Daqin Zhentiansi

The dust and haze of the Nine Mu Wilderness seemed to be stirred up by billions of silent footsteps, rolling and becoming even more turbid and oppressive.

In the Chensha River war zone and the nine star domains, the elite troops of a hundred garrisoned temples, like chess pieces precisely manipulated by an invisible giant hand, began this grand game of chess that would take the prehistoric world by the command issued by Zhang Yuan through the decree of the Heavenly Venerable.

It wasn't a thunderous, overwhelming attack, but a cold, slowly tightening giant net.

Panshi Town Guardian Temple.

The main gate, Pan Yue, stands atop a newly built, thick wall in Tiezhen Valley, solidified by the power of the Earth element.

His Xuan Yan heavy armored legion was like a moving mountain range, deploying layer upon layer of defenses at the valley entrance, the heavy footsteps making the earth groan.

However, Pan Yue's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

The communication jade talisman at his waist was burning hot, and it was transmitting the same confused and even anxious thoughts from the neighboring temple masters.

Feng Wuying, the abbot of Liefeng Temple, spoke urgently, accompanied by a whistling wind: "Brother Panyue! What is the true meaning behind Fire Commander's order of 'chain encirclement'?"

"What is the reason for ordering my elite scouts and sword guards from the Riftwind faction to disperse and infiltrate the depths of the Windwhisper Rift Canyon, not to seek out the enemy's main force, but instead to build hidden outposts around those insignificant 'Stoneclaw Lizard' and 'Withered Vine Demon' tribes and mark their migration routes?"

"Suppress the rebellion? Where is the rebellion? We, the elite troops, are not here to 'send off' these little devils!"

Feng Wuying's voice was filled with incomprehension and a hint of frustration at being underutilized.

The Celestial Venerable commanded the gathering of a three-million-strong human army; these abbots truly intended to make a difference.

However, they couldn't understand the Fire General's troop deployment.

The Iron Stream Temple Master's divine thought, like the clanging of metal on metal, came through, revealing his dissatisfaction: "Brother Pan Yue! Our Iron Stream Temple's battle formation has reached 'Black Stone Pass,' and we are ordered to block the passage to the north from here."

"But the scouts report that the 'Steel-bristled Wild Boar' tribe ahead has already migrated north in its entirety, and our troops can only watch helplessly as they slip through the gaps in the blockade!"

"The Heavenly Palace decree is to wipe out the demonic forces, yet the Fire General is driving these small fry to the core. Isn't this like raising a tiger to cause trouble? Or... does the Fire General have other plans that he's keeping secret from us?"

The words of the Iron Stream Abbot carried a sense of doubt about the military order and unease about the unknown.

How could he not be anxious when he saw the victory he was about to achieve slip away?
"Indeed, there are some things I don't understand." Master Mu Qingzi of Qing Teng Temple spoke with a gentle but worried expression. "The Qixia Pass barrier has been completed, and the Ten Thousand Trees Rejuvenation Array is purifying the foul air at the edge."

"However, according to my disciples' reports, several small 'rock beetle' tribes that had attached themselves to the White Elephant have fled in panic, escaping into the depths of the wasteland. The Fire Commander has strictly ordered that only the reinforcements and main forces of the major tribes be blocked from breaking through, while the smaller tribes migrating north be given leeway..."

"This move is truly perplexing. The chaotic dust storms are even more intense in the depths of the wasteland, and the will of the divine elephant still remains. Will these small tribes gather together and become cannon fodder or allies for the White Elephant and the Nine Savage Bulls?"

Pan Yue's gaze swept over the sand table.

On the sand table, the points of light representing the elite of the hundred views do not converge into an unstoppable torrent.

Instead, they are like a hundred cold chains, precisely binding the edges of the Nine Mu Wilderness and key transportation hubs.

Driven by chains are tiny specks of light, representing countless small and medium-sized demon tribes, moving towards the core of the wasteland, towards the Divine Elephant Mountain.

He took a deep breath, and the invisible, chilling pressure from the edge of the wasteland seemed to emanate through the sand table.

He remained silent for a moment, but the unwavering determination in his eyes ultimately overcame his doubts.

His divine sense sank into the jade talisman, and his voice, as steady as a mountain, resounded throughout the divine sense network of the core command layer of the Hundred Observations, carrying an unquestionable determination.

"Fellow Daoists! I share your doubts! But the Heavenly Venerable's decree is as solid as a mountain! Fire General Zhang Yuan rose from the Xuanyu Temple, wiping out rebels with arrows, subduing the giant rhinoceros, trading with the dragon, and gaining the favor of the Phoenix Ancestor. How can we presume to fathom his methods and strategies?"

"The example of Venerable Cold Prison is still fresh in our minds! Fire Commander's orders are strictly enforced, and those who disobey will suffer the same fate!"

He paused, and a fierce, murderous aura was transmitted through his divine sense.

"Since the Fire Commander has ordered us to act this way, even if the sky were to fall, we will have a plan to hold it up! Execute the order!"

"There are only two ironclad rules: First, lock down your respective defense zones! The earth vein nexus must be severed! Any force attempting to enter the wasteland from the outside to support 'Sinking Mountain Valley' and 'Rending Sky Plain'—no matter what kind of being it is, whether it's a demon or a human, whether it's overt or covert—stop it all! Fight it back!"

"Secondly, within the encirclement, the main forces of Bai Chenxiang and Jiu Yuman Niu must not be allowed to break through easily! If there is any unusual movement, strike them with lightning speed! As for the others... observe the situation and wait for further developments. All units should be on high alert and ready to deliver a devastating blow at any time upon receiving the Fire Commander's order! This is a military order, and those who disobey will be executed!"

"Brother Pan Yue is absolutely right! As you command!" Feng Wuying's divine sense responded first, his pent-up frustration turning into sharpness. "Under the command of Liefeng, Thousand Eyes patrol the heavens, leaving no room for error! Not even a bird will be able to fly in or out!"

"Ironflow Temple obeys! Black Stone Pass is now an iron gate!" The voice of the Ironflow Temple Master also calmed down, his doubts replaced by his sense of duty.

"Qing Teng Temple obeys your command. The fortifications are complete, and the land of life is ready!" Mu Qingzi replied solemnly.

……

Once the order was given, the invisible iron curtain tightened abruptly!

The wind whispers through the gorge.

The scouts from Liefeng Temple, like invisible ghosts, disappeared into the howling wind.

Instead of searching for herds of white elephants, they set up surveillance arrays and early warning talismans on the flanks and high places along the migration routes of small and medium-sized tribes.

As a group of several hundred Sand Scorpion people were frantically migrating north with their families, a Riftwind Sword Guard appeared before their chieftain like a ghost, his voice as cold as iron: "This road is blocked from outside help. You may go north. If you turn back, you may invite outside enemies... death!"

The Sand Scorpion Chieftain, seeing the menacing sword at the other's waist and the Swift Wind Sword Guards looming behind him, was terrified. He kowtowed repeatedly and led his people to accelerate into the deeper parts of the wasteland.

Black Stone Pass.

The heavily armored battle formation of Tieliu Temple formed an iron wall, and its terrifying military aura soared to the heavens.

Several transformed demons from outside the wilderness, attempting to infiltrate and support the Nine Savage Bulls, were forced back by several Gengjin sword energies that tore through the sky as they approached the pass.

One of the great demons was grazed by the sword energy and instantly exploded into a cloud of blood mist, fleeing with a miserable howl.

The cold voice of the Ironflow Temple Master echoed through the pass: "By order of the Fire Commander, this road is closed! Anyone who trespasses will die!"

Qixia Pass.

The massive, revitalized ancient tree roots have penetrated deep into the earth's veins, and countless tenacious vines intertwine to form a green canopy that blocks out the sun. The purifying runes flowing on it not only dispel foul air but also subtly suppress demonic power.

The "Rotten Swamp Frog" tribe had just migrated to the edge of this area when they were burned by the purifying power. Terrified, they detoured and fled to the "Filthy Land" deeper in the core area.

The array masters of Qing Teng Temple remained expressionless, simply continuing to reinforce the array base that sealed the spiritual veins.

On the outskirts of the wasteland, the forces that had been observing were in complete uproar.

The elder of the 'Golden Feathered Eagle' tribe, who was attached to the Heavenly Palace, flapped his wings and let out a sharp cry: "He's gone mad! Zhang Yuan has three million heavenly soldiers in his hands, and instead of going to flatten Shenyue Valley, he's playing this 'sheep-herding' trick here?" "He's locked up the entire edge of the wasteland like an iron barrel, leaving only one opening to drive towards that deadly Divine Elephant Mountain? What is he trying to do? Push Bai Chenxiang and the Nine Savages to the brink of destruction and watch them self-destruct?"

The neutral 'Fire Lizard' demon emerged from the magma, its crimson vertical pupils filled with confusion: "Driving away the weak and besieging the strong... this doesn't seem like a war of attrition. There are chaotic dust storms and remnants of divine elephants deep in the wasteland, so supplies may not be cut off."

"Isn't Zhang Yuan afraid that if 'Chenyue' and 'Lieqiong' are pushed to the brink, they might unleash the remnants of the divine elephant's power and drag the entire wasteland down with them? Or... is his real goal not to exterminate the race at all?"

This conjecture sent a chill down its spine.

In a secluded cave.

An ancient divine thought swept across the rising pillars of light representing different observers' powers at the edge of the wasteland, and let out a deep sigh: "A hundred chains lock the wasteland, driving fish into the deep pool... What a grand scheme! What a deep calculation!"

"Zhang Yuan's military strategy is no longer confined to the gains and losses of a single city or territory. He treats the entire Nine Shepherds Wilderness as a chessboard, the Hundred Observation Army as its chain, and the million demons as its pieces... The goal of this campaign is far more than just suppressing a rebellion! A great storm is about to rise in the primordial world!"

Panic spread like a plague across the wasteland, fueled by the cries and descriptions of the small and medium-sized demons who had been "politely escorted" out of the encirclement and were rushing towards the core area like stray dogs.

The terrifying "iron wall" built by the human army, the ruthless blockade, and the bizarre order that "only northward escape is allowed, no turning back or seeking help" are depicted as an insurmountable abyss.

The "Sinking Valley" of the White Elephant Clan and the "Rift Plain" of the Nine Savage Bull Clan are like two giant powder kegs placed on the crater of a volcano, where anger, humiliation, and unease are rapidly accumulating and boiling over.

Rift Sky Plain, the sacred land of the Nine Savage Bull Clan.

"Moo-ang—!!!!"

The earth-shattering roar of the bull, carrying the fury of tearing the sky apart, explodes wildly over the Rift Sky Plain every day, stirring up clouds of dust.

The Bull King "Rending the Sky" manifested its berserk true form, hundreds of feet tall, with its huge hooves trampling the massive bull horn mountain left by its ancestors, crushing it into flying rocks.

"Zhang Yuan! Coward! Shameless villain!!" The roar of Lie Qiong shook the space. "With the Heavenly Palace backing you up, all you can do is resort to such underhanded tricks? If you have the guts, come out and fight me fair and square! Let the blood of my people stain your battle flag, what kind of bullshit Fire General are you!!"

His tens of thousands of berserk bull warriors, their eyes bloodshot and nostrils spewing scorching white vapor, stomped wildly across the earth with the king's roar.

The entire Rift Sky Plain trembled, and the violent baleful energy condensed into blood-red clouds, vaguely forming a phantom image of a "Heaven-Splitting Horn" that seemed poised to pierce the sky.

The flames of humiliation and anger have ignited their fighting spirit and ferocity, pushing them to the brink of losing control.

They craved the enemy's blood, and longed for a devastating clash to wash away the shame of being "imprisoned"!

Shenyue Valley, Elephant Bone Altar.

Compared to the fury of Rifting Sky, the White Elephant King "Sinking Mountain" appeared unusually silent.

He transformed into a giant humanoid, standing atop an altar built from the massive leg bones of his ancestors, his rough hands gently stroking the cold, calloused bone surfaces.

His gaze was deep, piercing through the thick dust and haze in the valley, as if he could "see" the heavy pressure representing the hundred lines of blockade coming from all directions of the wasteland.

This pressure is not just a physical siege.

He could clearly sense that the spiritual vein nodes at the edge of the wasteland were being severed or suppressed by powerful forces.

Those small tribes that had been dependent on the White Elephant Clan for generations, providing them with resources and information, were now filled with endless panic and despair, like a flock of sheep being driven, howling as they rushed toward the heart of the wasteland—Mount Shenxiang.

Their thoughts, like countless tiny needles, pierced Shen Yue's heart, bringing a suffocating sense of oppression that was even more unbearable than facing a million-strong army.

Zhang Yuan's "chains" not only locked away space and reinforcements, but also their strategic depth, pinning their two clans firmly under the spotlight at the heart of this wasteland, making them symbols of "rebels" who were about to be completely wiped out.

This is by no means a simple military siege; it is more like a meticulously crafted, enormous trap that forces them toward a specific direction!
"Drive away the weak, cut off external aid, and gather the enemy at the core..." Shen Yue's deep voice, as resonant as the pulse of the earth, echoed on the altar, audible only to himself, "Zhang Yuan... what exactly do you want? Is it merely my and Lie Qiong's lives? Or..."

His gaze slowly shifted towards the northern part of the wasteland.

There, the place is shrouded in raging chaotic dust storms all year round, and even his divine sense, with its high level of cultivation, cannot penetrate it even slightly.

At the heart of the dust storm lies the sacred land of the wasteland, and also the core of the fall of the ancestral guardian elephant—Mount Shenxiang!

A surge of emotion originating from the deepest part of his blood, accompanied by an indescribable premonition mixed with tragedy and longing, exploded in Shen Yue's heart!

Could it be... that his target is there?!
As soon as this thought arose, Shen Yue's body, as steady as a mountain, involuntarily trembled slightly.

Black Abyss Rift.

Frozen abyss.

The biting cold seemed to freeze the soul.

The sound coming from deep within the rift was not the sound of water, but rather the eerie gurgling of some kind of viscous liquid flowing slowly.

The air was stagnant, and even breathing felt like ice shards scraping across your throat.

The light was distorted, and the cliff reflected a faint blue glow, making it appear deathly still and eerie.

Icescale led seven elite tribesmen, silently creeping along the slippery, cold cliff face.

They are the eyes sent by the Dark Cold Sea, shouldering the important task of exploring the interior of the wasteland and contacting the White Elephant.

Ice Scales shimmered with a metallic luster in the low temperature, and each slight contraction of its muscles was a careful attempt to blend into this icy domain that belonged to it.

Just as they were about to cross the narrowest part of the rift valley, the "Cold Iron Bridge," the seemingly natural ice crystals on the cliff suddenly shone faintly!
Ice Scale felt an irresistible, bone-chilling cold instantly lock onto his soul!
Before he could even issue a warning, his mind went completely frozen.

The last thing I saw in my field of vision were my equally stiff companions beside me.

They remained in stealthy posture, their pupils dilated, their life force solidified along with the frost armor covering their bodies.

Then, like seven fragile glass sculptures, they silently plunged into the "Weak Water Cold Abyss" below, where deathly black energy surged, without even causing a ripple.

Beyond the rift valley, deep within the frigid sea.

A giant, cold dragon, which had been coiled in an ancient ice cave, suddenly raised its head, and a trace of fear flashed in its single, dark blue eye.

"The soul imprint of Ice Scales... has been extinguished?"

"Not even a thought of despair could be uttered? Hai Qingtian... You have been silent for a thousand years, yet you willingly served Zhang Yuan, building this desolate wasteland! The wasteland has become a prison of death!"

Its whispers echoed in the ice cave, carrying a chill that penetrated to the bone. (End of Chapter)