The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 116 Martial Arts Grandmaster

Han Qing immediately stopped practicing this sword technique.

With a thought, the black-armored giant statue vanished into the world.

"In its human-image fusion state, the Black Armored Colossus's combat power will increase to an incredible level, which ordinary martial arts grandmasters will definitely be unable to cope with."

"However, this move consumes too much energy and cannot be used as a regular means of combat; it can only be used as a trump card."

Han Qing pondered silently in his mind.

In just a short while, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead, demonstrating the immense energy required to master this sword technique.

Having entered the Harmony Realm of the Path of Dharma Thought, even after five transformations in martial arts, he could only barely unleash his full potential.

"The Cloud-Retaining Illusionary Wind Blade is a sword technique suitable for a Martial Saint. Although I can use it now, I can't yet control it with ease and freedom," Han Qing pondered.

He had previously planned to transfer the proficiency of one of the Phantom Thousandfold Blade and the Cloud-Retaining Illusionary Wind Blade to the other, but now he has abandoned that idea and decided to keep both of these sword techniques.

The Phantom Thousandfold Blade can be used for close combat, or as a regular means of fighting enemies.

The Cloud-Retaining Illusionary Wind Blade is used as a trump card, each serving its own purpose.

After mastering this sword technique, Han Qing can also inherit a martial arts skill from Chen An.

Although Chen An possesses many advanced combat techniques, for Han Qing, unless he reaches the first rank, the most urgently needed technique is the Refining Spirit Technique.

Therefore, he decisively chose this Legalist spiritual cultivation method called the Moon Illumination Wheel Technique, and his proficiency level was already at 69.5%.

He then immediately transferred his proficiency to the fifth chapter of the Zhige Jing (止戈经).

Half a day later, Han Qing finished his arduous cultivation and slowly exhaled a breath of fresh air. He had already digested the Spirit Refining Method, and his proficiency in the Zhige Jing had successfully broken through to the Great Perfection.

After achieving mastery, Han Qing could feel a significant increase in the strength of his magical power, and the black-armored divine statue he condensed became even more solid and substantial.

"Next up, Hu Yuefeng!"

Before the Seven Killings Stele, Hu Yuefeng's soul light dissipated, turning into a wisp of white light that was absorbed by Han Qing.

Hu Yuefeng's memory fragments surfaced before Han Qing, but there was nothing particularly special about them.

This woman's life was extremely monotonous; every day, besides practicing martial arts, she would lead troops to patrol the surrounding areas.

As the image fades, Hu Yuefeng's numerous martial arts skills appear before your eyes.

After a moment's thought, Han Qing chose a spirit-refining method called the Wood Barbarian Spirit Refining Method, which had reached 91.2% of its peak level, as well as a martial arts five-stage training method called the Azure Barbarian Skill.

"Inheritance, the fifth chapter of the Wooden Barbarian Refining Nerve Technique!"

Han Qing's mind raced, and a flood of information appeared in his head.

On the panel, the "Wooden Refining Nerves" technique appeared out of thin air, and its proficiency began to increase rapidly.

"The Wood Barbarian Spirit Refining Technique is the Wood Barbarian Clan's unique spirit refining method, created solely by the Wood Barbarian Daoist Master..."

"Proficiency Conversion: The Fifth Chapter of the Target-Based Treatise on Ceasefire!"

At this point, the proficiency level of the fifth chapter of the Zhige Jing had increased to 87.4%.

"After absorbing and transforming this Spirit Refining Technique, my proficiency in the fifth chapter of the Ceasefire Scripture might reach perfection," Han Qing pondered.

Time flies, another day has passed in the blink of an eye, and the proficiency conversion is complete.

On the panel, the fifth chapter of the Zhige Jing has reached 100% completion.

The Wood Barbarian Refining Spirit Technique's proficiency was reduced by 72%, indicating that it was not a very high-grade refining spirit technique.

Next up is the Cangman Technique.

It's the same familiar process: inheritance, absorption, transformation...

Han Qing came to the courtyard and practiced the basic movements of the Supreme Mystic Turtle Skill while observing the panel, where his proficiency in the Ceasefire Sutra was rapidly increasing.

Half a day later, the mastery level of the Supreme Mystic Turtle Technique reached perfection.

But the transformation continues.

A day later, a muffled sound came from Han Qing's body. Suddenly, his blood and qi surged, and his body shone brightly with power. A tremendous force was surging and flowing within his body.

"It's broken the limit!"

Han Qing's eyes shone, and he felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.

He could feel that his body had improved significantly in every aspect, and his combat power was stronger than before.

"continue!"

"With so many soul points, I'll strive to become a Grandmaster of Martial Arts within half a month!"

In front of the Seven Killings Stele, there were still nearly 100 soul points floating up and down. On the panel, the Cangman Technique still had 21% of its proficiency remaining to be converted.

Han Qing felt that once he had fully digested this batch of spoils, he would definitely be able to step into the realm of martial arts grandmaster, which would mean the sixth transformation.

Previously, he had already memorized the entire content of the sixth realm training method, Dragon Elephant Skill, so this martial art had been entered into the panel, with a proficiency of 0 and the current realm being "beginner".

The conversion continues, with the remaining proficiency in the Wooden Barbarian Technique being transferred to the Dragon Elephant Technique.

However, the Dragon Elephant Skill is a sixth-level cultivation method, and it is the best quality cultivation method in the world. With a difference of one level and quality, after the remaining twenty-odd proficiency points were converted, the proficiency of the Dragon Elephant Skill only increased by 1%, which is an outrageously low conversion rate.

However, this situation was within Han Qing's expectations.

"If you want to improve your strength quickly, you have to go and kill more martial arts grandmasters. Killing low-level martial artists has a very low conversion rate."

"However, after absorbing all one hundred soul points, the sheer quantity might be enough to advance the Dragon Elephant Technique to the beginner level."

Han Qing stopped thinking about it. When the Cangman Technique's proficiency level was completely reduced to zero, he immediately went to absorb the next soul light point to continue converting the proficiency level.

The remaining soul light points were of lower quality than those of Chen An and Hu Yuefeng, so the conversion rate was even lower, and the proficiency of the Dragon Elephant Technique was improving at a rather slow pace.

However, Han Qing had plenty of patience. He had little military business to attend to recently, and he was in the army camp with many soldiers and trusted confidants protecting him, so he didn't need to worry about anyone daring to plot against him.

As a result, Han Qing's life became extremely regular again for the next period of time.

Aside from eating and sleeping, their daily routine consisted of patrolling the camp and practicing martial arts.

Patrolling the camp didn't take much time either. Bai Yunfei was still in charge of training the troops, and under his training, the soldiers of the Tiger Might Battalion were visibly improving their morale and spirit.

Han Qing was also quite comfortable being a hands-off manager.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, Han Qing was diligently practicing the Dragon Elephant Skill in the courtyard. Every punch and kick was domineering and fierce, causing loud air explosions.

This is the characteristic of Dragon Elephant Kung Fu: every basic movement is performed with all one's might.

"Almost there, just 19%, I can get started today!"

Han Qing's eyes burned with fervor. On the panel, the proficiency of the Dragon Elephant Skill had remained at 19% for three consecutive days.

During these three days, he absorbed four soul light points and transferred the proficiency of the four cultivation techniques to the Dragon Elephant Technique.

However, due to the low quality and level of these seven training methods, the proficiency of the Dragon Elephant Skill has not seen a significant breakthrough.

However, today, he had a premonition that he was about to break through!

"drink!"

A moment later, Han Qing threw a punch forward, which was the last basic movement of the Dragon Elephant Kung Fu.

At that very moment, the Dragon Elephant Skill proficiency level on the panel increased to 20%.

boom!
Han Qing's body trembled as an acupoint was opened, and a surge of energy flowed out from within him, merging with the existing energy and causing a dramatic change.

Han Qing could feel his body growing rapidly under the nurturing of this mysterious power, with the strength of every piece of flesh, every bone, and every fascia increasing at an alarming rate.

"The sixth transformation has arrived! I have become a Grandmaster of Martial Arts!"

Han Qing murmured, a surge of undisguised joy welling up inside him; the feeling of rapidly growing stronger was truly captivating.

Unable to control himself, Han Qing began to practice a set of boxing techniques in the courtyard, swinging his fists and feet at will.

Each punch he threw created a gust of wind.

With a casual slap, he shattered a large, gray boulder, as tall as a person, beside him.

"The power is increasing exponentially!"

Han Qing started running around in the courtyard again, his whole body turning into a blurry afterimage.

"The speed is also increasing dramatically!"

"My body is improving in every way!"

Han Qing felt extremely happy.

The changes lasted for a full hour, until finally, the flow of qi and blood in his body ceased, and everything returned to silence.

Han Qing silently closed his eyes and calmly felt the changes in his body. He felt a tremendous force flowing through him, like a rushing river, as if it could move mountains and fill seas.

This was naturally an illusion of a sudden increase in power. Han Qing suddenly opened his eyes, picked up a pebble from the ground at random, flicked it with his finger, and with a snap, the pebble pierced through a willow tree a hundred paces away that required two people to hug.

The latter exploded in the middle, splintering wood chips everywhere, with the upper half crashing to the ground.

"I am now more than twice as strong as I was a few days ago!"

Han Qing looked very confident.

This pebble has such great power for two reasons: first, his physique has become stronger and his finger strength has become extremely amazing; second, after entering the realm of martial arts grandmaster, his strength can be extended to weapons, including hidden weapons.

He secretly activated the Dragon Elephant Technique, and a brilliant golden light rippled around his body, becoming even more solid than before.

If before it was a layer of veil, now it's a layer of cloak.

A sonorous sound.

Han Qing drew his sword, the Liuyun Blade, and a surge of energy spread across its blade, causing it to glow with a brilliant golden light.

"The characteristics of Dragon Elephant Force are very simple and unadorned. With the addition of force, the weight of the fist or weapon can be increased tenfold or a hundredfold."

“An ordinary pebble, when imbued with the power of the dragon and elephant, will give an enemy the illusion of being struck by a giant boulder.”

Han Qing casually swung his sword a few times, each strike creating a piercing sonic boom.

"I can't imagine how terrifying the destructive power my swordsmanship can unleash now," Han Qingxin thought to himself.

He gripped the Liuyun Blade, feeling almost no weight as he swung it, but when it struck an enemy, the force amplified the blade's weight, making it feel like being hit by a heavy hammer.

If he were to unleash the full power of the Phantom Thousandfold Blade, his sword-wielding speed would increase dramatically, and with the added strength of the Dragon Elephant Force, he even felt he could instantly kill an ordinary martial arts grandmaster.

A moment.

Han Qing sheathed his sword, got up, and went out into his own courtyard.

In the courtyard.

Lin Yueqiu and the others were also practicing martial arts.

"Greetings, young master!"

Upon seeing Han Qing leave, his many confidants shouted in unison.

Han Qing glanced around and could sense that Lin Yueqiu and the others had significantly improved their strength in the past month, and their aura was much stronger than before.

This is because Lin Yueqiu and the others practice martial arts very diligently every day, and secondly, they drink medicinal soup made from the Creation Blood Crystal every day. Even if they do nothing, their physical strength will slowly improve.

"Young master, your strength has improved again?"

As Han Qing walked by, Lin Yueqiu keenly sensed something was amiss. Han Qing was emanating a powerful aura that made him feel a little afraid.

Everyone else cast curious glances at him, sensing that something about Han Qing was different.

Han Qing said in a deep voice, "That's right. After a month of arduous training, I am now a Grandmaster of Martial Arts!"

The entire room fell silent; everyone's expressions froze, and they were all extremely shocked.

At the age of twenty, he became a grandmaster of martial arts. Looking across the world and throughout history, there are very few who have achieved such a feat.

Lin Yueqiu was the first to recover from his shock and cupped his hands slightly: "Congratulations, young master. With your solid foundation, once you break through, you will immediately become a top expert among martial arts grandmasters. I'm afraid I am no match for you now."

“Young Master’s talent is exceptional; Xiao Biao was right about you,” Yue Xiao Biao said with a smile.

Chen Ming was practicing his swordplay when he heard Han Qing's words, and he stopped what he was doing.

Although he remained calm, he was determined to follow Han Qing.

A martial arts grandmaster at the age of twenty signifies a promising future.

Putting that aside, Han Qing's sincere teaching of swordsmanship over the past month, without holding back in the slightest, made him feel from the bottom of his heart that Han Qing was a sincere gentleman and worthy of trust.

Han Qing glanced around and saw that the group of confidants beside him all had a hint of awe in their eyes, so he nodded slightly.

He readily admitted that it was to intimidate people.

The group I assembled was too diverse and had been formed too recently. Some of them had ulterior motives, such as Yue Xiaobiao and Chen Ming.

These people are cunning and shrewd; the only way to win their loyalty is to intimidate them with force.

"Gentlemen, this matter must not be spread, otherwise if I catch you, I will not let you off easily," Han Qing said loudly.

"Yes, young master!" the crowd responded in unison.

Han Qing nodded slightly. He did this for two reasons: first, the tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind, and a twenty-year-old martial arts grandmaster was truly astonishing; if word got out, it would cause countless troubles. Second, by preserving some strength, if a hidden enemy were to launch an assassination attempt, he could mislead them into making a mistake.

Use your own strength to turn the tables and defeat them.

"You all come with me!"

Suppressing his many thoughts, Han Qing suddenly remembered something. He beckoned everyone to walk towards a nearby house.

The crowd, not understanding why, followed behind.

After a short while, the group entered the room. The room was very spacious and had no complicated furnishings. It looked empty except for an altar at the front, on which were two statues of gods. These were the statues of the Wood Barbarian Daoist Saint and the Confucian Daoist Saint that they had obtained from the Serpent City a month ago.

Upon entering the room, everyone could faintly feel a powerful pressure that made them involuntarily want to kneel down.

With a thought, Han Qing merged a wisp of Dharma thought into his eyes and saw white mist swirling around the two statues of saints, with illusions arising and disappearing, which was extremely wondrous.

Only magical artifacts can produce such phenomena, as they contain a vast amount of magical power. Whether it is an illusion or a powerful aura, it all originates from this.

"Everyone, in the past month, I have thoroughly figured out the mystery of these two statues of saints, which is that worshipping the saints can lead to receiving the Dharma!"
"Anyone who wishes to obtain the Refining Spirit Method and awaken the Path of Dharma Thought should step forward and sincerely worship. There may be a chance to be recognized by the Sage's Thought and receive the wondrous method!" Han Qing said loudly.

Upon hearing his words, Chen Ming and Yue Xiaobiao remained calm.

One of them was a practitioner of the Dao of Law, and the other was a practitioner of the Dao of Deception. They could no longer cultivate other schools of spiritual refinement methods, but everyone else present was pleasantly surprised.

Along the way, they had witnessed many cultivators fighting each other, and they were well aware of how strong cultivators were. They were all incredibly envious, but they had no opportunity to learn from them.

At this moment, they heard that worshipping the statue of a saint might result in receiving miraculous teachings, and they certainly didn't want to miss out.

"Lin Yueqiu, you go first! Try each of these two saint statues once. No one can say for sure which saint you'll gain their approval," Han Qing instructed.

"Yes!"

Lin Yueqiu responded with a solemn expression and knelt down in front of the statue of the Wooden Barbarian Daoist on the left, calming his mind and bowing repeatedly.

After bowing three times, under his divine eye, wisps of white mist flew out from around the statue of the Wooden Barbarian Daoist Saint, instantly enveloping Lin Yueqiu. Lin Yueqiu instantly fell into an illusion, an illusion that no one else could see or help him with; he had to break free of it himself.

This process is similar to meditation and focusing the mind; breaking through illusions is also about breaking through distracting thoughts.

The longer you persist in this process, the more illusions you break through, and the greater the probability of gaining the approval of the sage's will.

Everyone waited patiently, and a quarter of an hour later, the white mist surrounding Lin Yueqiu dissipated.

He slowly opened his eyes, shook his head, and clearly failed the test.

Han Qing also noticed that the white mist surrounding Daoist Mu Man had thinned out a bit.

This is because although the Dharma thoughts remaining within each statue of a saint are eternal and indestructible, their quantity is limited.

Whenever someone comes to be tested, whether they pass or fail, the power of the Dharma will be consumed.

Once completely exhausted, the statue of the saint will turn into an ordinary orchid statue.

However, Han Qing read in the book that there was also a way to replenish the consumed magical energy.

For example, if a Taoist practitioner sincerely worships, the power of the Dharma thought left by the sage within the Wood Barbarian Taoist Venerable will be strengthened.

The same principle applies to the statue of a Confucian or Taoist sage next to it. Confucian practitioners who cultivate their spirit worship it daily, which strengthens their inner sage-like aspirations.

While he was pondering, Lin Yueqiu had already knelt down in front of another statue of a saint next to him.

This statue of a sage comes from Cheng Jing, a great sage of Confucianism.

"Different schools of thought cultivate different ideas. Confucianism cultivates the idea of ​​being a gentleman, and people with upright character are more likely to open the door to Confucianism and Taoism. Taoism cultivates the idea of ​​being ethereal and unrestrained, and people who yearn for freedom and are unconstrained are more likely to open the door to Taoism."

"Therefore, not being able to enter the gate of Taoism does not necessarily mean one cannot enter the gate of Confucianism!" Han Qing said in a deep voice.

He said this to give Lin Yueqiu confidence, so that his mind would waver and he would not be able to calm down.

"Thank you, sir!"

Lin Yueqiu responded and kowtowed three times to the statue of the saint.

All of a sudden.

A wisp of white mist flew out from around the statue of the saint, swirling around Lin Yueqiu and completely enveloping him. For a moment, the latter was also immersed in the illusion.

After another fifteen minutes of patient waiting, Lin Yueqiu suddenly opened her eyes, a look of joy flashing in them.

"Young master, I've succeeded!"

"This statue of a sage is truly wondrous! I have been bestowed with the Confucian secret method, the Method of Transforming the Spirit with Benevolence, a unique method of refining the spirit created by the great sage Cheng Jingcheng!" Lin Yueqiu exclaimed loudly.

He had followed Qi Wufeng before and had heard about the many wonders of the statue of the sage, but he had never seen it with his own eyes. Today was his first time experiencing it, and it was truly amazing.

"Not bad!"

"Confucianism is one of the three strongest schools of thought. If you cultivate diligently in the future, your combat power will definitely increase greatly."

However, the current court is cracking down on Confucianism and Taoism, so do not display them in public unless absolutely necessary,” Han Qing instructed.

"Don't worry, young master, I understand." Lin Yueqiu nodded slightly.

Along their journey, the most common practitioners of spiritual cultivation they encountered were Legalists, followed by Taoists.

The Confucian and Mohist schools had never met. The former was because the Yuelu Academy was destroyed, and a large number of Confucian practitioners who cultivated their spiritual essence perished. The remaining ones went into hiding and were unwilling to make a move easily. The Mohist school, on the other hand, took the route of elites, so their numbers were small, but each member was powerful.

After Lin Yueqiu was successfully taught the Refining Spirit Method, everyone else was filled with confidence.

So Qiu Da, the Thirteen Guards of Baiyun, and Liu Xiaofeng took turns kneeling before him. In the end, only Liu Xiaofeng gained the approval of the Wood Barbarian Daoist and was taught the Wood Barbarian Refining God Method. All the others failed.

This was within Han Qing's expectations; there was a reason why there were so few cultivators.

However, the failure to worship the statue of the saint does not mean that the Thirteen Guards of Baiyun have no chance to open the path of Dharma thought. After all, there are countless paths, and what is not suitable for Taoism and Confucianism may not be unsuitable for other schools of thought.

...

After leaving the house, Han Qing did not go back to continue practicing martial arts. Instead, he led Lin Yueqiu and hundreds of soldiers out of the camp to patrol.

Every ten days, Han Qing would circle the Tiger Might camp and walk through the surrounding mountains to prevent any unusual activity from happening around him, but he could not know about it immediately.

Fifty li east of the Tiger Might Camp, there is a cliff overlooking a large river in the Yin Mountains, called the Qingcang River.

When Han Qing arrived at this place and saw the great river flowing endlessly, a surge of power welled up in his heart.

"We should live like a great river, flowing ceaselessly and striving for self-improvement. Even if there are towering mountains blocking our way, we should forge ahead bravely and without fear!"

"Young master, you have great ambition! To become a top expert renowned throughout the land, one certainly needs this kind of mindset." Lin Yueqiu nodded slightly upon hearing this, deeply impressed.

"Let's go. The area within fifty li of Tiger Might Camp is calm and peaceful. The areas further away are not my concern." Han Qing led his horse back and galloped towards the camp.

Lin Yueqiu and over a hundred elite soldiers immediately mounted their horses and followed closely behind him.

The group walked into a dense forest where the light was dim.

Han Qing frowned, then suddenly waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop.

"What's wrong?" Lin Yueqiu realized something was wrong as soon as she saw Han Qing's appearance, and one hand was already on the hilt of the knife.

"Hiding your head and showing your tail, you're up to no good! Come out!" Han Qing shouted, his voice booming and echoing throughout the entire mountain forest.

Lin Yueqiu drew his sword first, followed closely by hundreds of elite soldiers. In an instant, the bright light of the swords merged into one, and the sound of blades being drawn echoed through the mountains and forests.

Suddenly, within thirty paces of Han Qing, a shadowy figure lurked, and from it emerged a dark shadow, wielding a long sword with a cold glint at its tip, poised to strike Han Qing's throat.

Han Qing had anticipated this, and suddenly reached out, a brilliant golden light flashing in his palm, and directly grasped the sword's edge.

The assassin's appearance was also fully revealed: a middle-aged man with sunken eyes and a lean build.

At this moment, a look of horror appeared on his face, because the long sword was gripped but could not be penetrated even an inch, as if a huge force was surging and restraining the long sword.

Han Qing suddenly exerted force and twisted the sword, and with a series of crackling sounds, the longsword shattered.

The man dodged backward, but Han Qing had already leaped up, jumped off his horse, and charged towards him at an extremely fast speed, punching him in the chest.

The Void Clarity Fist Technique was activated, and a brilliant golden light flashed at the tip of the fist. The man's body was directly blasted apart in mid-air, turning into a cloud of blood mist that drifted into the dense forest.

"get out!"

Han Qing's gaze sharpened, and with a flick of his wrist, he shook off the blood plasma from his palm.

He could sense that there was more than just this one assassin in the forest; wisps of killing intent were also emanating from different directions. However, this man was the closest to him, and unable to restrain himself, he chose to strike first.

Sure enough, after that shout, four more dark figures emerged from the forest, rushing forward at lightning speed and swiftly attacking Han Qing.

"Five cultivators who have mastered the Dao of Refining Spirit! That's quite a feat! Who is so eager to take my life?" Han Qing said calmly.

Lin Yueqiu dismounted and shouted, "Protect the young master!"

"slow!"

Han Qing waved his hand, feeling very confident after breaking through to the Grandmaster level in martial arts.

Although these people were all cultivators of the Dao of Incision and Spirit Refinement, judging from their physique and speed of movement, they had all undergone five transformations and were not even Grandmasters of Martial Arts. Therefore, he was not afraid at all.

The moment the four charged towards him, a dense black light suddenly surged out around them, causing Han Qing to instantly fall into a dark, lightless domain.

In this dark realm, all his senses were suppressed.

Han Qing had anticipated this and had already released wisps of malevolent energy, forming a malevolent domain around himself.

The four men closed in and simultaneously drew their swords, aiming straight for Han Qing's vital points.

Although Han Qing couldn't see them, the actions of these four people were clearly displayed in his mind within the Fiend Domain.

"Little tricks!"

"go to hell!"

Han Qing suddenly drew his sword, unleashing the Great Perfection Cloud-Leaving Illusionary Wind Blade.

A flash of cold light appeared, and the blade traced a complex trajectory in the air at an extremely fast speed, sweeping across the four people's bodies.

All four of them let out a muffled groan, and the Dark Domain of No Light instantly shattered.

Han Qing and the four others then appeared in the sunlight, their faces showing disbelief.

That knife was too fast, so fast that it was unpredictable and impossible to resist.

That knife was too sharp; it sliced ​​through the protective energy and inner armor of the four people in an instant, splitting them in two.

Wow!
The four fell to the ground one after another, turning into four corpses, with various internal organs scattered all over the ground.

Han Qing sheathed his sword, his mind calm and composed.

If he hadn't reached the level of a martial arts grandmaster, killing these four people would indeed have been quite a challenge.

But now, his combat power has reached an extremely astonishing level, and even if these four people join forces, they cannot pose the slightest threat to him.

"Young master, your swordsmanship is excellent!" Lin Yueqiu approached and carefully examined the five corpses, but couldn't figure them out. "I wonder who these five people are?"

“There is a great martial arts holy land in the North, the Black Sparrow Alliance, which produces many assassins and cultivators. Could these five people be from the Black Sparrow Alliance?” Lin Yueqiu guessed again.

"I have no enmity with the Black Sparrow Alliance, unless someone pays a high price to hire someone from the Black Sparrow Alliance to assassinate me," Han Qing said.

The Black Sparrow Alliance is both a sacred place and an assassin organization, but it is generally inaccessible to the public.

The path of piercing is cultivated through a spirit of great courage, which is why the members of the Black Sparrow Alliance are all incredibly audacious.

He had heard that, for the right price, the Black Sparrow Alliance assassins would dare to assassinate anyone, including the emperor.

"It's alright, I'll investigate this matter thoroughly soon." Han Qing turned around and prepared to mount his horse and return to camp.

Suddenly, footsteps came from the dense forest ahead.

"Young master, you truly possess remarkable skills! Five cultivators who had mastered the Dao of Assassination were killed in a single exchange. I fear you have not only undergone five transformations, but have undergone six transformations in the Dao of Body, and have already stepped into the realm of a Grandmaster of Martial Arts!"

A loud and energetic voice drifted over from afar.

Han Qing raised an eyebrow and saw nine old men, each holding a long spear and dressed in red robes, emerge from the dense forest.

He glanced at them and vaguely sensed that these nine people were all extraordinary, possibly martial arts grandmasters.

Nine martial arts grandmasters—that's an extremely terrifying force.

"I never expected that my humble Tiger Might Camp could attract so many experts. You nine are all grandmasters of martial arts, could it be that you also come to kill me?" Han Qing said with a light laugh.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yueqiu's expression turned serious.

If these nine people were only undergoing five transformations, he wouldn't be too afraid. But if they were martial arts grandmasters, that would be formidable. If they attacked together, he knew he wouldn't be able to withstand it.

"Young master, if a fight breaks out later, you go first. I'll hold them off. There's a camp nearby with three thousand soldiers protecting them. Those nine won't be able to cause any trouble," Lin Yueqiu said in a low voice.

"It's alright. Even if they attack together, I have nothing to fear," Han Qing said loudly.

This was not arrogance, but rather a deep understanding that even if he were no match for them, with his mastery of lightness skill, these nine people might not be able to stop him.

Moreover, although he is a grandmaster of martial arts, he is not an ordinary grandmaster. He is confident that his combat strength is far superior to that of ordinary martial artists, but he is not sure where the upper limit is. If these nine people make a move, he can use them to test them.

"Young master is quite confident. Originally, I wanted to tell you our background directly, but after hearing these words, I want to test your strength. If we join forces, can you withstand three moves, then I will tell you the answer."

The first person spoke in a loud voice. Although he was an old man, his skin was smooth and delicate, and he had a vigorous vitality. He was truly a white-haired man with a youthful face.

"Then let's make our move! Lin Yueqiu, all of you, disperse!" Han Qing said loudly.

A strange look flashed in his eyes, because although the nine people spoke somewhat rudely, they did not make him feel the slightest bit of murderous intent.

This implies two possibilities: first, the other party genuinely had no intention of killing, but was simply passing by and wanted to have a friendly spar.

Secondly, although the other party had murderous intent, they had the means to cover it up.

Han Qing couldn't make a judgment, so he decided to proceed with the second option.

The next instant, the nine men rushed towards Han Qing, firing their guns simultaneously.

In that instant, Han Qing felt the nine people become one, and the spears held by each of them shimmered with light, which eventually converged on the tip of the spear of the person at the front, making the light of their power shine brightly.

"The one who cultivates the spirit through the path of traversing the heavens!"

Han Qing murmured to himself, his hands moving without stopping. A surge of magical power flowed into the Liuyun Blade in his hand, intertwining with the magical power within the blade.

For the past month, he has spent time every day refining and subduing the magical thoughts within it, and now he is able to activate the power of its magical treasure.

The power of the Liuyun Blade has three effects: first, it allows Han Qing to swing the blade faster; second, it increases his movement speed; and third, it blurs his body, making him appear as if countless shadows are superimposed, making him difficult for enemies to catch.

On that day, Chen An was able to suppress everyone, and this precious sword was of great help.

In an instant, Han Qing collided with the leader.

Han Qing swung his sword, unleashing the Great Perfection Sword Technique, the Illusory Thousandfold Sword.

A flash of light, a thousand phantoms, making it hard to distinguish the real from the fake.

The old man in red robes thrust his spear forward, piercing through the layers of sword shadows. Relying on the combined strength of the nine men, he attempted to break the spell with brute force.

However, when the gun actually pierced the blade, his expression changed slightly.

He felt the gun being swept into a turbulent current, swaying precariously in a vortex of blade shadows, and for a moment he couldn't hold on to it, as it was about to fly out of his hand.

Even worse, the gun's material was too poor and couldn't withstand Han Qing's precious sword at all.

In the blink of an eye, the spear was cleaved into several pieces.

Han Qing strode forward, swinging his sword repeatedly, the shadows of his blade forming a large net that enveloped the red-robed old man.

The eight people standing nearby, who hadn't planned to intervene, were shocked to see this. They hadn't expected their leader to be suppressed in a single move and even have his life in danger.

Eight men, eight spears, thrusting forward in rapid succession; in an instant, cold light flashed, intertwining like shadows.

Han Qing did not pursue, but instead dodged and created distance.

Even if he was confident, he wouldn't dare to confront nine opponents head-on.

The red-robed elder at the head of the group successfully escaped danger and looked at Han Qing with admiration and surprise in his eyes.

"Young Master's strength far exceeds my expectations."

As soon as he finished speaking, all nine of them knelt down on the ground.

"Greetings, sir!"

A look of surprise flashed in Han Qing's eyes. He slowly sheathed his sword and asked loudly, "Who are you people?"

The leader stood up and presented a letter with both hands.

"We are the retainers of General Qi's mansion, known as the Nine Elders of the Crimson Dragon. General Qi sent us to protect your safety."

We were just passing by when we overheard a fight taking place over here. We never expected to run into you, young master.

"I heard the confidence in your words, young master, and I decided to test you. I never expected you to be so capable. No wonder you are highly regarded by General Qi," the old man said calmly.

Han Qing took the letter and read it carefully. It was indeed a letter written by Qi Wufeng himself.

(End of this chapter)