Chapter Summaries

Great Huan’s eight hundred thousand Forbidden Guards advanced through Mount Tai as the Great Chu forces gathered and moved into position. Bai Tong halted his column after learning that Great Chu troops were approaching, but a sudden storm and a surprise attack left his hundred thousand soldiers under assault at the valley entrance.

• Lan Ge learned that Great Chu was gathering more than two million elite troops near Licheng and ordered Eunuch Qiu to investigate and report to Xiao Ying.
• The Great Chu Forbidden Guard finally entered Mount Tai while other Great Chu columns moved to engage the remaining Great Huan forces.
• Bai Tong learned that Great Chu forces were approaching his column and, despite objections, halted his hundred thousand troops and built defenses at the valley entrance.
• A sudden torrential storm struck Bai Tong’s camp, raising fears that the mountain slopes could collapse.
• Black-armored troops attacked through the rain, and Bai Tong’s column identified the assault as involving more than the Great Chu True Martial Guards and called for reinforcements.

After learning that a True Immortal and Yingzhou Ninjas had helped annihilate Bai Tong’s hundred thousand Forbidden Guards, Xiao Ying vowed to kill the culprits despite the risks of provoking an Immortal Emperor. He issued orders to prepare for war and planned to use the Heaven-Earth Bell at Mount Tai, where he hoped to bury Kong Wu and the True Immortals.

• A Huan-Clad Guard reported that Bai Tong and all hundred thousand Forbidden Guards at Mount Tai had been wiped out, with Bai Tong fallen in service to the nation.
• The guard relayed suspicions that Demon Daoist Yu Ji or another True Immortal had attacked amid a storm while Yingzhou Ninjas ambushed the Great Huan forces.
• Xiao Ying declared that he would kill those who had broken the rules and ordered the three State Commissioners to devise a plan to prevent any True Immortals from escaping Mount Tai.
• Xiao Ying ordered Han Xin to coordinate with Emperor Qin and the Radiant Emperor to raze Yingzhou when war began, and commanded that the elite of the Hall of Myriad Emperors be sent to Mount Tai.
• In a secret chamber, Xiao Ying held the Heaven-Earth Bell and resolved to make Mount Tai the burial ground of Kong Wu and the True Immortals involved.

Xiao Ying arrived at the Great Huan camp and led a massive force toward the Great Chu Forbidden Guard in retaliation for the earlier massacre. As Great Chu commanders debated their next move, mysterious zither music began to entrance them.

• Xiao Ying arrived at the camp with his consorts, Princess Dieyi, and more than a hundred Cloth Warriors, then ordered three hundred thousand Forbidden Guards to prepare for battle.
• Xiao Ying ordered the Loose Immortals to prevent any Great Chu survivors from escaping and led the assembled army north in the shape of a giant roc.
• Dragon Soul proposed that the China Alliance and Great Huan's offices divide the surrounding routes, and Lan Ge led the Loose Immortals in pursuit.
• At Heaven-Eclipse Peak, Kong Wu challenged Xiang Yun for halting attacks on Great Huan's forces, and Xiang Yun explained that the enemy had changed routes and gathered reinforcements.
• Ethereal zither music sounded near the Great Chu commanders and drew them into a confused, dreamlike haze.

Xiao Ying launched a surprise attack on Kong Wu and the Great Chu elites, using the zither music to leave the troops helpless before striking with the Great Huan Forbidden Guard and three great formations. Kong Wu proved impervious to Xiao Ying’s attacks, but Xiao Ying confirmed his suspicion that Kong Wu was involved in the destruction of Great Huan’s Imperial Guards and attacked again.

• The zither music entranced the Great Chu elites while Kong Wu and the other True Immortals regained their senses and searched for its source.
• A War God Manifestation revealed Xiao Ying’s arrival, and he led the Great Huan Forbidden Guard in a surprise strike that killed tens of thousands of dazed Great Chu soldiers.
• Xiao Ying’s forces surrounded the survivors with the Eight Gates Golden-Locking Formation, the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation, and the Twelve Capitals Banner-Demon Formation.
• Xiao Ying attacked Kong Wu with Dragon Emperor’s Wrath, but Kong Wu erased the black dragon and then made more than half of the incoming spells vanish.
• Xiao Ying questioned Kong Wu about the Imperial Guards’ destruction, realized Kong Wu had never denied involvement, and charged at him again with the Godslaying Spear.

Xiao Ying discovered how Kong Wu’s Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan absorbed and returned five-element attacks, while the Great Huan forces continued to press their opponents across the battlefield. He created an opening to strike Demon Daoist Yu Ji, leaving Yu Ji grievously wounded as Kong Wu reappeared in fury.

• Kong Wu used the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan to absorb attacks and unleash powerful five-element spells at Xiao Ying.
• Xiao Ying surveyed the battle and saw the Great Huan Forbidden Guard overwhelm the True Martial Guards, while the Undying Demon Army, Hua Qiandai, Yu Ji, and Li Yanyan held their own opponents in check.
• Xiao Ying called to Hua Qiandai, created nine Imperial Avatars to keep Kong Wu occupied, and lunged toward Demon Daoist Yu Ji.
• Kong Wu unleashed the Five-Colored Divine Light, dispelling Xiao Ying’s avatars, then used the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan and Fire Escape to evade Hua Qiandai’s Heaven-Seeking Divine Whip.
• Xiao Ying pierced Demon Daoist Yu Ji’s chest with the Godslaying Spear, and then attacked Kong Wu again before Kong Wu could unleash the fan’s full power.

Xiao Ying and the Great Huan forces battered Kong Wu and the other True Immortals, killing most of them and blocking their attempted escape with the Heaven-Earth Bell. Kong Wu fled with the fan’s artifact spirit, while Yu Ji pursued him and a mysterious figure appeared on the horizon to strike.

• Xiao Ying pursued Kong Wu through the formations while the Great Huan fighters wore down the True Immortals and Yu Ji killed a sword immortal with Li Yanyan’s support.
• Yu Ji and Hua Qiandai trapped Zhang De with the Heaven-Seeking Divine Whip, and the whip shredded him after Kong Wu unleashed his flock of birds.
• Kong Wu used the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan to break through the formations, but Xiao Ying stopped his escape with the Heaven-Earth Bell, allowing the Great Huan forces to kill three more True Immortals.
• The fan’s artifact spirit transformed into a girl, ordered the two surviving True Immortals to cover their retreat, and carried Kong Wu away as a five-colored peacock.
• Yu Ji pursued Kong Wu beyond the formations, and a graceful figure appeared on the horizon and pointed across the distance.

Xiao Ying defeated Kong Wu after Lü Zhi’s Heaven-Destroying Finger crippled the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan, then killed Kong Wu despite warnings from arriving Great Chu reinforcements. The chapter ended with the descended True Immortals discovering their connection to the Upper Realm had been severed or sealed.

• Lü Zhi used the Heaven-Destroying Finger to force the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan back into its original form, and Xiao Ying caught it as Kong Wu fled.
• Xiao Ying trapped Kong Wu with the Heaven-Earth Bell, mocked his escape attempts, and declared that even an Immortal Emperor would die for violating the eternal covenant.
• Xiao Ying ignored calls to stop from Xiang Yu, Zuo Ci, Duke Zhou Xuan, Huang Tian, and others, then pierced Kong Wu with the Godslaying Spear and destroyed his remains with the Heaven-Earth Bell.
• A powerful presence believed to be the Five Absolutes Immortal Emperor tried to reach the world, but the world will and an unknown force prevented it.
• The Great Chu True Immortals discovered they could no longer sense their connection to the Upper Realm and feared they would be stranded in the lower realm.

After the Great Huan Dynasty defeated the Descended Immortal Gods and Great Chu’s forces, Chu Emperor Xiang Yu declined to avenge Kong Wu and withdrew with the surviving True Immortals. Xiao Ying’s side studied the Undying Demon Army and began assimilating their spoils, including the Five Extremes Emperor Scripture and Five Extremes True Blood.

• Xiang Yu told Xiao Ying he would not avenge Kong Wu, then left with the True Immortals who remained loyal to him as others departed.
• Xiao Ying returned to Great Huan’s formations, where Lan Ge warned that the Undying Demon Army could recover from nearly any injury unless most of their bodies were destroyed.
• Kadi froze a group of Undying Demon Army troops, and Xiao Ying shattered the ice sculptures, killing them permanently.
• Yu Ji thanked Li Yanyan and revealed the Starlight Treasure Mirror sword canon she had gained from killing the Sword Immortal.
• Xiao Ying began assimilating the Five Extremes Emperor Scripture and Five Extremes True Blood he had obtained from Kong Wu.

Xiao Ying refined the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan, named its reborn artifact spirit Linglong, and confirmed that the five extremes true blood was safe to cultivate. As Xiao Ying absorbed the blood, Demon Empress Ying Ying suspected that the Huan Emperor possessed the Pangu Mainframe and that it might be what the descended immortal gods sought.

• Xiao Ying discovered that the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan still had an artifact spirit, refined the Dao Artifact, and nurtured the spirit back to a childlike state.
• Xiao Ying named the fan spirit Linglong and asked her to remove any foreign aura from the five extremes true blood; Linglong found none.
• Xiao Ying examined the fan's powers and treasures, then chose to incorporate the Five Extremes Emperor Scripture into his existing cultivation arts rather than replace them.
• At dawn, Xiao Ying continued refining the five extremes true blood at the center of the Great Huan Faction as the fighters recovered from battle.
• Demon Empress Ying Ying told Dragon Soul that the Huan Emperor's unusual cultivation and the Great Huan Faction's rapid progress might be connected to the Pangu Mainframe in the Huan Emperor's possession.
• Dragon Soul asked what Ying Ying meant after she suggested that the Pangu Mainframe could be the treasure the descended immortal gods were seeking.

Summary of “Great Chu’s Crisis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Demon Queen Ying Ying and Dragon Soul discuss the growing power of the Great Huan Dynasty. Dragon Soul warns Ying Ying not to spread suspicions about the Pangu Mainframe or appear disloyal to the Huan Emperor.
• The Great Huan Navy begins a major campaign against Great Chu and Yingzhou:
  • A smaller fleet sails across the Pacific toward Yingzhou.
  • A far larger force moves through the Yangtze River into the Eastern Sea, consisting of over ten thousand warships and more than a million troops.
• Great Chu’s leaders gather in Handan after learning of the naval mobilization. Cao Jiu explains that the campaign is likely retaliation for Great Chu’s role in the destruction of the Great Huan Forbidden Guard and the death of Huan Emperor’s forces, including Young Master Heavenless.
• The ministers recognize that Yingzhou is a vital logistical and population center. Its destruction would severely weaken Great Chu even if the main imperial forces survived.
• Huang Tian proposes that Great Chu ally with the Undying Forces, using them to counterbalance Great Huan while Great Chu gains time to rebuild.
• Many ministers reject this plan because of the Undying Forces’ reputation and the danger that they might destroy Great Huan only to seize Great Chu afterward. They instead favor negotiating with the Huan Emperor, especially since Great Huan is already cooperating with Great Qin and the Radiant Divine Kingdom.
• Cao Jiu reveals that the Huan Emperor may be preparing a broader alliance to fight the Undying Forces, stabilize the world, attack the heavens, and break the heavenly seal. This could give Great Chu an opportunity to negotiate or join the anti-Undying campaign.
• The discussion shifts to the upcoming struggle for Mount Tai. Xiang Yu insists on continuing, confident in his True Immortal cultivation, the Heaven-Earth Tyrant Chart, and the Heaven-Opening Axe.
• Huang Tian argues that Xiang Yu has little chance against the Huan Emperor, who possesses superior techniques and numerous Primordial Supreme Treasures. He advises Xiang Yu to abandon the contest or fight directly rather than risk humiliation at Jade Emperor Peak.
• Yan Zhentian supports Huang Tian’s assessment, noting that Great Chu has lost many True Immortals while Great Huan has grown stronger. The chapter ends with Nanhua Old Immortal being asked to help convince Xiang Yu to reconsider.

Character Developments

• Demon Queen Ying Ying shows awareness of the differences between natives and Otherworlders, but Dragon Soul cautions her to conceal such opinions.
• Dragon Soul acts as a cautious adviser, emphasizing loyalty, restraint, and the danger of provoking the Huan Emperor.
• Huang Tian emerges as Great Chu’s most pragmatic strategist. He supports temporary alliances with the Undying Forces and bluntly challenges Xiang Yu’s confidence.
• Xiang Yu remains proud and determined, relying heavily on his personal power, treasures, and status. However, Huang Tian’s analysis exposes the weakness of his confidence.
• Cao Jiu provides strategic insight, identifying Great Huan’s likely objectives and suggesting that its alliances may create diplomatic opportunities.
• Lian Cheng represents the moral and reputational concerns of Great Chu, opposing cooperation with the Undying Forces and favoring negotiation.
• Yan Zhentian shifts toward a realistic assessment of Great Chu’s declining military position and supports abandoning the Mount Tai contest.
• Nanhua Old Immortal is placed in a difficult position because of his intense hatred for Great Huan, yet his agreement may be crucial to persuading Xiang Yu.

Significant Themes

• The rise and decline of power: Great Huan’s military strength is rapidly expanding while Great Chu’s True Immortal forces have been decimated or withdrawn.
• Pragmatism versus pride: Huang Tian urges Great Chu to make practical choices, while Xiang Yu prioritizes honor, legitimacy, and personal confidence.
• Alliance politics: Former enemies consider cooperating with dangerous forces to survive, illustrating the unstable political landscape.
• Reputation and morality versus survival: Great Chu must choose between the dishonor of allying with the Undying Forces and the possibility of being destroyed by Great Huan.
• Strategic restraint: The chapter repeatedly stresses that victory depends on judging timing, controlling alliances, and avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
• The danger of overconfidence: Xiang Yu’s belief in his own strength is challenged by the Huan Emperor’s superior cultivation techniques, treasures, and growing support.

Character Interactions

• Ying Ying and Dragon Soul debate the risks of openly discussing the Pangu Mainframe and the Otherworlders’ perspective.
• Great Chu’s ministers argue over whether to ally with the Undying Forces or negotiate with Great Huan.
• Lian Cheng and Song Yi clash over whether diplomacy or military resistance is the proper response.
• Huang Tian directly confronts Xiang Yu’s confidence, comparing their respective cultivation manuals and supreme treasures.
• Yan Zhentian reinforces Huang Tian’s argument and appeals to Nanhua Old Immortal for support.
• The central conflict within Great Chu is not only against Great Huan but also between Xiang Yu’s pride and his ministers’ increasingly desperate realism.

Huan Emperor Xiao Ying used Great Chu’s peace offer to demand its withdrawal from China, preparing Great Huan to become an empire and ultimately challenge the forces that sealed the world. On the day of his scheduled duel with Chu Emperor Xiang Yu, Great Chu’s army withdrew, and Xiao Ying ordered a broad assault while heading to Jade Emperor Peak.

• Xiao Ying studied the Five Extremes Emperor Scripture and pondered the limits of Five-Colored Divine Light and the power of ancient sages.
• Xiao Ying accepted Great Chu’s proposed peace talks in principle but demanded that it relinquish its territory in China and withdraw to Joseon, Korea, and Yingzhou.
• Two days later, as armies and spectators converged on Jade Emperor Peak for the duel, Xiao Ying left seclusion confident in his strength against Xiang Yu.
• A report revealed that Great Chu had begun withdrawing north and that Xiang Yu and the True Immortals were missing.
• Xiao Ying ordered most of the Forbidden Guard to leave Mount Tai, kept one hundred thousand Ravenous Wolf Guards, and directed Great Huan’s armies and navy to attack Great Chu.

Huan Emperor Xiao Ying arrived at Mount Tai to face Chu Emperor Xiang Yu, but learned that Great Chu’s army had withdrawn and Xiang Yu had not appeared. As full-scale war began between the dynasties, Xiao Ying prepared to demonstrate his strength to the gathered spectators before leaving.

• The Ravenous Wolf Guards secured Jade Emperor Peak and served refreshments to the assembled guests.
• Xiao Ying arrived with his consorts, officials, guards, and Cloth Warriors, and representatives from across the world greeted him.
• Xiao Ying announced that Great Chu’s elite army had withdrawn north, prompting anger among the spectators.
• Xiao Ying explained that Great Huan’s war against Great Chu was beginning and that he would wait until the horse hour before leaving.
• Xiao Ying observed the gathering and the vast military campaign unfolding across the borders between the dynasties.
• When the horse hour began, Xiao Ying raised his aura as the crowd fell silent, then prepared to demonstrate his strength.

Xiao Ying demonstrated his power on Jade Emperor Peak by using the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation to attempt Heaven-Slaying. He drew strength from Great Huan’s subjects and grew into an enormous figure as heaven and earth convulsed, leaving his attempt underway.

• Xiao Ying announced that he would attempt Heaven-Slaying and invited the gathered heroes to stay or leave freely.
• Xiao Ying and Great Huan’s forces planted nearly four hundred Star Banners and activated the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation.
• Xiao Ying drew on the formation’s power, transformed into his Ancestral Return Form, and perceived the spatial barrier and the Heaven-and-Earth Net beyond it.
• Xiao Ying summoned the Great Huan Imperial Seal and called on his subjects to lend him their strength through the dynasty’s national fortune.
• Great Huan’s officials, soldiers, and subjects answered his decree, sending power to Xiao Ying as he grew hundreds of meters tall and heaven and earth began to shake violently.

Xiao Ying attempted to strike the Heaven-and-Earth Net with the Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword, but its radiance dispersed his attack before it could reach the formation. He rallied the heroes at Jade Emperor Peak to lend their strength for another attempt, just as an Immortal Gate opened and a beam of immortal light descended toward him.

• Xiao Ying enlarged his body and sensed the world's laws, the Heaven-and-Earth Net, and a struggle between the Pangu Heavenly Dao and power from beyond the world.
• Xiao Ying transformed the Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword into a Red Dragon and sent it through the sky, but the Heaven-and-Earth Net dispersed it just short of impact.
• Xiao Ying called on the heroes at Jade Emperor Peak to contribute their strength, and Hua Qiandai urged them to channel their power through the Star Banners.
• Envoys from the Great Qin Empire and the Radiant Divine Kingdom, Zen Master Tianyun, Sun Ji, and other martial heroes joined the formation, increasing Xiao Ying's manifested height toward a thousand meters.
• A True Immortal rebuked Xiao Ying, and Hua Qiandai warned the descended immortals and gods not to interfere.
• An Immortal Gate appeared amid the storm and sent a vast beam of immortal light toward Xiao Ying.

Xiao Ying realized the Immortal Gate’s guiding light was hostile and broke free before it could transform him. He returned to Jade Emperor Peak, swore never to become an immortal until the skies cleared, rallied warriors into the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation, and thrust the Godslaying Spear at Heaven as a lightning dragon descended.

• The Immortal Gate’s light began pulling Xiao Ying skyward, but Linglong and the Heaven-Earth Bell awakened him and warned that the light carried killing intent.
• Xiao Ying broke the guiding-light pillar and fell back toward Jade Emperor Peak, where the people of Great Huan rejoiced to see him return.
• As the Immortal Gate sent down a stronger beam, Xiao Ying vowed never to become an immortal until he saw clear skies and shattered the beam with the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan.
• Xiao Ying called on heroes and champions to lend him their strength, and warriors of many races joined the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation.
• A lightning dragon emerged from the thundercloud vortex, and Xiao Ying raised the Godslaying Spear and thrust it toward Heaven.

Xiao Ying expanded the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation across Jade Emperor Peak and used the gathered power to strike the Heaven-and-Earth Net again. His Godslaying Spear broke several strands of the seal, triggering breakthroughs across the world, but a devastating bolt of heavenly lightning descended as the chapter ended.

• Xiao Ying's first strike with the Godslaying Spear failed to break the Heaven-and-Earth Net, and Demon Empress Ying Ying urged him to expand the formation across Jade Emperor Peak.
• Xiao Ying ordered the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation to encompass the entire mountain, drawing power from tens of thousands of people as the Descended Immortal Gods held back from intervening.
• Xiao Ying used the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan to scatter a lightning dragon, then launched the Godslaying Spear's Dragon Emperor's Wrath at the seal.
• The black dragon broke several strands of the Heaven-and-Earth Net, confirming that overwhelming power could weaken the world's seal.
• Countless people across the world broke through their cultivation bottlenecks, while Xiao Ying and other True Immortals remained unable to advance.
• A nearly black-purple bolt of lightning shot down from the thunderclouds toward Jade Emperor Peak.

Chapter Summary: “Quit While Ahead”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A terrifying lightning tribulation descends over Jade Emperor Peak after Xiao Ying’s Heaven-Slaying Enlightenment. The tribulation shocks the assembled crowd, who realize that the rewards they gained came with immense heavenly consequences.
• Xiao Ying acknowledges that his attempt to “slay heaven” was only an initial trial. Having already gained enormous benefits, he decides not to continue risking the lives of the righteous experts and the hundred thousand Ravenous Wolf Guards gathered around him.
• He uses the Ten-Thousand Birds Five-Absolutes Fan to dissolve more than half of the tribulation, then employs the Godslaying Spear and its “Dragon Emperor’s Wrath” technique to weaken it further. However, the remaining lightning still spreads across Jade Emperor Peak and damages the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation.
• Many experts, including Meng Chang, declare that they will stand with Xiao Ying and resist the Heavenly Tribulation. Xiao Ying nevertheless chooses to withdraw rather than let them die.
• Using the formation and the Translocation Law, Xiao Ying teleports more than two hundred thousand participants across the Mount Tai region and beyond. He then uses the secret technique “King Under Heaven” to travel hundreds of thousands of li to the Nine Dragons Imperial Capital and hide inside the Hall of Myriad Emperors, a Blessed Grotto-Heaven capable of shielding him from the Heavenly Dao.
• The tribulation clouds remain overhead but cannot locate Xiao Ying, leaving the heavenly lightning raging without an outlet. The spectators are astonished that he has apparently evaded Heavenly Punishment.
• The event ends almost as quickly as it began, but its influence spreads throughout the five continents and seven oceans. Xiao Ying’s reputation rises dramatically, while Chu Emperor Xiang Yu and the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty suffer severe damage to their credibility after breaking their word.
• At the same time, the Great Huan Dynasty launches its planned war against Great Chu. Three armies led by Li Yuan, Wu Chen, and Lü Chen invade Chu territory from the south and capture thirty-eight cities in a single day, meeting almost no resistance.
• A second, much larger force—the Chaoge Army—marches toward Handan Imperial Capital. Its vanguard reaches Anyang Royal City, only to receive the shocking report that Xiang Yu is not at Mount Tai but has appeared outside Anyang with an elite army.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying demonstrates strategic restraint rather than reckless ambition. Although he possesses overwhelming power, he recognizes that his goal has already been achieved and abandons the attempt before the tribulation grows stronger.
• His decision to teleport away the assembled experts shows both responsibility and political calculation. He protects those who supported him while avoiding unnecessary deaths and preventing the creation of further enemies.
• Xiao Ying’s ability to escape the Heavenly Dao greatly increases his mystery and prestige. His actions convince observers that he possesses methods even the ancient True Immortals do not understand.
• Meng Chang and the other righteous experts reveal their loyalty and courage by volunteering to share Xiao Ying’s burden, even though Xiao Ying ultimately refuses their assistance.
• Grand Marshal Han Xin displays confidence and disciplined judgment. Despite the suspiciously easy victories, he does not stop the invasion, instead ordering greater vigilance and scouting.
• Li Yuan, Wu Chen, and Lü Chen become uneasy when Chu’s cities surrender without resistance. Their caution contrasts with the overwhelming momentum of the Huan armies.
• Xiang Yu emerges as a major strategic threat. His unexpected appearance at Anyang suggests that Great Chu may have planned a trap or is preparing a decisive counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Knowing when to stop: The title reflects Xiao Ying’s central decision. He refuses to let greed or pride turn a successful operation into a disastrous confrontation with heaven.
• Humanity versus heaven: The lightning tribulation revives the legendary question of whether mortals can defy or overcome the Heavenly Dao.
• Power and responsibility: Xiao Ying’s greatest achievement is not merely resisting the tribulation, but preventing his allies and followers from becoming sacrifices.
• Reputation and political influence: The Heaven-Slaying Enlightenment benefits countless people, causing public support for Huan, Qin, and the Radiant Emperor to grow while Chu’s reputation declines.
• Strategic deception and uncertainty: Great Chu’s effortless surrender of dozens of cities appears suspicious, suggesting that the apparent victories may conceal a larger military strategy.
• Unity against adversity: The experts’ declarations that they will stand together emphasize the strength of solidarity, even though Xiao Ying ultimately chooses a more pragmatic path.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying communicates directly with the assembled experts through the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation, urging them to leave and assuring them that he can handle the tribulation himself.
• Meng Chang and other righteous figures reject his request, insisting that they share responsibility for the undertaking and resist the Heavenly Tribulation alongside him.
• Xiao Ying responds not with argument but with action, forcibly teleporting them away to protect them from the coming disaster.
• The spectators and True Immortals debate how Xiao Ying escaped Heavenly Punishment, speculate that he hid in the Hall of Myriad Emperors, and resolve to investigate his method.
• The three Huan commanders advance through Chu territory while growing increasingly suspicious of the enemy’s lack of resistance.
• The Chaoge Army’s commanders and forces are confronted with the revelation that Xiang Yu has taken position at Anyang, setting up the chapter’s impending military confrontation.

Chu Emperor Xiang Yu led his forces against the eight-million-strong Chaoge vanguard outside Anyang Royal City and inflicted catastrophic losses before withdrawing into the city. As Great Huan reinforcements arrived, Long Ju received orders to keep Xiang Yu tied down rather than risk another reckless assault.

• Ji Bu urged the commanders to attack Xiang Yu, while Long Ju and Wang Yiman warned that the Chu Emperor might have a plan.
• Long Ju, Ji Bu, Liu Dai, and Wang Yiman advanced on Anyang with eight million troops in three columns.
• Xiang Yu led a million Great Chu elites in a frontal charge, then took thirty thousand Jiangdong Sons and Brothers to strike the Chaoge army’s flanks.
• After a day-long battle, the Chaoge vanguard had suffered over five million casualties, while only three to four hundred thousand Great Chu elites and fewer than ten thousand Jiangdong Sons and Brothers survived.
• Xiang Yu withdrew into Anyang Royal City as the Great Huan army’s reinforcements arrived.
• Long Ju received the Grand Commandant’s order to avoid seeking merit and focus on keeping Xiang Yu contained at Anyang.

Chapter Summary: “Yingzhou’s Predicament”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On September 1st, Year 7 of the Genesis Era, the Great Huan Dynasty begins its invasion of Yingzhou while Emperor Xiao Ying and Chu Emperor Xiang Yu prepare to battle at Mount Tai.
• Two massive Huan naval forces attack Yingzhou:
  • One fleet approaches the Kanto Region under Dragon Consort Chong Shiqie and Grand Commandant Han Xin.
  • Another, commanded by Marquis Tian Feng and Gan Ning, advances toward the Kinki Region.
• The Yingzhou navy is destroyed almost immediately. Its wooden warships are no match for the technologically and magically superior Huan fleet.
• Rather than landing troops immediately, Chong Shiqie orders the navy to bombard Yingzhou’s coastline continuously. Her objective is to maximize destruction and create overwhelming momentum, following Xiao Ying’s order to “raz[e] Yingzhou flat.”
• She identifies Yokohama Royal City, a prosperous port city in Kanto, as the primary target. Its central district lies within range of the giant warships’ main cannons.
• The Huan fleet unleashes a massive barrage of ten thousand cannons, destroying coastal defenses, fortifications, troops, buildings, and large stretches of land.
• The bombardment continues for nearly half an hour without a landing assault. The Yingzhou army collapses under the sustained destruction, abandoning its weapons and fleeing inland.
• Fifteen giant warships then fire directly upon Yokohama Royal City. Their enormous magical beams destroy buildings and civilians, while shockwaves devastate surrounding areas and plunge the city into panic and chaos.
• In the Great Huan Imperial Capital, Xiao Ying receives reports after leaving seclusion. He learns that:
  • Xiang Yu has severely defeated the Chaoge army in their first major clash.
  • Long Ju and Ji Bu suffered because they recklessly confronted Xiang Yu without properly assembling their forces.
  • The Central Plains campaign has advanced rapidly, with more than one hundred Great Chu cities captured in a single day, yet almost no serious resistance has appeared.
  • Spies sent to key Great Chu cities have disappeared, suggesting that Great Chu is preparing a major hidden scheme.
• Xiao Ying refuses to abandon the Central Plains, which he considers essential to his ambitions. He orders his Shadow Angel, Tisha, to investigate Pengcheng personally, emphasizing reconnaissance rather than direct confrontation.
• Xiao Ying then proceeds toward the teleportation formation to travel to Yingzhou.

Character Developments

• Dragon Consort Chong Shiqie is portrayed as ruthless, decisive, and completely committed to Xiao Ying’s destructive strategy. She prioritizes speed, psychological impact, and minimal Huan casualties over preserving Yingzhou’s cities or population.
• Han Xin acts as the pragmatic military counterweight to Chong Shiqie. He worries that excessive destruction will make future occupation and reconstruction difficult, but ultimately acknowledges that her plan is highly efficient and minimizes Huan losses.
• Xiao Ying demonstrates strategic ambition and emotional detachment toward the larger war. He accepts the destruction of Yingzhou while remaining focused on securing the Central Plains. He also shows sound judgment by not punishing Long Ju and Ji Bu for their defeat, recognizing Xiang Yu’s exceptional strength.
• Long Ju and Ji Bu are revealed to have acted rashly and underestimated Xiang Yu, suffering heavy losses despite their numerical advantage.
• Xiang Yu is reinforced as an extraordinarily powerful and talented ruler: a Sovereign Grade expert, military genius, and “tyrant emperor” whose use of the Heaven-Opening Axe makes him exceptionally dangerous.
• Tisha reenters the active storyline after remaining largely unused because few opponents can threaten Xiao Ying. Her assignment indicates that the mysterious Great Chu strategy may require covert investigation rather than open warfare.

Significant Themes

• Total war and calculated destruction: The Huan invasion is presented not as a conventional conquest but as a campaign of annihilation. The navy seeks to destroy Yingzhou’s military, infrastructure, and morale before occupation.
• Efficiency versus long-term governance: Chong Shiqie values immediate victory and low Huan casualties, while Han Xin worries about the consequences of ruining territory that may later become Huan land.
• Technological and military superiority: Huan’s giant warships and magical artillery overwhelm Yingzhou so completely that the battle contains virtually no suspense.
• The horror beneath beauty: The colorful, magnificent cannon fire resembles a meteor shower, but the spectacle conceals mass death and devastation.
• Imperial ambition: Xiao Ying’s determination to conquer the Central Plains shows that the war is part of a broader struggle for dominance over the Divine Land.
• Hidden schemes and uncertainty: Great Chu’s lack of resistance, the disappearance of spies, and Xiang Yu’s victories imply that the apparent Huan successes may conceal a larger trap or counterstrategy.
• The cost of conquest: The chapter emphasizes that military victory can create hatred, destruction, and immense reconstruction burdens, even when it is tactically successful.

Important Character Interactions

• Chong Shiqie and Han Xin debate whether the navy should bombard Yingzhou or preserve its infrastructure for future occupation. Han Xin questions her approach, but ultimately concedes that it is strategically sound.
• Chong Shiqie extends her orders to Tian Feng and Gan Ning, directing them to bombard coastal regions rather than immediately land troops.
• Xiao Ying reviews the reports of the Chaoge army’s defeat and judges Long Ju and Ji Bu fairly, recognizing their mistake without condemning them.
• Xiao Ying summons Tisha and assigns her to investigate Pengcheng, establishing a direct link between the Yingzhou campaign and the mysterious developments in the Central Plains.

Xiao Ying arrived in Yingzhou after Great Huan forces captured Yokohama Royal City and learned how Chong Shiqie’s troops had devastated the city. He ordered preparations for the wider campaign, demanded compensation from Japan, and planned to lead the Forbidden Guards toward Tokyo Capital City.

• Xiao Ying arrived in Yokohama Royal City and praised Han Xin and Chong Shiqie for capturing it and securing the region.
• Xiao Ying saw the city’s destruction and warned Chong Shiqie to maintain military discipline, though he accepted her harsh methods.
• After learning that Japanese Otherworlders had posted accounts of the fighting, Xiao Ying called for survivors to be eliminated and demanded compensation for one hundred thousand Great Huan Forbidden Guards.
• Xiao Ying promised the China Alliance leaders marquis ranks for meritorious service in the Yingzhou campaign.
• Han Xin reported that the armies could arrive within two days, and Xiao Ying ordered them deployed as they arrived to draw the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty into the war.
• Xiao Ying announced that he would soon lead seven hundred thousand Forbidden Guards north to attack Tokyo Capital City.