Chapter Summaries

Xuan Yang brought Nuwa, Di Jun, and others to the Underworld, where Di Jun severed his obsession and Zhu Rong took charge of its reincarnation. Reborn as Shennong, Di Jun descended the mountain and introduced shells as currency to improve Human trade, prompting Heavenly Dao Hongjun to plot again.

• Houtu teased Xuan Yang for not giving the Underworld a treasure, and he praised Pangu Hall and Nuwa’s Reincarnation Hall instead.
• Di Jun severed his obsession in the Underworld, and Zhu Rong agreed to oversee its reincarnation.
• Decades later, Sect Master Tongtian sent Golden Spirit Saintess to guide the new Human Earthly Emperor, Shennong.
• After Shennong came of age, Golden Spirit Saintess sent him down the mountain to help the Human Race.
• Shennong replaced barter with shells as currency, strengthening Human trade and fortune.
• Heavenly Dao Hongjun grew worried about the Human Race’s prosperity and began plotting again.

Yang Jian, Yang Jiao, and Yang Chan stormed the Heavenly Court to rescue their mother, Yao Ji. They freed her from the Heavenly Prison and left together, while Primordial Lord of Heaven and Hongjun watched the confrontation unfold.

• Primordial Lord of Heaven and Hongjun observed Yang Jian's demand at the South Heavenly Gate and hoped the clash would test Xuan Yang and Haotian.
• Yang Chan shattered Mo Liqing's attack and the Heavenly Court's formation, while Yang Jiao and Yang Jian fought their way through the defenders.
• The Three Siblings defeated the Heavenly Court's generals and used Yang Jian's Heavenly Eye to find the Heavenly Prison.
• Yang Jian broke open the prison gates, and the siblings found Yao Ji chained and weakened in a cell.
• Yang Jian broke Yao Ji's chains, and the Three Siblings reunited with her before carrying her out of the Heavenly Prison.

Xuan Yang sent Six-Eared Macaque to Chentang Pass to take Li Jing’s newborn sons Jin Zha and Mu Zha for Grand Xuan Palace before the Chan Sect could recruit them. Six-Eared Macaque arrived as Li Jing held one of the infants.

• Xuan Yang resolved to thwart Primordial Lord of Heaven’s plans by claiming the disciples sought by the Twelve Golden Immortals.
• Xuan Yang ordered Six-Eared Macaque to take Jin Zha and Mu Zha as his disciples and warned him to drive off True Man Taiyi if he interfered.
• Lady Yin gave birth to Jin Zha and Mu Zha, and Li Jing celebrated their apparent immortal potential.
• Six-Eared Macaque descended into Li Jing’s residence, overwhelmed its guards and servants, and confronted Li Jing while he held an infant.

Xuan Yang unveiled Martial Dao as a cultivation path designed for the frail Human Race, with realms capable of matching powerful Immortal Way cultivators. Laozi conceded that his Golden Core Great Dao could not compare, while Nuwa saw the promise of a prosperous Human Race.

• Heavenly Dao Hongjun grew angry and worried that Xuan Yang's new Martial Dao would disrupt his plans again.
• Nuwa paused her sermon and asked the Human Race cultivators to watch Xuan Yang.
• Xuan Yang announced Martial Dao and described its realms, from Martial Carrier to Martial Saint, claiming its ultimate practitioners could rival Peak Golden Immortals and crush peak Quasi-Saints.
• Laozi compared Martial Dao with his Golden Core Great Dao, admitted Xuan Yang's path was far superior, and accepted his defeat.
• Nuwa sensed Martial Dao could produce top Human Race cultivators and became excited by the prospect of Human Race prosperity.

Taiyi attacked Zhunti and Jieyin over the seat they had occupied in Purple Cloud Palace, but Di Jun stopped him from escalating the fight. After Fuxi exposed the brothers’ misleading claim that Hongjun had given them the seat, Zhunti and Jieyin returned it to Di Jun.

• Taiyi hurled the Chaos Bell at Zhunti and Jieyin, who dodged and tried to placate him and Di Jun.
• Di Jun prepared to fight with the River Diagram and Luo Book as Nuwa and Fuxi readied themselves, but Zhunti and Jieyin invoked Old Ancestor Hongjun to stop the attack.
• Di Jun held back Taiyi and offered Zhunti and Jieyin a chance to explain why they kept the seat.
• Zhunti claimed Hongjun had bestowed the seat on the brothers, but Fuxi clarified that Hongjun had only lent it while Di Jun was absent.
• Taiyi threatened to attack again, so Zhunti and Jieyin yielded the seat, and Di Jun sat down on it.

Houtu persuaded the Ancestral Witches to block Zhunti, Jieyin, Laozi, and Yuanshi from interfering in the war as Xuan Yang led the Demon Court army toward the Immortal Court. Zhunti and Jieyin set out to help East King Duke but encountered Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun, then devised a plan to avoid being stopped.

• Houtu gathered the Ancestral Witches and persuaded Di Jiang to send two groups to intercept the four cultivators.
• Di Jiang led Houtu and Xuan Ming toward Kunlun Mountain, while Zhu Rong, Gonggong, and Jumang headed west to stop Zhunti and Jieyin.
• Xuan Yang led Di Jun, Taiyi, Nuwa, Fuxi, the Ten Great Demon Sages, and the Demon Court army toward the Immortal Court.
• East King Duke reassured the nervous Immortal Court cultivators that his Senior Brothers would arrive to help.
• Zhunti and Jieyin flew toward the Immortal Court, but Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun appeared to block their path.
• Zhunti and Jieyin devised a plan, then claimed they had been ordered by the Dao Ancestor to help East King Duke and warned Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun not to interfere.

The Ancestral Witches rebuked Yuanshi, and Laozi withdrew with him rather than risk conflict with the Witch Tribe. As the Demon Race army reached the Immortal Court, East King Duke’s promised reinforcements still had not appeared, leaving the court close to panic.

• Di Jiang, Houtu, and Xuan Ming berated Yuanshi, who threatened them with the Pangu Banner until Laozi stopped him.
• Laozi chose not to fight the Ancestral Witches and returned to Kunlun Mountain, followed by Yuanshi, while Tongtian watched them leave.
• Heavenly Dao Hongjun blamed Laozi for holding Yuanshi back and then turned his attention to the Immortal Court.
• Di Jun, Taiyi, Xuan Yang, Nuwa, and Fuxi led the Demon Race army to the Immortal Court’s gates, terrifying its defenders.
• The Immortal Court’s leaders questioned East King Duke about his absent Senior Brothers, and he panicked as the court faced the approaching army.

Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, and Queen Mother of the West found the Innate Gourd Vine on Buzhou Mountain and invited Xuan Yang to claim it. Houtu also discovered it and ordered Da Yi and Kuafu to guard it, while Xuan Yang set out for Buzhou Mountain with his companions.

• After searching Buzhou Mountain for ten thousand years, Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, and Queen Mother of the West found the Innate Gourd Vine and marked its location.
• Da Yi and Kuafu found the vine while searching for Houtu, who ordered them to guard it and prevent anyone else from entering.
• Houtu left to invite Xuan Yang to the Witch Tribe, unaware that he had already heard about the vine from Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, and Queen Mother of the West.
• Xuan Yang agreed to travel to Buzhou Mountain with Zhen Yuanzi, Hongyun, and Queen Mother of the West to see the Innate Gourd Vine.

Zhunti persuaded Jieyin to seek an alliance with Primordial Lord of Heaven while Xuan Yang was in seclusion, hoping their sects could defeat the Jie Sect and complete the Investiture of the Gods. After Jieyin survived Yuanshi’s furious attack at Kunlun Mountain, Yuanshi agreed to hear his plan.

• Jieyin worried that Pharmacist’s killing of Juliusun would bring the Chan Sect’s wrath upon the Western Sect, but Zhunti argued that Xuan Yang’s seclusion created an opportunity to act.
• Zhunti convinced Jieyin to ally with Primordial Lord of Heaven and eliminate the Jie Sect before Xuan Yang emerged from seclusion.
• Primordial Lord of Heaven attacked Jieyin with the Pangu Banner when he arrived at Kunlun Mountain, and Jieyin defended himself with the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit and the Jieyin Banner.
• Jieyin stopped Yuanshi from striking again by revealing that Xuan Yang had entered seclusion and proposing an alliance against Tongtian and the Jie Sect.
• Primordial Lord of Heaven weighed the offer, put away the Pangu Banner, and invited Jieyin into Jade Void Palace to discuss the plan.

Jiang Ziya returned to Xi Qi without the Golden Immortals and lied to Ji Chang that they had gone to retrieve a divine artifact. At Jade Void Palace, Primordial Lord of Heaven learned that Yang Jian had defeated the eleven Golden Immortals and recognized that Xuan Yang had forced him into a difficult choice.

• Jiang Ziya returned to Ji Chang alone and concealed the Golden Immortals’ retreat by claiming they had gone to retrieve a Sect-Suppressing Treasure.
• Ji Chang believed Jiang Ziya and ordered West Qi’s army to prepare to defend the city until the reinforcements returned.
• Primordial Lord of Heaven questioned Guangchengzi and the other Golden Immortals about Yang Jian defeating their Jade Purity Demon Sealing Array with one slash.
• Guangchengzi blamed Yang Jian’s strength and his blade, which he suspected came from Grand Xuan Palace, prompting Primordial Lord of Heaven to worry about Xuan Yang’s intervention.
• Primordial Lord of Heaven told the Golden Immortals to recover and said Jiang Shang still had a thread of life because he carried Heaven’s Mandate.

After Nuwa awarded Xuan Yang twenty percent of the Human Path merit, she drove off Primordial Lord of Heaven, Zhunti, and Jieyin when they challenged her decision. Xuan Yang then proposed that Hongyun reincarnate into the Human Race and create writing, and he and Nuwa went to Wuzhuang Temple to meet him and Zhen Yuanzi.

• Xuan Yang received twenty percent of the Human Path merit, angering Primordial Lord of Heaven, Zhunti, and Jieyin.
• Primordial Lord of Heaven, Zhunti, and Jieyin confronted Nuwa over the merit distribution, but she defended her authority over the Human Path and threatened them with the Universe Cauldron.
• The three Saints withdrew without fighting, and Xuan Yang and Nuwa returned to Empress Wa's Palace.
• Xuan Yang proposed that Hongyun reincarnate into the Human Race and create writing to become Literary Ancestor, and Nuwa agreed to his plan.
• Xuan Yang and Nuwa arrived at Wuzhuang Temple, where Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun welcomed them.

Nuwa worried that Fuxi would face a fatal tribulation, but Fuxi reassured her that changing her cultivation path and Xuan Yang’s efforts might avert the danger. Meanwhile, Hongjun discovered that Xuan Yang had taught Nuwa a method to prove the Dao through Laws and planned to recruit her as his disciple at the third sermon.

• Nuwa anxiously wanted to return to the Sun Star and ask Xuan Yang about Fuxi’s killing tribulation, but Fuxi stopped her to protect the diary’s secret.
• Fuxi reasoned that Nuwa could protect him by avoiding the Heavenly Dao Saint path and that Xuan Yang might prevent or delay the Witch-Demon War.
• Nuwa agreed to return to cultivation with Fuxi, and they resolved to visit Xuan Yang and help him whenever possible.
• Hongjun deduced that Xuan Yang had given Nuwa the Dao Proving through Laws Method, but he could not determine where it had come from.
• Hongjun decided to accept Nuwa as his disciple at the third sermon and teach her the Slaying the Three Corpses path.

Old Ancestor Hongjun was troubled that Tongtian and Nuwa had not learned Slaying the Three Corpses and could not discover why his calculations were being disrupted. On the Sun Star, Xuan Yang, Di Jun, and Taiyi completed the Grand Formation of the Stars, which began nourishing the Primordial Wilderness and earned them merit from the Heavenly Path.

• Old Ancestor Hongjun realized that Tongtian and Nuwa had not learned Slaying the Three Corpses, and an unseen force disrupted his attempts to calculate the cause.
• Xuan Yang spent fifty thousand years with Chang Xi and Xi He while forging star banners from Moon Laurel Tree branches and Fusang silk, then used the Universe Cauldron and merit to elevate them into Innate Spiritual Treasures.
• Di Jun and Taiyi finished refining the primary and secondary stars, and the three brothers arranged them around the Sun Star and Lunar Star using the River Diagram and Luo Book as the formation's axis.
• Taiyi used the Chaos Bell to suppress the formation's core, stabilizing the Grand Formation of the Stars.
• The completed formation refined Chaos Qi, nourished the Primordial Wilderness, and brought merit to Di Jun, Taiyi, and Xuan Yang.

After the Mo Family Four Generals died at Xi Qi, Wen Zhong returned to Golden Ao Island to ask Sect Master Tongtian for justice. Tongtian recognized the opposing sects’ scheme to lure Jie Sect disciples into the conflict, but declared that Jie Sect would fight anyway.

• Ji Chang celebrated the victory over Wen Zhong by desecrating Mo Liqing’s head, while Guangchengzi and Pharmacist Daoist discussed using the deaths to provoke Jie Sect reinforcements.
• Wen Zhong rode the Black Kirin to Golden Ao Island, grieving the deaths of the Mo Family Four Generals and determined to seek help.
• Water and Fire Boy delivered Tongtian’s summons, and Wen Zhong followed him to Biyou Palace.
• Wen Zhong begged Tongtian to punish him and uphold justice against the Chan Sect and Western Sect for Kinnara’s attack.
• Tongtian said the deaths had been fated but condemned the Western Sect for interfering, then declared that Jie Sect would fight despite knowing the conflict was a scheme.

Hongjun failed to deduce who was behind the strange events and blamed his lack of authority over the Heavenly Dao. When Purple Firmament Palace opened for the sermon, the cultivators competed for its six extraordinary Cushions, and Di Jun claimed the final one for himself and Taiyi.

• Hongjun's deductions about Di Jun, Taiyi, Chang Xi, and Xi He yielded no results, and he resolved to seek greater authority over the Heavenly Dao.
• Haotian and Yaochi opened Purple Firmament Palace after the three-thousand-year wait and invited the cultivators inside.
• Di Jun and Taiyi found the six special Cushions, which drew the cultivators' attention and left the hall tense over who would claim them.
• Grand Pure Laozi, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Sect Master Tongtian occupied three Cushions, followed by Nuwa and Hongyun.
• Di Jun and Taiyi beat Kunpeng to the last Cushion, and Di Jun sat down, declaring it belonged to him and his brother.

After Xuan Yang announced a sermon on the Chaos-Proving Dao Method, demons and cultivators began heading toward the Demon Court, including Queen Mother of the West. Nuwa and Fuxi discussed how the sermon could undermine Hongjun’s influence, while Tongtian resolved to attend and considered inviting his elder brothers.

• Intelligent demons and cultivators across the Primordial Wilderness set out for the Demon Court after hearing that Xuan Yang would preach the Chaos-Proving Dao Method.
• Queen Mother of the West, convinced Xuan Yang’s method was sound, hurried from West Kunlun toward the Sun Star.
• Nuwa and Fuxi discussed how Xuan Yang’s sermon challenged Hongjun and how cultivators who had already slain a corpse could not follow the Chaos-Proving Dao Method.
• Tongtian, after failing to develop his own path, decided to attend Xuan Yang’s sermon and considered inviting his two elder brothers.

East King Duke confronted Xuan Yang, Tongtian, and Zhen Yangzi after their formations blocked the Immortal Court from repairing the western Earth Veins. The Demon Court earned most of the merit, and East King Duke left vowing to destroy it.

• East King Duke erupted in anger and demanded that Tongtian and Zhen Yangzi remove the formations barring the Immortal Court.
• Xuan Yang claimed the formations were necessary to repair the Earth Veins efficiently and refused to deactivate them before the work was complete.
• Zhunti and Jieyin hoped East King Duke would attack the formations, but East King Duke feared incurring more Karmic Debt and took his followers elsewhere to repair what remained.
• After roughly another hundred thousand years, all the western Earth Veins were repaired, and the Demon Court earned vastly more merit than the Immortal Court.
• East King Duke led the Immortal Court away and vowed to repay the Demon Court and destroy it himself.

Peach Blossom Immortal left the Immortal Court, escaping its Karmic Debt at the cost of losing much of her cultivation, then traveled to the Demon Court to join it. She became a Peach Blossom Demon, leaving her three pursuers stunned and Black Cloud Immortal facing the oath she had sworn.

• Peach Blossom Immortal severed her ties to the Immortal Court, lost most of her cultivation to karmic backlash, and set off for the Demon Court.
• Soft Light Immortal, Green Water Immortal, and Black Cloud Immortal argued over Peach Blossom Immortal’s choice, then pursued her after learning where she had gone.
• Peach Blossom Immortal asked Gui Che to let her join the Demon Court, explaining that Yin Yang Daoist had guided her there.
• Xuan Yang told Gui Che to admit Peach Blossom Immortal and revealed that Yin Yang Daoist had once been one of his incarnations.
• Peach Blossom Immortal joined the Demon Race and became a Peach Blossom Demon, while Soft Light Immortal reminded Black Cloud Immortal of her oath.

Hongjun granted merit and positions to the Ten Great Demon Sages, Nuwa, and Fuxi, believing his appointments would drive the Demon Race to expand and eventually provoke the Witch Tribe. Nuwa and Fuxi recognized the danger of joining the Demon Race, hid their anger, and prepared to assist Xuan Yang while waiting for a chance to settle their score with Hongjun.

• Hongjun arranged for twelve streams of Heavenly Dao merit to descend upon the Ten Great Demon Sages, Nuwa, and Fuxi.
• Hongjun reasoned that the Demon Sages would expand the Demon Race and stir up conflict with the Witch Tribe, while Nuwa and Fuxi would eventually become his disciples.
• Nuwa grew furious at Hongjun for putting her and Fuxi back in danger, but Fuxi urged her to conceal their anger and endure for now.
• Nuwa and Fuxi sealed away the merit they received and feigned compliance without thanking Hongjun.
• Hongjun dismissed everyone and told them to go to the Sun Star to seek out and assist the Demon Emperor.

Houtu apologized to Xuan Yang, invited him to the Witch Tribe, and offered him the Innate Gourd Vine, which he accepted as an opportunity to build ties with the Witches. Her unusual courtesy toward him left the other Ancestral Witches wondering if she had taken a fancy to him.

• Da Yi apologized to Xuan Yang, and the onlookers suspected Houtu knew his abilities through his Diary Instance.
• Houtu invited Xuan Yang to visit the Witch Tribe and offered him the Innate Gourd Vine as a gift.
• Xuan Yang accepted, hoping to befriend Houtu and strengthen his relations with the Witch Tribe.
• Houtu led Xuan Yang and his companions to Buzhou Mountain, where he refined the Innate Gourd Vine without obstruction.
• The news reached the Eleven Ancestral Witches, who wondered whether Houtu had taken a fancy to Xuan Yang.