Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Xiong Meng uses the Earth-Traveling Golden Light ability to carry Zhu Gaochi underground toward the Central Wilderness, hoping to reach the Iron-Eating Beast homeland and the protected Yellow Kirin Realm.
• In the sky, the demons realize Xiong Zhan was only impersonating Zhen Yuanzi. Xiong Zhan refuses to yield and fights Nine-Headed Worm, then endures Black Robe’s demonic attack to buy time for Zhu Gaochi’s escape.
• Black Robe sends Giant Scorpion to keep Xiong Zhan occupied while he, Yingyao, and Nine-Headed Worm pursue Zhu Gaochi. Giant Scorpion traps Xiong Zhan in poisonous mist and battles him with his Quasi-Saint strength.
• Underground, Zhu Gaochi deduces that the demons are after him because of his previous life and that Xiong Zhan has secretly protected him for years. Xiong Meng avoids explaining further.
• Nine-Headed Worm catches up and attacks with demon-charged axes. Xiong Meng knocks the weapons aside and lands a powerful strike that sends him flying—but Black Robe and Yingyao then ensnare Xiong Meng and Zhu Gaochi in a vast Earth Net.

Character developments

• Xiong Zhan shows unwavering courage, knowingly risking his life against vastly stronger opponents to protect Zhu Gaochi.
• Xiong Meng proves far more formidable than his mild manner suggests, easily repelling Nine-Headed Worm, while remaining loyal and determined to protect Zhu Gaochi.
• Zhu Gaochi reveals sharp insight: he connects his long-running protection, the demons’ arrival, and his possible past life, though he still lacks the answer to why he is being hunted.
• The demons shift from mocking Xiong Zhan to pursuing their true target, using teamwork and a prepared trap.

Character interactions

• Nine-Headed Worm taunts Xiong Zhan, but Xiong Zhan answers with defiance and fights him directly.
• Xiong Meng reassures Zhu Gaochi and praises his intelligence, while privately recognizing that he has nearly uncovered the truth.
• Black Robe directs the pursuit, assigning Giant Scorpion to restrain Xiong Zhan and taking Yingyao and Nine-Headed Worm after Zhu Gaochi.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Xiong Zhan risks everything to give Zhu Gaochi time to escape; Xiong Meng continues the protective mission.
• Hidden identity and past lives: Zhu Gaochi suspects his danger is tied to a former existence, hinting at a larger history behind his ordinary appearance.
• Courage against overwhelming odds: Xiong Zhan’s stand demonstrates that resolve can persist even when victory is unlikely.
• Protection versus pursuit: The chapter’s action turns on a desperate escape, but the Earth Net leaves the protectors cornered.

Key plot points and events

• Black Robe and Yingyao pursue Xiong Meng and Zhu Gaochi after Xiong Meng breaks free from the Earth Net by combining Yin-Yang Transformation with the Heaven-Splitting Divine Palm. Xiong Meng had only pretended to wield the Heavenly Emperor’s Yin-Yang Law.
• Black Robe’s attack sends the pair underground. Xiong Meng uses the imitation Apricot-Yellow Banner to shield them, but Black Robe breaks it. Xiong Meng drives off Nine-Headed Worm and resists the two Quasi-Saints with several treasures and techniques, but it is badly injured.
• As Black Robe’s skulls threaten to finish them, Yingyao severs Xiong Meng’s right arm. Nine Li arrives with the genuine Apricot-Yellow Banner and protects the wounded pair, then transforms into his Great Shaman True Form and fights Black Robe and Yingyao.
• The wider conflict comes into view: Giant Scorpion has defeated and suppressed Xiong Zhan and is heading to join the battle, leaving Nine Li facing three Quasi-Saints.
• Ju Mang sends the recovering Hou Yi and Xingtian to support Nine Li. They arrive, and the three Witch warriors prepare to attack the demons together.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiong Meng reveals that, despite its cowardly past and fear of death, it is determined to protect Zhu Gaochi, whom it identifies as the Iron-Eating Beast clan’s Ancestral Bear. It fights beyond its limits and loses an arm before Nine Li rescues it.
• Zhu Gaochi remains vulnerable and frightened, but Xiong Meng’s declaration gives him a puzzling sense of recognition around the name “Ancestral Bear.”
• Nine Li responds fiercely to Xiong Meng’s injury and the threat to the Heavenly Emperor. He initially fights three powerful enemies alone, then is relieved and emboldened by Hou Yi and Xingtian’s arrival.
• Black Robe and Yingyao work together to pursue and overwhelm Xiong Meng; Yingyao delivers the disabling blow, while Black Robe drives the attack. Giant Scorpion is another looming threat, having already subdued Xiong Zhan.
• Ju Mang reassures Guang Chengzi that Nine Li has protection, but recognizes that he cannot defeat three Quasi-Saints alone. He commits the Witch Race to help, and Hou Yi and Xingtian answer his call.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and redemption: Xiong Meng admits its past betrayal but proves its devotion through its willingness to die protecting the Ancestral Bear.
• Courage under impossible odds: Xiong Meng and Nine Li continue fighting despite being outmatched and gravely wounded.
• Solidarity across allies: The Witch Race supports Nine Li, illustrating cooperation against a shared enemy.
• Escalating conflict: The arrival of Hou Yi and Xingtian turns a desperate defense into a larger confrontation, while Ju Mang’s unease about the Heavenly Court hints that the danger extends beyond this battle.

Summary

Lumian Li entertains a tavern customer, Ryan Coss, with a grim first-person tale about a poor young man who takes a night job watching a hospital morgue. The fictional narrator discovers a strange bluish-black mark on the chest of a dead former colleague; afterward, he dreams of fog and senses that something inhuman may come for him. When Ryan asks what happened next, Lumian reveals that the tale was invented—and that his sister, Aurora, wrote it.
The villagers laugh: Lumian is known for telling a different story each day, and his reputation for pranks makes him hard to believe. Ryan, visiting with his companions Valentin and Lia, nonetheless appreciates the story and buys drinks. Their conversation touches on the ominous reputation of the surname Li, associated with the legendary pirate Frank Li.
Pierre, a local regular, explains that Lumian was brought back to Cordu by Aurora five years earlier, when he was thirteen, and then took her surname and the name she chose for him. Lumian says he has forgotten his original name and shows no embarrassment about the revelation.

Character developments and interactions

• Lumian comes across as witty, confident, and mischievous. He enjoys teasing outsiders and the villagers, and appears comfortable with his uncertain past.
• Ryan is courteous and curious; he responds warmly to Lumian’s story rather than taking offense at the deception.
• Lia is amused by Lumian and particularly interested in his surname and history. Valentin remains reserved.
• Pierre acts as the village’s blunt commentator, exposing Lumian’s reputation and background while angling for a free drink.
• Lumian and the villagers banter easily, while the city visitors’ fashion and manners mark them as outsiders.

Significant themes

• Truth, fiction, and credibility: Lumian’s fabricated tale and habitual pranks blur the line between storytelling and deception.
• Belonging and identity: His original name and past are unclear; Aurora’s choice of his name and surname shapes his place in the village.
• Foreshadowing and unease: The corpse’s strange mark and the fog dreams belong to the invented story, but their ominous details lend it a lingering mystery.
• Hardship and escape: The story’s poverty and exhausting work echo Lumian’s observation that rural life is difficult, making the absinthe’s harmful effects seem less important to him.

Summary

The chapter is a brief author’s note rather than a story installment. The author says they have something to take care of that night and are taking the day off, apologizing to readers and encouraging them to get some rest.

• Plot and events: No fictional events occur; the chapter announces a break in publication.
• Character development: None.
• Themes: Rest, personal obligations, and consideration for others.
• Interactions: The author speaks directly to readers, apologizes for the pause, and offers a friendly reminder to rest early.

Chapter summary

• Lumian Li entertains customers at a tavern in the village of Cordu with a grim story about a poor young man who becomes a hospital morgue watchman, touches a strange mark on a dead colleague, and begins dreaming of a vast fog. When a visitor asks what happens next, Lumian reveals that the tale is invented—then explains that his sister, Aurora, writes stories.
• The visitor, Ryan Coss, introduces himself and his companions, Valentin and Lia. Ryan offers Lumian a drink; Lumian chooses Green Fairy (absinthe), dismissing concerns about its harmful effects with a wry comment about how difficult life already is.
• A local named Pierre exposes Lumian’s reputation as a habitual prankster and storyteller. He says Lumian came to Cordu with Aurora five years ago, when he was thirteen, and adopted her surname. Aurora also gave him the name Lumian. Lumian says he has forgotten his former name.

Character developments and interactions

• Lumian is confident, mischievous, and comfortable being teased. He enjoys testing people with convincing stories, but shows no embarrassment when Pierre reveals his uncertain past.
• Ryan is polite and curious, taking the story in good humor and generously offering drinks.
• Lia is amused by Lumian’s performance and particularly attentive when she learns he was brought to Cordu and given a new name.
• Pierre acts as the village’s teasing truth-teller, puncturing Lumian’s fiction while capitalizing on Ryan’s generosity.
• The visitors’ polished, fashionable appearance contrasts with the farmers and herders in the rural tavern. Ryan also notes the ominous maritime reputation associated with the surname Li, linking Lumian’s name to a wider world beyond Cordu.

Significant themes

• Truth and deception: Lumian’s elaborate lies entertain the village, but Pierre’s remark that habitual liars lose people’s trust points to the cost of his performance.
• Identity and belonging: Lumian’s former name is forgotten, while his current identity comes from Aurora and his life in Cordu.
• Hardship and escape: Lumian’s casual defense of absinthe suggests a harsh, resigned outlook, while the invented morgue story reflects his talent for imagining lives beyond the village.

Plot points and events

• Lumian tells a grim story about a poor young man who takes a night job watching a hospital morgue. After opening the body bag of a former colleague, he notices a strange mark on the corpse’s chest and promises to see the man’s ashes safely buried. Afterwards, he dreams of thick fog and senses that inhuman things may come for him.
• Lumian reveals that the story is fiction written by his sister, Aurora. The tavern regulars explain that he invents a different identity and tale each day, and that his stories have made him notorious for lying.
• Three visitors from outside the village—Ryan Cos, Valentin, and Lia—introduce themselves. Ryan buys Lumian absinthe and, after a local named Pierre presses him, another drink for Pierre.
• Pierre explains that Aurora brought Lumian to Cordu five years earlier, when he was thirteen. Lumian adopted her surname and received his name from her. Lumian says he has forgotten what he was called before.

Character developments and interactions

• Lumian is playful, confident, and unembarrassed when his lies are exposed. He enjoys entertaining the tavern and shows little concern about his uncertain past.
• Ryan is courteous and composed, treating Lumian’s tale as entertaining rather than taking offense. He is cautious about absinthe’s supposed effects.
• Lia is amused by Lumian and quick to notice the significance of his surname and his arrival in Cordu.
• Pierre acts as the village’s blunt, gossipy truth-teller, mocking Lumian while eagerly angling for a free drink.
• The exchange between the visitors and the villagers highlights their different backgrounds: Ryan and his companions bring the fashions and customs of the cities, while the locals are familiar with Lumian’s tricks and village history.

Significant themes

• Truth, lies, and credibility: Lumian’s elaborate stories entertain outsiders but have lost their power to persuade the villagers, who compare him to the boy who cried wolf.
• Identity and belonging: Lumian’s name and surname come from Aurora, and his original name has been lost or forgotten.
• Hardship and escape: The invented morgue story reflects poverty and desperation, while Lumian jokes that village life is difficult enough to justify drinking absinthe.
• Foreshadowing and mystery: The corpse’s unusual mark, the recurring fog, and the narrator’s sense of approaching inhuman forces introduce an ominous supernatural thread, though the tale is presented as one of Lumian’s fictions.

The Five Emperors presided over Zhu Gaochi’s accession at Xiaoling Mausoleum, leaving Zhu Di powerless as his son became emperor. Fang Xiaoru accepted the decision and helped establish the new reign’s ceremonies, and Zhu Gaochi chose the era name Hongxi.

• Zhu Di could not protest as the Five Emperors named Zhu Gaochi the rightful ruler of the Human Race.
• The Five Emperors led Zhu Gaochi before the officials and proclaimed his ascension, prompting people across the realm to acclaim him.
• Fang Xiaoru was the first official to pledge allegiance to Zhu Gaochi, and the others followed.
• Fang Xiaoru asked that Zhu Gaochi be made the successor and son of Emperor Xiaokang, but the Five Emperors rejected his request.
• Fang Xiaoru accepted the ruling and helped arrange the accession ceremonies, and Zhu Gaochi selected Hongxi as his era name.

Zhu Gaochi refused Zhu Di's request to lead an expedition against the Northern Yuan, arguing that Great Ming needed time to recover and that the people should not bear a heavier burden. Meanwhile, Wutian used Heavenly Fate to contact the Heavenly Dao and sought to cut off Hongjun's connection to it so he could merge with the Dao.

• Zhu Gaochi set aside his memorials to receive Zhu Di, who demanded fifty thousand troops for a campaign against the Northern Yuan.
• Zhu Gaochi rejected the expedition, citing Great Ming's weakened resources, and explained that he had already sent General Tie Xian to defend the Great Wall with ten thousand troops.
• Zhu Di lowered his requested force to thirty thousand and then twenty thousand, but Zhu Gaochi refused each proposal and urged him to wait until the empire recovered.
• Zhu Gaochi told Zhu Di he would serve the people as emperor, and Zhu Di left after praising him as a good emperor unlike himself.
• Wutian mobilized his fortune and used Heavenly Fate to contact the Heavenly Dao, intending to sever Hongjun's connection and merge with the Dao.

Wutian used his Heavenly Fate to try to replace Hongjun as the one merged with Heavenly Dao, but Hongjun’s Primordial Spirit returned, thwarted him, and used the attempt to break free from Heavenly Dao’s shackles. Wutian was left furious as the chapter ended with Zhu Gaochi emitting black-and-white light while reviewing memorials.

• Wutian summoned the Primordial World’s fortune and made a vow to replace Hongjun by merging with Heavenly Dao.
• Taiyi chose not to stop Wutian and instead followed Ao Yue’s reincarnation, the Pope Gregory XII, while Yinglong’s Good Corpse guarded him as the White Dragon.
• Wutian cut open the firmament and prepared to enter the breach, but Hongjun appeared and extinguished his attacks.
• Hongjun explained that his Primordial Spirit had remained within Heavenly Dao, restored his body with the four innate divine powers, and sealed the breach with the Jointed Bamboo.
• Hongjun declared that he had broken free from Heavenly Dao and left, while Wutian cursed and roared in frustration.
• In Jinling City, Zhu Gaochi paused while reviewing memorials as black-and-white light burst from his body.

After Wutian’s failed attempt to merge with the Dao freed Hongjun’s primordial spirit, Gungun sent Nine Li to seek cooperation with Wutian against their shared threat. The Saints’ representatives joined the negotiations, and Wutian agreed to lift the Primordial World’s seal so they could summon the Saints and Houtu, though the Blood Demon privately considered Wutian’s eventual fate.

• Gungun revealed to Nine Li that Hongjun’s primordial spirit had escaped Heavenly Dao and ordered him to negotiate an alliance with the Blood Demon and Wutian.
• Nine Li and the Blood Demon met on their way to the Heavenly Court and arrived together as Wutian despaired over Hongjun’s return.
• Wutian exposed the Blood Demon as an incarnation of the Heavenly Emperor’s divided soul, then asked whether the visitors had come to propose cooperation.
• Nine Li argued that they should unite against Hongjun and asked Wutian to lift the seal so they could summon the Six Saints and Houtu from the Depths of Chaos.
• The Blood Demon and Nine Li offered assurances on behalf of the Saints, and Wutian agreed to cooperate after Xuandu, Duobao, and Soaring Serpent arrived.
• The Blood Demon privately wondered whether the Saints would need to act against Wutian once the Devil Calamity ended.

After learning that Hongjun had escaped the heavenly dao and the Saint-Felling Pill could not affect him, the saints returned to the Primordial World’s border while Wutian arranged to bring back Luo Hou. Black Robe set out into Chaos to find Wutian’s true form, and Tongtian intercepted him as many Devil Race members fled the Primordial World.

• Zhu Gaochi approved Zhu Di’s campaign against the Northern Yuan, and Zhu Di led an army north as Grand General Subjugator of the North.
• Xuandu, Nine Li, and Duobao brought the golden core to Laozi, who learned that Hongjun’s primordial spirit had escaped the heavenly dao and shared the news with the saints.
• The saints exiled the Saint Pagoda into an unknown region of Chaos and returned to the Primordial World, waiting at its border rather than entering.
• Wutian gave Black Robe the Spirit-Seeking Compass and half his magic power, then sent him into Chaos to find Luo Hou.
• Wutian told Giant Scorpion and Yingyao that Devil Race members who wished to leave could return to Luo Hou’s Demon Realm, prompting many to fly toward Chaos.
• Tongtian intercepted Black Robe outside the Primordial World and mistook him for a fleeing Devil Race member.

• Key events: The narrator, apparently the book’s author, says the story is nearing its end and that writing the final stretch has become difficult. After struggling to plan the plot and producing unusable drafts, they decide to take a day off and return the next day.
• Character development: There is no fictional character development; the narrator presents themself as tired, blocked, and aware of the need to rest.
• Themes: Creative difficulty, the pressure of endings, and rest as a way to regain focus.
• Interactions: The narrator directly addresses readers, encourages them to rest, and asks them to return tomorrow.

Plot and events

• Tongtian rejects Black Robe after seeing that the devils abandoned Wutian when his prospects faded. He sends Black Robe away rather than take him as a disciple, then turns his attention back to the Primordial World.
• Zhu Di’s campaign against Northern Yuan ends in victory. Several steppe tribes submit to Great Ming, but retain local control. Zhu Gaochi rejects calls for a more punishing conquest, unwilling to burden the people for distant future gains.
• Zhu Gaochi tentatively approves Zheng He’s proposed Western Seas expedition as a trading venture, but postpones it until the treasury has recovered.
• After the empress, Zhang Shi, reports that Zhu Gaoxu is asserting a claim to the throne and bullying the heir, Zhu Gaochi decides to name his eldest son, Zhu Zhanji, crown prince.
• Zhang Shi also reports that the wives of Zhu Gaochi’s brothers have been calling him unfilial for sparing Fang Xiaoru. Zhu Gaochi explains that Fang’s survival is important to preserving the ideal of loyal service, even if it costs him personally in the historical record. He asks the Empress Dowager to strip the two women of their principal-consort titles.
• The decree is issued. Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui resent it but comply; they privately begin discussing how to gain military power and rebel against their nephew, the future crown prince.
• Xiong Zhan overhears their plans and dismisses them as unrealistic, noting that Zhu Di’s rebellion succeeded only with unusual advantages and supernatural support.
• Beyond the Primordial World, Houtu summons Black Bear’s sarira. Wutian tells Silver Spirit to protect the devils who remain in the Primordial World, then appears to be making his final farewells. Houtu uses reincarnation’s power to revive Black Bear from the sarira.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhu Gaochi shows restraint as a ruler: he ends the war before it drains the people, weighs trade against the treasury, and accepts the personal cost of sparing Fang Xiaoru. He also acts decisively when succession tensions threaten to grow.
• Zhang Shi presses her husband to protect their son and challenges the slander against him. Their exchange leads to both Zhanji’s appointment and punishment for the princes’ wives.
• Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui move from resentment to plotting rebellion, though Xiong Zhan doubts they have the means to succeed.
• Wutian entrusts Silver Spirit with the Devil Race’s safety, while Silver Spirit responds with a solemn promise of loyalty.
• Houtu demonstrates her power by restoring Black Bear through the sarira.

Significant themes

• Duty to the present generation: Zhu Gaochi rejects sacrificing his people for speculative benefits to future generations.
• Principled rule and personal sacrifice: He spares Fang Xiaoru to uphold loyalty among officials, accepting that he may be judged as disrespectful to his father.
• Succession and family conflict: Delayed designation of an heir fuels ambition and threatens renewed civil strife.
• Loyalty and abandonment: Tongtian condemns devils who desert Wutian, while Silver Spirit remains faithful to him.
• Death and rebirth: Houtu’s use of reincarnation transforms Black Bear’s sarira into the beginning of a revival.

The chapter contains no story content—only a notice that it is temporarily unavailable. There are no plot events, character developments, interactions, or themes to summarize.

The chapter has no content, so its plot, character developments, themes, and interactions can’t be summarized.

This chapter contains no story content, so there are no plot events, character developments, themes, or interactions to summarize.

• Wutian’s fall: After thirty-three years of rule, Wutian sits alone in the Heavenly Court as the Immortal Dao factions arrive to settle old grievances. Maitreya leads the Buddhas, Shentu the Underworld gods, Zitong the Dragon Kings, and other heavenly forces gather against him. They explain that Gungun, now a primordial-unity immortal, is away opening a world in Chaos, so Ao Yue will handle Wutian instead. Ao Yue arrives with his sword, ready to confront the Devil Ancestor.
• Ao Yue’s standing: In Chaos, Gungun reflects that Wutian was a formidable ruler whose era ended quickly. Ao Yue has returned from his trials with the Human Emperor’s status and the completed fortune of the Human Path, alongside the Heavenly Court and Dragon Race’s fortunes. Gungun notes that Ao Yue might have had a chance to attain primordial unity if he had also possessed the Netherworld’s fortune or a sacred Human Path object such as the Kongtong Seal—but Gungun attained that rank first, unintentionally outpacing him.
• Gungun and Houtu: The Saints arrive to meet Gungun, who now stands as their equal. He greets them with an elaborate bow, prompting them to return it as propriety demands. Houtu is especially reluctant: she can still hear Gungun’s thoughts, including his wish to flaunt his new status and his private insults toward her. When Nuwa reminds her that Gungun is now a peer and should receive a return bow, Houtu complies through gritted teeth. Gungun pretends to protest while secretly celebrating that Houtu has finally bowed to him.
  Character developments and interactions: Wutian faces the consequences of his lost heavenly mandate, while Ao Yue takes up the role of his challenger. Gungun’s rise has made him a peer of the Saints, but his triumph is expressed less through grandeur than through petty, playful revenge against Houtu, who must balance her irritation with the formal respect his status now requires.
  Themes: The chapter emphasizes the rise and fall of power tied to heavenly fate, the importance of fortune and merit in attaining greatness, and the tension between personal resentment and the etiquette demanded by elevated status.

Plot points and events

• Newly elevated to Saint-like primordial unity, Gungun accepts Houtu’s bow—but then casually agrees to address her as a fellow Daoist. Offended, Houtu attacks him and discovers he is now strong enough to block her.
• Gungun acts innocent while privately boasting about his new power. The other Saints, unaware of his thoughts, rebuke Houtu for attacking him.
• Taishang Laojun congratulates Gungun and urges him to use his power for the good of the Primordial World. Gungun responds respectfully, irritating Houtu further.
• Houtu proposes a “bout” to help stabilize Gungun’s cultivation, but Tongtian and Zhunti interrupt to recruit him for their respective religious factions. They argue over whether Gungun belongs to Jiejiao or Buddhism, prompting him to remember his forgotten Buddhist title.
• Houtu suddenly attacks with the Six Paths of Reincarnation Disk. Tongtian, Zhunti, and Gungun flee through Chaos, with Houtu pursuing them. The other Saints decide to watch rather than intervene.
• After a lengthy chase, Gungun gives up. Houtu restrains him and kneads his face, declaring that the beating has stabilized his cultivation.

Character developments

• Gungun embraces his new status, becoming more confident and cheekily familiar with Houtu, though he still panics when she attacks.
• Houtu remains fiercely competitive and becomes increasingly exasperated by Gungun’s attitude. Her claimed concern for his cultivation is transparently an excuse to beat him.
• Laozi continues to act as a calm, respected mediator, while Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Nuwa choose to stay out of the conflict.
• Tongtian and Zhunti eagerly try to recruit Gungun, but abandon him as soon as Houtu’s attack begins.

Themes

• Power and changing status: Gungun’s new strength alters how others must treat him, even as he retains his comic personality.
• Humor through contrast: The Saints’ lofty titles and cosmic powers coexist with petty teasing, factional squabbling, and a chaotic chase.
• Affection expressed as conflict: Houtu’s aggression is played as a familiar, exaggerated form of teasing rather than a serious attempt to harm Gungun.
• Religious rivalry: Tongtian and Zhunti’s recruitment efforts show the ongoing competition between their factions.

Character interactions

• Gungun’s informal address provokes Houtu, while his respectful greeting to Laozi makes her jealous and resentful.
• Tongtian and Zhunti compete over Gungun’s allegiance, each claiming he belongs to their religious group.
• When Houtu attacks, the would-be recruiters flee, leaving Gungun to become both her target and the reluctant pursuer of the two Saints.
• The remaining Saints watch the spectacle in amused resignation.

Key plot points and events

• Gungun and Houtu’s roughhousing escalates: Gungun blasts her away and strikes her, then pretends his paw is hurt to avoid blame. Houtu threatens to deal with him later, but Laozi interrupts and calls everyone to discuss urgent matters.
• Laozi explains that Wutian’s thirty-three-year Demon Calamity has ended and the Devil Race is weakening. The greater danger is Hongjun’s Primordial Spirit, which escaped the Heavenly Dao when Wutian merged with it.
• Zhunti argues that Hongjun has lost the power he gained by merging with the Dao, so the Saints should stay in contact and unite if they find him.
• Gungun challenges this reassuring view. He suspects Hongjun may have used Wutian to escape the Heavenly Dao deliberately, having foreseen both the calamity and Wutian’s attempt to merge with the Dao.
• Gungun reasons that Hongjun would abandon his divine authority only if he believed he could defeat all his enemies without it. He further suggests that Hongjun may have deliberately lost the earlier battle in Zixiao Palace, making the Saints’ victory and his sealing part of a larger plan.
• The council ends in stunned silence as the Saints confront the possibility that Hongjun is far stronger—and more calculating—than they believed.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun shifts from comic mischief to serious strategic insight. Though he initially acts innocent after hitting Houtu, he speaks confidently among the Saints and forces them to reconsider their assumptions.
• Houtu remains hot-tempered and physically playful with Gungun, but accepts Laozi’s interruption and joins the council. Her anger toward Gungun persists beneath the meeting.
• Laozi leads the discussion, framing Hongjun’s escape as the central threat.
• Zhunti offers a hopeful plan to defeat Hongjun through cooperation, but Gungun’s doubts undermine his confidence.
• The Saints move from agreement and cautious optimism to deep unease as Gungun raises the possibility that Hongjun’s apparent defeat was intentional.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus reality: Wutian’s rise may have served Hongjun’s hidden purpose, and Hongjun’s earlier defeat may not have been genuine.
• Power and freedom: Hongjun may have traded the authority of merging with the Dao for freedom because he believed his own strength was sufficient.
• Uncertainty and vigilance: Even a seemingly favorable change—the end of the Demon Calamity and Hongjun’s release from the Heavenly Dao—may conceal a greater danger.
• Comic relief beside looming peril: Gungun and Houtu’s bickering contrasts with the grave threat discussed at the council.

Plot points and events

• Hongjun, still the Dao Ancestor despite relinquishing his Saint Seat, declares that the Immortal Dao’s fortunes are rising again. He creates a temporary physical body from a treasured primordial jade stone and leaves Jade Capital Mountain, entrusting it to the ancient tree there.
• The tree reflects on the Primordial World’s history of devastating conflicts and laments that Hongjun is returning to a realm it considers violent and troubled.
• At the Heavenly Court, Ao Yue defeats Wutian. Before Ao Yue can erase Wutian’s True Spirit, Hongjun appears and captures its scattered fragments.
• Hongjun tells Ao Yue to restore order and keep the heavens functioning, then departs. His presence leaves Ao Yue and the others shaken.
• In Chaos, Gungun, Houtu, and the Six Saints learn Hongjun has appeared. They decide to meet him rather than remain hidden and surrender the initiative.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun presents himself as a guardian of the Immortal Dao and the Primordial World, but his decision to take Wutian’s True Spirit raises suspicion about his true aims. He demonstrates that he remains powerful even without his former Saint Seat.
• The ancient tree values peace and safety, contrasting its withdrawal from worldly affairs with Hongjun’s continued involvement.
• Ao Yue wins the battle but submits to Hongjun’s authority, prioritizing the stability of the Heavenly Court.
• The Saints and Gungun move from watchful uncertainty to cautious resolve, agreeing to confront Hongjun diplomatically before considering any greater conflict.

Significant themes

• Order versus upheaval: The chapter contrasts the tree’s preference for tranquil withdrawal with the repeated wars of the Primordial World.
• Power and legitimacy: Hongjun’s authority persists beyond his Saint status, while Ao Yue and the Saints must decide how much to defer to him.
• Uncertainty and strategic restraint: Hongjun’s rescue of Wutian’s True Spirit hints at a larger plan, prompting his opponents to respond carefully rather than rush into battle.