Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Nuwa unexpectedly places four pre-forged Heavenly Pillars at the corners of the world, stabilizing heaven and earth and preventing the need to use the North Sea Black Tortoise as a support.
• Heavenly merit flows partly to Nuwa and mostly toward Kunlun Mountain, leading Hongjun to suspect Tongtian made the pillars. Nuwa denies his involvement to protect him.
• Hongjun abandons whatever plan he had intended to announce and orders Nuwa and Houtu to settle the future of the Witch Clan and Demon Tribe, which must leave the Primordial World.
• Nuwa learns that Fuxi died in the Eastern Emperor’s self-detonation rather than at the hands of the Witch Clan, so she drops her grievance against Houtu.
• At Kunlun Mountain, Xu Tong directs his new merit and fortune into his Merit Golden Wheel. His accumulated fortune forms a golden dragon, making him resemble a powerful sect in his own right.
• The Witch and Demon tribes cease fighting and retreat to their territories. The Black Tortoise senses that his fate has changed and that his opportunity may lie at Kunlun Mountain, so he sets out to find it.

Character developments and interactions

• Nuwa acts decisively on Tongtian’s earlier foresight and protects him by concealing his role. She and Houtu now meet as equals—one a Heavenly Dao Sage, the other ruler of the Earthly Dao.
• Hongjun is frustrated and thrown off course by Nuwa’s intervention, but lacks proof against Tongtian. He leaves without delivering his intended instructions.
• Houtu explains Fuxi’s death, easing Nuwa’s anger. The two agree to visit the person they both have in mind once they finish resolving matters.
• Xu Tong gains more merit and fortune but chooses to strengthen his golden wheel rather than his cultivation.
• The Black Tortoise shifts from isolation toward action after sensing that his fate and cultivation have changed.

Significant themes

• Fate can be altered: The pillars spare the Black Tortoise from his expected role and redirect his future.
• Foresight and preparation: Tongtian’s earlier guidance enables Nuwa to avert a crisis.
• Loyalty and concealment: Nuwa protects Tongtian by taking credit for his work.
• Power through merit and fortune: Xu Tong’s accumulated fortune becomes a force comparable to that of a major sect.
• Reconciliation and changing status: Nuwa and Houtu move past hostility and interact as equals.

Plot points and events

• Black Tortoise survives his deadly tribulation and concludes that someone on Kunlun Mountain helped him. Hoping that person can help him take human form, he sets off, shaking the Primordial World with his enormous body. Several powerful cultivators try to recruit him, but his strength and refusals deter them.
• Nuwa completes the task of Mending the Heavens and wonders where to settle the remaining Demon Tribe, since she has neither a sect nor a Dao Field large enough to shelter them.
• Houtu reveals that she now goes by Pingxin and plans to bring the Witch Clan into the Underworld to help with the newly established Six Paths of Reincarnation. The Demon Tribe cannot safely join them because of the clans’ history of mortal conflict.
• Houtu proposes that she and Nuwa seek advice from Tongtian on Kunlun Mountain. She also intends to bring her brothers’ true spirits there in hopes of restoring them.
• At Tongtian’s Dao Field, Xu Tong examines the Heart of Buzhou Mountain. The system identifies it as an exceptionally hard, top-grade refining material but offers no instructions for using it. Frustrated by his failed attempts, Xu Tong gives up—just as Houtu and Nuwa arrive to request an audience.

Character developments and interactions

• Black Tortoise moves from bewildered survival to purposeful action, seeking help rather than remaining in the North Sea.
• Nuwa is burdened by responsibility for the displaced demons, but gains hope when Houtu suggests asking Tongtian for help.
• Houtu/Pingxin speaks with new confidence as an Earthly Dao Sage. She has accepted a new identity and role beyond the Witch Clan, while remaining determined to save her brothers.
• Xu Tong remains in seclusion and clashes humorously with the unhelpful system over the Heart of Buzhou Mountain.
• Nuwa and Pingxin cooperate despite their peoples’ former hostility, and both turn to Tongtian as a trusted source of guidance.

Significant themes

• Aftermath and displacement: The clans’ exclusion from the Primordial World leaves their survivors searching for a place to belong.
• Transformation and identity: Houtu’s change into Pingxin reflects her transition from Witch Clan member to ruler of the Underworld.
• Power and responsibility: Nuwa’s successful completion of a monumental task is followed by the practical burden of caring for those left behind.
• Dependence on guidance: Several characters seek solutions from Tongtian, while Xu Tong himself is stymied by the system’s refusal to explain his mysterious reward.

Plot points and events

• Nuwa and Houtu visit Xu Tong to thank him for providing the Heavenly Pillar, which helped them earn merit, and to ask for more help.
• Nuwa requests additional Divine Refining Pills, hoping to aid Fuxi. Houtu asks for pills to help revive several of her brothers, who died in the great tribulation.
• As Xu Tong hesitates, the two offer enormous rewards: Houtu proposes that he share authority and fortune in the Underworld, while Nuwa offers him command of the Demon Tribe, including herself.
• Xu Tong considers the offers but recognizes that both groups are headed for future trouble. He also realizes that accepting might draw him into the very destiny he wants to avoid.
• He declines the offers and gives them his remaining eleven Divine Refining Pills, warning Houtu that the pills may not work on the Witch Clan. He tells Nuwa to preserve Fuxi’s true spirit, hinting that Fuxi has a future opportunity awaiting him.
• When Houtu begins to attach the Underworld to him through another pledge, Xu Tong cuts her off, insisting that the pills are simply a small favor and urging the visitors to leave.

Character development and interactions

• Xu Tong is generous but wary of becoming entangled in others’ affairs. He weighs the tempting offers, then chooses independence over power and future obligations. His humorous thought that “lust” nearly led him into a trap reflects his awareness of Nuwa’s appeal and his ability to resist it.
• Nuwa is grateful yet embarrassed to ask for more help. Her offer to place the Demon Tribe under Xu Tong’s command shows how urgently she wants to secure his assistance.
• Houtu respects Xu Tong’s immense, difficult-to-gauge cultivation. Her willingness to share the Underworld’s authority underscores how deeply she cares about saving her brothers.
• The women’s anxiety over Xu Tong’s silence gives way to relief when he provides the pills, though he firmly prevents either offer from becoming a lasting commitment.

Significant themes

• Generosity versus obligation: Xu Tong helps the women while refusing rewards that could bind him to their causes.
• Power and its hidden costs: The Underworld and Demon Tribe offer great status, but Xu Tong sees the danger and future burdens behind their apparent advantages.
• Fate and foresight: Xu Tong’s knowledge of future events guides his choices and his cryptic reassurance about Fuxi.
• Compassion balanced by self-preservation: He assists others without letting their emergencies dictate his future.

Key plot points and events

• Nuwa and Houtu offer Xu Tong rewards for his help. He cuts them off, fearing that accepting merit would draw Hongjun’s attention and trap him in future schemes.
• The women mistake his refusal for selfless generosity and leave convinced he is exceptionally enlightened—perhaps even comparable to Hongjun.
• Xu Tong privately admits he covets the merit but values his freedom and safety more. He decides to keep a low profile and resumes cultivation, though he forgets to put away the Heart of Buzhou Mountain.
• Outside, Nuwa and Houtu praise Xu Tong and speculate about his power.
• Laozi, curious about their repeated visits, approaches them and offers help. They brush him off, saying they only came to see Xu Tong, leaving Laozi offended and bewildered.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong remains cautious and self-preserving, prioritizing long-term freedom over immediate rewards or romantic entanglements. His private complaints about Hongjun contrast with the noble image others project onto him.
• Nuwa and Houtu deepen their admiration for Xu Tong, interpreting his practical refusal as evidence of extraordinary virtue and cultivation.
• Laozi grows increasingly curious about Xu Tong’s relationship with the two women. His attempt to assert his status and win their confidence fails, provoking resentment.
• The chapter highlights the contrast between Xu Tong’s motives and the idealized version of him held by Nuwa and Houtu, while Laozi’s curiosity and wounded pride add comic tension.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus gain: Xu Tong rejects tempting rewards because he fears their hidden costs.
• Misunderstanding and reputation: His self-interested caution is mistaken for lofty selflessness, strengthening his reputation.
• Power and suspicion: Xu Tong avoids drawing attention, while Laozi’s curiosity reflects the rivalries and uncertainties surrounding his influence.

Plot points

• Nuwa and Houtu prepare to leave Laozi, still displeased with him over past events and the Three Pure Ones’ conflict.
• A colossal Black Tortoise approaches Kunlun. Nuwa and Houtu recognize its immense size, while Laozi and Yuanshi are impressed by its power and origins.
• The Black Tortoise explains that his deadly tribulation has ended. He seeks the person who changed his heavenly mandate and hopes to learn how to assume human form.
• Laozi offers to take him into the Human Teaching; Yuanshi argues that he belongs in the Chan Sect. Both promise instruction and help with transformation.
• The Black Tortoise refuses to choose either Sage unless that person was the one who changed his mandate. Laozi and Yuanshi then try to recruit him anyway, but he remains unconvinced.
• Nuwa suspects that Tongtian may be the Black Tortoise’s benefactor.

Character developments and interactions

• Laozi and Yuanshi quickly set aside their rivalry when they see a chance to gain a powerful disciple. Their eagerness reveals how much they value talented followers who can advance their teachings.
• The Black Tortoise is powerful but cautious and independent. He is not dazzled by the Sages’ promises and insists on finding his benefactor before choosing a master.
• Nuwa and Houtu remain detached from the recruitment contest. They observe the Sages’ behavior and look for clues to the Black Tortoise’s past.
• The Sages treat the Black Tortoise as a coveted disciple before asking what he wants, while he calmly rejects their assumptions.

Significant themes

• Ambition and rivalry: Laozi and Yuanshi compete for the same promising disciple, then cooperate when his loyalty seems uncertain.
• Agency and gratitude: The Black Tortoise prioritizes finding the person who helped him over accepting status or promised benefits.
• Power versus understanding: The Sages recognize his strength and potential but appear not to understand the condition preventing his transformation.
• Unresolved mysteries: The identity of the one who changed the Black Tortoise’s mandate—and the reason he cannot assume human form—remains unknown.

Key plot points

• Laozi and Yuanshi compete to recruit the Black Tortoise, each claiming that his origins and destiny suit his own school.
• The Black Tortoise ignores their rivalry and asks Nuwa whether she helped him escape his fate.
• Nuwa realizes the Black Tortoise was destined to have his four legs cut off to support Heaven. When she used the Heavenly Pillars to stabilize the world, that calamity was averted.
• The Black Tortoise confirms he sensed the crisis begin—and then abruptly pass—while cultivating in the North Sea.
• Laozi and Yuanshi try to persuade Nuwa to let them take the Black Tortoise as a disciple, offering karmic debts and other rewards.
• Nuwa refuses: she says the person who truly saved the Black Tortoise was Tongtian, and he must meet that person before anyone makes claims on him. Nuwa and Houtu stand between the Black Tortoise and the two Sages.

Character developments and interactions

• The Black Tortoise shows gratitude and seeks the person connected to his survival. His memory of the near-fatal tribulation reveals his vulnerability and fear of losing control of his fate.
• Nuwa pieces together the connection between the Black Tortoise’s destiny and the Heavenly Pillars, then clarifies that Tongtian—not she—was ultimately responsible for changing his fate.
• Laozi and Yuanshi move from doctrinal arguments to open bargaining, each eager to secure a powerful potential disciple. Their rivalry becomes increasingly competitive.
• Houtu recognizes Tongtian’s connection before Laozi and Yuanshi do, and joins Nuwa in protecting the Black Tortoise.
• Nuwa and Houtu’s united stance stops the recruitment contest, leaving the Black Tortoise’s eventual allegiance unresolved.

Significant themes

• Fate and intervention: The Black Tortoise’s foretold sacrifice is prevented by actions taken to protect the world.
• Gratitude and rightful bonds: His search for the one who saved him challenges the Sages’ assumption that they can claim him.
• Ambition and rivalry: Laozi and Yuanshi’s competition exposes how spiritual prestige and potential power can motivate even exalted figures.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Laozi and Yuanshi attempt to recruit Black Tortoise as a disciple, but Nuwa and Houtu intervene. They insist Black Tortoise should choose for himself and reveal that he is seeking his benefactor, Tongtian.
• Laozi and Yuanshi dismiss Tongtian as merely a Quasi-Sage and claim they could teach Black Tortoise just as well. Their real aim is to secure the disciple before Tongtian can.
• Nuwa asks Black Tortoise whether he wants to stay with Laozi and Yuanshi or meet the person who saved him. Black Tortoise chooses to find Tongtian, hoping to repay him and believing Tongtian may help him assume human form.
• Nuwa and Houtu escort Black Tortoise back to Tongtian’s Dao Field. Frustrated, Laozi and Yuanshi decide to follow and watch Tongtian fail to help him.
• Tongtian senses Nuwa and Houtu’s return and opens his eyes.

Character developments and interactions

• Black Tortoise shows gratitude, independence, and resolve. He refuses to be swayed by the status of Laozi and Yuanshi, and trusts his instinct that finding Tongtian is essential to his future.
• Nuwa and Houtu protect Black Tortoise and respect his right to choose, despite their uncertainty about Tongtian’s true cultivation.
• Laozi and Yuanshi expose their opportunism: after failing to recruit Black Tortoise, they become resentful and plan to see Tongtian humiliated.
• The exchange highlights growing hostility among the Three Pure Ones, while Nuwa and Houtu’s alliance gives Black Tortoise powerful protection.

Significant themes

• Choice and consent: Black Tortoise’s future should be his decision, not something imposed by powerful Sages.
• Gratitude and loyalty: His desire to repay Tongtian outweighs the prestige of joining Laozi or Yuanshi.
• Appearances versus true ability: Laozi and Yuanshi underestimate Tongtian, while Black Tortoise trusts the significance of Tongtian’s deeds.
• Jealousy and ambition: Laozi and Yuanshi’s wounded pride turns their failed recruitment into resentment and a wish to see Tongtian fail.

Key plot points and events

• Nuwa and Houtu return to Xu Tong’s Dao Field with an enormous Black Tortoise from the North Sea, urging Tongtian to take him as a disciple.
• Xu Tong initially refuses, preferring the solitude of seclusion. Laozi and Yuanshi watch from nearby, resentful that the women are making such an effort for Tongtian after rejecting them.
• The system presents three choices. Xu Tong realizes that accepting the Black Tortoise could put him in danger: the creature’s survival conflicts with his destined role, and the Heavenly Dao may strike him down when he attempts to transform.
• Xu Tong chooses to remain in seclusion and refuse the disciple, receiving the Thorn Armor, which he stores despite finding its spiked design embarrassing.
• The Black Tortoise roars, and the Heart of Buzhou Mountain inside Xu Tong’s Dao Field shines and resonates with him. Xu Tong realizes the heart may be what the Black Tortoise needs to attain the Dao—and accuses the system of misleading him about its purpose.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong grows wary of the system’s choices, looking beyond their rewards to the dangers behind them. His priority remains self-preservation, even when refusing a seemingly promising disciple.
• Nuwa and Houtu strongly advocate for the Black Tortoise, trying to persuade Xu Tong to meet him and accept him.
• Laozi and Yuanshi observe the scene with envy and frustration, feeling slighted by the difference in how Nuwa and Houtu treat them.
• The Black Tortoise appears to respond instinctively to Tongtian’s Dao Field and the Heart of Buzhou Mountain, hinting at a deep connection.

Significant themes

• Fate versus survival: The Black Tortoise has escaped his ordained death, but may still face the Heavenly Dao’s punishment.
• Caution and self-preservation: Xu Tong distrusts the apparent benefits of the system’s options and avoids a choice that could cost him his merit—and his safety.
• Hidden connections and deceptive appearances: The Heart of Buzhou Mountain proves more significant than Xu Tong believed, while the system’s rewards obscure the real stakes.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Tong realizes the Heart of Buzhou Mountain is not merely refining material: it contains a thread of vitality left by the Heavenly Dao for the Black Tortoise. He opens his Dao Field and releases the Black Tortoise.
• The Black Tortoise’s frenzy ends when the thread of vitality enters his body, and a transformation tribulation begins. Xu Tong shields his Dao Field from the lightning but initially refuses to protect the Black Tortoise, believing he has already helped enough.
• The Black Tortoise endures dozens of lightning strikes, gradually shrinking and compressing his power, but is left nearly powerless before the final strike.
• Moved by the Black Tortoise’s pleading gaze—and rationalizing that otherwise the Heart of Buzhou Mountain would be wasted—Xu Tong gives him the Thorn Armor, an innate spiritual treasure that forms an invisible protective suit around him.

Character developments

• Xu Tong shifts from frustration at the system and reluctance to get involved to offering one more limited intervention. He remains cautious, framing his rescue attempt as practical rather than compassionate.
• The Black Tortoise progresses toward transformation through the Heavenly Dao’s vitality and the tribulation, showing endurance even as he approaches collapse.
• Nuwa and Houtu try to calm the Black Tortoise and later worry about both him and Xu Tong’s Dao Field.
• Laozi and Yuanshi mock the Black Tortoise and hope Tongtian will be embarrassed, their resentment over his refusal to become their disciple evident. They nevertheless recognize that their help could not have replaced the missing thread of vitality.

Significant themes

• Fate and Heavenly Dao: The thread of vitality is essential to the Black Tortoise’s transformation.
• Limits of intervention: Xu Tong weighs compassion against the risks of repeatedly involving himself in another’s fate.
• Endurance and transformation: The Black Tortoise’s tribulation steadily weakens and reshapes him.
• Resentment and pride: Laozi and Yuanshi’s reaction exposes their lingering bitterness beneath their claims of generosity.

Character interactions

• Nuwa and Houtu attempt to assist the Black Tortoise, while Laozi and Yuanshi respond with derision.
• Laozi and Yuanshi misread Nuwa’s criticism as aimed at Tongtian, revealing their eagerness to see him fail.
• The Black Tortoise silently appeals to Xu Tong by looking toward his Dao Field; Xu Tong responds by giving him the Thorn Armor just as the final danger approaches.

Key events

• Black Tortoise faces the final strike of his transformation tribulation, which he believes will kill him. The Sages Nuwa and Houtu cannot intervene because Heaven’s Dao forbids it.
• Xu Tong sends out a protective barrier from his Dao Field. It withstands the lightning, allowing Black Tortoise to survive and transform into an elderly human.
• His cultivation grows stronger through the transformation, bringing him close to the late Quasi-Sage stage.
• Black Tortoise thanks Nuwa and Houtu, then asks to remain near Xu Tong, crediting him with saving his life and giving him a treasure.
• Xu Tong refuses to take him as a disciple, saying they are not destined to have a master-disciple relationship. Black Tortoise responds by offering to stay as a servant. Xu Tong silently allows him to remain, then returns to secluded cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Black Tortoise shifts from despair to gratitude and fierce devotion to Xu Tong. Convinced Xu Tong surpasses even the Sages, he dismisses Laozi and Yuanshi and persists despite rejection.
• Xu Tong appears to reject Black Tortoise on lofty grounds, but privately does so because a disciple would entangle him in outside affairs. He accepts Black Tortoise’s presence only because he cannot be bothered to argue further.
• Laozi and Yuanshi are first pleased by Black Tortoise’s apparent failure, then resent his survival and his preference for Xu Tong. Their contempt masks intense jealousy.
• Nuwa and Houtu support Black Tortoise and advise him to cultivate responsibly. They are surprised by Xu Tong’s refusal but assume he has profound reasons.

Significant themes

• Fate and perseverance: Black Tortoise must overcome his destined death and tribulation without direct help from the Sages.
• Hidden power and mistaken appearances: Xu Tong’s modest, secluded presence conceals abilities Black Tortoise considers greater than those of the Sages.
• Devotion and jealousy: Black Tortoise’s loyalty contrasts with Laozi and Yuanshi’s envy.
• Comedic misunderstanding: Others interpret Xu Tong’s practical reluctance as profound judgment, while Black Tortoise interprets rejection as further proof of his greatness.

Key plot points and events

• Black Tortoise refuses to give up after Tongtian remains silent about taking him as a disciple. He decides to stay at the Dao Field as a caretaker, sets aside the thorn armor Tongtian lent him, and begins cultivating outside the gates.
• Laozi and Yuanshi leave in frustration, while Nuwa and Houtu accept Black Tortoise’s choice and depart.
• Houtu takes the Witch Clan to the Underworld and orders them never to leave. Nuwa realizes the North Sea is now unclaimed and obtains one of Black Tortoise’s scales as a token before claiming the region for the Demon Tribe.
• The Witch Clan and Demon Tribe withdraw from the wider Primordial World.
• Houtu uses Xu Tong’s pills to resurrect her Ancestral Witch brothers as spirits. She explains that they have lost their former bodies and can no longer live as witches, then asks them to serve as rulers of the Underworld’s ten courts.
• The resurrected brothers understand that this role could help them earn merit and offset the karmic debt accumulated through their past violence, but they feel discouraged by how difficult their future cultivation may be.

Character developments

• Black Tortoise proves stubbornly devoted and interprets Tongtian’s silence as permission to remain. He now thinks of Xu Tong as his master, despite never being formally accepted as a disciple.
• Houtu feels deep gratitude toward Xu Tong and resolves to repay him if he ever needs help. She also takes responsibility for guiding her clan into a new life in the Underworld.
• Nuwa adapts quickly to the political changes, securing a new home for the Demon Tribe.
• The Ancestral Witches must accept that they have returned without their old bodies or identities, and that their accumulated karmic debt threatens their prospects.

Significant themes

• Devotion and persistence: Black Tortoise’s unwavering commitment outweighs the lack of any explicit promise from Tongtian.
• Consequences and atonement: The Ancestral Witches’ past violence has left them burdened by karmic debt, making redemption and merit essential to their future.
• Change and loss: Both tribes leave the Primordial World, while the resurrected Witches face the loss of their former nature.
• Gratitude and obligation: Houtu’s rescue of her brothers deepens her sense of debt to Xu Tong.

Character interactions

• Nuwa and Houtu try to temper Black Tortoise’s hopes, but ultimately respect his decision; Nuwa offers him a place to turn for help.
• Black Tortoise repays Nuwa by giving her his scale and relinquishing his claim to the North Sea.
• Houtu explains the new circumstances to her brothers and offers them positions in the Underworld, framing the work as a way to rebuild their prospects.

Chapter summary

Key plot points

• With the Witch Clan and the Ancient Demon Tribe withdrawn, the Primordial World becomes safer for humans. Their population more than doubles within ten thousand years, making them the world’s largest race.
• Despite their numbers, humans remain vulnerable: they rely on hunting and gathering, lack strong cultivators, and are divided into tribes. Lesser demons still prey on them.
• Hongjun summons all the Sages to the Purple Cloud Palace to begin arranging the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.
• Xu Tong completes ten thousand years of cultivation and reaches the Peak Hunyuan Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. He has refined much of the Chaos Bead, and the World Tree within it has developed enough to offer some offensive ability. He believes he now has a chance to escape Hongjun, though not to defeat him.
• As the Sages gather, they size up one another’s cultivation and relative power. The chapter ends before Hongjun explains the purpose of the summons.

Character developments and interactions

• Nuwa continues protecting Fuxi’s true spirit in the Qiankun Cauldron, waiting for the opportunity Xu Tong predicted would allow her brother to return. She sets this concern aside to answer Hongjun’s summons.
• Laozi and Yuanshi travel to the Purple Cloud Palace together. They notice that Xu Tong and the Black Tortoise have remained in place for ten thousand years, and Yuanshi still looks resentfully toward Xu Tong’s cultivation grounds.
• Xu Tong senses the brothers’ attention, reflects on his progress, and notices that the Black Tortoise is still patiently cultivating outside his domain without refining the Thorn Armor.
• Zhunti and Jieyin are especially attentive to the other Sages’ strength, since greater power could help them take advantage of opportunities in the east.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Human numerical growth does not protect them without food security, unity, or cultivation strength.
• Hierarchy among the powerful: Even Sages judge authority by strength, especially in the competition for providence during future calamities.
• Patience and long-term cultivation: Xu Tong, the Black Tortoise, and Nuwa’s preservation of Fuxi’s spirit all reflect prolonged effort and expectation.
• A coming transformation: Hongjun’s summons signals a new stage in human history, centered on the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Key plot points and events

• The five Sages gather in the Purple Cloud Palace. Laozi, Yuanshi, and Nuwa have advanced to peak early Sage, while Zhunti and Jieyin remain behind because the West lacks resources and followers.
• Hongjun announces that the Human Race is destined to flourish and will be led by three sovereigns and five emperors. He asks the Sages to divide the positions of teacher to these future rulers.
• Hongjun gives Laozi the Kongtong Seal and says Sages may not personally teach the Human Emperors. Sages can influence who becomes an emperor, but anyone reborn into such a role will thereafter belong solely to the Human Race, severed from their former faction.
• Nuwa asks whether a true spirit can be reincarnated as a Human. On learning that it can, she asks permission to send her brother Fuxi into the Human Path to become the Heavenly Sovereign. Hongjun agrees.
• Zhunti and Jieyin try to claim the teaching positions, presenting their Western Teachings as virtuous and offering their disciples for the task. Laozi and Yuanshi reject their claim, citing the West’s barrenness and lack of merit.
• Nuwa insists that she alone will decide who teaches Fuxi. The meeting ends with the allocation still unsettled.

Character developments and interactions

• Nuwa shifts from observing the negotiations to actively securing an opportunity for Fuxi. She privately credits Tongtian with foreseeing the Heavenly Dao’s plans and intends to thank him.
• Zhunti and Jieyin are shown as anxious to catch up in cultivation and eager to seize merit and fortune. Their self-serving pitch is immediately challenged.
• Laozi and Yuanshi cooperate against Zhunti and Jieyin, with Laozi using the Kongtong Seal’s significance—and the Western pair’s lack of resources—as leverage.
• Hongjun establishes the rules, grants Nuwa’s request, and then leaves the Sages to negotiate.
• Nuwa and Laozi/Yuanshi oppose the Western Sages, while Nuwa’s priority is specifically protecting Fuxi’s interests.

Significant themes

• Power, merit, and opportunity: The Sages compete for positions that promise influence and spiritual fortune.
• Sacrifice and belonging: Becoming a Human Emperor brings great potential, but requires abandoning ties to one’s former faction.
• Family loyalty: Nuwa pursues the opportunity for Fuxi despite the broader political stakes.
• Unequal resources and rivalry: The Western Teachings’ poverty fuels Zhunti and Jieyin’s desperation and sharpens conflict among the Sages.

Summary

Key plot points and events

• At the meeting in the Purple Cloud Palace, Nuwa claims the position of Teacher of the Heavenly Sovereign, arguing that she created the Human Race and has the right to guide it.
• When Laozi, Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin object, Nuwa threatens to reject the role entirely—and suggests abolishing all Teacher positions. Hongjun confirms that, as the Human Race’s Holy Mother, she may intervene in its affairs.
• With the other Sages suddenly anxious to negotiate, Nuwa raises her demands: she will take the Heavenly Sovereign’s position, teach the Heavenly Sovereign, and receive one of the Five Emperor positions. Her threat to exclude the others silences them.
• The remaining roles are divided among the four Sages. Zhunti and Jieyin try to secure the two Human Emperor positions, but after a fight in the Chaos, they leave with only two of the Five Emperor positions; Laozi and Yuanshi divide the rest.
• Once the arrangements are made, Hongjun orders everyone to carry them out. Nuwa leaves and heads for Xu Tong’s cultivation grounds on Kunlun Mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Nuwa displays a newly forceful, strategic side, using her status as the Human Race’s creator and Hongjun’s ruling to secure what she wants. Her resentment toward Laozi and Yuanshi’s earlier snobbery has further soured her view of the Sages.
• Her real plan is to give the Heavenly Sovereign’s teaching role to Tongtian, thereby helping her brother and repaying Xu Tong for past favors. She believes the merit may also offset her karmic debts.
• Laozi and Yuanshi try to resist Nuwa’s demands, while Zhunti and Jieyin opportunistically offer to take the role she appears ready to relinquish. Once Hongjun backs Nuwa, all four shift to appeasing her and compete over the remaining positions.
• Hongjun validates Nuwa’s right to act but does not know she intends to direct merit toward Xu Tong.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Status and strength determine who claims the available roles; Nuwa turns her authority into bargaining power.
• Self-interest and rivalry: The Sages’ arguments over merit and positions reveal their competing ambitions, culminating in a physical fight.
• Debt and unintended consequences: Nuwa hopes her plan will repay old debts, but the closing irony suggests her attempts to settle them may only deepen them.

Key plot points and events

• Nuwa visits Xu Tong’s cultivation grounds on Kunlun Mountain to repay her karmic debt and seek his advice about her brother’s future role as the Human Race’s Heavenly Sovereign.
• Black Tortoise, who has guarded Xu Tong’s retreat for ten thousand years, has advanced to the peak of Mid-Quasi-Sage.
• Xu Tong ignores Nuwa at first, wary that her visits tend to bring trouble—especially Hongjun. He insists that she has already repaid her debt, reminds her that he has received fortune from the Human Race, and tells her to focus on the race and leave.
• Nuwa interprets his blunt warning as profound guidance about the Human Race’s unstable fortune and her brother’s destiny. She thanks him and departs, still promising to repay him later.
• Before leaving, she appoints Black Tortoise Teacher of the Heavenly Sovereign—her brother’s reincarnation—and charges him with protecting him.

Character developments

• Nuwa shows growing distrust of Hongjun and seeks counsel from Xu Tong instead. Her reverence for Xu Tong leads her to find hidden wisdom even in remarks he intended only to end the visit.
• Xu Tong remains cautious and uninterested in becoming entangled in Nuwa’s affairs. His practical warning is mistaken for deliberate counsel.
• Black Tortoise demonstrates loyalty and perseverance through ten thousand years of guarding Xu Tong. Though alarmed at the prospect of Nuwa attacking, he is rewarded with an important role.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and unintended influence: Xu Tong’s attempt to dismiss Nuwa becomes guidance in her eyes.
• Karmic debts and reciprocal obligation: Nuwa feels bound to repay Xu Tong, while he considers the debt settled.
• Loyalty and merit: Black Tortoise’s long service earns him responsibility for the Heavenly Sovereign.
• Distrust of authority: Nuwa’s doubts about Hongjun shape her search for another source of guidance.

Character interactions

• Nuwa approaches Xu Tong respectfully, but he repeatedly urges her to stop visiting and attend to the Human Race.
• Black Tortoise is caught between fear of offending Nuwa and loyalty to his master, yet Nuwa’s response turns his anxiety into astonishment.
• Nuwa interprets Xu Tong’s dismissal as wisdom and entrusts Black Tortoise with protecting her brother’s reincarnation.

Plot points and events

• Nuwa grants Black Tortoise the position of Teacher of the Heavenly Sovereign. Black Tortoise is thrilled, seeing it as a major reward for guarding Xu Tong’s Dao Field.
• Black Tortoise asks Xu Tong’s permission to accept. Xu Tong says the Sage’s offer is enough, though he pointedly refuses to acknowledge Black Tortoise as his disciple.
• After leaving, Nuwa interprets Xu Tong’s brief warning about the Human Race’s unstable fortune as a revelation: Laozi’s Kongtong Seal could suppress that fortune and deprive the Sages’ sects of access to it. She resolves to obtain the seal and keep Fuxi from taking the Heavenly Sovereign role until the issue is settled.
• Xu Tong, unaware of Nuwa’s conclusions, realizes he had only tried to make the topic sound serious so she would leave. He worries that Hongjun might retaliate if the Human Race’s rise produces Sages beyond his control.
• Laozi and Yuanshi see Nuwa leaving Tongtian’s Dao Field. They suspect she has reserved a teaching position for Tongtian. Yuanshi reacts angrily, while Laozi argues that the Three Pure Ones must reconcile and calls for Tongtian to return.

Character developments and interactions

• Black Tortoise grows more devoted to Xu Tong, convinced that remaining near him brings great rewards. Xu Tong remains distant and avoids formally accepting any relationship.
• Nuwa shifts from accepting the planned Human Sovereign arrangement to actively seeking the Kongtong Seal, believing Xu Tong has exposed a hidden threat.
• Xu Tong remains oblivious to the political consequences of his casual remarks and is chiefly concerned with avoiding entanglements with Hongjun.
• Yuanshi continues to resent Tongtian and cannot bear the thought of him gaining merit. Laozi is more calculating, prioritizing the Three Pure Ones’ unity and practical advantage.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and unintended influence: Xu Tong’s offhand comments are treated as profound guidance, setting major events in motion.
• Fortune, power, and control: The chapter explores how the Human Race’s growing fortune could be stabilized—and who might control its benefits.
• Political rivalry and alliance: Nuwa’s ties to Tongtian alarm Laozi and Yuanshi, while their strained brotherhood may require repair.
• Merit and self-interest: Characters pursue positions and alliances for the power, status, or fortune they can bring.

Plot points and events

• Yuanshi angrily rejects Laozi’s suggestion that Tongtian be welcomed back into the Three Pure Ones, arguing that Tongtian is not a Sage and does not deserve equal standing.
• Laozi persuades him that Tongtian’s strong providence could benefit them—and help them share the role of Teacher of the Human Emperor—especially since Tongtian has not yet founded a sect.
• Though jealous of Tongtian’s apparent good fortune and of Black Tortoise’s loyalty to him, Yuanshi reluctantly agrees to restore Tongtian’s place. The two Sages go to Tongtian’s Dao Field.
• Black Tortoise meets them coolly and says Tongtian is in seclusion, inviting them to wait. Yuanshi takes offense and loudly demands that Tongtian come out.
• Tongtian, referred to as Xu Tong, refuses to open the gates or meet them in person. He asks through the closed entrance what they want, leaving Laozi and Yuanshi outside.

Character developments and interactions

• Laozi acts as the pragmatic negotiator: he hides his self-interest behind calm reasoning and persuades Yuanshi to approach Tongtian for the sake of providence.
• Yuanshi remains proud, resentful, and openly contemptuous of Tongtian, but greed for Tongtian’s providence overcomes his reluctance.
• Tongtian/Xu Tong shows disdain for the two Sages and refuses to defer to their status, maintaining distance while making them state their purpose.
• Black Tortoise is loyal to Tongtian and distrustful of Laozi and Yuanshi. Their restrained, pointed reception contrasts with the warmer treatment previously given to Nuwa.

Significant themes

• Self-interest beneath lofty status: Laozi and Yuanshi seek reconciliation not from affection, but because Tongtian’s providence may benefit them.
• Pride and jealousy: The Sages resent Tongtian’s good fortune and struggle to reconcile their superiority complex with their dependence on him.
• Status challenged: Despite being Sages, Laozi and Yuanshi are left waiting outside Tongtian’s gates, showing that rank does not guarantee respect or access.

Plot points and events

• Laozi and Yuanshi visit Xu Tong, expecting him to welcome them. Xu Tong refuses to come out at first, angering the proud Yuanshi.
• Laozi restrains Yuanshi and appeals to their former brotherhood, hoping to reopen the Dao Field. Xu Tong realizes they are mainly interested in his merit and fortune, not reconciliation.
• Amused by their scheme—and confident they cannot take his fortune—Xu Tong lets them in, intending to exploit their greed in return.
• When Laozi raises restoring the Three Pure Ones’ name, Xu Tong rejects the idea and claims his fortune would only burden the two Sages.
• He reveals his vast merit and a fortune golden dragon, leaving Laozi and Yuanshi astonished. They immediately abandon their reluctance and insist that he is no burden, eager to renew their brotherhood.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains cool, sharp, and calculating. He sees through the brothers’ motives and uses their greed against them, while concealing how powerful he truly is.
• Laozi suppresses his irritation and adopts a conciliatory manner to achieve his goal. His apparent regret is undercut by his interest in Xu Tong’s fortune.
• Yuanshi begins furious and contemptuous, but quickly becomes eager to reconcile once he sees the potential benefit.
• Black Tortoise quietly enjoys the brothers’ frustration and steps aside when Xu Tong admits them.

Significant themes

• Self-interest versus brotherhood: The brothers invoke family ties when it suits them, but their attitudes shift with the prospect of gaining fortune.
• Power and appearances: Xu Tong is treated as an inferior because he is not a Sage, yet his revealed fortune dwarfs their expectations.
• Manipulation and reversal: Laozi and Yuanshi arrive intending to benefit from Xu Tong; Xu Tong recognizes the scheme and turns the encounter to his own advantage.

Character interactions

• Laozi repeatedly restrains Yuanshi and manages the conversation, prioritizing their objective over pride.
• Xu Tong rebuffs their appeals to kinship, making clear he does not accept the old “Third Brother” relationship.
• The brothers’ behavior changes dramatically after Xu Tong reveals his fortune, exposing how conditional their affection is.

Key plot points

• Laozi and Yuanshi, impressed by Xu Tong’s immense fortune and merit, reverse their earlier attitude and urge him to rejoin the Three Pure Ones.
• Xu Tong tests their sincerity, asking whether they would accept him even without fortune and whether reuniting would mean sharing it. They insist that the brotherhood’s name matters more than wealth.
• Xu Tong agrees, privately confident that the Chaos Bead will protect his fortune from being siphoned away.
• The three swear an oath before the Heavenly Dao to share the destiny of the Three Pure Ones, restoring their bond.
• Afterward, Laozi and Yuanshi discover that their fortune is flowing toward Xu Tong, while his remains completely untouched.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Tong stays composed and strategic, using his brothers’ eagerness to secure their promises while guarding his own interests. He recognizes that their warmth is motivated by his fortune.
• Laozi and Yuanshi abandon their earlier dismissiveness and flatter Xu Tong to win his return. Their renewed friendliness appears self-serving; Yuanshi becomes distant again once the oath is made.
• The brothers reunite through a formal oath, but the interaction remains marked by mistrust and hidden motives rather than genuine reconciliation.

Significant themes

• Fortune, merit, and power: In the Sage Realm, fortune is a source of influence and advancement.
• Family versus self-interest: The brothers invoke kinship, but their behavior suggests they value Xu Tong chiefly for what he can contribute.
• Strategic trust: Xu Tong accepts the reunion without surrendering control, and the unexpected flow of fortune exposes the imbalance in the arrangement.

Key plot points and events

• Laozi and Yuanshi discover that reuniting as the Three Pure Ones has not increased their fortune. Instead, some of theirs has flowed to Xu Tong.
• Xu Tong explains that his own fortune is bound to him and cannot be divided. He claims he had warned them that association with him might drag down their fortunes, but they insisted on treating him as family and offering support.
• The brothers realize they have effectively given Xu Tong a share of their fortune without gaining any of his in return.
• Yuanshi nearly reacts angrily, but Laozi restrains him: breaking up again would trigger another redistribution and cost them even more.
• Laozi invokes the coming turmoil surrounding the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Yuanshi sees a chance to recover their losses by sharing in the fortune Xu Tong may gain as Teacher of the Heavenly Sovereign, so he agrees to stay united.

Character developments

• Xu Tong remains composed and sly, using half-truths and an innocent act to conceal the real source of his protected fortune. He turns the brothers’ own words into justification for their loss.
• Laozi acts pragmatically, restraining Yuanshi and prioritizing the brothers’ remaining fortune and political unity.
• Yuanshi shifts from outrage to reluctant acceptance once he believes future gains might compensate for what he has lost.

Character interactions

Xu Tong calmly needles the brothers while pretending to be grateful for their generosity. Laozi questions him indirectly, while Yuanshi reacts with disbelief and anger. Laozi prevents Yuanshi from confronting Xu Tong and persuades him to focus on future opportunities instead.

Significant themes

• Cunning and manipulation: Xu Tong exploits the brothers’ assumptions and their own earlier promises.
• Family loyalty versus self-interest: The Three Pure Ones’ reunion is strained by competition over fortune.
• Power and consequences: A decision that cannot easily be reversed keeps the brothers bound together despite resentment.
• Greed and strategic hope: Yuanshi accepts the loss only after imagining a future share of Xu Tong’s gains.