Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Golden Mantis Marshal Appears!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen has annihilated the Golden Mantis Demon clan at Golden Mantis Mountain, shocking both the Human and Demon Races. However, the corpses of the Golden Mantis King and Golden Mantis Marshal are missing.
• The demons assume Xiao Chen raided the mountain while its two strongest rulers were absent. They believe he will be doomed once the two Demon Lords return, unaware that Xiao Chen has already killed other powerful Demon Kings on the God-Demon Battlefield.
• Xiao Chen realizes that a mysterious, extremely powerful man in blood-red robes entered Golden Mantis Mountain and abducted Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin under the guise of a transaction. He suspects the man may have been targeting him, since the brothers should have been insignificant within the God-Demon Battlefield.
• While carrying Lan Xiaodie and the injured Yang Ziang toward Worry-Free City, Xiao Chen travels at such tremendous speed that both companions become violently sword-sick. He slows down after seeing their distress.
• Xiao Chen intends to locate the Golden Mantis King and rescue the two Xuan Yuan brothers, but he does not know where to begin. He plans to send Lan Xiaodie and Yang Ziang back to Worry-Free City before confronting the danger alone.
• Near the city gates, a powerful crimson-armored great demon blocks their path. He claims that Xiao Chen’s “younger brothers” are being held captive and threatens to kill them unless Xiao Chen follows him.
• Yang Ziang recognizes the intruder as the terrifying Golden Mantis Marshal, revealing that one of the clan’s most dangerous figures has appeared directly before Xiao Chen.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His recent breakthrough into the Second-Level King Realm has dramatically increased his speed and combat power. He remains calm and confident despite facing the Golden Mantis King, the blood-robed mystery figure, and the possibility that his companions have been captured. He also shows consideration for Lan Xiaodie and Yang Ziang by slowing down and attempting to return them safely to the city.
• Lan Xiaodie: She is physically overwhelmed by Xiao Chen’s speed but remains concerned about his safety. She warns him not to underestimate the Golden Mantis King or the mysterious blood-robed man.
• Yang Ziang: Injured and unable to fly, he is carried by Xiao Chen and suffers severe sword-sickness. Despite his discomfort, he provides crucial information by identifying the crimson-armored demon as the Golden Mantis Marshal. His fear emphasizes the Marshal’s overwhelming reputation.
• Golden Mantis Marshal: He makes a dramatic entrance near Human Race territory, demonstrating fearlessness and authority. He attempts to control Xiao Chen through the threat of harming his companions.

Significant Themes

• The reversal of power: The once-feared Golden Mantis clan has been devastated by Xiao Chen, showing how quickly established dominance can collapse before an even stronger individual.
• Hidden strength and incomplete information: The demons do not know about Xiao Chen’s recent victories, while Xiao Chen himself lacks information about the blood-robed man and the missing Golden Mantis rulers.
• Confidence versus recklessness: Xiao Chen’s confidence reflects his overwhelming growth, but Lan Xiaodie and Yang Ziang’s warnings suggest that facing multiple Demon Lords and a mysterious powerhouse alone may still be dangerous.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Although Xiao Chen is prepared to confront powerful enemies, he prioritizes returning his companions to safety rather than dragging them into a battle they cannot meaningfully affect.
• Reputation and fear: The Golden Mantis Marshal’s name alone terrifies Yang Ziang, illustrating how past encounters and legendary reputations can exert psychological power before combat even begins.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen carries Lan Xiaodie and Yang Ziang while traveling, then slows down in response to their physical suffering.
• Lan Xiaodie questions Xiao Chen’s plan and warns him about the danger of confronting the Golden Mantis King and the blood-robed figure.
• Yang Ziang similarly urges caution, but his vomiting and fear contrast sharply with Xiao Chen’s composure.
• Xiao Chen decides to separate from both companions for their protection, treating them as people to safeguard rather than battle partners.
• The chapter ends with the direct confrontation between Xiao Chen and the crimson-armored Golden Mantis Marshal, who uses the alleged capture of Xiao Chen’s allies to lure him away.

Chapter Summary: “Is This the Legendary King of Misfortune?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Golden Mantis Marshal, Tang Yuan—the second most powerful figure of Golden Mantis Mountain—appears near Worry-Free City and attempts to capture Xiao Chen.
• Tang Yuan recognizes Yang Ziang as the Flood Dragon demon previously tortured and displayed outside the Divine Palace. He is shocked that Yang Ziang was rescued from the heavily guarded Golden Mantis Divine Palace.
• Xiao Chen reveals that he was responsible for destroying the Golden Mantis Divine Palace and killing its guards and Golden Commander. Tang Yuan confirms through his bloodline connection that his subordinates have stopped responding, realizing Xiao Chen is telling the truth.
• Xiao Chen calmly orders Tang Yuan to take him to the Golden Mantis King. He views the terrifying demon king not as an unbeatable enemy, but as a source of valuable God-Battle Points. He also intends to rescue the two dragons from Dao Peak Mountain, honoring his promise to Wen Haishan.
• Tang Yuan instead demands that Xiao Chen kneel and repent for the deaths of the Golden Mantis demons. His demand is deliberately humiliating, especially because the confrontation occurs above Worry-Free City where many cultivators can see it.
• Cultivators below debate Xiao Chen’s identity. Some believe he is merely an arrogant Great Xia cultivator, while others identify him as the rumored “King of Misfortune,” who allegedly killed three Demon Lords.
• Worry-Free City’s guarding elder, Elder Liu, arrives and orders Tang Yuan to leave the city’s airspace. Tang Yuan pretends to comply but suddenly binds Xiao Chen with golden-red demonic energy and abducts him.
• Elder Liu gives chase, while Yang Ziang and Lan Xiaodie immediately pursue Tang Yuan to help Xiao Chen. Observers mock the idea that Xiao Chen could be the legendary King of Misfortune after seeing him apparently captured so easily.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Displays extreme confidence and fearlessness. He treats Tang Yuan and the Golden Mantis King as challenges to overcome rather than threats, revealing his ambition to gain power and his determination to save the dragons of Dao Peak Mountain. His calm behavior contrasts sharply with everyone else’s fear.
• Tang Yuan: Reveals himself as proud, vengeful, and domineering. He is enraged by the destruction of the Golden Mantis Divine Palace and seeks not merely to kill Xiao Chen but to humiliate him. His successful capture of Xiao Chen demonstrates his overwhelming apparent power.
• Yang Ziang: Despite severe injuries and torture, remains loyal to Xiao Chen. He immediately objects to Tang Yuan’s demand that Xiao Chen kneel and later risks himself to pursue the abduction.
• Lan Xiaodie: Is initially terrified of Tang Yuan and believes Xiao Chen cannot possibly defeat him. The arrival of Elder Liu gives her hope, and she follows Yang Ziang in attempting to rescue Xiao Chen.
• Elder Liu: Acts as Worry-Free City’s protector, confronting Tang Yuan for violating the city’s boundaries and pursuing him after Xiao Chen is taken.
• The Observing Cultivators: Their conflicting reactions highlight Xiao Chen’s uncertain reputation. Some dismiss him as weak, while others suspect he is truly the feared King of Misfortune.

Significant Themes

• Reputation versus reality: Rumors portray Xiao Chen as a legendary figure, yet his apparent capture causes others to question whether the rumors are true.
• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Tang Yuan and the spectators underestimate or misunderstand Xiao Chen’s actual abilities, while Lan Xiaodie likewise fails to grasp the extent of his power.
• Honor and humiliation: Tang Yuan’s demand that Xiao Chen kneel is intended to damage both Xiao Chen’s dignity and Great Xia’s reputation.
• Loyalty and promises: Yang Ziang’s willingness to follow Xiao Chen despite his injuries, and Xiao Chen’s determination to save the dragons because of his promise to Wen Haishan, emphasize loyalty and personal duty.
• Power and ambition: Xiao Chen’s view of the Golden Mantis King as a source of God-Battle Points shows his unusual ambition and fearless approach to powerful enemies.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen confronts Tang Yuan directly, openly claiming responsibility for the destruction of the Golden Mantis Divine Palace.
• Tang Yuan attempts to assert dominance by ordering Xiao Chen to kneel, but Xiao Chen refuses to show fear or submission.
• Yang Ziang defends Xiao Chen’s honor and later joins the rescue attempt.
• Elder Liu challenges Tang Yuan’s presence near Worry-Free City, creating a confrontation between the city’s authority and the Golden Mantis Marshal.
• Tang Yuan exploits the momentary dispute with Elder Liu to seize Xiao Chen, while Yang Ziang and Lan Xiaodie pursue them.
• The watching cultivators interpret the event differently, turning Xiao Chen’s capture into a public test of whether he truly deserves the title “King of Misfortune.”

Summary: “The Golden Mantis King Appears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Yuan, the Golden Mantis Marshal, easily abducts Xiao Chen from near Worry-Free City, shocking the onlookers who believed Xiao Chen was nearly invincible.
• After retreating into a demon mountain, Tang Yuan confronts Liu Zhengzhen, the defending elder of Worry-Free City. It unleashes a horrifying ancestral vision: a Golden Mantis Behemoth massacring an entire ancient kingdom. This display signals Tang Yuan’s serious killing intent and highlights the brutal heritage of the Golden Mantis Demon race.
• Liu Zhengzhen demands Xiao Chen’s release and attacks with Yin-Yang True Force. Despite their equal cultivation realms, Tang Yuan defeats him with a single punch, sending him crashing through numerous trees and leaving him severely injured.
• The gathered cultivators—including Yang Ziang, Lan Xiaodie, and several Myriad Dynasty Stars—are terrified by the overwhelming strength of Tang Yuan. They believe their chances of survival have vanished.
• Tang Yuan attempts to intimidate Xiao Chen by pointing out Liu Zhengzhen’s defeat. Instead, Xiao Chen calmly declares that he has deliberately allowed himself to be taken away so he could fight without witnesses and announces that he will slap Tang Yuan.
• Xiao Chen follows through. His palm strike shatters Tang Yuan’s demonic defenses and nearly destroys half of its face, leaving the entire scene stunned.
• The cultivators begin to suspect that Xiao Chen truly is the legendary “King of Misfortune,” since he has demonstrated strength far beyond what they expected from a Lower Dynasty youth.
• Before the situation can settle, an even more powerful golden mantis appears from the distant mountains, declaring that Xiao Chen has touched “its man.” Its arrival causes the heavens and the Great Dao to tremble, setting up a confrontation with a likely Golden Mantis King.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Reveals that his earlier helplessness was deliberate rather than genuine. He remains calm under pressure and demonstrates extraordinary combat power with a single slap, transforming the crowd’s perception of him from arrogant youth to terrifying powerhouse.
• Tang Yuan: Initially appears overwhelmingly dominant, effortlessly carrying Xiao Chen away and defeating Liu Zhengzhen. Its confidence turns into humiliation and fury after Xiao Chen breaks through its defense. Its pride in the Golden Mantis bloodline is emphasized through the ancestral massacre vision.
• Liu Zhengzhen: Begins as a confident protector of Worry-Free City but is decisively defeated despite having the same realm as Tang Yuan. His shock and concern for Xiao Chen show both his wounded pride and his instinctive responsibility as an elder.
• Yang Ziang and Lan Xiaodie: Their confidence collapses after witnessing Liu Zhengzhen’s defeat and Xiao Chen’s counterattack. They serve as representatives of the spectators’ growing fear and disbelief.
• The newly arrived Golden Mantis: Appears as a powerful figure with a personal connection to Tang Yuan and immediately escalates the conflict.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Xiao Chen’s true power is concealed beneath the image of a vulnerable Lower Dynasty cultivator. The chapter confirms that appearances and reputation can be deeply misleading.
• Pride and humiliation: Tang Yuan humiliates Xiao Chen publicly, but Xiao Chen waits until the proper moment to retaliate, reversing the power dynamic in a single blow.
• Racial conflict and arrogance: Tang Yuan’s contempt for humanity reflects the Golden Mantis Demon race’s belief in its superiority over a weakened Human Race.
• Violence as heritage: The ancestral slaughter vision shows how brutality has been glorified and embedded within the Golden Mantis bloodline.
• Power hierarchy: The chapter repeatedly overturns assumptions about strength: Liu Zhengzhen defeats no one, Tang Yuan dominates Liu Zhengzhen, and Xiao Chen then overwhelms Tang Yuan.

Character Interactions

• Tang Yuan and Xiao Chen: Their interaction shifts from captor and captive to direct rivals. Tang Yuan attempts to break Xiao Chen psychologically, but Xiao Chen responds with confidence and physically humiliates it.
• Tang Yuan and Liu Zhengzhen: Liu Zhengzhen tries to enforce Worry-Free City’s authority and demand Xiao Chen’s release, but Tang Yuan rejects him and defeats him instantly.
• Liu Zhengzhen and Xiao Chen: Although Liu Zhengzhen is badly injured, he warns Xiao Chen not to challenge Tang Yuan, revealing concern despite the hopeless circumstances.
• Xiao Chen and the watching cultivators: Xiao Chen’s actions overturn their judgments. The spectators move from mocking his apparent recklessness to fearing and revering him as the possible King of Misfortune.
• The arriving Golden Mantis and Tang Yuan: The newcomer’s declaration that Xiao Chen has touched “my man” suggests a protective or possessive relationship with Tang Yuan and introduces a more dangerous opponent.

Chapter Summary: Deep into the Heartland

Key Plot Points and Events

• The true leader of the Golden Mantis clan, the enormous Golden Mantis King, appears before Xiao Chen. Its terrifying presence overwhelms everyone nearby, including Star Realm cultivators.
• Xiao Chen demands to know the whereabouts of Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, the twin dragons of Dao Peak Mountain. He intends both to rescue them and to kill the Golden Mantis Demon for the reward of three hundred God-Battle Points.
• The Golden Mantis King orders Xiao Chen to follow it. Xiao Chen instructs Yang Ziang and Lan Xiaodie to return and wait for him, then leaves alone with the Golden Mantis King.
• The Golden Mantis King takes the severely injured Tang Yuan with it and secretly monitors Xiao Chen, ensuring that he cannot escape.
• It is revealed that a mysterious blood-robed figure offered the Golden Mantis clan two pieces of Metal-Element Divine Ore in exchange for the twin dragons and the capture of Xiao Chen. The clan has already received one piece and will obtain the second only after delivering Xiao Chen.
• The surrounding cultivators flee, fearing that the Golden Mantis King will massacre them after dealing with Xiao Chen. They recall that even the Golden Mantis Marshal had easily defeated Worry-Free City’s guardian elder, Liu Zhengzhen.
• Liu Zhengzhen is left badly wounded and abandoned by the other cultivators. He begs for help, and Yang Ziang ultimately carries him away with Lan Xiaodie despite the additional danger.
• Yang Ziang worries about rescuing Xiao Chen, but Liu Zhengzhen believes it is already too late. He claims that the Golden Mantis King could kill Xiao Chen within three breaths and grimly tells Yang Ziang to prepare funeral arrangements.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen traveling alongside the Golden Mantis King and the Golden Mantis Marshal, leaving the outer region and entering the heartland of the God-Demon Battlefield.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen remains decisive and fearless. Despite knowing the Golden Mantis King is nearly invincible, he willingly follows it to protect the twin dragons and confront the danger directly.
• The Golden Mantis King is established as an immensely powerful and calculating demon lord. It is motivated not only by hatred or conquest but also by its clan’s desire for Metal-Element Divine Ore.
• Yang Ziang demonstrates loyalty and compassion by rescuing Liu Zhengzhen even while injured and fearing for Xiao Chen’s safety.
• Liu Zhengzhen is reduced from an imposing guardian to a helpless, wounded survivor, revealing the harshness of the battlefield and the fickleness of former allies.
• The surrounding cultivators show their cowardice and opportunism by abandoning Liu Zhengzhen as soon as he loses his power to protect them.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Most cultivators flee when danger appears, while Yang Ziang chooses to save Liu Zhengzhen despite the risks.
• The fragility of power and status: Liu Zhengzhen was once respected, but after being defeated, his former companions immediately abandon him.
• Courage in the face of overwhelming strength: Xiao Chen knowingly follows an enemy vastly stronger than himself, suggesting that he possesses a hidden plan or extraordinary confidence.
• Greed and manipulation: The blood-robed figure exploits the Golden Mantis clan’s desire for Metal-Element Divine Ore to make it capture Xiao Chen and betray the twin dragons.
• The deadly legacy of the God-Demon Battlefield: Ancient battle souls, monstrous creatures, and dangerous terrain emphasize that the battlefield remains haunted and perilous even after tens of thousands of years.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen confronts the Golden Mantis King and directly demands information about the twin dragons.
• Xiao Chen gives Yang Ziang and Lan Xiaodie instructions before departing, showing concern for their safety.
• The Golden Mantis King manipulates Xiao Chen into following it while keeping Tang Yuan as part of the transaction with the blood-robed figure.
• Liu Zhengzhen appeals to Yang Ziang for rescue, and Yang Ziang reluctantly but morally chooses to carry him.
• During their escape, Yang Ziang questions Liu Zhengzhen about possible reinforcements, but Liu Zhengzhen concludes that Xiao Chen’s situation is hopeless.

Chapter Summary: Edge of the Heartland

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter explains the stark difference between the outer regions of the Azure Dragon Domain and the Heartland Demon Lands. Although the outer regions are considered relatively safe, the heartland is far more dangerous, spiritually rich, and filled with powerful demons and treasures.
• Heartland demons enjoy superior bloodlines, cultivation environments, resources, and social status. Even ordinary heartland demons can rival powerful Quasi-Demon Lords from the outer regions. Despite the danger, outer-region demons desperately seek entry into the heartland because it offers faster cultivation and greater opportunities.
• The narrative emphasizes the rigid class system of the Demon Race. Most demons are born into a fixed social position, while privileged second-generation demons inherit powerful bloodlines, resources, and protection.
• The Golden Mantis King escorts Xiao Chen toward the heartland. Having learned that Xiao Chen destroyed and occupied the Golden Mantis clan’s territory, the King is furious and wants revenge, but is restrained by an agreement with the mysterious man in blood robes.
• The Golden Mantis King attempts to intimidate Xiao Chen with overwhelming Divine Might, but Xiao Chen remains calm and unaffected. This enrages and confuses the King, who cannot understand why a young human is not frightened by a Demon Lord.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal urges the King to kill Xiao Chen immediately, but the King refuses. It warns that the blood-robed man has an extraordinary background, apparently connected to a supreme dynasty in the Azure Spirit Domain, and that they still need to obtain another piece of Metal-Element Divine Ore.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal continues healing the injuries Xiao Chen inflicted on it. However, the Sword Intent contained in Xiao Chen’s earlier slap continues to damage its flesh, repeatedly reopening the wounds and preventing complete recovery.
• Xiao Chen realizes that the blood-robed man belongs to the Qiankun Battle Group, connected to the Qiankun Dynasty. This intensifies his anger because the dynasty has repeatedly attacked him, murdered Great Xia’s divine guards, harmed his allies, and attempted to seize someone he loves.
• The group travels rapidly through the sky, encountering increasingly powerful demons as they approach the heartland, including Heaven-Swallowing Bats, Flame God Tigers, and Two-Headed Nether Serpents.
• At the border between the outer regions and the Heartland Demon Lands, the Golden Mantis King stops at a strange river instead of immediately taking Xiao Chen into the heartland.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates exceptional composure, refusing to be intimidated by the Golden Mantis King. His mastery of Sword Dao is shown to be advanced enough that even a Demon Marshal’s powerful healing technique cannot remove the Sword Intent from its wounds. He also confirms that his conflict with the Qiankun Dynasty is becoming a major personal and political struggle.
• Golden Mantis King: Revealed to be powerful but cautious. Though enraged by Xiao Chen’s destruction of its clan’s home, it restrains itself because of its agreement with the blood-robed man and its need to secure the Metal-Element Divine Ore.
• Golden Mantis Marshal: Becomes increasingly hateful and humiliated by Xiao Chen. Its inability to heal from a single slap highlights both Xiao Chen’s terrifying strength and the Marshal’s wounded pride.
• The blood-robed man: His identity and influence remain mysterious, but his connection to a supreme dynasty and his agreement with the Golden Mantis King give him considerable authority.
• Qiankun Dynasty: Its hostility toward Xiao Chen is shown to be deliberate and escalating, moving from sending subordinates to dispatching elite battle-group members.

Significant Themes

• Class inequality and inherited privilege: The chapter presents the Demon Race as a rigid hierarchy where bloodline, birth, and connections largely determine one’s opportunities.
• The value of environment and resources: The Heartland Demon Lands symbolize how access to spiritual energy, treasures, and powerful institutions can dramatically shape a being’s potential.
• Ambition and social ascent: Outer-region demons risk everything to enter the heartland, reflecting the universal desire to overcome one’s birth and rise in status.
• Power and restraint: Although the Golden Mantis King possesses overwhelming strength, political agreements and strategic goals prevent it from acting freely.
• Hidden strength and dignity: Xiao Chen’s calmness in the face of intimidation demonstrates his growing confidence and refusal to submit to established power structures.
• Revenge and escalating conflict: The hostility between Xiao Chen and the Qiankun Dynasty continues to intensify, suggesting a broader confrontation ahead.

Character Interactions

• The Golden Mantis King attempts to psychologically suppress Xiao Chen, but Xiao Chen’s composure frustrates and unsettles it.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal demands Xiao Chen’s immediate execution, driven by hatred over its injuries, while the King prioritizes caution and strategic concerns.
• Xiao Chen mentally connects the blood-robed man to the Qiankun Dynasty, interpreting the encounter as another chapter in the dynasty’s campaign against him.
• The chapter ends with the King, Marshal, and Xiao Chen arriving together at the boundary river, creating tension over whether Xiao Chen will actually be taken into the dangerous Heartland Demon Lands.

Chapter Summary: It Was Actually Five-Element Divine Ore!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen observes the Divine River, a vast and dangerous boundary separating the outer regions from the heartland. Terrifying river demons and an enormous, crimson-scaled beast reveal the area’s extreme danger.
• Qin Tiangong, a powerful and arrogant blood-robed cultivator from the Qian Kun Dynasty, appears before Xiao Chen on a golden divine hammer.
• Qin Tiangong reveals that Qin Chuan was his cousin’s nephew. However, he clarifies that he has not come out of familial affection or simple revenge. Instead, he views Xiao Chen as an insignificant “flying ant” and intends to crush him to preserve the Qin Family’s dignity.
• Qin Tiangong dismisses Xiao Chen’s recent achievements, believing they resulted mainly from exploiting conflicts between powerful demons and from the weakened state of the Primordial Ancestor Flood Dragon.
• Xiao Chen recognizes Qin Tiangong’s arrogance as similar to Qin Chuan’s and warns him that another Qian Kun noble son who behaved arrogantly has already died by his hand.
• Rather than immediately fighting, Xiao Chen asks about Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, indicating that locating them remains his primary objective.
• The Golden Mantis King interrupts to claim the reward promised for bringing Xiao Chen to Qin Tiangong. Qin Tiangong throws it a golden divine stone.
• The stone emits tremendous metallic killing intent, frightening nearby river beasts. Xiao Chen recognizes it as possibly the legendary Five-Element Divine Ore, causing him great shock and excitement.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates keen observation, restraint, and strategic focus. Although angered by Qin Tiangong’s contempt, he suppresses his impulse to attack so he can pursue information about Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin. His recognition of the divine ore reveals his broad knowledge and deep interest in rare treasures.
• Qin Tiangong: Is established as proud, condescending, and extremely confident. He considers himself innately superior and severely underestimates Xiao Chen because of biased reports from the Qiankun Lord. His arrogance stems from his noble birth and belief that Xiao Chen’s victories were achieved through luck and manipulation.
• Golden Mantis King: Acts as Qin Tiangong’s guide and subordinate in exchange for a promised reward. Despite being a Mountain Lord, it is eager to receive payment and shows little concern for the confrontation between the two men.
• Qin Chuan: Though already dead, his connection to Qin Tiangong provides the reason for the encounter and highlights the sprawling, emotionally distant structure of the Ancient Clans.

Significant Themes

• Arrogance and prejudice: Qin Tiangong and the Qiankun Lord misjudge Xiao Chen because of his background and assume his victories were the result of luck. Their prejudice blinds them to his actual strength.
• Class and status: The confrontation contrasts Xiao Chen, whom Qin Tiangong calls “lowborn,” with the supposedly superior noble sons of the Qian Kun Dynasty.
• Misjudgment and hidden power: Xiao Chen’s enemies judge him based on incomplete information, while his calm behavior and past accomplishments suggest that Qin Tiangong may be underestimating a dangerous opponent.
• Danger of the heartland: The Divine River and its monstrous inhabitants emphasize that the heartland contains threats far beyond those in the outer regions.
• Rare treasures and opportunity: The appearance of the Five-Element Divine Ore introduces a potentially crucial treasure and shifts the scene from a personal confrontation toward a larger opportunity.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Qin Tiangong exchange hostile verbal challenges. Qin Tiangong repeatedly belittles Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen responds with sarcasm and reminders of Qin Chuan’s death.
• Xiao Chen asks Qin Tiangong about Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, showing that he is unwilling to lose sight of his mission.
• The Golden Mantis King demands its promised reward from Qin Tiangong, revealing that it assisted him purely for personal gain.
• Qin Tiangong’s gift of the divine stone unintentionally reveals a far more valuable treasure: Xiao Chen identifies it as the legendary Five-Element Divine Ore.

Chapter Summary: “Pseudo-Divine Ore?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen recalls that Wang Wu’er once told him the Dragon Slayer Sword could be restored to over eighty percent of its former power if he obtained enough Five-Element Divine Ore.
• Five-Element Divine Ore is an incredibly rare, immortal-grade material embodying the forces of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. The Dragon Slayer Sword’s original strength came largely from being forged with it.
• Qin Tiangong gives the Golden Mantis King a piece of Metal-Element Divine Ore in exchange for completing their transaction.
• The Golden Mantis King absorbs the ore into a rune between its brows, revealing that it already possesses another piece.
• Xiao Chen is shocked to learn that the material is only Pseudo-Divine Ore, an artificial imitation with roughly thirty percent of the effects of true divine ore. Even so, the Golden Mantis King considers it an extraordinary treasure.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal suggests killing Qin Tiangong to seize any additional treasures he may possess, but the Golden Mantis King refuses, admitting that Qin Tiangong’s strength may rival its own.
• After the transaction, the Golden Mantis King prepares to leave but warns Xiao Chen that it would have killed him if not for Qin Tiangong’s presence.
• Qin Tiangong learns that Xiao Chen previously raided Golden Mantis Mountain and slaughtered every demon in the Golden Mantis Divine Palace. This causes him to reevaluate Xiao Chen’s abilities, though he remains highly confident in his own strength.
• Xiao Chen declares that the Golden Mantis Clan deserves punishment for massacring human villages and decides to kill the Golden Mantis King as well.
• The Golden Mantis King attacks first, unleashing immense metal-element blade energy that tears through the sky and shatters the void. Xiao Chen recognizes the terrifying power of the attack and feels genuine battle intent for the first time.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His determination to repair the Dragon Slayer Sword is reinforced by the appearance of Metal-Element Divine Ore. He also reveals a strong sense of justice and hostility toward the Golden Mantis Clan because of its atrocities against humans. Unlike his earlier effortless victory over the Golden Mantis Marshal, he views the Golden Mantis King as a worthy opponent.
• Golden Mantis King: It is shown to be greedy for rare treasures but cautious and perceptive, recognizing Qin Tiangong as an exceptionally dangerous opponent. Its hatred toward Xiao Chen is intense because of the destruction of its palace and subordinates.
• Golden Mantis Marshal: Displays greed and poor judgment by proposing that Qin Tiangong be killed for his treasures, but is humbled by the king’s warning about Qin’s strength.
• Qin Tiangong: Appears generous and confident, casually gifting the pseudo-divine ore and dismissing its rarity. He is surprised by Xiao Chen’s accomplishments but still believes himself capable of dominating the outer region.

Significant Themes

• Rarity and value of divine materials: Even an imitation of Five-Element Divine Ore is nearly priceless in the Mortal World, emphasizing the vast difference between mortal and higher realms.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Qin Tiangong’s age and outward demeanor conceal combat strength comparable to the Golden Mantis King, while Xiao Chen’s previous achievements were underestimated as mere cleverness.
• Justice versus vengeance: Xiao Chen frames his attack as righteous retribution for the Golden Mantis Clan’s massacres, while the Golden Mantis King’s desire to torture Xiao Chen is driven by personal hatred and revenge.
• The escalation of conflict: The chapter shifts from a negotiation over treasure to an imminent battle between two powerful figures, with Xiao Chen facing a far stronger opponent than the marshal.
• Human ambition and supernatural power: The Five-Element Divine Ore connects Xiao Chen’s personal legacy and the Dragon Slayer Sword to the broader cosmic hierarchy of sacred materials and immortal-level treasures.

Character Interactions

• Qin Tiangong and the Golden Mantis King complete their exchange peacefully, with mutual courtesy despite their hidden distrust.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal privately urges the king to betray Qin Tiangong, but the king rejects the idea because Qin is too powerful.
• The Golden Mantis King threatens Xiao Chen directly, while Xiao Chen responds by condemning the clan’s crimes and challenging the king.
• Qin Tiangong questions the king’s hatred and learns of Xiao Chen’s raid, revealing the gap between Xiao Chen’s reputation and his actual combat ability.
• The chapter ends with the Golden Mantis King and Xiao Chen confronting one another, setting up a major battle.

Chapter Summary: “A Draw?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Golden Mantis Marshal proudly announces the Golden Mantis King’s opening attack, certain that Xiao Chen will be killed.
• Qin Tiangong becomes anxious because Xiao Chen’s death would ruin his own plans. He had brought Xiao Chen to the Golden Mantis territory to humiliate him and complete a task for the Qin Family, even sacrificing a valuable Metal Pseudo-Divine Ore to avoid conflict with the Golden Mantis King.
• The enraged Golden Mantis King unleashes a devastating Metal-Element Heavenly Blade, powerful enough to split mountains and seemingly capable of destroying Xiao Chen instantly.
• Xiao Chen remains calm and activates the Black Tortoise Divine Armor Art, forming two enormous, star-filled tortoise-shell shields above and below himself.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal and King recognize the technique as the legendary clan-protecting art of the Black-Armored Dragon Tortoise Beast Clan. They are astonished that a young human without the Dragon Turtle bloodline could use it.
• The Heavenly Blade strikes Xiao Chen’s divine armor. Both attacks shatter simultaneously: the golden blade cracks apart while the blue armor disintegrates.
• The collision ends in a complete draw, leaving everyone shocked that Xiao Chen has survived and blocked the Golden Mantis King’s strongest strike.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates extraordinary composure and reveals mastery of an exceptionally rare defensive divine art. His ability greatly exceeds what his young age and King Realm Second Layer cultivation would suggest, challenging everyone’s assumptions about him.
• Golden Mantis King: Initially confident and enraged, it becomes deeply stunned and humiliated when its powerful attack fails to defeat Xiao Chen. Though it recognizes the art’s brilliance, it still believes Xiao Chen’s low cultivation should limit its effectiveness.
• Golden Mantis Marshal: Shifts from arrogant certainty to disbelief and fear after witnessing Xiao Chen withstand the attack. Its understanding of the Black Tortoise Divine Armor Art emphasizes how unprecedented Xiao Chen’s achievement is.
• Qin Tiangong: His arrogance is shaken. He had considered Xiao Chen an insignificant opponent, but Xiao Chen’s defensive power forces him to reconsider that judgment. He remains frustrated because he wants Xiao Chen alive for his own revenge and mission.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Xiao Chen’s appearance and cultivation conceal abilities far beyond what others expect.
• Pride challenged by reality: The Golden Mantis King’s overwhelming confidence collapses when its supposedly unstoppable attack is neutralized.
• Defense versus offense: The chapter centers on the clash between the Golden Mantis King’s unmatched killing power and Xiao Chen’s extraordinary defensive technique.
• Legacy and forbidden mastery: The Black Tortoise Divine Armor Art is a secret technique supposedly requiring bloodline, talent, and centuries of cultivation, making Xiao Chen’s mastery seem nearly miraculous.
• Respect born from power: Even hostile characters are forced to acknowledge Xiao Chen’s ability after witnessing the draw.

Character Interactions

• The Golden Mantis Marshal encourages the Golden Mantis King and taunts Xiao Chen, expecting his death.
• Qin Tiangong attempts to contain the situation and worries that the Golden Mantis King’s rage will destroy his plans.
• Xiao Chen does not verbally respond to the provocation; instead, he answers through decisive action by activating his divine armor.
• The Golden Mantis King and Marshal both recognize and discuss Xiao Chen’s technique, revealing their fear and respect for the Black-Armored Dragon Tortoise Beast Clan’s power.
• The chapter concludes with both the Golden Mantis King and Marshal stunned by Xiao Chen’s successful defense, transforming him from a supposedly helpless youth into a serious and mysterious opponent.

Chapter Summary: “Borrowing a Blade to Slay Demons!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen successfully uses the Black Tortoise Divine Armor Art, manifesting a blue divine shell that withstands the Golden Mantis King’s devastating golden Heavenly Blade. Though Xiao Chen has practiced the technique for only a few hours and reached merely the Resonance level, its defensive power greatly exceeds his expectations.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal, Tang Yuan, remains trapped in a cycle of injury and regeneration. Purple Sword Qi repeatedly tears apart its healing wounds, convincing it that Xiao Chen is far more dangerous than anticipated.
• Fearing Xiao Chen’s strength, Tang Yuan secretly urges the Golden Mantis King to join forces with Qin Tiangong. The king refuses out of pride, unwilling to admit that he needs assistance against a young opponent.
• Tang Yuan deliberately provokes the Golden Mantis King, hoping Xiao Chen will weaken him. Tang Yuan secretly dreams of replacing the king as ruler of Golden Mantis Mountain and plans to strike if the two opponents seriously injure each other.
• Enraged and unwilling to lose face, the Golden Mantis King launches a full assault on Xiao Chen with his two blade-like golden foreclaws.
• Xiao Chen responds without holding back. He summons the image and power of Kunpeng, one of the legendary Nine Primordial Fiends. The manifestation shocks Qin Tiangong, who recognizes the ancient divine beast from the records of the Qiankun Dynasty.
• Xiao Chen and the Golden Mantis King engage in a cataclysmic battle above the Divine River. Their sword and blade techniques shatter clouds, crack the void, destroy mountains, and churn the river.
• The surrounding demons and river beasts are stunned that Xiao Chen, despite his youth and relatively low cultivation realm, can fight the ancient Golden Mantis King to a standstill.
• Both Tang Yuan and the Golden Mantis King are shocked by Xiao Chen’s true strength. The king even briefly considers retreating, but the battle has already begun, and Xiao Chen refuses to let him escape.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen gains confidence in the Black Tortoise Divine Armor and reveals that his defensive abilities are far beyond what his enemies expected. His use of Kunpeng also demonstrates the extraordinary depth of his cultivation and potential.
• Golden Mantis King is shown to be proud, ruthless, and concerned with maintaining his reputation. His refusal to cooperate is driven less by strategy than by his unwillingness to appear weak. Xiao Chen’s power begins to undermine his confidence.
• Tang Yuan, the Golden Mantis Marshal, is revealed to be ambitious and treacherous. Though outwardly subordinate to the Golden Mantis King, it secretly plans to exploit the battle and overthrow him.
• Qin Tiangong completely loses his previous contempt for Xiao Chen after recognizing Kunpeng. He realizes that Xiao Chen possesses a rare and almost legendary inheritance.
• The surrounding demons’ perception of Xiao Chen changes from dismissive curiosity to fear and awe.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated youth: Xiao Chen’s low realm and young age conceal combat power capable of challenging an ancient demon lord.
• Pride versus strategy: The Golden Mantis King rejects a sensible alliance because of his pride, allowing emotion and reputation to influence his decisions.
• Ambition and betrayal: Tang Yuan intends to use Xiao Chen as a weapon against its own king, demonstrating how internal power struggles can be more dangerous than external enemies.
• Inheritance of ancient power: The appearance of Kunpeng connects Xiao Chen to primordial legends and suggests that his abilities are linked to forces far older and greater than the current world understands.
• Defense and offense: The chapter contrasts the impregnable Black Tortoise armor with Kunpeng’s overwhelming offensive might, revealing Xiao Chen’s balanced and rapidly expanding power.

Character Interactions

• Tang Yuan secretly warns the Golden Mantis King about Xiao Chen, but the king rejects the suggestion of joining Qin Tiangong.
• Tang Yuan’s provocation successfully manipulates the king into fighting Xiao Chen seriously, though Tang Yuan’s true goal is to weaken or kill him afterward.
• Xiao Chen directly clashes with the Golden Mantis King, transforming the encounter from an attempted capture into a battle between near-equals.
• Qin Tiangong witnesses Xiao Chen’s Kunpeng manifestation and undergoes a dramatic shift from contempt to shock and respect.
• The surrounding demons observe the battle and recognize that Xiao Chen is no ordinary mortal cultivator.

Chapter Summary: The Battle Report System Disappears!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen, now at the King Realm Second Layer, demonstrates a dramatic increase in Source Energy, Dao resonance, and physical strength.
• He battles the Golden Mantis King, a powerful Demon Lord renowned for his Metal-Element Power. After a prolonged struggle, Xiao Chen breaks through its divine-iron-like armor and kills it with a single sword strike.
• Tang Yuan is shocked and delighted by the Golden Mantis King’s death, while Qin Tiangong realizes that Qiankun Lord’s intelligence about Xiao Chen being weak was completely false.
• The Golden Mantis King’s corpse crashes into the Demon Forest, terrifying the surrounding beasts and confirming Xiao Chen’s overwhelming strength.
• Xiao Chen then confronts the Golden Mantis Marshal, who attempts to survive by offering submission. Recognizing the marshal’s treacherous and manipulative nature, Xiao Chen rejects the offer and kills him immediately.
• By eliminating both the Golden Mantis King and Marshal, Xiao Chen obtains Aura Spirit Souls, Gods-and-Devils Demon Balm, and 300 God-Battle Points, raising his total to 2,033 points.
• Xiao Chen initially expects a new battle report to appear, but none does. The Azure Dragon Domain Spirit explains that the battle report system only operated during the opening days of the Myriad Dynasty War and has now been discontinued.
• The disappearance of battle reports marks the end of the battlefield’s novice period. Without public reports revealing participants’ locations, weaker cultivators will have more difficulty avoiding powerful enemies.
• Xiao Chen considers this change advantageous because his fame had previously made him a target for ambushes and group attacks.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen asking Qin Tiangong about the whereabouts of Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen proves that his recent breakthrough has made him capable of defeating powerful Demon Lords despite being at a lower realm. He remains ambitious but disciplined, refusing to become complacent after reaching over two thousand God-Battle Points.
• His confidence grows as he reflects on his ability to survive in the Azure Dragon Domain and shoulder the fate of Great Xia and billions of its citizens.
• Qin Tiangong undergoes a major shift in perception, recognizing that Xiao Chen’s earlier accomplishments were not based on luck or opportunism. He begins to fear that Qiankun Lord’s plans may fail.
• Tang Yuan gains confidence and satisfaction from Xiao Chen’s victory, though he had originally intended only to use Xiao Chen to weaken the Golden Mantis King.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal is exposed as a schemer willing to betray even his own king. His attempted submission is revealed as a desperate deception.
• The Azure Dragon Domain Spirit shows special favor toward Xiao Chen by personally explaining the change in battlefield rules.

Significant Themes

• Strength overcoming hierarchy: Xiao Chen defeats a Demon Lord far above him in status and power, emphasizing that cultivation realm alone does not determine true combat ability.
• Cunning and betrayal: The Golden Mantis Marshal’s manipulation and betrayal demonstrate the danger of trusting opportunistic allies.
• Responsibility and pressure: Xiao Chen’s power is tied to the survival of Great Xia and its people, making his progress both personal and national in significance.
• Ambition balanced by discipline: Although Xiao Chen celebrates his achievements, he quickly reminds himself that he is still far from his ten-thousand-point goal.
• Changing battlefield rules: The end of the battle report system signals a new and more dangerous stage of the war, where information becomes less accessible and survival depends more heavily on direct vigilance.
• Reputation as both advantage and burden: Xiao Chen’s fame previously attracted attacks, but the disappearance of battle reports may now allow him to act with greater freedom.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen’s victory shocks Tang Yuan and forces Qin Tiangong to reassess him.
• The Golden Mantis Marshal tries to manipulate Xiao Chen through a false promise of loyalty, but Xiao Chen sees through the deception and executes him.
• The Azure Dragon Domain Spirit directly answers Xiao Chen’s confusion about the missing battle report, reinforcing its special relationship with him.
• Xiao Chen then turns his attention to Qin Tiangong, seeking information about Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, setting up the next stage of the conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Insufficient Killing Power?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen confronts Qin Tiangong of the Qiankun Dynasty and demands the return of someone the dynasty has taken captive.
• Qin Tiangong refuses, citing Xiao Chen’s killing of Qin Chuan, his nephew. Xiao Chen explains that Qin Chuan murdered his loved ones and stole the woman he loved, making his death deserved.
• Qin Tiangong reveals his extreme contempt for Xiao Chen because of his lower status and Great Xia origins, claiming that even if Qin Chuan had killed Xiao Chen’s parents, Xiao Chen should have submitted to him.
• Enraged by the insult, Xiao Chen prepares to fight. He had initially restrained himself because he suspected that other members of the powerful Qiankun Battle Group might be hiding nearby.
• Qin Tiangong arrogantly allows Xiao Chen three moves, believing that Xiao Chen’s victory over the Golden Mantis King was merely a result of fighting a relatively weak outsider demon.
• Xiao Chen launches a lightning-fast attack using the Wind Concealment Art, Earth-Shrinking Technique, and his purple-black sword.
• Qin Tiangong intercepts the strike with a fist, but Xiao Chen’s sword contains a terrifying killing force far beyond what Qin Tiangong expected.
• The clash ends with both combatants retreating roughly one hundred meters. Qin Tiangong technically withstands the attack, but his hand is badly injured: the sword energy continues destroying his flesh, and blood flows from his split palm.
• To preserve his dignity, Qin Tiangong claims Xiao Chen’s killing power is insufficient, even though he is secretly shocked by the severity of his injury.
• Xiao Chen declares that he had only been testing Qin Tiangong and now intends to fight with his full strength, raising his sword as even more terrifying power gathers around it.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His anger intensifies as Qin Tiangong insults his family, dignity, and background. He demonstrates that his strength is still increasing, revealing sword power significantly greater than what he used against the Golden Mantis King. However, Qin Tiangong’s strength also exposes that Xiao Chen is not yet invincible and must continue cultivating.
• Qin Tiangong: Initially calm, arrogant, and utterly confident in his superior status, he becomes secretly shaken after Xiao Chen’s first strike injures him severely. Although he hides his wound and continues boasting, his confidence is undermined by Xiao Chen’s unexpected strength.
• Qin Chuan: Though absent, he is further characterized as someone who abused his status—killing Xiao Chen’s loved ones and taking his beloved. His death remains the central justification for the conflict.
• Qin Qiankun and the Qiankun Battle Group: Their reputation raises the stakes. Qin Tiangong’s strength suggests that the battle group contains many dangerous opponents, while Qin Qiankun is portrayed as an even more terrifying peerless talent.

Significant Themes

• Status versus personal strength: Qin Tiangong believes lineage and political background determine a person’s worth, viewing Xiao Chen as an ant because he comes from a Lower Dynasty.
• Arrogance and social injustice: Qin Tiangong’s claim that Xiao Chen should have submitted even after witnessing his parents’ murders highlights the tyranny of powerful clans and the lack of justice for those without influential backgrounds.
• Revenge and righteous anger: Xiao Chen’s battle is driven not merely by pride but by the murder of his loved ones and the theft of his beloved.
• Hidden strength and underestimation: Qin Tiangong underestimates Xiao Chen because of his origins and assumes the Golden Mantis King represented Xiao Chen’s limit. The first clash proves that appearances and background are misleading.
• The need for continued growth: Although Xiao Chen has gained impressive power, the strength of a single Qiankun Battle Group member reminds him that greater threats remain.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Qin Tiangong’s verbal exchange establishes their opposing worldviews: Xiao Chen emphasizes justice and personal vengeance, while Qin Tiangong defends clan privilege and hierarchy.
• Qin Tiangong deliberately provokes Xiao Chen by belittling his status and family, successfully intensifying Xiao Chen’s killing intent.
• Their first physical clash overturns Qin Tiangong’s assumptions. Xiao Chen’s sword forces him to exert himself fully and leaves him seriously wounded despite Qin Tiangong’s outward dismissal.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen taking the initiative again, preparing to reveal his true killing power in the next exchange.

Chapter Summary: “Formidable Enemy! Temporarily Avoid Its Edge!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Tiangong is frightened by Xiao Chen’s rapidly increasing sword power. Xiao Chen’s previous strike injured Qin Tiangong’s hand despite his defensive Divine Abilities.
• Attempting to avoid a decisive battle, Qin Tiangong falsely offers to take Xiao Chen as a sword attendant, claiming that following him would grant Xiao Chen the status of half a Qiankun Divine Seed.
• Xiao Chen sees the insult and hidden intent in the offer. Enraged, he unleashes a full-power sword strike imbued with overwhelming killing intent.
• Realizing he cannot block the attack, Qin Tiangong abandons his pride and flees using the Earth-Shrinking Technique, threatening to return with reinforcements.
• Xiao Chen’s sword light continues pursuing Qin Tiangong across ten thousand meters, shocking him because even his supreme movement technique cannot shake it off.
• Qin Tiangong’s exceptional intuition warns him that confronting the sword light would result in certain death. He calls upon the Domain Spirit, Qin Wuji, and withdraws from the realm entirely.
• Xiao Chen is surprised and disappointed that Qin Tiangong escaped. Because Qin Tiangong left, his God-Battle Points were transferred to his companions rather than being claimed by Xiao Chen.
• Reflecting on the escalating hostility of the Qiankun Dynasty, Xiao Chen recognizes that Qin Tiangong is stronger than any Divine Seed he has previously faced.
• Xiao Chen concludes that he is not yet capable of challenging Qin Qiankun directly. Unless he uses the dangerous True Demon method, he must temporarily avoid Qin Qiankun and focus on increasing his strength.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates a major increase in sword power and the confidence to attack without restraint. Although he is furious at Qin Tiangong’s arrogance, he remains rational enough to acknowledge the gap between himself and Qin Qiankun. His frustration at failing to kill Qin Tiangong is balanced by a strategic decision to retreat and grow stronger.
• Qin Tiangong: His arrogant confidence collapses under Xiao Chen’s overwhelming attack. He reveals fear, abandons his attempt to dominate Xiao Chen, and flees rather than risk death. His extraordinary instincts and ability to sense danger ultimately save him.
• Qin Qiankun: Though absent, he is established as an immense threat—the greatest Divine Seed of the Azure Dragon Domain and an undefeated legend whose strength currently surpasses Xiao Chen’s.
• Qin Wuji / Domain Spirit: Intervenes when summoned by Qin Tiangong, allowing him to withdraw from the realm before Xiao Chen’s sword can kill him.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus arrogance: Qin Tiangong’s grand attitude and attempt to enslave Xiao Chen are exposed as empty when faced with Xiao Chen’s true power.
• Survival over pride: Qin Tiangong survives because he recognizes that retreat is wiser than fighting an unavoidable killing blow.
• Strategic restraint: Xiao Chen understands that courage alone is insufficient against Qin Qiankun and chooses to avoid a stronger enemy until he can close the gap.
• Escalating conflict: The Qiankun Dynasty’s repeated attempts to eliminate Xiao Chen show that their feud is becoming increasingly dangerous.
• Fate and intuition: Qin Tiangong’s ability to sense impending disaster plays a decisive role in preserving his life.

Character Interactions

• Qin Tiangong attempts to manipulate Xiao Chen with a false offer of submission, treating him as an inferior servant.
• Xiao Chen rejects the humiliation with anger and responds through overwhelming force rather than words.
• Their confrontation shifts from Qin Tiangong’s attempted domination to his desperate flight.
• Though they do not exchange further blows directly, Xiao Chen’s pursuing sword continues to pressure Qin Tiangong until he is forced to summon the Domain Spirit and withdraw.
• The encounter leaves both characters aware of the other’s strength: Qin Tiangong recognizes Xiao Chen as a terrifying opponent, while Xiao Chen acknowledges Qin Tiangong’s formidable ability and the even greater danger posed by Qin Qiankun.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen assesses the overwhelming strength of Qin Qiankun, the top-ranked genius of the Azure Spirit Star Ranking. Although Xiao Chen believes his own talent and foundations are exceptional, he acknowledges that his lower cultivation realm leaves him unable to challenge Qin Qiankun yet.
• Rather than fight Qin Qiankun prematurely, Xiao Chen decides to complete his current mission, locate Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, increase his strength, and leave the area.
• Using the resonance between members of his battle group, Xiao Chen searches across the mountains and soon detects his targets. He transforms into purple light and heads toward a nearby towering mountain.
• The scene shifts to Qin Tiangong, who returns through a black vortex to a Qin Family palace after fleeing the God-Demon Battlefield. He is severely injured, pale, bleeding, and weakened.
• Qin Tiangong orders the guards to summon Old Wu for treatment. The wounds were caused by Xiao Chen’s sword qi, which remained inside his body and violently damaged his meridians, flesh, and life force.
• A golden-armored guard gives Qin Tiangong rare Blood-Coagulating Tea. The tea stabilizes his blood and qi, restoring some of his color and emphasizing the immense wealth and resources of the Qin Family.
• Qin Tiangong angrily reflects on his defeat. He had expected to capture Xiao Chen easily because Xiao Chen came from a Lower Dynasty, but instead he was seriously wounded and forced to flee.
• The chapter ends when the guard returns with a white-haired, green-robed old man—presumably Old Wu—to treat Qin Tiangong.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates strategic restraint and self-awareness. He does not let pride force him into a battle he cannot yet win, choosing instead to strengthen himself and prioritize the mission. His earlier sword attack proves powerful enough to seriously injure a high-ranking Qin prodigy.
• Qin Qiankun: Although he does not appear directly, he is established as an almost unreachable genius whose talent and reputation surpass everyone in the Azure Spirit Domain. His dismissive attitude toward Xiao Chen creates a future challenge.
• Qin Tiangong: Suffers a major psychological and physical setback. His lifelong confidence in his own invincibility is shaken after being defeated by someone he considered socially and spiritually inferior. His humiliation turns into intense resentment toward Xiao Chen.
• Qin Family guards: Their reactions reveal both Qin Tiangong’s high status and the shock caused by his defeat. They obey him immediately and are astonished that Xiao Chen was responsible.
• Old Wu: Introduced at the end as a powerful healer or medical expert summoned to save Qin Tiangong.

Significant Themes

• Relative invincibility: No matter how powerful someone seems in one region or generation, a stronger opponent may exist elsewhere. The chapter compares figures who were dominant in Great Xia but became insignificant in the wider God-Demon Battlefield.
• Talent versus cultivation realm: Xiao Chen may possess extraordinary foundations, but his current realm prevents him from confronting the strongest figures directly.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Qin Tiangong’s pride in his heavenly birth and status makes his defeat especially devastating. His contempt for Xiao Chen magnifies the shock of losing to him.
• Strategic patience: Xiao Chen’s decision to withdraw and develop rather than fight Qin Qiankun highlights the importance of timing and preparation.
• Class and status prejudice: Qin Tiangong’s inability to accept defeat stems partly from Xiao Chen’s origin as a “lowborn commoner” from a Lower Dynasty, exposing the Qin Family’s disdain for outsiders.
• The Qin Family’s power: The value of the Blood-Coagulating Tea and the family’s access to rare resources demonstrate the extraordinary wealth, influence, and foundations of the Qin clan.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen has not yet confronted Qin Qiankun directly, but Qin Qiankun’s public contempt for him establishes an antagonistic relationship and foreshadows a future battle.
• Xiao Chen’s previous clash with Qin Tiangong continues to affect the latter, with the lingering sword qi causing severe internal damage.
• Qin Tiangong commands the golden-armored guards with unquestioned authority; they respond immediately despite their surprise.
• One guard provides him with Blood-Coagulating Tea and remains respectfully at his side, while another goes to summon medical assistance.
• The guard’s shock upon learning that Xiao Chen defeated Qin Tiangong emphasizes how unexpected and significant Xiao Chen’s victory was.
• The chapter concludes with the arrival of Old Wu, setting up Qin Tiangong’s treatment and likely a discussion of Xiao Chen’s threat.

Chapter Summary: “At the Edge of the Heartland, Perilous!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Tiangong, severely wounded by Xiao Chen, summons Wu Kaiyu, a highly respected Medicine Emperor of the Qin Family.
• Wu Kaiyu discovers that Qin Tiangong’s injuries were caused by Xiao Chen’s powerful Sword Qi, which had embedded itself in his body and resisted every attempt at removal.
• Qin Tiangong reveals that Xiao Chen is from Great Xia, a supposedly insignificant Lower Dynasty. Wu Kaiyu and the Golden Armor guard Yu Rui are shocked that someone of such humble origins could defeat Qin Tiangong.
• Wu Kaiyu uses the legendary Silver Spiral Healing Art, summoning medicinal vortices that eliminate the Sword Qi and heal most of Qin Tiangong’s injuries.
• Qin Tiangong orders Yu Rui and the other guard to keep his defeat secret from the Qin Family’s Lineage. He fears humiliation, internal clan rivalry, and becoming a target for political enemies.
• Qin Tiangong remains confident that the Qiankun Battle Group will eventually find and kill Xiao Chen, especially with Qin Qiankun leading it.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Chen travels through a dangerous ancient forest near the edge of the heartland. He senses that the Twin Dragons of Dao Peak Mountain are still alive and nearby.
• Xiao Chen observes that the demons and beasts in this region are vastly stronger than those in the outer areas, emphasizing the escalating danger of the heartland.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Tiangong is shown as physically weakened and deeply humiliated after losing to Xiao Chen. His pride prevents him from reporting the defeat, and he relies on secrecy and the power of his clan for future revenge.
• Wu Kaiyu is established as an immensely skilled and respected healer whose mastery of medicine allows him to remove Xiao Chen’s Sword Qi and stabilize Qin Tiangong.
• Yu Rui shifts from disbelief to fear and admiration after learning that Xiao Chen defeated Qin Tiangong. His confidence is restored when Qin Qiankun’s strength is invoked.
• Xiao Chen continues moving forward despite the danger, demonstrating awareness, caution, and confidence. His ability to injure Qin Tiangong marks him as far more powerful than his Lower Dynasty origins suggest.
• Qin Qiankun does not appear directly, but his reputation dominates the conversation. He is portrayed as the ultimate source of the Qin faction’s confidence and authority.

3. Significant Themes

• Pride and humiliation: Qin Tiangong’s greatest concern is not merely his injuries but the disgrace of being defeated by someone from a Lower Dynasty.
• Class and status prejudice: Wu Kaiyu and Yu Rui initially dismiss Xiao Chen because of his origins, revealing the rigid hierarchy between the great dynasties and border nations.
• Secrecy and internal rivalry: Qin Tiangong hides the truth because powerful factions within the Qin Family would exploit his failure against him.
• Healing and destruction: Wu Kaiyu’s life-preserving medical arts contrast with Xiao Chen’s devastating Sword Qi, presenting two different forms of mastery.
• Escalating danger: Xiao Chen’s entry toward the heartland signals that future challenges will involve increasingly powerful beasts, demons, and factions.
• Overconfidence: Qin Tiangong believes Qin Qiankun and the Qiankun Battle Group will easily eliminate Xiao Chen, potentially underestimating the threat he poses.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Tiangong and Wu Kaiyu: Qin Tiangong treats Wu Kaiyu with respect and honestly describes his injuries so the healer can treat him properly. Wu Kaiyu responds professionally and successfully removes the Sword Qi.
• Qin Tiangong and Yu Rui: Qin Tiangong commands Yu Rui to conceal the defeat. Yu Rui briefly questions the wisdom of hiding Xiao Chen’s strength but is reassured by Qin Qiankun’s reputation.
• Wu Kaiyu and the guards: Wu Kaiyu’s use of the Silver Spiral Healing Art astonishes both Golden Armor guards, reinforcing his elevated status and extraordinary abilities.
• Qin Tiangong and Xiao Chen: Though Xiao Chen is absent from the Qin residence, his defeat of Qin Tiangong drives the entire scene. Qin Tiangong’s fear, shame, and desire for revenge all stem from their confrontation.
• Xiao Chen and the environment: Xiao Chen moves cautiously through the perilous forest while sensing the nearby Twin Dragons, preparing for further dangers at the heartland’s edge.

Chapter Summary: “Arrogant Youth”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen enters a dangerous demon forest and immediately senses numerous powerful demons preparing to attack him.
• A terrifying Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast emerges from the forest, setting the surrounding trees ablaze and forcing weaker demons to retreat.
• The beast, named Ji Huoshan, is a legendary overlord-class demon with a reputation for slaughtering powerful cultivators. It possesses the head of a chicken, the body of a lion, wings, and immense flame power.
• Ji Huoshan questions Xiao Chen about his presence, revealing that it has been guarding two human youths in its territory at the request of the Golden Mantis King.
• Xiao Chen confirms that he is searching for the Dao Peak Mountain Twin Dragons, two companions associated with water and fire energies.
• Realizing that Ji Huoshan knows the Golden Mantis King and likely has the two youths in its custody, Xiao Chen demands that they be handed over.
• Xiao Chen then reveals that he has killed the Golden Mantis King and threatens Ji Huoshan with the same fate if it refuses.
• The surrounding demons are shocked by Xiao Chen’s arrogance. Some believe he is ignorant of the difference in power, while others suspect he has extraordinary abilities.
• Ji Huoshan refuses to believe that a King Realm Second-Layer youth could kill the Golden Mantis King. Enraged by Xiao Chen’s disrespect, it attacks him, advancing through the air like a flaming mountain.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen displays confidence, decisiveness, and fearlessness despite being surrounded by stronger demons. His willingness to openly claim responsibility for killing the Golden Mantis King shows his growing power and boldness.
• He remains focused on rescuing his companions and immediately identifies the connection between Ji Huoshan and the Golden Mantis King.
• Ji Huoshan is introduced as immensely powerful, ancient, and savage, but also loyal to his friend. His agreement to guard the two human youths reflects his close bond with the Golden Mantis King.
• Ji Huoshan’s confidence in his own strength causes him to underestimate Xiao Chen, especially because of Xiao Chen’s apparently low cultivation.
• The surrounding demons become uncertain about Xiao Chen, recognizing that his presence near the inner region may indicate abilities beyond his visible cultivation.

3. Significant Themes

• Appearance versus true strength: Xiao Chen looks like a weak young cultivator, but his confidence and claim of having killed the Golden Mantis King suggest that his actual abilities far exceed what others can perceive.
• Arrogance and underestimation: Both sides display pride—Xiao Chen boldly threatens a legendary demon, while Ji Huoshan dismisses him because of his low cultivation level.
• Loyalty and friendship: Ji Huoshan’s willingness to protect the Golden Mantis King’s captives demonstrates the importance of bonds between powerful demons.
• Courage in a hostile world: Xiao Chen’s decision to enter the demon forest and confront its overlord highlights his determination to save his companions despite overwhelming danger.
• The dangers of the God-Demon Battlefield: The chapter emphasizes the enormous gap between the outer and inner regions and establishes the forest as a place where even legendary beasts and ancient dangers may appear.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Ji Huoshan: Their first exchange begins cautiously but quickly becomes confrontational. Ji Huoshan questions Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen probes for information about his companions and the Golden Mantis King.
• Xiao Chen and the Golden Mantis King: Though the Golden Mantis King does not appear directly, its failed attempt to kill Xiao Chen and Xiao Chen’s declaration that he killed it drive the conflict.
• Ji Huoshan and the Golden Mantis King: Their long-standing friendship explains why Ji Huoshan agreed to guard the two human youths and why it reacts furiously to Xiao Chen’s claim.
• The surrounding demons and Xiao Chen: The demons observe and debate whether Xiao Chen is merely reckless or secretly powerful, reinforcing the mystery surrounding his true capabilities.

Chapter Summary: “Shattered Worldview!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The enormous Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast attacks Xiao Chen at incredible speed, expecting to overwhelm him instantly.
• Xiao Chen easily evades its first claw strike using his movement technique, leaving behind only a purple mist-like phantom. The attack splits the ground and shocks the observing demons.
• Xiao Chen warns the beast to surrender the person it is protecting or face death, then launches a powerful attack with the Dragon Slayer Sword.
• His sword, surrounded by lightning and divine radiance, clashes directly with the beast’s wing. Despite the vast difference in cultivation and size, neither side gains an advantage.
• The battle intensifies as the beast unleashes enormous quantities of Divine Fire, destroying ancient trees and setting the Demon Forest ablaze.
• Xiao Chen uses all his abilities, including the Six Paths Power, and fights the beast through several hundred exchanges.
• He ultimately severs the Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast’s head, killing the ancient Demon King. Its massive corpse crashes into the burning forest.
• At the moment of death, the beast remains unable to understand how a human at the King Realm Second Layer could defeat it.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates that his apparent low cultivation conceals extraordinary combat strength, speed, and battle experience. His confidence remains firm even against a legendary Demon King.
• He becomes more cautious after realizing that the Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast is far stronger than the Golden Mantis King, recognizing that the inner region of the Demon Forest contains truly formidable enemies.
• The Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast, initially arrogant and confident in its overwhelming power, becomes shocked, furious, and increasingly desperate when Xiao Chen repeatedly matches and ultimately defeats it.
• Its defeat completely overturns its understanding of cultivation and combat. It dies filled with disbelief and regret, unable to reconcile Xiao Chen’s strength with his realm.

Significant Themes

• Strength beyond appearances: Xiao Chen’s King Realm Second Layer cultivation does not reflect his actual battle power.
• The shattering of established beliefs: The beast and the observing demons believe that a lower-realm human cannot challenge a legendary Demon King, but Xiao Chen disproves this assumption.
• Pride and humiliation: The beast’s ancient status and reputation make its defeat especially devastating, as it is killed publicly despite having dominated the region for centuries.
• Danger of the inner Demon Forest: The encounter reveals that even a Demon King from the inner region’s outskirts is vastly stronger than the demons Xiao Chen has previously fought.
• Determination against overwhelming odds: Xiao Chen refuses to retreat, relying on skill, speed, divine techniques, and persistence to overcome a seemingly impossible opponent.

Character Interactions

• The concealed great demons initially mock and underestimate Xiao Chen, expecting him to be killed immediately. His successful evasion leaves them shocked and speechless.
• The Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast accuses Xiao Chen of hiding his true strength and “playing the pig to eat the tiger.”
• Xiao Chen directly threatens the beast, demanding that it surrender its associate and warning that otherwise it will die.
• Their confrontation develops from mutual underestimation into a fierce, evenly matched battle, with both recognizing the other’s extraordinary strength.
• The observing demons’ reactions emphasize how unprecedented Xiao Chen’s performance is: even the powerful Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast, respected by other Demon Kings, is unable to defeat him and is eventually slain.

Chapter Summary: “Rescuing the Twin Dragons!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen defeats and kills the Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast, shocking the surrounding demons. The beast realizes too late that underestimating Xiao Chen and refusing to release its captives led to its death.
• The great demons lurking in the Demon Forest retreat, fearing that Xiao Chen might continue killing. Although they covet the slain beast’s body, none initially dare challenge him.
• Xiao Chen uses the Dragon Slaying Fortune Seizing Sutra to absorb the beast’s Soul Fire and gains an enormous amount of aura power—far more than he received from demons on the forest’s outskirts.
• He searches the corpse for Gods-and-Devils Demon Balm and hopes to activate the Sigh of the Gods, but finds neither. He learns that the balm’s formation depends not only on strength and bloodline but also on rare treasures and chance.
• Despite this disappointment, Xiao Chen recognizes that he has gained greatly: two pieces of Metal Pseudo-Divine Ore, three hundred God-Battle Points, several Aura Spirit Souls, and one Gods-and-Devils Demon Balm from his overall journey.
• Sensing the location of Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, the Twin Dragons of Dao Peak Mountain, Xiao Chen immediately leaves to rescue them.
• After his departure, nearby demons return and violently fight over the Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast’s corpse. Several Demon King-level beasts consume it and significantly strengthen their vitality and bloodline power.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen arriving at a crimson, fire-wreathed demon mountain roughly ten li from his destination.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates overwhelming combat strength, defeating a powerful inner-region demon despite being viewed initially as insignificant. His victory reinforces his reputation as a terrifying fighter whose power far exceeds his cultivation realm.
• He also displays emotional discipline: after failing to find another Gods-and-Devils Demon Balm, he quickly accepts the outcome and reminds himself not to be overly greedy.
• Xiao Chen’s priorities remain focused on his comrades. Rather than lingering to exploit the demon corpse or hunt additional enemies, he immediately heads toward the Twin Dragons.
• The surrounding demons become more cautious and fearful of Xiao Chen, recognizing that he is a deadly threat rather than an ordinary human cultivator.
• The demons fighting over the corpse reveal the brutal survival hierarchy of the Demon Forest: once-powerful rulers can instantly become prey after death.

Significant Themes

• The danger of underestimating opponents: The Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast’s arrogance prevents it from recognizing Xiao Chen’s true strength and ultimately causes its downfall.
• Strength and survival: The demons’ behavior illustrates the harsh law that the strong devour the weak. The former Demon King is reduced to medicinal flesh immediately after death.
• Fortune and chance: Rare treasures such as Gods-and-Devils Demon Balm cannot be obtained through strength alone; bloodline, cultivation, spiritual energy, and accidental encounters with heavenly treasures all matter.
• Self-control and contentment: Xiao Chen’s ability to accept disappointment despite his great expectations reflects his growing maturity and balanced mindset.
• Loyalty and responsibility: His rapid departure to rescue Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin shows that protecting allies takes precedence over further rewards.

Character Interactions

• The Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion Beast’s final realization contrasts with Xiao Chen’s decisive refusal to show mercy.
• The distant great demons observe Xiao Chen’s battle and collectively retreat, their fear preventing them from confronting him.
• After Xiao Chen leaves, rival Demon Kings quarrel and fight over portions of the corpse, demonstrating their greed and competitive nature.
• Weaker demons watch the stronger beasts claim the best flesh, resentfully acknowledging that only powerful creatures are entitled to such treasures.
• Xiao Chen remains connected to the Twin Dragons through their battle-group spiritual bond and uses that connection to locate them, setting up the next stage of the rescue.

Chapter Summary — King of Trash Talk

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen arrives at the summit of the crimson mountain, where the Divine Fire Chicken-Lion Palace stands.
• Using his senses, he confirms that the Dao Peak Mountain Twin Dragons are imprisoned inside the palace. They are alive but severely weakened, implying they have been tortured or badly injured.
• Xiao Chen appears before the palace gates and kills the Chicken Demon and Lion Demon guarding them with single punches.
• The surviving demons inside the palace rush out to confront him. Xiao Chen uses his Cosmos God Eyes to inspect them and sees that they are surrounded by intense karmic flames and resentful souls, evidence of countless atrocities.
• He declares that the demons deserve death because of their bloodshed and evil deeds.
• A Lion Demon argues that demons naturally eat humans, just as humans eat beasts. Xiao Chen rejects this justification, especially because the demons prey on helpless human children.
• Lion Thirteen, a powerful but notoriously foolish demon, mocks Xiao Chen and refuses to fear him despite the deaths of the gatekeepers.
• Xiao Chen draws his ancient sword and kills Lion Thirteen with one devastating strike, severing his head before he can react.
• Lion Thirteen remains briefly conscious after decapitation and dies in shock, realizing that his reckless provocation and “trash talk” led directly to his death.
• The chapter ends as another Lion Demon, enraged by Lion Thirteen’s death, charges Xiao Chen with a large crimson saber.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen is shown to be decisive, ruthless toward irredeemably evil enemies, and overwhelmingly powerful. He combines supernatural perception through the Cosmos God Eyes with devastating physical and sword techniques.
• His morality is clarified: he does not automatically condemn all demons, recognizing that demons can be good or evil, but he shows no mercy to those responsible for mass murder and cruelty.
• Lion Thirteen is characterized as arrogant, impulsive, and unintelligent. His refusal to assess Xiao Chen’s strength causes his immediate death.
• The other demons begin with confidence and hostility but quickly reveal fear and uncertainty after witnessing Xiao Chen effortlessly kill their comrades.
• The weakened Dao Peak Mountain Twin Dragons remain offscreen but serve as the motivation for Xiao Chen’s assault.

Significant Themes

• Justice and retribution: Xiao Chen’s violence is framed as punishment for demons whose bodies bear the karmic evidence of immense wrongdoing.
• Moral complexity: The chapter rejects the idea that an entire species is inherently evil. Xiao Chen distinguishes between ordinary demonic nature and deliberate, unforgivable cruelty.
• The danger of arrogance and reckless speech: Lion Thirteen’s refusal to recognize Xiao Chen’s superiority—and his provocative words—leads directly to his death.
• Power and intimidation: Xiao Chen’s sudden appearance, effortless killings, and devastating sword strike shatter the demons’ confidence.
• Karma and guilt: The resentful souls and karmic flames surrounding the demons visually represent their accumulated crimes.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen immediately confronts and kills the two palace guards, establishing his dominance.
• The gathered demons challenge and threaten him, while Xiao Chen condemns them as mass murderers.
• Lion Thirteen argues with Xiao Chen and dismisses the threat he poses; an older Lion Demon, Old Five Lion, tries unsuccessfully to stop him from provoking Xiao Chen.
• After Xiao Chen kills Lion Thirteen, another demon reacts with grief and rage, launching an attack that sets up the next confrontation.

Summary: “Rescuing Dao Peak Mountain’s Twin Dragons”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Sixth Lion witnesses the death of his grandson, Lion Thirteen, and is consumed by grief and murderous rage.
• Despite fearing Xiao Chen’s strength, dozens of demons from Divine Fire Chicken-Lion Mountain attack him. They are motivated by loyalty to Old Five Lion, anger at Xiao Chen’s killing of several demons, and confidence in their numerical advantage.
• Xiao Chen effortlessly defeats them with a single enormous purple sword strike, annihilating the demons and their summoned manifestations.
• He uses the Dragon Slaying Fortune Seizing Sutra to absorb the slain demons’ Aura Spirit Souls, strengthening himself.
• Xiao Chen enters the Divine Fire Chicken-Lion Palace and finds it deserted except for enslaved human servants. He announces that the demons have been destroyed and frees them.
• The terrified servants, who had been abducted from nearby villages and subjected to torture, forced labor, and the threat of being eaten, gratefully leave the mountain to return to their families.
• Xiao Chen tracks the palace’s water-and-fire qi to an underground prison, where he discovers the badly injured Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin, the Twin Dragons of Dao Peak Mountain.
• The chapter ends with Xuan Yuan Taiyin awakening and recognizing Xiao Chen.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen is shown to possess overwhelming combat power, defeating an entire host of great demons with one sword strike. Despite his terrifying strength, he acts compassionately toward the human captives, freeing and reassuring them rather than seeking praise.
• Old Sixth Lion is driven beyond reason by familial grief, revealing that demons retain powerful blood ties despite their usual portrayal as cold and ruthless.
• The human servants shift from fear and despair to disbelief, joy, and hope after Xiao Chen liberates them.
• Xuan Yuan Shenyang and Xuan Yuan Taiyin are revealed to have suffered severe torture and near-fatal injuries in captivity, emphasizing the urgency of Xiao Chen’s rescue.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and grief: Old Sixth Lion’s reaction to Lion Thirteen’s death demonstrates that blood bonds remain meaningful even among demons.
• Overwhelming power and intimidation: Xiao Chen’s single-strike victory establishes him as vastly superior to the mountain’s demon forces.
• Compassion amid violence: Although Xiao Chen destroys his enemies without hesitation, he shows mercy toward innocent humans and personally ensures their freedom.
• Oppression and liberation: The human captives’ suffering highlights the cruelty of demon rule, while their rescue represents the restoration of dignity, safety, and family bonds.
• Strength and responsibility: Xiao Chen’s power is portrayed not merely as destructive but as a means of protecting the helpless and rescuing allies.

Character Interactions

• Old Sixth Lion’s grief prompts the other demons to join the attack on Xiao Chen, creating a desperate, collective confrontation.
• The demons underestimate Xiao Chen and are instantly overwhelmed by his sword technique.
• The human servants initially fear Xiao Chen, but his reassurance transforms their fear into gratitude and trust.
• Xiao Chen’s discovery of the Twin Dragons sets up an emotional reunion, with the weakened Xuan Yuan Taiyin reacting in shock upon seeing him.

Chapter Summary: “Don’t Try to Deceive Us!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen unexpectedly appears inside the heavily guarded Divine Fire Chicken-Lion Palace, astonishing Xuan Yuan Taiyin and Xuan Yuan Shenyang.
• The two brothers, members of Great Xia’s powerful Dao Peak Mountain and known as its “Twin Dragons,” have been imprisoned, injured, and humiliated by a low-ranking Chicken Demon.
• Their defeat has shattered their former confidence. In Great Xia, they were celebrated as peerless geniuses, but within the God-Demon Battlefield, even minor demons can overpower them effortlessly.
• Xuan Yuan Taiyin urgently warns Xiao Chen to flee, explaining that the palace is filled with terrifying demons and that the brothers have been bound by restrictions.
• Xiao Chen reveals that he has already killed every demon on the mountain, including the Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion King.
• The brothers refuse to believe him, assuming he is lying to comfort them or prevent them from sacrificing themselves.
• To prove the truth, Xiao Chen reveals the Divine-Fire Chicken-Lion King’s Aura Spirit Soul and uses a secret technique to manifest its remaining soul.
• The resurrected spirit attacks Xiao Chen in hatred, but Xiao Chen effortlessly restrains it and absorbs it into his Sea of Consciousness.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen is presented as vastly stronger and more capable than the brothers realize. His calmness, confidence, and ability to annihilate the entire demon palace demonstrate his growth and dominance in the battlefield.
• Xuan Yuan Taiyin reacts with emotional relief at seeing a familiar relative and retains enough composure to worry about Xiao Chen’s safety.
• Xuan Yuan Shenyang, once proud and fiercely confident, has been psychologically devastated by his defeat. His humiliation has left him numb, despairing, and convinced that survival is impossible.
• The brothers’ view of Xiao Chen shifts from concern and disbelief toward astonishment as he proves that he has defeated their seemingly invincible enemies.

Significant Themes

• Relative strength and the limits of “invincibility”: The chapter emphasizes that being supreme in one environment does not guarantee superiority elsewhere. The Twin Dragons were unmatched in Great Xia but become helpless against the stronger beings of the God-Demon Battlefield.
• Humiliation and psychological defeat: Their physical injuries are less damaging than the loss of pride and confidence caused by being casually defeated by a minor demon.
• Hope in despair: Xiao Chen’s arrival represents a lifeline for the imprisoned brothers, restoring the possibility of rescue when they had nearly accepted death.
• Power revealed through action: Xiao Chen does not rely on boasting; his proof comes through the captured spirit of the slain Chicken-Lion King.
• Changing perspectives: The brothers initially see Xiao Chen as another endangered youth, but his revelation forces them to recognize the enormous gap between his abilities and their own.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen reunites with his distant maternal relatives, creating an unexpectedly warm and emotional moment despite their past grievances.
• Taiyin responds protectively, urging Xiao Chen to abandon them rather than become trapped in the palace.
• Shenyang reacts more bitterly, interpreting Xiao Chen’s claim of victory as a falsehood meant to mislead them.
• Xiao Chen answers their disbelief without anger, allowing the Chicken-Lion King’s remaining soul to demonstrate the truth.
• The spirit’s furious attack on Xiao Chen highlights the unresolved hatred between them, while Xiao Chen’s effortless suppression confirms his overwhelming superiority.