Daqin Zhentiansi

The inky waves of the boundless sea surged endlessly, as if the ancient, unchanging stillness had been shattered by the intrusion of the Qin fleet.

Although the Xuanqiong Demon Lord failed to break free from the ancient suppression, his invisible will has spread like a plague across the vast sea, urging the hidden demon races to become the outposts to intercept the army.

On the top deck of the Zhenhai Ship, Yu Wanjun, clad in black armor, stood with his scarlet cloak fluttering in the salty sea breeze.

He stood at the core of the amplification array, his voice steady like the impact of a reef, penetrating the roar of warships and the howling of waves.

"The Marquis has decreed that the entire army be on high alert!"

"Ahead lies the 'Permafrost Canyon.' As planned, all units are in position—"

Zhang Yuan stood silently in the shadows a little behind him, his black robe as dark as ink, his hands behind his back gazing at the chilling blue-white ice field in front of him.

He remained silent, handing over full command of the battlefield to the First Commander of the Personal Guard.

This composure itself embodies unparalleled confidence in his subordinates.

The East China Sea patrol was originally intended for military training.

In the permafrost canyon, the seawater displays an eerie icy blue hue, and massive icebergs float like slumbering ancient beasts, emanating a chilling aura that can almost freeze one's very soul.

"Woo-hoo—"

A long, mournful dragon roar, seemingly emanating from the deepest abyss, shook the sea!

The ice suddenly cracked open, and a ferocious fish-dragon, nearly a hundred feet long, covered with dark blue ice crystal scales and shaped like a giant swordfish, broke through the ice!

Its head is adorned with a single icy horn, and two clusters of pale white soul fire burn in its single eye. It is none other than the lord of this icy domain, the Frostbone Fish Dragon!

The Frostbone Fish Dragon swung its tail fin, stirring up a vast ocean tide, and the terrifying cold current instantly transformed the floating icebergs into siege hammers.

The iceberg, carrying with it piercing icicles and the chill of frozen space, crashed down heavily towards the fleet's central command!

"Royal!" Yu Wanjun roared like thunder.

"Black Tortoise Cloud Pattern Shield, activate!"

"Zhou Tian Ding Hai Formation, Ding Hai Force Field!"

The Zhenhai Ship shone brightly, and the thick, ink-black Xuanwu light shield rose once more.

At the same time, the head of the Spirit Array Division made a series of hand seals, and the octagonal star-fixing plate shone with light, casting starlight down, trying its best to reinforce the water element around the fleet and resist the terrifying freezing and impact.

"Ministry of Works, prepare the 'sea-burning oil'!"

"Target, ice barrier ahead, cover fire!" Yu Wanjun's command was precise and ruthless.

"Boom! Boom! Boom——"

The specially made giant projectile roared, and hundreds of black and red pottery jars, each the size of a head and wrapped with flame runes, shot out!

"burst!"

The seal was ignited, and the pottery jar exploded in mid-air!
Clumps of viscous, lava-like, blindingly white, terrifying liquid splashed out!
Instantly, the icebergs and icicles that were touched emitted a deafening hissing sound, and white steam shot into the sky, melting and vaporizing as quickly as a hot knife cutting butter!
Wherever the burning oil from the sea passed, the cold air was driven away, and dozens of crimson lava "channels" were forcibly burned into the blue and white ice sea, instantly leaving the ice city riddled with holes!

For the first time, the Frostbone Ichthyosaurus's single eye showed horror.

It relies on the power to control ice, but it has encountered a natural enemy in the face of high temperatures that can scorch rivers and boil seas!
"Thunder Guard, 'Crimson Eyes' locks onto the target's weak point, the reverse scale under the neck!" Yao Puti's voice came through the magic array.

The elite soldiers, equipped with the latest demonic eyes and some of the "Thunderbolt Powder," responded in unison.

Everyone's left eyes blazed with crimson light, piercing through the still-scorching steam and churning ice mist, clearly locking onto the most dazzling yet most vulnerable dark blue reverse scale beneath the fish-dragon's neck!

"Sword Formation, 'Sword Dragon Soars Through the Sky'!"

"Target, the abyss beneath your neck!" Pei Lie pointed his sword at the sky.

The cooperation between the 100,000 disciples of the Nine Yang Sword Sect and the Zhen Tian Division and their personal guards is now incredibly seamless.

"hold head high--!"

The three enormous azure sword dragons, which had been poised to attack, unleashed a deafening roar.

This time, it wasn't a scattered attack, but a combined strike from three dragons; three sword beams, tearing through the void, instantly converged at a single point, striking the very center of the azure reverse scale with unparalleled precision!

"Ow-!!"

The Frostbone Ichthyosaur let out an unprecedentedly shrill and miserable howl!
The reverse scale shattered, and dark blue blood sprayed out like a waterfall, instantly disrupting the chilling atmosphere.

Its massive body writhed wildly in agony, and the waves it created even extinguished large sections of the embers of the burning oil.

"Secret Medicine Department, collect the marrow!"

The Poisonous Woman's figure transformed into a streak of emerald light, and her oddly shaped syringe precisely pierced the crevice of the fish-dragon's spine.

Emerald green poison lines flickered as an extremely concentrated essence of ice, capable of freezing even the soul, was forcibly extracted and sealed into a specially made jade bottle!

A Frostbone Fish Dragon with the combat power of a half-step Grandmaster, and even stronger in this icy sea, was killed just like that.

The giant ship broke through the rapidly melting ice barrier.

The Secret Medicine Department quickly decomposed the fish-dragon corpse.

"Report! The Fish-Dragon's Reverse Scale is 70% complete and can be refined into the 'Frost Abyss Armor,' which is expected to double its defense against fire-attribute divine abilities!"

The master craftsman from the Ministry of Works beside Li Yu held a three-foot-square piece of blue scale in his hands and spoke loudly.

On the Zhenhai ship, Yu Wanjun raised his hand and waved, signaling the army to advance.

In the sea, one after another Frostbone Fish Dragon was forced out of the ice and collided with the warship.

The sounds of flames and ice exploding echoed, and clouds rising from the sea covered a vast area.

The fleet proceeded in an orderly manner.

One after another, the icebergs blocking the way were smashed to pieces by the martial spirit beasts gathered and condensed by the army formation.

Ahead, the core of an iceberg destroyed by the ichthyosaur slowly comes into view.

"Huh? There are words in this ice layer?" the new soldiers exclaimed.

Several elders of the Sword Sect approached the ice wall on their swords. Inside the huge block of ice, there were rows of strange symbols, twisted like waves, resembling seal script but not quite, flowing with an ancient and desolate rhythm.

“This is not the script of any continent in this world! This is… the mark of a lost sea race from before the Great Xia Zhenhai Guard, or even earlier!” Bai Zhi stared at the script in the ice, her vertical pupils under the silver fox mask contracting.

Zhang Yuan appeared atop the iceberg, looking down at the inscribed characters that resembled spiritual runes.

The writings of the ancient sea creatures.

When King Yu established the Zhenhai Guard, half of the soldiers came from the ancient sea tribes.

One of the important duties of Zhenhaiwei was to suppress rebellious sea tribes.

"Xuanqiong can command these Frostbone Fish-Dragons, so their origins are probably related to the ancient sea races..."

Zhang Yuan muttered something under his breath, then disappeared from the spot.

A team of craftsmen set foot on the iceberg and made rubbings of these characters.

The warships continued their journey without stopping.

As you cross the permafrost strait, the seawater suddenly turns a deep, inky black.

Below the fleet, a chilling "creak...creak..." sound rang out densely, like millions of steel files gnawing at the bottom of the ship!

"Om-!!"

The ship's protective shield is trembling violently as a warning!
"It's a swarm of gold-devouring crabs! The number... is countless!"

The water mirror magic circle reflected a terrifying scene.

Densely packed, hideous crabs, their bodies covered in dark gold shells and ranging in size from millstones to houses, covered the seabed like a black torrent.

They brandished their enormous claws, capable of severing even refined metal, and frantically gnawed at the ship's protective aura and metal keel! (End of Chapter)