Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Houtu recognizes Wang Shi at the Purple Firmament Palace. Although the other Ancestral Witches distrust him, she asks permission to speak with him.
• Wang Shi gives Houtu his prized front-row meditation cushion, despite warnings from his masters and the crowd that it may be exceptionally important. He insists she take it, then finds a seat farther back.
• Dao Ancestor Hongjun begins his lecture on the Great Dao and declares that the seating arrangement will remain fixed. He briefly gives Wang Shi a knowing look.
• Hongjun’s teaching helps many attendees understand the path beyond the Daluo Golden Immortal realm and make breakthroughs. The Ancestral Witches, apart from Houtu, struggle to follow.
• Wang Shi worries that Houtu may be destined to sacrifice herself to become reincarnation, and hopes his gift might help her avoid that fate. He eventually concentrates on the lecture and breaks through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
• After ten thousand years of teaching and cultivation, Hongjun ends the lecture and departs. Houtu invites Wang Shi to return to Buzhou Mountain with her.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi acts out of affection and concern for Houtu, sacrificing a coveted seat without hesitation. Despite his playful confidence, he is wary that Hongjun may know more about him than he lets on.
• Houtu is touched and curious about Wang Shi’s sacrifice. She listens attentively to the lecture and appears to gain insight, unlike most of her brothers.
• The Ancestral Witches are suspicious of Wang Shi and anxious about Houtu taking the seat. Xuanming senses they should leave her undisturbed and stops the others from intervening.
• Wang Shi’s three masters disagree over his decision: some caution him, while another supports following his heart.
• Hongjun lectures with great generosity, supplying spiritual energy to aid the audience’s breakthroughs. His pointed remark and brief gaze toward Wang Shi suggest he notices his wandering attention—or perhaps something more.

Significant themes

• Selflessness and emotional loyalty: Wang Shi gives up a potentially valuable advantage for Houtu’s sake.
• Fate and changing destiny: His concern that Houtu may die fulfilling her future role raises the possibility that his actions can alter the established course of events.
• Different kinds of ability: Houtu’s receptiveness contrasts with the other Witches’ inability to grasp the lecture, while Wang Shi’s own cultivation advances through sustained attention.
• The value of opportunity: The crowd sees the seat as a rare prize, making Wang Shi’s choice appear either foolish or admirable.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Wang Shi invites the Three Pure Ones to Buzhou Mountain, warning that an Innate Spiritual Treasure is about to mature. He expects it to be the Innate Gourd Vine.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches depart with Houtu, who invites Wang Shi to visit the Pangu Temple. The Three Pure Ones openly disparage the Witch Clan but recognize that Houtu is unusually gifted.
• Tongtian teases Wang Shi about his connection with Houtu and cautions him to preserve his primal yang for the sake of attaining the Great Dao.
• Wang Shi takes leave of Nuwa and Fuxi. He dismisses the importance of the meditation cushion he gave up, though he remains uneasy about the significance of the newly appeared seats of sagehood.
• On their return from the Purple Firmament Palace, the Three Pure Ones shield Wang Shi from a crowd of cultivators seeking masters.
• At Buzhou Mountain, Wang Shi leads the Three Pure Ones to a hidden cave, where the Gourd Vine has matured. Its seven gourds radiate powerful Dao resonances, and Wang Shi struggles to conceal them.
• Zhunti and Jieyin secretly enter Buzhou Mountain to seek its treasures. Di Jun and Taiyi arrive with Demon Tribe forces, intending to negotiate with the Ancestral Witches as tensions between the clans rise.
• The Three Pure Ones advise Wang Shi not to conceal the vine: its emerging merit suggests it has a spirit and is seeking its destined masters. Wang Shi refuses to accept this, threatens to destroy it, and the seven gourds plead for their lives, saying they are following the Heavenly Dao.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi remains confident and possessive about powerful treasures, but his unease over the changing arrangement of sagehood seats hints at uncertainty about the future. His willingness to threaten the Gourd Vine reveals how far he will go to keep it from others.
• The Three Pure Ones act as Wang Shi’s protectors and advisers. They are dismissive of the Witches, yet perceptive enough to see Houtu’s unusual potential and understand that the Gourd Vine may have its own will.
• Houtu shows warmth toward Wang Shi by inviting him to visit, while the other Witches keep her physically separated from the Three Pure Ones.
• Nuwa and Fuxi part amicably with Wang Shi; Fuxi regrets his giving up the cushion, while Wang Shi insists it does not suit his path.
• Zhunti and Jieyin conceal their identities to search Buzhou Mountain, while Di Jun and Taiyi approach openly with a diplomatic aim—underscoring the growing competition for the mountain’s resources.

Significant themes

• Destiny versus possession: The Gourd Vine’s claim to follow the Heavenly Dao challenges Wang Shi’s belief that he can simply claim or destroy a treasure.
• Rivalry and uneasy coexistence: The Three Pure Ones and Witches trade insults, while the Demon Tribe’s attempt at negotiation suggests mounting conflict may still be contained.
• The uncertain path to power: Wang Shi’s comments about the meditation seats and the changing prospects for sagehood point to a larger, unsettled cosmic order.

Key plot points and events

• The seven sentient gourds on Buzhou Mountain ripen and try to escape. The Three Pure Ones and Wang Shi seize four; the other three flee.
• Eastern Emperor Taiyi catches a blue gourd. Nuwa receives a green one by chance, while Hong Yun captures a red gourd on his way to Wuzhuang Temple.
• Wang Shi collects the withered Innate Gourd Vine and discovers rare nine-heavens breathing soil at its roots. He and the Three Pure Ones divide the soil before returning to the Divine Hall.
• While refining the yellow gourd—the Immortal Slaying Flying Knife—Wang Shi threatens it with the Pangu Divine Axe until it submits. The gourd explains that it can attack immortals whose names it knows, but its power is limited against Quasi-Saints and stronger beings.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi shows his confidence and temper, using the axe as a threat, but also treats the gourd’s abilities with practical skepticism.
• The Three Pure Ones accept that fate or the Heavenly Dao determined which gourds they could obtain. They praise Wang Shi’s knowledge and share in the breathing soil.
• Nuwa and Fuxi view her unexpected gourd as a fortunate, destined gift.
• Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi respond to the red gourd without rivalry: Zhen Yuanzi admires Hong Yun’s technique and asks to learn from him, while Hong Yun readily agrees.
• The Immortal Slaying Flying Knife shifts from defiant to obedient, then becomes a boastful but talkative companion.

Significant themes

• Destiny and possession: Characters interpret the gourds they catch—or fail to catch—as gifts allotted by heaven.
• Power and restraint: The gourd is formidable against ordinary immortals but has clear limits against stronger opponents.
• Knowledge and resourcefulness: Wang Shi’s awareness of the vine and soil helps the group recognize value beyond the gourds themselves.
• Freedom versus control: The gourds seek to escape, while their captors intend to refine and bind them as magical treasures.

Key plot points and events

• Taiyi and Zhurong’s disagreement at the Pangu Temple escalates into a battle between the Demon Tribe and the Twelve Ancestral Witches, shaking Buzhou Mountain and endangering its inhabitants.
• Wang Shi arrives with the Three Pure Ones and intervenes, swiftly knocking fighters aside and forcing both factions to stop.
• Houtu explains that the demons struck lethally during peace talks, provoking the Witches. Wang Shi hears both sides but focuses on the damage their fighting caused to his mountain.
• With the Three Pure Ones’ backing, Wang Shi imposes three demands: each faction must pay him a thousand spirit fruits; all future negotiations on Buzhou Mountain must be mediated by him; and he reserves a third demand for later.
• The factions accept, and Wang Shi brings them to his divine hall to begin proper negotiations.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi asserts himself as Buzhou Mountain’s guardian and a mediator, using both his own authority and his masters’ presence to control the conflict. He is stern, practical, and openly pleased to have powerful allies behind him.
• Houtu gives a measured account of the clash despite her displeasure with the Demon Tribe, showing greater restraint than her hot-tempered brothers.
• Dijiang remains stubborn and unwilling to explain himself, while Taiyi protests that the Witches started the fight.
• The Three Pure Ones firmly support Wang Shi, making clear that his decisions carry their authority. Dijun approves of Wang Shi’s handling of the crisis.

Significant themes

• Conflict and diplomacy: Even factions eager for peace can be pulled into violence by mistrust and provocation.
• Authority and responsibility: Wang Shi insists that those who damage his territory must answer for it, and uses authority to restore order.
• Power and mediation: The Three Pure Ones’ backing gives Wang Shi the leverage to make both sides negotiate rather than fight.

Plot points and events

• Wang Shi mediates a reconciliation between the Witch Clan and the Demon Tribe. The agreement establishes that demons rule the heavens and witches rule the earth, with neither interfering in the other’s domain. Wang Shi and the injured party will punish any future violations.
• Both sides sign the accord and attend a celebratory banquet on Buzhou Mountain. Wang Shi proposes a discussion of the Dao, and the assembled powers agree.
• Wang Shi expounds the Pangu Great Dao, teaching that overwhelming force can break through all techniques. His sermon draws countless beings and helps them gain insight; the Twelve Ancestral Witches, in particular, understand their innate powers more deeply and grow stronger.
• After a century of teaching, Wang Shi breaks through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. Merit descends because his sermon has benefited so many beings.
• Taishang Laozi then teaches the Dao of Nonaction, followed by Yuanshi and Tongtian. Their teachings also bring insight, breakthroughs, and merit. Buzhou Mountain becomes a renowned center of Daoist learning, attracting ever more listeners.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi establishes himself as a forceful mediator and host, enforcing peace on his territory while also revealing his mastery of the Pangu Great Dao. Teaching advances both his cultivation and influence.
• The Witches and Demons accept peace reluctantly, chiefly because they fear the consequences of refusing Wang Shi’s terms. The Witches, initially ill at ease with Dao discussion, benefit greatly from Wang Shi’s teaching.
• The Three Pure Ones respond to Wang Shi’s sermon with respect. Laozi explains the source of Wang Shi’s merit, then shares his own Dao; Yuanshi and Tongtian follow with teachings of their own.
• The gathering shifts from a tense political negotiation to a shared exchange of teachings, with the powerful figures and ordinary beings listening and learning together.

Significant themes

• Peace through authority and compromise: The treaty ends open conflict, though it is enforced by Wang Shi’s power rather than mutual trust.
• Teaching as a source of merit: Benefiting and enlightening others brings spiritual reward as well as cultivation.
• Different paths to the Dao: Wang Shi’s force-centered Pangu Great Dao and Laozi’s natural, noninterfering Dao offer contrasting approaches, each useful to different listeners.
• Shared growth: The sermons show how wisdom can strengthen beings across ranks and backgrounds.

Key events

• After a thousand years of Dao discussion at Buzhou Mountain, Wang Shi and the other powerful beings have deepened their understanding and strengthened their cultivation. The departing Demon Emperors Dijun and Taiyi thank their hosts; outside, countless beings gather at the mountain, drawn by its growing spiritual influence.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches also prepare to leave. Dijiang thanks Wang Shi and invites him to visit the Pangu Temple. Wang Shi recommends life-and-death combat as a way for the Witches to strengthen their Pangu origins.
• In the Blood Sea, Beast Emperor Shen Ni gathers his avatars and merges with them, then severs his three corpses through an unusual method. He reaches the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm, and the Fierce Beast Tribe’s fortune surges beyond that of the Witch and Demon Tribes combined.
• Shen Ni sends the revived Fierce Beast horde out of the Savage Wilderness to conquer the Primordial World. They overrun much of Southern Jambudvipa, forcing the inhabitants and allied tribes into desperate resistance.
• The Heavenly Court receives reports that the allied forces are close to collapse and the calamity is spreading—even into the Thirty-Three Heavens. Taiyi realizes the Demon Tribe cannot avoid the crisis and asks whether the Witch Clan has been informed.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi earns the Ancestral Witches’ respect as a powerful, kindhearted figure with great potential. His teasing glance makes Houtu blush and retreat behind the others, while the other Witches discreetly pretend not to notice.
• Dijiang expresses gratitude for Wang Shi’s help; Wang Shi responds warmly and proposes sparring during future visits.
• Shen Ni emerges as a renewed threat: his extraordinary breakthrough gives him both immense power and a stronger claim to rule.
• Taiyi shifts from assuming the Witches should handle the invasion to recognizing that the Heavenly Court is directly threatened too.

Significant themes

• Mutual learning and growth: Different Dao teachings inspire the participants and help each advance.
• Gratitude and fellowship: Wang Shi’s bonds with the Witches are strengthened by shared experience and sincere respect.
• Rising power and shifting fortune: Shen Ni’s breakthrough rapidly overturns the balance between the major factions.
• The return of catastrophe: Accumulated baleful qi fuels the Fierce Beast resurgence, turning a regional invasion into a world-threatening crisis.

Plot points and events

• The Fierce Beast calamity spreads across the Primordial World. The beasts multiply rapidly by absorbing death aura and baleful qi, and their coordinated attacks suggest they are being directed by someone.
• Demon Emperor Di Jun severs his good corpse and breaks through to the quasi-saint realm. Eastern Emperor Taiyi quickly follows, severing his own good corpse with apparent ease and astonishing the Demon Court’s leaders.
• Demon Marshal Bai Ze urges the Demon Court to recruit Kunpeng, and Taiyi sets out for the Northern Darkness Sea. Afterward, Bai Ze privately reveals to Di Jun that Beast Emperor Shen Ni has revived and reached the peak of the quasi-saint realm, with Kunpeng’s help.
• The intelligence came from Ancestor Minghe, who appears to be trying to protect himself by informing the Demon Court while avoiding commitment. Di Jun becomes suspicious of Kunpeng’s motives and decides to investigate.
• Di Jun and Bai Ze go to Pangu Temple to confer with the Witch Clan. The Twelve Ancestral Witches are already arguing over whether to launch an all-out assault on the beasts. Di Jun reveals Shen Ni’s return, but Zhurong says the Witches already knew: Wang Shi has encountered Shen Ni several times.

Character developments and interactions

• Di Jun achieves a major cultivation breakthrough, while Taiyi demonstrates exceptional talent by matching him almost immediately. Their friendly rivalry pushes them both to advance.
• Taiyi rebukes the Demon Marshals for neglecting their cultivation, showing his stern leadership.
• Bai Ze proves both discreet and strategic: he withholds sensitive intelligence from Taiyi to prevent a rash response, then guides Di Jun toward investigating Kunpeng.
• Di Jun and Bai Ze cooperate in seeking the Witches’ help, while the meeting reveals that Wang Shi already has direct knowledge of Shen Ni.
• The Witches’ heated debate contrasts with the Demon Court’s more structured decision-making.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: The breakthroughs of Di Jun and Taiyi underscore the drive to grow stronger amid escalating danger.
• Caution and strategy: The leaders must weigh military action against the threat posed by Shen Ni and the uncertain loyalties of Kunpeng and Minghe.
• Unity amid crisis: The calamity forces the Demon Court and Witch Clan to share information and consider cooperation, despite their different temperaments and approaches.

Plot points and events

• Wang Shi warns that Beast Emperor Shen Ni has reached the peak of the Quasi-Saint realm and may become a Saint through slaughter, threatening the Primordial World.
• The crisis worsens when the group learns Shen Ni has taken part of the Blood Sea’s origin. The Fierce Beast Tribe can grow stronger through killing, and Shen Ni may be effectively impossible to kill while his beasts survive.
• Wang Shi suspects unseen forces are steering events. He wonders whether the upheaval is driven by the Great Dao, Hongjun, or another power.
• Dijiang calls for the Witch Clan and Demon Tribe to confront the disaster together. Gonggong bluntly advocates total war, and Wang Shi supports mobilizing against the beasts.
• Dijun refuses to commit before consulting Taiyi and addressing Kunpeng. The others suspect he sees the crisis as an opportunity for the Demon Tribe. The Witches also acknowledge that they would not sacrifice their own interests for another group.
• Wang Shi and the Three Pure Ones leave to cultivate rather than continue a futile debate.
• At the Heavenly Court, Taiyi brings Kunpeng in after using the Chaos Bell to capture him. Dijun offers Kunpeng formal recognition as the Demon Tribe’s Demon Master, citing his creation of demon script.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi remains alert to the larger forces shaping events, but admits he lacks enough information to identify them. He backs Gonggong’s direct approach when diplomacy offers no solution.
• Dijun appears cautious in public but is suspected of pursuing the Demon Tribe’s advantage rather than prioritizing joint action. He later tries to secure Kunpeng’s loyalty with an official title.
• Dijiang seeks cooperation with the Demon Tribe, while recognizing that neither people will readily put collective interests at risk.
• Gonggong shows his usual impatience, urging an all-out war instead of prolonged deliberation.
• Kunpeng is wary of being brought before the Heavenly Emperors, but is tempted by the official Demon Master title because it could strengthen him through the Demon Tribe’s fortune.
• The Three Pure Ones explain why Shen Ni cannot simply be killed, tempering the group’s confidence in a straightforward solution.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: Shen Ni’s connection to the surviving beasts makes the crisis difficult to end through ordinary force.
• Political self-interest: Even facing a world-threatening danger, the Witches and Demons hesitate to risk their own people, and Dijun may see the conflict as a chance to rise.
• Hidden manipulation and uncertainty: Wang Shi suspects the crisis is part of a larger design, but cannot yet determine who—or what—is directing events.
• Legitimacy and ambition: Kunpeng’s possible appointment shows how official recognition can transform a self-proclaimed position into a source of status and power.

Plot points and events

• Patriarch Kunpeng is summoned by Demon Emperor Dijun, who offers him the title of Demon Master in exchange for an explanation of his suspected connection to Beast Emperor Shen Ni. Kunpeng denies involvement and accuses Ancestor Minghe of framing him.
• Dijun has Kunpeng confined in a spirit-sealing formation but refuses Taiyi’s suggestion to torture him. He reasons that Kunpeng would not knowingly help Shen Ni return if it meant destroying his own chance of attaining sainthood.
• At Buzhou Mountain, Wang Shi examines a Fierce Beast corpse secretly delivered by Houtu. He recognizes that its blood baleful qi contains Pangu origin.
• The Three Pure Ones suspect Minghe helped the Fierce Beasts absorb the baleful qi, perhaps to strengthen himself. Wang Shi believes they have missed the deeper source of the beasts’ power: their Pangu origin.
• Wang Shi absorbs the corpse’s blood baleful qi. The body withers to dust, and his strength noticeably increases. He then expels the qi from his body, reassuring his masters that it cannot corrupt him.

Character developments and interactions

• Kunpeng is defensive and suspicious, denying any connection to Shen Ni and blaming Minghe. His confinement leaves his loyalty and involvement unresolved.
• Dijun acts cautiously, prioritizing political standing and strategy over force. Taiyi, by contrast, favors torture as a direct way to obtain answers.
• Wang Shi demonstrates his unusual ability to detect and benefit from Pangu origin, while keeping his deeper understanding from the Three Pure Ones.
• The Three Pure Ones worry that absorbing baleful qi could damage Wang Shi’s mind and cultivation. Tongtian warns that even if he can expel it now, long-term exposure may lead to corruption. Wang Shi insists his Stone Spirit body and ability to release the qi protect him.

Significant themes

• Political suspicion and hidden motives: Kunpeng’s alleged ties to Shen Ni and the competing ambitions of Minghe and the Demon Emperors drive the first scene.
• Power and corruption: The baleful qi offers rapid strength but may carry a spiritual and moral cost.
• Different levels of understanding: Wang Shi perceives the Pangu origin behind the Fierce Beasts’ rise, while the Three Pure Ones focus on the more visible blood baleful qi.
• Trust and secrecy: Wang Shi reassures his masters but withholds what he knows about Pangu origin and his own intentions.

Plot points and events

• Wang Shi asks the Three Pure Ones to accompany him to the front lines, both to help stop the Fierce Beasts and to guard him from Beast Emperor Shen Ni. Though they had tried to dissuade him, his three masters agree.
• At Pangu Temple, the Three Pure Ones meet with the Twelve Ancestral Witches to discuss the spreading crisis. The Witch Clan is badly stretched, with Fierce Beasts attacking across multiple regions and no reinforcements from the Heavenly Court.
• Wang Shi speaks privately with Houtu about the beasts’ Blood Sea origin and the strange, persistent power within them. They discover that both can absorb the beasts’ blood baleful qi to strengthen their own power while expelling its corrupting influence.
• Houtu realizes the method could be dangerous or controversial if others learn of it, and she and Wang Shi promise to be cautious. Dijiang interrupts and chases Wang Shi from the temple, protective of Houtu.
• As Wang Shi and the Three Pure Ones travel toward Southern Jambudvipa, they find Fierce Beasts attacking Wuzhuang Temple in Eastern Purvavideha. Their coordinated assault suggests a leader is directing them. Wang Shi identifies a clever, one-eyed giant concealed among the horde.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi remains determined to face the crisis, balancing altruistic intentions with a private interest in gaining strength from the beasts’ qi. He trusts Houtu and shares his discovery with her.
• Houtu shows unusual sensitivity to the qi, linked to her strong Pangu bloodline. Her successful absorption increases her earth-origin power, and her concern for Wang Shi makes their closeness clear.
• The Three Pure Ones reluctantly accept the role of Wang Shi’s protectors, partly out of affection and gratitude toward their only disciple.
• Dijiang remains fiercely protective of Houtu, suspicious of Wang Shi’s visits despite their apparent closeness.
• Zhen Yuanzi is not present, but his Wuzhuang Temple is under siege, marking the group’s next immediate crisis.

Significant themes

• Duty and personal gain: Wang Shi frames his journey as a mission to protect the world, while also recognizing the merit—and strength—he may gain.
• Power with risks: Blood baleful qi can strengthen Wang Shi and Houtu, but its corrupting potential makes secrecy and restraint essential.
• Trust and protection: The chapter highlights loyalty among Wang Shi and his masters, his growing bond with Houtu, and Dijiang’s protectiveness.
• A widening, organized threat: The beasts’ coordinated attacks suggest the tribulation is more than a wave of mindless destruction; an intelligent force is guiding it.

Plot points and events

• As intelligent Fierce Beasts overwhelm Wuzhuang Temple, Hong Yun uses the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd to kill them, but their numbers keep increasing.
• Zhen Yuanzi gives Hong Yun a Ginseng Fruit to restore his energy and urges a defensive approach. Wang Shi and the Three Pure Ones realize the beasts must have a hidden source.
• Wang Shi traces the swarm east to a gorge, where he discovers concealed caverns functioning as breeding and feeding centers. The beasts recycle corpses and use the resulting slaughter and resentment to fuel their rapid growth—and potentially Shen Ni’s power.
• Wang Shi transforms into a colossal form and destroys the gorge’s production network, then devours large numbers of beasts near the gorge and Wuzhuang Temple.
• Afterward, he belches out baleful qi that settles over the gorge and becomes a dangerous Baleful Qi Forest.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi proves observant and decisive: rather than fighting the endless swarm, he searches for its source, then responds with overwhelming force. His enormous appetite and casual enjoyment of eating earth add a comic note to his terrifying display.
• Hong Yun shows considerable power but initially spends his spiritual energy attacking the seemingly endless beasts. He turns to Zhen Yuanzi for help and accepts the fruit.
• Zhen Yuanzi remains cautious and practical, prioritizing defense and investigation over indiscriminate slaughter. He mistakes Wang Shi’s approach for a threat and asks Hong Yun to stop him.
• The Three Pure Ones recognize the real problem and stay behind to monitor the temple while Wang Shi investigates.
• The One-Eyed Giant tries to attack Wang Shi but is easily overwhelmed and faints from fear; Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi are left astonished by Wang Shi’s ferocity.

Significant themes

• Intelligence and adaptation: The Fierce Beasts are organized and resourceful, making them more dangerous than simple monsters.
• The cost of unchecked slaughter: Death feeds the beasts’ reproduction and contributes to Shen Ni’s power, turning violence into a self-sustaining cycle.
• Investigation over brute force: Discovering the source proves more effective than endlessly fighting the swarm.
• Unexpected power and comedy: Wang Shi’s immense, almost absurdly casual appetite contrasts with the danger surrounding him.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After driving off most of the Fierce Beasts besieging Wuzhuang Temple, Wang Shi approaches the temple. Zhen Yuanzi’s Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Gourd attacks him, but Wang Shi evades its full effect by sending a false body away while his real body retreats.
• Believing Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi are treating him as an enemy, Wang Shi uses his earth-controlling powers to shake the land. The two immortals brace Wuzhuang Temple to keep it from collapsing.
• Zhen Yuanzi recognizes Wang Shi and asks him to stop. Wang Shi arrives and jokes that his masters might have destroyed the temple if the misunderstanding had continued.
• The Three Pure Ones descend and join Hong Yun, Zhen Yuanzi, and Wang Shi inside the temple. Zhen Yuanzi explains that the returning Beast Emperor has organized and spread intelligent Fierce Beasts throughout the Primordial World. Because cultivators often spend long periods in seclusion, the creatures have multiplied unchecked.
• Wang Shi proposes that Wuzhuang Temple relocate to Buzhou Mountain, where Hong Yun, Zhen Yuanzi, and their disciples can join him and the Three Pure Ones in containing the outbreak. They agree.

Character developments

• Wang Shi’s willingness to fight the Fierce Beasts reinforces his reputation as kindhearted and ready to help others, though he responds dramatically when he thinks he is under attack.
• Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi shift from testing Wang Shi’s strength to trusting his intentions and accepting his plan.
• The Three Pure Ones present themselves as supportive mentors, while Wang Shi takes initiative in addressing the wider crisis.

Character interactions

• A brief misunderstanding pits Wang Shi against Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi: their magical test looks like an attack to him, and his response nearly endangers their temple.
• Once identities and intentions are clarified, the group exchanges respectful greetings and discusses the crisis cooperatively.
• Wang Shi’s proposal gives Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi a practical way to join the effort.

Significant themes

• Neglect and unchecked danger: Long periods of spiritual cultivation have allowed the Fierce Beasts to grow beyond control.
• Collective responsibility: Wang Shi argues that individual cultivators must unite against a threat affecting the whole world.
• Good intentions and misunderstanding: A well-meant test nearly becomes a destructive confrontation, but trust and communication resolve it.
• Merit through service: Fighting the infestation is framed as both necessary protection and a meritorious deed.

Plot and events

• Although the Fierce Beasts had disrupted Wuzhuang Temple’s cultivation, they had not breached its defenses. The group decided the beasts posed a threat to the whole Primordial World and should be stopped. Hong Yun concealed Wuzhuang Temple with a formation rather than joining the expedition.
• Hong Yun asked how Wang Shi could consume Fierce Beasts without being harmed by their blood-fiend energy. Wang Shi gave a playful, evasive answer, keeping the secret of the Pangu Origin hidden.
• A sudden omen—blood spilling across the sky and feathers falling—signaled disaster at the Heavenly Court. Divination revealed that Kunpeng had rebelled, so the group changed course for the Demon Court.
• On the way, they met Nuwa and Fuxi, who explained that the Beast Emperor had emerged from Kunpeng’s body and attacked the Demon Court. Eastern Emperor Taiyi was gravely wounded, Demon Emperor Dijun fled, and many Demon Tribe leaders vanished or were killed. Nuwa and Fuxi had survived because they were absent and were now trying to restore the tribe.
• The party found the Demon Court reduced to ruins and encountered scattered, injured survivors. Wang Shi sensed that the wider chaos might be driven by some hidden force.
• Following the scent of blood, Wang Shi found Bai Ze, one of the Ten Great Demon Marshals, surrounded by Fierce Beasts. He enlarged himself, swallowed several attackers, scattered the rest, and went to check Bai Ze’s injuries.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi commits to confronting the beasts, protects survivors, and remains alert to a possible unseen cause behind the disasters. He continues to guard the secret of his unusual resistance to blood-fiend energy.
• Hong Yun supports the mission while protecting Wuzhuang Temple through concealment.
• Nuwa and Fuxi are shaken but take responsibility for rebuilding and organizing the Demon Tribe.
• The Three Pure Ones are stunned by the apparent fall of the Demon Court and caution Wang Shi against rushing into a possible ambush.
• Wang Shi and Bai Ze reunite amid the fighting, with Wang Shi immediately coming to Bai Ze’s aid.

Significant themes

• Chaos spreading across the world: The Fierce Beast calamity escalates into the collapse of the Demon Court.
• Duty over seclusion: The group chooses to act rather than remain safely withdrawn.
• Secrecy and trust: Wang Shi helps his allies but withholds the source of his unusual power.
• A deeper threat: The scale and oddities of the disasters suggest that an unseen force may be manipulating events.

Plot points and events

• Bai Ze attacks Wang Shi, punching through his chest and extracting his stone heart—the apparent source of his power. Wang Shi quickly realizes Bai Ze is under subtle mind control, knocks him unconscious, and brings him back to the Three Pure Ones.
• Taishang Laozi identifies blood fiendish qi and the Beast Emperor’s aura as the means of control. Shen Ni appears briefly, admits he wanted revenge for Wang Shi destroying his avatars, and threatens to kill him later before vanishing.
• Laozi warns that Shen Ni has reached the peak of the quasi-saint realm and may soon become a Sage. The group fears a catastrophe beyond their ability to stop without Dao Ancestor Hongjun’s intervention.
• The party discovers numerous dead members of the Demon Tribe, including Ci Tie, one of its Ten Great Demon Marshals. His death confirms that the conflict has already disrupted the expected course of the great calamity.
• At the Purple Firmament Palace, Hongjun confronts a figure resembling Demon Ancestor Luohu. He recognizes that this is not the Luohu of his world, but an outside force demanding that he surrender the Primordial World or die.
• Hongjun deduces that the invader is supporting Shen Ni and seeks to conquer the Primordial World. The false Luohu claims that keeping Hongjun trapped will ensure the world eventually falls into their hands, especially once Shen Ni becomes a Sage.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi responds to Bai Ze’s betrayal with anger but regains control quickly, recognizing the signs of manipulation. He also becomes increasingly concerned as the scale of the crisis—and the deaths among the Demon Tribe—becomes clear.
• Bai Ze is revealed as a controlled pawn rather than a willing attacker.
• The Three Pure Ones, especially Laozi, protect Wang Shi and assess the threat. Yuanshi and Tongtian want to pursue Shen Ni, but Laozi restrains them, judging him too dangerous.
• Shen Ni reveals a personal grudge against Wang Shi while signaling that his ambitions and power now pose a threat to everyone.
• Hongjun remains defiant under pressure and uses his insight to identify the invader’s broader plan, though the enemy’s origin lies beyond his ability to see.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and manipulation: Bai Ze’s attack shows how hidden control can turn allies or victims into weapons.
• Escalating danger and uncertainty: A seemingly local confrontation reveals a threat capable of producing a Sage and endangering the entire world.
• Fate disrupted: The Demon Marshal’s death suggests that familiar events and the established course of the great calamity have been altered.
• Defiance against invasion: Both Wang Shi and Hongjun refuse to yield, even when facing enemies whose strength may exceed their own.

Key plot points and events

• Dao Ancestor Hongjun concludes that the Fierce Beast calamity is probably only a probe and turns his attention to the outside forces influencing the Primordial World.
• Demon Ancestor Luohu realizes Hongjun intends to escape his control. Hongjun detonates himself in the chaos, destroying Luohu’s true body and the Purple Firmament Palace without harming the Primordial World.
• Wang Shi and his allies recover the Demon Court’s Ten Great Demon Marshals and four guardian deities, most of whom are badly injured.
• They find Eastern Emperor Taiyi fighting Beast Emperor Shen Ni. Taiyi is near death, protected by the Chaos Bell, so Wang Shi intervenes while the Three Pure Ones attack Shen Ni.
• Despite Shen Ni’s strength and the God-Slaying Spear, the Three Pure Ones’ combined power and Three Corpses force him to defend himself.
• Tongtian goes to find Demon Emperor Dijun and discovers him trapped by Kunpeng, who wields the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords. Kunpeng claims he is being controlled.
• Wang Shi and Tongtian realize the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation is active. Wang Shi warns that they cannot break it alone: it took Hongjun and three other experts to defeat Luohu with the same formation.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun proves willing to sacrifice his body rather than be imprisoned or controlled; his explosion is a calculated escape and counterattack.
• Luohu recognizes Hongjun’s plan too late and is caught in the blast.
• Wang Shi takes charge of the rescue, protects Taiyi, and shows knowledge of the formation’s history.
• Taiyi is gravely wounded and reduced to relying on the Chaos Bell for defense.
• The Three Pure Ones unite against Shen Ni; Tongtian then rushes to aid Dijun but heeds Wang Shi’s warning.
• Kunpeng appears to attack Dijun, yet insists he is an unwilling puppet, casting doubt on who is directing the assault.
• Dijun struggles to survive despite possessing the River Diagram and Luo Book.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus control: Hongjun and Kunpeng face attempts to control or imprison them, though they respond in very different circumstances.
• Sacrifice and strategy: Hongjun uses self-destruction as a deliberate way to deny Luohu control.
• Unexpected escalation and uncertainty: The Four Immortal-Slaying Swords appear in Kunpeng’s hands, disrupting expectations and suggesting a hidden force is shaping events.
• Power through cooperation: The Three Pure Ones can challenge Shen Ni through teamwork, while breaking the sword formation will require a larger alliance.

Key plot points and events

• The survivors connect the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords—once owned by Demon Ancestor Luohu and later held by Dao Ancestor Hongjun—to the possibility that Hongjun is behind the recent conflicts, though they cannot explain why.
• Old Ancestor Kunpeng suddenly sheds a portion of his body. The strange fragment escapes with the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, leaving Kunpeng behind.
• Demon Emperor Dijun, Wang Shi, and Sect Master Tongtian beat Kunpeng until he agrees to reveal what happened. They then return to the ruined Heavenly Court.
• Dijun recounts how Kunpeng appeared to accept a place in the Demon Court, only for a figure to emerge from his body and stab Eastern Emperor Taiyi with the God-Slaying Spear. Taiyi survived thanks to the Chaos Bell and Dijun’s help.
• Kunpeng and Beast Emperor Shen Ni pursued the brothers, badly wounding the Ten Great Demon Marshals and the Four Directional Guardian Spirits. Ci Tie was killed, the first Daluo Golden Immortal casualty of the battle.
• Wang Shi points out that Kunpeng did not use the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords during the pursuit until later, when he suddenly stopped and the swords appeared. That delay helped the Demon Emperors survive.
• The chapter ends with two mysteries unresolved: the identity and motives of the escaped fragment carrying the swords, and how Shen Ni came to wield the supposedly destroyed God-Slaying Spear.

Character developments and interactions

• Dijun is devastated by the Demon Court’s losses and blames himself, but accepts that Taiyi’s survival leaves hope for the future.
• Kunpeng is revealed as a victim—or vessel—of a strange entity that could separate from his body and act independently. He is captured and forced to disclose the events.
• Wang Shi takes an investigative role, questioning the timing of Kunpeng’s use of the swords and recalling the God-Slaying Spear’s destruction.
• Tongtian, frustrated by recent events, joins the beating of Kunpeng; the three men’s brief alliance reflects their anger over the Demon Court’s suffering.
• Taiyi narrowly survives the spear attack, while the Demon Court’s surviving leaders face the consequences of severe losses and damaged forces.

Significant themes

• Hidden manipulation and uncertain culpability: The possibility that Hongjun—or another concealed force—is directing events unsettles the survivors, while the source of the attacks remains unknown.
• War’s human cost: Even powerful immortals suffer lasting injury or death, and the Demon Court’s former strength has been badly diminished.
• Fragile survival and hope: Despite the devastation, Taiyi’s survival and the group’s ability to regroup offer a chance for recovery.
• The limits of memory and knowledge: Familiar weapons reappearing in impossible circumstances undermine what the characters thought they knew about the Dao-Demon War.

Key plot points and events

• The group realizes the restored God-Slaying Spear and Shen Ni’s return point to a hidden force manipulating events. Wang Shi suspects even Hongjun may be under its control, but keeps the theory to himself.
• Taishang Laozi leads the group to the Purple Firmament Palace to learn what happened to Hongjun. They find it reduced to a wasteland by an immense battle.
• Wang Shi enters the ruins and senses that a Great Dao self-detonated. His body absorbs some of the remaining energy, though he conceals this from the others.
• Eastern Emperor Taiyi investigates with the Chaos Bell and confirms that nothing remains. The group accepts that Hongjun may have fallen, though the cause is unknown.
• Wang Shi urges everyone to continue resisting the Fierce Beast calamity. Tongtian organizes a response: the Demon Emperors will unite the races, while the Three Pure Ones prepare to face Shen Ni.
• Wang Shi warns that Shen Ni wielding the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords could trap the Three Pure Ones, so they seek help from the Western patriarchs. Nuwa and Fuxi volunteer to approach them, accompanied by Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi shows courage by investigating the dangerous ruins, unusual resilience through his energy absorption, and leadership in rallying the group. He continues to withhold his most troubling suspicions and his newfound ability.
• Taishang Laozi takes the initiative to seek answers at the Purple Firmament Palace; Taiyi personally confirms its destruction.
• Tongtian shifts the group from grief to practical action, assigning roles and acknowledging the danger Shen Ni poses.
• Nuwa and Fuxi accept the risky mission to recruit the Western patriarchs. Hong Yun and Zhen Yuanzi join them for mutual protection, while Dijun cautions the siblings to prioritize their survival.
• Tongtian treats Wang Shi warmly, ruffling his hair after Wang tries to encourage the elders.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and hidden control: The apparent restoration of destroyed treasures and return of the dead suggest a powerful unseen manipulator.
• Loss and resilience: The possible fall of a Saint shocks the group, but they recover and recommit to protecting the world.
• Cooperation against catastrophe: Formerly separate powers must unite their forces and races to face the Fierce Beasts.
• Power gained—and concealed: Wang Shi’s ability to absorb the ruin’s energy hints at growing strength, while his secrecy reflects the dangers of revealing too much.

Plot points and events

• Worried by an unseen enemy, Wang Shi leaves the Heavenly Court for Buzhou Mountain to reinforce its defenses and check on the unaffiliated cultivators gathered there. He refuses the Three Pure Ones’ offer to place their auras inside him, unwilling to give up his privacy and freedom.
• Before going to Buzhou Mountain, Wang Shi secretly travels to the former site of the Purple Firmament Palace, where he can absorb the unusual energy he needs to advance his Pangu Great Dao.
• To evade pursuit, Wang Shi splits into numerous stone clones. The Three Pure Ones and the hidden Beast Emperor Shen Ni cannot identify his true body. Shen Ni abandons his attempt to seize Wang Shi and heads for Buzhou Mountain instead.
• Shen Ni arrives at the Pangu Temple, where the Twelve Ancestral Witches ambush him. They deliberately retreat inside, provoking him to follow into their trap.
• Acting on Wang Shi’s warning, the Witches activate the Twelve Dutian Divine Fiends Formation and summon a Pangu Phantom. Shen Ni is badly pressed, but calls for help; the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords appear and restrain four Witches, weakening the formation.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi shows caution, independence, and strategic ingenuity: he protects his autonomy, pursues the energy his cultivation requires, and uses genuine stone clones to mislead his pursuer while helping prepare the Witches’ trap.
• The Three Pure Ones are protective of their disciple but must accept his refusal to let them monitor him.
• Shen Ni shifts from concealed hunter to trapped combatant. His confidence in his concealment and strength gives way to anger and alarm when the Witches outmaneuver him.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches, guided by Wang Shi’s warning, work together to lure Shen Ni into their temple and unleash their strongest formation. Shen Ni’s plea for aid reveals that he has an ally or backup wielding the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus protection: Wang Shi rejects even well-intentioned surveillance in favor of personal independence.
• Cunning and preparation: Both Wang Shi’s clones and the Witches’ staged retreat turn foresight into a tactical advantage.
• Strength through cooperation: The Witches’ formation combines their power, though outside interference can disrupt even a formidable alliance.
• Cultivation and necessity: Wang Shi’s unusual path requires rare energy, explaining why he takes risks to reach the Purple Firmament Palace ruins.

Plot points and events

• Wang Shi bluffs Beast Emperor Shen Ni into believing the Three Pure Ones are coming. Shen Ni retreats, and Wang Shi admits afterward that he has no reinforcements; the bluff was meant only to drive the enemy off.
• The encounter convinces Wang Shi that his opponent has singled him out. He suspects the opponent is a history-aware transmigrator who recognized that Buzhou Mountain becoming a living being makes Wang Shi an anomaly. The narration reveals that this theory is only partly correct: the opponent is actually a puppet tied to another altered Primordial World.
• Wang Shi’s avatar reaches Southern Jambudvipa, where displaced tribes are defending their last territory against the fierce beasts. He joins a reinforcement team with Flower Fairy and Ao Xi, whom he recognizes.
• Ao Xi has reached the peak of primordial unity golden immortal after surviving the perilous Dragon Tomb and obtaining the Ancestral Dragon’s legacy. The group arrives at a brutal front where slain beasts are eaten by others, making the attackers stronger. Wang Shi transforms into a giant stone form and prepares to lead the assault.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi shows tactical nerve by bluffing Shen Ni, but the incident leaves him uneasy about why he has attracted attention. At the front, he takes responsibility for the team’s safety and offers to lead.
• Ao Xi has grown dramatically in power and confidence. Proud of overcoming the Dragon Tomb, she playfully asks Wang Shi to protect her; he is first exasperated, then deeply impressed by her achievement.
• Flower Fairy is practical and impatient, urging the pair to stop talking and hurry to the battlefield.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches initially want to pursue Shen Ni, but accept Wang Shi’s explanation that the bluff cannot work again.

Significant themes

• Deception and uncertainty: A convincing bluff can avert danger, but Wang Shi knows it is a temporary tactic.
• Anomalies and altered history: Wang Shi’s unusual existence may have drawn the attention of forces connected to changes in the world’s timeline.
• Perseverance and growth: Ao Xi’s dangerous ordeal in the Dragon Tomb has transformed her from someone who depended on others into a formidable, confident fighter.
• Escalating conflict: The beasts’ ability to grow stronger by consuming their fallen makes the battlefield increasingly difficult to control.

Plot and key events

• Wang Shi enters the battle against the Fierce Beasts, ignoring jeers from Demon Tribe fighters who call him a foolish target for growing so large.
• His powerful punches knock the beasts down but fail to kill them. He discovers that they are unusually resilient and responds by swallowing their corpses, absorbing the Pangu origin within them.
• Little Dragon Girl Ao Xi and Little Flower Fairy support him with a water dragon and a giant flower, helping clear the beasts from his body. Their teamwork stabilizes a defensive line and gives exhausted fighters time to recover.
• Wang Shi moves between threatened fronts, helping hold the defenses. Once he reaches his limit, he withdraws to digest what he has eaten.
• Refining the Pangu origin causes dangerous blood fiendish qi to build up inside him. He releases it over a southern marsh, inadvertently creating a deadly Baleful Qi Swamp that wipes out the local creatures.
• After resting, Wang Shi returns to the battlefield and joins Ao Xi and the others in clearing the beasts again.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Shi proves to be far more useful than the Demon Tribe fighters expect. His unusual ability to eat and digest Fierce Beasts turns him into the main force sustaining the defenses.
• Ao Xi and Flower Fairy fight in close coordination with Wang Shi. Ao Xi later worries that his constant eating may expose him to harmful baleful qi, while also teasing a Messenger who presses for his help.
• Wang Shi remains practical and good-natured: he recognizes his limits, carefully releases the qi away from allies, and jokingly apologizes after devastating the marsh.
• The Demon Tribe fighters’ contempt gives way to astonishment and admiration once Wang Shi’s contribution becomes clear.

Significant themes

• Unexpected strengths: Wang Shi’s apparent weakness—his enormous appetite—becomes the key to the battle.
• Cooperation and sacrifice: Coordinated fighters and Wang Shi’s continual movement between fronts keep the defense from collapsing.
• Power and unintended consequences: Wang Shi’s ability to absorb baleful qi helps him fight, but releasing it causes destruction elsewhere.
• Prejudice overturned: The fighters’ quick dismissal of Wang Shi is disproved by his actions.