The First Sage of Military Strategists

The old man immediately began to forge the armor, and a deep, dark light flashed, instantly enveloping the small mountains formed by the dragon and phoenix skeletons.

In less than a quarter of an hour, all the dragon and phoenix bones disappeared. The most essential parts were extracted in the dim light and transformed into strands of crimson and ice-blue light, which quickly converged into three bright orbs.

Han Qing could sense a powerful energy fluctuation surging within the three orbs of light; this was the most essential part of the dragon and phoenix skeleton.

Under the control of the Boundless Monument, the three orbs of light began to change shape continuously. At the same time, complex runes appeared in the space and entered the orb of light from all directions.

Han Qing wasn't idle either. He closed his eyes slightly and quickly absorbed the five soul light points in front of the Boundless Monument.

These five individuals were all powerful figures in the Western Wilderness, holding high positions and wielding great power. Although this clash caused the Boundless Monument to lose a portion of its spiritual energy, the death of five important figures would greatly impact the Western Wilderness, potentially leading to turmoil. In short, the Nine Yin Great Sage did not gain any advantage.

The soul fragments of these five people were also of great value, and Han Qing was the first to inherit seven spells from them.

These spells further enhanced Han Qing's foundation, making him even more confident in breaking through to the seventh level of heaven.

Next came the three martial arts manuals. The moment Han Qing chose to inherit them, a massive amount of blood and qi surged within him, coursing through his limbs and bones, launching a fierce attack on each acupoint.

The source of blood and qi transformed from the Heavenly Demon Blood Soul Pill within his body surged continuously, generating a large amount of blood and qi to help strengthen his physique.

Han Qing closed his eyes slightly, and a muffled sound came from his body from time to time. Every time an acupoint was opened, a burst of celestial power would burst out from the acupoint, making his body stronger.

Time passed slowly, and three hours later, Han Qing had completely digested the three martial arts manuals, and the number of acupoints reached 1263.

Han Qing could clearly feel that his combat power had greatly improved.

"A high-level Martial Saint needs to open all ten thousand apertures; the difficulty is truly beyond imagination," Han Qing murmured.

Throughout history, the number of advanced Martial Saints has been fewer than that of those who have reached the Rainbow Transformation Realm, demonstrating just how difficult it is to achieve.

Han Qing thought to himself that perhaps only by reading through all the martial arts manuals in the world and studying them thoroughly could he have a chance to unlock the myriad apertures, which was almost an impossible task.

However, if successful, the Martial Saint of Ten Thousand Apertures will possess unbelievably powerful combat strength.

Ancient books record that in ancient times, the Martial Saint of Ten Thousand Apertures could roam freely without hindrance, and his ability to protect himself was incredibly strong, even to the point of being able to regenerate from a drop of blood.

Every drop of blood contains terrifying destructive power; the story of a saint being killed by a drop of blood is not a myth, but a real event that could happen.

"With the Seven Killings Stele as my aid, given enough time, I will surely become a Martial Saint of Ten Thousand Apertures," Han Qingxin thought to himself.

As he was pondering this, he suddenly felt a strong surge of magical power. The three orbs of light vanished abruptly, revealing three suits of armor inside.

"Master, the armor has been completed," Elder Ming said.

Han Qing waved his hand, and the three suits of armor flew to him. Their exteriors were a mix of blue and red, covered with a thick layer of fine scales, on which various runes were faintly visible.

Han Qing reached out and touched it, and could feel the powerful energy surging within the armor, indicating that its quality was extremely high.

"Indeed, these are three excellent suits of armor," Han Qing praised.

"Dragon and phoenix bones are the highest-grade forging materials in the world, so armor forged from them will inevitably be of excellent quality," Elder Ming explained.

"It's time to go. First, return to the border and deliver these two suits of armor to Mr. Zhou and his companion. Then, immediately activate the Boundless Monument to head to the Shennong Kingdom in the South China Sea," Han Qing instructed.

"Alright!" Elder Ming responded, and without Han Qing's control, he immediately flew towards the border camp.

...

Inside the interior space.

Han Qing wasn't idle either. With a thought, he conjured up golden characters with his magical power, which flew into the air and naturally arranged themselves into lines, quickly expanding into an article.

After a while, tens of thousands of characters came together to form a martial arts manual called the Dragon Spring Manual.

This is one of the three martial arts manuals he just learned.

Then, the tens of thousands of characters converged to form a golden sphere of light, which shot directly above the ancient city, as if transforming into a star in the dark night sky.

Without pausing, Han Qing immediately activated his magical power to outline the second chapter of the martial arts manual.

One by one, the words shot into the sky, following the same process. This time, there were a full 30,000 words, which also transformed into a ball of light and shot into the high sky, becoming another star in the night sky.

This is the second martial arts manual, named the Imperial Awakening Illuminating Night Manual.

In the following time, Han Qing kept writing martial arts manuals and spells, and one after another, light orbs flew into the sky, so that the night sky above the ancient city was no longer dark, but could be seen with scattered stars, starlight floating, mysterious and profound.

Elder Ming, who had been observing all along, couldn't help but ask, "Master, what is the purpose of your painstaking efforts in compiling this martial arts manual?"

Han Qing said unhurriedly, "To wipe out the ancient clans, force alone is not enough. We must start from the root. I want to build a supreme library to provide everyone in the world with the opportunity to learn magic and martial arts. This will narrow the gap between ordinary people and the children of aristocratic families. Right now, there are only a few dozen martial arts secrets in the sky, but everything is just beginning. In the future, there will be hundreds or thousands of secrets here, and everyone who steps into this place will see a vast starry sky."

In fact, besides this purpose, Han Qing was also doing a deep analysis while compiling the martial arts secrets.

He had learned many secret techniques, but most of them were very disorganized.

But at this moment, every time he finished writing a magic and martial arts manual, he could feel that his understanding of the magic and martial arts in that manual had deepened.

He pondered that if he were to review all the spells and martial arts manuals he had learned so far, he might be able to master them and greatly increase his strength.

A sense of admiration flashed through Elder Ming's heart. With Han Qing's strength, he could kill thousands of ordinary people with a flick of his wrist. Even martial artists who had learned some martial arts skills would be like ants in front of Han Qing unless they had reached the level of a Martial Saint. Under such circumstances, it was extremely rare for Han Qing to still care about the world and the people.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Does the young master intend to invite people from all over the world to the Boundless Monument to observe and learn the martial arts techniques?"

"Indeed, Elder Ming, do you have a way to accomplish this?" Han Qing asked.

He wanted to make it possible for people all over the world to enter the Boundless Monument anytime and anywhere to learn martial arts secrets, which was no easy task.

"This matter is not easy, but as long as I can continue to absorb magical treasures and strengthen my power, the Boundless Monument will also continue to transform, and there will definitely be a chance to achieve it in the future," said Elder Ming.

After he finished speaking, the space inside the Boundless Monument fell silent again. Han Qing continued to weave the Martial Scripture. On the dark night sky, the stars twinkled, and the starry sky had become even more brilliant and profound.

...

In the capital city, in a bustling restaurant, Ma Meng and his two companions sat in a private room, drinking and watching beautiful women dance gracefully.

Ma Meng took a big gulp of fine wine, his eyes sparkling with bright light, looking radiant.

Tan Yuanming reached out and pulled a dancer over, groping her all over with a confident smile on his face.

"Brother Ma, Brother Zhao, it's great to see the three of us reunite now, and we've all become much stronger. Congratulations!"

“That’s right. We were trapped in the far south abyss, but unexpectedly, we turned misfortune into blessing and obtained a large number of treasures. Now, the three of us working together, we no longer need to fear Han Qing.” Zhao Yueqiu laughed.

Ma Meng remained calm and hurriedly said, "Brother Zhao, you must not be careless. We have good fortune, and Han Qing may also have great fortune. I heard that he controls the Boundless Stele, a magic weapon that can devour other magic weapons and constantly transform. It has evolved to an incredible level and can even fight against the Peacock King Buddha. It is best to be careful."

Ma Meng's words calmed Tan Yuanming down. He pushed away the woman in his arms and said in a deep voice, "Put Han Qing aside for now. The most important thing now is the court. Emperor Yu has obtained a large number of dragon and phoenix bones and has already repaired the Imperial Nine Dragon Palace to about 70-80%. This magic weapon is not only powerful and fast, but it can also conceal the secrets of heaven. The Heavenly Wolf King died because of this before. It is a sharp blade hanging over everyone's head."

Emperor Yu has always wanted to take action against the powerful families and martial arts holy lands of the world, but his strength has always been insufficient. Now that the Nine Dragons Palace of the Imperial Heaven has emerged, I fear he might actually make a move. We are all from prominent families, so we must be on guard. Compared to him, Han Qing is a minor problem; this is a major problem. What are your thoughts on this, gentlemen?

Zhao Yueqiu's expression also turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "Brothers, there is no other way to deal with this matter. We can only unite all forces to fight against the imperial court. I will send people to join forces with the major families to form an alliance. In this way, no matter how the world changes, the status of our families can be preserved."

"It is time to unite. I recently heard that a large number of top experts from beyond the heavens have appeared in Chu. Among them, a powerful man named Young Master Xu has secretly contacted me, wanting to join forces with the aristocratic families to fight against the imperial court. At the same time, he also wants to go to the Ancient Domain of the Void to compete for the treasure inheritance," Tan Yuanming suddenly said.

“Then let’s join forces. The imperial court is powerful, and the Pan Yuan family is also a formidable force. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity,” Ma Meng said.

The three of them were talking amongst themselves, each trying to figure out how to secure a place for themselves in this chaotic world and thus control their own destiny.

...

At this moment, Han Qing, controlling the Boundless Monument, returned to the border of Shazhou.

As Han Qing approached Guiqiu, he felt a murderous aura ten times stronger than usual surge into the sky.

He vaguely sensed that something big was about to happen. He swept his magical thoughts around, and the entire city of Guiqiu was filled with a solemn and murderous atmosphere. Large numbers of armored soldiers were running quickly on the streets, and every household was closed. Even the shops were shut down.

"Is the great war finally about to break out?" Han Qing murmured to himself.

He flew up and landed in his own courtyard. Zhou Xiaoru and Qi Guanzi were playing chess in the pavilion. When they saw Han Qing return, they immediately came to greet him.

“Young Master, a few days after you left, Commander Meng suddenly ordered the entire army to prepare for battle, planning to launch an attack in three days to defeat the royal army in one fell swoop. Now the entire city of Guiqiu is preparing for the upcoming battle,” Zhou Xiaoru said.

Han Qing nodded slightly: "Meng Chong is a mature and steady person. His sudden decision to take action must have some reason that we don't know about."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and two dark, mysterious lights appeared, each containing a set of armor.

"These two suits of armor were specially crafted for you two using the bones of dragons and phoenixes. You should refine them quickly. With a great battle imminent, having more armor means having more power," Han Qing said.

Without hesitation, the two took the armor and began refining it.

A while later, Meng Chong suddenly came to visit.

"Han Qing, you're finally back. Tomorrow at dawn, I will launch a fierce attack on the enemy camp and strive to win the battle in one fell swoop."

"Why did Commander Meng act so hastily? What happened?" Han Qing asked.

“Indeed, something has happened. Han Yi, leading the Nine Dragons Palace of the Imperial Heaven, will break into the inner world of the Great Brahma before we can act, seize this treasure in one fell swoop, and shake the foundation of the Desert Royal Court. Without the blessing of the Great Brahma and without the Peacock King Buddha in charge, I am 60% confident that I can defeat the enemy army. Now that you are back, that confidence has increased by another 10% to 20%.” Meng Chong was extremely confident.

"Very well, I will fight with all my might in this battle and capture Vasala alive," Han Qing said in a deep voice.

...

In the early hours of the morning, as dusk deepened and the first light of day began to appear.

A deep and melodious bugle call suddenly rang out in Guiqiu City, and a large number of soldiers who had been waiting for a long time rushed out from various border passes outside the city.

Each team, holding torches high, charged forward at breakneck speed, resembling countless fiery dragons crawling forward when viewed from above.

Above these fiery dragons was the royal camp, which was also brightly lit. A large number of soldiers, holding bows and arrows and spears, stood on watchtowers and on the tall, thick walls of the camp, ready to fight to the death against the soldiers rushing towards them.

Although the operation took place in the early hours of the morning, it was not a sneak attack, but a fair and square frontal assault.

Meng Chong made no attempt to conceal his troop deployments, and Posala was well aware that he was about to make his move, so he prepared in advance.

At this moment, Han Qing also led a team, galloping at full speed, rapidly approaching the royal camp.

Under the power of the Dharma, the world is filled with dense malevolent energy. Those whose strength is not at the level of a saint cannot use any magic at all. As soon as their magical thoughts leave their bodies, they will be swept into the turbulent flow of malevolent energy and shattered in an instant.

"Fire arrows!"

Suddenly, no fewer than ten thousand arrows flew out from the camp ahead, each arrow accompanied by a streak of fire and light as it fell from the sky.

Han Qing flipped his palm, and the Buddhist Sound Bone Scripture appeared, suddenly bursting with golden light. It intertwined and condensed into a golden shield that would descend from the sky like a rain of arrows to block the outside.

Then, he suddenly broke away from the group and charged forward alone at an extremely fast speed.

He was a Thousand Aperture Martial Saint, and when he ran at full speed, his speed was naturally unbelievable. In just a moment, he was already standing in front of this thick wall. Then he raised his hand and punched out, and a violent force erupted. The wall suddenly collapsed and turned into countless pieces of stone and wood, which scattered between heaven and earth.

In that instant, a golden light rose from the body of every soldier in the camp, and then these thousands of lights converged above everyone's heads to form a huge Peacock King Buddha.

"Han Qing, with me here, how can I allow you to act recklessly?"

Han Qing soared into the air, facing the Sparrow King Buddha directly, and chuckled, "Last time you were no match for me in the Panlong Immortal Realm, and now only an avatar has come. I have nothing to fear. Are you trying to die?"

"Things are different now. I have broken free from my spirit form and transformed into a human. My strength has greatly increased, and even a single clone is enough to suppress you!" the Peacock King Buddha said coldly.

"Then let me see just how capable this clone of yours really is."

As the Peacock King Buddha spoke, he suddenly soared into the sky, and Han Qing immediately followed.

At the same time, the inner world of Brahma was also attacked. The Nine Dragons Palace of the Heavenly Emperor suddenly descended and threw down a huge golden pillar of energy, which struck the earth straight down, just like a giant nuclear bomb.

With a deafening roar, the entire Brahma Heaven was reduced to ruins, and countless monks perished within. (End of Chapter)