Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Black Clouds, Heavenly Light!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Ruolan hires Gray Three, a Sixth Realm Martial King and notorious Boar Hunter, to capture Xiao Chen after he leaves the Zhang Estate.
• She raises the reward from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand Nether Copper Coins. Gray Three demands half in advance because the second capture attempt will be more dangerous, and Zhang Ruolan pays him 150,000 coins.
• Zhang Ruolan warns Gray Three not to underestimate Xiao Chen, revealing that Xiao Chen has rapidly crossed realms, defeated stronger opponents, and even escaped Zhang Heilu’s powerful Heavenly Deer King-Shattering Fist.
• The two discuss rumors that Xiao Chen may have obtained the legendary Thousand Mountains Essence in exchange for a Spirit-Breaking Pill. If true, it could allow him to break the Void-Locking Spirit Curse. Gray Three dismisses the possibility, believing a Mortal World stowaway could not possess such a treasure.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Chen has recovered his King Source Energy and reached the peak of his current cultivation. He decides to confront Gray Three and settle the grievance from his earlier capture.
• To conceal his true strength, Xiao Chen disguises himself as a First Realm Body King before leaving the Zhou Estate.
• His reappearance is quickly reported to Zhang Heilu and Liu Wanxiong. Zhang Heilu immediately leaves to hunt him down, driven by resentment and jealousy over Xiao Chen’s relationship with Zhou Lingxue.
• Xiao Chen exits the city, unaware of the precise danger but alert enough to detect two pursuers following him.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Has transformed from being helplessly captured by Gray Three into a confident and dangerous fighter. His recovered energy and recent breakthroughs give him the strength to challenge powerful enemies, though he remains cautious and hides his true cultivation.
• Zhang Ruolan: Shows determination and desperation by spending all her resources to secure Xiao Chen’s capture. Although she appears domineering, her fear of Xiao Chen’s growing power reveals her uncertainty.
• Gray Three: Initially confident that Xiao Chen is an easy target, he becomes surprised by Xiao Chen’s accomplishments but remains arrogant, believing his cunning and experience will ensure victory.
• Zhang Heilu: His anger has intensified during Xiao Chen’s disappearance. Jealousy, humiliation, and wounded pride motivate him to pursue Xiao Chen personally.
• Zhou Lingxia and A Ying: Support Xiao Chen by helping investigate Gray Three and protecting the secrecy of his strength.

Significant Themes

• Fortune and disaster: The changing sky—from dark clouds and impending rain to sunlight—symbolizes how fate can shift suddenly between danger and opportunity.
• Hidden strength and deception: Xiao Chen conceals his cultivation, while Gray Three relies on trickery and Zhang Ruolan hides her desperation beneath authority.
• Underestimation: Nearly every opponent assumes Xiao Chen is weak because he is a stowaway from the Mortal World, failing to recognize his exceptional foundation and combat ability.
• Power and wealth: Zhang Ruolan’s willingness to spend her entire fortune shows how money can motivate dangerous alliances, while Gray Three’s greed drives him to accept a risky mission.
• Revenge and karmic debts: Xiao Chen’s decision to confront Gray Three reflects his desire to repay the humiliation and danger he suffered earlier.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Ruolan and Gray Three negotiate Xiao Chen’s capture, with Ruolan using authority and money while Gray Three insists on a deposit because of the increased danger.
• Ruolan warns Gray Three about Xiao Chen’s victories, forcing him to reconsider his earlier assumptions, though he ultimately remains overconfident.
• Xiao Chen’s allies investigate Gray Three’s movements, but they misinterpret Zhang Ruolan’s meeting with him as a personal matter rather than a plot against Xiao Chen.
• Zhang Heilu’s pursuit is fueled by his hostility toward Xiao Chen and his resentment over Xiao Chen’s closeness with Zhou Lingxue.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen knowingly or unknowingly entering a dangerous pursuit while detecting two followers behind him.

Chapter Summary: The Black Estate’s Mysterious Cloaked Being

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen realizes that Zhang Ruolan did not send Zhang Heilu and Gray Three to buy Crossing Pigs, but to capture and torment him.
• Rather than remain near the orderly county city, Xiao Chen deliberately travels along a remote mountain path toward Red Mountain and the Nether Forest—the place where his troubles in the Nether Realm began.
• Knowing he is being followed, Xiao Chen stops and openly challenges his pursuers. Zhang Heilu reveals himself first, followed by Gray Three, who had concealed himself using an advanced stealth technique.
• Zhang Heilu accuses Xiao Chen of having an improper relationship with Miss Lingxia and attacks him out of jealousy. Xiao Chen firmly denies the accusation.
• Zhang Heilu launches his powerful Heavenly Deer King-Shattering Fist, expecting to overwhelm Xiao Chen. However, Xiao Chen counters with a single punch using Jia Wood Power and the Jia Wood World-Suppressing Scripture.
• Xiao Chen’s attack destroys Zhang Heilu’s divine deer Dharma Form and sends him crashing into the ground, severely injured.
• Gray Three notices that the Void-Locking Power previously restricting Xiao Chen has disappeared. He connects this to rumors about a mysterious cloaked figure who recently used Thousand Mountains Essence to seize a Spirit-Breaking Pill from the Wang Clan.
• Gray Three begins to suspect that Xiao Chen is actually the mysterious cloaked being the Wang Clan has been searching for. Zhang Heilu is shocked by the possibility, since the cloaked figure was rumored to possess an extraordinary background and unfathomable strength.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Becomes more confident and composed after recovering his cultivation. Instead of fleeing, he intentionally leads his enemies to a remote battlefield and waits for them. His ability to detect both Zhang Heilu and Gray Three demonstrates remarkable perception, while his one-punch victory reveals that his true combat strength far exceeds his apparent First Realm Body King cultivation.
• Zhang Heilu: His jealousy and wounded pride drive him into a reckless confrontation. Despite being a Fourth Realm Martial King and using his strongest wood-element technique, he is decisively defeated by Xiao Chen. His confidence collapses into shock and doubt.
• Gray Three: Initially confident in the superiority of his Sixth Realm cultivation and concealment arts, he becomes unsettled when Xiao Chen detects him. After witnessing Xiao Chen’s power and noticing the disappearance of the Void-Locking Power, Gray Three begins piecing together Xiao Chen’s hidden identity.
• Zhang Ruolan: Though absent from the confrontation, she is revealed to have orchestrated the attempt to capture Xiao Chen.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Xiao Chen appears to be a lowly “Crossing Pig,” but his actual abilities and possible identity as the mysterious cloaked being challenge everyone’s assumptions.
• Reversal of power: The hunters expect to dominate Xiao Chen, yet he controls the encounter from the beginning and defeats the stronger-looking opponent with ease.
• Jealousy and irrationality: Zhang Heilu’s unfounded suspicion regarding Miss Lingxia motivates his attack and blinds him to the true danger Xiao Chen poses.
• Karma and closure: Xiao Chen returns to the place where his Nether Realm hardships began, suggesting that confronting his pursuers there is a symbolic attempt to end the cycle of misfortune and settle old debts.
• Reputation versus reality: Rumors portray the cloaked being as an unfathomably powerful figure, while Xiao Chen’s apparent identity makes such a connection seem impossible—yet the clues increasingly point to the two being the same person.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen coldly confronts Zhang Heilu and Gray Three, refusing to be intimidated by their ambush.
• Zhang Heilu accuses Xiao Chen of seducing Miss Lingxia, while Xiao Chen rejects the allegation and insists they are innocent.
• Gray Three sympathizes with Zhang Heilu’s jealousy but remains focused on Xiao Chen’s unusual strength and concealed abilities.
• Zhang Heilu and Gray Three briefly coordinate against Xiao Chen, with Gray Three planning to observe while Zhang Heilu attacks.
• After Xiao Chen’s overwhelming counterattack, Gray Three and Zhang Heilu shift from confidence to astonishment as they begin to suspect that Xiao Chen’s true identity is far more significant than expected.

Chapter Summary: “Zhang Heilu’s Fear!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Wang Clan has secretly continued investigating the mysterious hooded figure from the Black Estate. Zhang Heilu and Gray Three realize that this figure may be Xiao Chen, the supposedly lowly Crossing Pig.
• Gray Three deduces that Xiao Chen must have used a Spirit-Breaking Pill to restore his King Source Energy and rapidly recover. He also suspects that Xiao Chen possesses other valuable treasures because of his earlier use of the Thousand Mountains Essence.
• Xiao Chen openly confirms that he was the hooded bidder at the Black Estate. His frank confession alarms Zhang Heilu and Gray Three, who soon realize that he intends to kill them and silence them permanently.
• Gray Three mocks Xiao Chen’s strength and rejects the idea of karma, believing that the strong naturally prey upon the weak. Zhang Heilu, badly injured by Xiao Chen’s earlier punch, urges Gray Three to attack.
• Gray Three unleashes his Thieving Specter Power, summoning a terrifying spectral rat. Xiao Chen counters with powerful sword intent and violet divine light, destroying the attack and gaining the upper hand.
• His strength shocks both opponents. They recognize that Xiao Chen is not an ordinary lower-realm cultivator: he possesses extraordinary physical cultivation, martial techniques, swordsmanship, and the Thousand Mountains Essence.
• When Gray Three demands to know Xiao Chen’s origins and backer, Xiao Chen claims that an elder of the Demon Heaven Sect secretly arranged his spiritual ascension.
• Zhang Heilu is terrified by this revelation because the Demon Heaven Sect is one of the Primordial Minor Domain’s three supreme powers, vastly beyond the influence of the Zhang Clan.
• Gray Three doubts Xiao Chen’s claim, noticing that the demonic aura on Xiao Chen’s token has faded. Nevertheless, he decides that Xiao Chen must be forcibly subdued and interrogated, since allowing him to survive could expose their crimes.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Reveals himself as the Black Estate’s mysterious hooded figure and demonstrates overwhelming confidence. He has progressed from a seemingly weak Crossing Pig into a formidable warrior capable of suppressing Gray Three. He also shows himself to be calculating, using the Demon Heaven Sect as a possible deterrent and concealing the true extent of his background.
• Gray Three: Changes from greedy confidence to guarded suspicion and unease after Xiao Chen destroys his attack. He recognizes that Xiao Chen may have powerful backing and valuable treasures, but his greed and fear push him toward violence rather than retreat.
• Zhang Heilu: His arrogance collapses after Xiao Chen defeats him with one punch. Already severely injured and unable to stand, he becomes increasingly frightened when Xiao Chen invokes the Demon Heaven Sect, realizing that their actions may have provoked an overwhelming enemy.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identity and deceptive appearances: Xiao Chen’s image as a lowly Crossing Pig contrasts sharply with his true strength, resources, and connections.
• Power and survival: Gray Three embodies the belief that the strong prey upon the weak, while Xiao Chen’s actions suggest that cruelty and exploitation eventually bring consequences.
• Karma and retribution: Xiao Chen argues that evil inevitably receives its due, presenting his planned execution of Gray Three as karmic punishment for Gray Three’s many crimes.
• Fear of greater powers: The Demon Heaven Sect’s name instantly terrifies Zhang Heilu, emphasizing the vast hierarchy between local clans and domain-level forces.
• Greed versus caution: Gray Three’s desire to obtain Xiao Chen’s treasures prevents him from withdrawing, even after recognizing the danger of fighting him.

Character Interactions

• Gray Three views Xiao Chen as a valuable source of treasures or a bargaining chip to trade to the Wang Clan.
• Xiao Chen confronts Gray Three morally, criticizing his life of robbery and murder, but Gray Three dismisses the idea of wrongdoing.
• Zhang Heilu pressures Gray Three to attack, while Gray Three attempts to assess Xiao Chen’s strength and origins.
• Xiao Chen’s successful counterattack reverses the power dynamic, forcing both men to fear him.
• Zhang Heilu believes Xiao Chen’s Demon Heaven Sect token may prove a genuine connection, whereas Gray Three remains skeptical but still feels compelled to eliminate Xiao Chen.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gray Three attacks Xiao Chen despite knowing that Xiao Chen possesses the Demon Heaven Sect token, provoking Zhang Heilu’s alarm.
• Xiao Chen counters with a Supreme Thunder Art, manifesting a divine bow and firing lightning arrows that overwhelm Gray Three’s sinister blade technique.
• Although Gray Three possesses a higher cultivation realm and specializes in stealth and evasion, Xiao Chen’s mastery of multiple powerful arts—including Sword Dao, Six Wheels, Jade Serpent Power, and Thunder Dao—gives him a decisive advantage.
• Xiao Chen wounds Gray Three repeatedly with thunder arrows, leaving him bloodied and humiliated.
• Realizing he cannot defeat Xiao Chen alone, Gray Three abandons his pride and calls on Zhang Heilu for assistance.
• Zhang Heilu consumes a powerful spirit pill to temporarily restore his strength after Xiao Chen’s earlier attack severely injured him.
• The two enemies join forces and unleash their strongest techniques: Gray Three uses the Three-Force Heaven-Seizing Blade, while Zhang Heilu employs Sacred Deer Plows Heaven.
• Xiao Chen responds with the Yin Spirit Scythe, an invisible soul-targeting attack. It strikes Zhang Heilu first, severing his vitality and killing him without leaving visible wounds.
• Gray Three recognizes that Xiao Chen has used a terrifying Yin Spirit technique and is shocked by the speed and lethality of the attack.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates overwhelming versatility and combat potential. Despite his restricted realm and limited King Source Energy, he can combine numerous supreme arts and fight opponents above his level.
• His anger toward Gray Three is revealed to be deeply personal: Gray Three once kidnapped him while he was weakened and intended to sell him to Zhang Ruolan as a plaything.
• Gray Three, previously arrogant and confident in his stealth abilities, becomes fearful and desperate after Xiao Chen repeatedly pierces him with lightning arrows. He is forced to seek Zhang Heilu’s help.
• Zhang Heilu undergoes a sharp reversal from contempt to terror. He realizes Xiao Chen may surpass many renowned Heavenly Seedling prodigies, yet he still chooses to fight after taking a restorative pill. His decision ultimately leads to his death.
• Xiao Chen’s victory over Zhang Heilu establishes him as a force capable of instantly killing powerful opponents through attacks that bypass physical defenses.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and underestimated talent: Xiao Chen’s origins in the lower realm cause others to dismiss him, but his extraordinary mastery of multiple Daos proves that realm and background do not determine true strength.
• Retribution and unresolved hatred: Xiao Chen’s attack is fueled by Gray Three’s past betrayal and attempted humiliation, turning the battle into an act of vengeance.
• Versatility versus cultivation realm: Although Gray Three has a higher realm, Xiao Chen’s wider arsenal and superior techniques allow him to dominate the fight.
• Pride giving way to desperation: Gray Three and Zhang Heilu are forced to abandon arrogance, cooperate, and use their ultimate techniques, but even their combined assault cannot withstand Xiao Chen.
• Visible strength versus hidden lethality: The thunder attacks overwhelm the battlefield openly, while the Yin Spirit Scythe kills Zhang Heilu invisibly by destroying his soul and vitality.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Heilu initially condemns Gray Three for attacking someone protected by the Demon Heaven Sect token, but later joins him when survival becomes more important than caution.
• Gray Three pressures Zhang Heilu to act by arguing that Xiao Chen must be eliminated completely because their conflict is already irreconcilable.
• The two temporarily fight side by side, coordinating their strongest techniques against Xiao Chen.
• Xiao Chen answers their alliance alone, killing Zhang Heilu first and leaving Gray Three terrified and isolated.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Wanxiong’s Rage!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gray Three realizes that Xiao Chen can wield the terrifying Yin Spirit art, a forbidden technique even more mysterious and dangerous than the Heavenly Thunder Sacred Art. Horrified, he abandons the fight and attempts to flee.
• After killing Zhang Heilu, Xiao Chen understands that Gray Three must not escape. If Gray Three informs the Zhang Family and Wang Clan, both powerful factions will likely hunt him down.
• Gray Three uses the powerful Uncanny Wind Rat-Escape Grand Art, sacrificing part of his foundation to vanish into an illusory mist. Xiao Chen counters by transforming into Tianfeng and using the mysteries of wind to intercept him.
• Xiao Chen severely wounds Gray Three with a palm strike, then beheads him with Dragon Slayer. Gray Three attempts to send a message to the Zhang and Wang families by burning his divine soul, but Xiao Chen destroys the escaping black smoke with Void-Slayer.
• Xiao Chen searches the corpses and obtains 330,000 Nether Copper Coins, more than one hundred low-grade Nether Spirit Crystals, and the Demon Heaven Sect token. He deliberately leaves behind their weapons to avoid exposing his involvement.
• He erases the battle’s traces, buries both bodies in the wilderness, and secretly returns to the Zhou Estate.
• The King Guards who had betrayed Xiao Chen by revealing his whereabouts are shocked to see him return unharmed. They report this to Liu Wanxiong.
• Liu Wanxiong becomes furious and incredulous upon learning that Zhang Heilu failed to kill Xiao Chen. His frustration comes not from concern for Zhang Heilu or the feud over Zhou Lingxia, but from his obsession with obtaining Xiao Chen’s Indestructible Golden Body.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, speed, spiritual perception, and tactical awareness. He decisively eliminates both enemies and carefully conceals the evidence, showing increased caution after recognizing the threat posed by the Zhang Family and Wang Clan. Breaking the spirit curse has also restored his confidence and allowed his true potential to emerge.
• Gray Three: His arrogance collapses into terror once he recognizes Xiao Chen’s mastery of Yin Spirit techniques. Even after being defeated, he remains spiteful and attempts to alert Xiao Chen’s enemies, revealing his vindictiveness and refusal to accept responsibility for his fate.
• Zhang Heilu: His defeat and death reinforce his recklessness and inability to match Xiao Chen, despite his anger over Zhou Lingxia and the stolen marriage bond.
• Liu Wanxiong: His obsession with Xiao Chen’s Indestructible Golden Body becomes clearer. He treats Zhang Heilu merely as a tool and reacts with rage because a valuable opportunity to eliminate Xiao Chen was wasted.

Significant Themes

• Retribution and karma: Xiao Chen declares that Gray Three’s death is the result of his own evil actions. Gray Three fails to understand that the consequences he faces stem from his cruelty and impure intentions.
• The danger of exposure: Xiao Chen recognizes that defeating powerful enemies is not enough; he must also prevent news of the battle from reaching their clans. Survival depends on secrecy and careful disposal of evidence.
• Power and hidden potential: Once the spirit curse is broken, Xiao Chen’s abilities and confidence return, allowing him to compete with beings from the Nether Realm despite their stronger foundations.
• Arrogance versus prudence: Gray Three’s confidence in his escape technique leads him to taunt Xiao Chen, while Xiao Chen’s caution and decisiveness ensure that no witness survives.
• Predation and reversal: Gray Three, who had spent his life hunting and killing others, dies at the hands of someone he considered a lower-realm “creature,” symbolizing the reversal of the hunter and prey relationship.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Gray Three: Their confrontation shifts from Gray Three’s confidence to complete terror. Xiao Chen prevents his escape, defeats him, and destroys his final attempt to call for help.
• Xiao Chen and Zhang Heilu: Though Zhang Heilu is already dead at the chapter’s opening, his death serves as the catalyst for Gray Three’s flight and for Xiao Chen’s fear of retaliation from the Zhang and Wang families.
• Xiao Chen and the Zhou Estate’s King Guards: The guards secretly betray Xiao Chen by reporting his movements, but his unharmed return leaves them frightened and suspicious.
• Liu Wanxiong and Zhang Heilu: Liu Wanxiong bitterly condemns Zhang Heilu for failing to kill Xiao Chen, revealing that he viewed the ambush primarily as a chance to obtain the Indestructible Golden Body rather than as revenge.

Chapter Summary: “The Zhang Family Demands Answers!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Wanxiong remains consumed by anxiety over Xiao Chen’s continued freedom and the still-unattained Golden Body. He believes Zhang Heilu and Gray Three were not merely unsuccessful but were killed by an overwhelmingly powerful opponent.
• After returning to the Zhou Estate, Xiao Chen secretly reflects on his situation. He wants to leave Changping Commandery and travel to the Demon Heaven Sect, both to pursue greater power and to avoid the consequences of Zhang Heilu’s death.
• Xiao Chen has concealed Zhang Heilu’s death from Zhou Lingxia. Although Gray Three’s death may not provoke much retaliation, Zhang Heilu’s disappearance is dangerous because he was a member of the powerful Zhang Family.
• During meditation, Xiao Chen receives a revelation from the former Martial God, Zhao Xingtian. He learns that the Martial God True Intent is divided into nine stages, each corresponding to a realm of cultivation.
• The first stage is the “Kill” intent, called Blood-Sea Star Sinking. To awaken it, Xiao Chen must locate and refine the Blood-Sea Star-Sinking Stone. Zhao Xingtian tells him to “seek it through demons,” leading Xiao Chen to suspect that the Demon Heaven Sect or Demon Heaven Ancient Mountain may contain clues.
• Two days later, Zhang Heilu and Gray Three’s disappearance becomes public. The Zhang Family discovers that Zhang Heilu’s soul tablet has shattered, confirming his death.
• Enraged, the Zhang Family launches a broad investigation throughout Changping, interrogating people in streets, wine houses, and brothels. They view the killing as both the loss of a clan member and a direct public challenge to their authority.
• Since Zhang Heilu had harmed and offended many people, numerous individuals possess possible motives. However, the Zhang Family avoids directly confronting major powers such as the Wang and Zhou Families.
• At the Zhou Estate, Zhou Lingxia and A Ying question Xiao Chen about Zhang Heilu’s death. Xiao Chen feigns surprise and denies ever meeting Zhang Heilu since entering the Nether Realm.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen becomes more cautious and strategic. He understands that his greatest immediate danger is not simply exposure, but being trapped in the Nether Realm as a lifelong servant without enough strength to escape.
• He also gains a clearer long-term goal: reaching the Demon Heaven Sect may provide both a path to freedom and information about the Blood-Sea Star-Sinking Stone.
• Xiao Chen’s encounter with Zhao Xingtian reveals the true potential of his Martial God Sacred Physique. His ambition and determination to cultivate intensify as he learns that mastering the Nine Martial God Intentions could make him nearly invincible.
• Liu Wanxiong is shown to be increasingly obsessed with Xiao Chen and the secrets surrounding the Golden Body. His inability to act openly frustrates him.
• Zhang Heilu, though absent from the chapter as a living character, is characterized through others’ reactions as cruel, arrogant, and widely hated. His death creates many possible suspects.
• Zhou Lingxia is anxious because rumors connect her romantically with Xiao Chen and suggest Zhang Heilu may have sought revenge. She suspects Xiao Chen but is not certain.
• A Ying remains protective and observant. Although suspicious of Xiao Chen, she eventually accepts that he appears incapable of killing Zhang Heilu.

Significant Themes

• Power and survival: Xiao Chen realizes that strength is the only reliable means of escaping control and avoiding future catastrophe.
• Secrecy and deception: Xiao Chen must conceal the truth about Zhang Heilu’s death while maintaining a harmless appearance before the Zhou Family.
• The dangers of status and political power: Zhang Heilu’s death is dangerous not because of his personal virtue, but because of his connection to a prestigious Ancient Clan.
• Destiny and cultivation: The Blood-Sea Star-Sinking Stone and the Nine Martial God Intentions introduce the idea that supreme power depends on both effort and Heavenly Destiny.
• Consequences of violence: Zhang Heilu’s history of cruelty creates countless potential enemies, making it difficult for the Zhang Family to identify the real killer.
• Freedom versus bondage: Xiao Chen’s status as a servant restricts his movement, emphasizing that cultivation is necessary not only for strength but also for personal freedom.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Zhao Xingtian: Zhao Xingtian appears within Xiao Chen’s Sea of Consciousness and explains the Martial God True Intent, its nine stages, and the need to find the Blood-Sea Star-Sinking Stone.
• The Zhang Family and Changping: The family conducts an aggressive citywide investigation, interrogating residents and Ancient Clan disciples to uncover the murderer.
• Xiao Chen, Zhou Lingxia, and A Ying: The two women confront Xiao Chen about Zhang Heilu’s death. He calmly lies, claiming he never encountered Zhang Heilu, while they assess whether he is hiding the truth.
• Zhang Heilu and his former victims: Though not shown directly, the investigation reveals that many people hated or feared him, making his death the culmination of numerous past conflicts.

Chapter Summary: Zhang Ruolan’s Grief and Fury

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Heilu suddenly dies after pursuing Xiao Chen, causing widespread celebration because of his reputation for evil. However, the Zhang Family becomes enraged and vows revenge if Xiao Chen is responsible.
• Zhou Lingxia is relieved by Zhang Heilu’s death, since he had long been her greatest hidden threat. Xiao Chen suggests that Zhang Heilu’s death is simply karmic retribution, though he privately knows he eliminated the danger for Zhou Lingxia.
• Xiao Chen’s cultivation and aura have noticeably improved after the Void-Locking Spirit Curse was broken. A Ying and Zhou Lingxia are astonished by his increasingly ethereal presence.
• Xiao Chen asks Zhou Lingxia for permission to leave Changping Commandery. He intends to pursue the Martial God’s true intent after receiving guidance from Zhao Xingtian’s dharma body, who indicated that the opportunity lies among demons.
• To address concerns about his lack of a Spirit Registry and his status as an illegal crosser, Xiao Chen reveals the Demon Heaven Insignia. Zhou Lingxia and A Ying recognize it as a token connected to the powerful Demon Heaven Sect and realize that Xiao Chen has an extraordinary backing.
• After Xiao Chen leaves the city, Liu Wanxiong connects his departure with the disappearances of Gray Three and Zhang Heilu. He concludes that Xiao Chen was likely also the mysterious cloaked figure who used Thousand Mountains Essence against the Wang Clan’s Heavenly Maiden.
• A Zhang Family elder questions Zhang Ruolan about her brother’s death. She identifies Xiao Chen as the culprit and explains that her brother had recently clashed with him.
• The elder refuses to believe that a lowly Mortal World “Crossing Pig” could kill both Zhang Heilu, a powerful Fist Dao cultivator, and Gray Three, a Sixth Realm Martial King. He dismisses Zhang Ruolan’s accusations and leaves.
• Grief-stricken and furious, Zhang Ruolan vows revenge and begins publicly spreading claims that Xiao Chen killed Zhang Heilu and Gray Three and was also the cloaked figure involved in the Wang Clan incident.
• Her accusations initially seem like the ravings of a grieving woman, but the connection to the Wang Clan’s stolen Spirit-Breaking Pill makes the matter serious. The next day, Wang Clan elder Wang Chuanlong visits the Zhou Family to summon Xiao Chen, only to be confronted and rebuked by a powerful Zhou Family figure.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Grows stronger and more spiritually refined after breaking the Void-Locking Spirit Curse. His connection to the Demon Heaven Sect reveals that he is far more influential and protected than others believed. He prepares to leave in pursuit of a major opportunity connected to the Martial God.
• Zhou Lingxia: Feels genuine relief at Zhang Heilu’s death and gains greater confidence in Xiao Chen after learning of his connection to the Demon Heaven Sect. She is surprised that someone she viewed as a vulnerable lower-realm cultivator possesses such powerful support.
• A Ying: Notices Xiao Chen’s dramatic improvement and becomes stunned by the significance of his Demon Heaven Insignia.
• Zhang Ruolan: Her former attraction to Xiao Chen turns completely into hatred after her brother’s death. Memories of Zhang Heilu’s lifelong protection awaken her affection and loyalty toward him, driving her to seek revenge despite others dismissing her claims.
• Liu Wanxiong: Demonstrates sharp political and investigative instincts, piecing together Xiao Chen’s involvement in multiple recent incidents.
• Wang Chuanlong and the Wang Clan: Begin taking direct action after hearing that Xiao Chen may be responsible for humiliating the Wang Clan and taking its Spirit-Breaking Pill.

Significant Themes

• Karmic justice and revenge: Zhang Heilu’s death is celebrated as punishment for his crimes, but to Zhang Ruolan it becomes the cause of a deeply personal blood feud.
• Hidden strength and identity: Xiao Chen’s true abilities and affiliations remain underestimated because of his status as a Mortal World crosser. The Demon Heaven Insignia exposes the vast power behind him.
• Grief transforming into hatred: Zhang Ruolan’s mourning changes her completely, replacing infatuation with Xiao Chen by an obsessive desire to destroy him.
• Social prejudice and misjudgment: The elite dismiss the possibility that a “Crossing Pig” could defeat powerful cultivators, allowing Xiao Chen’s real strength to remain concealed.
• Political escalation: Individual deaths rapidly develop into a conflict involving the Zhang, Wang, and Zhou Families, threatening a much wider confrontation.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen reassures Zhou Lingxia about Zhang Heilu’s death and asks her permission to leave.
• A Ying and Zhou Lingxia examine Xiao Chen’s improved aura and question the source of his transformation.
• Xiao Chen reveals the Demon Heaven Insignia to both women, changing their understanding of his status.
• Liu Wanxiong privately analyzes the links between Xiao Chen, Gray Three, Zhang Heilu, and the cloaked figure.
• Zhang Ruolan pleads with the Zhang Family elder to investigate Xiao Chen, but he rejects her testimony.
• Wang Chuanlong attempts to summon Xiao Chen through the Zhou Family, prompting a public confrontation and signaling the beginning of open inter-family conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Wolf’s Heart, Dog’s Lungs!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Wang Clan arrives on Zhou Family territory seeking to question or summon one of the Zhou Family’s slaves because of rumors involving the Wang Clan’s Heavenly Maiden. The Zhou Family refuses to yield, and the confrontation ends with the Wang Clan being driven away.
• The Zhang and Zhou Clans dismiss the exaggerated rumors that a “Crossing Pig” slew Zhang Heilu and Gray Three, while the Wang Clan’s investigation also fails. Because the Ancient Clans deeply underestimate Crossing Pigs, Xiao Chen’s true identity remains concealed, and the crisis temporarily subsides.
• Liu Wanxiong privately confronts Xiao Chen, having realized that Xiao Chen likely killed Zhang Heilu and Gray Three and was also the mysterious hooded expert who opposed the Wang Clan’s Heavenly Maiden.
• Rather than exposing Xiao Chen, Liu Wanxiong demands the Golden Body Sacred Art in exchange for silence. Xiao Chen pretends to need time to consider, then recognizes that Liu Wanxiong wants to use the art—or possibly Xiao Chen’s body—as a sacrificial resource to achieve an Indestructible Golden Body.
• Xiao Chen concludes that Changping is becoming too dangerous. The Zhang Family may eventually uncover the truth, and Liu Wanxiong is powerful enough to pose a serious threat, so Xiao Chen resolves to escape.
• Xiao Chen asks Zhou Lingxia to help dissolve his slave contract and leave the Zhou Estate. After three days, she returns with what initially sounds like approval, but reveals that her parents will only allow him to leave after he serves the Zhou Family for one hundred years.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Remains cautious and composed while concealing his abilities. He becomes increasingly suspicious of Liu Wanxiong and disillusioned with the Zhou Family. His anger rises when he learns that the Golden Body Sacred Art has not truly bought his freedom, strengthening his determination to escape.
• Liu Wanxiong: Reveals himself as an opportunist with predatory ambitions. He sees Xiao Chen not merely as a subordinate but as an exceptionally valuable sacrifice who could help him break through to the Golden Body realm.
• Zhou Lingxia: Shows genuine concern and guilt toward Xiao Chen. Although she tries to help him, she lacks authority over her parents and is forced to deliver their exploitative conditions.
• Zhou Lingxia’s parents: Their attitude exposes the Ancient Clans’ belief that slaves remain permanently bound to their masters. They value Xiao Chen primarily for his usefulness and the Golden Body Sacred Art.
• A Ying: Defends Zhou Lingxia and criticizes Xiao Chen for wanting to leave, reflecting the estate’s assumption that his loyalty should be permanent.

Significant Themes

• Prejudice and underestimated strength: The Ancient Clans’ entrenched belief that Crossing Pigs are weak allows Xiao Chen to evade suspicion despite his extraordinary victories.
• Exploitation and false gratitude: Xiao Chen believes he has repaid his debt by giving the Zhou Family the Golden Body Sacred Art, but the family treats his gift as justification for demanding even more service.
• Freedom versus obligation: Xiao Chen’s desire to escape his slave status conflicts with the Zhou Family’s belief that his life belongs to them.
• Greed and ambition: Liu Wanxiong’s interest in Xiao Chen is driven by the possibility of using him as a sacrifice for personal advancement.
• The danger of hidden identity: Xiao Chen’s disguises protect him temporarily, but the secrets surrounding his strength and past killings continue to place him in danger.

Character Interactions

• The Wang and Zhou Clans clash over the rumors surrounding the Heavenly Maiden, demonstrating their rivalry and mutual concern for preserving face.
• Liu Wanxiong and Xiao Chen engage in a tense private negotiation: Liu threatens him indirectly through his knowledge of Xiao Chen’s identity, while Xiao Chen carefully probes Liu’s motives.
• Xiao Chen meets Zhou Lingxia to request freedom. She initially appears supportive, but her parents’ demand for a century of service reveals the limits of her influence and the Zhou Family’s lack of true gratitude.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen’s fury intensifying as he realizes that, despite giving the Zhou Family a priceless inheritance, they still regard him as a slave.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Lingxia explains that her parents will not release Xiao Chen from his servant status unless he serves the Zhou Family for one hundred years.
• Xiao Chen considers the demand an outrageous humiliation. He believes he has already repaid the Zhou Family’s kindness by giving them the Golden Body Sacred Art.
• After Zhou Lingxia leaves, Xiao Chen drinks in anger and reflects on the betrayals and misfortunes he has suffered since entering the Nether Realm.
• Realizing the Zhou Family intends to imprison him permanently, Xiao Chen decides to escape that very night.
• Before he can get far, two Advanced King Guards—Gao Tian and Li Xiu, also identified as Fourth-Realm Moon Kings—intercept him. They reveal that the Zhou Patriarch ordered Xiao Chen confined to his residence after labeling him rebellious.
• Xiao Chen recognizes that the Zhou Family had anticipated his escape and deliberately sent powerful body cultivators to restrain him.
• Although Xiao Chen now possesses enough strength to defeat them, he avoids acting recklessly because killing them could alert the entire Zhou Family and result in his being surrounded.
• Li Xiu suggests secretly taking Xiao Chen away to force him to reveal the Golden Body Sacred Art. He tempts Gao Tian with the possibility of obtaining the technique and escaping afterward.
• Seeing their greed and internal division, Xiao Chen offers to hand over the sacred art if they take him to a barren mountain and release him.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: His gratitude toward the Zhou Family turns into anger and distrust after they demand a century of servitude despite his repayment. He remains calm toward Zhou Lingxia, recognizing that she is powerless, but becomes increasingly resolute and willing to risk escape. He also demonstrates strategic restraint, choosing manipulation over direct violence.
• Zhou Lingxia: She shows guilt and sympathy toward Xiao Chen but admits that she cannot oppose her parents or control her own fate, highlighting her lack of authority within the family.
• Father and Mother Zhou: Their greed and lack of gratitude become clear. They view Xiao Chen not as a benefactor or guest, but as a valuable resource whose sacred art can improve their youngest son’s cultivation. Their promise to free him after one hundred years is revealed to be deceptive; they never intended to let him go.
• Gao Tian: Initially presents himself as loyal to the Zhou Family, but his resolve weakens when Li Xiu offers him the chance to obtain the Golden Body Sacred Art. His hesitation reveals his susceptibility to temptation.
• Li Xiu: He is openly ambitious and ruthless. He plans to seize the sacred art, kill Xiao Chen to silence him, and flee, embodying the chapter’s emphasis on treacherous human nature.
• Zhou Tian and the Zhou guards: Their jealousy toward Xiao Chen’s superior body-cultivation talent fuels their hostility, especially because they cannot cultivate the Golden Body Sacred Art themselves.

3. Significant Themes

• Greed versus gratitude: The Zhou Family has already gained enormous benefits from Xiao Chen, yet continues demanding more, showing how greed can erase all sense of moral obligation.
• Betrayal and treacherous human nature: Nearly every person Xiao Chen has encountered has exploited or betrayed him. The guards’ sudden willingness to betray the Zhou Family for the sacred art reinforces the idea that human hearts can be more dangerous than demons.
• Freedom and dignity: Xiao Chen regards a hundred years of servitude as a fate worse than danger or death. His escape attempt represents his refusal to surrender his independence.
• Power and exploitation: The Zhou Family uses its authority to imprison Xiao Chen and exploit his knowledge for the benefit of their child. The sacred art becomes both a source of power and the reason Xiao Chen is trapped.
• Strategic patience: Despite possessing overwhelming strength, Xiao Chen understands that reckless action could place him in greater danger. He uses the guards’ greed to create an opportunity for escape.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Zhou Lingxia: Their exchange is sympathetic and restrained. Lingxia apologizes for her parents, while Xiao Chen reassures her and does not blame her for circumstances beyond her control.
• Xiao Chen and the Zhou Family: Their relationship has shifted from one of gratitude to open conflict. Xiao Chen believes he has repaid his debt, while the Zhou Family insists that he belongs to them permanently.
• Xiao Chen and Gao Tian/Li Xiu: The guards initially confront him as loyal enforcers, but Li Xiu’s greed quickly creates tension between them. Xiao Chen silently observes their moral collapse and exploits their desire for the sacred art.
• Gao Tian and Li Xiu: Li Xiu pressures Gao Tian to abandon his duty and join him in stealing the technique. Gao Tian hesitates, caught between fear, loyalty, and ambition.
• The Zhou Family and their youngest son: The parents’ desire to give their son access to the Golden Body Sacred Art explains why they refuse to release Xiao Chen and why they consider him too valuable to lose.

Chapter Summary: “Silver Radiance Shone!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xiu and Gao Tian escort Xiao Chen out of Changping Commandery, claiming they will release him if he reveals the Golden Body Sacred Art.
• Xiao Chen immediately recognizes that they intend to kill him even after obtaining the technique. He deliberately allows them to lead him into a remote mountain wilderness, turning the situation into an ambush.
• Li Xiu attacks first with the powerful Frost Rhino Exploding Fist, summoning the image of a gigantic Twin-Headed Demon Rhino and unleashing overwhelming ice-and-fire force.
• Xiao Chen effortlessly evades the attack using the Tianfeng movement technique, revealing that his apparent First-Level Body King cultivation is a disguise.
• He kills Li Xiu instantly by slicing through his supposedly iron-like body with his palm.
• Gao Tian realizes that Xiao Chen is at least a Fifth-Level Body King and that the rumors concerning his Void-Locking Spirit Curse are true.
• Gao Tian begs for mercy, claiming that he only wanted to rise above his circumstances. Xiao Chen rejects him, arguing that someone who intended to kill him cannot expect compassion.
• When Gao Tian curses him, Xiao Chen kills him with a single sword strike, revealing that he is also a formidable sword cultivator.
• Xiao Chen loots the bodies and hides them inside the stomachs of nearby beasts, carefully erasing all traces of the killings.
• Just as he begins to relax, a mysterious figure radiating brilliant silver light appears and praises Xiao Chen’s extraordinary abilities.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates exceptional intelligence, caution, and ruthlessness. He sees through the false promise made by Li Xiu and Gao Tian and manipulates the situation so that he can eliminate them on favorable ground.
• He reveals that his true strength is vastly greater than his apparent cultivation level, possessing extraordinary movement, physical power, and swordsmanship.
• Xiao Chen’s moral outlook becomes clear: he does not kill without cause, but he refuses to forgive those who deliberately plot against him. His belief that “he who kills shall be killed” guides his actions.
• Li Xiu is exposed as arrogant and overconfident. He assumes Xiao Chen’s low status and apparent cultivation make him helpless, only realizing too late that Xiao Chen’s combat ability far exceeds his own.
• Gao Tian shifts rapidly from hostility to fear and desperation after witnessing Li Xiu’s death. His final realization that Xiao Chen is a sword cultivator emphasizes how badly he misjudged his opponent.
• The newly arrived silver-robed or silver-radiant figure is introduced as a powerful and possibly dangerous observer who already knows of Xiao Chen’s reputation.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and justified retaliation: Li Xiu and Gao Tian intend to break their promise and murder Xiao Chen, but their treachery leads directly to their deaths.
• Hidden strength and underestimated origins: Xiao Chen’s status as a “Crossing Pig” from the Mortal Turbid World causes others to underestimate him, while his true abilities are extraordinarily advanced.
• The law of cause and effect: Xiao Chen repeatedly emphasizes that those who plant the cause of murder must accept its consequences.
• Survival in a brutal world: Trust is rare, and mercy toward enemies can be fatal. Xiao Chen’s cautious and decisive behavior reflects the harshness of his environment.
• Contradictions in identity: Xiao Chen combines lowly origins with an indestructible body, powerful martial cultivation, and exceptional swordsmanship, making him an astonishing anomaly.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen confronts Li Xiu and Gao Tian over their insincere promise, exposing their hidden intention to silence him.
• Li Xiu responds with violence and attacks Xiao Chen, but Xiao Chen’s effortless evasion and overwhelming counterattack reverse the power dynamic.
• Gao Tian moves from contempt to shock, then to pleading, but Xiao Chen refuses to spare him because of his earlier murderous intent.
• After both men are killed, the mysterious silver figure openly praises Xiao Chen, creating a new confrontation and suggesting that someone far more powerful has been watching him.

Chapter Summary: “Fierce Battle, Suppression!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing Li Xiu and Gao Tian, Xiao Chen discovers that Liu Wanxiong has secretly followed him from the Zhou estate.
• Liu reveals that he deliberately allowed Li Xiu and Gao Tian to die, intending to use their deaths to avoid responsibility and eventually claim Xiao Chen’s Golden Body.
• Xiao Chen offers Liu the Golden Body Sacred Art in exchange for safe passage, but Liu refuses and reveals his plan to refine Xiao Chen’s body, bones, and blood into medicine.
• Liu launches an attack using the terrifying Feiyi Myriad-Insect Palm, an art modeled after the ancient savage beast Feiyi.
• Xiao Chen counters with his own body power and survives the initial clash, shocking Liu despite being exhausted and three realms below him.
• The battle escalates into a fierce struggle involving swordsmanship, body cultivation, blood and qi, lightning, and Liu’s three-meter Wolf Tooth Mace.
• After more than a hundred exchanges, Xiao Chen begins to fall behind in raw strength. Liu’s superior cultivation and Eighth Realm Body King status gradually give him the advantage, though Xiao Chen’s performance remains astonishing.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Becomes more cautious and recognizes the danger of underestimating opponents in the Nether Realm. Though exhausted and reluctant to use his final trump card, the True Demon, he remains determined to survive. His extraordinary Martial God Physique allows him to withstand an opponent three realms higher, but he realizes that his usual advantage in physical strength is no longer absolute.
• Liu Wanxiong: Reveals himself as calculating, ruthless, and opportunistic. He sacrificed his own subordinates politically and intends to turn Xiao Chen into a source of cultivation materials. His confidence is shaken when Xiao Chen resists his attacks, but his greed and desire to form a Golden Body intensify.
• Spectating birds: Two vicious birds witness the clash and recognize the frightening power of Liu’s Feiyi-based technique, emphasizing the battle’s significance.

Significant Themes

• Predator and prey: Xiao Chen’s realization that Liu has been following him reverses the apparent outcome of his earlier victory.
• Survival versus pride: Xiao Chen considers surrendering the Golden Body Sacred Art rather than risk death, showing his practical priorities despite his anger.
• Cultivation disparity: The Nether Realm’s stronger foundations make realm differences far more meaningful than in the Mortal World.
• Greed and exploitation: Liu views Xiao Chen not as a person but as raw material for an evil refining technique.
• Hidden strength and potential: Xiao Chen’s ability to fight an Eighth Realm Body King while severely depleted demonstrates the exceptional power of his body and the divine essence within him.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen confronts Liu over his failure to save Li Xiu and Gao Tian. Liu coldly explains that their deaths benefited him.
• Xiao Chen attempts to negotiate by offering the Golden Body Sacred Art, but Liu rejects the deal and openly threatens to refine him into medicine.
• Their verbal exchange quickly becomes a life-or-death battle. Liu attacks with Feiyi power and a Wolf Tooth Mace, while Xiao Chen responds with his body cultivation, serpent-like techniques, and Dragon Slayer Sword.
• Both men recognize the battle as one neither can afford to lose: Liu seeks Xiao Chen’s Golden Body, while Xiao Chen fights for a chance to escape alive.

Chapter Summary:

A Fight for Life!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen is struck by Liu Wanxiong’s Wolf-Fang Savage Club and sent crashing through the forest. Although injured, he quickly stabilizes himself.
• Xiao Chen reflects on how much harder it has become to fight above his realm in the Nether Realm. In the Mortal World, he could easily crush opponents like Liu Wanxiong, but here he is at a disadvantage against an Eighth Realm Body King.
• Powerful birds and demons watching the battle are astonished that Xiao Chen, only at the Fifth Realm, has survived more than a hundred direct clashes with an opponent three realms higher.
• A violent storm erupts around Red Mountain. Most creatures flee, recognizing that even the battle’s aftershocks could kill them.
• Liu Wanxiong praises Xiao Chen’s extraordinary body, blood vitality, and potential, but reveals his intention to torture and exploit him. He wants Xiao Chen’s Golden Body Sacred Art, precious blood, and unusual bones so he can strengthen himself.
• Xiao Chen compares Liu Wanxiong to a former enemy who attempted to refine his spirituality into a pill, warning that Liu Wanxiong will meet the same fate.
• Liu Wanxiong claims Xiao Chen has no chance of survival because no one can intervene in this remote region. Xiao Chen counters that Liu Wanxiong is the one doomed for appearing that night.
• Liu Wanxiong launches another attack with the Feiyi Dharma Form and his savage club, eager to end the battle before outside forces notice.
• Xiao Chen finally stops holding back. He activates Six Paths Reincarnation, summons the Gonggong Divine Armor, and draws in vast amounts of Source Energy to unleash his full strength.
• Liu Wanxiong and the observing demons are shocked to discover that Xiao Chen’s armor is more powerful than an Emperor Armament—an almost unimaginable treasure to someone of Liu Wanxiong’s status.
• Xiao Chen forms a divine wheel from six ancient characters. When Liu Wanxiong attacks it, a poisonous murky yellow-green aura corrodes and completely destroys his Wolf-Fang Savage Club.
• Liu Wanxiong barely escapes by abandoning the weapon, realizing that even a moment’s hesitation would have left him infected by the deadly aura.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Though frustrated by his reduced ability to fight across realms in the Nether Realm, he demonstrates extraordinary endurance and refuses to retreat. His confidence and determination intensify, and he reveals a powerful trump card—the Gonggong Divine Armor and Six Paths Reincarnation.
• Liu Wanxiong: Initially confident that he can easily suppress Xiao Chen, he becomes increasingly greedy after discovering Xiao Chen’s treasures. His confidence is shaken when he realizes the armor surpasses Emperor Armaments and that Xiao Chen’s divine ability can destroy his weapon.
• The observing demons: Their attitude shifts from ordinary spectators to stunned witnesses of Xiao Chen’s rare talent and hidden power.

Significant Themes

• The difficulty of advancement: The chapter emphasizes that the Nether Realm is vastly superior to the Mortal World, forcing Xiao Chen to confront enemies he can no longer overwhelm effortlessly.
• Hidden strength and revelation: Xiao Chen’s true capabilities remain concealed until the critical moment, showing that apparent disadvantage does not equal defeat.
• Greed and overconfidence: Liu Wanxiong’s desire to seize Xiao Chen’s body, cultivation art, and armor blinds him to the danger of underestimating his opponent.
• Survival and determination: The battle is framed as a struggle for life, with Xiao Chen choosing to risk enormous Source Energy consumption rather than surrender.
• The value of powerful artifacts: The Gonggong Divine Armor changes the balance of the fight and demonstrates how rare, high-level treasures can transcend ordinary realm differences.

Character Interactions

• Liu Wanxiong verbally acknowledges Xiao Chen’s talent while simultaneously treating him as prey and a source of materials for cultivation.
• Xiao Chen responds with contempt and certainty, recalling his past victory over someone with similar intentions and predicting Liu Wanxiong’s death.
• Their exchange reflects the central conflict: Liu Wanxiong believes superior cultivation guarantees victory, while Xiao Chen relies on willpower, hidden techniques, and exceptional treasures.
• The final clash reverses the momentum, as Xiao Chen’s divine wheel destroys Liu Wanxiong’s weapon and forces him to retreat.

Chapter Summary: “A Pyrrhic Victory, the Profundity of the Nether Realm!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Wanxiong’s Spiritual Weapon, the wolf-fang cudgel, is destroyed when it comes into contact with Xiao Chen’s Six Paths Divine Wheel. Its rapid decay reveals the terrifying power of the Path of Pestilence, an ancient Dao associated with the World-Ending Sick Demons.
• The observing demons are shocked by Xiao Chen’s abilities. They begin to suspect that he is a peerless prodigy secretly cultivated by a powerful force, rather than an ordinary youth from the Mortal World.
• Xiao Chen unleashes the Six Paths Divine Wheel, combining the powers of sword, annihilation, mountain, sickness, calamity, and madness. Liu Wanxiong manages to resist it temporarily with his Feiyi Power, but the strain is immense.
• Xiao Chen’s energy is nearly exhausted because the Six Paths technique consumes enormous amounts of King Source Energy. To defeat Liu Wanxiong, he overdraws his strength and summons the Heaven-Prison of Ten Thousand Demons.
• The prison’s power terrifies the surrounding demons, who flee from the area. Its dark radiance immobilizes Liu Wanxiong and forces him to his knees, though he initially attempts to break free through his immense physical strength.
• The combined pressure of the Six Paths Power and Heaven-Prison eventually overwhelms Liu Wanxiong. Despite being an Eighth Realm Body King, he is defeated by Xiao Chen, a much younger Fifth Realm cultivator.
• Xiao Chen approaches Liu Wanxiong with Dragon Slayer, prepared to kill him. However, Liu offers a bargain: he claims he can arrange a counterfeit Nether Registry, allowing Xiao Chen to travel through the Nether Realm without being detected or obstructed.
• Xiao Chen is interested but distrustful. Liu demands that Xiao Chen swear upon his Dao Heart not to kill him after learning the secret.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates extraordinary combat ability by wielding six ancient Dao powers and the Heaven-Prison of Ten Thousand Demons. However, the battle exposes the limits of his current cultivation: his King Source Energy is nearly depleted, and victory comes at the edge of death. He recognizes that he remains dangerously weak compared with the experts of the Nether Realm and resolves to grow stronger quickly.
• Liu Wanxiong: His confidence and arrogance collapse as he realizes that Xiao Chen’s abilities exceed anything expected from a Fifth Realm youth. Though physically powerful and initially able to resist the divine wheel, he is ultimately subdued and forced to negotiate for his life.
• The surrounding demons: Their attitude toward Xiao Chen changes from curiosity or hostility to fear and awe. They now regard him as an unfathomable prodigy connected to an immense hidden power.

Significant Themes

• Power and its cost: Xiao Chen’s devastating techniques can defeat a stronger opponent, but they consume nearly all his energy and leave him vulnerable. His victory is therefore “Pyrrhic”—successful, yet achieved at tremendous risk.
• The vastness and danger of the Nether Realm: Even a minor clan steward from a remote frontier nearly kills Xiao Chen, highlighting how formidable the wider Nether Realm will be, especially the Demon Heaven Sect and its Half-Emperor experts.
• Hidden identity and misunderstanding: The demons interpret Xiao Chen’s powers as evidence that he comes from an unparalleled great domain. Their mistaken assumptions increase his mystique and demonstrate how unusual his abilities are.
• Survival through strategy: The conflict shifts from direct combat to negotiation once Xiao Chen wins. Liu Wanxiong attempts to use knowledge of the Nether Registry as leverage, showing that survival in the Nether Realm depends on schemes and resources as much as strength.
• The ancient Dao and forbidden power: The Path of Pestilence and the Heaven-Prison represent rare, terrifying inheritances that distinguish Xiao Chen from ordinary cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Liu Wanxiong engage in a battle of escalating techniques, with Liu resisting through Feiyi Power and physical might while Xiao Chen counters with the Six Paths Divine Wheel and Heaven-Prison.
• Liu insults Xiao Chen as a “lowly Crossing Pig,” but his contempt turns into rage and disbelief when he is forced to his knees.
• After defeating Liu, Xiao Chen treats him as a potential source of information rather than immediately killing him.
• Liu attempts to manipulate the situation by offering a counterfeit Nether Registry in exchange for his life, while Xiao Chen remains skeptical and demands an explanation.
• The chapter ends with Liu insisting that Xiao Chen first swear not to kill him, setting up a tense negotiation between victor and defeated enemy.

Chapter Summary: “Zhou Estate Shocked!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen forces Liu Wanxiong to reveal information about a powerful figure known as Zhao Liuguang, the “Saint-Hand Cunning General,” who is supposedly located in the Luminous Demon Grotto, a thousand li away.
• Despite Liu’s attempt to bargain for his life, Xiao Chen kills him with a decisive sword strike. Liu’s body, vitality, and remaining hope of survival are completely destroyed.
• The battle nearly exhausts Xiao Chen’s King Source Energy. His Six Paths Divine Wheel and Heaven-Prison of Ten Thousand Demons collapse because he has reached his limit.
• Xiao Chen realizes that prolonging the fight would have been fatal: if Liu had escaped his prison, he would have killed Xiao Chen immediately.
• Xiao Chen considers seeking Zhao Liuguang, who may be a Human Race craftsman capable of forging a false Nether Registry. Such an item could allow Xiao Chen to move safely despite the danger posed by the three Ancient Clans.
• After looting Liu’s corpse, burying the remains, and erasing traces of the battle, Xiao Chen leaves Red Mountain before dawn.
• Several bird demons witness the battle from above and are left stunned that a Fifth Realm warrior defeated and killed an Eighth Realm Body King.
• The birds conclude that Xiao Chen cannot possibly be an ordinary “Crossing Pig” from the Mortal World, as Liu had claimed. They speculate that he must possess an extraordinary origin or immense hidden backing.
• The next morning, Zhou Estate experts arrive at Red Mountain. Four of the Estate’s King Guards have disappeared, and the soul plaques of three have shattered, confirming their deaths.
• Zhou elders investigate the battlefield and detect traces of Liu Wanxiong’s Feiyi Power and lingering King Source Energy.
• Their deductions suggest that four attackers were involved, including an exceptionally powerful sword cultivator who wielded multiple False Powers.
• The investigators are shocked when they determine that the mysterious attacker possessed seven False Powers, all sharing the same origin.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, defeating an opponent three realms above him. However, the battle reveals that his strength is not limitless; he survives only by acting decisively and relying on the Gonggong Divine Armor and the fortune gained from Liu’s defeat.
• Xiao Chen becomes more cautious and strategic. He understands that his recent killings will soon be exposed and that the Ancient Clans will likely hunt him down.
• He also begins seriously considering the risks and benefits of finding Zhao Liuguang, since a forged Nether Registry could solve his immediate difficulties.
• Liu Wanxiong shifts from arrogance and resistance to fear when faced with death. He tries to trade information for his life but fails to secure Xiao Chen’s mercy.
• The bird demons undergo a change in perception: they initially regard Xiao Chen as an impossible anomaly, then reinterpret him as a hidden prodigy or divine-level figure with an extraordinary background.
• The Zhou Estate elders display strong investigative abilities, reconstructing the battle even after Xiao Chen erases its physical traces.

Significant Themes

• Power versus realm: Xiao Chen’s victory emphasizes that true strength, combat foundations, and special abilities can outweigh differences in cultivation realm.
• Survival and decisiveness: Xiao Chen’s choice to kill Liu immediately reflects the harsh logic of the cultivation world, where hesitation can lead to death.
• Hidden identity and misunderstanding: Liu’s claim that Xiao Chen is a low-status figure is exposed as absurd, while observers begin inventing theories about Xiao Chen’s mysterious origins.
• The cost of victory: Although Xiao Chen wins spectacularly, he is nearly exhausted, showing that extraordinary power comes with severe physical and energy limitations.
• Consequences of violence: The battle cannot remain secret. The deaths of the Zhou Estate’s guards and Liu’s disappearance will trigger broader investigations and place Xiao Chen in greater danger.
• Information as a weapon: Liu’s knowledge of Zhao Liuguang and the Luminous Demon Grotto may be more valuable than his combat strength, but Xiao Chen must determine whether the information is reliable.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Liu Wanxiong: Their confrontation is dominated by intimidation, desperation, and mistrust. Xiao Chen demands information while Liu attempts to negotiate, but Xiao Chen ultimately decides that Liu is too dangerous to leave alive.
• Xiao Chen and the bird demons: The birds do not interact directly with him but observe the battle, and their interpretation of his strength dramatically changes as they witness his victory.
• Zhou Estate elders among themselves: The elders debate the nature of the attacker’s abilities, initially doubting that one person could master both Sword Dao and several False Powers. Their investigation ultimately reveals an even more astonishing truth: the attacker used seven False Powers.
• Zhou Estate and Xiao Chen: Though they do not meet in this chapter, the Estate’s investigation establishes an impending conflict. Xiao Chen’s attempt to erase evidence delays discovery but cannot prevent the Zhou Estate from identifying his extraordinary presence.

Chapter Summary: “How Much? Ten Thousand?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Zhou Family investigates the deaths of Liu Wanxiong, two Advanced King Guards, and possibly Xiao Chen. The white-haired elder determines that the attacker used the Sword Dao along with seven kinds of False Power, indicating an exceptionally powerful and mysterious cultivator.
• The elders suspect the killer is the mysterious hooded figure recently seen confronting the Wang Clan’s heavenly maiden. They fear that the person may belong to an ancient and powerful clan, making retaliation dangerous.
• The Zhou Family searches the nearby mountains for clues but finds no demons, since the previous battle—especially Xiao Chen’s use of Myriad Demons Bind Heaven—has driven all demonic creatures away.
• To preserve its reputation and avoid provoking Xiao Chen, the Zhou Estate publicly claims that the four victims died while searching for treasure and encountering demons. The matter is effectively buried.
• Zhou Lingxia and A Ying, who know part of the truth, remain silent. Zhou Lingxia is deeply grateful to Xiao Chen because he saved her from Zhang Heilu and prevented her future descent into the Netherworld.
• Xiao Chen hears the Zhou Family’s official explanation while traveling toward the Luminous Demon Grotto. He realizes that the Zhou Estate spared him because they mistakenly believe he is the heir of an immensely powerful Ancient Clan.
• Rather than travel openly through Changping, Xiao Chen enters the Demon Lands, hoping both to avoid pursuit and to gather information about the Luminous Demon Grotto.
• After a difficult night of travel, Xiao Chen encounters a King Realm Nether Wolf and asks for directions. The wolf initially threatens him, but Xiao Chen attempts to bribe it with Nether Copper Coins.
• When the wolf dismisses the offer of one hundred coins, Xiao Chen raises it to ten thousand, immediately changing the wolf’s attitude. He then reveals that his question concerns the secretive location of the Luminous Demon Grotto.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen is established as extraordinarily powerful, possessing the Sword Dao and seven False Powers, yet he also demonstrates cleverness, adaptability, and a willingness to use wealth and diplomacy when convenient. He understands how fear and misunderstanding can protect him.
• The Zhou Family elders shift from outrage and thoughts of revenge to caution and helplessness after recognizing the possible strength and background of their enemy. Their public cover story shows their concern for preserving the family’s dignity.
• Zhou Lingxia develops strong gratitude and loyalty toward Xiao Chen after he saves her from Zhang Heilu’s fate. She chooses not to expose his identity.
• The Nether Wolf is initially suspicious and hostile toward Xiao Chen, but its attitude changes rapidly once it hears the offer of ten thousand Nether Copper Coins. Its greed and practicality reveal that even a powerful demon can be swayed by sufficient wealth.

Significant Themes

• Absolute strength overrides status and dignity: The Zhou Family’s prestige and authority become meaningless when faced with someone they believe may possess overwhelming power.
• Misunderstanding as protection: Xiao Chen survives because the Zhou Family misinterprets his identity and assumes he is backed by an even greater Ancient Clan.
• Power and diplomacy: The chapter contrasts Xiao Chen’s terrifying combat ability with his use of negotiation, money, and psychological insight.
• Unpredictability of fate: Xiao Chen reflects that events can change suddenly, with assumptions and circumstances reshaping the outcome from one moment to the next.
• Fear and survival: The demons’ silence, the Zhou Family’s retreat, and the Nether Wolf’s caution all show how living beings adapt when confronted with overwhelming danger.

Important Character Interactions

• The Zhou elders debate whether to pursue the mysterious hooded killer, ultimately deciding that the risk is too great.
• Zhou Lingxia and A Ying silently protect Xiao Chen by withholding what they know.
• Xiao Chen privately interprets the Zhou Family’s public statement and recognizes that their fear has unintentionally saved him.
• Xiao Chen and the Nether Wolf engage in a tense but humorous exchange: the wolf demands that he leave, while Xiao Chen repeatedly calls it “demon brother” and eventually offers ten thousand Nether Copper Coins in exchange for information.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Chen asking the now-interested Nether Wolf whether it knows about the Luminous Demon Grotto.

Chapter Summary: “The Nether Registry in Hand!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen seeks information about the Luminous Demon Grotto, a famous establishment run by Zhao Liuguang, the “Saint-Handed Trickster General,” known for forging Nether Registries and creating spatial inscriptions.
• He pays the Nether Wolf ten thousand Nether Copper Coins for information about Zhao Liuguang and learns that the Demon Heaven Sect’s annual disciple recruitment will take place at Dustmote Peak the following day.
• Realizing that missing the ceremony would delay his plans by an entire year, Xiao Chen immediately sets out for the Luminous Demon Grotto.
• To travel quickly, he forces a Divine-Fire Boar King to carry him. The boar initially resists, but Xiao Chen’s overwhelming sword intent reveals that he is a realm-crosser, causing the beast to submit.
• Xiao Chen reaches Flowlight Demon Mountain and arrives at the Luminous Demon Grotto, where he accidentally violates the rule forbidding flight above the grotto.
• He adopts the alias “Xiao E” and uses a secret art to alter his appearance, hoping to conceal his true identity before entering the Demon Heaven Sect and becoming involved with powerful enemies such as the Lan and War Families.
• The grotto guards demand three hundred thousand Nether Copper Coins before allowing him inside. Xiao Chen proves his wealth and gains entry.
• He meets Zhao Liuguang and negotiates a package deal: duplication of his Nether Registry and teleportation to Demon Heaven Mountain. The final cost is enormous—nearly all of Xiao Chen’s remaining wealth.
• Zhao completes both tasks within an hour, giving Xiao Chen the means to enter Demon Heaven under a new identity.
• Zhao warns that the Demon Heaven Sect requires recruits to reach the Moon King Realm, making Xiao Chen’s chances seem almost nonexistent. However, he notes that realm-crossers may be exempt.
• Xiao Chen remains confident, privately recognizing that Zhao’s warning does not apply to him.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates urgency, resourcefulness, and willingness to spend heavily to advance his plans. He becomes more cautious about concealing his identity, taking the name Xiao E and altering his appearance. His confrontation with the boar king also reveals his strength as a realm-crosser.
• The Nether Wolf: Shows himself to be a knowledgeable and commercially motivated informant. He eagerly provides detailed intelligence after being paid and helps Xiao Chen avoid missing the recruitment deadline.
• The Divine-Fire Boar King: Initially arrogant and furious at being forced to serve as Xiao Chen’s mount, but quickly becomes submissive after realizing Xiao Chen can cross realms.
• Zhao Liuguang: Appears outwardly kind and respectable but operates a highly profitable forgery business. He is practical, efficient, and apparently honest in his transactions. He also displays a somewhat condescending but not malicious attitude toward Xiao Chen’s prospects.
• Xiao Chen’s hidden identity: His decision to abandon his real name reflects his growing awareness of the dangers posed by powerful clans and factions in the Primordial Minor Domain.

3. Significant Themes

• Identity and concealment: Xiao Chen’s forged registry, altered appearance, and alias emphasize the need to hide one’s origins in a world controlled by powerful families and sects.
• Money and access: Wealth determines who may enter the Luminous Demon Grotto and obtain its services. The chapter portrays information, safety, and opportunity as commodities.
• Urgency and opportunity: The imminent recruitment ceremony creates a strict deadline, forcing Xiao Chen to act quickly and spend nearly all his resources.
• Strength beneath appearances: Others underestimate Xiao Chen because of his apparent cultivation level and mortal-world origins, unaware that he can cross realms.
• Hope versus conventional judgment: Zhao assumes Xiao Chen will fail based on ordinary standards, while Xiao Chen’s hidden ability gives him a chance to defy those expectations.
• Power and submission: The boar king’s transformation from defiance to obedience illustrates how quickly status changes when overwhelming strength is revealed.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and the Nether Wolf: Xiao Chen pays for information, and the Nether Wolf enthusiastically supplies details about Zhao Liuguang and the Demon Heaven Sect’s recruitment schedule.
• Xiao Chen and the Divine-Fire Boar King: Xiao Chen forcibly commandeers the boar as transportation. After Xiao Chen displays realm-crossing sword intent, the boar abandons its resistance.
• Xiao Chen and the grotto guards: The guards initially treat him as an ignorant trespasser and attempt to extort him, but become respectful after seeing his substantial wealth.
• Xiao Chen and Zhao Liuguang: Their meeting is a commercial negotiation. Zhao provides the forged registry and teleportation inscription, while also warning Xiao Chen that he appears unqualified for the Demon Heaven Sect.
• Xiao Chen’s internal response to Zhao: Although he accepts the advice politely, he knows Zhao’s assumption is wrong because he possesses the rare ability to cross realms.

Chapter Summary: “Ascending Demon Heaven Mountain!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen receives a high-quality Nether Registry from Zhao Liuguang. Its refined appearance and powerful inscription patterns impress him, making him feel the expensive price was justified.
• Zhao Liuguang gives Xiao Chen a Void-Piercing Inscription, explaining that it can tear through space and transport someone ten thousand miles in an instant.
• Xiao Chen asks about the differences between talismans, inscriptions, and formations. Zhao explains:
  • Talismans are usually single-use items.
  • Inscriptions provide lasting enhancements when attached to weapons, clothing, or the body.
  • Formations have similar effects but are generally fixed to a particular location.
• Zhao describes the immense wealth and status enjoyed by practitioners of talismans, inscriptions, pills, and formations in the Nether Realm. Their skills are rare, expensive, and highly valued by clans and sects.
• Xiao Chen asks how to become an inscription cultivator, but Zhao refuses to elaborate, implying that such knowledge is restricted and requires exceptional talent, inheritance, resources, and opportunity.
• Xiao Chen activates the Void-Piercing Inscription and is transported instantly to the base of Demon Heaven Sacred Mountain.
• He marvels at the overwhelming power of inscriptions and briefly longs to master them, but recognizes that he currently lacks the required talent, inheritance, and materials.
• Upon seeing Demon Heaven Mountain, Xiao Chen is stunned by its immense demonic aura and recalls the legend that it formed from the remains of an ancient, unrivaled Demon Venerable.
• As he prepares to enter the mountain, Xiao Chen reflects on his past connection with Liu Tainan and wonders whether this old acquaintance—or the mysterious figure associated with that name—still remembers him.

2. Character Development

• Xiao Chen becomes more aware of the vast differences between the Mortal World and the Nether Realm, particularly in specialized cultivation paths and the importance of wealth and resources.
• His admiration for inscription cultivation grows after experiencing its extraordinary teleportation ability, though he remains realistic about his own lack of qualifications and resources.
• Xiao Chen also shows humility by openly admitting his ignorance and thanking Zhao Liuguang for his instruction.
• Zhao Liuguang is portrayed as a highly skilled and commercially successful inscription master. Although he is willing to explain basic principles, he remains guarded about deeper inheritance and refuses to reveal secrets to someone he barely knows.

3. Significant Themes

• Knowledge and inheritance are forms of power: Advanced cultivation techniques are carefully guarded and passed down through lineages.
• Money is essential to cultivation: Spiritual materials, specialized skills, and powerful tools require enormous wealth, making resources a major factor in advancement.
• Talent versus ambition: Xiao Chen is fascinated by inscription cultivation, but recognizes that desire alone cannot overcome the need for aptitude, inheritance, and opportunity.
• The hierarchy of specialized professions: Heterodox cultivators possess greater influence and status because their creations can dramatically enhance combat power.
• Awe before ancient power: Demon Heaven Mountain embodies the lasting impact of supreme beings and reminds Xiao Chen of the terrifying forces shaping the Nether Realm.
• Fate and unfinished connections: Xiao Chen’s arrival at the mountain marks a decisive test, tied to his past and his uncertain relationship with Liu Tainan.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Zhao Liuguang share a brief but informative exchange centered on the Nether Registry and Void-Piercing Inscription.
• Xiao Chen respectfully questions Zhao about cultivation knowledge, while Zhao responds generously at first but becomes deliberately silent when asked about entering the inscription path.
• Their interaction highlights both Xiao Chen’s curiosity and Zhao’s professional boundaries: Zhao offers basic guidance but protects advanced knowledge from outsiders.
• At Demon Heaven Mountain, Xiao Chen’s thoughts turn toward Liu Tainan, establishing an emotional and possibly dangerous reunion or confrontation connected to his past.

Chapter Summary: “Am I Not Beautiful?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Chen arrives at Demon Heaven Mountain to deliver a token and find his old friend Ma Yi. He is struck by the Demon Heaven Sect’s sinister reputation but is equally impressed by its vast resources and powerful inheritances.
• The sect’s recruitment ceremony is underway, drawing tens of thousands of elite Moon King cultivators. Only a few hundred places at Dustmote Peak are available, making the competition extraordinarily fierce.
• Xiao Chen, disguised and deliberately suppressing his appearance, is approached by Xia Baihe, a seductive young woman who suddenly calls him her “dear husband.”
• A powerful blood-robed youth arrives, accusing Xia Baihe of cheating him after accepting a spiritual herb in exchange for spending a night with her. Xiao Chen realizes she deliberately used him as a scapegoat because he appeared to be the weakest cultivator present.
• Xia Baihe pretends to be helpless and claims the blood-robed youth tried to force himself on her, asking Xiao Chen to protect her. She attempts to manipulate him through seduction.
• Xiao Chen sees through her deception. Instead of allowing her to escape, he uses his King Source Energy to restrain her, astonishing her because she is a Sixth-Realm cultivator while he appears to be only in the Fifth Realm.
• When Xia Baihe apologizes and changes her attitude, Xiao Chen exposes her hypocrisy and refuses to be deceived. He then tells the blood-robed youth that he does not know her and leaves them to settle their own dispute.
• The chapter ends with Xia Baihe resentfully questioning whether she is not beautiful, unable to understand why her appearance and seduction failed to affect Xiao Chen.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Demonstrates sharp judgment, emotional restraint, and hidden strength. Though disguised as a weaker Fifth-Realm cultivator, he easily resists Xia Baihe’s seduction and restrains her despite her higher cultivation. His anger toward those who exploit the weak also becomes clear.
• Xia Baihe: Revealed as manipulative, opportunistic, and shameless. She uses beauty and false affection to shift danger onto others, but quickly becomes submissive when she realizes Xiao Chen is stronger than he appears. Her wounded pride at being rejected highlights her vanity.
• Blood-robed youth: Presented as a powerful and wealthy young cultivator who feels cheated and humiliated by Xia Baihe. His initial hostility toward Xiao Chen is based on a misunderstanding.
• Ma Yi: Mentioned as the loyal old friend Xiao Chen intends to find, though he does not appear directly in the chapter.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Xiao Chen looks weak but possesses extraordinary strength, while Xia Baihe appears beautiful and helpless but is actually calculating and malicious.
• Manipulation through beauty: Xia Baihe treats attractiveness and seduction as tools for controlling men and acquiring resources, only to discover that they have no effect on Xiao Chen.
• The dangers of misplaced trust: Xiao Chen recognizes that seemingly favorable or romantic encounters may conceal treachery, especially within the Demon Heaven Sect.
• Power and survival: The recruitment ceremony reflects the brutal competition of the cultivation world, where even tens of thousands of powerful cultivators compete for a handful of opportunities.
• Justice and personal responsibility: Xiao Chen refuses to become an unwilling shield or take responsibility for Xia Baihe’s schemes, insisting that she and the blood-robed youth resolve their own conflict.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Chen and Xia Baihe: Their encounter is defined by deception and resistance. Xia Baihe attempts to exploit Xiao Chen’s apparent weakness, while Xiao Chen recognizes her scheme, restrains her, and mocks her false affection.
• Xiao Chen and the blood-robed youth: The youth initially sees Xiao Chen as Xia Baihe’s accomplice, but Xiao Chen rejects any connection with her and refuses to intervene further.
• Xia Baihe and the blood-robed youth: Their interaction exposes Xia Baihe’s transactional relationships and the youth’s fury at being deceived after paying for her attention.

Chapter Summary: “The Trump Card Remained!”

Plot Points and Major Events

• Xia Baihe, confident in her beauty and accustomed to manipulating men for cultivation resources, attempts to seduce Xiao Chen.
• Xiao Chen rejects her and bluntly condemns her appearance as ordinary and her character as venomous. Humiliated and enraged, Xia Baihe decides to retaliate.
• She offers Xiao Runhua three nights with her if he kills Xiao Chen. Xiao Runhua accepts, revealing the corrupt, transactional values of the Demon Gate, where personal gain outweighs justice or loyalty.
• Xiao Chen criticizes Xiao Runhua for attacking him despite having no prior grudge. Xiao Runhua argues that Xiao Chen deserves to die simply because killing him would bring benefits.
• Confident in his strength as a Sixth-Realm Martial King, Xiao Runhua attacks with hundreds of blazing fire pythons formed from the powerful Extreme Python Spiritual Fire.
• Xia Baihe assumes Xiao Chen will be killed easily, while Xiao Runhua takes pleasure in demonstrating his superiority.
• Xiao Chen remains completely unharmed by the flames. His extraordinary resistance to fire renders Xiao Runhua’s strongest technique ineffective.
• Xiao Chen uses Solar Truefire to sweep away and destroy the fire pythons, shocking both opponents.
• Realizing that Xiao Chen is far more powerful and unusual than expected, Xiao Runhua draws a Nether Azure ancient sword and prepares to use another hidden trump card.

Character Developments

• Xiao Chen: Reveals his confidence, strong moral disgust toward betrayal and exploitation, and exceptional fire resistance. Although only in the Fifth Realm, he remains calm and disdainful before two Sixth-Realm opponents, demonstrating that his true strength far exceeds his apparent cultivation.
• Xia Baihe: Her seductive façade gives way to cruelty and vindictiveness when Xiao Chen rejects her. She treats intimacy as a commodity and uses Xiao Runhua as a weapon against him. Her shock at Xiao Chen’s fire resistance also exposes her limited understanding of his abilities.
• Xiao Runhua: Initially arrogant and motivated by lust and profit, he assumes Xiao Chen will be an easy victim. After his fire attack fails, his confidence collapses into anger and caution. He is forced to acknowledge that Xiao Chen is not an ordinary Fifth-Realm cultivator.

Significant Themes

• Beauty and manipulation: Xia Baihe views beauty as a weapon and relationships as transactions, using seduction to control men and obtain resources.
• Moral corruption and self-interest: Xiao Runhua’s willingness to kill a stranger for promised pleasure reflects the Demon Gate’s principle that profit comes first.
• Appearance versus true strength: Xiao Chen appears to be a weak Fifth-Realm cultivator, but his hidden abilities allow him to withstand an attack that should have annihilated him.
• Humiliation and retaliation: Xia Baihe’s wounded pride drives the conflict, showing how rejection can provoke disproportionate and vicious revenge.
• Hidden trump cards: The battle emphasizes that apparent cultivation level does not reveal a fighter’s complete power; both Xiao Chen’s fire resistance and Xiao Runhua’s undisclosed sword technique become crucial.

Character Interactions

• Xia Baihe attempts to charm Xiao Chen, but he rejects her without hesitation and insults her character.
• Enraged, she manipulates Xiao Runhua by promising him three nights with her in exchange for Xiao Chen’s death.
• Xiao Runhua abandons neutrality and attacks Xiao Chen for personal benefit, openly declaring that profit justifies murder.
• Xiao Chen condemns both of them, especially Xiao Runhua’s willingness to become an accomplice to Xia Baihe’s cruelty.
• Xia Baihe and Xiao Runhua initially mock and underestimate Xiao Chen, but his immunity to the Extreme Python Spiritual Fire reverses the situation and leaves them shocked.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Runhua drawing his ancient sword and preparing to reveal his remaining trump card.

Chapter Summary: “Hidden Worry! Twenty Mountain Lords?”

Plot and major events

Xia Baihe and Xiao Runhua lure Xiao Chen into a secluded area of the Nether Forest so they can kill him before the Demon Heaven Sect’s recruitment ceremony. Xiao Runhua unexpectedly reveals that he is a dual cultivator of fire and sword, having hidden his swordsmanship from others. Confident in his overwhelming King Realm strength, he launches a deadly attack intended to decapitate Xiao Chen.
Instead of resisting with fire, Xiao Chen effortlessly stops the Nether Azure Ancient Sword between two fingers using profound sword intent. He destroys Xiao Runhua’s attack, knocks him away with a punch, and cripples his dantian. This effectively destroys Xiao Runhua’s cultivation foundation and threatens to reduce the once-gifted prodigy to an ordinary, powerless person.

Character development

Xiao Chen demonstrates that his true swordsmanship is far more terrifying than Xiao Runhua expected. His calmness and contempt reveal his firm moral standards and his belief that someone as shameless and servile as Xiao Runhua is unworthy of practicing the sword. His victory also confirms that his apparent Fifth Realm cultivation conceals extraordinary power.
Xiao Runhua’s arrogance collapses into panic and desperation once his dantian is destroyed. His identity as a favored genius, which had supported his confidence and privileged lifestyle, is revealed to be entirely dependent on his cultivation. Xia Baihe begins the encounter confident that Xiao Chen will be crushed, but becomes horrified when he stops the sword strike effortlessly.

Character interactions

Xiao Runhua taunts Xiao Chen and boasts that no one can survive the power of a sword cultivator. Xiao Chen responds by condemning Runhua’s lustful and dishonorable behavior, arguing that such a person lacks the integrity traditionally associated with the Sword Dao. Xia Baihe supports Runhua and eagerly anticipates Xiao Chen’s death, believing his fire resistance will not protect him from the sword attack. After Xiao Chen cripples Runhua, Runhua angrily threatens him through his elder brother, Xiao Yuntian.

Themes

The chapter contrasts true strength with inherited status and arrogance. Xiao Runhua possesses exceptional talent, powerful techniques, and an influential background, but his arrogance and moral corruption make him unworthy in Xiao Chen’s eyes. It also emphasizes the hidden depths of powerful characters, revealing that Xiao Chen’s swordsmanship is as formidable as his fire cultivation. Finally, the chapter introduces the danger of political and familial consequences: Xiao Runhua reveals that his elder brother is Xiao Yuntian, one of Dustmote Peak’s Twenty Mountain Lords—elite Half-Emperors who stand near the summit of the sect. This discovery transforms Xiao Chen’s victory into a potentially serious conflict.