Daqin Zhentiansi

Jielu Pass.

The central hall.

Dead silence.

On the entire sand table, the light spot of "Cloud Ridge" went completely dark, and the last glimmer of light representing life and defense disappeared.

The golden arrow, symbolizing Zhang Yuan and his three thousand Panshi Camp, was piercing into the "extremely dangerous" area marked with heavy gray tones between the "edge of the chaotic vortex" and the "Cloud Ridge" with a breathtakingly resolute speed.

Venerable Li Xing's lips curled into a cold smile: "See, he's courting death. The signal's gone, Cloud Ridge is finished. Zhang Yuan's headlong rush in is nothing more than adding food to the demonic tide. A reckless fool ruins everything!"

The elites of the Heavenly Punishment Hall around him all showed mocking expressions.

The burly body of the Venerable Zhaowu stiffened, his fists clenched so tightly beneath his golden armor that they cracked.

He stared intently at the tiny dot of light on the sand table representing Zhang Yuan, and the faint halo behind it symbolizing the three thousand soldiers.

He could imagine the despair on that scorched earth.

One can only imagine the perilous journey Zhang Yuan faced leading three thousand men into the chaotic storm.

The point of light was as tiny as a candle flame in a storm, and could be swallowed up at any moment.

The turbid gaze of Venerable Zichen was also fixed on that area, his wrinkled cheeks twitching slightly.

He saw the complete darkness of Yunhe Ridge, and he also saw the golden light representing Zhang Yuan, in a desperate move, traversing its final distance to crash into the area that represented the location of "Yunhe Ridge," which was now a gray expanse.

On the sand table, that area is not completely deserted.

At a location symbolizing the core of the array, a tiny, almost imperceptible energy fluctuation, fainter than a speck of dust, flickered.

That was the last trace left by the last seven survivors burning their life essence to prevent the core array from completely collapsing.

On the sand table, it merely maintains its "existence" rather than "holds firm".

Inside the main hall, countless gazes, some filled with gloating indifference, others with unbearable pity, and still others with an indescribable tension, were all focused on the tiny golden dot at the edge of that gray area.

Time seemed to be stretched out and frozen.

Every breath tugs at the heartstrings.

Blood millstone.

Battalion No. 7, Class C.

Lei Zhen stared intently at the command array panel, his fists clenched, his palms sweating profusely.

Yue Zhenshan took away three thousand of the most elite heavy armored soldiers, greatly increasing the defensive pressure on the camp.

"Hold on! Fireman will definitely make it!"

He roared in a low voice, as if trying to convince himself, or perhaps to encourage the soldiers who remained behind.

The commanders of several nearby garrisons, who were also struggling to hold on, also sensed through various rudimentary observation methods that the energy fluctuations representing the "Cloud Ridge" region had completely subsided.

Despair spread like a cold tide.

Will I be next?
They dared not think of "reinforcements," much less "victory," and could only numbly raise their weapons, preparing to face the inevitable final moment.

However, a faint sense of something came through, indicating that Zhang Yuan's powerful aura was rushing towards that desolate place without regard for anything else.

A faint, almost imperceptible hope, too faint to be spoken aloud, sprouted quietly in the depths of his despairing heart like a wild grass: He... perhaps he could...?
Yunhe Ridge.

The last line of defense.

Commander Cangyun leaned on a broken sword, demonic energy surging from the wound on his one arm, each breath tearing at his lungs.

Deputy General Cao Quan stared intently at the core of the formation with his single eye.

The crimson rune, symbolizing a cry for help, flickered one last time before extinguishing completely, turning into a wisp of smoke.

The last hope, like a candle flame blown out by the wind, was extinguished.

"Xuan Ge Cang Yun..." Commander Cang Yun tried to roar again, but his voice was hoarse like a broken bellows, spitting out bloody foam, "Fight to the death... no..."

The last word "retreat" was drowned out by the sharp hiss of the Bone-Eating Demon and the dull footsteps of the Corrosive Poison Lizard Demon.

Behind them stretched an endless black tide of demons, interspersed with the shadowy figures of Soul-Eating Demons that loomed and shrieked with soul-piercing cries.

"Roar--!"

Several venomous lizard demons simultaneously spewed out thick torrents of poisonous flames. The foul-smelling, emerald-green flames carried an aura of annihilation, and it looked as if they were about to completely devour the last seven remaining soldiers beside the array's core, along with the faint trace of energy.

Commander Cangyun closed his single eye, preparing to face final annihilation.

Right now!

"Buzz—!!!"

A deep, yet extremely penetrating spatial tremor tore apart the demonic roar!

A thick beam of light, flowing with primordial yellow energy and chaotic blue light, descended from the sky like a spear of divine punishment, striking the front of the several poisonous lizard demons that were charging at them with perfect accuracy!

"BOOM—!!!"

The earth trembled violently, and a violent energy shockwave exploded out in a ring!

The viscous, poisonous flames crashed against an invisible wall of sighs, instantly recoiling and dissipating!
Wherever the shockwave passed, dozens of the leading Bone-Eating Demons were instantly shattered into countless pieces of bone and demonic energy, like porcelain being struck by a giant hammer!
Smoke, dust, and gravel filled the air!

After the beam of light landed, one after another, giant tower shields appeared out of thin air, shining with thick, earthy yellow lightning and with tough, emerald green halos flowing around their edges, like steel jungles growing out of the earth!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The heavy footsteps were synchronized and sounded like the beating of war drums!
Three thousand elite soldiers from the Rock Camp, clad in dark heavy armor, moved like a mountain of steel, their steps shaking the stars, and instantly deployed around the core array!

The massive tower shields stacked one on top of another, instantly forming a steel barrier ten zhang high and covering an area of ​​three li in radius!

Above the shield wall, the phantom of Xuanwu roared with its head held high, lightning flowing, and a thin but incredibly tough emerald green aura of vitality rippled like water, keeping the remaining poisonous miasma and corrosive demonic energy firmly at bay!

"Rock Barracks! Stand up!"

Yue Zhenshan's familiar, steady roar, as solid as a mountain, resounded throughout the battlefield.

"The Black Tortoise remains still! Suppress—!!"

The figure of Qilin Saint Son Panlin appeared above the shield wall, and the auspicious seven-colored light poured down like an inverted celestial river, transforming into a resilient halo that merged into the entire army formation!

The maddening, soul-devouring demonic sound was instantly suppressed and eliminated, as if it had hit an impenetrable wall!
The desperate demonic tide crashed violently against this sudden steel barrier!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang..."

The dull thuds of impact were incessant, like waves crashing against the shore!

The shield wall trembled slightly, and the dark yellow lightning and emerald green halo rippled, dispersing and dissolving the surging impact.

No matter how much the monsters roared and scratched, they couldn't shake this fortress within a three-mile radius in the slightest!

The Cangyun commander and his six remaining comrades stared in disbelief at everything that was happening.

The massive tower shield obscured the murky sky, and the blood-soaked, heavily armored warriors stood before them like silent mountains.

The auspicious, seven-colored light brought an unprecedented sense of peace, temporarily suppressing the torment of demonic energy eroding their bodies.

A profound sense of bewilderment replaced despair.

Reinforcements? They've really arrived?
Or... a hallucination before death?
They struggled to stand, but were too weak to do so and could only lean against the cold inside of the shield.

Jielu Pass.

The central hall.

When the faint energy ripples on the sand table representing the core area of ​​Cloud Ridge were almost completely swallowed up by the grayness representing the demonic tide—

"Buzz—!" A dazzling golden halo suddenly erupted!
Immediately afterwards, a solid golden halo, representing a powerful defensive position, suddenly formed at the core of Cloud Ridge!
The halo stubbornly resisted the surging, dark waves from all sides, remaining firmly rooted to the spot!

Within the aperture, the points of light representing Zhang Yuan and the three thousand Rock Camp were clearly visible!
"He...he's here! He held on!" Young Master Xuanlan exclaimed in disbelief, his voice trembling with excitement.

Venerable Zhaowu suddenly took a step forward, his tiger eyes wide open, staring intently at the golden halo that stubbornly shone in the gray dead zone, his chest heaving violently: "Good! Good lad! You really... held on!"

An uproar erupted inside the hall!
The doubts and mockery ceased abruptly, replaced by countless gasps of astonishment and incredulous stares.

That gloomy despair was actually held back by a golden dam!

The light and shadow are still violently fluctuating!

The dark aura representing the demonic tide surged like a boiling, raging sea, frantically crashing against and tearing at the golden halo.

The aperture distorted slightly and flickered erratically under the terrifying impact, as if it might shatter at any moment.

Everyone's heart was in their throat, and a tense atmosphere filled the hall.

Can we hold on?
How long can three thousand people hold out in the center of the demonic tide?
Yunhe Ridge.

Beyond the shield wall, monsters surged like a sea, their attacks relentless.

They crashed wildly against the steel barrier, emitting deafening roars and pounding sounds.

Under Yue Zhenshan's command, the shield wall remained as solid as a rock, with lightning and a halo of vitality constantly flowing, dissolving wave after wave of impacts.

But the number of monsters was simply too great, like an endless black tide, completely surrounding the fortress within a three-mile radius.

The demon's rage transformed into an even more ferocious assault, turning the entire fortress into a reef amidst a raging storm.

suddenly!

"Roar—!!!"

A roar more terrifying than any demonic howl before, filled with pure destructive will, resounded from the depths of the demonic tide!

The earth trembled violently, and the monsters in front parted to the sides like a tide!

A giant scorpion-like monster, magnified ten thousand times, shattered the earth as it charged forward!

It stood tens of feet tall, covered with a thick, dark purple armor as black as iron, with filthy demonic patterns flowing across its surface.

The two enormous front claws gleamed with a chilling light, tearing through the air with each opening and closing!

The most terrifying thing was its scorpion tail, which was raised high behind it like a battering ram, with a ball of destructive energy at its tip that made people's hearts tremble and locked onto the center of the shield wall!

The Primordial Beast!

This is a terrifying monster capable of easily destroying a small star fortress!
Even the lowest-ranking behemoth in front of them is a powerful being capable of tearing apart cities and mountains.

The pressure inside the fortress skyrocketed instantly!

The soldiers of the Panshi Battalion held their breath, and even Yue Zhenshan's expression became extremely solemn.

Commander Cangyun and the others felt a chill that seemed to originate from their very souls, and the glimmer of hope that had just risen was almost crushed.

Just as the giant scorpion monster raised its tail, about to unleash destructive energy and slam it into the shield wall!

A figure appeared silently at the highest point of the shield wall.

The dark ink Taoist robe fluttered in the wind; it was Zhang Yuan!
His eyes were as cold as ice, staring directly at the terrifying behemoth.

There were no extra movements, just raising his hand and making a loose grasp.

"Om-!"

A massive divine bow, its entire body shimmering with chaotic azure light, wreathed in annihilating lightning, and inscribed with ancient dragon patterns, instantly materialized in his hand!
The overwhelming killing intent and destructive spirit solidified, freezing the surrounding air!

Zhang Yuan leaned back slightly, as if opening up the heavens and the earth!

Without an arrow, the power of chaos, the true essence of the myriad furnaces, the power of the dragon and elephant to suppress the prison, and a wisp of the Xuanhuang will from the Great Qin Heavenly Dao were instantly compressed and condensed into a beam of dark golden light that pierced through all things!

Draw the bow!

Like a full moon!
Arrow fired!

Like a shooting star!
"laugh--!"

A dark gold arrow, tearing through space and annihilating all the demonic energy along its path, pierced the gap in the carapace of the giant demonic scorpion's head with unparalleled precision, as if teleporting!

"puff!"

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

There was only a faint piercing sound.

The destructive energy that had been gathered at the tip of the scorpion's tail suddenly dissipated.

The giant scorpion monster's massive body stiffened abruptly, and its crimson eyes instantly lost all their luster.

Its incredibly hard, dark purple carapace, capable of withstanding the impact of stars, developed countless spiderweb-like cracks centered on the point where the arrow pierced, which instantly spread throughout its entire body!
"Rumble..."

Like a mountain collapsing!

This terrifying behemoth, exuding primordial pressure enough to make even the celestial generals change color, couldn't even utter a mournful howl before it disintegrated under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, turning into viscous demonic blood and shattered carapace fragments that splattered everywhere!

The entire battlefield fell silent!
The surging demonic tide froze for a moment!

For the first time, countless demons revealed an emotion called "fear" in their crimson eyes!

Zhang Yuan slowly lowered the divine bow, and the God-Slaying Bow turned into specks of light and dissipated in his hand.

However, this shock was only momentary.

Almost simultaneously, a sharp warning came from the depths of Zhang Yuan's soul!

Ahead, the chaotic demonic energy churned like a boiling cauldron, and countless even more powerful and bloodthirsty auras were frantically converging from all directions!

That was far beyond the intimidated soldiers before them; it was a truly terrifying existence capable of tearing apart stars and shaking the boundary barrier!
They were utterly enraged by the aura of the fallen behemoth and the deaths of countless demons!

Zhang Yuan's heart sank.

He deduced the result instantly, and the outcome was cold and cruel.

Even with the newly established defenses, the three thousand soldiers of the Rocky Camp and the remnants of Cloud Ridge would be crushed into dust before this impending raging tide of demons, far surpassing the Hongmeng level!
The best outcome might be to take advantage of the brief lull before the Heavenly Demons show any fear and before their army can completely encircle them, and immediately retreat back to the Blood Millstone.

Can I get a refund?
Behind him was the nascent altar node that had just been lit and was resonating with the Heavenly Dao, the only fulcrum to move this desolate battlefield!

Behind him were three thousand comrades who had followed him into the inferno, and seven survivors from Yunhe Ridge who had burned out their last glimmer of hope and whose fighting spirit had just been rekindled by him!
Once we retreat, all our previous efforts will be in vain, the Blood Millstone will be wide open on the flanks, and all thirty-seven strongholds will become dead ends!

Unwilling!

A burning sense of resentment exploded in his chest!

The escape route was so close, yet it was a dead end!

war!
We are now in a hopeless situation with no chance of survival!

"call--"

Zhang Yuan took a deep breath, a breath that seemed to absorb all the chaos and chilling atmosphere around him.

In that critical moment of deathly silence, his divine sense suddenly withdrew from the core of the battlefield!

At the core of his soul, the long-dormant mark suddenly lit up!

Spring Mountain Grotto!

Since the collapse of the Demon Abyss, fragments of its core laws have merged into the Great Qin Continent, finally reconnecting this link that spanned countless ages! (End of Chapter)