Recaps

The awakened spirit of the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus cultivated within its Innate Restriction to avoid being treated as a magic treasure by Jieyin and Zhunti. After taking human form, he was recognized by the Primordial World and named Xuande, but his survival remained uncertain.

• The newly awakened lotus spirit realized that Jieyin and Zhunti might eventually claim him as the Western Sect's treasure and resolved to take human form.
• He slowly refined Innate Spiritual Energy and studied the Dao Marks on his petals, strengthening his control over his Origin Essence.
• His spirit gathered into a human shape as the golden lotus dissolved and recombined into a young Daoist.
• Xuande completed Form Transformation, and a supreme will bestowed the name Xuande upon him as a natural-born divine being.

Xuande consolidated his late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation before Jieyin and Zhunti arrived, drawn by the Merit Golden Lotus aura. After Xuande emerged from the dissolving restriction, the two Western Daoists mistook his origins for a treasure and questioned him about his original body.

• Xuande stabilized his cultivation and discovered that he had reached the late stage of Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
• Xuande sensed two approaching mid-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortals and concealed his aura.
• Jieyin and Zhunti arrived at the Innate Restriction, believing its Merit Golden Lotus aura belonged to a treasure destined for them.
• Xuande dissolved the restriction from within, emerged, and introduced himself to the astonished Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Jieyin explained that they had come from Western Mount Sumeru to investigate the Dao Charm, while Zhunti asked Xuande what his original body had been.

Xuande weighed the karmic ties and opportunities involved in Jieyin and Zhunti’s invitation, then agreed to visit Mount Sumeru as an honored guest rather than a disciple or subordinate. The three cultivators departed together for the Western Ancestral Vein.

• Jieyin and Zhunti recognized Xuande as an Innate Golden Lotus and invited him to Mount Sumeru to discuss the Dao.
• Xuande considered refusing, but decided that accepting would let him manage his connection to the West and gain insight into the future Saints.
• Xuande accepted the invitation while making clear that he would stay as a guest and remain free to leave.
• Jieyin and Zhunti agreed to Xuande’s terms and welcomed him to Mount Sumeru.
• Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti flew together toward Mount Sumeru.

Xuande traveled with Jieyin and Zhunti to Mount Sumeru and accepted their invitation to discuss the Dao beneath the Bodhi Tree. After Jieyin explained his path of extinguished purity and compassion, Xuande reflected on how it related to his own nature and cultivation.

• Jieyin and Zhunti guided Xuande across the western lands and introduced him to Mount Sumeru.
• Xuande praised Mount Sumeru, and Jieyin and Zhunti offered him a secluded peak as a temporary residence.
• Jieyin and Zhunti invited Xuande to a Dao discussion beneath the Bodhi Tree three days later, and he agreed to attend.
• Xuande joined Jieyin and Zhunti beneath the Bodhi Tree, where they began exchanging their views on the Dao.
• Jieyin described his path of extinguished purity, explaining that compassion for suffering beings led him to seek freedom from illusion and affliction.
• Xuande considered Jieyin's teachings and recognized how they could help him understand Primordial Spirit cultivation and perceive his true nature.

Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti shared their Dao paths beneath the Bodhi Tree, and their exchange deepened the brothers’ desire to enlist Xuande in restoring the West. After Xuande asked about the Dao-Demon Conflict, Jieyin explained the devastation Rahula had caused and said Hongjun’s ascension was approaching.

• Zhunti described his Dao of wondrous application and dependent arising, while Xuande recognized how it could inspire him to pursue affinities more actively.
• Xuande explained how his Dao united Purity and merit, and his golden radiance gave Jieyin and Zhunti new insight into their cultivation.
• The three exchanged Dao concepts beneath the Bodhi Tree, finding that their paths complemented and enlightened one another.
• Jieyin and Zhunti renewed their invitation for Xuande to join them as a fellow cultivator and help revive the West.
• Xuande asked about the Dao-Demon Conflict, and Jieyin explained that Rahula had detonated the Western Ancestral Vein, devastating the region.
• Jieyin told Xuande that Hongjun had secluded himself at Jade Capital Mountain and that his ascension was likely near.

Xuande agreed to join Jieyin and Zhunti as an equal partner in revitalizing the West and spent several months cultivating with them. The three then discussed repairing the Western Earth Veins, but recognized they lacked the expertise to do so safely.

• Xuande weighed his karmic ties and the merits of helping the West, then agreed to share responsibility with Jieyin and Zhunti.
• Jieyin and Zhunti welcomed Xuande as a brother, and the three pledged to work together to revive the West.
• The three meditated in seclusion for several months, gaining insights from one another's Dao.
• Xuande proposed repairing the Western Earth Veins as the first step toward restoring the West.
• Jieyin and Zhunti explained that Rahula's destruction had damaged the Western Ancestral Vein and its branches, and warned that they lacked sufficient knowledge of the Way of Earth to repair them safely.

Xuande persuaded Jieyin and Zhunti to seek Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun’s help repairing the West’s damaged Earth Veins. The three traveled to Longevity Mountain, where Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun welcomed them, leaving the restoration plan ready to be discussed.

• Xuande proposed inviting cultivators skilled in the Earth Dao to repair the West’s Earth Veins in exchange for merit.
• Jieyin and Zhunti identified Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun as suitable helpers because of their Earth Dao knowledge, merit, and skill in harmonizing the Four Images.
• Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti agreed to visit Wuzhuang Temple and set out from Mount Sumeru for Longevity Mountain.
• During the journey, Xuande saw the West’s damaged land and resolved to help restore its Earth Veins.
• Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun came out to welcome the three visitors at Longevity Mountain, and Xuande greeted them.

Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti visited Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun at Wuzhuang Temple, where they shared the first ripe Ginseng Fruits. Xuande then asked the two hosts to help restore the damaged Earth Veins of the West, and the chapter left them listening to the request for their aid.

• Zhenyuanzi and Hongyun welcomed Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti into Wuzhuang Temple.
• Zhenyuanzi served the guests five ripe Ginseng Fruits from his spiritual tree, and they ate and talked together.
• Xuande explained that Rahula's destruction of the Western Earth Veins had left the West damaged and its people suffering.
• Xuande and Jieyin asked Zhenyuanzi to use his Earth Scroll and knowledge of Earth Veins to guide the restoration.
• Zhunti asked Hongyun to help harmonize the earth, water, wind, and fire forces needed to restore the West.

Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti persuaded Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun to help repair the West's Earth Veins. The group agreed to investigate the damage together, leaving the West's restoration plan ready to begin.

• Hong Yun urged Zhenyuanzi to help the suffering people of the West, and Zhenyuanzi agreed to use the Earth Scroll to survey the damaged Earth Veins.
• Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun accepted the task without seeking promised merit or favors, and Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti thanked them.
• The five planned to investigate the West's Earth Veins, with Zhenyuanzi sensing their flow, Hong Yun observing the Four Symbols, and Jieyin and Zhunti guiding them.
• After discussing their respective paths, the group agreed to meet and travel west together in three years.
• As Xuande, Jieyin, and Zhunti returned to Mount Sumeru, Zhunti and Jieyin expressed hope that the Earth Veins could be repaired, and Xuande looked forward to restoring the land.

Xuande, Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun, Jieyin, and Zhunti surveyed the western lands and found the Earth Veins severely damaged. After more than ten thousand years of work, Zhenyuanzi completed his survey at the Sea of Nirvana, leaving them ready to consider how to restore the west.

• Xuande, Jieyin, Zhunti, Zhenyuanzi, and Hong Yun traveled west and saw barren lands, broken mountains, and dwindling spiritual energy.
• Zhenyuanzi explained that the western Earth Veins were tangled and damaged, while Hong Yun sensed imbalances among the Four Symbols.
• Zhenyuanzi used the Earth Scroll to survey the western Earth Veins as Xuande, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hong Yun guarded him.
• Hong Yun recorded how damaged Earth Veins disrupted water, wind, and subterranean fire, while Jieyin and Zhunti helped verify Zhenyuanzi's findings.
• After more than ten thousand years, Zhenyuanzi completed the survey near the Sea of Nirvana and thanked the others.

Zhenyuanzi revealed the catastrophic damage Rahula's self-detonation had inflicted on the Western land's Earth Veins and outlined a staged restoration plan. The chapter left Jieyin and Zhunti being asked to handle the broad, relatively simple repairs.

• Zhenyuanzi formed a map showing widespread ruptures, blockages, and deadened regions in the Western land's Earth Veins.
• Zhenyuanzi explained that Rahula's self-detonation had shattered the Veins and damaged their natural nodes, while demonic energy near Rahula Demon Palace had merged with the underground network.
• Hong Yun reported that the demonic source had corrupted the surrounding energies, creating a dangerous domain that harmed plants, drove off animals, and threatened nearby cultivators.
• Xuande asked Zhenyuanzi how they should begin repairing the damage.
• Zhenyuanzi proposed restoring the mildly disordered Veins first, then asked Jieyin and Zhunti to guide those repairs with their knowledge of the West.

Zhenyuanzi assigned the work of restoring the western Earth Veins among the gathered cultivators and laid out a cautious, long-term plan. They agreed to begin with the less damaged areas before tackling the demonic core and the worst fractures.

• Jieyin and Zhunti agreed to clear minor blockages and nourish the western lands, even if the work took thousands of years.
• Zhenyuanzi tasked Xuande with entering the demonic region and carefully purifying its core with Merit Golden Light.
• Hong Yun volunteered to work with Zhenyuanzi, who would repair severed Earth Veins and rebuild damaged hubs while Hong Yun harmonized the energies and revived the land.
• Zhenyuanzi proposed beginning in the simpler areas, then gradually moving to more complex repairs as the Earth Veins stabilized.
• Everyone agreed to proceed slowly and meticulously, avoiding any actions that might trigger further damage.

Zhenyuanzi taught Jieyin and Zhunti how to gently clear Earth Vein blockages, then instructed Xuande to purify the demon qi around the ruins of Rahula Demon Palace without disturbing the veins. After the others departed for their assignments, Xuande prepared himself before approaching the dangerous basin.

• Zhenyuanzi demonstrated how to find and gently untangle a clogged Earth Vein, restoring a small flow of Spiritual Energy to the valley.
• Jieyin and Zhunti learned the method and set off to clear mild blockages in their assigned area.
• Zhenyuanzi warned Xuande that he must purify the demon qi around the collapsed Spirit Lake before attempting any Earth Vein repairs.
• Hong Yun cautioned Xuande to retreat if he sensed danger, while Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun flew northwest to tackle the most damaged region.
• Xuande remained behind, meditating and gathering his strength and merit before heading toward the demon-qi basin.

Xuande reached the Abyss of Demonic Energy and found its corruption too powerful to investigate directly. After testing the Merit Golden Light and sealing the basin behind a barrier, he revealed his Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus true form to begin purifying the area.

• Xuande flew northwest to the Abyss of Demonic Energy and found that the fog repelled his spiritual sense.
• He surveyed the basin, chose a weak point on its outskirts, and confirmed that Merit Golden Light could purify the demonic energy, though too slowly.
• Xuande decided to expand his approach and spent several months establishing a barrier around the basin.
• Xuande transformed into his Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus true form and sent its golden radiance surging outward.

Xuande spent thousands of years using his Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus to purify the demon mist covering the basin, then sensed a lotus-like resonance deep within its Earth Vein. Defying Zhenyuanzi’s instruction to leave the Earth Vein untouched, Xuande entered the pit to investigate the source of the attraction.

• Xuande manifested the Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus and repeatedly purified the basin’s surface, withdrawing between efforts to recover his strength.
• After nine cycles spanning thousands of years, Xuande cleared all the surface demon mist and saw the ruined basin and the deep pit at its center.
• Xuande sensed lingering filth underground and a faint pulse resonating with the Origin Essence of his Merit Golden Lotus.
• Although Zhenyuanzi had instructed him to leave the Earth Vein alone, Xuande decided the resonance required his own investigation.
• Xuande established protective wards around the pit, strengthened his defenses, and plunged into its depths.

Xuande descended deep underground and discovered the Twelve-Petal Destruction Black Lotus and the God-Slaying Spear, whose demonic energy had corrupted the Earth Vein. He purified the Black Lotus’s surface with Merit Golden Light, weakening its corruption without triggering a counterattack.

• Xuande descended through the Earth Vein, enduring demonic energy, magma, poisonous Yin energy, and powerful underground forces.
• Xuande entered a vast cavern and found the Twelve-Petal Destruction Black Lotus and the God-Slaying Spear floating at its center.
• Xuande realized that the two treasures had been spreading demonic energy into the Earth Vein and causing the deep corruption.
• Xuande cautiously used his Merit Golden Light to test the Black Lotus and found no counterattack or hidden restriction.
• Xuande purified the demonic energy clinging to the Black Lotus, weakening its corrupting force.

Xuande purified the Twelve-Petal Destruction Black Lotus and the God-Slaying Spear, then established an initial bond with both treasures. With their demonic energy cut off, the cavern and Earth Vein began to recover.

• Xuande sensed the Black Lotus's shared origin and, after weighing its risks and importance to the Earth Vein, approached it cautiously.
• Xuande imprinted his Primordial Spirit and merit onto the Black Lotus, which accepted him and shrank into his palm.
• Xuande purified the God-Slaying Spear and found no lingering imprint or trap from Luohu.
• Xuande established a bond with the God-Slaying Spear, which shrank and flew into his other hand.
• The two treasures stopped releasing demonic energy, and the demonic energy in the cavern and Earth Vein began to dissipate.

Xuande purified the basin by removing its demonic energy and asked Zhenyuanzi to assess the damaged Earth Vein. Zhenyuanzi found extensive destruction and proposed repairing easier areas first, leaving the dangerous basin convergence for last.

• Xuande emerged from the underground cavern with the Twelve-Petal Destruction Black Lotus and God-Slaying Spear, then purified the basin of demonic energy.
• Xuande kept the treasures secret and sent word to Zhenyuanzi that the demonic energy was gone.
• Zhenyuanzi arrived and used the Earth Scroll to examine the basin's Earth Vein network for nearly a month.
• Zhenyuanzi identified more than ten major areas of damage, including collapsed channels, unstable vortices, and demonic stone.
• Xuande agreed with Zhenyuanzi's plan to repair the easier areas first and leave the basin's dangerous convergence for last.
• Zhenyuanzi contacted Hong Yun, while Xuande informed Jieyin and Zhunti of the purification and their next steps.

Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Xuande completed the restoration of the Western Earth Vein, with Xuande’s Merit Golden Light helping stabilize and purify their work. As the Western Earth Vein was reborn and Spiritual Energy flowed freely again, the Heavenly Dao descended with auspicious signs and Profound Yellow merit.

• Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun continued repairing the damaged Earth Vein while Xuande used his Merit Golden Light to strengthen and purify their work.
• Jieyin and Zhunti cleared and organized the simpler sections, and all five gradually restored the Western Earth’s damaged veins over many years.
• Zhenyuanzi led the final repair of the basin that had been the Abyss of Demonic Energy, assigning Hong Yun, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Xuande roles in stabilizing the Earth Vein.
• Hong Yun calmed surging elemental energies, Jieyin and Zhunti supplied magical power, and Xuande protected the group while Zhenyuanzi untangled and repaired the basin’s core veins.
• The final Earth Qi vortex settled, connecting the basin to the restored network and completing the Western Earth Vein’s rebirth.
• The Heavenly Dao manifested above the five with auspicious clouds and descended Profound Yellow merit.

Jieyin, Zhunti, Hong Yun, Zhenyuanzi, and Xuande received merit for restoring the Western Earth Veins, strengthening their cultivation and leaving Xuande with a possible path to evolve his Merit Golden Lotus. After Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun departed to stabilize their breakthroughs, Jieyin and Zhunti invited Xuande to return with them to Mount Sumeru and cultivate.

• Heavenly Dao merit descended on the five cultivators, advancing Jieyin, Zhunti, Hong Yun, and Zhenyuanzi to the late stage of their respective realms and deepening Xuande’s power.
• Xuande sensed that enough merit might allow his Twelve-Petal Merit Golden Lotus to evolve toward the Chaos Green Lotus.
• The five celebrated the restoration of the Western Earth Veins and exchanged thanks for their help.
• Zhenyuanzi and Hong Yun decided to return to Wuzhuang Temple to stabilize their cultivation and study their insights.
• Jieyin and Zhunti invited Xuande to return with them to Mount Sumeru and refine the merit he had gained.

Xuande declined to retreat and said goodbye to Jieyin and Zhunti so he could travel through the Primordial Wilderness. He left the West behind and journeyed east toward Mount Buzhou, encountering the lush lands and lingering traces of the Dragon-Han Tribulation.

• Xuande told Jieyin and Zhunti he wanted to travel after spending tens of thousands of years repairing the Earth Veins.
• Jieyin and Zhunti wished Xuande well and returned to Mount Sumeru, while Xuande set off alone.
• Xuande revisited a repaired mountain range, sensed his Merit Golden Light within its Spiritual Veins, and promised to return to the West.
• Xuande crossed into the East and marveled at its richer Spiritual Energy, dense forests, and abundant creatures.
• Xuande headed toward the heart of the Primordial Wilderness and detoured around a mountain range whose powerful dormant auras suggested it had once belonged to a great clan.

Xuande traveled east through ruins left by the Three Clans and the Dao-Devil War, reflecting on the devastation caused by slaughter and karmic debt. He reached Buzhou Mountain and sat quietly at its foot, leaving the story with him resting in the mountain’s ancient presence.

• Xuande explored the ruins of a former palace complex and bowed in remembrance of those who had died in the Three Clans’ war.
• Xuande crossed a desolate battlefield scarred by the Dao-Devil War and recalled Rahula’s destruction of the West’s Earth Veins.
• Xuande saw Buzhou Mountain on the horizon and descended from the clouds as he approached it.
• Xuande walked toward the mountain among cultivators who kept their arrogance in check before its sacred presence.
• Xuande sat at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, remembered his long journey through the Primordial Wilderness, and eventually opened his eyes.

Xuande climbed Mount Buzhou and discovered an Innate Restriction that concealed Nuwa and Fuxi’s Daoist abode. After clearing up the misunderstanding, he accepted their invitation to enter.

• Xuande climbed Mount Buzhou, enduring its growing pressure and studying the mountain’s ancient Dao marks.
• Xuande used Merit Golden Light to protect a resilient spiritual herb growing in a rocky crevice.
• Xuande discovered an Innate Restriction and prepared to investigate it, but a woman told him it was the Daoist abode of her and her brother.
• Xuande apologized for mistaking the abode for an unclaimed treasure, and realized its inhabitants were Nuwa and Fuxi.
• Nuwa and Fuxi opened the restriction and invited Xuande inside, and he crossed the threshold.

Xuande visited Nuwa and Fuxi’s dwelling on Buzhou Mountain, where they discussed his cultivation and the merit he gained repairing the Western Earth Veins. Nuwa explained her understanding of the Creation Dao, leaving Xuande with a deeper insight into how her path could awaken life and possibility.

• Xuande met Nuwa and Fuxi and accepted their invitation to rest and drink tea.
• Fuxi recognized Xuande’s Golden Lotus cultivation and inferred the origins and perfection of his true form.
• Xuande told Nuwa and Fuxi that he had helped Zhenyuanzi, Hong Yun, Jieyin, and Zhunti repair the Western Earth Veins.
• Nuwa described creation as giving form to the formless and life to the lifeless, using the awakening of a bamboo plant as an example.
• Xuande understood Nuwa’s Creation Dao more deeply and thanked her for her guidance.

Xuande toured Buzhou Mountain with Fuxi and reflected on how his path of merit and practical work differed from Fuxi and Nuwa’s path of transcendence and Creation. After receiving a Morning Glory from Nuwa, he left the mountain and headed west toward Mount Sumeru.

• Fuxi invited Xuande to explore Buzhou Mountain, and Xuande followed him to a rocky outcrop overlooking the clouds and the mountain’s snowy heights.
• Fuxi explained that he and Nuwa had chosen Buzhou Mountain to pursue deduction and Creation, while Xuande’s path lay in engaging with the world through the western lands, Earth Veins, and merit.
• Xuande realized that his work in the West had become a matter of caring for its lands, inhabitants, and fellow cultivators, and he thanked Fuxi for helping him understand his path.
• Nuwa gave Xuande a Morning Glory, and she wished him steadfastness as he continued along his path of bearing and sustaining.
• Xuande decided not to climb farther, bid farewell to Fuxi and Nuwa, and traveled west toward Mount Sumeru.