The First Sage of Military Strategists

Han Qing glanced around and saw a large valley with a wide view. There were various kinds of plants and trees in the valley, and a light green mist was rising above them.

"This miasma is highly poisonous!" Geng Buxiu warned immediately.
Zhou Xiaoru reached out and grabbed a half-person-high weed from the ground, which was lifted into the air and landed in his hand.

The edges of the grass blades are serrated, and they have a pale purple sheen.

Zhou Xiaoru frowned: "This herb is also highly poisonous, called Immortal's Weeping Blood. I see this entire valley is full of poisonous herbs."

"Could he be a poison cultivator?" Qi Guanzi pondered.

"I suspect he's also a poison cultivator. We've pretty much figured out the patterns of this Ancient Void Domain. The geographical environment is often strongly related to the school of thought a cultivator belongs to." Geng Buxiu nodded slightly.

“There was a path of poison cultivation in ancient times, but it was not passed down. In the present era, there are also people who want to create a great path of poison cultivation, but progress is slow, and no saint has been born yet,” Zhou Xiaoru added.

"Whether it is or not, we'll find out soon enough. Let's go!"

Han Qing chose a direction and flew forward at high speed, because his magical senses had detected a Nightmare Demon not far away in that direction.

The nightmare demon was a woman dressed in a dark green robe, sitting cross-legged on the trunk of a large tree, meditating.

Although the Nightmare Demon has lost most of its human memories, instincts, and emotions, it still has the idea of ​​cultivating to improve its strength.

When undisturbed, the Nightmare Demon cultivates and improves its strength all day long, but its combat power increases extremely slowly. Rather than cultivating, it is more like maintaining its instincts from its previous life.

This Nightmare Demon's strength was quite ordinary. Han Qingfa scanned it and clearly saw that it was probably only equivalent to an ordinary Incense Realm Refining Spirit cultivator.

He could have killed it from a distance, but he didn't. Instead, he wanted to make the Nightmare Demon take action and see the methods of the ancient poison cultivator.

Sure enough, as Han Qing rapidly approached, the Nightmare Demon was immediately alarmed. It suddenly took flight, its magical power surging, and a seven-colored poisonous mist appeared out of thin air, suddenly spanning the sky like a wave, rushing towards Han Qing.

Han Qing made a grabbing motion from a distance, and the poisonous mist was drawn by a magical force, condensing into a seven-colored pearl in his palm.

Han Qing observed the pearl. When it came into contact with the surrounding magical energy, it seemed to possess a strong corrosive power, causing the magical energy to continuously dissolve.

The woman was about to make another move, but Han Qing didn't give her another chance. With the Sun and Moon Tide Fan in his hand, he suddenly swung it forward, and the golden and silver light directly engulfed her body. The storm formed by the intertwining of ice and fire power annihilated her, turning her into nothingness.

The woman died, leaving behind a ball of Dao fire. Han Qing reached out and grabbed it, the flame merging into his body, and he immediately gained a wealth of information.

"Indeed, the one lurking in this secret realm is an ancient poison cultivator. The move just now was called Hundred Flower Miasma, which is the most common and practical secret technique of poison cultivators. It can collect and absorb rare poisons from heaven and earth for our use. The more types of poisons it contains, the stronger the toxicity, the more vivid the color, and the more it can kill the opponent," Han Qing said.

Geng Buxiu nodded slightly: "The leader of the ancient poison cultivators was named Fairy Biyao. If we kill her and obtain her Dao Flame, we will be able to thoroughly comprehend the Dao of poison cultivators."

"Walk."

The group set off, unleashing a carnage in this land. One after another, the Nightmare Demons transformed from poison cultivators were slain, and clusters of Dao Fire were absorbed.

At one point, Han Qing was pleasantly surprised. He suddenly discovered that the power of the Great Void within his body had accumulated to a certain level, enough to be detected and mobilized by his Dharma mind.

With a thought, his body was suddenly covered by a silver light, his aura was completely concealed, and his speed increased considerably as he soared through the heavens and earth.

"This is the power of the Great Void. It seems I have met the requirements to step into the seventh level," Han Qing said softly.

"Indeed, my previous assessment was correct," Qi Guanzi nodded.

"Next, apart from Fairy Biyao, you are to absorb all the Dao Flames generated from slaying other Nightmare Demons and accumulate enough Void Power as soon as possible," Han Qing instructed.

"it is good."

Over the next hour, the group flew rapidly through the valley, slaying one poisonous demon after another.

Han Qing discovered that these poison cultivators' methods were quite simplistic, and their attack methods were very simple: they would spit out a mouthful of poison mist, and if they could kill, they would kill; if they couldn't, they had no other means. This shows that the path of poison cultivation was indeed not very perfect in ancient times, and not many spells that could be used in actual combat were developed.

Another half hour passed, and Fairy Biyao appeared.

Despite being called a fairy, this woman was far from beautiful. On the contrary, she had an ugly birthmark on her face, which was bluish-black and covered with curly hair.

However, his strength is quite unusual, possessing the third level of the Golden Body Realm.

At her level, her appearance could be changed at will. The fact that she deliberately presented herself as ugly only shows that she didn't care about her appearance at all during her lifetime.

While he was pondering, Fairy Biyao had already made her move against Han Qing.

She flicked her finger, and a drop of blood shot out from her fingertip, flying towards Han Qing at an extremely fast speed.

Han Qing frowned. It was just a drop of blood, but it made him feel a strong sense of crisis. So he suddenly activated his magical power and used the Yin-Yang True Realm to seal the drop of blood.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the drop of blood was quite unique, containing numerous black spots that seemed to be wriggling like living things.

A name immediately came to mind: Ten Thousand Poisons Gu Blood.

He had previously learned from the Dao Flames left behind by other poison cultivators that Fairy Biyao had a deadly move that could condense tens of thousands of Gu poisons into a single drop of blood. She could use this blood to attack and kill enemies silently, but with extremely strong destructive power. It could also be integrated into their bodies, planting endless Gu poisons and causing astonishing damage to their souls and bodies.

However, Han Qing's Yin-Yang True Realm was just right to counter this move. The drop of Gu blood floated quietly within it, and the Gu poison within it could not be released.

Then, the fairy Biyao suddenly pounced on Han Qing, choosing to fight him in close combat.

Han Qing did not stop her. In an instant, the woman came close and slapped him with her palm.

A faint green light flickered on its palm, its flesh melted away, revealing stark white bones, clearly indicating that it also contained potent poison.

Han Qing retaliated with a punch, his blood and qi surging within him, unleashing the terrifying power hidden within the body of a mid-level Martial Saint.

When the fist and palm collided, Fairy Biyao's palm shattered first, and then this tremendous force spread and surged rapidly, crushing her arm and even her entire body.

In the end, Fairy Biyao's body shattered and completely dissipated into the world, leaving behind a ball of Dao fire.

Han Qing's physical combat ability is now extremely powerful, so for Fairy Biyao to choose close combat is tantamount to courting death.

Then, Han Qing waved his hand, and the Dao Fire flew over and was quickly absorbed into his body.

Three hours later, the four entered the fifth level, which was the realm of bone cultivators. Its leader was Lady White Bone, a tall woman with pale skin, wearing a white bone crown and a long dress made of white bone armor plates.

Lady White Bone's strength was still at the third level of the Golden Body Realm, so Han Qing killed her within three moves.

After a thorough sweep, the Nightmare Demons of this world were all killed, and the group then stepped into the sixth level.

This level was an illusory realm. As the group walked through it, everything around them constantly changed, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, between fantasy and reality. Even a leader of a holy land like Geng Buxiu couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood, making it difficult for him to move forward. Han Qing, being even stronger, could see clearly and understand everything, but he still needed to spend considerable effort carefully discerning the differences.

Han Qing was too lazy to explore on his own, so he immediately activated the Boundless Monument and began to sweep through this world.

The Boundless Monument releases the shadow of the ancient city, enveloping a world. Wherever it goes, all illusions vanish, and the Nightmare Demons hiding within immediately reveal themselves.

These Nightmare Demons are powerless against the Boundless Monument and are instantly crushed and pulverized the moment they appear.

In just half an hour, all the Nightmare Demons in this world were wiped out, including even the leader of the Illusion Cultivators, Huan Li.

Before he could even cast a spell, he was annihilated in mid-air by a boundless, all-powerful aura.

Afterwards, Han Qing absorbed the Dao Fire from Huan Li, while Geng Buxiu and the other two absorbed a large amount of Dao Fire from other Nightmare Demons, accumulating enough Tai Xu Power in succession.

"Next is the seventh level, said to be the most mysterious and dangerous place in the entire Ancient Void Domain. There are almost no ancient books outside that record any information about this level, which means that no one who has entered this level before has ever come out."

At this moment, the Boundless Monument is standing above a lake, with a vortex of colorful light in front of it, which is the entrance to the seventh layer of the world.

Zhou Xiaoru stood inside the Boundless Monument, his gaze sweeping over the seven-colored vortex, his expression solemn.

“That’s right. The rumors circulating outside about the seventh level of the Ancient Void Domain were mostly divination and predictions. No one has actually stepped into it and come out of it,” Geng Buxiu said.

"Didn't it exist in ancient times either?" Han Qing asked.

"At least I haven't found any relevant records in the existing ancient books, and the idea that one needs to accumulate the power of the Great Void to step into the third level is just hearsay," Geng Buxiu added.

Han Qing raised his eyes and gazed at the seven-colored vortex in front of him. No one had ever stepped out of it before, which was a great test of one's courage.

"Elder Ming, are the things these three people said true or false?"

“False. People have come out of here in ancient times, but their numbers are extremely small. I’ve heard that the seventh level is a prison, extremely dangerous, containing a tremendous opportunity to completely control the Ancient Void Domain. I suggest that you go in and try it out, Master.” Elder Ming replied.

"Why?" Han Qing asked.

"Because of ancient legends, the seventh level tests comprehension. Only those with extraordinary comprehension can control the Ancient Void Domain. Master's talent and comprehension are rare even in ancient times. I believe Master can break through," said Elder Ming.

Han Qing's gaze hardened. He had never lacked courage. If someone could come out of this predicament, it meant that it was not impossible. With such a great opportunity right in front of him, he was truly unwilling to leave like this. He would definitely find a way to fight for it.

With this in mind, Han Qing said in a deep voice, "Everyone, now that we're here, there's no reason for us to be scared away. I'm determined to step into this and fight for it. If you're not willing to take the risk, I can send you away first."

Geng Buxiu smiled and said first, "I must fight for it. Anyway, I'm an old man, it doesn't matter if I die."

Zhou Xiaoru replied, "Wherever you go, young master, I will go. I will obey your every command."

"Then let's step inside and find out," Qi Guanzi said.

Han Qing had expected all three of their answers. Anyone who had reached this level had a mindset that was beyond that of an ordinary person. They would not even be afraid of the mighty power of heaven, so how could they be afraid of life and death?
"Then come with me and let's see what kind of fortune awaits on this seventh level!"

Han Qing's eyes flickered, but he felt no fear whatsoever.

He suddenly activated the Boundless Monument, and with a whoosh, the Boundless Monument transformed into a stream of light and flew into the vortex of colorful light in front of him.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed, and the Boundary Marker was now enveloped in a thick darkness.

"This is the seventh floor?"

Han Qingfa's thoughts extended from the Boundless Monument, but he suddenly felt an immense and boundless resistance that bound his thoughts to the vicinity of the Boundless Monument, preventing them from extending too far.

However, to Han Qing's naked eye, all he could see was boundless darkness, surging like waves, with no end in sight.

With a thought, he appeared outside the Boundless Monument, and Qi Guanzi and the other two appeared beside him one after another.

As soon as Han Qing emerged, he tried to fly through the darkness, but still felt immense resistance.

He quickly understood what was happening: the darkness imprisoned space and even froze time.

To move within this environment, one must not only break free from spatial constraints but also contend with the stagnant flow of time, which poses a significant challenge to one's strength and cultivation level.

Han Qingfei felt very strained when he moved, let alone the others.

Zhou Xiaoru was the first to run into trouble. He struggled to move a hundred feet in the darkness, but had already exhausted most of his magical power. If he wanted to continue moving, he had to rest on the spot.

Qi Guanzi also struggled greatly, performing only slightly better than Zhou Xiaoru.

Only Geng Buxiu was able to maintain flight for a long time in this darkness, but his magical power was also being consumed rapidly. After flying a distance of a thousand feet, he stopped in place.

"What a terrifying dark space! Only leaders of holy lands can barely move within it. Any cultivator below the Golden Body Realm who dares to step inside is doomed!" Geng Buxiu exclaimed.

“This seventh level is indeed dangerous. Let’s go back to the Boundless Monument first,” Han Qing said.

"it is good."

A ghostly light flickered, and the four figures were simultaneously swallowed up, appearing inside the Boundless Monument.

Han Qing activated the Boundless Stele, and suddenly soared rapidly through the dark space.

The binding power contained within this viscous darkness is indeed very strong, but the Boundless Monument also possesses extremely powerful strength, enough to counteract this binding power.

Therefore, although the Boundless Monument's flight speed is much slower compared to the outside world, it can still fly at high speed in this pitch-black space.

The space was completely dark, and there was nothing to distinguish directions, so Han Qing didn't know where to go. He simply focused on one direction and flew forward at high speed.

Moreover, time was frozen in this place, so Han Qing couldn't judge how far or how long he had flown.

At one point, he suddenly made a discovery: in the darkness ahead, he saw an old man also flying through the darkness.

The old man was dressed in a sky-blue battle robe. Although he looked old, he was tall and had lightning bolts flying through his white hair, giving him an air of authority.

However, his cultivation level was not very high, probably equivalent to Geng Buxiu. When flying in the dark, his speed was not very fast, and he seemed to be struggling.

"Could there be Nightmare Demons in this space as well?" Han Qing thought to himself, and immediately manipulated the Boundless Stele to fly towards the old man at top speed.

The old man also sensed something, and suddenly turned around, seeing the Boundless Monument flying towards him at breakneck speed. He was greatly shocked. (End of Chapter)