Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Sage Old Man Knows Jack Shit About Calamity Cycles!

Key Plot Points and Events

• After dismissing Nuwa, Dan Jing reflects with satisfaction on the growing tension between the Witch Race and the Heavenly Court.
• He reveals that he intentionally supplied the Witch Race with strategic manuals covering:
  • Opening battlefields behind enemy lines
  • Proxy warfare
  • Frontal and flanking battlefields
  • The use of previously inaccessible innate spiritual materials
• Dan Jing predicts that the next major conflict will not be a direct war between the Witch Race and Heavenly Court. Instead, both sides will compete for control of the Four Seas Isles by supporting local races, rogue cultivators, and other factions in proxy wars.
• The Four Seas Isles become the central strategic target because they are vast, resource-rich, and outside the Sage’s restriction that the demons rule the heavens and the witches govern the land.
• More than ten yuanhui later, tensions begin rising in the East Sea, which is nominally controlled by the Heavenly Court. Minor disputes among Water Race members and rogue cultivators escalate when the parties receive support from opposing powers.
• Witch-backed factions gain influence, weakening the Heavenly Court’s authority over the East Sea.
• In the Soaring Firmament Grand Hall, Nuwa correctly identifies the Witch Race’s strategy: indirect warfare designed to challenge the Heavenly Court’s control of the seas while avoiding direct confrontation.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing is portrayed as a manipulative strategist who delights in increasing conflict and competition. He deliberately accelerates the Calamity Cycle by teaching the Witch Race sophisticated military and political methods.
• Nuwa becomes increasingly anxious and frustrated. She suspects Dan Jing is still guiding the Witch Race but cannot determine exactly how. Once the East Sea disturbances begin, she successfully deduces his broader plan.
• The Witch Race demonstrates growing strategic sophistication. Rather than launching an open war, it adopts proxy warfare, seeks control of maritime resources, and uses alliances with local factions to undermine the Heavenly Court.
• The Heavenly Court and Demon Race are shown to be vulnerable because they are coalitions of many races and factions with conflicting interests. Their complex internal structure makes them easier to destabilize than the unified Witch Race.

Significant Themes

• Proxy warfare and indirect conflict: The chapter emphasizes how wars can be fought through subordinate powers rather than direct military confrontation.
• Strategic competition during a Calamity Cycle: Even under the Sage’s ban on direct war, rival powers continue competing through economics, alliances, influence, and controlled conflict.
• Political instability within coalitions: The Heavenly Court’s diversity is both a strength and a weakness, since local disputes can become major crises when outside powers intervene.
• Manipulation and unintended consequences: Dan Jing treats the Calamity Cycle as a game, deliberately creating instability while believing he is making the world’s development more “interesting.”
• Resource competition: The Four Seas Isles and their innate spiritual materials become a crucial source of power, motivating both the Witch Race and Heavenly Court to expand their influence.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing’s earlier meeting with Nuwa leaves her unsettled, while he remains amused by her inability to see his plans.
• The Witch Race’s actions indirectly confront the Heavenly Court through the Water Race and rogue cultivators rather than through direct attacks.
• Nuwa consults the ministers of the Heavenly Court, asking them to devise a response to the East Sea crisis. She relies on collective wisdom, particularly that of figures such as Fuxi and White Marsh, to counter the Witch Race’s strategy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nuwa asks the Heavenly Court for its response to the Witch Race’s growing influence in the East Sea.
• Fuxi proposes that the Heavenly Court imitate the Witch Race’s indirect strategy by secretly supporting Water Race factions and Rogue Cultivators, rather than sending its own armies into open conflict.
• White Marsh supports Fuxi’s plan, emphasizing that the unrest will likely spread to the Four Seas and that the Witch Race will also be burdened by this new form of warfare.
• The officials develop several strategies, including:
  • Supporting rival Water Race factions.
  • Avoiding direct military intervention.
  • Allowing defeated factions to become more obedient.
  • Infiltrating Witch Race territory and creating disturbances in its rear.
• Nuwa recognizes that, despite the quality of these plans, the Heavenly Court is merely responding within a new strategic framework created by Dan Jing on the Sun Star. She considers it fortunate that Dan Jing has not entered the Calamity Cycle as an enemy.
• Three yuanhui later, proxy wars erupt throughout the East Sea between Water Race factions and Rogue Cultivators backed by the Witch Race or Heavenly Court.
• Two yuanhui after that, similar conflicts spread to the West, North, and South Seas. The wars remain relatively small in scale but are frequent and brutal, increasing the tribulation aura of the Calamity Cycle.
• Many experts realize that the Witch Race and Heavenly Court have not abandoned their rivalry; they have simply shifted from direct confrontation to complex indirect warfare. The Witch Race’s unexpected talent for strategy even allows it to gain occasional advantages.
• On the Sun Star, Xi He and Chang Xi visit Dan Jing. Their real purpose is to seek his advice regarding the Primordial Purple Qi possessed by Red Cloud and their chances of becoming Sages.

Character Developments

• Nuwa: Displays strategic awareness and humility. She acknowledges that the Heavenly Court’s plans, while effective, are reactive and operate within a game designed by Dan Jing. She feels genuine relief that he remains outside the Calamity Cycle.
• Fuxi: Demonstrates his usual ability to formulate practical, far-reaching strategies, advocating indirect conflict through proxy forces.
• White Marsh: Continues to complement Fuxi by carefully evaluating the benefits and risks of the proposed plans.
• The Witch Race: Shows a major development in political and military sophistication. Instead of relying solely on brute force, it begins using schemes, proxies, and indirect warfare.
• Dan Jing: Remains detached from the Calamity Cycle yet profoundly influential. He is playful and provocative with Xi He and Chang Xi, but his strategic insight is clearly respected.
• Xi He and Chang Xi: Their interest in the Sage Throne reveals their growing ambition and concern about their future cultivation. Xi He is familiar and teasing with Dan Jing, while Chang Xi is more pragmatic and openly acknowledges the difference in their strength.

Significant Themes

• Indirect warfare and strategic escalation: The conflict evolves from direct battles into proxy wars, political manipulation, and covert investment in rival factions.
• The limits of reaction: Even excellent plans may only respond to a framework established by a more powerful strategist.
• The danger of intelligence combined with power: The Witch Race becomes more frightening once it supplements its immense strength with calculation and schemes.
• Detachment and influence: Dan Jing does not participate directly in the Calamity Cycle, yet his ideas shape the actions of both major powers.
• Ambition for Sagehood: The visit from Xi He and Chang Xi introduces the pursuit of the Sage Throne and the allure of Primordial Purple Qi as the next major concern.

Character Interactions

• Fuxi and White Marsh work in tandem, with Fuxi presenting strategies and White Marsh analyzing their broader consequences.
• Heavenly Court officials debate how far to intervene and whether to use covert operations against the Witch Race.
• Nuwa listens to the discussion while privately comparing the officials’ plans to Dan Jing’s superior strategic vision.
• Dan Jing playfully teases Xi He and Chang Xi, openly admitting that he enjoys provoking them.
• Xi He responds with mock anger and familiarity, while Chang Xi humorously reminds her sister that neither of them could defeat Dan Jing—even together—and recalls his past victory over Nuwa.
• The chapter ends with Xi He seriously asking Dan Jing whether she and Chang Xi have any chance of becoming Sages.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Xi He and Chang Xi discuss using a Sage Throne as a shortcut to attain the Dao. Dan Jing dismisses the idea, claiming that becoming a Sage is unnecessary and that attaining the Dao is “easy” with enough effort.
• The sisters realize they are not destined for a Sage Throne. Although somewhat disappointed, they feel relieved and decide to focus on following their own Dao paths.
• Dan Jing predicts an impending conflict over Red Cloud’s Primordial Purple Qi. Kunpeng and other Rogue Cultivators, the Heavenly Court, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches are all expected to move against Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi.
• Xi He and Chang Xi conclude that Red Cloud is likely doomed, since none of the major factions will allow another side to obtain the Purple Qi—especially if it could create a new Sage among their rivals.
• When Xi He asks whether Red Cloud can survive, Dan Jing explains that there are several possible solutions, including one that could even allow Red Cloud to become a Sage.
• Giving up the Primordial Purple Qi might let Red Cloud survive the immediate conflict, but it would not solve his deeper problem. Dan Jing reveals that Red Cloud’s true fatal calamity is the karmic debt created when he gave up his seat at Violet Cloud Palace, indirectly allowing Zhunti to gain a seat while Kunpeng lost his.
• Jieyin and Zhunti are unlikely to repay that karma. Since the debt must be resolved, Red Cloud’s death would erase it unless he can become a Sage and escape the consequences.
• Dan Jing then proposes a shocking theory: the Primordial Purple Qi may have been deliberately placed in Red Cloud’s possession by the protective and scheming old Sage. Xi He and Chang Xi are left speechless at the implication.

Character developments

• Xi He and Chang Xi: They abandon their hopes of using a Sage Throne and resolve to pursue their own cultivation paths. Their trust in Dan Jing’s judgment remains strong, though they become increasingly cautious when his advice may involve serious karmic consequences.
• Dan Jing: He continues to display overwhelming confidence, insight, and a mischievous willingness to reveal dangerous secrets. His analysis shows that he understands the deeper causes behind Red Cloud’s fate, not merely the visible struggle over the Purple Qi.
• Red Cloud: His apparent crisis is revealed to be much deeper than a battle over a treasure. His destiny is bound to unresolved karma from the past, making death likely unless he can attain Sagehood.
• Jieyin and Zhunti: They are portrayed as self-serving figures who are unlikely to repay the karmic debt created through their rise.
• Kunpeng and the major factions: Their rivalry is intensified by the possibility of gaining another Sage foundation and preventing opposing powers from obtaining it.

Significant themes

• Fate versus personal effort: The sisters question whether Sagehood is predetermined, while Dan Jing emphasizes that individual cultivation and effort may matter more than inherited destiny.
• Karma and consequences: Red Cloud’s real tribulation comes from past choices rather than the immediate struggle for the Primordial Purple Qi.
• Political and factional balance: The Heavenly Court, Witch Race, and Rogue Cultivators are motivated not only by personal gain but also by preventing rival factions from producing another Sage.
• Hidden manipulation: Dan Jing’s final theory suggests that even seemingly beneficial opportunities may be deliberately engineered by higher powers for unknown purposes.
• The cost of Sagehood: Becoming a Sage may be Red Cloud’s only escape from death, but pursuing that path could carry enormous consequences.

Character interactions

• Dan Jing teases Xi He and Chang Xi about their desire for a Sage Throne, prompting Xi He’s eye-roll and Chang Xi’s rare complaint that he is “bad.”
• Xi He and Chang Xi listen closely to Dan Jing’s predictions and become concerned for Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi.
• They question Dan Jing about Red Cloud’s survival, then eagerly encourage him to explain his proposed solutions.
• The sisters carefully avoid asking for details about the Sage opportunity until Dan Jing reveals the karmic explanation himself.
• Dan Jing ends by privately sharing his provocative theory about the Purple Qi, leaving both sisters stunned and unable to respond.

Chapter Summary: The Lunar Goddesses Grow Bolder

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing makes bold, irreverent remarks about the Sage Dao Ancestor, leaving Xi He and Chang Xi emotionally shaken and physically numb.
• He reassures the Lunar Goddesses that the Sage Dao Ancestor is unlikely to target them personally, since he would focus on a powerful provocateur like Dan Jing instead.
• Xi He and Chang Xi gradually relax and demonstrate that their time around Dan Jing has made them far more courageous and unrestrained than other Primordial Divine Beings.
• At Longevity Mountain, Zhen Yuanzi senses overwhelming karmic hostility directed toward himself, Five Villages Temple, and especially Red Cloud.
• Zhen Yuanzi realizes that the hostility stems from Red Cloud possessing the Primordial Purple Qi, the foundation needed to pursue Sagehood. Nearly every major faction—including the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Kunpeng, and other former Violet Cloud Palace guests—covets it.
• Although the danger is immense, Zhen Yuanzi remains calm, having already made all possible preparations. He understands that no strategy can truly resolve the coming conflict and can only wait for enemies to arrive.
• Red Cloud ends his seclusion after only a few tens of thousands of years, aware that the mounting pressure surrounding him can no longer be ignored. He and Zhen Yuanzi share a quiet moment before the expected storm.
• After several more tens of thousands of years, the proxy war between the Witch Race and Heavenly Court continues, while the attention of the entire world shifts toward Longevity Mountain.
• The major powerhouses finally decide that Red Cloud has held the Primordial Purple Qi for too long and move openly against him.
• Five Villages Temple opens, and Zhen Yuanzi emerges alongside Red Cloud. Red Cloud has advanced to the Three Corpses Severed realm and appears calm and healthy, but his strength is still insufficient to resist the many forces seeking the Primordial Purple Qi.
• Red Cloud openly challenges the hidden observers to reveal themselves. In response, the surrounding space and time freeze, followed by an angry shout condemning him as “insolent.”

Character Developments

• Xi He and Chang Xi: Their initial fear and discomfort give way to greater composure. Their association with Dan Jing has made them unusually bold, less intimidated by discussions involving powerful figures such as the Sage Dao Ancestor.
• Dan Jing: Remains fearless, arrogant, and deliberately provocative. He treats even the Sage Dao Ancestor with open disrespect and acts as a source of both danger and confidence for the Lunar Goddesses.
• Zhen Yuanzi: Shows exceptional awareness of karma and the political danger surrounding Red Cloud. Despite recognizing that countless factions may become enemies, he remains steady and prepared.
• Red Cloud: Emerges from seclusion stronger and composed. Though he has reached the Three Corpses Severed realm, he understands that his cultivation alone cannot protect the Primordial Purple Qi. His decision to openly summon the hidden powerhouses shows growing courage and defiance.

Significant Themes

• Courage shaped by companionship: Xi He and Chang Xi’s increasing boldness reflects Dan Jing’s influence.
• The burden of great power: Possession of the Primordial Purple Qi brings Red Cloud immense danger, making him the target of nearly every ambitious faction.
• Inevitable conflict: Zhen Yuanzi recognizes that preparation cannot eliminate the coming crisis; the struggle over Sagehood is unavoidable.
• Defiance against overwhelming authority: Dan Jing’s irreverence and Red Cloud’s public challenge both demonstrate resistance to figures and forces far more powerful than themselves.
• Calm before catastrophe: The quiet meeting between Zhen Yuanzi and Red Cloud contrasts with the gathering hostility and foreshadows an imminent confrontation.

Important Character Interactions

• Dan Jing teases and reassures Xi He and Chang Xi, strengthening their confidence while exposing his own reckless attitude.
• Zhen Yuanzi and Red Cloud share a quiet, deeply familiar exchange, both aware that their peaceful life may soon end.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi stand together before the gathered forces, presenting a united front.
• Red Cloud directly addresses the concealed powerhouses, provoking an immediate and hostile response that ends the chapter on a dramatic cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kunpeng arrives from the Northern Dark Sea at Longevity Mountain after hearing the provocation, followed by thousands of Primordial Divine Beings and other cultivators who have surpassed the Great Luo realm.
• The immense gathering surrounds Longevity Mountain, whose protective formation has already been activated. Their combined killing intent terrifies the weaker Great Luo cultivators watching from afar.
• The sheer number of Beyond-Great-Luo powerhouses reveals how many hidden experts exist throughout the Primordial Cosmos. The weaker cultivators conclude that caution and concealment are wiser than acting openly.
• The Heavenly Court initially prepares to intervene but stops upon seeing the overwhelming number of competitors.
• Nuwa realizes that most of these powerful figures did not advance through the traditional Three-Corpses Severing Method. Instead, they cultivated the Dao-Proven Realm method transmitted by the Sun God of the Sun Star, meaning he has effectively created the majority of the current top-tier experts.
• Nuwa permits the Heavenly Court’s forces to compete for the Primordial Purple Qi but warns them to bear responsibility for the consequences. Her one absolute command is that the Twelve Ancestral Witches must not obtain it.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches also observe the situation with caution. Having been repeatedly defeated and having learned from the Sun God’s teachings about merit, karmic responsibility, and the consequences of choosing battlefields, they are no longer as reckless as before.
• Di Jiang defines the Witch Race’s main objective: prevent the Heavenly Court or Demon Race from obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi. Whether the Witches acquire it themselves is secondary.
• Di Jiang uses the Space Great Dao to lead the Twelve Ancestral Witches to Longevity Mountain.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi watch in disbelief as the gathering becomes an enormous confrontation involving nearly every major force. The arrival of both the Heavenly Court and the Twelve Ancestral Witches makes the situation even more overwhelming.

Character Developments

• Nuwa: Demonstrates strategic awareness and mixed feelings toward the Sun God. She recognizes that his cultivation method has produced countless powerful rivals and jokingly regards him as the true source of the current calamity. She remains politically cautious, allowing her forces to compete while prioritizing the suppression of the Witch Race.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches: Have matured significantly. After suffering defeats and studying the Sun God’s teachings, they now understand karmic consequences, battlefield responsibility, and the danger of acting impulsively. Their goal is no longer blind pursuit of the Sagehood Foundation but strategic containment of the Heavenly Court.
• Di Jiang: Acts as a practical leader, clearly establishing a limited and realistic objective rather than allowing the Witches to become consumed by the opportunity.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi: Become increasingly overwhelmed by the scale of the conflict. Their private reaction emphasizes how disproportionate the gathering is compared with their own original circumstances.
• The weaker Great Luo cultivators: Gain a humbling realization of their inferiority and decide that survival requires caution, restraint, and learning from hidden senior experts.

Significant Themes

• The unintended consequences of power and influence: The Sun God’s Dao-Proven Realm method has produced an enormous class of powerful cultivators, turning his teachings into a force capable of reshaping the entire era.
• Caution versus arrogance: The chapter contrasts the formerly reckless Witches and ordinary cultivators with the more careful approach now encouraged by experience and the Sun God’s teachings.
• Karmic responsibility and strategic warfare: The Witches recognize that choosing when and where to fight can determine who bears the primary karmic consequences for destruction.
• Political rivalry: The struggle is not simply about obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi; it is also about preventing rival factions—especially the Heavenly Court—from gaining another Sagehood Foundation.
• The hidden depth of the Primordial Cosmos: The sudden appearance of thousands of ancient experts reveals that the visible power structure of the world represents only a fraction of its true strength.
• Comedic exaggeration amid cosmic danger: The overwhelming scale of the gathering creates both tension and humor, particularly through the realization that the Sun God has indirectly created the very spectacle now surrounding Longevity Mountain.

Character Interactions

• Nuwa and the Heavenly Court: Nuwa issues direct instructions, permitting competition for the Primordial Purple Qi while imposing the strategic restriction that the Witches must not obtain it.
• Di Jiang and the Ancestral Witches: Di Jiang guides the others toward a disciplined, defensive objective focused on weakening the Heavenly Court rather than recklessly claiming the treasure.
• The Sun God and the wider cultivation world: Although absent from the scene, his influence dominates it. His teachings and cultivation method have empowered most of the gathered experts, making him the unseen architect of the conflict.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi: Their shared silence and exchanged glances convey mutual disbelief at the number of powerful figures attracted to their mountain.
• The Heavenly Court and the Witch Race: Their simultaneous arrival transforms the gathering from a contest among independent experts into a confrontation between the two major factions, with Longevity Mountain at its center.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi find themselves surrounded at Longevity Mountain by the Heavenly Court, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and countless Primordial Divine Beings seeking Red Cloud’s Primordial Purple Qi—the potential foundation of Sagehood.
• Their situation appears hopeless. Zhen Yuanzi’s Longevity Earth Vein Formation, created through the Earth Book and the Ginseng Fruit Tree, may delay the attackers but cannot withstand a coordinated assault by so many powerful beings.
• The gathered forces recognize that sharing the karmic consequences of breaking the formation would be worthwhile if it allowed them to obtain the Primordial Purple Qi.
• At this critical moment, Dan Jing—the Sun God and a Dao-Proven Realm powerhouse—arrives in spectacular fashion, accompanied by golden radiance, Great Dao music, and the Heavenly Dao Merit Golden Sun.
• Every Primordial Divine Being present respectfully bows to Dan Jing. He enjoys the sight of powerful figures showing him such reverence and casually dismisses their formalities.
• Dan Jing declares that he has no interest in the Primordial Purple Qi or the Sage Throne. He claims he has come only to watch the spectacle and encourages the gathered forces to fight and kill one another freely.
• His overwhelming presence suppresses the killing intent of the assembled powerhouses, though their desire for the Primordial Purple Qi remains unchanged.
• Kunpeng is the first to try to attack Red Cloud, but the Longevity Earth Vein Formation activates as soon as he forms the intention to strike. Recognizing the severe karmic consequences of touching it, Kunpeng immediately stops.
• Red Cloud then turns to Dan Jing, bows deeply, and asks permission to speak, suggesting that he may attempt to negotiate or appeal for assistance.

Character Developments

• Red Cloud: Becomes increasingly aware that neither he nor Zhen Yuanzi can escape through their own strength. He is reduced to seeking Dan Jing’s attention and possibly his protection.
• Zhen Yuanzi: His defensive abilities are shown to be formidable but insufficient against the combined forces surrounding Longevity Mountain. His formation offers temporary security rather than a true solution.
• Dan Jing: Reveals his fondness for watching powerful beings submit to him and for observing violent conflicts from a position of absolute superiority. He presents himself as a detached spectator, though his presence completely controls the atmosphere.
• Kunpeng: Displays his characteristic caution despite his rage. He wants Red Cloud’s Primordial Purple Qi but refuses to recklessly trigger the formation’s karmic backlash.
• The assembled Primordial Divine Beings: Their confidence and murderous intent are restrained by Dan Jing’s overwhelming power. They remain eager to seize the Primordial Purple Qi but must act carefully in his presence.

Significant Themes

• Power and submission: Dan Jing’s arrival demonstrates the enormous gap between Dao-Proven Realm experts and the surrounding powerhouses. Even proud and powerful figures must bow before him.
• Universal greed and conflict: The Primordial Purple Qi represents the chance to attain Sagehood, causing former rivals and major factions to converge in a potentially catastrophic struggle.
• Absolute strength versus strategy: Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi’s formation provides a tactical defense, but the chapter emphasizes that overwhelming numbers and superior cultivation can render even powerful preparations inadequate.
• Spectacle and manipulation: Dan Jing treats the looming bloodshed as entertainment, while his mere presence determines how everyone else behaves.
• Karmic consequences: The characters must weigh the immediate reward of obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi against the immense karmic burden of attacking the formation.

Character Interactions

• The Heavenly Court, the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and other powerhouses collectively pressure Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi.
• All gathered beings formally salute Dan Jing, acknowledging his superior status.
• Dan Jing reassures them that he will not compete for the Primordial Purple Qi, then provocatively urges them to resume their battle.
• Kunpeng confronts Red Cloud but is stopped by the activation of Zhen Yuanzi’s formation.
• Red Cloud appeals directly to Dan Jing, bowing and asking whether he may speak, ending the chapter on a possible attempt to change the situation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Red Cloud begs Dan Jing to intervene, hoping to use his authority to negotiate a favorable outcome for himself and preserve his Primordial Purple Qi.
• Dan Jing rejects Red Cloud’s late and seemingly calculating appeal. He threatens to personally cripple the attackers if they prevent him from watching the battle, making clear that he will not be used as Red Cloud’s shield.
• Encouraged by Dan Jing’s refusal to help, Kunpeng and thousands of Primordial Divine Beings and experts Beyond Great Luo launch a full-scale assault on Longevity Mountain.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi reinforce the Longevity Earth Vein Formation, but the first attack severely damages it. The Earth Book survives, while the Ginseng Fruit Tree loses all its immature fruits, withers, and nearly dies.
• Zhen Yuanzi realizes that the formation cannot withstand the attackers. His original strategy of relying on the enormous Karmic Power caused by destroying the formation fails because the attackers are numerous enough to divide that burden among themselves.
• Red Cloud unexpectedly traps Zhen Yuanzi in a spatial-temporal cage and sends him into the turbulent currents of the River of Time, removing him from the battlefield.
• After separating Zhen Yuanzi from the fight, Red Cloud openly challenges the attackers to seize the Primordial Purple Qi. He leaves the protection of the formation and charges toward the weakest point of the encirclement, effectively offering himself as the sole target.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Reveals his contempt for the surrounding cultivators and refuses to be manipulated by Red Cloud. He remains detached and amused, treating the crisis as entertainment, though he is willing to intervene if the attackers disturb his enjoyment.
• Red Cloud: Shifts from attempting to negotiate for survival to making a self-sacrificial decision. He prioritizes Zhen Yuanzi’s safety, secretly sending him away before confronting the attackers alone.
• Zhen Yuanzi: His confidence in the Longevity Earth Vein Formation collapses after seeing its severe damage. He becomes desperate when Red Cloud removes him, understanding that Red Cloud intends to sacrifice himself.
• Kunpeng and the attacking cultivators: Their killing intent intensifies after Dan Jing refuses to assist Red Cloud. They act collectively to overwhelm the formation while trying to avoid the karmic consequences of destroying it.
• The Sun God of the Sun Star: Although not directly present in the action, his influence is crucial because the methods he provided created many additional powerful experts, making Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi’s defenses untenable.

Significant Themes

• Self-sacrifice and loyalty: Red Cloud’s actions demonstrate the depth of his bond with Zhen Yuanzi. He chooses to face certain death rather than allow his friend to die alongside him.
• Desperation and failed protection: The once-formidable Longevity Earth Vein Formation cannot withstand the overwhelming numerical and personal power of the attackers.
• Manipulation and distrust: Dan Jing sees through Red Cloud’s attempt to invoke his authority, emphasizing that alliances based on opportunism are unlikely to succeed.
• Power and karmic consequence: The attackers hesitate to destroy the formation because of the immense Karmic Power involved, showing that even overwhelming strength has consequences.
• Fate and sacrifice: Red Cloud’s voluntary departure from the formation suggests that the battle has shifted from defense to an intentional final stand.

Character Interactions

• Red Cloud and Dan Jing: Red Cloud appeals to Dan Jing for aid, but Dan Jing mocks and rejects him, refusing to provide protection on demand.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi: Their interaction is the emotional center of the chapter. Red Cloud thanks Zhen Yuanzi for protecting him over the years, then secretly removes him from danger despite Zhen Yuanzi’s protests.
• Red Cloud and the attackers: After ensuring Zhen Yuanzi’s escape, Red Cloud directly provokes the surrounding cultivators, presenting the Primordial Purple Qi and challenging them to take it.
• Dan Jing and the battlefield: Dan Jing observes the events from above, criticizing the participants and reacting humorously to Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi’s intense farewell.

Chapter Summary: “Dan Jing: I’ll Help You!!!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Red Cloud escapes from Longevity Mountain toward Fire Cloud Cave while carrying the Primordial Purple Qi, using the Red Umbrella and transforming into crimson light.
• Kunpeng catches up and attacks him, demanding the Primordial Purple Qi. Red Cloud insults Kunpeng as a “two-faced mongrel,” provoking him into a furious but relatively ineffective assault.
• Their battle slows Red Cloud down, allowing countless Primordial Divine Beings and later-born Beyond Great Luo experts to seal the surrounding space and trap him within a vast multidimensional cage.
• Thousands of powerful cultivators launch a coordinated attack. The surrounding Great Thousand Worlds are destroyed, and Red Cloud is severely wounded and pushed to the brink of death.
• In despair and anger, Red Cloud declares that he has lived honorably and never committed evil, yet is being hunted solely because of the Primordial Purple Qi.
• He abandons his intention to surrender the treasure for the sake of his own and Zhen Yuanzi’s survival. Instead, he burns his Dao Fruit and Dao Path, choosing to fight to the death.
• Red Cloud’s power surges dramatically. He overwhelms and chases the surrounding experts, including Kunpeng, forcing them to flee and rely on defensive treasures rather than confront him directly.
• Once his self-destructive power begins to destabilize, Red Cloud stops attacking. He reveals the Primordial Purple Qi, announces that he would rather destroy it than let anyone else obtain it, and begins preparing to detonate both himself and the treasure.
• Just as the attackers move to stop him, Dan Jing intervenes. With a powerful bell chime from a Supreme Treasure, he suppresses those attempting to interfere.
• The chapter ends with Red Cloud detonating himself while holding the Primordial Purple Qi.

Character Developments

• Red Cloud: Changes from a cautious, benevolent figure willing to surrender the Primordial Purple Qi to preserve his life and Zhen Yuanzi’s safety into a defiant and vengeful fighter. His humiliation, injury, and betrayal by the surrounding forces awaken a willingness to burn his cultivation and die rather than submit.
• Kunpeng: Displays intense hatred and desperation over the Primordial Purple Qi. He is easily provoked by Red Cloud’s insults and becomes enraged, but he cannot defeat Red Cloud even with his powerful Yin-Yang Dao.
• Dan Jing: Watches the battle with satisfaction, seemingly pleased by Red Cloud’s final outburst and refusal to yield. His intervention shows that he has a personal interest in the outcome and is willing to aid Red Cloud at the decisive moment.
• The pursuing experts: Their confidence turns to fear once Red Cloud burns his Dao. Though they vastly outnumber him, they retreat rather than risk being dragged into a fatal counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and injustice: Red Cloud reflects on how a lifetime of kindness and good relationships offers no protection when powerful figures covet what he possesses.
• Defiance against overwhelming power: Even when surrounded by thousands of enemies, Red Cloud refuses to surrender his dignity or allow his enemies an easy victory.
• The cost of conviction: Red Cloud is prepared to sacrifice his cultivation, life, and the Primordial Purple Qi to uphold his decision.
• Power and greed: The massive encirclement demonstrates how the desire for the Sagehood Foundation can turn former allies or neutral parties into ruthless aggressors.
• Humor amid tragedy: Red Cloud’s mocking insults and taunts provide comic relief while emphasizing his transformation from a mild-tempered “good old fellow” into a furious, reckless combatant.

Character Interactions

• Red Cloud and Kunpeng: Their confrontation is driven as much by verbal hostility as physical combat. Red Cloud’s insults expose Kunpeng’s lack of verbal retorts, causing him to respond through uncontrolled attacks.
• Red Cloud and the surrounding experts: He shifts from defending himself to openly taunting and chasing them, accusing them of cowardice when they refuse to fight him directly.
• Red Cloud and Dan Jing: Although they do not directly converse, Dan Jing’s intervention at the climax effectively supports Red Cloud’s final act, preventing the others from stopping the detonation.
• Red Cloud and Zhen Yuanzi: Zhen Yuanzi is not present in the battle, but Red Cloud’s initial willingness to surrender the Primordial Purple Qi is motivated by his desire to protect both of them. His later decision represents a rejection of that compromise.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Red Cloud Dao Ashes’ self-destruction devastates the sealed world, collapsing space-time and reducing the surrounding heavens and earth to primordial energy.
• The Primordial Divine Beings and rising powerhouses, immobilized by Supreme Treasures, suffer severe injuries but remain focused on the Primordial Purple Qi.
• Although the Qi appears unharmed after the explosion, the powerhouses immediately attack it. The combined force of their attacks causes it to shatter into purple mist.
• Believing they have destroyed the Sagehood Foundation and lost their chance at the Sage Throne, the contestants are left stunned and humiliated.
• Dan Jing openly mocks them for ruining the very opportunity they fought over, emphasizing that they have gained nothing except Red Cloud’s death and Zhen Yuanzi’s enmity.
• Kunpeng is the first to withdraw, respectfully excusing himself due to his injuries. The other powerhouses—including Fuxi, Queen Mother of the West, Heavenly Court forces, rogue cultivators, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches—soon leave as well.
• After everyone departs, Dan Jing summons Zhen Yuanzi from the Space-Time River. He asks whether Zhen Yuanzi wants Red Cloud’s Primordial Purple Qi, implying that he can restore or recreate it even though it is not currently in his possession.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing remains confident, detached, and mischievous. He treats the catastrophic battle as entertainment and uses the failed struggle to ridicule the other powerhouses. His final statement suggests he possesses reality-defying control over the Primordial Purple Qi.
• Kunpeng demonstrates composure and political caution after the failure. Despite his injuries and disappointment, he maintains respect toward Dan Jing and withdraws without further conflict.
• Zhen Yuanzi emerges solemn and controlled after learning of Red Cloud’s death. His cautious reaction to Dan Jing’s offer shows both grief and suspicion, while his interest in the Primordial Purple Qi hints at the importance of preserving Red Cloud’s legacy.
• The other Primordial Divine Beings and rising powerhouses are collectively humbled. Their greed and impulsiveness result in failure, injury, and likely future conflict with Zhen Yuanzi.

Significant Themes

• Greed and self-defeating ambition: The powerhouses’ desperate attempt to seize the Primordial Purple Qi destroys the very treasure they sought.
• The danger of collective conflict: Their combined attacks, rather than an external enemy, cause the Qi’s apparent destruction.
• Power beyond conventional understanding: Dan Jing’s claim that the Qi will exist if he wants it to suggests authority over reality, fate, or cosmic principles.
• Humiliation and consequence: The combatants gain neither the Sagehood Foundation nor lasting glory, only injuries and Zhen Yuanzi’s resentment.
• Death and legacy: Red Cloud’s fall transforms the Primordial Purple Qi into a symbol of what may be recovered or inherited after his death.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and the powerhouses: Dan Jing mocks and applauds them, turning their failed contest into a spectacle and reminding them that they have only worsened their situation.
• Kunpeng and Dan Jing: Kunpeng respectfully asks permission to leave, acknowledging Dan Jing’s superior position and avoiding further confrontation.
• Dan Jing and Zhen Yuanzi: Dan Jing summons Zhen Yuanzi directly and offers to provide Red Cloud’s Primordial Purple Qi. Zhen Yuanzi responds respectfully but cautiously, while Dan Jing cryptically asserts that the Qi can exist through his will alone.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhen Yuanzi hesitates over accepting Red Cloud’s Primordial Purple Qi, recognizing that possessing it could make him a target and cost him his life.
• Dan Jing persuades him by arguing that Sagehood is Zhen Yuanzi’s only realistic path to avenging Red Cloud.
• Dan Jing reveals that the Primordial Purple Qi has not truly dissolved. He demonstrates this by recreating the strand in his hand, assuring Zhen Yuanzi that others believe it is already gone.
• Dan Jing explains why he rejected Zhen Yuanzi and Red Cloud’s earlier attempt to borrow his influence:
  1. They presumed he would allow them to use his prestige.
  2. He found their attempt to manipulate a Dao-Proven Realm powerhouse amusing.
  3. Red Cloud was burdened by immense karma after giving his seat at Violet Cloud Palace to Jieyin, indirectly enabling Zhunti to obtain a Sage Throne while causing Kunpeng to lose one. This connected Red Cloud to the karma of two future Sages and the Sage Dao Ancestor.
• Dan Jing concludes that Red Cloud’s death was unsurprising because Red Cloud was too weak to bear such karmic burdens while also trying to scheme against him.
• Dan Jing gives the Primordial Purple Qi to Zhen Yuanzi and leaves him to decide whether to pursue revenge or attempt to restore and protect Red Cloud.
• Zhen Yuanzi heads toward Fire Cloud Cave, intending to safeguard Red Cloud’s former sanctuary.
• On Mount Sumeru, Jieyin and Zhunti confirm Red Cloud’s death and feel relieved that the danger of being forced to repay their karmic debt has diminished.
• The two admit that although they did not directly plot Red Cloud’s death, they encouraged others’ greed by frequently discussing the difficulty of refining Primordial Purple Qi.
• Zhunti suggests bringing Red Cloud back, but Jieyin rejects the idea. They decide that obtaining Sagehood must take priority, since only Sagehood will allow them to pursue their plans and protect themselves from stronger figures such as Dan Jing.

Character Developments

• Zhen Yuanzi: Moves from fear and hesitation to accepting the Primordial Purple Qi. His grief over Red Cloud and desire for revenge overcome his concerns, though he remains solemn and aware of the danger.
• Dan Jing: Reveals himself as manipulative, confident, and openly contemptuous of those who try to exploit his power. He also demonstrates considerable control over the Primordial Purple Qi and deep insight into karmic consequences.
• Red Cloud: Though absent, his past decisions become central to the chapter. His generosity in giving up his seat created enormous karmic obligations, contributing to his downfall.
• Jieyin and Zhunti: Display their self-serving pragmatism. They are relieved by Red Cloud’s death because it reduces their karmic burden, but they remain focused on acquiring Sagehood rather than reviving him.

Significant Themes

• Power and survival: Possessing the Primordial Purple Qi offers the possibility of Sagehood but also makes its owner a target.
• Karma and consequence: Red Cloud’s death is framed as the consequence of accumulating immense karmic debts while lacking the strength to bear them.
• Manipulation and ambition: Jieyin and Zhunti subtly encouraged conflict over the Primordial Purple Qi while avoiding direct responsibility.
• Revenge versus self-preservation: Zhen Yuanzi must choose between risking everything for revenge or using the Primordial Purple Qi to gain enough power to protect Red Cloud’s legacy.
• The necessity of strength: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that schemes, ideals, and even justice are meaningless without sufficient power.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and Zhen Yuanzi: Dan Jing pressures Zhen Yuanzi emotionally, using Red Cloud’s death to push him toward accepting the Primordial Purple Qi. He later gives it to Zhen Yuanzi while leaving the consequences to him.
• Zhen Yuanzi and Red Cloud: Their friendship motivates Zhen Yuanzi’s willingness to risk Sagehood and pursue revenge, even though Red Cloud’s past choices created dangerous consequences.
• Jieyin and Zhunti: The two brothers discuss whether Red Cloud should be revived, but agree that their own pursuit of Sagehood is more important.
• Dan Jing and Jieyin/Zhunti: Although they do not meet directly in the chapter, the brothers fear Dan Jing’s overwhelming power and recognize that they remain insignificant before him without achieving Sagehood.

Chapter Summary: “Nuwa’s Question: How Should I Attain Sainthood?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Red Cloud’s death, the remaining strand of Primordial Purple Qi self-destructs, preventing either the Heavenly Court or the Twelve Ancestral Witches from obtaining it.
• Laozi views this outcome favorably because it ensures that no additional Sages or Dao-Proven experts will emerge, giving the Three Pure Ones more time to scheme and prepare.
• Yuanshi laments Red Cloud’s death, remembering him as a benevolent and honorable fellow Primordial Divine Being. Tongtian remains focused on comprehending the Great Dao and shows little interest in the Purple Qi conflict.
• The Heavenly Court’s attempt to seize the Purple Qi fails completely. Fuxi, White Marsh, Haotian, the Queen Mother of the West, and the other participants return injured, frustrated, and having offended Zhen Yuanzi.
• Nuwa does not comfort them. Instead, she orders the preparation of lavish gifts and announces that she will personally visit the Sun Star’s Sun God, Dan Jing, to ask about her path to Sainthood.
• Fuxi and White Marsh recognize that Nuwa’s visit is connected to the fragment of Primordial Purple Qi she still possesses, though they acknowledge that success depends on Dan Jing’s willingness and the complex karmic consequences involved.
• A full yuanhui passes. The Calamity Cycle intensifies, with the Heavenly Court and Witch Race waging proxy wars across the world. Countless rogue cultivators, Great Luo experts, ordinary races, long-lived races, and innate clans perish.
• The Starry Sky remains untouched by the spreading calamity because the completed Heavenly Circumference Stellar Formation is protected by the Heavenly Dao. Dan Jing enjoys this peace beneath the Fusang Divine Tree.
• Nuwa arrives at the Sun Star carrying a vast gift consisting of countless resource-rich Great Thousand Worlds. Dan Jing agrees to answer only three questions, and warns that he may provide only hints.
• Nuwa immediately asks her most important question: “How should I attain Sainthood?”

Character Developments

• Laozi becomes more calculating and strategic, viewing Red Cloud’s death as beneficial because it preserves the limited number of Sage positions and strengthens the Three Pure Ones’ future prospects.
• Yuanshi reveals a rare emotional reaction, expressing genuine regret over the death of Red Cloud despite their differing positions.
• Tongtian remains detached from political struggles, continuing to concentrate solely on Dao comprehension.
• Nuwa grows increasingly urgent and determined to attain Sainthood. Her remaining fragment of Primordial Purple Qi intensifies her desire, prompting her to personally seek Dan Jing’s guidance.
• Fuxi and White Marsh understand the political and karmic implications of Nuwa’s plan, but can only speculate about whether Dan Jing will help.
• Dan Jing maintains his relaxed, superior demeanor. He enjoys the Starry Sky’s isolation from the calamity and treats Nuwa’s visit as a negotiated exchange, limiting her to three questions.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for Sainthood and power: The Purple Qi remains the central object of desire, and its destruction changes the balance of power among the major factions.
• Limited opportunities and political calculation: The fixed number of Sage Thrones makes the emergence of any new Sage a threat to established powers such as the Three Pure Ones.
• Consequences of ambition: The Heavenly Court’s failed intervention gains them nothing while provoking Zhen Yuanzi and worsening their political position.
• The intensification of calamity: The proxy conflict between the Heavenly Court and the Witch Race causes widespread death and destruction, demonstrating how the ambitions of great powers devastate weaker beings.
• Protection and isolation: The Starry Sky, safeguarded by the Heavenly Dao and the stellar formation, stands as a peaceful refuge amid the chaos engulfing the Primordial World.
• Knowledge as a transaction: Dan Jing’s wisdom is valuable and must be purchased, while Nuwa must carefully choose her questions because even his answers may be incomplete.

Character Interactions

• Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian: Their reactions to Red Cloud’s death highlight their differing personalities—Laozi’s pragmatism, Yuanshi’s sympathy, and Tongtian’s single-minded pursuit of the Dao.
• Nuwa and the Heavenly Court: Nuwa asserts her authority by refusing to console the failed participants and immediately directing them toward her larger objective.
• Fuxi and White Marsh: Their private discussion shows their awareness that Nuwa seeks a path to Sainthood and that her success depends on Dan Jing’s attitude.
• Nuwa and Dan Jing: Their meeting establishes a respectful but unequal relationship. Nuwa offers an enormous gift, while Dan Jing sets strict conditions for his guidance. Her direct opening question reveals the depth of her ambition and urgency.

Chapter Summary: “Nuwa Joins the Table for a Drink!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nuwa directly asks Dan Jing about her opportunity to attain the Sage Realm, surprising him with her decisiveness.
• Amused by her changed attitude, Dan Jing invites her to sit at his table beneath the Fusang Divine Tree and share Fire Mulberry Wine.
• Dan Jing hints that the Primordial Cosmos contains far too few living beings compared with the vastness of the Primordial World and myriad heavens.
• This immediately causes Nuwa’s Primordial Purple Qi to react, allowing her to refine another strand and confirming that he has identified the root of her Sage opportunity: creating living beings.
• Overjoyed and relieved, Nuwa laughs freely with Dan Jing and sincerely thanks him for his guidance.
• Nuwa then asks whether the Twelve Ancestral Witches received Dan Jing’s Primordial Purple Qi.
• Dan Jing openly confirms that they did, validating Nuwa’s suspicions that he had secretly given the Purple Qi to the Witch Race.
• Nuwa is pleased rather than shocked, believing this will make the coming Calamity Cycle even more dramatic. When she asks which Ancestral Witch received it, Dan Jing simply tells her to guess.

Character Developments

• Nuwa: Demonstrates increased confidence, boldness, and political insight. Her role as Heavenly Emperor has sharpened her ability to observe, calculate, and uncover hidden schemes. She also discovers the path to her Sagehood and becomes genuinely grateful toward Dan Jing.
• Dan Jing: Shows his characteristic arrogance, playfulness, and love of amusement, but also proves unusually generous with important information. He enjoys revealing secrets when doing so will create greater future chaos and entertainment.
• Nuwa’s relationship with Dan Jing: Their interaction becomes less fearful and more openly familiar. Nuwa now understands how to deal with his unpredictable personality and recognizes that, despite his unpleasant manner, he is willing to provide valuable guidance.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as opportunity: A few carefully chosen words from Dan Jing unlock Nuwa’s stalled cultivation, showing how insight can be more important than brute force.
• Creation and responsibility: Nuwa’s path to Sagehood is connected to creating life, foreshadowing her future role in shaping the cosmos and its races.
• Schemes and hidden power: Dan Jing’s distribution of Primordial Purple Qi demonstrates that major forces are quietly preparing for future conflicts.
• Amusement amid cosmic struggle: Dan Jing treats momentous matters—Sagehood, Primordial Purple Qi, and the coming calamity—as sources of entertainment.
• Changing perceptions: Nuwa’s understanding of Dan Jing evolves from fear and suspicion to respect and even a willingness to befriend him.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing playfully praises Nuwa for abandoning her former arrogance and invites her to drink with him.
• Nuwa accepts confidently, showing she is no longer intimidated by his reputation.
• Their shared laughter creates a rare moment of genuine camaraderie.
• Nuwa expresses lasting gratitude, while Dan Jing cares more about the future entertainment her Sagehood may bring.
• Nuwa correctly deduces Dan Jing’s secret dealings with the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and Dan Jing confirms her theory before teasing her with a guessing game about which Witch received the Purple Qi.

Chapter Summary: “Dan Jing: Are You Messing with Me?”

Plot points and events

Nuwa asks Dan Jing which of the Twelve Ancestral Witches received his strand of Primordial Purple Qi, but he mischievously tells her to guess instead of answering. She accepts this without complaint because she does not want to anger him before becoming a Sage. Dan Jing, disappointed that she does not react angrily, jokingly demands that she become angry so he can justify striking her with the Chaos Bell. When Nuwa tells him to attack directly, he actually does so, unleashing the bell’s terrifying power and severely injuring her. He then mocks her for silently thinking disrespectful thoughts and warns that she will be punished even more harshly if she returns after becoming a Sage. Finally, he uses the Chaos Bell to send her away from the Sun Star.

Character developments

Dan Jing is portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful, unpredictable, and deliberately antagonistic. He treats Nuwa’s fear and caution as entertainment, openly looks forward to her eventually becoming strong enough to seek revenge, and remains confident that he can still defeat her. Nuwa demonstrates restraint and pragmatism, choosing submission over confrontation because she understands the vast gap between them. After being injured, she reassesses her plans and resolves never to provoke Dan Jing, even after attaining Sagehood.

Character interactions

The exchange between Dan Jing and Nuwa is dominated by teasing, intimidation, and an unequal power dynamic. Nuwa respectfully accepts Dan Jing’s evasive answer, while Dan Jing intentionally tries to provoke her. Her attempt to concede and avoid punishment fails because Dan Jing interprets her words as an opportunity to strike. Even after being expelled, Nuwa bows respectfully and announces her departure, showing that she recognizes resistance would be futile.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the enormous difference between Sagehood and the Dao-Proven Realm. Nuwa understands that becoming a Sage will grant her access to immense power but will not make her equal to Dan Jing, whose strength is personally attained and far beyond the borrowed or Heaven-connected power of a Sage. It also highlights Dan Jing’s capricious nature, the importance of knowing one’s limits, and Nuwa’s strategic humility. Her desire for future revenge is replaced by cautious self-preservation as she realizes confronting Dan Jing would amount to deliberately seeking humiliation and injury.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Nuwa leaves the Sun Star, Dan Jing dismisses her vow never to seek him out, confident that he can visit her instead. He looks forward to testing his strength against a Saint and even considers challenging the mysterious Saint residing in Violet Cloud Palace.
• Dan Jing drinks the remaining Fire Mulberry Wine, clears away the furnishings beneath the Fusang Divine Tree, and resumes his Dream-Proving Dao Technique. This allows him to sleep, comprehend the Dao, and cultivate simultaneously.
• Twelve yuanhui later, Nuwa has fully recovered from her injuries and begins preparing to achieve sainthood.
• She gathers the Heavenly Court’s vast resources and places them inside a Boundless Great Thousand World created from the Landscape and States Map. She then announces that she will enter seclusion to seek the opportunity to become a Saint.
• The Heavenly Court reacts with great excitement. Its forces secretly activate defensive formations and deploy troops throughout the Nine Heavens to protect Nuwa while she undergoes the process of attaining sainthood.
• At Mount Buzhou, Hou Tu suddenly senses a disturbance in her Primordial Purple Qi. She realizes that Nuwa’s impending breakthrough may be connected to the opportunity for her own sainthood.
• Remembering Dan Jing’s earlier statement that Nuwa’s sainthood would mark the time for Hou Tu to become a Saint, Hou Tu immediately travels to the Sun Star. She brings a Boundary Sea filled with resources as a gift, determined to confirm whether her opportunity has arrived.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Remains confident, aggressive, and eager to test himself against powerful opponents. His Dream-Proving Dao Technique demonstrates his unusual approach to cultivation and his continued progress while appearing to sleep.
• Nuwa: Recovers from her previous battle, grows more determined, and takes decisive action toward sainthood. As Heavenly Emperor, she also demonstrates authority and strategic foresight by arranging extensive protection for the Heavenly Court.
• Hou Tu: Shows intuition and increasing urgency regarding her own path to sainthood. Rather than waiting passively or consulting the other Ancestral Witches, she acts independently and heads directly to Dan Jing.
• The Heavenly Court: Its members become more united and optimistic, believing Nuwa’s sainthood will remove the threat posed by the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ Pangu phantom and Heaven-Opening Divine Axe.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of sainthood: Nuwa’s breakthrough becomes the central event, while Hou Tu’s own opportunity appears linked to it.
• Cause and effect between powerful figures: Dan Jing’s earlier words create an unseen connection between Nuwa’s ascension and Hou Tu’s destiny.
• Preparation and protection: The Heavenly Court’s secret military preparations emphasize that breakthroughs at this level can provoke danger and require collective support.
• Confidence and ambition: Dan Jing’s eagerness to fight Saints contrasts with more cautious cultivators who hide themselves, highlighting his unusually combative personality.
• Destiny versus personal initiative: Although Hou Tu senses that fate is guiding her, she still chooses to act decisively and pursue the opportunity herself.

Important Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and Nuwa: Their earlier confrontation and Dan Jing’s provocative attitude continue to influence events, even after Nuwa leaves.
• Nuwa and the Heavenly Court: Nuwa commands her subjects to protect her seclusion, while the court responds with loyalty and enthusiasm.
• Hou Tu and Dan Jing: Though they do not meet in this chapter, Hou Tu’s decision to visit him is motivated by his previous promise that Nuwa’s sainthood would signal her own.
• The Heavenly Court and the Witch Race: Nuwa’s potential sainthood would counterbalance the Pangu phantom wielded by the Twelve Ancestral Witches, intensifying the broader conflict between the two powers.

Chapter Summary: Hou Tu: I Hold the Future!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing awakens from his dream-based Dao cultivation as Hou Tu approaches the Sun Star. Using his divine perception, he observes Nuwa preparing to create life within the world formed from the Landscape and States Map—an act that may allow her to become a saint.
• Knowing Hou Tu can sense Nuwa’s Primordial Purple Qi because of their connection, Dan Jing prepares a detailed Gold-Leaf Jade Scroll explaining how Hou Tu can achieve sainthood.
• The scroll outlines two possible methods:
  1. Hou Tu sacrifices her Ancestral Witch Essence Blood and vital energy, transforming her true form into Reincarnation, opening the Netherworld, and completing the Earthly Dao.
  2. The Twelve Ancestral Witches use the Pangu Divine Hall as the foundation for Reincarnation and the Netherworld, though this would permanently deprive them of their greatest trump card.
• Hou Tu offers Dan Jing a Boundary Sea as a gesture of sincerity. He accepts it and sends it to the Sun God Palace treasury.
• Rather than immediately entering the Sun Star, Hou Tu studies the scroll outside. She understands the instructions clearly and realizes that Dan Jing has genuinely revealed her path to sainthood.
• Hou Tu returns to Mount Buzhou to discuss the two choices with the other Ancestral Witches and the wider Witch Race.
• After she leaves, Dan Jing sends a message to the Lunar Star inviting someone—implicitly a major figure connected to the unfolding events—to come watch the conflict between Nuwa and Hou Tu over the next saintly opportunity.
• Dan Jing briefly considers whether creating written characters for the Demon Race could also generate Merit, but dismisses the matter as unimportant compared with the more entertaining struggle over sainthood.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu gains a clear understanding of her future and becomes convinced that she can become a saint. Her confusion and uncertainty are replaced by excitement, confidence, and determination.
• Hou Tu’s loyalty to the Witch Race is emphasized. Although she personally favors sacrificing herself and transforming into Reincarnation, she refuses to believe that becoming a saint would make her cease to be a member of the Witch Race.
• Dan Jing is portrayed as a powerful manipulator and mentor. He has already assisted Nuwa and now provides Hou Tu with an equally comprehensive guide, while treating the rivalry between the two as an amusing spectacle.
• Nuwa remains off-page but is actively progressing toward sainthood by creating living beings, making her the central rival to Hou Tu’s newly revealed opportunity.

Significant Themes

• The cost of transcendence: Sainthood is attainable, but it requires Hou Tu to sacrifice either her own Ancestral Witch nature or the Pangu Divine Hall, the Witch Race’s foundational treasure.
• Identity and loyalty: Hou Tu’s belief that she will remain a Witch even after becoming a saint highlights her attachment to family, heritage, and Father God’s legacy.
• Manipulation and opportunity: Dan Jing controls the flow of information and uses his knowledge to shape the futures of Nuwa and Hou Tu.
• The competition for destiny: Nuwa and Hou Tu are positioned as rivals for the next major saintly opportunity, turning their separate breakthroughs into an impending contest.
• Clarity versus obscurity: Unlike the vague guidance common among cultivators, Dan Jing’s scroll provides a precise, practical path, making his assistance unusually direct and effective.

Character Interactions

• Dan Jing and Hou Tu: Dan Jing gives Hou Tu the saint-ascension scroll and accepts her offering of the Boundary Sea. Hou Tu formally thanks him and treats his guidance as trustworthy.
• Hou Tu and the Witch Race: Though the other Ancestral Witches do not appear directly, Hou Tu intends to consult them before choosing how to create Reincarnation, showing that the decision belongs to the entire Witch Race.
• Dan Jing and Nuwa: Dan Jing observes Nuwa’s progress and recognizes that his previous guidance has enabled her to begin pursuing sainthood.
• Dan Jing and the Lunar Star figure: Dan Jing sends an invitation to witness the coming confrontation, indicating that he views the rivalry between Nuwa and Hou Tu as an entertaining event worth sharing.

Chapter Summary: “Little Sister, Shut Up!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dan Jing invites Xi He and Chang Xi to the Sun Star to witness an important “show.” The sisters eagerly arrive, bringing Lunar Moon Laurel Brew, food, and snacks.
• Their enthusiasm reflects how Dan Jing has influenced them: both now enjoy watching dramatic events and actively seek out excitement.
• The scene shifts to Mount Buzhou, where the Twelve Ancestral Witches are engaged in a fierce argument over Hou Tu’s path to becoming a Sage Realm cultivator.
• The witches debate whether they should sacrifice Pangu Divine Hall, their greatest trump card, to help Hou Tu attain the Sage Realm and establish the Reincarnation Netherworld.
• Di Jiang eventually takes control of the discussion. Drawing on the teachings from the Gold-Leaf Jade Scrolls, he argues that the Witch Race should pursue a grand, risk-free plan rather than act out of pride or impulse.
• He proposes transforming Pangu Divine Hall into the Reincarnation Netherworld, allowing Hou Tu to become a Sage Realm cultivator while also earning immense Merit and fortune for the Witch Race.
• The other Ancestral Witches unanimously support the plan. Hou Tu’s method of attaining Sainthood is therefore formally decided.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing: Continues to act as a catalyst for major events while enjoying the role of an amused spectator. His influence over Xi He and Chang Xi has clearly shaped their personalities.
• Xi He and Chang Xi: Have become eager “spectators” who enjoy excitement and regularly visit Dan Jing rather than expecting him to come to them. Their admiration and affection for him are also evident.
• Di Jiang: Demonstrates major growth as a leader. Once less strategically mature, he now displays wisdom, restraint, long-term vision, and an understanding of political and racial competition.
• Hou Tu: Becomes the central figure in the Witch Race’s plan. Though she has already obtained the opportunity to reach the Sage Realm, her ascension now carries the larger responsibility of establishing the Reincarnation Netherworld.
• The other Ancestral Witches: Despite their initial quarrels, they ultimately show unity and loyalty to both Hou Tu and the Witch Race’s future.

Significant Themes

• Long-term strategy over emotional conflict: Di Jiang insists that the Witch Race must plan for lasting prosperity rather than act from anger or rivalry.
• Sacrifice for collective advancement: Pangu Divine Hall is a powerful defensive asset, but sacrificing it may create a far greater benefit for the entire Witch Race.
• Competition between great races: The Witches refuse to be surpassed by the Demon Race or Heavenly Court and aim to create something superior.
• Legacy and responsibility: The Ancestral Witches view the Reincarnation Netherworld as a way to honor Pangu and establish an enduring foundation for future generations.
• Influence and companionship: Dan Jing’s personality spreads to those around him, showing how close relationships gradually shape behavior and values.

Character Interactions

• Xi He and Chang Xi arrive excitedly and treat Dan Jing as the source of an entertaining spectacle. Their easy familiarity is shown through their preparation of wine and food.
• The Ancestral Witches argue loudly and insult one another, especially over the importance of Hou Tu’s ascension and the cost of using Pangu Divine Hall.
• Di Jiang’s authority immediately silences the quarrel, demonstrating the respect he has earned from his siblings.
• The witches repeatedly interrupt one another, including humorous exchanges in which Hou Tu is told to remain silent despite being the person whose future is being debated.
• After Di Jiang explains the plan, the siblings set aside their disputes and unite behind Hou Tu’s ascension and the creation of the Reincarnation Netherworld.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hou Tu decides to establish the Reincarnation Netherworld in the Endless Sea of Blood, believing it to be the ideal location because it contains abundant killing intent, baleful energy, remnant souls, and shattered spirits. The existing Blood Sea Formation also perfectly complements reincarnation and the netherworld.
• Di Jiang hesitates because the Endless Sea of Blood belongs to the Sun God, whom he dislikes confronting due to their hostile relationship and the Sun God’s habit of humiliating him.
• When Di Jiang attempts to send one of the other Ancestral Witches to negotiate, everyone immediately finds an excuse to leave. Xuan Ming claims she must investigate Nuwa’s impending sainthood, Hou Tu goes to study reincarnation, and the others scatter for various reasons.
• Forced to go himself, Di Jiang travels to the Sun Star carrying a sincere offering. Before he can even speak, the Sun God strikes him with the Chaos Bell and the power of the Solar Dao.
• Di Jiang is severely injured, nearly shattering his powerful Ancestral Witch body, and is blasted from the Sun Star to Mount Buzhou near Pangu Divine Hall.
• While attacking him, the Sun God insults Di Jiang’s intelligence and criticizes his inability to understand the obvious implication that the Endless Sea of Blood was already being offered as the location for Hou Tu’s plan.
• After recovering slightly through his own vitality and the earth’s Black-Yellow Qi, Di Jiang returns to the hall, where the other Ancestral Witches mock and praise his spectacular “landing.”
• Di Jiang privately acknowledges that he understood the Sun God’s meaning all along. He deliberately went to ask permission because failing to do so could later give the Sun God an excuse to cause trouble.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu shows determination and ambition. Since the Endless Sea of Blood is the best possible location, she refuses to compromise and focuses on preparing for her eventual sainthood.
• Di Jiang is portrayed as cautious, politically shrewd, and self-sacrificing despite appearing foolish. He knowingly endures humiliation and injury to preserve formal propriety and protect the Witch Race from future complications.
• The other Ancestral Witches reveal their playful, cowardly, and irreverent sides. They avoid accompanying Di Jiang, then gleefully tease him after his defeat rather than expressing sympathy.
• The Sun God remains overwhelmingly powerful, arrogant, and deliberately cruel, using both physical force and verbal mockery to reprimand Di Jiang.

Significant Themes

• Political formalities and strategic sacrifice: Even when permission is obviously implied, Di Jiang recognizes that official courtesy matters and willingly suffers to prevent future disputes.
• Strength and humiliation: Power determines the balance between the Sun God and the Witch Race, while Di Jiang’s repeated defeats become a source of both pain and comedy.
• Family and camaraderie: The Ancestral Witches constantly evade responsibility and mock one another, but their teasing reflects a familiar, close-knit relationship.
• Hidden intelligence beneath appearances: Di Jiang appears slow-witted because he cannot match the Sun God verbally, but his actions reveal careful long-term planning.

Character Interactions

• Hou Tu explains her choice of the Endless Sea of Blood to Di Jiang, effectively leaving the negotiation to him.
• Di Jiang attempts to recruit the other Ancestral Witches, but they abandon him with various excuses.
• The Sun God attacks and verbally berates Di Jiang, accusing him of lacking the intelligence to understand his intentions.
• Afterward, the Ancestral Witches gather around the injured Di Jiang and jokingly celebrate his “excellent” performance and dramatic landing, while Di Jiang silently endures their mockery.

Chapter Summary: “Zhunti: Should We Take Him Down a Peg?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After recovering from his injuries, Di Jiang tells Hou Tu that the next step depends on her.
• The other Ancestral Witches encourage Hou Tu, who confidently accepts the responsibility.
• Hou Tu respectfully bows to Pangu Divine Hall, then uses her Ancestral Witch True Form to lift the ancient, normally immovable structure.
• Carrying Pangu Divine Hall, she begins traveling toward the Endless Sea of Blood. The other Ancestral Witches follow her.
• Grand Witches and many Witch Race members join the procession, creating a massive movement across the Primordial Land resembling both a migration and a pilgrimage.
• The Witch Race’s improved discipline and reputation are highlighted: Jiufeng, Da Yi, and other Grand Witches notify powerful cultivators along their route in advance, earning the respect of outside forces.
• The Heavenly Court chooses not to interfere because the Sage Dao Ancestor’s temporary rule remains in effect and the Heavenly Emperor is currently pursuing Sagehood.
• The Three Pure Ones ignore the Witch Race’s actions, considering them unimportant unless they involve Sagehood.
• At Mount Sumeru, Jieyin and Zhunti watch with resentment. They still hate the Witch Race for nearly destroying their Dao Fruits and for previously entering the Western Lands to capture beasts and exploit their resources.
• Zhunti considers whether they should target Dan Jing, whom he blames for transforming and strengthening the Witch Race. Jieyin immediately warns him not to speak recklessly because of the immense karma involved.
• Jieyin urges patience, arguing that they should wait until they achieve Sagehood, since acting before then would be futile.
• On the Sun Star, Xi He and Chang Xi observe the Witch Race’s movement. Xi He assumes they are relocating their headquarters, and Dan Jing agrees.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu demonstrates increased responsibility, strength, and confidence by accepting the burden of transporting Pangu Divine Hall.
• Di Jiang and the Ancestral Witches show unity and trust in Hou Tu, supporting her rather than pressuring her.
• The Witch Race, under improved leadership, appears more orderly, socially aware, and respected than in the past.
• Jiufeng and Da Yi display political maturity by communicating with local powerhouses before the procession passes through their territories.
• Zhunti remains resentful and impulsive, seriously contemplating retaliation against Dan Jing.
• Jieyin acts as the more cautious and rational counterpart, restraining Zhunti and emphasizing the importance of attaining Sagehood first.
• Dan Jing remains detached and observant, responding casually to the Witch Race’s enormous movement.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and trust: Hou Tu’s acceptance of the mission reflects the Ancestral Witches’ reliance on her.
• Transformation and reform: The Witch Race has evolved from a disruptive force into a more disciplined and respected faction.
• Restraint versus revenge: Zhunti’s anger contrasts with Jieyin’s insistence on patience and strategic caution.
• Power and legitimacy: Many factions refrain from interfering because of larger political and cosmic forces, especially the Heavenly Emperor’s attempt to become a Sage.
• Hidden causes and consequences: The chapter emphasizes Dan Jing’s influence over the Witch Race while showing that openly opposing him could bring severe karmic consequences.

Character Interactions

• The Ancestral Witches collectively encourage Hou Tu before she undertakes the task.
• Hou Tu silently acknowledges their support and proceeds with determination.
• Jiufeng and Da Yi interact diplomatically with outside cultivators, signaling the Witch Race’s improved conduct.
• Zhunti proposes taking action against Dan Jing, but Jieyin sharply reprimands him and persuades him to wait.
• Xi He speculates about the Witch Race’s intentions, while Dan Jing confirms her interpretation that they are relocating their headquarters.

Chapter Summary: The Sect of All Living Beings

Key Plot Points and Events

• With the Reincarnation Netherworld established, the Witch Race begins moving its headquarters there. Hou Tu leads the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Grand Witches, and other members across countless worlds while carrying the Pangu Divine Hall.
• The Witch Race arrives at the Endless Sea of Blood, intending to settle there. Dan Jing has already permitted this relocation, viewing the arrangement as potentially beneficial because it gives him influence over the Netherworld’s future development.
• The Endless Sea of Blood has been completely transformed. Its former filth has settled, leaving behind a pure blood-red ocean that naturally generates countless Lesser, Medium, and Great Thousand Worlds. This makes it an extraordinarily valuable and nearly inexhaustible territory.
• Observers throughout the Primordial World assume the Witch Race is recklessly attempting to seize Dan Jing’s territory and expect him to punish them.
• Instead, the Primordial World suddenly fills with Great Dao sounds and auspicious fragrances—signs that a new Sage is about to emerge.
• Dan Jing reveals to Xi He and Chang Xi that the person attaining Sainthood is Nuwa, the Heavenly Emperor, rather than Laozi, whom most experts expected to be first.
• Nuwa announces that she will use the Dao of Creation to populate the desolate Primordial World, expand the Human Dao, and strengthen the Three Origins.
• She creates numerous Acquired Living Being races, including extinct ancient species, existing races, and new races formed by combining the foundations of different beings.
• Finally, Nuwa creates a completely new race born with an innate Dao body. The Heavenly Dao’s congratulatory golden gong immediately resounds throughout heaven and earth, marking the significance of her achievement.

Character Developments

• Dan Jing demonstrates strategic foresight and composure. He does not value the Endless Sea of Blood for its territory alone, but recognizes that allowing the Witch Race to settle there may give him valuable influence over reincarnation and the Netherworld.
• Hou Tu and the Witch Race show remarkable determination and ambition by relocating their central headquarters to the Endless Sea of Blood, a place considered untouchable by nearly every other faction.
• Xi He and Chang Xi become increasingly suspicious and curious about the deeper purpose behind the Witch Race’s movement. They also recognize the significance of Nuwa’s unexpected breakthrough.
• Nuwa rises from Heavenly Emperor to Sage through the Dao of Creation. Her achievement establishes her as a major force in the Primordial World and reveals her concern with increasing life and vitality throughout creation.

Significant Themes

• Strategic influence over direct ownership: Dan Jing’s willingness to let the Witch Race occupy his territory reflects a broader strategy of gaining control through relationships and future consequences rather than immediate possession.
• The value of territory and foundations: The transformed Endless Sea of Blood represents a source of nearly limitless worlds and power, making it one of the most important resources in the Primordial World.
• Unexpected advancement: Nuwa’s rise before the widely expected Laozi emphasizes that destiny and achievement can defy the assumptions of even the strongest experts.
• Creation and renewal: The chapter contrasts the Witch Race’s relocation and the Netherworld’s establishment with Nuwa’s creation of new life, highlighting the continual reshaping and expansion of the Primordial World.
• The evolution of races: Nuwa’s creation of both restored and entirely new species suggests a movement from ancient inheritance toward new forms of life and civilization.

Character Interactions

• Xi He and Chang Xi question Dan Jing about whether he will allow the Witch Race to occupy the Endless Sea of Blood. Dan Jing assures them that he expects to benefit from the arrangement.
• The sisters continue observing Dan Jing, realizing that his apparent indifference likely conceals a larger plan.
• They ask Dan Jing about the identity of the emerging Sage, and he calmly identifies Nuwa, surprising them.
• Nuwa addresses the Heavenly Dao directly, declaring her purpose and formally requesting witness to her act of creation. Her declaration transforms her personal cultivation breakthrough into a major event affecting all living beings.

Chapter Summary:

Nuwa: Sun Star Madman!!!

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Nuwa’s achievements in restoring extinct races, creating new branches of existing races, inventing derivative lifeforms, and forming an entirely new Acquired Race, nine golden gong peals announce the arrival of immense Heavenly Dao Merit.
• The gathered merit forms a vast ocean before descending upon Nuwa. She uses it to refine the remaining portion of her Primordial Purple Qi.
• Nuwa successfully refines the Purple Qi and attains Sagehood. Heaven and earth respond with extraordinary phenomena, including golden radiance, Profound Yellow energy, and the manifestation of creation-related Dao intent.
• Nuwa’s Sage aura spreads across the Primordial World. Its gentle, nurturing quality evokes the presence of a mother, causing most beings to instinctively revere and submit to her.
• All races except the Witch Race bow and praise Nuwa as Heavenly Emperor, Wa Sovereign, Supreme Human, and Holy Mother. Dan Jing alone remains standing, while even Xi He and Chang Xi bow.
• Nuwa restrains her Sage aura and withdraws her Dharma Form. The powerful cultivators of the world are relieved when the overwhelming maternal sensation disappears.
• Immediately afterward, a massive disturbance erupts from the Endless Sea of Blood. Hou Tu manifests her enormous Ancestral Witch True Form while holding the Pangu Divine Hall, signaling that she is also on the verge of becoming a Sage.
• Nuwa realizes that Dan Jing, the “Sun Star Madman,” gave the Primordial Purple Qi to Hou Tu. She becomes frustrated that Hou Tu will attain Sagehood directly after her, leaving no opportunity to establish a meaningful lead.
• As Nuwa thinks that Hou Tu’s advancement must have been part of Dan Jing’s plan, she glances toward him. Dan Jing meets her gaze with a knowing half-smile, causing her heart to skip and prompting the ominous thought: “This is bad.”

Character Developments

• Nuwa: Completes her long effort to attain Sagehood and gains immense confidence from the nine peals of merit. Her new status confirms her role as the creator and mother of countless Acquired Beings. However, her triumph is immediately complicated by Hou Tu’s imminent advancement and by her emotionally charged reaction to Dan Jing.
• Hou Tu: Though she does not yet formally become a Sage in this excerpt, her manifestation indicates that her breakthrough is imminent. Her rise places her directly beside Nuwa in status and power.
• Dan Jing: Remains outwardly calm and mysterious. His prior decision to give Hou Tu the Primordial Purple Qi reveals that he has carefully orchestrated the sequence of events. His knowing gaze toward Nuwa suggests confidence and possibly amusement at her reaction.
• Xi He and Chang Xi: Demonstrate respect for Nuwa’s new Sage status by bowing, unlike Dan Jing and the Witch Race.
• The Witch Race: Refuses to submit to Nuwa, maintaining its defiance even as every other group acknowledges her Sagehood.

Significant Themes

• Creation and motherhood: Nuwa’s accomplishments establish her as the literal and symbolic mother of the Acquired Beings. Her Sage aura embodies nurturing, tenderness, and creation rather than domination.
• Merit and cosmic legitimacy: Nuwa’s vast contributions to the world are rewarded through Heavenly Dao Merit, showing that creation and restoration can justify the highest form of spiritual advancement.
• Rivalry and balance: Nuwa’s achievement is immediately balanced by Hou Tu’s coming Sagehood, preventing her from gaining an uncontested advantage.
• Fate and manipulation: Dan Jing’s unseen planning appears to shape both Nuwa’s and Hou Tu’s breakthroughs, emphasizing his influence over the wider cosmic situation.
• Power versus emotion: Although Nuwa has become a transcendent Sage, her brief emotional reaction to Dan Jing reveals that immense power does not eliminate personal vulnerability.

Significant Character Interactions

• The living beings of the Primordial World collectively honor Nuwa, reinforcing her connection to and authority over them.
• The Witch Race’s refusal to bow highlights its continuing opposition to Nuwa and its separation from the rest of the world.
• Nuwa’s awareness that Dan Jing empowered Hou Tu creates tension between them.
• Their brief exchange of glances carries unspoken meaning: Nuwa suspects Dan Jing has deliberately arranged events, while Dan Jing appears amused and fully aware of her concern.