Daqin Zhentiansi

On that pillar, an extremely dim, almost transparent cyan dragon-shaped phantom slowly coalesced.

The dragon opened and closed its eyes, its weathered gaze falling on Zhang Yuan and the others, filled with scrutiny, and also with a hint of... hope.

"Zhang Yuan, a junior of the human race, along with some ancient divine beasts, has come here to repair the ancient celestial patrol array in search of our way home. May I ask your honorable name, senior?" Zhang Yuan stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice. The aura of chaos and primordial yellow flowed naturally, indicating his extraordinary nature.

The Azure Dragon's remnant soul lingered on Zhang Yuan the longest, especially when it sensed the power within him that resonated faintly with the primordial earth and the golden light of the beacon towers; a strange light flashed in its dragon eyes.

"Humans... to have such a descendant! I am Ao Gen, the Azure Dragon of Cangwu, who guards this Xuntian Continent..."

The voice of the remnant soul was filled with endless sorrow and rage: "You were able to find your way to this place and repair the broken array, which shows that the Heavenly Dao is not extinguished... Do you know why my Xuntian Continent Group collapsed?!"

Why was Xuntianzhou destroyed?

Zhang Yuan and the others exchanged glances.

Even the few ancient divine beasts did not know what happened on Xuntian Continent back then.

Before any reply could be given, the dragon shadow of the remnant soul trembled violently, as if the resentment and anger suppressed for millennia was about to erupt: "Not a natural disaster, but a man-made calamity! It is betrayal!"

"It is the Celestial Race that covets the power of the Sky-Patrolling Continent to connect with all realms and monitor all directions, and they covet the 'Star Origin Crystal' mineral veins hidden within the continent! They are secretly colluding with the 'Silent Heavenly Demon' of the Abyss!"

"At that moment, the Heavenly Demon Army suddenly descended from the weak point in the void, and the Heavenly Palace Guardian, who was supposed to be protecting the barrier, actually... removed the core array eye of the 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array' at the critical moment!"

"Attacked from both inside and outside... the Sky Barrier shattered like glass!"

"We fought a bloody battle, the continent collapsed, and countless lives were lost..."

"I used my last divine power to protect a wisp of remnant soul in this core temple, just to... preserve the truth and the spark of hope..."

The remnant soul's voice was filled with deep-seated hatred: "The celestial beings are hypocritical, and the celestial demons are cruel! This hatred, this grudge, could not be appeased even if the entire starry sea were filled!"

Zhang Yuan and the several divine beast avatars wore extremely solemn expressions.

Although I had suspected it beforehand, hearing the ancient guardian accuse the celestial beings of their heinous crimes of colluding with the celestial demons still sent a chill down my spine.

The Heavenly Palace and the Celestial Race were indeed not the true guardians of the primordial world.

"Senior, please calm your anger. We will never forget this grudge!" Zhang Yuan replied in a deep voice, his tone firm and powerful.

The remnant soul of the Azure Dragon seemed to have calmed down somewhat, and a hint of relief and entrustment appeared in its dragon eyes: "You bear a great karmic burden, and are favored by destiny... This item is given to you..."

A faint blue light separated from the remnant soul, transforming into an ancient scroll that was neither gold nor jade, but warm to the touch, which slowly drifted toward Zhang Yuan.

The scroll does not depict mountains and rivers, but rather countless tiny points of light, as fine as stars, and mysterious lines connecting these points, containing spatial fluctuations.

Next to some of the glowing spots are labels such as “Mysterious Crystal Depository”, “Ancient Medicine Garden”, “Refuge for Remnants”, and “Artifact Tomb”.

"These are the coordinates of dozens of fragments of the Sky-Piercing Continent that I imprinted with my last remaining strength, fragments that still retain some foundation or legacy..."

"And...the possible hiding places of some of my scattered clansmen..."

"I hope you... will use it wisely... to leave a glimmer of hope for this primordial world, for all living beings..."

The voice of the Azure Dragon's remnant soul grew weaker and weaker, and its phantom became increasingly dim, as if it might dissipate at any moment.

"Rest assured, senior! I, Zhang Yuan, will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Zhang Yuan solemnly accepted the map, feeling its weighty significance.

This map represents hope, resources, and above all, responsibility!

Just as Zhang Yuan put away the map!
"Crack—Boom!"

The entire ruins of the Cangwu Temple trembled violently!

The temple dome has completely collapsed!

A terrifying will, far more ferocious, cold, and filled with an aura of annihilation and greed than the surrounding demons, suddenly descended!
Countless viscous, ink-like, twisting, writhing shadowy claws, accompanied by piercing shrieks, tore through space and surged wildly towards the core of the temple from all directions, their target being Zhang Yuan, who had just put away the map!
"The minions of the Annihilation Demon! They've been lurking in the spatial rifts, waiting for their chance!"

The white tiger roared in fury, and its murderous golden energy instantly transformed into billions of incomparably sharp golden sword energies, which swept towards the demonic claws like a storm!
"Hmph! You petty scoundrels!" The old man of the Xuan Turtle shone with a bright yellow light, and a heavy Xuan Turtle phantom enveloped everyone. It clashed with several huge demonic claws that came to grab it, producing a deafening sound of metal clashing. The demonic claws shattered, and the Xuan Turtle phantom also shook violently.

The Golden-Winged Roc transformed into a golden light that tore through the heavens and earth, instantly appearing on Zhang Yuan's side. Its wings slashed down like heavenly blades, cleaving several shadowy demonic blades that were attacking from behind into nothingness, and even leaving dark cracks in the space itself!

The Qilin incarnate formed hand seals, and countless vines burning with inextinguishable golden flames tore through the temple floor, entwining and burning the swarming shadow demons, purifying the filthy demonic energy.

Zhang Yuan's eyes were as cold as eternal ice. Although the Mountain and River Demon-Suppressing Drum did not appear, he clasped his hands together, and a terrifying power that combined the Chaos God and Demon Body, the Heavenly Dao of the Two Realms, and the Will of the Beacon Tower condensed in his palms!

"town!"

He slammed both palms down onto the ground!
A visible, chaotic, and primordial shockwave suddenly spread out from him!
Wherever it passes, space freezes!

The shadowy claws that pounced close were like mosquitoes trapped in amber, their movements instantly slowed and twisted.

Then, under the impact of this dual power of protection and destruction, it was like ice and snow under the scorching sun, emitting a shrill scream, disintegrating and annihilating inch by inch!
The mythical beasts seized the opportunity and unleashed their full power!

The White Tiger's sword energy storm shattered a section of the demonic realm!
The black tortoise clashed head-on with the giant claw, shattering it to pieces!
The Golden Roc's wing blades tore through space, annihilating the attackers!
The Qilin's golden flame vines turned a large number of demons to ashes!

Although the attacking monsters were ferocious, the attack was forcefully repelled by the combined efforts of Zhang Yuan and several top-tier divine beasts, who fought together with one heart and one mind and held nothing back!

Inside the shattered temple, only large swaths of dissipating demonic energy and spatial rifts remained.

"Let's go! We can't stay here any longer!"

Zhang Yuan made a decisive decision. With this place exposed, the gaze of the Abyss's will would undoubtedly intensify.

Without lingering in battle, the group transformed into streaks of light and retreated back into the basin of the Sky Patrol Continent Array along the starlight passage they had come from.

……

The Great Array Basin of Xuntianzhou.

The 100,000-strong army guarding the formation stood ready, and when they saw Zhang Yuan and the others return safely, they erupted in thunderous cheers.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Yuan stood directly at the core of the star array, and the star marrow core shone brightly!

This time, his divine sense was no longer directed at any place in the primordial world, but pierced through the barriers of endless time and space, firmly locking onto the coordinates connected by blood ties: the Nine Provinces of the Great Qin!
"In my name, with beacon fires as the guide and chaos as the bridge—open!"

Zhang Yuan's voice was like a divine decree, resounding throughout heaven and earth!

The speed of the star core's rotation reached its limit! The light of the entire star array instantly converged and condensed, transforming into a giant pillar of starlight that pierced through heaven and earth, condensed to the extreme, and shot into the depths of the endless void!

An unprecedented and incredibly stable starlight tunnel was forcibly opened!
The passageway was dazzling with light and exceptionally stable.

The supply boxes, piled high and ready in advance, contained glittering star-like refined gold, life-giving jade marrow elixir, chilling void crystals, bundles of demon-slaying talismans, demon-sealing boxes containing materials from powerful magical beasts, and boxes upon boxes of primordial medicinal herbs...

Guided by Zhang Yuan's divine sense, they were swept up like an invisible torrent, continuously flowing into the starlight passage and disappearing!
Great Qin.

Tongtianzhou.

The sky was suddenly torn apart by a dazzling pillar of light that stretched from heaven to earth!
A vast, ancient, and fierce aura, imbued with the iron-blooded killing intent of a primordial battlefield, descended!
The eldest prince, who had been waiting around the altar for a long time, and countless soldiers and civilians all stared in awe at this miraculous scene.

Within the pillar of light, a massive amount of materials, shimmering with various colors and radiating astonishing energy fluctuations, poured down like a celestial river, crashing onto the enormous altar plaza and piling up like mountains!
The dense, primordial spiritual energy instantly spread out, invigorating all the Qin cultivators present and causing their cultivation bottlenecks to loosen slightly!
"A primordial treasure! It truly is a primordial treasure!"

Exclamations of surprise echoed through the sky.

Immediately afterwards, the beam of light did not disappear; instead, it became more solid and stable.

"Men of Great Qin!" A majestic and powerful voice resounded throughout the heavens and earth. Ying Wuji, the Martial King who protects the nation, stood before the million-strong army, clad in a black dragon armor and holding the halberd that protects the nation. His eyes were sharp as lightning, and his fighting spirit soared to the sky!

"Follow me on this cross-domain expedition!"

"promise!"

A million elite Qin soldiers roared in unison, their voices shattering the clouds!
Clad in brand-new armor, exuding a fierce aura, they transformed into a torrent of steel under Ying Wuji's leadership, resolutely stepping into the starlight passage!

In the basin of the Sky-Surveying Continent's grand array, the starlight channel shone brightly, and the figures of a million soldiers surged out like a tide!
The soaring aura of menace, the disciplined military bearing, and the unique atmosphere of the Qin Dynasty instantly filled the basin, complementing the aura of the prehistoric human army and making it even more magnificent!
Ying Wuji stepped out of the passage, his gaze like lightning, instantly locking onto the imposing figure of Xuanmo at the core of the array.

He strode through the army formation with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger, and arrived in front of Zhang Yuan. Ignoring the several divine beast avatars around him whose auras were as deep as the ocean, he clasped his hands together and spoke in a booming voice.

"Lord Qingyang! Ying Wuji, the Martial King of Qin, has come to serve with a million elite Qin soldiers by order of His Majesty!"

"From this day forward, throughout this vast land, all soldiers of the Great Qin shall obey the orders of Marquis Qingyang! We will serve you to the death!"

A million Qin soldiers simultaneously clenched their fists against their armor, unleashing a thunderous roar: "We are willing to obey the orders of Marquis Qingyang! We will not hesitate to die ten thousand times!"

The roaring sound shook the surrounding area, announcing that a fierce force from another world had officially joined the battlefield of the Primordial Blood Millstone!
Not far behind Ying Wuji, a graceful figure arrived gracefully with the pillar of light.

Princess Zhao Yu, after a long wait, finally set foot on this land she had longed for.

Her gaze swept through the crowd and instantly settled on that figure in black ink.

Despite her travel-worn appearance, her stunning beauty shone through. Only her bright eyes, upon seeing Zhang Yuan's face, overflowed with indescribable excitement, longing, and a sense of relief—a thousand emotions conveyed in their silent gaze.

Zhang Yuan's gaze also pierced through the crowd, meeting Zhao Yu's eyes in the air.

Three years of war and a bloody journey. At this moment, that familiar figure comes into view. Even with a heart as firm as iron, a barely perceptible ripple stirs deep in the depths of his eyes.

He nodded slightly, everything understood without saying a word.

The Qin army arrived, and he was reunited with his beloved wife. New strength and longing had merged into the torrent of this mighty, iron-clad wall.

----------------

The main fortress of Shentieling, Zhang Yuanjun's tent.

The tent was brightly lit by candlelight, dispelling the chill of the desolate night, but it could not dispel the overwhelming feeling brought by the mountain of account books and jade slips.

Zhang Yuan was intently analyzing a newly discovered node of demonic energy, his brows slightly furrowed.

Across from him at the desk, Zhao Yu buried himself in a pile of material lists and the exchange records from Jielu Pass sent back by Xuan Lan.

Her slender fingers moved swiftly across a jade abacus-shaped magic artifact, producing a crisp "crackling" sound, so fast that they almost left afterimages.

Her delicate eyebrows furrowed more and more tightly, and finally she couldn't help but slam the jade abacus down on the table with a "smack," raising her head and glaring at Zhang Yuan with a mixture of reproach and annoyance in her beautiful eyes:
"Husband! These accounts of yours are making my heart ache!"

Zhang Yuan's thoughts were interrupted. He looked up and saw Zhao Yu pick up a list and tap the numbers on it with her fingertips.

"Look! This 'Abyssal Sinking Iron,' in the hands of those black-hearted devils at the Border Barrier Supply Department, a thousand catties of it only gets you ten low-grade spirit crystals!"

"But if you let Lei Zhen and the others simply melt and purify it, add a little 'fire marrow crystal powder' to shape it, and forge it into armor plate blanks for 'rock-solid' heavy armor, do you know how many merit points the same thousand catties would be worth on the 'merit exchange list' inside our Chen Tieling Weapon Forging Workshop?"

"That's equivalent to at least three hundred cubic meters of spirit crystals! That's a thirty-fold difference!"

She grabbed another record: "And these 'Corrupting Poison Lizards' gallbladders are the main ingredient for refining high-level antidote pills!"

"Xuan Lan and the others sent out basket after basket of these as extras in exchange for 'Void Crystals,' and each basket was only worth five spirit crystals!"

"But Mo Ling and the others carefully used 'purifying fire talismans' to remove impurities and create a semi-finished 'detoxifying ointment,' a small bottle of which can be exchanged for fifty merit points in the wounded soldiers' camp!"

"This is like begging with a golden bowl in hand! What a waste!"

Zhao Yu grew angrier as she spoke, so she stood up and paced around the tent, counting her complaints one by one with her fair, jade-like fingers.

"The broken crystal core of the Shadow Blade Demon, which was treated as garbage, can be used to refine the core raw material of 'Stealth Rune Ink'!"

"The leg bones of the skeletal trolls can be used as waste to fill pits, or ground into powder, they are excellent auxiliary materials for reinforcing the array base!"

"Even the wing membranes of those low-level demon bats, with a little nitrification and trimming, make excellent quiver linings and leather armor connectors, saving so much on the purchase of 'flexible grass'?"

She walked up to Zhang Yuan, leaned over, and placed her hands on the table, looking at him with exasperation: "My Lord Qingyang, Commander Huo! You are a great hero, a master strategist who can win battles from afar!"

"But this business acumen, really, really..." She struggled for a long time, unable to find the right words, and finally concluded angrily, "It's a total rip-off!"

"No matter how capable Young Master Xuanlan is, he can't withstand your 'generous' nature!"

Looking at his beloved wife's cheeks flushed with excitement, her red lips slightly pouting from worrying about the supplies, and the undisguised accusation of "spendthrift" in her eyes, Zhang Yuan's annoyance caused by military affairs instantly vanished, leaving only warmth and a slight smile of being "taught a lesson."

He suddenly reached out and wrapped his arm around Zhao Yu's slender yet strong waist. With a soft gasp from her, he easily lifted her off the ground and pulled her into his embrace.

"Ah! You... put me down! We haven't settled the score yet!" Zhao Yu pounded on his firm chest, feeling embarrassed and annoyed.

Zhang Yuan didn't answer, his deep eyes locked on her, surging with the burning passion of a long-awaited reunion and the flames that had been ignited at this moment.

He lowered his head and precisely captured the gaze of those incessantly chattering red lips, about to continue their tirade against him. (End of Chapter)