Daqin Zhentiansi

Habitat of the Red-scaled Python tribe.

Firescale Valley.

In the scorching, dry valley, the rock walls glowed a dark red, as if they had been forged by the fires of the earth's core.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of sulfur.

The smell made even breathing feel like it was burning.

Chi Yan, the chieftain of the Crimson Scale Python clan, sat coiled on a scorching hot rock at the highest point.

Its enormous serpentine body undulated slightly in the heat.

"Om-"

The silver talisman of the patrol office hovered before them, its cold starlight clashing with the scorching heat of the valley.

The enormous head of the Crimson Flame Serpent slowly lowered, letting out a long and heavy sigh. The crimson flames that had been leaping around its body suddenly dimmed like dying embers.

It surveyed the assembled tribesmen below.

The thousand-plus Crimson Scale Python warriors had dulled scales, their flames were dim, and their morale was as low as frost-bitten withered grass.

The clan chief's voice, weary with resignation, carried on the hot wind.

"Alas...the decree of the Heavenly Palace...I dare not disobey it."

Its tail tip thrashed helplessly, striking the rocks with a dull "thump, thump" sound.

"But the might of the Kui Niu... never mind, let's muster the troops."

It paused, then added in a hissing voice, each word revealing its survival instinct.

"Just follow behind Blackwater and cheer them on, but don't... rush to the front and die..."

A gloomy and pessimistic atmosphere permeated the valley.

The procession set off slowly and sluggishly, the firelight flickering like a dying fire snake, barely managing to meander its way out of the valley.

……

The underground caves of the Pangolin Ironclad Tribe.

Deep within the dark and secluded underground cave.

The intricate passageways were isolated by thick rocks.

It was as if this was a fortress isolated from the world.

The silver talisman of the patrol bureau transformed into a stream of light, attempting to penetrate the main cave, but was forcefully blocked by a thick layer of earthen yellow light curtain, bouncing off with a "hum".

From the deepest part of the cave, a roar filled with anger and disdain suddenly exploded, as if the sleeping earth veins had been enraged, causing rocks to fall from the rock walls!

"Bah! Lackeys of the Heavenly Palace! You want to use us as cannon fodder again?"

The roar carried the will of the Armored Mountain Clan, like the clanging of metal.

"We, the pangolin armored race, would rather die than be slaves!"

The words have not yet fallen.

"Boom--!"

At the entrance of the cave, countless massive boulders crashed down, mixing with surging earth-elemental demonic power, instantly sealing the entrance!
On the thick earthen and stone walls, mysterious runes flowed like living things, exuding a resolute rejection and proclaiming aloofness and isolation from the world.

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

In the middle of a mountain wilderness.

In a sparse clearing in the woods.

Several simple wooden houses creaked in the wind, and the atmosphere was tense, like birds startled by a bow.

Feng Qing, the chieftain of the Wind Shadow Mink Clan, raised his head and looked up at the sky.

There, a blinding silver light was tearing through the clouds, and the oppressive aura of the Patrol Division was like an invisible shackle.

Its small body trembled uncontrollably, its eyes filled with a deep-seated fear, and its claws dug deeply into the soil.

"The Heavenly Palace is powerful; those who disobey will perish..."

Its voice was as faint as a whisper, carrying a desperate tremor.

Looking around at his fellow tribesmen who were also trembling, Feng Qing weakly waved his claws, as if he had drained his last bit of strength.

"Alright, send...send a team of the most clever warriors, and instruct them...to follow at a distance, and to prioritize their own safety."

The order was given, and a squad of Wind Shadow Sables transformed into several dim gray shadows, silently merging into the shadows of the forest, like abandoned ghosts, filled with helplessness and sorrow.

……

The outer edge of Thunderfall Abyss.

Inside a hidden crevice in the cliff, darkness was thick and inky.

Several pairs of eerie green eyes flickered in the shadows, like will-o'-the-wisps.

The Shadow Wolf Clan members howled and gathered their aura, sensing the fluctuations of the imperial edict and the chilling aura of the distant army gathering. A cold divine thought was quietly transmitted among the clan members.

"Hehe, go ahead and fight, go ahead and fight!"

A greedy hiss could be heard in Xiao Changfeng's divine thoughts.

"If the old ghost Kui Niu and the lackeys of the Heavenly Palace start fighting, it would be best if they both suffer heavy losses!"

Its sharp claws lightly scratched the rock wall, sending up a few sparks.

"Tell the children to seal off the outer passes and hide their fangs! If any heavily wounded 'big fish' manages to escape... hehe..."

Greedy and cruel whispers dissipated in the darkness, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, leaving behind a silent killing intent.

……

Ultimately, under Ling Hao's pressure and with Zhao Kun's tireless efforts, a massive army was forcibly cobbled together.

At its core were three hundred Silver Radiance Guards standing solemnly like a forest.

This is the Celestial Race, the elite of the Patrol Guard.

They were dressed in streamlined silver armor and had expressionless faces.

When the formation is complete, the star power around him flows and converges into a cold, silvery light domain, like a moving star fortress.

Thousands of elite Blackwater Serpent Clan warriors, enveloped in churning dark green poisonous clouds, their stench and hisses merging into a raging tide of revenge.

Madness burned in the snake's eyes, its fangs bared, determined to turn Thunderfall Abyss into a deadly wasteland.

More than a thousand Red Scale Python warriors barely managed to follow behind.

The flames around them flickered but dimmed and withered, and their scales and armor lost their luster.

Zhao Kun, along with the thousands of guardians cobbled together from various temples like Bibo Temple, their magical treasures flashing with spiritual light, stood out awkwardly amidst the soaring demonic aura.

This army of tens of thousands, composed of elite celestial beings, vengeful demons, coerced followers, and opportunistic cultivators, swept towards Thunderfall Abyss with chaotic and ferocious killing intent, like a filthy storm that blots out the sky and tears through the clouds!

Wherever they went, the mountains and forests were deathly silent, birds and beasts disappeared, only a suppressed killing intent spread like a plague, and an eerie atmosphere covered the sky.

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

The deepest part of Thunderfall Abyss.

The core of Thunder's origin.

Holding the dark and profound "God-Slaying Bow" and carrying the dark gold and crimson patterned "God-Shocking War Drum" on his back, Zhang Yuan stood side by side with the old man in green robes who was actually Lei Yu.

As if sensing something, his deep gaze pierced through layers of lightning, looking towards the top of the abyss.

There, the once raging and unruly thunderclouds were now being stirred by a massive, chaotic, and malicious pressure, faintly revealing a chilling, blood-red light.

Lei Yu also looked up, chuckled, and shook his head.

“Senior,” Zhang Yuan turned to Lei Yu, his voice calm and composed, yet carrying an undeniable resolve, “the Heavenly Palace’s henchmen have reached beyond the Abyss. This is your home turf. In the upcoming ‘Thunderous Feast,’ it is inappropriate for this junior to usurp the host’s role, so I shall take my leave.”

Upon hearing this, the old man who was Lei Yu nodded slightly, his voice like muffled thunder rolling in the abyss: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, rest assured. I and this 'Heaven-Shaking Drum' will deal with the villains here." He raised his hand, his palm gently stroking the "Kui Niu Heaven-Shaking Drum" that floated beside him, its surface churning with azure thunder and lightning.

His movements were gentle, as if he were soothing an ancient beast about to break free of its cage.

He turned his gaze to the young Kui Niu Lei Zhen who was standing to the side, and said in a deep voice, "Zhen'er, you will travel with Fellow Daoist Zhang."

"This is a rare opportunity for training, and it also provides a chance to protect Fellow Daoist Zhang and repay the kindness of your guidance. Observe and learn more!"

Upon hearing this, young Lei Zhen's eyes instantly lit up with excitement and anticipation. He immediately bowed and said, "Yes, Father! Your disciple will do his utmost!"

The silver-white "Rift Bow" on his back, with its lightning-patterned markings like feathers, seemed to sense its master's emotions and emitted a faint hum.

Zhang Yuan had no objection to this arrangement and bowed to Lei Yu, saying, "Take care, senior."

Then he looked at Lei Zhen and said, "Let's go."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chaotic aura silently surged around Zhang Yuan, causing ripples to spread through the space like water.

Lei Zhen felt a gentle yet irresistible force enveloping him.

In the next instant, the two figures disappeared silently, like phantoms merging into the lightning, escaping from one of the most violent and turbulent rifts in the Thunderfall Abyss.

With a flash of lightning, the two appeared atop a solitary peak thousands of miles away.

Lei Zhen couldn't help but turn around and look towards the direction of Luo Lei Yuan.

The familiar abyss, perpetually shrouded in destructive thunder, was now completely enveloped by a terrifying "sea of ​​clouds" stretching to the horizon!
Silver chains stretched across the sky.

Above the sky, the silver star array formed by three hundred Silver Radiance Guards was the most eye-catching.

Streams of cold, stellar energy chains weaved and intertwined through the clouds like living things, forming a vast silver net of light.

This massive net of chains, exuding an aura of imprisonment and judgment, is slowly descending upon Thunderfall Abyss.

Below, a sea of ​​dark green poisonous clouds churned and roared.

The enormous figures of countless black water serpents appeared and disappeared within it.

The wailing sounds merged into a tide of death.

The strong corrosive smell could be detected even from a thousand miles away.

They are surging wildly from the ground towards the entrance of the abyss like a dam bursting and poisonous waves.

At the edge and flanks of the poisonous cloud, there were scattered, flickering crimson flames, the Crimson Scale Pythons forced to follow, like flames floating on the poisonous tide, struggling and dimming.

The outer sky and ground were filled with a mixture of various magical artifacts and spiritual light from cultivators, like mosquitoes swarming around a giant beast, noisy yet seemingly insignificant.

The raging thunder from the Thunderfall Abyss seemed to be forcibly suppressed by this overwhelming, terrifying pressure and chaotic energy field, and the roar became muffled and oppressive.

The entire abyss was like a giant net of death woven from starlight, poisonous miasma, demonic fire, and greed, tightly enveloping and compressing it!
“Zhang Shi… Father and the others…”

Lei Zhen instinctively felt a sense of tension; the natural fear of the celestial beings in his blood had not been completely eliminated.

Zhang Yuan stood with his hands behind his back on the mountaintop, his black Taoist robe fluttering in the strong wind.

He gazed into the distance at the Thunderfall Abyss, which was surrounded like an iron barrel and was under immense pressure.

"no need to worry."

His voice was calm.

"In the past, we might have had to worry, but now..."

His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of enemy troops, revealing the colossal drum at the bottom of the abyss, poised to unleash its power and integrated with the very essence of the Thunderfall Abyss, and the figure standing there, stroking the drum, like an ancient thunder god.

"The ones who should be worried are those fools who are oblivious to their own mortality and step into the real 'Thunder Prison.' The real show has only just begun."

The words just fell!

“BOOM Boom Boom Boom!!!”

A terrifying roar, as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart, and a million times greater than any thunderbolt before, suddenly exploded from the deepest part of the Thunderfall Abyss!

In an instant, thunder roared, spiritual light flashed, and cracks from the collision appeared in the void.

The roars of demonic beasts, the shrill cries of celestial beings traversing the sky, and the earth-shaking thuds of the Kui Niu in the Thunderfall Abyss all converged into the sounds of heaven and earth…

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

Two days later, Zhang Yuan and Lei Zhen returned to the Wuwei Camp under the jurisdiction of Xuanyu Temple.

The training in the camp proceeded in an orderly manner.

The camp, where the garrison commanders from all sides gathered, transformed into a furnace.

Thirty thousand human cultivators from different garrison temples and with diverse experiences were forcibly transformed into a formidable legion under Zhang Yuan's rigorous training, shedding their former laxity and regional prejudices.

Zhang Yuan stood on the high platform in the camp, his black Daoist robe remaining motionless in the fierce wind, his gaze sweeping over the solemn square formation below like a cold pool.

Beside him, the young Kui Niu Lei Zhen, with the "Rift Abyss Bow" slung over his back, watched all this with curiosity and awe.

Zhang Yuan raised his hand, and the chaotic true essence surged, transforming into a miniature sand table of the Sunken Sand River in front of him, with the scarlet area representing the Myriad Miasma Ancient Forest being particularly dazzling.

"All camps, listen to my command!"

Zhang Yuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the entire camp, carrying an undeniable iron will.

"From this day forward, the Wuwei Army will be divided into thirty-six battalions!"

He tapped his fingertip, and the light spots on the sand table flickered, quickly dividing into thirty-six clusters of light.

Each cluster of light corresponds to a commanding officer personally selected by him.

These people were either seasoned generals, emerging grassroots heroes, or those who excelled in the "Chaotic Rock Formation" exercise.

"From Battalion A to Battalion G, the ten battalions are led by the 'Chaotic Rock,' forming an immovable mountain formation as the foundation of the army! They defend instead of attacking, making them impervious to all attacks!"

"From the Zi-character camp to the Hai-character camp, the ten camps are led by the 'Sparkling Wildfire' technique, which cultivates the Heaven-Burning Flame Strike! Gathering and dispersing like a flowing river, burning demons and destroying monsters!"

"From the Heavenly Battalion to the Earthly Battalion, the ten battalion commanders are all masters of the 'Abyss-Splitting Cloud-Piercing Technique,' skilled in the art of lightning-fast arrows! Swift as lightning, they pierce through armor and penetrate the sky!"

"The remaining six battalions are 'Soaring Dragon,' 'Soaring Swan,' 'Earthly Treasury,' 'Swift Wind,' 'Iron Wall,' and 'Tiger Warrior'! Each has its own duties: some will serve as scouts, some as surprise attacks, some as traps and mechanisms, and some as strong assaults to break through enemy lines!"

Once the order was given, the entire camp instantly transformed into a massive training ground.

Instead of the large-scale drills that the three races used to coordinate, the exercises were broken down into smaller units, called "battalions," for more precise coordination.

Zhang Yuan's figure moved between the various camps.

Instead of teaching new techniques on a large scale, he quietly integrated the essence of "Great Qin Martial Arts" into every detail of the military formation's operation.

He demanded that each battalion, when forming ranks, must be united by the same will.

The Pan Shi Camp requires unwavering resilience, like a mountain that cannot be moved.

The Spark Camp must have the resolve to "burn the entire world."

The Rift Abyss Camp requires the spirit of "going forward without hesitation" to penetrate.

He guided the monks to visualize the pure belief of the Qin soldiers in "fighting to the death without retreating" when facing a powerful enemy.

By resonating their personal will with the energy and true essence of the military formation, a vague yet fierce phantom of a martial spirit faintly condenses above the formation.

It could be a giant rock tortoise, a wildfire phoenix, or a lightning bolt that rips through the sky!

Although these illusory martial spirits are not yet solidified, they already exude a chilling sense of oppression.

The furnaces in the weapon-refining camp burned day and night.

Using the Chaos True Essence as a guide, Zhang Yuan incorporated the "Yin Sha Xuan Tie" obtained from the Wan Zhang Ancient Forest mine, the demon bones recovered from the battlefield, and some defensive array patterns simplified from the profound meaning of the "Kui Niu Sha Tian Gu" runes into the newly forged shields, armor, spears, and arrows.

Fine serrations and shock-absorbing runes appeared along the edge of the shield.

At the joints of the armor, patterns for dissipating and guiding force are engraved.

The arrowheads are equipped with dual runes that enable both penetration and explosion.

These armors became the "skeleton" that carried and amplified the will and strength of the army.

The Qin Dynasty's battle formations have quietly reappeared in the primordial world! (End of Chapter)