Chapter Summaries

Zhao Xuan and Hermione awakened a powerful black-mist figure while investigating an altar, and the figure claimed to be a deity. After clashing with Zhao Xuan’s Purple Heaven Divine Lightning, it fled, leaving him worried about their next encounter.

• Zhao Xuan and Hermione saw black gas drain the surrounding plants’ life force and gather into a shadow with scarlet eyes.
• Zhao Xuan protected Hermione from the shadow’s terrifying illusion and demanded to know its identity.
• The shadow awakened, said Zhao Xuan and Hermione had interrupted its recovery, and challenged mortals for daring to oppose gods.
• The shadow attacked Zhao Xuan, but their powers clashed as Purple Heaven Divine Lightning burned through its spatially slicing black lines.
• The shadow recognized Zhao Xuan’s forbidden lightning and fled after its attack on his Sea of Consciousness failed.
• Zhao Xuan searched for the vanished shadow and feared it would become even more dangerous before they met again.

Zhao Xuan and Hermione traveled to Seven Treasures City to visit Ning Rongrong and her friends after dealing with a fleeing shadow near Canghui Castle. Ning Rongrong warmly welcomed them, but her expression changed when Hermione mentioned Oscar, leaving the reason unclear.

• Zhao Xuan refused to explain the fleeing shadow to Hermione and searched the area around Canghui Castle, finding nothing else.
• Zhao Xuan and Hermione decided to travel and visit Ning Rongrong, Oscar, Xiao Wu, and possibly Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
• Hermione marveled at Seven Treasures City's prosperity as Zhao Xuan led her to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
• Zhao Xuan revealed his six soul rings to the guards, and a guard captain recognized him and sent word to Ning Rongrong.
• Ning Rongrong came out to greet Zhao Xuan and Hermione, but her expression changed when Hermione joked about Oscar.

Ning Rongrong told Zhao Xuan and Hermione that Oscar had left more than half a year ago after her father opposed their marriage. Ning Fengzhi then revealed that his investigation, aided by the Grand Princess, had implicated Xue Qinghe, and asked Zhao Xuan to share what he knew.

• Ning Rongrong lamented Oscar's sudden departure and the lack of any word from him.
• Ning Fengzhi arrived with Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, then asked Ning Rongrong and Hermione to leave so he could speak privately with Zhao Xuan.
• Ning Fengzhi explained that a Seven Treasures Glazed Tile fragrance had confirmed Zhao Xuan's warning about Snake Lance Douluo and Thorn Pig Douluo serving Xue Qinghe.
• Ning Fengzhi said his secret investigation and the Grand Princess's separate investigation had both pointed to Xue Qinghe.
• Ning Fengzhi reported that the little Princess had seen Xue Qinghe with mysterious people before falling ill and being sent to Swan Castle.
• Ning Fengzhi asked Zhao Xuan to share his information and theories about Xue Qinghe.

After staying at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Zhao Xuan and Hermione left for the Star Dou Great Forest. They reached the forest six days later, with Hermione still believing Xiao Wu belonged to a powerful hidden clan.

• Zhao Xuan said farewell to Ning Fengzhi after sparring with Bone Douluo and Sword Douluo, and Gu Rong and Ning Rongrong escorted him and Hermione out of the sect.
• Ning Rongrong asked to travel with Zhao Xuan and Hermione, but Ning Fengzhi refused because he wanted her to focus on her cultivation and inherit the sect.
• On the way south, Hermione asked where Xiao Wu lived, and Zhao Xuan told her that Xiao Wu lived in the Star Dou Great Forest.
• Hermione guessed that Xiao Wu came from a powerful hidden clan, and Zhao Xuan let her keep that belief.
• Six days after leaving Seven Treasures City, Zhao Xuan and Hermione arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.

Zhao Xuan and Hermione traveled through the Star Dou Great Forest toward its core, where they hoped to find Xiao Wu, while Hermione practiced fighting Spirit Beasts. Near the inner region, Zhao Xuan sensed Oscar’s aura and the pair hurried to check on him.

• Zhao Xuan used his Computer Spirit’s environmental simulation to hide himself and Hermione as they entered the forest.
• Zhao Xuan let a Black Mandala attack so Hermione could practice, and she killed it with her soul skills.
• Zhao Xuan and Hermione continued into the inner region, where powerful Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts were common.
• Zhao Xuan sensed Oscar nearby, and Hermione urged him to hurry to their companion’s aid.

Oscar was abandoned by his hunting party as bait for a starving Fear Demon Bear, but Zhao Xuan arrived in time to save him. Zhao Xuan then turned his attention to the hunting party members who had left Oscar to die.

• A hunting party encountered a twenty-thousand-year Fear Demon Bear, and its captain told the employer they needed to retreat.
• The captain used Oscar’s sausages to give the fighters wings, then abandoned Oscar to distract the bear while the others escaped.
• Oscar realized the captain had sacrificed him, and struggled to dodge the Fear Demon Bear’s attack.
• Zhao Xuan appeared and struck down the Fear Demon Bear, saving Oscar, who clung to him in relief.
• Zhao Xuan stared coldly at the hunting party members, who had stopped at a distance to watch.

Zhao Xuan rescued Oscar and Hermione in the Star Dou Great Forest, then pursued and killed the bearded Soul Saint who had abandoned Oscar. Afterward, Oscar explained that he had left to seek a Spirit Beast whose abilities could help him imitate others’ skills.

• The bearded man and the employer fled when Zhao Xuan appeared, and Zhao Xuan told Oscar and Hermione to wait while he pursued the bearded man.
• Oscar said he wanted to take revenge himself someday, but Zhao Xuan went after the bearded man anyway.
• Zhao Xuan caught the bearded man and killed him with a divine lightning arrow, then returned to Oscar and Hermione.
• Zhao Xuan asked Oscar why he had come to the Star Dou Great Forest, and Oscar explained that he was searching for a Spirit Beast capable of copying other people’s abilities.

Zhao Xuan brought Hermione and Oscar into the Star Dou Great Forest’s core region to visit Xiao Wu, where they reunited beside a lake. Their reunion left Hermione and Oscar terrified of the Titan Giant Ape, while Zhao Xuan and the ape signaled that they wanted to fight.

• Oscar worried that Zhao Xuan was leading them too deep into the Star Dou Great Forest, but Zhao Xuan continued searching for Xiao Wu’s familiar aura.
• At the lake, Xiao Wu chatted with Er Ming, the Titan Giant Ape, until he sensed that someone they knew was approaching.
• Zhao Xuan, Hermione, and Oscar arrived by Purple Gold lightning, and Xiao Wu greeted them excitedly.
• The Titan Giant Ape stood and pounded his chest after sensing Zhao Xuan’s fighting spirit, while Hermione and Oscar clung to Zhao Xuan in fear.
• Xiao Wu told Er Ming to sit down and stop frightening the guests, and he obeyed while staring at them.

Xiao Wu revealed that Er Ming had recently become a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and Zhao Xuan took him to a secluded basin for a spar. After Er Ming overwhelmed Zhao Xuan in their first test of strength, Zhao Xuan eagerly charged back in.

• Oscar and Hermione were shocked to see the Titan Giant Ape obey Xiao Wu, and Hermione encouraged Xiao Wu to share what was troubling her.
• Zhao Xuan asked the Titan Giant Ape to spar, then was stunned when it spoke and learned its name was Er Ming.
• Xiao Wu explained that Er Ming had recently reached the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast level and warned Zhao Xuan to be careful.
• Zhao Xuan and Er Ming went to a secluded basin, where they prepared to fight using physical strength.
• Er Ming sent Zhao Xuan flying with a blow using less than seventy percent of his strength, and Zhao Xuan recognized his terrifying power.
• Zhao Xuan charged at Er Ming again, eager to continue the spar.

Zhao Xuan battled the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming, and discovered that it could use a gravity domain. Excited to study the ability, Zhao Xuan accepted Er Ming’s challenge and activated his Demon God True Body and Fourth Soul Skill.

• Zhao Xuan’s attacks failed to overcome Er Ming’s strength and thick hide, so he struck it with Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.
• Er Ming pretended to be hurt and charged Zhao Xuan, but Zhao Xuan used a soul skill to create a decoy and punched Er Ming from behind.
• Er Ming revealed a gravity domain that increased Zhao Xuan’s weight and made itself lighter, then attacked him.
• Zhao Xuan escaped Er Ming’s attacks and recognized the domain as a chance to further his research.
• Zhao Xuan agreed to face Er Ming head-on and activated Demon God True Body and his Fourth Soul Skill, Eternal Time: Revival of All Things.

Zhao Xuan fought the newly hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming, using his Demon God True Body and proved able to withstand its attacks. Their battle stirred the earth veins, and Da Ming warned Xiao Wu, Hermione, and Oscar that the dormant volcano was about to erupt.

• Zhao Xuan activated his Demon God True Body and fought Er Ming, resisting its Gravity Domain and stopping its attacks with lightning.
• Er Ming increased its strength and gravity, then hurled Zhao Xuan backward, but emerald-green life energy healed his wounds.
• Zhao Xuan charged back into battle, while Spirit Beasts across the Star Dou Great Forest sensed Er Ming's hundred-thousand-year aura and wondered who could contend with it.
• Xiao Wu, Hermione, and Oscar heard the battle, and Hermione noticed strange ripples in the lake beside them.
• Da Ming emerged from the lake and warned that the fighting had stirred the earth veins and was about to make the dormant volcano erupt.

After Zhao Xuan helped Da Ming and Er Ming calm the volcanic disturbance, he spent weeks sparring with the Sky Azure Bull Python. Oscar then announced that he would leave to seek a Spirit Beast for his desired soul skill and train on his own, and Zhao Xuan agreed to escort him out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

• The Sky Azure Bull Python joined the Titan Giant Ape in suppressing the volcanic energy beneath the crater, while Zhao Xuan watched.
• Zhao Xuan sparred with the Sky Azure Bull Python almost daily and rapidly improved his physical strength.
• Oscar told Zhao Xuan that Da Ming and Er Ming had pointed him toward a frigid forest in the north, where he could find a Spirit Beast suited to his desired soul skill.
• Oscar insisted that he wanted to train independently and gain the courage to protect Rongrong, despite the danger.
• Zhao Xuan warned Oscar not to risk his life and agreed to send him out after he said goodbye to Hermione and Xiao Wu.

After Oscar left, Zhao Xuan sought guidance from the Sky Azure Bull Python about mastering a Domain and pushed himself to understand the essence of power. His attempt exhausted his divine sense and injured his Nascent Soul, so Hermione and Xiao Wu made him rest instead of sparring.

• Oscar said goodbye to Hermione and Xiao Wu, and Zhao Xuan personally saw him off.
• The Sky Azure Bull Python explained how it and Er Ming developed their Domains through understanding water and earth, and advised Zhao Xuan to study his lightning and Spiritual Power.
• Zhao Xuan tried to deduce the essence of power, exhausted his divine sense, and suffered a backlash that left him weak and disoriented.
• The Sky Azure Bull Python caught Zhao Xuan with its tail and warned him that the laws of power were beyond his current level.
• Hermione supported Zhao Xuan and helped him sit beneath a tree, while Xiao Wu told Er Ming to stop asking about sparring and let him rest.

Zhao Xuan struggled to understand how to master a domain before Hermione told him about a strange sound from the deepest core of the Star Dou Great Forest. The Sky Azure Bull Python explained that the sound was linked to fallen Beast Deities, leaving Zhao Xuan eager to investigate its true nature.

• Zhao Xuan stopped trying to force his understanding of domain mastery and asked Hermione about her cultivation progress.
• Hermione told Zhao Xuan that she had heard a strange sound said to be the final wail of a dying Beast Deity.
• Zhao Xuan returned to Sky Azure Lake with Hermione and asked the Sky Azure Bull Python about the sound.
• The Sky Azure Bull Python recalled inherited memories of a divine war in which human gods defeated the gods of the Spirit Beasts.
• The Sky Azure Bull Python said several Beast Deities had fallen in the deepest heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, and Zhao Xuan grew curious about the place.

Zhao Xuan learned from the Sky Azure Bull Python that the fallen Beast Deity’s lingering power had accelerated Spirit Beasts’ growth and distorted time and space, while several powerful beings had vanished investigating the core. He entered the Star Dou Great Forest’s core region and discovered that spatial power was trapping him in a loop.

• The Sky Azure Bull Python told Zhao Xuan that the core held temporal and spatial distortions, and that the Beast Deity’s time power had helped Spirit Beasts grow faster.
• The Sky Azure Bull Python revealed that Sister Xiao Wu’s father had vanished inside the core and asked Zhao Xuan not to tell her what it had shared.
• Zhao Xuan walked into the Star Dou Great Forest’s core region, where eight overlords guarded the area around it.
• Zhao Xuan found his own footprint on a bluestone and realized he had become lost despite extending his divine sense.
• Zhao Xuan recognized that his divine sense had twisted toward an unknown place and concluded that spatial power was causing the distortion.

Zhao Xuan discovered that the fallen Beast Deity’s lingering divine sense and spatial power had trapped and misdirected him, then broke through the restrictions with Purple Heaven Divine Lightning. He pressed deeper into the Star Dou Great Forest as a huge figure approached, leaving him facing an unsettling and apparently terrifying presence.

• Zhao Xuan realized that an illusion-like force was altering his perception in addition to the spatial distortions.
• Zhao Xuan used Purple Heaven Divine Lightning to expose and destroy the divine sense left behind by the fallen Beast Deity, freeing himself from the restrictions.
• A pair of golden dragon eyes opened in the valley at the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, and an enormous figure burst into the sky.
• Zhao Xuan hesitated but entered the innermost region again, destroying the lingering divine sense as he advanced.
• Zhao Xuan detected a huge figure flying toward him, climbed a tree, and watched it approach with growing unease.

Zhao Xuan encountered the hostile Black Dragon in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest and tried to fight it before fleeing. The Black Dragon pursued him with eerie Black Flame, which stopped short when Zhao Xuan's Netherworld Purifying Light appeared.

• The Black Dragon appeared before Zhao Xuan, warned that he should not have come, and attacked him with its claws.
• Zhao Xuan evaded the Black Dragon, counterattacked with his Thunder Long Spear, and watched it shatter against a Black Curtain.
• The Black Dragon gathered dark energy to attack, but Zhao Xuan used Unicom to make it dissipate before he fled into the forest.
• The Black Dragon pursued Zhao Xuan through the forest and launched eerie Black Flame after him.
• Zhao Xuan's Purple Heaven Divine Lightning failed to stop the Black Flame, but his Netherworld Purifying Light made it halt.

Zhao Xuan fled the Black Dragon through the Star Dou Great Forest, while the dragon’s pursuit alarmed the forest’s overlords. When the Black Dragon unleashed dark energy and revealed signs of pain, Zhao Xuan stopped running and prepared to fight as it formed its Dragon King Claw.

• Zhao Xuan used the World Cleansing White Lotus to block the Black Dragon’s flame, then fled in a direction that would keep the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape out of the chase.
• The Black Dragon caught up and destroyed Zhao Xuan’s Lightning Long Arrows with its claws, eroding the lingering Purple Heaven Divine Lightning with black mist.
• The eight overlords heard the dragon’s roar, and the Sky Azure Bull Python worried that Zhao Xuan was connected to the dragon’s arrival.
• After chasing Zhao Xuan for dozens of kilometers, the Black Dragon grew increasingly anxious as they moved farther from the deepest region.
• The Black Dragon released a vast darkness and appeared to suffer pain, prompting Zhao Xuan to stop fleeing and summon a giant formed from blood energy and Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.
• The Black Dragon gathered the darkness into its right claw and named its attack the Dragon King Claw.

Zhao Xuan survived the Black Dragon’s deadly attack when his Sixth Soul Skill, Life Lock, prevented a fatal injury. Badly wounded, he headed toward the forest’s outer regions, intending to ask the Sky Azure Bull Python about the Black Dragon.

• The Black Dragon trapped Zhao Xuan in darkness and collapsing space, gradually crushing his Demon God True Body and suppressing his Purple Heaven Divine Lightning.
• Believing Zhao Xuan dead, the Black Dragon withdrew its claw and left after finding no body.
• After the Black Dragon disappeared, Zhao Xuan emerged from the canopy alive, though severely injured.
• Zhao Xuan realized his Sixth Soul Skill, Life Lock, had saved him and had seven days left on its cooldown.
• Zhao Xuan decided to ask the Sky Azure Bull Python about the Black Dragon and cautiously set off toward the forest’s outer regions.

After escaping the forbidden zone, Zhao Xuan recovered enough to travel toward the Sky Azure Bull Python's territory, but a giant Thousand Jun Ant pursued him. He injured it and fled when more of the ants approached.

• Zhao Xuan used his Life Domain to heal his surface injuries and headed toward the Sky Azure Bull Python's territory while keeping watch for the region's overlord.
• A giant Thousand Jun Ant tracked Zhao Xuan through the forest and sent out a signal to its companions.
• Zhao Xuan attacked the Thousand Jun Ant with his Thunder Long Spears and soul skills, piercing its mandibles and badly injuring it.
• When Zhao Xuan sensed another Thousand Jun Ant approaching, he abandoned the pursuit and fled toward the Sky Azure Bull Python's territory.
• Two more Thousand Jun Ants arrived, but the three hesitated to follow Zhao Xuan and turned back.