Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Nong decides to pursue the position of Human Emperor to improve his daughter's destiny and expose the mastermind behind the schemes.
• Zhao Gongming reveals that Shen Nong is the chosen candidate for the Human Emperor and explains the difficulties he'll face, including gaining recognition from the ancestral land.
• Liu Mang visits Chi Jingzi and the other disciples, revealing that the next Human Emperor is likely to be born in the Shouyang Mountain ancestral land.
• Liu Mang seals the cultivation of Guang Chengzi and the other eight disciples and sends them to Shouyang Mountain, while Chi Jingzi and his group leave for Shouyang Mountain to compete for the position of the Human Emperor's teacher.

Character Developments

• Shen Nong: Becomes determined to become the Human Emperor for his daughter's sake and to uncover the truth behind the schemes.
• Zhao Gongming: Reveals his confidence in Shen Nong's destiny as the Human Emperor and explains the challenges ahead.
• Chi Jingzi and his group: Disappointed in Guang Chengzi, they seize the opportunity given by Liu Mang to go to Shouyang Mountain and compete for the Human Emperor's teacher position.

Significant Themes

• Destiny and fate: Shen Nong's pursuit of the Human Emperor position is driven by his desire to improve his daughter's destiny, while the disciples' actions are influenced by their fated roles in the Human Emperor's story.
• Competition and rivalry: The struggle for the position of the Human Emperor's teacher among the disciples highlights the theme of competition and rivalry.
• Mortality and immortality: Liu Mang's sealing of Guang Chengzi's cultivation and sending him to experience mortal life emphasizes the contrast between immortals and mortals.

Character Interactions

• Shen Nong and Zhao Gongming: Master and disciple discuss Shen Nong's destiny as the Human Emperor and the challenges he'll face.
• Liu Mang and Chi Jingzi's group: Liu Mang reveals crucial information about the next Human Emperor and offers an opportunity for the disciples to compete with Guang Chengzi.
• Chi Jingzi and his group: The four disciples discuss their disappointment in Guang Chengzi and decide to seize the opportunity given by Liu Mang to go to Shouyang Mountain.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi Jingzi and other Heavenly Origin Sect disciples arrive at Shouyang Mountain to find Guang Chengzi and others digging a ditch, humbled by the Human Race.
• Guang Chengzi, despite his initial pride, diligently works, fearing Lord Yuanshi's displeasure and hoping to prove his worth.
• Chi Jingzi, Yu Ding, Ling Bao, and Qingxu arrive, ignoring Guang Chengzi and others, and provoke them, leading to a tense exchange.
• Zhunti secretly visits Guang Chengzi at night, offering him a mark to break Liu Mang's seal and inviting him to join the Western Sect as Vice Sect Master.

Character Developments

• Guang Chengzi: Initially proud, he becomes diligent and fearful after realizing Lord Yuanshi's displeasure. He harbors suspicions about Lord Yuanshi's intentions and considers Zhunti's offer.
• Chi Jingzi, Yu Ding, Ling Bao, and Qingxu: They arrive to provoke the Heavenly Origin Sect disciples, showing no respect for their seniority. They represent the Heavenly Origin Sect's power and disdain for the Human Race.
• Zhunti: He secretly manipulates Guang Chengzi, offering him a way to break his seal and inviting him to join the Western Sect, furthering his own plans.

Significant Themes

• Humility vs. Pride: The Heavenly Origin Sect disciples' pride is challenged by the Human Race, leading to their humbling and introspection.
• Teacher-Student Relationship: The dynamics between Lord Yuanshi and his disciples are explored, with Guang Chengzi fearing his teacher's displeasure.
• Manipulation and Ambition: Zhunti's secret visits and offers highlight his manipulative nature and ambition.

Character Interactions

• Guang Chengzi and the Human Race: Guang Chengzi's interactions with the Human Race lead to his humbling and introspection.
• Guang Chengzi and Lord Yuanshi: Guang Chengzi's fear of his teacher's displeasure drives his actions.
• Guang Chengzi and Zhunti: Zhunti manipulates Guang Chengzi, offering him a way to break his seal and inviting him to join the Western Sect.
• Heavenly Origin Sect Disciples: The interactions between the Heavenly Origin Sect disciples highlight their pride, disdain for the Human Race, and internal conflicts.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chang Er, after failing to become a Seven Attendant Immortal, is stuck on Golden Ao Island with no resources and closely watched by the Intercepting Sect.
• Qian Kun, via a phantom image, orders Chang Er to kill Shen Nong's daughter in the East Sea, promising to help him cultivate the Dao of Moon in return.
• Cui Hua, Shen Nong's daughter, runs away from home, and Chang Er follows her to the East Sea to carry out Qian Kun's order.
• Cui Hua enters the sea, and Chang Er uses a spell to pull her towards the seabed.

Character Developments

• Chang Er: Struggles with his regret for joining the Intercepting Sect and his desire for the Dao of Moon, leading him to accept Qian Kun's order.
• Cui Hua: Shows her rebellious nature by running away from home, displaying a carefree and innocent personality.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of one's actions and choices (Chang Er's regret, Cui Hua's disobedience).
• The manipulation of characters by higher powers (Qian Kun's orders, Liu Mang's secret protection of Cui Hua).

Character Interactions

• Chang Er and Qian Kun: A master-servant relationship, with Qian Kun manipulating Chang Er for his own purposes.
• Cui Hua and Liu Mang (off-page): A father-daughter relationship, with Liu Mang secretly protecting Cui Hua despite her disobedience.
• Chang Er and Cui Hua: A predator-prey relationship, with Chang Er attempting to kill Cui Hua under Qian Kun's orders.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cui Hua is attacked and nearly drowned by Chang Er, who is disguised. Ao Bing saves her and pursues Chang Er.
• Liu Mang, Nu Wa, Fu Xi, and Zhao Gongming return to the East Sea tribe. Shen Nong asks Nu Wa about Proving Dao through Merit.
• Ao Bing catches up to Chang Er, but the mastermind behind the attack remains hidden. Liu Mang reveals himself and orders Ao Bing to let Chang Er go.
• Upon returning to the tribe, Shen Nong discovers that food sources are dwindling. He turns to plants for sustenance and finds the first grains (rice and beans).
• Over the next two years, Shen Nong cultivates and discovers more grain varieties (wheat, millet, and foxtail millet). The Human Race expresses gratitude to Shen Nong for ending their hunger and sickness, bestowing him with Merit.

Character Developments

• Cui Hua learns the consequences of her actions and feels shame, especially in front of Ao Bing.
• Shen Nong, inspired by Liu Mang, focuses on finding and cultivating grain to feed the Human Race, ultimately gaining Human Dao Merit.

Significant Themes

• The importance of food and sustenance for survival and the well-being of the Human Race.
• The concept of Merit and Proving Dao, with Shen Nong seeking a path to gain Human Dao Merit.

Character Interactions

• Ao Bing and Cui Hua: Ao Bing saves Cui Hua and pursues Chang Er, while Cui Hua feels embarrassed and defensive around Ao Bing.
• Liu Mang and Shen Nong: Liu Mang guides Shen Nong towards finding grain, leading to Shen Nong's discovery of the Five Grains.
• The Human Race and Shen Nong: The Human Race expresses gratitude to Shen Nong for ending their hunger and sickness, bestowing him with Merit.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Nong becomes the Earth Emperor after the Kongtong Seal recognizes him.
• He gathers the Human Race's destiny and merit to prove his Dao, becoming the fifth Human Race Saint.
• Shen Nong distributes his Compendium of Materia Medica and Book of Five Grains to the Human Race, curing illnesses and teaching cultivation methods.
• He decides to unify the Human Race by conquering the ancestral land and reclaiming land from Witch-Demon tribes.

Character Developments

• Shen Nong: Proves his Dao, becomes a Saint, and takes on the responsibility of governing the Human Race.
• Fu Xi: Relinquishes his position as Co-Lord of the Human Race to Shen Nong and teaches him about governing the Human Race.
• Cui Hua: Develops feelings for Ao Bing, much to Shen Nong's disapproval.

Significant Themes

• The responsibility and burden of power, as seen in Shen Nong's acceptance of the Earth Emperor title and Fu Xi's relinquishment of his position.
• The importance of unity among the Human Race, as demonstrated by Shen Nong's decision to unify the Human Race.

Character Interactions

• Shen Nong and Fu Xi: Fu Xi teaches Shen Nong about governing the Human Race, and they share a mutual respect.
• Shen Nong and Cui Hua: Shen Nong disapproves of Cui Hua's infatuation with Ao Bing, leading to tension between them.
• Shen Nong and the Human Race: The Human Race initially fears Shen Nong but comes to respect and trust him as he works alongside them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Human Emperor, Shen Nong, leads the Human Race against the Yao Race, aiming to reclaim lost territories and unify the Human Race.
• The battle between the Human Race and Yao Race (led by Tai Yi) is inconclusive, but the Yao Race retreats to the North Jambu Continent, losing their claim to the protagonist role of Hong Huang.
• Shen Nong's army advances towards the Witch Tribe's territory, but the Witch Tribe retreats into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains without a fight.
• The Human Race continues their westward expansion, and a woman in the ancestral land of Shouyang Mountain gives birth to Xuanyuan after a nine-and-a-half-year pregnancy, signaling the birth of the third Human Emperor.

Character Developments

• Tai Yi, the Eastern Emperor of the Yao Race, is initially confident but later realizes the difficulty of defeating Shen Nong and the Human Race.
• Shen Nong, the Human Emperor, shows strategic thinking and concern for his soldiers' lives, refusing to pursue the Witch Tribe into the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
• Jiu Feng, the Great Witch of the Witch Tribe, reveals the Witch Tribe's plan to create a Child of Destiny to counter the Human Race's destiny.
• Xuanyuan, the third Human Emperor, is born with extraordinary abilities and chooses all twelve direct disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect as his masters.

Significant Themes

• Destiny and fate: The Human Race's destiny is tied to their emperors, while the Witch Tribe seeks to create a Child of Destiny to counter this.
• Competition and conflict: The various races compete for the protagonist role of Hong Huang, leading to battles and strategic maneuvering.
• Leadership and decision-making: Shen Nong's strategic decisions and concern for his soldiers' lives contrast with Tai Yi's initial overconfidence.

Character Interactions

• Shen Nong and Tai Yi engage in a fierce battle, resulting in an inconclusive outcome and the Yao Race's retreat.
• Jiu Feng explains the Witch Tribe's strategy to her warriors, appeasing their discontent and maintaining their morale.
• Xuanyuan chooses all twelve direct disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect as his masters, causing some tension among them but ultimately leading to a cooperative arrangement.
• Randeng attempts to snatch Xuanyuan as a disciple but arrives too late, leading to a disappointed interaction with Lord Yuanshi.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhunti invites Randeng to join the Western Sect, offering him the position of Sect Leader.
• Randeng declines but doesn't completely shut the door, hinting he might consider it if he can bring disciples from the Heavenly Origin Sect.
• Zhunti suggests targeting the direct disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect, Cihang, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri.
• In the land of Reincarnation, an infant named Chi You is born with extraordinary abilities and is destined to lead the Witch Tribe to prominence.
• Chi You, under the guidance of Ancestor Witches and Hou Tu, rapidly grows in strength and begins conquering Witch Tribe tribes.
• At 18, Chi You inherits the Jiu Li tribe and declares war on the Human Race.

Character Developments

• Randeng feels disrespected and undervalued in the Heavenly Origin Sect, leading him to consider Zhunti's offer.
• Chi You, born with exceptional abilities and a clear mission, grows rapidly in strength and influence.

Significant Themes

• Respect and power dynamics within sects and tribes.
• The influence of destiny and merit on one's path and strength.
• The consequences of intermingling between different races.

Character Interactions

• Zhunti tries to persuade Randeng to join the Western Sect, playing on his feelings of disrespect and offering him a high position.
• Randeng and Zhunti discuss the possibility of Randeng bringing disciples from the Heavenly Origin Sect to the Western Sect.
• The Ancestor Witches and Hou Tu guide Chi You, fostering his growth and preparing him for his mission.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanyuan, now leading the Human Race in the Ancestral Land, faces threats from Shen Nong's offensive and Chi You's impending attack.
• He challenges Shen Nong to a decisive battle at Zhuolu in ten days, with the victor becoming the co-ruler of the Human Race.
• Shen Nong and Liu Mang secretly visit Xuanyuan's military tent at night, criticizing his lack of independent thought and leadership.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan: Struggles with his role as the Human Race leader, initially swayed by his masters' opinions, but shows potential for growth and independent thought.
• Shen Nong: Displays wisdom and concern for the Human Race's future, willing to teach and guide Xuanyuan.
• Liu Mang: Shows disapproval of Xuanyuan's current state and willingness to intervene when necessary.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and responsibility: Xuanyuan's struggle to assert his independence and act in the best interests of the Human Race.
• Guidance vs. manipulation: The contrast between Shen Nong's genuine guidance and the disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect's manipulation of Xuanyuan.
• The consequences of inaction: Xuanyuan's initial passivity and lack of independent thought could lead to severe consequences for the Human Race.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan and Shen Nong: A tense yet productive interaction, with Shen Nong pushing Xuanyuan to think independently and take responsibility for his actions.
• Xuanyuan and Liu Mang: A brief meeting, with Liu Mang showing disapproval of Xuanyuan's current state and hinting at potential consequences if Xuanyuan fails to live up to his responsibilities.
• Xuanyuan and the disciples of the Heavenly Origin Sect: Xuanyuan is initially swayed by their opinions, but Shen Nong's intervention encourages him to think independently.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Mang lectures Xuanyuan, leaving him three "bricks" to ponder.
• The ancestral land warriors and the East Sea Human Race face off at Zhuolu Plains.
• Xuanyuan leads the ancestral land warriors into battle, but they are easily defeated by the East Sea Human Race.
• Randeng arrives and fights Zhao Gongming, with Liu Mang's interference causing Randeng to suffer a backlash.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan realizes the gap between his warriors and the East Sea Human Race, leading him to question his decisions.
• Liu Mang demonstrates his cunning and power, first manipulating Xuanyuan and then stealing Randeng's magical treasures.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between the ancestral land and the East Sea Human Race.
• The manipulation and exploitation of the Heavenly Origin Sect disciples by Liu Mang.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponents.

Character Interactions

• Liu Mang manipulates Xuanyuan, leaving him with three "bricks" to ponder.
• Xuanyuan and the ancestral land warriors clash with the East Sea Human Race, resulting in a quick defeat.
• Randeng and Zhao Gongming fight, with Liu Mang's intervention causing Randeng to suffer a backlash.

Chapter Summary: Xuanyuan’s First Defeat at Zhuolu, Randeng Loses the Sea-Calming Pearls

Key Plot Points and Events

• Guang Chengzi considers attacking the ordinary Human Race soldiers surrounding Xuanyuan to turn the battle in his favor. However, Shen Nong’s Saint-level presence terrifies him, and he realizes that harming mortals would result in Shen Nong sending him into reincarnation.
• Xuanyuan struggles against Bing Jie, an experienced East Sea warrior who overwhelms him in combat and constantly mocks his swordsmanship. Although Bing Jie appears relaxed, he recognizes that Xuanyuan already possesses the pressure and bearing of a future Human Emperor.
• Xuanyuan becomes increasingly frustrated by Bing Jie’s insults and nearly allows his anger to disrupt his fighting. Meanwhile, the East Sea army begins encircling him.
• At the critical moment, Li Mu arrives with a reserve force from the Ancestral Land. His powerful charge throws the East Sea formation into chaos and gives Xuanyuan an opportunity to retreat.
• Xuanyuan orders Li Mu to break through the encirclement and leads the Ancestral Land forces out. Guang Chengzi then orders the Exposition Sect disciples to withdraw as well, marking Xuanyuan’s first defeat at Zhuolu.
• In the parallel battle above the battlefield, Zhao Gongming and Liu Mang work together to seize Randeng’s twelve Sea-Calming Pearls. While Liu Mang refines them, Zhao Gongming desperately holds Randeng back.
• Randeng attacks with the Coffin Lamp and Heaven Measuring Ruler in an attempt to stop them. Zhao Gongming blocks the attack aimed at Liu Mang, but both he and Liu Mang are injured.
• Zhao Gongming’s blood lands on the pearls, unexpectedly completing their refinement and causing them to enter Liu Mang’s body. Randeng loses his connection to the treasures and demands their return.
• Liu Mang deliberately pretends to misunderstand Randeng, treating the Heaven Measuring Ruler as a gift and refusing to return the pearls. When Randeng prepares to reclaim them by force, Liu Mang suddenly drops to his knees and cries out for help from “Mother,” his master, and Second Martial Uncle.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan: Demonstrates courage and the potential of a future Human Emperor but is still inexperienced and outmatched by Bing Jie. He learns to prioritize retreat and battlefield strategy over personal pride.
• Bing Jie: Reveals himself as both a highly skilled warrior and a sharp observer. Beneath his crude taunts, he respects Xuanyuan’s developing Human Emperor aura and is excited by the opportunity to fight him.
• Guang Chengzi: Becomes cautious and fearful under Shen Nong’s scrutiny. His concern over losing Xuanyuan’s Human Emperor fortune also exposes his strong personal investment in Xuanyuan’s success.
• Li Mu: Establishes himself as one of Xuanyuan’s most dependable generals. His surprise attack decisively rescues Xuanyuan and the Ancestral Land army.
• Zhao Gongming: Shows loyalty and sacrifice by shielding Liu Mang from Randeng’s attack, even though he is injured in the process. He remains focused on securing the Sea-Calming Pearls.
• Liu Mang: Successfully refines Randeng’s pearls and displays his usual shameless cleverness. Rather than confront Randeng directly, he resorts to an absurd plea for help, suggesting he has another way to avoid the confrontation.
• Randeng: Loses the twelve Sea-Calming Pearls because of his hesitation and the coordinated actions of Zhao Gongming and Liu Mang. His frustration and desperation rise as he realizes the treasures may be permanently out of his control.

Significant Themes

• Inexperience versus experience: Xuanyuan possesses great potential but lacks the combat experience necessary to defeat a veteran like Bing Jie.
• Strategy over brute force: Xuanyuan’s survival depends not on winning the duel but on maintaining a reserve force and recognizing when to retreat.
• The danger of pride and provocation: Bing Jie’s insults nearly compromise Xuanyuan’s composure, showing how emotional distraction can affect even a powerful leader.
• Loyalty and cooperation: Li Mu’s rescue and Zhao Gongming’s defense of Liu Mang emphasize the importance of trusted allies.
• Power, possession, and opportunism: The struggle over the Sea-Calming Pearls highlights the characters’ willingness to exploit magical rules, battlefield confusion, and one another’s weaknesses.
• Comedic irreverence amid serious conflict: Liu Mang’s shameless misinterpretations and dramatic crying provide humor while advancing the theft of Randeng’s treasures.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Nong and Guang Chengzi: Shen Nong silently intimidates Guang Chengzi into abandoning any plan to attack ordinary humans.
• Xuanyuan and Bing Jie: Their duel combines genuine martial conflict with psychological provocation. Bing Jie mocks Xuanyuan, while Xuanyuan struggles to remain calm.
• Xuanyuan and Li Mu: Li Mu’s timely arrival saves Xuanyuan, and Xuanyuan immediately trusts him with the task of breaking the encirclement.
• Zhao Gongming and Liu Mang: They cooperate closely, with Zhao Gongming risking injury to buy Liu Mang time to refine the pearls. Their banter reflects both camaraderie and comic manipulation.
• Liu Mang and Randeng: Liu Mang refuses to return the pearls and intentionally twists Randeng’s words, provoking him while avoiding a direct confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Randeng attacks Liu Mang, but Liu Mang loudly accuses him of bullying a weaker opponent and abusing his seniority and cultivation.
• Liu Mang’s shameless public outcry frightens Randeng, who worries that Tongtian, Nu Wa, and Yuanshi may be watching. He abandons the twelve Sea Calming Pearls and flees.
• Liu Mang gives Zhao Gongming Image Stones, suggesting they record any future misconduct by their enemies and publicly expose it in a “Hong Huang clearance sale.”
• Zhao Gongming combines Randeng’s twelve Sea Calming Pearls with his own twenty-four, believing the complete set may help him advance his cultivation.
• Tongtian, Nu Wa, and Yuanshi briefly observe the aftermath but disperse without speaking, embarrassed by both Liu Mang’s shameless tactics and Randeng’s humiliating defeat.
• At Xuanyuan’s camp, the Exposition Sect disciples are silent after their earlier arrogance collapses. Guang Chengzi and the others blame Randeng for their failure, claiming that his inability to defeat Liu Mang and Zhao Gongming cost them victory.
• Randeng angrily rejects the blame, pointing out that he restrained both opponents alone while Guang Chengzi was frightened by Shen Nong.
• Guang Chengzi retaliates by ordering Randeng to return to Kunlun and reporting Shen Nong’s actions to Yuanshi. This effectively excludes Randeng from further participation and from sharing in the Human Race’s merit and providence.
• Feeling abandoned by the Exposition Sect, Randeng leaves. On the way to Kunlun, he encounters Zhunti, who has been waiting for him.
• Zhunti exploits Randeng’s resentment and insecurity, persuading him to join the Western Sect by promising him the position of third sect leader and future authority over the sect.
• Randeng accepts and immediately begins planning to recruit dissatisfied Exposition Sect disciples, while Zhunti eagerly prepares to bring him to the West.

Character Developments

• Liu Mang: Demonstrates his unconventional, shameless strategy of using public embarrassment rather than force. He also shows strategic foresight by preparing to document and weaponize his opponents’ misconduct.
• Zhao Gongming: Becomes more closely aligned with Liu Mang’s methods despite recognizing their shamelessness. His confidence grows as he obtains the complete set of Sea Calming Pearls and anticipates a breakthrough.
• Randeng: Suffers both a physical and political defeat. He loses the Sea Calming Pearls, becomes the scapegoat for the Exposition Sect’s failure, and realizes that Guang Chengzi and the other disciples will not support him. His resentment pushes him to defect to the Western Sect.
• Guang Chengzi: Reveals a narrow-minded and opportunistic side by shifting blame onto Randeng and then removing him from the battlefield. His treatment of Randeng deepens the latter’s sense of betrayal.
• Zhunti: Acts as a skilled manipulator, identifying Randeng’s ambition and resentment and using them to recruit him. He also encourages Randeng to lure other dissatisfied Exposition Sect disciples away.

Significant Themes

• Shamelessness as a weapon: Liu Mang shows that public humiliation and reputation can be more effective than direct combat.
• Blame and political scapegoating: The Exposition Sect avoids acknowledging its own failures by making Randeng responsible for the defeat.
• Betrayal and factional instability: Randeng’s expulsion demonstrates how quickly sect loyalty collapses when personal interests and merit are involved.
• Ambition and manipulation: Zhunti turns Randeng’s wounded pride and desire for recognition into an opportunity for the Western Sect.
• Sect rivalry and prejudice: The longstanding hostility between the Exposition and Interception Sects is evident in their insults, resentment, and satisfaction at one another’s setbacks.

Character Interactions

• Liu Mang verbally overwhelms Randeng, while Zhao Gongming reacts with disbelief at the tactic.
• Guang Chengzi and the Exposition Sect disciples collectively blame Randeng, forcing him to defend his contribution.
• Randeng directly challenges Guang Chengzi, exposing the latter’s fear of Shen Nong.
• The Exposition Sect disciples’ silence when Randeng leaves makes clear that he has been politically isolated.
• Zhunti approaches Randeng at his lowest point, validates his grievances, and persuades him to defect while encouraging him to recruit others.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After driving away Daoist Burning Lamp, Guang Chengzi asserts his authority over the Exposition Sect disciples. The others obey him outwardly because they fear losing access to the Human Race’s destiny and Merit.
• Xuanyuan and the Human leaders observe the Exposition Sect’s selfish behavior and begin losing their reverence for immortals. Xuanyuan also grows dissatisfied with Guang Chengzi for removing their strongest fighter while leaving the Humans to bear the brunt of the war.
• When Guang Chengzi demands a strategy, True Person Taiyi proposes using Interception Sect disciples from the Ancestral Land, along with Exposition Sect Outer Disciples, to attack ordinary East Sea Humans.
• Cihang, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra volunteer to persuade the Interception Sect disciples. Guang Chengzi also asks Taiyi to solve the problem of the East Sea Humans’ superior battle formations.
• Taiyi suggests a more sinister plan: persuade Lü Yue, the future Plague God, to poison the East Sea Human soldiers. Guang Chengzi enthusiastically approves and sends the four Personal Disciples to negotiate.
• Meanwhile, Duobao explains to the Interception Sect disciples that teaching Humans cultivation can also generate Merit. Since they are already instructing Humans, they have no need to risk slaughter karma or fight their fellow disciples from the East Sea.
• Cihang, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra arrive and arrogantly order the Interception Sect disciples to attack ordinary Humans. Duobao and the others reject them, displaying their abundant Merit and exposing the Exposition Sect’s exploitative intentions.
• Duobao warns the trio to leave, while Taiyi remains behind to approach Lü Yue. Taiyi shamelessly asks Lü Yue to poison the East Sea soldiers.
• Enraged by the request, Duobao begins brutally punching Taiyi, mocking him as a “drug freak.”

2. Character Developments

• Xuanyuan becomes more politically aware and skeptical of the immortals. He recognizes that both sects pursue their own interests and stops viewing Guang Chengzi as an unquestionable authority.
• Guang Chengzi grows increasingly domineering and selfish. He treats Outer Disciples as disposable tools and seeks to monopolize the Human Race’s destiny and Merit.
• Taiyi reveals himself as opportunistic and ruthless. He repeatedly tries to claim Merit and eventually proposes poisoning the enemy rather than defeating them honorably.
• Cihang, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra display arrogance and contempt toward the Interception Sect, believing their offer of Merit should automatically earn obedience.
• Duobao demonstrates foresight, restraint, and authority. He recognizes the value of teaching Humans and firmly protects his fellow disciples from being manipulated.
• The Interception Sect disciples are shown to possess considerable Merit and strong solidarity. Rather than risk karmic consequences, they choose a safer and more constructive path.
• Lü Yue is placed in an awkward position when Taiyi asks him to use his plague-related abilities against the Human soldiers.

3. Significant Themes

• The corruption of authority: The Humans realize that immortals are driven by ambition, greed, and factional interests rather than pure benevolence.
• Merit versus moral compromise: The Exposition Sect pursues Merit through manipulation, forced labor, and potentially poison, while the Interception Sect gains Merit by genuinely teaching and helping Humans.
• Sectarian prejudice and hypocrisy: The Exposition Sect looks down on the Interception Sect while simultaneously trying to exploit them and hide behind their Outer Disciples.
• Karma and responsibility: Attacking ordinary Humans would create slaughter karma and damage cultivation, revealing that the Exposition Sect is willing to sacrifice weaker disciples for its own gain.
• Strategic intelligence over brute force: Duobao’s realization that teaching Humans can generate Merit provides a peaceful alternative to battlefield conflict.
• Humans gaining independence: Xuanyuan and his followers begin questioning immortal control and recognizing the need to make decisions based on their own interests.

4. Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan and Guang Chengzi: Xuanyuan outwardly asks for guidance but internally questions Guang Chengzi’s competence and motives.
• Guang Chengzi and the Exposition Sect disciples: Guang Chengzi pressures and threatens them, while they evade responsibility to preserve their own cultivation and Merit.
• Cihang and Chi Jingzi: Chi Jingzi challenges Cihang to personally persuade the Interception Sect, knowingly exposing the danger of his arrogance.
• Duobao and Cihang’s group: Their meeting becomes a clash between Duobao’s composed firmness and the trio’s condescending attitude. Duobao rejects their proposal and exposes its karmic consequences.
• Duobao and Taiyi: After Taiyi proposes poisoning the East Sea Humans, Duobao loses patience and attacks him repeatedly, ending the chapter on a comedic but violent confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Treasure-Dropping Coin Appears, Chi You Meets Xuanyuan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duobao easily defeats True Person Taiyi after Taiyi poisons ordinary members of the Human Race. Cihang, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri refuse to help Taiyi and instead agree that he deserves punishment. Taiyi is then beaten severely, though he jokingly asks Duobao not to strike his face.
• Meanwhile, Zhao Gongming refines the twelve Sea Calming Pearls taken from Randeng, combining them with his original twenty-four. The thirty-six pearls form a powerful defensive formation, allowing Zhao Gongming to sever his Evil Corpse and advance to the Second Corpse Quasi-Saint realm.
• Liu Mang remembers that the Treasure-Dropping Coin should be hidden in Wuyi Mountain. He wants to acquire it before Randeng obtains the Heaven Measuring Ruler, since the coin can knock down any treasure below the level of an Innate Supreme Treasure.
• Liu Mang and Zhao Gongming search Wuyi Mountain for a year without finding anything. Just as they are preparing to leave, Liu Mang realizes that Zhao Gongming’s Good Corpse may be the key to revealing the opportunity. The Good Corpse detects a hidden mountain hollow containing forty-eight restrictions, confirming that the Treasure-Dropping Coin is concealed there.
• Zhao Gongming begins refining the restrictions while Liu Mang guards him.
• At the same time, the Wu Clan gathers in the Land of Reincarnation. The lingering souls of fallen Wu warriors merge into a new infant born from the Blood Sea. The child, Chi You, possesses powerful Pangu bloodline characteristics, a primordial spirit, and the destiny to become the Wu Clan’s champion.
• Over the following years, Zhao Gongming spends twenty-eight years refining the Treasure-Dropping Coin’s restrictions. During this period, Chi You enters the Southern Barbarian Lands, defeats the leaders of the eighty-one tribes of the Jiu Li divisions, and unites them under his command.
• Chi You and his eighty-one generals recreate a simplified Twelve Heavenly Gods and Fiends Formation, driving the Human Race forces out of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
• Chi You captures an Iron-Eating Beast and forces it to serve as his mount, despite the beast’s repeated protests.
• Chi You secretly enters Xuanyuan’s tent through the Netherworld. He proposes an alliance: Xuanyuan’s Ancestral Land Human Race should join the Wu Clan in attacking Shen Nong’s Shennong Tribe. In exchange, Chi You will provide the Wu Clan’s powerful weapons. He suggests that after defeating Shen Nong, Chi You and Xuanyuan can compete for control of Hong Huang.

Character Developments

• Duobao demonstrates overwhelming strength and increasing enjoyment of disciplining those who violate the Interception Sect’s principles. His beating of Taiyi also reveals a more humorous and playful side.
• Cihang, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri become more cautious and pragmatic. Faced with Duobao’s power, they abandon Taiyi and openly condemn his actions rather than risk their own lives.
• Taiyi is exposed as reckless and malicious for poisoning ordinary humans. Despite realizing he cannot escape punishment, he retains his comedic personality by requesting that Duobao avoid hitting his face.
• Zhao Gongming grows significantly stronger by refining the Sea Calming Pearls and severing his Evil Corpse. He remains good-natured and trusting toward Liu Mang, continuing to accept him as his “big brother” despite Liu Mang’s teasing.
• Liu Mang shows strategic foresight. He anticipates the future importance of the Treasure-Dropping Coin and carefully avoids confronting Randeng without the proper means. He also recognizes that Zhao Gongming’s unique state is connected to the treasure’s appearance.
• Chi You is introduced as the Wu Clan’s chosen champion. He quickly proves himself through combat, unifies the divided Wu tribes, and displays both intimidating authority and a blunt, domineering personality.
• Xuanyuan becomes increasingly pressured as his army is pushed toward the edge of Zhuolu. His confusion over Shen Nong’s increasingly aggressive attacks is resolved when Chi You reveals that the Wu Clan has become a new threat.
• The Iron-Eating Beast serves as comic relief. It loudly rejects servitude but is ultimately forced to carry Chi You as a mount.

Significant Themes

• Power and survival over loyalty: Taiyi’s fellow disciples immediately abandon him when Duobao proves too strong, emphasizing that self-preservation often overrides sectarian loyalty.
• Fate and timing: The Treasure-Dropping Coin cannot be found until the proper conditions are met. The chapter stresses that opportunities in cultivation must be encountered at the correct moment rather than forcibly seized.
• Strategic preparation: Liu Mang refuses to act recklessly against Randeng and instead seeks the exact tool needed to counter the Heaven Measuring Ruler.
• The rise of new factions: Chi You’s birth marks the Wu Clan’s attempt to return to prominence, while the Human Race faces internal division between Xuanyuan and Shen Nong.
• Alliance and political calculation: Chi You’s proposal to Xuanyuan is not based on friendship but mutual necessity. Both sides are being suppressed and may benefit from temporarily cooperating against Shen Nong.
• Humor amid conflict: The chapter balances serious battles and political struggles with comic moments, including Taiyi’s concern for his face, Zhao Gongming’s wounded pride, and the Iron-Eating Beast’s sarcastic resistance.

Important Character Interactions

• Duobao and Taiyi: Duobao punishes Taiyi for poisoning humans, establishing moral authority and overwhelming superiority.
• The Three Golden Immortals and Taiyi: Cihang, Samantabhadra, and Manjushri refuse to defend Taiyi and effectively sacrifice him to protect themselves.
• Liu Mang and Zhao Gongming: Their brotherly relationship continues through teasing, mutual reliance, and shared pursuit of the Treasure-Dropping Coin.
• Liu Mang and Zhao Gongming’s Corpses: Liu Mang dismisses Zhao Gongming’s Evil Corpse, while later recognizing that Zhao Gongming’s Good Corpse can detect the hidden treasure.
• Chi You and the Wu Clan: Di Jiang presents Chi You as the Wu Clan’s hope for restoring its influence, while the other Wu leaders accept their duty to train and support him.
• Chi You and the Iron-Eating Beast: Chi You treats the beast as a convenient mount, while the beast repeatedly protests its lack of freedom.
• Chi You and Xuanyuan: Their first meeting establishes a potentially decisive alliance. Chi You offers weapons and military cooperation, while Xuanyuan must decide whether to trust the Wu Clan and turn against Shen Nong.

Chapter Summary: Chi You Seeks an Alliance, Liu Mang Obtains a Secret Treasure

Plot Points and Major Events

• Chi You, leader of the newly unified Nine Jiu Li Tribes, visits Xuanyuan and proposes an alliance against Shen Nong’s East Sea Human Race.
• To demonstrate sincerity, Chi You presents Xuanyuan with powerful black weapons, superior to the Human Race’s bronze swords, and offers battle-formation techniques.
• Xuanyuan remains suspicious, recognizing that Chi You must have a hidden objective. Nevertheless, the East Sea Human Race’s growing strength makes the offer too valuable to reject.
• After bargaining, Xuanyuan and Chi You agree that the Wu Clan will provide ten thousand weapons and ten battle formations. Both sides also promise to send troops if the other is attacked by the East Sea Human Race.
• Xuanyuan secretly meets Shen Nong in the Zhuolu Plains and tells him about Chi You’s proposal. He emphasizes that he is still human and wants to know Shen Nong’s intentions.
• Shen Nong does not object to the alliance. Instead, he advises Xuanyuan to accept as many Wu Clan weapons and formations as possible, explaining that warfare between races is largely about acquiring land and resources rather than annihilation.
• The next morning, Shen Nong unexpectedly launches another major attack against Xuanyuan, deploying nearly half of his forces. Xuanyuan becomes confused and asks Chi You to honor the alliance by sending troops.
• Chi You claims that the Jiu Li forces have not yet been reorganized and initially offers only one thousand weapons instead of military support. Xuanyuan pressures him by threatening to withdraw to Shouyang Mountain, successfully raising the amount to fifteen hundred weapons.
• Meanwhile, at Wuyi Mountain, Zhao Gongming breaks through the final restrictions surrounding a hidden treasure. He obtains the Treasure-Dropping Coin, a top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure capable of knocking away any Spiritual Treasure below the level of an Innate Supreme Treasure.
• Just as Zhao Gongming is about to refine it, another treasure appears in the treasure chamber. The Treasure-Dropping Coin attacks it, causing it to fall into Liu Mang’s hands.
• Liu Mang identifies the second treasure as the Heavenly Secrets Compass, the former companion treasure of the Heavenly Secrets Demon God. Though damaged from a Chaos Supreme Treasure into an Innate Supreme Treasure, it can deduce heavenly secrets, see through illusions, and interfere with the Heavenly Dao.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan becomes more politically cautious and perceptive. Although tempted by Chi You’s gifts, he refuses to accept the alliance blindly and insists on understanding Chi You’s motives and securing mutual military obligations.
• Xuanyuan also asserts his identity as a member of the Human Race, showing that his loyalty is not simply based on rivalry with Shen Nong.
• Chi You is portrayed as calculating and persuasive. He uses weapons, battle formations, and carefully framed arguments to draw Xuanyuan into an alliance while concealing his true objective. His willingness to renegotiate reveals both his shrewdness and his desire to preserve the alliance.
• Shen Nong displays strategic confidence and a broader political outlook. Rather than condemning Xuanyuan’s cooperation with Chi You, he encourages him to exploit the Wu Clan’s generosity. His reminder that Xuanyuan is human suggests that he values unity of the Human Race despite their conflict.
• Zhao Gongming successfully obtains and treasures the Treasure-Dropping Coin, showing both determination and childlike excitement over his new treasure. He also demonstrates generosity by allowing Liu Mang to keep the Heavenly Secrets Compass.
• Liu Mang recognizes the strategic value of both treasures, especially the possibility of using the Treasure-Dropping Coin against Randeng’s Heaven Measuring Ruler. However, he realizes that his current cultivation is insufficient and begins planning his advancement to the Quasi-Saint realm.

Significant Themes

• Political alliances and hidden motives: Xuanyuan understands that alliances are rarely selfless. Both Chi You and Shen Nong are pursuing larger strategic goals beneath their stated reasons.
• Race loyalty versus factional conflict: Xuanyuan’s declaration that “I am human” highlights the tension between internal Human Race divisions and the larger threat posed by the Wu Clan and other powers.
• War as resource competition: Shen Nong emphasizes that war is not necessarily about destroying an enemy, but about gaining land, weapons, and strategic advantage.
• Power and leverage: Xuanyuan’s threat to withdraw forces allows him to obtain more weapons, showing how negotiation depends on credible pressure.
• Fate, treasure, and opportunity: The discovery of the Heavenly Secrets Compass suggests that major opportunities can emerge unexpectedly, while the treasure’s strange behavior hints at a possible connection to Liu Mang’s destiny.
• Insufficient strength: Liu Mang’s concern about being unable to protect or use the Heaven Measuring Ruler underscores the importance of cultivation and the dangers of gaining treasures before possessing adequate power.

Important Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan and Chi You: Their meeting is a tense negotiation between suspicious rivals. Chi You offers resources and strategic cooperation, while Xuanyuan counters with demands and safeguards.
• Xuanyuan and Shen Nong: Xuanyuan approaches Shen Nong privately for guidance, but Shen Nong’s cryptic approval and subsequent attack leave him confused. Their relationship combines rivalry, political tension, and shared Human Race identity.
• Liu Mang and Zhao Gongming: They cooperate in breaking the restrictions at Wuyi Mountain. Zhao Gongming’s refusal to claim the Heavenly Secrets Compass reinforces his gratitude and trust toward Liu Mang.
• Treasure-Dropping Coin and Heavenly Secrets Compass: The two treasures interact almost like living beings. The Coin aggressively knocks down the Compass, and the Compass ultimately chooses Liu Mang, giving the discovery a humorous yet mysterious tone.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Mang receives the Innate Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Secrets Compass, but immediately suspects that Hong Jun gave it to him as part of a scheme. Zhao Gongming reminds him that Liu Mang has always possessed extraordinary luck, powerful connections, and numerous treasures.
• Liu Mang tests the Compass’s ability to disrupt the Heavenly Dao. Although he sees no obvious result, his repeated attempts secretly release purple light into the heavens. Believing the treasure is broken, he stores it away.
• In Purple Sky Palace, Qian Kun mistakenly believes that the Human Race’s internal conflict has weakened Hong Jun’s control over the Heavenly Dao. He arrogantly taunts Hong Jun, claiming victory is near.
• The Compass’s disruption suddenly takes effect. Qian Kun suffers a violent backlash, coughing and vomiting blood as the power supporting him collapses. He realizes that someone is interfering with the Heavenly Dao, while Liu Mang remains unaware that his “failed” tests caused it.
• At the Zhuolu Battlefield, Chi You continues supplying Xuanyuan with weapons while refusing to send Wu Clan troops. Chi You intends to let the Human Race exhaust itself fighting, then reap the benefits.
• Xuanyuan recognizes the deception and turns it against Chi You. His soldiers pretend to suffer casualties while secretly rotating in veteran warriors, allowing the Human Race to preserve its strength and collect Chi You’s weapons.
• Shen Nong’s broader strategy transfers battle-hardened Human Race warriors into the supposedly weakened forces near the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.
• Chi You finally launches an attack, expecting an easy victory, but is surrounded by tens of thousands of powerful Human Race warriors. Shen Nong appears and mocks him for relying on schemes despite the Wu Clan’s reputation for lacking cunning.

Character Developments

• Liu Mang remains cautious and suspicious, but his insecurity also makes him underestimate his own power. His repeated experiments unintentionally cause a major disruption to the Heavenly Dao.
• Zhao Gongming serves as a blunt but envious commentator, emphasizing how extraordinary Liu Mang’s cultivation, status, and treasures are.
• Qian Kun shifts from arrogant confidence to panic and physical collapse after his plan is undermined.
• Xuanyuan demonstrates political awareness and adaptability. Once he understands Chi You’s scheme, he exploits it while maintaining the appearance of honoring their alliance.
• Shen Nong emerges as the true architect of the Human Race’s counterstrategy, using troop transfers and deception to prepare a trap.
• Chi You is revealed to be overconfident. His attempt to manipulate Xuanyuan results in him being manipulated instead.

Significant Themes

• Unintended consequences: Liu Mang believes the Heavenly Secrets Compass is useless, unaware that it has already harmed Qian Kun.
• Deception and counter-deception: Chi You tries to weaken the Human Race through a false alliance, but Xuanyuan and Shen Nong reverse the scheme.
• Overconfidence and humiliation: Both Qian Kun and Chi You assume their plans have succeeded before discovering that their opponents anticipated them.
• Strategic intelligence versus brute force: The Wu Clan relies on military strength, while the Human Race survives through planning, secrecy, and manipulation.
• Unequal fortune: Zhao Gongming’s comments highlight Liu Mang’s extraordinary opportunities and the unfair advantages surrounding his rapid rise.

Character Interactions

• Liu Mang and Zhao Gongming debate whether the Heavenly Secrets Compass is a blessing or a trap, with Zhao Gongming sarcastically defending Liu Mang’s exceptional luck.
• Qian Kun taunts Hong Jun, only to be struck down by the consequences of Liu Mang’s actions.
• Xuanyuan and Chi You communicate through the Ghost Dao, each believing he is exploiting the other. Xuanyuan secretly uses Chi You’s weapons while preserving his own army.
• Xuanyuan’s advisers, including Sima Changxian, Li Mu, Li Shou, and Rong Cheng, discuss the deception and support his decision.
• Shen Nong confronts Chi You after the trap is sprung, ridiculing him for attempting to outmaneuver the Human Race.

Chapter Summary: Chi You Displays His Might, Xuanyuan in Peril

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi You battles Shen Nong and the East Sea Human Race near the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. Although he and his Wu warriors are wounded, their powerful bodies allow them to fight through the injuries. Chi You ultimately withdraws with his surviving clansmen.
• Shen Nong recognizes the overwhelming physical strength of the Wu Clan and realizes that ordinary Human Race weapons are inadequate against them.
• Xuanyuan learns that the East Sea Human Race barely defeated Chi You. Rather than celebrating, he worries that their defeat would leave the ancestral Human Race vulnerable to Chi You’s attack.
• Chi You arrives at Xuanyuan’s camp and accuses him of secretly sending warriors to attack the Wu Clan while claiming neutrality. He demands that Xuanyuan join him in attacking the East Sea Human Race.
• Xuanyuan cleverly avoids honoring the request immediately, pointing out that Chi You’s own forces had previously taken time to assemble. Chi You realizes he has been manipulated and angrily declares that the Wu Clan and Human Race will settle matters through direct war.
• After more than ten days of preparation, Chi You finally leads tens of thousands of Wu warriors to the Zhuolu Battlefield.
• Xuanyuan and Chi You confront each other at the head of their armies. Human Race destiny and the Wu Clan’s Blood Sha aura clash, revealing that both sides possess formidable power.
• The battle begins, with observers from the Interception Sect, Exposition Sect, and East Sea Human Race present.
• Shen Nong identifies Chi You’s weapon as a broken demonic weapon left by an ancient Demon God, strengthened by the Wu Clan’s Blood Sha.
• Chi You immediately gains the upper hand when he shatters Xuanyuan’s longsword—ironically, a weapon Chi You himself had given him—and then prepares to strike Xuanyuan with the demonic weapon.

Character Developments

• Chi You: Shows resilience, pride, and overwhelming physical strength. His defeat by Shen Nong causes him to recognize the danger of schemes, but his anger and confidence push him toward open war. His Blood Sha-enhanced weapon makes him an even greater threat.
• Xuanyuan: Demonstrates political cunning by exploiting Chi You’s demand and turning his accusation back on him. However, his strategic intelligence cannot fully compensate for Chi You’s superior combat power, leaving him in immediate danger.
• Shen Nong: Acts as both a military observer and a source of insight. His advice causes Chi You to reflect on his weakness in strategy, while his assessment of Chi You’s weapon highlights the seriousness of the coming conflict.
• Kua Fu and the Ancestral Wu: Kua Fu shows concern for Chi You, but the Ancestral Wu deliberately allow him to suffer so that he will become less arrogant and more cautious.
• Human Race Officials: Initially relieved by Chi You’s retreat, they come to understand Xuanyuan’s concern that the fall of the East Sea Human Race would expose everyone else to attack.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus strategy: Chi You possesses overwhelming physical and military strength, while Xuanyuan relies on planning and verbal manipulation.
• The limits of technology: Human weapons cannot effectively injure the Wu Clan, forcing the Human Race to seek stronger methods of warfare.
• Pride and humility: Chi You’s arrogance is challenged by Shen Nong’s tactics, while the Ancestral Wu hope hardship will temper his confidence.
• Unity and rivalry within the Human Race: Though the East Sea Human Race and Xuanyuan’s faction distrust one another, both recognize that Chi You is the greater threat.
• Destiny versus Blood Sha: The confrontation presents a larger ideological struggle between the Human Race’s destined rise and the Wu Clan’s violent, war-forged power.

Character Interactions

• Kua Fu and the Ancestral Wu: Kua Fu urges them to rescue Chi You, but they insist that he must endure hardship himself.
• Chi You and Shen Nong: Shen Nong’s earlier words about strategy trouble Chi You, who later admits that he cannot outmaneuver the Human Race.
• Chi You and Xuanyuan: Their exchange becomes a battle of manipulation and pride. Xuanyuan exposes Chi You’s hypocrisy, prompting Chi You to abandon negotiation and declare war.
• Xuanyuan and his officials: Xuanyuan warns them that Chi You’s victory over the East Sea Human Race would place the ancestral land next in danger.
• Shen Nong and the Human Race observers: Shen Nong correctly predicts Chi You’s victory and explains the origin and danger of his demonic weapon.
• Chi You and Xuanyuan on the battlefield: Their armies and auras collide, but Chi You quickly gains the advantage by destroying Xuanyuan’s sword and preparing a killing blow.

Chapter Summary: Xuanyuan’s Defeat Again, Guang Chengzi Unleashes the Killing Calamity

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chi You gains the upper hand against Xuanyuan by using a powerful demonic weapon imbued with Blood Sha aura. The weapon cuts through Xuanyuan’s sword and wounds him with corrosive energy that rapidly weakens him.
• Xuanyuan’s warhorse is struck down, leaving him exposed. Chi You orders his Wu Clan forces to capture Xuanyuan alive.
• Li Mu attempts to rescue Xuanyuan, while Chang Xian, Rong Cheng, and other Human Race officials try to rally their soldiers. However, the Human Race army is overwhelmed by the Wu Clan’s superior weapons, armor, and physical strength.
• The Human Race soldiers discover that ordinary blades and spears barely affect the Wu Clan warriors, while Wu Clan weapons easily penetrate their armor. Fear spreads through the Human Race army, with soldiers believing the Wu Clan to be divinely protected and impossible to kill.
• Fearing that Xuanyuan’s capture will destroy the Exposition Sect’s mission to support him as Human Emperor, Guang Chengzi leads the Exposition Sect disciples into the battlefield.
• The Wu Clan responds by sending its Middle Witches and Great Witches to fight the Exposition Sect disciples. Though the Wu Clan resists fiercely, the Exposition Sect’s numerical advantage allows many of its disciples to break through.
• Guang Chengzi confronts Xing Tian and uses the Soul Falling Bell. Xing Tian is unaffected because, as a headless Wu Clan warrior, he possesses no conventional soul. Guang Chengzi instead directs the bell’s power toward the Nine Jiu Li Tribes.
• The bell destroys the souls of countless warriors, including ordinary people and Human Race descendants, preventing them from reincarnating. Guang Chengzi attacks indiscriminately, driven by the rising Calamity Qi.
• Xing Tian becomes enraged and attacks Guang Chengzi with the intent to kill him. Guang Chengzi defends himself with the Male-Female Twin Swords and the Eight Trigrams Purple Ribbon Immortal Robe.
• The mass slaughter causes Blood Sha aura to merge with the Calamity Qi, signaling the emergence of a new killing calamity.
• Hou Tu confronts Yuanshi, demanding an explanation for Guang Chengzi’s slaughter of Wu Clan-related warriors and for his role in triggering the coming calamity.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan: Suffers another major defeat and is reduced to a desperate defensive position. His inability to resist Chi You’s demonic weapon places his claim to Human Emperor in serious danger.
• Chi You: Demonstrates overwhelming battlefield dominance and strategic awareness. He exploits the weapon’s Blood Sha power and immediately seeks to capture Xuanyuan alive.
• Li Mu: Shows loyalty and courage by attempting to protect Xuanyuan despite the overwhelming strength of Chi You and the Wu Clan.
• Guang Chengzi: Reveals deep fear of failing Yuanshi and losing his cultivation progress. His desperation drives him to intervene recklessly, and the Calamity Qi intensifies his ruthlessness until he massacres ordinary warriors without distinction.
• Xing Tian: Initially mocks Guang Chengzi’s ineffective Soul Falling Bell, but becomes furious when Guang Chengzi uses it to annihilate the souls of the Nine Jiu Li Tribes. His goal shifts from merely stopping Guang Chengzi to killing him.
• Hou Tu: Takes a protective and confrontational stance toward the Wu Clan and demands accountability from Yuanshi.
• Human Race soldiers: Their confidence collapses after witnessing the Wu Clan’s near-immunity to conventional weapons, leading to panic and battlefield disorder.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and moral corruption: Guang Chengzi’s fear of punishment and failure causes him to abandon restraint and commit mass slaughter.
• The cost of sectarian conflict: The struggle between the Wu Clan and the Exposition Sect destroys ordinary soldiers who have little control over the larger political and divine conflict.
• Fate and great calamities: The battlefield’s accumulated deaths and Blood Sha aura awaken the killing calamity, showing how individual violence can contribute to a much larger cosmic disaster.
• Power imbalance: Superior weapons, armor, bloodlines, and divine treasures determine the battle more than courage alone.
• Human Emperor succession: Xuanyuan’s survival is tied not only to the Human Race’s future but also to the success or failure of the Exposition Sect’s broader plans.

Important Character Interactions

• Chi You and Xuanyuan: Chi You overwhelms Xuanyuan with the demonic weapon and attempts to capture him alive.
• Li Mu and Xuanyuan: Li Mu rushes to Xuanyuan’s aid, acting as his protector amid the chaos.
• Guang Chengzi and Xing Tian: Their confrontation escalates from mutual provocation to a deadly personal battle after Guang Chengzi kills the Nine Jiu Li Tribes’ warriors.
• Exposition Sect and Wu Clan: Their forces clash directly after Guang Chengzi enters the battle, transforming the conflict from a Human Race–Wu Clan war into a confrontation between major divine factions.
• Hou Tu and Yuanshi: Hou Tu openly challenges Yuanshi over Guang Chengzi’s actions and his role in unleashing the killing calamity.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lord Yuanshi defends Guang Chengzi’s attack on the ordinary people of the Nine Jiu Li Tribes, claiming the Exposition Sect is acting according to Heaven’s mandate to help the Human Race choose its common ruler.
• Hou Tu rejects this justification, arguing that Guang Chengzi’s massacre has triggered the Killing Calamity and that the resulting karmic retribution must not be interrupted.
• On the Zhuolu battlefield, the Exposition Sect’s direct disciples surround and suppress the Great Witches:
  • Da Yi is trapped by Chi Jingzi, Yu Ding, Lingbao, and Qingxu.
  • Kua Fu is confronted by Ju Liusun, Dao Xing Tianzun, and Huang Long.
  • Jiu Feng is restrained by Cihang, Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and Taiyi.
• The Exposition Sect disciples deliberately target ordinary soldiers to force the Great Witches into difficult choices. Taiyi’s Nine Dragon Divine Fire Cover burns both Human and Wu Clan soldiers indiscriminately.
• The slaughter intensifies the battlefield’s Calamity Qi. Killing Calamity energy begins entering the minds of the Exposition Sect disciples, increasing their bloodlust.
• Unable to tolerate the heavy Wu Clan casualties, Chi You orders the Eighty-One Generals to form a battle formation. Based on the Twelve Heavenly Gods and Fiends Great Formation, it neutralizes the Exposition Sect’s attacks and annihilates many of their disciples.
• Chi You then challenges Guang Chengzi directly. Though Guang Chengzi mocks him as a powerless mortal, Chi You uses the demonic weapon Tiger Soul against him.
• Xing Tian blocks Guang Chengzi’s Twin Swords at Chi You’s command, allowing Chi You to concentrate his power into Tiger Soul.
• Guang Chengzi initially blocks Tiger Soul with the Soul Falling Bell, but Chi You unleashes a hidden force that shatters the bell. Tiger Soul then closes in on Guang Chengzi, leaving him terrified and crying out mentally for Yuanshi’s help.
• Yuanshi attempts to intervene, but Hou Tu blocks him, insisting that Guang Chengzi is undergoing his destined Killing Calamity.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu becomes increasingly furious at Yuanshi’s hypocrisy and firmly asserts the Wu Clan’s right to seek justice. She shifts from arguing with him to actively preventing him from rescuing Guang Chengzi.
• Lord Yuanshi is shown as arrogant and deeply partial toward his disciple. He invokes Heaven’s mandate to excuse the Exposition Sect’s crimes but prepares to violate that principle when Guang Chengzi is endangered.
• Chi You reveals himself as a strategic and formidable leader. He sacrifices his original plan, exposes the Eighty-One Generals’ formation, and personally confronts Guang Chengzi to avenge the slaughtered Wu Clan warriors.
• Guang Chengzi, previously confident and contemptuous, becomes panicked when Tiger Soul breaks through his defense. His fear demonstrates that the Killing Calamity has turned the situation against him.
• Jiu Feng, Da Yi, and Kua Fu are placed under severe pressure as they struggle to protect ordinary soldiers from the Exposition Sect’s attacks.
• Xing Tian shows obedience and trust in Chi You by following his dangerous order to block the Twin Swords instead of immediately attacking Guang Chengzi.

Significant Themes

• Karmic retribution: The Exposition Sect’s massacre of civilians causes Killing Calamity energy to gather around its disciples, suggesting that violence committed under the banner of Heaven will still bring consequences.
• Hypocrisy and abuse of authority: Yuanshi claims to uphold Heaven’s will while tolerating attacks on innocents and preparing to interfere when his own disciple faces death.
• Justice versus divine mandate: Hou Tu challenges the idea that “Heaven’s mandate” automatically makes the Exposition Sect’s actions righteous.
• The cost of war: The battlefield becomes increasingly indiscriminate, with both Human and Wu Clan soldiers treated as expendable by the Exposition Sect.
• Strategic preparation and hidden strength: Chi You’s formation and Tiger Soul reveal that the Wu Clan possesses carefully concealed powers capable of overturning the Exposition Sect’s advantage.

Character Interactions

• Hou Tu and Yuanshi clash verbally over Guang Chengzi’s crimes and the meaning of Heaven’s will.
• Cihang and Taiyi taunt Jiu Feng while deliberately attacking the soldiers she is trying to protect.
• Chi You commands Xing Tian to block Guang Chengzi’s weapons, demonstrating battlefield coordination and trust.
• Guang Chengzi ridicules Chi You before the situation reverses and he begs Yuanshi for help.
• Hou Tu directly confronts Yuanshi at the crucial moment, stopping him from interfering in Guang Chengzi’s impending death.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lord Yuanshi arrives with the Pangu Banner to rescue Guang Chengzi, whose physical body is being destroyed by Chi You.
• Hou Tu blocks Yuanshi’s path, refusing to yield as the Earthly Dao’s spokesperson. She challenges his earlier claims about obeying karmic destiny and the Heavenly Dao.
• Yuanshi attacks with the Pangu Banner, unleashing chaotic energy that disrupts the surrounding laws of heaven and earth.
• Hou Tu counters with the Reincarnation Disk and the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Their powers collide in a massive explosion that damages the surrounding stars and nearly destabilizes the Hong Huang Fetal Membrane. The first exchange ends in a draw.
• Hou Tu launches a second attack, using the Reincarnation Disk to create six merging vortices that reverse yin and yang, invert life and death, and attempt to devour Yuanshi.
• Yuanshi protects himself with the Myriad Heavens Auspicious Cloud, an immensely defensive treasure formed from Pangu’s righteous energy.
• While Yuanshi is occupied, Chi You strikes Guang Chengzi with the Tiger Soul demonic weapon. Guang Chengzi’s physical body shatters and is consumed by Blood Sha energy.
• Chi You attempts to destroy Guang Chengzi’s primordial spirit as revenge for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Wu Clan members.
• At the last moment, a Jade Pure Talisman planted within Guang Chengzi’s primordial spirit by Yuanshi manifests and blocks the killing blow.
• Guang Chengzi survives without his physical body and vows revenge, promising to slaughter the Wu people once Yuanshi rebuilds his body.

Character Developments

• Hou Tu becomes more assertive and battle-hungry as the Earthly Dao’s representative. She no longer fears Yuanshi and eagerly welcomes the chance to test herself against him.
• Lord Yuanshi is shown to be protective of his disciples and deeply concerned with preserving the Exposition Sect’s dignity. Although he claims to follow Heaven’s will, he immediately tries to interfere when Guang Chengzi is endangered.
• Guang Chengzi suffers a major defeat: his physical body is destroyed, leaving only his primordial spirit. His fear of death briefly surfaces, but survival transforms his panic into hatred and a desire for revenge.
• Chi You demonstrates formidable strength by damaging a Grand Unity Golden Immortal through physical combat alone. His attack is driven by vengeance for the Wu Clan’s fallen members, though the Jade Pure Talisman prevents him from completing the kill.
• The observing Saints—including Zhunti and Tongtian—become more cautious and interested in the balance between Yuanshi’s Pangu Banner and Hou Tu’s reincarnation power.

Significant Themes

• Karmic justice versus personal intervention: Hou Tu accuses Yuanshi of invoking karmic destiny only when convenient, exposing the hypocrisy of claiming obedience to Heaven while trying to save a favored disciple.
• Power balance among the Saints: The draw between the Pangu Banner and the Six Paths of Reincarnation establishes Hou Tu as a force capable of matching Yuanshi despite the Banner’s origin from the Pangu Axe.
• Revenge and generational conflict: Chi You’s assault represents the Wu Clan’s desire to repay the slaughter of its people, while Guang Chengzi’s survival ensures that the cycle of vengeance will continue.
• Protection and hidden preparations: Yuanshi’s Jade Pure Talisman demonstrates the importance of concealed safeguards and shows that Guang Chengzi’s survival is the result of his master’s prior planning.
• Physical death versus spiritual survival: Guang Chengzi’s body is destroyed, but his primordial spirit remains, emphasizing that in this world physical defeat does not necessarily mean complete death.

Character Interactions

• Hou Tu verbally provokes Yuanshi by challenging his principles and physically prevents him from reaching Guang Chengzi.
• Yuanshi and Hou Tu engage in a direct battle, with the Pangu Banner and Reincarnation Disk neutralizing each other in their first clash.
• Yuanshi’s defensive spell interrupts the duel’s momentum, allowing Chi You’s attack on Guang Chengzi to become the immediate focus.
• Chi You confronts Guang Chengzi as an avenger, destroying his body and nearly killing his primordial spirit before the Jade Pure Talisman intervenes.
• Guang Chengzi responds to survival not with gratitude or restraint, but with a renewed vow of vengeance against Chi You and the Wu Clan.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Guang Chengzi survives Chi You’s devastating attack because Lord Yuanshi’s Jade Pure Talisman protects his primordial spirit, though his physical body is destroyed.
• Believing he has Yuanshi’s backing, Guang Chengzi angrily vows to exterminate every Wu Clan member on the Hong Huang continent and threatens to kill even more Wu warriors.
• Chi You, enraged by Guang Chengzi’s refusal to repent, uses the remaining fortune of the Wu Clan to launch another attack with the Tiger Soul blade.
• Just as Guang Chengzi is about to be killed, Lord Yuanshi intervenes. A massive hand seal rescues Guang Chengzi’s primordial spirit and intimidates everyone on the battlefield.
• Xing Tian regrets hesitating, realizing that he might have killed Guang Chengzi had he acted sooner.
• Yuanshi gathers Guang Chengzi, the other Saints, and Liu Mang in the void. Guang Chengzi pretends to be the victim, claiming that the Wu Clan bullied him and destroyed his body.
• Hou Tu exposes the hypocrisy of Guang Chengzi’s complaint, pointing out that the Wu Clan had never prohibited the use of powerful experts and that Randeng’s departure was the Exposition Sect’s own choice.
• Yuanshi reprimands Guang Chengzi for his poor performance and orders him to stop making excuses. He promises to reconstruct Guang Chengzi’s physical body so he can fight again.
• When Yuanshi attempts to leave, Hou Tu confronts him and accuses him of deliberately orchestrating the entire situation.
• She explains that Yuanshi used Guang Chengzi as bait: Guang Chengzi’s reckless actions would force Chi You to expend the Wu Clan’s fortune in a supreme attack, while Yuanshi’s protective talisman ensured Guang Chengzi would survive.
• The scheme succeeds. The Wu Clan’s fortune is severely depleted and cannot quickly recover, while the Human Race’s fortune remains intact, making the Wu Clan’s defeat in future battles nearly certain.
• Yuanshi denies the accusation but declares that the grudge will be settled once Guang Chengzi’s body is restored, then returns to Kunlun.
• Hou Tu, Di Jun, and the others depart. Nu Wa, Tongtian, Fu Xi, and Shen Nong remain behind and release Liu Mang from whatever restriction prevented him from acting.
• Liu Mang immediately asks why they did not allow him to intervene.

Character Developments

• Guang Chengzi: His survival intensifies his arrogance, hatred, and bloodlust toward the Wu Clan. However, his attempt to manipulate Yuanshi through exaggerated crying fails, and he is forced to act obediently after being reprimanded.
• Lord Yuanshi: Revealed as a highly calculating strategist who is willing to sacrifice his own chief disciple’s body to damage the Wu Clan’s fortune. His calm denials reinforce his image as a ruthless and secretive schemer.
• Chi You: Demonstrates his willingness to use the Wu Clan’s remaining fortune to eliminate Guang Chengzi, but his attack ultimately contributes to the Wu Clan’s strategic defeat.
• Xing Tian: Shows concern for the consequences of Guang Chengzi’s survival and regrets not killing him when he had the chance.
• Hou Tu: Acts as the Wu Clan’s sharpest observer and directly uncovers Yuanshi’s plan. Though she recognizes the scheme too late to reverse its effects, she firmly challenges Yuanshi.
• Liu Mang: Remains mysteriously restrained during the confrontation, suggesting that the others deliberately prevented him from interfering. His final question hints at an important concealed purpose.

Significant Themes

• Strategic sacrifice and political manipulation: Yuanshi treats Guang Chengzi as a disposable piece in a larger plan to weaken the Wu Clan.
• Fortune as power: The chapter emphasizes that supernatural battles are also battles over accumulated clan fortune. Victory depends not only on individual strength but on the long-term exhaustion of collective resources.
• Pride and recklessness: Guang Chengzi’s arrogance causes him to behave exactly as Yuanshi anticipated, making him useful to his own master’s scheme despite believing himself important.
• Moral ambiguity among the Saints: The powerful figures manipulate events while denying responsibility, showing that divine authority does not necessarily imply honor or fairness.
• The inevitability of larger conflict: The depletion of Wu Clan fortune shifts the balance of power and suggests that the Human Race is now positioned to dominate future battles.

Character Interactions

• Guang Chengzi verbally provokes Chi You, while Chi You answers with lethal force.
• Xing Tian debates whether to kill Guang Chengzi but hesitates because of Hou Tu’s earlier instructions.
• Guang Chengzi appeals to Yuanshi for justice, but Yuanshi rejects his theatrics and orders him to stop making excuses.
• Hou Tu confronts both Guang Chengzi’s victimhood and Yuanshi’s hidden scheme, forcing the other Saints and leaders to reconsider Yuanshi’s motives.
• Yuanshi refuses to acknowledge Hou Tu’s accusations, preserving the political tension between the Saints and the Wu Clan.
• After the others leave, the remaining leaders free Liu Mang, whose frustrated question indicates that he may have been capable of changing the outcome.