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

When Lu Chen arrived at Wuzhuang Temple, Hongyun had already woken up.

Although his face was still a little pale, his breathing had become much more stable, and at least his life was no longer in danger. Zhen Yuanzi was drinking tea with him, and both of them smiled when they saw Lu Chen enter.

"Young friend, you've arrived." Hongyun struggled to stand up.

"Don't move, senior." Lu Chen quickly stepped forward and helped him sit down. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Hongyun smiled bitterly, "It's just that this foundation... I'm afraid it can never be repaired."

"Not necessarily." Lu Chen grinned and took out the fragment of the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd from the Qiankun Diagram. "Senior, take a look at this."

Hongyun's pupils contracted when she saw the fragments: "This is... my gourd?"

"The largest fragment is the one I snatched back from the River Styx." Lu Chen handed over the fragment. "There is still a trace of the senior's true spirit imprint inside. If we can nurture and strengthen this imprint, we might be able to rebuild our foundation."

Hongyun took the fragment with trembling hands. Sensing the familiar aura within, her eyes reddened: "Thank you, young friend..."

"You're too kind, senior." Lu Chen waved his hand. "However, nurturing a true spirit takes time, and it also needs... the nourishment of fortune."

He looked at Zhen Yuanzi: "Senior, shouldn't Zhuanxu's position be decided by now?"

Zhen Yuanzi nodded: "According to your plan, the first of the Five Emperors, Zhuanxu, should be born. It's just that the candidate..."

"Let Senior Hongyun go," Lu Chen said directly. "Senior Hongyun's Dao foundation is damaged and needs the imperial fortune of the human race to repair it. The position of Zhuanxu is just right."

Hongyun was taken aback: "Me? But I am Hongyun, not a human..."

"Reincarnation is all that's needed." Lu Chen had already planned it out. "The arrangements have been made in the underworld. Senior only needs to separate a wisp of his true spirit and enter the cycle of reincarnation to be reborn as a human. I will arrange for this wisp of true spirit to be bound to Zhuanxu's destiny. When he ascends the throne, Senior will be able to share in the fortune, nurture his true spirit, and even... rebuild his foundation through this."

Hongyun hesitated: "Isn't this... too risky? What if the Sage finds out..."

"I'll handle the Sage's side." Lu Chen's eyes flashed with confidence. "Besides, Zhuanxu's 'Severing the Connection Between Heaven and Earth' is a major event with far-reaching implications. With me handling things in the shadows, I guarantee it will be foolproof."

Zhen Yuanzi also advised, "Fellow Daoist Hongyun, this is your only chance. Do you want to be a cripple forever?"

Hongyun remained silent for a long time, then finally gritted her teeth and said, "Fine! I'll listen to you!"

"Great!" Lu Chen laughed. "Then it's settled. Senior, please rest and recuperate. When the time is right, I will send you into reincarnation."

After arranging things for Hongyun, Lu Chen thought of Xuanyuan and Chiyou.

Although Xuanyuan had the upper hand, Chiyou was no pushover. That guy was the reincarnation of a great shaman of the Wu tribe, with a powerful physical body, and he also had eighty-one brothers under his command (also reincarnations of remnants of the Wu tribe), each of them brave and skilled in battle.

According to the original history, Xuanyuan and Chiyou would fight to the death, with Xuanyuan only managing to win with the help of the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden.

But Lu Chen didn't want to see both sides suffer losses.

"I need to add some spice to Xuanyuan's life." He used a brick-遁 (a magical technique) to descend to the mortal realm and returned to the Youxiong tribe.

Xuanyuan was studying the sand table—this was also taught by Lu Chen—using sand to create terrain and simulate a battlefield.

"Chief, Chi You has reinforced his troops again," a general reported. "This time, three thousand men have arrived, all elite, equipped with bronze battle axes and leather armor."

Xuanyuan frowned: "We only have two thousand troops. It's not worth fighting them head-on."

"Then don't fight head-on." A voice suddenly rang out.

Xuanyuan looked up and saw Lu Chen in the form of a white-bearded old man. His eyes lit up: "Old man! You've come!"

"Hmm, I came to see you." Lu Chen walked to the sand table. "Chi You has superior numbers and equipment, so a direct confrontation would definitely be at a disadvantage. But war... doesn't always have to be fought head-on."

He pointed to a valley on the sand table: "This place is treacherous, with cliffs on both sides and only one road leading through. If we were to set up an ambush here..."

"Fire attack!" Xuanyuan understood instantly. "Use fire arrows and rolling stones to trap them in the valley!"

"Not only that." Lu Chen pointed to another spot. "Chi You's supplies are transported along this road. Send a small team to cut off his supply route."

"Send a few more people to his tribe to spread rumors that he will surely fail in this expedition, so that his people will lose their morale."

"Also, his eighty-one men aren't a monolithic group. Try to bribe a few, or sow discord among them..."

Lu Chen rattled off more than a dozen schemes, each one insidious, yet each one effective.

Xuanyuan listened with rapt attention and quickly took out his notebook to write it down.

"Old man, you are truly a master of military strategy!" he exclaimed sincerely.

"Just a trivial trick." Lu Chen waved his hand. "Remember, war is a continuation of politics. You're not just fighting Chi You, but the entire Chi You tribe's 'war potential.' Cut off his supplies, demoralize his army, divide his allies, deplete his resources... and when he's beset by internal and external troubles, take him down in one fell swoop."

Xuanyuan nodded emphatically: "This junior understands!"

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Lu Chen remembered something, "There's also a 'master' helping Chi You."

"A master?"

"Hmm, they should be from the Western Sect." Lu Chen narrowed his eyes. "Jieyin and Zhunti want to support Chiyou and suppress you in order to control the human race. Be careful, and if you encounter any problems you can't solve, you can come to me."

As he spoke, he handed Xuanyuan a jade talisman: "Crush it, and I will know."

Xuanyuan accepted the jade talisman and carefully put it away.

After arranging things on Xuanyuan's side, Lu Chen used his magic to travel to Chiyou's tribe.

He wanted to see just how much investment the Western Church had actually made.

The Chi You tribe was far more rugged than the You Xiong tribe, filled with muscular warriors and the air thick with the stench of blood. In the center of the tribe, Chi You was having a private conversation with a bald monk.

Lu Chen recognized the monk; he was the disciple of the guide, "Sunlight Bodhisattva," whose cultivation had reached the level of a Great Luo Golden Immortal.

"...As long as you convert to Buddhism, our Buddhist sect will surely help you unify the human race and become the Human Emperor." The Bodhisattva of Sunlight patiently persuaded, "At that time, you will be the representative of Buddhism in the human world, enjoying immeasurable incense offerings and obtaining immortal merit."

Chi You sneered, "That sounds nice, but you just want me to be your puppet, don't you?"

"You are mistaken, benefactor..."

"Alright, enough nonsense." Chi You waved his hand. "Help me defeat Xuanyuan, and I can allow Buddhism to preach in my territory. Everything else is out of the question."

A hint of displeasure flashed in the eyes of the Bodhisattva of Sunlight, but he quickly concealed it: "Since that's the case... then this humble monk will impart to you the 'Indestructible Vajra' supernatural power, which will ensure that you are impervious to swords and spears, and immune to water and fire."

As he spoke, he implanted a Buddhist seal into Chi You's body.

Chi You shuddered, a faint golden light appeared on his skin, and his aura surged by 30%!

"Excellent!" Chi You exclaimed joyfully. "With this divine power, that brat Xuanyuan is doomed!"

The Bodhisattva of Sunlight nodded with a smile, but inwardly sneered: Indestructible? That's just an illusion. The true Buddha's seal has already been planted. Once Chi You unifies the human race, he will be completely reduced to a puppet of Buddhism.

Lu Chen watched from the shadows and shook his head.

That big, dumb bastard Chi You was sold out and he even helped the seller count the money.

However... that Vajra Indestructible Divine Power seems rather interesting.

He used the brick-遁 (a technique to move close to the Buddha) to secretly "imprint" the structure and operating principle of the Buddha seal using the Chaos Brick.

"So it's the 'faith empowerment' method." Lu Chen quickly saw through the essence. "Using the power of faith to strengthen the physical body can indeed unleash terrifying combat power in a short period of time. But the price is... the soul will be corrupted by faith, gradually losing its self."

This method might be effective against Xuanyuan, but against him...

"Too young."

Lu Chen used the brick-遁 (a type of escape technique) to leave and return to the Youxiong tribe, where he found Xuanyuan.

"Chi You has obtained the Buddhist supernatural power 'Indestructible Vajra,' which will cause his combat power to surge in a short period of time," he warned. "If you confront him head-on, you will suffer losses."

Xuanyuan's expression turned grave: "Then what should we do?"

"Simple." Lu Chen grinned. "His indestructible body has a weakness in his soul. His supernatural power only protects his physical body, not his soul. You can use sonic attacks, illusions, or... directly attack his soul."

As he spoke, he passed on the "Soul-Suppressing Roar" to the Xuanyuan Clan—a technique he had improved upon from the Wu Clan's heritage, specifically designed to attack the soul.

"Furthermore, his indestructible body requires the power of faith to maintain it," Lu Chen added. "You should send someone to his tribe to expose the true nature of Buddhism and shake the foundation of his faith. Once his faith crumbles, his supernatural powers will collapse."

Xuanyuan's eyes lit up: "This junior understands!"

"And another thing," Lu Chen thought for a moment, then took out another item—a long black nail, "This is called the 'Spell-Breaking Nail,' specifically designed to break protective divine powers. Use this to launch a sneak attack in a critical moment."

Xuanyuan took the magic-breaking nail and sensed the malevolent energy it contained. His heart skipped a beat: "This is..."

"I borrowed it from an 'old friend'." Lu Chen smiled meaningfully. "Use it without worry, I'll take responsibility if there are any problems."

Only after arranging everything did Lu Chen feel at ease enough to leave.

The outcome of the ensuing war was no longer in doubt.

Xuanyuan had his military strategy guidance, the Soul-Suppressing Roar and the Law-Breaking Nail, as well as his understanding of Buddhist methods.

Although Chi You possessed indestructible strength, his faith was unstable, and he was targeted by Xuanyuan's various underhanded tactics...

The outcome was already decided.

Lu Chen returned to the pillar supporting the sky, looked down at the impending decisive battle between the two major human tribes, and yawned.

"This is boring, another one-sided game."

He turned around, preparing to continue his seclusion.

But at that moment, he sensed a familiar aura of a sage rapidly approaching Mount Buzhou.

It is Nuwa.

What is she here for?