Deep within the Demon Abyss, the Myriad Demon Devouring Heaven Formation was operating at full power.
Billions of demonic creatures formed pitch-black chains that coiled around one another in layer upon layer, trapping Lu Chen in the center.
Demonic qi surged like a tide, corroding everything. Even the surface of the Chaos Brick sizzled as it burned.
Luohu's remnant soul stood before the Myriad Demon Banner, his crimson eyes full of mockery. "You thought I'd come unprepared, brat? This Myriad Demon Devouring Heaven Formation took a thousand years of my painstaking work. Even a Saint would have to lose a layer of skin to escape it!"
Lu Chen surveyed his surroundings. It was certainly dangerous. Yet a strange smile appeared on his face. "Luohu, did you forget... the last time I came to the Demon Abyss, I had Dao Ancestor Hongjun's tacit approval."
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and slapped a purple talisman onto the ground.
It was the Demon Breaking Divine Talisman bestowed by Dao Ancestor Hongjun, a perfect counter to formations of the Devil Dao!
"BOOM!!!"
The talisman burst apart, transforming into billions of bolts of Purple Sky Divine Thunder that poured down like a waterfall!
The demonic chains shattered on contact, and the demonic creatures perished as soon as the thunder touched them. The entire Myriad Demon Devouring Heaven Formation collapsed in less than three breaths!
Luohu's remnant soul paled. "That old Hongjun actually gave you a Purple Sky Divine Thunder talisman?!"
"Surprised?" Lu Chen grinned. Brick Escape activated, and he was already before the Myriad Demon Banner, the God-Slaying Spear thrusting straight at its shaft!
The thrust was as fast as lightning. Its murderous aura locked onto the heart of the Myriad Demon Banner. Before the spearpoint even reached it, the banner was trembling violently, and countless demonic thoughts shrieked as they fled.
"Don't even think about it!" Luohu's remnant soul burned through his essence and struck at Lu Chen's back with a palm.
This strike contained all the Devil Dao cultivation he had recovered over the past thousand years—enough to shatter stars!
But Lu Chen neither dodged nor evaded. The Chaos Brick behind him automatically moved to protect its master, its surface showing an image of Pangu splitting open the heavens as it withstood the blow!
"CLANG!!!"
Palm collided with brick. Demonic qi clashed with the might of creation, shaking the entire Demon Abyss!
In that brief opening, the God-Slaying Spear had already pierced the shaft of the Myriad Demon Banner!
"Crack!"
A crisp snapping sound rang out as the spear pierced straight through the shaft! Countless demonic thoughts poured out like a floodgate bursting, turning on Luohu's remnant soul!
"No!!!" Luohu shrieked in agony as the demonic thoughts tore at his remnant soul, and his aura rapidly weakened.
Lu Chen seized the opportunity to sweep his spear across and cut the Myriad Demon Banner clean in two! The banner dissolved into black smoke, and the Devil Dao origin sealed inside was devoured by the God-Slaying Spear.
The God-Slaying Spear blazed with dark light, its ferocious might surging by another thirty percent!
"Luohu, time to die!" Lu Chen raised his spear and thrust it at the center of Luohu's brow.
"You think you can kill me? You're not worthy!" Luohu's remnant soul laughed savagely. His body suddenly exploded, transforming into nine streaks of black light that shot toward nine different parts of the Demon Abyss. He was trying to escape!
"Think you can get away?" Lu Chen had been ready for this. He brought out the Morning Bell.
"Clang!"
The bell rang, freezing space and time. The nine streaks of black light slowed sharply. Lu Chen used Brick Escape again and again, striking once each and destroying eight of them!
The last streak of black light had already reached the exit of the Demon Abyss. It was about to escape into Chaos—
"Turn around, my treasure."
Lu Chen murmured. The Immortal Slaying Flying Dagger Gourd at his waist, which he had obtained from the Treasure Distribution Cliff, spat out a beam of white light that circled the black streak's neck.
"Pfft!"
The black light dispersed, and Luohu's remnant soul was utterly annihilated.
But Lu Chen furrowed his brow. The feel of it had been wrong. An old demon like Luohu couldn't have died that easily, could he?
Sure enough, Luohu's venomous roar came from deep within the Demon Abyss. "Lu Chen... I'll remember you! When my true body returns, I'll make you suffer every torture of the Devil Dao and ensure you never reincarnate!"
His voice faded, then vanished completely.
"Just as I thought. He kept a backup plan..." Lu Chen shook his head, unconcerned. Destroying the Myriad Demon Banner and severely wounding Luohu's remnant soul was already a tremendous victory.
He looked deeper into the Demon Abyss. Luohu had left a treasure vault there, too.
"Since I'm already here, I can't exactly leave empty-handed."
Half an hour later, Lu Chen emerged from the Demon Abyss carrying three enormous sacks—storage bags formed from Chaos Qi—and grinning from ear to ear.
Luohu truly lived up to his title of Demon Ancestor. His wealth was astonishing: three thousand catties of Chaos Demon Iron, eight hundred pieces of Nine Nether Cold Jade, five hundred bottles of Heavenly Demon Pills, and all kinds of Devil Dao cultivation manuals and jade slips containing forbidden techniques...
The most precious item was a Chaos Demon God Essence Blood Crystal. It was said to be the remnant essence left behind after the Three Thousand Demon Gods perished, and it was exceptionally effective for cultivating the Law of Strength.
"This trip was worth it." Lu Chen nodded in satisfaction and used Brick Escape to return to the Primordial World.
As soon as he passed through the barrier of the Primordial World, he heard an explosive piece of news—
The Treasure Distribution Cliff had been cleaned out!
"What happened?" Lu Chen stopped a cultivator hurrying past and asked.
The cultivator looked terrified. "You haven't heard, fellow Daoist? Just now, the restrictions on the Treasure Distribution Cliff suddenly lifted, and the Three Thousand Red Dust Guests rushed inside. But they found that... every treasure from the third level up was gone! Not a single hair was left!"
"They say the Three Pure Ones were furious. Lao Tzu's Taiji Diagram replica, Yuanshi's Pangu Banner replica, and Tongtian's Immortal Slaying Sword Formation Diagram replica are all gone!"
"Nuwa's Mountain and River Diagram replica and Red Embroidered Ball replica are gone, too!"
"The twelve-grade Merit Golden Lotus replica and Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree replica belonging to Saints Jieyin and Zhunti have also been stolen!"
"Even worse, someone broke into the core area where Dao Ancestor kept his private collection. They say the Chaos Source Liquid and the Strength Demon God Inheritance are missing..."
The cultivator grew more agitated with every word. "The Saints are holding a meeting at Purple Sky Palace right now to investigate! Every cultivator who's been to Chaos recently will be questioned!"
Lu Chen's eyelids twitched.
He had indeed taken quite a few things, but he definitely hadn't emptied the place!
At least forty percent of the treasures on the third level were still there, and he'd only taken three things from the core area.
Had someone... pinned the whole thing on him while they had the chance?!
"Do you know who did it?" Lu Chen asked tentatively.
"Who else could it be?" The cultivator lowered his voice. "Everyone's saying it was the Black Brick Thief, Lu Chen! That guy robbed the Treasure Distribution Cliff a few years ago. He must've taken advantage of the Witch-Demon War, when the Saints were too busy to spare a thought for anything else, and looted it again!"
Lu Chen: "..."
This was one big, perfectly round accusation.
"Thanks, fellow Daoist." He cupped his hands and turned to leave.
He had to get out of there, fast! The Saints were already furious. If they caught him, he was done for.
But he had barely flown ten thousand li when the space ahead suddenly froze. Four Saintly figures appeared and surrounded him!
Lao Tzu, Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Nuwa!
The four Saints fixed their blazing gazes on Lu Chen.
"Little friend Lu Chen," Lao Tzu said expressionlessly. "Do you know anything about the theft at the Treasure Distribution Cliff?"
Lu Chen's scalp tingled. He forced a smile. "This junior just returned from the Demon Abyss. I know nothing about it."
"Is that so?" Yuanshi snorted. "We have already divined the Heavenly Secrets. The traces left at the Treasure Distribution Cliff bear the mark of your Chaos Brick—and the murderous aura of the God-Slaying Spear!"
Tongtian was more direct. The phantom images of the Four Swords of Zhu Xian appeared. "Hand over the stolen treasures, and we may spare your life."
Nuwa said nothing, but the pressure of a Saint already made it hard for Lu Chen to breathe.
This was bad. They'd caught him red-handed... No, he'd been framed!
Lu Chen's mind raced. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he called out, "Please hear me out, great Saints! It's true that this junior went to the Treasure Distribution Cliff, but that was three years ago! Back then, I only took a few useful things. I absolutely did not empty the place!"
"As for today's theft... I suspect someone is framing me! Have you considered who could conceal their presence from all the Saints and empty the Treasure Distribution Cliff in such a short time? Unless..."
He deliberately paused.
"Unless what?" Lao Tzu narrowed his eyes.
"Unless someone on the inside stole the treasures under everyone's noses!" Lu Chen said, each word clear and deliberate. "The Treasure Distribution Cliff was established by Dao Ancestor, and it's protected by layers of restrictions. An outsider could never empty it without being noticed! But what if the culprit was the 'Daoist attendant' responsible for guarding it?"
His words exploded like thunder!
All four Saints' expressions changed at once.
The Treasure Distribution Cliff did have a Daoist attendant. It was a Chaos-born spirit transformed by Hongjun, responsible for maintaining the restrictions and keeping records of the treasures. If the attendant really had conspired with an outsider...
"What evidence do you have?" Nuwa asked gravely.
"I have no evidence, but I can take you Saints somewhere." Lu Chen gritted his teeth. "When I was in the Demon Abyss, I overheard Luohu's remnant soul sending a message to a certain 'Daoist attendant.' They arranged to exchange stolen goods somewhere in Chaos. Judging by the time, it should be happening right now!"
Half true, half false.
Luohu really had been in contact with an insider, but Lu Chen didn't know who it was, much less where the exchange was supposed to happen.
Still... he could make something up!
He was betting that the Saints would rather kill the wrong person than let the guilty go free!
Sure enough, Lao Tzu and Yuanshi exchanged a glance and nodded. "Lead the way."
Lu Chen breathed a sigh of relief but maintained a respectful expression. "Please follow me."
He chose a random direction leading deeper into Chaos and flew off, frantically plotting how to shift the blame.
After about half an hour of flight, a stretch of ruins in Chaos appeared ahead.
In the center of the ruins, two figures were actually exchanging treasures!
One wore the robes of a Daoist attendant. The other... was none other than Kunpeng!
The attendant was holding a Taiji Diagram replica, a Pangu Banner replica, and other treasures, about to hand them over to Kunpeng!
Lu Chen was stunned. He'd just made a random guess—and somehow gotten it right?!
The four Saints were even more enraged!
"Kunpeng! How dare you?!"
In the Chaos ruins, Kunpeng and the Daoist attendant were scared out of their wits.
They'd planned to sell the stolen goods in secret while the Saints were busy investigating Lu Chen. Who could have guessed they'd be caught in the act!
"It's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!" Kunpeng shrieked. "Lu Chen framed me! He forced me to—"
"Silence!" Yuanshi roared, bringing out the genuine Pangu Banner. "Stealing Dao Ancestor's treasures is a crime punishable by death!"
Lu Chen retreated amid the chaos, laughing to himself. Kunpeng, Kunpeng, you're done for this time!
But he hadn't been laughing for long when he saw the Daoist attendant suddenly crush a black jade talisman and turn to him with a sinister grin.
"Lu Chen, you thought you'd won? The Demon Ancestor anticipated this long ago... You're taking the fall for this, no matter what!"
The jade talisman exploded, transforming into a sky full of black light. In the light appeared a lifelike forged recording of Lu Chen "looting the Treasure Distribution Cliff"!
The four Saints' gazes locked onto Lu Chen once more—
"What do you have to say for yourself now?"
Before you continue