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

"Whoosh—"

Lu Chen transformed into a streak of black light and rushed into the valley on the west side of Buzhou Mountain.

The natural formation at the valley entrance flowed, difficult for even ordinary Golden Immortals to detect. Following the guidance of the jade slip, he found the formation's core and infused it with magical power.

"Buzz—"

A crack appeared in the formation, and Lu Chen flashed inside, the crack closing instantly.

The valley was filled with a dense, misty spiritual energy, and covered with exotic flowers and rare herbs. In the center, a spiritual spring bubbled gently. Most importantly, it was completely isolated from outside exploration; even a Great Luo Divine Sense could not penetrate it.

"We're safe now..."

Lu Chen let out a long sigh and slumped down beside the spiritual spring.

Recalling the near-death experience, cold sweat still dripped down his back. The Ancestral Dragon, the Primordial Phoenix, and the First Qilin—any one of the three clan leaders could easily crush him. If it weren't for the formidable reputation of the Qiankun Ancestor, he would already be a pile of minced meat.

"Strength! We must improve it as soon as possible!"

He sat down cross-legged and began to take stock of his harvest.

First were the three azure dragons—currently suppressed within the Qiankun Diagram's small world, unconscious. Lu Chen probed them with his divine sense, examining them carefully.

"Huh? That jade pendant around the dragon's waist..."

He took out the dragon-patterned jade pendant, scanned it with his divine sense, and his expression changed slightly.

【East Sea Dragon Palace - Third Prince's Decree】

[With this token, one may enter the third level of the Dragon Clan's Treasure Vault]

[Note: Contains a bloodline restriction; it will be destroyed if triggered by a non-dragon race member.]

"The Third Prince of the Dragon Clan?!" Lu Chen was both surprised and delighted.

The shock came from the fact that this identity was too dangerous—killing the Dragon Prince would surely incur the wrath of the Ancestral Dragon. The joy, however, lay in the fact that this token could unlock the third level of the Dragon Clan's treasury! There, the Dragon Clan's most precious treasures were kept!

"No survivors."

Lu Chen's eyes turned cold. Since they had become enemies, he had to eliminate them completely. He activated the power of the Qiankun Diagram, and the three azure dragons were crushed while they were unconscious, their essence, dragon soul, and dragon pearl all stripped away.

"What a pity, if only I could recruit them as thugs..." Lu Chen shook his head, but quickly put the thought out of his mind.

Next comes the extraction of essence and blood.

He extracted all the essence blood of the Azure Dragon, the residual aura of the Ancestral Dragon's reverse scale, the essence blood of the Divine Phoenix, and the aura of the Primordial Phoenix's tail feathers. Combined with the Three Lights Divine Water, he began to condense the five elements in his chest.

"Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth... I already have the rudiments of Metal; now I'll complete the Water and Fire!"

"boom--"

Within the dantian, two vortexes of energy began to form.

Water energy corresponds to the kidneys, governing nourishment, and is derived from the bloodline of the Ancestral Dragon; fire energy corresponds to the heart, governing explosive power, and is derived from the bloodline of the Primordial Phoenix. Under the harmonization of the golden light of merit, the two forces are perfectly integrated.

three days later.

Lu Chen opened his eyes, a flash of golden light appearing briefly in them.

Three of the five elements within his chest have condensed: metal, water, and fire! His cultivation has officially entered the early stage of the Golden Immortal realm!

Although he has only just entered the Golden Immortal realm, he has a solid foundation, accumulated merits, and is protected by innate spiritual treasures. His true combat strength is comparable to that of a late-stage Golden Immortal.

"Not enough." Lu Chen looked at the remaining materials.

Among the storage treasures taken from the Divine Phoenix were more than a dozen bottles of pills, dozens of acquired spiritual treasures, and three phoenix eggs—although they were just ordinary phoenix eggs, they would still be powerful aids once hatched.

The most precious items are the three Dragon Ball fragments.

The Dragon Pearl of a Great Luo Golden Immortal contains a massive amount of essence and fragments of laws. Lu Chen dared not absorb it directly, fearing it would burst, but he could use it to refine a clone.

"The Nine Transformations of the First Emperor..."

He found this secret technique of the Dragon Clan in the jade slip, which was obtained by the Ancestor Qiankun when he discussed the Dao with the Ancestral Dragon. Although it was incomplete, it was enough to refine a Dragon Clan clone.

"Refine!"

Lu Chen cut off a wisp of his primordial spirit and merged it into the largest fragment of the dragon pearl, then supplemented it with the essence blood of the Azure Dragon and the Three Lights Divine Water.

The acceleration of time within the Qiankun Diagram has been activated; one day outside is equivalent to ten days inside.

Ten days later.

A clone clad in azure dragon scales took shape, bearing a seven-tenths resemblance to Lu Chen, and exuding an aura of the early Golden Immortal stage!

"I'll call you 'Ao Chen' then." Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction.

This clone exists independently, capable of autonomous cultivation and combat, and is telepathically connected to the main body. Our future infiltration of the Dragon Clan depends on him.

Next are the phoenix eggs.

Lu Chen immersed the three eggs in the Three Lights Divine Water, infusing them with a trace of Nirvana Origin. According to the jade slip, the phoenixes hatched in this way would possess the Three Lights attribute and have greater potential.

"Once they hatch, they will be three powerful spirit pets."

After doing all that, he began to organize the magical artifacts.

Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner (Innate Spiritual Treasure, Supreme Defensive Treasure)

The Qiankun Diagram (Innate Spiritual Treasure, Spatial Treasure)

Black Brick (Auspicious Treasure Blessed with Merit)

A replica of the Qilin Seal (a treasure acquired through merit).

The Dragon Palace Third Prince's Token (Treasure Vault Key)

Elder's Token (Key to the Qilin Ancestral Land Treasure Vault)

There's also a whole bunch of acquired spiritual treasures, elixirs, and spiritual materials...

"Finally, I have some ability to protect myself." Lu Chen grinned.

But he wasn't blinded by greed. Now that the three races were engaged in a decisive battle, with rivers of blood flowing outside, it was the perfect time to scavenge the corpses... cough cough, gather resources.

"Let's heal our injuries first, then we'll go out and pull off another heist."

Lu Chen took out a healing pill, swallowed it, and began to regulate his breathing.

Three days later, he returned to his peak condition.

He was preparing to leave the valley when he suddenly frowned.

"Someone's here?"

Outside the valley, a slight fluctuation emanated from the formation. It wasn't an attack, but a probing touch.

Lu Chen concealed his aura, crept to the valley entrance, and peered out through the gaps in the array.

Three figures were seen standing outside the valley.

In the middle was an old man in a yellow robe, with a kind face, holding a whisk, and whose aura was unfathomable—at least a Great Luo Golden Immortal!

On the left is a girl in red with delicate features, and a phoenix silhouette is faintly visible behind her.

On the right is a young man in a blue robe with dragon horns on his head, clearly a member of the dragon race.

All three looked disheveled and injured, clearly having just been through a fierce battle.

"This combination... the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans mixed together?" Lu Chen thought warily.

The old man in the yellow robe spoke up: "Fellow Daoists in the valley, I am Zhen Yuanzi. I have brought two young friends here seeking refuge. Would you be so kind as to grant us this favor?"

Zhen Yuanzi?!

Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat. The future ancestor of earth immortals, the owner of the ginseng fruit tree, and the most benevolent person in the primordial world!

As for those two... the girl in red must be the Phoenix Clan princess, and the boy in blue is the Dragon Clan prince? How come they're hanging out with Zhen Yuanzi?

"Something's not right." Lu Chen narrowed his eyes.

The three clans are locked in a deadly battle, and these two elders were just knocked unconscious by him, yet they are now fleeing together? Moreover, Zhen Yuanzi should be in seclusion at Wanshou Mountain at this time, so how come he is at Buzhou Mountain?

"Is it a trap, or a coincidence?"

As he hesitated, he suddenly noticed a jade pendant hanging from the waist of the girl in red—engraved with the words "[Bestowed by Yuan Feng - Nirvana Decree]".

"Yuan Feng's daughter?!" Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

If she truly is Yuan Feng's daughter, then her value is immense. Holding her hostage is tantamount to holding Yuan Feng's Achilles' heel.

But the risks are great. Yuan Feng is on the battlefield of Buzhou Mountain; if he is discovered, he will surely die.

"Let's take a gamble!"

Lu Chen removed part of the formation, revealing the valley entrance.

"Please come in, all three of you."

Zhen Yuanzi nodded slightly and led the two into the valley.

The moment he entered, Lu Chen secretly activated the Qiankun Diagram, sealing off the valley space—now no one can get out.

"Thank you, fellow Daoist." Zhen Yuanzi cupped his hands and looked Lu Chen up and down. "Fellow Daoist, you are so young, yet you have already become a Golden Immortal. You are truly a formidable young man."

"You flatter me, senior." Lu Chen smiled. "May I ask why the three of you..."

Before he could finish speaking, something unexpected happened!

"Buzz—"

The girl in red suddenly sprang up, a phoenix feather appearing in her hand, and thrust it straight at Lu Chen's brow!

At the same time, the young man in the green robe tore through the void with his dragon claws, reaching for Lu Chen's heart.

Even Zhen Yuanzi's expression turned cold. With a sweep of his whisk, thousands of threads wrapped around Lu Chen's limbs.

"As expected, there was a trap!" Lu Chen was prepared.

The apricot-yellow flag of Wuji unfolded to protect the body, blocking the phoenix feathers and dragon claws.

With the black brick in hand, a burst of golden light of merit erupted, and the brick was smashed towards "Zhen Yuanzi".

"Bang!"

The whisk thread was broken, and Zhen Yuanzi groaned, taking three steps back. His face began to blur and change—it turned out to be a phantom Qilin!

"People of the Qilin Clan?!" Lu Chen's eyes turned cold.

"Hand over the third brother's belongings!" The phantom Qilin roared, revealing its true form—it was none other than a direct descendant of the Primordial Qilin, a mid-stage Great Luo Golden Immortal!

The girl in red and the boy in green also revealed their true forms: both were disguised experts from the Qilin clan, and both possessed peak Golden Immortal cultivation.

Three against one, and with the great Luo in charge.

"Did the First Qilin send you?" Lu Chen asked, trying to figure out a way out while defending himself.

"Killing you is enough!" The Great Luo Qilin opened its mouth and spat out the genuine Qilin Seal!

When the genuine article is presented, the counterfeit immediately trembles, its power greatly diminished.

Lu Chen's pressure surged, and cracks appeared in the light shield of the Wuji Xinghuang Flag.

"We can't fight them head-on..."

His mind raced, and he suddenly remembered a sentence in the jade slip of the Qiankun Ancestor: "Mount Buzhou was formed from the spine of Pangu, and it contains the pressure of Pangu. It cannot be sustained by anyone other than the Wu tribe."

The Wu Clan! Formed from the essence and blood of Pangu, Mount Buzhou is their home ground!

Lu Chen looked into the depths of the valley—where the mountain walls were rugged, and the faint aura of Pangu could be seen emanating from them.

"Let's gamble!"

He abandoned the fight and turned to charge into the depths of the valley.

"Chase after him!" the Great Luo Qilin sneered. "Once you enter the Pangu Pressure Zone, you'll die even faster!"

The three pursued relentlessly.

The deeper they went, the heavier the pressure from Pangu became. Lu Chen felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his shoulders, making every step difficult.

The Qilin Clan experts behind him also slowed down considerably, but were still faster than him.

Seeing that he was about to be caught up, Lu Chen gritted his teeth and splashed out the Three Lights Divine Water.

Sunlight and divine water wear away, moonlight and divine water corrode, starlight and divine water dissolve.

"Be careful of the divine water!" The Great Luo Qilin dared not take it head-on and was forced to dodge, creating distance between them.

Lu Chen seized the opportunity to rush to the end of the valley—in front of a smooth, mirror-like cliff.

On the cliff face, there are blurry patterns: twelve giants standing tall and forming a circle.

"The Twelve Ancestral Witches Totems?!" Lu Chen's heart skipped a beat.

The jade slip mentioned that deep within Mount Buzhou lies a forbidden area of ​​the Wu tribe, inscribed with the sacrificial totems of the twelve ancestral witches. Could this be...?

He reached out and touched the totem.

"Buzz—"

The totem glowed with a bloody light, and a crack appeared in the cliff face, from which came a vast and ancient aura.

Without hesitation, Lu Chen rushed in.

"Stop running!" The Great Luo Qilin struck with its palm.

"boom!"

The cliff face closed off, isolating the palm strike from the outside.

The gap disappeared, as if it had never existed.

The Great Luo Qilin's face turned ashen as it frantically attacked the cliff face, yet it remained completely unmoved.

"The Pangu Palace's protective barriers... Damn it, he's entered the Witch Clan's sacred ground!"

Lu Chen fell into the Pangu Palace and found it to be a vast, empty hall. In the center of the hall floated a slowly beating heart—the heart of Pangu! Scattered around it were twelve drops of essence blood, the very origin of the twelve ancestral witches!

But what's even more terrifying is that there's a sleeping giant phantom inside the hall, that is... the head of the Ancestral Witches, Dijiang!

Outside the hall, the Primordial Qilin had already arrived and was working with the Great Luo Qilin to break the restrictions. Time was running out!