Recaps

Dongfang Yinghao overcame his fear and joined Yang Yuanhong as they ventured deeper into the mist, where they discovered a deadly mystery that could devour even powerful Demon Beasts. The chapter ended with Yang Yuanhong and Dongfang Yinghao escaping a slender creature that dragged a pig-tiger Demon Beast into the fog and ate it.

• Dongfang Yinghao agreed to follow Yang Yuanhong after Yang Yuanhong called for him in the mist.
• Yang Yuanhong and Dongfang Yinghao fought their way deeper, defeating Demon Beasts as they encountered fewer but stronger foes.
• Yang Yuanhong battled a pig-tiger Demon Beast at Spiritual Connection Perfection while Dongfang Yinghao used his Wood Kite to scout.
• Dongfang Yinghao learned of a mystery in the mist ahead and urged Yang Yuanhong to spare the Demon Beast and drive it inward.
• The pig-tiger Demon Beast panicked at a mountain plain, and Yang Yuanhong evaded a slender creature that seized and devoured it.

Yang Yuanhong confronted a gigantic tiger demon bound by iron shackles and discovered that it could attack only with its tail. The tiger briefly regained its clarity and revealed that a powerful woman had taken it as the price for pill-refining materials, leaving its fate unresolved.

• Dongfang Yinghao revealed a wooden box that could protect him from a True Person cultivator, and Yang Yuanhong carried it as they approached the source of the tail attacks.
• Yang Yuanhong and Dongfang Yinghao discovered that the mountain before them was a colossal white tiger demon, and Dongfang Yinghao hid inside the wooden box.
• The tiger demon struck Yang Yuanhong, but he used his phantom-body technique to evade its extended tail and seized it in midair.
• Yang Yuanhong saw that enormous shackles restrained the tiger and that the remains of dead cultivators lay above its jaws.
• The tiger's eyes briefly cleared, and it told Yang Yuanhong that a powerful woman had sought its fortune, blood, and bones for pill-refining materials after its clan's ancestor handed it over as payment.

Yang Yuanhong learned from the giant tiger that Lingxiao Dao Academy’s mountain formation had trapped a fog born from two centuries of sacrifice, but he suspected the tiger was lying about the circumstances and its motives. After rejecting the tiger’s plea to help, he demanded that it give him the promised gift immediately.

• Yang Yuanhong questioned the giant tiger, which revealed it was one of the Western Beasts captured by Lingxiao Dao Academy and described its fading remnant thought.
• The giant tiger said a Dao-spirit thing had absorbed the beasts’ fate, blood, and bones, along with the fate of cultivators who died in the mountains, and that the surviving beasts had trapped its fog with the mountain-protecting formation.
• Yang Yuanhong suspected the hunting ground was a blood-sacrifice scheme designed to cultivate spiritual materials and bring Lingxiao Dao Academy fame and profit.
• The giant tiger called Yang Yuanhong a chosen one of the Dao and offered a great gift if he helped resolve the calamity.
• Yang Yuanhong refused the request and noticed a flash of savagery in the giant tiger’s eyes, confirming his suspicions.
• Yang Yuanhong asked the giant tiger to hand over its promised gift so he could refine it and increase his cultivation.

Yang Yuanhong outwitted the giant tiger and stole its Spirit Pill, then fought off its counterattack. Outside the hunting grounds, Ye Chenfeng arrived and erased the tiger’s vengeful soul with a single sword strike.

• The giant tiger lured Yang Yuanhong toward its Heaven and Earth Spirit Pill, then snapped its jaws shut around him.
• Yang Yuanhong survived the bite, blasted his way out of the tiger’s mouth, and took the Spirit Pill.
• The enraged tiger attacked Yang Yuanhong with its head and tail, and he activated the Immortal Venerable Stone Body to continue fighting.
• Outside the hunting grounds, True Intent cultivators struggled to break the formation as they worried about the trapped disciples.
• Ye Chenfeng arrived with the Sun Clan’s white-haired ancestor and was recognized as the Absolute Void Sword Immortal.
• Ye Chenfeng noticed the tiger’s injuries and erased its vengeful soul with a casual swing of his wooden sword.

After Ye Chenfeng destroyed the evil tiger’s resentful soul, the tiger’s skeletal true form tried to seize Yang Yuanhong’s body. Chen Yang trapped its divine sense with his newly developed power and began overpowering it.

• The evil tiger’s body collapsed into bones after its resentful soul was destroyed, and it decided to take Yang Yuanhong’s body instead.
• The evil tiger invaded Yang Yuanhong’s sea of consciousness and began refining his divine consciousness for Body Seizure.
• A mysterious power suddenly trapped the evil tiger and Yang Yuanhong’s sea of consciousness, preventing the tiger from escaping.
• Chen Yang used his experimental fusion of spiritual power and true essence to pull the evil tiger’s divine sense under control.
• The evil tiger begged Chen Yang to release it, but Chen Yang refused to spare it for targeting Yang Yuanhong.

Chen Yang learned from the tiger demon’s memories how the four beasts became man-eaters and how Lingxiao Dao Academy established the Yanlai Hunting Ground to punish them. The chapter revealed that the beasts had secretly drained the spiritual treasure and used its power to prepare for their escape.

• Cang Jue seized the tiger demon’s spirit body and brought it before Chen Yang and the others in the Divine Palace.
• Chen Yang searched the tiger demon’s memories and learned that the four beasts had consumed an ancient dragon’s corpse in the Dragon Transformation Pool, then turned to eating cultivators when its lingering will stalled their cultivation.
• The four beasts created the Four Sages Treasure Land to lure and kill True Intent Realm cultivators, while Ye Chenfeng unknowingly placed his master’s Lingxiao Seal on them and recorded their crimes.
• Lingxiao Dao Academy used the evidence to establish the Yanlai Hunting Ground, imprisoning the beasts’ remnant souls and making them nourish a heavenly spiritual treasure.
• The four beasts secretly siphoned nourishment from the spiritual treasure for a century, then used its power to create mountain-sealing fog and activate a grand formation as they prepared to evade exposure.

Chen Yang and Yang Yuanhong hunted down the remaining Western Beasts to feed the Blood Sun hatchling, then found the heavenly spiritual material as Lingxiao Dao Academy’s formation broke. Yang Yuanhong picked one fruit before a mysterious wooden sword appeared on his arm and warned him not to take another.

• Chen Yang fed the evil tiger’s divine-sense spirit body to the Blood Sun hatchling, which asked for more food.
• Chen Yang sent Yang Yuanhong to find the other Western Beasts, and they killed the azure dragon, fire phoenix, and immortal tortoise and took their inner cores and divine-sense spirit bodies.
• As the great formation began to tremble, Chen Yang and Yang Yuanhong followed the evil tiger’s memories to a copper-trunked, silver-leaved crowwood tree bearing orange-red fruits.
• The great formation shattered, and Yang Yuanhong picked one fruit before a delicate wooden sword appeared on his arm and warned him that one was enough.

Ye Chenfeng arrived at the Wugou tree, ended the calamity, and confronted Yang Yuanhong, who concealed Chen Yang's role while passing himself off as a secluded cultivator. Ye Chenfeng rewarded Yang Yuanhong with two spiritual fruits, one intended for the Dongfang Family youth on his back.

• Ye Chenfeng severed the Fire Vein beneath the Wugou tree and gathered the surrounding fog, then released Yang Yuanhong from the wooden sword's restraint.
• Yang Yuanhong offered Ye Chenfeng the Wugou fruit and claimed he had stumbled into the plain, defeated the evil tiger, and gained the four beasts' treasures.
• Ye Chenfeng examined the aftermath and credited Yang Yuanhong with weakening the Four Sacred Beasts phenomenon, while wondering which reclusive expert had trained him.
• Ye Chenfeng returned the first fruit to the tree, plucked two larger fruits, and awarded them to Yang Yuanhong for his merit.
• Ye Chenfeng told Yang Yuanhong to give one fruit to the Dongfang Family youth as compensation from the Dao Academy.

Ye Chenfeng investigated the dead Western Beasts, mistook Chen Yang for a Demonic Dao culprit, and left after advising Yang Yuanhong. Dongfang Yinghao reunited with his ancestors, who discovered the Wugou red fruit and asked where it came from.

• Yang Yuanhong told Ye Chenfeng that the Western Beasts had died mysteriously after their divine senses were taken, and Ye Chenfeng suspected a Demonic Dao cultivator had attacked them.
• Ye Chenfeng accepted Yang Yuanhong’s account, praised his potential, offered advice, and vanished without realizing Chen Yang was hiding in Yang Yuanhong’s sleeve.
• Dongfang Yinghao emerged from the wooden case, and Yang Yuanhong told him the Wugou red fruit had been bestowed by Ye Chenfeng.
• The Bald Old Ancestor and the Connected Eyebrows Elder arrived, comforted Dongfang Yinghao, and angrily blamed Lingxiao Dao Academy for the danger.
• The two ancestors admired the Wugou red fruit and asked where Dongfang Yinghao had obtained it, and he pointed to Yang Yuanhong, who introduced himself as Yang Hu.

Yang Yuanhong accepted the Dongfang Family’s invitation to visit Ziyun Mountain after saving Dongfang Yinghao, while the Yanlai Hunting Meet’s aftermath left the Sun Clan facing the loss of its hunting ground. Sun Fubo then delivered Yang Yuanhong’s letter to the clan elders, revealing that the Sun Clan had secured sales rights for Dongfang Family puppet products.

• Dongfang Yinghao explained how Yang Hu had saved him, and the Dongfang Family ancestors thanked Yang Yuanhong and invited him to Ziyun Mountain.
• Yang Yuanhong accepted the invitation, and Ye Chenfeng ended the Yanlai Hunting Meet’s turmoil, discovering two infiltrating demonic cultivators among the survivors.
• The Gu Family demanded compensation from the Sun Clan for Gu Yuanfang’s death, while the removal of the Wugou Spirit Tree threatened the clan’s future income.
• Sun Fubo received a letter from Yang Yuanhong and brought it to the Sun Clan’s higher-ups.
• The Sun Clan elders learned from the letter that they had gained sales rights for Dongfang Family puppet products and celebrated the prospect of a new source of income.

Yang Yuanhong trained in Ziyun Mountain’s Hundred Battles Cave Heaven, defeated a sword cultivator incarnation, and reached the Ninth Layer of Essence Condensation. After Dongfang Yinghao brought the updated Heavenly Talent Ranking, Yang Yuanhong saw Su Lingyun’s name and felt killing intent.

• Yang Yuanhong fought a Spiritual Connection Perfection sword cultivator incarnation in the Hundred Battles Cave Heaven and defeated it with his Sea-Flipping Serpent Play.
• Yang Yuanhong concluded that he had gained experience against every kind of Dao art the cave heaven could manifest.
• Dongfang Yinghao arrived with the updated Heavenly Talent Ranking and noticed that Yang Yuanhong had reached the Ninth Layer of Essence Condensation.
• Yang Yuanhong saw that Yang Lingrui and Dongfang Yingcai had risen to the ninth page and that Shen Yue ranked at the top of the eighth page.
• Yang Yuanhong found He Shenglai and Su Lingyun on the ranking, and Su Lingyun’s name stirred killing intent in him.

Yang Yuanhong examined the Heavenly Talent Ranking and found himself ranked tenth on its third page, then learned that entering the Gold Ranking brought substantial rewards to the forces behind its prodigies. Dongfang Yinghao warned him that ranked cultivators might challenge him to test his strength, leaving Yang Yuanhong aware that he would need to defend his placement.

• Dongfang Yinghao told Yang Yuanhong about newly ranked Northwest prodigies He Shenglai and Su Lingyun, then confidently promised he could defeat Su Lingyun.
• Yang Yuanhong found Dongfang Yinghao on the sixth page and encouraged him to grow stronger through further trials.
• Yang Yuanhong discovered that Lingxiao Dao Academy had ranked him tenth on the third page, between Jiang Yinkong and Xuan Youli, and accepted the placement as reasonable.
• Dongfang Yinghao explained that Gold Ranking placements brought major rewards to the cultivators' affiliated forces, citing Xuan Youli's rise and the Dagan Dynasty's new imperial status.
• Dongfang Yinghao warned Yang Yuanhong that other ranked prodigies might challenge him, recalling a reclusive cultivator who lost successive contests and later died while fighting over treasure.

After Yang Yuanhong’s rise on the Gold Ranking cut Dagan’s expected rewards, Xuan Youli emerged from seclusion and set out for Ziyun Mountain to test him. Meanwhile, several Central Region factions traveled there for their own purposes, including Fuyao Sect, whose Liu Yanqing was expected to spar with Dongfang Yinghao.

• The Dagan emperor learned Xuan Youli had fallen one place on the Gold Ranking, threatening a twenty percent reduction in the dynasty’s resources.
• After refining the Phoenix Wing Jade Marrow and advancing her Mysterious Phoenix Special Physique, Xuan Youli agreed to travel to Ziyun Mountain with the National Preceptor.
• More than ten immortal boats from Central Region factions headed toward Ziyun Mountain, including Yantian Palace and Fuyao Sect.
• Yun Xiwu told Liu Yanqing she had to spar with Dongfang Yinghao, and Liu Yanqing complained that she had not wanted to come and had lost to him before.
• Liu Yanqing suggested pretending their match ended in a draw, but Yun Xiwu rejected the plan and reminded her that their Master and the Dongfang Family’s ancestor had arranged the contest.

The Dongfang Family hosted cultivators from across Canglan at Fenghua Cave Heaven for the Golden Roll Dao Discussion, signaling its confidence in Yang Hu. Dongfang Yinghao entered the gathering and spotted a familiar little figure behind Yun Xiwu.

• The chapter explained that Void Stepping experts avoided worldly conflicts after an ancient battle nearly split Canglan Continent, leaving Profound Insight cultivators as its current pinnacle of combat power.
• Cultivators from many powers visited Ziyun Mountain with gifts because of Yang Yuanhong’s connection to the Dongfang Family, but Bald Old Ancestor and Lianmei Ancestor politely refused them.
• Bald Old Ancestor and Lianmei Ancestor led the visitors into Fenghua Cave Heaven, where the Dongfang Family planned to hold the Golden Roll Dao Discussion and aid observers’ comprehension of the Dao.
• Liu Yanqing and Yun Xiwu admired Fenghua Cave Heaven, and Yun Xiwu urged her junior to watch the discussions carefully.
• Dongfang Yinghao entered Fenghua Cave Heaven, greeted the gathered cultivators, and noticed a puffed-up little head behind Yun Xiwu.

Dongfang Yinghao and Liu Yanqing reunited in Fenghua Cave Heaven and learned their elders had arranged another duel, while remaining unaware of the elders’ matchmaking hopes. Venerable Ziyu appeared to welcome the gathered cultivators and summoned the meditating Yang Yuanhong, with Chen Yang hidden and terrified in his sleeve.

• Liu Yanqing confronted Dongfang Yinghao and demanded another duel, saying she would defeat him this time.
• Dongfang Yinghao learned that his ancestor had arranged the rematch without telling him, and he agreed to face Liu Yanqing.
• Dongfang Yinghao teased Liu Yanqing about crying after her earlier defeats, so she blushed and chased him while nearby cultivators watched.
• Venerable Ziyu appeared before the gathering and invited the cultivators to stay at Purple Cloud Immortal Mountain after their Dao discussion.
• Venerable Ziyu summoned Yang Yuanhong, who remained deep in meditation, while Chen Yang trembled silently inside his sleeve.

Dongfang Shaoyu summoned Yang Yuanhong to the Fenghua Cave Heaven and presided over a Golden Roll Dao Discussion, where Yang Yuanhong began fighting the ranked cultivators. After witnessing Yang Hu’s True Dragon Breath, Xuan Youli decided to try to recruit him as a prince consort for Great Gan.

• Dongfang Shaoyu brought Yang Yuanhong across cave heavens, explained the situation to him, and assured the gathered factions that his family would remain impartial.
• Dongfang Shaoyu created and protected a Dao Discussion Platform, and Yang Yuanhong introduced himself as Yang Hu before inviting challengers.
• Chu Jingxiao of Qingyao Sect’s Cloud Thunder Peak challenged Yang Yuanhong, and the two exchanged blows on the platform.
• Chu Jingxiao activated his lightning spirit Variant Body after his lightning arts failed to overcome Yang Yuanhong’s physical strength.
• Yang Yuanhong revealed his Black Dragon Variant Body, and Xuan Youli resolved to pursue a marriage alliance and recruit him into Great Gan.

Yang Yuanhong defeated Chu Jingxiao, convincing the cultivators that he belonged on the Gold Ranking and encouraging Liu Yanqing to regain her resolve. Xuan Youli then stepped onto the Dao Discussion Platform to challenge him.

• Yang Yuanhong broke Chu Jingxiao's Golden Lightning Nine Revolutions after three rotations, and Chu admitted defeat.
• The spectators praised Yang Yuanhong's strength, while Yun Xiwu encouraged Liu Yanqing to overcome her discouragement.
• Liu Yanqing's aura changed as she found renewed resolve, and Dongfang Yinghao worried she was nearing enlightenment.
• Three Gold Ranking talents withdrew from challenging Yang Yuanhong, leaving Xuan Youli and two others as possible opponents.
• Xuan Youli descended onto the Dao Discussion Platform to face Yang Yuanhong.

Yang Yuanhong faced Xuan Youli, whose fate and cultivation had been bound to Dagan’s national fortune since birth, in a direct contest on the Dao Discussion Platform. Their clash stunned the watching cultivators, while Jiang Yinkong’s mentor revealed that he had paused his progress to explore a new path in the Dao of derivation.

• Yang Yuanhong learned that Xuan Youli’s father had used the Emperor’s Sole Reverence Method to bind her destiny to Dagan and appoint her as its future ruler.
• Yang Yuanhong respected Xuan Youli’s burden and exchanged formal greetings with her before their Dao discussion began.
• Yang Yuanhong and Xuan Youli immediately fought head-on, trading powerful dragon and phoenix attacks that shook the watching cultivators.
• Chu Jingxiao realized Yang Yuanhong had held back in their earlier fight, while the other Heaven's Pride Golden Ranking geniuses watched in silence.
• A Yantian Palace True Intent Cultivator told Jiang Yinkong to wait until he reached the True Intent Realm before pursuing his attempt to forge a new path in the Dao of derivation.

Jiang Yinkong said the Dao discussion between Yang Yuanhong and Xuan Youli would have no outcome, despite his martial uncle predicting Yang Yuanhong would win. The Lingxiao Dao Academy then issued a Demon Eradication Order summoning Gold Ranking geniuses to Demon Suppression Pass, as the chapter recounted the history of the Righteous and Demonic Paths.

• Jiang Yinkong's martial uncle divined that Yang Hu would defeat Xuan Youli, but Jiang Yinkong insisted the Dao discussion would have no outcome.
• Venerable Ziyu received a Thought Transmission from Lingxiao Dao Academy, and Dongfang Shaoyu opened Fenghua Cave Heaven's entrance for the white jade token.
• The Demon Eradication Order summoned Gold Ranking geniuses to Demon Suppression Pass and invited other cultivators to earn Dao Academy Merit by slaying demons.
• Cultivators in Fenghua Cave Heaven accepted the order, and some discussed setting out to fight the demons.
• The chapter described how Zhuang Xuanji's rise to the Mystic Insight Realm shifted the balance between the Righteous and Demonic Paths and led to the Righteous Path reclaiming the Southwest.

A Demon Eradication Order postponed the Golden Roll Dao Discussion and sent the cultivators toward Demon Suppression Pass to resist a Demonic Calamity. Yang Yuanhong agreed to travel with Xuan Youli, while Jiang Yinkong claimed he could foresee the campaign’s outcome but refused to reveal it.

• Dongfang Shaoyu withdrew the formation and postponed the Dao discussion so the gathered cultivators could prepare to fight the demonic forces.
• Liu Yanqing and Yun Xiwu decided to stay at Ziyun Mountain and depart with the Dongfang Family, leaving Dongfang Yinghao unable to avoid their duel.
• Xuan Youli invited Yang Yuanhong to travel with her beyond Demon Suppression Pass, and he agreed while saying he wanted to look after Dongfang Yinghao.
• The Yantian Palace cultivator asked Jiang Yinkong whether he had foreseen the Demonic Calamity and could predict the campaign’s outcome.
• Jiang Yinkong confirmed he could predict the outcome but told his Martial Uncle that heavenly secrets must not be revealed.

After Dongfang Yinghao and Liu Yanqing fought to a draw and renewed their determination to face each other again, Jiang Yinkong privately approached Yang Yuanhong. He revealed that he had divined his own death tribulation more than three years earlier, leaving Yang Yuanhong alarmed as the Demon Eradication Order drew near.

• Dongfang Yinghao and Liu Yanqing fought to a draw, showing how much they had grown through their setbacks.
• Liu Yanqing thanked Dongfang Yinghao for holding back, but he denied it, and she declared she would defeat him next time.
• Jiang Yinkong asked to speak privately with Yang Yuanhong, who agreed and brought him to his cultivation cave dwelling.
• Jiang Yinkong told Yang Yuanhong that he had divined his own death tribulation more than three years ago.
• Yang Yuanhong recalled the levels of Dao evolution and the rarity of cultivators who reached the Greater Vehicle realm.

Jiang Yinkong revealed that his Art of Heavenly Calculation had predicted his imminent death and identified Yang Yuanhong as a variable who might alter his fate. He begged to travel with Yang Yuanhong to the Vast Sea Demonic Land, and Yang agreed to let him join the journey.

• Jiang Yinkong explained that he had learned the Art of Heavenly Calculation, which let him see his death tribulation and left him unable to advance his cultivation.
• Jiang Yinkong said he had deduced that Yang Yuanhong was an outsider beyond this world and a variable who could change his fate.
• Chen Yang warned Yang Yuanhong through a thought transmission, and Yang pretended to doubt Jiang Yinkong’s claims to avoid acknowledging the identity.
• Jiang Yinkong confessed that he feared death and asked to travel alongside Yang Yuanhong to seek a chance of survival.
• Yang Yuanhong agreed to travel with Jiang Yinkong and mentioned that Dongfang Yinghao and Fellow Daoist Xuan would also join the journey.

Yang Yuanhong and Chen Yang deduced that Jiang Yinkong’s death tribulation might signal a divine calamity tied to the Vast Sea Demon Extermination. As the Dongfang Family’s immortal vessel sailed toward Demon Suppression Pass, Jiang Yinkong introduced Yang Yuanhong to notable Gold Ranking talents and recounted Nangong Jinghe’s mysterious ring treasure.

• Yang Yuanhong reasoned that Jiang Yinkong’s predicted death could be connected to a calamity caused by remnants of the Divine Dao, beyond the perception of Immortal Dao cultivators.
• Chen Yang considered how he might respond if the suspected divine disaster arose during the Vast Sea Demon Extermination.
• The Dongfang Family’s immortal vessel departed Ziyun Mountain for Demon Suppression Pass the next morning.
• Jiang Yinkong told Yang Yuanhong and Yun Xiwu about Gold Ranking talents Monk Kongjing and Nangong Jinghe.
• Jiang Yinkong explained that a ring-shaped spirit treasure had chosen the newborn Nangong Jinghe and helped him gain the power to slay a True Person.

Yun Xiwu explained the Gold Ranking’s top ten to Yang Yuanhong, describing their origins, abilities, and battle achievements. Yang Yuanhong recognized how far he still had to go and resolved to keep striving to strengthen his family’s lineage.

• Yun Xiwu told Yang Yuanhong that Long Yuan ranked first on the second page and had defeated her in three earlier battles.
• Yun Xiwu revealed the ten names on the Gold Ranking’s front page, led by Luo Qianchou and including two cultivators from Lingxiao Dao Academy.
• Yun Xiwu explained that the top talents sought dangerous forbidden lands for the great opportunities and trials they contained.
• Yun Xiwu described the abilities and achievements of the seven lower-ranked people on the front page, from Baili Fusang to Xuanyuan Xinghe.
• Yang Yuanhong compared his own record with theirs and resolved to work harder so his family could grow stronger.

Yang Yuanhong arrived at Demon Suppression Pass and received Jiang Yinkong’s briefing on the five great demon caves and the Vast Sea Demonic Land. He learned that the demon caves would formally begin the war when their grotto-heavens descended, though small groups of Demonic cultivators appeared beforehand.

• The Dongfang Family’s immortal vessel brought Yang Yuanhong and the other prodigies to Demon Suppression Pass, where they were assigned places to stay and free cultivation resources.
• Yang Yuanhong saw that Jiang Yinkong’s treasure tower was occupied while many higher-ranked prodigies had not yet arrived.
• Jiang Yinkong visited Yang Yuanhong and showed him a spirit-painted map of the Demon Soil beyond the pass.
• Jiang Yinkong described the five demon caves: Ghostly Soul, Earthly Baleful, Poison Absolute, Azure Flame, and Ten Thousand Corpses.
• Jiang Yinkong explained that the grotto-heavens’ descent would signal the start of war, while smaller bands of Demonic cultivators would appear beforehand and create opportunities to act.