The story opens with a description of a war between the tao and the tai-cang. The tao is transformed into a stone and falls to the ground. The barbaric era ends, and the divine mountain takes off into the heavens and becomes the immortal world. The immortals come down to Earth to shape the stone and pass it on to the human race so that they can ascend themselves. The narrator tells us that he has been playing chess every day since they met, but he has lost nine of ten games. He is ashamed to say he has yet to ask his name, although he has known him for many years. He tells the narrator that his family has issued decrees to subdue him, and he has devoured two families within a 100 mile radius of the qi-jian mountain. He says that he admires the young man's audacity in showing off his power. He adds that he will never use the blood-core talisman on the demon again, as it hurts. He sprinkles silver powder on a giant tree on the mountain. The tree bursts into flames, eventually turning to ash