Stars of the Great Formation, Leaving a Back Door

Incense smoke curled through the secret chamber of Spirit Mountain.

Jieyin and Zhunti stared at Lu Chen, who was squatting in the center of the chamber, as if they had seen a ghost.

"You... how did you get in?!" The Bodhi Branch in Zhunti's hand trembled. "This chamber has eighty-one layers of Buddhist restrictions. Below Saint rank—"

"Below Saint rank, no one can enter?" Lu Chen rose to his feet and dusted off his azure robe, though there was no dust on it. "But I got in."

He flashed eight white teeth in a grin. "As for how I got in—fellow Daoists, after your reincarnation and recultivation, your skill in setting formations has declined terribly. The eighth and sixty-third restrictions use the same formation eye. Half the hook is missing from the Buddhist seal in the thirty-second restriction... Even the watchdog at my house could sneak through holes like these."

Jieyin's face turned livid. "Lu Chen, stop flaunting your tongue! You trespassed into Buddhism's forbidden ground and stole—"

"Wait." Lu Chen raised a hand to cut him off. "Who said I 'stole' anything? I came to 'take back' what was mine."

He pointed toward a corner of the secret chamber. More than a dozen treasures were piled there, with imitations of the Taiji Diagram and Pangu Banner sitting conspicuously on top.

"The imitations stolen from Treasure Distribution Cliff really are here." Lu Chen sneered. "The Dao Ancestor asked me to retrieve three items. Doesn't that make them complete?"

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance, then attacked at the same time!

Amitabha Palm! Bodhi Divine Light!

The two Saint-level attacks sealed off every route of retreat for Lu Chen. Though they had only recently become Saints and had yet to fully recover their cultivation, Saints were still Saints. This strike was enough to make even a peak Quasi-Saint die in hatred!

Yet Lu Chen remained utterly unhurried. He took out a little notebook, flipped to one page, and read aloud.

"Primordial Calendar, Year 32,100. Daoist Jieyin held a secret meeting with Old Ancestor Minghe in the depths of the Sea of Blood. In exchange for promising to leave the Sea of Blood a Buddha's seat when Buddhism flourished in the future, he obtained three Twelve-Grade Karma Red Lotus seeds..."

Jieyin's hand froze in midair.

Lu Chen continued, "That same year, Daoist Zhunti disguised himself as a traveling merchant and sold 'Witch-Breaking Talismans' to the Demon Clan Heavenly Court. He claimed they could break the true bodies of the Ancestral Witches, but they were actually discarded talismans stained with the resentment of the Witch Clan. He used them to swindle three thousand jin of Xiantian Spiritual Materials from the Demon Clan..."

Zhunti's face went pale.

"And this one. Primordial Calendar, Year 35,000. The two of you joined forces to ambush and kill the independent cultivator Purple Cloud Daoist, seized his natal treasure, the Purple Cloud Scarf, then disguised it as the work of the Demonic Dao..."

"Enough!" Jieyin roared, withdrawing his palm force. "Lu Chen! Where did you get all this?!"

"From Kunpeng." Lu Chen shut the notebook, wearing an innocent smile. "Before that old bird was punished and sent to the North Sea Eye, he sold me the 'Complete Collection of Dirt' he'd compiled over tens of thousands of years. All I had to do was promise to bring him two roasted immortal cranes whenever I visited him in the North Sea."

He waved the notebook. "It doesn't just have dirt on you two. It has Minghe's, Di Jun and Taiyi's, even a few less-than-glorious stories about the Three Pure Ones from their early years... You two, what do you think would happen if I accidentally 'dropped' this notebook at the entrance to Jade Void Palace?"

Cold sweat broke out on Jieyin and Zhunti.

Even Saints feared their dirty history, especially after they had just returned through reincarnation and desperately needed to build their reputations.

"What... do you want?" Zhunti asked through gritted teeth.

"Simple." Lu Chen held up three fingers. "First, I'll take those two imitations from Treasure Distribution Cliff to settle the matter. Second, you give me thirty percent of the remaining stolen goods from Treasure Distribution Cliff. Third..."

He paused, and his smile turned meaningful. "I want you to leave a 'back door' in the Great Formation of the Stars."

"What?!" Jieyin's eyes widened. "You want to control the Demon Clan's great formation? Impossible! That is Di Jun and Taiyi's natal grand formation. Outsiders—"

"Outsiders can't, but Saints can." Lu Chen interrupted him. "Though your cultivation hasn't fully recovered, your Saint marks remain. The next time you visit the Heavenly Court to 'discuss the Dao,' quietly plant a Buddhist Salvation Seal in the formation core—the Solar Star formation eye."

Seeing their faces change dramatically, he added, "Don't worry. I'm not asking you to control the formation. Just leave a mark there. When the Lich Tribulation reaches its most critical battle, I'll be able to make the formation 'stall' for three breaths."

Three breaths were enough to determine the outcome of a war.

Jieyin remained silent for a long time before speaking hoarsely. "What if we refuse?"

"Then I'll make three thousand copies of this notebook and scatter them across the Primordial World." Lu Chen shrugged. "My reputation was already rotten, so I don't mind making it worse. But you two... Buddhism has only just been established. It can't withstand this sort of 'scandal,' can it?"

Zhunti looked at Jieyin, struggle filling his eyes.

At last, Jieyin let out a long sigh. "...We agree."

"Straightforward!" Lu Chen snapped his fingers and put away the notebook. "I'll take the two imitations first. Sort out the remaining stolen goods, and I'll come collect them in three days. As for the Buddhist Salvation Seal..."

He took out a golden lotus seed from the Qiankun Diagram. It was the Merit Golden Lotus seed that Minghe had seized at Western Spirit Mountain, only for Lu Chen to intercept it midway.

"Use this as the vessel. The Salvation Seal will be harder to detect."

Zhunti accepted the lotus seed, his expression complicated. "You even prepared this... Lu Chen, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Me?" Lu Chen turned toward the chamber door, then looked back with a smile. "I only want to survive this tribulation."

His figure vanished into the restrictions.

Inside the secret chamber, Jieyin and Zhunti remained silent for a long while.

"Senior Brother, are we really going to help him?" Zhunti smiled bitterly. "We're playing with fire..."

"If we don't, Buddhism will be finished immediately." Jieyin closed his eyes. "If we do, there is at least room to maneuver. Besides..."

He opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. "Lu Chen only wants the formation to 'stall' for three breaths. That means he does not intend to completely destroy the Demon Clan. His true target is likely something else."

"You mean..."

"The Witch Clan." Jieyin spoke slowly. "Lu Chen has grown too close to them. He wants the Great Formation of the Stars to fail, most likely so the Witch Clan can gain an advantage in the final battle. But if that happens, and the Demon Clan loses, Buddhism can take advantage of the opportunity..."

He did not finish, but Zhunti already understood.

If the Demon Clan fell, the Western Teachings could advance eastward and spread their teachings through the East.

"So we are actually using Lu Chen?" Zhunti's eyes lit up.

"We are using each other." Jieyin looked at the treasures in the corner of the chamber. "Giving him thirty percent of the stolen goods in exchange for a chance at Buddhism's rise... It is worth it."

The two began inventorying the treasures.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already returned to his hiding place on the outskirts of Buzhou Mountain.

Hun Yuanzi was sorting through the "scrap" collected from the battlefield between the Witches and Demons—dozens of damaged Houtian Spiritual Treasures, over a hundred bottles of pills, and a heap of bloodstained Xiantian Spiritual Materials.

"Original body, the haul was not bad." Hun Yuanzi looked up. "Did you settle things with Jieyin and Zhunti?"

"Settled." Lu Chen tossed the imitation Taiji Diagram and Pangu Banner into the Qiankun Diagram. "I'll collect the rest in three days. Now..."

He looked toward Buzhou Mountain, where blood qi soared into the sky and baleful qi gathered into tangible black clouds.

Both the Witch Clan and Demon Clan were frantically forging vicious weapons.

Zhu Rong had captured seven Demon Saints and was draining their blood every day to forge a sword. It was said that the weapon had already taken shape.

The Demon Clan was even more ruthless. Di Jun had personally ambushed the Gonggong Tribe, captured three thousand Witch Clan elites, and thrown them all into the artifact-forging furnace. The Witch-Slaying Saber was about to be completed.

"Both vicious weapons have been tampered with." A cold smile curled Lu Chen's lips. "For Zhu Rong's Demon-Slaying Sword, the thirty-seventh and eighty-ninth steps were reversed. When he uses it, it will backlash against its master. As for Di Jun's Witch-Slaying Saber, I added a little 'extra ingredient' to the materials list—three drops of resentful blood from a Chaos Demon God. Over time, it will erode the wielder's mind."

Hun Yuanzi sucked in a breath. "Original body, that is truly vicious..."

"Under a tribulation, it is either you die or I perish." Lu Chen said flatly. "Besides, even if I had not tampered with them, far more living beings would die once these weapons were forged. This way, at least they can be scrapped early and cause less slaughter."

He paused, then added, "Of course, the main reason is still to profit from it. Once the vicious weapons backlash and both sides are badly injured, we can go collect the corpses... Cough, go clean up the battlefield and make another fortune."

Hun Yuanzi was speechless.

His original body was becoming increasingly skilled at justifying himself.

"Oh, right." Lu Chen recalled something important and took out the genuine River Diagram and Luo Book. "Study this and see if we can find the complete formation diagram of the Great Formation of the Stars."

He unfolded the Luo Book.

The jade book automatically opened. Countless stellar trajectories flowed across its pages, evolving into the myriad transformations of the Great Formation of the Stars.

Lu Chen's eyes grew dizzy from watching, yet the more he saw, the more alarmed he became.

This formation... was far too exquisite.

The Solar Star and Lunar Star served as its core, three hundred and sixty-five major stars as its framework, fourteen thousand eight hundred auxiliary stars as its channels, and the projections of countless stars as its soldiers.

Once the formation operated at full force, it could draw upon the power of the entire Primordial World's starry sky. Everything below Saint rank could be crushed!

"No wonder the Witch Clan was beaten so badly..." Lu Chen muttered.

But he quickly discovered a problem.

The formation diagram recorded in the Luo Book was incomplete—the most crucial energy circulation routes had been deliberately erased.

"Di Jun kept something in reserve." Hun Yuanzi leaned closer. "But we have the Morning Bell and the Solar Star Formation Banner. We should be able to deduce it."

"Let's try." Lu Chen placed the Morning Bell and formation banner before him, then began his deductions with the Luo Book.

Three days and three nights passed.

When dawn rose on the fourth day, a sharp light flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. "Found it!"

In a hidden layer on the final page of the Luo Book, he discovered a passage of small Chaos Divine Script. It was Di Jun's personal insight into the formation, including the complete energy circulation routes!

What delighted him even more was that the notes mentioned a "fatal flaw" of the Great Formation of the Stars.

"The formation takes the Solar Star and Lunar Star as its eyes. Only when yin and yang are harmonized can its might be revealed. Yet the Solar Star is supremely yang and the Lunar Star supremely yin. Should the two lose balance, the formation will collapse on its own. Thus, the Yin-Yang Harmonizing Seal must guard the formation eyes. Only the bloodline of the Demon Clan's imperial family can activate this seal..."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up.

An imbalance of yin and yang?

He had the Morning Bell, which was supremely yang, and the Taiyin Origin Inheritance he had received from Changxi. He could completely imitate the powers of the Solar Star and Lunar Star!

Though it could not compare to the true Solar Star and Lunar Star, it would be more than enough to disrupt the formation's balance!

"And with the Buddhist Salvation Seal that Jieyin and Zhunti will plant..." Lu Chen grinned. "Double insurance. When the Witches and Demons fight their final battle, the Great Formation of the Stars will either stall or explode... Hehehe."

He could practically see the green expressions on Di Jun and Taiyi's faces.

"Original body." Hun Yuanzi suddenly said, "News has come from the Witch Clan. Zhu Rong's Demon-Slaying Sword... has been completed."

"Oh?" Lu Chen raised a brow. "Come on, let's go watch the show."

The two concealed themselves and quietly made their way toward the Zhu Rong Tribe.

At the artifact-forging platform in the center of the tribe, a blood-red sword floated in the air. The shrieks of countless resentful Demon Clan souls coiled around its blade, and its baleful qi was so heavy that even space twisted around it.

Zhu Rong held the sword and laughed wildly toward the heavens. "The Demon-Slaying Sword is complete! Di Jun, Taiyi, your time to die has come!"

He swung the sword.

A mountain peak a hundred li away silently turned to dust.

Where the sword qi passed, all lingering demonic qi was completely purified. Even the grass and trees withered away.

"Fine sword! It truly counters the Demon Clan!" Zhu Rong rejoiced.

The surrounding Witch Clan warriors also burst into cheers.

Only Lu Chen looked at the sword with pity in his eyes.

"Laugh while you still can."

He turned and left.

Three days later, at the Demon Clan Heavenly Court.

The Witch-Slaying Saber was completed as well.

Di Jun held the pitch-black saber, its blade flowing with Witch Clan essence blood while its baleful qi condensed into tangible, hideous faces.

He slashed at a testing stone—a piece of Xiantian stone soaked in Ancestral Witch Essence Blood.

Crack!

The stone split into two halves, and all Witch Clan blood qi dissipated from the fracture.

"It is done!" Taiyi said excitedly. "With this saber in hand, no matter how strong the Witch Clan's bodies are, they will be no better than paper!"

Di Jun stroked the blade, but frowned slightly. "Why does it feel as though there is a violent aura within the saber..."

"It must be the resentment of the Witch Clan souls." Taiyi did not care. "Refine it for a few more days, and it will be fine."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Meanwhile, deep within Buzhou Mountain.

Lu Chen squatted inside a cave. Before him lay three items: the River Diagram and Luo Book, the Morning Bell, and the Jade Slip containing the Taiyin Origin Inheritance.

He began attempting to deduce a method of "yin-yang disruption."

Once he succeeded, the Great Formation of the Stars would become the greatest chess piece in his hand.

"The Lich Tribulation..." A cold light flickered in Lu Chen's eyes. "It is time for it to end."