Daqin Zhentiansi

"Brother Zhang! Be careful!"

Upon seeing this, Cheng Yue shouted again in a hurry!

Although he knew that Zhang Yuan was incredibly powerful, this demon was, after all, a peak half-step Saint Realm cultivator, and had been attacked by two Tongyou Realm demon cultivators in a desperate charge, making the situation extremely dangerous!

Zhang Yuan, who had been standing still like a mountain with an indifferent gaze as if looking down on the struggle of ants, finally had a cold glint in his eyes!

Like a sleeping dragon opening its vertical pupils!
He finally moved!
It's not a dodge!

It's not a block!

"Qiang——!!!"

A sword's cry suddenly rang out!
Qingyue!

icy!

Cut through gold and jade!

Its sharp edges seemed to tear apart the dark sky above!

The heavy sword "Yuanyue" on his back appeared in his hand after a flash of dark light so fast that its trajectory was blurred!

action?

It's simple to the extreme!
There are no unnecessary frills!
He simply held the sword, raised his arm diagonally from the right side, and delivered a seemingly ordinary strike to the left front—

Cut horizontally!

It did not split into countless dazzling sword lights!

There was no massive technique that could cause the winds and clouds to change color or induce strange phenomena in the heavens and earth!
Only a dark, condensed sword aura, as black as deep-sea iron, as refined as ink marks from the heavens, and with edges so sharp it seemed capable of cleaving through all the void in the world, followed the trajectory of the ancient and heavy sword blade as it moved forward...

It appeared quietly!

silent!

fatal!

Extremely fast and extremely heavy!

The space itself seemed to be silently sliced ​​open by this sword energy!

"Shh-!"

Like a hot knife slicing through butter.

The two demonic figures, wreathed in their last raging flames, along with their incredibly thick and condensed protective demonic energy, and the layers of light formed by several life-saving talismans that flashed and burst forth in an instant...

Before this incredibly refined, dark sword energy, it was as fragile as new Xuan paper meeting a paper cutter!

It was as if I had been gently wiped by an invisible cloth called "annihilation"!

moment!

Silently turned into scattered ashes!

Not even a single wails, a wisp of black smoke, a piece of flesh or blood, or a speck of bone remained!

The sword energy annihilated the demonic cultivator, its ferocious power undiminished!
The chaotic sword energy that annihilated the demonic cultivator not only did not diminish in its destructive power, but instead, like an enraged ancient beast, it transformed into a heaven-shattering scythe, accompanied by a piercing shriek that cleaved through the void!
In a moment when time seemed to stand still, the neck of the Xuan Tie Shi Yan Beast, which was chasing after them and had its mouth wide open in a rage, was precisely locked onto, gleaming with a cold metallic luster!
"Pfft!"

"Crack!"

"Boom——!!!"

The Xuan Tie beast body, which was said to be strong enough to withstand high-grade spiritual weapons, was as fragile as a thousand-year-old rotten wood encountering a divine weapon in front of the divine weapon "Yuan Yue", which was infused with the great power of the Holy Realm "Return to One True Domain" and was tempered by the Chaos Furnace!
The sword energy, imbued with the power of annihilation and return to nothingness, pierced through the scales and muscles comparable to refined gold without any hindrance!

The neck of the giant beast, which was over ten feet thick, snapped off instantly!

The overwhelming chaotic sword energy, with its remaining force even more ferocious, slammed the ferocious beast head, which was heavier than a mountain, along with half of its severed body, into the earth as if smashing a sack!

The earth is shaking!

Smoke and dust shot into the sky like an angry dragon!
Just a moment ago, this beast was so ferocious that even cultivators at the half-step Saint Realm had to give way...

It was cut in two by a single sword strike at that very moment!
Its towering, mountain-like body collapsed with a deafening roar.

Then, under the erosion of the residual chaotic power, it was as if it had been forged by millions of invisible hammers in an instant, collapsing and disintegrating inch by inch along the structural nodes!
Countless fragments of black iron shot out and splashed everywhere.

They varied in size, yet all shimmered with the deep, dark light unique to top-grade metals, like a meteorite galaxy that had suddenly fallen, covering the entire valley!

Dead!

Complete silence!
Within the valley, all sounds of fighting, roaring, and panting were completely silenced by this single sword strike.

Disciples of the Azure Spirit Thunder Sect, demons of the Departing Dust Palace, remnants of the Cloud Moon Sword Sect...

Everyone seemed to be sealed by invisible ice, turning into stiff stone sculptures.

Their pupils were unfocused, filled only with extreme blankness and horror, as if they were nailed to the back of that figure in black robes fluttering and holding a sword.

He had previously raised his hand and punched the ferocious demonic cultivator, blasting him into a bloody mist in mid-air.

With a backhand strike, he turned the half-step Saint Realm behemoth into black iron scattered all over the ground!

The strength Zhang Yuan displayed went beyond mere "powerful"; it was enough to freeze minds and overturn common sense.

Despair crushes all!

The bone-chilling cold and boundless awe were so real that they instantly froze the souls of everyone present!
Zhang Yuan indifferently sheathed his sword, the soft hum of the black iron scraping against each other clearly audible in the deathly silence.

His eyes were as indifferent as an abyss, sweeping over the priceless shimmering light that filled the valley, yet he didn't even spare a glance for the terrified "stone sculptures".

Massive quantities!

Top-grade black iron essence!

The fragments that filled the deep valley gathered together, their light like a galaxy falling down!

This is a treasure that can become the core material of any natal flying sword, a dream item that can drive sword cultivators at the Grandmaster or even Saint realms crazy!
For Zhang Yuan, who is skilled in weapon crafting, this harvest means an unimaginable treasure trove of resources, the value of which even exceeds the century-long accumulation of an ordinary sect!

He didn't bend down to pick it up, but a thought flickered in his mind.

"Om-!"

A phantom image of an ancient furnace, seemingly forged from the origin of chaos and inscribed with endless laws of smelting, silently materialized behind Zhang Yuan.

An overwhelming and powerful suction force suddenly erupted, instantly enveloping the entire valley!
As if summoned by the highest authority, the falling fragments of black iron transformed into countless flowing rivers of dark metal, swirling wildly into the illusory furnace with a whistling sound that tore through the air!

The moment the fragment touched the phantom, it melted away like ice and snow, and was directly absorbed into the true chaotic furnace origin space deep within Zhang Yuan's divine treasure!
In just a few breaths!

The top-grade Xuan Iron essence that filled the deep valley and was enough to trigger countless bloody battles between sects was completely devoured!

The valley was left with only a devastated ground and a huge crater, silently telling the story of the earth-shattering attack that had just occurred.

Inside the Chaos Furnace, the purest metallic essence and the resilient power of laws originating from the half-step Saint Realm beast body permeated the space.

Zhang Yuan clearly sensed that these materials were enough to elevate the "Yuanyue" heavy sword to a higher level, and also laid an unparalleled foundation for the art of weapon forging after breaking through to the Saint Realm.

His expression remained unchanged, and the phantom of the Chaos Furnace quietly dissipated, as if what had just been taken away was merely ordinary sand.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't even flinch at all.

This indifference to enormous wealth was like an abyss, completely crushing any remaining hope in the hearts of onlookers.

When his icy gaze swept across the valley once more, the disciples of the Azure Spirit Thunder Sect turned deathly pale, the demonic cultivators of the Departing Dust Palace trembled like leaves, and the remnants of the Cloud Moon Sword Sect were already prostrate on the ground. The moment his gaze touched them, everyone felt as if they had fallen into the deepest, most icy hell!

Zhang Yuan nodded slightly to Cheng Yue, who was also deeply shaken, and said, "Let's go, Brother Cheng."

Two figures traversed the desolate land, littered with sword marks and giant craters. Behind them lay only the ruins of the valley and a group of survivors whose Dao hearts were nearly shattered.

After leaving the blood-soaked valley, the two traveled only a few dozen miles before the scenery suddenly opened up, bringing with it a different kind of suffocating feeling that made their scalp tingle.

Rusty Sword Plain.

True to its name.

On the vast, boundless wasteland, there is not land, but piles of rusty metal fragments, some deep and some stretching for countless millennia.

The air was filled with a strong smell of rust and death.

On this "plain", there are countless humanoid puppets covered in the same rusty and broken iron armor, stretching as far as the eye can see!
Tens of thousands!

One hundred thousand?

million?

Countless!

They stand silently, like a sea of ​​terracotta warriors cast in metal, covering the entire horizon.

Each puppet was cast from some unknown, rusty gray metal, with thick, rough armor plates and coarse joints.

They also gripped longswords, riddled with nicks and rust, tightly in their hands.

The sword tip points diagonally at the ground, the posture stiff and uniform.

A sword aura, as solid as a mountain and as chilling as a deadly winter, emanated from this boundless "puppet forest," its coldness biting and freezing any inspiration.

Occasionally, a rogue cultivator or a small team might stumble upon this place, instantly triggering a massive wave!
"Boom! Click!"

At the edge, two crimson lights suddenly appeared in the eyes of several startled puppets.

Like activated killing machines, they suddenly unleashed an astonishing speed that was completely disproportionate to their bloated and dilapidated appearance!

With heavy yet swift steps, kicking up billowing dust, he instantly charged into a small group of cultivators trying to bypass him!
"Formation!"

The leading cultivator roared in alarm, unleashing a sharp sword aura from his spiritual sword.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The spirit sword struck the puppet's thick, rusty armor, leaving only a few shallow white marks, sparks flying everywhere!

The puppet was completely unharmed, and with a backhand slash of its sword, a simple vertical strike, the power was terrifying.

He directly cleaved a Grandmaster-level Vajra Realm cultivator who was hastily defending himself, causing him and his sword to sink into the hard black stone ground, his tiger's mouth to split open, and blood to spill from the corner of his mouth!

The other puppets surrounded the cultivator with a simple yet coordinated attack, blocking his escape route, and the rusty longsword pierced his vital points!

What's even more terrifying is that no matter what kind of blow they suffer, as long as they don't completely shatter and disintegrate, these puppets will pause for a moment, their rust flashing slightly, and then, as if they've absorbed some kind of power from the surrounding scrap metal, they'll start moving again!
Even with severed arms and legs, it can still be killed, like an immortal and indestructible metal plague!

"These are the 'Rusty Sea Sword Slaves'! Retreat! We can't get surrounded. If we attract too many and they form an ancient killing sword formation, even a half-step Saint Realm expert won't be able to escape!" Cheng Yue exclaimed gravely. "This place is even more dangerous than that Xuan Iron Beast. We must quickly find a detour..."

Before he finished speaking, his gaze suddenly sharpened.

Deep within the Rusty Sea Sword Slave Swarm, near the core area, a thick, viscous, dark green demonic aura, exuding an aura of filth and corruption, emerged like a venomous snake, constantly coiling around the relatively tall puppets!
The rust on these puppets, under the corrosive influence of demonic energy, gleamed with an eerie sheen, and their scarlet eyes were stained with a nauseating dark green.

"Heart-corroding demonic energy?! It's the 'poisonous hand scheming villain' from the Dark Palace!" Horror and disgust flashed in Cheng Yue's eyes.

"This demon dares to use a secret technique to corrupt the guardian sword slave at the core of the Rusty Sea, attempting to forcibly control this killing power for his own use!"

"How dare they! They're courting death! The malevolent sword energy here clashes with their demonic energy, making them extremely vulnerable to backlash..."

At that moment, the eyes of the hundreds of core sword slaves, who were deeply corrupted by demonic energy, shone brightly with green light.

These sword slaves suddenly became more agile and ruthless, turning in unison towards Zhang Yuan and Cheng Yue, making a sickening metallic scraping sound, and raising their rusty longswords!
Guided by demonic energy, they spontaneously gathered into several simple yet deadly small attack sword formations, locking onto Zhang Yuan!
The source of the demonic energy, shrouded in a dark green cloak, the emaciated demonic cultivator Yin Xiaozi, also sensed the intruder's powerful aura and let out a sharp, piercing shriek filled with warning and killing intent!

"Brother Zhang, be careful, these sword slaves—"

Cheng Yue let out a low cry.

Faced with this torrent of steel controlled by demonic influence, Zhang Yuan's expression remained calm and composed.

Instead of retreating, he held "Yuanyue" and stepped forward, facing the wave that exuded decay and sword aura!
"Humph!"

A cold, soft snort, as if the will of the sovereign had descended.

The Yuanyue Heavy Sword in his hand suddenly erupted with a dark light even more profound and heavy than the boundless rusty sea!
No fancy techniques, just power!

The illusory image of the sword flashed behind him and disappeared in an instant, all the power transforming into a destructive torrent that annihilated everything!

"break!"

Zhang Yuan exhaled and spoke, and the Yuanyue Sword swept forward from bottom to top in a simple yet domineering manner!
“Boom——!!!!!”

A condensed, solid, and dozens of feet wide dark chaotic sword aura, like a divine plow that ploughed the heavens and the earth, carrying the power to destroy the world, slammed into the surging army of demon-infected sword slaves!
Wherever the sword energy passed, space distorted and groaned!
The dozens of Vajra Realm sword slaves blocking its path crumbled like sand sculptures struck at high speed the moment their hard, gray metallic bodies touched the sword energy!

It turned into countless metal fragments and dust shooting into the sky!
Their crude sword formation failed to even create a ripple before being instantly torn into nothingness!

The violent shockwaves spread out to both sides, like invisible giant hands.

He violently hurled the hundreds of sword slaves surging from both sides, sending them flying like withered leaves swept away by a broom, crashing into the puppet horde in the distance and causing them to fall over!
One sword!
Clear the area!

This sword strike caused the fleeing and observing cultivators in the distance to turn their heads in horror.

"Where did this formidable person come from?"

"Holy crap, that was a brutal sword strike!"

Exclamations of surprise rang out.

Cheng Yue's lips twitched slightly.

A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Poisonous Hand Yin Xiaozi at the core of the puppet, and his withered claws suddenly rose.

Countless viscous, vicious, dark green, heart-corroding demonic energies surged wildly from his seven orifices and fingertips.

The demonic energy, like countless venomous snakes, coalesced into a gigantic, evil claw that blotted out the sky. Instead of attacking its own body, it descended upon Zhang Yuan!

Soul corrupted!

Corrupt heart and soul!

This is the most ruthless method the Dark Palace uses to deal with powerful body cultivators or tough guys!
The dark green demonic claw, carrying a curse that could freeze one's soul, ignored all defenses, instantly pierced through space, and pressed towards Zhang Yuan's brow and sea of ​​consciousness!
Cheng Yue cried out in alarm, "Brother Zhang! Be careful of your soul!"

He had witnessed the viciousness of this demonic art, which had turned countless masters into mindless puppets in an instant!
Faced with this extremely insidious soul-erosion, a faint, mocking look, like looking down on a mayfly, finally flashed across Zhang Yuan's eyes.

Instead of avoiding it, he slightly raised his head, his eyes seemingly filled with chaotic nebulae, incredibly deep.

"An ant trying to shake a mountain?" The cold thought was as real as a physical entity.

"Buzz!"

Deep within Zhang Yuan's sea of ​​consciousness, a vast and unimaginably magnificent starry sky suddenly appeared!
Countless dazzling sword lights condensed in the starry sky into an invisible river of sword intent that surged and roared!

That seemingly ferocious, dark green demonic claw, upon striking this sea of ​​consciousness, was like snow water poured onto a red-hot iron, emitting a terrifying hissing sound! (End of Chapter)