The First Sage of Military Strategists

Chapter 97 Phantom Thousandfold Blade (9k)

"Old Qi, the matter is settled. I'll take my leave now!"

"it is good."

Liu Yue got up and left in a hurry, clearly indicating that Han Qing's joining was also a big deal for him.

"Han Qing, true strongmen must undergo trials of blood and fire. Liu Yue just mentioned that Emperor Yu is going to take action against the demon race in the north."

The situation in the North is complex, the most chaotic place in the world. Besides the demon race, there are dozens of forces, large and small, including my Qi family and the Black Sparrow Alliance, all intertwined. In a few days, I will recommend you to join the army in the North. You must perform well.

There's no need to worry about the imperial court; I will keep your identity a secret.

As for the Luo family's assassination attempt, you don't need to worry too much. Liu Yue will send people to protect you, and I will also secretly send strong people to follow you. You just need to do your job well. "Qi Wufeng added.

"it is good!"

Han Qing nodded solemnly.

The Qi family mansion was the most secure place for him, but as his strength grew, the death row inmates in the army were no longer enough to support his rapid advancement in cultivation level. This was because there were far too few death row inmates at the fifth or sixth realm and above. Moreover, most of the death row inmates in Hengshan City were barbarians with very low-quality martial arts skills. Even if he killed a fifth-realm barbarian, the proficiency he gained from the transformation would be negligible. He had to go out into the world.

If he had enough time, he could consider hiding in his mansion and cultivating diligently. However, according to Liu Yue's analysis, the world would be in chaos within three years, so hiding in his mansion would not work. He needed to go out and hunt down strong people of the same or higher realm as himself, so that he could become a Great Sage of Military Strategy as quickly as possible.

As for risks, everything has risks; the important thing is whether it's worth it.

"Uncle Qi, if there's nothing else, I'll head back to the manor now!" Han Qing said, bowing again.

"Qi Yan, you should come too. Han Qing, you'll be heading to the North in a few days. There are still some things you need to learn, such as how many top forces and experts there are in the world, and how to become a saint. These things involve taboos and can't be learned from books," Qi Wufeng instructed.

Han Qing nodded slightly. He had looked through a large number of books in the treasury and had indeed never seen a similar statement, such as the incense-based sainthood that Liu Yue had just mentioned.

"Han Qing, don't worry, I'll teach you all these things before you leave." Qi Yan smiled and walked out of the lobby.

Han Qing followed closely behind and also walked out of the hall.

Stepping outside the courtyard, he took a deep breath. Today's meeting had greatly broadened his understanding of the world, and he had heard many secrets that deeply moved him.

His mind also seemed to have undergone a transformation, and his heart of a strongman became more steadfast.

"Liu Yue treated me with the utmost courtesy, recruiting me under the guise of friendship. He was my guest, not my subordinate."

"Since I have promised him, I must keep my promise and help him achieve great things in the future."

"Right now I am of low status and weak strength, which may not amount to much, but with the Seven Killings Stele to my aid, my growth rate is a hundred times or a thousand times faster than other martial artists. I believe that one day I will become a great strategist and stir up a storm in this region."

As Han Qing followed Qi Yan outside, he pondered to himself.

As the two walked out of Qi Yan's central courtyard, Qi Yan suddenly turned her head and said, "Han Qing, I didn't expect you to make a decision so quickly today. If it were me, I'm afraid I would have hesitated for several days. I admire your courage and decisiveness."

"Lord Liu and Uncle Qi have already explained the pros and cons, and I agree with their reasoning, so there's nothing to hesitate about," Han Qing said.

"That being said, at your age, I can't make such a significant decision in such a short time."

Previously, I just thought you were young, exceptionally talented, and a martial arts prodigy.

"Now I realize I underestimated you. You're no ordinary young man. I've had my father's guidance since I was little, but I never expected that I'd be inferior to you in terms of temperament and courage," Qi Yan sighed.

...

three days later.

Songyang Village.

After receiving a large sum of money, Zhuangzi, under the leadership of Li Tai, was fully operational.

Li Tai recruited a large number of servants and tenants, with clear division of labor: some were responsible for planting, some for patrolling, and some for guarding.

Zhuangzi's appearance has been completely renewed, and it is no longer as deserted as it was a few days ago.

At this moment, Han Qing stood on the training ground. In the early morning, he absorbed the soul light of one of the Seven Heroes of the Golden Saber, and obtained a third-rate mastery fist technique, the Destroying Edge Fist, and a fourth-level body cultivation method, the Jade Skill.

After four hours of arduous training, he finally mastered both martial arts. His proficiency in the Jade Ink Technique increased by 3%. Combined with the arduous training of the previous two days, he was only one step away from perfection, even if it was just 1%.

At this moment, Han Qing was also somewhat tired. He sat in a pavilion in the manor, looking around at the scenery.

Seeing the people in the village bustling about, he couldn't help but sigh.

If he weren't Su Jin's son, and if the world weren't about to descend into chaos, he might have lived his whole life in this manor as a wealthy man.

However, he quickly dismissed this unrealistic idea.

"Practice martial arts, keep practicing martial arts! A peaceful and comfortable life is not for me. I must seize every moment to become stronger," Han Qing said.

For the past three days, while waiting for news from Qi Wufeng and Liu Yue, he has been diligently practicing martial arts and meditating, not wasting a single moment.

Nearly half of the soul points accumulated in the Seven Killings Stele from killing bandits have now been used up.

"Absorb, soul light!"

He got up and went to the open space of the training ground. With a thought, he absorbed another soul light point, also from the Seven Heroes of the Golden Saber.

Numerous images flashed before my eyes, extremely trivial and devoid of any meaningful content.

As the image faded, the man's martial arts skills throughout his life appeared before Han Qing.

After a moment's thought, Han Qing made his choice: he selected one of the four realms of training methods, the Mountain-Suppressing Skill, which he had mastered to a high level, and another of the light-body skills, the Wind-Riding Step, which he had mastered to a perfect level.

He first inherited the Mountain-Suppressing Skill, and then immediately transferred his proficiency to the Jade Ink Skill.

Driven by the Seven Killings Stele, Han Qing began to practice the Ink Jade Skill again and again.

As time passed, at a certain moment, a series of crackling sounds emanated from Han Qing's body. It was the sound of energy flowing into his bones, causing them to transform and regenerate.

At this moment, the Ink Jade Skill on the panel finally reached perfection.

With a thought, black and gold light shimmered all over his body, making it even more solid and profound than when he had reached the Great Perfection stage.

He used his palm as a knife and suddenly cleaved it at a jujube tree next to him.

The jujube wood was cut in half at the waist, and the cut was smooth.

"The Ink Jade Force is indeed extremely sharp," Han Qingxin thought.

"Han Qing, have you mastered the Ink Jade Technique?"

Suddenly, Qi Yan's voice came from afar, still very loud, making people's eardrums hurt.

"Not bad, it has reached a high level of completion." Han Qing did not deliberately emphasize the perfection.

"Such speed, I'm so envious of you! Next, you need to choose the fifth realm training method, and you also need to update your fist techniques, sword techniques, horizontal training techniques, and many other fighting techniques. In Baiyun County, your opponents are all unknown people. If your fighting techniques and martial arts can reach the third level, you'll already be considered extremely powerful."

"But if you go to the North, you might encounter experts from a martial arts holy land, and the fighting techniques you learned in Baiyun County won't be enough," Qi Yan said.

Han Qing nodded slightly. Indeed, for example, the Wild Goose Technique is at most third-rate. Even if he cultivates it to the point of breaking the limit, he can only be compared to second-rate lightness skills. Those who come from the martial arts holy lands probably possess first-rate lightness skills. If he fights against them, he will naturally be at a disadvantage.

Therefore, the fighting techniques I learned in Baiyun County need to be gradually replaced with first-class or even top-grade martial arts.

"By the way, I wonder how many great martial arts holy lands there are in the world today? How many top masters are there? And how many top martial arts techniques are there?" Han Qing asked. In the future, when he travels the world and encounters an opponent, if he can clearly distinguish the origin of their martial arts, he will be able to make a judgment in his mind whether to fight or retreat.

"The so-called martial arts holy land refers to a force that has been passed down for thousands of years, has a sage in charge, can stir up the situation of the world, and is independent of the imperial court."

A few years ago, the number one martial arts holy land in the world was the Yuelu Academy of the Great Yu Dynasty. It was dominated by Confucianism and Taoism, and also included practitioners of various schools of thought who cultivated their spirits. All the strong people in the world were afraid of it.

However, after the destruction of Yuelu Academy, the most powerful force in Dayu should be the Mo family's Tiangong Workshop.

Secondly, the imperial court gathered some of the strongest individuals and established the Tiansheng Academy. Although its strength was far inferior to that of the Yuelu Academy, it could still be considered a major holy land.

Besides the Great Yu, the Western Mang Tianlang Fortress is considered a great holy land, the Northern Black Sparrow Alliance is considered a great holy land, the Great Vajra Temple of the Sacred Desert Empire, and the Shennong Dao Palace of the Shennong Kingdom, the first island nation in the South China Sea, are also considered great holy lands.

These major forces are the most famous in the world, with a long history and distinctive characteristics.

The Heavenly Saint Academy is based on Confucianism and Taoism, the Heavenly Wolf Fortress is based on military strategy, the Great Vajra Temple is based on Buddhism and Taoism, the Black Sparrow Alliance is based on assassination, the Shennong Taoist Palace is mainly composed of farmers who refine their spirits, and the Heavenly Craft Workshop is mainly based on the Mohist school.

Besides these top-tier forces, there are many other first-class forces and some reclusive, hidden forces. These forces are too diverse to list, and I cannot explain them in detail here.

"As for what top-tier martial arts these major forces possess? I'll give you a martial arts training notebook later, written by Kong Xiu, the former leader of Yuelu Academy. It contains the answers you're looking for," Qi Yan said thoughtfully.

"Alright." Han Qing nodded slightly, then asked, "How does a Spirit Refiner become a Saint?"

He was now eager to learn. During his journey from Shu to the north, he would have to rely on himself to make his way in the world. Without a powerful expert like Qi Yan by his side, he would naturally ask more questions and try to broaden his horizons.

"To become a saint, one must first have a supreme method of refining the spirit. You already have the Scripture of Ceasefire. You only need to be diligent every day, nourish your spirit and concentrate your thoughts. When your spiritual thoughts grow to a certain level, you will naturally become a saint."

Han Qing nodded slightly. He now understood more and more why the Zhige Jing was called the supreme method of refining the spirit in the art of war. The reason was that not every method of refining the spirit could lead to sainthood.

Depending on the quality, the upper limit that can be reached is also different. For example, some stop at the half-saint level, some stop at the soul gathering level, and the refining spirit method that can reach the saint level is naturally an unparalleled wonderful method, extremely precious, and there are only a few in the whole world.

"Han Qing, with the talent you've shown so far, there's hope for you to become a saint, but it's still very difficult. In the thousands of years of history, I've only heard of a few hundred saints. Becoming a saint is just too difficult!" Qi Yan sighed.

Han Qing wholeheartedly agreed. After entering the Soul Gathering Realm, he had clearly felt that the speed at which his spiritual power was growing had slowed down considerably. In his daily meditation, he could hardly feel his strength improving.

This is only the Soul Gathering Realm. When we step into the Realms of Image Integration and Body Possession, the speed will be much slower.

Life is fleeting, lasting only a hundred or two hundred years. Han Qing felt that without the Seven Killings Stele, even if he did nothing but meditate every day, he would still find it difficult to become a saint by the time he died.

This is under the premise that he has not hit a bottleneck or gone mad. Many people will find their path blocked as they go along, and some will even go insane as they practice.

Furthermore, the imperial court maintains strict control over the methods of refining the spirit, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to obtain even a mediocre method, let alone a supreme and wondrous method like the Ceasefire Sutra.

Han Qing thought about it casually, and he already felt that it was extremely difficult, almost as difficult as climbing to the sky.

"By the way, I heard Uncle Qi mention incense offerings leading to sainthood. What does that mean?" Han Qing asked after a pause.

"Incense offerings are the thoughts of others. If a sage wants to improve his strength, he cannot rely solely on his own meditation; it is too slow. He must transform the thoughts of others into his own thoughts."

The so-called "leading the trend of humanity" is essentially about gathering more believers and gaining more incense offerings.

"My understanding of this is extremely superficial, and you don't need to worry about it too much. You'll naturally understand these things when you become a saint," Qi Yan explained patiently.

Han Qing nodded, agreeing that it made sense. Becoming a saint was already incredibly difficult; thinking about how to improve one's strength after becoming a saint was a bit too far ahead.

"By the way, Han Qing, you have now entered the Soul Gathering Realm. Before breaking through to the Unity Realm, you should first enter the fifth realm of martial arts. The realm of the Divine Soul Path cannot exceed that of the Physical Body Path. This is common sense, so you must keep it in mind," Qi Yan added.

"Don't worry, Sister Qi, I know that very well." Han Qing nodded.

He had read similar statements in many books: if the soul is too strong, the body cannot bear it, and distracting thoughts will constantly appear in a person's mind. If the gap widens further, one will fall into illusions and eventually become a madman.

"It's good that you understand. Now let's go back to the manor. I'll help you choose a fifth-realm cultivation method and a suitable combat technique from the treasury." Qi Yan nodded.

"it is good!"

Han Qing then followed Qi Yan straight to the Qi residence. Before long, the two were already standing outside the gate of Bi Chao Pavilion.

"Young master, young lady, what kind of help do you need?" Guardian servant Wei Kongshan came out to greet them first.

Qi Yan casually put one hand on Han Qing's shoulder and said, "Bring me Master Kong Xiu's martial arts notes."

"Alright! Miss, please wait a moment!" Wei Kongshan nodded slightly and turned to walk towards the third floor of the pavilion.

“Let’s go to the basement level of the government warehouse,” Qi Yan said.

Han Qing followed him down a winding wooden staircase from the first floor of the attic to the basement. The room was brightly lit, with glittering jewels embedded in the walls and the dome above, emitting a soft white light that illuminated the secret chamber.

Inside the secret room were rows of bookshelves, all filled with martial arts manuals.

Qi Yan walked straight into the depths, and Han Qing did not follow, but waited at the top of the steps.

About half an hour later, Qi Yan returned carrying more than a dozen thick martial arts manuals.

She placed the books on a table next to her and took out a martial arts manual called the Supreme Mystic Turtle Technique.

"Based on your current path of energy integration, the Supreme Mystic Turtle Technique is the most suitable martial art for you to learn in the Fifth Realm."

The Xuan Gui Gong (Mysterious Turtle Skill) is known for its sustained power, and the Xuan Gui Jin (Mysterious Turtle Strength) it condenses has extremely strong defensive capabilities.

"If you can learn this and reach the fifth realm, your combat power will be greatly enhanced," Qi Yan explained.

Han Qing took the book and casually flipped through it, only to find it even more profound and complex than the Ink Jade Skill.

"Of course, the Xuan Turtle Skill focuses on endurance and defense. If you want to improve other abilities, you can also learn other advanced martial arts. I specifically asked my father, and skills like the Infant Embracing Skill and the Six Imperial Skills are extremely suitable for you, but they are not in the treasury. If you want to learn them, you will have to find them yourself in the future," Qi Yan explained.

"Then let's go with the Xuan Turtle Technique. In terms of its upper limit and the extent of its combat power increase, the Xuan Turtle Technique is no worse than those two. It's just that the direction of its enhancement is different. There's no need to waste time and energy collecting them," Han Qing pondered.

Such profound martial arts techniques must be extremely rare, and are basically kept in the treasuries of major powers. Letting him collect them himself is unlikely to succeed; it's better to choose the Mysterious Turtle Technique.

“That’s the right idea. Besides the Xuan Turtle Technique, there’s also the Heavenly Serpent Technique, which is a sixth-level cultivation method. It’s not the most suitable choice for you, but there are very few cultivation methods above the sixth level in the treasury. You can write them down and keep them as backup options in the future,” Qi Yan said with a smile.

She pondered that Han Qing had gone to the North and would probably reach the sixth realm soon after reaching the fifth realm. However, there was nowhere in the North where one could easily obtain advanced martial arts techniques. Therefore, she specially selected a sixth-realm training method for him as an alternative, showing great thoughtfulness.

"Thank you, Sister Qi!" Han Qing responded, glancing around and landing on the other martial arts manuals beside him, the thickest of which was called the Phantom Thousandfold Blade.

Based on his experience, the higher the quality of a martial arts manual, the more words it usually contains.

He picked it up and glanced through it. Sure enough, it was an extremely profound and exquisite sword technique, many times better than the Hundred Crack Blade.

“Han Qing, as I mentioned before, your Hundred-Crack Blade technique is of too low quality, merely a third-rate swordsmanship. It's sufficient for dealing with martial artists in Baiyun County, but once you go to the North, your opponents are likely to come from a powerful family or even a martial arts holy land, possessing extremely high-quality fighting skills. You would suffer a great disadvantage using the Hundred-Crack Blade against them. Therefore, you need to learn a more profound swordsmanship. This Phantom Thousand-Fold Blade technique is the highest-grade swordsmanship in the treasury, originating from the Yuelu Academy. It is a top-grade technique. If you can learn it, you will not be at a disadvantage in swordsmanship against any enemy, and it will be enough for you to use until you reach the Martial Saint realm,” Qi Yan explained.

"Excellent swordsmanship! I could sense its profound depth even after just one cursory glance!" Han Qing exclaimed.

"When this sword technique is mastered, each strike is faster than the last, like a thousand layers of waves, creating a myriad of illusions. Its destructive power is extremely strong, but its learning difficulty far exceeds that of the Hundred-Crack Blade. However, with your martial arts talent, I am not worried that you will not be able to learn it," Qi Yan said.

Han Qing nodded slightly: "From today onwards, I will study this sword technique carefully and learn it as soon as possible."

The Hundred-Crack Blade technique is merely a standard-issue sword technique used by government officials; its quality is too mediocre, and even if it breaks through limits, it is ultimately outdated.

Han Qing then looked through the other martial arts manuals that Qi Yan had brought over, including lightness skills, external martial arts, fist techniques, and leg techniques.

"This fighting technique is also very suitable for you. However, most of them are of second-rate quality, with only a few barely reaching first-rate. There's no other way. My father has only controlled Hengshan City for a little over ten years, so his foundation is shallow. Although there are many martial arts in the treasury, there aren't many truly top-tier ones. In the absence of better options, these fighting techniques can be used to improve combat power."

If you want to learn more powerful and higher-quality ultimate combat techniques, you'll have to rely on yourself in the future.

"All top-tier martial arts techniques basically originate from sacred martial arts lands, and are extremely rare and hard to come by," Qi Yan explained.

Han Qing nodded slightly: "Then let's learn this Phantom Thousandfold Blade first, and not worry about the other martial arts for now."

Han Qing felt that he had a chance to obtain top-grade martial arts skills. He just needed to kill a few geniuses from martial arts holy lands and use the Seven Killings Stele to directly inherit their martial arts techniques.

“Alright, this trip to the North is just for training. You’ll be back in a year or two. It’s unrealistic to expect to learn multiple fighting techniques in such a short time. It’s better to focus on one sword technique. Learning the Phantom Thousandfold Blade first is the right path,” Qi Yan said slowly.

According to her understanding, many people spend twenty or thirty years and still cannot master this sword technique. Some people lack the comprehension and cannot understand it no matter how many times they read it, so they don't even have the qualifications to enter the field.

So Han Qing followed Qi Yan back to the first floor of the pavilion, carrying the Phantom Thousandfold Blade, the Supreme Mystic Turtle Skill, and the Heavenly Serpent Skill.

He decided to learn the first two martial arts immediately, and for the last one, the Heavenly Serpent Skill, he decided to memorize it and input it into the panel. If he did not find a better method for the sixth realm after reaching the fifth realm in the North, he would choose the Heavenly Serpent Skill, although he felt that the possibility of such a thing happening was unlikely.

"Young master, young lady, here are the martial arts training notes from Yuelu Academy that you requested."

As they were pondering, Wei Kongshan came to the two of them, holding a yellowed book in his hands.

Han Qing took the scroll and felt that the material was extraordinary. It felt like human skin, smooth and delicate, and had amazing toughness, as if it could not be torn apart no matter what.

"Han Qing, you must read this notebook carefully. It contains many secrets and common knowledge that ordinary martial artists do not know. It will give you a deeper understanding of martial arts and the situation of the world," Qi Yan said.

"Okay." Han Qing nodded slightly, feeling quite pleased.

...

That night.

Han Qing and Qi Yan returned to Songyang Village.

Han Qing returned to his room and first carefully read through the notes on Yuelu Academy written by Kong Xiu from beginning to end, memorizing all the contents. He felt that he had gained a great deal.

"The book contains a wealth of commentary on the world's top masters and unparalleled martial arts techniques, as well as many secrets of martial arts. This notebook is priceless; it couldn't be bought with a thousand or ten thousand pieces of gold. Qi Yan has truly helped me a great deal," Han Qing exclaimed.

Kong Xiu was the previous head of Yuelu Academy and a leader of the sacred site. His vision and knowledge were beyond the reach of ordinary people. His notes, while not all of them were correct, were certainly very accurate and could be used as a reference.

Han Qing closed the book. It was already late at night, and the outside world was completely silent.

He meditated on the Zhige Jing (a Buddhist scripture) for another hour, and only when he felt somewhat tired did he lie down on the bed to prepare for sleep.

The book contained so much that it stirred his mind. When he closed his eyes, a wealth of information naturally appeared before him, making him want to savor and ponder it.

"The 'Stopping War' manual is the foremost method for cultivating the spirit in military strategy. By diligently practicing it step by step, one can become a great sage of military strategy..."

"Han Yi is the foremost Legalist of our time. His secret technique is the Heavenly Punishment Law, the first visualization diagram of the Legalist school. Han Yi claims to act on behalf of Heaven to carry out punishments. His strength is unparalleled, and he is arguably the most powerful person in the Great Yu court..."

"The number one martial artist in the Great Yu Dynasty is Meng Chong, the commander of the Western Garrison, who was already a Martial Saint ten years ago..."

"The Yin-Yang Dao has a supreme secret technique called the Yin-Yang Curse Seal, which can seal space and time, and extract the enemy's life force; it is suspected to be the world's number one divine soul-fighting technique..."

"The Tathagata Supreme Fist of the Great Vajra Temple integrates the power of Dharma thought and physical strength into one, combining Dharma and martial arts into one. It is the number one fist in the world, possessing the power to destroy mountains and seas, and to annihilate the heavens and the earth..."

A flurry of information flashed through Han Qing's mind, leaving him unable to calm down for a long time.

The reason is simple: many of the things recorded by Kong Xiu were truly astonishing, almost overturning, shattering, and then elevating and rebuilding his knowledge and insights.

"What a magnificent world this is! Even though I possess the Seven Killings Stele, I must not be arrogant or complacent, nor should I underestimate the heroes of the world!"

Han Qing had one last thought in his mind before finally falling into a deep sleep.

...

The next morning.

He got up early and started looking through the Phantom Thousandfold Blade and the Supreme Mystic Turtle Technique again.

Although he has a photographic memory, the two martial arts techniques are of such high quality and too complex that it would take a long time to memorize them all.

It wasn't until noon that he finally entered the Phantom Thousandfold Blade into the panel.

"Hundred-Crack Blade proficiency conversion, target: Phantom Thousand-Fold Blade!"

In an instant, the proficiency of the Hundred-Crack Blade dropped rapidly, while the proficiency of the Phantom Thousand-Fold Blade began to slowly climb.

A wealth of essential insights into this sword technique flashed through his mind. There were 108 basic moves, each requiring a corresponding breathing rhythm.

Each move contains a wealth of details, including how to draw the sword, how to sheathe it, how to channel power, and how to circulate qi.

Han Qing's biggest feeling is that the Phantom Thousandfold Blade has higher requirements for details.

For example, both are slashing techniques. The Hundred Crack Blade only requires standard movements and is roughly similar, but the Phantom Thousand Layer Blade provides detailed instructions on the angle of the slash, speed, breathing rhythm, and energy flow. Every requirement must be met in order to unleash the destructive power of this sword technique, making it many times more difficult to learn.

"This is how a top-notch sword technique should be," Han Qingxin said.

Han Qing then went outside and, in an open space in the village, began practicing the first move, the standing cleave, based on the information that appeared in his mind, in order to accelerate the digestion and absorption of this sword technique.

"Hey!"

"what!"

"cut!"

...

For three whole days, Han Qing was in deep training, swinging his sword countless times.

By the morning of the fourth day, the Hundred-Crack Blade proficiency on the panel had been reset to zero, while the Phantom Thousand-Fold Blade proficiency had reached 15%, still not at the beginner level.

"As expected of a top-grade sword technique, the difficulty of mastering it is truly extraordinary," Han Qing exclaimed.

The sword technique also mentions that the Phantom Thousandfold Blade requires extremely high comprehension. Most people can't even understand it, and even if they can understand it, it is considered to have made rapid progress if they can master it within three years.

Han Qing sacrificed a Hundred-Crack Blade technique that broke through the limit, but still failed to master it. This is quite normal, as the Hundred-Crack Blade's grade is simply too low.

However, besides the Hundred-Crack Blade, Han Qing also possesses six other sword techniques, all inherited from his previous bandit suppression efforts. Among them, there are two perfected sword techniques: the Formless Blade and the Chaotic Demon Blade, and four advanced sword techniques: the Myriad Manifestations Blade, the Shattered Shadow Blade, the Thunderclap Slash, and the Soul-Severing Blade.

These sword techniques almost all came from mountain bandits, and their quality was generally mediocre. The Wuxiang Sword was third-rate, and the others were all substandard.

Han Qing then began a new round of transformation, emphasizing that the key to swordsmanship was not quantity but quality.

Learning a dozen or so mediocre sword techniques won't make you a sword master, so keeping them is pointless. You might as well use them as resources to improve your proficiency with the Phantom Thousandfold Sword.

"Formless Blade, convert proficiency, Phantom Thousandfold Blade!"

Another day passed, and the proficiency levels of all six sword techniques were reset. However, at noon the next day, the proficiency level of the Phantom Thousandfold Sword finally reached 20%, and the user successfully entered the beginner level.

In an instant, all the essential information about this martial art that had been surging in Han Qing's mind was integrated, allowing him to fully master the 108 basic sword techniques in just a quarter of an hour.

Han Qing casually swung his sword forward, the blade slashing at an angle, leaving afterimages in the air with incredible speed. A flash of cold light appeared, and all that remained was the buzzing sound of the blade.

Han Qing then unleashed a dozen more slashes forward, each one faster than the last, the blade shadows stretching forward like ocean waves, creating an almost suffocating sense of oppression.

Not far away, Li Tai, who was practicing his swordsmanship, was secretly astonished when he saw this scene. Although he couldn't see the details, from his direct observation, he felt that Han Qing was performing an extremely exquisite swordsmanship. Every move exuded a unique beauty, and each strike was as swift as thunder, containing explosive power and being extremely lethal, which was not something that ordinary people could withstand.

"cut!"

With a low shout, Han Qing unleashed his final slash, the blade striking a large, grayish-white boulder about half a person's height with astonishing speed. Due to the incredible speed, Li Tai didn't even see the trajectory of the blade before the boulder was cleaved in two.

Han Qing sheathed his sword, feeling an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and pleasure.

Having only just begun learning, he already felt that his swordsmanship was even better than when he had mastered the Limit-Breaking Hundred-Crack Blade.

He felt the air around him was hot and dry, caused by the friction between the blade and the air as it was swung too fast.

The noise of his sword practice also alerted Qi Yan, who was not far away. She used her lightness skill to leap and land on the rooftop, and in an instant, she arrived in front of Han Qing, her eyes burning as she looked him up and down.

"Han Qing, I saw every single strike you made just now. The blade shadows were endless, sharp and swift. Could it be that you have already mastered the basics of the Phantom Thousandfold Blade Technique?"

"It's still far from perfect; I've only mastered some basic moves," Han Qing said.

In just three days, he mastered the basics of the Phantom Thousandfold Blade technique—something even a peerless genius couldn't achieve. Han Qing could only resort to lying.

"Even if you haven't mastered it, your swordplay already possesses some of the charm of 'A Thousand Shadows.' I didn't expect you to learn so quickly. My father also made me try to learn this sword technique, but unfortunately, after half a year of arduous practice, I still couldn't grasp it and had to give up in the end. I didn't expect you to have reached this level in just three days. At this rate, I'm afraid it won't be long before you master it—half a year, no, at most three months." Qi Yan exclaimed, thinking to herself, "Is this what a martial arts prodigy is? Learning a top-tier sword technique is truly as easy as eating and drinking, which really shocked and envies me."

Han Qing didn't respond. He understood that improving this sword technique would be very slow from now on.

However, there are still about fifteen soul light spots in front of the Seven Killings Stele, from which he should be able to inherit a few sword techniques.

"If I go to the North and kill a few more masters of swordsmanship, inherit their techniques, I should be able to master the Phantom Thousandfold Blade technique very quickly," Han Qingxin thought to himself.

"Han Qing, come and spar with me. I could never learn this sword technique back then, and I've always regretted it. Today, I must see just how powerful this sword technique is and why it's considered a top-grade technique!" Qi Yan suddenly interrupted his thoughts, drawing a steel sword from a guard beside her.

"Alright, let's exchange a few moves!" Han Qing was also eager to try.

He had just been slashing at the air and still wasn't satisfied, so having Qi Yan as his sparring partner was exactly what he wanted.

So, after a brief preparation, the two immediately pounced on each other.

"Han Qing, you'd better watch out! Although my main weapon is a spiked club, I also practiced swordsmanship diligently in my younger days. The sword technique I'm about to unleash is called the Burial Snow Blade. It's of second-rate quality, but I've mastered it. Let's see if you can withstand it!"

As Qi Yan charged forward, shouting as she did so, she had already reached Han Qing in the blink of an eye, her blade already slashing forward.

Han Qing also drew his sword at the same time, and both of them swung their swords at an angle with very similar postures for the first strike.

But Han Qing's blade was clearly faster. Before Qi Yan could finish exerting his strength and before his blade could fully strike down, Han Qing's blade had already drawn a beautiful arc and heavily slashed at Qi Yan's blade.

Ding!
With a soft sound, Qi Yan's eyes flashed with surprise. She was a grandmaster of martial arts, and despite her absolute advantage in physical strength, she had the illusion that she could not hold the knife in her hand. This could only mean one thing: Han Qing's swordsmanship was of extremely high quality, and he had brought his own strength to the extreme.

However, Qi Yanxun suppressed his distracting thoughts and focused on swinging his knife.

The two exchanged blows more than ten times in the open space in the blink of an eye. Looking around, cold light flashed, sword shadows filled the sky, and the sound of metal clashing against metal filled the air.

Li Tai, Mu Dachun, and the others watched intently, their eyes practically glued to the screen. They had never witnessed such exquisite swordplay before.

Suddenly, Han Qing's swordsmanship became chaotic, revealing a huge flaw. Qi Yan flicked his sword, sending it flying from his hand.

The blade spun and fell to the ground, blade facing downwards, embedding itself in the empty space beside it.

Qi Yan sheathed his sword, his eyes full of admiration: "As expected of a top-grade sword technique, you were able to fight me for more than ten moves before being defeated, even before you had mastered it. How powerful would you be if you had mastered it? And when you reach the pinnacle, its destructive power would be immeasurable."

Although Qi Yan had held back, Han Qing's performance was still far beyond her expectations.

Han Qing nodded slightly and quickly reviewed the events in his mind.

"The strength of this sword technique lies in its speed, power, simplicity, and brutality!"

"However, I haven't mastered the basics yet. I can only roughly connect the basic moves and can't unleash its true combat power."

"When you master the basic moves, the combination of them will be like a thousand overlapping waves, with endless sword shadows, each strike faster and more powerful than the last. Only then will the true power of this sword technique be fully revealed."

Han Qing was filled with hope. He couldn't wait to go to the north to join the army, hunt down enemies with high sword skills, seize their martial arts, and improve his own.

(End of this chapter)