SPOILERS: Ep.25-27 Recap, Q&A, Novel Comparison

A lot happened from ep.25-27 and many questions were raised. I tried to answer some of them yesterday based on the novel and events shown in the drama so far but it might be better to unpack them here in the discussion.  
 
QUICK RECAP:
Ep.25
•MXL meets demonized Zhao Ming for the first time inside the illusion space he created and he tells his version of their backstory - storming the Divine realm, CP "betraying" him by pushing him off and destroying the Celestial ladder, and him being sealed by the Book of Fate in the abyss for 10,000 years. He swears to take everything of his back.
•XXC arrives and ZM reveals that a fragment of his soul became XXC. ZM and XXC fight but they realized XXC has the real JunTian.
•XXC and MXL escape from the illusion space and reunited with the members of the Xuntian Sect reinforcing the Immortal Array. It was relayed that the Spirit Clan simultaneously attacked Snow City, Xuntian Sect, Mirage Palace but Jade Sky Palace got the brunt of it.
•Parents of FLS were on the verge of death and they said their last goodbyes.
•XXC and MXL confront JL and they learned how he became HXW's right hand man. JL wants freedom for the Spirit Clan but Abao reprimanded him for causing so much death and destruction.
•MXL and XXC have some alone time with MXL reaffirming that she chose him so she will follow him despite the difficulties.
•GQM was abducted by NXY so he can find out where the real Chaos Pearl is. He dropped his friendly facade and trapped GQM in a painting when she started evading his questions.
•HXW shows up and NYX said he will destroy HXW if he harms MXL. They plot together to kill XXC.

Ep.26
•HXW's wanted poster and reward poster for GQM were put up and spread to the sects.
•FLS and Abao have a heartfelt talk about JL's attack.
•NXY showed up with GQM info and talked about HXW's plan. He was already able to deduce that MXL is the Chaos Pearl.
•HXW brought GQM to the old site of the Celestial ladder to lure the real CP. GQM protects MXL by not admitting her identity.
•FLS, MXL and XXC arrives. MXL hugs XXC and goes to replace GQM.
•GQM insists on repaying the debt she owes MXL so when she attempts to off herself, HXW pushed her into whirling space with FSL following her.
•NXY shows up and triggers the Immortality array.
•Flashback to a convo between XXC and QGJ. They talked about how XXC figured out HXW is the evil cultivator and QGJ told him a way to set up a new Immortality array.
•NXY set up 3 death doors in the array instead of just one for HXW. His reasoning was to kill both guys and for MXL to survive through his protective jade token. He himself will die too as payback to MXL for killing XXC.
•They all suffer the backlash. MXL however put the jade token secretly in XXC's waist sash so she dies instead of him.
•Flashback to XXC talking to Xuanxin about this dangerous plan and entrusting the Alliance to him. MXL was eavesdropping.
•XXC is cradling MXL and he asks JunTian to attack NXY since he keeps crawling to them but FY zaps him out of there.
•XXC tries to revive MXL to no avail. Her blood drips into the platform and the Celestial ladder reforms.
•JL brings the Spirit Clan to the edge of the abyss as per HXW's instructions who tries to gather their spirits for his ascent to the Celestial ladder but XXC stops him.
• HXW talks about how as a child he himself witnessed the Divine clan controlled, oppressed humans, and asked for child sacrifices. Emperor Zhao Ming was the first human to cultivate spiritual power. He eventually rebelled, and climbed the Celestial ladder to kill the Divine clan but lost.
•HXW climbs the Celestial ladder but finds no one in the Divine realm. He sees a light and goes to a higher platform where the Book of Fate is. He realizes that the events 10,000 years ago were rewritten. Lies were made about ZM and became the fake truth and fake legends- creating a fake world.  

Ep.27
•HXW rages against the BOF and he fell into the lower platform. He uses his blood and sacrifices his life to make an array to destroy the Divine realm platform.
•XXC brings carries MXL's body out and the Spirit clan show their respects by kowtowing.
•XXC brings MXL back to Snow City and tells her that he needs to do things but he will come back to her so just wait.
•NXY refuses FY energy transfer. He has a conversation in his head with MXL.His internal conversation mentions XXC is innocent but he alludes to following the foretold fate he divined years ago and wanting to protect CP. MXL says she doesn't need his kindness or life. He decides to die.
•Flashback to the Divine clan asking BOF to to suppress the Spirit Clan and he approves the request so their fate is changed. He returns to the upper Heavens platform. CP asks him if it's boring to observe the realms and he says he doesn't care because they are fleeting.
A later flashback of CP/A Zhu attacking BOF, saying he doesn't understand love and if he refuses to change ZM's fate, she will. She then falls and he follows her to the mortal world to see for himself what love is.
•Since NXY's soul already died, TianMing took over his body.
•The Human and Spirit clans sign a peace agreement and all gave a verbal vow. Xunxian became the new Alliance leader.
•XXC tells his two aides about MXL being the CP and what he and the world owes her. He entrusts Snow City to them.
•He goes to the Phoenix forest to wait for the Lotus of Life to bloom and encounters FX again. Waiting a long time, it finally bloomed and before eating it, he gave a memory stone to FX so she knows the sacrifice GQX made for her.
•XXC climbs the Godslaying or Divine Execution platform, enduring 38,000 celestial winds to the body and spirit. He eventually makes his way to the top where he was healed of his injuries.
•XXC meets the Wheel of Time who also doesn't know why he is alone. He only remembers that someone asked him to wait for someone. XXC asks to save MXL but warned that a price has to paid by him. He can be sent back in time but minimal interference should be made. He wishes to return to the point before the Immortal array was broken.

Again, lemme preface everything by saying that the screenwriters are freaking brilliant! They took majority of the novel as the main story vehicle but enhanced the characters and the side characters to have more intentions, motivations and depth.

I'll point out some significant changes below based on ep.25 and 26:

A. In the novel, Fu Lan Sheng's dad was actually a vile person. He married FLS's mom because of her influence and wealth. He faked his care for her throughout their marriage. CangLi was actually the son of his friend but he coveted CangLi's mother so he had his friend killed and took her. He pretended to raise CL as his foster son but is almost like a hostage so that the mother would do his bidding. That's why CL hates him so much. In the passage scene, dad Fu ran away and was the one to set off the death array even though FLS, his wife, CL and Abao were still there so that they'll be killed.

In the drama, he was a good and loving father and husband. He even covered up the scandal of his brother(CangLi's dad in this case) and took the hit on his reputation. The scene of FSL's parents bidding him goodbye while smiling because they don't want him to see them dying hit hard. It was heartwrenching to see him brushing her hair, talking about their love story, and finally resting beside each other.

We can also see them hashing out FSL's character and becoming stronger. His moral compass is good. Abao was afraid that by her father's action FSL would hate her through extension but he doesn't. He said he doesn't want to live for revenge but he rightfully doesn't want to see CL anymore coz he was the reason for his parents' death. I expect we will see more of his growth as the next master Fu.

B. In the novel, HXW just wanted to have more power. Admittedly, he also wanted equality for the spirit clan but his character wasn't explored much.

In the drama, his main purpose in living for thousands of years was to kill the divine clan because of what they did to humans and ZM.

They actually showed him as a kid that lived during Emperor Zhao Ming's time. At the time the Divine clan were capricious gods wanting a lot of offerings and sacrifices. They cause diseases, drought, etc. so that the humans can keep worshiping them and in return they "give" abundance back. Those boys and girls you saw wearing white were supposed to be human sacrifices but ZM had enough and attacked the Divine realm to get rid of these gods. The Divine clan got scared and asked the Book of Destiny to rewrite history - making ZM the "evil" emperor, and trapping him in that hellish abyss.

That's why HXW said these are fake when he read the book on the platform because he knows and lived the truth. He just didn't know all of the gods have been killed or cast into the Dark Abyss so the Divine realm is empty.

C. In the novel, Gao Quimin stayed the mean sprited and entitled biatch she was since little. In the drama, she has shown to ask for forgiveness for her mistake and eventually protective of MXL. Same as FLS, we'll prolly see more of her growth too. Hoping to see an update of GQM and FSL soon.