Chapter Summaries

Meng Qi became the acting Yuxu Sect Master and invoked the Four Zhuxian Swords to aid Great Zhou against the Demon Race and Buddhist kingdom. As the swords formed their array over Great Zhou, Sun Wukong confronted Ji Hao in Biyou Palace, where they agreed to discuss the path to the other shore.

• Guangchengzi summoned the Yuxu disciples, and Dingguang left after Nezha threatened to throw him out.
• Yaotian Hound reported that Yang Jian had found clues to Yuanshi's whereabouts in the Qingwei Realm and the highest level of the Ninth Heaven.
• The Yuxu disciples appointed Meng Qi acting sect master and agreed to assist the Human Emperor against the Demon Race and Buddhist kingdom.
• Meng Qi borrowed the Heaven-Sealing Platform and invoked Guangchengzi's Zhuxian Sword, summoning the Four Zhuxian Swords to encircle Great Zhou.
• Sun Wukong arrived at Biyou Palace and challenged Ji Hao to discuss the Dao; Ji Hao accepted, and they discussed the path to the other shore.

Chapter Summary: “Master Lingbao Battles Buddha Maitreya”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A terrifying Zhuxian Sword Array, formed from the Four Zhuxian Swords, appears over Great Zhou. Its sword energy suppresses spatial movement, weakens Exterior and Legendary experts, disrupts communication with Other Selves, and limits access to external power.
• The Three Luo Sect Divine Envoys and nearby martial artists are shocked by the array’s emergence. Ordinary people, including Liu Gu, witness the colossal “Slaying Immortal” sword and gain their first glimpse of the Legend Realm.
• In the Demon Race camp, Niumowang, Qingqiu, Pengwang, Jiaomowang, and the other Great Saints identify the array as the legendary First Killing Formation of the Primeval Era. Qingqiu explains that it is incomplete and lacks the full sword scriptures, giving the demons hope that it can be broken.
• Niumowang calculates the array’s core from the starry sky and launches a massive palm strike at Changle City. Meng Qi counters with the combined power of the Four Zhuxian Swords and the Overlord’s Peerless Saber, destroying Niumowang’s attack and severing one of his arms.
• Maitreya joins Niumowang, claiming that breaking the formation would spare ordinary people from war. Although Niumowang sees this as hypocritical, the two prepare to attack together.
• Meng Qi links the sword array’s core to the Heaven-Sealing Platform and shields it with the Splendid Mountains and Rivers Diagram, forcing the demons to enter through the gates and fight a direct campaign.
• Gao Lan leaves Great Zhou to seek allies, while Meng Qi distributes Emperor Yuan’s Talisman Edicts to trusted experts. These edicts allow them to move freely within the sword array and act as temporary masters of its power.
• Shaoxuan and Xie are sent to the Western Regions to delay the Demon Race. Jiang Zhiwei takes the Jue Saber south to obstruct the Luo Sect Divine Envoys, while Master Lu Da and Su Wuming are ordered to borrow the Blade of Time and join the effort.
• Meng Qi asks Master Lingbao to guard one section of the formation and stop Maitreya. Ji Hao also becomes involved, observing and manipulating the formation from Biyou Palace.
• Niumowang leads the Demon Race through the Zhuxian Gate. Shaoxuan and Xie confront the demon army, but Nezha-like fire-wielding expert appears to assist them, suggesting the Human Race has prepared further reinforcements.
• Maitreya attempts to advance through the formation by expanding his Buddhist Kingdom on Earth. His believers across Jiangdong chant his name, allowing his reward body to manifest countless golden Buddhas and weaken local defensive formations.
• Master Lingbao intercepts Maitreya. When ordinary sword attacks fail to halt the Buddhist expansion, Maitreya activates three Sharira and forms the powerful Myriad Buddhas Formation, forcing Lingbao into a serious confrontation.

Character Developments

• Meng Qi demonstrates growing authority and confidence as Emperor Yuan’s Immortal Venerable. Rather than relying entirely on allies, he personally organizes the defense, distributes commands, and uses the Zhuxian Sword Array strategically.
• Niumowang shows both formidable strength and careful calculation. Though arrogant and initially confident that he can break the incomplete array, he is forced to acknowledge the combined power of the Four Swords and the Overlord’s Saber.
• Maitreya presents himself as compassionate and devoted to saving living beings, but his actions reveal a strategic goal: expanding his Buddhist Kingdom and exploiting the war to increase Buddhist influence.
• Master Lingbao, once considered a minor figure during the Investiture of the Gods era, is revealed to have survived and risen to the level of a powerful half-step Fortune expert. He confidently challenges Maitreya rather than allowing him to pass.
• Qingqiu acts as a knowledgeable strategist, explaining the array’s weaknesses and guiding the Demon Race’s response.
• Shaoxuan, Xie, Jiang Zhiwei, Lu Da, and Su Wuming accept Meng Qi’s authority and take on critical defensive missions, showing their continued loyalty and importance to the Human Race’s survival.

Significant Themes

• Strategy versus overwhelming power: The incomplete Zhuxian Sword Array cannot completely defeat the Demon Race, but its restrictions and strategic placement prevent the demons from simply crushing Great Zhou.
• Preparation and cooperation: Meng Qi’s defense depends on coordinated action among multiple powerful figures, showing that even top-tier experts cannot face the coming threats alone.
• Ideological conflict: Maitreya’s rhetoric of compassion and salvation contrasts with the coercive expansion of his Buddhist Kingdom, raising doubts about whether his “救 all beings” is genuine or politically motivated.
• The nature of the Dao and emptiness: Maitreya argues that labels such as kindness, cunning, and shamelessness are empty, while only following one’s Dao truly matters. This philosophical exchange exposes the tension between moral appearance and personal purpose.
• Rising powers and hidden strength: Formerly obscure or underestimated characters—especially Master Lingbao—emerge as major forces, suggesting that the current conflict involves powers shaped by countless eras.
• Defense of civilization: The Human Race relies on formations, cities, allies, and tactical delay rather than direct conquest, emphasizing endurance and the preservation of territory.

Important Character Interactions

• Meng Qi and Niumowang: Their clash establishes Meng Qi’s ability to resist a Fortune-level demon through the Zhuxian Array and Overlord’s Saber.
• Niumowang and Maitreya: They cooperate uneasily. Niumowang distrusts Maitreya’s claims of compassion, while Maitreya calmly frames his ambition as salvation.
• Meng Qi and his allies: Meng Qi issues a series of coordinated commands, granting talisman edicts to Shaoxuan, Xie, Jiang Zhiwei, Lu Da, Su Wuming, and Master Lingbao.
• Master Lingbao and Maitreya: Lingbao directly blocks Maitreya and challenges the legitimacy of his Buddhist Kingdom. Their confrontation escalates from verbal opposition to a battle between the Zhuxian Sword Array and the Myriad Buddhas Formation.
• Demon Race versus Human defenders: Niumowang’s army enters the Zhuxian Gate and encounters Shaoxuan, Xie, and new reinforcements, beginning the planned defensive campaign.
• Ji Hao and the conflict: Ji Hao observes the battle from Biyou Palace and takes interest in the interaction between the sword array and Maitreya’s Buddhist Kingdom, hinting that he may possess further plans.

Master Lingbao failed to break Maitreya’s Myriad Buddhas Formation, but the arrival of the Zhuxian Array Diagram let Meng Qi activate the complete Zhuxian Sword Array and turn the battle. As the array struck across the battlefields, Ji Hao confronted Sun Wukong and revealed that Gao Lan’s hidden move concerned the Human Emperor’s remains.

• Master Lingbao used his Dao of Strength to attack the Myriad Buddhas Formation, but Maitreya restored it while Guangling fell to the Buddhist kingdom.
• Qingqiu awakened the Demon Sage Spear’s Legend-level power, the Luo Sect’s three Divine Envoys revealed the True Emptiness Homeland, and the Demon Monarch’s attack destroyed Northern Ganzhou and dragged Meng Qi’s swordsman avatar into the Nine Netherworlds.
• As the Zhuxian Sword Array weakened, Han Guang revealed the Zhuxian Array Diagram, and Master Lingbao seized it from the Demon Monarch and passed it to Meng Qi.
• Meng Qi established the complete Zhuxian Sword Array, destroying the True Emptiness Homeland projection and the Vase Divine Envoy while the other fighters struggled against its sword qi.
• Ji Hao told Sun Wukong that the decisive move concerned the Human Emperor, while Gao Lan asked Han Guang about the Human Emperor’s remains.
• Sun Wukong challenged Ji Hao, but Ji Hao’s crescent moon revealed his progress toward the Other Shore, and Sun Wukong agreed to let him make one move.

Gao Lan revealed the Human Emperor Corpse, which helped Meng Qi’s forces attack the Demon Monarch, Supreme True Buddha, and Maitreya in the Zhuxian Sword Array. Sun Wukong broke into the array and rescued Niumowang, while Ji Hao seized the Zhuxian Array Diagram as the battle ended.

• Gao Lan drew the Human Emperor Corpse from the Human Emperor Sword and sent it into the Zhuxian Sword Array, where Han Guang realized the Human Emperor had died unnaturally.
• The Human Emperor Corpse exploited its power over the past to help the sword array kill the Demon Monarch and overwhelm the Supreme True Buddha, while Lu Ya intervened against Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha.
• Maitreya sacrificed the Future Sharira to erase possible outcomes and escape the array as Meng Qi and Master Lingbao pressed their attack.
• Sun Wukong pierced the Zhuxian Sword Array with the Ruyi Jingu Bang, repelled Guangchengzi’s Heaven-Flipping Seal, and carried Niumowang out while Nezha pursued.
• Ji Hao prepared to act, but the Zhuxian Sword Array collapsed when its contingency was triggered, and the Diamond Vajra drew the Zhuxian Array Diagram and four Killing Swords toward it.
• Ji Hao took the Zhuxian Array Diagram, leaving Han Guang to suspect that Heavenly Venerable Lingbao had arranged for it to reach him.

Meng Qi’s message to the Azure Emperor triggered a struggle over the unfolding of the Other Shore, as the Azure Emperor attempted to unite past and future and attain his Dao in the present. Lu Ya’s curse, the Heavenly Dao Monster, Zhao Heng’s betrayal, and Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha’s intervention all disrupted the attempt, which remained unresolved as Buddhist voices filled the Real Realm.

• Meng Qi left a message for the Azure Emperor at the Ancient Fusang Tree, and Ji Hao sensed the contingency and gave the Zhuxian Array Diagram to the Sanxiao Goddesses.
• Gao Lan manifested signs of attaining Legend, but Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha attacked; Golden Horn Boy used the Tai Chi Diagram to protect Gao Lan.
• The Azure Emperor arrived from a future tributary and declared himself Taihao, while Lu Ya’s Book of Nail-Headed Seven Arrows struck at him.
• The Azure Emperor summoned the Heavenly Dao Monster to counter Lu Ya’s curse, while Zhao Heng used the Demon Emperor Claw’s corruption to seize control of the List of Gods.
• Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha used the Tathagata Palm to impede the Azure Emperor, but Gao Lan’s Other Shore Golden Bridge reached him and he stepped forward toward the present.
• Damiaoxiang Bodhisattva and Buddhist followers across the Real Realm chanted homage to Amitabha Buddha as the Azure Emperor’s attempt continued.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Medicine King Buddha’s struggle with the Other Shore Golden Bridge destabilizes the River of Time. His Withered-Flourishing Bodhi enters final Nirvana, forcing him to defend himself directly while the temporal disturbance prevents Azure Emperor from connecting all her past and future incarnations.
• Meng Qi hesitates over whether to give Azure Emperor the mysterious fruit from the Ancient Fusang Tree. He realizes that Azure Emperor’s earlier gift of the Haotian Mirror fragment to Golden Emperor represented profound trust and may explain how the fruit reached him.
• Ji Hao emerges from Biyou Palace and begins attaining the Dao. His declaration—“At the end of the calamity, I shall be supreme!”—shakes the Three Realms and reveals that he has accumulated enough power to attempt the Other Shore.
• Master Lingbao and the Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor sacrifice themselves to support Ji Hao’s breakthrough. The Zhuxian Sword Array and other Interception Sect forces also prepare to shield him from external tribulations.
• Meng Qi gives Ji Hao the Ancient Fusang Tree fruit. Han Guang lifts the Bodhi Wondrous Tree from Five-Finger Mountain but discovers that the mountain is also sealed by the Three Treasures Ruyi, implicating the Holy Buddha and Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi.
• The Real Realm begins collapsing toward the Nine Netherworlds as the final calamity gains momentum. Yuchen Heavenly Venerable unexpectedly begins her own breakthrough, shocking Han Guang and the surrounding experts.
• Ji Hao forms multiple illusory Dao Fruits based on Creation, End of Days, and Being. He attempts to free his True Nature Spiritual Light from the River of Time and the Sea of Bitterness, the essential step toward becoming an Other Shore existence.
• His past and future manifestations converge around him, drawing power from countless living beings and historical eras. Because every living being provides a coordinate through the Dao of Being, Ji Hao retraces the timeline far faster than Azure Emperor.
• The Supreme True Buddha launches a major attack to drag Yuchen Heavenly Venerable back into the Sea of Bitterness. The Diamond Vajra, Qingping Sword, Zhuxian Sword Array, and Interception Sect members intervene to block him.
• The chapter ends with the Supreme True Buddha, the Demon Monarch, and the supporting forces clashing in a battle that causes universes to form and perish in an instant while the Sea of Bitterness surges toward the entire world.

Character Developments

• Ji Hao/Yuchen Heavenly Venerable: Reveals his long-prepared plan to attain the Dao. He displays absolute confidence, sacrifices all fallback options, and uses his mastery of Creation, Destruction, and Being to sever failed possibilities and consolidate his successful path.
• Meng Qi: Moves from hesitation to decisive action by giving Ji Hao the mysterious fruit. He also gains a deeper understanding of Azure Emperor’s relationships and the hidden arrangements surrounding the calamity.
• Azure Emperor: Is shown to be under immense pressure. Medicine King Buddha’s disturbance prevents her from fully unifying her temporal manifestations, threatening the opportunity she has fought to create.
• Medicine King Buddha: Fights desperately against the Other Shore Golden Bridge and Nirvana-based attacks, becoming a major obstruction to Azure Emperor’s breakthrough.
• Han Guang: Discovers the hidden Three Treasures Ruyi sealing Five-Finger Mountain and realizes that the Holy Buddha and Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable are involved in the prison’s deeper structure.
• Master Lingbao and the Ghost Emperor: Commit themselves completely to Ji Hao’s breakthrough, with Lingbao reducing himself to a discarded shell and the Ghost Emperor dispersing into Clear Qi.
• Supreme True Buddha: Establishes himself as Ji Hao’s principal opponent, using the Myriad Buddhas Formation and the Nine-Nine Returns to One: Genesis technique to attack the breakthrough.
• Yunxiao, Bixiao, and Qiongxiao: Recognize that their Zhuxian Array Diagram can help their junior brother and choose to support Ji Hao despite earlier reluctance.

Significant Themes

• Attaining the Other Shore: The chapter explains that transcendence requires breaking free from both the River of Time and the Sea of Bitterness. It is not simply controlling the past and future, but escaping their fundamental constraints.
• Total commitment and sacrifice: Anyone attempting to attain the Dao must stake everything. Failure means the destruction of all incarnations and Dharma Bodies, with no possibility of revival.
• Fate, trust, and hidden preparation: Azure Emperor’s trust in Golden Emperor, Meng Qi’s possession of the fruit, and the concealed seals beneath Five-Finger Mountain reveal how long-term plans and relationships shape the current calamity.
• Creation and destruction: Ji Hao’s breakthrough depends on the tension between Creation and End of Days. The chapter presents existence as a cycle of formation, decay, destruction, and rebirth.
• Being and interconnectedness: Ji Hao’s inherited understanding of the Dao of Being allows him to use all living creatures as temporal coordinates, suggesting that individual existence is linked across all eras and beings.
• Competing claims to supremacy: Ji Hao, Yuchen Heavenly Venerable, Azure Emperor, and the Supreme True Buddha all seek dominance at the climax of the calamity, raising the question of whether one supreme Heavenly Will can emerge—or whether all contenders will perish.

Character Interactions

• Meng Qi and Azure Emperor: Meng Qi’s decision to offer the fruit becomes a crucial act of support for the larger struggle over the Other Shore.
• Meng Qi and Han Guang: Meng Qi’s intervention indirectly enables Han Guang to uncover the deeper seal beneath Five-Finger Mountain.
• Ji Hao and the Interception Sect: Lingbao, the Ghost Emperor, and the Yunxiao sisters risk everything to protect Ji Hao from external tribulations.
• Ji Hao and the Supreme True Buddha: Their conflict becomes the central confrontation, with the Buddha attempting to force Ji Hao and Yuchen back into the Sea of Bitterness.
• Azure Emperor and Medicine King Buddha: Their temporal struggle remains unresolved, with Medicine King Buddha’s resistance preventing Azure Emperor from completing her unification.
• Yuchen and the surrounding powers: Her unexpected attempt to attain the Dao changes the balance of the entire calamity and draws attacks from the Supreme True Buddha and other powerful beings.

Azure Emperor and Ji Hao attained the Other Shore almost simultaneously, with Ji Hao emerging as Heavenly Venerable Lingbao. Azure Emperor’s attempt to alter Han Guang’s past failed, and Ji Hao established his sanctuary at Biyou Palace.

• Meng Qi gave Azure Emperor the fruit, allowing him to break the curse and gather his past, present, and future selves into the Other Shore.
• Ji Hao traced his existence through time, perfected his creation, End of Days, time, karma, and existence Dao Fruits, and crossed the trial of Eternal Nothingness.
• Ji Hao manifested the Other Shore phenomena of Lingbao End of Days and Witnessing Yuanshi, then emerged with strength close to an Ancient One.
• Azure Emperor congratulated Ji Hao, then tried to seize Han Guang in the past, but a mysterious interference made his grasp miss.
• Azure Emperor restored the Fusang Ancient Tree Domain and the Eastern Glazed Pure Land before departing with Jiuling Yuansheng.
• Ji Hao rode the Kui Niu to Biyou Palace and proclaimed himself Heavenly Venerable Lingbao.

Meng Qi escaped Demon Buddha Ananda’s trap by severing his connection to Perfected Being Yunji, then sought Ji Hao’s help to destroy the Reincarnation Seal and prepare for the Life and Death Origin Point. As Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang confronted Emperor Zhenwu, Emperor Zhenwu suddenly attacked Emperor Fengdu with a purple jade ruler.

• Demon Buddha Ananda used the Reincarnation Seal to drag Meng Qi and his Main Body toward Samsara, but Meng Qi used the power of death to kill Perfected Being Yunji and break their connection.
• Meng Qi escaped the ancient well and went to Biyou Palace, where Ji Hao gave him a Chaos Green Lotus seed that destroyed the seal.
• Meng Qi brought the Chaos Green Lotus and two ancient Yin Hell fragments to Ji Hao, who forged a page of the Book of Life and Death and indicated that Ancient Buddha Bodhi backed Emperor Fengdu.
• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang entered the Life and Death Origin Point and confronted Emperor Zhenwu, while Meng Qi remained unaware that Emperor Fengdu was Ji Hao himself.
• The Book of Life and Death shattered, and Emperor Zhenwu awakened, drew a purple jade ruler, and struck at Emperor Fengdu.

Chapter Summary: Forging the Life and Death Origin Point, Fuxi Takes Action

Key Plot Points and Events

• Emperor Zhenwu attacks Emperor Fengdu with “Severing Dao to See Self,” a strike aimed directly at her True Nature Spiritual Light rather than her physical form or supernatural powers.
• Emperor Fengdu counters by transforming her True Nature into six Samsara Black Holes, which temporarily swallow and resist the violet sword light.
• She then releases a hidden strand of Buddhist power left by Ancient Buddha Bodhi. The nearly Other Shore-level palm threatens Meng Qi, but Ji Hao’s protective remnant within the destroyed Book of Life and Death briefly blocks it.
• The destruction of the Book serves as a signal, allowing Ji Hao to enter the Life and Death Origin Point almost instantly. She cuts apart the Buddhist palm with the Qingping Sword and begins using the Origin Point as material to forge a peerless Divine Weapon.
• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang remain within the Origin Point as the weapon’s “Artifact Spirits.” Ji Hao introduces her own Dao into the Land Near the Dao, causing the Life and Death laws to writhe and destabilize.
• Using the Wuji Seal, Meng Qi embodies the beginning of all things, while Gu Xiaosang condenses the True Emptiness Homeland, symbolizing the final end and return to stillness.
• Ji Hao refines the Origin Point through Chaos Fire, causing its life-and-death principles to form a vast Dao scroll resembling a Taiji diagram. Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang gain profound insight into the complete mysteries of life and death.
• Meng Qi breaks through from Legend to Fortune, develops Other Self projections, and strengthens the Yin-Yang and Wuji Seals. Gu Xiaosang follows by proving her unique path, manifesting the Heavenly Homeland and Chaos White Lotus phenomena.
• Ji Hao prepares to complete the peerless Divine Weapon, provoking intervention from powerful factions that fear the weapon’s alignment with the Final End and its ability to help beings such as Maitreya attain the Other Shore.
• Fuxi, controlled by Amitabha Buddha, launches an attack through the River of Time to seize or disrupt the Life and Death Origin Point. The Azure Emperor observes but does not directly intervene.
• Ji Hao counters with the Myriad Gods Formation and the Zhuxian Sword Array, trapping Fuxi across present and past spacetime. The Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor helps shift the battlefield, while the conflict expands across countless historical moments.
• The chapter ends with the Other Shore battle still unfolding, Fuxi using profound Buddhist power and Ji Hao defending the forging process.

Character Developments

• Ji Hao/Lingbao Heavenly Venerable: Demonstrates overwhelming strength and foresight. She destroys the hidden Buddhist attack, suppresses one of Bodhi’s Three Corpses, and uses the Life and Death Origin Point to forge a peerless Divine Weapon. Her preparations show that she anticipated Fuxi’s interference.
• Meng Qi: Gains complete insight into the Life and Death Origin Point and advances rapidly from Legend to Fortune. His Yin-Yang Seal begins developing Dao-like qualities, while his understanding of Wuji, life, death, and balance deepens.
• Gu Xiaosang: Advances alongside Meng Qi but follows her own path of “final end,” purity, salvation, and return to the homeland. She proves a unique Legend phenomenon—Heavenly Homeland—and manifests the Chaos White Lotus.
• Emperor Fengdu: Reveals her formidable foundation as one of Bodhi’s Three Corpses, combining Samsara, life-and-death power, and a hidden Buddhist trump card.
• Fuxi: Emerges as the central opposing force, using zither music, divination-like formations, time manipulation, and Buddhist power to challenge Ji Hao throughout history.
• Emperor Zhenwu: Establishes his terrifying ability to attack the True Self directly, though the broader conflict soon eclipses his confrontation with Fengdu.
• Ancient Buddha Bodhi/Amitabha Buddha: Their influence appears through the hidden Buddhist light and through Fuxi’s controlled actions, showing Buddhist forces’ determination to obtain the Divine Weapon.

Significant Themes

• Life, death, and balance: The forging depends on reconciling opposing forces rather than allowing either life or death to dominate. Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang represent beginning and final end, forming a complementary balance.
• The self and true nature: Zhenwu’s attack focuses on the True Nature Spiritual Light, emphasizing identity beyond body, powers, concepts, or existence within the Origin Point.
• Forging through sacrifice and transformation: The Life and Death Origin Point, Meng Qi, and Gu Xiaosang are all subjected to painful refinement, but the process grants unprecedented insight and power.
• Beginning and finality: Meng Qi embodies Wuji and the origin of creation, while Gu Xiaosang embodies emptiness, homeland, salvation, and the end toward which all things return.
• Power beyond time: The battle between Other Shore beings is not confined to the present. Actions spread across past and future, with every historical moment becoming part of the battlefield.
• Strategic preparation: Survival depends on hidden safeguards, advance planning, and anticipating attacks from beings who can act across spacetime.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhenwu vs. Fengdu: Their clash reveals the terrifying nature of “Severing Dao to See Self” and Fengdu’s Samsara-based defense.
• Fengdu and Meng Qi: Fengdu attempts to eliminate Meng Qi using Bodhi’s hidden Buddhist power, but Ji Hao’s protection saves him.
• Ji Hao, Meng Qi, and Gu Xiaosang: Ji Hao acts as the forge-master, while the married pair serve as the central “spirits” of the weapon. Their connection allows them to synchronize their opposing but complementary insights.
• Ji Hao vs. Bodhi’s forces: Ji Hao decisively cuts down the Buddhist attack and suppresses one of Bodhi’s incarnations.
• Ji Hao vs. Fuxi: The main conflict shifts to a battle between Other Shore beings, involving formations, zither music, Buddhist light, moonlight, and attacks across the timeline.
• Ji Hao and Emperor Zhenwu: Ji Hao’s transformation of the Origin Point into a forge leaves even Zhenwu startled, demonstrating the vast gap between her power and that of ordinary Other Shore-level beings.
• Fuxi and the Zhuxian Sword Array: Fuxi is pursued and sealed across the past, while Ji Hao uses the array to prevent him from disrupting the weapon’s creation.

Ji Hao forged the Book of Life and Death, empowered the Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor, and used Lingbao’s karmic ties to advance toward a Dao Fruit Prototype. As Ji Hao approached mastery over the Nine Netherworlds, the Azure Emperor warned Meng Qi of an inescapable calamity and abruptly ended the battle in the Zhuxian Sword Array.

• Ji Hao completed the Book of Life and Death with samsara’s origin taken from Demon Buddha Ananda, then gave it to the Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor, whose power and authority over reincarnation grew.
• Ji Hao returned to Biyou Palace, assumed Heavenly Venerable Lingbao’s identity across the River of Time, and prepared Daoist Master Lingbao to bear Lingbao’s karmic ties.
• Ji Hao severed a weak Other Shore avatar, formed a Dao Fruit Prototype, and reached the primordial birth of the Nine Netherworlds, where he nearly became their master before choosing not to act yet.
• The Azure Emperor warned Meng Qi that a great tribulation awaited him and gave him the proverb, “No way out. Ten deaths and no life,” before gifting his Dao Tree leaves.
• The Azure Emperor’s power expelled the combatants from the Immortal Realm’s uppermost level, ending the clashes in the Zhuxian Sword Array, and Meng Qi’s Dao Tree grew to nine branches bearing nine leaves each.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang discuss where to cultivate in order to rapidly increase their strength before the calamity’s end. They consider several dangerous locations but decide to seek refuge in Ji Hao’s Golden Turtle Island.
• Meng Qi theatrically begs Ji Hao to let them train within the worlds of an Other Shore great figure. Ji Hao refuses, explaining that he owes the Golden Emperor a karmic debt and cannot allow them to enter his inner worlds.
• Ji Hao recognizes that Meng Qi’s real objective is Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s surviving flesh and blood. He agrees to help and sends out a fragment of Taiyi’s body, along with the weakened Qingping Sword.
• Meng Qi uses the Jue Saber to absorb Taiyi’s flesh and blood. Taiyi’s remnant immediately attacks the Demon Buddha’s imprint within the saber, causing the two ancient powers to battle.
• The Demon Buddha imprint is finally destroyed, but Taiyi’s remnant also survives in the form of a weakened Bronze Ancient Bell. The Jue Saber’s spirituality gains greater control after the Demon Buddha’s defeat.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable then decrees that Meng Qi should enter the worlds within Taiyi’s remnant and “open Heaven and Earth once more.” Because Meng Qi possesses Gu Xiaosang’s Illusory Dao Fruit and the Strange Demon Blood Peach can absorb Taiyi’s aura, he is able to access Taiyi’s inner worlds.
• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang enter those worlds and recreate the separation of Heaven and Earth using the Pangu Banner, a manifestation of Meng Qi’s Heaven-Opening Dao.
• As Heaven and Earth separate, primordial treasures and powerful beings emerge, including forms resembling the Exquisite Pagoda, Tai Chi Diagram, and River of Time. However, they become savage Demon Gods rather than benevolent divine beings.
• Meng Qi draws the Jue Saber and prepares to fight these newly born gods, seeking both Taiyi’s remaining spirituality and the Good Fortune Jade Disk.
• Meanwhile, Ji Hao and the Unborn Mother manipulate the future from opposing positions. Ji Hao realizes that Meng Qi’s path is unavoidable and that the coming Other Shore calamity will involve not only external enemies but also inner tribulations.

Character Developments

• Meng Qi returns to his earlier reckless and shameless personality, using exaggerated complaints and emotional manipulation to persuade Ji Hao to help him. Beneath the humor, however, he genuinely feels helpless because he lacks the power to protect Gu Xiaosang.
• He demonstrates greater strategic maturity by preparing multiple backup plans, using Taiyi’s remnant to eliminate the Demon Buddha imprint and strengthen the Jue Saber.
• Gu Xiaosang displays careful political and strategic analysis. She explains the alliances and debts connecting the Golden Emperor, the Buddhist forces, the Ancient Fusang Tree, Ji Hao, the Human Emperor, and other great figures. Her calmness contrasts with Meng Qi’s irreverence.
• Ji Hao is shown to be both sympathetic and cautious. Though unwilling to directly let Meng Qi cultivate in his worlds because of his debt to the Golden Emperor, he still helps Meng Qi obtain Taiyi’s remains.
• Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s remnant retains overwhelming power, madness, and hostility toward the Demon Buddha. Even after helping destroy Ananda’s imprint, it remains dangerous and partially survives.
• The Demon Buddha’s reputation grows even more absurdly formidable: nearly every major ancient figure appears to have reason to hate or oppose Ananda.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable takes an active, directive role by sending Meng Qi into Taiyi’s worlds to recreate the birth of Heaven and Earth.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus free will: Meng Qi repeatedly wonders how many of his choices are truly his own, since his path has been shaped by the Demon Buddha, the Three Pure Ones, Lingbao, and other great figures.
• Manipulation and alliances: The chapter emphasizes how ancient powers survive through karmic debts, secret bargains, and shifting loyalties. The Golden Emperor in particular is portrayed as someone who maintains relationships with nearly every faction.
• Using enemies against one another: Meng Qi’s plan depends on Taiyi’s hatred of the Demon Buddha. Instead of provoking a conflict himself, he benefits when the two remnants immediately attack each other.
• Creation and destruction: The destruction of the Demon Buddha imprint is followed by the creation of a new cosmos. Opening Heaven and Earth represents both a cultivation opportunity and a dangerous reenactment of primordial creation.
• Power and danger: Every gain comes with uncontrollable risks. Taiyi’s remnant strengthens the Jue Saber but remains hostile; the Strange Demon Blood Peach gains Taiyi’s power but may become unstable; and the newly created gods turn into Demon Gods.
• Inner tribulation: The coming calamity is not merely a battle against external enemies. Reaching the Other Shore requires surviving internal dangers, as illustrated by the fall of the Black Emperor.

Character Interactions

• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang cooperate closely, combining his instinctive decisiveness with her political insight and caution.
• Meng Qi humorously appeals to Ji Hao as his “big brother,” while Gu Xiaosang observes and comments on the dangers of their plan.
• Ji Hao refuses Meng Qi’s initial request but still assists him after recognizing his true objective, showing a mixture of restraint, sympathy, and pragmatism.
• Taiyi’s remnant and the Demon Buddha imprint engage in a catastrophic confrontation, allowing Meng Qi and the Jue Saber to benefit from their mutual hatred.
• Ji Hao and the Unborn Mother engage in a larger contest over the future, with both trying to determine the direction of the coming calamity.
• The chapter ends with Meng Qi beginning the Heaven-opening process, while the greater powers watch and maneuver around him, suggesting that his apparent choices remain part of a much larger design.

Zhen Yuanzi seized control of the Yin Hell and brought the Unborn Mother back, while Amitabha Buddha and his allies moved against the other powers. Meng Qi learned that the Mother had returned early and that the usual refuges were blocked, leaving him and Gu Xiaosang facing an imminent deadly tribulation.

• Jiuling Yuansheng surrendered the Yin Hell’s imperial seal to Zhen Yuanzi, who connected the realm to the Luofeng underworld and summoned the True Emptiness Homeland.
• The Unborn Mother returned within the Yin Hell and announced that Heaven’s will had changed.
• Amitabha Buddha blocked Tusita Palace, Ancient Buddha Bodhi sent Daoist Zhunti into the Demon Emperor Hall, and Fuxi attacked Biyou Palace, where Ji Hao confronted Buddha Sakra.
• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang finished refining the Jade Disk of Creation, and Gu Xiaosang sensed that the Mother had returned.
• The Unborn Mother warned Guangchengzi and the Yuxu powers not to interfere with her pursuit of Meng Qi, while Silver Horn Boy told Meng Qi that his allies’ sanctuaries were under attack.
• Gu Xiaosang offered to let the Mother take her, but Meng Qi explained that the Mother’s alliance with Amitabha Buddha and Ancient Buddha Bodhi endangered them both; the Yuxu immortals then gathered and worried over their missing teacher.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Facing the imminent attack on Yuxu Palace and the possible death of their junior sect leader, the Yuxu disciples debate whether to retreat or fight. Guangchengzi initially fears repeating the tragic fate of the Sanxiao Goddesses, but Real Person Yuding declares that a sect unable to defend its leader has no reason to exist.
• Chijingzi agrees that retreat is futile: if their junior sect leader dies, Dipankara may obtain the Daoyi Seal and become an Other Shore Being. The disciples therefore decide to risk everything by sending the Four Zhuxian Swords to Biyou Palace.
• Guangchengzi relies on the bond between Lingbao Heavenly Venerable and their junior sect leader, hoping that the old hostility between the Explanation and Interception Sects can finally end. He believes Lingbao will protect them and restore the alliance of the Three Pure Ones.
• Daoxing Xianzun, Yuding, Chijingzi, and Guangchengzi burn or sacrifice their cultivation and lives to empower the four swords. They form the Zhuxian Sword Array and charge toward the sealed Biyou Palace.
• The Unborn Mother attempts to seize the swords, using the Plain-Colored Realm Flag and the True Emptiness Homeland to contain them. The Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor intervenes with the Book of Life and Death, but he cannot defeat her alone.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable appears and breaks the Unborn Mother’s barrier. His casual display of False Other Shore power shocks Nezha and Manjushri, who begin to suspect that Lingbao’s identity and disappearance conceal a deeper secret.
• Although the four Yuxu disciples fight heroically, their sword lights are eventually captured. Manjushri is left behind to protect Nezha and preserve Yuxu’s future.
• Simultaneously, Meng Qi releases the suppression on Eastern Emperor’s remaining flesh and absorbs it, becoming a violent, nearly mindless “monster.” The Jue Saber fully awakens, granting him immense power but threatening to consume his reason.
• Gu Xiaosang urges Meng Qi to gather his past selves and flee into the Nine Netherworlds. Meng Qi uses the Jue Saber and the Yuanshi Celebratory Cloud to merge his past and present, narrowly avoiding the Unborn Mother’s attacks.
• The Unborn Mother pursues him into the Nine Netherworlds, but Sun Wukong appears on Lao Jun’s orders and prepares to borrow the Jue Saber.
• In Biyou Palace, Lingbao Heavenly Venerable completes the Zhuxian Sword Array using the four swords. He uses it to suppress both Buddha Sakra and the Unborn Mother, demonstrating overwhelming power as the tribulation approaches.
• The other great beings realize that the completed array must be broken and the swords reclaimed, but they lack enough forces to overcome it. The chapter ends with the Zhuxian Sword Array standing as an almost insurmountable force during the End Tribulation.

Character Developments

• Guangchengzi overcomes his fear and becomes the decisive leader of the Yuxu disciples. He accepts death for the sake of the sect and entrusts Manjushri with preserving Yuxu’s future.
• Yuding, Chijingzi, and Daoxing Xianzun demonstrate absolute loyalty by sacrificing their bodies, cultivation, and lives to empower the Four Zhuxian Swords.
• Manjushri Guangfa Tianzun is emotionally shaken by the sacrifice of his fellow disciples. His memories of the old Yuxu Palace reveal his loneliness as one of the last surviving members of his generation.
• Nezha becomes desperate to fight alongside his seniors, but is restrained and forced to witness their sacrifice, deepening his grief and helplessness.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable reveals extraordinary strength, casually reaching the False Other Shore level and later wielding the complete Zhuxian Sword Array. His unexplained past and connection to the missing Lingbao become increasingly mysterious.
• Meng Qi sacrifices his sanity and risks becoming a monster by absorbing Eastern Emperor’s flesh. Despite his near-total loss of control, his instinct to protect Gu Xiaosang remains.
• Gu Xiaosang remains calm and fearless in the face of Meng Qi’s transformation. She guides him toward the Nine Netherworlds, showing both trust in him and strategic awareness.
• Sun Wukong reenters the conflict as an ally of Lao Jun, arriving at a critical moment to assist Meng Qi and claim the Jue Saber.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and sect solidarity: Yuding’s argument establishes that protecting one’s sect leader is the foundation of belonging to a sect. The Yuxu disciples choose unity and sacrifice over survival.
• The end of old grudges: Guangchengzi hopes the Explanation and Interception Sects can reconcile and return to the unity they shared before the Investiture of the Gods.
• Sacrifice for the future: The four disciples willingly burn away their cultivation and lives so that the sect and its successor may survive.
• Legacy and loneliness: Manjushri’s memories emphasize the passing of an entire generation and the burden placed on the few who remain.
• Power versus identity: Meng Qi’s transformation raises the danger of losing oneself while gaining overwhelming strength. His remaining instinct to protect Gu Xiaosang suggests that identity and emotional bonds can survive even within monstrosity.
• The approaching apocalypse: The Zhuxian Sword Array grows more powerful as the End Tribulation nears, making the struggle a conflict involving not only the present but also the past, future, Great Dao, and fate.

Important Character Interactions

• Guangchengzi and Yuding: Their exchange shifts the disciples from hesitation to determined resistance. Yuding’s challenge forces Guangchengzi to embrace a final stand.
• Guangchengzi and Chijingzi: Together they formulate the plan to deliver the swords to Lingbao, recognizing that their only hope lies in the Three Pure Ones’ connection.
• Guangchengzi and Manjushri: Guangchengzi asks Manjushri to survive, protect Nezha, and eventually restore Yuxu Palace, making him the custodian of their legacy.
• Manjushri and Nezha: Manjushri restrains Nezha from dying needlessly and later shares his suspicions about Lingbao’s hidden identity.
• Meng Qi and Gu Xiaosang: Meng Qi asks her to awaken him if he becomes a monster, while Gu Xiaosang calmly directs him during his transformation, demonstrating their deep trust.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable and the great powers: Lingbao breaks the Unborn Mother’s confinement and then uses the Zhuxian Sword Array to suppress multiple Other Shore beings, decisively changing the balance of power.
• Sun Wukong and Meng Qi: Sun Wukong appears in the Nine Netherworlds to help Meng Qi and borrow the newly awakened Jue Saber, setting up the next stage of the conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Zhuxian Sword Array reaches overwhelming power, allowing Ji Hao, Lingbao Heavenly Venerable, and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to suppress Fuxi and the Golden Emperor. The Golden Emperor is forced to retreat.
• Meng Qi gathers his past selves and follows Gu Xiaosang into the depths of the Nine Netherworlds, where they remain for a hundred years.
• During that time, the True Emptiness Homeland rises, the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth is established, Qiankun divides, and several Other Shore Beings return in complete form.
• After a century of cultivation, Meng Qi reaches Fortune Perfection and, with the Nine Netherworlds’ enhancement, gains strength comparable to the False Other Shore level.
• Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable seeks the Demon Emperor’s aid in helping Meng Qi reach the Other Shore. He argues that Meng Qi’s connection to Demon Buddha Ananda makes him a natural counterweight to Ananda and that the Human Race and demon race would benefit from another Other Shore protector.
• The Demon Emperor agrees, partly because Meng Qi’s rise weakens Ananda and may help preserve both races.
• Meng Qi receives an illusory manifestation of the Pangu Banner—the “Heaven Opening Fruit” severed by Yuanshi—as well as a message from Lingbao: “The general trend has been decided.”
• After refining the Pangu Banner for several years, Meng Qi decides to leave the Nine Netherworlds openly and assault the Other Shore immediately rather than wait for Maitreya’s future breakthrough to provide cover.
• His departure alerts powerful figures throughout the cosmos. Maitreya considers using the disturbance to attempt his own advancement, while Lu Ya and Han Guang discuss Meng Qi’s chances and potential ways to intervene.
• Meng Qi leaves the Nine Netherworlds carrying the Overlord’s Peerless Saber and the Human Emperor Sword. The Unborn Mother, represented by the perfect full moon, immediately attacks him.
• Meng Qi combines the two weapons into a devastating saber-and-sword strike, “Chaotic Chaos Devoured the Cosmos,” attempting to erase all things back into primordial nothingness.
• The Unborn Mother counters with a force embodying final death and silence. As their attacks collide, Zhen Yuanzi joins the assault, but the Great Sage Equal to Heaven intervenes and knocks him aside.

Character Developments

• Meng Qi: His century of cultivation gives him sufficient strength and accumulation to challenge the Other Shore. More importantly, he becomes completely resolute, abandoning hesitation and refusing to rely on another person’s breakthrough or momentum. His decision reflects his identity as the “Mad Saber”: he chooses a direct, all-or-nothing confrontation.
• Gu Xiaosang: She remains Meng Qi’s central strategist and source of confidence. Meng Qi trusts that her preparations are complete, even though others suspect her plans may involve deceiving Heaven itself.
• Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable: He actively arranges support for Meng Qi, using his knowledge of Meng Qi’s connection to Ananda to persuade the Demon Emperor. His gift of the Pangu Banner gives Meng Qi a crucial foundation for the final assault.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable and Ji Hao: Their earlier intervention demonstrates the overwhelming power of the Zhuxian Sword Array and establishes that they continue to protect and support Meng Qi’s side.
• Demon Emperor: She agrees to aid Meng Qi because his advancement threatens Ananda and offers political and strategic benefits for the Human Race and demon race. She also probes Yuanshi about Yang Jian’s fate.
• Maitreya: Surprised by Meng Qi’s sudden move, he considers taking advantage of the chaos to pursue his own ascent.
• Lu Ya and Han Guang: Lu Ya views Meng Qi’s decision as rash and hopes to borrow Han Guang’s Bodhi Wondrous Tree later, while Han Guang defends Meng Qi’s refusal to compromise his essential sharpness.
• Great Sage Equal to Heaven: He protects Meng Qi by intercepting Zhen Yuanzi, showing continued loyalty and readiness to fight on Meng Qi’s behalf.
• Unborn Mother: She acts immediately when Meng Qi exits the Nine Netherworlds, becoming his primary opponent in the Other Shore confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Resolve versus caution: The chapter emphasizes that reaching the Other Shore requires not only power and preparation but absolute mental commitment. A moment of hesitation or wishful thinking can destroy one’s Dao.
• Staying true to one’s path: Meng Qi refuses to borrow Maitreya’s momentum because doing so would weaken the sharpness and purity of his Heaven-Opening path.
• Debts, alliances, and cosmic politics: Meng Qi’s rise is shaped by favors and strategic negotiations among the Heavenly Venerables, Demon Emperor, Ananda, and other major figures.
• The general trend of the Epoch: The repeated declaration that “the general trend has been decided” suggests that the approaching apocalypse and Heaven’s Will are pushing the entire cosmos toward an unavoidable final conflict.
• Creation and destruction: The Pangu Banner represents creation and Heaven Opening, while the Unborn Mother’s power embodies death, silence, and final dissolution. Their clash reflects the fundamental opposition between existence and nonexistence.
• Breaking free from the Sea of Bitterness: Meng Qi’s assault is both a literal attempt to reach the Other Shore and a symbolic act of severing all retreat, hesitation, and dependence on external circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Yuanshi Heavenly Venerable asks Lingbao to mediate with the Demon Emperor on Meng Qi’s behalf.
• The Demon Emperor questions Yuanshi about Meng Qi, Ananda, Sun Wukong, and Yang Jian before agreeing to help.
• Golden Horn Boy delivers Yuanshi’s Pangu Banner manifestation and Lingbao’s warning to Meng Qi.
• Meng Qi silently confronts the full moon representing the Unborn Mother and then directly challenges her upon leaving the Nine Netherworlds.
• Maitreya, Ananda, Dipankara, Lu Ya, and Han Guang all react to Meng Qi’s sudden assault, recognizing it as a major turning point.
• Zhen Yuanzi attacks Meng Qi during the clash, but the Great Sage Equal to Heaven intervenes and drives him back.

Chapter Summary: Emperor Yuan Attains the Dao, Demon Buddha Is Born

Key Plot Points and Events

• As Meng Qi prepares to attain the Dao, multiple Other Shore figures intervene in a massive struggle surrounding him.
• Yang Jian uses the Human Emperor Sword and the Central Earth Apricot Yellow Flag to stop the Unborn Mother and protect Meng Qi. However, Lu Ya’s crystalline Bodhi Wondrous Tree and Ancient Buddha Bodhi’s Seven Treasure Wondrous Tree counter him and break through the flag’s defenses.
• Emperor Zhenwu sends out the Primordial Yang Ruler, but Ancient Buddha Bodhi repels it. The Three Pure Ones arrive through the Other Shore Golden Bridge to assist Meng Qi, only to be opposed by Amitabha Buddha’s Dao Fruit Prototype, which turns the surrounding reality into emptiness.
• The Demon Emperor Hall and Phoenix-Winged Dark Gold Spear join the conflict, creating a temporary balance among the various factions. Seven Killings Daoist also attacks the Golden Emperor, but the Unborn Mother easily defeats and seals his Nether Sea Sword.
• The greatest crisis emerges when the Demon Buddha, who had secretly escaped her seal, attacks Meng Qi directly. Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha admits that he released her, believing this was his only chance to pursue the Great Dao.
• Demon Buddha unleashes the terrifying Abandon Sagehood and Cast Away Wisdom, attempting to erase Meng Qi from reality and history.
• Maitreya is simultaneously overwhelmed by the unexpectedly powerful Supreme True Buddha. Fuxi intervenes and battles the Supreme True Buddha, temporarily preventing Maitreya from being destroyed.
• Gu Xiaosang prepares to sacrifice herself by merging with the Heavenly Dao Monster so that she can influence it to attack the Golden Emperor. Wang Siyuan unexpectedly takes her place, revealing that he had long plotted to become part of the monster. His sacrifice drags the Golden Emperor into a realm of chaos and madness, stabilizing the River of Time and buying Meng Qi precious time.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable personally confronts the Demon Buddha. By drawing on the General Trend of the End of Tribulation, Lingbao temporarily reaches combat power comparable to an Ancient One.
• Lingbao’s River of Time neutralizes Demon Buddha’s first attack and prevents it from affecting Meng Qi. Demon Buddha then uses All Demons Dance Together, while Lingbao counters with sword light that severs the past and future.
• The battle spreads across countless historical periods. Demon Buddha summons manifestations of herself from innumerable Epochs, demonstrating the overwhelming advantage of an Ancient One over a mere Other Shore Being.
• Lingbao uses the Qingping Sword and the End-of-Tribulation power to sever Demon Buddha’s access to the distant past, forming a Heavenly Abyss that limits her attack.
• Meanwhile, the Unborn Mother continues assaulting Meng Qi’s defenses. The Central Earth Apricot Yellow Flag is nearly destroyed, and the Off-Ground Flame Flag is also rapidly breaking. Maitreya considers attempting to attain the Other Shore but hesitates because her opportunity has not yet fully appeared.

Character Developments

• Meng Qi remains at the center of the conflict, close to attaining the Dao but still vulnerable to interference from powerful enemies.
• Yang Jian openly opposes the Unborn Mother and risks provoking Lu Ya, showing his determination to protect Meng Qi despite the overwhelming opposition.
• The Unborn Mother/Golden Emperor remains relentless and largely unrestrained, pressing her attack even while numerous Other Shore Beings attempt to contain her.
• Demon Buddha Ananda is revealed to have escaped her seal and regained a substantial physical Other Shore body. Her power and ambition are reaffirmed as she personally targets Meng Qi.
• Gu Xiaosang demonstrates complete willingness to sacrifice her identity and spirituality for Meng Qi’s chance to attain the Other Shore. Her love is expressed through strategic planning and self-sacrifice.
• Wang Siyuan reveals the culmination of his long-term schemes. Already partly assimilated with the Heavenly Dao Monster, he chooses to sacrifice himself instead of Gu Xiaosang and successfully disrupts the Golden Emperor.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable becomes the principal defender against Demon Buddha. Though not truly an Ancient One, she uses the End-of-Tribulation’s momentum to fight one on nearly equal combat terms.
• Maitreya is shaken by the appearance of the Supreme True Buddha and must reconsider whether she is ready to risk an attempt at attaining the Other Shore.
• Burning Lamp Ancient Buddha is exposed as the one who freed Demon Buddha, acting from desperation and single-minded devotion to advancing along the Great Dao.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice for transcendence: Gu Xiaosang and Wang Siyuan are both willing to surrender their identities and existence to create even a small opportunity for Meng Qi.
• The conflict between destiny and free will: Although Meng Qi’s attainment appears nearly inevitable, the chapter repeatedly emphasizes that “extremes always reverse,” and that countless interventions can still change the outcome.
• The scale of time and power: The battle reveals the enormous difference between Other Shore Beings and Ancient Ones. Combat strength alone cannot replace the ability to reach across countless Epochs.
• Strategic alliances and mutual containment: The various factions do not unite out of trust; they temporarily cooperate or oppose one another to prevent any single being from controlling the situation.
• Love expressed through action: Gu Xiaosang’s devotion is shown not through sentiment but through elaborate preparations, calculated risks, and readiness to sacrifice herself.
• The approach of the apocalypse: The End of Tribulation is no longer distant. Its influence strengthens Lingbao, narrows the future, and causes the River of Time to reveal the looming Final End.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Jian vs. the Unborn Mother: Yang Jian attempts to block her assault, but her allies and superior power overcome his intervention.
• Ancient Buddha Bodhi vs. the defensive treasures: Bodhi destroys or repels several peerless weapons and breaks through Meng Qi’s protection.
• The Three Pure Ones and Amitabha Buddha: The Three Pure Ones attempt to rescue Meng Qi, while Amitabha’s Dao Fruit Prototype turns their path and the surrounding reality empty.
• Fuxi vs. the Supreme True Buddha: Fuxi rescues Maitreya and engages the Supreme True Buddha, preventing it from overwhelming her completely.
• Gu Xiaosang and Wang Siyuan: Wang Siyuan intercepts Gu Xiaosang’s intended sacrifice, taking on the Heavenly Dao Monster himself and allowing her to withdraw.
• Lingbao Heavenly Venerable vs. Demon Buddha: Their battle spans the River of Time and countless Epochs, with Lingbao using the End-of-Tribulation to prevent Demon Buddha from reaching Meng Qi.
• Demon Buddha vs. Meng Qi: Demon Buddha repeatedly attempts to erase, destroy, or assimilate Meng Qi before he can attain the Dao.
• The Unborn Mother vs. Meng Qi’s protectors: Even as the larger battle against Demon Buddha unfolds, the Unborn Mother continues breaking through Meng Qi’s defensive flags, leaving his path to attainment increasingly desperate.

Meng Qi reached the Other Shore amid a battle among the Other Shore Beings, with the Golden Emperor and Ji Hao intervening to stop the Demon Buddha and the Heavenly Dao Monster. After revealing her role in Gu Xiaosang’s life and restoring the ruined world, the Golden Emperor faced Meng Qi’s defiant challenge, while Meng Qi later joked with Ji Hao about the Three Pure Ones.

• The Demon Buddha seized control of the Heavenly Dao Monster and sent its dark-red giant hand after Meng Qi, but the Golden Emperor turned her finger to restrain it and revealed her Dao Fruit Prototype.
• Ji Hao used the Zhuxian Sword Array to seal Meng Qi’s surroundings as Meng Qi crossed the River of Time, endured the tribulation of Eternal Nothingness, and ascended to the Other Shore.
• The Golden Emperor told Gu Xiaosang that she had orchestrated the events that shaped her, including creating her mother as a manifestation of her will, and explained that Gu Xiaosang’s growth could bring her closer to the Dao Fruit.
• Meng Qi manifested the Other Shore phenomena, including Recreating an Epoch, while the Golden Emperor restored the people and places destroyed in the battle.
• Meng Qi emerged from the River of Time, cursed the Golden Emperor, and enveloped her radiant moon with his halo as Gu Xiaosang laughed through her tears.
• Meng Qi spoke with Ji Hao afterward, confirmed that the Traces of Immortals Three Pure Ones had become the real Three Pure Ones, and asked him to stop tormenting Daoist Chonghe.

Chapter Summary: “The First Other Shore War”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As the calamity approaches its conclusion, the long-dormant Other Shore Beings begin reappearing throughout the Heavens and Myriad Realms. Their return signals the start of a new, decisive war.
• Amitabha Buddha unleashes her full power, manifesting an ocean of Buddhas and invoking the Forty-Eight Great Vows. She expands the Western Ultimate Bliss World and blocks Tusita Palace, exchanging opponents with Daoist Celestial Worthy.
• Daoist Celestial Worthy responds with the Golden Bridge and One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, leading to a clash between the two strongest Ancient Ones. Their battle becomes so profound that ordinary Other Shore Beings cannot perceive its details.
• At the same time, Ancient Buddha Bodhi attacks Lingbao Heavenly Venerable through Biyou Palace using the Seven Treasure Wondrous Tree. Meng Qi counters with the Three Treasures Ruyi.
• Unborn Mother intervenes to stop Meng Qi, using the Plain Cloud Boundary Flag to isolate Yuxu Palace and wielding the Heaven-Punishing Axe. Her objective is to preserve Gu Xiaosang’s chance to reach the Other Shore while preventing Demon Buddha from becoming complete.
• Fuxi, controlled by Amitabha Buddha, attempts to suppress Maitreya and defend the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth. Supreme True Buddha attacks Maitreya as well, but reveals that she has fused with Sandalwood Merit Buddha and identifies herself with Vairocana Buddha.
• Supreme True Buddha, Fuxi, Ancient Buddha Bodhi, and Golden Emperor suddenly turn their combined assault against Lingbao Heavenly Venerable. Ji Hao reveals that she anticipated this plan.
• The Demon Emperor intervenes on Ji Hao’s behalf. Through the Landscape and State Diagram, the Human Emperor Sword, and the Demon Sage Spear, she heavily strikes and suppresses Supreme True Buddha.
• Demon Buddha’s larger scheme is disrupted when the Heavenly Emperor prematurely attacks Fuxi with the Blade of Time, destroying Amitabha Buddha’s imprint within him. This reveals the Heavenly Emperor’s terrifying strength and her ability to personally kill an Other Shore Being.
• Golden Emperor turns against the Heavenly Emperor with the Heaven-Punishing Axe, while Fuxi reveals an immense hidden power connected to the Ninth Heaven and survives the attack.
• Meng Qi finally emerges from Yuxu Palace, declaring that it is his turn to act, though he and Demon Buddha remain outside the main battle to preserve their strength for the decisive confrontation.
• Azure Emperor unexpectedly sides with the Three Pure Ones, lending the Primordial Yang Ruler to Meng Qi. He and Meng Qi block Ancient Buddha Bodhi and Unborn Mother.
• Demon Buddha responds by controlling the Heavenly Dao Monster and sending it against Azure Emperor’s weapon.
• Azure Emperor then extracts the Medicine King Buddha’s imprints from the River of Time and sends them toward the Zhuxian Sword Array. The array is briefly shaken open, but Meng Qi’s Wuji Yuanshi Celebratory Cloud absorbs and assimilates the Medicine King Buddha into Chaos.

Character Developments

• Ji Hao / Lingbao Heavenly Venerable: Demonstrates exceptional foresight, having anticipated nearly every faction’s plan against her. She remains calm and confident, refusing to surrender the Four Zhuxian Swords and relying on prepared alliances.
• Meng Qi / Primordial Celestial Worthy: Moves from defense to active participation after breaking free of Unborn Mother’s suppression. His ability to absorb the Medicine King Buddha into Wuji and Chaos demonstrates the overwhelming power of his evolving Dao Fruit.
• Amitabha Buddha: Reveals her complete strength by combining her Dharma, reward, and manifestation bodies. She personally blocks Daoist Celestial Worthy and continues influencing the battlefield through Fuxi.
• Daoist Celestial Worthy: Matches Amitabha Buddha directly, using the Golden Bridge and Three Pure Ones to neutralize her vast Buddhist manifestations.
• Unborn Mother: Acts pragmatically rather than out of loyalty. She protects Meng Qi because she needs him to aid Gu Xiaosang, but also seeks to prevent other powerful beings from reaching their peak.
• Supreme True Buddha: Reveals a major transformation: she has fused with Sandalwood Merit Buddha and claims to be the single pure Dharma Body from which all Buddhas originate. Her confidence is shaken when the Demon Emperor overwhelms her.
• Demon Buddha Ananda: Attempts to arrange a decisive assassination of Ji Hao and seize victory in the calamity, but her plan is disrupted by premature actions from the Heavenly Emperor and the shifting alliances.
• Heavenly Emperor: Acts independently of the agreed plan, striking Fuxi before Demon Buddha is ready. Her action demonstrates both her ambition and her immense power.
• Azure Emperor: Makes a crucial strategic decision to support Meng Qi and the Three Pure Ones, despite previously remaining detached. He sacrifices and manipulates the Medicine King Buddha’s imprints to aid the assault.
• Fuxi: Initially appears constrained by Amitabha Buddha’s control, but later reveals a deeper, terrifying power tied to the Ninth Heaven and survives Golden Emperor’s attack.
• Demon Emperor: Confirms her dual identity as both humanity’s ancestor and the Demon Emperor. She intervenes decisively to protect Ji Hao, using overwhelming force against Supreme True Buddha.

Significant Themes

• The final struggle for the Dao Fruit: The approaching end of the calamity forces every Other Shore Being to choose between alliances, betrayals, and attempts to eliminate rivals before they can reach completion.
• Unstable alliances: Cooperation is purely strategic. Even beings fighting on the same side distrust one another, as shown by Golden Emperor’s hostility toward the Heavenly Emperor and the Demon Emperor’s conditional support.
• Foresight and counter-strategy: The battle is fought as much through plans made across the past and future as through direct combat. Ji Hao’s strength lies partly in predicting the schemes of her enemies.
• Identity and unity: Supreme True Buddha’s fusion with Sandalwood Merit Buddha raises questions about whether all Buddhas are manifestations of one fundamental Dharma Body.
• The danger of unfinished power: Beings close to the Dao Fruit are treated as threats by Heaven and by their peers. Their possible completion makes them targets for coordinated attacks.
• Cycles of destruction and rebirth: The conflict repeatedly depicts Buddhist worlds, laws, and manifestations being destroyed and recreated, reflecting the chapter’s larger focus on the end of an epoch.
• The conflict between order and ambition: Many characters claim to defend Heaven, humanity, Buddhism, or the Dao, but their actions are ultimately shaped by personal survival and the desire to control the calamity’s conclusion.

Important Character Interactions

• Amitabha Buddha vs. Daoist Celestial Worthy: Their direct confrontation becomes the central high-level battle, with each using their strongest manifestations and principles.
• Meng Qi vs. Unborn Mother: She suppresses his connection to the outside world, but does not seek to kill him because she needs him to protect Gu Xiaosang’s Dao.
• Ji Hao vs. Supreme True Buddha and her allies: Ji Hao is the intended target of a coordinated attack, but she anticipates it and calls upon the Demon Emperor for protection.
• Demon Emperor vs. Supreme True Buddha: The Demon Emperor’s combined use of three supreme treasures decisively knocks Supreme True Buddha back.
• Heavenly Emperor vs. Fuxi: The Heavenly Emperor’s Blade of Time destroys Amitabha’s imprint within Fuxi, violating the original plan and changing the course of the battle.
• Golden Emperor vs. Heavenly Emperor: Golden Emperor attacks the Heavenly Emperor with the Heaven-Punishing Axe, showing that their alliance is temporary and distrustful.
• Meng Qi and Azure Emperor: Azure Emperor openly joins Meng Qi’s side and lends him the Primordial Yang Ruler, greatly strengthening the Three Pure Ones’ position.
• Meng Qi vs. Medicine King Buddha: Meng Qi neutralizes Azure Emperor’s extracted Medicine King Buddha by absorbing it into Wuji and Chaos.
• Demon Buddha vs. the wider battlefield: Demon Buddha attempts to manipulate every faction toward Lingbao Heavenly Venerable’s destruction, but the unexpected movements of the Heavenly Emperor and Azure Emperor threaten her carefully arranged victory.

Meng Qi and his allies fought to stop Heavenly Emperor and Demon Buddha as Ji Hao deployed the complete Zhuxian Sword Array. Ancient Buddha Bodhi entered the array and then turned on Demon Buddha, while Meng Qi began absorbing the Holy Buddha’s Bodhi Golden Body.

• Meng Qi used Medicine King Buddha’s karma to free Azure Emperor, then created Zhending Tathagata and battled Demon Buddha as Ji Hao arrived to suppress two Ancient Ones.
• Ji Hao summoned the complete Zhuxian Sword Array, and Ancient Buddha Bodhi and two other powerful beings entered it through separate gates.
• Heavenly Emperor confronted Meng Qi, while Demon Buddha swallowed the Nine Netherworlds, transformed its inhabitants, and entered the array alongside the Heavenly Dao Monster.
• Black Heavenly Emperor sent Ancient Buddha Bodhi into Meng Qi’s battle, revealing Bodhi’s betrayal of Demon Buddha and his aim to break the array.
• Meng Qi forced Heavenly Emperor back and used the Supreme Wuji Yuanshi Celebratory Cloud to envelop Bodhi’s Golden Body and absorb its Eight-Nine Xuan Gong.

Ji Hao used the Zhuxian Sword Array and the Four Saints’ attack to forge the End of Days Universe Sword, then unleashed its power and gravely wounded three Ancient Ones. The great figures withdrew, leaving Ji Hao holding the completed weapon while Meng Qi remained short of becoming an Ancient One.

• Zhending Tathagata returned to Meng Qi, who manifested Daoist Qingyuan and severed Sun Wukong’s karmic shackles, weakening the Demon Buddha.
• The Demon Buddha and the Heavenly Dao Monster entered the Zhuxian Sword Array, where Ji Hao and his Lingbao avatars held off four opposing Other Shore beings.
• Ji Hao let the Four Saints shatter the Four Zhuxian Swords, then used the fragments and the array’s tribulation-ending power to forge the End of Days Universe Sword.
• The Daoist Celestial Worthy and Amitabha Buddha stabilized Heaven and Earth as Ji Hao’s sword nearly triggered the final tribulation.
• Ji Hao struck with the End of Days Universe Sword, gravely wounding three Ancient Ones and driving the Demon Buddha into concealment.
• The Other Shore beings withdrew, Meng Qi’s attempt to trace his imprints backward stalled, and Ji Hao remained with the completed sword.

Chapter Summary: “The Most Ancient One, the Moment of the End!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Hao attempts to attain the authority of the Most Ancient One, specifically the ability to rewind time to before Heaven and Earth were created. She travels backward through major eras, witnessing the Demon Buddha’s chaos, the Human Emperor’s struggle for the Human Race, and the primordial age before the opening of Heaven and Earth.
• After receiving guidance through an imprint from the Investiture of the Gods era, Ji Hao realizes that she can first reach the Most Ancient One’s level through combat power and then forcibly enter the Time Axis.
• Using the End of Days Universe Sword and the momentum of the End of Tribulation, Ji Hao breaks into the Time Axis and becomes a true Most Ancient One. Her Dao now exists before the Great Dao itself, giving her the ability to prevent the creation of Heaven and Earth—though doing so would disrupt the existence of all later Other Shore Beings.
• Ji Hao considers destroying the origin of time, but Amitabha Buddha warns her to show restraint. She abandons the idea, recognizing that provoking the Three Pure Ones and the other Most Ancient Ones would be dangerous.
• More than thirty years pass. The Real Realm deteriorates rapidly: the far north melts, seas rise, islands disappear, and apocalyptic disasters spread throughout the universe.
• Demon Buddha Ananda declares that the time has come and detonates the Nine Netherworlds, triggering the true arrival of the final tribulation.
• Meng Qi activates the Doomsday Ark, absorbing the apocalyptic aura. Xuanbei’s Ksitigarbha Pure Land becomes the foundation of the ark, which is designed to carry all living beings through the end of the world.
• The Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor transforms the Underworld into an Other Shore Divine Weapon. The Underworld then merges with the Crossing-the-World Raft, further strengthening the vessel of salvation.
• Gu Xiaosang seizes the opportunity created by the apocalypse and the prayers of countless beings. As the White Lotus Holy Mother, she gathers their faith and attempts to break free from the Sea of Bitterness and ascend to the Other Shore.
• The River of Time reveals that the future has nearly vanished, making the final destruction of the epoch visible. This weak future paradoxically makes it easier for Gu Xiaosang to seize and condense the future into an Illusory Dao Fruit.
• Demon Buddha Ananda emerges from the Nine Netherworlds as the apocalypse fully begins. The Western Regions and Eastern Sea collapse together, and the Real Realm enters its final stage.
• Ji Hao/Lingbao Heavenly Venerable, empowered by the End of Tribulation and wielding the End of Days Universe Sword, becomes effectively invincible. Even the combined Other Shore Beings may be unable to defeat her.
• In response to the coming end, Maitreya begins his own attempt to ascend. He declares that in the Final Dharma Age everyone will become a Buddha and that he will never abandon living beings or the future.
• The faith of the Buddhist Kingdom on Earth converges around Maitreya, illuminating the otherwise dying future. Maitreya and Gu Xiaosang begin ascending toward the Other Shore at nearly the same time, while Amitabha Buddha and the Unborn Mother prepare to enter the Real Realm.

Character Developments

• Ji Hao reaches the level of the Most Ancient One and gains control over the Time Axis. Her power now precedes the Great Dao itself, making her one of the most dangerous beings in existence. Although she is tempted to erase the beginning of time, she demonstrates restraint and political awareness by choosing not to destroy the plans of the other Most Ancient Ones.
• Amitabha Buddha acts as a voice of caution, preventing Ji Hao from recklessly extinguishing time and destabilizing the struggle for the Dao Fruit.
• The Human Emperor is remembered as an ideal ruler who fought not merely for humanity but for all living beings, earning Ji Hao’s admiration.
• Demon Buddha Ananda embraces his role as an agent of destruction. He deliberately detonates the Nine Netherworlds and personally announces the final collapse.
• Meng Qi prepares for the apocalypse by preserving Xuanbei’s Pure Land inside the Doomsday Ark, emphasizing his concern for the survival of all beings.
• Xuanbei becomes the spiritual guardian of the Crossing-the-World Raft, reciting Ksitigarbha’s name while preparing to ferry countless beings through the end.
• The Nine Netherworld Ghost Emperor advances by transforming the Underworld into a peerless Divine Weapon and proving the Dao through the principles of death, reincarnation, and samsara.
• Gu Xiaosang uses the suffering and prayers of the living as the foundation for her breakthrough. She is no longer merely preparing for ascension; she actively takes control of the opportunity created by the apocalypse.
• Wang Siyuan recognizes the limits of mortal calculation. After years of regret and isolation, he admits that only an Other Shore Being can truly oppose another Other Shore Being, and his hair turns white from despair.
• Maitreya finally acts on his prophecy as the Future Buddha Ancestor. His vows transform him from a passive future figure into an active contender for the Other Shore.

Significant Themes

• The hierarchy of power: The chapter emphasizes that differences between Other Shore Beings may be subtle in ordinary combat but become absolute in matters involving the Time Axis, the origin of Heaven and Earth, and the beginning or ending of epochs.
• Control over time and causality: Becoming the Most Ancient One means existing before the Great Dao and potentially deciding whether later realities and beings can exist at all.
• Restraint versus destruction: Ji Hao possesses the power to erase creation but chooses not to use it. True supremacy is shown not only through strength but through the judgment to refrain from destroying the cosmic order.
• The final apocalypse as opportunity: The end of the world is simultaneously a catastrophe and the greatest chance for figures such as Gu Xiaosang and Maitreya to ascend.
• Faith and collective will: Gu Xiaosang and Maitreya draw strength from the prayers and hopes of countless beings. Individual transcendence is presented as inseparable from the beliefs and suffering of the masses.
• Salvation versus annihilation: The Doomsday Ark and Crossing-the-World Raft represent preservation and liberation, while Demon Buddha Ananda represents destruction and finality.
• The limits of mortal resistance: Wang Siyuan’s realization underscores the chapter’s bleak conclusion that ordinary wisdom, strategy, and rebellion cannot defeat beings operating on the Other Shore.
• The uncertainty of the future: With the River of Time nearly ending, even the Other Shore Beings face the possibility of having no future. The struggle for transcendence has become a struggle over whether existence itself can continue.

Important Character Interactions

• Ji Hao encounters the Human Emperor across time and develops deep respect for his mission to liberate all living beings.
• Ji Hao consults the guidance associated with the Three Pure Ones and learns that her path to becoming the Most Ancient One is already open.
• Amitabha Buddha directly warns Ji Hao against destroying the origin of time, establishing a cautious relationship between the two Most Ancient Ones.
• Demon Buddha Ananda’s actions trigger the apocalypse, forcing Meng Qi, Xuanbei, Gu Xiaosang, Maitreya, and the other major beings to act.
• Meng Qi and Xuanbei cooperate through the Doomsday Ark, turning Xuanbei’s Pure Land into a vessel for universal salvation.
• Gu Xiaosang receives tacit approval from the True Emptiness Homeland and is not opposed by most major Other Shore Beings, allowing her to attempt ascension.
• Wang Siyuan reacts to Gu Xiaosang’s rise and the apocalypse with bitter recognition of his own inability to challenge Heaven’s will.
• Maitreya draws power from the devotion of the Buddhist Kingdom, while Amitabha Buddha observes his attempt with compassion.
• Gu Xiaosang and Maitreya become parallel contenders, both attempting to ascend at the decisive moment when the epoch itself is ending.