Daqin Zhentiansi

Whether they were representatives of major human clans, powerful leaders of the demon race, or lone cultivators, they all turned red with rage and rushed frantically toward the stone table.

Countless storage bags containing spirit crystals, spirit materials, and even land deeds and jade tablets were held high.

Fear and concerns were cast aside in the face of absolute temptation.

The Huanglin warriors had to maintain order, forming a human wall and shouting loudly.

Looking at the almost insane scene before him, Venerable Kuiyan's eyes flashed with a complex emotion, but more than that, they were resolute.

He knew that from this moment on, the Huang Lin clan, or rather, the path of following Fire General Zhang Yuan, had no possibility of turning back.

On the edge of the market, on the top floor of an inconspicuous gray stone pavilion.

Two figures dressed in inconspicuous gray linen robes stood by the window, silently watching the frenzied scramble for bloodline beads and cultivation techniques in the square below.

Their aura was extremely restrained, as if they had merged with the shadows.

"Selling bloodlines, with basic cultivation techniques from divine beasts as a bonus... What is the Yellow Lin Clan's intention?"

The slightly taller man in gray robes on the left spoke in a low, hoarse voice, filled with deep confusion. "Aren't they afraid that the various forces that have cultivated the Yellow Scale Technique, or even merged with the Yellow Scale bloodline, will turn against their race in the future?"

"At that time, it won't just be the Heavenly Palace that covets their core bloodline and higher cultivation techniques."

The slightly stocky middle-aged man in gray robes on the right slowly shook his head, his brows furrowed: "I can't see through it. This move is tantamount to scattering one's own foundation into the primordial chaos; the risk is immeasurable. Unless..."

He paused, his gaze turning toward Zhenyue Mountain, where the faint pulse of the earth had not yet completely subsided.

"Unless they know they can't hold onto the Zhenyue Mountain foundation? And use this method to prevent the Huanglin bloodline and heritage from being completely severed due to the Heavenly Palace's counterattack? And emulate the phoenix's rebirth, leaving a spark for all races?"

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing deep doubt and a hint of coldness in each other's eyes.

If that's the case, then the crisis facing the Huanglin Clan is probably even more terrifying than they imagine.

A somber silence fell over the attic.

……

Bloodhoof Wasteland, Nest of Giant Rocks.

The massive body of the War Elephant Clan Chief, Yanshan, sat upright on a stone seat covered with thick animal hides.

Between his rough fingers, he was twirling a "Wu Earth Bloodline Bead" that he had just obtained through special channels at a considerable cost.

The bead rolled between his fingertips, emanating a pure earth elemental aura and a hint of divine beast pressure, which resonated with and evoked a longing in the ancient bloodline within him, which originated from the primordial mammoth.

Beside him, several core elders stared intently at the bead, their eyes filled with undisguised fervor and envy.

"Divine beast bloodline..." Yan Shan's voice was like two giant rocks rubbing together, carrying complex and incomprehensible emotions, "My Bloodhoof War Elephant clan has been passed down for ten thousand years, and we consider ourselves the darlings of the earth. We have exhausted all our efforts, and all we seek is to purify our bloodline, return to our ancestral origins, and strive for the clan to advance further... How difficult it is!"

He raised his massive head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the rock face, directed towards the distant Zhenyue Mountain, his tone tinged with resentment and bitterness: "And they, Huang Lin... treat this bloodline like ordinary ores and herbs, displaying it in the market... selling it easily..."

An elder couldn't help but whisper, "Clan leader, are they... are they really not afraid? Their bloodline is flowing out and their cultivation techniques are spreading. This is tantamount to inviting wolves into the house!"

"In the primordial world, the strong prey on the weak. Once a force grows up using this environment, the first one they'll likely target is Huang Lin!"

Yan Shan remained silent for a long time, his large fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth surface of the bloodline bead, feeling the power contained within that made his bloodline throb.

Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice as heavy as the mountains: "Fear? Perhaps you are afraid, perhaps you are not. The key lies in..."

A glint of light flashed in his enormous elephant eyes, as if he had made up his mind.

"It depends on whether they can truly stand firm in the storm to come!"

"It depends on whether they can... take Black Wind Ridge! It depends on whether they can... withstand the inevitable, thunderous counterattack from the Heavenly Palace Patrol Division!"

"Pass down the order," Yan Shan suddenly stood up, causing the stone chamber to tremble, "All war elephants, put on your armor! Grind your tusks! Prepare the 'Mysterious Magnetic Blood Crystal'...etc."

He paused, his gaze returning to the dark golden bloodline bead, his tone resolute:

"Wait for news of Zhenyue Mountain's... attack on Black Wind Ridge!"

The bustling city of Rock City and the somber atmosphere of the Nest of Giant Rocks are like two sides of the storm before it arrives.

And at the source of all this, deep within the forbidden area of ​​Zhenyue Mountain, Zhang Yuan slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes shimmered with a chaotic, divine light, as if bearing the weight and vastness of the boundless earth.

The seventeenth layer of earth vein supernatural power, the "Realm of Great Virtue Carrying All Things" has been completed.

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

Black Wind Ridge.

This strategically important town, which once served as an outpost of the Heavenly Palace Guard, is now completely shrouded in earthen-yellow walls.

The Huanglin clan's army stood in formation outside the mountains like a rock, their chilling aura reaching the sky.

Several Huanglin clan elders stood before the formation, their faces solemn, their hands pressed to the ground.

As they chanted their incantations, which were as deep and resonant as the pulse of the earth, the entire Blackwind Ridge region groaned under the weight of the burden.

"Boom—!!!"

The earth's veins were forcibly activated and shaped!
One after another, towering earthen walls, each over a thousand feet high and as thick as the mountain itself, rose from the ground, like the arms of a primordial giant god, tightly enveloping the entire Black Wind Ridge and its affiliated fortified towns!

Mysterious earth-elemental runes flowed across the wall, radiating an indestructible and imposing pressure that isolated heaven and earth.

The sunlight was cut off by the high walls, and the area inside the ridge was instantly plunged into a depressing, dim yellow.

"Sealing the heavens and locking the earth, suppressing the mountains and the eight wastelands!"

Venerable Pan Yue's voice boomed like a bell, proclaiming the Huang Lin clan's absolute control over this land.

Within the ridge, tens of thousands of guardian monks instantly fell into panic.

Various protective formations lit up in response, and colorful magical lights flickered in the dim light, bombarding the towering earthen wall, but only causing ripples of rune fluctuations, without even shaking off a single stone.

Despair spread like a plague.

"It's over! The Huanglin Clan is going to trap us like turtles in a jar!"

"Are they trying to starve us out, or... massacre the entire city?"

"Quickly! Request reinforcements from Broken Blade Cliff! Beg Venerable Juefeng to send troops immediately!"

The cultivators and demons who had been watching fled far away, all trembling with fear as they gazed at the colossal wall that stood like a miracle.

The terrifying earth vein supernatural power displayed by the Huanglin Clan, along with their ruthless sealing tactics, instilled in them an unprecedented awe and even fear of this divine beast clan that had just been reborn from the ashes.

This is by no means a simple act of revenge, but rather an attempt to completely erase the traces of the Heavenly Palace in this place!
……

Broken Blade Cliff, guarding the main altar of the temple.

The news of Huang Lin's army besieging Black Wind Ridge spread like wildfire, with earth-shattering debris, pitfalls, and the elite of the Patrol Division wiped out.

The atmosphere inside the council hall was heavy as lead, and the noise of the argument almost lifted the roof off.

"We must rescue them! If Blackwind Ridge falls, Broken Blade Cliff will be in grave danger! The Yellow Scale Clan's next target is us!"

An elder with a sinister face slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Rescue? What can we use to rescue them? Even Lord Liedi, wielding the Earth-Splitting Cone, was defeated and sunk to the ground! The Vermilion Bird has burned the heavens and blocked the road! Whom can we send? How many will be enough to fill the gap?"

Another white-haired elder spoke in a hoarse voice, filled with deep fear.

He was Xuan Gu, who had narrowly escaped from the battlefield of Zhenyue Mountain that day, and his severed arm still ached faintly.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch our tens of thousands of comrades at Black Wind Ridge be slaughtered? What will become of the Heavenly Palace's dignity?!" someone roared.

"Majesty? With the fall of Lord Liedi and the shattering of the Earth-Piercing Cone, majesty has long been swept away! Going now would only add another merit to the Yellow Lin Clan's record!"

Xuan Gu retorted excitedly, as if the dark golden blade light that tore through the heavens and earth flashed before his eyes again.

"Besides, those human garrison commanders, their deaths are no big deal—"

"Enough!" Venerable Juefeng, who was sitting in the main seat, finally spoke, his voice cold and carrying a metallic quality.

His face was chiseled, and his eyes were so sharp they could pierce the heart.

"The enemy's overconfidence and reckless advance of Lie Di are not worth regretting. However, Black Wind Ridge must be saved, otherwise morale will be completely shattered."

His gaze swept over the arguing crowd, his expression unwavering: "But this is not a decisive battle. Send a 'Swiftwind Guard,' three hundred elite soldiers, equipped with 'Sky-Piercing Shuttles,' to break into the outer perimeter of Black Wind Ridge at top speed to support the evacuation of some core array masters and commanders."

"The objective is not war, but 'survival' and... a warning! To let the Yellow Lin Clan know that our Heavenly Palace has not abandoned this place!"

This was clearly a case of sacrificing a pawn to save the king, using the lives of three hundred elite soldiers to test the Huanglin clan's reaction and bottom line, while simultaneously salvaging a shred of face.

But under the accumulated prestige of Venerable Juefeng, no one dared to refute him anymore.

Inside Black Wind Ridge.

The atmosphere of panic was almost tangible.

Suddenly, on the massive earthen-yellow wall that sealed off the heavens and the earth, two areas rippled out like water, transforming into two enormous golden light screens, clearly presented before all the trapped guardians.

On the left side of the light screen, intricate and mysterious runes flowed and images shifted.

It was actually a demonstration of the Huang Lin clan's earth vein supernatural powers!

From the basic guidance and condensation of the Earth element's spiritual energy, to the advanced killing techniques such as "Earth-Shaking Wave," "Rock Armor Technique," and "Stone-Splitting Cone," and even some of the essentials of setting up and controlling the "Eight Desolations Formation"!
Its clarity and rarity far surpass any cultivation technique bestowed by the Heavenly Palace that they had ever seen!
On the right side of the light screen is a clear path of light and shadow, winding its way into the distance.

It is the only way to reach Black Wind Ridge from the direction of Broken Blade Cliff, a dangerous place called "Eagle Beak Gorge".

Just as all the garrison commanders were bewildered and confused by this sudden "inheritance" and "path," two figures appeared silently atop the giant wall, like gods looking down upon the mortal world.

A man dressed in dark black attire stood tall and straight, his aura as deep as the sea. He was none other than Zhang Yuan, the fiend who could cleave the earth and shatter precious treasures!

The other person, dressed in a red robe, had golden and red flames flickering around him, exuding unparalleled majesty—the Vermilion Bird God!

"Ah! It's...it's him! The human who killed the Earth-Splitting Venerable!"

"Vermilion Bird! The divine beast Vermilion Bird has arrived too!"

"It's over...we're doomed..."

The area was instantly thrown into turmoil, and fear reached its peak.

Countless horrified gazes were focused on the two figures on the wall, as if they had witnessed the arrival of death.

Zhang Yuan's gaze calmly swept over Wan Xiu, who was standing below like a frightened bird. His voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through all the noise, reaching everyone's ears with a strange sense of reassurance and undeniable power:

“You are all human beings.”

This seemingly simple sentence caused many restless minds to pause inexplicably.

"Do you think," Zhang Yuan raised his hand and pointed to the Eagle's Beak Gorge path on the right-hand light screen, "that the Celestial Race will come to your rescue? How many people will they send? And how many can actually come?"

This question struck everyone like a heavy blow.

How long has it been since the earth shattered and fell?
The Heavenly Palace's reaction... would it really go all out for these "consumables" and confront the Yellow Lin Clan head-on, who had just won a great victory, were riding high, and had the Vermilion Bird in charge?

Venerable Juefeng... would he?
No one could answer.

A sense of bewilderment lingered amidst the despair.

“We have no intention of turning the knife against our own kind.” Zhang Yuan’s voice rang out again, carrying a strange persuasive power. “Black Wind Ridge is sealed off. Struggling will only increase casualties. Why don’t you all stay here and observe the situation?”

He pointed to the mysterious inheritance light screen on the left: "The spiritual energy here is still good. Why don't you all take advantage of this leisure time to comprehend a bit of it?"

"This is the true method of the divine beast's earth veins, not an incomplete technique bestowed by the Heavenly Palace. How much you can comprehend depends on your own destiny."

"As for our struggle against the Celestials..." Zhang Yuan's tone turned cold, tinged with disdain, "let's see how they handle it. You need not get involved in this matter, nor... can you afford to get involved."

After saying this, he and Zhuque remained silent, standing on the wall like two statues, quietly observing what lay below.

There was a moment of deathly silence in the valley, followed by a burst of suppressed discussion.

"What...what does he mean? He's not going to kill us?"

"Let us...see the martial arts technique? And wait for rescue?"

"Divine beast technique... My God, that's the complete method for channeling energy in the 'Stone-Splitting Cone'! It's far superior to what we've learned!"

"It's fake, right? It's definitely a trap!"

"But... if he wanted to kill us, why bother with all this trouble? This wall... we can't break through it at all!"

Under immense pressure to survive, the instinctive desire for divine beast techniques, along with a sliver of hope for "rescue," mixed with fear of Zhang Yuan and the Vermilion Bird, created an eerie and tense atmosphere.

In the end, most of the garrison commanders, amidst their hesitation and trepidation, actually sat down cross-legged in twos and threes.

Some people cautiously observed the Eagle Beak Gorge path on the right side of the light screen, while others couldn't help but fix their gazes on the constantly evolving divine beast techniques on the left side of the light screen.

Their eyes were filled with greed and struggle as they began to try to memorize and deduce the unprecedented and profound methods.

Time slowly slipped away amidst this suffocating wait and contemplation.

I don't know how much time passed, maybe an hour, maybe two hours...

suddenly!

On the right side of the light screen, the space above the path of Eagle's Beak Gorge is slightly distorted!
"They're here! There's movement!"

The garrison commander, who had been keeping a close eye on the rescue route, suddenly jumped up, his voice filled with ecstasy and hoarseness.

Everyone tensed up, and their eyes instantly focused!

Within the light screen, three hundred figures clad in standard Heavenly Palace armor rode shuttle-shaped "Sky-Piercing Shuttles," like three hundred streaks of silver light, rapidly traversing the narrow Eagle Beak Gorge!

They had a clear objective and headed straight for Black Wind Ridge!

"It's the Heavenly Palace's 'Swift Wind Guards'! It's rescue! Rescue has arrived!"

"Only...three hundred people?"

"Three hundred?! What... what can that be? It's not even enough to fill a gap between your teeth!"

"That's all the Venerable Juefeng sent? Is he...is he trying to kill us?" (End of Chapter)