Chapter Summaries

Sage Zhunti retrieved the straw effigy containing Maitreya’s soul, but Maitreya’s fortune collapsed and his soul dissipated into the Void before Zhunti could save him. Meanwhile, Shen Gongbao turned the Investiture Battlefield into an all-out melee between the Intercepting Sect and Western Qi.

• Zhunti sent Jieyin’s Treasure Banner to knock over the Creation Qiankun Cauldron, letting him seize the straw effigy as Yang Jian protected Nezha.
• Yang Jian tried to expose the hidden attacker while Holy Mother Gold Spirit attacked Randeng, who survived behind Jieyin’s Treasure Banner.
• Shen Gongbao rallied the Intercepting Sect disciples into a charge against Western Qi, and Nánjí used the Taiji Diagram to defend their camp.
• Zhunti withdrew with the straw effigy and used his mana to erode its strange aura, believing Maitreya was safe.
• Maitreya’s fortune collapsed, and his soul dissipated into the Void as Zhunti and Randeng looked on in shock.

Lu Ya secretly entered the Western Qi camp and killed Maitreya with the Flying Dagger of Decapitation, shattering Maitreya’s Sarira and sending his soul toward the Investiture Platform. Zhunti prepared to retaliate, but Yuanshi stopped him and urged him to put the greater good first.

• Lu Ya suspected Zhunti was spying on him and anticipated that Zhunti would try to rescue Maitreya.
• As the battle drew Great Shang’s forces away, Lu Ya slipped into the Western Qi camp and found Maitreya unconscious.
• Lu Ya used the Flying Dagger of Decapitation to kill Maitreya and shatter his fleeing Sarira.
• Maitreya’s death stunned both sides, and Nezha taunted the hidden Zhunti while Yang Jian warned him to stop.
• Zhunti, enraged by Maitreya’s death, raised the Seven Treasure Tree to attack Lu Ya, but Yuanshi blocked him and urged restraint.

Yuanshi stopped Sage Zhunti from attacking Lu Ya by promising that Maitreya’s true spirit could be recovered after the Investiture of the Gods and urging him to wait for another chance at revenge. Lu Ya then appeared openly and headed toward Great Shang, while Randeng charged at him to prove his loyalty to the Western Sect.

• Yuanshi persuaded Sage Zhunti to suppress his rage over Maitreya’s death and wait until the Investiture of the Gods was won before seeking revenge on Lu Ya.
• Yuanshi explained that Nánjí had alerted him to Sage Zhunti’s presence near the battlefield and to Maitreya’s ambush.
• Lu Ya emerged from the Western Qi camp after sensing Zhunti’s killing intent vanish, then calmly walked toward Great Shang.
• Holy Mother Gold Spirit wondered whether Zhunti had withdrawn because the Great King and Tongtian Saint were secretly watching.
• Randeng Daoist raised Jieyin's Treasure Banner and charged at Lu Ya, while Holy Mother Gold Spirit struck at him and he blocked her sword qi with the Purple Gold Alms Bowl.

Lu Ya used the Immortal Slaying Flying Saber to force Randeng to defend himself with Jieyin's Treasure Banner and Spirit Coffin Lamp, ending their immediate clash. Western Qi sounded the gong and withdrew, while Lu Ya returned to the Great Shang camp and received Nezha's praise.

• Lu Ya sent the Immortal Slaying Flying Saber after Randeng instead of Jieyin's Treasure Banner, forcing Randeng to activate the banner and Spirit Coffin Lamp to survive.
• Randeng neutralized the Flying Saber, recovered Jieyin's Treasure Banner, and grew wary of Lu Ya's strange treasures and curse arts.
• Randeng asked Nánjí to sound the gong and withdraw, and both armies stopped fighting and retreated.
• Shen Gongbao protested Western Qi's withdrawal but retreated with the others.
• Randeng threatened Lu Ya before leaving, and Lu Ya mocked him and descended to the Great Shang camp.
• Nezha praised Lu Ya and asked how he had anticipated the attack on the straw effigy and planned to deal with Maitreya.

After killing Maitreya, Lu Ya left the Great Shang camp despite warnings that Zhunti might seek revenge. He headed west with plans to claim a share of the Western Sect’s fortune, while Zhunti secretly followed him.

• Lu Ya celebrated Maitreya’s death with the others, then announced that he would leave after the banquet.
• Holy Mother Jinling warned Lu Ya that Zhunti might attack him, but Lu Ya said he had his own plans and departed alone.
• Nezha urged Lu Ya to flee toward them if Zhunti ambushed him, and Lu Ya warmly patted his head.
• Lu Ya concealed his aura and traveled west, intending to claim a position and a share of the Western Sect’s fortune on Spirit Mountain.
• Zhunti hid his Saintly pressure and silently pursued Lu Ya.

After Maitreya’s death, Zhunti secretly pursued Lu Ya to kill him before he could reach the Western World. Lu Ya was surrounded by Zhunti’s attack, but the Chaos Bell appeared and stopped it.

• Yuanshi noticed Zhunti’s departure but chose not to stop him, then considered giving his disciples more powerful treasures.
• Wu Tian, Queen Jiang, and Su Daji learned that Lu Ya had killed Maitreya, and Wu Tian assured Su Daji that Zhunti could not harm Lu Ya.
• Lu Ya traveled west while planning to claim a place on Spirit Mountain and take the Western Sect’s fortune.
• Zhunti followed Lu Ya to the border between the eastern and western worlds and launched a full-strength ambush with the Seven Treasure Tree.
• A phantom emerged from Lu Ya and blocked Zhunti’s attack; Zhunti recognized the Chaos Bell.

Lu Ya's identity as the Golden Crow Crown Prince was exposed as he fought Sage Zhunti over their past grievance and the Chaos Bell. As other powerful figures converged, Kong Xuan also flew toward the Western World, leaving his reason for intervening unclear.

• Sage Zhunti recognized Lu Ya as the Golden Crow Crown Prince and attacked him with the Seven Treasure Tree, calling on Sage Jieyin to help kill Lu Ya and seize the Chaos Bell.
• Daoist Duobao explained Lu Ya's grudge against the Western Sect to the Great Shang cultivators, while Nezha urged them to help him.
• Holy Mother Gold Spirit said the Chaos Bell could protect Lu Ya, then wondered whether the King would intervene against Sage Zhunti.
• The Pangu Banner's Chaos Sword Qi descended toward the Western World, and Kong Xuan followed with five-colored light.

Yuanshi, Zhunti, Jieyin, and Kong Xuan fought over the Chaos Bell as Lu Ya came under pressure from Jieyin’s golden body. Just as Jieyin nearly suppressed the bell, Taiyi appeared as its true master and shattered Jieyin’s golden palm.

• Yuanshi attacked Zhunti with the Pangu Banner while Zhunti tried to seize the Chaos Bell from Lu Ya.
• Jieyin sent his golden hands toward Lu Ya, and Kong Xuan intervened with the Five-Colored Divine Light.
• Zhunti’s Blessed Divine Pestle was swept away by Kong Xuan, who continued attacking Jieyin despite Zhunti’s threats.
• Jieyin’s pressure caused the Chaos Bell’s phantom to vanish along with Lu Ya, and the bell’s true body appeared.
• Taiyi emerged, seized the Chaos Bell, and smashed Jieyin’s golden palm into fragments.

Taiyi appeared as a Primordial Origin and confronted Sage Zhunti over the Western Saints’ attack on Lu Ya and their attempt to seize the Chaos Bell. After Zhunti admitted the Demon Clan’s claim, Taiyi demanded half of the Western World, including half of Spirit Mountain, and Jieyin and Zhunti recoiled in horror.

• Sage Jieyin retreated to the Western World after Taiyi damaged his golden body and appeared beside the Chaos Bell.
• Taiyi revealed his Primordial Origin and praised Kong Xuan before accusing Sage Zhunti of attacking Lu Ya and trying to steal the Chaos Bell.
• Yuanshi backed away from the dispute, and Taiqing arrived and recognized that Taiyi had attained the Primordial Origin without Three Corpses Severance.
• Taiyi asked whether the Western Saints acknowledged their debt to the Demon Clan, and Sage Zhunti reluctantly admitted they did.
• Taiyi demanded half of the Western World and half of Spirit Mountain for Lu Ya, prompting Sage Zhunti and Sage Jieyin to protest in horror.

Taiyi left with Lu Ya after receiving a message, while Wu Tian explained that his departure would keep Jieyin and Zhunti wary of interfering with his plans for the Investiture of the Gods. Kong Xuan kept Zhunti’s Blessed Divine Pestle, and Zhunti attacked him, vowing to teach him a lesson on Wu Tian’s behalf.

• Taiyi opened a passage and left with Lu Ya, warning Jieyin and Zhunti that he would be watching them.
• Wu Tian told Su Daji that Taiyi’s departure would serve as a threat during the Investiture of the Gods, and said Primordial Phoenix would soon emerge.
• Queen Jiang celebrated Wu Tian’s plans for Kong Xuan and said she would bring Primordial Phoenix to meet him.
• Kong Xuan began to leave, but Zhunti ordered him to return the Blessed Divine Pestle that Kong Xuan had seized with his Five-Colored Divine Light.
• Kong Xuan refused to return the treasure and challenged Zhunti’s claim that even Wu Tian could not take it.
• Zhunti attacked Kong Xuan with the Seven Treasure Tree, declaring that he would teach Kong Xuan a lesson on Wu Tian’s behalf.

Kong Xuan fought Sage Zhunti and was gravely wounded after his Five-Colored Divine Light was broken. Wu Tian then let Primordial Phoenix respond, and Zhunti rushed to Undying Volcano to stop her from unleashing the Earth Core Poison Fire.

• Kong Xuan used his Five-Colored Divine Light to absorb Zhunti’s attacks, then revealed his Peacock True Form and trapped Zhunti inside it.
• Zhunti broke free and shattered Kong Xuan’s divine light, gravely injuring him and damaging his foundation before Wu Tian caught him.
• Wu Tian told Zhunti he understood why he had acted but invoked a mother’s fury, prompting Primordial Phoenix to roar that she would fight Zhunti to the death.
• Zhunti realized Wu Tian had used Kong Xuan’s injury to draw Primordial Phoenix out and fled toward Undying Volcano, while Yuanshi and Taiqing followed.
• Zhunti found Primordial Phoenix breaking her fiery chains, causing Earth Core Poison Fire to erupt and spread, and begged her to stop while offering to make amends.

Yuan Feng refused Zhunti’s pleas and continued breaking free of the rules binding her, while Taiqing and Yuanshi joined the effort to suppress Undying Volcano. Wu Tian sent Kong Xuan to the Origin Realm to recover, then arrived at the volcano as Yuan Feng declared she no longer cared whether the Primordial Wilderness was destroyed.

• Yuan Feng ignored Zhunti’s pleas, and Earth Core Poison Fire erupted as she struggled against her chains, spreading chaos toward the Primordial Wilderness.
• Taiqing and Yuanshi arrived and helped Zhunti suppress Undying Volcano with the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda and Pangu Banner.
• Jieyin stayed away from the volcano, fearing Taiyi and Lu Ya would seize Mount Ling, and returned to prepare for the coming Heavenly Dao Karmic Force.
• Wu Tian gave Kong Xuan a Chaos-colored gourd and told him to recover in the Origin Realm while Yuan Feng sought freedom; he also said Kong Xuan no longer needed to guard Great Shang.
• Wu Tian arrived at Undying Volcano as Yuan Feng declared she no longer cared about right and wrong or the Primordial Wilderness’s destruction, then shot upward and snapped more chains.

Yuan Feng broke free of Undying Volcano, and the Saints and other powerful figures joined forces to contain the eruption and protect the Primordial Wilderness. After Yuan Feng attacked Zhunti, Wu Tian urged them to settle their grievances later and focus on stabilizing the volcano, leaving Zhunti protesting that he would owe Yuan Feng a karmic debt.

• Yuan Feng tore free of her chains, while Taiqing Sage, Wu Tian, Nuwa True Body, Queen Mother of the West, and Zhen Yuanzi worked together to suppress Undying Volcano and repair the damage.
• The eruption subsided, and Taiqing wondered why Third Brother had not appeared before turning his attention back to the volcano.
• Yuan Feng emerged from Nirvana Fire and charged Zhunti Sage, who used the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree to block her as the volcano began shaking again.
• Wu Tian acknowledged Zhunti's fault but asked Yuan Feng to spare him for now and help resolve Undying Volcano, proposing that Zhunti owe her a karmic debt.
• Zhunti Sage reacted with grief and indignation at the prospect of owing Yuan Feng a karmic debt.

Wu Tian and Nuwa forced Zhunti to acknowledge his karmic debt to Yuan Feng, who chose to keep suppressing Undying Volcano on her own terms. With help from Wu Tian and the others, Yuan Feng established a formation that stabilized the volcano, and Heavenly Dao rewards left Zhunti empty-handed.

• Yuan Feng accepted Wu Tian's help, and Nuwa pressured Zhunti into admitting that he owed Yuan Feng a karmic debt.
• Yuan Feng returned to Undying Volcano and declared that she would establish her Daoist sanctuary there and suppress the Earth Core Poison Fire.
• Wu Tian supplied divine materials while Zhen Yuanzi, Queen Mother of the West, and Nuwa helped build Yuan Feng's formation.
• Yuan Feng's formation turned the Earth Core Poison Fire into a controlled power source, and her sanctuary formed atop a flame-wreathed Divine Tree.
• Heavenly Dao rewarded Wu Tian and the others for stabilizing Undying Volcano, while Zhunti received nothing.

Wu Tian and the others helped Yuan Feng withstand the karmic backlash from escaping Undying Volcano, then sent her to the Origin Realm to recover. Zhen Yuanzi declined to accompany them, while Zhunti remained burdened by mounting karmic force.

• As Yuan Feng weakened under the karmic backlash, Wu Tian gave her his Heavenly Merit.
• Nuwa, Queen Mother of the West, and Zhen Yuanzi each gave Yuan Feng their merit, stabilizing her condition.
• Wu Tian invited Yuan Feng to recover in the Origin Realm with Kong Xuan, and she accepted.
• Wu Tian opened a passage and sent Yuan Feng to the Origin Realm as karmic force followed her into the void.
• Zhen Yuanzi declined Wu Tian's invitation and returned to Fengdu City through an Underworld Passage.
• Wu Tian told Zhunti to enjoy himself, then vanished.

After Sage Zhunti's attack on Kong Xuan brought the Undying Volcano's karmic force down on the Western World, he sought help from Yuanshi. Yuanshi gave him the Heavenly Merit he had earned, but Zhunti then pressed him to share the karmic burden, warning that they might otherwise lose their saintly positions and leave Yuanshi to face Wu Tian alone.

• Yuanshi judged that Zhunti had fallen into Wu Tian's trap and prepared to leave while Zhunti's providence declined under the Undying Volcano's karmic force.
• Sage Jieyin used golden Buddha Light to protect the Western World, but the strain destabilized his primordial spirit until the Twelve-Grade Merit Golden Lotus suppressed the Primordial Violet Qi.
• Zhunti severed his connection to Jieyin, used the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree to suppress himself, and asked Yuanshi for the Heavenly Merit he had obtained earlier.
• Yuanshi reluctantly gave Zhunti the Heavenly Merit, which eased some of the karmic burden.
• Zhunti appealed to their alliance and warned Yuanshi that the Western Saints might lose their positions, asking whether Yuanshi wanted to face the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and Wu Tian alone.

Zhunti forced Yuanshi to retreat, while Wu Tian reunited Yuan Feng and Kong Xuan and welcomed Lu Ya to cultivate beneath the Enlightenment Tea Tree. Zhao Gongming and the Three Heavens then set out for the Investiture of the Gods battlefield to aid the Intercepting Sect.

• Zhunti made Yuanshi yield to his threat and depart, then fled west after eyeing the Divine Tree and palace at Undying Volcano.
• Kong Xuan reunited with Yuan Feng beneath the Enlightenment Tea Tree and thanked Wu Tian for helping them.
• Lu Ya arrived to thank Kong Xuan, who gave him the Blessed Divine Pestle and asked Wu Tian to let him cultivate nearby.
• Queen Mother of the West told Wu Tian that Zhao Gongming was likely heading to the battlefield, while Xuan Wu had returned to guard the Demon-Quelling Army.
• Yunxiao agreed to accompany Zhao Gongming, and she, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao followed him toward the Investiture of the Gods battlefield.

The Great Shang camp discussed Lu Ya, Kong Xuan, and Xuan Wu’s formidable strength before Zhao Gongming arrived with the Three Heavens and abundant spiritual fruits. After helping the battle-weary cultivators recover, Zhao Gongming vowed to face Ran Deng himself.

• Daoist Duobao praised Kong Xuan’s strength and said he seemed to surpass Xuandu after fighting a Saint without a Dharma treasure.
• Daoist Duobao explained that Xuan Wu’s Heaven-Supporting Merit made him exceptionally difficult to attack.
• Jin Ling reminded the Great Shang camp that Zhao Gongming was also a disciple of the Martial Ancestor and praised his generosity.
• Zhao Gongming arrived with the Three Heavens, distributed spiritual fruits and elixirs, and urged everyone to recover before challenging the Western Qi side again.
• Zhao Gongming declared that he would deal with Ran Deng and intended to kill him.

Zhao Gongming joined Great Shang’s camp, helped Zhang Guifang advance in the Martial Dao, and learned that Nezha, Yang Jian, Yin Jiao, and Yin Hong were his teacher’s sons and junior brothers. The next day, he confronted Western Qi and challenged Ran Deng to fight.

• Zhao Gongming gave Zhang Guifang Martial Dao insight after the general broke through by eating an Innate Peach, and Zhang Guifang thanked him.
• Golden Spirit Holy Mother told Zhao Gongming that Nezha, Yang Jian, Yin Jiao, and Yin Hong were disciples or sons of his teacher, the ruler of Great Shang.
• Zhao Gongming socialized with the Intercepting Sect disciples and secretly promised Yang Jian and Nezha a tour of the Heavenly Court after Great Shang won the battle.
• Great Shang’s forces advanced against Western Qi the next day, and Zhao Gongming answered their objections by pointing out that Nan Ji had also joined the conflict.
• Zhao Gongming challenged Ran Deng to take the field, mocked him for supposedly fearing the fight, and drew laughter from Great Shang’s side.

Zhao Gongming confronted Ran Deng and used the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin to seize his Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, then teamed it with his whip to break through Jieyin's Treasure Banner and strike Ran Deng. The fight continued with Ran Deng wounded and Zhao Gongming pressing his advantage.

• Ran Deng confronted Zhao Gongming, and both felt an inexplicable urge to fight each other.
• Zhao Gongming attacked Ran Deng with the Sea-Suppressing Divine Whip, but Ran Deng dodged and countered with the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl.
• Zhao Gongming used the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin to sever Ran Deng's connection to the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl and take it.
• Ran Deng summoned Jieyin's Treasure Banner, but Zhao Gongming used the coin to stall its golden light and struck Ran Deng with his whip.
• Ran Deng used the banner to protect himself, but Zhao Gongming combined it with the Treasure-Dropping Golden Coin to break through and smash Ran Deng's arm.