Primordial Era: I am a treasure trove, full of magical treasures.

The wedding banquet was drawing to a close, with guests and hosts enjoying themselves, and auspicious clouds swirling around Phoenix Perch Mountain.

Hongyun drank the last cup of nectar, her cheeks slightly flushed, and smiled at Zhen Yuanzi beside her, saying, "Brother Daoist, Fellow Daoist Fuxi has achieved a heavenly marriage with the two Taiyin Goddesses. The Heavenly Dao has bestowed such a vast amount of merit upon him, which is truly enviable."

Zhen Yuanzi stroked his beard and smiled, but there was a hint of solemnity in his eyes: "Merit is good, but one must be alive to enjoy it. The secrets of heaven are becoming increasingly chaotic, and the aura of calamity is surging. Although our cultivation is profound, we should still act with caution. Especially since you possess that Primordial Purple Qi, countless eyes are secretly coveting it."

Zhen Yuanzi really wanted to persuade his close friend Hongyun. Nowadays, who in the prehistoric world doesn't covet the Primordial Purple Qi on Hongyun's body? If Hongyun weren't his close friend, he probably wouldn't be able to resist snatching it, after all, it is the foundation for becoming a saint.

Hongyun waved his hand, his expression still magnanimous: "Brother Dao is overthinking it. Those who listen to the Dao in Zixiao Palace are all true cultivators with the Dao, how could they do such a thing as forcibly seizing it? Moreover, I ask myself if I have many friends and treat people kindly, and I have never made any life-or-death enemies. If someone really wants to take this item, then it is fate, and cannot be forced."

Hearing Zhen Yuanzi's advice, Hongyun didn't take it seriously. After all, he was one of the strongest people in the prehistoric world, and with his unparalleled speed, the number of people who could defeat him could be counted on one hand...

"You..." Zhen Yuanzi shook his head and sighed, "It's just that you're too soft-hearted and think too kindly of people. Well, the banquet is over, let's hurry back to Wuzhuang Temple. My ginseng fruit tree will be ripe soon, I'll invite you to taste it and discuss the Dao for a few days."

Just as the two were about to get up and take their leave, Hongyun suddenly frowned and put her hand to her chest.

"What's wrong?" Zhen Yuanzi immediately noticed.

Hongyun looked puzzled and took out a feather that shimmered with seven colors from his sleeve. This feather was an ordinary object, but now it inexplicably emitted a faint but anxious fluctuation, as if it were asking him for help.

"This is..." A look of reminiscence flashed in Hongyun's eyes. "Years ago, when I was traveling in the East Sea, I saved a seven-colored lark. This lark was quite intelligent, and before parting, it gave me this natal feather. I can sense things through this, and if I ever need its help, I can just ask. But for tens of thousands of years, there has never been any movement from it. How could it suddenly appear today..."

Before the words were finished, the feather shone with a brilliant seven-colored light, projecting a distorted fragment of memory into the void, which then appeared in Hongyun's sea of ​​consciousness.

Hongyun saw a blurry image flash before his eyes: a seven-colored lark covered in blood was trapped in a dangerous place where crimson flames and black weak water intertwined, and several fierce black shadows were closing in from all sides.

"Fire Stream?" Zhen Yuanzi frowned deeply. "This place is where Tianyan Mountain and Ruoshui Marsh meet, where Yin and Yang are reversed and the Five Elements clash, making it extremely dangerous. How could your old friend, Yun Que, be trapped here?"

Hongyun abruptly stood up, her face filled with anxiety: "The lark loves to roam, it must have wandered into dangerous territory and encountered its enemies. When I rescued it years ago, it said that its entire clan was wiped out by the ferocious beast 'Nine-Headed Serpent' of the East Sea, and only it managed to escape. It seems that the descendants of its enemies have found it!"

"Don't rush." ​​Zhen Yuanzi pressed down on Hongyun's arm, his eyes filled with even more vigilance. "This is too much of a coincidence. The Heavenly Marriage has just ended, and you've already received a distress call, and the location just so happens to be the Flowing Fire Ravine, a place shrouded in chaos. Hongyun, you should think this through."

Seeing that Hongyun was going to such lengths for a completely unrelated lark, Zhen Yuanzi felt that there was something fishy about the matter. However, he also knew that Hongyun's personality was such that he couldn't be stopped. This was also the reason why he wanted to befriend Hongyun. After all, that was Hongyun's personality; he would truly give his heart and soul for his friends.

Hongyun watched the increasingly rapid light emanating from the feather in his hand; the fear and despair in its plea for help were unmistakable. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Brother Dao, I know your intentions are good. But those who cultivate the Dao believe in cause and effect. I saved it back then, thus establishing this karmic connection. Now that it is on the verge of death and pleading for help, if I were to stand by and watch it perish because of suspicion, how could my Dao heart be at peace? How would I overcome this mental obstacle in my future cultivation?"

Zhen Yuanzi sighed, knowing Hongyun's stubborn nature; once she made up her mind, it was impossible to change it. He pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, I will go with you. With the Book of Earth in hand, even if there are traps, we can protect you."

"No," Hongyun shook his head. "The Five Elements of Liuhuo Ravine are in disarray, and the connection between the Earth Book and the Earth's spiritual veins is blocked, greatly reducing its power. Moreover, if there really is a trap, the opponent will definitely come for me. Why should you take the risk, Brother Dao? I have my own escape technique to protect myself. Even if I am no match for them, I will be able to escape without any problem. Brother Dao, please return to Wuzhuang Temple first. I will come to find you after I rescue my old friend."

"You!" Zhen Yuanzi was furious, but he knew that Hongyun's words made some sense. Although the Earth Book was powerful, it was indeed difficult to unleash its full power in a place like Liuhuo Ravine. Moreover, if it was truly a trap set for Hongyun, his presence might only drive the mastermind even more mad.

"That's enough." Zhen Yuanzi took out three ginseng fruits from his sleeve, then plucked a yellow leaf transformed from the Earth Book, and solemnly handed it to Hongyun. "These three spiritual fruits can instantly restore your magical power and vitality. This yellow leaf from the Earth Book can transform into an 'Earth Barrier' in critical moments to protect you temporarily. Remember, if anything goes wrong, flee immediately. Don't be reckless!"

Hongyun accepted it, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Thank you very much, Brother Dao. I'll be right back."

After saying this, he bowed to Zhen Yuanzi, and his figure transformed into a streak of crimson cloud, disappearing into the sky in an instant, heading straight towards the direction of Liuhuojian.

Zhen Yuanzi watched him depart, his unease growing stronger. He calculated with his fingers, and indeed, the heavenly secrets were shrouded in chaos, with the direction of Liuhuojian shrouded in even deeper mist. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and fled in another direction—preparations for this matter had to be made as soon as possible.

Flowing Fire Ravine is a notoriously treacherous place in the primordial wilderness.

Above the heavens, crimson flames and pitch-black Weak Water intertwined eerily, forming a bizarre red and black curtain of light. The earth cracked, spewing forth subterranean fire, yet it was adjacent to the chilling Weak Water pool, the water and fire clashing and erupting in a continuous roar. The yin and yang energies were completely reversed here, and the five elements' spiritual energy surged wildly like a raging tide. An ordinary Golden Immortal would probably perish within a short time here.

Hongyun descended from the clouds, his crimson Taoist robe fluttering wildly amidst the raging spiritual energy. He focused his divine light, scanning his surroundings, and saw a seven-colored lark bound by a black chain where flames and weak water intertwined, its feathers scattered and its breath faint.

"Skylark!" Hongyun called out, about to step forward.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

The world suddenly went dark!

It wasn't that the sky was truly dark, but rather that the phantom images of 365 large stars suddenly appeared in the heavens, forming a mysterious array. The starlight, like a curtain, enveloped the entire Flowing Fire Ravine. Under the starlight, space seemed to freeze, time itself seemed to slow down, and even the roars of the earth fire and weak water subsided.

"The Celestial Star Formation!" Hongyun's pupils constricted sharply, alarm bells ringing in his mind. "Dijun! Taiyi! It's you!"

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, how have you been?"

Di Jun's voice came from the starlight, ethereal and uncertain. He, along with the two demon gods Ji Meng and Ying Zhao, stepped out from the star curtain, forming a triangle around Hong Yun. Although not all three hundred and sixty-five demon gods were present, this simplified version of the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Array, enhanced by the natural terrain of Liu Huo Ravine, still possessed terrifying power.

What made Hongyun even more disheartened was that high in the sky, the phantom of a chaotic bell appeared and disappeared, suppressing all the heavens and time—Donghuang Taiyi held the Chaos Bell, sealing off all possibilities of escape.

"What a celestial ruler! What a demon emperor!" Hongyun laughed in fury. "Impersonating an old friend, setting a trap to ambush you—such despicable methods, do you even deserve to rule the primordial world?"

Di Jun's expression was indifferent: "The victor is king, the loser is villain. What's so despicable about this? Hongyun, hand over the Primordial Purple Qi, and I may spare a sliver of your true spirit for reincarnation. Otherwise, today I will annihilate you, body and soul, for all eternity."

"Want the purple aura?" Hongyun sneered, his crimson aura erupting from his body, unleashing his quasi-saintly pressure without reservation, forcing the surrounding starlight back several feet. "Then come and take it yourself!"

Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly dispersed, transforming into a sky full of red clouds. Each cloud contained terrifying magical power and shot out in all directions—this was his unique escape technique, "Myriad Transformations Red Cloud Escape," which he relied on to roam the prehistoric world!

"Even a cornered beast will fight back." Di Jun coldly shouted, "Zhou Tian Xing Dou, suppress!"

Three hundred and sixty-five great stars shone simultaneously, their boundless star power transforming into chains that descended from the void, binding the layers of crimson clouds. The crimson clouds, transformed into clouds, darted left and right, striking the star chains with a clanging sound, causing the starlight to flicker, yet they could not break through.

"Red Clouds, you can't escape." Taiyi's voice came from the high heavens. The illusory image of the Chaos Bell trembled, time froze, and those red clouds were immediately trapped in the mud, their speed greatly reduced.

Di Jun raised his hand and pointed, and the Hetu and Luoshu flew out from his sleeve, evolving into the Eight Trigrams of the Primordial Era, stabilizing the earth, fire, wind, and water. Ji Meng and Ying Zhao attacked simultaneously, their true forms as demon gods manifesting. One manipulated the Weak Water to transform into a black dragon, and the other rode the Heavenly Fire to transform into a Vermilion Bird. Water and fire attacked each other, heading straight for Hong Yun's true form.

"Brother Zhenyuan, I'm sorry, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat your ginseng fruit anymore," Hongyun said with a bitter smile, but without hesitation, he swallowed a ginseng fruit.

A surge of vitality and magical power instantly filled his limbs and bones. He let out a long roar, his crimson Taoist robe fluttering in the wind, and his hands formed a hand seal: "Crimson clouds fill the sky, scorching heaven and boiling sea!"

The endless crimson clouds transformed into scarlet flames. These flames were no ordinary fire; they were the "True Crimson Cloud Fire," formed from his natal cloud energy, specifically designed to burn away divine souls and magical power. The flames collided with the star power chains, the water and fire black dragon, and the Vermilion Bird, unleashing a world-destroying power. The entire Flowing Fire Ravine shook violently, and cracks appeared in space.

"I underestimated you." A cold glint flashed in Di Jun's eyes. "However, this ends here. Zhou Tian Xing Dou, kill!"

The star array shifted again, with 365 large stars rotating like wheels, their starlight converging into a "sword of stars" that stretched across the heavens and earth, slashing down towards the red clouds! This sword strike drew upon the power of the stars throughout the heavens, locking in the cause and effect of time and space, making it unavoidable and unstoppable!

Hongyun's face turned deathly pale. Gritting his teeth, he summoned the Earth Book, Yellow Leaf. The yellow leaf unfurled, transforming into a thick barrier of Wu Earth, upon which illusory images of mountains, rivers, and the state flowed.

The Star Sword struck the barrier, unleashing a blinding light. The Earth Barrier trembled violently, the illusory image of mountains and rivers shattered inch by inch, and finally collapsed with a deafening roar. The power of the Star Sword was also greatly reduced, and the aftershocks swept across Hongyun, blasting him into spitting blood and sending him flying thousands of miles away, crashing into and collapsing several fiery peaks.

"Ugh—" Hongyun spat out another mouthful of blood, his breath weakening, and most of the cloud aura around him dissipated. He only had two ginseng fruits left in his hand, the yellow leaves of the Earth Book were destroyed, and the Zhou Tian Star Array was still running non-stop, with the Chaos Bell watching him menacingly high in the sky.

A desperate situation.

Hongyun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a resolute glint in his eyes. He looked at Dijun and suddenly laughed: "Dijun, do you think that killing me and seizing the Purple Qi will make you a saint? Your demon race slaughters living beings, burdened with karma. How could the Heavenly Dao allow you to become a saint? You cannot afford this Purple Qi!"

Di Jun's face darkened: "Stubborn to the end, kill!"

The Star Swords reunited, this time with even greater power, determined to utterly annihilate Hongyun.

At that very moment, another unexpected event occurred!