Daqin Zhentiansi

Riftwind Fortress, a fortress that rose from the smoke of war and frozen earth, has undergone a quiet transformation at its core.

The military camp area was strictly ordered.

Inside the Xuanjia Dragon Cavalry's encampment, the Iron-Hoofed Beast paced restlessly in its enormous, private stable, exhaling scorching white steam. The beast tamer was grooming its scales with a special, life-giving medicinal paste.

Not far away on the training ground, the Northern Border Zhenyue Army's formation was practicing a combined spear attack. The sharp spear light tore through the air, accompanied by a deep, thunderous battle cry: "Break—Demon!"

This is the pure imperial elite, undertaking the most advanced mobile strike missions.

Separated by a thick, rune-inscribed barrier, lies the exclusive camp of the Pan Shi Camp.

On the camp wall, the huge battle flag bearing the inscription "Unmoved by the Rock" stood firm and immovable in the wind.

Inside the camp, the soldiers were either polishing the rune grooves on their heavy shields or meditating cross-legged, drawing upon the primordial earth energy they had extracted from the ley lines of Riftwind Valley.

They were the last bastion of the Acropolis; if they did not move, nothing would happen, but if they did, the earth would tremble.

At the edge of the camp, Scarface Qin was berating several rookie recruits from the Riftwind Battalion who had made minor mistakes, while veteran platoon leaders like Wang Hu led a patrol of the supply warehouse. Everything seemed chaotic, yet it functioned normally thanks to Scarface's roars and the veterans' tacit understanding.

Further out, a new camp was set up by a support team composed of half-demons. They were dressed in relatively uniform clothes and practiced basic coordinated defensive formations on a designated training ground, with Silver Scale and others moving among them to supervise.

These auxiliary soldiers are mainly responsible for "dirty and tiring work" such as guarding the logistics line, rough work on fortifications, and cleaning up contaminated areas.

Passing through the military camp area, you'll find yourself in a bustling industrial zone.

The deafening sounds of forging, the unique roar of the furnace, the whistling of materials being cut, and the low hum of the talisman master adjusting the equipment all mingled together.

The newly arrived master craftsman from the Ministry of Works is guiding the expanded "Crafts Workshop" in improving the formula for the "Blood Pattern Shield".

The pharmacists were busy in the "medicine hut," trying to make "exorcising powder" with "heart-clearing grass" as the main ingredient and supplemented with newly arrived medicinal materials.

The newly operational "mechanical crossbow assembly line" is rapidly etching, polishing, and assembling pieces of roughly forged black iron into ferocious Rift Wind heavy crossbows under the guidance of rune arrays.

The air was filled with the complex smells of red-hot metal, herbs, and refining animal bones.

Adjacent to the west side of the workshop area is the relatively well-planned "Anjufang".

Rows of prefabricated wooden houses, built from materials transported from the North, have replaced most of the thatched huts and mud houses. The streets, though simple, are clearly marked with distinct zones.

At dawn, the women carried buckets to several large water rune arrays near the center of the Barrier of Light to fetch water.

As evening fell, wisps of smoke rose from the uniformly designed stone stoves, each engraved with basic heat-gathering runes.

The air was filled with the aroma of millet porridge and the slightly sweet, earthy scent of freshly steamed "cracking sweet potatoes".

On one side of the square in the center of Anjufang, the sound of students reading aloud from the wooden "Qimingtang" has become the most beautiful new sound in this land.

No longer fragmented recollections, the old Confucian scholars used specially made charcoal pencils to teach the systematic basic characters of the Qin Dynasty, mathematical principles, and most importantly, the articles of the "Public Security Decree".

Outside the classroom, a small practice area was set up where several half-demon children were excitedly using their newly learned knowledge to help the agricultural teacher take care of several successfully transplanted "Cold Jade Barley" seedlings. Their leaves gleamed with a resilient green under the light of the barrier.

Not far from Qiming Hall, an open-air "market" consisting of several wooden sheds was already bustling with people.

This is the most direct manifestation of the "return to the source".

Yu Yuan Trading Company has the largest storefront, and its goods are displayed in a dazzling array.

Several elderly women, descendants of the fallen dynasty, set up stalls on the spot with winnowing baskets and small baskets woven from rattan, filled with freshly picked "earth tendon grass," collected roots and stems of unusual medicinal herbs, and even "mist stones" that had been polished quite smoothly.

Several half-demon strongmen carried heavy stones or the skins of snow rabbits that they had hunted and which had been tested by the apothecary to be non-toxic. They squatted to the side and tried to trade with the "exchange vouchers" that they had just learned to use, with a sense of novelty and clumsiness.

Although the goods traded were crude and the haggling even turned into arguments, this circulation rule, established with official backing, was subtly reshaping the distorted and broken interpersonal relationships and bonds of trust that had existed for hundreds of thousands of years.

Beyond the boundaries of the light shield of the Barrier, the tentacles of the Rendingwind Fortress are striving to extend in all directions.

The rune-driven "mountain-opening plow" roared as it tore through the frozen soil, creating new furrows that stretched out in rows, sowing not only grain seeds but also the will to take root there.

At the key points of the large-scale defensive fortifications, the dark muzzle of the "Earth-Splitting Rune Cannon" and the gleaming arms of the "Frost Prison Crossbow" covered in mystic ice, like the fangs of a giant beast, coldly point towards the unknown depths of the demon realm.

In the air, eagles, sentries of the Eagle Guard, circled overhead.

On the ground, well-equipped scout teams, assisted by half-demon guides, slid like ghosts into the darkness, gathering intelligence on their target—the Black Rock Demon Cave.

All of this was observed by the pair of eyes perched atop the Demon-Suppressing Platform.

Zhang Yuan stood alone here, his black python robe fluttering in the biting wind, his figure seemingly integrated with the roaring war fortress beneath his feet.

His divine senses spread out, sensing the vibrant power within the acropolis—a power where life was beginning to emerge, order and chaos coexisted, and iron and gentleness intertwined.

He sensed more clearly that the rules and barriers of Rift Valley were becoming increasingly robust.

This is the culmination of the beliefs, labor, and sacrifices of countless soldiers, civilians, and half-demons, like countless streams eventually flowing into a river, washing away the last remaining filth from this desolate land.

The Riftwind Fortress is like a new bud that has struggled to sprout deep in the frozen soil, broken through the ice, and stood upright with its stem and leaves.

With its roots in rock and its leaves in the presence of weapons, it proclaims its message to this weathered land with arduous yet unwavering resolve.

This place has become the cornerstone of a new order.

The bloody and fiery journey to reclaim Xuzhou, which began with the Rift of Wind, will eventually sweep away the demonic atmosphere and restore order to the world.

However, the warning of the void disturbance from the Azure Sky Domain, like a rain cloud surging from the sky, had not yet covered the sky above Riftwind, but the thunder it was brewing had already caused an unshakable solemnity to settle between the brows of the master of this nascent land.

The bloody battle in the Black Rock Demon Cave is about to begin, while the shadows of the void are already lurking at the edge of the horizon.

Three days later, deep within the city of Liefeng, beside the Qiyue Wuyi Xuanbei Stele.

Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged, his dark black python robe blending seamlessly with the frozen earth beneath him. For the past three days, he hadn't merely sat idly; instead, he had absorbed everything from the bloody battle at Riftwind Valley, repeatedly refining and processing it within his own mind.

The battlefield's chilling aura surged like a tidal wave!
The cascading torrent of light from three hundred warships, the iron-clad dragon cavalry's collision, the prairie fire of the red-scaled cavalry, the roar of the Tuoba Han barbarian warriors crushing the enemy ranks, the explosion of Xue Dingyue's thunderous arrow rain, Yu Wanjun's heavy cavalry's thunderous charge through the enemy lines, and the bloody clash of the Black Rock Demon Cave's elite night raid last night...

On the battlefield, the fearless and indomitable spirit of millions of soldiers, forming an iron wall, roared and surged in his mind like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea!

The will and spirit of the survivors have reignited the flame!
The upright spines of the new recruits in the Riftwind Battalion after the bloody battle in the mine, the tender yet determined voices reading aloud in the Qiming Hall, the rising steam of millet porridge and the salty aroma of coarse salt in Anjufang, the tenacious new green heart-clearing grass in the herb garden, the first glimmer of light in the eyes of the half-demon child holding a wooden comb and malt candy...

Those pure thoughts that struggled to sprout in the frozen ruins, yearning for survival and the future, carried the warmth of the soil and hope, quietly nourishing the heavy responsibility deep in his soul.

The true meaning of Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison resonated with the very existence of Riftwind Guard City at this moment!

The ancient dragon and elephant in the ancient star rock murals, carrying shattered star remains, crushed the void demon dragon with the mantra "Suppress," displaying their ancient divine charm; the clumsy protection of the rock-armored tortoises integrated into the defensive system; the unyielding will of the city walls with runes, built like an immovable mountain; and the grand aspiration of the Xuan Turtle Ice Dragon War Soul, which draws upon the evil energy of eight million soldiers to anchor in the void and protect the mountains and rivers...

All of this essence—about protection, about order, about being rooted here, and about fighting to the death—was completely fused together with the surging chaotic true energy within him and the original imprint of the "Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison Technique" under the catalysis of the blood-soaked yet indestructible entity that is Riftwind Guard City!
Three days of intense mental activity, three days and nights of deep breathing exercises.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the eternal gloom of the Xuzhou tundra, their light fell squarely upon the display of the ancient, worn-out ring-pommel sword and the Wind-Splitting Demon-Breaking Crossbow—

"Buzz!"

Zhang Yuan suddenly opened his closed eyes!

Two beams of golden light, seemingly solid, pierced the darkness before dawn.

There was no earth-shattering sound, only a slight sinking of the earth's veins throughout the entire Riftwind City.

Behind him, the illusory image of the "Dragon Elephant Prison Suppressing Stele," formed by the condensation of boundless fighting spirit, murderous aura, willpower, and the true meaning of the dragon and elephant, suddenly changed from being illusory and hazy to being incredibly clear, solid, and weighty!
It's like a monument that has stood here since time immemorial!

The stone tablet stands tall, made of neither gold nor jade, its entire surface shimmering with an ancient luster that is a mixture of dark gold and chaos, its texture seemingly bearing the sediment of endless star remains.

The inscription on the stele is not carved by human hands, but rather a naturally imprinted, ever-shifting script of the Great Dao!

Though incomplete, its meaning shines as brightly as the sun and moon traversing the sky:

"Power to suppress all directions!"

"Protect our land!"

"Prison Lock Evil!"

"An impregnable fortress!"

Each Dao pattern that appeared caused subtle ripples in the surrounding space, and an indescribable heavy pressure silently spread out.

Centered on this solid "Dragon Elephant Prison Stele", an invisible domain quietly unfolds!

Within a radius of several dozen feet in the center of the city, the air suddenly became stagnant and heavy, as if it were filled with mercury from the melting of millennia-old ice.

The falling dust remained suspended, the howling wind was forcibly silenced, and even the beams of morning light, with their dancing particles clearly visible, moved at an extreme slowness.

The prototype of a small-scale "Ten Directions Prison Boundary" has emerged!
This is not a simple increase in gravity, but a spatial suppression that combines the true meaning of "suppression", the solidification of "evil", and the isolation of "protection"!
Within this domain, all laws seem to favor "stability" and "constraint".

Those weak remnants of demonic energy that lingered and peered outside the light of the barrier were instantly swept into the edge of this domain, like ice and snow exposed to the scorching sun, emitting a faint "hissing" sound. They were instantly crushed by the spatial power that carried the majestic majesty of a dragon and elephant and the strict will of a stern man!

At this moment, the acropolis was no longer merely a barrier constructed by external rune arrays.

Its core, its spiritual totem, has been embodied in Zhang Yuan.

The solidity of the Dragon Elephant Town Prison Stele symbolizes that Zhang Yuan's understanding and strength in the path of "guarding" has reached a whole new level!

He transformed the Rift Valley into the "root" of his flesh and blood, and "Protect" into the indestructible "heart," completely merging into this land soaked in blood and teeming with life.

Zhang Yuan slowly rose, his robe sleeves fluttering without wind. The illusory image of the Prison Suppression Stele behind him overlapped with his real body, its light shifting and shimmering. The oppressive aura emanating from it seemed to plunge the entire city into a moment of solemn silence.

His deep gaze swept over the newly erected city walls, over the plows wrestling with the earth, over the Northern Border Guardian Army and the Rock Camp soldiers practicing their formations under the halo of the ramparts, and over the newly formed half-demon auxiliary troops, before finally landing in the distant northwest, in the heart of the Thousand-Ren Ice Peak where the Black Rock Demon Cave was located.

He spoke, his voice not loud, yet it resonated clearly in the ears of the core generals of the city, carrying the newly born Dragon-Elephant Prison-Suppressing True Meaning, like the beating of a war drum:

"The roots are planted, and the mind is settled."

"The Black Rock scourge has cut off our external communications, disturbed our livelihoods, and treated us like cattle and sheep in a hunting ground. If this barbarian is not eliminated, Xuzhou will never be recovered!"

"Order: Using the city as a base, all three armies shall join forces. The Eagle Guard scouts shall be dispatched in full to locate all hidden entrances to the Demon Cave and the nodes of the Earth Fire Poison Spring."

"With the Northern Border Guards as the hammer and Xue Dingyue's Eagle Guards as the spearhead, within three days, they will wipe out the outer demon nests and strongholds, opening a passage for our main force; the Rock Camp will guard the city, connecting the light of the fortress, and the 'Immovable Mountain' formation will be fully activated."

"The half-demon auxiliary troops, using silver scales as bait, will reach the weakest point of the Bone Forest lair, cooperate with the main army to eliminate the outposts, and use their knowledge of the poisonous miasma paths to help our main force avoid traps!"

His words were both an order and a proclamation, transforming the power accumulated by Riftwind City into a sharp spearhead aimed at Blackrock.

"Where the blade of the Rending Wind points, the demons of Xuzhou shall be annihilated! This battle is not for defense, but for offense! We shall storm the Black Rock, shatter the demon's lair, and wherever the city guards its borders, that shall be our territory!"

"We obey the Marquis's command!" The many generals who had gathered at the Demon Suppression Platform, including Jin Yuelin, Yuchi Changshan, Xue Dingyue, Yu Wanjun, and Yin Lin, felt the spiritual calm and fighting spirit surging from the illusory image of the central stone tablet. They bowed and solemnly agreed.

The thunderous heartbeat of Riftwind Guard City suddenly turned northwest, transforming into a resolute war drum rushing towards the Blackrock Demon Cave!

Riftwind City, Demon-Suppressing Platform.

The light of the fortress, like an eternal star, casts a dark golden domain of order into the eternal night of the Xuzhou tundra.

Zhang Yuanxuan's black python robe remained motionless in the biting cold wind, fluttering softly.

He stood alone on the high platform, his eyes closed, but his vast divine sense had already transformed into an invisible giant net, silently spreading across thousands of miles of frozen plains, and coldly anchoring at the core of the surging and boiling chaotic demonic clouds in the northwest sky, the battlefield of the Ice Dragon Altar.

Beneath the fortress, the war machine has entered its final standby state. (End of Chapter)