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Story context

Alright, grab your popcorn—or maybe a stiff drink—because chapter 490 takes us on a wild, heartbreaking trip into Gao Zhijian’s fractured mind. Forget cosmic horrors and scheming cults for a moment; this chapter is a quiet, claustrophobic character study set in the mud and dirt of Niuxin Village. Chun Xiaoman and Zhao Wu try to decode Gao Zhijian’s past by watching him draw in the earth, and what they get is a jigsaw puzzle of a life that makes absolutely no logical sense. It’s messy, it’s raw, and by the end, you’ll feel the same confusion and pity that Chun Xiaoman does. Buckle up, fellow Daoists—this one’s a gut-punch of a different flavor.

Why it matters

When you’re reading this chapter, don’t try to solve the puzzle. Gao Zhijian isn’t giving a coherent testimony—he’s showing a scarred psyche, not a clean timeline. The horror here isn’t a monster or a plot twist; it’s the quiet, desperate frustration of a man who can’t even tell his own story without it collapsing into contradictions. Much like Li Huowang’s own reality crisis, Gao Zhijian’s “I might be the emperor but also I might be false” is the quietest screaming you’ll ever read. Keep your eyes on Chun Xiaoman’s reactive, human confusion—she’s the reader’s avatar, trying to be patient and failing, and that failure is the most honest thing in the chapter.

Quick facts

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Source novel

Dao Gui Yi Xian