Chapter Summaries

Qu Jianlei baited the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon into a trap and unleashed the power that had destroyed one of its source Devil Qi Clusters, while the distant Book Pavilion ship witnessed Red Leaf Ridge’s apparent destruction. The survivors prepared for a possible attack but chose to trust Red Leaf Ridge rather than rush to its aid.

• Qu Jianlei increased the Dao Stele’s pressure, closed the box, and teleported away while Light-based Talismans delayed the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon.
• The Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon realized the white-light fluctuations came from the power that had destroyed its source Devil Qi Cluster and fled in terror.
• The Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon recalled how it had investigated Red Leaf Ridge, underestimated its resources, and slowly pressed Qu Jianlei while trying to control the Artifact Spirit.
• The Book Pavilion cultivators saw Red Leaf Ridge’s Battalion-Class Ship vanish in an explosion, and True Immortal Wuchen called it a sacrifice against the enemy.
• Jade Forest Matron ordered the Book Pavilion ship to remain alert, declined Empty Valley Instructor’s offer to provide support, and said they had to trust Red Leaf Ridge’s capabilities.

Qu Jianlei learned that the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon he had wounded would likely hibernate rather than die, and he considered whether to use his Dao Stele to finish it at greater cost. After revealing that his Dao Stele held the Luck Rule, he showed the Obsessions a Curse Art, which Hypocrite judged especially effective against Heavenly Demons.

• Qu Jianlei and his companions escaped aboard a Battalion-Class Ship, and Hypocrite explained that the wounded Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon would eventually hibernate rather than be killed.
• Qu Jianlei questioned whether he could destroy the demon completely, and the Violent Obsession proposed using the Dao Stele to reverse causality at a cost to Qu Jianlei and the Broken Axe.
• Jing Yuexin reminded Qu Jianlei that the group had waited five days and urged him to rest, while Hypocrite warned that the demon might still be dangerous.
• Qu Jianlei revealed that his Dao Stele held the Luck Rule and asked whether his Curse Art could kill an Out-of-Body cultivator.
• The Obsessions inspected Qu Jianlei’s Nascent Soul-level Curse Art, and Hypocrite said its ingenious method was especially effective against Heavenly Demons.

Qu Jianlei and the Obsessions prepared to use the Ritual Artifact to locate the severely injured Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon, while the Book Pavilion's warship learned Red Leaf Ridge was still safe. Jing Yuexin revealed that Red Leaf Ridge planned to hunt the demon with a secret technique, and Jade Forest Matron warned that driving it into hibernation would be enough.

• Jing Yuexin asked about the cost of using the Dao Stele, and Violent Obsession urged Qu Jianlei to let the Ritual Artifact observe it.
• Qu Jianlei tried to communicate with the Dao Stele, then moved it far from the ships while Hypocrite warned him to soothe it if it became displeased.
• The Artifact Spirit guided Jade Forest Matron toward Red Leaf Ridge and confirmed that Qu Jianlei and the others were safe.
• Jade Forest Matron's crew contacted Jing Yuexin, who reported that the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon was severely injured and might send its Remnant Soul to invade.
• Jing Yuexin said Red Leaf Ridge was using a secret technique to hunt the Out-of-Body cultivator, leaving the Book Pavilion's crew stunned.
• Jade Forest Matron advised Jing Yuexin that forcing the Heavenly Demon into hibernation would be sufficient and defended the Book Pavilion's knowledge.

Qu Jianlei used a Curse Art to target the wounded Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon, while the fleet changed course to evade the Heavenly Demon's retaliation. As the ritual passed its halfway point, the demon sent Yin Cold Qi toward Jing Yuexin's ship and discovered that its Book Pavilion target was full of troublesome opponents.

• Jing Yuexin agreed that the Heavenly Demon remained a threat, and Jade Forest Matron asked her to check whether anyone aboard the warships had been corrupted.
• Qu Jianlei set up a Curse Art formation with the Cloud Crown and began the thirteen-day ritual, while Tian Yin repeatedly treated him with Light Therapy.
• Qu Jianlei told Tian Yin to have the fleet change direction because the Heavenly Demon might send subordinates after them, and Jing Yuexin warned the Book Pavilion's ship.
• The three Battalion-Class Ships changed course for several days and fought off small groups of Heavenly Demons without getting drawn into prolonged battles.
• After more than half the ritual's duration had passed, Yin Cold Qi reached Jing Yuexin's ship, and the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon focused on the distant Book Pavilion warship and recognized its occupants as troublesome opponents.

The Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon made a final gamble as the Dao Stele unleashed a massive, targeted eruption that destroyed Qu Jianlei’s Battalion-Class Ship and threatened the ships nearby. Jing Yuexin deployed a Sub-Nest and a Division Level Ship to withstand the coming battle, but Mu Yu reported that High-Fidelity Replica could not contact the First One.

• On the ninth day, the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon tried to attack Tian Yin, but the Dao Stele’s eruption forced it to retreat.
• On the eleventh day, the Dao Stele erupted with overwhelming pressure and attack beams that Qu Jianlei believed were striking through Causality Lines.
• The Dao Stele destroyed the Battalion-Class Ship carrying Qu Jianlei, who survived unharmed, while the nearby ship began to buckle.
• Jing Yuexin ordered the deployment of a Sub-Nest and a Division Level Ship, and the group moved inside while the Broken Axe stayed outside.
• Mu Yu arrived and said that High-Fidelity Replica could not contact the First One.

Jing Yuexin and the others endured the Dao Stele’s pressure and the Heavenly Demons’ attacks while waiting for news of Qu Jianlei. As the ritual reached its climax, the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon was destroyed, but Hypocrite did not reveal Qu Jianlei’s condition.

• Jing Yuexin refused to release the Great Hammer and the others, while the team remained unable to contact Qu Jianlei.
• The Book Pavilion’s Battalion-Class Ship withdrew as Devil Qi battered the Sub-Nest, and Jing Yuexin refused to risk the Small Tripod while Qu Jianlei might still need it.
• After Claire noticed that no new Devil Qi Clusters were arriving, the Heroic Spirits told Jing Yuexin that the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon’s counterattack had likely ended, though the final hours remained critical.
• When the expected deadline passed without a major fluctuation, Jing Yuexin ordered everyone to keep holding on; then the Dao Stele’s pressure surged and Broken Axe released a vast aura.
• The team sensed a persistent void fluctuation that carried conflicting emotions, and Hypocrite announced that the ritual was resolved and the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon had been destroyed.
• Jing Yuexin asked about Qu Jianlei, but Hypocrite did not answer.

Qu Jianlei thanked the Dao Stele for finishing the curse against the Out-of-Body Heavenly Cat and protecting him, then recovered while Red Leaf Ridge regrouped and returned toward the passage. Afterward, he learned Xiao Hu had used digital simulations of High-Fidelity Replica and Gold Digger to help defend his Sea of Consciousness during the battle.

• Qu Jianlei concluded that the Dao Stele had continued the curse to settle its karma, thanked it, and resolved to find more Fate Rules.
• Jing Yuexin brought Qu Jianlei to the Abode to rest, then coordinated the retrieval of the Sub-Nest after Broken Axe's fluctuations faded.
• Jing Yuexin told Jade Forest Matron that the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon had been defeated, and Red Leaf Ridge helped Book Pavilion disperse the remaining Heavenly Devil Qi.
• Jing Yuexin revealed that Red Leaf Ridge's round weapon was a damaged Level Three Asura nest, then the two Battalion-Class Ships swept Heavenly Devil Qi as they traveled toward the passage.
• After five days in Black Colt Tower, Qu Jianlei questioned Xiao Hu and learned it had used digital simulations of High-Fidelity Replica and Gold Digger to help defend his Sea of Consciousness.

Qu Jianlei and his team returned to the Cangwu Realm after defeating the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon, where five-colored light marked the cultivator’s fall and benefited Red Leaf Ridge. The damaged Sealing Grand Array and a recent Heavenly Demon invasion left the other factions demanding an explanation.

• Qu Jianlei spoke with Xiao Hu about secretly testing his Sea of Consciousness and told him to seek permission before repeating such experiments.
• The team reviewed the battle, chose to keep the Sub-Nest that could shelter a Division Level Ship, and refined a smaller nest into Restoration Fluid.
• Red Leaf Ridge’s warship and the Book Pavilion’s ship encountered an unresponsive Sealing Grand Array and five-colored light that passed through Red Leaf Ridge’s hull.
• The obstruction vanished, and both ships emerged into the Cangwu Realm as the light continued to envelop Red Leaf Ridge’s warship.
• Qu Jianlei identified the light as the phenomenon of an Out-of-Body Realm cultivator’s fall, while Tian Yin sensed that it enhanced light-element power.
• Jade Forest Matron confronted the Scripture Master of Dao Palace about the damaged array, and he explained that the Heavenly Demons had broken through its weak point during a large-scale invasion.

After Red Leaf Ridge returned from killing an Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon, Jing Yuexin explained their use of a Curse Art to the gathered leaders of the Cangwu Realm. The chapter ended with her urging unity while admitting she could not confirm whether more Out-of-Body Heavenly Demons remained.

• The Scripture Master of Dao Palace recognized the Five-Colored Light Beam as a sign that cultivators had returned, and Jade Forest Matron confirmed they had hunted down the Out-of-Body Realm.
• Jade Forest Matron and True Immortal Wuchen confirmed that the Out-of-Body Heavenly Demons had been erased, while Jing Yuexin revealed that Red Leaf Ridge had used a Curse Art acquired from the Forgotten Peninsula.
• True Immortal Yongheng suggested that Ridge Lord Qu had endured manageable backlash, and Jing Yuexin said Red Leaf Ridge had gone prepared to perish together.
• Jade Forest Matron confirmed that Red Leaf Ridge had used powerful magical treasures and that the Heavenly Demons' assault on the Channel Entrance had been an attempt to rescue their Out-of-Body ally.
• Jing Yuexin could not guarantee that only one Out-of-Body Heavenly Demon existed, but urged everyone to stand united and face the Heavenly Demons bravely.

Jing Yuexin deflected questions about Red Leaf Ridge's role in defending Cangwu and directed cultivators to rely on Star Palace for judgments about retaliation. She negotiated with Bitter Sea over its Withering Prosperity Rule and Restoration Fluid, while the Art Academy offered to have the Art Venerable register a Slaughter Rule; the talks remained unresolved.

• Jing Yuexin said all cultivators shared responsibility for resisting Heavenly Demons and directed questions about their tactics and West Ox Embrace Province's safety to Star Palace.
• Bitter Sea's elder offered the Withering Prosperity Rule, and Jing Yuexin accepted it while explaining that rules needed to improve combat strength quickly.
• Jing Yuexin said Bitter Sea could trade for one or two hundred portions of Restoration Fluid by providing a list of treasures, and the elder tried to negotiate for three hundred.
• True Immortal Beihai introduced the Art Academy's offer after Jing Yuexin rejected a proposal involving its Restricted Area on Forgotten Peninsula.
• True Immortal Beihai said the Art Academy could consider the Slaughter Rule because the Art Venerable could register it.

Jing Yuexin negotiated with the Art Academy and Bitter Sea over rules, Light Arts, and Restoration Fluid. Bitter Sea offered two rules for five hundred portions, and Jiang Hui’s remarks suggested the fluid was needed for a major repair.

• Jing Yuexin agreed to give the Art Academy Jade Tablets containing improved Light Arts in exchange for rules, with Elder Beihai promising to pursue the Guardian Rule.
• Jing Yuexin offered Bitter Sea the Devouring Rule and discussed Bitter Sea’s request to purchase five hundred portions of Space Repair Fluid.
• Jing Yuexin proposed fifty portions of Restoration Fluid for the Withering Prosperity Rule, and the Bitter Sea elder countered with two rules for five hundred portions.
• Jiang Hui explained that Wither and Flourish involved only Suiyue, a branch of the Time Rule, and asked if the trade was inconvenient.
• Jing Hui agreed to the trade, then said five hundred portions could not be gathered even from a Tier 3 Bubble, leaving Jiang Hui stunned.

After completing the exchange for a Guardian Rule and returning to Red Leaf Ridge, Qu Jianlei consulted the Heroic Spirits about how to use the new rules. They realized Wither and Flourish might activate the Heart of Time, leaving them uncertain which of its many possible uses to pursue.

• Jade Forest Matron returned and explained that the Asuras had used a Tier 3 Bubble to kill an Out-of-Body Realm opponent, while Qu Jianlei negotiated with Bitter Sea's elder and Jiang Hui about rules and Asura Bubbles.
• Five days later, Red Leaf Ridge completed its transaction with Bitter Sea, obtaining a Guardian Rule and delivering the remaining Mortal Warships before its Battalion-Class Ship departed for Central Province.
• After Red Leaf Ridge confirmed the Channel Entrance was sealed, large numbers of settlers moved into West Ox Embrace Province, whose population and prosperity grew over the following years.
• Half a month after returning to Red Leaf Ridge, Qu Jianlei's Broken Axe and its Heroic Spirits recovered, and they advised him to wait before absorbing the second Guardian Rule and to seek a Slaughter Rule for the Broken Blade.
• Qu Jianlei asked about Wither and Flourish, then discovered that it might activate the Heart of Time; the Heroic Spirits recognized the combination's many powerful possible uses.

Qu Jianlei considered modifying the Black Colt Tower with the Withering Prosperity Rule and Heart of Time while Red Leaf Ridge dealt with visitors seeking information about the Forgotten Peninsula. Jia Shuiqing then invited Dongsheng factions to explore the peninsula, and all twelve major factions signed up under the Cultivator Alliance’s protection.

• Qu Jianlei discussed using the Withering Prosperity Rule and Heart of Time to improve the Black Colt Tower, then proposed examining the Portable Abode and its rules.
• Transformation Master Wen Yu visited Red Leaf Ridge with Huo Jiujian and offered information about Forgotten Peninsula Folded Spaces that might contain Small World Ritual Artifacts.
• Jia Shuiqing rejected Wen Yu’s Jade Tablet and asked for information about origins or rules instead; Wen Yu agreed to prepare relevant materials.
• Jia Shuiqing and Jing Yuexin questioned Wen Yu’s motives, while Duo Gan suggested making more allies rather than disturbing Qu Jianlei in seclusion.
• Red Leaf Ridge invited like-minded companions to explore the Forgotten Peninsula, and all twelve major Dongsheng factions registered after the Cultivator Alliance promised patrol support.

Red Leaf Ridge led a large Dongsheng expedition to the Forgotten Peninsula, then sent Claire, Yuanyuan, and Rhine to help maintain order as visitors from Central Province arrived. After Rhine returned to the Ridge, Qinghu reported news from Central Province, and the group discussed Bitter Sea’s plan to raise Heavenly Demons.

• Paranoid and Mu Yu led twelve Nascent Soul Realm cultivators and five hundred Golden Core Realm cultivators from Dongsheng onto the Forgotten Peninsula.
• Ji Xiaohua asked Red Leaf Ridge to help guard Dongsheng as reduced staffing and conflicts with visitors from Central Province strained local oversight.
• Fairy Qi Ya sent Claire, Yuanyuan, and Rhine to assist Ji Xiaohua, and the three quickly settled several disputes.
• Claire and Yuanyuan intimidated troublemakers while Rhine handled the aftermath, restoring order among visitors from Central Province.
• Rhine returned to Red Leaf Ridge and reunited with Bentley as Qinghu came back from Liuguang City with materials and news.
• Rhine and Qinghu told Jing Yuexin that Bitter Sea was raising Heavenly Demons, prompting discussion of the plan and Four Sages Mountain’s divided stance.

Jing Yuexin arranged a collaboration between Red Leaf Ridge, Star Palace, and Book Pavilion to study raising Heavenly Demons using Demon-Corrupted Human corpses and other resources. As Claire was brought into the project, Paranoid and Mu Yu returned from a Secret Realm expedition with losses among the other cultivators.

• Rhine told Jing Yuexin and Qinghu that someone from Hall Master Jiang's faction had suggested Claire could raise Heavenly Demons, and Jing Yuexin agreed to discuss the idea with First One.
• After Dai Wanwan rotated Claire back from her post, Red Leaf Ridge's plan drew Hall Master Jiang and Jade Forest Matron, who offered Star Palace's Demon-Corrupted Human corpses and Book Pavilion's Art of Control.
• Jiang Hui offered Star Palace's Soul Locking Banner, and Jing Yuexin, Jiang Hui, and Jade Forest Matron finalized a three-way collaboration before calling in Claire.
• True Immortal Qi Ya reported that Brother Chaoyun had returned after the expedition suffered losses, and Paranoid and Mu Yu arrived to confirm that none of their people had been lost.
• Paranoid asked Jing Yuexin whether Red Leaf Ridge should see off the departing fellow cultivators.

Jing Yuexin officially announced that Red Leaf Ridge, Star Palace, and the Book Pavilion would cooperate on researching Heavenly Demons, while Paranoid recounted the expedition’s gains. Back at Red Leaf Ridge, Jing Yuexin and Duo Gan agreed to let Tian Yi decide who should receive the Source of Fire, leaving Qu Jianlei to confront the team’s growing competition for advancement resources.

• Jing Yuexin announced the Heavenly Demon research effort to the expedition members and invited objections, information, and participation.
• Paranoid reported that the expedition had gained a Source of Fire, an Earth Source, treasures, and a domesticated Iron Wing Bee swarm, surprising Jiang Hui and Jade Forest Matron.
• Jade Forest Matron and Jiang Hui discussed dividing the work of raising Heavenly Demons before leaving to prepare.
• Jing Yuexin and Duo Gan discussed who should receive the Source of Fire and agreed to leave the decision to Tian Yi.
• Qu Jianlei learned from the Artifact Spirit about the dispute and worried that the team’s many Nascent Soul Realm cultivators would compete for scarce chances to reach the Out-of-Body Realm.

Qu Jianlei helped Red Leaf Ridge establish a formation to raise Heavenly Demons, while searching for the vanished Yi He and wondering whether he had left by choice. After the formation was completed, Jiao Daoren warned that something felt wrong about the project.

• Qu Jianlei ended his secluded cultivation as Red Leaf Ridge prepared to raise Heavenly Demons, and Xing Tong began designing a formation with the Soul Locking Banner.
• Jade Forest Matron brought San He to review Xing Tong’s work, while Dao Palace’s Guan Fei sought to join the project and was rejected.
• Qu Jianlei discovered Yi He and the Nightmare Transformation Demon Essence were missing, then learned that Yi He had flown out of the Portable Abode two or three months earlier.
• Jing Yuexin persuaded Qu Jianlei not to divine Yi He’s whereabouts unless he received signs that Yi He was in danger.
• Xing Tong completed the revised formation with materials from Star Palace, Book Pavilion, and Red Leaf Ridge, and the participants placed Heavenly Devil Qi and Heavenly Demons inside it.
• After the ceremony, Jiao Daoren told Qu Jianlei that he sensed something was wrong and offered to give up Cloud Crown.

Qu Jianlei oversaw Red Leaf Ridge’s new array for raising Heavenly Demons while investigating the motives of True Immortal San He, the Book Pavilion’s Third Pavilion Lord. San He exchanged a Ritual Artifact for information about the Righteous Sect and Righteous Qi, then demanded Qu Jianlei repair or replace the Spring Examination Brush.

• Red Leaf Ridge completed the Encircle Devil Grand Array near its settlement and began receiving sealed Heavenly Demons from cultivators across Central Province.
• True Immortal Guan Fei brought Heavenly Demons to test the array, but True Immortal San He pointed out a flaw in the seal’s array patterns.
• Qu Jianlei recognized San He’s interest in the Dao Stele and confronted him about his concealed identity and earlier divination.
• San He asked about Qu Jianlei’s powerful aura, Claire’s aptitude, and the search for Ritual Artifacts, and Qu Jianlei revealed that Transformation Master Wen Yu had acted against a Ritual Artifact.
• San He gave Qu Jianlei a Sinan that was a Ritual Artifact in exchange for information about the Righteous Sect and Righteous Qi.
• When Qu Jianlei struggled to explain what he knew about web novels and Wang Luoxiao, San He demanded that he repair the Spring Examination Brush or provide a replacement.

Qu Jianlei accepted the Third Pavilion Lord’s damaged Spring Examination Brush for possible repair and received a Ritual Artifact as a meeting gift. Their discussion turned to the Forgotten Peninsula, where Qu Jianlei’s separated soul-body companion was missing, and the Third Pavilion Lord warned him that Wen Yu was not simple.

• Qu Jianlei refused to promise he could repair the Spring Examination Brush, but the Third Pavilion Lord gave him a Ritual Artifact and asked him to try anyway.
• Qu Jianlei accepted the broken Spring Examination Brush and promised to offer another token of goodwill if he could not repair it.
• Qu Jianlei asked why there were no Heavenly Demons in the Forgotten Peninsula’s Folded Space, and the Third Pavilion Lord suspected the upper realm had hidden defenses against outside intrusions.
• Qu Jianlei revealed that his soul-body companion had become separated from the group during an expedition urged by Wen Yu.
• The Third Pavilion Lord said Wen Yu was not simple and dismissed Sanjiang Commander as a muddlehead, prompting Qu Jianlei to consider their relationship.

Qu Jianlei consulted the Heroic Spirits about Sinan, Yi He’s disappearance, and the Spring Examination Brush. The spirits judged Yi He likely safe but argued over the brush’s origins and whether it should be repaired.

• Qu Jianlei warned his companions about Yi He’s disappearance, and they debated whether to trust the Third Pavilion Lord or investigate Wen Yu.
• Qu Jianlei showed Sinan to the Heroic Spirits, who confirmed that its world had collapsed and scheduled the second Guardian Rule for half a month later.
• The Heroic Spirits judged that Yi He had likely been drawn away by vital forces and should be safe unless an Out-of-Body Realm cultivator had set him up.
• An Obsession recognized the Spring Examination Brush, objected to Qu Jianlei repairing it, and revealed that it was an outsider who had once protected Broken Axe.
• Qu Jianlei explained that the brush’s owner was connected to the Righteous Sect, while the Obsession dismissed its supposed descendants and left Qu Jianlei unsure whether to repair the artifact.