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

Inside the Zixiao Palace, there was a deathly silence.

All eyes were focused on the Taoist in the green robe in the corner—he looked unremarkable, and his cultivation at the early stage of Taiyi Golden Immortal was inconspicuous among the Daluo and Quasi-Saints in the hall.

But the Dao Ancestor specifically chose him!

Lu Chen's heart trembled, but he tried his best to remain calm and bowed, saying, "Junior Qingyunzi pays respects to the Dao Ancestor."

Hongjun's gaze fell upon him, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as chaos, seemingly able to see through all pretense. Lu Chen felt the Chaos Brick within his body tremble slightly, and a wisp of purple energy almost burst forth—but he gritted his teeth and suppressed it.

"Your foundation is quite peculiar," Hongjun said slowly, his voice devoid of joy or sorrow. "Though you appear to be at the Taiyi level, you possess the true strength of the Daluo level, and further, you have the nascent form of the Law of Power, protected by merit... Qingyunzi, is that your real name?"

These words were like a thunderclap!

Lu Chen's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and he forced a smile, saying, "Dao Ancestor, you jest. This junior..."

"Enough," Hongjun waved his hand, seemingly not intending to delve deeper. "A title is merely an outward appearance. Are you willing to accept this purple aura?"

In his palm, the wisp of primordial purple energy, tainted by demonic power, floated silently, its black and red patterns writhing like venomous snakes. Though corrupted, it was ultimately the foundation for sainthood, containing the true essence of the Great Dao!

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

"Dao Ancestor! What virtue or ability does this child possess?" Kunpeng was the first to jump out, his eyes bloodshot. "Our Demon Clan's Emperor Jun and Taiyi, with their achievements surpassing creation and who command all demons, are the best candidates for the Purple Qi!"

Although Di Jun and Tai Yi did not speak, their eyes were burning with intensity, clearly indicating that they shared the same meaning.

Among the twelve Ancestral Witches, Dijiang coldly snorted: "The holy position should be held by the virtuous. My witch clan, the true descendant of Pangu, is more deserving, isn't it?"

Nuwa said softly, "Dao Ancestor, this purple aura has been tainted by demons, and I fear it may bring disaster..."

Even the Three Pure Ones frowned slightly—suddenly, there was another competitor. Although they were confident that they could become saints, they did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble.

Only Hongyun, leaning weakly on Zhen Yuanzi's shoulder, managed to speak with difficulty: "Dao Ancestor... since this purple aura has already been tainted by demons, it would be better... to destroy it... to prevent it from harming people..."

He was a firsthand witness and knew the pain of demonic energy eroding one's primordial spirit.

Hongjun turned to Lu Chen and asked, "Do you dare to accept?"

Lu Chen took a deep breath.

He knew, of course, that this was a trap—if he accepted it, he would be taking on Rahu's karma and become the target of everyone's criticism; if he didn't accept it, he would miss the opportunity to become a saint and might even arouse the suspicion of the Dao Ancestor.

But Lao Liu's instincts allowed him to make a judgment instantly.

"This junior is willing to accept!" Lu Chen declared loudly. "Although demonic energy is fierce, it is also a part of the Great Dao. This junior is willing to test the Dao with my own body, purify the demonic influence, and explore a new path for the primordial world!"

He said it so grandly that even he almost believed it himself.

A barely perceptible smile flashed in Hongjun's eyes: "Good."

Purple aura drifted towards Lu Chen.

Amidst the complex gazes of everyone, Lu Chen reached out and caught it. The instant the purple energy entered his body, a violent demonic energy erupted, assaulting his primordial spirit!

"Hmph!" Lu Chen grunted, and half of the pure purple energy in his body automatically rushed forward. The golden light of the Heaven-Opening Merit shone brightly, the Chaos Brick vibrated in his dantian, and the Law of Power transformed into an invisible hand, firmly suppressing the demonic energy.

The three forces combined to suppress the demonic energy!

Although it could not be completely eradicated, it has at least been stabilized for the time being.

"Hmm?" Hongjun nodded slightly. "You do have some skill."

He said no more, and turned to look at the crowd: "The purple aura has been divided, and the saintly positions have been determined. Next, I will explain the final stage of the Quasi-Saint Path—the unification of the Three Corpses, and the attainment of the Primordial Chaos."

The sermon will resume.

This time, Hongjun talked about how to combine the three corpses—the good corpse, the evil corpse, and the self corpse—into one, using the Primordial Purple Qi as a guide, entrusting it to the Heavenly Dao, and thus achieving the Primordial Great Luo Golden Immortal.

The content is incredibly profound, filled with dazzling descriptions and gushing golden springs from the earth.

As Lu Chen listened to the lecture, he secretly suppressed the demonic energy within his body. He discovered that his half-pure purple energy was slowly "devouring" the demon-tainted purple energy—although extremely slow, it was indeed effective!

"Could it be... that I can completely purify this purple energy and make it my own?" His heart raced.

If that's true, he'll possess a whole wisp of primordial purple energy! His chances of becoming a saint will greatly increase!

But he quickly calmed down—how could the Dao Ancestor not see through it? This was probably intentional.

Sure enough, during a break in the sermon, Hongjun's voice echoed in his mind:

"Young friend, I will not ask where that half of the purple energy in your body comes from. But the demonic seed of Rahu is no small matter. Within a hundred years, you must completely purify the demonic energy, otherwise the purple energy will backfire, and even a saint cannot save you."

Lu Chen quickly replied telepathically, "This junior understands and will certainly not fail the Dao Ancestor's expectations."

"The purification method requires the Three Lights Divine Water, the merit of opening the heavens, and the Law of Power, all of which you already possess. You also need a medicinal ingredient—the lotus seed of the Twelve-Petaled Pure White Lotus. This item is in the hands of the Western Guide. Although he has perished, his true spirit hid this storage treasure beneath Mount Ling before his reincarnation. You may retrieve it yourself."

The Dao Ancestor even told him this?

Lu Chen felt a chill run down his spine and respectfully said, "Thank you for your guidance, Dao Ancestor."

"No need to thank me." Hongjun's voice was indifferent. "Luo Hou is not dead, and the revival of the demonic path is imminent. You possess the Law of Power and are destined to be with Pangu. You will be of great use in the future great calamity. Cultivate diligently and do not waste this opportunity."

The voice ended as soon as the words were spoken.

Lu Chen suddenly realized—the Dao Ancestor was using him as a pawn to counterbalance Luo Hou and the future demonic path!

However, being a pawn also has its advantages. At least for now, the Dao Ancestor will secretly protect him.

The preaching continued for three hundred years.

At the end, Hongjun announced: "The three sermons are temporarily concluded. Ten thousand years later, a sage will appear and take charge of the primordial world. You should all take good care of yourselves."

The palace gates slowly closed.

The crowd gradually left.

Di Jun Taiyi gave Lu Chen a deep look before leading the demons away—the purple aura had already been divided, further struggle was pointless, it was better to return and prepare for the affairs of the Heavenly Court.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches have also departed. They never aspired to sainthood; the path of the Witch Clan lies in the physical body, not in the primordial spirit.

The Three Pure Ones and Nuwa each departed to seclude themselves and comprehend the Purple Qi.

Hongyun, supported by Zhen Yuanzi, walked over and cupped his hands to Lu Chen: "Fellow Daoist Qingyun, thank you for today... Although I don't know why you helped me, I will remember this kindness."

He clearly recognized Lu Chen's true identity, but tacitly refrained from revealing it.

Lu Chen returned the greeting: "Senior Hongyun, you are too kind. I only did what I should do."

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

After everyone had left, Lu Chen was about to leave when a figure suddenly blocked his way.

It's a Kunpeng!

"Boy, hand over the Purple Qi!" Kunpeng's eyes were filled with malice. "You're just a mere Taiyi ant, unworthy of becoming a saint! Hand it over, and I'll spare your life!"

Lu Chen smiled.

"Kunpeng, have you forgotten... who was it that I beat so badly back in the Chaos that they ran away with their tails between their legs?"

"You!" Kunpeng roared in fury, but then sneered, "I was injured then! Now I'm fully recovered and a mid-stage Quasi-Saint, killing you is as easy as slaughtering a dog!"

He revealed his true form, towering ten thousand feet tall, with wings that blotted out the sky, and sharp claws tearing towards Lu Chen.

"Is that so?" Lu Chen neither dodged nor flinched, removing his disguise and revealing his true appearance. "And now?"

The aura of a peak Great Luo cultivator erupted with a thunderous roar! With the Chaos Heaven-Opening Brick in hand, the sharp edge of the axe tore through the chaos!

"You're Lu Chen?!" Kunpeng's pupils shrank sharply, and he turned and fled!

"Too late!"

A brick was smashed down!

"Bang--!!!"

The Kunpeng screamed and flew backward, half of its wing was smashed, and blood splattered all over the chaos.

"This brick is to avenge your slander!" Lu Chen caught up and smashed down the second brick.

"This brick is to avenge your pursuit!"

"This brick... never mind, I just wanted to punch you!"

After three bricks, Kunpeng had turned into a pile of mud, on the verge of death.

Lu Chen stepped on his head, leaned down and whispered, "Go back and tell Di Jun and Tai Yi that I want the Purple Qi. If you have the ability, come and take it. Also, I took the treasures from the Treasure Distribution Cliff. If you have any objections... have Tai Yi bring the Chaos Bell to me."

Having said that, he kicked Kunpeng away.

Watching the guy's disheveled retreating figure, Lu Chen grinned.

"Cool!"

He turned and looked westward.

"Next, we should go to Mount Ling to retrieve the lotus seeds of the Pure World White Lotus... and while we're at it, let's see what other good things Jieyin and Zhunti have hidden."

He activated his Brick Release technique and vanished.

After he left, a purple phantom slowly emerged from the chaos.

Hongjun Daozu gazed in the direction Lu Chen had left and murmured to himself:

"The successor of the Law of Power, the nemesis of demonic arts, the variable of the great calamity... Little fellow, don't let me down."

"This game has only just begun."

---

Meanwhile, on the primordial land...

Friction between the Lich and the Lich races continued on their border, and the first major war was about to break out.

Deep within the sea of ​​blood, the Styx River, having lost an avatar of the Crimson Lotus of Karmic Fire, roared with fury: "Lu Chen... I will refine you into a Blood God Child and torment you for eternity!"

Within the Abyss of Demons, Rahu's remnant soul sensed the suppression of his demonic seed and sneered, "Old man Hongjun, do you think you can control me by finding a pawn? Once my demonic body is reconstructed, the first person I'll kill is this Lu Chen!"

Lu Chen had already arrived at the foot of Mount Ling. Gazing at the dimly lit holy site, he licked his lips: "The resources of Jieyin and Zhunti... must be quite substantial, right?"