Primordial Era: A brick knocks Hongyun unconscious, and he seizes the throne at the start.

"trap!"

Lu Chen felt a chill run down his spine.

The radiance emanating from that primordial purple aura grew ever brighter, illuminating the entire fragmented space. Deep within the purple aura, the phantom of a Qilin flickered in and out of existence—it was none other than the Primordial Qilin!

"The First Qilin... how could it be him?!" Blood trickled from the corner of Hongyun's mouth, and his face was ashen.

Zhen Yuanzi swiftly summoned the Earth Book, its earth-yellow light protecting the four: "This purple aura has been tampered with; it contains a sealing restriction from the Qilin clan!"

The Queen Mother of the West's Kunlun Mirror spun, its light shining into the depths of the purple aura: "Not only the Primordial Qilin... but also the auras of the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan! This is a scheme orchestrated by the three clans!"

Before the words were finished, a wild laugh came from outside the wreckage:

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun, thank you for guiding us!"

Four figures broke through the barrier of chaos and stepped into the fragments.

The leader, with a bird's head and a human body and two wings on his back, was none other than the Kunpeng Ancestor—the future Demon Master, who was already at the early stage of Quasi-Saint!

The old man in the blood-red robe on the left stands on the Twelfth Grade Karmic Fire Lotus and holds the Yuan Tu and A Bi swords. He is the Styx Ancestor!

On the right are two men in golden robes, their bodies wreathed in the True Fire of the Sun: Di Jun and Tai Yi!

The four Quasi-Saints completely blocked their retreat.

"You...were lying in ambush here all along?" Hongyun wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes flashing with anger.

Kunpeng chuckled sinisterly, "Otherwise what? This Primordial Purple Qi was originally bait we released. We thought we could catch a big fish, but we didn't expect you, the kind old man, to take the bait."

"A decoy?" Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He understood instantly.

At the end of the Great Tribulation of the Three Races, the Ancestral Dragon, the Primordial Phoenix, and the Primordial Qilin all foresaw their demise. However, with the struggle for the Sainthood about to begin, they wanted to leave a way out for their races—so they joined forces to set up this scheme, using a fake Primordial Purple Qi as bait to trap and kill their competitors!

The executors are Kunpeng, Styx, and Dijun Taiyi, who are closely connected with the three races and will establish the demon race in the future!

"Such a deep scheme..." Zhen Yuanzi said in a deep voice, "The three clan leaders sealed the purple energy with their own blood essence. Anyone who touches it without the bloodline of the three clans will suffer a backlash. Fellow Daoist Hongyun, you have already been poisoned by the three clans' evil poison with that touch just now."

Hongyun's face turned even paler, and she indeed sensed three strange forces within her body eroding her primordial spirit.

"Hand over the Purple Qi, and I'll spare your lives." Styx's voice was icy, and the Yuan Tu Sword pointed at the crowd.

The illusory image of the Chaos Bell appeared in Taiyi's hand: "Or, die."

The four quasi-saints unleashed their combined pressure, causing the entire fragmented space to crumble.

Lu Chen and his three companions were overwhelmed and could hardly breathe—the strongest among them, Zhen Yuanzi, was only at the peak of the Great Luo realm, how could he possibly fight against four Quasi-Saints?

Desperate situation!

But Lu Chen's brain was working at lightning speed.

Fake Primordial Purple Qi... Three Races Seal... Evil Poison...

He suddenly remembered the Qilin core in the Qiankun Diagram, as well as the Yuanfeng core and the residual aura of the Ancestral Dragon's Reverse Scale!

"Perhaps... we can counter it!"

He secretly transmitted his voice to Hongyun: "Senior, trust me this once. When I say 'Attack,' you should attack the Qilin seal on the surface of the purple aura with all your might!"

Hongyun was taken aback, but seeing Lu Chen's determined eyes, she gritted her teeth and nodded.

"Have you reached an agreement?" Kunpeng asked impatiently. "Three numbers, or you die. Three—"

"two--"

"one!"

"Do it!" Lu Chen roared.

Hongyun activated the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd with all her might, and the crimson mist transformed into sharp blades, slashing at the illusory Qilin on the surface of the purple aura.

At the same time, Lu Chen unleashed the auras of the Qilin Core, the Yuanfeng Core, and the Ancestral Dragon's Reverse Scale, merging the three forces and infusing them into the purple energy.

"Buzzing—"

The purple aura trembled violently.

The seals of the three races originally shared a common origin, but now, when attacked by their own "own people," they experienced a brief period of disarray.

"Now!"

Lu Chen unfolded the Qiankun Diagram, not to absorb the purple energy, but to absorb the space surrounding the purple energy—forcibly stripping away the seal along with it!

"How dare you, you little thief!" Kunpeng roared in fury, tearing at the enemy with a claw.

Zhen Yuanzi used the Earth Book to protect his body and endured the attack, but was sent flying backward, coughing up blood.

The Queen Mother of the West's Kunlun Mirror shone on the River Styx, temporarily freezing him in place.

As the Taiyi Chaos Bell rang, time and space froze.

Lu Chen felt that his movements were a hundred times slower, but the Qiankun Diagram had already successfully swept away the purple energy and part of the seal.

"Walk!"

He burned his life essence and rushed towards the edge of the fragment—there was the spatial rift from which he had entered!

"Stop him!" Di Jun, his true fire of the sun, transformed into a golden crow and pounced.

Hongyun gritted his teeth and self-destructed three-tenths of the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd's original essence. The crimson mist exploded, temporarily blocking the pursuers.

"Pfft—" Hongyun coughed up blood again, her injuries worsening.

The four seized the opportunity to break through the rift and return to chaos.

Behind them, the four Quasi-Saints were hot on their heels.

"Head towards Zixiao Palace!" Zhen Yuanzi shouted. "They wouldn't dare kill anyone under the Dao Ancestor's nose!"

The four men fought desperately to escape.

The chaotic energy flowed violently, with relentless pursuit from behind.

As Lu Chen fled, he checked the "harvest" in the Qiankun Diagram.

The primordial purple energy was enveloped by the seals of the three races, like a hedgehog, untouchable. But the seals were being eroded by the core energy of the three races, slowly disintegrating.

"Once the seal is broken, we can see whether this purple aura is real or fake..."

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in front of me.

Purple robe, white hair, indistinct face, stepping on auspicious clouds.

A vast and overwhelming pressure spread out, causing the four Kunpeng followers who were chasing behind to stop instantly, their expressions changing drastically.

"Ancestor Hongjun!" Everyone bowed in unison.

Hongjun's gaze swept over everyone, lingering for a moment on Lu Chen before looking at the Qiankun Diagram in his arms.

"The struggle over the fragments of chaos ends here." The Dao Ancestor spoke, his voice devoid of joy or sorrow. "The Purple Cloud Palace will soon open. If any of you have grudges, you may settle them after listening to his teachings."

Kunpeng was unwilling: "Dao Ancestor, that Primordial Purple Qi..."

"The purple aura has its own destiny," Hongjun said calmly. "It cannot be forced."

Having said that, he waved his sleeve.

Everyone felt dizzy and disoriented. When they came to their senses, they were standing in front of an ancient Taoist temple.

The plaque of the Taoist temple bears three Great Dao runes—【Zixiao Palace】!

The palace gates were tightly closed, and hundreds of figures were already waiting in front of them, each with a profound aura, at least at the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"We've arrived..." Hongyun breathed a sigh of relief, slumped to the ground, her face as pale as paper.

Zhen Yuanzi quickly treated his injuries.

The Queen Mother of the West looked at Lu Chen with a complicated expression: "Young friend, thank you for what happened earlier. If you hadn't broken the seal, we would all have died there."

Lu Chen shook his head: "Seniors, you led me into the Chaos, I should be thanking you."

He looked at Hongyun, feeling guilty.

In the original story, Hongyun died because of the purple aura. Although the purple aura is fake now, Hongyun has been poisoned by the three clans and is seriously injured. Will he be able to hold on until the end of the sermon?

"Senior Hongyun's injury..."

"The poison has seeped into the marrow; only the Three Lights Divine Water or an equivalent divine substance can cure it," Zhen Yuanzi sighed. "The ginseng fruit from my Wuzhuang Temple can temporarily alleviate the problem, but it only treats the symptoms, not the root cause."

"Three Lights Divine Water?" Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.

He has it! And a whole bottle!

But if I take it out, won't it expose too much?

Just as he hesitated, the voice of Dao Ancestor Hongjun came from inside the palace:

"The palace gates are about to open; those who are destined will enter."

"Squeak—"

The gates of Zixiao Palace slowly opened.

The cultivators in front of the gate instantly became agitated and rushed in.

Lu Chen looked at Hong Yun: "Senior, please go in and listen to the teachings. As for your injuries... perhaps I can help."

Hongyun forced a smile: "Thank you for your trouble, young friend."

The four of them followed the flow of people into the Zixiao Palace.

The palace was vast and boundless, seemingly a world unto itself. At the very front were seven futons, emanating a profound and mysterious Taoist aura.

"A holy throne!" someone exclaimed.

Instantly, all the powerful beings rushed towards the prayer mat.

The Three Pure Ones are the fastest, with Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian each occupying one position.

Nuwa followed closely behind, sitting in fourth place.

Next are Jieyin and Zhunti, sitting in the fifth and sixth positions.

The seventh meditation cushion is empty.

Hongyun was seriously injured and was a step too slow, almost missing the opportunity.

Lu Chen gritted his teeth and gave him a push: "Senior, please sit down!"

Hongyun staggered forward and sat on the seventh futon.

The moment he sat down, all eyes were on him.

Kunpeng, Styx, Dijun, and Taiyi stared intently at Hongyun, their eyes filled with undisguised killing intent.

Hongyun smiled wryly: "Young friend, you're putting me on the hot seat..."

"It's better than missing out on an opportunity," Lu Chen said in a low voice. "Senior, please heal your injuries first, and I will protect you."

He pretended to take out a pill from his pocket, but in reality, he drew out a drop of Three Lights Divine Water from the Qiankun Diagram, mixed it into the pill, and handed it to Hongyun.

Hongyun took the medicine, and her complexion immediately improved: "This is..."

"A life-saving elixir given to me by my master." Lu Chen winked.

Hongyun understood and asked no further questions, then closed her eyes to heal her wounds.

Lu Chen stood behind Hong Yun, looking around.

Of the three thousand worldly travelers, most had already arrived. Six prayer cushions were lined up in the front row, followed by dozens of secondary seats, and then the regular seats.

He found a seat in the corner—he had to keep a low profile.

As soon as I sat down, I felt several pairs of eyes sweeping over me.

Kunpeng, Styx, Dijun, and Taiyi were all watching him, clearly harboring resentment for the breach of the game.

Then there was Jieyin and Zhunti, their gazes shifting back and forth between Hongyun and him, seemingly lost in thought.

"This is a huge problem..." Lu Chen said with a wry smile.

But at that moment, Dao Ancestor Hongjun appeared.

They appeared silently on the high platform ahead.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

"Today, I will begin the discourse on the Great Luo Dao." Hongjun spoke, and flowers rained down from the sky, while golden springs gushed from the earth.

Lu Chen quickly composed himself and listened attentively.

This has been going on for three hundred years.

Hongjun preached the Dao, pointing directly to the origin of the Great Dao. Although Lu Chen's cultivation level was low, he had the merit of creating the world as a foundation, his comprehension was excellent, and he gained a great deal.

Over the course of three hundred years, he broke through from the peak of the Golden Immortal realm to the early stage of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, with the three flowers on his head condensing and the five elements in his chest converging.

More importantly, the understanding of the law of force has deepened, and the quality of the black bricks has been further improved.

Under the healing power of the Three Lights Divine Water, Hongyun's injuries were completely healed, and his cultivation even improved.

When the three-hundred-year period was over, Hongjun stopped.

"The first sermon is over. The next sermon will be three thousand years from now."

All the practitioners rose and bowed.

Hongjun's gaze swept over the seven prayer mats: "You seven are destined to be with me. You may stay for a moment."

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin and Zhunti, and Hongyun remained.

The rest of the people left one after another.

Just as Lu Chen was about to leave, Hongjun suddenly said, "Young friend, please stay a while."

Everyone was taken aback and looked at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat, but he gritted his teeth and stayed.

After everyone had left, Hongjun finally spoke:

"Red Clouds".

"Disciple is here," Hongyun said respectfully.

"The purple aura you obtained is fake," Hongjun said bluntly.

Hongyun's face turned pale: "Disciple... guessed it."

"But the true purple aura is indeed destined for you." Hongjun changed the subject, "However, the time is not yet right."

The red clouds are in a daze.

Hongjun looked at Lu Chen: "Young friend, let me see that fake purple aura on your body."

Lu Chen dared not delay, took out the Qiankun Diagram, and released the sealed purple energy.

Hongjun raised his hand and pointed, shattering the seal and revealing the true form of the purple aura—containing the malevolent energy of the three races, as well as a vicious curse: whoever refines it will be entangled in the karma of the three races!

"How vicious..." Hongyun broke out in a cold sweat.

If he truly refines it, he won't need anyone else to kill him; karma alone will be enough to bring him to his demise.

Hongjun erased the evil aura and curse, and the purple energy transformed into pure energy, which was divided in two, one part for Hongyun and the other for Lu Chen.

"This energy can help you stabilize your cultivation. The true purple aura will be revealed during the next sermon."

"Thank you, Dao Ancestor!" the two bowed in gratitude.

Hongjun then looked at Lu Chen: "Your path is different from others. Take care of yourself."

After saying that, his figure faded away.

Inside the Purple Cloud Palace, only seven people and Lu Chen remained.

The Three Pure Ones gave Lu Chen a deep look before leaving.

Nuwa seemed to be deep in thought, and then she left.

Jieyin and Zhunti stepped forward enthusiastically: "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, young friend, why don't we travel together? Chaos is dangerous, and we can look after each other."

Hongyun was about to agree when Lu Chen interrupted, "Please go ahead, seniors. I have some questions for Senior Zhenyuanzi."

Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions stiffened, but they couldn't insist, so they left dejectedly.

After everyone had left, Hongyun asked, "Young friend, why did you refuse them?"

Lu Chen whispered, "Senior, those two... you shouldn't get too close to them. Next time you give a sermon, if they ask you to give up your prayer mat, absolutely do not!"

Hongyun was taken aback: "Why?"

"If you give in, you'll die," Lu Chen said sternly.

Hongyun's pupils contracted, and looking at Lu Chen's serious eyes, she slowly nodded: "I've got it."

The two walked out of Zixiao Palace.

Zhen Yuanzi and the Queen Mother of the West were waiting outside.

"How is it?" Zhen Yuanzi asked with concern.

Hongyun briefly explained the situation.

Zhen Yuanzi looked at Lu Chen and bowed solemnly: "Young friend, you saved Hongyun's life. Wuzhuang Temple will always welcome you."

The Queen Mother of the West also said, "Mount Kunlun is also one."

Lu Chen quickly returned the greeting.

Just as the four were about to return to the prehistoric world together, suddenly—

"boom!"

From the depths of chaos, terrifying fluctuations emanated.

A golden light tore through the chaos and rushed straight towards the red clouds!

"Red Cloud, hand over the Purple Qi—!"

It was Di Jun Taiyi who returned and launched a sneak attack!

"Watch out!" Zhen Yuanzi shouted, using the Earth Book to protect himself.

But this time, it wasn't just Di Jun and Tai Yi who came.

Kunpeng and Styx also attacked from both sides!

"Four Quasi-Saints...Are they insane?! Daring to make a move outside Zixiao Palace?!" The Queen Mother of the West exclaimed in shock and anger.

Lu Chen looked at the four Quasi-Saints rushing towards him, then at Hong Yun, who was still seriously injured, and gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry, senior."

He took out the black brick, and its golden light shone brightly.

But it wasn't thrown at the enemy.

But -

"Bang!"

A brick struck Hongyun on the back of the head.

Hongyun's eyes widened, and she collapsed limply.

"What are you doing?!" Zhen Yuanzi roared in fury.

Lu Chen unfurled the Qiankun Diagram, put away the red clouds, and hurtled towards the depths of chaos.

"I'll take the seniors and go! You cover our retreat—!"

Behind them came the roars of the four Quasi-Saints and Zhen Yuanzi's scream.

But Lu Chen didn't turn his head.

Because he knew that this was the only way to save Hongyun!

Lu Chen carried the unconscious Hong Yun as they fled through the chaos, with the four Quasi-Saints hot on their heels.

Meanwhile, within the Qiankun Diagram in his arms, the purified fake purple energy suddenly resonated with the residual Three Races' Evil Poison within Hongyun's body—the energy began to mutate!

At the same time, deep within the chaos, a pair of cold eyes opened and locked onto him... Was that... the lingering will of Rahu?!

The Demon Ancestor is not dead?!