Daqin Zhentiansi

"Fifty people? Impossible!" Zhao Kun couldn't hold back any longer and shouted out before Ling Hao could, his face full of disbelief and a hint of panic.

“Zhang Yuan clearly trained tens of thousands of troops right on the edge of the Ancient Forest of Ten Thousand Miasmas! Your Panshi Temple must be one of them! Stop trying to deny it!”

Wang Meng was completely bewildered by Zhao Kun's barrage of accusations.

He looked at Zhao Kun, then at Ling Hao, whose face was ashen, and finally looked to Venerable Xuancheng for help, saying with a bitter face, "Abbot Zhao, you...you have truly wronged this humble servant!"

"A few days ago, our Panshi Temple did receive a transfer order from the Hundred Temples Joint Headquarters to allocate manpower to participate in the 'Hundred Temples Hunting' mission in the Wanzhang Ancient Forest."

"But that was a coordinated operation involving all observation posts in the entire Chensha River war zone!"

"Our observation post is only responsible for this small area in the southeastern perimeter. We only have this many people, and we haven't seen any tens of thousands of troops!"

"I don't even recognize any Commander Zhang's army!"

His expression was sincere, his tone frank, and there was no trace of pretense.

Ling Hao stared intently at Wang Meng, trying to find even the slightest flaw in him.

But the bewilderment, confusion, and sense of injustice in the other person's eyes seemed incredibly real.

He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know how to continue pressing for answers.

Tens of thousands of troops? The person in front of me is clearly describing just a small team carrying out a routine mopping-up operation!

Just as this awkward and delicate stalemate was at which point, a loud report came from outside the tent.

"Report! Li Mu, the garrison commander of Xuanyu Temple, has led a team to complete the 'Dredging and Demon Extermination of the Tributary of Chensha River' mission. He requests an audience with Your Excellency!"

Then, another voice sounded.

"Report! Chen Feng, the garrison commander of Liuyun Temple, has led a team to complete the 'Collecting Star-Patterned Iron Ore in Luoying Gorge' quest. Please grant me an audience!"

The sounds were coming from all directions, clearly indicating that more than one group of people had arrived outside.

Everyone inside the tent was taken aback.

Ling Hao and Zhao Kun exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and doubt in each other's eyes.

Ling Hao suddenly waved his hand: "Go out and take a look!"

The group quickly walked out of the main tent. They saw a rather long queue forming in front of the Hall of Merit beside the main road of the camp!
Several groups of varying sizes were waiting in an orderly fashion.

A group of thirty to fifty people, led by Li Mu of Xuanyu Temple, were directing his subordinates to hand over baskets of the river monster remains and special silt they had cleared out to the disciples in charge for registration.

Another group of about three to five hundred people, led by Chen Feng from Liuyun Temple, were unloading storage bags and carts full of ore that shimmered with starlight.
There were also several teams, each with a small number of people, ranging from a dozen to several dozen. Some carried materials related to demonic beasts, while others carried spiritual herbs and minerals. Under the guidance of the disciples in charge, they completed the formalities and received jade talismans or documents representing their merits.

Although the team was not short, it was well-organized. After completing their tasks and receiving their credentials, the team quickly regrouped and left the camp without any sign of stopping or gathering.

The camp was bustling with activity, but it lacked the terrifying scene that Ling Hao and Zhao Kun had imagined: tens of thousands of troops assembled, banners obscuring the sun, and an aura of murderous intent filling the air.

These teams in front of us are clearly the usual way for each sect to hand over their assigned "hunting of a hundred sects" sub-tasks of varying sizes after completing them!
Thirty or fifty, three or five hundred... might add up to a few thousand, but it's absolutely impossible to form a behemoth of tens of thousands.

There was no sign of Zhang Yuan's iconic mixed army of giant ape warriors and Iron Feather Eagles!

Ling Hao stood there, staring at the bustling yet glaringly "normal" scene before him, feeling utterly lost and confused.

He had personally witnessed the sprawling campsite at the former site of Xuanyu Temple, and Zhao Kun swore he had visual and auditory evidence to prove it…

But what he saw before him completely overturned his understanding.

Could it be... that I really misread it?

Were we misled by Zhao Kun?

Or... did Zhang Yuan use some extraordinary means to hide tens of thousands of people without a trace?
Zhao Kun stood beside Ling Hao, his face turning pale and then red, his lips twitching uncontrollably, his eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of shame and anger at being tricked.

His meticulously prepared "ironclad evidence" appeared so pale and laughable in the face of these scattered teams handing in their tasks.

Just as the two stood frozen in place, each lost in their own thoughts, a very soft sneer came from behind them.

Venerable Xuancheng had also stepped out of the tent at some point and stood a few steps behind them with his hands behind his back.

Looking at the "lively" scene in front of the Hall of Merit, he glanced at the dumbfounded Ling Hao and Zhao Kun, and the ambiguous smile on his face deepened, finally turning into a meaningful, all-knowing chuckle.

He shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed on the dark and deep outline of the Ancient Forest of Ten Thousand Miasmas, and whispered something almost silently in a voice only he could hear.

"Ah... Scattered, they are stars in the sky; gathered, they are a prairie fire."

"Commander Ling, you only know the roar of a pride of lions, but you don't have the eyesight to see an ant swarm devouring an elephant... how can you possibly find the Fire General's true form?"

His tone was three parts mockery and seven parts certainty.

"you--"

Just as Ling Hao was about to lash out at Venerable Xuancheng, two dazzling golden beams suddenly shot down from the distant horizon!
A single arrow landed precisely in the hands of Venerable Xuancheng.

He swept his divine sense across the area, his expression instantly turning ashen, and he abruptly turned around.

His voice, like rolling thunder, echoed throughout the camp: "The Bloodclaw Wolf Clan has mobilized in full force, their target Blackrock Plains!"

"All garrison observation posts, from the A sequence to the E sequence, immediately assemble and deploy according to the 'Rock Solid' contingency plan!"

"The Ji and Geng sequences are reserves, ready to provide support at any time! Send a message to the Joint Headquarters of the Hundred Temples, requesting the main forces of the Qinglan and Xuanshi Temples to rush to our aid immediately!"

As soon as the order was given, the entire garrison camp instantly erupted in excitement. Various communication jade talismans flew in all directions like streaks of light, and a chilling aura soared into the sky.

Another golden light shone directly at Ling Hao.

He grabbed the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and his expression instantly turned extremely ugly.

The main forces of the Azure Scaled Dragon Clan and the Black Horned Rhinoceros Clan have made unusual movements, and their direction is unknown. The Patrol Division urgently orders all patrol officers and Silver Radiance Guards who are out in the field to return to their headquarters and assemble immediately!

Looking at the busy but purposeful human camp before him, and then at Venerable Xuancheng's solemn yet seemingly all-encompassing demeanor, Ling Hao felt an immense sense of frustration and defeat that almost made him vomit blood.

He gripped the jade slip tightly, his knuckles turning white. His gaze swept over Zhao Kun with a sinister intensity, and he gritted his teeth, hissing, "Zhao Kun! You stay here and keep a close watch! Report back immediately if there's any movement involving Zhang Yuan or that 'Martial Guard'!"

"If there's another mishap... humph!"

"Commander Ling, I..." Zhao Kun's face turned pale, and he tried to explain.

"That's an order!" Ling Hao interrupted sharply, no longer looking at him. His body surged with silver light, enveloping the celestial guards he had brought, and they soared into the sky. The group transformed into a silver rainbow piercing the heavens, rushing towards the patrol headquarters, leaving Zhao Kun, pale-faced, standing alone in place.

In the camp, several high-ranking cultivators from the garrison who had witnessed the entire event all wore cold smiles as they watched Ling Hao leave in a disheveled state.

An elderly man in a red robe with his hair and beard bristling sneered, "Ha, Fire Commander Zhang Yuan, his methods are indeed extraordinary!"

"With just a little trick, he made these arrogant celestial beings, like mangy dogs that smelled a bone but couldn't bite it, only able to bark helplessly and tuck their tails between their legs and leave! How satisfying! Hahaha!"

Zhao Kun, already filled with shame and indignation, reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He whirled around, pointed at the red-robed elder, and roared in a shrill voice, his voice trembling with fear: "You bastard! How dare you insult the heavens and show disrespect?! I will definitely report this to Commander Ling Hao and have you..."

"Noisy!"

Before he finished speaking, Venerable Xuancheng, who had been sitting in the main seat without saying another word, merely raised his eyelids and glanced in Zhao Kun's direction.

"puff--!"

Without any earth-shattering force, Zhao Kun only felt an invisible, vast, star-like power instantly crash into his soul and consciousness!

He was struck as if by a massive hammer blow. His vision went black, blood gushed from his mouth, and he was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing heavily onto the camp fence dozens of feet away before sliding limply to the ground, his fate unknown.

The entire camp fell silent instantly.

Everyone looked at Venerable Xuancheng with awe.

Zhao Kun's fate made everyone, including those cultivators who originally still feared the Celestials, fully understand a cold, hard truth.

Without the support of celestial beings like Ling Hao, Zhao Kun, a clown like him, doesn't even have the right to anger the Venerable One in this front-line camp.

Crushing him is really no more troublesome than crushing an ant.

……

The main hall of the Patrol Guard.

Ling Hao stepped in, covered in dust and still feeling depressed. He found the atmosphere inside the hall extremely heavy and oppressive.

The Governor of Jade City sat high on his divine throne, his handsome yet otherworldly face now so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

Below, besides him, there were five other celestial commanders dressed in silver armor, their auras profound, each with a stern expression.

"Azure-scaled Flood Dragon, Black-horned Rhinoceros... How dare they!" A commander with a resolute face and carrying two maces spoke first, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "They dare to use the threat of ceasing to restrain the human race to force my Patrol Division to deal with Thunderfall Abyss as soon as possible? Who do they think they are?!"

Yu Cheng slowly raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.

His gaze, like a cold blade, slowly swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on Ling Hao for a moment. That look made Ling Hao involuntarily lower his head.

"It's pointless to say all this now." Yu Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a heavy pressure like the impending storm. "I have already made a solemn pledge before the Lord of Xuan Yue Palace that before his birthday, the 'Chaotic Thunder Horn' from Kui Niu Thunder Prison will be presented to the palace as a congratulatory gift!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable resolve: "The previous setback at Thunder Abyss was not due to a lack of skill, but rather to the fact that all sides were two-faced, secretly complying while secretly opposing, sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight! This allowed the old scoundrel Lei Yu to catch his breath and, relying on his advantageous position, stubbornly resist!"

Yu Cheng abruptly stood up, his body radiating a silvery light like a boiling galaxy, and a terrifying aura of a Venerable instantly enveloped the entire hall: "Such humiliation can only be washed away with blood and fire! Issue my order—"

"At the headquarters of the Patrol Guard, except for those who must remain on duty, mobilize one thousand elite 'Silver Radiance Guards'! Deploy five hundred 'Obsidian Guards'! Armed with the three treasures of the Guard: the 'God-Binding Lock,' the 'Star-Shattering Crossbow,' and the 'Soul-Suppressing Banner'!"

"Summon all combat-ready soldiers from the 'Black Tortoise,' 'Golden-Winged Roc,' and 'Crimson Flame Tiger' clans to accompany us on this expedition! Tell them that if we succeed in this battle, the promised resources will be doubled! If they dare to shirk their responsibilities again... they will be exterminated after the war!"

"Three days from now, we will march on Thunder Abyss! I will personally lead the army to flatten Thunder Abyss and tear Thunder Prison apart alive! I will use the mountains of corpses and seas of blood of the Kui Niu clan to intimidate all the races of the prehistoric world! Let all the ants who dare to despise the majesty of the Heavenly Palace see clearly what the fate of those who defy them will be!"

Yu Cheng's voice was like thunder from the heavens, booming and echoing in the hall, carrying a madness and determination as if everything was going to be destroyed.

Ling Hao and the other commanders were shocked. Seeing the almost tangible killing intent in Yu Cheng's eyes, no one dared to raise any objections and answered in unison, "We will obey the Governor's decree!"

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

The three-day period arrived in the blink of an eye.

The Imperial Guard has mobilized its entire force!
The floating megacity where the Patrol Command headquarters is located is like a war behemoth awakening from its slumber.

A massive, silver warship rose into the sky, its cold, star-like cannon muzzles gleaming with a destructive light.

Clad in streamlined silver armor, the "Silver Guards," with their aura perfectly concentrated, formed a massive battle formation, like a moving stellar barrier, their chilling presence causing the clouds to retreat.

A little later came the "Obsidian Guards," clad in heavy black armor and exuding an even more ferocious and imposing aura.

Further behind were the armies of the Xuan Turtle, Golden-Winged Roc, and Crimson Flame Tiger clans, who had been temporarily conscripted, their demonic aura soaring into the sky.

Although not as orderly as the Celestial Legion, they still formed a terrifying torrent.

Governor Yucheng stood at the bow of the flagship, his magnificent black and silver-trimmed battle robe fluttering in the gale. He looked down at the vast land below with his hands behind his back, his eyes cold and ruthless.

With a wave of his hand, this massive legion, which gathered the true core strength of the Patrol Division and carried terrifying treasures, tore through the clouds and surged forward like a cascading silver galaxy, crushing towards the Thunderfall Abyss!

The deployment of such a large-scale and resolute force of the Tianren forces instantly shook the entire Chenshahe war zone and even a wider area.

Deep within the Thousand Observations Guardian Hall, several Venerable Ones gathered together, their divine thoughts intertwined.

"Yu Cheng... he's staked the entire life savings of the Patrol Guard." An elderly man with white hair and a youthful face stroked his beard, his tone tinged with solemnity, but a strange light shone deep in his eyes.

"Hmph, just a cornered dog trying to get revenge! He was beaten badly last time, so he's trying to get his revenge this time." Another burly Venerable sneered, "Those God-Binding Locks, Star-Shattering Crossbows, Soul-Suppressing Banners... tsk tsk, they really spared no expense to deal with Lei Yu, who was still recovering from serious injuries."

"With such a display, Lei Yu is probably..." The third Venerable frowned slightly, a hint of worry in his eyes.

The elder who spoke first had a deep gaze as he looked toward the direction of Thunderfall Abyss and slowly said, "Not necessarily. Thunder Prison is not an easy opponent, and Thunderfall Abyss has the advantage of its location."

"With Yucheng mobilized in full force, leaving the rear vulnerable, who knows if this hasn't given some people a bigger stage?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his voice lowering: "If this time... the Patrol Division suffers another defeat..."

Silence fell instantly inside the tent.

The venerable ones exchanged knowing glances, their eyes darting around.

In that silence, there was expectation, worry, and even a hint of...

Deeply hidden ambitions for the possible loosening of the Heavenly Palace's order.

...(End of chapter)