Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the old Yin-Yang master, Yu Chen analyzes the information he extracted through the man’s Fusang aura.
• He determines that Fusang’s Three Noble Children—Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo—are all third-rank beings, with Amaterasu the strongest. Yamata no Orochi and the Fusang Heavenly Sovereign are the strongest entities beneath them, though the latter is only at the peak of the fourth rank.
• Yu Chen studies Fusang’s fragmented political and divine structure. The country’s many mountain deities and independent feudal domains prevent complete unification. These Earthly Gods support Yamata no Orochi and obstruct the Heavenly Gods’ control.
• He observes that the creator gods associated with the Fusang Underworld and Omi Taga have seemingly vanished, probably destroyed or assimilated when the Eastern Ocean world merged with the current world.
• Yu Chen concludes that the struggle between the Heavenly Gods and Earthly Gods is reflected in myths such as Susanoo’s defeat of Yamata no Orochi, which may symbolize the Heavenly Gods suppressing the land’s native divine powers.
• He decides that he is not yet strong enough to infiltrate the Fusang Underworld and instead focuses on defense and maritime purification.
• Yu Chen reunites with the Seven-Colored Deer, reprimanding it for neglecting its purification duties and warning it that it must continue advancing alongside him.
• Over seven days, Yu Chen rides the deer across the sea, purifying polluted waters and leaving behind runes that form a defensive network along White Deer City’s coastline.
• Nearby immortal and Buddhist cultivators, unable to handle the pollution themselves, seek Yu Chen’s help. He signs contracts to extend his purification work into their jurisdictions.
• Yu Chen encounters a massive Sea-Air Three-Treasure Ship, an advanced merchant vessel powered by machinery, immortal techniques, sails, and paddle wheels.
• Suspecting that something dangerous or illicit may be hidden aboard, Yu Chen approaches and identifies himself as White Deer City’s guardian. He asks to inspect the ship for Fusang-related pollution or contraband.
• The ship’s crew responds with suspicion, aiming numerous rune-covered giant crossbows at him and secretly locking onto his aura. When Yu Chen requests that they stop for inspection, the ship’s owner ignores him and continues sailing, setting up a likely confrontation.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen demonstrates greater strategic insight and deepens his understanding of Fusang’s divine hierarchy, political fragmentation, and internal conflicts.
• He remains cautious and restrained, recognizing that he lacks the strength to investigate the Fusang Underworld directly. Instead, he chooses practical defensive measures.
• Yu Chen takes a more active leadership role by extending his purification work beyond his assigned territory and accepting contracts from weaker regional guardians.
• His relationship with the Seven-Colored Deer is affectionate but demanding. He reassures the deer that it is irreplaceable while firmly warning that it must improve its cultivation and fulfill its responsibilities.
• The Seven-Colored Deer appears emotionally dependent on Yu Chen and easily reassured, but it also shows laziness and insecurity regarding its progress.
• The ship’s crew is characterized as highly suspicious and defensive, treating Yu Chen as a possible demon, pirate, or trap.

Significant Themes

• Fragmented authority: Fusang’s divided mountain domains and competing Earthly Gods prevent centralized control, creating tension between local and imperial divine powers.
• Myth as political symbolism: Legends of Susanoo and Yamata no Orochi may encode historical or metaphysical conflicts between the Heavenly Gods and Earthly Gods.
• Assimilation and loss of identity: The disappearance of Fusang’s creator gods reflects how divine beings and mythologies can be altered or erased when worlds merge.
• Preparation over recklessness: Yu Chen recognizes his current limitations and prioritizes defense, purification, and strengthening his territory rather than pursuing an overly dangerous investigation.
• Responsibility and cultivation: The exchange between Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer emphasizes that power must be accompanied by discipline, duty, and continued advancement.
• Suspicion and mistrust: The encounter with the merchant ship highlights the danger of misunderstandings in a polluted, pirate-threatened maritime region.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer: Their playful yet corrective exchange reveals mutual attachment. Yu Chen teases and comforts the deer but also pressures it to take cultivation and purification seriously.
• Yu Chen and regional guardians: Other cultivators recognize Yu Chen’s superior ability and formally seek his assistance, expanding his influence through contracts.
• Yu Chen and the merchant ship’s crew: Yu Chen acts diplomatically, identifying himself and explaining his inspection request. The crew responds with hostility and suspicion, aiming lethal weapons at him and refusing to cooperate.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen, the new immortal-path guardian of White Deer City, inspects a Sea-Air Three-Treasure Ship due to changes in the seawater.
• The ship's master, a wealthy magnate, attempts to bribe Yu Chen with precious materials and offers from his maidservants.
• Yu Chen exposes the magnate's slave trade, involving people from the Southern Ocean and demons from Fusang, as well as his connection to dwarf pirates.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen demonstrates his power and determination to uphold justice, showing no mercy to those who exploit and harm others.
• The middle-aged magnate reveals his ruthless and manipulative nature, using wealth and power to control others and avoid consequences.

Significant Themes

• The corrupting influence of wealth and power.
• The exploitation of the weak by the strong.
• The importance of upholding justice and moral integrity.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen confronts the middle-aged magnate, exposing his crimes and showing no tolerance for his attempts at bribery and manipulation.
• The magnate's steward and maidservants try to appease Yu Chen, but their efforts are futile.
• A Fusang swordsman, under the magnate's employ, attempts to attack Yu Chen but is swiftly defeated and killed.
• The magnate's shadow ghost servant is also defeated and killed by Yu Chen.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen encounters a wealthy middle-aged merchant protected by an azure aura and a mysterious divine radiance.
• The merchant carries a scripture scroll describing a deity as "God," which Yu Chen finds intriguing and potentially subversive.
• Yu Chen uses a sacrifice to inform the heavenly will of the merchant's actions, causing his fortune and rank to decline.
• Yu Chen seizes an iron cage containing a White Fox, an auspicious beast of the Seventh Rank, and extracts solar divinity from it.
• He creates an illusory butterfly from water vapor and instructs Zhao Xuanlang to monitor the merchant's assets.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen demonstrates his power and understanding of the Nine-Rank hierarchy, as well as his ability to interact with the heavenly will.
• The wealthy merchant's rank and fortune decline due to heavenly will's intervention, showing the consequences of acting against its will.

Significant Themes

• The Nine-Rank hierarchy and its influence on fortune and rank.
• The relationship between the heavenly will (Haotian) and the concept of "God."
• The potential consequences of challenging the established order.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and the wealthy merchant: Yu Chen investigates the merchant's actions and causes his decline, showing his power and disregard for the merchant's well-being.
• Yu Chen and Zhao Xuanlang: Yu Chen instructs Zhao to monitor the merchant's assets, demonstrating their collaboration and trust.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen summons his three disciples (A Lu, Qi, and Yu) and reveals his plan to send them to another world for cultivation.
• A Lu reincarnates in Fusang, merging with local fortunes and forming a unique divine rank.
• Yu Chen guides the White Fox (fused with Yu's soul) to befriend A Lu's reincarnation and leaves cultivation information with him.
• Yu Chen visits Blackwater, meets the Tortoise Immortal, and learns about the Spirit Turtle's progress.
• The Spirit Turtle, now named Turtle Spirit, is struggling to condense a mana core due to rapid bloodline growth.

Character Developments

• A Lu: Reincarnates in Fusang, merges with local fortunes, and forms a unique divine rank.
• Yu: Fuses with the White Fox, strengthens his soul and will, and learns about Turtle Spirit's struggles.
• Turtle Spirit: Struggles with cultivation due to rapid bloodline growth, now lives by the seashore, and is known as Turtle Spirit.
• Tortoise Immortal: Improves her cultivation, becomes more solidified, and acts as a mentor to Turtle Spirit.

Significant Themes

• Reincarnation and new beginnings.
• The struggle between bloodline growth and cultivation improvement.
• Mentorship and guidance in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen guides and advises his disciples (A Lu, Qi, and Yu) on their cultivation paths.
• Yu Chen interacts with the Tortoise Immortal, learning about Turtle Spirit's progress and accepting Turtle Spirit's new name.
• The White Fox (fused with Yu's soul) interacts with A Lu's reincarnation, forming a friendship and leaving cultivation information with him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter begins with the change of seasons outside Purple Empyrean Temple, while inside, the environment remains unchanged due to the presence of two auspicious beasts.
• Seven-Colored Deer returns from the seaside, nourishing the plants with its seven-colored rosy light.
• Turtle Spirit, Yu Chen's disciple, asks for food, causing Seven-Colored Deer to express its displeasure.
• Turtle Spirit digests the jade paste, sorting out the earth veins and qi, restoring the temple's usual state.
• Seven-Colored Deer feels jealous of Turtle Spirit's closeness to Yu Chen, leading to a tense interaction.
• Yu Chen explains Turtle Spirit's unique situation and offers to teach Seven-Colored Deer more to ease its resentment.
• Zhao Xuanlang, another disciple, visits Yu Chen to seek guidance on breaking through to a unique-type sixth-grade spirit status.

Character Developments

• Turtle Spirit: Shows childlike behavior and a lack of proportion, but demonstrates progress in comprehending heavenly secrets and constellations.
• Seven-Colored Deer: Feels jealous of Turtle Spirit's closeness to Yu Chen, leading to tension between them. It eventually decides not to lower itself to Turtle Spirit's level.
• Yu Chen: Shows patience and understanding towards his disciples' issues, offering guidance and support.
• Zhao Xuanlang: Shows dedication and respect towards his teacher, seeking Yu Chen's guidance for his upcoming breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• The relationship between Yu Chen and his disciples, showcasing his patience, understanding, and guidance.
• The growth and development of Turtle Spirit, highlighting its unique situation and progress.
• The jealousy and tension between Seven-Colored Deer and Turtle Spirit, exploring the dynamics of their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Turtle Spirit: Yu Chen shows care and understanding towards Turtle Spirit, feeding it and guiding its growth.
• Seven-Colored Deer and Turtle Spirit: Tension exists between them due to Seven-Colored Deer's jealousy of Turtle Spirit's closeness to Yu Chen.
• Yu Chen and Seven-Colored Deer: Yu Chen tries to smooth things over between them, offering to teach Seven-Colored Deer more to ease its resentment.
• Yu Chen and Zhao Xuanlang: Yu Chen provides detailed guidance to Zhao Xuanlang for his upcoming breakthrough, showcasing his role as a teacher.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen takes Zhao Xuanlang to Purple Empyrean Temple's Wealth God Hall for worship, aiming to help him breakthrough to a higher rank.
• Zhao Xuanlang worships the Wealth God and his personal statue of Wang Lingguan, then attempts to elevate his rank.
• Despite his efforts, Zhao Xuanlang struggles to reach the sixth-rank status due to an unresolved connection between Lingguan and the Wealth God.
• Yu Chen intervenes, drawing power from the Wealth God's statue to aid Zhao Xuanlang's breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Zhao Xuanlang successfully breaks through to the sixth-rank status, becoming the Principal Wealth God—Zhao Gongming.
• Yu Chen demonstrates his ability to manipulate the power of the gods' statues for his purposes.

Significant Themes

• The relationship between worship, rank, and power in the nine-rank hierarchy is explored.
• The concept of divine intervention and assistance is shown through Yu Chen's aid to Zhao Xuanlang.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen guides Zhao Xuanlang through the worship and breakthrough process, demonstrating his role as a teacher.
• Zhao Xuanlang's internal struggle with his connection to Lingguan and the Wealth God is resolved with Yu Chen's help.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Yang, a sixth-rank unique-type Spirit Template: Master of Heart-Mind Learning, is introduced.
• Yu Chen, Wang Yang's teacher, reflects on the title of 'master' and its historical significance.
• Monk Jingguang visits, revealing the prefect of White Deer City's concerns about Yu Chen's growing influence and potential sixth-rank breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Wang Yang demonstrates humility and respect for his teacher, Yu Chen.
• Yu Chen shows regret about teaching Wang Yang Heart-Mind Learning, unsure if it helped or hindered his disciple's path.
• Zhao Xuanlang and Wang Ming express concern about the prefect's fears regarding Yu Chen's influence.

Significant Themes

• The evolution of titles like 'doctor', 'master', and 'scholar' throughout history.
• The potential consequences of Yu Chen's growing power and influence in White Deer City.
• The relationship between a teacher and their disciples, and the impact of teaching on both parties.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Wang Yang: Teacher-student interaction, with Wang Yang showing deference and Yu Chen expressing regret.
• Yu Chen and Monk Jingguang: Friendly banter, with Monk Jingguang acting as an intermediary between Yu Chen and the prefect.
• Zhao Xuanlang and Wang Ming with Yu Chen: Disciples expressing concern for their teacher's situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A new prefect arrives in White Deer City and sends Monk Jingguang to offer Yu Chen a deal: lie low, maintain the status quo, and in return, he'll raise Yu Chen's title and help Wang Yang's future entry into the court.
• Yu Chen declines the offer, deciding to enter secluded cultivation and travel abroad for a while, entrusting the temple's affairs to his disciple Zhao Xuanlang.
• After two years, the prefect sends an Eighth Rank bronze seal and grants Zhao Xuanlang a Subordinate Sixth Rank title.
• Yu Chen, seeing Zhao Xuanlang's growth, leaves Purple Empyrean Temple and heads to Omi Taga in Fusang.
• He discovers that A Lu, now twelve, has been studying Buddhist teachings and has condensed the status of an Eighth Rank monk.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen: He remains calm and composed, declining the prefect's offer and choosing to focus on his cultivation and the growth of his disciples. He shows concern for the well-being of White Deer City and its residents.
• Zhao Xuanlang: He grows more adept at handling temple affairs, eventually earning a title from the prefect, solidifying his position.
• A Lu: He has been studying Buddhist teachings and has made significant progress, condensing the status of an Eighth Rank monk at just twelve years old.

Significant Themes

• Power and Influence: The prefect's offer highlights the power dynamics between Yu Chen and the court, as well as the influence of titles and seals.
• Cultivation and Growth: The chapter emphasizes the importance of cultivation and personal growth, with both Yu Chen and A Lu focusing on their spiritual development.
• Responsibility and Delegation: Yu Chen entrusts the temple's affairs to Zhao Xuanlang, showing his trust in his disciple's abilities and his willingness to take a step back from his responsibilities.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Monk Jingguang: They have a brief but significant interaction, with Monk Jingguang acting as a messenger from the new prefect, and Yu Chen declining the offer.
• Yu Chen and Wang Yang: Though not present in this chapter, their relationship is referenced, with Yu Chen prioritizing Wang Yang's future over his own title.
• Yu Chen and Zhao Xuanlang: Their relationship evolves as Yu Chen gradually withdraws from temple affairs, entrusting them to Zhao Xuanlang.
• Yu Chen and A Lu: Their relationship is not explored in depth, but Yu Chen's surprise at A Lu's progress shows his continued interest in his disciple's well-being.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bilu, a noble descendant with spiritual powers, leads morning services at a temple, revealing a faint Buddhist radiance.
• Yatagarasu, a fifth-rank deity and messenger of Amaterasu, tries to recruit Bilu to Ise Grand Shrine, but Bilu declines.
• Yu Chen, a powerful figure, intervenes, destroying Yatagarasu's divine messenger and healing Bilu's memories.
• Bilu recognizes Yu Chen as his teacher, and Yu Chen decides to find Qi and Yu but leaves Bilu to continue studying Buddhism in Fusang.

Character Developments

• Bilu: Starts as a pious monk with suppressed memories, becomes more assertive and acknowledges Yu Chen as his teacher.
• Yu Chen: Shows his power and wisdom, decides to help Bilu and find Qi and Yu.
• A Lu (Bilu): Initially embarrassed by Yu Chen's comment, later shows curiosity about Yu Chen's plan.

Significant Themes

• The tension between Buddhism and local deities in Fusang.
• The power of memories and their influence on one's identity.
• The struggle between different beliefs and their followers.

Character Interactions

• Bilu and Yatagarasu: Yatagarasu tries to recruit Bilu, but Bilu declines, leading to a confrontation.
• Bilu and Yu Chen: Bilu recognizes Yu Chen as his teacher, and Yu Chen decides to help him.
• Yu Chen and A Lu: Yu Chen teases A Lu, who blushes and changes the subject.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen observes the chaotic religious landscape of Fusang, where the Three Noble Children (Fusang's highest deities) distort information, hindering Buddhism's development.
• Buddhism persists due to Central Plains' support, creating a tangled web of faiths among different factions.
• Yu Chen plans to use this chaos to help A Lu gain power by targeting Amaterasu's authority.
• Yu Chen visits a village where his disciples, the Qi and Yu brothers, have established shrines, indicating their spiritual growth.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen: Shows strategic thinking in using the religious chaos to benefit A Lu, and pride in his disciples' progress.
• A Lu: Demonstrates understanding and cooperation with Yu Chen's plan, showing trust in his teacher.
• Qi and Yu Brothers: Despite losing their memories, they've established shrines and shown spiritual growth, pleasing Yu Chen.

Significant Themes

• Religious Chaos and Opportunity: The tangled web of faiths in Fusang presents both challenges and opportunities for Yu Chen and his disciples.
• Mentor-Student Relationship: Yu Chen's pride in his disciples' progress highlights the importance of this relationship.
• Spiritual Growth: The Qi and Yu brothers' establishment of shrines indicates their spiritual advancement despite losing their memories.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and A Lu: Yu Chen shares his plan with A Lu, showing trust and confidence in his student's abilities.
• Yu Chen and the Qi and Yu Brothers: Yu Chen visits their village, pleased with their progress, showing a caring mentor-student relationship.
• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer: The deer shows understanding of Yu Chen's intentions and expresses a desire to learn from the Qi and Yu brothers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen and Seven-Colored Deer enter a prosperous village protected by the Qi and Yu brothers, with advanced farming techniques and divine power nourishing the land.
• Yu Chen observes the village's protection system, noting the balance of yin and yang disrupted in Fusang due to underworld chaos.
• Yu Chen senses a dream ripple in the Qi and Yu brothers' divine domain, noticing pale green flame butterflies with gloomy auras.
• Aoandon, an evil ghost, is revealed to be behind the butterflies, seeking to monopolize Qi's authority and divinity, this time with allies.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen demonstrates his understanding of the village's protection system and the balance of yin and yang in Fusang.
• Seven-Colored Deer shows eagerness to learn and absorb information, though he misses some crucial details.
• Aoandon's true nature as an evil ghost is further revealed, showing her cunning and manipulative tactics.

Significant Themes

• The balance of yin and yang, and its disruption in Fusang.
• The relationship between believers and deities in Fusang, highlighting the unique challenges and dynamics.
• The struggle for power and authority among deities and demons.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Seven-Colored Deer: Yu Chen teaches and guides Seven-Colored Deer, who eagerly learns and absorbs information.
• Aoandon and her allies: Aoandon manipulates Face Spirit and the tanuki, using them as pawns in her scheme to gain Qi's authority and divinity.
• Yu Chen and the unknown: Yu Chen senses the dream ripple and notices the butterflies, hinting at his awareness of the threat posed by Aoandon.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aoandon, a powerful demon, attacks the shrine, prompting the White Fox to defend it.
• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer arrive at the shrine, surprising the White Fox.
• Yu Chen helps the White Fox by sharing a divine ability and strategy to defeat Aoandon's group.
• White Fox Yu faces off against Aoandon's subordinates, Face Spirit and the Raccoon Dog, using his newfound power.

Character Developments

• White Fox Yu evolves into a human form after receiving Yu Chen's guidance.
• Face Spirit, a demon formed from masks imbued with human emotions, reveals its true abilities.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and power dynamics among deities and demons.
• The influence of human emotions and beliefs on supernatural entities.
• The consequences of interfering in local faiths and power structures.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer interact with White Fox Yu, with Yu Chen providing guidance and assistance.
• White Fox Yu faces off against Face Spirit and the Raccoon Dog, demonstrating his newfound power and strategic thinking.
• The White Fox's shrine maidens and warriors support him in battle, showcasing their loyalty and teamwork.

Key Plot Points and Events

• White Fox Yu encounters a Hannya, a vengeful spirit born from jealousy, which is affecting the Fusang Underworld.
• Yu uses his gohei to repel the Hannya, causing it to attack nearby yokai.
• Aoandon, a yokai, tries to trap the butterfly (Qi) in her Hundred Stories Ukiyo-e by twisting his foundation using Matsuo Bashō's haiku.
• Qi, with Yu's help, understands Zhuang Zhou's Dream Butterfly Method and reverses Aoandon's trap, absorbing her Hundred Stories Ukiyo-e.
• Qi and Yu return to the main hall, where Yu Chen gifts Yu a mask with protective properties.

Character Developments

• Qi gains a deeper understanding of dreams and his own path, becoming more self-aware.
• Yu demonstrates his power and skill in dealing with the Hannya and receives a gift from Yu Chen.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and resentment as the source of power for vengeful spirits (Hannya).
• The transformative nature of dreams and reality, as seen in Zhuang Zhou's Dream Butterfly Method.
• The power of art and literature, as seen in Aoandon's Hundred Stories Ukiyo-e and the influence of Matsuo Bashō's haiku.

Character Interactions

• Yu and Qi work together to overcome Aoandon's trap, with Yu providing guidance and support.
• Yu Chen gifts Yu a mask, demonstrating his role as a mentor and protector.
• Aoandon and the Hannya serve as antagonists, driving the plot and character development.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer visit Ōgetsuhime's territory, finding the people impoverished despite a good harvest.
• Yu Chen learns that Ōgetsuhime, once a powerful agricultural goddess, has been weakened and her authority usurped by other gods.
• Yu Chen discovers that Ōgetsuhime's foundation has been stripped by Amaterasu, making her a subordinate concept.
• Yu Chen visits Ukanomitama's territory and realizes she is a reincarnation of Ōgetsuhime.
• Ukanomitama (Ōgetsuhime) reveals she retains her memories and powers due to her connection to food and people's worship through consumption.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen: Shows his knowledge of Fusang's mythological system and his strategic thinking in planning his next move.
• Ōgetsuhime (Ukanomitama): Reveals her resilience and calmness despite her weakened state, retaining her memories and powers.

Significant Themes

• The decline of an ancient goddess and the usurpation of her authority by other gods.
• The connection between gods and their worshippers, and how it affects their power and existence.
• The resilience of ancient deities and their ability to retain their memories and powers.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer: They work together to gather information and understand the situation in Ōgetsuhime's territory.
• Yu Chen and Ukanomitama (Ōgetsuhime): Yu Chen interacts with Ukanomitama, learning about her true identity and understanding her situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen reveals that the Millet Deity is undying, not Ukanomitama or Ōgetsuhime.
• He uses his power to anchor Ukanomitama's concept, threatening her existence.
• Ukanomitama reveals her desire for revenge against the Three Noble Children.
• Yu Chen offers Ukanomitama an opportunity to retaliate against the Three Noble Children.
• Ukanomitama senses Yu Chen's true status as a Spirit Treasure Heavenly King.
• Ukanomitama submits to Yu Chen, establishing a master-subordinate relationship.
• Yu Chen condenses a talisman for Ukanomitama, which she accepts.
• Ukanomitama shares a map of Fusang's providence, showing the struggle between divine lights.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen demonstrates his power and knowledge, revealing his true status.
• Ukanomitama shows adaptability and respect for strength, submitting to Yu Chen.
• Ukanomitama reveals her desire for revenge, showing her ambition.

Significant Themes

• The power of ancient deities and their divine status.
• The struggle for providence and divine authority.
• The cycle of birth, death, and transformation.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Ukanomitama interact, with Yu Chen threatening and ultimately gaining Ukanomitama's submission.
• Ukanomitama shares her plans with Yu Chen, showing trust in their new relationship.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter reveals the origins and power dynamics of the Three Noble Children (Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Susanoo) who govern the High Plain of Heaven, Night's Food Plain, and the sea plain respectively.
• Ukanomitama shares the true story behind Susanoo's exile and Amaterasu's ascension to power, differing from the mythological records.
• Susanoo, now master of the earth, shares his status with Amaterasu, leading to a covenant of mutual nonaggression.
• Ukanomitama explains the desires and potential actions of Susanoo, Tsukuyomi, and Yamata no Orochi in the event of netherworld upheaval.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen learns about the complex relationships and power struggles among the Three Noble Children, gaining insight into potential conflicts.
• Ukanomitama reveals her past as Ukemochi and her desire to regain her place in the world after the merger of the Fusang and mortal worlds.

Significant Themes

• The chapter explores the themes of power, deception, and manipulation among divine beings, as well as the consequences of merging different worlds.
• It also delves into the concept of divine authority and the desire for greater power and influence.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen interacts with Ukanomitama, learning about the true history of the Three Noble Children and their potential actions in the netherworld.
• Ukanomitama shares her past and her knowledge of the other gods, revealing her desire for Yu Chen to help her regain her status.
• The chapter does not feature direct interactions among the Three Noble Children, but rather Ukanomitama's account of their past actions and potential future behavior.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer search Fusang's mountain forests for yin energy, encountering Grandmother Fires (yokai formed from elderly spirits).
• Yu Chen discovers the reason behind Fusang's custom of abandoning the elderly: to prevent the accumulation of baleful energy that could transform them into demons or open netherworld passages.
• Yu Chen learns about Fusang's political system, where court nobles and warriors hold significant power, and regional lords can be enfeoffed with vast territories.
• Yu Chen's purification of a Grandmother Fire attracts the attention of Tsukuyomi, who dispatches the Eight-Span Crow to devour Yu Chen's power.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen: Develops a sixth-rank Dark Moon spiritual rank with the auras of moonlight, purification, and salvation, gaining favor from Fusang's heaven and earth and attracting Tsukuyomi's attention.
• Tsukuyomi: Becomes aware of Yu Chen's power and sends the Eight-Span Crow to consume it, revealing his desire to become the Lord of Ghosts and Monsters.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of Fusang's netherworld chaos on its people and customs.
• The complex political power dynamics in Fusang, with court nobles, warriors, and regional lords each holding significant influence.
• The struggle for power among Fusang's gods, with Tsukuyomi's actions driven by his ambition to become the Lord of Ghosts and Monsters.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and the Seven-Colored Deer: They work together to search for yin energy and encounter yokai, with the Seven-Colored Deer providing insight into Fusang's customs and politics.
• Yu Chen and Tsukuyomi: Though they do not interact directly, Tsukuyomi's awareness of Yu Chen's power and his dispatch of the Eight-Span Crow to consume it foreshadows potential conflict between them.

Chapter Summary: “Sutoku (Please Subscribe)”

Plot Points and Events

• Using Tsukuyomi’s heightened perception through the authority of the Nether Moon, Yu Chen detects Sutoku Great Tengu approaching.
• Yu Chen recognizes Sutoku as a rare fourth-rank existence: the Fusang Great Demon’s Fate—Retired Emperor Sutoku. Sutoku possesses Buddhist, Shinto, heterodox, and bloodline powers, making him formidable, though emotionally unstable.
• Yu Chen prepares a sealing formation and deliberately provokes Sutoku by recounting his tragic and controversial origins:
  • His incestuous birth and troubled royal lineage.
  • His early enthronement, deposition, failed attempt to reclaim power, and exile.
  • His conversion to Buddhism and creation of blood-written sutras as an act of repentance.
  • Their rejection by the capital, which drove him into madness.
  • His transformation into a tengu-like being and eventual suicide.
• Enraged, Sutoku attacks with a black feather fan, unleashing baleful winds, flaming feathers, and massive tornadoes. Yu Chen remains largely unharmed.
• Yu Chen’s formation begins purifying Sutoku’s aura and suppressing Tsukuyomi’s influence, allowing Sutoku to think more clearly rather than act purely from rage.
• Yu Chen then argues that Sutoku’s rise and later downfall were not entirely caused by his own resentment. Instead, multiple political and divine factions manipulated him as a pawn in a struggle to force the Heavenly Sovereign to submit.
• He questions why Sutoku, despite briefly gaining fourth-rank power and dominating Amaterasu’s descendants for decades, was ultimately neutralized by the creation of a mere fifth-rank spiritual rank.
• Yu Chen points out that Sutoku’s former power later split into two fifth-rank authorities: Calamity Deity—Sutoku and Ghost King—Sutoku Great Tengu.
• The chapter ends with Yu Chen asking which faction inherited the Calamity Deity aspect, implying that Sutoku’s division was part of a larger conspiracy involving Tsukuyomi and other divine powers.

Character Development

• Yu Chen is shown as perceptive, strategically manipulative, and psychologically sharp. Rather than defeating Sutoku through force, he attacks his emotional weaknesses while secretly using a formation to restrain and stabilize him.
• Sutoku Great Tengu is portrayed as powerful but deeply traumatized and prone to uncontrollable rage. His fury initially makes him vulnerable to manipulation, but Yu Chen’s formation restores enough clarity for him to question his own history.
• Sutoku begins shifting from blind hostility toward suspicion. Yu Chen’s claims force him to reconsider whether his life, death, and supernatural transformation were orchestrated by others.
• Tsukuyomi remains an unseen but influential presence. Although Sutoku serves him, Yu Chen implies that Tsukuyomi may have benefited from or participated in Sutoku’s division and exploitation.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and political conspiracy: Sutoku may have been used by divine and political factions to pressure the Heavenly Sovereign, suggesting that historical disasters were engineered rather than spontaneous.
• The rewriting of history: Yu Chen challenges the official explanation that Sutoku’s resentment alone caused Fusang’s calamities, presenting them instead as the result of deliberate divine interference.
• Trauma and vengeance: Sutoku’s rejection, humiliation, and failed repentance transformed his desire for forgiveness into hatred and destructive resentment.
• Identity divided by power: The splitting of Sutoku’s fourth-rank authority into separate calamity and ghost-king aspects reflects the fragmentation of his identity and legacy.
• Free will versus being a pawn: The chapter questions whether Sutoku’s actions were truly his own or whether he was manipulated by stronger factions.
• Rage versus reason: Yu Chen’s formation symbolically and literally restrains Sutoku’s anger, allowing him to think critically about the forces that shaped him.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Sutoku engage in a battle of both magic and psychological warfare.
• Sutoku attacks aggressively, while Yu Chen counters effortlessly and uses mockery to provoke him.
• Yu Chen’s deliberate insults trigger Sutoku’s rage, but the sealing formation prevents that rage from fully overwhelming him.
• Once Sutoku regains clarity, the interaction changes from a simple confrontation into an interrogation. Yu Chen presents an alternative interpretation of Sutoku’s past, forcing him to question his allegiance to Tsukuyomi and the circumstances of his downfall.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen provokes Sutoku Great Tengu, revealing a possible truth about his origin and abandonment, leading to a clash between Sutoku and Tsukuyomi's essence.
• Yu Chen captures a trace of Tsukuyomi's essence and transforms into Sutoku's appearance, then confronts Tsukuyomi in the Land of Night.
• Tsukuyomi reveals his lack of remorse for the lives he's taken, and Yu Chen curses him.

Character Developments

• Sutoku Great Tengu: Struggles with his past and true origins, leading to a mental breakdown and clash with Tsukuyomi.
• Yu Chen: Demonstrates his power and cunning, manipulating Sutoku and Tsukuyomi to further his goals.
• Tsukuyomi: Reveals his cold and unremorseful nature, showing no regard for the lives he's taken.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and power struggles among gods and factions.
• The consequences of abandoning and manipulating others for personal gain.
• The lack of remorse and mercy among powerful beings.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen manipulates Sutoku Great Tengu, causing him to clash with Tsukuyomi.
• Tsukuyomi and Yu Chen (disguised as Sutoku) confront each other, leading to Yu Chen's curse.
• Tsukuyomi's shrine maiden attempts to intervene but is killed by Yu Chen's Sutoku disguise.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Chen, unable to maintain his Sutoku Great Tengu form, reveals his true self and summons a Serpent Curse Banner, connecting with the curses and sins accumulated within Tsukuyomi's divine kingdom.
• The curses, given a corresponding rank by Yu Chen's banner, manifest as serpent shadows and black flames, attacking Tsukuyomi.
• Tsukuyomi initially dismisses the curses but is later affected by them, leading to Yu Chen's counterattack with the Severing Sword.
• Tsukuyomi withstands the sword's initial strike and reveals that vital points do not apply to beings like them.

Character Developments

• Yu Chen demonstrates his research into the nine-rank hierarchy system and his ability to manipulate curses, revealing his strategic and resourceful nature.
• Tsukuyomi showcases his divine power and rank, displaying his strength and resilience against Yu Chen's attacks.

Significant Themes

• The power of curses and their ability to affect even divine beings, given the right conditions.
• The limits of divine power and the concept of vital points in beings of high rank.

Character Interactions

• Yu Chen and Tsukuyomi engage in a battle of wits and power, with Yu Chen using his knowledge of curses and the Severing Sword, while Tsukuyomi relies on his divine power and rank.
• Tsukuyomi initially underestimates Yu Chen but later acknowledges his abilities, leading to a shift in their power dynamic.