Zhou Ming

Biodata

Power Progression

Background

Zhou Ming possesses knowledge beyond his era's general course of events. His Primordial Spirit is guarded by a System Core refined by Pangu, granting him affinity with the Great Dao and exceptional potential. The future near-destruction of the Witch Clan drives much of his planning. 2

Before entering the Primordial World, Zhou Ming was an ordinary mortal from Earth. Yuan Chu later reveals that Earth is a surviving fragment of the original Primordial World and that Zhou Ming was selected as an outsider variable, capable of producing developments beyond the constraints of Yuan Chu's inner Chaos. 864

Yuan Chu also explains the system's earlier provenance: he took one of the systems deployed by the Abyssal Sea Divine Hub, modified it, and sent it to Earth's fragment as a small advantage for Zhou Ming. This disclosure supplements the earlier account of the Pangu-refined System Core guarding Zhou Ming's Primordial Spirit. 2 864

Earth is specifically a core fragment of the world originally created by Pan, the first transcendent being of the outside world. Yuan Chu explains that the name “Pan” became “Pangu” through generations of mortal transmission, and that later world mergers and historical distortion account for differences between Earth's myths and the outside world's actual history. 864

After awakening in Pangu Hall, Zhou Ming refined Heaven-Opening Fiendish Energy with the Law of Strength, strengthened his Primordial Spirit through the Dao Origin Divine Pearl, and developed the Nine Revolutions Sha Quenching Art to aid the twelve still-unconscious Ancestor Witches. 3 5

When the newborn Witch Clan required someone to manage its external affairs, Zhou Ming severed part of his Primordial Spirit and combined it with essence blood to create Wu Ming. While Zhou Ming cultivated in Pangu Hall with the Twelve Ancestor Witches, Wu Ming traveled the Primordial Wilderness, handled clan business, attended Zixiao Palace lectures in his stead, and formed ties with figures such as Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun. 12 41

Zhou Ming later disclosed that he and Wu Ming were fundamentally one body. He had concealed his true self because his appearance was initially unsuitable, but judged public exposure safe after Hongjun's third lecture and impending Unify with Dao. 41

After emerging from Yuan Chu's inner world into the Hongmeng Universe, Zhou Ming becomes one of the cultivators known as “Returnees.” The universe's underlying rules impose shackles that greatly suppress his strength. He discovers that Destiny/Fortune can weaken these restraints, making Fortune collection central to his recovery and later to the recovery of his companions. 935 1007 1014 1023

Appearance

Zhou Ming is nearly identical in appearance to Wu Ming, though his true body carries a far more profound and oppressive aura. 41

• Often wears plain robes in later appearances. 730
• His presence can appear fully withdrawn despite overwhelming power. 587 730
• After advancing through the Sky-Opening Marks, his eyes are described as calm, abyssal, and impossible to measure. 587
• During his world-creation tribulation, he stands atop the Thirty-Six Grade Green Lotus of Creation and wields the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe. 760 762
• Appears in green robes or a green shirt in several Primordial World encounters. 164 446
• In the Hongmeng Universe, he is frequently identified as a blue-robed man. When he appears beside Hongchu and Cang Xuan, his aura is so restrained that the surrounding True Lords cannot determine his capabilities. 1011

Personality

Zhou Ming is patient, calculating, and willing to delay an advancement until it serves a broader plan. He treats power, Merit, Destiny, alliances, and information as resources to be exchanged or positioned against future threats. 87 93 255

He is frequently manipulative in negotiations, especially with Nuwa, but is direct about transactional arrangements when dealing with allies such as Wang Shu. 91 157 251 His long-term goal is not merely personal advancement: he repeatedly prepares contingencies for the Witch Clan, protects his followers, and insists that the Human Race must develop independently rather than survive as a Witch Clan puppet. 95 374 588 750

In the Chaos Sea, Zhou Ming remains focused on accumulating Destiny/Fortune and breaking his own cultivation shackles rather than pursuing conquest for its own sake. He rewards useful subordinates generously, permits them to retain spoils, and treats killing as a means to acquire resources rather than an end in itself. 897 901 916 927

His later Fortune-gathering policies emphasize restraint: he forbids unnecessary killing, limits collection to half a world's Fortune, and avoids important core worlds when doing so can prevent escalation. He repeatedly distinguishes acquiring Fortune from waging endless war. 957 997 1048

Zhou Ming also values deterrence and efficiency over vengeance. He allows defeated opponents to withdraw when pursuit would be costly, deliberately builds a reputation to discourage future attacks, and deals with the information broker True Lord Duobao despite knowing that Duobao sells intelligence to his enemies. 994 1016

His generosity toward trusted companions can outweigh his immediate personal interests. He gives Hongchu and Cang Xuan approximately seventy percent of their jointly gathered Fortune and later transfers the group's accumulated Fortune to Houtu to accelerate her recovery. Even after regaining his full strength, he rejects impulsive retaliation in favor of drawing enemies into a decisive confrontation. 1014 1023 1026

Abilities & Skills

Dao of Strength

Zhou Ming cultivates the Dao and Law of Strength, inherited through Pangu's legacy.

• Proves Dao through laws rather than relying on Hongmeng Purple Qi. 97 99
• His Law of Strength becomes increasingly integrated with his being after reaching Hunyuan Grand Ultimate. 730
• Perfects the Dao of Strength in the Eternal Dao Realm, making it the complete foundation from which he can later merge further laws. 793 794
• Uses the perfected Dao of Strength to establish an early-warning defense line spanning hundreds of millions of miles around the Ninth Chaos. 796
• In the Hongmeng Universe, he uses Destiny Origin to reduce the suppression imposed on his Dao of Strength. 878
• Can condense portions of his power into talismans capable of suppressing opponents below Hunyuan Wuji. 893
• Reforges the talismans until they can suppress and kill existences beneath peak Hunyuan Wuji. 901
• Uses his perfected Dao of Strength to hold the advantage against Grey Robe's Fusion Dao Realm Dao Body, shattering its devouring chains with repeated punches. 797
• Injures True Lord Chaotic Ancient with a single punch and subsequently defeats seven Da Luo True Lords fighting together with their True Artifacts. 994
• Quickly defeats six early-stage Da Luo cultivators through physical force, cracking the White-Browed Elder's Great Luo artifact and gravely injuring the other five. 1007 1008
• Upon breaking the Rule Shackles, unites his three thousand laws in the Unity Realm and restores a Dao of Strength more powerful than before his suppression. 1026
• Can divide restrained Strength-law power into fine threads that silently penetrate a world's membrane and enter its origin, enabling covert Fortune extraction without a direct attack on the barrier. 1048

Pangu Inheritance and Sky-Opening Marks

Zhou Ming comprehends Pangu's supreme inheritance and accumulates Sky-Opening Marks associated with Pangu's Primordial Spirit.

• The System Core, later called the Dao Origin Divine Pearl, protects his Primordial Spirit and grants Great Dao affinity. 2 3
• Acquires the Sky-Opening Mark from Tongtian and seeks all three marks to pursue Pangu's realm. 530
• Receives Tongtian's remaining two Sky-Opening Marks, completing the set of three. 546
• Uses three Sky-Opening Marks in seclusion to achieve a major qualitative change in cultivation. 587
• Can draw on Pangu's legacy when confronting enemies of the Witch Clan. 706
• Learns from Pangu's will about the Fusion Dao Period, Unity Realm, Great Dao Crystals, the Abyssal Sea Divine Hub, and the Origin Realm of Ten Thousand Daos. 783

Primordial Spirit Manipulation and Avatars

Zhou Ming can divide and employ his Primordial Spirit with precision.

• Created Wu Ming from a severed portion of his Primordial Spirit and his essence blood. 41
• Prepared a wisp of Primordial Spirit for the 129,601st human, creating an “Anomaly” intended to give humanity an independent future. 94 98
• Strips the forms, True Spirits, and Dao origins of allies into Dao-light form for protection within himself before his Dao tribulation. 750
• Creates Dao Bodies to guard key locations, later recovering their memories and perceptions through reintegration. 796
• Uses divine sense across immense distances for communication, investigation, and interference with heavenly secrets. 212 386 634
• Places dormant wisps of divine sense in Liu Yuan, Qian Tian, Fankong, and Ancestor Xue Ku. These activate in life-threatening crises to protect the recipients and mark them as people under his protection. 997
• Detects Dijiang's unstable Space Law fluctuations from afar and recognizes the aura as a possible sign that his younger brother is fleeing for his life. 1048

Dao Teaching

Zhou Ming is an accomplished teacher whose explanations allow other cultivators to overcome entrenched bottlenecks.

• Diagnoses the Twelve Ancestor Witches' stalled cultivation as incomplete understanding of their laws' origins. 587
• Preaches the Dao in Pangu Hall, helping the Ancestral Witches approach or achieve Hunyuan and allowing Tongtian to rebuild his path. 587 588
• Holds a final sermon for allies before his own Dao Proving, granting gains said to surpass countless kalpas of isolated cultivation. 748 750
• Guides Tongtian away from what he considers an erroneous cultivation path. 346
• Gives Tongtian and Minghe the Method of Shattering Three Corpses, enabling them to rebuild their foundations and prove their own Hunyuan Daos. 546 607 672
• Directs Minghe to use the Earth Dao's support after rebuilding his foundation, accurately judging that this will accelerate Minghe's final breakthrough. 642 672
• Arranges for the West Queen Mother and Candle Dragon to use the Human Dao's support in Huoyun Cave, while Wang Shu and Taiyi receive the Earth Dao's aid in the Underworld, increasing his coalition's Hunyuan combat power. 653
• Shares his Fortune-refinement method with Houtu after their reunion in the Hongmeng Universe, helping her heal and loosen her Rule Shackles. 1023

Formations and Clan Warfare

Zhou Ming directs the Witch Clan's greatest collective techniques.

• Orders the Twelve Ancestor Witches to form the Great Formation of the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons if the Heavenly Dao interferes with Nuwa's creation of humans. 96
• Plans to use the Dao Origin Divine Pearl to summon Hou Yi, Kua Fu, and others to form the Great Formation of the Thirteen Heavenly Gods and Demons if Hongjun attacks. 175
• Uses the Witch Clan's formation as a deterrent against Hongjun and the Saints. 181
• Leads the Twelve Ancestor Witches in summoning Pangu's True Body against the Heavenly Dao. 706
• Again merges his aura with the Twelve Ancestor Witches to form Pangu's True Body when confronting Hongjun, Luohu, Yang Mei, and their allies. 734
• Prepares the Great Formation of the Stars to refine Chaos Energy and accelerate the development of a new world. 348
• In the thirteen-position formation at Zixiao Palace, summons Pangu Hall into Pangu's True Body's chest, greatly amplifying its aura. 706
• Before the battle against the perfected Heavenly Dao, instructs Jieyin and Zhunti to retrieve the Four Swords of Zhu Xian and join Taiqing, Yuanshi, and Tongtian in setting up the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation. 700
• Modifies the Ten Great Dao Realms' Cross-Domain Teleportation Arrays into one-way routes ending at ten scattered outskirts locations in the Divine Asura Domain, reducing the risk of an immediately concentrated counterattack. 956

Creation, Protection, and Concealment

Zhou Ming establishes protected spaces and obscures matters from the Heavenly Dao.

• Creates and names the Pangu Realm, intended as both a refuge and a final fallback for the Witch Clan. 374
• Plans to migrate Pangu's will from Buzhou Mountain into the Pangu Realm for its protection. 374 624
• Interferes with karma and heavenly secrets strongly enough that Hongjun identifies him as the source of an obstruction. 386
• Conceals the 129,601st human with Houtu's Dao Origin Divine Pearl while diverting the Heavenly Dao with his Dao Proving. 95 98
• Opens a world through his own power, splitting Chaos into heaven and earth and supporting the newborn sky. 762
• Merges the Pangu Realm into the newborn world, then incorporates his Dao Body into its mountains, rivers, and living beings to stabilize it. 773
• Can construct cross-realm teleportation tokens using Da Luo True Realm law imprints and Void Divine Stones. 895
• Refines upgraded teleportation tokens capable of carrying fifty people over ten times the former range, as well as reusable talismans strengthened by thirty percent. 915 916
• Transports over a thousand Hunyuan experts from the Azure Spirit Realm to the Heavenly Origin Dao Realm and destroys its World-Protecting Grand Formation with a single finger. 952
• Refines Portable Cross-Domain Teleportation Discs, enhanced jade talismans, and a large Cross-Domain Teleportation Array from Void Divine Iron, spacetime crystals, Chaos Origin Gold, and other high-grade materials. 984
• Tears through Nine Netherworlds True Lord's spatial and temporal sealing attempt to escape an encirclement of more than thirty Da Luo True Realm cultivators. 1004
• Enters the trapping formation surrounding Hongchu and Cang Xuan without triggering it, appearing directly beside them despite the formation having been established by sixteen True Lords. 1011

Fortune Refinement and Recovery

Destiny/Fortune becomes Zhou Ming's principal means of overcoming the Hongmeng Universe's suppression.

• Guides accumulated Fortune through his body to scour away the underlying Rule Shackles restricting his cultivation. 893 897 1002
• Extracts half a world's Fortune while preserving enough to avoid damaging its foundation or provoking unnecessary retaliation. 997 1007 1048
• Distributes Fortune and pure origin to companions to restore their injuries, Great Dao origins, and suppressed strength. 1014 1023
• Uses the enormous reserves gathered during his campaigns to completely shatter the fundamental Rule Shackles and return to peak Unity Realm power. 1026
• Coordinates further collection after his own recovery to help other Eternal Dao Realm cultivators break their shackles. 1048

Tactical Deception and Guerrilla Warfare

Zhou Ming adapts his methods to avoid being trapped in prolonged conflicts.

• Feigns collapse by spitting golden blood and disordering his aura, persuading his attackers to commit their remaining power before he breaks their spatial seal and escapes unharmed. 1004
• Raids remote small and medium-sized worlds, rapidly takes Fortune, and repeatedly changes direction to evade pursuing Da Luo cultivators. 1007 1008
• Deliberately leaves clues to lure Red Skies True Lord and other pursuers into an ambush prepared with Hongchu and Cang Xuan. 1014
• Lets defeated pursuers escape to spread news of his strength and deter later attacks, rather than expending effort on chasing every survivor. 1016
• Exploits the universe-wide standoff around Jiemie's cultivation grounds to organize covert Fortune collection while major factions are distracted. 1048

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Dao Origin Divine Pearl / System Core — A Pangu-refined Innate Supreme Treasure guarding Zhou Ming's Primordial Spirit, enhancing his Great Dao affinity, and assisting his comprehension of the Law of Strength. Yuan Chu later reveals that the system initially came from the Abyssal Sea Divine Hub and was modified before being sent to Earth. 2 3 864
• Sky-Opening Marks — Three marks containing Pangu's supreme Dao inheritance. 530 546 587
• Heaven-Opening Divine Axe — A supreme axe wielded by Zhou Ming during his Dao tribulation and creation of a new world; by his later confrontation with Yang Mei, it is on the verge of collapse. 760 762 770
• Thirty-Six Grade Green Lotus of Creation — A protective Creation treasure on which Zhou Ming stands during his confrontation with Yang Mei and the systems. The Chaos Green Lotus is subsequently described as having shattered during the battle. 760 770
• Jade Disc of Creation — Given to Houtu to support her own Dao journey after Zhou Ming's world creation. He deliberately avoids risking it against Yang Mei because its Three Thousand Great Dao insights are more valuable for comprehension than its defensive power. 770 773
• Five-Colored Stone — Used in an attempt to establish contact with the Demon Realm. 634
• Kongtong Seal — Bound to the Human Dao, then entrusted to Wu and the Human Race rather than retained by the Witch Clan. 307
• Power Talismans — Condensed portions of Zhou Ming's power issued to subordinates for suppressing hostile realm lords; later reforged to threaten cultivators beneath peak Hunyuan Wuji. Zhou Ming regards them as replaceable consumables rather than irreplaceable losses. 893 897 901 926
• Teleportation Tokens / Cross-Realm Tokens — Cross-realm tokens Zhou Ming reverse-engineers and refines for rapid troop movement and Destiny-gathering operations. He later produces another large batch after acquiring the Ten Great Dao Realms' resources. 895 915 916 955 956
• Portable Cross-Domain Teleportation Discs — Dozens of refined discs that permit travel across most of a major domain in a single use. Qian Tian tests one by traveling nearly half a domain before reaching the Blackstone Star Belt with two more teleportations. 984
• Dark-Gold Jade Talismans — More than a hundred upgraded offensive talismans, each twice as powerful as the previous versions and usable nine times. 984
• Cross-Domain Teleportation Arrays — Arrays used to deploy forces into the Divine Asura Domain. Zhou Ming modifies ten existing arrays into scattered one-way routes and later refines a large array linked to the Heavenly Origin Dao Realm's array. 956 984
• Earth and Fire Great Dao Crystals — Law-bearing resources used after perfecting his Dao of Strength to advance his other laws. 794
• Great Luo True Artifact Saber — A saber seized from Black Armor True Lord's group and offered to True Lord Duobao as payment for information about other Returnees. 1016
• Pangu Realm — A small world created as a protected foundation and refuge for the Witch Clan; later merged into Zhou Ming's newborn world. 374 750 773

Relationships

• The Twelve Ancestor Witches — His younger siblings and the core of his clan; Zhou Ming leads, teaches, and repeatedly prepares safeguards for them. He later recognizes Dijiang's unstable Space Law aura during the Hongmeng Universe Fortune campaign and suspects that he is fleeing danger. 87 587 750 1048
• Houtu / Pingxin — Younger sister and closest strategic confidante; she assists with the Human Race anomaly, the Underworld, Pangu Realm, and Zhou Ming's wider plans. Zhou Ming later entrusts her with the Jade Disc of Creation to aid her Dao Proving. He protects Houtu during her Great Dao tribulation, cultivates and explores alongside her, and later rescues her from the Rebel-Suppression Alliance. After their reunion, he shares Fortune and his refinement method to aid her recovery; they subsequently operate as a pair in the universe-wide collection campaign. 95 186 374 773 794 799 841 1023 1048
• Wu Ming — His avatar and external representative; created from Zhou Ming's Primordial Spirit and essence blood. 12 41
• Wu — The Human Race's representative and recipient of the Kongtong Seal and Human Dao authority. Wu's later sacrifice and fusion of origin into Zhou Ming enable his Hunyuan Grand Ultimate breakthrough; he is again present during Yuan Chu's explanation of Zhou Ming's origins. 307 730 864
• Nuwa — A wary ally and frequent negotiating counterpart. Zhou Ming assists her creation of humanity while extracting concessions and shaping her choices around the Human Race's Destiny. 90 99 157
• The Human Race — A people Zhou Ming covertly supports while insisting they become self-reliant and control their own Human Dao. 95 102 307
• Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun — Old friends first connected through Wu Ming; Zhou Ming later guides both toward opportunities connected to the Human Race and Hunyuan. Zhen Yuanzi also lends the Earth Book for Zhou Ming's search for Fangzhang and Yingzhou. 12 41 105 212
• Tongtian — Dao-discussion partner and beneficiary of Zhou Ming's guidance; Tongtian seeks his help for the Intercepting Sect's future, provides the Sky-Opening Marks, rebuilds his Dao under Zhou Ming's teaching, and later proves Hunyuan. 346 391 546 587 672
• Hongjun — Long-standing adversary and strategic rival. Hongjun fears Zhou Ming's growth and repeatedly attempts to account for or suppress him. 170 386 669
• Yang Mei — A powerful and elusive enemy whom Zhou Ming identifies as the Space Demon God. Yang Mei opposes Zhou Ming during his Dao tribulation and intervenes to preserve the surviving systems. 733 765 770
• Pangu — Progenitor of the Witch Clan and Zhou Ming's ultimate predecessor in the Dao of Strength. Pangu's inheritance, will, and later guidance remain central to Zhou Ming's cultivation path. Zhou Ming later seeks him as a natural ally among the Returnees and, upon meeting him again, confirms that Pangu has completely removed his Rule Shackles and returned to peak cultivation. 2 546 783 1007 1052
• Yuan Chu — A True Saint who brought Zhou Ming from Earth into the Chaos Sea as an outsider variable, hoping Zhou Ming's path would produce an opportunity for transcendence. Later hunters falsely assume that Zhou Ming possesses Yuan Chu's inheritance; Zhou Ming knows no such inheritance exists. 864 1002 1008
• Wang Shu — Transactional ally whose revival Zhou Ming agrees to fund in exchange for future service. He later helps her reshape her Dao body and arranges Earth Dao support for her Hunyuan advancement. 251 374 376 653
• Di Jun and Tai Yi — Former Demon Clan leaders whom Zhou Ming later reincarnates, subordinates, and employs in the Great Formation of the Stars. 255 316 348
• Chang Xi — Overseer of the developing Pangu Realm. Zhou Ming leaves her in charge of its development and praises her management when he returns. 348 374
• Qing Yang and Purple Moon — Luofu Realm siblings whom Zhou Ming rescues from hostile Sages. They offer him a secluded cultivation site, then become trusted administrators after he subdues the realm. 870 872 875 897
• Liu Yuan — Former Realm Lord of the Celestial Mystery Realm whom Zhou Ming humiliates and subordinates. Liu Yuan becomes Zhou Ming's principal organizer for personnel, campaigns, and Destiny-gathering operations. He later reorganizes the Ten Great Dao Realms' forces, administers the Divine Asura expedition, and receives both upgraded equipment and a protective divine-sense wisp. 883 893 897 916 955 956 997
• Cang Yu — Realm lord appointed to lead early raids on nearby worlds for Destiny/Fortune; Zhou Ming equips him with a Power Talisman and later rewards his followers with Origin clusters. Cang Yu later serves among the Hunyuan Wuji leaders supervising resource collection from the conquered Ten Great Dao Realms. 893 914 955
• Qian Tian / Gantian — The Heavenly Origin Dao Realm's lord, who submits after Zhou Ming destroys his realm's protective formation. He later serves under Liu Yuan, delivers materials and Fortune, and carries Zhou Ming's upgraded equipment back to the expedition forces. 952 955 957 984 997
• Fankong and Ancestor Xue Ku — Former leaders of the Brahma Sea and Blood Prison Dao Realms who become subordinate expedition leaders. Zhou Ming places protective divine-sense wisps in both. 884 997
• Cang Xuan and Hongchu — Long-standing Eternal Dao Realm companions who initially teach Zhou Ming about Chaos Sea opportunities. After finding them trapped by sixteen True Lords, Zhou Ming intervenes, supplies pure origin and Fortune for their recovery, and joins them in gathering resources and rescuing other Returnees. 785 794 1011 1014 1016
• Taichu — Fellow Returnee who joins Zhou Ming, Hongchu, and Cang Xuan in recovery and rescue operations. He assists during Houtu's rescue and supports the group's wider search for imprisoned Eternal Dao Realm cultivators. 1019 1023 1026
• Taishi, Taiji, and Taisu — Fellow Eternal Dao Realm cultivators who participate in the later Fortune-gathering operation. The accumulated Fortune helps them further remove Rule Shackles and recover their strength. 1048
• True Lord Duobao — A Hongmeng Universe information broker who sells intelligence to both Zhou Ming's group and their enemies. Zhou Ming pragmatically buys information from him despite Hongchu's hostility; Duobao later sends a warning too late to prevent an ambush and contacts Zhou Ming again after his full recovery. 1016 1023 1026
• The Seven Great Domains' True Lords — Regional authorities, including Shenluo, Chaotic Ancient, Nether Demon, and the Lord of Ten Thousand Buddhas, who confront Zhou Ming over Fortune collection. He defeats all seven together, but leaves them room to withdraw. Several later participate in the larger attack motivated by the supposed Yuan Chu inheritance. 994 995 1002
• Heavenly Pivot and Heavenly River True Lords — Leading organizers of the ambush by more than thirty Da Luo cultivators. They demand Yuan Chu's supposed inheritance, fail to suppress Zhou Ming, and seek reinforcements before pursuing his escape. 1002 1004
• The Rebel-Suppression Alliance — A hostile organization that hunts the Returnees and obstructs their recovery. Zhou Ming rescues companions from its forces, withstands its ambushes, and prepares a decisive response after breaking his Rule Shackles. 1023 1026 1029

Story Role / Major Arcs

Human Creation and Dao Proving

Zhou Ming recognizes that Nuwa's arrival at Pangu Hall coincides with his opportunity to prove Dao. He lends the Creation Cauldron and Nine Heavens Breath Soil under strict terms, demands that Nuwa create a 129,601st human, and reveals knowledge about uniting the Three Corpses. 90 91 93

At the East Sea, he publicly announces his Dao Proving and endures the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder to draw the Heavenly Dao's attention away from Nuwa's secret creation of the extra human. Houtu merges Zhou Ming's prepared Primordial Spirit into the final human, creating the Anomaly. Zhou Ming then breaks through to Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal as Nuwa becomes a Saint. 97 98 99

Human Race Independence

Zhou Ming refuses to place humanity directly under Witch Clan control. Instead, he places his Primordial Spirit within the 129,601st human as a subtle guide, sends Hou Yi to protect the race without governing it, and later gives the Kongtong Seal and Human Dao authority to the Human Race's representative, Wu. 94 95 102 307

He also oversees the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors era, takes Fuxi as the Teacher of the Heavenly Emperor, and helps determine the distribution of teachers and opportunities surrounding the Human Race's prosperity. 270 275

Opposition to Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao

Zhou Ming becomes a central obstacle to Hongjun's authority. He deliberately allows himself to be caught in the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation, confronts the Six Saints, and demonstrates that the Witch Clan can still form its grand formation without him. 181 182

As Hongjun's conflict with the Heavenly Dao intensifies, Zhou Ming organizes Hunyuan-level allies, gathers resources and Destiny, and prepares the Witch Clan for war. He eventually leads the Twelve Ancestor Witches against the Heavenly Dao at Zixiao Palace. 651 669 706

At Zixiao Palace, the Heavenly Dao claims to have devoured Hongjun and advanced to Hunyuan Grand Ultimate Golden Immortal. Zhou Ming immediately organizes the thirteen-position formation, summons Pangu's True Body, and integrates Pangu Hall into it. He rejects the Heavenly Dao's claim to equal Pangu, distinguishing its recent breakthrough from Pangu's peak strength during world creation. 706

He also interferes in the Investiture of the Gods by locating Jiang Ziya and arranging for Tongtian to accept him as a disciple. This action obstructs Hongjun's deductions and forces the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun to alter their plans around Shen Gongbao. 373 383 386

His intervention is also an experiment into the calamity's underlying authority: he seeks to learn whether the right to confer gods follows the destined individual or that individual's sect. He advises Tongtian to request the Investiture of the Gods and God-Beating Whip immediately after accepting Jiang Ziya. 373 384

Pangu Realm and the Chaos Campaign

Zhou Ming establishes the Pangu Realm as an uncalculable sanctuary for the Witch Clan and a place to nurture allies such as Wang Shu. He later compresses the realm into a glazed pearl and absorbs it into himself before beginning his own Dao tribulation. 374 750

The realm develops through the Great Formation of the Stars, with Di Jun, Tai Yi, East Prince Gong, Candle Dragon, and other former rivals working under Zhou Ming's command to refine Chaos Energy. After it ascends into a true world, he grants these cultivators opportunities to comprehend its laws and enters seclusion with Houtu, Dijiang, and Zhujiuyin to study the Sky-Opening Marks. 348 559

After reaching Hunyuan Grand Ultimate, he returns toward the Primordial Wilderness to confront Hongjun, Luohu, Yang Mei, and the hidden forces linked to the Earth Dao and Human Dao. Before confronting them, he prioritizes rescuing trapped allies and relocating living beings to safety. 730 733 734

He later takes the authorities of the Three Daos into himself and plans to incorporate their source rules into his cultivation. He expects this to solve the Pangu Realm's difficulties while saving countless kalpas of cultivation and bringing him closer to supreme Dao attainment. 740 743

To prepare for his Dao tribulation, Zhou Ming promises weakened allies that, if he successfully proves the supreme Dao and opens a perfect world, he will nurture their damaged origins anew and even reverse space-time to recover those who have perished. 745 746

Dao Tribulation and World Creation

Zhou Ming begins his Dao tribulation by splitting Chaos with the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, separating heaven and earth and personally supporting the newborn sky. The systems and Yang Mei attempt to exploit the burden this creation places upon him, but Zhou Ming fights them directly while continuing to stabilize the world. 762 765

The battle damages his treasures severely: the Chaos Green Lotus shatters, and the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe approaches collapse. Zhou Ming refuses to risk the Jade Disc of Creation, having already decided to leave its Dao-comprehension inheritance to Houtu. 770

He merges the Pangu Realm into the new heaven and earth, gives the Jade Disc of Creation to Houtu, leaves twelve drops of Essence Blood for the Ancestor Witches, and transforms his Dao Body into the world's mountains, rivers, and life. His Primordial Spirit then seals itself within Pangu Hall as he transcends, leaving behind a speck of True Spirit light. 773

Later Realms

After traveling through the Chaos Sea and returning to the Eternal Dao Realm, Zhou Ming perfects his Dao of Strength and prepares to assist Houtu with her own Dao Proving. 794 He learns of the Fusion Dao Period and Unity Realm, reaches a cultivation bottleneck, and leaves the Eternal Dao Realm with Cang Xuan and Hongchu to seek opportunities in the Chaos Sea. 783 784

As overseer of the Ninth Chaos's Great Dao, Zhou Ming returns to protect Houtu's tribulation. He confronts Grey Robe's Devouring-law Dao Body and ultimately drives him off at the cost of some of his own origin. After Houtu succeeds, You Jue's main body hunts them on their return journey, prompting the Eternal Dao Realm to dispatch reinforcements. 794 796 797 799 801

Over several Chaos epochs, Zhou Ming and Houtu recover, explore Law Secret Realms, and kill Chaos Dao-Devouring Beasts together. Both reach the peak Fusion Dao Realm. When Wu prepares to prove his Martial Dao and the Abyssal Sea Divine Hub has recovered sufficiently to interfere, they return to the Eternal Dao Realm to prepare for battle. 841

Yuan Chu later discloses that Zhou Ming originated from Earth, a surviving fragment of the original Primordial World, and was deliberately introduced into the Chaos Sea as an external variable. 864

Luofu Realm and Destiny Expansion

After rescuing Qing Yang and Purple Moon, Zhou Ming agrees to protect them in exchange for a secluded cultivation site in the Luofu Realm. He eliminates Cang Yun, forces the remaining Sages to submit, and takes control of the realm while leaving its ordinary administration to the siblings. 870 872 875

On the journey, he learns that the Hongmeng Universe's many small worlds are remnants left by unsuccessful attempts to attain the Da Luo True Realm. The local equivalent of a Dao tribulation is often predation by other cultivators, who attack Dao seekers and divide their origins and newly opened worlds. He initially judges the Flowing Light Domain safe because it contains no Da Luo True Realm experts of its own. 873

When Liu Yuan attacks, Zhou Ming reveals Hunyuan Wuji strength, forces Liu Yuan into service, and destroys Ming Xue, Ling Xu, and the other hostile Sages. He gives their Sage bodies to Qing Yang and Purple Moon as cultivation resources. 883

Zhou Ming then builds an expanding force dedicated to gathering Destiny/Fortune from nearby worlds and the Flowing Light Domain. He provides Power Talismans, cross-realm teleportation tokens, Origin clusters, and cultivation resources to accelerate his followers' growth while using the accumulated Fortune to wear down the shackles restricting his strength. 893 901 914 916 927

He initially avoids fully unifying the Flowing Light Domain because doing so could attract the Da Luo True Realm expert backing the Divine Asura Domain and expose his suppressed condition. He treats such an encounter as strategically undesirable, rather than assuming that the Ten Great Dao Realms' peak Hunyuan Wuji lords can threaten him directly. 884 885 935

Conquest of the Ten Great Dao Realms

When the Divine Asura Domain summons the Ten Great Dao Realms' Hunyuan cultivators for an approaching war, Zhou Ming decides to seize the initiative. He orders Liu Yuan to assemble all Hunyuan Taiji and stronger cultivators in the Azure Spirit Realm within three months. Nearly a thousand Hunyuan Taiji experts and a hundred Hunyuan Wuji experts gather before he personally leads them out. 951

Zhou Ming transports the force to the Heavenly Origin Dao Realm, breaks its World-Protecting Grand Formation with one finger, and obtains Gantian's surrender. He leaves a hundred cultivators to manage the captured realm before departing with the rest. 952

After the Ten Great Dao Realms fall under his control, Liu Yuan orders their lords to gather all available personnel and supplies within a century. Teams led by Zhou Ming's Hunyuan Wuji followers assist and supervise the process. Zhou Ming considers the resulting materials low-grade but uses them to refine approximately a hundred more Cross-Realm Tokens and several dozen offensive talismans. 955

The old realms' forces are reorganized into unified divisions under Zhou Ming's authority. After completing his refinement, he names the Divine Asura Domain as the next target and assigns Liu Yuan to gather Destiny, acquire Void Divine Iron and other high-grade materials, and investigate neighboring domains' coordinates. 956

Divine Asura Expedition and Equipment Upgrades

Zhou Ming launches ten armies through modified Cross-Domain Teleportation Arrays, dispersing them among obscure outskirts regions of the Divine Asura Domain. He instructs them to take Fortune moderately from many places rather than exhaust a single source, thereby avoiding unnecessary attention from the domain's True Lord. The Blackstone Star Belt becomes a temporary consolidation base while Zhou Ming remains in seclusion awaiting the gathered Destiny. 956 957

After the expedition acquires high-grade materials, Zhou Ming addresses earlier losses by upgrading its equipment. Using Void Divine Iron, spacetime crystals, Chaos Origin Gold, and profound laws, he produces Portable Cross-Domain Teleportation Discs, stronger reusable jade talismans, and a large teleportation array linked to the Heavenly Origin Dao Realm. Qian Tian delivers the treasures to Liu Yuan for distribution. 984 985

The Fortune returned at this stage provides only a small increase in origin power and does little to the remaining Rule Shackles. Zhou Ming nevertheless expects the improved mobility and combat tools to expand the range and efficiency of future collection. 984

Seven True Lords and the Inheritance Hunt

The seven True Lords behind the Seven Great Domains confront Zhou Ming over the Fortune taken from worlds under their authority. He describes his actions as “borrowing” but conceals his need to break the Rule Shackles. When they attack, he fights all seven together for dozens of kalpas and emerges nearly untouched, while they are battered and depleted. He permits their withdrawal rather than force a costly death struggle. 994

The defeated lords investigate his identity and Fortune's possible value. Nether Demon and the Lord of Ten Thousand Buddhas recognize signs that Zhou Ming fought under an internal restraint, while Shenluo contacts Heavenly Pivot True Lord. 995

Zhou Ming then resumes collection under stricter rules: no killing, only half a world's Fortune, and no intrusion into the Seven Great Domains' central territories or most important worlds. He also implants protective divine-sense wisps in four principal subordinates. 997

A larger group of more than thirty Da Luo cultivators later surrounds him, believing he possesses True Saint Yuan Chu's inheritance. By this time, nearly half his Rule Shackles have been removed. He refuses their demands, knowing that the presumed inheritance does not exist, and welcomes the battle as a test of his returning strength. 1002 1003

After their strongest attacks fail, the opponents call for reinforcements. Zhou Ming chooses not to continue an indefinitely escalating fight: he feigns exhaustion and injury, breaks the surrounding space-time seal, and escapes into Chaos Turbulence unharmed. 1004

Guerrilla Warfare and the Returnees' Reunion

With his identity spreading across the Hongmeng Universe and only one-third of his final Rule Shackle remaining, Zhou Ming concludes that further collection by Liu Yuan's followers would be too dangerous. He begins personally raiding remote worlds, taking half their Fortune and escaping before concentrated pursuers arrive. His second objective is to find Pangu, Taiyi, and the other Returnees, whose combined strength he considers necessary to confront the True Saints. 1007

He defeats six early-stage Da Luo pursuers in the Heavenly Wolf Star Domain within a few breaths and continues evading an expanding hunt. He prioritizes mobility over prolonged combat, though prepared opponents such as Liu Sangeng attempt to intercept him with specialized spatial traps. 1008

In the desolate Eastern Pole region, Zhou Ming finds Hongchu and Cang Xuan trapped by sixteen True Lords. He enters their formation unnoticed and appears beside his injured companions, renewing their confidence while the attackers identify him as the sought-after blue-robed man. 1010 1011

After their reunion, he supplies pure origin to aid their healing. The trio gathers half the Fortune from more than a dozen Biluot Star Domain worlds, and Zhou Ming allocates roughly seventy percent to his companions. He also leaves clues to lure returning pursuers into a trap. 1014

The group subsequently buys information from True Lord Duobao about other Returnees. In exchange for a Great Luo True Artifact, Duobao reveals that a possible Returnee has been trapped in the Taichu Qi Sea by Cold River True Lord and nearly twenty Da Luo cultivators for over ten thousand years. 1016

Houtu's Rescue and the Rebel-Suppression Alliance

Zhou Ming reunites with Houtu during a battle against her pursuers. He recognizes and cripples True Lord Ku Rong, while Hongchu, Cang Xuan, and Taichu arrive to help drive off the twenty-five attackers. Houtu explains that she independently discovered Fortune's ability to weaken the Rule Shackles, but solitary collection drew the Rebel-Suppression Alliance's attention. 1023

Zhou Ming transfers the group's accumulated Fortune to her and shares his method, substantially restoring her injuries and Great Dao origin while loosening her restraints. The five agree to search for Pangu, Taiyi, and other Eternal Dao Realm cultivators who may still be imprisoned. 1023

An attempted rescue of Qian Ling and two companions proves to be an ambush by more than sixty-five Alliance experts, including three at Dao-Fusion Peak. Duobao's warning arrives only after they have entered the trap. Zhou Ming remains composed, and the Alliance's subsequent distress messages reveal that its attack has failed. 1023

Breaking the Rule Shackles

After nearly a thousand years in hiding, Zhou Ming completes his cultivation inside a damaged star core. The enormous Fortune accumulated through his campaigns shatters the Hongmeng Universe's fundamental Rule Shackles. His three thousand laws reunite in the Unity Realm, and the awakening of his stronger Dao of Strength throws back the companions guarding him. 1026

Hongchu urges immediate retaliation against the Rebel-Suppression Alliance, but Zhou Ming insists on waiting. Rather than resume flight or strike piecemeal, he intends to draw his enemies into a single decisive confrontation. A mental message from True Lord Duobao reaches him after the breakthrough. 1026

Universe-Wide Fortune Collection

When dozens of Unity Realm experts surround Jiemie's cultivation grounds, Zhou Ming predicts that the standoff will persist. He reasons that the attackers' conflicting interests and the defenders' ability to inflict catastrophic losses discourage either side from committing to battle. 1048

He exploits the distraction by organizing fourteen Eternal Dao Realm experts into seven pairs. The teams are ordered to avoid conflict and take only Fortune that worlds can spare. Zhou Ming works with Houtu, silently entering the Heavenly Pivot World's origin through fine threads of Strength-law power. 1048

Over the next thousand years, the operation gathers Fortune from nearly a third of the universe's star domains. At the Desolate Star Sea base, the accumulated resources help Taishi, Taiji, and Taisu remove more shackles and restore their strength. The operation is interrupted when Zhou Ming recognizes Dijiang's frantic Space Law aura and suspects that his younger brother is fleeing for his life. 1048

In a later meeting, Zhou Ming examines Pangu and confirms that his Rule Shackles have completely vanished and his cultivation has returned to its peak. He sincerely acknowledges Pangu's achievement. 1052

Notable Quotes

“I am Wu Ming. Wu Ming is also me. The two of us are fundamentally one body.” 41

“However... I can achieve Hunyuan at any time.” 87

“I am Zhou Ming of the Witch Clan! Today, on the shores of the East Sea, I shall Prove Dao to Hunyuan, and I announce it to the Primordial World!” 97

“Haste makes waste. To Attain Hunyuan, what you cultivate is the heart, the Dao—not merely piling up Magic Power.” 587

“I am Zhou Ming. Today, I create the heavens.” 760

“What I need is Destiny. Killing is merely a means of gathering Destiny, not the objective.” 916

“You may gather the Destiny of the Divine Asura Domain, but do not drain the pond dry to catch the fish.” 957

“What matters most now is recovering our strength as quickly as possible. As long as we're strong enough, every scheme and trick will collapse without us even striking.” 1013

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