Recaps

Hun Xiu defeated Lin Dong, helped Ling Qingzhu become a Dominator, and then left the Great Thousand World to reclaim the Heavenly Court as Haotian. After forcing the Buddhist Sect to bargain over Tang Sanzang, he allowed the Journey to the West to proceed, but Mount Buzhou trapped Sun Wukong and brought the Three Realms to the brink of further conflict.

• Hun Xiu defeated Lin Dong, killed Long Aotian, and empowered Ling Qingzhu to become a Dominator who reclaimed the Martial Realm.
• Hun Xiu introduced Ling Qingzhu to the Hall of Souls family, spoke with Nie Tianxin, and departed for Heaven Origin World.
• Hun Xiu killed Tun Tun, destroyed Heaven Origin World, left Yao Yao alive, and traveled on to the Journey to the West world.
• Hun Xiu revealed himself as Haotian, seized the Heavenly Court throne from Zhang Bairen, and forced the gods and immortals to submit.
• Hun Xiu defeated Tathagata and killed Subhuti, while sparing Randeng and Maitreya after reducing their cultivation.
• Daoist Jieyin arranged a treasure payment, and Hun Xiu accepted it, agreed to the Journey to the West, and returned Tang Sanzang unharmed.
• Tang Sanzang reached Sun Wukong, but removing the talisman made the mountain crush Sun Wukong more deeply instead of freeing him.
• Guanyin, Samantabhadra, Manjusri, and Tathagata gathered as the Five Elements Mountain became Mount Buzhou, while Hun Xiu insisted no one could refuse his decision.

Hun Xiu reshaped the Journey to the West by restoring the Ancestral Dragon, bringing back old powers, and steering new companions toward Tang Xuanzang. The Eastern Sovereign Bell’s appearance revealed that Eastern Sovereign Taiyi had survived, and he reclaimed it before pursuing Demon Master Kunpeng.

• Duobao attacked Tathagata, but Hun Xiu saved him and brought Golden Cicada from the past to replace Tang Xuanzang on the Journey to the West.
• Hun Xiu restored Ancestral Dragon Ao Zhan, who empowered Little White Dragon and defeated Tathagata before Hun Xiu intervened and secured Tang Xuanzang’s release.
• Ao Zhan opened the Dragon Gate and sent Ao Lie to become Tang Xuanzang’s white horse, while Guanyin encountered her former identity, Daoist Cihang.
• Eastern Sovereign Taiyi recruited Zhu Bajie, whose conflict with Gao Cuilan ended with him leaving the Gao Family and later joining the Journey to the West after Guanyin stopped his fight with Sun Wukong.
• The Eastern Sovereign Bell appeared to protect Zhu Bajie, and the Great Powers and Buddhist Sect gathered to claim it until Mahavairocana Tathagata revealed that Taiyi was alive and owned the bell.
• Tathagata withdrew the Buddhist Sect and considered offering Taiyi the position of Present Buddha, while the Eastern Sovereign Bell destroyed a power who approached it.
• Taiyi reclaimed the bell, fought Ancestor Minghe, and pursued Demon Master Kunpeng after Kunpeng fled as a great roc.

Eastern Sovereign Taiyi returned to challenge Kunpeng, while Tang Xuanzang’s party gained Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing before Zhenyuanzi captured them over his missing Ginseng Fruit Tree. Tathagata’s attempted bargain with Zhenyuanzi ended in a confrontation that Hun Xiu displayed to the immortals.

• Eastern Sovereign Taiyi defeated Kunpeng, who submitted the Demon Master Palace to the Heavenly Court, but Hun Xiu intervened and drove Taiyi away from him.
• Guanyin punished Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie with their tightening spells, then sent Zhu Bajie to protect Tang Xuanzang, who accepted him as Zhu Wuneng.
• Taiyi reunited with Nine Infants and Ghost Chariot, and the True Martial Great Emperor took Kunpeng to the Heavenly Court, where Hun Xiu appointed him gatekeeper at the South Heaven Gate.
• Sun Wukong and Great Master Lingbao subdued the Yellow Wind Monster, while Lingji accused Lingbao of impersonation and Lingbao vanished after their confrontation.
• Zhu Bajie reunited with Sha Wujing at the Flowing Sand River, where Hun Xiu stopped Guanyin from transferring Sha Wujing to the Buddhist Sect and ordered her to summon Tathagata.
• Zhenyuanzi discovered his Ginseng Fruit Tree was missing, caught Tang Xuanzang’s party, and imprisoned them at Five Elements Temple after Sun Wukong challenged him.
• Tathagata and Guanyin arrived at Five Elements Temple, and Tathagata offered Sun Wukong to Zhenyuanzi’s Oil Cauldron before consulting Daoist Zhunti and Daoist Jieyin about the missing tree.
• Tathagata offered Zhenyuanzi a share of the Journey to the West’s merit, but Zhenyuanzi recognized the deception and activated the Five Elements Formation as Hun Xiu showed the confrontation to the immortals.

Hun Xiu acquired the Books of Earth and Humanity, disrupted several Buddhist trials, and proved his strength to Dao Ancestor Hongjun and the Saints. After Hun Xiu stepped out of the shadows, Tathagata set the Six-Eared Macaque against Sun Wukong, and the two monkeys headed for the Heavenly Court.

• Zhenyuanzi fought Tathagata and the Buddhist Sect until Ancestral Dragon and Eastern Sovereign Taiyi intervened, then Hun Xiu stopped the battle and took the Book of Earth.
• Hun Xiu freed Houtu from the Netherworld long enough for her to give him the Book of Humanity, while she later failed to overcome the Earth Dao’s restraint on her return.
• Zhu Bajie tried to force himself on the White Bone Spirit, but Grand Master Xuandu stopped him and took her away.
• Hun Xiu arranged for Grand Supreme Elder to confront Golden Horn and Silver Horn, then created a second flawless Grand Supreme Elder whose existence baffled the Saints and Dao Ancestor Hongjun.
• Hun Xiu captured Manjusri Bodhisattva, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjusri Guangfa Heavenly Venerate, and Cihang, then transformed the latter pair into versions that Hongjun could not distinguish from the originals.
• Hun Xiu repelled Daoist Zhunti, Daoist Jieyin, and Hongjun in Chaos, then returned to the Three Realms intending to throw it into turmoil.
• Tathagata sent the Six-Eared Macaque to replace Sun Wukong, and the two fought their way toward the Heavenly Court before Kunpeng confronted them at the South Heaven Gate.