Daqin Zhentiansi

Panshifang Market.

The secret room of Tongyuan Trading Company.

The fragrance of sandalwood wafted through the air, but it couldn't suppress the stench of blood and burnt smell that stubbornly seeped in from the cracks in the doors and windows.

Inside the secret chamber of Tongyuan Trading Company, a thick soundproof array isolated the noise of the market street, but it couldn't stop the fine beads of cold sweat from appearing on the forehead of the shopkeeper, Qian Mantun.

Qian Mantun's fat fingers slid unconsciously across the sandalwood abacus, the "crackling" sound of the beads colliding being particularly jarring in the silence.

Ah Fu, the trusted confidant, stood at attention, not daring to breathe, watching the shopkeeper pick up a cup of spiritual tea and put it down again, the tea swirling dangerously around the rim of the cup.

"We won...we won so badly, it was earth-shattering..."

Qian Mantun slammed his teacup down on the rosewood table, splashing tea onto the open ledger, which now seemed incredibly ironic, listing the large quantities of "Condensing Essence Pills" and "Amulets" presented as tribute to the Patrol Guard.

"The Earth-Splitting Venerable... the Earth-Piercing Cone... three hundred elite patrol guards... reduced to ashes!" His voice was extremely low, as if afraid of alarming something, trembling with lingering fear. "The Vermilion Bird God Venerable burned the heavens and severed the path! The Yellow Scale Clan... has truly stood firm now!"

Ah Fu's Adam's apple bobbed as he whispered, "Shopkeeper, then...then shouldn't we...quickly move the valuables away first..."

"Relocate? Seek refuge in Black Wind Ridge?" Qian Mantun looked up abruptly, as if his tail had been stepped on, his eyes flashing with the shrewdness of a businessman who could smell huge profits in a crisis.

"Foolish! Running away now, the Yellow Lin Clan's guards are just looking for a chance to catch spies! Black Wind Ridge? Everyone who's been crippled is dead, all that's left are clay idols! If the Heavenly Palace really wants revenge, that'll be the first place they fill in!"

He stood up irritably, pacing back and forth in the cramped space of the inner hall like a trapped beast or a gambler who had discovered a gold mine.

He stopped abruptly, grabbed a warm, smooth jade pendant from the table, and stroked it as if drawing courage: "The world has changed! Panshi Market will now belong to the Huanglin Clan..."

When he mentioned the word, his voice unconsciously lowered a few decibels, filled with deep apprehension.

"Even the earth-shattering cone can be shattered... How many pills and how many supplies will the Huanglin Clan need to rebuild?"

His eyes flashed with a sharp light as he looked at Afu: "Listen carefully! First, take out all the best 'Life-Creating Pills,' 'Bone-Healing Ointment,' 'Spirit-Nourishing Jade Elixir,' and 'Earth Spirit Milk' in the storeroom! They must be top-grade! In my name, prepare generous gifts and send them to Zhenyue Mountain immediately!"

"Congratulations on the great victory! Best regards to the soldiers!"

"Remember, you must find a way to send a message so that the important figures of the Huanglin Clan know the 'intentions' of our Tongyuan Trading Company!"

He leaned closer to Afu and almost whispered, "Second, find 'Black Spider' and offer three times... no, five times the price! Buy the core rune fragments of 'Shattered Mountain' chariots that have spilled from the battlefield!"

“And… any remnant of the Earth-Piercing Cone! Remember, it must be absolutely clean, without the slightest trouble! This thing is the key to the top trading companies! Third,” he sat back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the table, regaining some of the composure he had displayed in the business world, “for our old customers with the Heavenly Palace background… continue to supply them as usual, but tighten the payment terms and only accept cash spirit crystals.”

"In this world... you can't put all your eggs in one basket."

Afu nodded in understanding and silently withdrew.

Qian Mantun remained alone in the secret room, watching the long shadows cast by the market under the blood-red sunset outside the window. His fingers unconsciously twirled the abacus beads, as if he were calculating the wealth code under the rise of the new overlord. The air was filled with a strange mix of tension and speculation.

……

Direction of Broken Edge Cliff.

The remnant boat of the Patrol Guard.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the swirling, murky clouds in the low sky a deep crimson.

A patrol vessel, scarred and with its many restrictions flickering, flew erratically beneath the clouds like a wounded vulture.

The cabin was filled with the heavy stench of blood, medicine, and despair. Each jolt through the unstable air currents triggered a suppressed scream and curse.

On the soft couch in the corner, the elder of the Zhenshou Temple branch, Xuan Gu, lay in tattered robes. The talisman wrapped around his severed left shoulder was soaked with pale golden blood, radiating a decaying light.

His face was ashen, and every breath he took pulled at his wounds, bringing excruciating pain and even deeper fear.

The bulkhead reflected the flowing blood outside the window, and in a daze, it transformed into daytime, with the Vermilion Bird's raging flames that burned everything and the dark golden blade energy that tore through the heavens and earth.

"Master...Master..." A trusted disciple with burn marks on his face held a water pouch, his voice trembling, "We...have shaken off the pursuers...right?"

Xuan Gu suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils filled with extreme horror, as if that earth-shattering strike was replaying before his eyes.

His body convulsed uncontrollably, pulling on his severed arm, causing him to gasp in pain and cough up blood streaked with gold.

"Pursuers? Cough cough... Vermilion Bird Burns the Sky... It blocks the escape route... There are no pursuers left to shake off..."

His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed.

"That is...that is a primordial ferocity! It is the Heavenly Palace's...unrivaled enemy!"

He recalled the immense aura of the Earth-Splitting Venerable that had suddenly vanished in his divine sense, and the despair of the laws' mournful cries echoing across the battlefield as the Earth-Piercing Cone shattered. A tremendous chill gripped his heart once more: "Earth-Splitting Venerable... the Venerable One... the Heavenly Palace's most precious treasure... shattered like rotten wood... It's over... It's all over..."

Another disciple, his voice trembling with tears, cried out, "Master, shall we return to the Black Wind Ridge camp? There are still..."

"Black Wind Ridge?" A flash of resentment crossed Xuan Gu's eyes, which were then overwhelmed by a deeper fear. He grabbed his disciple's collar, his nails almost digging into his flesh, and hissed like a dying beast, "Going back to die?!"

"The Yellow Lin Clan, they just slaughtered Lord Lie Di and three hundred elite troops, their momentum is unstoppable! Black Wind Ridge is leaderless and its people are filled with fear. Going there is just asking to be crushed into dust in one fell swoop!!"

He turned his head with difficulty, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the vast, blood-soaked mountains rushing past the porthole, as if those undulating peaks might transform into a monstrous beast in pursuit at any moment.

"Change course! Change course immediately!"

He roared with all his might, his voice sounding particularly shrill in the despairing silence of the cabin.

"At all costs... full speed... to Broken Blade Cliff! To find Venerable Absolute Edge!"

He gasped for breath, a final, frenzied glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes: "Tell the Venerable One! The Earth-Piercing Cone has shattered! Lord Earth-Splitting has fallen! The entire Patrol Guard has been wiped out!"

"The murderer...is the Vermilion Bird...and an unimaginable ferocious human being under the protection of the Yellow Lin Clan!"

"If this fiend is not eliminated... he will surely become a major threat to the Heavenly Palace! We must... we must ask the Venerable One to petition the Heavenly Palace... to mobilize the mighty power... with overwhelming force... to uproot Mount Zhenyue... and utterly... crush it!"

His roar exhausted his last bit of strength, and he collapsed, leaving only the violent heaving of his chest and the bone-chilling cold that permeated the cabin.

Swept up by the blood-red setting sun, the airship, trailing a mournful tail, desperately plunged into the deeper, unknown shadows.

Deep within the forbidden area of ​​the Qilin clan.

The shimmering light of the dome reflected a solemn atmosphere.

Zhang Yuan, Zhu Que, and several Venerables from the Huang Lin clan, including Pan Yue and Kui Yan, sat around.

On the central stone platform, the broken remains of the sinkhole cone and the remains of several captured and reassembled chariots with faded runes are quietly displayed.

A huge animal hide map, ten feet in diameter, was spread out on the ground.

The mountains, landforms, territories, and resource points are marked with different colors and runes. Key locations such as the Black Wind Ridge Patrol Camp, Rock Market, and Broken Blade Cliff Guardian Stronghold are clearly visible, like key pieces on a chessboard.

Vermilion Bird's fingertips swirled with golden-red flames as it drew lines in the air on the map: "The five Qilin each inherit a lineage of origin. The Yellow Qilin clan is the essence of Earth Virtue, wielding the Earth element, connecting with the earth's veins, controlling mountains as if they were their own arms, and finding mineral deposits and cultivating spiritual plants are innate abilities."

"Its 'Suppressing Mountains and Eight Desolations' formation is a top-tier defensive formation in the primordial world. If it weren't for a nemesis like the Earth-Piercing Cone..."

Venerable Pan Yue replied, his voice carrying the weariness of the great battle and a hint of solemnity after surviving a calamity. He pointed to the map and said, "Fire General, please look. Zhenyue Mountain is the core of our clan's ancestral land, where the earth veins converge. Although the Wutu Divine Crystal Mine was severely damaged, its foundation still remains."

“Panshi Market is a strategic location, a hub for merchants, and a center for news and goods within a million miles. Now that the Patrol Guard’s power has been eliminated, it is the perfect opportunity to take control.”

"Blackwind Ridge serves as its forward outpost, while Broken Blade Cliff is a crucial stronghold for defense, forming a mutually supportive defensive network. Furthermore, ferocious beasts stir in the Bone Burial Wasteland, the war elephants of the Bloodhoof Wasteland observe, and the direction of Thunderfall Abyss..."

Another elder, Kuiyan, pointed with grief and indignation at the fragments of the Earth-Piercing Cone: "This cone is vicious! Its core... is made from the life-bound horn of a powerful member of the 'Mountain-Piercing Stone Scale' clan, a branch of the Earth Element lineage of my Qilin clan, and forged with their essence! This clan... was already slaughtered by the Heavenly Palace!"

He then pointed to the wreckage of the Shattered Mountain Chariot.

"The core drive arrays and skeletal framework of these chariots are infused with the bone and blood divine abilities of the Azure Qilin clan! The Heavenly Palace regards my myriad divine beast races as mines, skinning and dismembering them to refine treasures and craft weapons. This enmity is irreconcilable!"

Zhang Yuan's gaze was calm as he slowly swept his eyes across the map and the wreckage.

In his mind, the illusory image of the Great Dao Golden Pearl spun, and the Chaos God-Demon Body sensed the subtle ripples of the earth's veins. The deductive power of the Great Qin Origin Dao Scripture was operating silently.

Although this battle was won, it only tore open a corner of the vast Heavenly Palace system.

The earth shattered and the earth caved in, the news spread, and the Heavenly Palace's counterattack was bound to be as powerful as a thunderbolt.

The Huanglin clan, which had just recovered from its heavy losses, would find it extremely difficult to withstand the attack.

His gaze finally settled firmly on Black Wind Ridge and Rock City.

Zhuque keenly noticed his deep thought, her golden-red eyes fixed on Zhang Yuan: "Zhang Yuan, we are all well aware of the dangers here. Speak frankly without hesitation. The survival of our Huanglin clan depends entirely on your efforts to turn the tide."

Her words carried the majesty of a divine beast and the sincerity of an ally.

Venerable Pan Yue nodded solemnly, the golden horn on his forehead gleaming faintly: "Fire General has given my clan a second chance! Speak freely of your plans! Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, the Yellow Lin clan will brave it with you!"

Zhang Yuan met everyone's gaze and slowly spoke, his voice low but each word carrying immense weight: "The Heavenly Palace is powerful, and no single clan can withstand it. To gather the strength of the masses, we must offer substantial rewards."

He paused for a moment, then threw out a groundbreaking proposal: "I wonder if the Huanglin clan would be willing to share their unique affinity for the earth, as well as some basic earth-based cultivation techniques, with their allies?"

The moment these words were spoken, the secret room fell silent.

The elders all showed astonishment and instinctive bewilderment.

An elder with yellow hair and beard frowned deeply: "Sharing bloodline talents and cultivation techniques? Fire Commander, isn't this putting our clan in a precarious position? In the primordial world, those who covet the bloodline of divine beasts are as numerous as carp crossing a river!"

"If this is leaked, wouldn't it attract a pack of wolves, all wanting to obtain my bloodline and refine it? At that time..."

A hint of worry flashed in his eyes, as if he could see the horrific scene of his people being hunted and having their blood extracted.

“Senior’s concerns are very valid.” Zhang Yuan nodded, his expression unchanged, but his tone carried a coldness that showed he understood the ways of the world. “If the Huang Lin clan is weak and easily bullied, this strategy would be tantamount to digging their own grave.”

"However," he suddenly changed his tone, his gaze sweeping across the crowd like lightning, "what if the Huanglin clan becomes so powerful that those who covet it are filled with fear, so powerful that they understand that the price of plundering by force far exceeds what they gain, even... far exceeds the limits they can bear?"

"At that time, they will willingly grovel before the rules, forming alliances to exchange for the endless benefits that this talent brings!"

The crowd did not fully understand at first, and doubts still lingered in their eyes.

Zhuque looked at the familiar, all-knowing confidence in Zhang Yuan's eyes and spoke directly: "Zhang Yuan, stop beating around the bush. What makes you so confident that those who covet it will be 'terrified'? And what makes them believe that it's 'not worth the risk'?"

A cold, stern smile curved Zhang Yuan's lips as he turned his gaze to the pile of rubble on the stone platform: "With this!"

He did not answer Suzaku directly, but instead raised his hand in a feint.

"Om-"

A terrifying aura that made the entire forbidden area tremble suddenly descended!

A fierce, decadent, and seemingly all-consuming sword intent spread out.

A dark red sword shadow, seemingly both real and ethereal, swirling with endless chaotic energy and a vortex of devouring energy, appeared out of thin air before Zhang Yuan—

It is one of the Four Swords of Zhuxian, the Immortal Trapping Sword!

The moment the sword shadow appeared, the fragments of the earth-trapping cones on the stone platform seemed to encounter the primordial master, trembling violently and emitting a mournful hum. The faint earth-elemental laws remaining on the fragments frantically worshipped and converged towards the sword shadow!
Zhuque's pupils contracted sharply, and a chill emanating from the depths of her bloodline caused the eternal flames around her to flicker!

Pan Yue, Kui Yan, and other Venerable Huang Lin were trembling violently, as if they were being crushed by an invisible mountain, making it almost impossible for them to breathe. They stared in utter horror at the dark red sword shadow.

"What kind of ferocious weapon is this?!"

Pan Yue lost his voice, which trembled uncontrollably.

He could clearly sense that the "devouring" and "trap" power contained in the sword shadow was essentially the same as that of the Earth-Trapping Cone, but its level and power were far superior to the Earth-Trapping Cone by more than ten thousand times.
It was like a firefly compared to the bright moon!
"This is the weapon of my Dao, the Immortal Trapping Cone." Zhang Yuan's voice was calm, yet carried supreme majesty. "What the Earth-Trapping Cone has stolen is merely a tiny, insignificant glimpse into the Dao's laws. Now, all of you, behold!"

He pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly pointed at the fragments of the Earth-Piercing Cone and the shadow of the Immortal-Piercing Sword.

"Immortal Trapping, Merge!" (End of Chapter)