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

"Jieyin and Zhunti...have sided with Rahu?!"

The news struck like a thunderbolt, sending chills down Lu Chen's spine.

He immediately recalled the two blows to the head outside the Treasure Sharing Cliff—no wonder the demonic energy remaining on the back of Jieyin's head was so hard to dispel. It wasn't that he had special supernatural powers, but that a demonic seed had been planted in his body long ago!

"Young friend, do not make a fuss," Zhen Yuanzi transmitted his voice, his face as solemn as iron. "This matter has far-reaching implications."

Hongyun looked outside the temple with a complicated expression: "They specifically asked to see us... I'm afraid they don't have good intentions."

The half-demon Qilin huddled at Lu Chen's feet, trembling: "They... can sense my presence... quickly hide me..."

Without saying a word, Lu Chen rolled up the Qiankun Diagram and took the three little Qilin into the world within the diagram—especially the half-demon one, which he wrapped in layers of Creation Merit to isolate it from all aura.

Just as they finished doing all that, there was a knock on the gate.

"Knock knock knock".

Not too loud, not too soft, yet carrying a certain rhythm, each sound resonates in the heart.

"Please come in," Zhen Yuanzi said in a deep voice.

The door opened.

Jieyin and Zhunti walked in side by side, their faces still bearing that sorrowful expression, but deep in their eyes, Lu Chen caught a faint trace of darkness that did not belong to the orthodox Xuanmen sect.

"Greetings, fellow Daoists." The guide clasped his hands in greeting, "I apologize for the intrusion, but I have a favor to ask of you."

Zhunti's gaze swept over Lu Chen and Hongyun, lingering for a moment on Hongyun's waist—where hung the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd, one of the treasures Zhunti would try to seize after Hongyun's future demise.

"What is it?" Zhen Yuanzi asked calmly.

"Plead for the sake of all beings in the West." Jieyin sighed, "Our West is barren, its spiritual veins are broken, and it is difficult for beings to cultivate. Fellow Daoist Hongyun has accumulated great merit and has also obtained the opportunity of the Purple Qi (although it is fake, outsiders do not know it). If you are willing to go to the West with my fellow disciples and nourish the earth with your merit, you will gain immeasurable merit..."

Is this an attempt to abduct people to the West?

Lu Chen sneered inwardly.

In the original story, Zhunti tricked Hongyun into giving up his seat, thus creating a karmic connection. Now it's escalated to kidnapping someone?

Hongyun shook his head: "I am used to a leisurely life and cannot stand being restrained. I am willing but unable to help with matters in the West."

"Fellow Daoist, you are mistaken." Zhunti stepped forward, his eyes fervent. "Look at my fellow disciples, toiling day and night for the Western Paradise. If you are willing to help, you will be a benefactor to countless lives in the Western Paradise. Such a great merit and great compassion—"

"Bang!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Chen suddenly made his move.

It wasn't hitting anyone, but rather smashing a brick onto a stone table inside the temple.

The stone table shattered, sending shards of stone flying.

Everyone was stunned.

Lu Chen feigned panic: "Oops! My hand slipped! This table is so flimsy!"

Jieyin Zhunti: "..."

Zhen Yuanzi's lips twitched, but he cooperated and said, "Young friend, don't panic, it's just a stone table."

"However..." Lu Chen changed the subject, looking at Jieyin and Zhunti, "What were you two saying just now? Oh right, the West is barren... What a coincidence! I just stumbled upon that scoundrel Kunpeng secretly collecting fragments of broken spiritual veins from the West in the Chaos, saying he wanted to refine the 'Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Array,' his scheme is far-reaching!"

Upon hearing this, both Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions changed.

"Kunpeng? Collecting fragments of Western spiritual veins?" Zhunti's eyes sharpened. "Young friend, are you serious?"

"Absolutely true!" Lu Chen put on a full performance. "I saw it with my own eyes! He even conspired with the Styx Ancestor, saying something like, 'The two Western Saints are nothing to worry about. Once the great formation is complete, we'll first devour the West, and then plan for the Primordial World!'"

Half true, half false.

Kunpeng was indeed collecting fragments of spiritual veins (Lu Chen had seen records of this in the array diagram), but his purpose was to perfect the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Grand Array. As for plotting against the West and colluding with the Styx River, that was purely made up by Lu Chen.

But Jieyin and Zhunti believed it—because the spiritual veins of the West were indeed slowly dissipating, and they had long suspected that someone was playing tricks!

"No wonder..." A cold glint flashed in Jieyin's eyes. "No wonder the energy of the Western land has been weakening day by day; it turns out that thieves are secretly stealing it!"

Zhunti roared in fury, "You old thief Kunpeng! How dare you do this!"

Lu Chen pressed his advantage: "Seniors, this matter should be addressed sooner rather than later. Kunpeng was just rescued by Taiyi and is currently healing, making him most vulnerable. If we act now—"

"Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots!" Zhunti said, his voice filled with murderous intent.

The guide, with palms joined, said, "Amitabha... In order to protect the sentient beings of the Western Paradise, we must break the precept against killing."

The two exchanged glances and said to Lu Chen and the other two, "Thank you for informing us, young friend. This matter concerns the survival of the West. My fellow disciples and I will immediately go to Kunpeng to demand an explanation!"

After saying that, he turned and left.

After they had gone some distance, Hongyun frowned and said, "Young friend, your scheme to frame someone is too obvious. Jieyin and Zhunti aren't fools; a little investigation will show that it's fake."

"So what if it's fake?" Lu Chen laughed. "What I want is not for them to believe, but for them to be 'willing to believe'."

"What do you mean?"

"It's true that the Western spiritual veins are being lost, and it's true that Kunpeng is collecting fragments. Jieyin and Zhunti have long wanted to find an excuse to attack Kunpeng—because Kunpeng has what they want," Lu Chen said calmly.

Zhen Yuanzi seemed to be deep in thought: "You mean...?"

"The River Chart and the Luo River Book," Lu Chen uttered.

In the original story, Kunpeng later stole the Hetu and Luoshu and defected to the demon race. The Hetu and Luoshu contain the ultimate principles of heaven and earth, which are of great use to perfect the doctrines of the Western Sect. Jieyin and Zhunti had long coveted them.

Now Lu Chen has handed them a knife—regardless of whether Kunpeng has designs on the West, let's fight first. If they kill him, we can seize the treasure.

"Killing three birds with one stone." Lu Chen counted on his fingers. "First, it diverts the attention of Jieyin and Zhunti from us; second, it makes them enemies with Kunpeng and even the demon race; third, if they really kill Kunpeng, the demon race will be in turmoil, which we would be happy to see."

Hongyun gasped, "Young friend, your thoughts... are far too deep."

Zhen Yuanzi gave Lu Chen a deep look: "This plan is risky, but it is indeed effective. Even if Jieyin and Zhunti see through it, they will still go along with it—they need this excuse."

"Exactly." Lu Chen nodded. "Next, we should prepare for the next step."

"What's the next step?"

"Let's go to the Demon Abyss." Lu Chen took out the scorching Demon Abyss Token. "Isn't Luo Hou going to give a gift? I want to see what kind of 'grand gift' he can give."

"No!" Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi objected simultaneously.

"The Demon Abyss is Rahu's lair, fraught with danger. Going there now would be tantamount to walking into a trap," Zhen Yuanzi said solemnly.

Lu Chen shook his head: "Senior, if Luo Hou wanted to harm me, he could have done so back in the Chaos Realm. Why go through all that trouble? He must have a bigger scheme to keep me alive. Besides..."

He looked westward: "The fact that Jieyin and Zhunti have already submitted to Rahu shows that the infiltration of the demonic path into the prehistoric world is far beyond our imagination. Rather than waiting passively, we should take the initiative to make contact, at least to find out the truth."

Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi remained silent.

After a long pause, Zhen Yuanzi sighed and said, "Young friend, since you have made your decision, I will not try to persuade you further. But remember, the demonic path is unpredictable, so do not lose your true self."

"I will remember that." Lu Chen bowed. "I should not stay here long, senior. Please take care of those three little Qilins."

"rest assured."

Lu Chen then looked at Hongyun: "Senior, you have just broken through to the Quasi-Saint realm and need to stabilize your cultivation. Wuzhuang Temple is safe, so you can go into seclusion here."

Hongyun nodded: "Be careful in everything you do."

After giving his instructions, Lu Chen left Wuzhuang Temple and flew westward.

Instead of going directly to Mount Sumeru (the entrance to the Demon Abyss), he first detoured to the East Sea.

—Some preparations must be made thoroughly.