The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 110 Daughter of the Northern Demon King
With the map as a guide, Han Qing could easily determine the direction, and the army moved quickly without getting lost.

He chose a hidden mountain path that led directly to the rear of Tiger Head Village, catching the enemy off guard.

Tiger Head Village.

The village was built against the mountain, with thousands of soldiers and hundreds of houses, mostly stone and wooden.

now.

In the main hall of the village, the village chief Chu Shijian sat upright in a chair. He was extremely robust, with dark skin and abundant body hair, and from a distance he looked like a bear. Seven or eight people sat beside him, all of whom were village leaders of various ranks.

"Bring the stuff up!"

Chu Shijian shouted, and seven or eight soldiers carried a bronze box into the hall outside the gate, swaying as they walked.

"Brother, what exactly is in this box? It's enough to attract the Holy Maiden to come and visit us personally," a skinny young man asked curiously.

"I may tell you, this is a rare and precious medicine that I discovered in the mountains some time ago. Even saints would covet it."

"We are too weak to protect such a rare treasure. We should offer it to the Holy Maiden instead," Chu Shijian said in a deep voice.

The leaders looked at each other in bewilderment. Since obtaining this strange item, they had sealed off their stronghold for a month. Chu Shijian had even gone so far as to kill all the soldiers who knew what was in the box to prevent the news from leaking out.

This made them even more curious. If Chu Shijian was so careful and cautious, and if the Holy Maiden came to pick it up herself, the secret medicine in the box must be extraordinary.

"The Holy Maiden is about to arrive. You all better be smart. If you can gain her favor, you'll rise to the top in one step and won't have to continue living this miserable life in the mountains," Chu Shijian cursed.

The leaders all nodded repeatedly, their faces showing longing.

They were originally from the Great Wu Kingdom. When the Great Yu Kingdom destroyed the Great Wu Kingdom, a lone army fled to this place and established Tiger Head Village. They secretly sought refuge with the Northern Demon Clan, and with their support, they finally gained a foothold in Yinshan.

However, the Yinshan Mountains are bitterly cold, and the quality of life is extremely low; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that people live worse than pigs and dogs.

As they were pondering, suddenly, the sound of war drums rang out first, followed by earth-shattering shouts of battle.

Chu Shijian was startled and stood up from his chair: "What's going on?"

"My lord, something terrible has happened! An army has suddenly appeared outside the village and has already stormed in. We can't stop them!" A soldier rushed into the main hall, knelt down with a thud, and shouted loudly.

Chu Shijian strode out the door, his gaze sharpening as he saw flames rising at the gate of the stockade, and shouts of battle echoing throughout the stockade.

"This is bad! There are at least two thousand soldiers. I'm afraid the stronghold can't be defended!"

Chu Shijian turned and went back into the house, his sharp gaze sweeping back and forth: "Who leaked the information? Who was it?"

He felt that someone must have leaked the news that there was a rare and precious medicine in the village, which was why the soldiers of the Yinshan camp launched a sneak attack.

Sensing Chu Shijian's murderous intent, the seven or eight leaders all showed fear and knelt down on the ground.

"My lord, this has nothing to do with me."

"My lord, I was unaware of this."

Chu Shijian's face turned angry, and he slammed his hand down on the table next to him, shattering it.

He leaped forward, grabbed the bronze box, and headed straight for the gate.

Given this situation, staying means certain death. As long as we preserve this secret medicine and hand it over to the Holy Maiden in the future, we can easily make a comeback by gaining her favor.

But as he rushed to the door, he suddenly stopped and shouted sharply, "Who is it?"

Before he could finish speaking, the heavy door was suddenly blasted open from the outside by a brute force, and Han Qing stepped into the hall.

To catch the thief, you must first catch the king. Relying on his first-class lightness skill, he went straight to the main hall in the center of the stronghold as soon as he entered.

With Bai Yunfei in command, the three thousand soldiers would not be in any disarray even without him.

His gaze swept across the room and landed on Chu Shijian. He said coldly, "I am Han Qing, the commander of the Yinshan Tiger Might Battalion. Throw away your weapon and kneel down!"

Chu Shijian laughed loudly: "You, a mere youth, dare to barge into the main hall of my stronghold alone and spout such arrogant words. You truly do not know the meaning of death! Attack him together and kill him!"

Chu Shijian waved his hand, and seven or eight leaders behind him attacked simultaneously, rushing towards Han Qing from different directions.

Han Qing drew his sword and charged forward, the many mysteries of the Phantom Thousandfold Blade flowing through his mind.

"cut!"

Brush brush!
The blade flashed like a shadow, its cold light gleaming. The blades drew several exquisite arcs in the air at extremely high speed, slicing past the bodies of the seven people.

The seven people let out a series of screams, collapsed to the ground, and died.

Chu Shijian was startled and his expression turned serious. He was also a master swordsman and could see the exquisite skill of Han Qing's swordsmanship in those few strikes, which was definitely at the level of a master.

His seven subordinates were only of average martial arts skills, so it was normal for them to be killed in one move.

Chu Shijian casually tossed the bronze box in his hand to the ground and took a heavy red copper knife from behind him.

"Humph!"

"I'd like to see who has the superior swordsmanship."

"Look at the knife!"

As Chu Shijian spoke, he suddenly swung his knife and charged forward, his blade flashing like fire, exuding immense pressure.

The instant he rushed within ten paces, Han Qing suddenly swung his blade, drawing a bright arc in the air.

Chu Shijian's pupils contracted as he faced Han Qing directly, and only then did he truly grasp how terrifying that strike was.

In an instant, he was surrounded by flashes and shadows of blades, unable to track their movements, but a strong sense of crisis rose within him.

"not good!"

Chu Shijian let out a strange cry and brought his bronze broadsword down heavily, but it struck Han Qing's afterimage, causing it to fall to the floor at Han Qing's feet.

With a loud bang, the stone slab shattered, and a crack more than ten feet long spread forward.

The moment the blade struck, Han Qing's knife landed on him first, instantly shattering Chu Shijian's protective energy, and a sharp pain shot through his right arm.

He staggered backward, his gaze sweeping across the room, and his arm fell to the ground, severed cleanly.

Chu Shijian was horrified. He had only made one strike, but Han Qing had made five consecutive strikes, each one faster and heavier than his.

In terms of swordsmanship, the difference in skill was immediately apparent; the swordsmanship he had painstakingly cultivated throughout his life was utterly inadequate in front of Han Qing.

"What kind of martial arts is this?"

Chu Shijian crossed his arms and couldn't help but ask a question.

"I'll let you die knowing why, this is the Phantom Thousandfold Blade!" Han Qing's figure flashed, and he used the graceful and swift technique to rush to Chu Shijian's side in a flash, and slashed out with another blade.

With one arm severed, Chu Shijian was even less able to block the attack. He tried to dodge, but Han Qing's blade was too fast, severing his head in an instant. His imposing body crashed to the ground, raising clouds of dust.

Han Qing sheathed his sword, easily taking on eight opponents single-handedly, without feeling the slightest bit of pressure.

Chu Shijian had only undergone five transformations in his cultivation, and he had ten thousand ways to kill him; swordsmanship was just one of them.

In an instant, eight soul light spots appeared in Han Qing's mind, next to the Seven Killings Stele.

His gaze swept across the room and landed in front of the bronze box that Chu Shijian had thrown down.

The box is decorated with many beautiful patterns and has a rather ingenious structure.

He tried to force it open, but the box was extremely sturdy and he couldn't open it at all. He didn't know what the material was.

He got up and went to Chu Shijian's body. He searched around for a while and found a snake-shaped copper key. Then he returned to the copper box, inserted the key, and gently turned it.

A snap!

The box was opened a crack, and a fragrant aroma wafted out, landing in Han Qing's nose and mouth, giving him an indescribable sense of comfort.

"This is... the Blood Crystal of Creation!"

Han Qing opened the copper box completely and saw a beautiful, transparent blood crystal the size of an infant's head inside.

He learned from Kong Xiu's notes that this item was a priceless elixir of heaven and earth.

The medicinal soup made from this ingredient can make one's body stronger, strengthen one's magical power, solidify one's spirit, and accelerate the recovery of magical power. Its many wonders are too numerous to describe. It is a great medicine that even saints would fight for.

"This thing is born of heaven and earth, it is extremely rare and precious, and extremely rare. How could Chu Shijian have such a sacred medicine?" Han Qing was also extremely excited, and couldn't help but think.

Huang Xiao had given him three boxes of secret medicines before, but the total value of these medicines was not as high as this Creation Blood Crystal, which shows just how valuable this item is.

"I originally came here to train new recruits, gain practical experience, and also to collect a batch of soul points for my future cultivation. I didn't expect to have such an unexpected gain." A hint of joy flashed in Han Qing's eyes.

He closed the copper box, picked it up, and got up to go outside.

Suddenly, a figure appeared at the entrance of the hall. She was dressed in red, with a cold face, an aloof temperament, and a shapely figure. She was truly a stunning beauty.

Han Qing had seen many beauties in the Qi residence. In terms of looks, there might be two or three who could compare to her, but in terms of temperament, this woman was far superior. She had an ethereal and otherworldly air, as if she were a fairy descended to earth, and ordinary beauties paled in comparison to her.

The woman was also sizing up Han Qing, and her gaze swept over the seven or eight corpses on the ground before finally settling on the bronze box in Han Qing's hand.

"What a handsome young man! Is the Creation Blood Crystal in the box? Give it to me! I'll spare your life!" the woman said loudly, her voice clear and melodious, like shattered white porcelain colliding and clanging.

And amidst the pleasant sound, there was an undeniable air of authority.

Han Qing immediately became wary: "I am the commander of the Yinshan Camp. Retreat immediately, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

"Hmm? You young man are truly overestimating yourself. I'm giving you a chance to live, but you refuse. Then you might as well die!"

Suddenly, the woman took a step forward, accelerated abruptly, and transformed into a phantom as she pounced on Han Qing. In an instant, she was in front of Han Qing, and her fair hand reached for Han Qing's throat.

Han Qing was startled; the woman was too fast. He immediately used his lightness skill to dodge backward.

"Huh?" The woman murmured in surprise, not expecting Han Qing to be able to dodge it.

She pressed closer to Han Qing, clinging to him tightly, and struck again.

Han Qing's eyes narrowed, and he also threw a punch to meet the attack. The profound mystery of the Empty Fist was contained within it. This punch was powerful and heavy, with astonishing power.

Bang!
As their fists and palms collided, Han Qing felt an immense force surge through his arm, causing him to fly backward uncontrollably. He staggered back thirty steps before coming to a stop, while the woman merely swayed in place.

Han Qing's expression turned solemn. This woman appeared frail, yet her strength was terrifying, and her aura was as deep and unfathomable as the sea. Such a person was extremely dangerous. "Who are you?"

The woman looked Han Qing up and down with her phoenix eyes: "I am also very curious. Which major power in the Great Yu Dynasty has cultivated you as a genius martial artist? In our exchange just now, you have already revealed two first-grade martial arts, namely 'Graceful as a Swan' and 'Empty Fist'. At such a young age, to have such combat power, how can you be an unknown person?"

The woman's words further convinced Han Qing that she was no ordinary person. The fact that she could see through his martial arts at a glance showed that she was quite knowledgeable.

"Invincible!"

A thought flashed through Han Qing's mind: with the Seven Killings Tablet in hand, there was no need to risk his life against someone of unfathomable strength; preserving his life was the most important thing.

With that thought in mind, he didn't linger any longer. He turned and left, moving at an incredibly fast speed. Suddenly, he crashed through a window behind him, jumped out of the hall, and leaped and bounded across the rooftops of various buildings, rushing rapidly towards the distant mountains and forests.

He did not head in the direction of Lin Yueqiu and the others. This woman was too strange, and he decided to lure her away to avoid causing casualties and increasing losses.

He had worked so hard to gather such a group of loyal followers; if this woman were to kill them all, then he might as well not have the Creation Blood Crystal.

As for himself, he felt that with Pianru Jinghong by his side, he could escape into the mountains and forests and rely on the complex terrain to get away with it, and he should be able to escape in no time.

So Han Qing leaped up and down, running swiftly through the village. Before long, he reached the outermost edge, then leaped over the high wall and landed in the forest.

"You think you can just take my things and leave? You may be as graceful as a startled swan, but I, too, possess the same lightness skill. You'd better stay here!"

Suddenly, a woman's clear voice drifted from behind.

Han Qing glanced around and indeed saw the woman chasing after him. She was moving extremely fast, as if she were flying close to the ground, and she was as graceful as a startled swan.

"Who exactly is this woman?" Han Qing frowned.

Suddenly, a cold wind swept around him, and strands of magical energy pierced into his body, causing illusions to arise all around him.

In an instant, Han Qing fell into a world of flames. He was surrounded by what seemed to be a palace made of crimson flames. He was trapped inside, and the palace kept shrinking, burning his body, causing him excruciating pain all over his body.

Of course, what he saw and felt was all an illusion. Although Han Qing knew this, he was unable to break free for the time being, which showed that the woman's cultivation level was also extremely high.

He immediately activated the Ceasefire Sutra. Within the temple, strands of Dharma thoughts surged forth, sweeping across his body and colliding with the invading distracting thoughts. At the same time, the flames of his internal energy were burning away these strands of distracting thoughts.

Finally, the distracting thoughts dissipated, and Han Qing took the opportunity to break free from the illusion.

With a thought, strands of his magical energy left his body, transforming into a cloud of malevolent energy that enveloped him, isolating the woman's magical energy.

"You do have some skill," the woman chuckled.

Suddenly, she waved her hand, and a chain of flames appeared in the air, shooting towards Han Qing in a flash.

Han Qing's heart sank when he saw this scene; this was magic!

When one's magical power reaches a certain level, it can trigger a connection between heaven and man, allowing one to learn and cast spells. Before that, martial artists from various schools could only use special abilities that were automatically awakened, such as the Fiend Domain of the Military School.

This chain of flames was formed by the woman drawing upon the power of heaven and earth through her magical powers; only a semi-saint who has refined their spirit could accomplish this.

In the realm of possession, the soul can control the body of another.

At the semi-saint realm, one's spiritual power can resonate with the divine and allow one to unleash various powerful spells.

Han Qing never expected that attacking a mountain stronghold would lead to the discovery of such a powerful figure.

However, Han Qing vaguely felt that this person's strength was somewhat different from that of the half-saints recorded in the book, and seemed to be a little weaker than described in the book.

Before he could think any further, the chains soared into the air, piercing through the malevolent mist and wrapping around Han Qing's body.

The clash between the malevolent energy and the flames caused the chains to lose their previous brightness and heat.

Han Qing had no time to dodge and was already bound by chains.

However, in the next instant, he immediately activated the Blood Boiling Technique, and a massive amount of baleful energy flowed into his blood. Suddenly, a tremendous force erupted from his body, allowing him to break free from the restraints and cause the chains to collapse.

When her first attack failed, the woman waved her hand again, and another gust of cold wind swept through the air. Suddenly, a red cloud appeared in the sky, and fireballs rained down from the sky, covering a large area around Han Qing.

In that instant, Han Qing finally felt some of the combat intensity that a half-saint refiner should possess.

boom! boom! boom!
Fireballs rained down, triggering a series of explosions that sent birds and beasts scattering in terror. Anyone caught off guard and struck was instantly reduced to dust.

Han Qing used his lightness skill to move gracefully, dodging one fireball after another.

In the village.

After a series of attacks, Lin Yueqiu and his men quickly took control of the entire Niu Tou Zhai.

When the crowd stormed into the main hall, they found only eight corpses inside, while Han Qing was nowhere to be found.

Just as everyone was wondering, they saw a floating red cloud not far from the village, and fireballs fell to the ground, with a series of crackling explosions.

Everyone was startled. In the clear sky, red clouds suddenly appeared, which was extremely strange.

"Could it be that there's a high-level cultivator in the village? You all wait here, Yue Xiaobiao, let's go take a look!" Lin Yueqiu said loudly.

"it is good!"

...

In the mountains and forests.

Han Qing successfully dodged the fireballs one after another with his superb lightness skill.

"Your strength is truly remarkable, young man. Looking across the world, there are probably no more than a handful of people your age who can hold their own against me for this long!"

The woman's voice echoed through the mountains and forests. This battle seemed to be effortless for her, just a game.

As soon as he finished speaking, his attack methods changed again.

A powerful, eerie wind suddenly rose from the ground. In the mountains and forests, the birds and beasts that had been scattering and fleeing suddenly froze, their eyes revealing a newfound, human-like liveliness.

Han Qing suddenly felt that there was a murderous aura coming from all directions in the forest.

In the next instant, all the birds and beasts rushed towards Han Qing.

"This is a beast-controlling divine power. So this woman is a high-level Taoist cultivator!" A realization dawned on Han Qing's mind.

When a cultivator of the Divine Refinement enters the Body Possession Realm, their spiritual power can invade and control the bodies of others, but they can only control one person or one beast at a time. Only Taoist cultivators of the Divine Refinement have the ability to control hundreds of beasts, and can manipulate a large number of birds and beasts for their own use at once, just like what is happening now.

These birds and beasts surrounded Han Qing from all sides.

Han Qing was now completely certain that he had encountered an extremely terrifying figure.

Everyone says the situation in the North is complex and full of hidden talents; today he has finally witnessed it firsthand.

With a thought, streams of magical energy surged from the temple, transforming into a malevolent domain outside his body. Within this domain, Yin soldiers appeared and disappeared, fighting against the beasts that rushed in from all directions.

The woman took the opportunity to rush towards him again. Han Qing gritted his teeth. He hadn't expected to be in such a desperate situation so soon after arriving in the North. But no matter how strong his opponent was, he couldn't just sit and wait to die.

Taking a beating without fighting back wasn't his style, so Han Qing gritted his teeth, pointed, and the Star Shuttle flew out of his arms, transforming into a streak of light and shooting towards the woman.

The woman, however, did not care at all. With a wave of her hand, a ball of flame appeared out of thin air and directly trapped the flying shuttle.

The shuttle trembled violently as it tried to break free, but it was trapped in the mud and could not move. Under the scorching flames, the magical power in the shuttle was rapidly consumed and soon exhausted. The shuttle fell to the ground from the sky.

The woman smiled faintly: "Young man, you are quite interesting. Show me what other tricks you have up your sleeve. If you can bring me more surprises, I might let you go."

Han Qing could sense that the woman didn't seem to have much intention to kill him; she was more in a playful mood and didn't consider him an opponent at all.

That's right, the difference in strength is too great. This woman didn't use her full strength at all; she was just constantly using various spells to force him to reveal the upper limit of his strength.

Han Qing sensed the other party's disdain, and his desire for power grew even stronger. This feeling of not being able to control his own destiny was truly awful.

However, the gap was too large, and as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would not stop resisting.

With a thought, Han Qing unleashed the Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain from his arm, transforming it into a red snake that slithered along the ground among the grass and trees, rushing toward his opponent at breakneck speed.

"Ok?"

"The Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain!"

"This item was originally one of the eight treasures of Shennong Dao Palace. It was later presented to Emperor Yu and eventually fell into Luo Ding's hands."

"There were rumors that Luo Ding had died, and now that the Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain is in your hands, those rumors must be true. So, did you kill Luo Ding? Who are you? Tell me your name. Leave the Creation Blood Crystal, and I won't kill you. You can leave now!" The woman suddenly became very interested in Han Qing and bombarded him with a barrage of questions.

As they chatted and laughed, the Illusory Soul-Suppressing Chain had already rushed to within fifty paces of the woman, only to be enveloped and bound by a ball of flame.

Han Qing activated this magical artifact, transforming it from solid to ethereal, but it still couldn't pass through the layer of flames.

Han Qing's eyes narrowed, and his magical power was rapidly depleted. He finally broke free from his restraints, but he no longer had enough strength to continue attacking Han Qing. With a whoosh, he transformed into a streak of light and flew back to Han Qing's side.

For a time, Han Qing tried every trick in the book, but he couldn't do anything about this woman.

The woman suddenly chuckled softly: "You young man are quite interesting. What? You'd rather die than hand over the Creation Blood Crystal?"

Han Qing sneered: "Do you think I'd believe that? If you want it, then take it from me with your strength!"

"Then let me show you what I'm capable of!"

As soon as he finished speaking, crimson flames floated up and condensed in the air into a giant fire statue, about seven zhang tall, holding a long spear. Behind it, seven fireballs formed a slowly rotating wheel. A wave of heat emanated from the statue, and the nearby vegetation turned to ashes in an instant.

Seeing this scene, Han Qing suddenly felt a sense of powerlessness.

With a thought, he also condensed his own image, and the Dharma thoughts converged, transforming into a giant black-armored statue.

However, there is a huge difference between these two colossal statues, both in terms of solidity and the aura they exude.

Han Qing understood that if this woman was determined to kill him, he would surely die.

However, the moment the black-armored giant appeared, the woman's eyes lit up, and with a sudden wave of her hand, the fiery giant vanished into thin air.

"Are you Han Qing?"

A strange light flashed in Han Qing's eyes: "Who are you? How do you know my name?"

The woman smiled and directly used telepathy to transmit her voice. Her voice suddenly rang in Han Qing's mind: "My name is Yan Qiuling. I am close to Qi Wufeng. Before you came to the Northern Lands, he wrote to me to tell me about your situation. In addition, your mother visited my Northern Lands demon clan years ago and helped me solve many of my doubts. For the sake of these two people, I will not kill you. This Creation Blood Crystal can make my body stronger and my telepathy more solid, and I can absorb more incense offerings. However, seeing how much you want it, I will give it to you."

A wave of shock surged through Han Qing's heart: "Yan Qiuling! Daughter of the Northern Demon Emperor, one of the top ten masters in the world!"

(End of this chapter)