Daqin Zhentiansi

"Roar--!!!"

A furious roar resounded, sending rubble and debris tumbling down the valley walls!

A scabies demon chieftain, three zhang tall with protruding fangs, covered in a thick layer of keratin, and exuding an aura that reached the half-step Saint Realm, smashed through a shack and charged out with overwhelming ferocity, heading straight for the giant ape warrior who was causing the greatest chaos!

"Form a formation! Traps it!"

Tie Zhan calmly gave the order.

Twelve elite members of the Ksitigarbha Camp, armed with large shields and specially made chains, teleported instantly.

Their movements were mysterious, and their chaotic true essence flowed, forming a miniature version of the "Chaotic Rock Array".

"Bam—"

The formation blocked the great demon.

They did not directly confront the demon chieftain's charge.

Instead, they used shields to deflect the force and chains to entangle and slow it down.

The formation, like tenacious vines, tightly bound the ferocious half-step Saint Realm demon chieftain to the spot.

Despite its furious roars, it was unable to break free for a time.

On the other side, a squad of twenty elite soldiers from various battalions, known as the "Wandering Dragons," was efficiently grinding down the divided demon horde on the other side of the camp like a meat grinder.

They responded to each other, and the talismans transformed into fireballs, ice spikes, and sharp metal sword energy, working seamlessly with their weapons.

Each attack and retreat claimed the lives of several demonic hounds.

The entire camp was plunged into utter chaos and despair, with the howls of the demon hounds now tinged with fearful whimpers.

Half an hour, as precise as an hourglass.

"Woo--Woo--"

A deep, penetrating retreat horn sounded from the high slopes outside Crack Claw Valley.

As if they had practiced it a thousand times, all the guards instantly stopped.

The archers ceased firing, and the melee fighters decisively disengaged.

The giant ape warrior forced back the entangled demonic hound with a single blow, while the twelve Ksitigarbha warriors, who were in formation, simultaneously exerted their strength to break the chains.

Before the demon chieftain could attack again, everyone, like the receding tide, quickly and orderly retreated out of the valley, taking advantage of the earthen walls, the complex terrain at the valley entrance, and the lingering chaos.

Dust filled the air, and poisonous miasma surged.

"Roar--"

When the scabies demon chief finally broke through the obstacles and rushed to the valley entrance, he only saw a camp in ruins, the corpses of his own kind scattered everywhere, the wails of the dying, and the disappearing figure of Wu Wei.

The few surviving demon chieftains, their eyes bloodshot with rage, roared in fury and despair, but they had no idea which direction to pursue.

More ordinary demon dogs, looking at their devastated homes and their dead companions, huddled in a corner, whimpering and crying mournfully.

……

Dozens of miles away from Crack Claw Valley, there is a secluded mountain valley covered with dense bone-corroding grass.

One by one, the armed guard squads, having completed their respective raid missions, silently converged here like streams returning to their nests.

They all bore the marks of battle, more or less: splattered blood, torn camouflage nets, and undried blood grooves on their weapons...

But everyone's eyes were sharp and excited, and they maintained a high degree of vigilance and discipline in their actions.

"The Gui Battalion raided and killed three patrol teams, eliminated one outpost, and harvested three baskets of Yin Sha Xuan Iron ore and seventeen Bone-Eating Grass plants!"

"The Third Team of the Wandering Dragons, in coordination with the Earthly Treasury Camp, broke through the entrance to a small mine, killing more than forty guarding demon hounds, while sustaining three minor injuries themselves!"

"Wind Battalion, Crack Claw Valley has been captured! It is estimated that more than 300 demon hounds were killed, and their half-step Saint Realm demon chieftain was severely injured. The battalion itself suffered zero casualties! They seized a number of demon cores, poisoned claws, and countless materials for tough scales!"

Tie Zhan's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement and pride as he reported data that was simply unimaginable in previous encirclements.

"Haha, so happy!"

"I shot that demon dog captain right through the eye socket with an arrow!"

"Those two giant ape brothers are too fierce! One blow from their clubs and they wiped out a huge area!"

"Zero casualties! Commander's battle formation and these new gadgets are fucking amazing!"

A murmur of laughter and exclamations suddenly rang out from the mountain valley.

At this moment, the entire camp was filled with the joy of an initial victory and a genuine sense of the immense power.

The soldiers patted each other on the shoulder, sharing the thrill and exhilaration of the battle they had just fought.

In the past, when they defended their respective towns and launched attacks, they fought independently.

Back then, where would we find such combat power?

"Lord Commander!"

A low gasp rang out, and everyone fell silent instantly.

A profound and imposing aura, containing boundless power, silently enveloped the entire mountain valley.

All the laughter and chatter vanished instantly, as if a mute button had been pressed.

The three thousand guards, whether human, giant ape, or eagle warriors, all straightened their backs instantly as if they had heard a silent command, their eyes filled with utmost awe as they looked toward the entrance to the mountain pass.

A figure in a dark black Taoist robe had been standing there quietly for some time now.

Zhang Yuan's face was as calm as an ancient well, and his gaze as deep as an abyss as he swept over the assembled soldiers.

He didn't exude an imposing aura, but simply standing there was like a stabilizing force, instantly calming and focusing everyone's minds.

Behind him, the dark and profound "Godslayer Bow" faintly emitted a chilling gleam in the dim light.

"The Commander has arrived!"

Someone, in an excited yet solemn voice, made a low announcement.

The only sounds in the entire valley were the faint whispers of poisonous miasma flowing slowly through the vegetation and the three thousand pairs of eyes burning with the flames of war and filled with reverence.

Zhang Yuan nodded and said calmly, "In a quarter of an hour, the army will traverse 30,000 li and assemble towards Qilin Valley."

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

The residence of Qing Teng Guan.

An unnamed pass on a tributary of the Chensha River.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a weary golden hue over the simple campsite.

Dozens of garrison commanders from Qing Teng Temple gathered in twos and threes around the campfire, some wiping their weapons, others talking in hushed tones.

After several major battles, they were all exhausted.

The air was filled with the smell of inferior spirit grain porridge and the somber feeling of surviving a catastrophe.

The camp was built against a severely weathered cliff, and the light from the defensive formations flickered, a testament to the scarcity of resources.

"Have you heard? The Baiguan Garrison Command is really conducting some kind of 'military guard' training?"

A young cultivator lowered his voice, his voice carrying an undisguised longing.

"It is said that the elite troops from each sect will be broken up and retrained, and the Giant Ape Clan and Iron Feather Eagle Clan will also practice battle formations together!"

Beside him stood Zhou Tong, an old, unshaven town garrison commander, who took a mouthful of murky spiritual liquid from a chipped earthenware bowl, scoffed, and shook his head vigorously: "Pshaw! Reorganization? Mixed training of three races, you say?" "Old Li, you've probably been delirious by the miasma! How many years has this been going on? Every time it's been all bark and no bite."

He slammed the bowl down, the bottom of it hitting the stone with a dull thud: "The rules set by the Heavenly Palace are that a Guardian Temple is a Guardian Temple, and each should fight its own battle!"

"A large army assembling? That's taboo! A joint meeting of all the sects? Hmph, the name sounds impressive, but when have they ever really worked together as a cohesive unit? Not to mention those demons, we're lucky if they don't stab us in the back! Reorganization? Dream on!"

“But…but Elder Zhou,” another middle-aged cultivator hesitated before interjecting, “I heard that the ‘Fire General’ Lord Zhang Yuan, in the Lava Canyon, he…he led our human race and single-handedly crushed the demon armies of the three races, even the Nine-Headed Nether Serpent…”

"Fire General? Zhang Yuan?" Zhou Tong rolled his cloudy old eyes, his gaze carrying a weariness born of worldly experience and a hint of barely perceptible bitterness. "Anyone can make up a story. How many people who go into Lava Canyon actually come out?"

"Master Qingxuanzi is not... Alas! Even if he really had some achievements, it was all due to a combination of favorable timing, location, and circumstances!"

"You really expect Zhang Yuan to turn the world upside down, change the rules of the Heavenly Palace, and make the demon race truly obey your orders? How naive!"

The camp fell silent for a moment.

Those who longed for it were met with a cold shower, and the faint flame of hope in their hearts flickered uncertainly.

The skeptics prevailed, and the harsh reality, like icy river water, seeped into everyone's heart.

Even the abbot, Chen Song, a middle-aged man with a resolute face but brows etched with the marks of time, simply wiped his sword silently and did not utter a word to refute Zhou Tong.

He had experienced too much disappointment and knew all too well the difficulties of the Chensha River defense line and the strict rules of the Heavenly Palace.

at this time!

"Ouch——!"

A piercing, ear-piercing scream shattered the tranquility of dusk without warning!
Immediately following was a surging, foul wind!
"Enemy attack—! It's a pack of venomous jackals!"

The monks on lookout duty all changed their voices, their voices filled with a piercing terror.

Below the pass, countless jackals, their fangs dripping with dark green venom, surged forward like a raging torrent of filth!

There are hundreds of them!

Their eyes were bloodshot, filled with hunger and madness. They were clearly attracted by the "weak point" of Qing Teng Guan and wanted to have a meal.

"Form ranks! Form ranks now!"

Abbot Chen Song suddenly stood up, drew his long sword, and roared fiercely.

His old wounds seemed to be aggravated by the sudden impact, causing him to pause slightly.

However, in such a hasty and relaxed situation, how could the exhausted and lax garrison commanders possibly form an effective defense in an instant?
The light screen of the defensive array had just lit up when it was violently rammed into by several fearless jackals charging at the front!
"Pfft!"

The light curtain shook violently, and cracks spread like a spider web.

A jackal king of exceptionally large size, with an aura comparable to the second level of the Saint Realm, its claws wrapped in a foul-smelling poisonous light, fiercely tore open the light curtain that was about to collapse!

"what--!"

A scream rang out instantly!
A young cultivator who was closest to the breach was struck in the chest by the jackal king's poisonous claws.

His protective aura shattered like paper, and he was sent flying backward, his chest a bloody mess. Dark green poison gas spread rapidly, and he was clearly going to die.

Immediately afterwards, more jackals, like piranhas smelling blood, swarmed through the gap and pounced on the scattered garrison commanders!

Swords flashed, venomous claws and fangs clashed, instantly creating a bloody battlefield.

The cultivators of Qing Teng Temple were not particularly strong individually, and their hasty response and lack of coordination led to the rapid collapse of their defenses under the onslaught of numerous, ferocious, and bloodthirsty fanged jackals.

"Hold on! Retreat to the cliff! Provide alternating cover!"

Chen Song's eyes were bloodshot with rage. His longsword transformed into a streak of lightning, instantly slicing down two jackals that were lunging at the wounded.

But he was quickly entangled by the jackal king and several other elite jackal demons with powerful auras.

Poisonous fog filled the air, and a bloody storm ensued.

One after another, the garrison commanders fell, some were disemboweled by sharp claws, some had their throats bitten off by poisonous fangs, and some had their bones broken by demonic magic.

Desperate screams, furious roars, and the excited howls of jackals mingled together, chilling the heart to the bone.

"Go! Go quickly! I'll cover your retreat!"

Chen Song was covered in blood, and his left arm had been torn open by the jackal king's poisonous claws, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone. Dark green poison was frantically corroding his flesh.

He burned with true energy, his sword strikes like a madman, desperately blocking the narrow pass leading to the mountain cliff, striving for a last chance of survival for the remaining twenty-odd garrison commanders.

"Master!" someone cried out in anguish.

"Let's go!" Chen Song said without turning his head, his voice hoarse like a broken gong.

The surviving monks turned around with tears in their eyes, supporting each other as they stumbled and climbed the steep cliff.

Behind him was the lonely figure of the abbot fighting a bloody battle, and a tidal wave of demonic jackals surging up, threatening to completely engulf him.

Everyone felt a heavy weight pressing down on their hearts, filled with sorrow and helplessness.

With great difficulty, the twenty-odd people, covered in injuries and in a sorry state, climbed over the not-too-high cliff and found themselves in a relatively open area of ​​riverbed and gravel.

However, before they could even catch their breath, the despair in their hearts instantly reached its peak!
Across the riverbank, another group of demonic figures quietly emerged from the murky water, blocking their path!

Judging from their appearance, they were clearly another branch of the Venomous Fang Jackals. Although their numbers were not as many as the pursuers behind them, the leader had a deep and imposing aura, surrounded by a thick, dark green cloud of poison, and his vertical pupils were cold and merciless as he locked onto them!
"Saint...Saint Realm Level 3..."

A monk's voice trembled, his face ashen.

"It's over... We're caught in a pincer attack... Heaven has forsaken Qing Teng Temple..."

Someone slumped to the ground, muttering to himself, his eyes completely lifeless.

Even the last glimmer of hope was extinguished.

With a formidable enemy blocking their path ahead and pursuers surging from behind, and the fate of their master uncertain, they were already at their last gasp.

The wind on the riverbank carried the stench of water and blood, and it felt icy cold against my face.

In this suffocating moment of despair!

"call out--!"

A sharp, almost soul-tearing shriek came from the highest heavens without warning!
Its speed was so fast that it exceeded the limits of everyone's reaction time!
Before the sound faded, a dark and deep stream of light, seemingly capable of swallowing even light itself, shot out like an arrow of death from the depths of hell, ignoring the barriers of space and piercing with unparalleled precision into the head of the third-level Saint Realm Poison Jackal leader on the opposite bank of the river!
"puff!"

There were no earth-shattering explosions.

There was only a dull, soft sound, like the cracking of leather.

The jackal leader, so powerful it inspired despair, didn't even have time to change his ferocious expression before his massive head exploded like a watermelon being smashed by a heavy hammer!

Red, white, and green filth mixed with broken demon bones sprayed outwards in a radial pattern, instantly drenching the demons behind it from head to toe!

The enormous headless demon body remained in its forward-charging posture, frozen for a moment, before crashing down with a thud, splashing up a cloud of murky water.

Dead!

On the riverbank, both the surviving garrison commander of Qing Teng Temple and the group of fanged jackals that had just surfaced and were about to pounce were frozen in place.

Time seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of water splashing as the headless demon corpse fell, which sounded particularly jarring in the deathly silence.

Everyone's mind went blank, unable to comprehend where this terrifying attack, which transcended all comprehension and instantly killed a powerful enemy at the Saint Realm level, came from.

However, before they could even react!

"Tsk-!"

Another sharp, tearing sound, like tearing fabric!
An arrow, crackling with fine purple lightning and moving so fast it only left a burn mark on the retina, appeared as if by teleportation at the mountain pass behind the audience at Qing Teng Guan!
The target was none other than the jackal king, whose aura had also reached the second level of the Saint Realm, and who was about to plunge his poisonous claws into Chen Song's back! (End of Chapter)