Ch. 1021Bait
Summary of Chapter "Bait"
Key Plot Points
- Li Xinghe and his team (Di Yan, Sang Xue) capture the Ancestor of the Blade Sect, whom Li Xinghe deliberately uses as bait to lure out a bigger target: the Ancestor of Cause and Effect.
- The Blade Sect Ancestor, knowing he may die either way, reluctantly calls for reinforcements. Di Yan toys with him using the Qiankun Cauldron.
- The Ancestor of Cause and Effect arrives with hundreds of Hunyuan Wuji Grand Unity Golden Immortals, believing this is a chance to kill Li Xinghe.
- Li Xinghe immediately kills the Blade Sect Ancestor, revealing he was only bait. He then confronts Cause and Effect.
- Li Xinghe reveals he is only three Laws short of the full Three Thousand Great Daos, shocking Cause and Effect.
- Li Xinghe demands to know where Cang Yuan and Xuan Chen (Evil Spirit Race leaders) are hiding, viewing them as the greater threat.
- Cause and Effect dismisses Li Xinghe's threat. Li Xinghe then hints cryptically about how he killed the Devil Lord of Destruction despite his large army—implying a hidden trap or power—and smiles strangely.
Character Developments
- Li Xinghe: Shows strategic cunning and overwhelming strength. He is more powerful than publicly known, having quietly advanced to near completion of the Three Thousand Laws. He is coldly pragmatic, using enemies as bait and dispatching them without mercy.
- Ancestor of Cause and Effect: Confident in numbers but visibly unsettled by Li Xinghe's power. He is revealed as a traitor working with the Evil Spirit Race, concerned about Li Xinghe's threat level.
- Ancestor of the Blade Sect: Reduced to a pawn; dies pathetically despite hoping reinforcements would save him.
Significant Themes
- Deception and bait: Li Xinghe's plan revolves around luring the main enemy using a disposable target.
- Hidden power vs. overt force: Li Xinghe's true strength is understated; Cause and Effect overestimates his numerical advantage.
- Preemptive threat: Li Xinghe prioritizes the Evil Spirit Race as the true danger, not just Cause and Effect or Destiny.
Character Interactions
- Li Xinghe ↔ Blade Sect Ancestor: Li Xinghe toys with him, offering a false “chance” to call for help, then kills him without effort once the real target appears.
- Di Yan ↔ Blade Sect Ancestor: Di Yan dominates the fight, demonstrating his own strength while following Li Xinghe’s orders.
- Li Xinghe ↔ Cause and Effect: A tense verbal standoff; Li Xinghe is calm and probing, while Cause and Effect is guarded and contemptuous but increasingly wary. The chapter ends on Li Xinghe’s ominous rhetorical question about the Devil Lord of Destruction, hinting at more plans to come.