Chapter Summaries

Wang Wu cultivated his Ice Spirit Root and gained the Passive Frost talent, then spent half a month hunting Sprites and preparing for winter while worrying about his growth and the dangers posed by humans. The chapter ended with him detecting a Big Head Water Bandit in the West River and swimming toward it, intent on hunting it.

• Wang Wu broke through a blocked meridian, improved his Beginner Ice Spirit Root, and gained the Passive Frost bloodline talent.
• Wang Wu celebrated Passive Frost's ice damage and cultivation benefits, then worried about his rapid growth, future food needs, and the dangers of relying on his bloodline.
• Wang Wu hunted Sprites at night, avoided basking in Golden Particles, and surveyed the area while preparing a cave to store food for winter.
• After half a month, Wang Wu heard heavy splashing in the West River, recognized the possible arrival of a Big Head Water Bandit, and swam toward it to hunt.

Wang Wu lured the Big Head Water Bandit into swallowing him and fought his way through the demon’s mouth, using Ice Spirit Energy to breach its defenses. He ignored the bandit’s venom and kept devouring its flesh, leaving the fight unresolved as he continued his feast inside it.

• Wang Wu overheard the Gray Fox warn the Big Head Water Bandit to leave the river before the Great Ape King of Snow Mountain’s investigators found it, then watched the Gray Fox depart.
• Wang Wu cut himself to lure the Big Head Water Bandit, which swallowed him along with a mass of river water.
• Wang Wu froze water inside the bandit’s mouth, leapt past its teeth, and used Ice Spirit Energy to weaken the flesh blocking his way inward.
• Wang Wu stabbed through the bandit’s flesh and tore off chunks to eat, discovering that its meat was exceptionally delicious.
• The Big Head Water Bandit flooded Wang Wu with potent venom, but his poison resistances let him withstand it and continue eating.

Wang Wu feasted on the Seventh Rank Big Head Water Bandit and trained his poison resistance from inside its stomach, until the Bull Demon and Little Mountain Pig killed it outside. He remained inside the carcass and discovered its still-beating heart, whose spirit energy overwhelmed him as he devoured it.

• Wang Wu raised his satiety cap and agility with spirit energy, then soaked in the Big Head Water Bandit's gastric fluid to train his Water Demon Toxin resistance.
• After gaining another point of resistance, Wang Wu resumed eating inside the fish and stabbed its heart, badly wounding it.
• The Big Head Water Bandit crashed into the riverbank, where the Bull Demon and Little Mountain Pig captured and killed it.
• Wang Wu stayed inside the carcass while the Bull Demon and Little Mountain Pig began eating it outside.
• Wang Wu heard a heartbeat, found the fish's still-beating heart, and devoured it as a surge of spirit energy flooded into him.

Wang Wu killed Bai Da Tou and consumed his unformed Aperture-Opening Demon Core, gaining enough spiritual energy to raise Heart of the Earth to Level 2. He escaped with Zhu Jiu and Niu Aihua, then learned the pair had infiltrated the Myriad Demon Alliance to avenge Plum Blossom Fawn by killing the Black Spider Priest.

• Wang Wu ate Bai Da Tou's fish heart, killed the Seventh Rank water demon, and gained spiritual energy, growth, and bloodline progress.
• Wang Wu spent 5000 Spiritual Energy to raise Heart of the Earth to Level 2, gaining greater vitality, attributes, self-healing, and energy-conversion abilities.
• Wang Wu broke free of Bai Da Tou's frozen corpse and fled, while Zhu Jiu and Niu Aihua followed after him.
• Sprites devoured Bai Da Tou's remains, leaving only bones before the Black Eagle Captain arrived on patrol.
• Zhu Jiu and Niu Aihua intercepted Wang Wu, concealed them with Niu Aihua's cow-dung-and-vine disguise, and introduced themselves properly.
• Zhu Jiu revealed that he and Niu Aihua had infiltrated the Myriad Demon Alliance to avenge Plum Blossom Fawn and had killed the Black Spider Priest.

Wang Wu joined Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua as the Western Mountain Trinity and hid with them from a pursuing Little Mountain Cat. He kept the two restless demons from repeatedly leaving their shelter until nightfall, when they finally went outside.

• Zhu Wuhua told Niu Aihua how Wang Wu had once saved him, and the two named Wang Wu Xiong Lianhua and declared themselves sworn brothers as the Western Mountain Trinity.
• Wang Wu decided to travel with Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua while recovering, and the three gathered food and moved to a new shelter after spotting the pursuing Little Mountain Cat.
• Niu Aihua hid the trio in a cave with its Fast-Growing Vine, and Little Mountain Cat searched nearby before leaving without finding them.
• Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua proposed visiting Grandpa Tree to buy Wang Wu a Fortune Wisdom Heart Pill, but Wang Wu stopped them from going out in daylight.
• Wang Wu repeatedly dragged Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua back into the cave whenever they tried to leave, until night fell and the three finally rushed outside.

Wang Wu joined Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua on their journey to seek protection as Plant Demon Soldiers, learning that a coming demonfolk inspection threatened Illegal Fiends. At a Tree Grandpa Temple, the three received tokens and were ordered to wait three days before an assessment on West Mountain, while Niu Aihua’s attempt to buy a Fortune Wisdom Heart Pill went unanswered.

• Niu Aihua explained that Illegal Fiends faced persecution and that he, Zhu Wuhua, and Wang Wu needed to seek Plant Demon Soldier status before winter.
• Wang Wu realized the danger of remaining an Illegal Fiend and agreed to follow Niu Aihua toward Grandpa Tree’s territory.
• Niu Aihua led Wang Wu and Zhu Wuhua to a valley at the foot of West Mountain, where a withered tree served as one of Grandpa Tree’s temples.
• Niu Aihua infused the old tree with Golden Particles, awakening the Little Tree Spirit, and asked to buy a Fortune Wisdom Heart Pill and apply for Plant Demon Soldier status.
• The Little Tree Spirit granted all three an opportunity to take an assessment on West Mountain in three days and gave them green-leaf tokens, but did not answer Niu Aihua’s request to buy the pill.

Wang Wu, Niu Aihua, and Zhu Wuhua camped in the woods while awaiting the Plant Demon Soldier assessment, where several formidable competitors arrived. The Great Mountain Cat recognized Wang Wu as the Bear Cub who had survived their last encounter, but Wang Wu kept pretending to sleep as the visitors left.

• Two Little Tree Spirits brought berries to Wang Wu, Niu Aihua, and Zhu Wuhua at their campsite.
• Niu Aihua told his brothers about his past assessment attempts and suggested they could work for Old White Fur if they failed.
• Mantis Sandao arrived, traded barbs with Niu Aihua, and asked why they had berries.
• The Great Mountain Cat recognized Wang Wu as the Bear Cub who had escaped death, showed killing intent, and then left when Wang Wu continued to feign sleep.
• Rabbit Third Master arrived to take the assessment, joked that Wang Wu looked delicious, and warned him not to wander too far.

Wang Wu learned that his Level 2 Heart of the Earth Talent had given him Vitality Points, which could store energy and support his Self-Healing Talent. After eating berries delivered by Little Tree Spirits, he met Cao Liheng, who gave him a Supreme Wisdom Pill that began enabling him to speak.

• Wang Wu discovered that his new Vitality Points came from his Heart of the Earth Talent and could be replenished by fine-quality food.
• Niu Aihua called Wang Wu and Zhu Wuhua to bask in the sun, but Wang Wu stayed behind while the others left.
• Two Little Tree Spirits brought Wang Wu a basket of berries, which he ate to restore satiety and gain spiritual energy.
• Cao Liheng told Wang Wu that he had advanced to Seventh Rank after surviving the Demon King-grade poisons and offered him gifts in gratitude.
• Cao Liheng gave Wang Wu a Supreme Wisdom Pill, and Wang Wu felt it remaking the mysterious organ that would let him speak.

Wang Wu accepted a Supreme Wisdom Pill and the Myriad Transformation Wishful Leaf from Cao Liheng, then used the leaf to conceal his Ancient Giant Bear bloodline and appear as an ordinary black bear. He tested the disguise among the other monsters and in different forest conditions, confirming that it worked without arousing suspicion.

• Wang Wu learned that the Supreme Wisdom Pill had unlocked deeper knowledge and found he could speak fluently in his bear body.
• Cao Liheng gave Wang Wu the Myriad Transformation Wishful Leaf on behalf of his elder sister and explained how to use it.
• Wang Wu used the leaf to transform his appearance into that of a standard black bear, while the attribute panel revealed the disguise's limits and costs.
• Cao Liheng departed, unable to tell that Wang Wu's appearance had changed.
• Niu Aihua, Zhu Wuhua, the Great Mountain Cat, Mantis Sandao, and Rabbit Third Master failed to notice Wang Wu's concealed bloodline.
• Wang Wu tested the disguise in the forest and found it blended well with his fur's natural color changes.

Wang Wu joined Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua for the West Mountain assessment to become Plant Demon Soldiers, despite the difficulty and his companions’ doubts. Their first task was to kill three Plant Zombies, while examiner Cao Zhongfei expected their team to fail.

• Wang Wu ate Cao Liheng’s premium berries, bringing his Vitality Points to 300 and his Spiritual Energy to 210 before the assessment began.
• Wang Wu, Niu Aihua, Zhu Wuhua, and seven other demons traveled to West Mountain, where chief examiner Cao Zhongfei explained the Plant Demon Soldier duties, rewards, and four-task assessment.
• Cao Zhongfei explained that completing four tasks would earn Ninth-grade status, while finding and completing a hidden fifth task could earn Eighth-grade status; the assessment would last three days and nights.
• Wang Wu chose to team up with Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua, and their Grass Knapsack assigned them to kill three Plant Zombies within three days.
• Niu Aihua eagerly led the team into the forest, while Cao Zhongfei smiled and predicted that Wang Wu’s choice of companions would make him lose the assessment.

Wang Wu investigated the back mountain and concluded that Plant Zombies were drawn to damaged vegetation and that the hidden mission might involve Grandpa Tree’s branch and the zombies’ nest. As he waited with Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua, a Rank Eight Plant Zombie appeared and knocked him rigid, leaving him unable to damage it with his strength.

• Wang Wu let Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua eat while he observed the back mountain and considered how Plant Zombies might relate to the Plant Demon Soldiers’ duties.
• Wang Wu inferred that Plant Zombies attacked when vegetation was destroyed, that they kept other creatures away, and that the hidden mission likely involved finding Grandpa Tree’s branch and clearing the zombies’ nest.
• Niu Aihua continued eating grass as Wang Wu waited until evening, when he sensed that something was watching them.
• Wang Wu charged past Zhu Wuhua and struck an unseen foe, but the Rank Eight Plant Zombie’s rigid-body trait overpowered his strength and left him rigid for three seconds.

Wang Wu discovered that the Plant Zombies had to be pulled completely from the ground before they could be defeated, then led Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua in destroying one with his ice abilities. They killed the monster, but the clue needed to reach the fifth stage remained undiscovered.

• Niu Aihua smashed two Plant Zombies that emerged only partially from the ground, while Wang Wu realized those were not their complete forms.
• Wang Wu revealed that he could speak and explained that the group needed to let the next Plant Zombie emerge fully before attacking.
• A complete Plant Zombie rose from the earth and spread poisonous, barbed tentacles and spores across the area.
• Wang Wu ordered Niu Aihua to charge from the front and circled toward the monster as Zhu Wuhua stood by to support them.
• Niu Aihua broke the Plant Zombie apart, and Wang Wu froze its tentacles and insects before cutting the tentacles away and freeing her.
• Wang Wu found the insects dead but still had not discovered the hidden clue to the fifth stage.

Wang Wu, Niu Aihua, and Zhu Wuhua explored underground after fighting Plant Zombies, where Niu Aihua revealed that his Ancient Blood talent let his dung heal injuries. They discovered a root space that Wang Wu believed began the fifth hidden mission, but Zhu Wuhua was badly hurt and Niu Aihua’s injuries remained severe.

• Wang Wu persuaded Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua to stay together and have Zhu Wuhua dig for more Plant Zombies.
• Zhu Wuhua’s digging opened a vast underground cavity, and Niu Aihua accidentally landed on him after Wang Wu jumped down.
• Niu Aihua covered the unconscious Zhu Wuhua in cow dung, revealing that his Ancient Blood talent could heal injuries and waking Zhu Wuhua.
• Wang Wu identified the underground space as a likely tree root and the starting point of the fifth hidden mission.
• Wang Wu warned that Zhu Wuhua was injured and Niu Aihua’s many wounds had not healed, but Niu Aihua began using his dung again.

Wang Wu and Niu Aihua descended into a Plant Zombie’s underground tunnel, where they became trapped in a sealed chamber filled with sticky Rank Eight Ascetic Flower Nectar. Wang Wu discovered the nectar’s powerful benefits and began eating it, despite learning that its scent could draw relentless attacks from Ascetic Mad Bees.

• Niu Aihua covered himself and Zhu Wuhua in vines, then carried Zhu Wuhua as he followed Wang Wu into the tunnel.
• Wang Wu used Level 10 Passive Concealment and led Niu Aihua carefully through the quiet forest to a huge hole.
• Wang Wu slid into the hole and became stuck in resin-like nectar; Niu Aihua slid down after him and blocked the entrance when he shouted.
• Wang Wu tasted the nectar and learned that it was Rank Eight Ascetic Flower Nectar, which would make him irresistible to Ascetic Mad Bees for three months unless they recognized him.
• Wang Wu kept eating the nectar, gaining Satiety Points, Spiritual Energy, and a temporary boost to his vitality and self-healing.

Wang Wu devoured the Ascetic Flower Nectar in the Mysterious Iron Urn, increasing his Vitality Points and gaining resistance to Mad Bee toxin, while realizing the urn was a trap. After Niu Aihua broke out of it, Wang Wu discovered hidden tunnels, but the Great Mountain Cat arrived and rushed into one of them.

• Wang Wu raised his Vitality Points limit and ate nearly all the Ascetic Flower Nectar, gaining Spirit Energy, Mad Bee toxin resistance, and the ability to activate Self-Healing repeatedly.
• Wang Wu concluded that someone had placed the Mysterious Iron Urn as a trap, possibly as part of a hidden faction's activity around West Mountain.
• Wang Wu tried to free Niu Aihua, who eventually used his bloodline power to break the urn's mouth, shattering his bones in the process.
• Wang Wu found two hidden tunnels branching from the urn and noticed signs that it had been deliberately excavated and placed there.
• The Great Mountain Cat appeared, thanked the group for revealing the hidden mission, and rushed into the lower tunnel.

Wang Wu followed the Great Mountain Cat and Rabbit Third Master through a rotten tree-root tunnel and discovered a Human cultivator’s hidden base. When the cultivator ambushed them, Wang Wu survived by breaking the attacker’s Water-blue Longsword, but the chapter left him pinned beneath a barrage of talismans.

• Wang Wu followed the Great Mountain Cat and Rabbit Third Master through the tunnel, finishing off frozen Plant Zombies and reclaiming their Ice Spirit Energy.
• The three Sprites reached a hidden base filled with frozen corpses and discovered a Human cultivator inside a formation array.
• A Lightning Talisman paralyzed Wang Wu and his companions, and the cultivator’s Water-blue Longsword killed the Great Mountain Cat and Rabbit Third Master.
• Wang Wu used Heart of the Earth to break free of paralysis, then sacrificed his Formation Stone and used its Ice Spirit Energy to delay the sword.
• Wang Wu trapped the Water-blue Longsword in Grandpa Tree’s hard bark and bent it until it snapped, despite suffering severe wounds.
• The Human cultivator unleashed a barrage of talismans on Wang Wu, but he remained alive with more than 300 Health Points.

Wang Wu survived the Human cultivator’s talismans and broke his Seventh-grade Lifebound Sword, but the injured cultivator bound him with a Golden Light Binding Talisman. As the cultivator explained the secret base beneath Tree Granny Temple, his junior prepared a venom-coated sword to kill Wang Wu before the binding wore off.

• Wang Wu recovered from the talisman barrage and stood up, while the Human cultivator mourned his shattered Natal Sword Artifact.
• The junior brother attacked Wang Wu with a flying sword, but Wang Wu ignored it and faced the middle-aged cultivator’s stronger sword.
• The middle-aged cultivator’s water-blue sword pierced Wang Wu’s brow but caused little damage, and Wang Wu charged toward the junior brother.
• The middle-aged cultivator immobilized Wang Wu with a Golden Light Binding Talisman, then revealed that the underground base cultivated Plant Zombies for Cloud Cauldron City’s campaign against the Demon Race.
• The junior brother activated the concealment mechanisms and coated a sword with three kinds of Demon King Grade Venom, preparing to kill Wang Wu.

Wang Wu survived the mixed Demon King-grade toxins, killed the two cultivators, and gained more bloodline evolution and toxin resistance. Weakened after enduring the poisons, he turned to looting the underground space before other Sprites or Little Tree Spirits arrived.

• The young cultivator stabbed Wang Wu with the poisoned sword, but the toxins spread to his hand and destroyed his body within seconds.
• Wang Wu endured the poison’s damage until the Binding Golden Light faded, then used poisonous blood and rotting flesh to weaken the middle-aged cultivator’s protective Jade Pendant.
• Wang Wu shattered the barrier and killed the middle-aged cultivator with one swipe of his paw.
• Wang Wu endured the toxins’ third stage and gained bloodline evolution and increased toxin resistance, though his Self-Healing ran out and left him weakened.
• Wang Wu decided to loot the underground space, starting with a black gourd that appeared to contain Golden Particles.

Wang Wu looted a cultivator’s hidden stronghold and discovered that a Black Gold Gourd was a precious Spiritual Essence Gourd, then stayed hidden while strengthening himself. After reaching the current cap in Basic Defense, he chose to delay extracting another Bloodline Talent and wait for a choice better suited to long-term growth.

• Wang Wu destroyed the middle-aged cultivator’s Storage Belt with venom and recovered supplies, including the Spiritual Essence Gourd, but found no Sky-Gazing Compass.
• Wang Wu feared the gourd’s value would expose his Savage Ancient Bear bloodline, but discovered the concealment formation blocked the exit and that Plant Zombies emerging from the Mysterious Iron Urn helped hide the stronghold.
• Wang Wu buried the middle-aged cultivator and ate the Great Mountain Cat and Rabbit Third Master, gaining Spiritual Energy that he spent raising Basic Defense to 56.
• Wang Wu trained and continued consuming supplies, then used another 2,000 Spiritual Energy to raise Basic Defense to its stage cap of 60.
• Wang Wu considered extracting Water Demon Toxin or Paralysis Toxin resistance, but decided to wait for a Bloodline Talent that could better support a scalable growth path.

Cao Likuan gave up searching for Xiong Lianhua and prepared to seek Ancient Blood as the West Mountain clan faced possible war. Trapped underground, Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua mourned Xiong Lianhua and vowed to escape, while Wang Wu used the Poison Pit Dungeon to strengthen himself and raised Passive Concealment to level 14.

• Cao Likuan told Cao Liheng that the search had found no survivors, warned that the clan might face war, and left to seek Ancient Blood from the Snow Mountain Great Ape King.
• Cao Liheng admitted he had spotted human cultivator spies, but Cao Likuan dismissed the possibility that they or the missing demons remained nearby.
• Trapped in a Mysterious Iron Urn, Niu Aihua and Zhu Wuhua speculated that human cultivators had set a trap and vowed to grind their way out in Xiong Lianhua's memory.
• Wang Wu ran the Poison Pit Dungeon four times, maxed out its three Demon King-grade toxins and prerequisite toxin sequences, and gained toxin resistance and bloodline growth.
• Wang Wu spent his accumulated spiritual energy on Passive Concealment, raising it to level 14.