Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A Chance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Di Jun returns to the Sun Star after successfully refining the Purple Star’s origin, believing he has completed the core component of the Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation.
• He is shocked to find Dijiang seated on the Demon Clan’s throne, with Taiyi, Bai Ze, Fuxi, and the other leaders standing helplessly below.
• Dijiang reveals that he has come to offer the Demon Clan a chance to submit to the Heavenly Court. He proposes appointing Di Jun as Ziwei Emperor, placing him in charge of the starry sky, while Taiyi, Fuxi, and the others would receive positions as Star Lords.
• Di Jun and Taiyi reject the offer, refusing to become vassals of the Witch Cult. They declare that the Demon Clan would rather die than surrender.
• Dijiang leaves peacefully, warning that if Di Jun later regrets his decision, he will have to beg for acceptance.
• Afterward, Di Jun explains that he sacrificed the Sun Star’s Fortune in order to obtain and refine the Purple Star’s origin. This caused his cultivation to fall to the middle stage of the Quasi-Saint realm.
• Taiyi promises to help Di Jun recover, but Di Jun insists that completing the Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation is more important than his temporary loss of cultivation.
• Back in the Heavenly Court, Dijiang explains to Kong Jue why he did not kill the Demon Clan leaders: their immense Fortune would make their deaths costly to the Witch Cult. He also orders Kong Jue to monitor Kunlun Mountain, anticipating that the weakened Three Pure Ones may soon act.
• Days later, news spreads that the Three Pure Ones have opened Kunlun Mountain and begun accepting disciples, attracting countless cultivators hoping to gain a Sage’s protection and guidance.

Character Developments

• Di Jun demonstrates both ambition and sacrifice. Although he has lost cultivation and the Sun Star’s Fortune, he remains committed to securing the Demon Clan’s future. His refusal to submit shows his pride and determination to establish an independent dominion.
• Taiyi remains fiercely loyal to his brother and the Demon Clan. He is distressed by Di Jun’s weakened cultivation and openly supports resistance against Dijiang.
• Bai Ze and Fuxi respond pragmatically, recognizing the importance of Di Jun’s sacrifice and immediately focusing on completing the star formation.
• Dijiang is portrayed as confident, calculating, and politically farsighted. Rather than destroying the Demon Clan, he offers submission as a strategic choice and preserves the possibility of bringing them under Heavenly Court control later.
• Kong Jue is loyal and decisive but initially thinks too narrowly, wanting Dijiang to eliminate the Demon Clan immediately. Dijiang’s explanation begins teaching him the value of patience and long-term strategy.
• The Three Pure Ones appear poised to strengthen their influence after suffering a setback, leading to their decision to recruit disciples.

Significant Themes

• Pride versus survival: Di Jun chooses independence despite the danger, rejecting a safer position under the Heavenly Court.
• Sacrifice for the greater good: Di Jun gives up the Sun Star’s Fortune and suffers a cultivation decline to advance the Demon Clan’s formation.
• Political power and strategic patience: Dijiang understands that immediate destruction is not always advantageous; controlling or waiting for rivals may yield greater benefits.
• Fate, Fortune, and the Dao: The chapter emphasizes how Fortune affects cultivation, power, and the consequences of killing major figures.
• Mentorship and opportunity: Dijiang offers the Demon Clan one path forward, while the Three Pure Ones’ recruitment creates another opportunity for ambitious cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Dijiang and Di Jun: Their meeting is a tense confrontation between an overwhelmingly powerful ruler and a proud rival. Dijiang offers Di Jun authority within the Heavenly Court, but Di Jun refuses to bow.
• Di Jun and Taiyi: Taiyi expresses concern over Di Jun’s loss of cultivation and vows to help him recover. Their exchange highlights their brotherly loyalty.
• Di Jun, Bai Ze, and Fuxi: After hearing the truth about the Purple Star, they set aside their shock and unite around completing the Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation.
• Dijiang and Kong Jue: Dijiang explains his strategic reasoning and instructs Kong Jue to spy on Kunlun Mountain, reinforcing the relationship between an experienced leader and a still-developing subordinate.
• The Three Pure Ones and the cultivators of the Primordial World: Their decision to accept disciples sparks widespread excitement, as countless cultivators view Sage discipleship as a chance to improve their destinies.

Plot points and events

• The Greenwood Wolf Tribe’s chief, fearing the growing conflict between the Witch Cult and Demon Clan, sends three promising youths to seek protection through powerful affiliations: Qing Feng to the Witch Cult, Qing Yan to the Chan Sect, and Qing Yun to the Interception Sect.
• Similar groups across the Primordial World send their most talented members toward Mount Buzhou and Kunlun Mountain, hoping to secure their tribes’ futures.
• Disappointed independent cultivators leave Mount Buzhou for Kunlun Mountain, believing the Three Pure Ones may recognize their worth. The Witch Cult’s guards let them go, seeing them as unproductive and unable to grasp the laws.
• Jieyin and Zhunti, worried about the Western Lands’ lack of talent and Fortune, decide to recruit these travelers for the Western Religion.
• Zhunti disguises himself as a kindly elder, flatters a group of cultivators, and discourages them from seeking discipleship on Kunlun Mountain. He promises personal teaching and Innate Spirit Treasures in the West.
• The cultivators accept his offer, and Zhunti carries them west—beginning the Western Religion’s effort to attract talent from the East.

Character developments and interactions

• The Greenwood chief acts cautiously, spreading the tribe’s bets across rival powers to improve its chances of survival.
• The independent cultivators are resentful of the Witch Cult’s hierarchy and overconfident about their prospects elsewhere, making them vulnerable to Zhunti’s persuasion.
• Zhunti is opportunistic and skilled at manipulation, disguising recruitment as compassionate guidance; Jieyin supports the plan but urges restraint to avoid provoking stronger powers.
• The passage contrasts the chief’s strategic assignments, the cultivators’ hopeful departure, and Zhunti’s calculated interception.

Significant themes

• Survival through allegiance: Smaller groups seek protection by attaching themselves to powerful institutions.
• Competition for talent and Fortune: Religious factions vie for followers as a path to greater influence.
• Hope and exploitation: The cultivators’ desire for recognition allows Zhunti to win them over with promises.
• Strategic deception and restraint: Jieyin and Zhunti pursue their ambitions while trying not to trigger conflict with the Three Pure Ones or the Witch Cult.

Plot and key events

• Kunlun Mountain’s Three Pure Ones open their gates to recruit disciples. Although many seekers arrive, nearly all are too weak to pass Yuanshi Tianzun’s tests.
• Tongtian discovers that promising candidates have been diverted west. Laozi calculates that Jieyin and Zhunti are intercepting recruits for the Western Religion.
• Yuanshi and Tongtian confront Zhunti near Kunlun. Jieyin arrives, blocks Yuanshi’s attack with the Twelfth-Grade Golden Lotus of Merit, gathers the recruits, and escapes with Zhunti. The Three Pure Ones pursue but fail to catch them.
• Watching from Mount Buzhou, Dijiang decides the Witch Cult should recruit and train talented newcomers of its own.
• At the Demon Court, Bai Ze warns Di Jun that the Demon Clan is losing influence as other races seek protection or opportunities among rival powers. Di Jun accepts this for now and asks about the Formation Flags; Taiyi reports they should be completed within a thousand years.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuanshi Tianzun shifts from pride in the Three Pure Ones’ standing to anger when the recruits prove disappointing and the Western Religion takes the best prospects.
• Tongtian is eager to strengthen the Interception Sect, identifies the diversion of candidates, and joins Yuanshi in confronting the Western pair.
• Laozi quickly recognizes Jieyin and Zhunti’s scheme but follows the pursuit more cautiously.
• Jieyin and Zhunti are portrayed as opportunistic recruiters who rely on speed and evasion rather than risking a direct fight with the Three Pure Ones.
• Dijiang turns the incident into a strategic lesson, directing the Ancestral Witches to seek disciples with both exceptional talent and strong character.
• Di Jun suppresses his frustration over the Demon Clan’s declining influence and focuses on the progress of the Formation Flags.

Significant themes

• Competition for talent and influence: The major factions compete to attract the next generation as the Sage Era begins.
• Recruitment versus genuine merit: Dijiang emphasizes character as well as ability, contrasting with the Western pair’s persuasive promises.
• Shifting power among factions: The Demon Clan’s waning influence and the Witch Cult’s plans to cultivate new members show that the balance of power is changing.

Concise Chapter Summary: “Scheming for the Primordial Purple Qi”

Key plot points and events

• Taiyi completes the Demon Clan’s Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation, a vast array of 365 major and 14,800 minor Star Banners. Di Jun sees it as a major step toward securing the clan’s power.
• Di Jun argues that the Demon Clan still needs a Sage. He decides to obtain the last strand of primordial purple qi—the key to becoming a Sage—for Taiyi, and targets Hong Yun, its current holder.
• Knowing that Zhen Yuanzi’s Earth Book makes him a formidable protector, Di Jun plans to enlist Minghe and Kunpeng. Minghe also wants the purple qi, while Kunpeng is believed to resent Hong Yun for the seating dispute at the Violet Firmament Palace.
• At Wuzhuang Temple, Hong Yun grows frustrated with his inability to understand the purple qi and decides to travel in search of inspiration. Zhen Yuanzi warns him that powerful beings may attack him to seize it.
• Hong Yun insists that his speed and good relationships will keep him safe. Unable to dissuade him, Zhen Yuanzi agrees to accompany him and protect him with the Earth Book.
• Di Jun and Taiyi arrive at the Netherworld Blood Sea and approach Minghe, offering to share an “extraordinary opportunity.” The chapter ends before Minghe responds.

Character developments and interactions

• Di Jun shifts from celebrating the formation’s completion to pursuing a calculated, aggressive plan to strengthen the Demon Clan. He views Hong Yun’s possession of the purple qi as unjust and treats it as a clan resource.
• Taiyi is identified by Di Jun as the ideal candidate for Sagehood because of his combat strength and the Chaos Bell.
• Hong Yun remains optimistic and impulsive, underestimating the danger posed by others coveting his purple qi.
• Zhen Yuanzi acts as Hong Yun’s cautious, loyal guardian. Though exasperated by Hong Yun’s naivety, he chooses to travel with him rather than leave him exposed.
• Bai Ze and Fuxi advise Di Jun and support his strategy, especially the plan to use Minghe and Kunpeng against Zhen Yuanzi.
• Minghe receives Di Jun and Taiyi warily, setting up a potentially consequential alliance.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: The Demon Clan believes strength—through a Sage and the completed formation—is essential to securing its place in the world.
• Ambition and opportunism: Di Jun is willing to use resentment and competing ambitions to pursue the purple qi.
• Naivety versus caution: Hong Yun trusts his friendships and escape technique, while Zhen Yuanzi recognizes that the prize he carries can override ordinary loyalties.
• Protection and loyalty: Zhen Yuanzi’s decision to accompany Hong Yun underscores his devotion despite their disagreement.

Key plot points

• Di Jun recruits Minghe to help the Demon Clan seize Hong Yun’s Primordial Purple Qi. Minghe rejects the proposed division of spoils and insists that whoever can claim the Purple Qi should keep it. Di Jun accepts, confident his forces will prevail.
• Di Jun and Taiyi travel to the Northern Dark Sea and recruit Kunpeng, appealing to his longstanding hatred of Hong Yun for the loss of his seat at the Violet Firmament Palace. Kunpeng agrees to join the attack.
• Di Jun sends Taiyi to secretly prepare the Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation, then takes Kunpeng toward the Western Lands to seek help from two Sages.
• Meanwhile, Zhen Yuanzi urges Hong Yun to return to Wuzhuang Temple, sensing danger. When Hong Yun wants to keep traveling, Zhen Yuanzi proposes visiting Mount Buzhou, where the Witch Clan’s power may deter attackers. Hong Yun agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Minghe reveals his ambition: he will cooperate against Zhen Yuanzi but intends to compete for the Purple Qi himself.
• Di Jun demonstrates strategic calculation, assembling allies while concealing confidence in the Demon Clan’s advantage.
• Kunpeng is driven by both greed for the Purple Qi and deep resentment toward Hong Yun.
• Zhen Yuanzi acts as Hong Yun’s cautious protector, recognizing that the Purple Qi makes him a target.
• Hong Yun remains cheerful and trusting but shows some practical judgment by accepting Zhen Yuanzi’s advice.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: The Purple Qi turns former grievances and alliances into a contest for control.
• Betrayal and self-interest: Even cooperation is conditional, as each would-be ally expects to benefit most.
• Security and foresight: Zhen Yuanzi’s caution contrasts with Hong Yun’s relaxed outlook, while Mount Buzhou offers protection through strength and reputation.

Plot points and events

• Di Jun and Kunpeng visit Jieyin and Zhunti, asking them to divine Hong Yun’s location. Di Jun argues that Hong Yun’s death would end the enormous karmic debt the two sages owe him for surrendering his seat at the Violet Firmament Palace.
• Though Jieyin and Zhunti claim they would not harm Hong Yun themselves, Jieyin performs the divination and reveals that Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi are heading for Mount Buzhou. Di Jun and Kunpeng immediately rush to intercept them before they can reach safety.
• On the way, Kunpeng launches a surprise attack. Hong Yun blocks it with his Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd, but is shaken by the impact.
• Di Jun and Taiyi appear and cut off the travelers’ escape. Zhen Yuanzi uses the Earth Book to shield himself and Hong Yun, while warning the attackers that they are near Witch Cult territory.
• Di Jun reveals that Ancestor Minghe is also part of the ambush. Minghe attacks Zhen Yuanzi’s barrier alongside Di Jun, while the others prepare to kill Hong Yun and seize his Primordial Purple Qi.
• Zhen Yuanzi’s powerful defense begins to falter under the combined assault. He is rapidly exhausting his magical power, and the chapter ends as Hong Yun faces imminent danger.

Character developments

• Di Jun is calculating and ruthless, exploiting the sages’ karmic debt and acting urgently to prevent Hong Yun from reaching Mount Buzhou.
• Jieyin and Zhunti conceal their willingness to benefit from Hong Yun’s death behind claims of gratitude and obedience to fate; they enable the attack without taking direct action.
• Kunpeng reveals that his hatred stems from losing a Sage Seat he believes Hong Yun cost him.
• Hong Yun realizes too late that his kindness and trust have left him vulnerable. He regrets endangering Zhen Yuanzi.
• Zhen Yuanzi remains resolute and protective, committing himself to defending Hong Yun despite overwhelming odds.

Significant themes

• Karma and moral compromise: The sages’ debt to Hong Yun becomes an incentive to let others kill him.
• Betrayal and the cost of kindness: Hong Yun’s past generosity does not protect him; it becomes entangled with others’ greed and resentment.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Zhen Yuanzi stands by Hong Yun even when the odds appear hopeless.
• Power and opportunism: The attackers coordinate to seize the Primordial Purple Qi and eliminate Hong Yun before he can reach sanctuary.

Character interactions

• Di Jun pressures Jieyin and Zhunti by framing Hong Yun’s death as a way to erase their debt; they respond with outward reluctance but provide his location.
• Kunpeng confronts Hong Yun with his long-held grievance over the lost Sage Seat.
• Zhen Yuanzi defends Hong Yun from the assembled attackers, while Hong Yun apologizes for drawing him into the crisis.

Key plot points and events

• Kunpeng’s assault cracks Zhen Yuanzi’s Earth Book barrier. Taiyi exploits the breach with the Chaos Bell, badly wounding Zhen Yuanzi and leaving the barrier close to collapse.
• At Pangu Hall, the Witches watch the ambush. Zhu Rong mocks the victims’ failure to seek refuge nearby, while Dijiang says he might help only if they offer something worthwhile.
• Facing certain defeat, Hong Yun begins reversing his power to destroy his primordial spirit and take his attackers with him. Dijiang discovers that a hidden karmic thread, planted by Jieyin, is amplifying Hong Yun’s despair.
• Dijiang severs the thread with a spatial attack. Hong Yun’s destructive impulse subsides, and he realizes his self-destruction would also have killed Zhen Yuanzi.
• With the Earth Book failing and no chance of escape, Hong Yun calls to the Heavenly Emperor for help, offering both his Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd and the Primordial Purple Qi. Zhen Yuanzi is stunned that he would give up his chance to become a saint.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhen Yuanzi remains steadfast, sacrificing his strength to protect Hong Yun and refusing to abandon him, even when Hong Yun urges him to flee.
• Hong Yun moves from despair and near self-destruction to clear-headed resolve. He chooses survival and his friend’s life over preserving his sacred treasure and claim to sainthood.
• Dijiang acts decisively to foil Jieyin’s scheme, though he frames any rescue as a potential bargain.
• Jieyin and Zhunti are exposed as plotting to erase their karmic debt to Hong Yun by engineering his death. Dijiang’s intervention frustrates the plan and leaves Jieyin suffering backlash.
• Zhu Rong, Gonggong, and Houtu discuss whether the Witches should intervene, revealing differing attitudes: mockery, teasing, and concern.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Zhen Yuanzi risks his life for Hong Yun, who in turn gives up his chance at sainthood to save them both.
• Manipulation versus free will: Jieyin’s karmic influence pushes Hong Yun toward despair, while Dijiang’s intervention restores his ability to choose.
• Power and self-interest: The Witches consider the value of helping, and the Western sages try to escape responsibility for their debt.
• Fate and disruption: Dijiang’s interference alters the course Hong Yun seemed destined to follow, leaving his survival uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Hong Yun offers Dijiang the Primordial Purple Qi and a Supreme-Grade Innate Spirit Treasure in exchange for rescuing him and Zhen Yuanzi.
• Dijiang accepts and sends Zhu Jiuyin, Kong Jue, and a force of Great Witches to bring them back. He orders them to spare their enemies, but to warn Di Jun and the others.
• Di Jun, Taiyi, Kunpeng, and Minghe intensify their assault on Zhen Yuanzi’s Earth Book barrier when they hear Hong Yun may give away the Primordial Purple Qi. The barrier begins to crack, and Zhen Yuanzi is gravely weakened.
• Zhu Jiuyin arrives at the last moment, using his command over time to freeze the attackers’ strikes. He declares that Hong Yun is under the Witch Cult’s protection.
• Taiyi refuses to back down. Kong Jue clashes with him, and his blow leaves a mark on the Chaos Bell, stunning the Demon Clan.
• Di Jun activates the Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation, drawing the starry heavens into the battle. Zhu Jiuyin faces it with keen interest.

Character developments

• Dijiang acts pragmatically, accepting the valuable payment while restraining his brothers’ enthusiasm for revenge.
• Zhu Jiuyin demonstrates calm authority and formidable time-manipulating power, while making clear the Witch Cult intends to protect Hong Yun rather than kill its rivals.
• Hong Yun is desperate enough to threaten to destroy the Primordial Purple Qi rather than let his enemies claim it.
• Zhen Yuanzi continues to shield Hong Yun despite severe injury.
• Kong Jue proves unexpectedly powerful, challenging Taiyi despite being at a lower cultivation stage.
• Di Jun and Taiyi show how far they will go to obtain the Primordial Purple Qi, and Di Jun escalates the conflict by deploying his formation.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: The Primordial Purple Qi turns Hong Yun’s rescue into a high-stakes bargain and drives the attackers’ desperation.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Zhen Yuanzi endures the assault to protect Hong Yun.
• Restraint amid conflict: Dijiang instructs his forces to rescue and warn, not slaughter, suggesting the Witch Cult has strategic reasons to preserve its enemies.
• Strength beyond cultivation rank: Kong Jue’s physical power surprises even powerful opponents.

Character interactions

• Dijiang assigns Zhu Jiuyin the rescue mission and cautions him not to kill Di Jun and the others.
• Hong Yun pleads with Dijiang for help, while Zhen Yuanzi’s defense gives him time to do so.
• Zhu Jiuyin confronts Di Jun and offers the attackers a chance to withdraw; Taiyi rejects the demand, prompting Kong Jue’s attack.
• Di Jun orders a coordinated counterattack and activates the Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation, setting up a direct test of strength between the formation and Zhu Jiuyin.

Plot points

• Di Jun unleashes the Demon Clan’s Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation, empowering it with the Purple Star’s origin and attacking Zhu Jiuyin with a devastating rain of star pillars.
• Zhu Jiuyin counters with the Time Law, reversing the attack and sending the pillars crashing into the formation itself.
• Di Jun calls Taiyi, Kunpeng, and Minghe to join the assault. Zhu Jiuyin uses Time Deprivation to drain all four of their spiritual power, vitality, and mastery of laws.
• Minghe flees first. Taiyi urges Di Jun to retreat, and Di Jun, Taiyi, and Kunpeng escape as the formation falters.
• Zhu Jiuyin stays behind to check on Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi. When he asks for his promised payment, Hong Yun reluctantly prepares to surrender both the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd and the Primordial Purple Qi.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Jiuyin demonstrates overwhelming command of the Time Law and remains composed throughout the battle. He saves Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, but treats the rescue as a paid obligation and insists on the agreed reward.
• Di Jun shifts from confidence in his signature formation to shock and desperation when Zhu Jiuyin turns its power against it. Though furious at losing the Primordial Purple Qi, he retreats rather than risk confronting Zhu Jiuyin further.
• Taiyi recognizes the battle is lost and persuades his brother to withdraw.
• Kunpeng panics as his cultivation is drained; Minghe abandons the fight and flees to protect himself.
• Hong Yun is grateful for the rescue but hesitates to surrender the Purple Qi, which represents his chance to become a Saint. Zhu Jiuyin’s authority—and the Witches’ threatening presence—forces him to comply.
• Zhen Yuanzi thanks Zhu Jiuyin for saving them, acknowledging how close they came to death.

Significant themes

• The supremacy of law over force and technique: Zhu Jiuyin’s Time Law overwhelms even Di Jun’s elaborate, powerful formation.
• The relentless nature of time: Time can reverse attacks and strip away power, vitality, and knowledge.
• Survival over pride or ambition: Minghe flees, and Di Jun abandons his goal rather than face certain defeat.
• The cost of protection and the limits of choice: Zhu Jiuyin’s rescue comes with a promised price, leaving Hong Yun with little real freedom to refuse.

Plot points and events

• Hong Yun gives Zhu Jiuyin the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd and Primordial Purple Qi to settle his debt. Zhu Jiuyin then brings Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi to Mount Buzhou to meet Dijiang.
• Dijiang gives the gourd to She Bishi, noting that its Red Sand will suit her poison-based abilities.
• Rather than keep the Primordial Purple Qi for himself, Dijiang gives it to Houtu. He believes its Heavenly Dao Origin may help her deepen her understanding of the Earth Law and find a path to advancement.
• Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi, threatened by enemies including the Demon Clan, Kunpeng, and Minghe, ask to join the Witch Cult for protection. Dijiang refuses because their Three-Corpse cultivation conflicts with the cult’s teachings, but appoints them to the Heavenly Court instead: Zhen Yuanzi becomes Ancestor of Earth Immortals, and Hong Yun becomes Heavenly Court Inspector.
• Zhu Jiuyin observes that the Witch side has gained both men and their fortune after taking the treasures. Dijiang calls the Demon Clan’s scheme rotten, while Zhu Jiuyin says Di Jun and Taiyi were desperate. Zhu Jiuyin also reports that the Demon Clan’s Heavenly Cycle Star-Fighting Formation could strike with power comparable to Yuanshi’s attack, though it might only wound him without his use of laws.
• Di Jun and Taiyi return to the Sun God Palace defeated. Furious that Zhu Jiuyin thwarted their plan to obtain the Primordial Purple Qi for Taiyi, Di Jun demands to know what they should do next.

Character developments and interactions

• Dijiang shows strategic generosity: he relinquishes a treasure he cannot use, strengthens Houtu’s prospects, and turns two vulnerable outsiders into Heavenly Court allies.
• Houtu accepts the Primordial Purple Qi with gratitude, though she does not yet understand Dijiang’s deeper intentions.
• Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi move from fear and uncertainty to relief and loyalty after Dijiang offers them official positions and protection.
• Zhu Jiuyin supports Dijiang’s strategy and evaluates the Demon Clan’s formation firsthand.
• Di Jun and Taiyi are left frustrated and humiliated after their attempt to gain the Purple Qi fails.

Significant themes

• Power and protection: Official allegiance to the Heavenly Court gives Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi security in a hostile world.
• Strategic generosity: Dijiang’s willingness to give away treasures creates lasting political and personal gains.
• Fate and agency: The Purple Qi may affect Houtu’s destined transformation, raising the possibility that fate can be redirected.
• Schemes backfiring: The Demon Clan’s plot ultimately benefits Dijiang’s side, turning an attempted gain into a strategic loss.

Hongjun offered Di Jun and Taiyi heavenly dao power in exchange for the Demon Clan’s loyalty, and Di Jun accepted so his people could contend with the Witch Cult. Meanwhile, Kong Xuan and Six-Eared Macaque left the Human Clan settlement to seek opportunities and arrived at Wuyi Mountain, where they sensed someone nearby.

• Di Jun lamented that the Demon Clan could not overcome the Witch Cult, then Hongjun appeared in the Sun God Palace.
• Hongjun offered to strengthen the Demon Clan if it obeyed Heaven’s Way, and Di Jun accepted despite Taiyi’s warning.
• Hongjun gave Di Jun and Taiyi heavenly dao origin to aid their cultivation before departing.
• After centuries of teaching and training the Human Clan, Kong Xuan and Six-Eared Macaque decided to travel and temper themselves.
• Kong Xuan and Six-Eared Macaque reached Wuyi Mountain, sensed someone ahead, and cautiously approached.

The Six-Eared Macaque and Kong Xuan met Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters as they traveled to seek a master at Kunlun Mountain, and tried to persuade them to join the Witch Cult. The four were left stunned by the claim that the Witch Cult had defeated the Three Pure Ones, but still had not chosen their path.

• Bixiao questioned whether the Primordial Heavenly Venerable would accept them, while Zhao Gongming and the sisters debated seeking the Witch Cult instead.
• The Six-Eared Macaque introduced himself as a personal disciple of Dijiang and urged the four to go to Mount Buzhou rather than Kunlun Mountain.
• Kong Xuan offered to introduce Zhao Gongming, Yunxiao, Qiongxiao, and Bixiao to the Witch Cult, but Zhao Gongming said they still wanted to try Kunlun Mountain.
• The Six-Eared Macaque claimed Dijiang and Zhu Rong had defeated the Three Pure Ones at Mount Buzhou, shocking the four travelers.
• Kong Xuan declared that the Witch Cult's law grand Dao surpassed the Sages' path and that its disciples sought power within themselves.

Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters abandoned their plan to seek the Sage's Dao on Kunlun Mountain and set out for Mount Buzhou to pursue the Law Grand Dao. Meanwhile, Bai Ze left the Demon Clan after warning Di Jun about Hongjun's heaven's way power, and Di Jun expelled him as he departed.

• Kong Xuan and Six-Eared Macaque persuaded Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters to pursue the Law Grand Dao at Mount Buzhou, and Six-Eared Macaque gave them a protective hair.
• Zhao Gongming and his sisters flew toward Mount Buzhou while Kong Xuan and Six-Eared Macaque continued their journey through the Primordial World.
• Bai Ze warned Di Jun that Hongjun's heaven's way power carried hidden danger, but Di Jun refused to reconsider using it.
• Bai Ze left the Sun God Palace, while Fuxi chose to visit his younger sister at the Wa Emperor Palace rather than leave the Demon Clan outright.
• Di Jun declared Bai Ze a traitor and expelled him from the Demon Clan, severing his connection to its fortune as Bai Ze departed the Sun Star.

Fuxi left the Demon Clan after learning that Di Jun had accepted Hongjun’s heaven’s way power, choosing to seek his own path to the Dao. His departure weakened the Demon Clan further, while shadowy figures in Violet Firmament Palace offered Hongjun help against the Witch Cult in exchange for entering the Primordial World.

• Fuxi told Nuwa that Di Jun had accepted Hongjun’s heaven’s way power and that Bai Ze had left the Demon Clan, then resolved to leave and seek his own Dao.
• Nuwa gave Fuxi a jade talisman containing a trace of her Sage essence, and Fuxi sent Di Jun word of his decision before departing for the Primordial Wilderness Continent.
• Di Jun expelled Fuxi from the Demon Clan and severed his karmic ties, after which news of Bai Ze and Fuxi’s departures spread and the Demon Clan’s prestige and fortune declined.
• Hongjun lamented that Bai Ze and Fuxi’s departures had damaged his plan to counterbalance the Witch Cult.
• Several ancient, malevolent shadows appeared in Violet Firmament Palace and offered to help Hongjun eliminate the twelve wild cards if he let them enter the Primordial World, but Hongjun rejected their proposal.

Hongjun rejected the Chaos Fiends’ proposal but worried about the Witch Cult’s growing strength. Dijiang sent Kuafu to recruit Bai Ze, who agreed to visit Mount Buzhou, while Fuxi continued wandering in search of his path to the Dao.

• Hongjun refused to let the Chaos Fiends into the Primordial World, then considered whether the Demon Clan and Three Pure Ones could still oppose the Witch Cult.
• Dijiang and the other witches rejected Zhu Rong’s plan to attack the Sun Star and decided instead to recruit Bai Ze and Fuxi.
• Dijiang ordered Kong Jue to send people to find Bai Ze and Fuxi and invite them to Mount Buzhou.
• Kuafu found Bai Ze in a secluded valley and invited him to Mount Buzhou on Dijiang’s behalf.
• Bai Ze accepted the invitation, curious about the Witch Cult’s Law-Proving Path, while Fuxi wandered the clouds and wondered if his path to the Dao had been cut off.

Fuxi learned about the Law-Proving Path from Six-Eared Macaque and Kong Xuan and realized that his Three-Corpse Severing cultivation had led him astray. At the Sun God Palace, Di Jun told the Demon Clan’s leaders that Bai Ze and Fuxi had left because Hongjun had bestowed Heaven’s Way Power upon him.

• Fuxi watched Six-Eared Macaque and Kong Xuan spar and recognized their reliance on laws and physical strength as the Witch Cult’s Law-Proving Path.
• Fuxi introduced himself to Six-Eared Macaque and Kong Xuan, then joined them in discussing the Dao.
• Fuxi realized he had followed the wrong path with Three-Corpse Severing, thanked the two disciples, and departed with new resolve.
• At the Sun God Palace, Nine-Headed Bird and Jimeng asked Di Jun why Bai Ze and Fuxi had left the Demon Clan.
• Di Jun told the Demon Clan’s leaders that Hongjun had given him Heaven’s Way Power and that Bai Ze and Fuxi had left because they distrusted it.

Di Jun disclosed that he had accepted Heaven's Way Power, and his followers chose to stay with the Demon Clan despite its dangers. On their journey to Mount Buzhou, Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters survived a Daluo Golden Immortal beast thanks to Six Ears's gift and reached the Witch Cult's gates to seek the Dao.

• Di Jun told the Demon Clan's generals about Heaven's Way Power and let them decide whether to leave.
• Nine-Headed Bird, Jimeng, Yingzhao, and the others pledged to follow Di Jun, who promised to let them study the heavenly dao origin with him and Taiyi.
• A Two-Headed Evil Flood Dragon attacked Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters, but Six Ears's strand of fur became a golden ape phantom and killed it with one strike.
• Several years later, Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters arrived at Mount Buzhou and asked a Witch Cult Dao Protector Army guard for permission to enter and seek the Dao.

Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters reached Mount Buzhou using Six Ears's token and began studying the Law Stele Grove. After Zhao Gongming quickly grasped the basics of the wind law, Tian Wu noticed him and discussed whether to take him as a disciple.

• Zhao Gongming showed the Mount Buzhou guard Six Ears's hair, and the guard admitted him and the Three Xiao Sisters to the inner grounds.
• The guard assigned the four of them cave abodes near the inner grounds and explained Mount Buzhou's cultivation resources and rules.
• Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters visited the Law Stele Grove and chose steles suited to their origins: Zhao Gongming chose the wind law, while the sisters chose the cloud law.
• Zhao Gongming endured the wind law stele's trial and grasped its basics, bringing him close to a breakthrough.
• Tian Wu noticed Zhao Gongming's progress and told Qiang Liang about him, prompting Qiang Liang to ask whether Tian Wu would take him as a disciple.

Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters cultivated on Mount Buzhou as the Primordial World’s factions gathered strength. Minghe created the Asura Clan and founded the Slaughter Sect but failed to become a Sage, leaving Houtu to ask whether another Sage could ever arise.

• Tian Wu decided to observe Zhao Gongming’s temperament and progress before considering him as a disciple.
• Zhao Gongming gained an initial grasp of the wind law, while the Three Xiao Sisters continued struggling to comprehend the cloud law.
• Over tens of thousands of years, the Three Pure Ones, the Western Religion, and the Demon Clan expanded their influence while the Witch Cult maintained its standing.
• Minghe created the Asura Clan and founded the Slaughter Sect, but the Heaven’s Way’s merit did not allow him to attain Sagehood.
• Minghe’s failure crushed many powerful beings’ hopes of becoming Sages without primordial purple qi.
• At Pangu Hall, Houtu asked Dijiang whether another Sage would ever be born in the Primordial World.

Dijiang considered how his possession of the seventh strand of Primordial Purple Qi might disrupt Hongjun’s plans, while Xuanming delivered a merciless lecture on the Dao of killing to the Witch Cult disciples. The lecture left many unconscious but revealed several promising cultivators, including Zhao Gongming.

• Dijiang wondered how Hongjun would respond to the missing Primordial Purple Qi and whether the Three Human Emperors could still take their rightful positions.
• Xuanming went to the square at Mount Buzhou and began teaching the Dao of killing, overwhelming many disciples with her killing intent.
• Zhao Gongming endured Xuanming’s lecture, while Bixiao struggled and Yunxiao and Qiongxiao helped support her.
• After the thousand-year lecture, Xuanming returned to Pangu Hall, where she defended her harsh teaching and Dijiang praised the resolve it demanded.