Chapter Summaries

Xuanyuan challenged Chi You again after training his army, but Chi You’s secret Wu Clan aid and later use of an Innate Spiritual Treasure caused a humiliating defeat. After Wu made Chi You promise not to use Spirit Treasures again, Xuanyuan prepared a joint Battle Formation with Ying Long, the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens, and the Chan Sect Immortals, leaving him confident he could capture Chi You at Zhuolu.

• Xuanyuan trained his troops in the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens’ military arts and initially drove Chi You’s Jiuli Army into retreat at Zhuolu.
• Chi You enlisted Great Witches to secretly disrupt Xuanyuan’s army with wind, rain, and fog, turning the war into a deadlock.
• Chi You retrieved an Innate Spiritual Treasure from the Wu Clan and used it to overwhelm Xuanyuan’s allies and force Xuanyuan to flee.
• Xuanyuan went to Huoyun Cave and complained to Fuxi, Shennong, Wu, and the other Human Clan forefathers that Chi You’s strength made the struggle unfair.
• Wu confronted Chi You, who promised to stop using Spirit Treasures, while Xuanyuan returned to Chendu and formed a coordinated Battle Formation with his strongest allies.
• At Zhuolu, Xuanyuan taunted Chi You and vowed to capture him and tear him into eight pieces.

Xuanyuan’s forces defeated the Jiuli Army while the Chan Sect and their allies trapped and suppressed Chi You. Xuanyuan ordered Chi You taken to Chendu, where he planned to execute him.

• Xuanyuan ordered Ying Long, the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens, Guang Chengzi, Daoist Randeng, and the others to capture Chi You, and they trapped him in a formation.
• Guang Chengzi blocked Chi You’s attempt to escape as the Chan Sect immortals wore him down with coordinated attacks.
• Xuanyuan’s drilled army overcame the Jiuli forces’ charges and the Wu Clan Great Witches’ spells, driving the Jiuli Army into retreat.
• Daoist Randeng struck Chi You with the Three Treasures Jade Ruyi, and the Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens and the other Golden Immortals sealed and suppressed him.
• The Jiuli Army fled after Chi You was captured, while the Great Witches left to report to the Ancestral Wu.
• Xuanyuan taunted Chi You and ordered his men to take him to Chendu, where he said he would hack him into eight pieces.

Xuanyuan asked the immortals in the Human Emperor Hall to help execute Chi You, but they refused to bear the karmic consequences. He sought guidance from the Human Clan Ancestors at Huoyun Cave and received the Human Emperor Sword, which could restrain and slay Chi You; Xuanyuan left ready to carry out his plan.

• Xuanyuan asked Guang Chengzi, Daoist Randeng, Ying Long, and the other immortals to help him execute Chi You, but none agreed to kill him.
• Guang Chengzi offered to seek a divine weapon from his master, but Xuanyuan dismissed the offer and sent the immortals away.
• Xuanyuan realized he should rely on the Human Clan Ancestors and flew to Huoyun Cave to ask how to deal with Chi You.
• Xuanyuan told Wu, Fuxi, Shennong, and the others that he would execute Chi You publicly, dismember him, and suppress him for ten thousand years.
• Wu gave Xuanyuan the Human Emperor Sword, explaining that it could restrain Chi You and slay his physical body.
• Xuanyuan accepted the sword and left Huoyun Cave to return to his task.

Xuanyuan executed and dismembered Chi You, then unified the Human Clan and ushered in an age of prosperity. Despite his achievements, Xuanyuan remained unable to complete his Merit and attain the Dao, leaving the gathered immortals searching for the cause.

• Xuanyuan beheaded Chi You, but Chi You's head survived and mocked him for being unable to kill a Great Witch.
• Xuanyuan chopped Chi You's body into pieces and ordered his remains taken to the five directions and sealed for ten thousand years.
• The tribal leaders submitted to Xuanyuan, making him the sole Human Emperor and establishing a unified Human Clan.
• After Xuanyuan governed the Human Clan into a golden age, he found that the final step to completing his Merit remained beyond reach.
• Guangchengzi, Daoist Randeng, and the other immortals debated why Xuanyuan could not attain the Dao, and Chijingzi suggested he might need to reach the Quasi-Sage realm.

Xuanyuan learned that the slaughter in his battle with Chi You had burdened him with karma and blocked his attainment of the Dao. He rejected the dual-cultivation method Primordial Lord Tianzun sent through Guang Chengzi and flew to Huoyun Cave.

• Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens argued that Xuanyuan's difficulty was not a matter of cultivation, and the gathered immortals failed to identify its cause.
• Guang Chengzi went to Kunlun Mountain and asked Primordial Lord Tianzun to explain why Xuanyuan could not attain the Dao.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun revealed that the killing karma from Xuanyuan's battle with Chi You obstructed his merit and gave Guang Chengzi a dual-cultivation method to dissolve it.
• Guang Chengzi presented the jade scroll to Xuanyuan, who read its contents and concealed his anger while dismissing him.
• Xuanyuan condemned the Chan Sect for treating him like a tool, then flew to Huoyun Cave with the jade scroll.

Xuanyuan brought the Chan Sect’s dual-cultivation method to the ancestors of Huoyun Cave, who revealed its dangers and gave him the Immortal Scripture to establish a new cultivation path for the Human Clan. After he spread the scripture throughout the clans, their strength and his prestige rose, and his Merit neared completion.

• Xuanyuan showed the ancestors the dual-cultivation method, and they explained that his slaughter in the battle with Chi You had left Killing Intent and Karma preventing his Merit from reaching fruition.
• Fuxi explained that the method could quickly clear Xuanyuan’s Killing Intent but would cripple his cultivation and exclude him from the Human Clan’s inner circle.
• Hongyun gave Xuanyuan the Immortal Scripture, which the ancestors had created to establish an Immortal Path alongside the Martial Path and clear his Karma through spreading its teachings.
• Xuanyuan returned to Chendu, gathered the tribal leaders, and made the Immortal Scripture available throughout the Human Clan.
• The Human Clan embraced immortal cultivation, its strength and Xuanyuan’s prestige rose, and Xuanyuan sensed that his Merit was nearing completion.

Xuanyuan completed his Merit and passed the Human Emperor position to Zhuanxu, but the scant Merit left the Chan Sect immortals disappointed and Yuanshi Tianzun furious. Zhuanxu was acclaimed as the new Human Emperor as the gathered leaders bowed to him.

• Xuanyuan ordered Zhuanxu to summon the Human Clan's tribal leaders to witness the succession ceremony, while Zhou Ming and the Saints headed to Chendu.
• Zhou Ming declared Xuanyuan's accomplishments before the assembled Human Clan and bestowed the title of Human Emperor upon him.
• The Merit divided between Xuanyuan and those who had assisted him, but the Chan Sect immortals received too little to clear their battle Karma, enraging Yuanshi Tianzun and delighting Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Xuanyuan handed the Human Emperor Sword to Zhuanxu and entrusted him with the Human Clan.
• Zhuanxu vowed to lead the Human Clan forward, and the tribal leaders bowed and hailed him as their new Human Emperor.

After the Three Sovereigns completed their merit, Zhou Ming established the Human Dao and linked it to the Kongtong Seal, then entrusted the seal to Wu for the Human Clan to govern. He released Chi You from his ten-thousand-year suppression and departed with him, while the Saints began plotting to gain influence over the Human Dao.

• Zhou Ming proclaimed the Human Dao’s establishment as the Three Sovereigns took their rightful places, and the Human Clan’s fortune awakened its will.
• Zhou Ming connected the Kongtong Seal to the Human Dao’s origin and handed the seal to Wu to govern on behalf of the Human Clan.
• The Six Sages realized they could seek Human Dao authority by influencing the Human Clan, and Jieyin and Zhunti resolved to spread Western Teachings among them.
• Zhou Ming ended Chi You’s suppression and summoned him back; Chi You thanked Zhou Ming and followed him to the Wu Clan.
• Wu and the Huoyun Cave elders escorted Xuanyuan to Huoyun Cave to suppress the Human Clan’s fortune, while the Six Sages returned to plan their bid for Human Dao authority.

After the Humanity Dao emerged, the Saints and Heavenly Court planned to secure influence among the Human Clan. In Pangu Hall, Ao Hai and the West Queen Mother shattered their Good Corpses and absorbed their origins, completing the first stage of their cultivation.

• Tongtian Sect Master ordered his disciples to gather and prepare to assist the Five Emperors and build the Jie Sect's ties with the Human Clan.
• Jieyin and Zhunti sent Medicine Master, Maitreya, and other disciples to prepare to spread Western Teachings among the Human Clan, while the other Saints made plans of their own.
• Haotian ordered the Heavenly Court gods to watch over the Human Clan and offer aid, hoping to gain a Saint Position in the Humanity Dao.
• Ao Hai and the West Queen Mother told Zhou Ming and Houtu they were ready to practice the Method of Shattering the Three Corpses, and Zhou Ming and Houtu agreed to guard them.
• Ao Hai and the West Queen Mother shattered their Good Corpses and guided their returning origin power into their True Bodies, successfully completing the process.

Ao Hai restored his Dao Path by shattering and absorbing his Good Corpse, then West Queen Mother risked her life to shatter her Evil Corpse. She succeeded despite its resistance and self-destruction, but emerged from the ordeal severely injured as Zhou Ming and Houtu kept watch.

• Ao Hai emerged from seclusion with his Dao Path restored, thanked Zhou Ming, and received advice to strengthen his Law comprehension and foundation.
• Ao Hai gave Zhou Ming a Jade Slip containing his insights before returning to seclusion at Pangu Hall.
• West Queen Mother began shattering her Evil Corpse immediately after absorbing her Good Corpse, while Zhou Ming and Houtu stood guard.
• West Queen Mother's Evil Corpse tried to sever their origin connection and weakened her with painful memories and accusations, but West Queen Mother overcame the illusions with her resolve.
• West Queen Mother suppressed the Evil Corpse, which self-destructed and injured her Primordial Spirit before its origin returned to her body.
• The chaotic energy in West Queen Mother's chamber subsided, and Zhou Ming and Houtu confirmed she had succeeded, though she was badly injured.

After West Queen Mother recovered from shattering the Two Corpses, Zhou Ming summoned Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi to discuss the Human Clan and the competing Saint Dao Lineages. He learned that Tongtian's Jie Sect dominated among the Human Clan and saw the growing conflict between the Saints as an opportunity for the coming Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.

• West Queen Mother thanked Zhou Ming and Houtu for helping her remake her Dao, then followed Zhou Ming's advice to heal and stabilize her foundation in seclusion.
• Zhou Ming studied Ao Hai's and West Queen Mother's detailed jade slips about shattering corpses, then sent messages summoning Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi to Pangu Hall.
• Hongyun left the Human Clan's affairs with Wu, Suiren, and the other Ancestors, while Pingxin assured Zhen Yuanzi that Minghe could oversee the Netherworld in his absence.
• Hongyun told Zhou Ming that the Five Emperors had completed their rule and that the Saints and Heavenly Court were competing to establish influence among the Human Clan.
• Hongyun reported that Tongtian's Jie Sect had the strongest presence, with disciples serving in the imperial court, while the other Saints' lineages remained less influential.
• Zhou Ming judged that the Jie Sect's dominance would draw the other Saints into conflict and saw the turmoil of the coming Investiture of the Gods Tribulation as a chance to achieve his aims.

Zhou Ming revealed to Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi that the Slaying Three Corpses Method was a dead end and offered them a way to restore their Dao Paths. After they agreed to cultivate it, he left Pangu Hall to bring Di Jun and Taiyi back before the next Tribulation.

• Zhou Ming gave Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi Jade Slips explaining the flaw in the Slaying Three Corpses Method and the method for shattering the three corpses.
• Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi agreed to cultivate the new method, and Zhou Ming gave them insights from Ao Hai and the West Queen Mother to study in seclusion.
• Zhou Ming asked Sister Houtu to guard Pangu Hall while he went to bring Di Jun and Taiyi back before the next Tribulation.
• Zhou Ming found Di Jun and Taiyi reincarnated as the Fire Crow Clan's Huo Jun and Huo Yi, then appeared in their cave dwelling.
• Huo Jun and Huo Yi sensed danger, opened their eyes, and demanded to know who had arrived.

Zhou Ming restored Di Jun and Taiyi’s sealed memories and asked them to return with him to the Wu Clan. Before leaving, Di Jun asked whether his nine children, Xi He, and the Demon Saints who died in the Immortal-Demon Tribulation had also been reincarnated.

• Zhou Ming appeared in Huo Jun and Huo Yi’s guarded cultivation chamber and called them forgotten Fellow Daoists.
• Zhou Ming sent Mystic Light into Huo Jun and Huo Yi, awakening their memories as Di Jun and Taiyi, former rulers of the Demon Race.
• Di Jun and Taiyi thanked Zhou Ming for saving them and agreed to return with him to the Wu Clan.
• Di Jun and Taiyi arranged the Fire Crow Clan’s affairs, transferred its authority, and left behind Cultivation Methods before returning to Zhou Ming.
• Di Jun asked Zhou Ming whether his nine children, Xi He, and the Demon Saints who died in the Immortal-Demon Tribulation had also reincarnated.

Zhou Ming reassured Di Jun and Taiyi that their nine sons and other fallen Demon Race companions had returned, then awakened Xi He and several Demon Saints. With the Demon Race reunited, he led them toward Penglai Immortal Island to meet old friends.

• Zhou Ming told Di Jun and Taiyi that their nine Golden Crow sons had regained their true forms and were being watched over by Chang Xi.
• Zhou Ming revealed that Xi He and the fallen Demon Saints had been sent into the Six Paths of Reincarnation and promised to awaken them.
• Zhou Ming restored Xi He's memories, and she reunited with Di Jun before thanking Zhou Ming for granting her new life.
• Zhou Ming awakened Ji Meng, Ying Zhao, Fei Lian, Gui Che, and other Demon Saints, who bowed to him, Di Jun, and Taiyi.
• Zhou Ming declared that the Demon Race members had gathered and led them toward Penglai Immortal Island in the East Sea.

Zhou Ming found Dong Hua and Candle Dragon on Penglai Island and restored their memories of their former lives as East King Duke and Candle Dragon. The former enemies reconciled and followed Zhou Ming toward the Wu Clan to find East King Duke’s former subordinates.

• Zhou Ming brought Di Jun, Taiyi, and the Demon Saints to Penglai Island, where he found Dong Hua, the reincarnated East King Duke.
• Zhou Ming restored East King Duke’s memories, and East King Duke recognized the Saint and thanked him for granting him another life.
• Zhou Ming found Candle Dragon near the shore and awakened his memories, while Taiyi recognized the dragon who had dragged him to his death.
• East King Duke and Candle Dragon exchanged words with Di Jun and Taiyi, then agreed to leave their old grudges behind.
• Zhou Ming led East King Duke, Candle Dragon, Di Jun, Taiyi, and the others toward the Wu Clan to find East King Duke’s former subordinates.

Zhou Ming brought Di Jun, East King Duke, and the other resurrected powers to Buzhou Mountain, where they began secluded cultivation under his command. After telling Houtu that he had reached the peak of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, he set out for Golden Ao Island to seek insight from Tongtian and strengthen ties ahead of the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.

• Zhou Ming ordered Di Jun, East King Duke, and their followers to settle near Buzhou Mountain and rebuild their cultivation, warning them against causing trouble on Wu Clan territory.
• Di Jun and East King Duke promised to restrain their subordinates, and the group dispersed across the mountain to find places for seclusion.
• Zhou Ming returned to Pangu Hall and asked Houtu to oversee the newcomers and prevent conflicts.
• Zhou Ming told Houtu that he had reached the peak of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and could no longer advance through secluded cultivation alone.
• Zhou Ming explained that Tongtian's Heaven-Opening Mark might offer insight into Father God's Dao, and that he also wanted to build an alliance before the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation.
• Houtu agreed to watch over the Wu Clan, and Zhou Ming departed for Golden Ao Island to discuss the Dao with Tongtian.

Zhou Ming visited Golden Ao Island to discuss the Dao with Tongtian Sect Master, explaining that his cultivation had reached a bottleneck at the peak of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal. Tongtian agreed to discuss their insights and persuaded Zhou Ming to preach to the Interception Sect's disciples first.

• Tongtian sensed Zhou Ming approaching Golden Ao Island and sent Daoist Duobao to welcome him.
• Duobao led Zhou Ming to Jade Palace, where Tongtian greeted him and asked why he had come.
• Zhou Ming said he wanted to discuss the Dao because his cultivation had reached a bottleneck at the peak of the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
• Tongtian realized they could mutually benefit by sharing their insights and agreed to discuss the Dao.
• Tongtian asked Zhou Ming to preach to the Interception Sect's disciples, and Zhou Ming agreed.
• Tongtian ordered Duobao to gather all the Interception Sect's disciples on Golden Ao Island to hear the Dao.

Tongtian and Zhou Ming jointly expounded the Dao to the Jie Sect disciples on Golden Ao Island, giving them profound insights into cultivation and the Laws. After ordering the disciples into seclusion, Tongtian sealed the Jade Palace and prepared to discuss the Dao privately with Zhou Ming.

• Duobao spread Tongtian’s summons, and Jie Sect disciples gathered on Golden Ao Island to hear the Dao.
• Tongtian introduced Zhou Ming and began a lecture that covered cultivation from the Heavenly Immortal realm through the Quasi-Sage Dao.
• Zhou Ming expounded the all-encompassing Law Great Dao, and the disciples remained absorbed in its mysteries after he finished.
• Tongtian thanked Zhou Ming and ordered the disciples to enter seclusion for ten thousand years to digest what they had learned.
• Tongtian activated Golden Ao Island’s supreme grand formation, and he and Zhou Ming entered the deepest part of the Jade Palace to discuss the Dao.

At Mount Sumeru, Zhunti proposed that the Western Teachings exploit the rivalry among the Three Pure Ones and provoke conflict between the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court. Jieyin approved the scheme, and Zhunti was about to explain how he would create a pretext for Primordial Lord Tianzun to confront Haotian.

• Zhunti told Jieyin that the Western Teachings had to act to gain a chance at the Humanity Dao Authority.
• Zhunti argued that Taiqing and Primordial Lord Tianzun would oppose Tongtian if he sought the authority, leaving the Jie Sect vulnerable without Western intervention.
• Zhunti proposed targeting Haotian and stirring turmoil in the Human Clan, while Jieyin warned that openly disrupting the balance would make the other Saints their enemies.
• Zhunti said they could guide events from the shadows and use Primordial Lord Tianzun's resentment over Haotian's aid to Xuanyuan as a pretext.
• Jieyin agreed that Primordial Lord Tianzun would seize the chance to humiliate Haotian, then asked Zhunti what he intended to do.

Zhunti and Jieyin plotted to use Yaoji’s romance with a mortal to undermine Haotian, inflame conflict between the Heavenly Court, Chan Sect, and Human Clan, and benefit the Western Teachings. They finalized the scheme on Mount Sumeru, with Zhunti beginning to manipulate events from the shadows.

• Zhunti proposed arranging for Yaoji to be injured, rescued by a mortal, and drawn into a secret marriage.
• Jieyin warned that exposing the Human Clan to the Western Teachings’ scheme could destroy their standing among them.
• Zhunti explained how he would manipulate Heavenly Secrets to make Yaoji’s romance appear to be a natural fate.
• Zhunti and Jieyin anticipated that Yuanshi would use the affair to pressure Haotian, worsening tensions between the Chan Sect and the Heavenly Court.
• They concluded that Haotian’s response would alienate either the Human Clan or the other Saints, creating an opening for the Western Teachings.
• Zhunti and Jieyin carefully planned the details, and Zhunti sent a faint streak of golden light from his fingertip.