Definition
In traditional Chinese funerary practice, a white staff carried by the chief mourner as a symbol of grief. In the Dao-Twisted World, it is twisted into a living weapon that impales victims and drags them like meat.
Soul-collecting staff
In traditional Chinese funerary practice, a white staff carried by the chief mourner as a symbol of grief. In the Dao-Twisted World, it is twisted into a living weapon that impales victims and drags them like meat.
Story context
Oh boy. If you thought Yang Xiaohai was just the tag-along kid who gives exposition about steamed buns, this chapter will rearrange your brain. Our favorite orphan-turned-martial-artist-turned-desperate-husband finds himself trapped in the nightmare realm beneath Qingqiu, and the universe, as always, has zero chill. He’s lost, his wife is missing, and the only company he has is a shell-shocked Lyu Juren who’s been mentally factory-reset into a question-answering machine with no answers. Then things get *so much worse* when the local supernatural traffic jam turns out to be a parade of corpse-skewering horrors. But just when the last flicker of hope is about to go out? Guess who shows up, standing on a monster’s corpse like it’s a subway platform. Get ready for a wild ride, fellow Daoists—this one’s got heartbreak, horror, and a reunion nobody saw coming.
Why it matters
This chapter is a masterclass in *Dao Gui Yi Xian*’s unique structure: personal horror meets sudden, earned relief. Yang Xiaohai has never been a major viewpoint character, but this chapter earns him a place in the reader’s heart. His terror is palpable, his love for Zhao Xiumei is touching without being saccharine, and his resourcefulness (the thumb trick, trying to leave a letter) makes him feel like a real survivor. Lyu Juren’s tragic end serves as a harsh reminder that this world does not reward sentimentality—even the moment of clarity he achieves is only enough to get himself killed. And then there’s Li Huowang’s entrance: red robes, copper mask, standing on a corpse like it’s Tuesday. This is the moment where the chapter pivots from “trapped in a nightmare” to “the cavalry has arrived, and they’re terrifying.” For readers, this is a deeply satisfying reunion that promises more explanations in the chapters to come—and, hopefully, a reunion between Yang Xiaohai and his wife.
Quick facts
Source novel
Dao Gui Yi Xian
First appearance
An Old Acquaintance
Chapter references
3
Type hints
yang xiaohai, lyu juren, li huowang
Guide tags
Horror, Survival, Reunion
Appears in chapters
Jump back into the novel from the exact chapter references used to build this glossary page.
Chapter 663
An Old Acquaintance
Trapped beneath Qingqiu and hunted by horrors wielding soul-collecting staves, Yang Xiaohai’s only hope is a familiar face. Li Huowang arrives in style.
Chapter 664
Fengdu
Deep in the corpse of the Siming of Death, a false Li Huowang leads Yang Xiaohai through psychological torment and a tide of corrupted reality.
Chapter 699
The Cost of Ascension
Trapped in a second stomach, besieged by personal illusions, Li Huowang faces annihilation. The only way out requires a sacrifice so profound it will break his heart—and Bai Lingmiao is ready to pay the price.
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