Daqin Zhentiansi

Venerable Xuanheng lightly flicked his whisk and said calmly, "A whetstone? Who knows if it won't sharpen a heaven-reaching blade that can cleave through chaos? Let's wait and see. This boy has already shown his potential. Let him stir up the waters of the primordial world; it's better than letting him remain stagnant."

In the quiet room, the group looked at each other, their eyes filled with deep meaning. Their smiles reflected both their recognition of Zhang Yuan's abilities and their anticipation and strategic maneuvering for the future.

……

The quiet room at the highest point of the Thousand Views Guardian Hall.

The clamor of the outside world, where all races converge, is isolated by an invisible barrier.

Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged with his eyes closed.

His aura was as deep and solid as the endless starry sky. Within his chaotic god-demon body, dark gold runes, chaotic blue patterns, and crystalline cold flames intertwined and flowed.

The deepest and most profound law is the "Prison Suppression" law, which originates from the Zhenyue Divine Elephant, and is like the spine of the earth, supporting the foundation of the myriad furnaces.

He clearly sensed that every inch of his flesh and blood contained a power powerful enough to shatter mountains and solidify the void.

With a slight thought, his body rippled like water, and in the next instant, he found himself in the nascent chaotic miniature realm within his own body.

This place is not filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, but rather with the atmosphere of primordial chaos, a place of mixed and diverse energies yet brimming with original vitality.

The shattered fragments of space were like stars scattered around, and the relatively stable area in the center was the temporary home of the remains and remnants of the divine beasts he had contained.

With a thought, Zhang Yuan transmitted the message that he was about to participate in the trial.

"Seniors, are you familiar with the battlefields beyond our borders?"

The remains of the lava giant tortoise floated atop a massive crimson crystal, a faint primordial flame flickering within. Upon seeing Zhang Yuan, a deep, resonant divine thought transmitted: "Zhang Yuan, the outside world is chaotic, it smells of primordial chaos, and there are hungry star beasts..."

The six-winged Thunder Roc's bony wings folded into a cluster of condensed thunderclouds, and its sharp divine soul fluctuations pierced through the void: "The Boundary Barrier Pass is a Void Node, where space is as thin as paper, with countless demonic shadows and roaring behemoths. Beware of their 'Star Core Breath,' which can incinerate divine souls."

The most massive remnant of the Prison-Suppressing Divine Elephant's soul was the dimmest, yet it emanated the most unwavering will.

"The Heavenly Demon is formless and intangible, eroding the mind. It requires... the purest and most yang power, or an indestructible will, to resist it..."

Its voice was intermittent and clearly extremely weak.

Zhang Yuan listened quietly, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

These fragmented messages and warnings from survivors of ancient battlefields paint a picture of a vast and perilous world.

What makes the ancient mythical beasts cautious and wary is no ordinary enemy.

He slowly began to speak: "The journey to the Boundary Barrier Pass is fraught with chaos and danger, surrounded by celestial demons and colossal beasts. But crisis is also opportunity."

"The demonic soul power corrupted by chaos, the vast essence of flesh and blood of those stellar beasts, and even the origin of their star cores..."

His gaze swept over the remains and remnants of these divine beasts, desperately needing to recover their strength. His tone was cold and resolute: "These are the perfect resources for you seniors to rebuild your foundations and restore your power! I shall hunt them down and bring them back!"

The primal fire of the lava giant tortoise suddenly leaped, the remnant soul of the six-winged thunder roc emitted a yearning cry, and even the light and shadow of the prison-suppressing divine elephant seemed to solidify for a moment.

No further words were needed; a tacit understanding based on shared goals and interests had already been reached.

Zhang Yuan not only has to lead a large army to fight against foreign enemies, but also shoulders the mission of nourishing the small world within his body and rekindling the fires of many divine beasts.

……

The door to the quiet room opened silently.

Zhang Yuan took a step forward, and his black Daoist robe fluttered without wind, instantly bathing him in the blazing midday sun of the Chensha River Plain.

In an instant, all the noise, discussions, and preparations on the plain came to an abrupt halt.

Time seemed to stand still, and countless gazes converged on one point—the figure perched atop the terrace of the Thousand Views Guardian Hall.

The sunlight gilded his tall figure with a dazzling golden edge.

Beneath the dark black Taoist robe lies the body of a chaotic god or demon, imbued with immense primordial power.

His gaze was calm yet profound, like a vast starry sea, and the aura of the "Prison Suppression" law emanating from his body made the entire plain feel a sense of stillness.

Behind him were figures representing the powerful races of Qilin, Xuan Turtle, Golden Roc, Fire Phoenix, Barbarian Bull, and Deep Elephant, shrouded in divine light, like stars guarding an emperor.

Below, ten thousand Qin guards stood in their newly forged, dark black armor with thunder patterns.

Three thousand armored soldiers of the Rock Camp with their massive shields like mountains, elite warriors of the Rift Camp with their bows like full moons, Black Horn heavy cavalry with their iron hooves pounding the ground, giant ape warriors with their fighting spirit soaring to the sky, and Iron Feather Eagle Guards with their wings spread as if about to take flight.

They formed the core and most elite square formation. Their black armor reflected a continuous, cold light like a sea of ​​thunder under the sunlight. Their iron-blooded aura was restrained yet made the air feel heavy.

Further out, there were elite allied forces from various guardian temples, divine beast races, and myriad races of the wilderness, their ranks like a forest, banners fluttering, their chilling aura soaring to the heavens.

The deathly silence lasted only a moment.

Immediately, ten thousand Qin warriors knelt down in unison, their black armor striking the ground with a unified, earth-shattering roar! They pounded their chests with their fists, the sound waves coalescing into a torrent that tore through the sky:

"Greetings—to—Fire—Marshal—!!!"

This sound wave was like a spark that ignited a prairie fire!

The elite troops of the Panshi Camp, Cangming Temple, Lingxiao Sword Camp, and other garrison troops, numbering thirty thousand, responded in unison: "Greetings, Fire Commander!"

The Qilin Saint Son roared, the Xuan Turtle Venerable groaned, the Golden Roc Warrior howled, the Fire Phoenix cried out, the Wild Bull of the Wasteland roared, and the White Elephant bellowed…

All the powerful beings of all races, whether divine beasts or demonic beasts, responded in their own unique ways with deafening roars!

The voices of all races, though each with its own distinct melody, converged into a mighty, unparalleled surge of sound, symbolizing the gathering of power on the edge of the entire primordial world. This resonated with the shouts of ten thousand warriors, echoing through the heavens and stirring up the vast land, even causing the sunlight to tremble!

Standing at the center of the surging waves, Zhang Yuan's face was calm as water as he slowly raised his right hand.

Just this one action.

The thunderous roar below instantly subsided into a desolate silence.

All was silent except for the fluttering military flags on the plains, which shook fiercely in the wind.

His gaze swept over the steel torrent and heroes of all races below, and he spoke calmly, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching the ears of every warrior, like a decree branded deep within their souls:
"Target—Boundary Pass!"

"set off!"

Sunlight, like molten gold, poured down upon Zhang Yuan and the primordial iron torrent that gathered behind him. Wherever the banners pointed, the gates of the chaotic battlefield roared open!

Jielei Pass is not a traditional fortified pass or city.

It floats above a Ruins node called "Shattered Star Sea".

This is the boundary between the primordial material world and the raging chaotic sea. The spatial structure is broken like a spider web, and the laws are in complete disarray.

Viewed from above, it resembles a massive floating fortress forcibly "welded" together from countless broken stars, remnants of divine metal, and powerful restrictions, both ferocious and tragic.

Outside the fortress lies the real battlefield, the Shattered Star Sea.

That was an endless void. The space itself was filled with twisted cracks and writhing chaotic miasma.

Countless fragments of stars and shattered continents, like floating tombs, slowly rotated and collided, emitting muffled, thunderous roars.

The turbulent spatial currents sometimes transform into invisible blades that cut through everything, and sometimes coalesce into eerie vortexes that devour light.

The Star Beast is the darling of chaos, and the nightmare of the primordial world.

A colossal figure appeared and disappeared among the fragments, resembling a giant whale with a carapace covered in flowing lava-like patterns. What it spewed from its mouth was not water, but "star core breath" capable of melting space itself.

It resembles a multi-headed giant snake, each head embodying a different chaotic law: ice, poison, and gravitational distortion, as it meanders and crushes everything in its path.

Even more terrifying are the mountain-like beetles that feed on fragments of stars, moving slowly and leaving behind a trail of corrosive slime that erodes space wherever they go.

There was also the fleeting Heavenly Demon, formless and shapeless, an aggregate of pure malice and chaotic will.

They moved like twisted shadows through the void rifts, emitting piercing screams that seemed to pierce the very soul.

Sometimes it coalesces into terrifying illusions to assault the mind, and sometimes it burrows into weak points in defenses to erode the will of living beings. It is a threat that is more difficult to defend against than a giant beast.

Even a venerable person would feel a sense of unease standing before such a sight.

Inside the pass, however, the scene is quite different.

This is the convergence point of primordial power.

The interior of Jielei Pass is vast and divided into numerous areas.

At this moment, top forces from all corners of the primordial world have gathered here.

The elite guards of the Heavenly Palace are the absolute mainstream and core, and their numbers are enormous.

The vast majority are proud "celestial beings," born with powerful bloodlines and an affinity for the laws of nature.

They were dressed in uniform battle armor, which shimmered and radiated the aura of high-grade spiritual materials.

Many of these armors and weapons were crafted using the essence of divine beasts extracted from the Heavenly Palace, making them incredibly powerful.

They were in groups of three or five, exuding powerful auras; at the very least, they were at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, and many were at the Saint realm.

They cast scrutinizing and undisguised contemptuous glances at the human army, whose clothing was relatively "simple" and whose aura was "mixed".

The area inside the pass is not only garrisoned by the Celestial Army, but also by many demon races and divine beast groups.

The primordial mythical beasts led their elite warriors and occupied the core area.

Their aura is ancient and majestic, sometimes surrounded by auspicious signs, sometimes brimming with sharp energy, sometimes as solid as a mountain, and sometimes blazing with fierce flames.

They were relatively close to the humans among them, but also kept their distance, their eyes scanning the Heavenly Palace elites warily.

However, in Guanzhong, the majority of the human garrison commanders were drawn from various garrison headquarters.

Even if only three or five people from each of the thirty-eight million guardian temples come here, the combined force would be an endless torrent.

Humans were the largest race in the prehistoric world, but they had always been suppressed.

The light from the teleportation array dissipated, and the army of the Xuanqiong Palace, led by Zhang Yuan, arrived at their encampment.

After making some arrangements, Zhang Yuan took Lei Zhen to the core central hall of Jielei Pass to guard the council chamber.

He needs to receive the officially issued mission for the Xuanqiong Palace's garrison and trial.

The main hall was magnificent, cast entirely from some strange, dark golden metal, with complex defensive runes flowing across its surface.

The hall is spacious and brightly lit, yet it has a cold, metallic feel.

The hall was teeming with people, mostly elites from various palaces of the Heavenly Palace and their entourage, their auras mixed and powerful.

Zhang Yuan and Lei Zhen entered the hall, their black Taoist robes not particularly noticeable in the crowd.

However, that calm and composed aura, imbued with profound inner strength, still attracted the attention of some astute observers.

There were some nods of goodwill from the divine beast faction, but more often there was indifference and scrutiny from the Heavenly Palace elites.

"Hey? Isn't this Zhang Yuan, the 'Fire General' who 'showed off his skills' in the wasteland and caused a lot of trouble for the Heavenly Palace?" A slightly mocking young voice rang out, not too loud, not too soft, just loud enough for those around to hear clearly.

Zhang Yuan didn't stop walking; his gaze calmly swept towards the source of the sound.

He was a celestial youth dressed in magnificent silver-purple armor, with an almost otherworldly handsome appearance and an innate arrogance between his brows. His aura had reached the peak of the second realm of Venerables, the Returning Void.

Behind him were several companions with equally extraordinary auras.

A long sword with shimmering light hung at his waist, its scabbard inlaid with gems that emitted rich spatial law fluctuations, clearly a treasure.

“Young Master Xuanlan is right,” another Celestial Youth chimed in, his tone flippant. “I heard there’s been a major upheaval at Divine Elephant Mountain, which has weakened the barrier as a result?”

"Commander Zhang, you've got quite the grand scheme. This Boundary Fortress Pass is nothing like the Wasteland; the Heavenly Demon Beasts don't listen to reason. Commander Zhang," he emphasized, his tone mocking, "you'd better be careful, or you'll lose your life here so soon. Otherwise, the Heavenly Palace won't even be able to find anyone to 'deal with' with you. Hahaha!"

Several chorus of laughter, filled with a sense of superiority and rejection of the "troublemaker," rose up around them.

Lei Zhen was young and impetuous; he had never been so humiliated in front of others.
His eyes suddenly flashed with lightning, and a violent aura of thunder surged out uncontrollably. His left hand instantly gripped the arm of the Rift Abyss Divine Bow on his back!
On the bow, the annihilation lightning patterns forged by the primordial lightning seemed to sense the master's anger, suddenly shining with a dazzling purple light and emitting a low and dangerous hum. The air seemed to be ionized, making a faint crackling sound.

"Hiss... What kind of bow is that? Such a terrifying aura of thunder!" someone exclaimed in a low voice.

"The bow-shaped lightning pattern... it seems to have been tempered by primordial lightning? This human brat..."

"How dare he display his weapons here? What audacity!"

The surrounding chatter subsided considerably, and many eyes focused on Lei Zhen and his ferocious Rift Abyss Bow, filled with surprise and a hint of apprehension.

The contempt on the faces of the Heavenly Palace elites faded somewhat, replaced by solemnity and scrutiny.

Those who can withstand and wield such a domineering thunderous bow are no ordinary people.

Just as the atmosphere suddenly became tense and Lei Zhen was about to lose his temper, a steady hand gently pressed on his shoulder.

It's Zhang Yuan.

The lightning surging around Lei Zhen subsided instantly, as if suppressed by an invisible force, with only the lightning patterns on his bow still pulsating unwillingly.

His chest heaved violently as he stared intently at the two celestial beings who had spoken provocatively.

Zhang Yuan didn't even glance at the two celestial beings, his gaze calmly fixed on the depths of the main hall ahead, as if they were nothing more than a few buzzing mosquitoes.

He didn't stop walking, but simply uttered a few words, his voice steady yet clearly reaching the ears of everyone present:

"Take care of me? Let them come. I, Zhang, will be waiting here." (End of Chapter)