Emergency Escape, Framing Multiple Enemies

Deep within Buzhou Mountain, in an unnamed cave.

Three fragments of the God-Slaying Spear floated in midair. Their pitch-black baleful aura intertwined like tentacles, producing teeth-grinding crackling sounds as they slowly fused together.

Lu Chen was drenched in sweat. His hands formed seals as the Chaos Sky-Opening Brick hovered above his head, suppressing the baleful aura, while Three Lights Divine Water transformed into a curtain of light around him. Even so, the wisps of aura that leaked out still corroded countless holes into the cave walls.

"This thing truly deserves to be called a baleful treasure of the Heavenly Dao. Even its fragments are this vicious..." Lu Chen gritted his teeth and fired out another strand of Sky-Opening Merit.

Golden Light of Merit collided with the baleful aura, producing a sizzling burn. The fragments fused a little faster.

Over the past three years, he had first gone to the Sea of Blood.

Old Ancestor Minghe had entered closed-door cultivation to refine a Myriad Demon Banner avatar. Lu Chen only later learned that Minghe had been cooperating with Luohu. With the Sea of Blood poorly guarded, Lu Chen relied on the Chaos Brick and Void Shadow-Escaping Robe to sneak into its deepest reaches and steal the third God-Slaying Spear fragment right under the noses of countless Blood God Sons.

The price was being discovered by Minghe and chased for three million li. He had only barely escaped in the end using Brick Escape and a Death-Replacing Puppet.

Afterward, he hid in Buzhou Mountain, refining Morning Bell while absorbing the Strength Demon God Inheritance.

Morning Bell truly was a companion spiritual treasure of the Chaos Bell. After being refined, it resonated wonderfully with the Chaos Brick. Together, their power increased tremendously. Lu Chen had even devised a move called Bell-Brick Combined Strike—Morning Bell froze space-time, then the Chaos Brick came crashing down. Even a mid-stage Quasi-Saint would be unable to withstand it.

The Strength Demon God Inheritance accelerated his comprehension of the Law of Strength by leaps and bounds, allowing his cultivation to naturally break through to the initial stage of the Quasi-Saint realm! Moreover, he was a Quasi-Saint who had proven the Dao through Strength. His foundation was terrifyingly solid, and his combat power nearly rivaled that of a late-stage Quasi-Saint!

"Buzz—!"

The God-Slaying Spear fragments finally finished fusing!

A broken black spear, three feet long, floated in the air. Its shaft was covered in cracks, and nearly half its tip was missing. Yet its baleful aura, capable of slaughtering Saints and destroying Buddhas, made even Lu Chen's heart tremble.

"It's done! Although it's only an incomplete version, its power should be no weaker than an Innate Supreme Treasure!" Lu Chen rejoiced as he reached out and gripped the shaft.

It was icy cold in his hand. The baleful aura surged up his arm toward his sea of consciousness, but he forcibly suppressed it with the Law of Strength.

"Fine spear! I'll call you the God-Slaying Remnant Spear. Once I find the final fragment and restore you, you'll reclaim the glory of the God-Slaying Spear!"

He was just about to store the remnant spear in his dantian to nurture it—

"Rumble!!!"

The entirety of Buzhou Mountain suddenly shook violently! Rocks collapsed, and the earth veins churned!

Immediately afterward, a vast, heavenlike pressure descended, enveloping hundreds of millions of li around Buzhou Mountain!

"Lu Chen, you little thief! Get out here—!!!"

Old Ancestor Minghe's roar echoed through heaven and earth. A phantom Sea of Blood condensed above Buzhou Mountain as countless Blood God Sons howled, dyeing half the sky crimson!

"And the Demon Clan as well! Lu Chen, today we shall settle the score for the treasure you stole!" Eastern Emperor Taiyi's voice followed close behind. A phantom Chaos Bell appeared, its chime shaking the Primordial World!

What made Lu Chen's scalp go numb was the third voice arriving from the west—

"Amitabha... Benefactor Lu Chen, you stole the supreme treasure of my Western Teachings and caused my fellow disciple and me to reincarnate. This karmic debt must be settled."

Jieyin and Zhunti? No, these were their new reincarnated bodies! Their auras had already recovered to the initial Quasi-Saint stage, and they bore dense Golden Light of Merit. Clearly, they had encountered a great opportunity!

"Three Quasi-Saints... No, four!" Lu Chen swept out with his Divine Sense and discovered a concealed strand of demonic aura within the Sea of Blood—Luohu's avatar had come too!

He was surrounded!

"How did these bastards find me?!" Lu Chen instantly understood. "The baleful aura released during the fusion of the God-Slaying Spear exposed my location!"

He had been careless!

"Run!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Chen put away the God-Slaying Remnant Spear and activated Brick Escape at full power, charging toward the depths of Buzhou Mountain. That was Witch Clan territory; perhaps he could use their influence to maneuver.

But the moment he rushed out of the cave, four attacks had already arrived!

The Sea of Blood surged skyward! The bell chime destroyed worlds! Buddha Light delivered universal salvation! Demonic claws tore apart the heavens!

A joint strike from four Quasi-Saints was enough to collapse part of Buzhou Mountain itself!

"I can't block this!" Lu Chen's face went pale as he instantly brought out every defensive treasure he had: three imitation Wuji Apricot Yellow Banners, five layered Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robes, and two Nine Dragon Divine Fire Covers protecting his body. He also placed the Chaos Brick before himself.

"Boom—!!!"

Heaven and earth shattered!

Lu Chen shot backward like a meteor, smashing through seven mountain peaks before finally crashing a thousand zhang underground. Every defensive treasure shattered. Cracks even appeared across the Chaos Brick's surface. Blood flowed from his seven orifices, and his internal organs had nearly all been displaced.

"He survived?!" Minghe cried out in shock and fury. "This little thief's turtle shell is tough!"

"Pursue him!" Taiyi was the first to charge down.

Lu Chen crawled out from underground and spat out blood mixed with fragments of internal organs. His gaze was ruthless.

"You want to kill me? Then don't blame me for setting you people up!"

He took out an item—the Phantom Bead he had taken from Treasure Distribution Cliff.

He crushed it in his palm!

Nine phantom avatars identical to him appeared and fled in nine different directions. Each avatar carried a trace of his aura and deliberately leaked a different treasure's fluctuations.

The first avatar carried a dense Chaos Bell aura, disguised by Morning Bell.

The second avatar radiated the baleful aura of the God-Slaying Spear.

The third avatar gave off the Dao rhythm of Primordial Violet Qi.

The fourth avatar bore the fiery glow of the Karma Red Lotus.

The fifth avatar carried the force field of the Strength Demon God.

Nine avatars, nine different baits!

"Split up and chase!" Minghe, Taiyi, and the reincarnated bodies of Jieyin and Zhunti immediately scattered.

But Luohu's avatar did not move. His scarlet demonic eyes swept across the area before he suddenly sneered. "Petty tricks. The real body is over there!"

His demonic claw tore toward the direction where Lu Chen's true body was hiding—a fissure three hundred zhang underground!

Lu Chen's heart tightened. He activated Brick Escape again and burst out of the ground.

"You can't escape!" Luohu's avatar pursued him, moving a fraction faster than Brick Escape!

Just as he was about to be caught, Lu Chen gritted his teeth and pulled out a Heaven-Escaping Talisman, crushing it.

"Whoosh!"

He was randomly teleported a hundred thousand li away.

He appeared in an unfamiliar mountain valley.

Before he could even catch his breath, his Divine Sense detected four auras closing in from different directions—their opponents had a tracking secret art!

"Since I can't shake them off, I'll redirect the disaster!" A ruthless gleam flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

He charged toward the nearest aura—the direction from which the reincarnated Jieyin and Zhunti were approaching!

Three breaths later, the two sides met above the valley.

"Lu Chen, surrender without resistance!" Jieyin's reincarnated body held a Demon-Subduing Pestle, while Zhunti's reincarnated body gripped a Bodhi Branch. Golden Light of Merit surrounded them, faintly suppressing demonic arts.

"Gentlemen, allow me to give you a grand gift!" Lu Chen grinned and suddenly hurled something at Jieyin.

It was a black token—the Demon Abyss Token!

Jieyin reflexively caught it. The instant it landed in his hand, it erupted with towering demonic aura and wrapped around his entire body! A mark of Luohu emerged from the token and burrowed into Jieyin's forehead!

"This is... the Demon Ancestor's contract token?!" Jieyin screamed. "You set me up—!"

The Demon Abyss Token had been given to Lu Chen by Luohu. It contained a demonic contract; whoever caught it would form karma with Luohu. Lu Chen had never dared use it before, but now it was perfect for shifting the blame!

"Senior Brother!" Zhunti was horrified and moved to help.

But Lu Chen had already turned and rushed toward the second direction—Taiyi!

"Eastern Emperor, this is for you!" He threw out another object.

It was the phantom of a Chaos Bell fragment, simulated using Morning Bell!

Taiyi's pupils contracted. "A Chaos Bell fragment? Where did you get it?!" Instinctively, he reached out to catch it.

At the instant he was distracted, Lu Chen threw out a third item—a drop of blood essence carrying Minghe's aura, which he had casually collected from the Sea of Blood. It shot toward the distant Minghe!

"Minghe, why is your blood essence in Taiyi's hands?!" Lu Chen shouted.

Hearing this, Minghe swept out with his Divine Sense. Sure enough, he sensed his own blood essence in Taiyi's direction. He immediately flew into a rage. "Taiyi! You dare scheme against me?!"

Before Taiyi could react, Minghe's Sea of Blood had already swept toward him!

"Minghe, have you gone mad?!" Taiyi roared, raising the Chaos Bell to meet the attack.

The two Quasi-Saints began fighting!

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lu Chen rushed toward the final direction—Luohu's avatar.

"Demon Ancestor, accept this grand gift!" He tossed out the final item.

It was an Imprint Stone containing footage of the reincarnated Jieyin and Zhunti secretly contacting Demon Abyss. Yan Chen had secretly recorded it for Lu Chen; it was half real and half fabricated!

Luohu's avatar caught the Imprint Stone and swept it with his Divine Sense. He flew into a furious rage. "Jieyin! Zhunti! You dare betray me and secretly collude with Hongjun?!"

He abandoned Lu Chen and charged at Jieyin and Zhunti!

At this point, Lu Chen had successfully framed all four Quasi-Saints and plunged them into chaotic battle.

Minghe versus Taiyi, because of the blood essence misunderstanding.

Luohu's avatar versus Jieyin and Zhunti, because of the provocation from the Imprint Stone.

As for Lu Chen himself, he silently slipped away using his final Heaven-Escaping Talisman.

Before leaving, he did not forget to use a voice-changing technique to imitate Luohu's voice and shout at Minghe, "Fellow Daoist Minghe, Taiyi has joined forces with Hongjun! He wants to destroy the Sea of Blood and seize your Karma Red Lotus!"

Then he imitated Taiyi's voice and shouted at Luohu, "Demon Ancestor, Jieyin and Zhunti are spies sent by Dao Ancestor! Kill them quickly!"

Then he imitated Jieyin's voice and cried to Taiyi, "Eastern Emperor, Minghe and Luohu have joined forces to overthrow the Demon Clan's Heavenly Court!"

Finally, he imitated Minghe's voice and laughed wildly. "Hahaha, today, all of you will die!"

Four sentences, four directions—the waters were completely muddied.

By the time Lu Chen had escaped a million li away and looked back, the direction of Buzhou Mountain had already become a scene of heaven-shattering battle. The Sea of Blood, bell chimes, demonic aura, and Buddha Light were tangled together in a chaotic melee. It would likely take at least ten days to half a month to determine the outcome.

"Perfect." Lu Chen wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and swallowed a healing pill.

His condition was terrible as well. He needed to find somewhere safe to recover.

"Wuzhuang Temple? No, too obvious. Demon Abyss? Even worse. The Witch Clan... Right, Houtu the Ancestral Witch owes me a favor."

Lu Chen changed direction and flew toward the Witch Clan's ancestral land near Buzhou Mountain.

Though he had narrowly escaped death this time, his gains were enormous: the God-Slaying Remnant Spear had been forged, his cultivation had broken through to the Quasi-Saint realm, and he had successfully made four powerful enemies turn on each other.

"Once I recover, it'll be time to head to Demon Abyss and destroy the Myriad Demon Banner... Of the three-year deadline given by Dao Ancestor, only three months remain."

His eyes flickered.

"But before going to Demon Abyss, I need to fully refine Morning Bell and the God-Slaying Remnant Spear, then comprehend several killing moves from the Strength Demon God..."

"Luohu, just wait. Your Myriad Demon Banner is mine!"

His figure vanished beyond the horizon.

Meanwhile, the battle at Buzhou Mountain only grew more intense.

This "Four Saints' Chaotic Battle," orchestrated single-handedly by Lu Chen, would completely change the Primordial World's balance—the Demon Clan and Sea of Blood would become enemies, the demonic path and Western Teachings would turn against one another, while the Witch Clan would quietly reap the benefits.

But no one knew that deep within chaos, Dao Ancestor Hongjun was watching everything through a water mirror, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

"This boy... He certainly has a talent for stirring up trouble."

"Luohu, it seems your Myriad Demon Banner cannot be kept."

With a light sweep of his whisk, Dao Ancestor dispersed the water mirror.

The game board of the Primordial World was heading in a direction no one could predict, all because of the wild maneuvers of a certain Old Sixth.