Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• The Primordial World hears Hongjun announce his attainment of sagehood and invite beings with destined affinity to hear his teachings at the Purple Cloud Palace.
• Xu Tong awakens on Kunlun Mountain and realizes he has transmigrated as Tongtian, one of the Three Pure Ones, before Tongtian’s rise to sagehood.
• Remembering the future Investiture of the Gods calamity, Xu Tong fears Tongtian’s eventual downfall: the Interception Sect is devastated, and Tongtian is imprisoned by Hongjun.
• He decides to avoid the Purple Cloud Palace, the Interception Sect, and the Heavenly Dao’s plans, preferring to cultivate quietly and seek a way to transcend the Heavenly Dao.
• A system offers him three choices: attend the teachings for primordial violet qi and a sage seat; attend but reject a seat for vast merit; or stay on Kunlun Mountain for the Heaven-Earth Origin Art. Xu Tong chooses the third, believing the art enables physical cultivation and proving Dao by force.
• Laozi and Yuanshi arrive to invite him to the Purple Cloud Palace. Xu Tong claims he is at a critical stage of breakthrough and declines. The other two accept his explanation and depart.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong/Tongtian shifts from excitement at becoming a future sage to wariness after recalling Tongtian’s tragic fate. He becomes resolute about avoiding established events and pursuing independence from the Heavenly Dao.
• Laozi is considerate of Xu Tong’s claimed breakthrough and prevents Yuanshi from pressing him.
• Yuanshi initially urges Xu Tong not to miss the rare opportunity but respects Laozi’s judgment and Xu Tong’s decision.
• The brothers part amicably: Xu Tong wishes them success at the teachings, while they leave him to cultivate.

Significant themes

• Fate versus self-determination: Xu Tong tries to escape the path laid out for Tongtian.
• Power and freedom: He rejects easier routes to sagehood because they would leave him bound to the Heavenly Dao.
• Caution and self-preservation: Rather than risk entanglement in future conflicts, he chooses to lie low and build strength.
• Brotherhood and foreknowledge: Xu Tong’s knowledge of future betrayals complicates his present cordial relationships with Laozi and Yuanshi.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Tong begins secluded cultivation using the Heaven-Earth Origin Art, believing that reaching Prove Dao by Force will let him escape the Heavenly Dao’s control and avoid future tribulations.
• At the Purple Cloud Palace, the six seats go to Laozi, Yuanshi, Nuwa, Zhunti, Jieyin, and Kunpeng. Tongtian’s absence makes the assembled immortals—and Hongjun—wonder what has happened.
• Hongjun confirms through divination that Tongtian remains safe in the Jade Void Palace, but cannot understand why he skipped the sermon. He resolves to make the next one’s importance unmistakable.
• Hongjun teaches the Dao of Great Luo for three thousand years, then announces that his second sermon will cover the Quasi-Saint Dao and commands everyone to attend.
• During those same three thousand years, Xu Tong rises from early to late Daluo Golden Immortal and approaches the realm’s pinnacle.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong is determined to change his grim future by avoiding the great tribulations. The Heaven-Earth Origin Art proves remarkably effective, quickly loosening his cultivation bottleneck.
• Laozi and Yuanshi are startled by Hongjun’s overwhelming power and regret that Tongtian missed the chance to witness it. They discuss his absence, unsure of its significance.
• Hongjun is pleased by the assembly’s awe but becomes unsettled when he notices Tongtian is missing. He sees Tongtian’s fortune as important to his own plans and hopes the promise of Quasi-Saint teachings will draw him to the next sermon.
• The gathered immortals accept Hongjun’s seating order without protest and eagerly absorb his teachings, realizing that Quasi-Sage lies beyond Daluo.

Significant themes

• Seclusion as strategy: Xu Tong’s choice to remain hidden may protect him from forces shaping the wider world.
• Power and fate: He seeks strength not simply for advancement, but to escape the Heavenly Dao’s influence and alter his future.
• Diverging destinies: Tongtian’s unexpected absence unsettles the established order and leaves Hongjun’s plans uncertain.
• The pursuit of cultivation: Hongjun’s sermon rapidly advances the listeners, while Xu Tong’s own progress shows the extraordinary potential of his chosen art.

Key plot points and events

• After three thousand years of cultivation, Xu Tong reaches the peak of the Daluo Golden Immortal realm. He intends to continue cultivating in seclusion and pursue the quasi-sage realm.
• The system tempts him with a chance to visit Buzhou Mountain as its Innate Gourds ripen. The options offer an Innate Origin Embryo, a fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation, or—if he stays on Kunlun Mountain—the Immortal Slaying Formation Diagram.
• Though he recognizes the first two rewards as far more valuable, Xu Tong chooses to stay secluded to avoid entanglement in the Primordial World’s karma. He receives the formation diagram, which is incomplete without the four Immortal-Slaying Swords.
• At Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun announces his next lecture and appoints King Father of the East and Queen Mother of the West to govern male and female immortals. Di Jun and the Witch Clan privately doubt their authority.
• The Innate Gourds’ emergence draws powerful beings to Buzhou Mountain. Laozi and Yuanshi go there and each obtains a gourd.
• Laozi and Yuanshi return to Kunlun Mountain and find Xu Tong’s cultivation causing an extraordinary disturbance. Laozi suspects Xu Tong has reached the quasi-sage realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong remains committed to his long-term goal of proving the Dao by force, resisting even exceptionally attractive rewards rather than risking worldly complications. He resumes cultivation immediately.
• Laozi and Yuanshi seize the opportunity at Buzhou Mountain and return pleased with their gains. They regret that their third brother missed out, then are astonished by the power of Xu Tong’s breakthrough.
• Hongjun establishes a new hierarchy among immortals, while Di Jun and the Witch Clan silently question whether his appointees can enforce it.

Significant themes

• Discipline versus temptation: Xu Tong prioritizes his chosen path over immediate treasures.
• Ambition and spiritual advancement: His cultivation is framed as only the beginning of a much greater pursuit.
• Power and authority: Hongjun’s appointments raise doubts about who can truly govern the Primordial World.
• Opportunity and consequence: The Buzhou Mountain treasures are valuable, but Xu Tong sees pursuing them as a risk of entanglement.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Tong’s enlightenment scene reveals he has reached the Quasi-Sage realm, far surpassing Laozi and Yuanshi, who have advanced only to the middle stage of Daluo Golden Immortal.
• Over the next five thousand years, the Witch and Demon Tribes rise to power and begin fighting for control of the Primordial World. The King Father of the East, appointed leader of the male immortals by Hongjun, also challenges them.
• Di Jun and the Demon Tribe besiege the King Father of the East’s Three Immortal Islands. The King Father seeks help from the Three Pure Ones.
• Xu Tong reaches the middle stage of the Quasi-Sage realm. A system offers him rewards for either joining the rescue, staying in seclusion, or attacking the Demon Tribe’s Heavenly Court.
• Although tempted by the Four Immortal-Slaying Swords and the Chaos Bead, Xu Tong chooses to remain in seclusion. He claims to be near another breakthrough, leaving Laozi and Yuanshi stunned.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong’s immense progress strengthens his confidence and ambition; he believes he may be the strongest figure in the Primordial World after Hongjun and other ancient powers.
• Laozi and Yuanshi are impressed by Xu Tong’s cultivation and worry about falling behind. Laozi takes a measured, diplomatic view of the King Father’s request, while Yuanshi voices contempt for the competing factions.
• The brothers ask Xu Tong to join them in helping the King Father. Xu Tong refuses, determined not to become entangled in the conflict.

Significant themes

• Cultivation and ambition: Xu Tong’s rapid rise contrasts with his brothers’ slower advancement.
• Power and political rivalry: The Witch Tribe, Demon Tribe, and King Father of the East compete for dominance.
• Seclusion versus involvement: Xu Tong prioritizes cultivation over helping a powerful ally or intervening in the world’s conflicts.
• Destiny and choice: The system frames the crisis as part of the world’s destined course, but Xu Tong chooses his own path.

Key plot points

• Laozi and Yuanshi hear that Tongtian is nearing another breakthrough. They assume he has spent his creation merit to raise his cultivation; Yuanshi condemns the choice, while Laozi decides to leave him on Kunlun.
• Xu Tong (Tongtian) overhears them but is unconcerned. He has not used his creation merit and intends to prove the Dao through force. He dismisses the system’s newly awarded Primordial Golden Dou as inferior to his other treasures.
• At the Three Immortal Islands, Di Jun and Taiyi lead the Demon Tribe against the King Father of the East. The King Father invokes Hongjun’s authority and says he has sought help from the Three Pure Ones.
• Laozi and Yuanshi arrive and clash with Di Jun, who blocks the Taiji Diagram with the River Diagram and Luo Book. Yuanshi attacks with the Pangu Banner, but the two sides are evenly matched.
• Meanwhile, Taiyi’s Star-Dou Great Array overwhelms the King Father’s forces. Rather than surrender, the King Father self-detonates, killing or injuring more than half the demons in the array.
• The Witch Clan, which had been waiting for the Demon Tribe and the King Father to weaken each other, launches a surprise attack. Dijiang orders his fighters to target Taiyi while Di Jun is occupied with Laozi and Yuanshi.
• In the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun watches the battle and worries that events are diverging from the Heavenly Dao’s expected course—especially Tongtian’s repeated absence.

Character developments and interactions

• Laozi and Yuanshi remain unaware of Tongtian’s true plans. Their conversation shows both concern and rivalry over his rapid advancement.
• Xu Tong/Tongtian is confident in his independent path and indifferent to his brothers’ assumptions and the system’s reward.
• Di Jun taunts the absent Tongtian and underestimates the Three Pure Ones, while Yuanshi responds with open hostility. Their battle stalls as each side counters the other’s treasures.
• The King Father of the East refuses to submit despite being outmatched, choosing a final act of defiance that turns the battle’s tide.
• Dijiang and the Witch Clan exploit the chaos, turning the demons’ victory into a wider confrontation.
• Hongjun grows suspicious of repeated deviations from the Heavenly Dao, but remains focused on Tongtian’s unexplained absence rather than intervening.

Significant themes

• Destiny versus deviation: Tongtian’s choices repeatedly disrupt the expected course of events, unsettling Hongjun.
• Power and ambition: Characters pursue cultivation, authority, and survival through competing strategies.
• Pride and defiance: The King Father’s refusal to surrender leads to sacrifice but inflicts major losses on his enemy.
• Opportunism and conflict: The Witch Clan waits for its rivals to weaken before striking.

Key plot points and events

• The Immortal Alliance disintegrates after the death of the King Father of the East, leaving its members vulnerable to the Demon Tribe.
• Laozi and Yuanshi initially gain the upper hand against Di Jun, but Eastern Emperor Taiyi arrives with the Chaos Bell and turns the fight around.
• Di Jun mocks Tongtian for missing Hongjun’s sermon and assumes his cultivation must have fallen behind. Laozi defends him, but neither brother can reveal that Tongtian used creation merit to advance his cultivation.
• Overwhelmed by the Chaos Bell, Yuanshi flees first, followed by Laozi. Di Jun stops Taiyi from pursuing them, saying the Witch Clan is the priority.
• At Kunlun Mountain, the brothers decide to ask Tongtian to leave seclusion so the Three Pure Ones can challenge Di Jun and Taiyi together.
• In seclusion, Xu Tong receives a system choice: join the brothers for a God-Slaying Spear, fight alone for a Thirty-Six-Grade Chaos Green Lotus, or stay hidden for an apricot-yellow plum. He rejects the tempting treasures and chooses to remain in seclusion, wary of attracting Hongjun’s attention or becoming entangled in the epochal tribulation.

Character developments

• Laozi and Yuanshi are forced to confront their vulnerability without Tongtian and the Chaos Bell’s overwhelming power. Their pride in the Pangu Orthodox Lineage makes the defeat especially galling.
• Yuanshi grows more resentful of Tongtian, blaming his use of merit to raise his cultivation for supposedly damaging his foundations.
• Xu Tong shows caution and long-term resolve: despite the system’s extraordinary rewards, he prioritizes avoiding danger and continuing his cultivation.
• Di Jun and Taiyi are emboldened by victory, though Di Jun demonstrates strategic restraint by keeping Taiyi focused on the Witch Clan.

Significant themes

• Pride versus practicality: Laozi and Yuanshi’s lineage pride pushes them toward revenge, while Xu Tong refuses to risk himself for reputation.
• The cost of power: Tongtian’s merit-fueled advancement is viewed by his brothers as wasteful, even as it makes them uncertain of his true strength.
• Temptation and restraint: Xu Tong rejects powerful rewards because their hidden consequences may be worse than their benefits.
• Avoiding fate’s schemes: The chapter emphasizes the danger of getting drawn into larger heavenly plans and the value of remaining uninvolved.

Character interactions

• Di Jun and Taiyi taunt and overpower Laozi and Yuanshi; Laozi answers with a spirited defense of Tongtian.
• Laozi and Yuanshi regroup after escaping and agree to recruit Tongtian, despite Yuanshi’s private resentment toward him.
• Xu Tong mentally rejects the system’s offers, then hears Laozi and Yuanshi calling him to come out just as he has chosen to stay secluded.

Key plot points

• Xu Tong puts away the Apricot-Yellow Plum as Laozi and Yuanshi arrive. Yuanshi immediately urges him to leave seclusion and help avenge their defeat by Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor, who wield the Chaos Bell.
• Xu Tong refuses, claiming he is close to a breakthrough. Yuanshi accuses him of abandoning the Pangu Orthodox Lineage, while Laozi silently supports him.
• To avoid a direct confrontation, Xu Tong argues that joining the fight now would look like the Three Pure Ones were ganging up on two opponents. He says Laozi and Yuanshi must recover their dignity themselves.
• The brothers accept his reasoning and prepare to leave, despite Xu Tong privately doubting they can overcome the Chaos Bell through sheer resolve.
• A heavenly announcement calls beings with the right affinity to Hongjun’s second sermon on the quasi-saint Dao. The system offers Xu Tong three choices, each with a different reward—including continuing cultivation in seclusion for a Sage Dao Field.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong remains cautious and determined to avoid being drawn into his brothers’ conflicts. He uses a persuasive, face-saving argument to steer them away without revealing his real motive.
• Yuanshi is proud and eager to regain the dignity he lost, initially treating Xu Tong as an ally whose help he can simply demand. Xu Tong’s appeal to lineage pride ultimately persuades him to fight without reinforcements.
• Laozi says little but shares Yuanshi’s expectation that Xu Tong should help. He ultimately agrees with Xu Tong’s argument.
• The brothers’ exchange highlights their unequal expectations of Xu Tong: they seek to involve him in their troubles, while he sees their request as an attempt to use him.

Significant themes

• Self-preservation versus loyalty: Xu Tong rejects a risky fight and prioritizes his own cultivation.
• Pride and reputation: Yuanshi’s concern for face—and Xu Tong’s clever appeal to the Three Pure Ones’ reputation—shapes the outcome.
• Manipulation and family obligation: Xu Tong avoids openly refusing his brothers by redirecting their sense of duty, revealing the tension beneath their familial bond.

Key plot points

• The system offers Xu Tong three rewards: Pangu Jade Marrow, Pangu Blood Essence, or a Sage Dao Field. Though the first two could greatly strengthen him, they require leaving seclusion, so he chooses the protective Dao Field instead.
• Laozi and Yuanshi prepare to attend Hongjun’s second sermon, which will teach the path to Quasi-Sainthood. Xu Tong refuses, claiming he is close to a breakthrough and would rather cultivate alone.
• Laozi and Yuanshi urge him to reconsider, but Xu Tong sends them on their way by warning that Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor might get ahead of them.
• Xu Tong suspects Hongjun is monitoring him and uses the system reward to make his cultivation grounds difficult for even a Saint to observe. He then resumes cultivating.
• At the Purple Cloud Palace, Laozi and Yuanshi encounter Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor. The Twelve Ancestral Witches arrive soon after, and Dijiang provokes Di Jun, turning the gathering hostile.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains cautious and independent, choosing safety and his own cultivation path over powerful rewards or Hongjun’s sermon. He also acts to protect himself from Hongjun’s scrutiny.
• Laozi and Yuanshi are eager to improve their cultivation and maintain the prestige of the Pangu Orthodox Lineage. Yuanshi remains particularly eager to confront Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor.
• Dijiang openly challenges Di Jun, showing the Witches’ readiness to antagonize the Demon leaders.

Significant themes

• Caution versus ambition: Xu Tong rejects greater power when pursuing it would expose him to risk.
• Independence from authority: He distrusts Hongjun’s influence and intends to follow Prove Dao by Force rather than the conventional path taught in the sermon.
• Power struggles: The Witches, Demon Tribe, and Three Pure Ones compete for status and dominance.
• The cost of apparent benefits: Xu Tong believes Hongjun’s teachings may bind their recipients to his control.

Character interactions

• Xu Tong declines Laozi and Yuanshi’s invitation, using the rivalry with Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor to hurry them along.
• He privately reflects on Hongjun’s possible interest in him and uses the Dao Field to block observation.
• At the palace, Laozi and Yuanshi face their Demon rivals, only for Dijiang’s taunt to escalate the tension between the Demons and the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

• The Witch and Demon factions nearly clash: The Twelve Ancestral Witches arrive at the Purple Cloud Palace, sharpening tensions with Di Jun and Eastern Emperor Taiyi. Di Jun mocks them for lacking primordial spirits and supposedly having no use for the Dao sermon. Dijiang counters that Pangu’s descendants have every right to attend, then proposes that the Witches join Laozi and Yuanshi to drive the two leaders out.
• A possible alliance is interrupted: Laozi and Yuanshi are tempted by Dijiang’s offer, hoping to recover face after their earlier defeat. Yuanshi favors acting, while Laozi worries that helping the Witches would entangle them in the Witch–Demon conflict.
• Hongjun asserts his authority: Just as the factions prepare to act, Hongjun’s Sage-level pressure forces everyone—including the Ancestral Witches—to bow. The assembled powers realize how insignificant their strength is beside a Sage, and Di Jun becomes determined to attain Sagehood.
• Hongjun’s private agenda emerges: He welcomes the growing Witch–Demon rivalry, believing it serves the Heavenly Dao and will advance his union with it. He had allowed the argument to unfold but intervened when the Witches tried to involve Laozi and Yuanshi, wishing to keep them clear of karmic entanglements.
• Tongtian’s absence worries Hongjun: Seeing only Laozi and Yuanshi, Hongjun realizes Tongtian has skipped the sermon again. Because the Three Pure Ones’ shared Pangu merit matters to Hongjun’s plans—and Tongtian has a destined Sage position—he sends his divine sense toward Kunlun Mountain to investigate.
• The cliffhanger: Xu Tong’s system detects Hongjun’s investigation and offers him a choice: let Hongjun through for a Chaos Bead, or seal the barrier and receive two portions of creation merit.
  Character and thematic notes: Dijiang shows unexpected strategic cunning beneath his blunt, combative exterior. Laozi’s caution contrasts with Yuanshi’s eagerness, while Hongjun appears composed in public but is privately frustrated by Tongtian’s defiance. The chapter highlights the gulf between ordinary power and Sagehood, the danger of political alliances and karmic entanglement, and the tension between destiny and individual choice.

Key plot points and events

• Hongjun investigates Tongtian (Xu Tong), whose repeated absence from the sermons has aroused suspicion. Tongtian worries that Hongjun might discover his unexpectedly advanced cultivation and the secrets of his Dao Field.
• He chooses to remove the Dao Field’s concealment, then immediately uses the system’s newly awarded Chaos Bead to create powerful layers of restrictions. Hongjun cannot probe them without using the Jade Disc of Creation and drawing attention to himself, so he withdraws.
• Tongtian recognizes that Hongjun is now suspicious and resolves to cultivate harder, avoid involvement, and conceal his strength until he can resist Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao.
• At the Purple Cloud Palace, the attendees notice Hongjun searching for Tongtian and speculate that Tongtian must be unusually important.
• Hongjun redirects attention by teaching the Quasi-Sage path, outlining three routes to Sagehood: force, severing three corpses, and merit. He says force is no longer viable under the changed laws of heaven and earth, then explains how Innate Spiritual Treasures are used to sever corpses.
• During the three-thousand-year sermon, Laozi and Yuanshi advance: Laozi severs his good corpse with the Taiji Diagram, while Yuanshi severs his self-corpse with the Pangu Banner. Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor also benefit.
• Laozi asks whether proving the Dao by force is truly impossible. Hongjun firmly says it is. Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor take this as evidence that Laozi’s earlier claims about Tongtian’s strength were false.

Character developments

• Tongtian/Xu Tong is resourceful and cautious, using the system’s reward strategically to protect his secrets. The close call strengthens his determination to build power before confronting larger forces.
• Hongjun remains suspicious of Tongtian but chooses discretion over a risky intrusion. He also controls the gathering by shifting its attention to the sermon.
• Laozi pursues clarification about the strongest route to Sagehood, but his question leads others to doubt his earlier account of Tongtian.
• Yuanshi, Di Jun, and the Eastern Emperor gain from the teaching; Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor also become skeptical of Laozi.

Significant themes

• Power and concealment: Tongtian survives by hiding his true capabilities until he is strong enough to act openly.
• Fate versus resistance: He hopes cultivation will let him escape Hongjun’s and the Heavenly Dao’s control.
• Knowledge as power: Hongjun’s sermon lays out competing paths to Sagehood, while access to rare treasures shapes who can advance.
• Suspicion and reputation: Tongtian’s absence makes him more intriguing, while Laozi’s claims are judged against Hongjun’s teaching.

Character interactions

• Tongtian and Hongjun engage in a silent contest of probing and concealment; each avoids a direct confrontation.
• The attendees discuss Hongjun’s interest in Tongtian, making his absence a subject of growing curiosity.
• Hongjun teaches the assembly, then responds coldly to Laozi’s question.
• Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor interpret Hongjun’s answer as grounds to distrust Laozi’s earlier statements.

Summary

• Di Jun mocks Laozi for claiming Tongtian’s cultivation surpassed the Three Pure Ones, convinced Laozi has been exposed as a liar. Yuanshi feels humiliated and blames Tongtian, while Laozi privately wonders whether Tongtian has discovered an unusual cultivation path.
• Hongjun suspects Tongtian may be pursuing the dangerous path of proving the Dao by force, perhaps with Chaos Demon God teachings. He believes this path will eventually become impossible once he merges with the Heavenly Dao, and is not overly concerned.
• Hongjun fixes the seating order in the Purple Cloud Palace and names Laozi and Yuanshi as formal disciples. He also accepts Nuwa as a disciple because of her future merits; Fuxi prompts her to respond.
• Zhunti and Jieyin appeal dramatically to Hongjun and are accepted as named disciples. Their success prompts others to plead too, but Hongjun refuses them. Hong Yun accepts his lack of a place calmly, while Kunpeng grows frustrated but cannot bring himself to beg.
• Hongjun gives five strands of primordial violet qi—revealed to be the foundation of sainthood—to Laozi, Yuanshi, Nuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin. The revelation causes a frenzy among the gathering. Hongjun gives a sixth strand to Hong Yun, then sends the final strand toward Kunlun Mountain for an unnamed destined recipient.

Character developments and interactions

• Laozi remains composed under Di Jun’s taunts, but privately questions how Tongtian surpassed him and Yuanshi.
• Yuanshi is embarrassed by Di Jun’s mockery and resents Tongtian for making him lose face.
• Hongjun manages the gathering’s expectations while privately worrying that Tongtian’s independent path may disrupt his plans.
• Nuwa is surprised by her unexpected appointment; Fuxi quickly encourages her to accept it.
• Zhunti and Jieyin use appeals to hardship to secure named-disciple status, provoking resentment and imitation from the crowd.
• Kunpeng desperately wants the status and opportunity granted to the cushion occupants, but pride keeps him from making a public appeal. Hong Yun is more accepting of events.

Significant themes

• Status, opportunity, and pride: The prayer cushions become a visible marker of favor, while characters weigh ambition against dignity.
• Power and legitimacy: Formal discipleship and primordial violet qi promise access to immense authority and sainthood.
• Destiny and the limits of control: Hongjun’s plans are complicated by Tongtian’s absence, and the final strand is reserved for someone “destined” to receive it.
• Rival paths to enlightenment: Tongtian’s suspected route of proving the Dao by force contrasts with Hongjun’s teachings and control of the Heavenly Dao.

Key plot points and events

• Kunpeng is furious when the last Primordial Violet Qi flies away without choosing him. He blames Hong Yun, believing Hong Yun took the opportunity that should have been his.
• The Qi heads toward Tongtian’s cultivation grounds. Hongjun has deliberately sent it there to provoke a struggle: whoever holds it will attract powerful enemies, and Tongtian’s safest route to becoming a Sage is to found the Interception Sect. Hongjun’s plan is to steer events toward that outcome.
• After ending his sermon, Hongjun vanishes. Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor immediately pursue the Qi, followed by the Twelve Ancestral Witches. Laozi and Yuanshi hurry after them, anticipating trouble near their shared home on Kunlun Mountain. Nuwa, Zhunti, and Jieyin also leave.
• Zhen Yuanzi quickly takes Hong Yun away to protect him. Kunpeng stays behind, vowing to seize Hong Yun’s Primordial Violet Qi if he cannot claim the other strand.
• The pursuers follow the Qi to Tongtian’s cultivation grounds, but it cannot pass through the protective barrier and circles outside. The assembled powers prepare to force their way in.
• Xu Tong, cultivating in seclusion nearby, receives a system prompt revealing Hongjun’s intent and the danger posed by the Witch Clan and Demon Tribe. He must choose whether to admit the Qi, emerge and claim it, or drive it away.

Character developments

• Kunpeng turns his disappointment into resentment toward Hong Yun and a determination to take what he believes Hong Yun possesses.
• Di Jun overcomes the Eastern Emperor’s caution and decides the chance to make the Demon Tribe dominant is worth the risk of angering Hongjun.
• The Eastern Emperor is more wary, suspecting that the Qi’s destination may be part of a larger scheme.
• Zhen Yuanzi acts protectively and decisively, removing Hong Yun from the brewing conflict.
• Xu Tong recognizes that Hongjun is manipulating events and pauses his cultivation to consider the system’s choices.
• Hongjun is shown as a calculating strategist, using the Qi to draw rival powers toward Tongtian.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and fate: Hongjun engineers events while presenting them as a matter of “destined affinity.”
• Power and ambition: The prospect of Sainthood drives the Witch Clan and Demon Tribe to risk conflict.
• Jealousy and grievance: Kunpeng interprets his loss as Hong Yun’s fault, setting up a personal feud.
• Choice under pressure: Xu Tong’s options offer different rewards, but each carries consequences amid a gathering crisis.

Character interactions

• Kunpeng silently blames Hong Yun, while Zhen Yuanzi intervenes to get Hong Yun out of danger.
• The Eastern Emperor warns Di Jun about the risks of seizing the Qi; Di Jun rejects his caution and presses on.
• Laozi and Yuanshi act together, concerned that a clash between the Witch Clan and Demon Tribe could endanger Kunlun Mountain.
• The pursuing factions converge outside Tongtian’s barrier, where the Qi’s fixation on reaching him leaves them stunned.

Key plot points and events

• Hongjun tries to force Xu Tong to accept primordial violet qi and become a Sage, but Xu Tong suspects the qi is a trap and refuses.
• Xu Tong chooses to remain in seclusion, earning a Force Great Dao Seed. It suppresses other Great Daos and offers him a way to cultivate independently of the Heavenly Dao, supporting his goal of Proving Dao by Force.
• Outside his Dao Field, many powerful figures gather, hoping to claim the primordial violet qi or influence who receives it. Their fear of defying Hongjun keeps them from acting.
• Xu Tong strengthens his Dao Field’s defenses and repels the qi. He tells everyone to settle any dispute elsewhere, making clear he wants no part in the contest.
• Di Jun rushes for the qi, prompting Dijiang and the Twelve Ancestral Witches to attack him. The surrounding crowd stays out of the Witch–Demon conflict, which both sides keep away from Xu Tong’s territory.
• While the battle unfolds outside, Xu Tong comprehends the Force Great Dao and breaks through to the late-stage Quasi-Sage level, stunning those nearby.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains determined, cautious, and self-reliant. He rejects the apparent shortcut to Sagehood in favor of his own cultivation path, and his breakthrough confirms the strength of that choice.
• Hongjun appears increasingly desperate to make Xu Tong accept the primordial violet qi, deepening Xu Tong’s suspicion of his intentions.
• Di Jun shows bold ambition by pursuing the qi despite the crowd’s hesitation.
• Dijiang and the Ancestral Witches act to block the Demon Tribe, motivated by their longstanding rivalry rather than any personal need for the qi.
• Laozi and Yuanshi are baffled by Xu Tong’s refusal to seize what seems like a major opportunity.

Significant themes

• Independence versus imposed destiny: Xu Tong refuses to let Hongjun or the Heavenly Dao dictate his path.
• Caution and strategic restraint: He avoids a prize that could attract enemies and entangle him in others’ schemes.
• Power through cultivation: The Great Dao Seed and Xu Tong’s breakthrough suggest that disciplined self-cultivation can rival externally granted Sagehood.
• Rivalry and political balance: The Witch–Demon conflict shapes the struggle over the primordial violet qi, while fear of Xu Tong’s intervention restrains both sides.

Character interactions

• Hongjun’s pressure on Xu Tong is answered with deliberate refusal.
• Xu Tong addresses the gathered powers only to tell them to keep their conflict away from his Dao Field.
• Di Jun’s attempt to claim the qi triggers Dijiang and the Witches to unite against the Demon Tribe.
• The crowd watches cautiously, while Laozi and Yuanshi react with disbelief to their brother’s rejection of the qi and subsequent leap in power.

Plot points and events

• Xu Tong breaks through to the late Quasi-Sage stage, and his immense aura shocks the powerful beings gathered at Kunlun Mountain—including Di Jun, the Ancestral Witches, Minghe, and the Three Pure Ones.
• The primordial violet qi, widely regarded as the basis for becoming a Sage, reacts to Xu Tong and tries to attach itself to him. Xu Tong recognizes it as a potential source of danger and uses the force great dao to send it flying beyond anyone’s reach.
• In the Purple Cloud Palace, Hongjun realizes Xu Tong has advanced through a path other than the conventional method of severing the three corpses. He suspects Xu Tong intends to Prove Dao by Force, but dismisses the path as futile and decides not to interfere for now.
• Dijiang uses the moment to mock Di Jun and withdraws the Ancestral Witches from the contest for the violet qi. Di Jun and the other assembled powers soon leave as well.
• With Kunlun Mountain quiet again, Laozi and Yuanshi decide to visit Xu Tong and ask for guidance on the Quasi-Sage path.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong demonstrates both exceptional power and conviction: he refuses the violet qi despite its value to others, trusting instead in his own cultivation of the force great dao.
• Laozi is proud that Xu Tong has broken through but privately feels jealous and unsettled that his younger brother has surpassed him. He nevertheless seeks Xu Tong’s advice.
• Yuanshi is delighted by Xu Tong’s breakthrough and hopes it will secure the violet qi for their brother, while still carrying resentment toward Di Jun.
• Di Jun is embarrassed by Xu Tong’s display, which contradicts his earlier boasts. Dijiang further needles him, then leaves before Di Jun can respond.
• Hongjun views Xu Tong as a potential challenger but remains confident that the pursuit of proving Dao by force will fail.

Significant themes

• Independent cultivation and self-reliance: Xu Tong rejects the route others covet, believing his own Dao offers a better path.
• Power overturning expectations: His breakthrough exposes the gap between conventional assumptions and his actual strength.
• Pride, envy, and rivalry: Laozi’s jealousy, Di Jun’s humiliation, and the Witches’ taunting shape the reactions to Xu Tong’s success.
• Strategic restraint: Hongjun chooses to wait, while the other factions withdraw once the contest loses its prize and becomes too dangerous.

Key events

• After leaving Kunlun, Laozi proposes visiting Tongtian. He hopes to discover how Tongtian is advancing so quickly, while Yuanshi mainly wants to restore his pride after losing to Di Jun.
• Tongtian stabilizes his breakthrough to late Quasi-Sage, crediting the Force Great Dao Seed with accelerating his cultivation. He remains wary of Hongjun and believes greater strength is his best protection.
• Laozi and Yuanshi arrive and congratulate him. Both are astonished by his realm. Laozi probes whether Tongtian used up his creation merit, then suspects he advanced through a method other than severing the three corpses.
• Yuanshi announces that he and Laozi have reached early Quasi-Sage and urges Tongtian to leave seclusion so the three can confront Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor.
• The system offers rewards for joining the confrontation, but Tongtian judges both choices dangerously reckless: he fears Hongjun would use the conflict to draw him into the coming calamity. He chooses to remain in seclusion, earning a World Tree Sprout.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian grows more cautious as well as more powerful. He recognizes the danger behind Yuanshi’s ambition and prioritizes survival and cultivation over tempting rewards.
• Laozi is increasingly unsettled by Tongtian’s rapid progress. Though he wants to learn Tongtian’s cultivation method, he decides not to press him.
• Yuanshi remains driven by wounded pride and hopes to use the Three Pure Ones’ combined strength to get even with Di Jun.
• The brothers’ reunion is outwardly warm, but Laozi’s probing and Yuanshi’s invitation reveal their differing motives—and Tongtian’s reluctance to share his secrets or join their vendetta.

Significant themes

• Power and insecurity: Tongtian’s progress intensifies Laozi’s jealousy and Yuanshi’s desire to prove himself.
• Patience versus ambition: Tongtian chooses steady cultivation over a risky show of force.
• Secrecy and survival: Tongtian guards his cultivation path and treats Hongjun’s manipulation as a serious threat.
• The cost of revenge: Yuanshi’s wish to regain face may draw the brothers into a dangerous conflict.

Key plot points and events

• The system rewards Xu Tong with a World Tree Sprout, which he quietly accepts without letting Laozi and Yuanshi notice.
• Yuanshi urges Xu Tong to join him and Laozi in confronting Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor, framing the fight as a defense of the Three Pure Ones and the Pangu Orthodox Lineage.
• Xu Tong initially refuses to act immediately, drawing angry reactions from both brothers. Laozi backs Yuanshi’s pressure, while Yuanshi treats Xu Tong’s help as something he owes them.
• Xu Tong argues that Laozi and Yuanshi should focus on the Primordial Violet Qi they received at the Purple Cloud Palace and pursue Sagehood rather than risk a fight with Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor.
• He claims that once they become Sages, their rivals will pose no threat. To strengthen his case, he pretends he will still accompany them if they insist, even at the cost of his life.
• His dramatic appeal leaves both brothers speechless, while Xu Tong privately congratulates himself on bluffing them.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains outwardly composed while thinking strategically. He recognizes the danger of being drawn into a conflict that is not his and becomes increasingly determined to leave Kunlun Mountain once he can protect himself.
• Yuanshi is shown as self-important and coercive, using lofty moral language to recruit Xu Tong while expecting his support.
• Laozi appears calm but manipulative: he tacitly supports Yuanshi’s pressure and reinforces it with righteous-sounding arguments.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and bluffing: Xu Tong counters his brothers’ pressure with persuasive reasoning and theatrical self-sacrifice.
• Self-preservation versus loyalty: He rejects an unnecessary fight and prioritizes his own safety over family expectations.
• Hypocrisy and moral posturing: Yuanshi and Laozi present a personal grievance as a noble duty.
• Power and ambition: The Primordial Violet Qi and the prospect of Sagehood offer a more valuable path than a risky confrontation.

Character interactions

• Yuanshi pressures Xu Tong with appeals to shared identity and honor; Laozi quietly strengthens the pressure.
• Xu Tong answers with respectful language but privately sees through their tactics, then redirects them toward cultivating the Primordial Violet Qi.
• Yuanshi remains openly condescending, while Xu Tong silently resolves to distance himself from both brothers.

Plot points and events

• Laozi and Yuanshi reconsider their plan to attack Di Jun and the Eastern Emperor after Xu Tong argues that revenge is risky and beneath their status as future Sages.
• The brothers decide to stop pursuing revenge and return to focus on comprehending their Primordial Violet Qi and attaining Sagehood.
• As they leave, Yuanshi departs abruptly. Laozi stays behind to smooth over his behavior, then asks Xu Tong whether Xu Tong’s unusual cultivation path can really succeed.
• Xu Tong recognizes that Laozi is probing his suspicions about the path of proving the Dao by force. He gives an ambiguous answer, claiming he wants to explore many paths but cannot know where they will lead. Laozi is left frustrated and uncertain.

Character developments and interactions

• Laozi reveals privately that he inherited the divine ability One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones, making him wary of Tongtian’s rapid progress and possible alternative method of attaining Sagehood. He appears conciliatory toward Xu Tong but is also strategically testing him.
• Yuanshi follows Laozi’s lead in abandoning the revenge plan and remains brusque, leaving without a farewell. Laozi apologizes for his manner; Xu Tong accepts outwardly while privately blaming Laozi for indulging him.
• Xu Tong steers the brothers away from a dangerous confrontation, conceals his cultivation method, and uses deliberate vagueness to prevent Laozi from confirming his suspicions. His internal commentary is sarcastic, though he keeps a polite exterior.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus prudence: The brothers’ desire for revenge gives way to the more consequential goal of becoming Sages.
• Brotherhood and mistrust: Claims of familial unity coexist with secret abilities, concealed motives, and mutual suspicion.
• Strategic speech and deception: Xu Tong’s smooth argument and evasive answer shape the decisions of both brothers while hiding his own intentions.

Plot points and events

• Laozi tries to persuade Xu Tong to reconsider cultivating every path, but Xu Tong’s convincing explanation leaves Laozi unable to challenge him. Laozi departs, and Xu Tong returns to secluded cultivation, privately confident he will not regret his choice.
• The primordial violet qi’s disappearance throws the Primordial World’s major powers into turmoil, since it offers a chance to attain sainthood.
• In the Demon Court, Di Jun tells his assembled leaders that the Demon Tribe must produce a Sage to secure its dominance. He claims the missing violet qi likely lies in Witch Clan territory and has been taken by the Witches. The Demon Tribe’s war cries culminate in Di Jun declaring all-out war.
• The Twelve Ancestral Witches have also searched without success. Zhurong and Gonggong blame the Demon Tribe, but Houtu points out that the demons are still searching too. She suspects someone may be engineering a conflict between the two tribes.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains outwardly solemn and composed while privately mocking Laozi’s concerns. He is determined to pursue his chosen cultivation path.
• Laozi leaves frustrated and uncertain, accepting that he cannot sway Xu Tong.
• Di Jun turns uncertainty about the violet qi into a rallying cause, using the prospect of a Sage to unite the Demon Court behind war.
• Houtu emerges as the more cautious and perceptive Witch, noticing that the missing violet qi and both tribes’ fruitless searches do not quite make sense.

Character interactions

• Laozi questions Xu Tong’s intentions; Xu Tong gives him no opening to expose or persuade him.
• Di Jun addresses the Demon Saints and generals, shaping their suspicions into a united call for war.
• Dijiang consults Houtu after Zhurong and Gonggong argue that the demons must have the violet qi. Houtu offers a more measured view but cannot yet identify the cause.

Significant themes

• Ambition and power: The violet qi represents the chance to become a Sage, intensifying the struggle for supremacy.
• Manipulation and suspicion: Di Jun presents an unproven accusation as fact, while Houtu suspects a hidden force is provoking the tribes.
• Restraint versus aggression: Houtu urges careful thought, but the wider pressures of the impending tribulation make restraint difficult.
• Concealed intentions: Xu Tong hides his true confidence behind a solemn façade, much as political actors disguise uncertainty with certainty.

Key plot points

• The Witch Clan and Demon Tribe continue preparing for war, each convinced the other is blocking its path to the primordial violet qi. Their growing hostility suits Hongjun’s plan to use the conflict as part of the witch-demon tribulation.
• Hongjun reveals that he has already recovered the violet qi that Tongtian slapped away. He views both races as pawns and intends to complete his merger with the Dao as the tribulation approaches.
• Hongjun is frustrated that Tongtian remains in seclusion and resists being drawn into his plans. He nevertheless believes that, once he merges with the Dao, Tongtian will be unable to pursue the Dao through his own method.
• While Di Jun mobilizes the Demon Tribe to search for the violet qi, Kunpeng pursues his own ambition. Still resentful toward Hong Yun, he plans to take the violet qi Hong Yun possesses and recruits allies rather than join Di Jun’s effort.
• Kunpeng settles on seeking help from the Two Sages of the West. The system alerts Xu Tong that Hong Yun’s life is in danger and offers three choices. Xu Tong refuses to leave seclusion and selects the option to do nothing, earning a World-Destroying Black Lotus.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun is confident and manipulative, regarding the two races as expendable tools. His confidence is challenged mainly by Tongtian’s refusal to engage.
• Tongtian/Xu Tong remains committed to seclusion. Though the system tempts him with greater rewards to intervene, he chooses inaction.
• Kunpeng emerges as an ambitious, independent player who will not submit to Di Jun. He regards Hong Yun as an enemy and seeks the Western sages’ support.
• Di Jun and the two races become increasingly convinced that their rival’s destruction is necessary for their own survival.
• Hong Yun, though absent from the action, is the target of Kunpeng’s planned attack; his relationship with Kunpeng is framed as one in which old resentment turns gratitude into enmity.

Significant themes

• Manipulation and fate: Hongjun steers the races toward conflict, while characters act within forces they may not understand.
• Ambition and rivalry: Kunpeng’s desire for sagehood drives him to pursue Hong Yun’s violet qi independently.
• Seclusion versus intervention: Xu Tong prioritizes staying out of the conflict, even when offered substantial rewards to step in.
• Gratitude turning to resentment: The chapter’s title reflects the bitter, enduring grievance motivating Kunpeng’s plan.

Plot points and events

• Xu Tong rejects both of the system’s proposed schemes: disrupting Kunpeng’s plan or taking Hong Yun’s primordial violet qi. He prefers to avoid entanglements and continue cultivating.
• The system rewards him with a Twelve-Grade World-Destroying Black Lotus, a rare treasure containing an incomplete Law of Destruction. Xu Tong recognizes its value but considers its power too violent and inferior to the Law of Strength.
• Xu Tong reflects that Kunpeng remains intent on targeting Hong Yun despite having gained the Prayer Cushion. He dismisses the matter as unrelated to him and returns to cultivation, nearing the primordial Daluo Golden Immortal realm.
• Kunpeng travels to Mount Sumeru to approach Zhunti and Jieyin, believing they are anxious about the karmic debt they owe Hong Yun for their chance at Sagehood.
• Zhunti and Jieyin stop Kunpeng outside their grounds and cautiously ask his purpose. When he offers to help them settle their debt, they are intrigued. Jieyin recognizes the need for privacy and invites Kunpeng inside to discuss it.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains cautious and self-interested in a restrained way: he avoids political schemes and prioritizes cultivation, even when offered powerful opportunities.
• Kunpeng emerges as an ambitious schemer, still pursuing ways to advance himself and manipulate the situation around Hong Yun.
• Zhunti and Jieyin reveal their unease about becoming indebted to Hong Yun. Their initial caution gives way to interest when Kunpeng promises a possible solution.

Character interactions

• Xu Tong mentally judges Kunpeng’s obsession with schemes but chooses not to intervene.
• Kunpeng approaches Zhunti and Jieyin with polite greetings and a calculated offer.
• Zhunti and Jieyin meet him with suspicion, then respond eagerly to his proposal while keeping the discussion guarded and private.

Significant themes

• Ambition and scheming: Kunpeng, Zhunti, and Jieyin all seek advantage, though Xu Tong refuses to join their maneuvering.
• Freedom versus obligation: Zhunti and Jieyin fear that their path to Sagehood will leave them bound to Hong Yun by an unpayable karmic debt.
• Power and restraint: Xu Tong receives a formidable treasure but values judgment and peaceful cultivation over pursuing every source of power.