Daqin Zhentiansi

Chapter 1042 Forging is the Foundation of City Defense

"hiss--!"

"My God! This...this is...a top-grade spiritual material?!"

"Brother Zhang... Brother Zhang?! How... how did you do that?!"

Exclamations erupted like a tidal wave!

All the craftsmen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

The molten metal floating in Zhang Yuan's palm, radiating an alluring starlight, was more dazzling than the most brilliant stars in their eyes!

The soldiers were so excited that they trembled all over, and their eyes were filled with fervor and awe as they looked at Zhang Yuan!

This incredible skill is truly a ray of hope in a desperate situation!

Zhang Yuan remained calm as he gently tossed the priceless, top-grade star-patterned spiritual material liquid in his hand into an empty quenching tank beside him. It instantly solidified and emitted a clear, melodious hum.

"The impurities have been removed; this can be used to repair the heavy weapon." He left these words behind, ignoring the forging camp members who were instantly boiling with excitement and almost in tears, and strode away.

He needs to find Venerable Xingheng as soon as possible.

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Inside Tianyuan City.

Observatory area.

The place is heavily guarded; not to mention soldiers like Zhang Yuan, even generals of the Celestial Army are kept out.

Zhang Yuan did not force his way in, but waited quietly on the only road leading to the observatory.

As the sun set, he finally saw Venerable Xingheng, dressed in a star-patterned Taoist robe, emerge from the tower, his brows bearing a trace of weariness and solemnity after deducing the secrets of heaven.

"Senior Xingheng." Zhang Yuan stepped forward and bowed, his voice low.

When Xingheng saw Zhang Yuan, his eyes flickered slightly, revealing a hint of understanding.

He nodded slightly and walked with Zhang Yuan toward a secluded corridor.

"Young friend Zhang Yuan, what brings you here?" Xing Heng asked, his voice still clear and melodious, yet tinged with a hint of heaviness.

Zhang Yuan skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Senior, the forging battalion has acquired inferior materials, making it difficult to repair weapons and armor, and causing unrest among the troops."

"I used a little skill to purify it a bit, which temporarily relieved the immediate problem."

He paused, then looked sharply at Xingheng.

"However, this is not a long-term solution. I discovered this item today at the site of the demon attack on the city walls."

He flipped his palm over, and the jade talisman fragment, with its broken edges and distorted shadow symbols engraved on it, lay there quietly.

Venerable Xingheng's gaze froze instantly!

The starry sky in his eyes surged violently, and a chilling aura emanated from him, making the surrounding air seem to drop several degrees.

“You!” Xingheng’s voice was filled with suppressed anger and deep fear. “As expected… its claws and fangs have already penetrated deep into the territory!”

"This fiend not only colludes with the enemy, but also laid the groundwork a million years ago, intending to hollow out our Xuntian Continent from within!"

"The embezzlement of military supplies, the precise targeting of the demons... all of these are inextricably linked to this!"

The two looked at each other and saw the heaviness in each other's eyes.

The corruption and betrayal within the Heavenly Palace, and the pervasive infiltration of the Demon Realm, are like two venomous snakes, coiling around this lonely city.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Yuan spoke again: "Senior, forging is the foundation of defending the city."

“Inferior materials can be purified using secret techniques, but the efficiency is too low. I dare to ask you to set up a ‘Star-Guiding Tempering Array’ in the forging camp, so that the power of the stars and the magnetic field of the earth veins can be used to assist in smelting and increase the quantity and quality of the materials.”

This is precisely the idea that combines Xingheng's cosmic way with Yunji's primordial magnetic power.

A glint flashed in Venerable Xingheng's eyes, and he instantly understood Zhang Yuan's intention.

He gave Zhang Yuan a deep look and said without hesitation, "Good! Leave this matter to me. I will make the arrangements tomorrow."

He understood that this was to gather as much strength as possible in preparation for the coming storm.

Having received Xing Heng's promise, Zhang Yuan did not return to camp.

His figure blended into the twilight as he quietly arrived at a chaotic and relatively poorly managed warehouse area in the western district of Tianyuan City.

This is also an inconspicuous yet crucial node for the circulation of supplies along the "You" line.

With the fragment of the "You" talisman in his hand, the coded language of the transaction recorded in the jade slip, and a trace of deliberately leaked chaotic demonic energy that simulated the remnants of Yun Yixuan, which originated from the refined essence blood of chaotic gods and demons, Zhang Yuan successfully made contact.

The person in charge of making the contact was a middle-aged man who looked like an ordinary warehouse manager, but whose eyes were shrewd and cunning.

When he saw the broken talisman in Zhang Yuan's hand and felt the unique chilling aura of "Shang Tou," his face turned deathly pale, and he broke out in a cold sweat. All his cunning vanished, replaced by a deep-seated fear.

Zhang Yuan didn't waste any words. His voice was as cold as the wind from the depths of hell, carrying an undeniable threat: "The 'Lord' has ordered that the situation at the front is critical, and the plan has changed."

"Within three days, deliver 500 cubic meters of 'superior star-patterned steel ingots,' 100 dan of 'sinking gold sand,' and 50 cubic meters of 'fire-exposed refined copper' to the 'usual location.' Any delays... you know the consequences."

He deliberately imitated the arrogant and indifferent tone that "You" used when conveying orders in the jade slip.

The steward trembled, nodding his head vigorously: "Yes! Yes! I understand! I would never dare to delay! I would never dare!"

He didn't even dare to ask a question, for fear of offending the "messenger" who carried the "master's" token.

Under Zhang Yuan's icy gaze, he tremblingly unlocked the door to a hidden storeroom.

In the dim light, Zhang Yuan glimpsed a large amount of high-quality spiritual materials that should have been "intercepted," as well as a figure who had rushed over, dressed in the robes of the inner city treasurer, and whose face was equally pale.

Clearly, their status is not low.

He was one of the moles responsible for "bookkeeping" and resource allocation.

Zhang Yuan sneered inwardly, memorized the man's appearance, and disappeared into the night without lingering.

a few days later.

Under the blessing of the "Star-Guiding and Essence-Refining Array" personally arranged by Venerable Xingheng, the furnace fire in the forging camp was more vigorous and pure than ever before.

As stellar energy and geomagnetism intertwined, inferior materials were efficiently purified and smelted, and pieces of armor and weapons, gleaming with exquisite luster, were quickly repaired and forged, and continuously sent to various armies.

The morale of the entire Hanyue Army was greatly boosted.

General Ba Yue was overjoyed and specially set up a simple banquet in the camp, inviting Venerable Xing Heng and Zhang Yuan.

The wine was cheap, cloudy liquor, and the food was simple dried meat.

Ba Yue picked up the rough bowl and took a big gulp, the wine flowing down his bushy beard.

He slammed the bowl down on the table, looked around at the bustling forging scene and the soldiers training outside the tent, his eyes filled with both satisfaction and an overwhelming sense of grief and indignation.

"Brother Xingheng, you brat Zhang Yuan!" Ba Yue's voice was like muffled thunder, tinged with alcohol, and filled with soaring anger and resentment. "Look! Look at our brothers! With food to eat, a good knife, and strong armor, we can fight those demon bastards to the death!"

"But the Heavenly Palace... those bastards in the Heavenly Palace! They can't see that! They can only see the last spirit stone in our pockets! They only think about how to squeeze oil out of our bones!"

He slammed his fist on the table, making the bowls and chopsticks jump around: "You rip off my soldiers! You plunder my mines! And you try to fool me with this junk! Do you really think I, Ba Yue, am made of clay? Do you really think the blades of my Ba Yue army can only cut off the heads of demon bastards?!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and a fierce killing intent mixed with the tragic grandeur of a dead end permeated the air.

Zhang Yuan and Xing Heng listened silently, each holding their wine bowl. Neither of them spoke, but their eyes were unusually solemn.

Ba Yue's words sounded like an ominous prophecy.

Just then, a messenger stumbled into the tent, his face ashen, holding aloft a jade edict that radiated a cold, golden light, his voice trembling with tears:

"General... General! An urgent order from the Heavenly Palace! The entire Shaking Mountain Army is ordered to... depart within three days and rush to 'Dragon Burial Pass' to assist in the defense of the left flank of the 'Heavenly Guard Army'! There must be no mistakes!" As soon as the words "Dragon Burial Pass" were uttered, Venerable Xingheng's hand trembled almost imperceptibly.

The drunkenness and anger on Ba Yue's face froze instantly, turning into a deathly gray.

His burly body swayed, as if all his strength had been drained in an instant, and he just stared blankly at the jade edict.

The banquet ended unhappily, and a heavy cloud of gloom completely enveloped the camp.

Inside the tent, the lights were dim.

Zhang Yuan was meticulously inspecting each plate of the Myriad Beasts Divine Armor.

The Chaos Furnace operated silently within his body, channeling the newly fused power of the "Mountain Moving and Mountain Shaking Technique," its aura deep and restrained.

The tent flap swayed slightly, and the imposing figure of Venerable Crimson Sun stepped in, bringing with it a scorching aura.

The golden flames in his furnace-like eyes flickered violently, his usual fighting spirit gone, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

He walked up to Zhang Yuan and said in a deep voice, "Kid, remember this place, 'Dragon Burial Pass'!"

Zhang Yuan looked up.

Venerable Chiyang took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Back then, Senior Brother Bayue and the others were ordered to rush to the aid of Zanglong'ao..."

Chi Yang's voice was extremely strained, suppressing a volcanic rage and grief.

"We've been ambushed! The main force of the Demon Realm colluded with traitors from within... The entire army... The entire army has been wiped out!"

His broad, heavy hand slammed down on Zhang Yuan's shoulder with the force of a mountain collapsing, conveying an immense burden: "This journey is fraught with danger! Protect yourself! And... try your best to protect Senior Brother Ba Yue!"

Deep within his burning golden eyes surged deep wounds that had remained unhealed for millions of years.

Zhang Yuan nodded heavily.

The following day, the bugle sounded mournful, tearing apart the silence of the morning.

The nearly ten thousand iron-willed soldiers of the Shaking Mountain Army, led by the silent and ancient Ba Yue Zhenjun, opened the magnificent gates of Tianyuan City.

The heavy footsteps converged into an iron torrent, crushing the earth and raising billowing dust as they meandered toward the "Dragon Burial Pass," shrouded in the shadow of death.

At the highest point of the city gate tower, three figures stood side by side, like three silent mountain peaks.

The gazes of True Lord Chiyang, True Lord Xingheng, and True Lord Yunji pierced through the smoke and dust, closely following the departing army.

The Starry Sky True Monarch withdrew his profound gaze from the sky and landed on the main city of Tianyuan City beneath his feet, a city that was once glorious but now seemed to be shrouded in an invisible blood-red twilight.

His voice was low and heavy, carrying a sorrow that seemed to pierce through the long river of time, as he asked the question that had long been etched into the dust of history: "Senior Brother Chiyang, Tianyuan City was completely destroyed after the Hanyue Army was transferred, wasn't it?"

The Crimson Sun True Lord did not turn around; his furnace-like eyes were fixed on the direction where the army had disappeared, as if he wanted to burn his gaze and pierce through time and space to stop the inevitable tragedy.

His clenched fists, knuckles white and cracking, finally yielded only a heavy, suffocating response from deep within his throat:

"Yes."

The single word "yes" encapsulates millions of years of blood, tears, and resentment.

Yunji Zhenjun's face was ashen, and the magnetic power of his fingertips flowed quietly, reinforcing the core foundation of the city tower without making a sound.

The gaze of True Lord Xingheng was as sharp as a star probe, lingering briefly in the direction of the Star Observatory and the City Lord's Mansion, as if confirming some layout.

The suppressed golden flames of the burning sun surrounding Chi Yang resonated silently with the starlight of Xing Heng and the magnetic ripples of Yun Ji, weaving together an invisible net, and a determination to break free from fate surged in the silence.

The wind on the city wall was biting cold, carrying with it an aura of destruction.

This magnificent city is irreversibly sliding into the abyss.

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Buried at Long'ao.

The name itself carries an ominous curse.

This is a huge rift valley located on the broken edge of Xuntianzhou.

On both sides are dark brown rock walls, barren of any vegetation.

At the bottom of the valley, a perpetual gray-purple miasma hangs in the air, obscuring the sunlight and shrouding the place in a perpetually oppressive twilight hue.

The distorted spatial turbulence, like an invisible venomous snake, silently roamed and tore through the valley.

"Tap tap tap—"

The heavy footsteps of the Hanyue Army shattered the deathly silence at the valley entrance, like rolling thunder, crushing into this cursed land.

Nearly ten thousand heavily armored soldiers, exuding a fierce aura, marched into the pre-set defensive zone of Zanglong'ao under the silent and imposing leadership of Ba Yue Zhenjun.

The demonic aura in the air made every seasoned veteran instinctively tense up and grip their weapons tightly.

A chill, originating from the depths of my blood, crept up my spine.

"Damn it, this place is really weird," an old soldier in gray-black armor muttered through gritted teeth.

The young man with a scar on his side had a sullen face, said nothing, and just gripped his long sword tightly.

Ahead, Ba Yue's face appeared particularly hard against the shadow of the miasma.

He reined in his ferocious mount, which was spewing sulfurous fumes, and his piercing gaze swept over the valley that was destined to become a battlefield.

"Set up camp! Establish the 'Immovable Mountain Formation'!"

"Scouts, spread out and detect any unusual spatial fluctuations within the valley! Quickly!"

Ba Yue's voice was like the clang of metal.

The efficiency of the Hanyue Army was extremely high.

The heavy magnetic array disk was driven deep into the earth vein node.

A thick, earthy-yellow halo, like the shell of a giant tortoise, rose in layers, enveloping the core area of ​​the temporary camp.

The soldiers silently and swiftly constructed makeshift fortifications.

Everyone was carrying parts of the heavy crossbows used for city defense, and the atmosphere was as tense as a taut bowstring.

Zhang Yuan was assigned to the mobile squad of the vanguard battalion.

He silently carried out the orders, assisting in setting up a heavy "Earth-Splitting Demon-Breaking Crossbow".

His movements were precise and powerful, far surpassing those of ordinary soldiers.

His divine sense, empowered by the Chaos Furnace, silently swept across every inch of the Burial Dragon Pass, every twisted fold of space.

Deep within the left eye, a chaotic vortex slowly rotated, analyzing the exceptionally complex structure of this space.

The dark yellow divine fire in his right eye burned calmly, reflecting the residual demonic energy permeating the air.

Deep within that seemingly chaotic spatial turbulence, beneath the densest miasma in the center of the valley, lies a vast and intricate spacetime structure!

It is not naturally formed, but rather artificially woven and solidified, like a carefully set animal trap.

Its core node emits energy fluctuations.

"A deadly trap set in time and space..."

Zhang Yuan felt a chill in his heart. (End of Chapter)