The First Sage of Military Strategists

In that instant, the Nightmare Demon lurking in the shadows finally revealed itself.

Han Qing saw the silhouette of a young man appear at the top of the tall stone building, his body still surrounded by shadows like ripples on water.

Upon seeing this person, a name immediately came to Han Qing's mind: Ye Wuhen.

This was a human genius from the late ancient period who pioneered the path of shadow cultivation at the young age of thirty-two. Unfortunately, he died young, ultimately at the hands of the demons.

With a thought, Han Qing caused the black-gold lotus to shrink abruptly, sealing Ye Wuhen within it.

However, Ye Wuhen did not give up the struggle. His whole body suddenly swelled up and turned into a dark shadow. Then, like a stream of water, he flowed rapidly and suddenly broke through the barrier formed by the Yin-Yang True Realm, and merged into the deep shadows of the outside world.

Han Qing wasn't surprised by this. He had absorbed a lot of Dao Flames before, including a lot of information about Ye Wuhen. This move was the Shadow Cultivator's signature skill, called Eternal Night Descent. His body could expand and turn into a shadow over a large area.

The reason this city is shrouded in shadow is because a large number of shadow cultivators are hiding within it. Each of them can create a shadow area, and these areas combine to eventually form a super-large shadow area.

Ye Wuhen's mastery of this move is unmatched. After transforming into shadow, he can traverse various sealing barriers and move through all kinds of dangerous places. It is normal that the Yin-Yang True Realm cannot seal him.

In the next instant, no fewer than a hundred dark figures suddenly emerged from the shadows surrounding Han Qing.

This is another move by Ye Wuhen, called Thousand Shadow Kill, which is also the most powerful move for Shadow Cultivators.

Han Qing suddenly sprang into action, ignoring the shadowy figures, and charged at an astonishing speed straight to a spot on the fourth floor of the towering stone building.

Although Ye Wuhen escaped the seal of the Yin-Yang True Realm, Han Qing could clearly see the trajectory of that flowing shadow, so he was very certain of Ye Wuhen's location.

With a spear in hand, he charged forward relentlessly. Shadows flew towards him to obstruct him, but they were all pierced and destroyed by his spear.

The Heavenly Dragon Power unleashed from within the spear suddenly surged forth from the spearhead, hurtling straight toward the shadow formed by Ye Wuhen with astonishing speed and unstoppable momentum.

boom!
With a loud bang, Ye Wuhen's body shattered, and the tall stone building collapsed along with it, turning into complete ruins.

However, Han Qing understood that Ye Wuhen had not died, because shadow cultivators have a very special ability: after transforming into shadows, their bodies have a near-immortal characteristic. Even if they are defeated, they will only lose their magical power and can quickly revive.

The reason why those shadow cultivators were killed by Han Qing in one move was because Han Qing was so powerful that he cleared out all their magical power in one move, so they could not use this move.

But Ye Wuhen was different; he was much stronger.

When his body shattered but no Dao fire appeared, Han Qing understood that Ye Wuhen was not dead.

Sure enough, amidst the swirling dust, shadows converged and quickly coalesced into the shape of Ye Wuhen, only to be blasted apart once again by Han Qing with a single shot.

This happened three times in a row. On the fourth time, Ye Wuhen's body completely shattered, turning into a cloud of mist and a ball of Dao fire appeared, hovering in the air.

Han Qing reached out and grabbed the ball of flame.

He closed his eyes slightly, and his mind received a large amount of information in a very short time, all of which were about the various powerful secret techniques of shadow cultivators.

He immediately shared this information with Zhou Xiaoru and the other two.

Although the paths are different, other schools of spirit cultivators can learn and use many of Ye Wuhen's spells. Moreover, understanding and digesting the Shadow Cultivation inheritance can deepen their accumulation and increase the probability of breaking through the Seven Heavens Gate.

A moment.

Han Qing opened his eyes, having already fully digested the information carried by this ball of Dao fire.

With a thought, he unleashed Nightless Trace's signature secret technique, bringing eternal night.

His entire being suddenly transformed into a shadow, enveloping the entire area.

In the shadows, he completely concealed his aura, allowing him to move quickly and cast various shadow-cultivation spells, such as Thousand Shadow Kill.

Of course, at the same level, the power of other schools of spirit refinement techniques will be reduced when using the same shadow cultivation method.

Han Qing then used several other shadow cultivation techniques in succession, finding them infinitely profound, which deepened his understanding of the laws and the Dao.

Meanwhile, Zhou Xiaoru and the others also ended their meditations, having gained some understanding of the Shadow Cultivation tradition.

"The other aspects of the Shadow Cultivation method are secondary; the key is its extremely wondrous technique of concealing one's form and breath," Qi Guanzi commented.

“Indeed, if one can learn this technique of concealing one's breath, one's ability to protect oneself will be greatly enhanced,” Geng Buxiu said.

Han Qing glanced around and his gaze fell on the hazy vortex of colorful light in the ruins ahead, which was clearly the entrance to the next level of the world.

"That's the entrance to the next level, but don't rush. Let's clear out the other Nightmare Demons in this city before we leave!" Han Qing said in a deep voice.

"it is good."

To reach the most mysterious seventh level, you must hunt down Nightmare Demons and absorb the power of the Void.

...

at the same time.

In another mysterious space within the Ancient Void Domain, Han Yi was controlling the Nine Dragons Palace of the Imperial Heaven to fly and traverse through it.

This world is shrouded in a thick fog, where many nightmare demons lurk, their bodies capable of transforming into a cloud of mist to hide within.

However, Han Yi's approach was extremely simple and brutal. Wherever he went, the Nine Dragons Palace of the Heavenly Emperor would release endless golden light, sweeping across all directions in an instant, killing all the Nightmare Demons in the mist, and then taking away all valuable items such as corpses, magic treasures, and Dao Fire.

At this moment, in a dense forest in front of the Imperial Nine Dragons Palace, a vortex of colorful light was slowly rotating.

"The entrance to this world is just ahead, but unfortunately, the power of the Void is still insufficient to directly enter the seventh level," Han Yi said in a deep voice.

"Ancient books in the palace record that there is a Taixu Ancient Tree on the seventh floor, which is rooted in the void and has evolved into myriad worlds. It is extremely powerful. The so-called Taixu Ancient Domain is also a unique world created by this ancient tree. Every space we are in is equivalent to a leaf on this ancient tree."

"If we can control this ancient tree, it will be equivalent to controlling the entire Ancient Void Domain. The benefits that will bring are unimaginable." Emperor Yu was also in the palace at this time, and his deep and heavy voice echoed between heaven and earth.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly retrieve this precious tree for my Great Yu."

As Han Yi spoke, he activated a palace that flew into the entrance ahead in a flash.

...

Meanwhile, Han Qing and the others had also annihilated the Nightmare Demons of that world and entered the third secret realm of the Ancient Void Domain.

This world was filled with flowing, scorching lava, and waves of heat permeated every area between heaven and earth.

Han Qing soon encountered an opponent, a humanoid Nightmare Demon formed from a ball of flame.

However, his combat strength was not very strong. He was killed by Han Qing with a single spear thrust, leaving behind a ball of Dao fire.

After absorbing the ball of Dao fire, Han Qing immediately captured a wealth of information about the Nightmare Demons of this world. Most of the Nightmare Demons in this world are fire cultivators, specializing in the Dao of Flames, and can completely transform their bodies into flames.

With a thought, he shared the information he had gleaned from the ball of Dao fire with Zhou Xiaoru and the others beside him.

"As expected, it's a fire cultivator. Fire cultivation and lightning cultivation are the two most powerful paths for direct combat in ancient times. It's a pity that they were not passed down in the end," Geng Buxiu said.

“Indeed, if we can learn many of the secret techniques of fire cultivation, our ability to fight head-on may be greatly improved,” Qi Guanzi said.

"The ancient leader of fire cultivators was named Chi Lie, and he is our target," Geng Buxiu added.

"Let's get started. Let's wipe out all the cultivators from all the major schools of spiritual refinement in this world," Han Qing said.

"go!"

The group immediately took off at high speed across the crimson plain where lava flowed.

Most of the Nightmare Demons transformed from fire cultivators were hidden in the magma. When Han Qing and the others flew over it, these Nightmare Demons would suddenly rise up from it and rush towards Han Qing and the others like moths to a flame.

Han Qing used the same old trick: anyone who was strong enough to threaten the lives of Zhou Xiaoru and the others would be killed directly, while those who were weaker would be spared and left to Qi Guanzi and the other two to deal with.

In this way, everyone can benefit, and Qi Guanzi and the other two can also absorb and accumulate the power of the Great Void, so that they can successfully step into the seventh level of the Ancient Domain of the Great Void in the future.

Two hours later, Han Qing and his companions had killed no less than a thousand Nightmare Demons. As they approached a large lava lake, Chi Lie, whom they had been searching for, finally appeared.

His entire body transformed into a gigantic ball of flame, suddenly leaping out of the lava lake, like a blazing, dazzling sun, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Even before the fireball got close, everyone felt a wave of scorching heat rushing towards them.

With a wave of his hand, Han Qing activated the Buddhist Bone Scripture, and a golden shield appeared, protecting everyone inside and blocking the heat wave that was rushing towards them from the front.

However, the enormous fireball continued its relentless charge, crashing violently into the golden shield.

Then, the two collided in mid-air, and the golden shield was suddenly engulfed by flames. Under the scorching heat of the raging flames, the shield twisted violently and finally disappeared into the void with a loud bang.

Han Qing and the others were sharply exposed to the raging flames, which immediately surged forth like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf the four of them.

Han Qing frowned. He could feel the destructive power contained in the flames. Even if he were engulfed in an instant, he would be injured, and Zhou Xiaoru would likely be reduced to ashes.

Therefore, he reacted quickly and threw a punch forward immediately.

With this punch, he used his self-created fist technique, a true combination of martial arts and magic. With one punch, the true meaning of martial arts burst forth, colliding fiercely with the surging flames around him. In just an instant, the flames were reversed, collapsed, and dissipated into the world.

Han Qingfa scanned the area and immediately locked onto his opponent: a tall, imposing man with red eyebrows, red eyes, a bald head, and red horns, standing beneath the sky in front of him, wearing a loose robe.

He had already absorbed a large amount of Dao Fire, from which he absorbed a lot of memories and information related to Chi Lie, so he recognized Chi Lie's identity at a glance.

Chi Lie had also transformed into a Nightmare Demon, his eyes hollow, revealing only a boiling killing intent.

At this moment, Chi Lie made a new move. He suddenly opened his hands, and flames converged, forming a phantom longbow in his left hand. Then, he reached forward with his right hand, drew the bowstring, and suddenly pulled it back, condensing a massive amount of flames into an arrow.

Whoosh!
As soon as he released his grip, the arrow shot out and quickly dispersed in the air, forming dozens or even hundreds of streams of fire arrows that enveloped Han Qing from all directions.

With a flick of his wrist, Han Qing conjured the Sun and Moon Tide Fan. He then swung it forward, and the golden and silver intertwined radiance of the sun and moon immediately engulfed the hundreds of fire arrows like a tidal wave.

Then, Han Qing suddenly transformed into a shadow, which was the Shadow Cultivation Technique he had learned from the previous level. He used Chi Lie to test the practical combat ability of this secret technique.

In an instant, shadows enveloped the sky and the fiery red sky.

Chi Lie paused for a moment because he had lost his target. In the shadows, Han Qing completely concealed his aura, so much so that even Geng Buxiu and the other two could not detect it.

Suddenly, thick tentacles emerged from the shadows, converging from all directions and instantly enveloping and binding Chi Lie.

Then, the tentacle suddenly tightened, trying to strangle Chi Lie in mid-air.

Chi Lie suddenly roared, his entire body first transforming into a ball of flame, and then this flame rapidly changed, transforming into a soaring fire dragon, bursting out with astonishing power, and in the process, breaking free from the restraints of the shadowy tentacles.

Han Qing had just learned this move, and its power was indeed quite ordinary when he used it for the first time. Otherwise, with his current level of strength, if he used other moves and went all out, he would probably be able to crush Chi Lie in an instant.

At this moment, the fire dragon that Chi Lie had transformed into was soaring in the sky. Although he had broken free from his restraints, he had also lost a great deal of power and looked as if he could be destroyed at any moment.

Han Qing immediately made his move, this time using another technique from the Shadow Cultivator: Thousand Shadow Kill.

In an instant, the Shadow Domain writhed, and black shadows flew out from it, attacking Chi Lie from all directions.

The fiery dragon's body was instantly destroyed, but it changed its tactics again, activating a powerful array. The lava lake below erupted, with complex array patterns appearing and disappearing within it. Then, the lava in the lake shot into the sky, transforming into a shower of meteors and fire, which fell in profusion.

At this moment, Han Qing suddenly emerged from the shadows, the Manglong Devouring Armor appearing on his body, and the Manglong Spear in his hand.

"It's time to finish."

With a flash, he transformed into a streak of light and charged towards Chi Lie, the rain of fire falling from the sky being resisted by the armor he wore.

Han Qing, carrying the flames that filled the sky, charged towards Chi Lie, raised his hand and thrust his spear through Chi Lie's body. The power of the true dragon erupted, and Chi Lie's body exploded in mid-air.

But at this time, he was not dead yet, because Huo Xiu had an ability called Nirvana.

Wisps of flame converged, forming a giant flaming egg in the air.

As long as this giant egg is not broken, the fire cultivator will be able to be reborn from within it after a period of time.

The moment the giant egg took shape, it shot off at breakneck speed into the distance.

However, just as it flew halfway up, Han Qing used the Yin-Yang True Realm to seal it inside.

The black and gold lotus flower rotated, and a void power seeped into it, ultimately causing the giant egg to shatter.

This time, the Nightmare Demon Chi Lie was completely killed, turning into a wisp of mist and dissipating into the world, leaving behind a bright flame of Dao.

Han Qing immediately absorbed the flame and shared it with others, so that they could all comprehend the path of fire cultivation together.

An hour later, everyone finished their comprehension and gained something to varying degrees.

Then the group set off again, and before long, they found the entrance to the next world atop a tall volcano.

Without hesitation, Han Qing manipulated the Boundless Monument to directly enter it.

As the light and shadow shifted, the group arrived at the fourth level of the world, which turned out to be a secluded valley. (End of Chapter)