Chapter Summaries

Bai Pu lured the tree demon away from Salacia and the fighting Awakened, then summoned Pterosaur King Dafei to confront it. As the battle began, the tree demon realized Bai Pu was a Demon Tamer, but Bai Pu said he was in a hurry and sent Dafei to attack.

• Bai Pu’s spear attack badly burned the tree demon, but the wound quickly healed, so he retreated and drew it away with Gale Step.
• Salacia hesitated to follow Bai Pu while the Furnace Edge Squad killed You Li An’s teammates; when MuJi Family reinforcements arrived, Salacia ran after Bai Pu and the tree demon.
• Bai Pu stopped at a distance from the others and summoned Pterosaur King Dafei to face the pursuing tree demon.
• The tree demon asked Bai Pu why he had run despite having a powerful demon beast servant, and Bai Pu ordered Dafei to attack.
• Dafei used its armor and shield to withstand the tree demon’s blows, then launched a Gale Step pounce.

Bai Pu and the Winged Tooth Beast King killed the tree demon, and Bai Pu reached Level 9 while assessing his combat strength. Salacia arrived after the battle, and Bai Pu called on the hidden observer to come out.

• The Winged Tooth Beast King tore through the tree demon’s Space Rift, letting Bai Pu pierce its demon power core and kill it.
• Bai Pu collected the Dark Gold Treasure Chest and recalled the Winged Tooth Beast King to the Astral Realm.
• Bai Pu gained three Celestial Being Attribute Points, advanced to Level 9, and noted that the quest progress had risen to 11/30.
• Bai Pu assessed that his full-strength attributes could exceed a thousand and that he could fight the demon generals beneath the Demon Emperor.
• Salacia arrived after the battle, saw the tree demon’s remains, and was shocked by how quickly Bai Pu had defeated it.
• Bai Pu noticed someone watching and told them to come out.

Bai Pu, using his real codename Steel Heart, learned that Salacia’s Major General trial required her to destroy the Tide Demon Mother Pool in the Black Emperor’s heavily guarded territory. He considered whether to invest in Salacia as a potential Silver Wind Family heir and ally, and asked what she planned to do next.

• Salacia emerged when Bai Pu called for her and became confused about whether Steel Heart’s use of his real codename with her meant he liked her.
• Bai Pu asked about Salacia’s Major General promotion mission, and she shared its objective: destroy the Tide Demon Mother Pool on the Shadow Island Chain without external assistance.
• Bai Pu recognized that the Tide Demon Mother Pool likely produced Tide Demons and would be heavily guarded in the Black Emperor’s main base.
• Salacia explained that she had sought help from two Silver Wind Family teams in the Forest of Corruption but had been pursued by You Li An and members of the MuJi Family.
• Bai Pu assessed Salacia as a possible ally and Silver Wind Family heir, then asked what she planned to do next.

Salacia asked Bai Pu to help her advance to major general, and he agreed to guide her while keeping his strength secret. As the group headed toward the Forest of Corruption, Bai Pu learned that high-ranking major generals could receive special resource-exchange privileges and realized he already possessed one.

• Salacia regained her resolve and offered Bai Pu Silver Dragon Coins and Spirit Crystals to help her reach major general.
• Bai Pu agreed to guide Salacia and taught her to conceal his strength and keep their story straight.
• Bai Pu and Salacia reunited with Leien, Liya, and Ashes Rein, who explained that Salacia’s second-refinement mission would not compete for their advancement slots.
• Salacia told Bai Pu that major generals who advanced through different refinements received different levels of recognition, and that S-Class major generals could make resource-exchange wishes to the Gaia Will.
• Bai Pu realized he already had the resource-exchange privilege as Salacia explained that S-Class advancement required killing stronger Otherworld Travelers.

Bai Pu learned how major-general trials differed between Spirit Realm Battlefield promotions and ordinary Plane Worlds as the group traveled through the Forest of Corruption. At the forest’s edge, Ashes Rein revealed that Liya’s mission was to destroy the Miasma Spring while the others drew away its guardian, Demon Throat.

• Bai Pu realized that ordinary Plane World promotions generally produced B- or C-rank major generals, while the Spirit Realm Battlefield offered the more difficult path associated with A and S ranks.
• Bai Pu’s group spent two days avoiding organized demon patrols in the Forest of Corruption, and Bai Pu secretly used the Gray-Backed Fire Rat to track Dongbo Cheng Zhi.
• At a bone-path exit, Ashes Rein revealed that Liya’s mission was to destroy the Miasma Spring, guarded by Demon Throat and a large force of demons.
• Leien explained that the group would lure away Demon Throat and the demons so Liya could enter the Miasma Spring alone and destroy it.
• Salacia said allies generally had to remain more than five kilometers away to satisfy a trial’s requirement to complete the mission alone.
• The group left the bone path and entered the decaying Forest of Corruption.

Bai Pu and his companions found and killed the One-Eyed Mushrooms watching the passage to Miasma Spring, then continued upstream toward its source. Leien explained how Liya could destroy the spring with carefully placed bombs, while Salacia described how she could grow an Earth Shatter Treant to crack the Tide Demon Mother Pool.

• Liya and Salacia sensed that unseen eyes were watching them in the misty forest, and Bai Pu used a powerful mental scan to search the area.
• Bai Pu found the One-Eyed Mushrooms hiding nearby and attacked them with Fire Bombs.
• Muro killed the remaining One-Eyed Mushrooms by striking their single eyes with Dagger Rain.
• Leien sent Liya ahead to survey the earth veins near Miasma Spring while he, Muro, Bai Pu, and Salacia followed the underground river upstream.
• Leien explained that Liya could plant bombs at weak points around Miasma Spring's source to trigger a collapse.
• Salacia told Bai Pu that she could grow an Earth Shatter Treant with her wood-element mystery until its energy imbalance triggered an earthquake and cracked the Tide Demon Mother Pool's bottom.

Bai Pu’s group lured Demon Throat and its army away from the Miasma Spring so Liya could prepare to disrupt its ley lines. After fighting their way about five kilometers from the source, they learned that an Awakened expert from the Silver Wind Family was approaching it.

• Leien explained that they had to lure Demon Throat away without killing it, giving Liya time to survey the Miasma Spring’s ley lines.
• Demon Throat emerged with a demon army and spread its Red Miasma Domain across the battlefield.
• Leien ordered the group to retreat, and Bai Pu cast Meteor Spell and used Fire Bombs to ignite the forest, enraging Demon Throat into pursuit.
• Leien, Bai Pu, Muro, and Salacia fought their way through the demons and Twisted Treants while retreating about five kilometers from the Miasma Spring.
• Salacia sensed an Awakened expert from the Silver Wind Family heading toward the Miasma Spring.

Bai Pu learned that a Silver Wind Family team was heading for the Miasma Spring, threatening Liya’s promotion task, and devised a plan to redirect them. Salacia summoned Higg for help, while Bai Pu proposed a mutual-benefit arrangement that would support both Liya’s and Salacia’s advancement.

• Salacia explained that her Emerald King Leaf had sensed an Emerald Leaf held by a Silver Wind Family team, which Bai Pu realized was likely heading to sabotage Liya’s task.
• Bai Pu and Leien suspected the team had tracked them through prophecy or divination, and Bai Pu confirmed that Higg could not sense Salacia unless she sent a summons.
• Bai Pu proposed that Salacia summon Higg by claiming she was in danger while he and Leien withdrew and later joined the fight.
• Bai Pu suggested Salacia ask Higg to help with her promotion task and invite the Furnace Edge Squad, then have Leien help her after Liya’s trial was complete.
• Leien agreed on the condition that Salacia stop Higg’s team from reaching the Miasma Spring, and Bai Pu required them to sign a Spirit Realm Will Notarization Contract.
• Salacia infused the Emerald King Leaf with green energy and sent out a summons.

Bai Pu and his companions prepared to follow Salacia, but a dying Azure Dragon Oath Ghost Warrior revealed that Dongbo Cheng Zhi's team was under attack at the Root Palace. Bai Pu went to help, leaving Leien and Muro to continue their plan against Demon General Demon Throat.

• Bai Pu concealed his group as they prepared to follow Salacia toward Higg's team.
• A mortally wounded Azure Dragon Oath Ghost Warrior emerged from the thickets and told Bai Pu that demons and Fallen Wild Warriors had surrounded Dongbo Cheng Zhi at the Root Palace.
• The Ghost Warrior died while pleading for reinforcements, and Bai Pu used Mental Scan to detect the awakened one who had attacked him nearby.
• Bai Pu tracked down and killed the awakened one, then told Leien he had to go to the Root Palace to help Dongbo Cheng Zhi.
• Leien kept the employment agreement in place, and Bai Pu urged Leien and Muro to follow their plan while warning that Demon General Demon Throat seemed unusual.

Leien, Muro, and Higg’s team fought Demon Throat after Higg rescued Salacia, while Sakson led nearly half the team toward Miasma Spring. Leien killed Demon Throat inside his Heaven and Earth Copper Furnace, then revealed that this Demon Throat was fake.

• Bai Pu urged Leien to kill Demon Throat, and Muro reasoned that a battle at Root Palace would leave the demons unable to reinforce Miasma Spring.
• Higg rescued Salacia, but his deputy Sakson took nearly half the team to Miasma Spring to interfere with Liya’s mission.
• Leien and Muro joined Higg’s battle against Demon Throat, and Salacia told Leien that Sakson’s group had gone to Miasma Spring.
• Leien trapped himself, Muro, and Demon Throat inside his Heaven and Earth Copper Furnace and killed the demon general within seconds.
• Salacia warned that the Green Emperor would send stronger demons, and Leien grimly declared that Demon Throat was fake.

Liya was trapped by Demon Throat at the Miasma Spring and unable to escape its suction. When Sakson and his group arrived but chose to retreat, she switched places with them and fled, leaving them to face the demon.

• Demon Throat dragged Liya toward its mouth with Demon Abyss Maw, while its Rotten Miasma Shell absorbed most of her attack and began repairing itself.
• Liya sent a plea for help to her teammates and held back from using Frozen Mausoleum, hoping someone would arrive before the demon could devour her.
• Sakson and his group emerged from a forest passage, spotted Liya and Demon Throat, and ordered a retreat rather than immediately helping her.
• Liya struck Demon Throat with Linked Starburst to interrupt its suction, then used Star Shift to swap places with Sakson's group.
• Demon Throat attacked Sakson's group while Liya escaped, and it stayed near the Miasma Spring rather than pursue her.

Brion’s ambush against Dongbo Cheng Zhi failed, and the battle shifted into Root Palace, where Dongbo fought Brion’s awakeners and the Demon Generals Withered Wood and Ghost Vine. Though wounded and exhausted, Dongbo struck Brion with a devastating sword technique before evading the Demon Generals’ next attacks.

• Brion lured Dongbo Cheng Zhi into Root Palace after his ambush on the Withered Leaf Plains failed to stop him.
• Dongbo fought through Brion’s team and the Demon Generals Withered Wood and Ghost Vine, killing the elite awakener Kuzan.
• Brion rallied his forces to keep Dongbo, whom he believed was one of Steel Heart’s foremost experts, from escaping.
• Dongbo told Brion he resembled a friend but was nowhere near his equal, then struck him with Cherry Blossom Blizzard.
• Dongbo’s sword technique pierced seven vital points in Brion’s chest and shattered his armor before Dongbo retreated from Withered Wood and Ghost Vine’s attacks.

Bai Pu rescued Dongbo Cheng Zhi from the demons and learned that he was searching for the White Dragon Tooth in the Root Palace. After accepting a quest to help find it, Bai Pu carried Dongbo Cheng Zhi toward an escape route.

• Dongbo Cheng Zhi was trapped by Brion and the demons after exhausting his strength.
• Bai Pu arrived, used his Prismatic Barrier domain to hinder the attackers, and shattered Brion’s Molten Core Great Hand.
• Dongbo Cheng Zhi told Bai Pu that the Azure Emperor and other Demon Emperors were preparing to revive the Great Dark Sky, and that he could not leave without finding the White Dragon Tooth.
• Bai Pu received and accepted the Golden Side Quest to help Dongbo Cheng Zhi find the White Dragon Tooth.
• Bai Pu activated his shield and combat skills, let Dongbo Cheng Zhi climb onto his back, and charged toward a fleeing Gray-Backed Fire Rat.

Bai Pu used the Gray-Backed Fire Rat to make his charge unstoppable, resisting the Red Race and demons as he escaped the Root Palace battlefield. The Cyan Emperor then ordered the demons to hunt him, leaving the Red Race awakened ones wondering why the Cyan Emperor had let him and Dongbo Cheng Zhi escape.

• Bai Pu selected the Gray-Backed Fire Rat as his charge target and activated Doomsday Banner to resist the Red Race’s control skills.
• Brion and the demons attacked Bai Pu, but their control effects failed and their damage could not stop his charge.
• Bai Pu reached the Gray-Backed Fire Rat beyond the battlefield, recalled it, and fled north with Dongbo Cheng Zhi.
• Brion urged the Demon Generals to pursue Bai Pu, but Ghost Vine and Withered Wood refused to leave Root Palace.
• The Cyan Emperor sent a rhythmic order commanding the demons to hunt the weakened Steel Heart, and the Demon Generals led their forces north.
• A Red Race awakened one wondered why the Cyan Emperor had allowed Dongbo Cheng Zhi and Bai Pu to escape.

Bai Pu delivered Zhu Que’s letter to Dongbo Cheng Zhi and learned the Red Lotus Profound Truth from the mission reward. With Brion’s forces pursuing them, Bai Pu planned to use Salacia and the Furnace Edge Squad as reinforcements to draw off the pursuers and raid the Root Palace for the White Dragon Tooth.

• Brion learned the Azure Emperor’s true body was absent and ordered Luo Bu to join the hunt for Steel Heart north of the Root Palace.
• Bai Pu carried Dongbo Cheng Zhi through the forest and gave him Zhu Que’s letter, completing the delivery mission.
• Bai Pu received the Southern Zhu Burning Heart School Secret Manual and discovered that the Crimson Flame Mystery advanced into the Red Lotus Profound Truth.
• Bai Pu told Dongbo Cheng Zhi that reinforcements would meet them near the Root Palace, then continued running ahead of their pursuers.
• Bai Pu headed toward Salacia, Leien, and the Furnace Edge Squad, intending to use them to hold off the enemy while he and Dongbo Cheng Zhi raided the Root Palace.

Bai Pu reunited with Leien and shared the Golden Side Quest: Dragon's Tooth, then explained how Liya could advance to major general by drawing Demon Throat away from Miasma Spring. The group fled through a Demon Bone Path as Bai Pu suggested the Green Emperor might dispatch Demon Throat to pursue him and Dongbo Cheng Zhi.

• Leien questioned Bai Pu about the fake Demon Throat and learned that Bai Pu had only suspected something was wrong after the lure went too smoothly.
• Bai Pu shared the Golden Side Quest: Dragon's Tooth with Leien, who initially refused to divert from helping Liya advance to major general.
• Bai Pu said the group should discuss Liya's advancement while fleeing, and Salacia led Higg's team away to follow Bai Pu's instructions.
• Bai Pu took the group onto a Demon Bone Path and summoned Pterosaur King Dafei to carry them through the open route.
• Bai Pu explained that the Green Emperor could order Demon Throat to leave Miasma Spring and pursue him and Dongbo Cheng Zhi, prompting Leien to recognize the opportunity.

Bai Pu, Dongbo Cheng Zhi, and Liya used a diversion to slip away from the pursuers and head toward the Miasma Spring, where they planned to draw out Demon General Demon Throat. The chapter ended with Bai Pu recalling Da Fei and urging the group to hurry before the demons and Red Race team discovered the deception.

• Bai Pu explained that the demons had abandoned the Root Palace to pursue him and Dongbo Cheng Zhi, and proposed using the pursuit to lure Demon General Demon Throat away from the Miasma Spring.
• Leien agreed to the plan but sent Liya with Bai Pu and Dongbo Cheng Zhi to help conceal them and monitor their actions.
• Liya used her Group Invisibility Technique to help Bai Pu, Dongbo Cheng Zhi, and herself slip away while the pursuers chased Leien and the others.
• Liya offered Dongbo Cheng Zhi healing potions, but he declined and Bai Pu explained that Dongbo Cheng Zhi only needed rest.
• Bai Pu recalled Pterosaur King Dafei to the Astral Realm and told Liya they were heading to the Miasma Spring immediately.

Bai Pu and Dongbo Cheng Zhi attacked Root Palace to draw Demon Throat away while Liya prepared to destroy Miasma Spring. They found the Azure Emperor's barrier protecting White Dragon Tooth's relic, and Liya reported that the same barrier prevented her from detonating her bombs.

• Bai Pu directed Liya toward Miasma Spring and continued with Dongbo Cheng Zhi to Root Palace, explaining that he had calculated the timing of the raid and the Azure Emperor's response.
• After Liya signaled that she was in position, Bai Pu broke into Root Palace and fought through its remaining demons while Dongbo Cheng Zhi guided him toward White Dragon Tooth.
• Dongbo Cheng Zhi found a hollow wall in the northern hall and struck it, revealing the Azure Emperor's phantom and a barrier that repelled his sword attacks.
• Bai Pu observed that the demonic energy barrier had multiple connection points and could not be broken by brute force alone.
• Liya contacted Bai Pu and reported that a blue-green barrier protected the ley lines at Miasma Spring, preventing her from detonating her bombs.

Bai Pu deduced that the Cyan Emperor Barrier covering the Forest of Corruption drew its power from the Galuo Ancient Tree, and that destroying the tree’s remnant consciousness could collapse it. He began studying the Southern Zhu Burning Heart School’s secret manual while Dongbo Cheng Zhi guarded him, as Demon Throat arrived at the Root Palace.

• The Azure Emperor Phantom revealed that the Galuo Ancient Tree’s roots powered a network of barriers across the Forest of Corruption, and told Dongbo Cheng Zhi that he had personally told the Azure Dragon about the tree.
• Bai Pu reasoned that the Galuo Ancient Tree was dormant or half-dead, with only its roots and a remnant consciousness remaining, and proposed destroying or subduing that consciousness to bring down the barrier.
• Bai Pu sat down to fully comprehend the Southern Zhu Burning Heart School Secret Manual, while Dongbo Cheng Zhi stood guard and cut down the demon foot soldiers entering the palace.
• The Azure Emperor Phantom warned that Demon Throat and other demon generals were approaching, and Demon Throat’s massive centipede form charged into the Root Palace.

Bai Pu tested a newly comprehended combination of Red Lotus and Tidal Profound Truths against Demon Throat while exhausted and saving strength to break the Cyan Emperor Barrier. His attack damaged Demon Throat and drove it into a frenzy with an effect he named Karma Fire.

• Demon Throat attacked Bai Pu, and Dongbo Cheng Zhi shielded him until Bai Pu stood ready to test his new technique.
• Bai Pu waited until Demon Throat drew close, then thrust Doomsday's Edge into its mouth and sent a Battle Qi Arrowhead into its throat.
• Bai Pu's Tidal Profound Truth disguised the Red Lotus Profound Truth energy as demonic power, causing it to explode inside Demon Throat and deal severe damage.
• Bai Pu explained that he had combined the two profound truths and flicked red lotus sparks onto Demon Throat while its throat began to regenerate.
• Bai Pu revealed that the Red Lotus Profound Truth's special effect, which he called Karma Fire, drove Demon Throat mad and made it slam into the palace wall and attack nearby minions.