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

Under the leadership of the Heavenly Court, the Spirit Crystal System was vigorously promoted, and in just a few years, the primordial land was completely transformed.

The entire prehistoric world presented an unprecedented scene of prosperity.

However, some are happy while others are sad.

The West, Mount Ling.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was as oppressive as solidified lead.

Jieyin sat cross-legged on a twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit, his face ashen, his eyes tightly closed, and the Buddhist light surrounding him dim as if it might be extinguished at any moment. Zhunti stood in the hall, pacing back and forth, his face ashen, the Bodhi prayer beads in his hands almost worn out from being handled so much.

Outside the hall, the faint sound of chanting could be heard, but it was weak and listless, completely lacking its usual solemnity and grandeur.

"Senior Brother!" Zhunti abruptly stopped, his voice filled with barely suppressed anger. "This can't go on! That brat Xuanbao is pushing the spirit crystals; he's clearly trying to sever the foundation of our Western Paradise!"

Jieyin slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with bitterness: "Junior brother, how could I not know? That Spirit Crystal system, guaranteed by the Heavenly Court's trust, based on innate spiritual energy, and marked with the Treasure-Falling Coins as its anti-counterfeiting seal, is intricately linked and flawless. Now, eight or nine out of ten races of the primordial world have been incorporated into the Spirit Crystal system. My Western..."

He paused, his voice growing even deeper: "Although the ley lines of the Western lands have been restored, the foundation is too weak; there are hardly any spirit stones left. Now that spirit crystals are circulating, Western cultivators are flocking out to the East in search of opportunities. In the past few months, more than 30% of the myriad races of the West have left..."

"Thirty percent?!" Zhunti's pupils constricted sharply, and his voice suddenly rose. "Senior brother! This is the very foundation upon which our Western Sect was founded! If things continue like this, within ten thousand years, our Western Sect will likely exist in name only!"

After a long silence, Jieyin slowly said, "Junior brother, have you ever considered why that brat Xuanbao chose this particular time to promote spirit crystals?"

Zhunti was taken aback, then his expression turned even more grim: "Senior brother, do you mean... he did it on purpose?"

……

Jieyin seems to think he's not very smart, so why is he targeting us? Xuanbao has never considered us as opponents at all.

Ugh! I'm so tired.

"Whether it was intentional or opportunistic," Jieyin sighed. "Since the Primordial Holy Assembly, the fortunes of the West have plummeted. That little brat, the Heavenly Emperor, attained the Primordial Dao, with the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu all backing him; the Heavenly Court's power is at its zenith. His promotion of spirit crystals, ostensibly to facilitate trade in the primordial world, is actually..."

"What is it actually?"

"In reality, the goal is to completely control the prehistoric world through this method!" A glint of light flashed in Jieyin's eyes. "Once the spirit crystal system is fully established, the cultivation, trade, and daily life of all races in the prehistoric world will be inseparable from spirit crystals. And the right to issue spirit crystals will be in the hands of the Heavenly Court. At that time, the Heavenly Court will not need a single soldier; simply by adjusting the issuance volume and exchange rate of spirit crystals, it can easily influence the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of all races in the prehistoric world!"

In fact, the prehistoric world is not lacking in intelligent people. You will soon realize what kind of spiritual crystal system Xuanbao promoted is, and there is no solution to it.

If others have spirit crystals, you must have them too, otherwise you will be isolated and fall behind. So you have no choice but to grit your teeth and join if you can't beat them.

Thus, they were completely controlled.

Zhunti gasped, "What ruthless methods! This is even more vicious than directly launching a military campaign!"

"What's even more terrifying," Jieyin continued, "is that the terrifying speed of cultivation brought by those spirit crystals is fatally attractive to cultivators below the Saint level. Now, in order to obtain spirit crystals, cultivators of the Primordial World are flocking to the Heavenly Court and accepting its rule. If this continues, the Heavenly Court's rule will become deeply ingrained in people's hearts, and my Western..."

He didn't continue, but the meaning was already clear.

Zhunti gritted his teeth: "That brat Xuanbao first made the West lose face at the Hunyuan Holy Assembly, then he allowed the Three Pure Ones to strike my Mount Ling with Chaos Divine Thunder for eighty-one days, and now he's using Spirit Crystals to undermine us! Senior Brother, I can't swallow this!"

"We have to swallow it, even if we can't," Jieyin said bitterly. "Now that little brat, the Heavenly Emperor, is already a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, with the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu all aiding him. The Heavenly Court's influence is spread throughout the prehistoric world. What can we, the West... possibly use to compete?"

"What should we do?!" Zhunti almost roared.

Jieyin closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

Just then, a Buddha stumbled into the hall, his voice trembling with sobs: "Holy One! Something terrible has happened! More than a dozen tribes have all migrated away, they've all... they've all fled to the East!"

"What?!" Zhunti whirled around, and the Seven Treasures Tree emitted a sharp Buddhist light, forcing the Buddha back three steps. "What did you say?!"

The Buddha trembled with fear, but still forced himself to speak: "Your Majesty, those races said... that the spiritual energy in the West is thin, and cultivation resources are scarce, so staying in the West means there's no hope of advancement. But in the East, there's the Heavenly Court's protection, and spiritual crystals to aid cultivation, offering a bright future... so they all left..."

"Damn it!" Zhunti roared, his body radiating a burst of Buddhist light that shook the entire Mahavira Hall. "Those ungrateful bastards! We in the West supported them, taught them 800 different sects, and yet they betrayed us like this!"

Jieyin opened his eyes, his gaze filled with exhaustion: "Junior brother, calm down. People are driven by self-interest. Those spirit crystals can accelerate cultivation, weaken heavenly tribulations, and be exchanged for resources... Compared to that, the ascetic practices of my Western cultivation are indeed less appealing."

"So we're just going to sit here and wait to die?" Zhunti's eyes were full of resentment.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with endless bitterness and resolve.

"If all else fails... we'll have to ask that person for help." The guide's voice was hoarse, as if uttering those few words had exhausted all his strength.

Zhunti shuddered, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes: "Senior brother! You mean...that person? But...but that's the greatest taboo in our West! We've managed to keep it a secret for so long! If we release him, I hope we'll be wiped out."

"If we don't let go, the Western Sect will exist in name only." Jieyin slowly rose, his withered fingers gripping the prayer beads tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. "That brat Emperor of Heaven is pushing the Spirit Crystals, pressing forward step by step, leaving the West no way out. The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu are all his allies. If we confront him head-on, we have no chance of winning. Only... by relying on external forces can we break this deadlock."

Zhunti's expression shifted rapidly. After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and said, "But that one... is Rahu! During the conflict between the Dao and the Demonic Realms, he fought a great battle with Hongjun, unleashing a devastating catastrophe that nearly destroyed the primordial world! We only managed to obtain two fierce weapons and seal him here, already taking an enormous risk. If we release him, the first people he'll likely kill are us!"

"Not necessarily." A deep light flashed in Jieyin's eyes. "Luo Hou hates Hongjun, hates the Heavenly Dao, and hates the primordial world created by Pangu. And now, Hongjun's condition is also not right. The Heavenly Court is all-powerful... Luo Hou's enemies overlap with our enemies."

He paused, his voice low and almost a murmur: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Even if it's just a temporary friend."

Zhunti remained silent for a long time before finally nodding dejectedly: "...Very well. Rather than waiting to die, we might as well take a gamble. Senior brother, let's go."

Two beams of Buddhist light shot out from the Mahavira Hall, passing through layers of Buddhist light restrictions and penetrating deep into the sacred mountain.

Mount Ling is the core of the Western Paradise, a sacred site of Buddhism. However, beneath this peaceful Buddhist land lies a terrifying existence capable of overturning the primordial world.

Jieyin and Zhunti descended, passing through ninety-nine layers of Buddhist light barriers and over one hundred and eight Vajra formations, finally arriving at a hidden space that even the Buddha could not perceive.

This is a huge underground cave.

The cave was so vast it seemed boundless, its surrounding stone walls covered with countless sealing runes, each radiating pure, extinguishing Buddhist light, layered upon each other, weaving together to form a colossal seal. At the center of the cave stood a twelve-petaled, jet-black lotus platform—the Twelve-Petaled Black Lotus of Annihilation!

Beside the Black Lotus of Annihilation, a jet-black spear, radiating an overwhelming aura of ferocity, was embedded diagonally in the stone wall. The spear shaft was covered with dark red patterns, resembling dried blood, and at its tip, a cold glint flashed, as if it could pierce the void and annihilate all laws.

The God-Slaying Spear! A supreme innate treasure! A peerless weapon with the greatest attack power in the primordial world!

Between the world-destroying black lotus and the god-slaying spear, a figure was pierced by countless golden chains and suspended in mid-air.

The man was dressed in a black robe, his handsome face bearing an eerie pallor, his eyes tightly closed as if he were asleep. Yet, between his brows, there was an aura of domineering arrogance and disdain for the world. Even after being sealed for countless eons, his overwhelming demonic power still caused the air in the entire cave to freeze.

Rahu!

The former Demon Ancestor! A peerless villain who ignited the conflict between the Dao and the Demonic Path and nearly destroyed the primordial world!

Jieyin and Zhunti stood at the entrance of the cave, gazing at the sealed figure, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Senior brother...do you really want to release him?" Zhunti's voice trembled slightly.

"We have no other choice." Jieyin took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and his body radiated a burst of Buddhist light. "Attack!"

Jieyin and Zhunti attacked simultaneously, their two vast saintly powers transforming into two golden pillars of light that crashed into the sealing lotus platform in the center of the cave!

"boom--!!!"

The entire sacred mountain trembled violently! Countless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats flew out of their caves in terror, looking into the depths of the sacred mountain, only to see a dazzling golden light intertwined with black light, as if the end of the world had arrived!

Under the combined impact of the two sages, the sealed lotus platform began to show fine cracks. The golden chains intertwined with Rahu's body creaked under the strain, and runes began to disintegrate and dissipate.

"Not enough!" Jieyin uttered in a low voice, biting his tongue and spitting out a mouthful of blood essence. The blood essence transformed into a ball of golden flame, merging into the sealing lotus platform and accelerating the disintegration of the seal.

Seeing this, Zhunti gritted his teeth and threw out the Seven Treasures Tree. The Seven Treasures Tree transformed into seven streams of seven-colored light, like seven sharp blades, slashing fiercely at the golden chains!

"Snap—!"

The first chain broke!

"Snap—!"

The second chain broke!

Immediately afterwards, the third, the fourth... all the golden chains broke under the full force of Jieyin and Zhunti's attacks!

At the very moment the last chain broke—

"Buzz—!!!"

An overwhelming demonic power erupted, like an ancient ferocious beast awakening after sleeping for billions of years!

The entire sacred mountain seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, trembling violently! Countless cracks spread across the mountain's surface like a spider web, and golden Buddhist light intertwined and collided with pitch-black demonic energy, emitting a deafening roar!

Those Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who were unable to escape were affected by this terrifying demonic power, and they all spat out blood. Those with weaker cultivation were even directly shaken so that their primordial spirits collapsed and they died on the spot!

"Amitabha..." Jieyin closed his eyes, chanting the Buddha's name, his face full of sorrow. He knew that releasing Rahu would inevitably involve sacrifices. But for the survival of the Western Paradise, these sacrifices were necessary.

In the center of the cave, the figure that had been sealed for countless eons slowly opened its eyes.

What kind of eyes were those?

It was as dark as an abyss, as if it could devour all light; as cold as a frozen pool, as if it could freeze all life; as arrogant as an emperor, as if it looked down on the world and didn't care about anyone.

Luo Hou slowly moved his stiff body, his joints cracking. He looked down at the remaining sealing runes on his body, a cold and mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Jieyin...Zhunti...you two juniors, have you finally realized you're afraid?"

His voice was hoarse and deep, yet it possessed a strange magic, as if it could penetrate directly into the soul, instilling fear in people involuntarily.

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, both feeling a chill run down their spines. Although they were both saints, they felt a sense of oppression when facing Rahu, as if facing a superior. They had never felt this way, not even when facing the Three Pure Ones.

"Senior Rahu," Jieyin suppressed the trembling in his heart, clasped his hands together, and said in a deep voice, "We have come here to ask you for a favor."

"Beg me?" Rahu slowly turned around, his gaze falling on Jieyin and Zhunti. The mockery on his lips deepened. "You two juniors, you took advantage of my serious injuries to ambush me and sealed me in this dark and sunless underground for countless eons. Now, you come to beg me? Do you think I'll agree?"

Zhunti's face paled, and he instinctively gripped the Bodhi jewel tighter.

Jieyin remained calm, his expression unchanged, and said, "Senior misunderstands. What happened back then was Hongjun's will. We were merely acting under orders, and had no choice in the matter. Now, Hongjun has suffered a calamity, the Heavenly Court is all-powerful, and the prehistoric world is about to descend into chaos. I believe that perhaps Senior and the Western Sect could cooperate."

"Cooperation?" Rahu sneered. "I, Rahu, have roamed the chaos and stirred up the conflict between the Dao and the Demonic. When have I ever needed to cooperate with anyone? Your Western Sect has only now remembered me because you've been driven to the brink by that brat, the Heavenly Emperor. How laughable."

After a moment of silence, Jieyin slowly said, "Senior, you are indeed incredibly powerful, but the current Heavenly Emperor Xuanbao is already a Primordial Golden Immortal, with the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Houtu all as his allies, and the Heavenly Court's influence spreading throughout the prehistoric world. If Senior wishes to take revenge, I'm afraid that relying solely on your own strength..."

"Afraid of what?" A cold glint flashed in Rahu's eyes, and a terrifying demonic aura erupted, directly forcing Jieyin and Zhunti back three steps. "Are you threatening me?"

"This junior dares not." Jieyin steadied himself, remaining neither humble nor arrogant. "This junior is merely stating the facts. If senior is willing to cooperate with the Western Sect, we two are willing to devote all the power of the Western Sect to help senior take revenge. After the matter is accomplished, the Primordial World will be jointly governed by senior and the Heavenly Court, and the Western Sect only seeks a pure land to pass on the Dharma."

Luo Hou's eyes flickered, as if he was weighing the pros and cons.

After a long silence, he suddenly smiled. The smile was cold and sinister, carrying a confidence that suggested he controlled everything.

"Okay. I promise you."