Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Daochen, an overworked modern man reborn in the Primordial World, is the elder brother of the future Demon Emperor Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi. He lectures them for misusing their treasures, then reflects on how much he values the family bond he lacked in his previous life.
• Hongjun announces that he has attained Sagehood and will teach at the Purple Heavens Palace in three thousand years. Daochen recognizes the event as a turning point that will lead Dijun and Taiyi toward the War of the Liches.
• Dijun urges the brothers to attend the lecture, hoping to learn how to attain Sagehood. Daochen refuses, fearing that going will draw them into a fate that ends in death.
• Daochen struggles to reconcile avoiding the lecture with the possibility that destiny will pull his brothers into the calamity anyway. Determined not to lose them, he vows to protect them at any cost.
• A divine choice system activates. It offers rewards for either attending Hongjun’s lecture with Dijun and Taiyi, or remaining secluded on the Sun Star. Daochen is excited by the system and begins considering the first option’s valuable rewards, including Pangu Jade Marrow and the Heaven Measuring Ruler.

Character developments

• Daochen shifts from anxiety about his dangerous position in the Primordial World to a fierce commitment to protecting his brothers. His attachment to them stems from the family affection he was denied in his former life.
• Dijun and Taiyi are shown as powerful but still dependent on Daochen’s guidance. Both want to attend the lecture, but defer to their elder brother.
• Daochen’s newly awakened system introduces a possible means to change his circumstances, though he has not yet chosen a path.

Significant themes

• Family and belonging: Daochen’s bond with his brothers gives him the family he longed for in his previous life.
• Fate versus agency: He fears that the War of the Liches is inevitable, yet resolves to resist it and protect those he loves.
• Opportunity and danger: Hongjun’s lecture promises a chance to advance, but attendance may also place the brothers on a deadly course.
• Power and responsibility: The system offers Daochen strength, but its choices force him to weigh personal gain against his brothers’ safety.

Character interactions

• Daochen scolds Dijun and Taiyi over their careless handling of the River Chart and Luo Writing and the Eastern Emperor Bell.
• Dijun proposes attending Hongjun’s lecture, while Taiyi quietly shares his interest; both wait for Daochen’s decision.
• Daochen refuses, provoking their confusion, but does not explain the full extent of his fears.

Key plot points and events

• Daochen, the eldest Golden Crow brother, reflects on how disadvantaged he is beside Dijun and Taiyi: unlike them, he has no innate spiritual treasure. The system’s Heaven Measuring Ruler would fill that gap. It is an acquired supreme treasure of merit, famed for its power to kill without karmic consequence and for serving as both weapon and defense.
• Daochen reconsiders his assumption that he must follow his brothers into the War of the Liches. If Dijun and Taiyi avoid becoming Demon Emperors, they might escape the conflict—and Daochen need not care who takes their place. Confident that the system can help him reach sagehood, he chooses the reward option.
• The system grants him ten drops of Pangu Jade Marrow and the Heaven Measuring Ruler, and promises an additional hidden reward after the Zixiao sermon, depending on how well he follows the storyline.
• Daochen prioritizes strengthening himself and swallows the Jade Marrow. Its power triggers a painful transformation: it reshapes his innate origins, purifies and reforges his Golden Crow body, and rapidly increases his strength.
• Pangu’s aura erupts from the Sun Palace, pinning Dijun and Taiyi to the ground. A vast Golden Crow phantom and a towering figure—associated with Pangu—appear and begin to merge as the transformation intensifies.
• The upheaval produces world-shaking celestial portents. On Mount Buzhou, the Twelve Ancestral Witches awaken, recognize what they sense as Father God Pangu’s aura, and react with fervor.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen shifts from worrying about his lack of resources and the danger of the coming war to pursuing a more independent path. He is willing to alter the established course of events rather than let his brothers’ choices dictate his fate.
• Dijun and Taiyi are shocked and overwhelmed by Daochen’s transformation. Their awe at the aura—and their inability to move—reveals how far beyond their expectations it is.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches become alert to the disturbance, suggesting Daochen’s transformation may attract the attention of powerful figures beyond the Sun Star.

Significant themes

• Innate origins and power: The chapter emphasizes that one’s starting nature and resources shape one’s prospects.
• Self-determination versus fate: Daochen challenges the assumption that he and his brothers must follow the destined path of the Lich War.
• Strength through painful transformation: His rise requires enduring extreme physical suffering.
• Power’s ripple effects: Daochen’s private breakthrough produces signs visible across the world and draws the attention of other major forces.

Key plot points and events

• In the Purple Heavens Palace, Hongjun senses that Dijun’s and Taiyi’s destinies have changed, though he cannot discover why.
• After three hundred years of painful fusion with the Pangu Jade Marrow, Daochen emerges transformed. His cultivation rises to the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, and his foundation changes from an Innate Golden Crow to a Chaos Golden Crow, giving him the potential to attain Sagehood.
• Daochen has refined forty of the Heaven Measuring Ruler’s forty-nine innate restrictions; his present cultivation is insufficient to refine the remaining nine.
• Dijun and Taiyi, who guarded Daochen’s palace throughout his seclusion, reunite with him. Daochen announces that they are going to the Purple Heavens Palace, and the brothers set off together.
• In Chaos, Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian struggle toward the palace. Many innate deities traveling with them have died along the way. When Yuanshi disparages another group as “creatures clad in fur and armor,” Daochen and his brothers appear before them, challenging the insult.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen emerges dramatically stronger and more self-assured, convinced his new foundation will let him stand among the Primordial World’s greatest powers.
• Dijun and Taiyi show their loyalty by guarding Daochen during his dangerous transformation. Their changed destinies have also caught Hongjun’s attention.
• Hongjun is unsettled by a shift in fate he cannot explain.
• Tongtian voices regret over the dangers of the journey and is astonished by Daochen’s speed. Yuanshi responds coldly to the deaths of their fellow travelers and speaks contemptuously of the passing figures.
• Daochen’s sudden arrival turns Yuanshi’s insult into an immediate confrontation between the two groups.

Significant themes

• Transformation and potential: The Pangu Jade Marrow radically elevates Daochen’s power and future prospects.
• Loyalty and protection: Dijun and Taiyi’s vigil demonstrates their devotion to their elder brother.
• The cost of pursuing the Dao: The perilous journey through Chaos claims many lives, while the characters disagree over how to regard those losses.
• Fate and its uncertainty: Even Hongjun cannot account for the altered destinies, suggesting that powerful changes are unfolding beyond his understanding.

Key events

• When Daochen and his brothers meet the Three Pure Ones, Yuanshi admits he called them “furred and armored beasts.” Daochen immediately strikes him across the face with the Heaven Measuring Ruler, sending him flying.
• Laozi objects, but Daochen attacks him too—partly to test the Heaven Measuring Ruler against Laozi’s Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda. The Pagoda blocks the blow, though Laozi senses that Daochen is more formidable than he looks.
• Yuanshi returns furious and threatens to kill Daochen. Laozi restrains him and asks to end the dispute before Hongjun’s sermon.
• Daochen agrees conditionally: he claims his group lacks suitable treasures and asks the Three Pure Ones to provide two Supreme Xiantian Spiritual Treasures. Laozi offers one now and promises another later, leaving Yuanshi to bear the implied cost of his insult.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen reveals a bold, combative side beneath his amiable appearance. He punishes Yuanshi without hesitation, challenges Laozi, then turns the opportunity to bargain for treasures.
• Yuanshi is exposed as proud and quick to provoke, but unable to overcome Daochen. His humiliation deepens when Laozi effectively assigns him responsibility for the compensation.
• Laozi shifts from defending his brother to containing the conflict. After testing Daochen’s power, he prioritizes reaching the sermon and negotiates a settlement.
• Tongtian remains comparatively neutral, greeting Daochen and supporting Laozi’s attempt to end the quarrel.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi are surprised by Daochen’s fighting ability, realizing they had underestimated their elder brother.

Significant themes

• Pride and consequences: Yuanshi’s contemptuous insult triggers a humiliating reprisal.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Daochen’s easygoing manner masks formidable strength and decisiveness.
• Pragmatism and opportunism: Daochen uses the approaching sermon—and the Three Pure Ones’ desire not to miss it—to negotiate for valuable treasures.
• Brotherhood and responsibility: Laozi protects and restrains Yuanshi, but makes clear that Yuanshi should bear the cost of the trouble he caused.

Plot points

• Yuanshi offers Daochen the Wu Earth Apricot Yellow Banner, one of the Innate Five Directional Banners and a component of the powerful Innate Five Elements Formation.
• Daochen realizes Laozi likely possesses another banner, the Earth-Leaving Flame Light Banner, and decides to demand more. He pretends the first treasure is insufficient while letting his tone soften enough to encourage the Three Pure Ones to negotiate.
• When Laozi claims they have nothing else to give, Daochen prepares to fight alongside Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi, who arrive ready for battle.
• Yuanshi urges Laozi to surrender his banner. Under pressure from both his brothers and the approaching opportunity to hear Hongjun preach, Laozi gives it to Daochen.
• Daochen leaves with Dijun and Taiyi, having obtained two of the five banners. The Three Pure Ones remain behind, resentful and divided.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen proves opportunistic and calculating: he turns Yuanshi’s unexpected offering into a chance to secure a second treasure, concealing his true aim so the brothers do not suspect it.
• Yuanshi is humiliated by losing his banner and grows bitter toward Daochen—and toward Laozi and Tongtian, whom he feels have failed to support him.
• Laozi prioritizes attending Hongjun’s lecture over keeping his treasure, but resents Yuanshi for drawing him into the dispute.
• Tongtian urges restraint and reinforces the need for the brothers to cooperate, while his attention helps pressure Laozi into giving up the banner.
• The Three Pure Ones’ exchange exposes strained loyalties: Yuanshi’s actions create the crisis, Laozi makes the sacrifice, and Tongtian warns Yuanshi against repeating his behavior.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Daochen uses the threat of force and the Three Pure Ones’ urgency to bargain for valuable treasures.
• Opportunity and foresight: Knowledge of the banners’ significance allows Daochen to recognize and exploit a rare opening.
• Family tension and resentment: Shared goals do not prevent the brothers from blaming one another when sacrifices are demanded.
• Ambition and future power: The coming lecture—and the prospect of attaining Sagehood—shapes everyone’s choices and grudges.

Key plot points and events

• A vast gathering of powerful cultivators assembles outside the Purple Heavens Palace, where Hongjun is about to preach. The Three Pure Ones keep to themselves and watch Daochen warily, remembering their earlier conflict with him.
• When the gates open, the visitors rush to claim places. Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Dijun use their treasures and abilities to push through the crowd.
• Daochen initially appears uninterested in competing for one of the six special cushions. When an attacker tries to stop Taiyi, Daochen intervenes with the Heaven Measuring Ruler, hurling the assailant out into Chaos. His display of strength makes the other cultivators avoid him.
• With Daochen’s help, Dijun and Taiyi claim the first two cushions. Laozi, Yuanshi, and Tongtian take the next three, while Nüwa uses her Daoist powers to secure the last one.
• Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi arrive too late to claim a special cushion and take ordinary seats. Hongjun appears and announces that he will preach the Dao. Just as the palace is about to close, two latecomers stumble inside, lamenting their hardships.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen shows both restraint and formidable power: he does not seek a cushion for himself, but protects Dijun and Taiyi when Taiyi is attacked. His choice puzzles Nüwa, who assumes the cushions must be important.
• Dijun and Taiyi depend on Daochen’s support as they compete for the cushions, securing the first two places.
• The Three Pure Ones claim the next three seats under Laozi’s protection. Yuanshi remains resentful toward Daochen after their earlier setbacks, while the trio’s presence draws more opponents once Daochen’s intervention shifts the crowd’s attention.
• Nüwa wins the final cushion and observes Daochen’s unusual lack of interest in one.
• Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi accept that they have missed their chance and sit elsewhere.
• Hongjun commands the room’s immediate respect when he appears. The chapter ends with two unidentified late-arriving Daoists appealing to their senior brother.

Significant themes

• Fate and opportunity: The characters repeatedly weigh whether the special cushions are destined for them, while Hongjun says each visitor’s gains depend on fortune and opportunity.
• Power, strategy, and competition: The rush for the cushions exposes how cultivators use force, treasures, and calculated restraint to pursue advancement.
• Different paths to greatness: Daochen believes he has other means to become a sage, unlike Dijun and Taiyi, who see the cushions as their only route.
• Pride and rivalry: The Three Pure Ones’ lingering hostility toward Daochen shapes their perceptions and contributes to the tension around the competition.

Plot points and events

• Jieyin and Zhunti arrive at the Purple Heavens Palace in ragged robes and perform a tearful plea for sympathy, lamenting that they have no place to sit. All six Sagehood Meditation Cushions are already occupied.
• Hongyun pities them, while Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi also consider giving up their seats. Daochen tells the brothers to remain seated, expecting someone else to intervene.
• When no one responds, Zhunti and Jieyin pretend to attempt suicide by charging a heavenly pillar, hoping to pressure Hongjun into helping them. They secretly slow their charge so they can stop short and save face.
• Hongjun does not intervene. He is preoccupied with the fact that Daochen’s earlier actions have altered heavenly destiny, making it difficult to foresee.
• A system offers Daochen a choice: help the brothers and gain their goodwill, or thwart their scheme and earn a Time Law Fragment. Daochen chooses the fragment, wary of Jieyin and Zhunti’s past treatment of Hongyun.
• Daochen secretly accelerates the pair, trapping them in his magical power and forcing them toward the pillar. They regret their stunt, but just before impact, an aged voice commands, “Enough!”

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen stays amused and calculating. He rejects sympathy for Jieyin and Zhunti, chooses the valuable reward, and covertly turns their performance into a real danger.
• Jieyin and Zhunti reveal themselves as skilled manipulators, but their plan backfires when they cannot stop their charge. Their panic and regret expose the risk behind their theatrics.
• Hongyun remains compassionate and is inclined to surrender his seat, reflecting the generosity that has made him vulnerable in the past.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi show unexpected sympathy, though Daochen persuades them not to act.
• Hongjun remains focused on the disruption to heavenly destiny rather than the brothers’ drama.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and consequences: Jieyin and Zhunti’s calculated appeal for pity spirals out of their control.
• Changed destiny: Daochen’s intervention has disrupted the expected course of events, leaving even Hongjun unable to clearly perceive what comes next.
• Compassion versus opportunism: Hongyun and the young Eastern Emperor Taiyi feel pity, while Daochen judges the brothers by their past conduct.
• Power and moral ambiguity: Daochen’s choice earns him a rare treasure, but he obtains it by deliberately endangering others.

Plot points and events

• Hongjun intercepts Jieyin and Zhunti with a wall of seven-colored divine light, saving them from the consequences of their earlier conflict. They thank him and take the meditation cushions he provides, while the other cultivators accept the decision without protest.
• Daochen suspects Hongjun is trying to preserve the Heavenly Dao’s intended course and reflects that he must prepare for what lies ahead. In fact, Hongjun intervened because Jieyin and Zhunti are destined for Sagehood, and their failure to obtain it could further disrupt fate.
• Hongjun begins a thousand-year discourse on the Dao. The assembled cultivators meditate, though the Ancestral Witches—who cultivate their bodies rather than primordial spirits—gain little from the lecture. Dijiang falls asleep.
• Laozi breaks through from the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm to Great Luo, followed by Yuanshi and Tongtian. All three of the Three Pure Ones bloom eighth-grade flowers, a level reached by only the greatest talents; ninth grade is considered perfection.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi also reach Great Luo, blooming sixth- and seventh-grade flowers respectively. Jieyin and Zhunti later break through at sixth grade.
• Daochen remains motionless in meditation despite the others’ breakthroughs. The gathered cultivators wonder whether his talent is limited, while Yuanshi—still resentful over losing the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner—mocks him and considers the moment a chance for revenge.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun reveals that he will act to protect the ordained path, even when he dislikes those he helps. His assistance to Jieyin and Zhunti is strategic, not a sign of personal affection.
• Jieyin and Zhunti respond to their rescue with conspicuous gratitude and quickly claim the cushions Hongjun offers. Their dramatic behavior during the lecture irritates the other listeners.
• Daochen remains composed and focused on the broader consequences of Hongjun’s actions. His silence during the breakthroughs makes others question him, but his true progress is not yet revealed.
• The Three Pure Ones demonstrate exceptional innate talent through their eighth-grade breakthroughs. Yuanshi’s success, however, does not erase his grudge against Daochen.
• Dijun and Taiyi confirm their allegiance to Daochen through their earlier behavior, though their breakthroughs fall short of the Three Pure Ones’.
• The Ancestral Witches are portrayed as dismissive of cultivation rooted in the primordial spirit, underscoring the divide between their physical path and Hongjun’s teachings.

Significant themes

• Fate versus disruption: Hongjun intervenes because the Heavenly Dao’s intended course has been altered and he seeks to limit the damage.
• Talent and hierarchy: The grades of the blooming flowers measure cultivation potential and provoke admiration, envy, and rivalry.
• Different paths to power: The Witches’ physical cultivation contrasts with the primordial-spirit cultivation taught by Hongjun.
• Resentment beneath achievement: Yuanshi’s breakthrough does not settle his conflict with Daochen; success instead gives him confidence to pursue revenge.

Key plot points and events

• Daochen fails to break through at first, puzzling Hongjun and worrying Dijun and Taiyi.
• A surge of Great Dao essence fills the Purple Heavens Palace, drawn to Daochen as he begins his breakthrough.
• His Great Luo Dao Fruit’s three flowers rise rapidly to the eighth rank. The assembled cultivators are stunned when the final flower begins to open.
• A Dao diagram formed from the three thousand Great Daos enters the last petal, transforming it into two: Daochen’s flowers reach the unprecedented tenth rank.
• Daochen withdraws his Dao Fruit and wakes unaware of the spectacle. The other cultivators hide their astonishment, while he simply celebrates his breakthrough to Great Luo Golden Immortal and thinks about refining more of the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
• Hongjun announces that his first sermon has ended and that he will accept disciples. Most attendees become eager and anxious, though Daochen and Dijiang are exceptions.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen achieves a remarkable breakthrough but remains oblivious to how extraordinary it was. He is focused on his cultivation and briefly senses that someone may be watching him.
• Hongjun is shaken by Daochen’s tenth-rank flowers, despite his usual composure, then turns to the business of choosing disciples.
• Yuanshi reacts with disbelief and jealousy; Laozi is horrified by the apparent violation of the belief that nine is the ultimate number. Tongtian, by contrast, admires Daochen and wants to befriend him.
• Dijun and Taiyi worry about their eldest brother. Fuxi hints that Nüwa might pursue Daochen, prompting her to rebuke him. Hongyun embarrasses Zhen Yuanzi by asking his flowers’ rank, which was only sixth.
• Dijiang is unconcerned about becoming Hongjun’s disciple because the Wu people rely on bodily cultivation and Pangu’s bloodline legacy.

Significant themes

• Unbounded potential: Daochen’s tenth-rank flowers surpass what the cultivators believe possible.
• Contrasting responses to greatness: Daochen’s peers react with envy, awe, admiration, or opportunism, revealing their different temperaments.
• Humility and dramatic irony: Daochen does not realize that his breakthrough has stunned the entire assembly.
• Different paths of cultivation: The coming search for disciples matters greatly to spirit cultivators, but little to Dijiang and the Wu.

Key plot points and events

• Daochen attends Hongjun’s lecture chiefly to help Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi claim meditation cushions, not to seek Hongjun’s discipleship. Confident in his own resources and determined to remain independent, he shows little interest in Hongjun’s offer.
• While the other powerful beings anxiously await Hongjun’s decision, Daochen casually chats with Changxi and Xihe, provoking the crowd’s anger and disbelief.
• Hongjun accepts the Three Pure Ones and Nüwa as direct disciples, then Jieyin and Zhunti as registered disciples.
• Dijun and Taiyi fear Hongjun may overlook them. Hongjun admits their destinies have changed and are now difficult even for him to read; because they claimed cushions, he accepts them as registered disciples.
• The first lecture concludes with all eight cushion occupants becoming Hongjun’s disciples. Daochen considers this a successful first step in his plan for the coming Shaman-Demon Tribulation.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains independent and irreverent, refusing to chase Hongjun’s approval while strategically helping Dijun and Taiyi. He also begins building friendly relations with Changxi and Xihe, his future neighbors.
• Dijun and Taiyi gain a place in Hongjun’s tutelage and become increasingly grateful to Daochen, whom they credit with making it possible.
• Hongjun shows uncertainty about the brothers’ altered fates, revealing that even his insight cannot fully account for the changing heavenly order.
• Yuanshi, resentful after earlier defeats by Daochen, privately vows to settle the score once he attains the Dao.
• The gathered immortals admire or envy those accepted by Hongjun, while many resent Daochen for seeming to dismiss an opportunity they desperately wanted.

Significant themes

• Free will versus destiny: Daochen’s intervention changes the brothers’ expected fate, leaving even Hongjun unable to see the outcome clearly.
• Ambition and independence: Most characters view discipleship as a path to Sagehood; Daochen instead trusts his own cultivation and rejects dependence on a master.
• Power, status, and resentment: The meditation cushions determine who gains access to Hongjun, fueling envy, pride, and rivalry.
• Strategic preparation: Daochen’s actions are aimed at shaping the future conflict between the Shaman and Demon races.

Key plot points

• Nüwa regrets that Daochen missed the chance to claim a Great Dao Meditation Cushion, while Fuxi recognizes his exceptional talent and hopes to recruit him into the Demon Race.
• Fuxi approaches Daochen, but Daochen coolly rejects the overture, wary of being drawn into the coming War of the Liches.
• Hongjun surprises everyone by offering Daochen the status of Personal Disciple, a privilege even greater than the positions given to the Three Pure Ones and Nüwa.
• Hongjun’s offer is partly prompted by Daochen’s extraordinary talent and an inscrutable fate that Hongjun cannot investigate without risking karmic backlash.
• The system gives Daochen a choice: accept and receive primordial purple qi, or refuse and gain a Creation Jade Butterfly Fragment. Daochen chooses the fragment and declines Hongjun’s offer.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains independent and cautious. He rejects both Fuxi’s effort to draw him into the Demon Race and Hongjun’s immensely prestigious offer, prioritizing his own path and the system’s reward.
• Fuxi tries to build an alliance with Daochen, but his attempt fails. He also privately suspects that Nüwa has developed feelings for Daochen.
• Nüwa blushes at Fuxi’s teasing and later grows anxious when Daochen hesitates over Hongjun’s offer, revealing her personal concern for him.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Daochen’s brothers, hope he will accept, understanding the enormous advantages of becoming Hongjun’s Personal Disciple.
• Yuanshi reacts with intense jealousy. He had expected to gain power over Daochen after becoming a sage’s disciple, but Hongjun’s offer threatens to place Daochen above him.
• Hongjun is intrigued by Daochen’s hidden fate, but Daochen’s refusal leaves the assembled immortals stunned and resentful.

Significant themes

• Independence versus security: Daochen turns down the protection and guidance of a sage to pursue his own path.
• Ambition and envy: The other figures’ reactions show how coveted rank and proximity to power are.
• Fate and hidden potential: Daochen’s destiny is so obscure that even Hongjun cannot safely perceive it.
• Foreknowledge and survival: Daochen’s knowledge of the future makes him wary of political alliances and the deadly War of the Liches.

Plot points and events

• Daochen rejects Hongjun’s offer to become his disciple, angering Nüwa, Laozi, and Tongtian. Hongjun leaves the hall without making the appointments he had originally planned.
• Haotian and Yaochi announce that the lecture is over and the next one will be held in thirty thousand years. As the attendees depart, many glare at Daochen for turning down Hongjun.
• Fuxi admires Daochen’s decision, reasoning that someone of his talent and mysterious fate must have had good cause. Nüwa remains offended and leaves without saying goodbye.
• Daochen is unconcerned: he has gained much from the lecture and expects to advance his cultivation. He keeps the system and his other advantages secret from Dijun and Taiyi.
• Outside the palace, Yuanshi mocks Daochen and asserts that, as Hongjun’s disciple, he outranks Dijun and Taiyi. Daochen answers by summoning the Heaven Measuring Ruler and striking at Yuanshi, who is suddenly immobilized.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains independent and dismissive of others’ approval. He values his own gains over Hongjun’s offer and responds to Yuanshi’s arrogance with immediate force.
• Yuanshi is openly triumphant at Daochen’s rejection, seeing it as a chance to claim superiority and later challenge him. He soon discovers that his new status does not protect him from Daochen.
• Dijun and Taiyi sympathize with Daochen’s refusal and defend him against Yuanshi, but Yuanshi’s claim of seniority leaves them momentarily unable to answer.
• Fuxi shows respect for Daochen and rebukes Nüwa’s hostility. Nüwa remains proud and stubborn despite privately recognizing that Daochen’s talent makes his choice worth considering.
• Laozi disapproves of Daochen’s refusal and does not restrain Yuanshi. Jieyin and Zhunti watch the confrontation from a distance.

Significant themes

• Independence versus authority: Daochen refuses to accept that a sage’s approval is necessary for his advancement.
• Status and arrogance: Yuanshi relies on rank to belittle others, while Daochen rejects the idea that rank makes someone untouchable.
• Hidden motives and uncertainty: Daochen’s reasons and unusual fate remain concealed, prompting admiration from Fuxi and suspicion from others.
• Power and consequences: The chapter ends by turning Yuanshi’s boast into an immediate test of strength.

Key plot points and events

• Yuanshi appeals to Laozi when Daochen attacks him. Laozi intervenes, shielding Yuanshi with Heaven and Earth’s Yellow Exquisite Pagoda.
• Daochen refuses to back down and attacks Laozi. Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi move to support him, bringing out the Chaos Bell and the River Chart and Luo Writing.
• Daochen sends their treasures back to them and insists on facing the Three Pure Ones alone. The onlookers interpret this as a deliberate challenge.
• Laozi orders Tongtian and Yuanshi to attack with full strength. He also rebukes Yuanshi, blaming his provocations for the crisis.
• Daochen unleashes the Heaven Measuring Ruler’s power. Its sword-like strikes batter Laozi through the Pagoda’s protection, injuring him severely and dimming the treasure’s light. Tongtian rushes to aid him, while Yuanshi and the surrounding spectators are shocked by Daochen’s strength.

Character developments

• Daochen remains uncompromising and demonstrates confidence in his ability to face the Three Pure Ones alone. His attack establishes that his ten-petaled Dao flower and powerful treasure make him a formidable opponent.
• Laozi abandons his usual restraint to defend his brothers and the Three Pure Ones’ reputation, but his intervention comes at a serious cost. His sharp rebuke of Yuanshi exposes his frustration with Yuanshi’s reckless conduct.
• Yuanshi shifts from relying on his status and Laozi’s protection to fearing the consequences of provoking Daochen.
• Tongtian joins the confrontation but shows concern for Laozi when he is wounded.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi show solidarity with Daochen, though he chooses to keep them out of the fight.

Significant themes

• Pride and consequences: Yuanshi’s repeated provocations draw the Three Pure Ones into a confrontation they may not be able to win.
• Reputation and family loyalty: Laozi intervenes both because Yuanshi is his brother and because he fears damage to the Three Pure Ones’ standing.
• Power and overconfidence: The spectators expect the Three Pure Ones’ combined strength to overwhelm Daochen, but his first major strike overturns their expectations.

Character interactions

• Daochen and Laozi clash over Laozi’s defense of Yuanshi; Daochen treats the intervention as another reason to fight.
• Yuanshi looks to Laozi for rescue, but Laozi later condemns him for causing the crisis.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi try to assist Daochen, yet he returns their weapons and insists on fighting alone.
• Tongtian supports Laozi after the attack, while the assembled onlookers retreat in fear of being caught in the battle.

Plot points and events

• Outside the Purple Heavens Palace, Daochen continues his fight with the Three Pure Ones. He strikes Yuanshi with the Heaven Measuring Ruler, leaving him bloodied, and publicly warns him not to provoke him again.
• The onlookers are shaken by Daochen’s victory over all three brothers. Zhunti and Jieyin are relieved they did not intervene.
• Hongyun tries to persuade Daochen to stop, but Daochen rebuffs him. Zhen Yuanzi restrains Hongyun, and the two leave; the other powerful figures soon follow, wary of becoming targets themselves.
• Daochen departs with Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi. He chooses not to seize the Three Pure Ones’ bonded treasures, judging that doing so might provoke Hongjun to intervene.
• Nearby, Dijiang and Houtu discuss Daochen. Dijiang admires his temperament and proposes confronting the Three Pure Ones over their claim to be Pangu’s orthodox heirs; Houtu is frustrated because that was not what she meant to discuss.
• Laozi blames Yuanshi for bringing disgrace on the brothers and leaves. Tongtian follows, while Yuanshi is left grim and humiliated.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen establishes himself as a formidable, unapologetic force. He relies on his position as the wronged party to make Hongjun’s intervention politically difficult, but also knows when to withdraw.
• Yuanshi is enraged by the public humiliation but cannot retaliate, as Daochen is stronger. Laozi openly holds him responsible, while Tongtian avoids getting caught between them.
• Hongyun tries to play peacemaker, but Daochen’s harsh response and Zhen Yuanzi’s warning make him reconsider.
• Dijiang is impressed by Daochen and eager to challenge the Three Pure Ones’ claim to Pangu’s legacy; Houtu is exasperated by his tangent.
• The confrontation leaves the Three Pure Ones isolated and the other powerful figures cautious around Daochen.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: Daochen’s victory makes others think twice before challenging him.
• Pride and humiliation: Yuanshi’s concern for dignity becomes a source of vulnerability, and the Three Pure Ones’ prestige suffers.
• Restraint and political calculation: Daochen stops short of taking the brothers’ treasures to avoid provoking Hongjun.
• The limits of peacemaking: Hongyun’s appeal fails because he is not the one who suffered the offense.

Key plot points and events

• Fuxi tells Nüwa that the Demon Race’s disunity leaves it vulnerable to the powerful Witch Clan. He hopes Daochen will lead the demons, though he doubts Daochen has any interest in the position.
• At Pangu Hall, Houtu praises Daochen’s extraordinary ten-petaled Great Luo achievement. Goumang dismisses him and boasts that he will defeat both the Three Pure Ones and Daochen. He leaves to challenge the Three Pure Ones at Mount Kunlun.
• Dijiang lets Goumang go, expecting him to lose without serious harm—and hoping the confrontation will give the Ancestral Witches an excuse to oppose the Three Pure Ones’ claim to be Pangu’s orthodox heirs.
• Changxi and Xihe intercept Daochen and ask for help investigating demonic energy in a cave on the Lunar Star. They offer him Moonlight Divine Water as payment, a rare treasure made from lunar essence and Moon Laurel Tree seeds.
• Recognizing the water’s significance, Daochen suspects the demonic energy may be connected to Luo Hou.

Character developments and interactions

• Fuxi becomes increasingly convinced that Daochen could save the Demon Race from its political weakness; Nüwa doubts he can be persuaded.
• Houtu respects Daochen’s power, while Goumang underestimates him and is eager to prove his own strength. Dijiang is more strategic, treating Goumang’s challenge as a potential pretext for a larger dispute.
• Changxi and Xihe approach Daochen cautiously but offer a valuable reward to secure his help. Daochen is wary, noting that his yang nature makes him ill-suited to dealing with the Moon Laurel Tree, but the cave’s demonic energy raises a more ominous possibility.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and political division: The demons’ disunity contrasts with the Witches’ strength, while disputes over Pangu’s legacy threaten to widen factional conflict.
• Power, pride, and misjudgment: Goumang’s confidence drives him into a challenge he is unlikely to win.
• Hidden danger beneath apparent opportunity: The offer of a rare treasure leads Daochen toward a potentially dangerous mystery involving Luo Hou.

Plot points and events

• Xihe confirms that the cave beneath the Moon Laurel Tree is connected to Devil Ancestor Luo Hou. It contains only a wisp of his remnant soul, but the threat has overwhelmed Changxi and Xihe.
• Daochen agrees to help, suspecting the Lunar Star may also hold Luo Hou’s lost treasures: the World-Destroying Black Lotus and the God-Slaying Spear.
• Daochen, Dijun, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Changxi, and Xihe travel to the Lunar Star, an immense, intensely cold realm where Changxi and Xihe were born.
• The sisters explain that Luo Hou’s presence has drained the Moon Laurel Tree and harmed the Xiantian Ice Spirits living within its inner world.
• Deep inside that world, they find a vast abyss filled with devil energy and attacking devil dragons. The Heaven Measuring Ruler reacts, and a faint spear resonance suggests the God-Slaying Spear may be there.
• Daochen charges into the abyss and destroys the devil dragons with the ruler’s power, clearing the way to see the abyss fully. The chapter ends before its contents are revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen quickly reads the sisters’ motives and shows confidence in confronting Luo Hou’s remnant. His interest in the possible treasures drives him to rush into danger.
• Changxi and Xihe are troubled by the damage to their home and the suffering of its inhabitants. They trust Daochen enough to seek his help and are impressed by his strength.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi react warily to Luo Hou’s name and accompany the group; they are unsettled by the abyss’s devil energy.

Significant themes

• The lingering reach of the past: Luo Hou’s remnant continues to threaten the world long after his fall.
• Power and responsibility: Daochen’s strength offers hope to the sisters and the Lunar Star’s endangered beings.
• Temptation of treasure and danger: The search for legendary weapons draws Daochen toward a perilous unknown.

Plot points and events

• Daochen leads Changxi, Xihe, Dijun, and Eastern Emperor Taiyi through Luo Hou’s maze-like abyss, where demonic qi, hostile puppets, and markings that obstruct divine sense make navigation difficult.
• Changxi recognizes Qingcheng, a former trusted guard of the Moon God Palace, among the horrors of the abyss and is saddened by what has happened to him.
• As they advance, a demonic puppet attacks Daochen. He reveals he saw it coming and destroys it with Golden Crow Divine Flame.
• Daochen senses that Luo Hou is nearby and strikes a spot that the others’ divine senses had judged empty. Luo Hou’s remnant soul emerges, wielding the God-Slaying Spear.
• Daochen’s Heaven Measuring Ruler clashes with the spear, causing a devastating explosion that collapses nearby caverns. When the dust settles, Luo Hou lies weakened in a massive crater, with his spear beside him.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains composed and strategic: he uses the puppet attack to test the situation, then detects Luo Hou where even Dijun and Taiyi cannot. His confidence and power are clear.
• Changxi shows concern for Daochen during the attack and relief when he is unharmed; her recognition of Qingcheng also reveals her lingering attachment to former allies.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi protect the sisters and respond cautiously to the threat, but are surprised that Daochen can locate Luo Hou when they cannot.
• Luo Hou remains proud and dangerous despite his weakened state. He is astonished that Daochen discovered him and demands to know how.

Significant themes

• Cunning versus vigilance: Luo Hou’s concealment is formidable, but Daochen’s perception and preparation overcome it.
• Loyalty and concern: Changxi’s reactions show her care for Daochen and her sorrow for Qingcheng.
• Power and its limits: The clash demonstrates the immense force of the Heaven Measuring Ruler and God-Slaying Spear, while the destruction around them emphasizes the danger of confronting even a remnant of Luo Hou.

Key events

• Daochen defeats Luo Hou’s weakened remnant soul and destroys it with Golden Crow Divine Flame, ending the demonic qi that had long plagued the Lunar Star.
• After Luo Hou’s death, Daochen discovers the World-Destroying Black Lotus hidden beneath the ice. He breaks it free and claims the Supreme Xiantian defensive treasure, which fills a major gap in his arsenal.
• Changxi offers Daochen her entire supply of Moonlight Divine Water in gratitude. He accepts, but declines her and Xihe’s invitation to visit the Moon God Palace, saying he has urgent matters to attend to.
• As Daochen leaves the Lunar Star with Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Heavenly Dao Merit descends upon him for killing Luo Hou’s remnant soul. Rather than convert it into cultivation, Daochen uses it to refine the Heaven Measuring Ruler’s remaining restrictions, greatly improving his control and power.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen treats Luo Hou with contempt, seeing the remnant soul as a desperate, diminished shadow of the once-mighty Devil Ancestor. He shows confidence and restraint after winning, then focuses on making practical use of his rewards.
• Changxi’s gratitude and admiration deepen; she willingly gives Daochen everything she has saved and hopes to strengthen their connection. Xihe also warmly invites him to stay, but is disappointed when he declines.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi are pleased by Daochen’s growing strength and congratulate him when the merit enhances his weapon.

Significant themes

• Power and mortality: Even a figure who once stood at the top of the Primordial World is vulnerable without Sagehood; Luo Hou’s remnant is only a shadow of his former self.
• Reward for protecting others: Defeating a lingering threat earns Daochen Heavenly Dao Merit and the Lunar goddesses’ gratitude.
• Strategic use of power: Daochen chooses to improve a treasured weapon rather than spend merit on cultivation, reflecting his long-term priorities.
• Reputation and relationships: Daochen’s composure after victory earns Changxi’s respect and strengthens his ties with the lunar sisters.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After returning to the Sun Star, Daochen, Dijun, and Eastern Emperor Taiyi each retreat into seclusion. Daochen studies four powerful treasures he acquired: the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, Earth-Leaving Flame Light Banner, World-Destroying Black Lotus, and God-Slaying Spear.
• Daochen has mastered much of each treasure’s power. The banners can form formidable defensive and offensive formations, while the Black Lotus offers protection comparable to an ordinary Xiantian Supreme Treasure. He has refined most of the God-Slaying Spear’s restrictions but cannot yet complete it.
• As Daochen prepares to study the time law, his system rewards him for completing the Purple Heavens Palace storyline with two Time Law Fragments and a one-use, hundredfold comprehension boost. He activates it and immerses himself in the river of time, steadily deepening his understanding as three thousand years pass.
• On Mount Kunlun, Yuanshi emerges from seclusion with Laozi and Tongtian, all three having reached the late Great Luo Golden Immortal stage. Yuanshi wants to attack Daochen again, but Laozi angrily refuses, reminding him that his provocations have repeatedly cost others dearly. Tongtian also avoids getting involved.
• Yuanshi is left resentful toward both Daochen and his brothers. Before he can act, a strange, powerful figure arrives on Mount Kunlun, calls for the Three Pure Ones to come out, and challenges them.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen gains a major opportunity to advance his time-law comprehension and remains focused on cultivation rather than pursuing conflict.
• Yuanshi remains consumed by humiliation and revenge, but his brothers’ refusal to support him leaves him more isolated and bitter.
• Laozi firmly draws a boundary: he will no longer pay the price for Yuanshi’s reckless behavior.
• Tongtian stays neutral and deliberately avoids taking sides.
• The newcomer—a burly, bird-faced, human-bodied being standing on two dragons—interrupts the brothers’ argument with a direct challenge.

Significant themes

• Power and preparation: Daochen’s treasures and accelerated study of the time law show the value of preparation and cultivation.
• Revenge versus restraint: Yuanshi clings to vengeance, while Laozi urges patience and warns against acting before he is strong enough.
• Responsibility and strained kinship: The Three Pure Ones’ unity is tested as Laozi refuses to keep cleaning up Yuanshi’s messes, and Tongtian chooses self-preservation.
• Uncertainty and escalation: The challenger’s arrival suggests a new conflict just as Yuanshi’s private resentment threatens to boil over.

Key plot points and events

• Still furious from Laozi’s earlier reprimand, Yuanshi confronts Goumang, who has come to Mount Kunlun demanding a fight with all Three Pure Ones before seeking out Daochen.
• Yuanshi takes Goumang’s words as an insult and attacks with the Three Treasures Ruyi. Goumang counters in his million-zhang Ancestral Witch True Form, meeting the treasure’s blows with his bare fist.
• Goumang emerges nearly unscathed and mocks Yuanshi, prompting Yuanshi to attack in earnest. Their battle draws attention from powerful figures across the Primordial World, while Laozi and Tongtian remain at Kunlun.
• Daochen appears after emerging from three thousand years of seclusion at the late stage of Great Luo Golden Immortal. Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi are astonished: despite their own progress to the middle stage, they remain behind him.
• Daochen gives them two Time Compasses he created from his understanding of time laws. The treasures can accelerate time within an area by about a hundredfold, helping them cultivate. Though hesitant to accept such valuable gifts, the brothers do so at his insistence.
• Daochen turns his attention back to Yuanshi and Goumang’s fight, amused by the spectacle.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuanshi is shown as intensely proud and sensitive to disrespect. Goumang’s casual insults push him from cold confrontation into open rage.
• Goumang is blunt, confident, and physically formidable. He sees the Three Pure Ones as an obstacle on the way to Daochen and treats Yuanshi’s attacks—and reputation—with contempt.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi respect Daochen and are surprised by how quickly he has advanced. Their reluctance to accept the compasses reflects their awareness of the treasures’ exceptional worth.
• Daochen remains relaxed about his cultivation and generous toward his allies, while enjoying the clash between the Three Pure Ones and the Ancestral Witches.

Significant themes

• Pride and insult: Yuanshi’s concern for dignity turns a misunderstanding into a fierce fight.
• Power and cultivation: Daochen’s effortless advance contrasts with the brothers’ painstaking progress.
• Kinship and conflict: The Three Pure Ones and Ancestral Witches share a connection to Pangu, making their battle seem like family fighting family.
• Generosity and advancement: Daochen’s Time Compasses offer his allies a major advantage, showing how knowledge and powerful tools can accelerate cultivation.