Arc 24Chapters 576–600
No recap yet.
No recap yet.
Xu Taiping discovered that Fengze Pavilion was a Toad Demon in disguise and helped Yunque escape its grasp. Yunque revealed he was heading to Southern Chu’s Imperial Capital to settle a score with Old Daoist Huang, while warning Xu Taiping to look after himself.
Xu Taiping watched Shi Kai kill a toad demon despite being warned that its mother would seek revenge, then refused to join the Ghost Axe Sect group. When a young monk asked to travel with him, Xu Taiping recognized the lotus on the monk’s sleeve from his sixth tribulation vision.
Xu Taiping confirmed that Xuanzhi was connected to the mysterious Cloud-Hidden Temple and learned why the monk was traveling through dangerous lands. After verifying Xuanzhi’s identity, Xu Taiping offered to accompany him despite warning that enemies were hunting him.
Xu Taiping took Monk Xuanzhi toward Blood Rain Forest and learned that Xuanzhi’s creation power could draw dangerous mountain spirits and demons. Fairy Lingyue revealed that protecting the little monk was essential to Xu Taiping’s sixth tribulation and hinted she could teach him to use that power against the creatures.
Xu Taiping learned from Fairy Lingyue about the Six Livestock Prosperity Spell and received its divine soul mark, then clashed with Shi Kai over a campsite. After Xu Taiping and Xuanzhi moved away, Xu Taiping offered to teach the monk the spell so they could punish Shi Kai.
Shi Kai of the Ghost Axe Sect began acting like a dog after a strange chill came over him, horrifying his fellow disciples. Xuanzhi later claimed he had shown compassion by stopping Shi Kai from eating all of what he found in the woods.
Xu Taiping and Xuanzhi discussed their inherited Buddhist spells and prepared to face the shanxiao spirit appearing by the Blood Rain Forest. Xuanzhi successfully cast the Pig-Feeding Spell on her despite struggling to resist her alluring cries, then blamed his remaining lustful desire on his master's mistake.
The Mountain Sprite bewitched the Ghost Axe Sect disciples, but the young monk's Six Livestock Prosperity Spell and Xu Taiping's food offerings made her compulsively gorge herself instead of attacking. Furious and humiliated, she lunged at them, only to find herself biting into Xu Taiping's goat again.
Xu Taiping and Monk Xuanzhi used the Six Livestock Prosperity Spell to distract the powerful Mountain Sprite with food, then prepared to cross Blood Rain Forest before Xuanzhi ran out of millet. They set off with Taiping and Bai Yu, while the Mountain Sprite remained fixated on devouring a Mountain Boar King.
Xu Taiping learned that Demon Monk Zhenwu, whose eyes could turn people into blood puppets, might be lurking near the Blood Rain Forest and planning to ambush them. He warned his companions to keep their eyes closed and prepared to lead them through the blood mist, with only one chance to strike.
Xu Taiping and his companions charged through the Blood Rain Forest while Demon Monk Zhenwu pursued them and prepared to attack with his Spider Demon Eyes. The Mountain Sprite resisted Zhenwu’s attempt to control her and set off after them, while Zhenwu began summoning his eyes as the group neared the forest’s edge.
Xu Taiping and his companions escaped Demon Monk Zhenwu’s Spider Demon Eyes by keeping their eyes closed, then Xu Taiping suppressed and struck down Zhenwu. Zhenwu marked them with the Corpse Fragrance Spell before they fled into the Blood Rain Forest, where Jade-Eyed Demon Wolves confronted them.
After fighting a blue-eyed wolf pack for six days, Xu Taiping and his companions reached Westwind Valley and prepared to rest before continuing to Phoenix Cry Mountain. Xuanzhi revealed how his Six Livestock Prosperity Spell had turned the wolves against each other, then asked Xu Taiping about his Buddhist prayer beads.
Xu Taiping and Monk Xuanzhi discovered that Creation Power could activate the Buddhist Prayer Beads’ All Beings Are Equal ability, though it consumed alms money. After Xu Taiping rescued a Red Dragon Cavalry soldier from an Yingui Pavilion demon cultivator, the dying soldier urged them to save Wan Qianhu at Golden Toad Valley, warning that the Great General was in danger.
Xu Taiping asked Monk Xuanzhi about ruins he had seen in a vision, and learned they were Golden Toad Valley in its ancient form. The ruins’ vanished stele was the legendary Spirit Bone Stele, leaving Xu Taiping to face the dangers he expected at Golden Toad Valley.
Xu Taiping learned that the Spirit Bone Stele could suppress the yaomo in Blood Rain Forest and teleport him close to Phoenix Cry Mountain, but it had vanished. Xuanzhi asked Xu Taiping to take him to Golden Toad Valley so he could rescue Wan Qianhu and pursue a lead that might threaten Great General Zhang Tianze.
Xu Taiping agreed to help Monk Xuanzhi search for the Spirit Bone Stele, hoping to use his vision of Golden Toad Valley to discover how it had been hidden. Fairy Lingyue imprinted the vision onto a Moonshadow Stone, then warned Xu Taiping that she could suppress One-Leaf Book for only about seven more days and that the Spirit Bone Stele could bring his cultivation arts to the Ultimate Realm.
Xu Taiping and Monk Xuanzhi discovered that eight stone pillars formed a Mahavairocana Mudra that had sealed away the Spirit Bone Stele, and learned how it could be released. Their plans were interrupted when a Fire Cloud Temple monk, demon cultivators, and a princess of the Chu Kingdom arrived.
Xu Taiping watched Princess Tiancheng battle three Yingui Pavilion demon cultivators while Demon Monk Zhenwu questioned her about her years in Blood Rain Forest. When Tiancheng’s sword revealed the Azure Profound Sect’s Fire Dragon Sword Art, Xu Taiping suspected his Martial Aunt had taught her, and the chapter ended with Tiancheng’s sword locked against Zhenwu’s palm strike.
Xu Taiping rescued Princess Tiancheng from Demon Monk Zhenwu and freed her from his Golden Silk Rope. Princess Tiancheng recognized Xu Taiping as an Azure Profound Sect disciple and revealed that his Martial Aunt Lu Rushuang was her master, but Zhenwu was returning as Xu Taiping took her to hide.
Princess Tiancheng told Xu Taiping how she escaped the No-Thought Realm and delivered her Master's urgent instructions. She asked him to take the Twin Carp Pearl to True Martial Heaven, find A Meng of the Pure Yang Sword Sect, and seek help in undoing the Mahavairocana Mudra.
Princess Tiancheng delivered Martial Aunt’s warning and entrusted Xu Taiping with two treasures before her spirit dispersed. After burning a seed overnight, Xu Taiping prepared to enter Golden Toad Valley, while Demon Monk Zhenwu pursued the group through the forest.
Xu Taiping and Monk Xuanzhi entered a hidden passage to reach Golden Toad Valley, hoping to rescue Wan Qianhu and retrieve the eight Stone Pillars from Demonic Flood Dragon Pool. When Xu Taiping learned that Bai Yu’s clone had been destroyed before it could reach the valley, their plan to draw out Golden Toad Poison Mother and Demon Monk Zhenwu was thrown into doubt.
Xu Taiping used Immortal Sword Baiju to lure the Golden Toad Poison Mother and Yingui Pavilion Demon Cultivators out of Golden Toad Valley, then entered Demonic Flood Dragon Pool with Monk Xuanzhi to rescue the prisoners. He reached the water prison and heard Yingui Pavilion interrogating the Red Armor Cavalry.
Xu Taiping infiltrated the water prison and found Wan Qianhu and the Red Armor Cavalry being tortured by Elder Luo for the location of Zhang Tianze’s Third Life-Bound Item. Elder Luo ordered the torture of a young soldier to intensify, and Wan Qianhu’s resolve began to waver.