Chapter Summaries

Lord Tongtian rejected Laozi’s plan to sacrifice Duobao to oppose the Western Sect, and Yuanshi agreed to offer Jade Cauldron instead. Back on Golden Turtle Island, the Jie Sect disciples thanked Hongxuan for repeatedly saving them.

• Laozi urged Lord Tongtian to unite against the Western Sect and offer Duobao for his scheme, but Lord Tongtian refused and left.
• Laozi asked Yuanshi to offer a disciple, and Yuanshi agreed to send Jade Cauldron to Shouyang Mountain.
• Yuanshi left Laozi, privately resentful of his coldness toward the losses suffered by the Human Sect.
• The Jie Sect disciples gathered on Golden Turtle Island and thanked Hongxuan for saving them from deadly calamities.
• Hongxuan accepted their thanks, having deliberately left clues so the disciples would remember his favors.

Hongxuan reflected on the end of the Investiture of the Gods and visited Ziwei Imperial Palace before entering seclusion to pursue the Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven. Meanwhile, Haotian welcomed the newly appointed gods, while Hongxuan’s subordinates treated him with caution because of his strength.

• Hongxuan noted Duobao’s anger toward the Chan Sect and Western Sect and expected him to handle Jie Sect affairs while Hongxuan focused on his cultivation.
• Haotian and Yaochi welcomed the gods who had taken their positions in the Heavenly Court, and Haotian called on them to safeguard the Three Realms.
• The newly appointed gods privately disdained Haotian’s ambitions but resolved to obey outwardly and avoid sincerely submitting to him.
• Hongxuan took his seat at Ziwei Imperial Palace as the Star Lords and sect members paid their respects.
• The assembled immortals feared Hongxuan after learning he had sent Laozi’s three-corpse clone onto the Investiture of the Gods and had killed two Quasi-Sages during the war.

Hongxuan considered the Heavenly Court’s loyalty and the future struggles among the great sects, but refused Lord Tongtian’s request to oversee the Jie Sect. He left Duobao to lead it and focused instead on advancing his own cultivation, while anticipating the West’s rise and the Chan Sect’s decline.

• Hongxuan observed that Marshal Tianpeng seemed excited rather than sorrowful after learning Laozi’s incarnation had been destroyed, and noted the marshal’s hidden strength.
• Hongxuan calculated that the Three Purity Sages would soon leave the Three Realms, leaving Xuandu to oversee the Human Sect and Duobao to lead the Jie Sect.
• Hongxuan refused Lord Tongtian’s request to preside over the Jie Sect, citing his Heavenly Court duties and his pursuit of the Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven.
• Hongxuan foresaw Jieyin’s incarnation returning from reincarnation to become Buddhism’s Buddha Patriarch and displace Duobao’s destined role.
• Hongxuan assessed how the Investiture of the Gods War had benefited the Western and Human Sects while leaving the Chan Sect weakened and vulnerable.

Hongxuan cultivated in seclusion on Ziwei Star, using Heaven-defying Comprehension to deepen his understanding of several laws and integrate them into his Eternal Great Dao. He emerged after reaching the sixth level of the Sub-Sage realm, astonished at how easily he had advanced.

• Hongxuan redistributed the spiritual energy transformed by the Chaos Return Formation evenly between the starry sky and the Three Realms, benefiting the stellar faction most.
• Hongxuan studied the Yellow Court Scripture and several treasures, improving his understanding of destiny, creation, chaos, karma, time, and space and advancing related divine abilities.
• Hongxuan integrated the laws of destiny and creation into his Eternal Great Dao and advanced to the second level of the Sub-Sage realm.
• Hongxuan continued integrating the laws of chaos, karma, time, and space, advancing to the sixth level of the Sub-Sage realm.
• Hongxuan's aura surged through the formation, reshaping its terrain, and he laughed at how easily he had reached the sixth level.

After fifty million years of secluded cultivation, Hongxuan reached the Sub-Sage Sixth Heaven and integrated six laws into his Great Dao, while the Three Realms flourished under new orders. The chapter left the Netherworld’s rules firmly enforced by Houtu and Hongxuan surveying the changed realms.

• Hongxuan advanced through the Sub-Sage Fourth and Fifth Heavens with ease, then reached the Sixth Heaven and found his accumulated foundation exhausted.
• Hongxuan completed the transformation of six laws and integrated them into his Great Dao, gaining strength he believed could defeat Yuanshi or Laozi.
• Hongxuan discovered that more than fifty million years had passed and surveyed the flourishing lineages of the Earth Immortal Realm and Mortal Realm.
• Hongxuan noted that Mortal Realm talents were ascending to the Earth Immortal Realm, with some joining the Heavenly Court and gaining Haotian’s attention.
• Houtu perfected the Netherworld’s rules and killed a Quasi-Sage who defied its reincarnation laws, then sent him into ten thousand lifetimes of reincarnation.

Hongxuan observed how the Jie Sect, Buddhism, the Human Sect, and the Chan Sect had developed over the ages, noting the growing rivalry between the first two. The chapter left the Jie Sect and Buddhism thriving under Duobao and Shakyamuni Buddha, while the Human Sect lagged and the Chan Sect had dwindled to two neglected Golden Immortals.

• Duobao reformed the Jie Sect, recruited selectively, and helped it remain one of the Three Realms' foremost powers.
• Wudang and Guiling grew renowned, while Duobao set his sights on spreading the Jie Sect's teachings into Nanzhan Buzhou.
• Buddhism expanded rapidly, and former Chan Sect and Jie Sect disciples became Buddhas and Bodhisattvas through the West's art of conversion.
• Shakyamuni Buddha, once Jieyin's benevolent corpse avatar, became an independent being and reached the late Quasi-Sage stage.
• Hongxuan noted that Xuandu's sincere, hands-off leadership left the Human Sect trailing behind Buddhism and the Jie Sect.
• The Chan Sect was left with only Spirit Treasure Grandmaster and Huanglong among the Twelve Golden Immortals, and Yuanshi neglected both.

Hongxuan continued his seclusion on Ziwei Star, reflecting on the limits of the Yellow Court Scripture and the need to find new works to strengthen his Dao Heart, fate, and innate foundation. Heaven-defying Comprehension deepened his foundation and advanced his Star and Five Elements arts and rules.

• The Earth Immortal Realm’s factions competed for influence as small conflicts and hidden clans’ arrangements continued, while Hongxuan ignored the struggle.
• Hongxuan surveyed the Three Realms from Ziwei Star, then resumed his closed-door cultivation.
• After reaching the Sub-Sage Sixth Heaven, Hongxuan reread the Yellow Court Scripture and recognized that it would eventually stop improving him.
• Heaven-defying Comprehension strengthened Hongxuan’s innate foundation, fate, and Dao Heart as he studied the Yellow Court Scripture.
• Hongxuan advanced the Grand Star Art and Grand Five Elements Art to tenfold perfection and entered the beginner stage of Star Rules and Five Elements Rules.

Hongxuan perfected his laws and advanced them into introductory Grand Dao rules, strengthening his foundation and preparing to face the Law Decay Tribulation. He began the tribulation with resolve, but overwhelming pain seized his body, primordial spirit, and True Spirit as it descended.

• Hongxuan comprehended the Star Law, Law of Five Elements, and Law of Reincarnation into introductory rules, but decided his foundation was not yet stable enough to integrate them into his Eternal Great Dao.
• Hongxuan used Heaven-defying Comprehension to bring the Law of Power, Law of Life, Law of Death, Law of Speed, and his other studied laws to tenfold perfection and introductory Grand Dao rules.
• Hongxuan strengthened his foundation as the laws around him transformed the Star Ancient Tree, which began to show signs of becoming a Chaos spiritual root.
• Hongxuan consolidated and improved his divine abilities, then chose to face the Law Decay Tribulation rather than let his fear undermine his state of mind.
• Hongxuan activated the tenth level of the Body Refinement Art, and the Decline of Mana Tribulation struck him with unbearable pain throughout his body, primordial spirit, and True Spirit.

Hongxuan endured the Five Signs of Decay Tribulation as it tested his will and state of mind while his laws and aura dissipated. He accepted the pain and underwent an unknowable transformation, and his body suddenly erupted with dazzling light.

• Hongxuan faced the pain and panic of the Law Decay Tribulations without wavering, using the ordeal to temper his will and state of mind.
• He endured especially severe tests of destiny and karma, gaining deeper insight into both laws.
• Hongxuan stopped resisting the pain and immersed himself in its deeper meaning as the tribulation continued.
• His destiny and True Spirit secretly bloomed with sacred radiance, bringing about a profound transformation he did not notice.
• Hongxuan's entire body suddenly erupted with dazzling light.

After overcoming the Law Decay Tribulation, Hongxuan found his laws perfectly integrated and his path through the remaining Sub-Sage stages clear. He left seclusion, strengthened the Great Celestial Stars Spirit-Conversion Formation, and the Jade Emperor noticed that the Heavenly Court’s spiritual qi had grown denser.

• Hongxuan completed the Law Decay Tribulation, gaining effortless control over his laws and removing the bottlenecks on his path to the Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven.
• Hongxuan realized the tribulation had taken only ten years and decided to leave seclusion to reassure Houtu and the Three Xiao Sisters.
• Hongxuan improved and concealed the formation eyes of the Great Celestial Stars Spirit-Conversion Formation, ensuring that only he could control the stars.
• In Lingxiao Palace, the Jade Emperor noticed that the Heavenly Court’s spiritual qi had grown denser and asked his ministers about it.

After emerging from seclusion, Hongxuan assessed the Heavenly Court’s shifting power struggles as Haotian prepared to undermine Lei Ze over his ties to the Demon Race. The chapter ended with Hongxuan confident that his Ziwei Imperial Palace could contain any internal trouble.

• A report informed Haotian that the Heaven and Earth Qi in the world of stars had doubled, which the immortals credited to Emperor Ziwei.
• Haotian reflected on Emperor Ziwei’s strength and considered Lei Ze’s secret ties to the Demon Race a chance to weaken the Gouchen Emperor.
• Haotian waited for Lei Ze to make another mistake, believing he would either anger Goddess Nüwa by abandoning the Demon Race or lose prestige by continuing to associate with it.
• Hongxuan emerged from seclusion and observed that the Heavenly Court’s growing authority had intensified its factional conflicts.
• Hongxuan left the Ziwei Imperial Palace’s internal competition to his divine-path incarnation, confident that his forces could suppress any serious disturbance.

Hongxuan visited the flourishing Eternal Market after leaving Grand Emperor Zhenwu to manage the Heavenly Court. Golden Fortune Daoist recognized Hongxuan’s extraordinary cultivation but kept the market’s deepest secret from him, waiting for him to reach the Heavenly Dao Realm.

• Hongxuan left the Heavenly Court’s affairs to Grand Emperor Zhenwu and traveled to the Earth Immortal Realm.
• Hongxuan remembered Golden Fortune Daoist and used the Eternal Ark to visit the Eternal Market.
• Hongxuan saw that the market had grown enormously and brought opportunities to countless living beings across the Three Realms.
• Golden Fortune Daoist welcomed Hongxuan and praised his bearing, while Hongxuan noted Golden Fortune Daoist’s late Quasi-Sage cultivation.
• Golden Fortune Daoist was astonished to find Hongxuan at the sixth level of the Sub-Sage Realm and decided to keep him close, but to withhold the true secret until Hongxuan reached the Heavenly Dao Realm.
• Golden Fortune Daoist chatted with Hongxuan about the Eternal Market’s development.

Hongxuan failed to learn the Three Realms’ secrets from Golden Fortune Daoist and resolved to return after reaching the Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven. Meanwhile, a mighty figure in Chaos sent a Chaos God and Demon’s True Spirit to reincarnate in the Primordial Wilderness as he investigated a suspected traitor.

• Hongxuan asked Golden Fortune Daoist about unusual events in the Three Realms, but Golden Fortune Daoist withheld the secrets to protect Hongxuan’s cultivation progress.
• Hongxuan left without answers and resolved to return after reaching the Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven.
• A mighty man in Chaos killed two evil beings who had defeated a Chaos God and Demon, then collected the surviving True Spirit.
• The mighty man sent the Chaos God and Demon’s True Spirit through a rift to reincarnate in the Primordial Wilderness.
• The mighty man suspected a traitor had arranged the invasion and departed to investigate, while the Primordial Wilderness remained unaware of the reincarnation.

After reaching the Sub-Sage Sixth Heaven, Hongxuan went with Houtu to the Six Paths of Reincarnation to integrate its Reincarnation Rules into his Hongxuan Great Dao and advance further. He rapidly integrated half the rules in a hundred years, leaving his breakthrough progressing faster than expected.

• Houtu sensed Hongxuan's vast aura and learned he had reached the Sub-Sage Sixth Heaven with no bottlenecks ahead on his path to the Ninth Heaven.
• Hongxuan told Houtu that he needed an opportunity to integrate his perfected laws and Reincarnation Rules into his own Great Dao.
• Houtu brought Hongxuan to a separate space beside the Six Paths of Reincarnation and agreed to stand guard as he meditated.
• Hongxuan observed beings passing through reincarnation and used the process to integrate the Reincarnation Rules into his Great Dao.
• Hongxuan integrated fifty percent of the Reincarnation Rules in just a hundred years.

Hongxuan completed his comprehension of the reincarnation rules and advanced to Sub-Sage Seventh Heaven, with Houtu at his side. As they prepared to return to Pingxin Palace, a True Spirit resisted Houtu’s attempt to stop it from reincarnating, and Hongxuan and Houtu managed to extract its five-colored power before it entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

• Hongxuan fully comprehended the reincarnation rules and advanced to Sub-Sage Seventh Heaven.
• Hongxuan reflected that Houtu and the Three Xiao Sisters helped him remain true to himself, and he and Houtu set off for Pingxin Palace.
• Houtu spotted a True Spirit speeding toward the Six Paths of Reincarnation and tried to seize it.
• The True Spirit resisted Houtu, so Hongxuan used his Illusion-Breaking Divine Eyes and recognized the Law of Five Elements.
• Hongxuan and Houtu joined forces to strip five-colored light from the True Spirit, but its remaining fragment entered reincarnation.

Hongxuan and Houtu recognized the reincarnated True Spirit as a powerful Chaos being whose aura resembled Pangu’s, and they considered what his arrival meant. In the Eternal Market, Golden Fortune Daoist warned Hongxuan that the being could become a deadly enemy once he recovered his former power.

• Hongxuan used the Grand Destiny Art and Grand Karma Art to discover his immense karma with the True Spirit and resolved to find him again.
• Houtu urged Hongxuan to use the Five Elements Magic Treasure to advance his cultivation, while Hongxuan pointed out the True Spirit’s resemblance to Pangu’s aura.
• Houtu wondered whether Pangu had survived and whether the Three Purities and Twelve Ancestral Witches concealed secrets from the chaos era.
• Golden Fortune Daoist learned that a Chaos God and Demon had reincarnated and worried that Hongxuan would be no match for him once he regained his power.
• Golden Fortune Daoist sent Hongxuan a jade talisman warning him about the danger.

Hongxuan received a warning from Golden Fortune Daoist about the True Spirit and discussed the mysterious figure with Houtu. After using the Five Elements Magic Treasure to reach Sub-Sage Eighth Heaven, Hongxuan grew uneasy about his rapid progress and decided not to advance further until he understood the danger.

• Hongxuan received a jade talisman from Golden Fortune Daoist after he and Houtu had targeted the True Spirit.
• Hongxuan and Houtu discussed Golden Fortune Daoist's mysterious origins and agreed to treat him cautiously.
• Hongxuan comprehended the Five Elements Magic Treasure and integrated its rules into his Eternal Great Dao, advancing to Sub-Sage Eighth Heaven.
• Hongxuan noticed the Eternal Dao Tome had not absorbed the Five Elements Magic Treasure, but decided the breakthrough mattered more.
• Hongxuan resolved to postpone reaching Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven because his rapid cultivation felt wrong, then sent mana into the treasure.

Hongxuan chose to postpone his breakthrough to Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven and planned to undergo reincarnation tribulations to resolve a flaw in his mortal mentality. Houtu joined him by sending out an avatar to safeguard his true heart as his True Self Avatar entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

• Hongxuan deduced that the Five Elements Magic Treasure belonged to a True Spirit with whom he had formed immense karma, then decided to return it rather than keep it.
• Houtu welcomed Hongxuan from seclusion and asked when he would advance to Sub-Sage Ninth Heaven, but he said he needed to stabilize his foundation and resolve his doubts first.
• Hongxuan told Houtu he planned to enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation and undergo tribulations in the Mortal Realm, then cast the Five Elements Magic Treasure beyond the Netherworld.
• Hongxuan created a True Self Avatar drawn from his mortal mentality to undergo the reincarnation tribulations and address the flaw he feared would threaten his future breakthrough.
• Houtu sent out an avatar and linked it to Hongxuan's, explaining that she would safeguard his true heart during the tribulations.

Hongxuan entered reincarnation to undergo trials on Source Star and investigate its secrets, while Grand Pure Laozi planned to use the star’s coming event to seize returning fortune. The chapter left Hongxuan merged with his avatar in seclusion as Laozi began making arrangements of his own.

• Hongxuan told Houtu that he would reincarnate on Source Star, where time moved differently and its laws suppressed cultivation, and said he intended to uncover its secrets.
• Hongxuan sent a jade talisman to Cangjie, then merged his mind with his True Self Avatar and entered slumber to focus on the trials.
• Grand Pure Laozi’s pill-refining failed, and he reflected on Source Star’s time difference, hidden fortune, and coming grand event.
• Grand Pure Laozi decided to use Yu Ding Zhenren to teach Western Buddhism a lesson for spreading its teachings into the eastern lands.
• Grand Pure Laozi separated a figure identical to himself, preparing to probe Source Star’s secrets and claim its returning fortune.

Laozi entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation as Houtu allowed him to pursue the opportunity on Source Star, and Cangjie arrived to reincarnate there on Hongxuan’s orders. Houtu gave Cangjie the Tome of Righteousness before he departed, as the chapter described Source Star’s unusual laws and the dangers that awaited outsiders.

• Laozi entered the Six Paths of Reincarnation after Houtu decided not to stop him from seeking Source Star’s opportunity.
• Cangjie visited the Three Xiao Sisters and then paid respects to Houtu, telling her Hongxuan had sent him to reincarnate into the Mortal Realm.
• Houtu recognized Cangjie’s aim to seize Source Star’s opportunity and gave him the peak Innate Spiritual Treasure, the Tome of Righteousness.
• Cangjie accepted the treasure, took his leave, and announced that it was time for him to reincarnate.
• The chapter explained that Source Star’s unusual laws made cultivation difficult, while its inhabitants had extraordinary talent, and that powerful outsiders had died trying to enter it.