Chapter Summaries

Primeval Lord of Heaven learned that Shi Hao had killed Old Man of the South Pole and ordered Chanjiao’s disciples to stay within their mountain gates. Several days later, Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti arrived at Jade Void Palace to discuss cooperation, but Primeval Lord of Heaven’s cold reception angered them.

• Taiyi Zhenren told Primeval Lord of Heaven that Shi Hao had killed Old Man of the South Pole and sketched Shi Hao’s ordinary appearance.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven failed to calculate Shi Hao’s identity and took Taiyi Zhenren to the place where they had roasted and eaten the deer.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven discovered from Taiyi Zhenren’s memories that Taiyi had eaten Old Man of the South Pole’s mount and told him he was lucky to have survived.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven warned Chanjiao’s disciples to remain in their caves and preserve the sect’s strength.
• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti visited Jade Void Palace to cooperate with Chanjiao, but Primeval Lord of Heaven snubbed them, prompting Daoist Jieyin to ask whether they had offended him.

After Old Man of the South Pole was killed and placed on the Investiture of the Gods List, Primeval Lord of Heaven accused Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti, then dismissed their oath-backed denial with a contemptuous apology. The Western Saints ended their cooperation with him and planned to find Hun Xiu, but their joint deduction produced a shocking result.

• Primeval Lord of Heaven accused Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti of killing Old Man of the South Pole, whose death occurred as he returned from Mount Sumeru.
• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti swore to the Heavenly Dao that they had nothing to do with the death, and the Heavenly Dao gave no sign that either oath was false.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven offered a condescending apology, so Daoist Jieyin ended their cooperation and left Jade Void Palace with Daoist Zhunti.
• Back on Mount Sumeru, Daoist Jieyin told Daoist Zhunti that Chanjiao would soon need their help because a mysterious enemy threatened its remaining disciples.
• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti decided to find Hun Xiu and consider bringing him into the Western Sect, then jointly deduced his identity and were left shocked by the result.

Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti guessed that a Saint was hiding the identity of the thief, while Primeval Lord of Heaven confronted Sect Master Tongtian on Golden Turtle Island and accused Tongtian’s disciple Hun Xiu of killing Daoist Randeng and destroying Jade Void Palace. Tongtian denied the accusation and summoned the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, leaving the two Saints poised to fight.

• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti debated which Saint was behind the thief and suspected Taishang before Primeval Lord of Heaven’s revelation identified Hun Xiu as the likely culprit.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven arrived above the East Sea, and his Saint’s Might made Ao Guang and the dragon clan tremble.
• Sect Master Tongtian met Primeval Lord of Heaven above Golden Turtle Island and demanded to know why he had come.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven accused Hun Xiu of killing Daoist Randeng and Chanjiao disciples and destroying Jade Void Palace.
• Sect Master Tongtian denied knowing anything and threatened to fight if Primeval Lord of Heaven tried to bully him.
• Sect Master Tongtian summoned the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, and the two Saints faced one another as the East Sea fell still.

Primeval Lord of Heaven confronted Sect Master Tongtian over Hun Xiu’s attack on Chanjiao, but Tongtian threatened him with the Four Immortal Slaying Swords and refused to accept blame. After Primeval Lord of Heaven showed Hun Xiu’s portrait as evidence, Tongtian admitted Hun Xiu was his disciple but challenged the accusation and invoked the Three Sects’ kinship.

• Sect Master Tongtian threatened Primeval Lord of Heaven with the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, making Primeval Lord of Heaven soften his stance and demand an explanation instead of fighting.
• At Mount Sumeru, Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin watched the confrontation and discussed scheming to obtain Tongtian’s Four Immortal Slaying Swords.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven accused Tongtian’s disciple of killing Chanjiao disciples and destroying Jade Void Palace, then displayed Hun Xiu’s portrait.
• Sect Master Tongtian admitted Hun Xiu was his disciple, praised his appearance, and questioned what evidence Primeval Lord of Heaven had.
• Sect Master Tongtian rejected the accusation and argued that the Three Sects were still one family, asking whether their Daoist sects were supposed to kill one another.

Primeval Lord of Heaven confronted Sect Master Tongtian over the slaughter of Randeng and other Chanjiao disciples and the destruction of his dojo. Tongtian denied Hun Xiu’s involvement and challenged Primeval Lord of Heaven’s accusations, who ended by demanding compensation.

• Sect Master Tongtian stuck to his plan to deny knowing about Hun Xiu’s alleged crimes and refused to believe his disciple could be responsible.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven accused Tongtian of evasion, and Tongtian dismissed his portrait of Hun Xiu as no proof by conjuring a portrait of Primeval Lord of Heaven.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven restrained his anger because Tongtian wielded the Four Immortal Slaying Swords, then demanded an explanation for the thief’s resemblance to Hun Xiu.
• Sect Master Tongtian called the accusation framing and said he would fight Primeval Lord of Heaven if that was what he wanted.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven confirmed Hun Xiu was Tongtian’s disciple and demanded compensation for the dead Chanjiao disciples and his destroyed dojo.
• Sect Master Tongtian called Primeval Lord of Heaven shameless for demanding compensation.

Sect Master Tongtian narrowly defeated Primeval Lord of Heaven in a spar above the East Sea, then drove away the watching divine senses. On Mount West Kunlun, Queen Mother of the West learned about the Investiture of the Gods List and urged Hun Xiu to avoid the coming calamity.

• Sect Master Tongtian and Primeval Lord of Heaven fought above the East Sea, and Tongtian narrowly won after setting aside the Four Immortal Slaying Swords.
• Sect Master Tongtian destroyed the spying divine senses, and Primeval Lord of Heaven returned to Jade Void Palace in anger.
• Queen Mother of the West questioned Hun Xiu about the deaths of Randeng and the other Chanjiao disciples, and Hun Xiu explained that they had ascended the Investiture of the Gods List.
• Queen Mother of the West warned Hun Xiu about the calamity and advised him to cultivate in seclusion on Mount West Kunlun until it passed.

Hun Xiu resolved to fight for Jiejiao by sending Chanjiao disciples onto the Investiture of the Gods List, then traveled west in disguise to scheme against the Western Sect. He approached Ksitigarbha and Maitreya pretending to seek entry into their sect.

• Hun Xiu rejected Queen Mother of the West's advice to avoid the conflict and declared that he would target Chanjiao for Jiejiao.
• Hun Xiu decided to deal with the Twelve Golden Immortals, starting with Taiyi Zhenren, while also threatening Western Sect disciples who entered the East.
• Hun Xiu transformed into Shi Hao and searched the barren West for Western Sect disciples while keeping his identity concealed from its two Saints.
• Hun Xiu met Ksitigarbha and Maitreya and claimed that he had come from the East to join the Western Sect.
• Ksitigarbha asked Hun Xiu whether he was serious about joining.

Hun Xiu offered Ksitigarbha and Maitreya a Bag of Holding as payment for recommending him to the Western Sect. When Maitreya opened it, he found many valuable treasures and realized the bag carried the aura of Chanjiao.

• Hun Xiu earnestly asked Ksitigarbha and Maitreya to recommend him to the Western Sect in exchange for a generous gift.
• Ksitigarbha and Maitreya agreed to recommend Hun Xiu and asked to see the gift.
• Hun Xiu handed Maitreya a Bag of Holding he had taken from Taiyi Zhenren, hoping the two would keep its contents secret.
• Maitreya sensed the Jade Clarity Cultivation Method's aura on the bag and secretly alerted Ksitigarbha.
• Maitreya opened the bag, saw its many valuable treasures, and felt jealous of Chanjiao's wealth.

Hun Xiu disguised himself as Shi Hao and used Taiyi Zhenren’s Bag of Holding to tempt Maitreya and Ksitigarbha into plotting to kill him. After deciding to silence him, the two Western Sect disciples pretended to accept him as a junior disciple and prepared to send him away with their magic power.

• Maitreya recognized the Bag of Holding as Taiyi Zhenren’s and told Ksitigarbha, while Hun Xiu claimed he had found it and hoped to join the Western Sect.
• Maitreya and Ksitigarbha examined the treasures, grew envious, and decided to keep the Bag of Holding for themselves.
• Maitreya and Ksitigarbha secretly agreed to kill Shi Hao so no one else would learn about the Bag of Holding, unaware that Hun Xiu could hear them.
• Maitreya and Ksitigarbha pretended to accept Hun Xiu into the Western Sect and said they would use their magic power to send him to meet their masters.

Hun Xiu let Maitreya and Ksitigarbha believe they had killed him, then revealed he had survived and moved on to the next stage of his scheme. Disguised as Maitreya, he reached Taiyi Zhenren’s Golden Light Cave to set a trap that could pit the Saints against one another.

• Maitreya and Ksitigarbha attacked Hun Xiu, believed they had killed him, and began dividing the treasures in his Bag of Holding.
• Hun Xiu watched from Mount West Kunlun and said the two had taken the bait.
• Hun Xiu disguised himself as Maitreya and traveled to Taiyi Zhenren’s abode at Mount Qianyuan.
• A young attendant let Hun Xiu into Golden Light Cave, where Taiyi Zhenren asked why Maitreya had come to visit.

Hun Xiu, disguised as Maitreya, confronted Taiyi Zhenren and demanded his life, confident that his mid-stage Quasi-Saint strength would let him kill Chanjiao disciples before the Investiture of the Gods began. Taiyi Zhenren discovered his Dharma treasures were missing, and his attack did nothing to Hun Xiu.

• Hun Xiu told Taiyi Zhenren he had come to borrow his life and silently sealed off the area so he could not escape.
• Taiyi Zhenren laughed off the threat, believing his Dharma treasures gave him the advantage over Maitreya.
• Hun Xiu revealed that Taiyi Zhenren's Bag of Holding and Dharma treasures had fallen into his hands.
• Taiyi Zhenren rejected Hun Xiu's claim as impossible, then attacked him with his horsetail whisk.
• Hun Xiu remained unharmed, leaving Taiyi Zhenren stunned by the vast difference in their strength.

Hun Xiu, disguised as Maitreya, killed Taiyi Zhenren and sent his True Spirit to the Investiture of the Gods List. Primeval Lord of Heaven traced the apparent culprit to Maitreya and confronted Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti at Mount Sumeru.

• Hun Xiu endured Taiyi Zhenren’s attacks, trapped him when he tried to flee, and refused to reveal his identity.
• Hun Xiu destroyed Taiyi Zhenren’s physical body and sent his True Spirit to the Investiture of the Gods List before leaving Golden Light Cave.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven sensed Taiyi Zhenren’s death and found signs that the killer had used the Power of Law.
• Taiyi Zhenren’s attendant told Primeval Lord of Heaven that Maitreya had visited the cave, and Primeval Lord of Heaven examined the attendant’s memories.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven went to Mount Sumeru and confronted Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti, who were bewildered by his arrival.

Primeval Lord of Heaven confronted Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti at Mount Sumeru over Taiyi Zhenren’s death, which had been attributed to their disciple Maitreya. The Western Saints agreed to summon Maitreya to prove whether he was responsible.

• Hun Xiu left the area around Mount Qianyuan and watched from afar, pleased that he had avoided Primeval Lord of Heaven.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven arrived at Mount Sumeru with the Pangu Banner, and Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti came out to face him with their treasures ready.
• Sect Master Tongtian and Taishang Laozi sensed the confrontation; Taishang Laozi calculated that it concerned Taiyi Zhenren’s death and Maitreya’s suspected role.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven demanded to know whether the Western Saints understood why he had come, and they calculated that he was accusing Maitreya of killing Taiyi Zhenren.
• Daoist Jieyin called the accusation a misunderstanding, and Primeval Lord of Heaven demanded that Maitreya be brought before them.
• Daoist Jieyin agreed to summon Maitreya so the Western Saints could establish whether he had been involved in Taiyi Zhenren’s death.

Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti brought Maitreya before Primeval Lord of Heaven to answer for the missing magical treasures. Under pressure, Maitreya admitted he would confess, leaving his masters stunned after they had defended him.

• Daoist Jieyin pulled Maitreya into the gathering, where he found Daoist Jieyin, Daoist Zhunti, and Primeval Lord of Heaven.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven questioned Maitreya about his obvious fear, while Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti claimed Maitreya's sweating came from a cultivation mishap.
• Maitreya reluctantly agreed with his masters' explanation as Primeval Lord of Heaven warned him to tell the truth.
• Maitreya considered giving up the magical treasures and blaming Ksitigarbha, then knelt and declared that he would confess everything.
• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti were left dumbfounded after Maitreya's confession undermined their defense of him.

Maitreya admitted that he had killed Taiyi Zhenren, and Primeval Lord of Heaven demanded that the Western Sect hand him over or face war. Maitreya then implicated Ksitigarbha, and Daoist Jieyin summoned Ksitigarbha to face Primeval Lord of Heaven.

• Maitreya admitted killing Taiyi Zhenren, leaving Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti struggling to defend him.
• Daoist Jieyin offered compensation, but Primeval Lord of Heaven demanded the Twelve-Petal Golden Lotus and threatened war if Maitreya was not handed over.
• Maitreya revealed that Ksitigarbha had helped him take Taiyi Zhenren's treasures and kill him.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven demanded that Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti summon Ksitigarbha, while Maitreya fell silent as his masters tried to handle the accusation.
• Daoist Jieyin stopped Daoist Zhunti from escalating the conflict and summoned Ksitigarbha from his cave dwelling.

Primeval Lord of Heaven confronted the Western Sect over Taiyi Zhenren’s death, while Ksitigarbha denied leaving the West and Maitreya claimed he had been wronged after confessing. Once Ksitigarbha confirmed Maitreya’s account, the Saints suspected someone had framed them and went to the Great Hero Hall to investigate.

• Ksitigarbha arrived and was surprised to find Maitreya kneeling before Daoist Jieyin, Daoist Zhunti, and Primeval Lord of Heaven.
• Daoist Zhunti asked Ksitigarbha whether he had left the West, and Ksitigarbha said he had not.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven rejected Daoist Jieyin’s defense of Ksitigarbha, citing Maitreya’s confession and accusing the Western Sect of treating him as a fool.
• Daoist Zhunti revealed that Taiyi Zhenren had fallen, and Ksitigarbha realized the Saints suspected him of killing Taiyi Zhenren.
• Maitreya recanted his confession, explaining that he had mistaken Primeval Lord of Heaven’s arrival for a trap and had confessed out of fear; Ksitigarbha confirmed his account.
• Daoist Jieyin invited Primeval Lord of Heaven to discuss the suspected scheme in the Great Hero Hall, and the three Saints entered with Maitreya and Ksitigarbha.

Hun Xiu exploited the Saints’ suspicions and set off to target True Person Yuding while the Saints struggled to uncover who had plotted against them. In the Great Hero Hall, Primeval Lord of Heaven demanded compensation for Taiyi Zhenren’s death, and Daoist Jieyin handed Maitreya over, leaving Daoist Zhunti vowing revenge.

• Hun Xiu withdrew his divine sense, concluded the Saints would keep suspecting one another, and chose True Person Yuding as his next target.
• Sect Master Tongtian and Taishang Laozi wondered whether an unseen enemy had manipulated the Saints and questioned whether Hun Xiu had been impersonated.
• Maitreya and Ksitigarbha told Primeval Lord of Heaven, Daoist Jieyin, and Daoist Zhunti how they had accepted Taiyi Zhenren’s Bag of Holding and believed the Rogue Cultivator had died.
• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti realized their disciples had been tricked, but Primeval Lord of Heaven insisted the Western Sect must pay for Taiyi Zhenren’s death.
• Daoist Jieyin surrendered Maitreya to Primeval Lord of Heaven, and Maitreya pleaded with his teacher while Daoist Zhunti vowed to make Chanjiao pay.

Primeval Lord of Heaven spared Ksitigarbha and Maitreya in exchange for the Western Sect's cooperation, then joined Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti in trying to locate the culprit. Their combined calculation revealed only a silhouette and wounded all three Saints, leaving Patriarch Hongjun and the Saints unable to explain Hun Xiu's mysterious protection.

• Primeval Lord of Heaven declined to take Maitreya as compensation and agreed to put the dispute aside if the Western Sect helped find the culprit.
• Daoist Jieyin had Ksitigarbha and Maitreya return Taiyi Zhenren's magic treasures to Primeval Lord of Heaven, then let them leave.
• Primeval Lord of Heaven, Daoist Jieyin, and Daoist Zhunti combined their power to locate the culprit, but their calculation showed only a silhouette before backlash made them spit blood.
• Patriarch Hongjun realized the Heavenly Dao had not interfered and wondered whether Hun Xiu was the legendary escaped One.
• Daoist Zhunti proposed adding a fourth Saint to the calculation, but Primeval Lord of Heaven doubted they could identify or defeat the mysterious figure.

Hun Xiu disguised himself as Ksitigarbha and went to Golden Radiance Cave of Jade Spring Mountain to take True Person Yuding’s Demon Slaying Sword. After Yuding tried to fight back, Hun Xiu restrained him, and the young attendant who came to investigate was immobilized as well.

• Primeval Lord of Heaven, Daoist Jieyin, and Daoist Zhunti agreed to seek Patriarch Hongjun’s help and set off for Purple Cloud Palace.
• Hun Xiu disguised himself as Ksitigarbha and arrived at Golden Radiance Cave of Jade Spring Mountain to borrow something from True Person Yuding.
• True Person Yuding refused to lend anything, so Hun Xiu snatched the Demon Slaying Sword and insisted it was fated with him.
• True Person Yuding attacked Hun Xiu, but Hun Xiu dissolved the palm strike and immobilized him.
• A young attendant rushed into the cave after hearing Yuding’s shout and found himself unable to move.

Ksitigarbha revealed that he had come to kill True Person Yuding with a Saint-bestowed treasure, then tormented him with the Demon Slaying Sword. True Person Yuding self-detonated to escape further humiliation, and Ksitigarbha left the ruins behind.

• Ksitigarbha told True Person Yuding he intended to borrow his life and revealed that a Saint's treasure had immobilized him.
• Ksitigarbha admitted that the Western Sect had attacked Old Man of the South Pole and that Taiyi had already been placed on the Investiture of the Gods List.
• Ksitigarbha wounded True Person Yuding repeatedly with the Demon Slaying Sword while pretending to help stop the bleeding.
• True Person Yuding cursed Ksitigarbha, then self-detonated, destroying Golden Radiance Cave and sending his True Spirit away.
• Ksitigarbha remained unharmed amid the ruins, mocked Yuding's choice, and vanished.