Chapter Summaries

The Sages agreed to postpone discussing the Human Race’s rise until Fuxi’s Primordial Spirit was ready for reincarnation. After they left Pangu Hall, Hongjun revealed to Zhou Ming that he had secretly hidden portions of his Divine Thought within the six Sages, using the Method of Slaying Three Corpses.

• Taiqing raised the Human Race’s coming prosperity, and Zhou Ming proposed waiting until Fuxi’s Primordial Spirit was stable before discussing the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
• The Sages agreed to Zhou Ming’s proposal and left Pangu Hall, ignoring Haotian and Yaochi as they departed.
• Haotian and Yaochi recognized that the Sages did not take them seriously and headed toward the Heavenly Court.
• After confirming everyone had left Buzhou Mountain, Zhou Ming summoned the hidden Hongjun, who appeared as a phantom in Pangu Hall.
• Hongjun explained that he had concealed Divine Thought within the six Sages through the Method of Slaying Three Corpses, and Zhou Ming questioned whether this meant he controlled everyone who practiced it.

Hongjun secretly met Zhou Ming in Pangu Hall and proposed that they cooperate against the Heavenly Dao, which had developed consciousness. Zhou Ming suspected Hongjun had been outmaneuvered after Unifying with Dao, and asked him to explain what happened, beginning with the Dao-Devil War.

• Zhou Ming questioned Hongjun about hiding Divine Thought inside the Six Sages, but Hongjun downplayed his method.
• Hongjun told Zhou Ming he wanted to cooperate against the Heavenly Dao, and Zhou Ming laughed at the proposal because Hongjun had Unify with Dao.
• Hongjun revealed that the Heavenly Dao had developed consciousness, confirming Zhou Ming's suspicions.
• Zhou Ming concluded that Hongjun had overestimated himself and might be in danger of being assimilated or devoured by the Heavenly Dao.
• Hongjun began explaining what had happened, saying the story started with the Dao-Devil War.

Hongjun explained that Luohu’s destruction of the Western Ancestral Vein left him burdened with Karma, and that the Heavenly Dao offered to remove it if he Unified with Dao. He revealed that he accepted after sensing the auras of the Destiny Demon God and the Karma Demon God behind the Heavenly Dao Will, leaving Zhou Ming stunned and asking how they had returned to the Primordial Wilderness.

• Hongjun began recounting the Dragon-Phoenix-Qilin Calamity and Dao-Devil War, but Zhou Ming interrupted him and demanded the real reason he chose to Unify with Dao.
• Hongjun said Luohu detonated the Western Ancestral Vein, leaving the western land devastated and burdening Hongjun with Karma that hindered his attempt to Attain Hunyuan.
• Hongjun explained that the Heavenly Dao Will offered to eliminate his Karma if he Unified with Dao, though he initially wanted to refuse and retain his freedom.
• Hongjun said he changed his mind after sensing an aura belonging to a Chaos Demon God above the Heavenly Dao Will.
• Hongjun revealed that the Destiny Demon God and the Karma Demon God had sought to seize the Heavenly Dao Will and steal the Primordial Wilderness.
• Zhou Ming questioned how the two Chaos Demon Gods had evaded Pangu’s will, returned to the Primordial Wilderness, and risked confronting him.

Hongjun explained how Destiny and Karma failed to seize control of the Heavenly Dao after destroying each other, leaving it to absorb their Origins. He revealed that he had Unify with Dao in hopes of replacing the Heavenly Dao, and his secret request for Zhou Ming’s cooperation suggested his gamble was now failing.

• Hongjun said that he, Luohu, and Yang Mei were reincarnations of Chaos Demon Gods, and Zhou Ming acknowledged knowing this.
• Hongjun explained that Destiny and Karma tried to replace the Heavenly Dao but fought each other to mutual destruction, allowing the Heavenly Dao to benefit.
• Zhou Ming mocked the Chaos Demon Gods for failing, and Hongjun blamed their defeat by Pangu on Pangu’s overwhelming power and treasures.
• Zhou Ming asked why Hongjun had dared to Unify with Dao despite knowing the Heavenly Dao’s history.
• Hongjun admitted that he had sought to replace the Heavenly Dao and control the Primordial World, believing he could find its weakness.
• Zhou Ming realized Hongjun had gambled his life on that ambition and was likely close to losing.

Zhou Ming and Hongjun discussed the Heavenly Dao’s inexplicable behavior and why it had allowed Zhou Ming’s plans to proceed. Hongjun admitted he had found no explanation, leaving both of them facing an unknown threat.

• Hongjun told Zhou Ming that the Heavenly Dao’s strange behavior, not merely its hidden weakness, had driven him to seek cooperation.
• Hongjun pointed out that the Heavenly Dao had allowed the Earth Dao, Human Race writing, and the coming Human Dao to emerge while urging him to Unify with Dao.
• Zhou Ming argued that the Heavenly Dao might have allowed those developments because his Witch Clan was protected by Father God’s will, but Hongjun challenged that explanation.
• Hongjun said the Heavenly Dao kept restoring the Primordial Wilderness’s original trajectory, avoided direct conflict with Zhou Ming, and had not interfered when he collected Di Jun and Taiyi’s True Spirits.
• Zhou Ming asked whether Hongjun knew why the Heavenly Dao was indulging him, and Hongjun said he had found no clues and felt a powerful sense of crisis.

Zhou Ming and Hongjun negotiated an alliance against the Heavenly Dao, with Hongjun revealing that he could only fully Unify with Dao after the Western Prosperity. Hongjun offered Zhou Ming the Method of Slaying Three Corpses instead of his Jade Tablet of Creation, insisting it would prove useful.

• Hongjun told Zhou Ming that the only chance to destroy the Heavenly Dao Will would come when he completely Unified with Dao.
• Hongjun explained that he could not Unify with Dao until the Western Prosperity settled his Karma to Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Zhou Ming demanded terms for their cooperation, while Hongjun warned that the Heavenly Dao might threaten the Witch Clan after the Pangu's Will dissipated.
• Zhou Ming threatened to suppress Hongjun's Divine Thought if they failed to reach an agreement.
• Hongjun offered to teach Zhou Ming the Method of Slaying Three Corpses but refused to give him the Jade Tablet of Creation.

Hongjun revealed that the complete Method of Slaying Three Corpses included a second half that could restore a cultivator’s severed origins and let them pursue Proving Dao by Law without losing their realm. Zhou Ming agreed to help Hongjun deal with the Heavenly Dao when Hongjun Unify with Dao, and learned that the Heavenly Dao had blocked Hongjun from Proving Dao by Law.

• Hongjun told Zhou Ming that the Method of Slaying Three Corpses had a second half called the Method of Shattering Three Corpses.
• Hongjun explained that the method could return the Three Corpses’ Origins to the main body, allowing cultivators to abolish their Dao Fruit and pursue Proving Dao by Law without affecting their realm.
• Hongjun pointed out that Zhou Ming had gathered the True Spirits of Demon Race experts such as Di Jun and Taiyi so they could escape the method’s constraints through Reincarnation, and Zhou Ming admitted he had also considered having Zhen Yuanzi and Hongyun reincarnate.
• Zhou Ming agreed to cooperate with Hongjun and help him deal with the Heavenly Dao when he completely Unify with Dao, in exchange for the complete Method of Slaying Three Corpses.
• Hongjun said the Heavenly Dao had refused to let him Prove Dao by Law because it feared the threat he would pose after Unifying with Dao, and Zhou Ming concluded that Hongjun had created the Method of Shattering Three Corpses as a way out.

Zhou Ming secured Hongjun’s abandoned Divine Thought after learning that Hongjun would reveal the Heavenly Dao’s location only after attempting to Unify with Dao. He warned the Ancestral Witches to distrust Hongjun and strengthen themselves, then left for the Moon Star while Houtu neared Hunyuan.

• Hongjun refused to reveal the Heavenly Dao’s will and departed after saying he would explain when the Western Prosperity arrived and he was about to Unify with Dao.
• Zhou Ming suppressed Hongjun’s remaining Divine Thought to secure its cultivation technique and guard against hidden tricks.
• The eleven Ancestral Witches emerged, and Zhou Ming explained that Hongjun’s cooperation was only partial and that he still intended to replace the Heavenly Dao.
• Zhou Ming warned the Ancestral Witches that Hongjun might betray them and urged them to cultivate as Houtu approached Hunyuan.
• The Ancestral Witches returned to secluded cultivation, and Zhou Ming left Pangu Hall for the Moon Star.

Zhou Ming retrieved the nine Golden Crow corpses from Chang Xi and revealed that he intended to take both her and the Moon Laurel Tree away. When he began uprooting the tree, Chang Xi called for him to wait.

• Chang Xi led Zhou Ming to the Moon Laurel Tree and used her Magic Power to bring out the nine preserved Golden Crow corpses.
• Zhou Ming collected the corpses and explained that he was honoring his promise to Di Jun.
• Zhou Ming said he planned to take the Moon Laurel Tree, dismissing Chang Xi’s warning that its removal would disrupt Moon Star’s lunar power.
• Zhou Ming declared that Chang Xi was coming with him too, promising to help her become a Saint if she cooperated.
• Zhou Ming enveloped the Moon Laurel Tree in Magic Power to uproot it, and Chang Xi urgently asked him to wait.

Zhou Ming searched the Moon Star after Chang Xi tried to keep him from taking her and the Moon Laurel Tree, and discovered Wang Shu’s remnant soul hidden in the star’s Origin. He drew Wang Shu out, restraining Chang Xi, and Wang Shu awakened to question him.

• Chang Xi offered to go with Zhou Ming and let him take the Moon Laurel Tree, but begged to remain on the Moon Star and tend its lunar power.
• Zhou Ming grew suspicious of Chang Xi’s insistence on staying and searched the entire Moon Star with his Divine Thought.
• Zhou Ming found the remnant soul of Wang Shu hidden in the Moon Star’s Origin and realized Chang Xi had been guarding her master.
• Zhou Ming drew Wang Shu’s remnant soul out of the Origin and restrained Chang Xi when she begged him to stop.
• Wang Shu awakened as Zhou Ming extracted her, and he introduced himself and claimed he wanted to help her revive.

Zhou Ming offered to revive Wang Shu in exchange for her becoming the moon of his independent world, but said she must first pass a test before he revealed his other condition. After Wang Shu reunited with Chang Xi and learned that Xi He had died, Zhou Ming asked her to make her choice.

• Zhou Ming explained that he wanted Wang Shu to become the moon in his world and help it operate and evolve, and Wang Shu agreed to that condition.
• Wang Shu questioned Zhou Ming about his undisclosed test and additional condition, then asked him to release Chang Xi; Zhou Ming removed the restriction.
• Chang Xi reunited with Wang Shu, who learned that Xi He had died alongside Di Jun during the Calamity of Immortals and Demons.
• Wang Shu mourned Xi He's fate, and Zhou Ming asked her to decide whether she would accept his offer.

Zhou Ming stored Wang Shu’s remnant soul and agreed to take Chang Xi with him before uprooting the Moon Laurel Tree and stabilizing the Moon Star. He then set off with Chang Xi for the Sun Star to take the Fusang Tree and return to the Primordial Wilderness.

• Wang Shu asked Zhou Ming to take Chang Xi along, and Zhou Ming agreed.
• Zhou Ming wrapped Wang Shu’s remnant soul in a cocoon of light and stored it away.
• Zhou Ming uprooted the Moon Laurel Tree and stored it, then subdued the released lunar energy and sealed the pit it left behind.
• Zhou Ming told Chang Xi they were going to the Sun Star to take the Fusang Tree, and they flew there together.

Zhou Ming brought Wang Shu and Chang Xi to Buzhou Mountain so Pangu's Will could inspect them for hidden methods left by the Heavenly Dao. After both passed, Zhou Ming took them to Pangu Hall to discuss the remaining conditions for Wang Shu's revival.

• Zhou Ming explained to Wang Shu and Chang Xi that they had to pass an inspection by Pangu's Will before he would let them enter his world.
• Wang Shu agreed to the inspection, acknowledging she could not be certain the Heavenly Dao had not tampered with her remnant soul.
• Zhou Ming summoned Pangu's Will, which examined Wang Shu and Chang Xi and found no problems.
• Zhou Ming told Wang Shu and Chang Xi they had passed, giving Chang Xi hope of reviving her Master.
• Wang Shu asked about the remaining conditions, and Zhou Ming took her and Chang Xi toward Pangu Hall to discuss them.

Zhou Ming explained to Wang Shu that the Heavenly Dao had developed its own consciousness and that Pangu's Will was gradually dissipating, leaving the Witch Clan in danger. Wang Shu agreed to help the Witch Clan oppose the Heavenly Dao after her revival, then explained that she needed vast amounts of Destiny and merit, preferably Great Dao merit, to revive fully.

• Zhou Ming asked Wang Shu to help evolve the world and stand with the Witch Clan against the Heavenly Dao in the future.
• Zhou Ming told Wang Shu that the Heavenly Dao had gained consciousness and that Pangu's Will was gradually dissipating.
• Zhou Ming explained that he needed to gather allies before Pangu's Will vanished and the Heavenly Dao could threaten the Witch Clan.
• Zhou Ming argued that the Heavenly Dao would eventually target Wang Shu as a Chaos Demon God, so their interests were aligned.
• Wang Shu agreed to help the Witch Clan resist the Heavenly Dao after she revived.
• Wang Shu said she needed a massive amount of Destiny and merit, preferably Great Dao merit, to fully revive.

Zhou Ming reassured Wang Shu that he could gather the Destiny and Fortune and merit needed for her revival, then brought her remnant soul to sleep in the Dao Origin Divine Pearl. In the Underworld, he prepared to personally send the True Spirits of Di Jun, Taiyi, East Prince Gong, and others into Reincarnation, despite Minghe volunteering to handle it.

• Zhou Ming promised Wang Shu he would prepare the resources for her revival, while warning that obtaining Great Dao Merit was too difficult for now.
• Zhou Ming placed Wang Shu's remnant soul in the world inside the Dao Origin Divine Pearl and went to the Underworld.
• Pingxin told Zhou Ming that the Underworld was running smoothly with help from Zhen Yuanzi and Minghe.
• Zhou Ming revealed that he had preserved the True Spirits of Di Jun, Taiyi, East Prince Gong, and others and had come to send them into Reincarnation.
• Minghe praised Zhou Ming and offered to handle the Reincarnation, but Zhou Ming insisted on doing it himself and flew toward the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Zhou Ming secretly sent Di Jun, Taiyi, East Prince Gong, and the others into Reincarnation, then returned to Pangu Hall to study Hongjun’s complete Method of Slaying Three Corpses. He began checking whether the technique was feasible, complete, and free of hidden traps before allowing his allies to cultivate it.

• Zhou Ming concealed the True Spirits of Di Jun, Taiyi, and the others, sent the Demon Clan members into Demon Clan Reincarnation and the former Immortal Court members into Human Race Reincarnation, then erased their traces.
• Pingxin promised to erase the True Spirits’ remaining traces in Reincarnation, and Zhou Ming left the Underworld after telling her to return to Pangu Hall when she could.
• Zhou Ming examined the complete Method of Slaying Three Corpses in Hongjun’s Divine Thought, extracted the technique, and obliterated the Divine Thought to prevent any hidden tracking or sensing.
• Zhou Ming began secluded cultivation to verify the technique’s completeness and feasibility and to search for hidden restrictions Hongjun might have planted.
• Zhou Ming repeatedly deduced the steps for severing and merging the Three Corpses and the more difficult Method of Shattering Three Corpses, seeking to ensure his allies could cultivate it safely.

Haotian and Yaochi struggled to recruit anyone for the newly established Heavenly Court and decided to seek the Witch Clan’s support through Zhou Ming. They planned to trade a share of the Court’s Destiny for the Witch Clan’s presence, hoping its name would attract cultivators while leaving the Court’s rulers in control.

• Yaochi told Haotian that their latest recruitment effort had failed, with no envoys managing to bring back anyone of importance.
• Haotian explained that cultivators dismissed them as former Dao children and that the Sages were unlikely to lend them obedient disciples.
• Haotian proposed asking Zhou Ming to send members of the Witch Clan to serve in the Heavenly Court, offering them a share of its Destiny in return.
• Yaochi worried that the Witch Clan might take control, but Haotian reasoned that Zhou Ming wanted the clan to gain benefits rather than manage the Court.
• Haotian said the Witch Clan’s presence would serve as a nameplate of protection and persuade Rogue Cultivators to join the Heavenly Court.
• Yaochi accepted the plan, and she and Haotian decided to await Zhou Ming’s arrival.

After tens of thousands of years in seclusion, Zhou Ming sensed Houtu attaining Hunyuan and joined the Ancestral Witches in welcoming her success. He then took Houtu to the Heavenly Court to claim benefits from Haotian for supporting his rise to power.

• Zhou Ming finished reviewing Hongjun's Three Corpses cultivation method and considered finding someone to test its dangerous final stages.
• Houtu's aura surged through Pangu Hall, and Zhou Ming confirmed to the arriving Ancestral Witches that she was attaining Hunyuan.
• Houtu emerged successfully as a Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal and credited the merit from Pingxin's transformation into Reincarnation, along with her own efforts.
• Zhou Ming urged the other Ancestral Witches to pursue Hunyuan, prompting Dijiang, Zhurong, Gonggong, and the others to resolve to cultivate harder.
• Zhou Ming told Houtu he planned to demand benefits from Haotian for supporting his control of the Heavenly Court, then took her toward the Nine Heavens.

Zhou Ming and Houtu arrived at the Heavenly Court, where Haotian and Yaochi recognized Houtu as a Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal and resolved to secure the Witch Clan’s support. After a feast in Yaochi's Immortal Realm, Zhou Ming turned to the serious matter that had brought him there.

• Zhou Ming and Houtu reached the Southern Heavenly Gate, where Haotian and Yaochi greeted them.
• Haotian and Yaochi sensed Houtu’s Hunyuan cultivation and decided they needed the Witch Clan as powerful allies.
• Haotian and Yaochi led Zhou Ming and Houtu to a feast in Yaochi's Immortal Realm and described the Heavenly Court’s lack of capable followers.
• Haotian and Yaochi offered Zhou Ming and Houtu Flat Peaches, and Zhou Ming remarked that he would take some back for his younger brothers and sisters.
• After the feast, Zhou Ming announced that it was time to discuss serious matters, leaving Haotian and Yaochi tense.

Zhou Ming agreed to let Haotian and Yaochi govern the Heavenly Court in exchange for thirty percent of its Destiny. Haotian then asked to recruit members of the Witch Clan, and Zhou Ming recognized that he wanted to borrow their influence to attract people.

• Zhou Ming demanded thirty percent of the Heavenly Court's Destiny for the Witch Clan, and Haotian and Yaochi agreed.
• As Zhou Ming and Houtu prepared to leave, Haotian asked them to stay and hear another request.
• Haotian explained that the Heavenly Court lacked manpower and asked Zhou Ming to allow members of the Witch Clan to take divine positions.
• Haotian argued that Zhou Ming and the Witch Clan had no interest in the Jade Emperor's throne, so their members would not threaten his position.
• Zhou Ming told Haotian that he wanted to borrow the Witch Clan's influence to recruit people for the Heavenly Court.