The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 38, Second Visualization Diagram
After going out.

Han Qing arrived at the prison compound. Today he did not need to patrol the cells, so he went straight to the training ground and began to practice the Nine Yin Manual over and over again.

Although he had the Seven Killings Stele to help him, he dared not slack off in the slightest. He studied and practiced diligently every day, trying to learn as much as possible so that he could make greater progress.

After completing a set, the proficiency level on the panel remained unchanged.

He took out the small, emerald-green medicine bottle that Master Fang had given him earlier from his pocket, poured out the pills inside, which were about the size of a thumb, pale purple, and had a bitter smell.

As usual, he gently picked up a little with his fingertip and put it into his mouth, savoring it carefully.

"It's been sitting for too long, so the medicinal effect has decreased somewhat, but there are no other impurities mixed in, so there's nothing to worry about," Han Qingxin said.

In earlier years, the imperial court allowed pharmacies to manufacture and sell Blood Nourishing Pills, so Chen Guilin personally made many of them and was extremely familiar with them.

The Chen family's ancestral medical notes also contain detailed records about the Blood Nourishing Pill.

Han Qing fully inherited Chen Guilin's lifelong medical skills and was also very familiar with the Blood Nourishing Pill.

He trusted Fang Ye's character, but caution had become a habit. After checking it and confirming that there was no problem, he put it in his mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.

Fifteen minutes later, the medicine began to take effect. He could feel a ball of fire in his stomach, which instantly traveled through his limbs and bones, greatly increasing his blood and qi, causing it to surge wildly.

Han Qing's cheeks were flushed, and even with each breath, hot air would spray out from his nostrils.

"As expected of the Blood Nourishing Pill, the reaction is truly intense." Han Qing sighed inwardly, and with the help of the medicine, he began to practice the Nine Yin Manual again and again.

He was so engrossed in his practice that he trained for four hours straight, until it was pitch black and he was drenched in sweat before he finally stopped.

He glanced at the panel; his proficiency had increased by 2%.

"That's enough for today, we'll continue tomorrow." Han Qing was quite satisfied.

With the Blood Nourishing Pill's blessing, he would maintain this high efficiency for the next three to five days.

Compared to the White Jade Pill, the biggest advantage of the Blood Nourishing Pill is its longer-lasting effect.

Swallowing a white jade pill will only keep the medicinal effects for a few hours, but the blood-nourishing pill can last for several days. The medicinal effects will settle in the blood and will not be quickly exhausted.

He got up to leave when suddenly a loud shout came from afar.

"Han Qing, come here!"

The voice was deep and powerful, and it came from Yang Wu.

Han Qing walked over quickly, and Yang Wu glanced at him and reached out to pat his shoulder.

"Not bad, his muscles and bones are strong and robust. How far has he progressed in the Nine Yin Yang Technique?"

"Small achievement," Han Qing replied, not daring to say "great achievement."

A minor achievement makes one a genius, but a major achievement makes one a prodigy.

He is cautious by nature and prefers to keep a low profile to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Good! I've seen how hard you've practiced martial arts this past month, day and night. Here, take this bottle of White Jade Pills. I said I'd reward you if you reached the Lesser Completion level within a month. I keep my word and will never go back on it."

"If you master the Nine Yin Manual next month, I'll give you another bottle of White Jade Pills. Go down and keep up the good work!" Yang Wu said with a smile.

He was very satisfied with Han Qing; his talent, aptitude, temperament, and comprehension were all impeccable, so he naturally wanted to nurture him with great effort.

"Thank you, Master." Han Qing bowed slightly, his attitude respectful.

"Ma Er, come here!" Yang Wu called out again.

"Hey, I'm here, boss. You wanted to see me?" A figure rushed over from afar, a fawning smile on his face.

"Han Qing, in the assessment of General Qi's personal guards, the three realms of martial arts are just the threshold for participating in the assessment. What is more important is the ability to fight in actual combat."

You have already achieved a minor level of mastery of the Nine Yin Manual; you should now dedicate some time and energy to improving your combat skills.

"From now on, Ma Er will be your sparring partner. You will have a sparring session every three days, lasting no less than one hour," Yang Wu instructed.

“Okay.” Han Qing responded. Ma Er laughed and said, “Alright, boss, don’t worry, I, Ma Er, will definitely handle this matter properly.”

"Alright, it's getting late, let's all disperse." Yang Wu waved his hand, and the crowd left.

...

Return to the courtyard.

Han Qing first took a hot shower to wash away the fishy smell and sweat, then changed into clean and refreshing clothes, and then sat cross-legged on the bed to begin meditating.

The image of the Zhige Jing (Suppressing War) appeared in his mind. In an instant, killing intent surged within him, and numerous thoughts rose from his dantian (energy center) and rushed straight to the spirit temple.

For a moment, Han Qing was immersed in a series of illusions, but with the support of his killing intent, he quickly dispelled these illusions, broke through many distracting thoughts, and finally a wisp of pure killing intent entered the spirit temple, making Han Qing's magical power stronger.

Inside the temple, the incense stick had reached a length of five and a half inches, and the panel showed that the proficiency level of the Zhige Jing had reached the minor completion stage.

During this month, he diligently practiced the Zhige Jing (a Buddhist scripture) every night, and the results were remarkable.

"At this rate, I should be able to reach the Spirit Temple Realm in two months at most, and the next realm will be the Hundred Meridians Realm!" Han Qing was filled with anticipation.

He took out the jade pendant from his pocket, bit his fingertip, and dripped a few drops of blood onto it.

The jade pendant quickly absorbed all the blood, turning the murky jade color into a transparent and pure one, with a golden glow inside.

He placed the jade pendant against his right eye and suddenly saw another visualization image, accompanied by several long paragraphs of text.

The main subject of this visualization is still a black-armored warrior, riding a black-scaled horse. He holds a spear in his left hand and a shield in his right, with his forelegs raised high. A terrifying aura of killing intent emanates from him, which cannot help but immerse the viewer and inspire murderous intent.

Han Qing quickly looked away. He was not yet at the peak of the Spirit Temple Realm and could not immerse himself in it, otherwise he would suffer a qi deviation.

As for why the jade pendant automatically displayed the second visualization image, he thought about it and concluded that it might be related to his physical constitution.

After entering the second stage of the Body Dao realm, his blood mingling with the jade pendant would activate the Hundred Meridians Realm Visualization Diagram. Based on this, it can be inferred that the third stage of the Body Dao realm would activate the Condensation Realm Visualization Diagram.

The accompanying text details the changes in the Hundred Veins of Military Strategy.

First, the mind can circulate through all the meridians, covering every corner of the body and giving absolute control over the physique and muscles, greatly increasing the combat power of martial artists.

This is a common ability among practitioners of various schools of spiritual cultivation.

Secondly, there is the unique blood boiling technique of military strategists, which allows those who cultivate their spirit to integrate malevolent energy into their blood, greatly enhancing their physical abilities, inspiring fierce courage, and making them fearless in battle.

These two abilities greatly excited Han Qing. It was foreseeable that once he reached the Hundred Meridians Realm, his combat power would see an astonishing increase.

"continue!"

Han Qing was full of motivation, and he was fascinated by the feeling of constantly becoming stronger.

Another hour passed, until he was completely exhausted, and then he turned over and went to sleep.

Day after day, night after night, they devoted themselves to martial arts, giving their all.

...

The next day.

Han Qing's life has taken on another task: sparring with Ma Er.

The two only used their fists, and he didn't know Ma Er's level of martial arts skill. He was also too embarrassed to ask about such private information.

However, Ma Er's boxing skills were truly extraordinary. When Han Qing sparred with him, he was constantly on the defensive even while holding back three-tenths of his strength.

Ma Er was also very measured; every punch and kick only caused superficial injuries, which Han Qing could heal in a day given his physique.

During these sparring sessions, Han Qing's combat skills began to improve rapidly.

Thus, day after day, Han Qing's life was disciplined and fulfilling: preparing medicine, practicing martial arts, eating, sparring, patrolling the prison, executing prisoners, and meditating.

He had almost no entertainment activities, but he still enjoyed them, immersing himself in the gradual progress and constantly improving his strength.

(End of this chapter)