Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ziya and Dingguang Immortal drew Shen Gongbao and Wuyun Xian away from Chong City, while Chong Heihu betrayed Marquis Chong Houhu and helped Western Qi seize the city. Chong Heihu claimed the betrayal was righteous and accepted his expected rise to Northern Marquis, leaving Huang Tianhua to worry about Duobao’s reaction.

• Jiang Ziya and Dingguang Immortal accepted Shen Gongbao and Wuyun Xian’s challenge and led them away from the armies.
• Chong Heihu, Marquis Chong Houhu, and Chong Yingbiao joined forces against Huang Tianhua, but Huang Tianhua and Chong Heihu suddenly turned on the other two.
• Chong Heihu knocked Chong Yingbiao unconscious and searched him for the jade talisman, while Huang Tianhua struck Marquis Chong Houhu and left him gravely wounded.
• Huang Feihu’s forces bound the captured men, and Chong Heihu used the jade talisman to open Chong City’s gates and hand control of it to Huang Feihu.
• Chong Heihu defended his betrayal as a righteous act and insisted that Duobao would approve, while Huang Tianhua privately feared Duobao would be furious.

After Chong Heihu’s defection gave Western Qi control of Chong City, Jiang Ziya and his allies fought Shen Gongbao, Dingguang Immortal, and Wuyun Xian. Wuyun Xian unleashed a devastating sword strike, and Dingguang Immortal revealed a last defense as the battle reached its climax.

• Chong Heihu joined Huang Feihu’s forces, helping Western Qi capture Chong City and take Marquis Chong Houhu and Chong Yingbiao prisoner as nearly a million Shang soldiers surrendered.
• Jiang Ziya received a message and devised a plan to lure Wuyun Xian into a trap while Shen Gongbao challenged him to battle.
• Dingguang Immortal tried to persuade Wuyun Xian to join the Western Sect, but Wuyun Xian attacked him with the Netherwater Law.
• Dingguang Immortal summoned his Sixteen-Foot Golden Body and used Buddhist chants to calm Wuyun Xian’s Netherwater Law.
• Wuyun Xian poured the Netherwater Law into a treasured sword and unleashed his Heaven-Splitting Sword, while Jiang Ziya used the Apricot Yellow Flag of Wu and Yi to shield Dingguang Immortal.
• Wuyun Xian struck the flag with his true form and lost half his tail, so Dingguang Immortal expended his hidden Joyous Zen Path defense.

Dingguang Immortal survived Wuyun Xian’s attack but suffered severe damage, while Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao fought over him. Jiang Ziya revealed that Wuyun Xian had taken the bait and entered the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, leaving him in danger.

• Dingguang Immortal endured Wuyun Xian’s explosive sword attack, lost the use of his major trump cards, and then joined Jiang Ziya against Shen Gongbao.
• Wuyun Xian and Shen Gongbao sensed a distant land of opportunity, and Wuyun Xian headed north to recover while Shen Gongbao prepared to curse Dingguang Immortal with the Six Soul Banner.
• Jiang Ziya pretended to retreat with Dingguang Immortal, prompting Shen Gongbao to activate the Six Soul Banner and attack Dingguang Immortal’s spirit.
• Jiang Ziya revealed that the Wordless Heavenly Book was protecting Dingguang Immortal and that Wuyun Xian had entered the Eight Treasures Merit Pool.
• Shen Gongbao tried to contact Wuyun Xian, but Jiang Ziya warned that Wuyun Xian was in danger.

Jiang Ziya and Dingguang Immortal lured Shen Gongbao to the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, where Wuyun Xian was trapped and at risk of conversion. Ling Xiao watched with Nezha, and the chapter left Wuyun Xian captive as Nezha insulted Sect Master Tongtian.

• Dingguang Immortal told Shen Gongbao that Wuyun Xian had become trapped in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, and Jiang Ziya urged Shen Gongbao to flee.
• Shen Gongbao refused to abandon Wuyun Xian and tore through space toward the pool, while Dingguang Immortal and Jiang Ziya followed.
• Ling Xiao explained that he had concealed himself and Nezha nearby, and Shen Gongbao revealed the Eight Treasures Merit Pool by unleashing his Mana.
• Wuyun Xian awoke inside the pool, found himself bound by its water, and realized he was surrounded by Western Sect treasures and Buddhist scriptures.
• Jiang Ziya teased Wuyun Xian about the pool, and Nezha boasted that Sect Master Tongtian would not dare challenge Kunlun Mountain or Mount Sumeru.

Ling Xiao, Jiang Ziya, Nezha, and Dingguang Immortal subdued Wuyun Xian and prepared to take him to Mount Sumeru for conversion, while Shen Gongbao fled to seek help from Tongtian. Ling Xiao opened a spatial gate to Mount Sumeru as Jiang Ziya stayed behind to kill Chong Houhu and Chong Yingbiao.

• Dingguang Immortal used the Eight Treasures Merit Pool and Buddhist chanting to suppress Wuyun Xian, who reverted to his Golden-Bearded Ao Fish form.
• Shen Gongbao attacked Nezha to try to rescue Wuyun Xian, but Jiang Ziya and Nezha overwhelmed him, forcing him to flee for Golden Ao Island.
• Dingguang Immortal thanked Ling Xiao and declared he would take Wuyun Xian to Mount Sumeru to be converted by the Western Sages.
• Jiang Ziya stayed behind to behead Chong Houhu and Chong Yingbiao, fearing Emperor Xin and Wen Zhong might enlist Kong Xuan to intervene.
• Ling Xiao opened a spatial gate and set off for Mount Sumeru with Dingguang Immortal, Jiang Ziya, and Nezha to follow later.

Ling Xiao watched Zhunti and Jieyin convert Wuyun Xian into a pool-guarding beast while Dingguang Immortal recovered at Mount Sumeru. In Western Qi, Jiang Ziya executed Marquis Chong Houhu and Chong Yingbiao, and Nezha set out for Mount Sumeru as Jiang Ziya wondered how the news would shake the Sect of Interception.

• Dingguang Immortal asked Zhunti and Jieyin to make Wuyun Xian submit, and Zhunti denied that the captive was a Sect of Interception immortal.
• Zhunti used conversion while Jieyin sent Wuyun Xian through repeated reincarnations in the Great Dream River, transforming his scales and eroding his will.
• Zhunti ordered Dingguang Immortal to recover in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool and refine the Hun Yuan Hammer, while Ling Xiao discussed the Great Dao with the Two Sages.
• Jiang Ziya publicly executed Marquis Chong Houhu and Chong Yingbiao in Western Qi, and Chong Heihu promised to care for his brother’s wives and sons.
• Nezha told Jiang Ziya that the executed men’s spirits were being guided to Mount Sumeru, then left to see what would happen there.
• Jiang Ziya wondered whether Shen Gongbao had reached Golden Ao Island and what news of Chong Heihu’s betrayal and Wuyun Xian’s conversion would do to the Sect of Interception.

Shen Gongbao returned to the Palace of Green Essence and told Tongtian that Dingguang Immortal had trapped Wuyun Xian in the Eight Treasures Merit Pool. After his disciples urged him to intervene, Tongtian took the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and led his personal disciples toward Mount Sumeru.

• Shen Gongbao knelt before Tongtian and confessed that Chong Heihu had betrayed the Sect of Interception, while Jiang Ziya and Dingguang Immortal had defeated their army and captured Wuyun Xian.
• Shen Gongbao revealed that Dingguang Immortal had sent Wuyun Xian into the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, where he risked being converted, and that Ling Xiao and Nezha had forced Shen Gongbao to retreat.
• Duobao urged Tongtian to go to Mount Sumeru, while Golden Hoop Immortal, Yuan Jiao, and Yun Xiao condemned the betrayal and called for Wuyun Xian to be rescued.
• Tongtian took the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and ordered his personal disciples to follow him to Mount Sumeru, leaving the other disciples to guard Golden Ao Island.

Emperor Xin and his ministers learned that Western Qi had captured Chong City and that Chong Heihu had defected, while Kong Xuan left for Mount Sumeru to join Tongtian. On Mount Sumeru, Wuyun Xian appeared to have been converted into Golden Ao Unfailing Accomplishment Buddha, Jiang Ziya advanced in cultivation, and Ling Xiao awaited Tongtian’s arrival.

• Emperor Xin mourned Fox Fairy and left Wen Zhong to direct the court’s response as Great Shang Dynasty faced mounting crises.
• Kong Xuan informed the court that Western Qi had taken Chong City, Marquis Chong Houhu and Chong Yingbiao had been killed, and Wuyun Xian had entered the Eight Treasures Merit Pool; he then departed for Mount Sumeru.
• Wen Zhong watched scenes of Chong Heihu betraying Marquis Chong Houhu and surrendering a million Great Shang Dynasty soldiers to Western Qi, and he urged Emperor Xin to stabilize the people and prepare to defeat Western Qi.
• Zhunti questioned the converted Golden-Bearded Ao Fish, which declared itself Golden Ao Unfailing Accomplishment Buddha and renounced its former identity.
• Jiang Ziya emerged from the Eight Treasures Merit Pool as a mid-stage Golden Immortal of Grand Dao, and Nezha mocked his combat ability before Jiang Ziya threatened to tell Madam Yin.
• Ling Xiao announced that Tongtian and the Sect of Interception disciples would soon arrive at Mount Sumeru.

Tongtian led the Sect of Interception to Mount Sumeru after discovering that Wuyun Xian had been converted into a Buddhist beast, and he sealed the mountain with the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. As Our Lady of Golden Spirit confronted Ling Xiao over his role in the scheme, Yuanshi Tianzun appeared and struck her down.

• Tongtian and the Sect of Interception disciples arrived at Mount Sumeru, where Daoist Duobao recognized that Wuyun Xian had been converted into Golden Ao Unfailing Accomplishment Buddha.
• Jieyin and Zhunti denied that Wuyun Xian had belonged to the Sect of Interception and invoked Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s decree against Tongtian’s intervention.
• Tongtian deployed the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation around Mount Sumeru, while Shen Gongbao accused Dingguang Immortal and Jiang Ziya of plotting against Wuyun Xian.
• Our Lady of Golden Spirit questioned Ling Xiao about his involvement, but Nezha claimed he and others had arranged the Eight Treasures Merit Pool without Ling Xiao’s help.
• Our Lady of Golden Spirit challenged Ling Xiao over whether he had any fault, and Yuanshi Tianzun appeared and struck her, sending her flying as she spat blood.

Yuanshi Tianzun arrived at Mount Sumeru, struck Our Lady of Golden Spirit, and rebuked Tongtian and the Sect of Interception while praising Ling Xiao. Tongtian finally attacked Yuanshi Tianzun and the Two Sages of the West, and the chapter ended as Lu Ya’s Immortal Slaying Flying Knife targeted Qin Tianjun.

• Yuanshi Tianzun struck Our Lady of Golden Spirit and condemned Tongtian for his disciples’ conduct.
• Ling Xiao thanked Yuanshi Tianzun and proposed compiling a Rites Classic, which Yuanshi Tianzun agreed to organize with the Heavenly Court.
• Dingguang Immortal mocked the Sect of Interception, and Tongtian accused Yuanshi Tianzun and the Western Sect of conspiring against Wuyun Xian.
• Tongtian attacked Yuanshi Tianzun, Jieyin, and Zhunti, while Ling Xiao stopped Qin Tianjun from challenging the Western Sect.
• Lu Ya called out from Mount Sumeru, and his Immortal Slaying Flying Knife streaked toward Qin Tianjun.

Ling Xiao rebuked the Sect of Interception for demanding justice while ignoring the rules it had broken, as Tongtian prepared to battle the Western Sages and Yuanshi Tianzun. Ling Xiao then warned Tongtian that using the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation to destroy the Western World would make him imitate Demon Ancestor Rahu.

• Lu Ya stopped the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife from killing Qin Tianjun and returned to greet Ling Xiao.
• Ling Xiao accused the Sect of Interception of hypocrisy and reminded its disciples that they had initiated the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation and attacked Mount Sumeru.
• Holy Mother Turtle Spirit grew furious at Ling Xiao's words, suffered a backlash, and fainted.
• Yuanshi Tianzun defended Ling Xiao's argument while Zhunti and Jieyin pretended to grieve over their disciples' suffering.
• Tongtian dismissed the other Sages' objections as hypocritical and kept the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation trained on them.
• Ling Xiao warned Tongtian that the Heavenly Dao forbade Sages from fighting in the Primordial Three Realms and asked if he intended to imitate Demon Ancestor Rahu by destroying the Western World.

Ling Xiao provoked a confrontation at Mount Sumeru, while Yuanshi Tianzun and the Western Sages tried to turn Daoist Duobao against the Sect of Interception. Tongtian attacked them, but Pingxin arrived to stop him, leaving the battle at a standstill.

• Ling Xiao accused Tongtian of following Demon Ancestor Rahu’s example and threatening to destroy the Western World, and Daoist Duobao attacked Ling Xiao in anger.
• Ling Xiao swallowed Daoist Duobao’s Spiritual Treasures and erased their imprints, while Yuanshi Tianzun falsely claimed Duobao had offered them as a bribe.
• Ling Xiao, Yuanshi Tianzun, and Jieyin suggested Duobao belonged in the Western Sect, and Jieyin offered him the position of Vice Sect Leader and a place among its Buddha Patriarchs.
• Kong Xuan shielded Duobao from their influence, and Duobao denounced the Sages for slandering the Sect of Interception and trying to undermine his bond with Tongtian.
• Tongtian attacked Yuanshi Tianzun and Zhunti with the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, injuring Zhunti and threatening Mount Sumeru.
• Pingxin appeared as an Earth Dao Sage and confronted Tongtian, forcing him to suppress his fury and halting Ling Xiao’s immediate fear of Mount Sumeru being destroyed.

Pingxin and Primal Lord of Heaven persuaded Tongtian to withdraw the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and take his fight with the Two Sages of the West Outside the Chaos. After the Sect of Interception disciples left Mount Sumeru, Yun Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and Bi Xiao confronted Ling Xiao with their feelings and questions.

• Pingxin urged Tongtian to protect the Primordial World, while Primal Lord of Heaven and the Two Sages of the West put away their spiritual treasures to give him a way to retreat.
• Tongtian withdrew the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation and left for Outside the Chaos with Primal Lord of Heaven, Zhunti, and Jieyin.
• After Pingxin departed, Maitreya Buddha and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha taunted and dismissed the Sect of Interception disciples, and Duobao led them away.
• Yun Xiao, Qiong Xiao, and Bi Xiao stayed behind to face Ling Xiao, while Bi Xiao silenced Dingguang Immortal for mocking Yun Xiao.
• Qiong Xiao asked Ling Xiao why he had treated Tongtian that way and pleaded for a chance to make amends, while Yun Xiao confessed her affection.
• Bi Xiao asked Ling Xiao whether he had deliberately held back when using the Pure White Lotus to remove her Dao Heart Demon Seed.

Ling Xiao rejected Bi Xiao’s lingering affection, prompting her to break through to the peak Golden Immortal of Grand Dao stage and vow to fight him. After Bi Xiao and Qiong Xiao left Mount Sumeru, Yun Xiao asked Ling Xiao whether he truly thought her unbearable, leaving his answer unknown.

• Ling Xiao told Bi Xiao that he had deliberately stripped away her Dao Heart Demon Seed because she was unworthy of his help, turning her love into resentment.
• Bi Xiao suppressed the Demonic Intent with her Ruthless Sword Dao and broke through to the peak Golden Immortal of Grand Dao stage.
• Jiang Ziya, Maitreya Buddha, and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha mocked the Three Xiao Sisters, while Ling Xiao suppressed the spatial rift Bi Xiao opened with a flick of his sleeve.
• Maitreya Buddha and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha further humiliated the sisters, and Bi Xiao fled to Golden Turtle Island while Qiong Xiao disappeared.
• Yun Xiao stayed behind and asked Ling Xiao whether he truly thought she was as unbearable as the others claimed.
• Nezha eagerly watched for Ling Xiao’s reply, while Jiang Ziya rebuked him for speaking about romance.

Ling Xiao warned the Western Sect and the Sect of Enlightenment to prepare for the Sect of Interception’s counterattack, then returned toward Penglai Immortal Island after learning that Grand Pure Laozi had ended the battle among the sages. Back on Golden Ao Island, the defeated disciples questioned whether expelling Ling Xiao had caused their calamities.

• Ling Xiao rejected Yun Xiao’s advances, and she left Mount Sumeru convinced that he still regarded her differently from the other Female Immortals of the Sect of Interception.
• After Jiang Ziya mocked Yun Xiao, Maitreya Buddha dispersed the Western Sect’s gathered disciples and Ling Xiao warned Dingguang Immortal, Jiang Ziya, and the others to stay alert for the Sect of Interception’s retaliation.
• Dingguang Immortal vowed to reach the early stage of the Quasi-Sage realm and die fighting a Sect of Interception disciple, while Jiang Ziya asked Ling Xiao for spiritual treasures to help defend Chong City.
• Ling Xiao learned that Grand Pure Laozi had intervened in the battle between Sect Master Tongtian, Yuanshi Tianzun, and the Two Sages of the West, so he left for Penglai Immortal Island to watch what happened next.
• Jiang Ziya and Nezha departed for Chong City as Daoist Duobao and the other disciples returned to Golden Ao Island, where Immortal Pilu wondered whether expelling Ling Xiao had caused the Sect of Interception’s tragedies.

The Sect of Interception blamed Ling Xiao for its losses while Tongtian announced that the Heavenly Dao Sages had agreed not to interfere directly in the Investiture of the Gods War. As the sect prepared to fight through its disciples, Shen Gongbao proposed using the Six Soul Banner to curse-kill Jichang, whom he identified as the real culprit behind Western Qi.

• Holy Mother Wudang and Shen Gongbao condemned Ling Xiao and attributed the Sect of Interception's losses to his schemes.
• Tongtian told the disciples that Senior Brother Taiqing had halted the Sage battle and brokered a rule barring Heavenly Dao Sages from freely interfering in the war.
• Tongtian assigned Duobao to oversee the sect's war effort, Kong Xuan to target Western Qi through the Great Shang Dynasty, and himself to remain on Golden Turtle Island.
• Kong Xuan worried that the Great Shang Dynasty's declining fortunes were hindering his cultivation and recalled that the Li Earth Flame Light Flag was missing.
• Shen Gongbao said Jiang Ziya had blocked his Six Soul Banner with the Wordless Heavenly Book, so he proposed targeting Jichang instead; Tongtian and the others were stunned.

Shen Gongbao proposed cursing Jichang to death with the Six Soul Banner to destabilize Western Qi, and Tongtian tacitly let him decide. Shen Gongbao recruited the Four Sages of Nine Dragon Island to help Great Shang and departed for Zhaoge, while Ling Xiao advanced his Law of Fire on Penglai Immortal Island.

• Shen Gongbao argued that killing Jichang would leave Western Qi leaderless and said Jichang’s ruined Purple Star Emperor Qi made him vulnerable.
• Qin Tianjun warned that killing Jichang could bring backlash, but Lu Yue and Li Xingba supported the plan and urged Shen Gongbao to act for Great Shang.
• Tongtian told Shen Gongbao to make his own decision, and Shen Gongbao interpreted his words as approval to kill Jichang.
• Shen Gongbao recruited the Four Sages of Nine Dragon Island, and Wang Mo, Yang Sen, Gao Youqian, and Li Xingba agreed to assist him.
• Kong Xuan, Shen Gongbao, and the Four Sages prepared to return to Zhaoge, while Tongtian stayed behind to teach his disciples.
• Ling Xiao refined the Li Earth Flame Light Flag beneath the Ren Water Peach Tree and increased his comprehension of the Law of Fire.

Ling Xiao chose to stay out of Shen Gongbao’s plot against Jichang and obtained the Heaven-Opening Wind Spirit, completing his collection of the four Heaven-Opening Spirits. In Zhaoge, Shen Gongbao introduced the Four Sages of Nine Dragon Island to Emperor Xin as generals, then faced questions about his plan to strike back at Western Qi.

• Ling Xiao learned that Shen Gongbao intended to curse Jichang to death and chose the option to follow the greater trend, gaining the Heaven-Opening Wind Spirit and Earth Spirit.
• Ling Xiao told Wangshu he had gathered all four Heaven-Opening Spirits and planned to refine them, though he turned to marital duties first.
• Emperor Xin awaited Shen Gongbao’s return in the Human Emperor’s Palace as Wen Zhong worried over the Great Shang Dynasty’s losses and withheld his suspicions about Shen Gongbao.
• Shen Gongbao returned to Zhaoge with Kong Xuan and the Four Sages of Nine Dragon Island, while Kong Xuan went into seclusion.
• Emperor Xin comforted Shen Gongbao, welcomed Wang Mo, Yang Sen, Gao Youqian, and Li Xingba as generals, and asked Shen Gongbao to explain his plan against Western Qi.

Shen Gongbao used the Six Souls Banner and Great Shang’s national fortune to curse Jichang, leaving him near death in Western Qi. Bhaisajyaguru Buddha and Jiang Ziya tried to save him, but the curse continued as Ji Fa and Western Qi’s officials gathered at his bedside.

• Shen Gongbao persuaded Emperor Xin, Grand Tutor Wen, and most of the officials to support a curse that would kill Jichang.
• Emperor Xin secured Zhaoge, and Shen Gongbao joined the Four Sages of Nine Dragon Island in invoking Great Shang’s national fortune to place Jichang’s name on the Six Souls Banner.
• Shen Gongbao shook the banner and sent its death-curse into Jichang’s residence, draining Jichang’s life while Great Shang’s national fortune absorbed the backlash.
• Bhaisajyaguru Buddha tried to resist the curse and stabilize Jichang, but Shen Gongbao claimed Jichang would die within a quarter hour.
• Jiang Ziya, Dingguang Immortal, Huang Feihu, Ji Fa, and Western Qi’s officials gathered at Jichang’s bedside, where Jiang Ziya said he had no way to save him and used the Wordless Heavenly Book to awaken his consciousness.

After Jichang died from Shen Gongbao’s Six Soul Banner curse, Ji Fa succeeded him and prepared to purge treacherous officials around Emperor Xin under the banner of loyalty to the Great Shang Dynasty. Emperor Xin ordered a campaign against Western Qi, while the backlash from Jichang’s death curse also struck the Sect of Interception.

• Jichang used his final moments to name Ji Fa his successor and urge him to safeguard the Great Shang Dynasty while cleansing the treacherous men around Emperor Xin.
• Jiang Ziya understood Jichang’s hidden intent, and Ji Fa took command of Western Qi after Jichang died.
• Emperor Xin ordered the feudal lords to avoid Jichang’s funeral and Ji Fa’s enthronement, and Shen Gongbao advised using their attendance to identify disloyal lords.
• Emperor Xin sent Chao Lei and Chao Tian to scout Sishui Pass and ordered Zhang Guifang to lead three hundred thousand troops against Western Qi.
• The curse’s backlash struck the Great Shang Dynasty, Shen Gongbao’s allies, and the Sect of Interception, leaving Tongtian unable to fully erase it.