Story context
Welcome back, fellow Daoists! The battle for Oxhorn Mountain is reaching a fever pitch. In this chapter, we experience the cold, methodical aftermath of Ji Ning’s slaughter. The five remaining Zifu attackers are utterly demoralized and begging for mercy, but there’s no time for sentiment. With more enemies potentially on the way and the crucial deadline of the Grand Xia Envoy’s arrival looming, the Ji Clan makes the hard, pragmatic call: total annihilation. Ji Ning efficiently executes them, and we see a fascinating side-effect of raw power—two proud Zifu direbeasts immediately kneel in submission. But the chapter’s real meat lies in two major developments. First, the mystery of the escaped Nong Zidao is solved: he used a legendary ‘Smallteleportation Dao Talisman’, a rare escape mechanism that makes him the sole survivor of his group. Second, and most importantly, Ji Ning senses a critical breakthrough on the horizon. He leaves the battlefield to meditate, his mind buzzing with the connection between the Yin-Yang transformations he saw in formations and the breakthrough needed for his Crimsonbright Diagram. The chapter ends with a chilling, dramatic irony as Nong Zidao warns a fellow disciple about the danger, only to learn that another, more powerful Wanxiang Adept-led force has just stormed off to face the same deathtrap.