Daqin Zhentiansi

"Relying on the remaining foundation of the Starry Sky Sword Curtain and the earth veins of the Heavenly Sword Gorge, combined with the remaining map of the 'Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array' supported by the Imperial Observatory and the 'Undying Barrier' technology of the Ministry of Works of Yongtian, we will construct a three-layered iron wall!"

"The outer space turbulence trap zone, triggered by the residual sword intent of the Thirteen Ferocious Swords, is slowing down and tearing apart the demon ship! The middle layer joint defense array shield, led by the Frost Dragon Vulture Riders and the Yongtian Array Masters, must withstand the crushing force of the Demon Eye's will!"

"The inner ground fortress complex and near-ground anti-aircraft fire network, with the Rock Battalion, Crimson Scale Cavalry, and Zhao Zhou sword cultivators providing support, will not allow a single demon to land! There is only one objective: to block the next assault of the Myriad Soul Bone Ship cluster and crush the will of the Star-Eating Demon Eye!"

Zhang Yuan's voice stopped.

"Build the 'Sword Ridge Great Wall' ground defense system!" Zhang Yuan turned his gaze to Jin Yuelin and the others. "Jin Yuelin, Tuoba Han, Cheng Yue, Wu Daoling, this important task is entrusted to you for overall command!"

A fierce glint flashed in Jin Yuelin's eyes, while Tuoba Han's lips curled into an almost ferocious grin. The two men simultaneously roared, "As you command, Lord Marquis!"

Cheng Yue took a deep breath, his hand resting on the sword at his waist, the scabbard humming: "Flowing Cloud Sword Cultivator, hold the line and never retreat!"

Wu Daoling hissed, "The sword bones of Yongzhou are unyielding, never bent!"

Zhang Yuan's hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his voice echoing in the void: "Using the existing defensive line as the backbone, extend towards the three strongholds in the southwest Thousand Blade Mountains, the northern Frost Ice Plains, and the eastern Fallen Star Sea!"

"Open up and consolidate communication channels! Integrate all remaining sword cultivators in Zhao Zhou, and reorganize them according to their school of thought and region into three armies: 'Sharp Arrow' assault, 'Rock Solid' defense, and 'Wandering Dragon' guerrilla warfare!"

"Optimize the sword formation to ensure it can withstand the demonic tide! Recruit and arm all combat-ready remnants and half-demons! Incorporate the Mountain-Shaking Demon Beasts into the 'Spearhead' assault sequence to pierce through the demonic army for me!"

Zhang Yuan's voice carried the flavor of iron and blood.

"The objective of this defensive line is to delay, wear down, and divide the ground demon army, thus relieving pressure on the Sky Iron Wall! Furthermore, we must seize the opportunity to counterattack and reclaim the lost territory of Zhao Zhou!"

"Third, the lifeline of supplies!" Zhang Yuan's gaze pierced through the crowd as he said in a deep voice, "Immediately establish a supply delivery network covering both battlefields! Core components of the 'Blood Pattern Shield,' key parts of the 'Frost Prison Crossbow,' the main ingredient of the 'Exorcising Powder,' high-grade 'Rejuvenation Pills'... all urgently needed by the front lines, must be transported from Yongtian territory at top speed!"

"The remaining spirit mines and medicinal fields in Zhao Zhou will be mined and refined on-site by the merchant guild's guard team in cooperation with the Zhen Tian Division. Not a single grain of ore or a single spirit herb can be lost!"

"Establish four major logistics hubs in Tianjian Gorge, Thousand Blade Mountains, Frost Ice Plains, and Fallen Star Sea to ensure that supplies reach the battle stations directly!"

"Furthermore, establish the 'Heavenly Craftsmanship Battalion,' recruit all craftsmen from Yongtian and Zhaozhou, and spare no expense to repair and upgrade all defensive fortifications and weapons!"

"This dual-line strategy is called 'Iron Wall in the Sky, Great Wall on the Sword's Backbone'!" Zhang Yuan suddenly turned around, his black cloak billowing wildly in the gale. Facing the entire Heavenly Sword Gorge, his voice boomed like thunder from the heavens, carrying a resolute will to turn the tide and burn one's boats, resounding through the sky:
"As long as the heavens remain, the demon ships will have a hard time landing! As long as the Great Wall stands, the demon army will have a hard time advancing!"

"This battle—" He suddenly drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the churning demonic clouds in the sky, its cold light reflecting in the thousands of eyes below burning with indomitable flames, "is not for a corner of Zhao Continent, but for the survival of the Nine Continents! For the continuation of my human bloodline! My lords!"

He took a deep breath, his chest pounding like a war drum, and roared with all his might:

"Follow me—to defend Tianjian Gorge to the death! Build a Great Wall of blood! To await the counterattack—!!!"

"Roar--!!!"

"Defend Tianjian Gorge to the death! Build a Great Wall with our blood!"

His response was a roar as powerful as a landslide and a tsunami!

The soldiers, who could no longer contain their fighting spirit and grief, erupted like a powder keg that had been lit, unleashing a deafening roar!

Yuchi Changshan raised his war hammer high and led the Zhenyue Army in a deafening battle roar.

The soldiers of the Rocky Battalion slammed their heavy shields into the ground, producing a dull but resolute roar.

Crimson-scaled cavalrymen stood tall with their spears and halberds, their cold light shimmering like a tide; beneath their frost-covered dragon-eagle steeds, the dragon-eagles stretched their necks and cried out.

The sword cultivators of Zhaozhou drew their swords fiercely, and thousands of sword cries merged into a sharp shriek that tore through the sky!

Even the heavily wounded soldiers leaning against the ruins struggled to raise their broken blades and spears, letting out hoarse but incredibly determined shouts!

This roar converged into an invincible torrent of iron and blood, instantly dispelling the despair that shrouded Tianjian Gorge and shaking the shattered mountains and rivers!
It was as if even the shattered remnants of the starry sky sword curtain above the heavens sensed this boundless, unyielding battle spirit, and the remaining destructive sword intent emitted a low and excited hum.

Together with the massive military formation rapidly taking shape below and the soaring battle intent and murderous aura, they formed the last and most steadfast line of defense against the Guixu Demon Tide—a blood-stained Great Wall of Steel!

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

Deep within the Tianjian Gorge pass.

The base of the "Suppressing the Sea Sword" in the former Liuyun Sword Pavilion has now become the core of the "Sky Dome Iron Wall" defense line.

Space here appears particularly distorted and fragile.

Above their heads was a "Starry Sky Sword Curtain" forcibly created by Zhang Yuan by combining the remnants of the Thirteen Fierce Swords with the shattered spatial barrier.

The giant net of light flowing with destructive Dao patterns such as "Execute," "Slaughter," "Trap," and "Severance" resembled a wound in the sky that had been torn apart and then roughly stitched back together.

At the edge, the remaining turbulent void collided violently with the foul demonic energy that kept trying to seep in, emitting a hissing, corrosive sound and a groaning as space was torn apart.

The low-hanging, heavy demonic clouds greedily licked every crevice of the sword curtain, casting suffocating shadows.

Beneath this space filled with destruction and instability, another kind of burning will is raging.

That was the raging fire of the furnace, the roar of the hammer, and the roar of the indomitable craftsman's spirit.

This place is the foundation for the "Heavenly Crafting Camp" to forge its array.

Lu Tie, the old craftsman with a limp, is the soul of this camp.

He was not one of the renowned master craftsmen of the Yongtian Ministry of Works, but merely an experienced craftsman who worked alongside the army on the front lines in Xuzhou.

After the restoration of Xuzhou, he could have settled with the remaining people, but he stubbornly dragged his injured leg and led a few old craftsmen from Xuzhou who had also crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He also led the weapon-crafting masters who came from Yongtian and the remaining weapon-crafting masters from Zhaozhou, forming this team that raced against time day and night.

They are repairing the most critical nodes of the earth vein array beneath the sword curtain.

The material was a spoil of war and a souvenir brought back from the bloody battle of Xuzhou Riftwind City—"Mysterious Pattern Heavy Iron".

This special metal, which has absorbed the light of the barrier and the filth of demons, and has been tempered in the fires of Xuzhou, is exceptionally tough and contains a trace of spirituality that resists filth. It is the best choice for repairing the array base that has been eroded by demonic energy.

“Whoosh—boom!”

The huge furnace was engulfed in flames, which reflected on Lu Tie's face, which was etched with deep furrows and covered with sweat and soot.

He was shirtless, his lean but muscular upper body bare, with only a tattered burlap slinged over his shoulder, soaked in cold water, as he swung a spirit-patterned heavy hammer that was heavier than half his body.

Each hammer blow, striking the red-hot, patterned iron billet, produced a deafening clang of metal against metal and a dazzling shower of sparks.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

The monotonous, heavy, yet powerful hammering sound pierced through the surrounding noise of moving objects, the chanting of weapon cultivators, and the faint sounds of fighting in the distance, like the indomitable heartbeat on a battlefield.

The red-hot iron billet deforms and stretches under the hammer.

Amidst the flickering flames and shadows of the furnace, Lu Tie's cloudy old eyes suddenly trembled.

In the shimmering molten iron, a young face was vaguely reflected.

That was his only son.

Clad in tattered remnant soldier leather armor, amidst the raging demonic tide that shattered the northwest fortress of Riftwind City, he was lifted high by a crystal-armored war demon overlord, his blood splattering across the breach in the city wall...

The son's dying cry of "Dad—" still seemed to echo in his ears, overlapping with the sound of the hammer before his eyes.

"Son..."

A suppressed whimper escaped Lu Tie's throat, like the mournful howl of a wounded old wolf, instantly drowned out by the sound of the hammer. His bloodshot eyes widened suddenly, his teeth clenched so tightly that blood seeped from them, and all his grief, anger, and deep-seated hatred for the demons seemed to surge into his arms with this breath of blood!

"Father, use this iron!"

He suddenly roared like a wild beast, pouring all his strength, his lifelong forging skills, and the excruciating pain of losing his son into his arms. He swung the heavy hammer in a circle and slammed it down with an almost frenzied frequency!
"I'll build you a grave!!!"

"Boom! Clang clang clang clang—!!!"

Mars is no longer a waterfall, but an exploding storm of fire!
The core array component of the Xuanwen Heavy Iron, which was being repeatedly hammered, trembled and hummed violently under the hammer.

It seemed to truly bear the weight and sorrow of a father.

Its structure, forged by brute force and willpower, became denser and tougher than ever before, faintly radiating a tragic yet sharp spiritual pressure.

"Master Lu! Beware of evil spirits!"

A nearby artifact repairman exclaimed in surprise.

Above the sword curtain, a lingering aura of malevolent sword energy clashed violently with a mass of filthy demonic energy.

The dissipating shockwave swept down like an invisible scythe, grazing the edge of the shed.

Several rocks used to build the shed were instantly reduced to dust.

Two Yongtian artifact cultivators who were engraving array patterns near the edge let out a miserable groan, spitting out blood as they flew backward, their half-finished array plate parts scattered all over the ground.

Lu Tie staggered from the shockwave, his limp leg throbbing with excruciating pain.

But his calloused hands gripped the edge of the scorching anvil tightly, preventing the core component from derailing.

He didn't even glance at his injured comrade; a healer rushed over without his permission.

His eyes were fixed on the iron blank on the anvil, which was about to take shape and seemed to embody the soul of his son.

Behind the pass.

Inside the huge workshop, temporarily carved out of the mountainside, heat waves rose, and the smells of sweat, iron, and burnt food mingled together.

This is the core component of the "Blood Pattern Shield".

The main body of that giant shield inlaid with dark red "mountain" characters was from a mass production site.

New recruit Li Ergou felt as if his bones were about to be crushed by the weight on his shoulders.

He was originally just an honest farmer in Yongtianzhou, whose biggest worries were the harvest from the fields and the corvée labor in the county.

A demonic calamity?

Those were distant stories told by storytellers.

It wasn't until his cousin, who was serving in the army in the eastern border region, returned that they were able to bring their fellow villagers out.

According to my cousin, if you stay in the mountain village, you'll never amount to anything.

At this moment, Li Ergou and several other greenhorn recruits with equally youthful faces and aching muscles were using a specially made iron bar to pry open a "Blood Pattern Shield" core that had just cooled down. The core was about the size of a door panel and half a foot thick, and they were moving it with great difficulty to the assembly area.

They are not considered combat soldiers.

They should be considered apprentice craftsmen.

This opportunity was earned for him by his cousin through his military achievements.

The shield blank was rough and cold, and the dark red "mountain" character was ancient and heavy, as if it would bend his spine.

"Hurry! Move quickly! The front lines are waiting!"

A veteran from the Rock Camp with a scar on his face urged him on, his voice hoarse but strong.

at this time--

"Boom-boom!!!"

The piercing sound of something tearing through the air seemed to rip against my eardrums!

A viscous mass of "Void Ember Demon Flame," exuding an aura of destruction and decay, emerged from some crack in the sword curtain, like a living tumor, and precisely struck the area at the edge of the workshop where semi-finished shields and spare materials were piled up!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a chilling hissing sound and a sudden burst of ghastly green flames!

The demonic flames seemed capable of devouring all matter and spirit; several newly forged blood-patterned shield blanks softened, twisted, and collapsed rapidly, like wax.

Along with several craftsmen who were polishing parts nearby, they were completely engulfed by the demonic flames before they could even utter a scream, turning into smoky, charred remains!
The pungent stench of burning flesh mixed with the sweet, metallic smell of burning blood and flesh instantly filled the air.

"Demonic... Demonic Fire!"

Li Ergou's mind went blank, and his legs instantly lost all strength, like noodles.

The heavy shield on his shoulder could no longer be supported and fell downwards!

The immense weight combined with the downward momentum was enough to smash his feet into a bloody pulp!
Fear coiled around his heart like a cold, venomous snake. He could almost see himself in a bloody mess the next second, and he could see the demonic fire spreading toward him!

He wanted to escape, but his body was too stiff to obey him.

A close call!
A large, calloused hand, covered in half of a tattered arm armor, suddenly shot out from the side like an iron clamp, firmly catching the edge of the falling shield!

The immense impact caused the muscles in that arm to bulge instantly, and the arm armor rubbed against the edge of the shield, producing a teeth-grinding "crunch" sound, and even sparks flew out!

"What a coward!"

A thunderous shout rang in Li Ergou's ears, like a heavy hammer waking him from his muddled consciousness.

It was that veteran from the Rocky Battalion, Tieshan!
Half of his face and the arm supporting the shield were charred black by the intense heat of the demonic flames.

The skin and flesh rolled up, wisps of smoke rising from it.

Large beads of sweat mixed with blood rolled down his forehead.

But his bull-like eyes were wide open, staring intently at Li Ergou, without a trace of fear, only burning anger and an unyielding will.

"As long as the shield stands, we're here!"

Tieshan's roar was filled with blood and foam, and every word was like a hammer blow to Li Ergou's heart.

"Look behind you! Look at those places ravaged by those demonic bastards!"

"Behind us lies Yongtian, the home of our parents, wives, and children!"

"This shield is their wall!"

"If the wall falls, the home is gone!"

"Carry it up for me!!!" (End of Chapter)