Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• The four Sages put their scheme into motion without involving Tongtian, whom they distrust and fear might undermine it. Their immediate target is the Twelve Ancestral Witches, but their larger aim is to draw the Demon Race into a great calamity.
• Laozi orders his human disciple, Great Master Xuandu, to open a passage between Human and Witch territories, sending humans toward the Witch Clan. He claims the Human Race must suffer a devastating tribulation before rising to rule heaven and earth.
• Xuandu is deeply troubled by the order, knowing it may cost countless human lives. He nevertheless obeys, solemnly accepting exile from the mortal world if the Human Race eventually prospers.
• On Mount Kunlun, Yuanshi sends Guangchengzi, Red Essence Child, and Spiritual Treasure Great Master to lead humans into Witch territory. They agree eagerly, bearing resentment against the Witch Clan for past humiliations.
• Yuanshi separately orders Ran Deng to follow them disguised as a demon and kill any Witch Great Shamans who intervene. He gives Ran Deng a talisman capable of withstanding a Sage’s attack and promises that the mission will bring merit without karmic punishment.

Character developments and interactions

• Xuandu emerges as loyal but morally conflicted: his devotion to Laozi and the Heavenly Dao collides with his identity as a member of the people he is being ordered to endanger. His bows toward the Eastern Seashore underscore his grief and sacrifice.
• Laozi remains outwardly detached, but Xuandu’s anguish prompts him to wonder whether he has gone too far.
• Yuanshi’s disciples welcome the chance to strike back at the Witches, revealing how strongly earlier defeats have fueled their hostility.
• Ran Deng hesitates because the plan risks provoking the Twelve Ancestral Witches, but Yuanshi’s protection and authority leave him little room to refuse.
• Laozi and Yuanshi act in parallel, arranging the provocation while keeping the scheme secret from Tongtian.

Significant themes

• Ends versus means: The Sages justify mass suffering as necessary for the Human Race’s future rise.
• Loyalty and moral conflict: Xuandu obeys his teacher despite the terrible cost to his own people.
• Manipulation and hidden agendas: Humans are deliberately placed in danger to provoke conflict between powerful factions.
• Power and responsibility: Yuanshi’s promise of divine protection and freedom from karmic consequences highlights how the powerful shift the costs of their plans onto others.

Key plot points and events

• Yuanshi watches Ran Deng depart and frames the conflict with Daochen as a gamble. He believes Daochen’s agreement with the Twelve Ancestral Witches depends on keeping the Human Race out of the conflict—and hints that he intends to draw it in.
• At the Eastern Seashore, Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters realize that Jieyin and Zhunti’s mass conversion of demons has removed nearly every dangerous demon from the region. The demons had acted as a buffer between the Human Race and the Witch Clan; without them, the Witches may reach the human settlements.
• Suirenshi arrives with a captured Lesser Shaman, explaining that it attacked his hunting party. The incident confirms the sisters’ fears that the Witch Clan has begun approaching the Eastern Seashore.
• Zhao Gongming leaves to report the matter to Daochen. Yunxiao and Qiongxiao warn Suirenshi that the threat is far greater than he understands, while Bixiao tells him to return to the Human Race and keep people from venturing out.
• Laozi arrives at the Heavenly Court and asks to see Daochen. Though their relationship is strained by past disputes, Daochen agrees to receive him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters shift from concern to alarm as they recognize that the disappearance of the demons has exposed the Human Race to the Witch Clan. They act cautiously, sending word to their master rather than trying to manage the crisis alone.
• Suirenshi proves capable by defeating and capturing a Lesser Shaman, but he initially underestimates the broader danger. The sisters’ warning leads him to take the threat seriously and return to protect his people.
• Daochen remains the central authority whose judgment is needed, while the arrival of Laozi introduces a new, potentially significant encounter.
• Yuanshi reveals a hostile, strategic outlook, suggesting he may be willing to use the Human Race to undermine Daochen.
• Laozi makes an unexpected visit despite his strained history with Daochen; his purpose remains unknown.

Significant themes

• Political balance and unintended consequences: Removing the demons may seem beneficial, but it destroys a natural barrier and leaves the Human Race exposed.
• Manipulation among the Sages: The looming crisis appears tied to competing plans, and the characters suspect that more than one Sage is involved.
• Forewarning and limited control: Even powerful guardians recognize that the situation may exceed their ability to contain it.
• Protection of the vulnerable: The warnings to Suirenshi and the Human Race emphasize preparation as calamity approaches.

Plot and events

• Laozi visits Daochen in the Heavenly Court, ostensibly to ask Nüwa’s opinion. Nüwa confronts him, revealing that she knows the Sages have arranged for Witch Clan members to be drawn near the Eastern Seashore.
• Daochen investigates the secrets of Heaven and confirms that a Human Race calamity is approaching. The Sages intend to redirect it: instead of the Demon Race attacking humans to forge the Demon-Slaying Sword, the Witch Clan will be made the Human Race’s enemy.
• The Human Race is expected to suffer terribly but emerge stronger. The Witch Clan, lacking the means to understand the Sages’ schemes, is being positioned as the scapegoat. The Sages also fear the Witch Clan might someday rival Daochen.
• Nüwa declares she will not participate in the calamity or be held responsible for the Sages’ actions. Laozi assures her they will not involve her, then leaves.
• Nüwa worries that the Demon Race could still be drawn into the conflict. Daochen suspects the larger plot is aimed at weakening his rising Demon Race, but says he will handle it.

Character developments and interactions

• Nüwa acts with firm independence, balancing her concern for the Human Race she created against her inability to openly defy Heaven’s course. She also worries about the Demon Race, whose fortune is tied to hers.
• Daochen openly challenges Laozi’s lofty justification, recognizing the political motives beneath the Sages’ claims. He remains confident and protective of the Demon Race.
• Laozi stays composed and frames the plan as obedience to Heaven’s will, while making clear he wants to distance himself and the other Sages from its consequences.
• Nüwa and Daochen show mutual trust: she sets her own position, and he leaves the matter to her, then reassures her that he will manage the threat.

Significant themes

• Power and manipulation: The Sages redirect a calamity to preserve their influence and control who bears its cost.
• Fate versus responsibility: Nüwa accepts that the tribulation cannot be prevented, but insists that those who orchestrate it must answer for it.
• Political self-interest disguised as righteousness: Laozi invokes Heaven’s will, while Daochen sees the scheme as a bid to restrain the Demon Race.
• The cost of survival and rising power: The Human Race’s renewal is tied to the suffering of another clan, while the Sages fear any faction that might challenge their authority.

Key plot points

• Zhao Gongming arrives in the Heavenly Court, worried that the Witch Clan will turn on the Human Race after the demons protecting them have been killed. He fears the humans could be drawn into a much wider slaughter, especially if the Sages manipulate events to provoke conflict.
• Daochen and Nüwa explain that the Human Race Calamity cannot simply be stopped: the Human Race must endure it to become ruler of heaven and earth. Daochen nevertheless assures Zhao Gongming that he has a plan.
• Daochen summons the Heavenly Court’s strongest demon leaders—among them Eastern Emperor Taiyi, Dijun, Fuxi, Bai Ze, Ji Meng, and the demon marshals—and orders them to surround the Eastern Seashore with troops. Anyone who enters the territory, other than members of the Demon Race Heavenly Court, is to be killed.
• The demon forces depart for the Eastern Seashore, and Daochen leaves as well. Nüwa remains behind, uneasy about the overlapping Human Race Calamity and War of the Liches.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen balances acceptance of the Human Race’s necessary trial with firm protection of the Eastern Seashore. His order draws a hard boundary against interference by either the Sages’ forces or the Witch Clan.
• Zhao Gongming reveals his concern for the Human Race and gains reassurance that Daochen will not abandon it. He jokes that he is also mindful of Suirenshi and Nüwa’s reaction.
• Nüwa accepts the need for the Human Race to face its trial, but her worry grows as the larger conflicts converge.
• Taiyi, Fuxi, and the other demon leaders respond loyally and mobilize at once. Taiyi playfully ruffles Zhao Gongming’s hair, while Fuxi teases Nüwa; their banter gives way to a more serious farewell when Nüwa wishes her brother Fuxi safety.
• Dijun casually escorts Fuxi and joins the departure, reinforcing the group’s sense of unity and purpose.

Significant themes

• Trial and destiny: The Human Race’s suffering is presented as a necessary step toward its future status.
• Protection with limits: Daochen will not prevent the calamity itself, but he draws a strict line around the Eastern Seashore.
• Looming conflict and uncertainty: The Human Race Calamity and the War of the Liches threaten to collide, leaving even Nüwa unsure of what will follow.

Key plot points and events

• Laozi, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti meet on Mount Kunlun to discuss their plan to stir up a calamity involving the Human Race and the Witch Clan.
• Tongtian arrives, and his cold, dismissive treatment of Yuanshi immediately reignites their hostility. Laozi places himself between them to prevent a quarrel from disrupting the meeting.
• Laozi reports that Nüwa will not interfere, but admits he does not know what Daochen thinks. Zhunti and Jieyin are unsettled by this uncertainty, since Daochen is the one they fear most.
• Zhunti asks how they will draw the Witch Clan into the conflict. Yuanshi suggests making the Human Race the target instead of trying to make humans attack the witches.
• Jieyin and Zhunti seize on Yuanshi’s remark, praise his supposed plan, and bowingly assign him responsibility for carrying it out. Yuanshi realizes too late that they have maneuvered him into taking on the dangerous task.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian and Yuanshi remain openly estranged. Tongtian deliberately ignores Yuanshi, while Yuanshi’s anger grows; both restrain themselves only because of the meeting.
• Laozi acts as mediator, managing the brothers’ tension and keeping the discussion focused. His inability to assess Daochen’s position leaves the group uncertain.
• Jieyin and Zhunti show their fear of Daochen and their reluctance to take risks themselves. They quickly turn Yuanshi’s offhand suggestion into an obligation for him.
• Yuanshi tries to appear clever and assertive, but his remark is interpreted as a commitment. His confidence gives way to alarm and frustration when he sees that the others have dumped the problem on him.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and blame-shifting: Jieyin and Zhunti exploit Yuanshi’s words to make him responsible for the plan.
• Factional mistrust: Even allies pursuing the same goal are wary of one another and eager to avoid personal risk.
• Pride and rivalry: The brothers’ unresolved conflict undermines cooperation.
• Fear of consequences: The group’s uncertainty about Daochen, and their reluctance to face him directly, shapes their decisions.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Jieyin and Zhunti maneuver Yuanshi into taking responsibility for provoking the Twelve Ancestral Witches. Yuanshi realizes too late that his fellow Sages intend to leave him to face the consequences.
• The Sages agree to pursue the Human Race Kalpa, aiming to ignite the War of the Liches and, if possible, draw in the Demon Race. Their main objective is to eliminate the Witch Clan.
• Yuanshi is left alone at Jade Void Palace, angry but committed to carrying out the plan he accepted.
• The Twelve Golden Immortals return, proud of having cleared the Demon Race from the route between the Human Race and the Witch Clan. Yuanshi orders them to go to the Eastern Seashore and lead the Human Race into Witch territory.
• Though they fear the Demon Race army gathered there, Yuanshi assures them that the Sages have agreed on the plan and promises to intervene if the Demon Race or Daochen blocks them. He privately has little confidence in that assurance.
• After the disciples leave, Yuanshi gives Daoist Randeng a separate, undisclosed assignment.
• Facing the Demon Race’s formidable forces, Guangchengzi and the other disciples hesitate. When Guangchengzi tells Huanglong to scout ahead because he joined the Chan School last, Huanglong protests that his legs are giving out.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuanshi shifts from anger at being manipulated to reluctant acceptance of responsibility. He projects confidence to his disciples while privately doubting he can protect them.
• Jieyin and Zhunti successfully pressure Yuanshi into carrying out their plan while avoiding the immediate risk themselves. Laozi, though sympathetic, does not challenge them because he still needs their support.
• Guangchengzi and the Twelve Golden Immortals are initially pleased with their success, then grow anxious when ordered toward the Demon Race’s heavily guarded position. Their fear leads to mutual hesitation and an attempt to make Huanglong go first.
• Daoist Randeng recognizes that Yuanshi has a special task for him and accepts it without needing an explanation.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and blame-shifting: Jieyin and Zhunti steer Yuanshi into taking the dangerous role, leaving him exposed to the consequences.
• The costs of political scheming: The Sages’ strategy treats the Human Race, Witch Clan, and Demon Race as pieces in a larger conflict.
• Leadership versus responsibility: Yuanshi gives orders and promises protection, but his private uncertainty raises doubts about whether he can fulfill that duty.
• Fear and self-preservation: The disciples’ reluctance—and Huanglong’s excuse—adds humor while showing how quickly confidence fades before real danger.

Key events

• Guangchengzi urges Yellow Dragon True Person to test the Heavenly Court demons, but Yellow Dragon refuses, fearing the vastly stronger army. Guangchengzi is no less afraid and abandons the idea.
• Bai Ze, Fuxi, and the other Heavenly Court leaders spot the Chan School disciples outside the Eastern Seashore. Ji Meng and Jiuying bicker over who should deal with them, then send the headless Fierce Beast Chaos.
• Chaos frightens Guangchengzi and the Twelve Golden Immortals. Guangchengzi falsely claims they came to protect the Human Race, and the others quickly echo him.
• Chaos recognizes their excuse as a lie but spares them because they are Yuanshi’s disciples, instead sweeping them out of the Eastern Seashore and warning them not to return.
• The Chan School disciples retreat. Taiyi asks about completing their teacher’s assignment, but Guangchengzi refuses to risk another encounter. Primordial Heavenly Venerable watches from afar, disappointed in his disciples.

Character developments and interactions

• Guangchengzi shifts from trying to direct others to acting out of fear himself; he lies to save his group and abandons the mission.
• Yellow Dragon True Person openly resists Guangchengzi’s demand, while Taiyi True Person briefly raises the question of their task before backing down.
• Ji Meng and Jiuying trade insults and try to pass the unpleasant job between them. Their banter highlights the Heavenly Court demons’ irreverent camaraderie.
• Chaos is intimidating by reputation but shows restraint, choosing expulsion over violence. His exchange with the Chan School disciples exposes their panic and dishonesty.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerable appears only at the end, silently observing and judging his disciples’ failure.

Significant themes

• Fear and self-preservation: Even powerful or senior figures hesitate when confronted with overwhelming strength.
• The gap between stated duty and true motive: The disciples’ claim of protecting the Human Race is exposed as a convenient cover.
• Power and restraint: Chaos’s strength is unmistakable, but he chooses to spare the intruders.
• Comedic rivalry: The demons’ squabbling contrasts with the Chan School disciples’ terror, giving the confrontation a comic tone.

Key plot points and events

• Yuanshi plans to enter the Eastern Seashore personally after his disciples fail to recruit humans for the coming War of the Liches.
• As he tries to cross the boundary, an unseen force strikes him with a ruler and knocks him back. Daochen then appears.
• Daochen confronts Yuanshi, declaring that, as Demon Emperor, he will not be restrained by the Heavenly Dao. He threatens him with the Heaven Measuring Ruler and God-Slaying Spear.
• Yuanshi retreats rather than fight. Daochen leaves, while the assembled demons and humans are relieved that the Sages are unlikely to intrude again soon.
• The scene shifts to the Witch Clan: Xiangliu and four other Great Shamans discuss missing clansmen and a vanished Great Shaman. They have found no trace of them and decide not to disturb the Ancestral Witches, who are cultivating in seclusion.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen shows confidence and defiance, openly challenging Yuanshi and revealing that he considers himself beyond the Heavenly Dao’s authority. His brief complaint that the author has forgotten the system adds a humorous, self-aware note.
• Yuanshi begins determined to intervene but backs down when Daochen threatens him, exposing his caution despite his status as a Sage.
• Xiangliu is troubled by the disappearances but acts pragmatically, weighing whether the issue is serious enough to involve the Ancestral Witches.
• The demons look to Daochen for protection, while the Great Shamans rely on one another to investigate the crisis without involving their secluded leaders.

Significant themes

• Power and deterrence: Daochen’s display of force prevents a Sage from crossing into the Eastern Seashore.
• Resistance to authority: Daochen distinguishes himself from Sages bound to the Heavenly Dao and insists on acting freely.
• The limits of leadership: The Ancestral Witches’ long retreats leave Great Shamans responsible for handling urgent clan affairs.
• Uncertainty and hidden danger: The unexplained disappearances suggest a threat that the Witch Clan has not yet understood.

Key plot points

• The Gonggong Tribe’s Great Shamans discuss a worsening crisis: tribespeople are disappearing across multiple Ancestral Shaman tribes, and the Witch Clan is struggling to hunt enough demons to sustain its young.
• A messenger reports that Xuankui, a Great Shaman who had been investigating the disappearances, has been killed.
• Xiangliu initially suspects the Demon Race, but the messenger claims the culprit was the Human Race. Xuankui’s essence blood and heart-like bloodline source were taken, while his body remained intact; human remains were also found nearby.
• Because retaliation could draw in Nüwa and Daochen, Xiangliu refuses to act on the messenger’s report alone and goes to inspect the scene himself.
• As the messenger leads him out, he secretly reveals a cold, calculating look, suggesting his account may be deceptive.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiangliu is shown as a capable but cautious leader. Though angered by Xuankui’s death, he recognizes the political danger of accusing the Human Race without solid proof.
• Xiangyao, Xiangliu’s elder brother, emphasizes the practical cost of the disappearances: fewer demons to hunt means less vital energy for newborn witches.
• The other Great Shamans share Xiangliu’s alarm, especially because an attack on a Great Shaman could escalate beyond ordinary Witch-Demon skirmishes.
• The Lesser Shaman messenger appears frightened and deferential, but his final expression casts doubt on his motives.

Significant themes

• Political escalation and fragile balance: A single killing could upset the uneasy restraint among the Witch, Demon, and Human races.
• Evidence and responsibility: Xiangliu insists on verification before taking action, knowing that a mistaken accusation could have far-reaching consequences.
• Scarcity and survival: The Witch Clan’s dependence on hunting for blood and vital energy makes the disappearances an existential concern.
• Deception and uncertainty: The messenger’s suspicious glance implies that the apparent evidence may be part of a larger scheme.

Key plot points and events

• Xiangliu leaves the Gonggong Tribe with the lesser shaman Xuan Yuan to investigate the death of Great Shaman Xuankui. He warns Xiangyao to keep the tribe on guard, suspecting a stronger power may be manipulating events.
• At the massacre site, Xiangliu finds Xuankui’s body beside the slaughtered remains of nearly ten thousand humans. Xuankui’s heart and essence blood are gone, making resurrection impossible.
• As Xiangliu examines the corpse, Xuan Yuan attacks him with a fire-based technique—an ability that makes no sense for a shaman of the water-aligned Gonggong Tribe.
• Xuan Yuan reveals himself as the demon marshal Bai Ze. Xiangliu realizes Bai Ze may also have killed Xuankui, though he cannot understand why the Demon Race would break its truce with the Witch Clan.
• Before Xiangliu can question him, an unseen attacker strikes Bai Ze. Bai Ze’s disguise changes again, revealing the Daoist Randeng.
• Daochen appears briefly, tells Xiangliu to carry on as though he is not there, and vanishes.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiangliu is wary about the growing crisis and shows genuine grief for Xuankui, whom he regards as a rare and powerful member of the tribe. He becomes alarmed when Xuan Yuan’s impossible fire technique exposes the deception.
• Xiangyao remains confident that the four Great Shamans left behind can protect the tribe.
• Bai Ze is revealed to have infiltrated Xiangliu’s investigation under Xuan Yuan’s identity, then is struck and exposed as Randeng, suggesting the scene involves layered disguises or transformations.
• Daochen enters unexpectedly but offers no explanation, leaving Xiangliu—and the reader—to continue amid mounting uncertainty.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Xuan Yuan is not who he appears to be, and Bai Ze’s identity shifts again after the attack.
• Escalating mistrust: Xiangliu suspects that a third party may be provoking conflict between the Witch and Demon Races.
• Irreversible loss: Xuankui’s missing heart makes even the Witch Clan’s restorative methods useless.
• Power and vulnerability: Despite Xiangliu’s strength, he is caught off guard by the ambush and the conspiracies unfolding around him.

Plot points and events

• Demon Emperor Daochen appears during the confrontation between Daoist Randeng and the Great Shaman Xiangliu. His unexplained presence unnerves both fighters, and he tells them to continue as if he were not there.
• Panicking, Randeng charges Xiangliu while loudly insisting that Primordial Heavenly Venerable ordered the whole scheme and that the Demon Race and Human Race were uninvolved. Xiangliu joins in, attacking Randeng with eight of his heads while another head echoes the denials and promises to report the matter to the Ancestral Shamans.
• Daochen accepts their public disavowals, declares the Demon Race Heavenly Court uninvolved, and leaves. Once his aura is gone, Randeng and Xiangliu resume their brutal fight.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerable watches Randeng expose him and rages, while Jieyin and Zhunti despair that their schemes against Daochen have failed yet again. Nüwa reflects that Daochen’s actions have made his allegiance clear and stops following the Human Race’s calamity.
• Laozi decides to act personally. He sends two avatars toward Witch territory and creates large numbers of Yellow Turban Strongmen, disguising them as powerful, seemingly human cultivators with immortal bodies.
• The fight turns against Randeng: already injured from Daochen’s earlier punishment, he is eventually blasted underground by Xiangliu. Xiangliu’s enormous tail descends after him.

Character developments and interactions

• Randeng crumbles under Daochen’s intimidating presence and betrays Primordial Heavenly Venerable to save himself. Despite his fear, he resumes fighting Xiangliu once Daochen departs, but his earlier injuries leave him vulnerable.
• Xiangliu matches Randeng’s frantic claims while continuing to attack him, making their confrontation both vicious and absurd.
• Daochen uses his presence and restraint to force both sides to declare that the Demon Race had no part in the affair, then withdraws without intervening further.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerable is furious at Randeng’s confession, which compromises his ability to deny responsibility.
• Jieyin and Zhunti see their plans collapse again and lose confidence in turning the Western Land’s fortunes around.
• Nüwa recognizes Daochen’s position through his actions and withdraws from watching the Human Race’s crisis.
• Laozi shifts from observation to direct action, secretly preparing an army to infiltrate Witch territory.

Significant themes

• Fear and self-preservation: Randeng’s terror overrides loyalty, prompting an immediate confession.
• Scheming and unintended consequences: Attempts to maneuver against Daochen repeatedly unravel, exposing their instigators.
• Political blame and allegiance: The scene’s comic chorus of denials clarifies who is—and is not—being held responsible.
• Hidden escalation: Beneath the farcical fight, Laozi’s covert preparations signal a more serious move in the wider conflict.

Plot points and events

• Xiangliu, enraged and desperate, unleashes a final attack on the wounded Daoist Randeng. He fears that the other Witch tribes may already be under attack and that their fury could drive them into a disastrous war with humanity.
• An elderly Daoist appears and stops Xiangliu with a single touch, destroying his giant true form. Xiangliu’s nine heads become mountain-like peaks, and he dies.
• Randeng recognizes the rescuer as Laozi’s severed corpse, a being with saint-level power. He thanks him; the figure disappears, and Randeng soon leaves as well.
• The story shifts to the Shebishi Tribe. Its members have noticed that demons and hunting parties have been disappearing, but they cannot explain why. Tiankui dismisses the danger, confident that the Ancestral Witches will protect them.
• More than ten thousand apparent humans suddenly charge out of the forest. They are actually Yellow Turban Strongmen disguised as humans through Laozi’s bean-scattering soldier technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiangliu shifts from fighting to worrying about the wider Witch Clan, recognizing that rage and retaliation could bring about its destruction. His concern does not save him from the intervention.
• Randeng is badly depleted and faces likely death, but is rescued by Laozi’s powerful proxy. His brief thanks conveys respect and relief.
• Tiankui is relaxed and dismissive of warnings, trusting the Witch Clan’s reputation and its Ancestral Witches. His confidence is undercut by the sudden attack.
• The Shebishi guards discuss the disappearances, but their shared reassurance leaves them unprepared for the disguised soldiers.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and sudden intervention: Laozi’s proxy reverses the battle with effortless force.
• Escalation and self-destruction: Xiangliu fears that vengeance could turn scattered attacks into a catastrophe for the Witch Clan.
• Complacency and deception: The guards’ confidence makes them vulnerable, while the attackers’ human appearance conceals their true nature.
• War beyond the battlefield: Even after Xiangliu’s death, the wider campaign continues, with the Witch tribes facing coordinated attacks.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Human Race is described as physically weak and limited in cultivation, while the Witch Clan is renowned for its powerful bodies and dominance around Mount Buzhou.
• Despite this imbalance, a human force attacks the Shebishi Tribe. The attackers include Yellow Turban Strongmen, magically summoned beings with puppet-like bodies, and real humans herded from the Eastern Seashore by Laozi’s forces.
• The Yellow Turban Strongmen absorb blows that should kill ordinary humans and repeatedly return to the fight. Their unexpected toughness lets the attackers overwhelm Witch Clan members, including two lesser shamans.
• Great Shamans from the tribe join the battle. A cautious female Great Shaman suspects something is wrong and leaves to report to the Ancestral Shaman.
• Laozi’s severed corpse kills her before she can escape, leaving no trace. Laozi then summons Xuan Du, who engages two Great Shamans with the Jade Screen Two-Forms Lamp.
• A similar assault is underway at Gonggong’s tribe, showing that the attack is part of a wider campaign against the Witch Clan.

Character developments and interactions

• Laozi directs the assault with cold detachment, using his summoned troops and real humans as instruments. He also ensures the Witch Clan cannot alert its leaders by killing the messenger.
• The female Great Shaman stands apart from her more hot-tempered peers: she recognizes the attackers’ unnatural resilience and tries to report the threat, but Laozi stops her.
• Xuan Du obeys Laozi and confronts the Witch Clan’s Great Shamans directly, treating battle—not discussion—as the answer.
• The Witch Clan’s defenders initially dismiss the humans as weak, then are shocked by their strength and refusal to stay down. Some respond impulsively, while others attempt to assess the anomaly.

Significant themes

• The strong and the weak: The chapter begins by stressing the Primordial World’s brutal rule that strength determines survival, then overturns expectations as seemingly weak humans become formidable attackers.
• Deception and engineered conflict: Laozi’s forces disguise their methods and use both magical constructs and forcibly gathered humans, making the assault more than a straightforward battle.
• Indifference and expendability: The battle is treated as a means to an end; Laozi watches without compassion, and the human combatants are driven into slaughter.
• Escalation toward wider war: Attacks on multiple Witch Clan tribes suggest a deliberate campaign rather than an isolated clash.

Key plot points and events

• After learning that the Gonggong and Shebishi tribes have been destroyed, the Witch Clan blames the Human Race and launches a furious assault toward the Eastern Seashore.
• Witches slaughter humans they encounter and also kill some demons. In response, nearby humans and demons form an unusual alliance and fight back, turning scattered clashes into a three-race war.
• Tribulation aura grows as deaths mount, drawing in more races and filling the Primordial World with carnage. Ancestor Minghe briefly witnesses the gathering calamity, then retreats rather than get involved.
• The Human Race is devastated: fewer than a billion of its original population of more than ten billion survive, sheltered at the Eastern Seashore by demons from the Heavenly Court.
• Daochen judges the Human Race Calamity sufficiently advanced and sends Kunpeng to warn the Twelve Ancestral Witches to intervene before their people are consumed by the tribulation aura.
• At Mount Kunlun, the Five Great Sages discuss the looming disaster. Laozi reminds Jieyin and Zhunti that all five are implicated; Tongtian reinforces the warning by threatening them with his Four Immortal-Slaying Swords.

Character developments

• Daochen reveals that he has been steering the calamity toward a stopping point and now seeks to prevent the Witch Clan from losing control.
• Minghe remains characteristically cautious, choosing to hide rather than risk involvement in the coming war.
• Laozi and Yuanshi emerge as the primary initiators of the plan, while Jieyin and Zhunti are shown hoping to shift blame—but quickly retreat from that position when challenged.
• Tongtian openly distrusts the Western sages and uses the threat of force to keep them aligned.

Significant themes

• Revenge and misjudgment: The witches act on the apparent evidence of human involvement, without investigating what happened.
• Escalation and collective violence: Retaliation transforms a local disaster into a war involving multiple races.
• The corrupting force of calamity: Tribulation aura threatens to turn even powerful beings into uncontrollable killers.
• Responsibility and self-preservation: The sages face the consequences of their shared scheme while maneuvering to avoid blame.

Character interactions

• The witches’ grief over their destroyed tribes quickly becomes indiscriminate rage against humans and demons.
• Humans and demons set aside their usual divisions to resist the Witch Clan.
• Daochen relies on Kunpeng to deliver a warning to the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
• Laozi confronts Jieyin and Zhunti over their reluctance to share responsibility, and Tongtian’s sword threat makes the stakes unmistakable.

Key plot points and events

• The Three Pure Ones and the Western Sages discuss how to counter the Twelve Ancestral Witches, who can fuse with Pangu’s Divine Hall and summon Pangu’s True Form.
• Jieyin and Zhunti admit they fear losing Laozi’s Taiji Diagram and Yuanshi’s Pangu Banner again. Yuanshi dismisses their concern, insisting the group will not be caught off guard twice.
• Jieyin and Zhunti ask Tongtian to lend them his Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation. Tongtian refuses to make the request easy: he warns that using the formation during a calamity would bring severe karma upon the religious orders behind them. The others fall silent, and their attempt to secure the formation—and potentially use it to limit Tongtian’s future influence—fails.
• Across the Primordial World, slaughter continues and tribulation aura accumulates to a level approaching the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation.
• A mysterious black-cloaked figure appears within the tribulation clouds, absorbing the aura and growing more powerful. Wanting to draw the Demon Race Heavenly Court into the bloodshed, the figure directs the aura toward its forces near the Eastern Seashore. The killing urge overtakes everyone there, including Taiyi, Dijun, Fuxi, Bai Ze, and the Ten Demon Sages.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian remains wary of being used by his fellow Sages. His refusal protects his interests and underscores his independence.
• Jieyin and Zhunti reveal their caution and opportunism: they seek both the protection of Tongtian’s formation and the advantage of letting others bear the risks.
• Yuanshi responds with confidence—and disdain—while Laozi silently agrees that their opponents’ earlier tactic can be countered.
• The Sages’ exchange exposes mutual suspicion beneath their cooperation; Tongtian recognizes the attempt to turn his power against him and refuses.
• The black-cloaked figure acts as a new, hidden force manipulating the calamity, deliberately escalating the conflict.

Significant themes

• Power and self-interest: Even allied Sages maneuver to protect their own factions and avoid costs.
• The price of violence: The Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation’s strength carries karmic consequences, while widespread slaughter feeds the calamity.
• Manipulation and loss of control: The warring groups do not understand how close the disaster is, and the cloaked figure exploits that ignorance to intensify it.

Key events

• During the battle beyond the Eastern Seashore, the Heavenly Court’s demon armies suddenly join the conflict, attacking the Witch Clan while it is already fighting the Human and Demon Races.
• The reorganized, well-equipped demons inflict heavy casualties. Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s Chaos Bell blasts even the powerful Great Shaman Xingtian underground. Xingtian emerges and declares that, if the Heavenly Court wants war, the Witch Clan will fight with everything it has.
• The Three Pure Ones and Jieyin and Zhunti watch in confusion. They had hoped to use the Human Race calamity to ignite the Witch-Demon War, but now fear the situation has escaped their control. They suspect Daochen—or possibly Hongjun—may be behind the Heavenly Court’s unexpected move.
• Daochen senses tribulation energy pouring into the demons and threatening the Demon Race’s fortune. He prepares to leave the Heavenly Court with the Heaven Measuring Ruler, God-Slaying Spear, and Chaos Pearl.
• Nüwa offers him two protective treasures, but Daochen refuses, reassuring her that his own strength and artifacts are sufficient.
• Before Daochen can depart, Hongjun appears. Rather than confronting him, Hongjun congratulates Daochen and Nüwa, revealing that he knows of their relationship.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen recognizes that the Heavenly Court’s intervention is being driven by an outside force or hidden influence. He remains protective of the Demon Race and resolute, but his awkward response to Hongjun’s congratulations adds a humorous, domestic moment.
• Nüwa is anxious about Daochen’s dangerous mission and tries to equip him for it. Her embarrassment at Hongjun’s recognition of their relationship shows her personal bond with Daochen alongside her respect for Hongjun as her master.
• Hongjun returns after a long absence, arriving at a pivotal moment. His warm congratulations suggest he is aware of—and accepts—the relationship.
• The Three Pure Ones, Jieyin, and Zhunti are unsettled: their plans to manipulate the calamity have become unpredictable, and they recognize that they cannot safely challenge Daochen, Nüwa, or the Ancestral Witches.
• Taiyi and Xingtian embody the sudden escalation: Taiyi’s attack helps bring the Witch Clan into open hostility, while Xingtian answers with a declaration of war.

Significant themes

• The loss of control: The calamity and its political maneuvering are no longer proceeding according to the sages’ plans.
• Power and deterrence: The Heavenly Court’s improved resources and Daochen’s formidable strength reshape the balance between the races.
• Hidden intervention: The influx of tribulation energy suggests that a greater force may be manipulating events.
• Personal bonds amid cosmic conflict: Nüwa’s concern for Daochen and Hongjun’s acknowledgment of their relationship provide a humanizing contrast to the escalating war.

Plot and events

• Hongjun reveals that the hidden force interfering with the Kalpa is Luo Hou, the Devil Ancestor.
• Luo Hou was not truly killed in the ancient Dao-Demon War: the being Hongjun and his allies fought was only an avatar. Luo Hou’s present manifestation in the Primordial World is also an avatar; his true self remains in the Beyond Lands, where Great Immortal Yangmei and others reside.
• Hongjun explains that Luo Hou’s true power is immense—below Pangu, but beyond even the strongest Great Dao Demon Gods. Because the laws of heaven and earth are complete, Luo Hou’s true self cannot enter the Primordial World.
• Hongjun warns Daochen that the Primordial World is only the beginning and the Beyond Lands are not the end, urging him to grow stronger. He then leaves.
• Hongjun subsequently confronts Luo Hou within the tribulation clouds, sealing them off from the Primordial World. Luo Hou mocks Hongjun for interfering with the Kalpa to protect an “anomaly” and asks how much longer Hongjun can fight at full strength before becoming the Heavenly Dao’s puppet. Hongjun refuses to debate, declaring their paths opposed, and prepares to fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen is stunned to learn Luo Hou survived and begins to suspect the full scale of the threats beyond his current world. He interprets Hongjun’s warning as a sign that larger forces and dangers are at work.
• Nüwa is shocked by the revelation that Luo Hou’s original defeat was only the destruction of an avatar. She is relieved that his true self cannot enter the Primordial World.
• Hongjun shows a rare warmth while acknowledging Nüwa’s pregnancy, but his warning to Daochen hints at a serious, wider purpose. His confrontation with Luo Hou reveals that he is willing to risk his strength—and perhaps his independence from the Heavenly Dao—to protect the Kalpa’s anomaly.
• Luo Hou appears confident and contemptuous, challenging Hongjun’s motives and condition. Their exchange underscores the deep, unresolved conflict between their opposing paths.

Significant themes

• Power and scale: Even legendary figures may be only avatars or pieces in a much larger cosmic order.
• Growth beyond familiar boundaries: The Primordial World is presented as merely the starting point of a broader reality.
• Duty and sacrifice: Hongjun’s intervention may cost him strength and autonomy.
• Opposing paths: Hongjun and Luo Hou’s conflict is framed not simply as a battle, but as a fundamental disagreement over the Dao.

Plot points and events

• Dao Ancestor Hongjun and Devil Ancestor Luo Hou manifest within the tribulation clouds, unleashing power that terrifies beings across the Primordial World.
• Their appearance awakens powerful demonic artifacts: Tongtian’s Four Immortal-Slaying Swords, Daochen’s God-Slaying Spear, and Nüwa’s World-Destroying Black Lotus all try to fly toward Luo Hou. Tongtian and the Chaos Pearl suppress them.
• Luo Hou’s return shocks the world. Many believed he had died long ago, and his present strength seems far beyond the level he reached in the ancient Dao-Demon War.
• Hongjun draws power from the Purple Heavens Palace and the Heavenly Dao, reaching a realm that astonishes even the Five Great Sages.
• Daochen concludes that the Primordial World is only the beginning of a much larger reality. He leaves the Heavenly Court, intending to keep the coming Lich War from spiraling out of control.
• Hongjun and Luo Hou agree to fight in the Chaos Void rather than risk destroying the Primordial World. They depart, and the pressure on the world gradually lifts.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun and Luo Hou face one another as near-peer forces and choose the Chaos Void for their battle.
• The Sages—especially Laozi and Yuanshi—realize that becoming Saints is nowhere near the ultimate limit of cultivation. Laozi feels renewed ambition; Yuanshi recognizes how far he still has to go.
• Tongtian struggles to restrain his swords, whose reaction suggests a profound connection to Luo Hou.
• Nüwa trusts Daochen enough to let him leave, strengthened by their bond as Dao Companions and her pregnancy.
• Daochen acts on his belief that the Lich War can be contained, though the chapter does not reveal what he plans to do.

Significant themes

• Hidden history: Luo Hou’s return exposes how much remains unknown about the ancient Dao-Demon War.
• The limits of power: Even Saints are shown to be far below the world’s true pinnacle.
• A broader cosmos: Daochen’s reflection suggests that neither the Primordial World nor the Beyond Lands mark the end of the path.
• Containment and catastrophe: Hongjun and Luo Hou deliberately move their conflict away from the world, while Daochen seeks to prevent another war from escalating.

Key events

• After Hongjun escorts Luo Hou out of the Primordial World, Daochen prepares to intervene in the escalating War of the Liches. He orders Nüwa to remain in the Heavenly Court and guard the Heavenly Ladder while he is away.
• Nüwa agrees, mindful of Daochen’s seriousness and their relationship—especially now that she is pregnant.
• The Sages’ plans appear to be progressing: the Human Race has been devastated, the survivors have fled to the Eastern Seashore, and the Demon Race is locked in a costly war with the Witch Clan.
• Yuanshi is relieved that Luo Hou’s interference has accelerated the conflict, but Tongtian warns that Daochen may hold the Sages responsible. He further points out that the Twelve Ancestral Witches could discover the Sages’ role and seek revenge.
• Laozi tries to reassure the group that the five Sages can defend themselves together. Tongtian bluntly observes that they may not always stay united, leaving Laozi and the others uneasy.
• At Pangu Hall, the Twelve Ancestral Witches learn that their clan has been fighting both the Human Race and the Demon Race. They are shocked and furious that they were not informed sooner.

Character developments and interactions

• Nüwa shows greater consideration for Daochen, choosing to prioritize his wishes and the Heavenly Court’s security.
• Tongtian emerges as a fearless, relentlessly honest critic of the Sages’ optimism. His warnings silence Yuanshi, Laozi, Jieyin, and Zhunti, who resent his pessimism but cannot refute it.
• The other Sages shift from satisfaction with their scheme to anxiety over its consequences, particularly Daochen’s reaction and the possibility of Witch Clan retaliation.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches, who had been in seclusion, are abruptly confronted with the scale of the conflict and their subordinates’ mishandling of it.

Significant themes

• Actions have consequences: The Sages’ manipulation of the calamity may benefit them, but the resulting bloodshed and political fallout threaten to turn against them.
• False confidence and unity: The Sages feel secure when acting together, yet Tongtian exposes how fragile that protection may be.
• Blunt truth versus comforting optimism: Tongtian’s “cold water” is unwelcome, but his warnings are grounded in reality.
• Escalating conflict: The war has grown beyond the Sages’ control, drawing in the Human, Demon, and Witch races—and setting the stage for retaliation.

Key plot points and events

• Houyi reports that the Gonggong and Shebishi Tribes were suddenly destroyed, with Human corpses left behind. The Witch Clan blamed the Human Race, marched to confront them, and became entangled in a war with the Demon Race.
• Dijiang angrily confronts Houyi for violating his agreement with Daochen not to start a war. Houtu questions Houyi, then dismisses him and Kuafu.
• Houtu and Dijiang conclude that the Human Race could not have destroyed two Witch tribes; someone must have engineered the conflict.
• The Ancestral Witches recognize that they cannot simply end the war: their clansmen have already suffered heavy losses, and abandoning the dead would risk disorder within the Witch Clan.
• Dijiang decides they have no choice but to fight. The Twelve Ancestral Witches set out for the central region, but an unexpected figure appears before them, leaving them stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu shows level-headedness: she calms Goumang, rescues Houyi from his crushing grip, and steers the questioning toward the real issue. She is the first to identify the larger plot.
• Dijiang moves from rage at Houyi to grim acceptance that the war was provoked and may now be unavoidable.
• Houyi gives a straightforward account of events despite being injured. Kuafu is relieved not to have been the one in Goumang’s grasp.
• Zhurong starts to condemn the Human Race but backs down under Houtu’s icy stare, largely because he fears Xuanming’s response.
• The Ancestral Witches shift from confusion and anger to wary unity, acknowledging that their own pursuit of power may have left their tribes poorly managed.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and misdirection: A staged attack appears to have turned the Witch and Demon Clans against one another.
• The cost of pride and neglect: The Ancestral Witches’ ambitions and failure to oversee their tribes may have helped expose them to this crisis.
• Duty versus de-escalation: Even suspecting a conspiracy, the leaders feel unable to stop the war without dishonoring their dead and destabilizing their clan.
• Fate and inevitability: Dijiang sees the Witch Clan as a target of Heaven’s will, framing the coming conflict as something they may not be able to avoid.