Daqin Zhentiansi

Night falls on the newly built "Demon Suppression Platform".

The hundred-mile-long black stone city wall beneath Zhang Yuan's feet resembled a giant python coiled up, with the light of the fortress piercing the sky atop the black iron pillar at its end, building a bridge of light between the frozen soil of Xuzhou and the distant Yongtianzhou.

Zheng Kanglin patrolled past the newly built walls at night.

The torch illuminates the newly inlaid inscription between the stones: it contains the names and hometowns of fallen comrades, with blank spaces left for those who never returned.

The dark red crystal core of the shoulder armor glowed with an eerie light, and within it, the lightning of the vast ocean danced like leaping stars, seemingly echoing the direction of Yongtian Continent.

Three sharp whistles of Eagle Sorrow Gorge came from the direction of Eagle Soaring Guards, carving a glimmer of life into the desolate Demon Plain.

Zheng Kanglin gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his pupils reflecting the Qin banner fluttering atop the city wall.

Where the light of the fortress shines, Riftwind Fortress has become the first boundary marker that the Great Qin Dynasty has driven into the demonic land of Xuzhou.

……

A biting wind howled between the towering, dark walls of Riftwind Fortress.

At the top, the blood-red dragon flag fluttered like angry flames.

The radiance of the barrier condensed into a giant golden bowl of light, firmly holding the scorched earth within a radius of hundreds of miles, and completely isolating the surging demonic clouds from the outside.

The core workshop area of ​​Riftwind Keep.

Beside a huge jade disc supported by a stone platform with rune array.

The old talisman master from the Ministry of Works, with his white hair and beard, trembled slightly with nervousness.

He carefully dipped a crystal pen into the newly made spirit ink mixed with "earth core fire saliva" powder and repeatedly traced and reinforced the core array pattern on a huge jade slip.

The disc was surrounded by various precision crystals, wires, and crates bearing the logo of Yu Yuan Trading Company.

The runes on the surface of the jade plate, which had been faintly flickering and intermittent, suddenly stabilized and began to pulsate rhythmically the moment the last line of defense was connected!
"Quick! Give it a try!"

The old talisman master's voice was hoarse.

A gaunt soldier with sunken eyes and cracked lips suddenly lunged at the voiceprint port in front of the communication array and roared with all his might, "This is Riftwind Keep! Can you hear me? Blackrock Fortress! Blackrock Fortress! Respond if you receive this!"

His voice echoed in the empty workshop area, carrying an almost desperate hope.

The runes on the jade slip shimmered like the pounding of a nervous heart.

Dead silence...

A suffocating silence filled the air. The strategist's fingers gripped the cold edge of the array platform so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Suddenly!
The jade slip suddenly burst forth with a dazzling and stable ice-blue radiance!
The light projected a hazy, indistinct curtain of light above the jade plate, as if shimmering through water.

A slightly noisy but incredibly familiar and steady voice pierced through the spatial barriers and the lingering demonic cloud barrier above Xuzhou, clearly resounding throughout the workshop: "Hiss... Rustle... Riftwind Fortress! Heard it! Blackrock Fortress received! My lord... are you well? Are the soldiers safe?! The projection of the fortress's light is clear, signal confirmed successfully!!"

His voice was filled with barely concealed excitement.

In an instant, the oppressive atmosphere was broken!
The staff officer swayed almost as if he were about to collapse, then rushed to the recording crystal in a frenzy and began to dictate the battle report and the list of supplies.

"High-level craftsmen! Physicians! Rune array masters! Cold-resistant grain seeds! The more the better!"

The runes recorded a stream of light that surged into the jade slip like a torrent.

The beam of light remained connected steadily.

After only about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the jade slip glowed blue again!

The voice from Blackrock Fortress was even clearer and louder than before: "Reinforcements have set off! Repeat! The second batch of fresh troops led by His Highness Prince Ying Rong has completed their assembly at Blackrock Fortress and is ready to depart!"

"The first batch of support! One hundred special masters from the Ministry of Works, fifty renowned physicians from the Qingnang Sect, thirty top-notch talisman array masters, and ten top-notch scouts from the Yuyuan Trading Company's 'Xinglu Hall'... have stepped into the teleportation array pillar!"

"You...hold on! Great Qin...will prevail!!"

The light from the jade slip illuminated the tired yet suddenly radiant faces of everyone present!

The anxiety that had been hanging in the air finally eased a little, and a signal of hope pierced through this demon realm.

Fort Square.

The teleportation beam that pierced the sky once again brutally tore through the thick demonic clouds!

Space rippled violently.

The manager of Yu Yuan Trading Company, dressed in an indigo brocade robe and wearing a black patterned square scarf, was the first to step out from the light.

He took a deep breath of the air, which was filled with the smell of gunpowder and frozen soil, and looked up at the towering fortress walls, his eyes flashing with excitement and solemnity.

He immediately turned around and shouted loudly at the surging team behind him, "Quick! Guys, unload all the Jiuchuan Alliance's cargo boxes into the 'Class A Warehouse Area'! Guards, spread out and be on guard, the evil aura in this godforsaken place hasn't dissipated yet!"

The men shouted in unison, their calls rising and falling: "Team One! The 'Ling' character stack on Ling Valley!"

"Second team! Deliver the steel pickaxes to the 'Arsenal' for handover!"

"Be careful! That ice jade box contains the Qingnang Sect's life-saving medicine!"

The giant wheels, driven by runes, rumbled and rolled over the freshly cleared stone path.

Countless crates printed with the unique cloud patterns of the Jiuchuan Alliance seemed to grow out of thin air, quickly piling up into a mountain in the designated area.

"Eighty million shi of rice! Two million shi of spirit grain!"

The deputy in charge of provisions spoke in a trembling voice, pointing to the giant golden tower that almost touched the dome of the barrier's light shield.

“It’s piled up in golden hues… My lord, our army’s supplies are secure! Enough to feed us for years!”

The rich aroma of grains, mixed with a subtle spiritual energy, dispelled some of the burnt smell of the battlefield.

The old craftsman at the armory, his beard and hair bristling, ran his rough hands over the rows of neatly arranged, menacingly gleaming "300,000 fine steel pickaxes," and grinned, "Good heavens! The craftsmanship of the Ministry of Works! With these, we could dig through the demon's lair!"

Beside them, rows of newly arrived "Kui Dragon Rune Armor" shimmered with a deep blue light under the illumination.

The runes on the precision armor plates moved on their own like flowing water, leaving a group of young soldiers watching in awe.

A female cultivator from the Qingnang Sect with a cool and aloof demeanor carefully opened an ice jade box, and a chilling aura instantly spread out.

The emerald-green pill inside the box exuded a surging life force, like solidified blood essence.

"The Blood Rejuvenation Pill, one pill is enough to bring a dying person back to life."

She explained softly to the military officer recording the notes beside her, her fingertips tracing the sealing runes on the box, the flickering starlight reflected in her focused eyes.

Beneath the fortress walls, fiery flames erupted, scorching the air until it distorted.

The alchemy master "Crimson Flame Venerable" from Yuntian Continent had hair and beard that looked like burning flames. His hair and beard stood on end, and his eyes were filled with fervor as he stared at the giant Bagua cauldron in front of him.

He hurled a fist-sized "Frost Giant Elephant Demon Core," radiating a bone-chilling cold, into the furnace, roaring, "Earth fire! Refine it for me—!"

"boom!"

The cauldron roared, and flames raged. The ferocious demon core instantly vaporized.

The pure blood essence and the icy soul energy surged violently at the furnace mouth, condensing into a thick pillar of crimson light that shot into the sky.

A strong, exotic fragrance filled the air, causing nearby apprentices who were refining weapons to inhale deeply.

"It's done! What a magnificent batch of 'Crimson Blood Ice Soul Pills'! A divine object for tempering the body, forging bones, and cleansing the marrow!"

Master Chiyan excitedly patted the furnace wall, his face glowing red.

On the other side, the "Lu God Hammer," a grandmaster of weapon refining from the Azure Sky Domain, was shirtless, his bronze muscles bulging.

He swung a black iron hammer the size of a human head and smashed it hard onto a "rotten bone dragon spine" that was as thick as a house beam and emitted a purple light!

"Keng!"

Sparks flew as the remaining demonic soul within the spine instinctively resisted, its dark purple evil light surging, attempting to corrupt the Lu God Hammer.

However, the "exorcising runes" engraved on the hammer surface suddenly emitted a clear light, suppressing and dispelling the evil light.

"You beast! Submit to me!"

Lu Shenchui's eyes were wide open, his incantations were like thunder, and the muscles in his arms were bulging. Every hammer blow was precise and violent.

His spine gradually softened and deformed, fitting perfectly into the base of the giant, black shield shaped like a tortoise shell in front of him.

As the final shaping incantation burst forth from his mouth, a burst of spiritual light exploded from the center of the shield!

"Ow!"

A powerful, soul-stirring roar resounded, and amidst the shimmering light on the shield, the majestic phantoms of a Xuan Turtle treading the sea and an Ice Dragon coiling in the sky were clearly revealed!

"Good! 'Mystic Tortoise Ice Dragon Demon-Suppressing Giant Shield'!" Lu Shenchui wiped the sweat from his brow and patted the shield with satisfaction. "With this, no ordinary demon king can shake the Qin army's formation in the slightest! Evil spirits will be terrified!"

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

Riftwind Keep.

Inside the main meeting room.

The somber atmosphere was diluted by the good news.

His excitement and exhilaration were palpable.

The heavy iron gate swung open with a roar, and several scouts, covered in blood and with tattered armor but standing tall like pine trees, strode in under the solemn gaze of the guards!
Each step echoed dully on the cold ground.

As soon as they entered, a strong aura of iron and blood, along with the lingering stench of demonic blood, assaulted their senses.

The lead scout suddenly knelt on one knee, holding a jade slip filled with battle reports, stained with dark red blood, high in both hands.

His voice, hoarse with excitement and exhaustion, was as resonant as a bell, echoing clearly in every corner of the hall.
"Good news!"

"General Wang Ben's vanguard of the Northern Garrison, in a wedge formation, plunged straight into the outer perimeter of the Northern Darkness Frost Prison! They slew the guardian demon 'Three-Eyed Demon Ape,' shattering its form and freezing the thousand-mile-long demon cave!"

"We are currently consolidating our defenses and have rescued and resettled more than 7,000 Chenzhou survivors who were living in the cold prison!!"

A burst of barely suppressed cheers erupted from the two rows of officers in the hall.

Immediately afterwards, another scout also reported loudly:

"A great victory! General Li Mu's 'Withered Vines Coiling the Mountain' formation under his command has been fully unleashed, crushing three demon lairs on the southern slope: 'Thorn Bone Tomb,' 'Rotting Blood Vine Forest,' and 'Soul-Devouring Nest'! Three complete cold iron ore veins have been recovered! The reserves are abundant and can be used by the nation!"

The last scout's voice was filled with unparalleled killing intent: "The throne is secured! General Tie Xing personally led the Xuanjia Dragon Cavalry to flatten 'Howling Wind Hills'! He slew the leader of the remnants of the Blood-Eyed Demon Saint's army, 'Thousand-Faced Blood-Eyed Spider'! He annihilated his entire clan!"

"Nine jade slips of the 'Demon-Feeding Scripture,' sealed by evil forces, were seized from the depths of its lair! The evil magic has been controlled!"

The final sentence was loudly added by the accompanying officer, echoing throughout the area: "The remaining battalions have been deployed according to the star map in the 'Rift Valley Military Register,' and all monsters within a 300-mile radius have been eliminated! The safe zone behind Rift Valley Fortress is now secure—!"

The sound traveled through the council chamber into the fortress.

The soldiers guarding outside, the busy laborers, and even the resettled survivors were all thrilled by the sound, and the crowd erupted in a tsunami of cheers: "Victory! Victory! Victory for Great Qin!"

As the military report was flipped through, the jade slip hummed, and the lingering resentment of the ferocious beast within was firmly suppressed by the military aura.

Everyone looked up and, through the tall glass windows, could clearly see that the frozen land outside, which was originally shrouded in gray demonic energy, was being covered inch by inch by the "light of the fortress" projected from above Riftwind Fortress and advanced three hundred miles!
The pale golden light seeped out from the frozen earth in wisps, becoming clearer and more resilient.

That is the power of the Great Dao of the Nine Provinces, which is quietly manifesting, like an invisible hand, striving to repair the broken and torn laws of heaven and earth in Xuzhou, and weaving a new order and law!

The observatory atop Riftwind Keep.

The winds here are extremely fierce, strong enough to tear apart ordinary iron.

Marquis Zhang Yuan of Qingyang stood like a solitary peak, dressed in a black robe, with his hands behind his back, overlooking the Xuzhou land that was slowly recovering but was shrouded in the remaining demonic clouds.

Zhang Yuan's gaze was profound, as if it had pierced through the clouds and reached into the vast void beyond the Nine Provinces.

Tao Gongzi's figure appeared silently beside him like a ghost.

His finger lightly touched an inconspicuous corner of the massive Xuzhou sand table that floated in front of the two of them: "My lord, His Majesty sent you here to oversee things, not just for a reunion in a corner of Xuzhou."

His voice was not loud, but it was clear as if it were etched in the wind, carrying an all-knowing wisdom.

"This is the strategy of 'concealing one's strength.' The void passage connecting to other realms beyond the Northern Wall has become a huge hidden danger."

With a slight movement of his fingertips, the scene on the sand table suddenly stretched and changed, presenting a vision of the void of the universe.

Countless jagged and twisted spatial rifts were covered like the claw marks of a demon god. Deep within the rifts, viscous and dark demonic energy churned, and terrifying chaotic demonic shadows appeared and disappeared. Destructive demonic flames scorched the originally stable void barrier!
"This is the true blade hanging over the heads of the Nine Provinces. Xu Zhou's achievements are to accumulate deeper and stronger power for His Majesty's future global affairs, forging a... divine blade that will stabilize the world!"

Zhang Yuan's gaze instantly sharpened like lightning. His dark robe sleeves seemingly casually brushed across the sand table, making the images of countless spatial rifts even clearer and more terrifying.

The destructive aura emanating from the void wafted through the sand table, causing even the sturdy defensive runes of the observatory to tremble slightly and emit a low hum.

His deep voice carried more weight than the howling wind, radiating an undeniable, iron-blooded authority: "The Nine Provinces are not yet at peace, and the treacherous have already infiltrated. Xu Province must be pacified quickly, and then..."

The words have not yet been spoken!

An indescribable, icy, violent, and demonic aura originating from the deepest part of Xuzhou's core, like an ancient venomous snake awakening, suddenly pierced through the filtering of the void barrier and precisely locked onto the Riftwind Fortress that was rising from the ground!

Zhang Yuan and Young Master Tao both stiffened at the same time and turned around abruptly!

Ten thousand miles away, in the heart of Xuzhou, at the bottom of a bottomless, lightless ice cave.

This is not a desolate, frozen wasteland, but a forbidden zone where the laws of time and space have been distorted.

The air was as thick as mercury, and time seemed to be frozen yet flowed faster. In the center was a huge void forcibly opened up by the three colors of demonic power: scarlet, dark green, and pale white, with demonic clouds churning like a boiling sea of ​​blood and pus.

Three primordial, ferocious figures, radiating power that could tear apart the starry sea and cause the entire ice cave's walls to tremble violently, were now clearly visible within the demonic clouds.

They were no longer vague outlines, but confronted each other in a truly terrifying form, forming a fleeting alliance. (End of Chapter)