Chapter Summaries

Zhao Cheng’s Heaven-Answering Army gathered on Purple Splendor Mountain as he prepared to proclaim himself king of the Southern Wasteland. Li Tonghai reflected on the army’s strong foundations and foresaw its future conquests.

• Zhao Cheng’s officials and more than two hundred thousand Heaven-Answering Army soldiers assembled beneath the completed altar on Purple Splendor Mountain before dawn on November 1st.
• The account described how Zhao Cheng recruited and assessed soldiers, suppressed local thugs, improved ordinary people’s lives, and built loyalty through military privileges and strict laws.
• Li Tonghai endured the cold while considering how Zhao Cheng’s authority in the Southern Wasteland rested on deeper foundations than the former Way of Yellow Heaven.
• Li Tonghai anticipated that the Heaven-Answering Army would be invincible as it advanced beyond the Southern Wasteland.

Lin Yi reflected on how power had transformed his life as Zhao Cheng’s family traveled from Heaven-Answering City for his coming elevation. Zhao Cheng comforted Zhao Xiang about their mother’s death and promised to honor her among their ancestors, leaving Zhao Xiang to see her brother as both the boy she remembered and a future ruler.

• Lin Yi recalled rising from an impoverished common soldier to the foremost military official and imagined the titles he might receive if Zhao Cheng ruled the realm.
• At dawn, Zhao Cheng’s ceremonial carriage left Heaven-Answering City with Zhao Sheng, Zhao Xiang, and Zhang Huang'er traveling behind in sedan chairs.
• Zhao Sheng and Zhao Xiang struggled to believe they were about to receive royal honors, while Zhao Xiang remembered their family’s famine and their mother’s death.
• Zhao Xiang took out the Guanyin clay she had kept since childhood, and Zhao Cheng invited her to ride with him.
• Zhao Cheng told Zhao Xiang that his cause sought revenge for their mother and to prevent future famines, and promised to posthumously honor her among their ancestors.

Zhao Cheng reached the Heavenly Altar to establish a regime and proclaim himself king of the Southern Wasteland, moving Wei Ye to tears as he remembered their shared hardships. In Heaven-Answering City, Wu Qi reflected on his defeat and submission, then dreamed of achieving his ambitions before losing everything again.

• Zhao Cheng ascended the Heavenly Altar as officials and troops watched him prepare to proclaim himself king.
• Wei Ye recalled following Zhao Cheng from their desperate flight through the mountains to the rise of the Southern Wasteland, and felt his life’s fortunes bound to Zhao Cheng.
• Wu Qi woke in Heaven-Answering City and remembered that Zhao Cheng was proclaiming himself king that day.
• Wu Qi reflected on how Li Tonghai had persuaded him to submit for the sake of his descendants, and resolved to earn merit for his family.
• Wu Qi dreamed that he united the Southern Wasteland, was defeated by Cao Zheng, and watched Wu Yuan surrender before he died of illness.

Zhao Cheng sacrificed to Heaven on Purple Splendor Mountain and proclaimed the Great New nation and the Heaven-Answering era. The Southern Wasteland’s response elevated his Dao Seed and Yellow Heaven Dharma Realm, while he silently waited rather than force his embryonic Dao Fruit to completion.

• Zhao Cheng declared that Azure Heaven was dead, Yellow Heaven would rise, and he was founding the Great New nation and Heaven-Answering era.
• Officials and two hundred thousand soldiers hailed Zhao Cheng as their king, and he poured five-grain wine into the blazing cauldron to complete the sacrifice.
• The Southern Wasteland resonated with the Yellow Heaven Dharma Realm, which condensed and produced a wisp of Great Luo essence.
• The land’s power caused Zhao Cheng’s Dao Seed to bloom to the twelfth grade and then partially open its sixteenth petal, elevating his cultivation and understanding.
• Zhao Cheng sensed his embryonic dimensional Dao Fruit nearing reality, but he stopped when he felt immense resistance and chose to keep accumulating strength.

Fan Qingmeng recognized that Zhao Cheng’s sacrifice to Heaven had secured his rule over the Southern Wasteland, while she and other Daoists failed to reproduce his powerful firearms. After a dream revealed her supposed past life and mission to aid the Bright Light Emperor against the Demon Fetus, she awoke as a Human Immortal and accepted the dream as true.

• Fan Qingmeng saw the auspicious qi above Heaven-Answering City and concluded that Zhao Cheng’s royal enterprise had succeeded and the Southern Wasteland had submitted.
• Fan Qingmeng examined a bullet and considered how Daoists might copy the Heaven-Answering Army’s weapons, but learned that even Human Immortals could not yet reproduce them.
• Fan Qingmeng imagined that Daoist lineages might use replicated firearms to seize territory and establish a Dao kingdom before Zhao Cheng could stop them.
• Fan Qingmeng dreamed that she had been a Void-born deity who reincarnated to help the Bright Light Emperor defeat the Demon Fetus’s demonic influence.
• Fan Qingmeng awoke to find that her flower had bloomed to the twelfth rank and that she had become a Human Immortal, then accepted the dream as a memory of her past life.

Liu Guangzheng learned that Zhao Cheng had proclaimed himself king in the Southern Wasteland and feared the firearms his forces had created, while the court struggled to match them. The chapter ended with Daoist lineages receiving orders from their ancestral masters in the Upper Realm to help the Son of Heaven defeat the descending celestial demons.

• Liu Guangzheng received news that Zhao Cheng had proclaimed himself king and angrily slammed his bowl onto the table.
• Liu Guangzheng recalled Zhao Cheng's powerful firearms and the court's failed efforts to reproduce their range, magazines, and firepower.
• Liu Guangzheng recruited craftsmen and Daoists to develop weapons, but distrusted the Daoists and feared the Imperial Uncle might turn guns against him.
• Liu Guangzheng lamented that Zhao Cheng had built a regime so quickly and feared Heaven had left him no way to survive.
• Daoist lineages across the realm received messages from their ancestral masters ordering them to aid the Son of Heaven against the celestial demons in exchange for merit and a place among the immortals.

Messages from the Upper Realm promised immortality and great rewards to those who joined the campaign to exterminate demons, drawing Daoists from across the world toward the Divine Capital. After learning of the upheaval, Liu Guangzheng realized that he—not Zhao Cheng—was the Heavenly Mandate’s chosen one.

• The Upper Realm patriarchs’ messages revealed that the barrier between Heaven and Earth had developed a gap, raising the possibility that immortals and Buddhas might someday descend into the mortal world.
• The patriarchs promised Loose Immortal status to anyone who contributed to exterminating demons, Golden Immortal attainment to the foremost contributor, and resurrection for those who died in the campaign.
• Fan Qingmeng convened a Dharma assembly, demonstrated her Human Immortal powers, and convinced Daoists that Upper Realm figures had reincarnated among them.
• Sects, lineages, and Rogue Cultivators assembled a great host and set out for the Divine Capital.
• Liu Guangzheng read a report about the gathering and concluded that he was the Heavenly Mandate’s chosen one, while Zhao Cheng was the villain.

Liu Guangzheng realized Zhao Cheng’s growing power resembled the return of a Heavenly Demon and weighed how to use Daoists to defend his throne. Meanwhile, Zhao Cheng continued building Great New’s strength and condensed his third great divine power.

• Liu Guangzheng connected Zhao Cheng’s demonic seed and rising power to the Heavenly Demon successor he remembered from his previous life, then feared his own fate might mirror Chuan Linbeitui’s.
• Liu Guangzheng rejected the idea of fleeing overseas and considered how to organize the Daoists, whose abilities he needed to confront Zhao Cheng.
• Pang Hu warned Liu Guangzheng not to employ Daoists heavily, but Liu Guangzheng explained his plan and ordered him to issue an edict.
• Zhao Cheng received news from beyond the Southern Wasteland while continuing to industrialize Great New and mobilize its people for work.
• Zhao Cheng’s demonic taint deepened as he drew knowledge from the Void and his Dao Seed’s Great Luo traits increased.
• After the storm passed, Zhao Cheng condensed his third great divine power, the Ten Directions Samsara Chapter.

Han Jinyue realized that heavenly demons had derailed the story and threatened the Yellow Heaven Sect, while she reconsidered the future of Zhao Cheng’s industrializing realm. In the real world, Zhao Cheng sensed the collision of worlds accelerating and foresaw the struggle between the Doomsday Demon Fetus and the immortals, Buddhas, gods, and saints.

• Han Jinyue read the forum discussion about heavenly demons descending and connected the timeline’s changes to the demonic corruption that had strengthened Zhao Cheng.
• Han Jinyue reflected on how she had abandoned her plan to seize territory and instead spent years tending furnaces for the Yellow Heaven Sect, earning qi of all beings and advancing her cultivation.
• Han Jinyue feared that the Yellow Heaven Sect’s destruction would make her Dao collapse, and she concluded that the industrial power of Zhao Cheng and the imperial court could leave the barbarians with no chance.
• Zhao Cheng fished in the real world and sensed that karmic affinity had grown stronger as the collision between the worlds accelerated.
• Zhao Cheng foresaw the Doomsday Demon Fetus and the immortals, Buddhas, gods, and saints converging on the present, where they would struggle to seize the dragon of Heaven and earth.

Wang Jiran received an imperial decree and was tasked with managing the court’s uneasy alliance with Daoists, while his daughter Wang Mingwei’s madness worsened. After Daoists and Human Immortals entered the capital and departed with an edict to empower their plan against the Heavenly Demon, Liu Guangzheng suspected greed had blinded them to the danger.

• Wang Jiran entered the Divine Capital with his family, met Liu Guangzheng, and waited for a chance to serve the court.
• Wang Jiran received an imperial decree, a command plaque, and a treasured sword, then privately recognized the danger of balancing the Emperor’s interests against those of the Daoists.
• A servant told Wang Jiran that Wang Mingwei had suffered another episode after blaming him for breaking off her engagement to Zhao Cheng.
• More than half a month later, Daoists and monks entered the capital, and the court held a grand Water and Land Dharma Assembly for them.
• Several Human Immortals secretly entered the palace and left with an edict to confer divine title on the sacred sword and support their attempt to assassinate the demon.
• Liu Guangzheng remarked that the Daoists’ pursuit of great profit had clouded their judgment about the Heavenly Demon.

Miro Daoist explained the history of Daoist lineages and the rebellious path he had followed to become a Human Immortal. He led several skeptical Human Immortals onward, while Liu Guangzheng allowed their mission to proceed despite expecting them to fail against Zhao.

• Miro Daoist described how the Dao Ancestor and other Daoists had failed to establish dominion over the mortal world.
• Miro Daoist recounted how he found the Primordial Daoist's Sword Calamity Scripture, founded the Miro Sect, survived repeated crackdowns, and attained Human Immortalhood.
• Miro Daoist told the other Human Immortals that seeing the Divine Sword would dispel their doubts about the Heavenly Demon descending into the world.
• The other Human Immortals revealed they had joined Miro Daoist's nighttime visit to the palace mainly to persuade Liu Guangzheng to issue an imperial edict.
• Liu Guangzheng let the Human Immortals pursue Zhao, expecting they could at least trouble him even if they could not kill him.

Miro Daoist and several Human Immortals retrieved the Primordial True Chapter, a legendary divine sword, and set out for the Southern Wasteland to strike the demon. They arrived to find the once-barren land transformed beyond recognition.

• Miro Daoist led the Human Immortals to the cave where he had first found the stone sword, and they recognized it as the Primordial True Chapter.
• Miro Daoist kowtowed and invoked Patriarch Primordial, causing the stone sword to detach from the wall and fall into his hand.
• Miro Daoist warned the Human Immortals that the sword's first stroke had to hit the Demon Fetus, and they agreed to hold it back.
• Miro Daoist wrapped the sword in an imperial edict, and the group traveled to the Southern Wasteland.
• The Human Immortals arrived in the Southern Wasteland and found it transformed from the bitterly cold, barren land they remembered.

Human Immortals observed that Zhao Cheng’s rule had made the Southern Wasteland’s destiny blaze with a force that threatened to overturn the old order and forge a new heaven. Daoist Sheng Kong, Daoist Dongyue, and Miro Daoist discussed the unprecedented change and prepared to investigate the Heavenly Demon.

• The Human Immortals saw the Southern Wasteland’s destiny burning fiercely, unlike the unsettled qi normally found after war.
• Daoist Sheng Kong said the spectacle signaled an attempt to overturn the cauldron and warned that it could undermine the foundations of the higher realms.
• Daoist Dongyue questioned how Zhao Cheng had changed an entire province so quickly and found no trace of a Daoist art.
• Miro Daoist argued that Zhao Cheng remained a flesh-and-blood Human Immortal and urged the group to investigate him.
• The Human Immortals considered whether the Primordial Daoist had anticipated the Heavenly Demon and forged the Primordial True Chapter to counter the calamity.

Several Human Immortals entered a Southern Wasteland village and saw Zhao Cheng’s reforms educating farmers and children, improving agriculture, and training a militia. Alarmed by how these changes threatened the court and Daoists, they set out to destroy the Heavenly Demon and head toward Heaven-Answering City.

• The Human Immortals disguised themselves with an illusion and entered a village to avoid the frightening atmosphere of the Southern Wasteland.
• They watched an agricultural official teach farmers improved methods and tools, and Daoist Dongyue explained that the court had once executed inventors for raising yields and reducing labor.
• The group saw an elderly teacher instructing more than a hundred children, while Daoist Sheng Kong condemned the effort to enlighten ordinary people and recognized its threat to Daoists and the court.
• They saw women learning to weave with new machines and raise silkworms, along with the village militia drilling, which heightened their alarm about the Southern Wasteland’s future.
• The Human Immortals decided to destroy the Heavenly Demon as soon as possible and traveled toward Heaven-Answering City, bypassing the usual route through the city gate.

Zhao Cheng opened Heaven-Answering Military Academy, bringing its first 640 students together as the first recruits in his effort to shape the future of his Dao nation. The ceremony was recorded for the newspapers, while several Human Immortals sensed the students’ fervor and grew wary.

• The former Wu Family estate was transformed into Heaven-Answering Military Academy, and its first 640 students assembled on the parade ground.
• Zhao Cheng arrived and greeted the students, who welcomed him as their principal.
• Observers recorded the ceremony for publication in the newspapers, which Zhao Cheng used to inform and unite the people.
• Several Human Immortals sensed the emotional force of the students’ response and became more wary.

Zhao Cheng delivered a speech urging the students of Heaven-Answering Military Academy to overthrow the old order and build a nation that protected its people, and his words spread through the Southern Wasteland. Eight days later, five Human Immortals attacked his carriage as he traveled to inspect a steelworks.

• Zhao Cheng condemned emperors and officials for betraying the people and called on the students to create a new era.
• The students shouted their support for Zhao Cheng and vowed not to fail his trust.
• News of Zhao Cheng's speech spread across the Southern Wasteland, exciting many people who heard it.
• Five Human Immortals waited for eight days until Zhao Cheng left Heaven-Answering City with a small ceremonial guard.
• As Zhao Cheng traveled to the steelworks, a boulder flew from the forest toward his carriage and sword-light surged from every direction.

Zhao Cheng used himself as bait to draw five great experts into an ambush, confident that his power could defeat them. After he effortlessly diverted a massive boulder with his protective sword qi, Daoist Sheng Kong launched the planned attack, and the experts realized Zhao Cheng’s mana far exceeded their expectations.

• Zhao Cheng chose to lure the assassins into attacking him rather than send troops to hunt them down.
• A huge boulder struck Zhao Cheng’s carriage, but his sword qi shattered and diverted it without him moving.
• Daoist Sheng Kong attacked with a sea of sword light, expecting the boulder to have distracted Zhao Cheng.
• The five experts’ coordinated plan called for Daoist Dongyue, Daoist Dingwei, Daoist Rongyang, and Miro Daoist to follow Sheng Kong’s attack.
• The experts realized Zhao Cheng’s protective sword qi revealed mana more powerful than their estimates had allowed for.

Zhao Cheng’s Taoist body faced five great experts after condensing Great Luo characteristics, leaving him overwhelmingly powerful despite his Human Immortal realm. Daoist Sheng Kong’s attack failed, and Daoist Dongyue launched a surprise strike from underground.

• Zhao Cheng’s Great Luo characteristics made him invincible beneath Great Luo, though the five experts had not yet recognized his power.
• Daoist Sheng Kong unleashed his Star River Heaven-Opening Sword against Zhao Cheng.
• Zhao Cheng caught Daoist Sheng Kong’s blade in his palm, flicked its tip into powder, and sent the iron powder flying toward him.
• Daoist Dongyue burst from underground and attacked Zhao Cheng with both fists.

Zhao Cheng revealed the power of his Heavenly Demon Godslaying Method and crippled Daoist Dongyue with a single blow. The other experts witnessed the disparity as Dongyue tore off his shattered arm to survive.

• Zhao Cheng rose and invoked the Heavenly Demon Godslaying Method, transforming his body with Heavenly Demon divine baleful power.
• Zhao Cheng struck Daoist Dongyue’s fist with his palm, overwhelming his strength and spiritual will.
• Daoist Dongyue’s fist burst apart, and he tore off his arm before the damage could kill him.
• Daoist Mikong, Daoist Dingwei, and Daoist Rongyang stared in disbelief as Daoist Dongyue, the strongest of the five experts, lost an arm after one exchange.

Zhao Cheng overwhelmed the five Human Immortals, whose desperate counterattacks failed against his demonic power. After he devoured Daoist Sheng Kong’s Primordial Spirit and the Dao Fruit of Shi Sheng’s lifetime, his Momentum surged and heaven and earth erupted in turmoil.

• Daoist Dongyue sacrificed his body and Dao Fruit to strengthen himself, while Zhao Cheng attacked the wounded Daoist Sheng Kong.
• Daoist Sheng Kong destroyed his body and transformed his Primordial Spirit into a sword aimed at Zhao Cheng’s soul.
• Zhao Cheng’s demonic Primordial Spirit became a black hole and swallowed Daoist Sheng Kong’s sword.
• Zhao Cheng used the Ten Directions Samsara Chapter to devour Shi Sheng’s lifetime, Wisdom, and Dao Fruit.
• Zhao Cheng’s Momentum surged as dark clouds, fierce winds, rain, thunder, and lightning swept across the world.