Daqin Zhentiansi

on the ground.

The inky black demonic clouds, large enough to cover the sky, and the viscous, purplish-black demonic energy were like two raging oceans.

They converged and spun wildly, forming a doomsday storm vortex that covered an area of ​​thousands of miles!
At the core of the vortex.

The main force of the demon race, the remaining lava dragons, roared in pain. Driven by an invisible force, they swept up countless smaller members of their kind with broken shells, forming streams of scorching magma!
The Frostwolf demon guards howled deafeningly, ice crystals grew wildly on their fur, and their icy blue demonic eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty cold light in the darkness. The wolf pack was like a white avalanche!
The swarm of ice bats blotted out the sky, and sharp ultrasonic waves converged like spears!
Countless rotting corpse puppets, pieced together from frozen corpses, staggered but possessed immense strength, with ghostly flames leaping in their eye sockets!

This massive army of ten million demons swept towards Riftwind City like a black tidal wave that had lost its mind!

The elite demon race, the "Crystal Armored War Demons," are humanoid warriors whose formations, covered in flowing dark purple crystal armor, resemble a moving crystal forest.

Their steps were perfectly synchronized and silent, and the enormous, ever-changing crystal cones of law in their hands shimmered with a deadly annihilating light.

Wherever their array moved, it created imperceptible ripples and cracks in the space!

Every step the "Skeleton Demon Soldier" took was like a meteorite crashing into the ground, causing the frozen soil to crack and lava to spew out!
The pale blue flames within the hollow eye sockets leaped with pure destructive desire, while the ghastly white lightning crackled as it coiled around the spinal demon hammer!
Wherever the "Shadow Army" passed, the light distorted and dimmed, and the ground and remaining ice peaks were covered with ominous dark crystals at a visible speed, emitting a tooth-grinding corrosive sound.

These million demons, like sophisticated killing machines, moved silently and efficiently through the black tide, radiating a cold, destructive will far surpassing that of the demon race.

Ahead lay a gray torrent.

Billions!
This number is staggering!
These half-demons, who were once descendants of remnants or weak demon clans, had long since exhausted their life force under the dual pressure of demonic magic and demonic flames.

They were hunched over, dragging their feet, their skin clinging to their bones, their eyes filled only with numbness and a deep-seated fear.

The emaciated body was driven forward in the cold wind, like the first wave crashing against the shore, about to be crushed into mincemeat under the light barrier of Riftwind City.

They are a true Great Wall of flesh and blood, with only one purpose: attrition!
Demons, monsters, and enslaved half-demon cannon fodder!
Three terrifying forces converged into an indestructible black spear that pierced straight into Riftwind City!
Demonic clouds and evil energy covered the sky, turning even midday into a doomsday dusk!

The earth groaned, cracked, and sank under the trampling of millions of iron hooves, countless footsteps, and demonic power!
The corrupt laws spread like a plague, distorting and deforming space, causing everything to wither wherever they passed, and even the wind and snow were tainted with a purplish-black poisonous gas!

This all-consuming black torrent has only one target: the Riftwind Guard City, which, amidst the boundless darkness, still radiates an indomitable dark golden light!

This nail, embedded in the frozen soil of Xuzhou, has become the absolute core and the eye of the vortex of this world-ending storm!
On battlefields throughout Xuzhou, countless gazes turned toward Riftwind City.

"General, the demon army is about to besiege Riftwind City, Lord Marquis—" A captain in blue armor looked up, his face showing urgency.

In front of him, a warrior clad in black armor, exuding the aura of a half-step Grandmaster, raised his hand to stop him from speaking.

"Wait."

……

The heartland of Xuzhou.

Before a vast expanse of ruins.

One by one, figures dressed in tattered robes stood up.

This area, spanning tens of thousands of miles, is home to at least tens of millions of ethnic groups.

These people are all descendants of the Xu Zhou clan who have gone into hiding.

"What are you trying to do, demon race?"

"Elder, have the demon race gone mad?"

A series of voices were filled with doubt.

Several white-bearded old men stood up, their bodies exuding a strong aura.

"Go and see."

Deep within the Riftwind Fortress.

A secret room that shields you from all prying eyes.

Zhang Yuan stood in front of the huge sand table, his fingertips tracing the miniature model of the Riftwind City, where every talisman on the city wall was clearly visible.

With a single step, Young Master Tao shattered a patch of starlight illusion, his figure solidifying from the void, his face as solemn as iron: "My lord! The five continents are in turmoil, and war rages across the land! Xuzhou has become the epicenter of the storm, a bait and a dead end! The Three Emperors have mobilized their entire forces, with the Demon Clan pulling the strings behind them. They seek not just a city or a piece of land, but to achieve their goal in this battle!"

"If the Rift Wind collapses, the light of the city will be extinguished, the northern gateway of the Great Qin will be wide open, the barrier of the Nine Provinces will break here, and the demonic forces will have no more obstacles to sweep across the world! We are the last line of defense!"

Zhang Yuan nodded, his eyes gleaming.

"Brother Tao's insight is astute. But are we to stand here in this isolated city, waiting for reinforcements? This is a foolish strategy, a path to our own destruction!"

"choke!"

He slammed his five fingers down on the edge of the sand table, the sound like divine weapons clashing!

Beneath his fingertips, the miniature Riftwind Fortress seemed to groan under its unbearable burden.

"Instead of waiting to die, why not invite them into the trap?!"

He suddenly looked up, his gaze piercing Tao Gongzi: "Use my Riftwind as bait! Use the light of this barrier as a beacon! Lure the Three Emperors into a frenzy of rage, causing them to lose their minds and draw their millions of demon race main force, along with the demon army, all here!"

His finger slowly moved away from the "Riftwind Acropolis" model and suddenly pointed to the vast ice plains surrounding the acropolis that were pre-designed on the sand table!

In the void, there were even images of shattered ice shards and surging poisonous fire!

"When their million demon soldiers and tens of millions of monster troops have gathered at the city walls, and their siege has failed, their morale is exhausted, and they are in a state of anxiety and despair, that will be the time for my thunderous strike! Gather the ironclad armor of the Great Qin, unite the elite troops of Qingtian Continent, and draw upon the support of all continents to encircle them from the outside! With a pincer attack from within and without, we will finish them off in one battle right here in Xuzhou, annihilating the foundation of the Three Emperors, the essence of the demon race, and the claws of the demon race!"

"If Xuzhou is secured, the Demon Clan will be severed from one arm, and the Nine Provinces will be at peace!"

His words were resolute, like a tempered warhammer, shattering the oppressive atmosphere of the secret room.

A glint of wisdom flashed in Young Master Tao's eyes, as if countless calculations and arrays were being deduced before his eyes. He paused, stroking his beard, and suddenly clapped his hands in praise: "Brilliant! Driving a tiger to devour a wolf, striking after the enemy has made its move! The foundation of the Rift Wind is already in place, the 'Dragon Elephant Prison-Suppressing Stele' has been erected, the fortifications are indestructible, and the earth's veins are deeply connected. We have enough capital to be the 'bait' for this golden hook to catch a turtle!"

"Furthermore, we can take advantage of the arrogance of the demon race and the foolishness of the monster race to make them suspicious of each other and exhaust their own strength!"

He quickly pointed out the key point: "However, this strategy is risky! It requires the full cooperation of the capital! The strategic plan, the scale of the required reinforcements, the list of supplies, and the timing of the cooperation must be submitted to the Grand Council as top secret! We must... persuade His Majesty and the central government!"

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

Yongtian Imperial City is a crucial military stronghold.

The night, which should have been quiet, was now brightly lit, illuminating faces that were extremely solemn.

The massive bronze gate isolated the outside world, but it couldn't contain the almost suffocating tension and anxiety that permeated the interior.

Minister of War Zhou Chang sat in the center. This old minister, known for his composure, had visible signs of fatigue and bloodshot eyes, but deep within them gleamed a cold, sharp light, like a honed blade. The Vice Ministers on the left and right, and the representative of the Imperial Observatory, stood solemnly on either side, their auras deep and unfathomable.

Grand Secretary Wang Anzhi stroked his long beard, his refined face concealing a mountain of worry.

Zuo Qian, the Minister of Revenue, stared at the thick volume of the latest material loss report in his hand, his knuckles turning white from gripping it so tightly.

Zhang Hengqu, the dean of the Imperial City Academy, frowned, but his gaze never left the giant, radiant light and shadow sand table that occupied half of the wall in front of him.

Several high-ranking military officers dressed in marquis robes were among them. Su Jing, the former Marquis of Changning and the newly promoted Duke of Zhongyi, had an iron face and an aura like a battle-hardened weapon about to be unsheathed.

The veteran generals beside him also exuded a murderous aura, clearly having just been rotated out of the bloody battlefield.

All eyes were focused on the shimmering, three-dimensional image in the center of the hall.

That place is not simply a landscape of mountains and rivers, but a panoramic simulation of the battlefield of Riftwind Guard City, created using supreme rune techniques!

The executors of the simulation were hundreds of young students carefully selected by the Imperial Academy!

They were dressed in uniform sky-blue academy robes and sat cross-legged on a series of tiered rune array plates.

A miniature array of light and shadow floats in front of each person.

These young minds are the core computing nodes that simulate the operation of thousands of soldiers, battle formations, demonic power, magical energy, barriers, and the effectiveness of rune arrays on the battlefield!

The simulation begins!
"Om-"

On the sand table, the dark gold fortress model representing Riftwind City shone brightly.

Immediately following, like an apocalyptic tide, three enormous torrents of filth—the inky black symbolizing the main force of the demon race, the dark purple symbolizing the elite of the demon race, and the ghastly gray symbolizing the half-demon cannon fodder being driven—poured down from the northern icy abyss.

With overwhelming force, it slammed down on that solitary point of light suspended in the far north of Xuzhou!

"boom--"

Somber, suffocatingly desperate!

The air in the military headquarters suddenly froze.

The young students' faces instantly drained of color.

In the front row, a student named Li Yunsheng pointed his finger at the light spot representing the "Rock Solid Camp" of the city. The light spot flickered violently, fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, his jaw was clenched, and the command he issued trembled slightly: "Immovable Mountain Formation, activate! Consuming... energy reserves reduced by 30%!"

In the video, a torrent of black, purple, and gray light instantly engulfed the lone golden light!

Grand Scholar Wang Anzhi abruptly stood up, his voice hoarse: "The Marquis of Qingyang is truly audacious! He actually intends to use himself and the 600,000 soldiers and civilians of Liefeng City as bait to lure the enemy's million demon soldiers and tens of millions of demon army forces here. How is this any different from stepping into a boiling oil pot?"

"Perilous! A near-death experience!" Zuo Qian stared at the distorted and warped lines of light and shadow representing the foundation of the fortress under the impact of the torrent, his face twitching with heartache. "The daily consumption of black iron, spirit stones, and spiritual herbs... is a bottomless pit! And the other battlefields are also in dire straits!"

As the process progressed, panic spread.

"Report! The first outermost rune has collapsed! Seventy percent of the fortifications have been destroyed!" A student's voice was choked with tears.

On the sand table, the lights representing traps and fortifications around the "Citadel" went out in large numbers.

"The Iron Stream Battalion of the Northern Border Garrison has engaged the enemy! Casualties are heavy!"

In the interplay of light and shadow, the edge of the elite heavy infantry formation was instantly stained with a glaring dark red, which then eroded inward at a visible speed.

Several suppressed gasps came from the students watching, and some even had their fingertips trembling, almost interrupting the deduction instructions.

"Left flank! Demonic Crystal Armor War Demon breaks through! Torn apart the defensive line!"

The gap in the formation symbolizing the elite cavalry was pierced by a dark purple "giant cone," causing chaos behind it.

Several low sighs echoed within the Military Affairs Office.

“It’s over…” a pale-faced student muttered to himself, looking at the precarious golden core on the sand table with near despair.

Even with the sand table's light and shadow, the terrifying aura of ten thousand demons roaring and eerie shadows seemed to press down on everyone's hearts through the talisman array.

Pessimism spread like a plague among the students, causing the deduction instructions to become sluggish and chaotic.

Lord Zhongyi, Su Jingbao, widened his eyes and slammed his hand on the armrest: "What's the panic! Calm down! This divination isn't to make you surrender!"

His deep voice boomed like thunder, instantly snapping some of the students out of their daze.

Zhang Hengqu's gaze swept over the students with a solemn expression. He did not reprimand them, but said in a deep voice, "The path to survival depends on great courage. Continue! Implement the 'Iron Wall Combination Attack' plan for the Xuanjia Dragon Cavalry!"

With the old Duke and Su Jing's low shouts, and the Dean's steady instructions, the students forcibly suppressed their panic and focused more intently on manipulating the array.

When the overwhelming, filthy tide representing the allied forces of the Three Sovereigns surged irresistibly towards the light shield of the core fortress of the "Citadel," the scene on the sand table suddenly changed!
The dark golden barrier did not crumble at the first touch; instead, it burst forth with an unprecedented, solid light, as firm as a mountain!

The chains of light representing the barrier runes flashed wildly at an unprecedented frequency, like dark golden dragons coiling around the city, firmly resisting the attack on the core area!
The resilience of the Qin army has finally been revealed!

Among the students, a top performer from a poor family named Qin Chuan, his eyes gleaming, almost simultaneously injected the command into the position representing the core of the barrier according to the deduction rules: "Dragon Elephant Prison Monument activated! Draw upon the power of the earth's veins! Energy consumption... Maximum output!"

The barrier in the light and shadow not only stabilized, but the rebounding light also caused the surging black tide to pause!
"Huh?!" A chorus of surprised exclamations rang out from the military intelligence office.

"Look! Those demonic clouds are eroding each other as they collide with the barrier!" Shen Qingyan, a sharp-eyed female student, exclaimed, pointing to the subtle changes at the edge of the simulation sand table.

The dark purple representing the demon race's crystal armor and the inky black representing the monster race subtly revealed discordant "wrinkles" at the point of most intense impact on the fortress.

Even when the demon army launched a massive attack, they were still able to work together.

Once the offensive is thwarted, they will inevitably become disaffected and alienated.

"That's it!" The representative of the Heavenly Suppression Division suddenly spoke up, his voice carrying a hint of realization. "How can the Demon Race, which controls the Monster Race, not have a rift? The stronger this barrier of light becomes, and the longer the stalemate lasts, the greater the internal suspicion and resource consumption will be!"

"Marquis Qingyang is betting that they can't afford to waste this time!"

The time scale for the simulation continues to shift backward.

On the sand table, the Black Tide, representing the Three Emperors' Allied Forces, surged wildly around the dark golden barrier that resembled an indestructible reef.

In the interplay of light and shadow, the crimson pillar representing energy reserves was rapidly declining, but at the same time, the dark purple halo symbolizing the elite demons on the outer edge of the encirclement was also becoming noticeably unstable.

Compete in consumption?
Test of resilience?
The Qin Dynasty fears nothing more than a fight to the death! (End of Chapter)