Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian breaks the tribulation aura surrounding Xihe and pulls her out of the River of Time, bringing her to the present.
• Lu Ya recognizes Xihe as his mother and is overwhelmed with joy, having nearly lost hope of ever seeing her again.
• Xihe, whose memories stop during the Witch-Demon era, is confused by her sudden arrival and does not recognize Lu Ya.
• Hongjun questions Tongtian about how the Heavenly Court will acquire enough personnel as the Investiture Calamity nears its end.
• Tongtian explains his agreement with Haotian: Interception Sect immortals can work for the Heavenly Court in exchange for its fortune and benefits, under enforceable contracts. Hongjun approves the plan but assigns himself the role of punishing those who neglect their duties.
• Tongtian leaves with Lu Ya and Xihe for Golden Ao Island. Lu Ya explains that Xihe’s world has changed: the Demon Court and its leaders, along with the Ancestral Witches, have long since perished.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian demonstrates his power by retrieving Xihe from the past, then negotiates pragmatically with Hongjun over the Heavenly Court’s staffing.
• Lu Ya shifts from despair to ecstatic relief at his mother’s return, then tries to explain the immense gap between her memories and the present.
• Xihe goes from formal composure to growing disbelief as she learns that the familiar world she left behind has vanished.
• Hongjun moves from questioning Tongtian’s staffing arrangement to reshaping it, taking responsibility for enforcement.
• The reunion between Lu Ya and Xihe is emotionally intense but initially one-sided: he recognizes her, while she sees him as a stranger.

Significant themes

• Time and loss: Xihe’s rescue bridges eras, but cannot spare her the shock of discovering how much history has passed.
• Family and hope: Lu Ya’s joy reflects his long-held hope of seeing his mother again.
• Adaptation and practical governance: Tongtian’s employment-style solution reframes the Heavenly Court’s staffing crisis as an organized exchange of service and benefits.
• The disorientation of survival: Xihe must confront a present in which her family, allies, and entire political order are gone.

Key plot points and events

• Xihe is revived from just after her marriage to Di Jun, before their marriage was consummated. She is bewildered to learn that the Demon Race and Di Jun have been gone for ages—and that the grown, intimidating Lu Ya is her son.
• Tongtian brings Xihe to Biyou Palace and explains how the Primordial World has changed. The Human Race is now dominant, while the witch and demon races have vanished from the Primordial Lands.
• Lu Ya asks whether Tongtian can replace this version of Xihe with one from after his birth. Tongtian explains that time’s laws make this impossible: rescuing Xihe erased her other timeline versions, and he could only retrieve her from the point before her ties to the Demon Race became too strong.
• Lu Ya leaves disappointed but grateful that his mother is alive. Tongtian, meanwhile, begins to see Xihe as a possible romantic interest.

Character developments and interactions

• Xihe struggles to reconcile her youthful self-image with being called “Mother” by a man older-looking than she is. She feels little connection to either Di Jun or Lu Ya, and agrees to stay at Golden Ao Island while she adjusts to the changed world.
• Lu Ya is hurt by Xihe’s distance and disappointed that she does not recognize or feel affection for him. He ultimately accepts that simply knowing she is alive is enough, and his respect for Tongtian deepens.
• Tongtian explains the consequences of altering time and encourages Lu Ya to build a relationship with Xihe gradually. He also admits to himself that Xihe’s arrival has sparked personal interest.

Significant themes

• The unintended consequences of time travel: A long-awaited rescue cannot restore the past or guarantee the emotional reunion Lu Ya imagined.
• Identity and family: Xihe is biologically Lu Ya’s mother, but their shared bond has not yet been formed through experience.
• Loss and adaptation: Xihe must find a place in a world that has moved on without her, while Lu Ya must accept an imperfect fulfillment of his wish.

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian reflects on his growing interest in Xihe. Unlike younger beauties who would be generations beneath him, Xihe is his peer, and he considers pursuing her eventually—though he plans to wait until the Investiture Calamity is over.
• Xihe is staying in seclusion on a quiet island behind Biyou Palace, struggling to adjust to a world transformed since the Witch-Demon Tribulation.
• She learns that the Demon and Witch Clans were devastated: nine of her ten children died, while her youngest survived as Lu Ya. Lu Ya later sought Tongtian’s help, leading Tongtian to bring Xihe forward through time.
• Tongtian visits Xihe and encourages her to stop dwelling on the past, decide how she wants to live, and ask him whatever she needs to know.

Character developments

• Tongtian reveals a personal, romantic interest in Xihe, but recognizes that she is grieving and disoriented. He offers her companionship rather than pressuring her.
• Xihe reflects that she married Di Jun chiefly for protection, not love. Now that her clan, family, and former world are gone, she feels adrift and uncertain about her future.
• Lu Ya is revealed to be Xihe’s surviving son, though their relationship feels awkward to her because he is an adult Quasi-Saint who calls her “Mother.”

Significant themes

• Displacement and loss: Xihe must face the collapse of the world and family she knew.
• Purpose after catastrophe: Her safety and power do not resolve her sense of emptiness; she must find new goals.
• Past versus future: Tongtian urges her to accept that the past cannot be recovered and consider what comes next.
• Changing relationships: Time and circumstance have made familiar bonds—such as mother and son—strange and uncomfortable.

Character interactions

• Tongtian approaches Xihe gently, acknowledges her questions, and offers to talk.
• Xihe has not yet accepted his support, but his visit gives her an opening to speak about her confusion and begin considering her future.

Plot points

• Xihe is startled when Tongtian unexpectedly visits her on Golden Ao Island and invites her to stay there.
• Tongtian says he understands the loneliness of being among the few remaining beings from their era. He offers Jade Nectar and Flat Peaches as they talk.
• Xihe senses that Tongtian has changed dramatically since the witch-demon tribulation. Suspecting a hidden motive, she bluntly asks whether he wants her as his Dao companion.
• Tongtian is caught off guard, then admits he does. He explains that rescuing her from the River of Time was initially a favor to Lu Ya, and that his status as a Sage let him do so with Hongjun’s permission. He notes that Di Jun, already bound up in the tribulation, could not have been saved.
• Xihe says she had no deep feelings for Di Jun when Tongtian rescued her; marrying Di Jun had been a way to protect herself. She adds that she might have chosen Tongtian if he had confessed during that earlier era.
• Tongtian admits that back then he cared only about cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Xihe is wary and observant, recognizing that Tongtian’s present-day behavior differs sharply from the cultivation-obsessed person she once knew. Her direct question forces his private intentions into the open.
• Tongtian shows a more sociable, emotionally aware side, acknowledging the isolation of Sagehood and openly admitting his romantic interest. He does not hide that he once neglected such concerns.
• Their conversation shifts from polite distance—Xihe sees herself as an ordinary cultivator unworthy of calling a Sage a fellow Daoist—to frank discussion of attraction, past choices, and missed timing.

Significant themes

• Change over time: Xihe’s abrupt leap from the past to the present makes Tongtian’s transformation especially noticeable.
• Loneliness and status: Tongtian’s position as a Sage brings power but also isolation.
• Missed opportunities: Tongtian’s former devotion to cultivation may have cost him a chance with Xihe.
• Agency and survival: Xihe reframes her marriage to Di Jun as a practical choice for protection, rather than proof of love.

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian openly tells Xihe he has feelings for her and asks her to become his Dao Companion, saying he will accept whatever answer she gives.
• He asks how she realized his feelings. Xihe explains that a Sage of his standing would not visit her and treat her as a genuine equal without a special reason.
• Tongtian is impressed by her insight and admits he had planned to wait until after the Investiture Calamity, but now sees no reason to hide his intentions.
• Xihe hesitates because she recently married Di Jun and considers Lu Ya her child, despite not having given birth to him. She worries about what a marriage to Tongtian would mean for Lu Ya and about public judgment.
• Tongtian dismisses the prospect of gossip, citing his victories over rival Sages and sects. He also says he is willing to become Lu Ya’s stepfather—even changing from Lu Ya’s master to his father.

Character developments

• Tongtian is direct and decisive about his affection, and increasingly values Xihe’s wisdom, sincerity, and regal bearing. He shows confidence that neither political opposition nor social disapproval will sway him.
• Xihe demonstrates sharp perception and a strong sense of responsibility. Though she has feelings for Tongtian, her prior marriage and concern for Lu Ya make her cautious.

Significant themes

• Love and commitment: Tongtian states his feelings plainly and leaves Xihe free to choose.
• Duty and family: Xihe weighs her own wishes against her bond with Di Jun and her responsibility toward Lu Ya.
• Power and public opinion: Tongtian believes his strength and independence make others’ judgment irrelevant.
• Perception and sincerity: Xihe reads Tongtian’s feelings through his unusual, respectful treatment of her.

Character interactions

• Xihe calmly explains how Tongtian’s behavior revealed his feelings, prompting him to reflect on how transparently he treated her.
• Tongtian makes a straightforward proposal; Xihe responds not with a direct answer but with practical concerns about Lu Ya and the consequences of their union.
• Tongtian reassures her by accepting the possibility of becoming Lu Ya’s stepfather, while emphasizing that he will not let gossip determine his choices.

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian tells Xihe that his strength and confidence are no empty boast: he has previously fought the other Sages and badly wounded the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
• He proposes marrying Xihe and accepting Lu Ya as his stepson. Xihe, deeply moved by his sincerity, agrees without hesitation.
• Tongtian postpones the wedding until after the investiture calamity, since the final conflict between Yin Shang and Xiqi is imminent.
• He promptly announces the engagement to the Interception Sect Immortals, astonishing them. They note the growing list of things Tongtian has taken from Di Jun: the Eastern Emperor Bell, Xihe, and now Lu Ya.
• Lu Ya hears the news and rushes to confront his mother, furious and distressed that she is remarrying his own master.

Character developments

• Tongtian shows unusual openness and affection, dropping his formal self-reference and openly committing to Xihe. His confidence is matched by a willingness to defy convention.
• Xihe moves from shock at Tongtian’s proposal to wholehearted acceptance. His public announcement reassures her that his intentions are sincere.
• Lu Ya feels increasingly alienated from his mother, who treats him with disdain. The announcement intensifies his hurt and anger, leaving him wondering whether he must call his master “Dad.”

Character interactions

• Tongtian and Xihe discuss marriage and the timing of their wedding; Xihe trusts him to handle the arrangements.
• Tongtian tells the Interception Sect Immortals of the engagement, provoking disbelief and jokes about his apparent “collection” of Di Jun’s possessions.
• Lu Ya’s anger is directed at the situation—and especially at the prospect of his master becoming his stepfather—while Xihe’s lack of affection toward him remains a source of pain.

Significant themes

• Love that defies convention: Tongtian accepts Xihe despite her status as Di Jun’s widow and her having a son.
• Family and complicated loyalties: Lu Ya is caught between his father’s memory, his mother’s choices, and his bond with his master.
• Sincerity versus ceremony: Xihe cares more about Tongtian’s genuine affection than a formal wedding, while Tongtian’s public announcement makes his commitment unmistakable.
• Humor amid conflict: The chapter treats Tongtian’s “inheritance” of Di Jun’s family and possessions as an absurd, comic twist against the looming war.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Ya confronts Xihe, furious that she has married Saint Tongtian, and demands an explanation.
• Xihe explains that she is not the same woman Lu Ya remembers: Tongtian removed her from the timeline shortly after her wedding to Di Jun, before she and Di Jun had a real relationship or children. She says Lu Ya has not considered her feelings.
• Lu Ya recognizes that he has been treating Xihe as the mother from his memories rather than as the person she is now. He accepts that she is entitled to choose her own life and sees Tongtian as a powerful, compassionate protector.
• As Lu Ya prepares to leave, Xihe tells him she accepts him as her son and invites him to call Tongtian “Father.”
• Lu Ya reluctantly calls Xihe “Mother.” Soon afterward, members of the Interception Sect—including Duobao, Kong Xuan, and Randeng—greet him warmly and pull him into a drinking gathering.

Character developments

• Lu Ya moves from anger and possessiveness toward understanding, acknowledging that he cannot dictate Xihe’s choices. Though relieved to be accepted, he is uncomfortable with his sudden status as Tongtian’s “son” and the powerful backing that comes with it.
• Xihe asserts her independence and clarifies the gulf between her present life and Lu Ya’s memories. She ultimately chooses to accept him as her son.
• Tongtian, though absent from the confrontation, is viewed by Lu Ya as kind, protective, and not manipulative in his relationship with Xihe.

Significant themes

• Personal autonomy: Family ties do not give Lu Ya the right to decide how Xihe should live.
• Identity and memory: Lu Ya must distinguish the Xihe he remembers from the woman standing before him.
• Family beyond biology: Xihe accepts Lu Ya despite never having given birth to him, while Lu Ya faces a new, unconventional family bond.
• Power and privilege: Lu Ya is dismayed to become the very kind of powerful figure’s favored heir he once despised.

Character interactions

• Lu Ya’s confrontation with Xihe shifts into an honest discussion of her feelings and his assumptions.
• Xihe’s acceptance softens their strained relationship, although Lu Ya remains awkward about calling Tongtian his father.
• The Interception Sect members’ sudden friendliness shows that Lu Ya’s new family connection changes how others treat him; their attention makes him feel both uncomfortable and oddly nostalgic for life with his brothers.

Plot points and events

• Tongtian worries that marrying Xihe after rescuing her has hurt Lu Ya, and considers speaking with him honestly. Before he can, Xihe and Tongtian’s allies help Lu Ya begin adjusting to the blended family. Seeing Lu Ya drinking and socializing with them, Tongtian feels relieved and hopes he may eventually accept him as a father.
• Three months later, Yuanshi and the other Four Saints launch a full assault on Yin Shang and the Interception Sect. The Chan Sect and Western Teachings bring overwhelming numbers and power, quickly defeating the defenders.
• Wen Zhong calls for the Interception Sect’s aid and leads the defense alongside Yang Jian, Nezha, and Yu Hua. Though the three younger fighters have reached the Golden Immortal realm, they and the other defenders are badly wounded by the stronger attackers.
• Yuanshi vows to destroy the Interception Sect despite the likely consequences. Jieyin and Zhunti exploit his aggression, claiming to support him while seeking to draw souls into the Western Teachings and claim a share of the eventual Investiture of the Gods.
• The Three Xiao Sisters arrive as reinforcements. Their Golden Flood Dragon Scissors and Primordial Golden Dou devastate several opponents and force the attackers to retreat or redirect their efforts. Their intervention gives the battered defenders a brief respite.
• Yuanshi’s side responds by sending four Quasi-Saints against the Three Xiao, intending to eliminate them and resume the assault.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian’s guilt over Lu Ya’s position shows his reluctance to use authority against his own followers. Lu Ya remains somewhat uneasy but appears to be gradually accepting Tongtian’s family and companions.
• Wen Zhong, Yang Jian, Nezha, and Yu Hua fight courageously despite being badly outmatched.
• Yuanshi’s determination becomes openly ruthless: he is willing to risk punishment to wipe out the Interception Sect.
• Jieyin and Zhunti present themselves as Yuanshi’s allies, but their support is self-interested. They view the conflict as an opportunity to benefit their own sect.
• The Three Xiao Sisters respond to the suffering of their fellow disciples with furious, decisive action, targeting vulnerable enemies and providing crucial relief.

Significant themes

• Family and acceptance: Tongtian hopes patience and companionship will help Lu Ya accept their new family arrangement.
• Loyalty and solidarity: The Interception Sect’s defenders continue fighting despite overwhelming odds, and the Three Xiao risk themselves to protect them.
• Power and unfairness: The Four Saints’ forces rely on overwhelming strength, while the defenders’ courage cannot by itself bridge the gap.
• Self-interest beneath alliances: The Western sages use Yuanshi’s campaign for their own strategic gain.
• Escalating conflict: The Three Xiao’s arrival briefly shifts the battle, but the decision to send Quasi-Saints after them signals that the struggle is intensifying.

Plot points and events

• Tongtian senses that the Chan Sect and Western Teachings have attacked Interception Sect members in Yin Shang, so he summons the sect and lifts the Golden Ao Island ban.
• He orders the immortals to go to Xiqi and rescue their fellow disciples, directing them to kill members of the opposing sects if encountered. He goes ahead himself.
• At Xiqi, Tongtian finds Wen Zhong, Yang Jian, the Three Xiao, and other Interception Sect fighters badly wounded and still under attack.
• Tongtian wants to intervene, but holds back because the rules of the Investiture Calamity forbid Sages from directly joining the fighting. He believes the other Sages are provoking him into breaking those rules so they can use it against him.
• Yuanshi, Nuwa, Jieyin, and Zhunti insult Tongtian and the Interception Sect, insisting the sect deserves to be destroyed. Tongtian remains silent and watches.
• When a vast force of roughly one hundred thousand Interception Sect immortals arrives, Tongtian opens his eyes and orders them to avenge their fallen comrades and leave no opponents alive. They charge into battle.

Character developments

• Tongtian is furious and pained by his disciples’ suffering, but shows restraint rather than falling for the other Sages’ provocation. The arrival of his sect’s forces marks the moment he gives the order for an all-out assault.
• Yuanshi and the other three Sages reveal their contempt for the Interception Sect and attempt to goad Tongtian into violating the rules.
• Wen Zhong, Yang Jian, and the Three Xiao are shown fighting desperately despite their injuries and disheveled state.

Significant themes

• Restraint versus revenge: Tongtian must control his anger even as his disciples are slaughtered.
• Provocation and political maneuvering: The opposing Sages try to make Tongtian break the rules so they can portray him as the offender.
• Sect loyalty and collective strength: Interception Sect members mobilize in vast numbers to defend their comrades and answer their losses with force.

Character interactions

• Tongtian rallies the Interception Sect and directs its members toward Xiqi.
• The four opposing Sages taunt and demean Tongtian and his disciples; Tongtian refuses to answer them.
• After the Interception Sect army arrives, Tongtian gives the order, and the newcomers rush to join the battle.

Key plot points and events

• After the Interception Sect’s disciples were brutalized, its full force counterattacks the Chan Sect and Western Teachings. The Interception Sect vastly outnumbers its opponents and has far more powerful fighters; its enemies are quickly overwhelmed.
• Tongtian confronts the Four Saints and holds back from attacking them, despite watching his disciples suffer. The other Sages cannot intervene without risking a fatal clash with him.
• The Chan Sect and Western Teachings had brought nearly all their disciples to the battle. If the Interception Sect destroys them, both sects could be left without the people needed to survive.
• The Four Saints’ original plan was to provoke Tongtian into striking first, then appeal to Hongjun. Tongtian’s unexpected restraint ruins that strategy and leaves them at the Interception Sect’s mercy.
• Jieyin and Zhunti blame Yuanshi for the disaster, but Yuanshi points out that they all agreed to the plan and that his own sect faces annihilation too. Nuwa, who has no sect to lose, remains comparatively composed.
• Nuwa urges the others to stop arguing and decide whether they can persuade Tongtian to halt the slaughter—or must fight or make peace.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian shows remarkable self-control, refusing to take the bait even as his disciples are harmed. This surprises the other Sages and shifts the advantage decisively to him.
• Interception Sect members fight with fierce solidarity. Former Chan Sect disciples—Manjushri, Puxian, and Cihang—now see themselves as true members of the Interception Sect and fight especially ruthlessly to protect its fellowship.
• Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti move from confidence to panic and mutual recrimination. Their fear reflects how much their sects stand to lose.
• Nuwa acts as the clear-headed mediator, reminding the others that infighting helps Tongtian and pressing them to make a practical decision.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and belonging: The former Chan Sect disciples value the Interception Sect’s brotherly atmosphere and defend it as a family.
• Restraint as strength: Tongtian’s refusal to retaliate directly is not weakness; it frustrates his opponents’ scheme and preserves his leverage.
• The cost of ambition: The Sages’ attempt to gain advantage in the Investiture Calamity threatens to destroy the very sects they sought to advance.
• Reversal of power: The once-dominant Chan Sect and Western Teachings are now helpless before the Interception Sect’s numbers and unity.

Plot points and events

• The battle below is turning decisively against the Chan Sect and Western Teachings. Nuwa warns the other Sages that infighting will doom them all.
• Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin urge Tongtian to stop, appealing to kinship, old affiliations, and the Sages’ shared future.
• Tongtian rejects their appeals. He accuses them of scheming to provoke him into striking first, so they could use his retaliation to shift blame and recover their advantage. Since their disciples are now losing, he refuses to let them escape without consequences.
• The three Sages decide they must fight together to protect their teachings. Nuwa initially refuses to risk herself, but agrees to help after being promised one-fifth of the Chan Sect’s incense fortune. Her task is to rescue their disciples, not attack the Interception Sect.
• Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin launch their strongest techniques at Tongtian, while Nuwa dives toward the battlefield below.

Character developments

• Tongtian reveals unexpected restraint, foresight, and strategic skill. His composure unsettles his opponents, who had assumed he acted impulsively. He is now openly determined to make them pay.
• Yuanshi, Zhunti, and Jieyin shift from confidence and mockery to anxious bargaining as their factions fall behind. They recognize that Tongtian has understood their tactics.
• Nuwa acts pragmatically: she refuses a dangerous fight without a reward, but accepts a limited role when the price is worthwhile.

Character interactions

• The three male Sages try to persuade Tongtian through appeals to brotherhood and past connections; he counters by exposing the self-serving nature of their supposed goodwill.
• Nuwa warns the others to set aside their rivalries, then negotiates for compensation before agreeing to assist.
• The former opponents unite against Tongtian, though their alliance is driven by the immediate threat to their teachings.

Significant themes

• Self-interest disguised as reconciliation: appeals to affection carry little weight when they come from those who previously exploited Tongtian.
• Strategy and perception: Tongtian’s ability to see through his opponents’ plan changes how they view him—and how dangerous he is.
• Pragmatism and power: the Sages cooperate when survival demands it, while Nuwa weighs risk against reward.
• Escalation and consequences: Tongtian insists that betrayal and aggression must carry a real cost.

Key plot points and events

• The four Heavenly Dao Sages openly discuss stopping Tongtian, but he remains confident in his newfound strength.
• Tongtian traps Nuwa inside a tightly concentrated Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation, putting her out of action.
• Yuanshi and the Western Sages reveal that Nuwa was intended as bait: they expected Tongtian to focus his strongest power on her while they pursued their own aims.
• Tongtian attacks the three remaining Sages without using spiritual treasures. He shatters Zhunti’s Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, drives away Jieyin’s Green Bamboo Staff, and breaks Yuanshi’s Pangu Banner, gravely wounding him. He then sends all three flying.
• Realizing the battle is decisively lost, Nuwa withdraws from the Investiture Calamity and vows to remain in Wa Huang Palace until it ends. Tongtian lets her leave, knowing Heavenly Dao Sages can be resurrected as long as the Heavenly Dao endures.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian is portrayed as vastly more powerful than before, wielding primordial chaos through overwhelming physical attacks. He mocks the other Sages’ reliance on treasures and contrasts their ruthlessness with the loyalty of the Western brothers.
• Nuwa recognizes that she has been manipulated and that she cannot challenge Tongtian. She retreats rather than continuing a futile fight.
• Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti underestimate Tongtian’s power. Their plan to use Nuwa as a diversion fails, and their confidence gives way to shock and fear.
• The battle highlights Tongtian’s contempt for Yuanshi’s prejudice against the Interception Sect and his view that Nuwa has repeatedly failed to protect the groups she represents.

Significant themes

• Power and changed circumstances: Tongtian’s transformation overturns the old balance among the Sages.
• Manipulation and misjudgment: Nuwa is exploited as bait, while the other Sages badly miscalculate Tongtian’s strength.
• Loyalty and brotherhood: Tongtian envies the Western brothers’ unity, even as he condemns their methods.
• The limits of victory: Tongtian can defeat the Heavenly Dao Sages in combat, but cannot permanently eliminate them while the Heavenly Dao can restore them.

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian decides to bring the Investiture calamity to a close. His Interception Sect has become overwhelmingly powerful, and he believes the remaining opponents—the Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the two Western Sages—cannot defeat him.
• After Tongtian routs them, the three prepare to fight on desperately, but Dao Ancestor Hongjun arrives.
• The Primordial Heavenly Venerable accuses Tongtian of destroying the Chan Sect’s disciples. The Western Sages instead emphasize their sect’s hardship and ask that their remaining disciples be spared the Investiture of the Gods List.
• Hongjun approves of Tongtian’s conduct, saying he remained rational and did not strike first, while condemning the other three for trying to turn the calamity in their favor. He declares that the calamity should end.
• Hongjun tells Tongtian to stop his disciples and leave a few followers for the defeated sects, so the rival Sages can preserve some standing and maintain future relations.

Character developments

• Tongtian is confident in his strength and focused on ending the calamity. He shows little interest in defending himself against accusations, believing the Interception Sect has already achieved victory.
• The Primordial Heavenly Venerable reacts with anger and bitterness, treating the loss of his disciples as a personal grievance and expecting Hongjun to side with him.
• The Western Sages show greater political caution: rather than openly blaming Tongtian, they acknowledge the risks of entering the calamity and seek protection for their remaining disciples.
• Hongjun takes a firmer, more impartial stance than the other Sages expected, recognizing Tongtian’s restraint and prioritizing the calamity’s resolution.

Significant themes

• Restraint and responsibility: Hongjun distinguishes Tongtian’s measured conduct from the others’ attempts to shift blame.
• The cost of ambition: The calamity is presented as the consequence of unchecked greed and desire, threatening the spiritual foundations of the world.
• Victory tempered by mercy: Even after defeating his rivals, Tongtian is urged to spare some disciples and preserve room for reconciliation.
• Pragmatism and reputation: The Western Sages’ appeal contrasts with the Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s emotional accusation.

Character interactions

• Tongtian taunts the defeated Sages and offers them a chance to concede, while remaining unmoved by their complaints.
• The Primordial Heavenly Venerable and the Western Sages appeal to Hongjun in different ways: one demands justice against Tongtian; the others ask that their disciples be spared.
• Hongjun supports Tongtian’s handling of the conflict but urges him to leave his rivals some followers, framing restraint as necessary for future dealings among them.

Plot and events

• Tongtian ends the fighting, declares the Investiture Calamity over, and orders the disciples of the Three Teachings to leave Yin Shang. Hongjun disperses the tribulation aura, clearing everyone’s minds and revealing how it had fueled their murderous behavior.
• Most Interception Sect disciples return to Golden Ao Island. Wen Zhong stays temporarily to hold the Yin Shang army together and because he is needed for the upcoming discussion of the Investiture.
• In Xiqi, Ji Fa realizes through divination that the Chan Sect’s support has vanished and that his rebellion has failed. With Xiqi vulnerable and certain that Di Xin would punish him if captured, he sets fire to the royal city and kills himself.
• Three months later, Di Xin takes Xiqi with little resistance. The following year, he crushes the other rebellious lords and begins a sweeping purge and political reform, including imperial examinations and measures to improve ordinary people’s lives.
• Hongjun summons the major powers to Zixiao Palace to decide how the many vacant Heavenly Court offices will be filled. Tongtian presents his plan: divine appointments will be handled through contracts, with him acting as broker and Hongjun as the governing authority.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian acts decisively, ending the battle and later presenting his proposal openly. Confident in his strength and in Hongjun’s approval, he sees little need for secrecy or maneuvering.
• Hongjun restores clarity by removing the tribulation aura, then takes charge of the next stage and invites Tongtian to explain his plan.
• Ji Fa shifts from reluctant rebel to despairing loser. Realizing the Chan Sect has abandoned him, he chooses suicide over capture and humiliation.
• Di Xin moves from military victory to consolidating central power, aided by Tongtian’s influence on Yin Shang’s reforms.
• Wen Zhong remains a practical link between the battlefield and the coming divine proceedings: he is needed both to command the army and to oversee the Investiture.

Significant themes

• The influence of calamity: The tribulation aura intensifies violence and clouds judgment; once removed, the combatants regain their clarity.
• The cost of misplaced trust: Ji Fa’s reliance on the Chan Sect leaves Xiqi exposed when its allies withdraw.
• Power and political transformation: Yin Shang’s victory enables Di Xin to dismantle aristocratic power and build a more centralized, official-led state.
• Pragmatism over tradition: Tongtian proposes a contractual system to fill the Heavenly Court’s many vacancies, addressing the shortage of eligible spirits rather than relying on old arrangements.

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian proposes that, because the names on the Investiture of the Gods List are far too few to staff the Heavenly Court, the remaining positions should be filled by recruiting immortals from the wider world.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerable explodes in anger. He had been consoling himself that Chan Sect disciples on the list would at least receive influential Heavenly Court posts, and fears Tongtian’s proposal will take away that advantage.
• Tongtian challenges him to offer a better solution and points out that neither the list nor the Chan Sect has enough people to meet the Heavenly Court’s needs.
• Unable to suggest an alternative, Primordial insists that surviving Interception Sect members must not become officials, arguing that doing so would be unfair to Chan Sect disciples whose true spirits are bound to the list.
• Tongtian rejects Primordial’s attempt to reopen the agreement, reminding everyone that the sects signed the list before the calamity and must accept its outcome. He also invokes the sacrifices of ordinary people who died during the conflict.
• With Taishang Laozi supporting Tongtian, and the Western Sages and Nuwa staying silent, Hongjun rules in Tongtian’s favor: Tongtian will oversee the investiture, with the others assisting. Hongjun stresses that the calamity is over and the Heavenly Court must be completed for the Primordial World’s fortune.
• Hongjun departs, leaving the assembled figures awkwardly facing the decision.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian remains composed under Primordial’s attacks. He uses practical reasoning and the original agreement to defend his proposal, while his contempt for his second brother shows through.
• Primordial Heavenly Venerable shifts from guarded optimism to furious resistance. His lack of a workable alternative leaves him exposed, and his demand to exclude Interception Sect members appears driven by resentment over defeat.
• Hongjun acts as the final arbiter, endorsing Tongtian’s plan and pressing the group to cooperate.
• Taishang Laozi backs Tongtian, strengthening his position; the other potential allies of Primordial remain silent.

Significant themes

• Honoring agreements: Tongtian argues that the signed list must stand despite the Chan Sect’s defeat.
• Fairness versus advantage: The dispute over Heavenly Court appointments reveals how each sect defines fairness in terms of its own losses and rewards.
• Power and responsibility: The Heavenly Court needs far more staff than the list can provide, so its completion requires cooperation beyond the rival sects.
• Defeat and pride: Primordial’s refusal to accept the outcome underscores how rivalry and wounded pride obstruct practical solutions.

Key plot points and events

• With Hongjun gone, the Sages must settle how the Heavenly Court’s positions will be assigned through the Investiture of the Gods.
• Tongtian proposes competitive appointments: immortals may apply for posts, terms last five hundred years, and the Jade Emperor evaluates performance and chooses officeholders. The final list goes to Wen Zhong to oversee the investiture.
• The Jade Emperor, Taishang Laozi, and Nuwa accept the proposal; Nuwa remains largely detached. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable objects, since he hoped the Chan Sect’s losses would be compensated with permanent high-ranking posts.
• Tongtian offers the Western Sages the return of their fallen followers’ spirits, in exchange for their support. Zhunti and Jieyin readily agree.
• Tongtian also offers Chan Sect members prestigious but relatively undemanding divine posts. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable questions whether Tongtian still resents him, then accepts the arrangement and trusts Tongtian not to harm his disciples.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian shows new pragmatism and political skill. Rather than let the dispute drag on, he proposes a workable system and negotiates concessions with both rival sects.
• The Primordial Heavenly Venerable shifts from outright opposition to wary acceptance, reassured by Tongtian’s generosity and their continuing family bond.
• Zhunti and Jieyin quickly trade political support for the return of their fallen followers, reinforcing their reputation for opportunism.
• The Jade Emperor backs Tongtian’s plan enthusiastically, as the system gives him authority over appointments and evaluations.
• Taishang Laozi supports the merit-based approach; Nuwa stays neutral; Wen Zhong is assigned a role in administering the final investiture.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism over old grudges: Tongtian sets aside past conflict to reach a settlement.
• Power and governance: Competitive appointments are presented as a way to address staffing shortages and prevent officials from neglecting their duties.
• Political bargaining and trust: Support is secured through concessions, while Tongtian’s promise to protect the Chan Sect’s disciples helps restore confidence between estranged brothers.

Plot and events

• The Investiture of the Gods is settled after Tongtian secures the Sages’ agreement and reaches an understanding with the Jade Emperor.
• Before the group leaves, Tongtian announces he has retrieved Xihe from the River of Time, at the moment shortly after her marriage to Di Jun, and plans to marry her. He invites everyone to Golden Ao Island for the wedding.
• The announcement stuns the Sages. Nuwa, as the Demon Race’s Sage, takes it especially hard: Tongtian’s rescue of Xihe reminds her that she failed to aid the Demon Race during its catastrophe. She leaves without speaking.
• The Western Sages and the Jade Emperor offer brief congratulations and depart. The Western Sages focus on rebuilding their damaged teachings.
• Left with Tongtian are his brothers, Taishang Laozi and Primordial Heavenly Venerable, along with Wen Zhong. The brothers warn that Tongtian’s marriage could provoke gossip, trouble from surviving demons, or conflict if Di Jun returns.
• Tongtian dismisses their concerns, asserting that their reunited strength will deter threats. He insists strength matters most, boasts that he fears neither Di Jun nor the Demon Race, and urges Primordial Heavenly Venerable to cultivate the primordial Dao so they can gain an advantage before investigating another world.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian reveals his intention to marry Xihe openly and confidently. His announcement signals that he is untroubled by custom, public opinion, or possible political consequences. He also shows renewed goodwill toward his brothers and confidence in their combined power.
• Nuwa is unsettled by the announcement because it exposes her past failure to protect the Demon Race. Though hostile toward Tongtian, she chooses not to confront him, recognizing his strength and her lack of support.
• Taishang Laozi and Primordial Heavenly Venerable respond as concerned brothers, warning Tongtian about the risks. Primordial Heavenly Venerable’s earlier tension with Tongtian has eased; their candid exchange suggests their relationship is repairing.
• The other Sages treat the marriage as surprising but largely irrelevant to their own concerns. The Western Sages prioritize restoring their sect, while the Jade Emperor trusts Tongtian and leaves without objection.

Significant themes

• Power over convention: Tongtian disregards social expectations and potential scandal, believing strength will settle any challenge.
• Regret and accountability: Xihe’s return forces Nuwa to confront her earlier inaction toward the Demon Race.
• Reconciliation and family loyalty: Tongtian’s brothers’ concerns are paired with signs that old divisions among them are healing.
• New ambitions: The chapter shifts attention from the completed calamity toward cultivating the primordial Dao and exploring another world.

Plot points

• Tongtian tells Primordial Heavenly Venerable that becoming a Heavenly Dao Sage is not the end of cultivation; it limits further progress. Tongtian destroyed his Sage dao fruit and began cultivating the primordial chaos path, and Taishang Laozi has since followed him.
• Taishang confirms that their earlier understanding of the primordial Dao was mistaken and that Tongtian has found a new path. He urges Yuanshi to consider switching as well.
• Yuanshi recalls that Laozi once promised to contact him about joining forces against Tongtian, but instead shut himself away at Shouyang Mountain. Laozi admits he forgot about the promise while changing paths.
• Tongtian bluntly says Yuanshi and the other Saints would be no match for him: he could escape even Hongjun if necessary and used less than a tenth of his strength against the Four Saints. Yuanshi is hurt by the remark but accepts that the old dispute is over.
• Hongjun reappears and questions how Tongtian advanced so rapidly—reaching, in his estimation, at least the third stage of Primordial Unity in roughly a century. He explains that the Primordial World’s weakness normally makes such advancement extremely difficult, which is why powerful figures such as Yang Mei and Luohu left it.
• Tongtian says he independently deduced a path suited to himself and believes he has worked it out as far as transcending Primordial Unity.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuanshi shifts from bewilderment to serious consideration of abandoning the Heavenly Dao Sage path. His lingering resentment toward Laozi shows that the brothers’ reconciliation has not erased old wounds.
• Laozi supports Tongtian’s new cultivation path and acknowledges his careless neglect of Yuanshi, easing the tension with an embarrassed apology.
• Tongtian remains confident in his strength and presents his discovery as a personal breakthrough, while his blunt comparisons embarrass and frustrate Yuanshi.
• Hongjun takes a direct interest in Tongtian’s extraordinary progress, revealing that Tongtian’s advancement challenges what even he considers normal.

Significant themes

• Growth beyond established limits: Heavenly Dao Sainthood is powerful but can become a ceiling; true cultivation requires moving beyond inherited systems.
• Knowledge, trust, and reconciliation: The brothers’ past rivalry kept crucial information from Yuanshi, while their renewed alliance allows them to share it.
• Individual insight and ambition: Tongtian’s progress comes from devising a path suited to himself, suggesting that cultivation can exceed conventional expectations.
• Power and humility: Tongtian’s strength is undeniable, but his blunt boasts sharpen the emotional distance between his achievement and his brothers’ feelings.

Key plot points and events

• Tongtian reveals to Hongjun and the other sages a method he has deduced for transcending the Primordial Dao. Hongjun is skeptical at first, but spends three to five years examining it and concludes that the method is sound, though extremely difficult.
• Hongjun admits that he himself merged with the Heavenly Dao only after reaching a dead end on the Primordial Dao. Tongtian’s approach gives him new insight.
• Learning that Tongtian discovered a New World, Hongjun offers to accompany him when he eventually explores it. Tongtian plans to wait until the Investiture of the Gods is fully concluded.
• Hongjun reminds the sages that if they change to cultivating Primordial Unity, they must appoint successors to carry on their Heavenly Dao Sage roles, since the Primordial World’s Heavenly Dao remains incomplete.
• Tongtian’s disclosure also serves as a test of Hongjun’s trustworthiness. Satisfied by Hongjun’s response, Tongtian leaves Zixiao Palace with the others.
• Back at Golden Ao Island, Tongtian tells Wen Zhong to prepare for the Investiture of the Gods, then asks Xihe to accompany him to Biyou Palace and begins discussing their wedding.

Character developments and interactions

• Hongjun shifts from doubt to respect after confirming Tongtian’s method works. He is candid about his own limitations and offers to help Tongtian explore the New World.
• Tongtian demonstrates confidence in his deduction and growing willingness to trust Hongjun, while also thinking strategically about future exploration. He is direct and protective in his conversation with Xihe.
• Xihe is startled by how quickly Tongtian is moving toward marriage and worries that she is not yet entitled to act as the sect’s mistress. She also raises her past with Di Jun as a reason Tongtian might reconsider.
• Tongtian dismisses these concerns, insisting that Xihe should stand openly at his side and that his sect fears no criticism.

Significant themes

• Seeking a path beyond established limits: Tongtian’s method offers a possible way past the impasse that has thwarted even Hongjun.
• Trust and cooperation: Tongtian shares knowledge and tests Hongjun’s reliability; Hongjun responds by offering support.
• Responsibility and succession: Any sage who abandons a Heavenly Dao role must ensure that someone continues maintaining the world.
• Acceptance and public commitment: Tongtian refuses to let Xihe’s past or social status diminish their relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Xihe accepts Tongtian’s invitation and sits beside him in Biyou Palace. He summons the Interception Sect’s disciples, creating an enormous gathering of nearly 300,000 members.
• Tongtian explains a plan for disciples to take divine offices in the Heavenly Court. They would remain free to cultivate while benefiting from the Court’s concentrated fortune and treasures, but must compete for higher positions. Participation is voluntary, with a twenty-year deadline; Wen Zhong will handle registration.
• Though initially reluctant to serve under the Jade Emperor, many disciples become interested once they hear how the arrangement could help them advance their cultivation.
• Tongtian announces that he, Taishang Laozi, and Primordial Heavenly Venerable intend to relinquish their Heavenly Dao Sage status and cultivate the primordial Dao instead. Since the incomplete world still requires Heavenly Dao Sages, Hongjun has ordered each of them to find a successor.

Character developments and interactions

• Tongtian shows pride in the sect’s scale and confidence in its strength. He tactfully persuades the disciples to consider Heavenly Court service, while making clear that he will not force them.
• Xihe is impressed by the sect’s vast numbers and agrees to join Tongtian openly.
• The disciples react awkwardly to Xihe’s presence, since many once served under Di Jun and remember her beside him. Their discomfort gives way to practical interest in Tongtian’s proposal.
• Lu Ya is especially embarrassed: Xihe is his mother, while Tongtian is his Master, and he dreads the possibility of eventually having to call Tongtian “Father.”
• Wen Zhong is assigned to register volunteers.

Significant themes

• Power and collective strength: The Interception Sect’s immense membership is presented as a force few could rival.
• Duty versus independence: Disciples dislike the idea of being governed, but weigh that against opportunities for spiritual advancement.
• Changing hierarchies and awkward loyalties: Xihe’s new place beside Tongtian unsettles former Demon Court followers, especially Lu Ya.
• Succession and cosmic responsibility: The Sages’ planned change of cultivation path creates a need for replacements to maintain the world’s order.