Recaps

Yang Jian confronted Sun Wukong at Flower-Fruit Mountain on the Jade Emperor’s orders, and the two began a fierce battle. After dozens of rounds, neither had won, and Yang Jian was still gauging Sun Wukong’s strength.

• Taibai Jinxing reported that Yang Jian had accepted the decree, and Haotian used the Haotian Mirror to watch him go to Flower-Fruit Mountain.
• Yang Jian announced that he had come to seize Sun Wukong, who emerged from Water Curtain Cave and mocked him for coming alone.
• Yang Jian and Sun Wukong exchanged powerful blows, and Sun Wukong’s contempt faded after Yang Jian struck his Golden Hoop Rod bare-handed.
• Yang Jian praised Sun Wukong’s foundation and talent, then called him unintelligent and arrogant, provoking him into a furious attack.
• Yang Jian and Sun Wukong fought for dozens of rounds above Flower-Fruit Mountain, while Yang Jian held back and assessed Sun Wukong’s strength.

Haotian and the Heavenly Court arranged for Taishang Laojun to secretly help Yang Jian capture Sun Wukong, then sentenced the monkey to death. When the execution weapons failed to harm him, Laojun offered to refine him in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and Sun Wukong was taken to Tushita Palace.

• Taibai Jinxing warned Haotian that Yang Jian might defeat Sun Wukong too easily and scare him away from the Heavenly Court's plans, so Haotian asked for help capturing the monkey.
• Taishang Laojun volunteered and sent his Vajra Ring to strike Sun Wukong from behind while he fought Yang Jian, allowing Yang Jian to pin him down and carry him to the Heavenly Court.
• Haotian questioned Sun Wukong, Taibai Jinxing accused him of stealing peaches and golden pills, and Haotian ordered him taken to the Demon Slaying Platform for execution.
• The Execution Blade broke against Sun Wukong, and the execution official reported that neither thunder nor fire could harm him.
• Taishang Laojun said the undigested golden pills made Sun Wukong's body invulnerable and offered to refine him in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, so the Heavenly Court sent the monkey to Tushita Palace.

Taishang Laojun confined Sun Wukong in the Eight Trigrams Furnace for forty-nine days, refining the energy from his elixirs and peaches while secretly placing a Restraining Spell on him. Sun Wukong escaped, wrecked Tushita Palace, and flew into the Heavenly Court demanding that Yang Jian face him.

• Taishang Laojun sealed Sun Wukong inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace and carefully controlled the Samadhi True Fire as Sun Wukong raged and struggled.
• Over the following days, Sun Wukong absorbed the energy within him and advanced to Mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
• On the twenty-first day, Taishang Laojun secretly placed a Restraining Spell in Sun Wukong's dantian to prevent further breakthroughs.
• After forty-nine days, Sun Wukong burst out of the furnace, smashed through the elixir chamber, and escaped while Taishang Laojun pretended to panic.
• Sun Wukong blamed Yang Jian for his capture and charged toward Lingxiao Treasure Hall, roaring for Yang Jian to fight him again.

Sun Wukong rampaged through the Heavenly Court searching for Yang Jian, while Haotian arranged for Wang Lingguan and successive groups of Heavenly Generals to stall him before Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Once the commotion was large enough, Haotian sent word to Tathagata, who prepared to subdue the monkey.

• Sun Wukong fought his way through the Heavenly Court, shouting for Yang Jian and defeating the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals in his path.
• Haotian ordered Taibai Jinxing to stop Sun Wukong from reaching Lingxiao Treasure Hall, and Taibai Jinxing sent word to Wang Lingguan.
• Wang Lingguan and waves of Heavenly Generals held Sun Wukong at the entrance to the Imperial Way, though he smashed through their ranks and brought down a palace wall.
• Haotian decided the spectacle had gone on long enough and instructed Taibai Jinxing to tell Tathagata it was time to act.
• Tathagata received Haotian’s message, rose before the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and said he would go subdue Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong demanded a rematch with Yang Jian before leaving the Heavenly Court, but learned Yang Jian had already departed. Tathagata offered to settle the matter with a contest of wits, and Sun Wukong accepted a challenge to somersault out of his palm.

• Tathagata arrived outside Tongming Hall and urged Sun Wukong to surrender and take refuge in Buddhism.
• Sun Wukong recounted the Heavenly Court's betrayals and demanded an open rematch with Yang Jian.
• Tathagata explained that Yang Jian had returned to his cave residence, so Sun Wukong threatened to destroy the Heavenly Court.
• Tathagata offered to compete with Sun Wukong, proposing that he win by somersaulting out of Tathagata's palm.
• Sun Wukong accepted the challenge and leapt into the center of Tathagata's open palm.

Sun Wukong mistook Tathagata’s palm for the edge of the world and was trapped beneath the Five-Finger Mountain after Tathagata exposed the trick. Tathagata and Haotian settled their bargain, then agreed to reopen the Peach Banquet with Tathagata as their guest.

• Sun Wukong flew to the Chaos, mistook Tathagata’s fingers for five pillars at the edge of heaven, and wrote “Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, was here” on one.
• Sun Wukong returned to Tathagata’s palm, but Tathagata showed him that his mark was on his middle finger.
• Sun Wukong realized the Heavenly Court and Buddhism had arranged the events that led to his defeat, then Tathagata pressed him beneath the Five-Finger Mountain.
• Tathagata thanked Haotian for the Heavenly Court’s help and offered gifts to compensate for damage from the turmoil.
• Haotian invited Tathagata to the reopened Peach Banquet, and Tathagata accepted.

The Ancestral Witches watched the Heavenly Court and Buddhism stage the Peach Banquet, and Zhou Ming explained that Sun Wukong’s defeat could teach him about the dangers of the Primordial Wilderness. Concerned by the Heavenly Dao’s silence, Zhou Ming set out alone for the Demon Realm to inspect its seal, while the Ancestral Witches stayed behind to cultivate.

• Dijiang, Zhurong, and Gonggong mocked Haotian, Tathagata, and Sun Wukong as they watched the Peach Banquet in a water mirror.
• Houtu and Zhou Ming said Sun Wukong had been inexperienced and that his defeat could help him understand the Primordial Wilderness.
• Zhou Ming dismissed the water mirror and announced that he was going to the West to inspect the Demon Realm’s seal and explore the Demon Realm.
• Zhou Ming warned that the Heavenly Dao’s silence might mean it was plotting in the Demon Realm and refused the Ancestral Witches’ offer to accompany him.
• Zhou Ming departed for the West, and Dijiang led the Ancestral Witches into cultivation.

Zhou Ming found that the Heavenly Dao Seal at the Demon Realm entrance was linked to the West’s ley lines, making it dangerous to break directly. He used a Five-Colored Stone to slip his divine sense through the seal and entered the Demon Realm’s boundary without triggering it.

• Zhou Ming examined the Heavenly Dao Seal and discovered that breaking it would detonate the West’s ley lines and burden him with immense Karma.
• Zhou Ming decided he would not abandon his investigation of the Demon Realm or let the Heavenly Dao’s scheme delay his cultivation.
• Zhou Ming took a Five-Colored Stone from Nuwa and carved a law of assimilation into it, sealing a wisp of his divine sense inside.
• Zhou Ming sent the altered stone toward the Demon Realm entrance, where it merged with the seal without raising an alarm.
• Zhou Ming followed the stone’s path with his divine sense and confirmed that it had passed through the seal.

Zhou Ming sent another strand of divine sense into the Demon Realm and discovered that Devil Ancestor Luohu had survived, with the Heavenly Dao’s help. Luohu destroyed both strands, but Zhou Ming received a fragment naming him before the connection was severed again.

• After the Heavenly Dao severed Zhou Ming’s first connection to the Demon Realm, Zhou Ming sent the final piece of Five-Colored Stone with another strand of divine sense.
• Zhou Ming encountered Luohu, who revealed that he had survived his apparent death and that the Heavenly Dao had saved him.
• Luohu explained that he and the Heavenly Dao were cooperating for their own purposes, while Zhou Ming recognized that breaking into the Demon Realm would risk the earth veins of The West.
• Zhou Ming’s second strand of divine sense arrived, but Luohu interrupted its attempt to send a message and crushed both strands.
• Before the second connection broke, Zhou Ming received a fragment of information containing the name Luohu.

Zhou Ming discovered that Devil Ancestor Luohu was the Heavenly Dao’s hidden trump card beneath Spirit Mountain, then realized the Journey to the West had ended and its merit was about to descend. He waited beside the Eight Treasures Merit Pool with Jieyin and Zhunti as the other powerful figures arrived, and the merit began to split open above them.

• Zhou Ming learned that Devil Ancestor Luohu was sealed beneath Spirit Mountain and concluded that the Heavenly Dao had been secretly supporting him.
• Zhou Ming realized several hundred years had passed and the Journey to the West had ended, so he decided to wait for its merit at Spirit Mountain.
• Jieyin and Zhunti welcomed Zhou Ming beside the Eight Treasures Merit Pool, and he confirmed that he had come for the Witch Clan’s share of the merit.
• Taiqing, Yuanshi, Nuwa, Haotian, and Hongyun arrived at Spirit Mountain as the merit began to descend.

Jieyin and Zhunti distributed the Journey to the West merit according to their agreements and used the remainder to repay their debt to the Heavenly Dao. Even after sacrificing Ksitigarbha’s merit, their shackles remained intact, leaving them just short of freedom.

• Zhunti and Jieyin paid Zhou Ming, Nuwa, and Haotian their promised shares of merit, including merit earned by Sun Wukong.
• Jieyin and Zhunti divided the public merit among the participants, including Taiqing, Haotian, Hongyun, the Human Race, and Yuanshi.
• Jieyin and Zhunti offered the remaining Western merit to the Heavenly Dao to repay their debt, but it only loosened their shackles slightly.
• Jieyin and Zhunti sent Ksitigarbha’s merit from the Underworld to the Heavenly Dao, cracking their shackles but failing to break them.
• Zhunti despaired when the brothers realized that their debt to the Heavenly Dao was still short by a tiny amount.

Jieyin and Zhunti asked the saints for merit to settle their final karma with the Heavenly Dao, but everyone refused except Zhou Ming, who gave them enough to repay the debt. They sacrificed the merit, broke free of the karmic burden, and stood upright again.

• Zhunti asked the gathered saints to lend merit, and Jieyin bowed alongside him.
• Hongyun and Haotian refused because their merit was committed to the Human Race and the Heavenly Court, while Taiqing, Yuanshi, and Nuwa also declined.
• Jieyin and Zhunti turned to Zhou Ming as their last hope and asked him for merit.
• Zhou Ming gave the Two Sages of the West a cluster of Golden Light of Merit, and they thanked him.
• Jieyin and Zhunti offered the merit to the Heavenly Dao, settling their final karma and breaking their ancient shackle.

Jieyin and Zhunti finally freed themselves from their karma to the Heavenly Dao and thanked Zhou Ming for his help. With Journey to the West complete, the others reclaimed their disciples, while the question of whether Sun Wukong would stay in Buddhism or leave was left to Zhou Ming.

• Jieyin and Zhunti accepted congratulations after their karma was erased and solemnly thanked Zhou Ming for lending them merit.
• Taiqing, Haotian, and Hongyun reclaimed their disciples, taking them back to Shouyang Mountain, the Heavenly Court, and the Four Seas.
• Zhunti asked Zhou Ming what should become of Sun Wukong, whose origins were tied to Zhou Ming's Treasure Distribution Rock.
• Zhou Ming considered taking Sun Wukong to the Witch Clan or letting him return to Flower-Fruit Mountain, but found neither option ideal.
• Zhunti and Jieyin admitted they had planned to keep Sun Wukong in Buddhism, then said they would leave the decision entirely to Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming let Sun Wukong remain with Buddhism after securing promises that Jieyin and Zhunti would teach him without limiting his future. As the assembly ended, Hongyun reminded them of their ten-thousand-year deadline to repay his Saint Position Karma, and Nuwa stopped Yuanshi to ask whether it was time to settle their karma too.

• Zhou Ming refused to take Sun Wukong to Pangu Hall but allowed Buddhism to keep him, provided Jieyin and Zhunti let him follow his own path and did not use him as a tool.
• Zhou Ming departed Spirit Mountain, and Taiqing, Yuanshi, Haotian, and Nuwa also left the merit-dividing assembly.
• Hongyun reminded Jieyin and Zhunti that he would return to Spirit Mountain after ten thousand years, and they promised to gather resources to settle his Saint Position Karma.
• After the others had gone, Zhunti said that he and Jieyin were now utterly impoverished despite clearing their debts.
• Nuwa intercepted Taiqing and Yuanshi and asked Yuanshi whether it was time to settle the karma between them.

Venerable Lord Yuanshi repaid Nuwa with merit for the karma from the Investiture of the Gods, settling their debt. Afterward, Taiqing urged Yuanshi to prepare for a chance to break away from the Heavenly Dao during the coming decisive battle between it and Zhou Ming.

• Venerable Lord Yuanshi asked Taiqing to lend him merit so he could repay Nuwa, and Taiqing gave him enough to complete the promised amount.
• Nuwa accepted the merit, confirmed that Yuanshi had repaid her exactly, and declared their karma settled before leaving for Wa Huang Palace.
• Yuanshi thanked Taiqing for the loan and promised to return the merit in the future.
• Taiqing advised Yuanshi to prepare to sever his Saint position and break away from the Heavenly Dao when the decisive battle with Zhou Ming began.
• Taiqing departed for the Eight Sceneries Palace, while Yuanshi resolved to prepare and returned toward Kunlun Mountain.

Zhou Ming returned to Pangu Hall and told Houtu that the Heavenly Dao had secretly preserved Luohu in the Demon Realm. He reassured her that the Witch Clan remained in a strong position, then surveyed the secluded chambers where the others were cultivating.

• Houtu explained that she stayed in Pangu Hall because the Earth Dao let her cultivate without seclusion and someone needed to guard the Witch Clan's foundation.
• Zhou Ming told Houtu that the seal beneath Spirit Mountain was tied to the western earth vein and concealed Luohu, whom the Heavenly Dao had saved.
• Houtu feared Luohu had grown to rival Hongjun, but Zhou Ming said Luohu would not turn against the Heavenly Dao while the Witch Clan remained a threat.
• Zhou Ming told Houtu that the Heavenly Dao had narrowed its own path and reminded her that the Witch Clan could retreat into Chaos with the Pangu Realm if necessary.
• Zhou Ming surveyed the cultivating Ancestral Witches and settled his gaze on the secluded chambers of Sect Master Tongtian and Ancestor Minghe.

Zhou Ming and Houtu assessed Tongtian’s and Minghe’s progress, and Minghe emerged from seclusion after rebuilding his Dao foundation. Zhou Ming sent him to the Underworld to pursue the Origin, then considered whether the Earth Dao and Human Dao could help more allies advance without risking their foundations.

• Zhou Ming and Houtu observed that Tongtian was close to becoming a Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin and that Minghe had reached the peak of Golden Immortal of the Origin.
• Minghe emerged from seclusion, thanked Zhou Ming for the method that let him shatter the Three Corpses, and rebuilt his Dao foundation.
• Zhou Ming told Minghe to return to the Underworld and use Sister Pingxin’s Earth Dao power to pursue the Origin.
• Minghe bowed to Zhou Ming and Houtu, then left Buzhou Mountain for the Underworld.
• Houtu raised the possibility of using the Earth Dao and Human Dao to help Wang Shu, West Queen Mother, and others advance, and Zhou Ming said he would consult Sister Pingxin and make arrangements after Wu emerged from seclusion.

Minghe completed his Dao foundation and, with Pingxin’s aid, entered seclusion to pursue the Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin realm. After the Journey to the West ended, the Heavenly Dao urged Hongjun to Unify with Dao, and Hongjun agreed while secretly intending to devour it instead.

• Minghe arrived at Pingxin Palace and congratulated Zhen Yuanzi on his cultivation.
• Pingxin told Minghe to enter seclusion and promised to use the Earth Dao to help him pursue the Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin realm.
• Minghe thanked Pingxin, pledged his loyalty to the Underworld and the Witch Clan, and departed for Reincarnation.
• The Heavenly Dao told Hongjun that the Journey to the West had ended and urged him to continue Unifying with Dao.
• Hongjun agreed while privately plotting to turn the tables and devour the Heavenly Dao.
• Hongjun began Unifying with Dao as Heavenly Dao laws and Great Dao origins poured into him.

Tathagata ordered Buddhism to spread its teachings through the Eastern Land cautiously, then prepared to refine his accumulated merit and attempt to become a Sage. Jieyin and Zhunti debated whether to help him, with Jieyin deciding that Buddhism could accept his departure and the loss of any Jie Sect disciples who chose to follow him.

• Tathagata directed the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to enter the Southern Continent and spread the Dharma gradually, warning them not to provoke the Three Sovereigns of Huoyun Cave.
• After the assembly left, Tathagata summoned his accumulated merit and prepared to use it to merge his Three Corpses and attain Sagehood.
• Zhunti worried that helping Tathagata could lead him and former Jie Sect disciples to leave Buddhism.
• Jieyin agreed to help Tathagata, saying Buddhism would be better off without disciples who were only outwardly devoted.
• Jieyin argued that Buddhism's flourishing and the promise of future merit would persuade many former Jie Sect disciples to remain.

Jieyin and Zhunti backed Tathagata’s attempt to unite the Three Corpses, hoping to test whether the Dao Ancestor’s method could lead to Hunyuan. Meanwhile, Haotian entered seclusion to attempt to prove his Dao, leaving Yaochi to oversee the Heavenly Court.

• Jieyin explained to Zhunti that he wanted Tathagata to test whether the Method of Slaying Three Corpses could still lead to attaining Hunyuan.
• Zhunti agreed to mobilize Buddhism’s full strength, and Jieyin and Zhunti sent their Sage Magic Power and Spirit Mountain’s fortune to protect Tathagata.
• Jieyin and Zhunti urged Tathagata to proceed without restraint, promising that the power of Western religion would protect his Dao.
• Haotian told Yaochi that Journey to the West’s merit and the Heavenly Court’s accumulated fortune gave him a chance to prove his Dao.
• Yaochi promised to watch over the Heavenly Court as Haotian entered seclusion in Lingxiao Treasure Hall.

In Huoyun Cave, Hongyun warned that Tathagata and Haotian could not attain the Dao through the Method of Slaying Three Corpses. He then revealed that Human Dao Destiny was gathering around Wu’s seclusion, suggesting Wu was nearing a breakthrough in Martial Dao.

• Hongyun, Fuxi, and Sui Ren Shi discussed how the merit from Journey to the West had strengthened Human Race destiny and culture.
• Hongyun and the others discussed Tathagata and Haotian’s attempts to prove the Dao, and Fuxi speculated about the Two Sages of the West’s plans for Tathagata.
• Hongyun stated that Tathagata and Haotian could not attain the Dao through the Method of Slaying Three Corpses, and the others inferred that Zhou Ming had revealed the secret to him.
• Sui Ren Shi asked about Wu’s progress in seclusion, and Shennong declared that Wu would complete the Martial Dao path.
• Hongyun pointed out that Human Dao Destiny was rapidly gathering around Wu’s secluded location, and the others concluded that Wu was breaking through.
• A golden light trembled in the corridor as Human Dao Destiny throughout Huoyun Cave suddenly shuddered.

Wu emerged from Huoyun Cave after using the Human Race’s Destiny to attain the Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin and establish the Martial Dao’s Hunyuan path. He told the Human Race’s sages that he had completed the path’s realms and that everyone could have a chance to attain the Dao.

• The Human Race’s Destiny surged through Huoyun Cave as Wu ignited his Martial Dao Divine Treasury and broke through the stone door.
• Wu emerged as a Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin, and Sui Ren Shi, Fuxi, Shennong, and Hongyun congratulated him.
• Wu credited the sages for supporting the Martial Dao, while they celebrated that the Human Race now had its own Hunyuan path.
• Shennong asked whether others could follow the Martial Dao, and Wu said he had deduced every realm through the Hunyuan Martial Saint.
• Wu explained that anyone could have the chance to attain the Dao by tempering the body and will, leaving the sages hopeful for the Human Race’s future.

Wu taught the gathered Human Race leaders and Hongyun how the Martial Dao could reach Hunyuan by turning the body into a universe and cultivating it into a world. Fuxi, Shennong, Sui Ren Shi, and the others gained insight and entered seclusion to begin their cultivation.

• Wu invited Hongyun to listen to his explanation of the Martial Dao, and Hongyun accepted.
• Wu described the foundations of body, qi, and spirit refinement, then taught that a cultivator could make the body a universe ruled by their will.
• Wu explained that cultivating this inner world into a self-sustaining realm would lead to the Hunyuan Martial Saint, with a Great Thousand World as its pinnacle.
• Fuxi, Shennong, and Sui Ren Shi entered sudden enlightenment, while Hongyun recognized a way to verify his own Great Dao.
• Fuxi, Shennong, Sui Ren Shi, and the others thanked Wu and entered seclusion to begin opening their inner worlds.

Wu began refining the Human Dao Origin through the Kongtong Seal after reaching the Hunyuan Martial Saint realm. He merged with the Human Dao and became its chess player, though full control would take time.

• Hongyun and Wu discussed the Martial Dao’s dangers and the possibility that Fuxi and the others would advance during seclusion.
• Hongyun urged Wu to take up the Human Dao Authority, and Wu agreed that he was now strong enough to face the Human Dao Origin.
• Wu summoned the Kongtong Seal and sent his Divine Thought into the Human Dao Origin.
• Wu manifested his Dao within the Human Dao, while the Destiny Golden Dragon poured its power into him.
• The Kongtong Seal melted into Wu’s hand as he achieved preliminary refinement of the Human Dao, and Hongyun confirmed that full control would take time.

As Wu took control of the Kongtong Seal and merged with the Human Dao Origin, the Human Dao declared its return to the Human Race. The Saints sensed the shift and considered the Human Race’s new strength, their own diminishing influence, and the need to find a way beyond the Heavenly Dao.

• Wu took control of the Kongtong Seal and began merging with the Human Dao Origin, sending a ripple across the Primordial Wilderness.
• Houtu sensed the Human Dao’s power blending with Wu’s will, and Zhou Ming confirmed that Wu had attained Hunyuan and taken control of the Human Dao Authority.
• Jieyin and Zhunti recognized that the Human Race had reclaimed the Human Dao Authority and realized Wu had joined Hongyun as a Daluo Golden Immortal of the Origin.
• Zhunti reminded Jieyin that their ten-thousand-year deadline to settle their karma with Hongyun was near, and Jieyin resolved that they would visit him and pay their debt.
• Venerable Lord Yuanshi and Saint Taiqing reflected on the Saint position as a cage, while Nuwa felt pride and loss as the Human Race became independent of her protection.
• The Saints chose not to interfere with the Human Dao’s return and focused instead on preserving themselves and seeking transcendence.