Chapter Summaries

Meng Zhao revealed that he had brought Zhou Wangqiao up as a bargaining chip for Monk Huikong, whose Heavenly Being realm made Zhou’s value to him seem smaller. Monk Huikong saw through Meng Zhao’s calculation, while Meng Zhao remained confident that Zhou’s attempts to threaten him could not outweigh the power and influence he controlled.

• Meng Zhao noticed Monk Huikong react when he mentioned the Pudu Cult and Zhou Wangqiao, then inferred the monk’s identity.
• Meng Zhao explained that Zhou Wangqiao had become a Grandmaster, was seeking revenge on the Pudu Cult, and had submitted to him for support.
• Meng Zhao offered Zhou Wangqiao to Monk Huikong as a meeting gift, claiming Zhou would turn against him if he learned the truth about his family’s deaths.
• Monk Huikong accused Meng Zhao of discarding Zhou because a Grandmaster was no longer useful after Meng Zhao discovered Huikong had reached the Heavenly Being realm.
• Meng Zhao admitted through his silence that he had used Zhou Wangqiao as a bargaining chip and had never truly trusted him.
• Meng Zhao considered Zhou Wangqiao’s leverage weak, reasoning that his own forces could overwhelm or drown out any rumors Zhou spread about the Ninth Prince’s attempted assassination.

Meng Zhao offered Zhou Wangqiao to Monk Huikong in exchange for friendship and an alliance with the Pudu Cult. Huikong was personally willing, but warned that powerful backers beyond his control might reject peace with the Meng Family.

• Meng Zhao handed Zhou Wangqiao over to Monk Huikong, who welcomed the chance to punish his former disciple and asked what Meng Zhao wanted in return.
• Meng Zhao proposed gaining Huikong's friendship and forging an alliance with the Pudu Cult to strengthen his own influence.
• Huikong pointed out that the Meng Family had persecuted Pudu Cult believers, creating a deep blood feud between them.
• Meng Zhao argued that they could reconcile and work together, but Huikong explained that the Pudu Cult's numerous backers now held power beyond his reach.
• Meng Zhao reasoned that the Pudu Cult's wealthy supporters were gambling on rebellion and believed they would choose to invest in him if they were offered the chance.

Meng Zhao argued that the Pudu Cult was too weak and poorly positioned to rule the Divine Continent, while he could offer its followers a better alliance. He warned Hui Kong that the Imperial Court could cripple the cult without destroying it, and exposed Hui Kong’s reasons for taking Beitang Xing as a disciple.

• Meng Zhao asked Hui Kong to compare the Pudu Cult’s prospects with his own and argued that a religious sect could not seize the realm.
• Meng Zhao claimed the Pudu Cult’s ordinary followers lacked the strength to conquer the Divine Continent, leaving Hui Kong unable to refute him.
• Meng Zhao explained that the Imperial Court had not attacked the Pudu Cult because it was not a true rival, the court was overwhelmed by rebellions, or it was waiting to act.
• Hui Kong insisted that his own martial strength would prevent the Imperial Court from destroying the Pudu Cult.
• Meng Zhao argued that the court could render the Pudu Cult powerless without destroying it and suggested Hui Kong had taken Beitang Xing as a disciple to gain intelligence and preserve a contingency plan.

Meng Zhao asked why Hui Kong had founded Pudu Cult, and Hui Kong explained that political power and unification could provide merit for advancing Martial Dao cultivation. The chapter left Meng Zhao considering how turmoil could serve as both a tribulation and an opportunity.

• Meng Zhao suggested taking Beitang Xing as a disciple to protect Pudu Cult, but Hui Kong remained wary of Meng Zhao and offered only the possibility of an alliance.
• Meng Zhao asked Hui Kong why he had founded Pudu Cult, since the cult's ambition to contend for the throne seemed unlike Hui Kong's former life as a lone martial artist.
• Hui Kong explained that becoming a Great Emperor—or helping unify the Divine Land as a Human King—could gather merit and fortune that aided Martial Dao cultivation.
• Meng Zhao reasoned that people who took part in chaotic times could gain merit and opportunities, even if they did not become the Great Emperor.

Meng Zhao urged Monk Huikong to ally the Pudu Cult with the Meng Family, arguing that the cult could gain fortune and merit by supporting his bid to control the Northern Lands. He revealed his military and political plans to prove his strength, leaving Huikong stunned and uncertain whether to trust him.

• Meng Zhao argued that the Pudu Cult should support the Meng Family rather than pursue supremacy on its own.
• Huikong grew angry at the suggestion that the Meng Family would lead the alliance, and his Heavenly Being power drew dark clouds and lightning over the peak.
• Meng Zhao claimed he could secure the three northern provinces through his troops, family ties, plans in Liang Prefecture, and a proposed marriage alliance with Tan Changming's family.
• Meng Zhao invited Huikong to inspect his forces and hidden arrangements, while Huikong remained stunned and doubtful.
• Meng Zhao considered the Pudu Cult's manpower and influence too valuable to risk destroying in a rebellion.

Meng Zhao persuaded Monk Huikong to travel with him and consider an alliance between the Pudu Cult and Meng Zhao. Huikong agreed but challenged Meng Zhao to demonstrate his martial Dao, revealing the vast gap between a Great Grandmaster’s domain and a Heavenly Being’s power.

• Meng Zhao told Monk Huikong he had gained Fire Dragon Cave’s support through his relationship with Tang Ling'er.
• Monk Huikong agreed to travel with Meng Zhao and said he would consider an alliance if Meng Zhao’s claims proved true.
• Monk Huikong asked Meng Zhao to show him the true essence of his martial Dao, and Meng Zhao welcomed the challenge.
• Meng Zhao attacked with the Five Dragon Hand, summoning five true dragons that formed a powerful domain.
• Monk Huikong gently shifted the attack aside, causing Meng Zhao’s domain to collapse under the Heavenly Being’s command of the Divine Land’s heavenly Dao.

Meng Zhao questioned why his exceptional foundation seemed less important against a Heavenly Being, and Monk Huikong explained that Heavenly Beings differed by the level of Primordial Spirit they had attained. Meng Zhao realized his belief in building an invincible foundation remained correct and understood how to pursue the Martial Dao ahead.

• Monk Huikong shattered Meng Zhao’s Five Dragon Hand domain, but Meng Zhao withstood the Heavenly Dao backlash with his powerful body and cultivation.
• Meng Zhao asked Monk Huikong whether individual differences diminished in the Heavenly Being realm, where martial artists drew on the Divine Land’s Heavenly Dao.
• Monk Huikong explained that Heavenly Being Primordial Spirits had three levels: Entering God, Obtaining God, and True God, and that a person’s level was fixed upon entering the realm.
• Monk Huikong said that a Primordial Spirit’s strength shaped a Heavenly Being’s power and that the path could not be advanced to a higher level later.
• Meng Zhao understood that foundations mattered all the way to the Divine Demon Realm and resolved to continue building upon his exceptional Martial Dao foundation.

Meng Zhao learned from Monk Huikong that the heavenly human realm and martial combat strength were distinct, and that a flawed Primordial Spirit had limited Huikong to Obtaining God. Huikong identified the strongest figures in the world and began explaining why many powerful martial artists had failed to reach the heavenly human realm.

• Meng Zhao asked Huikong about his Brahma Sacred Canon cultivation, and Huikong revealed that he had reached Obtaining God but could never attain True God because of a flaw worsened by an old injury.
• Huikong explained that a person’s Dao Fruit arose from their unique martial dao, and that the levels of heavenly human cultivation did not determine whether someone could become a God or Devil.
• Meng Zhao realized that realm and combat strength were separate, and felt that the insight brought him closer to attaining the heavenly human realm.
• Meng Zhao asked Huikong who else could rival him, and Huikong named Great Emperor Beitang Sheng, the Heavenly Demon of this generation, and powerful elders hidden among the great powers.
• Huikong said Beitang Sheng was the strongest person in the world but could not leave Imperial Capital City, while the Heavenly Demon had surpassed him thirteen years earlier.
• Huikong said earlier generations had failed to attain the heavenly human realm because Heaven and Earth Grand Momentum was unfavorable and the Beitang Imperial Clan had obstructed their paths.

Meng Zhao learned from Monk Huikong that Beitang Gong had restricted the Martial Dao of leading practitioners to protect the Beitang Imperial Clan’s rule, with Meng Shentong among the first to support him. As heaven and earth changed and Martial Dao cultivation revived, Meng Zhao wondered whether the old restrictions’ collapse was connected to Great Yong’s decline.

• Meng Zhao asked Monk Huikong why the Beitang Imperial Clan seemed connected to the impeded Martial Dao paths of reclusive masters.
• Monk Huikong said Meng Shentong had answered Beitang Gong’s call first, earning his family a foothold in Ji Prefecture despite his enemies and reduced title.
• Monk Huikong explained that Beitang Gong had used an inherited technique after the Mount Tai Alliance to restrict leading martial artists, promising shared rule with aristocratic families in return.
• Meng Zhao concluded that Beitang Gong had sought to preserve the imperial clan’s power, and that the aristocratic families’ role in government had been compensation for those harmed.
• Meng Zhao suspected the collapse of Beitang Gong’s restrictions might be linked to Great Yong’s decline as Martial Dao Fortune surged across the Divine Continent.

Meng Zhao questioned Hui Kong about his ties to Beitang Xing and learned that Hui Kong hoped to gain influence in the imperial court while keeping a fallback plan if the Pudu Cult failed. Meng Zhao warned that Beitang Xing’s apparent imperial destiny could make him a target, and the chapter left him suspecting the imperial clan had helped conceal and protect the prince’s nature.

• Meng Zhao reflected that Beitang Gong and the man who Calculates All Beings might share a connection because their methods of restricting martial fortune and advancement were so alike.
• Meng Zhao considered why the Nine Surnames and Thirteen Families remained powerful, while Hui Kong’s past betrayal had taught him to fear the hidden foundations of great factions.
• Meng Zhao asked why Hui Kong had taken Beitang Xing as a disciple, and Hui Kong said he wanted an ally inside the imperial clan and a fallback position as the prince’s imperial tutor.
• Hui Kong explained that he had used Heavenly Dao cultivation to see Beitang Xing’s imperial qi and extraordinary bones, but Meng Zhao warned that such a sign would provoke rival princes and alarm the emperor.
• Hui Kong suggested that the old Daoist beside Beitang Xing had concealed the prince’s nature, while Meng Zhao suspected the imperial clan had arranged the concealment to protect him.

Meng Zhao explained Emperor Yu’s plan to erase Xingtian’s Head and revealed that the true Nine Tripods had been hidden in the river of time and space. Monk Huikong was left astonished and uncertain whether Emperor Yu’s grand design had also served a private purpose.

• Meng Zhao told Monk Huikong that Emperor Yu devised the plan to erase Xingtian’s Head using the combined strength of three generations of Supreme Beings.
• Meng Zhao explained that the final Supreme Being would need to comprehend the Dao of space and time to summon Shaohao and Emperor Yu’s Undying Dao Shadows.
• Monk Huikong asked where the Nine Tripods were, and Meng Zhao revealed that Emperor Yu had hidden eight with the Undying Dao Shadows of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
• Meng Zhao said Emperor Yu’s own Undying Dao Shadow preserved the ninth tripod, while the Nine Tripods held by the Great Xia Dynasty had been imitations.
• Monk Huikong and Meng Zhao wondered whether Emperor Yu had hidden the Nine Tripods solely to protect humanity or also to pursue his own aims.

Meng Zhao and Monk Huikong ended their dispute over Lishou Mountain by agreeing that neither could seize its opportunity until reaching the Gods and Devils realm. Huikong allied with Meng Zhao and began considering him a better future partner than Beitang Xing, leaving Old Daoist Liu to suspect Meng Zhao was Beitang Xing’s natural nemesis.

• Meng Zhao explained to Monk Huikong that Lishou Mountain’s opportunity required immense cultivation and mastery of the Space-Time Great Dao, and Huikong stopped pressing their dispute.
• Meng Zhao and Monk Huikong returned to Beitang Xing, Old Daoist Liu, Gan Mingfeng, and Lu Hou'er, whose reactions shifted as they saw the pair come back unharmed.
• Monk Huikong freed Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu, told Beitang Xing that he had made peace with Meng Zhao, and said the Lishou Mountain opportunity could not yet be opened.
• Monk Huikong reconsidered his plans and saw Meng Zhao as a stronger potential partner for the Pudu Cult than Beitang Xing.
• Old Daoist Liu wondered whether Meng Zhao was Beitang Xing’s natural nemesis, then kept the thought to himself because he feared offending Meng Zhao.

After reconciling with Monk Huikong on Lishou Mountain, Meng Zhao reunited with his followers and began organizing the forces and spoils they had gained. He left Third Young Master Bai and Master Yue free to return to their families, but both reaffirmed their willingness to serve him.

• Meng Zhao and Beitang Xing set aside their conflict under Monk Huikong's arrangement, then left Lishou Mountain together.
• Monk Huikong kept Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu with him for cultivation while Meng Zhao reunited with his waiting followers.
• Meng Zhao introduced Lu Hou'er and explained Monk Huikong's origins, warning the assembled group against disloyalty.
• Mu Yi and Monk Cheng Kong presented the ancient sect's Martial Troop training method, which delighted Meng Zhao.
• Meng Zhao planned to send Mu Yi and Gan Mingfeng to take over Peng Haibing's Xuan Shuang Society with help from Xu Tingyun, Wu Chen, Min Tao, and Lu Hou'er.
• Meng Zhao offered Bai Xingyun and Master Yue the freedom to return to their families, but both reaffirmed their oath to serve him.

Meng Zhao secured Bai Xingyun and Mr. Yue’s allegiance while assigning Gan Mingfeng to take charge of the Xuan Shuang Society in Yanzhou. Gan Mingfeng left with orders to monitor Mu Yi and build an intelligence network.

• Bai Xingyun explained why he was willing to serve Meng Zhao, hoping Meng Zhao could defeat Shen Tianci and help him overcome his heart demon.
• Mr. Yue affirmed his and Bai Xingyun’s loyalty, and Meng Zhao asked Bai Xingyun to cultivate influence within the Bai Family and reduce bloodshed if Meng Zhao’s forces entered its territory.
• Bai Xingyun promised to persuade the Bai Family to avoid war and offered Meng Zhao his contacts in the Northern Lands.
• Meng Zhao summoned Gan Mingfeng and ordered him to join Mu Yi at the Xuan Shuang Society, explaining that Gan Mingfeng’s identities made it dangerous for him to stay nearby.
• Meng Zhao tasked Gan Mingfeng with watching Mu Yi and training informants and planted agents across Yanzhou, instructing him to report any suspicious behavior before acting.

Meng Zhao questioned Mu Yi’s loyalty and identity while assigning Gan Mingfeng to monitor him and train spies. He began planning to exploit the Xuan Shuang Society’s weakness, and Mu Yi chose to keep his assumed name rather than claim his Yang Family lineage.

• Meng Zhao ordered Gan Mingfeng to report on Mu Yi and oversee the training of spies, and Gan Mingfeng agreed despite his doubts.
• Meng Zhao reviewed intelligence showing that the Xuan Shuang Society depended on Peng Haibing and would likely collapse after his removal.
• Meng Zhao summoned Mu Yi and asked whether he would use his assumed name or return to his original name and surname.
• Mu Yi said he would remain Mu Yi because the Yang Family had declined and he no longer wished to bear its burden.
• Meng Zhao approved Mu Yi’s choice and warned that the Imperial Tang Li Family would act if his Yang Family identity became known.

Meng Zhao promised Mu Yi that he would restore the Yang Family's name and grant it noble status if he rose to power, winning Mu Yi's loyalty. Mu Yi then received intelligence on the Xuan Shuang Society and prepared to act against it.

• Mu Yi acknowledged that the Li Family's persecution made it wise to hide his Yang Family identity and said Meng Zhao had saved him from the danger at Lishou Mountain.
• Meng Zhao promised to restore Mu Yi's name and confer titles on his family if he gained supreme power.
• Mu Yi swore to follow Meng Zhao without betraying him, hoping to secure a noble future for his descendants.
• Meng Zhao told Mu Yi to take down the Xuan Shuang Society and gave him documents compiled by Xu Tingyun and three others.
• Mu Yi studied the documents and memorized information about the Xuan Shuang Society's important figures.

Mu Yi presented Meng Zhao with a plan to take over the Xuan Shuang Society and received orders for managing it. He left prepared to lead its expansion while keeping watch on Gan Mingfeng and training a fighting force.

• Mu Yi proposed dividing Peng Haibing's followers into three factions and using force to take control of the Xuan Shuang Society before absorbing it.
• Meng Zhao approved the plan, warned Mu Yi to seek help if unexpected problems arose, and ordered him to report any suspicious movements by Gan Mingfeng.
• Mu Yi asked about Gan Mingfeng, and Meng Zhao explained his Imperial Guard and Seven Star Tower identities and the danger posed by his complicated loyalties.
• Mu Yi agreed to watch Gan Mingfeng as Meng Zhao ordered him to expand the Xuan Shuang Society's wealth, influence, manpower, and resources.
• Meng Zhao told Mu Yi to put the Martial Troop training method into practice, and Mu Yi promised to carry out his orders.

Mu Yi accepted Meng Zhao’s order to train Martial Troops, while Meng Zhao organized his followers and sought Old Daoist Liu’s insight into Beitang Xing’s imperial fate. The chapter ended with Meng Zhao asking whether the Emperor knew of Beitang Xing’s destiny.

• Mu Yi resolved to train a powerful force using the sect’s fortune and the Martial Troop methods Meng Zhao would provide.
• Meng Zhao assigned tasks to Xu Tingyun, Wu Chen, Min Tao, and the others, then shared his grandmaster insights with Xu Tingyun.
• Meng Zhao visited Old Daoist Liu and asked him to explain Beitang Xing’s imperial fate.
• Old Daoist Liu confirmed that Beitang Xing had the Chaotian Fuxi Bone, the Yintang One Qi Seal, and an imperial Destiny Number concealed by the Grand Master of the Imperial Clan.
• Meng Zhao asked whether the Emperor knew of Beitang Xing’s facial features and Destiny Number, leaving Old Daoist Liu stunned.

Meng Zhao pressed Old Daoist Liu about the Emperor and Beitang Xing, then threatened him to secure his cooperation. Old Daoist Liu was left terrified and unable to understand Meng Zhao’s intentions.

• Meng Zhao questioned Old Daoist Liu about whether the Emperor knew of Beitang Xing and intended to make him heir apparent.
• Meng Zhao asked who had assigned Old Daoist Liu to Beitang Xing, and Old Daoist Liu denied receiving orders from anyone.
• Meng Zhao challenged Old Daoist Liu’s weak combat strength and threatened to kill him unless he cooperated.
• Meng Zhao dismissed the consequences of killing Beitang Xing and claimed the Celestial Being was closer to him than to the Twelfth Prince.
• Old Daoist Liu recalled that Beitang Xing’s fortune had collapsed after the middle-aged monk left with Meng Zhao, and feared what Meng Zhao might do.

Old Daoist Liu revealed that the Great Emperor planned to steal Beitang Xing’s fortune and had deliberately caused past disasters. Meng Zhao learned the extent of the Great Emperor’s schemes, while Liu remained under his threat.

• Old Daoist Liu admitted that the Great Emperor had ordered him to conceal Beitang Xing’s Imperial Bone and imperial aura, and had taken the prince’s essence blood and hair.
• Old Daoist Liu said the Great Emperor had lied about making Beitang Xing his successor and intended to steal the prince’s foundation and good fortune for himself.
• Old Daoist Liu explained that he had secretly urged Beitang Xing to leave the palace after noticing a change in Lishou Mountain’s fortune.
• Old Daoist Liu told Meng Zhao that the disasters from Meng Zhao’s childhood were real but had been caused by human action.
• Old Daoist Liu revealed that the Great Emperor had masterminded those disasters, while Meng Zhao remained calm.