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

The golden light of the Conferred God Platform faded, and three hundred and sixty-five divine lights disappeared into the heavens. The Heavenly Court's fortune suddenly surged, shaking the primordial world. Countless living beings sensed the establishment of a new order, with auspicious omens appearing as well as sighs of relief after calamity.

Lu Chen and Zhen Yuanzi did not return to Wuzhuang Temple, but went straight to the Underworld. Although the Investiture of the Gods was over, there was still an important matter to be done—to meet the Holy Mother Guiling. At the same time, he was also thinking about another person: the Holy Mother Wudang.

As one of the four direct disciples of the Tongtian Sect Master, the Holy Mother Wudang did not die in the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation like the Holy Mother Jinling, nor did she nearly perish like the Holy Mother Guiling, nor was she captured like the Daoist Duobao. According to the original trajectory, she should have seen that the situation was hopeless and escaped in time, becoming one of the very few core disciples who escaped the great calamity and preserved themselves after the destruction of the Jie Sect. In her later life, she transformed into the Old Mother of Lishan and hid in Lishan, remaining a faint ember of the Jie Sect.

But Lu Chen knew that the so-called "escape" would not be easy. When the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation was broken, the Four Sages and the immortals of the Chan Sect and the Western Sect surrounded them. The fact that the Holy Mother of Wudang was able to escape unscathed from that environment must have come at a price. She may even have been seriously injured and was hiding somewhere, struggling to recover.

"When the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation broke, Master Tongtian's last divine imprint sent away some fragments of destiny and lineage. One fragment flew towards the Netherworld, which should have given Guiling a glimmer of hope; the other flew towards the East Sea, which is likely related to Wudang," Lu Chen said to Zhen Yuanzi. "Guiling has been received by a senior's earth vein and has entered the Underworld. She is under the protection of Lady Pingxin and is temporarily safe. However, Wudang's whereabouts are unknown, and she may be in danger. Those bald monks of the Western Sect are addicted to converting and recruiting disciples of the Jie Sect, and they will never let go of a core disciple like her."

Zhen Yuanzi nodded: "I've met Wudang before. He's steady in character and possesses profound cultivation. If we can save him, he would truly be a rare spark of hope for the Jie Sect. What do you intend to do?"

"Let's meet with Gui Ling first. She might know Wu Dang's whereabouts and could provide clues," Lu Chen said. "By the way, we should also pay a formal visit to Lady Pingxin."

The two arrived in the Netherworld, where the Reincarnation Decree allowed them unimpeded passage. Deep within the Underworld, the "Pingxin Palace," the sacred site of the Goddess Pingxin (Houtu), stood serene and solemn.

Empress Pingxin had already sensed their arrival and personally greeted them at the palace gates. Her bearing was dignified, her face compassionate yet imbued with the majesty of reincarnation. Upon seeing Lu Chen, a complex expression flashed in her eyes. This "Sixth Prince," who stirred up the Investiture of the Gods, confronted even a sage, and saved people in her underworld, was truly unfathomable.

"Lord Lu Chen, Great Immortal Zhenyuan, how have you been?" Lady Pingxin's voice was calm.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The two bowed.

"The Tortoise Spirit is here. Its injuries have stabilized, but its spirit has been damaged, and it is still recuperating." Empress Pingxin led the two into the inner hall.

In a quiet room filled with the vitality of reincarnation, the Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit, disguised as a pale-faced woman in black robes, was meditating with her eyes closed. Sensing someone approaching, she opened her eyes and saw Lu Chen and Zhen Yuanzi. When she saw Lu Chen, her eyes revealed gratitude and surprise.

"Senior Sister Guiling," Lu Chen spoke first.

"Lu Chen... Daoist Master?" The voice of the Holy Mother Guiling was somewhat weak. She had already learned from Lady Pingxin that it was Lu Chen who secretly intervened, using the earth vein teleportation technique to rescue her from Ju Liusun and Mosquito Daoist, and sent her to the underworld. "I will never thank you for your great kindness, Guiling will remember it forever."

"We're fellow disciples, no need for formalities." Lu Chen waved his hand and asked directly, "Does Senior Sister know the whereabouts of Senior Sister Wudang? She seemed to have escaped when the Ten Thousand Immortals Formation was broken."

Mentioning Wudang, Guiling's eyes flashed with grief and worry: "Junior Sister Wudang... she did indeed, at the last moment, use the remaining array power of our master and her own 'Wudang' Daoist techniques to create thousands of illusory bodies to confuse the enemy, while her true body escaped with some fragments of the fortune our master gave her. But when I parted ways with her, she took a direct hit from Zhunti's Seven Treasures Tree, and her injuries were extremely severe; even her escape light was somewhat unstable... I only vaguely sensed that she was heading towards Beiju Luzhou."

"Beiju Luzhou?" Lu Chen and Zhen Yuanzi exchanged a glance. It was a notoriously cold and dangerous place in the prehistoric world, filled with malevolent energy, teeming with demons, and home to ancient ferocious beasts and forbidden lands. It was indeed a good place to hide and heal, but it was also fraught with danger.

"She is seriously injured, yet she ventures alone into Beiju Luzhou..." The Holy Mother of the Tortoise Spirit grew increasingly worried.

"There's no time to lose, I'll go find her right away," Lu Chen decided immediately.

"I will go with you," Zhen Yuanzi said. "The environment in Beiju Luzhou is harsh. My old Taoist's earth book and earth vein techniques may come in handy. Let's find Wudang as soon as possible."

Lady Pingxin also said, "I can open a reincarnation passage for you that leads directly to the edge of Beiju Luzhou, saving you travel time. In addition, this is a 'Reincarnation Amulet,' which can protect you from the evil energy and illusions of the North to a certain extent, and also conceal some of the secrets of heaven."

She took out two jade talismans that emitted a faint glow.

Lu Chen and Zhen Yuanzi thanked him and accepted the jade talisman. Lu Chen then said to the Holy Mother Turtle Spirit, "Senior Sister, please rest here and recuperate. The Underworld is the safest place. We'll make further plans after I find Senior Sister Wudang."

The Holy Mother Guiling nodded emphatically: "Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Master. Please be careful."

Through the Reincarnation Channel, Lu Chen and Zhen Yuanzi instantly appeared at the edge of Beiju Luzhou. The moment they landed, they felt a biting wind, a chilling aura, and a faint smell of blood and decay permeating the air. Looking around, the rolling mountains were all gray-black, the vegetation sparse and twisted, and the sky was perpetually shrouded in leaden-gray clouds, the spiritual energy thin and violent.

"What a desolate and treacherous place." Zhen Yuanzi frowned, unfolded the illusory image of the Earth Book, and sensed the earth's veins. "The earth's veins here are chaotic, and the evil energy is stagnant. No wonder living beings rarely come here. Finding someone here is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Senior Sister Wudang is seriously injured and must need a relatively safe place to heal," Lu Chen pondered. "She cultivates the 'Wudang' path and is skilled in transformation, concealment, and escape techniques. She has likely found a natural formation or a secluded place to hide. Let's split up and search, using the Earth Book and my Chaos Sensing to look for places with abnormal spiritual energy or formation fluctuations. If we find anything, we'll use this talisman to contact each other."

He handed Zhen Yuanzi a specially made communication jade talisman.

The two immediately separated, each displaying their unique abilities, and began searching the vast and dangerous territory of Beiju Luzhou.

Lu Chen pushed the sensing power of the Chaos Brick to its limit, while simultaneously circulating the Great Dao of Power, sensing all unusual fluctuations in the space. He specifically targeted the most dangerous places with the densest baleful aura, the most treacherous terrain, and the least likely to be inhabited—because such places were often the best choices for hiding.

After searching for three days, they found nothing. Beiju Luzhou was larger and the environment was harsher than expected. Several times, Lu Chen accidentally entered ancient killing formations or ferocious beast lairs. Although he was not injured, he wasted a lot of time.

Just as he was becoming somewhat anxious, the communication jade talisman suddenly transmitted a hurried message from Zhen Yuanzi: "In the southeast, 30,000 miles away, deep within the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, there is a faint Shangqing Immortal Light and array fluctuations! However, the area is filled with poisonous miasma, and several fierce auras linger there, suggesting that powerful demons or ancient poisonous insects may be guarding it!"

"The Swamp of Ten Thousand Poisons?" Lu Chen's eyes narrowed. He had sensed that place from afar before; the poisonous aura was so intense that even his Primordial Divine Sense was unwilling to venture deep into it. It made sense that Wu Dang was hiding there; the most dangerous place was often the safest.

"Senior, I'm coming right away! You find a way to provide support from the outside and disrupt the heavenly order to prevent the commotion from attracting too much attention!" Lu Chen replied, activating his full brick-escape technique and speeding towards the southeast.

A moment later, he arrived at the edge of the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp. Before him stretched an endless expanse of dark green swamp, bubbling with murky liquid. Multicolored poisonous miasma shrouded it like clouds, emitting a pungent stench. From time to time, grotesque venomous insects and strange snakes flashed through the swamp, emanating a chilling aura.

Deep within the swamp, Lu Chen indeed sensed a faint but pure wisp of Shangqing Immortal Light, concealed by layers of poisonous miasma and an extremely sophisticated concealment formation. The formation was almost integrated with the surrounding poisonous environment; had Zhen Yuanzi not used the Earth Book to perceive it with meticulous precision, it would have been virtually undetectable.

"This is it!" Lu Chen no longer hesitated. The Chaos Brick floated above his head, and chaotic energy descended to protect his body. The Great Dao of Power formed an invisible force field on his body, repelling all the approaching poisonous miasma. Like a fish, he silently slithered into the Swamp of Ten Thousand Poisons.

The swamp was fraught with danger; the poisonous water was highly corrosive, and countless lurking aquatic venomous creatures lurked and attacked. But for Lu Chen, none of this posed a problem. He carefully avoided several areas where powerful beings were clearly entrenched, and made his way towards the source of the Shangqing Immortal Source.

Finally, in the very center of the swamp, beneath what appeared to be ordinary black silt, he discovered something. Beneath the silt lay a simple cave dwelling constructed from ancient poisonous wood and swamp gold. The array surrounding the cave was exquisitely crafted, utilizing the swamp's poisonous energy to create perfect camouflage and protection.

Inside the cave, the aura was faint, but it was undoubtedly the Holy Mother of Wudang!

Lu Chen activated the formation and transmitted his voice into it: "Senior Sister Wudang, Lu Chen has come to visit."

A moment later, the formation opened a crack, revealing the pale and astonished face of the Holy Mother of Wudang. She was even more wretched than the Turtle Spirit, her Taoist robes were tattered, her aura was weak, and there was an unhealed golden wound on her chest, emanating the aura of the Seven Treasures Tree, clearly indicating that her essence had been damaged.

"Lu Chen...Junior Brother? How come you're here?" The Holy Mother of Wudang was both surprised and delighted, but mostly incredulous. She had been hiding here to heal her injuries, believing herself to be extremely well-hidden, so much so that even a saint might not be able to find her easily.

"Senior Sister Guiling is out of danger and recuperating in the Underworld. I came here specifically to find you at her request." Lu Chen explained briefly, handing over the Reincarnation Amulet and several healing pills given to him by Lady Pingxin. "Senior Sister's injuries are severe, and it's not advisable to stay here any longer. Come with me quickly, lest something unexpected happens."

The Holy Mother of Wudang was a decisive person. Knowing that Lu Chen had found her, she knew the place was no longer safe. She took a pill to barely suppress her injuries, put away the cave's formation, and quickly left the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp with Lu Chen.

After reuniting with Zhen Yuanzi, who was waiting on the perimeter, the three of them dared not linger. They immediately used their pre-arranged backup plan to escape from Beiju Luzhou and return to the Netherworld.

Inside the quiet room of the Pingxin Hall, the Holy Mother Wudang looked at the unharmed Holy Mother Guiling, then at Lu Chen and Zhen Yuanzi, her eyes brimming with tears. Having escaped from a desperate situation and reunited with her fellow disciples, her emotions were beyond words.

"Although the Jie Sect has disintegrated, its flame still burns." Lu Chen looked at the two disciples of the Jie Sect and said in a deep voice, "My two senior sisters, please stay here and recuperate. There may be a day when the sect will be restored to its former glory."

Gui Ling and Wu Dang exchanged glances and nodded emphatically. They knew that this "Junior Brother Lu Chen" or "Daoist Master Lu Chen" before them was already their most important reliance and... variable for the future of the Jie Sect.

By saving Wudang, the most core spark of the Jie Sect was preserved.

Lu Chen's gaze, however, was already fixed on the magnificent new Heavenly Court high above the nine heavens.

"Next, it's time to present a 'gift' to the Jade Emperor." He thought to himself, and an even bolder, even somewhat "immoral" plan began to quietly take shape.