Chapter Summaries

Plot and events

• Xiong Meng takes offense when Yang Chan challenges it, but Yang Jian’s drawn blade quickly frightens it into retreat. Once Guang Chengzi points out that Xiong Meng is a Great Immortal, it regains its nerve and prepares to fight Yang Jian—until Guang Chengzi restrains it.
• Guang Chengzi sends Yang Jian and Yang Chan away and focuses on the urgent threat of Golden Roc. Xiong Meng boasts to Ji Fa that it will capture the enemy.
• Three days later, Guang Chengzi challenges Golden Roc. Their fight goes badly for Guang Chengzi: after several exchanges, he is wounded and retreats toward the Gluttony Formation, hoping to lure Golden Roc into a trap.
• Kong Xuan arrives unexpectedly to aid his younger brother, Golden Roc. His Five-Colored Divine Light sweeps up Guang Chengzi, his treasure, Xiong Meng, and the Gluttony Formation, leaving them helpless. The encounter ends in a crushing defeat for the Zhou side.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiong Meng is proud of its divine rank and lineage but proves easily intimidated, then overcompensates with bravado. It agrees to defer to Guang Chengzi’s plan and promises Ji Fa a victory it cannot deliver.
• Yang Jian fiercely defends Yang Chan, warning Xiong Meng to treat his sister respectfully. Yang Chan supports him, and both siblings show deference to Guang Chengzi when dismissed.
• Guang Chengzi tries to manage Xiong Meng’s impulsiveness and persuade Golden Roc to withdraw before resorting to battle. His plan to draw Golden Roc into the formation is undone by Kong Xuan’s arrival.
• Golden Roc is confident and dismissive of Guang Chengzi, while Kong Xuan appears as a powerful, decisive ally. The brothers’ reunion shifts the battle immediately in Golden Roc’s favor.

Significant themes

• Pride versus power: Xiong Meng and Golden Roc boast, but the battle exposes the limits of confidence when faced with superior force.
• Loyalty and kinship: Kong Xuan’s arrival to help his younger brother reinforces the importance of family ties.
• Fate and the limits of planning: Guang Chengzi invokes Heaven’s will, but the unexpected intervention overturns his carefully prepared strategy.

Plot points and events

• Gungun watches the battle and learns that Kong Xuan has defeated four of the Western Religion’s five disciples at Wandering Soul Pass; only Maitreya escaped using the Azure Lotus Treasure Banner. Gungun is frustrated that Xiong Meng’s planned display of her formation never happened.
• Kong Xuan and Golden Roc attack the Zhou camp. Kong Xuan’s Five-Colored Divine Light effortlessly sweeps away one defender after another, including Yellow Dragon, Nezha, and Jiang Ziya’s God-Striking Whip.
• Jiang Ziya escapes using the Apricot Yellow Banner. Kong Xuan then captures King Wu, Ji Fa, and orders the remaining Zhou generals to withdraw to West Qi.
• On a barren mountain, Gungun finds the shaken Jiang Ziya and reassures him that Ran Deng has gone to intercept Kong Xuan and rescue Ji Fa.
• Privately, Gungun knows Kong Xuan has reached the quasi-saint realm and is stronger than Ran Deng. He deliberately lets their confrontation happen, hoping to defeat Kong Xuan himself afterward and discourage Zhunti from recruiting him into the Western Religion.

Character developments and interactions

• Kong Xuan establishes himself as an overwhelming battlefield force, defeating major Zhou and Expounding Teaching figures with ease. He works with his brother Golden Roc, who suggests capturing Ji Fa when Jiang Ziya escapes.
• Jiang Ziya shifts from commanding the Zhou camp to panic and desperation, then appeals to Gungun for help. Gungun calms him and presents Ran Deng as their answer.
• Gungun appears reassuring and confident, but is secretly manipulating events to stage a more impressive victory and secure Kong Xuan’s future allegiance for himself.
• Yang Jian escapes with his younger sister, avoiding capture when the rest of the Zhou camp is overwhelmed.

Significant themes

• Power and battlefield dominance: Kong Xuan’s repeated victories make resistance seem futile and abruptly overturn the campaign’s balance.
• Strategy and perception: Kong Xuan targets Ji Fa to weaken the Zhou forces, while Gungun treats the unfolding conflict as a carefully managed contest of reputation and recruitment.
• Ambition beneath reassurance: Gungun comforts Jiang Ziya publicly, but privately prioritizes his plan to become the future Buddha Lord.
• Reputation and rivalry: Gungun sees Ran Deng’s likely defeat as an opportunity to contrast his own strength with that of others and thwart Zhunti’s plans.

Plot points and events

• Kong Xuan carries the captured Ji Fa toward Chao Ge, leaving Golden Roc behind to help Wen Zhong secure the Shang camp.
• Ji Fa tries to persuade Kong Xuan to release him, arguing that he wants to relieve suffering and save the people. Kong Xuan dismisses his claims, noting Shang’s achievements and suggesting Ji Fa’s rise is largely due to luck and the Heavenly Court’s support.
• Ran Deng appears and demands that Kong Xuan release Ji Fa and stop aiding Shang. Kong Xuan refuses, insisting the Phoenix Race will not relinquish its claim to the fortune of the Protagonists of Heaven and Earth.
• The two fight. Kong Xuan’s Five-Colored Divine Light disarms Ran Deng of the Heaven-Measuring Ruler and Glazed Lamp, and Ran Deng escapes by transforming into a coffin. The watching factions recognize Kong Xuan’s strength as that of a quasi-saint.
• At Mount Kunlun, Yuanshi considers intervening. Nine Li, though uneasy about failing his master, does not volunteer to fight Kong Xuan.
• A Bei suddenly appears before Kong Xuan and challenges him, despite Ran Deng’s defeat.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Fa is shaken by Kong Xuan’s blunt assessment. His belief that his kindness makes him a worthy successor becomes less certain as he wonders whether he is simply fortunate.
• Kong Xuan remains resolute in defending Shang and the Phoenix Race’s interests. His confidence is borne out by his overwhelming victory over Ran Deng.
• Ran Deng attempts to negotiate before fighting, but underestimates Kong Xuan’s power and is forced to flee.
• Nine Li recognizes that his abilities are no match for Kong Xuan’s divine light and holds back, while Yuanshi weighs whether to act personally.
• A Bei arrives with comic bravado, setting up a new confrontation after Kong Xuan’s victory.

Significant themes

• Merit versus fortune: Kong Xuan challenges Ji Fa’s assumption that he deserves the throne through virtue, suggesting that circumstance and political backing explain his rise.
• Power and legitimacy: The conflict over Shang, Zhou, and the Phoenix Race is framed not only as a military struggle but also as a contest for the “fortune” of the human realm.
• The limits of confidence: Ran Deng’s status and strength cannot overcome Kong Xuan’s Five-Colored Divine Light, while A Bei’s confident challenge hints at another test of power.

Plot points and events

• Gungun sends its Good Corpse, A Bei, to capture Kong Xuan, avoiding the loss of prestige that would come from the Heavenly Emperor fighting him personally.
• Kong Xuan tries to flee toward Chao Ge with Ji Fa rather than face A Bei. A Bei freezes the surrounding region to stop them, and the two clash: Kong Xuan uses the Glazed Lamp’s deadly fire, but A Bei counters with its Yin-Yang Annihilation technique.
• A Bei retrieves the Glazed Lamp and returns it to Ran Deng when he asks for it. The Saints watching the battle interpret this as proof of A Bei’s honorable character.
• Above Chao Ge, A Bei counters Kong Xuan’s Five-Colored Divine Light and hurls stars at him. Houtu shields the land with Saintly power, preventing the city and its inhabitants from being harmed.
• A Bei forces Kong Xuan to release Ji Fa and rescues him. Kong Xuan proposes replacing King Zhou with his son, Yin Jiao, to preserve Shang, but A Bei argues that precedent and the political situation make this impossible.
• Accepting that Shang’s fall is unavoidable, Kong Xuan chooses to fight for it rather than flee. He transforms into a giant peacock and tries to swallow A Bei. Remembering Kong Xuan’s future connection to Duobao, A Bei comically wonders if Kong Xuan wants to become its “mother,” then enlarges into its own colossal bear form and bites back.

Character developments and interactions

• A Bei is powerful and restrained: it pursues its mission, protects Ji Fa and the surrounding people, and gives Ran Deng’s treasure back without hesitation. Its serious sense of duty is repeatedly undercut by its playful, eccentric reactions.
• Kong Xuan shifts from caution and attempted escape to resolve. Though he recognizes that Shang may be doomed, his loyalty and emotional ties to the dynasty lead him to make a final stand.
• Ji Fa is rescued but becomes terrified by the supernatural battle; A Bei heals and reassures him, and he hides behind his rescuer.
• Ran Deng recovers the Glazed Lamp after A Bei returns it. Yuanshi, Laozi, and Houtu praise A Bei’s conduct, while Tongtian pretends that returning the treasure was foolish.
• Houtu protects Chao Ge and nearby lands, enabling A Bei to fight without endangering civilians.

Significant themes

• Duty, loyalty, and acceptance: Kong Xuan’s attachment to Shang drives him to fight even when he understands its downfall is likely.
• Cause and consequence: A Bei invokes the precedent of Shang replacing Xia to explain why Shang’s own dynasty cannot simply be preserved under a new ruler.
• Power balanced by responsibility: A Bei’s tremendous attacks are made possible by Houtu’s protection, and A Bei takes care to safeguard Ji Fa and civilians.
• Character revealed through action: A Bei’s return of the Glazed Lamp demonstrates that power and ambition need not override fairness.
• Comedy amid epic conflict: The chapter’s final “who will eat whom?” confrontation turns a grave battle into a humorous clash over the imagined role of “mother.”

Key plot points and events

• A Bei battles Kong Xuan above Chao Ge, nearly swallowing him with his Heaven-Swallowing Earth-Devouring ability. Kunpeng intervenes by dropping the Kunpeng Palace onto A Bei, pinning him and interrupting the attack.
• Kong Xuan tries to kill the trapped A Bei with the Departing Fire Sword. A Bei rises despite the palace’s weight and throws the Heaven-Falling Bell. Kong Xuan sweeps it away with his Five-Colored Divine Light, but A Bei detonates it using his hidden Yin-Yang Imprint. The blast badly injures Kong Xuan.
• Gungun arrives, claims the Kunpeng Palace as punishment for Kunpeng’s interference, and uses the Law of Silence to calm the explosion’s aftermath and immobilize Kong Xuan. Kunpeng rescues his near-dead younger brother through a passage to the Vermilion Bird Realm, then challenges Gungun to fight in Chaos.
• A Bei takes Ji Fa to West Qi while Gungun pursues Kunpeng. In Chaos, the two are evenly matched until Gungun brings out Houtu’s Six Paths of Reincarnation Disk. He then withdraws, hinting that someone else wants Kunpeng dead.
• Nuwa moves Kunpeng into the Endless Starry Sky, where Lu Ya—who has been contemplating killing Kunpeng and possibly Gungun—will have the advantage of drawing power from the Sun and Lunar stars.

Character developments and interactions

• A Bei shows formidable strength and tactical ingenuity, willing to destroy a valuable treasure to defeat Kong Xuan. He recognizes his limits against Kunpeng and accepts Gungun’s order to leave with Ji Fa.
• Gungun protects A Bei, seizes Kunpeng’s palace, and controls the aftermath of the explosion. Though he appears to gain the upper hand over Kunpeng, he deliberately leaves him alive.
• Kong Xuan shifts from confidence to desperation after A Bei survives the suppression and detonates the bell. He ends the chapter gravely wounded and dependent on Kunpeng’s rescue.
• Kunpeng risks himself to save Kong Xuan, then confronts Gungun. His anger at losing his companion treasure gives way to alarm when faced with Houtu’s disk.
• Lu Ya initially considers exploiting the fight to kill both opponents, but Nuwa reminds him he is the last Golden Crow and risks ending his lineage. He resolves to pursue Kunpeng himself, though he doubts he could control the outcome.
• Nuwa warns Lu Ya not to attack Gungun, offers to arrange a favorable battlefield for Lu Ya against Kunpeng, and then secretly relocates Kunpeng to that battlefield.

Significant themes

• Power and strategy: Raw strength is matched by tactical use of treasures and hidden abilities.
• Loyalty and revenge: Kunpeng risks danger to save Kong Xuan, while Lu Ya’s desire for vengeance is checked by his responsibility to his lineage.
• Political and cosmic consequences: Gungun’s status as Heavenly Emperor—and his ties to Houtu—makes attacking him far more dangerous than attacking Kunpeng.
• Hidden agendas: Gungun’s unexplained withdrawal and Nuwa’s concealed intentions suggest that the coming confrontation is being shaped behind the scenes.

Plot points and events

• Nuwa decides Kunpeng’s death would serve her Demon Teaching: eliminating him would please Houtu, the Heavenly Court, and Kunpeng’s enemies, while allowing Lu Ya to gain prestige and potentially reunite the Demon Race. She sends both Kunpeng and Lu Ya to the Endless Starry Sky.
• Lu Ya confronts Kunpeng with the Sun Golden Wheel. Kunpeng initially overwhelms him, but Lu Ya draws power from the Solar Star and reveals his new identity as its ruler and the Golden Crow heir.
• Kunpeng blocks the Solar Star’s light with his wings. A silver blessing then flows from the Lunar Star to Lu Ya, supplied by Chang’e—whose body is being controlled by Xi He’s hidden remnant soul. Empowered by both celestial bodies, Lu Ya fights Kunpeng on equal terms.
• In the Netherworld, Gungun reports Nuwa’s intervention to Houtu. They discuss Nuwa’s plan to use Lu Ya and the Demon-Summoning Banner to consolidate the Demon Race. Gungun doubts Lu Ya can defeat Kunpeng, but Houtu points out his unexpected strength.
• Gungun recognizes Xi He’s remnant soul within Chang’e. Houtu explains that Nuwa had concealed it, and that Xi He likely hid from Dijun because she resented his decision not to avenge their sons immediately.
• As Kunpeng tries to approach the Lunar Star to break Lu Ya’s support, Lu Ya briefly receives power from both stars. He unleashes his strongest Golden Crow attack, leaving the battle unresolved at the chapter’s end.

Character developments

• Lu Ya has grown from a fearful, dependent prince into a determined fighter who embraces his status as the last Golden Crow and claims authority over the sun.
• Kunpeng remains formidable, but his old betrayal and fear of Taiyi’s possible return constrain his choices; he recognizes Lu Ya’s political protection yet is surprised by his power.
• Nuwa acts pragmatically, turning Kunpeng’s fate into an opportunity to strengthen her Demon Teaching and raise Lu Ya’s standing.
• Gungun realizes Xi He’s supposed death did not fully end her influence, while Houtu demonstrates deeper insight into the political and celestial developments.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: Lu Ya’s royal inheritance matters most when paired with real strength and possible control of the Demon-Summoning Banner.
• Hidden loyalties and unfinished grief: Xi He’s concealed survival reflects her lasting anger toward Dijun and her continued attachment to her son.
• Political maneuvering and karma: Nuwa, Houtu, and other powers treat Kunpeng’s downfall and the Demon Race’s future as strategic opportunities.
• Transformation through responsibility: Lu Ya’s resolve marks a shift from helplessness toward claiming his own role and power.

Character interactions

• Lu Ya and Kunpeng’s confrontation is both a personal vendetta and a struggle over the Demon Race’s future.
• Xi He’s remnant soul supports Lu Ya through Chang’e, creating a quiet mother-and-son bond amid the battle.
• Gungun and Houtu discuss Nuwa’s plans, with Houtu correcting Gungun’s underestimation of Lu Ya.
• Nuwa intervenes indirectly: she spares Kunpeng only to place him before Lu Ya, shaping both the fight and its political consequences.

Key plot points and events

• Kunpeng uses his All-Things Devouring ability to swallow Lu Ya, along with the Sun Golden Wheel and Solar True Fire.
• Xi He’s remnant soul, which has been hidden within Chang’e, binds Kunpeng with chains from the Lunar Star and enters his body to reach Lu Ya.
• Inside Kunpeng, Xi He reunites with her son. She explains that she is only a remnant soul and will soon disappear, then teaches him her Dao insights to help him advance toward the Quasi-Saint realm.
• Xi He cuts open Kunpeng’s belly with the Moon Golden Wheel, allowing them to escape. She urges Lu Ya to flee and cultivate, but he refuses to keep running.
• Lu Ya realizes that uniting the Demon Race cannot depend on his strength alone: unity matters alongside power. He calls for demons willing to fight Kunpeng with him.
• The Demon Sages, Demon Gods, and thousands of other demons answer his call. As Xi He’s soul vanishes, she blesses Lu Ya and asks him to live. Kunpeng is left surrounded by the assembled demons.

Character developments

• Lu Ya shifts from seeking personal glory by defeating Kunpeng alone to recognizing that leadership means inspiring others and building unity. Though he knows he cannot win alone, he chooses to stand and fight rather than flee.
• Xi He gets a final reunion with her son and passes on her teachings. She moves from urging him to survive through retreat to accepting the path he chooses, while remaining deeply concerned for his life.
• Kunpeng demonstrates the gap between his Quasi-Saint realm and Lu Ya’s Great Immortal cultivation, but his advantage is challenged once the Demon Race rallies around Lu Ya.

Significant themes

• Unity and leadership: A people cannot be held together by force or a leader’s strength alone; shared purpose and willing loyalty matter.
• Strength and cultivation: Power requires both abundant magic and a sufficiently advanced realm; blessings cannot erase a disparity in cultivation.
• Family, sacrifice, and legacy: Xi He’s final gift is her knowledge and her enduring wish for Lu Ya to live.
• Courage versus survival: Lu Ya rejects endless retreat, choosing to risk his life for the cause he believes in.

Character interactions

• Xi He and Lu Ya share a tearful mother-son reunion, and she teaches him before they escape Kunpeng.
• Lu Ya challenges his mother’s advice to flee, explaining his new understanding of what the Demon Race needs.
• The Demon Sages and thousands of demons publicly pledge themselves to Lu Ya, transforming his solitary confrontation into a collective stand against Kunpeng.

Key plot points and events

• After Xi He’s remnant soul fades, Lu Ya catches the unconscious Chang’e and sends her safely back to the Lunar Star.
• Lu Ya rallies the Demon Race against Kunpeng, ordering the demons to kill him. Led by Shang Yang and other Demon Sages, the demons surround Kunpeng and attack. Lu Ya joins the assault with the Sun and Moon Golden Wheels.
• At Wa Emperor Palace, Nuwa explains that some demons follow Lu Ya because his refusal to flee and willingness to face death reminded them of his father, Dijun. Though Ao Yue officially commands the Demon Race, Lu Ya is Dijun’s appointed Crown Prince.
• Nuwa sees the unexpected unity around Lu Ya as an opportunity to raise the Demon Race’s prestige and revive the Demon Teaching.
• In the Heavenly Court, Ao Yue permits Bai Ze to join the battle and asks him to bring Lu Ya to meet him afterward. Bai Ze accepts and flies to the starry sky.
• Houtu sends Hou Yi, Xingtian, Jiu Feng, and fifty thousand witch followers to kill Kunpeng before the demons can, preserving his primordial spirit so she can judge him for attacking the Netherworld Emperor.
• Houtu explains that she wants to prevent the Demon Race’s victory from increasing its power and helping Nuwa challenge her. She reveals she has another move: a black bear in a kasaya appears, prompting Gungun to realize Houtu may intend to use him.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ya shifts from an isolated, doubted heir into a leader whose courage inspires demons to follow him. His grief and resolve are also reflected in his determination to absorb his mother’s insights after the battle.
• Nuwa interprets Lu Ya’s emergence as politically useful, viewing his growing support as a path to restoring the Demon Race and the Demon Teaching.
• Ao Yue shows restraint by letting Bai Ze go, while still requesting a later meeting with Lu Ya.
• Bai Ze sets aside hesitation and joins the attack, affirming his loyalty to the Demon Race.
• Houtu acts to contain the Demon Race’s rise and counter Nuwa’s ambitions; her exchange with Gungun reveals her strategic thinking, while the final reveal leaves Gungun alarmed.

Significant themes

• Courage and legitimacy: Lu Ya earns allegiance not merely through title, but by demonstrating the resolve associated with Dijun.
• Karma and escalating conflict: As Nuwa observes, one confrontation leads into another, entangling even powerful figures.
• Political power and rivalry: The fight over Kunpeng becomes a contest over the future influence of the Demon Race, the Witches, Nuwa, and Houtu.

Plot and events

• Houtu sends the Black Bear Ancestor—Gungun’s second severed corpse, nicknamed Xiong Er—to help Hou Yi and Xingtian kill Kunpeng before the demons can, then bring Kunpeng’s primordial spirit to the Netherworld.
• Xiong Er has fashioned himself a kasaya and lotus dais, convinced he is destined to become the future Black Bear Buddha Lord. He wants the prestige of Buddhism but avoids grand disruptions that might cost him money: he already owes Houtu ten million years of advance salary.
• Arriving first at the Endless Starry Sky, Xiong Er attacks both Kunpeng and the demons, imagining future generations praising him as a merciful savior. Hou Yi, Xingtian, Jiu Feng, and fifty thousand witches soon join him. Witches and demons fight each other, yet both sides repeatedly turn on Kunpeng, leaving him trapped in a chaotic group assault.
• Meanwhile, Nuwa thanks Houtu for helping eliminate Kunpeng, then asks for Houtu’s Ancestral Witch essence blood so she can create a deputy to run the Witch Teaching. Houtu suspects Nuwa is trying to extend her influence over the Witch Race and responds with pointed, evasive politeness, inviting her to Pangu Hall to collect the blood. Nuwa declines.
• Gungun tries to leave to rescue Xiong Meng and the others, who are trapped in Kong Xuan’s Five-Colored Divine Light, but Houtu pulls him back and playfully rubs his face and belly. Their exchange ends with Houtu striking him into submission; Nuwa eventually stops responding.
• In the starry-sky battle, Xiong Er uses the Law of Silence and Houtu’s enhanced Heaven-Flipping Seal against Kunpeng. Hou Yi wounds Kunpeng with an arrow, and Bai Ze attacks with beasts from the Ten Thousand Beasts Scroll. Xiong Er then grows to immense size, beats the already injured Kunpeng, and swallows him along with the beasts, claiming the kill. He heads for the Netherworld to deliver his captive.
• Lu Ya calls off the demons’ pursuit. After confronting the witches, he leads the demons to the Solar Star, where they plan to rebuild the Demon Emperor Palace.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiong Er emerges as vain, ambitious, and opportunistic, but also powerful and tactically effective. His Buddha Lord fantasy shapes how he fights: he wants both a dramatic victory and a story that will earn him worship.
• Gungun remains proud of his past good deeds and eager to claim the title of “greatly compassionate and merciful.” His bickering with Houtu is affectionate but lopsided, as she easily restrains and teases him.
• Houtu and Nuwa maintain a relationship of formal sisterly courtesy layered over rivalry. Nuwa seeks influence in the Witch Teaching; Houtu recognizes the ambition and parries her request without openly breaking politeness.
• Kunpeng is powerful but overwhelmed by the witches, demons, and Xiong Er attacking him together. His complaints about their lack of honor add to the scene’s comic tone.
• Hou Yi and Bai Ze both help weaken Kunpeng, but Xiong Er denies them the final victory. Lu Ya, by contrast, prioritizes withdrawing and rebuilding the Demon Race’s power.

Significant themes

• Ambition and self-mythologizing: Xiong Er wants to manufacture the deeds and image of a future Buddha Lord.
• Power politics: Nuwa and Houtu maneuver over authority in the Witch Teaching while maintaining a veneer of civility.
• Comic irreverence: Grand titles, divine battles, and claims of mercy are undercut by salary debt, petty bickering, and Gungun’s complaints about being handled like a pet.
• Coalitions and opportunism: Traditional enemies cooperate when useful, as witches and demons repeatedly join forces against Kunpeng.

Summary

• Nuwa seeks help from Houtu: Nuwa asks Houtu for her old ancestral-witch essence blood so she can create a living being to serve as Deputy Cult Leader of the Witch Teaching. Houtu suspects Nuwa is trying to extend her influence over the Witch Race and sarcastically suggests Nuwa simply surrender her leadership post. She claims the essence blood is in Pangu Hall and invites Nuwa to come retrieve it, but Nuwa refuses to enter. Their exchange ends in familiar, weary bickering.
• Houtu detains Gungun: As Gungun tries to leave to rescue Xiong Meng and the others trapped in Kong Xuan’s Five-Colored Divine Light, Houtu pulls him back and continues rubbing his face and belly. Their interaction is comic and teasing: Gungun privately complains that she is treating him without dignity, while Houtu hears his thoughts and dismisses his claim to be handsome. She calls the belly-rubbing a “blessing” and ultimately beats him into submission.
• The demons defeat Kunpeng: In the Endless Starry Sky, Black Bear Ancestor uses the enhanced Heaven-Flipping Seal to strike Kunpeng. Hou Yi interrupts Kunpeng’s attempt to swallow him with a divine arrow, and Bai Ze sends out beasts from the Ten Thousand Beasts Scroll. With Kunpeng already badly wounded, Black Bear Ancestor pins him down, pummels him, and swallows him along with the beasts. He boasts that he has secured the kill and takes Kunpeng toward the Netherworld, confident he can contain him.
• The demons withdraw: Lu Ya prevents the other demons from pursuing Black Bear Ancestor, recognizing that there is no point. After facing off against Hou Yi, Xingtian, and Jiu Feng, he orders a retreat. The demons head to the Solar Star to rebuild the Demon Emperor Palace.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu and Nuwa remain close enough for familiar banter, but their conversation exposes their competing ambitions and mutual distrust.
• Gungun is eager to return to the unfinished calamity and rescue his companions, but Houtu’s playful control over him leaves him frustrated and embarrassed.
• Black Bear Ancestor emerges as a formidable fighter who relies on teamwork and powerful treasures; his victory over Kunpeng is both decisive and comic.
• Lu Ya shows restraint by abandoning the pursuit and choosing to regroup rather than risk further losses.

Significant themes

• Rivalry and power: Nuwa’s request raises questions about who has authority over the Witch Teaching and the Witch Race.
• Cooperation in conflict: Kunpeng’s defeat comes through coordinated attacks, not a fair one-on-one duel.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter balances a major battle with teasing, internal monologues, and slapstick.
• Retreat and renewal: The demons’ move to the Solar Star signals a strategic withdrawal and the beginning of rebuilding.

Plot and events

• Hou Yi, Xingtian, and Jiu Feng let the fleeing demons escape rather than risk pursuing them without Houtu’s order. They return to the Primordial World after learning that the Black Bear Ancestor has captured Kunpeng.
• In Taisu Heaven, Nuwa gives Bai Xi the Demon-Summoning Banner and sends him to Lu Ya. She advises Lu Ya that the Demon Race’s best chance of revival is to claim Haotian’s position as Heavenly Emperor. Nuwa offers to intervene once if needed.
• Nuwa ties a red thread around Soaring Serpent’s wrist, saying it will help him pass a love tribulation and advance on his path to Great Luo. She cryptically tells him that if he ever has a daughter, he should name her Bai Suzhen.
• In the Netherworld, Houtu sentences Kunpeng’s captured primordial spirit to the Nine Hells for his past crimes, including provoking the Ten Golden Crows and recently ambushing Gungun’s good corpse. The Black Bear Ancestor has already begun digesting Kunpeng’s body.
• Hou Yi, Xingtian, and Jiu Feng return. Houtu sends them with Gungun to the Vermilion Bird Realm, where they rescue Xiong Meng, Guang Chengzi, and the other Expounding Teaching disciples. Yuanshi approves of the rescue.

Character developments and interactions

• Nuwa reveals lingering resentment toward the Dao Ancestor for having confined her to Taisu Heaven. Her political advice to Lu Ya also shows she is willing to exploit the current discontent with Haotian.
• Soaring Serpent is startled and protests when Nuwa binds him to an unexplained marriage fate; her reference to a future daughter leaves him baffled.
• Kunpeng accepts his defeat without resistance, while Gungun jokes that family ties often lead powerful figures into trouble.
• Houtu remains firm and judicial, sentencing Kunpeng and dispatching aid for the stranded disciples. Her teasing and care toward Gungun—including giving him a spirit fruit—show their comfortable relationship.
• Gungun continues to act as a capable leader, coordinating the rescue despite being bruised from Houtu’s affectionate roughhousing.

Significant themes

• Power, legitimacy, and political opportunity: Nuwa sees the Heavenly Emperor’s office as Lu Ya’s route to restoring the Demon Race.
• Fate and romantic destiny: Nuwa’s red cord binds Soaring Serpent to a future love trial, foreshadowing Bai Suzhen.
• Justice and consequence: Kunpeng’s past actions catch up with him in Houtu’s sentence.
• Family as both strength and liability: Gungun’s jokes suggest that kinship can entangle even mighty beings in downfall.

Key plot points and events

• Yuanshi reflects on the Expounding Teaching’s repeated defeats by Kong Xuan and Golden Roc. He considers strengthening his disciple Nine Li but decides against granting him power that would permanently limit his cultivation.
• Instead, Yuanshi appoints Immortal Elder Antarctic as the Great Emperor of Southern Longevity. The Investiture of the Gods List raises Antarctic’s strength to that of a one-corpse quasi-saint, and Yuanshi sends him to serve in the Heavenly Court and assist the teaching’s disciples during the calamity.
• Yuanshi advises Nine Li that his many techniques and traditions are too scattered. After the calamity, he must cultivate in seclusion, integrate what he has learned, and discover his own path.
• At the Zhou camp, Jiang Ziya welcomes the returning Xiong Meng, Guang Chengzi, and Yellow Dragon. With Kong Xuan gravely wounded, Golden Roc is the remaining major threat, so Guang Chengzi summons reinforcements.
• Golden Roc faces seven immortals of the Expounding Teaching. Accusing them of overwhelming him with numbers, he tries to strike the captured Taiyi and Yuding, but Ran Deng arrives in time to save them.
• The ensuing half-day battle ends with Ran Deng subduing Golden Roc using the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl and 108 Prayer Beads, then taking him to Vulture Mountain. All three sons of the Primordial Phoenix have now suffered major defeats in the calamity.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuanshi balances immediate military needs against Nine Li’s long-term potential. Rather than sacrifice Nine Li’s future, he empowers Antarctic through a divine office.
• Immortal Elder Antarctic accepts his new role with respect and excitement, gaining quasi-saint-level strength through divine blessing, though he has not actually slashed a corpse.
• Nine Li accepts Yuanshi’s criticism and guidance, recognizing the need to unify his diverse training.
• Golden Roc is grieving and enraged by his brothers’ fates. He fights with conviction despite being outnumbered, but is ultimately captured.
• Guang Chengzi responds to earlier humiliation with anger and leads the effort against Golden Roc; Ran Deng intervenes at a crucial moment to protect Taiyi and Yuding before helping secure victory.

Significant themes

• Power versus potential: Yuanshi refuses to give Nine Li a quick boost that would stunt his future growth.
• Integration and self-discovery: True advancement requires Nine Li to bring his many teachings together and find a path of his own.
• Authority and borrowed power: Antarctic’s divine rank grants immense strength without the personal attainment of slashing a corpse.
• Grief, loyalty, and unequal combat: Golden Roc’s desperate fight is driven by loyalty to his brothers, while his accusation of unfair numbers highlights the conflict’s moral and tactical tensions.

Key plot points

• Tongtian summons Heavenly Emperor Gungun to demand retaliation after Ran Deng captures Golden Roc and turns him into a mount—an insult Tongtian sees as a public humiliation of Jiejiao.
• Tongtian insists Gungun take responsibility for Jiejiao’s losses and restore the sect’s dignity. He gives Gungun the powerful Water-Fire Gourd as an incentive. Gungun readily agrees, though it privately admits the treasure won it over.
• Back in Heaven, Gungun gathers Jiejiao disciples serving in the Heavenly Court and frames the coming retaliation as justice against the Expounding Teaching, not assistance to Shang. It orders Zhao Gongming to challenge the Expounding Teaching’s disciples while avoiding mortal troops.
• Gungun denies the Three Xiao Sisters’ request to accompany Zhao Gongming, arguing that Jiejiao must prove its strength through a lone fighter triumphing against many. It equips Zhao with a protective treasure and a spirit fruit.
• Gungun then tells its nephew Nine Li to wait until Zhao Gongming defeats Ran Deng, then descend and defeat Zhao in turn—using the victory to strengthen Nine Li’s reputation and his claim to become Deputy Cult Leader of the Expounding Teaching.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun balances political maneuvering with self-interest: it resents being ordered about by a Saint, but accepts Tongtian’s task for the Water-Fire Gourd and because Heavenly Court’s Jiejiao gods need its support. It presents its plans as loyalty to both sides while pursuing its own advantage.
• Tongtian shifts from furious indignation to satisfaction once Gungun promises to help. He even hopes Gungun fails, since that would make it his disciple.
• Zhao Gongming eagerly accepts the assignment, seeing it as a chance to avenge his fellow Jiejiao disciples without violating the Heavenly Court’s ban on aiding Shang.
• Yunxiao worries about her brother’s safety; Gungun reassures her and refuses to let the sisters join him.
• Nine Li is startled by Gungun’s plan to use the conflict to advance his standing within the Expounding Teaching.

Significant themes

• Dignity and humiliation: Tongtian considers being made a mount worse than defeat or death, and seeks a public reversal of that disgrace.
• Power, loyalty, and self-interest: Gungun’s alliances are shaped by both political obligations and valuable rewards.
• Manipulation and opportunism: Gungun turns Tongtian’s demand for vengeance into a strategy that could elevate Nine Li.
• The cost of factional conflict: The chapter presents the broader war as a struggle among religious factions, while Gungun tries to keep mortal armies outside the planned retaliation.

Key plot points and events

• Leaving Golden Turtle Island with Tongtian’s Water-Fire Gourd, Gungun privately admits the priceless treasure persuaded it to help Jiejiao restore its honor.
• Back in the Heavenly Court, Gungun summons six Jiejiao disciples—Zhao Gongming, the Three Xiao Sisters, Wuyun Immortal, and Golden Cudgel Immortal—and explains that Tongtian is furious over Golden Roc being taken as a mount.
• Gungun sends Zhao Gongming to the Shang-Zhou battlefield to challenge the Expounding Teaching’s disciples. He must not enter the Shang camp or interfere with the mortal armies. Gungun gives him a Yellow Central Plum and a protective magical treasure.
• The Three Xiao Sisters ask to accompany Zhao, but Gungun refuses: Jiejiao will regain its standing most effectively if one disciple defeats multiple opponents alone. Zhao accepts the challenge.
• Gungun then summons its nephew Nine Li and tells him to wait in Heaven. It plans for him to defeat Zhao after Ran Deng has been beaten, using the victory to promote Nine Li as a stronger, more qualified candidate for the Expounding Teaching’s deputy leadership.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun presents itself as loyal to Jiejiao, while privately balancing that loyalty with political maneuvering—and openly enjoying the reward it received. It reassures Yunxiao that Zhao will be safe, then secretly turns the coming clash into an opportunity for Nine Li.
• Zhao Gongming is eager to confront the Expounding Teaching after watching fellow Jiejiao disciples fall, but he intends to target only its disciples, not help Shang resist Zhou.
• The Three Xiao Sisters share their brother’s outrage but accept Gungun’s reasoning against overwhelming the opposition with numbers.
• Yunxiao worries about Zhao’s safety and is comforted by Gungun’s assurance.
• Nine Li is initially confused by Gungun’s claim that it will help him make his name, then learns of the plan to use the conflict to advance his position. He is surprised by the proposal.
• The scene contrasts Gungun’s solemn public promises with its private, self-interested strategy, especially in its dealings with Nine Li.

Significant themes

• Honor and humiliation: Jiejiao accepts defeat and death as part of the calamity, but sees being made a mount as an intolerable insult.
• Factional loyalty and political ambition: Gungun invokes loyalty to Jiejiao while also maneuvering to strengthen Nine Li and influence the Expounding Teaching.
• Strategy and reputation: The planned one-against-many duel is framed as a way to prove Jiejiao’s strength and restore its standing.
• Personal interest beneath noble motives: Gungun’s valuable reward and calculated scheming add comic irony to its declarations of principle.

Plot points and events

• In the Heavenly Court, Gungun persuades Nine Li that he could become Deputy Cult Leader of the Expounding Teaching. Gungun’s real aim is to fulfill Tongtian’s assignment without offending Yuanshi, while honoring a promise to Nuwa; supporting Nine Li gives him a public justification. He keeps Nine Li in heaven and sends Zhao Gongming to the mortal realm.
• At the Zhou camp, Zhao Gongming demands that the Expounding Teaching’s senior leaders, Guang Chengzi and Ran Deng, answer for their treatment of Jiejiao disciples. He declares that he has come to defend Jiejiao’s honor, not to aid Shang, whose defeat he accepts as Heaven’s will.
• Nezha attacks Zhao and is knocked unconscious with one blow. Zhao gives Jiang Ziya three days to summon the senior immortals, threatening to put the whole camp on the Investiture of the Gods List if they fail to appear.
• Jiang Ziya sends Yang Jian to gather Ran Deng and the Twelve Golden Immortals, preferring overwhelming numbers to risk another defeat like the one against Golden Roc.
• Shen Gongbao visits Zhao in hopes of persuading him to support Shang. Zhao refuses: he will obey the Heavenly Emperor’s decree and has no intention of sacrificing his heavenly rank and stipend for Shen’s ambitions.
• Three days later, Zhao faces Ran Deng and the assembled Expounding Teaching immortals. Seeing how many opponents have come, he realizes they have vastly exceeded what he expected.

Character developments

• Gungun reveals himself as a calculating mediator: he uses Nine Li’s possible promotion as cover for balancing his obligations to Tongtian, Yuanshi, and Nuwa.
• Nine Li begins to entertain the possibility of rising to a powerful position, though he remains uncertain and wary of his uncle’s plan.
• Zhao Gongming is principled, proud, and formidable. He distinguishes his defense of Jiejiao’s dignity from participation in the Shang-Zhou war, and stands by his heavenly obligations despite Shen Gongbao’s pressure.
• Jiang Ziya is angered by Zhao’s insult but responds pragmatically, quickly arranging reinforcements after Nezha’s defeat.
• Shen Gongbao suffers an unexpected failure: his usual persuasive tactics cannot sway Zhao, whose loyalty to Heaven outweighs the rewards of preserving Shang.

Character interactions

• Gungun reassures and directs Nine Li, while privately using him as part of a wider political strategy.
• Zhao humiliates Jiang Ziya by refusing to recognize his authority, then defeats Nezha’s challenge effortlessly. Yang Jian watches with frustration, mindful of his own grievance against the Heavenly Court.
• Zhao and Shen Gongbao clash over Jiejiao’s interests: Shen appeals to the livelihoods of Jiejiao’s Shang-affiliated disciples, while Zhao insists that they can receive heavenly positions and refuses to jeopardize his own.
• Jiang Ziya and Yang Jian cooperate in summoning the Expounding Teaching elders, setting up the confrontation at the chapter’s end.

Significant themes

• Duty versus personal gain: Zhao chooses loyalty to Heaven over worldly wealth and Shen’s political aims.
• Political maneuvering and divided loyalties: Gungun’s plan seeks to satisfy multiple powerful figures without openly opposing any of them.
• Honor and factional grievance: Zhao’s intervention is driven by Jiejiao’s perceived humiliation, not by support for Shang.
• Pragmatism in conflict: Jiang Ziya and his allies prioritize winning over fairness, assembling a large force to face one opponent.

Key plot points and events

• Ran Deng confronts Zhao Gongming, arguing that the Heavenly Emperor’s decree—Shang must fall and Zhou must rise—makes Zhao’s opposition to Jiang Ziya’s campaign defiance of Heaven.
• Zhao rejects that accusation. He says he has come to demand justice from the Expounding Teaching for killing Jiejiao disciples and for taking his junior, Feathered-Wing Immortal, as Ran Deng’s mount. He insists that only Jiejiao’s leader or the Heavenly Emperor had authority to punish his disciples.
• Zhao attacks. Puxian, Yuding, and Daoxing meet him, but Zhao reveals the power of his twenty-four Dinghai Pearls and defeats all three in quick succession.
• He challenges Ran Deng, who answers with the Heaven-Measuring Ruler. Their weapons collide in a fierce, earth-shaking battle.
• The remaining six Golden Immortals join the fight against Zhao, leaving the outcome unresolved at the chapter’s end.

Character developments

• Zhao Gongming emerges as a formidable, confident fighter. The pearls make him far more powerful than Ran Deng had expected, and he sees the encounter as a chance to establish his own reputation and elevate Jiejiao’s standing.
• Ran Deng maintains a posture of authority, though Zhao’s strength unsettles him. He frames the conflict as righteous enforcement of Heaven’s will, while also striving not to lose face.
• Puxian, Yuding, and Daoxing initially meet Zhao boldly but are quickly forced to recognize the gap between their expectations and his power.

Significant themes

• Rival claims of authority: Zhao argues that the Expounding Teaching had no right to punish Jiejiao disciples; Ran Deng claims his sect was acting on Heaven’s behalf.
• Factional rivalry and justice: The dispute over the slain disciples and Feathered-Wing Immortal turns into a direct confrontation between the two sects.
• Reputation and pride: Zhao seeks recognition for himself and Jiejiao, while Ran Deng’s status makes him reluctant to show fear.
• Power overturning assumptions: Zhao’s decisive victories expose how badly the Expounding Teaching underestimated him.

Character interactions

• Ran Deng tries to cast Zhao as an opponent of Heaven’s decree, but Zhao refuses the accusation and challenges the Expounding Teaching’s right to act as judge and executioner.
• Zhao’s fight with the three Golden Immortals shifts the confrontation from argument to open combat.
• After Zhao defeats them, he directly challenges Ran Deng, prompting the deputy leader to fight him; the other Golden Immortals then escalate the battle by joining in.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Gongming fights Ran Deng while the Twelve Golden Immortals and five other Expounding Teaching disciples launch a coordinated surprise attack.
• Zhao counters with six Dinghai Pearls, defeating the attackers one after another. Most of the Twelve Golden Immortals are knocked down; the three who remain uninjured are occupied rescuing their comrades.
• Ran Deng cannot overcome the remaining eighteen pearls. Zhao strikes the Heaven-Measuring Ruler from his hand, then attacks with all twenty-four Dinghai Pearls. Ran Deng transforms into a coffin and flees, with Zhao pursuing him on Black Tiger.
• Tongtian celebrates Zhao’s victory as a public humiliation of Yuanshi and the Expounding Teaching. Yuanshi, furious at the defeat of his disciples and Deputy Cult Leader, considers sending Antarctic Immortal Elder to help.
• Gungun intervenes and proposes sending Nine Li instead, arguing that Antarctic’s Quasi-Saint power comes from his divine office and could make Yuanshi’s victory seem undeserved. Yuanshi accepts the plan and orders Gungun to send Nine Li to defeat Zhao.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Gongming proves himself a formidable fighter, calmly defeating a group of attackers and then forcing Ran Deng to flee.
• Ran Deng loses both his weapon and his composure, choosing escape over facing Zhao’s final assault.
• Tongtian takes pride in Zhao’s performance, seeing it as revenge for Jiejiao’s earlier losses and a chance to outshine Yuanshi.
• Yuanshi shifts from indignation to strategic concern, mindful not only of the defeat but also of how the wider world will judge him.
• Gungun acts as Yuanshi’s adviser and claims responsibility for arranging Zhao’s descent at Tongtian’s request. He steers Yuanshi away from using Antarctic Immortal Elder and toward Nine Li.
• The chapter’s key interaction is the contrast between Tongtian’s open celebration and Yuanshi’s wounded pride, while Gungun tries to protect Yuanshi’s reputation through a carefully chosen countermeasure.

Significant themes

• Pride and reputation: The battle matters as much for the standing of each sect as for its military outcome.
• Power and perception: Yuanshi worries that victory gained through Antarctic Immortal Elder’s divine office would be dismissed as luck rather than skill.
• Loyalty and rivalry: Zhao acts for Jiejiao’s honor, while Tongtian and Yuanshi interpret the conflict through their longstanding rivalry.

Plot and key events

• Gungun takes Nine Li to Mount Wuyi and tells him to rescue Ran Deng and defeat Zhao Gongming. Though unsure he can overcome Zhao’s twenty-four Dinghai Pearls, Nine Li is reassured that his Great Luo Peak cultivation and Great Shaman True Form make him capable.
• Ran Deng, fleeing Zhao Gongming, finds Nine Li in a peach grove and asks him to hold Zhao off, then immediately runs away. His conduct leaves Nine Li questioning his worth as a deputy leader.
• Zhao arrives, and he and Nine Li argue over the war: Zhao objects to the Expounding Teaching’s disciples punishing Interception Teaching members on their own, while Nine Li insists those who obstruct Zhou’s campaign deserve their fate. They agree to fight.
• Zhao attacks with the twenty-four Dinghai Pearls. Nine Li withstands them by combining his Great Shaman True Form with the Eight-Nine Profound Art, then counters with the eighth form of the Heaven-Splitting Divine Palm, destroying Zhao’s black tiger and a vast stretch of Mount Wuyi.
• Zhao narrowly evades the strike and concentrates the Pearls on one point. Nine Li transforms into a Great Roc and charges through their blows, then changes into a giant kun and uses its innate suction to pull Zhao toward its mouth. The chapter ends with Zhao caught off guard.
• Meanwhile, Ju Mang senses Nine Li’s battle. Zhurong asks to leave the mountains to join the excitement, and Ju Mang permits him on the condition that he not cause trouble. Gonggong then slips out as well.

Character developments and interactions

• Nine Li begins the battle uncertain of his strength but demonstrates formidable resilience, ingenuity, and shapeshifting combat skill. Gungun’s confidence helps set him on his course.
• Zhao Gongming is powerful and aggressive, but his past defeats by Nine Li make him wary. He adapts his tactics when his initial attacks fail, yet is surprised by Nine Li’s transformations.
• Ran Deng’s panic and self-preservation contrast sharply with Nine Li’s willingness to confront Zhao.
• Zhurong’s boredom and eagerness for action reveal a restless, playful side; Ju Mang acts as a cautious but indulgent elder brother. Gonggong follows Zhurong’s lead without permission.

Significant themes

• The battle reflects competing claims of justice and authority during the divine calamity: whether Zhou’s opponents may be punished by rival disciples or only by their leaders or the Heavenly Emperor.
• Strength comes not only from powerful treasures, but also from discipline, adaptability, and combining abilities.
• The Ancestral Witches’ postwar boredom contrasts with the mortal-world conflict, hinting that their entry into the wider events may create further disruption.

Plot points

• Nine Li defeats Zhao Gongming after swallowing him in his giant-kun form. Gungun captures Zhao’s twenty-four Dinghai Pearls, and Nine Li takes his Dragon-Binding Rope.
• Zhao refuses to concede and tries to leave, but Gungun approves Nine Li’s pursuit. Nine Li catches and imprisons him beneath Mount Wuyi.
• Gungun uses the Witch Race to publicize the fight, presenting Zhao as a formidable hero who defeated the Twelve Golden Immortals and Daoist Ran Deng before losing to Nine Li. The story raises both men’s reputations and humiliates Ran Deng.
• At the Heavenly Court, the Three Xiao Sisters ask Gungun to rescue their brother. Gungun explains that Zhao is protected from death and will be freed after the Investiture of the Gods ends. Reassured, the sisters decide not to intervene immediately.
• Gungun then tells them to continue Zhao’s mission of restoring the Shangqing Saint’s honor by confronting Nine Li. It gives Yunxiao Zhao’s captured treasures; with the Dinghai Pearls, she estimates the sisters have a fifty-percent chance of defeating him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Gongming proves powerful and earns renown despite his defeat, but his anger and refusal to concede lead directly to his imprisonment.
• Nine Li wins the duel and follows Gungun’s order to capture Zhao, serving as both Zhao’s captor and the sisters’ next target.
• Gungun carefully manages the conflict: it protects Zhao from being killed, shapes public opinion, and equips the Three Xiao Sisters to continue the campaign.
• Yunxiao remains composed, rebukes impulsive Bixiao, and assesses their chances cautiously. Qiongxiao and Bixiao initially worry about Zhao but quickly accept that his short imprisonment may be deserved.
• Ran Deng is furious at being portrayed as a coward and vows not to suffer another humiliating defeat. Gungun privately hopes to undermine his position as Expounding Teaching deputy leader over time.

Significant themes

• Reputation and propaganda: A defeat can still enhance prestige when the victor is formidable, while public storytelling turns rivals into stepping stones.
• Fate and tribulation: Gungun frames Zhao’s imprisonment as part of his destined role in the coming conflict, not simply as a disaster.
• Political maneuvering: Gungun’s concern extends beyond the immediate duel to the future leadership of the religious factions.
• Family loyalty tempered by pragmatism: The sisters seek help for Zhao, but once assured he is safe, they are willing to let him endure his punishment.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Gungun secretly wants Nine Li to replace Ran Deng as Deputy Cult Leader of the Expounding Teaching. He therefore urges the Three Xiao Sisters not to lose to Nine Li, framing a draw as the ideal outcome: Tongtian would be satisfied, and Yuanshi could accept the result. He tells them that if Nine Li cannot defeat them, the Expounding Teaching will have lost and Yinglong will bring them back to Heaven.
• Half a month later, the Zhou Army captures another Shang pass. Deng Jiugong and his daughter Deng Chanyu die fighting for Shang rather than surrendering to Zhou, a change attributed to the butterfly effect.
• The Three Xiao Sisters descend to the mortal realm. Tongtian watches their arrival and anticipates a renewed defeat for Yuanshi’s disciples.
• At the Zhou camp, the sisters confront Jiang Ziya and identify themselves as the Heavenly Court’s Spring, Summer, and Autumn Gods—and as Zhao Gongming’s younger sisters. They demand that the Expounding Teaching disciples meet them and break their formation. If they refuse, the sisters threaten to attack their cultivation grounds one by one.
• Yunxiao effortlessly sends Jiang Ziya, Yang Jian, and Nezha back to their tent, demonstrating her formidable power. Jiang Ziya then sends Yang Jian and Nezha to summon the Expounding Teaching disciples, especially their eldest martial uncle, Nine Li, who remains on Mount Wuyi.
• Nine Li sees Yang Jian approaching and realizes another fight is coming. He wonders whether fighting will truly help him become Deputy Cult Leader, while privately feeling excited by the possibility—though he feels some guilt toward Ran Deng.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun manipulates expectations to advance his plan for Nine Li’s promotion, while presenting his advice to the sisters as concern for their honor.
• The Three Xiao Sisters act out of loyalty to Zhao Gongming. Bixiao angrily defends him when Jiang Ziya calls his actions defiance of Heaven; Yunxiao takes charge and delivers the sisters’ challenge.
• Jiang Ziya begins with an attempt to placate the sisters, then grows defensive when they reject his account of Zhao Gongming’s defeat. Despite his shock at Yunxiao’s power, he pragmatically summons the Expounding Teaching disciples.
• Yang Jian objects to Bixiao’s insults, but restrains himself when she identifies him as the Jade Emperor’s nephew—a sore point given his hostility toward the Jade Emperor.
• Nine Li is increasingly tempted by the prospect of advancement, though he remains conscious of Ran Deng and his own uncertainty.

Significant themes

• Ambition and concealed motives: Gungun’s political maneuvering turns the coming battle into a means of changing the Expounding Teaching’s leadership.
• Loyalty and retaliation: The sisters’ challenge is driven by family loyalty and anger over Zhao Gongming’s treatment.
• Competing claims to Heaven’s authority: Bixiao rejects the Expounding Teaching’s claim to speak for Heaven and accuses it of being the true offender.
• Honor, duty, and altered fate: Deng Jiugong and Deng Chanyu’s deaths underscore loyalty to Shang, while the changed outcome reflects the story’s “butterfly effect.”