Daqin Zhentiansi

Tianyuan City, the ruins of the city lord's mansion.

The once magnificent palace is now nothing but ruins.

The demonic energy, like a tangible black mist, spread outwards from the center of the ruins.

Within a radius of ten miles, not a blade of grass grows.

Even the air became thick and foul-smelling; an ordinary person would die instantly if they inhaled just one breath.

Zhang Yuan stood at the edge of the ruins, his Myriad Beasts Divine Armor concealed as dark as ink.

He took a deep breath.

The demonic energy surged in like a tide, but it automatically slid away the moment it touched the Armor of Ten Thousand Beasts.

"Om-"

The Chaos Furnace slowly rotated in the sea of ​​consciousness, devouring, assimilating, and transforming the invading demonic energy into pure star source power.

"The Armor of Ten Thousand Beasts is indeed effective against demonic energy," Zhang Yuan thought to himself.

The armor left behind by General Ba Yue is not only a powerful defensive weapon, but also a supreme treasure for fighting against the Demon Realm.

He stepped into the ruins.

The demonic energy grew stronger.

Ahead, a patrol of demonic troops appeared.

A squad of about twenty Bone-Eating Demon Guards was patrolling the perimeter of the ruins.

Zhang Yuan did not make a move.

He closed his eyes, and the chaotic star source power transformed into invisible tentacles, probing the surrounding aura fluctuations.

found it.

Every fifteen minutes, there is a brief shift change between the patrols of the demon army.

He waited.

After a cup of tea, the patrol team turned around and faced away from him.

Zhang Yuan flashed away.

The Myriad Beasts Armor completely concealed his aura, allowing him to pass through the patrol team's blind spot like a ghost.

No one was alerted.

Go deeper.

Deep within the ruins, the demonic energy was so dense that it was visible to the naked eye, and the black mist writhed slowly like a living thing.

Zhang Yuan stopped in his tracks.

Ahead was a barrier made of magical runes.

The barrier was semi-transparent, with twisted runes flowing across it, emitting a mesmerizing aura.

"Shadow Demon Rune Array." Zhang Yuan narrowed his eyes.

This is a high-level sealing formation in the Demon Realm, specifically designed to imprison powerful individuals.

Once the barrier is touched, the magic runes will immediately sound an alarm and release a deadly poison capable of corroding the soul.

For others, the choice would be either to launch a direct attack or to take a detour.

But Zhang Yuan has a third option.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers spread wide.

The chaotic star source power condensed at his fingertips, transforming into a wisp of almost transparent gray thread.

The silk thread silently probed into the magic-patterned barrier without triggering any alarms.

The power of chaos surpasses that of demonic energy.

In the face of chaos, the magic runes are like a child's scribbles, full of flaws.

Zhang Yuan's divine sense followed the gray threads and found the three core nodes of the magic rune array.

He gently plucked the string.

The barrier silently cracked open, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

Zhang Yuan stepped inside.

The gap closed behind him, as if it had never existed.

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Deepest part of the ruins.

A dilapidated hall.

In the center of the main hall, a thick magnetic chain extended from the ground, firmly imprisoning a white figure.

A white dress, stained with dust and blood.

Her dark hair was disheveled, obscuring her face. But her aloof and icy demeanor remained clearly discernible even in this desolate region filled with demonic energy.

Venerable Qing Shuang.

One of the three Venerables of Tianyuan City, and the one most deeply corrupted by demonic energy.

Zhang Yuan stepped forward slowly.

As if sensing something, Venerable Qing Shuang slowly raised his head.

Half of her face was pale skin, and the other half was covered with spreading black demonic patterns.

His left eye was as clear as an icy lake, but his right eye had turned into a scarlet demonic pupil.

Two forces clashed fiercely within her, tearing her mind to shreds.

"Who..." Her voice was hoarse and almost inaudible.

“Hanyue Army, Acting General Zhang Yuan.” Zhang Yuan stopped in front of her. “The one entrusted by General Bayue.”

A faint glimmer of light flashed in Venerable Qing Shuang's left eye.

“Ba Yue…he still…”

“General Ba Yue has fallen,” Zhang Yuan said calmly. “At Zanglong’ao, he covered the rear, preserving the last spark for Xuntian Continent.”

Venerable Qing Shuang remained silent.

After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice filled with suppressed pain:
"What...are you here for?"

"I'll save you," Zhang Yuan said. "I've obtained the Demon-Purifying Lotus. I need to check your condition before I go back to refine the pills."

"Save me?" Venerable Qing Shuang laughed bitterly. "You can't save me... The demonic energy has already invaded my soul. Even the Pure Heart Lotus... can't save me..."

“If I say I can save her, then I can.” Zhang Yuan squatted down to look her in the eye.

His left eye, the chaotic star vortex slowly rotated.

Through that star vortex, he could clearly see the condition inside Venerable Qing Shuang's body.

The demonic energy has indeed invaded the soul, but it has not completely taken over.

Deep within her heart, there was a faint yet stubborn icy blue light, her last line of defense.

That was her innate ice essence, cultivated over millions of years.

As long as the ice element remains intact, there is still hope.

“Your Ice Essence is still there,” Zhang Yuan said. “As long as the demonic energy is separated from your soul, you can recover.”

“Separate?” Venerable Qing Shuang smiled bitterly. “Easier said than done… Demonic energy and the divine soul are intertwined, how can they be separated?”

“Use Chaos.” Zhang Yuan stretched out his hand, and a wisp of pure and refined gray chaotic star power condensed at his fingertips.

As soon as this wisp of power appeared, the surrounding viscous demonic energy dissipated slightly, as if it had encountered its nemesis.

With a flick of his finger, the wisp of chaotic star energy silently entered Venerable Qing Shuang's brow.

"Hmm..." Venerable Qing Shuang groaned, his body trembling violently.

In an instant, a gentle yet overwhelming power spread through her mind.

This power seemed to possess a spirit, precisely binding itself to the dark demonic energy that resided within her soul.

The chaotic star source force did not violently impact the area.

Instead, like the most skilled craftsman, it uses the characteristics of "assimilation" and "annihilation" to begin to break down and peel away the demonic energy that is entangled with the soul bit by bit.

Although the amount was small and could not be eradicated immediately, it instantly stopped the further erosion of the demonic energy.

Furthermore, a thin gray barrier formed around the core of the ice element, firmly protecting it.

Qing Shuang Venerable felt that the icy, stinging pain that was almost tearing her apart had miraculously lessened a little!

What shocked her even more was that the wisp of chaotic power seemed to resonate strangely with her own ice essence.

The faint light of his innate ice element actually brightened slightly, as if it had been infused with new vitality.

She clearly felt that this wisp of power could not only temporarily suppress the demonic energy and protect her origin, but also become the key catalyst to guide the power of subsequent pills and completely purify the demonic energy at critical moments!

"Chaos gives birth to all things, and it can also transform into all things. Demonic energy is merely a branch of the evolution of chaos." Zhang Yuan's voice carried an undeniable firmness. "Give me time, and I can do it."

Venerable Qing Shuang stared at him blankly, feeling the changes brought about by the strange power within his body.

She has lived for millions of years and has seen countless geniuses.

But I have never seen such a person before. Despite only having the cultivation of a Saint Realm cultivator, he is so confident in the face of the demonic energy of a Venerable Realm cultivator. His methods are also unheard of.

It was as if everything was under his control.

"Why...why did you take such a big risk to save me?" Venerable Qing Shuang asked, her voice carrying a faint glimmer of hope that she herself was unaware of.

Zhang Yuan looked at her, his gaze calm and profound.

"You must live, Venerable Azure Frost." His voice was deep yet powerful. (End of Chapter)