Chapter Summaries

After Nuwa’s lecture, Fuxi told her that East King Gong, Di Jun, Tai Yi, and Kunpeng were moving toward a contest to rule the Primordial Wilderness. Fuxi resolved to break the balance among their factions and hasten unification, despite Nuwa’s warning about the approaching great tribulation.

• Nuwa ended her lecture, and Shen Gui and the others returned to assimilate what they had learned.
• Fuxi appeared before Nuwa and said Heavenly Demon City’s affairs had become difficult to manage.
• Fuxi told Nuwa that East King Gong, Di Jun, and Tai Yi were making moves as another great tribulation approached.
• Nuwa warned Fuxi not to become deeply involved, but he said he would shorten the struggle for supremacy to reduce the suffering of living beings.
• Fuxi resolved to break the balance between the Demon Country, Immortal Court, and Palace of the Demon Master, leaving Nuwa alarmed by his plan.

Fuxi told Nuwa he intended to choose between East King Gong, Di Jun, and Tai Yi as the best candidate to unite the Primordial Wilderness and end the great tribulation. Though Nuwa opposed his plan, she summoned Shen Gui after Fuxi left, leaving him to suspect that something major was about to happen.

• Nuwa recalled how Fuxi had once rescued her during the Dragon-Han tribulation and later exterminated the clan of the cultivator who had nearly killed her.
• Fuxi told Nuwa he planned to support whichever of East King Gong, Di Jun, or Tai Yi could unite the Primordial Wilderness most quickly, while judging Kunpeng less powerful than the other candidates.
• Nuwa accepted that Fuxi would act, then went into her cave abode as he left.
• After Fuxi departed, Nuwa emerged and summoned Shen Gui to come see her immediately.
• Shen Gui left his cave abode and hurried toward Nuwa, sensing that something major was about to happen.

Nuwa told Shen Gui why Fuxi planned to enter the great calamity and asked him to help protect her brother. Shen Gui wrestled with the danger and his unanswered questions about Nuwa’s future actions as she revealed the object she had been holding.

• Nuwa summoned Shen Gui and recounted how Fuxi had avenged her, established Heavenly Demon City, and now wanted to enter the tribulation.
• Nuwa explained that she could not intervene in the calamity herself and asked Shen Gui to help Fuxi because she trusted him.
• Shen Gui considered the danger of getting involved and wondered why Nuwa would later use the Mystic Tortoise’s legs to mend the heavens.
• Nuwa noticed Shen Gui’s hesitation and took out the object she had been playing with.

Nuwa asked Shen Gui to help her elder brother through the great tribulation and offered him the Empress Nuwa's Flute, a treasured spiritual artifact tied to their past. Shen Gui agreed but initially refused the flute, yet Nuwa insisted on bestowing it upon him, and he accepted.

• Nuwa offered Shen Gui the Empress Nuwa's Flute and promised to protect him if he agreed to help during the great tribulation.
• Shen Gui recognized the flute's connection to Fuxi's Zither and worried that accepting it would entangle him too deeply with Nuwa.
• Shen Gui agreed to help Nuwa and her elder brother but asked her to keep the flute because it was important to her.
• Nuwa explained that she would never use the flute again and insisted on bestowing it upon Shen Gui.
• Shen Gui accepted the Empress Nuwa's Flute and thanked Nuwa.

Shen Gui asked Nuwa what she expected him to do to help Fuxi, but she admitted she had no specific plan and explained that she had chosen him as an unpredictable variable because she had no other choice. Nuwa promised to protect Shen Gui during the calamity and help if he faced trouble, leaving him to decide what to do next.

• Shen Gui asked Nuwa what she wanted him to do to help Fuxi in the coming calamity.
• Nuwa teased Shen Gui for believing her excuse about keeping him because he had seen her make a fool of herself, and revealed she had suspected he had come seeking her.
• Nuwa explained that she could not see through Shen Gui's intentions, origins, or seal, making him a variable in her eyes.
• Nuwa told Shen Gui that she had chosen him because she had no other choice and would leave the outcome to fate.
• Nuwa promised to protect Shen Gui during the calamity and assist him if he encountered trouble, then returned to her cave dwelling.

After Nuwa tasked Shen Gui with helping Fuxi survive the great tribulation, Shen Gui decided to build an independent force rather than join Fuxi's plans. He ruled out Central Continent because Mount Buzhou and the Wu Clan’s base lay there, and the chapter ended with him still considering where to establish his territory.

• Shen Gui learned that Fuxi was actively trying to end the great tribulation and resented Nuwa for assigning him to help Fuxi.
• Shen Gui decided he needed to build his own force, since following Fuxi would mean supporting Fuxi’s plan to join Di Jun and Tai Yi.
• Shen Gui considered recruiting Yao Yue, Shang Yang, and experts from Heavenly Demon City, including Li Han, who held a grudge against Di Jun and Tai Yi.
• Shen Gui rejected Central Continent as a territory because the Wu Clan would emerge from Mount Buzhou and destroy forces that obstructed them.
• Shen Gui concluded that he had only one choice left, but the chapter ended before he revealed it.

Shen Gui decided to establish his faction in Northern Kurukshetra Continent, then frightened himself by imagining that Nuwa might kill him over Fuxi’s death. After setting those fears aside, he planned to wait for Yao Yue and Shang Yang to finish cultivating, but they came to find him first.

• Shen Gui ruled out the other regions and chose Northern Kurukshetra Continent as his faction’s base, since his Mystic Tortoise incarnation could protect it.
• Shen Gui worried that Nuwa might target him when she used the Mystic Tortoise’s legs to support the heavens, perhaps because he would accidentally cause Fuxi’s death.
• Hongjun heard Shen Gui’s suspicions and privately complained that the turtle was imagining schemes where none existed.
• Shen Gui dismissed his fears and decided to refine his plans while Yao Yue and Shang Yang remained in seclusion.
• Yao Yue and Shang Yang came to find Shen Gui before he could visit them.

Shang Yang asked Shen Gui to rescue Ci Tie and his followers from the Demon Country’s campaign against the Demon Kings. Shen Gui agreed, and Shang Yang insisted that she would repay the debt without letting it change how she treated him.

• Shang Yang admitted that she had treated Shen Gui poorly, then asked him to help her save someone.
• Shang Yang explained that Di Jun and Tai Yi had resumed exterminating the Demon Kings and identified Ci Tie as the person she wanted to save.
• Shang Yang said Ci Tie could not abandon his followers, making it difficult for them to escape the Demon Country’s pursuit alone.
• Shen Gui agreed to bring Ci Tie and his followers into Central Continent under Heavenly Demon City’s protection.
• Shang Yang insisted that she owed Shen Gui and would repay him, but warned that her debt would not make her speak sweetly or let him take advantage of her.
• Shen Gui gave up trying to dismiss her gratitude and jokingly accepted that she owed him.

Shen Gui, Shang Yang, and Yao Yue left Mount Buzhou to support Ci Tie in Southern Jambudvipa, stopping first in Blackwater City to learn about the situation. They met the city’s guardian, Yu Ji, and Shen Gui was about to explain why they had come.

• Shen Gui convinced Shang Yang and Yao Yue to set out immediately to help Ci Tie, and Nuwa approved their departure.
• The three traveled toward Southern Jambudvipa but decided to gather information in Blackwater City before approaching the Demon Country.
• Shen Gui contacted Yu Ji, the kind-hearted Taiyi expert guarding Blackwater City, and she welcomed them into the city.
• At the City Lord’s Mansion, Shen Gui introduced Yao Yue and Shang Yang to Yu Ji, and the three exchanged greetings.
• Yu Ji asked Shen Gui to explain the purpose of his visit.

Shen Gui sought information about Southern Jambudvipa to help Shang Yang’s old friend, Ci Tie, who was being targeted by the Demon Country. After learning Ci Tie was besieged but safe for now, Shen Gui decided to leave immediately with his companions.

• Shen Gui asked Yu Ji about the turmoil in Southern Jambudvipa and explained that Shang Yang wanted to help her old friend, Ci Tie.
• Yu Ji summoned Xi San and Shui Sheng to the City Lord's Mansion to answer Shen Gui’s questions.
• Xi San told Shen Gui that the Demon Country had surrounded Ci Tie’s home at Geng Mang Mountain but was likely trying to persuade him to surrender rather than kill him.
• Shang Yang felt relieved that Ci Tie was safe for now, and Shen Gui announced that they would set out at once.

Shen Gui, Shang Yang, and Yao Yue secretly entered Geng Mang Mountain to rescue Ci Tie and learned that the Demon Country was trying to recruit him. Ci Tie explained that the mountain had split between resistance and surrender as refugees from the Demon Country’s campaigns weakened his control.

• Shen Gui, Shang Yang, and Yao Yue left at once, and Shen Gui hurried because he feared the Demon Country might persuade Ci Tie to join them.
• The three reached Geng Mang Mountain, slipped past the Demon Country’s sentries, and entered through a hidden route.
• Shang Yang secretly contacted Ci Tie, who appeared in the valley and was surprised to see Shen Gui and Yao Yue with her.
• Shen Gui asked Ci Tie to explain the situation, and Ci Tie confirmed that the Demon Country was trying to recruit him.
• Ci Tie told them that Geng Mang Mountain had divided over whether to resist or surrender, as displaced Demon Kings and their forces had gathered there and weakened his control.

Ci Tie decided to leave Geng Mang Mountain with the small fraction of his followers who refused to surrender to the Demon Country. He used the surrender faction to distract the besieging army while he prepared to break out through the rear mountain with Shen Gui and Shang Yang.

• Shang Yang told Ci Tie to take only those willing to follow him and let the rest surrender to the Demon Country.
• Ci Tie found that fewer than two hundred thousand of Geng Mang Mountain’s several million demons were willing to leave with him.
• Ci Tie gathered his followers and told the surrender faction to prepare to submit to the Demon Country.
• Ying Zhao and Fei Lian received the surrender offer and ordered their army to prepare to accept it.
• Ci Tie secretly led his followers toward Geng Mang Mountain’s rear, planning to escape with Shen Gui and the others’ help.

Ying Zhao and Fei Lian arrived at Geng Mang Mountain to accept its surrender, but Ci Tie was absent. An urgent report revealed that Ci Tie had escaped with a demon army after wounding Lie Yuan, leaving Ying Zhao and Fei Lian to pursue him while their forces detained the remaining demons.

• Fei Lian asked where Ci Tie was, and a horse-faced Demon King said Ci Tie had returned to his cave abode and sent someone to summon him.
• Ying Zhao told the Geng Mang Mountain demons that he would wait for Ci Tie before accepting their surrender.
• A messenger reported that Ci Tie had broken through the rear of the encirclement after severely wounding Lie Yuan in a single move.
• Ying Zhao realized Ci Tie had deceived them and ordered Fei Lian to pursue him while the remaining forces guarded the mountain's demons.
• Ying Zhao and Fei Lian flew after Ci Tie as Demon Country soldiers surrounded the Geng Mang Mountain Demon Kings and army.

Ci Tie led his troops out of Geng Mang Mountain and drew Ying Zhao and Fei Lian into pursuit, while Shen Gui, Shang Yang, and Yao Yue stayed hidden among the army. Ci Tie staged a heroic stand and attacked Fei Lian, but Ying Zhao sensed that something was wrong.

• Ci Tie used a false surrender to lure Ying Zhao and Fei Lian away, then broke out through Geng Mang Mountain's rear with more than a hundred thousand followers.
• Shen Gui, Shang Yang, and Yao Yue concealed themselves among Ci Tie's troops and planned to strike Ying Zhao and Fei Lian by surprise.
• Ying Zhao and Fei Lian caught up with Ci Tie's slow-moving army, and Ci Tie pretended to sacrifice himself so his followers could escape.
• Ying Zhao urged Fei Lian not to kill Ci Tie and called on Ci Tie to submit to the Demon Country.
• Ci Tie rejected Ying Zhao's offer and attacked Fei Lian with flames, while Ying Zhao wondered why Ci Tie had not used the fight to buy time for his troops.

Ying Zhao and Fei Lian teamed up to suppress Ci Tie, with Ying Zhao growing angry and using his full strength after Ci Tie rejected his offer to join Demon Country. As Ci Tie fell into danger, Shen Gui, Yao Yue, and Shang Yang prepared to ambush the battle and target Fei Lian.

• Ying Zhao joined Fei Lian against Ci Tie, holding back as he tried to recruit him for Demon Country.
• Fei Lian mocked Ci Tie and blocked his fiery pearl attack with a fan, while Ying Zhao urged him to surrender.
• Ci Tie refused to yield, so Ying Zhao unleashed his full strength and used inscriptions that drained Ci Tie's life force.
• Fei Lian intensified his attacks, hoping Ci Tie would die rather than join Demon Country.
• Shang Yang, Shen Gui, and Yao Yue watched from the forest and agreed to ambush Fei Lian, the weaker target.

Shen Gui, Yao Yue, and Shang Yang ambushed Fei Lian while Ci Tie kept Ying Zhao from intervening, and their combined attack apparently killed Fei Lian. Witnessing the death of a future Ten Great Demon Sage, Shen Gui realized that the Primordial Wilderness’s future could be changed.

• Shen Gui used the Demon Binding Rope to bind Fei Lian and suppress his demonic power.
• Yao Yue and Shang Yang prepared their attacks while Ci Tie prevented Ying Zhao from rescuing Fei Lian.
• Shang Yang’s five-colored droplet distorted space, and Yao Yue’s moonlit arrow triggered its power, swallowing Fei Lian in a black hole.
• The black hole vanished as the Primordial Wilderness’s space repaired itself, and Shen Gui concluded that Fei Lian might have died.
• Shen Gui realized that events in the Primordial Wilderness could differ from the future he had known.

After Fei Lian’s death made Shen Gui reconsider whether the Heavenly Dao’s major trends could be changed, he experienced a breakthrough in understanding and reached the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. The chapter left him trying to explain his sudden cultivation increase to Shang Yang, Yao Yue, and Ci Tie.

• Shen Gui reflected that he had accepted the Mystic Tortoise’s fate because he believed major trends could not be changed, and that he had chosen to stay with Nuwa to improve his chances of survival.
• After witnessing Fei Lian die, Shen Gui realized that he had already changed many events and questioned whether the major trends he knew still applied.
• Shang Yang and Yao Yue found Shen Gui unresponsive after the battle, while Ying Zhao fled and Ci Tie remained nearby.
• Shen Gui came to his senses, reassured Shang Yang and Yao Yue, and learned that they had not pursued Ying Zhao because they were concerned about him.
• Yao Yue noticed that Shen Gui had advanced to the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, and Shen Gui admitted he did not know how it had happened.

After killing Fei Lian, Shen Gui and the others fled toward Heavenly Demon City, fearing the Demon Country would retaliate. Their journey ended when a powerful golden-robed man intercepted them and demanded to know if they had killed Fei Lian.

• Yao Yue urged Shen Gui, Shang Yang, and Ci Tie to leave Southern Jambudvipa, and they joined Ci Tie’s army heading for Central Continent.
• Ying Zhao escaped to the demon camp, ordered the massacre of Geng Mang Mountain, and contacted Eastern Emperor Tai Yi to report Fei Lian’s death.
• Shen Gui led the group and Ci Tie’s soldiers past Blackwater City toward Heavenly Demon City, while warning Nuwa about the possibility of Di Jun or Eastern Emperor Tai Yi pursuing them.
• Shen Gui sensed a powerful aura approaching, and a golden-robed man arrived using the Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation Technique.
• The golden-robed man confronted Shen Gui, Shang Yang, Yao Yue, and Ci Tie and asked whether they had killed Fei Lian.

Shen Gui faced an incarnation of Eastern Emperor Tai Yi so Yao Yue and her companions could escape. The incarnation’s attacks failed to penetrate Shen Gui’s defenses, and it prepared to fight seriously.

• Shen Gui recognized that the golden-robed man was an incarnation of Eastern Emperor Tai Yi and urged Yao Yue, Ci Tie, and Shang Yang to flee.
• Yao Yue left with Ci Tie and Shang Yang after telling Shen Gui not to die.
• Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s incarnation offered Shen Gui a chance to serve him, but Shen Gui refused and summoned the Taixu Armor.
• Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s Great Sun Golden Flame struck the armor’s barrier but failed to harm Shen Gui.
• Shen Gui transformed into his turtle form and remained unharmed despite the incarnation’s attacks, prompting Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s incarnation to say he would get serious.

Shen Gui held off Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s incarnation, whose attacks could not break his defense, while Nuwa secretly watched instead of intervening. Nuwa finally revealed herself and drove the incarnation away, leaving Shen Gui and his companions safe.

• Shen Gui realized Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s incarnation could not hurt him and stopped worrying about whether Nuwa would arrive.
• Nuwa reached the fight, saw Shen Gui withstand the attacks, and hid nearby to watch instead of helping.
• Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s incarnation grew frustrated as he failed to break Shen Gui’s defense and waited for Nuwa to appear.
• Nuwa revealed her presence, accused Eastern Emperor Tai Yi of attacking her people, and threatened to leave his Evil Corpse behind.
• Eastern Emperor Tai Yi’s incarnation claimed he would seek repayment another day and departed as a golden rainbow.