Daqin Zhentiansi

The sight of the commander's treasured artifact shattering and his own body being severed in a single blow, like the last straw, completely crushed the already crumbling Patrol Guard army.

Desperate cries were no longer sporadic, but rather merged into a wave of fear that swept across the entire battlefield.

"Our master is dead! The treasure is gone! We're finished!"

"The monsters of the Yellow-scaled Clan are attacking! Run!"

The elite guards and soldiers of the Patrol Division who witnessed the fall of the Earth-Splitting Venerable instantly lost their last shred of will to resist.

Military orders and the majesty of the Heavenly Palace all become pale and powerless in the face of the fear of death.

"Each of us must break through!"

Someone shouted out a desperate order that should have been given by the commander, but it became the only lifeline for the fleeing soldiers.

"boom!"

The entire military formation of the Patrol Division completely collapsed!
The remaining cultivators, like hornets scattered from their nest, disregarded their comrades and formation, and fled desperately towards what they perceived as safe, driven only by instinct.

These celestial beings spread their wings and transformed into a sky full of flowing light.

They knocked over junior officers who were trying to maintain order, rammed into their comrades who had been injured by the shockwave, and even attacked each other to fight for what seemed to be a clear "path to survival"!
Those "Shattered Mountain" chariots that were previously nailed to the ground by the "Earth Imprisonment" chains of the Huanglin Clan and were emitting black smoke are no longer war fortresses, but have become huge obstacles to escape and sources of panic.

The routed soldiers crashed into these paralyzed steel behemoths like headless flies, or were torn apart by the chaotic currents of uncontrolled elemental energy remaining on them.

"Get out of the way! Don't block my way!"

"Get out of my way! That's my direction!"

Cries, curses, screams of the dying, explosions of uncontrolled energy... all sorts of sounds mingled together.

"Roar--!!!"

In stark contrast to the collapse of the Patrol Division, the Huanglin clan warriors roared with deafening fury and vengeance!
"The enemy chieftain has been killed! Let's follow Commander Fire and kill the enemy!"

"For the sake of our fallen kin! Slaughter all these Heavenly Palace lackeys!"

Despite being covered in blood, Venerable Pan Yue's aura surged with the encouragement of his great victory.

His manifested Qilin form shattered the boulders blocking his path, and led the Qilin warriors charging in the middle, like a red-hot dagger, fiercely stabbing into the heart of the completely chaotic and defeated Patrol Division soldiers!

"hold head high--!"

Huang Lin's warriors no longer needed to hold their ground; instead, like tigers breaking free of their chains, they fiercely pounced from the flanks at the enemies who had lost their command and were only concerned with escaping.

The Qilin's sharp claws tore through the robes, and the Earthly Divine Power whipped up earth spikes, crushing, piercing, and burying the fleeing Celestial cultivators one by one!
The battlefield situation reversed in an instant!

The roles of hunter and prey have been completely reversed!

High in the sky, the clear cry of the Vermilion Bird pierced through the clamor of the battlefield, carrying a hint of cold killing intent and pleasure.

"Wow—!"

With a sudden flap of her wings, the eternal flames burning around her surged dramatically!
The golden-red divine flames, which had dimmed slightly after their clash with the Earth-Splitting Venerable, have now completely transformed into a world-destroying sea of ​​fire that incinerates the eight wastelands!

This sea of ​​fire was not an indiscriminate attack, but under the precise control of the Vermilion Bird, it was like two huge blazing gates, crashing down on the two main routes where the fleeing soldiers of the Patrol Division were most concentrated and were trying to escape towards the Rock City!

"Boom! Boom!"

A wall of golden-red fire shot into the sky, isolating heaven and earth!

The terrifying heat instantly vaporized dozens of fleeing soldiers who were trying to cross the barrier, along with their hastily activated protective artifacts!
Flames licked the earth, and rocks melted into rivers of molten lava.

"We're doomed! We're surrounded!"

Desperate wails echoed before the wall of fire.

With Huang Lin's vengeful army in front and Zhu Que's raging flames behind, the remaining Patrol Guard army was completely trapped in a desperate situation.

Like trapped beasts in a furnace, all that awaits them is to be crushed by the iron hooves of the Qilin or turned to ashes by the eternal flames!
Zhang Yuan's figure slowly descended from mid-air, landing on a rock that had been flattened by the aftershocks of the battle.

The Dragon Sparrow Blade in his hand pointed diagonally at the ground, its blade shimmering with dark gold light. On the tip of the blade, a wisp of the remnant divine soul imprint belonging to the Earth-Splitting Venerable, filled with resentment and fear, was slowly worn away and devoured by the blade's intent, like wisps of smoke.

He was covered in blood, and his black Daoist robe had long since turned to ashes in the previous battle.

On the chaotic god-demon body that was revealed at this moment, dark gold runes slowly flowed between the skin, absorbing and refining all the golden celestial blood and the subtle traces left by the battle.

His aura not only did not weaken, but became even more profound and weighty after the fierce battle, like a divine weapon tempered by thunder.

Below, the battlefield is a mix of the roars of the Qilin warriors chasing their pursuers and the desperate screams of the routed soldiers of the Patrol Division.

In the sky, the Vermilion Bird displayed its magnificent divine power, burning the heavens and severing the path.

In the distance, countless gazes, a mixture of shock, awe, and ecstasy, filled the Panshifang City.

Zhang Yuan's gaze calmly swept over the battlefield that he had single-handedly reversed and was now heading towards its end, looking towards the depths of Zhenyue Mountain.

In this battle, he crushed the Celestial Venerable with undisputed martial prowess, slaying the patrol guards' treasures and annihilating a thousand armies!

"Pursue! Those who surrender will not be killed; those who resist will be executed!"

Zhang Yuan's icy voice echoed across every corner of the battlefield through the Zhenyue Command.

He showed no mercy whatsoever; to be merciful to the enemy is to be cruel to one’s own people!

The Huanglin warriors' long-suppressed grief and anger, along with their newly ignited fanatical bloodlust, erupted completely!
Like wild beasts freed from their chains, they roared and, under the command of the elders, began a frenzied pursuit of the scattered Patrol Division cultivators with bloodshot eyes!
At the edge of Panshi Market, the deathly silence was replaced by heavy breathing and the clattering of teeth.

"It's broken! It's broken! The sinkhole cone is broken!"

A transformed wild boar spirit lay limp against the broken wall, its tusks trembling as it pointed at the dazzling dark golden figure in the distant smoke and dust.

"That human, he... he shattered the Venerable One's most precious treasure! With one punch! Just one punch!"

The Earth-Splitter's mountain-like body crashed into the magma, splashing golden blood that mingled with lava to form a dazzling crimson fountain.

The scene struck like a hammer blow to the hearts of every spectator.

"Bang!"

Beside him, the bull demon carrying a giant axe on his back lost his grip and smashed the axe to the ground, but he was completely unaware. His copper bell-like bull eyes were wide open, and he could only mutter in a dreamlike voice: "He killed him, he killed him, he killed the Earth-Splitting Venerable...?! That was the God of Slaughter of the Patrol Division, a high-ranking general of the Heavenly Palace!"

After a brief, suffocating silence, an even more intense clamor erupted.

"They turned the tables! They really turned the tables!"

An elderly human suddenly slapped his thigh, his beard trembling with excitement, his voice hoarse yet filled with fervor.

"A desperate counterattack! From the earth's veins surging backward to the peaks shattering like cones, and then to the enemy chieftain being slain in battle—this command! This method! It's divine skill!"

"Roar--!!!"

The Yellowscale warriors' earth-shattering roars of vengeance swept across the battlefield like rolling thunder, igniting the flames of the counterattack.

The remaining patrol soldiers, like harvested wheat, were utterly routed under the crushing force of the Qilin's claws and the Earthly Divine Power. They scattered and fled in all directions, crying out for their parents, their former arrogance completely gone. High in the sky, the Vermilion Bird, which had restrained the Celestial Realm experts, let out a clear yet chilling cry.

With an elegant yet deadly flap of her wings, a shower of golden-red flames, like the intelligent feathers of a phoenix, descended with unparalleled precision.

"Wow—!"

The flames of scorching fire poured down, instantly turning those areas into a purgatory of fire.

The shrill, short scream was swallowed by the flames, and the person, along with the standard spirit armor symbolizing the majesty of the Heavenly Palace, was instantly burned to ashes, leaving not even a trace!

This precise and brutal annihilation completely extinguished the last spark of organized resistance from the enemy.

This scene sent chills down the spines of the demon cultivators in the market, and their awe of the Vermilion Bird divine beast reached its peak.

The power of these mythical beasts is terrifying!
Half an hour later, the roaring sound subsided, and the sky full of spiritual light dissipated.

The original battlefield has fallen silent.

Under the elder's command, the Huanglin warriors began to efficiently and ruthlessly clean up the battlefield.

They quickly captured the terrified patrolmen who had knelt and surrendered, and swiftly collected the various magical treasures and storage bags shimmering with spiritual light scattered on the ground.

In particular, some precious fragments that had been scattered after the earth-shattering cones shattered, still radiating powerful earth-elemental energy, were carefully collected.

The laws contained in these fragments are of immeasurable value to the Huanglin clan, whose origin lies in the earth veins!
Even more striking was that several elders and craftsmen from the Huanglin clan, skilled in weapon forging, swarmed around the wreckage of the "Shattered Mountain" chariots that had crashed or were malfunctioning and emitting black smoke, like sharks smelling blood.

Their eyes gleamed with fanaticism as they used tools and earth-based magical abilities to dismantle the chariot's core furnace, drive rune array, and sturdy spiritual material armor with incredible speed.

Each dismantled core component represents the leakage of an important war technology of the Heavenly Palace and a huge boost to the Huanglin Clan's defensive capabilities!

This is not just spoils of war, but a strategic victory!

In the center of the battlefield, Zhang Yuan stood suspended in mid-air.

The dark black robe was torn in many places and stained with mottled golden celestial bloodstains, fluttering in the strong wind mixed with the smell of blood and burnt flesh.

His silent figure, together with the magnificent divine flames of the Vermilion Bird high in the sky that burned the eight directions, formed an incredibly shocking scene, deeply imprinted in the deepest part of the minds of every surviving patrol officer and all the spectators, turning into an inescapable eternal nightmare!

Inside Panshifang City.

"The world has changed! The world has really changed!"

The wild boar spirit finally regained some strength; his voice was still trembling, but it carried a kind of excitement at witnessing history.

"The Huanglin Clan not only defended their territory, but also annihilated the elite forces of the Patrol Division, seized valuable treasures, and even shattered the Heavenly Palace's trap cone! Once this news spreads, all the powers within a three-million-mile radius will have to reconsider their actions!"

"More than just weighing!" A cultivator in a gray robe stared intently, his voice low but unable to conceal his excitement.

"The ferocious beasts of the Burial Grounds are probably going to retreat to their lair! As for this 'Rock Solid Market,' bestowed by the Heavenly Palace, who will it listen to from now on? Need I say more?"

He glanced meaningfully at the caravan managers with celestial palace backgrounds in the market, who had been arrogant before but were now ashen-faced.

All the demon cultivators and humans who heard this were filled with awe and fear as they looked at the figure in the center of the battlefield.

An invisible wave has surged and spread from this battlefield of corpses and blood to the vast, desolate land.

Bloodhoof Wasteland.

Nest of Giant Rocks.

The evening wind howled through the red wasteland, whistling as it passed through the wind-eroded rock pillars, stirring up dust that smelled of rust.

Deep within the Bloodhoof War Elephant Clan's massive cave, the crackling campfire cast the image of their chieftain, Rock Mountain, clad in bone armor and resembling a hillock, onto the rough rock face, making him appear like an uneasy behemoth.

"Bang!"

A hard piece of red ochre was reduced to dust in the rocky mountain's fan-like hand.

His murky, enormous eyes were fixed on the travel-worn scout kneeling on one knee, his voice low and rumbling like thunder from the earth: "They won? The Yellow Lin Clan? Lie Di brought the Earth-Piercing Cone and the elite of the Patrol Guard... What did they have to win?"

The scout's throat was dry, his voice trembling with the relief of surviving a catastrophe, mixed with the excitement of witnessing something unbelievable: "It's shattered! Chieftain! The Earth-Piercing Cone... it was shattered by a backlash from a kinetic energy source!"

"The Earth-Splitting Venerable... was struck down with a single blow! Just one blow! His body and soul vanished! The Vermilion Bird God Venerable burned away all his escape routes, and the Patrol Division... is gone! Completely gone! The Yellow Scale Clan is plundering the land, and the spoils are piled up like mountains!"

The cave was deathly silent.

The campfire suddenly went dark, then was whipped into a frenzy by Yan Shan's heavy breathing.

He slowly rose to his feet, the bone armor scraping against each other with a sickening sound, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly.

He strolled to the cave entrance and looked towards Zhenyue Mountain.

As dusk settled, the sky seemed to still carry the lingering fear of the laws that had crumbled during the day.

A kind of innate sensitivity to the dramatic changes in the earth caused a faint stinging sensation in the rock strata beneath his skin.

“One slash, splits the earth, shatters the ground like a cone…” Yan Shan murmured, each word seeming to be squeezed out from the rock strata.

Behind them, a young elder exhaled hot white steam from his trunk, his hooves pawing the ground in frustration: "Chief! The Heavenly Palace's tusks have been pulled! The trade route from Panshi Market to Zhenyue Mountain is now a piece of fat meat! We..."

Yan Shan suddenly raised his hand, and the shadow instantly enveloped the restless young elder, also suppressing several equally ardent gazes within the cave.

"Fat meat? Humph!"

He grinned, revealing rough, rock-like teeth, and his eyes gleamed with a cunning and dangerous light.

"The teeth have been pulled, but the Heavenly Palace's claws are still at Black Wind Ridge and Broken Blade Cliff! Should we extend them for revenge, or retreat to lick our wounds?"

He turned around, his massive body blocking the entrance to the cave, his voice lowered, yet carrying an undeniable resolve.

"Order all war elephants to don armor, sharpen their tusks, and prepare to charge!"

"Send the 'Shadow Fang' squad to keep a close watch on the movements of the Blackwind Ridge patrol camp and the Broken Blade Cliff garrison. I need to know their every move!"

He paused, his eyes gleaming with even more cunning.

"Go to the treasure vault, retrieve the three 'Mysterious Magnetic Blood Crystals,' and pack them in the thickest gift box. Send them to Zhenyue Mountain under the guise of congratulating the Huanglin Clan on their great victory and expressing our gratitude to our allies!"

"Let's sound them out... ask if they've found any special 'rubble' on the battlefield, imbued with the sharpness of the earth... we're willing to exchange it for a great treasure!"

The young elder was stunned: "Stone fragments? A gift for Huang Lin? Clan leader, when did we...?"

"Foolish!" Yan Shan roared, interrupting, his elephant-like eyes flashing with a sharp light. "The 'rubble' that can shatter the earth-shattering cone? The one that the Vermilion Bird God Venerable personally burned the heavens to sever the path and protect... could it be a simple human race?"

"That's the wind and clouds stirred up by the appearance of a true dragon!"

"The Huanglin Clan has latched onto a powerful ally whose strength we can't fathom! In this chaotic situation, if we want to survive, or even take a bigger bite out of the pie, we have to use our noses to cling to an ally who can overturn the chessboard! Go now!"

His low growl echoed through the cave, carrying the most primal greed and awe of the wasteland overlord for power and opportunity. (End of Chapter)