Chapter Summary: The Ancient City's Secrets and the Sealed Alchemy Furnace

Key Plot Points

1. Historical Revelation: Li Chang'an reads a jade slip revealing the Ancient Wood Sect's six-volume Ancient Wood Everlasting Method, which is considered a "perfect Heaven Grade" method—but not truly an Immortal Dao method. He reflects that his own cultivation exceeds normal limits due to his wisp of Ancient Wood Origin, and repeatedly senses that the remaining cultivation method volumes lie outside this world.
2. Feng Shui Legacy Exploration: Li Chang'an and Fang Huaishan systematically open a dozen plus cave mansions, all containing Feng Shui technique legacies at Tier 4 Low Grade. They debate the merits of Feng Shui versus Alchemy Dao.
3. High-grade Discovery: In the final, best-positioned cave mansion, Li Chang'an finds a Tier 4 High-grade Feng Shui technique legacy. Its former owner stayed behind because his disciple sought a World-Avoiding Coffin to someday resurrect his mortal wife, and both died in the Great Tribulation.
4. Treasure Offering Assembly: Wei Mingyue summons the group. Each cultivator offers useless treasures to gain merit for Wei Sixian's command authority. Tang Lun offers 50+ treasures, but Mei Yurong outstrips him with 70+, while Li Chang'an and Fang Huaishan each offer 60+.
5. The Sealed Alchemy Furnace: Wei Sixian discovers a Quasi-fifth Rank Alchemy Furnace with an unextinguished Quasi-fifth Rank Earth Fire beneath it. The Six-Eyed Golden-Scaled Beast senses a near-Tier 5 medicinal pill inside, perfectly matching Wei Sixian's spirit root.
6. Chang'an's Unheeded Warning: Li Chang'an alone recalls Dan Chenzi's Notes about "Alchemy Demons"—spirit pills that develop intelligence and take monstrous form. He warns the group the seal may contain a demon, not a pill. His warning is politely dismissed; as the lowest-ranked alchemist present, his judgment is deemed inferior.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: Displays broad esoteric knowledge (Feng Shui, Alchemy lore) and good instincts. His caution is twice demonstrated—neither trusting the apparent "perfection" of his cultivation method nor accepting surface appearances in the furnace. He demonstrates graciousness by sharing all treasures equally with Fang Huaishan.
• Fang Huaishan: Loyal friend and capable partner; appreciates Li Chang'an's insights and agrees to split findings evenly.
• Tang Lun: Reveals pride and competitiveness; refuses Fang Huaishan's earlier partnership offer, then feels defeat when others contribute more. He is conspicuously flattering to Wei Mingyue and secretly resentful of superior contributions.
• Wei Mingyue: Effective leader, diplomatically praises each contributor while steering the group's efforts toward her brother's interests.
• Wei Sixian: Driven by Heart Sense toward the "treasure"; determined to open the furnace regardless of risk.
• Mei Yurong: Confident and slightly dismissive of Li Chang'an, relying on her Six-Eyed Golden-Scaled Beast's divination powers.

Significant Themes

• The nature of true immortality: The Ancient Wood Method grants double lifespan but falls short of the Immortal Path—implying true transcendence may lie beyond this world.
• The volatility of great inheritances: Ancient legacies are incomplete, their founders' fates unknown, and their inheritors must make their own paths.
• Arrogance before danger: The group's collective confidence in conventional assessments over an expert's unfamiliar warning foreshadows possible catastrophe.
• The price of devotion: The Feng Shui master's disciple chose love over survival, leading to both their deaths—a cautionary tale echoed subtly throughout.
• Power structures in expeditions: Treasures, flattery, and contributions are all currency in the game of favor and reward.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an—Fang Huaishan: Genuine fellowship; argued amicably on alchemy vs. Feng Shui, complemented each other in exploration, and split all loot evenly.
• Tang Lun—Wei Mingyue: Obsequious flattery; his mood swings from triumph to envy mirror the social competition among the guest elders.
• Mei Yurong—Li Chang'an: Open but condescending contrast; her superior rank and beast-divination make her warning of Li Chang'an's "mistaken senses" a pivotal dramatic irony—the audience knows the Alchemy Demon is real.
• Li Chang'an—Group: His lone dissenting voice isolates him, setting up likely vindication when the furnace opens.

Summary of Chapter 622

Key Plot Points

• In an ancient city ruins, Li Chang'an alone suspects danger near an alchemy furnace and retreats to the rear with Fang Huaishan.
• Everyone else opens the furnace, but it releases a Quasi-fifth-rank Alchemy Demon, killing several Guest Elders instantly (including a Peak Fourth-Tier Alchemist and Curse Master).
• Wei Sixian and Wei Mingyue use Tier 5 talismans to destroy the demon, leaving behind a damaged pill.
• Li Chang'an claims the situation matches an ancient text he "found" (actually fabricated on the spot), the Record of a Hundred Strange Happenings, increasing his credibility.
• The group later finds eight more identical alchemy furnaces. Wei Sixian and Wei Mingyue open them together, destroying eight more Alchemy Demons and obtaining eight damaged pills.
• The nine pills fuse into one: a Medium-grade Tier 5 Earthfire Profound Wheel Pill, perfectly suited for Wei Sixian's Earth/Fire spiritual roots.
• In reward for her help, Wei Sixian hands the dark golden Great Wei Tiger Tally to Wei Mingyue—the military command authority she originally sought.

Character Developments

• Li Chang'an: Shows foresight and caution; strengthens his reputation through careful knowledge and a cleverly fabricated ancient record.
• Wei Mingyue: Protective of Li Chang'an; successfully obtains the tiger tally.
• Wei Sixian: Feels genuine regret over the deaths, but is ultimately rewarded with a valuable treasure; attempts to recruit Li Chang'an but backs down when Wei Mingyue objects.
• Mei Yurong: Admits her earlier dismissal of Li Chang'an was wrong, apologizes sincerely, and offers him access to her Dao Field.
• Tang Lun: Grows internally bitter, rationalizing that Li Chang'an's knowledge won't improve his alchemy skill.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence leads to preventable disaster.
• Treasure hunting comes at a bloody cost.
• Knowledge and discernment are as valuable as raw cultivation.
• Caution and preparation outweigh blind ambition.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an's warning is initially ignored; afterward, his credibility rises sharply.
• Wei Mingyue stands protectively in front of Li Chang'an to stop Wei Sixian from poaching him as a Guest Elder.
• Mei Yurong and Wei Sixian both offer Dao Field tokens to Li Chang'an; he accepts Mei Yurong's but Wei Mingyue blocks Wei Sixian's.

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Wei Mingyue successfully gains command of Great Wei’s forces; Second Prince Wei Sixian formally withdraws from the factional struggle, ending the previous period of eased tensions.
• During a treasure distribution from the Ancient City trip, Wei Sixian gifts Li Chang'an (under the alias "Lin Mu") a quasi-fifth-rank Alchemy Furnace as a reward for his contributions. Li refines it successfully.
• Li Chang'an is puzzled that his earlier "Greatly Auspicious" divination did not lead to an extraordinary treasure; he briefly doubts his Divination Technique.
• Meanwhile, Li Chang'an's main body at Azure Mountain is attacked by a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator from the Nether Prison Sect, who intends to capture him and use him as bait to draw out Ye Hao. Li easily kills the attacker and seals his Nascent Soul.
• It is revealed that Li Chang'an has killed over a hundred Nether Prison cultivators over time and now possesses nearly two hundred captured Nascent Souls.
• Wei Mingyue summons Li Chang'an and Mei Yurong to discuss plans for the coming Immortal War. Li proposes targeting Nether Prison Sect–held border cities, deliberately aiming to draw out Luo Hao while also weakening the Nether Prison Sect.

2. Character Developments

• Wei Mingyue's trust in Lin Mu deepens significantly; she now regards him as highly as Mei Yurong and proactively offers to help deflect trouble caused by his new alchemy furnace.
• Li Chang'an continues his layered, long-term scheming: his clone maneuvers within Great Wei, while his main body quietly eliminates Nether Prison Sect threats. His primary concern is no longer individual enemies but possible Spirit Transformation cultivators.
• Li Chang'an maintains a humble outward demeanor, declining excessive rewards and avoiding direct attention from the Great Wei Emperor.
• He is still searching for a suitable forbidden art that consumes Nascent Souls, dissatisfied with the Nether Prison Sect's techniques he has encountered.

3. Significant Themes

• Manipulation and long-term planning: Li Chang'an uses war and political factions to achieve his own goals while appearing loyal and useful.
• Trust through calculated service: Wei Mingyue's reliance on "Lin Mu" grows precisely because his advice and actions continually benefit her.
• Moral ambiguity: Li Chang'an frames the attack on Nether Prison Sect territory as strategic, but his deeper motivations include personal safety, revenge, and preserving a stable world order.
• War as a tool: The Immortal War is treated not as a noble conflict but as an opportunity to eliminate dangerous factions and draw out hidden enemies.

4. Character Interactions

• Wei Sixian tries to build goodwill with Lin Mu by gifting the alchemy furnace and offering future help; Wei Mingyue is protective and tells him she will handle Lin Mu's problems herself.
• Tang Lun is jealous of Li Chang'an's fortune but is forced to congratulate him along with the other cultivators.
• A captured Nether Prison cultivator tries to threaten Li Chang'an, only to be killed matter-of-factly; Li shows no mercy toward Nether Prison members.
• In the military council, Mei Yurong defers, admitting she only understands alchemy. Li Chang'an presents a detailed border strategy, and when Wei Mingyue offers to recommend him to the emperor, he politely refuses, requesting only Merit Points instead.

Summary: The Princess's Knot, the Great War Begins

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang'an (as "Lin Mu") continues counseling Wei Mingyue on the upcoming Immortal War against Great Wei's Nether Prison Sect, emphasizing that killing demonic cultivators brings good fortune. They set the attack for one year out.
• Over the year, Li Chang'an becomes Wei Mingyue's most trusted advisor, offering extensive strategic planning. He notes Du Mingyue (Du Yi's daughter) on her roster but declines a deliberate introduction.
• Wei Mingyue gifts Li Chang'an a Thousand-Year Azure Bamboo Fruit to strengthen his Spiritual Sense, hoping he'll grow more powerful.
• Li Chang'an's main body, meanwhile, diverts Bloodline Treasures from the monster tribes to himself instead of the claimed "Teleportation Array" project, and remains cautious as the Monster Race delays its attack.
• The war begins: Wei Mingyue launches a massive surprise assault on Nether Prison Sect territory using planted death warriors to collapse defensive formations. The attack destroys entire Immortal Cities and seizes over a tenth of Nether Prison Sect's territory in an instant. The Nether Prison Sect is caught completely off guard.

2. Character Developments

• Li Chang'an (Lin Mu) : Deepens his influence over Wei Mingyue by positioning himself as her intellectual superior in war planning. He deliberately manipulates her psychology—his praise affects her because he temporarily stands "above" her in expertise. His main body continues his careful, self-serving accumulation of resources under the pretext of crisis.
• Wei Mingyue: Grows increasingly reliant on and trusting of Li Chang'an. Despite his low cultivation, she values his strategic mind. She also shows subtle emotional reactions to him, though she suppresses them.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategy over strength: Li Chang'an's value lies not in power but in knowledge, positioning, and psychological manipulation.
• Luck and morality: Killing "sinful" demonic cultivators is framed as both righteous and personally beneficial to one's luck.
• Deception and manipulation: Both on the battlefield (planted death warriors) and in personal relationships (Li Chang'an's calculated influence over Wei Mingyue).
• Cost of war: Despite the massive scale, Li Chang'an deliberately minimizes mortal casualties to protect his own fortune.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Chang'an & Wei Mingyue: A year of frequent meetings solidifies a mentor-advisor dynamic—he lectures, she listens, and he gradually gains control over her through elevated standing.
• Li Chang'an & Mei Yurong: She remains silent through discussions, listening and growing astonished at his knowledge.
• Li Chang'an & Du Mingyue (mentioned): He notes her connection to Du Yi and her complex loyalties, but lets the matter develop naturally.
• Main body & monster tribe leaders: He overrides their intentions to send treasures away, seizing them for personal use while claiming human survival requires internal strengthening.

Key plot points and events

• The Nether Prison Sect suffers devastating losses in the war against Great Wei, but both sides’ Spirit Transformation experts hold back. A gifted Tier 5 diviner tries to uncover who is behind the conflict; his divination injures him and yields only that a powerful, untraceable figure is involved.
• Tian Ming tells his disciples to stay out of the fighting and leave Li Chang’an alone. He reveals that more than a hundred Nether Prison Sect Nascent Soul cultivators have died at Li’s hands. He also admits to Blood Rain that he fought Bliss Heavenly Lord and was injured while protecting Li, though he refuses to explain why.
• As the war worsens, the other Immortal Sects prepare to intervene. Luo Hao heads to the front, intending to kill Li Chang’an afterward and conceal his own motives.
• Luo Yunshu delivers tribute to Li Chang’an. Li detects and destroys poison planted by Luo Hao, then uses divination to locate Luo Hao’s four bodies. He observes three and identifies them as clones, eventually finding Luo Hao’s true body at Soul Devouring Immortal City.
• Li watches Luo Hao fight Great Wei’s Fifth Prince and confirms that Luo Hao carries the fragment he seeks. Rather than attack directly, he waits for Qiao Sheng—an enemy who has repeatedly targeted him—to arrive, planning to make him the scapegoat.
• Qiao Sheng comes to capture the Fifth Prince for Merit Points and launches a surprise attack while the prince and Luo Hao are occupied.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an displays patience, preparation, and strategic cunning: he anticipates Luo Hao’s poisoning, identifies his true body, and engineers a situation that could eliminate both Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng while masking his involvement.
• Tian Ming reveals a surprising personal commitment to protecting Li, even at the cost of injury in a fight with the much stronger Bliss Heavenly Lord. His disciples, especially Blood Rain, are baffled by his motives; he keeps them secret.
• Luo Hao remains ambitious and ruthless, using poison against Li and planning to kill him. At the front, he fights as a formidable prodigy, with several bodies serving as clones.
• Qiao Sheng is drawn into Li’s plan by his own greed for Merit Points and hostility toward Li. He chooses to attack the Fifth Prince during the duel.
• Blood Rain understands Li’s strength and recognizes the danger of challenging him, but cannot grasp why Tian Ming protects him.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and concealed identities: The diviner cannot see the force shaping events, while Luo Hao’s clones conceal which body is real.
• Strategy over direct strength: Li relies on observation, divination, patience, and manipulating circumstances rather than confronting his target openly.
• Loyalty and unexplained protection: Tian Ming’s defense of Li raises questions about their connection and suggests deeper motives.
• War, ambition, and opportunity: The conflict drives factions and individuals to seek territory, Merit Points, and personal advantage—even as powerful leaders avoid committing fully.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiao Sheng attempts to assassinate the Fifth Prince, but his attacks are blocked.
• Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng clash due to their differing methods and attitudes, leading to a three-way battle with the Fifth Prince.
• The Seventh Prince joins the battle, making it a four-way clash.
• After a stalemate, both sides retreat to recover.
• Li Chang'an manipulates events to make Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng compete for treasures, leading to further conflict.
• Luo Hao's Guest Elder is severely injured by Qiao Sheng while trying to obtain a treasure, escalating tensions between them.

Character Developments

• Qiao Sheng: Shows ruthlessness and desperation for power, willing to harm allies for treasures.
• Luo Hao: Becomes increasingly hostile towards Qiao Sheng, driven by pride and honor.
• Fifth and Seventh Princes: Remain arrogant and confident, enjoying the spectacle of Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng's conflict.
• Li Chang'an: Manipulates events from the shadows, orchestrating conflicts between Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and ruthlessness in pursuit of power and treasures.
• The tension between honor and pragmatism, as seen in Luo Hao's and Qiao Sheng's differing methods.
• The manipulation of events from the shadows, as demonstrated by Li Chang'an.

Character Interactions

• Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng: Their conflict escalates, leading to multiple battles and growing animosity.
• Fifth and Seventh Princes: They enjoy the conflict between Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng, choosing not to intervene.
• Li Chang'an and Luo Hao/Qiao Sheng: Li Chang'an manipulates events to fuel Luo Hao's and Qiao Sheng's conflict, though they are unaware of his involvement.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiao Sheng violently seizes a treasure from a Guest Elder of the Nine Great Immortal Sects, nearly killing him and provoking his third battle with Luo Hao.
• Their battle lasts several days and brings the wider conflict to a standstill. The Fifth and Seventh Princes suspend their attack so the cultivators can watch.
• The Myriad Formation Sect and Dan Ding Sect eventually send reprimands written by Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords. Unable to defy their superiors, Qiao Sheng and Luo Hao stop fighting.
• Although various cultivators attempt to reconcile them, Li Chang’an secretly uses his Clones to intensify the hostility between their factions. Their subordinates repeatedly clash, ensuring the conflict remains active.
• Li Chang’an believes the widespread deaths of sinful Demonic Cultivators during the war have increased his Luck, allowing his schemes to proceed more smoothly.
• Meng Qingfeng visits Azure Mountain to investigate whether outsiders manipulated the conflict between Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng. Li Chang’an conceals his involvement, pretends to seek cultivation advice, and discusses the situation involving Wansen’s lineage.
• Meng Qingfeng later searches Soul Devouring Immortal City and questions Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng separately. He concludes that neither was controlled or influenced by outsiders and reports that their conflict arose from preexisting grudges.
• Once Meng Qingfeng leaves and no further investigation occurs, Li Chang’an disguises himself as one of Qiao Sheng’s attendants and enters Qiao Sheng’s Dao Field.
• An auspicious divination confirms that Li Chang’an can attack Qiao Sheng without interference. Using the Heart-Questioning Technique and Seven Emotions Profound Technique, he catches Qiao Sheng off guard and incapacitates him.
• Li Chang’an refines Qiao Sheng into a Wood Seed Puppet, then questions him about Mo Qingkuang, whose Blood Seed Great Method is regarded as comparable to a Perfect-grade Cultivation Method.
• After revealing his true identity, Li Chang’an shocks Qiao Sheng by demonstrating that his Early Nascent Soul mana is several times denser and more powerful than Qiao Sheng’s supposedly flawless Nascent Soul.
• Qiao Sheng recognizes that Li Chang’an cultivates the Ancient Wood Everlasting Method, an Immortal-level method reportedly created by an Immortal.
• Li Chang’an searches Qiao Sheng’s storage pouch. He retrieves the Soul-Cleansing Spirit Crystal and a Quasi-fifth Rank blood-energy treasure, while avoiding treasures marked with Wansen’s seal.
• He also discovers a Quasi-fifth Rank Alchemy Legacy and numerous rare Pill Recipes, including the long-sought Spirit Gathering Pill recipe. However, Li Chang’an notices that the recipe appears overly complicated and internally flawed, prompting him to question Qiao Sheng.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an: Continues evolving from a cautious schemer into a highly confident and capable manipulator. He successfully exploits the feud between Qiao Sheng and Luo Hao, evades Meng Qingfeng’s investigation, and defeats a stronger-looking opponent through concealment and superior techniques. His growing Luck reinforces his confidence.
• Qiao Sheng: His arrogance and confidence collapse after Li Chang’an subdues him and proves that his “perfect” Nascent Soul is inferior. He is forced to confront the possibility that his cultivation path is not the ultimate one.
• Luo Hao: Remains Qiao Sheng’s primary rival. Although he does not directly drive the chapter’s later events, his feud with Qiao Sheng provides the foundation for Li Chang’an’s scheme.
• Meng Qingfeng: Acts as a responsible investigator and senior protector. He shows patience toward Li Chang’an, offers cultivation guidance, and reassures him that Wansen will not attack, but ultimately fails to detect Li Chang’an’s hidden role.
• Wansen: Does not appear directly, but his influence is evident through the treasures in Qiao Sheng’s possession and his apparent trust in the Ancient Wood Everlasting Method.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Li Chang’an’s success comes from disguises, psychological techniques, careful timing, and misleading appearances rather than openly displaying his true power.
• Pride versus reality: Qiao Sheng’s belief in the perfection of his cultivation is shattered when he encounters Li Chang’an’s far superior mana quality.
• Luck and fate: Li Chang’an attributes his smooth success to accumulated Luck, while his acquisition of the Ancient Wood Everlasting Method and Spirit Gathering Pill recipe also appears connected to destiny.
• Scheming amid factional conflict: Large-scale wars and sect rivalries become tools that Li Chang’an manipulates for personal gain.
• Inheritance and cultivation hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the value of superior cultivation methods, especially the distinction between ordinary “perfect” techniques and methods of Immortal origin.

Character Interactions

• Qiao Sheng and Luo Hao engage in a prolonged, violent rivalry that dominates the battlefield.
• Sect cultivators attempt to reconcile the two rivals, while Li Chang’an secretly encourages their followers to keep fighting.
• Meng Qingfeng and Li Chang’an share a polite but guarded conversation. Li Chang’an asks questions he already understands to preserve his cover, while Meng Qingfeng discusses the feud and Wansen’s lineage.
• Meng Qingfeng questions both Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng separately, confirming that their conflict is genuine.
• Li Chang’an deceives Qiao Sheng by posing as an attendant, then overwhelms and interrogates him.
• Their conversation shifts from Mo Qingkuang and the Blood Seed Great Method to the Ancient Wood Everlasting Method and the difference in their Nascent Soul quality.
• The chapter ends with Li Chang’an questioning why the Spirit Gathering Pill recipe appears defective, suggesting that Qiao Sheng may know an important secret about its true formulation.

Plot points and events

• Li Chang’an identifies flaws in the Spirit Gathering Pill recipe despite being only a Tier 4 Alchemist. He memorizes it, copies other texts from Qiao Sheng’s storage, and takes a few rare supplementary ingredients.
• Under interrogation, Qiao Sheng reveals that Heavenly Lord Wansen uses the Nourishing Qi Technique, learned from Dan Chenzi’s Notes, to cultivate Wood Qi inside willing disciples. When it matures, Wansen consumes it, gaining their vitality and lifespan while leaving them alive but severely weakened.
• The Sword Spirit warns Li Chang’an that Wansen may himself be accumulating Wood Qi for an unseen predator—making the technique a trap rather than a true path to longevity. Li Chang’an abandons his temptation to pursue it.
• Qiao Sheng explains that Wansen’s obsession with lifespan stems from the deaths of his wife and children. He spared Qiao because he resembles his lost child, and hopes to live long enough to meet his family’s reincarnations.
• Li Chang’an learns that Wansen remains at early Spirit Transformation, has few known secrets beyond the technique, and currently avoids confronting Li and Luo Hao because another Spirit Transformation cultivator backs them.
• Li forces Qiao to record the Dan Ding Sect’s methods and texts, including five volumes of its Vermilion Heart Righteous Qi Art. He promises Qiao a chance to enter reincarnation and possibly recover his memories in a future life.
• With Qiao’s usefulness nearly exhausted, Li proceeds with his long-planned scheme to kill Luo Hao. He travels to the Soul Devouring Cave, whose ominous, lightless entrance signals the danger ahead.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an demonstrates advanced alchemical insight, strategic questioning, and pragmatism. His desire for longevity briefly makes Wansen’s technique seem appealing, but he heeds the Sword Spirit’s warning and recognizes the danger of hidden forces.
• Qiao Sheng cooperates because he expects to die and hopes for reincarnation. He answers Li’s questions and betrays the Dan Ding Sect’s knowledge in exchange for Li’s promise.
• Wansen is revealed as both a calculating exploiter of his disciples and a grieving man driven by the hope of reuniting with his dead family.
• The Sword Spirit acts as Li’s experienced adviser, cautioning him against the Cultivation World’s hidden Old Monsters.
• Li and Qiao’s relationship is coercive but transactional: Li admits he would torture Qiao if necessary, yet offers him a future chance at reincarnation.

Significant themes

• Longevity and its cost: Wansen extends his life by consuming the vitality of disciples, while Li confronts the temptation—and potential peril—of seeking the same power.
• Reincarnation and remembrance: Wansen’s family devotion and Qiao’s hope of recovering past-life memories underscore how uncertain the cycle of rebirth is.
• Hidden dangers and guarded knowledge: The Nourishing Qi Technique may be bait set by a greater power, reflecting the risks of pursuing seemingly beneficial methods.
• Ambition, sacrifice, and moral compromise: Li’s schemes, Qiao’s betrayal, and Wansen’s exploitation show how survival and personal goals can drive ethically troubling choices.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang’an prepares to eliminate Luo Hao at the legendary Soul Devouring Cave, a place from which no cultivator is said to have returned.
• He sets up multiple Peak Fourth-Tier trapping and illusion arrays around the cave, then waits until midnight.
• After receiving an auspicious divination predicting that he will successfully kill Luo Hao, Li Chang’an uses Qiao Sheng’s body to challenge Luo Hao.
• Luo Hao accepts the challenge and follows him to Soul Devouring Cave, while outside observers assume they are beginning another ordinary duel.
• Li Chang’an’s illusion arrays create a convincing fake battle for spectators. In reality, he quickly uses the Heart-Questioning Technique and Seven Emotions Profound Technique to trap Luo Hao in an illusion.
• Because Luo Hao’s main body is affected, all three of his clones collapse in their cultivation dojos as well. Li Chang’an’s prepared bodies infiltrate the dojos and confirm their defeat.
• Luo Hao briefly begins to awaken, but Li Chang’an uses another mental attack to keep him unconscious.
• Li Chang’an takes Luo Hao’s storage bag and retrieves the Green Wood Sword Fragment, which the Sword Spirit absorbs, greatly increasing its power and allowing it to block more attacks from Spirit Transformation cultivators.
• He also acquires several rare Spirit Gathering Pill ingredients and discovers Luo Hao’s hidden Quasi-Fifth-Tier Poison Dao Legacy.
• Finally, he finds Luo Hao’s powerful clone technique, the Blood Fetus Incarnation Technique, and learns that it is a Remnant Immortal Technique.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an demonstrates careful long-term planning, caution, and growing confidence. His success depends on studying Luo Hao’s previous battles, distinguishing his main body from his clones, preparing multiple contingencies, and using divination before acting.
• He becomes more ambitious after obtaining the Sword Spirit’s enhanced protection and the Blood Fetus Incarnation Technique.
• Li Chang’an gains a clearer understanding of the power hierarchy of Immortal Techniques and begins reassessing historical figures such as Du Yi and the mythological beings of the past.
• Luo Hao is revealed to be both a hidden poison master and the practitioner of an incomplete Immortal Technique. His obsession with defeating Wei Qianding exposes the lasting humiliation caused by his earlier defeat.
• Luo Hao’s strength is shown to be formidable, but he has only cultivated the Blood Fetus Incarnation Technique to Minor Achievement, leaving him vulnerable to Li Chang’an’s Immortal Gazing Technique.
• The Sword Spirit grows significantly stronger after absorbing the Green Wood Sword Fragment and recovers fragments of memories connected to its past.

Significant Themes

• Planning versus brute force: Li Chang’an succeeds not through a direct confrontation, but through preparation, information gathering, illusion arrays, and psychological techniques.
• The danger of hidden power: Luo Hao’s Poison Dao and Immortal Technique were concealed from the outside world, emphasizing that appearances and public reputations can be misleading.
• Immortal inheritance and lost history: The Blood Fetus Incarnation Technique reveals distinctions between True, False, and Remnant Immortal Techniques, hinting that the Mythological Era had access to powers beyond the limits of the current Cultivation World.
• Ambition and unresolved humiliation: Luo Hao’s desire to defeat Wei Qianding shows how past defeats can shape a cultivator’s goals and judgment.
• Strength beyond cultivation realms: Immortal Techniques may allow cultivators to overcome differences in realm, explaining how figures such as Du Yi could defeat stronger opponents.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an manipulates Luo Hao into following him by issuing a deliberately provocative challenge.
• The battle witnessed by outsiders is entirely false, created by Li Chang’an’s illusion arrays, while the actual fight is brief and decisive.
• Li Chang’an communicates with the Sword Spirit after obtaining the Green Wood Sword Fragment, gaining both greater protection and the promise of recovered memories.
• Luo Hao’s cultivation insights reveal his rivalry with Wei Qianding, the Crown Prince of Great Wei.
• Li Chang’an concludes that Wei Qianding is exceptionally talented and decides that befriending him, rather than becoming his enemy, is the safest course.

Chapter Summary: The Prodigy Falls, Unfortunate News

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang’an studies Luo Hao’s jade slips and copies the Blood Fetus Incarnation Technique, realizing it can create a powerful incarnation through blood-qi treasures. He considers asking Tian Ming about the even rarer Second Nascent Soul method but decides against appearing greedy.
• Because Li Chang’an possesses abundant treasures and exceptional luck, he believes he can cultivate the Blood Fetus Incarnation Technique far faster than Luo Hao.
• After gathering all useful information, Li Chang’an prepares to kill Luo Hao. He keeps Luo Hao unconscious throughout the battle to prevent his three powerful clones from interfering.
• Using an Illusion Array, Li Chang’an makes outsiders believe Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng are engaged in a fierce, private duel. He manipulates the illusion so Qiao Sheng appears to unleash a Tier 5 technique and kill Luo Hao.
• In reality, Li Chang’an controls Qiao Sheng and personally destroys Luo Hao’s body and Nascent Soul, then captures Luo Hao’s soul in the Soul Honoring Banner.
• To make the deception convincing, Li Chang’an allows the Tier 5 aura to escape the array and arranges the scene so that witnesses believe Qiao Sheng killed Luo Hao.
• Qiao Sheng publicly accepts responsibility, kneels toward the Dan Ding Sect in farewell to his master, and flies into the forbidden Soul Devouring Cave. Before he enters, Li Chang’an destroys Qiao Sheng’s Nascent Soul and removes his Spiritual Sense and Wood Seed connections, preventing the dangerous forbidden land from affecting his true body.
• Li Chang’an secretly collects Qiao Sheng’s soul and escapes. Inside the Soul Honoring Banner, Luo Hao awakens confused and discovers that Qiao Sheng is also present, though Qiao Sheng refuses to explain who was truly behind their deaths.
• Cloud Crane Angler later informs Li Chang’an of Luo Hao’s “accidental” death. Li Chang’an pretends to be shocked and grief-stricken, deliberately traveling openly from Azure Mountain so witnesses can confirm his alibi.
• He returns to Soul Devouring Immortal City and convincingly performs the role of Luo Hao’s devastated friend. Everyone confirms that Luo Hao was killed by Qiao Sheng in a private grudge match, leaving Li Chang’an unsuspected.
• Luo Hao’s son, Luo Zhiyuan, begs Li Chang’an to avenge his father. Li Chang’an comforts him, encouraging him to cultivate diligently so he may one day reunite with his father through reincarnation.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an becomes increasingly calculating and meticulous. He combines illusion, manipulation, assassination, soul capture, and alibi construction to eliminate Luo Hao without exposing himself.
• His caution is emphasized when he refuses to risk asking Tian Ming directly for the Second Nascent Soul technique and when he severs all connections to Qiao Sheng before the latter enters the forbidden cave.
• Li Chang’an also demonstrates strong emotional acting and social manipulation, convincingly presenting himself as Luo Hao’s loyal friend and grieving companion.
• Luo Hao, once a powerful Nascent Soul prodigy and favored adopted son of Luo Yu, is killed without realizing the true danger. His soul remains trapped and confused in Li Chang’an’s Soul Honoring Banner.
• Qiao Sheng unknowingly becomes Li Chang’an’s puppet and the scapegoat for Luo Hao’s death. Even after death, he remains resentful and amused by Luo Hao’s confusion.
• Luo Zhiyuan views Li Chang’an as a trusted elder and becomes motivated to cultivate harder after Li Chang’an gives him hope that he may reunite with his father in a future life.

Significant Themes

• Deception and appearances: The chapter centers on Li Chang’an constructing a false reality that both witnesses and Luo Hao accept.
• Caution and long-term planning: Li Chang’an succeeds because he anticipates possible interference from Luo Hao’s clones, the dangers of forbidden lands, and the need for a believable alibi.
• Power and vulnerability: Despite Luo Hao’s prestigious background, powerful techniques, and connection to a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord, he is ultimately helpless against a carefully planned assassination.
• Moral ambiguity: Li Chang’an murders Luo Hao, manipulates Qiao Sheng, captures both souls, and deceives Luo Zhiyuan, yet presents himself publicly as a loyal friend and compassionate elder.
• Reincarnation and legacy: Luo Zhiyuan’s hope of meeting his father again reflects the cultivation world’s belief in reincarnation, while also highlighting how the living preserve—or misunderstand—the dead.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an internally weighs whether to seek the Second Nascent Soul method from Tian Ming, showing respect for their relationship and concern about damaging Tian Ming’s trust.
• Through the illusion, the controlled Qiao Sheng and Luo Hao exchange insults, intensifying the appearance of a long-standing personal feud.
• After the staged battle, Cloud Crane Angler and the other cultivators question Qiao Sheng and warn him against killing Luo Hao, unknowingly reinforcing Li Chang’an’s false narrative.
• Qiao Sheng bids farewell to his master and appears to choose death in the Soul Devouring Cave, creating a dramatic conclusion that convinces the witnesses.
• Inside the Soul Honoring Banner, Luo Hao confronts Qiao Sheng and demands to know who orchestrated the incident. Qiao Sheng taunts him but keeps Li Chang’an’s identity secret.
• Cloud Crane Angler communicates the false account to Li Chang’an, who responds with carefully performed disbelief and grief.
• Li Chang’an consoles Luo Zhiyuan publicly, strengthening his reputation as Luo Hao’s devoted friend while subtly guiding the young cultivator toward greater effort and loyalty.

Chapter Summary: Spirit Transformation Battle, the Turmoil Settles

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Luo Hao’s death, Li Chang’an comforts Luo Zhiyuan and earns widespread respect for appearing calm, dependable, and compassionate despite his own grief.
• The Luo Yu Lineage arrives and assumes Luo Hao was killed through Qiao Sheng’s schemes. Li Chang’an supports this public interpretation.
• Qiao Sheng’s younger sister, Qiao Lin, arrives with the Wansen Lineage and angrily defends her brother, accusing Luo Hao of hypocrisy. The two factions nearly clash.
• The Nine-Headed Bird appears and suppresses the confrontation with his Quasi-fifth Rank aura, ordering everyone to await the decisions of the higher-ranking Heavenly Lords.
• The Nine-Headed Bird reveals that he still resents Li Chang’an over the Nine Yang Stone. The Sword Spirit then senses that the bird possesses a Green Wood Sword Fragment.
• Li Chang’an attempts to use divination to locate the Nine-Headed Bird’s other bodies but can identify only seven locations. Two bodies are concealed by secret-protecting treasures, making the bird extremely difficult to kill.
• Luo Yu and Wansen arrive and confront each other over the deaths of Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng. Both imply they would have protected their respective adopted sons, causing the threat of a Spirit Transformation battle to intensify.
• Snow Wind Heavenly Lord and other powerful cultivators intervene. Nirvana Heavenly Lord prevents the two sides from fighting and seals the area so the discussion cannot be observed or overheard.
• The Heavenly Lords suddenly depart because Bliss Heavenly Lord has begun fighting the Emperor of Great Wei after the latter’s thirteenth prince killed Bliss Heavenly Lord’s descendant.
• The battle ends in a draw, while Spirit Transformation cultivators from multiple factions form a tense standoff. The deaths of Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng are ultimately judged to be an internal accident, and the lower-level cultivators are forbidden from continuing the conflict.
• Li Chang’an returns to Azure Mountain, intending to interrogate Luo Hao. Before leaving, he gives Luo Zhiyuan numerous treasures, strengthening the young man’s loyalty and earning further goodwill.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an: Demonstrates emotional control, social intelligence, and protective instincts. His public support for the Luo Lineage improves his reputation, while privately he remains calculating and focuses on the Green Wood Sword Fragment and the threat posed by the Nine-Headed Bird.
• Luo Zhiyuan: Grieves deeply for Luo Hao and begs Luo Yu to avenge him. Li Chang’an’s protection and generosity make him increasingly dependent on and grateful toward Li Chang’an.
• Qiao Lin: Establishes herself as fiercely loyal to her brother and unwilling to accept the public version of his death. Her confrontation with Ning Qingliu nearly reignites the battle.
• Luo Yu: Reveals regret over having neglected Luo Hao’s guidance. Though outwardly calm, he is prepared to defend Luo Hao’s honor and confront Wansen.
• Wansen: Shows strong attachment to Qiao Sheng, declaring that he would have protected him just as Luo Yu protected Luo Hao. His controlled demeanor masks the seriousness of the conflict.
• Nine-Headed Bird: Is portrayed as vindictive and exceptionally difficult to kill because of his nine-body life-preserving ability. His possession of a Green Wood Sword Fragment makes him an even greater concern for Li Chang’an.
• The Sword Spirit: Acknowledges that the Nine-Headed Bird’s regenerative and multi-body nature presents an unusually difficult problem.

Significant Themes

• Public appearance versus hidden truth: Most cultivators believe Qiao Sheng secretly killed Luo Hao, while Li Chang’an knows the situation is more complicated and conceals his own motives.
• Political restraint among powerful factions: Personal vengeance is subordinated to the need to prevent a wider conflict between major sects and Spirit Transformation experts.
• The burden of protecting descendants and disciples: Luo Yu and Wansen’s reactions show how adoptive or master-disciple relationships can carry the same emotional weight as family ties.
• Reputation and strategic kindness: Li Chang’an’s comfort, protection, and gifts are both sincere acts of goodwill and effective ways to strengthen his position.
• The danger of hidden power: The Nine-Headed Bird’s concealed bodies and the unexpected Spirit Transformation battle demonstrate that even Li Chang’an’s divinations cannot reveal every threat.
• Conflict within larger power struggles: The deaths of Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng become secondary when the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty and major sects are drawn into a much larger confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an comforts Luo Zhiyuan and protects him from both the factional confrontation and the potential battle between Heavenly Lords.
• Ning Qingliu and Qiao Lin exchange accusations over whether Luo Hao or Qiao Sheng was responsible for the conflict.
• The Nine-Headed Bird intimidates the gathered cultivators and openly pressures Li Chang’an over the Nine Yang Stone.
• Luo Yu and Wansen engage in a tense verbal confrontation, each defending his deceased adopted son and implying that the other side bears responsibility.
• Snow Wind Heavenly Lord and Nirvana Heavenly Lord act as mediators, preventing the conflict from escalating.
• Li Chang’an later gives Luo Zhiyuan treasures and says farewell to the assembled cultivators before returning to Azure Mountain.

Chapter Summary:

Luo Hao Shaken, Nine-Headed Bird Arrives

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang’an learns that Luo Hao’s funeral will take place in three months. Although the clash between the Bliss Heavenly Lord and the Great Wei Emperor has ended, the wider war continues, with the Nether Prison Sect sending powerful prodigies to hunt members of the Great Wei Imperial House.
• The Thirteenth Prince and Wei Mingyue receive major rewards for their contributions, as do their subordinates, including Li Chang’an. However, Li cannot directly exchange his Merit Points for Tier 5 treasures because, as a Guest Elder without imperial blood, he lacks the necessary status.
• Li visits Wei Mingyue and discovers that many members of the imperial clan are challenging her authority over the army. They claim her success was due to favorable circumstances rather than her strategic ability and demand that she surrender command.
• Li advises Wei Mingyue to send these dissenters to the front lines against the Nether Prison Sect’s elite prodigies. Their likely deaths would eliminate her political opponents without requiring her to openly execute fellow imperial clansmen. Wei Mingyue accepts this ruthless strategy and agrees to help Li obtain a Tier 5 treasure.
• Back in his cave mansion, Li begins interrogating Luo Hao, whom he previously captured and placed inside the Soul Honoring Banner.
• Luo Hao is shocked to discover that Li Chang’an was the person who defeated him. Li reveals that he resisted Luo Hao’s poison, cultivated multiple high-level skills, and is already near the peak of Early Nascent Soul despite forming his Nascent Soul only slightly more than fifty years earlier.
• Li explains that he located Luo Hao’s true body through divination and distinguished it from his clones using the Immortal Gazing Technique, which he has cultivated to Major Achievement. He also reveals that his Divination Technique is close to quasi-fifth rank.
• These revelations destroy Luo Hao’s remaining pride. He accepts that his defeat was fair and agrees to answer Li’s questions.
• Luo Hao reveals that the Green Wood Sword Fragment was obtained as spoils after killing a Great Wei prodigy. He knows nothing about the locations of other fragments.
• He also confirms that his Clone Technique originated from a Mythological Era inheritance found within a secret realm controlled by the Myriad Formation Sect. Access to that realm is restricted, and it may contain other ancient inheritances.
• Meanwhile, the Nine-Headed Bird arrives near Azure Mountain. Carrying an old map, it identifies Azure Mountain as the entrance or location of the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, setting up the next major development.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an: Demonstrates exceptional strategic ruthlessness, political insight, and overwhelming versatility. His mastery of alchemy, talisman creation, poison cultivation, divination, and the Immortal Gazing Technique further establishes him as an extraordinary hidden prodigy.
• Wei Mingyue: Initially troubled by attacks from her own clan, she becomes decisive after accepting Li’s advice. She is prepared to use the Nether Prison Sect’s powerful enemies to eliminate political rivals and secure her command.
• Luo Hao: Moves from disbelief and resentment to reluctant acceptance. His confidence collapses after realizing Li surpasses him in both cultivation speed and technical mastery. His concern for his son reveals a more protective and human side.
• Qiao Sheng: Shares Luo Hao’s shock at Li’s hidden strength and recognizes that Li possesses an almost unprecedented number of high-level skills.
• Nine-Headed Bird: Enters the story as a new threat or competitor, apparently searching for the Fire Cloud Secret Realm beneath or near Azure Mountain.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Li’s seemingly ordinary identity conceals immense cultivation, technical expertise, and strategic ability.
• Political power and ruthless survival: Wei Mingyue’s authority depends not only on merit but also on suppressing internal rivals. Li advocates using the ongoing war as a weapon in imperial politics.
• Acceptance of defeat: Luo Hao’s pride is shattered when he confronts the vast gap between himself and Li, leading him to acknowledge that his defeat was deserved.
• Inheritance and ancient secrets: The Green Wood Sword Fragment, Luo Hao’s Mythological Era Clone Technique, and the Fire Cloud Secret Realm all point toward deeper ancient legacies.
• Trust and leverage: Li’s promise not to harm Luo Hao’s son earns Luo Hao’s cooperation, while Wei Mingyue’s promise to help him obtain a Tier 5 treasure strengthens their alliance.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an and Wei Mingyue: Li acts as her strategist and political adviser, helping her preserve military authority. In return, she agrees to obtain a Tier 5 treasure for him.
• Li Chang’an and Luo Hao: Their interrogation becomes a psychological confrontation. Li calmly exposes his superior abilities, breaking Luo Hao’s resistance before questioning him about the sword fragment and ancient inheritance.
• Luo Hao and Qiao Sheng: Both are united in their shock at Li’s true capabilities; Qiao Sheng’s earlier defeat helps Luo Hao understand that Li had deceived them all.
• Li Chang’an and Luo Hao’s son: Although the son is not present, Luo Hao’s concern for him becomes the basis for Li’s oath and Luo Hao’s willingness to cooperate.
• Nine-Headed Bird and Azure Mountain: The bird arrives independently with a map identifying Azure Mountain as the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, creating an imminent collision with Li’s activities.

Key plot points and events

• The Nine-Headed Bird finds an ancient map suggesting the entrance to the Fire Cloud Secret Realm lies beneath Azure Mountain. He suspects Li Chang’an has already discovered it and gained immense wealth and rapid cultivation from its resources. Rather than risk angering Li’s powerful protector, Tian Ming, he decides to test Li first and considers turning him into a puppet; he will tell Heavenly Lord Wansen only if necessary.
• Luo Hao explains that he poisoned Li because Li ruined his trap at Returning Dragon Valley, where Luo hoped to provoke a war between Fu Sheng and the Immortal Extermination Alliance. Three Heavenly Lords—Wuxiang, Jinchuan, and Baihe—backed the scheme.
• Li confirms Ren Huan’s account by producing Ren’s soul. Luo Hao, Qiao Sheng, and Ren realize that their hostility toward Li has led to their present predicament. Li sends them to the Evil Soul for interrogation, especially to extract Luo Hao’s knowledge of spells and ancient texts.
• The Sword Spirit recalls the God-Creation Technique, which uses accumulated faith to make a worshipped deity real. Azure Origin Armor confirms that Great Jin used faith both to empower Nascent Soul cultivators temporarily as “Pseudo-Spirit Transformation” experts and to create powerful Faith Deities.
• The Sword Spirit suspects the Moon God’s Hand in the Moon Gazing Secret Realm’s altar can serve as a vessel for faith and potentially grant Li Tier 5 power. Li travels there to investigate. The chapter ends as the two spirits examine the altar, where worshippers’ faith is already flowing into the hand.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an sets aside the prospect of seeking more Immortal Techniques, judging that they would not let him defeat a Spirit Transformation cultivator. His immediate priority remains the Azure Wood Legacy and its Spirit Gathering Flower Seed. He also learns which powerful enemies may resent him and resolves to be wary.
• Luo Hao, Qiao Sheng, and Ren Huan shift from adversaries to uneasy, regretful prisoners. They acknowledge Li’s sincerity when he says he avoids fighting unless provoked, and even hope he becomes powerful enough to withstand the greater threat of Mo Qingkuang.
• The Nine-Headed Bird becomes more intent on exploiting Azure Mountain’s hidden resources but remains cautious because of Li’s backing.
• The Sword Spirit and Azure Origin Armor work together to explain Great Jin’s use of faith, prompting Li to investigate whether the altar can be used.

Significant themes

• Faith as power and creation: Collective belief can produce both temporary strength and actual divine beings.
• Ambition versus caution: Li postpones power-seeking that cannot solve his immediate limitations, while the Nine-Headed Bird weighs greed against the danger of provoking stronger forces.
• Consequences of enmity and protection: Li’s former enemies regret choosing to oppose him, while the protection of Luo Yu and Du Yi has quietly shaped his survival.
• Power, identity, and dependence: Faith Deities depend on worshippers’ beliefs, while Pseudo-Spirit Transformation cultivators rely on faith to maintain their enhanced strength.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang’an examines the altar containing a pale, bloodless hand whose aura matches the Moon God’s eye in the sky. The Sword Spirit and Azure Origin Armor Artifact Spirit determine that the altar contains one part of a deity created through the God-Creation Technique.
• They conclude that the Moon God’s corpse was divided into six parts—both hands, both feet, the head, and torso—and sealed in six altars. The existing altar is only one-sixth of a complete Faith Deity.
• A complete Faith Deity could possess Tier 5 strength and potentially fight a Spirit Transformation cultivator. However, none of Li Chang’an’s companions knows how to command one. Li Chang’an decides to seek the necessary method in the Core Region of the Great Wei Immortal Dynasty’s Library Pavilion.
• Li Chang’an investigates the whereabouts of the other five altars. Jin Langhui, Yanlong Gan, and the Monkey King cannot identify their locations, though they believe the altars are held by powerful Monster Race and Alien Race clans.
• He asks the Monkey King and Demon Cattail Flower to gather intelligence. Their reports indicate that several clans, including the Three-Headed Lion and Azure Roc Clans, are preparing for war against the Human Race, likely under the influence of even stronger forces operating from the shadows.
• Li Chang’an anticipates that the coming war may provide an opportunity to unify the Moon Gazing Secret Realm and eventually locate the remaining altars.
• Returning to Azure Mountain, Li Chang’an consults Luo Hao, Qiao Sheng, Ren Huan, Mu Wei, and the Artifact Spirits about killing the Nine-Headed Bird, who possesses a Green Wood Sword Fragment.
• Most believe the Nine-Headed Bird is nearly impossible to kill because he possesses nine bodies. Mu Wei, however, reveals several possible methods:
  1. Hire the Heavenly Secrets Sect’s extraordinarily powerful Celestial Master to locate every body.
  2. Employ a Tier 5 Curse Master, who could use a trace of the Nine-Headed Bird’s aura to kill all his bodies.
  3. Lure one body into a deadly location such as Soul Severing Cliff or Soul Devouring Cave, though this method is unreliable.
  4. Use a powerful Mythological-Era Bloodline Spell that can kill the target, all clones, and even blood relatives with only a drop of blood.
• The chapter ends as the group learns about this terrifying Bloodline Spell, which explains the title’s reference to a single drop of blood exterminating an entire clan.

2. Character Developments

• Li Chang’an becomes increasingly ambitious and strategic. He begins planning not only to obtain a complete Faith Deity but also to unify the entire Moon Gazing Secret Realm.
• He remains cautious and politically calculating, delaying another request to Wei Mingyue so she will not suspect his motives or feel that he is exploiting her trust.
• Li Chang’an also shows his distrust of powerful outsiders. Although he could potentially hire a Tier 5 Curse Master, he worries about betrayal, information leaks, or the master coveting his treasures.
• Mu Wei emerges as the group’s most valuable source of historical and technical knowledge. His connection to Mu Teng gives him access to rare information about the Nine-Headed Bird and the methods capable of defeating him.
• The Nine-Headed Bird is revealed to be far more exceptional than previously understood: he is an ancient hybrid of the Nine-Life Race and Azure Roc Clan, preserved since the Ancient Era because both races considered him their greatest hope.
• The Monkey King accepts Li Chang’an’s request to investigate the altars in exchange for Spirit Fruits, reinforcing their cooperative relationship.
• Demon Cattail Flower continues acting as Li Chang’an’s intelligence operative, infiltrating powerful clans and monitoring the developing war.

3. Significant Themes

• Power through faith and corpses: The God-Creation Technique transforms the remains of powerful beings into objects of worship and political control, showing how religion can be weaponized by imperial powers.
• Fragmentation and reunification: The Moon God’s divided corpse parallels the broader struggle to gather scattered power, knowledge, and territory.
• Political manipulation: The impending war may be driven by hidden factions using weaker clans as pawns, emphasizing that visible conflicts often conceal deeper power struggles.
• Caution versus ambition: Li Chang’an seeks enormous power but carefully avoids acting too quickly, balancing his desire for the altars and Green Wood Sword Fragment against the dangers of exposure and betrayal.
• The limits of immortality and cloning: The Nine-Headed Bird’s nine bodies make him extraordinarily difficult to kill, but the chapter introduces specialized powers—divination, curses, deadly realms, and bloodline techniques—that can bypass conventional defenses.
• Bloodline as both strength and vulnerability: The final Bloodline Spell turns familial connection into a fatal weakness, capable of destroying not only an individual but an entire lineage.

4. Character Interactions

• The Sword Spirit and Azure Origin Armor Artifact Spirit cooperate in analyzing the altar and reach the same conclusion about the fragmented Faith Deity.
• Li Chang’an consults Jin Langhui and Yanlong Gan about the missing altars, then turns to the Monkey King when the human representatives prove uninformed.
• He assigns the Monkey King and Demon Cattail Flower separate intelligence-gathering roles, creating a network to monitor both the altars and the coming invasion.
• During the meeting about the Nine-Headed Bird, Qiao Sheng and Ren Huan reject the idea of killing him, reflecting the group’s initial belief that the task is impossible.
• Li Chang’an silences the others so Mu Wei can speak, recognizing Mu Wei’s superior knowledge. Mu Wei then explains the Nine-Headed Bird’s origins and the four possible ways to defeat him.
• Qiao Sheng connects Mu Wei’s information to the Nine-Headed Bird’s unusual restraint toward curse cultivators, while Luo Hao recognizes the Bloodline Spell as a technique from the Mythological Era.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang’an investigates ways to kill the Nine-Headed Bird, whose Clone Technique makes him extremely difficult to eliminate.
• Mu Wei describes several possible countermeasures, but most are lost, unreliable, or require outside experts such as a Tier 5 Curse Master.
• Mu Wei and Wei Yan reveal the existence of the Blood-Origin Soul-Devouring Gu, a rare Demonic Path Gu worm capable of tracing a clone back to its original body and devouring the souls and blood of all bodies simultaneously.
• The Gu requires living Nascent Soul cultivators as nourishment. Li Chang’an considers this acceptable because he possesses many Nascent Souls and has reached Tier 4 High-grade Gu Dao attainment.
• Wei Yan explains that the Gu may be connected to the lost legacy of the Hundred Gu True Lord, a Great Wei Gu Dao expert who possessed many rare Gu worms before disappearing during the Great Tribulation. Li Chang’an decides to investigate both Great Wei’s imperial family and other information channels.
• Li Chang’an senses danger through divination and discovers that someone is preparing to attack Azure Mountain.
• He intercepts Dark Blood True Lord, a disciple of Hua Xue Heavenly Lord, before the latter can infiltrate Azure Mountain. Li Chang’an captures and interrogates him using the Evil Soul.
• Under torture, Dark Blood reveals that he was hired by the Nine-Headed Bird to capture Li Chang’an. The Nine-Headed Bird paid him five hundred top-grade Spirit Stones and arranged to meet him outside the Dan Ding Sect.
• Li Chang’an concludes that the Nine-Headed Bird’s stated motive—revenge over an auction dispute—is false. He suspects the true reason is the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, which the Nine-Headed Bird has long sought.
• Fearing that the Nine-Headed Bird may expose the secret to Wansen if unable to seize the realm himself, Li Chang’an resolves to kill him as soon as possible.
• Li Chang’an takes Dark Blood’s belongings, then uses him to lure the Nine-Headed Bird to the agreed meeting place. The chapter ends when the Nine-Headed Bird arrives and asks whether the mission succeeded.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an: Demonstrates strategic thinking, caution, and growing resolve. He recognizes the Blood-Origin Soul-Devouring Gu as his most promising weapon against the Nine-Headed Bird and begins planning how to obtain its cultivation method. His suspicion deepens after discovering the Nine-Headed Bird’s hidden motive, and he becomes determined to eliminate him quickly.
• Mu Wei: Establishes himself as highly knowledgeable due to his background as the son of a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord. Although he does not know the full details of the Blood-Origin Soul-Devouring Gu, he provides the crucial lead.
• Wei Yan: Reveals his knowledge of the Gu worm from an ancient Great Wei text and provides information about the Hundred Gu True Lord’s lost legacy. His calm, detached attitude contrasts with Mu Wei’s more confrontational manner.
• Dark Blood True Lord: Initially arrogant and threatening because of his connection to Hua Xue Heavenly Lord, he quickly collapses under the Evil Soul’s torture and confesses that he was merely a pawn hired by the Nine-Headed Bird.
• Nine-Headed Bird: Emerges as manipulative and ambitious. He uses Dark Blood as a disposable test piece while concealing his real objective, likely the Fire Cloud Secret Realm.
• Evil Soul: Enjoys finally torturing an unwilling captive after recent prisoners had cooperated too easily, highlighting its sadistic and malicious nature.

Significant Themes

• Knowledge as power: Li Chang’an values rare information as much as cultivation resources. The Blood-Origin Soul-Devouring Gu and the Hundred Gu True Lord’s legacy may determine his ability to defeat a powerful enemy.
• Strategic manipulation and hidden motives: The Nine-Headed Bird disguises his true objective, while Li Chang’an turns Dark Blood into bait to expose him.
• Moral corruption and Demonic Path methods: The Gu’s cultivation requires feeding on living Nascent Soul cultivators, and Li Chang’an is willing to consider such a technique because it offers a reliable solution.
• Preparation versus dependence: Li Chang’an prefers obtaining a method he can control himself rather than relying on Curse Masters or powerful allies.
• Escalating danger: The conflict expands from personal revenge to a struggle over the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, potentially involving Spirit Transformation-level forces.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an consults Mu Wei and Wei Yan about methods to counter the Nine-Headed Bird’s clones.
• He interrogates Mu Wei, Wei Yan, and other captured cultivators for hidden knowledge, regretting that he lacks the Soul Searching Technique.
• Li Chang’an captures and confronts Dark Blood, who threatens him with Hua Xue Heavenly Lord’s retaliation before surrendering information under torture.
• Dark Blood’s confession links the attack on Azure Mountain directly to the Nine-Headed Bird.
• Li Chang’an manipulates the situation by taking Dark Blood to the arranged meeting point and contacting the Nine-Headed Bird, setting up their imminent confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chang’an, controlling Dark Blood True Lord, reports to the Nine-Headed Bird that he failed to infiltrate Azure Mountain. He emphasizes the mountain’s numerous Tier 4 formations, traps, and defensive mechanisms, claiming he survived only through his Master’s protection.
• The Nine-Headed Bird compensates Dark Blood with one hundred of the five hundred top-grade Spirit Stones originally promised. He remains determined to attack Li Chang’an, insisting that the grudge began when Li Chang’an humiliated him at the auction.
• Li Chang’an probes the Nine-Headed Bird for his true intentions, especially regarding Azure Mountain and Tian Ming Heavenly Lord’s interest in him, but the Nine-Headed Bird reveals nothing beyond his stated desire for revenge.
• The Nine-Headed Bird offers Dark Blood one thousand top-grade Spirit Stones to test Azure Mountain again. Li Chang’an refuses, pretending to be afraid and claiming he would rather earn rewards fighting at the Danding Domain front.
• Li Chang’an decides to use Dark Blood’s identity until the latter can die convincingly in battle. He heads to the front line and uses Dark Blood to assassinate numerous Great Wei cultivators, including more than ten Nascent Soul experts with imperial bloodlines.
• Great Wei prodigies eventually trap and surround Dark Blood. Li Chang’an deliberately allows him to enter the trap, then directs his final attack so that Dark Blood kills three imperial prodigies before dying.
• Dark Blood’s death is widely praised as heroic, and no one suspects that Li Chang’an controlled him. The Nine-Headed Bird is secretly relieved, believing Dark Blood’s death ensures that Azure Mountain’s secrets will remain hidden. He begins considering hiring Black Market rogue cultivators to investigate Azure Mountain instead.
• Dark Blood’s death contributes to the growing losses among Great Wei’s anti–Wei Mingyue faction. More than half of the Nascent Soul prodigies opposing her have already fallen.
• At the Great Wei court, over a hundred princes and marquises accuse Wei Mingyue of using military authority to eliminate their descendants. Wei Mingyue counters by accusing them of disloyalty and treason.
• The Great Wei Emperor ends the dispute without punishing Wei Mingyue, effectively favoring her. He warns that the “true Immortal War” has not yet begun.
• Wei Mingyue informs Li Chang’an of the court’s developments. His divination reveals an ominous vision of a world engulfed in blood, though his personal fortune appears favorable.
• Li Chang’an begins preparing for major upheavals in Heaven and Earth.
• Black Sand True Lord successfully breaks through from the Mid-Nascent Soul Stage to the Late Nascent Soul Stage. Li Chang’an guards his breakthrough, and Black Sand sincerely thanks him for allowing him to remain on Azure Mountain.
• The Yellow Sand Sect asks Black Sand to return, but he refuses, preferring to remain on Azure Mountain under the pretense of “atonement,” since its resources and foundation are superior.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an: Becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. He successfully manipulates Dark Blood’s identity, eliminates powerful Great Wei enemies, conceals his involvement, and continues investigating the Nine-Headed Bird’s motives. His ominous divination causes him to prepare for an approaching catastrophe.
• Nine-Headed Bird: Reveals his arrogance, suspicion, and persistence. Though he claims to seek revenge over the auction incident, he remains focused on uncovering Azure Mountain’s defenses and is willing to employ outsiders to do so.
• Dark Blood: Serves as Li Chang’an’s proxy and ultimately dies in a carefully arranged heroic battle. His final attack kills three Great Wei imperial prodigies, preserving his reputation.
• Wei Mingyue: Becomes more ruthless and politically formidable. She openly threatens her opponents with accusations of treason and benefits from the Great Wei Emperor’s support.
• Black Sand True Lord: Shows gratitude and loyalty toward Li Chang’an. His breakthrough strengthens Azure Mountain, and he chooses to remain there rather than return to the Yellow Sand Sect.
• Great Wei Emperor: Demonstrates subtle favoritism toward Wei Mingyue while hinting that a larger conflict—the true Immortal War—is approaching.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Li Chang’an uses Dark Blood as a disposable proxy, deceiving both the Nine-Headed Bird and the wider cultivation world.
• Political power and factional struggle: Wei Mingyue’s campaign against rival aristocratic families is framed as military necessity, while her opponents see it as personal revenge.
• The cost of ambition: Powerful cultivators and prodigies are sacrificed in the escalating conflict between Great Wei and the Nether Prison Sect.
• Preparation for catastrophe: Divinations, the Emperor’s warning, and the blood-red omen all suggest that a massive war or upheaval is imminent.
• Loyalty through shared interests: Black Sand’s decision to stay on Azure Mountain shows how superior resources and Li Chang’an’s protection can secure allegiance.
• The vulnerability of cultivation geniuses: Even highly gifted Nascent Soul cultivators can be trapped and killed when caught in broader political and military struggles.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an and the Nine-Headed Bird: A tense exchange of mutual deception. The Nine-Headed Bird attempts to recruit Dark Blood for another infiltration, while Li Chang’an probes for hidden motives and ultimately withdraws.
• Li Chang’an and Dark Blood: Li Chang’an exercises complete control over Dark Blood, using him to assassinate enemies and then arranging his death at the optimal moment.
• Wei Mingyue and the Great Wei court: Wei Mingyue confronts the princes and marquises directly, turning their accusations into a potential treason case.
• Wei Mingyue and the Great Wei Emperor: The Emperor’s decision to dismiss the complaints confirms his tacit support of her actions.
• Wei Mingyue and Li Chang’an: Their cooperation continues as she relays political developments and relies on his strategic guidance.
• Li Chang’an and Black Sand: Their relationship deepens through mutual trust. Li Chang’an protects Black Sand during his breakthrough, while Black Sand acknowledges his debt and chooses to remain under his protection.

Chapter Summary: “Black Market Moves, the World Trembles”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Black Sand, having advanced to the Late Nascent Soul Stage, refuses to return to the Yellow Sand Sect despite his subordinates’ eagerness to bring him back. He hosts a celebratory banquet at Azure Mountain for visiting Nascent Soul cultivators.
• The group discusses the distant possibility of reaching the Spirit Transformation realm. Black Sand admits that he may reach Nascent Soul Peak but believes Spirit Transformation will depend entirely on fate. Li Chang’an encourages everyone not to lose confidence.
• After the banquet, the visiting cultivators depart. Jiang Xuanyuan forcibly takes Jiang Muyu away, apparently fearing that Li Chang’an may refuse to acknowledge her as a Dao Companion.
• Luo Wanyu questions Li Chang’an about marriage and companionship, but he rejects the idea, claiming that the coming Great Tribulation leaves him no attention for personal relationships. Luo Wanyu is visibly disappointed.
• Yan Hao returns from the battlefield with major gains, including treasures from two fallen Nascent Soul Peak geniuses and a damaged Tier 5 armor. His cultivation has advanced significantly.
• Yan Hao reveals that the Black Market has been stealing corpses, disguising its members as fighters from both sides, and deliberately intensifying the Immortal War. Li Chang’an warns him not to report this, suspecting that a powerful Nascent Soul Heavenly Lord is manipulating events behind the scenes.
• The Nine-Headed Bird of the Dan Ding Sect arrives at Azure Mountain, claiming to visit Luo Wanyu. Li Chang’an realizes that his true purpose is to search for the entrance to the Fire Cloud Secret Realm beneath the mountain.
• Li Chang’an deliberately allows the Nine-Headed Bird to inspect Azure Mountain while concealing the secret realm’s aura with a treasure obtained from the Mystic Ice Race’s vault. Despite repeated searches lasting into the next day, the Nine-Headed Bird finds nothing.
• A sudden and overwhelming sense of danger affects Li Chang’an, the Nine-Headed Bird, Luo Wanyu, Black Sand, Yan Hao, and Xue Qiansi. Massive explosions then shake the entire Cultivation World.
• The disturbances originate in the Western Three Domains, which had previously been considered a secure rear area. The cause is revealed: enormous chains made from countless bones have crossed the chaos beyond the Cultivation World and crashed into the Yin-Yang, Netherworld, and Heavenly Secrets Domains.
• The impact destroys mortal realms, kills hundreds of millions of people, and spreads Demonic Qi and bloodshed throughout the Western Three Domains.

Character Developments

• Black Sand: Becomes more powerful and confident after reaching Late Nascent Soul, but remains uncertain about advancing to Spirit Transformation. His reluctance to return to the Yellow Sand Sect adds a humorous contrast to the sect members’ mistaken admiration.
• Li Chang’an: Continues to display exceptional caution, foresight, and secrecy. He protects the Fire Cloud Secret Realm, recognizes the danger behind the Black Market’s actions, and prevents Yan Hao from recklessly interfering. His refusal to pursue companionship emphasizes his single-minded focus on survival and cultivation.
• Luo Wanyu: Shows growing emotional interest in Li Chang’an and questions his rejection of Dao Companionship. Her complicated reaction suggests disappointment and possibly unspoken affection.
• Yan Hao: Gains considerable strength and fortune through battlefield opportunities. However, his greed and eagerness to gain recognition nearly draw him into a deadly political conflict, forcing him to rely on Li Chang’an’s judgment.
• Nine-Headed Bird: Reveals himself to be suspicious and calculating. Though he claims concern for Luo Wanyu, his real objective is to locate the Fire Cloud Secret Realm. His inability to penetrate Li Chang’an’s defenses increases his doubt and frustration.

Significant Themes

• Ambition versus limitation: The characters can now imagine Spirit Transformation because of the Heaven and Earth Great Change, but reaching it remains extraordinarily difficult.
• Caution and hidden dangers: Both the Black Market conspiracy and the Nine-Headed Bird’s investigation show that apparent opportunities may conceal mortal threats.
• Secrecy and strategic deception: Li Chang’an survives by concealing his true strength and resources, misleading powerful enemies, and carefully controlling what others can discover.
• War as exploitation: The Black Market manipulates the Immortal War for unknown purposes, while Yan Hao profits from the battlefield’s destruction by collecting treasures.
• Personal bonds versus the immortal path: Luo Wanyu seeks companionship, while Li Chang’an believes emotional attachments would distract him from surviving the approaching Great Tribulation.
• Escalating catastrophe: The chapter shifts from sect celebrations and personal tensions to a world-shaking disaster, suggesting that the conflict is expanding beyond ordinary factional warfare.

Important Character Interactions

• Black Sand lectures his Golden Core subordinates after they praise his “sacrifice” at Azure Mountain.
• Mingxia and the other cultivators discuss Black Sand’s chances of reaching Spirit Transformation, then look to Li Chang’an as someone who may possess greater potential.
• Luo Wanyu challenges Li Chang’an’s rejection of Dao Companionship, exposing the emotional distance between them.
• Yan Hao reports the Black Market’s activities to Li Chang’an, who counsels him to remain uninvolved.
• The Nine-Headed Bird uses Luo Wanyu as a pretext to enter Azure Mountain and investigate it, while Li Chang’an quietly counters his search.
• The chapter ends with all major cultivators recognizing the same supernatural danger as the bone chains descend upon the Western Three Domains.

Chapter Summary: The World as a Boat, War Erupts

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Monster Race of the Immortal Extermination Alliance launches a surprise invasion of the Western Three Domains. Three Minor Worlds—belonging to the Sky Demons, Earth Demons, and Sea Demons—cross the chaos like boats and connect to the Cultivation World using enormous White Bone Chains.
• Countless Demonic Beasts pour into the Western Three Domains, aiming to create a second battlefield and attack the Nine Great Immortal Sects from behind.
• Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords from the Yin Yang Sect, Nether Prison Sect, and Heavenly Secrets Sect immediately confront the invading Tier 5 Demonic Beasts. A massive battle begins, while large areas of the Western Three Domains rapidly fall.
• Li Chang’an learns from Yu Xiaosheng that the invasion is a coordinated plan by the Immortal Extermination Alliance. The Eastern and Western Three Domains are now both embroiled in war, leaving only the Central Three Domains relatively secure.
• Li Chang’an’s divination confirms widespread bloodshed but cannot reveal the full details because a powerful Tier 5 Lower Diviner appears to be influencing events. His own divination remains auspicious, suggesting he is not yet in immediate danger.
• Reports reveal severe losses: more than half of the Yin-Yang Domain and Heavenly Secrets Domain have fallen, while only about twenty percent of the Netherworld Domain has been lost. The Nether Prison Sect performs especially well because of its large number of powerful Demonic Cultivators.
• The Myriad Formation Sect summons every affiliated Nascent Soul cultivator for military service. All five Nascent Soul cultivators of Azure Mountain receive Summoning Tokens, demonstrating how serious the war has become.
• Li Chang’an leaves the Blood Slaughter True Lord Puppet to defend Azure Mountain and travels with Luo Wanyu, Black Sand, and the others to the Myriad Formation Sect.
• At the sect headquarters, numerous Nascent Soul True Lords gather, exchanging alarming reports about the invasion and the destruction of sects and territories.
• Li Chang’an discovers that Zi Xi and Zixia are absent because Zi Xi is undergoing a disciple assessment for Heavenly Lord Wuxiang. He attempts to divine Zi Xi’s situation using a strand of her hair, but the Myriad Formation Sect’s powerful concealment prevents him from seeing anything.
• More than ten Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords gather in the Main Hall, including Ancient Formation Heavenly Lord, Luo Yu, Hua Xue, Wuxiang, Jinchuan, and Baihe. Fu Sheng is absent, apparently still immersed in his Dream Path research.
• Although Li Chang’an is normally considered a subordinate-affiliated cultivator, Luo Yu unexpectedly summons him to stand among his own disciples. This surprises everyone and attracts the scrutiny of several Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords.
• Ancient Formation Heavenly Lord, the Myriad Formation Sect’s sect master and a Quasi-sixth-rank Formation Master, begins explaining the crisis to the assembled cultivators.

Character Developments

• Li Chang’an remains calm and analytical amid the growing war. He uses his clones, divination, and information networks to assess the invasion rather than acting impulsively. His ability to perceive the conspiracy confirms his growing importance, though his divination remains limited against stronger experts.
• He also demonstrates prudence by leaving the powerful Blood Slaughter Puppet to guard Azure Mountain before reporting for military duty.
• Luo Wanyu shows practical awareness of the danger and accompanies Li Chang’an to the Myriad Formation Sect.
• Yu Xiaosheng becomes an important source of military intelligence, warning Li Chang’an that all Nascent Soul cultivators may be deployed.
• The Nether Prison Sect is revealed to possess major wartime advantages because of its numerous and powerful Demonic Cultivators.
• Zi Xi is pursuing advancement by attempting to become Heavenly Lord Wuxiang’s disciple, but her decision may be dangerous because of Wuxiang’s strange cultivation method and uncertain motives.
• Luo Yu unexpectedly elevates Li Chang’an’s status by placing him beside his personal disciples, suggesting that he values or intends to protect him.
• Fu Sheng’s continued absence highlights his detachment from sect affairs and causes dissatisfaction among other Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords.

Significant Themes

• War and strategic vulnerability: The Monster Race’s use of Minor Worlds to bypass the main battlefront demonstrates the importance of surprise, logistics, and battlefield positioning.
• The fragility of security: Although the Central Three Domains remain safe for the moment, Li Chang’an recognizes that prolonged war will eventually spread everywhere.
• Divination versus concealment: Powerful divination can reveal broad threats but cannot overcome stronger experts or the protective formations of the Myriad Formation Sect.
• Political hierarchy and recognition: The arrangement of cultivators in the Main Hall reflects their status, making Luo Yu’s invitation to Li Chang’an especially significant.
• Loyalty and hidden agendas: Zi Xi’s secret assessment under Wuxiang, the possible involvement of a powerful diviner behind the invasion, and Fu Sheng’s absence all suggest that personal and sectarian motives may complicate the war.
• The cost of power: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes the enormous losses caused by the invasion and the sacrifices expected from even distant affiliated forces.

Character Interactions

• Li Chang’an and Luo Wanyu discuss whether Azure Mountain should intervene; Li Chang’an chooses caution and waits for information.
• Yu Xiaosheng informs Li Chang’an about the Monster Race’s invasion and later warns him to prepare for deployment.
• At the Myriad Formation Sect, Li Chang’an exchanges information with White Cloud True Lord, True Lord Spirit Talisman, Ning Qingliu, Mingxia, and other Nascent Soul cultivators.
• Li Chang’an questions Mingxia about Zi Xi and Zixia, learning of Zi Xi’s connection to Heavenly Lord Wuxiang.
• Luo Yu directly calls Li Chang’an to stand beside his disciples, creating surprise among the assembled cultivators and prompting the Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lords to examine him.
• Wuxiang, Jinchuan, and Baihe scrutinize Li Chang’an before withdrawing their attention, hinting that they may have particular interest in him.
• The chapter ends with Ancient Formation Heavenly Lord addressing the assembled forces, setting the stage for a major military mobilization.

Summary

The Nine Great Immortal Sects call their cultivators to defend the Western Three Domains after the Monster Race attacks with a refined Minor World. Although Human Spirit Transformation cultivators have repelled the Tier 5 Demon Gods, lower-ranked beasts continue to ravage the region. The coming fighting will therefore fall largely to Nascent Soul cultivators, both as preparation for a greater Immortal War and as a way to avoid having the strongest cultivators dominate the conflict.
The Myriad Formation Sect has established eighty-one Immortal Cities and assigns a defender to each, usually a powerful disciple of a Spirit Transformation Heavenly Lord. The first eight cities go to exceptionally strong cultivators or high-ranking Demonic Beasts and Plants, each equipped with a valuable treasure. Luo Yu unexpectedly assigns the Ninth Immortal City to Li Chang’an, whose Early Nascent Soul cultivation seems far below that of the other guardians. The choice puzzles the assembled cultivators, especially Ning Qingliu, who had expected the post herself.
Luo Yu gives Li Chang’an the low-grade Tier 5 Life-and-Death Soul-Extinguishing Formation. Though others question the assignment, Li is delighted: he recognizes the formation’s power and realizes it has been bestowed on him permanently. Confident that it will protect him so long as no Tier 5 Demon God appears, he plans to hold the city rather than seek out danger.
Each guardian receives Nascent Soul subordinates, three deputy city lords, and, in Li’s case, additional servants from Luo Yu. Black Sand and the other Azure Mountain Lineage cultivators, along with cultivators from Yuan and Zhao, join Li’s command. Old Turtle urges him not to take unnecessary risks; Li agrees, preferring to survive by defending rather than attacking.
In private, Luo Yu explains that making Li a city guardian gives him more freedom than he would have as a subordinate under a stronger prodigy. The position should also bring generous postwar rewards, including access to treasures that could aid Spirit Transformation. Li is especially interested in obtaining a Spirit Gathering Pill or Flower, though Luo Yu warns that approval will be difficult. He also doubts Li can set up the Tier 5 formation, but Li confidently says its instructions are clear.
Xuefeng questions Luo Yu’s decision, noting that the Ninth City’s symbolic importance might make it a target and that a stronger cultivator would seem better suited to guard it. Luo Yu remains confident in Li. Afterward, Li reassures his companions that they may retreat if the city cannot be held. He is unconcerned that the three deputy city lords outrank him in cultivation, as long as they do not obstruct his defensive plans.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an stays composed under scrutiny and views the dangerous assignment pragmatically: it offers independence, a powerful formation, and potential rewards. His priority is to avoid needless combat and keep his allies safe.
• Luo Yu shows that he has considered Li’s temperament and long-term interests, arranging a role that preserves Li’s freedom and gives him a strong defensive tool.
• Old Turtle, Azure Dragon, and the others are relieved by Li’s cautious approach and trust that he will not needlessly sacrifice them.
• Xuefeng and other onlookers doubt Li’s suitability, highlighting the gap between his apparent strength and the expectations for a city guardian.
• Li’s brief exchange with the Sword Spirit adds humor: the spirit teases him for coveting another treasure, but concedes Li’s point that more powerful tools can improve his prospects.

Significant themes

• Preparation for a larger war: The campaign against lower-ranked beasts serves as both battlefield training and a prelude to a more serious conflict.
• Power versus judgment: Li is weaker by conventional measures, but Luo Yu values his independence, resourcefulness, and defensive approach.
• Survival and restraint: Rather than pursue glory, Li chooses to hold the city, avoid unnecessary risks, and preserve his people.
• Opportunity amid danger: The assignment may be perilous, but it also brings authority, a Tier 5 formation, and the possibility of rare cultivation resources.

Plot points and events

• Li Chang’an gathers the Nascent Soul servants assigned by Heavenly Lord Luo Yu and the three deputy city lords, then leads them to the Ninth Immortal City in the war-torn Yin-Yang Domain.
• The group learns that the Golden Peng Clan—led by a Quasi-fifth Rank elder and supported by powerful Tier 4 fighters—is driving the attacks in the region. The Yin Yang Sect has suffered heavy losses and withdraws, leaving Li Chang’an in charge of the city.
• Li Chang’an installs the Tier 5 Life-and-Death Soul-Extinguishing Formation. It gives him immense power, though maintaining it will rapidly consume top-grade Spirit Stones because the city’s Spiritual Vein is only Quasi-fifth Rank.
• At a meeting, the defenders argue over whether to stay behind the walls or venture out for Merit Points. Li Chang’an silences the dispute with the formation’s power and orders them to observe the situation before acting.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Chang’an remains calm despite the group’s doubts. He recognizes the factions’ distrust but is confident in the city’s defenses and asserts his authority when the meeting spirals into an argument.
• Hong Lei, Ling Meng, and Luo Yu’s other servants resent being placed under a relatively weak Early Nascent Soul cultivator. They favor aggressive action, especially Ling Meng, who argues that danger is inherent to cultivation.
• Qing He, Red Fox, and Zi Teng also doubt Li Chang’an, though they keep their criticism private. They plan to protect themselves and potentially blame him if the city falls; they agree that caution is sensible only after Li Chang’an imposes order.
• Black Sand, Azure Dragon, and their allies oppose the servants’ push to leave the city, warning that a direct encounter with the Golden Peng elder would likely be fatal.
• The defenders divide into distinct factions aboard the flying ship, underscoring the lack of trust and unity among them.

Significant themes

• Authority and respect: Li Chang’an must command people who judge him by his cultivation level rather than his appointment.
• Caution versus ambition: The dispute over defending the city or seeking Merit Points reflects competing ideas about survival and advancement.
• War as a test of talent: Li Chang’an suspects the great sects are using the conflict to identify cultivators capable of reaching Spirit Transformation.
• Preparation and restraint: The powerful formation gives Li Chang’an an advantage, but its high cost makes careful use essential.