Chapter Summaries

Chapter summary

After Houtu heals an injured Soft-Bone Rabbit, she decides to adopt it—the sole survivor of its race present on the grassland—and bring it back to the Witch Race. She asks Gungun to care for the child, but the sleepy panda refuses and immediately lies down again.
Gungun’s thoughts reveal why: it ate three Ice Crystal Dragon Fruits, despite Ao Yue’s advice to eat only one a day. Houtu realizes the fruit’s intense cold has put Gungun into a harmless year-long dormancy, during which its body will be strengthened. She gently checks on and comforts it rather than scolding it.
Since she cannot care for the rabbit herself, Houtu asks Gonggong for help choosing a caretaker. Gonggong is surprised by the question, then offers Hou Yi as a suggestion.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu shows compassion and a sense of responsibility. Though the rabbit’s people were wiped out accidentally in the conflict, she feels obliged to protect the orphan and preserve its race’s bloodline. She also responds tenderly when she learns Gungun is unwell.
• Gungun remains comically lazy, but its apparent refusal is connected to the consequences of overeating the dragon fruit. Its relationship with Houtu is affectionate: she looks after it even while trying to assign it responsibility.
• Gonggong teases Gungun for sleeping and initially dismisses Houtu’s rescue of the rabbit as excessive. After learning of Gungun and Ao Yue’s history, he revises his opinion of Ao Yue and tries—awkwardly—to help Houtu.
• Houtu and Gonggong discuss both Gungun’s condition and the rabbit’s future; Gonggong’s impulsive answer leaves the question of care unresolved.

Significant themes

• Compassion amid a harsh world: Houtu chooses to protect a vulnerable creature despite the Primordial World’s “strong devour the weak” rule.
• Responsibility and preservation: She sees caring for the rabbit as a way to make amends and keep the Soft-Bone Rabbit lineage alive.
• Comic contrast: Houtu’s earnest concern contrasts with Gungun’s laziness and Gonggong’s blunt, improvised responses.

Key plot points and events

• Gonggong decides that Hou Yi will care for Bai Yu, the Soft-Bone Rabbit. Houtu hesitates because Hou Yi is a man, but agrees, trusting that he will at least keep Bai Yu safe. Gonggong takes Bai Yu from Houtu, and the group leaves the Softbone Prairie with the sleeping Gungun.
• Houtu abandons her plan to punish Gungun for pretending to sleep. She decides to deal with him when he wakes, which she expects will be a year later. After the group departs, demons arrive to collect the rabbits killed in the explosion for food.
• At the Heavenly Court, Ao Yue returns with Meng Zhang and reports on their failed effort to recruit Gungun. Taiyi absolves Ao Yue, acknowledging that Gungun’s loyalty to Houtu and the Witches could not be overcome with rewards.
• Taiyi offers Meng Zhang a senior position in the Demon Race, but Meng Zhang declines, preferring to remain free of political struggles and fulfill Torch Dragon’s command to protect Ao Yue. Taiyi accepts his choice and welcomes him to the Heavenly Court.
• After Ao Yue and Meng Zhang leave, Dijun asks why Taiyi did not force Meng Zhang to submit to the Demon-Summoning Banner. Taiyi says doing so would damage Ao Yue’s loyalty. Dijun criticizes Taiyi for favoring Ao Yue, but Taiyi argues that Ao Yue’s strength warrants his status.
• Taiyi proposes that Ao Yue lead the planned campaign against Penglai. Though Dijun doubts Ao Yue’s youth and ability to defeat the Eastern King, he ultimately agrees to Taiyi’s recommendation.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu shows both concern and trust: despite her initial misgivings, she accepts Hou Yi as Bai Yu’s caretaker. Her anger at Gungun softens into patient resignation.
• Gonggong acts decisively, choosing Hou Yi and taking charge of Bai Yu, though his private intention is to have the rabbit fattened for a meal.
• Taiyi demonstrates compassion toward Ao Yue and respect for Meng Zhang’s independence. He prioritizes Ao Yue’s loyalty over forcing Meng Zhang into service and backs Ao Yue for a major military command.
• Ao Yue feels ashamed of failing his mission, but Taiyi’s reassurance deepens his gratitude and attachment to him.
• Meng Zhang remains loyal to Ao Yue and Torch Dragon’s instructions while rejecting political advancement.
• Dijun questions Taiyi’s preferential treatment of Ao Yue and worries about his readiness, but ultimately yields to Taiyi’s judgment.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and trust: Gungun’s loyalty cannot be bought, while Taiyi deliberately protects Ao Yue’s loyalty by refusing to coerce Meng Zhang.
• Choice versus coercion: Meng Zhang is allowed to choose his own path, and Taiyi’s openness contrasts with the forceful alternative Dijun proposes.
• Political legitimacy and favoritism: Taiyi’s support of Ao Yue raises concerns about rank and merit within the Demon Race, especially among its ministers.
• Care and responsibility: Houtu and Gonggong make arrangements for Bai Yu, while Meng Zhang’s commitment to protect Ao Yue reflects personal duty over ambition.

Plot points and events

• Taiyi orders Ao Yue to lead 300,000 demon troops against Penglai Immortal Island and kill the Eastern King. Ao Yue sees the campaign as a chance to recover his standing after failing an earlier task.
• Demon sages Ji Meng and Nine-Infant doubt Ao Yue, while Bai Ze argues that Taiyi’s decision signals confidence in him. Bai Ze later wishes Ao Yue success and invites him to discuss the Dao.
• Meng Zhang worries that Taiyi may be using Ao Yue’s attack to test the Dao Ancestor’s response to the Demon Race. Ao Yue tells him to obey the Emperor’s orders, but Meng Zhang remains alert, mindful of his earlier failure to protect Ao Yue from Kunpeng’s scheme.
• At Mount Buzhou, Gungun wakes far earlier than Houtu expected. He meets Hou Yi, who is caring for a young Soft-Bone Rabbit named Bai Yu. Hou Yi gives Gungun spirit fruits and reveals he has renamed the rabbit “Jade Rabbit.” Gungun is distracted by the food and initially misses the new name.

Character developments and interactions

• Ao Yue is determined to succeed and maintains loyalty to Taiyi, even when Meng Zhang raises concerns. His exchange with Bai Ze shows his respect for the senior demon sage.
• Meng Zhang acts as a quiet, protective guard. Though he accepts Ao Yue’s response, he privately resolves to watch more closely.
• Bai Ze appears genial but perceptive, recognizing the political significance of Taiyi’s choice and possibly keeping his own counsel.
• Gungun wakes hungry and eager for food; his appetite and casual humor contrast with the political tension surrounding Ao Yue.
• Hou Yi kindly tends to both Gungun and the rabbit, and gives Bai Yu the name “Jade Rabbit,” prompting Gungun’s comic confusion.

Significant themes

• Power and political maneuvering: Ao Yue’s mission may be both a military campaign and a test of the Demon Race’s relationship with the Dao Ancestor.
• Loyalty versus caution: Ao Yue insists on obedience, while Meng Zhang’s protective instincts make him wary of the risks.
• Status, trust, and ambition: Ao Yue’s appointment fuels resentment among the demon sages but gives him a chance to prove himself.
• Care and comic relief: Hou Yi’s gentle care and Gungun’s food-focused reactions provide a lighter contrast to the looming conflict.

Plot points and events

• Hou Yi introduces Gungun to Jade Rabbit, a young rabbit entrusted to him by Ancestral Witch Houtu. Gungun fears this means Hou Yi will eventually fall in love with Chang’e, so it makes Hou Yi promise that, if they both like the same fairy, Hou Yi will let Gungun have her.
• Gungun asks Hou Yi to hand over Jade Rabbit so it can roast her. Hou Yi refuses, explaining that Houtu specifically told him to care for the child. Gungun accepts this but threatens to eat Jade Rabbit if she misbehaves, terrifying her.
• Hou Yi takes Gungun to arrange a meal of Sky-Feather Rabbits instead. He also tells Gungun that Houtu has entered seclusion after sensing the nature of her Dao.
• A month later, Gungun waits outside Pangu Hall, worried that Houtu might realize the Reincarnation Dao and become the Underworld too soon. Though it believes the timing is impossible, it finds itself hoping she will not succeed.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun mixes comic possessiveness and appetite with a growing, unexplained concern for Houtu. Its hope that she will fail to attain her Dao hints at deeper attachment than it admits.
• Hou Yi remains kind and protective: he honors Houtu’s instructions, comforts Jade Rabbit, and redirects Gungun toward other food. He treats Gungun’s odd behavior as childish rather than recognizing its romantic anxiety.
• Jade Rabbit is frightened by Gungun’s threat and clings to Hou Yi for safety.
• The exchanges between Gungun and Hou Yi are affectionate and humorous, while Hou Yi’s gentle reassurance contrasts with Gungun’s intimidating threats.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and companionship: Gungun’s promise-seeking reflects its fear that romance could disrupt its bond with Hou Yi.
• Care versus appetite: Hou Yi’s duty to protect Jade Rabbit restrains Gungun’s predatory impulses.
• Destiny and attachment: Houtu’s search for her Dao carries major consequences for the Witch Race, but Gungun’s personal feelings complicate its hopes for her success.

Plot points and events

• Gungun waits outside Pangu Hall for four months while Houtu remains in seclusion, convinced she is close to attaining the Dao and transforming into the Underworld deity Pingxin. He mourns the thought of losing her, then leaves to find somewhere to sleep.
• Inside the hall, Houtu is frustrated: despite months of reflection, she has no idea how to attain her apparent Dao of Reincarnation. She is also worried about the Demon Race’s growing strength and angry that Taiyi once tried to take Gungun as his mount.
• Hearing Gungun’s farewell, Houtu abandons her unproductive seclusion and goes to find him.
• Gungun is beneath a tree, trying to eat bamboo and sleep away his sadness. When Houtu appears, he joyfully clings to her, relieved that she is still Houtu and has not become Pingxin.
• Houtu asks why he thought she might be gone. Gungun quickly claims he had a nightmare in which Taiyi killed her with the Chaos Bell during the coming war. Privately, he realizes his belief that she was close to attaining the Dao was mistaken and settles into the idea that she will transform much later.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun shows unexpected attachment to Houtu, grieving at the prospect of their separation. Once she reappears, he hides his true thoughts behind a tearful, fabricated nightmare and privately grumbles about her supposed lack of progress.
• Houtu shifts from anxious, solitary frustration to action when she hears Gungun’s words. She is puzzled by his reaction and gently probes him, hinting that she suspects he may know more than he admits.
• Their reunion combines Houtu’s concern and subtle tenderness with Gungun’s relief, evasiveness, and comic inner complaints.

Significant themes

• Attachment and impending change: Gungun fears losing Houtu to her transformation, revealing the closeness of their long companionship.
• Frustration in the pursuit of understanding: Houtu’s determination cannot compensate for her lack of insight, and her concerns about the growing conflict compound her anxiety.
• Appearance versus reality: Gungun’s farewell sounds like a genuine prediction, but he disguises his knowledge and feelings with a made-up nightmare.
• Humor through contrast: Houtu wrestles with cosmic destiny and war, while Gungun focuses on sleep, bamboo, and the prospect of claiming a future post in the Underworld.

Plot points and events

• Gungun’s thoughts about Houtu’s supposed hot air and her million-year wait to attain the Dao reach her. Irritated—and still remembering his earlier deception—Houtu kicks him flying from Mount Buzhou.
• While stopping himself in midair, Gungun encounters Zhunti, who introduces himself as a visitor from the Western Pure Land and invites Gungun to go west for ascetic cultivation.
• Zhunti discovers that Gungun is the first Iron-Eating Beast and possesses exceptional fortune. He offers him a bamboo shoot from the Six Roots Purification Bamboo.
• Recognizing Zhunti as a future Saint, Gungun prostrates himself and addresses him as “Great Sage Zhunti.” Despite his respect, he has no intention of accepting an invitation to hardship, and politely refuses the gift.
• Houtu arrives. Gungun immediately hides behind her, pretending to be frightened.

Character developments

• Gungun remains self-serving, comfort-loving, and quick-witted: he is deferential toward Zhunti’s future power, but rejects the prospect of asceticism and imagines joining the Western side only later, when it is prosperous.
• Houtu shows her irritation with Gungun’s irreverence and past trickery through a physical reprimand. Her arrival also puts her in the middle of Zhunti’s attempt to recruit him.
• Zhunti appears charming and persuasive, offering a valuable delicacy to attract Gungun. He is impressed by Gungun’s rare identity and fortune, though puzzled by Gungun’s reference to Houtu’s advice.

Character interactions

• Houtu punishes Gungun for mocking her and for his earlier emotional trickery.
• Zhunti warmly calls Gungun a karmic match and tries to entice him west with promises of cultivation and bamboo shoots.
• Gungun responds with exaggerated respect but tactfully declines, invoking Houtu’s lesson not to accept unearned gifts.
• When Houtu appears, Gungun shifts from formal politeness toward Zhunti to clinging protectively to her leg.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Gungun’s behavior changes dramatically when he realizes Zhunti may become a Saint.
• Self-interest and comfort: He values luxury over spiritual hardship, even when offered an impressive opportunity.
• Comedy through contrast: Grand religious ambitions and powerful figures are undercut by Gungun’s fixation on food, comfort, and avoiding trouble.

Plot points and events

• Gungun, convinced that Zhunti is too poor to provide the luxuries it wants, clings to Houtu and urges her to return to Mount Buzhou before Zhunti can recruit it.
• Houtu greets Zhunti politely and introduces Gungun as her battle pet. Zhunti, having calculated their relationship, envies Houtu’s exceptionally fortunate companion and proposes taking Gungun west as his disciple.
• Houtu immediately rejects the proposal. Zhunti backs off, claims it was a joke, and departs.
• Once Zhunti is gone, Gungun celebrates its own supposed excellence. Houtu calls it narcissistic and tells it to shut up.
• Gungun suspects Houtu may have been secretly using a mind-listening technique, recalling earlier occasions when she seemed to anticipate its thoughts. It tests her by asking about an old remark; her apparent uncertainty reassures it that she is not listening.
• The chapter ends with Gungun confidently concluding that its law of silence still protects its thoughts—ironically, while Houtu has heard its inner monologue throughout.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is self-indulgent, boastful, and wary of being recruited by Zhunti. It repeatedly mistakes Houtu’s awareness of its thoughts for coincidence and remains convinced of its own mental defenses.
• Houtu is protective of Gungun and firmly refuses to let Zhunti take it. Her outward composure contrasts with her private amusement at Gungun’s thoughts.
• Zhunti is envious of Gungun’s fortune and tries to claim it as a disciple, but retreats when Houtu responds with hostility.

Significant themes

• The comedy comes from the gap between Gungun’s grand self-image and its obliviousness to what Houtu knows.
• The scene also highlights loyalty and protection: Houtu’s bond with Gungun outweighs Zhunti’s offer, while Gungun’s attachment to comfort shapes its choices.

Key plot points and events

• Houtu and Gungun discuss Houtu’s earlier remark that the Witch Race should not consider a decisive war with the Demon Race for five million years. Houtu explains that the Demon Race’s recent strengthening—especially after Ao Yue and Meng Zhang joined it—means the Witches need time to recover and build their strength.
• Gungun privately notes that the War of the Liches is actually less than a million years away. Houtu overhears this and wonders whether Gungun can truly perceive the future through the Law of Time.
• Houtu reasons that Gungun’s belief that joining the Demon Race would end badly implies the Witches will ultimately prevail, easing her worries about the coming war.
• A vast star formation appears over the East Sea, followed by a dragon’s roar. Dijiang tells Houtu that the Demon Race is attacking Penglai Immortal Island and that the Eastern King has requested aid.
• Houtu prepares to go alone, ordering Gungun to return to Mount Buzhou and have Hou Yi bring the army. Gungun stops her, worried she might encounter Eastern Emperor Taiyi—and that Gungun itself could meet him on the way back.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu maintains a stern, composed front while privately reacting to Gungun’s thoughts. She is protective of the Witch Race, but also increasingly intrigued by Gungun’s apparent knowledge of the future. Despite her anger at its bluntness, she patiently explains why Penglai must be defended: a Demon victory would boost its prestige and attract other groups.
• Gungun shows loyalty and concern for Houtu, remembering her past words and physically clinging to her to prevent her from going alone. Its candid inner thoughts—including the reminder that no Ancestral Witch can defeat Taiyi one-on-one—contrast with its earnest, deferential behavior.
• Their exchange is affectionate but comic: Houtu scolds and even knocks Gungun over, while Gungun’s sincere concern repeatedly tests her patience.

Significant themes

• Fate and foresight: Gungun’s knowledge of the approaching war raises questions about whether the future can be seen—and trusted.
• Preparation and power: Houtu recognizes that the Demon Race’s growing strength makes the timing of conflict crucial.
• Loyalty amid political conflict: Defending Penglai is strategically important even though the Eastern King is not closely allied with the Witches.
• Humor and affection: Their teasing, misunderstandings, and mutual concern soften the chapter’s looming threat of war.

Key plot points and events

• Gungun tries to persuade Houtu not to leave it behind, claiming it is afraid Eastern Emperor Taiyi will capture it as a mount. Houtu sees through the excuse, sends it back to Mount Buzhou, then heads to Penglai to help Eastern King.
• Back at Mount Buzhou, Gungun decides Eastern King’s defeat is inevitable and would rather sleep than organize aid. When Hou Yi arrives, Gungun relays Houtu’s order for the Houtu Tribe to reinforce Penglai.
• Hou Yi refuses to let Gungun stay behind. He carries the protesting bear as he gathers the witches and marches toward Penglai. Gungun promptly falls asleep on his shoulder.
• At Penglai, Ao Yue leads the attack on the island’s protective barrier. Eastern King rejects his demand to submit to the Heavenly Court and claims witch reinforcements are coming.
• Ao Yue breaks the weakened barrier with his dragon form and orders the Heavenly and East Sea Dragon armies to assault and surround Penglai.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun remains comic, self-serving, and deeply attached to sleep. Though reluctant, it does pass on Houtu’s orders and is ultimately taken to battle by Hou Yi.
• Houtu is decisive: she recognizes Gungun’s excuses, sends it home, and then goes to support Eastern King herself.
• Hou Yi is dutiful and persistent. He acts immediately on Houtu’s command and insists Gungun accompany the force, despite its protests.
• Ao Yue shifts from negotiation to direct assault after Eastern King refuses to yield, demonstrating his command over both dragon and Heavenly Court forces.
• Eastern King projects defiance but appears anxious, relying on anticipated witch reinforcements as his defenses fail.

Significant themes

• Duty versus self-interest: Gungun prioritizes comfort, while Houtu and Hou Yi answer the call to battle.
• Inevitable conflict and fate: Gungun believes Eastern King’s defeat is destined, even as others mobilize to intervene.
• Power and allegiance: Ao Yue’s ultimatum and the combined armies show the growing reach of the Heavenly Court and the importance of political submission.

Key plot points and events

• Ao Yue leads 300,000 Demon soldiers against Penglai Immortal Island, while East Sea dragon troops surround it. The island’s protective barrier has fallen, and the Witch Race has not arrived.
• The Eastern King fears he cannot withstand Ao Yue and the Quasi-Saint Azure Dragon, Meng Zhang. Provoked by Ao Yue, he finally attacks, claiming he will discipline the dragon prince on behalf of the Ancestral Dragon.
• Meng Zhang strikes at the Eastern King while Ao Yue blasts him with purple fire. Their combined assault triggers a huge explosion that destroys the Immortal Court; the Eastern King’s fate is left unclear.
• Far below the sea, East Sea Dragon King Ao Kai complains about the destruction overhead and dismisses Ao Yue’s claim to the Dragon Emperor’s throne, believing his own control of the East Sea is secure.
• Ao Kai’s queen reveals that she poisoned his tea with Supreme Yin True Water, supplied by Eastern Emperor Taiyi. Taiyi promised to protect their son, Guang’er, as East Sea Dragon King if she helps restore Ao Yue to the throne.
• When Ao Kai tries to retaliate, the water’s seal breaks, freezing his body and soul.

Character developments

• The Eastern King shifts from fearful restraint to a furious, reckless attack, but faces overwhelming force.
• Ao Yue appears forceful and confident, pressing his campaign to reclaim authority over the Dragon Race.
• Meng Zhang acts as Ao Yue’s loyal protector and intervenes when the Eastern King insults him.
• Ao Kai reveals his ambition and resentment toward Ao Yue, underestimating the threat to his rule.
• The East Sea Dragon Queen chooses her son’s security over her husband, though she is visibly remorseful.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: Ao Yue’s inherited claim conflicts with Ao Kai’s practical control of the East Sea.
• Loyalty and political maneuvering: The Dragon Queen’s betrayal is driven by a bargain meant to secure Guang’er’s future.
• Pride and miscalculation: The Eastern King’s temper draws him into a fight he fears he cannot win; Ao Kai’s confidence leaves him vulnerable.
• The cost of ambition: Rival claims to rule turn family and political relationships into instruments of conflict.

Character interactions

• Ao Yue taunts the Eastern King, who responds by attacking; Meng Zhang joins Ao Yue to counter him.
• Ao Kai and the Dragon Queen discuss Ao Yue’s ambitions, exposing their opposing views of his claim.
• The Dragon Queen serves Ao Kai the poisoned tea, then confesses her deal with Taiyi and pleads for forgiveness.

Key plot points and events

• Hou Yi assembles about 80,000 elite witches at Mount Buzhou to reinforce Penglai. Gungun advises delaying until the Demon Race is overconfident, but Hou Yi refuses, citing the Witch Race’s honor and Houtu’s orders.
• Gungun reluctantly joins the march, traveling by palanquin and accepting a spirit fruit from Hou Yi. Hou Yi gives the order to march.
• At Penglai, Ao Yue has seized the Dragon-Headed Walking Stick and demands that the Eastern King submit by giving a strand of his true spirit to the Demon-Summoning Banner.
• Just as the Eastern King is about to respond, Houtu arrives and drives back Ao Yue and Meng Zhang with an earth-shaking attack.
• The Eastern King welcomes Houtu and offers an alliance with the Witch Race. Realizing this could significantly strengthen their enemies, Ao Yue decides to escalate the conflict, accusing Houtu of breaking his promise not to attack the Witch Race before the War of the Liches.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Yi shows loyalty to Houtu’s orders and determination to defend the Witch Race’s standing, while Gungun is more cautious and concerned about casualties. Their disagreement is tempered by an easy, familiar rapport.
• Gungun remains sleepy and self-indulgent, but ultimately goes along with the expedition.
• The Eastern King shifts from defiant anger to relief when Houtu arrives; he quickly offers an alliance in gratitude and desperation.
• Ao Yue moves from seeking Penglai’s submission without annihilating it to preparing for open confrontation once an alliance with the Witch Race seems possible.
• Houtu arrives to protect the Eastern King but does not directly accept his proposed alliance before Ao Yue challenges her.

Significant themes

• Duty versus prudence: Hou Yi acts on command and honor, while Gungun argues that timing could reduce losses.
• Power and legitimacy: The Eastern King invokes his appointment by the Dao Ancestor, but Ao Yue treats political and military strength as more decisive.
• Escalation and uneasy alliances: Houtu’s intervention may transform a campaign against Penglai into a wider conflict between the Demon and Witch Races.
  The chapter ends with Ao Yue raising his weapon and preparing to act.

Plot points and events

• Ao Yue uses the Dragon God Heaven-Slaying Halberd to call down a massive pillar of star-powered lightning on Penglai Island, killing many of the Eastern King’s defenders.
• Houtu raises a huge stone shield to protect herself and the Eastern King; the Eastern King joins her in resisting the attack. Ao Yue orders his demons to form the Lesser Stellar Formation and prepare to destroy Penglai.
• In the Heavenly Court, Dijun says Ao Yue’s main task is to defeat the Eastern King, not Houtu. Seeing that Houtu has reinforcements approaching, he sends Bai Ze to intercept Hou Yi rather than risk provoking an early all-out war with the Witch Race.
• Bai Ze accepts the order and leads a demon army out from Mount Huan to block the witches.
• On the way to Penglai, Gungun is reluctant to fight, believing the Eastern King is doomed. Hou Yi promises that the rescued king will reward them with Penglai’s treasures. Gungun immediately becomes enthusiastic and urges them to hurry.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu acts quickly and resolutely, shielding the Eastern King and the island’s defenders from Ao Yue’s attack.
• The Eastern King is distressed by the deaths of his followers but contributes his power to Houtu’s defense.
• Ao Yue demonstrates the scale of his power and follows through on Dijun’s expectations by leading the assault.
• Dijun is cautious and strategic: he wants the Eastern King defeated but avoids triggering a decisive war with the Witch Race before the demons are ready.
• Taiyi is eager to confront Hou Yi, but accepts Dijun’s judgment that the timing is dangerous.
• Bai Ze reluctantly obeys, joking that his service means a life of toil.
• Gungun shifts from gloomy reluctance to greed-fueled eagerness when promised treasure. Hou Yi’s attempt to motivate him reveals their easy, familiar rapport.

Significant themes

• Power and the cost of war: Ao Yue’s attack devastates both the defenders and the island, showing how battles between powerful forces endanger those caught in between.
• Strategic restraint: Dijun prioritizes timing and political consequences over immediate retaliation, postponing a potentially decisive conflict.
• Self-interest and humor amid danger: Gungun’s sudden enthusiasm for the rescue underscores the chapter’s comic contrast between a grave battle and his appetite for treasure.

Plot points and events

• Hou Yi leads Gungun and an elite Houtu Tribe force toward Penglai to aid the Eastern King. Gungun is more focused on claiming Penglai’s treasures, which Hou Yi has promised he may choose first. He also checks a treasure map marking a Dragon Pearl in the Eastern Sea.
• Before they reach Penglai, the Demon Race blocks their route. Bai Ze leads the force, accompanied by several Demon Gods, including Bifang.
• Hou Yi attacks Bai Ze, who deflects the arrow with his Ten Thousand Beasts Scroll. Bai Ze says he wants only to delay the witches until the situation at Penglai is settled.
• Hou Yi refuses to wait and orders his army to break through. Bai Ze responds by ordering the demons to fight, and the two armies clash.
• Bifang recognizes Gungun and charges at him, accusing him of having ambushed him previously. Gungun is baffled, insisting to himself that he never did so.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is impatient to reach Penglai and eager to claim its treasures, while avoiding the battle as long as possible. His treasure-hunting priorities remain at odds with the stated rescue mission.
• Hou Yi acts decisively, rejecting Bai Ze’s attempt to delay him and committing the Witch Race army to battle.
• Bai Ze stays composed and says he would prefer to avoid a fight, but orders the demons to engage once Hou Yi attacks.
• Bifang reveals a personal grudge against Gungun and targets him directly. Gungun’s confusion suggests either a misunderstanding or events he does not know about.

Significant themes

• Duty versus self-interest: Hou Yi’s urgent mission contrasts with Gungun’s hopes of securing treasure.
• Conflict and escalation: Both leaders express some reluctance to fight, but their opposing objectives make battle unavoidable.
• Comic misunderstanding: Gungun’s bewilderment at Bifang’s accusation adds humor amid the large-scale violence.

Key events

• Demon God Bifang attacks Gungun, accusing him of a sneak attack from a battle more than nine thousand years earlier. Gungun remembers no such incident and insists they have never met.
• Bifang recalls that an Iron-Eating Beast struck him in the waist during the Witch–Demon war, leaving him vulnerable to Xingtian’s near-fatal blow. He recognizes Gungun as the culprit.
• Bifang escalates the confrontation by insulting Gungun’s appearance. Angered, Gungun charges and meets Bifang’s flaming talon with a divine-light fist.
• Their clash stuns nearby fighters. Hou Yi worries about Gungun and tries to break away from his fight with Bai Ze, but Bai Ze keeps him occupied with the Ten Thousand Beasts Scroll.
• Bai Ze senses that Gungun is wielding laws, suggesting power beyond ordinary great immortals. Gungun uses the law of silence to draw Bifang’s primordial spirit into a “Silence World,” then drives Bifang backward before landing a punch that sends his enormous body flying and beginning to explode.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun shifts from baffled and defensive to openly furious after Bifang’s personal insults, responding with direct physical force.
• Bifang’s longstanding grudge explains his attack, though his certainty contrasts with Gungun’s genuine confusion about the old incident.
• Hou Yi shows concern for Gungun, while Bai Ze exploits that concern to maintain their own duel. Bai Ze’s surprise at Gungun’s command of laws hints at a major revelation about his strength.

Themes

• Misunderstanding and old grudges: Bifang’s revenge is rooted in a past event Gungun does not remember.
• Pride and provocation: Insults turn a confused encounter into a fierce fight.
• Hidden power and unexpected strength: Gungun’s use of the law of silence challenges assumptions about his cultivation and abilities.

Key plot points and events

• On the Witch-Demon Battlefield, Gungun’s Spirit-Washing Cauldron draws in the primordial spirits of fallen demons, threatening the Demon Race’s ability to survive through their souls.
• Hou Yi uses the discovery to rally the witches, who press their attack. Xingtian arrives and kills large numbers of demon troops with his battle axe.
• Facing Hou Yi and Xingtian together, and lacking troops capable of forming a strong defensive formation, Bai Ze orders a retreat.
• At the Heavenly Court, Dijun and Taiyi discuss the defeat. Dijun orders a replacement for Bifang and calls for new allies to strengthen the Demon Race before the coming final war.
• Taiyi reports progress toward bringing the Dragon Race under Demon control. Dijun says that is not enough and proposes gaining the Phoenix Race’s support, prompting Taiyi to ask whether he means the Nine Heavens Kunpeng.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun reveals that he possesses the powerful Spirit-Washing Cauldron, changing the battle’s balance and unsettling the demons.
• Hou Yi blocks Bai Ze from aiding Bifang, then coordinates the witches’ renewed assault.
• Bai Ze remains controlled despite his anger and ultimately chooses a strategic retreat rather than risk a fight against two Quasi-Saints.
• Xingtian’s arrival turns the battlefield further against the demons and reinforces the Houtu Tribe’s strength.
• Dijun responds to the loss with plans to rebuild and expand the Demon Race’s alliances. Taiyi supports his strategy but points out that he is already pursuing the Dragon Race.

Significant themes

• Shifting power in war: A single unexpected treasure can undermine a long-standing advantage and reshape a battle.
• Strategic restraint: Bai Ze withdraws rather than sacrifice his forces in an unfavorable fight.
• Alliance-building and escalation: Both the battlefield defeat and the coming final war push the Demon Race to seek new strength through recruitment and alliances.

Plot points and events

• Dijun orders Taiyi to recruit Kunpeng and bring the Demon-Summoning Banner, hoping to secure the Phoenix Race’s allegiance. Dijun stays behind because his wife is about to give birth.
• Dijun declares that the Eastern King must be killed before Hou Yi’s forces reach Penglai. If Ao Yue fails, Dijun will send the Ten Great Demon Sages.
• After Bai Ze withdraws, Hou Yi collects the fallen Witch warriors’ blood essence and leads his troops toward Penglai to rescue the Eastern King. Gungun joins them, eager to “save” him—though it admits to itself that it is also eager to rob him.
• Gungun has already gathered the souls of the defeated demon general Bifang, whose insults about Gungun’s size and intelligence provoked its anger. It is now burdened with even more souls to process.
• Xingtian returns with the Warrior God Battle Axe, which he found using Gungun’s treasure map. Gungun briefly wonders whether the axe’s discovery hints at destiny, then dismisses the thought.
• On Penglai, Taiyi secretly urges Ao Yue to kill the Eastern King before Hou Yi and the others arrive, warning that failure could cost Ao Yue his standing in the Demon Race.
• Ao Yue orders Meng Zhang to hold off Houtu while the Lesser Stellar Formation focuses all its power on the isolated Eastern King. Meng Zhang reluctantly obeys Torch Dragon’s command to protect and follow Ao Yue; Houtu turns to face him.

Character developments and interactions

• Dijun prioritizes his family while maintaining his political and military ambitions, placing the Eastern King’s death in Taiyi’s hands.
• Taiyi takes on the work of recruiting Kunpeng and presses Ao Yue to act quickly.
• Hou Yi remains focused on the rescue rather than exploiting his victory over Bai Ze, and his troops rally behind his leadership.
• Gungun mixes comic vanity and greed with genuine anger over Bifang’s insults, but still joins the urgent march to Penglai. Its gift of the treasure map has also helped Xingtian acquire a weapon suited to him.
• Xingtian returns proud of mastering the axe, while Gungun and Hou Yi welcome him into the march.
• Ao Yue chooses to follow Taiyi’s private order, putting his authority and ambitions ahead of caution.
• Meng Zhang is uneasy about becoming entangled in the conflict with the Witches, but obeys Torch Dragon’s instructions and confronts Houtu.

Significant themes

• Political ambition and loyalty: The Demon Race seeks new allies and presses its members to prove their worth, while personal loyalties shape who obeys whom.
• Urgency and competing objectives: Both sides race toward Penglai, where the Eastern King’s survival depends on whether Hou Yi’s reinforcements arrive before Ao Yue’s attack succeeds.
• Destiny versus chance: Gungun briefly wonders whether Xingtian’s axe is part of a larger pattern, but refuses to dwell on it.
• Comic contrast: Gungun’s laziness, vanity, and greed sit alongside the chapter’s escalating military danger.

Key plot points and events

• Eastern King is overwhelmed by the Lesser Stellar Formation and appears to die. A mysterious elder in Zixiao Palace secretly rescues his Primordial Spirit, unseen by Ao Yue, and warns him that cause and effect will come around again.
• Houtu tries to save Eastern King, but Meng Zhang keeps her occupied. After Eastern King’s apparent destruction, Ao Yue considers helping Meng Zhang, remembers Houtu once helped him, and orders Meng Zhang to withdraw.
• Ao Yue tells Houtu that the Heavenly Court does not seek a decisive war with the Witch Race and sends her back to Mount Buzhou. Houtu is frustrated that her allies have not arrived in time.
• Elsewhere, Gungun travels with Hou Yi and the Witch forces toward Penglai. It spots a golden light that Hou Yi cannot see, then uses its Treasure-Fishing Rod to hook and reel it in.
• The light struggles so fiercely that Xingtian and then Hou Yi join Gungun in hauling it closer. Gungun excitedly concludes that it must be a supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure.

Character developments and interactions

• Ao Yue shows relief at defeating Eastern King but also restraint and gratitude: remembering Houtu’s past intervention, he prevents the conflict with her from escalating.
• Houtu is left angry and helpless after failing to save Eastern King and seeing the opportunity to act pass before reinforcements arrive.
• Eastern King appears to meet his end, though his spirit is secretly preserved by the elder.
• Gungun remains comically treasure-obsessed and confident in its unusual ability to perceive the golden light. Its discovery turns the journey into a collective effort with Hou Yi and Xingtian.
• Hou Yi and Xingtian trust Gungun’s perception enough to help, despite initially being unable to see the object themselves.

Significant themes

• Hidden survival and recurring consequences: Eastern King’s apparent death conceals a reprieve, while the elder’s warning foreshadows future cause-and-effect.
• Restraint amid factional conflict: Ao Yue chooses not to press his advantage against Houtu, suggesting old kindness can temper political rivalry.
• Comic contrast: The grave battles and power struggles are juxtaposed with Gungun’s carefree treasure hunting and enthusiastic certainty.

Plot points and events

• Gungun, helped by Hou Yi, reels in a fiercely resisting golden orb with his Treasure-Fishing Rod. Convinced it must be a supreme-grade innate spirit treasure, he rushes to claim it and is blasted away.
• Hou Yi helps Gungun up and gives him a healing spirit fruit. Gungun recovers quickly—but privately realizes he could have healed on his own and accepts the fruit partly to encourage future handouts.
• Xingtian grabs the orb, and he and Hou Yi work together to suppress it and dim its glow.
• The revealed “treasure” is actually a sentient mass of pure yang qi. When Hou Yi recognizes that its power suggests it is the Eastern King, Gungun remains fixated on losing his supposed treasure and angrily shakes, squeezes, and punches the qi.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is greedy, impulsive, and comically self-serving: he eagerly claims the orb, plays up his injury, and treats even the Eastern King as a thief who owes him a treasure.
• Hou Yi shows concern and generosity by helping Gungun and offering medicine, then assists Xingtian in restraining the orb. His recognition of the qi’s identity shifts the scene from comic excitement to shock.
• Xingtian reacts quickly when Gungun is thrown aside and bravely restrains the orb, though even his considerable strength cannot subdue it alone.
• The episode’s humor comes from the contrast between the shamans’ alarm at the qi’s power and Gungun’s stubborn disappointment.

Significant themes

• Greed and mistaken expectations: Gungun assumes the golden light must conceal a priceless treasure.
• Comedy through self-interest: His exaggerated injury and refusal to accept that the “treasure” is not what he wanted make him the comic center.
• Power and recognition: The orb’s resistance hints at its extraordinary nature before Hou Yi identifies it as the Eastern King.

Key plot points and events

• Gungun mistakes the Eastern King’s golden-glowing primordial spirit—a clump of pure yang qi—for a powerful treasure. After it blasts him and hurts his back, he angrily beats it into submission.
• Hou Yi and Xingtian discuss how the Eastern King’s death and the Demon Race’s takeover of Penglai put the Witch Race at a disadvantage. They decide to continue to Penglai and join the Ancestral Witch, hoping to reclaim the island and blunt the Demon Race’s victory.
• Gungun endorses the plan in lofty, respectful terms, even as he continues assaulting the spirit. He then inhales it, only to suffer severe indigestion and rush off to expel it.
• In Zixiao Palace, the old man—apparently the Dao Ancestor—cryptically remarks that the Eastern King was pure yang qi, “but pure yang is a pure yang immortal no more.”
• Gungun returns and hands the spirit to Xingtian, who hopes it might help restore the Eastern King’s body. Xingtian notices that the qi seems impure; Gungun, rubbing his stomach, offers no explanation.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun remains greedy, impulsive, and comically self-important. His attempt to consume the “treasure” leaves him embarrassed and ill, and his silence at the end suggests he knows he has altered or contaminated the spirit.
• Hou Yi and Xingtian move from worry over the Witch Race’s strategic position to renewed resolve. They share a laugh at Gungun’s antics, then focus again on their mission. Xingtian accepts the spirit in hopes of using it against the Demon Race.
• The scene contrasts Gungun’s irreverence toward the dead Eastern King with Hou Yi and Xingtian’s practical concern for the spirit’s possible value.

Significant themes

• Comedy amid catastrophe: Gungun’s slapstick mishap briefly lifts the warriors’ spirits despite the Eastern King’s death and the Demon Race’s success.
• Greed and unintended consequences: Gungun treats a powerful spiritual being as a treasure and pays for it with a painful stomachache.
• Fate and transformation: The Dao Ancestor’s cryptic remark foreshadows that the Eastern King’s pure yang essence has been changed—confirmed by Xingtian’s discovery that it is no longer pure.

• Battle for Penglai: After the Eastern King’s defeat, Houtu stays to prevent Penglai Immortal Island from falling to the Demon Race. Ao Yue withdraws when the East Sea Dragon Army arrives, using a massive wave to delay Houtu’s pursuit. The demons escape with much of the Immortal Court’s accumulated treasure, leaving the Witch Race with a costly, incomplete victory.
• The Witch reinforcements arrive: Hou Yi and Xingtian reach Penglai late, explaining that Bai Ze delayed them. Houtu vows to deal with Bai Ze another time.
• Gungun and the Eastern King’s essence: Xingtian brings the Eastern King’s still-intact Primordial Spirit, but its pure-yang essence has been contaminated. Gungun admits it ate the essence after mistaking it for something edible, and complains to Houtu that the Eastern King tricked and injured it. Though Gungun claims it suffered an upset stomach, Houtu senses it is not seriously hurt. Hou Yi recognizes that the Eastern King’s altered essence is a serious consequence, but says it will count as repayment for his debt to the Witch Race.
• Character developments and interactions: Gungun remains comically lazy and food-focused, showing no interest in Penglai’s treasures and instead recovering with fruit and Taicang Milk. Its grievance against the Eastern King turns into a joking vow to sabotage his future incarnations. Houtu is protective of Gungun but also skeptical of its account; Hou Yi and Xingtian are embarrassed to explain what happened. Ao Yue acts pragmatically, withdrawing rather than risking a fight with Houtu.
• Themes: The chapter mixes war and political rivalry with slapstick humor. It highlights the struggle over territory and spoils, the consequences of karmic debts, and Gungun’s irreverent, appetite-driven approach to even momentous events.