Daqin Zhentiansi

The archers of the Rift Camp are throwing large quantities of "Heavenly Demon Essence Crystals" into makeshift furnaces.

These crystals, originally condensations of chaotic magical energy, contain a strong corrosive quality.

However, under the secret method taught by Zhang Yuan, it was tempered and neutralized with special "Primordial Vitality Essence", and further supplemented with miniature "Demon-Breaking Thunder Gang" array patterns personally inscribed by Zhang Yuan.

Ultimately, the crystals were purified and shaped, transforming into arrows with a deep blue arrowhead, wrapped with annihilation lightning patterns and a trace of strange life force.

Lei Zhen picked up a new arrow, feeling its pure demon-slaying power and rare stability, and exclaimed, "Fire General's method has actually transformed this filthy demonic source into a weapon for slaying demons! The utilization rate and the loss are unprecedented!"

The heavy armor of the Panshi Camp soldiers was delivered to Zhang Yuan.

He took out a small bottle of "Primordial Vitality Essence," gathered his true essence at his fingertips, and transformed it into an incredibly fine rune carving knife. He precisely dripped the essence onto the key nodes of the armor leaf, while simultaneously carving miniature "Solidifying Essence" and "Reflecting Shock" runes.

The essence of life instantly blended into the armor material, as if infusing it with a strong vitality, and the runes on the armor plates also lit up with a soft yet resilient halo.

A centurion from the Rock Battalion, donning the enhanced heavy armor, swung his giant ram and exclaimed in delight, "This armor... feels like it's come alive! The defense is stronger, the recoil is more powerful, and even the energy consumption is less!"

Young Master Xuanlan and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts churning with turmoil.

Born in the Heavenly Palace, they naturally had a high standard, but Zhang Yuan's extremely meticulous use of resources, his subtle control over the laws of battle, and his ingenious ideas for energy transformation completely overturned their understanding.

The Heavenly Palace possesses profound resources and vast wealth, but it often relies on brute force to overcome ingenuity, resulting in relatively inefficient resource utilization.

Zhang Yuan, on the other hand, extracted far more value from every single material, bringing the word "meticulous" to its extreme.

Although the defensive line was not large in scale, it exuded a natural and indestructible Taoist charm.

"The Fire General's abilities... are beyond what can be described as 'military talent'!" Young Master Xuanlan finally couldn't help but sigh in a low voice to his companion, "He is performing the work of creation with a mortal body!"

"Such methods, even if the most outstanding array masters and weapon refiners of the Heavenly Palace were to come in person, in terms of 'making the best use of resources' and 'exquisite legal principles,' they would probably be... unable to reach them!"

The others looked at each other and nodded solemnly.

Zhang Yuan was, after all, born of the human race, which was subordinate to the celestial beings.

Zhang Yuan's legacy is even stronger than that of the Heavenly Palace. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Just as the defense line was being constructed intensively and the core array was about to complete its final connection!

"Waaaaaah!"

A sharp and piercing alarm horn suddenly tore through the sky from the direction of Eagle's Beak Cliff!

On the sand table, the node representing Eagle Beak Cliff was instantly and fiercely impacted by a crimson tide of demonic light!

"Report! Fire Commander! Eagle Beak Cliff has been attacked by a large-scale demonic invasion! There are three 'Corrosive Poison Lizard Demon' king beasts, hundreds of high-level Bone-Eating Demon Generals! There is also a Shadow Blade Soul-Devouring Demon horde lurking! The demonic tide is surging, and the aura of a primordial behemoth seems to be emerging!" The scout's voice was urgent.

Lei Zhen suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with lightning: "Fire General! This humble general requests to fight!"

Zhang Yuan's gaze instantly locked onto the sand table.

Eagle Beak Cliff is the core node of "Qingyang Pure Domain". If it is breached now, the entire three-fortress joint defense system will be in vain!
"Approved!" Zhang Yuan's voice was as cold as ice. "Lei Zhen, Eagle Beak Cliff is yours! Remember, you are the first touchstone of the new formation! Defend according to the formation, and use the bow as your weapon!"

"Understood!" Lei Zhen clasped his hands in a fist salute, and his figure transformed into a bolt of lightning, instantly rushing out of the tent.

On Eagle Beak Cliff, the demonic tide surged, and its formation was more troublesome than expected!

The three-headed, mountain-like Corrosive Poison Lizard Demon King Beast continued to spew forth torrents of emerald-green poisonous flames that corroded the space, serving as the vanguard.

But what followed was no longer a simple Bone-Eating Demon General, but a combination of three extremely threatening new types of monsters:

On the left is a skeletal tyrannical warrior, nearly ten feet tall, clad in heavy bone armor, wielding a giant bone hammer and shield. The earth trembles as he moves, his defense is astonishing, and his impact is terrifying.

On the right are the venomous predators, fast as ghosts and resembling decaying cheetahs. They avoid frontal attacks, maneuvering at high speed from the flanks, spewing arrows of acidic venom that are more concentrated and penetrating than those of the lizard demons.

In the shadows behind, the shadow weavers could be vaguely seen, their tentacles moving silently as they wove intricate, invisible threads of curse. These threads, once they entangled the guards, immediately brought about a heavy, sluggish, and demoralizing effect!

"Hmph, quite the tricks!" Lei Zhen stood atop the cliff, his face as cold and hard as iron, without a trace of panic in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and steadily raised the Thunder Pattern Bow in his hand, which had been enhanced by Zhang Yuan with the energy of the fragment of the "Shattered Star Annihilation Talisman".

"All members of the Rift Abyss Battalion—here is my command!"

"Draw your bow, target the Corrosive Poison Lizard Demon King Beast, use Demon-Slaying Arrow, Triple Strike! Prioritize eliminating the vanguard!"

"Left flank—Earthshaking Arrow, target the skeletal brutes, disrupt their formation and create chaos! Right flank—Lightning Shot, suppress the Corruption Predators and prevent them from flanking us!"

"Activate the array—'Azure Sun Purification Domain,' operate at full power to purify the poisonous flames and dispel the curse!"

"Om-!"

At the core of the Eagle Beak Cliff array, the "Remnant Branch of the Ancient Tree of Ten Thousand Spirits" burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling green light!
A sturdy, emerald-green light shield instantly rose, its ancient tree-like patterns shimmering and glowing.

The hissing, corrosive flames were significantly weakened and purified by the light shield.

More importantly, when those invisible threads of curse touched the light shield, they melted away instantly, like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun, making a hissing sound!

The entangled soldiers felt a sudden lightness in their bodies, their spirits lifted, and their lethargy quickly subsided!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!"

Just as the poisonous flames were blocked and the curse was purified, the Rift Abyss Camp launched a deadly counterattack!
The triple barrage of arrows aimed at the Lizard Demon King was terrifyingly accurate. The first wave tore through its defenses, leaving scorch marks; the second wave penetrated deep into the wounds, damaging its flesh; and the third wave, carrying the refined and purified core energy of the "Heavenly Demon Essence Crystal," seeped into its body!
"Puff! Puff! Puff! Rumble—!"

The three-headed beast's miserable howl shook the heavens and the earth!
The detonated magical energy was no longer a simple explosion, but rather produced a terrifying backlash of flesh and blood!

Their tough shells cracked open from the inside like fragile eggshells, and their massive bodies exploded from the inside out into a rain of filthy flesh and blood. The shockwave even blew away and drenched a large number of monsters around them!

"Left flank, keep the Earthshaking Arrows in place! Don't let those 'tin cans' charge in! Right flank, accelerate the spread and pick off the predators!"

Lei Zhen's command was clear and decisive.

The earth-shaking arrows from the left flank struck the skeletal warriors' formation like heavy hammers, their powerful impact causing the heavily armored monsters to stagger and break their formation, making it difficult for them to launch an effective charge.

The lightning-fast scattering from the right wing intertwined into a high-speed, deadly web, precisely targeting and killing the carrion predators that tried to approach and spray venom.

"Shadow Weavers! They're here again! Seven o'clock, that twisted shadow!" a centurion hissed a warning. Several cursed threads silently coiled around the defenders once more.

"Sinking Iron Ridge! Holy Son of the Panlin Forest! Cursed Threads at the seven o'clock position on the left flank!"

Lei Zhen's divine sense instantly pierced through the battlefield, calling for reinforcements.

"Auspicious omen—dispelled by the holy light of the Pure Realm!"

From the direction of Chentieling, a more refined, seven-colored beam of light, imbued with sacred purifying power, arrived in an instant, precisely enveloping the target area!
The seven-colored light swept over as if it were a tangible force, and those insidious curse threads, like spider webs that had been set ablaze, instantly turned to ashes. The shadow weavers hidden in the shadows let out mournful howls, their forms twisted and rapidly annihilated by the holy light!
The soldiers, having been purified, seemed to be infused with a warm current, their fatigue vanished, and their morale soared!
Lei Zhen firmly controlled the rhythm of the battle. He precisely adjusted the attack methods and firepower density of the Rift Abyss Camp according to the characteristics of different monsters, maximizing the power of the defensive array.

The entire Eagle Beak Cliff resembled a highly efficient and precise machine, remaining unmoved by the impact of the demonic tide and unleashing deadly destructive power.

In front of the command array of the main fortress at Chentieling, Zhang Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his divine sense covering the entire Eagle Beak Cliff battlefield like an invisible tide.

He didn't directly intervene, but only spoke occasionally, his voice deep yet clear, piercing through the noise:
"Lei Zhen, the right flank of the Tyrannical Warriors has been briefly disjointed. Move the Earthshaking Arrow three degrees to the left and concentrate the attack."

"Purification is extremely effective at dispelling curses. Panlin, maintain suppression of the shadow nodes."

"The predator horde has been suppressed and divided. Concentrate superior forces to prioritize the elimination of the right-hand cluster."

His commands were like the finishing touch, always perfectly compensating for momentary oversights or seizing fleeting opportunities, making the entire defense system operate more smoothly and flawlessly, and doubling the killing efficiency.

The battle ended unexpectedly quickly.

The seemingly ferocious mixed demonic tide was completely crushed and defeated under the new defense system and Lei Zhen's precise command. The remaining demons fled in panic into the chaotic demonic cloud, leaving behind a mess of high-level demonic remains.

"Report! Commander Huo! Great victory at Eagle Beak Cliff! Three-headed Corrosive Poison Lizard Demon King Beasts have been slain!"

"Thirty-seven Skeleton Brutal Warriors, fifty-eight Corrupted Venom Predators, nine Shadow Weavers! Countless low-level monsters!"

The messenger's voice trembled with excitement.

"Good!" A cold glint flashed in Zhang Yuan's eyes. "Lei Zhen, clean up the battlefield immediately! Focus on collecting the complete spine and magic core of the Lizard Demon King, the core rune fragments of the Bone Hammer of the Tyrannical Warrior, the corrosive glands of the Predator, and the cursed core of the Weaver!"

"All the carapaces and bone blade fragments at the Demon God Bone level have been collected! Once packed, they will be personally escorted by Young Master Xuanlan and sent swiftly to the Central Mission Hall of the Boundary Barrier Pass to exchange for merit points!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" Lei Zhen's voice was filled with post-battle fatigue and excitement.

Inside the main castle, the Celestial Elite watching the battle exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"This...this formation's power is truly astounding? Even Commander Lei Zhen's command is..."

Some people have heard of Lei Zhen, the son of the Thunder Prison of the Thunder Abyss.

In the past, the Kui Niu was a synonym for savagery.

Now, Lei Zhen, who possesses the bloodline of the Kui Niu, is able to command a major battle so cleanly and efficiently?
"This person can so accurately counter different types of demons? That archery formation combined with the Purifying Domain is simply..."

"The Fire General truly lives up to his reputation!" exclaimed a servant beside Young Master Xuanlan.

Xuan Lan stared intently at the dissipating demonic tide on the sand table, then looked towards Eagle Beak Cliff. His evaluation of Zhang Yuan's methods and Lei Zhen's execution ability rose once again.

Just as the demonic energy of the Eagle Beak Cliff battlefield began to dissipate and merge into the depths of the surging chaotic demonic clouds.

In that thick, impenetrable darkness, the dissipating demonic energy seemed to be drawn together by some invisible will, and suddenly condensed!
A blurry, enormous silhouette, exuding a chilling aura of brutality and antiquity, slowly emerged.

It wasn't a physical entity; it was more like a projection of a powerful will within the demonic energy.

It had no clear features, only two crimson spots of light, like boiling lava, staring intently at the direction of Eagle Beak Cliff.

A roar filled with anger, doubt, and impatience, carrying a terrifying soul impact, reverberated through the dissipating demonic energy, piercing through the barriers of space.

"Eagle Beak Cliff...who is the guardian of it?!"

"Why haven't the intelligence reports from the spies in the Heavenly Palace arrived yet?!"

"The Abyss has collapsed and is out of contact... When... will we be able to reconnect?! Useless!!"

This roar, like an invisible demonic thunder, struck the dissipating demonic energy, and caused the space of Eagle Beak Cliff, which had just experienced a great battle, to tremble slightly.

Zhang Yuan suddenly looked up inside the main fortress of Chentieling, a flash of dark yellow light disappearing from his eyes.

He keenly sensed this trace of angry will emanating from the depths of the demonic cloud.

Young Master Xuanlan, who was preparing to escort the demon materials to the Boundary Barrier Pass, paused slightly, frowned, and looked into the depths of the demon clouds, a sense of alarm rising in his heart.

Among the Heavenly Demons, some powerful figures have noticed the Blood Millstone and the surrounding outposts!
……

When Young Master Xuanlan personally escorted three heavy rune-covered carts filled with precious captured demonic remains through the wide passageway of Jielu Pass, the commotion caused far exceeded anything seen before.

The dense, mixed aura of malevolent energy from various high-level demons, like a torch in the night, attracted countless gazes.

Three dazzlingly bright beast cores.

Fragments of a bone hammer, shimmering with runes.

The core of the curse is shrouded in an ominous aura.

"My God! That...that's the magic core of the Corrupted Lizard Demon King?! It's so complete! And there are three of them?"

"Look at those bone hammer fragments! The runes on them... they're fragments of the essence weapon of the Bone Beast Warrior! And those... are the cursed cores of the Shadow Weavers?! They actually managed to hunt such rare monsters!"

"Demon God's bone shell... Corrosive glands of a high-level predator... My God, has the Seventh Battalion of the C-Class infiltrated the Demon Cave's lair?! They actually obtained such a treasure in the Battle of Eagle's Beak Cliff?!"

"I heard they only fought one skirmish... This efficiency is simply unbelievable!"

At the exchange counter, the Heavenly Palace steward in charge of counting the materials looked at the mountain of magical materials radiating intense energy fluctuations, especially the three King Beast Magic Cores and the rare Cursed Cores. His hands trembled slightly with excitement.

Merit points surged like a flood, and a large amount of high-level resources, shimmering with spiritual light, were quickly allocated.

In a corner of the main hall, the deputy general of Venerable Li Xing and several elites from the Heavenly Punishment Hall had faces so grim they could drip water. (End of this chapter)