The shock wave from the simultaneous explosions of the Witch-Slaying Sword and the Witch-Slaying Saber carved three thousand li off the peak of Buzhou Mountain.
Fragments of rock rained down from the sky, mixed with shards of the two savage weapons. Each piece still carried the terrifying baleful aura that could slay Ancestral Witches and restrain the Demon Clan. Even a fragment no bigger than a fingernail was enough to make a Grand Unity Golden Immortal tremble.
With the Qiankun Diagram over his shoulder, Lu Chen moved through the falling "shard rain" like a fish in water.
He made a point of picking up the larger pieces.
A fragment of the Witch-Slaying Sword's tip, fist-sized and crimson as blood, felt icy cold in his hand. Its baleful aura was almost tangible. A fine item. He pocketed it.
A remnant of the Witch-Slaying Saber's hilt, half a foot long and black as ink, still wrapped in the resentful aura of the Witch Clan's blood essence. Not bad either. He pocketed it.
There were also the scattered blood essence of the Demon Clan, the souls of the Witch Clan, and fragments of spiritual treasures left behind on the battlefield...
Like a diligent squirrel, Lu Chen frantically scavenged the edge of the battlefield. The "junk pile" inside the Qiankun Diagram swelled at a visible rate, soon growing into a small mountain.
But he didn't dare venture too deep into the heart of the battlefield. Di Jun and Dijiang had already gone berserk there.
The two savage weapons had exploded, but the war had to go on.
Having lost their greatest weapons, the Witch and Demon Clans only grew more ferocious and began to fight hand to hand in the most primal way. The Witch Clan relied on their powerful bodies, while the Demon Clan relied on their numbers. With every breath, tens of thousands of living beings perished.
Blood stained Buzhou Mountain.
Lu Chen clicked his tongue in amazement. "This is... brutal."
Hun Yuanzi floated beside him and said quietly, "My lord, we've picked up just about everything. We should leave. The Saints have already turned their attention this way."
Lu Chen looked up. Sure enough, he sensed several faint Divine Senses of Saints circling above the battlefield. Lao Tzu was observing, Yuanshi was frowning, and Tongtian seemed to want to intervene, but something was holding him back.
Nuwa's Divine Sense was the most complicated, filled with both compassion and helplessness.
Jieyin and Zhunti... Those two were sneaking around the edge of the battlefield, "guiding" the souls of the dead to the afterlife while scooping up some Merit on the side.
"Not yet. There's one more thing to do." Lu Chen put away the Qiankun Diagram and used Brick Escape to slip deeper into Buzhou Mountain.
He was going to meet two people.
Gonggong and Zhu Rong.
The two Ancestral Witches had been injured in their previous battle. They were now the weakest among the Twelve Ancestral Witches and had been assigned to the flank, where they were responsible for holding off the Demon Clan's auxiliary troops.
When Lu Chen found them, they were healing in a mountain hollow, both looking grim.
A bandage was wrapped around Zhu Rong's chest. The injury had been inflicted by the Great Formation of the Stars during their last battle, and it still hadn't healed. Gonggong was in even worse shape: his entire left arm was gone, and the wound still bore traces of burns from Solar True Fire.
"Honored seniors." Lu Chen appeared before them.
"You?" Zhu Rong looked up, his gaze complicated. "What are you doing here? Come to laugh at the Witch Clan?"
"You jest, senior." Lu Chen sat cross-legged and took out two bottles of Three Lights Divine Water. "I've come to bring you some medicine."
He pushed the divine water toward them. "This water can heal injuries. Please give it a try."
Gonggong took it and sniffed. His eyes lit up. "It really is Three Lights Divine Water! Young friend Lu, many thanks!"
Without hesitation, he gulped down half a bottle. The flesh around his severed arm began to writhe, showing signs of regrowth.
Zhu Rong, however, eyed Lu Chen suspiciously. "You don't do favors for nothing... What's your motive?"
"Your insight is as sharp as ever, senior." Lu Chen grinned. "I do have a small favor to ask of you."
"Go on."
Lu Chen lowered his voice. "May I ask, seniors, have you ever wondered... why the Witch Clan always comes off worse in its battles?"
Zhu Rong frowned. "The Demon Clan is cunning and relies on formations and magical treasures..."
"That's not the whole story." Lu Chen shook his head. "From what I've observed, the Witch Clan's biggest problem is a lack of unity."
Gonggong and Zhu Rong's expressions changed at the same time.
"What are you implying?!"
"I'll be frank." Lu Chen spread his hands. "Among the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Dijiang, Qiangliang, Tianwu, and the others are the strongest and have the greatest say. In every battle, they charge at the front and claim the most credit. Meanwhile, Ancestral Witches like you, who are injured and somewhat weaker, are usually assigned to the flanks or rear. You get the least credit, but the risks are hardly any smaller."
His words struck a nerve.
It was true: the Witch Clan valued strength above all. Top Ancestral Witches like Dijiang had absolute authority within the clan, received the lion's share of resources, and monopolized the glory of battle. Gonggong and Zhu Rong, injured and left behind, had become increasingly marginalized.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zhu Rong gritted his teeth.
"I'm saying that if the Witch Clan wants to win, it must unite." Lu Chen shifted his tone. "But fairness is the prerequisite for unity. Are you two truly content to remain in supporting roles forever?"
Gonggong fell silent.
Zhu Rong sneered. "And what if we aren't? We're not as strong. Who can we blame?"
Strength can be regained, and status can be won." A glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. "I have a method of 'dual cultivation in fire and water,' which I obtained from a Chaos relic. It allows the laws of water and fire to complement each other, doubles the speed of cultivation, and lets you combine your strength in battle with power on par with that of Ancestral Witches at their peak."
He took out two jade slips and handed them to the pair. "One of you is the Ancestral Witch of Fire, the other the Ancestral Witch of Water. This method suits you perfectly. If you cultivate it together, you'll be back at your peak in less than a hundred years—and might even surpass Dijiang!"
Gonggong and Zhu Rong took the jade slips and scanned them with their Divine Senses. Their breathing grew rapid.
The method in the jade slips was real!
It was also extremely ingenious, a dual cultivation method specifically designed for the laws of water and fire!
"Why... are you helping us?" Zhu Rong stared hard at Lu Chen.
"Because I don't want to see the Witch Clan lose." Lu Chen spoke earnestly. "The war between the Witch and Demon Clans will determine the fate of the Primordial World. If the Witch Clan falls and the Demon Clan unifies everything, we rogue cultivators will have nowhere left to stand. The Witch Clan must win, and for that, it needs more powerful fighters like you to step forward."
His words were half true and half false, but they were enough to stir them.
Gonggong and Zhu Rong exchanged glances. Each saw ambition in the other's eyes.
"Fine!" Zhu Rong put away the jade slip. "We'll remember this favor!"
Gonggong nodded as well. "Young friend Lu, if you ever need anything from us, just ask!"
"Then I'll wish you both success in your cultivation, seniors." Lu Chen cupped his hands and vanished with Brick Escape.
After he left, silence settled over the mountain hollow.
After a long while, Zhu Rong suddenly spoke. "Gonggong, how much of what that kid said do you think was true?"
"The method is real." Gonggong rubbed the jade slip. "As for his motives... They don't matter. What matters is that we have a chance to turn things around."
"But what about Dijiang?"
"Once we've mastered this, will we still have to fear him?" A ruthless glint flashed in Gonggong's eyes. "The Witch Clan values strength above all. When the time comes, it won't be clear who's taking orders from whom!"
The two reached an understanding and began cultivating in seclusion.
Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already returned to the outskirts of the battlefield.
Hun Yuanzi came to meet him. "My lord, the method you gave them... There's something wrong with it, isn't there?"
"Of course there is." Lu Chen grinned. "I adapted that 'dual cultivation in fire and water' method from Luohu's Devil Dao legacy. It brings rapid progress at first, but when they reach the deeper stages, it will stir up inner demons and make them irritable, belligerent, and bloodthirsty."
Hun Yuanzi drew in a sharp breath. "You're planning to..."
"I'm going to make Gonggong and Zhu Rong the spark that ignites internal strife in the Witch Clan." Lu Chen's eyes were cold. "Once they regain their strength, and perhaps even surpass Dijiang, they'll inevitably refuse to obey and start fighting for influence. Then, while the Witch Clan tears itself apart, the Demon Clan will get a chance to catch its breath—and the war can drag on longer."
"If it drags on longer, won't the casualties be even worse?"
"But the balance won't be broken." Lu Chen spoke calmly. "The Witch and Demon Clans must both suffer heavy losses and decline together. Only then will the Human Clan have a chance to rise, and the Saints will step in to clean up the mess. That's how a calamity is supposed to end."
Hun Yuanzi fell silent.
His lord's move was truly ruthless and absolute.
"Let's go. It's time to leave." Lu Chen glanced at the heart of the battlefield, where Di Jun and Dijiang had reached a fever pitch. Both were covered in blood, yet neither was willing to retreat.
The war would continue.
And the seed Lu Chen had planted had already begun to sprout in secret.
A hundred years from now, when Gonggong and Zhu Rong had mastered their cultivation, the Witch Clan would be in for a "family squabble" that shook the heavens and earth.
That would be the perfect moment for him to fish in troubled waters.
Brick Escape activated, and he vanished.
The sounds of battle on Buzhou Mountain gradually faded into the distance.
But the gears of the calamity kept grinding, turning slowly toward their predetermined end.
Before you continue