Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Dan Jing: Watch Closely, Learn Well!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing collects a new strand of Primordial Purple Qi. Although it cannot be transferred to anyone else, he realizes it represents a tenth Sage Throne, existing beyond the nine established Sage Thrones of Heaven and Earth.
• He decides to conceal the fact that the Primordial Purple Qi is unusable by others, intending to exploit the rumors surrounding it and manipulate powerful figures across the Primordial World.
• After successfully strengthening the foundations of Heaven and Earth—particularly by perfectly merging the heavenly canopy and earthly curtain and stabilizing the Four Pillars—Dan Jing openly boasts about his achievements.
• He mocks the Sages on Mount Sumeru, contrasting their “miserable” accomplishments with his own success and proudly declaring the gap between them.
• Before leaving, Dan Jing announces that the Four Pillars of Heaven and Earth require mountain-guardian deities and armies. He invites powerful beings and races to come to the Sun Star in thirty thousand years for evaluation, implying that these prestigious positions will require gifts or payment.
• The Sages are angered by Dan Jing’s insults but are forced to tolerate him because they are still carrying out his demands.
• Nuwa immediately recognizes the value of the mountain-guardian positions, which can generate Merit and destiny, and rushes away to secure one for the Demon Race.
• Hou Tu realizes that Mount Buzhou, the original heaven-supporting pillar, should also have such a position. She plans for the Witch Race to guard it, seeing this as a natural return to their ancestral homeland.
• The Three Pure Ones leave Mount Sumeru after Nuwa’s departure. Hou Tu remains behind and accepts Jieyin and Zhunti’s invitation to stay, hinting that she has an important proposal to make.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing grows increasingly confident and calculating. He views the tenth Sage Throne not merely as power but as a tool for deception and political manipulation. His public boasting also reinforces his arrogant, provocative personality.
• Nuwa demonstrates quick judgment and political awareness. She immediately identifies the mountain-guardian role as a major opportunity to strengthen the Demon Race through Merit and destiny.
• Hou Tu appears more patient and strategic than Nuwa. Rather than competing for the Four Pillars, she focuses on Mount Buzhou, which has deep historical and symbolic ties to the Witch Race.
• The Witch Race is portrayed as recovering from the previous Calamity Cycle. Hou Tu is determined to consolidate their position instead of overextending them in competition with other factions.
• The Sages remain powerful but are increasingly humiliated and constrained by Dan Jing. Their resentment is clear, yet they continue cooperating because they cannot afford to oppose him directly.
• Jieyin and Zhunti maintain their diplomatic composure toward Hou Tu, inviting her to remain despite uncertainty about her intentions.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond established authority: The tenth Sage Throne suggests that the existing cosmic order is not absolute and that Dan Jing may create a new path to supremacy.
• Political manipulation and hidden information: Dan Jing’s ability to hide the true nature of the Primordial Purple Qi gives him leverage over other factions.
• Merit, destiny, and strategic influence: The mountain-guardian positions are not merely ceremonial; they offer long-term spiritual and political benefits, making them objects of intense competition.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Dan Jing’s public insults emphasize the shifting balance of power between himself and the traditional Sages.
• Recovery after catastrophe: Hou Tu’s decision to focus on Mount Buzhou reflects the Witch Race’s need to rebuild carefully after suffering heavily in the previous Calamity Cycle.
• Resource allocation and factional competition: Each major group seeks to secure the most advantageous divine positions while avoiding unnecessary conflict.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing directly taunts the Sages, calling attention to his superiority and their failures.
• The Sages silently endure his insults because they remain dependent on fulfilling his orders.
• Nuwa quickly departs after hearing Dan Jing’s recruitment announcement, signaling her determination to negotiate for the Demon Race.
• Hou Tu and Nuwa independently identify different strategic opportunities: Nuwa targets one of the Four Pillars, while Hou Tu claims Mount Buzhou as the Witch Race’s rightful domain.
• The Three Pure Ones formally bid farewell to Jieyin, Zhunti, and Hou Tu before leaving.
• Hou Tu stays with Jieyin and Zhunti and agrees to discuss something “good,” setting up a likely negotiation or alliance concerning the mountain-guardian positions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• On Mount Sumeru, Hou Tu meets the Western Sages Jieyin and Zhunti and offers to support their plan to revive the West, provided they accept certain conditions.
• Jieyin and Zhunti are overjoyed and eagerly agree to negotiate sincerely, emphasizing that they are willing to accept any reasonable terms.
• Back in the Heavenly Court, Nuwa summons White Marsh and orders him to prepare gifts and, in thirty thousand years, approach the Sun God to secure a mountain-guardian deity and army position for the Demon Race.
• Nuwa also instructs White Marsh to monitor which forces obtain the other three mountain-guarding positions, which are likely to go to the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin Clans.
• The mountain-guarding roles are important because they provide merit and opportunities for beings burdened by karmic power—especially the Demon Race, which still carries immense karmic debt.
• White Marsh asks about Fuxi’s return. Nuwa assures him that her arrangements are complete and that Fuxi will return soon.
• After White Marsh leaves, Nuwa studies the guidance given to her by the Sun Star’s mysterious powerhouse and considers establishing a religion.
• Concluding that she must create a religious lineage to compete in the enlightenment and education of Acquired Sentient Beings, Nuwa decides to establish the Human Religion.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu demonstrates political foresight and independence by offering aid to the Western Sages only under negotiated conditions. She is portrayed as sincere but careful to protect her own interests.
• Jieyin and Zhunti reveal their desperation to revive the West. Their eagerness to negotiate shows that the Western cause is their highest priority.
• Nuwa acts as both a political leader and a Daoist strategist. She seeks to reduce the Demon Race’s karmic burden, secure opportunities for its members, and expand her own influence through religion.
• White Marsh continues recovering emotionally from Fuxi’s death. His concern for Fuxi’s return shows his enduring loyalty and personal attachment to Nuwa’s brother.
• Fuxi’s eventual resurrection or return is foreshadowed as an important upcoming event.

Significant Themes

• Negotiation and sincerity: Even among Sages, cooperation depends on clearly stated conditions and mutual trust.
• Redemption through service: Mountain-guarding positions provide karmically burdened beings with a path toward atonement while also protecting important locations.
• Political competition among races: The Demon Race, Three Innate Tribes, Witch Race, and various religious factions compete for merit, destiny, and authority.
• Religion as influence: Establishing a religion is presented as a way to shape the minds and development of Acquired Sentient Beings and secure a share of future merit.
• Unity of all living beings: Nuwa’s declaration—“All beings are human, and humans are all beings”—expresses her intention to create a universal religious system that encompasses every sentient race rather than serving only one species.

Character Interactions

• Hou Tu and Jieyin/Zhunti: Hou Tu proposes conditional cooperation; the Western Sages respond enthusiastically and promise sincere negotiations.
• Nuwa and White Marsh: Nuwa gives White Marsh political orders while also reassuring him about Fuxi, blending authority with personal concern.
• White Marsh and Fuxi’s memory: White Marsh’s question reveals the emotional bond between the old subordinate and Nuwa’s fallen brother.
• Nuwa and the Acquired Beings: Though they do not meet directly, Nuwa observes their lives and decides to establish the Human Religion as a universal path for their enlightenment.

Chapter Summary: “Dan Jing Gives a Lecture!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nuwa decides to establish the Human Religion but delays its formal proclamation so she can first develop its doctrines, rules, lineage, and a written script for Acquired Sentient Beings.
• She also plans to use Human Marriage to resolve the cosmic balance and union of yin and yang. Sky Marriage is considered impossible because the Sun Star’s representative—described as the “Sun Star Madman”—has no interest in romance, while Earth Marriage is dismissed as unworkable.
• Nuwa believes her brother Fuxi’s powerful destiny will allow him to bear the karmic consequences of Human Marriage. She also reasons that Hou Tu likely sacrificed Di Jiang and the other ancestral figures because the Six Paths of Reincarnation would allow their eventual return.
• Thirty thousand years later, representatives of the Demon Race, Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, Qilin Clan, independent cultivators, and other powerful figures gather outside the Sun Star awaiting Dan Jing.
• Dan Jing unexpectedly appears in person rather than merely speaking through his voice. He is surprised that so few people attended, but the gathered cultivators are thrilled and respectfully greet him as the Sun God.
• In a generous mood, Dan Jing announces that he will lecture on the Dao. The attendees eagerly sit down, regarding the opportunity as extraordinarily valuable because many of them practice methods and inheritances he personally spread.
• Dan Jing begins teaching principles concerning the Dao of Heaven, the Dao of humanity, benevolence, restraint, and non-contention. He walks among the audience like a schoolteacher and lightly taps some students with the Primordial Measure Ruler, indulging his desire to act as an instructor.

Character Developments

• Nuwa is shown as strategic and farsighted. She is carefully planning the Human Religion’s structure, its cultural foundations, and a marriage ceremony with enormous cosmic and karmic implications.
• Fuxi remains central to Nuwa’s plans despite being dormant within the Cosmic Cauldron. His immense destiny makes him suitable for bearing the consequences of Human Marriage, while his past death is reframed as part of a larger plan for purification, merit, reincarnation, and eventual advancement.
• Hou Tu is portrayed as equally calculating. Nuwa suspects she deliberately allowed her brothers to die because the Netherworld and Reincarnation give her control over their future return.
• Dan Jing displays both overwhelming authority and a playful, teacher-like personality. Despite his terrifying reputation, he behaves casually and genuinely offers guidance to the cultivators.
• The assembled cultivators show deep reverence and fear toward Dan Jing, but also intense excitement at receiving instruction from the source of many of their cultivation methods.

Significant Themes

• Cosmic balance and destiny: The chapter emphasizes the importance of yin and yang, the Three Marriages, and the powerful destinies needed to withstand karmic consequences.
• Death as transformation rather than an ending: Fuxi’s and the ancestral figures’ deaths are presented as steps toward reincarnation, purification, merit, and greater future power.
• Strategic manipulation by powerful beings: Nuwa and Hou Tu understand the long-term consequences of sacrifice and reincarnation, showing that the great figures of the Primordial World act according to complex plans.
• Transmission of knowledge and legacy: Nuwa’s plan to create writing and Dan Jing’s lecture both represent the passing of knowledge to future generations and the establishment of lasting traditions.
• Authority mixed with humor: Dan Jing’s immense power contrasts with his casual manner and enjoyment of playing teacher, creating a lighter tone around an otherwise highly significant gathering.

Character Interactions

• Nuwa considers how Fuxi’s destiny can support her plans and implicitly compares her strategy with Hou Tu’s handling of her own fallen brothers.
• Xi He and Chang Xi have apparently been approached about Sky Marriage and admit they are still trying to persuade the Sun Star’s representative, but their efforts seem unlikely to succeed.
• Dan Jing interacts directly with the gathered representatives, commanding them to sit and listen while treating them like students.
• The cultivators respond with unified respect, recognizing Dan Jing as both a supreme authority and the originator of many of their Dao methods.

Chapter Summary: “Taiqing: A Kindred Spirit!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing, despite not being a Sage, possesses power surpassing that of the Sages. As he begins expounding the Dao beyond the Sun Star, profound Great Dao phenomena manifest throughout the starry sky.
• His sermon spreads across the Primordial World, attracting the attention of the major powers:
  • Nuwa pauses her work organizing the Human Religion to listen.
  • Hou Tu listens carefully to better understand Dan Jing’s realm before someday challenging him.
  • The Three Pure Ones continue teaching their disciples while simultaneously absorbing Dan Jing’s teachings.
  • Jieyin and Zhunti regard the sermon as a major opportunity for the revival of the impoverished West.
• Dan Jing’s originally planned thousand-year sermon extends to ten thousand years as he becomes increasingly absorbed in his exposition. He quotes and explains profound Dao principles concerning nature, non-action, the relationship between Heaven, Earth, humanity, and the Dao, and the nature of the Dao itself.
• After ending the sermon, Dan Jing boasts that his teaching was more substantial than the previous sermons of “that old man,” clearly referring to Hongjun. The listeners wisely pretend not to have heard the provocative remark.
• Dan Jing then assigns the military forces responsible for guarding the Four Pillars of Heaven and Earth:
  • The Demon Race, Dragon Clan, Phoenix Clan, and Qilin Clan must each provide one million troops for one of the four mountains.
• He appoints four unaffiliated Beyond-Great-Luo cultivators as the Four Mountain-Guard Great Deities:
  • Azure Dragon — East
  • White Tiger — West
  • Vermilion Bird — South
  • Black Tortoise — North
• These four are not directly connected to the similarly named races, though the various clans are expected to align themselves with the deity most compatible with their own kind.
• The chapter ends as Dan Jing announces that he has one final matter to address.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Displays overwhelming authority, profound Dao comprehension, and an increasingly carefree, arrogant personality. His confidence leads him to extend the sermon far beyond its original duration and openly compare himself favorably to Hongjun.
• Nuwa: Demonstrates humility and intellectual openness. Even as a Dao-Proven Sage, she recognizes that Dan Jing’s foundational explanations may provide new insights for rebuilding her Dao Fruit.
• Hou Tu: Remains cautious and independent. She continues preparing mentally for a future one-on-one challenge against Dan Jing but rejects the idea of fighting him alongside the other Sages, whom she considers unreliable.
• Laozi: Experiences a strong intellectual and spiritual resonance with Dan Jing’s teachings. His admiration is so great that, were it not for the hostility between Dan Jing and the Three Pure Ones, he would consider Dan Jing a kindred spirit.
• Jieyin and Zhunti: Approach the sermon pragmatically, viewing Dan Jing’s teachings as a valuable opportunity to develop a path for the West’s revival.
• Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise: Rise from obscure rogue cultivators to officially recognized guardians of the Four Pillars, receiving both honor and responsibility.

Significant Themes

• The value of learning from superior beings: Even Sages recognize that powerful teachings can deepen or reshape their understanding.
• Humility versus arrogance: The listeners treat Dan Jing’s words with reverence, while Dan Jing confidently—and provocatively—asserts his superiority.
• Independent strength and mistrust: Hou Tu’s refusal to rely on the other Sages emphasizes the dangers of alliances built on convenience rather than trust.
• Reconstruction and transformation: Nuwa’s rebuilding of her Dao Fruit suggests that destruction can lead to a stronger or fundamentally renewed path.
• Order and responsibility: Dan Jing’s appointments establish a structured system of military and divine guardianship for the Four Pillars of Heaven and Earth.
• Fate versus identity: The four appointed guardians bear names associated with major races but are not actually members of those clans, highlighting the difference between a name, a role, and one’s true origins.

Character Interactions

• The broader community of Sages and powerful cultivators collectively listens to Dan Jing, creating a rare moment in which rival factions temporarily share the same focus.
• Laozi internally connects deeply with Dan Jing’s teachings, though their political and familial enmity prevents genuine fellowship.
• Hou Tu mentally contrasts her own future challenge with the failed group confrontation involving the Sages, reinforcing her distrust of them.
• Dan Jing interacts directly with White Marsh and the ancestors of the Three Innate Tribes by issuing the Mountain-Guard Army decree.
• He selects and elevates the four rogue cultivators, who respond with immediate obedience and gratitude.
• The Demon Race and Three Innate Tribes are implicitly positioned to cooperate with the newly appointed guardians, despite their separate origins.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing announces that he has an important matter to entrust to everyone, immediately drawing serious attention because forming a karmic connection with the Sun God is extremely difficult.
• He explains that the Three Innate Tribes benefited from the good karma they earned by helping him establish the Heavenly Circumference Stellar Formation, suggesting that this new opportunity may similarly benefit those who assist him.
• Dan Jing reveals that, unlike Hongjun, who bestowed Primordial Purple Qi after his sermons, he intends to give away the strand of Primordial Purple Qi condensed by Heaven and Earth after his own ten-thousand-year Dao lecture.
• He declares that he has no interest in the Sage Throne or in refining Primordial Purple Qi himself. Instead, he will bestow it upon a younger cultivator who impresses him and earns his approval.
• The announcement shocks and excites the entire Primordial World. The seven Sages and numerous powerful figures immediately begin considering how to obtain the opportunity.
• Dan Jing clarifies that he possesses only one strand of Primordial Purple Qi and that obtaining it does not guarantee becoming a Sage, since the number of Sage Thrones is limited and refining the Qi is difficult. Despite this, everyone focuses on securing it first.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing is portrayed as extraordinarily generous, confident, and unconcerned with personal power. His willingness to give away a Sage foundation reinforces his unpredictable “Sun Star Madman” reputation.
• Nuwa realizes that obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi could give the Heavenly Court a second Sage and allow it to surpass the Netherworld. She considers arranging for her elder brother to compete for it, though she dislikes the thought of him adopting Dan Jing’s eccentric behavior.
• Hou Tu becomes enthusiastic about the possibility of strengthening the Netherworld. She believes the Witch Race’s natural boldness and disorderly reputation may make her brothers and Xuan Ming suitable candidates.
• The Three Pure Ones remain relatively calm. Laozi has no direct disciple, Yuanshi sees no suitable prankster among his disciples, and Tongtian doubts that any of them could gain Dan Jing’s approval or successfully refine the Primordial Purple Qi.
• Jieyin and Zhunti are intensely eager to obtain the opportunity for the Western Lands. A third Western Sage could make the west’s rise nearly inevitable, though they are forced to follow Dan Jing’s rules because the Qi belongs to him.
• The Demon Race and other attendees view the opportunity as a chance to repay at least part of the immense karma they owe Dan Jing.

Significant Themes

• Karmic relationships and repayment: Assistance given to Dan Jing in the past may now translate into opportunities, protection, or influence.
• Power and factional competition: The Primordial Purple Qi could shift the balance among the Heavenly Court, Netherworld, Western Lands, and other major factions.
• Generosity versus ambition: Dan Jing casually gives away something that could create a Sage, while nearly everyone else views it as an invaluable prize.
• Unpredictability and merit: The recipient will not be chosen solely by lineage or strength, but by whether Dan Jing finds them impressive or entertaining.
• The limits of opportunity: Even receiving the Primordial Purple Qi does not guarantee Sagehood, emphasizing that power requires both opportunity and the ability to refine it.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing addresses the gathered powers directly, first calming their nervousness and then heightening their anticipation with his announcement.
• The Three Innate Tribes’ past cooperation with Dan Jing serves as an example of how alliances with him can produce long-term benefits.
• Nuwa and Hou Tu independently consider using the opportunity to strengthen their respective factions, creating an implicit rivalry between the Heavenly Court and Netherworld.
• Jieyin and Zhunti share a silent understanding of the enormous strategic value the Qi would have for the west.
• The reactions of the seven Sages and the surrounding powerful figures show that Dan Jing’s announcement has united nearly every faction in competition for a single, potentially world-changing prize.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing, the Sun God, declares that the reward for obtaining the strand of Primordial Purple Qi will be far greater than expected.
• Whoever can take the Qi from him will receive:
  • Dan Jing’s protection throughout the journey.
  • His personal guidance toward becoming the ninth Sage.
• He then broadens the challenge, announcing that anyone—powerful cultivator or ordinary mortal—may present him with an impressive or entertaining achievement. If they can satisfy him, he may grant them Sagehood, fame, power, or anything else they desire.
• Dan Jing’s announcement electrifies the entire Primordial World. Ambitious beings everywhere begin seeking ways to “offer delight” to the Sun God and win his favor.
• Nuwa decides to compete for the Primordial Purple Qi on behalf of her elder brother, Fuxi, but recognizes that the Sages and major factions will be formidable competitors.
• Hou Tu plans to prevent Nuwa, the Demon Race, and the Heavenly Court from obtaining the Qi. She intends to support Zhen Yuanzi’s bid for the ninth Sage Throne, viewing him as a more reliable candidate than whoever wins Dan Jing’s unpredictable contest.
• Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian reconsider the opportunity. Since Dan Jing can directly guide a disciple toward Sagehood, they begin thinking about finding or cultivating suitable disciples.
• Jieyin and Zhunti realize that the Western Sect desperately wants the Qi but appears to have few advantages or talented candidates, leaving them pessimistic.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing displays greater confidence, generosity, and eccentricity. He transforms a simple contest into a world-spanning competition for Sagehood and influence, reinforcing his image as an unpredictable powerhouse.
• Nuwa becomes determined to secure the Qi for Fuxi. Though confident in her abilities, she recognizes the seriousness of competing against multiple Sages and factions.
• Hou Tu demonstrates strategic calculation. She prioritizes political balance and the interests of the Netherworld over personally obtaining the Qi, favoring the dependable alliance with Zhen Yuanzi.
• Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian shift from mild disinterest to serious consideration. The promise of a disciple becoming a Sage makes them rethink their plans and potentially seek new disciples.
• Jieyin and Zhunti reveal anxiety and frustration over the Western Sect’s disadvantages, emphasizing their desperate need for resources and talent.

Significant Themes

• Power and opportunity: Dan Jing’s challenge offers ordinary beings and major powers alike the possibility of extraordinary advancement.
• Uncertainty and competition: Because success depends on impressing Dan Jing, no faction can predict who will win. Even mortals may theoretically surpass the Sages’ disciples.
• Political maneuvering: The struggle is not only about personal cultivation but also about controlling which faction gains a future Sage.
• Reliability versus risk: Hou Tu contrasts Zhen Yuanzi’s dependable alliance with the uncertain reward offered by Dan Jing.
• Ambition and desire: The promise of Sagehood awakens greed, hope, rivalry, and strategic thinking throughout heaven and earth.
• Dan Jing’s authority: His ability to offer Primordial Purple Qi and guide someone to Sagehood establishes him as a figure whose whims can reshape the entire world.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and the gathered powers: Dan Jing openly challenges everyone, provoking shock and then overwhelming enthusiasm with his promise of protection and Sagehood.
• Nuwa and the rival Sages: Nuwa mentally assesses Hou Tu, the Three Pure Ones, Jieyin, Zhunti, the Demon Race, and the Heavenly Court as potential obstacles.
• Hou Tu and the major factions: Hou Tu positions herself against Nuwa, the Demon Race, and the Heavenly Court while planning to support Zhen Yuanzi.
• The Three Pure Ones: Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian share the realization that Dan Jing’s challenge could elevate one of their disciples and bring glory to their sects.
• Jieyin and Zhunti: The two brothers discuss their Western Sect’s lack of talent and conclude that their chances of winning are bleak.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing reflects triumphantly on his decision to announce the ninth Sage Throne as a reward for whoever accomplishes the greatest hegemony, undertaking, or achievement in the Primordial World.
• His declaration turns the entire Primordial Cosmos into a competitive arena. Sages and powerful beings are now incentivized to scheme, build empires, accomplish great deeds, and compete for the chance to obtain the Primordial Purple Qi and become Sages.
• Dan Jing deliberately designed the arrangement as an “open scheme.” He expects to gain endless entertainment from the resulting conflicts and rivalries while also encouraging the Primordial World to prosper.
• He reasons that even if nobody ultimately earns the Sage Throne, he can claim that the contestants simply failed to work hard enough.
• Xi He and Chang Xi arrive at the Sun Star after hearing the announcement. Despite already enjoying a comfortable and advantageous position as the Lunar Star’s rulers, they are tempted by the possibility of directly advancing toward Sagehood and the Primordial Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm.
• The sisters bring Dan Jing wine and food before asking about their chances of competing for the Primordial Purple Qi.
• Dan Jing considers misleading them for amusement but ultimately warns them not to participate. He tells them that the coming struggle is too dangerous and complicated for them, advising them to remain on the Lunar Star and observe events instead.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing is revealed as highly calculating beneath his carefree and mischievous exterior. He enjoys manipulating the Primordial World but also genuinely values its prosperity and the growth of its living beings.
• He presents himself as a playful instigator, yet he demonstrates awareness of the dangers his scheme may create and shows a degree of concern for Xi He and Chang Xi.
• Xi He and Chang Xi grow more ambitious and restless. Their existing power and status no longer seem sufficient once the possibility of effortless advancement to Sagehood is introduced.
• Their willingness to compete despite the risks shows both their desire for greater strength and their trust in Dan Jing’s judgment, since they first seek his assessment rather than acting recklessly.
• Dan Jing’s decision to warn them hints at his friendship with—or at least protective regard for—the sisters, whom he jokingly treats as “brothers.”

Significant Themes

• Ambition and competition: The promise of a Sage Throne drives even the most powerful figures to pursue fame, authority, and achievement.
• Manipulation and spectacle: Dan Jing turns the entire Primordial World into a game, using ambition as bait while retaining control over the rules and outcome.
• Prosperity through conflict: Although Dan Jing seeks entertainment, his contest may also stimulate civilization, power, and accomplishment throughout the world.
• Appearances versus reality: Dan Jing’s playful behavior masks careful planning, while apparently noble goals such as hegemony and great achievements are also motivated by personal ambition.
• The dangers of power: The reward is so enticing that even Xi He and Chang Xi consider entering a contest that may involve the Sages themselves, emphasizing how easily power can override caution.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing mentally challenges the various Sages—Nuwa, Hou Tu, the Three Pure Ones, Jieyin, and Zhunti—to pursue their own goals through his contest rather than simply seeking his favor.
• Xi He and Chang Xi approach Dan Jing respectfully but directly, offering him food and Lunar Moon Laurel Brew before asking whether they have any realistic chance of success.
• Their friendly hospitality contrasts with the seriousness of their question, reinforcing their familiar relationship with Dan Jing.
• Dan Jing responds with blunt but humorous concern, refusing to reveal every detail while firmly advising them to stay out of the coming turmoil.

Chapter Summary: “Choose a Supreme Treasure? I Want the Chaos Bell!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xi He and Chang Xi realize that Dan Jing’s public announcement concerning the ninth Sage Throne hides a massive trap. Because the situation may involve even the Sages and countless powerful beings, they conclude that the “waters” are too deep for them to control.
• Dan Jing reveals the truth: the Primordial Purple Qi he possesses is not one of the nine destined Sage Throne opportunities. It represents an additional throne, but it will automatically disperse if it leaves his possession. Therefore, from the beginning, only Dan Jing himself could ever use it to become a Sage.
• His proclamation was deliberately designed to provoke and entertain the entire Primordial World. Although he promised the Purple Qi and Sagehood guidance to anyone who could impress him, the final decision was always subjective and entirely under his control.
• Xi He and Chang Xi recognize that Dan Jing has essentially been manipulating the Sages, powerful cultivators, and all living beings for his own amusement. Instead of condemning him, they become interested in helping prolong the spectacle.
• Dan Jing explains his next plan: he will reward anyone who creates an undertaking or spectacle capable of satisfying him. At first, the rewards will be Dharma treasures and rare heavenly or earthly materials.
• When Xi He questions whether such rewards would tempt the Sages, Dan Jing declares that he can offer Supreme Treasures. This immediately changes the situation, since even the Sages would be eager to obtain such artifacts.
• The chapter ends with the implication that the Sages may be allowed to choose their desired reward—and that the Chaos Bell would be an especially coveted choice.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing is revealed as completely aware of the deception at the center of his proclamation. He is not seeking to create a genuine path to Sagehood but to stage an enormous game that manipulates the entire Primordial World. His shameless honesty and confidence reinforce his identity as a powerful mischief-maker.
• Xi He and Chang Xi move from initial excitement about the Sage Throne to cautious suspicion, then finally to enthusiastic participation in Dan Jing’s scheme. Their shared love of watching worldly chaos makes them natural allies and “good pals” to Dan Jing.
• The sisters also demonstrate increasing strategic awareness. Rather than blindly pursuing the opportunity, they identify the hidden danger and begin thinking about how to preserve and expand Dan Jing’s spectacle.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation through half-truths: Dan Jing does not technically lie, but he carefully omits the crucial fact that nobody except himself could use the Purple Qi. The chapter emphasizes that half-truths can be more dangerous than outright lies.
• Power and control: Dan Jing retains absolute control over who can receive the Purple Qi, since “admiration” depends entirely on his personal judgment.
• Entertainment through chaos: The chapter treats the struggles of Sages and powerful beings as a grand spectacle, with Dan Jing and the Lunar goddesses enjoying the resulting turmoil.
• Value of Supreme Treasures: Even beings at the level of Sages are tempted by rare artifacts, particularly because creating such treasures independently requires immense Merit and resources.
• Subjective worth and reward: Achievement alone is insufficient; cultivators must produce something impressive enough to satisfy Dan Jing’s personal standards.

Character Interactions

• Xi He and Chang Xi initially question Dan Jing about the danger surrounding his proclamation. Their concern turns into curiosity when they realize a major trap is involved.
• Dan Jing casually admits that he has been “toying with” the Sages and all living beings, shocking the sisters with his bluntness.
• The sisters then encourage him to continue the spectacle, serving him food and wine while asking about his plans.
• Their discussion leads Dan Jing to reveal the incentive structure of his next game: extraordinary achievements will earn increasingly valuable rewards.
• The conversation culminates in the revelation that Supreme Treasures may be offered, causing Xi He and Chang Xi to recognize that even the Sages will be drawn into the competition.

Chapter Summary: “A Command from the Sun Star!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing explains that his collection of treasures could attract every major faction in the Primordial World:
  • Tongtian would covet treasures capable of suppressing a sect’s Destiny Aura.
  • Jieyin and Zhunti would be tempted by his high-grade spiritual treasures because of the Western Sect’s poverty.
  • Nuwa and Hou Tu would both desire Supreme Treasures, especially as their rivalry deepens.
• He emphasizes that the most significant consequences will come from hidden powerhouses and new trendsetters emerging in future eras.
• Xi He and Chang Xi discuss Dan Jing’s audacity toward the Sage Dao Ancestor. They conclude that, despite his arrogance and foul mouth, Dan Jing’s achievements and power give him the confidence—and perhaps the strength—to provoke someone nearly on the same level as himself.
• Xi He asks about the future of Heaven and Earth. Dan Jing predicts that innate beings will gradually withdraw, acquired beings will take center stage, and the Sages will begin openly shaping events.
• One epoch passes after the Mountain-Guard Army and the Four Pillars’ divine guardians are established.
• Dan Jing’s “lure”—the possibility of earning the ninth Sage Throne by creating entertaining events—causes the entire Primordial World to descend into chaos. Cultivators and even ordinary beings attempt to attract his attention, producing both spectacular and ridiculous incidents.
• The Witch Race then begins relocating itself and nearly all innate races and primordial beings from the Primordial Land to the Reincarnation Netherworld and Reincarnation Realms.
• Independent cultivators with sanctuaries on the Primordial Land are also pressured to leave. Many relocate to the Four Seas Archipelago after hearing the Witch Race’s justification: “This is a command from the Sun Star!”

Character Developments

• Dan Jing is portrayed as a powerful, confident manipulator of the Primordial World’s future. He intends to use his treasures and influence to provoke competition among Sages, hidden experts, and emerging factions.
• Xi He and Chang Xi have become accustomed to Dan Jing’s outrageous claims and now recognize that his arrogance is supported by genuine strength and achievements. They are eager to watch the upheaval he predicts.
• Tongtian, Jieyin, Zhunti, Nuwa, and Hou Tu are positioned as future competitors for Dan Jing’s treasures, each motivated by different needs and rivalries.
• The Witch Race demonstrates continued dominance over the Primordial Land, though it now acts under the authority or influence of the Sun Star rather than simply through open conquest.
• Independent cultivators and innate races reveal their lingering fear of the Witch Race, choosing relocation and submission over risking destruction.

Significant Themes

• The transition from innate to acquired beings: The chapter signals a major change in the world order, with acquired sentient beings preparing to become the main actors in history.
• Power, influence, and competition: Dan Jing’s treasures become catalysts capable of reshaping alliances and provoking every major faction.
• Entertainment as a cosmic force: The promise of the ninth Sage Throne causes beings across all levels of society to manufacture chaos and spectacle.
• Authority and obedience: The simple phrase “a command from the Sun Star” is enough to compel powerful beings to abandon their homes, showing the Sun Star’s enormous influence.
• Fear and the legacy of oppression: The innate races’ willingness to follow the Witch Race reflects the lasting trauma left by centuries of enslavement and exploitation.
• The coming age of upheaval: The chapter foreshadows open intervention by the Sages, the emergence of new factions, and a dramatic restructuring of the Primordial World.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing entertains Xi He and Chang Xi with his predictions about the reactions of the various Sages.
• Xi He and Chang Xi respond with amusement and anticipation rather than fear, showing their growing familiarity and trust in Dan Jing.
• Xi He directly asks Dan Jing to predict the next stage of the world’s development, prompting his declaration that the innate age is ending.
• The Witch Race interacts with innate races, primordial beings, and independent cultivators by ordering or persuading them to leave the Primordial Land.
• Though the Sun Star does not appear directly, its authority dominates the final events of the chapter through the Witch Race’s repeated declaration that their actions follow its command.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Calamity Cycle ends, the Primordial Land becomes almost completely deserted. Most Primordial Divine Beings, Innate Races, and Primordial Living Beings relocate elsewhere, leaving only a handful of powerful figures behind.
• Over the next hundred thousand years, the abandoned land regains its vitality. Houtian spiritual roots, herbs, lingzhi, and fruits grow rapidly and abundantly.
• The Heavenly Court opens its Four Directional Heavenly Gates and sends Golden Immortal generals and heavenly soldiers into the Primordial Land. They clear dangers left by the calamity and conduct a complete survey of the region.
• Another hundred thousand years later, the Heavenly Court begins relocating large numbers of Houtian races and sentient beings to the Primordial Land. Great Luo, Taiyi Golden Immortal, and Golden Immortal officials oversee the settlement.
• The displaced innate beings and rogue cultivators realize that the Primordial Land was emptied specifically to make room for the Houtian beings created by Nuwa, the Heavenly Emperor. Many feel resentful, believing they were driven out for beings considered inferior.
• After an entire kalpa, the Houtian races have adapted, multiplied, and begun exploring their new territories. Their populations are spread across all four regions of the Primordial Land.
• The Western Lands receive particularly favorable conditions because they had already been devastated and largely emptied. Jieyin and Zhunti recognize the arrival of the Houtian races as a tremendous opportunity for the revival of the West.

2. Character Developments

• Jieyin and Zhunti shift from helplessly accepting the removal of Western beings to actively embracing the Houtian settlers. They see the newcomers as vital to restoring the Western Lands and strengthening the Western Sect.
• The Heavenly Emperor and Nuwa are presented as architects of a major reshaping of the Primordial World, using the Heavenly Court to establish the Houtian races across the vacant land.
• The Sun Star’s powerful figure, referred to as the “Sun Star Madman,” remains an intimidating force whose decisions even the strongest beings cannot challenge. His authority is a major reason the displaced beings suppress their anger.
• Innate beings and rogue cultivators become resentful and frustrated, but their inability to oppose the Heavenly Court and Netherworld forces them to accept the new order.
• The Houtian races, initially without established cultivation traditions, begin settling, reproducing, and gradually developing across the Primordial Land.

3. Significant Themes

• The rise of Houtian life over Innate life: The chapter emphasizes a changing cosmic order in which Houtian sentient beings are replacing the former dominant populations.
• Power and submission: Even powerful divine beings must tolerate decisions imposed by stronger authorities, especially the Heavenly Court, Netherworld, and the Sun Star’s ruler.
• The transformation of abandoned land: The Primordial Land’s desolation becomes the foundation for a new era of growth and settlement.
• Opportunity born from destruction: The devastation of the Western Lands, once a disadvantage, becomes an opportunity because the region is free of competing populations.
• Political and strategic calculation: Jieyin and Zhunti understand that the Houtian migration can provide manpower, vitality, and future influence for the Western Sect.
• Resentment toward unequal treatment: The displaced beings question why Houtian beings are allowed to occupy the Primordial Land while innate beings are forced away, revealing tensions between old and emerging populations.

4. Character Interactions

• The Heavenly Court and Netherworld, formerly opposing forces during the Calamity Cycle, cooperate to empty the Primordial Land, demonstrating an unusual alliance.
• Heavenly officials and generals organize the survey, purification, and settlement of the land.
• The innate races, Primordial Divine Beings, and rogue cultivators observe the Heavenly Court’s actions but refrain from protest because of the overwhelming authority behind them.
• Jieyin and Zhunti, together with the Western Sect’s disciples, personally care for and protect the Houtian beings arriving in the Western Lands.
• The chapter frames the relationship between the Western Sages and the Houtian settlers as mutually beneficial: the settlers receive a place to develop, while the Western Lands gain the population and vitality needed for future prosperity.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• In the Western Lands, Jieyin and Zhunti finish settling the newly arrived Acquired Sentient Beings. Their growing population causes Western fortunes to recover and even surpass their former level.
• Jieyin worries that the rise in fortune may eventually bring new dangers, while Zhunti remains optimistic. He notes that the Western Lands now benefit from both their alliance with Hou Tu’s Witch Race and Netherworld and the prosperity encouraged by the Sun Star Madman.
• The two Western Sages conclude that the Sun Star Madman’s presence is ultimately advantageous. His suppression of the other Sages prevents the Three Pure Ones, Nuwa, and Hou Tu from monopolizing resources or obstructing the Western Lands’ revival.
• Jieyin stays on Mount Sumeru to teach the Western Sect disciples. Zhunti leaves to preach throughout the Western Lands, using countless incarnations in various forms to recruit talented Acquired Sentient Beings.
• The Western Sages deliberately avoid expanding into the Eastern, Southern, or Northern Lands, recognizing the mutual restrictions imposed by the Sun Star Madman and his interest in the Acquired Sentient Beings.
• At Kunlun Mountain, Laozi decides to travel across the Primordial World to spread the Dao and search for a suitable personal disciple. Yuanshi and Tongtian acknowledge his departure.
• Yuanshi begins considering sending his own disciples down the mountain to preach. Tongtian remains focused on cultivation, believing there is still ample time before the Sages’ planned period of Acquired Sentient prosperity begins.

Character Developments

• Jieyin remains cautious and politically aware, recognizing that increased fortune can create both opportunities and future threats. He accepts that cooperation and obedience toward the Sun Star Madman are essential to the Western Lands’ survival.
• Zhunti shows greater confidence and enthusiasm than before. He is pleased that Acquired Sentient Beings are coming to the West without the humiliating persuasion campaigns he once had to undertake, and he actively takes responsibility for spreading the Western Sect’s teachings.
• Laozi becomes proactive, leaving Kunlun to preach and seek a successor capable of inheriting his Dao.
• Yuanshi begins preparing to expand his teachings beyond Kunlun by dispatching disciples.
• Tongtian remains patient and detached, choosing continued cultivation rather than immediately competing for followers.

Significant Themes

• Blessing and misfortune are interconnected: The Western Sages recognize that prosperity may also attract danger, especially in a world governed by powerful, unpredictable figures.
• Political survival through submission and cooperation: The Western Sages understand that the Sun Star Madman’s dominance creates a stable balance in which even weaker factions can receive opportunities, provided they do not challenge him.
• The rise of Acquired Sentient Beings: Their increasing numbers and growing importance signal a major transformation of the Primordial World’s future power structure.
• Competition through preaching and recruitment: The Sages begin positioning themselves to guide the expanding Acquired population and secure disciples, influence, and future fortune.
• Different approaches to opportunity: Zhunti and Laozi act immediately, while Tongtian deliberately waits, reflecting contrasting attitudes toward timing and preparation.

Character Interactions

• Jieyin and Zhunti discuss the Western Lands’ recovery and reaffirm their shared strategy of cooperating with the Sun Star Madman.
• They reflect on their previous participation in the failed attack by all the Sages against the Sun Star Madman, acknowledging that they gained nothing and were severely punished.
• Jieyin entrusts the Western Sect’s internal teaching to himself while Zhunti handles public preaching and recruitment.
• Laozi informs Yuanshi and Tongtian of his journey, and both younger brothers respectfully wish him safety.
• Yuanshi and Tongtian respond differently to Laozi’s departure: Yuanshi prepares to act, whereas Tongtian continues cultivating and waits for a more favorable time.

Chapter Summary: “Dan Jing: Fight! Fight!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• One epoch passes as the major Sage figures expand their respective religious lineages:
  • Jieyin and Zhunti spread teachings in the Western Lands.
  • Laozi promotes Daoism in the East.
  • Yuanshi sends disciples to spread the Exposition Sect.
  • Tongtian begins teaching disciples how to develop the Interception Sect.
• Nuwa completes preparations to establish her own Sage Realm lineage, the Human Religion, and prepares to announce it from the Heavenly Court.
• Before Nuwa can make her declaration, Hou Tu unexpectedly establishes a religion with the same name: Human Religion.
• Hou Tu declares that her religion is open to every intelligent, emotional living being with affinity, presenting it as a faith for all life rather than one restricted to the Witch Race.
• Hou Tu uses the Human Book, one of the Three Books and a top-grade innate spiritual treasure, to suppress the religion’s providence.
• The Heavenly Dao recognizes the establishment with three strikes of the congratulatory golden gong, and Hou Tu receives a massive amount of religious merit.
• Hou Tu uses the merit to heal the Dao injuries inflicted by Dan Jing in the past and slightly repair her damaged Dao Fruit.
• Nuwa becomes enraged at having the name and opportunity effectively “stolen” from her. The two Sages confront each other through hostile gazes across the Heavenly Court and Netherworld.
• Dan Jing realizes what has happened and watches the confrontation with amusement, eagerly encouraging the two women to fight.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu: Shows significant ideological growth. Previously focused primarily on the Witch Race, she now establishes a religion meant for all living beings. This suggests she is moving beyond racial loyalty and gradually becoming a more impartial, qualified Sage. She also displays confidence and defiance by deliberately meeting Nuwa’s hostile gaze.
• Nuwa: Reveals her strategic intelligence and ambition. She had carefully prepared the Human Religion as a way to gain legitimate influence over Houtian beings, but her plans are derailed at the last moment. Her fury demonstrates how important the religion’s name and influence are to her.
• Dan Jing: Continues acting as an unseen catalyst who pushes the Sages toward conflict. He quickly understands the implications of Hou Tu’s move and recognizes it as an entertaining consequence of his earlier interference. His playful, detached attitude contrasts with the seriousness of the Sage-level dispute.
• Other Sages: Their ongoing efforts to spread their doctrines establish a broader competition among Sage lineages for influence over living beings.

Significant Themes

• Competition for influence: The Sages are not merely cultivating power; they are competing to shape the beliefs and loyalties of all living beings.
• Strategic deception and timing: Nuwa’s defeat comes not from weakness but from being beaten by Hou Tu’s timing. The chapter emphasizes that intelligent figures often understand political realities while choosing to act as though they do not.
• Personal ambition versus universal responsibility: Hou Tu’s decision to create a religion for all beings marks a shift from racial allegiance toward a broader, more inclusive responsibility.
• Names, legitimacy, and ownership: Although the doctrines of Sage religions may be similar, their names and recognized status matter greatly. Hou Tu’s use of “Human Religion” functions like registering an important trademark before Nuwa can do so.
• Conflict as entertainment and advancement: Dan Jing views the Sages’ rivalry as amusing, but his actions also drive their development and intensify the larger cosmic struggle.

Character Interactions

• Nuwa and Hou Tu: Their relationship becomes openly antagonistic. Hou Tu’s establishment of the Human Religion directly undermines Nuwa’s plans, and the two exchange a silent but highly threatening confrontation across realms.
• Dan Jing and the Sages: Though not directly involved in the confrontation, Dan Jing observes and interprets the situation from the Sun Star. His past actions have helped push the Sages forward, making him an indirect force behind the current conflict.
• The Sages and their followers: The chapter places Nuwa and Hou Tu’s dispute within a wider movement in which every major Sage is spreading a distinct religious lineage and competing for influence over the Primordial World.

Chapter Summary: Hou Tu: Of All People to Learn From, You Learned From a Madman?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hou Tu provokes Nuwa from the Netherworld, challenging her to come down and fight if she is dissatisfied.
• Dan Jing gleefully fans the flames, arguing that Nuwa must defend the Heavenly Court’s dignity rather than tolerate repeated humiliation.
• Nuwa initially appears to ignore the provocation and instead establishes the Monster Religion, a Sage sect intended to guide living beings and cultivate virtuous practitioners. She suppresses its fortune with the Cosmic Cauldron and receives merit for founding it.
• Just as observers assume Nuwa has chosen compromise, she suddenly leaves the Heavenly Court and confronts Hou Tu outside the Netherworld, formally accepting the challenge.
• Hou Tu hesitates because she never truly intended to fight and realizes Nuwa has been provoked into taking the matter seriously.
• Dan Jing taunts Hou Tu by questioning her courage, prompting her to appear and accept the battle.
• The moment Hou Tu manifests, Nuwa launches a surprise attack with the Cosmic Cauldron, forcing Hou Tu back into the Void Boundary, where the two Sages can fight without damaging the Primordial Cosmos.
• Hou Tu angrily condemns Nuwa for using a sneak attack and accuses her of copying Dan Jing’s “underhanded” fighting style.
• Nuwa ignores the complaint and continues attacking with the Cosmic Cauldron, Landscape and States Map, and Red Embroidered Ball.
• Dan Jing proudly celebrates that Nuwa has adopted his tactic of seizing the initiative and boasts about how effective his fighting style is.

Character Developments

• Nuwa shifts from appearing patient and politically restrained to demonstrating a fierce, prideful side. She refuses to let Hou Tu’s provocation damage her authority and ultimately chooses direct confrontation.
• Hou Tu is revealed to have provoked Nuwa impulsively rather than genuinely wanting a battle. Her confidence returns after Dan Jing’s taunts, but she is caught off guard by Nuwa’s immediate attack.
• Dan Jing continues acting as a mischievous instigator. He manipulates both Sages through provocative commentary, pressures Nuwa into fighting, and mocks Hou Tu into accepting the challenge. He also takes great pride in influencing Nuwa’s combat approach.
• The spectators and Sages are invested in the confrontation, viewing it as a contest over dignity, pride, and authority rather than merely a physical battle.

Significant Themes

• Dignity and political authority: Nuwa’s hesitation would have been interpreted as weakness, especially by the Heavenly Court and Demon Race. The chapter emphasizes that repeatedly retreating from provocation can undermine a ruler’s legitimacy.
• Provocation and manipulation: Dan Jing controls the situation without directly fighting, using ridicule and public pressure to force both sides toward conflict.
• Pride versus practicality: Hou Tu understands that fighting offers little benefit, while Nuwa prioritizes dignity and reputation over avoiding an unnecessary confrontation.
• Learning from one’s enemies—or from a madman: Nuwa’s surprise attack mirrors Dan Jing’s notorious combat style, amusing Dan Jing and shocking the onlookers.
• Spectacle and public image: The battle is fueled as much by how the powerful are perceived as by any genuine grievance between them.

Character Interactions

• Hou Tu and Nuwa: Their rivalry escalates from verbal provocation into an actual Sage-level battle. Hou Tu challenges Nuwa, while Nuwa answers decisively and attacks first.
• Dan Jing and Nuwa: Dan Jing publicly pressures and mocks Nuwa, challenging her pride until she confronts Hou Tu. He then praises her for using his aggressive tactics.
• Dan Jing and Hou Tu: He taunts Hou Tu’s courage and lineage, successfully provoking her into appearing for the fight.
• The spectators and the Sages: Their reactions highlight the importance of reputation among the ruling powers and reinforce the chapter’s comedic, dramatic atmosphere.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing reacts unexpectedly to Hou Tu’s criticism of Sun Star Madman’s methods. Rather than becoming angry, he proudly embraces being considered underhanded, leaving the spectators bewildered.
• Nuwa and Hou Tu battle in the Void Boundary for ten thousand years. Their fight is powerful but controlled, avoiding the catastrophic damage caused during the previous Calamity Cycle.
• Unlike previous occasions, Dan Jing does not broadcast the battle across the Primordial Cosmos. He watches it privately from his melon patch because he simply is not interested in sharing the spectacle this time.
• The battle ends without a decisive conclusion, though Nuwa gains a slight advantage. Both Sages return to their respective domains—Nuwa to the Heavenly Court and Hou Tu to the Netherworld—clearly dissatisfied and likely intending to reclaim their lost face in the future.
• Dan Jing enjoys the prospect of Nuwa and Hou Tu repeatedly competing to regain superiority, seeing their ongoing rivalry as a source of entertainment.
• His own desire for battle is now focused on the mysterious “old fogey” in the Violet Cloud Palace, whom Dan Jing considers the only being worthy of receiving the Chaos Bell’s attack.
• Dan Jing secretly rings the Chaos Bell and uses its power to suppress, conceal, and disrupt the heavenly secrets of the entire Primordial Cosmos.
• Every Sage senses the alteration and attempts to divine the heavenly secrets. Even Laozi, wielding the Taiji Diagram, fails completely.
• The Sages recognize that Dan Jing has entirely blocked their ability to calculate the future, leaving them confused about his intentions.

2. Character Developments

• Dan Jing: His eccentric, self-serving personality is reinforced. He takes pride in his unconventional methods, enjoys watching conflict for entertainment, and acts according to his whims. He also demonstrates overwhelming power by concealing all heavenly secrets from every Sage.
• Nuwa: Gains a minor victory over Hou Tu and leaves the battlefield with a mocking, confident attitude. Her reaction suggests she is determined to maintain her advantage.
• Hou Tu: Suffers a slight loss and becomes visibly displeased. Her frustration implies that she will seek another opportunity to defeat Nuwa and restore her dignity.
• The Sages: Their inability to penetrate Dan Jing’s suppression of the heavenly secrets highlights the vast gap between him and even the strongest Dao-Proven experts. They are forced to accept his actions while wondering what he plans next.
• Laozi: Despite possessing the Taiji Diagram and being the last Sage to abandon the divination attempt, he still gains nothing, emphasizing that Dan Jing’s concealment is absolute.

3. Significant Themes

• Unpredictability and madness: Dan Jing’s reactions defy ordinary expectations, showing that conventional reasoning cannot be applied to him.
• Power beyond authority: Although the Sages possess immense status and strength, they cannot challenge Dan Jing’s decision to suppress the heavenly secrets.
• Conflict as entertainment: Dan Jing views the rivalry between Nuwa and Hou Tu less as a serious threat and more as an ongoing source of amusement.
• Concealment and uncertainty: By disrupting the heavenly secrets, Dan Jing creates widespread uncertainty and prevents the Sages from predicting future developments.
• Pride and face: Nuwa and Hou Tu’s battle is driven partly by the need to uphold their reputations and support the factions they represent, ensuring their rivalry will continue.
• Selective intervention: Dan Jing does not intervene simply because he can. He chooses when to share events, when to fight, and when to act based entirely on his personal interest.

4. Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and Hou Tu: Hou Tu’s criticism of his fighting methods fails to provoke him; instead, Dan Jing proudly accepts the insult.
• Nuwa and Hou Tu: Their ten-thousand-year battle ends with Nuwa holding the upper hand. Their cold reactions and mutual dissatisfaction establish an ongoing contest for superiority.
• Dan Jing and the Sages: Dan Jing acts without consulting or explaining himself to the Sages. They sense his suppression of the heavenly secrets but can only remain silent and speculate about his motives.
• Laozi and the other Sages: The Sages collectively attempt divination, but all fail. Their shared realization that Dan Jing has completely sealed the heavenly secrets leaves them united in confusion and concern.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Heavenly secrets throughout the Primordial World are suddenly and completely concealed. Even Sages can no longer deduce information, and cultivators who once relied on heavenly secrets are left confused and uneasy.
• Because no Calamity Aura appears, the concealment is determined not to signal a new Calamity Cycle. Instead, everyone concludes that the Sun God—Dan Jing—has personally blocked the heavenly secrets.
• Powerful cultivators immediately become cautious and avoid discussing the matter, fearing that attracting Dan Jing’s attention could make them his next target.
• Dan Jing observes how the Sages and powerful cultivators react. Once they recover from their initial confusion and resume their activities, he is satisfied that his experiment has succeeded.
• Dan Jing explains that he concealed the heavenly secrets to prevent powerful figures from treating fate and planning like an “open-book exam.” From now on, they must rely on genuine intelligence, caution, and strategy.
• Despite blocking heavenly secrets from everyone else, Dan Jing retains the ability to see them, effectively giving himself an unfair advantage—or “cheats”—over the entire Primordial World.
• As years pass, six of the seven Sage lineages begin openly spreading teachings and cultivation methods among the Acquired Sentient Beings, laying the groundwork for a future age of prosperity.
• Other powerful figures notice the Sages’ activities and consider establishing their own teachings. They visit the Sages in places such as Mount Sumeru, Kunlun Mountain, the Heavenly Court, and the Netherworld to ask whether they may participate.
• The Sages permit them to join the competition. Since Dan Jing controls the “chessboard” and wants to see more conflict and activity, preventing others from participating would risk provoking his Chaos Bell.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Demonstrates his overwhelming power, playful arrogance, and love of manipulation. He is not merely suppressing heavenly secrets defensively; he is deliberately reshaping the rules of the world to make political and strategic struggles more entertaining. His confidence comes from knowing he can still perceive what everyone else has been denied.
• The Sages and powerful cultivators: Are forced to adapt to a world without reliable access to fate and heavenly secrets. Their former advantage disappears, requiring them to think and scheme independently.
• Fuxi and White Marsh: Particularly affected because they once specialized in observing and interpreting heavenly secrets. They must now seek other methods, such as studying karma.
• The Sage lineages: Shift from private cultivation traditions toward openly educating Acquired Sentient Beings and building broad social influence.
• Other powerful figures: Begin moving from passive observation to active participation, seeking permission to establish teachings of their own.

Significant Themes

• Power and information control: Dan Jing’s concealment of heavenly secrets gives him near-total informational dominance and exposes how dependent other powerful beings were on foreknowledge.
• Free will versus predetermined advantage: By removing access to heavenly secrets, Dan Jing forces characters to make decisions without guaranteed knowledge of the future.
• Strategy and genuine intelligence: The chapter contrasts effortless deduction with true scheming. Dan Jing wants to see who can still succeed without relying on fate as an “open-book exam.”
• Competition and world-building: The Primordial World becomes a vast chessboard where Sages and powerful beings compete by spreading teachings and gathering followers.
• Entertainment through chaos: Dan Jing treats the struggles of the powerful as a source of amusement, encouraging more players and more complicated schemes.
• Fear and political restraint: The powerful avoid provoking Dan Jing because of his reputation for killing major figures, showing how fear shapes behavior even among the strongest beings.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing indirectly influences every Sage and powerful cultivator by cutting off their access to heavenly secrets, though he does not need to confront them personally.
• The Sages and powerful cultivators respond through increased communication, compensating for their lost ability to observe distant events.
• Powerful figures approach the Sages to ask whether they may spread teachings, creating a cooperative yet competitive relationship between established Sage lineages and potential new entrants.
• The Sages allow participation because they recognize Dan Jing’s authority over the entire arrangement and understand that blocking others could invite his retaliation.
• Dan Jing positions himself above all sides: he permits the competition, watches every hidden scheme, and secretly retains the informational advantage needed to control the outcome.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Over less than thirty yuanhui, Acquired Sentient Beings multiply rapidly across the Primordial Land, creating widespread vitality and the beginnings of a prosperous Human Dao.
• Although Acquired Sentient Beings generally have inferior aptitude, foundations, and inherited advantages compared with Primordial Innate Beings, their extraordinary reproductive ability allows their collective influence to grow quickly.
• The combined Human Dao aura of countless Acquired Sentient Beings becomes immense. This development attracts the attention of the Sages and powerful cultivators, who recognize that Human Dao aura is effectively Human Dao Fortune.
• The Sages realize that the prosperity of Acquired Sentient Beings will strengthen their sects and help restore their damaged Dao Fruits. Other powerhouses also recognize that they can use the situation to advance their own cultivation.
• What began as a “game” to raise Acquired Sentient Beings and entertain Dan Jing transforms into a serious competition in which the major factions actively invest their efforts.
• Dan Jing observes this change from beneath the Fusang Divine Tree and is pleased that his “open strategy”—placing obvious benefits in front of everyone—has compelled the Sages and powerhouses to participate willingly.
• Dan Jing then turns his attention toward the Heavenly Court, anticipating that Nuwa is about to arrange Fuxi’s reincarnation.
• Nuwa is nurturing Fuxi’s Primordial Spirit within her Cosmic Cauldron and is considering how to secure the greatest opportunity for him.
• She plans to have Fuxi reincarnate as an Acquired Sentient Being during the first major turning point in their development, allowing him to become the first exceptional leader to guide them into a new era.
• However, Fuxi must pass through the Six Paths of Reincarnation, which are controlled by Hou Tu. Because of the strained relationship between Nuwa and Hou Tu, and the conflict between the Heavenly Court and the Netherworld, Fuxi’s reincarnation may be difficult to arrange.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Demonstrates his strategic intelligence and manipulative skill. He successfully encourages the Sages and powerful beings to pursue their own desires, thereby advancing his larger plan without directly forcing them.
• Nuwa: Shows herself to be protective and ambitious on Fuxi’s behalf. Rather than simply resurrecting him, she seeks to place him at the center of the Acquired Sentient Beings’ first major advancement, ensuring that he gains lasting significance.
• Fuxi: Though still dormant, he is positioned to become the first great leader—or “cheat-code player”—among Acquired Sentient Beings.
• The Sages and other powerhouses: Shift from casual amusement to serious involvement after recognizing the enormous benefits of Human Dao Fortune.

Significant Themes

• Open strategy and manipulation: Dan Jing achieves his goal by making the rewards obvious and allowing others to believe they are acting independently.
• Collective strength versus individual aptitude: Acquired Sentient Beings are individually weak compared with Innate Beings, but their vast numbers and rapid reproduction create overwhelming collective power.
• Human Dao and accumulated fortune: The chapter emphasizes how the combined efforts and existence of countless ordinary beings can generate a force powerful enough to influence Sages and reshape the Primordial World.
• Competition for opportunity: Being first to lead a new era may provide enduring prestige and fortune, even if later figures possess greater advantages.
• Political and factional conflict: Fuxi’s reincarnation is complicated by the rivalry between the Heavenly Court and the Netherworld, showing that personal plans are constrained by larger political relationships.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and the Sages/powerhouses: Dan Jing indirectly influences them by presenting obvious benefits, while they unknowingly advance his plan through their own ambitions.
• Nuwa and Fuxi: Nuwa remains deeply concerned with Fuxi’s restoration and future, carefully preparing his soul and planning his reincarnation.
• Nuwa and Hou Tu: Their strained relationship creates the central obstacle to Fuxi’s rebirth, since Hou Tu controls the reincarnation system Nuwa must rely on.
• Dan Jing and Nuwa/Fuxi’s situation: Dan Jing becomes interested in Nuwa’s impending arrangements and heads toward the Heavenly Court, suggesting that he may intervene or observe the coming struggle.

Chapter Summary: “Dan Jing: Hand It Over!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nuwa considers how to help her brother Fuxi complete reincarnation and be reborn among the Houtian beings. She originally planned to bypass the normal process by placing Fuxi directly into the womb of a specially chosen woman, allowing him to be born with extraordinary status.
• However, because the rise of the Houtian beings has become a serious matter rather than a simple game, the Sages are no longer permitted to interfere recklessly. Nuwa realizes that her plan would likely be opposed by the other Sages—and possibly provoke the Sun Star Madman, Dan Jing.
• Dan Jing suddenly appears inside Nuwa’s heavily protected seclusion hall without triggering any of her defenses. He immediately demands Fuxi’s Primordial Spirit True Soul.
• Intimidated, Nuwa instinctively hands over the Cosmic Cauldron containing Fuxi’s soul without negotiating or asking what Dan Jing intends to do.
• Dan Jing takes Fuxi’s soul, declares that he will arrange Fuxi’s future himself, and warns Nuwa not to interfere with Fuxi until he is finished “having fun.” He then leaves.
• Nuwa accepts the situation helplessly. Although she fears Dan Jing, she reasons that his involvement may make Fuxi’s path easier, since Dan Jing can accomplish in an instant what would otherwise require careful planning and risk opposition from the other Sages.
• The chapter then shifts to the Netherworld, where Zhen Yuanzi manages its numerous affairs while cultivating. His Three Corpses hold major administrative positions: Meng Po oversees the soup of forgetfulness, the Yama King manages the Human Book, and another corpse governs the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
• The Netherworld remains understaffed, particularly because the Grand Witches refuse administrative work. The situation is slowly improving as disciples of Hou Tu’s Human Religion begin entering the Netherworld and taking on official duties.

Character Developments

• Nuwa: Her fear and powerlessness before Dan Jing become clear. Despite being a Sage, she instinctively obeys him and ultimately decides that surrendering Fuxi to Dan Jing may be the safest and most efficient choice. She also shows deep concern for her brother, though she is forced to relinquish control over his fate.
• Dan Jing: He is portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful, unpredictable, and casually domineering. His ability to bypass Nuwa’s defenses demonstrates his superiority, while his interest in Fuxi suggests that he intends to personally influence or manipulate Fuxi’s reincarnation.
• Fuxi: Though mostly absent, Fuxi becomes the central object of the conflict. His soul is removed from Nuwa’s protection and placed entirely under Dan Jing’s control.
• Zhen Yuanzi: His role as an overburdened administrator is emphasized. He personally handles many Netherworld affairs while relying on his Three Corpses to fill essential positions.

Significant Themes

• Power and submission: Even a Sage like Nuwa cannot resist Dan Jing, showing the enormous gap between their abilities and influence.
• Interference versus destiny: The reincarnation of powerful figures must now follow established rules, reflecting the changing importance of the Houtian beings and the need for the Sages to restrain themselves.
• Protection through surrender: Nuwa gives up control of Fuxi not because she trusts Dan Jing completely, but because his involvement may shield Fuxi from greater dangers and remove obstacles.
• Burden of governance: The Netherworld’s staffing problems highlight the practical difficulties of maintaining cosmic institutions, even in a world filled with powerful immortals and divine beings.
• Unpredictability and amusement: Dan Jing treats major matters—such as Fuxi’s reincarnation—as something he can casually participate in for entertainment, reinforcing his eccentric and dangerous nature.

Character Interactions

• Nuwa and Dan Jing: Their encounter is brief but decisive. Dan Jing issues commands rather than negotiates, while Nuwa responds with instinctive obedience and fear. His warning makes clear that he now claims authority over Fuxi’s affairs.
• Nuwa and Fuxi: Nuwa’s actions show her protective intentions, but she ultimately resigns herself to letting Fuxi face his fate under Dan Jing’s control.
• Zhen Yuanzi and the Netherworld administration: Although no direct conversation occurs, the section depicts Zhen Yuanzi’s functional relationship with his Three Corpses and the growing network of officials supporting the Netherworld.

Chapter Summary: “You Won’t Lead a Team? Then Work Yourself to Death!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing, the Sun God, interrupts Zhen Yuanzi while he is simultaneously cultivating, managing the Netherworld, and training its attendants.
• He gives Zhen Yuanzi the Primordial Spirit True Soul of Fuxi and orders him to cleanse it in Meng Po Soup before reincarnating Fuxi into a human tribe near the East Sea.
• Dan Jing criticizes Zhen Yuanzi for handling the Netherworld’s enormous workload alone. He urges him to learn leadership and build an effective Netherworld team, warning that otherwise Zhen Yuanzi will work himself to death throughout the Immeasurable Calamity Cycle without reaching Sage Realm.
• Zhen Yuanzi accepts the advice and begins considering how to recruit and organize capable personnel, recognizing that the Netherworld suffers from a severe shortage of talent despite its vast responsibilities.
• Dan Jing observes Zhen Yuanzi’s renewed efforts and hopes he will eventually become the ninth Sage Realm expert through his own abilities. He privately considers using Red Cloud as motivation if Zhen Yuanzi fails to make progress.
• Hou Tu proposes that the Primordial Spirit True Souls of deceased members of the Wu Clan—Di Jiang, Xuan Ming, and others—be reincarnated into the Acquired Races at the East Sea. Dan Jing approves the plan and promises to accept them once they are born.
• After Dan Jing departs, Hou Tu feels relieved, intimidated by his overwhelming strength and baffled by how rapidly he continues to surpass the Sages.

Character Developments

• Zhen Yuanzi: Begins shifting from an overworked solitary administrator toward thinking like a leader. He realizes that personal diligence cannot solve the Netherworld’s structural lack of manpower and that he must develop a capable team.
• Dan Jing: Acts as both supervisor and manipulator. He genuinely wants Zhen Yuanzi to pursue Sage Realm, but also treats the situation as an entertaining experiment, even considering Red Cloud as emotional leverage.
• Hou Tu: Demonstrates caution and political maturity. Rather than provoking Dan Jing, she carefully presents her proposal and successfully secures a future for the Wu Clan’s spirits. Her fear of Dan Jing highlights the immense power gap between them.
• Fuxi: Though not physically present, his reincarnation becomes an important ongoing arrangement. His soul is prepared to enter the Human Realm Path and be reborn among the East Sea’s human tribes.
• Di Jiang, Xuan Ming, and the other Wu Clan members: Their souls are given a chance to re-enter the world through reincarnation, with Dan Jing intending to take them in after their rebirth.

Significant Themes

• Leadership versus individual labor: The chapter emphasizes that working harder is not a substitute for delegation, organization, and team-building.
• Responsibility and institutional burden: The Netherworld’s immense authority has created an overwhelming workload, showing that power and merit can bring difficult obligations.
• The pursuit of Sage Realm: Zhen Yuanzi’s future advancement depends on escaping endless routine labor and developing himself as a leader and cultivator.
• Power and intimidation: Dan Jing’s strength has become so overwhelming that even Hou Tu, a Sage and former major power, avoids antagonizing him.
• Reincarnation and renewal: The planned rebirths of Fuxi and the Wu Clan figures reflect the chapter’s continuing interest in destiny, transformation, and the return of important beings in new forms.
• Manipulation and entertainment: Dan Jing’s actions serve both practical goals and his personal curiosity, suggesting that he views the struggles of powerful figures as partly a spectacle.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and Zhen Yuanzi: Dan Jing gives Zhen Yuanzi direct orders and a sharp warning about his poor management style. Zhen Yuanzi respectfully accepts the criticism and starts planning reforms.
• Dan Jing and Hou Tu: Their exchange begins with mutual suspicion and implied hostility, but Hou Tu quickly clarifies her intentions. She proposes the reincarnation plan, and Dan Jing enthusiastically approves it while praising her ingenuity.
• Dan Jing and the reincarnated figures: Although Fuxi, Di Jiang, Xuan Ming, and the others do not appear directly, Dan Jing takes personal responsibility for arranging their reincarnation and future recruitment.
• Zhen Yuanzi and the Netherworld: Zhen Yuanzi’s relationship with the Netherworld changes from one of solitary service to an emerging effort to build a functioning organization capable of sharing its immense duties.

Chapter Summary

• Setting and background: The Bank of the East Sea, once devastated by the Witch-Demon conflicts and later calamities, has regained prosperity because of the Monster Religion founded by Nuwa and the many powerful traditions established there. Its wealth and resources now rival those of the Human Religion.
• Dan Jing’s arrival: Dan Jing secretly conceals his aura but keeps his ordinary appearance as he visits the wealthy Feng family. He announces that their unborn child has a connection with him and that he has come to accept the child as his disciple. The family readily believes him, since powerful immortals frequently descend into the mortal world to seek disciples.
• Birth of Fuxi: When the child is born, he appears unusually beautiful and spiritually exceptional. The Feng family asks Dan Jing to name him, and Dan Jing gives him the name Feng Fuxi. The family immediately performs the master-disciple ceremony on the infant’s behalf, recognizing that the bond with a powerful master may be more significant than ordinary family ties.
• Dan Jing’s promise: Dan Jing declares that he will remain with Fuxi for twenty years, teaching him cultivation and helping him become an immortal. Afterward, he plans to take Fuxi traveling throughout the Primordial World. He warns the Feng family that maintaining Fuxi’s affection and becoming an influential ancestral family will depend on their own efforts during those twenty years.

Character development and interactions

• Dan Jing appears calm, confident, and enigmatic. His casual attitude suggests immense power, while his decision to personally raise and teach Fuxi reveals a purposeful interest in the child’s destiny.
• Fuxi is introduced as a spiritually gifted infant whose future is already destined to be extraordinary.
• The Feng family shifts from respectful hosts to devoted disciples of Dan Jing’s authority. They are thrilled by Fuxi’s promised future and relieved that their careful hospitality has earned them his favor.
• Dan Jing’s interaction with the family establishes a relationship based on reverence, obligation, and the enormous value of his mentorship.

Major themes

• The importance of lineage and inheritance: Powerful religious traditions and family connections shape the future of the Primordial World.
• Master-disciple bonds: Cultivation relationships are portrayed as potentially longer-lasting and more influential than blood ties.
• Hidden identity and immense power: Dan Jing disguises his true status, while the Feng family speculates that he may be a legendary Undying Golden Immortal.
• Destiny and opportunity: Fuxi’s birth marks the beginning of a remarkable path, while the Feng family is given the chance to rise through his future achievements.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing walks through a prosperous Human tribe, observing how immortal arts have improved the lives of ordinary Houtian beings. He enjoys the bustle but firmly rejects the idea of returning to a mundane, labor-intensive lifestyle.
• He visits the tribe’s Holy Mother Temple and casually eats the spirit fruits offered on Nuwa’s altar.
• Nuwa appears and presents him with Fuxi’s former spiritual treasures, along with new treasures prepared for Fuxi’s reincarnation.
• Dan Jing accepts the treasures and formally declares that he will teach Fuxi the complete inheritance of the Monster Religion, making Fuxi a disciple of that tradition despite Dan Jing himself not belonging to it.
• Nuwa departs but continues secretly observing Fuxi from the Bank of the East Sea. She worries that Dan Jing may turn her brother into a disgrace, though she also trusts that the established master-disciple bond will prevent him from mistreating Fuxi.
• Nuwa hopes Fuxi will eventually obtain the Merit of the Three Marriages, believing it would be a major achievement and a waste if he failed to acquire it.
• Over the next twenty years, Fuxi grows up within the Feng Clan. Dan Jing teaches him basic methods of breathing and refining spiritual energy, after which Fuxi’s cultivation advances naturally.
• Fuxi becomes an immortal and grows into a handsome young man beloved by his family and clan.
• Dan Jing then leaves the tribe with Fuxi, who is initially reluctant to part from his relatives. They travel toward Mount Buzhou, marking the beginning of Fuxi’s true cultivation journey.
• Dan Jing tells Fuxi that he may ask any question appropriate to his current level and promises to teach him openly and without reservation.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Remains carefree, powerful, and irreverent, but shows responsibility as a teacher. Though he initially appears casual and indifferent, he accepts Fuxi as a true disciple and prepares to guide his cultivation seriously.
• Fuxi: Grows from a spoiled and unruly child into a respectful, obedient young immortal. He remains deeply intimidated by Dan Jing, but begins to relax after receiving reassurance that his master will answer his questions honestly.
• Nuwa: Reveals strong concern and affection for Fuxi. She is anxious about Dan Jing’s influence but recognizes his potential as a capable teacher. She also begins planning for Fuxi’s future accomplishments, particularly his acquisition of the Merit of the Three Marriages.

Significant Themes

• The master-disciple bond: The karmic ceremony between Dan Jing and Fuxi establishes a powerful relationship that carries both obligation and trust.
• Parental and familial concern: Nuwa’s fear that Fuxi may become a “clown” under Dan Jing’s guidance highlights her protective feelings despite her inability to interfere.
• Freedom versus ordinary life: Dan Jing appreciates the prosperity of mortal society but refuses to surrender his freedom for a conventional, labor-driven existence.
• Growth through cultivation: Fuxi’s development from a mischievous child into an immortal reflects both the advantages of his lineage and the beginning of a more disciplined path.
• Hidden potential and destiny: Fuxi’s future achievements, especially the Merit of the Three Marriages, are foreshadowed as important to both his personal growth and the wider cosmic order.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and Nuwa interact with familiar but unequal formality: Nuwa respectfully offers Fuxi’s treasures, while Dan Jing casually accepts them and dismisses her.
• Nuwa’s concern contrasts with Dan Jing’s confidence. She worries about Fuxi’s future, while Dan Jing treats his role as teacher with relaxed certainty.
• Fuxi’s interactions with Dan Jing are marked by awe and obedience. Although he was unruly as a child, he becomes completely restrained in his master’s presence.
• During their departure, Dan Jing begins shifting their relationship from passive master and fearful disciple toward active teacher and student by encouraging Fuxi to ask questions and participate openly in his cultivation.