Chapter Summaries

Gu Changqing revealed that he had learned the Taisu True Exposition, neutralizing the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe and leaving Hongjun suspicious that the Elder of Chaos had secretly betrayed him. The Elder of Chaos denied teaching Gu Changqing the art, while cultivators watching from afar praised Gu Changqing’s hidden preparation.

• Hongjun accused the Elder of Chaos of secretly giving Gu Changqing the Taisu True Exposition after seeing Gu Changqing use it.
• The Elder of Chaos swore that Lord Taisu had taught him the art alone and insisted he had made no bargain with Gu Changqing.
• Hongjun remained wary, unable to tell whether Lord Taisu had taught Gu Changqing or the Elder of Chaos was lying.
• Cultivators watching from across the Primordial World Heaven and Earth noticed Hongjun’s suspicion and debated how Gu Changqing had obtained the art.
• An elder from the East Sea praised Gu Changqing for concealing the Taisu True Exposition until Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos attacked.

Gu Changqing revealed that he had mastered the Taisu True Exposition and used wine to recover after neutralizing the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe. As Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos prepared a second strike, Gu Changqing declared that the axe would return to its rightful owner.

• All living beings realized that Gu Changqing had secretly mastered the Taisu True Exposition and wondered whether he had allowed Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos to take the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe on purpose.
• Gu Changqing drank from the Wine God Gourd, and Hongjun noticed that his aura was recovering after the cost of using the Taisu True Exposition.
• Hongjun decided to strike again before Gu Changqing fully recovered and poured Heavenly Dao power into the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe.
• The Elder of Chaos joined Hongjun in powering the axe, and its killing intent surged as they prepared to attack.
• Gu Changqing lowered the Wine God Gourd, looked at the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, and said it was time for the weapon to return to its rightful owner.

Gu Changqing awakened the Pangu will within the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, causing it to recognize him as its master and erase Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos's imprints. Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos were left defeated as the axe returned to its rightful owner.

• Gu Changqing casually reached for the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe after finishing his wine.
• The axe awakened with Pangu's ancient aura and destroyed the Heavenly Dao and Chaos Law imprints placed upon it.
• The Elder of Chaos suffered a backlash, while Hongjun failed to resist the axe's power.
• Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos realized Gu Changqing had let them nourish the axe and awaken Pangu's will.
• The Heaven-Opening Divine Axe recognized Gu Changqing as its master, and the Elder of Chaos collapsed in despair.

Gu Changqing reclaimed the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, revealing that Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos had unknowingly strengthened his treasure for him. Hongjun realized Gu Changqing had used the Great Artifact-Command Art and spat blood from rage and humiliation.

• Gu Changqing summoned the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe from Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos, awakening Pangu's Will and leaving the Elder of Chaos injured.
• Onlookers realized the axe had never truly belonged to Hongjun or the Elder of Chaos and that their refinement had only strengthened Gu Changqing's treasure.
• Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos reeled from the revelation, while Gu Changqing casually drank wine and praised the Great Artifact-Command Art.
• Gu Changqing said that fusing the power of the Heavenly Dao had given the axe the might of a chaos supreme treasure.
• Hongjun understood what Gu Changqing had done, flew into a rage, and spat blood into the void of Chaos.

Gu Changqing revealed that he had tricked Hongjun into using Heavenly Dao power to awaken Pangu's Will in the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, leaving Hongjun's Dao Heart shattered. Hongjun realized the extent of the humiliation and vowed that only death would end their feud.

• Hongjun spat blood as the power of the Heavenly Dao around him fluctuated, and observers realized his Dao Heart had been shaken.
• Hongjun understood that Gu Changqing had deliberately let him refine the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe so Heavenly Dao power would awaken Pangu's Will.
• Gu Changqing thanked Hongjun and said his help had restored the divine axe to its peak.
• Hongjun, overcome with fury and humiliation, declared that only death would end his feud with Gu Changqing.

Hongjun unleashed the Heavenly Dao’s full power against Gu Changqing, but Nuwa and Houtu joined forces to block and destroy his attack. The battle remained poised to continue after the two Sages neutralized Hongjun’s strike.

• Hongjun vowed to fight Gu Changqing to the death, while Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu prepared to intervene.
• Gu Changqing ignored Hongjun’s threat and drank from the Wine God Gourd, further enraging him.
• Hongjun invoked the Fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation and launched Heavenly Dao: Suppression and Slaying at Gu Changqing.
• Houtu manifested the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, slowing the golden laws chains before they could reach Gu Changqing.
• Nuwa struck with the Hongmeng Sacred Sword, shattering the chains, and Houtu’s disk consumed their remaining fragments.

Hongjun unleashed an even stronger attack on Gu Changqing, recklessly draining the Heavenly Dao's power as his Dao Heart collapsed. Houtu and Nuwa seized the chance to try to suppress him, but the chapter ended before their attack's outcome was revealed.

• After Houtu and Nuwa neutralized Hongjun's first strike, Hongjun frantically drew more Heavenly Dao power through the Fragment of the Jade Plate of Creation.
• Observers warned that Hongjun's reckless use of that power could leave him utterly depleted and unable to fight.
• Hongjun roared at Gu Changqing and launched a devastating curtain of Laws Divine Radiance toward him.
• Houtu told Nuwa that Hongjun's shattered Dao Heart and chaotic condition gave them a rare chance to imprison him.
• Houtu and Nuwa joined forces, summoned the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk and Hongmeng Sacred Sword, and shouted, "Suppress!"
• Just as everyone awaited the result, another sudden change erupted.

The Heavenly Dao manifested as a colossal finger and overwhelmed Houtu and Nuwa as they tried to stop Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos. It carried the two away into the Outer Chaos Region, leaving the witnesses stunned.

• A colossal finger of heavenly radiance appeared, and a Reclusive Ancestor identified it as the Heavenly Dao Will made manifest.
• The finger pressed down on the Six Paths Reincarnation Disk, forcing Houtu to struggle to keep the treasure from collapsing.
• Nuwa struck the finger with the Hongmeng Sacred Sword, but its recoil drove her back and wounded her.
• The finger swept up Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos and carried them deeper into the Outer Chaos Region before Gu Changqing, Tongtian, Houtu, or Nuwa could intervene.
• The finger vanished, the damaged void began to heal, and the witnesses remained silent before gasping back to their senses.

After the Heavenly Dao Will rescued Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos from Houtu and Nuwa, cultivators realized that the Earth Dao and Human Dao had grown strong enough to challenge the Heavenly Dao. Houtu regretted that Hongjun had escaped just before she and Nuwa could suppress him, while Gu Changqing watched with keen interest.

• All living beings discussed the Heavenly Dao Will’s manifestation and concluded that it had intervened to save Hongjun and protect its own authority.
• An ancient mighty expert declared that the Earth Dao and Human Dao together had begun to rival the Heavenly Dao.
• Houtu and Nuwa watched Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos disappear into Chaos, and Houtu lamented that Hongjun had escaped.
• Houtu reflected that she and Nuwa had been only moments away from suppressing Hongjun and sealing him in the Underworld.
• Gu Changqing watched the aftermath with a look of keen interest.

Gu Changqing reclaimed the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe from Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos, who fled after suffering grievous damage. Back in Biyou Palace, Houtu and Nuwa praised his plan while he dismissed the feat as “Not worth mentioning.”

• Tongtian silently admired Gu Changqing and the recovered Heaven-Opening Divine Axe in Biyou Palace.
• Houtu praised Gu Changqing for calmly carrying out a plan that recovered the treasure and weakened the Profound Gate.
• Nuwa said Hongjun and the Elder of Chaos had damaged their origins and dao hearts, making Gu Changqing’s victory a two-birds-with-one-stone outcome.
• Gu Changqing leaned against a pillar with his Wine God Gourd and waved off the praise, saying the feat was not worth mentioning.
• Houtu and Nuwa rolled their eyes at Gu Changqing’s casual response.

After Gu Changqing dismissed his victory over Hongjun as nothing remarkable, Houtu and Nuwa warned that the Heavenly Dao had shown unprecedented agency by intervening directly. Gu Changqing suggested it might one day manifest in human form, leaving the Three Sages horrified.

• Gu Changqing called his feat of taking the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe from Hongjun not worth mentioning, and Nuwa and Houtu recognized that he had expected the outcome all along.
• Houtu asked Gu Changqing about the extraordinary finger the Heavenly Dao had manifested to rescue Hongjun.
• Nuwa explained that the Heavenly Dao had once remained hidden and relied on Hongjun as its spokesman, but had now intervened directly.
• Houtu and Nuwa warned that the Heavenly Dao seemed to be growing more conscious, and Tongtian said they could no longer treat it as a cold system of rules.
• Gu Changqing suggested that the Heavenly Dao might one day manifest in human form, horrifying Nuwa, Houtu, and Tongtian.

Gu Changqing warned Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu that the Heavenly Dao might form a humanoid body, then urged them to follow their own paths rather than fear the possibility. In Zixiao Palace, the gathered Sages watched Hongjun awaken, and he calmly admitted that he had lost.

• Gu Changqing told Tongtian, Nuwa, and Houtu that a humanoid Heavenly Dao could be a terrifying possibility, but advised them to keep eating, drinking, dueling, and playing chess as they chose.
• Hongjun, the Elder of Chaos, and the other Xuanmen Sages gathered in Zixiao Palace, where the Sages discussed Gu Changqing's schemes and feared his power.
• The Sages welcomed Hongjun when he awoke from meditation, but he remained calm instead of becoming enraged.
• Hongjun told the Sages that they need not fear him because he had lost in his encounter with Gu Changqing.

Hongjun admitted defeat and revealed that he would enter seclusion to seek more authority from the Heavenly Dao. The Elder of Chaos suspected Hongjun was becoming a puppet of the Heavenly Dao, while Gu Changqing announced at Biyou Palace that he would stop drinking idly and get to work.

• Hongjun's admission that he had lost stunned the Sages in Zixiao Palace.
• The Elder of Chaos sensed that Hongjun had lost much of his humanity and suspected the Heavenly Dao had reclaimed part of his self.
• Hongjun ordered the Sages to return to their sanctuaries and said he would enter seclusion to borrow more Heavenly Dao authority.
• Hongjun sent the Sages out of Zixiao Palace, and the Elder of Chaos departed into Chaos, troubled by Hongjun's path.
• At Biyou Palace, Gu Changqing told Sect Master Tongtian that he would stop spending his days drinking and get some work done.

Gu Changqing entered seclusion with the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, intending to comprehend the Dao contained in Pangu’s first strike and quietly alter the balance of the Primordial World. As Nuwa and Houtu watched from afar, the world’s fate seemed to hinge on his sealed cave and Hongjun’s retreat.

• Gu Changqing announced his seclusion, took up the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, and hinted that heaven itself might need to change.
• Tongtian promised that the Interception Sect would guard Gu Changqing as he entered his cave abode with the axe.
• Gu Changqing revealed his true purpose: to borrow the axe to comprehend the Dao within Pangu’s heaven-opening strike.
• Gu Changqing sank his divine sense into the axe and witnessed Pangu divide chaos with a single stroke, while a hazy axe-shaped phantom formed outside to guard his cave.
• Nuwa and Houtu sensed Gu Changqing’s seclusion and concluded that the balance of the Primordial World was tilting between his cave and Hongjun’s.

After years of an uneventful journey, Tang Sanzang and his disciples found that the humiliation at Wuzhuang Temple had turned the people against the Buddhist School. They continued westward, but Sun Wukong began to doubt the value of the scriptures and resolved to question the Buddha Ancestor.

• Sun Wukong pointed out a city and asked Tang Sanzang to enter and beg for food.
• Children and storytellers in the city mocked Tang Sanzang and his disciples over the Buddhist School’s defeat at Wuzhuang Temple.
• Tang Sanzang received little help from the townspeople, who preferred Daoist talisman water and temples to Buddhist prayers.
• Tang Sanzang wondered whether the journey would yield true Mahayana scriptures or only emptiness.
• Sun Wukong reassured Tang Sanzang that they would finish the journey, then said he wanted to ask the Buddha Ancestor what use the scriptures would be.

Vulture Peak’s Buddhas worried that Gu Changqing’s influence had weakened Buddhism and feared his warning that heaven might change. As Gu Changqing remained secluded on Golden Ao Island, the Interception Sect prospered while Tongtian sensed a terrifying aura growing within his cave abode.

• Guanyin reported that the scripture-fetching party had passed the Purple Bamboo Kingdom and was traveling toward Lion Camel Ridge without encountering any major trials.
• Tathagata rejected Manjushri’s proposal to win back believers through Dharma assemblies, saying people trusted power rather than Buddhist teachings.
• Maitreya recalled Gu Changqing’s warning that it was probably time for heaven to change, and Tathagata ordered the scripture mission to continue while Vulture Peak closed its gates and prepared for upheaval.
• The Interception Sect’s incense offerings and fortune grew as Gu Changqing remained in seclusion, and its disciples speculated about what he might do when he emerged.
• Tongtian sensed an increasingly terrifying aura rising within Gu Changqing’s cave abode.

After years in seclusion, Gu Changqing emerged having comprehended the Dao of “beginning” contained in Pangu’s heaven-opening axe stroke. As laws gathered into a towering apparition above Golden Ao Island, Tongtian realized Gu Changqing might possess the power to change heaven itself.

• A metallic ring sounded from Gu Changqing’s cave, stirring the laws and order across Golden Ao Island and drawing Tongtian outside Biyou Palace.
• Tongtian sensed that Gu Changqing had become part of heaven and earth and asked what he had comprehended in seclusion.
• Gu Changqing explained that Pangu’s axe stroke cleaved existence from nothingness and that its Dao lay in “beginning.”
• Gu Changqing asked whether someone who obtained that Dao could change heaven, leaving Tongtian shaken by the implications.
• The laws gathered above Golden Ao Island and condensed into a towering apparition resembling both a man and an axe.

Gu Changqing traced mysterious axe trajectories with his drunken steps, manifesting a Dao rhythm that collapsed the void and disrupted time across Golden Ao Island. Sages Laozi and Yuanshi sensed the Pangu aura from afar, and Yuanshi wondered what its emergence meant while the Heavenly Dao remained silent.

• Gu Changqing took drunken steps that formed axe trajectories, causing the void to collapse and time to lose its sequence.
• Gu Changqing continued tracing trajectories as laws and order surged across Golden Ao Island and the East Sea, leaving the Jie Sect Disciples and sea beasts trembling in reverence.
• Sect Master Tongtian watched Gu Changqing’s display and wondered what kind of power he possessed.
• Laozi sensed Pangu’s Dao rhythm from Golden Ao Island and recognized that Gu Changqing’s Dao was beyond his comprehension.
• Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi sensed an aura purer than the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe and worried that Pangu’s Dao had manifested while the Heavenly Dao remained silent.

Heavenly Venerable Yuanshi sensed Gu Changqing’s Pangu Dao Rhythm and wondered whether Pangu or the Heavenly Dao was stronger. In the Underworld, Houtu recognized the aura, and Dijiang arrived with the Witch Clan, excited to have sensed Father God Pangu.

• Yuanshi considered whether Gu Changqing was awakening Pangu’s power and might oppose the Heavenly Dao.
• Yuanshi dismissed the Twelve Golden Immortals and remained alone in the Jade Void Palace.
• Houtu sensed Gu Changqing’s Pangu Dao Rhythm and trusted that he was deliberately following his own path.
• Dijiang led the Witch Clan to Houtu and exclaimed that they had sensed Father God Pangu’s aura.

The Twelve Ancestral Witches sensed Pangu’s aura in Gu Changqing’s Dao rhythm, and Zhurong wondered whether Gu Changqing might be Pangu reincarnated. The Witches set out with Houtu for Golden Ao Island to visit Gu Changqing and congratulate him.

• The Twelve Ancestral Witches gathered in the six paths of reincarnation, excited by the Pangu aura they sensed in Gu Changqing.
• Houtu praised Gu Changqing’s extraordinary talent and his rise to the origin of the ten thousand laws despite being human.
• Zhurong speculated that Gu Changqing might be Father God Pangu’s reincarnation, leaving the other Ancestral Witches stunned and doubtful.
• Dijiang said Pangu’s aura had returned to Heaven and Earth and urged the Witches to go to Gu Changqing.
• Houtu joined her elder brothers, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches headed for Golden Ao Island to congratulate Gu Changqing.