Daqin Zhentiansi

"Circulate your inner energy! Draw lightning into your body! Temper your bones and strengthen your muscles!"

The battalion commanders roared angrily.

They too were enduring excruciating pain, yet they set an example by frantically activating the simplified body-refining battle formation method taught by Zhang Yuan.

The soldiers gritted their teeth, their gums even bleeding, enduring inhuman pain as they desperately guided the raging thunder power according to the method.

Strands of destructive electric arcs were forcibly restrained and tamed, then traveled along specific meridian pathways.

This force brutally tore and burned flesh and fascia, yet under the guidance of the technique, it stimulated the hidden vitality, forcibly drawing the dissipated essence of thunder into the blood circulation, and merging it with the surging battle aura within the body.

Every breath was accompanied by a flash of lightning, and every heartbeat felt like being struck on a thunder drum.

Meanwhile, in the area where the lightning was most intense, cascading down the abyss wall like a waterfall—

Zhang Yuan's figure had already disappeared from the high platform and appeared in front of the steep, rugged black rock wall.

The lightning here is far more violent than elsewhere; the air is ionized, crackling and popping. Ordinary cultivators who get close will be vaporized instantly.

His face was ashen, and he seemed oblivious to the devastating environment around him.

On his arms, dark golden chaotic true essence flowed and condensed like a living thing, instantly covering his elbows and exuding an ancient and profound aura.

"drink!"

With a low shout, Zhang Yuan clenched his palms like knives, without any fancy moves, and fiercely slashed down at the lightning-struck rock wall that was flashing with dazzling lightning and had a hardness comparable to refined gold!

"Sizzle—!"

The palm, enveloped in chaotic true essence, was even sharper than divine weapons!

The dark golden light and purple lightning collided violently, producing a teeth-grinding cutting sound.

The seemingly indestructible rock face was as soft as a cake in his hands, easily sliced ​​open with a deep gash several feet deep, the edges of which shimmered with a molten red light!
"boom!"

He dug out a piece of ore, about the size of a millstone, completely black but covered with naturally flowing purple lightning patterns, and seemingly sealed with liquid lightning inside, from the rock.

It is the rare and precious material for refining weapons, "Thunder Pattern Iron"!
The moment the ore leaves the rock, the surrounding free-floating lightning seems to be attracted, surging wildly into the lightning patterns on its surface, making its light even brighter and emitting a deep hum.

On the other side, the abbot of Xuanyan Temple was surrounded by earth-yellow qi, forming a protective shield. He was holding a pickaxe engraved with qi-breaking runes and was carefully tapping on a relatively loose rock layer.

Each strike sends down fine, shimmering purple crystals—"Purple Thunder Crystal Sand."

The accompanying craftsmen held their breath, using specially made jade shovels and flexible animal skin bags to collect these crystal sand particles, which were ten thousand times more precious than gold and could ignite thunder with the slightest carelessness. Fine beads of sweat covered their foreheads.

The raging thunder was no longer a symbol of destruction, but rather became the hottest furnace and the heaviest forging hammer.

In a recessed area of ​​the abyss wall, where the most violent lightning strikes had been avoided but lightning still raged, the abbot of Xuanyan Temple directed his men to quickly level a platform using magic and set up a simple spirit-gathering and isolation formation.

It wasn't to block the lightning, but to guide and stabilize the raging power of the lightning spirit, turning it into a controllable "fire source" and "hammerhead".

The massive thunder-patterned iron ore that Zhang Yuan had cleaved off the rock face with his bare hands was carefully smashed into smaller pieces by several body-cultivating warriors using specially made black iron hammers engraved with force-dissipating runes.

With each hammer blow, the liquid lightning sealed within the ore would burst forth violently, crackling and sputtering in the air, sending blinding sparks flying, causing the surrounding craftsmen to instinctively take a half-step back.

The fragments were then thrown into a "lightning furnace" that was half-buried in the ground and based on several "lightning-absorbing stones".

This furnace has no firewood, and the inner wall of the furnace is engraved with intricate spirit-guiding patterns.

The abbot of Xuanyan Temple personally performed a hand seal, guiding a relatively stable stream of purple lightning from above to precisely strike the furnace.

"Sizzle—Boom!"

The magma was poured in, instantly filling the furnace and producing a deafening explosion.

The originally dark, lightning-patterned iron fragments quickly turned crimson red amidst the raging lightning and fire.

The natural purple rhombus patterns on the surface seem to come alive, flowing and expanding inside the ore like blood vessels.

Impurities rapidly vaporize under the bombardment of high temperature and thunder.

The ore melts and purifies at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually turning into a furnace of blazing, viscous, dark purple molten metal with countless tiny electric snakes leaping across its surface.

As the molten liquid churned, it emitted heart-pounding energy fluctuations and scorching high temperatures.

On the other side, the accompanying craftsmen held their breath, as if performing a silent ritual.

They knelt on the ground and used a specially made "Chen Lei Yu" shovel, which was neither gold nor jade and had extremely strong insulation, to gently scrape away the purple thunder crystal sand that had been mined by the Xuan Yan Temple, which shimmered with a dreamlike purple light.

Each shovel takes only a thin layer, the movements as gentle as caressing the first snow.

The scraped crystal sand is not used directly, but is carefully poured into a specially made double-layered "splitter bowl".

The inner layer is fine lightning-struck charcoal powder, and the outer layer is limestone powder with extremely poor spiritual conductivity.

After the crystal sand was poured in, the craftsmen immediately covered the bowl tightly and poured in a small amount of spiritual liquid containing gentle wood-based life force.

"puff……"

A slight muffled sound echoed inside the bowl, accompanied by a faint purple light seeping through the cracks.

This is the process by which the extremely unstable thunderous power contained within the crystal sand is slowly neutralized and guided by the charcoal powder and spiritual liquid.

If you're not careful, the entire bowl of crystal sand will explode like gunpowder.

The craftsmen, their foreheads covered in fine beads of sweat, stared intently at the bowl until the purple light emanating from it completely stabilized before they dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

The processed crystal sand has a more restrained and deep purple hue, and it feels slightly warm to the touch, like a sleeping thunder beast.

"Start the furnace!" Zhang Yuan shouted in a low voice.

A gate at the bottom of the lightning-inducing furnace opened, and a stream of viscous, hot, dark purple molten metal flowed out, precisely pouring into a preheated black iron mold also engraved with lightning patterns.

It was the rough shape of a long knife.

The molten liquid has just filled the mold and has not yet completely solidified.

Zhang Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he pointed his right hand like a sword, drawing it towards the raging lightning domain above!
"Hey!"

A deep purple bolt of lightning, deliberately weakened and condensed into the shape of a long whip, arrived as summoned.

It was no longer a devastating bombardment, but rather a strange "forging" rhythm that lashed hard at the blade mold!
"Clang—Sizzle!"

A strange sound, a mixture of metallic thuds and electrical booms, exploded out!

The entire mold vibrated violently, and sparks flew everywhere on its surface.

Inside the mold, the blade blank is forcibly compressed and shaped under the "forging" of thunder, and impurities are further removed. The purple thunder patterns on the surface seem to be "whipped" more clearly and deeply by this whip.

Zhang Yuan's movements were nonstop, his fingers tapping repeatedly. Strands of condensed lightning, like invisible giant hammers, precisely "forged" the blade blank in the mold from different angles, with different forces and frequencies.

Each strike of lightning was accompanied by blinding flashes of light and muffled forging sounds. Under the intense heat and immense force, the outline of the blade blank quickly became clear and sharp, faintly revealing an aura of unparalleled ferocity.

This scene was filled with the domineering power of the primordial heavens and the elegant precision of Zhang Yuan's control.

As the blade blank took initial shape and the temperature dropped slightly, though it remained a deep red color, radiating heat and a thunderous aura, Zhang Yuan's left hand reached out and grabbed at the prepared purple thunder crystal sand in the thunder-splitting bowl, which was lifted up by a gentle force. "Go!"

Crystal sand is evenly sprinkled onto the surface of the blade blank.

The moment it touched the scorching hot blade, the crystal sand melted instantly, turning into streams of flowing purple liquid. As if it had a life of its own, it automatically traveled and seeped along the natural lightning patterns forged into the blade blank by lightning.

"Now! Lightning Temper the Blade!" Zhang Yuan's eyes flashed like lightning as he summoned lightning once more. But this time, instead of lashing it out, he guided a relatively gentle yet purer stream of silver lightning to cascade down onto the blade blank like a waterfall!
"Sizzle—!!!"

White vapor mixed with blinding electric light shot into the sky! The entire platform was engulfed in intense light.

The lightning paste came into violent contact with the blade blank infused with purple lightning crystal sand, resulting in a mysterious reaction.

The purple liquid formed from crystal sand, stimulated by the lightning paste, completely fused with the lightning-patterned iron of the blade blank itself. At the same time, the violent lightning power was forcibly "pressed" into the blade.

Quenching complete!

Once the lightning dissipated, the long knife in the mold had been fully formed.

The blade is a deep dark purple, and its surface is covered with naturally formed, slowly flowing silver-purple thunder patterns that seem to be alive.

At the edge of the blade, a cold glint remained, refusing to dissipate. Even without being sharpened, it exuded a sharpness capable of cutting through the air, and tiny electric snakes seemed to flicker and leap along the edge.

Zhang Yuan took out the cooled blade blank and placed it on a huge "Thunder-Suppressing Anvil".

Instead of using a physical hammer, he once again summoned lightning as fine as a hair, like the most precise carving knife, repeatedly "polishing" the blade.

Each strike of lightning brought forth a streak of barely perceptible sparks, intensifying the cold glint of the blade.

Finally, Zhang Yuan pointed his fingers together, gathering a point of chaotic true essence containing the will of the Great Qin Heavenly Dao at his fingertips, and carved it in mid-air near the blade's edge.

On one side are the ancient and vigorous characters "Chen Lei," and on the other side is his unique mark—"Qing Yang."

As the mark was applied, the entire longsword seemed to be infused with a soul, emitting a deep and joyful hum!

The lightning patterns on the blade suddenly accelerated, and a powerful thunderous aura and an indomitable fighting spirit emanated from it!

Thus, the "Thunderclap" sword, a treasured blade designed specifically for battlefield combat and imbued with the power of heavenly thunder, was born!
"A fine knife," Lei Zhen, who was watching from a distance, remarked.

On the other side, several powerful dragons looked on with envy.

This precious sword was merely casually forged by Fire General Zhang Yuan as a model for the weapons of the Qin Imperial Guard.

But in the primordial world, how many tribes could easily produce such weapons?

After the craftsmen had studied the method of forging longswords and produced several swords that, while of slightly inferior quality, were still considered fine treasures, Zhang Yuan once again walked to the forging furnace.

He raised his hand, and piles of spirit ore appeared before him.

This time, he's going to forge armor.

The molds for armor parts are more complex, but the principles are the same.

Molten iron was poured into molds for breastplates, arm guards, leg armor, etc.

Under Zhang Yuan's guidance, the abbot of Xuanyan Temple also used lightning as a hammer to forge and shape the armor plates, ensuring that they were strong and had excellent lightning conduction and resistance.

The purple thunder crystal sand is ground even finer.

When the nail plate is semi-solidified, it integrates into the surface of the nail plate like a coating, forming a restrained ultraviolet light protective layer.

Each lightning-infused rune greatly enhances the wearer's defense against lightning and other energy attacks, and grants them a touch of lightning speed.

The armor plates in key areas undergo more refined lightning tempering and rune inscription.

The final form of the jet-black heavy armor was inlaid with dark purple crystal sand patterns at the joints. It was as thick and heavy as a mountain, yet there were faint flashes of lightning flowing between the gaps in the armor, exuding a chilling defensive power and a murderous aura.

Two Qin guards stepped forward and donned their armor.

"Om-"

Qi and blood merged with lightning, transforming into a phantom image ten feet tall.

This scene filled the eyes of the demons in the Thunderfall Abyss with fear.

Wearing this armor and wielding a precious sword, the strength of the guards will increase at least tenfold!
----------------

over nine days.

A side hall of the Xuanqiong Hall.

Elder Mingchen remained calm as he examined a dossier detailing the latest developments at the Chaos Trial Grounds, his expression grave.

Suddenly, a silver talisman lit up in front of him; it was an urgent report from the secret agents of Shensha River.

As the divine sense swept across, the scene appeared in the light screen.

The raging thunder prison of the Thunderfall Abyss clashed with the Xuanwu Battle Formation in a spectacular collision.

The army gritted their teeth and tempered themselves in the thunderous waterfall.

A deep smile finally appeared on Elder Mingchen's usually impassive face.

"What a Zhang Yuan... what a Fire Commander!" he muttered to himself. "Taking advantage of the retreat of my Xuanqiong Palace, he feigned a conflict, but in reality, he used the battle to train his troops and to refine his weapons with lightning... his methods of deceiving the heavens and taking advantage of the situation are masterful!"

Beside him, an elderly man in a gray robe frowned and whispered, "Elder Mingchen, could this person's methods be...?"

After all, Zhang Yuan is a human.

For the Celestial Race, this is a threat.

The mere sight of the army training in the light and shadow, colliding in the Thunderfall Abyss, made his heart pound with fear.

Elder Mingchen shook his head, his eyes narrowing: "This ruthlessness and decisiveness, this ability to command armies, is precisely the 'breakthrough weapon' that my Xuanqiong Palace desperately needs in the Chaos Trial!"

He tapped the jade table lightly with his fingertips, a calculating glint in his eyes.

"Keep an eye on him. He wants resources, he wants training grounds... as long as it doesn't touch the core interests of my Xuanqiong Palace, give them to him!"

"Let him sharpen this blade even more! When the Chaos Trial begins... hmph."

Elder Mingchen cast his gaze toward the boundless sea of ​​stars outside the hall, where the entrance to the "Chaos Trial Grounds," representing the future of the Xuanqiong Palace, was faintly emanating a heart-pounding fluctuation.

"However, we can't let him have such a leisurely and peaceful training period."

With a slight smile on his face, Elder Mingchen raised his hand and waved.

A golden light condensed in front, transforming into a message arrow.

"Issue the order to have Fire Commander Zhang Yuan lead his well-trained army to the Nine Shepherds Wilderness, where the White Elephant Clan and the Nine Savage Bull Clan are in turmoil."

“Tell him that my Xuanqiong Palace wants to see his abilities.”

"As long as you accumulate enough merit in battle, the rewards will be sufficient." (End of Chapter)