Refining the Primordial Golden Bucket, Severing the Self Corpse

On the side hall of Pangu Hall, in the ancestral land of the Witch Clan on Buzhou Mountain.

Lu Chen sat cross-legged on a rough stone platform, surrounded by swirling Chaos energy. A gaping wound ran through his chest, deep enough to see bone – a remnant of Taiyi's Chaos Bell. The Solar True Fire and laws of spacetime that remained within the wound were continuously eroding him; any other Quasi-Saint would have likely perished by now.

Yet, his expression was calm. Above his head floated a drop of Chaos Source Liquid. As the liquid sprinkled down, casting a faint, pure radiance, the Solar True Fire was extinguished and the laws of spacetime dissolved wherever it passed. His wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"As expected of the transformed heart blood of Pangu; its healing effect is even stronger than Three Lights Divine Water," Lu Chen opened his eyes, feeling that his internal injuries had recovered by seventy percent. He let out a long sigh of relief.

Three days ago, he had fled to the Witch Clan, and Ancestor Witch Houtu personally stepped forward to take him in. Although the Twelve Ancestral Witches harbored some doubts about Lu Chen, a human cultivator, they gave him a quiet place to heal out of respect for the Law of Strength (Lu Chen had displayed the aura of the Strength Demon God Inheritance) and for Houtu's sake.

"My injuries are no longer a problem. It's time to attend to business."

Lu Chen took out three items.

The Morning Bell (a newborn Chaos Bell), the God-Slaying Remnant Spear, and the Primordial Golden Bucket.

The Primordial Golden Bucket was one of the spoils from the third level of the Treasure Distribution Cliff. Although it was a replica, it was still a top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, containing the laws of primordial unity, containment, and purification, making it infinitely useful. More importantly, its properties were similar to his Qiankun Diagram, allowing them to complement each other.

"The Dao Ancestor tasked me with destroying the Myriad Demon Banner in the Demon Abyss within three years. Now, only three months remain. I must sever my second corpse and increase my strength before then."

Severing the Three Corpses was the core of Quasi-Saint cultivation.

The Good Corpse, Huang Chen, had already been severed, using a replica Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner and half a strand of Primordial Violet Qi, focusing on merit and defense.

The second corpse to be severed should be the Self Corpse.

The Self Corpse was the most difficult to sever, requiring one to face their own heart directly and comprehend the true meaning of "I am I." The treasure used to house it must also resonate with one's true nature.

Lu Chen examined himself: a transmigrator, the "old sixth" of the Primordial Era, specializing in sneak attacks, fond of snatching treasures, afraid of death yet daring to gamble with his life... These traits were all surprisingly matched by the Primordial Golden Bucket!

Primordial Unity—the "Anomaly" status of a transmigrator.

Containment—the "I want it all" mentality of an old sixth.

Purification—the need to "fence stolen goods" after a sneak attack.

"It's this one!"

Lu Chen no longer hesitated. He separated a wisp from the purified, complete Primordial Violet Qi and infused it into the Primordial Golden Bucket.

"Buzz—"

The Golden Bucket trembled, and a chaotic vortex appeared at its opening, as if capable of devouring all heavens. Lu Chen's primordial spirit shook, his self-awareness forcibly stripped away. Emotions, desires, memories, and obsessions surged out like a tide, condensing into a blurry figure within the bucket.

The process of severing the Self Corpse was ten times more perilous than severing the Good Corpse!

The Self Corpse involved one's fundamental being. A single misstep could lead to losing one's true self or even a split personality. Illusions swirled before Lu Chen's eyes: he saw himself dying of exhaustion from staying up late on Earth, saw the madness of smashing Pangu's Sky-Opening Axe, saw the nervousness of stealing from the Kirin's treasury, saw the smugness of framing the Four Great Quasi-Saints...

Each scene was his most authentic self.

"I am I, why hide it?" Lu Chen suddenly smiled. "What's wrong with being afraid of death? What's wrong with liking to take advantage? Being able to live, to become stronger, to roam freely—that is my Dao!"

"Self Corpse, sever!"

"Boom—!"

A roar echoed from the depths of his primordial spirit. The blurry figure solidified completely and stepped out of the Primordial Golden Bucket.

A Daoist in a green robe, his face nine-tenths similar to Lu Chen's, but with more cunning eyes and a wry smile playing on his lips. He held the Primordial Golden Bucket, his aura profound and unfathomable—early Quasi-Saint!

"This humble Daoist is Hun Yuanzi. Greetings, main body," the Self Corpse bowed with a smile.

Lu Chen's main body breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a clarity wash over his soul. Many previously entangled thoughts suddenly became clear. His cultivation also naturally broke through to the mid-stage Quasi-Saint!

"From now on, fellow Daoist will travel as a rogue cultivator, specializing in... ahem, specializing in doing things that are inconvenient for the main body to do," Lu Chen's main body said with a smile.

"Understood," Hun Yuanzi nodded. "Taking the blame, framing others, fishing in troubled waters—these are my specialties."

The two looked at each other and smiled, a perfect understanding between them.

Thus, Lu Chen had severed two of his Three Corpses, with only the final Evil Corpse remaining. Once the Three Corpses were complete, he could attempt to merge them and aim for the Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm!

"The main body will now head to the Demon Abyss. I'll leave the Primordial Era in your hands, fellow Daoist," Lu Chen's main body said seriously. "There are a few matters you need to handle in secret."

"Please proceed."

"First, monitor the movements of the Witch-Demon War. I have already sowed discord between the Demon Clan and the Sea of Blood, and between the Demonic Path and the Western Teachings. They will fight sooner or later. You need to secretly push for this war to be as brutal as possible, weakening all sides."

"Second, search for the whereabouts of the last fragment of the God-Slaying Spear. Luohu might have one piece. If the opportunity arises, steal it."

"Third, protect Wuzhuang Temple and Senior Hongyun. The reincarnated bodies of Jieyin and Zhunti will not give up easily. I worry they will seek revenge."

Hun Yuanzi noted them down one by one. "Rest assured. Oh, and that newborn Golden Crow (transformed from Primordial Phoenix's sacrifice), I've arranged for it to slumber and cultivate in the depths of the Solar Star. It won't emerge for a hundred years."

Lu Chen nodded. The newborn Golden Crow was an important pawn for him to deal with the Demon Clan in the future and could not be exposed.

After giving his instructions, Hun Yuanzi put away the Primordial Golden Bucket and vanished like a wisp of smoke—the Self Corpse excelled at stealth, making it difficult to detect even for Saints unless they investigated carefully.

Only Lu Chen's main body remained in the hall.

He took out the Morning Bell and the God-Slaying Remnant Spear and began the final refinement.

The refinement of the Morning Bell went smoothly. This treasure had a fated connection with him, and he completely controlled it within three days. After its refinement, its resonance with the Chaos Brick became even stronger, and the combined attack power of the bell and brick increased by another thirty percent.

The troublesome part was the God-Slaying Remnant Spear.

The spear possessed an overwhelmingly malevolent aura. Although Lu Chen suppressed it with the Law of Strength, to wield it like an extension of his own arm, he needed to perform a blood sacrifice.

"Blood sacrifice..." His gaze flickered. "Perfect. I'll use those who pursued me as sacrifices."

He left the side hall and found Ancestor Witch Houtu.

"Little friend Lu Chen's injuries have healed?" Houtu asked gently.

"Thank you for your protection, Ancestor Witch. I am no longer in grave danger," Lu Chen cupped his hands. "Junior has a favor to ask."

"Please, speak."

"I wish to borrow the Witch Clan's battlefield to blood sacrifice a ferocious weapon."

Houtu's expression shifted slightly. She looked at the tattered black spear in Lu Chen's hand and sensed the malevolent aura within it, capable of slaughtering Saints and Buddhas. She couldn't help but be startled. "This spear... could it be the legendary God-Slaying Spear?"

"It's a replica pieced together from fragments," Lu Chen said, half-truthfully.

Houtu pondered for a moment. "Very well. However, the Witch Clan and the Demon Clan have constant border skirmishes. If you perform a blood sacrifice here, it might attract powerful figures from the Demon Clan."

"That's exactly what I want," Lu Chen smiled. "Junior needs the blood of strong enemies to sharpen this ferocious weapon."

Three days later, at the northern foothills of Buzhou Mountain, on the border between the Witch and Demon clans.

A small-scale conflict had just occurred here, leaving bodies strewn everywhere. Witch Clan warriors were clearing the battlefield and saluted Lu Chen upon his arrival—Houtu had already informed them.

Lu Chen chose a high ground, planted the God-Slaying Remnant Spear into the ground, and set up a grand blood sacrifice array.

The moment the array was complete, a ferocious aura surged into the sky. The residual blood from all corpses within a hundred-mile radius was forcibly extracted, forming a river of blood that surged into the spear. The cracks on the spear healed at a visible rate, and the missing spear tip slowly grew.

"Not enough... I need living blood, the blood of the strong!" a fierce glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.

He deliberately released the aura of the Morning Bell—this treasure shared the same origin as the Chaos Bell, and Eastern Emperor Taiyi would surely sense it.

As expected, half an hour later, a furious roar echoed from the horizon:

"Lu Chen! How dare you show yourself—!"

Eastern Emperor Taiyi, wielding the Chaos Bell, broke through the void. Behind him followed three of the Ten Great Demon Saints: Ji Meng, Ying Zhao, and Fei Lian. All of them radiated killing intent.

"Fellow Daoist Taiyi, I trust you are well," Lu Chen grinned, drawing the God-Slaying Remnant Spear. "I just happen to need a few drops of Quasi-Saint vital blood to sacrifice my spear, and you've delivered yourselves."

"Arrogant!" Taiyi roared with laughter, the Chaos Bell descending upon him.

"Clang—!!!"

Lu Chen did not dodge. He brought forth the Morning Bell, and the two bells collided!

Both were bells, but the Chaos Bell excelled in its completeness and the ages it had been refined, while the Morning Bell excelled in its newness and purity. This collision was an even match, and the shockwaves flattened the mountains and rivers for a hundred miles!

"How is this possible?!" Taiyi was shocked. His cultivation at the Quasi-Saint peak, combined with the Chaos Bell, couldn't even deal with a mid-stage Quasi-Saint?

"My turn." Lu Chen's figure flickered, activating Brick Escape, and he appeared behind Ji Meng.

The God-Slaying Remnant Spear thrust forward!

This spear attack was devoid of any flourish, only pure "piercing." Yet, where the spear tip passed, space tore like paper, and the ferocious aura locked onto the soul!

Ji Meng, being an ancient Demon Saint with cultivation at the Grand Unity Peak, couldn't even react. He was pierced through the chest by the spear!

"Argh—!" Ji Meng screamed as his vital blood was madly devoured by the long spear. In an instant, he became a shriveled corpse.

The tip of the God-Slaying Remnant Spear grew by another inch, its malevolent power even greater!

"Ji Meng!" Ying Zhao and Fei Lian's eyes split open with rage, and they attacked together.

Lu Chen's spear moved like a dragon. Each thrust aimed for a vital point. He had newly acquired the Strength Demon God Inheritance, and his spear techniques integrated the Law of Strength. Each strike was as heavy as a star, forcing the two Demon Saints to retreat steadily.

"Die!"

The seventh spear pierced Ying Zhao's throat.

The ninth spear decapitated Fei Lian.

The vital blood of the two Demon Saints was devoured again. The God-Slaying Remnant Spear was now seventy percent repaired, its body black and lustrous, its malevolent aura condensed into tangible black flames.

"Your turn, Taiyi." Lu Chen pointed the spear at Eastern Emperor.

Fear finally appeared in Taiyi's eyes. How long had it been? Lu Chen's strength had become terrifying to this extent!

"Chaos Bell—Spatial Imprisonment!" Taiyi burned his vital blood, and the Chaos Bell unleashed its strongest power, freezing the space-time within a thousand-mile radius!

Even Lu Chen's movements slowed down a hundredfold!

"Die!" Taiyi revealed his Golden Crow true form, his claws tearing towards Lu Chen's head.

But the moment the claws were about to hit—

A sinister smile curved Lu Chen's lips.

Within his body, the Law of Strength erupted to its limit!

"Strength Pierces the Primordial Era, Break!"

The spatial imprisonment was forcibly torn open by pure strength! The God-Slaying Remnant Spear shot out like a venomous dragon, passing through the gap and piercing Taiyi's chest!

"Pfft—!"

The spear tip emerged from his body.

Taiyi's eyes widened in disbelief. He felt his vital blood, his cultivation, even the imprint of the Chaos Bell, being madly devoured by this ferocious spear!

"No—!!!"

He burned his origin, broke free from the spear tip, and transformed into a golden rainbow, fleeing madly, not even bothering to retrieve the Chaos Bell.

Lu Chen did not pursue.

He looked at the God-Slaying Remnant Spear in his hand, which was already ninety percent repaired. The spear body was complete, only lacking the final spear tip. Within the spear flowed a portion of Eastern Emperor Taiyi's essence blood and the imprint of the Chaos Bell. Its power was already no less than that of a true Innate Supreme Treasure!

"Just a little bit more... Luohu, I want both your Myriad Demon Banner and the last fragment."

He put away the spear and the Chaos Bell (which Taiyi had dropped while fleeing), then turned to look toward the depths of the Witch-Demon battlefield.

Three months later, the Demon Abyss.

The Myriad Demon Banner was about to be completed, and the greatest tribulation of the Primordial Era was about to begin.

And Lu Chen was ready to flip the table.

In the Witch Clan's ancestral land, Houtu watched this scene from afar, her expression complex. "This child's fierce might has already taken shape. I fear no one in the Primordial Era can control him anymore..."

Beside her, Ancestor Witch Dijiang snorted coldly. "As long as he doesn't become an enemy of the Witch Clan, let him cause trouble. The more chaotic the Demon Clan becomes, the more beneficial it will be for our clan."

Meanwhile, Taiyi, who had fled back to the Heavenly Court, had a chest wound from the spear that could not heal, and his aura was weak. Di Jun, seeing his brother severely injured, the Chaos Bell lost, and three Demon Saints fallen, finally issued that decree which affected the fate of the Primordial Era in his rage:

"Issue an order! The Heavenly Court of the Demon Clan officially declares war on the Witch Clan!"

The First Witch-Demon War broke out early due to Lu Chen's blood sacrifice to the God-Slaying Spear!