Daqin Zhentiansi

When the meal was served, under the dim yellow oil lamp, the green vegetables in the porcelain bowl were adorned with a few precious dark red spots.

Chen Ming first picked up a piece of meat, but instead of putting it in his own bowl, he placed it directly into his wife's bowl: "You eat too. The shopkeeper said that from now on, the Eastern Territory won't lack this!"

"Lord Marquis is brave and valiant on the front lines, sweeping away demons. There will be more and more monster meat in the future, and the lives of us ordinary people will be different."

Li Wan initially wanted to decline, but upon hearing her husband's words, she stopped insisting and carefully put the not-so-large piece of meat into her mouth.

The meat is much coarser and tougher than ordinary beef, yet it has a unique chewiness. A gentle but continuous warm current rises from the stomach as you chew, spreading to your limbs and bones.

"It's really sturdy... When I came here, the shopkeeper showed me a whole, uncut piece of meat, saying it was a remnant of the spine of some enormous sea monster. It must have weighed a thousand pounds!" Chen Ming recalled while gesturing, his tone filled with emotion. "It's hard to imagine what a colossal creature the real sea monster must have been! If it weren't for the Marquis's divine might and the heavenly army's sweeping victory, how could we have obtained this?"

Little Cheng'er, shoveling rice into his mouth, interjected with bright eyes, "Dad, when I was waiting for you at the dock yesterday, I saw the Nine Rivers Alliance's 'Mysterious Turtle' dock! It really is as big as a mountain, carrying several buildings on its back! So many goods were being loaded onto its back like ants!"

"When I grow up, I want to be a guard at the Nine Rivers Alliance!" Little Jin'er immediately chimed in, her face flushed red. "That way I can ride on the back of the Xuan Turtle and follow it to so many places! Travel the world!"

In children's imaginations, colossal beasts are no longer symbols of disaster, but bridges to a wider world.

Chen Ming and Li Wan looked at their two children, who were full of hope for the future, and smiled at each other.

Chen Ming also picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly, feeling the warm current nourishing his body, which was tired from counting the accounts.

He raised his head and looked through the sparse vines of the grape trellis at the deep sky that was already tinged with twilight.

At this moment, the sky was not dark and gloomy.

Several dazzling sword lights streaked across the city sky, trailing long, pure tails of light as they cut through the twilight.

Those were monks from the Imperial Guards and the Great Monastery, who were from Zhenhai Island or even higher, carrying out patrol or transport missions.

This is a sight that has only recently appeared in the skies over the eastern border, an unspoken testament to the power of the Great Qin Dynasty projected here.

On the distant horizon, faint bluish-purple halos flickered, the light of a grand array set up by the Confucian cultivators of Qingtian Continent, enveloping this land that had undergone tremendous changes and was now reborn.

The evening breeze carried the strange aroma of cooked monster meat, mixed with the scent of earth and grass, and brushed against Chen Ming's slightly sweaty forehead.

He swallowed the food that contained immense power in his mouth, looked at the peaceful and content faces of his wife and children under the courtyard lamp, listened to the children's innocent words, and then looked at the streaks of sword light that symbolized order and power in the night sky.

He put down his chopsticks and bowl, and softly uttered a sentence, his voice so gentle, yet it seemed to carry a weight that transcended time:

"The heavens of the Great Qin... have changed."

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The boundless sea.

Fuso.

The howling wind swept across the frozen coastline, and Tong Hu, a garrison soldier on the Northern Great Wall, tightened his slightly worn Xuanbing Heavy Armor.

The cold nail plates exuded a bone-chilling cold even through the lining.

He still bore a deep claw mark on his shoulder from the last demonic surge, the broken part of his armor plate barely held together by thick iron wire.

His and his comrades' eyes were now fixed eagerly on the convoy winding its way into the distance.

That was a supply truck formation bearing the unique Xuan Turtle banner of Yu Yuan Trading Company!
"We've been waiting for this day for ages! The 'God of Wealth' has finally arrived!" Li Laoshuan, a comrade-in-arms beside Tong Hu, rubbed his hands together, his breath turning into white mist in the cold wind. "The last letter said that this time there's newly forged 'Heavy Mountain Demon Scale Armor'! They say it's made from the scales of those hard-armored demons on Fusang Island, and it's even tougher than our old Xuanbing Armor!"

"I saw on the list that there are also 'Demon-Slaying Triangular Arrows,' specifically for dealing with those tough-skinned creatures!" another young soldier added excitedly. "The arrowheads are engraved with armor-piercing and demon-shattering runes, and, most importantly, those 'Chaos Pearls'! One for everyone! I heard that those guys in the Eastern Territory used them, and their true energy surged, cutting down monsters like chopping vegetables!"

Tong Hu's eyes were also full of anticipation: "Yes, the Chaos Yuan Pearl! A treasure that Master Zhen Xuan condensed from that mineral vein! It can be used as a spirit stone, and it can also slightly draw upon a trace of spatial power to help us unleash our power. It's even more useful for saving our lives! If we combine it with the new 'Diamond Lock Body Talisman' and 'Life-Returning Pill'..."

These veteran border guards lacked nothing more than good equipment and life-saving treasures.

The mountains of demonic remains piled up on the Fusang battlefield were transformed into gold by the Jiuchuan Alliance, becoming their means to survive and kill even more.

Over the past three months, the troops stationed on the island have been gradually changing their uniforms.

Within three months, all the demonic cultivators on Fusang Island had been slaughtered, and the surrounding seas had also been cleared.

The convoy rumbled closer.

On the massive, rune-inlaid cart, the brand-new armor reflected a dark, heavy luster under the cold light.

The boxes of arrows were neatly stacked, exuding a sharp aura that even made the demonic energy feel slightly uneasy.

A rich aroma of medicine and a spiritual aura wafted out from the gaps in the carriage.

The quartermaster's booming voice rang out: "Northern Cold Edge Battalion! Collect new armor, demon-slaying arrows, talismans, and pills as you go..."

"Check and wear immediately after receiving! One Chaos Pearl per person, keep it close to your body! The Marquis has ordered that this item can save your lives and is also the trigger to activate the power of the battle formation. Use it with caution and do not lose it!"

Just as the soldiers were joyfully beginning to receive their new armor scales in an orderly fashion, eagerly stroking them and weighing the heavy new demon-slaying arrowheads in their hands—

"Ugh——!"

"Woo——!!"

A piercing alarm horn, sharp enough to tear the soul apart, suddenly boomed from the observation tower ahead, instantly drowning out all the noise!

"Demonic Tide—!! The sea has split open thirty miles ahead!"

The joy on everyone's faces froze instantly, replaced by an even stronger fighting spirit!
"Form ranks! Quickly!" The armored captain's thunderous roar echoed across the coast.

Tong Hu's movements were as fast as lightning, showing no appreciation for the new equipment whatsoever; it was purely instinct ingrained in his bones!

He ripped off the damaged old Xuanbing armor, as if peeling off a layer of snake skin.

He quickly donned the "Heavy Mountain Demon Scale Armor," which featured cold, scaly patterns and exuded a slightly fishy, ​​malevolent aura and a heavy sense of power.

The shoulders, chest, and joints were completely covered, and beneath the cold metallic touch was a surging sense of security.

The newly acquired "Frostblade Demon-Slaying Crossbow," over ten feet long, was instantly put into his hand. Its weight made his arm feel heavy, yet it was filled with a destructive power.

The quiver at his waist was instantly filled with newly issued triangular heavy arrows, the arrowheads swirling with a dark purple aura of magic-breaking light, and the fletchings bearing spiral patterns.

He deftly slapped the "Diamond Lock Talisman" into the lining of his chest armor, and a solid sense of protection welled up within him.

The small bottle of the "Life-Returning Pill" was tucked into the most convenient spot on my waist.

Finally, and most importantly, he tightly gripped the "Chaotic Yuan Pearl," the size of a pigeon egg, which seemed to circulate chaotic mist within and emanated strange energy fluctuations. (End of Chapter)