Daqin Zhentiansi

Under this familiar pressure, Chi Yang's violent rage was slightly restrained, and the golden flames in his body were forcibly suppressed back into the depths, but his posture remained as upright as a javelin, and the flames in his eyes did not go out.

Xuan Cang spoke slowly, his voice filled with heartbreaking weariness, yet also containing an iron will, each word striking the hearts of everyone present:
"Chiyang, be careful what you say! The laws of the Heavenly Palace cannot be disobeyed! To disobey orders? That would be giving others a handle to use against you, pushing the entire Xuntian Continent into an abyss of no return!"

He surveyed his generals, his gaze sweeping over faces filled with anger, despair, and astonishment, finally settling on Chi Yang. His eyes held a complex and unreadable expression, containing both a stern warning and a barely perceptible hint of understanding.

"Soldiers must be conscripted. Minerals must be handed over."

The voice was firm and resolute.

"However, I have my own plans regarding how to draw and hand over the spoils!" You must all remember that defending the land and protecting the people, safeguarding the primordial wilderness, is the unchanging duty of the soldiers of my Sky Patrol Continent! I will personally write down the Heavenly Palace's order and argue my case with reason! Before that—"

He suddenly raised his voice, like the beating of war drums:

"All troops, listen to my command! Double down on training! Fortify city defenses! Stockpile supplies to prepare for any eventuality! Meeting adjourned!"

Xuan Cang's final orders to "have his own plans" and "double down on preparations" were like throwing a boulder into a quagmire of despair, stirring up the last glimmer of courage and hope in the eyes of the generals.

With mixed feelings, suppressing their anger and inexplicable awe of the crimson sun, they silently bowed and took their leave.

Chi Yang clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his nails dug deep into his palms.

He watched his senior brother Xuancang's departing figure, heavy as a mountain yet hunched over, and a million years of pent-up frustration, anger, and powerlessness surged up like magma.

He understood his senior brother's predicament and his desire to protect him, but this only fueled the fire in his heart.

He knew better than anyone the outcome of "submitting a petition to the emperor"!

The determination to change the corrupt Heavenly Palace has become even stronger!
At this moment, he could only lock the power of burning heaven tightly inside the body of the "Red Sun True Lord" and play the role of an angry and "impulsive" junior brother.

The highest point of Tianyuan City is the Star Observatory.

The spire seemed to be forged from the stars themselves, and its translucent "starlight jade" was flowing with eternal runes.

The tower's top platform is spacious, with the enormous star torch core suspended in the center, like a miniature galaxy vortex, emitting a soft and vast silvery-white halo, drawing upon the power of the surrounding stars to form a pillar of light that pierces into the deep void.

The air was crisp and clear, filled with pure stellar energy and an almost eternal stillness.

Countless sophisticated star orbiters and armillary spheres slowly rotated around the star torch, emitting a soft hum.

Xingheng, dressed in a simple Taoist robe with star patterns, stood among the busy astrologers.

The old man Xuanji, seated in the main seat, had white hair and beard, and an ancient face. He was staring intently at an unusually dark star field on the star map with a furrowed brow.

"Strange... the starlight decay rate of this 'Dark Demon Starfield' far exceeds the predicted speed..."

The old man Xuanji stroked his long beard, his withered fingers rapidly drawing lines on the floating star map, creating ripples.

"Is the demonic influence intensifying? Or is there an unknown void rift swallowing starlight? The secrets of heaven are chaotic and unfathomable..."

The surrounding astrologers were worried and discussed the matter extensively, with their predictions contradicting each other.

Xingheng stood quietly a little behind, his gaze calmly sweeping over Elder Xuanji's star chart and the arguing crowd.

In the eyes of this revered figure who would later hold the power over the stars, the core of this "chaotic secret" that troubled everyone was as clear as the lines on the palm of one's hand.

The old man Xuanji's deductions are full of redundancy and fundamental errors.

Xingheng's fingers twitched extremely slightly within the wide sleeves of his robe.

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the illusory image of a vast galaxy flowed, and the profound stellar principles of later generations instantly analyzed the predicament.

Almost instinctively, he was about to speak up and correct that crucial "star position shift" assumption.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself from saying them.

No, at this moment he is "True Lord Xingheng", a "junior" with good talent but who should never have such terrifying insight.

His eyes flickered slightly, and he stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Elder Xuanji, his tone carrying just the right amount of doubt and humility:
“Master, I observe that the angles of the ‘Sirius Auxiliary Star’ seem to be about half a degree different from your prediction of ‘departure’?”

"According to the fragments of the ancient book 'Starry Sky Remnants,' when this star position shifts, does it mean that the force disturbing its main star region does not originate from internal demonic energy, but rather... is drawn by external forces?"

Xingheng's words were like pebbles thrown into a calm lake.

The old man Xuanji suddenly turned his head, his cloudy old eyes flashing with a sharp light as he stared intently at the star position that Xingheng was pointing to: "Sirius Auxiliary Star? Half a degree difference?"

""Hoshino's Legacy"?"

His thin, trembling fingers moved swiftly as he repositioned and calculated on his star map.

The surrounding astrologers also quieted down and focused their attention.

A moment later, Elder Xuanji gasped, “Hiss… half a degree! Just half a degree difference!”

"I...I actually overlooked that!"

He suddenly looked up at Xingheng, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and ecstasy.

"Xingheng! You...you can actually perceive such a subtle change? And you even know about such an obscure and incomplete scroll as the 'Starry Night Remnants'?"

"Excellent! Excellent eye! Excellent comprehension!"

His voice trembled with excitement as he looked at Xingheng as if he had discovered a rare treasure.

Just as everyone's attention was drawn to Xingheng's "astonishing discovery," Xingheng's gaze, like the most precise eye of the stars, silently swept over an inconspicuous corner at the edge of the observatory.

There, a middle-aged man dressed in ordinary astrologer robes, with a restrained aura, had a barely perceptible flicker in his eyes when he heard the words "external force pull".

His fingers unconsciously rubbed a seemingly ordinary jade slip at his waist before he quickly regained his composure.

How terrifying is Xingheng's perception?
This extremely subtle anomaly was like a firefly in the dark to him!

What chilled him even more was that the person possessed an extremely faint aura, almost perfectly concealed by star power, yet it could not escape his Venerable-level divine sense.

A trace of energy fluctuation unique to the Yunyi clan's bloodline, carrying the sensation of wings trembling!

Although it was very well concealed, it was like a speck of ink on a blank sheet of paper in Xingheng's perception!

Xingheng maintained a humble smile on his face, but his heart was in turmoil.

He casually withdrew his gaze, as if it were just a casual glance, and continued to discuss the details of the star map with Elder Xuanji.

Secretly, they had already firmly locked onto the person's appearance, location, and suspicious aura.

A tiny tracking mark made of pure starlight silently slipped from his fingertip, merging into the vast starlight halo, and precisely attaching itself to the jade slip that had been caressed.

Its sophistication far surpasses any tracking technique in this world.

Standing beneath the dazzling starlight, Xingheng felt the pure and rich stellar power from millions of years ago, yet his heart was filled with icy coldness.

The claws of the Yunyi Clan have indeed already reached into the heart of Xuntian Continent!

All of this was seen by him, the "weak" "True Lord Xingheng".

He clenched his fist slightly in his sleeve, and a jade slip recording the coordinates of the abnormal stellar energy fluctuations quietly slid into his palm.

The dim light illuminated his deep, star-like eyes.

The real storm is brewing beneath this tranquil starlight.

--------------

Deep within Tianyuan City.

The area of ​​the military supply depot was filled with the earthy smell of ore and the cold, metallic scent of cooled metal.

The enormous warehouse lay like a silent behemoth, with a constant stream of people coming and going, yet carrying a sense of oppressive gloom. Zhang Yuan followed behind Old Chen, the old quartermaster of the Hanyue Army, whose back was hunched and whose face was deeply lined with wrinkles.

Old Chen's old armor was badly worn, and his cuffs were patched.

This contrasted sharply with the arrogant tax inspectors at the warehouse entrance, dressed in their bright and colorful imperial robes.

They came to collect the "star-patterned steel ingots" specially approved by the general.

This incredibly tough metal, imbued with the faint power of stars, is the lifeblood for repairing the heavy armor of the Hanyue Army and reinforcing key city defense nodes.

The warehouse was dimly lit, and the mountain of supplies could be seen in the shadows.

The air was filled with dust, the smell of rust, and an unpleasant, bureaucratic indifference.

"Golden Feather Envoy, this is the approval document for our Hanyue Army's application for 500 cubic meters of 'superior grade' star-patterned steel ingots, personally signed and sealed by Venerable Xuancang!"

Old Chen's voice trembled as he carefully handed over the jade slip.

Behind the counter, the person known as the Golden Feather Envoy raised his eyelids.

He was thin and bony, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face. His brocade robe, embroidered with gold cloud patterns, was spotless, and a shimmering jade pendant hung at his waist.

He casually picked up the jade slip with two fingers, scanned it with his divine sense, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his lips.

"The Shaking Mountain Army? Five hundred high-grade pills?" The Golden Feather Envoy's voice was shrill and thin, filled with undisguised contempt. "Old man Chen, are you senile, or do you think I'm easy to fool?"

"The situation is critical at the front, and the rear needs to be stabilized even more!"

"The Heavenly Palace has decreed that all strategic resources should be prioritized for allocation to the 'Heavenly Guard Army' and the rear command! You border guards are already doing well enough; why are you being so picky?"

He casually tossed the jade slip onto the counter, making a crisp sound, as if he were throwing away a piece of trash.

"But sir!" Old Chen exclaimed anxiously, stepping forward and raising his voice several decibels, "These steel ingots are the key to repairing the 'Zhenyue Armor' and the 'Dragon-Severing Gate'!"

"The demonic tide could come again at any time. The soldiers' heavy armor is severely damaged, and the city's defenses urgently need reinforcement!"

"Without this batch of top-grade star-patterned steel, we..."

"Insolence!" The Golden Feather Envoy slammed his hand on the table, sending dust flying from the counter.

His narrow eyes flashed with a cold light as he pointed at Old Chen's nose and shouted sternly, "Chen Youtian! How dare you question the decree of the Heavenly Palace?"

"What demonic tide threat?"

"I think it's your Shan Yue Army that's greedy and lining your own pockets!"

"You dare to defy the envoy and delay military operations? Can you bear the blame for that?"

"Believe it or not, I will immediately report to the Heavenly Palace and convict you of 'undermining morale and plotting rebellion,' sending this old man to the 'Blackwater Prison' to sober up!"

Old Chen's face instantly turned bright red, and his withered body trembled violently from extreme anger and humiliation.

In his cloudy old eyes, there was both the anger of being slandered and a deep sense of powerlessness in the face of absolute power.

He opened his mouth as if to argue further, but in the end only let out a suppressed, wheezing breath, like an old bellows, before his shoulders slumped down.

He silently picked up the jade slip that had been thrown back, his hands trembling so much he could barely hold it.

Throughout the entire process, Zhang Yuan stood half a step behind Old Chen, like a silent shadow.

His body, clad in a dark black robe, stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his face expressionless.

Only a pair of deep eyes calmly etched the imperious face of the Golden Feather Envoy, his harsh and ruthless words, and the despair and resentment in Old Chen's hunched back into his heart without missing a single detail.

He could clearly "sense" that the so-called "allocated" steel ingots piled up in the corner of the warehouse had little spiritual energy, a loose internal structure, and were full of tiny cracks and impurities.

Let alone repairing heavy armor and key city defenses, it probably wouldn't even be tough enough to make standard weapons for ordinary soldiers.

This isn't inferior product, it's utter garbage!

The attendants behind Jin Ling let out low sneers, their eyes sweeping over Zhang Yuan and Old Chen with disdain.

"Hmph, take your share and get out of here! Don't get in my way!"

The Golden Feather Envoy waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away flies.

Old Chen silently walked to the corner and looked at the pile of inferior steel ingots that shone with a dull luster.

He bent down with difficulty, trying to move a piece.

The steel ingot was clearly unusually heavy; the veins on his withered arms bulged, and his body swayed slightly.

Just then, a hand with distinct knuckles and restrained strength reached out and steadily supported the bottom of the steel ingot.

It's Zhang Yuan.

"Old Chen, let me do it."

Zhang Yuan's voice was calm and expressionless, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

Under Elder Chen's astonished gaze and the slightly surprised looks of the Golden Feather Envoy and others, Zhang Yuan bent down. His movements were not fast, but they carried a rock-like steadiness.

One piece, two pieces, three pieces...

Those heavy steel ingots that required several strong men to lift with their combined strength were stacked steadily on his broad shoulders and arms like bricks.

His spine was ramrod straight, as if he were bearing not a thousand-pound burden, but a feather.

The heavy metal pressed against his muscles, producing a slight creaking sound, but the bluestone ground beneath his feet did not even show a single crack.

Soon, he single-handedly carried a pile of steel ingots that far exceeded the limit for a single person to carry, like a silent, moving mountain.

The pile of inferior metal on him seemed to possess a cold, unyielding luster.

At the warehouse entrance, several soldiers of the Hanyue Army were waiting anxiously.

When they saw Zhang Yuan carrying a mountain of steel ingots out by himself, they were first stunned, and then their eyes shone with intense admiration and disbelief.

"Brother Zhang Yuan! This... so much?"

"Quick! Quick, lend a hand!"

"No! Brother Zhang can handle it, don't cause trouble! Follow him!"

The soldiers immediately surrounded him. Although they could not share the weight, they spontaneously formed a protective formation around Zhang Yuan, vigilantly scanning their surroundings and looking at him with respect.

They could clearly see the purity of the steel ingots and imagine what had happened in the warehouse.

A silent anger was passed among the soldiers.

Zhang Yuan nodded slightly to his comrades' concern, remaining silent. With steady steps, he carried the "mountain of shame" and, surrounded by the silent soldiers of the Hanyue Army, left the military supply depot, which was filled with an atmosphere of corruption and oppression.

Back at the Hanyue Army's camp, Zhang Yuan unloaded the steel ingots at the designated location, producing a series of dull, loud noises.

Without pausing, he headed straight for the central command tent where Ba Yue Zhenjun was located.

Inside the tent, Ba Yue was frowning and deep in thought as he faced the huge sand table, surrounded by a thick layer of earth vein magnetic power.

"General." Zhang Yuan clasped his hands in salute, his voice still calm, but beneath that calm lay a chilling intent born from witnessing injustice.

Ba Yue looked up and saw Zhang Yuan. A rare gentleness appeared on his rugged face: "Zhang Yuan? You brought the things back? How was it?" (End of Chapter)