realm could he eliminate it.

Han Qing's heart stirred upon hearing this.

"Are there really demons in this world?" (End of Chapter)