Ch. 401Houyi, Xizi, Xuanming, Gou Mang
Chapter Summary: Houyi, Xizi, Xuanming, Gou Mang
Key Plot Points and Events
- Di Jun uses the Witch-Slaying Sword, a weapon forged from the blood and souls of countless Humans and designed specifically to counter the Witch Race’s powerful bodies.
- Houyi, despite being a former successor to Houtu and a legendary archer who once shot down nine suns, is cleaved in half and completely destroyed by a single strike.
- Enraged, Gonggong and the other ancestral witches attack Di Jun. Their fury initially causes them to forget the danger posed by the sword.
- Di Jun kills a second ancestral witch, Xizi, with another sword strike. The surviving witches finally recognize that they cannot confront the weapon directly and retreat from it.
- Dijiang attempts to attack Di Jun, but Xuanming suddenly charges forward. Rather than seeking a straightforward attack, she ignites her Ancestral Witch origin and self-destructs in an attempt to kill Di Jun.
- Xuanming’s self-destruction devastates the battlefield, destroys spiritual treasures, tears apart the void, damages Mount Buzhou, and leaves Di Jun gravely wounded. However, he barely survives.
- Grief-stricken by Xuanming’s death, Gou Mang follows her example. He burns his own origin and self-destructs against the already weakened Di Jun.
- Gou Mang’s sacrifice finally overwhelms Di Jun. His Golden Crow body, soul, Primordial Spirit, flesh, blood, and Dao Fruit are completely annihilated.
Character Developments
- Di Jun shifts from confident and mocking to desperate and terrified. After easily killing Houyi and Xizi, he believes the Witch-Slaying Sword has made him nearly invincible. Xuanming’s and Gou Mang’s self-destructions expose his vulnerability and ultimately destroy him.
- Houyi dies as a symbol of the Witch Race’s former strength, but even his extraordinary body cannot withstand the specialized sword.
- Xizi becomes the second ancestral witch to fall, reinforcing the sword’s terrifying effectiveness.
- Xuanming displays decisive sacrifice and strategic awareness. She realizes that directly attacking Di Jun will not work and chooses mutual destruction instead.
- Gou Mang, deeply connected to Xuanming and Houtu through their complementary earth, wood, and rain origins, is consumed by grief and vengeance. His emotional response becomes the decisive final attack.
- Dijiang and the other ancestral witches are forced to confront fear and helplessness for the first time, realizing that their physical superiority cannot protect them from the Witch-Slaying Sword.
Significant Themes
- The limits of physical power: The ancestral witches’ bodies are immensely durable, yet the Witch-Slaying Sword renders that advantage useless.
- Sacrifice and vengeance: Xuanming and Gou Mang willingly destroy themselves to avenge their fallen kin and bring down Di Jun.
- The cost of war: The battlefield’s destruction reaches beyond the combatants, shattering ley lines, tearing apart the void, and damaging Mount Buzhou itself.
- Pride and vulnerability: Di Jun’s confidence turns into fear once he encounters an attack he cannot evade or counter.
- Brotherhood and grief: The witches’ rage over Houyi, Xizi, and especially Xuanming demonstrates the deep bonds among them.
Character Interactions
- Gonggong and the other ancestral witches react with fury and grief to Houyi’s death, immediately turning against Di Jun.
- Di Jun taunts the witches, challenging them to avenge their fallen companions while keeping them at bay with the Witch-Slaying Sword.
- Dijiang tries to stop Xuanming from making her suicidal attack, but she moves too quickly for him to intervene.
- Gou Mang’s relationship with Xuanming is emphasized through their shared origins and close bond. Her death drives him to launch the final suicidal assault.
- Di Jun’s confrontation with Xuanming and Gou Mang changes from arrogant domination to panic, ending with his total destruction.