Daqin Zhentiansi

On the left, a thick, black cloud, as dark as ink, churned, from which came heavy, suffocating breathing sounds.

At the center of the dark cloud, two enormous vertical pupils, deep yellow like lava lakes, slowly lit up. As far as their eyes could see, the space was squeezed by an invisible force, creaking and cracking, and the ice walls kept collapsing.

A deep, thunderous voice boomed, causing ice shards to fall in a flurry: "Riftwind Fortress... the claws of the Great Qin have already pierced my spine! 'Light of the Barrier' is encroaching on my territory! It cannot be tolerated!"

In the center, a gigantic, crimson eye, dripping with viscous, foul blood, floats.

It has no eyelids, only pure malice focused on one point.

The giant eye coldly and mercilessly "stared" in the direction of the Shaking Mountain Demon Emperor, its pupils seemingly connected to the black hole of the Void, captivating all who beheld it.

A sharp, penetrating thought, directly affecting the soul, resounded, carrying a malice that could corrode everything: "Old Monster Zhou is right. That 'barrier' is stitching together space, repairing the fragments of the laws of heaven and earth..."

"It is eroding our foundations and imprisoning our very source of power! It must be broken! It must be corrupted with tainted blood!"

With its will, a thick, blood-red energy flowed from its pupils, silently polluting and devouring the void ahead like strong acid, corroding the spatial passage barrier that connected to Riftwind Fortress in the dark, leaving behind charred, writhing spatial wounds.

On the right, a gigantic, pale bony arm suddenly emerged from the dark abyss!
His arm bones were naturally covered with barbs and strange runes, entwined with dense, tangible nether death energy and the law of destruction, which silently annihilated any millennia-old ice that came into contact with them into powder.

The five claws of the bony arm are like five giant scythes that split the heavens!
A roar of will, like metal rubbing against stone and mingled with the shrieks of countless wronged souls, boomed: "Enough nonsense! My 'Netherworld Bone Hand'... has already probed the foundation of that newly built fortress! It's nothing but loose stones and mortal magic! Let me crush it directly! Let that brat Qingyang feel the arrival of despair!"

The enormous bone hand, carrying frost that could freeze souls and an absolute power that seemed capable of crushing stars, suddenly plunged into the spatial rift corroded by the "Erosion Blood Eye," aiming with unparalleled precision at the newly forged foundation of Riftwind Fortress!
Even across the vast distance, everyone could almost hear the desperate groans of the solid rock and deep foundations under unparalleled force—

"Crunch... Crack..."

The three destructive demonic energies briefly converged at this moment, their goals becoming unprecedentedly aligned.

The Blood-Eyed Eyes' pupils spun faster, and the crimson waterfall surged, opening a wider passage for the Bone Demon's giant claws.

A deep, resounding response came from the dark clouds surrounding the Mountain-Shaking Demon Emperor, causing the pressure on the entire ice cave to increase dramatically.

The bone hand of the "Prison-Suppressing Bone Demon" did not stop, and with the will to crush everything, it grabbed at its target!

That terrifying intent, a mixture of the Demon Emperor's roar, the blood-red eyes' shrieks, and the bone demon's golden cries, bombarded every inch of this world: "Great Qin... Riftwind Fortress... We have awakened... How dare you stand here?! Destruction—!!"

The wind above Riftwind Fortress suddenly became even more ferocious and icy, carrying a malice that pierced to the bone.

On the fortress wall, the soldiers on duty instinctively gripped their weapons, looked up at the sky, and felt a shadow fall over their hearts.

The war is about to break out!
"boom--"

Above the sky, demonic light tore through light and shadow, and arrived with a roar.

"boom--!"

The light of the barrier above Riftwind Keep trembled violently, like a lake surface rippled wildly after a boulder was thrown in!

Those three terrifying forces, originating from the deepest part of Xuzhou and symbolizing the three ancient demon emperors, finally overcame the spatial barrier and descended with the force to tear apart the sky!
On the left, pitch-black demonic clouds pressed down like ancient giant mountains, within which two molten lava-like giant pupils radiated a heavy will that could crush everything—the roar of the Mountain-Shaking Demon Emperor!

In the center, a viscous, blood-red waterfall pierced the sky, carrying a soul-corroding malevolence, rushing straight towards the core of the fortress, the Blood-Eyed Eyes of Corruption seeking to taint the very source!

On the right, a terrifying bone claw, wreathed in ghostly death energy and as pale as a giant mountain, disregarded spatial distance and, with the absolute power to freeze time and space and crush stars, fiercely grabbed at the newly built hundred-zhang-long foundation wall of Riftwind Fortress!
"Crunch... Crack..."

The foundation, as hard as black iron, groaned under the pressure of the bone claws' grasp, and the runes that had just been engraved on the wall bricks flickered unpredictably!

The blood waterfall from the Blood-Eyed Eyes of the Erosion was wrapped around it, frantically corroding the connection nodes between the city wall and the light of the barrier!

Inside the fortress, thousands of soldiers and civilians were shaken to their core. A chilling fear, originating from the depths of their souls, suddenly spread, as if the end of the world had arrived!
"Form ranks—!"

At the bow of the Zhenyu ship, Zhang Yuan's black python robe billowed like a raging sea!

His shout was like a thunderclap from the heavens, instantly suppressing all panic!
"Roar--!!!"

His response was the roar of eight million Qin warriors, united in their hatred of the enemy!

After several days of rest and resupply, their boiling fighting spirit and iron-blooded killing intent soared into the sky!

The Xuan Turtle Ice Dragon Battle Soul was clearer and more solid than ever before. The huge ice dragon coiled around the Xuan Turtle, raised its head and roared. The dragon's roar and the turtle's howl transformed into a torrent of sound waves that crashed head-on into the dark clouds overhead!
"hold head high……!!"

A dull, rumbling crash that swept across the heavens and earth!
The dark clouds were forcibly pushed upwards several meters, and a hint of shock and anger flashed in the giant lava eyes of the Mountain-Shaking Demon Emperor!
Is this the combined power of ordinary soldiers' souls?

How could it possibly contend head-on with his original demonic power?
"Hmph! Ants gathering sand, daring to shake a mountain?"

Deep within the ice cave in the heart of Xuzhou, the low roar of the Mountain-Shaking Demon Emperor came through the spatial rift, accompanied by even more terrifying pressure, attempting to suppress it once more.

At the same time, the Bloodfall of the Blood Eye suddenly accelerated its rotation, like a giant drill, injecting more filth into the base of the fortress!

The five fingers of the Netherworld Bone Claw suddenly tightened, intending to crush the "wedge" driven into Xuzhou!
Zhang Yuan's eyes were as cold as ancient ice, and he showed no intention of backing down in the face of the power of the Three Emperors!
"Suppressing the Prison—Expanding the Territory!"

He pointed his fingers like a knife and made a sweeping motion in the air!
The prison chains binding his arms broke free instantly, like an ancient dragon awakening, and swelled in the wind!

On the chain links, crimson battle patterns and dark gold Dao patterns intertwine and flow, each link exhaling the dragon and elephant true energy condensed to the extreme and the death-defying will of eight million soldiers!
The chains coiled around the massive ghostly bone claws like lightning, not to lock them shut, but to ruthlessly strangle and sever them!

"Zizzi—boom!"

A piercing sound of corrosion and cracking rang out!

The deathly stillness of the netherworld and the raging power of the prison clashed and annihilated each other!
The bone claws were intensely burned where the chains bound them, and a large amount of death energy was forcibly stripped away and purified, causing a painful roar like metal rubbing against stone to come from the claws!
The other end of the chain lashed out at the filthy blood waterfall shot from the Blood Eye of the Corruption Realm!
"Tsk-!"

Like a red-hot iron falling into dirty blood!

In the waterfall of blood, countless wailing vengeful spirits vanished the moment they touched the chains that suppressed the prison!
The foul energy was ignited by the crimson battle patterns on the chains, bursting forth with vast swathes of purifying light that forcefully dispersed and evaporated the world-destroying waterfall of blood!
With the power of one person and the might of one chain, he simultaneously confronted the corruption of the Blood Eye of the Corrosive Realm and the crushing attack of the Prison-Suppressing Bone Demon!

The entire space seemed to freeze at that moment!
"court death!"

The voices of the three demon emperors converged into overlapping furious roars within the spatial rift, carrying a world-destroying pressure, and smashed towards Zhang Yuan's soul like a tangible giant hammer!
Zhang Yuan swayed slightly, a trace of golden-red spilled from the corner of his mouth, but the light in his eyes grew brighter, like a burning star!

Behind him, the Yuanyue Sword hummed, and the Qiuhan Blade was drawn three inches from its sheath. The frost instantly froze the heavy will that the Hanyue Demon Emperor was pressing down through the space!
"Xuzhou—is the land of my Great Qin!" Zhang Yuan's voice pierced through layers of spatial barriers, echoing clearly above the ice cave, carrying an undeniable iron-blooded majesty. "Riftwind Fortress—is our border! What right do you cowardly monsters have to say 'we cannot stand here'?!" Before his words had even finished, he took a sudden step forward!
The chains beneath his feet hummed louder!

He used the immense strength of a dragon and an elephant as a guide, forcefully pulling together the souls of eight million soldiers and twisting them into a destructive torrent!
The Xuan Turtle Ice Dragon Battle Spirit roared and merged into the chains!

The weight of the Yuanyue Sword, the chill of the Qiuhan Blade, the scorching heat of the Longque Blade, and even the Azure Dragon Mace at the waist emitted a majestic dragon roar. The will of the four weapons transformed into four streams of light, entwining around the tips of the chains!

"open--!!"

Zhang Yuan exhaled and spoke, his right arm muscles bulging like ancient dragon tendons, and he suddenly pulled the Prison Suppression Chains upwards!
The target was the core of the Shaking Mountain Demon Emperor Black Cloud, which was being held back by the Xuan Turtle Ice Dragon, enraged by its words, and was now pressing down with all its might!
“Rumble——!!!”

The torrent of power gathered at the top of the chains, empowered by the light of the barrier, transformed into a crimson-gold streak that tore through chaos and pierced through the galaxy, crashing fiercely into the core of the sky-covering black clouds!
"puff--!"

Like a red-hot blade piercing through a thick, damp cloth!

The vast black clouds were instantly evaporated and pierced, revealing a huge yellow pupil inside that resembled a lava lake!

"Roar……!"

The Mountain-Shaking Demon Emperor let out a painful and incredulous roar!
His immense and unparalleled projection of will was actually pierced and repelled by this terrifying blow that embodied the spirit of the army, the body of a saint, the sharpness of the troops, and the mighty power of the prison!

The crimson-gold streak, undiminished in its momentum, plunged into the depths of the spatial rift, tearing a huge gap in the originally churning demonic clouds!

The power of the Bloodfall from the Blood-Eyed Eyes and the Netherworld Bone Claws weakened instantly.

On the other side of the spatial rift, there was a moment of silence, followed by a threatening thought from the Three Emperors, a mixture of shock, anger, and malice: "Marquis Qingyang, Zhang Yuan, very well! Very well! I will remember you! Xuzhou... will be your burial ground!"

"The light of the fortress will eventually be swallowed by blood... The fate of the Great Qin cannot withstand the tide of destruction!"

"The chains that imprison you? When my true form descends, I will crush them inch by inch, and forever imprison your soul in the Nine Netherworld's Frosty Hell!!"

Faced with this vicious curse that crossed space and was enough to make even a Golden Immortal tremble, Zhang Yuan's murderous aura soared into the sky!

He raised his hand to wipe the golden-red stains from the corner of his mouth, his gaze as cold as ice that had never melted, piercing through the spatial rift and striking at the source of the wills of the three demon emperors:
"Spreading fallacies and indulging in wishful thinking!"

His voice was icy cold, each word like a hammer blow striking the barrier of space.

"You will all wash your necks clean and wait! Once I have secured this realm, I will personally lead the mighty army of Qin to crush your den of filth!"

"I will hang your demonic heads on the beacon towers of the Northern Wall! Not one of you will escape!"

Having said that, before the Demon Emperor could respond, Zhang Yuan suddenly drew his sword!

"bass--!"

The Autumn Chill Blade at his waist was finally drawn completely!

The blade flashed coldly, yet it contained an unparalleled sharpness that could freeze eternity and sever time and space!

As he raised his hand and brought down his blade, an icy blue blade of light swept across the sky and earth, not slashing at the projection of the Demon Emperor, but at the spatial rift itself that connected the battlefield and was being constantly polluted by demonic energy!
"crack!"

The blade's edge cuts through the fabric as if slicing cloth!

The spatial passage, already extremely fragile due to the intense energy collision, along with the surging residual demonic energy within, was forcefully destroyed by this strike imbued with Zhang Yuan's supreme will and the might of the Qin army—

Cut it off, tear it apart!
"puff!"

Like a balloon being popped.

The overwhelming pressure of the Mountain-Shaking Demon Emperor, the filthy gaze of the World-Eroding Blood Eyes, the deathly aura of the Prison-Suppressing Bone Demon freezing souls... along with the final vicious roar of the Three Emperors, all vanished in an instant!
Above Riftwind Keep, only the light of the ramparts still trembled and churned, and a fragment of black demonic cloud that had been shattered and was slowly dissipating, like the debris scattered from a punctured filthy demonic lair.

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

Inside Riftwind Keep.

A huge cleared area.

The smoke of battle had not yet completely dissipated, and the air was filled with a mixture of dust, blood, and inferior herbs.

In the distance, on the city wall stood armored soldiers in sharp armor on guard, and the light from the ramparts shone into the city, creating a field of light and shadow.

Countless ragged and emaciated Xuzhou survivors huddled together, like frightened birds, their eyes vacant or numb, yet occasionally flashing with a hint of inquiry and a deep longing.

The Bureau of Remnants.

This is the Xuzhou Remnant Bureau established by Zhang Yuanxin.

Several rough wooden tables were temporarily erected in one corner of the site, and several pieces of mud-stained coarse cloth were used as tents.

Several military clerks dressed in relatively neat civil official attire were having a heated discussion with several old soldiers, whose armor was old but whose eyes were calm and sharp, around an animal skin map.

An old soldier tapped the animal hide with his calloused knuckles: "First and foremost! Separate the people! Those who can still work, those with skills, those who can manage things, quickly screen them out! What kind of mess is this!"

His hoarse yet resolute command could be clearly heard in the air.

At the other end of the open space, a long, crooked line had already formed in front of the wooden table.

Several clerks, beads of sweat glistening on their noses, were rapidly writing on rough bark paper or faded old cloth rolls.

Several survivors stood before them.

An elderly man with sparse, graying hair and a hunched back, yet striving to stand upright, had a slave mark on his neck that resembled a grotesque centipede crawling across his loose skin. His cloudy eyes suddenly lit up faintly when he heard words like "elder" and "registration."

Beside him was a middle-aged man with large, cracked knuckles, staring anxiously at the charcoal pencil in the clerk's hand.

There was also a boy huddled in a corner, clutching a half-rolled, charred, and tattered book, his lips silently murmuring the barely legible words on the page. (End of Chapter)