Recaps

Chan Teaching decided to send Huang Long, Shen Bao, and Jiang Shang to Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling’s wedding, while Li Changshou brought Ling'e to Golden Ao Island. The wedding festivities began with the couple embracing before Daoist Duobao invited the Master.

• Guang Chengzi and the Chan Teaching immortals discussed the wedding invitation and chose Huang Long, Shen Bao, and Jiang Shang to attend with a generous gift.
• Shen Bao agreed to go, and Jiang Shang woke from a nap by joking about his former wives and concubines, making the Jade Void immortals laugh.
• Jie Teaching invited guests from the Heavenly Court, the Immortal Alliance, the Dragon Clan, and the Lesser Qiong Peak Game Room; Li Changshou agreed to take Ling'e.
• Li Changshou and Ling'e arrived at Golden Ao Island, where Zhao Gongming welcomed them and the guests reacted to the Chaos Bell hanging at Ling'e’s waist.
• Yunxiao and her sisters greeted Li Changshou and led Ling'e aside, while he exchanged greetings with the wedding guests.
• The immortals pushed Zhao Gongming toward Holy Mother Jinling, and the couple embraced as Daoist Duobao announced the start of the wedding and invited the Master.

At Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling’s wedding, Lord Tongtian presided while privately worrying about Heavenly Dao’s growing power and Li Changshou’s intentions. The celebration continued with Changshou’s friends and colleagues, until Emperor Da Yu unexpectedly arrived and Daoist Duobao went to verify his identity.

• Lord Tongtian reviewed Li Changshou’s congratulatory speech, reflected on the Sages’ weakening position, and then led Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling through their wedding ceremony.
• Li Changshou joined the Heavenly Court’s table, recognized the Jade Emperor’s incarnation as Dong Deqi, and discussed the Hall of Marriage with the Matchmaker.
• Shen Bao asked Li Changshou how the Three Teachings could be helped, while the Matchmaker recognized Jiang Shang and praised his marriage fortune.
• Li Changshou gave Zhao Gongming a personal wedding gift containing paintings and bottles, wishing the newlyweds an early child.
• Lü Yue reported that Emperor Da Yu had arrived looking troubled, so Li Changshou asked Daoist Duobao to confirm his identity before receiving him.

At Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling’s wedding, Emperor Da Yu warned Li Changshou that Fu Xi’s divination foresaw the end of the Human Emperor and the rise of the Son of Heaven after Zhou replaced Shang. Li Changshou urged Huoyun Cave to preserve its strength and unite living beings, then the wedding feast ended with Bai Ze warning him of great misfortune, which Li Changshou said could be defied.

• Daoist Duobao and Lü Yue challenged Emperor Da Yu to prove his identity, and he presented the Human Race Hearth Fire and Primordial Violet Qi before entering Biyou Palace.
• Emperor Da Yu privately told Li Changshou that Fu Xi’s hexagram foretold King Zhou would be the final Human Emperor and that Zhou would replace Shang.
• Li Changshou advised Emperor Da Yu to protect Huoyun Cave, unite living beings beyond the Southern Continent, and wait for an opportunity to resist Heavenly Dao.
• Emperor Da Yu gave Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling a Shennong Spirit Nurturing Pill before returning to Huoyun Cave.
• After the wedding celebrations, Zhao Gongming toasted his new wife and vowed before Master that they would live and die together, while Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao welcomed Holy Mother Jinling as their sister-in-law.
• Bai Ze privately warned Li Changshou of great misfortune, and Li Changshou replied that it could be defied.

Ling'e reflected on the changes coming to Lesser Qiong Peak while Li Changshou devised a plan to protect Zhao Gongming from the Heavenly Dao’s schemes. As Shen Bao and Jiang Shang descended the mountain, Shen Bao tried to reconcile the Chan and Jie Teachings, but his first encounter with a Jie Teaching immortal threatened to send events in exactly the wrong direction.

• Ling'e worried that Youqin Xuanya might remain in the Heavenly Court when Li Changshou eventually left, and wondered what would become of Lesser Qiong Peak.
• Li Changshou deduced that the Heavenly Dao planned to use Zhao Gongming’s death to provoke a war between the Chan and Jie Teachings, then developed a new plan after studying his chessboard.
• Li Changshou watched Shen Bao and Jiang Shang descend from Jade Void Palace; Jiang Shang headed toward Chaoge City while Shen Bao set out to prevent war between the teachings.
• Shen Bao reached Nine Dragon Island and told Zhao Jiang that he wanted to help the Jie Teaching and resist the great tribulation.
• Zhao Jiang welcomed Shen Bao to Nine Dragon Island, while Li Changshou watched from underwater and wondered whether Shen Bao might end up on the Investiture of the Gods Platform.

As King Zhou’s brutal reforms and Daji’s schemes drove Shang Kingdom toward rebellion, Li Changshou prepared for the approaching conflict between Jie Teaching and Chan Teaching. Zhao Gongming revealed that Jin Ling was pregnant with twins, and Li Changshou promised to protect her and their child as the Great Tribulation neared.

• King Zhou’s attack on Queen Jiang led him to kill her and threaten Yin Jiao and Yin Hong, who escaped with help from Bi Gan and became disciples of Guang Chengzi and Chi Jingzi; after King Zhou killed Jiang Huanchu, eastern vassals rebelled.
• Li Changshou observed Shen Bao gaining influence among Jie Teaching immortals and anticipated a major clash with Chan Teaching as Boyi Kao traveled to Chaoge to seek his father Ji Chang’s release.
• Zhao Gongming told Li Changshou that Jin Ling was pregnant with twins and asked him to protect her, Yunxiao, and their fellow disciples if he entered the Great Tribulation.
• Li Changshou gave Zhao Gongming a jade talisman with lines intended to persuade Jin Ling to stay out of danger, then wondered whether her pregnancy was tied to the Heavenly Dao’s plans.
• In Purple Cloud Palace, a burly old Daoist watched Zhao Gongming spread the news, while Laojun received a recipe for the Taiqing Pregnancy Nurturing Pill.

Li Changshou visited Elder Wan Linjun and explained how Lin Tian Hall and the Immortal Alliance would help shape the Three Thousand Worlds after the great tribulation. He then invited his Du Xian Sect relatives to leave the Primordial World with him, warning that conflict with the Dao Ancestor could put them in danger.

• Li Changshou urged Elder Wan Linjun to destroy a coercive Poison Pill and explained that Lin Tian Hall should rely on resources, discipline, honesty, and conviction rather than control.
• Li Changshou outlined plans for the Heavenly Court, Lin Tian Hall, and the Immortal Alliance to protect the Five Continents and prepare the Three Thousand Worlds for the aftermath of the great tribulation.
• Li Changshou asked Jiu Jiu to join him and Ling'e in the Chaos Sea, and she agreed to leave the Primordial World with them.
• Li Changshou gathered Venerable Wangqing, Wang Fugui, Jiang Lin'er, Jiu Yiyi, Jiu Shi, and Jiu Jiu and invited them to leave with him; Venerable Wangqing, Jiang Lin'er, and Jiu Wu accepted.
• Li Changshou gave the group jade talismans and instructions for escaping through Xuandu City if the danger escalated, then disappeared in a swirl of fallen leaves.

Li Changshou prepared to leave the Primordial Wilderness and used his departure to pressure the Dao Ancestor over Zhao Gongming’s coming tribulation. He handed Heavenly Court plans to the Jade Emperor and secured his promise to plead for living beings, while the Dao Ancestor watched from Purple Cloud Palace and sent a gray shadow away.

• Li Changshou visited Du Xian Sect, then spent several months with the Grand Pure Sage at Taiqing Temple, confirming the Dao Ancestor could not observe what happened there.
• Li Changshou tracked the growing conflict between Shang Kingdom and Zhou Kingdom, including Boyi Kao’s poisoning and Ji Chang’s escape, and estimated that war would erupt within three years.
• Li Changshou collected plans from Water God's Mansion and brought them to the Jade Emperor, warning that he might soon be unable to serve Heavenly Court.
• Li Changshou explained that he opposed the Dao Ancestor’s suppression of living beings and asked the Jade Emperor to defend them if Heaven and Earth oppressed them without cause.
• The Jade Emperor promised to plead for living beings, and Li Changshou said he would intervene if the Heavenly Dao used disgraceful means to make Zhao Gongming lose.
• The Dao Ancestor watched Li Changshou through the Travel Manifest, sighed, and sent a gray shadow out of Purple Cloud Palace.

Li Changshou visited Empress Nuwa at Holy Mother Palace, where he challenged her understanding of the ancient conflict and revealed that he knew she was slowing time to delay him until Zhao Gongming’s calamity. Nuwa resisted his plans to oppose the Heavenly Dao, then showed him the memory of her helplessness as the ancient Human Race was slaughtered.

• Li Changshou agreed to visit Holy Mother Palace and used a portal to reach it with the palace fairy.
• Li Changshou drew a comic for Empress Nuwa while asking why she had failed to save the ancient Human Race.
• Li Changshou confronted Nuwa with his deductions that she had sided with the Heavenly Dao against Senior Lang and that Patriarch had kept her from rescuing the Human Race.
• Li Changshou revealed that Nuwa had slowed time in the pavilion to delay him until Zhao Gongming entered his calamity.
• Nuwa warned Li Changshou not to wager the Human Race’s fate against the Heavenly Dao, while he argued that the Heavenly Dao planned to strip living beings of their identities.
• Nuwa showed Li Changshou a memory of herself chained and impaled beneath a shattered sky, surrounded by the remains of the Human Race.

Li Changshou stayed in Holy Mother Palace, drawing Nuwa a comic while explaining that he intended to balance the Heavenly Dao without using the Human Race. After defeating the Heavenly Dao Will’s manifestation, he secretly gave Nuwa the Human Race Kindling, leaving her free to recover as he continued toward the coming conflict.

• Li Changshou used his deductions and Nuwa’s Cloud Mirror to follow the escalating war between Shang and Zhou while he drew a comic for her.
• Nuwa questioned Li Changshou about his plans, and he vowed not to endanger the Human Race even if he had to oppose the Heavenly Dao.
• After the Ten Heavenly Lords set up the Ten Absolute Arrays, Nuwa told Li Changshou that the first four of the Twelve Golden Immortals had arrived.
• Li Changshou finished the comic and left Holy Mother Palace, where the Heavenly Dao Will blocked his way.
• Li Changshou used the Great Dao of Balance to weaken the Heavenly Dao Will and destroy its manifestation, creating a gap in its surveillance.
• Nuwa discovered the Human Race Kindling hidden in the comic and absorbed it, while Li Changshou departed and decided not to exploit her further.

The author asked readers to vote for Senior Brother in October’s monthly rankings and described plans for the novel’s ending and the next book. Senior Brother was expected to end in late October or early November.

• The author said Senior Brother had reached 240,000 characters that month and aimed to write 300,000 while maintaining quality.
• The author asked readers to use their October monthly votes for Senior Brother and said he would fund vote-related gifts without urging anyone to spend money.
• The author explained that the Human Race Kindling plot had been planned to express the importance of human nature, and said Senior Brother would not end with a dark or sacrificial conclusion.
• The author said Youqin would have a major storyline, while Jiu Jiu’s storyline might be moved to post-ending side stories if it slowed the pacing.
• The author expected Senior Brother to finish in late October or early November, then planned to complete First Sword before developing a new lighthearted immortal-heroic comedy.

Li Changshou examined how the Ten Heavenly Lords had transformed their Ten Absolute Arrays into a linked formation that overwhelmed Chan Teaching, then borrowed Truth Listener to search for Maitreya. Three months later, the Ten Heavenly Lords’ deadline ended as Shang forces surrounded Mount Qi.

• Li Changshou monitored the battlefield and learned that the Ten Heavenly Lords had linked their arrays into a deadly formation, trapping True Person Huang Long and killing several Chan Teaching immortals.
• Li Changshou visited the Reincarnation Pagoda and borrowed Truth Listener from Ksitigarbha, explaining that he still intended to act despite knowing the Great Cataclysm was coming.
• Li Changshou asked Truth Listener to find Maitreya, promising extra meals in exchange for its help.
• Three months later, Shang forces surrounded Mount Qi, and the Ten Heavenly Lords’ final deadline arrived.

The Chan Teaching struggled to find a way through the Ten Absolute Arrays while the Jie Teaching debated how far to press its advantage. Lord Tongtian warned his disciples against provoking the Chan Teaching’s Second Martial Uncle, and Lamp-Bearer arrived at the Zhou camp claiming he could help break the arrays.

• Ji Fa pleaded with the Chan Teaching immortals to aid Zhou, and Jiang Shang proposed disrupting the Heavenly Absolute Array’s support for the other nine arrays.
• Qin Wan ordered the Ten Heavenly Lords to remain in their arrays and wound intruders before crippling them, while rejecting Zhao Jiang’s call to slaughter Zhou’s soldiers.
• Lord Tongtian forbade his disciples from acting rashly and showed them an image of the Second Martial Uncle wielding the Pangu Banner against Primordial Great Powers.
• Lord Tongtian told his disciples that he feared losing them to the coming conflict and ordered Zhao Gongming to keep Jin Ling calm while she recovered and nurtured her pregnancy.
• Lamp-Bearer arrived at the Zhou camp and offered to help the Chan Teaching break the Ten Absolute Arrays, prompting Guang Chengzi to welcome him.

Li Changshou took Truth Listener beyond the Five Continents, questioned it about its origins, and used its ability to monitor the Zhou camp while hoping to draw out Maitreya. At the camp, Daoist Lantern Bearer disabled the Ten Absolute Chain Array, letting the Chan Teaching experts attack the Ten Heavenly Lords as the battle began.

• Li Changshou questioned Truth Listener about divine beasts and concluded that it was connected to the Heavenly Dao but was not its hidden monitoring piece.
• Truth Listener reported that Saint Zhunti, disguised as Daoist Lantern Bearer, planned to break the Ten Absolute Chain Array by sacrificing ten immortals before sending in ten experts.
• Guang Chengzi selected ten cannon fodder and ten array-breaking experts, including Yang Jian, while Yuding and Taiyi refused to fight.
• The ten sacrifices entered the arrays and died, after which Daoist Lantern Bearer froze the formations’ spiritual power and disabled the Chain Array.
• The Chan Teaching’s nine participating Golden Immortals and Yang Jian charged into the arrays, and Qin Wan urged the Ten Heavenly Lords to face their opponents and watch out for one another.

Golden Light Holy Mother’s death drove Li Changshou to reject the Saints’ authority and reveal that he would kill Jieyin and Zhunti. After the Dao Ancestor granted him permission, Li Changshou began burning his life force and prepared to fight the two Western Saints.

• Yang Jian broke the Golden Light Array, defeated Golden Light Holy Mother, and spared her under his authority to send her to the Investiture of the Gods Platform, but Manjushri tried to kill her.
• Holy Mother Jinling rescued Golden Light and fought the Chan Teaching immortals until Zhunti arrived; Zhao Gongming and Li Changshou joined the battle, but Jieyin and Zhunti overwhelmed them.
• Golden Light Holy Mother killed herself, believing she had caused the suffering of Jin Ling and Zhao Gongming, while Li Changshou struggled to endure the Saints’ pressure.
• Li Changshou questioned why Golden Light had to die, then declared that he would kill Jieyin and Zhunti and bear the consequences.
• The Dao Ancestor granted Li Changshou permission to act, and Li Changshou raised the Xuanhuang Pagoda, Chaos Bell, Universe Ruler, and Lesser God-Slaying Spear as he began burning his power.

Li Changshou balanced Zhunti’s Dao Realm and battered him while Zhao Gongming prepared to connect with the Origin of Heaven and Earth. Zhao Gongming manifested the Twenty-four Heavens, helping Li Changshou pierce Zhunti with the God-Slaying Spear and bring about the Sage’s death.

• The Grand Pure Sage trapped the Western Sages, suppressed Jieyin, and let Li Changshou face Zhunti.
• Li Changshou used the Great Dao of Balance to weaken Zhunti and launched a relentless assault with the God-Slaying Spear.
• Inside the Chaos Bell, Li Changshou explained how Zhao Gongming could help sever Zhunti’s connection to the Origin of Heaven and Earth, and Zhao Gongming agreed to enter the Heavenly Dao Sequence with Holy Mother Jinling.
• Zhao Gongming consumed the Water Sphere, sacrificed his body, and transformed the Twenty-four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls into the Twenty-four Heavens.
• Zhao Gongming sent the Twenty-four Heavens crashing down as Li Changshou pierced Zhunti with the God-Slaying Spear, killing the Sage.

Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming killed Saint Zhunti, burned his remains, and secured Jieyin’s vow not to seek revenge. Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling then prepared to enter the Investiture of the Gods Platform, where they reunited with the grieving Jinguang before Zhao led the immortals to celebrate.

• Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming celebrated Zhunti’s death, then sold fragments of his ruined treasures to the Jie Teaching immortals.
• Li Changshou ceremonially burned Zhunti’s corpse and scattered the ashes beneath the Bodhi Tree, reducing the power of the Great Cataclysm.
• Jieyin vowed before the Three Pure Ones not to avenge Zhunti, and Grand Pure Sage bestowed the One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones technique on Li Changshou.
• Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling said farewell to Lord Tongtian and the Jie Teaching immortals before going to the Investiture of the Gods Platform.
• Zhao Gongming and Holy Mother Jinling reunited with the guilt-ridden Jinguang, reassured her that they and her child were safe, and joined the immortals for a banquet.

After Zhao Gongming completed the Twenty-Four Heavens and Li Changshou killed Zhunti, Li Changshou assessed his chances against Heaven and moved to redirect its attention. The chapter ended with him planning a Chan and Jie Convergence to preserve both teachings and their shared fortune.

• Li Changshou watched the Heavenly Court absorb the Twenty-Four Heavens, then calculated that his chances of victory in the campaign against Heaven had risen to seventy percent.
• Li Changshou reviewed how he had arranged for Zhao Gongming to merge with the Heavenly Dao, then ordered a thorough investigation of Qi Refiners interfering in mortal affairs to divert the Heavenly Dao's attention.
• The Jade Emperor asked Li Changshou to recount his fight with Zhunti, while the Chan Teaching immortals discussed Li Changshou's hidden strength and the consequences of Zhunti's death.
• True Lord Taiyi taunted Manjushri about Golden Light's death, while Daoist Duobao showed Jie Teaching disciples the fragments he had taken from Zhunti.
• Lord Tongtian ordered Jie Teaching disciples to keep a low profile, established the Immortal Execution Platform, and announced that he would accept no more disciples.
• Li Changshou began drafting a plan for a Chan and Jie Convergence that would preserve their differing doctrines and the Dao Sect's remaining fortune.

Li Changshou and True Lord Taiyi investigated a hidden valley connected to True Person Huang Long and discovered that Huang Long secretly visited his mother, the Dragon Mother, whose existence the Heavenly Dao rejected. Li Changshou asked her about the battle between Luohu and the Dao Ancestor, and she sent Huang Long away before addressing the Dragon Clan’s alignment with him.

• True Lord Taiyi summoned Li Changshou to discuss his suspicion that True Person Huang Long was hiding something, after seeing him leave a concealed valley looking cheerful.
• Li Changshou and True Lord Taiyi entered the valley, found Dragon Scales bearing Huang Long’s aura, and left without revealing that Li Changshou suspected a deeper secret.
• Li Changshou sent messages to the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace and Eight Treasures Cave, then secretly watched Huang Long return to the valley and enter a hidden cave beneath the river.
• Huang Long visited a portrait of an Azure Dragon, which revealed itself as his mother, the Dragon Mother, a remnant soul concealed from the Heavenly Dao.
• Li Changshou appeared through a Jade Talisman Message and asked the Dragon Mother about Luohu’s battle with the Dao Ancestor and where Luohu fell.
• The Dragon Mother questioned whether the Dragon Clan had chosen Li Changshou’s side, then ordered Huang Long to wait outside so she could speak with Li Changshou alone.

Li Changshou met Dragon Mother and learned that the ancient war was a clash between the Dao Ancestor’s pursuit of omniscience and the Devil Ancestor’s pursuit of omnipotence, with the Devil Ancestor’s corpse now at Foul Spring. He left a warning for the Dao Ancestor and reflected on the nature of True Spirits, Hongjun, and Pangu God.

• A gray-robed old Daoist sealed Daoist Huang Long’s Primordial Spirit, then left him bound and hanging from a tree while taking his appearance.
• Li Changshou showed Dragon Mother the damaged God-Slaying Spear and asked for the Devil Ancestor’s remains and Killing Intent.
• Dragon Mother explained that the Dao Ancestor and Devil Ancestor had fought over opposing paths, and revealed that the Devil Ancestor’s corpse lay at Foul Spring.
• Li Changshou described the limits of omniscience and omnipotence, then sent his ideas toward the Dao Ancestor before leaving through a Taiji Diagram gateway.
• Daoist Huang Long freed himself and departed peacefully, while Li Changshou returned to the Heavenly Court and considered the hidden truth about Hongjun and Single True Spirits.

Ling'e and Bell Spirit discussed Li Changshou’s recent battle with the Sages while he rested and considered his plans. On Spirit Mountain, Wen Jing asked Li Changshou for her mission, and he instructed her to destroy the Twelve-petal Golden Lotus at a crucial moment in the coming war.

• Ling'e returned to the Game Room and learned from Bell Spirit that Li Changshou and Zhao Gongming had killed a Sage.
• Bell Spirit warned Ling'e to remain on Lesser Qiong Peak because the Heavenly Dao still threatened Li Changshou.
• Wen Jing worried that she had no clear assignment and traveled by blood mosquito to meet Li Changshou at the Sea God Temple.
• Li Changshou told Wen Jing that she must wait until the Great Saint was unable to leave, then destroy the Twelve-petal Golden Lotus.
• Wen Jing accepted the mission and departed, while Li Changshou considered having her damage the lotus rather than simply destroy it.

Li Changshou reflected on Dao Ancestor’s long plan to weaken the Human Race and resolved to oppose him, while Heavenly Court’s halls shifted in preparation for the coming conflict. Six months later, as Wen Zhong prepared to attack Western Zhou, Li Changshou appeared in his command tent.

• Li Changshou concluded that Dao Ancestor had manipulated the Human Race’s history to reduce its influence and feared that Buddhist teachings would extinguish its defiant spirit.
• Heavenly Court’s palaces and departments moved into new positions, and Li Changshou sensed Dao Ancestor was acting earlier than planned.
• Wen Zhong returned from seeking Lü Yue’s aid and learned that Lü Yue would not use poison against mortals or disgrace the Immortal Alliance.
• Wen Zhong ordered the Shang army to prepare for an assault on Western Zhou, whose fall he believed could preserve the Shang Kingdom.
• At dawn, Wen Zhong armed himself and resolved to defeat Zhou before recognizing the unexpected visitor behind him as Taibai Star Lord.

Li Changshou confronted Wen Zhong before the assault on Western Zhou City, urging him to reconsider his failures and giving him counsel to deliver to King Zhou after his death. Wen Zhong died in battle, entered King Zhou’s dream to offer strategies for saving Shang, and arrived at the Investiture of the Gods Platform seeking forgiveness.

• Li Changshou told Wen Zhong that he had failed as King Zhou’s teacher and as a minister, then gave him a jade talisman with counsel and promised him a brief chance to enter King Zhou’s dream after dying.
• Wen Zhong led the Shang Army into battle, and after Western Zhou City fell, he withdrew the remaining Shang troops while fighting on with his followers against the Zhou forces.
• Jiang Shang urged Wen Zhong to surrender, but Huang Feihu arrived and expressed regret; Wen Zhong was killed by Fire Dragon after trying to strike Huang Feihu.
• Li Changshou delayed the Investiture of the Gods Platform and sent Wen Zhong into King Zhou’s dream, where Wen Zhong advised him to admit his faults and unite the people of Shang.
• King Zhou woke weeping and fainted, while Wen Zhong stood on the Investiture of the Gods Platform and asked forgiveness as a Criminal Immortal of the Jie Teaching.

After Wen Zhong's death, King Zhou mourned him and enacted reforms that stabilized Great Shang as Zhou Kingdom gathered the feudal lords against it. Li Changshou waited for the Dao Ancestor's next move, then sensed a profound Dao resonance and found his Grandmaster standing at Lesser Qiong Peak.

• King Zhou learned that Wen Zhong had died defending Western Zhou, distributed Wen Zhong's final strategies, and ordered ten days of mourning while appointing Bi Gan and Fei Lian to temporary duties.
• Yunxiao and Qiongxiao discussed Li Changshou's calculations and the unusual course of the Great Cataclysm, while Li Changshou considered how to unite Chan and Jie Teachings after removing the Dao Ancestor.
• Li Changshou divided his contest with the Heavenly Dao into four phases and spent the following years preparing for a direct confrontation while remaining publicly active in the Heavenly Court and at the Investiture of the Gods Platform.
• King Zhou implemented reforms that reduced harsh punishments and taxes, rewarded service, and helped Great Shang regain stability, while Ji Fa united the feudal lords at Mengjin and took the title of King Wu.
• Li Changshou sensed an obscure, powerful Dao resonance descending to Lesser Qiong Peak, hurried to the reception area, and greeted his Grandmaster.

Li Changshou met Dao Ancestor Hongjun, who offered him a token that could protect Yunxiao in exchange for leaving the conflict behind. Instead, Li Changshou revealed his theory that the Foul Spring was fueled by the Heavenly Dao’s own merit and karmic hindrance, then declared he could unleash it to destroy the Heavenly Court system.

• Ling'e and Bell Spirit worried about Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s arrival, but Ling'e believed Li Changshou had a plan.
• Hongjun met Li Changshou in a forest tea room and offered to let him leave with Yunxiao and the others, promising to arrange Yunxiao’s tribulation.
• Hongjun proposed a contest of Dao arts and offered Li Changshou a Great Cataclysm Death Exemption Token as the stake.
• Li Changshou accepted the token and explained that the Blood Sea and the Four Sea Eyes were clues to the true nature of the Foul Spring.
• Li Changshou argued that the Foul Spring was created by the Heavenly Dao’s selfish desire, which burned true spirits into Heavenly Dao merit and karmic hindrance.
• Li Changshou revealed that he could accumulate Heavenly Dao karmic hindrance and summon the Foul Spring to destroy the Heavenly Court system.

Li Changshou revealed a weapon capable of threatening the Heavenly Dao, then debated Dao Ancestor Hongjun over what it meant to be an Immortal. Hongjun challenged him to a contest over the outcome of the Shang-Zhou conflict, leaving Li Changshou unable to intervene while the two waited for the result.

• Li Changshou demonstrated how the Foul Spring could destroy the Heavenly Court and threaten the system Dao Ancestor Hongjun had built.
• Hongjun offered to spare Dong Wang Gong if Li Changshou competed against him, but Li Changshou rejected treating another person's life as a wager.
• Li Changshou argued that being an Immortal depended on one's heart and actions rather than cultivation, prompting Hongjun to challenge him over the outcome between Shang and Zhou.
• Li Changshou accepted the contest, and Hongjun created a three-dimensional Landscape Painting of the Primordial Wilderness as their chessboard.
• Hongjun asked Ling'e and Xiong Lingli to prepare a feast, then agreed that neither he nor Li Changshou would intervene while they waited for Shang and Zhou's final battle.