Definition
A fictional sect in the novel that fuses elements of Zoroastrianism (袄教) and Nestorian Christianity (景教); the original owners of the *Thousand Greats Record*. Li Huowang borrows the alias of its dead member, Jiang Yingzi.
Ao-Jing Sect
A fictional sect in the novel that fuses elements of Zoroastrianism (袄教) and Nestorian Christianity (景教); the original owners of the *Thousand Greats Record*. Li Huowang borrows the alias of its dead member, Jiang Yingzi.
Story context
In a moment of absolute despair, Li Huowang prepares to end his own life, using his death as the final, certain way to destroy Danyangzi. After writing his last letter and entrusting his belongings to the nuns of Anci Nunnery, he follows Jingxin into a grotesque realm of cockroaches and rat-mountains, only to find a last-minute reprieve. The chapter hangs on a razor’s edge between profound grief and the sudden spark of a new, terrifying path.
Why it matters
Get ready, because this chapter is a masterclass in emotional whiplash. You will start the chapter watching our battered protagonist writing his *last words*, thinking you are reading a grim, heroic tragedy. Then, you will follow him into a literal *mountain of living rats* (yes, you read that right) for a suicidal pact. And just when you’ve accepted the end, a grumpy, skin-shedding old nun pulls a lifeline from her own loose flesh. The pacing is relentless, moving from quiet, mournful preparation to gut-wrenching body horror, and then swinging back to a fragile, desperate hope. Notice how perfectly the author leverages the *familiar*—a mother’s love, a child’s face—to give this hopeless world a single unexpected crack of light. The real question for the next arc isn’t just *can* the Ao-Jing Sect help, but *what price* will they demand? Because in the Dao-Twisted World, no help comes without a cost, and the strangest cults always ask for the strangest currency.
Quick facts
Source novel
Dao Gui Yi Xian
First appearance
A Final Letter and a Flesh-Skin Oath
Chapter references
39
Type hints
li huowang, danyangzi, jingxin
Guide tags
Body Horror, Emotional Rollercoaster, Suicide Attempt
Appears in chapters
Jump back into the novel from the exact chapter references used to build this glossary page.
Chapter 112
A Final Letter and a Flesh-Skin Oath
Preparing for a final sacrifice, Li Huowang receives an unexpected path from a reclusive nun: a flesh-skin letter to the mysterious Ao-Jing Sect. A new, uncertain dawn over a wasteland of rats.
Chapter 113
On the Road
Li Huowang retrieves his items from the thieving nuns and learns the dangers of the Ao-Jing Sect, while the Lü family struggles with loss on the road.
Chapter 116
Dog
Li Huowang walks alone toward the Ao-Jing Sect’s mountain lair, but his worst enemy isn’t a monster—it’s a stray dog, a full moon, and the terrifying gaps in his own memory.
Chapter 117
The Ao-Jing Sect
Li Huowang journeys to find the Ao-Jing Sect, only to discover their temples in ruins and their god’s statue decapitated. What destroyed the keepers of the Thousand Greats Record?
Chapter 118
The Lord of Wounds
Li Huowang finally finds the Ao-Jing Sect. But their leader, a charred corpse named Shou San, demands a live performance of the Dung-Beetle Ascension in exchange for help.
Chapter 119
The Price of a Cure
Li Huowang learns the Ao-Jing Sect doesn't worship Bashe—they plan to steal its power. Their "cure" for Danyangzi involves an atrocity that redefines horror.
Related terms
Explore connected lore, concepts, and glossary entries from the same novel.