A lot happened from ep.25 onwards and many questions were raised. Some of us tried to answer some of them based on the drama so far and the source novel, 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 realize XXC has the real JunTian.
•XXC and MXL escape from the illusion space and reunite 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 learn how he became HXW's righthand 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 could 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 says 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 arrive. 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 pushes 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 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 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 falls into the lower platform. He uses his blood and sacrifices his life to make an array to destroy the Divine realm platform.
•XXC carries MXL's body out and the Spirit clan shows 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 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 owe 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 sees the sacrifice QGX 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 is 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 warns 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 by HXW.


Ep.28
•XXC goes back to the past after being warned of the consequences of changing others' fate. His first attempt was going back to Snow City before the Immortal array was broken so he pursued HXW but he failed due to the 1-day limit.
•His second attempt was during his younger self's seclusion and younger MXL's stay at the Dark Abyss. It shows MXL surviving against the dark clan members and the Desire demon. XXC fell into MXL's trap but got out. He promised to teach her skills but she got disgruntled when he mentioned her da gege won't want her to live for revenge.
•XXC was forced to return to Snow City since the time limit was almost up. He saw his father in his sleeping quarters tidying his clothes. He realized his father did love him and wanted to approach him but he didn't to avoid disrupting events in that timeline. He bowed and the Xuanling seed that fell earlier in his clothes fell out. It landed in his courtyard and grew into a tree there. He fainted and dreamt that MXL has awakened. But his spirit just returned to the Divine Execution platform and learned he failed again.
• His third attempt was to go back seven years ago when MXL was at the Gao estate as a spirit slave. The overseer was beating her up and he saved her. He took her to treat her injuries, eat delicious food like pastries, buy new clothes, and watch fireworks. He realized he was the da gege she was referring to but initially didn't want to get her entangled with him again because he just wants her to be happy. Eventually, he promised to take her away. He goes to Elder Gao to ask for her spirit lock to be unlocked so he can take her away.

Ep.29
•Elder Gao was suspicious of XXC's request for a spirit slave so he asked his steward to check on it. The overseer was accusing Ling-ling of stealing clothes and beating her.
•Sang Qi started his attack so the city and the Moonlight Heights estate went into chaos.
•GQM and LL's clothes were swapped as they were sent to different directions to fool the attackers. XXC went to the girl in a red cape thinking it was Ling-ling but it was GQM. She thanked XXC and asked him to escape with her. He told her to go but to remember that sacrificing others for her is not right.
•XXC caught up with LL and killed the attackers. However, Elder Gao figured out that LL is the Chaos Pearl and wanted her for her power. He accused XXC of colluding with SQ but XXC reminded him that Elder Gao should know best why SQ is attacking.
•XXC told LL to close her eyes. Since he doesn't have enough cultivation in his 18yo body and his spirit is weak from the failed time travel attempts, XXC decided to destroy his spiritual channel hoping that the blast would be enough to kill Elder Gao to protect LL. He followed it up by driving his sword through. Elder Gao also attacked him and they both fell. Elder Gao died first but XXC soon followed.  
•His spirit left the body and stood watching LL. Suddenly, chaos power started exuding from LL because of her sorrow. It broke through LL's spirit lock and went into XXC's spiritual channel. SQ arrived and told LL that he will help her with her revenge on anyone including himself. SQ took her away.
•XXC's father arrived and covered up Elder Gao's wounds to avoid detection that it was XXC's sword that killed him before taking the still unconscious18yo XXC away.
•XXC's spirit went back to the platform and realized that his small kindness became the reason for the path MXL took and even killed her.
•The Time Keeper told him he is an observer who cannot make changes. Even for TianMing, he is only shown the end which is also the beginning and all attempts at changing it are also destiny. Chaos Power can reverse cause and effect so if XXC destroys his spiritual channel, the Chaos Power given to him by LL will return to MXL but it will not be a rebirth but an exchange since XXC will die.
•XXC used his Jade Vault technique to put limits on his soul so if it is captured by an outlaw, he/she will not be able to do evil deeds. He destroyed his spiritual channel to return the Chaos power to LL. His spirit went to ZhaoMing and merged with him. The Chaos Power went to MXL's body on the Snow Cliff which woke her up. She now knows that XXC was da gege and he has sacrificed his life for her. She is crying as she mourns for him while making a vow to protect the world he loves and not to blame her if she dies protecting it someday.
•TianMing shows up and MXL is so angered about his role in XXC's death. She wants to avenge XXC's death but she is still weak and still getting used to having her Chaos power back.
•TM introduces himself and activates an array to bring them to Greenview estate. He talked about their being born from Chaos and being together for tens of thousands of years. MXL said she doesn't remember and only knows he killed XXC. She refuses to be with him but TM forces her to get married. He traps her in the room with his power.
•ZM causes demonic energy to rise in the Dark Abyss as he arrives at the Temple of Divine Execution.  
•Xuanxin asks the Alliance and Spirit clan to send their best cultivators to help suppress this demonic energy. Abao talks to her dad and tells him to be careful.
•All the demons and spirit clan members are powerless against ZM. He introduces himself and tells them of the new rule in the Abyss as their new Demon Lord.
•MXL refuses to change into her wedding dress and insists on wearing mourning clothes. TM says he doesn't believe in marriage but this is something MXL wants to do with XXC and he can oblige her wishes.

Ep.30
•TM has funeral decorations put up for his wedding with MXL. FengYao reprimands him for forcing this marriage and refuses to be the wedding officiant. She later on questions herself why she continues to stay.
•Flashback to FY begging NXY for spirit medicine for her sick brother. He didn't give it to her because he had divined that it would be useless. She promised to be loyal to him for 10 years. After six months, it was revealed that an evil cultivator sucked her brother's blood to death because of the spirit medicine she got from NXY. She killed the evil cultivator but couldn't save her brother. She regrets getting the spirit medicine but NXY said it is fate. Even his own and his family's fate is being fulfilled. FY started her 10-year loyalty stay with him.
•The Alliance and the Spirit clans are gathered before the Immortal Array and ZM shows up. They recognize him as XXC but he says that XXC is dead. He is just part of his soul so he can use his techniques.
•The Alliance creates a shield but ZM overpowers them and calls them worse than trash.
•In his estate, TM skips the first two bows of the wedding ceremony( bow to heaven and earth and bow to parents) but forces MXL with his power to bow to him for the third one which is bowing to become husband and wife.
•She creates a hairpin and stabs him in the heart. He pushes it even further to let her vent her anger and hate. He accepts those emotions but he never wants them to be even.
•ZM arrives and asks whose funeral they are having. ZM recognizes TM and TM knows that XXC merged back with ZM.
•TM pulls MXL behind him. ZM attacks and he counters but is weak in his human form. As ZM prepares to make the killing blow, MXL shields him with her power. ZM is enraged that MXL protected TM. She says she didn't save TM but doesn't want to let ZM get what he wants. He chokes her but XXC's restriction stops him from truly hurting her and undoing his hold on TM - giving TM a chance to zap himself and MXL out of there.
•FY wants to treat TM's wound but he says it won't be healed by spirit medicine because it was from the blades of Chaos power. FY says this is the price he paid and asks him about his obsession. He says that only CP accompanied him for tens of thousands and just wants to return everything to what it was. He also mentions that he can't use the Book of Fate to make her fall in love with him because HaoTian does not allow divine artifacts to love.
•FY faints and TM is summoned by HT who asks if he earned his lesson after getting years of punishment. TM admits his mistake. HT reminds him that everything is in order because the laws he set are followed before healing TM's wound. He continues that the new Demon Lord's appearance and breaking of the rules will disrupt the world. TM cannot change a person's destiny twice but he should continue to accomplish what he failed to do 10,000 years ago. TM agrees.
•In Snow City, Elder Cang reports to XX that the injured have been dealt with. The leaders discuss the new Demon Lord and how to fix the Immortal Array.
•ZM is in the Dark Abbyss, with the three demon clowns, I mean Desire demon, Ignorance Demon, and Anger demon, nurturing the Gu butterfly which doesn't require anything to turn someone into a demon. ZM doesn't want to kill the Alliance but to torture them and destroy the world that XXC wanted to protect.
•MXL woke up and told TM that she hates both him and the new Demon Lord. TM asks her to work with him to defeat the DL since he knows the DM's weakness - A Zhu.
•TM dares MXL  to experience what happened 10,000 years ago as A Zhu by opening the Fate Array. MXL says why wouldn't she since she's only been told of ZM and CP's history. TM clarifies that it is their history and will wait for her to return with memories.
•Backstory of the creation of HaoTian of two divine artifacts - CP and TM. CP governs time and space while TM governs karma. Both are controlled by HT and work together to keep the world running. Afterwards, various races and creatures were created. 10,000 years ago, a civil war broke out amongst the immortals with evil immortal JunYu killing the good immortal emperor, and taking over the rule of the Celestial realm. The sky ripped out of shock, bringing the three realms to the brink of collapse so CP was sent by HT to repair it. After almost exhausting her spiritual power, she fell to the mortal realm. TM sensed this change so he sent half of his soul to the mortal realm to follow CP and the other half manifested a prophecy, "The divine child is born. Immortals fall."
•The new heavenly emperor JY asked for more information about the divine child but TM stayed silent. He ordered the three immorons to stir up the world and search for the divine child. TM 0.5 in the mortal realm finally found CP and put it in the mortal Emperor's palace pond full of sun and moon essence waiting for it to take human form again.
•ZM got CP from the fish that jumped out of the pond. He went back to receive the report from Yan that the Xilin king sacrificed 100 maidens as thanksgiving to the gods who bring calamities and give favor after to gain faith. ZM showed his anger at the Divine Clan's oppression of humans.
•TM 0.5, now the Emperor's Advisor, searched for CP in the pond but couldn't find it before realizing that having ZM refine CP is better than the pond. He congratulated ZM and informed him that CP is a divine artifact that can help him achieve his goal of fighting against the immortals. CP is damaged but ZM, as the only human with divine channels, can nourish with his heart essence to repair it.
•Later on, CP transformed into her mortal form. She remembers him from his scent and being held often in his hands when she was a pearl. She was named A Zhu by ZM and asked about her future plans. She says she can stay as ZM's pearl but ZM said in her human form she can go wherever she wants. AZhu insists on staying with ZM.  
•TM 0.5 doesn't want to go to the pond since CP is not there anymore. He ruminates that the ZM's emperor energy is better than the sun and moon energy so having them together will make CP good as new soon.


Ep.31
•A Zhu says she has not seen ZM for days because he is too busy. To stop her boredom, the guard He Zhou teaches AZ to gamble. She bets her precious peach blossom pastry but he said to bet common items like the jewelry she got from the Emperor.
•Yan reports HZ has been keeping track of AZ. He reminds Yan to treat AZ as a human since she has taken mortal form.
•He arrives at her place and noticed that AZ kept losing to HZ. AZ sits closer to ZM and they hold hands. ZM bets his jade ring and HZ lost everything back. He swears off gambling and to never involve AZ in it again. ZM issues an edict that gambling is banned in the palace.
•AZ says not to blame HZ since he has been keeping her company. Now that she is in human form, she cannot see ZM all the time so she is unused to being without him. He said its his oversight.
•ZM said HZ might misguide AZ so he will get a reading and writing teacher for her - his advisor and best scholar who happens to be TM 0.5. AZ goes to him and apologizes for being late. He says it is fine as long as she's arrived. She says she was intimidated at first but now it feels like meeting an old friend even at first sight. When asked if she remembers old friends or places, she answers that she is ZM's pearl so how can she have old friends.
•They started learning basic characters like human and heaven. A Zhu got angry that the heaven character is so domineering over humans just like what is happening in the real world which keeps ZM so busy with state affairs.
•TM 0.5 said that humans are transient so only those from heaven can share eternal companionship. AZ said that if two people stay together but feel unhappy, isn't that companionship just pain?
•She noticed that TM 0.5 was upset so she brought him some pastries. He says he is not and gives her a pen. She leaves happily.  
•He is reminded of CP when they were still at the Heavenly platform. CP gathered flowers because she was curious about humans using flowers to express emotions and enjoy the vivid colors. Everything is in grayscale to CP and TM so they cannot appreciate flowers. She also talked about how pastries can bring joy to children's faces. Both CP and TM don't have a sense of taste. Since they've never had food, they don't have any longing for it. She realized despite sharing heaven's eternity and having the respect of deities, they are only tools of HT so their lives are less colorful than humans. She finds it boring that she cannot taste flavors, see colors, and feel emotions. She questions whether it will stay the same for millions of years. TM says it is up to fate.
•TM 0.5 eats the pastry and says it is very sweet even though it is supposed to be the savory kind. His attendant said this pastry recipe is from his homeland so TM 0.5 gives it to him. He gets homesick and mentions that it is good he has people from the same place as him in the palace to keep him company.
•TM 0.5 consults him if he will still take back a friend to his homeland if it is a place full of restrictions with no joy and has a chance of being sacrificed all the time. The attendant said,' If returning means misfortune, then don't go back.'
•ZM checks up on AZ's learning progress. She learned the character Ming but made her interpretation of it. He comments that the characters are distant so she hugs him. She asks if she is a beauty and he nods yes. She surmises that she will have a tragic life since beauties have tragic fates. ZM says she will have a long life - longer than his. She said how could that be when she is ZM's pearl so she should be with him and that she exists because he exists. ZM says she doesn't exist because of him and her purpose isn't tied together with him either so she can find her own path someday.
•ZM says he doesn't want the Emperor's Way but a courageous man who is unbound by heaven, protecting humanity, and breaking through the heaven itself. They talk about what humanity and how to get to know another person.
•In the Divine realm, the three deities are reporting they haven't found the divine child. Desire deity suggests having DM under their control. The Heavenly Emperor orders to send a divine edict to offer the children born 10 years ago and just kill them off if they cannot find the divine child amongst them.
•ZM gets angry after he gets the divine edict for the child sacrifices and vows not to bow to the deities. He orders TM 0.5 to destroy the turtle shell that relays the divine edicts.
•HZ give new romance novels to AZ, with her refusing to get tricked into giving more payment. She later retells the love story she read to the palace maids. ZM hears AZ's storytelling and notes that her presence has given more joy in the palace.
•He goes on to a room with objects showing how they have researched for divine artifacts over the years to suppress the deities. They found out that aside from CP and TM, the JunTian sword can be used since it is from chaos energy, too. However, ZM has failed to find it. He refuses to consider using CP since it has already done a lot to repair the heavens. Now he just wants happiness for A Zhu in her human form. He says if the deities attack in the human realm, he can still match them since they will be restricted.
•The Heavenly Emperor and the three deities plan ZM's downfall by causing chaos and war in the other kingdoms. Thus, wars are waged and refugees are rushing to Dongze for safety.  
•AZ sees how exhausted ZM is dealing with the state affairs so she went to TM 0.5 to ask for his past and find out his burdens. She learned about how ZM fought for stability in his nation and protected his people despite being so young when he ascended the throne.  Everyone relies on him but he doesn't have anyone to rely on.
•TM said this is the fate that ZM has chosen for himself and he must bear the consequences. He teaches AZ the character Zhao which means giving light to the world but also with a constant blade hanging over it.
•AZ also asks what love is. This reminds TM 0.5 of CP saying if they also have love like humans, it would less cold and desolate in the heavens. TM says as ancient artifacts they just need to follow HT's will and that questioning love will lead to destruction. She says as long as he is with her and the universe keeps going, they will always be together.
•TM 0.5 answers that he doesn't know what love is and that it only belongs to humans. If a divine saintess loves, she will get punished by the heavens. She discounts the possibility of her being a celestial pearl and says that as long as she is with ZM, she is happy. Even if they are different, they won't be separated and she will stay with him forever.
•AZ brings food to ZM who fell asleep doing his paperwork. She eases the frown on his forehead, questions the path he is taking, and falls asleep next to him. He wakes up, puts his cloak over her, and holds her hand. He shushes his guard so she doesn't get disturbed and looks at her. He thinks that as long as AZ is by his side, no matter how overwhelming life gets, he can still find focus and peace.


Q&A

Q. At the end of ep.26, why did HXW say it's fake?
A. Through the request of the Divine clan who became scared that a mortal emperor Zhao Ming can harness JunTian and challenge them, the Book of Fate changed Zhao Ming's fate. They were warned that changing destiny has huge consequences but they still agreed. The BOF banished and trapped ZM in that hellish part of the Dark Abyss.

This fake rewritten history created a fake world in a sense that
the perception of all living beings were altered; no one in the world remembered emperor ZM who protected humans (except for HXM apparently). They only knowing of a fallen god sealed and suppressed beneath the abyss through legends.

The OG Chaos Pearl and Book of Fate(TianMing) are counterparts of each other but they were impervious and detached from everything - even themselves. CP was on earth duty and BOD on heavens duty. They pretty much didn't care about the life or death of creatures as long as the universe keeps going.

The thing was after a Divine war tens of thousands of years ago, Chaos Pearl had to repair the torn sky and fell to the mortal realm heavily cracked. Emperor Zhao Ming nourished the pearl with his heart's blood every day and it filled the cracks creating that swirling pattern. Eventually, it gained sentience before finally taking human form as A Zhu. ZM and AZ fell in love.

In ep.27, it was shown that after TianMing and AZ's confrontation, he wondered about the love she was talking about so he followed her to the mortal world. I guess he feels entitled to CP since they should be counterparts of each other.

CP was born as MXL and TM as NXY. At this point, ZM was already trapped in the abyss but a sliver of his soul went to the mortal world and was born as XXC.

The drama starts off with their story in the mortal world in the current timeline and the rest is unravelled as the episodes goes on.


Q. Did A Zhu betray Zhao Ming like he said? 

A. It was implied from the scene while ZM was telling his version of the story that she did. However, there is now a flashback in ep.27 showing AZ confronting TM. I stand by what I said about this being a drama misdirect to create angst and tension between the revived MXL and demonized ZM. 

In the novel, learning of what happened to emperor ZM, AZ stormed the Divine realm and killed many of the gods there. The rest fell into the Dark Abyss and became first gen demons. She then made The Wheel of Time and told him to wait for someone and grant his wish someday. This was her attempt to send them both into a series of reincarnation with the hopes that she and ZM could break the fake world BOD has rewritten.


Q. Did the Immortal array fail?
A. No, it didn't. Their death's were just not instantaneous coz of their high cultivation. Just like Feng Xiang - Phoenix female cultivator- even though she was at the death door, she still survived and lived in that island before she asked for immortality.
HXW has been an evil cultivator for 10,000 years. XXC was protected by the amulet given to MXL by NXY. Even though she is the Chaos Pearl, MXL took the hardest hit coz her cultivation in this mortal form is not as high as theirs. Her soul is not gonna die though because she is part of their universe's order system.

NOVEL-DRAMA COMPARISON

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-spirited 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 probably see more of her growth too. Hoping to see an update of GQM and FSL soon. 


EDIT 01/20/2025 

In Ep.25, MXL meets the demonized ZM in his created illusion space but this didn't happen in the novel. There was a quake and demonic energy disturbance just as she and TM were going to make their third bow in the wedding ceremony so it was interrupted. The Alliance went to the site of the Immortal array and ZM appeared. He hugged her from behind and she instantly recognized him as demonized ZM/XXC.

All the scenes of the machinations of NXY and HXW were not in the novel. They expanded HXW's role giving him that backstory as one of the sacrificial children 10,000 years ago that ZM saved. They showed him reaching the Divine Realm in ep.26-27, finding out the fake history, and destroying the Divine platform. This didn't happen in the novel either.


In Ep.28-29, it was shown in detail how and with adequate foreshadowing the attempts that XXC made to travel back in time to save MXL. This was kind of glossed over in the novel and only the da gege part was emphasized and explained. Ling-ling was how MXL was called in the Gao estate because her spirit lock had the number 0-0 (Ling-Ling), which was just taken from an old spirit slave who died and given to her. Later on, Sang Qi gave her the name Mu Xuanling after the Dark Abyss Xuanling tree.

There are so many changes that I can't keep track anymore. Haha! The drama really expanded the story from ep.25 onwards since in the novel, most of the story was told at that point and what remained after the revival of ZM was the final confrontation between MXL and TM.

In the drama, it was told that TM sensed when CP fell to the mortal realm so he sent half of his soul to the mortal realm and the other half manifested a prophecy. In the novel, he had no role in the interactions between CP and ZM 10,000 years ago although he did approve the request of the Divine clan to change ZM's fate. 

He and CP also didn't spend any time together even before that because he was in charge of the heavens and she of the earth. The first time he saw her was when she went up to the Heavenly platform filled with rage and vengeance to kill the gods and confront TM after she learned of what happened to ZM.

I did this quickly so apologies for possible errors. Please feel free to add more details or ask questions. ♡

Wow that's very decent of you to summarize and help the audience understand the plot for ep 25-27. They have packed alot in the last 3 episodes and I definitely appreciate the info.

 RilakkumasBubbleTea:

Wow that's very decent of you to summarize and help the audience understand the plot for ep 25-27. They have packed alot in the last 3 episodes and I definitely appreciate the info.

My pleasure! They did pack a lot in these last 3 eps. 

The cast and crew esp.the screenwriters were impressive so I had to share my appreciation here. The novel worldbuilding and logic were already good but they enhanced those and the characters even further. ♡♡♡

I just read the novel/drama comparison part and I actually like the changes the drama made. It's more of a pleasant watch. So glad GQM is not the annoying vindictive SFL.

 RilakkumasBubbleTea:

I just read the novel/drama comparison part and I actually like the changes the drama made. It's more of a pleasant watch. So glad GQM is not the annoying vindictive SFL.

Exactly! It is nice we won't have to suffer through a vindictive SFL. It makes sense too that the writers emphasized their blood connection more since they are from the same womb. Although they are not besties  prolly like frenemies at this point but I love their push-and-pull esp.at the broken Celestial stairs scene. So many "mean" words being spoken but the underlying care is so palpable.

This was an interesting read thank you. 

 Micha:

Exactly! It is nice we won't have to suffer through a vindictive SFL. It makes sense too that the writers emphasized their blood connection more since they are from the same womb. Although they are not besties  prolly like frenemies at this point but I love their push-and-pull esp.at the broken Celestial stairs scene. So many "mean" words being spoken but the underlying care is so palpable.

they actually reminded me of my kids. They said mean words to each other but you know they didn't mean it lol

 fancy:

This was an interesting read thank you. 

Welcome! Just some personal observations that might clear up some Qs. Let's keep watching! ♡

 RilakkumasBubbleTea:

they actually reminded me of my kids. They said mean words to each other but you know they didn't mean it lol

Sibling energy, right? Haha

This is so thoughtful of you, Micha. Can't find this kind of infos on the comment section. Thank you for sharing!

 Coriander:

This is so thoughtful of you, Micha. Can't find this kind of infos on the comment section. Thank you for sharing!

Anytime!♡ I just  thought to compile some previously answered Qs about these eps and info from the novel for those who might have missed them. 

@Micha, thank you for taking the time to put it all in one place. It's really useful.

If anyone knows, please help...I've got a question re: CP/MXL's birth. I understood it as she was birthed as a twin with GQM, but they left her under the Xuanling Tree because they thought she was demonised/defective. And they assumed GQM was the CP. Is that correct?