Chapter Summaries

After Dizang vowed to remain in the Underworld until its departed souls were saved, Pingxin allowed him and the Buddhist disciples to settle at Yin Mountain. She planned to watch Dizang’s work and possibly use Merit to bring him permanently into the Underworld.

• Zhunti warned Dizang not to interfere with the Netherworld’s operations or the Six Paths of Reincarnation, and Jieyin ordered the Buddhist disciples to follow him.
• Jieyin and Zhunti departed, and Minghe mocked Dizang before leaving him with the disciples at Yin Mountain.
• Dizang reassured the uneasy disciples and led them into Yin Mountain, where his Buddha Light illuminated the darkness.
• Minghe urged Pingxin to retaliate against the Western Saints, but she said she would let Dizang work and assess his abilities.
• Pingxin told Minghe she might spend Merit to make Dizang a permanent member of the Underworld if his Merit and Karma grew deep enough.

Hongyun used the Human Clan’s fortune to attain the Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal, shaking the Saints and alarming Jieyin and Zhunti over their unpaid karma. In the Netherworld, Pingxin prepared Zhen Yuanzi to pursue the Hunyuan Realm and appointed Minghe to oversee the Underworld during his seclusion.

• As Yin Jiao and Yin Hong’s rule strengthened the Human Clan’s fortune, Hongyun’s aura erupted from his secret chamber, and Fuxi, Shennong Shi, and the other forefathers celebrated his breakthrough.
• Jieyin and Zhunti sensed Hongyun’s attainment and feared he would demand repayment for the seat he had yielded to them at Purple Cloud Palace.
• Taiqing, Primordial Lord Tianzun, and Nuwa sensed Hongyun’s new Saint-level aura, while Pingxin remarked that the Netherworld should not fall behind.
• Pingxin summoned Zhen Yuanzi and Minghe, told them Hongyun had attained the Dao, and announced that Zhen Yuanzi could attempt the Hunyuan Realm with her help.
• Pingxin appointed Minghe acting Great Emperor Fengdu during Zhen Yuanzi’s seclusion, and Zhen Yuanzi left for his Quiet Room.

After proving the Dao, Hongyun left Huoyun Cave for Mount Sumeru to settle the karma Jieyin and Zhunti owed him for yielding his seat in the Purple Sky Palace. The chapter ended as Hongyun confronted the Two Western Saints and demanded they face that old debt.

• Hongyun emerged from seclusion as a Hunyuan Saint and thanked the Human Clan forefathers for helping him prove the Dao.
• Hongyun told Fuxi, Shennong Shi, and Xuanyuan that he intended to settle his old karma with the Two Western Saints, and he assured them he could protect himself.
• Hongyun departed Huoyun Cave and traveled to Mount Sumeru, where Jieyin and Zhunti anticipated his arrival and feared they would have to pay.
• Jieyin and Zhunti welcomed Hongyun with practiced warmth and invited him to the Eight Treasures Merit Pool.
• Hongyun rejected their pretense and declared that he had come to settle the karma from the Purple Sky Palace.

Hongyun confronted Jieyin and Zhunti over the Karma they owed him for yielding his Saint Position, rejecting their excuses that the West was too poor to repay him. When they refused to surrender their treasures or promise a firm repayment, Hongyun demanded justice and prepared to take it himself.

• Zhunti and Jieyin admitted Hongyun had granted them the Saint Position but claimed the West had no treasure to repay the Karma and asked for more time.
• Hongyun named the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, Jieyin's Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, Zhunti's Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and the West's future prosperity as possible payment.
• Jieyin and Zhunti refused to give up any of those assets, calling them vital to their Dao and the Western Teachings.
• Hongyun accused the two Saints of evading repayment for countless Eons and demanded they settle the Karma that day.
• Hongyun unleashed his Saintly might, and Zhunti raised the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree while Jieyin summoned the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit to defend them.
• Hongyun declared that he had come for justice and would take it himself if they would not give it.

Hongyun confronted Jieyin and Zhunti on Mount Sumeru over the Karma of the Saint Position they owed him. They agreed to settle the dispute through combat, with the fight moving to Chaos and Hongyun insisting they face him one at a time.

• Zhunti threatened Hongyun as Jieyin and Zhunti prepared to defend Mount Sumeru.
• Jieyin claimed The West lacked a treasure to repay Hongyun, but Hongyun reminded them they had ignored the Karma for countless eons.
• Zhunti proposed a fight, asking for more time to repay if he and Jieyin won and leaving repayment terms to Hongyun if he won.
• Hongyun accepted, but required Jieyin and Zhunti to fight him one at a time.
• The three Saints left Mount Sumeru and flew into Chaos to battle.

Hongyun effortlessly countered Zhunti’s attacks and used their battle to refine his Dao arts before overwhelming Zhunti’s ultimate move. Jieyin intervened to save Zhunti and took up the fight, armed with both Saints’ treasures.

• Zhunti attacked Hongyun, but Hongyun dispelled his strike and sent him flying with a single punch.
• Zhunti launched a fierce barrage, while Hongyun calmly countered each attack and grew more fluid as he used Zhunti for practice.
• Zhunti unleashed the Great Annihilation Divine Light, but Hongyun shattered it and pressed Zhunti back with precise attacks.
• Jieyin blocked Hongyun’s strike against Zhunti with the Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit and told Zhunti to step back.
• Jieyin accepted Zhunti’s Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and prepared to face Hongyun with it, Jieyin’s Treasure Banner, and the golden lotus.

Hongyun battled Jieyin to a stalemate and demanded that the Western Saints set a firm deadline for repaying their Karma. Jieyin agreed to settle it within ten thousand years after the Great Prosperity of the West, and Hongyun departed.

• Jieyin fought Hongyun in Chaos with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree and Jieyin's Treasure Banner, but neither gained an advantage.
• Jieyin withdrew and argued that the draw meant Hongyun had failed to defeat him, so the Western Saints should receive more time.
• Hongyun insisted that the stalemate also meant Jieyin had failed to defeat him and demanded that they settle their Karma.
• Hongyun granted an extension but set the deadline at ten thousand years after the Great Prosperity of the West.
• Jieyin agreed to the deadline despite Zhunti's objections, and Hongyun left Chaos.

After Hong Yun departed, Jieyin explained to Zhunti that they had no choice but to accept his terms and argued that their Innate Spiritual Treasures and Saint Positions were shackles. He persuaded Zhunti to repay their Karma, then seek Zhou Ming’s guidance and pursue Proving Dao with Laws, leaving the brothers resolved to begin the Great Prosperity of the West.

• Jieyin told Zhunti that Hong Yun’s strength would grow, so accepting his terms now was better than waiting to be forced to repay the Karma.
• Jieyin said they would surrender their Twelve-grade Golden Lotus of Merit, Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and Eight Treasures Merit Pool if they could not gather enough treasures.
• Jieyin argued that Innate Spiritual Treasures were external aids and that their Heavenly Dao Saint Positions bound them.
• Jieyin told Zhunti he wanted to repay their Karma, cast off their Saint Positions, and pursue Proving Dao with Laws.
• Jieyin proposed seeking Zhou Ming’s guidance at Buzhou Mountain after they settled their Karma, and Zhunti agreed to focus first on the Great Prosperity of the West.
• Jieyin and Zhunti returned to Mount Sumeru as streaks of golden light.

After Hongyun’s battle with the Two Saints of the West revealed the power of a Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal, Taiqing Saint, Primordial Lord Tianzun, and Nuwa considered how to pursue freedom from the Heavenly Dao and secure Merit from the Great Prosperity of the West. Hongyun returned to Huoyun Cave with new insights and entered seclusion to digest them.

• Taiqing Saint summoned True Person Ziyang and ordered him to arrange a Heavenly Court post for Bian Zhuang.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun planned to have Guang Chengzi and the others take Heavenly Court posts so the Chan Sect could gain a share of Merit from the Great Prosperity of the West.
• Nuwa resolved to rely on the Merit promised by the Two Saints of the West as a foundation for settling her Karma with the Heavenly Dao.
• Hongyun returned to Huoyun Cave and told Fuxi, Shennong Shi, Xuanyuan, and the others that he had set a final deadline for the Two Saints of the West to settle their Karma.
• Hongyun shared insights from his battle with the Two Saints of the West, then entered seclusion while the Human Clan Forefathers stood guard.

Bian Zhuang entered the Heavenly Court under Taiqing Saint’s orders and was appointed Marshal Tianpeng, commanding the Heavenly River’s hundred thousand naval troops. Haotian placed him under Great Emperor Gouchen’s command, while Taishang Laojun advised him to fulfill his duties without overstepping.

• Bian Zhuang arrived at Yaochi and told Haotian and Yaochi that True Person Ziyang had sent him to serve the Heavenly Court.
• Haotian appointed Bian Zhuang Marshal Tianpeng and ordered him to oversee the Heavenly River’s hundred thousand naval troops.
• Haotian told Yaochi that he had placed Marshal Tianpeng under Great Emperor Gouchen’s command, Xing Tian of the Wu Clan.
• Bian Zhuang visited Taishang Laojun at Doushuai Palace and asked how he should conduct himself in his new position.
• Taishang Laojun told Bian Zhuang to be a good Marshal Tianpeng, and Bian Zhuang vowed to perform his duties without overstepping.

At Eight Views Palace, Taiqing Saint proposed that Daoist Duobao go to the West and take charge of Buddhism, using its Great Prosperity to secure Merit Fortune for the Mystic Gate. Duobao accepted in exchange for Master's Four Swords of Zhu Xian, then followed Taiqing Saint to tour the Primordial Wilderness and receive his instruction.

• Taiqing Saint asked Duobao whether he blamed him for the Jie Sect's defeat, and Duobao admitted he wanted to reunite the surviving disciples in the Heavenly Court.
• Taiqing Saint urged Duobao to go to the West and lead Buddhism so the Mystic Gate could claim Merit Fortune from its Great Prosperity.
• Duobao agreed to the plan on the condition that Taiqing Saint give him Master's Four Swords of Zhu Xian.
• Taiqing Saint handed Duobao the four swords and said he would personally teach him during a tour of the Primordial Wilderness.
• Duobao thanked Taiqing Saint and followed him out of Eight Views Palace.

Taiqing Saint and Duobao traveled west through Hangu Pass, drawing the attention of the Three Realms as the West approached its Great Prosperity. Jieyin and Zhunti prepared to watch Taiqing’s next move, while the others speculated about Duobao’s role.

• Taiqing Saint asked Duobao if he was prepared to enter the West, then released purple qi that stretched thirty thousand miles toward Hangu Pass.
• Yin Xi ordered the gates opened according to the Human Emperor’s decree, and Taiqing Saint and Duobao passed through without speaking to the soldiers.
• Primordial Lord Tianzun wondered why Taiqing had brought Duobao west, while Nuwa anticipated a clash over the West’s merit.
• Hongyun and the Human Clan Forefathers watched Taiqing’s journey and suspected Duobao was central to his plan.
• Zhunti warned Jieyin that Taiqing had come to claim the merit of the West’s Great Prosperity, and Jieyin urged him to wait and respond to events as they unfolded.

Taiqing brought Duobao to the West and presented his stay as a chance to study Buddhist teachings, forcing Jieyin and Zhunti to accept him. Duobao became a novice monk and walked into the Western wilderness, while the two Western saints prepared to turn Taiqing’s scheme to their advantage.

• Jieyin and Zhunti met Taiqing and Duobao at the end of the purple aura, where Taiqing asked them to let Duobao cultivate in the West.
• Jieyin and Zhunti realized they could not refuse Taiqing’s open scheme and decided to try converting Duobao to Buddhism.
• Zhunti welcomed Duobao into the Western Teachings, and Jieyin promised to help him understand Buddhist Dharma.
• Duobao accepted Taiqing’s command, changed into a monk’s robe, and walked barefoot into the Western wilderness.
• After Taiqing departed, Jieyin and Zhunti returned to Mount Sumeru to prepare to entertain Duobao.

Jieyin and Zhunti tasked Randeng with dealing with Duobao without the Saints intervening. Randeng sought Shen Gongbao’s advice, and Shen Gongbao proposed using Duobao’s former Jie Sect Junior Brothers, now in Buddhism, to exploit his resentment and unsettle his Dao heart.

• Jieyin and Zhunti summoned Randeng and explained that Duobao had entered the West under Taiqing’s instruction.
• Jieyin and Zhunti left the effort to convert or contain Duobao to Randeng, who promised to handle it.
• Randeng decided to enlist Shen Gongbao and told him about Duobao’s arrival.
• Randeng proposed having Western Teachings disciples debate Buddhist Dharma with Duobao until his resolve wore down.
• Shen Gongbao argued that direct persuasion was inferior to attacking Duobao’s resentment toward Taiqing and the Chan Sect.
• Shen Gongbao proposed having Duobao’s former Jie Sect Junior Brothers, who had taken refuge in Buddhism, welcome him, and Randeng entrusted the plan to him.

Duobao continued wandering through the Western Lands, refusing to leave despite former Jie Sect disciples' pleas and threats, and his Dharma debates deepened his understanding of Buddhism. As his reputation and influence grew, Randeng blamed Shen Gongbao's failed scheme and granted him one final chance to meet Duobao personally.

• Chang'er Dingguang Xian confronted Duobao and urged him to return east, but Duobao passed him without wavering.
• Chang'er Dingguang Xian attacked Duobao with Buddha Light, but the pressure vanished before reaching him.
• Duobao continued his journey, calmly facing pleas, Dharma debates, and threats while developing his own Buddhist understanding.
• Randeng rebuked Shen Gongbao because his plan had strengthened Duobao's reputation and shaken the Dao hearts of former Jie Sect disciples.
• Shen Gongbao asked for one final chance to meet Duobao, and Randeng agreed while warning him not to fail again.

Shen Gongbao discovered that Duobao intended to establish a compassionate Buddhist path in the West, one that could challenge the existing teachings. He warned Ancient Buddha Randeng that Duobao’s influence might split Buddhism, yet his doctrine could bring the West greater prosperity.

• Shen Gongbao revealed himself to Duobao after observing his work among the people of the Western Lands for several years.
• Duobao declared that he wanted to establish a Buddha who could save all sentient beings, rather than one seeking only personal liberation.
• Shen Gongbao returned to Ancient Buddha Randeng and reported that Duobao would not leave the West because he intended to join and transform its Buddhist fold.
• Shen Gongbao told Randeng that Duobao had broken free of Taiqing Saint’s control and was pursuing the opportunity for the West’s Great Prosperity for himself.
• Shen Gongbao warned that Duobao’s teachings were attracting disciples and could divide Buddhism, while also spreading Buddhist Dharma and prosperity throughout the Three Realms.
• Ancient Buddha Randeng rose from his Lotus Throne as the Buddhist realm shook.

Randeng became alarmed that Duobao’s new Buddhist path could cost him his status, but Saint Zhunti summoned him and Shen Gongbao before he could confront Duobao. The Saints confirmed Shen Gongbao’s belief that Duobao had escaped Taiqing’s control and asked how the new path could coexist with their teachings without splitting Buddhism.

• Randeng feared Duobao’s approach would surpass his own and resolved to crush or appropriate it before presenting it to the Saints.
• Saint Zhunti ordered Randeng to bring Shen Gongbao to the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, halting Randeng’s plan.
• Randeng and Shen Gongbao met Jieyin and Zhunti, who asked how certain Shen Gongbao was that Duobao had betrayed Taiqing.
• Shen Gongbao said he was eighty percent certain Duobao had broken free of Taiqing’s control and was acting for himself and the fallen Jie Sect.
• Zhunti warned that Duobao’s different teachings could divide Buddhism and asked Shen Gongbao how the two paths should be handled.

Shen Gongbao avoided choosing sides, while Zhunti told Daoist Randeng that Duobao’s path would be adopted and offered him a future chance to defend his position in a Dharma debate. After Randeng accepted, Jieyin and Zhunti planned to merge the two Buddhist paths through the Buddhas of Three Ages.

• Shen Gongbao declined to advise the Saints, saying the decision belonged to Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Zhunti told Daoist Randeng that the Saints would adopt Duobao’s path because it was vital to the West’s prosperity.
• Zhunti promised Randeng a fair Dharma debate after Duobao’s path succeeded, with Randeng keeping his leadership if he surpassed Duobao.
• Randeng accepted the opportunity and withdrew with Shen Gongbao.
• After they left, Zhunti told Jieyin that Randeng had been settled and proposed merging the two paths when Duobao became a Buddha.
• Jieyin and Zhunti planned for Randeng, Duobao, and Maitreya to become the Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future.

Duobao debated Ancient Buddha Randeng at Mount Sumeru and, after five hundred years of meditation, completed his Dao and established Greater Vehicle Buddhism. Jieyin and Zhunti appointed him lord of Buddhism, and Duobao renamed Mount Sumeru Spirit Mountain and took the name Tathagata.

• Duobao arrived at Mount Sumeru, where Ancient Buddha Randeng challenged him to a debate over the Buddhist Dharma.
• Duobao argued that all sentient beings possessed Buddha-nature and that his Greater Vehicle Dharma could save all, while Randeng defended precepts and self-cultivation.
• After forty-nine days of debate, Randeng conceded defeat, and Duobao meditated beneath the Bodhi Tree for five hundred years.
• Duobao attained enlightenment, proclaimed the Greater Vehicle Dharma, and declared Randeng's teachings the Lesser Vehicle.
• Jieyin and Zhunti invited Duobao to lead Buddhism and established the Buddhas of Three Ages, with Duobao as the Buddha of the Present.
• Duobao renamed Mount Sumeru Spirit Mountain, took the name Tathagata, and received the worship of Randeng, Maitreya, and the Buddhist assembly.

The Saints and powers of the Primordial Wilderness assessed Jieyin and Zhunti’s decision to make Duobao the Buddha Ancestor, which thwarted Taiqing’s scheme and strengthened Buddhism. Taiqing accepted the setback and waited for the West to seek resources and negotiations, as the upheaval on Spirit Mountain settled into a new beginning.

• Primordial Lord Tianzun recognized that Jieyin and Zhunti had turned Duobao’s appointment into a foundation for Buddhism and considered how to claim a share of the West’s Merit.
• Nuwa laughed at Taiqing’s failed scheme and decided to stay in her palace and watch events unfold.
• At Huoyun Cave, Shennong Shi, Xuanyuan, Fuxi, and Hongyun concluded that Jieyin and Zhunti had united Duobao’s aims with the West’s prosperity and agreed to guard the Human Clan.
• Taiqing Saint acknowledged that Duobao had chosen his own path and accepted that his plan had failed.
• Taiqing Saint resolved to pursue another path, expecting Jieyin and Zhunti to negotiate for the resources, destiny, and eastern access they needed.