Chapter Summaries

Xu Qi'an absorbed the Gu God's powers throughout the Extreme Abyss, strengthening the Seven Absolutes Gu and preparing for its transformation, while the Strength Gu elders connected his actions to the weakened power and dead gorilla. Long Tu then told the elders that Yunzhou wanted the Gu tribes to attack Great Feng, and leaders from the other tribes arrived asking where Xu Qi'an was.

• Xu Qi'an absorbed the Gu God's power of blood and vitality, unlocked the Strength Gu ability Berserk, and killed a black-backed gorilla with one punch.
• Xu Qi'an visited the other five Gu regions, absorbed their powers until the Seven Absolutes Gu reached equilibrium, and sensed that it was about to transform.
• The First, Third, and Fourth Elders found the dead gorilla and thin Gu God's power, then suspected Xu Qi'an was responsible and questioned Lina about whether she had taught him the Strength Gu arts.
• Long Tu told the Strength Gu elders that a Yunzhou arcanist had asked them to send troops against Great Feng, and said he could not stay uninvolved once Yunzhou began hunting Xu Qi'an.
• Five leaders from the other Gu tribes arrived at the Strength Gu Tribe, and the cloaked Walking Corpse asked where Xu Qi'an was.

Xu Qi'an learned how the Seven Absolutes Gu had matured and met Heaven Gu Granny, who warned him that Xu Pingfeng was recruiting the Gu Race to join the Yunzhou rebellion. She explained the Gu Race’s grievances and revealed a possible compromise, while the tribe leaders prepared to confront Xu Qi'an.

• Xu Qi'an endured the Seven Absolutes Gu’s maturation and discovered new abilities in Love Gu, Corpse Gu, Shadow Gu, and Heart Gu.
• Heaven Gu Granny visited Xu Qi'an and warned him that Xu Pingfeng’s disciple was seeking the Gu Race’s support for an attack on Great Feng.
• Xu Qi'an showed Heaven Gu Granny a bracelet taken from Xu Pingfeng, prompting her to reconsider and explain the Gu Race’s history of hostility toward Great Feng.
• Heaven Gu Granny described the tribes’ grievances from the Battle of Shanhai Pass and said the Gu Race might support whoever could seal the Gu God.
• The Strength Gu elders vowed to protect Xu Qi'an from You Shi and the other leaders, but Chun Yan sensed that Xu Qi'an had left the tribe and then returned.
• The Shadow Gu leader concealed the other leaders as Xu Qi'an appeared at the far end of the plain, leaving the grand elder alarmed.

Xu Qi'an faced five Gu Race chiefs who intended to kill him, while Long Tu promised not to interfere and Heaven Gu Granny concealed the attackers. As the fight began, Xu Lingyin arrived with a stick, determined to protect her brother.

• Long Tu and the Gu Race elders moved to stop the chiefs from attacking Xu Qi'an, and Long Tu promised to let the fight proceed without interference.
• Xu Qi'an rejected escape, activated his Vajra Divine Body, and challenged the chiefs while Ge Wenxuan watched from afar.
• You Shi assigned the chiefs their roles, and Heaven Gu Granny concealed their presence before You Shi struck Xu Qi'an and sent him flying.
• Xu Lingyin arrived carrying a wooden stick and threatened to hit anyone who hurt her big brother.

Xu Qi'an fought You Shi and the Gu Race leaders, enduring poison and attacks from the Seven Corpse Formation before revealing a strength technique that overwhelmed their Walking Corpses. The battle left the leaders accusing Long Tu's Strength Gu Tribe of teaching its secret art to an outsider, while Lina denied helping him.

• Long Tu took Xu Lingyin to watch the battle and warned her to remember her enemies if Xu Qi'an died.
• Xu Qi'an battled You Shi and Ba Ji, dodging venom while You Shi's bone sabers and Walking Corpses joined the fight.
• Luan Yu and Ba Ji filled the hollow with aphrodisiac gas and deadly poison, while Lina asked the Heaven and Earth Society for help.
• Xu Qi'an revealed that the Gu leaders' methods could not overcome his Seven Absolutes Gu and began destroying the Walking Corpses with his strength.
• Xu Qi'an battered You Shi's Third Rank Walking Corpse, prompting Luan Yu to accuse Long Tu of teaching the Strength Gu secret art to an outsider.

Xu Qi'an fought five Gu chiefs and revealed that he had mastered Strength Gu, Shadow Gu, Poison Gu, and Love Gu, turning their coordinated attacks against them. He defeated You Shi and drove Shadow away with the injured chiefs, while the wider confrontation remained unresolved.

• Long Tu and the elders realized Xu Qi'an had cultivated Strength Gu to near transcendence, while Ge Wenxuan worried that his rapid progress made intelligence unreliable.
• The chiefs used Shadow Gu, Heart Gu, Love Gu, and Poison Gu techniques to ambush Xu Qi'an, but he survived and revealed his mastery of Shadow Gu by escaping their attacks.
• Xu Qi'an poisoned and broke Luan Yu, then used Love Gu and aphrodisiac gas to disable Chun Yan before turning on the remaining chiefs.
• Xu Qi'an endured Ba Ji's powerful poison and tore off his limbs, then fought You Shi's Walking Corpse while Shadow rescued the injured chiefs and fled.
• Xu Qi'an used Berserk and the Peace Saber to locate and batter the Walking Corpse until You Shi's head exploded.

After defeating the Gu Race chiefs, Xu Qi'an revealed that his many Gu Arts came from the Seven Absolutes Gu and negotiated an alliance between Great Feng and the tribes. The chiefs considered his offers, and the arrival of You Shi left the alliance negotiations poised for a new challenge.

• Shadow returned with the defeated chiefs, while Heaven Gu Granny restored Ba Ji and had Luan Yu remove Chun Yan's Love Gu.
• Xu Qi'an repaired the walking corpse with the Pharmacist Dharma Idol, then confronted the chiefs and revealed that the Seven Absolutes Gu had granted him the Gu Arts.
• Heaven Gu Granny explained that the Seven Absolutes Gu was created to help seal the Gu God, and Lina admitted she had brought it to the capital for Xu Qi'an.
• Xu Qi'an offered the Strength Gu Tribe grain, the Poison Gu Tribe poisonous herbs, and Luan Yu three months of his company in exchange for cooperation with Great Feng.
• Xu Qi'an proposed that Great Feng send envoys to negotiate an alliance and said he could make the Corpse Gu Tribe remain neutral; then You Shi arrived on a bird-corpse puppet.

Xu Qi'an negotiated with the Gu Race chiefs to keep them from joining Yunzhou, using Great Feng’s prospects and promised supplies to win Luan Yu and Ba Ji’s agreement to neutrality. You Shi refused to abandon the Corpse Gu Tribe’s alliance, so Xu Qi'an revealed an ancient corpse as a new bargaining chip.

• You Shi arrived in a bird corpse and rejected the other chiefs’ settlement, insisting that the Corpse Gu Tribe would remain allied with Yunzhou.
• You Shi reminded the chiefs of Great Feng’s past crimes against their tribes, stirring their doubts about backing Great Feng.
• Xu Qi'an argued that the war’s outcome was uncertain and promised supplies, then asked the chiefs only to remain neutral rather than send troops.
• Luan Yu and Ba Ji agreed to neutrality, but You Shi declared that the Corpse Gu Tribe would still ally with Yunzhou and challenged Xu Qi'an to kill him.
• Xu Qi'an brought out a badly damaged ancient corpse, and You Shi became unable to look away from it.

Xu Qi'an secured the Gu Race chiefs’ agreement not to ally with Yunzhou by promising You Shi an ancient corpse, then searched unsuccessfully for Ge Wenxuan. Lina told the Heaven and Earth Society that Xu Qi'an had won, but as he approached Mu Nanzhi, he suddenly declared that something was wrong.

• Xu Qi'an revealed that the ancient corpse was the remains of a powerful Daoist who had developed intelligence, convincing You Shi to agree not to ally with Yunzhou in exchange for a future promise of the corpse.
• Xu Qi'an wrote the agreement with witnesses, returned You Shi’s Third-Rank walking corpse, and healed Luan Yu and Chun Yan with the Pagoda Treasure Tower.
• Xu Qi'an used the Heaven-Encompassing Divine Mirror and Chun Yan’s birds to search for Ge Wenxuan, but learned only that he had fled southwest and could not be found.
• Lina told the Heaven and Earth Society that Xu Qi'an had won and that the Gu Race would stay out of the war; the members reacted with shock and relief.
• Long Tu interrupted Lina as she messaged the group, and Xu Qi'an abruptly turned back to the Gu Race chiefs and said something was wrong.

Xu Qi'an realized Xu Pingfeng might target the Extreme Abyss and urged the Gu Race leaders to investigate, while Ge Wenxuan entered the abyss on his teacher's orders. Ge Wenxuan reached the Confucian Sage's statue and prepared to use two objects as a yellow-furred monkey watched him.

• Xu Qi'an warned Heaven Gu Granny and the Gu Race leaders that Xu Pingfeng might have a plan involving the Extreme Abyss and the seal on the Gu God.
• The Gu Race leaders flew toward the Extreme Abyss after Xu Qi'an explained the connection between the seal, Fate, and Warlocks.
• Ge Wenxuan recalled Xu Pingfeng's instructions and traveled through the primeval forest toward the Extreme Abyss with protective artifacts and preparations.
• Ge Wenxuan descended the abyss, survived attacks from Gu creatures, and resisted Love Gu poison with needles that had temporarily disabled his sexual function.
• Ge Wenxuan reached the Confucian Sage's statue, bowed to it, and retrieved a bronze disc and a glowing scale as a yellow-furred monkey watched from hiding.

Ge Wenxuan awakened the overseas spirit beast White Emperor at the Extreme Abyss, where it briefly spoke with the Gu God before Ge Wenxuan fled from Xu Qi'an. The Gu God's power erupted, and Heaven Gu Granny explained that Xu Pingfeng had awakened the Gu God to keep Gu Race experts occupied; Xu Qi'an agreed to help investigate the abyss.

• Ge Wenxuan used a formation, his blood, a bronze disk, and a white scale to summon the White Emperor above the Extreme Abyss.
• The White Emperor spoke with black smoke rising from the abyss, but the bronze disk shattered and the smoke vanished before it could finish questioning it.
• Xu Qi'an and the Gu Race leaders reached the Confucian Sage's statue, confirmed that the seal remained intact, and watched Ge Wenxuan escape by teleportation.
• The Gu God's power surged from the abyss, affecting Xu Qi'an and Chun Yan and driving nearby Gu beasts and insects into terrifying mutations.
• Heaven Gu Granny said Xu Pingfeng had provoked the Gu God's awakening to force the Gu Race to keep its Transcendent experts in the Southern Frontier, and asked Xu Qi'an to help explore the abyss in three days.
• Xu Qi'an agreed to help and asked whether the Gu God's power eruption benefited the Gu Race.

Xu Qi'an learned more about Original Life Gu and the Seven Absolutes Gu while staying with the Strength Gu Tribe and discovered that Heaven Gu Granny’s avatar had witnessed something in the Extreme Abyss. The chapter ended with him confronting Granny and asking what her avatar had seen and heard.

• Long Tu and Ba Ji explained that Original Life Gu filtered the Gu God's power and grew in stages to avoid contamination and mutation.
• Xu Qi'an returned to the Strength Gu Tribe, met Mosang, and watched Lina entertain the tribe with an embellished account of her Central Plains adventures.
• Xu Qi'an told Mu Nanzhi about the danger in the Extreme Abyss and asked her to grow poisonous herbs and fruits for the Poison Gu Tribe.
• Xu Qi'an put Xu Lingyin to bed after she said she missed their parents only when she was not eating.
• Heaven Gu Granny told Xu Qi'an that her old man had found the Seven Absolutes Gu during an eruption that also cracked the Confucian Sage's statue, prompting him to plan repairs using Great Feng's national fortune.
• Xu Qi'an told Heaven Gu Granny he had noticed her monkey avatar at the Extreme Abyss and asked what it had witnessed.

Xu Qi'an questioned Heaven Gu Granny about her alliance, Ge Wenxuan, and the White Emperor’s conversation with the Gu God, then returned to the Strength Gu Tribe and dreamed of the Gods and Devils’ fall. The dream left him witnessing a wounded firebird plunging toward a battlefield strewn with dead Gods and Devils.

• Xu Qi'an reasoned that Heaven Gu Granny had chosen to ally with him and asked why she had allowed Ge Wenxuan to reach the Extreme Abyss.
• Heaven Gu Granny revealed that the White Emperor had asked the Gu God when He would break free, where the Dao Venerable was, and who the Gatekeeper was; the Gu God’s final answer was cut off when the Confucian Sage’s statue sealed Him again.
• Xu Qi'an deduced that Heaven Gu Granny had let Ge Wenxuan proceed so she could learn the Gatekeeper’s secret, and she confirmed his guess before ending their conversation.
• Xu Qi'an overheard Lina and Mosang arguing about whether Central Plains women or Southern Frontier women were more beautiful, then went to bed beside his sleeping sister, Little Bean.
• Xu Qi'an woke within a dream to see a firebird falling toward a ruined battlefield covered with the bodies of ancient Gods and Devils.

Xu Qi'an reflected on the fall of the Gods and Devils, then reunited with Luo Yuheng in the Southern Frontier and learned her karmic fire had weakened. The story then shifted to Xu Erlang inspecting Songshan County’s defenses as the rebel army threatened the city.

• Xu Qi'an dreamed of the wounded Gu God entering the Extreme Abyss, then woke to find Xu Lingyin chewing on his arm and prepared a meal for her.
• Xu Qi'an considered what had destroyed the Gods and Devils and wondered whether the Dao Venerable had been the Gatekeeper.
• At a pool, Xu Qi'an stopped Luo Yuheng from attacking Luan Yu and introduced Luo Yuheng as Great Feng’s State Preceptor and his Dao companion.
• Luo Yuheng told Xu Qi'an that her karmic fire had weakened, and he drew her into the pool despite her insistence that they return to the Central Plains.
• At Songshan County, Xu Erlang checked the defenses and told Brother Miao not to worry about a rebel night attack.

Xu Erlang and Miao Youfang defended Songshan County from a nighttime rebel siege, while Xu Qi'an learned from Luo Yuheng that his cousin was stationed at a crucial Qingzhou stronghold. Xu Qi'an decided to send Gu Race reinforcements to Qingzhou as the southern demons prepared to challenge the Buddhist Order.

• Xu Erlang explained the garrison's defenses to Miao Youfang, who said he wanted to help hold the rebels in Qingzhou to protect the common people and honor Xu Qi'an.
• Miao Youfang spotted enemy cannons advancing at night, and Xu Erlang ordered the defenders to sound the alarm and fire their cannons and ballistae.
• Xu Erlang directed the defense as rebel infantry charged the walls, and the enemy withdrew after a night of heavy fighting.
• Xu Qi'an told Luo Yuheng about the Gu God's exchange with the White Emperor, and she identified three mysteries tied to the ancient Gods and Devils, the Daoist cultivation methods, and the Confucian Sage's role as gatekeeper.
• Luo Yuheng revealed that Xu Erlang had been assigned to defend Songshan County, and Xu Qi'an decided to ask the Gu Race to send reinforcements to Qingzhou.

Xu Qi'an joined the Gu Race in clearing the dangerous beasts around the Extreme Abyss, then sought Heaven Gu Granny’s advice on winning tribes over to support Great Feng. He traveled to the Shadow Tribe to seek its help and found its people hidden throughout the eerily quiet town.

• Xu Xinnian received Zhuo Haoran’s threat to take Songshan County within three days and send his head to Xu Qi'an.
• Xu Qi'an brought Luo Yuheng to help the Gu Race eliminate beasts near the Extreme Abyss, and the elders learned that she was his Dao companion.
• Heaven Gu Granny advised Xu Qi'an to approach the Shadow, Heart, Corpse, and Strength Gu Tribes for support, while cautioning that the Poison and Love Gu Tribes were unlikely to cooperate.
• After spending the night with Luo Yuheng, Xu Qi'an set out for the Shadow Tribe the next morning.
• Xu Qi'an found the Shadow Tribe town eerily silent, and a patrolman explained that the residents had hidden themselves and led him to the chief.

Xu Qi'an negotiated military aid from the Shadow Gu, Heart Gu, and Corpse Gu Tribes for Great Feng's war against the Yunzhou rebels. He secured an alliance with each tribe and obtained the Corpse Gu Tribe's half of a mysterious map, agreeing to reveal its secret if he uncovered it.

• Xu Qi'an agreed to provide the Shadow Gu Tribe with annual supplies in exchange for eight hundred elite warriors to fight for Great Feng.
• Xu Qi'an and Chun Yan agreed that the Heart Gu Tribe would provide five hundred flying beasts in exchange for cloth, tea, porcelain, salt, and iron.
• Xu Qi'an visited You Shi and agreed to leave the ancient corpse with the Corpse Gu Tribe while he remained in the Southern Frontier.
• Xu Qi'an asked You Shi for the half-map once traded by the Chai Clan's ancestor, and You Shi agreed in exchange for learning its secret if Xu Qi'an uncovered it.
• A Walking Corpse brought a black wooden box into the reception hall.

Xu Qi'an traded for an ancient half-map and joined a Gu Race expedition heading to Qingzhou, while Xu Xinnian's defenders continued to hold Songshan County against Zhuo Haoran's costly assaults. The chapter left Xu Xinnian expecting Yunzhou reinforcements to arrive soon, despite the enemy's apparent need to withdraw.

• Xu Qi'an received an undeciphered half-map from You Shi and warned him against meddling with the ancient corpse.
• Xu Qi'an visited Luo Yuheng and found her in a joyful personality; she explained that Xu Lingyin had returned to sleep there after fearing Lina would eat her.
• The Heart Gu, Corpse Gu, Strength Gu, and Shadow Gu Tribes assembled a force of over three thousand, including a thousand Walking Corpse puppets, and marched toward Qingzhou.
• Zhuo Haoran's Yunzhou army suffered heavy losses after Xu Xinnian's defenders used hidden weapons, nighttime feints, and a cavalry raid to repel their attacks on Songshan County.
• Miao Youfang returned from a raid and invited Zhu Jun to eat; Zhu Jun declined and asked Xu Xinnian to send food to the north gate.
• Xu Xinnian told Miao Youfang that the Yunzhou army would likely withdraw without reinforcements, but predicted that its reinforcements would arrive soon.

Xu Erlang and Miao Youfang defended Songshan County against Zhuo Haoran’s assault until the Vermilion Bird Army arrived, threatening to overwhelm the city. The chapter then shifted to the Southern Frontier, where Xu Qi'an met Mu Nanzhi and Baiji.

• Xu Erlang explained Songshan County’s strategic importance and ordered scouts to damage the enemy’s supply road and delay reinforcements.
• Zhuo Haoran launched a fierce dawn attack, and Xu Erlang directed Songshan County’s defenders as they repelled the assault.
• Xu Erlang used Literary Courage to weaken Zhuo Haoran, while Miao Youfang fought him until Zhu Jun arrived to help.
• Zhuo Haoran revealed that the State Preceptor’s elite troops had arrived, and the Vermilion Bird Army swept toward Songshan County as he threatened to slaughter the city’s people.
• Xu Qi'an summoned the Pagoda Treasure Tower in the Southern Frontier, where Mu Nanzhi appeared with Baiji and looked toward Luo Yuheng.

Xu Qi'an learned from the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox that the Dao Venerable had driven the Gods and Devils’ descendants from the Nine Provinces, while preparing to help the Southern Demons reclaim the Hundred Thousand Mountains. In Qingzhou, Yang Gong and his advisers faced worsening battlefield losses and the Yunzhou rebels’ decisive advantage in the air.

• Luo Yuheng threatened to sell Mu Nanzhi to a brothel, but Xu Qi'an stopped her and summoned the Nine-Tailed Fox through Baiji.
• The Nine-Tailed Fox told Xu Qi'an she would return to the Nine Provinces mainland soon and said Du'e would likely defend the Hundred Thousand Mountains while Guangxian might send an avatar.
• Xu Qi'an traded the White Emperor’s questions to the Gu God for the Nine-Tailed Fox’s account of why the Gods and Devils’ descendants left the mainland.
• The Nine-Tailed Fox revealed that the Dao Venerable had driven the Gods and Devils’ descendants out of the Nine Provinces, leaving Xu Qi'an to wonder about the Dao Venerable and the Gatekeeper.
• Yang Gong’s advisers reported that Wan County was surrounded and Dongling’s defenses had collapsed after heavy fighting.
• Yang Gong said he had requested Leizhou’s Red-Tailed Fiery Eagles, but his advisers doubted they could counter the Yunzhou rebels’ Flying Beast Army.

With Songshan County close to falling after three days of attacks by the Yunzhou rebels’ Flying Beast Army, Xu Erlang and the defenders faced a new wave of flying troops. The newcomers rode strange black, scaled creatures and appeared to be strangers rather than Yunzhou soldiers.

• Li Mubai and the advisers discussed how to counter the Flying Beast Army, then learned from Yang Gong that Songshan County had requested reinforcements three days earlier.
• Xu Erlang’s defenders used bronze mirrors and modified bed crossbows to repel an attack, but suffered heavy losses in the siege and a night raid.
• Xu Erlang and Miao Youfang feared they could not hold Songshan County against another attack, while Xu Erlang said the flying troops had to be eliminated to defend Qingzhou.
• A large flock of flying beasts approached Songshan County, and the defenders panicked at the sight of what appeared to be another Flying Beast Army.
• Miao Youfang noticed the riders were strangers on black, lizardlike flying creatures, and the smiling man leading them waved to the defenders.