Daqin Zhentiansi

Li Ergou's gaze swept over Tieshan's charred and bleeding arm.

He swept his gaze across the pool of charred, demonic flames that had devoured his comrades.

A glance around the workshop revealed the figures of others who, though initially alarmed, quickly gritted their teeth and continued moving things...

An indescribable surge of emotion, a mixture of shame, anger, and something ablaze, suddenly exploded from his chest!

The farmer's inherent cowardice was shattered by the old soldier's blood-stained roar and the horrific reality before him!
"……ah--!!!"

A beastly roar, inhuman in its sound, erupted from his throat, and his eyes instantly became bloodshot.

A surge of energy that seemed to come from nowhere.

He suddenly exerted force with his waist and abdomen, gripping the edge of the shield embryo tightly with both hands.

I used all my strength.

Even in a nearly dragging manner, carrying that huge and heavy shield blank, staggering but with unwavering determination, step by step leaving bloody footprints, they charged towards the front line that was being repaired!
The target is the most advanced and most severely damaged defensive node!
At the very moment that Li Ergou roared and hoisted the shield blank.

At the core array node located at the very heart of the Starry Sky Sword Curtain, which was painstakingly forged by Lu Tie, a sudden change occurred!

"Buzz—crackling..."

A dull, unsettling tremor emanated from the depths of the earth, quickly spreading throughout the entire array base structure that was under repair.

The intricate array patterns etched on the surface flicker in and out.

Several newly smelted and embedded Xuanwen heavy iron components emitted a piercing metallic twisting sound!
Above their heads, the already precarious starry sky sword curtain began to fluctuate violently, and the streams of destructive light at its edges became disordered and dim.

Furthermore, a chilling, corrosive magical energy, like a leech, accelerated its erosion along the fissures in the earth's veins that had been torn apart by the shockwave, attempting to dismantle the array's foundation!
"Oh no! The earth vein tremors are intensifying, and demonic energy is surging back from the cracks in the ground! The array core is about to collapse!" A Yongtian Array Master who was monitoring the spiritual pressure of the earth veins exclaimed in alarm, his face ashen.

Lu Tie's expression changed drastically.

Ignoring his leg injury, he dropped the heavy hammer and lunged at the core array component, trying to stabilize it with his body.

His eyes were filled with despair and resentment.

Just one step left!

"Boom——!!!"

The ground beneath our feet seemed to be violently torn apart by an invisible giant hand!
The ley line that had previously been gushing magical energy suddenly expanded several times over.

The viscous, ink-like demonic energy, exuding a pungent sulfurous and decaying aura, erupted violently like a poisonous spring suppressed for millennia, accompanied by the sharp cries of wronged souls!

The starry sword curtain above their heads emitted a mournful cry as it was on the verge of collapse!
The already chaotic stream of destructive light dimmed by more than half in an instant, like a candle about to go out!

Several thick cracks split open with a "crack," and the turbulent void at the edges was quickly stained a chilling, ghastly green by the filthy demonic energy!
"I can't hold on any longer!" The Yongtian Array Master who was monitoring the situation screamed in agony. The compass in his hand shattered with a "crack," and the shards cut his palm, drawing blood.

He himself was so shaken by the violent backlash from the earth's veins that he coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

The craftsmen and monks who were helping to set up the formation were like fallen leaves caught in a storm, swaying and staggering.

Those with weaker cultivation were directly impacted by the dissipated demonic energy, causing them to bleed from all seven orifices and tumble out screaming.

Lu Tie rushed to the front of the formation, his hands pressing hard against the core component that was throbbing violently and making a piercing metallic twisting sound. The component was as hot as a red-hot branding iron in his hands!
He could clearly feel that deep beneath his feet, a cold, greedy, and destructive demonic energy was frantically assaulting the fragile core of the array, attempting to completely devour and shatter the array eye that bore the "grave" of his son and the hard work of everyone!
Despair, like a cold tide, instantly overwhelmed Lu Tie's heart.

He looked at the core component of the Xuanwen Heavy Iron, which was emitting a "sizzling" sound and rapidly dimming its luster under the erosion of demonic energy, and it was as if he saw his son's helpless figure in the demonic tide reappearing... This last step was all that was left!
Is everything going to vanish into nothingness?!

Just as the magical runes on the surface of the core components of the array were flickering, about to be completely corroded by magical energy and the entire repair project would fail—

A figure appeared silently beside the core of the violently trembling array.

The dark black python robe remained motionless amidst the turbulent airflow.

It was Zhang Yuan!

The War Marquis of Qingyang of the Great Qin Dynasty is the strongest person in this area.

His eyes were sharp as lightning, instantly discerning the root of the crisis.

The earth's veins were shaken by deep demonic energy, resonating with the spatial turbulence formed by the remnants of the malevolent sword above. Under the combined attack from both inside and outside, the array's core was on the verge of collapse.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Yuan suddenly bent his right knee and knelt heavily on one knee!

The entire movement was incredibly powerful, causing the rubble beneath their feet to turn into dust.

He spread his right palm with his five fingers spread wide, and a magnificent and boundless golden light burst forth from his palm.

The light, condensed to a tangible form, contained the supreme meaning of "Dragon and Elephant Suppressing the Prison," and slammed down hard onto the violently trembling ground!

"town!"

A low shout, like a divine decree!

The golden true essence, like billions of tenacious roots, instantly pierced into the cold, hard frozen soil, forcefully penetrating the cracks eroded by demonic energy, and deeply rooted itself into the restless earth vein essence below!
The violent tremors of the earth's veins were like a collision with an ancient divine mountain, instantly being forcibly flattened and stabilized!
The foul demonic energy surging from the ground was suppressed and dissipated like boiling water poured on snow under the domineering and unparalleled power of the Dragon Elephant Suppressing Prison!
At the same time, Zhang Yuan reached into his robes with his left hand, and when he reached out again, he was holding a small, irregularly shaped piece of metal, no bigger than a fingernail, that exuded a chilling aura and an indomitable edge.

Those were fragments of the "Autumn Chill Blade" that shattered when it killed the Blood Eye of the Corrosion Realm in Xuzhou!

Without even looking, he joined his left fingers like a sword, his fingertips drawing a wisp of pure chaotic true essence to envelop the fragment of the blade that symbolized Xu Zhou's victory in the bloody battle and his tragic sacrifice.

With perfect precision, as if inlaid with stars, it pressed down sharply on the core array center point where Lu Tie had just completed its final forging and was still radiating scorching heat and tragic spiritual pressure!
"laugh--!"

A strange, soft sound, like a scorching hot iron branding the anvil that bore the father's blood and tears.

Under the melting of Zhang Yuan's Chaotic True Essence, that fragment of the Autumn Chill Blade instantly fused perfectly with the Xuanwen Heavy Iron forged by Lu Tie in his grief over the loss of his son!
Just as the fragment embedded itself!

Om-!
A visible tricolor halo, a mixture of dark gold, crimson, and chilling white, suddenly burst forth from the core array eye, instantly spreading along the repaired array patterns to the entire array base!

The Starry Sky Sword Curtain, which was on the verge of collapse, was injected with a powerful stimulant, and the dim light flow suddenly surged by 30%!
The chaotic spatial turbulence traps on the outer layer were reorganized and activated, emitting a series of deep rumbles like the roar of dragons and elephants!

A Soul-Devouring Bone Ship that had been quietly approaching, attempting to probe the true nature of the array base, was struck on the side by the suddenly intensified spatial turbulence. The Soul-Devouring Demonic Runes on the surface of the ship instantly dimmed in large areas, emitting a piercing alarm shriek, and retreated hastily in a sorry state, creating distance between itself and the array.

The violent tremors subsided, the demonic energy was forced back, and the array base remained as stable as ever, or even stronger!

Zhang Yuan slowly stood up, raising his right palm from the ground, leaving a clear palm print that emitted a faint golden light.

He looked at Lu Tie, who was slumped on the ground, exhausted and emotionally overwhelmed, staring intently at the array core that combined the fragments of the Autumn Cold Blade with his son's "grave." His gaze was deep, filled with a respect for pure will.

"Good iron!" Zhang Yuan said in a deep voice. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of Lu Tie and every craftsman and soldier present.

His gaze swept over Lu Tie's face, covered in sweat and grime, etched with sorrow and determination, then fell upon the unique, cold light in the center of the formation. He added, his tone resolute:

"What a fine craftsman's spirit!"

Finally, his gaze swept past the crowd and landed in the direction of the workshop. There, the new recruit Li Ergou and the others were struggling to erect the heavy, blood-patterned giant shield that was finally placed at the breach in the defense.

On the shield, the dark red character "山" (mountain) appeared particularly heavy and resolute under the dim light of the ramparts.

A barely perceptible smile seemed to curve at the corners of Zhang Yuan's lips as his voice echoed throughout the noisy yet chilling fortification area, carrying the force of a battle clash:

"Rock Barracks—" He paused, each word resounding, "That's the spirit we need!"

The sounds of wind, hammers, and distant, faint sounds of fighting all carried a heavy weight in those few words.

Li Ergou straightened his back, which was trembling slightly from the exertion, wiped the sweat and tears that had appeared on his face, and felt that the heavy burden on his shoulders was not so terrible anymore.

Above the sky, the sword curtain shimmered with light, as imposing as if cast in iron.

Iron wall, first cast.

The spirit of craftsmanship never ends.

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

The biting north wind, carrying ancient, unmelting ice fragments, howls ceaselessly over the frosty ice plains.

This is the last human stronghold in northern Zhao Zhou.

Beneath the vast expanse of silver lies the lament of land corrupted and ravaged by demons, and the cries of its inhabitants.

The "Frost Passage," the last lifeline connecting Tianjian Gorge, has now become a vital passage stained with blood.

The narrow mountain pass is like a crevice cleaved by a giant axe, with steep cliffs formed by millennia-old ice on both sides.

The wind and snow here were stirred up by magical energy, making them even more violent.

Ye Ningshuang, a true disciple of the Xuanbing Sword Pavilion, wore a plain white sword robe, which had long been soaked in demonic blood and frost, turning it into a tragic color of dark red and deep blue.

She stood at the forefront, with fewer than a hundred Xuanbing Sword Pavilion disciples behind her. The "Xuanbing Seven Absolute Sword Formation" they formed was dim, like a candle about to go out in the cold wind.

The Xuanbing Sword Pavilion is a major sect on the Frost Ice Plains. This time, Ye Ningshuang led more than a thousand disciples across the ice plains to Tianjian Gorge.

Unfortunately, they were intercepted and killed by the demons halfway there.

Like a black tide, the three-eyed blue-eyed demon riders, carrying greedy demonic light and an aura of destruction that tramples everything, relentlessly assaulted this flimsy defensive line.

The demonic riders' iron hooves shattered the ice, and their foul demonic flames scorched the sword cultivators' protective aura. Disciples continuously let out shrill screams as their frozen sword energy shattered.

On the ice, corpses lay strewn about, and the blue and white ice crystals were covered with shocking blood-stained ice flowers.

"Form the hand seal! Summon the Mysterious Cave of Ten Thousand Years, cleanse the demons!"

Ye Ningshuang's clear, cold voice sounded unusually hoarse and resolute amidst the howling wind and demonic roar.

A cold glint flashed in her beautiful eyes as she gripped the sect's most precious treasure, the "Frosty Dragon Sword," with the sword radiating an unprecedented azure divine light.

She forcibly drew upon an extreme chill originating from the core of the ice field, which froze everything, and it surged along the ice layer, pouring into the sword!
"cut--!"

She transformed into an icy blue meteor that pierced through the demonic clouds and the cold wind, becoming one with her sword!

The Cold Dragon Sword roared angrily, and wherever its blade pointed, time and space seemed to freeze over a fan-shaped area with a diameter of several hundred feet!
The three thousand demon soldiers and riders charging forward, along with the blood they splattered and the demonic flames they unleashed, instantly transformed into a series of ferocious ice sculptures in various poses, forming a massive, crystal-clear yet chilling glacial barrier that stretched across the passage!

A biting wind swept across the ice wall, howling like a mournful cry. The remaining disciples within the sword formation let out mournful cries of relief.

However, the cost was heavy.

Forcibly drawing upon the power of the Cold Cave's origin, Ye Ningshuang's icy blue, jade-like meridians cracked inch by inch due to overload, and pale blue blood mixed with ice crystals spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Just as her old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, a jet-black demonic flame, purer than the night, pressed down on her.

Void Ember Demon Flame!

Like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time, it burst out from the shadow of a demon general's corpse that was not yet completely frozen, broke through the chaotic and scattered sword energy, and precisely burrowed into Ye Ning Shuang's right arm!
"Ugh!"

Her fair skin and jade-like bones were instantly stained with a dazzling dark purple!

The extreme cold of the true essence and the bone-corroding power of the Void Ember Demon Flame were like two evil dragons tearing and clashing wildly within her meridians.

Intense burning pain and soul-corroding chill erupted simultaneously, and her right arm instantly lost sensation. Grotesque dark purple lines spread across her skin, as if they were alive.

Another mouthful of blood, mixed with cold air and filthy black demon blood, gushed out. Ye Ning Shuang could no longer hold on and knelt on the cold snow.

"Cough...cough..."

Fresh blood dripped onto the snow-white ice surface, like a dazzling black lotus in bloom.

With the Cold Dragon Sword stuck in the ground, she desperately supported her swaying body. The sword groaned mournfully, and the icy blue spiritual light around her dimmed like a candle flickering in the wind.

Looking back, of the comrades who once stood shoulder to shoulder with him, only one in ten remained. In the broken ice formation, only desolation and despair remained.

"Walk."

With a low shout, she stopped arguing and led the remaining Sword Pavilion disciples on a quick run.

Behind them, scattered demons slowly descended.

……

The heart of the ice field.

Deep underground in the enormous ice cave known as the "Frostfang Nest".

Whiteclaw, a girl from the Frostwolf tribe, paced anxiously around the ice wolf statue that symbolized the tribe's totem.

Her long, silvery-white hair was loose, and beneath her snow-white wolf-skin cloak were a pair of wild, untamed, yet now uneasy, pale golden wolf eyes.

"Grandpa Priest, they are disciples of the Sword Pavilion. Their ice light has gone out!" Her wolf bloodline is extremely sensitive to changes in the spiritual energy of the ice plains.

The faint magical energy fluctuations emanating from the passage, coupled with the sudden surge of fear within her, made her instantly realize what had happened in the Frost Passage.

High Priest Cangya, an old man with a deeply lined face and an aura of ancient frost, opened his cloudy yet profound eyes.

Leaning on a bone staff engraved with a frost wolf totem, Cangya let out a long sigh: "Alas, if the passage is lost, the ice plains will be a desolate wasteland. But now..."

Before he could finish his words of dissuasion, a resolute and fierce glint flashed in White Claw's eyes.

She let out a long, piercing howl in a sharp wolfish voice: "Awooo—!!!" (End of Chapter)