Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Abnormal Difficulty”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The rules for advancing to the second stage of the God-Demon War are announced:
  • A dynasty must rank among the top ten in its domain.
  • It must also accumulate at least 10,000 God-Battle Points within three months.
• The Xuanhuang Continent is divided into one hundred domains, with the western regions possessing far greater spiritual energy, resources, and fortune than the eastern regions.
• Xiao Chen’s homeland, the Great Xia Dynasty, lies in the Azure Spirit Domain’s impoverished easternmost region and is regarded as the weakest dynasty there.
• The God-Demon War consists of three stages:
  1. Mission Arc—participants complete tasks issued by the Domain Spirit.
  2. Secret Treasury Arc—the surviving Divine Seeds from all domains compete for opportunities in a shared secret treasury.
  3. A final, undisclosed stage.
• The new advancement requirements shock the Divine Seeds because the previous competition required only a top-fifteen ranking, while even the tenth-ranked dynasty previously earned only about 4,000 points.
• Xiao Chen realizes that, under the new standards, all but perhaps the strongest former dynasty would fail to advance.
• Several powerful Divine Seeds challenge the Domain Spirit, Qin Wuji, accusing the rules of being unfair.
• Qin Wuji responds violently, killing the objectors instantly by crushing them beneath overwhelming laws. His display of power silences the entire domain.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen recognizing that reaching 10,000 points will require not only completing missions but also aggressively slaughtering and plundering other participants.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen becomes more serious and pressured as he understands the extreme difficulty of the competition. He realizes that ordinary mission completion will be insufficient and that survival may require ruthless action.
• Nalan Longfei shifts from initial disbelief to alarm as she compares the new requirements with the previous competition’s results.
• Qin Wuji, the Domain Spirit, is established as overwhelmingly powerful, authoritarian, and utterly indifferent to complaints or outside influences. He values obedience over fairness and openly enforces the principle that the strong prey upon the weak.
• The other Divine Seeds are shown to be proud and powerful figures accustomed to having strong imperial backing, yet they become frightened and helpless before Qin Wuji.

Significant Themes

• Escalating competition and survival of the fittest: The new rules transform the war into a brutal contest where only the strongest—or most ruthless—can survive.
• Inequality and regional disadvantage: Eastern domains suffer from weaker spiritual energy and fewer resources, making the same requirements far more difficult for them than for western dynasties.
• Power over justice: Qin Wuji’s response demonstrates that authority determines fairness. Complaints and appeals have no meaning before overwhelming strength.
• Pressure and moral compromise: To obtain enough God-Battle Points, participants may be forced to kill and plunder, raising the question of how far Xiao Chen must go to advance.
• Fear and obedience: Qin Wuji’s massacre instantly suppresses rebellion, showing how terror can enforce order more effectively than explanation.

Character Interactions

• Nalan Longfei and Xiao Chen react to the announcement by discussing the unprecedented difficulty of the requirements.
• The Divine Seeds collectively protest to Qin Wuji, demanding an explanation for what they consider an unfair system.
• Qin Wuji dismisses their objections and kills the challengers, creating a sharp confrontation between the younger prodigies and the ancient authority controlling the competition.
• Afterward, the surviving Divine Seeds privately express anger and resentment toward Qin Wuji, though none dare confront him openly.
• Xiao Chen’s internal response focuses less on outrage and more on calculating the practical consequences: he must compete under impossible odds and likely engage in large-scale plunder to survive.

Summary: “Killing Intent of the Double Pupils”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the crimson glow in the sky fades, Nalan Longfei notices Xiao Chen’s grim expression and asks what is wrong. Xiao Chen refuses to explain, keeping his intention to challenge the second round of the Myriad Dynasty War private.
• Xiao Chen has earned over 300 God-Battle Points in two days, leaving Great Xia in a strong position to escape the bottom rankings. However, he recognizes that advancing to the second round requires defeating more than 90% of the dynasties in the Azure Spirit Domain—a nearly impossible task given Great Xia’s weakened battle group.
• Determined to improve his strength, Xiao Chen plans to return to the city and challenge the Second Heavenly Gate of the King Realm.
• While traveling through the heavens with Nalan Longfei, Xiao Chen senses hidden killing intent. A massive black sea and a terrifying lion-headed, fish-bodied beast emerge from the void, revealing that a powerful enemy has ambushed them.
• Black runes rain down from the sky, and an arrogant voice declares that Xiao Chen is unworthy of meeting the attacker. The attacker’s voice alone severely injures Nalan Longfei and cracks the surrounding sky.
• A gigantic black finger descends, intending to kill both Xiao Chen and Nalan Longfei in one strike. Nalan Longfei realizes she is powerless to resist and believes death is inevitable.
• Xiao Chen activates the Diamond Sutra, summoning a hundred-zhang golden Buddha and a protective barrier of Buddhist light. He successfully blocks the black finger but is badly wounded, coughing up blood as the Buddha phantom collapses.
• The attacker is surprised that Xiao Chen survives and praises him as a “young hawk” rather than a weak fledgling.
• A handsome black-robed youth finally appears. He possesses ten black divine rings, golden Dao aura, and legendary violet twin pupils. Xiao Chen recognizes him as a rare Twin-Pupil Bearer, an existence said to possess overwhelming power and be almost nonexistent across entire eras.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Becomes increasingly aware of the enormous gap between his current strength and the requirements for advancing in the war. His determination to break through intensifies, but the ambush reveals that even his powerful Diamond Sutra defense is insufficient against the strongest opponents. Surviving the attack demonstrates his exceptional potential.
• Nalan Longfei: Shows concern for Xiao Chen and encourages him not to place too much pressure on himself. During the ambush, she experiences genuine terror and helplessness in the face of overwhelming power, emphasizing the attacker’s frightening strength.
• The Twin-Pupil Bearer: Is introduced as an arrogant, supremely confident, and extraordinarily powerful figure. His casual attack nearly kills both protagonists, while his surprise at Xiao Chen’s survival suggests that he recognizes Xiao Chen as an unusually promising opponent.

Significant Themes

• Pressure and impossible ambition: Xiao Chen must carry Great Xia’s hopes almost alone, while attempting an advancement that seems absurdly difficult.
• Strength and survival: The God-Demon Battlefield is portrayed as brutally unforgiving; a single defeat could erase all of Xiao Chen’s previous achievements.
• Hidden dangers and uncertainty: Even after two successful days of fighting, Xiao Chen is suddenly ambushed by an enemy far stronger than expected.
• Legendary bloodlines and exceptional talent: The appearance of the Twin-Pupil Bearer introduces the theme of rare, almost mythical beings whose innate abilities place them above ordinary cultivators.
• Resilience against overwhelming odds: Xiao Chen’s ability to block an attack that should have killed him establishes his strength while also highlighting the terrifying level of the enemy.

Character Interactions

• Nalan Longfei gently questions Xiao Chen about his troubled expression and reassures him that he has already performed exceptionally well.
• Xiao Chen remains emotionally guarded, choosing not to reveal his plan to challenge the second round or discuss the burden he bears.
• During the ambush, Xiao Chen confronts the hidden attacker, demanding that he reveal himself.
• Nalan Longfei assesses the attacker’s strength and is overwhelmed by fear, while Xiao Chen takes responsibility for resisting the attack.
• After Xiao Chen survives, the Twin-Pupil Bearer acknowledges his strength, setting the stage for a confrontation between two extraordinary young cultivators.

Chapter Summary: “A Glimpse of the Future?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen and Nalan Longfei are ambushed in the Azure Dragon Domain by Wu Chongtong, a naturally born Twin-Pupil Bearer.
• Wu Chongtong easily wounds Xiao Chen with a single finger strike, revealing the overwhelming gap between them.
• Xiao Chen urges Nalan Longfei to contact the Domain Spirit and escape. Although she initially wants to remain with him, she ultimately forfeits and is eliminated, leaving her God-Battle Points to Wu Chongtong.
• After Nalan Longfei disappears, Xiao Chen questions Wu Chongtong, suspecting that the Qiankun Dynasty sent him.
• Wu Chongtong reveals that he comes from the powerful Double-Pupil Ancient Kingdom and is a Blazing Sun Rank cultivator—far above Xiao Chen’s current level.
• Wu Chongtong explains that his divine pupils showed him a vision of the future in which Xiao Chen would become his greatest rival and threaten his chance of obtaining a Spirit Realm slot.
• Believing his Twin-Pupil’s predictions to be infallible, Wu Chongtong traveled from the core region to the outer region and lay in wait for Xiao Chen.
• Although Wu Chongtong expected to kill Xiao Chen effortlessly, Xiao Chen survives the attack with only minor injuries, surprising him and sparking his interest.
• Xiao Chen becomes enraged at the idea of being killed solely because of a prophecy, recalling how an earlier prediction had caused others to persecute him.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates strategic thinking by sending Nalan Longfei away while he waits for an opportunity to resist. Despite being vastly weaker, he survives Wu Chongtong’s attack, suggesting that his potential and resilience exceed his current cultivation. His anger also reveals a deep resentment toward fate-based judgments and persecution.
• Nalan Longfei: Shows loyalty by refusing to abandon Xiao Chen at first, even though staying would likely mean death. She ultimately makes the practical choice to escape, accepting elimination and the loss of her points.
• Wu Chongtong: Is introduced as an arrogant but extraordinary prodigy. His innate Twin-Pupils, Blazing Sun foundation, and status as the heir of the Double-Pupil Ancient Kingdom make him nearly godlike among younger cultivators. However, Xiao Chen’s survival unsettles his confidence and awakens curiosity about the supposed future enemy.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus free will: Wu Chongtong acts on a prophecy, attempting to eliminate Xiao Chen before the predicted future can occur. The chapter questions whether the future is fixed or can be changed through individual choices.
• Potential hidden beneath weakness: Xiao Chen appears insignificant because of his low cultivation, yet he withstands an attack from a Blazing Sun Rank expert, hinting at extraordinary latent power.
• Fear of prophecy and prejudice: Xiao Chen’s past persecution over the “Heaven-Jealous One” prophecy parallels Wu Chongtong’s current attempt to condemn him based on a predicted future.
• Arrogance and underestimation: Wu Chongtong views Xiao Chen as an ant, but Xiao Chen’s unexpected survival challenges that assumption.
• Survival and sacrifice: Nalan Longfei’s departure illustrates the brutal rules of the God-Demon Battlefield, where escape preserves life but costs one’s progress and rewards.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Nalan Longfei debate whether to flee together, with Xiao Chen prioritizing her survival and secretly planning to seek an opening.
• Nalan Longfei’s voluntary forfeiture causes the automatic transfer of her God-Battle Points to Wu Chongtong, who dismisses her as insignificant.
• Xiao Chen interrogates Wu Chongtong about his motives, while Wu Chongtong openly explains his identity and prophetic reason for the ambush.
• Their conversation shifts from a simple execution to the beginning of a potential rivalry: Xiao Chen is furious at being targeted by fate, while Wu Chongtong becomes intrigued that his supposedly weak future enemy can survive his attack.

Chapter Summary: “Defeat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Chongtong confronts Xiao Chen because his dual pupils have foreseen Xiao Chen becoming a future threat who may compete for a Spirit Realm slot and interfere with Wu Chongtong’s rise.
• He dismisses Xiao Chen as insignificant but declares that fate has marked him for death.
• Wu Chongtong releases a portion of his immense Source Energy, creating overwhelming pressure that shatters the surrounding void, destroys mountains and forests, and terrifies demons, humans, and nearby Divine Seeds.
• He launches a massive black palm attack intended to crush Xiao Chen.
• Xiao Chen responds with his strongest technique, the Heaven-Slaying Immortal-Extinguishing Art, summoning five blood-red sword sigils to oppose the black palm.
• Their clash causes devastating shockwaves, splits the void, and sends surrounding creatures and ordinary people into panic.
• Although Xiao Chen initially manages to resist, Wu Chongtong increases the palm’s power and crushes all five sword sigils.
• Xiao Chen is blasted away, seriously injured, and forced to acknowledge the overwhelming gap between them.
• Wu Chongtong is disappointed that Xiao Chen is much weaker than the threat predicted by his dual pupils.
• Xiao Chen survives, emerges from the crater, and vows to repay the humiliation if he escapes.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates courage by using his ultimate technique despite its heavy Source Energy consumption. He recognizes that his lack of cultivation, rather than insufficient foundation or talent, is the main reason for his defeat. His injuries intensify his frustration and determination, but he remains realistic and refuses to make excuses for his weakness.
• Wu Chongtong: Establishes himself as Xiao Chen’s most powerful enemy since his rebirth. Calm, arrogant, and confident, he treats Xiao Chen’s strongest attack as inadequate and believes his dual pupils’ prophecy may have overestimated Xiao Chen’s threat.
• Observers and Divine Seeds: Their reactions emphasize the extraordinary scale of the battle. Many initially mistake Wu Chongtong for an ancient monster or peak Star Realm expert because his power greatly exceeds what someone of the younger generation should possess.

Significant Themes

• The gap between cultivation realm and potential: Xiao Chen possesses an exceptional foundation and powerful techniques, but his First Level King Realm cultivation cannot overcome Wu Chongtong’s Seventh Level realm and Blazing Sun Rank status.
• Fate versus personal will: Wu Chongtong acts based on a glimpse of the future, believing Xiao Chen is destined to become his enemy. Xiao Chen rejects the idea that the future is already determined.
• Talent constrained by circumstance: Xiao Chen reflects that his destroyed dantian, lost years, and impoverished birthplace delayed his cultivation. Even so, he accepts responsibility for his present weakness rather than using his past as an excuse.
• Humiliation and perseverance: Defeat becomes a source of anger and motivation. Xiao Chen’s loss does not break his resolve; instead, it strengthens his determination to survive and eventually surpass Wu Chongtong.

Character Interactions

• Wu Chongtong taunts Xiao Chen, claiming that his dual pupils have identified him as a future calamity and enemy.
• Xiao Chen challenges Wu Chongtong’s belief that a powerful cultivator may freely decide another person’s life and death.
• Their verbal exchange reflects the conflict between Wu Chongtong’s arrogance and Xiao Chen’s defiance.
• In combat, Wu Chongtong remains composed with his hands behind his back, while Xiao Chen struggles under the pressure and fights with everything he has.
• After defeating Xiao Chen, Wu Chongtong openly belittles him, while Xiao Chen responds with a warning that the outcome is not yet final and promises future revenge.

Chapter Summary: “Double-Pupil Condenses the Heavens”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Chongtong, a Blazing Sun Rank cultivator from a supreme ancient kingdom, openly belittles Xiao Chen and declares that the strong have the right to devour the weak.
• He views Xiao Chen as an insignificant ant and blames him for wasting his time, despite being guided by the supposedly invincible Double-Pupil.
• Xiao Chen is deeply humiliated. Wu Chongtong’s contempt reminds him of past suffering, including abandonment by his parents, bullying by Huang Wuming, and suppression by the forces of heaven and earth.
• Unlike his previous humiliations, this one hurts more because Wu Chongtong is his peer and belongs to the same generation. Since his rebirth and rise in cultivation, Xiao Chen has never before been so thoroughly suppressed by someone his own age.
• Xiao Chen recognizes the enormous gap between them. Even if he uses his strongest trump cards—the Ancient True Devil and the Wind Lord Sword—he may be unable to defeat Wu Chongtong, especially in his wounded condition.
• Wu Chongtong arrogantly invites Xiao Chen to use every remaining technique, confident that he can overcome anything.
• Xiao Chen responds with a desperate all-out attack, combining:
  • Six Paths of Reincarnation
  • Starlight Sword
  • Blood Rat Thousand Sword Sutra
  • Diamond Sutra
  • Solar Truefire and Netherworld Karma Fire
• His sword strike destroys Wu Chongtong’s black giant hand and continues toward him with overwhelming force.
• The attack shocks Wu Chongtong for the first time. He realizes that Xiao Chen has combined the power of the Six Great Daos with the Yin-Yang Fire King, though he suspects they are simulated or “False” versions rather than genuine origin powers.
• The observing Divine Seeds are equally stunned. They debate whether Xiao Chen’s powers are truly false, since their strength and authenticity are far beyond what such techniques should normally produce.
• Wu Chongtong finally activates his purple Double-Pupils and uses the divine technique Heaven Congealing.
• The technique freezes the sword’s movement and power, strips away its brilliance, and gradually turns it into dust.
• The chapter ends as black mist suddenly surges through the void, hinting at a new development or interruption.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Experiences profound humiliation and frustration but refuses to surrender. Although gravely injured and aware of the overwhelming difference in realms, he reveals the full extent of his hidden abilities and launches his strongest attack yet.
• Wu Chongtong: His outward demeanor remains gentle and smiling, but his words and actions reveal extreme arrogance and superiority. Xiao Chen’s combined attack briefly surprises and pressures him, but he quickly regains control by invoking the Double-Pupil.
• The Divine Seeds: Their view of Xiao Chen changes from dismissive curiosity to genuine shock and respect. They recognize that his mastery of multiple Dao forces and divine fires is extraordinarily abnormal.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Wu Chongtong embodies the belief that the strong naturally dominate and the weak have no right to resist.
• Humiliation as motivation: Xiao Chen’s anger stems not only from defeat but from being demeaned by an equal of his generation, intensifying his determination.
• True power versus imitation: The chapter explores the distinction between genuine Dao power and artificially simulated False Power, while suggesting that Xiao Chen’s imitation techniques may be exceptionally close to the real thing.
• Hidden potential and impossible talent: Xiao Chen’s ability to wield six Great Dao powers and two divine fires marks him as a uniquely gifted cultivator, even if he cannot yet fully control their true forms.
• Absolute suppression versus resistance: Xiao Chen’s spectacular attack demonstrates his extraordinary potential, but Wu Chongtong’s Double-Pupil shows the terrifying advantage of overwhelming cultivation and innate divine abilities.

Character Interactions

• Wu Chongtong verbally humiliates Xiao Chen while maintaining a deceptively warm and polite smile.
• Xiao Chen silently absorbs the insult, recalling earlier betrayals and oppression, then answers through action rather than words.
• Their battle becomes a clash between Xiao Chen’s desperate, multifaceted sword technique and Wu Chongtong’s effortless confidence.
• The watching Divine Seeds serve as witnesses, reacting with disbelief to Xiao Chen’s strength and reinforcing the significance of his attack.
• Wu Chongtong’s brief surprise shows that Xiao Chen has finally forced him to take the battle seriously, but the activation of Heaven Congealing reestablishes Wu Chongtong’s dominance.

Chapter Summary: “Defeat and Ruin!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Chongtong, an elite Blazing Sun Rank cultivator and bearer of the terrifying Double-Pupil, conceals his battle with Xiao Chen beneath black clouds and unnatural celestial phenomena. He hides the fight to protect his reputation, since ambushing a youth from a Lower Dynasty would be humiliating if discovered.
• Xiao Chen launches a devastating attack after exhausting all his Source Energy, but Wu Chongtong destroys it with a single glance using the power of his Double-Pupil.
• Realizing he cannot win, Xiao Chen takes advantage of the brief moment when Wu Chongtong’s Source Energy is stagnant and activates the Wind Concealment Art. He transforms into the winds of heaven and attempts to escape.
• Wu Chongtong’s Double-Pupil immediately sees through the concealment. He summons a rain of deadly black droplets that pursue Xiao Chen across the sky.
• Xiao Chen is struck and badly wounded multiple times, but the immense speed of his wind-based divine art allows him to flee beyond Wu Chongtong’s reach.
• Wu Chongtong is surprised that Xiao Chen escapes despite the six-minor-realm difference between them. However, he still considers Xiao Chen only a powerful but insignificant “ant,” believing he cannot advance far in the Myriad Dynasty War.
• Once the black clouds vanish, spectators conclude that the mysterious sword cultivator has been defeated, judging from the remaining Sword Qi and bloody traces in the sky.
• Xiao Chen eventually reappears over an ancient forest, covered in blood, and crashes into the ground. He has five broken bones and twenty-three wounds, several exposing bone.
• Reflecting on the battle, Xiao Chen recognizes the enormous gap between his current cultivation and the geniuses of the God-Demon Battlefield. He resolves to increase his cultivation quickly.
• Before he can investigate the silent forest, a shadowy figure suddenly appears before him, setting up the next confrontation.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His confidence is shaken by Wu Chongtong’s overwhelming strength. Although formerly unrivaled in Great Xia and capable of defeating opponents above his realm, he realizes that the God-Demon Battlefield contains far more powerful geniuses. His successful escape demonstrates his resourcefulness, mastery of the Wind Concealment Art, and exceptional survival instincts, but his severe injuries expose his current limitations.
• Wu Chongtong: He displays absolute confidence in the power of his Double-Pupil and easily counters Xiao Chen’s strongest attack and escape technique. Nevertheless, Xiao Chen’s ability to survive and flee surprises him, proving that the youth is more formidable than expected. Wu Chongtong remains arrogant and underestimates Xiao Chen’s future potential.

Significant Themes

• The gap between talent and cultivation: Natural ability and a strong foundation are not enough when faced with opponents many realms higher.
• Survival over victory: Xiao Chen cannot defeat Wu Chongtong, but escaping alive becomes a meaningful achievement.
• Hidden strength and deception: Wu Chongtong conceals the battle from observers, while Xiao Chen attempts to disappear into the wind; both rely on concealment and perception.
• The dangers of the wider world: Xiao Chen’s former dominance in Great Xia no longer guarantees superiority in the God-Demon Battlefield.
• Arrogance and underestimated potential: Wu Chongtong dismisses Xiao Chen as harmless, while the battle suggests Xiao Chen may eventually become a serious threat.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Wu Chongtong engage in a one-sided but intense battle, with Xiao Chen’s desperate attacks repeatedly neutralized by Wu Chongtong’s Double-Pupil.
• Xiao Chen’s Wind Concealment Art briefly creates an opening, but Wu Chongtong’s ocular power penetrates the technique almost immediately.
• Their exchange ends without a victor: Wu Chongtong fails to kill Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen escapes grievously wounded.
• The spectators misinterpret the battle, believing the mysterious sword cultivator was defeated, while neither combatant reveals the truth.
• The chapter closes with Xiao Chen encountering an unidentified shadowy figure in the eerily silent forest.

Chapter Summary: “Entering Golden Cicada Temple”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen, seriously injured after being ambushed by Wu Chongtong, encounters a mysterious young Daoist in the God-Demon Battlefield.
• Using the Cosmos God Eyes, Xiao Chen sees through the Daoist’s youthful appearance and discovers that he is an ancient, immensely powerful figure surrounded by a terrifying aura of twilight and death.
• The Daoist introduces himself as Li Jinchán, master of Golden Cicada Temple. He claims he wants to take Xiao Chen as his final disciple because of Xiao Chen’s extraordinary foundation.
• Xiao Chen distrusts Li Jinchán, sensing hidden malice beneath his benevolent appearance. He attempts to leave and even tries to escape using the Wind Concealment Art, but Li Jinchán effortlessly prevents him.
• Realizing that escape is impossible while injured, Xiao Chen pretends to accept Li Jinchán’s offer, intending to find an opportunity to flee later.
• Li Jinchán transports Xiao Chen to Golden Cicada Temple in a streak of golden light.
• The temple is built from golden mineral, surrounded by Buddhist scriptures and golden runes, and contains enormous, unsettling Buddha statues with multiple arms and legs and numerous Dharma weapons.
• Xiao Chen becomes suspicious of Li Jinchán’s unusual combination of Daoist identity and Buddhist imagery. Li Jinchán then reveals that he originally came from the Buddhist Sect.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates sharp perception, caution, and strategic adaptability. Though badly injured and unable to fight, he remains alert and uses deception to survive, recognizing that Li Jinchán’s apparent kindness conceals danger.
• Li Jinchán: Is established as an unfathomably powerful and potentially sinister ancient cultivator. His youthful appearance hides his true age, while his gentle manner contrasts with flashes of malice, venom, and hidden emotional pain. His Buddhist background introduces a mysterious part of his past.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Li Jinchán looks like a righteous young Daoist but is actually an ancient powerhouse with an ominous aura.
• Survival through deception: Xiao Chen cannot rely on strength, so he feigns obedience and conceals his true intentions.
• Hidden identities and pasts: Li Jinchán’s youthful form, unknown motives, and connection to the Buddhist Sect suggest deeper secrets.
• Conflict between Daoism and Buddhism: Golden Cicada Temple combines Daoist ownership with eerie Buddhist imagery, hinting at an unusual or corrupted religious tradition.
• Precarious trust: Xiao Chen is forced to cooperate with someone he deeply distrusts because he has no viable means of escape.

Character Interactions

• Li Jinchán praises Xiao Chen’s spiritual radiance and talent, attempting to draw him into conversation.
• Xiao Chen remains guarded, addresses him respectfully as “Senior,” and repeatedly tries to leave.
• Li Jinchán probes Xiao Chen’s abilities after discovering that he can see through his appearance and hidden aura.
• Xiao Chen bluffs that he has a nearby protector, but Li Jinchán immediately exposes the weakness of this lie.
• Li Jinchán offers to take Xiao Chen as his disciple; Xiao Chen accepts only outwardly, planning to escape later.
• Upon reaching the temple, Li Jinchán notices Xiao Chen’s confusion over the Buddhist statues and begins revealing his connection to the Buddhist Sect.

Chapter Summary: “The Mystery”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Before an ancient Taoist temple filled with golden Buddhist light and floating runes, Xiao Chen pauses as Li Jinchán begins recounting his past.
• Li Jinchán reveals that he was once the heir to a powerful dynasty. Born into wealth, status, and privilege, he eventually became dissatisfied with worldly glory and entered the Buddhist path at forty.
• He became the disciple of a revered holy monk whom he regarded as a father. The master appeared eternally youthful and possessed a mysterious technique that restored his appearance whenever he aged.
• Li Jinchán repeatedly begged to learn this secret art, but his master always refused, telling him that the time was not yet right.
• After years of frustration, Li Jinchán secretly entered his master’s secluded cultivation chamber while the master was restoring his youth. He claims to have witnessed something horrifying that revealed “the ugliness of the human heart.”
• Li Jinchán refuses to explain what he saw, leaving Xiao Chen frustrated and suspicious.
• He instead brings Xiao Chen into the ancient temple and promises to treat his severe injuries. He summons his acolyte, Little Doggie, and orders him to retrieve stored Spiritual Herbs.
• Little Doggie reacts fearfully to Li Jinchán but shows pity upon seeing Xiao Chen, intensifying Xiao Chen’s sense that he is being led into a dangerous situation.
• Xiao Chen speculates that Li Jinchán may intend to possess his body, though he cannot understand why, since Li Jinchán already has a technique for maintaining his own youth.
• Despite his suspicions, Xiao Chen decides to accept the healing opportunity. Little Doggie soon returns with a sack containing Spiritual Herbs radiating multicolored spiritual light and more than a thousand Dao Rhythms, suggesting extraordinary potency.

Character Developments

• Li Jinchán: His history reveals a transformation from privileged heir to ascetic monk seeking transcendence. His reverence for his master was shattered after discovering the hidden truth behind the master’s youth-restoring technique. His evasiveness and apparent hidden motives make him increasingly ominous.
• Xiao Chen: Though severely wounded, Xiao Chen remains cautious and analytical. He tries to determine Li Jinchán’s intentions, considers the possibility of possession, but ultimately prioritizes recovering his strength so he can defend himself.
• Little Doggie: He appears terrified of Li Jinchán and seems accustomed to his master’s frightening behavior. His pity toward Xiao Chen suggests he may understand the danger Xiao Chen faces or know something about Li Jinchán’s methods.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The holy monk appears perfect and youthful, but the secret behind his appearance may expose profound corruption or cruelty.
• Betrayal and disillusionment: Li Jinchán’s faith in his master collapses when he discovers the truth, showing how idealized figures can conceal horrifying realities.
• The pursuit of immortality: Both Li Jinchán and his master are driven by the desire to transcend aging and death, raising questions about the moral cost of such power.
• Suspicion and hidden motives: Xiao Chen cannot tell whether Li Jinchán is genuinely helping him or preparing to exploit him.
• Power and vulnerability: Xiao Chen’s injuries leave him dependent on a potentially dangerous stranger, forcing him to balance immediate survival against long-term danger.

Character Interactions

• Li Jinchán and Xiao Chen: Li Jinchán acts as both storyteller and apparent benefactor, revealing enough of his past to intrigue Xiao Chen while deliberately withholding the most important detail. Xiao Chen listens respectfully but remains deeply suspicious.
• Li Jinchán and Little Doggie: Little Doggie obeys Li Jinchán immediately but is visibly afraid of him, indicating a relationship based more on terror than trust.
• Little Doggie and Xiao Chen: Little Doggie initially seems pleased to see a new “junior brother,” then looks at Xiao Chen with pity, subtly warning that Xiao Chen may be in serious danger.

Chapter Summary: The Crimson Buddha

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen examines a mysterious white spirit-cloth bag brought by Li Jinchán. Although the bag strongly seals spiritual energy, powerful auras and treasure talismans leak from within, revealing the extraordinary potency of its contents.
• The bag contains more than a dozen extremely valuable Spiritual Herbs and medicinal treasures, including spirit grass, exotic flowers, divine fruits, and demon cores. Their high quality astonishes Xiao Chen, who urgently needs such resources to recover from Wu Chongtong’s attack and eventually break through to the Second Layer of the King Realm.
• Li Jinchán initially has Little Doggie bring only part of his medicinal collection, but then orders him to retrieve everything. Little Doggie is shocked because Li Jinchán normally treasures his herbs and refuses to lend them even to close acquaintances.
• Li Jinchán claims that Xiao Chen’s injuries are too severe for anything less than his entire medicinal reserve. He presents himself as a benevolent senior who is determined to heal Xiao Chen and help him perfect his foundation.
• Xiao Chen accepts the medicine while carefully hiding his real motives. He is pleased to obtain resources that would otherwise cost him an enormous number of God-Battle Points, but he remains aware that Li Jinchán intends him harm.
• Little Doggie pours all of Li Jinchán’s accumulated Spiritual Herbs into a massive bronze cauldron, or pill pool, so Li Jinchán can begin treating Xiao Chen.
• As the herbs enter the cauldron, Li Jinchán’s benevolent façade slips. His expression reveals savagery, excitement, and relief, suggesting that healing Xiao Chen is only the final stage of a plan centuries or millennia in the making.
• The chapter ends by emphasizing the ominous bronze vessel, which is carved with scriptures, arhats, and ancient Buddhas stained crimson red—strongly foreshadowing a sinister ritual or transformation.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Remains outwardly courteous and grateful while privately calculating how to benefit from Li Jinchán’s generosity. His immediate concern is recovery, and he sees the Spiritual Herbs as an opportunity to preserve his resources and strengthen himself.
• Li Jinchán: Becomes increasingly intimate and manipulative, changing his address for Xiao Chen from “young friend” to “beloved disciple.” Though he appears affectionate and generous, his inner thoughts reveal that he views Xiao Chen as essential to completing his Vajra Cicada cultivation and achieving eternal youth.
• Little Doggie: Shows absolute obedience and deep fear toward Li Jinchán. His reactions reveal that Li Jinchán’s kind appearance conceals a frightening and ruthless nature. He also recognizes that Xiao Chen does not understand the danger surrounding him.

Significant Themes

• False kindness and hidden motives: Li Jinchán’s enormous gift appears charitable, but it is actually part of a carefully prepared scheme.
• Greed and exploitation: Both men seek to use the other. Xiao Chen wants the medicinal resources, while Li Jinchán intends to use Xiao Chen’s body and recovery for his own cultivation.
• Appearance versus reality: Li Jinchán looks young and speaks kindly, yet he is an ancient monster whose true nature is revealed through his gaze and behavior.
• Danger disguised as opportunity: Xiao Chen believes he has found an invaluable source of aid, while Little Doggie understands that the apparent blessing is likely a death trap.
• Immortality and obsession: Li Jinchán’s thousands-year plan centers on perfecting the Vajra Cicada and preserving eternal youth, showing the extreme lengths he will take to defeat aging.

Character Interactions

• Li Jinchán orders Little Doggie to bring all of his Spiritual Herbs, and Little Doggie obeys despite his shock and fear.
• Xiao Chen thanks Li Jinchán, while both maintain polite smiles and conceal their true intentions.
• Li Jinchán calls Xiao Chen his “beloved disciple” and promises to restore his body and improve his foundation.
• Little Doggie silently judges Xiao Chen as naïve for accepting the medicine without realizing that Li Jinchán is preparing to kill or exploit him.
• The tension between Xiao Chen’s concealed suspicion and Li Jinchán’s concealed predatory plan drives the chapter toward its ominous conclusion.

Chapter Summary: “Difficulty of the Mission: Crimson”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen examines the bronze cauldron and discovers that the Buddha face carved or manifested upon it is not holy but sinister and demonic. Through his extraordinary spiritual perception and Cosmos God Eyes, he senses that the cauldron conceals a dangerous evil presence.
• Inside the cauldron, golden medicinal slurry churns with holy energy, sacred runes, and auspicious light. Despite its appearance, Xiao Chen detects a faint killing intent and becomes suspicious of the medicine and Li Jinchán’s intentions.
• Little Doggie, Li Jinchán’s subordinate and medicine boy, carefully adds numerous precious spiritual herbs to the cauldron. The process follows a complex ancient alchemical method based on the “Hundred Stars Soaring Sky” pattern, where the order and timing of each ingredient are crucial.
• Little Doggie nearly makes a mistake because of his nervousness but successfully completes the herb-guiding ritual. Li Jinchán rebukes him for losing his composure, then dismisses him so he can treat his injured “junior brother.”
• Little Doggie leaves in terror, revealing how deeply he fears Li Jinchán. Xiao Chen becomes increasingly convinced that Li Jinchán intends to harm him, possibly by using the precious medicinal materials to refine him into a pill.
• Xiao Chen’s private suspicion unexpectedly triggers a hidden mission from the Azure Dragon Domain Spirit: “Demon Daoist’s Clutches.” To complete it, he must escape from Li Jinchán.
• The mission offers 150 God-Battle Points but is classified as scarlet red—Deadly Rank, far more dangerous than Xiao Chen’s previous yellow-ranked mission. Xiao Chen realizes he has badly underestimated Li Jinchán’s strength and cruelty.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen grows more cautious and perceptive. His spiritual senses allow him to recognize the cauldron’s demonic nature despite its sacred appearance. He also shifts from vague suspicion to serious alarm after learning Li Jinchán is known as the “Man-Eating Demon Daoist.”
• Little Doggie is shown to be highly skilled but psychologically oppressed. Although he has refined medicine hundreds of times and performs the ritual successfully, fear of Li Jinchán nearly causes him to fail. His obedient, terrified behavior emphasizes his subordinate status.
• Li Jinchán appears calm and controlled but reveals his cruel, domineering nature through his harsh treatment of Little Doggie. His apparent interest in refining a powerful spirit pill—and his willingness to turn servants into pills—makes him increasingly threatening.
• The Blood Buddha/bronze cauldron is established as a sinister, possibly demonic object disguised in sacred imagery.

Significant Themes

• False holiness and concealed evil: The sacred-looking Buddha face and golden medicinal liquid hide demonic power and murderous intent.
• Fear and domination: Little Doggie’s terror demonstrates Li Jinchán’s oppressive control over those beneath him.
• Appearance versus reality: Holy symbols, auspicious energy, and calm behavior all conceal danger, forcing Xiao Chen to rely on intuition and spiritual perception.
• Survival under overwhelming danger: The newly triggered mission turns Xiao Chen’s suspicions into an immediate life-or-death challenge.
• Predestination and involuntary trials: Even a passing thought can activate a mission, showing that participants in the God-Demon Battlefield have little control over the dangers imposed upon them.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and the cauldron: Xiao Chen silently investigates the cauldron, sensing its demonic essence and hidden killing intent.
• Li Jinchán and Little Doggie: Little Doggie performs the dangerous alchemical task while Li Jinchán supervises. After the successful completion, Li Jinchán criticizes him for nearly making an error, then dismisses him without patience for his apology.
• Little Doggie and Xiao Chen: Though they do not directly speak, Little Doggie’s panicked escape reinforces Xiao Chen’s growing concern about Li Jinchán’s intentions.
• Xiao Chen and the Azure Dragon Domain Spirit: Xiao Chen’s thoughts trigger the hidden mission, and the Domain Spirit informs him that escaping Li Jinchán will be extraordinarily difficult.

Chapter Summary: Li Jinchán’s Life

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Jinchán was born as the crown prince of the Golden Wind Dynasty, marked from birth by Buddhist inscriptions and extraordinary spiritual potential.
• After forty years of royal luxury, he abandoned his position and became a monk under a revered holy monk, whom he treated as both master and father.
• While studying Buddhism, Li Jinchán attained profound Buddhist enlightenment and appeared destined for spiritual ascension.
• He eventually discovered that his master secretly practiced the Vajra Cicada technique, using rare spiritual herbs and spiritually gifted cultivators to refine human beings into Demon Pills that preserved his youth.
• Realizing that several missing senior disciples had likely been sacrificed—and that he himself was scheduled to receive an initiation that would probably turn him into a pill—Li Jinchán stole spiritual herbs and the Vajra Cicada scripture and fled.
• He hid for years by disguising himself as a farmer. His master failed to find him but publicly branded him a demonic traitor. Several of Li Jinchán’s younger brothers were later found mysteriously dead, their bodies withered, suggesting his master’s continued vengeance.
• During five years in hiding, the Vajra Cicada scripture repeatedly tempted Li Jinchán with promises of immortality and eternal youth.
• As Li Jinchán began visibly aging, he finally surrendered to the technique. He murdered a young girl who trusted him, refining her into a Demon Pill, and thereafter continued sacrificing others.
• He eventually created 359 Demon Pills, needing only one final “Pill King” with exceptional spiritual energy to complete the technique.
• Xiao Chen was identified as the ideal final sacrifice because he possessed unparalleled spiritual power and the qualities of an “invincible Divine Seed.”
• After reading the mission dossier, Xiao Chen was enraged by Li Jinchán’s crimes and his willingness to sacrifice even innocent children.

Character Development

• Li Jinchán: Begins as a privileged prince who sincerely seeks Buddhist truth and spiritual purity. His discovery of his master’s corruption shatters his worldview and drives him into hiding. Although he initially resists the Vajra Cicada’s influence, fear of aging and desire for immortality gradually destroy his morality. He transforms from victim and potential avenger into a murderer who repeats—and arguably surpasses—his master’s evil.
• Li Jinchán’s master: Initially presented as a holy, virtuous Buddhist figure, he is revealed as a hypocritical predator who consumes spiritually gifted disciples for youth and power. After Li Jinchán escapes, he uses his influence to defame him and apparently retaliates against Li’s family.
• Xiao Chen: His reaction shows a strong moral sense and deep hatred of cruelty. Learning Li Jinchán’s history turns the coming confrontation into more than a routine mission.

Significant Themes

• Hypocrisy beneath sacred appearances: The master’s holy image conceals horrific demonic practices, while the Vajra Cicada itself uses a peaceful, golden appearance to disguise its evil.
• The corruption caused by fear of death: Li Jinchán’s terror of aging gradually overwhelms his Buddhist principles and humanity.
• Moral descent and complicity: Though Li Jinchán began as a victim, his decision to sacrifice the innocent makes him responsible for continuing the cycle of abuse.
• Temptation and rationalization: The scripture encourages him to dismiss victims as expendable “ants,” showing how evil presents itself as necessity or self-preservation.
• Betrayal and distorted faith: Li Jinchán’s trust in his master and Buddhist teachings is betrayed, while sacred symbols and doctrines are twisted to serve greed and immortality.
• The irreversible nature of wrongdoing: The first sacrifice marks a point of no return; each subsequent crime becomes easier as Li Jinchán abandons his former identity.

Character Interactions

• Li Jinchán’s relationship with his master changes from devoted discipleship and filial reverence to fear, betrayal, and flight after the master’s secret is exposed.
• The Vajra Cicada scripture acts almost like a sentient tempter, repeatedly speaking to Li Jinchán and exploiting his anxiety about aging.
• Li Jinchán’s bond with the five-year-old girl—who trusted him as an uncle—makes her murder especially significant, demonstrating the complete collapse of his humanity.
• His master’s public accusations and pursuit turn Li Jinchán into a hunted fugitive, while the deaths of his younger brothers suggest the master’s influence reaches into Li’s family.
• Xiao Chen has not yet confronted Li Jinchán in the excerpt, but the dossier establishes them as predator and intended victim, with Xiao Chen now motivated by righteous anger.

Chapter Summary: “Extortion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After reading Li Jinchán’s life story, Xiao Chen realizes that Li intends to refine him into a Human Pill to perfect his Vajra Cicada cultivation.
• Xiao Chen understands that the early stage of the refinement requires the victim to feel no resentment or suspicion toward the refiner. This explains Li’s unusually warm behavior, his offer to accept Xiao Chen as a disciple, and his past manipulation of other disciples.
• Li presents a pool of golden medicinal liquid as an initiation gift and urges Xiao Chen to call him “Master.”
• Xiao Chen pretends to trust him, deliberately calling him Master so that Li will lower his guard.
• Knowing that he may need the Ancient True Devil or the Wind Lord Sword to escape, Xiao Chen decides to recover as many Spiritual Herbs and cultivation resources as possible before fleeing.
• Xiao Chen begins openly demanding additional Spiritual Herbs, claiming that the medicinal pool may not be enough to heal his severe injuries.
• Li is enraged by Xiao Chen’s greed but suppresses his killing intent because Xiao Chen is essential to completing the Vajra Cicada’s refinement.
• Li attempts to delay granting more resources, claiming that Xiao Chen’s weakened body cannot absorb too much nourishment at once and promising to provide more herbs after his recovery.
• Xiao Chen continues manipulating Li emotionally, pretending to feel hurt and unvalued. Li is forced to maintain his false kindness, though giving away more of his remaining resources deeply pains him.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Becomes fully aware of Li Jinchán’s scheme and shifts from passive survival to calculated manipulation. He conceals his disgust, acts obediently, and exploits Li’s need for his complete trust. His apparent greed is deliberate, designed to secure resources for his eventual escape.
• Li Jinchán: His benevolent façade is revealed as a carefully maintained deception. Beneath it, he is ruthless, possessive, miserly, and willing to sacrifice hundreds of disciples for his cultivation. Although he wants to kill Xiao Chen, his dependence on him forces him to restrain himself.
• Their relationship: The supposed master-disciple bond is entirely artificial. Both characters are deceiving one another: Li plans to refine Xiao Chen into a pill, while Xiao Chen plans to exploit Li and escape.

Significant Themes

• Deception and false trust: Li’s kindness exists only to prevent resistance during the pill-refinement process, while Xiao Chen’s submission is equally fraudulent.
• Exploitation and sacrifice: Human lives are treated as ingredients for cultivation, emphasizing the cruelty of Li’s methods.
• Psychological manipulation: Xiao Chen uses emotional acting and feigned disappointment to pressure Li into giving him more resources.
• Greed versus survival: Li’s reluctance to part with his treasures contrasts with Xiao Chen’s urgent need to gather enough strength to escape.
• Predator and prey reversal: Although Li believes Xiao Chen has become his helpless “disciple” and victim, Xiao Chen begins turning the situation to his own advantage.

Character Interactions

• Li adopts a warm, affectionate manner and offers Xiao Chen the medicinal pool as a “gift.”
• Xiao Chen responds with false gratitude and formally calls Li “Master,” causing Li to believe his plan is succeeding.
• Xiao Chen then asks for more Spiritual Herbs. Li’s irritation surfaces, but he disguises it with excuses about Xiao Chen’s fragile condition.
• Xiao Chen accuses Li of being unwilling to honor his promise to nurture him, provoking Li into further reassurance.
• Their exchange becomes a contest of acting and manipulation: Xiao Chen performs the wounded, disappointed disciple, while Li performs the generous, concerned master.

Chapter Summary: “Fate as Deep as the Sea!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen pressures Li Jinchán into providing him with precious Spiritual Herbs before entering the Pill Pool.
• When Li Jinchán hesitates, Xiao Chen pretends to feel betrayed and announces that he will leave and abandon their master-disciple relationship.
• Fearing the loss of Xiao Chen as a rare “medicinal catalyst,” Li Jinchán reluctantly agrees to retrieve the herbs.
• Li Jinchán returns with a gray spiritual pouch containing five extremely valuable Spiritual Herbs, representing roughly seventy percent of his remaining reserves.
• Xiao Chen considers demanding even more but decides to stop, recognizing that Li Jinchán may attack if pushed too far.
• He accepts the herbs and praises Li Jinchán’s generosity, sarcastically declaring that their bond is “as deep as the sea.”

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates cunning, boldness, and strong psychological control. Although terrified internally, he successfully manipulates Li Jinchán by exploiting the latter’s desire to use him in the pill-refining process.
• Xiao Chen also shows restraint and practical judgment. Once he obtains enough herbs to restore his Source Energy, he stops extorting Li Jinchán to avoid provoking him into violence.
• Li Jinchán is revealed to be powerful but deeply attached to his Spiritual Herbs. He repeatedly compromises because he considers Xiao Chen an exceptionally valuable medicinal catalyst and cannot afford to lose him.
• Li Jinchān’s outward composure contrasts with his inner panic and pain as he gives away most of his remaining treasures.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and psychological warfare: Xiao Chen uses feigned hurt and threatened separation to force Li Jinchān into giving him what he wants.
• Power balanced by leverage: Although Li Jinchān is vastly stronger, Xiao Chen possesses something he desperately needs, allowing the weaker party to control the negotiation.
• Greed and survival: Both characters act according to self-interest—Li Jinchān protects his pill-refining plans, while Xiao Chen seeks the resources necessary to survive.
• Fate and unfair trials: Xiao Chen reflects on the extreme difficulty of the missions assigned by the Azure Dragon Domain Spirit. His solo mission against the Demon Hound Grotto and the hidden mission involving Li Jinchān seem far beyond what should be expected of a First-Level King Realm cultivator.
• Risk beneath confidence: Xiao Chen appears fearless, but his trembling hands reveal how precarious his situation is. His success depends on maintaining the deception without pushing Li Jinchān too far.

Character Interactions

• The central interaction is the tense negotiation between Xiao Chen and Li Jinchān. Xiao Chen calls Li Jinchān “Senior” instead of “Master” to signal a threatened break in their relationship.
• Li Jinchān repeatedly reassures Xiao Chen and submits to his demands while secretly considering the possibility of killing him.
• Both understand that their relationship is fundamentally transactional: Xiao Chen wants resources and survival, while Li Jinchān wants to preserve his rare medicinal catalyst.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen accepting the herbs and restoring the appearance of a grateful disciple, while both men conceal their true intentions from each other.

Chapter Summary: The Wind Lord Sword Is About to Emerge

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán continue pretending to trust and admire each other. Both secretly plan to betray the other: Li Jinchán intends to refine Xiao Chen into a Demon Pill, while Xiao Chen plans to exploit Li Jinchán’s help and escape.
• Li Jinchán gives Xiao Chen five extraordinarily rare Spiritual Herbs and explains their effects. They can heal injuries, replenish Source Energy, strengthen the body, extend lifespan, and permanently improve innate potential.
• Xiao Chen is astonished by the herbs’ value, recognizing that even one would cause a violent struggle in Great Xia. The medicines give him enough confidence to use the Wind Lord Sword against Li Jinchán if necessary.
• Li Jinchán instructs Xiao Chen to enter a Pill Pool so he can heal him and supposedly teach him a peerless secret art. In reality, he is preparing to refine Xiao Chen into a Demon Pill and complete his nearly thousand-year cultivation of the Vajra Cicada.
• Li Jinchán remembers Xiaoshui’er, a girl who once cared for him when he was hiding in a village. Driven by his desire for immortality, he deceived her and refined her into his first Demon Pill.
• His memories reveal that Xiaoshui’er trusted him completely and endured excruciating pain because she believed he merely needed her spiritual energy to cure himself. Only at the end did she realize he intended to take her life.
• Li Jinchán mourns Xiaoshui’er and convinces himself that her death was a willing sacrifice for his immortality. The narration exposes this as self-deception meant to quiet the remnants of his conscience.
• Xiao Chen realizes that Li Jinchán’s “secret art” is actually a trap. He prepares to use the Wind Lord Sword, newly recognized as his master, to test its power and attempt to force Li Jinchán back so he can escape.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen remains outwardly grateful and obedient but is revealed to be highly calculating. He recognizes Li Jinchán’s scheme and deliberately accepts the “bait” without allowing himself to be trapped. His confidence grows as he prepares to wield the Wind Lord Sword.
• Li Jinchán is shown as both cunning and deeply corrupted. Although he retains emotions and genuine memories of Xiaoshui’er, his longing for immortality has led him to commit horrific acts. He rationalizes his cruelty as necessary sacrifice.
• Xiaoshui’er, though appearing only in Li Jinchán’s memories, becomes central to understanding his past and moral decline. Her kindness and trust contrast sharply with his betrayal.

Significant Themes

• Mutual deception: Both Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán see themselves as the hunter, creating a “mantis and yellow sparrow” dynamic.
• Corruption through immortality: Li Jinchán’s pursuit of eternal life has destroyed his humanity and caused him to prey on those who trust him.
• Self-justification and guilt: Li Jinchán cannot face the truth of Xiaoshui’er’s murder, so he reframes it as a sacrifice she would have wanted.
• Trust versus manipulation: Xiaoshui’er’s sincere trust is exploited, while Xiao Chen uses false trust as a weapon against Li Jinchán.
• Power and opportunity: The rare Spiritual Herbs and the Wind Lord Sword represent transformative opportunities that may change the balance between the two men.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán exchange affectionate “master and disciple” assurances, though both are secretly plotting against the other.
• Li Jinchán explains the Spiritual Herbs to Xiao Chen while concealing his murderous intentions.
• In his memories, Li Jinchán comforts Xiaoshui’er during her refinement, manipulating her into believing she is helping him recover.
• Xiao Chen silently interprets Li Jinchán’s actions correctly and prepares for their inevitable confrontation, hoping not to defeat him outright but to survive and escape.

Chapter Summary: “Assaulting the King Realm Second Layer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen conceals his hostility toward Li Jinchán, deciding not to attack until he has recovered, absorbed Li’s resources, and broken through to the King Realm Second Layer.
• To maintain his disguise, Xiao Chen pretends to be fascinated by Li Jinchán’s “Longevity Technique,” which is actually connected to the sinister Vajra Cicada cultivation method.
• Li Jinchán allows Xiao Chen to enter the Bronze Buddha Cauldron’s medicinal pool, intending to heal him and eventually use him as a powerful pill catalyst.
• The Golden Flower Silver Fruit Medicine Array rapidly regenerates Xiao Chen’s wounds, including broken bones and severe external injuries. He fully recovers in less than fifteen minutes.
• The medicinal pool also strengthens Xiao Chen’s blood vitality, divine soul, and overall foundation. He absorbs most of the pool’s medicinal power.
• Li Jinchán is delighted by Xiao Chen’s extraordinary foundations, believing he may become an “Aberrant Star” and produce an exceptionally powerful demon pill.
• Rather than immediately learning the Vajra Cicada, Xiao Chen announces that he is preparing to break through to the King Realm Second Layer.
• Li Jinchán senses that Xiao Chen has already reached the threshold of the Second Heavenly Gate. He initially considers stopping the breakthrough because it could be dangerous, but Xiao Chen ignores him and begins the assault anyway.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates patience, deception, and strategic thinking. He hides his murderous intent while exploiting Li Jinchán’s resources. After recovering, he becomes even stronger and confidently begins advancing to the next realm.
• Li Jinchán: Reveals his greed and hidden motives. Though he presents himself as a caring master, he views Xiao Chen primarily as a valuable pill catalyst. His obsession with longevity has driven him to endure a thousand years of horrific cultivation involving demon pills and stolen vitality.
• Relationship between them: Their apparent master-disciple bond is entirely false on both sides. Xiao Chen plans to kill Li Jinchán after gaining enough strength, while Li Jinchán plans to cultivate or refine Xiao Chen for his own benefit.

Significant Themes

• Deception and concealed motives: Both characters pretend to trust one another while secretly plotting against the other.
• Fortune arising from calamity: Xiao Chen’s encounter with Li Jinchán should have been fatal, but he instead gains healing, strengthened foundations, and a chance to advance.
• The pursuit of longevity: Li Jinchán’s fixation on eternal youth has corrupted him and led him to monstrous practices.
• Greed and exploitation: Li Jinchán sees Xiao Chen not as a disciple but as material for creating a powerful demon pill.
• Risk and advancement: Xiao Chen chooses to pursue a dangerous breakthrough despite Li Jinchán’s warning, showing his willingness to seize opportunities before his enemy can control the situation.

Character Interactions

• Li Jinchán tempts Xiao Chen with the promise of learning the Longevity Technique, while Xiao Chen deliberately acts eager to avoid suspicion.
• Li Jinchán watches anxiously as Xiao Chen absorbs the medicinal pool, grieving the loss of his precious resources even while pretending generosity.
• After Xiao Chen heals, Li Jinchán praises his foundations and encourages him to begin learning the Vajra Cicada.
• Xiao Chen refuses to follow Li Jinchán’s plan and instead begins breaking through immediately, creating a tense confrontation in which his silent defiance exposes the growing danger between them.

Successful Breakthrough — Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen begins breaking through to the King Realm Second Layer inside the Bronze Buddha Cauldron, ignoring Li Jinchán’s orders.
• Li Jinchán is enraged and briefly considers killing him, but cannot do so because Xiao Chen is essential to completing his cultivation of the Vajra Cicada. Xiao Chen is the final “medicinal ingredient” needed to help the technique reach the Metamorphic Realm.
• Despite his anger, Li Jinchán is forced to protect Xiao Chen during the breakthrough. He summons Little Doggie to bring him spiritual wine and dried meat while he waits.
• Little Doggie is shocked to see Xiao Chen attempting a breakthrough and even more surprised that Li Jinchán is guarding him instead of stopping him.
• Xiao Chen uses the Aura Spirit Souls stored in his Sea of Consciousness, detonating them into pure Fortune Elixir to strengthen his body, Primordial Spirit, and cultivation.
• Combined with the treasures and spiritual energy inside the Bronze Buddha Cauldron, this enormous accumulation allows Xiao Chen to rapidly condense the Heavenly Gate.
• In his Sea of Consciousness, Xiao Chen confronts the dark Heavenly Gate, which symbolizes the barrier preventing advancement. He attacks it with a powerful sword strike and shatters it.
• Xiao Chen successfully advances to the King Realm Second Layer, greatly increasing the strength of his body, divine soul, Source Energy, and Dao Spirit.
• Li Jinchán is left stunned and distressed by how quickly Xiao Chen succeeds, especially because the spiritual energy and medicinal power he prepared for pill refinement are being consumed by Xiao Chen’s breakthrough.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates confidence, determination, and strategic awareness. He correctly predicts that Li Jinchán cannot afford to let him die before the Vajra Cicada is completed, so he boldly begins breaking through despite his master’s wishes.
• His powerful foundation and vast accumulation are revealed to be extraordinary. Unlike ordinary cultivators, he passes the Heavenly Gate almost effortlessly and gains a major increase in combat strength.
• Li Jinchán is exposed as hypocritical and ruthless beneath his dignified exterior. He feels murderous hatred toward Xiao Chen for disobeying him, yet is compelled to protect him because of his dependence on Xiao Chen’s value as a medicinal ingredient.
• Li Jinchán’s frustration grows as he watches his years of accumulated resources being consumed. His greed and obsession with perfecting the Vajra Cicada clash with his need to keep Xiao Chen alive.
• Little Doggie gains a clearer understanding of the unusual power dynamic between the two. He recognizes Li Jinchán’s cruelty but is confused by his unwillingness to stop Xiao Chen.

3. Significant Themes

• Master-disciple authority versus personal survival: Xiao Chen rejects blind obedience because he knows Li Jinchán ultimately intends to use him for cultivation.
• Manipulation and mutual dependence: Although Li Jinchán holds power over Xiao Chen, he is also dependent on Xiao Chen’s survival and success.
• The value of a strong foundation: Xiao Chen’s difficult accumulation allows him to reap extraordinary rewards when he breaks through.
• Breaking through limits: The Heavenly Gate represents the barriers that restrict cultivation. Xiao Chen’s sword strike symbolizes determination and the destruction of obstacles.
• Greed and wasted resources: Li Jinchán’s anguish over the spiritual energy being consumed highlights his attachment to his long-term plans and accumulated wealth.
• Appearance versus reality: Li Jinchán appears righteous and dignified but is secretly vicious, while Xiao Chen’s defiance reveals his intelligence and resolve rather than mere recklessness.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán: Their relationship is defined by hostility, coercion, and dependence. Xiao Chen disobeys Li Jinchán, while Li Jinchán suppresses his anger and guards him because he needs him alive.
• Li Jinchán and Little Doggie: Li Jinchán orders Little Doggie to deliver provisions and leave silently, intimidating him with a cold glare when he lingers.
• Little Doggie and Xiao Chen: Little Doggie views Xiao Chen as a doomed medicinal ingredient, making Xiao Chen’s successful breakthrough astonishing and difficult for him to comprehend.
• Xiao Chen versus the Heavenly Gate: The spiritual confrontation functions as both a literal battle and a representation of Xiao Chen overcoming the restrictions imposed by cultivation and by Li Jinchán’s control.

Chapter Summary: “Tearing Off the Mask!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen successfully breaks through to the King Realm Second Layer in roughly a hundred breaths, astonishing Li Jinchán with his unprecedented speed.
• During the breakthrough, Xiao Chen manifests a Divine Rune between his brows, proving that he has become an Aberrant Star despite not yet reaching the usual Third-Level King Realm requirement.
• The Heavenly Dao further recognizes him by bestowing the title “Misfortune God-Slaying Star.” This honorific is extraordinarily rare and reflects both Xiao Chen’s immense potential and the dangerous fate awaiting him.
• Xiao Chen completes his absorption of the spiritual energy within the Buddha Cauldron, gaining the strength and freedom to abandon his previous disguise.
• He openly denounces Li Jinchán, revealing that he has known the truth about the Vajra Cicada and Li’s plan to refine him into a Demon Pill.
• Li Jinchán realizes that the “good disciple” he believed he controlled is about to escape. Although he tries to hide his anger and claim there is a misunderstanding, his killing intent begins to surface.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Advances to the King Realm Second Layer, officially becomes an Aberrant Star, and receives a Heavenly Dao title. His power and confidence increase dramatically, allowing him to discard his obedient facade and confront Li Jinchán directly. He remains aware of Li’s past crimes and refuses to be manipulated by the healing and cultivation assistance he received.
• Li Jinchán: Shifts from delighted pride to shock, greed, and alarm. He initially views Xiao Chen as an exceptional medicinal catalyst, but the discovery of Xiao Chen’s status as an Aberrant Star makes him even more eager to refine him into a Demon Pill. When Xiao Chen exposes him, Li’s attempts at patience and deception begin to collapse beneath his murderous rage.

Significant Themes

• Deception and the revealing of true intentions: Xiao Chen has pretended to be Li Jinchán’s disciple while secretly using him to recover and grow stronger. Once he no longer needs Li, he tears away the pretense.
• Heavenly recognition and destiny: Xiao Chen’s Divine Rune and Star title show that his potential is acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. However, the word “Misfortune” suggests that extraordinary destiny may also bring immense suffering and danger.
• Power born from adversity: Xiao Chen turns a situation in which he was meant to be sacrificed into an opportunity for a major breakthrough.
• Moral judgment and betrayal: Although Li Jinchán helped Xiao Chen heal, his motive was to kill and refine him. Xiao Chen recognizes that this practical benefit cannot erase Li’s cruelty or past atrocities.

Character Interactions

• Li Jinchán initially celebrates Xiao Chen’s breakthrough and prepares to teach him the Vajra Cicada, but he is rendered speechless by the appearance of the Divine Rune.
• Both men are stunned when the Heavenly Dao grants Xiao Chen the title “Misfortune God-Slaying Star.”
• Li Jinchán enthusiastically praises Xiao Chen and urges him to continue cultivating under his guidance, believing he has obtained an unmatched medicinal catalyst.
• Xiao Chen responds with contempt, rejecting Li’s authority and accusing him of being a murderous demonic cultivator.
• Li Jinchán tries to preserve the relationship by suggesting Xiao Chen has misunderstood him, but his concealed killing intent reveals that he is preparing for conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Draw the Sword”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen tricks Li Jinchán by invoking Xiaoshui’er, a five-year-old girl Li once killed and refined into a Demon Pill. The mention destabilizes Li, exposing the guilt and buried trauma he has carried for a thousand years.
• Li’s memories reveal that Xiaoshui’er was once the only person to show him kindness while he was hiding from his master. Although he initially intended to abandon cultivation and live peacefully, the demonic nature of the Vajra Cicada art gradually corrupted him.
• After discovering that Xiaoshui’er met the requirements for refining a Demon Pill, Li hesitated but ultimately sacrificed her for the sake of immortality. Her death became the deepest stain on his conscience.
• Xiao Chen condemns Li’s remorse as hypocritical, arguing that guilt after murder cannot erase the cruelty of his actions.
• Li realizes that Xiao Chen never intended to become his disciple and only pretended in order to obtain his precious Spiritual Herbs. Enraged at being deceived and losing resources he had gathered over centuries, Li abandons all restraint.
• Li unleashes his terrifying power. His golden Buddhist energy and demonic aura destroy the heavily fortified secret chamber, revealing that his strength is far beyond Xiao Chen’s expectations.
• Xiao Chen summons the Wind Lord Sword, assisted by its artifact spirit, Little Fengyun. Although Xiao Chen can currently draw out only a tiny fraction of the sword’s power, Little Fengyun remains confident that it can withstand Li.
• Li attacks with a devastating Buddhist palm strike, presenting himself as a sacred Buddha while retaining an underlying wickedness. Despite recognizing the overwhelming disparity between them, Xiao Chen steels himself and prepares to test the sword against Li.
• The chapter ends as Xiao Chen finally swings the Wind Lord Sword against Li’s attack.

Character Developments

• Li Jinchán: His façade of a powerful, calculating demonic Daoist cracks when Xiaoshui’er is mentioned. The chapter exposes his capacity for guilt, but also shows that his remorse has never led to repentance. His anger at being deceived quickly suppresses his sorrow and reveals his brutality.
• Xiao Chen: He demonstrates sharp psychological insight and uses Li’s hidden guilt as a weapon. Though he recognizes that Li’s strength vastly exceeds his own, Xiao Chen refuses to retreat and chooses to confront him with confidence and resolve.
• Little Fengyun: The Wind Lord Sword’s spirit displays complete confidence in the weapon’s superiority, encouraging Xiao Chen to attack despite the danger.

Significant Themes

• Guilt and moral accountability: Li’s lingering regret over Xiaoshui’er shows that guilt can survive for millennia, but the chapter questions whether remorse has any value when it does not prevent further evil.
• Corruption through power and immortality: Li’s original desire for a peaceful life is gradually overwhelmed by the Vajra Cicada’s demonic influence and his pursuit of eternal life.
• Deception and manipulation: Xiao Chen’s false discipleship allows him to acquire Li’s resources and turn Li’s own expectations against him.
• Appearance versus true nature: Li appears like a sacred Buddhist figure, surrounded by radiant golden light, yet remains evil at heart. His holy exterior contrasts sharply with his murderous actions.
• Courage against overwhelming power: Xiao Chen knows he is severely outmatched but chooses to draw the sword and fight rather than surrender.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán: Their confrontation shifts from verbal manipulation to open combat. Xiao Chen attacks Li’s conscience and exposes the deception behind their supposed master-disciple relationship, provoking Li’s rage.
• Xiao Chen and Little Fengyun: The sword spirit acts as a confident supporter, reassuring Xiao Chen that the Wind Lord Sword can confront Li despite Xiao Chen’s limited cultivation.
• Li and Xiaoshui’er: Though she is absent, Xiaoshui’er remains central to Li’s character. Her past kindness and tragic sacrifice reveal the human life Li abandoned in pursuit of power.

Chapter Summary: “Die with Your Master!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen confronts Li Jinchán’s devastating Buddha palm while having recently broken through to the Second Heavenly Gate of the King Realm.
• Unable to use a more sustainable secret art because of its immense Source Energy consumption, Xiao Chen unleashes a single strike with the Wind Lord Sword.
• The sword awakens with brilliant runes and overwhelming power, generating dragon-shaped hurricanes that disperse the Buddha light and shatter Li Jinchán’s Vajra Divine Buddha Hand.
• Li Jinchán attempts to block the attack with another palm, but the sword light breaks through, severely injuring his right hand and leaving it hanging uselessly.
• Both Li Jinchán and Little Doggie are stunned by the result. Li Jinchán concludes that Xiao Chen is wielding an Emperor Weapon, though the sword is actually an even higher-level wounded divine weapon.
• Xiao Chen realizes the Wind Lord Sword’s power is extraordinary but extremely costly: the attack consumes more than half of his Source Energy and leaves him physically weak and nearly depleted of resources.
• Little Doggie immediately claims that Li Jinchán had forced him to participate and begs Xiao Chen for protection.
• Xiao Chen sees through the lie using his ability to sense a person’s moral nature. He recognizes Little Doggie’s bloodstained, crooked character and understands that he had willingly followed Li Jinchán in hopes of gaining immortality.
• Li Jinchán mocks Little Doggie, declaring that Xiao Chen has exposed him and that the two of them will now “die together with their master.”

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates a dramatic increase in strength after breaking through to the Second Heavenly Gate. His control of the Wind Lord Sword proves that he can threaten even an ancient and powerful Daoist. However, the attack also reveals his limitations: the sword’s immense energy cost leaves him vulnerable and financially drained.
• Li Jinchán: Suffers a rare and humiliating defeat after more than a thousand years of cultivation and cruelty. His confidence is shaken, and he begins to understand that Xiao Chen’s earlier fearlessness came from possessing a weapon capable of injuring him.
• Little Doggie: His opportunistic and morally corrupt nature is exposed. He tries to abandon Li Jinchán when the situation turns against them, but Xiao Chen recognizes that he was not an innocent captive. His desire for eternal youth led him to willingly serve the demonic Daoist.
• The Wind Lord Sword: Its true destructive potential becomes clearer. Though wounded, it behaves like a powerful sentient divine weapon and releases an attack far beyond what Xiao Chen’s cultivation level should normally permit.

3. Significant Themes

• Power versus cultivation realm: Xiao Chen’s victory shows that extraordinary weapons and abilities can allow a lower-realm cultivator to challenge an ancient expert.
• The cost of strength: The Wind Lord Sword grants overwhelming destructive power, but its use consumes enormous Source Energy and resources, leaving Xiao Chen weakened.
• Greed and moral corruption: Little Doggie’s pursuit of immortality has caused him to overlook the deaths of others and serve a monstrous master.
• Deception and discernment: Little Doggie attempts to manipulate Xiao Chen by pretending to be a victim, but Xiao Chen’s insight allows him to see through the false story.
• Pride and shock: Li Jinchán’s belief in his own invincibility is shattered by a younger opponent, while the existence of an Emperor Weapon challenges his understanding of what should be possible.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán: Their confrontation shifts decisively in Xiao Chen’s favor when the Wind Lord Sword breaks Li Jinchán’s strongest defensive technique and cripples his hand.
• Xiao Chen and Little Doggie: Little Doggie pleads for mercy and attempts to portray himself as coerced, but Xiao Chen responds with suspicion and exposes his true motives.
• Li Jinchán and Little Doggie: Their master-disciple relationship is revealed to be based on mutual exploitation. Little Doggie served Li Jinchán for access to immortality, but abandons him when danger arises. Li Jinchán retaliates by condemning him to share his fate.
• Little Doggie’s view of Xiao Chen: His initial shock and fear develop into desperate submission once he realizes Xiao Chen possesses power far beyond his expectations.

Chapter Summary: “Escaping the Tiger’s Jaws”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen has just used the divine artifact Fengyun to deliver a devastating sword strike against Li Jinchán, seriously injuring him.
• Although the attack appears overwhelmingly powerful, it nearly exhausts Xiao Chen’s Source Energy. He is incapable of launching a second strike and risks being killed if Li Jinchán discovers his weakness.
• Xiao Chen uses Qiongqi’s concealment secret art to hide his depleted condition, maintaining an intimidating, unreadable appearance.
• Li Jinchán, an ancient evil cultivator known as the Man-Eating Demon Daoist, assumes that his defeat is the result of fate and prepares to die.
• Xiao Chen chooses not to kill him. He claims that because he once used Li Jinchán’s Spiritual Herbs, he owes him a debt and will spare him once. In reality, Xiao Chen is bluffing in order to escape safely.
• Little Doggie, who betrayed Li Jinchán during the battle, begs Xiao Chen to kill Li Jinchán or take him away. Xiao Chen refuses, knowing that Little Doggie will likely be killed by Li Jinchán as punishment.
• Xiao Chen leaves Golden Cicada Temple while maintaining his act of confidence. After confirming through his divine sense that Li Jinchán has not followed him, he finally relaxes and admits how close he came to death.
• The encounter completes the preliminary portion of Xiao Chen’s mission and earns him 150 God-Battle Points, though the more difficult follow-up mission—personally killing Li Jinchán—remains beyond his current ability.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates tactical intelligence, self-control, and strong acting ability. Despite being physically exhausted and frightened, he suppresses his panic and manipulates Li Jinchán’s assumptions to survive. He also shows a pragmatic moral stance: although he despises both Li Jinchán and Little Doggie, he prioritizes survival over immediate justice.
• Li Jinchán: His confidence collapses after being wounded by someone far younger and weaker in cultivation. He becomes resigned to death, acknowledging Xiao Chen as an extraordinary younger-generation monster. His complicated gratitude toward Xiao Chen contrasts with his humiliation and despair.
• Little Doggie: Reveals his cowardice and self-preserving nature. After betraying Li Jinchán, he desperately seeks Xiao Chen’s protection, but his pleas are ignored. His fear reflects his awareness that Li Jinchán will punish him.
• Fengyun: Provides comic relief through its blunt criticism of Xiao Chen’s endurance. Because its former master was a god, it has unrealistic standards and calls Xiao Chen “weak” despite his extraordinary feat.

Significant Themes

• Deception as a means of survival: Xiao Chen survives not through superior strength but by concealing his weakness and convincing Li Jinchán that he can still fight.
• The gap between appearance and reality: Xiao Chen appears dominant but is nearly powerless; Li Jinchán appears defeated yet still possesses enough strength to kill him.
• Pragmatism versus justice: Xiao Chen wants Li Jinchán dead because of his crimes, but he recognizes that attempting to kill him would be suicidal. Survival takes precedence over vengeance.
• Consequences of evil: Little Doggie and Li Jinchán are both trapped by the consequences of their cruelty and betrayal. Xiao Chen views Little Doggie’s likely death as deserved punishment.
• Humility and overwhelming power: Xiao Chen’s accomplishment is impressive, but Fengyun’s standards and Li Jinchán’s reaction emphasize how far he still is from true godlike strength.
• Risk and reward: Xiao Chen’s dangerous journey nearly kills him, yet it yields valuable rewards, reinforcing the story’s pattern that great gains require extreme peril.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Fengyun: Their mental exchange mixes tension and humor. Fengyun urges Xiao Chen to attack again without realizing that the sword strike has nearly drained him. Xiao Chen resents Fengyun’s criticism, while Fengyun innocently compares him to its former divine master.
• Xiao Chen and Li Jinchán: Their confrontation shifts from apparent execution to psychological maneuvering. Xiao Chen adopts a cold, merciful persona, while Li Jinchán accepts his defeat and thanks him for sparing his life.
• Xiao Chen and Little Doggie: Little Doggie begs for protection, but Xiao Chen responds with contempt and indifference. Xiao Chen sees him as another wicked person undeserving of sympathy.
• Li Jinchán and Little Doggie: Though Li Jinchán does not directly confront him in the chapter, Little Doggie’s betrayal ensures that Li Jinchán will likely kill him after Xiao Chen’s departure, creating an atmosphere of impending punishment.