Recaps

Di Shitian left Yue Mingxin and the others behind, while the triangular monster disturbed the Time Light Knot before vanishing with its distorted space. In a snowy wilderness, Chunzang continued seeking scriptures on foot with Yuan Tongtian and the East Sea’s Tenth Prince following him, and the dragon horse complained about carrying the scriptures.

• Di Shitian decided not to kill Yue Mingxin, Huan Wuxin, and Yang Haoya yet and departed, leaving them to awaken days later in an unknown continent.
• The triangular monster appeared near the Time Light Knot, disrupted its temporal phantoms, and then disappeared as the knot returned to normal.
• A transmission phantom emerged from the Time Light Knot and followed the triangular monster’s trail into a spatial collapse, after which the distorted space receded.
• Chunzang trudged through deep snow while Yuan Tongtian guarded him and the dragon horse carried heavy cases of scripture books.
• The East Sea’s Tenth Prince complained that Chunzang walked instead of riding him and had loaded the scriptures onto his back instead of using his Dragon Pouch.

Chun Zang and his disciples argued as they traveled through the snow with the Great Ascension Buddhist scriptures. When a disguised Demon Race phantom beast attacked Chun Zang, Zhen Kong killed it, and Chun Zang questioned whether the creature had truly been a demon.

• Zhen Feng argued with Zhen Han and Zhen Kong, and Chun Zang reminded Zhen Feng that protecting the scriptures mattered more than carrying him.
• Chun Zang drank from a stream and spotted a shivering spirit rat on a snowy peak, then tried to rescue it.
• The spirit rat transformed into a huge Demon Race shadow, but Zhen Kong struck it down with his demon staff.
• Zhen Feng and Zhen Han blamed the attack on opposing factions, while Chun Zang rebuked Zhen Kong for killing the creature.
• Zhen Kong explained that a phantom beast had appeared when Chun Zang lowered his head, and told him to ask his other disciples if he doubted it.

Chun Zang rebuked Xuan Kong for killing the spirit mouse, but relented after Zhen Han offered him a peach and allowed Xuan Kong to stay. The chapter recounted how Yuan Tongtian’s unexpected arrival overturned the powers’ plans for Chun Zang’s disciples, leaving Xuan Kong established as eldest senior brother and his origins unknown.

• Chun Zang confronted Xuan Kong over killing the spirit mouse and warned him that another act of violence would end their journey together.
• Zhen Han offered Chun Zang a peach, and Chun Zang softened and let Xuan Kong stay, while Xuan Kong refused to reveal why he had protected Chun Zang for two hundred years.
• Zhen Han reflected on how Yuan Tongtian had unexpectedly taken the eldest disciple position and how the Immortal Palace and Buddhist authorities could not discover his origins.
• The Immortal Palace and Buddhism learned that the Demon Race had not arranged its disciple, while Yuan Tongtian had already joined Chun Zang and disrupted their plans.
• The Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One approved Yuan Tongtian’s place, and Yuan Tongtian, known by his Buddhist name Xuan Kong, remained Chun Zang’s eldest senior brother.

The Immortal Palace and Buddhist sect accepted Ao Feng, who appeared as Dragon Horse Zhen Feng, as the final disciple on Chunzang’s scripture journey. After Chunzang clashed with Zhen Kong over killing demons, Zhen Han and Zhen Feng tried to reconcile them, but Chunzang remained troubled by the truth behind his journey and his own hopes.

• The Buddhist sect yielded a disciple’s place to Dragon Island, and the East Sea Dragon Palace sent Ao Feng to join Chunzang’s party as Dragon Horse Zhen Feng.
• At Thunder Sound Temple, Zhen Han realized that the scriptures could only be carried by dragons with Celestial Dragon bloodline, securing merit for Zhen Feng.
• Zhen Han reflected that Chunzang’s origins were unknown and that rumors claiming his flesh could grant immortality had drawn demons to attack him.
• After Chunzang and Zhen Kong fell out again, Zhen Han offered Chunzang a peach while Zhen Feng defended Zhen Kong and urged Chunzang not to send him away.
• Chunzang’s anger eased as he ate the peach, but he saw no regret in Zhen Kong and wondered whether anyone could understand his hopes.

Chun Zang and his disciples reached the path up Great Snow Mountain after more than ten days of walking through relentless snow. As a vast Buddhist manifestation enveloped the mountain, Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva believed Chun Zang was the reincarnated Buddha Lord and that Little Linglong Temple would awaken him.

• Chun Zang set out again, while Zhen Han made Dragon Horse Zhen Feng carry the peach tree and Zhen Kong urged the group onward.
• After more than ten days in heavy snow, Chun Zang and his disciples reached the faint path leading up Great Snow Mountain.
• Chun Zang chose to climb the mountain on foot despite Dragon Horse Zhen Feng's complaints and the danger to him.
• Thunder and strange vortices filled the sky, then green light and golden radiance transformed into a vast Buddhist kingdom over Great Snow Mountain.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva recognized Chun Zang as the reincarnated Buddha Lord and concluded that Little Linglong Temple would awaken him.

Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva arrived at Little Linglong Temple and disguised himself as an old monk to meet Chun Zang and his disciples. After testing Chun Zang through a conversation about a dry water jar and a relic, he invited Chun Zang to take the first step toward seeing the Buddha.

• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva entered Little Linglong Temple, disguised himself as an old monk, and waited for Chun Zang and his disciples.
• Zhen Kong and the others arrived, and Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva pretended to fear them while Chun Zang offered him shelter.
• Chun Zang swept the courtyard and discovered that the temple's water jar was empty.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva asked how a relic that could not drink or listen should be guided, and Chun Zang answered that it should be taught and transformed.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva invited Chun Zang to take the first step toward glimpsing the Buddha.

Chun Zang entered Little Linglong Temple’s main hall and learned that he was the reincarnated Namo Maitreya, the Future Buddha. As the revelation’s auspicious signs faded, a crack split the Buddha statue, and Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva realized the Buddha position might have changed hands.

• Zhen Kong entered the mysterious hall first, found nothing unusual, and invited Chun Zang inside.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva revealed that Chun Zang was Namo Maitreya, the Future Buddha, and had come to welcome him back to his position.
• Chun Zang recognized the Maitreya statue and smiled, causing Buddha lotuses, heavenly flowers, and celestial maidens to appear.
• When no further sign appeared, Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva inspected the side halls and heard a crack split the Maitreya statue’s head.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva stared at the fissure and exclaimed that the Buddha position had changed hands.

Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and Chun Zang reacted to signs that Namo Maitreya’s Buddha position might have changed hands when a powerful Great Demon attacked Little Linglong Temple. Zhen Kong tried to fight the newcomer but was badly wounded, and the chapter ended as the demon revealed that Samantabhadra Bodhisattva had fallen for a trap.

• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva suspected that Chun Zang had taken Namo Maitreya’s Buddha position after the Future Buddha’s golden body cracked.
• A Great Demon broke through the Buddhist light above Great Snow Mountain and attacked Little Linglong Temple, wounding the Six-Tusked White Elephant despite its counterattack.
• Zhen Kong charged at the demon, but its five-colored light shattered his demon staff and severely injured him.
• The Great Demon mocked Zhen Kong’s Fire Ape Dharma Body, bound him with black threads, and revealed that it had spared him because he was a puppet.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva freed Zhen Kong with his jade ruyi and tried to take him away, but the Great Demon laughed and said Samantabhadra had fallen for its trap.

Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva fought a demon that had trapped Chun Zang inside a five-colored shell, then negotiated for the monk’s release. When the demon demanded Zhen Kong in exchange, Chun Zang offered himself instead, and Samantabhadra urged him to remember his vow and duty.

• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva battled the demon’s five-colored shell, but it teleported above Little Linglong Temple and trapped Chun Zang.
• The demon demanded Chun Zang’s flesh for immortality, then agreed to release him in exchange for Zhen Kong, whom it blamed for killing its great-grandson.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva brought Zhen Kong forward and left the choice to Chun Zang.
• Chun Zang offered to go with the demon so Zhen Kong would not die in his place.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva pleaded with Chun Zang to remember his responsibility and vow at Jiangchao Temple in Changsheng Town.

Chun Zang refused to let Zhen Kong die in his place, but a demon seized them both as Myriad Thunders Paying Homage erupted over Great Snow Mountain. The upheaval halted the demon and revealed that Namo Maitreya Buddha's Buddha position had changed hands, ending with a tall figure arriving through the lightning.

• Chun Zang told Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva that he would trade his life for Zhen Kong and urged the others to deliver the scriptures without him.
• The demon seized Zhen Kong and Chun Zang, but Myriad Thunders Paying Homage imprisoned Great Snow Mountain and shattered the demon's halos and clouds.
• Power of faith gathered around the Buddha image, and Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva realized Namo Maitreya Buddha's Buddha position had changed hands.
• A dark green radiance and Buddha-light pillars opened a teleportation passage, but Heaven and Earth Will and lightning collapsed it.
• A Buddha statue golden body appeared within the lightning, and a tall figure emerged behind it, saying the power of faith had enabled the teleportation.

Xiao Hua returned to Great Snow Mountain just as Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land began, rescued Chun Zang, and confronted the Five-Colored Demon Race. Chun Zang sensed a deep familiarity and safety in Xiao Hua, while Bodhi refused the Buddha fruition and clarified that he was not Maitreya Buddha.

• Xiao Hua confirmed that he had returned to the Great Snow Mountain where Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land had only just begun, then swept away the strange phenomena surrounding Little Linglong Temple.
• Bodhi blocked the descending Buddha fruition with the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, and Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva mistook him for Maitreya Buddha before Bodhi corrected him.
• Xiao Hua recognized that Chun Zang had missed his chance to obtain the Baye Linglong Scripture and decided he could still restore it so Chun Zang could attain fruition.
• The Five-Colored Demon Race threatened Xiao Hua and refused to release the fire ape, but Xiao Hua confined the demon and freed Chun Zang from its binding light threads.
• Xiao Hua asked Chun Zang to stay beside him, and Chun Zang felt an inexplicable familiarity and warmth upon seeing Xiao Hua.

Xiao Hua arrived at Great Snow Mountain, rescued Yuan Tongtian, and summoned Tun Tian to protect Chun Zang by fighting the Five-Colored Demon Race. He lent Yuan Tongtian the As-You-Wish Staff, and together Yuan Tongtian and Tun Tian broke through the demon’s defenses and began crushing its shell.

• Xiao Hua reassured Chun Zang, seized the five-colored halo restraining Yuan Tongtian, and healed Yuan Tongtian with a pill.
• Xiao Hua summoned Tun Tian with the Kunlun Mirror, and Tun Tian recognized Chun Zang as his Buddha Lord and agreed to protect him.
• Xiao Hua released the Five-Colored Demon Race and challenged it to defeat his juniors if it wanted to escape.
• Tun Tian fought the demon but struggled against its sturdy shell and mysterious halo, so Xiao Hua lent Yuan Tongtian the As-You-Wish Staff.
• Yuan Tongtian and Tun Tian attacked together, shattered the demon’s halo, cracked its shell, and struck its exposed flesh with bone spurs and lightning.

Xiao Hua killed the five-colored shellfish demon and promised Yuan Tongtian he could have the As-You-Wish Staff after Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land ended. Heaven Swallowing offered to become Chun Zang’s disciple and escort him, while Buddha Bodhi approached Chun Zang to settle their karma.

• Xiao Hua restrained the shellfish demon, then Heaven Swallowing killed it with the Heaven-Swallowing Nine-toothed Rake.
• Xiao Hua gave Yuan Tongtian a ball of five-colored light and agreed to keep the As-You-Wish Staff for him until he returned from Thunder Sound Temple.
• Yuan Tongtian told Xiao Hua that two hundred and eighteen years had passed since Chun Zang left Changsheng Town and that they had already obtained the Great Ascension Buddhist scriptures.
• Xiao Hua invited Heaven Swallowing to protect Chun Zang, and Heaven Swallowing bowed to Chun Zang and offered to become his disciple.
• Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva deferred the decision to Buddha Bodhi, who began walking toward Chun Zang to settle his karma.

Chun Zang refused Buddha Bodhi’s attempt to return his past-life merit and Buddhist fruition, choosing to continue spreading the scriptures instead. Xiao Hua intervened to stop the descending Buddhist light, but Chun Zang reaffirmed his choice and said he had no regrets.

• Buddha Bodhi tried to return Chun Zang’s past-life merit and Buddhist fruition, but Chun Zang rejected them and said he would spread the Dharma through the scriptures.
• Dragon Horse Zhen Feng and Zhen Han complained that Chun Zang had refused the fruition they had expected him to accept.
• Xiao Hua summoned the power of the stars and moon and used his enormous Dharma Body to hold back the Buddhist light descending toward Buddha Bodhi.
• Xiao Hua urged Chun Zang to accept fruition without worrying about the Immortal Palace, Thunder Sound Temple, or the scripture journey.
• Chun Zang told Xiao Hua that he sincerely wanted to finish Seeking Scriptures in the Pure Land and had made his decision with no regrets.

Xiao Hua allowed Buddha Bodhi to attain the fruition of Maitreya Buddha, while Chunzang accepted the outcome without regret. After Maitreya Buddha departed, Tuntian became Chunzang’s disciple, and Xiao Hua sent them onward toward their Pure Land scripture-seeking journey.

• Chunzang refused to challenge Buddha Bodhi for the chance to become Maitreya Buddha, and Xiao Hua stopped blocking the Buddhist light.
• Buddha Bodhi overcame the strange devilish tribulation, attained Buddha fruition as Maitreya Buddha World Honored One, and concealed his original appearance.
• Maitreya Buddha blessed Chunzang and departed for Thunder Sound Temple with Namo Great Practice Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
• Tuntian asked whether he could still take a master, and Xiao Hua pointed out that neither Bodhisattva nor Maitreya Buddha had forbidden it.
• Tuntian bowed to Chunzang as his master, and Xiao Hua explained that Tuntian sought to atone for past deeds by helping Chunzang seek scriptures.

Chun Zang accepted Tun Tian as his disciple Zhen Jie and prepared to leave Little Linglong Temple with his companions to continue seeking the scriptures. Xiao Hua parted from Chun Zang without revealing his questions, then learned that the mysterious golden light left by Namo Maitreya Buddha had been meant for Jiang Liuer in his previous life.

• Chun Zang accepted Tun Tian as Zhen Jie, and Zhen Jie received Buddhist light when Chun Zang touched his crown.
• Chun Zang introduced Zhen Jie to Zhen Feng, Zhen Han, and Zhen Kong, then ordered them to set out for Changsheng Town.
• Zhen Jie claimed the title of eldest senior brother, made Zhen Han carry the scriptures, and rode Dragon Horse Zhen Feng down the mountain.
• Chun Zang told Xiao Hua that he had once been called Jiang Liuer and departed to continue his journey, while Zhen Kong thanked Xiao Hua and followed him.
• Thunderclap True Person told Xiao Hua that the golden light had emerged from Ancient Cai Li's remains and had been left for Jiang Liuer by Namo Maitreya Buddha in his previous life.

Xiao Hua prepared to leave Great Snow Mountain after Maitreya Buddha’s fruition and discovered a second mysterious key resembling the one from the Dragon Island ruin. He sent Sun Jian back to the Three Great Continents, where they discussed Sun Jian’s mission, Xiao Hua’s plans for the Daoist sect, and the prospect of peace between the Creation Sect and the Immortal Palace.

• Thunderclap True Person gave Xiao Hua a key found inside the Heaven and Earth Child Pagoda, and Xiao Hua compared it with the key from the Dragon Island ruin.
• Xiao Hua and Thunderclap True Person decided to leave Great Snow Mountain after Maitreya Buddha’s fruition and agreed the site was no longer suitable for a Teleportation Array.
• Xiao Hua summoned Sun Jian from Shenhua Continent and told him only two hundred years had passed since they entered the Heavenly Prison.
• Sun Jian vowed to expose Sun Hao and avenge his grievance, while Xiao Hua urged him to protect his life and act cautiously.
• Xiao Hua told Sun Jian he would support the Daoist sect and warned that he would retaliate against conspiracies by the Immortal Palace.
• Sun Jian promised to report Xiao Hua’s position to Immortal Emperor Gouchen and said he hoped the Creation Sect and Immortal Palace could coexist peacefully.

Xiao Hua arranged a foothold in the Pure Land World and prepared his disciples to return to the Creation Sect. He urged them to keep the sect’s interests first while avoiding worldly entanglements that could hinder their cultivation.

• Xiao Hua promised Sun Jian that the Creation Sect would not oppose the Immortal Palace under his leadership, then accepted Sun Jian’s jade slip of Dragon Palace locations and sent him on his way.
• Xiao Hua and Thunderclap True Person decided to establish a foothold in the Pure Land World, and Thunderclap True Person deployed thirty thousand Creation Sect disciples to set up a formation.
• Xiao Hua released Fu Zhiwen and the other disciples, welcomed them back to the Three Great Continents, and asked about their plans for the future.
• Liu Yi, You Zhongquan, Wang Zhengfei, and Fu Zhiwen assured Xiao Hua that they would not seek power within the Creation Sect and would put its interests first.
• Fu Zhiwen recognized Xiao Hua’s concern that worldly affairs could impede their cultivation, and the disciples promised to remain focused on their goals.

Xiao Hua confronted the consequences of Shenhua Continent’s growing population and Creation Sect’s expansion, while learning how Liu Yi and You Zhongquan had suppressed a deadly feud between their families. He then worked with Thunderclap True Person to choose a hidden site for a Teleportation Array, leaving Thunderclap to build a connection to Black Wind Ridge.

• Xiao Hua sent the disciples back to Cangxian Continent and kept Jiang Hong and Liu Yi behind, while Yuan Ya returned to Shenhua Continent ahead of his group.
• Liu Yi confessed that a Liu Family descendant had poisoned a You family disciple, triggering a battle that left more than four hundred people dead or injured before Liu Yi and You Zhongquan intervened.
• Xiao Hua forbade the first three generations of his disciples from killing one another and told Jiang Hong to strengthen other lineages on Shenhua Continent.
• Xiao Hua and Thunderclap True Person discussed the limits of controlling Shenhua Continent and Xiao Hua’s worries about the disciples’ cultivation and future after his ascension.
• Xiao Hua and Thunderclap True Person selected a secluded location underground and gave Thunderclap the Great Universe Shifting Token to build a Teleportation Array linking it to Black Wind Ridge.

Xiao Hua set out for the South Sea Dragon Palace while Maitreya Buddha World Honored One arrived at Thunder Sound Temple to reshape his golden body. There, Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One and Rāgaratna Tathagata revealed that the two missing gold foils of the Baye Linglong Scripture were held by the past and current Buddha Lords.

• Xiao Hua told Thunderclap True Person he would investigate the force in the Sacred Realm of a Thousand Demons and go to the South Sea Dragon Palace first.
• Thunderclap True Person warned Xiao Hua that the Dragon Palaces were dangerous, but Xiao Hua departed for the South Sea after the puppets excavated the space.
• Xiao Hua tried to exceed the Lightning Evasion Technique but found the Heaven and Earth Laws stopped him, then continued toward the South Sea with the Thunderous Roar of the Nine Heavens.
• Maitreya Buddha World Honored One reached Thunder Sound Temple and entered the Lotus Cleansing Pool, where his golden body failed to become more substantial.
• Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One and Rāgaratna Tathagata explained that the Baye Linglong Scripture was imperfect and that its missing gold foils were held by the past and current Buddha Lords.

Maitreya Buddha World Honored One received the past and present world cultivation methods, returned to his position as Future Buddha, and began contemplating the Buddhist teachings. Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One and Rāgaratna Tathagata then wondered why the previous Maitreya Buddha had relinquished his Buddha position and whether he had made further moves through his karmic obstacles.

• Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One and Rāgaratna Tathagata gave Maitreya Buddha World Honored One their cultivation methods and warned that a future heart tribulation might lead him to harm Thunder Sound Temple.
• Maitreya Buddha World Honored One entered the Lotus Cleansing Pool, reshaped his present-life body, and appeared throughout the Pure Land as the Future Buddha Lord.
• Xiao Hua watched the Buddhist light spread as Wen Qu and Thunderclap True Person discussed Maitreya Buddha World Honored One's good fortune, then Xiao Hua flew toward the distant misty waves.
• Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One taught Maitreya Buddha World Honored One to contemplate the teaching that there was no cultivation, life, tempering, or golden body, and Maitreya Buddha World Honored One entered seclusion.
• Rāgaratna Tathagata asked why the previous Maitreya Buddha had abandoned his Buddha position, and Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One suggested that an unforeseen change had forced him to leave it.

Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One and Rāgaratna Tathagata discussed Chun Zang’s attainment and the mystery of Ananda, then Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One predicted a struggle over the Future Buddha’s position. In the South Sea, Xiao Hua completed his Great Ascension lightning tribulation and set out with Jiang Hong to find the South Sea Dragon Palace, whose outer defenses lay ahead.

• Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One explained that Chun Zang was the present-life fleshly body of Namo Maitreya and wondered where Ananda was, while Rāgaratna Tathagata questioned the Maitreya Buddha World Honored One’s motives.
• Great Sun Tathagata World Honored One said two rivals for the Future Buddha’s position would clash at Thunder Sound Temple.
• Xiao Hua released his suppressed cultivation in the South Sea and endured several dozen days of lightning tribulation, advancing his Daoist realm into the Tribulation Stage.
• Unable to locate the South Sea Dragon Palace with Sun Jian’s jade pupil, Xiao Hua released Jiang Hong, who identified their location and agreed to guide him.
• After flying for more than ten days, Jiang Hong pointed out the Dragon Palace’s territory and described its outer formation and patrol defenses.

Xiao Hua set out to visit the South Sea Dragon Palace and forced his way through its formidable defenses aboard the Thunder Boat. He reached the palace, but the South Sea Dragon King and his generals had not appeared, leaving Xiao Hua suspicious of their response.

• Jiang Hong warned Xiao Hua not to underestimate the Four Seas Dragon Palace, and Xiao Hua sent him back to Shenhua Continent before heading to the South Sea.
• Xiao Hua drove the Thunder Boat into the formation, smashing through crystal defenses, Gale Force Wind, and attacks of water columns and reefs.
• The Thunder Boat’s assault alerted the Sea Patrol Yakshas and summoned shrimp soldiers and crab generals, while Xiao Hua announced that he had come to visit the South Sea Dragon King.
• Xiao Hua saw the vast South Sea Dragon Palace and discovered that its steps concealed a whirlpool leading to the seabed, but no Dragon general came out to greet him.
• A Sea Patrol Yaksha addressed Xiao Hua as Dragon Master and said he had sent subordinates to report, but he did not know the Dragon King’s whereabouts or where the South Sea Dragon generals were.
• Xiao Hua sensed something in the palace and looked toward it as the Sea Patrol Yaksha pleaded with him to calm down.

Ao Dai hesitated over a plot to eliminate the other South Sea Dragon Palace crown princes, while a masked dragon clansman urged him to claim the golden throne. When an enemy breached the weakened defenses, Ao Dai learned that his palace scheme had been interrupted by an unexpected invasion.

• Ao Dai questioned whether he had to kill the other crown princes, and the masked dragon clansman pressed him to seize the throne.
• Ao Dai admitted that he feared severing family ties and worried that the South Sea Dragon King would suspect and punish him.
• The masked dragon clansman argued that the crown princes would show Ao Dai no mercy and urged him to take advantage of the sleeping princes.
• Ao Dai ordered the guards to silence a warning from outside, then learned that an enemy had broken into the South Sea Dragon Palace through its weakened defensive formation.

Ao Dai followed the Dragon race member’s advice and killed the First Crown Prince and the Dragons held with him, intending to blame Xiao Hua. Outside the South Sea Dragon Palace, Xiao Hua waited for the Dragon King to receive him, then forced his way toward the entrance when no one appeared.

• Ao Dai panicked when Dragon generals seemed to be charging the palace, but the Dragon race member persuaded him that their arrival could be used to justify killing the three Crown Princes.
• Seeing Xiao Hua arrive in a mirror, the Dragon race member urged Ao Dai to kill the Crown Princes and shift the blame onto Xiao Hua, whom he disparaged as an unworthy Dragon Master.
• Ao Dai beheaded the First Crown Prince and the Dragons beside the other golden tables, then ordered the Dragon generals to clean up and prepare a reception for Xiao Hua.
• The Dragon race member, identified as Senior Xie, left after Ao Dai promised to respect the elders’ wishes if he took the throne.
• Xiao Hua waited outside the South Sea Dragon Palace to borrow its Teleportation Array and obtain Metal-Wood Primordial Magnetism, but the Dragon King did not appear.
• Xiao Hua announced he would force his way in and stepped toward the Dragon Gate, where golden dragon scales swept out to attack him.