Daqin Zhentiansi

Deep within the Thunderfall Abyss.

The mythical beast Kui Niu Lei Yu stood silently amidst the towering waves of thunder.

Two figures stood before the old man in green robes who was actually Lei Yu.

One was an old man with dark green scales, a single horn on his head, and a weathered face; he was the Black Dragon Venerable from the divine beast Cloud Dragon clan.

The other was a burly man covered in dark gold armor, with a calm and steady aura. He was the Xuanjia Venerable of the Pangolin Clan.

Although the clans behind both are not top-tier divine beasts, they are still considered to be the descendants of divine beasts in this region that have some connection with the Kui Niu clan.

Venerable Mo Jiao sighed and advised, "Brother Lei Yu, Yu Cheng has gone mad this time, even bringing out the town's most precious treasures."

He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Thunderfall Abyss is powerful, but I'm afraid it won't last. Perhaps... we should avoid its edge for now?"

“I know of a place deep within the ‘Sea of ​​Mist,’ where the environment is harsh, but as long as you regularly pay a portion of your primordial essence blood to the ‘Hidden Mist Palace’ there, you can find refuge…”

The Xuanjia Venerable echoed in a low voice, "Yes, elder brother. As long as the green hills remain... what Jade City desires is nothing more than your unicorn horn. If we can use this to quell their anger and secure peace for our clan, perhaps..."

Before he could finish speaking, he met Lei Yu's gaze, which was calm and still, yet seemed to contain the thunder of ages past.

Under that gaze, Venerable Xuanjia felt his soul tremble, and he could no longer utter a word, only letting out a helpless sigh.

In the primordial world, top-tier divine beasts might even be able to confront the Heavenly Palace directly and clash with the celestial beings.

These divine beast races, whose bloodlines were not pure enough, did not have the strength to directly confront the celestial army.

In this world, strength ultimately speaks.

Lei Yu glanced at the two of them, then slowly looked away.

He looked up, his voice like muffled thunder rolling across an abyss: "I have my own way of dealing with this."

"War is dangerous and perilous; this place has become the eye of the storm."

"We appreciate your kind intentions, but please leave quickly."

Mo Jiao and Xuan Jia exchanged a glance, both seeing the complexity and helplessness in each other's eyes.

They clasped their hands in greeting again: "In that case... take care, brother! If... if things go wrong and you need to flee far away, just send a message and we will do our best to help you!"

After saying that, the two transformed into two streaks of light and quickly disappeared outside the raging thunder of the Thunderfall Abyss.

The two only stopped when they left the area shrouded in thunder.

The Ink Dragon Venerable glanced back at the abyss shrouded in destructive lightning, a dark and enigmatic smile playing on his lips: "Brother Xuanjia, do you think... Brother Leiyu can really stop that mad dog Yucheng this time?"

The Xuanjia Venerable's massive body swayed slightly in the void, his deep voice carrying a hint of sneer: "Block? Block with what?"

“He was already seriously injured and had not yet recovered. This time, Yu Cheng even brought his trump card, the ‘Binding God Lock,’ as well as the henchmen of the Golden Roc and the Black Tortoise clans.”

"Thunder Prison... is nothing but a dying struggle."

Upon hearing his words, a glint of greed flashed in Venerable Mo Jiao's eyes.

Lowering his voice, Venerable Mo Jiao said softly, "In that case...why don't we just stay here and observe?"

"If Thunder Prison falls, Thunderfall Abyss will become a no-man's land... If you and I join forces, and with some help from the Heavenly Human Commander, it's not impossible..."

He made a dividing gesture.

"Divide this land of thunder's origin in two!"

For most living beings, the power of thunder is a treasure for tempering their bodies and bloodlines.

For most creatures in this place, Thunderfall Abyss is a treasure land.

It's just that the Kui Niu clan is so powerful that other demon clans around them dare not compete with them.

The Xuanjia Venerable nodded his enormous tortoise head and said in a deep voice, "Just what I wanted! This place is rich in thunder essence, making it an unparalleled treasure land for tempering the body and refining weapons."

"With Lei Yu dead, the Kui Niu lineage is no threat. Our opportunity will then arrive! As for Lei Yu's victory? Ha! Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—absolutely impossible!"

The two exchanged a smile, reaching a tacit understanding. They then stopped lingering and transformed into two distinct streams of light, one blue and one gold, quickly disappearing into the distant void.

Watching the two leave, Lei Yu's usually placid expression changed slightly, revealing a hint of coldness.

He raised his hand and waved it, causing ripples in the space in front of him. A golden-red figure burning with an eternal, inextinguishable flame slowly emerged.

It is one of the top divine beasts of the primordial world, the Southern Divine Beast, the Shadow of the Vermilion Bird.

The phantom of the Vermilion Bird was magnificent and majestic, its voice clear yet solemn: "Jade City has mobilized its elite forces, bringing the Binding God Locks. This item is specifically designed to counter the bodies of gods and demons, and its power is unfathomable. Thunder Prison, do you... have the confidence?"

Lei Yu did not answer directly, but slowly raised his left hand.

On the palm of his hand, the "Kui Niu Shaking the Heavens Drum," which was entirely black and whose drumhead was churning with azure thunder and storm, silently appeared.

On the drum's body, intricate and mysterious kui ox totem thunder patterns move and roar as if they were alive.

The purple lightning crystals at the edge shimmered with destructive starlight.

A terrifying aura, seemingly capable of suppressing all thunder and shaking the heavens, instantly spread out as the drum appeared.

This thing actually caused all the thunder in the entire Thunderfall Abyss to bow down and resonate with it!
The Vermilion Bird phantom's gaze was instantly drawn to the divine drum.

Sensing the immense power and profound Daoist essence contained within, far exceeding her expectations, an astonishing brilliance erupted in her clear phoenix eyes.

She gazed at it for a moment, then slowly nodded, her voice tinged with a mixture of amazement and anticipation: "Excellent! What a magnificent drum! Its power... it even seems to hint at completing your clan's heritage and returning it to its origins!"

"It seems that young friend Zhang Yuan is indeed an anomaly!"

The phantom of the Vermilion Bird fluttered its wings slightly, and golden-red flames leaped: "This battle... I'll be watching closely. If you win... I wish to go in person and meet this Fire General Zhang Yuan, who can invoke the Heavenly Dao of another world and forge unparalleled divine weapons!"

Lei Yu's right hand, covered with lightning runes, gently pressed down on the surface of the violently rolling lightning drum.

In his eyes, the endless cycle of thunder seemed to reflect the impending catastrophe and retaliation.

He looked up, his gaze piercing through layers of thunderclouds, towards the terrifying silver torrent that was drawing ever closer in the sky, his voice low and firm.

"Very well. Then let this Thunderfall Abyss... become the burial ground for Jade City and the Patrol Division!"

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The thunderous roar from the direction of Thunderfall Abyss still seemed to faintly echo in the sky.

Another area downstream of the Chensha River has been shrouded in a different kind of terror.

Edge of Blackstone Plain.

Thirty-three human-guarded fortresses, like scattered islands, are nestled in a relatively open area.

At this moment, these "isolated islands" are facing a monstrous wave of destruction.

On the distant horizon, smoke and dust obscured the sun, and an eerie aura soared into the sky!
Thick, inky clouds churned and rolled, like an inverted, polluted sea, swallowing up all the light of day.

Beneath the clouds, there were endless wolf-shaped monsters covering the mountains and plains.

The Bloodclaw Wolf Clan and its vassal clans have all come out!

They surged forward like a tidal wave, their claws digging at the ground, their fangs dripping with saliva, their crimson eyes filled with nothing but bloodthirsty madness. The deafening howls of the wolves coalesced into a deathly tidal wave, assaulting the air and shaking the very earth.

Powerful beams of light pierced through the demonic clouds and soared into the sky!
That was a Saint Realm expert from the Bloodclaw Wolf Clan, unleashing his oppressive aura without restraint.

One of the thickest, blood-red beams of malevolent energy originated from a giant wolf, hundreds of feet long.

It was none other than the clan chief, Bloodfang!
With each step it took, the ground cracked and collapsed, and the blood-red aura emanating from its body scorched any low-level demonic beasts that approached it.

"Roar—! Tear them apart! Flesh and bones! They're all ours!"

Bloodfang's roar was like the war drums of destruction.

Driven by an even more ferocious tide, the demons scattered yet deadly rushed towards the thirty-three seemingly isolated and helpless guardian temples.

Mountain cliffs in the distance.

In the shadows.

Several miles from the battlefield, an inconspicuous cliff was shrouded in faint runic light.

The invisible barrier formed by the power of the Great Dao completely isolated the internal aura, making it impossible for outsiders to see even a trace of it.

Within the runic barrier, thousands of figures stood solemnly.

They were the abbots and guardians who were supposed to be stationed in those thirty-three guardian temples!
At this moment, their faces were solemn, filled with the lingering fear of surviving a calamity and indescribable emotions, as they gazed down the mountain at the demon army that surged towards their homeland like a black torrent.

"If it weren't for Commander Huo anticipating the enemy's move and ordering us to quietly withdraw, leaving the defense to the Imperial Guard..."

The abbot's voice was hoarse as he watched his Taoist temple, which he had managed for many years, about to become a battlefield, his heart filled with complex emotions.

"At this moment, we are likely already trapped in that demonic tide, with no chance of survival!"

“Yes,” another garrison commander chimed in, his tone filled with awe and relief.

"Who would have thought that Bloodfang, that madman, would actually dare to launch a full-scale attack?"

"What's even more unbelievable is that the elusive Martial Guard under Marshal Huo was able to complete the troop rotation and take over the defenses of all thirty-three temples in such a short time without a sound! This ability to coordinate is simply... divine!"

Everyone nodded, their gazes involuntarily turning to the side, towards another cliff also shrouded in runes.

There, a more somber and concentrated aura emanated, which was the true main force that had previously been stationed here.

On that even higher cliff, behind the runic light barrier, the atmosphere was equally solemn.

Thousands of garrison commanders, dressed in high-ranking Taoist robes from the "Azure Jade" and "Mysterious Stone" temples, stood solemnly.

They were originally the elite force of the core defense line in this area, and now they are standing by here as reserves and mobile forces.

The leader, Qingfeng, the abbot of Qingyu Temple, was a middle-aged Taoist with a resolute face and an aura that had reached the half-step Venerable realm.

His gaze swept across the raging demonic tide approaching from below the mountain, and he spoke in a deep voice to an old Taoist priest beside him with a simple face and a steady demeanor.

The abbot of Xuanshi Temple is Xuanyan.

"Brother Xuanyan, Blood Fang has launched a full-scale attack. With such a commotion, has the news been... reported to the Patrol Division? What was their response?"

Upon hearing this, the abbot of Xuanyan Temple revealed a cold, mocking expression. He let out a heavy, cold snort, the sound not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of all the garrison commanders behind him:

"Report? Hmph! Reply? What reply is there!"

His aged finger pointed in the direction of the patrol headquarters, filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Those high and mighty celestial beings probably wish we could fight the demon race to a standstill, the more casualties the better!"

"They can reap the benefits without lifting a finger and conveniently pin a 'failure to defend the territory' charge on us!"

"Rely on them? You might as well hope that the rocks on this cliff will crush Blood Fang to death!"

Upon hearing this, all the guardians of the green jade and black stone on the cliff instantly showed intense anger and grief.

They gripped the magical implements in their hands tightly.

The indifference and scheming of the celestial beings chilled them to the bone even more than the fangs of the demon race.

Upon seeing this, Abbot Qingfeng gently shook his head, looked into the distance, and his eyes held a hint of... expectation.

His gaze passed over the boiling tide of demons, as if it could penetrate the walls of the thirty-three guardian temples.

"If it weren't for Commander Huo's early warning and the deployment of elite guards to take over the defense, we might truly be in dire straits by now, with countless dead and wounded... But this time..."

He narrowed his eyes slightly, a sharp light flashing within them, like a drawn sword pointing directly at the heart of the battlefield.

"The main force of the Thousand Temples Guardian Hall has quietly assembled, just waiting for that fool Black Horned Rhinoceros to lose his temper and launch an attack. Then we will deliver a thunderous blow from the flank! As for these thirty-three temples before us..."

Qingfeng's voice was resolute, carrying an unquestionable conviction:
"Leave it to Huo Shuai! I've seen him in action."

Before he finished speaking——

"boom--!!!!"

As if to confirm his words, the battlefield below the mountain erupted with the first earth-shattering roar!

The vanguard of the Bloodfang Demon Tide, the most fearless cannon fodder wolf pack, finally crashed hard into the first guardian temple!

However, the anticipated scene of the protective shield shattering, the Taoist temple collapsing, and blood and flesh flying everywhere did not occur!

A blinding burst of energy erupted from the point of impact!
That wasn't the light of the shield shattering, but rather...

At some unknown time, steel barriers made of thick, dark iron shields have quietly risen up on the outer walls, gates, and even courtyards of each guardian temple!

The shield's edges were jagged and menacing, its surface shimmering with an earthy yellow halo and mysterious defensive runes—clearly the emblem of the Martial Guard's "Rock Solid Camp"!

Behind the giant shield stood giant ape warriors, clad in heavy armor and as imposing as iron towers!
Their muscles were bulging, they were as silent as mountains, and their huge feet were deeply embedded in the ground. Using their bodies as a base, they held the shield formation firmly.

The violent impact struck the shield array, only stirring up violent energy ripples and producing a dull, thunderous "thump-thump" sound, but it failed to shake it in the slightest!
Between the shield walls stood the human warriors, ready for battle.

They were not their former subordinates, but elites from various camps such as Rock, Starfire, and Rift Abyss.

At this point, they were scattered and reassembled, perfectly filling the spaces between the skeletons formed by the giant ape warriors.

Everyone had a calm expression, sharp eyes like eagles, and gripped their swords, spears, halberds, or armor-piercing crossbows, ready to be unleashed. True energy flowed subtly around their bodies, connecting with the blood and will of the entire army.

There was no noise, no shouting.

There was only a chilling, deathly silence!

Only the sound of banners fluttering in the demonic wind and the aftershocks of energy, and the faint metallic clang of weapons and armor rubbing against each other.

This eerie, deathly stillness, like the silence before a volcanic eruption, enveloped the thirty-three guardian temples.

Each Taoist temple was like a crouching, ancient beast, having sheathed its claws and concealed its aura, awaiting only the command to deliver the fatal blow.

Outside the Guardian Temple, the frenzied roars of the demonic tide contrasted sharply with the silent, imposing atmosphere of the Martial Guardian Barrier within the temple.

The Bloodfang Demon Tide has reached the foot of the wall!

An impregnable fortress awaits the thunder! (End of Chapter)