Daqin Zhentiansi

The immense disappointment and resentment at failing to achieve his goal pierced the depths of Venerable Zhaowu's soul like a poisonous thorn.

However, his body betrayed his will.

His burned-out body and shattered Dao foundation left him helpless as the deadly shadow blade, with a mocking killing intent, pierced through the last faint golden light protecting his body and coldly touched his back armor!
At this critical moment, when the Weeping Blood Gorge defense line stood firm against the Yue Mountain River's collapse, when the Zhaowu elite troops, having fought for victory at the cost of countless lives, were exhausted and their efforts were in vain, and when the Venerable One himself was about to perish—

"Boom!!!"

A deep, ancient drumbeat, seemingly existing since the beginning of time, resounded across the entire battlefield without warning!

The drumbeats were not deafening, but they possessed a strange penetrating power, striking directly into the depths of every living being's soul, causing the surging demonic tide to pause!
At the summit of Chentieling's main fortress, Zhang Yuan's figure had already appeared in mid-air, seemingly out of nowhere.

His expression was calm, and in the palm of his right hand, he held a thunder drum with an ancient shape, dark gold color, and countless fine thunder patterns wrapped around its surface.

The drum is not large, yet it seems to bear the weight of thunder and the stars in the sky.

Zhang Yuan's gaze coldly fell upon the shadow blade that had pierced Zhao Wu, and the two scarlet demonic eyes behind it.

"Boom!!!"

The thunderous drumbeat did not originate from the Kui Niu Shaking Heaven Drum held atop Chen Tie Ridge by Zhang Yuan.

This drumbeat was more like a pulsation pumped from the depths of the heart of the primordial world, directly shaking the very foundation of the soul of the entire Bloodstained Gorge battlefield.

The surging demonic tide, the gushing poisonous flames, the darting shadow blades, and even the deadly shadow blade that was about to pierce the heart of Venerable Zhaowu, all froze for a fraction of a second upon the sound of this drum.

Zhang Yuan stood atop the main fortress, his black Daoist robe remaining perfectly still amidst the raging energy flow.

His left eye held a chaotic, swirling galaxy, while his right eye saw a surging, dark yellow mountain and river.

His gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield, precisely locking onto the shadow blade imbued with extreme malice and the crumbling, burnt-out remains of Venerable Zhaowu.

"town!"

Zhang Yuan uttered a soft rebuke, and his right hand, which was holding the Heaven-Shaking Drum, trembled slightly.

"Om-!"

The entire body of the Heaven-Shaking Drum, as black as jade, suddenly lit up, and the purple destruction lightning crystals inlaid on the edges burst out with dazzling purple lightning.

This time, however, the lightning did not flow outward to destroy the enemy. Instead, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, it transformed into billions of fine, hair-like energy streams, leaping with the golden-red Vermilion Bird's original true flame and chaotic mystic light, following the will of Zhang Yuan!

These energy streams ignored spatial distance, instantly traversing the battlefield and condensing around Venerable Zhaowu!
The dark black robe with silver trim, which had been touched by the shadow blade and was almost torn apart, was first enveloped by golden-red flames, and the filthy demonic energy was instantly purified.

Immediately afterwards, countless fine purple lightning threads intertwined with chaotic light, like the most exquisite weaver, at a speed visible to the naked eye, re-weaving flesh, bones, and meridians on the burnt and cracked remains of Venerable Zhaowu!
The shattered fragments of the protective armor were forcibly melted and reshaped, becoming more ancient and heavy, with thunder patterns similar to those on the Heaven-Shaking Drum appearing on its surface.

His gray hair and beard turned black again, and the bloodstains on his face were smoothed away, replaced by a new luster containing the power of thunder and fire.

A vast, pure power, far surpassing his prime, surged and roared within his newborn body!

At the same time, Zhang Yuan's will did not falter.

His gaze fell upon the sky above the Blood-Weeping Gorge, upon the illusory image of the Xuan Turtle Great Wall, formed by Venerable Yue Shanhe's self-destruction and tragic transformation, radiating the weight of an eternal mountain and an indomitable will to protect!

"Elder Yue, your heroic spirit is immortal, and may your spirit, like the drumbeats of war, forever guard our mountains and rivers!"

Zhang Yuan's voice carried an unquestionable authority, like a decree from heaven.

He pointed his left hand, fingers together like a sword, and pointed it in mid-air!
A ray of condensed chaotic light, mixed with the surging primordial will of the Heavenly Dao of the Beacon Fire Land and the dark torrent of the Great Qin Heavenly Dao, shot into the core of the phantom of the Xuan Turtle Great Wall!

"hold head high--!"

The phantom of the Xuan Turtle let out a dragon roar that was even higher, more mournful, yet more resolute!

The massive body suddenly contracted and condensed, transforming into a stream of dark yellow light, purely formed from the principles of protection, indomitable fighting spirit, and the essence of mountains. Like refined steel thrown into a furnace, it crashed into the Kui Niu Shaking Heaven Drum in Zhang Yuan's palm!

"Boom!"

The Heaven-Shaking Drum trembled violently!
The drum, which was entirely covered in black jade, was instantly enveloped in a thick layer of dark yellow luster.

Amidst the churning blue thunderstorm of the drumhead, the faint phantom of a majestic divine mountain emerges, radiating an immense will to suppress eternity and safeguard eternity!

At the edge of the drum, beside the purple lightning crystal, tiny, star-like, dark yellow runes quietly appeared—

That was the artifact spirit imprint formed from the divine soul of Venerable Yue Shanhe!

At this moment, this drum is no longer simply the Kui Niu Shaking Heaven Drum, but the Mountain and River Suppressing Demon Drum, which integrates the immortal divine soul of Venerable Yue Shanhe, the origin of Zhang Yuan's Chaotic God and Demon Body, the power of the Heavenly Dao of the Two Realms, and the Vermilion Bird True Flame!

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

When the top assassin under the Shadow Blade Demon Lord broke free from the shock of the drumbeats, the ferocity in his crimson demonic eyes intensified as he attempted to pierce the Shadow Blade completely into Zhao Wu's "remains," he was now facing a completely new Zhao Wu, whose aura was as vast as an abyss, whose body was wrapped in newly born purple lightning and fire, and whose eyes shone with a star-like brilliance!
"You little devil! Get out of my sight!"

Zhao Wu felt an unprecedented, terrifying power within his body, a power that seemed to resonate with the entire beacon tower defense line, and let out a deafening roar!

He didn't even turn around, but instead threw a backhand punch, which was wrapped with newly born purple lightning and golden-red flames, and slammed it hard into the shadow blade!

"Bang—Crack!"

The Shadow Blade, imbued with the evil intent of soul destruction, shattered like rotten wood the moment it touched the purple lightning and golden flame fist energy!

The force of the fist, undiminished, struck precisely at the space where the two crimson demonic eyes were located!

"what--!"

A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and the shadow vanished instantly, like ice and snow thrown into the blazing sun, leaving not a trace of demonic energy behind!

A top-tier Shadow Blade Demon Lord, capable of threatening even a Venerable One, was completely annihilated by Zhao Wu's single punch!

"kill!!!"

Zhaowu's roar was like a battle horn.

He stopped looking at the horrified Corruption Demon Lord, turned around abruptly, raised the giant axe in his hand that was also infused with new energy and wrapped in lightning and fire, and charged towards the chaotic core of the demon army like a war god!
Atop the fortress, Zhang Yuan's eyes were as cold as ancient ice.

He placed his hands lightly on the surface of the Mountain and River Demon-Suppressing Drum, which had undergone fusion and transformation.

"All troops, heed my command! Take my war drums as your signal and follow me—in a counterattack!" Zhang Yuan's voice, transmitted through the vibrations of the drums, clearly reached the very souls of every human warrior in the Bloodstained Gorge and the entire Blood Millstone defense line!

"Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Without pause, without any build-up!
Zhang Yuan's palms became afterimages as he pounded the drumhead with unimaginable frequency!
Seven earth-shaking thunderous sounds!

This time, it was no longer a pause that froze time and space, no longer a destructive sonic wave that shattered a treasure, and no longer a condensed pillar of lightning!

Instead, it is a war torrent that integrates the will of the dual realms, the golden light of the beacon towers, the baleful aura of the battle formation, the power of the chaotic gods and demons, and the guardian soul of Yue Shanhe!
The first drumbeat transformed into a golden wave of sound that swept across the Blood-Weeping Gorge!

Wherever it passed, the remaining demonic energy was instantly purified, the wounded warriors were invigorated, their fatigue disappeared, and their damaged armor and weapons were repaired and strengthened on their own in the golden light!
The entire Bloodstained Gorge defense line seemed to be infused with boundless vitality and fighting spirit!
The second drumbeat coalesced into a colossal purple and black lightning pestle that pierced through heaven and earth!

Guided by Venerable Zhaowu, the attack struck with pinpoint accuracy the Corruption Demon Lord, who had just been severely injured and was trying to escape!

This time, there's no room for luck!

The Demon Lord's enormous body, along with the elite demon guards hundreds of feet around it, was shattered into dust by the double blow of the protective will and the destructive lightning!

The third, fourth, and fifth drumbeats sounded like a triple tidal wave of destruction!

It's no longer a point-to-point attack, but a comprehensive, indiscriminate impact of the laws!
As the drumbeats reached, the army of the "Skeleton Tyrannical Demon Lord" who was launching a frenzied attack from the direction of Demon Cloud Ridge was as if it had been struck by an invisible, massive hammer!
The skeletal warrior formation was shattered in pieces, the skeletal chariots disintegrated in mid-air, and the abyssal will that was maintaining the offensive was forcibly interrupted and dispelled!
The entire Demon Cloud Ridge battlefield collapsed instantly due to the demonic tide!

The sixth and seventh drumbeats transformed into two beams of command light that tore through the sky of the demon realm!

One shot was aimed at the Demon Cloud Ridge, which had just stabilized its position, and another shot towards the vast Demon Realm beyond the Blood-Weeping Gorge!
All the human warriors within the defensive line, whether in the Bloodshed Gorge or the Demon Cloud Ridge, felt an immense and unparalleled power empowering them, perfectly resonating with the primordial land beneath their feet, the golden light of the beacon towers above their heads, and the battle formations of their comrades around them!

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Follow the Fire General! Let's crush the Demon Realm!"

The 300,000-strong army, inspired and empowered by the seven war drums, unleashed a devastating force!

They are no longer a defensive line, but have transformed into the sharpest spear!

Led by Venerable Zhaowu, the generals of the human reinforcements, and the veterans of the Rock Camp, a torrent of demon-slaying energy, burning with golden, red, and purple lightning, burst forth from the Blood-Weeping Gorge and the Demon Cloud Ridge!

The tide of battle has completely turned!

The demonic alliance, which had been so aggressive and ready to crush the human race, was now as fragile as rotten wood in the face of the thunderous war drums imbued with the will of Heaven and the human race's counterattack with its morale soaring!

The monsters were reduced to ashes in droves amidst the purifying golden light and purple lightning.

The demon leader was easily torn apart by Venerable Zhaowu with a single punch and an axe.

The collapsing demonic tide trampled each other, fleeing for their lives, but they could not outrun the human battle formation enhanced by the speed of the Heavenly Dao.

Zhang Yuan stood atop the fortress, the Mountain and River Demon-Suppressing Drum hanging in front of him. He no longer beat the drum himself, but instead used his divine sense to guide the drum spirit transformed from Yue Shanhe.

The illusory image of the Xuanhuang Mountain on the drumhead shone brightly, and the drum sounded on its own, like an endless war horn, guiding the army, empowering it, and purifying the demonic realm!
The army was invincible!
The front lines are advancing at an astonishing pace!

Ten thousand miles!
Three hundred thousand miles!

Five hundred thousand miles!

……

A million miles!
Along the way, all the remaining ancient altar ruins marked on Zhang Yuan's sand table burst into soaring golden light one after another, ignited by the thunderous sound of war drums and the beacon fires carried by the army!

One, ten, fifty, one hundred... three hundred!

Three hundred golden beams of light from the beacon towers, like three hundred golden swords piercing through the chaotic demonic realm, echoed each other under the guidance of Zhang Yuan's divine sense, their golden light flowing and faintly forming a magnificent net covering a newly opened million-mile territory!
This giant net frantically extracts and purifies the filth of the demon realm, re-anchoring and solidifying the laws of the primordial heavenly way here!
The demonic energy has been greatly suppressed and dissipated, and this reclaimed territory is rapidly regaining its vitality!
"Roar--!!!"

Just as the three hundred beacon towers were lit and golden light formed a network, a roar a billion times more terrifying than any demonic howl before erupted from the deepest and darkest core of the Demon Realm!
The entire newly opened million-mile territory trembled violently!
The sky was covered by a demonic claw of indescribable size, formed from pure demonic thought and the essence of the abyss!

The power of countless demons wailing and the lamentations of trillions of demonic souls was forcibly extracted and concentrated into this demonic claw!

The mere wisp of pressure leaked out was enough to plunge the charging human army into a quagmire, with those of weaker cultivation almost suffocating!
That was a true, far surpassing the level of a Demon Lord, a Heavenly Demon cultivator at the level of the Abyss Ruler, the opposite of the Primordial World!
Its target is the Demon-Suppressing Drum at the top of Chentie Ridge, which triggered the reversal of everything!

And Zhang Yuan behind the drum!
Zhang Yuan's pupils contracted slightly, and the chaotic and primordial light in his eyes surged to its extreme.

He felt a deadly threat!

This is definitely not an enemy we can fight head-on at this stage!

Without the intervention of the top experts of the Heavenly Palace, no one can stop such a powerful demonic cultivator.

Besides, why should Zhang Yuan confront such a powerful figure head-on?

"withdraw!"

Zhang Yuan's voice remained calm, instantly spreading throughout the entire army through the war drums.

He slammed both hands down on the Demon-Suppressing Drum of Mountains and Rivers!
"Thump—!!!"

An unprecedented, ultimate drumbeat, condensing the power of three hundred beacon towers, the resonance of the two realms' heavenly Dao, the entire will of Yue Shanhe's weapon spirit, and Zhang Yuan's own chaotic origin, transformed into a pillar of black and yellow purple lightning that stretched across the heavens and earth, fiercely meeting the descending demonic claw!
"Boom—!!!"

Light and darkness collide!

Time and space seemed to shatter at that moment!
The newly opened territory, spanning millions of miles, was violently shaken, and the golden light of three hundred beacon towers flickered wildly!

The pillar of black and yellow purple lightning shattered inch by inch under the demon's claws, but it also managed to stop it for a while!
Taking advantage of this momentary delay, the well-trained human army, which had already received orders, transformed into countless streaks of light under the command of generals such as Zhaowu.

Relying on the network formed by the three hundred newly lit beacon towers, the army retreated instantly like the receding tide back into the core defensive line built by the three main fortresses of Chentieling, Yingzui Cliff, and Guxingbao.

The golden barrier closed instantly, becoming as solid as a rock.

Zhang Yuan's figure, amidst the aftershocks of the drumbeats, transformed into a chaotic stream of light along with the Mountain and River Demon-Suppressing Drum, disappearing into the depths of the main fortress of Chen Tieling.

The world-destroying demonic claw missed its target, slamming heavily onto the empty earth, leaving a bottomless, demonically shrouded crater, but it could no longer reach the human territory protected by the golden light of the three hundred beacon towers.

A roar of resentment and fury echoed from the abyss, resounding throughout the heavens. (End of Chapter)