Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Chen Wen’s Plan and the Spirit Materials He Needed

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen returns to the mountain gate with Qin Xue, where Qin Mo greets him. Qin Mo is impressed and inwardly shocked by Chen Wen’s overwhelming strength, particularly his ability to destroy Fifth- and Sixth-Order Great Emperor Will Realm experts with a single finger.
• In Qin Mo’s main hall, Chen Wen learns that the current Inner City Ranking has been released. The top ten are:
  1. Chen Chao
  2. Changsun Wufeng
  3. Donghuang Xuanlong
  4. Ye Wuchen
  5. Li Changsheng
  6. Nan Huangfei
  7. Dongfang Ruochu
  8. Mu Zhanye
  9. Zhuge Liuchen
  10. Huang Tailong
• Chen Wen becomes particularly interested in Chen Chao, Donghuang Xuanlong, and Ye Wuchen because of their possible connections to powerful figures or factions: the Chen Clan and Tianxu, Donghuang Dixiao, and Ye Chao respectively.
• Qin Mo explains the rules of the upcoming ten-day ranking finalization battle at the Supremacy Grand Arena. Ranked disciples can challenge others, but each challenger has limited opportunities, and advancement is only possible by defeating someone ranked higher.
• Top-ten challengers must be among the top fifteen and must schedule their battles in advance. Top-ten matches will be held privately to prevent participants from revealing their abilities before the Heavenly Mandate Selection.
• Qin Mo warns that many secluded experts, hidden family disciples, and favored disciples of Mandate Temple elders will emerge. Only the top five hundred will qualify for the Heavenly Mandate Selection.
• Chen Wen realizes that the competition may provide an opportunity to target disciples connected to Ye Chao, especially since Ye Chao was enraged by Long Ye’s death.
• Chen Wen plans to investigate which disciples are favored by the Mandate Temple elders, possibly through the Ascension Chamber of Commerce.
• He also needs to locate the spirit herbs required to refine the Thousand-Dao Origin Pill. With only seven days remaining, he intends to finish gathering materials quickly and reserve the remaining time for cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen: Demonstrates continued confidence and strategic caution. Rather than focusing only on cultivation, he begins formulating a broader plan involving the rankings, Ye Chao’s faction, the Mandate Temple, and the cultivation pill he needs.
• Qin Mo: Treats Chen Wen as a respected ally and provides candid information about the ranking system and important figures. His attitude reflects both admiration and awareness of Chen Wen’s growing power.
• Qin Xue: Remains Chen Wen’s trusted companion and has already informed Qin Mo about Chen Wen’s recent accomplishments.
• Chen Chao, Ye Wuchen, and Donghuang Xuanlong: Their high rankings make them increasingly important figures, while their possible ties to powerful clans or individuals raise Chen Wen’s suspicions.
• Dongfang Ruochu, Mu Zhanye, and Zhuge Liuchen: Their rise from the former Gold List’s top three shows their significant growth since Chen Wen last encountered them.

Significant Themes

• Power and competition: The Inner City Ranking is not merely a measure of strength but a gateway to the Heavenly Mandate Selection and future factional influence.
• Hidden identities and political connections: Chen Wen is increasingly alert to possible links between ranked disciples, powerful clans, Tianxu, and influential elders.
• Strategic preparation: Success depends not only on cultivation but also on information, timing, hidden abilities, and understanding factional alliances.
• Time pressure: Chen Wen must gather materials, investigate his enemies, and prepare for the ranking battles within a strict seven-day deadline.
• Protection of hidden strength: The private battles among the top ten emphasize the value of concealed abilities and the danger of revealing one’s trump cards too early.

Character Interactions

• Qin Mo welcomes Chen Wen warmly, offers him spiritual tea, and discusses the ranking situation openly.
• Chen Wen questions Qin Mo about Chen Chao, Ye Wuchen, Donghuang Xuanlong, the ranking rules, and the Mandate Temple’s favored disciples.
• Qin Mo explains what he knows while acknowledging the limits of available information, especially concerning the secretive Central Heaven Domain.
• Chen Wen listens carefully, draws connections between the ranked figures and past events, and begins considering how the upcoming competition might allow him to challenge Ye Chao’s influence.
• Before leaving the discussion, Chen Wen prepares to ask Qin Mo whether he possesses the spirit herbs needed for the Thousand-Dao Origin Pill.

Chapter Summary: “Obtaining Spirit Herbs, Seven Days of Time”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen asks Qin Mo to help him obtain four rare spirit herbs, including the extraordinarily valuable Nine Heavens Limpid Fruit, which can awaken spiritual intelligence and strengthen a person’s spirit-body origin.
• Qin Mo admits that finding the fruit will be extremely difficult, but Chen Wen offers the Qin Clan a “great fortune” if they can locate it within seven days. Qin Mo accepts the task and promises to provide an answer before the deadline.
• Qin Mo invites Chen Wen to travel with the Qin Clan to the Supremacy Grand Arena, where they will compete for rankings. They agree to depart the following day.
• After Chen Wen leaves, Qin Mo discusses the promised fortune with Qin Xue. She suspects Chen Wen intends to offer the Qin Clan the Puppet Technique, which he had previously mentioned.
• Qin Mo orders Elder Tu to search for the four spirit herbs with maximum effort.
• Chen Wen uses the accelerated time of the Eternal Space to cultivate:
  • He successfully masters the World-Sundering Technique, a soul-based offensive art that condenses spiritual power into destructive threads.
  • After practicing for a day, he stabilizes and strengthens the technique, recognizing it as a powerful and adjustable killing move.
  • He then spends three days cultivating the Yin-Yang Harmony Dao Technique, successfully mastering its basic form, though further advancement will require more time.
• When the agreed time arrives, Chen Wen leaves cultivation and is visited by Qin Xue.
• Qin Xue has unexpectedly broken through and decides to participate in the Supremacy Grand Arena. She and Chen Wen set out together.
• Along the way, Chen Wen learns that many Qin Clan elders and Grand Elders will also attend, either to compete for Inner City rankings or defend their current positions. Qin Mo will remain behind temporarily because the clan needs him, though he also plans to participate later.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen demonstrates confidence and strategic planning. He uses the seven-day deadline efficiently, turning his private cultivation time into significant progress.
• He successfully develops a new soul-killing technique and gains a deeper understanding of its versatility and future potential.
• Qin Mo becomes increasingly interested in building a relationship with Chen Wen. He takes the spirit-herb request seriously and recognizes that Chen Wen’s promised reward may be extremely valuable.
• Qin Xue reveals greater initiative and confidence after breaking through. She is prepared to test herself at the arena and believes she can secure a ranking through her mastery of array formations.
• Elder Tu is assigned the urgent task of locating the rare herbs, showing the Qin Clan’s willingness to commit major resources to Chen Wen’s request.

Significant Themes

• Trust and alliance-building: Chen Wen’s request creates a potential partnership between him and the Qin Clan, while the promised reward gives Qin Mo a strong incentive to help.
• The value of rare power: The Nine Heavens Limpid Fruit represents an opportunity for profound spiritual advancement, explaining why it is nearly impossible to obtain.
• Preparation and efficient cultivation: Chen Wen maximizes his limited external time through the Eternal Space, emphasizing disciplined preparation before major challenges.
• Ambition and competition: The Supremacy Grand Arena symbolizes the characters’ desire to improve their status and prove their abilities.
• Hidden intentions and secrecy: Qin Xue understands more about Chen Wen’s possible reward but cannot reveal everything because of her Heavenly Dao Oath.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Wen and Qin Mo establish a mutually beneficial agreement: Qin Mo searches for the herbs, while Chen Wen promises the Qin Clan a major reward.
• Qin Mo and Qin Xue discuss the meaning of Chen Wen’s “great fortune,” with Qin Xue indirectly confirming that his offer is genuine.
• Qin Mo orders Elder Tu to act on the herb search, converting the conversation into an immediate clan-wide effort.
• Chen Wen and Qin Xue reunite before departure. Their friendly exchange reflects growing familiarity and mutual respect, especially regarding Qin Xue’s array abilities and recent breakthrough.
• Their journey to the Supremacy Grand Arena marks the next stage of their cooperation and sets up future competition and potential conflict.

Chapter Summary: Obtaining Information, Preparing to Take Him On

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen arrives at the Grand Arena with Qin Xue and is introduced to the Qin Clan’s elders.
• Qin Yunshan warmly welcomes him, while Qin Yunzhou—the chief of the Supreme Elder Council and the only Qin Clan member currently on the Inner City Ranking—offers to guide Chen Wen and select an opponent for him.
• Qin Yunzhou’s attitude is condescending, but Chen Wen remains polite despite privately knowing that his own strength far exceeds Qin Yunzhou’s.
• The group teleports to the Qin Clan’s residence near the Supremacy Grand Arena, where Qin Yunshan invites Chen Wen to stay and proposes that he cooperate with the clan’s plans for challenging ranked opponents.
• Chen Wen declines to commit. His true goal is not to enter the ranking but to disrupt Ye Chao’s plans by defeating disciples Ye Chao supports and removing them from the ranking.
• Qin Yunzhou takes Chen Wen’s response as an insult and calls him “utterly ignorant,” but Chen Wen does not take offense.
• After settling in, Chen Wen secretly changes his appearance and travels to the Ascension Chamber of Commerce.
• Using a special token provided through Wen Xianle, he gains access to the organization’s person in charge to discuss an important business matter.
• The chapter ends when a beautiful woman enters the waiting room to meet him.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen: Remains calm, self-assured, and strategically independent. He hides his overwhelming strength, tolerates Qin Yunzhou’s arrogance, and refuses to be controlled by the Qin Clan’s plans. His personal objective is revealed: undermining Ye Chao rather than pursuing prestige.
• Qin Yunshan: Continues acting as a friendly ally and attempts to repay Chen Wen for helping the Qin Clan. He offers practical support and tries to smooth over tensions between Chen Wen and Qin Yunzhou.
• Qin Yunzhou: Displays pride and an authoritarian manner. Though he intends to help Chen Wen, he expects his guidance to be accepted and reacts angrily when Chen Wen hesitates.
• Qin Mo: Shows awareness of Qin Yunzhou’s poor social behavior and reassures Chen Wen that the elder means no harm.
• Ye Chao: Does not appear directly, but his influence drives Chen Wen’s plans. Chen Wen intends to frustrate him by targeting the disciples Ye Chao supports.
• Wen Xianle: Assists Chen Wen indirectly by providing the token needed to secure a meeting with the Ascension Chamber of Commerce.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and restraint: Chen Wen conceals the true extent of his power while allowing others to underestimate him.
• Independence versus authority: The conflict between Chen Wen and Qin Yunzhou reflects Chen Wen’s refusal to submit to established figures or accept help on their terms.
• Political and strategic competition: The Inner City Ranking is presented as a battlefield of influence, with powerful old experts returning and clans carefully choosing opponents.
• Repayment and obligation: Qin Yunshan views his assistance as repayment for Chen Wen’s past help, while Chen Wen accepts the goodwill without surrendering his autonomy.
• Revenge and calculated disruption: Chen Wen’s interest in the ranking is motivated less by recognition than by his desire to undermine Ye Chao.

Character Interactions

• Qin Yunshan greets Chen Wen warmly and introduces him to the elders.
• Qin Yunzhou lectures Chen Wen and offers to arrange his challenge, creating subtle tension.
• Qin Mo privately defends Qin Yunzhou and reassures Chen Wen.
• Qin Yunshan proposes that Chen Wen follow the Qin Clan’s opponent-selection strategy, but Chen Wen politely avoids accepting.
• Qin Yunzhou interprets Chen Wen’s hesitation as disrespect, while Chen Wen responds with controlled courtesy.
• At the Ascension Chamber of Commerce, Chen Wen presents his token to an attendant, who immediately recognizes its importance and escorts him to a private waiting room, setting up the next major encounter.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen visits the Ascension Chamber of Commerce and meets Wen Xianhuan, Wen Xianle’s sister, who resembles Wen Xianle but has a contrasting, more seductive temperament.
• He commissions the chamber to search for several rare Spirit Herbs within seven days, especially the extremely valuable Nine Heavens Limpid Fruit. He pays a one-billion Top-grade Spirit Crystal deposit, along with a nonrefundable search fee of one million crystals.
• Chen Wen also purchases a list of disciples selected by the Mandate Temple’s elders for the Heavenly Mandate Selection. The list costs one hundred million Top-grade Spirit Crystals.
• The list reveals that Ye Chao has at least six disciples, including Ye Wuchen. Chen Wen decides to target these six, while recognizing that Ye Chao may have hidden additional disciples.
• Chen Wen asks about a Hidden Spirit Pearl but learns that the chamber’s previous pearl was transferred to another branch, likely the one he already obtained.
• After Chen Wen leaves, Wen Xianhuan informs Wen Xianle about his requests. Wen Xianle realizes that Chen Wen is preparing for conflict during the upcoming Rank-Setting Battle.
• Back at his residence, Chen Wen meets Qin Yunshan, who invites him to participate in the next day’s ranking challenges. Qin warns him that challengers initially have only one opportunity unless they win, making the choice of opponent crucial.
• Qin gives Chen Wen intelligence about potential opponents, acknowledging Chen Wen’s past role in saving his life.
• The chapter ends with Chen Wen finishing his cultivation and preparing to leave for the questioning summit venue and the ranking battles.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen: Demonstrates strategic planning, financial power, and readiness to confront the Mandate Temple’s chosen disciples. He gathers both medicinal resources and intelligence before entering the competition.
• Wen Xianhuan: Establishes herself as a practical and commercially minded representative of the chamber, willing to provide valuable information and resources for a high price.
• Wen Xianle: Shows concern for Chen Wen and quickly understands the implications of his request, recognizing that the upcoming competition may become violent or politically charged.
• Qin Yunshan: Acts as a supportive ally and mentor figure. He shares valuable information with Chen Wen and urges him to proceed cautiously.
• Ye Chao and Ye Wuchen: Though absent, they become more prominent as Chen Wen’s intended targets after the list identifies their connection.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and information gathering: Chen Wen relies on intelligence, rare resources, and knowledge of his opponents rather than rushing into battle.
• Influence and power: The high prices charged for Spirit Herbs and political information reflect the value of connections and hidden knowledge in the cultivation world.
• Alliance and reciprocity: Wen Xianle and Qin Yunshan assist Chen Wen because of their relationships and past favors, showing how trust and personal debts shape cooperation.
• Impending conflict: The chapter builds tension around the Rank-Setting Battle, suggesting that the competition will involve more than simple ranking—it may become a confrontation between rival factions.
• Hidden strength and uncertainty: Chen Wen suspects Ye Chao has concealed disciples, while Qin warns that many competitors’ abilities remain unknown.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Wen and Wen Xianhuan: Conduct a business negotiation involving Spirit Herbs and the Mandate Temple’s disciple list.
• Wen Xianhuan and Wen Xianle: Discuss Chen Wen’s visit through a Sound Transmission Token. Wen Xianle understands his motives and worries about the coming conflict.
• Chen Wen and Qin Yunshan: Qin invites him to join the ranking challenges and provides strategic information, reinforcing their alliance.
• Chen Wen and Ye Chao’s faction: Their direct interaction has not yet occurred, but Chen Wen’s discovery of Ye Chao’s six disciples establishes them as his immediate targets.

Chapter Summary: “Chen Wen’s Choice, Roars of Laughter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen leaves the Heaven Concealing Qiankun Array and meets Qin Yunshan, who escorts him to a meeting with Qin Yunzhou and the Qin Clan elders.
• Qin Yunzhou warns everyone to follow his guidance during the Rank-Setting Battle, implying that those who act independently and are eliminated will have only themselves to blame. Chen Wen recognizes the warning as being directed at him but remains unmoved.
• At the Supremacy Grand Arena, Chen Wen observes that the ranking battles have already begun. Ten battle arenas are active, and the contestants are generally at the Sixth-Order Great Emperor Will Realm.
• Before participating, the group must register with the Mandate Temple. They pay 250 million Top-grade Spirit Crystals for twenty-five participants.
• Chen Wen registers under the alias Ye Chen, claiming to be 130 years old and at the Fourth-Level Great Emperor Will Realm. Using the Hidden Spirit Pearl and Great Rebirth Technique, he conceals his true identity and strength.
• The registration official confirms that killing is permitted during the challenge, explaining that the Mandate Temple uses death as a means of selecting genuine geniuses.
• Each participant receives a Challenge Token, allowing them to challenge anyone on the Inner City Ranking over the next ten days.
• At the challenge registration area, Chen Wen announces that he intends to challenge Gu Feng, the person ranked one hundredth.
• His choice shocks everyone, since this is his first challenge and he is only displaying Fourth-Level strength. Qin Yunzhou harshly calls the decision ridiculous, while Qin Yunshan asks whether Chen Wen is truly certain.
• The chapter ends with Chen Wen calmly reaffirming his choice, followed by loud laughter from an unidentified person.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen: Demonstrates confidence, composure, and a willingness to take extraordinary risks. He deliberately hides his identity and strength while choosing an extremely powerful opponent, suggesting that he has a strategic plan or confidence in abilities beyond what he reveals.
• Qin Yunzhou: Becomes increasingly dismissive and hostile toward Chen Wen. He believes Chen Wen is recklessly courting death and no longer feels responsible for preventing the consequences.
• Qin Yunshan: Acts as Chen Wen’s guide and remains comparatively supportive, though even he is stunned by Chen Wen’s decision and questions whether it is wise.
• Mandate Temple official: Appears practical and unsympathetic. He emphasizes that death is an accepted part of the competition and views the challenge as a test for true geniuses.
• Qin Xue and the other elders: Remain largely silent but are visibly shocked by Chen Wen’s proposed opponent.

Significant Themes

• Defiance versus authority: Chen Wen refuses to follow Qin Yunzhou’s expected strategy, setting himself against the Qin Clan’s established leadership.
• Hidden strength and identity: His use of the “Ye Chen” identity and concealment techniques reinforces the contrast between his apparent weakness and his true capabilities.
• Risk and ambition: Chen Wen chooses a nearly impossible first opponent, showing that advancement may require extreme risk rather than cautious progression.
• The cost of proving oneself: The Mandate Temple’s acceptance of killing presents genius as something tested through life-and-death struggle.
• Judgment and underestimation: Others judge Chen Wen by his displayed cultivation level, while he appears to possess knowledge or power they do not recognize.

Character Interactions

• Qin Yunzhou warns the group against disobedience, while Chen Wen silently recognizes the criticism without responding.
• Qin Yunshan explains the registration process and later questions Chen Wen about his intended challenge.
• The registration official challenges Chen Wen’s decision to participate at a low apparent cultivation level, leading Chen Wen to reflect that failing to try might cause lifelong regret.
• Qin Yunzhou openly condemns Chen Wen’s choice of Gu Feng, while Chen Wen remains calm and resolute.
• The chapter closes on the contrast between the elders’ disbelief and the mocking or amused laughter of an approaching observer.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen, a Fourth-Level Great Emperor Will Realm cultivator, announces his intention to challenge Gu Feng, a Seventh-Order expert ranked one hundredth on the Inner City Ranking.
• The crowd mocks him, believing the challenge will end in an effortless defeat. Even Qin Yunshan, who witnessed Chen Wen kill a Starry Sky Beast, is uncertain about his decision.
• Qin Yunzhou, ranked ninety-eighth, warns Chen Wen that Gu Feng is exceptionally strong, even among Seventh-Order cultivators, and advises him to reconsider. Chen Wen respectfully acknowledges the warning but remains determined.
• Chen Wen formally registers his challenge at the Registration Desk. When asked whether he is certain, he answers without hesitation.
• He then asks what he must do if he defeats Gu Feng and wishes to challenge someone else, shocking the crowd and reinforcing their belief that he is arrogant or delusional.
• The registrar explains that anyone who wins on the Battle Arena may immediately announce another challenge, and ranked cultivators cannot refuse.
• After the other elders register their own challenges, the group arrives at the Grand Arena.
• A ranked cultivator brutally defeats another challenger and dismisses him as a disgrace, demonstrating the severe gap between ranked experts and ordinary challengers.
• When a Battle Arena becomes vacant, Chen Wen decides to enter. Qin Yunshan urges caution, while Qin Xue expresses her belief in him. Chen Wen confidently declares that he will not lose.
• Qin Yunzhou calls Chen Wen presumptuous, and the surrounding spectators again ridicule Chen Wen when they see his Fourth-Level cultivation.
• Chen Wen steps onto the Battle Arena and injects Spiritual Energy into his Token, officially announcing his challenge to Gu Feng.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen: Displays unwavering confidence, composure, and possible arrogance. He refuses to be discouraged by warnings or public ridicule and behaves as though defeating Gu Feng is entirely realistic.
• Qin Yunzhou: Acts as a stern and experienced adviser but becomes increasingly irritated by Chen Wen’s refusal to listen. His contempt grows as Chen Wen publicly claims he will not lose.
• Qin Yunshan: Remains concerned for Chen Wen, torn between remembering Chen Wen’s earlier feat of killing a Starry Sky Beast and recognizing the enormous difference between Chen Wen and Gu Feng’s apparent realms.
• Qin Xue: Shows personal faith in Chen Wen by encouraging him and stating that she believes in him, despite the overwhelming skepticism around them.
• The Registrar: Treats Chen Wen’s challenge matter-of-factly, having seen many reckless cultivators before, though he privately regards Chen Wen’s decision as suicidal.
• The Spectators and Elders: Serve as a skeptical audience, repeatedly mocking Chen Wen and assuming his defeat is inevitable.

Significant Themes

• True strength versus cultivation realm: The chapter emphasizes that people within the same realm can possess vastly different combat abilities, making Chen Wen’s challenge appear especially reckless.
• Confidence and arrogance: Chen Wen’s calm certainty can be interpreted either as justified confidence or dangerous conceit; the chapter deliberately leaves this unresolved.
• Public judgment and underestimation: The crowd dismisses Chen Wen based solely on his cultivation level, creating anticipation over whether he will overturn their expectations.
• The ranking system and battle culture: The Inner City Ranking establishes a harsh hierarchy in which ranked experts command respect and challengers risk humiliation or serious injury.
• Defiance of authority: Chen Wen respects Qin Yunzhou’s warning verbally but ultimately refuses to let another person’s assessment determine his actions.

Character Interactions

• Qin Yunzhou repeatedly warns Chen Wen not to challenge Gu Feng, but Chen Wen calmly insists on proceeding.
• Chen Wen’s attitude frustrates Qin Yunshan and leaves Qin Xue briefly uncertain, though she ultimately encourages him.
• The registrar explains the challenge procedure and confirms that Chen Wen may continue challenging ranked opponents if he wins.
• The crowd continuously mocks Chen Wen, while Chen Wen ignores them and answers their doubts through decisive action rather than argument.
• Before entering the arena, Chen Wen reassures Qin Yunshan and Qin Xue that he will not lose, directly contrasting their concern with his confidence.

Summary

Chen Wen challenges Gu Feng, a feared fighter ranked one hundredth on the Inner City Ranking and one of Ye Chao’s six disciples. The crowd is shocked by Chen Wen’s nerve, while Gu Feng—angered that Chen Wen seems to take him lightly—arrives determined to kill him. The referee reminds them that the match can end in death or surrender, and neither objects.
Gu Feng opens with overwhelming killing intent, creating a blood-red Asura Domain filled with phantoms. Qin Yunshan recognizes the threat, and Qin Xue worries for Chen Wen, but Qin Yunzhou insists there is nothing more to be done. Chen Wen calmly dismisses Gu Feng’s taunts and counters the attack with his Stone Gate. A single strike destroys the Asura Phantoms and crushes the domain.
Gu Feng tries to block the Stone Gate with his palm and reinforce himself with Asura Force, but Chen Wen’s strength overwhelms him. The impact breaks through Gu Feng’s protection and sends him crashing into the arena barrier. Chen Wen immediately pursues him, calling him too weak.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Wen remains calm and openly contemptuous of Gu Feng’s threats. His Stone Gate proves far more powerful than the crowd—or Gu Feng—expected, revealing that his strength exceeds what his cultivation level suggests. He also sees the fight as a way to challenge Ye Chao’s standing.
• Gu Feng enters arrogant and confident, expecting an easy kill. The destruction of his domain and his failed defense leave him stunned and frightened.
• Qin Xue shows concern for Chen Wen, while Qin Yunzhou believes Chen Wen’s decision has made intervention impossible. Qin Yunshan and the elders share the crowd’s alarm at Gu Feng’s power—until Chen Wen reverses their expectations.
• The crowd shifts from disbelief at Chen Wen’s challenge to awe at his first strike.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus actual power: Chen Wen’s modest cultivation and unusual weapon lead others to underestimate him.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: Gu Feng’s certainty turns to fear once Chen Wen’s strength is revealed.
• Reputation and power: The challenge is not only a personal fight; Chen Wen intends to use it to strike at Ye Chao’s influence.

Plot points and events

• Chen Wen surprises Gu Feng by appearing above him, then strikes again with the Stone Gate, channeling his Death God Power and the Slaughter Immortal Rune.
• Gu Feng’s Spirit Body Shield shatters, and the blow kills him. The arena falls silent, stunned that a Fourth-Level Great Emperor Will Realm fighter defeated a ranked expert in only two moves.
• The Inner City Ranking updates, placing Chen Wen—listed as Ye Chen—at rank 100. The crowd’s contempt turns to awe and speculation about his identity.
• A witness reports the killing to Ye Chao. After learning of Ye Chen’s cultivation level and the two-move victory, Ye Chao orders his people to investigate him, monitor his performance, consider recruiting him, and avoid provoking him.
• Chen Wen receives a system notification confirming he has obtained a drop of Golden Destiny Nirvana Liquid.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Wen/Ye Chen reveals overwhelming strength and composure, letting his performance answer those who had underestimated him.
• Qin Xue and Qin Yunshan are shocked by the result. Qin Yunshan recognizes that they had badly misjudged Chen Wen.
• Qin Yunzhou, ranked just above Gu Feng, is visibly shaken. Chen Wen’s victory challenges his confidence and pride.
• Ye Chao shifts from disbelief to caution and strategic interest, treating Ye Chen as a potential recruit—and a threat not to antagonize.

Significant themes

• Strength speaks louder than status or boasts: the arena’s result changes how everyone sees Chen Wen.
• Underestimation and pride: several observers must confront how wrong their assumptions were.
• Power attracts attention: Chen Wen’s victory makes him a subject of scrutiny and political calculation within the Mandate Temple.

Plot points and events

• After Gu Feng’s death, Ye Chao’s associates recognize they cannot interfere without violating the contest’s rules. They decide to investigate Chen Wen—also known as Ye Chen—and keep him under watch before acting.
• The chief judge asks whether Chen Wen will continue challenging. Chen Wen accepts and, rather than choosing a safer opponent, calls out Zhao Yuan, ranked forty-eighth.
• Ye Feng tells Zhao Yuan that Lord Ye would prefer him to avoid a clash with Ye Chen. Zhao Yuan refuses to concede, arguing that doing so would undermine his reputation and purpose. He says he cannot promise to spare Chen Wen, though he may do so if Chen Wen concedes.
• Qin Yunzhou warns Qin Yunshan that Zhao Yuan is formidable: Qin Yunzhou himself once failed to withstand a single move from him. Chen Wen may still have another chance to enter the rankings if he loses, but only if he survives.
• On the arena, Zhao Yuan urges Chen Wen to concede. Chen Wen counters by offering Zhao Yuan the same choice and threatens to kill him. Zhao Yuan draws his sword and unleashes chilling Undead Sword Qi, turning the surrounding space lifeless. The chapter ends as Chen Wen recognizes the technique.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Wen / Ye Chen remains unnervingly confident and focused on killing, not merely climbing the rankings. He dismisses others’ warnings and accepts a far more dangerous challenge.
• Zhao Yuan is composed, principled, and vastly stronger than Gu Feng. He will not withdraw simply to serve Lord Ye’s interests, and he warns Chen Wen that the opportunity to concede will soon be gone.
• Ye Feng is caught between Lord Ye’s wishes and the reality that asking Zhao Yuan to concede would damage Zhao Yuan’s standing.
• Qin Yunzhou reveals his knowledge of Zhao Yuan’s strength, shifting the Qin family’s concern from confidence in Chen Wen to fear for his survival.
• The officials and spectators see the match as an ambitious ranking challenge; Chen Wen privately treats it as another chance to kill.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus survival: Chen Wen chooses an exceptionally dangerous opponent despite having safer options.
• Honor and self-interest: Zhao Yuan refuses to concede, even when pressured by Lord Ye’s side.
• Power and uncertainty: Chen Wen’s victory over Gu Feng has impressed the crowd, but Zhao Yuan’s strength makes that achievement no guarantee of safety.
• Public perception versus private intent: The crowd misunderstands Chen Wen’s purpose, while his focus remains lethal.

Plot points and events

• Chen Wen tests his physical defenses by punching Zhao Yuan’s Undead Sword Qi apart with his bare fist, stunning the spectators and exposing the gulf between Chen and the weaker Qin Yunzhou.
• Chen attacks with the God-Slaying Stone, powered by Death God Power. Zhao Yuan’s sword strikes, Sword Intent, Sword Qi Domain, and Spirit Body Shield all fail to stop him.
• The blow sends Zhao Yuan crashing into the arena wall. Chen follows and kills him by driving the stone through his brow, ignoring an onlooker’s attempt to intervene.
• Chen receives a drop of Golden Destiny Nirvana Liquid, then tells the Chief Referee to continue the challenge matches.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Wen demonstrates overwhelming physical and combat power, and reveals himself to be ruthless and decisive, killing Zhao Yuan without hesitation.
• Zhao Yuan, initially contemptuous of Chen, becomes shocked and desperate as his defenses collapse before he is defeated.
• Qin Yunzhou realizes how far Chen surpasses him.
• The spectators and hidden ranked experts are stunned; the latter begin to regard Chen as a genuine peer. An onlooker worries that Zhao Yuan’s death will leave Ye Chao with two dead disciples and suspects Chen’s challenges may be deliberate.

Significant themes

• The gap between perception and reality: The crowd expects Zhao Yuan to dominate, but Chen’s strength overturns their assumptions.
• Power and proof: Chen establishes his standing through direct, overwhelming victories.
• Merciless ambition: His killing of Zhao Yuan shows that these challenges are deadly, not merely displays of skill.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After defeating Zhao Yuan, Chen Wen immediately challenges Wang Teng, ranked thirty-first, making his boldest challenge yet.
• Ye Feng realizes that Chen Wen’s successive opponents have all been connected to Ye Chao, and alerts his master.
• Ye Chao learns that Zhao Yuan has died and concludes that Chen Wen is deliberately targeting him. Furious, he orders Wang Teng to kill Chen Wen at any cost, with other fighters to follow if Wang Teng fails.
• Wang Teng eventually appears after Chen Wen points out that ranked fighters cannot refuse a challenge without admitting defeat publicly.
• Wang Teng explains to Ye Feng that he believes he can counter the weaknesses Chen Wen exploited against Zhao Yuan: he is stronger, faster, and better equipped to withstand Chen Wen’s attacks.
• The fight begins when Wang Teng moves so quickly that the crowd loses sight of him. Chen Wen remains calm and smiling, leaving Ye Feng wondering whether he is underestimating Wang Teng—or has another advantage.

Character developments

• Chen Wen remains composed and confident, continuing to challenge increasingly higher-ranked opponents. His taunts show that he is willing to provoke both his rivals and Ye Chao.
• Ye Chao grows openly enraged. He recognizes Chen Wen’s challenges as deliberate provocation and becomes determined to see him killed.
• Ye Feng is anxious about the consequences of Chen Wen’s victories and careful to report developments to Ye Chao. He is wary of Wang Teng’s confidence but cannot dismiss his reasoning.
• Wang Teng is self-assured and dismissive of Zhao Yuan’s abilities, believing his own experience and combat strengths will let him defeat Chen Wen.

Significant themes

• Escalating ambition and risk: Chen Wen’s choice to challenge a fighter seventeen places higher raises the stakes.
• Pride and underestimation: Wang Teng’s certainty and Chen Wen’s calm confidence set up a clash of competing assumptions.
• Power, loyalty, and fear: Ye Feng’s obedience to Ye Chao reflects the danger of serving a volatile leader.
• Revenge and political conflict: Chen Wen’s challenges have become entangled with Ye Chao’s authority and vendettas.

Character interactions

• Chen Wen pressures the Chief Referee by pointing out that Wang Teng must either accept the challenge or publicly forfeit.
• Ye Feng reports to Ye Chao, who responds with rage and orders Wang Teng—and potentially others—to kill Chen Wen.
• Ye Feng warns Wang Teng not to underestimate Chen Wen; Wang Teng rejects the warning and explains why he believes he has the advantage.
• Wang Teng threatens Chen Wen, who answers with a mocking remark that further provokes him.

Plot points and events

• Wang Teng attacks Chen Wen first, expecting to catch him off guard. Chen Wen dodges effortlessly and lands a devastating punch that sends Wang Teng flying and leaves him bleeding.
• Chen Wen immediately presses his advantage with the God-Slaying Stone. Wang Teng’s Dragon-Subduing Seal is overwhelmed and shattered.
• Wang Teng activates Golden Dragon Transformation, gaining a golden shield, dragon scales, and a surge of Dragon Power. His defense withstands Chen Wen’s next strike, and the recoil forces Chen Wen back a step—his first apparent setback in the fights so far.
• Wang Teng boasts that Chen Wen should be proud to have pushed him this far, then challenges him to a contest of strength.
• Chen Wen meets Wang Teng’s dragon-powered punch with his own raw physical strength. The collision ruptures Wang Teng’s scales and draws blood, while Chen Wen remains largely unhurt.
• Chen Wen advances to attack again as the chapter ends.

Character developments

• Chen Wen proves far faster and stronger than Wang Teng expected. Though he acknowledges the transformed Wang Teng is formidable, he remains calm and confident, concealing his deeper power.
• Wang Teng moves from confidence to shock, then fury and determination as his initial attacks fail. His transformation makes him more powerful, but it still does not match Chen Wen’s physical strength.
• Ye Feng shifts from confidence in Wang Teng to anxious relief when the transformation appears to turn the tide, then back to dread after Wang Teng is injured.
• Qin Yunshan and the others hope for Chen Wen’s victory but grow worried when Wang Teng’s transformation briefly checks him.

Themes

• Overconfidence and reversal: Wang Teng’s assumption that he has the advantage collapses almost immediately.
• Strength tested against strength: The duel escalates from speed and technique to transformed defense and raw physical power.
• Composure under pressure: Chen Wen stays controlled while Wang Teng’s confidence gives way to anger and disbelief.
• Spectacle and uncertainty: The crowd repeatedly revises its view of the fight as each new display shifts the apparent balance.

Character interactions

• Chen Wen taunts Wang Teng after evading his opening attack and later answers Wang Teng’s boast with a grim joke about dying with dignity.
• Wang Teng responds to Chen Wen’s pressure by escalating—from the Dragon-Subduing Seal to Golden Dragon Transformation and finally a direct test of strength.
• Ye Feng watches anxiously, hoping Wang Teng will survive; Qin Yunshan and the others support Chen Wen but fear the transformed Wang Teng may turn the fight around.

Key plot points and events

• Wang Teng unleashes his hidden trump card: a towering Will True Body empowered by his Heaven and Earth Dharma Idol.
• Chen Wen counters by combining four powers—Ancestral Dragon, White Tiger, Asura, and Vermilion Bird—and destroys both Wang Teng’s attack and Will True Body.
• Chen Wen captures the weakened Wang Teng by the throat, leaving him unable to resist. The arena is stunned by how quickly the fight ends.
• The judges and elders acknowledge Chen Wen’s victory. His record now stands at three wins, placing him thirty-first despite his Fourth-Level Great Emperor Will Realm cultivation.
• Two registration officials speculate that Chen Wen may be an outsider and likely intends to enter the Heavenly Mandate Selection, where powerful factions may compete for his allegiance.
• Chen Wen moves to kill Wang Teng. Ye Feng, claiming to be Wang Teng’s elder, tries to intervene, but the chief judge warns him that interference in a Ranked Challenge Match is forbidden.
• After Ye Feng backs down, Chen Wen kills Wang Teng by snapping his neck.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Wen reveals that he has far greater strength than spectators expected. He remains composed, dismisses Ye Feng’s status, and uses the rules to prevent interference before carrying out his threat.
• Wang Teng shifts from confidence to desperation, then terror as his ultimate defense fails and Chen Wen takes control.
• Qin Yunshan abandons his earlier doubts and admits Chen Wen’s confidence was justified. Qin Xue and the other elders are left shaken by his performance.
• Ye Feng attempts to save Wang Teng but retreats when the judge enforces the rules, unwilling to risk becoming personally implicated.
• The spectators and officials move from disbelief to recognition that Chen Wen is a remarkable, possibly foreign, contender.

Significant themes

• Power proven through action: Chen Wen’s victories silence those who doubted him.
• Rules and authority: The arena’s prohibition on outside interference prevents Ye Feng from disrupting the match.
• Fear and consequence: Wang Teng’s confidence collapses as his defeat becomes irreversible.
• A rising reputation: Chen Wen’s unexplained origins and exceptional abilities draw attention ahead of the Heavenly Mandate Selection.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Wen’s recent victories have left three of Ye Chao’s selected disciples dead, including Wang Teng. Ye Feng reports the losses, and Ye Chao erupts in anger.
• Ye Chao orders Ye Feng to investigate Chen Wen’s background, which is known only to be connected to the Eighth Territory. He also demands to hear what Chen Wen does next.
• Asked whether he will continue fighting, Chen Wen weighs his options. Rather than challenge top-ten-ranked Ye Wuchen and risk revealing his full strength, he chooses Gu Fan, ranked eighteenth. He intends to keep the rest of his power hidden while furthering his revenge against Ye Chao.
• Ye Chao refuses to have Gu Fan concede, confident in the Registered Disciple he personally taught. He orders Ye Feng to keep the transmission open so he can listen.
• Gu Fan enters the arena with an overwhelming presence. Chen Wen remains unaffected, and the two size each other up. Gu Fan acknowledges that Chen Wen’s confidence is justified by his strength.

Character developments

• Chen Wen remains strategic and controlled: he chooses a formidable but manageable opponent, plans to test his recently cultivated abilities, and aims to fight using only his Fourth-Level Great Emperor Will.
• Ye Feng grows increasingly fearful and doubtful. Though he follows Ye Chao’s orders, he suspects Chen Wen has not yet shown his full strength.
• Ye Chao is furious at the deaths of his disciples but remains confident that Gu Fan can win.
• Gu Fan appears composed and self-assured, projecting formidable power.
• Qin Yunshan and Qin Yunzhou recognize Gu Fan’s overwhelming strength and can only watch anxiously, hoping Chen Wen survives.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and strategic restraint: Chen Wen deliberately avoids revealing his full capabilities.
• Revenge and mounting consequences: His victories are part of a calculated effort to make Ye Chao pay.
• Confidence versus uncertainty: Ye Chao trusts Gu Fan, while Ye Feng and the spectators sense Chen Wen may still have more to show.
• Power and reputation: Gu Fan’s presence alone changes the crowd’s expectations of the coming battle.

Character interactions

• Ye Feng reports the deaths to Ye Chao, who berates him and orders an investigation into Chen Wen.
• Chen Wen confirms his challenge to Gu Fan despite the referee’s warning that it is his final choice.
• Qin Yunshan and Qin Yunzhou discuss Gu Fan’s origins and strength, agreeing that the match is unpredictable.
• Gu Fan and Chen Wen confront one another across the arena, exchanging pressure through their gazes before Gu Fan recognizes Chen Wen’s ability.

Chapter Summary

• Gu Fan traps Chen Wen: Gu Fan uses the Illusion Character Art, an Ancient God Technique inherited through an Ancient God bloodline. The technique creates an illusory space, attacks the target’s soul, and is meant to disorient and destroy anyone caught inside. Gu Fan believes Chen Wen has been defeated.
• Chen Wen identifies and counters the technique: Trapped inside, Chen Wen remains calm. With help from Xian Hongshao’s explanation, he understands the technique’s nature and recognizes that its attacks target the soul. He uses his powerful Soul Power to form a defensive domain, then turns it into a vortex of Soul Threads and attacks the illusion itself.
• The crowd and observers misjudge the fight: Spectators assume Chen Wen is dead or doomed, while Gu Fan grows confident—but continues reinforcing the technique because he respects Chen Wen’s earlier strength. Ye Feng reports the apparent reversal to Ye Chao, who refuses to believe it.
• Chen Wen breaks free: The illusory space shakes and then shatters. Chen Wen emerges completely unharmed, shocking the crowd, Gu Fan, Ye Feng, and Ye Chao. Gu Fan is especially rattled because Chen Wen’s cultivation level is much lower, yet he resisted a technique that had never failed before.
• Chen Wen takes the initiative: Chen Wen dismisses the Ancient God Technique and announces that it is now his turn. He charges at Gu Fan at a speed faster than he had previously shown, leaving Gu Fan alarmed.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Wen stays composed under pressure, quickly understands the illusion’s soul-based mechanism, and demonstrates that his Soul Power can overcome a powerful inherited technique. His calm confidence shifts into a direct counterattack.
• Gu Fan begins disdainful and self-assured, but his confidence gives way to shock when Chen Wen attacks and destroys the illusion. He realizes he underestimated Chen Wen.
• Xian Hongshao identifies the Illusion Character Art and explains its origin, effects, and bloodline inheritance, helping clarify what Chen Wen is facing.
• Ye Feng and Ye Chao follow events through their communication token. Ye Feng is stunned but reports what he sees; Ye Chao’s certainty in Gu Fan collapses as the news becomes undeniable.
• The spectators move from declaring Chen Wen defeated to staring in disbelief when he emerges unharmed.

Significant Themes

• Power is not determined by rank or cultivation alone: Chen Wen’s Soul Power and tactical understanding let him overcome a technique used by a higher-level opponent.
• Composure and insight under pressure: Chen Wen’s calm analysis proves as important as raw strength.
• Overconfidence and reversal: Gu Fan’s certainty—and the crowd’s premature judgment—are overturned when Chen Wen escapes and takes control.
• Inherited power versus personal mastery: Gu Fan’s bloodline technique is formidable, but Chen Wen’s own abilities prove strong enough to break it.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Wen combines Death-Suppressing Power and Yang Prison Power to strike Gu Fan. Gu Fan counters with Ancient God defensive and weapon techniques, but Chen Wen’s blows shatter both his giant sword and shield.
• Gu Fan tries to escape with Flash Character Art, but Chen Wen catches him with the White Lock Kill Technique, badly injuring him.
• Chen Wen follows up with the World-Sundering Technique, overwhelming Gu Fan’s soul defenses and causing further severe injury. He then lands a Death God’s Scythe strike, leaving Gu Fan unable to fight back.
• Gu Fan admits defeat before dying. Chen Wen receives a drop of Golden Destiny Nirvana Liquid through the system.
• The spectators are stunned that Chen Wen has killed Gu Fan. Ye Chao, furious and shocked, orders Ye Wuchen to fight Chen Wen next. The chief referee asks Chen Wen whether he wants to continue.

Character developments

• Chen Wen demonstrates overwhelming strength through a rapid, coordinated sequence of physical, soul, and death-based attacks. Though the fight takes a toll, he is pleased to discover that his techniques have room to grow.
• Gu Fan shifts from confident defense to panic and helplessness as Chen Wen breaks through his techniques and prevents him from retaliating. He recognizes his defeat just before dying.
• Ye Chao loses his composure after Gu Fan’s death and turns to revenge, placing his hopes in Ye Wuchen.
• Ye Feng is shaken by the outcome but explains that Ye Wuchen is the only remaining eligible challenger among the announced names.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming suppression: Chen Wen’s linked attacks deny Gu Fan the time and space to recover or counter.
• Power and its limits: Gu Fan’s strong defenses fail against Chen Wen’s escalating force, particularly the soul attack.
• The cost of ambition and competition: The challenge ends in death, while its result triggers the prospect of another dangerous fight.
• Fear and disbelief: Chen Wen’s victory overturns the crowd’s expectations and leaves them questioning what they thought possible.

Character interactions

• Chen Wen methodically pressures Gu Fan, exploiting each opening rather than allowing him to regain control.
• The crowd watches Gu Fan’s injury and death with growing shock and fear.
• Ye Feng reports the outcome to Ye Chao; Ye Chao rejects it at first, then demands that Ye Wuchen avenge Gu Fan.
• The chief referee turns the decision back to Chen Wen, asking whether he will continue challenging.

Plot points and events

• After defeating Gu Fan and reaching provisional eighteenth place, Chen Wen declines to challenge anyone else. The crowd considers this a sensible choice given his condition and the strength of the remaining contenders.
• Ye Feng, who expected Chen Wen to keep advancing, reports the decision to Ye Chao. Furious and convinced Chen Wen deliberately disrupted his plans, Ye Chao orders Ye Feng to uncover Chen Wen’s identity and obtain footage of his fights. Ye Chao’s goal of selecting five disciples for the Rank-Setting Battle is now in jeopardy.
• The Chief Referee confirms Chen Wen’s eighteenth-place ranking and explains that he can issue another challenge before the Rank-Setting Battle ends.
• Ye Wuchen confronts Chen Wen, accusing him of bullying the weak and avoiding stronger opponents. Chen Wen points out that Ye Wuchen himself has not challenged the top-ranked contender, then dismisses his criticism. Ye Wuchen threatens to settle matters at the Heavenly Mandate Selection Arena; Chen Wen warns him not to hurry, since he will die too.
• Chen Wen leaves the arena and disguises himself again. To avoid exposing his connection to the Qin Clan and drawing Ye Chao’s forces to them, he decides not to return to the Qin residence. He rents a secluded residence through the Ascension Chamber of Commerce.
• In his cultivation room, Chen Wen enters the Heaven Concealing Qiankun Array, intending to use a Nine Revolutions Tyrant Body Pill and strengthen his Tyrant Body during the fourteen days before the selection.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Wen remains calm and strategic. He chooses not to risk another fight, follows the rules despite provocation, and distances himself from the Qin Clan to protect them and preserve his plans.
• Ye Chao reacts with rage and paranoia, treating Chen Wen as a serious threat because his actions have undermined the selection of Ye Chao’s disciples.
• Ye Feng recognizes that he must quickly investigate Chen Wen to avoid bearing Ye Chao’s anger.
• Ye Wuchen tries to provoke and intimidate Chen Wen, but Chen Wen turns the criticism back on him and leaves without backing down.
• The Chief Referee formally records Chen Wen’s ranking and leaves open the possibility of a later challenge.

Significant themes

• Strategic restraint: Choosing not to fight further can be wiser than pursuing rank at any cost.
• Power and vulnerability: Chen Wen’s relatively modest cultivation has unsettled powerful figures and disrupted their plans.
• Rules versus intimidation: Chen Wen insists on his right to compete by the rules, even when confronted by a stronger opponent.
• Secrecy and protection: His disguise and separation from the Qin Clan reflect the risks of visibility and the importance of protecting allies.
• Foreshadowing: Ye Wuchen’s threat and Chen Wen’s ominous reply set up a future confrontation at the Heavenly Mandate Selection Arena.

Plot points and events

• Chen Wen prepares to take the Nine Revolutions Tyrant Body Pill, knowing it will temper his body nine times and that each round’s pain will intensify.
• The pill’s force nearly overwhelms him. His Six-Colored Fleshlight helps restrain it, while his first-tier Great Accomplishment Hegemonic Body awakens and draws in the pill’s power. Chen Wen repeatedly loses consciousness but ultimately endures all nine rounds.
• The tempering greatly strengthens and expands the potential of his Tyrant Body, bringing his first-tier cultivation to its limit and making him ready to advance.
• Chen Wen then fuses a third strand of Hegemonic Blood. The process is smoother than before, aided by his earlier experience and the pill’s effects. He reaches Second-Tier Tyrant Body, minor accomplishment.
• The pill’s power mostly strengthens his Tyrant Body rather than his physical strength generally. Chen Wen accepts this trade-off.
• Xian Hongshao says his gains are excellent and that, if the necessary Spirit Herbs arrive in time, she can help him make another breakthrough before the Heavenly Mandate Selection.
• Chen Wen learns that seven days have passed. The Ascension Chamber of Commerce has found the herbs but reports a complication. He leaves the Heaven Concealing Qiankun Array to meet them and discuss it.

Character developments

• Chen Wen displays exceptional endurance and resolve, surviving extreme pain to complete the pill’s nine temperings. His cultivation advances, and he gains confidence in his growth, though he remains cautious about threats outside.
• Xian Hongshao watches over Chen Wen, recognizes the danger and scale of his achievement, and encourages him. She also offers confidence in helping him advance further.

Significant themes

• Endurance and perseverance: Chen Wen’s progress depends on bearing pain that would incapacitate most people.
• Growth through risk: The pill offers immense rewards but would waste all prior effort if he failed even once.
• Preparation and uncertainty: Chen Wen’s inner cultivation succeeds, but outside threats—especially Ye Chao’s reaction and the Qin Clan’s possible betrayal—remain unresolved.
• Trade-offs in advancement: Chen Wen gains tremendous Tyrant Body power, even though his overall physical strength does not increase much.

Character interactions

• Xian Hongshao observes Chen Wen’s ordeal and silently hopes he will endure; afterward, she praises his gains and discusses his next opportunity for advancement.
• Chen Wen relies on her guidance and responds positively to her assurance, while privately considering how to protect himself from possible traps.
• Chen Wen contacts the Ascension Chamber of Commerce, whose representative confirms the Spirit Herbs have been found but invites him to discuss a complication in person.

Ye Chao’s search for Chen Wen has stalled. The Qin Clan knows little about him, and the Ascension Alliance’s oversight limits Ye Chao’s ability to pressure them. Though Chen Wen ignores an official summons to accept a challenge, Ye Chao forbids removing him from the Inner City Ranking: he wants Chen Wen to enter the Heavenly Mandate Selection, where Ye Chao plans to kill him. Frustrated, Ye Chao orders Ye Feng to keep investigating and smashes a table after the report ends.
Chen Wen heads to the Ascension Chamber of Commerce, unconcerned by the rising competition among powerful candidates for the upcoming rankings. His priority remains killing Ye Chao, though he is curious about the other geniuses. At the Chamber, Manager Wen Xianhuan tells him that the owner of a Nine Heavens Limpid Fruit will trade it only for the rare Myriad-Dao Rejuvenation Pill formula. A rival bidder is connected to a powerful faction from the Central Heaven Domain, though Wen keeps its identity secret.
Chen Wen reveals that he possesses the formula, but refuses to give it up for just one fruit. Wen arranges a meeting with the owner, Zhao Lingshu, a refined woman with the bearing and fragrance of an alchemist. Once alone, Chen Wen says the fruit is not worth the formula’s price. Zhao realizes he may have the formula and warns that he could be killed for bargaining so boldly. Chen Wen counters that the person she hopes to save may have no other chance, and asserts that she cannot afford to use force against him.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Chao grows more enraged and suspicious as Chen Wen remains elusive; he sees the selection as his chance to take control of the confrontation.
• Chen Wen remains focused on Ye Chao but shows confidence and tactical restraint in negotiating, using Zhao’s need to save someone as leverage.
• Ye Feng is intimidated by Ye Chao and follows orders without protest.
• Wen Xianhuan acts as a professional intermediary, arranging the meeting while protecting confidential information.
• Zhao Lingshu shifts from calm confidence to cautious interest after Chen Wen implies he can provide the formula.
  Themes: vengeance and power, the limits of coercion, high-stakes bargaining, and the value of rare knowledge when someone’s life may depend on it.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Wen negotiates with Zhao Lingshu over a Nine Heavens Limpid Fruit, which he needs to refine a Nine Heavens Limpid Spirit Pill. Zhao argues that the fruit is a one-time consumable, while the Myriad-Dao Rejuvenation Pill Formula Chen Wen offers can be used repeatedly.
• Chen Wen counters that their needs are not equally urgent: he does not absolutely require the fruit, but Zhao Lingshu desperately needs the pill formula. This forces her to acknowledge that a simple one-for-one exchange is unfavorable to her.
• Chen Wen requests an additional condition: Zhao must save his life once, doing everything possible without being required to sacrifice herself. She agrees, provided the pill formula is genuine.
• Chen Wen gives Zhao the formula for inspection. She confirms that it is authentic and well-balanced, then provides him with:
  • A carefully preserved

Nine Heavens Limpid Fruit

• Her Personal Token, which Chen Wen can activate to summon her aid
• Zhao warns that she will need time to arrive if summoned. Before leaving, she asks whether Chen Wen is an alchemist, suggesting possible future interest in his abilities.
• Wen Xianhuan returns to settle the Ascension Chamber of Commerce’s commission. The chamber refunds most of Chen Wen’s deposit, keeping only the search fee and one-tenth of the deposit as commission.
• After Chen Wen leaves, Wen Xianhuan asks her sister Wen Xianle about his background. She suspects Chen Wen may be the mysterious Ye Chen who made a name for himself in the Rank-Setting Battle.
• Wen Xianle admits she knows little about Chen Wen beyond being on good terms with him and refuses to investigate his secrets. Wen Xianhuan accepts this, though both sisters remain curious about his identity.
• Back at his residence, Chen Wen learns that Xian Hongshao will need about two days to refine the Thousand-Dao Origin Pill. He plans to use that time to practice a Divine Ability Secret Technique and test the effects of the Yin-Yang Harmony Dao Technique.

Character Developments

• Chen Wen demonstrates increasing confidence, strategic thinking, and bargaining skill. Rather than accepting Zhao’s framing of the exchange, he exploits the fact that her need for the pill formula is more urgent than his need for the fruit.
• He also shows a cautious approach to survival by securing Zhao’s future assistance, adding another powerful protector alongside Ye Qinglian.
• Zhao Lingshu is revealed to possess immense influence and confidence. She recognizes the fairness of Chen Wen’s additional condition and honors the agreement after verifying the formula. Her interest in whether he is an alchemist hints that she may view him as more valuable than an ordinary client.
• Wen Xianhuan becomes suspicious of Chen Wen’s true identity because of his unusual resources, connections, and possible possession of rare pill formulas.
• Wen Xianle remains loyal and respectful toward Chen Wen, choosing not to pry into his background despite her sister’s questions.

Significant Themes

• Negotiation and leverage: The exchange shows that value depends not only on rarity but also on urgency and necessity. Chen Wen uses Zhao’s greater need to improve the deal.
• Trust and reciprocity: Chen Wen trusts Zhao to honor her word and Wen Xianhuan to return the correct payment, while securing formal guarantees through Zhao’s Personal Token.
• Survival through alliances: Chen Wen prioritizes building relationships with powerful figures to protect himself from future danger.
• Hidden identity and secrecy: Chen Wen’s true identity and abilities remain concealed, while others begin piecing together clues about his connection to Ye Chen.
• The value of life over material objects: Chen Wen emphasizes that a living ally is more valuable than a lifeless pill formula, reinforcing his practical and relationship-oriented outlook.

Character Interactions

• Chen Wen and Zhao Lingshu engage in a tense but respectful negotiation, ultimately reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.
• Zhao’s emotional reaction to the pill formula reveals how important it is to her, though she attempts to maintain composure.
• Chen Wen and Wen Xianhuan conclude their business transaction politely, with mutual trust and professionalism.
• Wen Xianhuan and Wen Xianle discuss Chen Wen’s mysterious background, showing differing approaches: one is suspicious and investigative, while the other values friendship and personal boundaries.
• Chen Wen and Xian Hongshao discuss the timing of the Thousand-Dao Origin Pill’s refinement and his next steps in cultivation.