Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Demon Emperor Daochen overwhelms the invading experts, leaving the four leaders terrified. The Lord of Darkness, their strongest, hesitates but eventually flees as Daochen approaches.
• Daochen pursues him by tearing through space with ease—an ability that shocks the Lord of Darkness, who struggles even to cross the Chaos Space.
• The Lord of Light recalls that Daochen was only at the Eighth Heaven of the Saint Realm when they last fought. The group wonders how he became so powerful after advancing only one stage.
• Daochen suddenly captures the Lord of Light and drags him into a dark, enclosed space. He beats him but keeps him alive, intending to decide his fate later.
• The Lord of Darkness calls for Daochen to fight openly and promises that the group will leave the Primordial World if Daochen defeats them all. Daochen watches from hiding with the captive Lord of Light.
• The Lord of Darkness abruptly falls silent. When the Lord of Light screams, Daochen attacks the space beside him, suggesting another threat has appeared.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen is confident, ruthless, and eager to punish the invaders, but he spares the Lord of Light because he considers him exceptionally rare and valuable.
• The Lord of Darkness shifts from cautious hesitation to panic and flight, then tries to provoke Daochen into a direct confrontation to save the Lord of Light.
• The Lord of Light is captured and badly beaten, but his survival is tied to Daochen’s interest in his unusual nature.
• The two Lords, despite being bitter enemies in ordinary circumstances, show solidarity against Daochen; the Lord of Darkness’s plea reveals concern for his captured companion.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming power and fear: Daochen’s strength makes even elite opponents feel helpless.
• Pride versus survival: The Lord of Darkness initially resists retreat but flees once his fear takes over.
• Unexpected loyalty: Rivalry gives way to cooperation and concern when the Lords face a greater threat.
• Mercy as calculation: Daochen spares the Lord of Light not from compassion, but because he sees him as too rare and powerful to waste.

Key plot points and events

• A mysterious, well-prepared rescuer frees the Lord of Light from Demon Emperor Daochen’s Chaos Space, then also extracts the Lord of Darkness and two others. Daochen cannot detect or stop the escape.
• Heavenly Dao Hongjun reports a crisis in the Primordial World: Phantom Worms are devouring its resources and attacking its inhabitants.
• Daochen recognizes the worm attack as a diversion, likely intended to draw him away while the escapees hide nearby. He returns too late to catch them.
• Using Phantom Worms he has already subdued, Daochen makes the rampaging worms attack one another, ending the immediate assault in a day.
• Daochen secretly keeps control of the worms, releases them into Chaos, and uses them to channel energy into the Primordial World through four structures. He hopes this will strengthen the world and help him eventually reach the Heavenly Dao Realm.

Character developments

• Daochen shifts from confidence in his supposedly secure private domain to wariness: he now considers the unknown rescuer his foremost enemy and realizes he cannot leave the Primordial World unguarded. He also turns the crisis into an opportunity, using the worms to fuel the world’s growth.
• Hongjun is anxious about the rampage and depends on Daochen to deal with creatures whose true bodies he cannot reach.
• The rescued figures remain unidentified and at large, having demonstrated careful planning and an ability to evade Daochen’s senses.

Significant themes

• Preparation and misdirection: The rescue and worm attack are coordinated to outmaneuver Daochen.
• Power and vulnerability: Even at his peak, Daochen cannot control every situation or protect every front.
• Turning danger into advantage: He repurposes the Phantom Worms as a source of energy and a tool for the Primordial World’s expansion.
• Hidden threats: The immediate disaster ends, but the escaped group remains a danger.

Character interactions

• Daochen threatens the unseen rescuer and searches for the escapees, but finds no trace.
• Hongjun approaches Daochen for help; Daochen explains that the captives escaped and returns with him to the Primordial World.
• Daochen conceals the surviving worms’ true allegiance from Hongjun and the others, who believe the infestation has been fully eliminated.

Key plot points and events

• The four Lords of Nether Soil panic after their encounter with the Demon Emperor, whose strength they compare to—and suspect may exceed—Pangu’s. They fear he could come after them.
• Lord of Light asks Hou Qing about his connection to the Land of the Void. Hou Qing explains that it is not another ordinary space but a region of absolute nothingness, without power, time, or space.
• Hou Qing reveals that he rescued the Lords both to prevent the Demon Emperor from becoming unchecked and to help them pursue a breakthrough to the Heavenly Dao Realm.
• He argues that attaining that realm requires a rare opportunity, not cultivation alone. Pangu created the Primordial World to make such an opportunity, but was betrayed and fell.
• Hou Qing suggests that the ancient struggle may have produced someone who actually reached the Heavenly Dao Realm. The four expanses of Nether Soil, he says, may be remnants of that catastrophic conflict.
• Asked who succeeded, Hou Qing says the person has been erased from everyone’s memories and cannot be spoken of. Even Hou Qing does not know their identity.

Character developments

• Hou Qing emerges as far more powerful, knowledgeable, and purposeful than the Lords had assumed. Though he admits he feared the Demon Emperor, he has a larger plan: recreate conditions that might allow a new breakthrough.
• The four Lords shift from immediate fear of the Demon Emperor to astonishment and curiosity about the Heavenly Dao Realm and the hidden history of Pangu’s era.

Significant themes

• Power and fear: The Demon Emperor’s strength unsettles even ancient beings who once considered themselves near the summit.
• Opportunity versus cultivation: The chapter presents transcendence as dependent on a rare historical opening, not merely personal effort.
• Betrayal and sacrifice: Pangu’s attempt to create a chance for all beings was undone by treachery.
• Erased history: The successful ascendant’s removal from memory suggests that cosmic history may be deliberately concealed.

Character interactions

• The Lords question Hou Qing about his strength and the Land of the Void; he answers while keeping some knowledge guarded.
• Lord of Light challenges the idea that the Heavenly Dao Realm could be attained through any repeatable method.
• Lord of Darkness presses Hou Qing on whether anyone actually succeeded, prompting his revelation that a person did—but their identity has vanished from memory.

Plot and key events

• Hou Qing tells the four Lords of Nether Soil that ancient survivors believe a Heavenly Dao Realm expert once existed, though he erased all traces of himself. Hou Qing claims to know a way to pursue that realm and says he saved the Lords so they could compete for the chance to advance.
• He argues that Demon Emperor Daochen must be killed before he can become an obstacle. The Lords agree, citing the devastation he caused and their desire for revenge.
• Hou Qing proposes recruiting Chaos Demon Gods at the Nine Heavens of the Saint Realm to attack Daochen. His supposed “helpers,” however, are actually targets he intends to provoke: the Lords will impersonate Daochen and create grudges that drive the Demon Gods into battle.
• The Lords accept the scheme, motivated both by revenge and by the possibility—however uncertain—of reaching the Heavenly Dao Realm.
• They approach a powerful Chaos Ant. Hou Qing explains that it is short-tempered and can be provoked by killing its kin while using Daochen’s aura. He admits that the Ant once defeated him badly, costing him both legs.
• When the Lords question how they can imitate Daochen’s aura, Hou Qing says he can do it himself, but warns that killing may trigger a frenzy from which he might not return without their intervention.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Qing emerges as calculating and manipulative, exploiting the Lords’ anger and ambition. Despite his confidence in the plan, his admission of past defeat—and fear of the Demon Emperor—reveals his vulnerability.
• The four Lords of Nether Soil move from suspicion toward cooperation. Their shared hatred of Daochen and hope of advancement outweigh their doubts about Hou Qing’s story.
• The Lord of Light challenges Hou Qing’s claim that he has already gathered allies, exposing the gap between his description and his actual plan.
• The Lord of Darkness raises practical doubts about imitating Daochen’s aura, prompting Hou Qing to reveal his role and the danger of his demonic frenzy.

Significant themes

• Ambition and uncertainty: The characters pursue an unknown higher realm despite having no proof that it can be reached.
• Deception and manipulation: Hou Qing plans to manufacture enemies by framing Daochen, turning personal grievances into a weapon.
• Power and fear: Even near-peak Saint Realm experts fear Daochen’s strength and recognize that powerful beings can still be vulnerable.
• Revenge as leverage: The Lords’ losses make them willing to join a dangerous scheme, while Hou Qing uses their hatred to secure their cooperation.

Key plot points and events

• Hou Qing approaches the Lords of Nether Soil, offering to help them oppose the Demon Emperor. He claims he can mimic the Demon Emperor’s aura and says he and the Emperor cannot coexist.
• The Lords of Darkness and Light suspect Hou Qing has his own agenda. They fear the Demon Emperor may be overwhelmingly powerful, recalling how Pangu once defeated the Three Thousand Demon Gods, and decide not to become anyone’s pawns.
• Hou Qing boasts that the hidden powers of the Void could crush even Pangu and that the awakened Void Souls will eventually kill the Demon Emperor and others. The four Lords remain wary but choose to withdraw from the conflict, offering to avoid the Primordial World in exchange for their lives.
• Hou Qing refuses to let them leave. Four transparent figures enter the Lords’ bodies and replace their souls, revealing that they were intended as vessels for the Void Souls. Hou Qing admits his earlier actions were meant to lower their guard.
• The apparent possession is interrupted when the Lord of Light speaks as though restored or newly awakened. He rebukes Hou Qing, who immediately becomes submissive and claims he was only trying to hasten their revival. The Lord warns him to serve faithfully, promising him a place in the Heavenly Dao Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Qing shifts from persuasive ally to cold manipulator, then to a fawning servant when confronted by the Lord of Light. His true allegiance appears to lie with the Void Souls.
• The Lords of Darkness and Light show caution and solidarity, privately weighing the risks before refusing to fight the Demon Emperor. Their decision to retreat fails when Hou Qing turns on them.
• The Lord of Light and Hou Qing end the chapter in a tense, unequal exchange: the Lord asserts authority, while Hou Qing denies any ulterior motive and submits.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Hou Qing’s apparent offer of alliance conceals a plan to use the Lords as vessels.
• Power and survival: The Lords prioritize self-preservation over a risky war, while Hou Qing exploits their uncertainty.
• Shifting hierarchies: Hou Qing claims immense power, yet his sudden deference suggests that forces behind him—and the Lords he serves—may be greater still.

Plot points and events

• Demon Emperor Daochen senses an unusual fluctuation but, seeing no immediate threat, tells everyone to continue the victory banquet.
• The assembled powers look to Daochen for guidance after witnessing his effortless defeat of the Saint Realm experts. His authority now goes largely unquestioned—even Heavenly Dao Hongjun is cautious about acting without permission.
• Hongjun and the Lord of Fate congratulate Daochen on reaching the ninth heaven of the Saint Realm. The Lord of Fate anxiously flatters him and offers compensation, fearing retribution for having involved Daochen’s sons in past schemes.
• Daochen establishes a rule for the Primordial World: powerful beings may compete, but must not involve one another’s descendants or commit atrocities against their families. Anyone who attacks his descendants will face him to the death.
• The Lord of Fate accepts the rule, and Hongjun pledges the Heavenly Dao’s enforcement. The other powers agree as well.
• Daochen predicts a period of growth and fierce competition, urging everyone to strengthen themselves. The banquet then resumes.

Character developments

• Daochen consolidates his supreme authority, using his power to impose order while still permitting competition. He also makes clear that protecting his descendants is a personal red line.
• The Lord of Fate appears submissive and relieved to be spared, though Daochen suspects his deference is merely self-preservation. Fate believes caring for Daochen’s sons helped secure his safety.
• Hongjun publicly supports Daochen’s rule and accepts the Heavenly Dao’s role in enforcing it.
• The gathered powers increasingly treat Daochen as the Primordial World’s ultimate authority.

Significant themes

• Power and political order: Daochen’s overwhelming strength gives him the authority to establish rules across the world.
• Competition with limits: Rivalry and struggle are encouraged, but targeting family members is forbidden.
• Protection of descendants: Daochen’s concern for his sons shapes his rule and signals the consequences of crossing him.
• Ambition beneath submission: The Lord of Fate’s praise masks fear and calculation.
• A coming age of growth: Daochen expects the races and powers to grow stronger, while hinting that he will eventually need their accumulated energy.

Character interactions

• Fuxi asks Daochen about the strange fluctuation, but Daochen brushes aside concern and keeps the banquet going.
• Hongjun and the Lord of Fate congratulate Daochen; Fate’s excessive flattery prompts Daochen to remind him of his past treatment of Daochen’s sons.
• Daochen announces his rule directly to Fate, who quickly agrees. Hongjun and the others reinforce the decision by promising to uphold it.

Key plot points and events

• After several months of recovery, a Human Race cultivator who had been a Quasi-Saint for a long time begins undergoing the heavenly tribulation for the Saint Realm. He is the first Human to attempt this since Xuanyuan.
• The Human Sovereigns—Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan—recognize the breakthrough as a major sign of hope for their people.
• Fuxi and Shennong suspect that the Heavenly Dao’s lifting of its Saint Realm suppression, together with a recent surge in spiritual qi, has opened an age of unusual opportunity.
• Xuanyuan cautions that speculation is not proof. He orders the Human Race to lavish resources and suitable cultivation methods on every Great Luo Golden Immortal, so they can test whether more Quasi-Saints—and ultimately Saints—can be cultivated.
• The Human Race secretly establishes Spirit-Gathering Formations in mountains and rivers, creating cultivation grounds rich in spiritual qi.
• Meanwhile, Demon Emperor Daochen builds World Bridges between the Demon Realm and the Primordial World. He intends them to gather beings with both talent and perseverance for cultivation, though he keeps that purpose undisclosed.
• Daochen announces that he will soon lecture on the Dao in the Demon Realm, welcoming all spiritually aware beings regardless of cultivation level or aptitude. The announcement sparks excitement, and many rush toward the bridges.

Character developments

• The Human cultivator is presented as an example of how sustained effort and a strong foundation can compensate for modest aptitude. His impending tribulation suggests that the new conditions may benefit more than naturally gifted cultivators.
• Fuxi and Shennong show themselves as observant and hopeful, trying to identify the causes behind the breakthrough and the spiritual-qi surge.
• Xuanyuan acts pragmatically: he values evidence over conjecture and turns the others’ suspicions into a plan of systematic cultivation and testing.
• Daochen reveals a strategic, long-range approach to nurturing talent. He also believes that managing what people know—and avoiding undue pressure on those unlikely to advance—is important for stability.

Significant themes

• Effort alongside aptitude: Perseverance, discipline, and a solid foundation may enable breakthroughs even when natural talent is limited.
• Opportunity and changing conditions: Increased spiritual qi and the Heavenly Dao’s altered restrictions may herald a broader era of advancement.
• Evidence versus speculation: Xuanyuan insists on testing theories through action rather than treating encouraging signs as proof.
• Leadership and collective investment: Both the Human Sovereigns and Daochen organize resources and institutions to cultivate stronger practitioners.
• Hope and ambition: The Human Race seeks to secure its future, while Daochen’s open Dao lecture gives all beings the possibility of advancement.

Character interactions

• Fuxi and Shennong discuss the causes of the breakthrough and spiritual-qi increase; Xuanyuan redirects their discussion toward a practical experiment.
• The three Human Sovereigns agree to support Great Luo Golden Immortals, while sharing concern that the Human Race has too few high-level experts.
• Demon Race guards refuse to explain the World Bridges to other races, but Daochen’s public announcement transforms the mysterious structures into a destination for hopeful listeners.

Key plot points and events

• The Demon Emperor announces a new Dao lecture in the Demon Realm, drawing eager cultivators from across the Primordial World and the Six Realms. His earlier lectures were famous for clear instruction and helping countless beings advance.
• Houtu orders the Netherworld gates opened so ghosts and spirits can attend, promising official positions to those who return having broken through.
• Buddhist leaders Zhunti and Jieyin bring their disciples, hoping the lecture will help strengthen their small but carefully trained sect. The Three Pure Ones and many immortals also arrive.
• The realm bridges test entrants with pressure comparable to a Sage’s. Many who try to force their way across die, so the crowd eventually follows the rules and advances in an orderly fashion.
• The Demon Emperor notices that no humans have come and sends Kunpeng to find out why. Kunpeng reports that a human recently reached the Saint Realm through sheer perseverance. The Emperor is impressed and asks who it was, but Kunpeng does not know.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu trusts Daochen completely. Though surprised by his plans, she supports the lecture and sees it as an important opportunity for the Netherworld’s spirits.
• Zhunti and Jieyin respect the Demon Emperor despite their own profound Buddhist teachings, and prioritize the chance to cultivate more experts.
• The Three Pure Ones are now on better terms after their earlier separation, and attend together.
• The Demon Emperor shows particular concern for the Human Race, hoping they will benefit from the lecture. He responds to news of their breakthrough with pride rather than resentment.
• Kunpeng admires the unknown human cultivator and understands that human unity, along with their natural advantages, has helped make their race exceptionally powerful.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and perseverance: The bridges reward aptitude and resolve, while reckless attempts to force entry bring death.
• Trust and loyalty: Houtu supports the Demon Emperor because she believes his actions have sound purpose.
• Cultivation as collective advancement: Races and sects seek to use the lecture to strengthen their people, while the Demon Realm’s abundant spiritual energy offers a wider chance for breakthroughs.
• The Human Race’s rise: Its unity and determination are portrayed as key sources of its growing strength.

Key plot points and events

• The Demon Emperor, Daochen, realizes the Human Race has not responded to the coming Dao Lecture because its cultivators are gathered in the Imperial Palace, cultivating in unusually dense spiritual energy.
• The humans have filled the palace with Spirit-Gathering Formations, creating a powerful cultivation site. Most of their Great Luo Golden Immortals are on the verge of becoming Quasi-Saints.
• Daochen observes their breakthroughs rather than interrupting them. Many advance to Quasi-Saint, and some exceptionally gifted cultivators rise several levels.
• The Three Human Sovereigns—Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan—greet Daochen. He urges them to attend the Dao Lecture, and Fuxi explains that the Human Race has established similar cultivation bases across its territory.
• Daochen recognizes the humans’ initiative and hints that spiritual energy will continue to increase. He escorts them to the Demon Realm, where they enter through the required Realm Bridge.
• Meanwhile, Devil Ancestor Luo Hou arrives in the Demon Realm with roughly a thousand followers, bypassing the Realm Bridge. Kunpeng confronts him over violating the rules.
• Daochen arrives and challenges Luo Hou’s grand entrance. Luo Hou’s confidence immediately falters at the Demon Emperor’s presence; the chapter ends as he turns toward his followers.

Character developments

• Daochen shows respect for the Human Race’s discipline and potential, while firmly upholding the Realm Bridge rules for all visitors.
• The Human Race demonstrates foresight and collective effort by creating cultivation sanctuaries and capitalizing on rising spiritual energy.
• Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan appear as capable leaders who have coordinated the race’s preparations and readily accept the Dao Lecture invitation.
• Kunpeng acts as a strict enforcer of the Demon Realm’s entry rules, even when confronting a formidable figure.
• Luo Hou is bold enough to disregard those rules, but his bravado collapses when Daochen appears.

Significant themes

• Preparation and opportunity: The Human Race advances by recognizing and acting on changing conditions early.
• Collective cultivation: Shared infrastructure and coordinated effort enable widespread breakthroughs.
• Rules and authority: Daochen’s insistence on the Realm Bridge applies even to powerful visitors.
• Power and deference: Luo Hou’s intimidating manner toward others gives way to submission before Daochen.

Character interactions

• Daochen observes the Human Race’s breakthroughs, then speaks with the Three Human Sovereigns about the lecture and their cultivation sites.
• Kunpeng and Luo Hou clash over Luo Hou’s unauthorized entrance and large entourage.
• Daochen’s arrival ends the confrontation’s balance: Luo Hou immediately adopts a deferential tone.

Chapter summary

• The Devil Ancestor brings a handpicked group to the Demon Realm and theatrically demands entry. Demon Emperor Daochen recognizes the display as an attempt to assert authority, accommodates him by creating a new realm bridge, and ensures the realm’s entry rules remain intact.
• The Human Race arrives in overwhelming numbers. Their young and sometimes seemingly weak cultivators surprise the onlookers, but Daochen sees their perseverance as the reason for their success. He regards humans, along with demons, as potential allies, while viewing other races mainly as means to advance his cultivation.
• Daochen begins a lecture on efficient cultivation, teaching that perseverance matters most, followed by aptitude. He explains practical methods such as using formations, elixirs, and spirit stones, compressing spiritual qi, and understanding cultivation stages and breakthroughs.
• As the lecture proceeds, the Demon Realm’s spiritual qi grows exceptionally dense. Many listeners make unexpected progress, and even long-stalled Saints sense breakthroughs approaching.
• Daochen warns Saints and stronger cultivators not to break through in the Demon Realm. Saint-level breakthroughs require tribulation lightning, which both threatens cultivators and tempers their bodies. He advises them to compress their power and wait.
• The thousand-year lecture ends with many cultivators holding back breakthroughs at Daochen’s instruction. He sends the listeners home and tells them to endure tribulation lightning with their bodies rather than relying on external protection. Soon after they return, lightning tribulations erupt across the Primordial World.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen demonstrates authority and restraint in dealing with the Devil Ancestor, then reveals himself as both an effective teacher and a strategic judge of other races. His guidance earns the astonishment and respect of the Devil Ancestor, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the Three Pure Ones.
• The Devil Ancestor uses the arrival to assert status, but accepts Daochen’s accommodation and the realm-bridge rules.
• The listeners, including powerful Saints, become more knowledgeable and are persuaded to suppress imminent breakthroughs. Their response shows growing trust in Daochen’s expertise.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and aptitude: Persistence is essential to cultivation, especially at lower stages; aptitude becomes more influential at higher levels.
• Preparation and discipline: Restraining a breakthrough can be wiser than pursuing immediate advancement.
• The purpose of hardship: Tribulation lightning is not only destructive but also a means of bodily refinement.
• Power and political calculation: Daochen’s treatment of different races reveals his pragmatic alliances and the unequal value he assigns them.

Plot and events

• More than a million cultivators gather for breakthroughs, only to discover that their tribulation lightning has combined into a catastrophe powerful enough to threaten them all.
• The Demon Emperor, Daochen, arrives with a disciplined convoy and consumes nearly all the thunderclouds. Heavenly Dao Hongjun appears, angry that Daochen is devouring energy drawn from the Primordial World’s origin, but dares not interfere.
• Daochen leaves three layers of lightning, reasoning that the group can withstand the remaining power together. Because the first strike must be endured before the others can share its force, he asks for a volunteer.
• A member of the lightning-affine One-Horned Savage Bull Tribe steps forward, partly hoping to secure a private lesson for his tribe if he dies. He uses his horn to weaken and conduct the first bolt, allowing the crowd to share it.
• Though badly injured, he begins to recover and survives the initial strike, giving the others hope.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen is shown as immensely powerful and pragmatic: he treats destructive tribulation lightning as a source of cultivation energy, yet leaves enough for the cultivators to gain the benefits of surviving it. He reassures the volunteer and promises help for his tribe.
• Hongjun is furious at Daochen’s threat to the Primordial World’s foundation but is too wary of his strength to challenge him. He initially sees the gathered cultivators as valuable reserves for the world.
• The volunteer moves from fear and apparent resignation to courageous action, relying on his tribe’s natural affinity for lightning. His survival encourages the crowd to face the danger together.
• The cultivators shift from panic and suspicion of Daochen’s motives to cooperation, willingly passing the lightning among themselves.

Significant themes

• Power and imbalance: Daochen’s ability to consume a catastrophe that terrifies millions emphasizes the vast gap between him and everyone else.
• Collective survival: The cultivators can endure the remaining tribulation only by sharing its force, with one person taking the first and greatest risk.
• Risk as transformation: The lightning is deadly, but surviving it promises stronger bodies and greater battlefield resilience.
• Fear and courage: A single volunteer’s willingness to act turns a hopeless crisis into a possible group effort.

Key events

• The group discovers that stacked tribulation lightning carries concentrated life force: its destructive strikes are followed by powerful bodily recovery. Those who endure the strongest lightning gain the most, and the One-Horned Savage Bull expert’s lightning affinity lets him withstand the front ranks and grow physically stronger than the others.
• The Demon Emperor’s careful arrangements become clear. Demon Race members occupy many of the forward positions, maximizing their benefits, while Daochen has calibrated the ordeal so no one dies. The others recognize the favoritism but accept that complete fairness is difficult.
• After the final strike, each participant receives a designated share of merit. The Heavenly Dao, Hongjun, notes that the mass advancement has consumed over half the Primordial World’s origin. Though concerned about the cost, he sees the world’s increased strength as an opportunity to raid the Chaos for more origin—and knows he must first consult Daochen.
• Daochen confirms that everyone has survived and reached sainthood. He then creates temporary spirit-gathering formations in midair, astonishing Fuxi with his formation skill. The newly advanced cultivators absorb spiritual qi, stabilize at the first heaven of sainthood, and some reach its peak or barely advance to the second heaven.
• Daochen next turns to the Demon Realm, where existing saint-level experts—who had also been suppressing their cultivation—begin forming small groups to undergo tribulations together, using stacked lightning for more effective body tempering.

Character developments and interactions

• The One-Horned Savage Bull expert endures exceptional pain but gains the greatest physical improvement, demonstrating the rewards of resilience and affinity.
• Daochen is shown as powerful, calculating, and protective of the group: he controls the tribulations, favors his own Demon Race where possible, and ensures the participants’ survival. His formations further display his mastery.
• Hongjun shifts from concern over the expense of the breakthroughs toward excitement at the Primordial World’s new strength. He accepts Daochen’s authority and plans to seek his approval before taking action.
• Fuxi openly admires Daochen’s skill after recognizing the complexity of the formations.
• The other cultivators envy the Demon Race’s gains but tacitly accept Daochen’s unequal allocation.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: The harsher the tribulation, the greater the life force and potential gains.
• Power and unequal fairness: Daochen protects everyone, yet uses his influence to advantage his own faction; absolute fairness is portrayed as difficult or impossible.
• Collective strength and cost: The Primordial World grows stronger through mass advancement, but the process drains its finite origin.
• Strength and expansion: Hongjun’s plan to plunder Chaos reflects the chapter’s law-of-the-jungle outlook: a stronger power can turn from defense to offense.

Key plot points and events

• Daochen’s method of improving cultivation and bodily strength—having groups face their Heavenly Tribulations together—leads many Quasi-Saints and Saints to break through in succession.
• Heavenly Dao Hongjun must repeatedly coordinate the Origin needed to form the tribulation lightning. As the Primordial World’s Origin is strained, he finally confronts Daochen and warns that the world could be damaged.
• Daochen explains that he intended to create powerful beings who could gather resources for the Primordial World, and admits he did not know that tribulations consumed its Origin.
• Hongjun demands compensation. Daochen agrees, but his displeasure frightens Hongjun, who quickly backtracks and asks only that future breakthroughs be staggered.

Character developments and interactions

• The Lord of Fate is inspired by Daochen’s emphasis on physical strength. Though Hongjun is skeptical that Daochen’s approach suits everyone, the Lord of Fate resolves to strengthen his own frail body.
• Hongjun shifts from private frustration to open confrontation. His concern for the Primordial World is genuine, but his demand for compensation becomes overconfident; he immediately softens when Daochen responds coldly.
• Daochen is shown as forceful and inventive, but unaware of the strain his group-training strategy places on the world. He is willing to compensate for the damage, though Hongjun clearly fears provoking him.
• Their exchange reveals the power imbalance between them: Hongjun tries to assert authority, then hastily appeases Daochen.

Significant themes

• Power and its costs: Cultivating stronger beings can burden the world that sustains them.
• Limits of individual methods: Daochen’s success through bodily cultivation does not mean the same approach is suitable for everyone.
• Law versus consequence: Daochen exploits the rules of tribulations, while Hongjun must manage the unintended cost to the world’s Origin.
• Ambition and responsibility: Hongjun’s history reflects the Heavenly Dao’s frustration with powerful beings who abandon their duties for self-interest.

Plot points and events

• Hongjun warns Daochen that repeated tribulations are consuming the Primordial World’s power of origin, which is needed both for the world’s operation and for future cultivators. Daochen acknowledges the risk but decides the breakthroughs must continue.
• To replenish the Primordial World, Daochen plans to send the newly strengthened cultivators beyond Chaos. He proposes taking Nether Soil—with its origin—and adding it to the Primordial World and its Netherworld Office.
• The remaining Saint Realm Experts complete their tribulations. They emerge physically strengthened and more resilient, having endured the destruction and repair of their bodies under the lightning.
• Daochen declares the training finished and announces an expedition to Nether Soil, framing it as both repayment to their homeland and revenge for its earlier invasion.
• The cultivators enthusiastically pledge to follow him, driven by anger over lost loved ones and destroyed homes. Daochen intends for them to fight together rather than seize Nether Soil himself, so they can gain experience and learn to defend their world.

Character developments

• Daochen shows strategic resolve and a protective, almost parental attachment to the Primordial World’s people. He accepts the cost of the tribulations, then turns the need for more origin into a bold counterattack. He also values collective strength over personal conquest.
• Hongjun remains cautious about the risks of Chaos and the strain on the world, but recognizes Daochen’s daring and influence.
• The newly ascended cultivators gain not only physical power but a deeper appreciation of how difficult cultivation is. Their hardship also strengthens their admiration for Daochen.

Character interactions

• Hongjun cautions Daochen about exhausting the world’s origin; Daochen reassures him while explaining his plan.
• Daochen addresses the cultivators directly, linking their breakthrough to a duty to repay and defend their homeland.
• The cultivators respond with unanimous support, sharing personal grievances that make the expedition emotionally charged.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and responsibility: Advancement brings a cost to the world, and the cultivators are expected to help restore what they have drawn upon.
• Collective defense and belonging: The Primordial World is presented as a shared homeland worth protecting together.
• Pain as a path to strength: The tribulations’ suffering teaches endurance and respect for hard-won power.
• Revenge transformed into purpose: Anger over Nether Soil’s invasion becomes motivation for a united campaign and a chance to temper the new Saints.

Plot points and events

• Energized by his followers’ loyalty, Demon Emperor Daochen claims Nether Soil for the Primordial World and calls for revenge against the Chaos monsters that hunted them.
• He leads a large force into Chaos on a sudden, unplanned expedition, hoping to catch their enemies off guard.
• The group encounters Chaos Magic Beasts. Although the followers had just been eager to fight, they panic, recalling how badly the beasts had defeated them before.
• Daochen confronts the beasts himself. Their leader submits to his presence, surprising both him and his followers.
• To test and control the leader, Daochen frightens it, knocks it unconscious with a precise strike, and places a powerful sage-energy bomb inside its head, rigged to detonate if it escapes his control. His aura keeps the rest of the pack from interfering.

Character developments

• Daochen shifts from leading a triumphant, revenge-minded crowd to taking charge when its courage collapses. He remains confident and inventive, but the beasts’ unexpected docility surprises him.
• The followers reveal that their enthusiasm is fragile: they boast of conquest but become terrified when faced with a familiar threat. Witnessing Daochen’s dominance restores their admiration and confidence.
• The Chaos Magic Beasts, initially described as savage and dangerous, prove capable of submission when confronted by overwhelming power.

Themes

• Power governs Chaos: The beasts obey the strongest presence, reflecting a world where the strong dominate the weak.
• Bravado versus fear: The followers’ bold speeches are quickly tested by real danger.
• Revenge and retaliation: Daochen frames the expedition as repayment for the Primordial World’s suffering.
• Control through intimidation: Daochen uses fear and overwhelming force to restrain both the beasts and the situation.

Character interactions

• Daochen rallies his followers with a promise of vengeance, and they answer with fervent cheers.
• When they panic at the beasts’ arrival, he rebukes their cowardice and demonstrates how power can subdue the creatures.
• The beasts’ leader submits to Daochen, while his aura prevents the rest of the pack from acting.
• Daochen then secures the leader with the hidden bomb, turning the encounter into an act of calculated control.

Plot points and events

• Demon Emperor Daochen subdues the enormous Chaos beast Guaiwo, using his spiritual pressure to force it to kneel. Guaiwo asks Daochen to spare its tribe; Daochen sends the creatures far away.
• Guaiwo becomes Daochen’s mount. Its immense size and ninth-heaven Saint Realm strength impress the group, and its presence scares off other Chaos beasts along the way.
• At the Nether Soil, Daochen finds a lifeless, stripped-bare wasteland. He absorbs the remaining land into his Saint Realm Space and orders a search for the Nether Soil’s former rulers.
• Fuxi suggests that the four Lords of Nether Soil may have gathered their forces in another Nether Soil. Daochen agrees and orders the group to search for evidence of their whereabouts.
• Elsewhere, Hou Qing has taken control of the four Lords of Nether Soil, turning them into puppets. Four deities from the Land of the Void arrive and prepare to use the gathered resentful creatures in a summoning ritual to bring more of their kind into the world.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen demonstrates overwhelming power but also grants Guaiwo’s request to spare its tribe. He remains pragmatic, claiming the abandoned Nether Soil for himself and directing an investigation rather than assuming what happened.
• Guaiwo shifts from a terrified captive to a compliant mount, prioritizing the survival of its tribe.
• Fuxi contributes a plausible theory about where the missing Nether Soil forces have gone, which Daochen accepts.
• Hou Qing reveals that he had intended to invade the Primordial World and use its inhabitants as sacrifices. After Daochen thwarted his plans and turned the Phantom Worms against him, Hou Qing recognizes that a direct attack is impossible—but he still answers to the four deities.
• The four deities dismiss Hou Qing’s warnings about Daochen and insist that he proceed with the summoning, confident that reinforcements from the Land of the Void can overcome the Demon Emperor.

Significant themes

• Power and submission: Daochen’s strength can compel even formidable beings to yield, while the Void faction’s internal hierarchy shapes Hou Qing’s behavior.
• Compassion amid conquest: Daochen is ruthless in claiming territory, yet honors Guaiwo’s plea to spare its tribe.
• Misjudgment and overconfidence: The deities underestimate Daochen because they have not witnessed his strength, setting up a likely clash between their confidence and reality.
• Escalating conflict: The planned summoning signals that the threat to the Primordial World is growing, despite Daochen’s success in disrupting the initial invasion.

Key plot points and events

• In the Nether Soil, Hou Qing uses a special crystal formation to open a rift in the Void. A small Void Gate appears, but a membrane blocks those inside from escaping.
• The four Void deities explain that they once escaped only because Pangu’s creation of the Primordial World created a rare opening. They sent Hou Qing out to find a way to free them, despite placing curses and restraints on him to control him.
• Hou Qing’s body is suddenly drained by a powerful suction as he works. The deities lend him their void power, but he concludes that their strength alone cannot break the barrier.
• Hou Qing proposes sacrificing every living being in the Nether Soil. He suspects their life force can counteract the membrane’s void power and open the gate. The four deities agree and begin gathering the population.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Qing proves resourceful and knowledgeable about the Void, but his desperate call for help reveals the danger of his work. He proposes mass sacrifice as a calculated solution.
• The four deities are anxious to escape and seize their chance to reach the Heavenly Dao Realm. Though they voice doubt about Hou Qing’s method, they allow him to proceed, then support him with their power.
• Their relationship with Hou Qing is marked by mistrust and dependence: they restrained him to ensure control, yet rely on his ingenuity to help them escape.

Significant themes

• The cost of survival and ambition: The deities’ escape may require the deaths of an entire population.
• Opposition between void and life: Hou Qing believes genuine life force may counterbalance the Void.
• Fear of transformation and loss: The deities fled the five declines of heaven and man, only to fear that prolonged existence in the Void will dissolve them into nothingness.
• Power, control, and trust: The deities need Hou Qing’s abilities but have tried to keep him under their control.

Key plot points and events

• Hou Qing directs the undead to sacrifice themselves to the Void Gate. Though they surrender their hearts, the ritual preserves their bodies and instead feeds the gate their life imprints.
• When the Saint Realm undead prove insufficient, Hou Qing orders weaker undead sacrificed as well, then leads a slaughter of the Chaos Magic Beasts drawn to the Nether Soil.
• The Void Gate transforms into a monstrous maw, draining the beasts’ blood and consuming their corpses. Its membrane thins until it finally breaks.
• An aged, withered figure emerges, absorbs the surrounding chaos, and identifies himself as Molan, a God of the Void. He reproaches Hou Qing for failing to secure him a suitable body.
• Hou Qing and the four deities initially welcome the imminent release, but the deities hesitate when they realize the being emerging may not be their own faction’s god.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Qing grows increasingly ruthless and bloodthirsty, sacrificing beings indiscriminately to complete the ritual. Even after the gate nearly grabs him, he remains devoted to releasing its occupant.
• The four deities share Hou Qing’s initial goal but become wary as the gate reveals its monstrous nature and the emerging god may belong to a rival faction.
• Molan appears powerful, hungry, and accustomed to being served; his first words after emerging are a demand for a suitable body, putting Hou Qing on the defensive.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and fanaticism: Hou Qing treats undead and beasts as expendable offerings, driven by devotion to the Void.
• The danger of unleashing the unknown: The gate’s transformation suggests the ritualists may have awakened something more terrifying than they expected.
• Factional conflict: Even the Void’s deities are divided, complicating what initially seemed like a shared cause.
• Life beyond physical form: The ritual treats existence, imprints, blood, and even nonliving-seeming things as forms of life or power.

Key plot points and events

• The ancient Void God Molan unexpectedly demands a puppet body, abandoning his former high standards and insisting that any body will do.
• Hou Qing gives him the corpse of a powerful Chaos Demon God. Molan possesses it and immediately rushes into the depths of chaos, leaving the other Void Gods puzzled.
• More Void Gods emerge, including Yi Long, who thanks Light, Darkness, and their allies for helping him escape. The newcomers possess available bodies, despite lacking the strength of Molan’s chosen vessel.
• When Hou Qing reveals that Molan left first, the others infer that Molan is near the end of his life. They are eager to hunt and devour him, since beings at the ninth heaven of the Saint Realm can grow stronger by consuming their own kind.
• Hou Qing admits he secretly marked Molan’s puppet body, enabling him to track him. The others pressure him to lead them to Molan.
• Concerned that the open Void Gate will release more dangerous beings into chaos, Hou Qing considers the possible consequences. Light, Darkness, and the others propose sealing the gate until Molan is dealt with—and to keep rival Void Gods from competing for resources.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Qing is caught between fear of Molan and worry about the consequences of the Void Gods entering chaos. His hidden tracking marks give him leverage, but also make him a target of the others’ attention.
• Molan, once proud and selective, is now desperate and hurried. His urgency suggests he faces a serious threat, likely connected to his limited remaining lifespan and approaching tribulation.
• Light, Darkness, and their faction act as allies and political organizers: they helped Yi Long escape, then advocate controlling who may pass through the Void Gate.
• Yi Long and the other Void Gods initially behave courteously, but quickly reveal their predatory ambition once they learn Molan may be vulnerable. Their factional loyalties and appetite for power shape their dealings with Hou Qing.

Significant themes

• Predation and survival: Even powerful beings live in fear of being consumed by their peers.
• Power and mortality: Molan’s accumulated strength cannot protect him indefinitely as his time runs out and a major tribulation approaches.
• Factionalism and control: The Void Gods cooperate when useful but seek to exclude rivals and secure resources.
• Unintended consequences: Opening the Void Gate may bring forces capable of destabilizing chaos, leaving Hou Qing to weigh immediate gains against future danger.

Plot and events

• The group rejects the idea of waging war on the Void gods, fearing the danger and deciding it is not worth the risk. Instead, they agree to seal the Void Gate temporarily so the gods cannot interfere with their plans.
• After Hou Qing completes the seal, Light and the others pressure him to lead them to Molan, promising to grant him a request if they find him.
• Their search initially fails: Hou Qing can no longer sense the trace he had placed on Molan. When Molan’s aura suddenly reappears, Hou Qing points the group toward a plant-covered, shattered continent.
• Molan is hiding there among what he identifies as the supposedly extinct Snake-Dragon Grass. He reveals that he lured the pursuers to the continent and uses the grass to ensnare them.
• The trapped Void gods receive no help from their companions. Molan kills those caught in the grass, then condemns the gods’ cruelty and says the world deserves destruction and renewal.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Qing is caught between the powerful group and his own plans. He had deliberately stirred up the hunt, but becomes anxious when he loses Molan’s trail. He notices Molan’s behavior seems strange, yet stays quiet for fear of angering the others.
• Molan shifts from hunted fugitive to prepared ambusher. His apparent helplessness masks a deliberate trap, and his actions reveal both his contempt for the Void gods and his willingness to kill them.
• Light and the others abandon debate over a full conflict and focus on securing their own objectives. Their greed resurfaces when Molan is mentioned, and their threats keep Hou Qing under pressure.
• The gods’ refusal to rescue their trapped companions exposes the group’s lack of solidarity.

Significant themes

• Exploitation and betrayal: Hou Qing is coerced, while the Void gods treat even their own kind as disposable.
• Cruelty and moral decay: Molan presents the gods’ indifference and violence as evidence that they are “monsters without humanity.”
• Destruction and renewal: The chapter ends with Molan arguing that the world should be destroyed and reshaped to make way for new life.
• Deception and hidden danger: Molan’s sudden reappearance and concealed trap turn the hunters into prey.