Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Recovering in the East Sea Dragon Palace after being struck by Nine-Heaven Mystic Thunder, Gungun receives a Lightning-Avoidance Pearl from Houtu. She realizes the thunder falls whenever he speaks certain hidden truths aloud, and concludes that his silence is meant to protect her.
• Gungun complains that Houtu’s questions got him into trouble, then promises to investigate the world-saving merit she raised and make sure the Witch Race receives its share. Houtu leaves him to rest; he falls asleep, earning system rewards.
• Half a month later, Xuandu arrives on Laozi’s orders to visit Gungun. After Dragon Palace guards verify his identity, Ao Yue wakes the sleeping bear with a Spirit Fruit.
• Gungun breaks Ao Yue’s prized crystal bed while getting up, then casually advises him to buy a sturdier one. Xuandu presents Three-Origin Golden Pills from Laozi, ostensibly as medicine for Gungun’s injuries.
• A White Crane Attendant arrives with Three Lights Divine Water from Yuanshi and delivers a stern message in Yuanshi’s style. Xuandu also passes on Laozi’s instructions.
• A Jiejiao delegation arrives soon afterward. Impressed that the same yaksha squad has announced visitors from all Three Teachings, Ao Yue promotes its captain, Li Gen, to Sea-Patrolling Yaksha of the East Sea.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun remains lazy, self-pitying, and opportunistic: although his injuries have healed, he keeps the bandages on and pretends the pills are needed. He is wary of another thunder strike but still intends to help Houtu secure merit for the Witch Race.
• Houtu grows more understanding of Gungun, believing his unspoken thoughts reveal what he cannot safely say aloud. Her concern is shown through the Lightning-Avoidance Pearl.
• Ao Yue is a courteous host who worries about Gungun, though he is also exasperated by the bear’s antics. His promotion of Li Gen shows practical generosity and attention to capable subordinates.
• Xuandu treats Gungun respectfully and expresses gratitude for his past kindness to humanity. Gungun and Ao Yue receive him—and the later emissaries—as honored guests.

Significant themes

• Heavenly secrets and danger: Gungun’s thoughts may be harmless, but speaking them aloud risks punishment from the Heavenly Dao.
• Care and trust: Houtu’s gift and changed understanding reflect growing trust between her and Gungun.
• Comic contrast: Divine power and serious political errands are undercut by Gungun’s laziness, food-driven wakefulness, and casual destruction of a treasured bed.
• Fortune and recognition: The Three Pure Ones’ envoys converge on Gungun, while Li Gen’s diligence earns him an unexpected promotion.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ao Yue appoints Li Gen as Sea-Patrolling Immortal Lord. Gungun recognizes him as the future Sea-Patrolling Yaksha, whose eventual rise to a Star Lord’s position will likely come through dying in the coming calamity.
• At the banquet, the Water-Fire Attendants deliver Tongtian’s request: Gungun should bring him a mount and a suitably fortunate True Immortal to become his disciple. Gungun immediately agrees and identifies Ao Yue’s younger brother, Yinglong, as an ideal candidate.
• Envoys from the three major Daoist traditions visit Gungun with gifts and messages. Tongtian sends a scripture and asks him to carry out the arrangement; the other Saints also express concern for his recovery.
• Zhunti’s envoy, Jinnaluo, arrives from the Western Religion with a bitter bamboo shoot and merit water. He warns Gungun not to offend the Heavenly Dao again and invites him to visit the Western Lands. Gungun mainly wonders whether the visit will include a good meal.
• After spending half a month recovering at the Dragon Palace, Gungun and Houtu prepare to leave with Yinglong. Ao Yue gives them a Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage to deliver to Yuanshi as the Dragon Race’s thank-you gift for his aid against the Demon Emperor.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is confident that Yinglong will satisfy Tongtian’s requirements, citing both his status and his future accomplishments. He accepts the task readily and presents himself as sincerely grateful to the Saints—though his private thoughts are often self-serving and comic.
• Ao Yue continues to admire Gungun, interpreting his attention from the Saints as extraordinary honor. He entrusts Gungun with both Yinglong and the valuable carriage because he cannot leave the East Sea while the Azure Dragon Realm is being developed.
• Yinglong is set on the path to seek a master under Tongtian, while also representing the Dragon Race in delivering its gift to Yuanshi.
• The newly appointed Li Gen appears briefly, bringing the chapter’s opening joke about his future fate.

Significant themes

• Fate and opportunity: Gungun sees Li Gen’s future divine rank as a “promotion by dying,” highlighting the gap between prestigious titles and their real cost.
• Religious and political alliances: The Saints’ envoys and the Dragon Race’s gift show powerful groups building ties through favors, discipleship, and gratitude.
• Comedy through contrast: Ao Yue takes Gungun’s words at face value, while readers see Gungun’s irreverent thoughts about fame, fortune, and food.
• Future heroism and merit: Yinglong’s prophesied service to humanity is used to support Gungun’s belief that he possesses the good fortune Tongtian seeks.

Plot points

• On the way to Mount Kunlun, Gungun remembers he had meant to retrieve the Kui Ox for Tongtian, but decides the detour is not worth the effort. Houtu privately notes that saving the Kui Ox may make Tongtian more receptive when she later asks him to take in a future Witch-Human child.
• Gungun uses his improved command of the Yin-Yang Law to teleport himself, Houtu, and Yinglong to Kunlun. Houtu hears someone calling her and leaves for Mount Yaoshan; Gungun and Yinglong continue toward the Jade Clarity Palace to pay respects to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, then Tongtian.
• At Yaoshan, Zhurong proudly shows Houtu that the Phoenix-Calling Zither has gained sentience. At his request, Houtu uses the Fate-Soul Guiding Art to give the zither spirit a complete life and physical form.
• Zhurong asks the young man to become his son. The spirit agrees, and Zhurong names him Crown Prince Changqin, declaring him the Witch Race’s crown prince.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun’s strength has grown substantially: he is now a late-stage Great Immortal with a basic grasp of the Yin-Yang Law, capable of teleporting to Kunlun. His practical, humorous thoughts continue to entertain Houtu.
• Houtu supports Zhurong by bringing the zither spirit to life, while privately reacting with surprise to his grand announcement.
• Zhurong reveals a proud, affectionate side as he welcomes the spirit as his son. Changqin responds with gratitude and respect, formally accepting Zhurong as his father.
• Houtu and Gungun part ways amicably; Gungun then guides Yinglong toward Kunlun’s sacred peaks.

Significant themes

• Creation and kinship: The zither spirit becomes a person and is welcomed into a family through choice and ritual.
• Power and growth: Gungun’s increased mastery of the Yin-Yang Law marks his progress.
• Humor and contrast: Changqin is called a “crown prince” despite being adopted, unlike the Demon Race’s biological Golden Crow princes—a distinction Houtu wryly observes.

Plot points and events

• Gungun takes Yinglong to Mount Kunlun to thank Yuanshi on behalf of the Dragon Race for helping save it. Yinglong presents Yuanshi with the impressive Nine-Dragon Agarwood Carriage, which Yuanshi accepts while reminding the dragons to govern the Four Seas and keep the sea eyes suppressed.
• Yuanshi recognizes Yinglong’s exceptional fortune and predicts he will achieve more than any of Yuanshi’s disciples. However, he concludes that Heaven has not destined Yinglong to become his disciple and does not try to claim him.
• Gungun and Yinglong then visit Tongtian. Gungun reports on the task Tongtian had entrusted to him: finding a suitable mount. He presents Yinglong, who is willing both to serve as Tongtian’s mount and to become his disciple.
• Tongtian initially objects to combining the roles, suspecting Gungun is trying to fob him off. Gungun argues that Yinglong meets the requirements, genuinely wants to serve Tongtian, and deserves to be cherished as a talented disciple. He cites Taiyi’s treatment of Ao Yue as precedent. Tongtian begins to reconsider.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is deferential with both Saints but becomes an animated, persuasive advocate for Yinglong. He uses humor, flattery, and practical arguments to push Tongtian toward accepting both requests.
• Yinglong shows humility and nerves before the Saints, while making clear that he willingly seeks both service as Tongtian’s mount and a place in his tutelage.
• Yuanshi appears stern and devoted to Heaven’s order, but his thoughts reveal that he is open to worthy beings regardless of their origins. He regrets that Yinglong is not destined to be his disciple and privately contrasts him with his disappointing disciple Yellow Dragon.
• Tongtian is initially irritated and suspicious, but his respect for Yinglong’s status and talent grows as Gungun makes his case. Duobao, meanwhile, is surprised by Yinglong’s presence and senses his formidable potential.

Significant themes

• Destiny and choice: Yuanshi accepts Heaven’s decision that Yinglong is not meant to be his disciple, while Yinglong actively seeks a place with Tongtian.
• Talent and prejudice: Yuanshi’s internal reflections challenge the assumption that he rejects all beings born with scales or feathers; he objects to unrighteousness, not origin.
• Service and recognition: The debate over whether Yinglong can be both mount and disciple explores how service need not diminish a talented being’s status or opportunity to learn.
• Persuasion and magnanimity: Gungun argues that a generous leader should recognize and cultivate exceptional talent rather than limit it to a subordinate role.

Plot points and events

• Tongtian challenges Gungun’s attempt to count Yinglong as both a disciple and a mount, insisting he had asked for two beings. Gungun signals Yinglong to agree to both roles, and Yinglong becomes Tongtian’s direct disciple and mount.
• Tongtian is delighted with Yinglong’s lineage, talent, and good fortune, and privately compares him favorably with Yuanshi’s disciples. He gives Yinglong three treasures: the Mystic Suppression Ruler, the Nine-Dragon Cauldron, and the White Brocade Book.
• Tongtian scolds Gungun for bringing only one candidate and demands another within a thousand years—or says Gungun must serve as his mount. He then rewards Gungun with the Godslaying Sword before banishing him from Mount Kunlun.
• Gungun initially doubts the sword’s value, but discovers its powerful materials and becomes excited by its strength. As he celebrates and swings it, he unexpectedly encounters Ran Deng.

Character developments and interactions

• Yinglong moves from uncertainty to eager acceptance of Tongtian as his master. His initial impression that Tongtian might not be frightening quickly changes after Tongtian announces he will take him to meet Yuanshi and Yuanshi’s disciples again.
• Tongtian shows both pride and affection toward his new disciple, while keeping up a blustery, demanding manner with Gungun. He is especially pleased at the thought of outdoing Yuanshi in disciples.
• Gungun remains irreverent and complains about Tongtian’s unfair demands, but ultimately accepts the reward. His delight in the sword leads to a comic, ill-timed encounter with Ran Deng.
• Duobao is surprised when Yinglong is named a direct disciple—and again when Tongtian jokingly offers Gungun the position of chief disciple.

Significant themes

• Mentorship and status: A disciple’s lineage, cultivation, and fortune shape how a master values and presents them.
• Pride and rivalry: Tongtian’s satisfaction is heightened by his imagined comparison with Yuanshi.
• Comedy through bravado: Tongtian’s grand threats and Gungun’s cheeky replies contrast with the genuine power behind the gifts and punishments.

Key plot points and events

• Gungun refuses Ran Deng’s challenge at first, but Ran Deng blocks his way and insists on settling the insult as “karma.” The two fight in Chaos.
• Half a day later, Ran Deng crashes near Mount Kunlun, defeated. Gungun teases him and continues on.
• At Kunlun, Yuanshi’s disciples are already being punished for losing to Yinglong in a spar. Nine Li is impressed by his uncle Gungun’s strength, while Guang Chengzi thinks Ran Deng’s defeat disgraces their teaching. Yuanshi orders Ran Deng to kneel as well.
• Gungun receives thanks from Ao Yue for helping Yinglong become Tongtian’s disciple. Ao Yue offers future assistance.
• In the Heavenly Court, Dijun and Taiyi interpret Gungun’s help to the Dragon Race as a Witch strategy to win control of the Four Seas. Dijun proposes placing Demon Race elites in Saints’ teachings to gain influence, but is interrupted by news that Fuxi has arrived.

Character developments

• Gungun demonstrates overwhelming strength and confidence, defeating Ran Deng with ease. He also remains helpful to the Dragon Race, though the Heavenly Court misunderstands his motives.
• Ran Deng loses but rationalizes the defeat as no shame, blaming Gungun’s alliance with the Witches and abundance of treasures. His pride clashes with Yuanshi’s demand that he accept punishment.
• Nine Li gains greater respect for Gungun after witnessing his power, while his own defeat by Yinglong underscores how much he still has to learn.
• Dijun and Taiyi remain wary of the Witches’ ambitions and consider using the Saints’ teachings to strengthen the Demon Race’s position.
• Ao Yue shows gratitude and trust toward Gungun.

Significant themes

• Power and pride: Ran Deng’s defeat exposes the gap between his status and actual strength, while his excuses help preserve his self-image.
• Political misinterpretation: Gungun’s personal assistance is read by the Heavenly Court as part of a larger Witch strategy.
• Factional maneuvering: The Dragon, Witch, and Demon races compete for influence, with Saint-led teachings becoming a new arena for alliances.
• Discipline and growth: Yuanshi uses humiliation and punishment to push his disciples to improve.

Character interactions

• Gungun and Ran Deng’s old rivalry turns into a rematch, ending decisively in Gungun’s favor.
• Yuanshi reprimands the defeated disciples and orders Ran Deng to kneel, reinforcing his authority over the Expounding Teaching.
• Ao Yue thanks Gungun for helping Yinglong and offers him aid in return.
• Dijun and Taiyi discuss the Dragon Race, the Witches, and how the Demon Race might secure Saintly support before Fuxi’s unexpected arrival shifts their attention.

Key plot points and events

• Fuxi joins the Heavenly Court as Xi Sovereign, becoming one of the Demon Race’s highest-ranking figures. Gungun recognizes that this development brings the Witch–Demon conflict closer, though Nuwa’s confinement means her motives remain uncertain.
• Zhiming, the ancient turtle-serpent also known as the Black Tortoise, awakens in the Northern Sea and declares that he will reclaim dominion over the north and kill demons, fiends, or evil spirits who cause trouble there.
• The Ancestral Witches summon Gungun to discuss Fuxi’s allegiance. Dijiang proposes approaching Zhiming, and Houtu persuades Gungun to try to negotiate with him. Dijiang also wants Gungun to encourage Zhiming to attack the Northern Dark Palace and eliminate Kunpeng’s brothers, Kong Xuan and Golden Roc.
• Secretly, Zhiming sends a soul fragment with his attendant Qiru to ask Gungun to use the Spirit-Washing Cauldron to erase its memories and magic power, then arrange for it to be reborn as a human named Zhenwu. In return, Zhiming offers to grant Gungun one reasonable request.
• At the same time, Dijun orders Taiyi to subdue Zhiming and bind him to the Demon-Summoning Banner. Before Taiyi can leave, the Dao Ancestor intervenes, declaring the north Zhiming’s domain and forbidding the Demon Race from entering it.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is once again treated as the Witches’ indispensable problem-solver, despite his reluctance and doubts about persuading Zhiming. His dry, exasperated inner commentary contrasts with the confidence Houtu and Dijiang place in him.
• Houtu recognizes that the Witches’ combative nature may hinder negotiations and believes Gungun’s quieter temperament makes him a better intermediary. She also realizes that her confidence in him has grown through his past successes.
• Dijiang responds to the Demon Race’s growing strength by seeking allies and strategizing against its northern holdings, but he assumes Gungun can take on yet another difficult assignment.
• Zhiming appears openly hostile to the Demon Race, yet his secret plan to send a soul fragment into human life suggests a deeper purpose he does not explain. His concern that the Turtle Race survive hints at a long-term strategy.
• Dijun and Taiyi move to retaliate against Zhiming, but the Dao Ancestor’s decree immediately checks their power and establishes Zhiming’s protected authority over the north.

Significant themes

• The approaching Witch–Demon War: Fuxi’s recruitment, Zhiming’s declaration, and both sides’ maneuvering signal escalating conflict.
• Fate and hidden purposes: Zhiming’s cryptic actions and the Dao Ancestor’s intervention suggest that events are shaped by forces and intentions beyond the characters’ understanding.
• Responsibility and reluctant service: Gungun’s growing reputation brings him repeated assignments, even when he questions whether he is capable—or willing—to fulfill them.
• Political power and its limits: The Demon Race’s strength is checked not by a rival army, but by the Dao Ancestor’s authority.

Key plot points

• Hongjun blocks Taiyi from attacking Zhiming and declares that the Demon Race must accept this as “heaven’s will.” Dijun, furious at the restriction, orders Taiyi to tell their northern forces to avoid provoking Zhiming for now. He vows to settle the score after the War of the Liches, once the Demon Race has secured greater power.
• On Mount Buzhou, Gungun refuses to travel to the Northern Sea, asking Hou Yi to let him rest for a hundred thousand years. He argues that persuading Zhiming to cooperate—or persuading him to attack the Northern Dark Palace and kill Kunpeng’s brothers—is a difficult and dangerous assignment.
• Gungun asks Hou Yi to retrieve Kui Ox from Flowing Wave Mountain within a thousand years, so Gungun can provide Shangqing Saint with another mount. Hou Yi agrees but warns Gungun not to anger Dijiang through continued inaction.
• A messenger announces that Qiru, a powerful elder of the Black Tortoise Race and Zhiming’s trusted aide, has arrived at Zhiming’s request. Hou Yi suspects he may be bringing an offer of alliance and goes to greet him, inviting Gungun along.

Character developments and interactions

• Dijun shifts from outrage to cautious restraint, prioritizing the Demon Race’s future strength over immediate revenge. Taiyi accepts his brother’s orders, while Fuxi silently observes the confrontation.
• Gungun remains cheerfully self-interested and profoundly reluctant to work, defending his idleness as “panda wisdom.” He is willing to pursue comfort and favors, but recognizes that the Northern Sea mission could have serious consequences.
• Hou Yi is responsible and increasingly exasperated with Gungun. He offers to take on tasks himself and tries to persuade Gungun to obey Dijiang, while Gungun jokes and deflects.
• Qiru’s arrival may turn Gungun’s unwanted mission into a broader political negotiation between the Witch Race and Zhiming’s side.

Significant themes

• Power constrained by higher authority: Hongjun’s decree shows that even the powerful Demon Race must submit to forces they cannot challenge.
• Patience versus ambition: Dijun postpones revenge, while Hou Yi urges duty and Gungun resists it.
• Politics and risk: The Northern Sea assignment is not a simple errand; it could reshape alliances and provoke a feud with Kunpeng.
• Humor amid serious stakes: Gungun’s appetite and laziness contrast with the chapter’s looming conflicts and political maneuvering.

• Qiru brings Zhiming’s request: The Black Tortoise envoy visits Mount Buzhou carrying a fragment of Zhiming’s soul. Zhiming wants Gungun to use the Spirit-Washing Cauldron to strip away its memories and magical power, then send it to be reborn as a human. In return, Zhiming will grant Gungun one reasonable favor.
• Gungun recognizes the future connection: Learning that the human will be named Zhenwu, Gungun realizes the soul fragment is destined to become Zhenwu the Great of the North, linking him to the Black Tortoise.
• Gungun feigns a severe injury: Rather than agree immediately, Gungun claims the Nine-Heaven Mystic Thunder has left it gravely wounded and in need of a long seclusion. When Qiru says Zhiming hopes the task will be done within a century, Gungun exaggerates its condition, first suggesting a hundred thousand years of recovery, then two hundred thousand.
• Gungun steers Qiru toward a solution: Gungun says ordinary medicines will not help; it needs the harmonizing yin and yang qi and could recover within a century if it obtained them. Hou Yi identifies the source as Golden Roc’s Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vase. Gungun explains it had planned to seize the vase, but Zhiming’s new decree against demons and evil beings in the Northern Sea makes that risky. It watches Qiru, hoping the envoy will help resolve both this problem and another obligation.
  Character developments and interactions: Gungun uses calculated helplessness to negotiate for the treasure while concealing its real agenda. Hou Yi tries to speak for Gungun and later supplies the crucial clue about the vase, though Gungun privately resents his early interruption. Qiru begins as a formal messenger but grows increasingly anxious and sympathetic, offering healing resources and trying to find a way to meet Zhiming’s deadline.
  Themes: The chapter blends humor with political bargaining, showing how appearances can be manipulated and how favors create leverage. It also highlights destiny and hidden connections: Gungun’s knowledge of the future lets it recognize Zhenwu’s significance and anticipate the consequences of Zhiming’s request.

Key plot points

• Qiru confirms that Gungun’s injury can be healed with Golden Roc’s Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vase—or, better still, the Supreme Pure Sage’s Taiji Diagram. He agrees to seize the vase despite the risk of provoking Kunpeng.
• Gungun pretends to worry about the danger to the Black Tortoise Race, suggesting it could simply spend two hundred thousand years in seclusion. Qiru takes this as proof of Gungun’s honesty and insists on helping, confident in his awakened sovereign, Zhiming.
• Hou Yi proposes an alliance between the Witch and Black Tortoise races against the Demon Race. Qiru agrees to relay the offer to Zhiming, who will make the decision.
• After Qiru leaves, Hou Yi discovers that Gungun’s apparent injury and blood were staged with Blood-Mu Fruit juice; Gungun promptly falls asleep.
• Houtu arrives and says the Witches should wait for Zhiming’s response. She also tells Hou Yi not to capture a Kui Ox for Tongtian: she has instead chosen the second child of Quan Jiu and A Li. When Hou Yi notes the child would not arrive in time to meet Tongtian’s thousand-year deadline, Houtu realizes there is a problem.
• As Gungun sleeps, its system awards it points and spirit strength for its lazy display and offers it a Demon-Slaying Sword.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun manipulates Qiru with a convincing show of concern, while privately mocking the confidence in Zhiming. It also deceives Hou Yi about its supposed injury, then casually orders him to kneel and withdraw before going to sleep.
• Qiru is moved by Gungun’s feigned selflessness and commits to risking conflict with Kunpeng’s allies. He remains deferential to Zhiming’s authority on the proposed alliance.
• Hou Yi shifts from proposing cooperation with Qiru to being baffled by Gungun’s trick, then is surprised by Houtu’s choice of mount.
• Houtu takes a pragmatic view of the potential alliance: even without a formal pact, the Black Tortoise Race’s conflict with Kunpeng would benefit the Witches. She also asserts her own plan for Tongtian’s mount.

Significant themes

• Deception and appearance: Gungun’s “honesty,” injury, and blood are all performances that others initially accept.
• Pragmatic alliances: Shared enemies may create strategic support even without a formal agreement.
• Hierarchy and authority: Qiru defers to Zhiming, while Hou Yi accepts Houtu’s direction.
• Comic irreverence: Gungun’s shameless laziness and cheeky behavior contrast with the serious political and supernatural stakes.

Plot points

• Gungun sleepily accepts a system purchase, while Houtu and Hou Yi discuss how to obtain a powerful creature for it. Houtu orders Hou Yi to capture Kui Ox and arrange marriages between Witches and humans, hoping their children can be strengthened with the blood essence of fallen Great Shamans.
• Worried about the approaching War of the Liches and the Witch Race’s lack of a Saint, Houtu resolves to pursue enlightenment by studying the Falling Treasure Coin. Gungun offers no advice—it remains asleep.
• In the Northern Sea, Zhiming reveals that the Ancestral Bear misled Qiru, but says the Black Tortoise Race must honor its agreement with it. He orders an attack on the Phoenix Race’s Northern Dark Palace and demands that the captured Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vase be delivered to the Ancestral Bear.
• The Black Tortoise forces rout the Phoenixes. Kong Xuan is badly wounded and rescued by Soaring Serpent; Golden Roc is captured, but the Shangqing Saint intervenes and saves him.
• Kunpeng rushes to avenge the Phoenixes but is badly defeated by Zhiming. He withdraws with his scattered clansmen to the rebuilt Wutong Forest, vowing to reclaim the Northern Sea someday.

Character developments and interactions

• Houtu shifts from relying on Gungun’s predictions to taking practical steps for her people and pursuing sainthood herself. Her affectionate but exasperated interaction with sleeping Gungun highlights their familiar relationship.
• Hou Yi respectfully carries out Houtu’s orders, though he questions whether human–Witch offspring can match Kui Ox’s talent.
• Zhiming shows both pragmatism and pride: he accepts the Ancestral Bear’s deception because the Black Tortoise Race needs its help, while also using the campaign to punish Kunpeng for disregarding his authority.
• Qiru realizes he was deceived but obeys Zhiming’s command.
• Kunpeng responds to the attack with rage, then retreats after defeat, turning humiliation into a promise of future revenge.
• The Shangqing Saint’s intervention protects Golden Roc, while Soaring Serpent’s rescue preserves Kong Xuan.

Significant themes

• Power and hierarchy: Even powerful clans and figures must contend with stronger authorities; Kunpeng’s defeat demonstrates Zhiming’s dominance.
• Pragmatism and uneasy alliances: Zhiming tolerates deception to fulfill a useful bargain, while Houtu pursues several strategies to strengthen the Witch Race.
• Destiny versus action: Though Gungun has foreknowledge of the future, Houtu recognizes that her people cannot rely on it alone.
• Revenge and displacement: Kunpeng’s retreat marks a loss of territory and sets up his determination to return.

Plot points and events

• Qiru arrives at Mount Buzhou with the Yin-Yang Two-Qi Vase, fulfilling the Black Tortoise Race’s part of its bargain. In return, Gungun is to use the Spirit-Washing Cauldron to cleanse a fragment of Zhiming’s soul and arrange for it to be reborn human.
• Houtu wakes Gungun, who grumbles about being disturbed before realizing whom he has insulted. He awkwardly pretends to be asleep, then eagerly claims the vase and confirms it is the treasure he wanted.
• When Qiru asks whether the vase will heal Gungun’s injuries, Gungun feigns a sudden relapse. Qiru sees through the act, remembering Zhiming’s warning that Gungun cannot always be trusted.
• Gungun admits the injuries are no longer an issue and agrees to help Zhiming’s soul fragment. He privately reasons that his earlier deception was necessary to secure the deal.
• Gungun divines that the Black Tortoise Race has removed the Northern Dark Palace from the Northern Sea. He also learns that Golden Roc was rescued by Tongtian and Kong Xuan by Soaring Serpent, whose motives puzzle him.
• Qiru hands over Zhiming’s soul fragment. Gungun promises to handle the rebirth, and he and Qiru depart together. After they leave, Houtu secretly follows them, suspicious of Zhiming’s unusual plan.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is shrewd, opportunistic, and playful: he lies about his injuries to secure the vase, then shifts into solemn assurances when taking responsibility for Zhiming’s soul. His comic attempts to hide his disrespect for Houtu reveal both his fear of her and their familiar rapport.
• Qiru remains wary despite completing the bargain. He remembers Zhiming’s warning and distrusts Gungun’s performance, but has little choice but to rely on him.
• Houtu is patient with Gungun’s antics, but her concern for Zhiming’s plan prompts her to investigate privately.
• The exchange between Gungun and Qiru is outwardly courteous but underpinned by mutual suspicion; Houtu’s decision to follow adds a secretive new layer to their journey.

Significant themes

• Trust and deception: Gungun treats bargaining as a reason to deceive, while Qiru’s caution shows the cost of that mistrust.
• Identity and rebirth: The Spirit-Washing Cauldron can cleanse a soul fragment so it will truly belong to its new race—an important distinction in a world without reincarnation.
• Hidden motives: Zhiming’s choice to be reborn human seems unusual, and Houtu’s covert pursuit signals that the bargain may conceal a larger purpose.

Key plot points

• Gungun and Qiru arrive at the Youxiong Tribe to arrange the rebirth of a fragment of Great God Zhiming’s soul as a pure-blooded human male.
• Qiru questions why they chose Youxiong rather than the Nuwa Tribe, the orthodox human lineage. Gungun explains that entering the Nuwa Tribe would require Lady Nuwa’s permission; Youxiong is also one of humanity’s strongest tribes.
• Gungun denies Qiru’s recollection that the Iron-Eating Beast Clan secretly supports Youxiong, though his evasiveness suggests the claim is true. Qiru accepts the choice of tribe as long as Zhiming’s requirements are met.
• Houtu, observing from the void, is surprised to learn of the beasts’ involvement and wonders what their motives might be.
• The Youxiong people greet Gungun with affection rather than fear. Children recognize him as “Youxiong” and rush to hug him.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is protective of the tribe but conceals the Iron-Eating Beast Clan’s support. His appetite and comic selfishness remain on display: after offering Qiru a peach to distract him, he takes it back and eats it.
• Qiru is cautious and persistent, pressing Gungun about Zhiming’s instructions and the tribe’s backing. He accepts the plan but concludes that Gungun is indeed an unreliable bear.
• Houtu learns that the beasts have been quietly supporting humans, revealing that she has not closely followed their activities.
• The humans’ warm, familiar response shows that Gungun has long-standing ties to Youxiong.

Significant themes

• The Human Race has grown and spread into many tribes, with power and authority concentrated in the Nuwa Tribe.
• Gungun’s apparent support of Youxiong hints at quiet alliances and influence behind the scenes.
• Humor balances the political and spiritual stakes, especially through Gungun’s evasions, appetite, and affectionate bond with the tribe.

Key plot points and events

• Gungun comforts a human child who asks whether his mother was pregnant, giving him a milk candy. The other children ask for some too, and Gungun hands out candy to them all.
• Qiru questions Gungun about its endless supply of food. Gungun claims its demanding duties as Witch Scribe and Iron-Eating Beast chief require it to keep plenty of food on hand; Houtu privately recognizes this as an obvious lie.
• The elderly Luo, chief of the Youxiong Tribe, reunites with Gungun after a hundred thousand years. He is near the end of his life, while Gungun has not visibly aged.
• Gungun reflects that time now feels meaningful because it causes people it knows to grow old and die. Luo accepts mortality calmly and reminds Gungun that death is natural.
• Luo’s people welcome Gungun as the legendary Ancestral Bear, whose past help to humanity is remembered in the tribe’s name. Gungun introduces Qiru, an elder of the Black Tortoise Race, and Luo invites both guests to a feast.
• Gungun reveals that it has brought the Human Race an opportunity and asks Luo to gather the tribe’s pregnant women. With Qiru’s approval, Gungun releases Zhiming’s soul fragment to choose a mother. It settles before a woman named A Ye.
• At the bottom of the Northern Sea, an immense, unidentified figure declares that A Ye is the one.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun shows affection toward the children and generosity with its food. Its encounter with Luo also reveals a more reflective side: it is newly conscious of time’s impact on people it cares about.
• Luo is delighted to see Gungun again and remains respectful and hospitable, but his calm acceptance of his approaching death helps put Gungun’s sadness into perspective.
• Qiru acts as a measured companion, agreeing to let Zhiming’s soul fragment choose its mother and exchanging formal courtesies with Luo.
• A Ye is introduced as the woman selected by the soul fragment; she trusts Gungun despite not knowing its purpose.
• The children’s delight and the tribe’s reverence show how Gungun’s old kindness has become part of human memory and tradition.

Significant themes

• Time and mortality: Gungun confronts the passage of time through Luo’s aging, while Luo views death as a natural part of life.
• Memory and gratitude: The Youxiong Tribe’s name and reverence for Gungun preserve the history of its help.
• Compassion and hospitality: Gungun comforts the children, and Luo welcomes the visitors and readily fulfills Gungun’s request.
• Fate and new beginnings: Zhiming’s soul fragment selecting A Ye suggests a new life is about to begin, while the mysterious figure’s declaration hints at larger forces involved.

Key plot points and events

• Zhiming intervenes from the Northern Sea and approves the chosen woman, A Ye, as the mother of his soul fragment’s human reincarnation.
• Gungun uses the Spirit-Washing Cauldron to cleanse the fragment and place it in A Ye’s womb. He explains that this is rebirth rather than possession: the unborn child has no soul yet.
• Qiru names the child Zhenwu, while A Ye asks to preserve Ye Guangji, the name her late husband chose. Gungun supports giving the child both names; after initially objecting, Qiru accepts.
• Qiru decides to remain with the Youxiong Tribe until the child is born and promises the tribe protection from the Black Tortoise Race.
• At Mount Kunlun, Laozi learns that Zhiming has claimed this thread of fate, apparently at the cost of breaking with Kunpeng. He tells his disciple Xuandu that the unborn Zhenwu will be his youngest junior brother and begins preparing golden cores as a welcome gift.

Character developments and interactions

• A Ye trusts Gungun’s assurance that her child will be blessed. Though respectful of divine authority, she asserts her maternal and personal connection by asking to keep her husband’s chosen name.
• Gungun acts as mediator between A Ye and Qiru, affirming her right to name her child and easing Qiru’s objections with humor.
• Qiru shifts from enforcing Zhiming’s chosen name to accepting the child’s two names. His promise to protect the tribe establishes a lasting alliance.
• Luo reacts with awe to Zhiming’s status and gratitude for the Black Tortoise Race’s protection.
• Laozi responds to the reincarnation by formally welcoming Zhenwu as a disciple; Xuandu is surprised to learn that his new junior brother has not yet been born.

Significant themes

• Fate and divine intervention: Powerful beings shape the child’s destiny, yet A Ye retains a say in his identity.
• Maternal bonds and remembrance: Ye Guangji’s name preserves the memory of A Ye’s late husband.
• Protection and responsibility: Qiru’s pledge offers the tribe security in exchange for its connection to the child.
• Humor amid grand events: Gungun’s teasing thoughts and Xuandu’s stunned reaction lighten the chapter’s cosmic stakes.

Chapter summary

Plot points and events

• Laozi tells Xuandu that he intends to take as a disciple a child not yet born, leaving Xuandu astonished. Laozi then takes him to the Alchemy Hall to refine pills.
• At the Youxiong Tribe, Gungun and Qiru are welcomed with a feast. Though the food is modest by Gungun’s standards, the children’s warmth and delight make the meal enjoyable.
• Watching Gungun among the children, Houtu reflects on the Human Race’s unusual ability to draw the affection of powerful Witches. She remains unsure why humans are special, but decides they deserve protection and orders Kuafu to watch over them in the Yellow River region.
• Three days later, Gungun leaves rather than wait for Zhenwu’s birth, regarding the future emperor as no match for its own standing.
• Kuafu catches up with Gungun and explains that Houtu has assigned him to protect the Human Race. Gungun realizes the hundred-thousand-year period of the Witches’ promised protection is nearly over, and wonders whether the ten sons of Dijun are nearing the age when they may pose a threat.

Character developments

• Gungun reveals a softer, more affectionate side through its easy rapport with the human children, despite its pride and high opinion of its own status.
• Houtu moves from curiosity about the Human Race to taking practical steps to safeguard it, even though she cannot explain its appeal.
• Kuafu accepts Houtu’s assignment and begins questioning why special protection is needed.
• Xuandu is humbled by how little he understands of the wider world, while Laozi remains confident in his unusual choice of disciple.

Significant themes

• The Human Race’s value may lie in qualities beyond strength or cultivation talent.
• Affection and personal bonds can bridge the divide between powerful supernatural beings and ordinary people.
• Duty and protection continue even as a formal promise nears its end.
• Pride and status shape Gungun’s decisions, contrasting with its genuine warmth toward the children.

Character interactions

• Laozi guides Xuandu from surprise back to his apprenticeship.
• Gungun’s playful meal with the children creates a moment of shared happiness that Houtu witnesses.
• Houtu sends Kuafu to protect the humans, but cryptically tells him to ask Gungun why—prompting his confusion.
• Kuafu later reports the assignment to Gungun, whose thoughts shift from the Human Race to the possible danger posed by Dijun’s sons.

Key plot points and events

• Kuafu asks Gungun why Houtu transferred him from Mount Chengdu Zaitian to the Yellow River to protect the Human Race. Gungun jokes that Houtu may be trying to help Kuafu find a wife, then advises him to cultivate harder.
• Gungun gives Kuafu a Coolness Pearl, insisting that he keep it with him. He hints that Kuafu will need it during the coming War of the Liches, and offers to trade it for rare Spirit Fruits.
• After Gungun leaves, Houtu realizes his warning may refer to Kuafu’s future encounter with the Ten Golden Crows—and to Kuafu’s likely death. She resolves to warn him to keep the pearl.
• Elsewhere, Hou Yi defeats and captures the one-legged Kui Ox. He explains that Gungun intends to offer it as a mount to the Shangqing Saint.
• The Kui Ox eagerly agrees once he learns the intended owner is a Saint. Hou Yi nevertheless takes him to Mount Buzhou to wait: Houtu has ordered that a Witch-Human be used instead if one is born within a thousand years. The Kui Ox will serve as the fallback option.

Character developments and interactions

• Gungun is playful and self-interested, using humor to deflect Kuafu’s questions. Beneath that, he shows concern for Kuafu’s safety by giving him a protective treasure and repeatedly stressing that he must keep it.
• Kuafu is respectful but confused by his reassignment, and prickly when Gungun questions his strength. He accepts the pearl without understanding its importance.
• Houtu becomes alarmed by Gungun’s hints about the future and acts protectively, planning to reinforce his warning to Kuafu.
• Hou Yi is direct and dutiful, carrying out Gungun’s request despite the Kui Ox’s resistance.
• The Kui Ox shifts quickly from fear and protest to eager compliance once he learns he may become a Saint’s mount, only to discover he is merely a backup choice.

Significant themes

• Foreknowledge and fate: Gungun’s knowledge of future events shapes his actions, while Houtu recognizes the danger in his indirect warnings.
• Protection beneath humor: Gungun’s teasing masks genuine concern for Kuafu.
• Hierarchy and ambition: The Kui Ox’s attitude changes dramatically at the prospect of serving a Saint, revealing the prestige attached to divine status.
• Duty and contingency: Hou Yi follows orders, while the Kui Ox’s fate depends on whether a Witch-Human can be found.

Key plot points and events

• Nine Li confronts Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal at Mount Kunlun, accusing him of assaulting human women. He says he learned of the attacks through prayers at Witch God Temples and used divination to identify Long-Eared.
• Long-Eared denies the accusation, but his reaction to hearing that one victim’s chieftain struck him with a staff raises Nine Li’s suspicions. He refuses to let Nine Li examine his chest for a wound.
• When Long-Eared insults Nine Li’s human mother, Nine Li attacks. The two fight, with Nine Li knocking Long-Eared into a pit and then pursuing him in close combat.
• Jiejiao disciples rush to Long-Eared’s aid, and disciples of the Expounding Teaching—including Guang Chengzi—join the battle on Nine Li’s side. The confrontation escalates into a clash between the two teachings.
• Cihang intercepts Golden Light Immortal, setting up a duel as the larger fight unfolds.

Character developments

• Nine Li acts on behalf of the human victims, drawing on his connection to their prayers and his own mixed heritage. His anger sharpens when Long-Eared disparages his mother.
• Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal is evasive and defensive. His visible unease at the mention of the staff wound and his threat of violence make Nine Li more confident in his accusation, though the chapter does not establish his guilt conclusively.
• Guang Chengzi and the other Expounding Teaching immortals shift from watching in confusion to defending Nine Li once Jiejiao disciples attack him.
• The Jiejiao disciples, led by Immortal Qiu Shou, rally quickly to protect Long-Eared and seize the chance to confront their rivals.

Significant themes

• Protecting the vulnerable: Nine Li sees defending humans as a personal duty, despite their weakness and his status among the Witch-Human people.
• Identity and kinship: He insists that his human mother makes the Human Race his people, rejecting Long-Eared’s attempt to shame him for that bond.
• Justice versus proof: The accusation rests on prayers, divination, and suspicious behavior, but Long-Eared disputes it and refuses the proposed examination.
• Rivalry and factionalism: A personal confrontation rapidly becomes a wider battle between the Expounding Teaching and Jiejiao.

Character interactions

• Nine Li questions Long-Eared and demands accountability; Long-Eared responds with denial, mockery, and threats.
• Long-Eared’s insult about Nine Li’s mother turns the verbal dispute into a fight.
• Jiejiao disciples support Long-Eared, while Guang Chengzi and the Expounding Teaching disciples defend Nine Li.
• Cihang steps in to face Golden Light Immortal, extending the conflict into individual matchups.

Key plot points and events

• Golden Light Immortal attacks Cihang, while Nine Li beats Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal for abusing members of the Human Race. Jiejiao demons and fiends swarm Nine Li, but their weapons shatter against his great-shaman body.
• Duobao decides to protect his fellow Jiejiao disciples and attacks Nine Li, only to be knocked back by the Golden Dragon Pearl. Holy Mother Jin Ling follows, though she doubts the wisdom of confronting the Witch Race.
• In Supreme Clarity Palace, Yuanshi condemns Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal’s crimes and demands Tongtian discipline his disciple. Tongtian insists the matter belongs to him and argues that Nine Li also acted without permission.
• As Jiejiao reinforcements join the fight, Xiong Zhan arrives and helps Nine Li. Nine Li transforms into his immense true Great Shaman form, unleashing a devastating saber strike that injures thousands.
• Duobao, Zhao Gongming, and the Three Xiao Sisters attack together. Nine Li uses the Forestwood Demon God’s transformation art to summon a shield and keeps fighting despite being outmatched.
• Tongtian ultimately leaves the palace, apparently to intervene personally.

Character developments and interactions

• Nine Li proves far more powerful than the Jiejiao disciples expected, revealing both a cultivated great-shaman body and his full Great Shaman form. He shows resolve in defending humans, but his escalation turns the fight into a mass battle.
• Duobao acts from loyalty to his sect, yet underestimates Nine Li and is quickly thrown back. Holy Mother Jin Ling supports the Jiejiao side while remaining wary of provoking the Witch Race.
• Yuanshi and Tongtian clash over responsibility, justice, and sect loyalty: Yuanshi sees Nine Li’s actions as righteous, while Tongtian insists Jiejiao’s affairs are his to handle.
• Xiong Zhan’s arrival gives Nine Li an ally, while the Jiejiao elites’ coordinated attack forces Nine Li onto the defensive.

Significant themes

• Justice versus authority: Nine Li acts to punish wrongdoing, while Tongtian objects that he bypassed proper authority.
• Sect loyalty and rivalry: Both leaders defend their disciples, even as they accuse each other of hypocrisy.
• Power and escalation: Each side’s response intensifies the conflict, transforming a dispute over one disciple’s crimes into a large-scale battle.
• Prejudice and belonging: Yuanshi’s contemptuous language about Jiejiao’s origins reveals deep sect-based prejudice.

Plot and key events

• The battle between the Expounding Teaching and Jiejiao disciples escalates as more fighters join in. Yinglong hesitates to intervene, torn between his ties to both sides, and considers reporting the conflict instead.
• Tongtian emerges from Supreme Clarity Palace and ends the fight with a wave of his hand, knocking the combatants to the ground. He rebukes them for fighting on Mount Kunlun.
• After hearing the accusations, Tongtian imprisons Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal in the Vast Righteousness Pagoda for ten thousand years for harming living beings.
• Tongtian also faults Nine Li for attacking a fellow disciple without permission, despite acknowledging that Nine Li was right to defend his mother’s people. Before Nine Li can accept the judgment, Yuanshi intervenes, arguing that Nine Li is the senior disciple and Long-Eared the junior.
• Yuanshi accepts Long-Eared’s confinement as a suitable punishment but insists Nine Li did nothing wrong. He then condemns Tongtian’s other disciples as immoral beasts and urges him to expel them from Jiejiao.
• Tongtian refuses to let Yuanshi disparage his followers. The brothers’ argument becomes a challenge: they head to Chaos to settle their dispute in combat.

Character developments and interactions

• Yinglong remains conflicted and cautious, highlighting the divided loyalties surrounding the fight.
• Tongtian acts decisively to stop the violence and punish Long-Eared, but his anger rises when Yuanshi insults his disciples. His defense of Jiejiao’s followers shows that he regards them as family, regardless of their origins.
• Nine Li is willing to accept punishment, but Yuanshi’s intervention reframes his actions as justified protection of his maternal people.
• Yuanshi presents himself as defending Nine Li and advocating moral discipline, yet his contempt for Jiejiao’s disciples intensifies the conflict.
• Tongtian and Yuanshi clash over authority, fairness, and what kinds of beings deserve to be disciples. Their brotherly dispute turns into a direct challenge.

Significant themes

• Loyalty versus authority: Nine Li acts to defend his kin, while Tongtian insists that disputes between disciples should be judged by their master.
• Prejudice and belonging: Yuanshi judges Jiejiao’s disciples by their origins, while Tongtian insists they are his disciples, not beasts or fiends.
• Leadership and responsibility: The brothers disagree over whether Tongtian’s acceptance of a diverse group strengthens or endangers Jiejiao.
• Escalation of conflict: A dispute among disciples becomes a confrontation between their masters, showing how rivalry and insult can turn discipline into a larger feud.