Chapter Summaries

Chapter summary

• News spreads that Eastern Prince has reached the mid quasi-saint stage and established the Primordial Heavenly Court, drawing widespread attention. The Twelve Ancestral Witches see his ambitions as a direct threat: he intends to unite the Primordial World and claim its fortune, beginning by challenging the Witch Clan while its leaders are badly injured.
• When Eastern Prince’s envoy demands that the Witch Clan attend court, the Ancestral Witches angrily refuse to bow to him. Dijiang tells the envoy that Eastern Prince is welcome to come to Mount Buzhou himself if he objects.
• Dijiang also orders the Witch Clan to move its tribes out of Mount Buzhou, sending major shamans—including Kuafu, Houyi, Xingtian, Xiangliu, Jiufeng, and others—to lead them. Houtu questions the decision, but Dijiang explains that the clans need new lands and resources to survive. Though vulnerable, they must avoid bringing shame to Pangu’s legacy.
• At his court, Eastern Prince is outraged by the refusal and initially wants to attack Mount Buzhou. King Pan and the other quasi-saints dissuade him, warning that the newly established Heavenly Court is not yet strong enough to risk a direct clash. Eastern Prince instead declares that the Witch Clan’s migrating tribes must submit to his rule and sends an army to confront them.
• Watching from the Sun Star, Dijun and Taiyi mock Eastern Prince’s judgment. They believe the Witch Clan remains united and protected by the Twelve Ancestral Witches and Pangu Hall, despite its leaders’ injuries. The chapter ends as Daochen asks what they would do in Eastern Prince’s position.

Character developments and interactions

Dijiang takes a pragmatic but risky approach: he refuses to yield, yet relocates the tribes because their needs leave him little choice. Houtu voices concern, while Zhurong, Gonggong, and the others support defiance. Eastern Prince’s ambition and pride are evident, but his followers temper his impulsiveness because they fear losing the Heavenly Court’s newly gathered fortune. King Pan acts as his chief restraint; the other court figures cooperate cautiously rather than out of deep loyalty.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the tension between ambition and prudence, and between political authority and genuine power. Eastern Prince has a title and a growing court, but the Witch Clan’s unity remains a formidable obstacle. It also highlights the cost of the Witch Clan’s injuries and the difficult choices required to protect its people.

Plot points and events

• Daochen asks Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi what they would do if they ruled as Celestial Emperor. Taiyi proposes consolidating the Demon Race and gathering the Primordial World’s many races; Dijun adds that they should recruit the Three Pure Ones.
• Daochen mockingly offers to kill Eastern Prince so the brothers can take his throne. When they eagerly accept, he knocks them on the head and rebukes their ambitions, arguing that past rulers such as the Ancestral Dragon, Origin Phoenix, and Primordial Qilin all fell. He urges them to pursue the Great Dao instead.
• Daochen produces the Immortal Apricot, then displays numerous other spiritual roots and treasures taken from the Three Immortal Islands. He orders Dijun and Taiyi to plant and tend them, brew spiritual wine from their fruits, and alert him to major events.
• Daochen retreats into cultivation, leaving the two Quasi-Saints to manage the work. Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters watch in astonishment as yet more rare spiritual roots are added to the Sun Star.
• The chapter ends at Purple Sun Mountain, where Xingtian and his people are still establishing their settlement. Armored envoys from the Heavenly Court arrive and demand that Xingtian come pay his respects.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains dismissive of worldly power, using humor and a stern lecture to curb his younger brothers’ imperial ambitions. His casual treatment of priceless treasures reveals his extraordinary wealth—and extravagance.
• Dijun and Taiyi briefly become excited at the prospect of ruling the Immortal Court, only to be reprimanded and assigned the labor of tending Daochen’s spiritual roots. They obey despite their frustration.
• Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters are amused by the brothers’ scolding and amazed by Daochen’s collection, but remain spectators.
• Xingtian is introduced at a moment of vulnerability: his new settlement is unfinished when the Heavenly Court envoys confront him.

Significant themes

• Power versus cultivation: Daochen values spiritual advancement over political rule, warning that even once-great rulers eventually disappear.
• Wealth and extravagance: The chapter’s humor centers on Daochen treating rare spiritual roots—treasures others would carefully preserve—as ingredients for wine.
• Authority and reluctant duty: Dijun and Taiyi accept Daochen’s commands, while the envoys’ demand for Xingtian’s submission sets up a likely conflict between the Heavenly Court and the Witch Clan.

Plot points and events

• Immortal Lord Miaodao arrives at Purple Sun Mountain as a Heavenly Court envoy, confident that the Eastern Prince’s backing lets him intimidate the Witch Clan.
• Xingtian immediately crushes Miaodao into the ground, warns him to leave the Witch Clan alone, then severs his left arm with Ganqi, damaging the part of his primordial spirit tied to it. Miaodao flees, and the other envoys scatter.
• At Mount Dongyang, the Eastern Prince learns that his envoys have been badly defeated. Furious at the Witch Clan’s defiance, he orders King Pan and Redwater to lead an army against one of its tribes.
• Hongjun intervenes by voice transmission, warning the Eastern Prince against provoking further chaos and directing him to consolidate the Heavenly Court instead. The Eastern Prince abandons the attack, though his abrupt reversal leaves King Pan and the others confused.
• Daochen observes from the Sun Star and suspects Hongjun’s intervention. His restraint keeps the conflict from escalating; only minor clashes occur until preparations for Hongjun’s third lecture renew activity across the Primordial World.

Character developments and interactions

• Xingtian is portrayed as fiercely protective of the Witch Clan and utterly contemptuous of Heavenly Court authority. He backs his defiance with overwhelming force, humiliating Miaodao and driving off the rest of the envoys.
• Miaodao shifts from smug confidence to terror and hatred after Xingtian cripples him. His injury makes the Witch Clan’s refusal to submit unmistakable.
• The Eastern Prince initially lets anger override his political aims, eager to retaliate and defend his reputation. Hongjun’s warning restores his caution, and he chooses to wait rather than risk a wider conflict.
• Hongjun tries to contain the crisis and preserve the fragile peace, though the narration reveals that he is also struggling to manage the larger situation and that his reassurance to the Eastern Prince masks his own uncertainty.
• King Pan and the other Heavenly Court cultivators are ready to fight but are left bewildered when the Eastern Prince suddenly cancels the order. Daochen remains an amused, detached observer.

Significant themes

• Power and defiance: Xingtian’s victory shows that the Heavenly Court’s authority is not enough to command the Witch Clan.
• Anger versus strategy: The Eastern Prince’s first impulse threatens to restart a major conflict; restraint prevents escalation.
• Fragile peace and hidden influence: The temporary calm depends less on reconciliation than on Hongjun’s intervention and political maneuvering.

Plot points and events

• Hongjun begins his Third Lecture at the Purple Heavens Palace. Its manifestations of purple qi and Dao Resonance benefit beings throughout the Primordial World, even those unable to attend.
• Nüwa leaves Mount Buzhou with Fuxi to attend. She has spent millennia contemplating the primordial purple qi but has made no progress toward the Dao, though her cultivation has risen close to the mid Quasi-Saint stage.
• The Three Pure Ones set out together. Laozi warns Yuanshi not to provoke Daochen again, and Tongtian criticizes Yuanshi’s habit of making enemies. Yuanshi rejects their advice and rushes ahead, deepening the tension among the brothers.
• At the Five Villages Temple, Zhen Yuanzi protects Hongyun with the Earth Book and urges him to stay inside while he attends the lecture. Hongyun, discouraged by his lack of progress, wonders whether he can ever attain the Dao.
• After Zhen Yuanzi leaves, Hongyun sees others heading toward the Purple Heavens Palace and decides to wait, fearing an ambush. Kunpeng’s Evil Corpse, Ancestor Minghe, and other powerful figures are in fact watching the temple, hoping to seize Hongyun’s primordial purple qi.
• Daochen arrives with Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi. He calls Kunpeng pitiful, but clarifies nothing; he recognizes that Hongyun may leave the temple and walk into danger. The chapter ends with the threat hanging over Hongyun.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongyun is anxious and disheartened by his stalled cultivation, yet cautious enough to delay leaving the temple.
• Zhen Yuanzi shows concern for Hongyun, reinforcing his protection and advising patience.
• Kunpeng and Minghe reveal their predatory intentions toward Hongyun; Minghe’s damaged cultivation makes the primordial purple qi especially tempting.
• The Three Pure Ones display growing discord: Laozi and Tongtian try to restrain Yuanshi, while Yuanshi responds defensively and refuses responsibility.
• Daochen appears aware of Hongyun’s peril, while Dijun and Taiyi remain puzzled by his remarks.

Significant themes

• The pursuit of enlightenment can bring frustration when progress stalls, even for powerful beings.
• Ambition and envy turn the search for power into a threat to others.
• Pride and refusal to accept criticism strain close relationships.
• Protection has limits: Hongyun is safest while Zhen Yuanzi is present, but his absence leaves the danger unresolved.

Key plot points

• Daochen, Dijun, and Taiyi arrive at the Purple Heavens Palace and find the great powers gathered for Hongjun’s next lecture.
• Daochen notices that the Three Pure Ones appear estranged: Yuanshi stands apart, while Laozi shows him no support and Tongtian is friendly with Daochen.
• After Yuanshi snorts at Daochen, Daochen raises the Heaven Measuring Ruler as if to attack. Abandoned by his brothers, Yuanshi apologizes and retreats into the palace rather than risk a fight.
• The Eastern Prince arrives in a grand nine-dragon carriage with King Pan and five other early Quasi-Saints. His Heavenly Court’s backing has helped him reach mid Quasi-Saint cultivation, making it a major power alongside the Witch Clan.
• Still resentful of Daochen’s past insults, the Eastern Prince meets Daochen’s challenge with open hostility. Daochen attacks first with the Heaven Measuring Ruler, and the Eastern Prince counters by summoning his Dragon-Headed Cane, which manifests as a massive golden dragon.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains provocative and confident, readily turning perceived slights into threats or attacks. He is eager to test both Yuanshi and the Eastern Prince.
• Yuanshi unexpectedly yields, suggesting his former arrogance has softened—or that he knows he lacks support against Daochen.
• Laozi pointedly ignores Yuanshi, reinforcing the impression that the Three Pure Ones’ relationship has fractured. Tongtian, by contrast, is openly cordial with Daochen.
• The Eastern Prince has grown more powerful and commanding since establishing the Heavenly Court, but his lingering grudge against Daochen makes him quick to confront him.
• Jieyin and Zhunti keep clear of the brewing dispute, unwilling to be caught in Daochen’s attack on Yuanshi.

Significant themes

• Estrangement and shifting alliances: The Three Pure Ones’ apparent split contrasts with the wary cooperation and rivalries among the wider assembly.
• Power and status: The Eastern Prince’s new cultivation and entourage have transformed how others regard him.
• Pride, grudges, and provocation: Daochen and the Eastern Prince’s mutual hostility turns a gathering for a lecture into a duel.
• Strength versus support: Yuanshi’s retreat highlights the danger of standing alone, while the Eastern Prince’s confidence rests partly on the powerful faction around him.

Key plot points and events

• Hongjun intervenes just before Daochen and the Eastern Prince’s weapons clash. He disarms both and warns them that another disturbance will earn them a million years in the Nine Nether Purgatory.
• The Eastern Prince submits, anxious to preserve the fortune and cultivation gains his Heavenly Court has accumulated. Daochen quietly puts away his weapon and appears unconcerned by Hongjun’s threat.
• Hongjun tells them to follow him into Purple Heavens Palace, and the assembled cultivators prepare for the third lecture.
• Dijiang arrives with Xuanming, Rushou, and several Great Shamans. He explains that Goumang stayed behind to care for injured Ancestral Witches and sends Daochen thanks for having shown mercy previously.
• Dijiang and the Eastern Prince exchange hostile words over their factions’ longstanding conflict. Xuanming openly threatens the Eastern Prince; after King Pan advises restraint until the lecture is over, the Eastern Prince holds back.
• Dijiang confirms that he intends to wage war against the Heavenly Court. The Eastern Prince accepts the challenge and says he will await the Witch Clan at the Immortal Court after the lecture.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun asserts his authority, halting the confrontation and insisting the lecture proceed without further disruption.
• Daochen remains composed and gives little response to either Hongjun’s warning or Dijiang’s thanks, reinforcing his reputation as someone even the Ancestral Witches treat with respect.
• The Eastern Prince is increasingly antagonistic but cautious around Hongjun. Once Dijiang openly declares war, however, he accepts the confrontation, confident in his Heavenly Court’s strength and a hidden advantage.
• Dijiang is courteous toward Daochen but confrontational toward the Eastern Prince, revealing that his visit is partly intended to declare war.
• Xuanming displays her customary blunt, defiant temperament, while King Pan tries to prevent the Eastern Prince from provoking a fight before the lecture.

Significant themes

• Power and restraint: Hongjun’s authority can stop even powerful figures from acting on their grievances.
• Rivalry and impending war: The Witch Clan–Heavenly Court conflict is moving from repeated skirmishes toward open warfare.
• Respect and reputation: Daochen’s past actions have earned unusual courtesy from the Ancestral Witches and caution from others.
• Political ambition: The Eastern Prince values the fortune and power of his Heavenly Court, yet remains determined to expand its influence.

Key plot points

• The recovered Twelve Ancestral Witches arrive at the Purple Heavens Palace in force, openly intimidating the gathered powers. Dijiang accepts Eastern Prince’s invitation with confidence, while Xuanming gives him a hostile glare.
• The Greater Demons fear that, once Hongjun’s third lecture ends, the Witch Clan and Eastern Prince’s Heavenly Court will resume their conflict—and that the Demon Race will be caught between them.
• The demons argue over how to protect themselves. Ji Meng asks Fuxi whether Nüwa will support them; Fuxi says she wants no part in Demon Race affairs. Fei Lian suggests bringing Kunpeng out of seclusion, but Bai Ze admits he has been unable to find him. Fei Lian takes this as indifference and storms inside.
• Di Jun and Taiyi criticize the Greater Demons for being divided. Daochen dismisses the dispute, tells the two brothers to keep brewing wine, and heads into the palace.
• Hongjun begins his third lecture. His obscure teaching leaves most of the audience confused, with listeners reacting erratically as they struggle to comprehend it.

Character developments and interactions

• Dijiang and Xuanming display the Witch Clan’s renewed confidence and contempt for Eastern Prince, signaling that they are ready to assert their strength.
• Eastern Prince, Bai Ze, and the Greater Demons recognize that their fragile peace is ending. The Greater Demons’ fear exposes how vulnerable and divided the Demon Race remains.
• Fuxi calmly distances Nüwa from Demon Race politics. Ji Meng and Fei Lian reveal their anxiety about being left exposed.
• Bai Ze and Fei Lian clash over the search for Kunpeng: Bai Ze is genuinely frustrated by his failure, while Fei Lian suspects him of avoiding responsibility.
• Di Jun and Taiyi favor force as a way to unite the Greater Demons. Daochen remains detached from the looming conflict and treats their brewing as a more immediate concern.

Significant themes

• Power and looming conflict: The Witches’ recovery threatens to end the balance that has allowed other groups to rebuild.
• Disunity and self-preservation: The Greater Demons argue and seek escape rather than act together, leaving them vulnerable to stronger factions.
• The limits of understanding: Hongjun’s lecture emphasizes the gulf between profound Daoist teaching and the audience’s ability to grasp it.

Key events and plot points

• Hongjun concludes his third and final sermon, on the Sage Dao. Most listeners struggle to understand it; even the Three Pure Ones, Jieyin, Zhunti, and Nüwa grasp only part of its meaning, though they expect to advance their cultivation after further study.
• Daochen understands more than anyone else and memorizes the teachings for later reflection. He is disappointed that Hongjun focuses mainly on proving the Dao through the three corpses, saying little about proving it through the flesh or merit.
• Several members of the Witch Clan sleep through the lecture. Eastern Prince, Hongjun’s appointed Chief Male Immortal, sleeps even more disgracefully. Hongjun angrily expels him from the Purple Heavens Palace and silences his protests.
• Hongjun announces that he has completed his sermons and will soon merge with the Heavenly Dao. Warning that a tribulation is approaching, he says he will distribute treasures to help protect those present.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen shows exceptional comprehension and foresight, while recognizing the limits of Hongjun’s favored cultivation path compared with his own interest in body-based proof of the Dao.
• Eastern Prince is revealed as powerful in cultivation but weak in Dao comprehension. His embarrassment and desperate apology contrast with his status and Hongjun’s expectations of him.
• Hongjun remains focused on completing his purpose and reacts harshly to Eastern Prince’s disrespectful behavior. His promise of treasures suggests a more benevolent public role as he prepares to merge with the Heavenly Dao.
• The other cultivators respond with relief after the difficult sermon; the witnesses to Eastern Prince’s expulsion react with helpless disbelief.

Significant themes

• The limits of comprehension: Even powerful cultivators can find the Sage Dao beyond their grasp.
• Different paths to enlightenment: Hongjun’s emphasis on the three corpses contrasts with Daochen’s interest in proving the Dao through the body.
• Status versus merit: Eastern Prince’s title and cultivation cannot compensate for his lack of understanding.
• Preparation for crisis: Hongjun’s coming merger and warning of a tribulation frame the coming treasure distribution as protection against future danger.

Key plot points and events

• Hongjun begins distributing powerful treasures to his disciples. Since suitable treasures can greatly strengthen Corpse Slaying, the gathered cultivators eagerly hope to receive one.
• He grants Laozi the Taiji Diagram, which suits Laozi’s Dao and can serve either as a Corpse-Slaying vessel or as an anchor for his sect’s fortune.
• Yuanshi receives the Pangu Banner. Before handing it over, Hongjun warns him against vanity and reckless conduct. Yuanshi accepts the admonition respectfully, though he is embarrassed.
• Tongtian receives the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, a supreme killing formation said to require four Saints to break. He is so delighted that he forgets to ask whether it can anchor a sect’s fortune—a mistake that will later weaken his sect.
• The Ancestral Witches grow worried about their future struggle with the Three Pure Ones over Pangu’s legacy, especially given Tongtian’s new formation and the treasures granted to Laozi and Yuanshi.
• Onlookers expect Daochen to be troubled by the Three Pure Ones’ new power, but he remains confident, believing their internal conflicts will ultimately undermine them.
• Nüwa receives the Red Embroidered Ball and the Landscape, Mountains, Rivers, and Society Diagram. Content with these protective treasures, she remains focused on cultivation rather than conflict.
• Hongjun turns next to Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi, leaving Jieyin and Zhunti overlooked. The two Western disciples fear that, as in the earlier distribution of primordial purple qi, they may receive nothing.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun acts as generous benefactor and stern teacher, especially cautioning Yuanshi while distributing treasures according to each disciple’s character and Dao.
• Yuanshi gains a formidable weapon but is publicly reminded that his temperament is a weakness.
• Tongtian eagerly accepts a treasure aligned with his killing Dao, but his haste leads him to overlook its implications for his future sect.
• Laozi sees the Taiji Diagram as both a perfect match for his Dao and a means of preparing for conflict with the Ancestral Witches.
• Nüwa shows little interest in status or confrontation and is satisfied with treasures suited to protection.
• Jieyin and Zhunti share growing anxiety as Hongjun passes them over; their earlier disappointment over the purple qi shapes their expectations.

Significant themes

• Power and preparation: Magical treasures determine strength and political advantage, especially in future contests over lineage and authority.
• Character shapes destiny: Yuanshi’s temperament draws a warning, while Tongtian’s excitement causes him to miss an important question.
• Foreshadowing and future conflict: The gifts intensify the coming struggle between the Three Pure Ones and the Ancestral Witches, while Tongtian’s oversight hints at future sect troubles.
• Favoritism and uncertainty: Hongjun’s selective gifts raise hopes for some and fears of exclusion for others.

Key plot points and events

• Jieyin and Zhunti weep to persuade Hongjun to give them treasures, citing the Western Land’s poverty. Hongjun grants them the Merit Golden Lotus and Empowerment Vajra, one supreme Xiantian treasure each.
• They complain that Nüwa received two treasures apiece and keep crying until Hongjun threatens to take their gifts back. They quickly fall silent.
• Hongjun grants Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi the Twenty-Four Sea-Calming Divine Pearls and the Dragon-Patterned Golden Canopy. The pair gratefully accept.
• Jieyin and Zhunti realize they may have cried themselves out of a better share. Their display prompts the rest of the assembled cultivators to plead and cry for treasures, with even Fuxi joining in.
• Hongjun sends the crowd to collect treasures from the Treasure-Splitting Cliff outside the palace. Everyone rushes off, but Hongjun secretly restrains Daochen. As the chapter ends, Hongjun asks Daochen why he thinks he has been kept behind.

Character developments and interactions

• Jieyin and Zhunti use theatrical misery to secure gifts, but their greed and shamelessness draw Hongjun’s irritation and the other guests’ scorn. They later regret their tactics.
• Hongjun reluctantly gives out treasures, then loses control of the room when the assembled cultivators imitate Jieyin and Zhunti. He singles Daochen out for a private encounter.
• Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi accept their gifts with gratitude, while privately resenting Jieyin and Zhunti’s repeated demands.
• Daochen openly enjoys the spectacle and tries to reach the Treasure-Splitting Cliff first, only to discover Hongjun has immobilized him.
• The other cultivators, including normally dignified Fuxi, abandon restraint and plead for treasures once Hongjun reveals the cliff’s bounty.

Significant themes

• Greed and opportunism: Many attendees treat the treasure distribution as a chance to gain as much as possible.
• Imitation and social contagion: Jieyin and Zhunti’s crying inspires the entire assembly to beg in the same way.
• Dignity versus self-interest: Even proud figures set aside decorum when valuable treasures are at stake.
• Power and hidden motives: Hongjun’s restraint of Daochen suggests a separate purpose beyond the public distribution.

Key plot points and events

• Daochen is kept behind by Hongjun rather than joining the others at the Treasure-Splitting Cliff. Hongjun gives him the Azure Lotus Banner, which would complete his set of the Innate Five Elements Banners alongside the banner held by the Queen Mother of the West.
• Hongjun reveals that he knows Daochen has already taken three other banners from Laozi, Yuanshi, and Ancestor Minghe. He asks why Daochen is so intent on collecting them.
• Daochen says he seeks the banners for self-protection and admits he fears dying in the coming Kalpa. He does not want to lead the Demon Race or compete for dominion.
• Hongjun warns that Daochen’s dual cultivation of spirit and flesh, though powerful, may make attaining the Dao especially difficult. He argues that Daochen needs a great opportunity—such as leading the Demon Race and claiming its fortune—or an enormous accumulation of merit.
• Hongjun presents Daochen with primordial purple qi, a potential key to Sagehood, along with the Azure Lotus Banner. His real aim is to persuade Daochen to take up the Demon Emperor’s role willingly and oppose the Witch Clan in the struggle for heaven and earth’s fortune.
• Daochen accepts both gifts but remains undecided. The chapter ends with the Three Pure Ones and other attendees returning, apparently behaving as though Daochen had also gone to the Treasure-Splitting Cliff.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen is candid about his fear of the Kalpa and reluctant to become a leader in a dangerous conflict. He recognizes the political and spiritual implications of Hongjun’s proposal but postpones choosing a path, taking the gifts first.
• Hongjun shifts from probing questions to direct counsel. He uses Daochen’s ambition for Sagehood, his difficult cultivation path, and the threat posed by the Twelve Ancestral Witches to steer him toward leading the Demon Race.
• Their exchange is marked by guarded honesty: Hongjun sees through Daochen’s evasions, while Daochen answers plainly once he realizes the real issue is whether he will accept a role in the coming conflict.

Significant themes

• Power versus survival: Daochen values strength, but fears that involvement in a great struggle could end in his death.
• The cost of ambition: Sagehood may require fortune, merit, or political leadership—and each path carries serious consequences.
• Manipulation and choice: Hongjun does not openly force Daochen; instead, he frames the available paths so that Daochen may choose the role Hongjun wants him to take.
• Fate and the Kalpa: The chapter emphasizes how even the greatest figures can perish or be sealed away when swept up in world-shaping calamities.

Key plot points and events

• The guests return to the Purple Heavens Palace after the treasure distribution. The Three Pure Ones are pleased with their gains, while Jieyin and Zhunti resent them; Taiyi and Dijun also gloat over their own prizes.
• Daochen discovers that Hongjun’s gift of primordial purple qi is extraordinarily difficult to refine. Hongjun’s proposed route—ruling the demon race to gain enough fortune—would require Daochen to bind his primordial spirit to the Heavenly Dao, threatening his freedom. Daochen decides not to pursue it for now.
• Hongjun announces that he will merge with the Heavenly Dao and withdraw from the Primordial World, leaving it to govern itself. He dismisses the guests from the palace despite their pleas.
• Dijiang welcomes Hongjun’s departure, believing it will remove the restraint the Ancestral Witches felt under his supervision. Daochen privately understands that Hongjun may still return, but keeps that knowledge to himself.
• As the others watch the palace disappear, Daochen is distracted; Taiyi and Dijun stand solemnly beside him.
• Elsewhere, Hongyun races toward the Five Villages Temple, pursued by Kunpeng and Minghe, and vows not to let them take his primordial purple qi. Zhen Yuanzi rushes to help, but Kunpeng blocks him to delay his arrival.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen weighs the cost of pursuing Sagehood and chooses caution over a potentially binding bargain. His skepticism toward the guests’ tearful pleas for Hongjun to stay shows his cynical view of their motives.
• Hongjun makes a decisive break from his role as the world’s presiding Sage, though Daochen suspects his withdrawal is not permanent.
• Dijiang sees Hongjun’s departure as an opportunity for the Witch Clan to act without restraint.
• Taiyi and Dijun show respect for Hongjun despite being only registered disciples, while anticipating that his teachings will help them advance.
• Zhen Yuanzi reacts with alarm to Hongyun’s danger and immediately tries to reach him; Kunpeng confronts him, revealing a deliberate effort to keep him away.

Significant themes

• Power and its price: Primordial purple qi offers the prospect of Sagehood, but obtaining it may mean surrendering freedom to the Heavenly Dao.
• Changing cosmic order: Hongjun’s merger marks a transition from personal rule to governance by the Heavenly Dao.
• Hypocrisy and ambition: The guests’ sudden grief contrasts with their earlier focus on the treasures they received.
• Loyalty and danger: Hongyun’s flight and Zhen Yuanzi’s attempt to help set up a conflict over the primordial purple qi.

Plot points and events

• Kunpeng reappears after Hongjun’s sermon, revealing that he has sent his Evil Corpse to pursue Hongyun while his true body holds Zhen Yuanzi back.
• Three other early-stage Quasi-Saints join Kunpeng. Each splits off an Evil Corpse to continue toward Longevity Mountain while their true bodies help overwhelm Zhen Yuanzi.
• Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi consider joining the pursuit for Hongyun’s primordial purple qi, but Daochen refuses. He believes Hongyun’s fate is sealed and that the purple qi will eventually return to Hongjun.
• Zhen Yuanzi calls on Daochen to help. Daochen initially declines, preferring to return to the Sun Star, but the system offers him a choice: intervene for major mastery of the Time Law, or refuse and receive a lesser treasure. When warned that refusal would end the system’s prompts, Daochen grudgingly accepts.
• Daochen arrives, strikes one of the attackers to give Zhen Yuanzi an opening, and lets him escape the encirclement toward the Five Villages Temple. Daochen then challenges Kunpeng and the other three, and they prepare to fight him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhen Yuanzi reveals a fierce, forceful side in battle, but is eventually outnumbered. He asks Daochen for help and, once freed, entrusts the battlefield to him.
• Daochen is irritated by both Hongjun’s apparent scheme and the system’s pressure. Though reluctant to help Hongyun, he intervenes for the reward and confronts the attackers with open defiance.
• Kunpeng proves calculating, using his Evil Corpse to pursue Hongyun while his true body delays Zhen Yuanzi. He is wary of Daochen but feels compelled to fight rather than lose face.
• Taiyi is tempted by the prospect of obtaining Hongyun’s purple qi, while Di Jun watches his brother’s eagerness. Daochen firmly prevents them from joining the pursuit.
• The other Quasi-Saints coordinate with Kunpeng to hold Zhen Yuanzi back and pursue Hongyun.

Significant themes

• Fate versus choice: Daochen calls Hongyun’s danger fate, yet his own choice to intervene alters the immediate course of events.
• Reluctance and obligation: Daochen’s aid comes not from friendship with Hongyun but from the system’s coercive bargain.
• Ambition and the cost of power: The purple qi promises enlightenment, but Daochen suggests it is difficult and burdensome to refine.
• Reputation and pride: Kunpeng and the others accept a fight partly because backing down before the assembled powers would damage their standing.

Chapter summary

Key events

• Daochen traps Kunpeng and three other early-stage quasi-saints in a vast time-law domain, slowing their movements, then attacks them with the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
• Kunpeng summons the Demon Master Palace and unleashes the immense weight of his accumulated Gui water essence. His three allies reveal their monstrous true forms—including a Taotie—and together they repeatedly strike at Daochen’s weapon.
• Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Dijun intervene, attacking Kunpeng and the other three with the Chaos Bell and the River Chart and Luo Writing.
• Daochen appears to block their attacks with spatial transference, then redirects the supposedly neutralized strikes at Kunpeng’s group. The four enemies retreat into Kunpeng’s palace, which is battered by the blows.
• The attackers realize Daochen has mastered both time and space laws to an extraordinary degree. Daochen claims the redirection was an accident, but none of them believes him.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen demonstrates overwhelming control of time and space, while teasing and misleading his opponents. He insists that Taiyi and Dijun stay out of the fight, yet turns their attacks against Kunpeng’s side.
• Kunpeng reveals the Demon Master Palace and his Gui water reserve as powerful defenses. He grows fearful and considers fleeing, but worries about abandoning his three allies. Their choice to shelter in his palace leaves him resentfully bearing the damage.
• Taiyi and Dijun rush to defend Daochen, interpreting Kunpeng’s group as the aggressors. Daochen prevents their intervention from ending the fight, redirecting their attacks instead.
• Kunpeng’s three allies commit to fighting alongside him, but Daochen’s dual-law mastery leaves them shaken and questioning how they provoked such a formidable opponent.

Significant themes

• Power and mastery: Daochen’s command of two supreme laws sets him apart even from exceptionally talented quasi-saints.
• Combat as deception: Apparent rescue turns into another attack, showing that Daochen controls not only the battlefield but also his opponents’ expectations.
• Unstable alliances and self-interest: Kunpeng’s allies depend on his palace for safety, while he worries about the cost of protecting them.
• Comic irony: Daochen’s feigned apology contrasts with the obviousness of his deliberate trick, and his enemies’ thanks quickly turns to disbelief.

Plot points and events

• Daochen attacks Kunpeng’s Demon Master Palace with the God-Slaying Spear and Heaven Measuring Ruler. The assault cracks the palace and shakes loose its Kwai Water Essence.
• Kunpeng begs his allies—Taotie, the Mottled Tiger, and another Quasi-Saint—to help, but they refuse to leave the palace’s protection. They offer to compensate him with a xiantian spiritual treasure, which enrages Kunpeng because the palace is his life-bound treasure.
• Daochen mocks Kunpeng for sheltering behind his “turtle shell.” Watching demons misread the situation, they conclude Kunpeng is abandoning his allies and condemn him as a deceitful, unworthy Demon Master.
• Taotie and the Mottled Tiger attack Daochen together. He effortlessly swallows their strikes with a vast Purple-Black Gourd, nearly drawing in the Demon Master Palace as well.
• The four Quasi-Saints realize Daochen is far stronger than expected and consider retreating. The gourd’s appearance also provokes Laozi and Yuanshi, whom Daochen openly challenges.

Character developments and interactions

• Kunpeng shifts from anxious pleading to furious resentment, trapped between Daochen’s assault and allies who leave him to bear the damage.
• Taotie and the Mottled Tiger prioritize their own safety, hiding in the palace before attacking together once the pressure mounts. Daochen defeats their joint assault with ease.
• Daochen remains confident and taunts his opponents, exploiting appearances to make Kunpeng seem responsible for the group’s predicament.
• Bai Ze and Fei Lian argue over whether Bai Ze was right to leave Kunpeng out of the Demon Race’s affairs; Bai Ze resents being blamed whichever choice he makes.
• Laozi and Yuanshi react angrily to Daochen’s Purple-Black Gourd, while Daochen dares them to intervene.

Significant themes

• Self-preservation versus loyalty: Kunpeng’s allies refuse to risk themselves, leaving him to protect the group.
• Reputation and misjudgment: The watching demons condemn Kunpeng based on Daochen’s taunts and an incomplete understanding of events.
• Overwhelming power and intimidation: Daochen’s treasures make resistance seem futile and turn the battle into a display of dominance.
• Blame and political distrust: Bai Ze’s dispute with Fei Lian shows how leaders can be criticized regardless of their decisions.

Key plot points and events

• Yuanshi, newly armed with the Pangu Banner, attacks Daochen with powerful streams of chaos qi. The weapon’s heaven-opening force tears a vast rift through the Chaos Void, alarming the assembled experts and making the Twelve Ancestral Witches reconsider how easily they could defeat the Three Pure Ones.
• Yuanshi taunts Daochen and repeatedly attacks, convinced the Pangu Banner gives him the advantage.
• Laozi prevents Tongtian from intervening and uses the Taiji Diagram to discourage Eastern Emperor Taiyi and Dijun from joining the fight. Tongtian worries that Yuanshi’s behavior makes the Three Pure Ones appear ungrateful to Daochen, who had previously helped them.
• Daochen traps Kunpeng and three others in a Time Domain, preventing them from leaving to join the attack on Hongyun. Kunpeng laments his predicament but is relieved that the Demon Master Palace has been saved.
• Daochen counters with the God-Slaying Spear, which takes the form of a massive black dragon. Yuanshi’s chaos qi damages it, but Daochen reinforces the spear with divine power, restoring the dragon. He then sends the Heaven Measuring Ruler crashing toward Yuanshi’s head.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuanshi grows boastful and aggressive after obtaining the Pangu Banner, treating his powerful weapon as proof that Daochen is no threat. His arrogance ignores Hongjun’s warning to use the treasure responsibly.
• Daochen remains confident and treats Yuanshi’s challenge as an opportunity to retaliate. He also takes decisive control of the wider conflict by immobilizing Kunpeng and his companions.
• Tongtian tries to stop Yuanshi, mindful of Daochen’s past kindness, but Laozi blocks him. Tongtian gives up intervening and plans to apologize to Daochen later.
• Laozi supports Yuanshi’s right to fight while preventing others from interfering, showing a more calculating and protective stance toward his brother.
• Kunpeng is frustrated at being trapped, while the watching powers—including the Ancestral Witches—reassess the strength of the Pangu Banner and the threat it poses.

Significant themes

• Power and arrogance: A formidable weapon emboldens Yuanshi, but his confidence may be misplaced.
• Gratitude and reputation: Tongtian worries that Yuanshi’s conduct will make the Three Pure Ones seem to repay kindness with hostility.
• Escalating power struggles: The duel’s destructive force reshapes the balance of power among the major factions, while Daochen’s confinement of Kunpeng’s group shows that the conflict extends beyond the immediate fight.

Plot and key events

• Daochen unleashes the full power of three Xiantian Supreme Treasures: the God-Slaying Spear, Heaven Measuring Ruler, and a purple-black gourd. Enhanced by his Space-Time Law, his attack devastates the Chaos void and terrifies the onlookers.
• Kunpeng and the others realize Yuanshi’s intervention spared them from Daochen’s overwhelming attack. Yuanshi privately knows he acted to protect himself, not them.
• Yuanshi defends himself with the Pangu Banner, arguing that wielding three supreme treasures should exhaust Daochen. Daochen counters that his extraordinary constitution and tenth-grade Great Luo Dao Fruit give him immense, replenishing magical power.
• Daochen’s sustained blows batter Yuanshi’s Chaos-energy barrier. Yuanshi sacrifices blood essence to reinforce it, but is still close to defeat.
• Laozi tries to intervene with the Taiji Diagram. Taiyi freezes it with the Chaos Bell, while Dijun backs him with the River Chart and Luo Writing. Tongtian then joins Laozi and Yuanshi, bringing out the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords.
• As the two groups face off, the barrier finally shatters. Daochen’s Heaven Measuring Ruler strikes Yuanshi, breaking his bones and badly injuring him. His heaven-opening merit saves his primordial spirit. Laozi rushes to his side.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen displays formidable power, confidence, and apparent endurance, turning Yuanshi’s defense into a losing battle.
• Yuanshi is proud and combative, but his reliance on the Pangu Banner proves costly; he is forced to spend blood essence and suffers a severe defeat.
• Laozi shifts from restraining the Sun Star brothers to attempting to protect Yuanshi, prompting Taiyi and Dijun to confront him.
• Taiyi and Dijun act together to prevent Laozi from interfering in Daochen’s fight.
• Tongtian is torn between Daochen and his elder brothers, but ultimately sides with Laozi and Yuanshi.
• Kunpeng and the other spectators are shaken by Daochen’s strength and grateful—mistakenly, in their view—that Yuanshi intervened for them.

Significant themes

• Power and endurance: Daochen’s unusual reserves let him sustain the use of multiple supreme treasures, overturning expectations about the limits of a mid-stage Quasi-Saint.
• Pride versus reality: Yuanshi’s boasts cannot conceal his deteriorating position.
• Loyalty and divided allegiance: Tongtian’s choice highlights the conflict between personal ties and political alignment.
• Escalation and factional conflict: A duel between Daochen and Yuanshi rapidly becomes a standoff between the Three Pure Ones and the Sun Star brothers. Hongjun’s silence leaves the conflict unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Laozi stabilizes the badly injured Yuanshi with immortal energy and a Nine-Revolution Golden Elixir. Angry at Daochen, he considers fighting, but Tongtian restrains him, warning that a costly clash could let the Twelve Ancestral Witches benefit.
• Laozi carries the unconscious Yuanshi back toward Mount Kunlun. Tongtian departs separately, while Daochen turns his attention to the battle surrounding Hongyun.
• Cornered and unable to escape, Hongyun realizes too late that obtaining the Primordial Purple Qi was part of Hongjun’s scheme. He burns his Primordial Spirit, briefly reaching Quasi-Saint strength, then detonates himself.
• The blast devastates the area and gravely injures Kunpeng’s Evil Corpse and those of three other Quasi-Saints. Hongyun’s Primordial Purple Qi survives inside the Innate Purple Cloud Shield, which flees toward the Chaos Void.
• Zhen Yuanzi, who had been prevented from rescuing Hongyun, summons the Earth Book and attacks Kunpeng and the others in a rage. His strike slows them, allowing the shield to escape.
• The shield reaches Daochen, and the Primordial Purple Qi within it enters his Dantian Sea of Consciousness, merging with the strand already there.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen remains confident and dismissive toward Laozi, then witnesses Hongyun’s death; unexpectedly, he becomes the new bearer of Hongyun’s Primordial Purple Qi.
• Laozi shows concern for his brothers and anger at Daochen, but accepts Tongtian’s warning and withdraws rather than risk a wider conflict.
• Tongtian acts as a voice of caution, prioritizing the Three Pure Ones’ larger rivalry with the Twelve Ancestral Witches over immediate retaliation.
• Hongyun chooses death rather than capture and, in his final moments, recognizes the trap behind his pursuit of sainthood.
• Zhen Yuanzi is devastated by Hongyun’s death and turns his grief into a furious attack on the pursuers, unintentionally helping the Purple Cloud Shield escape.
• Kunpeng and the other three Quasi-Saints survive the blast but are badly weakened and immediately pursue the shield, focused on claiming the Purple Qi.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and manipulation: Hongyun’s final realization suggests that his apparent opportunity for sainthood was engineered as a scheme.
• Loyalty and grief: Zhen Yuanzi’s desperate response shows the depth of his bond with Hongyun.
• Power and sacrifice: Hongyun briefly transcends his former limits through self-destruction, while the surviving contenders risk everything for the Purple Qi.
• Consequences of rivalry: The Three Pure Ones avoid a potentially disastrous fight, while the pursuit of power drives the conflict around Hongyun to its fatal conclusion.

Key plot points and events

• Daochen discovers that the system has fused Hongyun’s strand of Primordial Purple Qi with the one already within him, doubling its power. The system reveals that it hid the fusion from a divine-sense scan.
• Hongjun, now merged with the Heavenly Dao, scans the Primordial World and searches for the missing strand. His overwhelming presence silences even the Ancestral Witches and other powerful beings, but he does not discover who took it.
• The injured Kunpeng and three other Quasi-Saints return to the Chaos Void, joined by the mysterious Quasi-Saint who had intercepted Zhen Yuanzi. Daochen confronts them while holding the Innate Purple Cloud Shield, with the Heaven Measuring Ruler and God-Slaying Spear poised to strike.
• Dijiang and Eastern Emperor Taiyi move to Daochen’s side as the assembled Quasi-Saints eye the Purple Qi greedily. Daochen warns that anyone who attacks will face his revenge if he survives.
• Daochen unleashes an aura far greater than before. Kunpeng, Taotie, Rogue Person Miaofa, and High Person Qingyun withdraw, recognizing that they are too injured—and too weak—to challenge him. The mysterious figure also disappears; a flash of five-colored radiance leads Daochen to suspect he is Kong Xuan.
• With ten Quasi-Saints still present, Daochen attacks first, striking an early-stage Quasi-Saint with a single punch. The opponent’s body is shattered before he can escape.

Character developments

• Daochen gains a second fused strand of Primordial Purple Qi and reveals the full extent of his power, shifting from defender to aggressor when the remaining rivals refuse to back down.
• Hongjun appears increasingly detached after merging with the Heavenly Dao, yet is unsettled by the unexplained disappearance of the Purple Qi.
• Dijiang and Eastern Emperor Taiyi show their loyalty by standing beside Daochen, despite the temptation the Purple Qi represents.
• Kunpeng and the other three rivals choose survival over ambition and retreat.
• The mysterious Quasi-Saint remains unidentified, though Daochen suspects he is Kong Xuan.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Daochen’s display of strength ends several challenges without a fight and sets the terms for those who remain.
• Ambition versus loyalty: The Purple Qi tempts even powerful figures, while Dijiang and Taiyi stand by Daochen out of gratitude and allegiance.
• Secrecy and divine oversight: The system conceals Daochen’s acquisition from Hongjun’s vast Heavenly Dao-backed perception.
• The cost of conflict: The returning Quasi-Saints are already badly injured, and Daochen’s retaliation makes the danger of pursuing the Purple Qi unmistakable.

Character interactions

• Hongjun’s divine scan provokes the Ancestral Witches, but his cold rebuke forces them—and the wider world—into silence.
• Daochen uses threats and a show of force to deter the assembled Quasi-Saints; Dijiang and Taiyi reinforce his position.
• Kunpeng and his companions withdraw rather than risk confronting Daochen, while the remaining opponents face his direct attack.

Plot points and events

• Daochen kills one Quasi-Saint by destroying his Primordial Spirit with the God-Slaying Spear. The other nine flee, followed by Jieyin and Zhunti; the Demon Race’s Greater Demons also scatter, mistaking Daochen’s attention for a threat.
• Daochen had meant to invite the demons for wine, but their hurried departure leaves him amused and awkward. Nüwa nervously asks whether he intends to attack her; his teasing remark about not being able to “bear to” attack her makes her blush and flee.
• Zhen Yuanzi arrives, grieves Hongyun’s death, and receives the Innate Purple Cloud Shield from Daochen. Daochen privately chooses not to reveal Hongjun’s role in Hongyun’s fate, believing the truth would only unsettle Zhen Yuanzi.
• Daochen returns to the Sun Star, where he is nearing the point of severing his Good Corpse. He plans to use the Primordial Heaven-Measuring Ruler to house it and investigate the effects of the fused primordial purple qi.
• Before entering seclusion, Daochen warns Dijun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi to stay out of the Primordial World: war between the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the Eastern Prince seems imminent, and its aftermath could bring grave danger.
• On Mount Kunlun, Yuanshi vows revenge once he has fully refined the Pangu Banner. Laozi urges him to focus first on refining their bestowed treasures and preparing for the conflict with the Twelve Ancestral Witches. Tongtian is surprised that Laozi doubts the Eastern Prince can defeat them.

Character developments and interactions

• Daochen demonstrates overwhelming power but also restraint: he lets his opponents escape, returns Hongyun’s shield to Zhen Yuanzi, and keeps Hongjun’s involvement secret out of concern for Zhen Yuanzi.
• Zhen Yuanzi accepts the shield gratefully, though he remains sorrowful over Hongyun.
• Nüwa’s nervousness gives way to embarrassment at Daochen’s flirtatious teasing.
• Yuanshi remains resentful and blames his defeat on not yet mastering the Pangu Banner. Laozi is more cautious and strategic, while Tongtian questions his assessment.

Significant themes

• Power and fear: Daochen’s victory sends even powerful cultivators fleeing rather than risk confronting him.
• Fate and hidden truth: Hongyun’s death is treated as fate, while Daochen withholds the truth about Hongjun to protect Zhen Yuanzi.
• Impending upheaval: The anticipated war and rising tribulation threaten to reshape the Primordial World.
• Restraint and strategy: Daochen counsels withdrawal from danger, while Laozi prioritizes preparation over revenge.