Chapter Summaries

Haotian returned to the Heavenly Court after the Dao Ancestor agreed to help, though he and Yaochi knew they had used up their bond with him. He reunited with Yaoji and her children, who now accepted him as their uncle, and left resolved to make the Primordial Lord suffer next.

• Haotian told Yaochi that the Dao Ancestor had agreed but would never help them again, and Yaochi chose to rely on the Wu Clan instead.
• Yaochi led Haotian to Yunhua Palace, where Yang Chan amused Yaoji by recounting her brothers’ embarrassing cultivation mishaps.
• Yang Chan, Yang Jiao, and Yang Jian called Haotian their uncle after Yaoji explained what he had done for their family.
• Haotian welcomed the siblings, urged them to cultivate and accumulate Merit to free Yaoji, and invited them to visit the Heavenly Court often.
• Haotian and Yaochi left Yunhua Palace, and Haotian said it was the Primordial Lord’s turn to feel bad.

After a nearly Eon-long discussion of the Dao, Zhou Ming told Tongtian Sect Master that his difficulty comprehending Father God's inheritance might mean he had taken the wrong path. Zhou Ming left for Buzhou Mountain, while Tongtian remained on Golden Ao Island, troubled by the possibility.

• Zhou Ming and Tongtian Sect Master ended their discussion of the Dao, and Tongtian admitted Zhou Ming had guided him far more than he had helped Zhou Ming.
• Zhou Ming reassured Tongtian that he had gained a faint insight into the Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm and urged him to devote more effort to Father God's inheritance.
• Tongtian explained that despite centuries of effort, he had barely progressed in comprehending the Heaven-Opening Mark.
• Zhou Ming suspected Tongtian's lack of progress came from taking the wrong path, leaving Tongtian stunned and unable to dismiss the idea.
• Zhou Ming bid Tongtian farewell and left for Buzhou Mountain, while Tongtian stayed at the edge of Golden Ao Island wondering if his path was wrong.

Zhou Ming returned from discussing the Dao with Tongtian and concluded that becoming a Heavenly Dao Saint prevented Tongtian from comprehending Pangu’s Heaven-Opening Mark. After learning that Haotian had secretly traveled into Chaos, Zhou Ming anticipated that Hongjun would soon set the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation in motion.

• Zhou Ming told Houtu that Tongtian had barely progressed in comprehending Pangu’s Heaven-Opening Mark and suspected that the Heavenly Dao constrained him.
• Houtu reported that Zhen Yuanzi and Hong Yun had shattered their corpses, while Di Jun, East King Duke, and the others had regained much of their cultivation.
• Houtu recounted how Haotian had suppressed Yaoji beneath Peach Mountain and how Primordial Lord Tianzun had used the affair to humiliate Haotian.
• Houtu told Zhou Ming that Xing Tian had reported Haotian secretly leaving the Heavenly Court and going into Chaos.
• Zhou Ming concluded that Haotian had gone to Purple Heaven Palace to appeal to Hongjun and said they should wait for Hongjun to begin the next Tribulation.

Zhou Ming brought the recovered former Demon Clan and Immortal Court powers to a newborn world and assigned them to refine Chaos Qi so it could evolve. Di Jun took charge of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array, while he reunited with Xi He and their nine sons before Zhou Ming departed for the moon.

• Zhou Ming led Di Jun, East King Duke, Candle Dragon, and the other recovered powers from Pangu Hall to the summit of Buzhou Mountain and opened a passage into his newborn world.
• Di Jun and Xi He recognized their nine sons as the Golden Light Clusters in the sky and were overwhelmed with joy.
• Zhou Ming explained that they were to draw Chaos Qi into the world and refine it into innate spiritual qi to speed its evolution.
• Zhou Ming returned the River Diagram and Luo Shu to Di Jun and placed him in charge of the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array.
• Zhou Ming gave the nine Golden Crows a day to reunite with their parents, left Chang Xi to arrange the work, and departed for the world's moon.

Zhou Ming confronted Wangshu over the Primordial World's origin needed to revive her and refused to let her seek a top-tier innate foundation. Wangshu accepted his limit of a mid-tier foundation, and Zhou Ming left after arranging for her to notify him when she was ready to reshape her Dao Body.

• Zhou Ming visited Wangshu beneath the Moon Laurel Tree and learned that she still needed tens of thousands of years to accumulate enough Merit and fate for revival.
• Zhou Ming warned Wangshu that he would not sacrifice the Primordial World's origin to restore her to a top-tier innate foundation.
• Wangshu explained that she needed at least a middle-upper-tier foundation to avoid crippling obstacles in her future cultivation.
• Zhou Ming set the limit at a mid-tier innate foundation and warned that any greater demand could damage their cooperation.
• Wangshu accepted Zhou Ming's terms, and he promised to help her reshape her Dao Body when she had accumulated enough Merit Fortune.
• Zhou Ming surveyed the orderly world development led by Chang Xi and the Golden Crows, then returned to Pangu Hall on Buzhou Mountain.

Hongjun summoned the six Heavenly Dao Saints to Purple Cloud Palace and presented the Investiture of the Gods, which would bind listed disciples to serve Haotian but could also spare them from the coming Tribulation. Primordial Lord Tianzun refused to offer his disciples and joined the other Two Pure Ones in pushing the burden onto Jieyin and Zhunti, leaving the Western Saints facing pressure to sacrifice their own disciples.

• Hongjun told the Saints that Haotian had asked for disciples to fill Heavenly Court posts, and that he had agreed to the request.
• Hongjun revealed the Investiture of the Gods and explained that listed disciples would obey Haotian but could escape the coming Tribulation.
• Hongjun warned Primordial Lord Tianzun that his disciples’ past actions had left them burdened by Karma and at risk in the Tribulation.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun argued that his disciples had acted for Heaven and the Human Clan, then urged Jieyin and Zhunti to put their disciples on the list.
• Taiqing Saint and Tongtian Sect Master backed Primordial Lord Tianzun, leaving Jieyin and Zhunti dismayed as the Three Pure Ones shifted the responsibility to the Western Teachings.

Hongjun ruled that the Investiture of the Gods and its tribulation concerned only the orthodox Mystic Gate, excluding the Western Teachings. Jieyin and Zhunti departed in relief, Nuwa also withdrew, and the Three Pure Ones were left to discuss the Investiture among themselves.

• Zhunti argued that the Western Teachings should not be forced into the tribulation, while Primordial Lord Tianzun insisted they should share responsibility.
• Zhunti countered that the Twelve Golden Immortals were better suited to serve in the Heavenly Court, and Tongtian Sect Master and Taiqing Saint pushed the burden back onto the Western Teachings.
• Jieyin and Zhunti appealed to Hongjun, claiming their Western Teachings lacked the strength and fortune to take part.
• Hongjun declared that the tribulation arose from the Mystic Gate and had nothing to do with the Western Teachings, then left the Investiture of the Gods for the Saints to discuss.
• Jieyin and Zhunti left Purple Cloud Palace, and Nuwa withdrew as well, leaving only the Three Pure Ones behind.

The Three Pure Ones filled the Investiture of the Gods with names, but Dao Ancestor Hongjun erased all except Taishang Laojun and rejected the candidates as unfit. He gave them ten thousand years to deliberate and return to sign the Investiture again.

• Taiqing Saint placed his Good Corpse, Taishang Laojun, on the Investiture of the Gods in place of his Human Sect.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun added more than a dozen Kunlun Mountain listeners, while Tongtian Sect Master listed several dozen outermost Jie Sect disciples and kept their core disciples off the list.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun urged Tongtian Sect Master to add more names, provoking Tongtian’s angry defense of his disciples.
• Taiqing Saint asked Dao Ancestor Hongjun to inspect the list, and Hongjun erased every name except Taishang Laojun’s.
• Hongjun ruled that those on the list needed profound foundations, extraordinary karmic fortune, and lofty cultivation, then ordered the Three Pure Ones to return in ten thousand years to sign again.

After the Three Pure Ones failed to agree on who should fill the Investiture of the Gods, Tongtian Sect Master left in anger and Primordial Lord Tianzun refused to put his disciples on the list. The dispute remained unresolved as each returned to his own domain.

• Taiqing Saint warned Primordial Lord Tianzun and Tongtian Sect Master that the Investiture of the Gods had to be filled before the tribulation arrived.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun urged Tongtian Sect Master to list Jie Sect disciples, while Tongtian insisted Chan Sect disciples should answer for the calamity they had caused.
• Tongtian challenged Primordial Lord Tianzun to list the Twelve Golden Immortals first, promising to list some of his own Direct Disciples in turn.
• Taiqing Saint ended their argument and told them to reconsider before returning in ten thousand years to sign the list.
• Tongtian Sect Master departed for Golden Ao Island, and Taiqing Saint returned to the Eight Views Palace on Mount Shouyang.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun refused to let his disciples serve under Haotian and flew toward Kunlun Mountain.

On Mount Sumeru, Zhunti explained to Jieyin how the Investiture of the Gods could drive the Chan Sect and Jie Sect into conflict, giving the Western Teachings a chance to recruit their disciples. The two planned to wait for the Three Pure Ones to fall out, while acknowledging that Zhou Ming and the Wu Clan might disrupt their opportunity.

• Zhunti laughed at the Three Pure Ones' divisions and told Jieyin that the Investiture of the Gods offered the Western Teachings a chance to prosper.
• Zhunti predicted that Primordial Lord Tianzun would protect the Chan Sect's disciples and try to make Tongtian's Jie Sect bear the tribulation instead.
• Jieyin agreed that Tongtian would refuse, and Zhunti reasoned that the resulting conflict would leave the Investiture's required slots unfilled and bring the tribulation down upon the Primordial Wilderness.
• Zhunti predicted that Primordial Lord Tianzun would seek help from Taiqing and then recruit Jieyin and Zhunti to overcome Tongtian's Immortal Execution Sword Formation.
• Jieyin and Zhunti planned to convert disciples caught in the conflict, while noting that Zhou Ming and the Wu Clan could complicate their plans.
• The two decided to remain on Mount Sumeru and wait for news that the Three Pure Ones had fallen out.

After the Investiture of the Gods is proposed at Purple Firmament Palace, Tongtian Sect Master worries that the Jie Sect will be devastated by the coming Tribulation. He seeks Zhou Ming at Buzhou Mountain and asks him for a plan, but Zhou Ming has not yet answered.

• Tongtian Sect Master broods over the coming Tribulation and realizes he cannot find a way to protect the Jie Sect disciples.
• Tongtian Sect Master decides to seek Zhou Ming's advice and flies from Golden Ao Island to Buzhou Mountain.
• Zhou Ming and Houtu sense Tongtian's arrival, and Zhou Ming welcomes him into Pangu Hall.
• Tongtian Sect Master recounts Hongjun's call to Purple Firmament Palace and explains his concerns about the Investiture of the Gods.
• Tongtian Sect Master asks Zhou Ming for a sound plan to help the Jie Sect disciples survive the Great Calamity, and Zhou Ming pauses before answering.

Zhou Ming told Tongtian that the tribulation could not be avoided and that the Jie Sect could not emerge unscathed. He urged Tongtian to select disciples to enter the Investiture of the Gods with their Physical Bodies, but Tongtian remained confident that his sect could survive with only limited losses.

• Zhou Ming warned Tongtian that the tribulation would ensnare the Saints and their Dao Lineages, making it impossible for the Jie Sect to escape without losses.
• Tongtian asked Zhou Ming for a way to protect his disciples, and Zhou Ming said signing the Investiture of the Gods was the best available path.
• Zhou Ming explained that sending some disciples onto the list with their Physical Bodies could preserve their lives and immortal paths while letting them share in the Heavenly Court's fortune.
• Tongtian questioned Zhou Ming's warning and argued that the Jie Sect's strength and his own protection could preserve most of its disciples.
• Tongtian rejected the idea that his freedom-seeking disciples would welcome service in the Heavenly Court, while Zhou Ming recognized that Tongtian still underestimated the tribulation.

Zhou Ming warned Tongtian Sect Master that the Jie Sect’s strength would make it a target during the Tribulation, as Primordial Lord might join forces with the Two Saints of the West to crush it. Tongtian rejected the idea that his second brother would betray their bond, but Zhou Ming claimed he had evidence and left him desperate to hear it.

• Zhou Ming explained that the Chan Sect could not defeat the Jie Sect openly, so Primordial Lord might scheme against Tongtian’s disciples instead.
• Tongtian declared that he would stop Primordial Lord if he personally attacked the Jie Sect’s disciples.
• Zhou Ming warned that Primordial Lord might ally with Jieyin and Zhunti, bringing four Saints together against the Jie Sect.
• Tongtian refused to believe Primordial Lord would join outsiders against him, insisting that the Three Pure Ones were still bound as one.
• Zhou Ming said his warning was based on evidence, and Tongtian urgently wanted to know what it was.

Zhou Ming explained to Tongtian Sect Master that the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation concealed a struggle among the Sages for the Humanity Dao, putting Jie Sect at risk. Tongtian accepted Zhou Ming’s advice to let his disciples choose whether to enter the list or fight alongside him, then left Pangu Hall.

• Zhou Ming told Tongtian Sect Master that the Sages could use the tribulation to destroy Jie Sect and block Tongtian from claiming the Humanity Dao Authority.
• Houtu realized Zhou Ming had drawn the Sages into competing over the Humanity Dao while the Wu Clan stayed out of the conflict.
• Tongtian acknowledged that the Sages would not give up the chance to seize the Humanity Dao and admitted Jie Sect could not escape the tribulation.
• Zhou Ming advised Tongtian to send some disciples onto the Investiture of the Gods to preserve their lives and protect Jie Sect’s Dao Lineage.
• Zhou Ming suggested Tongtian explain the danger to his disciples and let them choose whether to enter the list or risk fighting the tribulation.
• Tongtian thanked Zhou Ming, said he understood, and departed Pangu Hall.

Zhou Ming promised Tongtian Sect Master that he could hold off one Saint once during the coming Tribulation, giving the Jie Sect a chance to survive. He planned to use that hope to persuade Tongtian to surrender his Heaven-Opening Mark when the Jie Sect faced ruin, and Houtu asked what the Saint-Smiting Pill was.

• Zhou Ming reminded Tongtian Sect Master of the favor he owed him and offered to hold off one Saint once during the Tribulation.
• Tongtian Sect Master thanked Zhou Ming and departed from Pangu Hall with renewed hope for the Jie Sect.
• Zhou Ming told Sister Houtu that he wanted Tongtian's Heaven-Opening Mark and expected Tongtian to trade it for a chance to save the Jie Sect.
• Zhou Ming explained that the Jie Sect's unyielding disciples would fight rather than submit, and that his promise would make Tongtian believe they could win.
• Sister Houtu understood Zhou Ming's plan and asked him to explain the Saint-Smiting Pill.

Zhou Ming explained that the Saint-Smiting Pill could place the Three Pure Ones under the Heavenly Dao’s control and discussed whether Taiqing and Primordial Lord could also be saved. Meanwhile, Tongtian summoned the Jie Sect disciples to Golden Ao Island and warned them that a Tribulation was about to begin.

• Zhou Ming told Houtu that the Saint-Smiting Pill could destroy a Saint and that the Heavenly Dao had prepared it for the Three Pure Ones.
• Houtu asked Zhou Ming to help Taiqing and Primordial Lord as well as Tongtian, and Zhou Ming said they could try if the chance arose and the cost was bearable.
• Tongtian arrived at Golden Ao Island and ordered Duobao to summon all Jie Sect disciples.
• The Jie Sect disciples gathered in Jade Palace, where Tongtian said the sect’s survival was at stake.
• Tongtian announced that the Tribulation was about to rise, leaving the gathered disciples in silence.

Tongtian explained the Investiture of the Gods and warned that the Jie Sect might face four Saints during the Tribulation. Bixiao, Zhao Gongming, and the other disciples rejected the list and chose to fight beside Tongtian, who promised to hold off the Saints and revealed that he had helpers.

• Tongtian explained that disciples entered on the Investiture of the Gods would serve Haotian, while those who refused faced the deadly Tribulation and possibly four Saints.
• Tongtian offered his disciples the choice to enter the list or fight alongside him for a chance to survive.
• Bixiao refused to enter the list and declared that she would live or die with the Jie Sect.
• Zhao Gongming and the other disciples joined Bixiao, kneeling together and pledging to fight beside Tongtian.
• Tongtian promised to face the Saints himself, said he had helpers, and ordered the disciples to cultivate before the Tribulation arrived.

The Saints reacted to Tongtian gathering the Jie Sect, while Primordial Lord Tianzun summoned the Twelve Golden Immortals to warn them that the Tribulation was near and their accumulated karma put them at risk. He told them he had devised a way for them to survive, but had not yet revealed it.

• Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti welcomed Tongtian’s defiant stance, expecting it to widen the rift among the Three Pure Ones and benefit Western Teachings.
• Saint Nuwa shut the gates of Empress Wa's Palace and chose not to involve herself in the coming Tribulation.
• Taiqing Saint lamented that the Tribulation could not be avoided and worried about how many Mystic Gate disciples would survive.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun condemned Tongtian’s actions and summoned the Twelve Golden Immortals to Jade Void Palace.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun told the Twelve Golden Immortals that their karma from assisting Human Emperor Xuanyuan would have to be settled during the approaching Tribulation.
• After the Twelve Golden Immortals pleaded for guidance, Primordial Lord Tianzun said he had already devised a way for them to survive.

Primordial Lord Tianzun told the Twelve Golden Immortals to train disciples who would undergo the Killing Tribulation in their place. In Huoyun Cave, Wu warned the Human Clan Forefathers that the tribulation would use the Human Clan’s dynastic succession as a battlefield, leaving them furious at the danger to their people.

• Primordial Lord Tianzun explained that disciples listed in the Investiture of the Gods would serve the Heavenly Court but escape the Killing Tribulation, then proposed having the Twelve Golden Immortals’ disciples take their places.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun warned the Twelve Golden Immortals not to neglect their cultivation, and they left the Jade Void Palace grateful for his plan.
• Fuxi told the gathered Human Clan leaders that Nuwa had warned them to avoid the Mystic Gate’s Killing Tribulation, and Suiren and Shennong agreed that they should stay out of it.
• Wu declared that the Human Clan could not avoid the tribulation because it would begin with them and make their dynasties its center.
• Wu explained that the Chan Sect and Jie Sect would back rival mortal powers and use the Human Clan’s dynastic succession as their battlefield.
• Shennong and the other Human Clan leaders reacted with fury and grief at the prospect of their people becoming casualties in the Saints’ conflict.

Wu convinced the Human Clan Forefathers that he would enter the Tribulation through reincarnation as a Human Emperor, using the clan’s fortune to counter the Saints’ schemes. The group also agreed that Yang Jiao, Yang Jian, and Yang Chan would enter the Tribulation to settle their Karma with the Chan Sect and aid Wu’s reincarnated self.

• Wu argued that surviving the Tribulation could strengthen the Human Clan and possibly produce a Human Saint, while Fuxi, Suiren, and Shennong warned that direct involvement risked the clan’s leaders and Humanity Dao Authority.
• Wu proposed reincarnating as a Human Emperor so Human Clan fortune would protect him while he took charge of the Tribulation.
• Fuxi deduced that Wu’s plan was feasible, and the Human Clan Forefathers agreed to let him proceed.
• Wu said Yang Jiao, Yang Jian, and Yang Chan must enter the Tribulation to settle their Karma with the Chan Sect and help his reincarnated self.
• The Human Clan Forefathers approved the siblings’ participation as the Great Calamity approached.