Chapter Summaries

Liaofan, Zhang Yuanbai, David Paul, John Cohen, and Thor claimed shares of the Crystal Wall World by spreading their respective powers and teachings. Cheli, Amon, Orochimaru, Mir Barton, Frit Caesar, and Andreyevich then formed an alliance to claim part of the remaining stake, creating and arming a pseudo-god.

• Liaofan used Buddhist Dharma to awaken the wisdom of the Crystal Wall World's living beings, claiming nearly ten percent of the wager.
• Zhang Yuanbai proclaimed the Great Dao and spread moral enlightenment, claiming another share while threatening Ao's faith-based authority.
• David Paul and John Cohen invoked God's light to gather faith but claimed only five percent, and Thor spread Asgard's thunder to claim just over five percent.
• Cheli, Amon, Orochimaru, Mir Barton, Frit Caesar, and Andreyevich agreed to join forces and divide the remaining stake among themselves.
• Cheli and Andreyevich awakened nature spirits and gave them epics, while Amon forged contracts and Orochimaru and Caesar used divine bloodlines to create a pseudo-god.
• Mir Barton solidified Mechanus's Clockwork Nirvana, spread scientific methods through the world, and armed the pseudo-god.

Ling Qing supplied the crucial possibility that could turn Ao’s crystal-wall world from an illusion into reality. With the stakes sealed, he urged the professionals to pursue faith or authority over the world’s rules, promising them a path to eternal life.

• Cheli and the others claimed thirty-five percent of the shares, leaving them pleased with their gains but worried they might offend Ling Qing.
• Ling Qing explained that he valued witnessing the world’s birth more than owning it, and that Ao’s world still lacked the possibility that could make its inhabitants truly exist.
• Ling Qing sent his Primordial Spirit Dragon into the world model, giving its beings the potential to become real and enabling the world’s transformation from within and without.
• The world model was filled and the prize pool sealed as beings across the crystal-wall world sensed a change in themselves and their world.
• Ling Qing told the professionals to pursue the faith of all beings or seize authority over the rules, offering them a chance at eternal, deathless life.
• The professionals were fired up by Ling Qing’s promise, seeing the opportunity as a rare chance to cross beyond their Earth Immortal limits.

After Ling Qing and Ao sealed the wager, Orochimaru and Olidammara agreed to cooperate and make Olidammara’s existence their first experiment. Meanwhile, Priest David Paul and Paladin John Cohen sought an alliance with Tyr to help establish their faith in the land.

• Ling Qing, Ao, and the other class-bearers sealed the wager, setting the terms for evolving the world and claiming its benefits.
• Orochimaru considered the wager and told Olidammara which class-bearers he believed were controlled or cooperating with him.
• Olidammara explained that the class-bearers’ authority over their creations had changed the balance of power, and he agreed to cooperate with Orochimaru.
• Orochimaru proposed manifesting Olidammara’s existence as an experiment, and Olidammara followed him into the shadows.
• Priest David Paul and Paladin John Cohen watched Tyr’s temple and planned to enlist Tyr’s justice to support the spread of their faith.

David and John sought an audience with Tyr’s incarnation as they prepared to spread Christianity, while Cheli and Amon discussed their own plans and Druid’s likely victory. Elsewhere, Mir Barton scavenged goblin ruins, found a gear, and opened a gate to the Mechanical Realm.

• David and John greeted Tyr’s incarnation, who led them into the temple while a golden-haired woman watched nearby.
• Cheli met Amon in an alley and said she planned to strengthen herself without offending Druid.
• Cheli asked whether Amon’s past move against China had reached Druid, then left Amon behind.
• Mir Barton sent his mechanical constructs to scavenge the goblin ruins for useful materials.
• Barton found a gear, used it to open a gate to the Mechanical Realm, and stepped through with his machines.

Zhang Yuanbai received the Mandate of Heaven through Ling Qing’s Galaxy Scroll and set out to destroy a temple devoted to the Eye of True Knowledge. He drove the evil god’s influence from the village and dragged a legendary eye demon out of the Abyss.

• Zhang Yuanbai asked Ling Qing’s Wondrous Spirit Emperor Lord for help with his campaign to reform Heaven’s mandate.
• Wondrous Spirit gave Zhang Yuanbai the Galaxy Scroll, which connected him to the myriad heavens and allowed him to receive the Mandate of Heaven through Ao.
• Zhang Yuanbai kept the Galaxy Scroll and advanced on the village temple, cleansing the surrounding area of sinister aura with golden light.
• The priest’s divine power and connection to the Eye of True Knowledge were severed as Zhang Yuanbai approached.
• Zhang Yuanbai invoked the mighty covenant of Zhengyi and wielded a sword of ten thousand gods to strike at the temple’s evil deity.
• Zhang Yuanbai’s righteous qi tore open space and dragged the legendary eye demon out of the Abyss.

Zhang Yuanbai spread Dao and virtue while Liaofan taught Buddhist sutras to creatures in a mountain forest, drawing followers without forcing them to change. As Liaofan continued his journey with a blood-red lotus transformed into an alms bowl, Ao ordered the planes to begin a faction war and jointly exterminate anyone unaffiliated.

• Zhang Yuanbai destroyed the eye tyrant, taught the villagers, established a Land God, and continued to another village.
• Liaofan recited sutras for nine days, and creatures of different kinds listened together and gained spiritual insight.
• Liaofan left the forest with some newly enlightened followers and accepted a twelve-petaled blood-red Lotus Platform that became an alms bowl.
• Ling Qing and Ao discussed their uncertain future conflict, with Ao acknowledging that neither could know who would prevail.
• Ao ordered all gods to announce a faction war and jointly exterminate those without a faction.

Ling Qing sent Emperor Miaoyuan into the Inner Planes to cultivate elemental spirits and draw out the principles of existence. The four elemental gods exploited the spirits for power, unaware that the Primordial Unity Banner was steadily bringing them under its control.

• Ling Qing sent Emperor Miaoyuan, carrying the Primordial Unity Banner, into the Inner Planes to develop elemental spirits.
• Emperor Miaoyuan released four sprite bugs that swept up energy from the Elemental Planes and transformed it into elemental spirits.
• Kossuth, Istishia, Akadi, and Grumbar noticed the spirits’ power of existence and chose to let them grow so they could harvest it.
• Istishia absorbed a newborn element and discovered that its power of existence strengthened his godhead.
• Kaxusi rallied the elemental gods’ forces to surround the spirits and claim them as spoils, while Emperor Miaoyuan continued strengthening the spirits through the Primordial Unity Banner.

Ling Qing’s incarnations advanced their paths throughout the Crystal Wall World while its gods cautiously adapted to the power of existence and Wildness Templates. The chapter ended with the incarnations pursuing separate methods of cultivation and preparation for attaining the Dao.

• Ling Qing relied on the Four Elemental Gods and a Four-Tribulation spirit treasure to protect Emperor Miaoyuan as he worked to seize control of the Inner Planes.
• The Wondrous Aspect Emperor entered the Myriad Beast Garden, gathered creatures’ bloodline information, and forged Wildness Templates without interference from the gods.
• Ehlonna and other gods recruited template-bearing creatures and began refining Wildness Templates for themselves and their believers.
• Ling Qing’s other incarnations divided their efforts among confronting Ao, supporting Zhang Yuanbai and Liaofan, studying wild runes, collecting magical items, and researching alchemical materials.

Ling Qing and Wondrous Existence Emperor Lord combined their paths to create the Plane World Tree, which Wondrous Existence planted in the Prime Material Plane. As the tree transformed the plain and its inhabitants, powerful creatures rushed toward it, and the red dragon Sakri clashed with the green dragon Evelina.

• Ling Qing and Wondrous Existence Emperor Lord integrated the Crystal Wall World’s principles with the Myriad Treasure Wondrous Tree, while Emperor Miaoyuan, Emperor Miaoxiang, and Wondrous Spirit Emperor Lord added their paths to form the Plane World Tree.
• Wondrous Existence Emperor Lord planted the Plane World Tree on a plain in the Prime Material Plane, where it rapidly spread roots and transformed the land into a dense jungle.
• The tree’s fruits gave the apekin and other inhabitants the power of existence, while those who resisted its transformation were buried beneath the trees.
• Powerful creatures were drawn to the World Tree, and Sakri flew toward its canopy as vines tried to seize him.
• Sakri burned through the vines and confronted Evelina, who attacked him to protect the forest.

Sakri and Evelina stopped fighting after Osvid warned them that powerful creatures were already battling over the Plane World Tree. The rival contenders agreed to divide the tree’s territory, but a treant’s request to join them left the fragile alliance wary.

• Sakri attacked Evelina, but she vanished into emerald mist and poisoned him; he set the forest ablaze to burn away the toxins.
• Osvid interrupted the dragons and pointed out that other creatures were fighting over the Plane World Tree.
• Sakri, Evelina, and Osvid headed for the tree, where powerful creatures including a Balor Lord, a paladin, a silver dragon, and a treant were gathered.
• The mythic hill giant proposed that the contenders each take one side of the growing tree, and the holy knight, Flame Demon Lord, and silver dragon agreed to stop fighting temporarily.
• The treant asked to join the agreement, causing the giant and the other three to scatter and watch one another warily.

The Wondrous Existence Emperor Lord appeared before the factions gathered around the World Tree and offered to teach the Way of Nature. The treant Elino, silver dragon Octaviel, Balor lord Palmer, and hill giant accepted or professed interest, while Wondrous Existence planned to use the gathering to test his cultivation teachings and protect the tree.

• The treant built five strongholds around the World Tree, and the giant, silver dragon, paladin, and Balrog lord agreed to an alliance while strengthening their own positions.
• The factions gathered followers and formed rival kingdoms around the World Tree, keeping other contenders at bay.
• The Wondrous Existence Emperor Lord appeared and showed the gathered beings a phantom of the Myriad Treasure Wondrous Tree, calling it the Way of Nature.
• Elino asked to learn the Way, and Wondrous Existence agreed while inviting any interested beings to listen.
• Octaviel joined Elino, Palmer asked to learn as well, and the hill giant also declared his willingness.
• Wondrous Existence planned to teach a natural cultivation path and use the gathered beings to test how the immortal Dao would develop in their world.

Wondrous Existence taught the inhabitants of the Forest of Existence to cultivate through Longevity Spirit Talismans, while observing how their different convictions shaped their progress. Alan became the third to comprehend a talisman, and the story left the world’s competing players developing quietly as the World Tree reached toward other planes.

• Wondrous Existence planted Longevity Spirit Talismans in the treant, the silver dragon, and others, while the griffin paladin stayed apart and the balor lord and hill giant hesitated.
• The silver dragon began visualizing her talisman fearlessly, while the treant treated Wondrous Existence as his teacher and asked him questions about cultivation.
• The treant and the silver dragon cultivated with different temperaments, and Wondrous Existence concluded that disposition and desire drove progress on the Dao.
• Alan, an apekin beastman who revered the planar World Tree as his Creator, became the third being to comprehend the Longevity Spirit Talisman.
• Wondrous Existence let Alan cultivate among his clan, while the planar World Tree began reaching beyond the Prime Material Plane after growing to its limit there.

Alan raced to watch the Silver Dragon King battle a thunderbird and met Orochimaru and Andreevich Kieslowski, who invited him to the World Tree. Orochimaru hoped Alan’s Druid-like aura could help them, and Alan followed them after Orochimaru hinted that his family might also gain permission to stay near the tree.

• Alan climbed above the canopy and watched the Silver Dragon King’s sword defeat the thunderbird.
• Orochimaru asked Alan whether he wanted power, and Alan said he trusted the Divine Tree to make him stronger.
• Orochimaru offered to take Alan to the World Tree and suggested that his family might be allowed to stay nearby.
• Alan agreed to go with Orochimaru, while Andreevich Kieslowski questioned why Orochimaru had invited him.
• Orochimaru told Andreevich that Alan carried a Druid’s aura and might help them, and that he might also be worth nurturing.

Orochimaru, Cheli, Amon, Frit Caesar, and Andreyevich sought Ling Qing’s help with their plan to forge a pantheon in the Crystal Wall World. At the Forest of Existence, a demand to prove their sincerity led Andreyevich to transform into an Apocalypse Tank and charge the hill giant Osvid.

• Orochimaru and his allied companions planned to create their own pantheon but realized they lacked the time and support to complete it alone.
• Orochimaru, Andreyevich, and Alan arrived at the World Tree to ask Ling Qing for help, where Elino and the Forest of Existence’s guardians awaited them.
• Osvid demanded that the visitors demonstrate their abilities, and Orochimaru accepted his challenge.
• Andreyevich stepped in, transformed his mechanical gear into an Apocalypse Tank, and fired two energy shells at Osvid.
• Osvid deflected the shells and swung his wooden club down as Andreyevich charged him with the tank’s glowing blades.

Andreyevich fought Osvid, the Hill Giant, with an Apocalypse Tank and an Aerospace Fortress before unleashing a Gatling gun that fired nuclear bombs. The resulting devastation engulfed the Forest of Existence, leaving the Silver Dragon, Holy Knight, Flame Demon Lord, Orochimaru, and Alan to face the aftermath.

• Andreyevich severed Osvid's leg with the Apocalypse Tank, but Osvid struck back and damaged the tank's Iron Curtain Device.
• Andreyevich summoned the Aerospace Fortress and exchanged a ten-minute barrage of electromagnetic cannon fire with Osvid and its Stone Egg Primordial Spirit.
• As Andreyevich emerged with a Gatling gun, Orochimaru grabbed Alan and fled toward the World Tree, pursued by the Silver Dragon, Holy Knight, and Flame Demon Lord.
• Andreyevich fired nuclear bombs from the Gatling gun, creating a vast series of explosions that blasted the Aerospace Fortress backward.
• Orochimaru and the others watched the mushroom clouds spread, while the Holy Knight lamented that Elino and Osvid would likely perish in the destruction.

Orochimaru, Andreevich, and Alan met Wondrous Existence, an incarnation of Ling Daoqing, hoping to secure his help in their struggle over the Crystal Wall World. After Andreevich offered him rulership of the world in exchange, Wondrous Existence warned that he could defeat them and Ao himself, leaving the visitors shaken.

• Andreevich's Annihilator blast failed to kill Elino and the hill giant, and Elino revealed that his teacher had protected them.
• Wondrous Existence restored the wounded, healed the land, and invited Orochimaru, Andreevich, and Alan to meet him beneath the World Tree.
• Wondrous Existence introduced himself as an incarnation bearing the Daoist name Wondrous Existence and acknowledged Andreevich and Alan.
• Orochimaru asked Wondrous Existence to help them, while Andreevich offered support against Christianity and the mage and monk faiths in exchange for making him God of Gods.
• Wondrous Existence said he could defeat them and Ao himself, causing Andreevich and Orochimaru to doubt their position.

Ling Qing offered Orochimaru and Andreyevich support to evolve their own visions of the Crystal Wall World, giving them a foundation to compete for dominion. He left the outcome to them, encouraging varied transformations that could eventually absorb or overwrite rival visions.

• Ling Qing explained that he did not need to claim the Crystal Wall World, though it could benefit his sect and disciples if he gained it without effort.
• Orochimaru and Andreyevich accepted Ling Qing's help and agreed to follow his lead, though Andreyevich remained less comfortable with the arrangement.
• Ling Qing pointed out that their divine pantheon lagged behind because it lacked power, resources, allies, and influence.
• Ling Qing sent nine-colored spiritual light to Orochimaru and Andreyevich, allowing their consciousnesses to merge with the Plane World Tree and perceive the Crystal Wall World's essence.
• Ling Qing showed them different visions of worlds and offered them support to evolve their own, leaving them to decide whether to reconcile or uphold their views as they competed for dominion.

Ling Qing gave Orochimaru and Andreyevich seeds that could grow into worlds, offering them support in competing to shape the Crystal Wall World. Orochimaru gathered potential companions, and Alan joined their group as they went to the treant’s home.

• Wondrous Existence explained that he wanted profession-holders to develop their own visions of worlds rather than complete Ao’s Crystal Wall World himself.
• Wondrous Existence gave Orochimaru and Andreyevich seeds they could cultivate into worlds using their ideas and comprehended Dao.
• Orochimaru and Andreyevich accepted the seeds and thanked Daoist Dao Qing, though they felt uneasy about the unexpected support.
• Orochimaru invited the treant and the others to talk, and the Hill Giant, Flame Demon Lord, and treant agreed to join them.
• The group followed the treant to his residence, and Alan stepped forward to join them.

After Orochimaru and Andreyevich departed with a group of powerful experts, Treant Elino stayed in the Forest of Existence while the griffin Holy Knight returned to serve the God of Integrity. Elino strengthened the forest’s defenses and began cultivating in hopes of pursuing the Path of Epic.

• Orochimaru and Andreyevich left with the Sacred Hill Giant Osvid, the Flame Demon Lord Palmer, the silver dragon Octaviel, Alan, and many other experts.
• Treant Elino and the griffin Holy Knight discussed why they would remain or leave; the Holy Knight then returned to the Temple of Integrity with his order.
• Elino sealed the empty strongholds, raised walls around the World Tree, and began cultivating the Natural Life-God Cavern Mystery Scripture.
• Elino considered the two routes beyond Legend: godhood and the Path of Epic, which sought truth and an existence beyond Ao’s direct control.
• With Wondrous Existence and the scripture available to him, Elino decided to attempt the Path of Epic.

Wondrous Existence and Emperor Miaoyuan advanced their visions for transforming the Crystal Wall World into a World Tree world and an elemental world. At Mount Longhu, Zhang Yuanbai learned that Zhengyi had reached the edge of Tyr's territory and chose to visit two old friends before starting a holy war.

• Wondrous Existence spread the World Tree's power across every plane, bringing living beings toward his vision of a unified World Tree world.
• Emperor Miaoyuan used the Primordial Unity Banner and Spirit Worms to develop an elemental world, while the Inner Planes' gods supported his vision.
• Zhang Yuanbai expanded Zhengyi from Mount Longhu, training Dao soldiers and drawing gods under his banner with the Great Heavenly Venerable's support.
• Stone Dennis reported that Zhengyi had reached Brest City and that cities north of the Sanlena River were preparing for conflict.
• Zhang Yuanbai decided not to rush into a holy war against Tyr and instead planned to visit two old friends.