Chapter Summaries

After the Blue Sky Empress’s intervention left Xiao Ying gravely injured, the Dragon Mulberry Patriarch protected him while Nine-Dragon Island completed the founding of Great Huan Era without his response. Xiao Ying then broke through to a new cultivation realm, and his allies guarded him as the ceremony’s guests were received.

• The Dragon Mulberry Patriarch rebuked the Blue Sky Empress for awakening Xiao Ying’s Pangu bloodline potential, and she departed after warning that fate was hastening their time.
• Nuwa thanked the Dragon Mulberry Patriarch for protecting Xiao Ying, then left; the Thousand-Eyed Venerable and Annihilation Patriarch also departed.
• The Blood Suan Witch Emperor declared the rites complete and proclaimed Xiao Ying’s nation as Great Huan Era while Xiao Ying remained unresponsive.
• The Great Dao’s power stabilized the National Fortune Cloud and gave Nine-Dragon Island’s residents a strong sense of belonging to their new nation.
• Xiao Ying released a King Grade aura and broke through to a new cultivation realm, prompting Bai Ze and his allies to guard him while other officials received the visiting factions.

Meng Xunqing joined Xiao Ying on the lotus platform, declaring her intention to serve and protect him, while he remained motionless in a mysterious state of cultivation. Over the years, Xiao Ying advanced through several realms as the Great Huan Immortal Kingdom prospered, and the pair’s unchanging tableau became famous across the worlds.

• Meng Xunqing announced that she would serve and protect Xiao Ying by her master's orders, then sat beside him on the lotus platform despite Nine-Dragon Island's confusion.
• The Great Huan Immortal Kingdom celebrated its founding, gathered spoils from the battles, and guarded Xiao Ying as he remained unconscious and motionless.
• Xiao Ying's aura gradually advanced through the Jade, Mystic, and Daluo realms over the following years, though he never awakened.
• Nine-Dragon Island flourished as a trading hub while Empress Island continued to station people beside Xiao Ying and Meng Xunqing.
• Cultivators across the Two Seas and the Myriad Heavens and Worlds traveled to see Xiao Ying and Meng Xunqing's tableau, and stories of Meng Xunqing's devotion made her renowned.

Great Huan’s officials waited anxiously while its national fortune vanished during the founding of an immortal kingdom, and Lady Nandou warned them that recovery might take years. The Great Huan Celestial Lord survived the calamity in five days, but urgent reports then revealed that enemies had launched attacks and rebellions across the realm.

• After Great Huan’s national fortune cloud disappeared, its ministers gathered in the Nine Dragons Forbidden City and waited for the founding ceremony’s outcome.
• Lady Nandou told Empress Qi Ji and the ministers that an immortal kingdom’s calamity and recovery could take a long time, possibly leaving the Great Huan Celestial Lord absent for years.
• Five days later, the Celestial Lord weathered the calamity, stabilized Great Huan’s national fortune, and secured its officials’ fruition ranks.
• Lady Nandou revealed that Great Huan had become the first immortal kingdom in her realm and said the Celestial Lord might return to Pangu sooner than expected.
• Messengers reported that the Indian Demon Army had driven back the Great Qin Empire, the Hero Coalition had taken the Light Empire’s United States territories, and seventeen rebel factions and Liu Bei had declared war on Great Huan.

Chapter Summary:

Great Huan’s Upheaval

Key Plot Points and Events

• Great Huan receives more than a dozen urgent reports announcing simultaneous rebellions across the realm. Eighteen major rebel forces and countless mobs have risen, creating a severe crisis.
• Chancellor Tian Dan angrily condemns the rebels, insisting that Great Huan’s benevolent governance—reduced labor, fair laws, and restrained taxation—gave the people no legitimate reason to revolt.
• Lady Nandou explains that the uprisings are part of the Great Huan Celestial Lord’s Founding Tribulation, specifically a “Human Tribulation.” The Great Dao has amplified the dissatisfaction, jealousy, and hostility already hidden in people’s hearts, causing rebellion to erupt everywhere.
• Nandou reassures the court that the capital remains heavily defended by the Descended Immortal Gods, the inheritors of the Twelve Ancestral Witches, and the Heaven Lord’s preparations. If necessary, they can retreat to the Land of the Nine Dragons and wait for the Heaven Lord’s return.
• Wei Wuji questions whether the Heaven Lord and other powerful beings can return quickly enough, given the enormous cost of descending into the world. Nandou explains that because Great Huan is the sole Celestial Dynasty in Pangu World, and because its experts possess Immortal Kingdom Fruition Ranks, even a single returning Heaven Lord should be able to overwhelm the world.
• The court questions the Otherworlder Alliance’s involvement. Wushuang Marquis Di Wushuang states that although the Otherworlders may have influenced the unrest, none of the alliance’s ten major factions has, to her knowledge, openly supported the rebels. This temporarily eases the officials’ fears.
• Heavenly Empress Lü Zhi proposes appointing her son, Lü Bu—also known as Fengxian and the First Prince—as Crown Prince while the Heaven Lord is absent. She argues that the appointment would stabilize the people, intimidate the rebels, and grant Lü Bu the powerful Crown Prince Fruition Rank.
• Qi Ji and the other consorts hesitate because Lü Bu is more talented in combat than strategy and because his Lü surname could threaten the Xiao Clan’s claim to Great Huan.
• Lü Zhi promises that Lü Bu will remain only Crown Prince until the younger princes come of age, will not seize the throne, and will not challenge Qi Ji’s authority. Qi Ji agrees in principle to the appointment but asks that Lü Bu change his surname to Xiao. Lü Zhi refuses for the time being, leaving the issue unresolved.
• The political discussion is abruptly interrupted when a terrifying aura shakes heaven and earth. Lady Nandou and the other Immortal Gods discover that a powerful Devil Race expert has cast 108 Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Demon Souls across realms to demonize Pangu World and create an age of chaos.

Character Developments

• Qi Ji demonstrates political authority and composure. Though initially wary of Lü Zhi’s proposal, she pragmatically accepts the need for a Crown Prince while attempting to preserve the Xiao Clan’s legitimacy and her own control.
• Lü Zhi reveals herself as calculating, direct, and politically ambitious. She frames Lü Bu’s elevation as temporary, but carefully preserves his independent Lü identity and seeks the power associated with the Crown Prince Fruition Rank.
• Lü Bu/Fengxian shows restraint. Although angered when Qi Ji criticizes his lack of strategic ability, he does not impulsively argue or lash out, suggesting greater maturity than his reputation implies.
• Lady Nandou acts as the court’s authority on Upper Realm matters. She offers reassurance but reacts sharply when Han Xin or others appear to doubt her explanations.
• Wei Wuji voices the court’s practical fears: even if Great Huan is theoretically invincible, its current officials and citizens may not survive until the Heaven Lord returns.
• Di Wushuang reinforces her long-standing loyalty to Great Huan and serves as a trustworthy intermediary between the dynasty and the Otherworlder factions.
• Tian Dan embodies the court’s outrage and loyalty, interpreting the rebellions as unjust treachery despite Great Huan’s benevolent rule.

Significant Themes

• Legitimacy versus practical power: Qi Ji controls much of the dynasty’s actual authority, while Lü Zhi and Lü Bu possess strong claims through lineage and status.
• Political stability during a ruler’s absence: The Crown Prince proposal shows how institutions and succession are used to calm a realm threatened by rebellion.
• Hidden resentment and human nature: The Human Tribulation exposes and magnifies suppressed dissatisfaction, suggesting that social order may conceal deep instability.
• Faith in absent power: Great Huan’s leaders rely heavily on the Heaven Lord’s eventual return, revealing both confidence in his overwhelming strength and anxiety about surviving until then.
• Factional trust and divided loyalties: The court must balance the loyalty of the Otherworlders, the interests of the Xiao Clan, Lü Zhi’s family, and the various imperial consorts.
• The approach of a greater calamity: The Devil Race’s intervention transforms the crisis from widespread rebellion into a supernatural threat to the entire Pangu World.

Important Character Interactions

• Tian Dan’s furious denunciation of the rebels is tempered by Qi Ji, who redirects blame toward the Human Tribulation.
• Han Xin challenges Nandou’s explanation, prompting her to defend the authority of Upper Realm knowledge.
• Wei Wuji questions Nandou about the feasibility of the Heaven Lord’s return, highlighting the court’s underlying insecurity.
• Qi Ji publicly questions Di Wushuang about the Otherworlder Alliance, while Di Wushuang reassures her of the alliance’s current neutrality.
• Lü Zhi confronts Qi Ji and the other consorts over Lü Bu’s succession. Their exchange becomes a careful negotiation over authority, lineage, and the limits of Lü Bu’s future power.
• The debate ends before any final political settlement when the Devil Race’s demonic assault announces an even greater crisis.

Ten years after the Great Huan Immortal Kingdom’s founding, Meng Xunqing broke through to the Emperor Realm while Xiao Ying remained in Dao enlightenment. She ignored the Blue Sky Empress’s order to return to Empress Island and chose to stay beside Xiao Ying.

• Nine-Dragon Island grew into a major power, and an imperial aura swept across Heaven-Supporting City, drawing millions of cultivators to the sacrificial plaza.
• Meng Xunqing transformed into her mermaid form and completed her breakthrough to the Emperor Realm as Xiao Ying stood motionless beside her.
• After awakening, Meng Xunqing injured herself by suppressing her unstable imperial aura so she would not disturb Xiao Ying.
• Tianzhi Baize revealed that Meng Xunqing had sold her possessions, including the Soul-Enthralling Jade Flute, to help send Great Huan clansmen to the Pangu World.
• A representative delivered the Blue Sky Empress’s decree ordering Meng Xunqing to return to Empress Island, but Meng Xunqing silently sat beside Xiao Ying again.

After ten years of meditation, Xiao Ying awakened as Meng Xunqing reached the Emperor Realm and discovered that his own cultivation had advanced to the Late-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal Realm, with a Great Dao divine ability. He learned the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty had not been reported destroyed, then received the greetings of its gathered subjects as he began to explore his new Grand Edict Art.

• Meng Xunqing ignored those urging her to respond, and Xiao Ying suddenly awakened and congratulated her on reaching the Emperor Realm.
• Xiao Ying realized he had meditated for ten years, learned from Meng Xunqing and Tianzhi Baize that the time had passed, and feared for the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty.
• Xiao Ying summoned his demon and fiend clones, merged their memories, and revealed his Late-Stage Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal cultivation and a Great Dao divine ability.
• Xiao Ying learned that the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty had not been reported destroyed, then received salutations from Cloudsplitter, Li Jing, other leaders, and the gathered subjects.
• Xiao Ying commanded the crowd to rise with the Grand Edict Art and reflected on the divine ability's imperial power.

Chapter Summary: “Heart Burning with Anxiety”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Ying uses the improved Grand Edict Art to communicate instantly across Nine-Dragon Island and the Great Huan Immortal Kingdom. His simple command, “Rise,” astonishes everyone because such power normally requires the Emperor Realm.
• Irritated and anxious about the crisis facing the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty in Pangu World, Xiao Ying refuses a formal report and says he already understands the situation through his demon-path avatar’s memories.
• He orders Bai Ze and the Blood Suan Witch Emperor to select 10,000 battle-hardened warriors, seal their Dao Fruits, and prepare them to descend into Pangu World. The cost is staggering—at least one trillion Immortal Crystals—leaving everyone shocked.
• Xiao Ying explains his ten-year unconscious state. After twice unleashing power beyond his limits, he suffered severe damage to his body and soul. Crossing a great calamity brought him the Great Dao’s favor, which healed him and placed him into a prolonged state of Dao comprehension.
• The Heaven-Battling Demon Emperor questions why recovery took ten years when Xiao Ying’s injuries should have healed much sooner. Xiao Ying reveals that his prolonged unconsciousness resulted from the Great Dao divine abilities and, more importantly, the immense primordial energy accumulated through the Heaven-Mending Divine Ability.
• When the Heaven-Desolation Demon Emperor asks what divine abilities Xiao Ying gained, Xiao Ying pointedly refuses to answer, implying that such information must remain secret.
• Xiao Ying tells Meng Xunqing that he will focus almost entirely on Pangu World and may neglect her. She initially appears hurt, but quickly reassures him that she wishes to stay.
• He orders Cloudsplitter to arrange secluded cultivation for Meng Xunqing and provide every resource she needs to consolidate her realm and prepare to open heaven and earth.
• Xiao Ying finally reveals another major gain from his meditation: the Pangu True Form, a colossal, ten-thousand-zhang humanoid form distinct from his former Sky-Supporting Witch Body.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying: Becomes more urgent, emotionally volatile, and determined to rescue the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty. His power has advanced dramatically, granting him Great Dao abilities and the Pangu True Form, but he remains burdened by the consequences of his children’s internal conflict.
• Meng Xunqing: Demonstrates emotional vulnerability but also steadfast loyalty. Rather than retreating when Xiao Ying warns that he may neglect her, she chooses to remain with him and continue cultivating.
• Cloudsplitter: Acts as the highest-ranking practical leader of the Great Huan Immortal Kingdom and shows obedience and awareness of Xiao Ying’s intentions, particularly regarding Meng Xunqing’s cultivation needs.
• Bai Ze and Blood Suan: Respond immediately to Xiao Ying’s military order despite being stunned by its enormous scale.
• The demon emperors: Display a mixture of awe, suspicion, curiosity, and respect toward Xiao Ying’s transformation and newly acquired abilities.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal relationships: Xiao Ying’s obligation to save Pangu World competes with his concern that he may neglect Meng Xunqing.
• The burden of leadership: His command to send 10,000 warriors shows that protecting his empire requires immense resources and sacrifices.
• Power gained through suffering: Xiao Ying’s terrifying injuries and near-death state ultimately lead to greater strength and divine abilities.
• Secrecy and political caution: His refusal to reveal the nature of his Great Dao abilities emphasizes the danger of exposing one’s strongest methods.
• Family conflict and the fallibility of great powers: Even the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty is threatened by internal rebellion, suggesting that immense authority cannot prevent jealousy and factional strife.
• Devotion and perseverance: Meng Xunqing’s decision to remain beside Xiao Ying reflects her enduring commitment despite the possibility of being overlooked.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying sharply rebukes Cloudsplitter and the others, then softens by acknowledging their years of hard work and apologizing for his temper.
• He gives Bai Ze and Blood Suan a direct military command, establishing the urgency of his plans for Pangu World.
• The Heaven-Battling Demon Emperor challenges Xiao Ying’s explanation, prompting him to clarify the role of Great Dao comprehension and Heaven-Mending energy.
• The Heaven-Desolation Demon Emperor’s blunt curiosity about Xiao Ying’s abilities creates an awkward moment, which Kui quickly defuses with congratulations.
• Xiao Ying and Meng Xunqing share the chapter’s most emotional exchange: he worries about failing her, while she reassures him through her willing decision to stay.
• The chapter concludes with Xiao Ying dramatically demonstrating the Pangu True Form, confirming the extraordinary results of his ten years of meditation.

After ten years of meditation, Xiao Ying mastered his Pangu True Form and prepared to return to the Pangu World. He departed across the Other Shore Golden Bridge with Bai Ze and ten thousand Immortal Guards, leaving the Great Huan forces under Bai Ze’s command.

• Xiao Ying revealed his ten-thousand-zhang Pangu True Form and tested its power, while Bai Ze and Blood Suan assembled ten thousand warriors whose Dao fruits had been sealed.
• Xiao Ying appointed Bai Ze to lead the Immortal Guard Army, declined to take another Emperor Realm cultivator along, and prepared to depart for the Pangu World.
• Xiao Ying used the Heaven-Earth Bell and the Celestial Cycle Star-Dipper Formation to pinpoint the Pangu World and open a route through shattered space.
• The Golden Sea Dragon used State-and-Society Power to sustain the Other Shore Golden Bridge, and Vika lifted Bai Ze and the ten thousand Immortal Guards onto it.
• Bai Ze and the Immortal Guards crossed the bridge, and Immortal Emperor Shura sealed Xiao Ying’s Dao fruit as Xiao Ying joined them and the bridge vanished into the Golden Sea Dragon’s mouth.

The Great Huan Celestial Dynasty had dwindled to scattered territories as the Great Wei and Great Wu forces besieged Lü Zhi in Luoyang. With Cao Cao refusing to fear Xiao Ying’s possible return, Lü Fengxian charged out of the city, and the allied armies sent their champions to meet him.

• The chapter described how Great Huan’s territories had fragmented while Great Wei, Great Han, and Great Wu rose to power across China.
• Cao Cao and Sun Jian surrounded Luoyang with a vast allied army and offered Lü Zhi safe withdrawal from the Central Plains.
• Lü Zhi rejected Cao Cao’s demand and lamented that she had helped bring about Great Huan’s collapse.
• A Great Huan Guard reported that Qi Ji had summoned Lü Zhi back to Nine Dragons through an open Teleportation Formation.
• Lü Fengxian led the Ravenous Wolf Guards out of Luoyang and challenged the assembled forces to fight.
• Cao Cao sent five generals and Sun Jian sent Sun Ce with three generals to attack Lü Fengxian.

The Wei-Wu Allied Army besieged Luoyang for three days and breached its walls, while Lü Fengxian and the Ravenous Wolf Guards were worn down fighting overwhelming forces. As Cao Cao and Sun Jian blocked Great Huan’s immortal reinforcements and Cao Cao pressed Lü Zhi to surrender, a dazzling golden rainbow descended with a terrifying presence.

• Lü Fengxian fought Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun, Zhang He, Xu Huang, Sun Ce, and Taishi Ci while the Ravenous Wolf Guards clashed with the allied army’s ten elite legions.
• Lü Zhi ordered a retreat, but Cao Cao and Sun Jian launched the siege, and the armies battled around Luoyang’s walls for three days and nights.
• The bombardment brought down a stretch of Luoyang’s wall, and Lü Rong and nearly a hundred descended immortal gods rushed to aid Lü Fengxian as the allied forces poured into the city.
• Cao Cao, Sun Jian, demon cultivators, and Buddhist monks intercepted the Great Huan reinforcements, leaving Lü Rong unable to reach Lü Fengxian.
• Lü Zhi struck at Cao Cao with Heaven-Destroying Finger, but an unknown figure took the blow in his place; Cao Cao then attacked, and a female demon cultivator fell while defending Lü Zhi.
• A golden rainbow descended from the heavens, releasing an overwhelming aura that shook the Pangu World.

Xiao Ying returned to the Pangu World with Bai Ze and ten thousand Immortal Guards, announcing his arrival and learning that a close relative faced mortal danger. As the Wei-Wu Allied Army tried to capture Lü Fengxian in Luoyang, a mighty sword attack wiped out tens of thousands of soldiers, and its wielder demanded to know who had ordered the capture.

• Cao Cao and the other factions reacted with alarm when Xiao Ying’s proclamation announced the Great Huan Celestial Lord’s return, and their forces concealed themselves or slowed the fighting.
• Xiao Ying descended with Bai Ze and ten thousand Immortal Guards, then followed Bai Ze toward a battlefield after Bai Ze divined that one of Xiao Ying’s close relatives was in mortal danger.
• Cao Cao ordered the Wei-Wu Allied Army to withdraw but also commanded it to capture Lü Fengxian as a bargaining chip.
• Jia Xu relayed Cao Cao’s order, and Xiahou Yuan, Sun Ce, and the other generals prepared to attack Lü Fengxian together.
• A powerful sword attack struck the battlefield, killing tens of thousands of allied soldiers, before an unidentified voice demanded to know who had ordered Lü Fengxian’s capture.

Xiao Ying returned to the battlefield, saved Lü Fengxian by slaughtering most of the elite troops surrounding him, and forced the Wei-Wu Allied Army to withdraw. He confronted Myriad Buddha Island’s Guangjue True Buddha over the Eternal Covenant, then launched a battle with the True Buddhas using his Panwu Fist.

• Xiao Ying appeared beside Lü Fengxian and killed more than thirty thousand elite troops with a rain of sword strikes.
• Cao Cao greeted Xiao Ying as the Heaven Lord, then claimed his order had been to withdraw rather than capture anyone; Jia Xu sounded the gongs, and the Wei-Wu Allied Army retreated.
• Bai Ze advised Xiao Ying not to rush into a fight, while Guangjue True Buddha and eighteen True Buddhas challenged him over the Eternal Covenant.
• Xiao Ying declared himself Pangu’s heir and rejected the covenant’s authority over him, while Guangjue formed the Eighteen Arhat Formation.
• Xiao Ying challenged the True Buddhas and struck with his Heaven-Gifted Divine Ability, the Panwu Fist.

Xiao Ying used Panwu Fist to shatter Guangjue True Buddha and the Eighteen Arhat Formation, but his overwhelming display pushed the Wei-Wu Allied Army and Buddhist forces to launch a massive siege. Trapped within a strengthening blood sea and demon-subduing formation, he awaited reinforcements as Great Huan mobilized its forces to rescue him.

• Xiao Ying unleashed Panwu Fist, breaking the Buddhist formation and destroying Guangjue True Buddha's golden body before capturing his sarira.
• The young man in the gold-edged blood-red robe led more than a hundred figures in activating the Blood Sea Purgatory Formation, while White-Brow True Buddha summoned nearly a hundred True Buddhas and a Ninth-Grade Golden Lotus to form a demon-subduing ring.
• Xiao Ying used the Scarlet Sky Sword and Great Huan Heaven-Earth to hold back the Blood Demons and push against the encroaching formations, but the combined attack began squeezing his statehood projection.
• The Wei-Wu Allied Army advanced and fed more power into the blood sea, trapping Xiao Ying as Tianzhi Baize called for the Immortal Guards.
• Lü Zhi ordered Great Huan's armies and experts to abandon their deployments, gather, and attack Luoyang's eastern city gate while reinforcements rushed toward Xiao Ying.

Xiao Ying endured the Wei-Wu Allied Army’s assault by combining his Earth Battle Body with the Heaven-Earth Bell, while Cao Cao tried to negotiate a withdrawal. As the enemy forces began to flee, Great Huan reinforcements poured out of Luoyang to join the battle.

• Cao Cao offered to let Xiao Ying and the Great Huan Celestial Dynasty leave the Pangu World, but Xiao Ying urged Cao Cao to submit to Great Huan instead.
• The Wei-Wu Allied Army intensified its attacks, shattering Xiao Ying’s Great Huan Heaven-Earth and dispersing its six Dragon Souls.
• Xiao Ying activated his Earth Battle Body and raised the Heaven-Earth Bell, making himself immune to the enemy’s attacks while he stood on the earth.
• After a prolonged assault failed to harm Xiao Ying, nearly half of the True Demons, True Buddhas, and other attackers fled.
• Ten thousand Immortal Guards arrived and used the Heaven-Supporting Primordial Formation to suppress the battlefield and knock fleeing cultivators from the sky.
• Qi Ji, Yu Ji, Hua Qian Dai, Chong Shiqie, Li Yanyan, Princess Dieyi, and Great Huan’s elite troops surged out of Luoyang toward the enemy.

Great Huan reinforcements arrived in Luoyang and broke the Wei-Wu Allied Army’s formation, allowing Xiao Ying to defeat the White-Brow True Buddha and reunite with his dynasty. After ordering the counterattack, Xiao Ying demanded a list of absent and deceased officials and placed Lü Fengxian in charge of pursuing the enemy under Bai Ze’s support.

• Tianzhi Baize led the Immortal Guards in attacking the Blood Sea Purgatory Formation as Great Huan reinforcements poured into Luoyang.
• Xiao Fengtian used the Imperial Seal to redirect the reinforcements from charging into the enemy formation to killing enemy troops, weakening the formation.
• The Heaven-Supporting Giant Tower smashed the faltering blood formation, and Xiao Ying killed the White-Brow True Buddha with the Dao-Splitting Golden Blade.
• Xiao Ying greeted the assembled relatives and officials with a command to pursue the enemy, while the Wei-Wu Allied Army began retreating.
• Xiao Ying ordered Xiao Fengtian to list absent and deceased officials, then assigned Bai Ze to support Lü Fengxian and command the pursuit.

Xiao Ying assessed his children and assigned them duties as he began learning about Great Huan’s condition. After meeting Diao Xiuer, he recognized her as Diao Chan and suspected she was connected to the dynasty’s troubles.

• Xiao Ying assigned Xiao Fengtian and Lü Fengxian responsibilities in governance and military affairs, then ordered Xiao Fengxuan to hunt powerful enemy cultivators.
• Xiao Fenglong said he was only suited to fighting, so Xiao Ying tasked him with clearing the battlefield and repairing Luoyang.
• Xiao Ying welcomed Xiao Huaiying and Xiao Nianying, giving Xiao Nianying the Nightmare Parting-Sorrow Zither and Xiao Huaiying the Myriad Tribulations Jade Lotus.
• Xiao Ying asked the beautiful woman beside Qi Ji to identify herself, and she introduced herself as Diao Xiuer.
• Xiao Ying recognized Diao Xiuer as Diao Chan and asked why she served Huan Empress Qi Ji, suspecting she was tied to Great Huan’s current troubles.

Xiao Ying confronted Qi Ji and Diao Chan over the influence Diao Chan had on his four sons and the turmoil surrounding Great Huan, then raised his hand to kill her. Zhao Ji stopped him and argued that killing Diao Chan would fail, provoke the world, and estrange him from his sons; Xiao Ying turned his attention to the battlefield, where Great Huan had already won.

• Diao Chan said she had remained beside Qi Ji because she would not disobey the Huan Empress, and Xiao Ying suspected that all four of his sons loved her.
• Xiao Ying questioned whether Diao Chan's influence had contributed to the princes' rivalries and the attacks on Great Huan, then threatened to kill her.
• Zhao Ji stepped in front of Diao Chan and warned Xiao Ying that killing her would make him the enemy of the world and drive his sons away.
• Zhao Ji said Diao Chan could not be killed by Xiao Ying and that heaven's will had kept her alive, while Qi Ji and others laughed at her blunt answer.
• Xiao Ying gave up arguing and surveyed the battlefield, where Great Huan's forces were killing or capturing the defeated Wei-Wu army.

Summary of “The Root of the Rift”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Ying returns after more than thirteen years in the celestial realm—nearly twenty years in the Pangu World—and is immediately confronted with the political and personal crisis surrounding Diao Chan.
• Although Xiao Ying previously considered killing Diao Chan because her beauty and destiny could destabilize the world, he is secretly troubled by an emotional connection to her. Diao Chan also instinctively feels that Xiao Ying is familiar, suggesting that memories or feelings from another life—possibly Xie Ying’s—are resurfacing in both of them.
• Xiao Ying denies knowing Diao Chan and harshly rejects her attempt to claim familiarity. His exaggerated reaction makes the women around him suspect that he is concealing deeper feelings.
• To divert attention from the awkward situation, Xiao Ying summons the Heavenly Empress, Lü Zhi, who has remained on Luoyang’s walls rather than greeting him directly.
• Lü Zhi and her attendants kneel and ask for punishment, but Lü Rong fiercely defends her sister. She argues that Lü Zhi did not betray Xiao Ying or Great Huan, but merely guarded Luoyang and the Three Rivers region during his long absence.
• Xiao Ying refuses to judge Lü Zhi without knowing the full circumstances. He declares that past grievances will be addressed later and states that, among their children and descendants, “the capable shall rise, and the fit shall survive.”
• This principle exposes the central dispute within Great Huan: Qi Ji supports selecting the most capable heir, Xiao Fengtian, while Lü Zhi and Lü Rong’s faction supports Xiao Fengxian and his destined relationship with Diao Chan.
• Qi Ji insists that she has acted for the sake of Great Huan rather than from personal ambition. She claims that, had she been selfish, she would already have used the Imperial Seal and Xuanyuan Sword to remove Fengxian and establish Fengtian as heir.
• Lü Rong accuses Qi Ji of hypocrisy, arguing that Qi Ji could resolve the conflict by allowing Diao Chan to marry Fengxian. Qi Ji counters that Diao Chan must be willing and that blindly obeying “heaven’s mandate” could create public outrage and future instability.
• As the argument intensifies, Qi Ji begins to explain that choosing Fengtian would also affect Fengxuan and Fenglong, but Xiao Ying stops her with an angry command.
• Realizing that neither side is entirely wrong, Xiao Ying acknowledges that the conflict is an inseparable mixture of family feelings, political necessity, and supposed heavenly destiny. He finally asks Diao Chan to state openly whom she truly loves and whom she favors, promising to make the final decision himself.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying: Revealed as deeply conflicted and emotionally vulnerable despite his authority as Heaven Lord. He struggles to suppress his apparent connection with Diao Chan, fears the consequences of destiny and reincarnated memories, and attempts to restore order by asserting control over the succession dispute.
• Diao Chan: Displays unexpected emotional vulnerability. Though normally fearless and politically dangerous, she becomes shy, confused, and instinctively drawn to Xiao Ying. Her behavior suggests that she may share memories or feelings connected to his past identity.
• Lü Zhi: Appears cautious and burdened by guilt, immediately asking for punishment. She has nevertheless remained loyal to Great Huan and defended Luoyang during Xiao Ying’s absence.
• Lü Rong: Remains outspoken, fiercely protective of Lü Zhi and Xiao Fengxian. Her blunt accusations bring the underlying dispute over Diao Chan and the succession into the open.
• Qi Ji: Presents herself as principled and impartial, prioritizing Great Huan’s stability over personal feelings. However, her emotional reaction shows that her position has caused her considerable pain and that she is not entirely detached.
• Zhao Ji and the other women: Act as perceptive observers, recognizing the unusual attraction between Xiao Ying and Diao Chan and sensing that Xiao Ying’s denial is unconvincing.

Significant Themes

• Destiny versus personal choice: The characters disagree over whether “heaven’s mandate” should determine Diao Chan’s marriage and the imperial succession.
• Duty versus emotion: Qi Ji claims to act for the state, while Lü Rong emphasizes personal bonds and fairness to Fengxian and Diao Chan.
• The dangers of reincarnation and divided identity: Xiao Ying’s memories and emotions appear linked to another existence, creating confusion about whether his feelings belong to him, Xie Ying, or both.
• Family conflict within political power: The succession dispute is simultaneously a domestic quarrel and a threat to the stability of Great Huan.
• The limits of authority: Even Xiao Ying recognizes that neither force nor law can easily resolve a conflict in which every side has a legitimate argument.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying and Diao Chan share a tense, emotionally charged exchange in which she expresses familiarity and he forcefully denies it.
• The women around Xiao Ying observe their interaction and become suspicious that the two are attracted to one another.
• Xiao Ying confronts Lü Zhi indirectly, while Lü Rong openly challenges his assumptions and defends her sister.
• Qi Ji and Lü Rong engage in a sharp ideological and personal argument over favoritism, succession, Diao Chan’s marriage, and the meaning of heavenly destiny.
• Xiao Ying ultimately interrupts the dispute and places the decisive question directly before Diao Chan: she must reveal whom she truly loves.

Chapter Summary: “Diao Chan Worships the Moon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Ying demands that Diao Chan choose one person she favors, hoping to resolve the complications surrounding her presence in Great Huan and the imperial princes’ strained relationships.
• Qi Ji explains that Diao Chan has no particular preference and has voluntarily remained with Great Huan because of its past protection and shelter. She has also contributed greatly to the dynasty and cannot simply be expelled.
• To demonstrate Diao Chan’s value, Qi Ji asks her to display her abilities. Diao Chan performs the Moon-Worshiping Divine Art, transforming day into night and summoning stars and a brilliant moon.
• Her moonlight heals wounded soldiers, calms the battlefield, and restores Xiao Ying’s mana and emotional composure. Xiao Ying is forced to acknowledge the extraordinary power and usefulness of her technique.
• Diao Chan then openly addresses the accusations surrounding her influence over Great Huan. She argues that she merely acted as a catalyst in the imperial princes’ conflicts and should not bear responsibility for the dynasty’s internal divisions.
• She confesses that she has always dreamed of marrying a world-shaking hero like Xiao Ying, whose legendary deeds inspired her from childhood. However, she refuses to choose one of the four imperial princes simply to satisfy political expectations.
• Diao Chan evaluates the princes: the eldest is capable in governance but not warfare; the second is a superb warrior but lacking in conduct; the third is talented and charming but willful and amorous; and the fourth is honest and reliable but romantically insensitive.
• Her blunt assessment leaves everyone silent. Qi Ji sympathizes with her, while Xiao Ying begins to admonish her but stops, realizing that Diao Chan is neither his subject nor someone whose personal emotions he has the right to control.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying: Initially suspicious and alarmed that Diao Chan may favor him, he becomes impressed by her divine ability and recognizes why Great Huan protected her. He also begins to understand that her actions stem from personal ideals and feelings rather than deliberate manipulation.
• Diao Chan: Reveals a more emotional, playful, and vulnerable side beneath her normally calm and majestic exterior. She demonstrates immense power, defends her independence, rejects political matchmaking, and candidly admits her admiration for Xiao Ying.
• Qi Ji and the other consorts: Their protective attitude toward Diao Chan becomes clear. They acknowledge that they may have overlooked her wishes and feel sympathy for the burden placed upon her.
• The four imperial princes: Though absent, they are characterized through Diao Chan’s balanced but critical evaluation, showing that none fully matches her ideal of a perfect heroic partner.

Significant Themes

• Personal choice versus political convenience: Diao Chan refuses to sacrifice her feelings merely to settle imperial disputes or satisfy others’ expectations.
• Responsibility and scapegoating: She challenges the assumption that her presence caused Great Huan’s internal conflicts, arguing that larger historical forces and existing tensions were already at work.
• Idealized heroism and romance: Diao Chan’s admiration for Xiao Ying is shaped by legends, dreams, and her desire for an exceptional, heroic partner.
• Beauty as power: Her beauty is not merely ornamental; it is linked to extraordinary supernatural influence, capable of changing the heavens, healing armies, and affecting the emotions of everyone present.
• The moon as a symbol: The moon reflects Diao Chan’s character—beautiful, distant, changing, and powerful—while also representing her longing, independence, and emotional complexity.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying confronts Diao Chan about her loyalties, while Qi Ji repeatedly intervenes to explain and defend her.
• Diao Chan and Qi Ji display genuine mutual trust, with Qi Ji treating Diao Chan affectionately and apologizing for pressuring her.
• Diao Chan deliberately seeks Xiao Ying’s approval after demonstrating her art, teasing him when he gives only a restrained compliment.
• Her confession and assessment of the princes force Xiao Ying and the consorts to reconsider their assumptions about her motives.
• The chapter ends with unresolved emotional tension: Diao Chan has openly revealed her admiration for Xiao Ying, while Xiao Ying is left uncertain how to respond without overstepping his authority.

Chapter Summary: “Cut Through Chaos with a Swift Blade”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Diao Chan challenges Xiao Ying on the importance of finding genuine happiness and taking responsibility for one’s choices. Xiao Ying avoids the personal subject and instead invites her to join Great Huan.
• Xiao Ying offers Diao Chan the special position of Saintess within the Great Huan Immortal Kingdom. The role would give her protection, freedom, and status while reducing the disruptive influence of her destiny in Pangu World. Diao Chan does not reject the offer but asks for time to consider it.
• Diao Chan ends her use of the Moon-Worshiping Divine Art, restoring order to heaven and earth. The gathered Great Huan officials are disappointed that she has not yet committed herself to their faction.
• Lü Fengxian arrives with troops and initially focuses on greeting Diao Chan admiringly. After Lü Zhi reminds him of proper conduct, he reports to Xiao Ying that he has captured Wu King Sun Jian, while Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Zhou Yu, and others escaped.
• Cao Cao, the Wei Emperor, has also escaped through a secret technique. Even Bai Ze cannot track him, but Xiao Ying chooses not to punish Bai Ze, believing Cao Cao’s escape can be dealt with later.
• Xiao Ying orders Wu State to submit within half a month. If it refuses, Sun Jian will be executed and Wu State destroyed. Lü Fengxian reveals that he sent the Eight Warriors and other generals after the fleeing enemy leaders.
• Xiao Ying criticizes Lü Fengxian’s limited success but remains patient because of their recent reunion and his belief that Fengxian can still be shaped into a capable ruler and commander. He sends Bai Ze to assist the pursuit.
• Lü Zhi nervously asks Xiao Ying to enter Luoyang, which has been devastated by war. Xiao Ying agrees without realizing her concern that the ruined city might anger him.
• Xiao Ying asks Diao Chan for a drop of essence blood and uses it to examine her karma, destiny, and intentions. He confirms that she bears no hostility toward him or Great Huan, though her fate is deeply entangled with his.
• To deal with the mysterious danger or uncertainty surrounding Diao Chan’s destiny, Xiao Ying creates two identical blood-shadow copies of her. He orders the three Diao Chans to act and travel together and warns them not to speak carelessly or suppress their thoughts.
• The chapter ends with Lü Zhi questioning why Xiao Ying created only two copies, resulting in three Diao Chans total.

Character Developments

• Xiao Ying: Demonstrates political judgment, generosity, and strategic caution. He wants to recruit Diao Chan but avoids forcing her, offering her an unusually independent position. His divination reveals that he is concerned not only with her loyalty but also with the mysterious connection between their destinies. He also shows patience toward Lü Fengxian, treating him as an inexperienced son who can still be improved.
• Diao Chan: Remains intelligent, playful, and difficult to predict. She presses Xiao Ying about happiness and responsibility, then carefully evaluates his offer rather than accepting immediately. Her willingness to provide essence blood shows a degree of trust, although her destiny remains unclear even to Xiao Ying.
• Lü Fengxian: Shows intense admiration for Diao Chan and an impulsive, socially awkward manner. He is eager in battle and proud of capturing Sun Jian, but he lacks political awareness and fails to recognize the importance of reporting to his father first. He nevertheless respects Xiao Ying deeply and obeys his commands.
• Lü Zhi: Acts as a practical mediator, correcting Fengxian’s behavior and worrying about Xiao Ying’s reaction to Luoyang’s destruction. She remains respectful but cautious in dealing with him.
• Bai Ze: Is unable to track Cao Cao and humbly accepts responsibility, but Xiao Ying reassures him and orders him to support the pursuit. Their relationship reflects mutual trust and familiarity.
• Sun Jian: Is presented as a defeated but dignified enemy king. Xiao Ying prevents him from being humiliated by refusing to have him forcibly kneel, though he uses him as leverage against Wu State.
• Qi Ji and Zhao Ji: Support Diao Chan and encourage her to join Great Huan, while also showing concern for her emotional state and reaction to Xiao Ying’s proposal.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus political allegiance: Diao Chan must decide whether to join Great Huan, while Xiao Ying offers her a position that grants affiliation without total subordination.
• Destiny and personal choice: Xiao Ying discovers that Diao Chan’s fate is strongly linked to his own, yet he emphasizes that future outcomes will depend on “fate, Tianyi, and each person’s choice.”
• Responsibility for happiness: Diao Chan’s opening remarks suggest that personal happiness requires active choice and responsibility rather than passive acceptance of imperfection.
• Leadership and succession: Xiao Ying evaluates Lü Fengxian’s military performance and conduct, balancing criticism with paternal patience as he considers how to develop him into a worthy successor.
• Order emerging from chaos: Military conquest, political ultimatums, divination, and the creation of Diao Chan’s doubles all represent attempts to impose control on a dangerous and uncertain situation.
• Appearance versus deeper truth: Diao Chan’s outward loyalty appears genuine, but her destiny remains obscure. Likewise, Lü Fengxian is powerful in battle but immature in conduct, showing that surface ability does not guarantee overall competence.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Ying and Diao Chan: Their exchange is playful but strategically charged. Diao Chan tests Xiao Ying’s intentions, while Xiao Ying tries to secure her allegiance without provoking her resistance.
• Diao Chan and Qi Ji/Zhao Ji: They encourage Diao Chan to accept Xiao Ying’s offer, treating the Saintess position as suitable and advantageous for her.
• Lü Fengxian and Diao Chan: Fengxian’s infatuated greeting reveals his continuing fascination with her, but his behavior irritates Xiao Ying and exposes his lack of political tact.
• Xiao Ying and Lü Fengxian: Xiao Ying reprimands him indirectly for his incomplete mission but remains supportive, viewing him as an obedient yet unpolished son.
• Xiao Ying and Bai Ze: Bai Ze admits failure in tracking Cao Cao, while Xiao Ying responds with understanding and assigns him a new task rather than punishing him.
• Xiao Ying and Sun Jian: Xiao Ying treats Sun Jian with a measure of respect despite his defeat, but threatens to execute him if Wu refuses to surrender.
• Xiao Ying and Diao Chan’s copies: By creating two doubles, Xiao Ying attempts to confront rather than postpone the unresolved danger surrounding Diao Chan’s destiny, though the strange solution immediately raises further questions.