Daqin Zhentiansi

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

Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged above the sand table of light and shadow, where the primordial territory outlined by the Chaos True Essence was revealed in every detail.

The feedback from the completely dimmed Yongquan Lake node transformed into a cold stream of light that flowed into the sea of ​​consciousness.

His gaze was sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto the southwest corner of the sand table—

That "Shadow Path," buried deep within the rugged, rocky mountains, is the only remaining path to survival.

"Zhu Rong Lie!" Zhang Yuan's divine sense, like an invisible edict, pierced through billions of miles of void and precisely imprinted itself deep within the soul of the Crimson Armor Giant, who was stationed far away in the Crimson Flame Gobi.

"In the southwest of the Nine Shepherds Wasteland, the 'Shadow Path' is the last escape route from the Sky Rift. Drawing upon the molten flow of the earth's core and using the incinerating azure flames as a foundation, we will completely sever it! I, the commander, will transform this path into a deadly barrier! Execute it immediately!"

On the sand table, the faint light representing the Shadow Path was instantly covered by a dazzling crimson flame mark, like dripping lava, announcing the end of its fate.

Southwestern edge of the Jiumu Wilderness.

Deep within a rugged, rocky mountain, eroded by wind and sand to resemble the fangs of a giant beast.

The light here is distorted and swallowed up, the air is as thick as solidified grease, and it is filled with the smell of sulfur and dust from weathered rocks.

Absolute silence enveloped the entrance to the "Shadow Path," a path buried deep underground and almost forgotten.

This is the last hidden lifeline connecting the Rift Sky Plains to the outside world, but now it has become the final link in the chain that Zhu Ronglie is about to completely melt down.

Zhu Ronglie was shirtless, his strong, muscular upper body exposed, his bronze skin seemingly flowing with lava.

He was not standing, but hovering three feet above the narrow, damp crevice at the entrance to the Shadow Path, which was only wide enough for one person to pass through.

Beneath his feet was a churning, roaring, golden-red "core molten flow" that he had forcibly drawn from the depths of the earth with his supreme magical power!
The viscous, scorching magma beneath his feet writhed restlessly like a tamed python, releasing terrifying temperatures powerful enough to incinerate metal and distort vision.

He spread his arms wide, his ten fingers like those of an ancient deity who controlled fire, with flames of "world-burning azure flames" dancing at his fingertips, whiter and more violent than those of the lava core.

Each leap of the flame caused the surrounding space to hiss and groan under its strain, leaving behind brief traces of char.

No words were needed, only the roar of the flames and the crackling sound of rocks bursting under extreme heat, like dying screams.

In the flickering firelight, Zhu Ronglie's face resembled a statue of the fire god enshrined in a temple—hard, majestic, and devoid of any human emotion.

Those eyes, burning with eternal flames, coldly gazed at the dark passage below, which was trying to preserve the last glimmer of life for the Nine Savage Bulls.

An atmosphere of impending doom permeated the air.

It was not the end of the battle, but the complete severing of all paths to survival, a suffocating feeling of fate being welded to the precipice by an irresistible force.

Just as Zhu Ronglie was about to make his move, three shadowy figures, as fast as ghosts, suddenly darted out from the bottomless darkness of Youying Path!
They are not physical entities, but "Soul-Eating Shadows" formed from pure shadows and resentment. They are the last desperate messengers sent out by the King of the Sky at the cost of his own life force!
They shrieked silently, ignoring physical obstacles, and rushed straight at Zhu Ronglie's face, attempting to erode his soul with their filthy thoughts and create a momentary opening!

"Humph."

A cold snort, seemingly emanating from the depths of a lava hell.

Zhu Ronglie didn't even change his posture, but the flames of the Burning World Azure Flame leaping at his fingertips seemed to be stretched and magnified instantly by an invisible force!
"Sizzle—Pfft!"

Three dark figures, like moths drawn to a flame, crashed into the suddenly rising, pure white wall of fire.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a faint, almost negligible sound of annihilation.

The Soul-Eating Shadow, powerful enough to erode even the soul of a Venerable One, vanished without a trace of smoke before the Purifying Fire, which burned away all the filth of the world, as if it had never existed.

Having eliminated the insignificant interference, Zhu Ronglie's gaze remained completely unwavering.

He slowly closed his outstretched arms, as if embracing a sun about to burst forth.

The churning molten rock beneath his feet suddenly became violent, emitting a deafening roar! He slammed his palms down!

"BOOM—!!!"

It's no longer guiding, it's pouring out!

It's like the Milky Way flowing backwards!

Thick, scorching magma from the Earth's core, radiating a blinding golden-red light, carrying the destructive will of the world-burning flames, surged violently into the narrow entrance of the Shadow Path like an angry fire dragon!
The hard rock wall, imbued with malevolent energy, melted and vaporized silently like wax the moment it came into contact with the molten lava!
Inside the passage came eerie sizzling sounds, like the earth's intestines being burned, and muffled thuds of collapsing rocks.

An intensely thick white vapor, mixed with a pungent sulfur smell, shot into the sky, only to be instantly evaporated by the terrifying heat emanating from Zhu Ronglie's body.

The ground in the entire rocky mountain area trembled violently, turned red, and softened!
That "Shadow Path," which carries countless secrets and vitality, is being visibly and irreversibly "cast" from the entrance by this liquid flame that burns everything, from its physical structure to its spatial laws!
This is not a battle; it is a one-sided, irresistible "erasure."

It was the sound of the last link on the cold iron chain being welded shut by flames.

It was the last tentacle of the trapped beast, Jiumu Wasteland, that tried to reach out to the outside world and seek a chance to survive, but it was scorched off and melted by a scorching hot iron!
Zhu Ronglie hovered above the torrent of lava, like a god wielding the power of destruction, announcing the final completion of the encirclement in the most violent and thorough way, declaring the end of all escape routes for the prey.

As he slowly withdrew his power, the lava beneath his feet cooled and solidified, transforming into a crimson crystal barrier that shimmered with dark red embers, was as hard as divine iron, and completely blocked everything.

The soaring heatwave of destruction and the aura of finality, like an invisible beacon, instantly spread throughout the entire Nine Shepherds Wasteland, resonating and meshing with the auras of the other two hundred and ninety-nine icy chains in the darkness.

Three hundred cold chains, forged by three hundred guardians and three million elite soldiers of the Heavenly Palace, finally closed completely!
They crisscross, covering hundreds of millions of miles of wasteland, tightly binding all life, including space, spiritual veins, water sources, reinforcements, and escape routes.

The rock remains unmoved in the valley of the anvil.

The wind, invisible, rips through the Wind Whisper Gorge.

Iron torrents cut through gold at Black Stone Pass.

The green vine lock originated from Qixiakou.

Zhenhai is sealed in the Black Abyss Rift Valley.

The sky was scorched and the earth burned in the fiery Gobi Desert.

Senluo transformed poison into the swamp of decaying bones.

Zhenyue Duanyue stands before Chenyue Valley.

The Broken Army shattered its horns on the side of the Rift Sky Plain... Three hundred nodes shone brightly, their military aura soaring to the sky, their momentum overwhelming!

Throughout the entire primordial world, from the celestial palaces high above the nine heavens to the ancestral lands of divine beasts deep in the wilderness, and even to the myriad tribes watching from the borderlands, all eyes were frozen on this unprecedented tactical feat.

Only now did countless forces and powerful figures fully understand Fire Commander Zhang Yuan's final plan from this meticulous, ruthless, and unparalleled military deployment.

He disdained to divide his forces and instead defeated the White Elephant and Nine Savage Bull tribes scattered across the vast wilderness, relying on the terrain for guerrilla warfare.

That would only lead to a quagmire and a waste of military strength.

He used the Heavenly Venerable's decree as his banner, the 30,000 garrisoned temples as his base, and the 3 million-strong army as his chain, weaving a net that covered the entire Nine Shepherds Wilderness!

With precise filtering, the millions of small and medium-sized demon tribes that depend on the two royal families are driven like a flock of helpless sheep. Using blockade, panic, and survival pressure as whips, they are forced step by step, chain by chain, toward the most core, most dangerous, and most symbolic place in the wasteland—the foot of Shenxiang Mountain!
The influx of these million "triggers" not only completely disrupted the order of the core area and exhausted the resources that were already strained due to the blockade, but also piled up like dry firewood, soaked in fear and despair, at the foot of Chenyue and Lieqiong.

Zhang Yuan's true goal is now crystal clear.

The two ferocious clans, Bai Chenxiang and Jiu Yeman Niu, who inherited the bloodline of the Zhenyue Divine Elephant, along with all their vassal forces, were completely squeezed and forced into the final arena at the foot of Shenxiang Mountain, which was shrouded in chaotic dust storms and carried the tragic will of their ancestors!

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Both inside and outside the wasteland, all eyes were drawn to the massive "chain encirclement" and the overwhelming rage of the two royal families, speculating when Zhang Yuan would launch his final assault—

At the northernmost edge of the Nine Shepherds Wilderness, on the edge of a region where even the raging chaotic dust storms appear exceptionally "docile," permeated with endless sorrow and heavy oppressive power.

The space rippled silently like water as an army of no more than three thousand quietly appeared.

They stood as silent as mountains, clad in heavy armor with a dark black base and dark purple lightning patterns flowing along the edges, wielding "Thunderclap" battle swords whose blades crackled with tiny electric sparks.

Armor covered their entire bodies, revealing only pairs of eyes burning with unwavering determination.

His aura was condensed and unified, his iron-blooded killing intent held back yet causing the surrounding raging chaotic air currents to scatter.

These were Zhang Yuan's core elite troops, tempered by the thunder of the Thunderfall Abyss, equipped with the latest spiritual weapons and armor, and incorporating the will of the human race and some divine beast combat techniques—

Great Qin Martial Guard!

Zhang Yuan stood at the very front of the group, his black Taoist robe fluttering gently in the breeze.

He looked up at the towering mountain before him, whose majestic silhouette, even through the thick dust storm, still shook his soul—Mount Shenxiang.

The mountain resembles a reclining giant elephant, exuding a sense of vastness and resilience from the very beginning of time.

"This is the place where the venerable Zhenyue Divine Elephant once stood against the Heaven-Locking Chains, exhausted and collapsed, and used his divine body to guard the ancestral veins of the earth with unyielding spirit, right?" Zhang Yuan's voice was deep, carrying a hint of barely perceptible respect.

As he spoke, the dormant chaotic divine and demonic body within him seemed to be stirred by the tragic will that remained in this place.

Without any deliberate effort, a powerful force of blood and qi, originating from the depths of his bloodline and fused with the indomitable will of the Great Qin Heavenly Dao and the power of the primordial origin, rose naturally and slowly around him, like a sleeping dragon awakening.

This aura was ancient, profound, and indomitable, carrying the chaotic energy of creation and containing the defiant will of "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny?" It resonated faintly with the tragic pressure permeating Shenxiang Mountain, causing the chaotic dust storm that had raged around the mountain for thousands of years to momentarily freeze and subside.

Zhang Yuan's gaze pierced through the dust and haze, as if he could see deep within the mountain, the core of a vast power that had been sealed and dormant for countless ages by the Heavenly Venerable's chains and his own indomitable will.

He accepted the mission from the Xuanqiong Palace, mobilizing three million troops to create chaos and pressure, drawing everyone's attention to the "Chenyue Valley" and "Lieqiong Plain" at the heart of the wasteland. Meanwhile, he led the most elite forces, secretly making his way to the real target—Mount Shenxiang!

His goal was never to exterminate the White Elephant and the Nine Savage Bulls, two tribes that inherited the bloodline of the divine elephant.

Just as he subdued the Black Horned Rhinoceros, formed an alliance with the Kui Niu, bestowed the Dharma upon the Vermilion Bird, and mediated with the Azure Dragon, what he needs to do is awaken!

Awaken this ancient power suppressed by the Heavenly Palace and sealed by the dust of time, awaken the indomitable will remaining in the guardian elephant of the mountains, and let this primordial behemoth bloodline, symbolizing resistance and power, be revived in another way!
……

At the foot of Shenxiang Mountain.

The biting wind whipped up millennia-old ice dust, which scraped across the dark armor like countless tiny blades.

Zhang Yuan led three thousand Qin guards, like three thousand silent iron sculptures, as they shattered the snow-covered mountains and fields.

Each step left a deep imprint reaching up to the ankle, only to be quickly smoothed out in the howling wind and snow.

In the desolate depths of the snowy region, countless pairs of eerie green pupils suddenly lit up, like will-o'-the-wisps floating in a pale world.

The deep howl of wolves pierced through the wind and snow, no longer a warning, but a naked and blatant expression of killing intent!
"Ouch——!!!"

The leading wolf king was as big as a small mountain, covered in long, frosty white fur, with a menacing golden chain mark shining brightly on its forehead.

It stands proudly atop the ice cliff, its sound like the friction of ice shards, carrying the cold majesty bestowed upon it by the heavens.

"Halt! Insignificant ants! This is the forbidden domain of the Divine Elephant. By decree of the Heavenly Palace, anyone who trespasses will have their soul and spirit annihilated!"

Behind it, thousands of smaller but equally ferocious Frost Wolves appeared, forming a formidable array.

The icy demonic energy coalesced into a frozen realm called "Eternal Frozen Barrier," intending to freeze and annihilate these mere three thousand people along with this entire mountain wilderness!
Zhang Yuan didn't even look up at the roaring wolf king.

He simply raised his right hand slightly, his fingers spread wide, as if he were merely brushing away a few snowflakes falling before his eyes.

"kill."

The sound was not loud, but it was like the fuse of a thunderclap, instantly igniting the entire Wuwei Legion!
"Clang—!!!"

Three thousand "Thunderbolt" battle swords were drawn simultaneously!

The dark purple blade hummed and trembled, and the leaping arcs of electricity were no longer faint lights, but instantly transformed into a dazzling lightning python coiling around the blade!
Beneath the icy black armor, chaotic blood and thunderous power erupted, and iron-blooded murderous aura gathered into a torrent that tore through the wind and snow and pierced through the icy domain!

"boom--!!!"

There was no probing, no changes in formation, only the simplest, most direct, and most ferocious attack—a charge!
Three thousand figures clad in heavy armor adorned with lightning patterns, like three thousand thunderbolts tearing through the sky, crashed headlong into the deathly ice array formed by those eerie green pupils!
"Snap! Splash!"

The permafrost barrier cracked under the strain the moment it came into contact with the object!

The icy demonic energy that Canglang was so proud of was as fragile as paper in front of the thunderous blade that contained the original will of the Thunderfall Abyss and the attributes of exorcising evil and slaying demons!
As the Thunder Blade slashed through the body of the Azure Wolf, it was not only a physical cut, but also a surge of violent annihilation lightning that poured into the wound, instantly tearing apart and incinerating the demon soul marked by the Heavenly Palace!
Even the scream was cut short, turning into scattered, icy-blue specks of light that vanished completely from the world, as if it had never existed. (End of Chapter)