Daqin Zhentiansi

The guards, clad in black armor embroidered with lightning patterns, advanced in a cone-shaped battle formation, their blades flashing as lightning nets burst forth.

The Bone-Eating Demon's body, harder than refined steel, became as brittle as glass in the thunder!
The Soul-Eating Black Flame that the Demon General had just condensed was blasted apart by the Thunder Arrow in mid-air.

In less than three breaths, the demons on the cliff were reduced to ashes.

"I am Lei Zhen, a general under the Fire Commander of the Xuanqiong Palace, and now the Great Qin Martial Guard has taken over the Blood Millstone."

Lei Zhen looked at the surviving soldiers: "Do you still have any comrades who are still alive?"

“Reporting to General Lei,” the one-armed cultivator struggled to prop himself up, “to the west, on the western side, at the ley line node, there are… there are still seventeen brothers…”

"Trapped down there, something is transforming them, it's...it's the Heavenly Demon—"

Heavenly Demon?

The lightning patterns in Lei Zhen's eyes suddenly lit up, as if two purple stars had been lit up!
Before the cultivator could finish speaking, his gaze sharp as lightning, he abruptly pressed, "Node entrance? Types of monsters? Number of them? Status of the survivors?!"

He speaks quickly and precisely, and every question gets straight to the point.

With difficulty, the one-armed monk pointed to a crack in the cliff face below, where eerie dark red mist was billowing, and gasped, "Below, the entrance to the lava cave... it's in that mist, demonic moss... lots of it."

"Also, there's a Crimson Scale Python elder, very strong... Brothers, we can't hold on much longer..."

"Understood!" A fierce glint flashed in Lei Zhen's eyes, and his movements were as swift as lightning!

The instant he drew his bow with a backhand motion, nine specially made arrows, already brimming with lightning energy, shot out like lightning!
"Duh! Duh! Duh!"

The arrows were not aimed at the monster, but were precisely driven into several key points on the cliff face.

The trailing lightning bolts taut instantly, forming a temporary cable net passage in the void.

"Yue Zhenshan!" Lei Zhen's command was like a thunderclap from a clear sky. "Take your men and stabilize the eastern wing! The Chaos Vortex is yours! Hold it off!"

"Understood!" Yue Zhenshan's loud response rang out, and the heavy shields of the Pan Shi Camp had already turned to the east wing like a mobile fortress, the formation change was extremely smooth.

"Follow me!" Lei Zhen roared, grabbing a lightning bolt without hesitation. He pushed off the cliff face with his foot, transforming into a streak of purple lightning as he slid down the near-vertical abyss.

Dozens of elite guards followed closely behind, moving swiftly and silently, like thunder eagles swooping down along the cliff!
After descending no more than a hundred feet, a sudden change occurred!
On the jagged rock walls on both sides, dozens of inconspicuous holes suddenly shot out dense, highly corrosive dark purple venomous stingers!
At the same time, several twisted, writhing shadow demons, emitting mentally polluting shrieks, detached from the shadows of the rock wall and rushed straight at Wu Wei as he slid down!

The demons have already invaded this place.

"Hmph, a mere trick!" Lei Zhen sneered. He was in mid-air and didn't need to land for leverage.

His body spun rapidly like a top, the heavy Rift Abyss Bow felt as light as a feather in his hands, the bowstring humming like the prelude to a thunderstorm!

"Sizzle—sizzle—!"

Several chains made of pure lightning power appeared out of thin air and lashed out with perfect precision at the shadow demons.

Thunder is the bane of all evil spirits. The moment the chains touched the shadow, the shrill shriek stopped abruptly, and the shadow vanished instantly like a snowflake thrown into a furnace!

At the same time, Lei Zhen's personal guards reacted with astonishing speed.

They didn't even need their commander's orders; the moment the poison darts were fired, all of them had already drawn their "Thunderbolt" swords halfway out of their sheaths!

"Clang—!"

The synchronized sound of swords being drawn converged into a sharp cry that pierced through the chaos!

The blade crackled with lightning, unleashing a dense, net-like pattern of purple lightning.

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

The poisonous thorns that attacked collided with the lightning net were like hitting an iron wall; they were instantly charred into charcoal by the violent lightning power and fell down in a flurry, unable to get even a fraction closer to the guard!
The entire encounter, from the start of the attack to their complete annihilation, happened in the blink of an eye! The descending team didn't even slow down in the slightest!

At the end of the zipline, Lei Zhen crashed into the churning heat of the lava cave like a cannonball.

The scene before my eyes was shocking!
In one corner of the cave, a huge block of Xuanming True Water ice was frozen, encasing seven human cultivators whose faces were frozen in the final moments of their deaths, still holding their hand seals.

The ten survivors huddled behind a cracked bronze pivot pillar, all wounded and weak.

Even more terrifying, their exposed skin was covered with a layer of fleshy red moss that was constantly wriggling and multiplying!
The moss, like a living thing, is greedily absorbing their life essence and spiritual power, trying to transform them into demonic puppets!

At the heart of the position, the bronze array pivot that maintains the spiritual power of the nodes is now tightly wrapped by the tail of a giant python as thick as a bucket and covered with dark red scales!
The surface of the array core was covered with dark red demonic patterns that were the same as the demonic moss and resembled living blood vessels, and its spiritual light was extremely dim!

That was Elder Crimson Scale Python!
Its enormous snake-like snout was tearing apart the corpse of a monk, a bloody and nauseating scene.

Sensing the intruder's presence, it suddenly raised its head, its vertical pupils burning with cruel and chaotic demonic flames. It hissed and growled threateningly, and foul-smelling saliva dripped down, corroding the scorching rocky ground and creating wisps of blue smoke.

A fierce and malevolent aura belonging to a demon from the Holy Realm suddenly spread out!
"You beast! Die!" Lei Zhen's eyes widened in fury, and his killing intent surged instantly!
He didn't give the monster any chance to react or spray poison mist at all!

"Sizzle—!"

Two purple lightning chains, several times thicker than those used in the battle against the abyss and formed from the primordial lightning techniques personally taught by Venerable Thunder Prison, tore through the air like two raging lightning dragons, emitting ear-piercing explosions, and instantly wrapped around the massive body of the Crimson Scale Python!
The lightning patterns dancing on the chains carried a terrifying annihilation power, deeply carving into the demonic python's hard scales, scorching large areas of blackened metal, and firmly imprisoning it!
"Roar--!"

The crimson-scaled python roared in pain, its demonic energy surging wildly as it tried to break free!
But Lei Zhen was even faster!

The moment the chains bound him, the Abyss Divine Bow in his hand was already drawn to its full moon form!
On the bow, the annihilation lightning patterns, tempered by the original lightning of the Thunderfall Abyss, burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling purple light!
The entire cave was bathed in an eerie purple light!

What was gathered on the bowstring was not an ordinary lightning arrow, but a ball of blazing white lightning that was extremely compressed and emitted destructive fluctuations!

It is the Nine Heavens Annihilation Arrow, a powerful demon-slaying killing move personally taught by Venerable Lei Yu!

"break!"

Lei Zhen uttered a single word of truth, like a thunderous decree!
The finger slipped!
"Whoosh—BOOM!!!!"

The blazing white lightning bolt, imbued with the ultimate destructive power, pierced through the head of the frantically struggling crimson python with unparalleled precision at a speed beyond the reach of the naked eye!
There were no screams, only a muffled, utterly deafening sound of annihilation!
The lightning, compressed to its limit, exploded violently inside the demon!
In an instant, the entire cave was completely engulfed by pure, blinding white-incandescent lightning!
The raging lightning energy, like a burst dam, swept through every corner of the cave!
Thunderous Fury, Instant Kill!

As the intense light, powerful enough to scorch the soul, slowly dissipated, only a huge, deep pit remained, its edges resembling molten glass.

The ferocious and terrifying Crimson Scale Python elder, along with its entwined demonic patterns and most of the surrounding demonic moss, was completely evaporated and decomposed by the violent lightning tribulation power, leaving not even a trace behind!

It's as if it never existed!
The remaining dozens of Bone-Eating Demons and Soul-Eating Demons, under the residual power of the lightning, convulsed and screamed like ants splashed with boiling water. Then, under the subsequent rain of precise ordinary lightning arrows, they all exploded and disintegrated, turning into ashes!
Lei Zhen swiftly and cleanly drew back his bow and landed on the ground, flicking away the few wisps of demonic black smoke remaining on the bow tip.

His icy gaze swept over the stubborn moss still clinging to the survivors' bodies: "Reclaim the leyline nodes. Those who can still move, take the core components of the array hub!"

"Rock Barracks, listen to my command! Complete the cleanup and clearing within 15 minutes!"

As soon as the order was given, the Xuanjia Guards who followed slid down dispersed like the most sophisticated war machines. No words were needed; their roles were clearly defined.

Several people wielded thunder-slaying blades, their blades crackling with lightning, and swiftly and precisely slashed at the mossy roots clinging to the rock walls and the ground.

Each cut brought forth a patch of charred meat and a sizzling arc of electricity.

Several Rift Archers scanned the entire area with their hawk-like gazes.

They drew their bows and nocked their arrows, the Thunder Arrows transforming into streaks of deathly lightning, slaying the scattered demons hiding in the shadows of rock crevices, attempting to escape or launch a sneak attack.

Meanwhile, the guards quickly took out specially made purifying potions and talismans containing thunder energy, and went forward to treat the survivors' wounds and suppress and dispel the demonic moss that was corroding their bodies.

Others silently and swiftly began clearing the battlefield, collecting the remains of their seven heroic, ice-carved comrades.

The entire process was smooth and efficient, without any delays.

Just as the last writhing demonic rune on the array core was completely incinerated by the thunder and fire talisman, emitting a soft "hiss" sound, a signal thunderclap released by the Rock Camp came from the cliff top on the west side of the cave.

The deep, powerful roar announced that the threat in the eastern wing's chaotic vortex region had been successfully suppressed and driven away by Yue Zhenshan's forces!
The timing was perfect, down to the last second!
The remaining dozen or so defenders stared blankly at the silent yet highly efficient Xuanjia warriors before them.

Their blood-stained, tattered battle robes contrasted sharply with the opponent's pristine, lightning-patterned black armor.

The overwhelming combat power displayed by the opponent, along with their extreme efficiency—which left no time to even express grief—delivered a tremendous shock to them.

On this blood-soaked battlefield that devours lives, this team called "Great Qin Martial Guard" is like a cold thunderbolt—precise, efficient, and deadly!
"We survived..." a soldier whispered, the bewilderment still lingering in his eyes.

The others looked at each other, still somewhat incredulous.

They really survived.

Half an hour later, all the fighting subsided.

The Blood Millstone returned to the hands of the Primordial Guards.

However, the garrison at this time was replaced by the Great Qin Martial Guard led by Fire Commander Zhang Yuan.

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Blood was everywhere.

Endless demonic energy swirled and surged in the sky.

Zhang Yuan stood on a makeshift command platform, with a platform made up of several huge star skeletons beneath his feet.

A bronze array disc the size of a millstone floated in front of him.

The flowing light and shadow on it are a miniature projection of the broken space of the entire "blood millstone" area.

The rotation of the chaotic vortex, the trajectory of drifting star fragments, the flickering of spatial rifts, and even the faint pulsation of the residual spiritual energy of the earth's veins were all captured and projected onto him by his powerful divine sense.

Fingertips trace patterns on the sand table of light and shadow, leaving behind lingering and persistent Daoist traces, silently commanding troops.

"Rock Camp, advance three miles, and garrison 'Broken Ridge Gorge'!" Zhang Yuan's voice was deep and clear, like the first muffled sound of a war drum.

Yue Zhenshan responded with a thunderous roar: "Understood!" He turned around, his voice booming like thunder: "Rockstone Camp, prepare for battle! Xuanwu Zhenyuan—!"

Three thousand armored giant shield bearers marched forward with earth-shaking steps, like moving mountains, rumbling all the way.

The heavy, lightning-patterned shield slammed into the broken rock at its designated spot, producing a dull thud.

The lightning patterns flowing across the shield connect with the broken veins of the earth beneath its feet, drawing upon a weak earth elemental force to strengthen its foundation.

The soldiers in the rear quickly inserted battle flags into the gaps in the shield formation.

The flowing black tortoise pattern on the flag echoes the thunder pattern on the giant shield.

A thick, tough energy shield, glowing with earthy yellow and dark purple electric arcs, instantly rose up, transforming into the first iron wall to resist a frontal impact.

"The Rift Abyss Camp will be stationed at the high points of 'Eagle Beak Cliff' and 'Lone Star Fortress'!" Zhang Yuan pointed to two shattered star-shaped high points protruding like fangs on the sand table.

Lei Zhen's eyes were sharp as a falcon's, and his bowstring twanged softly: "Rift Abyss Camp, follow me to the top!"

Hundreds of Rift Archers moved with lightning speed, scaling the jagged Star Cliff and the isolated ruins of the fortress.

They quickly constructed a simple rune array foundation at a high altitude and embedded specially made arrows, each flashing with dangerous annihilation lightning, into the array's core.

The faint tinkling of the bowstring being drawn blended into a suppressed buzzing of bees, while the cold arrowhead locked onto the churning chaos ahead.

"Blackhorn Heavy Cavalry, patrol the left flank, 'Flying Stone Beach' mobile and ready!"

"Giant Ape Warrior, stand by on the right flank, ready to block 'Abyss Pass' at any time!"

"Iron Feather Eagle Guards, take off! Patrol the 'Shattered Cloud Belt' and provide early warnings in all directions!"

The orders were issued without delay.

Iron hooves pounded the gravel, heavy armor clanged, and the giant ape roared as it carried massive pieces of star debris to reinforce its flanks. The Iron Feather Eagle Guards flapped their wings and soared into the sky, transforming into sharp, vigilant eyes high above.

The Qin Imperial Guards were deployed, turning the entire Blood Millstone into an iron barrel.

Zhang Yuan shifted his gaze from the sand table in front of him to the sky.

Not far away, powerful divine beasts and the demon race that followed were all fully prepared and ready to fight.

"Lord Xuan Turtle, after the Rock Shield Formation, please use the 'Prison Suppressing Xuanhuang Domain' to stabilize the earth veins and reinforce the protective shield!"

Zhang Yuan's voice rang out again.

The massive Xuan Turtle Venerable let out a deep, steady roar and stepped forward.

Its enormous tortoise feet trod on the exposed rock behind the shield formation of the Rock Camp. The ancient runes on its shell lit up one by one, and the rich and heavy primordial yellow energy flowed out like tangible mud, quickly seeping into the cracks in the earth.

The light shield that had just risen in the Rock Camp visibly became several times more solid and thick, and its color changed from yellowish-purple to a deep iron-gray, exuding a sense of stability that suppressed the eight wastelands.

It is likely that only an army led by Zhang Yuan could produce such a scene of humans and divine beasts working together.

The surviving soldiers watched this scene, their faces once again showing bewilderment. (End of Chapter)