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

The news was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up countless ripples in the vast wilderness.

Longevity Hill, Wuzhuang Temple.

Zhen Yuanzi was wandering in the void beneath the ginseng fruit tree, comprehending the Great Dao of the Earth's veins, when suddenly a sharp pain shot through his heart, as if an invisible hand had gripped it tightly. He abruptly opened his eyes, his fingers calculating, but the secrets of heaven were shrouded in chaos. Only the causal thread concerning Hongyun had suddenly dimmed, almost severed!

"Brother Hongyun!" Zhen Yuanzi suddenly stood up, his usually calm face showing shock, anger, and panic for the first time. He and Hongyun were close friends since the beginning of time, their friendship far exceeding ordinary friendship. This sudden outburst must mean that something terrible had happened to Hongyun.

Just as he was preparing to expend his own life force to forcibly deduce Hongyun's whereabouts, a servant boy outside reported: "Master, Fuxi has come to visit, saying he has urgent business!"

Fuxi? Shouldn't he be at Phoenix Perch Mountain handling the aftermath of the Heavenly Marriage right now? Zhen Yuanzi's heart sank, a sense of foreboding rising within him. He quickly said, "Please come in!"

Fuxi, his face etched with worry, hurried inside. Without exchanging pleasantries, he recounted in detail how Hongyun, after leaving Phoenix Perch Mountain, had been ambushed by Dijun and Taiyi, nearly losing his body and soul. He was only saved by Xuanbao's "life-risking rescue," and was now barely clinging to life at Phoenix Perch Mountain, gathering the power of the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa. In his words, he emphasized the arrogance of the Demon Court and the timeliness and difficulty of Xuanbao's rescue, even mentioning that Xuanbao had "sacrificed his own Dao essence" to stabilize Hongyun's primordial spirit.

As for why Fuxi described the matter as so difficult, it was naturally because Xuanbao had told him beforehand. If he didn't make it sound difficult, how could he evoke a sense of guilt in others?

As for whether Zhen Yuanzi would know that Xuanbao took Hongyun away without lifting a finger, that's impossible. Not to mention the heavenly secrets that Dijun and Taiyi had disrupted before they even made their move, the Three Pure Ones are no pushovers either. As for the Heavenly Court saying that Xuanbao didn't even lift a finger, no one else would believe it. So, even if it's not shit, it's still shit.

"My brother... he is now..." Zhen Yuanzi swayed slightly, his hands clenched tightly in his sleeves. The earth seemed to tremble slightly with his emotions. If this place were not one of the central veins of the primordial earth, suppressed by the Book of Earth and the spiritual root, the earth would have already shaken.

"His life is temporarily out of danger, but his primordial spirit is severely damaged, and his Dao foundation is almost completely destroyed. Awakening and recovery... are far off." Fuxi sighed. "My younger sister and fellow Daoists Sanqing are doing their utmost to save him, but this calamity for Daoist Hongyun is truly... alas. My nephew Xuanbao insisted that I come personally to inform you, brother, because of the deep bond between you and Daoist Hongyun..."

Zhen Yuanzi remained silent for a long time, his aura gradually transforming from initial violent grief into a deep, cold rage as solid as a mountain. He looked towards Phoenix Perch Mountain, then towards the Thirty-Three Heavens, his eyes seeming to see the earth's veins surging, dragons and snakes rising from the land.

"Thank you for conveying this message, Fellow Daoist Fuxi." Zhen Yuanzi's voice was hoarse, yet carried an undeniable resolve. "My virtuous brother Hongyun has suffered a calamity; this is an irreconcilable enmity. The Demon Court... Dijun, Taiyi... Very well, very well. Please also inform the Sage Nuwa, Fellow Daoists Sanqing, and young friend Xuanbao that Zhen Yuanzi is deeply grateful for your great kindness in saving Hongyun. I will personally go to Phoenix Perch Mountain to express my gratitude and discuss... the follow-up matters with you all."

He emphasized the word "follow-up" very heavily, the meaning of which was self-evident.

The Thirty-Three Heavens, the Lingxiao Palace.

Di Jun sat high on the Heavenly Emperor's throne with a gloomy expression, while Tai Yi stood beside him, his face equally grim. Several other demon saints and demon gods who had participated in or observed the matter held their breath in concentration.

"Useless!" Emperor Jun slammed his fist on the imperial desk, causing the entire palace to vibrate. "Several quasi-sages joined forces to lay a trap, yet they failed to kill Hongyun immediately, allowing that brat Xuanbao to rescue him right under their noses? And now the whole prehistoric world knows, saying that my Heavenly Court openly intercepted and killed guests who came to offer congratulations, showing disrespect to the sages?!"

Taiyi said in a deep voice, "Brother, please calm down. It seems that Xuanbao has a supreme treasure concealing the secrets of heaven. It suddenly appeared and took advantage of Hongyun's self-destruction to steal her remnant soul. Moreover, now the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa have gathered at Phoenix Perch Mountain, clearly intending to protect Hongyun."

"Protect it?" Di Jun sneered. "Hongyun is already useless, what's the use of protecting her? It's just a show for Zhen Yuanzi and all the beings in the primordial world! The Three Pure Ones and Nuwa are using this incident to win over the hearts of the people and suppress the prestige of my Heavenly Court!"

At this moment, Di Jun was furious to the extreme. The foundation for becoming a saint was right in front of him, but he failed to grasp it.

Just then, Yingzhao, who had joined the attack, slowly spoke up: "Your Majesty, the news has now spread, which is indeed unfavorable to our Heavenly Court. However, things have come to this point, and now that the Sages have intervened, the Primordial Purple Qi on Hongyun's body... is probably untouchable for the time being. The most urgent task is how to deal with the attacks from Zhen Yuanzi and the Three Pure Ones. Zhen Yuanzi holds the Book of Earth; if he is determined to be an enemy of our Heavenly Court, our Heavenly Court's power will be constrained at every turn."

Ji Meng also said hoarsely, "That's right. Moreover, this time we failed to achieve complete success and instead got ourselves into trouble. Those parties who were secretly lurking and trying to fish in troubled waters are probably watching the show now, and may even be... itching to make a move."

These words made the atmosphere in the hall even more oppressive. Golden flames flickered in Di Jun's eyes; he knew all too well that this operation had backfired spectacularly. Not only had they failed to obtain the purple energy, but they had also given the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa an excellent excuse to expand their influence, and had thoroughly enraged Zhen Yuanzi, their formidable opponent.

"Pass down the order," Di Jun took a deep breath, suppressing his anger and regaining the majesty of the Heavenly Emperor. "Announce to the public that after Fellow Daoist Hongyun left Phoenix Perch Mountain, our Heavenly Court soldiers were on their routine patrol when the Primordial Purple Qi on Fellow Daoist Hongyun's body caused an anomaly in the celestial sphere, leading to a misunderstanding and conflict. Our Heavenly Court deeply regrets Fellow Daoist Hongyun's plight and is willing to provide spiritual medicine to help him heal. As for Xuanbao... he is young and impetuous, eager to save lives, which led to friction with our patrol soldiers, and this is understandable."

This is undoubtedly a desperate attempt to save face, portraying a premeditated ambush as a "misunderstanding" and "friction." But before a complete breakdown in relations and a full-scale war with the saint's camp are even underway, this is a necessary cover-up.

There's no other way; the demon race can't afford to offend a saint these days, so they have to avoid their sharp edge and back down.

"Furthermore," Di Jun's gaze swept over the assembled entourage, "intensify the practice of the Zhou Tian Star Array, and closely monitor the movements in Wanshou Mountain, Kunlun, Fengqi Mountain, and other places. Also, those who were nearby that day but stood idly by or even tried to take a share of the spoils... find an opportunity to give them a good talking-to."

"Yes!" His Highness and the others responded in unison, each with their own thoughts.

Deep in the sea of ​​blood.

The Blood God Child clone of the Styx Ancestor returned and merged with his main body, who was sitting on the futon. He slowly opened his eyes, and the phantom of the immortal sword, brimming with sword energy and killing intent, flashed behind him and disappeared.

"Red Cloud... is ruined. Purple Qi... is hopeless for now." Styx's voice was dry. "Xuanbao... the Three Pure Ones... are quite cunning. They gained fame and also pulled Zhen Yuanzi in. Di Jun and Taiyi have only made wedding dresses for others."

His eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty light: "However, the muddier the waters, the more opportunities there are. The saints are vying for it, the demon court is vying for it, and my Netherworld Blood Sea cannot fall behind. Although Red Cloud is gone, that purple aura still remains... and that Xuanbao holds many secrets..."

Throughout the primordial world, powerful beings were engaged in much discussion.

Xi Kunlun, the Queen Mother of the West put down her jade cup and frowned slightly: "The Demon Court has acted too hastily and lost its sense of proportion this time. The Three Pure Ones have reacted swiftly and planned far ahead. This primordial world is unlikely to be peaceful."

On the Western Paradise, the Guide Daoist looked sorrowful, while the Zhunti Daoist's eyes gleamed: "Senior Brother, Hongyun has suffered a calamity, and we still have a great karmic debt with him. The karmic debt of becoming a saint is not so easy to repay. Although our Western Paradise is barren, perhaps... we could take this opportunity..."

Deep in the North Sea. Kunpeng opened his deep eyes and snorted coldly: "Di Jun and Tai Yi, you're incompetent! Xuan Bao, you brat, ruined my plans! Zhen Yuanzi... the Book of Earth..." His figure slowly merged into the shadows of the palace, seemingly plotting something.