Chapter Summaries

Xu Taiping warned Monk Chongde to keep Lu Yun and his sister safe, asked him to search for Duan Xiaoyu, and encountered the Demonic Daoist who marked the fourth level calamity. He saved Chongde from being killed and faced the fortune-teller’s deadly question alone.

• Xu Taiping told Monk Chongde to avoid Southern Chu, look after Lu Yun and his sister, and help find Duan Xiaoyu.
• An old Daoist fortune-teller blocked Xu Taiping and Monk Chongde, and Xu Taiping recognized him as the Demonic Daoist from his vision of the fourth level calamity.
• Xu Taiping interrupted Chongde before the old Daoist could kill him and sent him back to the Mysterious Cloud Martial Hall.
• Xu Taiping agreed to have his fortune told, then realized the old Daoist’s question could determine whether he lived or died.

Xu Taiping faced the old Daoist’s deadly question about which of two porcelain dolls was uglier. He refused to condemn either mother or daughter and named the person who abandoned them instead, leaving the old Daoist laughing in agreement.

• Xu Taiping recognized the old Daoist’s question from the visions through his left eye and agreed to answer.
• He examined the porcelain dolls, which depicted a mother and daughter saying farewell, and told the old Daoist he could not choose between them.
• When pressed to name the uglier doll, Xu Taiping said the ugliest was the person who had left the mother and daughter without saying goodbye.
• Xu Taiping readied his hand to activate the Azure Luan Ring, while the old Daoist fell silent and then laughed, agreeing with his answer.

Xu Taiping asked the Old Daoist to divine whether he would survive the Golden Scale Assembly seven years later, and the reading revealed no path to survival. The Old Daoist offered to protect him, but Xu Taiping insisted on going to the Blood Rain Forest, leaving the Old Daoist to call after him again.

• The Old Daoist reassured Xu Taiping that the mother and daughter from the porcelain figures had been reunited, then offered him a free fortune reading.
• Xu Taiping asked whether he would return alive to the Imperial Capital of Southern Chu after the Golden Scale Assembly, and the Old Daoist sensed that he had crossed a dangerous enemy.
• The Old Daoist cast a second divination, spat blood, and declared that Xu Taiping had no path to survival.
• The Old Daoist offered to let Xu Taiping stay with him so he could protect him, but Xu Taiping thanked him and set off for the Blood Rain Forest.
• After Xu Taiping had walked more than a hundred zhang, the Old Daoist called out for him to stop.

Xu Taiping learned from Old Daoist Huang that his fifth tribulation would occur at Fengze Pavilion and hurried there with a porcelain figurine meant to help him face it. Old Daoist Huang remained in the Imperial Capital, where a brocade-clad young man approached him.

• Old Daoist Huang gave Xu Taiping a porcelain figurine and told him to crush it when he reached Fengze Pavilion, the site of his fifth tribulation.
• Xu Taiping thanked Old Daoist Huang, learned his name, and told Bai Yu to wait near Fengze Pavilion without approaching it.
• Xu Taiping left the Imperial Capital and flew toward Fengze Pavilion, determined to face the tribulation rather than evade it.
• After Xu Taiping departed, Old Daoist Huang complained to his porcelain figurines and warned the street crowd that rain was coming.
• A brocade-clad young man approached Old Daoist Huang, who mocked the Chu Kingdom Imperial Clan’s good fortune.

Old Daoist Huang warned Chu Yinan that Great Chu’s gamble against the Blood Demon Ancestor and the Abbot of Fire Cloud Temple could not guarantee victory, while Chu Yinan trusted in the nation’s fortune. Outside the Imperial Capital, Chu Xiaoxiao tried to flee with the Prince’s Mansion’s valuables, claiming disaster was coming, and Chu Che stopped her to hear her out.

• Old Daoist Huang told Chu Yinan that his chances of becoming emperor were slim and warned him that Great Chu’s wager against the Blood Demon Ancestor and the Abbot of Fire Cloud Temple was dangerous.
• Chu Yinan said Great Chu had never lost when wagering the nation’s fortune.
• Chu Xiaoxiao rode away from the Imperial Capital with the Prince’s Mansion’s valuables and True Fire Talismans in her hair, while Chu Jing and Princess Consort Qi chased her.
• Chu Che arrived on his flying sword and used a Silver Rope to pull Chu Xiaoxiao from her horse.
• Chu Xiaoxiao told Chu Che that a calamity would befall the Imperial City that day and that the Prince’s Mansion had to leave to escape it.

Chu Xiaoxiao’s family questioned her about the mysterious Young Master Xu and learned how he had defeated the Ghost Pagoda’s dangers at the Relic-Seeking Studio. They agreed to wait outside the Imperial Capital as the crimson lightning continued, and Chu Che concluded Xu was likely a powerful Buddhist master from the Cloud Emergence Kingdom.

• Chu Xiaoxiao persuaded Prince Zhong to wait outside the city, but Princess Consort Qi insisted they return to the Imperial Capital.
• Chu Che asked Chu Xiaoxiao who Young Master Xu was, and he used a Moonshadow Stone to reveal that she had mentioned him.
• Princess Consort Qi threatened to take herself and Prince Zhong back to the city unless Chu Xiaoxiao told them the truth.
• Chu Xiaoxiao described how Xu Taiping saw through the Ghost Pagoda’s trap, killed two Ghost Kings, and brought forth an Ancient Buddha manifestation at the Relic-Seeking Studio.
• Chu Che identified Xu as a likely Buddhist master from the Cloud Emergence Kingdom, and Chu Xiaoxiao confirmed that Monk Chongde had called him Lord Heavenly Dharma Protector.

The Blood Demon Ancestor and Fire Cloud Temple joined forces to attack the Imperial Capital, overcoming its defenses as Old Daoist Huang confronted the attackers. The Demon Fox and the black Buddha Statue launched another assault on the city.

• A blood cloud and black lotuses advanced toward the Imperial Capital, and Chu Che shielded his family from Fire Cloud Temple's demonic chanting.
• Prince Zhong learned that the attackers were targeting the emperor, but Chu Che's Message Talisman could not reach the city's generals.
• The North Wind Grand Formation repelled the blood rain, but Fire Cloud Temple's Yama Palm shattered it.
• Great Chu's Southern Bright Li Fire Spear destroyed the black palm, but a blood-colored sword then cleaved the spear apart.
• Chu Che recognized that the Blood Demon Ancestor had attacked in person, and Old Daoist Huang watched a nine-tailed Demon Fox emerge from the blood cloud.
• The Demon Fox breathed flames toward the Imperial City as the black lotuses formed a gigantic black Buddha Statue that struck at the city.

The Fire Cloud Temple Chief Seat and the Blood Demon Ancestor attacked the Imperial City, but Great Chu’s defenses initially drove them back. After the Chief Seat destroyed the twelve Divine Generals, Old Daoist Huang and Chu Yinan discussed Zhu Huai and revealed that the emperor’s plan depended on him.

• The twelve Divine Generals used the Southern Bright Li Fire Formation to strike the black Buddha statue, while Great Xia’s eight Golden Men repelled the Blood Demon Ancestor’s attack on the Imperial City.
• Prince Zhong cheered as the capital’s defenders appeared to hold, but Old Daoist Huang criticized the Divine Generals’ spearwork and lack of true intent.
• The Fire Cloud Temple Chief Seat summoned a Fire Cloud Lotus Throne, transformed the statue into a six-headed, twelve-armed form, shattered the Divine Generals’ spears, and defeated them with a Lion’s Roar.
• Old Daoist Huang told Chu Yinan that Zhu Huai, the Martial God of the Former Dynasty imprisoned in Wangchuan Great Prison, could defeat the Chief Seat and even the temple’s Abbot.
• Chu Yinan confirmed Old Daoist Huang’s guess about the emperor’s wager, and Huang realized the emperor had staked Great Chu’s fortune and his own life on Zhu Huai.

Old Daoist Huang confronted the Blood Demon Ancestor, but Jingkong intervened and pinned Huang down while his disciples and the Blood Demon attacked Great Chu’s Imperial City. With the city’s defenses failing, the Third Prince looked toward the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion and the exit from Wangchuan Great Prison.

• The Blood Demon Ancestor’s Nine-Tailed Blood Fox form attacked the Imperial City as Old Daoist Huang appeared and challenged him.
• The Blood Demon Ancestor tried to flee, but Old Daoist Huang kicked him down, tore off a tail, shattered his Blood-Dropping Sword, and wounded him.
• Jingkong trapped Old Daoist Huang beneath the Golden Alms Bowl’s light, then struck him into the ground with a Buddha Hand.
• Jingkong revealed that he had arranged for the Third Seat of the Ageless Pavilion to delay the Great Emperor and ordered Zhenyu, Zhenwu, and the Blood Demon Ancestor to break into the Imperial City for the Fortune Pearl.
• Zhenye, Zhenwu, and the Blood Demon Ancestor shattered one of the Imperial City’s Eight Gates Spirit-Shocking gates, and the Third Prince turned toward the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion.

Old Daoist Huang struggled to hold off Jingkong as the demons destroyed the Eight-Gate Spirit-Shocking Formation protecting the Imperial City. With only one gate left, Chu Zhaoyuan stood by his daughter Die'er and reaffirmed his faith in the wager.

• Old Daoist Huang severed six of Zhenye's arms and three of his heads, but Jingkong pinned him down and prevented him from defending the Imperial City.
• Zhenwu and the weakened Zhenye shattered the second gate while the Blood Demon Ancestor broke three more, leaving only three gates standing.
• Jingkong expected Fire Cloud Temple to claim the Chu Kingdom's fortune once the formation fell.
• On the Star-Plucking Terrace, Chu Zhaoyuan continued reading memorials despite the formation's collapse and welcomed Die'er and Dharma Master Chongyang.
• Die'er asked whether the person Chu Zhaoyuan had wagered on was worth it, and Chu Zhaoyuan firmly said yes as another gate broke.

As the Fire Cloud Temple and the Blood Demon Ancestor attacked Chu Zhaoyuan to seize Great Chu’s fortune, Princess Die’er tried to protect him with Confucian true words. Just as she fell and Chu Zhaoyuan faced death, Old General Zhu Huai appeared and sent the Blood Demon Ancestor flying with a punch.

• Zhenye broke the final gate of the Eight-Gate Spirit-Shocking Formation, but he and the others shattered the arrows fired from the Imperial City.
• The Blood Demon Ancestor tried to devour Chu Zhaoyuan’s fortune, while Monk Chongyang intervened and Zhenwu shattered his golden body.
• Princess Die’er used “Solid as a Golden Fortress” to repel Zhenwu and the Blood Demon Ancestor, but their attacks and the backlash overwhelmed her.
• Chu Zhaoyuan shielded Princess Die’er and faced the Blood Demon Ancestor’s bite without regret.
• Old General Zhu Huai appeared before Chu Zhaoyuan and punched the Blood Demon Ancestor’s fox head away.

Zhu Huai agreed to fight for the common people after King Zhao reminded him of the lives at stake and showed him the lights of the Imperial Capital. As the Blood Demon Ancestor and Fire Cloud Temple’s Chief Seats prepared to kill him, Zhu Huai crushed the Li Fire Token and summoned his spear.

• Zhu Huai recognized King Zhao from their childhood meeting and effortlessly repelled a combined attack from the Blood Demon Ancestor, Zhenwu, and Zhenye with his physique.
• King Zhao admitted he had summoned Zhu Huai to protect the common people, and Zhu Huai refused to serve the Chu royal clan but agreed to intervene once.
• King Zhao asked Zhu Huai to become the common people’s Martial God and fight to end the war in Youyun Heaven and drive out the Nine Abysses demonic beasts.
• Zhu Huai accepted the Li Fire Token after seeing the Imperial Capital’s lights and recalling his promise to fight for the people of Great Xia.
• Jingkong urged the Blood Demon Ancestor and his disciples to strike Zhu Huai, but Zhu Huai crushed the token and called for his spear.

Zhu Huai summoned the Southern Bright Li Fire Spear and unleashed his Thousand-Army Battle Intent against the Blood Demon Ancestor, Zhenwu, and Zhenye. His attack shattered the demon monks’ Dharma Aspects and pierced the Blood Demon Ancestor as the battle left the Yaomo facing the spirits of fallen soldiers.

• Zhu Huai summoned the Southern Bright Li Fire Spear from the Heavenly Pool and challenged the Yaomo invading Great Xia’s ancestral lands.
• Zhenwu and Zhenye attacked Zhu Huai with their Dharma Aspects’ lion’s roar, but he shattered the sound waves by striking the Star-Plucking Terrace with his spear.
• Abbot Jingkong warned the demon monks that Zhu Huai’s Thousand-Army Battle Intent had to be broken before it grew stronger.
• The Blood Demon Ancestor joined Zhenwu and Zhenye in a combined attack, but Zhu Huai rallied his officers and unleashed his battle intent.
• Zhu Huai’s spear thrust shattered Zhenwu’s and Zhenye’s Dharma Aspects and pierced the Blood Demon Ancestor as spectral soldiers charged the Yaomo.

Zhu Huai defeated the Demonic Beasts and drove Jingkong to agree that Fire Cloud Temple would stay out of Chu Kingdom for ten years. He reduced Old Daoist Huang’s payment from sixteen years of fortune to six, and the Third Prince declared that he would win it back at the Golden Scale Assembly.

• Zhu Huai killed three Demonic Beasts and shattered Jingkong’s Dharma Aspect, but Jingkong escaped as a black lotus.
• Jingkong agreed that Fire Cloud Temple’s monks would not enter Chu Kingdom for ten years after Zhu Huai threatened to visit the temple.
• King Zhao explained that he had promised Old Daoist Huang sixteen years of Chu Kingdom fortune, and Zhu Huai negotiated the payment down to six years.
• Old Daoist Huang accepted the Fortune Pearl and said he would use its fortune after the Golden Scale Assembly.
• The Third Prince announced that he would take the Chief’s title at the Golden Scale Assembly and win back the six years of fortune.

Zhu Huai agreed to take Chu Yinan into the army after Old Daoist Huang explained how cultivators could win Youyun Heaven’s martial fortune. Meanwhile, Xu Taiping reached Fengze Pavilion and sent in a clone, which vanished before the porcelain figurine summoned an angry, unseen presence.

• Old Daoist Huang told Chu Yinan that he needed to face adversity and serve with Zhu Huai to contend for martial fortune, and Chu Yinan accepted.
• Zhu Huai sensed Demon Monk Zhenwu fleeing near the Imperial Capital’s South Gate and decided they could not catch him.
• Old Daoist Huang calculated Chu Yinan’s fate, spat blood, and laughed that fate had intervened.
• Xu Taiping reached Fengze Pavilion, worried about the Imperial Capital, and sent a clone inside to scout.
• The clone vanished from sight but remained connected to Xu Taiping, who made it crush Old Daoist Huang’s porcelain figurine.
• An unseen presence appeared to have been summoned by the figurine and angrily demanded to know who had called it.

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.

• The disguised Toad Demon revealed itself, and Xu Taiping recognized the slender man inside its mouth as the Sword Cultivator summoned by the Porcelain Figurine.
• Yunque and several survivors escaped the Toad Demon’s mouth, but the demon snapped the spear, seized Yunque with its tongue, and covered him in venom.
• Xu Taiping attacked with Cicada Cry, badly wounding the Toad Demon and allowing Yunque to break free.
• Yunque told Xu Taiping he had been testing him and asked whether Old Daoist Huang was in Southern Chu’s Imperial Capital.
• Yunque said he was going to settle a score with Huang and identified himself as Yunque of the Ten Thousand Sword Tower.

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.

• Yunque warned Xu Taiping that the dying toad demon was the son of the Golden Toad Poison Mother and then disappeared.
• Shi Kai ignored Xu Taiping’s warning, killed the toad demon, and took its demon pearl.
• Shi Kai introduced himself as an Inner Sect Disciple of the Ghost Axe Sect and offered to let Xu Taiping join his group under restrictive terms, but Xu Taiping refused.
• A young monk asked Xu Taiping to travel with him after the Ghost Axe Sect disciples declined to take him along.
• Xu Taiping recognized the white lotus on the monk’s sleeve as the mark worn by the person who carried him through Blood Rain Forest in 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 questioned Xuanzhi about his journey and learned that he was bound for Apricot Blossom Village in Western Liang.
• Xuanzhi explained that he had suppressed a Ghost King in the village and needed to return with alms to deliver the ghosts beneath it.
• Xu Taiping received Huiming’s confirmation that Xuanzhi’s withered-lotus mark and ascetic practice were genuine signs of Cloud-Hidden Temple.
• Xu Taiping praised Xuanzhi’s compassion and offered to travel with him, warning that enemies were pursuing him.
• Xuanzhi accepted the danger as a matter of karmic affinity.

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 agreed to accompany Monk Xuanzhi, who walked backward because Cloud-Hidden Temple forbade walking west.
• Xu Taiping and Monk Xuanzhi reached the entrance to Blood Rain Forest at night and camped in Mulberry Wood Valley.
• Xu Taiping recognized a cliff poem from his visions of the sixth tribulation, and Fairy Lingyue identified the threat as a powerful mountain sprite.
• Fairy Lingyue explained that Monk Xuanzhi’s creation power attracted demonic creatures and that Xu Taiping needed to protect him to pass the tribulation.
• Fairy Lingyue told Xu Taiping that creation power could also restrain demons and claimed she could teach him how to use it.

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.

• Fairy Lingyue explained that the Six Livestock Prosperity Spell could subdue demons and people, but warned that using it on powerful targets consumed a great deal of millet.
• Fairy Lingyue sent the spell's divine soul mark into Xu Taiping's sea of consciousness and told him to teach it to Xuanzhi.
• Shi Kai and the Ghost Axe Sect disciples demanded Xu Taiping and Xuanzhi give up their campsite, and Shi Kai kicked their cooking furnace.
• Xu Taiping caught the porridge pot, then moved with Xuanzhi to another spot rather than escalate the confrontation.
• Xuanzhi told Xu Taiping that his family's death in a famine had made him angry when Shi Kai wasted food, and admitted he wanted to punish Shi Kai.
• Xu Taiping offered to teach Xuanzhi a nonlethal Buddhist spell, intending to test the Six Livestock Prosperity Spell on Shi Kai.