Chapter Summaries

Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an initially worried about his spirit-contracted Demonic Beasts gaining recognition in the Cave Mansion, but the Six-Horned Drilling Mountain Dragon's death made the array inactive, allowing Da Huang to advance to the Fourth Tier and accept the Legacy.
• Li Chang'an needs a Heaven Grade Earth Element Myriad Demon Bloodstone for Da Huang's advancement, which is scarce and only available within the Beast Taming Sect.
• Li Chang'an contacts the Beast Taming Wheel Artifact Spirit for help, who suggests investigating a ruined branch sect's Demonic Beast riot from ninety thousand years ago for the Bloodstone.
• Two Nascent Soul cultivators, Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan, arrive at Azure Mountain to join Li Chang'an on the mission.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: He demonstrates his strategic thinking by planning to exploit the inactive array and his determination to secure the Bloodstone for Da Huang's advancement.
• Yu Jiao Lan: She successfully breaks through to Peak Fourth Tier, gaining a qualification Token for the Flame Dragon Tribe's Legacy selection.
• Beast Taming Wheel Artifact Spirit: It shows generosity and concern for Li Chang'an's well-being, offering him a way to obtain the Bloodstone without directly facing a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity and Risk: Li Chang'an sees the mission as an opportunity to gain benefits but also acknowledges the risks involved.
• Friendship and Connections: The Beast Taming Wheel Artifact Spirit's assistance highlights the importance of Li Chang'an's connections and past friendships.
• Ambition and Pride: Zhou Bai Xuan's complaints about Li Chang'an joining the mission showcase the pride and ambition of Sect cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and the Beast Taming Wheel Artifact Spirit: Their past interactions and current correspondence demonstrate a strong bond and mutual respect.
• Li Chang'an, Chang Jun, and Zhou Bai Xuan: They quickly become familiar with one another, showing politeness and humility despite their differing backgrounds and pride.

Plot points and events

• Li Chang’an, Chang Jun, and Zhou Bai Xuan reach the former Beast Taming Sect branch, hidden inside a Minor World behind a golden gate on a lake.
• Inside, they find a dark, ruined landscape and the remains of sect disciples, most showing signs of having died in battles with Demonic Beasts. The branch’s valuables are gone, apparently taken by the beasts.
• More than a dozen Tier 4 Demonic Beasts ambush the group, led by a powerful Late Tier 4 Flamepattern Rhino. The beasts are hostile to humans—and especially to Beast Taming Sect disciples—but treat Li Chang’an warmly because of his Ten Thousand Beasts Heart-Subduing Token.
• Li persuades the Rhino to spare his companions and explain what happened ninety thousand years ago. The Rhino agrees to take all three to meet its clan leader, the only one who knows the full story.
• On the way, the Rhino warns them to shield themselves completely. They are then attacked by repeated, seemingly frenzied waves of Demonic Beasts. The Rhino’s group protects them, but avoids injuring the attackers. Li realizes the behavior is abnormal and that something remains unexplained.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an stays calm, focused on investigating and obtaining treasure. He uses his token’s influence to gain the Demonic Beasts’ trust, then risks entering their territory to pursue the truth. He also wants to protect Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan.
• Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan initially plan to shield Li and help him escape, believing he is the least capable of surviving the ambush. They are baffled by his special rapport with the beasts and remain wary of the proposed visit, but ultimately accompany him.
• Flamepattern Rhino shifts from threatening the humans to showing Li unusual respect and goodwill. He agrees to spare the group and lead them to his clan leader, though he remains guarded and impatient about the dangers on the route.
• The group’s mutual concern is notable: Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan try to protect Li, while Li quietly intends to protect them.

Significant themes

• Distrust and prejudice: The Demonic Beasts condemn humans—and Beast Taming Sect disciples in particular—while the humans fear the beasts’ intentions.
• Power and influence: Li’s token alters how the beasts perceive him, turning a likely fight into a chance to negotiate.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The cause of the ancient revolt remains unknown, and the unnatural beast tides suggest the old crisis may not be over.
• Appearances versus reality: The journey looks like a series of violent battles, yet the beasts deliberately avoid harming one another, hinting at a deeper force or danger.

Plot and key events

• The Flamepattern Rhino leads Li Chang’an, Chang Jun, and Zhou Bai Xuan through repeated Beast Tides. The beasts attack fiercely, but the Rhino’s group avoids harming them, suggesting the attackers are being controlled.
• They reach the Monster Race’s territory, protected by a Quasi-fifth-Rank formation and inhabited by thousands of Demonic Beasts. The beasts welcome Li Chang’an but distrust the other two humans.
• In the Main Hall, the Flamepattern Rhino chief explains that the frenzied beasts resemble those behind a rebellion ninety thousand years earlier. A Tier 2 beast is examined, revealing a tiny seed in its skull whose scarlet roots control its body.
• Li Chang’an identifies the cause as the ancient Demon Cattail Flower, a rare parasitic plant whose seeds can control living creatures.
• The chief recounts the original uprising: a Beast Taming Sect branch leader secretly cultivated the flower, hoping to use its power to reach Spirit Transformation. It escaped, spread seeds, and controlled Demonic Beasts. Rather than admit his forbidden experiment had caused the disaster, the leader blamed the beasts.
• The Sect ordered the Monster Race exterminated without investigating. The beasts fought back to survive, and the resulting tragedy left them with deep hatred of humans. The present-day controlled Beast Tides may be connected to the same flower.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an remains composed and perceptive, recognizing both the mass control of the beasts and the Demon Cattail Flower. He patiently listens rather than provoking the Monster Race, and earns the chief’s trust.
• Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan grow increasingly anxious as they realize how outnumbered they are. Their Beast Taming skills do not earn them the beasts’ goodwill, and Zhou feels embarrassed when she cannot identify the flower that Li knows about.
• The Flamepattern Rhino and his chief act cautiously but show clear respect for Li. The chief treats him as a guest while leaving Chang Jun and Zhou standing, reflecting the beasts’ distrust of humans.
• The chief’s account shifts the group’s understanding: the Monster Race’s hostility is rooted not in baseless rebellion, but in betrayal and a massacre caused by human ambition and deception.

Significant themes

• Scapegoating and injustice: The innocent Demonic Beasts were blamed for a disaster caused by a human cultivator, then punished without an inquiry.
• Ambition and hubris: The branch leader’s pursuit of power led him to cultivate a dangerous plant he could not control.
• Historical grievance and prejudice: The beasts’ hatred of humans stems from collective trauma, while Li’s reception shows that individuals may be judged differently.
• Knowledge and humility: Li’s learning contrasts with the Beast Taming Sect disciples’ gaps in knowledge, but he acknowledges that his own information came by chance.

Summary

Plot Points and Events

• The Demon Cattail Flower, a powerful plant, rebelled against the Human Race and Monster Race, leading to a three-sided war.
• The Human Race exhausted their trump cards first and was wiped out. The Monster Race, though suffering heavy losses, continues to fight.
• The Demon Cattail Flower has been alive for Ninety Thousand Years, controlling vast territories and turning creatures into Puppets.
• Li Chang'an learns about the true situation and decides to retrieve the Myriad Demon Bloodstone from the Beast Taming Sect Branch Main Hall, now controlled by the Demon Cattail Flower.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: He demonstrates his power and cunning, earning the trust of the Monster Race and deciding to help them. He also reveals his true intentions to the Demon Cattail Flower.
• Demon Cattail Flower: It reveals its history and the plight of its Ancestors, showing a level of understanding and cooperation with Li Chang'an.

Significant Themes

• The cycle of life and death, as seen in the Demon Cattail Flower's longevity and the Monster Race's struggle for survival.
• The consequences of one's actions, as seen in the Human Race's extinction due to their initial actions against the Demon Cattail Flower.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an interacts with the Monster Race, gaining their trust and learning about their history.
• Li Chang'an interacts with the Demon Cattail Flower, revealing his intentions and learning about its history and plans.
• The Demon Cattail Flower interacts with Li Chang'an, showing a level of understanding and cooperation, despite being enemies.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an obtains the Myriad Demon Bloodstone from the Demon Cattail Flower.
• He learns that the Demon Cattail Flower is willing to submit to him, and the sword spirit suggests subduing her for her exceptional talent.
• Li Chang'an creates a clone to leave the Minor World with Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan, while his main body continues to the Beast Taming Sect.
• At the Beast Taming Sect, Li Chang'an meets the Artifact Spirit of the Beast Taming Wheel and reports the events in the Minor World.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an demonstrates his strategic thinking and caution in handling the Demon Cattail Flower and the Beast Taming Sect.
• The Demon Cattail Flower shows willingness to submit to Li Chang'an, revealing her desire for survival and a better future.
• The Artifact Spirit of the Beast Taming Wheel shows interest in Li Chang'an's experiences and the possibility of obtaining the Ten Thousand Beasts Heart-Subduing Token's Refining Method.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between cultivators and demonic plants/beasts, with Li Chang'an demonstrating his ability to subdue and control powerful entities.
• The importance of caution and careful planning in dealing with potential threats, as shown by Li Chang'an's actions regarding the Beast Taming Sect.
• The historical connections between the Nine Great Immortal Sects and the Great Jin Immortal Dynasty, as revealed by the Artifact Spirit.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an interacts with the Demon Cattail Flower, initially showing caution but eventually agreeing to subdue her due to her exceptional talent.
• Li Chang'an, Chang Jun, and Zhou Bai Xuan work together to deceive the Beast Taming Sect about the Demon Cattail Flower's fate.
• Li Chang'an meets the Artifact Spirit of the Beast Taming Wheel and shares his experiences in the Minor World, revealing his potential value to the Beast Taming Sect.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Li Chang’an learns that the Ten Thousand Beasts Heart-Subduing Token is highly valuable to the Beast Taming Sect, but he lacks its Refining Method and is wary of trading it to powerful cultivators who might seize it.
• The Artifact Spirit offers Li a Guest Elder position on Artifact Refining Peak, but Li declines to avoid binding himself to the sect. Instead, he accepts a Dao Field token that grants him an elder’s standing and free access without obligations.
• The Beast Taming Sect investigates the Minor World, destroys all traces of the Demon Cattail Flower, and spares the local Demonic Beasts after confirming they are not her Puppets. It rebuilds its branch sect and restores the old agreements with the beast clans.
• The Flamepattern Rhino clan leader visits Li to thank him, promising the Monster Race’s friendship. Chang Jun and Zhou Bai Xuan also bring Li their task rewards; he accepts only a small share.
• Li secretly shelters the Demon Cattail Flower in the Moon Gazing Secret Realm. He orders her to recover, then infiltrate and study the other races there using her ability to control many Puppets—part of his longer-term plan to conquer the realm.
• Li helps Da Huang use the Myriad Demon Bloodstone to advance his bloodline to Heaven Grade, then begin breaking through to Tier 4. Da Huang succeeds, becoming a Fourth-Tier Demonic Beast.
• The Dragon Ox takes charge of the Demonic Beasts in the secret realm and causes trouble with his eccentric rules and music. When Yu Jiao Lan attacks him, he evades every strike through his unusual ability to draw on the power of heaven and earth.
• Intrigued, Li attempts to study the Dragon Ox’s power by placing part of his Spiritual Sense inside him. He senses the vast force only fleetingly and cannot learn to control it, despite repeated attempts over a month.
• After Da Huang’s breakthrough, Li takes him to the Six-Horned Drilling Mountain Dragon’s cave to retrieve the Legacy.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an remains cautious about powerful sects and refuses formal ties, while accepting benefits that preserve his independence. He also reveals a more ambitious side by planning to use the Demon Cattail Flower to gather intelligence for a future conquest.
• The Artifact Spirit respects Li’s choices, offers him an honorary token, and confirms that the Demon Cattail Flower must be destroyed because of her dangerous nature.
• The Flamepattern Rhino leader expresses sincere gratitude and offers Li the friendship and aid of his people.
• Da Huang is moved by Li’s continued support despite his limited usefulness. His successful advancement strengthens their bond and marks a major step in his growth.
• The Dragon Ox is boastful and playful, but his command of heaven-and-earth power demonstrates that his abilities exceed those of an ordinary Tier 4 beast. His interactions with Li shift from teasing to reluctant cooperation as Li studies his talent.
• Yu Jiao Lan is frustrated by the Dragon Ox’s taunting and evasiveness, but ultimately obeys Li when he ends their fight.

Significant themes

• Trust and independence: Li accepts assistance and access while avoiding commitments to institutions he does not fully trust.
• Loyalty and mutual support: Li invests in Da Huang despite the possibility of replacing him with a stronger beast.
• Power and cultivation: The Dragon Ox’s natural command of heaven-and-earth power challenges conventional ideas about when such abilities can be attained.
• Hidden ambition and strategic patience: Li uses the Demon Cattail Flower’s talents to prepare for a future campaign while keeping her survival secret.
• Limits of knowledge: Li’s month of experimentation shows that witnessing a power is not the same as understanding or mastering it.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an helps Da Huang retrieve the legacy of the Six-Horned Drilling Mountain Dragon, gaining a Quasi-fifth Rank Puppet and Heavenly Immortal's Tears.
• Li Chang'an learns about the Drilling Mountain Dragon's past and its regret at not finding a suitable successor.
• Li Chang'an's clone meets Wei Mingyue in the Library Pavilion, and they discuss the search for the Six-Horned Drilling Mountain Dragon.
• Li Chang'an feels uneasy and uses divination to discover that Mo Qingxue has an Omen of Death and is in danger.

Character Developments

• Da Huang successfully retrieves the legacy, gaining a significant boost in power and understanding of the earth-element path.
• Li Chang'an obtains Heavenly Immortal's Tears, bringing him one step closer to cultivating the Immortal Gazing Technique to great accomplishment.
• Li Chang'an's clone maintains a friendly relationship with Wei Mingyue, gaining her trust and protection.
• Mo Qingxue faces an impending life-and-death Great Tribulation.

Significant Themes

• The challenges and perils faced by Rogue Cultivators, as exemplified by the Drilling Mountain Dragon's life and death.
• The importance of finding a suitable successor and passing on one's legacy.
• The power dynamics between Rogue Cultivators and those from powerful clans or families.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Da Huang work together to retrieve the legacy, with Li Chang'an providing guidance and support.
• Li Chang'an's clone interacts with Wei Mingyue, maintaining a friendly and respectful demeanor.
• Li Chang'an uses divination to determine Mo Qingxue's location and rushes to her aid.

Plot and events

Li Chang’an worries when Mo Qingxue fails to respond to his messages. Divination shows she is alive but marked by a Death Omen, so he rushes to the ancient ruins where she is carrying out a Mo Family assignment. He finds her unharmed; examining her confirms that the danger comes from the ruins themselves.
Qingxue explains that after returning to the Spirit Transformation Mo Family, she was absorbed into one of its branch lines. A powerful elder’s son, Mo Han, has been harassing her and arranged for her to be sent on the dangerous mission. Chang’an offers to take her to Azure Mountain. When Mo Han tries to stop them, Chang’an reveals his power by seizing the Mo Family’s floating Mechanism City with a vast hand of Nascent Soul Mana.
Mo Han’s father, Mo Lianhe, recognizes Chang’an’s reputation and becomes deferential. He explains that he cannot remove Qingxue from the branch-line genealogy; only its leader, his elder brother Mo Lianhuan, can. When Mo Lianhuan arrives, he pretends to be friendly but privately dismisses Chang’an as an insignificant rogue cultivator and insists the branch line cannot easily surrender an Immortal Golden Core prodigy. He then makes Qingxue’s release conditional on Chang’an helping him enter a treasure vault deep in the ruins. An image of the vault contains a drop of Heavenly Immortal’s Tears, catching Chang’an’s attention. The chapter ends before Chang’an agrees to the bargain.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an acts protectively toward Qingxue, investigates her danger, and confronts the Mo Family when they obstruct her departure. His strength and reputation quickly shift Mo Lianhe’s attitude from anger to apology.
• Mo Qingxue remains gentle and composed with Chang’an but is cold and firm toward Mo Han. She admits she kept her troubles from Chang’an because she did not want to burden him, and is willing to leave the Mo Family with him.
• Mo Han is revealed as the source of Qingxue’s harassment. His confidence collapses when he learns Chang’an is a Nascent Soul cultivator.
• Mo Lianhe is initially hostile but becomes cautious and apologetic once he recognizes Chang’an; he also kneels his son and offers compensation.
• Mo Lianhuan presents a courteous front while privately planning to resist Chang’an’s demands. He uses Qingxue’s value to the branch line as leverage, turning her release into a negotiation.

Significant themes

• Protection and loyalty: Chang’an acts decisively to protect Qingxue, while she has tried to shield him from her difficulties.
• Power and status: The Mo Family’s authority over Qingxue is challenged by Chang’an’s formidable personal influence.
• Family ties versus personal freedom: Qingxue’s clan membership and value as a prodigy make leaving difficult, despite her wish to cultivate freely.
• Deception and bargaining: Mo Lianhuan’s hidden contempt contrasts with his polite manner, and Qingxue’s freedom becomes a bargaining chip tied to the dangerous treasure vault.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mo Lianhuan invites Li Chang'an to help him retrieve treasures from the depths of the Ruins, where a Treasure Vault lies hidden.
• They enter an Underground Palace filled with Mechanisms and Traps, which they navigate together.
• Two Special Passages, known as the Life-and-Death Path, appear. Li Chang'an enters the path of death, while Mo Lianhuan enters the path of life.
• Li Chang'an encounters various illusions and challenges on his path, but he remains unafraid and continues forward.

Character Developments

• Mo Lianhuan: Revealed to be deceitful, aiming to use Li Chang'an as a sacrifice to obtain the treasures.
• Li Chang'an: Demonstrates courage and fearlessness in the face of uncertainty and danger.

Significant Themes

• Fearlessness and courage in the face of the unknown.
• The power of knowledge and preparation (Li Chang'an's prior knowledge of the Life-and-Death Path helps him remain unafraid).

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Mo Lianhuan: Initially appear to be cooperating, but Mo Lianhuan's true intentions are revealed.
• Li Chang'an and the Sword Spirit: The Sword Spirit warns Li Chang'an about Mo Lianhuan's true intentions and advises him throughout the journey.

Key plot points and events

• Li Chang’an endures the Life-and-Death Path’s final trial: an illusion makes him believe he has wandered for thousands of years and is near death. Realizing the endless passage is testing his convictions, he breaks the illusion and exits safely; in reality, less than fifteen minutes have passed.
• Outside the Treasure Vault, he meets the fading remnant soul of an ancient Life-and-Death Race elder. The elder gives him a two-sided “Life and Death” token and asks him to pass on a warning to the race’s descendants: preserve their alliance with the Human Race, or face destruction.
• The elder confirms that ascension and the Immortal Realm are real. He says an Ascension Platform is essentially a teleportation array that can be constructed through mastery of arrays and the void. He withholds the ancient world’s former name, warning that revealing it could bring Li Chang’an a deadly calamity.
• Li Chang’an searches the vault, collecting race-specific treasures separately from those useful to humans. He finds the second drop of Heavenly Immortal’s Tears needed for the Immortal Gazing Technique, as well as a third volume of Dan Chenzi’s Notes.
• The notes contain startling alchemical theories: nurturing a prodigy into a living pill over centuries, and refining a Minor World into a means of “false longevity.” Li Chang’an recognizes Dan Chenzi’s brilliance but suspects his disciples may have been cultivated as ingredients, and wonders whether the notes are opportunity or bait.
• A spatial rift opens near the vault, apparently seeking the treasures and Li Chang’an. Remembering a similar incident, he displays Dan Chenzi’s Notes. The beings in the rift recognize his karmic connection to Dan Chenzi and immediately withdraw.

Character development and interactions

• Li Chang’an shows patience and mental resilience, overcoming the Life-and-Death Path by recognizing its illusion. He remains cautious rather than rushing into the vault and uses quick judgment to survive the rift.
• The ancient elder treats Li Chang’an as a trusted messenger despite his being human, entrusting him with the token and a warning for the Life-and-Death Race. Their conversation also gives Li Chang’an his first firm confirmation that immortality is possible.
• Li Chang’an’s view of Dan Chenzi becomes more conflicted: he admires the alchemist’s extraordinary ideas while fearing his methods and wondering whether their karmic connection will draw danger.
• Yu Jiao Lan remains an offstage concern. Li Chang’an plans to support her secretly in the Flame Dragon Tribe’s upcoming trial if needed, hoping to gain access to Moon Gazing Dew.

Significant themes

• Conviction under trial: Even foreknowledge cannot prevent doubt; endurance depends on recognizing and resisting the trial.
• Ancient inheritance and duty: The vault’s treasures come with a responsibility to preserve an old alliance.
• Knowledge and peril: Greater truths about immortality and the ancient world are real, but some knowledge can invite catastrophe.
• Opportunity versus trap: Powerful teachings may carry hidden costs, as Li Chang’an’s suspicions about Dan Chenzi’s notes suggest.
• Karma and protection: Li Chang’an’s connection to Dan Chenzi proves unexpectedly powerful, repelling a threat that his own strength might not have overcome.

Key plot points and events

• Li Chang’an leaves the ancient Life-and-Death Path with Dan Chenzi’s Notes, deciding not to enter the other passage in pursuit of Mo Lianhuan. He tells the Mo Family that he and Mo Lianhuan were separated near a likely illusory Treasure Vault.
• Mo Lianhe confirms Mo Lianhuan’s Soul Lamp is still burning and summons help. Mo Lianqiao arrives, identifies the path as a trial of the ancient Life-and-Death Race, and learns that even the Mo Family’s Spirit Transformation ancestor cannot force it open.
• Li Chang’an confronts the Mo Family over its treatment of Mo Qingxue. Mo Lianqiao punishes Mo Han by crippling his cultivation and exiling him to serve as a steward in the Mortal World. At Mo Qingxue’s request, she keeps her family status but is freed from clan obligations.
• Li Chang’an returns with Mo Qingxue to Azure Mountain. After several days together, she explains that she intends to return to the Mo Family and rise within it, hoping to gain resources and influence that might help him.
• Zheng Qingqing arrives with more than a dozen Exotic Fires gathered in the dangerous Earthly Demon Domain. She gives Li three useful flames and leaves quickly, creating a tense, unspoken encounter with Mo Qingxue.
• Over the next months, the Mo Family’s rescue efforts fail, even with a Tier 5 Mechanism City and the intervention of its Spirit Transformation ancestor. Meanwhile, Azure Mountain prospers: the Profound Water Turtle and Evergreen Vine advance, the Fire Cloud God Lord completes Nascent Soul formation, Ye Qingqiu reaches Foundation Establishment, and Yu Jiao Lan finds enough Moon Gazing Dew to bring Li’s total above 20,000 drops.
• As Li prepares to cultivate the Immortal Gazing Technique, Flame Dragon Tribe envoy Yanlong Hun arrives and asks Yu Jiao Lan whether she is ready.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an remains cautious and politically astute: he conceals what happened in the trial, avoids needless risk, defends Mo Qingxue, and warns Zheng Qingqing about her dangerous travels without trying to control her.
• Mo Qingxue shows both loyalty to her family and devotion to Li. She chooses to retain her Mo Family identity and plans to use its resources to help him.
• Mo Lianqiao takes charge after her brother’s disappearance, acknowledges the family’s wrongdoing, and disciplines Mo Han. Her compromise allows Qingxue to remain connected to the clan without being bound by it.
• Mo Lianhe is anxious for his brother but deferential to his sister.
• Mo Han is reduced to a powerless steward after his mistreatment of Qingxue is addressed.
• Zheng Qingqing demonstrates her courage and independence by venturing into hostile territory; her brief, awkward encounter with Qingxue hints at emotional tension around Li Chang’an.
• Ye Qingqiu remains inquisitive, while Song Yu’er discreetly shields her from the meaning of Li and Qingxue’s private time.

Significant themes

• Ancient mysteries and limits of power: Even the era’s strongest cultivators cannot overcome the Life-and-Death Path.
• Fortune and danger: Li’s escape, the gains on Azure Mountain, and the discovery of Moon Gazing Dew contrast with the risks faced by those who seek power.
• Family loyalty and autonomy: Qingxue balances affection for the Mo Family with the freedom to choose her own obligations.
• Power, responsibility, and protection: Li challenges the Mo Family to safeguard Qingxue, while the family’s punishment of Mo Han demonstrates its authority.
• Unspoken emotional tension: The meeting between Qingqing and Qingxue suggests complicated relationships beneath the chapter’s practical exchanges.

Key plot points and events

• Envoy Yanlong Hun announces that Yu Jiao Lan has one year to prepare for a trial against the Flame Dragon Territory’s strongest Peak Fourth Tier cultivators. Only eight will pass. The public list is likely to make the year dangerous, as listed rivals may attack her and others may challenge her to prove themselves.
• Yu Jiao Lan accepts the challenge and defeats a succession of opponents, though the fights grow harder. Li Chang’an suspects the Flame Dragon Tribe has ulterior motives for choosing a successor and resolves to ensure Yu receives the Legacy Treasure.
• Li Chang’an advances his Immortal Gazing Technique to initial mastery by absorbing thousands of drops of Moon Gazing Dew. His newly enhanced eyes reveal hidden treasures inside stones, and he uses the technique to spot flaws in Dugu Ke’s swordsmanship, defeating him again and offering advice.
• After Yu wins a particularly difficult fight but suffers severe injuries, Li Chang’an criticizes her scattered power and openings. She disputes his assessment, so he promises to spar with her once she recovers.
• Li Chang’an tries to cultivate with Moonlight Essence in the Moon Gazing Secret Realm but discovers he cannot absorb it there. Outside the realm, the technique works, revealing that the realm’s moonlight is incompatible with his method.
• Seeking a place with abundant Moonlight Essence, Li Chang’an visits the Moonwatch Sect. Its Grand Elder, Qingyue, refuses to rent him her Dao Field on Moonwatch Mountain, since she needs its Moonlight Essence herself. Instead, she proposes that they become Dao Companions. Li Chang’an is startled—and feels he somehow recognizes her.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Jiao Lan grows in reputation and experience through repeated battles, but remains convinced her techniques are sound. Her disagreement with Li Chang’an shows her pride and confidence; his offer to spar gives her a chance to test herself against him.
• Li Chang’an continues to act as Yu’s strategist and mentor, while pursuing his own cultivation. His advanced eye technique sharpens both his treasure-finding and combat insight. He also shows determination to secure Yu’s future against the Flame Dragon Tribe’s possible schemes.
• Dugu Ke has improved in cultivation and swordsmanship, but still loses to Li Chang’an. He accepts the defeat, and Li offers guidance rather than ridicule.
• Qingyue is hospitable but firm in protecting the resource essential to her cultivation. Her unexpected, serious proposal makes the meeting personal and mysterious.
• Yanlong Hun delivers the trial’s warning with detached severity, emphasizing that survival during the preparation year is itself part of the test.

Significant themes

• Competition as a trial: Yu’s preparation year is not safe training time but a proving ground where rivals may eliminate one another.
• Strength versus technique: Yu’s raw power and physical advantages win fights, while Li sees technical weaknesses that could eventually cost her a victory.
• Cultivation through resources and insight: Li’s progress depends on rare treasures, suitable conditions, and the perceptive advantage of his eye technique.
• Hidden motives and mysteries: The Flame Dragon Tribe may have an agenda beyond selecting a successor, the Moon Gazing Secret Realm’s moonlight behaves unexpectedly, and Qingyue’s familiarity to Li hints at an unexplained connection.

Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an and Qingyue, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, feel an inexplicable familiarity upon meeting, suggesting fate.
• Li Chang'an seeks to rent Moonwatch Mountain from Qingyue but is refused due to the high moonlight requirements for her cultivation method.
• Qingyue requests a Tier 4 High-grade Alchemy Legacy in exchange for renting the mountain.
• Li Chang'an searches for an Alchemy Legacy but is rebuffed by three Nascent Soul forces.
• He decides to infiltrate and copy a Legacy but receives a task from Dan Ding Sect to deliver meals to a senior in exchange for any treasure below Tier 5.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an remains dedicated to cultivation and is unwilling to form a Dao Companion bond with Qingyue due to their cultivation goals.
• Qingyue is persistent in her belief in fate and asks Li Chang'an to reconsider after she achieves Spirit Transformation.
• Li Chang'an's determination to obtain a Tier 4 High-grade Alchemy Legacy grows, showing his resolve in improving his Alchemy Dao.

Significant Themes

• Fate: The inexplicable familiarity between Li Chang'an and Qingyue raises questions about fate and its role in their lives.
• Cultivation and Ambition: Both Li Chang'an and Qingyue are dedicated to their cultivation paths, with Li Chang'an prioritizing his Alchemy Dao and Qingyue seeking to improve her sect's Legacies.
• Trade and Exchange: The chapter explores the concept of trade and exchange, with Li Chang'an seeking to trade for a Legacy and Qingyue requesting a Legacy in exchange for renting Moonwatch Mountain.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Qingyue: Their interaction revolves around the sense of familiarity they feel and the possibility of becoming Dao Companions. Qingyue is persistent, while Li Chang'an remains firm in his refusal.
• Li Chang'an and the three Nascent Soul forces: Li Chang'an attempts to trade for an Alchemy Legacy but is refused, leading him to consider more drastic measures.
• Li Chang'an and Meng Qingfeng: The two cultivate a mentor-mentee relationship, with Meng Qingfeng showing concern for Li Chang'an's well-being and granting him access to his Spirit Medicine Garden.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an visits Meng Qingfeng, his former teacher, at the Dan Ding Sect.
• Meng Qingfeng gifts Li Chang'an a Tier 4 High-grade Alchemy Dao Legacy without any conditions.
• Li Chang'an learns about the strange mission issued by the Dan Ding Sect to deliver meals to Meng Qingyuan, who has gone mad.
• Li Chang'an accepts the mission and arrives at Meng Qingyuan's Dao Field, where he finds many cultivators attempting to deliver meals but being rejected.
• Familiar faces from the Myriad Formation Domain and Wansen's lineage, such as Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng, are present.
• Li Chang'an exchanges pleasantries with Luo Hao, while Qiao Sheng questions Li Chang'an about his refusal to take Wansen as a master.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: He remains humble and respectful toward Meng Qingfeng, accepts the Alchemy Dao Legacy, and decides to help with the mission to restore Meng Qingyuan's sanity.
• Meng Qingfeng: He shows kindness and generosity by gifting Li Chang'an the legacy and explaining the mission's true purpose.
• Luo Hao: He maintains a friendly facade with Li Chang'an despite harboring killing intent toward him.
• Qiao Sheng: He displays arrogance and disrespect toward Li Chang'an, questioning his decision not to take Wansen as a master.

Significant Themes

• The importance of trust and caution in choosing a master.
• The value of kindness and generosity, as shown by Meng Qingfeng's gift to Li Chang'an.
• The complexity of relationships and hidden intentions, exemplified by Li Chang'an's interactions with Luo Hao.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Meng Qingfeng: They maintain a warm and respectful relationship, with Meng Qingfeng showing kindness and Li Chang'an expressing gratitude.
• Li Chang'an and Luo Hao: They exchange pleasantries, but Li Chang'an remains wary of Luo Hao's hidden intentions.
• Li Chang'an and Qiao Sheng: Qiao Sheng's disrespectful remark creates tension, but Li Chang'an remains calm and unperturbed.

Key plot points and events

• Li Chang’an uses the Immortal Gazing Technique to examine Luo Hao. He sees an exceptionally powerful body but cannot tell whether it is Luo Hao’s true body or a clone; the Sword Spirit cannot sense the Green Wood Sword Fragment, making a clone seem more likely.
• Qiao Sheng reacts coldly to Li Chang’an, despite Luo Hao’s attempt to defend him. Li finds the hostility suspicious. He also notices that Xu Rui’s Spiritual Energy circulates unusually slowly, perhaps because Heavenly Lord Wansen’s cultivation method turns practitioners into something like Spirit Plants, but he keeps the suspicion to himself.
• Repeated attempts to awaken Meng Qingyuan fail. Qiao Sheng concludes that an Inner Demon has consumed him, but Li Chang’an suspects the cause may be connected to Dan Chenzi, whose legacy Meng had been pursuing.
• Inside the cave, Li reads from Dan Chenzi’s notes. Meng calms at familiar passages but erupts when he hears about “refining people into pills.” Li realizes Meng’s faith in Dan Chenzi has collapsed after he apparently discovered evidence that the revered alchemist might have pursued this path.
• Li helps Meng regain composure by pointing out that knowing of a path does not prove Dan Chenzi followed it. Meng recovers, thanks Li, and explains that a Jade Slip he found—left by Dan Chenzi’s disciple Mu Yixin—triggered his crisis.
• The Jade Slip’s message says Dan Chenzi intended to refine Mu Yixin into a pill. She resisted and left behind a Legacy containing an improved Spirit Gathering Pill refinement method and a recipe for a pill to overcome the Spirit Transformation Inner Demon Tribulation. She also warns anyone with talent for the void to cultivate that path.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an shows caution and perceptiveness: he investigates Luo Hao, notices Xu Rui’s abnormal energy flow, and succeeds where others fail by drawing on his knowledge of Dan Chenzi’s writings. He responds to Meng’s crisis with reason rather than force.
• Meng Qingyuan shifts from violent, incoherent madness to a lucid, shaken state. His breakdown arose from the conflict between his devotion to Dan Chenzi and the possibility that Dan Chenzi intended to sacrifice a disciple.
• Qiao Sheng remains openly hostile toward Li and confident that Li cannot help Meng; his earlier attempt to awaken Meng also fails.
• Luo Hao politely smooths over Qiao Sheng’s slight and expresses concern about Li’s fatigue, while Li continues to question what lies beneath the group’s outward civility.
• Mu Yixin, though absent, emerges as a determined disciple who resisted Dan Chenzi and preserved valuable knowledge and a warning for later cultivators.

Significant themes

• Faith and disillusionment: Meng’s collapse is not an ordinary Inner Demon but a crisis of belief; restoring his composure requires rethinking what he knows about his idol.
• Knowledge versus proof: Li distinguishes between Dan Chenzi’s awareness of a dangerous Alchemy path and actually practicing it.
• Ambition and moral cost: The Jade Slip raises the possibility that pursuing the supreme Alchemy Dao could involve sacrificing others.
• Hidden truths and vigilance: Li’s observations about Luo Hao, Xu Rui, and Meng’s condition emphasize how appearances can conceal danger.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an obtains Mu Yixin's Alchemy Dao Legacy.
• Meng Qingyuan awakens and Li Chang'an is rewarded with a Token to choose a treasure below Tier 5.
• Li Chang'an chooses the 'Nine-Turn Ascending Dragon Formula' from the Dan Ding Sect's treasure vault.
• Li Chang'an leases Moonwatch Mountain for 100 years using Mu Yixin's Legacy.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: Shows growth in his cultivation and decision-making, successfully awakening Meng Qingyuan and obtaining valuable treasures.
• Meng Qingyuan: Awakens from his deranged state, regaining his sanity and composure.
• Qingyue: Maintains her composure and professionalism, readily agreeing to Li Chang'an's request to lease Moonwatch Mountain for a longer period.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and growth: Li Chang'an's journey reflects his continuous improvement and acquisition of valuable resources to aid his cultivation.
• Friendship and trust: Li Chang'an's actions, such as awakening Meng Qingyuan and leasing Moonwatch Mountain, demonstrate his trust in others and his willingness to help.
• The value of treasures and legacies: The story emphasizes the importance of valuable treasures and cultivation methods, as seen in Li Chang'an's careful consideration of his choices.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Meng Qingyuan: Their interaction leads to Meng Qingyuan's awakening and Li Chang'an's reward.
• Li Chang'an and Qingyue: Their interaction results in Li Chang'an leasing Moonwatch Mountain for 100 years, benefiting both parties.
• Li Chang'an and the Dan Ding Sect: Li Chang'an's actions and rewards reflect the Sect's recognition of his abilities and contributions.

Key plot points and events

• Li Chang’an takes advantage of Qingyue’s invitation to investigate Moonwatch Mountain, a site unusually rich in Moonlight Essence and spiritual energy. He installs powerful defensive formations, then searches underground for its source.
• Deep below the mountain, he finds a moonlike glow that only he can see. The Sword Spirit explains that powerful treasures can conceal themselves from observation. Li Chang’an’s divination warns of danger, so he wisely retreats rather than touching it.
• Moonwatch Mountain greatly accelerates his cultivation of the Immortal Gazing Technique. He hopes mastery will help him distinguish Luo Hao’s true body from his clone, though he doubts the technique alone will be enough.
• His alchemy advances to Tier 4 High-grade, but he still struggles with Dan Chenzi’s Notes.
• Rumors that Li Chang’an is near death prompt families to offer beautiful maids, apparently hoping to gain influence or inherit his possessions. He rejects the offer and receives several fatigue-relieving gifts.
• Two anonymous gifts prove significant: a rare Quasi-fifth Rank Soul-Calming Leaf, which Li Chang’an suspects came from the hunted Ye Hao, and Tier 4 Emerald-Heart Bamboo bearing an aura associated with the deceased Golden-Eyed Master.
• Divination links the bamboo to Xue Qiansi, a Golden Core cultivator still fighting the Demonic Path. A reading shows she faces imminent bloodshed, so Li Chang’an travels to the Danding Domain to help her.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an remains cautious despite his curiosity, prioritizing survival when faced with a possibly extraordinary treasure. He continues preparing for his eventual confrontation with Luo Hao and shows gratitude by remembering those who send him gifts.
• Qingyue willingly gives Li Chang’an access to Moonwatch Mountain and moves her arrangements elsewhere, trusting him to investigate.
• The Sword Spirit helps search underground and identifies the hidden glow as a self-concealing divine object, though he cannot perceive it himself.
• Luo Yunshu worries about Li Chang’an’s health and reports both the rumors and the gifts; he reassures her and explains the families’ likely motives.
• Ye Hao appears to be repaying Li Chang’an’s kindness while keeping his identity secret to avoid drawing danger toward Azure Mountain.
• Xue Qiansi is portrayed as principled and grateful: despite her own limited resources, she sends Li Chang’an valuable medicine. Li Chang’an recognizes her sacrifice and chooses to assist her.

Significant themes

• Caution in the face of power: An apparent opportunity may be a deadly threat when its nature and rank are unknown.
• Hidden potential and limits: The concealed glow and unexplained high-ranking treasures suggest the world contains forces beyond established cultivation tiers.
• Gratitude and moral principle: Ye Hao and Xue Qiansi repay kindness despite personal danger or hardship.
• Reputation and self-interest: Rumors about Li Chang’an’s health reveal how quickly others turn concern into schemes for future advantage.
• Preparation and uncertainty: Li Chang’an steadily improves his abilities but recognizes that mastery of one technique may not suffice against Luo Hao.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an locates Xue Qiansi using divination and finds her injured, facing a sneak attack by old demon Green Scorpion.
• Li Chang'an intervenes, saving Xue Qiansi and driving off Green Scorpion.
• Xue Qiansi shares her experiences and injuries with Li Chang'an, who heals her and offers Nascent Soul formation treasures.
• Li Chang'an discovers a Cave Mansion with a possible Golden Eye inside, guarded by Luo Wanyu and the Nine-Headed Bird.
• The Nine-Headed Bird initially refuses Li Chang'an entry but relents after seeing Meng Qingfeng's Token.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: Shows growth in power (Early Nascent Soul), maintains his calm and diplomatic demeanor, and demonstrates his willingness to help others.
• Xue Qiansi: Grows in strength and experience, becoming a formidable cultivator who has killed many Demonic Cultivators.
• Old Demon Green Scorpion: Shows caution and respect for Li Chang'an, agreeing to a truce when Li mediates.
• Luo Wanyu: Shows concern for Li Chang'an and tries to help him gain entry to the Cave Mansion.
• Nine-Headed Bird: Initially hostile towards Li Chang'an, but relents after seeing Meng Qingfeng's Token.

Significant Themes

• The power of cultivation and its influence on interactions between characters.
• The importance of connections and favors in the cultivation world (e.g., Meng Qingfeng's Token).
• The theme of repayment and debts (Li Chang'an saving Xue Qiansi's life twice).

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Xue Qiansi: Li saves Xue's life again, and they discuss her cultivation and the Cave Mansion.
• Li Chang'an and Old Demon Green Scorpion: Li mediates their dispute, leading to a truce.
• Li Chang'an and Luo Wanyu: Luo tries to help Li gain entry to the Cave Mansion, showing concern for him.
• Li Chang'an and the Nine-Headed Bird: The bird initially refuses Li entry but relents after seeing Meng Qingfeng's Token.

Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an, Luo Wanyu, and Nine-Headed Bird reach the deepest part of the rift valley, discovering dozens of Spirit Fields filled with Spiritual Medicine.
• Nine-Headed Bird breaks the arrays protecting the medicine fields and absorbs all the Spiritual Medicine and Spirit Soil.
• They reach the Cave Mansion, guarded by a Quasi-fifth Rank Remnant Formation and mechanisms. The formation rejects non-humans and non-alchemists.
• Nine-Headed Bird is injured by the mechanisms and decides to let Li Chang'an and Luo Wanyu enter to retrieve the Legacy. They are separated by the mechanisms inside.
• Li Chang'an passes three trials: Spirit Pill Discrimination, Reverse Pill Refining, and Identifying Formulas by Scent, and obtains the Golden Eye and a storage pouch filled with treasures from the Cave Mansion's owner.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an's alchemy skills have improved due to learning Dan Chenzi's Notes and a Tier 4 High-grade Alchemy Dao Legacy.
• Luo Wanyu's alchemy skills have also advanced, reaching Tier 4 Mid-grade, thanks to her master's guidance.
• Nine-Headed Bird reveals that he has hidden a Clone and plans to fuse his eight bodies to deal with the mechanisms.

Significant Themes

• The importance of alchemy skills and knowledge in passing trials and obtaining treasures.
• The value of the Golden Eye and the wealth left behind by the Cave Mansion's owner.
• The theme of fate, as Li Chang'an believes the Golden Eye is fated to be his.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an and Luo Wanyu work together to pass the trials, though they are separated by mechanisms inside the Cave Mansion.
• Nine-Headed Bird initially intends to force his way through the mechanisms but changes his mind after considering the possibility of self-destruction mechanisms.
• Li Chang'an and Luo Wanyu both express concern for Nine-Headed Bird's safety when he is injured by the mechanisms.

Plot points and events

• Li Chang’an searches the Cave Mansion’s legacy and copies all its Jade Slips. The collection includes a Quasi-fifth Rank Alchemy Dao inheritance, extensive alchemy notes, a Tier 4 Spiritual Plant inheritance, and an incomplete perfect-grade Fire Spell. He keeps copies for himself and plans to add most other materials to Azure Mountain’s Library Pavilion.
• Luo Wanyu completes the trials later than Li. They bow to the cave owner’s remains and leave with the legacy. Outside, the Nine-Headed Bird suspects them of withholding treasures, but accepts Li’s denial after hearing him invoke Meng Qingfeng’s name. He gives Li a small, low-grade share of the treasure and takes Luo away to arrange for the mechanisms to be dismantled.
• Li returns to Azure Mountain, releases Xue Qiansi, and advises her to prepare for Nascent Soul Formation.
• Li refines the Golden Eye, a Lower Grade Tier 5 treasure. Testing shows that it complements and surpasses his Immortal Gazing Technique at Minor Mastery. It also gives him a faint sense of a second Golden Eye deep inside Snow Wind Heavenly Lord’s private realm, accessible through Cold Wind Cave.
• Rather than wait two years for the cave to open, Li asks Li Xue’er for help. She secures her master’s permission for him to accompany her group into the realm in one year. Li intends to assess its dangers before seeking the second Golden Eye alone, and sends Xue’er fifty top-grade Spirit Stones as thanks.
• In the Moon Gazing Secret Realm, Yu Jiao Lan challenges Li as promised after recovering from her injuries. He defeats her immediately and points out that her scattered fighting style leaves many openings. She accepts his judgment and asks for instruction. Li teaches her combat techniques and Mana control; over the following year, she wins increasingly decisive victories against challengers.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an remains cautious and strategic: he copies valuable knowledge, avoids an unnecessary confrontation with the Nine-Headed Bird, and plans carefully around the risks of pursuing the second Golden Eye. As a mentor, he gives Xue Qiansi practical advice and helps Yu Jiao Lan improve.
• Luo Wanyu acknowledges Li’s contribution to finding the legacy and tries to secure him a fairer share, despite the Nine-Headed Bird’s authority. She later reassures him that the bird’s bullying is habitual.
• Yu Jiao Lan moves from dismissing Li’s criticism to recognizing her weaknesses after being soundly defeated. Her humility and disciplined training lead to clear growth.
• Li Xue’er helps arrange Li’s entry into her master’s realm, trusting their relationship enough to advocate for him.
• The Nine-Headed Bird acts domineeringly, questioning Li and Luo’s honesty and deciding Li’s reward unilaterally.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and preparation: Li values inherited expertise and gathers information before entering an unknown realm.
• Power, fairness, and authority: The Nine-Headed Bird’s conduct contrasts with Luo’s effort to recognize Li’s contribution.
• Mentorship and improvement: Yu’s defeat becomes the turning point that lets her accept guidance and strengthen her abilities.
• Ambition tempered by caution: Li seeks the second Golden Eye to improve his chances against Luo Hao, but plans to assess the realm’s dangers before acting alone.