Chapter Summaries

The eldest princess and the King of Qin discussed the Buddhas waiting in the black fog and doubted that Chen Qing had run out of plans. In the imperial palace, Chen Qing and Ziyue struggled to recover as the Victorious Fighting Buddha arrived, leaving Chen Qing gravely worried about the emperor’s chances.

• The King of Qin told the eldest princess that awakened Buddhas were hiding in the fog and explained how they fed on outstanding beings across the races.
• The eldest princess worried that Chen Qing had no way back, while the King of Qin guessed he would seek help from her younger brother.
• Chen Qing told the emperor that forbidden techniques had damaged his and Ziyue’s origins, and that they needed the superpower’s activation to recover.
• A powerful aura appeared above the imperial city, alarming Chen Qing and the emperor as the black fog closed around the capital.
• Chen Qing warned the emperor that the newcomer was the Victorious Fighting Buddha, whose power rivaled the Future Buddha’s.

The newly awakened emperor of the human race accepted Sun Xing, the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s, challenge despite his weakened state. Their clash left the emperor seemingly at his limit, but he suddenly unleashed a surge of power that shattered Sun Xing’s arm.

• Sun Xing appeared above the capital and challenged the emperor, prompting Chen Qing to worry about the emperor’s incomplete recovery.
• The emperor answered Sun Xing’s challenge and launched himself into the sky, where the two fighters collided.
• Sun Xing praised the emperor’s command of the Golden Crow Flame but taunted him over his innate deficiency.
• The emperor told Sun Xing to shut up and released a startling burst of power, causing Sun Xing’s arm to crack and then explode.

The Xiao Household's emperor faced Victorious Fighting Buddha again after taking his arm, but the Buddha used his greater battle experience to turn the next exchange against him. The emperor’s body cracked under the returning energy, and Chen Qing feared he was about to lose.

• Elder Liu reconsidered the emperor’s strength after Victorious Fighting Buddha lost an arm to him.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha welcomed a second round and promised the Buddhas would not challenge the emperor if he won.
• The emperor unleashed another powerful punch, but Victorious Fighting Buddha received it without injury and made the emperor’s fist crack.
• Chen Qing realized Victorious Fighting Buddha had used overlapping-wave force to disrupt the emperor’s energy and damage his body.
• The emperor’s skin and meridians began to fail, leading Chen Qing to conclude that he would probably lose.

The emperor fought Victorious Fighting Buddha, who used wave-like force to disrupt the emperor’s Golden Crow power and nearly destroy his meridians. The emperor recovered and resisted, then declared that he and the human race would refuse to accept their fate as the capital began to resonate with him.

• Victorious Fighting Buddha countered the emperor’s second punch with layered, wave-like power that disrupted his Golden Crow energy and damaged his meridians.
• Chen Qing stopped Ao Zhen from intervening and warned her that acting could damage her Dao heart; he realized Victorious Fighting Buddha was trying to obtain her Dao Fruit of the Sword.
• The emperor recovered, unleashed his power again, and forced Victorious Fighting Buddha to retreat with a force-dissipating technique, dislocating his arm.
• The emperor told Victorious Fighting Buddha he had adapted to the waves of force and used them to calm his meridians.
• The emperor rejected Victorious Fighting Buddha’s claim that the strong could exploit the weak and declared that he and the human race would not accept their fate.
• The capital trembled as heaven and earth resonated with the emperor, while Victorious Fighting Buddha saw something bulging beneath the ground and heard dragons roaring.

The Xiao Household's emperor drew on the Dragon Vein's fortune to overpower Victorious Fighting Buddha, but both sides believed the Buddha could still win by exploiting the emperor's inexperience. As the battle threatened to reshape the balance of power, a familiar voice called for it to stop, and Chen Qing concluded that the Buddha Lord still did not dare gamble.

• Victorious Fighting Buddha recognized that the emperor had merged with the continent's Dragon Vein and gained its fortune.
• The emperor's power overwhelmed Victorious Fighting Buddha, but the Buddha remained confident he could exploit the emperor's poor control of it.
• Chen Qing restrained Ao Zhen and agreed she should attack if the emperor fell, while the watching Buddhas feared Victorious Fighting Buddha would lose.
• A familiar voice called for the battle to stop, and Chen Qing smiled, believing the Buddha Lord still did not dare gamble.

Chen Qing and the emperor survived Elder Liu’s refusal to risk Victorious Fighting Buddha, but Elder Liu warned that the emperor could not keep guarding the royal city forever. Seeing that their plan had worked despite Data City’s surveillance, Chen Qing concluded that someone was secretly directing events and was still alive.

• Chen Qing explained that Elder Liu would not risk losing Victorious Fighting Buddha, and Elder Liu refused to let him fight the emperor.
• Victorious Fighting Buddha withdrew, and Elder Liu warned Chen Qing that the emperor’s strength would eventually run out.
• Chen Qing admitted he had a plan that might fail under normal circumstances, then revealed that hidden superphone access had been activated without Elder Liu noticing.
• Chen Qing concluded that a living person was controlling the World Will’s actions.

Wang Ye told Tian Heng that Wei Gongcheng had tried to mislead the Grand Princess and King of Qin, but his fate was uncertain, and hinted that his experiment might reveal a major enemy in the coming ancient era. Meanwhile, the Grand Princess and King of Qin argued over whether to remain at the pass until the Daoist School contacted them, before an unexpectedly powerful woman appeared and startled them both.

• Wang Ye told Tian Heng that Wei Gongcheng had appeared to mislead the Grand Princess and King of Qin, but something may have gone wrong.
• Wang Ye said his conjecture and experiment concerned a top-tier power that could become their most pressing enemy in the coming ancient era.
• The Grand Princess complained that the Daoist School had not contacted them after three days, while the King of Qin urged her not to risk taking her troops beyond the pass.
• The King of Qin argued that he and Chen Qing opposed one another over ideals but would not destroy each other, unlike the ancient beings outside.
• A woman approached the Grand Princess and King of Qin without being detected, and the King of Qin recognized something about her face.

Yunyue explained that Ziyue had used the Daoist technique Severing the Three Corpses, which split her into a Good Corpse, an Evil Corpse, and a true self who reincarnated. She warned that Hongyue, the Evil Corpse, had gone to find Ziyue, and another Yunyue appeared before Chen Qing and the emperor in the capital.

• Yunyue introduced herself to the Eldest Princess and King of Qin, and King of Qin identified her as part of the Severing the Three Corpses technique.
• Yunyue explained that the technique created Good and Evil Corpses while the true self reincarnated, and that the three could eventually become experts of equal strength.
• The Eldest Princess asked Yunyue to teach the technique, but Yunyue said Great Jin could not risk either the princess or the emperor reincarnating.
• Yunyue revealed that the Evil Corpse, Hongyue, had gone to find Ziyue and might upset the balance by devouring her.
• After Chen Qing and the emperor returned to the imperial palace, they met a woman who introduced herself as Yunyue.

After learning how factions on the Yin-Yang Road managed reincarnation, Chen Qing reconsidered Elder Liu’s account and concluded that the events surrounding Ziyue had not all been part of one precise plan. He identified the captain of the guard as a likely Daoist School operative and challenged Yunyue about her identity and the school’s leader.

• Chen Qing learned that the Ghost Kings and Ghost Venerables controlled competing routes to Samsara, making safe reincarnation risky and difficult to conceal.
• Chen Qing suspected that Elder Liu had initially reincarnated copied designers to disrupt the deadlock, then exploited the results to target the master of the Demon Domain.
• Chen Qing inferred that Ziyue’s role may have been prepared in advance and that the captain of the guard had helped create and raise her future Symbiosis partner.
• Chen Qing asked Yunyue whether the captain of the guard had served the Daoist School, and Yunyue praised his deduction.
• Yunyue claimed that the evil corpse was out of control and that she needed to reunite with Ziyue, but Ziyue stepped behind the emperor as Chen Qing questioned Yunyue about the Daoist School’s leader and whether she was truly the good corpse.

Yunyue revealed the Daoist School’s support for the emperor and demonstrated her authority over the Dragon Vein, while Ziyue remained unsure whether she was truly her good corpse. Chen Qing suspected Pu Yunchuan controlled the Daoist School, as Elder Liu prepared to act and the chapter ended with Chen Qing warning Ziyue not to trust Yunyue.

• Ziyue questioned whether she was the reincarnation of Heavenly Venerable Ziwei, and Yunyue said the Daoist School had sent her into Samsara at great cost but did not know what happened to her there.
• Yunyue revealed a mark that resonated with the Dragon Vein and explained that the Daoist School could control certain innate Dao Fruits; she declared the school an ally of the world and the emperor.
• The emperor accepted Yunyue as an envoy after she caused spiritual energy to flood the capital, and Ziyue became less guarded toward her.
• The Victorious Fighting Buddha told Elder Liu that the Daoist School had withdrawn from the previous era’s struggle, and Elder Liu ordered the Future Buddha awakened so he could confirm his suspicions.
• Chen Qing told Ziyue that Pu Yunchuan was likely behind the Daoist School, then warned her that Yunyue could not be trusted.

Chen Qing realized Pu Yunchuan might still be alive and worried about Ziyue’s forgotten ties to the Daoist School. At the imperial study, Yunyue offered Great Jin three powerful military tools, each with a cost that made Chen Qing suspect the Daoist School aimed to hollow out the empire.

• Chen Qing concluded that Pu Yunchuan had likely survived by leaving a contingency in the game, while privately questioning who had established it and what Ziyue might remember.
• Yunyue told the emperor that the Daoist School could provide pills that quickly empowered soldiers but shortened their lives and left them nearly infertile.
• Yunyue offered mechanical puppets that could greatly boost a Transcendent soldier’s combat power, though using them consumed the controller’s essence blood.
• Yunyue proposed talismans that let ordinary soldiers cast powerful spells, but their use consumed the soldiers’ spirit bodies.
• Chen Qing suspected the Daoist School’s offers were designed to undermine Great Jin’s foundations.

Yunyue offered the emperor the Daoist School’s power-boosting items, explaining that their use cost potential, vital blood, or spirit bodies and could become addictive. The emperor considered signing the agreement, but its restrictions on cooperating with Heavenly Apex factions left both him and Chen Qing uneasy.

• Yunyue explained that the Daoist School benefited from the costs and addictive side effects of its items, while the emperor judged them useful for strengthening his forces.
• Chen Qing warned the emperor that repeated use made the items harder to control, but agreed they could help against the Buddha Kingdom and Heavenly Court.
• Yunyue presented an agreement tied to the earth’s dragon veins, requiring the emperor not to attack the Daoist School and not to cooperate with any Heavenly Apex faction.
• Yunyue defined a Heavenly Apex faction as one with at least two Innate Dao Fruits, more than ten Venerables, and control over part of the rules of heaven and earth.
• The emperor and Chen Qing considered how the restriction might affect their alliance if Chen Qing became powerful enough, and both suspected the agreement would lead to trouble.

Yunyue negotiated with the King of Qin and the Eldest Princess, warning them that the Buddhist School could awaken an army of people through their past lives and urging them to act quickly. She offered Daoist School support in exchange for cooperation, and the chapter ended with her presenting a contract that would let them receive it immediately.

• Yunyue explained that the Buddhist School could gradually awaken people in Samsara and build an army, so its temples had to be destroyed before it grew stronger.
• Yunyue described how the Daoist School, Heavenly Court, and Demon Domain each resisted the Buddhist School through different methods.
• The Eldest Princess accused the Daoist School of exploiting mortal potential, while Yunyue argued that the approaching heavenly tribulation and Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demons made cooperation urgent.
• The King of Qin condemned powerful groups for preserving their rule at the expense of the future, and Yunyue acknowledged his understanding of her civilization.
• The Eldest Princess asked when the Daoist School could provide its promised aid, and Yunyue presented a contract offering it immediately if they signed.

The emperor weighed the Daoist School’s offer against Chen Qing’s uncertain plan as Buddhist temples lured people away from Great Jin’s capital. He left the choice unresolved, asking Chen Qing whether he should trust him.

• Yunyue urged the emperor and Ziyue to accept talismans that could help them counter the Evil Corpse, but Ziyue said she needed more time to decide.
• After Yunyue left, the emperor asked Chen Qing whether the Daoist School’s offer was reliable, while reports showed that many noble families in the capital had been bewitched.
• Chen Qing explained that his plan could unlock the emperor’s potential but would not strengthen his forces, and that the emperor might have to hold the capital alone until Chen Qing returned.
• The emperor asked Chen Qing which path he wanted him to take, and Chen Qing admitted he hoped the emperor would trust him but could not guarantee he would return in time.
• The emperor asked Chen Qing whether he should trust him.

Chen Qing urged the emperor and Ziyue to reject the Daoist School’s offer because he suspected something had changed in its founder, Pu Yunchuan. The emperor and Ziyue chose to trust Chen Qing, who told Ziyue he feared the Daoist School concealed a threat that could lead to their worst possible situation.

• Chen Qing told the emperor he would not let him down, making clear that he opposed an alliance with the Daoist School because he suspected Pu Yunchuan had changed.
• Ziyue said she trusted Chen Qing, and the emperor agreed to trust him and wait up to three days for an answer.
• The emperor worried that the Daoist School might approach his imperial elder sister, while Chen Qing asked what he thought of the King of Qin; the emperor said the King of Qin would never join the ancients.
• Yunyue urged Ziyue to merge with her, but Ziyue chose to wait and Yunyue agreed to support her decision.
• Ziyue asked Chen Qing what might be wrong with the Daoist School, and he privately shared a suspicion that could bring about their worst situation.

Wang Ye and Wei Gongzhan feared the Grand Princess would accept the Daoist School’s offer, and their fears were confirmed when she signed its talisman contract. She ordered Tian Heng to help root out the Buddhist temples, leaving him facing the Grand Princess’s ultimatum.

• Wang Ye warned Wei Gongzhan that the Daoist School might use its agreement with the Grand Princess to take control of her army.
• Wei Gongzhan admitted his cousin might have died at the Grand Princess’s hands but insisted she still needed information to protect the people and imperial troops.
• Wang Ye and Wei Gongzhan saw azure light rise above the pass and concluded that the Grand Princess had accepted the Daoist School’s offer.
• The Grand Princess signed the Daoist School’s talisman contract and ordered her subordinates to summon Tian Heng.
• Yunyue described the East Sea’s people as potential puppet soldiers and medicine slaves, alarming the Grand Princess and the King of Qin.
• The Grand Princess told Tian Heng she planned to attack the Buddhist temples, then offered him two choices after he warned that his depleted army could not safely act.

The Grand Princess forced Tian Heng to choose between using dangerous medicine to fight the Buddhist temples and letting her lead an army into Jiangnan. After consulting Wang Ye, Tian Heng agreed to stall by accepting the mission, while Wang Ye doubted that Chen Qing’s plan could resolve the wider crisis.

• The Grand Princess offered Tian Heng medicine that could exhaust his soldiers’ potential and lifespans, or to lead her own army into Jiangnan to clear the Buddhist temples.
• The Grand Princess accused Tian Heng of possibly colluding with the Buddha Kingdom and gave him one hour to decide.
• Tian Heng returned to Wang Ye, who suspected the Daoist School had supplied the medicine so the Grand Princess could weaken his forces and later seize Jiangnan.
• Wang Ye advised Tian Heng to accept the mission and delay clearing the Buddhist temples once he was protected by Jiangnan’s city defenses.
• Tian Heng worried that the Grand Princess might let the Heavenly Pythons through the pass, and Wang Ye argued she wanted Jiangnan intact but admitted he did not know whether Chen Qing’s plan would solve the crisis.

Tian Heng brought the West Sea Army to Nanming Prefecture after the eldest princess took control of the pass, and he asked Shen Er for help. As Shen Er considered how to respond to the Buddhist temples’ influence, he asked to examine Tian Heng’s pills, leaving Tian Heng wondering whether Shen Er had been tempted by them.

• Shen Er learned that Tian Heng had arrived with the West Sea Army and had the city’s protective formation activated.
• Tian Heng entered Nanming Prefecture alone after his soldiers camped outside and told Shen Er how the eldest princess and the King of Qin had put him in a difficult position.
• Shen Er explained that strange Buddhist light had weakened the Power of Faith in his Underworld and tempted even some Heaven Academy spell formation masters with claims about past lives.
• Tian Heng worried that delay would only wear down his forces, while Shen Er said attacking the monsters hidden in the Buddhist temples would cause heavy losses.
• Shen Er asked Tian Heng to show him the pills, saying their effectiveness might present an opportunity, and Tian Heng wondered whether Shen Er had been tempted.

Shen Er urged Tian Heng to act against the Buddha Kingdom before its influence spread, warning that waiting for Chen Qing could leave Jiangnan exposed. He also pointed out that a costly victory could strengthen the West Sea Army by opening resources and recruits to new followers, leaving Tian Heng to weigh the opportunity against the risk of ruin.

• Tian Heng questioned whether the Buddha Kingdom's influence offered an opportunity, and Shen Er explained the dangers of delay and the Grand Princess's plans for Jiangnan.
• Shen Er warned that clearing the Buddha Kingdom could provoke the northern demons and draw in the Daoist School and the King of Qin.
• Tian Heng considered waiting for Chen Qing to return, but Shen Er argued that they did not know what the Buddha Kingdom might do next or when the Buddha would awaken.
• Shen Er told Tian Heng that the West Sea Army would likely suffer heavy losses and urged him to decide whether the potential gains justified the risk.
• Shen Er explained that casualties could let the Underworld replenish its ghost soldiers and give the West Sea Army room to bring in new followers, while Tian Heng recognized that Shen Er had little to lose either way.

Shen Er persuaded Tian Heng to recruit West Sea Army soldiers as underworld soldiers in exchange for a chance to reshape the army and attack the Buddhist temple. Wang Ye set out to meet the King of Qin, while Tian Heng’s recruitment offer exposed the conflict between family elites and lower-born troops.

• Shen Er offered Tian Heng’s soldiers promotions, double pay, and benefits for their families if they died in battle and served in the Underworld.
• Tian Heng agreed to Shen Er’s proposal and demanded the Shen Family’s full support in wiping out the Buddhist temple.
• Wang Ye told Wei Gongzhan that Tian Heng would likely accept the Shen Family’s plan and that he regarded the major factions as allies against outside horrors.
• Wang Ye and Wei Gongzhan left to meet the King of Qin.
• Tian Heng explained the medicine’s deadly side effects and the Underworld benefits to his soldiers, prompting family direct descendants to fear losing influence as lower-born soldiers considered volunteering.
• Several members of the families challenged Tian Heng’s offer as inappropriate.