Daqin Zhentiansi

The contract runes shone brightly, instantly splitting into three thousand strands.

These runes were precisely imprinted on the foreheads of three thousand guards and three thousand selected, relatively intact adult black-horned rhinoceros warriors.

"boom--"

The moment the branding was completed, a connection as heavy as a mountain was established between Wuwei and the giant rhinoceros.

The warriors mounted the back of the giant rhinoceros covered in obsidian armor, their human armor and rhinoceros armor seemingly merging into one under the light of the contract runes.

The moment the three thousand Black Horned Rhinoceros heavy cavalry lined up, a terrifying aura that seemed capable of crushing mountains and rivers and flattening everything erupted!
The combined power of the heavy iron shields, armor-piercing spears, and the charging force of the giant rhinoceros was so great that even the Venerables present, including Xuan Cheng, were taken aback, secretly marveling: "With such a powerful army, they can rival a hundred thousand demon soldiers!"

Zhang Yuan looked ahead and nodded calmly.

The legacy of the Qin Dynasty can change the primordial world.

Unbeknownst to him, he could feel the power of heaven and earth accumulating upon him, becoming more abundant and refined.

This was the response from the Great Dao of the Primordial World to him.

"Set off."

With a wave of his hand, Zhang Yuan sent all the Black Rhino Warhorses galloping into the distance.

……

a few days later.

Yun Gu, the deputy abbot of Chenyun Temple, personally led a small caravan consisting of ten human cultivators and five tamed spiritwood giant apes laden with goods into the territory of the "Ironback Mountain Demon" clan.

The mandrill chieftain was summoned by his people and looked at the things brought by the human team.

Piles of Bloodclaw Wolf claws, tough demon wolf skins, several well-preserved black rhinoceros horns, and even some scales that shimmered with a bluish-green luster, peeled off from the defeated Azure Scale Flood Dragon soldiers!
These are all iconic materials of the powerful ethnic groups in the upper reaches of the Shendian Shahe River!
The Ironback Mountain Goblin Clan is only a mid-level clan, and its chieftain, Tie Yang, is only at the early stage of the Saint Realm.

Looking at these "spoils of war" stained with the blood of overlords, and the lingering battlefield aura on the human cultivators in the caravan, they were so frightened that their legs trembled, fearing that they were there to exterminate their race.

"Chief Tieyang, do not be alarmed." Yun Gu smiled warmly and handed over a jade slip. "Our Chenyun Temple is ordered by Fire General Zhang Yuan and the Thousand Temples Guarding the Hall to carry out the responsibility of trade following the 'Hundred Temples Hunt'."

"This is the price list. Spirit stones, spiritual herbs, ores, and even 'Bone Forging Pills' and 'Blood Strengthening Pills' suitable for tempering the bodies of nobles are all available for exchange."

"The Fire Commander has decreed: In all transactions, only the principle of 'fairness' applies. No one, young or old, will be cheated; those who force others to buy or sell will be executed!"

transaction!

It's not about annihilating the entire clan, it's about making a deal!

A look of surprise appeared on Tie Yang's wrinkled face.

He rubbed his hands together, looking at the supplies: "This, this, is it really..."

Yun Gu then took out a jade talisman that exuded an ancient aura, with the words "Guardian" faintly visible on it: "Observe our human race's martial guard, with giant apes as the vanguard, iron-feathered eagles as scouts, and black-horned rhinoceroses as iron cavalry."

"Anyone who is willing to form a mutual defense alliance with our human race's guardian temple, abide by the human race's laws, and pay a fixed amount of tribute regularly will be protected by the guardian temple, share trade routes, and jointly defend against powerful enemies. This is the recruitment token; the clan leader may consider it carefully."

Looking at the fair prices on the list, the tempting pills, and then thinking about "Fire General Zhang Yuan's" now-unrivaled infamy and the terrifying combat prowess of the "Martial Guards," as well as the promise of "protection"...

The Ironback Mountain Demon Chieftain's heart began to pound violently.

In chaotic times, it is instinctive to attach oneself to the strong in order to gain a chance of survival and development.

Several young, strong, and bright-eyed mandrills looked at the human cultivator's excellent equipment and calm, confident demeanor, their eyes already showing longing.

“Alright,” Tie Yang clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, “Master Yunggu, please wait a moment while I discuss this with my clansmen.”

Half an hour later, the caravan left, and dozens of Ironback Mountain Demons wearing leather armor joined the group.

……

On the edge of the Chensha River war zone.

A trading market called "Feiyun Ferry," jointly managed by several large town-guarding temples, welcomed a joint caravan from the Panshi, Liuyun, and Qingteng temples.

When dozens of large carts, pulled by robust demonic beasts and covered with rune-patterned tarpaulins, drove in and unloaded their goods, the entire market was instantly abuzz, like a lake tossed with a giant rock!
"My God! Those are... the scales of a Azure Scaled Flood Dragon?! They even carry a murderous aura, and they're freshly peeled off!"

A sharp-eyed stall owner exclaimed in surprise, pointing to a pile of huge, sharp-edged scales that had been unloaded from the truck, their voices trembling.

Piles of demon cores of various ranks rolled in the sunlight, like small mountains. The Bloodclaw Wolf was as red as flames, the Black Horned Rhinoceros was as dark as gold, and there were even a few scattered dragon pearls that shimmered with azure light!
These magical materials, originating from the overlords of the upper reaches of the Chensha River, exude a heart-pounding yet coveted energy fluctuation, shimmering with an alluring light.

Beside it were neatly bundled, spiritual herbs and trees over a thousand years old, exuding a refreshing medicinal fragrance.

On the other side, large chunks of unpolished star-patterned iron ore and cold iron essence, which contain pure spiritual energy, are piled up like mountains. There are even a small amount of "lightning-struck stones" that are unique to the Thunderfall Abyss and leap with tiny electric sparks!
Furthermore, there are large quantities of well-processed demon beast hides that are tough and shiny, bones that are like jade, and claws that are as sharp as knives...

The quantity and quality of these supplies far exceed what ordinary garrison temples have accumulated over decades!
The material, imbued with the aura of a hegemon, silently yet deafeningly proclaimed the terrifying power behind the Rock and the other temples, and the bloody victory that had just ended.

"Zuo Yuan of Panshi Temple, Chen Feng of Liuyun Temple, and Chen Song of Qingteng Temple, by order of the Fire Commander, have come to Feiyun Ferry to exchange goods and participate in this grand event!" Zuo Yuan's voice was as loud as a bell as he bowed to the market organizers and representatives from all sides, his voice carrying a heavy confidence.

The cultivators, already stunned by the immense wealth, instantly swarmed around, and the transaction quickly unfolded, creating an exceptionally lively scene.

"How do we exchange this black rhinoceros horn? With celestial crystals or barter?" A cultivator wearing an old Taoist robe squeezed to the front and asked eagerly, his finger trembling slightly as he pointed to a nearly ten-foot-long, dark horn.

The steward of the Rock Temple, who was in charge of the transaction, announced loudly: "The Fire Commander has decreed that the only principle in transactions is 'fairness'! This unicorn horn, if sold in Heavenly Crystals, will be valued at 120 pieces! If sold in the equivalent amount of 'Blazing Sun Grass' or 'Frosty Star Sand,' only three standard jade boxes of each will suffice! No deception, young or old!"

"One hundred and twenty?!" The cultivator gasped, then exclaimed with delight, "Worth it! Absolutely worth it! This quality, this murderous aura, in the past, you couldn't get it for less than two hundred Heavenly Crystals! I... I'll use Heavenly Crystals! Here you go!"

He almost trembled as he pulled out a heavy storage bag and handed it over.

On the other side, a female cultivator held a small bag of star-patterned iron ore and whispered to her companion in surprise, "Look at this 'Bone Tempering Pill'! The quality is so pure, and you can exchange a bottle for just five fist-sized pieces of star-patterned iron? This price... it's practically free!"

"The pill shops previously controlled by the Patrol Division charged at least three times the price for the same pills! And we still had to be at their beck and call!"

……

The Pan Shi Temple not only brought an impressive array of supplies, but also revolutionary "fair" prices and highly effective yet extremely affordable elixirs and talismans specially supplied by the "Fire General." The fair and transparent trading rules allowed all participants to experience an unprecedented level of enjoyment.

During a break in the trading, the abbots chatted casually, but "inadvertently" brought up the Black Horned Rhinoceros Heavy Cavalry newly acquired by the Martial Guard, describing the awe-inspiring scene of three thousand armored soldiers charging like a landslide and crushing the demon tide.

The text mentions how Fire General Zhang Yuan pierced through the Qi barrier with an arrow within the Thirty-Three Temples, helping Lei Zhen kill Black Rock Venerable, and how the Xuanwu Martial Soul suppressed the supreme power of Xuanzhong Venerable with a single palm strike.

He vividly recounted the astonishing feat of the Thunder Prison Venerable, who shattered the main force of the Patrol Guard and severely injured the Jade City Governor with three earth-shaking drumbeats...

His words were filled with an unprecedented confidence and pride among the monks, including Pan Shi.

It's a sense of composure, like having a towering tree behind you and solid ground beneath your feet.

The representatives from various towns and villages who came to trade, looking at the mountains of supplies that symbolized strength and victory, listening to the inspiring and exhilarating achievements, and feeling the transformed, enterprising confidence and fierce aura emanating from the representatives of the Pan Shi and other towns, were filled with immense shock and envy.

Among the crowd, a thin, middle-aged Taoist priest with a weathered and weary face, Huangsha Taoist, the abbot of Huangsha Temple, tightly clutched the few mid-grade spirit stones and a small bag of low-grade spirit herbs he possessed.

He gazed at the dazzling array of goods and the bustling trading scene with a complex expression.

His Huangsha Temple was located in a remote area with scarce resources. It was constantly harassed by several small groups of demons, and the disciples in the temple lived a meager existence. Even maintaining a decent protective formation for the mountain was a struggle.

The black rhinoceros's leather armor and the azure-scaled dragon's scales, either one of them would be enough to elevate his defenses by several levels.

The fair price of those pills would also solve his disciples' urgent need for cultivation.

"If... if our Huangsha Temple could also..." he murmured to himself, a glimmer of longing burning in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry.

Join forces with "Fire General"?
This is tantamount to completely standing on the opposite side of the Heavenly Palace Patrol Division!
Although the Jade City Commander was defeated, how enormous is the Heavenly Palace?

What if... what if the patrol army returns with a vengeance...

He hesitated, his gaze sweeping over the spirited Zuo Yuan, Chen Feng, and others, before settling on the other traders who had returned laden with their spoils and whose faces were beaming with excitement.

"The Fire General was able to defeat the overlord demon race head-on, even causing a Venerable to fall at his hands, and he even forced the Azure Scaled Flood Dragon to sign a contract... Venerable Thunder Prison shocked the entire primordial world with three drumbeats! This strength..."

He recalled the resolute tone of the steward of Pan Shi Guan when he mentioned, "The Fire Commander has ordered that anyone who forces a sale will be executed." That respect for the rules and confidence he displayed stood in stark contrast to the usual arrogance and extortion of the Patrol Guard.

"Perhaps... in this chaotic world, relying on the truly strong and following the rules of justice is the only way to survive?"

"At least... it's better than being slowly devoured by little demons, or being exploited to death by the Patrol Division!"

The scales in my heart finally tipped.

Huangsha Daoist took a deep breath, squeezed through the crowd, and put on a respectful yet resolute smile. He walked up to Zuo Yuan, who was exchanging pleasantries with several representatives from the Grand Temple, and bowed deeply: "Master Zuo! I am the Master of the remote Huangsha Temple. I have long admired the Fire Marshal's reputation and aspire to be like him!"

"I wonder... I wonder if my humble Huangsha Temple has the honor of following in the footsteps of the valiant, listening to the Fire General's teachings, and enjoying the benefits of trade and... the grace of protection?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly.

Many of the young monks around, who were also suffering from similar troubles, immediately focused their attention on this, their eyes shining with the same fervent and expectant light.

In the bustling market town of Feiyun Ferry, amidst the abundance of resources and the "fairness" of trade, and inspired by the formidable reputation of the Fire Marshal, the human forces in the Chensha River war zone are quietly moving towards a new order centered around the Fire Marshal, Zhang Yuan.

Huangsha Daoren's bow was like a tiny but steadfast wave in this torrent.

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

Green Scale Cave Heaven.

The Black Horned Rhinoceros's submission and the activity of the human caravan were like two resounding slaps to the faces of Venerable Qingming and Venerable Qingyuan, who had just retreated back to Qinglin Cave.

The cave was filled with a heavy demonic atmosphere, with roars and howls never ceasing.

"What a shame!"

"Those spineless idiots, the Black Horned Rhinoceros! And those human ants, how dare they use the scales of my comrades for trade!"

The Azure Netherworld Venerable's enormous dragon body thrashed on the jade platform, shaking the cavern. "Summon all vassals! I, the Venerable One, am going to..."

His roar came to an abrupt end.

A heavy, chilling aura, imbued with an iron will, instantly enveloped the entire entrance to the Azure Scale Cave Heaven, like an invisible barrier!
Three thousand Black Horned Rhinoceros heavy cavalry, like an iron jungle growing from the earth, stood silently before the Rift Cliff outside the cave!

Each giant rhinoceros was covered in thick, dark iron armor, and the warriors on its back wore dark armor and carried a forest of spears. Their auras blended with their mounts, and the heavy pressure made the air seem to freeze.

At the very front of the group, Zhang Yuanxuan stood with his hands behind his back, his black Taoist robe fluttering in the wind. Beside him was Lei Zhen, who held the Rift Abyss Bow and had sharp eyes.

In front of Zhang Yuan, suspended silently in the void, was a large drum that was entirely black, with faint lightning patterns flowing on its surface, exuding a vast and ancient aura!
"The Heaven-Shaking Drum?!"

The moment Qingming, Qingyuan, and all the powerful Qinglin Jiao clan members who rushed over upon hearing the news saw that drum, their pupils contracted violently, and an instinctive tremor ran through the depths of their souls!

The terrifying scene of the Thunderfall Abyss breaking through the sky with three drumbeats instantly flooded into my mind!

They never expected that this supreme divine object, which had just severely injured the Heavenly Palace Governor and announced the return of the divine beast, would actually appear in Zhang Yuan's hands!
They were naturally unaware that this was the second divine drum Zhang Yuan had crafted, the God-Shocking War Drum.

This drum's power is in no way inferior to the might of the Chaos Treasure in Lei Yu's hands.

Zhang Yuan's calm voice pierced through the barrier of the cave and clearly reached the ears of every dragon: "Fellow Daoists Qingming and Qingyuan, the heavens of the Sunken Sand River have changed. If we fight, let this Azure Scale Cave Heaven change hands today; if we make peace, then the contract is here."

A contract scroll, gleaming with a golden-red luster, unfolded before Zhang Yuan.

"The Azure Scaled Flood Dragon Clan must offer the following annual tributes to the Joint Guardian of the Hundred Views of the Sandy River: a thousand catties of shed scales from an adult flood dragon, a hundred drops of pure flood dragon blood essence, and a hundred doses of 'Azure Wave Cold Jade,' a specialty of the Azure Scaled Cave Heaven."

"One hundred young and strong members of the Jiaolong clan below the Saint Realm will serve in the 'Wandering Dragon Camp' of the Martial Guard for ten years, subject to the constraints of the Guardian Temple. They may also choose to replace part of the service with equivalent spiritual materials."

"In exchange, the Human Race Guardian Temple acknowledges the Azure Scaled Flood Dragon Clan's rule over its existing territory and vassal clans, opens trade routes, and provides specially made human-made elixirs such as 'Flood Dragon Transformation Pill,' 'Blood Purification Pill,' and 'Azure Dew' to help them enhance their bloodline, heal wounds, and remove toxins."

"Furthermore, in case of external enemies, assistance can be sought according to the contract." (End of Chapter)