Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang and Red Center are in a ghostly place, with the Ruler of Death (Kuilui) above them.
• Red Center forgets their agreement and tries to escape Li Huowang.
• Li Huowang, despite melting, pursues Red Center to convince him to leave together.
• They struggle to escape Kuilui's range, their bodies melting and merging.
• Li Huowang experiences a near-death vision, seeing Kuilui as a mirror reflecting his understanding of death.
• They survive, but Li Huowang forgets most of what happened. Red Center remains brainless.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Shows determination and desperation to save Red Center, even at the risk of his own life. He gains a glimpse of understanding about Kuilui and death.
• Red Center: Remains forgetful and brainless, but survives the ordeal with Li Huowang.

Significant Themes

• Death and Rebirth: Kuilui's presence and Li Huowang's near-death experience highlight the themes of death and rebirth.
• Trust and Betrayal: Red Center's forgetfulness leads to mistrust, while Li Huowang's persistence shows his trust in their agreement.
• Survival and Perseverance: Both characters show resilience and determination to survive despite their dire situation.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Red Center: Their interaction is marked by Li Huowang's attempts to convince Red Center to trust him and leave together, despite Red Center's forgetfulness and mistrust. They ultimately survive together.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang considers testing Red Center, another manifestation of the Sitting Forgetting Dao, to understand his true intentions.
• Red Center reveals he dislikes Li Huowang, even in his own form, and doesn't trust him.
• Li Huowang explains the previous events to Red Center, who agrees to cooperate after understanding the situation.
• Li Huowang and Red Center enter the Wheel of Rebirth, and Li Huowang regains his memories as Red Center.
• Li Huowang starts searching for the Sitting Forgetting Dao's earliest Cultivation Methods in his newfound memories.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Becomes more cautious and strategic in dealing with Red Center, understanding the potential danger of the Sitting Forgetting Dao.
• Red Center: Shows distrust towards Li Huowang, even in his own form, revealing his true feelings towards Li Huowang's actions.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Distrust: The theme of trust and distrust is prominent, with Li Huowang trying to gain Red Center's trust, while Red Center remains wary of Li Huowang's intentions.
• Manipulation and Control: Li Huowang's actions reveal his manipulative nature, trying to control the situation to his advantage, while Red Center resists this manipulation.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Red Center: Their interaction is marked by caution, distrust, and a power struggle, with Li Huowang trying to gain Red Center's cooperation, and Red Center testing Li Huowang's sincerity.
• Li Huowang and Li Sui: Li Sui expresses concern for Li Huowang's well-being, showing her affection towards him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang, a young man, meets Six Wan, a member of the Sitting Forgetting Dao, in a teahouse.
• Six Wan demonstrates his deception skills by convincing an old woman that her long-lost husband has returned, using the "cuckoo occupies the magpie's nest" technique.
• Li Huowang and Six Wan decide to work together on a scheme to gain Fei Gang (mystical power).
• They agree to help "good people," with the understanding that deceiving more influential targets yields more Fei Gang.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Shows interest in learning deception and gaining Fei Gang. He's calm, calculated, and open to using deception for personal gain.
• Six Wan: Reveals his expertise in deception and manipulation. He enjoys the process of deceiving others for personal amusement and Fei Gang. He's also open to working with Li Huowang.

Significant Themes

• Deception and Manipulation: The chapter explores the techniques and motivations behind deception, with Six Wan and Li Huowang using it for personal gain and amusement.
• Power and Influence: The amount of Fei Gang gained from deception is tied to the influence and impact on the target, ranging from ordinary people to the Emperor.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Six Wan: They meet, discuss deception techniques, and decide to work together on a scheme. Their interaction is characterized by mutual respect and shared interest in deception and Fei Gang.
• Six Wan and the Old Woman: Six Wan deceives the old woman into believing her husband has returned, demonstrating his skill and the ease with which people can be manipulated.

Chapter Summary: “Sitting Forgetting Dao”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang becomes interested when Six Wan discusses the highest High Monk of the Sitting Forgetting Dao, who supposedly became a “Dice” after deceiving and ruining an entire country.
• Six Wan brings Li Huowang to a wealthy household, claiming they will deceive the family. He disguises himself as an immortal Old Daoist and pretends to be an official of the Celestial Surveillance Division.
• Six Wan claims that the family’s daughter is possessed by an evil spirit. He performs an elaborate exorcism using talismans, red thread, bells, and a copper pagoda.
• He orders Li Huowang to hold down the pagoda and protect the girl’s soul while he drags the supposedly possessed girl away.
• A servant later announces that the Old Daoist has fled the city, tearing away the red thread and abandoning the family.
• The household realizes they have been tricked. Li Huowang discovers that the pagoda was empty and understands that Six Wan deliberately used him as part of the deception—keeping him behind as false reassurance while Six Wan escaped with the girl.
• Li Huowang reveals that he too was disguised: the “young man” is actually a girl wearing a false face. She is identified as One Mind Tuo and faints after exposing herself.
• Fifty miles away, Six Wan laughs triumphantly and declares that the Sitting Forgetting Dao has only one rule: being deceived is one’s own fault.
• However, Li Huowang’s voice suddenly comes from Six Wan’s clothing. Six Wan discovers that the girl he carried was another disguise, and that Li Huowang has infiltrated the trick. The disguised Li Huowang tears off the girl’s face and stabs Six Wan through the chest with a Demon Subduing Pestle.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang initially appears nervous and inexperienced, allowing Six Wan to direct the deception. He then realizes he has been used as a pawn and responds by revealing that he had prepared a counter-deception of his own.
• Six Wan demonstrates the Sitting Forgetting Dao’s reliance on manipulation, disguise, and exploiting an opponent’s assumptions. His confidence and amusement show his pride in his ability to deceive, but this arrogance leaves him vulnerable to Li Huowang’s reversal.
• One Mind Tuo/the disguised girl serves as part of the layered deception, first appearing to be the possessed daughter and later being revealed as another disguised participant.

Significant Themes

• Deception as a way of life: The Sitting Forgetting Dao treats trickery not as an occasional tactic but as its central principle.
• Appearance versus reality: Faces, identities, official titles, exorcisms, and even apparent supernatural events are all disguises or performances.
• Trust and suspicion: Li Huowang must learn that apparent alliances—even with a senior member of the same Dao—may be traps.
• Pride and reversal: Six Wan believes he has completely outwitted Li Huowang, but his celebration becomes the setup for his own defeat.
• The “deceived are at fault” philosophy: The chapter presents the Sitting Forgetting Dao’s ruthless belief that anyone fooled by another person bears responsibility for failing to see through the trick.

Character Interactions

• Six Wan acts as Li Huowang’s apparent senior and teacher, ordering him to assist with the staged exorcism.
• Li Huowang obediently plays the apprentice but secretly turns the situation against Six Wan.
• The household trusts both Daoists because of their claimed authority, making it possible for the deception to succeed.
• Six Wan mocks Li Huowang from afar, believing he has won, only to discover that Li Huowang has been manipulating events as well.
• The chapter ends with Li Huowang physically reversing the power dynamic by stabbing Six Wan, leaving the outcome of the confrontation unresolved.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang, a member of the Sitting Forgetting Dao, confronts Senior Six Wan, aiming to take his identity and power.
• Li Huowang uses a Demon Subduing Vajra to injure Six Wan, preventing him from removing it.
• Li Huowang reveals his true intentions, dismembers Six Wan, and takes his faces to assume his identity.
• Li Huowang kills Six Wan and absorbs his memories, understanding the Sitting Forgetting Dao better.
• Li Huowang decides to obtain Fei Gang (Essence Qi) by deceiving people, as required by the Sitting Forgetting Dao Cultivation Method.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Reveals his cunning and manipulative nature, demonstrating his ability to deceive and outmaneuver opponents. He absorbs Six Wan's memories, gaining a better understanding of the Sitting Forgetting Dao.
• Six Wan: Initially confident and arrogant, Six Wan is ultimately outsmarted and killed by Li Huowang. His faces are taken, and his identity is usurped.

Significant Themes

• Deception and manipulation: Li Huowang's use of deception to gain power and outwit his opponents is a central theme in this chapter.
• Identity and power: Li Huowang's desire to assume Six Wan's identity and power drives his actions and reveals the importance of these aspects within the Sitting Forgetting Dao.
• Cultivation and growth: Li Huowang's understanding of the Sitting Forgetting Dao Cultivation Method and his need to obtain Fei Gang highlight the ongoing nature of his cultivation journey.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Six Wan: Their interaction is marked by deceit, manipulation, and ultimately, violence, as Li Huowang outsmarts and kills Six Wan.
• Li Huowang and Li Sui: Though not present in this chapter, Li Huowang's thoughts about Li Sui and his decision to leave the house suggest a caring, protective relationship between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Sui and Li Huowang attempt a Drop Bag Scam on a skinny man.
• Li Huowang's Cultivating Truth ability turns the plaster into genuine silver, making the scam real.
• Li Huowang struggles to create a falsehood to cultivate falsehoods.
• Li Huowang returns to the inn and encounters Li Sui's illusion, followed by Xuan Pin's illusion.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang learns that using Cultivating Truth to cultivate falsehoods is ineffective. He realizes he must use falsehoods to create falsehoods.
• Li Sui's illusion appears, showing she's developing her own consciousness and memories.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between truth and falsehood, and the consequences of manipulating reality.
• The difficulty of deceiving when one's words become reality.
• The pursuit of understanding and growth through experiences.

Character Interactions

• Li Sui and Li Huowang work together in the scam, highlighting their growing partnership.
• Li Huowang's interaction with Xuan Pin's illusion shows his determination to outsmart his pursuer.
• Li Sui's illusion interacts with Li Huowang, hinting at a potential separation or conflict between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang and Xuan Pin meet, with Li Huowang tricking Xuan Pin into helping him cultivate.
• Xuan Pin reveals that Mount Tai Stone has confessed, and they visit him in Prison using Xuan Pin's powerful Mystical Power.
• They learn that the Fa Sect has a backup plan to invite a powerful entity to descend if the battle goes badly.
• Li Huowang is asked to lead a mission to thwart the Fa Sect's plan, but he declines due to his ongoing cultivation issues.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Shows his cunning and manipulative side in tricking Xuan Pin. He's also cautious about his cultivation progress and its potential side effects.
• Xuan Pin: Reveals a powerful ability to transport Li Huowang directly to the Prison. He's secretive about his abilities and has a calm, collected demeanor.
• Mount Tai Stone: Captured and tortured for information. He's now haggard and on the brink of death.

Significant Themes

• Power and Manipulation: Li Huowang uses his wit to manipulate Xuan Pin, while Xuan Pin keeps his powerful abilities secret.
• Cultivation and its Consequences: Li Huowang's cultivation method has potential side effects that he's trying to mitigate.
• Backup Plans and Contingencies: Both Li Huowang and the Fa Sect have backup plans in place for potential setbacks.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Xuan Pin: Their interaction is marked by mutual respect and understanding, despite Li Huowang's initial trickery. They share a dynamic where they can be honest about their limitations and needs.
• Li Huowang and Zheng Boqiao: They have a casual, almost dismissive relationship, with Li Huowang showing little regard for Zheng Boqiao's opinions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Lingmiao, the Holy Maiden of the White Lotus Sect, undergoes a transformation in Zhengde Temple to regain her original appearance.
• She visits a city recently taken over by the White Lotus Sect, where she comforts and heals believers.
• Bai Lingmiao finds Lu Xiucai, now severely injured, still devoted to fighting against the Fa Sect.

Character Developments

• Bai Lingmiao: She has regained her original appearance and continues to show compassion and kindness towards believers. She is concerned about Lu Xiucai's well-being and tries to persuade him to let go of his vengeance.
• Lu Xiucai: Despite his severe injuries, Lu Xiucai remains committed to fighting against the Fa Sect. He has learned to hide his bitterness and appears carefree, but his determination to avenge his family has not wavered.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and Healing: Bai Lingmiao's transformation in the temple symbolizes her journey from disfigurement to acceptance and healing. This theme is also reflected in her interactions with the believers, where she brings them comfort and healing.
• Vengeance and Letting Go: Lu Xiucai's character arc revolves around his struggle with vengeance. He is torn between his desire to avenge his family and the possibility of finding peace and moving on.

Character Interactions

• Bai Lingmiao and Lu Xiucai: Their interaction highlights their mutual concern and care for each other. Bai Lingmiao tries to persuade Lu Xiucai to let go of his vengeance, while Lu Xiucai remains steadfast in his mission.
• Bai Lingmiao and the Believers: Bai Lingmiao interacts with the believers with kindness and compassion, offering them comfort and healing, and reinforcing their faith in the White Lotus Sect.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Xiucai leaves the White Lotus Sect to join the military, singing opera lyrics about loyalty and revenge.
• Bai Lingmiao, the White Lotus Holy Maiden, enters a deep meditation state with the Twelfth Grade Merit White Lotus, attempting to connect with the Unborn Mother and Vacuum Hometown.
• The Siqi Emperor summons Bai Lingmiao, seeking her help in a ritual that requires one million eight hundred thousand willing human sacrifices to defeat the remaining Fa Sect forces in Siqi.

Character Developments

• Lu Xiucai: He remains determined to avenge his relatives and uphold loyalty, joining the military to fight against the Fa Sect.
• Bai Lingmiao: She struggles with her faith and the White Lotus Sect's growing influence. She is faced with a moral dilemma when asked to provide willing human sacrifices for a ritual.
• Siqi Emperor: He regains his composure and majesty, seeking Bai Lingmiao's help to regain his throne, showing a willingness to sacrifice a vast number of lives for his goal.

Significant Themes

• Faith and belief: Bai Lingmiao's struggle with her faith in the Unborn Mother and Vacuum Hometown, and the Siqi Emperor's belief in using any means to regain his throne.
• Sacrifice: The willingness of individuals to sacrifice for a greater cause, whether it's Lu Xiucai's loyalty to his family or the potential sacrifice of one million eight hundred thousand lives for the Siqi Emperor's ascension.
• Power and influence: The growing power and influence of the White Lotus Sect, and the Siqi Emperor's desire to regain his throne and power.

Character Interactions

• Lu Xiucai and Bai Lingmiao: Lu Xiucai's departure leaves Bai Lingmiao with a sense of loss and confusion, highlighting their growing bond.
• Bai Lingmiao and the Siqi Emperor: The Siqi Emperor seeks Bai Lingmiao's help, putting her in a difficult position as she must choose between her faith and the lives of countless people.
• The Siqi Emperor and his General: The Siqi Emperor and his General discuss their plans to defeat the Fa Sect forces, showing their willingness to sacrifice a vast number of lives for their goals.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Lingmiao learns that the Vacuum Hometown is real from the Siqi Emperor.
• The Siqi Emperor proposes a deal to sacrifice one million eight hundred thousand people to gain nine million Believers.
• Bai Lingmiao refuses, arguing that the lives of the people are not expendable.
• The Siqi Emperor reveals his disregard for commoners' lives, comparing them to grass.
• Bai Lingmiao reveals that suicide is against the natural order and cannot lead to the Vacuum Hometown.
• Bai Lingmiao confronts the Siqi Emperor, revealing his dependence on the White Lotus Sect and insulting his military strategist.
• Bai Lingmiao leaves, contemplating her beliefs and the power she holds over people's lives.

Character Developments

• Bai Lingmiao: Struggles with her beliefs and the weight of her power. She begins to question her role in the White Lotus Sect and the value she places on human life.
• Siqi Emperor: Reveals his disregard for commoners' lives and his dependence on the White Lotus Sect. His anger and frustration grow as Bai Lingmiao defies him.

Significant Themes

• Power and Responsibility: Bai Lingmiao grapples with the power she holds over people's lives and the responsibility that comes with it.
• The Value of Life: The Siqi Emperor and Bai Lingmiao have differing views on the value of human life, particularly that of the common people.
• Belief and Reality: Bai Lingmiao's beliefs are challenged as she learns more about the Vacuum Hometown and the consequences of her actions.

Character Interactions

• Bai Lingmiao and the Siqi Emperor: Their interaction highlights their differing views on the value of human life and the power dynamics between them.
• Bai Lingmiao and the White Lotus Believers: Bai Lingmiao observes the Believers' lives, seeing them in a new light as she contemplates her role in their lives.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Lingmiao, a young girl, retrieves a soy duck head from a pot, sharing it with her sisters, displaying her resilience and resourcefulness.
• Bai Lingmiao witnesses a lively wedding scene and distributes dried persimmon cakes as wedding candies, showing her kindness and generosity.
• She experiences a moment of despair, feeling disconnected from the world, but then decides to focus on helping others rather than her own emotions.
• Hu Biao, a Fa Sect believer, successfully softens stones, believing they can grant immortality. A fight ensues among his fellow disciples, leading to a bloody massacre.
• Li Huowang, watching from above, realizes the power of deceiving people and the importance of distinguishing truth from falsehood in cultivation.

Character Developments

• Bai Lingmiao: She grows in maturity, shifting her focus from her personal emotions to the well-being of others. She decides to find a way to prevent more people from losing their families.
• Li Huowang: He understands the difference between true truth and falsehood, realizing the importance of cultivating both truth and falsehood in his path. He also experiences the power of deceiving people and the Fei Gang (deception energy) it generates.

Significant Themes

• Resilience and Resourcefulness: Bai Lingmiao's ability to find joy and sustenance in difficult circumstances.
• Kindness and Generosity: Bai Lingmiao's act of sharing her food and distributing wedding candies.
• The Power of Deception: Li Huowang's realization of the strength and potential dangers of deceiving people.
• Distinguishing Truth from Falsehood: Li Huowang's understanding of the importance of this distinction in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Bai Lingmiao and her sisters: They share a moment of happiness and unity, reminiscent of Bai Lingmiao's past with her brother.
• Hu Biao and his fellow disciples: Their fight over the softened stone highlights the destructive power of greed and desperation.
• Li Huowang and the Fa Sect Believers: Li Huowang manipulates the situation, leading to the Believers' demise, showcasing his growing understanding of deception.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang discovers that the Sitting Forgetting Dao's state is a result of cultivating Falsehood, causing Qi Deviation, as they believe their state is correct.
• Li Huowang deceives the Fa Sect by leaving a piece of his liver (disguised as a softened stone) and leading them away from his true path.
• At an inn, Li Huowang is attacked by the Fa Sect, disguised as inn staff, after he starts to recover from his Cultivating Truth side effects.
• The town is revealed to be a trap, and the Fa Sect surrounds Li Huowang, with four mysterious figures emerging from the crowd.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Becomes more proficient in Falsehood cultivation to combat the side effects of Cultivating Truth. He also shows strategic thinking in deceiving the Fa Sect.
• Li Sui: Learns about deception from her father.

Significant Themes

• Deception and truth: Li Huowang's understanding of Falsehood helps him manage the side effects of Cultivating Truth, reflecting the complex relationship between deception and reality.
• The Fa Sect's obsession: Their relentless pursuit of Li Huowang highlights their fanaticism and the lengths they'll go to achieve their goals.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Li Sui: Father and daughter interact briefly, with Li Sui learning about deception from her father.
• Li Huowang and the Fa Sect: Li Huowang outsmarts the Fa Sect, but they eventually surround him, leading to a confrontation.
• Li Huowang and the mysterious figures: Their emergence hints at a new challenge for Li Huowang.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang encounters four Fa Sect members with unusual behavior and Black Umbrellas, who then form a massive Imperial Decree, suggesting an ambush.
• Xuan Pin intervenes, using his Mystical Power to transport Li Huowang to a bamboo forest, evading the ambush.
• Xuan Pin reveals that the Fa Sect has a plan to wipe out cultivators in one swoop and asks Li Huowang to disrupt it by leading a feint attack.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang shows unease and caution when faced with the Fa Sect's potential ambush, demonstrating his growth in awareness and wariness.
• Xuan Pin displays reliability and resourcefulness by saving Li Huowang and providing valuable information about the Fa Sect's plan.
• Li Huowang exhibits determination to fight against the Fa Sect but also shows skepticism and caution towards Xuan Pin's intentions.

Significant Themes

• Scheming and Manipulation: The chapter highlights the strategic planning and manipulation by both Li Huowang and Xuan Pin, as well as the Fa Sect's scheme against cultivators.
• Trust and Alliances: The relationship between Li Huowang and Xuan Pin is explored, with Li Huowang questioning Xuan Pin's motives and the extent of their alliance.
• Power Dynamics: The power struggle between the Fa Sect, cultivators, and the Rulers of Fate is emphasized, with Li Huowang and Xuan Pin attempting to influence the outcome.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Xuan Pin: Their interaction reveals Li Huowang's growing suspicion of Xuan Pin's intentions and his determination to know the truth. Xuan Pin, in turn, shows reluctance to reveal all his plans but eventually provides Li Huowang with crucial information.
• Li Huowang and the Fa Sect: Li Huowang's encounter with the Fa Sect members underscores the growing tension and danger he faces due to the Mount Tai Stone incident.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang learns from Xuan Pin that the Celestial Surveillance Division is helping a Ruler of Fate deal with the Yu Er God, shocking him.
• Xuan Pin tasks Li Huowang with an errand, hinting that its success could turn the tide of the battle against the Yu Er God.
• Li Huowang is given a higher-ranking Celestial Surveillance Division waistplate and a destination to meet his team.
• Li Huowang and Yang Na prepare for their mission, acquiring tasers from Yang Na's friend.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang: Shows determination and caution in accepting his new mission, displaying growth in responsibility.
• Xuan Pin: Reveals more about the Celestial Surveillance Division's involvement in the Heavenly Dao's battle, showing trust in Li Huowang.
• Yang Na: Demonstrates concern for Li Huowang's well-being and the situation's escalation, showing maturity and worry.

Significant Themes

• Trust and responsibility: Li Huowang is entrusted with a crucial mission, showing the trust placed in him, and he takes on the responsibility seriously.
• Escalating conflict: The battle against the Yu Er God intensifies, with the stakes growing higher.
• Karma and entanglement: Yang Na's friend expresses concern about her entanglement with Li Huowang, reflecting the theme of karma and its consequences.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Xuan Pin: Their conversation reveals the seriousness of the situation and the importance of Li Huowang's mission.
• Yang Na and her friend: Their interaction highlights Yang Na's concern for Li Huowang and her friend's worry about her involvement with him.
• Li Huowang and Yang Na: They work together to prepare for their mission, showing a level of teamwork and understanding.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group gathers in the Unfinished Building, planning their counterattack against the organization targeting their special abilities.
• Qing Wanglai suggests using a hypnotic drug to subdue their enemies and negotiate, rather than resorting to violence.
• Qian Fu, who had been sent to gather weapons, suddenly appears, behaving erratically and accusing Qing Wanglai of killing the nurses and framing someone else.
• Qian Fu attempts to attack Li Huowang but is subdued by Qing Wanglai's hypnotic drug.

Character Developments

• Qing Wanglai: Shows strategic thinking and a preference for non-violent solutions, using his connections to acquire a hypnotic drug. He also demonstrates knowledge of Qian Fu's mental illness.
• Li Huowang: Shows eagerness for combat but also practicality in preparing backup plans. He becomes suspicious of Qing Wanglai after Qian Fu's accusations.
• Qian Fu: Reveals a secondary, unstable personality that blames others for his problems and lashes out violently.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between violence and diplomacy in conflict resolution.
• The consequences of keeping secrets and the potential for misplaced trust among allies.
• The impact of mental illness on behavior and perception of reality.

Character Interactions

• Qing Wanglai and Li Huowang: Qing Wanglai's preference for diplomacy clashes with Li Huowang's eagerness for combat. Li Huowang becomes suspicious of Qing Wanglai after Qian Fu's accusations.
• Qian Fu and the group: Qian Fu's erratic behavior and accusations create tension and mistrust within the group. His attempt to attack Li Huowang leads to his subdual by Qing Wanglai's drug.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang rides towards a battlefield, encountering Fa Sect Believers but avoiding conflict.
• He arrives at a corpse-filled battlefield, waiting for Xuan Pin's allies.
• Various individuals, including a strange man (Zhao Jiabao), three Zhongyin monks, and others, gather under the cover of darkness.
• They present Li Huowang with a map and a black zongzi for escape, claiming they'll assist him in destroying the Fa Sect's plan.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang remains skeptical but determined to stop the Fa Sect's plan.
• Zhao Jiabao, a mysterious man with a feminine appearance and eunuch-like mannerisms, is revealed to be the Vice Director of the Celestial Surveillance of Houshu.
• The three Zhongyin monks are introduced, with their bodies covered in Buddhist scriptures and adorned with bone ornaments.
• A fat woman with a bound foot, claiming to be a matchmaker, joins the group and gifts Li Huowang the black zongzi.

Significant Themes

• The power struggle between the Fa Sect and other factions.
• The use of deception and disguise, as seen with Zhao Jiabao and the fat woman.
• The willingness of diverse groups to unite against a common enemy (the Fa Sect).

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang interacts with the gathered allies, expressing doubt about their ability to handle the situation but accepting their assistance.
• Zhao Jiabao and the Zhongyin monks greet Li Huowang respectfully.
• The fat woman flirts with Li Huowang, attempting to ingratiate herself with him.

Chapter Summary: “Divine Statue”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang and Xuan Pin coordinate an assault against the Fa Sect’s sacrificial site in the Dali hinterland. Xuan Pin has gathered powerful allies and uses the Spinning Light Mirror to track their movements.
• The plan depends on a large-scale battle distracting the Fa Sect. Once the Military Strategists’ front line advances, Li Huowang is instructed to infiltrate the sacrificial city and destroy the ritual.
• The Military Strategists launch their attack in a massive Eight Trigrams Formation. Their unified Killing Intent transforms them into an overwhelming force, sharply contrasting with the disorganized Fa Sect believers.
• During the assault, Li Huowang and his allies eliminate sentries and hidden guards before reaching a huge wooden city wall covered in red cloth.
• Li Huowang penetrates the wall using his supernatural tentacles and discovers a gigantic four-legged Divine Statue at the center of the city. Red silk strips stretch from the statue’s bamboo hat throughout the settlement, forming bridge-like structures.
• He crosses the red silk toward an altar concealed by incense, while his allies hold off the Fa Sect’s Witch Ministers.
• At the altar, Li Huowang encounters a bizarre ritualist with a flesh-covered face, chicken feet, and red cloth emerging from his body. The figure performs a solemn purification ritual before the Divine Statue.
• Although Li Huowang realizes the ritualist and statue may not belong to the Fa Sect, he treats them as enemies because the ritual threatens his mission. As he prepares to attack, Peng Longteng charges in on horseback with a giant halberd.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang remains focused and pragmatic. He dismisses further strategic discussion and concentrates on completing the immediate mission. His willingness to attack an unknown supernatural entity shows his determination, but also his growing readiness to act despite uncertainty.
• Xuan Pin acts as Li Huowang’s strategist and coordinator, guiding the operation through the Spinning Light Mirror. His warning that “the whole world is counting on you” emphasizes the immense pressure placed on Li Huowang.
• The Military Strategists are portrayed as highly disciplined and almost superhumanly unified. Their formation turns an enormous army into a single destructive organism.
• Peng Longteng appears as a powerful ally and reinforces Li Huowang at the climactic moment, attacking the strange ritualist with overwhelming force.
• The ritualist is introduced as an enigmatic figure whose appearance and actions suggest an independent supernatural tradition rather than ordinary Fa Sect allegiance.

Significant Themes

• Duty and overwhelming responsibility: Li Huowang is reminded that the fate of the wider world depends on his success.
• Order versus chaos: The Military Strategists’ precise formation and collective discipline contrast with the Fa Sect believers’ disorderly mass.
• Uncertainty and moral ambiguity: Li Huowang cannot identify the true nature or allegiance of the Divine Statue and ritualist, yet must still choose whether to oppose them.
• The supernatural and the unfamiliar: The statue, red silk, flesh-covered ritualist, and incense ceremony create an atmosphere of alien religious power.
• Individual action within large-scale conflict: While armies clash across the battlefield, the decisive mission depends on Li Huowang infiltrating the city and confronting the ritual at its center.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Xuan Pin exchange tactical information and coordinate the timing of the assault.
• Xuan Pin reassures Li Huowang about their allies but places the final responsibility on him.
• Li Huowang’s allies clear the path and protect him from the Fa Sect’s Witch Ministers, allowing him to reach the altar.
• Li Huowang observes the ritualist with suspicion and hostility, while the ritualist remains completely absorbed in his ceremony.
• Peng Longteng intervenes at the end of the chapter, launching an attack against the ritualist and beginning the confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Chicken Foot”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Peng Longteng and Li Huowang launch a coordinated attack on the Chicken Foot Freak performing the Incense Purification Ritual beside the giant divine statue.
• The Chicken Foot Freak proves extraordinarily resilient. His face opens into a monstrous mouth, and his chicken foot is strong enough to withstand and deflect Peng Longteng’s massive halberd.
• Peng Longteng responds by covering herself in flames and continuing the assault, while Li Huowang attacks from the opposite side.
• The Chicken Foot Freak begins a terrifying transformation. An old, crippled wolf climbs onto his back, and invisible entities burrow into his body, producing animal faces and pulsing strips of flesh beneath his clothing.
• Before he can complete his transformation, Li Huowang uses the Zisui Sword and his ability to travel through the earth. The ground collapses beneath the enemy, and a crack drags much of the Chicken Foot Freak’s body into Daqi, killing or incapacitating him.
• Li Huowang destroys the incense burner and ritual table, extinguishing the white smoke and seemingly cutting off the divine statue’s connection to the altar.
• However, a new Chicken Foot Freak emerges from the rain carrying an incense ball and resumes the ritual. More Chicken Foot Freaks follow—first one, then several, and eventually countless figures—revealing that the defeated enemy was only one of many.
• As Li Huowang’s group gathers beneath the red cloth, the two sides face one another. Despite the arrival of most of Li Huowang’s allies, they remain vastly outnumbered.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang demonstrates greater tactical confidence and resourcefulness. He combines direct sword attacks with his earth-traveling ability to defeat the first Chicken Foot Freak and immediately destroys the ritual objects.
• Peng Longteng displays immense physical power and aggression. Even after losing part of her face, she continues fighting, enters a flame-covered state, and keeps the enemy under pressure.
• The Chicken Foot Freak is revealed to possess inhuman durability and ritual powers. His body can transform into a monstrous, beast-like form, but his power is ultimately interrupted before completion.
• Li Huowang’s allies begin regrouping, including the one-armed swordsman carrying the mutilated child, Zhao Jiabao, and the matchmaker devoted to the Double Happiness God. Their arrival strengthens Li’s side but does not resolve the numerical disadvantage.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming supernatural forces: The apparent victory over one enemy is immediately undermined by the appearance of countless identical beings.
• Ritual and divine power: The incense burner, incense ball, and purification dance function as channels connecting the Chicken Foot Freaks to the giant statue or deity. Destroying them can disrupt that connection, but may not be enough to end the threat.
• Teamwork and tactical combat: Li Huowang and Peng Longteng coordinate their attacks effectively, combining strength, weapons, and supernatural abilities.
• Transformation and bodily horror: The Chicken Foot Freak’s mutation—animal faces emerging from his body and internal organs forming a facial curtain—emphasizes the grotesque corruption associated with the ritual.
• Temporary victories and escalating danger: Although the first Chicken Foot Freak is defeated and the incense is cut off, the arrival of innumerable replacements makes the situation even more desperate.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and Peng Longteng fight in tandem, attacking the Chicken Foot Freak from opposite sides and later coordinating after his defeat.
• Peng Longteng and the Chicken Foot Freak engage in a brutal close-quarters clash, including a grotesque moment when they bite at each other’s faces.
• The Chicken Foot Freak and the old wolf combine their powers, with the wolf clinging to his back and apparently helping summon or channel beast-like entities.
• Li Huowang and the giant divine statue are placed in direct opposition when Li declares that destroying the incense has prevented the deity from crossing over.
• Peng Longteng warns Li Huowang to turn around, allowing him to see the emergence of the new Chicken Foot Freaks and the scale of the approaching threat.
• Li Huowang’s allies converge beneath the red cloth, forming a defensive line against the rapidly multiplying ritualists.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Huowang and his team discover they're facing powerful enemies, not just Fa Sect members.
• They charge towards the red stars, engaging in intense combat with the Chicken-Foot People.
• Li Huowang uses his unique abilities and tactics to fight, including using his daughter's corpse to create a fiery explosion and tearing off his charred skin to attack enemies.
• The Human-Headed Bird and Horse-Faced Bird appear, singing a chant that makes Li Huowang anxious and increases the urgency of the situation.
• Li Huowang realizes that the sacrifice is still ongoing and intensifying, despite their efforts.
• He receives a Brocade Sack from Zhao Jiabao, containing a message from the Director of the Celestial Surveillance, revealing that Li Huowang's previous teleportation ability was borrowed and that the solution lies within his Cultivating Truth ability.
• Li Huowang attempts to Cultivate Truth, struggling to manifest something that can save them.

Character Developments

• Li Huowang demonstrates his formidable combat skills and resourcefulness, using various tactics to fight their powerful enemies.
• He shows determination and desperation, willing to do whatever it takes to stop the sacrifice, even at the cost of his own life.
• Li Huowang's Cultivating Truth ability is revealed to have reached a high level, but he struggles to manifest something useful in their current situation.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and determination in the face of overwhelming odds.
• The power of Cultivating Truth and Li Huowang's struggle to harness it effectively.
• The urgency and danger of the ongoing sacrifice.

Character Interactions

• Li Huowang and his team fight together against the Chicken-Foot People, following Li Huowang's commands.
• Li Huowang receives crucial information from Zhao Jiabao, which could potentially save them.
• The Human-Headed Bird and Horse-Faced Bird interact with the Divine Statue, intensifying the situation and putting pressure on Li Huowang.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhuge Yuan, resurrected by Li Huowang using the Spine Sword, appears and aids Li Huowang in battle against the Chicken-Foot People and the Divine Statue.
• Li Huowang, despite knowing Zhuge Yuan is a Cultivating Truth construct, struggles to accept his fake nature, causing Zhuge Yuan's form to fluctuate.
• Zhuge Yuan helps Li Huowang defeat the Chicken-Foot People, and the Divine Statue is immobilized.
• Li Huowang orders a thorough search of the city to eliminate any remaining threats.
• Li Huowang discovers that the Fa Sect's forces have suffered a significant loss, as seen through the Spinning Light Mirror.

Character Developments

• Zhuge Yuan, though a Cultivating Truth construct, displays loyalty and concern for Li Huowang and Daqi.
• Li Huowang struggles with the reality of Zhuge Yuan's fake nature, causing him pain and distress.
• Li Huowang shows determination and caution in ensuring the defeat of the Fa Sect.

Significant Themes

• The blurring line between reality and illusion, particularly in the context of Cultivating Truth.
• The consequences of one's actions and the pain caused by the truth.
• The importance of thoroughness and caution in achieving victory.

Character Interactions

• Zhuge Yuan and Li Huowang: Zhuge Yuan aids Li Huowang in battle and tries to help him accept the truth about his nature. Li Huowang struggles with this reality and relies on Zhuge Yuan's help.
• Li Huowang and Zhao Jiabao: Li Huowang orders Zhao Jiabao to search the city thoroughly, showing his determination to eliminate all threats.
• Li Huowang and the Xuan Pin illusion: Li Huowang calls for the Xuan Pin illusion but receives no response, showing his frustration with the illusion's absence.