Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xuezhou released Liu Xuan and accepted his Four Directions Body-Locking Technique, promising him cultivation medicines and help in Chang'an. After Zhang departed west to fetch cultivation supplies, Liu Xuan revealed his hatred for Zhu Jiuyin and the demon dynasty and his determination to restore his body and reclaim what he had lost.

• Zhang Xuezhou released Liu Xuan after Liu Xuan offered him the Four Directions Body-Locking Technique.
• Zhang Xuezhou promised Liu Xuan Qi and Blood medicines and a teacher in Chang'an, then directed him to travel there by carriage.
• Liu Xuan chose to go to Chang'an and asked to accompany Zhang Xuezhou west, but Zhang said he could not carry him.
• Zhang Xuezhou arranged Liu Xuan's travel supplies and glided away toward the west to fetch cultivation items.
• Liu Xuan watched Zhang leave and vowed to make Zhu Jiuyin and the demon dynasty pay for destroying his life.

Zhang Xuezhou flew west while studying the Four Directions Body-Locking Technique and found that Bai’s lingering presence made the Dragon-Riding Technique work across vast distances. He marked a new route through the western lands, discovering a favored path that could carry him from Fengxi Marsh toward the Western Sect.

• Zhang Xuezhou studied how the Four Directions Body-Locking Technique might combine with the Supreme Purity True Technique and planned to master it with poisonous tree leaves at Soul-Severing Ridge.
• Zhang Xuezhou flew west across several territories and sensed the favorable influence left behind by Bai’s capture and journey west.
• Zhang Xuezhou discovered that he could use the Dragon-Riding Technique along the route marked by Bai’s lingering presence.
• Zhang Xuezhou marked the wasteland where he emerged and used Dragon Riding to travel across another great distance, realizing the path could span east and west.

Zhang Xuezhou met Buddha Son Shigong, Vishnu, and Parvati at Soul-Severing Ridge, where they offered copied Prajna Heart Sutras and Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root in exchange for his help. He questioned the scriptures’ authenticity, returned Vishnu’s treasures, and was asked to lead the group onward for Buddha Son Shigong’s treatment.

• Zhang Xuezhou arrived at Soul-Severing Ridge and found Buddha Son Shigong, Vishnu, and Parvati waiting for him.
• Buddha Son Shigong presented Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root, while he and Vishnu offered copied versions of the Great Prajna Heart Sutra and the Lesser Prajna Heart Sutra.
• Zhang Xuezhou inspected the scriptures, questioned their authenticity, and accepted Buddha Son Shigong’s offer to visit the secret chamber later.
• Zhang Xuezhou returned Vishnu’s arhat robe and Moon-Gazing Corner, and Vishnu checked that they were undamaged.
• Vishnu asked Zhang Xuezhou to lead the way so Buddha Son Shigong could be treated.

Zhang Xuezhou brought Buddha Son Shigong to the Cynomorium and had him test its effects as a possible cure. The medicine restored Shigong’s bodily strength but sealed his Qi and Blood, leaving him trapped in a confusing struggle between its effects and the charm technique.

• Parvati carried Zhang Xuezhou and Buddha Son Shigong to the river’s source while Vishnu hurried along below them.
• The group found the dead demon bird and the enormous Cynomorium, and Zhang Xuezhou explained that the bird’s sacrifice had only partly removed the medicine’s drawback.
• Zhang Xuezhou cut off Cynomorium and gave some to Buddha Son Shigong, who ate it despite Vishnu’s warning.
• Buddha Son Shigong’s illness symptoms receded and his Qi and Blood surged, but he could not use his restored strength because the Cynomorium sealed it.
• Buddha Son Shigong felt the Cynomorium’s sealing power clash with the charm technique, filling his mind with seductive visions.

Zhang Xuezhou and Vishnu fed Cynomorium to Buddha Son Shigong to counter the charm technique draining his essence Qi, and his health began to recover. Still caught in a violent, uncontrolled state, Shigong unleashed a fiery attack on Vishnu and Parvati, leaving Parvati caught by his flaming sash.

• Zhang Xuezhou explained that Cynomorium was triggering a reaction with the charm technique and told Vishnu to make Buddha Son Shigong eat more.
• Parvati slowed Buddha Son Shigong with frost while Vishnu forced Cynomorium into his mouth, and Shigong's body began to recover even as his wound bled heavily.
• Buddha Son Shigong remained incoherent after Vishnu released him and attacked with his sash, sending Vishnu flying.
• Buddha Son Shigong summoned flames around himself and struck Vishnu with his flaming sash, while Parvati's frost failed to restrain him.
• Buddha Son Shigong struck Parvati with the sash and wrapped her neck in flames.

Buddha Son Shigong’s Thought Power erupted and drove off Vishnu and Parvati until his strength ran out. After he recovered, he faced the dangerous surge of Qi and Blood in his body and began chewing Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root to treat himself.

• Buddha Son Shigong used his Thought Power and ring of flames to suppress Parvati while Vishnu called Zhang Xuezhou for help.
• Zhang Xuezhou realized the flames marked the range of Buddha Son Shigong’s control and advised Vishnu and Parvati to escape beyond it.
• Vishnu used the Moon-Gazing Corner to carry the nearly unconscious Parvati into the woods, while Buddha Son Shigong stayed by the pool and gradually exhausted himself.
• Buddha Son Shigong collapsed, then recovered after the flames faded and celebrated that his life-threatening condition was gone, though he grieved over the injury to his lower body.
• Buddha Son Shigong explained that his Qi and Blood were surging beyond his control, then enlarged a piece of Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root and began eating it.

Zhang Xuezhou had Buddha Son Shigong test the Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root, which helped dissolve the Qi and Blood sealed by the Cynomorium and began restoring his body. Shigong discovered the lotus root also made his body go limp, so he concealed the side effect and planned to watch Zhang Xuezhou deal with it later.

• Zhang Xuezhou had Buddha Son Shigong test the Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root, and it sealed Shigong's mouth until they cut it open with the Fish Intestine Sword.
• Parvati made water into ice, and Shigong drank repeatedly to wash the sticky lotus root down his throat.
• Shigong used Qi and Blood power as the lotus root dissolved the Cynomorium's effects, easing the pressure in his body and beginning to regrow part of him.
• Vishnu noticed Shigong had regrown a tiny amount, and Shigong continued eating the lotus root to restore his body and free more Qi and Blood.
• Shigong's legs weakened and his body went limp, but he told Zhang Xuezhou he had merely overused his Qi and Blood and decided to wait for Zhang to try the lotus root himself.

Buddha Son Shigong recovered after eating Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root, and Zhang Xuezhou began consuming the remaining pieces to undo the Cynomorium's seal on his power. Zhang Xuezhou's body went limp, but he felt good as his Law Power and Demon Power began to return.

• Buddha Son Shigong stopped eating the Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root after recovering, then split off a section for Zhang Xuezhou with his strengthened hand.
• Zhang Xuezhou cut through the lotus root's tough fibers with the Fish Intestine Sword and learned that Buddha Son Shigong's injured body part had regrown.
• Buddha Son Shigong urged Zhang Xuezhou to eat the lotus root quickly to avoid the sect leader tracing it, and offered him the remaining piece.
• Zhang Xuezhou began eating the Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root while Buddha Son Shigong watched, hoping to learn how he would handle its effects.
• After Zhang Xuezhou ate half a section, his body went limp, but he said he felt great as his Law Power and Demon Power began to unseal.

Zhang Xuezhou consumed the Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root, restoring his Law Power, then discovered that the empress’s vermilion hairpin cursed Buddha Son Shigong whenever anyone tried to remove it. As Zhang Xuezhou flew back toward Western Kunlun, Buddha Son Shigong and Parvati began to suspect that he was the same person as Dongfang Shuo.

• Zhang Xuezhou swallowed the Spirit Silk Jade Lotus Root, recovered the free use of his Law Power, and thanked Buddha Son Shigong.
• When Zhang Xuezhou tried to retrieve the vermilion hairpin from Buddha Son Shigong’s displaced flesh, the attempt caused Buddha Son Shigong severe pain and bleeding.
• Vishnu tried to pull the hairpin out quickly, but Buddha Son Shigong struck him and drove him away.
• Zhang Xuezhou promised to ask the empress to withdraw the curse and then flew west toward the Sacred Land.
• Buddha Son Shigong recalled Dongfang Shuo while watching Zhang Xuezhou fly, and Parvati agreed that the two figures seemed to be the same person.

Zhang Xuezhou returned to the Kunlun Sacred Land during a court council where the Emperor explained why ruling the Three Realms alongside the Immortal Court was necessary but dangerous. The Emperor proposed training successors while weakening the Immortal Court, and Zhang Xuezhou left the council with permission to pick Drunken Peaches after reporting that the Empress’s vermilion hairpin’s Curse still afflicted Buddha Son Shigong.

• Zhang Xuezhou reached the Kunlun Sacred Land and joined the Emperor, the Empress, and Kunlun’s gods at the Jade Pool Palace council.
• The Emperor described the Heavenly Court’s decline and said he favored ruling jointly with the Immortal Court, while acknowledging the danger of being outmaneuvered.
• The Emperor proposed training new successors and gradually weakening the Immortal Court to balance Kunlun and Soaring Heavens.
• Zhang Xuezhou declined to offer political advice, saying his teacher made those decisions, and asked the Empress for permission to pick Drunken Peaches.
• Zhang Xuezhou reported that Buddha Son Shigong’s charm had been dispelled but the vermilion hairpin’s Curse still caused him pain and bleeding.
• The Empress said the hairpin’s spiritual awareness may have turned evil after being defiled, leaving its obedience and former power in doubt.

Zhang Xuezhou left Kunlun’s court deliberations to gather peaches and prepare to brew Nine Treasures Wine, while the old gods discussed plans to weaken their rivals. He recruited helpers at Wondrous Dharma Palace and learned that Jiang Qi’s Smoke-Swallowing Technique could improve the brewing flames.

• The Emperor sent Zhang Xuezhou away from the court deliberations after he again mentioned brewing wine, and Zhang collected ripe, half-ripe, and unripe Drunken Peaches.
• As Zhang left, he heard the old gods propose combat gatherings, proxy wars, and action against the Western Sect and Zhu Jiuyin.
• Zhang summoned Golden Toad Dharma King and Sha Li to help brew Nine Treasures Wine, then noticed Jiang Qi had regained his sight with a precious pearl eye.
• Jiang Qi offered to help with the brewing and explained that his Smoke-Swallowing Technique could remove smoke and purify flames.
• Zhang learned that the technique was an innate demonic ability and gave up on learning it himself.

Zhang Xuezhou led Jiang Qi, Sha Li, and the Golden Toad Dharma King in brewing Nine Treasures Wine in the Kunlun Ruins while keeping his true methods secret. After the Golden Toad Dharma King asked about Zhang Xuezhou’s remaining reward from the Xieluosi River Holy Land, Zhang offered to use it to obtain a treasure for him.

• Jiang Qi volunteered to help Zhang Xuezhou brew, hoping to benefit from his opportunities despite their past grudges.
• Zhang Xuezhou brought out numerous spiritual fruits and herbs and joked that his good looks had persuaded his opponents to drink poison at the centennial gathering.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained the five brewing stages and instructed everyone to prepare a sample that would ferment while he returned to reality.
• Sha Li relished the medicinal fragrance, while the Golden Toad Dharma King worked quietly and worried that Jiang Qi might recognize his connection to Zhu Shiyin.
• The Golden Toad Dharma King asked what Zhang Xuezhou planned to request from the Xieluosi River Holy Land, and Zhang offered to use his remaining opportunity to obtain a treasure for him.

Zhang Xuezhou agreed to ask Zhu Jiuyin for the Ten Thousand Demons Stele, which could record techniques and help devise counters. He then began brewing Nine Treasures Wine with vast stores of precious ingredients, leaving Jiang Qi awed by the scale of his resources and hopeful of sharing in the gains.

• The Golden Toad Dharma King urged Zhang Xuezhou to request the Ten Thousand Demons Stele, explaining that it could record techniques and help counter them.
• Zhang Xuezhou agreed to ask Zhu Jiuyin to return the stele, though he doubted he would be able to claim its recognition.
• Zhang Xuezhou began brewing Nine Treasures Wine and brought out a huge supply of precious fruits and medicinal ingredients from his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag.
• Jiang Qi marveled at the rare ingredients and wondered whether Zhang Xuezhou had obtained them from the Immortal Court.
• Jiang Qi reconsidered scheming against Zhang Xuezhou because helping with the brewing might bring him a valuable opportunity.

Zhang Xuezhou used his carefully brewed Nine Treasures Wine to cultivate the Prajna Heart Sutra while planning his eventual breakthrough to the Sole Self Realm. The Sovereign and Empress watched him practice and began to suspect that Hongjun had arranged the resources supporting his cultivation.

• Zhang Xuezhou judged the wine base ready and told Sha Li and the other demons to prepare for large-scale brewing in half a month.
• Zhang Xuezhou began studying the Prajna Heart Sutra with the help of Nine Treasures Wine, hoping to advance his mental cultivation.
• The Sovereign and Empress entered the brewery and questioned how Zhang Xuezhou had obtained a Western Sect cultivation art and so many rare materials.
• The Sovereign and Empress suspected Hongjun had ordered the Jade Emperor to provide Zhang Xuezhou with the resources.
• A disc of light and shadow resembling a bright moon appeared behind Zhang Xuezhou, and the Sovereign recognized the cultivation art he was practicing.

The Emperor and Empress warned Zhang Xuezhou that Western Sect scriptures could bind cultivators to the sect, then questioned his rapid cultivation of the Prajna Heart Sutra. Zhang Xuezhou said the technique worked smoothly and produced powerful Thought Power, leaving them concerned about the risks of the handwritten scripture he had obtained.

• The Empress considered the Prajna Heart Sutra flashy but wondered whether she and the Emperor could learn from Zhang Xuezhou's use of it with Nine Treasures Wine.
• The Emperor and Empress discussed the Western Sect's hidden hooks and waited for Zhang Xuezhou to wake.
• Zhang Xuezhou woke, drank Nine Treasures Wine, and explained that the Prajna Heart Sutra strengthened him without conflicting with his cultivation.
• The Emperor warned Zhang Xuezhou that Western Sect scriptures could bind cultivators to the sect, and Zhang Xuezhou handed over the handwritten copies he had obtained.
• The Empress questioned Zhang Xuezhou's brief Sanskrit training, while he said the sutra had caused no difficulties and had already formed potent Thought Power.

Zhang Xuezhou learned that the Prajna Heart Sutra carried a hidden control relationship, but decided he needed its rapid mental-strengthening effects anyway. The Emperor chose to test the scripture himself, leaving Zhang Xuezhou stunned by how quickly he began cultivating it.

• The Emperor discovered that the Prajna Heart Sutra contained a subordinate control relationship, and Zhang Xuezhou connected it to Sect Master Jieyin’s Soul Capture and Heart Seizure.
• The Emperor and Empress warned Zhang Xuezhou that the Western Sect had used hidden control methods on powerful cultivators before.
• Zhang Xuezhou decided he needed to keep cultivating the Prajna Heart Sutra to strengthen his mental power, despite its dangers.
• The Emperor and Empress discussed leaving for Heaven Beyond Heaven to evade the Western Sect’s control, and the Emperor decided to try first.
• The Emperor studied the Prajna Heart Sutra while drinking Nine Treasures Wine and quickly manifested Thought Power radiance, astonishing Zhang Xuezhou.

Zhang Xuezhou asked the Emperor and Empress why cultivation aptitude differed, and they explained how experience, persistence, and self-understanding shaped a cultivator’s path. He resumed cultivating the Prajna Heart Sutra while the Emperor searched for the next stage and Jiang Qi secretly memorized the scripture.

• Zhang Xuezhou questioned the Emperor about cultivation aptitude and why his progress lagged behind other young cultivators.
• The Emperor explained that his long experience helped him master techniques quickly, while the Empress praised Zhang Xuezhou’s effort and diligence.
• The Emperor and Empress discussed how Zhang Xuezhou’s drive to advance might help him enter the Sole Self Realm.
• Zhang Xuezhou reflected on the persistence behind his progress, drank wine, and resumed cultivating the Prajna Heart Sutra.
• The Emperor searched the palm leaves for the next stage of cultivation, while Jiang Qi memorized the tadpole script and hoped Zhang Xuezhou would reward him with wine.

Zhang Xuezhou used Nine Treasures Wine to advance his Prajna Heart Sutra while the emperor questioned the method’s risks and its fit with different cultivators. Jiang Qi began cultivating the scripture and showed an early aptitude, though the emperor reserved judgment until he made greater progress.

• Zhang Xuezhou used Nine Treasures Wine to strengthen his mental power and push his Prajna Heart Sutra cultivation toward the Divine Ability Realm.
• The empress noticed charm-like effects in Zhang Xuezhou’s Thought Power, and the emperor explained that the technique’s effects depended on cultivation and state of mind.
• The emperor and empress realized that Zhang Xuezhou had advanced into chapters the emperor considered dangerous, despite his cultivation being difficult to align with the technique.
• Jiang Qi asked to try cultivating the Prajna Heart Sutra, and the emperor gave him the scripture’s introductory chapter and the remaining Nine Treasures Wine.
• Jiang Qi drank the wine, entered visualization, and produced a faint light over his palm as the empress praised his apparent talent.
• The emperor warned that an easy start did not prove lasting talent and said Jiang Qi would need to reach the Divine Ability Realm level to earn his recognition.

The Emperor discovered that the Prajna Heart Sutra required guidance from Sect Masters Jieyin and Zhunti to advance, and that its cultivation could draw their attention. Zhang Xuezhou and Jiang Qi deceived the sect masters into granting them help, after which the Emperor questioned Jiang Qi about his identity.

• The Emperor compared the Great and Lesser Prajna Heart Sutras and watched Zhang Xuezhou and Jiang Qi rapidly cultivate Thought Power with the Nine Treasures Wine.
• The Empress and Emperor observed strange manifestations in their Thought Power, and the Emperor recognized traces of an Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon in Zhang Xuezhou’s glow.
• Sect Masters Jieyin and Zhunti appeared through the Thought Power and demanded to know who was cultivating their teachings.
• Zhang Xuezhou claimed to be Wu Chao and received an Azure Lotus and a promise of guidance from Sect Master Jieyin.
• Jiang Qi claimed to be Moluo Jia, a naga of Spirit Mountain’s Eight Classes of Devas and Nagas, and won Sect Master Zhunti’s guidance.
• After the sect masters’ guidance vanished, the Emperor pressed a finger to Jiang Qi’s forehead and demanded to know who he really was.

The Emperor discovered that Jiang Qi had lived a second life as Zhu Shiyin and made him offer service in atonement, while recognizing his value as someone who had mastered the Six-Lifetime Reincarnation Method. Zhang Xuezhou realized that the Prajna Heart Sutra could strengthen his mental power but also deepen the Western Sect Masters’ control, leaving him unsure whether he could deceive Jieyin again.

• The Emperor confronted Jiang Qi about cultivating the Six-Lifetime Reincarnation Method, and Jiang Qi admitted that his former identity had been Zhu Shiyin.
• The Empress confirmed Jiang Qi’s identity when he recalled eating three peaches at the Jade Pool Palace.
• Jiang Qi knelt and offered to atone through meritorious service, and the Emperor withdrew his threat while noting that Zhunti might target him.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that the Nine Treasures Wine had rapidly advanced his Prajna Heart Sutra cultivation and formed a Thought Power Dharma Aspect focused on intimidation.
• Zhang Xuezhou recognized that the Prajna Heart Sutra strengthened the Western Sect Masters’ control over its cultivators, though its mental power might help him advance the Mental Strengthening Chapter.