Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Saints debate whether the Witch-Humans can count as members of the Human Race. Gungun argues that if Nuwa’s snake-tailed tribe counts as human despite its distinct appearance and bloodline, then the half-human Witch-Humans should count as well.
• Yuanshi accepts the argument, partly to avoid antagonizing Houtu, and Laozi ultimately agrees after Tongtian points out that Houtu’s opposition could obstruct the Human Race’s rise.
• The Saints settle on making the Human Race the Protagonists of Heaven and Earth, with the Witch-Humans included and sharing in the resulting fortune. Laozi’s Renjiao will not teach them; Gungun notes that Nuwa’s Witch Teaching can do so.
• Zhunti supports the compromise and arranges for his disciple Dizang to serve in the Underworld. Houtu appoints him the Deity of Salvation, grants him a place at Yin Mountain, and gives him the title King Dizang.
• After the other Saints depart, Houtu worries that the Ancestral Witches will reject the decision. Gungun suggests that they might be persuaded after fighting the Demon Race and suffering losses. He hints that he has another plan for countering the Demon Race’s powerful formation.
• The chapter ends with Hongjun opening his eyes in Zixiao Palace, foreshadowing a new development.

Character developments

• Gungun uses clever reasoning and shameless flattery to secure recognition for the Witch-Humans. His thoughts reveal growing ambitions beyond his original plan to live freely in the Underworld, including the prospect of becoming a Heavenly Emperor—though he is surprised by this change in himself.
• Houtu accepts a political compromise that protects the Witch Race’s interests, but remains concerned about persuading her fellow Ancestral Witches. She also begins to suspect that Gungun is hiding something.
• Laozi yields on the Witch-Humans’ status after weighing the political risks and the benefits of making the Human Race the protagonists.
• Zhunti presents himself as a fair-minded mediator and gains a close working arrangement with Houtu through Dizang’s appointment, despite the Western Religion receiving little direct benefit from the Saints’ main decision.

Significant themes

• Compromise and political pragmatism: The Saints balance competing interests rather than insisting on an ideal outcome.
• Kinship and identity: The debate over whether Witch-Humans count as human turns on lineage, appearance, and shared ancestry.
• Power and fortune: The factions negotiate over who will benefit from the Human Race’s rise and the shift in the world’s balance.
• Ambition and change: Gungun’s sudden recognition of his desire for greater status contrasts with his former wish for a carefree life.
• Humor and strategy: Flattery, internal monologues, and Gungun’s irreverent suggestions undercut the gravity of the Saints’ negotiations.

Character interactions

• Gungun’s argument persuades Yuanshi and helps shift the Saints toward accepting the Witch-Humans.
• Tongtian urges Laozi to accommodate Houtu, while Houtu frames her request as a concession she is owed.
• Houtu and Zhunti exchange praise and gratitude, then agree on Dizang’s role in the Underworld.
• Houtu gently checks Gungun’s excessive flattery, while Gungun later advises her on managing the Ancestral Witches and hints at a secret strategy.

Plot points and events

• Hongjun gives Haotian the Investiture of the Gods List, one of the Three Books of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, and tells him to refine it for future use. He offers no further explanation.
• Three years later, Houtu remains unpunished for defying Hongjun’s decree. His inaction eases her anxiety, though she knows he remains the most powerful Saint.
• Houtu finds Gungun asleep on the River of Forgetfulness. Though frustrated by his lack of diligence, she lets him rest, remembering that he helped save her when she transformed herself into Reincarnation.
• Dizang, sent by Zhunti of the Western Religion, arrives in the Netherworld. Houtu appoints him King Dizang, grants him Yin Mountain as his abode, and charges him with delivering departed souls.
• At Yin Mountain, Dizang sees the vast accumulation of resentful qi. He vows, “If I do not enter hell, who will?” A lotus pedestal rises beneath him, and his sacred light and scriptures begin purifying the mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu shows growing confidence in her role as ruler of the Netherworld, but remains mindful of Hongjun’s power. Her irritation with Gungun is tempered by gratitude for his past sacrifice.
• Gungun remains comically idle, yet his earlier aid to Houtu gives their relationship warmth and earns him her patience.
• Dizang is portrayed as humble, dutiful, and resolute. He reveres Houtu, accepts his demanding mission, and immediately begins his work.
• Houtu and Dizang’s respectful exchange establishes her authority: she raises him with an unseen force, and he recognizes her words as law. Her appointment also reflects her effort to include the Saints’ followers in Netherworld affairs.

Significant themes

• Duty and self-sacrifice: Dizang willingly accepts a harsh, seemingly endless task for the sake of suffering souls.
• Power and authority: Hongjun’s silence remains ominous, while Houtu’s divine authority is affirmed through her command over Dizang.
• Gratitude and loyalty: Houtu remembers Gungun’s help and honors Zhunti’s request, balancing personal feeling with political obligations.
• The burden of cosmic order: The Netherworld’s vast resentful qi and unresolved affairs suggest that restoring balance will be a long, difficult process.

Plot points and events

• In the Sea of Blood, River Styx hears Saint Zhunti’s scripture being chanted on nearby Yin Mountain and sends the asura Bali to investigate.
• Bali reports that Dizang, a Western Religion immortal, has been appointed by Houtu as King of the Underworld, charged with guiding beings burdened by karmic obstruction. River Styx orders the asuras not to trouble him, since Dizang is a neighboring authority and there is no present cause for conflict.
• Five hundred years later, Gungun awakens from a long sleep. Houtu introduces him to A Pang, an ox spirit, and Rakshasa, a horse spirit, who want positions in the Underworld.
• The pair try to impress Gungun with demonstrations of strength and weapon skill, but repeatedly fumble: A Pang drops his fork, while Rakshasa’s blades clash and shatter. Gungun laughs and proposes they become “gods of entertainment,” but Houtu rejects the idea.
• Houtu explains that people fear the Underworld because they fear death. Friendly, approachable reapers might ease that fear. She appoints A Pang and Rakshasa as Soul Reapers. When they ask the rank of their posts, Gungun tells them they are unranked.

Character developments and interactions

• River Styx acts cautiously and pragmatically, respecting Houtu’s authority and preventing needless conflict with Dizang.
• Bali follows his patriarch’s orders, though his thoughts reveal respect for Gungun, who helped create the asuras.
• Gungun returns to his comic, irreverent manner after his long sleep. He teases Houtu privately but defers to her authority, and sees through her request for his opinion as a formality.
• Houtu shows both authority and a thoughtful concern for how the living perceive death. Her appointment of the two spirits serves a broader purpose, not merely filling posts.
• A Pang and Rakshasa are eager for prestigious roles, but their clumsy demonstrations make them comic figures. Their hopes of becoming high-ranking officials are deflated by the “unranked” designation.

Significant themes

• Death and public perception: Houtu hopes that likable Soul Reapers can make the Underworld seem less frightening.
• Duty and hierarchy: Underworld roles are assigned according to ability and purpose, not ambition.
• Humor amid cosmic affairs: The chapter balances major spiritual institutions and divine appointments with Gungun’s teasing and the recruits’ slapstick failures.

Key plot points

• Ox-Head A Pang and Horse-Faced Rakshasa mistake their “unranked” Soul Reaper posts for exalted offices. Gungun clarifies that the positions are minor but respectable, with the security and stipend they want.
• Hoping for promotion, the pair accept Gungun’s promise: they can challenge Taiyi, a future third-rank Underworld official, and take his rank if they defeat him. They leave eager for the opportunity, unaware of the joke; Houtu and Gungun privately expect them to lose.
• Houtu decides Gungun is too conspicuous and impulsive for sensitive work. She entrusts Hou Yi with her Essence Blood and orders him to find a gifted Witch-Human in the Nine Li Tribe and help him refine it.
• Houtu reveals that the Saints have agreed to make humanity the Protagonists of Heaven and Earth. Since the Witch Race cannot claim that role against the Saints’ wishes, she intends to support a powerful Witch-Human as Human Sovereign, securing the Witch Race as large a share of humanity’s destiny as possible.
• Hou Yi struggles to accept that the weak Human Race will become protagonists instead of the Witches. Houtu insists there is no better option unless the Witch Race can defeat every Saint. He ultimately obeys and departs for the Nine Li Tribe.
• At the Heavenly Court, Dijun is furious that the Dao Ancestor has not punished Houtu for defying his decree. Bai Ze warns him against rashly attacking the Underworld, where the Demon Race’s star-based formation would be weakened.
• Bai Ze proposes appealing to the other Saints: Houtu’s defiance may have offended them as well as the Dao Ancestor. He urges Dijun to invite them to the Heavenly Court to discuss restraining Houtu. Dijun approves and appoints Bai Ze to arrange the meeting.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun shows his mischievous side by exploiting A Pang and Rakshasa’s ambition, while Houtu recognizes that his closeness to her and public profile make him unsuitable for delicate political missions.
• Houtu shifts from humor to serious strategic planning, choosing cooperation with humanity as the best way to protect Witch interests.
• Hou Yi voices loyalty and genuine ideological resistance, but ultimately submits to Houtu’s judgment.
• Dijun begins in anger but regains control when Bai Ze offers a diplomatic strategy.
• Bai Ze acts as a cautious, pragmatic adviser, steering the Demon Race away from a dangerous direct assault and toward coalition-building.

Significant themes

• Political compromise and survival: Houtu accepts a settlement short of Witch supremacy to preserve her people’s future.
• Ambition and self-deception: A Pang and Rakshasa mistake a modest appointment—and a trap—for a path to greatness.
• Power, legitimacy, and face: The conflict turns not only on strength but also on the Saints’ authority and political standing.
• Strategic restraint: Both sides must account for where their power works best and who might join the conflict.

Key plot points and events

• After court, Bai Ze and Yingzhao privately discuss Bai Ze’s proposal that the Heavenly Court ask the Saints to help oppose Houtu. Bai Ze admits he doubts they will agree: Houtu is now a Saint and Master of Reincarnation, and the other Saints are unlikely to risk making her an enemy merely to defend the Dao Ancestor’s dignity.
• Bai Ze explains that the proposal was mainly a delaying tactic. An immediate attack on the Underworld would deprive the Demon Race of the star-powered conditions needed for its Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation, risking defeat and the loss of its chief remaining deterrent.
• Yingzhao urges Bai Ze to prepare an escape plan for the Demon Sages and their people. He fears Dijun, overwhelmed by the loss of the Demon Queen, the Eastern Emperor, and his sons, can no longer be reasoned with. Bai Ze angrily rebukes him for speaking against their ruler, but eventually relents and agrees to seek advice from Fuxi.
• Bai Ze argues that Fuxi, though connected to the Human Race, joined the Heavenly Court and may distinguish between the whole Demon Race and the demons who participated in the massacre of the Nuwa Tribe. Yingzhao says he did not take part.
• The scene shifts to the former Nuwa Tribe settlement, where Soaring Serpent visits Fuxi. He has been unable to locate the “Land of Black and White,” which Nuwa told him to search for in order to find the Kongtong Seal. Fuxi begins to reveal its location.

Character developments and interactions

• Bai Ze remains a strategist, but his confidence has collapsed alongside the Demon Race’s fortunes. He is trying to buy time rather than seeing a clear path to victory. His anger at Yingzhao’s talk of retreat reveals his loyalty to Dijun and the Demon Race, yet he ultimately listens to his friend’s concern.
• Yingzhao openly prioritizes survival over loyalty to a political identity he helped create. Despite being injured by Bai Ze’s spiritual pressure, he persists in asking Bai Ze to protect their comrades and followers.
• Fuxi appears composed and perceptive, quickly recognizing why Soaring Serpent has come.
• Soaring Serpent is respectful toward Fuxi but desperate for help with Nuwa’s difficult assignment.

Significant themes

• Political loyalty versus self-preservation: Yingzhao questions whether devotion to the Demon Race is worth dying for, while Bai Ze struggles to balance duty with concern for his companions.
• Declining power and desperate delay: The Demon Race’s losses and Houtu’s rise have shifted the balance of power, leaving Bai Ze with no confident strategy beyond postponing disaster.
• Responsibility and collective blame: Bai Ze suggests Fuxi may judge individuals by their own actions rather than condemn every demon for the Nuwa Tribe massacre.

Plot points and events

• Demon Sages Bai Ze and Yingzhao seek Fuxi’s help, fearing the Demon Race will be annihilated now that Houtu has attained primordial unity and the Witch Race has become stronger.
• Bai Ze hopes Fuxi can persuade Nuwa to protect the demons. Nuwa, however, is imprisoned in Taisu Heaven and cannot intervene.
• Bai Ze offers his own life as compensation for the Demon Race’s past slaughter of humans, especially the Nuwa Tribe. Fuxi rejects this, arguing Bai Ze was not personally responsible and should not be made to pay for others’ crimes.
• Fuxi instead demands that every demon who participated in the human slaughter be punished. He stresses that even the demon who ordered it must face consequences—an implication that could include the Demon Emperor Dijun. Bai Ze and Yingzhao are horrified.
• Fuxi departs with Soaring Serpent. He admits he does not expect Nuwa to intervene directly; he intends to invoke her name when speaking with Houtu and seek mercy for the Demon Race. Whether Houtu agrees, he says, will depend on what the demons are willing to pay.

Character developments

• Fuxi shows compassion for the Demon Race while insisting that its past crimes cannot go unanswered. He is willing to help, but not to excuse the slaughter of humans.
• Bai Ze demonstrates loyalty and self-sacrifice by offering his life, then accepts responsibility for arranging punishment among the demons. The prospect of the Emperor being held accountable leaves him shaken and uncertain.
• Yingzhao is fiercely protective of Bai Ze and privately dismissive of the Human Race, revealing prejudice that contrasts with Fuxi’s moral stance.
• Soaring Serpent realizes that a Witch victory could further empower the Ancestral Bear, worsening his own prospects. He then follows Fuxi, who hints that their next move concerns negotiating with Houtu.

Significant themes

• Justice and collective responsibility: Fuxi rejects an innocent person’s sacrifice and demands accountability from those who actually took part in the massacre—including its instigator.
• Power and survival: With Nuwa unable to act and the Witch Race ascendant, the Demon Race must bargain for survival rather than victory.
• Moral change and hypocrisy: Fuxi recalls that the Demon Race once protected other beings from the Witches, but has since come to resemble its former enemy.
• The cost of mercy: The Demon Race may be spared only if it offers a sufficiently meaningful price.

Character interactions

• Bai Ze and Yingzhao plead with Fuxi, while Fuxi listens and challenges their proposed solution.
• Fuxi and Bai Ze share a respectful exchange: Fuxi lifts him from his knees and refuses to accept his life as payment.
• Fuxi’s demand that the massacre’s instigator be punished creates a painful divide between Bai Ze’s loyalty to the Demon Race and the need to answer for its crimes.
• In private, Soaring Serpent questions Fuxi’s plan; Fuxi clarifies that he intends to appeal to Houtu in Nuwa’s name, not to rely on Nuwa’s direct intervention.

Plot points

• Fuxi tells Soaring Serpent that the Kongtong Seal may be hidden in the “Land of Black and White.” He offers two possibilities: the meeting point of yin and yang—perhaps the Netherworld’s entrance—or a place that is literally black and white.
• Recalling an earlier image of Soaring Serpent and Gungun surrounded by the Savage Bull Tribe and Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow Clan, Soaring Serpent realizes the clue may point to Gungun, the black-and-white Iron-Eating Beast. Fuxi cannot confirm this because the heavens’ workings are unclear.
• Soaring Serpent doubts Gungun would admit to possessing such a valuable treasure. He decides to search the Netherworld’s entrance first, then question Gungun if necessary, and dives into the Sea of Blood.
• In the Netherworld, Gungun meets True Person Taiyi, who demonstrates his Ten-Direction Incarnation ability. His ten incarnations are all Taiyi Golden Immortals.
• On the Saint’s recommendation, Gungun appoints Taiyi and his incarnations as the Ten Courts’ Yama Kings, granting them Netherworld divine positions that strengthen Taiyi and clothe the incarnations in royal robes.

Character developments and interactions

• Soaring Serpent moves from uncertainty to a practical plan, though he remains wary of Gungun’s legendary stinginess and ability to deny having the seal.
• Fuxi acts as a thoughtful adviser, using deduction and a remembered scene to give Soaring Serpent a possible lead.
• Gungun exercises authority as Netherworld Emperor, formally expanding the Netherworld administration.
• Taiyi demonstrates his power and accepts a major official role. His appointment also shows the influence of the Saint who recommended him.

Significant themes

• Inference amid uncertainty: Characters must act on clues because divine prediction is unreliable.
• Trust and deception: Soaring Serpent’s familiarity with Gungun makes him expect denial rather than honest disclosure.
• Authority and divine office: Gungun’s appointment grants both status and tangible power, linking governance to cultivation.

Plot points and events

• Gungun appoints True Person Taiyi to oversee the Ten Halls of Yama, assigning his ten incarnations the titles of the ten Yama kings. The divine position brings Taiyi close to breaking through to Great Luo.
• Taiyi eagerly accepts the appointment and promises to keep the Netherworld in order. Once he leaves, Gungun drops his formal demeanor and relaxes with a bucket of beast milk—until he senses Soaring Serpent entering the Netherworld.
• At the entrance, Soaring Serpent overpowers Ox-Head A Pang and Horse-Faced Rakshasa. A Pang nevertheless tries to enforce the rules and demands that Soaring Serpent’s arrival be announced.
• Soaring Serpent offers A Pang an ingot of immortal gold. A Pang immediately changes his mind, welcomes him in, and excuses him from the entry procedure. Soaring Serpent mocks the Netherworld’s apparent corruption as he proceeds inside.
• Soaring Serpent looks around the Netherworld and criticizes the Bridge of Helplessness. Taiyi stops him and asks who he is, reminding him that outsiders need permission to enter. Soaring Serpent arrogantly dismisses Taiyi and demands to see Gungun. Taiyi, insulted, calls him an impudent monster.

Character developments and interactions

• Taiyi moves from grateful, newly empowered administrator to offended authority figure when Soaring Serpent disrespects him. His new status and increased strength give him confidence in his role.
• Gungun presents himself as a dignified ruler before Taiyi, but privately returns to his laid-back, self-indulgent habits.
• A Pang abandons his strict enforcement of the rules when bribed, revealing both his susceptibility to money and the Netherworld’s lax discipline.
• Soaring Serpent is powerful, presumptuous, and accustomed to entering places without restraint. He treats A Pang with force, then uses a bribe, and finally challenges Taiyi’s standing.
• Horse-Faced Rakshasa is left stunned by A Pang’s sudden reversal and realizes that even a low-ranking post may offer opportunities for personal gain.

Significant themes

• Official duty versus personal indulgence: Gungun delegates the work of governing while enjoying an easy life.
• Corruption and hypocrisy: A Pang’s rules prove negotiable once money is offered, prompting Soaring Serpent to accuse the Netherworld leadership of setting a bad example.
• Rank, authority, and respect: The chapter’s final confrontation turns on competing claims about who deserves deference and who has the right to control entry into the Netherworld.

Plot points and events

• Soaring Serpent easily disarms Taiyi, then kicks him into the River of Forgetfulness. Humiliated, Taiyi pursues him, declaring that he will kill the intruder to defend the Expounding Teaching’s reputation.
• Taiyi traps Soaring Serpent inside the Nine-Dragon Divine Flame Cover and attacks with its nine fire dragons and Samadhi True Fire. Soaring Serpent withstands the flames, overwhelms them with his own fire, and shatters the treasure.
• Taiyi flees, but Soaring Serpent strikes him down with the Fire Spirit Pearl and prepares to finish him.
• Gungun arrives and uses black and white beams of light to restrain the two men. Taiyi identifies himself as a newly appointed King of Yama and asks Gungun to punish Soaring Serpent.
• Soaring Serpent instead criticizes Taiyi’s arrogance and poor judgment, joking that he should be demoted to guard the gate while the diligent Ox-Head takes his place.

Character developments and interactions

• Soaring Serpent proves both formidable and self-assured: he defeats Taiyi twice, counters a powerful flame treasure with ease, and remains contemptuous rather than intimidated. His teasing proposal to Gungun turns the confrontation into a comic rebuke.
• Taiyi moves from confidence and indignation to shock, fear, and dependence on Gungun’s authority. Though injured, he tries to present himself as a dutiful official and cast Soaring Serpent as the villain.
• Gungun appears as the Netherworld’s authority and reveals that Taiyi is his colleague through a Saint’s recommendation. His arrival halts the fight, though the chapter ends before he responds to Soaring Serpent’s suggestion.
• The central interaction is a clash between Taiyi’s institutional pride and Soaring Serpent’s blunt disdain; Taiyi’s appeal to rank does little to impress his opponent.

Significant themes

• Strength versus status: Taiyi invokes his teaching and office, but neither protects him from Soaring Serpent’s superior power.
• Pride and humiliation: Taiyi’s wounded pride drives him to escalate the fight, making his defeat more complete.
• Authority and accountability: Soaring Serpent challenges whether Taiyi’s temperament and conduct suit his position.
• Comic reversal: The self-important official who tried to punish an intruder ends up injured and facing a tongue-in-cheek demotion.

Plot points

• Gungun challenges Soaring Serpent for entering the Netherworld without announcing himself, framing the visit as a breach of respect for Houtu.
• Soaring Serpent denies trying to enter the Earth Emperor Hall, then reveals Nuwa’s Edict Talisman. Its power frees him from Gungun’s imprisonment.
• Gungun accepts that Nuwa’s mission takes priority, but insists Soaring Serpent will still face punishment later. It releases Taiyi as well and promises to seek justice for his injuries.
• Taiyi leaves, unable to confront an envoy who represents Nuwa. He decides to report the incident to his master, Yuanshi, and ask him to deal with Soaring Serpent.
• Afterward, Soaring Serpent accuses Gungun of acting high and mighty. Gungun says it was trying to protect him from provoking the Expounding Teaching. Soaring Serpent questions why Gungun fears them, given its own powerful affiliations.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun balances its authority as Netherworld Emperor with caution toward powerful factions. It publicly treats Taiyi as a favored nephew and reassures him, while privately warning Soaring Serpent against making enemies.
• Soaring Serpent is proud and quick to take offense, relying on his status and Nuwa’s authority to command respect. He accepts Gungun’s warning only as something to question, not an obvious necessity.
• Taiyi moves from anger over his injury to wary deference once Soaring Serpent’s identity and Edict Talisman are revealed. His resentment remains, and he plans to seek Yuanshi’s intervention.

Significant themes

• Rank and authority: Divine titles, Saintly affiliations, and official mandates determine who can challenge whom.
• Diplomacy versus pride: Gungun urges restraint, while Soaring Serpent’s arrogance risks escalating a dispute.
• Political obligation: Gungun must uphold Netherworld protocol while accommodating Nuwa’s urgent mission and managing ties with other powerful groups.

Plot points and events

• Soaring Serpent boasts that he can handle the Expounding Teaching, arguing that Saint Yuanshi would not intervene in a dispute among lesser beings. Gungun warns him that provoking a Saint’s followers could still bring consequences, but eventually gives up trying to dissuade him.
• Soaring Serpent reveals that he came to the Netherworld on Nuwa’s orders to ask whether Gungun has the Kongtong Seal.
• Meanwhile, Taiyi, wounded from his earlier clash with Soaring Serpent, travels through the Underworld. A Pang and Horse-Faced Rakshasa challenge him, hoping to take over the Ten Halls of Yama and gain divine rank. Taiyi defeats them in one blow and continues on.
• Gungun pretends not to know the Kongtong Seal, despite recognizing its future importance as the Human Race’s supreme treasure. Soaring Serpent suspects he is lying, citing Gungun’s past habit of concealing powerful treasures, including the Pure World White Lotus.
• Soaring Serpent insists the seal is hidden in the “Land of Black and White,” interpreting the clue as pointing to Gungun. Houtu arrives and sends Soaring Serpent out of the Netherworld before he can continue questioning Gungun.
• Houtu then confronts Gungun herself, asking whether the seal is in his portable pocket dimension, and demands to inspect it.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun tries to appear wise and detached, but is protective of the Kongtong Seal and evasive about his possessions. He is wary of Soaring Serpent’s suspicions and then tries to slip away from Houtu.
• Soaring Serpent (Bai Shu) is fiercely confident in his strength and his standing with Nuwa, dismissing the danger of provoking the Expounding Teaching. His familiarity with Gungun lets him recognize his usual evasions, but Houtu abruptly prevents him from investigating further.
• Taiyi is angry and humiliated by Soaring Serpent and seeks vindication from the Netherworld Emperor. He takes out his frustration on A Pang and Horse-Faced Rakshasa, effortlessly defeating their challenge.
• A Pang and Horse-Faced Rakshasa are eager to claim Taiyi’s offices and status; their comic enthusiasm ends in immediate defeat.
• Houtu acts warmly toward Soaring Serpent but firmly removes him, then turns her attention to Gungun. Her intervention shifts the pressure over the seal from Nuwa’s envoy to the Netherworld’s ruler.

Significant themes

• Power, rank, and restraint: Soaring Serpent believes Saints will not interfere in minor disputes, while Gungun fears the broader consequences of challenging their followers.
• Secrecy and possession: Gungun’s history of hiding treasures fuels suspicion and makes the Kongtong Seal a test of trust.
• Ambition and status: A Pang and Rakshasa’s bid for higher rank contrasts with Taiyi’s established authority and overwhelming power.
• Comedic deflation: Grand claims, solemn questioning, and political tension are repeatedly undercut by blunt remarks, mistaken confidence, and Gungun’s awkward attempts to escape.

Summary

• Houtu asks Gungun for the Kongtong Seal, which he has been hiding. When she examines it, she discovers that it is a Great Dao treasure meant to restrain the future Protagonists of Heaven and Earth—a powerful tool in the struggle over their fortune. Gungun offers it to her, but Houtu lets him keep it and asks him to help when the time comes. He agrees, then is promptly ordered to roast meat for her. He dutifully heads to her Ferocious Beast Farm, privately planning to make himself a much larger portion.
• Outside the Netherworld, Fuxi meets Soaring Serpent. Soaring Serpent claims Gungun denied possessing the seal, and Fuxi concludes that Gungun likely has it. He also learns Houtu sent Soaring Serpent away. When Soaring Serpent insults Houtu, she traps and pelts him with rocks. Fuxi apologizes on his subordinate’s behalf; Houtu accepts and invites Fuxi into the Netherworld.
• Taiyi, injured in his earlier clash with Soaring Serpent, assumes Gungun deliberately let Soaring Serpent go. Dissatisfied with what he sees as Houtu’s failure to deliver justice, Taiyi appeals to his master, Yuanshi. He tries to frame the incident as an insult to the Expounding Teaching, but Yuanshi rebukes him for scheming and sowing discord. Yuanshi agrees that Soaring Serpent may need a lesson, but refuses to accept Taiyi’s accusation that Gungun protected him. Taiyi is sent back to the Netherworld, where he decides to heal in seclusion.
• Fuxi’s first matter with Houtu is a proposal from Demon Sage Bai Ze: recognizing that the Witch Race is now stronger, he is willing to surrender the Demon Race, provided it is allowed to survive. Houtu points out that Bai Ze cannot decide for the whole race. Fuxi says he will try to obtain the Demon-Summoning Banner, which could let Bai Ze bring roughly half the Demon Race over and reduce casualties. Houtu agrees to revisit the proposal once Fuxi secures it, then asks about his second matter.

Character developments and interactions

Houtu shows both strategic restraint and authority: she recognizes the seal’s political value, entrusts its future use to Gungun, and swiftly punishes Soaring Serpent’s disrespect. Gungun remains shrewd and self-serving beneath his ingratiating manner, though he is loyal to Houtu and readily complies with her orders. Fuxi acts as mediator—apologizing for Soaring Serpent while pursuing a practical path to limit losses in the conflict. Taiyi’s resentment leads him to exaggerate and misinterpret events, while Yuanshi proves wary of manipulation and protective of Gungun’s standing.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the political value of powerful treasures and the coming struggle over Heaven and Earth’s future leaders. It also explores loyalty, face-saving, and the limits of authority: Houtu can command respect in her domain, but broader political agreements require the cooperation of those who hold decisive power. Misunderstanding and self-interest shape the disputes between Taiyi, Soaring Serpent, and their superiors.

Plot points

• Fuxi visits Houtu to ask for the Kongtong Seal on Nuwa’s behalf, offering the Lotus Lantern in exchange. Houtu refuses, insisting Gungun does not possess the seal and asking why Nuwa wants it. Fuxi explains that Nuwa has gained insight into the Dao of marriage and destiny, but says he does not know what the seal can do.
• After Fuxi leaves, Gungun brings Houtu roasted meat. They discuss Nuwa’s motives: Houtu suspects she wants the seal because it could grant influence over the Human Emperor and the Human Race, while Gungun considers Houtu’s judgment biased.
• Gungun nevertheless refuses to trade the seal—not because of distrust of Nuwa, but because it is a uniquely valuable treasure he bought with accumulated “points.” Houtu hears his thoughts and becomes curious about what those points are.
• At the Heavenly Court, Dijun summons Bai Ze and Yingzhao and asks what the Saints said. Bai Ze’s silence reveals a problem: he never went to consult them.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu shows political sharpness and distrust of Nuwa, while maintaining a courteous, firm front with Fuxi. Her private thoughts reveal both her personal bias and her affection for Gungun; she nearly scolds him for doubting her, then relents when he backs her refusal.
• Gungun is practical and possessive about the Kongtong Seal. He questions Houtu’s interpretation of Nuwa but ultimately agrees that the seal should not be surrendered.
• Fuxi makes a respectful appeal for Nuwa, but accepts Houtu’s refusal and leaves without conflict.
• Dijun and Bai Ze end the chapter in an awkward exchange, suggesting Bai Ze may have failed to carry out the task Dijun assumed he had completed.

Significant themes

• Power disguised as benevolence: Houtu views Nuwa’s claims of impartial mediation and universal peace as ambition and a bid to control others.
• Control over succession and authority: The Kongtong Seal could appoint or depose a Human Emperor, making it a powerful tool over the future Human-led world.
• Self-interest and competing perspectives: Houtu frames Nuwa’s motives politically, while Gungun recognizes that her judgment may be colored by personal bias—and admits his own refusal is driven by ownership.
• Comedic contrast: Formal diplomacy gives way to Gungun’s blunt inner monologue and the closing reveal that Bai Ze never did what Dijun expected.

Plot points

• Bai Ze reports to Dijun that he has approached Fuxi to ask Nuwa to support the Demon Race’s campaign against Houtu. He has not yet contacted the other Saints.
• Dijun resents Fuxi for leaving the Heavenly Court over the Human Race, but accepts Bai Ze’s reasoning: informing Nuwa now may prevent future conflict. Fuxi has promised to try to persuade her, and Dijun sends Bai Ze and Yingzhao to approach the remaining Saints.
• After a meal with Houtu, Gungun leaves the Earth Emperor Hall and is approached by the spirits of A Pang and Rakshasa, former Underworld officials killed by the newly appointed King of Hell, Taiyi.
• Gungun judges that the pair foolishly challenged someone far beyond their strength. He advises them to resume their duties as Soul-Capturing Envoys and build merit.
• Consulting the Book of Life and Death, Gungun confirms both died unnatural deaths and uses the Spring and Autumn Reincarnation Brush to restore them to life. The astonished pair thank him.

Character developments and interactions

• Dijun reveals lingering anger toward Fuxi, but his desire to preserve the Demon Race’s political position outweighs that resentment.
• Bai Ze acts cautiously and strategically, seeking to avoid alienating Nuwa and Fuxi while building support against Houtu.
• Gungun shows both blunt humor and authority: he rebukes A Pang and Rakshasa for their recklessness, then compassionately revives them.
• A Pang and Rakshasa shift from pleading for justice and rescue to gratitude after Gungun restores them.

Significant themes

• Political pragmatism and loyalty: Dijun and Bai Ze weigh personal grievances against the Demon Race’s broader interests.
• Consequences of overreaching: A Pang and Rakshasa’s attempt to challenge Taiyi exposes the danger of mistaking ambition for ability.
• Mercy and merit: Gungun gives the pair another chance, urging them to serve faithfully and advance through accumulated merit.

Key plot points and events

• After helping Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Gungun returns to Crouching Bear Hall and promptly falls asleep; his guards soon do the same.
• On Qingcheng Mountain, Soaring Serpent heads home to recover from his injuries and plans to confront Gungun over the Kongtong Seal.
• He finds an old man catching a white snake and arrogantly claims Qingcheng Mountain as his domain. The old man challenges that claim, calling to the mountain; Qingcheng responds with a violent tremor.
• The old man rebukes Soaring Serpent for abusing his power and failing to earn the mountain’s allegiance. Soaring Serpent attacks, but the old man remains unharmed and overwhelms him with ease.
• Soaring Serpent’s samadhi fire and Lotus Lantern prove ineffective. The old man freezes time, knocks the lantern from him, and sends it away.
• As Soaring Serpent tries to flee, the old man commands a cloud named Puyun to capture him and suppress him beneath Qingcheng Mountain for one kalpa. The white snake follows him into the fissure, and the old man allows it, sensing a bond of fate.
• The old man seals the mountain with a yellow cloth bearing the Jade Pure Edict. The chapter ends with a brief, repeated fragment suggesting someone in Nuwa’s Wa Emperor Palace senses Soaring Serpent’s fate.

Character developments

• Soaring Serpent begins confident and domineering, treating the old man as an insignificant trespasser. His certainty collapses when his attacks fail; he becomes frightened and tries to escape, only to be imprisoned.
• The old man shifts from a seemingly ordinary, patient stranger to an authoritative figure of overwhelming power. He presents himself as correcting Soaring Serpent’s misconduct rather than acting out of personal anger.
• The white snake moves from being rescued by Soaring Serpent to following him into captivity, foreshadowing a meaningful connection.
• Gungun remains comically unchanged, sleeping while larger events unfold elsewhere.

Significant themes

• Power and humility: Innate status and great strength do not excuse arrogance or bullying.
• True ownership and belonging: Claiming a place by force is contrasted with earning its recognition; Qingcheng Mountain’s response exposes Soaring Serpent’s hollow claim.
• Justice and restraint: The old man punishes Soaring Serpent but frames the punishment as a chance to reflect, not simply as revenge.
• Fate and connection: The white snake’s choice to follow Soaring Serpent hints that their paths are linked.

Character interactions

• Soaring Serpent’s disrespectful confrontation with the old man escalates from a dispute over the snake to a battle over authority.
• The old man repeatedly gives Soaring Serpent opportunities to recognize his wrongdoing, while Soaring Serpent answers with threats and force.
• The old man’s quiet confidence contrasts with Soaring Serpent’s increasing panic, underscoring the reversal in their power dynamic.
• The white snake’s decision to follow Soaring Serpent creates a silent, potentially fateful connection between them.

Key plot points and events

• Gungun’s warning token—a pouch made from Soaring Serpent’s shed skin—suddenly loses its glow, signaling that his old friend is in danger. Gungun rushes from the Netherworld to Qingcheng Mountain.
• Zhunti reveals that Soaring Serpent has been imprisoned beneath the mountain by Yuanshi, the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, under a powerful formation marked by a Jade Pure Edict. Gungun’s attempt to break through with the Yuantu and Abi swords fails.
• Gungun accepts that he cannot challenge a Saint’s confinement and decides not to ask Zhunti to intervene, wary of provoking Yuanshi and damaging relations between the Western Religion and the Expounding Teaching. Soaring Serpent is to remain imprisoned for one Kalpa; a white snake has chosen to stay with him.
• Zhunti takes Gungun to the Wutong Forest to meet Kunpeng. Kunpeng tests Zhunti by attacking Gungun, but Zhunti blocks the strike and asserts Gungun’s status as Western Religion’s Deputy Cult Leader.
• Kunpeng demands the return of the Vermilion Bird Banner, which Gungun holds. Zhunti claims the banner has a “fated connection” with the Western Lands, then defers the dispute and turns the meeting toward the conflict between the Witches and demons.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun shows genuine loyalty and concern for Soaring Serpent, but his fear of Saint-level consequences outweighs any attempt at rescue. His thoughts reveal a pragmatic, self-protective streak beneath his grief.
• Zhunti is protective of Gungun and politically cautious: he prevents Kunpeng’s attack, but avoids escalating matters with Yuanshi. His habitual claim over treasures irritates Kunpeng.
• Kunpeng remains hostile toward Gungun over the Vermilion Bird Banner, while testing how strongly Zhunti will defend him.
• Houtu, though absent from the main action, recognizes Gungun’s departure and appears to make a move involving the Wutong Forest, suggesting she is preparing for wider developments.
• The old friendship between Gungun and Soaring Serpent is emphasized through their exchanged shed-skin and fur tokens, which serve as personal signals rather than treasures.

Significant themes

• The limits of loyalty: Gungun cares for his friend but believes that rescuing him would be futile and dangerously costly.
• Saintly power and political caution: Even powerful figures hesitate to oppose a Saint directly, and alliances shape what characters are willing to do.
• Friendship amid separation: Gungun’s concern persists despite years apart and their different allegiances.
• Possession and “fated connections”: The Vermilion Bird Banner dispute highlights the blurred line between spiritual destiny and opportunistic claims over treasure.

Key plot points and events

• Zhunti and Gungun meet Kunpeng at Wutong Forest. Gungun needles Kunpeng over his lack of hospitality and the Demon Race’s past violence, provoking his anger. Zhunti calms them, and Kunpeng eventually provides Gungun a seat.
• Zhunti explains that the Saints have agreed to support the Human Race as the next protagonists of Heaven and Earth. Houtu has also agreed to withdraw the Witch Race, provided the Demon Race is dealt with.
• Zhunti asks Kunpeng to sabotage the Zhou Tian Star-Dipper Formation from within by killing a Demon God when the formation is deployed. Kunpeng recognizes that this could leave the Demon Race leaderless and make him its ruler.
• Kunpeng agrees conditionally: Fuxi must help recover the Demon-Summoning Banner and return Kunpeng’s trapped wisp of true spirit, and Zhunti must promise not to help his disciple Lu Ya claim the Demon Race. Zhunti assures him Fuxi will handle the banner and swears a Heavenly Dao Oath concerning Lu Ya.
• After leaving, Zhunti tells Gungun why he supports the Human Race’s rise: its prominence will make reincarnation and the delivery of human souls especially meritorious. More importantly, Gungun’s position as Netherworld Emperor and his existing ties to humans could let him gain substantial merit and influence.
• Zhunti hopes eventually to connect the Human Race with Western Religion, but Gungun doubts this will be easy: humans already regard Nuwa’s lineage as orthodox and follow Laozi’s teachings. He privately admits he does not even understand Western Religion’s doctrines well enough to teach them.

Character developments

• Kunpeng is shown as cautious and self-interested. Though intrigued by the prospect of ruling the Demon Race, his primary motivation is freedom from the Demon-Summoning Banner.
• Zhunti reveals himself as a patient political strategist, using promises, alliances, and future spiritual merit to advance Western Religion’s interests.
• Gungun remains blunt and irreverent, openly provoking Kunpeng while also serving as a potential source of merit and influence for Zhunti’s plans. He is unconvinced by the religious ambitions placed on him.

Significant themes

• Power and self-interest: Alliances are built around personal advantage, as Kunpeng’s cooperation depends on his freedom and Zhunti’s plans promise future influence.
• Political maneuvering: The Saints’ decision to elevate the Human Race reshapes the balance among the Witch and Demon Races.
• Merit and religious competition: Human mortality and reincarnation create opportunities for spiritual merit, while Zhunti seeks to secure a foothold for Western Religion.
• Irony and humor: Gungun’s irreverence—and his ignorance of the doctrines he is meant to spread—undercuts Zhunti’s grand strategy.

Character interactions

• Gungun antagonizes Kunpeng, while Zhunti acts as mediator and pressures both into formal civility.
• Zhunti bargains with Kunpeng, addressing his concerns to secure his cooperation against the Demon Race.
• In private, Zhunti explains his strategy to Gungun, framing the Human Race’s rise as an opportunity for Gungun and Western Religion; Gungun responds with practical doubts.

Key plot points and events

• After half a month accompanying Zhunti as he recruits disciples in the east, Gungun watches him depart for the Western Lands. Zhunti warns Gungun to be cautious as the Dao Ancestor’s truce between the Witch and Demon Races nears its end.
• Gungun dismisses the coming conflict as unimportant and goes to sleep beside Taihu Lake. Privately, it thinks its possession of the Kongtong Seal gives it influence over the Human Emperors, and considers securing a ruler who will listen to it—or to Houtu. It also thinks of Chi You as a possible Human Emperor.
• In the Southern Wastes, Chi You breaks through a major barrier, unleashing a tremendous display of power. The Witch-Humans celebrate and rally behind him, declaring their intention to leave the wastes.
• At the Heavenly Court, Shang Yang warns Dijun that Chi You has refined all of Houtu’s essence blood and may allow the Witch Race to restore the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Demons Formation. The Demon ministers urge Dijun to recall Kunpeng and Bai Ze.
• Before Dijun can summon them, Fuxi arrives carrying Nuwa’s decree: her good corpse will come to the Heavenly Court to protect the Demon Race and preside over it. The decree also requires that she take control of the Demon-Summoning Banner.
• Nuwa’s good corpse, calling herself the Elder Under the Moon, arrives in a blaze of red light and displays the Great Dao of Marriage and Destiny. Dijun reluctantly hands over the banner. She declines the seat of honor, chooses the Moon-Viewing Spring Palace as her abode, and leaves.
• Fuxi promises that he will stand with the Demon Race. Meanwhile, Chi You leads the Witch-Humans out of the Southern Wastes toward the Central Wilderness to fight alongside the Witch Race and claim a place for their people.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun remains supremely confident and self-interested, treating major political and military developments as beneath its notice while imagining how it might shape the Human Emperors.
• Chi You emerges as a powerful leader, strengthened by Houtu’s essence blood and determined to win recognition and territory for the Witch-Humans.
• Dijun maintains a public show of confidence but recognizes the danger Chi You poses. He accepts Nuwa’s intervention to bolster the Demon Race, though surrendering the banner clearly angers him.
• Fuxi acts as Nuwa’s envoy, calmly delivering her decree and affirming loyalty to the Demon Race. His firm handling of Dijun’s resistance underscores his political authority.
• The Elder Under the Moon arrives with authority but avoids ceremonial honors, taking the banner and choosing her own residence. Her motives remain unclear to Dijun.
• Shang Yang voices the military threat candidly, while the Demon court shifts from alarm to relief at Nuwa’s support.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: Chi You’s rise energizes the Witch-Humans, while Nuwa’s authority over the Demon Race is asserted through her decree and control of the banner.
• Political maneuvering and uneasy alliances: The Demon Race welcomes help but must accept a powerful figure whose presence limits Dijun’s control; Fuxi’s pledge offers unity amid danger.
• Identity and recognition: The Witch-Humans seek to escape marginalization in the Southern Wastes and establish their place in the coming war.
• Overconfidence and hidden stakes: Gungun’s casual indifference contrasts with the escalating crisis, while Dijun and the Demon court confront the real threat of renewed war.

Key plot points and events

• Chi You, strengthened by refining Houtu’s essence blood, leads the Witch-Human Race from the Southern Wastes toward the Central Wilderness to join the Witch Race in the coming war against the Demon Race.
• At Mount Kunlun, the Expounding Teaching’s disciples praise Chi You. Nine Li, his elder brother and a Witch-Human, decides he should return to support his people.
• Yuanshi initially tells his disciples to avoid the war, but Nine Li insists on going. Hou Yi arrives on Houtu’s orders to escort him, and Yuanshi grants permission.
• Yuanshi privately explains that the Saints have agreed the Human Race will become the Protagonists of Heaven and Earth, with Witch-Humans included. He plans to promote Nine Li as Human Emperor.
• To strengthen Nine Li’s claim, Yuanshi intends for him to gain renown in the war and later lead some human tribes back to their ancestral Yellow River homeland. Yuanshi sends Guang Chengzi ahead to prepare this return.
• On Golden Turtle Island, Tongtian learns that Nine Li is joining the war and realizes Yuanshi’s plan. Yinglong suggests warning Jiejiao disciples to stay out of the conflict; Tongtian agrees, then stops Yinglong as he is leaving, setting up further instructions.

Character developments and interactions

• Nine Li moves from hesitation to a firm commitment to stand with his Witch-Human kin, despite the danger. He also vows to uphold the reputation of the Expounding Teaching.
• Yuanshi reveals that his permission is strategic: he expects Nine Li to gain fame and intends to position him as Human Emperor, advancing the Expounding Teaching’s influence.
• Hou Yi acts as Houtu’s messenger and warmly escorts his nephew back to the Witch-Humans.
• Guang Chengzi shifts from confusion to understanding Yuanshi’s political and religious strategy, then accepts the task of arranging the human tribes’ return.
• Tongtian recognizes Yuanshi’s larger ambition after hearing of Nine Li’s departure, while Yinglong serves as his informed, obedient adviser.
• The Expounding Teaching disciples initially treat Chi You’s success as favorable news, but Yuanshi’s warning underscores the danger of involvement in the approaching war.

Significant themes

• Kinship and loyalty: Nine Li chooses solidarity with his people over the safety of remaining in his master’s sanctuary.
• War as a path to political legitimacy: Yuanshi sees the conflict not only as a battle but as a chance for Nine Li to build strength, reputation, and achievements.
• Competition among the Saints: The Human Race’s rise promises immense fortune, and the great teachings maneuver to influence its future leadership.
• Identity and belonging: Because Witch-Humans share human blood, they are included in the Human Race’s promised destiny, linking the Witch-Human conflict to the future of humanity.

• Tongtian tells Yinglong that the Saints have agreed the Human Race will become the next Protagonists of Heaven and Earth. The Human Emperor’s supporters will gain influence and providence, so Tongtian wants to choose a human candidate before Yuanshi can establish his own disciple, Nine Li, as a contender.
• Tongtian proposes that Yinglong serve as the chosen ruler’s totem, allowing him to share in the Human Race’s providence and perhaps advance to Quasi-Saint. Though Yinglong worries this will offend Yuanshi, Tongtian argues that all the Saints will compete for the opportunity. Yinglong is moved by his master’s concern and bows in gratitude; they set out to choose a tribe and candidate.
• Nuwa, watching events from Taisu Heaven, also considers the succession. She resents the other Saints’ earlier appropriation of much of her providence and is furious that they may now interfere with the Human Race she created. She insists that Feng Ling, whom she previously appointed leader, should naturally become Human Emperor. She is especially angry with Yuanshi for suppressing her ally Soaring Serpent and vows to confront him when she can leave.
• Meanwhile, Gungun sleeps undisturbed beside Taihu Lake, earning rewards from its system for its extreme laziness despite the Witch Race preparing for war. A huge wave eventually sweeps the bear away. A trident-bearing man emerges from the lake, nudges Gungun, and calls for it to wake up.
  Character developments and interactions: Tongtian shows unexpected generosity toward Yinglong, who responds with deep gratitude. Nuwa’s anger reveals her possessiveness toward the Human Race and her lingering grievance against Yuanshi. The Saints’ competing plans make the Human Emperor’s position a contest for power and providence, even as Gungun remains oblivious to the larger conflict.