Daqin Zhentiansi

It was an extremely old male half-demon, his face covered with deep wrinkles and scales, his body hunched over, leaning on a cane made from the leg bone of an unknown monster.

But deep within those murky eyes burned a final, resolute determination to preserve the survival of his people.

He must be the old chieftain of this tribe.

Behind him followed several burly, fierce-looking half-demon warriors who retained more of their animal forms. They were clearly the tribe's guardian force and remained hostile towards Sima Hong and his companions.

The advisor, Qin Zizhan, quietly stepped forward and bowed deeply to the old clan chief. His voice was sincere and clear: "Old sir, your words... are heartbreaking, but they are the truth. Ten thousand years ago, our Great Qin also suffered a crushing defeat, with our mountains and rivers crumbling and our people suffering. But time has passed, and things are different now!"

"The Riftwind Fortress has been established, and this is no exaggeration! The light of the fortress is a manifestation of the united will of the Nine Provinces, capable of withstanding the power of the Demon Emperor! It is far superior to what it once was!"

He pointed to the survivors in the light screen who were struggling to survive but were now able to eat porridge in peace: "Old man, please look. These people are all from the same source as you all, born under the demonic scourge! They were once just like you, numb, desperate, and enslaved!"

"Although seeking refuge under the walls is still difficult, it offers a glimmer of hope, and one's backbone gradually straightens!"

He paused, his gaze meeting the old patriarch's cloudy yet sharp eyes with an open and honest look: "As for 'why'?" Qin Zizhan's voice carried an undeniable conviction, "Because of Qingyang Marquis's cleaving of Wind Valley with his sword, slaying the Nine-Headed Lion King, and withstanding the overwhelming power of the three Demon Emperors from afar! Because of this battle flag forged in blood!"

He pointed to the Qin character flag on the light screen.

"Furthermore, we rely on the unwavering spirit of 'How can we say we have no clothes!' Those who share this place are all comrades! Under the Marquis's rule, there is only one ironclad rule: those who return to order live, those who continue the chaos die! This is the path to enlightenment, and also the path to certain death. In the face of life and death, what choice does your esteemed department have?"

The old patriarch's scaly face seemed to twitch slightly, and his grip on the bone staff tightened and loosened.

The eyes of the guards behind him also flashed with intense struggle.

The scene of the survivors distributing porridge on the screen, the simple yet vibrant camp, and the battle flag symbolizing protection and authority all severely impacted their already ravaged nerves.

Ten thousand years of humiliation and oppression have been etched into our very bones.

The desire to survive is equally profound.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate and the atmosphere was tense, a slight noise broke the frozen silence.

Behind the old patriarch, a small hand covered with fine, light green down parted the dense bushes.

A little girl, about five or six years old, with a pair of small, delicate horns on her head like tender branches, and a dirty but still pretty face, emerged from the crack with curiosity and an undisguised longing.

Her clear, doe-like eyes were first drawn to the children of the remnant people in the light screen, who were about her size but dressed relatively cleanly, sitting by the herb garden eating simple dried fruit.

Then, she timidly looked at Sima Hong's waist.

There, instead of weapons, was a small grasshopper, exquisitely woven from grass stems.

Those were little gadgets that Zheng Yong's soldiers casually made to amuse the soldiers in the unit.

The little girl stretched out her tiny finger, pointing at the grasshopper, her eyes filled with pure, childlike joy and longing. In her childish voice, she murmured indistinct words to the old chieftain: "Grandpa...good...bright...want..."

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

The old patriarch's body jolted violently. He looked into the innocent and naive eyes of his youngest great-granddaughter, then abruptly looked up at the tranquil camp of the remnants in the light screen.

Then, feeling the resounding determination in Qin Zizhan's words and the mountain-like pressure emanating from Sima Hong...

The wrinkles on his face contorted violently, finally turning into a deep sigh filled with endless complex emotions.

That sigh seemed to have unloaded a burden of 100,000 years, or it seemed to have made a decision that would gamble the fate of the entire tribe.

He didn't look at the light screen again, nor at Sima Hong. He simply reached out his rough, scaly, and wrinkled hand and gently and tenderly touched his granddaughter's horns. For the first time, his cloudy eyes met the frank and profound gaze of his advisor Qin Zizhan without any hesitation.

In that gaze, though there was sorrow and doubt accumulated over 100,000 years, there was also a hint of... a heavy, as if light had been seen in a desperate situation, a sign of loosening!
Although there were no words of surrender at the first contact, the ice that had been frozen for 100,000 years had already cracked open with a tiny but crucial fissure under the order displayed by the light of the barrier, the pressure and sincerity of the Qin envoy, and a child's innocent yearning for a bright life.

……

The prison is in a quiet room.

As Zhang Yuan's visualization of the divine essence of the rock wall reached its peak and the chains of the Prison Suppression within his body faintly emitted the sound of melting gold, he clearly sensed, deep within his mind, a faint yet distinct ripple of will emanating from thousands of miles away.

That signifies... the beginning of a change!
His divine sense slightly focused, like an invisible gaze sweeping across the edge of the deep, miasma-shrouded rift valley, casting a tacit and supportive projection on that nascent hope.

……

Riftwind Fortress, like a dark golden heart, beats tenaciously on the frozen soil of Xuzhou.

Inside the fortress, soldiers and civilians, like a busy swarm of ants, relied on the light of the ramparts to build the prototype of their new home.

However, this vibrant scene undoubtedly became a thorn in the side of the demon forces entrenched deep within Xuzhou.

About 700 miles away from Rift Valley, the "Black Rock Demon Cave," nestled deep within the towering ice peaks, was the first to react.

The cave's master, a "Black Rock Demon General" whose position as a giant obsidian spider had recently been replaced by the Lava Demon Dragon by the Demon Emperor of the heartland, sensed a powerful threat coming from the direction of Riftwind Valley.

The persistent light of the barrier, like a scorching hot iron, burned the dark territory it ruled, compressed its space for activity, and cut off several of its important sources of low-level demon soldiers.

"Roar--!"

A low roar echoed through the deep cave, carrying a malevolent intent like drops of venom.

"How can we allow humans to stand here? Remove that thorn! With their blood and bones, we will rebuild our fortress!"

The Black Rock Demon Cave reacted faster and more cunningly than expected.

Instead of deploying its entire force, it mobilized its core strength, a mixed elite unit.

The core consists of tens of thousands of Obsidian Spider Guardians, whose carapaces are as hard as black iron, and whose spewed acid can corrode runes.

Tens of thousands of "corpse vine puppets," forcibly sewn together from the frozen remains of survivors and demonized vines, possess immense strength and are devoid of knowledge and pain.

Thousands of incredibly fast mutated "Black Claw Bone Vultures," spawned from the remains of "Rotting Bone Dragons," serve as aerial harassment and dropping agents.

This team had a clear objective: not a full-scale decisive battle, but rather to use a swift night raid to probe the enemy's strength and attempt to eliminate Riftwind Valley, their most forward stronghold, in order to demoralize the Qin army and people.

Midnight.

Beyond the light of the barrier, the thick, demonic fog suddenly churned and intensified.

Silently, countless low-level demon hounds and shadow lizard demons, acting as cannon fodder, surged like a tide towards the outer defenses of Riftwind Valley, attempting to create chaos.

Immediately afterwards——

"Whoosh—whoosh whoosh—!"

A sharp whooshing sound tore through the night sky! Dozens of bone vultures swept across the valley at high speed, like catapults, slamming sticky, bulging sacs into the outer camp of the fortress and the fortifications that were being completed!

"Watch out! It's a 'Vegetation Cloud Bomb'!"

The scouts on the watchtower roared with eyes blazing with fury.

“Bang! Bang! Bang——!”

The poison sac explodes upon landing!

In an instant, large swaths of thick, dark green toxic mist, emitting a deadly stench, rose up and spread rapidly like rolling waves!
The poisonous fog not only contains highly toxic and corrosive substances, but it can also paralyze the nerves and pollute the spiritual energy. It is the special evil object that the Qingnang Sect had previously detected, which is aimed at the purification talisman array!

Meanwhile, the core of the ground forces, those ferocious obsidian spider guards and corpse vine puppets, mixed in with the demonic tide, recklessly crashed into the outer defenses!

"Dangdangdang——"

Alarm bells rang throughout the entire Rift Valley!
A sharp, urgent bugle call pierced the night sky!

"Enemy attack! Form ranks! 'Mountains and Rivers Stand Firm'!!"

The roars of generals like Jin Yuelin and Chen Wu acted like a stabilizing force, instantly suppressing the initial commotion.

The Rocky Battalion soldiers, who had been waiting in battle for a moment, roared with a thunderous battle cry: "Defend—!"

The massive "Mountain and River Formation" built around the 20,000-strong Pan Shi Camp was activated instantly!
A vast expanse of earthy yellow blood energy surged into the sky, and the array flags shone brightly, as if forcibly extracting the earth veins of Riftwind Valley and transforming them into a super giant shield that stretched across the front of the demon tide, flowing with mountain patterns and the light and shadow of rivers!

The attacks, a mixture of strong acid and physical impact, crashed against the mountain and river array wall, producing a dull, thunderous roar. The runes, as they swirled, forcefully held back and deflected the first wave of impact!

Deep within the fortress, on the core command platform, Zhang Yuan's black python robe fluttered without wind.

Instead of directly attacking the enemy, he sat at the center like a towering mountain, his powerful divine sense spreading across the entire battlefield like mercury.

Faced with the overwhelming, foul-smelling miasma bombs and the acid sprayed by the bone vulture as it swooped down, his eyes suddenly lit up with golden divine light!

"town!"

With a low shout, Zhang Yuan raised his palm and pressed down.

A golden palm shadow appeared above the main residential and workshop areas, which were shrouded in the light of the fortress's core and the ramparts!
"hold head high--!"

Accompanied by the deep, majestic roar of dragons and the neighing of elephants.

A powerful and unparalleled dragon-elephant true energy burst forth.

Under the extreme concentration of Zhang Yuan's will, a massive, solid light barrier, shimmering with dark gold dragon scales and ancient runes, rapidly formed above it—

"Dragon and Elephant Protecting the Wall!"
"Chichichichi——!"

The foul-smelling miasma and the torrent of highly corrosive acid violently impacted the protective wall, producing a piercing corrosive sound.

The foul energy frantically eroded the protective barrier, but the supreme yang and strength contained in the Dragon Elephant True Qi, and the great power to suppress evil and destroy the prison, suddenly erupted, shining with golden-red light, forcefully evaporating and purifying the putrid miasma and acid!
The dark green poisonous fog melted away rapidly, like ice and snow crashing into an invisible furnace, leaving only scalding bubbles and pungent smoke at the lower edge of the light wall.

The soldiers and civilians below, protected from the calamity, looked up at the wall of light that held up a clear sky, feeling the overwhelming disaster above them being fiercely blocked. The fear in their hearts was instantly replaced by an almost religious awe and a fanatical fighting spirit!

"Quick, charge up there!"

"My lord, my lord is protecting us!"

They hurried to reinforce the fortifications and treat the wounded, while the radiance of the Qingnang Guard's medicinal pills rose and fell beneath the light barrier.

At the same time, Zhang Yuan's powerful divine sense, like an invisible spider web, pierced through the chaotic battlefield, the churning poisonous fog, and the cover of night, locking onto the target precisely in an instant!
found it!
In the shadows of the mountain ridge slightly behind the Blackrock Demon Cave forces, a powerful figure, resembling a giant obsidian spider but with complex demonic patterns shimmering on its back armor, emanated a powerful aura and constantly emitted mental fluctuations to command and coordinate.

It was the commander-in-chief of this night raid, an avatar of that "Black Rock Demon General" or his personal guard!
"Xue Dingyue!"

Zhang Yuan's divine sense, like a cold command, directly entered the soul of the Eagle Guard commander.

"The general is here!"

Standing atop a concealed eagle's nest crossbow platform, Xue Dingyue instantly understood, his eyes flashing with a sharp, eagle-like light.

No words are needed; divine sense has locked onto the shared target location!
"Target: Enemy Chieftain! Decapitation! Thunderbolt—Starfall!"

Xue Dingyue roared like thunder, his body crackling with lightning, his arm muscles bulging, and he instantly drew a specially made Eagle Soaring Heavy Crossbow, covered with runes of "Exorcising Evil" and "Chasing Souls," to its full extent!

The Azure Ocean Electric Crystal Core embedded in the crossbow body emitted a blazing blue-purple light, and energy was being frantically compressed and injected into the crossbow arm!
“Zheng——!!!”

A heavy crossbow bolt, crackling with terrifying spiral lightning and with an arrowhead as bright as a falling star, streaked across the murky night sky at supersonic speed, shooting with unparalleled precision toward the Black Rock Demon General's command center!
Wherever the arrow passed, the poisonous mist was forcibly evaporated, creating a passage!

The black rock demon general had just sensed a deadly danger when the rapidly enlarging lightning bolt of death was reflected in its dark yellow compound eyes!

“Boom—Crack!!!”

The sound of thunderous explosions echoed across the battlefield!

A huge ball of blue-purple plasma exploded at the ridge where the target was located, illuminating half of the darkness with its blinding light!

Amidst the flying obsidian fragments and the mournful shrieks of demonic souls!
That powerful demonic aura that commanded and coordinated the troops was instantly extinguished like a candle flickering in the wind!

With the enemy leader killed, the ground demon tide's offensive rhythm noticeably slowed down, plunging into brief chaos.

But the Corpse Vine Golems and Obsidian Spider Guards at the forefront were still charging forward frantically, relying on instinct and residual commands.

"Raging Wind Camp! Hold the line! Blood-patterned Shields, raise them!"

The scarred sergeant roared hoarsely from behind.

The newly formed Riftwind Battalion soldiers gritted their teeth, their eyes no longer filled with the fear they had felt when they first entered the battlefield, but only with the determination to fight for their homeland.

They wore cobbled-together old armor, and clutched tightly in their hands the brand-new "blood-patterned shields" that the workshop had been working overtime to forge.

The main body of the blood iron ore ingot is mixed with black iron residue, and the surface is covered with dark red, rough patterns that look like living things.

"Drink——!"

Faced with the rotting claws and teeth of the corpse vine golems rushing towards them, and the sporadic acid sprays from the spider guards.

The soldiers of the Riftwind Camp roared and slammed their blood-patterned shields heavily into the frozen ground!

"Buzz—!" (End of Chapter)