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

At the foot of Mount Sumeru, murderous intent was brewing.

Lu Chen's roar was like a thunderclap, and Jieyin and Zhunti's expressions changed drastically—they never expected that Lu Chen would appear at this time and place!

"Young friend Lu Chen, why press this so hard?" Jieyin suppressed his shock, clasped his hands in a respectful bow, and said, "This essence blood was obtained by me from settling karmic debts with the Witch Clan. What does it have to do with you?"

"Bullshit!" Lu Chen was too lazy to waste words. The Chaos Primordial Brick transformed into a dark light and smashed straight into Jieyin's face. "How could you possibly obtain the life essence of the Ancestral Witch Houtu by 'settling karma'? You clearly launched a sneak attack in the chaos!"

The wind howled through the bricks, and the sharp edge of the axe tore through the void.

Jieyin dared not take the attack head-on; the twelve-petaled golden lotus of merit beneath his feet (a replica) shone brightly, its petals unfolding to protect him. Zhunti also summoned the Seven Treasures Tree (a replica), its seven-colored divine light sweeping towards Lu Chen.

"clang--!"

The brick struck the golden lotus, shattering thirty percent of its golden light and leaving a deep crack on its surface. Jieyin groaned and staggered back, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth—his injuries had not yet healed, and he was no match for Lu Chen, who was at the peak of the Great Luo realm and wielded a supreme treasure!

Zhunti's seven-colored divine light swept over Lu Chen, but it was shattered by the "mark of creation" inherent in the Chaos Brick. The backlash caused the old wound on his severed arm to reopen, and blood gushed out.

"You've become so strong in just a few months?!" Zhunti exclaimed in shock.

"Thanks to you all," Lu Chen sneered, the second brick already in hand. "If you hadn't been smearing me everywhere, I wouldn't have hidden in the Demon Abyss to cultivate so desperately."

This brick points directly to the jade bottle in Zhunti's arms!

"Senior brother, save me!" Zhunti screamed.

Jieyin gritted his teeth and pushed the Golden Lotus of Merit to its limit. At the same time, he threw out a golden talisman—a life-saving talisman bestowed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, capable of blocking a strike from a peak Quasi-Saint!

"boom!"

The talisman and the brick shadow collided and were both annihilated. But the aftershock sent Zhunti flying, and the jade bottle in his arms slipped from his grasp!

"My life essence!" Zhunti's eyes widened in fury.

Lu Chen reacted swiftly, flipping through the Qiankun Diagram to collect the jade bottle. A quick scan with his divine sense revealed that the drop of earth-yellow essence blood inside the bottle exuded a rich earthy aura, undoubtedly Houtu's natal essence blood.

"Got it!" He felt a sense of relief.

Seeing this, Jieyin knew that things were hopeless, so he grabbed Zhunti and tried to escape.

"Trying to leave?" Lu Chen wasn't about to let them go. He split the brick shadows into nine paths, sealing off all escape routes.

The two were about to be killed—

"clang--!!!"

The bell of chaos tolled from the heavens!

Time and space froze, and the shadows of the bricks stood still.

Donghuang Taiyi arrived, breaking through the void, followed by powerful demons such as Dijun, Kunpeng, and Fuxi. Further away, the Wu clan pursuers also arrived, led by Houtu Ancestral Witch herself. Sensing the aura of her natal blood essence, she was filled with rage.

The three forces clashed at the foot of Mount Sumeru!

"Lu Chen! Hand over your essence blood, and I'll spare your life!" The Taiyi Chaos Bell locked onto Lu Chen, its killing intent palpable.

Houtu then looked at Jieyin and Zhunti, her voice icy: "You stole my life essence; this enmity will never be forgotten!"

Jieyin and Zhunti were deathly pale. Lu Chen was in front of them, and the Lich King was behind them. They were in dire straits!

Lu Chen smiled.

He shook the jade bottle in his hand, then suddenly made a move that surprised everyone—

He threw the jade bottle to Houtu!

"Houtu, the Ancestral Witch, has returned the item to its rightful owner," Lu Chen declared loudly. "These two thieves took advantage of the great war between the Witches and Demons to launch a sneak attack and steal blood. I happened to be there and managed to intercept them. Now, I return the item intact, only asking that the Witch Clan not forget our previous agreement."

Houtu caught the jade bottle and sensed that the essence blood was intact. Her expression softened slightly: "Young friend Lu Chen, the Wu Clan owes you a favor."

She looked at Jieyin and Zhunti, her eyes flashing with even more killing intent: "As for you..."

"Fellow Daoist Houtu, this is a misunderstanding!" Jieyin said urgently, "This humble Daoist is willing to compensate with a century's worth of the Western Sect's fortune..."

"Compensation? Pay with your life!" The other ancestral witches who had rushed over from behind Houtu roared. Zhurong even directly spewed out the Heaven-Burning Divine Fire, burning towards Jieyin and Zhunti.

On the demon race's side, Di Jun suddenly spoke up: "Wait a minute."

His gaze fell on Lu Chen, his expression meaningful: "Young friend Lu Chen, you stole my demon race's treasure (referring to the matter of the Treasure Sharing Cliff) and have repeatedly opposed the demon race. You should be executed. But if you are willing to hand over the Chaos Brick today and swear allegiance to the demon race, I can forgive and forget everything that happened in the past."

These words stunned everyone.

Taiyi said urgently, "Brother, this boy..."

Di Jun waved his hand, staring at Lu Chen: "How is it? The Demon Clan's Heavenly Court is about to be established, and it's a time when they need capable people. With your talent, you're more than qualified to be appointed a Demon Saint."

Lu Chen sneered inwardly.

Di Jun, seeing his rapidly increasing strength and the favor he had gained from the Wu Clan, wanted to recruit him. Unfortunately…

"I appreciate Fellow Daoist Dijun's kindness," Lu Chen said, bowing respectfully. "However, I am used to a life of leisure and cannot bear any constraints. As for the matter of stealing the treasure... the Dao Ancestor has not yet made a decision, so it would be best if you were careful with your words."

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences!" Taiyi roared, and the Chaos Bell rang again.

"clang--!"

This time, the bell tolled not at Lu Chen, but instead shattered a spatial node at the foot of Mount Sumeru—revealing the entrance to the Demon Abyss!

The demonic energy of Rahu's remnant soul surged forth, his voice hoarse: "Di Jun, Tai Yi, you dare to wage war at the gates of my Demon Abyss? Do you think I don't exist?"

The Demon Ancestor's appearance has made the situation even more complicated.

Di Jun's expression changed slightly, and he cupped his hands, saying, "Fellow Daoist Luo Hou, this is an internal matter of the Primordial World, and the Demonic Path should not interfere."

"The interior of the Primordial World?" Rahu scoffed. "Jieyin and Zhunti possess my demonic seed, making them half-demonic. Lu Chen just left the Demon Abyss, so he's also destined for the demonic path. Tell me, should I interfere?"

The three parties are locked in a standoff, and the atmosphere is tense and ready to clash.

Just then, purple qi rose from the heavens, stretching thirty thousand miles eastward, and a vast and resounding Daoist voice echoed throughout the primordial world:

"The third sermon at Zixiao Palace will begin immediately. Those who are destined to attend, come quickly."

The decree of Hongjun Daozu!

Everyone was taken aback.

The third sermon, brought forward?!

After a moment's hesitation, Di Jun decisively said, "Retreat! Listen to the Dao first; the throne is of utmost importance!"

The demon army retreated like a receding tide.

The ancestral witches of the Wu tribe exchanged glances, and Houtu nodded to Lu Chen: "Young friend, see you at Zixiao Palace." After saying that, she also led the group away. Although the Wu tribe did not cultivate the primordial spirit, it would not hurt to listen to the Dao Ancestor preach.

Jieyin and Zhunti tried to slip away in the chaos, but were caught by Rahu's demonic energy: "You two, come with me back to the Demon Abyss to 'heal'."

"No! Dao Ancestor, save me—!" Jieyin cried out in terror.

But Hongjun did not respond.

Luo Hou sneered and led the two away into the depths of the Demon Abyss.

In the blink of an eye, only Lu Chen remained at the foot of Mount Sumeru.

He looked up at the sky, his eyes gleaming.

The third sermon being brought forward signifies that the Primordial Purple Qi is about to be distributed, and the positions of saints will be determined! This is the greatest opportunity in the primordial world, and it must not be missed!

"It's time to go to Zixiao Palace... but this time, I need to use a different identity."

With a thought, his battle avatar, Yan Chen, flew from afar, transforming into a streak of fire and merging into his body—Yan Chen had been lurking in the shadows, just in case.

Next, Lu Chen activated the "Nine Transformations of the Ancestral Dragon," transforming his appearance into a plain-looking Taoist in a green robe with an aura only at the early stage of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.

"From now on, my name is 'Qingyunzi'."

He concealed the aura of the Chaos Brick, revealing only an ordinary acquired spiritual treasure (which he had taken from the Treasure Dividing Cliff), and flew towards the Chaos.

Three days later, outside the Zixiao Palace.

Most of the three thousand worldly travelers had arrived, but the palace gates were not yet open, and the crowd gathered in small groups in the square outside the gates.

Lu Chen (Qing Yunzi) stood discreetly in the corner, observing the entire scene.

In the front row, the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin and Zhunti (they actually escaped from the Demon Abyss? It seems Rahu didn't kill them), and Hongyun, the seven of them, were already standing beside the prayer mat. However, Jieyin and Zhunti were pale and weak, clearly having suffered a great loss.

Hongyun saw Lu Chen (Qingyunzi), her gaze lingered on him for a moment, as if she sensed something, but she didn't say anything, only nodded slightly.

The demon race, led by Di Jun and Tai Yi, occupied the left side of the square; the twelve ancestral witches of the witch race gathered and occupied the right side—the two sides were clearly divided and subtly confronted each other.

Kunpeng hid behind the demon army camp, his eyes scanning the entire scene with a sinister gaze, as if searching for someone.

He hasn't reached the River Styx yet; he's probably recovering from his injuries in the Sea of ​​Blood.

"clang--!"

The palace gates opened.

The crowd surged in.

The seven prayer cushions were instantly occupied.

The Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, Jieyin and Zhunti, and Hongyun are the same as last time.

But this time, as soon as Jieyin and Zhunti sat down, they suddenly bowed deeply to Hongyun and burst into tears:

"Fellow Daoist Hongyun! Our Western Paradise is barren, and its people are suffering terribly. We beg your mercy, fellow Daoist, to give this meditation cushion to my fellow disciples! We swear on the eternal prosperity of the Western Sect to be forever grateful for your great kindness!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

Not again?! They tried this trick during their second sermon, and Lu Chen knocked them unconscious with two bricks. And now they dare to bring it up again in public?!

Hongyun frowned, about to refuse—

Suddenly, Zhunti sprang into action, and the Seven Treasures Tree (the genuine article!) swept towards Hongyun's face! At the same time, the Golden Lotus of Merit and Virtue (the genuine article!) pressed down!

It was robbery!

"Despicable!" Zhen Yuanzi roared, and the Earth Book unfolded.

But it was too late.

It seemed that Hongyun was about to be severely damaged—

"Bang!" "Bang!"

Two muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously.

It wasn't the sound of bricks.

Two bolts of purple lightning appeared out of nowhere and struck Jieyin and Zhunti precisely on the back of the head!

The two screamed, froze, and black smoke billowed from their seven orifices.

The figure of Hongjun Daozu appeared silently on the high platform, his expression indifferent:

"Fighting is forbidden within Zixiao Palace. Jieyin and Zhunti, who disrupted the order of the sermon, will be punished by facing the wall for three thousand years and will miss this sermon."

What?!

Jieyin and Zhunti were struck dumb, facing the wall for three thousand years, missing their crucial third sermon for sainthood?! What chance did they have for the holy throne then?!

"Dao Ancestor, have mercy!" the two knelt and begged.

Hongjun remained unmoved. With a wave of his sleeve, the two were moved out of Zixiao Palace and suppressed in a certain place in the chaos.

The entire room fell silent.

No one expected that the Dao Ancestor would punish him so severely!

Lu Chen (Qingyunzi) felt a chill run down his spine—was Hongjun using this as an excuse to suppress the Western Religion? Or...did he have a deeper meaning?

"The sermon begins."

Hongjun said no more, and spoke of the Path of Quasi-Saints and the Method of Severing the Three Corpses.

This time, the discussion goes deeper, directly addressing the core of sainthood.

Lu Chen listened attentively while secretly observing.

He noticed that the Three Pure Ones and Nuwa were listening intently, their auras subtly resonating with the Dao of Heaven. Hongyun also seemed to understand something, with three flowers swaying above her head.

Di Jun and Tai Yi, however, frowned, seemingly not entirely agreeing with the method of severing the three corpses—they were following the path of achieving sainthood through destiny.

On the witch clan's side, the twelve ancestral witches simply closed their eyes to rest—they didn't cultivate their primordial spirit, so listening to them was pointless.

Three hundred years of preaching, gone in the blink of an eye.

At the end, Hongjun Daozu suddenly said:

"After the three sermons are completed, a sage will be born in the primordial world to take charge of the Way of Heaven and enlighten all living beings."

Everyone in the room stopped breathing.

The throne is mine!

---

Hongjun raised his hand, and seven purple energies emerged from the void, radiating an aura of eternal immortality. His gaze swept over the crowd below the stage, and he slowly spoke: "The Three Pure Ones are transformed from the primordial spirit of Pangu, and can receive three; Nuwa will have great merit in the future, and can receive one; Hongyun carries the first wisp of cloud fortune of the primordial world, and can receive one; Jieyin and Zhunti, although punished, will prosper in the West, and can also receive two."

Seven streams of purple energy flew toward the seven people and merged into their brows.

But the instant the purple energy entered Hongyun's body—a sudden change occurred! The purple energy trembled violently, strange black and red patterns appeared on its surface, and a violent burst of demonic energy erupted!

Hongyun screamed and fell backward to the ground, his life rapidly fading away!

The audience was shocked!

Hongjun Daozu's eyes turned cold. He raised his hand and pulled the purple energy out of Hongyun's body. The purple energy struggled in his palm, the black and red patterns writhing like living things—it was the demonic aura of Rahu!

"Jieyin, Zhunti!" The Dao Ancestor's voice was icy cold. "You actually dared to integrate the demonic seed into the Primordial Purple Qi, secretly plotting against Hongyun?!"

Deep within the chaos, the suppressed Jieyin and Zhunti cried out in terror, "Dao Ancestor, please witness! It wasn't us! It was Rahu! It was the Demon Ancestor who forced us..."

Before they could finish speaking, two bolts of purple lightning had already obliterated them, leaving only their true spirits to be cast into the cycle of reincarnation.

The two Western saints have thus perished!

Hongjun looked at the tainted purple aura in his hand and sighed, "This purple aura is ruined, and the position of saint is in vain. Very well, then we will choose another person from among those who have listened to the Dao this time."

His gaze slowly swept across the entire room.

Finally, it landed on "Qingyunzi" in the corner.

"You, come forward."