Daqin Zhentiansi

Crimson Flame Gobi.

The heatwave distorted the view, and the air seemed to be on fire.

Beneath our feet lies the scorching obsidian ground, and in the distance stretches a black barrier, hundreds of feet high and winding for hundreds of miles, constructed of cooled lava, across the Gobi Desert.

The surface of the barrier is covered with dark red runes, and "Purifying Flames" that distort the air rise from it at all times, exuding a destructive aura that burns everything in its path.

Dead silence is the dominant theme here.

Lava lizard scout "Burning Claw" and three companions crawled quickly along the scorching ground.

The hard scales insulate against the high temperature.

However, the domineering suppression of the fire element in the air still made them feel suffocated.

They were ordered to explore this new "chasm" leading to the wasteland.

On the ground ahead, faint dark red patterns shimmered.

"boom--"

As soon as Burning Claw stepped into what appeared to be an ordinary sandy area, the ground beneath its feet suddenly collapsed without warning!
Thick, scorching magma, like the stomach acid of a giant beast, gushed out and instantly engulfed him!
At the same time, a sharp cry came from the sky, and several golden-red lines of fire pierced down accurately!
The Blazing Claw only had time to let out a short hiss before its body, under the dual scorching of the magma and the "Burning Gold Flame," vaporized and disappeared completely, like a wax figure thrown into a furnace, without even emitting a wisp of smoke.

All that remained was a small, boiling crater of lava and a few wisps of burnt stench.

The core of Molten Core.

In the churning lava pool.

A colossal creature composed of lava and flames roared, shattering the void: "Roar—! You old man Zhurong! How dare your fire burn right under my nose! What did that brat Zhang Yuan give you!"

The roar unleashed a massive wave of lava.

But the giant waves crashed against the invisible boundary, ultimately unable to cross the line.

The Flame Demon Lord's enormous fiery eyes stared intently at the Gobi Desert, filled with rage and a hint of... apprehension.

This time, the wasteland seems to be fraught with danger.

Boiling Bone Swamp.

The once poisonous swamp, filled with the wails of the dead, now exudes an eerie "vitality".

The air was unusually fresh, filled with the fragrance of grass and trees, but beneath this fragrance lurked a deeper stillness.

The towering ancient banyan tree has a canopy that casts dappled light and shadow, and countless thick vines writhe silently among the branches and leaves and under the mud like giant pythons.

Quiet, deathly quiet, even the chirping of insects had disappeared.

Captain "Barbarian Bone," the leader of the Nine Savage Bull Scouts, led five elite Bull Demon Warriors as they carefully waded through the knee-deep, strangely colored "clear water."

They were ordered by the King of Rift to attempt a detour through this former land of death.

The sensation underfoot was no longer the familiar rotten mud, but the resilient grass roots.

Barbarian's unease grew stronger, and he gripped the heavy axe in his hand tighter.

Suddenly, a warrior next to Man Gu was entangled in the ankle by a dark green demonic vine that shot out from underwater!
The warrior roared and struggled, but his heavy axe only left white marks on the vines!
More vines, like venomous snakes, coiled around from all directions!

At the same time, a sweet, exotic fragrance quietly seeped into their lungs as they breathed in the fresh air.

Just as Man Gu was about to roar and warn them, he was horrified to find that his muscles were beginning to go numb and his strength was rapidly draining away!
He watched helplessly as the entangled soldier was dragged into the seemingly clear water, where the murky mud churned a few times before returning to calm.

The other four soldiers also silently collapsed to the ground, their eyes glazing over, their skin rapidly turning an eerie bluish-gray as they were enveloped and dragged into the depths of the swamp by the quietly spreading roots...

Deep within the swamp, several flickering, ghostly blue soul flames swayed violently, emitting weak yet mournful shrieks, as if warning or weeping.

"Senluo, Mulingyun, Death Domain Transformation. Zhang Yuan, what a terrifying person, even death... is under his control..."

……

The Hills of Lamentation.

The dry, strong wind whipped up yellow sand that stung my face.

A sense of oppressive panic permeated the simple camp of the Sand Wolf tribe nestled in the hills.

The tribespeople huddled behind the rocks, their ears pricked up, catching every suspicious sound in the wind, while the cubs whimpered anxiously.

Several young and spirited desert wolf warriors, unable to contain their fear, roared as they tried to break out to the south.

suddenly!

Several sharp whistles that tore through the air rang out!
The old chieftain of the Sand Wolf Clan, "Gray Mane," only felt a flash of golden light before his eyes. The warriors, along with the rocks beneath their feet, were instantly shredded into a sky full of blood mist and rubble by several extremely refined Gengjin sword energies!

Amidst the smoke and dust, a voice as cold as iron rang out clearly, devoid of any emotion: "By order of the Fire Commander, you are only permitted to proceed north! Those who turn back, those who bring in outside help, will be exterminated!"

The sound wasn't loud, but it struck the hearts of every sand wolf like a heavy hammer.

On the banks of the River of Tears.

The murky, foul-smelling River of Blood, which had nourished the frogmen for countless generations, was now as thick and viscous as syrup.

The familiar stench of the swamp on the shore was dispelled by a crisp, yet intensely repulsive force.

On the riverbank, large swathes of eerie thorns and vines grow wildly, their flowers blooming brightly yet emitting a sweet fragrance that numbs the nerves.

The Water Arrow Frogman chieftain "Mud Swamp" looked at his people with despair.

The baby frogs writhed in agony in the polluted river water, their skin blistering and festering.

The warriors tried to dig new mud pits, but the ground became as hard as iron under the power of the Earth element of the Pan Shi Guan Jia Shi.

One of the bravest warriors roared and charged toward the heavily armored basalt formation blocking the riverbank, brandishing his bone spear.

The heavily armored formation remained completely still, like a real mountain wall.

The spears thrusting out from the gaps in the shield easily deflected the bone spears, and then a giant shield swept across like a warhammer!

With a dull thud, the frogman warrior screamed and flew backward.

It was caught in mid-air by bloodthirsty vines that were waiting for an opportunity. Sharp thorns pierced the gaps in its shell, and its body withered away at a visible speed, until only an empty shell and blood-stained vines remained.

An old crocodile demon, lurking in the swamp's silt in the distance, witnessed the frogmen's tragic state and the river's strange transformation. Its murky eyes filled with terror, and its divine sense trembled: "Sever the water, purify the source..."

"Zhang Yuan is trying to eradicate the roots of these small tribes that depend on the Nine Savage Bulls!"

Outside Shenyue Valley.

Outside the exit of Chenyue Valley, the scene was eerie. The air seemed to have solidified into heavy mercury, and the light was distorted and deformed in an invisible force field.

Three visible, twisting, and undulating "cliffs" stretched across the front, emanating a terrifying gravity powerful enough to crush mountains.

In this area, even breathing becomes incredibly difficult.

The White Elephant Clan's "Earthshaking Camp" scout elephant "Mountain Pillar" was ordered to investigate this suddenly appearing barrier.

He cautiously took a step into the distorted light.

moment!

It felt as if countless invisible mountains had crashed down!
The mountain pillar's tough elephant hide groaned under the strain, its thick limbs trembled violently, and its bones creaked!
His proud "prison-suppressing power" erupted instinctively, attempting to resist this great force of heaven and earth.

The moment his power surged forth, countless mysterious runes suddenly lit up between the three gravity cliffs!

"Earth Vein Magnetic Element Array" activated!
Shanzhu felt the surging demonic power within him, connected to the earth, being uncontrollably and frantically pulled away by a terrifying suction force, like a flood bursting its banks!

The "prison-suppressing power" that was originally supporting his body collapsed instantly!
He let out a desperate cry, as if his spine had been ripped out, and his massive body collapsed to his knees under the increased gravity!
The elephant's trunk drooped limply, and it no longer had the strength to lift its eyelids. It could only desperately feel its life force and strength being drained away bit by bit, becoming the energy source for the "Mountain Guardian Warriors" practicing their formation in the distance, which were integrated with the gravitational field.

Inside Shenyue Valley, on the altar.

The figure, as imposing as a mountain, remained motionless.

But beneath his palm, the cold ancestral leg bone seemed to convey the suffocation of the mountain pillar before his death, and the cold touch of power being stripped away.

The air in the entire valley became as heavy as lead due to the terrifying force field outside the valley that isolated heaven and earth and the highly targeted magnetic suppression.

Shen Yue's unchanging, calm aura faltered slightly.

The flank of the Rift Dome.

The vast, seemingly empty Fragmented Plains are actually filled with an invisible killing intent.

Unnatural metallic reflections were faintly visible on the ground, and a faint, sharp aura of metal lingered in the air.

In the distance, the dark mass of "Shattered Star Heavy Cavalry" stood as silent as a mountain, while their war beasts, "Wind-Splitting Roars," pawed restlessly beneath them.

In the air, hundreds of menacing-looking "Thunderbolt Tanks" lowered their cannons, locking onto the entire plain.

A destructive storm was brewing in the dead silence.

Ignited by the wrath of the Sky-Splitting King, the Nine Savage Bulls' "Berserk Blood Centurion Squad" launched a probing charge like a crimson torrent of steel!
Iron hooves trampled the earth, billowing dust, and the condensed malevolent aura formed a sharp cone in front of the cattle herd!
The charge was in full swing when suddenly the cattle's feet lost their footing!
"Crack!"

The hard hooves shattered the disguised ground and instantly plunged into a pit filled with sharp metal spikes!
A sharp pain shot through me!

At the same time, ear-piercing mechanical sounds and the vibrating of bowstrings came from both sides!

Countless crossbow bolts, flashing with energy-breaking runes, rained down like a storm!

The cattle roared and activated their protective demonic energy, but the arrows easily pierced through them, embedding themselves deep in their flesh!
Even more terrifying, several gleaming "demon-locking chains" coiled around their prized giant horns like venomous snakes!
The powerful binding force brought the charge to an instant halt!
Just as they were struggling and roaring, the sky suddenly brightened!
Hundreds of thick beams of destructive light shot out from the cannons of the Thunder Chariot, descending like divine punishment!
A blinding white light and boundless burning pain engulfed the heavens and earth...

At the summit of Niujiao Mountain, Lieqiong witnessed the entire process of that elite vanguard of a hundred men, from their fierce charge to being trapped in the ground spikes, covered by a rain of arrows, bound by chains, and finally reduced to ashes in a pillar of lightning and fire in less than half an incense stick's time.

His blood-red bull eyes were almost bursting open, and a violent aura soared into the sky. He raised his front hooves high and stomped down with the power to destroy mountains!
But just as the hoof was about to land, he abruptly stopped!

His gaze was fixed on the silent, mountain-like Starbreakers on the plain, and the menacing cannons hovering in the air.

The combination of the cold iron wall and the deadly dagger made his raging brute force feel threatened like never before.

A heavy breath, suppressing endless anger and frustration, burst forth from his large nostrils like muffled thunder.

At the summit of Dingyue Peak, in the core quiet room of Wanfa Pavilion.

Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged, his black robe fluttering even without wind.

His profound gaze pierced through the barriers of space, landing on the primordial territory depicted in light and shadow on the sand table in front of him, outlined by chaotic true essence.

On the sand table, three hundred cold light chains, representing the blockade line of the Guardian Temple, crisscrossed and slowly tightened like living things, turning the entire Nine Shepherds Wasteland into a huge cage.

The brief flashes of light from the conflict on the flank of Rift Dome have dimmed and extinguished, foreshadowing the thwarted attempt and restraint of the Bull King's fury.

Zhang Yuan's fingertips lightly traced the light and shadow on the sand table, passing over the location of Chenyue Valley, and finally settling on the "Yongquan Lake" outside the valley, which represents the source of vitality.

"The time has come to lock down the source and eradicate the root of the problem." His deep voice echoed in the quiet room, carrying an undeniable determination.

With a slight shift of his mind, a divine command, condensed to the point of being tangible and imbued with the will of a commander, instantly pierced through billions of miles of void, precisely imprinting itself deep within the consciousness of Mu Qingzi, the master of the Green Vine Temple.

"Master of Qing Teng Temple, Yongquan Lake, Jingyuan Lock Vein, act immediately! Sever the chain of life in its heartland!"

Yongquan Lake.

Outside Shenyue Valley lies Yongquan Lake, its waters crystal clear like jewels, nourishing countless wild creatures.

At this moment, the elite members of the Qing Teng Temple stood solemnly by the lake.

The lake water no longer surged with life; instead, it was shrouded in a layer of emerald green light, radiating a powerful force of confinement and purification.

The atmosphere was solemn and somber.

The abbot of Qing Teng Temple, Mu Lingyun, floated above the center of the lake, her delicate hands forming a mudra.

As her body shone with a brilliant blue light, countless emerald green runes, as if alive, burrowed into the bottom of the lake, rapidly spreading and intertwining along the earth's veins and spiritual core.

The lake surface became clear and transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye, the silt at the bottom of the lake was purified, and the spiritual core that nourished the water veins was completely locked.

Finally, a huge sealing array made of vines and runes solidified at the bottom of the lake, flashed with light, and disappeared without a trace.

Yongquan Lake has completely turned into a stagnant pool.

This is not only the cutting off of the water source, but also the severing of the lifeline of Shenyue Valley, symbolizing the complete severing of the connection between the Baichen Elephant Clan and the heart of the wasteland.

Inside Shenyue Valley, the White Elephant Clan warriors gazed at the dried-up lakeside, their eyes bloodshot, and suppressed growls emanating from their throats.

The disappearance of the spring was like a drain on their spirit, and a sense of suffocating despair permeated the valley.

On the altar, King Shenyue's body remained motionless, but the force with which his fingertips dug into his ancestor's leg bone betrayed the agonizing weight of his suffering.

The water supply being cut off is more suffocating than a knife to the neck; this is the final iron bar of the cage that has trapped the beast falling!
On the Rift Sky Plain, the Rift Sky King spewed scorching white steam from his enormous nostrils, his voice like rolling thunder: "Green Vine Temple! Pure Source Locking Vein! Sever my brother's lifeline! Zhang Yuan, you brat, how dare you do this!"

His bull warriors were restless, their hooves pounding deep craters into the ground. The ferocious aura of the Bloodlust Battle Formation grew even more violent due to this sense of crisis of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," yet it was suppressed by invisible chains, leaving it nowhere to vent.

On the outskirts of the wasteland, the 'Soul-Crying Bird' elder, who had been observing, let out a sharp cry: "Yongquan Lake is sealed off too! Zhang Yuan is going to turn Chenyue Valley into a death trap!"

The leader of the 'Fire Lizards' emerged from the lava, his vertical pupils constricted: "Severing the lifeline, forcing a tiger to jump over the wall... Fire Commander's methods are ruthless to this extent!"

High above, several cold divine senses from the Xuanqiong Palace swept across the lifeless lake, imprinting a new assessment on Elder Mingchen's mind: "Zhang Yuan is a ruthless military strategist, cutting off all sources of supply and leaving no room for retreat... Be cautious!" (End of Chapter)