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

After leaving the Four Saints Manor, we traveled west for more than a month and gradually arrived at the territory of Longevity Mountain.

This mountain is shrouded in auspicious clouds and imbued with spiritual energy, quite unlike other desolate mountains. There is a Taoist temple in the mountain called "Wuzhuang Temple", which is the Taoist temple of Zhen Yuanzi, the ancestor of earth immortals.

Xuanzang gazed into the distance from his horse, clasped his hands in prayer, and said, "What a blessed land of immortals! There must be high-ranking immortals living in seclusion here."

A smile flashed in Lu Chen's (Qingfeng Daoren's) eyes—Gao Zhen? That Zhen Yuanzi is a figure of the same generation as the Three Pure Ones, and he even grows ginseng fruit trees at home!

"Holy Monk, the master of this temple, Zhenyuan Daxian, is an old friend of mine," he said. "We may go and pay him a visit, firstly to rest, and secondly... perhaps there will be an opportunity."

Xuanzang naturally agreed.

Upon arriving at the temple, one is indeed struck by its extraordinary grandeur. The couplet above the gate reads: "The abode of immortals who live forever, the home of Taoists who live as long as heaven." The tone is extremely grand, yet there is not a trace of falsehood in it.

After knocking, two boys opened the door; they were Qingfeng and Mingyue—the same aliases as Lu Chen.

"My master has been invited by the Primordial Heavenly Venerable to go to the Mi Luo Palace in the Upper Clarity Heaven to listen to the lecture on the Primordial Dao Fruit," said Qingfeng Boy. "Before leaving, he instructed that if any monks from the Eastern Lands come to fetch scriptures, they should be treated well and given two ginseng fruits as gifts."

Xuanzang hurriedly thanked him, saying, "Great Immortal, your kindness is too much for this humble monk to bear."

Mingyue led everyone inside and served fragrant tea. Qingfeng went to the backyard and soon returned with a jade plate covered with a brocade cloth. When the cloth was lifted, a wonderful fragrance wafted out, and on the plate lay two lifelike "infants," each about three inches long and with all four limbs!

"What...what is this?" Xuanzang exclaimed in surprise.

"This is the Ginseng Fruit," Lu Chen explained. "It blossoms once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to ripen. Just smelling it can grant you three hundred and sixty years of life; eating one can grant you forty-seven thousand years of life. This fruit falls when it encounters gold, withers when it encounters wood, dissolves when it encounters water, scorches when it encounters fire, and enters the earth when it encounters soil. It must be stored in a jade vessel and lined with silk."

Xuanzang chanted Buddhist prayers incessantly, saying, "This is a supreme treasure of the immortals; how dare this humble monk, a mere mortal, consume it?"

Qingfeng advised, "Holy Monk, please do not refuse. This is a special instruction from my master."

Xuanzang still firmly refused to accept it. The two boys had no choice but to take the ginseng fruit back with them.

After the boy left, Sun Wukong approached Lu Chen and winked, "Master, that fruit..."

Lu Chen transmitted his voice: "Don't rush. I have my own arrangements for tonight at midnight."

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Xuanzang and his disciples rested in their guest rooms. At midnight, Lu Chen quietly got up, the Chaos Brick in his sleeve trembled slightly, and a stream of chaotic energy enveloped his figure, disappearing into the void.

He wasn't going to steal fruit—that was too low-level. What he was going to do was move the entire tree into the Chaos World bricks!

The ginseng orchard in the backyard was protected by layers of restrictions, making it difficult even for ordinary Grand Luo Golden Immortals to break in. However, Lu Chen had the Chaos Brick in hand, and the chaotic energy was the nemesis of all laws, so these restrictions were penetrated layer by layer as if they were made of paper.

In the garden, towering ginseng fruit trees stand tall, with thirty pink "babies" hanging among their branches and leaves, each emitting an enticing fragrance.

Lu Chen did not pick the fruit, but instead circled the tree three times, forming a hand seal. The Chaos Brick was suspended above his head, with billions of Chaos Threads hanging down, completely enveloping the entire fruit tree along with the essence of the innate Wu Earth within a radius of ten zhang!

"receive!"

With a low shout, the chaotic threads tightened! The fruit tree trembled violently, as if trying to break free, but it was no match for the power of chaos. Along with the soil, the spiritual spring, and the restrictions, it was forcibly uprooted and transformed into a stream of light that disappeared into the chaotic brick!

All that remained was a deep pit and the illusion Lu Chen had prepared beforehand—a phantom of a ginseng fruit tree simulated by chaotic energy, with thirty "simulated fruits" hanging on it (they looked the same but had no effect), enough to fool people for a while.

After doing all this, Lu Chen set up several chaotic restrictions in the garden to ensure the illusion was stable before quietly returning.

The next morning, Qingfeng and Mingyue went to the garden to check as usual. They saw from afar that the fruit trees were intact and the fruit was still fragrant, so they did not look closely. How could they have imagined that someone could steal the whole tree?

In the morning, Sun Wukong couldn't contain himself and secretly slipped into the backyard. Seeing that the "fruit tree" was still there, he chuckled and used his magic to knock down two "fruits" with a golden mallet (which Lu Chen had made in advance). He caught them on a jade plate and took them back to the guest room to share with Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing.

"Pah! Why doesn't it taste like anything?" Pigsy took a bite and frowned.

Sun Wukong was also puzzled: "I heard that ginseng fruit is incredibly sweet, but this tastes like chewing wood!"

They didn't realize that what they were eating was merely a "shell" conjured from chaos.

Just then, Qingfeng and Mingyue passed by the guest room. Hearing the commotion inside, they pushed open the door and saw the "fruit pit" still in the jade plate on the table. They were furious: "You thieving monk! You stole my immortal fruit!"

Xuanzang was alarmed and rushed over to inquire. Sun Wukong admitted to stealing the fruit, but insisted that the fruit had no taste.

Qingfeng sneered, "Ginseng fruit is a spiritual root of heaven and earth, how could it be tasteless? You clearly stole some and are trying to deny it!"

The two started arguing. Mingyue angrily said, "Wait until Master returns, and you'll be sorry!" and stormed off.

Xuanzang was both angry and anxious, and scolded Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong, enraged, retorted, "Two fruits are enough! I'll pay him back! I'll go uproot his tree and see how arrogant he can be then!"

After saying that, he rushed to the backyard.

Lu Chen, unable to "dissuade" him in time, chuckled to himself: Monkey's performance was brilliant!

Sun Wukong went to the backyard and made a move to uproot the illusory "fruit tree." Sensing the "attack," the illusion automatically evolved—with a push, the tree "fell"; with another pull, its roots "severed"!

In reality, they are all illusions and transformations.

Gentle breeze and bright moon rushed over and saw the fruit tree "fallen to the ground," its fruit turning to dust (an illusion). They were terrified: "Disaster! Disaster!"

Upon hearing the news, Xuanzang nearly fainted.

Lu Chen then "rushed" over, and upon seeing the scene, was "shocked": "Wukong! How could you be so reckless!"

Sun Wukong was stunned: "I...I didn't use any force..."

"You still say you didn't use force?!" Mingyue cried. "The tree has fallen! This ginseng fruit dissolved as soon as it hit the soil!"

The scene was in chaos.

Lu Chen sighed and took out three Chaos Spirit Fruits (genuine): "These are my treasured possessions. Although they are not as good as ginseng fruits, they still have the effect of prolonging life. Consider them compensation."

The gentle breeze and the bright moon refused to give up, and continued to weep and curse.

Just then, auspicious clouds surged across the sky, and Zhen Yuanzi returned on a cloud. Suddenly, he felt a sudden urge in the Upper Clarity Heaven and sensed something unusual about the Ginseng Fruit Tree, so he hurried back.

Upon landing, he saw the fruit tree fallen, all its spiritual fruits gone. Even the ancestor of earth immortals was so angry that his white beard trembled: "You pilgrim monks! I treated you with kindness, and you destroyed my spiritual roots!"

Xuanzang knelt down to beg for forgiveness. Sun Wukong and the others also lowered their heads and remained silent.

Zhen Yuanzi tried to calculate with his fingers, but felt that the secrets of heaven were chaotic and he could not find any clues. He looked at Lu Chen, his eyes slightly narrowed: "Daoist Qingfeng... what do you have to say about this matter?"

Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, "Great Immortal, please calm your anger. This matter is indeed our fault. This humble Taoist is willing to do everything in his power to revive the precious tree."

Zhen Yuanzi sneered: "Revive it? This tree is a primordial spiritual root; how can you save it just because you say so?"

"We should give it a try." Lu Chen took out a drop of Three Lights Divine Water (obtained from the Qilin Treasure Vault years ago). "This water might be effective."

Upon seeing that it was the Three Lights Divine Water, Zhen Yuanzi's expression softened slightly—this water did indeed have the effect of bringing the dead back to life, but it was ineffective against the ginseng fruit tree…

"Very well, I'll let you try." He wanted to see just how capable this Taoist was.

Lu Chen pretended to place a drop of the Three Lights Divine Water on the "tree root" (which was actually a chaotic illusion). The illusion sensed the presence of the light and automatically created a scene of "resurrection"—the withered tree came back to life, new buds sprouted, and the "fruit tree" slowly "stood up," regaining its vitality!

Of course, it's all an illusion. The real fruit trees had already grown lush and verdant within his chaotic brick.

Zhen Yuanzi watched with astonishment and doubt. The Three Lights Divine Water was indeed wonderful, but it shouldn't have such an immediate effect... However, the scene before him was undeniable.

"Strange..." He gave Lu Chen a deep look, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Forget it! Since it was a misunderstanding, and the tree has been saved, let's let this matter rest!"

Xuanzang was overjoyed and thanked him profusely. Although Qingfeng and Mingyue felt something was amiss, they dared not say anything more since their master had spoken.

That night, Zhen Yuanzi sat alone in his quiet room, unfolding the Earth Book in his sleeve to deduce the secrets of heaven, but all he found was still chaos.

"That Daoist Qingfeng... is definitely not simple," he muttered to himself. "There must be something hidden about the Ginseng Fruit Tree incident. But since he was willing to settle the karma with the Three Lights Divine Water, he seems to have no ill intentions..."

After pondering for a long time, he shook his head and smiled, "Forget it. The Journey to the West is a very complex matter. Since I have already transcended this world, why should I delve into it? Let nature take its course."

The next day, Xuanzang and his party took their leave. Zhen Yuanzi presented them with a few ordinary spiritual fruits and personally escorted them to the mountain gate.

Before parting, Zhen Yuanzi transmitted his voice to Lu Chen: "I admire your skills, fellow Daoist. I hope you will make good use of your spiritual root and not waste the blessings of heaven and earth."

Lu Chen replied, "Rest assured, Great Immortal, I will not let you down."

The two exchanged a smile, their unspoken understanding unspoken.

On their journey west, Sun Wukong approached Lu Chen and said slyly, "Master, that fruit tree..."

Lu Chen's sleeve contained a chaotic brick that trembled slightly. Inside the brick, the ginseng fruit tree was swaying its branches and leaves, and thirty genuine ginseng fruits were emitting an enticing fragrance.

"Don't worry, they're all here with me."

"When the journey to the West is successful, everyone will receive a share."

Sun Wukong was so happy he scratched his head.

From the clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva watched from afar. Seeing that the turmoil at Wuzhuang Temple had subsided, she frowned deeply.

"The ginseng fruit tree was knocked down and then brought back to life... When did Zhen Yuanzi become so easy to talk to?"

"What exactly is the background of this Daoist Qingfeng?"

She had a vague feeling that the variables on the journey to the West were getting increasingly out of control.

Meanwhile, inside the Chaos World brick.

Lu Chen looked at the vibrant ginseng fruit tree and nodded in satisfaction.

"Next up is White Tiger Ridge, where we'll fight the White Bone Demon three times."

"Jin Chanzi, in this life, you must not make the same mistake again."

He looked westward, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The show is getting better and better.