Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Treasure Vault”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng orders Scorpion Lady to capture the Snakefolk elder and defeat the remaining Snakefolk if they continue resisting.
• Using the strong winds, Scorpion Lady scatters the Snakefolk military formation and captures the elder with her Soul-Locking Hook.
• Chen Cheng demands only the Windspirit Crystals from the royal treasure vault, threatening to destroy the Snakefolk race if they refuse to cooperate.
• Recognizing that Chen Cheng is powerful enough to exterminate them, the elder orders the Snakefolk to withdraw.
• At Windward City’s Royal Palace, the elder reveals that he does not possess the key to the treasure vault.
• The vault doors are made from extremely durable Outer Realm Crystal. Scorpion Lady cannot damage them, but Chen Cheng removes the entire massive door through sheer physical strength and stores it away.
• Inside, they discover enormous piles of Windspirit Crystals accumulated over several hundred years.
• Scorpion Lady also finds rare divine-artifact materials and a fist-sized Wind Marrow Crystal, a treasure capable of helping a wind-element mage attain the Dao.
• Chen Cheng chooses not to take the valuable materials, instructing Scorpion Lady to return them, but accepts the Wind Marrow Crystal after the Snakefolk elder offers it to him.
• The group leaves the remaining treasures arranged so that no one can tell the vault was searched.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates both overwhelming power and calculated restraint. He is willing to threaten an entire race but does not want to destroy the Snakefolk unnecessarily.
• His ability to lift and remove the Outer Realm Crystal door highlights his extraordinary physical strength.
• Chen Cheng shows some sense of fairness by leaving most of the vault’s treasures behind, though his eagerness to take the Wind Marrow Crystal reveals his practical greed and enthusiasm for valuable resources.
• Scorpion Lady remains a capable and obedient subordinate, effortlessly defeating the Snakefolk formation and locating valuable treasures. However, Chen Cheng’s warning frightens her, emphasizing the gap between their powers.
• The Snakefolk elder shifts from resistance to submission once he recognizes Chen Cheng’s superiority. He prioritizes preserving his people and later appeases Chen Cheng by voluntarily offering the Wind Marrow Crystal.
• The Green Snake King, though absent, gains Chen Cheng’s admiration because of the king’s ability to command loyal subordinates even in his absence.

Significant Themes

• Power and submission: The Snakefolk’s resistance collapses when confronted with Chen Cheng’s overwhelming strength, showing how power determines negotiations.
• Mercy and restraint: Chen Cheng threatens annihilation but ultimately allows the Snakefolk to survive and leaves most of their treasures untouched.
• Pragmatism over morality: Chen Cheng’s actions are driven by his desire for Windspirit Crystals, yet he balances self-interest with a practical refusal to cause unnecessary destruction.
• Treasure and value: The chapter contrasts rare materials, massive wealth, and personal usefulness. The Outer Realm Crystal is nearly indestructible but cumbersome, while the Wind Marrow Crystal is prized for its cultivation benefits.
• Fear and diplomacy: The elder’s fear leads him to cooperate and even offer additional treasure, demonstrating how intimidation can produce voluntary concessions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng directly confronts the Snakefolk elder, combining threats with assurances that he does not wish to exterminate the race.
• Scorpion Lady acts as Chen Cheng’s enforcer, defeating the Snakefolk and testing the vault’s defenses.
• The elder tries to explain and justify the Snakefolk’s earlier actions, then offers the Wind Marrow Crystal to maintain Chen Cheng’s goodwill.
• Chen Cheng and Scorpion Lady briefly disagree over the practicality of breaking through the vault door, but Chen Cheng resolves the problem through brute strength.

Chapter Summary: “Snake Becoming a Dragon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Scorpion Lady restores the stolen treasures, Chen Cheng approaches a massive hoard of Windspirit Crystals, likely accumulated over thousands of years.
• When he takes some crystals, a hidden creature bites through his palm. The attacker is revealed to be the Green Snake King, now in a transformed form: a small emerald snake with four feet and a single horn.
• The Green Snake King reveals that Chen Cheng has been poisoned by her wind poison and arrogantly claims superiority over Scorpion Lady and the others.
• A snakefolk elder recognizes her as his Queen and breaks down in remorse. Instead of condemning him, she assures him that trading away treasures to protect their people was the correct decision.
• Scorpion Lady attacks and demands the antidote, threatening both the Green Snake King and her clansmen. The Green Snake King responds by unleashing powerful dragon might.
• Chen Cheng protects Scorpion Lady from the attack and realizes that the Green Snake King is undergoing a transformation similar to the legendary Serpent Dragon, moving toward becoming a Flood Dragon.
• The Green Snake King is shocked that Chen Cheng understands her hidden ambitions and identity. She explains that she concealed her transformation because the people of this world would regard her goal as madness.
• After a vicious exchange, the Green Snake King attacks Chen Cheng directly. He defeats her effortlessly with his Divine Domain.
• Chen Cheng begins collecting the Windspirit Crystals. The Green Snake King panics, revealing that the crystals are essential to her cultivation and dragon transformation.
• Ignoring her pleas, Chen Cheng takes the crystals as compensation for the injury and poison she inflicted on him.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates confidence in his strength and resistance to the Green Snake King’s poison. He also shows greater knowledge of ancient dragon transformations than the people of this world, allowing him to identify her true nature and ambitions.
• The Green Snake King is revealed to be far more powerful and unusual than her public identity suggests. She is secretly cultivating toward becoming a Flood Dragon or Divine Dragon, while using shed bodies or husks to appear publicly. Despite her arrogance and ruthlessness, she genuinely cares about preserving her clan and views the Windspirit Crystals as vital to her future.
• Scorpion Lady remains fiercely protective of Chen Cheng and aggressively confronts the Green Snake King. However, the Green Snake King’s insults expose Scorpion Lady’s shameful past efforts to strengthen her own bloodline.
• The snakefolk elder is shown to be deeply loyal to his Queen and emotionally overwhelmed upon finding her alive. His willingness to sacrifice the clan’s treasures reflects his commitment to protecting his people.
• Chen Cheng’s opinion of the Land of Sin’s inhabitants becomes more cynical as he witnesses the cruelty and moral corruption of both women, contrasting them with his favorable view of She Li.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and ambition: The Green Snake King’s evolution from snake toward dragon symbolizes her enormous ambition and willingness to risk everything for power and transcendence.
• Hidden identities: The Queen’s public persona is only a disguise; her true body and long-term plans remain concealed even from her own people.
• Power and dominance: Chen Cheng’s effortless victory establishes the difference between his strength and that of a creature still in the process of becoming a dragon.
• Moral corruption and survival: Characters in the Land of Sin routinely commit brutal acts—including consuming offspring or sacrificing treasures—to gain power or protect their groups.
• Possession and resource conflict: The Windspirit Crystals represent both the Green Snake King’s hope for advancement and Chen Cheng’s compensation, turning her secret cultivation resource into the object of their immediate conflict.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the Green Snake King: Their encounter shifts from surprise and attempted poisoning to open confrontation. Chen Cheng recognizes her dragon potential but refuses to submit to her threats, ultimately defeating and exploiting her.
• Chen Cheng and Scorpion Lady: Chen Cheng shields Scorpion Lady from the Green Snake King’s dragon roar and later rebukes her for provoking the argument.
• Scorpion Lady and the Green Snake King: Their hostility is personal and deeply insulting. They attack each other’s bloodlines, origins, and methods of pursuing power.
• The Green Snake King and the snakefolk elder: Their reunion shows the Queen’s pragmatic compassion; she forgives the elder for trading away the clan’s treasures because he acted to preserve their people.

Chapter Summary: “Sounding Things Out Indirectly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Green Snake King breaks down in tears as Chen Cheng takes a large quantity of her Windspirit Crystals. Although he removes only about one-thousandth of the enormous hoard, the amount is still enough to fill a person-sized chest.
• Chen Cheng also obtains a Wind Marrow Crystal, a rare treasure capable of causing mutations and especially suitable for Fini’s cultivation and Dao harmonization.
• The Green Snake King’s emotional outburst shocks everyone, particularly the snakefolk elder, who remembers raising her as a child. After Chen Cheng leaves, she comforts herself by eating Windspirit Crystals and immediately resumes her greedy, indulgent behavior.
• Chen Cheng and Scorpion Lady leave Windward City and rejoin the main force, traveling south toward Jadewave Pool.
• On the journey, Scorpion Lady explains the history of Jadewave Pool. It once belonged to the Heaven-Rending Crane, who supposedly died while competing for Divine Essence. His alleged killers were the Bull Devil King, the Pigman King, and the Swallowing-Moon Toad, though no corpse was found and none of the three seemed to have gained power from consuming him.
• Scorpion Lady recounts the terrifying strength of Samlet. She clarifies that Samlet’s defeat was not truly at the hands of Smog, but of a True God whom Smog summoned. Even while fighting that True God without using his full power, Samlet escaped and wounded him.
• Chen Cheng reflects on Samlet’s past and realizes that the collapse of the Thornflower Empire likely weakened him. He also concludes that Samlet is nearing the point of breaking through the Human-Heaven Boundary, making him a threat that the God of Light must weaken indirectly.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains ruthless and pragmatic, casually robbing the Green Snake King while feeling only mild embarrassment at her childish crying. He is also increasingly analytical about the political and cosmic forces surrounding Samlet.
• The Green Snake King is revealed to be both cunning and extremely childish, with a deep attachment to her Windspirit Crystals. Her tantrum temporarily undermines the fear and dignity associated with her position, while her immediate return to eating crystals emphasizes her greed and hedonism.
• Scorpion Lady continues to serve as Chen Cheng’s informant and guide. Her attitude toward Samlet reveals both fear and admiration, as well as a lingering desire to see humanity break through the heavens and achieve true godhood.
• The snakefolk elder displays a parental relationship with the Green Snake King, treating her like the child he once raised rather than merely as a ruler.
• Samlet, though absent, is characterized as an overwhelmingly powerful and nearly invincible figure whose strength exceeds common perceptions. His decline after the Thornflower Empire’s collapse may be significant, but he remains a major threat.

Significant Themes

• Power beneath appearances: The Green Snake King’s childish behavior contrasts with her status and influence, while Samlet’s seemingly gentle image conceals terrifying strength.
• Greed and indulgence: The Green Snake King’s obsession with Windspirit Crystals provides comic relief but also portrays the corrupting, tyrannical pleasures of power.
• Fear and admiration of greatness: Scorpion Lady’s description of Samlet shows how the strongest beings inspire both terror and reverence.
• Indirect political manipulation: The chapter emphasizes how powerful forces, especially the God of Light, act through schemes rather than direct confrontation when facing someone who cannot be openly challenged.
• Breaking cosmic limitations: Samlet’s possible destruction of the Human-Heaven Boundary represents the ultimate struggle against restrictions imposed by the world’s laws and the Sequence Ascension Path.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng’s robbery provokes the Green Snake King’s hysterical grief, creating a comic reversal in which the thief seems almost guilty while the victim behaves like a spoiled child.
• The snakefolk elder comforts the Green Snake King in a distinctly parental manner, promising to replenish her hoard.
• Chen Cheng and Scorpion Lady travel together and discuss the history of Jadewave Pool, the deaths of legendary figures, and Samlet’s battle with a True God.
• Their conversation allows Chen Cheng to test Scorpion Lady’s knowledge and better understand Samlet’s reputation, strength, and the political motives behind the God of Light’s actions.

Chapter Summary: “The Big Toad”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group reflects on Samlet, a legendary cultivator who remained loyal to the Immortal Empire even as it collapsed. Noah praises him as an ideal hero, while Scorpion Lady admits that, despite considering his loyalty foolish, she deeply respects his determination.
• Samlet’s failure to reach the Sequence Ascension Path caused later cultivators to doubt whether Sequence Apotheosis was real. Chen Cheng’s own successful ascension in the Present World restored confidence in those legends.
• After passing through the Fufeng Domain without interference from the Green Snake King, Chen Cheng’s group reaches Jadewave Pool.
• They learn that the pool belongs to the Swallowing-Moon Toad, a powerful creature who usually hides beneath the water and emerges only during the full moon to consume moonlight—and any living beings unfortunate enough to be seen.
• Jelina correctly predicts that the full moon is imminent. Although the others worry about becoming liabilities if a battle occurs, Chen Cheng confidently claims he can handle the toad.
• On the full-moon night, the group detects the unnaturally still waters of Jadewave Pool and prepares for an attack.
• The Swallowing-Moon Toad strikes first with its tongue, but She Li blocks it. The toad then erupts from the pool and attempts to swallow She Li with its powerful suction.
• She Li’s blade cannot penetrate the toad’s Snow Toad Garment, but Chen Cheng punches the toad in the head, knocking it back into the water.
• Scorpion Lady attacks with her Soul-Locking Hook, but the toad resists and mocks her for joining forces with humans.
• Enraged, Scorpion Lady threatens to destroy the toad. He responds by unleashing Cold-Moon Heavenly Water, later identified as refined Moonlight Essence capable of instantly freezing and shattering anything it touches.
• The chapter ends as four deadly water arrows fly toward Chen Cheng and the other powerful fighters.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng continues to display supreme confidence and strength. He remains unwilling to provoke powerful beings unnecessarily, but readily accepts combat when attacked.
• Noah idealizes Samlet and views his unwavering loyalty as the model of a true hero.
• Scorpion Lady reveals hidden admiration for Samlet’s perseverance, despite openly criticizing his devotion to the fallen Empire. Her pride and fiery temper are also exposed when the toad insults her.
• Jelina demonstrates her value as a navigator by accurately determining the approach of the full moon through tidal patterns.
• She Li acts as the group’s first defensive line, bravely blocking the toad’s initial attack even though his weapon cannot pierce its protection.
• The Swallowing-Moon Toad is established as powerful, arrogant, and mocking, relying on both exceptional defenses and dangerous lunar-based abilities.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and heroic perseverance: Samlet’s devotion to the Immortal Empire is portrayed as both tragic and admirable.
• Failure and renewed faith: Samlet’s inability to ascend caused despair among later cultivators, while Chen Cheng’s success revived belief in the path to higher cultivation.
• Strength and confidence: Chen Cheng’s calm attitude contrasts with the group’s caution and the toad’s boastful confidence.
• Nature and cosmic order: The moon is revealed to have a vital role in sustaining the world’s sun, suggesting that seemingly familiar celestial bodies possess deeper, hidden functions.
• Pride and provocation: Insults quickly turn the encounter into a personal conflict, particularly between Scorpion Lady and the Swallowing-Moon Toad.

Character Interactions

• Noah and Scorpion Lady bond indirectly over their respect for Samlet, though they interpret his loyalty differently.
• Chen Cheng reassures the group that he can contain the toad, encouraging Liphia and the others to trust his power.
• She Li directly clashes with the toad during its opening attack.
• Scorpion Lady and the toad exchange insults, with the toad accusing her of becoming a human lackey and Scorpion Lady responding with a threat.
• The final confrontation escalates when the toad attacks Chen Cheng and the other fighters with freezing Moonlight Essence.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Swallowing-Moon Toad attacks Chen Cheng and his allies with Cold-Moon Heavenly Water, a bloodline-based divine ability capable of freezing space and even disrupting magic.
• Chen Cheng counters with “Kingdom in the Palm,” manipulating the space inside his Divine Kingdom so the freezing water must travel an enormous distance before reaching him.
• The toad attempts to evade Chen Cheng’s attack, but She Li and the others block his escape routes.
• He then uses “Swallowmoon,” opening his mouth like a black hole and swallowing the allies’ attacks. He also tries to devour Chen Cheng, nearly tearing apart Chen Cheng’s Divine Kingdom.
• Scorpion Lady and Kui Niu enter the Divine Kingdom to help stabilize it and suppress the toad’s suction force.
• Chen Cheng summons his Divine Soul, carrying condensed yellow earth. The Swallowing-Moon Toad recognizes it as a genuine Immortal Soul, not an ordinary Divine Soul, and becomes terrified.
• The toad withdraws his ability after exhausting his strength and begins pleading with Chen Cheng, revealing that he is a descendant of the Moon-Devouring Great Immortal from beyond this world.
• He explains that his bloodline degenerated after becoming trapped in this barren world. Lacking proper inherited memories, he followed this world’s flawed cultivation system and merged with its lifeless Divine Essence to reach the Legendary realm.
• Once he merged with the Dao, his true bloodline memories awakened—but his cultivation foundation had already been ruined.
• The toad begs Chen Cheng to take him along when he eventually ascends, offering to become Chen Cheng’s cultivation protector.
• Chen Cheng considers the proposal because the toad remains a powerful Legendary combatant and can unleash a temporary attack at the Legendary Pinnacle level.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates superior control over spatial laws and remains calm under the toad’s powerful attacks. His Immortal Soul reveals that his cultivation has reached a level far beyond what the natives understand.
• He also shows strategic intelligence, recognizing the Swallowing-Moon Toad as a valuable source of information about the outside world and the foreign Gods and Devils.
• The Swallowing-Moon Toad shifts from a savage enemy to a frightened, regretful supplicant. His pride collapses once he realizes Chen Cheng is connected to the immortal realm.
• The toad’s backstory reveals that his current form and flawed cultivation are the results of bloodline degeneration and a disastrous decision to merge with the world’s Divine Essence.
• Scorpion Lady and Kui Niu become essential allies by helping Chen Cheng defend his Divine Kingdom during the crisis.
• Chen Cheng’s companions begin to understand why he warned them never to merge with this world’s Divine Essence.

Significant Themes

• The danger of taking the wrong cultivation path: The toad’s ruined foundation illustrates that merging with the world’s Divine Essence may grant power but permanently limits future progress.
• Knowledge beyond one’s world: The toad and Chen Cheng possess awareness of higher realms and cultivation systems, separating them from ordinary natives.
• Regret and lost potential: Both the toad and the previously encountered Green Snake King have glimpsed superior paths but are trapped by mistakes made in this world.
• Appearances versus true power: The toad initially dismisses Chen Cheng and his allies as ignorant natives, but Chen Cheng’s Immortal Soul reveals a far higher status.
• The value of the current world: Chen Cheng believes this world may become an exceptional cultivation Holy Land once the God of Light’s control is removed, despite the toad viewing it only as a barren prison.
• Power and allegiance: The possibility of the toad becoming Chen Cheng’s protector introduces a potential alliance based on mutual benefit, future ascension, and karmic bonds.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the Swallowing-Moon Toad move from direct combat to interrogation and negotiation.
• The toad respectfully addresses Chen Cheng as an “Immortal” after recognizing his Immortal Soul, then begs to serve him.
• Chen Cheng questions the toad about his origins, bloodline, physical form, and cultivation history.
• Scorpion Lady and Kui Niu support Chen Cheng from within the Divine Kingdom, while She Li and the others limit the toad’s escape outside it.
• The encounter reinforces Chen Cheng’s role as a knowledgeable leader whose warnings about cultivation are gradually validated by his companions.

Chapter Summary: “The Polite Kappa”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng decides not to forcibly absorb the Swallowing-Moon Toad into his Divine Kingdom. Unlike Scorpion Lady, the toad possesses a powerful inherited foundation and would be difficult to refine and control.
• Instead, Chen Cheng allows the toad to accompany him as a subordinate, reasoning that the creature may be useful if kept cooperative.
• The Swallowing-Moon Toad shrinks into a small, upright form and wears the Snow Toad Garment, resembling a legendary kappa. Chen Cheng gives him the nickname Kappa.
• Kappa eagerly accepts the role of attendant and agrees to call Chen Cheng “Young Master,” following Scorpion Lady’s example rather than addressing him as an ancestor or immortal.
• Kappa offers to guide the group through hidden underwater currents beneath Jadewave Pool, allowing them to travel much faster.
• After resting overnight in Kappa’s palace on an island, the group crosses Jadewave Pool through a massive waterspout controlled by Kappa and arrives at Pigman Ridge.
• Chen Cheng explains the group’s roles for the journey toward Sin Abyss:
  • Liphia and She Li will protect the others.
  • Chen Cheng, Scorpion Lady, and Kappa will handle enemies and negotiations.
  • The group is warned not to create unnecessary trouble.
• Kappa offers to summon acquaintances in Pigman Ridge for assistance, but Chen Cheng rejects the idea, suspecting that Kappa may be trying to bring potential allies—or enemies—into the group.
• Scorpion Lady openly accuses Kappa of attempting to invite “wolves into the house,” leading to a sharp argument between them.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates caution and political intelligence. He recognizes Kappa’s value but does not trust him, choosing to control the situation through incentives rather than force.
• Kappa, formerly the Swallowing-Moon Toad, adopts the role of a polite and obedient attendant. His exaggerated courtesy helps him appear harmless, though his past strength and scheming nature remain obvious.
• Scorpion Lady remains suspicious and confrontational toward Kappa. She quickly identifies the danger in allowing him to contact outsiders and voices the concerns Chen Cheng keeps unstated.
• The group gains a faster means of transportation and prepares for the more dangerous journey toward Sin Abyss.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus suspicion: Kappa acts submissive, but Chen Cheng never forgets that he previously possessed enough power to threaten his Divine Kingdom.
• Power and control: Chen Cheng chooses strategic cooperation over immediate domination, recognizing that a useful subordinate may be more valuable than a forcibly controlled one.
• Appearance versus reality: Kappa’s small, courteous attendant form disguises the ferocity and strength of the giant toad he once was.
• Loyalty and self-interest: Kappa claims complete loyalty to Chen Cheng, but his desire to summon former acquaintances raises doubts about his true motives.
• Humor through role reversal: The once-powerful giant toad enthusiastically embraces the unattractive nickname “Kappa” and behaves like a servant, creating a comic contrast with his intimidating nature.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng exposes Kappa’s desire to benefit from following him, teasing him about hoping that his own advancement will bring benefits to his followers.
• Kappa willingly accepts the servant role and repeatedly refers to himself as Chen Cheng’s attendant.
• Chen Cheng and Kappa establish a new hierarchy, with Kappa calling him “Young Master.”
• Kappa proves his usefulness by controlling Jadewave Pool’s hidden currents and transporting the group to Pigman Ridge.
• Scorpion Lady challenges Kappa’s apparent loyalty, suggesting that his offer to summon allies is really an attempt to surround the group with hidden threats.
• Kappa defensively insists that he would not betray Chen Cheng, while Scorpion Lady counters that he is only behaving because he knows he cannot defeat the group.

Chapter Summary: Sin City

Key Plot Points and Events

• Swallowing-Moon Toad and Scorpion Lady nearly fight after openly revealing their hostility toward each other. Both accuse the other of threatening their position beside Chen Cheng.
• Chen Cheng refuses to intervene, telling them that if they kill one another, he will allow it. His cold response immediately forces them to stop and behave.
• The two creatures redirect their anger toward weaker beings of the Land of Sin, attacking those who spy on Chen Cheng’s group.
• At Thorn Ridge, the Green Snake King appears and warns them that Sin City has fallen under the Church’s control. The Church plans to perform a sacrifice there that will destroy the passage between the Sin Abyss and the Present World.
• Chen Cheng realizes that destroying the passage would trap the living beings of the Sin Abyss and eliminate their prospects for further advancement. Nevertheless, he insists that the group must pass through the Sin Abyss to return to the Present World.
• Upon reaching the ruins of Sin City, Chen Cheng senses an oppressive atmosphere and the strong smell of blood. Church members are present throughout the ruins, apparently measuring and preparing the site for a ritual.
• Scorpion Lady captures a ratman to question him about the Church. The ratman is so traumatized that he cannot speak.
• Swallowing-Moon Toad uses a blood-moon eye technique to enter the ratman’s mind and inspect his memories. The technique terrifies the ratman to death.
• From the ratman’s memories, Swallowmoon discovers that the Church is summoning a god.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates increasing authority and emotional detachment. He deliberately allows Swallowmoon and Scorpion Lady to threaten one another, using fear of his indifference to enforce obedience.
• Swallowing-Moon Toad abandons his polite disguise and reveals himself as vicious, ambitious, and highly flattering toward Chen Cheng. His ability to extract memories also shows that he possesses dangerous mental techniques.
• Scorpion Lady remains proud and antagonistic, resenting Swallowmoon’s favoritism and fearing that his influence could undermine her own low-ranking position in Chen Cheng’s Divine Kingdom.
• Green Snake King acts pragmatically and honorably, warning Chen Cheng about Sin City as repayment for his earlier mercy toward her sister. She does not attempt to stop him once he chooses to proceed.
• Kappa provides useful insight into the ratman’s fear, while Swallowmoon’s successful interrogation reveals the true danger awaiting the group.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: The rivalry between Swallowmoon and Scorpion Lady reflects the constant competition for status under Chen Cheng.
• Fear as control: Chen Cheng maintains order not through reassurance but through intimidation and his willingness to let subordinates die.
• Betrayal and suspicion: Both monsters suspect each other of undermining their relationship with Chen Cheng, creating tension within the group.
• The consequences of divine conflict: The Church’s planned sacrifice threatens not only Sin City but the entire connection between worlds and the future of all beings in the Sin Abyss.
• The legacy of fallen civilizations: Sin City’s ruins reveal the former greatness of the Empire, which once controlled the Land of Sin and guarded the boundary between worlds.
• Hidden supernatural danger: The oppressive atmosphere, smell of blood, and Church preparations establish that the city conceals a major ritual and an impending divine catastrophe.

Important Character Interactions

• Swallowmoon and Scorpion Lady verbally attack each other while competing for Chen Cheng’s favor.
• Chen Cheng suppresses their conflict with a deliberately callous warning.
• The Green Snake King speaks directly to Chen Cheng, offering information rather than allegiance.
• Chen Cheng orders Scorpion Lady to capture a local witness, then permits Swallowmoon to interrogate him.
• Swallowmoon uses his eye technique on the ratman, confirming that the Church’s activities involve the summoning of a god.

Chapter Summary: “The Church’s Utter Madness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng learns from the Kappa that the Church’s “God-Calling” is not a simple ritual but a massive blood sacrifice.
• The Ratmen reveal that the Church arrived near the Sin Abyss months earlier with at least ten Legendary supreme elders. They drove away the local kings competing for the Divine Essence Tide, even injuring the Bull Devil King by breaking one of his horns.
• Afterward, the Church began capturing every living creature across tens of thousands of li, including the underground Ratmen.
• Each night, the Church hung the prisoners upside down, slit their throats, and allowed their blood to form a river. By morning, both the bodies and blood had vanished, leaving the ruins seemingly untouched.
• Chen Cheng confirms the scale of the massacre by sensing the overwhelming blood stench soaked into the earth through his Divine Soul. The smell is so powerful that it makes the Legendary characters’ eyes burn and tear.
• Outraged, Chen Cheng decides he cannot ignore the Church’s actions. He orders Liphia and She Li to escort Noah and the others away toward Thorn Ridge while he, the Scorpion Lady, and the Kappa investigate the Sin Abyss.
• Their immediate objective is to determine whether the Church has sealed the Sin Abyss. If necessary, Chen Cheng plans to seek help from the Green Snake King and other local Legendary beings.

Character Development

• Chen Cheng shifts from reluctant observer to active opponent of the Church. Although he initially intended to avoid interfering, the Church’s indiscriminate torture and slaughter violate the last of his moral restraint.
• Despite his anger, Chen Cheng remains practical and prioritizes protecting his companions rather than charging recklessly into battle.
• She Li demonstrates loyalty and moral conviction. He is willing to fight, but he also recognizes the importance of evacuating Noah and the others and urges Chen Cheng not to take unnecessary risks.
• Liphia is deeply affected by the bloodshed, visibly crying after sensing the horrific stench.
• The Swallowing-Moon Toad and the other companions are angered by the Church’s cruelty, showing that even normally fierce or pragmatic beings view the massacre as beyond acceptable behavior.
• The Kappa accepts Chen Cheng’s priorities and remains committed to following him, while the Scorpion Lady retains her usual teasing attitude but understands the seriousness of the situation.

Significant Themes

• Moral boundaries and humanity: The Church’s actions are presented as more than ordinary sacrifice or warfare; they represent the complete abandonment of normal respect for life.
• Demonic madness and indiscriminate violence: The Church is characterized as having fallen into a state where every living creature is treated solely as something to kill.
• Righteous anger versus pragmatism: Chen Cheng is furious but does not allow his anger to override his responsibility toward his companions.
• The horror hidden beneath appearances: The ruins look empty and undisturbed, but the soil conceals the evidence of mass slaughter, emphasizing the difference between surface calm and underlying atrocity.
• Loyalty and responsibility: The characters’ reactions reveal their bonds, especially She Li’s concern for Chen Cheng and Chen Cheng’s determination to secure his group’s escape.

Character Interactions

• The Ratman’s testimony gives Chen Cheng and the others a horrifying understanding of the Church’s activities.
• Chen Cheng’s discovery of the blood-soaked earth prompts an emotional reaction from Liphia, Noah, the Swallowing-Moon Toad, and the other Legendary characters.
• She Li asks Chen Cheng for instructions and prepares to fight, but Chen Cheng assigns him and Liphia the defensive task of escorting the group away.
• She Li advises Chen Cheng to let the Pigman King and other affected powers take the lead, reflecting his protective concern for Chen Cheng.
• Chen Cheng clarifies the group’s true mission to the Scorpion Lady and Kappa: opening a route from the Sin Abyss to the Present World and getting their companions out safely, rather than seeking a broader heroic confrontation.

Summary

• Plot and events: Chen Cheng, the Kappa, and Scorpion Lady travel toward the Sin Abyss and discover that the Church is using measuring rods connected to a Blood River to establish a massive God-Summoning Formation. The scale suggests the Church is preparing to summon a powerful Supreme God through blood sacrifice, potentially repeating the Orcs’ past actions. The Church’s enormous deployment of Law Venerables and Supreme Elders indicates preparations for a conflict on the scale of a world war rather than an operation targeting Chen Cheng alone.
• Chen Cheng suspects that major events have occurred in the Present World while he was away. He wonders whether Chen Cheng Two and the five great kingdoms have breached the Great Wall, conquered the Northern Frontier, and are now preparing to confront the Church. This possibility makes him increasingly anxious to return.
• The group reaches the Sin Abyss, which appears as a dim, yellow-black sun suspended in the air. It rhythmically “breathes,” releasing a destructive force of Annihilation along with the highly valuable Divine Essence. The process is extremely dangerous, particularly for beings below the Legendary level, who must rely on the deaths of others to obtain even a single unit of Divine Essence. The Church has sealed off the area, though it is not collecting the Divine Essence; instead, countless Law Venerables are emerging from the Abyss.
• When Church elders order the three travelers to leave, Scorpion Lady challenges their authority. After one elder threatens them, she destroys him with a roar, reducing him to bones and ash. She then declares that she will enter the Sin Abyss by force and prove whether the Church can truly suppress every Legendary being in the Land of Sin.
• Four Church Supreme Elders move to block Scorpion Lady. Each is at least Mid-Legendary in strength, and their shared Light Magic and faith-based power allow them to fight as a coordinated group. The Kappa joins Scorpion Lady, attacking one of the elders with Moonlight Coldwater. The elder counters with golden Light Magic, but the Kappa freezes the attack into ice, beginning the confrontation.
• Character development and interactions: Chen Cheng becomes increasingly suspicious of the Church’s true objective and worried about the Present World, showing that his priorities extend beyond his immediate confrontation with the Church. Scorpion Lady displays her pride, aggression, and fearlessness by openly killing a Church elder and challenging the entire organization. The Kappa, initially admiring Scorpion Lady’s boldness, ultimately supports her rather than allowing her to face four Supreme Elders alone. The Church elders embody absolute arrogance and religious zeal, insisting that their “divine majesty” cannot be challenged.
• Themes: Major themes include the Church’s overwhelming institutional power, the danger of unchecked religious fanaticism, the exploitation of blood sacrifice and Divine Essence, and the tension between individual Legendary strength and organized collective force. The chapter also emphasizes looming world-scale conflict and uncertainty about the fate of the Present World.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kappa confronts Chika and the Church’s Supreme Elders, pretending to fight seriously while secretly trying to create an opportunity for Scorpion Lady to escape.
• Chika attacks with powerful Light Magic, summoning beams of light like a second sun. Kappa survives much of the assault with the Snow Toad Garment and counters with his Forbidden Spell, Water Sword, turning moisture in the air into countless blades.
• Kappa wounds Chika, but instead of continuing the attack, he withdraws to help Scorpion Lady break through the surrounding Supreme Elders.
• Scorpion Lady refuses to retreat. She insists on entering Sin Abyss to investigate why the Church is guarding it so fiercely, believing she can risk her life because her true body is already gone.
• Kappa chooses to accompany her, arguing that his Snow Toad Garment gives him a better chance of surviving than she has alone.
• Chika calls upon the other Supreme Elders to use Divine Judgment, a devastating attack drawing directly on the power of the God of Light. They trap Kappa and Scorpion Lady in a formation while Chika prepares to unleash the judgment.
• Chen Cheng finally intervenes. His Divine Kingdom crushes Chika’s Demigod Heaven-and-Earth and threatens to destroy Chika’s unusual Dao Fruit. The other Supreme Elders join forces to protect Chika.
• With the Church’s attention diverted, Kappa breaks free and enters Sin Abyss. Almost immediately, an unknown force blasts him back, shattering part of his garment and causing him to spit blood.
• Chen Cheng rescues Kappa and withdraws with him and Scorpion Lady. The injured Chika orders the Church to pursue them, fearing Kappa witnessed something that must be kept secret.
• A Supreme Elder stops Chika from overexerting himself, explaining that the Church’s formation is nearly complete and will soon be powerful enough to defeat even a true deity. The Church sends word to the Pope and requests the dispatch of the Law Venerable.

Character Developments

• Kappa demonstrates that beneath his boastful, combative personality, he is strategic and loyal. He prioritizes Scorpion Lady’s escape and ultimately risks entering Sin Abyss alongside her.
• Scorpion Lady reveals her willingness to sacrifice herself. Because her original body no longer exists, she views herself as expendable and is determined to uncover the truth within Sin Abyss.
• Chika remains arrogant and fanatical, interpreting resistance as defiance of divine will. Even after being badly injured, he focuses on silencing Kappa and preserving the Church’s secret.
• Chen Cheng shifts from passive observation to decisive intervention, displaying the overwhelming power of his Divine Kingdom and protecting Kappa from certain death.
• The Supreme Elders show strong coordination and loyalty to the Church, combining their powers to protect Chika and maintain the larger plan.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and self-worth: Scorpion Lady treats her own life as expendable, while Kappa insists that her existence still matters and refuses to let her face danger alone.
• Loyalty beneath hostility: Kappa and Scorpion Lady insult one another constantly, yet their actions reveal mutual respect and a willingness to risk themselves for each other.
• Religious fanaticism and authoritarian power: The Church invokes divine authority to justify violence, treating opposition as something to be erased rather than understood.
• Hidden truths and forbidden knowledge: The Church’s desperate efforts to prevent anyone from entering Sin Abyss suggest that it contains a secret central to its plan.
• Power and escalation: The battle moves from magical attacks to Divine Judgment and the manifestation of Dao Fruits, emphasizing the increasingly godlike scale of the conflict.

Character Interactions

• Kappa and Chika exchange repeated insults, turning their duel into both a personal quarrel and a clash between defiance and religious authority.
• Kappa initially tries to help Scorpion Lady escape, but she rejects his plan and argues that she must investigate Sin Abyss.
• Kappa responds by praising her courage despite his earlier contempt and insists on joining her.
• The Supreme Elders cooperate with Chika to imprison and destroy the pair, while Chen Cheng disrupts their attack and saves Kappa.
• After Kappa is blasted out of Sin Abyss, Chen Cheng immediately prioritizes his rescue, while the Church focuses on suppressing what Kappa may have discovered.

Chapter Summary: “Controlling a God”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng, Kappa, Scorpion Lady, and She Li retreat a thousand li from the ruins and reach Thorn Ridge.
• Kappa is revealed to have suffered a devastating palm strike. The attacker pierced his supposedly extremely durable Snow Toad Garment and nearly destroyed him.
• Chen Cheng uses the Life Laws within his Divine Kingdom to heal Kappa. Kappa also draws out his Demon Core—actually a Void Elixir containing and protecting his Dao Fruit—to repair his injuries.
• Kappa restores the damaged section of his Snow Toad Garment with shed skin, though the garment remains visibly patched.
• When questioned about the attacker, Kappa explains that the Church is not summoning a god but attempting to control an actual True God.
• According to Kappa, someone has trapped a True God within their own body, while others in Sin Abyss use the Church’s Divine Power to suppress it. The god struck Kappa with a single palm, forcing him to use moonlight power to survive.
• The group realizes the Church has violated the world’s greatest taboo. Earlier, the Orc race nearly destroyed the world while attempting to summon an Outer Realm True God, leading all powers to condemn dealings with gods other than the God of Light.
• Chen Cheng concludes that the Church likely captured this god specifically to counter him. Since the God of Light cannot directly intervene, the Church may be preparing a hidden God-Level weapon to defeat Chen Cheng after the continental war and establish the Church’s Earthly Divine Kingdom.
• Chen Cheng openly tells Kappa that the Church’s plan is probably aimed at him and gives Kappa the choice to leave. He promises to help Kappa ascend if he remains and an opportunity arises.

Character Developments

• Kappa demonstrates both courage and resilience by entering Sin Abyss to investigate despite the danger. His Void Elixir proves highly effective, protecting his Dao Fruit even while his body is nearly destroyed. His survival also reveals how powerful the controlled god is.
• Chen Cheng becomes more candid with his companions, abandoning his deception about his identity and origins. He recognizes the Church as his true and most dangerous enemy and accepts that he must personally stop its plan.
• Scorpion Lady gains a deeper understanding of Kappa’s cultivation method and envies the protection offered by his Void Elixir. Her shock at the Church’s actions reflects the wider world’s fear of divine powers.
• Kappa’s view of Chen Cheng changes when he realizes Chen Cheng is from the Present World rather than merely a descendant of someone in the Land of Sin. The Church’s attempt to counter him confirms that Chen Cheng’s identity and strength are extraordinary.

Significant Themes

• The danger of controlling divine power: The Church’s attempt to imprison and manipulate a True God echoes the Orc race’s disastrous summoning ritual and threatens another world-ending catastrophe.
• Taboo and hypocrisy: The Church, which helped declare all gods except the God of Light to be evil, secretly violates that same prohibition for its own ambitions.
• Trust and honesty: Chen Cheng’s decision to reveal the truth to Kappa marks a shift from manipulation toward genuine trust and mutual loyalty.
• Power and desperation: The Church’s strategy shows how far it will go to secure divine authority, while Chen Cheng is forced to confront an enemy whose preparations may be impossible to counter directly.
• Ascension and fate: Kappa’s dream of ascension remains tied to the coming arrival of the Divine Court’s Ascension Platform, suggesting that the approaching conflict may determine the final opportunity for advancement.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng heals Kappa and physically supports his recovery, strengthening their bond.
• Scorpion Lady questions Kappa about the attacker, prompting his revelation about the controlled god.
• Kappa warns Chen Cheng that the Church’s plan is beyond their current ability to oppose.
• Chen Cheng responds by confessing the plan is likely directed at him and gives Kappa freedom to abandon the conflict.
• By promising future help with ascension, Chen Cheng repays Kappa’s earlier bravery and demonstrates that their relationship has moved beyond simple cooperation.

Thorn Ridge — Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Kappa decides to leave Chen Cheng after kowtowing to repay Chen Cheng’s life-saving grace. His ultimate goal is ascension, and he believes remaining with Chen Cheng would expose him to unnecessary danger.
• Chen Cheng accepts Kappa’s decision, recognizing that forcing him to stay would be pointless and might eventually cause Kappa to betray them under pressure. He suggests regrouping with She Li’s party and locating the Green Snake King, who may also oppose the Church’s plans.
• Kappa does not retreat passively. He plans to seek allies, including a well-connected acquaintance who also despises the Church, believing cooperation offers the best chance of surviving and achieving ascension.
• Upon rejoining She Li and the others, Scorpion Lady angrily calls Kappa a coward for leaving. She Li views Kappa’s departure as betrayal because he had previously pledged loyalty to Chen Cheng.
• Chen Cheng corrects them, explaining that he himself ordered Kappa to leave and that the situation is too dangerous to treat their relationship as one of lord and retainer.
• Chen Cheng orders Liphia to escort Noah and the others away from the danger, with Sifite helping make decisions if necessary. She Li remains behind because his combat ability will be valuable.
• Liphia leads the weaker members away. Noah briefly bids Chen Cheng farewell, and Chen Cheng encourages him to protect Liphia’s group.
• Chen Cheng, She Li, and Scorpion Lady continue searching Thorn Ridge for the Green Snake King. Scorpion Lady uses her familiarity with the area and her ability to detect the Green Snake King’s scent to guide them.
• They discover Thorn Ridge forms an unnatural ring around the ruins of Sin City, suggesting deliberate construction or manipulation.
• The thorn plants severely restrict domains and distort travelers’ sense of direction, though they do not prevent flight. Chen Cheng’s Divine Domain is unaffected, allowing the group to enter a concealed cave where the Green Snake King is believed to have gone.

Character Development

• Chen Cheng demonstrates pragmatic leadership and emotional maturity. Rather than demanding absolute loyalty from Kappa, he respects Kappa’s personal ambition and understands that forced loyalty would be unreliable.
• Kappa is shown to be cautious but not cowardly. His departure is motivated by self-preservation and his determination to achieve ascension, and he intends to actively seek allies rather than simply hide.
• Scorpion Lady reveals her cynical survival philosophy, believing deception is more dependable than honesty in the Land of Sin. Her anger also shows her strong attachment to Chen Cheng and frustration at what she sees as weakness.
• She Li follows a more traditional code of loyalty and interprets Kappa’s departure as betrayal. His values contrast with Chen Cheng’s more practical understanding of allegiance.
• Liphia, Noah, and the others recognize their relative weakness and feel frustrated that they must be protected. Noah shows growing seriousness and responsibility when he accepts Chen Cheng’s request to help safeguard the group.
• Chen Cheng’s group becomes strategically divided: the weaker members are evacuated while the strongest remain to investigate the Church’s plans.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus survival: The chapter contrasts She Li’s idealized loyalty with Kappa’s practical decision to preserve himself and pursue ascension.
• Freedom of choice: Chen Cheng believes genuine allegiance cannot be created through coercion; Kappa must choose whether to fight or leave.
• Pragmatic leadership: Chen Cheng prioritizes the survival of the entire group, separating vulnerable companions from those needed for the coming confrontation.
• Ambition and sacrifice: Kappa’s desire for ascension forces him to choose between safety, loyalty, and taking a dangerous but proactive path.
• Power and responsibility: The weaker characters’ frustration highlights the burden placed on powerful companions and the desire to become strong enough to protect others.
• Deception and trust: Scorpion Lady’s belief that deceit is the true law of survival conflicts with Chen Cheng’s willingness to act honestly, even when honesty may weaken his position.

Character Interactions

• Kappa formally repays Chen Cheng’s life-saving favor before leaving.
• Chen Cheng and Scorpion Lady debate whether Kappa’s departure is foolish, with Chen Cheng defending his decision.
• Scorpion Lady and She Li criticize Kappa, but Chen Cheng prevents the conflict from escalating by clarifying that Kappa left with his permission.
• Chen Cheng gives Liphia responsibility for evacuating the group and asks Noah to support her.
• Noah and Chen Cheng exchange a brief but sincere farewell.
• Scorpion Lady leads Chen Cheng and She Li through Thorn Ridge, while She Li questions her knowledge of the area.
• The group discovers the strange properties of the thorns and prepares to enter the hidden cave in pursuit of the Green Snake King.

Summary: “Underground Magic Array”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng, She Li, and Scorpion Lady travel through an underground passage while discussing the advantages of flight and the isolation of the Quicksand Domain.
• Chen Cheng discovers that the supposed dwelling of Green Snake King is actually the entrance to an underground labyrinth. Snake-tail marks indicate that Green Snake King has entered it.
• The labyrinth is illuminated by faintly glowing plant roots. Chen Cheng determines that the roots are reacting to a special luminescent substance in the air rather than producing light themselves.
• The group follows Green Snake King’s trail deeper underground. Instead of encountering monsters or traps, they find increasingly dense roots and an environment saturated with magical energy.
• Scorpion Lady notices that the path they have taken forms part of a gigantic Magic Array. Chen Cheng realizes that the roots themselves are being used as the array’s structure and are glowing because Magic Energy is flowing through them.
• The array extends toward the Sin City Ruins and was likely created by the ancient Empire. Green Snake King and his allies did not build it, but appear to be modifying or sabotaging it.
• Chen Cheng suspects they intend to turn the array into a delayed detonation device. If destroyed or triggered, its stored Magic Energy could cause a massive explosion capable of annihilating the Sin City Ruins.
• Scorpion Lady urges them to leave, but Chen Cheng argues that their theory may be incomplete. He notes that the Church has likely studied ancient Imperial artifacts and might already understand or be prepared for the array’s threat.
• Rather than retreat, Chen Cheng leads the group farther into the labyrinth to discover Green Snake King’s actual objective.
• Once he understands the array’s general structure, Chen Cheng can navigate the labyrinth with ease by recognizing its individual magic patterns.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates his growing mastery of Magic Arrays and basic magic patterns. He carefully analyzes the glowing roots, the atmospheric phenomenon, and the array’s potential destructive function.
• Scorpion Lady proves that her solitary cultivation has given her strong expertise in magic formations. She is the first to recognize that the group’s route forms part of an array, though she becomes alarmed by its possible destructive power.
• She Li shows the benefit of his scientific knowledge from the Present World, understanding Chen Cheng’s explanation about gases and luminescent substances. He also continues to misunderstand Scorpion Lady’s perspective, treating her ignorance of the region as a factual weakness.
• Scorpion Lady becomes impressed by Chen Cheng’s superior grasp of basic magic patterns, recognizing that his skill surpasses even her own.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge and specialization: She Li’s scientific understanding, Scorpion Lady’s cultivation experience, and Chen Cheng’s magical expertise each allow them to interpret different aspects of the underground phenomenon.
• Ancient technology and hidden power: The Imperial Magic Array represents forgotten knowledge that can still shape the fate of entire regions.
• Mutual destruction and ruthlessness: Green Snake King’s apparent plan to destroy the array could devastate the Sin City Ruins, showing that both the Church and its enemies may be willing to accept catastrophic losses.
• Caution versus investigation: Scorpion Lady prioritizes immediate escape, while Chen Cheng prefers gathering more information before acting.
• Growing competence: Chen Cheng’s ability to understand and navigate the array highlights his increasing mastery and establishes him as the group’s leading expert in magical structures.

Character Interactions

• She Li makes a cold remark about powerful beings occupying prosperous territories, prompting Chen Cheng to encourage him and Scorpion Lady to criticize him.
• Scorpion Lady tries to defend her knowledge, but Chen Cheng stops the argument so they can focus on the labyrinth.
• Scorpion Lady warns the others about the unusual air and later identifies the route as part of a Magic Array.
• Chen Cheng explains the array’s possible purpose and reassures Scorpion Lady when she suggests abandoning the investigation.
• The chapter ends with the group following Chen Cheng deeper into the array, with Scorpion Lady increasingly recognizing the extent of his magical expertise.

Chapter Summary: “The Function of the Formation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As Chen Cheng, Scorpion Lady, and their companion approach the core of the underground formation, the glowing roots gradually shift from azure to red.
• Chen Cheng determines that the formation is not malfunctioning. Instead, it is awakening from its core outward, with the roots acting as indicators of its increasing activity.
• Alarmed by the change, Chen Cheng urges the group to move faster. They soon encounter the Green Snake King, who has retreated toward the formation’s center and torn open part of the red barrier.
• The Green Snake King asks them to help destroy the formation, believing there is little time left. Scorpion Lady warns that destroying it recklessly could release enough power to kill everyone.
• Chen Cheng explains that the roots are not the true formation but merely monitoring mechanisms. Without knowing the formation’s design and central structure, destroying the roots will accomplish nothing.
• The Green Snake King reveals the formation’s purpose: it was created by the Empire during Lyka’s era to monitor the vitality of the Land of Sin and suppress Corpseborn Spirits emerging from the Divine Body of the slain Extraterritorial Evil God.
• The formation, known as the Spirit-Grinding Formation, periodically releases Divine Essence Tide to destroy newly forming consciousnesses within the Evil God’s remains.
• The legend that red Thorn Flowers blooming across the Sin Abyss signal the arrival of final Oblivion refers to the formation becoming fully active. The flowers normally remain azure because the formation is dormant.
• The Church is deliberately awakening the Corpseborn Spirits through massive blood sacrifices. Its goal is to activate the formation and use it to suppress an Extraterritorial Evil God that the Church itself has summoned.
• Chen Cheng realizes that the Church may intend to use the formation not merely to suppress the god, but to erase the god’s consciousness and allow the consciousness of its host or container to take control, possibly with support from the God of Light.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates his expertise in formations. He correctly identifies the roots as indicators rather than the formation’s actual core and warns that indiscriminate destruction would be ineffective and dangerous.
• His unease intensifies as the formation awakens, showing that he understands the threat is becoming immediate.
• Scorpion Lady acts cautiously and pragmatically, recognizing that damaging the formation could trigger a catastrophic backlash.
• The Green Snake King is shown to be determined and desperate. She attempts to destroy the formation directly, but her lack of knowledge about its structure limits her effectiveness.
• Her willingness to explain the formation’s history reveals that she prioritizes stopping the Church’s plan over concealing information from Chen Cheng and his allies.
• Chen Cheng’s analysis shows increasing strategic insight: he connects the formation’s original purpose with the Church’s preparations and infers their likely method of controlling a god.

Significant Themes

• Dangerous misuse of ancient powers: The Church is repurposing a formation designed to prevent the rebirth of an ancient Evil God, risking a disaster comparable to the Orc race’s original calamity.
• Knowledge versus brute force: The Green Snake King’s strength is insufficient because she attacks the visible roots without understanding the formation’s underlying design. Chen Cheng’s technical knowledge proves more valuable.
• Cycles of catastrophe: The Church’s plan mirrors the Orc race’s past mistake of summoning and mishandling an Extraterritorial Evil God.
• The persistence of divine existence: Even after a god’s physical body is destroyed, its obsession and consciousness can survive, creating new threats through Corpseborn Spirits.
• Control and identity: The Church may seek to erase a god’s consciousness and replace it with that of a vessel, raising questions about whether such a controlled being would truly be the host or merely a manipulated god.
• Awakening and impending destruction: The roots’ transition from blue to red symbolizes the formation’s revival and the approaching threat of “final Oblivion.”

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Scorpion Lady disagree with the Green Snake King’s reckless approach, warning her that attacking the formation could destroy them all.
• The Green Snake King initially dismisses them as ignorant for entering without understanding the formation, but she listens when Chen Cheng explains the roots’ true function.
• Chen Cheng offers to help in exchange for information, and the Green Snake King openly reveals the formation’s history and purpose.
• Their temporary conflict shifts into a reluctant exchange of knowledge, united by their shared opposition to the Church’s plan.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng realizes that the Church’s ritual may involve using humans to control or suppress a godlike corpse, similar to the legendary Transcendent God Weapon Arutura. He suspects Lyka once placed that weapon on a divine corpse to suppress it.
• As the red formation grows more powerful, Chen Cheng proposes a way to prevent its activation—not by destroying the formation, which is likely impossible, but by eliminating or disabling its intended target.
• He explains that even if the formation activates, removing its target would reduce its effect to merely wearing down the artificially created Corpseborn Spirit.
• The Green Snake King initially distrusts the plan, fearing that abandoning their own strategy could leave them with nothing. Chen Cheng assures her that he will personally handle the final, most dangerous step.
• The Green Snake King agrees to cooperate and reveals that four Legendary beings remain involved: herself, the Pigman King, the Armored Turtle King, and Old Man Huang.
• The group discusses the Armored Turtle King’s history. He once stole the Northern Great Wall Army’s Black Tortoise Method, survived a near-fatal attack by Ye Rong, and entered suspended animation using the technique. The Church’s blood sacrifice later awakened him.
• Chen Cheng recognizes that the Black Tortoise Method may actually be an ancient military formation connected to Lyka, Old Ke, and research into extraterrestrial gods and demons.
• The remaining Legendary beings are staying in Sin Abyss primarily to obtain Divine Essence, not out of loyalty or a desire to fight the Church.
• The chapter ends by emphasizing that the powerful figures in the Land of Sin are driven by practical self-interest. If victory becomes impossible, they will abandon the struggle and flee.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates strategic insight and growing confidence. He identifies the ritual’s weakness and positions himself as the person capable of confronting its target, though he keeps the details of his method secret.
• Green Snake King remains cautious and pragmatic. She refuses to commit until Chen Cheng explains enough of his plan, then agrees only after judging that cooperation is worthwhile.
• Scorpion Lady continues to show strong respect toward Chen Cheng and is willing to pressure the Green Snake King into cooperating.
• Armored Turtle King is revealed as exceptionally durable but weak offensively. His survival is attributed to his Black Tortoise Method and ability to enter turtle-breath suspended animation.
• Old Man Huang is portrayed as a declining former member of the Empire’s Demigod Temple, now too old to fight at full strength.
• The Pigman King is identified as one of the four remaining Legendary figures and as someone Chen Cheng has previously encountered and nearly recruited.
• The absent Bull Devil King and others are shown to have withdrawn after suffering losses, particularly after the Bull Devil King lost a horn.

Significant Themes

• Control over gods and divine power: The chapter explores the disturbing possibility of humans manipulating divine corpses and converting or suppressing godly power.
• Strategy over brute force: Chen Cheng’s plan focuses on removing the ritual’s target instead of attempting to destroy an overwhelmingly powerful formation directly.
• Pragmatism and self-interest: The Legendary beings are not heroic defenders of the Land of Sin. Their alliances depend on survival, cultivation, and access to Divine Essence.
• Survival and adaptability: The Armored Turtle King’s survival through suspended animation illustrates the extreme methods powerful beings use to endure.
• Hidden history: The Black Tortoise Method and the Transcendent God Weapon may be remnants of older experiments or discoveries involving ancient gods, demons, and Lyka’s past.
• Power and trust: Cooperation is fragile because each character weighs personal risk against potential gain. Chen Cheng must earn trust without revealing everything.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the Green Snake King negotiate carefully, each withholding information until the other commits.
• Scorpion Lady attempts to force cooperation by warning that the Church may target those who refuse, but Chen Cheng restrains her and handles the negotiation himself.
• The Green Snake King’s respect for Chen Cheng grows because of his confidence and apparent ability to survive the plan’s final stage.
• Scorpion Lady mocks the four Legendary beings as a strange collection of damaged, elderly, defensive, and animal-like figures, highlighting the group’s unusual composition.
• Chen Cheng connects his own past experiences with the Armored Turtle King’s history, especially through the Black Tortoise Method and its possible link to ancient formations.
• The discussion of Samlet’s earlier schemes reinforces how manipulation and calculated weakness shape relationships among the powerful figures in the Land of Sin.

Chapter Summary: “Trump Card”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and the Green Snake King agree to gather the remaining powerful but aging or injured “old, weak, sick, and crippled” leaders of Thorn Ridge.
• As Thorn Ridge’s red flower buds begin to bloom, signaling that the legendary event is imminent, the Green Snake King summons the other three leaders:
  • Old Man Huang
  • The Armored Turtle King
  • The Pigman King
• Chen Cheng reveals that destroying the roots beneath Thorn Ridge would be ineffective because they are not the true formation.
• He proposes a plan: the four leaders will hold back the Church’s ten Legendary experts while Chen Cheng uses a Magic-Ban Formation to disable the Church’s preparations and launch a surprise attack on their objective.
• Old Man Huang initially doubts the plan, believing they could only restrain the Church for a few breaths. Chen Cheng counters that the Magic-Ban Formation would reduce everyone inside it—regardless of cultivation level—to ordinary mortals.
• The revelation shocks the group because the formation is an extremely rare and valuable artifact associated with the Present World, powerful kingdoms, and the First Emperor.
• The leaders agree to Chen Cheng’s plan, though the Pigman King secretly covets the formation.
• Chen Cheng immediately leads the seven-person group toward Sin Abyss, refusing to give them time to conspire or consider stealing the formation.
• The Church notices their approach and realizes that Chen Cheng and the leaders are no longer carrying out meaningless attacks but are preparing a serious assault. The Church moves to stop them from reaching Sin Abyss.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng establishes himself as a calculating strategist. He avoids making absolute promises and instead frames his plan as a way to seriously disrupt the Church even if total success is impossible.
• He also displays distrust toward his temporary allies, deliberately preventing them from resting or privately coordinating in case they decide that stealing his Magic-Ban Formation is easier than fighting the Church.
• The Green Snake King remains pragmatic and emotionally detached. She accepts Chen Cheng’s harsh attitude because she views him as an equal and is willing to cooperate only if his plan proves effective.
• The Armored Turtle King is portrayed as calm, diplomatic, and reasonable. He prevents an immediate clash between Chen Cheng’s allies and the Pigman King and becomes the first leader to openly support Chen Cheng’s proposal.
• Old Man Huang demonstrates his cautious, survival-focused nature. He initially rejects the plan and considers abandoning the alliance, but the Magic-Ban Formation convinces him of its value.
• The Pigman King is aggressive and dismissive at first, insulting Chen Cheng as a “brat.” After learning about the formation, he becomes greedy and tempted to seize it, though memories of Samlet’s earlier trap make him restrain himself.
• The Scorpion Lady and She Li act as Chen Cheng’s ready defenders, immediately attacking the Pigman King when he insults him.

Significant Themes

• Power and leverage: Chen Cheng’s true advantage is not merely his personal strength but the rare Magic-Ban Formation, which gives him influence over far stronger opponents.
• Unstable alliances: The leaders cooperate out of necessity rather than trust. Their partnership could collapse if they believe betrayal offers a better chance of survival or profit.
• Pragmatism over heroism: Chen Cheng does not promise glorious victory. He presents the plan as a practical attempt to damage the Church and improve their chances.
• Greed versus self-preservation: The Pigman King’s desire for the formation conflicts with his fear of repeating the disastrous trap Samlet once set for him.
• Time and urgency: The blooming red buds and the Church’s preparations create a narrowing window for action, forcing Chen Cheng to move before the opposition can complete its plan.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng speaks bluntly to the Green Snake King and the other leaders, treating them as useful but unreliable partners.
• The Pigman King challenges Chen Cheng’s authority, prompting She Li and the Scorpion Lady to attack him before the Armored Turtle King intervenes.
• The Armored Turtle King mediates the confrontation and encourages the others to hear Chen Cheng’s proposal.
• Old Man Huang questions whether the group can hold back the Church long enough, while Chen Cheng responds by revealing his trump card.
• The leaders exchange wary glances before agreeing to follow Chen Cheng, each recognizing both the immense value of the formation and the danger of opposing him.
• The chapter ends with the newly formed alliance charging toward Sin Abyss as the Church finally treats them as a serious threat.

Chapter Summary: “Palm-Slaying Divine Kingdom”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and the Church’s supreme elders launch an all-out battle against Chika and his allies.
• Chen Cheng confronts Chika directly, using his Reincarnation Law to unleash the technique Palm-Slaying Divine Kingdom.
• His palm forms a miniature Divine Kingdom that devours and grinds apart Chika’s holy light, completely overpowering Chika’s attacks.
• Chika activates his Divine Demon True Form, followed by Holy Light Protection and Divine Judgment, attempting to imprison and destroy Chen Cheng.
• Chen Cheng counters with Palm-Slaying Divine Kingdom Wheel, combining the laws of reincarnation and life. These forces crush Chika’s Demigod Heaven-and-Earth before it can restrain him.
• Chika’s Divine Judgment fails because its power originates from the God of Light, whose authority cannot harm Chen Cheng due to his special connection or identity.
• Chen Cheng’s twin law-based “millstones” grind apart Chika’s supposedly indestructible Gods-and-Devils Body, reducing him to Magic Energy particles and killing him.
• Sartos attempts to rescue Chika, but Old Man Huang holds him back. The other Church fighters are also prevented from reaching Chen Cheng by She Li and the allied experts.
• After Chika’s death, Chen Cheng orders the others to finish the battle quickly, then enters Sin Abyss as the formation begins activating.
• Inside Sin Abyss, Chen Cheng finds a directionless void linking the Present World and the Land of Sin. Extremely dangerous Void Turbulence separates the two exits, creating a one-way passage that only Legendary Rank beings can normally cross from the Land of Sin.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates overwhelming growth and confidence. He is able to defeat a Legendary Rank Church member through superior control of the Reincarnation and Life Laws.
• He also gains a clearer understanding of his unusual identity: the God of Light’s judgment cannot harm him, implying a deep connection between him and the God of Light.
• Chika shifts from arrogant aggressor to desperate survivor. After his strongest techniques fail, he is ultimately destroyed despite possessing a supposedly unbreakable body.
• Old Man Huang reveals that, although his strength has declined, his versatile techniques and experience allow him to restrain Sartos.
• Sartos becomes increasingly frantic after Chika is endangered and killed, but cannot break through the resistance of Chen Cheng’s allies.
• She Li and the other six attackers prove capable of preventing the remaining Church elders from interfering with Chen Cheng’s duel.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and law suppression: Chen Cheng’s Divine Kingdom does not merely block attacks; it absorbs, transforms, and grinds down opposing laws and energy.
• The limits of supposedly invincible bodies: Chika’s Gods-and-Devils Body cannot regenerate against the fundamental power of reincarnation, which returns all matter and energy to its primordial state.
• Identity and divine authority: The failure of Divine Judgment suggests that Chen Cheng possesses a mysterious relationship with the God of Light, raising questions about his true nature.
• Retribution: The Church’s violence and past actions are presented as deserving punishment, with Old Man Huang emphasizing that their deaths are long overdue.
• Thresholds and restricted realms: Sin Abyss is portrayed as a dangerous boundary between worlds, governed by strict differences in movement and cultivation rank.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Chika exchange insults before engaging in a direct, high-stakes duel.
• Chika attempts to destroy Chen Cheng with holy light and Divine Judgment, while Chen Cheng mocks his misunderstanding of divine power and overwhelms him.
• Sartos tries to intervene on Chika’s behalf, but Old Man Huang blocks him and taunts him into using his full strength.
• She Li and the other allies prevent the Church’s remaining fighters from rescuing Chika.
• After killing Chika, Chen Cheng commands his allies to conclude the wider battle while he proceeds toward Sin Abyss and the next stage of the conflict.

Summary of “A Familiar Face”

Key Plot Points and Events

• An aged Church Legendary ambushes Chen Cheng with powerful holy light, believing he has annihilated him in revenge for Chika’s death.
• Chen Cheng reveals that he is actually unharmed and has used his voice to confuse and terrify the old man. The Church Legendary becomes convinced that Chen Cheng may have returned as a haunting “Godly Thought.”
• Unable to locate Chen Cheng, the frightened old man purifies himself with holy light and retreats deeper into Sin Abyss—unwittingly leading Chen Cheng toward the same destination.
• Outside Sin Abyss, She Li, the Pigman King, the Green Snake King, and their allies struggle against nine Church Legendaries. Their strength is waning, especially Scorpion Lady, whose power is diminished because Chen Cheng has entered Sin Abyss.
• The Church’s Law Venerables begin activating the Sin City Formation. Despite the destructive battle taking place above it, the formation completely protects Sin City from the Legendaries’ attacks.
• The Pigman King considers escaping, but She Li threatens to hunt down anyone who abandons the plan before Chen Cheng returns. The Green Snake King urges everyone to hold on until the formation activates.
• Inside Sin Abyss, Chen Cheng follows his connection with Kui Niu through darkness and crosses into a blood-colored realm resembling a second Sin City.
• He discovers a Blood Sun, inverted corpses suspended in the sky, and rivers of blood forming a gigantic ritual formation. The battle outside appears there like a distant projection.
• Chen Cheng encounters the god-controller mentioned by Kappa—and recognizes its flesh-shell vessel as the former guard knight captain of the Kingdom of Moss’s archbishop in Huidun Territory.
• Three Church Legendaries detect Chen Cheng. The old man realizes that Chen Cheng had deceived him with the supposed haunting and attacks.
• Chen Cheng merges with his Divine Soul, manifests a Deity Avatar, and summons his true Divine Kingdom. He easily knocks the old man down and pins him beneath the kingdom’s suppression.
• He then warns the remaining two Church Legendaries not to resist, demonstrating his overwhelming power and control of the situation.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Displays cunning, psychological manipulation, confidence, and overwhelming divine power. He turns the old man’s fear and superstition against him, then decisively defeats him with his Divine Kingdom.
• The aged Church Legendary: Shifts from arrogant vengeance to panic and paranoia after failing to find Chen Cheng. His fear exposes a lack of confidence despite his religious allegiance and great power.
• She Li: Remains fiercely loyal to Chen Cheng and prioritizes the original plan over personal safety. He takes command of the defensive battle and threatens any ally who tries to flee.
• Pigman King and Green Snake King: Show concern about the formation and their dwindling chances of survival. The Pigman King leans toward escape, while the Green Snake King advocates holding out a little longer.
• Scorpion Lady: Is significantly weakened because her power depends on Chen Cheng’s Divine Kingdom, emphasizing the risks faced by his followers when he is absent.
• The former guard knight captain: Is revealed to have become the flesh-shell vessel of the mysterious god-controller, creating a major connection between Chen Cheng’s past and the events in Sin Abyss.

Significant Themes

• Deception and psychological warfare: Chen Cheng defeats the Church Legendary first through fear and misdirection rather than direct force.
• Faith versus inner doubt: The old man claims devotion to the God of Light but is easily consumed by fear of ghosts and divine punishment, suggesting hidden guilt or insecurity.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: She Li and the others continue fighting despite overwhelming odds, while their willingness to remain loyal is tested by the Church’s powerful formation.
• The hidden nature of Sin Abyss: The blood-filled realm and massive formation reveal that Sin Abyss is more than a prison or battlefield; it is part of a sinister supernatural mechanism.
• The past returning in altered form: The familiar face of the former guard captain suggests that Chen Cheng’s earlier experiences are directly connected to the god-controller and the larger conspiracy.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng psychologically torments the aged Church Legendary by speaking from unseen positions, causing him to believe he is being haunted.
• She Li confronts the Pigman King’s desire to escape and forces the group to remain committed to protecting Chen Cheng’s plan.
• The Green Snake King attempts to moderate the conflict by urging the group to endure until the formation activates.
• Chen Cheng insults and provokes the old Church Legendary before overpowering him, then issues a direct warning to the other two Legendaries.
• Chen Cheng’s recognition of the former guard knight captain establishes a mysterious link between his former enemies and the god-controller within Sin Abyss.

Chapter Summary: “Disaster”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng confronts the two remaining Church Legendaries, who combine their Domains through Domain Fusion. Because they share the same Dao Fruit, their fused power becomes vastly stronger, yet it still cannot overcome Chen Cheng’s Divine Domain.
• The Legendaries prepare to use Demigod Heaven-and-Earth against him, but the mysterious Divine Child—revealed to be Her—orders them to stop.
• Her recognizes Chen Cheng as “Brown,” recalling their shared past and the humanity he is struggling to preserve. Chen Cheng learns that Her has become a vessel for controlling an Evil God and that the Church is conducting a massive blood sacrifice.
• Chen Cheng condemns both Her and the Church for using forbidden power and offers to extract the Evil God from Her. Her refuses, insisting that his sacrifice is voluntary.
• Her explains that the Present World has fallen into chaos:
  • The Five Great Kingdoms were defeated in their campaign against the Northern Frontier.
  • Ye Rong reached the pinnacle of human power by defeating Smog and destroying the armor of 300,000 soldiers with one sword.
  • The kingdoms discovered the Elves’ support for Chen Cheng and began widespread mobilization, causing famine, plague, and mass suffering.
• The Church received a Divine Revelation warning that the Apocalypse is beginning. Four powerful Evil Gods will emerge from the sins and corruption of humanity.
• Because these Evil Gods originate from the hearts of the God of Light’s followers, the God of Light cannot directly destroy them. Her therefore agreed to become a vessel capable of controlling one of them.
• Chen Cheng proposes that he return to stop the Apocalypse, allowing Her and the Church to abandon their ritual. If he fails, they can resume the plan.
• Sadros rejects the offer, arguing that the ritual required enormous effort and that delaying it will worsen their chances. He blames Chen Cheng and the Empire for the world’s disasters.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates overwhelming power and confidence, but also compassion and responsibility. Although he opposes the blood sacrifice, he tries to understand Her’s motives and offers a compromise rather than attacking immediately.
• Her is shown as a tragic, self-sacrificing figure. Despite being transformed into a vessel and enduring constant spiritual torment, he believes his suffering is necessary to save the world. His humanity is weakening, but his moral convictions remain intact.
• Sadros and the other Church Legendary reveal their unwavering commitment to the ritual. Their grief for Her conflicts with their willingness to use him as a tool, exposing their fanaticism and hypocrisy.
• Ye Rong is established as an extraordinary figure who has surpassed ordinary human limits and defeated Smog.
• Smog is implied to be connected to, or responsible for, the coming Apocalypse and the realization of the Four Horsemen.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice versus morality: Her accepts unimaginable suffering and mass bloodshed as the price of saving the world, while Chen Cheng questions whether such forbidden methods can be justified.
• Humanity under corruption: The Apocalypse is born from the sins and darkness within human hearts, suggesting that civilization’s greatest enemy comes from humanity itself.
• Faith and fanaticism: The Church claims to act for salvation, but its methods—blood sacrifice, possession, and manipulation—blur the line between devotion and cruelty.
• Responsibility and blame: Sadros blames the Empire and Chen Cheng for the world’s suffering, while Her insists that his own choices and the larger destiny of events are more complicated.
• Humanity versus divine power: Her struggles to preserve his human will while serving as a vessel for a godlike entity, reflecting the dangers of using forbidden power.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the Church Legendaries: Their confrontation establishes Chen Cheng’s superiority and the Church’s ability to combine power through their shared Dao Fruit.
• Chen Cheng and Her: Their reunion is emotionally significant. Chen Cheng treats Her as an old companion rather than merely an enemy, while Her asks to be addressed by his former name to preserve his humanity.
• Chen Cheng and Sadros: Their argument highlights the conflict between Chen Cheng’s willingness to seek another solution and Sadros’s belief that the ritual must proceed at any cost.
• Her and the Church: Her defends the Church’s actions despite clearly suffering under them, showing his devotion and willingness to bear the consequences of the plan himself.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng angrily rebukes an elderly Church Legendary, blaming the Church and the rebellious kingdoms for the Empire’s collapse and the continent’s long chaos.
• Using his Divine Domain, Chen Cheng pins two Church Legendaries—one of them Sadros—to the ground. A third Legendary has already suffered severe injuries after his domain was shattered.
• Her pressures Chen Cheng to decide before an apocalyptic formation activates. Chen Cheng declares that the other Legendaries are no threat and that only Her can truly oppose him.
• Her agrees not to attack Chen Cheng immediately and admits that the Church underestimated the United Kingdoms’ ambition. However, he insists that the Church never regretted helping overthrow the Empire because a mortal emperor should not become a god.
• The Church explains its fear of Fortune Aura: by gathering the people’s faith and loyalty, an imperial throne could eventually transform its ruler into an immortal god. Humanity would then become mere nourishment in the emperor’s divine domain.
• Chen Cheng briefly accepts that this danger might be real, reflecting on his own experience with Faith and the possibility that it could assimilate a ruler’s mind.
• He then realizes that Her has secretly influenced his thoughts, exaggerating the potential danger. Chen Cheng exposes the manipulation and recognizes that such a catastrophe would require thousands of years and total imperial control over society.
• Her explains that he manipulated Chen Cheng as a test, claiming he must ensure Chen Cheng is capable of bearing the responsibility before entrusting the world’s fate to him.
• Chen Cheng agrees to spare the three Church Legendaries in recognition of Her’s past service defending Hui Dun City.
• Her and Chen Cheng finally begin a direct duel. Her launches a vastly empowered palm strike, while Chen Cheng counters with his strongest technique, Reincarnation.
• Their attacks collide, unleashing devastating forces: Her’s strike brings absolute cold and annihilation, while Chen Cheng’s Reincarnation Law sends approaching matter into reincarnation. The formation space trembles as the ruined world appears close to collapse.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains arrogant and forceful but demonstrates restraint by suppressing rather than killing the Church Legendaries. He also shows intellectual flexibility when he seriously considers the Church’s warning about Fortune Aura.
• His awareness and mental strength are emphasized when he detects Her’s influence and correctly identifies the argument as an exaggerated psychological test.
• Her is revealed to be both manipulative and responsible. Though he accepts the need to cooperate with Chen Cheng, he deliberately challenges Chen Cheng’s mind to determine whether he can be trusted with immense power.
• Her’s ideological opposition to the Empire becomes clearer: he believes the Church acted to prevent the creation of a false god who would enslave all living beings.
• The Church Legendaries appear weakened and politically defeated, yet remain unwavering in their belief that overthrowing the Empire was justified.

Significant Themes

• Power and corruption: The chapter questions whether political authority, faith, and Fortune Aura can transform a ruler into a god who exploits the people.
• Ideological conflict: Chen Cheng views the Church and kingdoms as traitors, while the Church sees the Empire’s destruction as necessary resistance against divine tyranny.
• Faith and identity: The people’s belief may empower not merely an individual emperor, but the imperial institution itself, potentially turning the throne into a self-perpetuating divine force.
• Trust and responsibility: Her tests Chen Cheng because immense power requires not only strength but also resistance to manipulation and the ability to bear responsibility for others.
• Conflict beneath cooperation: Although Chen Cheng and Her temporarily align, their opposing beliefs and mutual suspicion remain central.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng verbally humiliates the Church elder and physically suppresses him and Sadros.
• Her and Chen Cheng debate the morality of the Church’s alliance with the kingdoms and the danger of imperial godhood.
• Her subtly manipulates Chen Cheng’s thoughts, then openly admits doing so as a test.
• Chen Cheng chooses to spare the Church Legendaries, acknowledging Her’s past contributions.
• The chapter ends with Her and Chen Cheng abandoning debate for direct combat, their devastating palm techniques colliding in a battle that threatens the entire formation space.