Daqin Zhentiansi

Outside the Thunder Abyss.

Wuwei Camp.

The golden talisman of the Xuanqiong Palace in Zhang Yuan's palm still retained warmth.

"Fire General Zhang Yuan, immediately lead your Martial Guards to quell the rebellion of the White Elephant and the Nine Savage Bulls in the Nine Pastures Wilderness. Purge the demonic forces to demonstrate the might of Heaven. On the day of your success, the Heavenly Palace will generously bestow rewards."

The command was concise, yet carried immense weight.

"Seniors, what kind of place is this Nine Shepherds Wilderness?"

Zhang Yuan looked up at the people in the tent.

At this moment, inside the tent were four core Venerables of the Thousand Views Hall: Cangming, Panshi, Lingxiao, and Zhenyue, as well as Venerable Leiyu, who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

Venerable Cangming raised his hand, and light and shadow flowed, revealing a vast, desolate, and menacing terrain map of the Nine Shepherds Wilderness.

"Nine Shepherds Wilderness..." Venerable Rock's voice was like muffled thunder, carrying a hint of heaviness and reminiscence, "This place was once the place where Venerable 'Mountain Guardian Elephant' fell!"

"The Divine Elephant that Guards the Mountains?" A glint of sword light flashed in the eyes of the Sword Master Lingxiao. "Is that the primordial giant who used his physical strength to withstand the 'Heaven-Locking Chains' of the Heavenly Palace and ultimately died from exhaustion?"

“Exactly!” Venerable Cangming took over the conversation, his voice filled with a sigh for the distant and tragic past. “Back then, the Heavenly Palace wanted to completely suppress the fortune of the divine beasts in the Northern Region. The Heavenly Chains were stretched across the sky, intending to seal the ancestral veins of the earth.”

"The Divine Elephant of the Mountain Guardian manifested its true form, its four legs firmly planted on the ground, carrying the blue sky on its back, and withstanding the Heaven-Locking Chains for a hundred days!"

"Its immense power shook heaven and earth. Although it eventually collapsed from exhaustion and its divine body disintegrated, it still managed to shatter the three main chains, causing the Heavenly Palace's scheme to fail at the last moment!"

He pointed to the area in the center of the wasteland on the map of light and shadow, an area perpetually shrouded in chaotic dust storms.

"The land where they fell was stained with divine blood for hundreds of millions of miles. Their undying will, mixed with overwhelming resentment and the shattered laws of the earth, evolved over tens of thousands of years and eventually gave birth to two powerful races—the White Elephant and the Nine Savage Bull!"

“Bai Chenxiang,” Venerable Zhenyue said in a deep voice. He was the one who cultivated the Dao of Earth and had the deepest understanding of it. “He inherited part of the bloodline of the Zhenyue Divine Elephant, possesses immense strength, and has the innate power of ‘Suppressing Prison Power’.”

"When its four legs stomp down, it can cause the earth's veins to tremble, seal off space, and even condense the 'Mysterious Yellow Heavy Domain,' making one feel as if they are carrying a divine mountain, making movement difficult and their true essence stagnant. Its elephant king, 'Sinking Mountain,' has unfathomable cultivation and may have already touched the edge of the third level of the Venerable Realm, 'Returning to the Void,' making it the strongest in the wasteland."

“The Nine Savage Bulls,” Venerable Rock added, his tone solemn, “inherited the ferocity and indomitable fighting spirit of the Divine Elephant, and their bloodline contains a trace of ‘Heaven-Splitting Sharpness’.”

"Their charge, imbued with the murderous aura of the wasteland, can tear apart the domains of ordinary Venerables. Wherever their horns point, nothing can withstand their might. Even more terrifying is their clan's innate talent, the 'Berserk Blood Battle Formation.' Once activated, ten thousand bulls gallop, their murderous auras merging into one, forming the 'Sky-Splitting Horn' phantom, powerful enough to pierce through the stars!"

"Their clan leader, 'Lieqiong,' is also a fierce and unparalleled Venerable Demon."

Thunder Prison Venerable's body crackled with lightning, his brows furrowed: "Young friend Zhang Yuan, these two races were born from the bloodline of the Mountain-Suppressing Divine Elephant Venerable. Although they are not pure-blooded divine beasts, in the eyes of many races with primordial bloodlines, their very existence is a symbol of the indomitable resistance of the divine beast lineage!"

"If you are ordered by the Heavenly Palace to lead a large army to slaughter them all... I'm afraid it will chill the hearts of many ancient divine beasts who are secretly watching and have their hearts set on us! I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to fellow Daoists such as the Vermilion Bird and the Qilin."

Lei Yu's concerns were not unfounded.

Although the divine beast race cooperates with and opposes the Heavenly Palace, they internally place great importance on the concept of "shared bloodline".

The Zhenyue Divine Elephant is a hero who rebelled against the Heavenly Palace. If its descendants are wiped out by "their own people," it will undoubtedly shake the foundation of trust in the Divine Beast Alliance that Zhang Yuan has worked so hard to build.

Zhang Yuan's gaze was calm.

The Xuanqiong Palace was not entirely unaware of his alliance with the divine beast.

This order at this moment should be a test of him.

His fingertips slowly traced the edge of the Nine Shepherds Wasteland on the map of light and shadow, as if he were measuring the vastness of this ancient battlefield.

Raising his head, Zhang Yuan's eyes gleamed with wisdom and decisiveness.

“Senior Lei Yu’s concerns are quite valid. However, the Xuanqiong Palace has already issued its order, and that old man Ming Chen is trying to test my abilities and see how I deal with this hot potato.”

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming resolute.

"Issue the order! In the name of the Thousand Observatory Guardian Hall, proclaim to the Shensha River War Zone and the nine adjacent star regions that all guardian halls, rogue cultivator alliances, and aristocratic sects belonging to the human race:"

"In the Nine Pastures Wilderness, the White Elephant and the Nine Savage Bull tribes are causing chaos and ravaging the borderlands. The Heavenly Palace is enraged and has ordered me to lead the army to conquer them!"

"However, the wilderness stretches for hundreds of millions of miles, and the demonic aura is intense; it cannot be quelled by the power of a single region!"

"Therefore, I, by order of Elder Mingchen of the Xuanqiong Hall, hereby mobilize three million elite garrison troops!"

"From the date of this order, within thirty days, each of you shall, according to the size and strength of your respective territories, select your elite troops and assemble them at the 'Suspended Mountain' camp to await my command! Those who fail to arrive within the specified time and thus miss the opportunity to fight shall be punished as rebels against the Heavenly Palace!"

"Three million?!" Even the Venerable Ones, who were used to seeing all sorts of things, were still shocked by the number Zhang Yuan casually uttered.

Venerable Cangming was the first to react, his eyes flashing with astonishing light. He clapped his hands and laughed, "Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Fire Commander's order is truly a stroke of genius! What a brilliant 'By order of Elder Mingchen of the Xuanqiong Palace'! This is a counterattack, using one's own spear against one's own shield!"

Venerable Rock also suddenly realized, and admiration appeared on his rugged face: "That's right! Old man Mingchen wants Fire Commander to send troops, but also wants to limit Fire Commander's strength. He only gives him the name of 'bandit suppression', but there is no real reinforcement."

"The Fire Commander is directly conscripting three million troops from the entire war zone, or even a wider area! Will the Xuanqiong Palace grant him this military command, or not?"

"If we give it to them, it will be like handing over such a huge force to the Fire Commander, which is like adding wings to a tiger! If we don't give it to them, it will be the Xuanqiong Palace going back on its word and obstructing the suppression of the rebellion. The Fire Commander can take this opportunity to retaliate and seize the moral high ground!"

A smile appeared on Lingxiao Sword Master's cold face: "With this order issued, the pressure will fall entirely on Mingchen and Xuanqiong Palace."

"The Fire General's move is to force the Heavenly Palace to clarify its stance on the issue of military power over the human race! Let's see if they dare to truly relinquish power!"

The Thousand Views Guardian Hall, the top floor of the Myriad Laws Pavilion.

Zhang Yuan's mobilization order, sent to various parties via the communication array, shone brightly.

“Three million…” a white-haired, deep-set “Earth Venerable” murmured, his eyes filled with shock. “Since the Heavenly Palace established the ironclad rule of ‘ruling by division of spheres’, when has there ever been a rallying order of such scale?”

"And it was issued by a human commander! The Fire Commander's courage is unparalleled throughout history!"

"More than just courage!" Another "Star Lord," with a gaunt face and eyes that seemed to sparkle like a river of stars, stroked his beard and exclaimed, "This is a calculated move! It directly targets the core of the Heavenly Palace's defenses against our human race."

"If the Xuanqiong Palace agrees, then the Fire Commander will hold a large army and his power will be established. In the future, he will have a greater say in the Chaos Trials and even in the confrontation with the Heavenly Palace. If he does not agree, then the Heavenly Palace's hypocrisy will be exposed and its prestige will be lost. Our human race can take this opportunity to unite people's hearts!"

"The Fire General is well-versed in the ways of winning hearts and minds and maintaining a balance of power. He is truly a pillar of strength bestowed upon our human race by the heavens!"

“This young man Zhang Yuan…” another Venerable One’s voice was loud and clear, filled with heartfelt praise, “Since the rise of Xuanyu Temple, he has executed traitors with arrows, subdued giant rhinoceroses, facilitated trade with dragons, won the favor of the Phoenix Ancestor, and now dares to demand three million troops from the Heavenly Palace!”

"His actions and momentum are no longer those of a mere pond. It is truly a blessing for us to witness and participate in the torrent unleashed by such a figure! Issue orders to all observers to fully cooperate with the Fire Commander's mobilization; this is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for our human race!"

In the central hall of the Heavenly Palace's Patrol Division, several celestial beings clad in gleaming silver star-studded armor gathered, the atmosphere heavy with solemnity.

The Palace Master of Wanxing Palace, seated in the main seat, frowned as he looked at the urgent secret report from Chensha River.

"Three million?! Zhang Yuan? How dare he!" A haughty celestial deputy commander slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "Has Ming Chen gone mad? To actually allow a human to command such a large army? This is like raising a tiger to cause trouble!"

“It may not be Mingchen’s intention,” another more composed Celestial Venerable said in a deep voice. “The secret report clearly states that Zhang Yuan ‘received an order from Elder Mingchen of the Xuanqiong Hall’ to mobilize troops on his own. What a clever move to coerce the emperor! Mingchen is being put on the spot.”

"Hmph, Zhang Yuan, a mere human garrison commander, has only managed to obtain some fortuitous opportunities, yet he dares to be so arrogant!" The arrogant deputy commander's eyes flashed with cold light. "Who does he think he is? Does he think he can compare to someone like Elder Xingyao, who is in charge of the Myriad Stars Palace?"

"If Mingchen dares to agree, he will be a sinner of the Xuanqiong Palace! Where is the dignity of my Heavenly Palace?"

The Lord of Wanxing Palace had a deep gaze. He tapped his fingers lightly on the jade table, showing no anger but rather a hint of amusement: "Zhang Yuan... that name has been making waves lately."

"They subdued the Black Horned Rhinoceros, intimidated the Azure Scaled Flood Dragon, and now they dare to demand the command of three million troops... Interesting. It seems that the Xuanqiong Palace is truly desperate this time, and has really... staked out a double-edged sword."

A sense of unease stirred within him. As a palace master of high rank and power despite being of human origin, Zhang Yuan's rise made him feel uneasy, a mixture of scrutiny and an indescribable complexity.

Xuanqiong Hall, main hall.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as solidified lead.

Elder Mingchen sat in the main seat, below him were several core elders and commanders of the Xuanqiong Palace, all of whom had grim expressions.

"Three million... Why doesn't Zhang Yuan just rob the Heavenly Palace's treasury?!" a hot-tempered red-haired elder roared. "Elder Mingchen, this precedent must not be set!"

"This is clearly Zhang Yuan's wolfish ambition, trying to take this opportunity to grow stronger! Once he has such a large army and the secret help of the divine beast, what chance will our Xuanqiong Palace have? We might be the next ones to rebel!"

“But if we refuse,” another Venerable with a sinister face said in a sinister tone, “it would mean that our Xuanqiong Palace is disobeying the overall plan of ‘suppressing the rebellion,’ giving others a handle against us. That old man Cangming and his ilk are just waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves! It would also give other palaces an excuse to attack our palace for being incompetent!”

"With the Palace Master's birthday approaching and the Chaos Trial imminent, we cannot afford such turmoil!"

"It's not right to agree, it's not right to refuse... Zhang Yuan is truly cunning and vicious!" The crowd discussed and argued endlessly, but no one dared to make a decision and take on this hot potato.

Three million troops entrusted to a human?
This is too risky!

It's too big for them to bear.

Elder Mingchen's face was ashen.

He certainly underestimated Zhang Yuan's audacity and methods.

This move pushed him into a corner.

Just as the debate reached a stalemate and the atmosphere in the hall plummeted to freezing point—

"Om..."

A cold, weak, yet supremely majestic wave of divine thought suddenly emanated from the deepest, sealed cave within the Xuanqiong Palace, resounding directly in the consciousness of Mingchen and all the elders:

"Allow him."

The voice belonged to the Xuanqiong Palace Master, Venerable Xuanyue, who was in seclusion healing his injuries!
Despite his weakness, he possessed an undeniable resolve.

"This boy is the key to breaking the deadlock. Give him the command of three million troops! I will personally plead with the Heavenly Venerable!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the fluctuation subsided, as if it had exhausted its strength.

The crowd could even faintly sense the aura of Dao injury rupture caused by the forced transmission.

Elder Mingchen shuddered, his eyes flashing with a mixture of wild joy and determination!
The temple master personally spoke out and expressed his willingness to take the greatest responsibility!
Without further hesitation, he abruptly stood up:

"I will obey the Lord's decree!"

He immediately took out a natal jade talisman that flowed with mysterious moonlight and was engraved with the two characters "Xuanqiong". His divine sense surged into it, imprinting the will of the Xuan Yue Palace Master, Zhang Yuan's request, and the stakes of the matter into it. In the name of the Xuanqiong Palace Master, he issued a formal request to mobilize troops to the "Hun Yuan Palace" under the highest central authority of the Heavenly Palace - the Heavenly Venerable!

……

The core of the Heavenly Palace is the Hunyuan Hall.

This supreme palace, suspended amidst endless starlight and chaotic currents, was startled by the special application jade talisman from the Xuanqiong Palace.

The jade talisman hung in the hall, and the ripples of information it emitted instantly attracted the attention of several powerful and unparalleled wills that seemed to be able to control the birth and death of stars.

"Oh? Xuan Yue actually requested the mobilization of three million troops for a human named Zhang Yuan? That's quite unusual." A gentle yet boundless power of the starry sky resounded, carrying a hint of curiosity.

"Hmph, the Xuanqiong Palace is desperate and grasping at straws! Handing over three million troops to the human race? Xuan Yue's injury has probably damaged her mind!" Another domineering thought, as imposing as a mountain, was filled with disdain and skepticism.

"It might not be a lapse in judgment. With the Chaos Trial imminent, the Xuanqiong Palace has suffered repeated setbacks and desperately needs a great victory and a sharp blade to tear open a breach. Zhang Yuan... has been gaining immense popularity lately, his methods of subduing demons and monsters are astonishing, and he has even won the favor of the Phoenix. Xuan Yue might be taking a risky gamble." A wisp of thought analyzed.

"Zhang Yuan? When did the human race produce such a figure? How could he be so highly regarded by Xuan Yue?" A slightly weathered thought lingered with curiosity.

"Humans... military power... interesting. It seems that this long-silent chessboard is finally about to have a piece that stirs up the winds and clouds." A thought, seemingly formed from countless whispers, carried amusement.

For a moment, divine thoughts intertwined within the Hunyuan Hall, some curious, some questioning, some mocking, and some deep in thought.

For the first time, the name Zhang Yuan entered the vision of the innermost circle of Tiangong so clearly.

Fragments of information about him were quickly retrieved and analyzed.

Subduing the Black Horned Rhinoceros, forcing back the Azure Scaled Flood Dragon, setting up the Thunderfall Abyss, and the journey to the Phoenix Ancestral Land...

Its rapid rise and unpredictable methods have even caught the attention of seasoned palace masters.

The Xuanqiong Palace's application was no longer just about troop deployment; it had become a focal point of subtle changes in the power structure of the Heavenly Palace.

Just as discussions were raging and most opinions leaned towards rejection or strict restrictions—

Deep within the Hunyuan Palace, on the supreme throne that seemed to connect to the primordial origin, a realm of chaos.

An indescribable will, seemingly the very origin of the Great Dao, rippled slightly.

There were no words, no emotions.

There was only one thought, simple to the extreme yet containing the supreme will, which, like a resounding bell, was directly imprinted in the divine minds of all the hall masters who were paying attention to this matter, and also clearly echoed in the sea of ​​consciousness of Elder Mingchen, who had just submitted the application:
"Approved." (End of Chapter)