The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 115 Full of Harvests
Chen An was instantly plunged into a desperate situation. He tried to retrieve the statue, but it was too late.

With the fifth hammer blow, the statue was suddenly shattered, transforming into a gust of yin wind that swept in all directions.

"what!"

Chen An let out a scream, his face suddenly turned pale, and he swayed on the spot.

As a large amount of his magical energy shattered, he suffered an extremely strong backlash. For a moment, his five senses became confused, his vision blurred, and he swayed unsteadily on the spot. His swordsmanship had become completely chaotic.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Yueqiu slashed off Chen An's right arm with a single stroke, causing the Liuyun Blade he was holding to fall to the ground.

Chen An let out a shrill scream, clutching his right arm and staggering backward.

"Make way, I'll handle this!"

Han Qing shouted, stopping Chen Ming, who was about to kill him.

He was determined to master Chen An's swordsmanship; to die at Chen Ming's hands would be a huge loss.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ming drew his longsword, which then hovered in mid-air.

The next instant, the Star Shuttle transformed into a streak of light and shot out, arriving in front of Chen An in a mere moment.

Chen An tried to dodge, but it was too late.

"No!"

The Star Shuttle immediately pierced his forehead and emerged from the back of his head, drawing out a stream of blood.

Chen An swayed and fell forward to the ground.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't expected that so many people working together wouldn't be able to defeat this person so quickly, and they even had the illusion that they were about to be crushed.

"Yue Xiaobiao, well done!" Han Qing praised.

"Serving you, young master, is the greatest blessing for me!" Yue Xiaobiao said, bowing and scraping.

Han Qing nodded slightly. After so many battles, he was quite satisfied with Yue Xiaobiao.

The three thousand Great Daos each have their own mysteries. This deceptive Dao technique is useless in direct combat, but it has extremely strong auxiliary abilities.

This sudden burst of pressure alone can have an amazing effect in many life-or-death battles.

The more intense the battle, the less one can afford to be distracted. A moment's lapse in concentration can cause one's moves to become scattered, leaving an opening for the opponent to exploit, leading to the loss of one's life, just as Chen An did.

"The Chen family's swordsmanship is truly formidable!" Lin Yueqiu approached Chen An's corpse, who was lying face down on the ground. He kicked the corpse over, bent down to examine it carefully, and after confirming that Chen An was completely dead, he stood up and exclaimed.

"Indeed, this military strategist Chen Liuyun is truly a martial arts prodigy, capable of creating a sword technique that perfectly blends human form and image." Han Qing nodded slightly.

A surge of joy welled up in his heart. With a thought, the Seven Killings Stele appeared in his mind, with hundreds of soul points floating up and down beside it. Now, another one appeared, which came from Chen An.

"This sword technique is indeed powerful, but it also has its flaws. Judging from Chen An's performance just now, one must be completely free of distractions to execute this sword technique. Otherwise, one cannot achieve perfect harmony between person and image, and the power of the sword technique will be greatly reduced. Moreover, the learning threshold is extremely high. One's understanding of the Dao of Dharma Thought must be at least at the Unity of Image Realm. Therefore, anyone who can learn this sword technique must be a martial arts prodigy. Looking across the world, I don't think there are many people who can learn it," Chen Ming pondered from the side.

Han Qing nodded slightly. Indeed, the learning threshold for this sword technique was too high.

Of everyone present, only he was qualified to learn how to use it.

However, even without the Seven Killings Stele, he might not have been able to learn it. He would have needed extremely high talent in swordsmanship and spirit cultivation, and the probability of having both of these in one person at the same time is too low.

Therefore, everything is fair, and difficulty naturally equates to power.

Han Qing glanced around and picked up Chen An's sword from the ground, which was also known as the Liuyun Treasure Sword.

The moment he reached out and grasped the hilt of the knife, he felt a powerful thought surging within it.

"It really is a magic sword!"

With a thought, he sent a wisp of his spiritual energy into the sword, where it intertwined with the thoughts within the sword.

In an instant, Han Qing was trapped in an illusion. He seemed to appear on the battlefield in a flash, with two armies clashing, blood and flesh flying everywhere, and the shouts of battle shaking the heavens.

Han Qing immediately severed this wisp of magical thought and broke free from the illusion.

Although Chen An was dead, the battle was not completely over. This was, after all, a battlefield, and he could not afford to be careless. He dared not remain immersed in the illusion for too long, lest he reveal a weakness and be ambushed by others.

"This precious sword possesses a powerful military aura; it truly is the sword of the military strategist Chen Liuyun!" Han Qing flicked his finger, causing the blade to tremble and emit a buzzing sound.

The mindset of a military strategist often carries a strong sense of menace, and the illusions they create are all related to war, making them easy to discern.

He picked up the Liuyun Blade and examined it closely. He found that the blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, had no weight, and looked like it was made of ice. It was almost translucent, and he didn't know what material it was made of, but its sharpness and sturdiness were extremely exaggerated.

The fact that Chen Ming and Lin Yueqiu's knives were broken one after another is a major reason why they were suppressed.

"With this precious sword, young master is like a tiger with wings!" Lin Yueqiu said, cupping his hands in congratulations as he saw Han Qing stroking the blade.

Han Qing nodded slightly: "I do lack a fine sword, and I am very satisfied with this Liuyun Sword."

“Young Master, the military strategist Chen Liuyun has disappeared for many years. There are rumors that he is dead, but this has not been confirmed. You have taken his sword, which may cause problems. You must be careful and not expose yourself easily,” Chen Ming suddenly reminded him.

"It's alright. Chen Liuyun hasn't shown himself for so many years. Even if he's not dead, there must be other problems. Now that this knife is in my hands, why wouldn't I use it? If there's trouble later, we'll deal with it then. Why would I waste my energy thinking about such unimportant issues?" Han Qing shook his head, completely unconcerned.

His gaze swept across the storehouses and the central pavilion from east to west.

"The shouts of battle outside are getting louder and louder. Everyone, hurry up and search these treasuries. Take out all the treasures inside, take as much as you can," Han Qing said loudly.

According to military regulations, he was the first to arrive here and seize the treasury, and he had the right to take away a batch of supplies. As long as it did not exceed half, Cao Zhen's side would not say anything.

At that moment, the Thirteen Guards of Baiyun led a large number of troops and stormed into the City Lord's Mansion from the rear.

Thus, the two groups converged and began a thorough search of the city lord's mansion.

Han Qing was not idle either; he led Chen Ming and the others into the pavilion in front.

He decided to investigate this pavilion himself, because it was the residence of the Mu Man chieftain. Such places usually had secret rooms or hidden spaces containing rare treasures.

He worried that soldiers might miss something if he let them search, so he felt more at ease doing it himself.

Upon entering the lobby on the first floor, Han Qing secretly activated the Ceasefire Sutra, spreading his spiritual power outwards and clearly displaying all the surrounding scenery in his mind.

After about three or five breaths, Han Qing suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp, and said in a deep voice, "There's definitely something fishy going on. Come with me!"

He went straight to the inner room, which seemed to be a woman's room. It was filled with many flowers and plants, and a faint fragrance permeated the air.

He suddenly stepped forward and punched a wall, the tip of his fist flashing with light.

boom!
With that punch, the wall shattered, revealing a large, dark hole.

Han Qing looked into the cave. With the blessing of his magic, his five senses were greatly enhanced. He could see a spiral staircase leading downwards and hear the howling wind echoing in his ears.

Just as Han Qing was about to step down, Lin Yueqiu suddenly said, "Young master, be careful. There are usually traps in places like this. Let me go first."

"It's alright! I'll use my mental powers to find my way, and all enemies and traps will have nowhere to hide!" Han Qing shook his head.

Although he was standing above, his spiritual power had already reached down and spread throughout the dark underground space.

He found no trace of the enemy; it was just a large underground cavern, without any traps or mechanisms.

Hearing Han Qing's words, Lin Yueqiu, who was standing to the side, stopped insisting.

The group followed Han Qing as they slowly walked down the steps into the underground cave.

The cave was covered with a thick layer of solid ice, and a cold wind was blowing inside.

Han Qing strode forward and soon reached the depths of the cave, where there was a wide area.

At the very center of the area is an altar, upon which sit two wooden statues, one on the left and one on the right.

On the left is a wooden statue about two zhang tall. It is an old man wearing animal clothes, with disheveled hair, a hat made of bird feathers on his head, a flying eagle on his shoulder, a tiger lying at his feet, and poisonous snakes swimming on his body.

Han Qing could sense a vast amount of spiritual energy within the wooden statue.

"This is a saint worshipped by the Mu Man tribe, the Mu Man Dao Zun, a saint of the Daoist school. This wooden statue is extraordinary and is also a magic treasure. If you worship the wooden statue with sincere faith, you may be able to receive the Refining God Method," Han Qing said in a deep voice.

There are two main ways to obtain the Refining Spirit Method: one is to learn and comprehend it through visualization diagrams, like Han Qing; the other is to worship the statue of a sage.

Worshiping a particular person's wooden statue may grant you their visualization, provided you gain the approval of that saint.

Han Qing's gaze then fell on the wooden statue on the right. It was a refined scholar dressed in a scholar's robe, with delicate features, carrying books and a sword. A powerful aura of magic surged within him. This was also a statue of a saint.

Han Qing carefully examined the scholar's face, and a name came to mind: Cheng Jing.

This person was also a Confucian sage, renowned three hundred years ago, and is a figure recorded in historical books.

He had read in Kong Xiu's notes that the sage's thoughts could remain in the world for a long time, but he had never known whether it was true or not. Now, seeing these two statues of the sage, he believed Kong Xiu's words.

Qiu Da, standing to the side, asked in confusion, "I can understand having a statue of the Wood Barbarian Daoist in Serpent City, but why is there a statue of a Confucian sage here?"

"I do know that. Back then, the Great Ancestor of the Great Yu Dynasty conquered all directions and was invincible. The Mu Man Kingdom once formed a brief alliance with him, and the two sides exchanged gifts. Cheng Jing's statue of the sage was one of them."

"But later, the alliance broke down, and the Mu Man Kingdom ultimately could not escape its fate of destruction. What fled here was merely the last remaining force of the Mu Man Kingdom," Bai Yunfei explained.

"I see." Qiu Da nodded and said no more.

"Move these two statues of saints away, and let everyone take turns worshiping them. Perhaps a few cultivators of the Divine Refinement realm will emerge," Han Qing instructed.

"Yes!"

Before long, the group returned to the ground with the two wooden statues.

At this time, Lin Yueqiu had already directed his soldiers to search and confiscate the many treasuries around the area, and a large number of treasures were piled up on an open space in front.

Han Qing glanced around and saw bows, swords, armor, gold and silver treasures, martial arts manuals, and vital energy and blood-nourishing medicines.

These bows and armor all bear the characteristics of the Muman people. The bow is called the Spirit Serpent Bow. It is bluish-green and curved. When viewed from a distance, it does indeed resemble a green snake.

The armor, called rattan oil armor, is woven from a certain type of rattan and is exceptionally strong and resilient.

These items aren't particularly high-quality, but they come in large quantities.

Many soldiers in the camp were not wearing armor, so this was a perfect opportunity to use it. Han Qing ordered all the unarmored soldiers to step forward and pick up a bow and a rattan armor. In an instant, the soldiers' fighting strength increased, their confidence soared, and their loyalty to Han Qing became even stronger.

"Bai Yunfei, Lin Yueqiu, you two lead the team first and bring half of the treasure back to the camp," Han Qing instructed.

"Yes!"

So the group split into two. Lin Yueqiu led the vast majority of soldiers away from the valley to the camp, while Han Qing led a small number of trusted men to guard the remaining half of the treasure until Lei Zhen, the commander of the Fifth Battalion, arrived.

This man was a one-eyed giant with a thick beard.

Upon seeing Chen An's corpse, Lei Zhen was taken aback. A strong sense of apprehension flashed in his eyes as he looked at Han Qing, but he said nothing.

He was unaware of the details, but from his perspective, Chen An's death was very suspicious.

Chen An was surrounded by a large number of Chen family experts, how could he have died so easily? The Mu barbarians were not capable of killing him.

He believed that Han Qing was the real culprit. It was common for soldiers to fight for credit or for them to kill each other because of private grudges.

However, he dared not offend either side. Chen An's death would surely cause a shock to the Chen family, and there would be a major storm to follow. He did not want to get involved.

So, despite his surprise, he didn't say anything.

...

a few days later.

The war is over.

News of the great battle in the north spread like wildfire throughout the entire Great Yu.

Youzhou.

Sheriff's Mansion.

An elderly man dressed in gray rushed into a courtyard and knelt down in front of a hall.

The hall was dark and cold, and the old man's eyes showed a lot of fear.

"My lord, urgent report! The Yinshan Camp in the North recently launched a war. Young Master Chen An was ordered to lead a team to attack the Poisonous Serpent City, but unfortunately, he has perished!"

The old man hesitated for a moment, but finally uttered the word "died".

He had a vague feeling that something was wrong, and sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, a violent and surging aura erupted from the hall in front of him, rushing towards him like a tsunami, making him sway.

"Sir, calm down!"

He hurriedly knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed tightly against the bluestone floor, afraid to move.

creak!creak!
A strange sound came from the hall, as if a wooden door was being slowly pushed open.

However, the old man understood that it wasn't a wooden door, but rather the coffin lid that had been moved.

With a series of heavy footsteps, a tall figure emerged from the shadows and stood before the old man, looking down at him.

"stand up!"

A deep, hoarse voice echoed in the courtyard, and the old man looked up.

But standing before him was an old man who was at least two people tall. His skin was grayish-white, and he exuded a putrid stench. When he walked, his body seemed stiff, like a living dead.

This person was none other than Chen Muxiu, the governor of Youzhou and the head of a branch of the Chen family.

This man has controlled Youzhou for fifty years, making him a veritable local emperor.

As for why it turned out this way, he had heard a little about it after following Chen Muxiu for many years.

Several years ago, Chen Muxiu participated in the siege of Yuelu Academy, but was seriously injured and lost most of his life.

In order to survive, Chen Muxiu practiced some kind of evil art, and after half a year, he went from being a normal person to this state. He could not even see sunlight often and hid in a dark and cold coffin all year round.

In order to prolong his life, he heard that Chen Muxiu would regularly extract the essence and blood of strong martial artists, and countless people had died secretly at his hands. Therefore, the old man was very afraid when he saw him.

At this moment, Chen Muxiu stared intently at the old man, his eyes flashing with anger.

"I, Sun Chen'an, was escorted by numerous experts to the Yinshan camp this time. How could I possibly die in the Poisonous Serpent City? A bunch of Mu Man remnants are nothing but ants in my eyes. If this news is false, I will definitely drain your life essence clean!"

The old man shuddered: "Sir, this matter is absolutely true. It is of such great importance that I would never dare to fabricate anything!"

Chen Muxiu straightened up and paced in the courtyard. Suddenly, he turned his head, his gaze sharp: "My grandson is a martial arts prodigy, the hope of this generation of the Chen family. How can I accept his death like this? Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"

"Yes!"

The old man dared not linger any longer. He leaped up from the ground, rushed out of the courtyard, and quickly disappeared from Chen Muxiu's sight.

Chen Muxiu's face was gloomy. Suddenly, he smashed a gray-white stone table in front of him to pieces with a palm strike.

...

Shu land.

Hengshan City.

Qi Mansion.

"Father, this is a secret report from the Yinshan Camp in the North. Commander Cao Zhen said that Han Qing's performance was outstanding! My judgment was indeed correct." Qi Yan lay casually on the chair, playing with a heavy hammer in his hand.

Just now, a spy delivered the Ministry of War's official gazette, which contains detailed information about the recent battle at Yinshan Camp. In addition, Cao Zhen also secretly sent a letter, which focused on Han Qing and praised him highly.

Qi Wufeng was examining the letter when he heard Qi Yan's words. He threw the letter into the incense burner beside him, and it instantly turned into ashes.

"Han Qing, at such a young age, was able to intimidate three thousand soldiers and even turn the tide against Chen An in a complex situation. Such strength is truly commendable!"
“Father, Han Qingxin’s temperament and martial arts talent are both outstanding. I’ve said it before, he’s Madam Su’s child, he can’t be anything less than exceptional.”

"However, Father, I've heard that Chen An is one of the most highly regarded martial arts geniuses of the Chen family this generation. Although he's over thirty, he's already at the fifth level of martial arts, the stage of combining the Dao and the Dharma, and he's also mastered the Cloud-Leaving Illusionary Wind Blade. Since he was killed by Han Qing, the Chen family will definitely not let this go. Although Cao Zhen can hide it for a while, it will eventually be exposed. We need to prepare early," Qi Yan pondered.

"You're right, the situation within the Chen family is complex and not monolithic."

Chen An's death was something many people wanted to see, so the Chen family in the capital didn't need to worry.

The only one we need to be wary of is Chen Muxiu of Youzhou.

Chen An is his grandson and is highly regarded by him; this old devil will definitely not let this go.

However, he had his internal organs shattered and nearly died at the Yuelu Academy in his early years. Although he was now using evil techniques to prolong his life, he was barely clinging to life, so the possibility of him personally taking action was not high. After a moment's thought, Qi Wufeng made up his mind.

"Someone, go and summon the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon Temple!"

"Yes!"

The soldiers standing guard outside the door quickly left, and soon after, nine burly, bearded old men strode into the hall.

"The Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon, you have been serving as retainers in my Qi Mansion for half a year now. I have something to entrust to you!"

"Lord Qi, please give your orders, and we will do our utmost to accomplish this task!" said a bearded old man at the head of the group.

"Go immediately to the Yinshan camp in the North to protect someone named Han Qing, the commander of the Tiger Might Battalion! Remember, if you encounter an insurmountable risk, you can die, but Han Qing cannot die!" Qi Wufeng said coldly.

"Yes!"

The nine men responded loudly and slowly withdrew from the hall.

“The Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon are all Grandmasters of Martial Arts, the strongest group of people among the retainers of my Qi family. If these nine people join forces, they can hold their own even against a Martial Saint. In addition, with Cao Zhen and Liu Yue’s men secretly protecting him, there is no need to worry about Han Qing’s safety in the Yinshan Camp!” After the nine people left, Qi Wufeng tapped his fingers lightly on the table and said slowly.

Qi Yan stood up from her chair and smiled, "Father, you're so thoughtful!"

...

Beijing.

The Luo family mansion.

"Master, we've investigated thoroughly. Luo Ding died at the hands of this little bastard named Han Qing."

"This thief is highly valued by Qi Wufeng and is currently in the Yinshan camp in the north. I never expected him to shine so brightly. At such a young age, he has such abilities. He will surely be a major threat in the future!"

"Besides, Qi Wufeng has been searching for that slut's child all these years under the guise of recruiting personal guards. It might be him. Master, you can't ignore him just because he's young. This matter must be taken seriously!"

in the room.

Han Yi stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze passing through the window to the bright moonlight above, his expression indifferent, devoid of joy or sorrow.

Roland wore a long red robe, and his phoenix eyes shone with sorrow.

He harbored a deep resentment over Luo Ding's death and secretly sent Luo family experts to assassinate him multiple times. However, Qi Wufeng and a hidden force secretly thwarted his efforts, and each attempt ended in failure.

She was resentful. She had watched Luo Ding grow up since he was a child, and although they weren't family, they were closer than family. She hated Han Qing deeply.

So she kept whispering sweet nothings in Han Yi's ear, trying to get him to make a move.

Given Han Yi's position in the court, the power he could mobilize far exceeded hers, and she felt that taking down Han Qing would not be a problem.

Han Yi seemed to be persuaded, turned around and sat down on a chair, then suddenly said in a deep voice, "Someone, call Yang Wanxiu over!"

"Yes!"

A guard outside the door responded to the call, and soon a bald, burly man strode into the room. His body was covered in bulging muscles, undulating like a mountain, but his eyes were empty and lifeless.

"Yang Wanxiu, go to the Northern Camp and bring me someone! This person is named Han Qing, the commander of the Tiger Might Battalion! Remember, he must be alive!" Han Yi said in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

Yang Wanxiu nodded slightly and slowly left the room.

Seeing this, Roland felt much more at ease.

Yang Wanxiu was the head of the Han family's guards. He was already a Martial Saint when he joined the Han family and was very powerful. She felt that if he took action, the victory would be almost certain.

...

outside world.

The winds are rising and the clouds are surging; undercurrents are flowing.

The Tiger Might Camp compound, however, was calm and peaceful.

Han Qing sat upright in a chair, holding a book in his hands, the shouts of the Tiger Might Battalion soldiers echoing in his ears.

This book, titled "The Demon Emperor's Secret Records," was obtained from the treasury of the Serpent City. It contains a wealth of martial arts insights from the Northern Demon Emperor, his evaluations of numerous top masters in the world, and his discussions on the nine realms of sainthood.

This is exactly what Han Qing needs right now; he can use this notebook to cross-reference with Kong Xiu's notebook.

...

Not long after.

Han Qing turned to the last page, closed the book, and had memorized all the contents of the notes.

He got up, went outside, and walked around the entire camp.

On the school field.

The Thirteen Guards of Baiyun were still intensifying their training of soldiers, their shouts deafening.

Wherever Han Qing went, many soldiers would cast respectful and grateful glances his way.

In this battle, the Tiger Might Battalion shone brightly, and Han Qing had completely established himself, winning the hearts and minds of all the soldiers.

Han Qing's handling of the spoils of war earned the deep gratitude of many soldiers.

He took out more than half of his gold and silver jewelry and distributed it to the soldiers, each of whom received no less than ten taels of silver.

For Han Qing, this sounded like a small amount.

But for these soldiers, it was a huge amount.

After completing the tour, Han Qing returned to the central courtyard, feeling very satisfied.

The entire Tiger Might Battalion was thriving, and he believed that it wouldn't be long before this army would evolve into a kingly force.

"Son!"

"The master is back!"

In the courtyard.

Han Qing's large group of confidants were all practicing martial arts. When they saw him return, they all came forward to greet him respectfully.

Han Qing nodded slightly and said loudly, "Lin Yueqiu, bring out all the secret medicines we recently acquired from the treasury!"

"Yes, son!"

Lin Yueqiu turned around and went back to the treasury. Before long, he carried out four large wooden boxes from the treasury, which contained a large number of Qi and Blood Treasure Medicines.

These precious medicines were all made by the Mu Man people themselves, specifically for strengthening their bodies.

"Gentlemen, the Tiger Might Camp's great victory this time is largely due to your contributions. I will distribute all of these secret medicines without keeping a single one for myself!"

"As I said, since you have chosen to follow me, Han Qing, I will definitely not treat you unfairly!" Han Qing said loudly.

"Thank you, sir!"

Everyone responded in unison, their hearts filled with immense gratitude.

This large quantity of secret medicines is quite substantial, and their combined value is extremely high. It's no easy feat for Han Qing to be willing to distribute them to them.

Before long, the large wooden crates had been emptied.

Lin Yueqiu distributed the numerous Qi and Blood Nourishing Medicines equally among everyone present.

Han Qing could sense that his trusted confidants were more loyal to him and their cohesion had become stronger.

This was the result he wanted. Keeping this batch of Qi and Blood Treasure Medicine wouldn't be of much use to him. Distributing it to his trusted confidants would allow them to improve their strength even further, so he certainly wouldn't keep it in the treasury.

"Chen Ming, come with me!"

The two arrived at another small courtyard nearby. Chen Ming had already guessed what Han Qing was going to do, and his face showed excitement.

"Chen Ming, I promised you before that I would teach you the Phantom Thousandfold Blade, and I will keep my word."

"Thank you, young master!" Chen Ming was overjoyed.

His main purpose in becoming a retainer of the Chen family was to learn the Chen family's ancestral sword techniques.

Unfortunately, the Chen family's sword technique was a closely guarded secret. Although Chen Ming had made many meritorious contributions, he had no opportunity to learn this sword technique. This was one of the main reasons why he betrayed Chen Ming without hesitation.

At this moment, Han Qing was willing to teach him swordsmanship, and he was naturally extremely excited.

"This was written by my own hand; it contains the entire content of the Phantom Thousandfold Blade technique. Go down and study it carefully!"

Han Qing took out a piece of cloth from his bosom and stuffed it into Chen Ming's hand.

"Yes, young master!" Chen Ming took the cloth, quickly glanced at it, and confirmed that it was genuine.

Although he had never seen this sword technique before, his ability to appreciate martial arts was not weak. He could tell at a glance that this martial art was extremely complex and was a first-class sword technique.

"Now, I'll demonstrate it for you myself, watch carefully!"

Han Qing drew his sword and demonstrated the Phantom Thousandfold Blade to Chen Ming right there in the courtyard.

A cold light flashed, and the shadows of blades were numerous, like a large net or a thousand overlapping waves. Wherever they passed, the blade light swept and shattered everything.

Chen Ming stared intently, not wanting to miss a single detail.

When Han Qing unleashed his final strike, countless sword shadows vanished simultaneously, leaving only a glint of cold light and a buzzing sound echoing through the courtyard.

Han Qing sheathed his sword, a faint smile playing on his lips: "How was it?"

"Excellent swordsmanship!" Chen Ming's eyes gleamed.

He kept replaying the scenes in his mind, completely absorbed in them and unable to pull himself out.

He secretly compared the Phantom Thousandfold Blade and the Chen Family Blade Technique in his mind and found that both had their own merits.

The Phantom Thousandfold Blade technique emphasizes the illusion and the thousands of layers. With a single slash, it splits into countless blade shadows, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake, and one only feels as if a huge net is covering one's head.

Secondly, there's the Thousandfold Strike, where each strike is faster than the last, the power constantly accumulating, the speed increasing, and the destructive power becoming more and more terrifying.

The Chen family's swordsmanship emphasizes elegance and unpredictability, with the sword's trajectory being as elusive as a wisp of smoke and rain, and its focus is on unpredictability.

Both have their merits and are of the first rank; in Chen Ming's eyes, it's hard to say which is better.

A strong desire suddenly welled up in his heart.

“From today onwards, I will demonstrate the Phantom Thousandfold Blade for you every day! If you have any questions, you can come to me anytime!” Han Qing said in a deep voice.

"Thank you, young master!" Chen Ming shouted again, his heart filled with even more gratitude towards Han Qing.

A moment.

Han Qing returned to the house from the courtyard. With a thought, the Seven Killings Stele appeared in his mind, with hundreds of soul light points floating up and down.

Han Qing chose to absorb Chen An's soul light first.

In an instant, a large number of memories flooded Han Qing's mind, and Chen An's scattered memory fragments flashed before his eyes like a fleeting glimpse.

A moment later, the image disappeared, and Han Qing opened his eyes. Through Chen An's perspective, he had gained a certain understanding of the Chen family's strength.

The next instant, a large number of martial arts techniques appeared in front of Han Qing.

The first thing he saw was the Liuyun Huanfeng Blade, a family heirloom of the Chen family, a top-grade weapon of its time, and his mastery of it had reached its peak.

Without hesitation, Han Qing chose to inherit this sword technique.

In an instant, a large amount of information flooded his mind, including the sword techniques of this martial art.

Han Qing then took his sword and went out, his eyes slightly closed. In his mind, a cold voice kept explaining the core essence of this sword technique, and a phantom figure in front of him kept demonstrating every basic movement of this sword technique.

An hour later, Han Qing opened his eyes, picked up his sword, and swung it, the blade tracing arcs in the air.

On the panel, the proficiency level of this sword technique is rapidly increasing.

Another hour passed, and Han Qing's mind was suddenly jolted; he had already mastered the basics of this sword technique.

Suddenly, Han Qing's sword-wielding speed increased, and the arcs of his sword intertwined, gradually turning into a wisp of smoke, exuding an ethereal and indistinct aura.

"Good sword skills!"

Han Qing's eyes lit up, and a sudden realization dawned on him.

He secretly compared the differences between the two first-grade sword techniques, and found that the Cloud-Leaving Illusionary Wind Blade was indeed faster and had a more flexible and unpredictable trajectory.

As time slowly passed, the proficiency of this sword technique on the panel continued to improve, and the level gradually progressed from beginner to master, and then to minor achievement.

Han Qing's understanding of this sword technique is also constantly deepening.

"If it's just a matter of physical combat, the Cloud-Leaving Illusion Wind Blade is probably inferior to the Phantom Thousandfold Blade," Han Qingxin thought.

The deeper your understanding, the more you can compare the subtle differences between the two sword techniques.

Time passed quickly, and three hours later, the night was pitch black.

Han Qing's body trembled. On the panel, the proficiency of the Cloud-Leaving Thousandfold Blade had reached the Great Perfection, which also meant that he could enter the state of oneness with his image.

So, with a thought, a gust of yin wind howled, and strands of magical thoughts converged and condensed into a giant image above his head.

"Let me see what's so mysterious about this sword technique that combines human form and image?"

Han Qing murmured to himself, his body wielding the sword while simultaneously controlling the giant statue, using the hammer as a sword to practice this sword technique.

At first, the two could not be kept in sync, but as Han Qing became more and more focused, the trajectories of his longsword and warhammer actually overlapped, and a surging sword momentum soared into the sky, turning into a wave that rolled forward.

At this moment, Han Qing's state was almost identical to Chen An's on that day.

The black-armored colossus's combat power was brought to its fullest extent; this heavy hammer strike forward seemed to possess the power to shatter the heavens and the earth.

However, Han Qing could also sense that he couldn't afford to be distracted in this state, otherwise his swordsmanship would immediately become chaotic.

Moreover, he felt that his physical strength and magical power were being consumed at an extremely rapid pace, making it difficult to sustain for long.

(End of this chapter)