The First Sage of Military Strategists

"So-called ominous signs are nothing but the cowardly words of the weak and fearful; there's no need to pay them any mind," Han Qing added.

Having reached his level, he has seen all sorts of storms and waves, and he doesn't take such trivial matters to heart at all.

"However, the news of my plan to rebuild Yuelu Academy should soon spread throughout the entire Great Yu Dynasty, and the Emperor of Yu should have heard about it by now. I don't believe he will remain indifferent. You all should be careful about this," Han Qing said, changing the subject.

"Yes, we must do our best to improve our strength in order to deal with the storms and crises that may come at any time," one person echoed.

"I have decided to attempt to break through to the seventh level of Heavenly Gate in the coming days. If I succeed, Yuelu Academy will have more confidence when facing the imperial court or other major powers," Qi Guanzi suddenly said.

"Mr. Qi, there's no need to rush. If you haven't accumulated enough experience, you might as well wait a little longer," Han Qing said. "The court doesn't need to worry. With me here, the sky won't fall."

“I’m not in a hurry, but I feel the time is right. I’ve accumulated enough experience, and this time I’m sure I can break through in one fell swoop.” Qi Guanzi nodded, his tone quite firm.

“Since Mr. Qi has made up his mind, then I will protect you. There are countless eyes watching us behind the scenes. I guess your trip to Potianmen will not be peaceful.” Han Qing narrowed his eyes and said slowly.

"With you here, young master, I have nothing to fear," Qi Guanzi said in a deep voice.

...

High above, the gale-force winds surged like turbulent currents. The Imperial Nine Dragons Palace rapidly ascended, eventually passing through the ninth layer of gale-force winds and arriving at the very top of the sky. This was a void, devoid of direction, time, and space; there was only endless turbulent void.

But at this moment, there is a huge vortex in the void, deep and dark inside, which seems to be a void passage, and its destination is unknown.

At a certain moment, the enormous vortex began to spin rapidly, and suddenly more than ten thousand people flew out. Then, with a flash of golden light, these ten thousand people appeared in the Imperial Nine Dragons Palace.

"Are you Emperor Yu?"

The leader, carrying a giant golden sword, was three zhang tall and extremely imposing. His voice was loud and clear, and his eyes were fixed on Emperor Yu.

"it's me."

"We come from the Vajra Holy Armor Sect, and have come to this world at Kou Huai's invitation to help you unify the eight directions. These tens of thousands of people are just the first batch. If the cooperation goes well, more powerful people will descend in the future," the big man said loudly.

Emperor Yu nodded slightly: "You have all come from afar and must be tired from your journey. Why don't you go and rest first? Once Kou Huai returns from the Holy Royal Court, you can go and meet him immediately."

After he finished speaking, a flash of golden light appeared, and all the tens of thousands of people were moved out of the central hall.

"Your Majesty, the latest news is that Han Qing has killed Zhong Dezhang and others. This traitor is determined to oppose the court."

After the hall quieted down, Han Yi broke the silence.

Emperor Yu's gaze was calm: "It's time to make a move. As long as we kill him and seize the Boundless Stele and the True Spirit of the Void, then my Great Yu will hold three supreme treasures, truly surpassing all other forces, and sweeping across the eight wastelands without any further obstacles."

"I have heard that in a few days, Prince Qi will begin to break through the Seventh Heaven Barrier. This is an excellent opportunity. I believe that we should strike on this day and kill Han Qing, making Yuelu Academy awash in blood," Han Yi said loudly.

"As you say, it is a good thing that Han Qing established Yuelu Academy. Those powerful figures who fled to the countryside and lived in anonymity all harbored resentment towards the court. Han Qing has gathered them together again, saving me the trouble of searching for them. This time, I will definitely wipe them out in one fell swoop," Emperor Yu said loudly.

...

August 7th, seven days after the opening of Yuelu Academy.

The academy was already taking shape, bustling with activity, and a large number of students were coming and going. The sound of chanting could be heard for hundreds of miles.

The vast majority of these students came from impoverished backgrounds, and therefore cherished the opportunity to study at Yuelu Academy, because Yuelu Academy not only taught them to read and write, but also taught them martial arts.

Today, another major event is taking place: Qi Guanzi is about to attempt to break through the seventh heavenly gate.

Early in the morning, Han Qing followed him deep into the mountains of Shu, finding a desolate place to prepare for his tribulation.

"Mr. Qi, let's begin." Han Qing sat cross-legged atop a green mountain, exuding a leisurely air and calm gaze.

Qi Guanzi nodded slightly: "Young master, if a powerful enemy attacks, it will surely be a thunderous attack. If you cannot defeat it, you should leave as soon as possible and do not worry about me."

Han Qing sneered: "It doesn't matter, I want to see how Emperor Yu will kill me?"

He was extremely confident. With two powerful treasures in his hands, his strength had grown to an extremely terrifying level. He did not believe that anyone in this world could kill him, not even the Emperor of Yu, even if he could mobilize the power of the entire Great Yu.

"I am relieved that you are so confident, young master." Qi Guanzi said no more and immediately began to recite the incantation. In a few breaths, he looked up and saw red clouds gathering directly above him, and layers of heavenly gates suddenly standing in the sky.

Qi Guanzi rose up and soared upwards, heading straight for the seventh heavenly gate.

Han Qing felt the overwhelming divine power permeating his surroundings. With a thought, he silently sensed the Dao of Heaven and vaguely saw endless blood light.

Today was indeed an extremely dangerous day; he knew that Emperor Yu would definitely take action.

Because in the Ancient Void Domain, he displayed a monstrous talent that was rarely seen throughout the ages, which had exceeded the control of Emperor Yu. Based on his understanding of Emperor Yu, this person would definitely take action to eliminate all unruly factors. Not to mention, his establishment of Yuelu Academy was clearly a way of opposing the imperial court.

From any perspective, he felt that a fierce battle was inevitable today.

He closed his eyes slightly, calmed his mind, regulated his breathing and cultivated his spirit, adjusting himself to the best possible state to prepare for a battle that might break out at any time.

Time passed slowly, and about three hours later, Han Qing suddenly opened his eyes and shouted sternly, "Get out here!"

"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect you to discover my whereabouts so soon after I arrived. But it doesn't matter. You're a bunch of useless cowards, too afraid to make a move. I, your ancestor, will take the lead and test your strength!"

A sharp sound suddenly came from not far away, and then a tall and burly figure leaped out from a dense forest. It was none other than the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Demons.

Han Qing had always thought that it was Emperor Yu who would attack him, but he never expected that the first one to appear would be this old monster.

However, he didn't care; he was fearless and would kill anyone who came.

"die!"

The Demon Ancestor suddenly soared into the air. He unleashed a punch from above, lightning crackling on his fist, as it slammed fiercely towards Han Qing.

Han Qing reached out and grabbed, thrusting out a spear. This spear not only unleashed the power of the Heavenly Dragon, but also contained another mysterious power, a dazzling silver-white light. The two merged into one, rushing straight towards the punch at an astonishing speed.

In an instant, the two forces collided in mid-air. The Demon Ancestor let out a muffled groan as his fist shattered in mid-air, turning into a cloud of blood mist, and his entire arm was completely destroyed.

"What a terrifying power!"

The Demon Ancestor was filled with terror and suddenly leaped up, retreating rapidly. Han Qing, of course, had no intention of letting him go, and raised his hand to thrust out with his spear again. A silver-white light surged from the spearhead, chasing after the Demon Ancestor at an astonishing speed.

Unable to dodge in time, the Demon Ancestor suddenly slapped the gray cloth bag at his waist with his remaining left arm, from which a large amount of golden sand surged out, surrounding his body and condensing into layers of earthen-yellow walls.

This is his most powerful protective magic weapon, named Wan Chuan Heng Chen. It was crafted in ancient times by him by collecting the spirits of thousands of mountains, and it is an unparalleled magic weapon of the demon race.

The spear thrust forward, its light dazzling, striking the earthen-yellow cliff squarely. The two forces collided, and the cliff instantly collapsed, turning into a cloud of dust.

Regardless, the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Demons got a fleeting chance to escape. He soared into the sky, a cloud of black energy rising from his body, preparing to use the demon race's flying escape technique to flee from this place.

Although this was also an avatar, it was the most powerful of his many avatars, and he did not want to be destroyed by Han Qing.

But Han Qing had anticipated this. The instant he took to the air, a thick darkness spread from his body, centered on him, and instantly enveloped the sky.

This darkness was created by the True Spirit of the Great Void, and it can turn a considerable area around it into a realm of eternal darkness.

This eternal darkness was like a quagmire, and the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Demons was suddenly trapped in it, unable to escape at all.

Not only that, he could feel the power within his body rapidly draining away.

"The Ancient Demon's World-Destroying Scripture!"

In the critical moment, the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Demons unleashed a desperate technique, chanting a grand scripture—another extremely powerful demonic art.

"break!"

His body was covered in wounds, from which gushed forth streams of blood energy. This blood energy then combined with the power of his magical intent, converging behind him to form a tall, scarlet shadow. Its appearance was similar to that of the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Demons, a ferocious and terrifying blood-red ape.

However, the ape's aura was far more powerful than his clone.

The monkey leaped up and threw a punch, carving a path through the dark space.

But after that punch, his body naturally shattered, turning into a cloud of blood.

Seizing this fleeting opportunity, the Demon Ancestor suddenly soared toward the exit at breakneck speed.

Just as Han Qing was about to make a move to completely destroy the clone of the Ten Thousand Demon Ancestor, the situation suddenly took a new turn.

A figure suddenly soared into the sky not far behind him; it was none other than the Nine Yin Great Sage.

The moment the Great Sage of Nine Yin appeared, he immediately made his move, and it was a killing move. A vast surge of magical power suddenly formed a huge white bone claw in the sky, which then slammed down on Han Qing.

In that instant, Han Qing could feel the space around him solidify, leaving him no chance to dodge and forcing him to confront the claw head-on.

Moreover, this Nine Yin Great Sage did not continuously change his appearance and increase his strength as before, but his aura reached its peak the moment he appeared.

Han Qing could feel a terrifying pressure surging towards him.

If he hadn't obtained the True Spirit of the Void along the way, and had been blessed by the True Spirit of the Void, he might not have been a match for the Great Sage of Nine Yin in this state.

However, he was now completely fearless. He raised his hand and threw a punch, unleashing his fist technique, Heaven-Shattering!

With the blessing of the True Spirit of the Void, the power of this punch reached an astonishing level.

boom!
With a muffled thud, the giant white bone claw above its head collapsed and vanished into the world.

"Hmm? You shattered my White Bone God-Slaying Claw with just one punch. It seems your strength is indeed unbelievably powerful. No wonder Emperor Yu was willing to pay a huge price to join forces with me to kill you!" The Nine Yin Great Sage suddenly said. His voice was also very peculiar, as if the voices of men and women, old people and children, and countless others were mixed and overlapped together.

Han Qing frowned: "I gleaned key information from the words of the Nine Yin Great Sage. Is Emperor Yu leading the charge, uniting various forces, and having many powerful figures from all over the world attack me? It seems he understands how strong I am now. But it doesn't matter. No one can kill me now, not even if many powerful figures join forces."

"You are too arrogant. Although the True Spirit of the Void is powerful, I don't believe it can make you invincible in a very short time. I want to see where your current strength limit is." The Great Sage of Nine Yin knew that Han Qing had the True Spirit of the Void protecting him, but he was completely fearless.

"Then I'll see you off!"

Han Qing's figure flashed, and he suddenly appeared in front of him, raising his hand to thrust out with his spear.

The Nine Yin Great Sage was shrouded in a layer of veil that resembled mist, seemingly a highly sophisticated method of protection.

However, this protective technique was completely ineffective against the spear in Han Qing's hand. It was torn apart in an instant, and then the spearhead, carrying a sharp light, stabbed fiercely into the body of the Nine Yin Great Sage, intending to tear him apart completely.

The Great Sage of Nine Yin couldn't dodge in time, and his body was shattered in mid-air. However, he did not die completely, but turned into a pile of eerie white bones that drifted in all directions, covering this area.

The next instant, the white mist surged like a tide, and a figure emerged from it—the resurrected Nine Yin Great Sage, whose aura and strength had increased dramatically.

Han Qing raised his hand and fired another shot. With the power of the True Spirit of the Void enhancing it, this shot was simple and unadorned, but its destructive power was strong enough.

The Great Sage of Nine Yin had just been resurrected when his body was torn apart and destroyed once again.

However, in the blink of an eye, the Nine Yin Great Sage was resurrected for the third time.
This time, the instant he was reborn, he immediately used a secret technique to turn and flee.

His body suddenly split into no fewer than ten thousand figures, which flew away at high speed in all directions.

Han Yi thrust his spear forward suddenly, splitting into countless spear shadows that chased after the tens of thousands of figures above.

With just this one shot, a third of the figures were destroyed. He was about to make a move to pursue and kill all of them.

Suddenly, another powerful enemy attacked. High in the sky, intense light converged and suddenly formed a dazzling golden pillar of light that descended from the sky and struck straight at Han Qing.

"Peacock King Buddha, you've actually joined forces with Emperor Yu?"

Han Qing raised his eyes, and his whole body radiated a silvery-white light, which condensed into a protective shield like an umbrella above his head.

The golden beam of light struck the protective shield directly, causing it to tremble violently but not completely collapse. Instead, the golden beam of light exhausted its power and dissipated into the world.

The figure of the Peacock King Buddha also appeared above the clouds. At this moment, he was no longer the spirit of the magic weapon, but had transformed into a human.

"Han Qing, don't you know that there are no eternal friends in this world, only eternal interests? I am no longer the guardian spirit of the Holy Royal Court. Whether they live or die is none of my business. Emperor Yu has given me enough benefits to act on his behalf. Why wouldn't I do it? If you are afraid, just give me more benefits and I will turn around and leave without making things difficult for you!"

"Afraid? You should worry about whether you can leave here alive!" Han Qing laughed, suddenly leaping into the air, his spear piercing the sky. A pure white spear light shot straight upwards from the tip, hurtling towards the heavens at incredible speed. (End of Chapter)