Recaps

After stabilizing Yuanfeng's essence blood, Ye Xuan met Five-Virtue Qilin and learned that Diting would help him reach Primordial Qilin at Qilin Cliff. Diting agreed to support the Human Emperor if Ye Xuan could restore Primordial Qilin, then revealed the surviving strength of the Qilin Clan.

• Ye Xuan finished stabilizing Yuanfeng's essence blood and startled Kong Xuan with an instinctive punch.
• Kong Xuan introduced Diting, and Ye Xuan learned that Diting had agreed to use the Qilin Auspicious Art to help him reach Qilin Cliff.
• Diting explained that he had secretly visited East Kunlun many times without being discovered and said the Qilin Clan would join the Human Emperor if Ye Xuan restored Primordial Qilin.
• Ye Xuan accepted the danger of traveling to East Kunlun and asked Diting about the Qilin Clan's remaining forces.
• Diting revealed that the clan had a little over thirty thousand Seven-Colored Qilins, only one known Variant Treasure-Colored Qilin, and about ten thousand lesser auspicious beasts with qilin bloodlines.

Diting used the Five-Virtue Qilin Auspicious Art to conceal Ye Xuan from the secrets of heaven and raise his providence, and Ye Xuan and Kong Xuan set out for East Kunlun. There, Yuanshi Tianzun sensed Chaoge’s sudden rise in providence and ordered Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao to leave the Jade Void Palace, though Jiang Shang pleaded to remain.

• Diting inscribed the Five-Virtue Qilin Auspicious Art on Ye Xuan, granting him half a month of concealment from the secrets of heaven and greatly increasing his providence.
• Ye Xuan left for East Kunlun, and Kong Xuan followed to protect him.
• Yuanshi Tianzun sensed Chaoge’s providence had risen but could not determine why, so he summoned his disciples.
• Yuanshi Tianzun ordered Jiang Shang and Shen Gongbao to leave the Jade Void Palace because their aptitudes were limited.
• Shen Gongbao accepted the order with resentment, while Jiang Shang pleaded with Yuanshi Tianzun to let him stay and continue cultivating.

Yuanshi Tianzun sent Jiang Ziya down the mountain to oversee the Investiture of the Gods and gave him the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Beating Whip, while ordering Shen Gongbao to draw disciples of the Interception Sect into the tribulation. As Jiang Ziya prepared to leave, the Antarctic Immortal warned him not to answer anyone who called out to stop him, but another voice immediately called for him to wait.

• Yuanshi Tianzun charged Jiang Ziya with carrying out the Investiture of the Gods and bestowed the Investiture of the Gods and the God-Beating Whip upon him.
• Yuanshi Tianzun ordered Shen Gongbao to draw disciples of the Interception Sect into the great tribulation, and Shen Gongbao secretly grew resentful over being denied a treasure.
• Yuanshi Tianzun told the Chan Sect disciples to descend the mountain early, find talented mortals as disciples, and prepare for the tribulation’s slaughter.
• Jiang Ziya packed his belongings and prepared to leave Jade Void Palace to fulfill his assigned task.
• The Antarctic Immortal warned Jiang Ziya not to answer anyone who called out to stop him, but a voice called, “Junior Brother, please wait.”

Jiang Ziya clashed with Shen Gongbao, who renounced the Chan Sect and vowed to oppose him, while the sect’s experts left Kunlun. Ye Xuan and Kong Xuan reached East Kunlun and journeyed toward Qilin Cliff, entering its increasingly desolate depths.

• Shen Gongbao accused Jiang Ziya of ingratitude and mocked his abilities, but Jiang Ziya dismissed him and walked away.
• Shen Gongbao vowed to thwart Jiang Ziya, denounced the Chan Sect, and departed Kunlun.
• The Chan Sect’s experts descended the mountain, leaving Jade Void Palace nearly empty, while Yuanshi Tianzun went to meet Taishang Laozi.
• Ye Xuan and Kong Xuan approached East Kunlun in secret, and Ye Xuan reflected on his inability to pursue a tranquil life because of his worldly responsibilities.
• Kong Xuan led Ye Xuan toward an abyss and explained that Qilin Cliff was a jade-like wall formed by the Primordial Qilin’s power and revered as a place of Daoist insight.
• Ye Xuan and Kong Xuan traveled deeper into East Kunlun, where the mountains grew quiet and signs of life became scarce.

Ye Xuan and Kong Xuan reached Qilin Cliff, where the jade wall reacted to Ye Xuan’s presence. Ye Xuan began raising a corpse, and after a qilin appeared within the wall, the frozen scene ended with a crack in the jade.

• Kong Xuan led Ye Xuan to Qilin Cliff, and the two found the Chan Sect’s grounds strangely deserted.
• Kong Xuan revealed the immense jade wall, which showed Ye Xuan’s reflection and shifted between auspicious and demonic manifestations.
• Ye Xuan told Kong Xuan to hide and stand guard while he prepared to raise a corpse.
• Ye Xuan rang the purple-gold bell and pressed a black-and-white totem into Qilin Cliff.
• A colossal qilin appeared inside the jade wall, roared, and unleashed a brilliant light that froze heaven and earth.
• The jade wall made a tiny cracking sound.

Ye Xuan successfully revived Primordial Qilin and collected the system’s rewards, while Five-Virtue Qilin sensed the ancient beast’s return and considered bringing the Qilin Clan back into the world. Though Kong Xuan urged him to leave East Kunlun, Ye Xuan decided to visit Jade Void Palace after concluding its powerful residents were away.

• Ye Xuan used the Tongtian Talisman to restore Primordial Qilin to human form and sealed him inside a coffin.
• The Hongmeng Corpse-Driving System rewarded Ye Xuan with Primordial Qilin’s essence blood and the Qilin Auspicious Art.
• Five-Virtue Qilin sensed Primordial Qilin’s return and wondered whether the Qilin Clan’s time to reenter the world had come.
• Kong Xuan urged Ye Xuan to leave East Kunlun before anyone noticed the commotion.
• Ye Xuan reasoned that East Kunlun’s powerful residents, including Yuanshi Tianzun, were absent and announced that he would visit Jade Void Palace.

Ye Xuan left Kong Xuan behind and disguised himself as a young alchemy attendant to enter the Jade Void Palace. After fooling its two sleepy gatekeepers with a borrowed treasure, he stepped inside and was met by an unexpected reaction.

• Ye Xuan told the injured Kong Xuan to return to the Phoenix Clan, and Kong Xuan reluctantly left for the horizon.
• Ye Xuan transformed into a young boy and flew to the summit of East Kunlun, where he found the Jade Void Palace guarded by two sleepy boys.
• Ye Xuan introduced himself as Xiao Xuanzi, an alchemy attendant from the Eight Scenery Palace, and claimed Dao Lord Taishang had sent him to borrow herbs.
• When the gatekeepers questioned his story, Ye Xuan showed them the Heaven Lamp Glazed Lamp and claimed Grand Master Yuanshi had given it to him.
• The gatekeepers let Ye Xuan enter the Jade Void Palace, but his expression changed as soon as he crossed the threshold.

Ye Xuan entered the Jade Void Palace and tricked its attendant boys into helping him harvest hundreds of precious herbs, which he stored in his system space. As he prepared to leave, he spotted the Soul-Scattering Red Gourd and decided to take it for himself.

• Ye Xuan marveled at the Jade Void Palace’s dense spiritual Qi and its flowerbeds full of rare spiritual roots and precious herbs.
• Ye Xuan claimed Taishang and Yuanshi needed herbs for pill refinement, persuading the attendant boys to help him strip a flowerbed bare.
• When an attendant boy questioned the harvest, Ye Xuan warned him against second-guessing the Saint masters and silenced his suspicions.
• Ye Xuan stored seven or eight hundred herbs in his system space and began leaving the Jade Void Palace.
• Ye Xuan spotted the Soul-Scattering Red Gourd in a side hall and resolved to claim the treasure for himself.

Ye Xuan returned to Chaoge after taking treasures from Jade Void Palace and found ministers demanding to see him. He reassured them, thanked Wushuang for protecting his absence, and asked her to help him change.

• Ye Xuan persuaded the Jade Void Palace attendants to hand over the Nine-Nine Soul-Scattering Red Gourd, then fled East Kunlun with it and his other treasures.
• After several days of travel, Ye Xuan returned to Chaoge and appeared in the imperial city.
• Ye Xuan found Yang Ren, Du Yuanxian, and other ministers confronting Wushuang outside his bedchamber because he had been gone for months.
• Ye Xuan revealed himself, rebuked the ministers for forcing their way into his bedchamber, and ordered them to wait at the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion.
• Ye Xuan thanked Wushuang for standing firm while he was away, then asked her to help him change clothes.

Ye Xuan spent the day overseeing affairs of Yin Shang, then visited Su Daji at her invitation and relaxed over food and wine. As Su Daji offered to dance for him, Ye Xuan sensed a trace of her former self in her gaze.

• Wushuang dressed Ye Xuan, who then met with ministers for more than ten hours to discuss Yin Shang's affairs.
• Ye Xuan learned that Bi Gan continued disaster relief, the crops were growing well, and the Four Seas Dragon Clan was cooperating, while Su Hu, the northern rebels, and several lords remained potential threats.
• Wushuang told Ye Xuan that Su Daji was waiting for him, and Ye Xuan decided to visit her and ask about the Green Mound Shadow Guards.
• Su Daji welcomed Ye Xuan at her residence, arranged a late-night feast, and personally served him jade nectar and delicacies.
• Su Daji offered to dance for Ye Xuan, who remembered her refusal to dance in Jizhou City and then noticed a look in her eyes that recalled the Daji of old.

Ye Xuan watched Su Daji dance, then heard that the Green Mound Shadow Guards had infiltrated Great Shang. Though he was tempted when Su Daji offered herself to him, he left without touching her, and his words enraged Empress Nuwa.

• Su Daji danced for Ye Xuan, who praised her performance and let her attend him as he ate.
• Ye Xuan asked about the Green Mound Shadow Guards, and Su Daji reported that they had infiltrated Great Shang under the Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit and Nine-Stringed Jade Pipa Spirit.
• After drinking, Ye Xuan felt tempted by Su Daji as she invited him to stay with her for the night.
• Ye Xuan came to his senses, refused Su Daji, and left, leaving her hurt and confused.
• Empress Nuwa heard Ye Xuan's words and became furious.

Nuwa learned that Ye Xuan despised her and became furious, while Ye Xuan returned to Chaoge and spent half a month managing affairs and cultivating. Yuanshi Tianzun then returned to East Kunlun and threatened whoever had robbed Jade Void Palace, leaving Ye Xuan confident that the Five-Virtue Qilin’s art had enabled his successful raid.

• Nuwa heard Ye Xuan’s complaints about her and the Nine-Tailed Fox, then vowed to make him pay and grew displeased with the fox spirit’s attempt to seduce him.
• Ye Xuan left Su Daji’s bedchamber, and Wushuang supported him as he returned to Tianlu Pavilion while drunk.
• Ye Xuan spent half a month in Chaoge handling state affairs and cultivating with his newly acquired treasures and resources.
• Yuanshi Tianzun returned to his cultivation grounds and thundered a threat against the person who had offended him.
• Ye Xuan realized Yuanshi Tianzun had discovered the losses at Jade Void Palace and credited the Five-Virtue Qilin’s art with helping him rob East Kunlun while it was deserted.

Yuanshi Tianzun flew into a rage after discovering that Xiao Xuanzi had swindled his spirit roots and red gourd, though powerful figures across the Primordial World only guessed at the culprit. In Chaoge, Shang Rong returned after a perilous journey with the food crops he had found, and Ye Xuan prepared to share the news with his ministers.

• Yuanshi Tianzun discovered that Qilin Cliff, several hundred spirit roots, and his red gourd had vanished, then learned Xiao Xuanzi had used the Glazed Lamp to trick his people.
• Yuanshi Tianzun cursed the culprit, spreading panic through the Primordial World as the Five-Virtue Qilin, Ancestor Minghe, the Queen Mother of the West, and Empress Nuwa suspected Ye Xuan was involved.
• Su Daji told Ye Xuan that the Green Mound Shadow Guards had rescued the gravely wounded Shang Rong from Yuan Futong's men and brought him back with his collected finds.
• Ye Xuan hurried to Longde Hall, welcomed Shang Rong, and praised him for completing his mission.
• Shang Rong recounted his dangerous journey, his meeting with Grand Tutor Wen Zhong, and how the Green Mound Shadow Guards had protected him.
• Ye Xuan ordered Wushuang to summon the ministers so he could share the good news.

Shang Rong returned to Chaoge with drawings, seeds, plants, fruits, and animals he had found while searching for new food sources. Ye Xuan honored him as the Father of Shang and examined the discoveries, which promised to greatly expand Yin Shang’s food supply.

• Ye Xuan gathered the officials and asked Shang Rong to explain what he had found on his journey.
• Shang Rong described discovering many edible plants, fruits, grains, herbs, and animals, and recounted meeting Wen Zhong and narrowly escaping the Seventy-Two Allied Armies of the North Sea.
• Shang Rong reported that he had brought back seeds, seedlings, trees, fruit, and aquatic creatures in water tanks.
• Ye Xuan rewarded Shang Rong with an imperial sword, broad authority, and the title of Father of Shang, and the officials bowed to him.
• Wushuang arranged for Shang Rong’s discoveries to be brought before the court, and Ye Xuan delightedly inspected and tasted them.

Ye Xuan introduced Su Daji and Wushuang to newly discovered crops and fruits, delighting in their amazement. He then began preparing hairy crabs and crayfish himself, eager to cook them with bird's eye chilies.

• Ye Xuan dismissed the officials and invited Wushuang and Su Daji to sample the newly discovered foods.
• Ye Xuan explained bird's eye chilies and gave the women tomatoes, which they tasted with delight.
• Ye Xuan peeled a lychee for Wushuang and shared watermelon with both women, astonishing them with the fruits' flavors.
• Ye Xuan refused Wushuang's offer to summon the imperial chefs and insisted on cooking for them himself.
• Ye Xuan led maids in preparing hairy crabs, crayfish, chilies, and other ingredients for his meal.

Ye Xuan prepared spicy crayfish and the first hot pot of the Primordial World, delighting Su Daji and Wushuang with the meal. Though the two women seemed willing to stay with him late into the night, a mysterious beauty came to mind, and he sent them away.

• Ye Xuan cooked spicy crayfish with chilies, spices, and Su Daji’s spirit wine, then invited Su Daji and Wushuang to taste it.
• Su Daji and Wushuang were amazed by the crayfish’s numbing, spicy flavor and kept eating.
• Ye Xuan prepared a deer-bone hot pot with meats, vegetables, and dipping sauces, then showed the women how to eat it.
• The three ate and drank together until late at night, enjoying the hot pot and Su Daji’s nectar.
• Ye Xuan felt drawn to Su Daji and Wushuang, but recalled a mysterious beauty and lost interest.
• Ye Xuan told Su Daji to return to rest and asked Wushuang to help him back to the Heavenly Fortune Pavilion.

Ye Xuan strengthened his plans in Chaoge while cultivating the Three Ancient Clans’ bloodlines and arts, as tensions with Su Hu of Jizhou grew. At Wa Huang Palace, the Queen Mother of the West heard Empress Nuwa explain how the other Sages had tried to manipulate her into entering the Investiture of the Gods tribulation and cutting off the Human Clan’s fortune.

• Ye Xuan instructed Wushuang to have the Dragon Clan women cultivate precious plants, grains, fruits, and herbs using their command of rain.
• Ye Xuan continued studying ancient texts and cultivating the Primordial Qilin bloodline, the three clans’ divine abilities, and the Yin-Yang Corpse-Driving Art.
• Ye Xuan let Huang Feihu isolate Su Hu of Jizhou, intending to crush him if he rebelled.
• The Queen Mother of the West visited Empress Nuwa at Wa Huang Palace and asked whether she had decided to enter the tribulation.
• Empress Nuwa told the Queen Mother of the West that the other Sages had schemed to make her bear the tribulation’s karma and sever the Human Clan’s fortune, but the Human Emperor had warned her in time.

Empress Nuwa explained to the Queen Mother of the West how the Human Emperor had restored Yin Shang’s fortune and gathered powerful allies, then decided to join his side in the coming great tribulation. The Queen Mother of the West agreed to prepare Quasi-Saints to support Nuwa, who planned to summon demons as well.

• Empress Nuwa told the Queen Mother of the West that the Human Emperor had revived Yin Shang’s fortune and drawn the remnants of the Three Ancient Clans and Minghe into his plans.
• Empress Nuwa revealed that she suspected the Human Emperor had collected the corpses of ancient mighty figures and that she knew he could see the future.
• Empress Nuwa decided to enter the great tribulation willingly and let the Human Emperor direct her, rather than side with the other Saints.
• The Queen Mother of the West offered to gather several Quasi-Saints to support Nuwa.
• Empress Nuwa left preparations to the Queen Mother of the West and said she would summon great demons to serve as cannon fodder.

After learning that Su Hu of Jizhou was preparing to rebel, Ye Xuan ordered Huang Feihu to station troops near Jizhou and considered Su Hu a puppet of Xiqi. Su Daji begged Ye Xuan to spare her father and preserve the Su family, repeatedly kowtowing until her forehead bled.

• Ye Xuan cultivated for ten-odd days while Wushuang and Su Daji looked after him.
• Su Daji reported that the Green Mound Shadow Guards had discovered Su Hu of Jizhou gathering troops and provisions to rebel.
• Ye Xuan recalled his suspicions that Su Hu had long allied with Xiqi and sent Huang Feihu to station the war-elephant cavalry near Jizhou.
• Ye Xuan declared that he would crush Su Hu's rebellion and use the victory to deter other regional lords.
• Su Daji knelt before Ye Xuan and pleaded for him to spare her father's life and leave someone to continue the Su family line.
• Su Daji repeatedly kowtowed, bloodying her forehead as she offered to atone for her family's crimes.

Su Daji repeatedly kowtowed to Ye Xuan, begging him to spare a remnant of the Su Clan after her father Su Hu rebelled. Ye Xuan relented and promised to preserve part of the family line, while Su Daji accepted the debt she owed him and Nuwa quietly observed.

• Su Daji kept kowtowing despite Ye Xuan's anger, hoping to win the Su Clan a chance to survive.
• Su Daji recalled meeting Ye Xuan in Jizhou and how his poems and heroic presence had captivated her.
• Ye Xuan questioned whether her self-abasement could excuse the Su Clan's rebellion, while the Nine-Tailed Fox regretted merging with her.
• Ye Xuan finally told Su Daji to rise and promised to preserve a trace of the Su Clan's bloodline rather than execute the entire family.
• Nuwa sensed what had happened through the will she had hidden in the Nine-Tailed Fox and chuckled, calling Ye Xuan a lustful rascal.

Ye Xuan summoned the court to discuss Su Hu of Jizhou’s growing army and preparations for rebellion. After the ministers debated how to respond and generals volunteered to lead an attack, Bi Gan warned that Jizhou’s forces and defenses might be stronger than they appeared.

• Wushuang summoned the court officials after word reached Chaoge that Su Hu was recruiting troops and stockpiling grain in Jizhou.
• Ye Xuan told the ministers that Su Hu had gathered at least seventy or eighty thousand elite troops and challenged them to propose a response.
• Shang Rong and other ministers debated whether Chaoge should attack, wait, or send an envoy, while Ye Xuan warned that delay or failure could encourage other lords to rebel.
• Zheng Lun, Lu Xiong, and other generals volunteered to lead forces against Jizhou, proposing different troop numbers and strategies.
• Bi Gan cautioned Ye Xuan that Su Hu might command more troops than reported and that Jizhou City was difficult to attack.

Ye Xuan decided to lead a swift campaign against Su Hu in Jizhou, despite his ministers’ objections and the small size of his force. Zheng Lun gathered thirty thousand elite cavalry and rode out ahead of the emperor’s march.

• Zhang Guifang offered to take Jizhou with fifty thousand soldiers, but Ye Xuan chose to command the campaign himself.
• Ye Xuan appointed Zheng Lun deputy commander and ordered him to lead thirty thousand troops toward Jizhou, where they would join Huang Feihu.
• Ye Xuan rejected the ministers’ pleas for more troops, saying speed and secrecy were essential to defeating Su Hu quickly.
• Zheng Lun selected thirty thousand elite cavalry and set out on his Fiery-Eyed Golden-Gazed Beast.

Ye Xuan secretly brought his cavalry to Jizhou while Chaoge spread false reports that a 500,000-strong army would attack Su Hu. After Su Hu publicly rebelled, he prepared for a bitter fight, unaware that the Human Emperor's forces were already outside the city.

• Shang Rong and Bi Gan kept Chaoge orderly and concealed that Ye Xuan had personally gone to war.
• Ye Xuan's 30,000 cavalry joined Huang Feihu's forces, bringing their combined strength to nearly 100,000.
• Su Hu declared his rebellion, denounced the Human Emperor, and proclaimed that Jizhou would never pay homage to Shang.
• Shang Rong and Bi Gan spread false reports that Ye Xuan was assembling 500,000 soldiers and intended to slaughter Jizhou City.
• Ye Xuan secretly encamped outside Jizhou while Su Hu discussed the coming battle with his generals.

Su Hu and Su Quanzhong prepared Jizhou to resist Chaoge’s planned invasion, while Su Hu secretly relied on Xiqi’s promises of support. Su Hu acted as though he feared defeat and offered the generals a chance to leave, prompting one tall, slender general to kneel before him.

• Su Quanzhong dismissed Chaoge’s planned 500,000-man force and urged Su Hu to trust Jizhou’s defenses and the support of Bo Yikao and other vassal lords.
• Su Hu warned the generals not to underestimate Chaoge’s experts, though their fighting spirit remained strong.
• Su Hu privately relied on Bo Yikao’s promises that Xiqi would provide provisions, rally other lords, and nominate him as king of the vassal lords.
• Su Hu pretended to fear that Jizhou would be isolated and defeated, offering money and treasures to any general who wished to leave.
• A tall, slender general stepped forward and knelt before Su Hu.

Su Hu rallied Jizhou’s generals by pretending to doubt their resolve, then laid out a plan to strike Huang Feihu before Chaoge’s army arrived. Jizhou prepared for a prolonged siege as Su Quanzhong was sent to bring nearby provisions into the city.

• The generals and soldiers swore to defend Jizhou after Su Hu questioned whether they could face Huang Feihu.
• Su Hu revealed his resolve and directed Jizhou’s scouts to track Huang Feihu while the city prepared a surprise attack.
• Su Hu planned to defeat Huang Feihu’s forces, raid Chaoge’s camp during its setup, and burn its provisions before the main army arrived.
• Su Hu ordered Su Quanzhong to move nearby food stores into Jizhou City while avoiding Huang Feihu.