Lili_loves_LYN:
You state that he is “well and truly dead” but in the novel he actually does come back to life, reunites with LSS and their daughter, and then becomes the Demon King. Since you referenced the novel in your piece, why would you say he was “well and truly dead?”
I am not sure OP will respond but I hope he/she/they does.
I'll just put my 2 cents in if you don't mind. Since it had an OE, people like OP had their own interpretations. If you look at the previous page, we even had a mini debate about it. Personally, based on the worldbuilding, mythos, leaked drama script, HE special audio relased after TTEOTM airing, and the novel source, I interpret that TTJ/CJM did not become a True God (only LSS did) so even after his physical death, his sliver of essence in the HGS was able to cultivate after hundreds of years and he was reborn as Bai Zhiqian who eventually reunited with LSS and their daughter Ai Mi.