Daqin Zhentiansi

The divine beast-shaped Void-Splitting Bone Spear in Zhang Yuan's hand, which had devoured the Blood Soul Tribulation Lightning and was wrapped in divine fire and lightning patterns, slammed heavily onto the scorching hot rock.

"boom--!"

Centered on the bone spear, dark purple infernal fire erupted from every pore of Zhang Yuan's body like a volcanic eruption!

This was not indiscriminate burning, but rather a precise and violent fusion into the boiling magma beneath our feet!

"Roar! Roar! Roar!..."

The sea of ​​magma instantly boiled and roared!
Eight blazing dragons, each ten thousand feet tall, formed from divine fire and molten lava, rose from the ground amidst deafening roars!

Each dragon's head clearly corresponds to the core of the eight battle formations below!
The body of the Flame Dragon is the most violent torrent of destruction!
Wherever the dragon's body swept, space twisted and melted!
Demons below the rank of Demon Commander, regardless of race or defense, will be ignited upon contact and melted upon touch, turning to ashes before they can even scream!
The entire lava canyon instantly transformed into a true infernal hell belonging to Zhang Yuan!

"Fire, the god of fire! He... he is the Fire General!"

The Blackwater Serpent Elder, whose body was half-grazed by the Fiery Dragon and was writhing and struggling in the flames, let out a final hiss filled with extreme fear and despair before being completely engulfed by the flames.

"Fire General!"

"It's Fire Marshal!"

"Run! Fire Marshal is coming!"

This title, like a plague carrying endless fear, spread at an astonishing speed throughout the Lava Canyon, accompanied by the wails of the fleeing demon soldiers and the pervasive smoke, and will surely shake the entire Sand River battlefield even faster!

"Trying to leave?" Zhang Yuan's gaze was icy as he swept over the few Crimson Scale Python elders who were burning their life essence and trying to tear through space to escape at the edge of the Four Symbols Blockade. A disdainful snort came from under his mask.

The Ten Directions Guardian Token in his hand emitted a burst of blue light and spun in the air!

"Stone Formation - Mysterious Dark Water Seal!"

With his command, eight hundred defensive cultivators roared in unison from the direction of the Rock Battle Formation, their hand seals instantly changing from defensive to extreme icy cold!

The amber-colored halo suddenly transformed into a deep, abyss-like blackness!
The water vapor, blood mist, and even the steaming heat of magma that filled the battlefield were instantly frozen by an extreme chill emanating from the deepest abyss!

Countless ice crystals suddenly condensed, and the temperature plummeted!
At the heart of the formation, the disciple of Venerable Rock had an extremely solemn expression as he formed an incredibly complex and profound hand seal, personally taught by Zhang Yuan.

A massive square seal, hundreds of feet tall, jet black like ink jade, radiating an unparalleled pressure that could freeze everything and pierce through the void, suddenly took shape!
On the seal, mysterious serpentine Dao patterns moved like living things, exuding an aura of annihilation from the deepest part of the Nine Netherworlds.

The lava canyon is no longer a scene from the human world.

Eight blazing dragons, each ten thousand feet long, coiled around the domineering dark purple of the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire and the dark gold of the Chaos Thunder Pattern, raging and wreaking havoc in the canyon.

Their bodies are a destructive torrent formed from the magma of the earth's veins and divine fire.

Every twist and turn, every sway of its tail, evokes a lament from hell.

Space twisted and melted like hot wax, leaving behind charred and twisted void cracks.

Demons below the Demon Commander level, no matter how tough their scales or what life-saving techniques they use, are like snowmen thrown into a furnace the moment they come into contact with the flames. They don't even have time to let out their final cries before turning into a wisp of smoke and returning to nothingness.

Fear burns more fiercely than the flames that consume everything.

"Fire General! It's Fire General!"

The Crimson Scale Python Elder, whose body was half-brushed by the Fiery Dragon, its scales charred and curled, its flesh sizzling, let out a heart-wrenching scream as it rolled in its death throes, its voice filled with despair that seeped into its very bones.

The scream was like a drop of boiling oil thrown into water, instantly igniting the already broken demon's heart.

"Fire General is coming! Run! Run!"

"It's unstoppable! It's impossible to stop it!"

The screams, cries, and the trampling sounds of fleeing people mingled with the roar of flames, echoing wildly through the hellish canyon.

This title, "Fire General," forged from the flesh and blood of the demon race and endless fear, spread like wildfire, like a cursed plague, as the fleeing demon soldiers and the smoke that filled the entire Chensha River battlefield.

At the top of the canyon, atop the precipice.

Zhang Yuan's figure stood tall amidst the surging heat and pungent sulfur smell.

The jagged lines of the Xuanjia armor were reflected in the lava lake below, making it appear like flowing molten gold.

The masked faceplate revealed only a pair of deep, abyss-like eyes, coldly gazing down at the boiling sea of ​​death below.

The enormous wings behind him, made of pure divine fire, fluttered slowly.

Each rise and fall stirs up scorching winds and heat waves, burning the gloomy sky above into distorted ripples.

The divine beast-shaped Void-Splitting Bone Spear in his hand, which had devoured the Blood Soul Tribulation Lightning and was wrapped in divine fire and lightning patterns, pointed diagonally at the purgatory below, as if silently proclaiming the final judgment.

"A cornered beast will fight to the death?"

Beneath the mask, a chilling whisper, devoid of any emotion, emanated, like a cold wind blowing from the depths of hell.

His gaze swept over the edge of the Four Symbols Sealing Array.

There, several Crimson Scale Python elders who had miraculously escaped being devoured head-on by the Flame Dragon were frantically burning their life essence.

A blinding crimson light erupted from their bodies as they worked together to activate an ancient, cracked, tortoise-shell-shaped artifact, attempting to tear a gap for escape through the solidified, iron-like spatial barrier.

The tortoise shell glowed and dimmed, the spatial barrier trembled violently, and cracks appeared and disappeared.

"Stone Formation!"

Zhang Yuan's voice came through the Ten Directions Guardian Order.

In an instant, it transformed into a clear torrent of will, crashing into the depths of the souls of the eight hundred cultivators in the Rock Battle Formation.

Once the order was given, the formation changed instantly!
On the high ground on the west side of the canyon, the eight hundred cultivators of the Rock Formation roared in unison, their voices shaking the mountains.

The hand seals in their hands instantly changed from the harmonious protection of the Xuan Jade to the chilling freezing of the Nine Netherworlds!

The moisture, the undried blood mist, and even the scorching white smoke rising from the magma on the battlefield made a soft "crackling" sound before this sudden, extreme chill originating from the chaos of the void, and instantly condensed into countless crystal-clear ice crystals!
Temperatures plummeted!

The scorching battlefield seemed to have been instantly plunged into an abyss of eternal ice.

At the heart of the formation, the disciple of the Rock Venerable stood with his hair and beard bristling, his face as solemn as iron.

He frantically formed hand seals with all ten fingers of both hands at a speed beyond the reach of the naked eye.

The complex and mysterious trajectory left afterimages in the air, eventually condensing into a profound magic seal resembling a coiled serpent.

"Mysterious Netherworld—True Water Seal! Suppress!"

With a roar bursting from the depths of his throat, the immense power of the Xuan Jade gathered by the Rock Array was completely transformed into a deep, ink-black, chilling current that seemed capable of swallowing all light!

The cold air rapidly collapsed and condensed above the formation!
"Boom!"

A massive square seal, hundreds of feet tall, jet black like ink jade, radiating an unparalleled pressure that could freeze everything and pierce through the void, suddenly took shape!

On the seal, mysterious serpentine Dao patterns moved like living things, exuding an aura of annihilation from the deepest part of the Nine Netherworlds.

The giant seal, carrying an overwhelming weight, disregarded spatial distance and instantly appeared above the heads of the several red-scaled python elders!
"Do not--!"

In the despairing pupils of the several Crimson Scale Python elders, the dark jade seal that blotted out the sky was reflected.

The ancient tortoise shell treasures they activated by burning their life essence were like thin ice under the scorching sun before the absolute cold and suppressive power emanating from the Xuanming True Water Seal. They didn't even have time to utter a mournful cry before they shattered into countless ice shards with a "crack"!
The giant seal crashed down!

Time seemed to freeze for a moment.

The next moment, a teeth-grinding "sizzle" sound rang out.

Several Crimson Scale Python elders at the peak of the Saint Realm, along with the hundred-foot space around them, were instantly frozen by an absolute zero chill! They maintained their ferocious postures of struggling and roaring to the sky, yet they resembled the most exquisite black glass sculptures.

Immediately afterwards, a faint light flashed on the giant black jade seal.

"Oh!"

The ice sculpture, along with the frozen void, silently transformed into countless tiny black ice crystals that drifted down.

Before it even touched the magma below, it was completely vaporized by the high temperature and disappeared without a trace.

Absolute silence enveloped the remaining space of the lava canyon.

The surviving elite demons trapped in the Four Symbols Prison Formation, whether they were the ferocious Xuanjia Crocodile or the sinister Blackwater Xuan Snake, were all frozen in place.

In their enormous demonic eyes, only boundless fear and deathly despair remained.

The will to resist, along with the hope of survival, was utterly crushed by the raging flames that scorched the heavens and boiled the seas, and by the icy seal that froze the void.

The overall situation is decided!

The lava canyon has become a burial ground for the demon race!
----------------

Seven days later.

The smoke from the lava canyon has not yet completely dissipated.

But the raging flames had already been extinguished.

All that remains is the jagged, twisted, black, glassy ground that was formed after being melted and cooled, covering the entire bottom of the canyon like a huge scar on the earth.

The air was thick with the smell of burning and sulfur, as well as the lingering stench of blood.

Outside the canyon, a huge temporary triumphant camp stood, its banners fluttering in the wind.

Besides the emblems representing the various garrison posts, a newly made, bright red flag fluttering in the wind was particularly eye-catching.

At the center of the flag is a huge, ancient "fire" character that looks like it is burning fiercely, outlined by dark gold chaotic lightning patterns!

Inside the camp, the atmosphere was like a volcano about to erupt.

Tens of thousands of human cultivators, whether from Xuanyu Temple, Panshi Temple, Tianjian Temple or the other 130-plus garrison temples, were all dressed in standard dark blue battle robes, their armor gleaming, and lined up neatly in the order of the eight battle formations.

Their faces, weary, were replaced by an almost fanatical excitement, their eyes bright as stars, fixed on the highest command platform in the center of the camp.

As the figure in black armor stepped onto the high platform, all sound vanished instantly.

Tens of thousands of eyes converged, filled with reverence, fervor, gratitude... a range of emotions that felt like a tangible heatwave, almost igniting the air.

The five pillars of the human race from the Chensha River war zone—the Rock Venerable, the Heavenly Sword Venerable, the Spirit Rhyme Venerable, the Mighty Power Venerable, and the Cloud Mist Venerable—are now positioned on either side of the high platform, as if guarding it.

Their eyes also held undisguised praise and expectation.

The Venerable Rock stepped forward.

His ancient face was now radiant with divine light, and his voice, like a resounding bell, carried throughout the entire camp with the aid of magic, even echoing between the scorched cliffs of the distant canyon:
"In the Battle of Lava Gorge! Seven Demon Kings were slain! One hundred and thirty-six Demon Generals were destroyed! Countless Demon Generals and soldiers were slaughtered!"

"The main forces of the Crimson Scale Python, the Black Armored Crocodile, and the Black Water Serpent have all perished here! The demonic forces in the lower reaches of the Sunken Sand River have lost their arrogance. This is a great victory unprecedented in a century!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying a metallic quality:

"The greatest credit for this battle belongs to Zhang Yuan!"

"Wow——!"

A thunderous roar of cheers erupted instantly, the sound waves soaring into the sky and causing the flags around the camp to wave wildly!
Countless arms were raised high, their clenched fists seemingly ready to tear the sky apart!
"Fire General!"

"Fire General!!"

"Fire General!!!"

This title, born from the heartfelt sentiments of tens of thousands of cultivators, carries unparalleled power, spreading far and wide like a tangible shockwave.

The scorched earth in the canyon trembled, and even the turbid waves of the Chensha River seemed to pause.

The Venerable Rock raised his hand, suppressing the deafening roar, and continued to proclaim, each word carrying immense weight:
"After a joint decision by the Venerable Guardians of the Chensha River War Zone, and with the approval of the Hundred Temples Guardian Office and the Thousand Temples Guardian Hall!"

"Zhang Yuan is hereby promoted to Commander of the Hundred Garrison! He shall command the hundred garrison gates along the lower reaches of the Shensha River, organize the troops and prepare for war, and be in charge of conquest! He shall be granted a 'Burning Heaven Decree', and receiving the decree shall be as if the deity himself were present!"

A palm-sized token, neither gold nor jade, flew out of the Rock Venerable's hand and hovered in front of Zhang Yuan.

The token was entirely crimson, like solidified magma.

The front features a dark gold "fire" character identical to that on the flag, while the back is an embossed design of a hundred miniature mountain peaks guarding the command emblem.

A faint aura of the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire emanated from it, exuding unparalleled dominance.

Zhang Yuan extended his armored hand and firmly grasped the "Burning Heaven Token".

It was scalding hot to the touch, as if I were holding a burning fragment of a star.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over the token. When he raised it again, a calm yet powerful voice emanated from beneath his mask:

"Zhang Yuan, obey the order. The war will not end until the demon race is destroyed!"

"As long as the demon race is destroyed, the war will never end!" Below, countless garrison commanders shouted in unison.

"Greetings, Commander!"

"Greetings, Fire Commander!"

Loud shouts resounded throughout the world.

The human race guards the primordial wilderness, with 38 million guarding the temple. How many years has it been since such a great victory was achieved?
All eyes turned to Zhang Yuan, each one burning with intensity.

The name "Fire Marshal" spread far and wide, making people forget his real name, Zhang Yuan.

……

One hundred thousand miles away.

The Xuanyu Temple is shrouded in a protective mountain formation.

Inside the council hall, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, yet it could not dispel the oppressive atmosphere and the scheming.

Acting abbot Zhao Kun sat upright in the main seat at the head of the table, his fingers unconsciously stroking the smooth sandalwood armrest, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

The trusted elders below stood with their hands at their sides, not daring to utter a sound.

"Fire General, Commander of the Hundred Views..."

Zhao Kun muttered to himself, his voice filled with indescribable complex emotions, including intense jealousy that almost burned through his heart and lungs.

There was a hint of suppressed fear, but more than that, there was a distorted, fanatical longing, as if one had seen a shortcut to heaven.

"A single battle to become a god, commanding all temples! What power! What glory! If my Xuanyu Temple could produce such a figure, no, if I could..."

He gripped the handrail tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Then, a smug and confident sneer appeared on his face: "What a pity, such an overwhelming glory is not something that short-lived Zhang Yuan and his bunch of fools, Qing Xuanzi, can enjoy!"

"Lava Canyon, a scorching inferno? Hmph, even the Nine-Headed Nether Serpent was defeated. They were trapped inside; by now, they've probably already turned to ashes and their souls have been scattered!" (End of Chapter)