Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Lightning Immortal Venerable”

Plot Points and Major Events

• Since the Yang family vanished, the Rogue Cultivator Market in Qingshi County has declined badly. Demon cultivators frequently attack, spirit fields are difficult to maintain, and Pinnacle Pavilion has stopped operating after one of its transport convoys—and the shopkeeper’s entire family—was destroyed.
• At Yang Ji’s teahouse, rogue cultivators discuss the shortage of spirit rice and the worsening danger. The teahouse is maintained by cultivators who still hope that the Yang Family Patriarch will one day return.
• A disguised cultivator wearing a hat reveals himself as the Blood Hand Daoist, a powerful demon cultivator from Blood Soul Valley. He attacks the teahouse, summoning blood hands from the ground and trapping the assembled rogue cultivators.
• The victims invoke the Lightning Immortal Venerable, saying that he has protected Qingshi County in the past. Blood Hand Daoist mocks them, claiming the Lightning Immortal Venerable is hiding and cannot save them.
• An old beggar appears and challenges Blood Hand Daoist. Although the beggar is at Qi Refinement Great Perfection and has superb swordsmanship, Blood Hand Daoist’s regenerative blood techniques allow him to withstand the attacks.
• A second demon cultivator, also at Qi Refinement Great Perfection, emerges with a Soul Summoning Banner and ambushes the old beggar. The beggar is overwhelmed, and the rogue cultivators lose hope.
• Yang Shi suddenly bursts from underground in his Lightning Immortal Venerable guise. He kills Blood Hand Daoist with a lightning sword and uses an Earthquake Wave to immobilize the second demon cultivator before destroying him as well.
• Yang Shi helps the old beggar stand and cryptically tells him, “I return your life,” implying a prior connection or debt. He then asks the confused rogue cultivators where the Lightning Immortal Venerable is, concealing the fact that he himself is that figure.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi / Lightning Immortal Venerable: Demonstrates his continued protection of Qingshi County while maintaining his secret identity. His dramatic rescue shows his growing power and confidence, particularly through his lightning sword and Earthquake Wave.
• Blood Hand Daoist: Is portrayed as cruel, arrogant, and fanatically loyal to Blood Soul Valley. Mention of the supposedly missing Fat and Thin Daoist enrages him, revealing an emotional attachment to his senior brother. His confidence collapses when Yang Shi kills him instantly.
• The Old Beggar: Initially appears as a carefree, eccentric spectator complaining about the lack of good coffee, but proves to be a highly skilled swordsman at Qi Refinement Great Perfection. His willingness to defend the rogue cultivators highlights his sense of justice, though he is ultimately outmatched by the two demon cultivators.
• The Rogue Cultivators: Their earlier confidence and verbal reliance on the Lightning Immortal Venerable turn into fear and despair when faced with Blood Hand Daoist. Their continued faith in Yang Shi’s protection is rewarded, though they remain unaware that he has just rescued them.

Significant Themes

• Hope amid decline: Even after the Yang family’s disappearance and the collapse of local order, the teahouse and the rogue cultivators’ memories preserve hope for the Yang Family Patriarch’s return.
• Reputation and unseen protection: The Lightning Immortal Venerable has become a symbol of justice and security. His reputation protects people psychologically even when he is absent—and his hidden appearance proves that the faith is not misplaced.
• Good versus demonic cruelty: The chapter contrasts the rogue cultivators’ communal bonds and the old beggar’s intervention with the demon cultivators’ exploitation, slaughter, and transformation of victims into puppets.
• Concealed identity and dramatic irony: Yang Shi saves everyone while pretending to search for the very person he secretly is, creating a humorous contrast between his legendary reputation and the cultivators’ ignorance.
• Loyalty and vengeance: Blood Hand Daoist’s fury over the Fat and Thin Daoist’s disappearance reveals the bonds within the demon sect, while Yang Shi’s cryptic repayment to the old beggar hints at past relationships and obligations.

Character Interactions

• The rogue cultivators argue over the spirit-rice shortage, revealing the growing distrust and selfishness caused by scarcity.
• Blood Hand Daoist intimidates and mocks them, while they desperately invoke the Lightning Immortal Venerable for protection.
• The old beggar confronts Blood Hand Daoist and initially dominates him through superior swordsmanship.
• The second demon cultivator’s ambush changes the battle’s balance, forcing the old beggar into a desperate defense.
• Yang Shi intervenes at the critical moment, kills both demon cultivators, assists the old beggar, and then playfully questions the rogue cultivators about his own whereabouts.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Shi returns to the Da Nai Dynasty wielding the Thunderclap Sword, a Treasure Artifact loaned to him by Murong Ziyan. Its ability to suppress passive defensive Talismans and Magic Artifacts allows him to kill two powerful Demon Cultivators instantly.
• Mistaken for the mysterious “Lightning Immortal Venerable,” Yang Shi accepts the title rather than correcting the Rogue Cultivators. He encourages them to spread word of his strength to Blood Soul Valley, effectively using the misunderstanding to intimidate the Demon Cultivators.
• The Rogue Cultivators and the Old Beggar are stunned by Yang Shi’s overwhelming power and the complete absence of detectable spiritual fluctuations, believing him to be an exceptionally powerful immortal expert.
• Yang Shi loots the slain Demon Cultivators, briefly drinks tea at the Yang Family’s tea house, and leaves without reclaiming the Yang Family’s former ancestral estate. He decides the family should only return once they are strong enough to protect their property.
• After Yang Shi departs Qingshi County, the Thunderclap Sword reacts to a nearby presence. He discovers Ding Zhen fleeing a large pursuing force composed of Law Enforcement Division cultivators, Martial Cultivators, and an Army Soul.
• Ding Zhen has uncovered evidence that the Da Nai Dynasty’s Law Enforcement Division is secretly collaborating with Blood Soul Valley. He believes this alliance explains why the Demon Cultivators have grown so powerful and why the Xuan Shi Sect has been unable to suppress them.
• Ding Zhen, now a Foundation Establishment cultivator and secretly serving as an agent of the Xuan Shi Sect, is exhausted and nearly out of spiritual power. He has wounded an unknown Foundation Establishment enemy and escaped using powerful Lightning Talismans, but remains surrounded and pursued.
• While fleeing, Ding Zhen bitterly curses Yang Shi for disappearing with the Thunderclap Sword, unaware that Yang Shi has just returned nearby.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi: Demonstrates greatly increased combat power through his physical strength and the Thunderclap Sword. He embraces the false identity of the Lightning Immortal Venerable, showing greater confidence, cunning, and willingness to manipulate rumors for strategic purposes. He also remains cautious, refusing to reclaim the Yang Family’s estate until the family can defend itself.
• Ding Zhen: Is revealed to lead a dangerous double life. By day he acts as the demonic “Dawn Demon,” while by night he becomes the righteous Lightning Immortal Venerable and hunts Demon Cultivators. He has advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm but is now physically and spiritually depleted after exposing the conspiracy.
• Old Beggar: Becomes deeply wary of Yang Shi after recognizing that he cannot sense Yang Shi’s true cultivation. He privately assesses Yang Shi as someone capable of killing him after only a few exchanges and resolves to act more cautiously.
• Rogue Cultivators: Quickly accept Yang Shi’s supposed identity and flatter him, hoping to gain his favor or have their descendants accepted as disciples.
• Murong Ziyan: Though absent, her influence remains central. Her gifts—the Thunderclap Sword and Sword Sheath—allow Yang Shi and Ding Zhen to survive and fight at a much higher level.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Yang Shi’s perceived identity becomes almost as important as his actual strength. Rumors and titles create fear and influence.
• Hidden identities and deception: Both Yang Shi and Ding Zhen benefit from concealment, while Ding Zhen’s two opposing public personas allow him to infiltrate both demonic and righteous circles.
• Corruption within authority: The Law Enforcement Division, supposedly responsible for protecting the dynasty, appears to be aiding Blood Soul Valley, suggesting that institutional corruption is enabling the demonic resurgence.
• Righteousness versus overwhelming evil: Ding Zhen’s investigation and despair emphasize the difficulty of opposing a powerful conspiracy, especially when supposedly righteous organizations are compromised.
• Caution and detachment: Yang Shi’s decision not to reclaim the ancestral estate reflects the importance of avoiding attachments while enemies remain powerful and hidden.

Character Interactions

• Yang Shi interacts with the Rogue Cultivators and Old Beggar, allowing their mistaken belief that he is the Lightning Immortal Venerable to continue.
• The Rogue Cultivators praise Yang Shi and promise to spread news of his victories, helping him build a feared reputation.
• Yang Shi’s brief visit to the Yang Family tea house contrasts with the dramatic events around him and leaves Yang Genshuo confused about his motives.
• Ding Zhen exchanges insults with the Law Enforcement Division during his pursuit, accusing them of colluding with Demon Cultivators and threatening to expose them.
• The chapter ends with dramatic irony: Ding Zhen angrily blames Yang Shi for taking the Thunderclap Sword, while Yang Shi has just arrived close enough to potentially rescue him.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ding Zhen recalls his bitter history with Yang Shi. He resents Yang for allegedly trying to swindle him in the past and, more importantly, for disappearing after Murong Ziyan entrusted him with half of the Thunderclap Sword.
• Before leaving, Murong Ziyan gave Ding Zhen a sword sheath, a Foundation Establishment Spirit Item, and a detailed letter. She explained her connections within the Xuan Shi Sect, warned him not to seek help from her Master unless absolutely necessary, and described how to use the sheath and her Thunderclap Sword.
• The Thunderclap Sword is a rare Mid-grade Treasure Artifact. Its blade and sheath are individually powerful, but when reunited, they can unleash the devastating Immortal Slaying Lightning Sword Art.
• Ding Zhen has been pursued and worn down by the Great Nai Law Enforcement Division’s cultivator and Martial Cultivator legions. Exhausted and nearly defeated, he is surrounded after the sword sheath protects him from an Army Soul Viper.
• Just as the enemy leaders move in to capture him, Yang Shi emerges from underground and attacks. His sudden strike severely damages Bao Shengbiao and destroys the Martial Cultivator army’s Army Soul, crippling the cultivator formation.
• Ding Zhen reunites the sword sheath with the Thunderclap Sword in Yang Shi’s possession. The complete Treasure Artifact unleashes the Immortal Slaying Lightning Sword Array.
• The array fills the area with countless lightning swords, killing Bao Shengbiao, the opposing army leader, and nearly all the pursuing soldiers.
• After the attack, the Thunderclap Sword loses its power and enters a temporary dormant state. Yang Shi is also weakened from using it.
• Yang Shi takes Ding Zhen away on a Giant Wing Bat to find a safe place to recover, despite Ding Zhen’s continued irritation and refusal to express gratitude.

2. Character Developments

• Ding Zhen: His anger toward Yang Shi is shown to be deep and long-standing, fueled by both personal resentment and the loss of Murong Ziyan’s intended battle strategy. Although initially helpless, he remains sharp-tongued and determined. He ultimately trusts Yang enough to reunite the sword and sheath, enabling their victory.
• Yang Shi: He returns dramatically as Ding Zhen’s unexpected rescuer, demonstrating that he has become powerful and resourceful enough to infiltrate the battlefield and wield the Thunderclap Sword effectively. Despite Ding Zhen’s insults, Yang remains calm, treating him as a fellow disciple serving Murong Ziyan.
• Murong Ziyan: Though absent, her influence dominates the chapter. Her preparations, instructions, and weapon enable the protagonists’ survival and victory.
• Bao Shengbiao and the opposing commander: Their arrogance and greed are exposed. They focus on claiming Ding Zhen’s treasure and underestimate both the sword sheath and Yang Shi, leading to their deaths.

3. Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: Ding Zhen believes Yang Shi betrayed Murong Ziyan’s trust by disappearing with half of the Treasure Artifact, while Yang Shi’s return suggests that their relationship may be more complicated than Ding assumes.
• The power of preparation and legacy: Murong Ziyan’s foresight—leaving behind instructions, spiritual tools, and her weapon—allows Ding Zhen and Yang Shi to overcome overwhelming odds even after her departure.
• Unity and completeness: The separated sword and sheath symbolize the protagonists’ divided resources and circumstances. Their reunion unlocks the artifact’s true power and turns certain defeat into total victory.
• Arrogance and underestimation: The enemy commanders dismiss their opponents and quarrel over status, failing to recognize the danger of the Thunderclap Sword until it is too late.
• Comedic friction amid danger: Ding Zhen’s furious insults contrast with Yang Shi’s relaxed, brotherly attitude, creating humor even during a deadly battle.

4. Character Interactions

• Ding Zhen internally curses Yang Shi and blames him for abandoning the battle plan Murong Ziyan designed.
• The two enemy commanders argue over whether to kill Ding Zhen immediately or deliver him and the sword sheath to their superiors, while also insulting one another’s forces.
• Yang Shi saves Ding Zhen, but Ding Zhen responds with abuse rather than thanks.
• Ding Zhen and Yang Shi cooperate instinctively when Ding Zhen reconnects the sheath to Yang Shi’s sword.
• Afterward, Yang Shi calls them brothers under Murong Ziyan’s command and offers to help Ding Zhen recover, while Ding Zhen privately remains annoyed and resentful.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking Wu Sheng”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ding Zhen thanks Yang Shi for rescuing him, but Yang Shi bluntly admits that his main motivation was obtaining the complete Thunderclap Sword. Ding Zhen becomes suspicious of Yang Shi’s ruthless, almost demonic pragmatism.
• While resting in a remote town, Ding Zhen explains that the Da Nai Dynasty has been deeply infiltrated by the demonic path. The Xiang Family and the Law Enforcement Division are linked to Blood Soul Valley, while the Xuan Shi Sect is struggling to suppress the rapidly growing demonic factions.
• Yang Genshuo realizes that the Yang Family was wise to hide in the Demon Wind Forest. The Da Nai Dynasty’s many attribute-less spirit fields make it ideal for agriculture, but the widespread violence makes peaceful development impossible.
• Yang Genshuo concludes that the Yang Family may eventually need to interfere in the conflict, beginning by undermining the Xiang Family with Ding Zhen’s assistance.
• Through the [Divine Manifestation], Yang Genshuo is instructed to win Ding Zhen over, since Ding Zhen can help Yang Shi achieve his lifelong goal: avenging the destruction of his family by reaching the Innate Grandmaster realm.
• Yang Shi and Ding Zhen grow closer after discussing their pasts. Ding Zhen praises Yang Shi for killing the Fat and Thin Daoists, preventing Blood Soul Valley from gaining two more Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Ding Zhen reveals that he exposed the Xiang Family’s collusion with demonic cultivators. As a result, Xiang Shi—the family’s strongest member and ancestor—has been placed under house arrest by the Xuan Shi Sect.
• Although the Xiang Family appears weakened, Ding Zhen warns that it may still possess hidden Foundation Establishment experts. Yang Shi tempers his desire for immediate revenge.
• The two agree to meet again in one month. Ding Zhen returns to the Xuan Shi Sect to report his findings, while Yang Shi travels to the Da Nai capital to search for an unknown person.
• Upon arriving in the capital, Yang Shi and Yang Genshuo realize they have no practical way to identify the person they seek among more than one hundred thousand Character Cards, ending the chapter on a humorous problem.

2. Character Developments

• Yang Shi: Reveals his calculating and opportunistic nature, openly admitting that acquiring the Thunderclap Sword was part of his reason for helping Ding Zhen. However, he also becomes more emotionally invested in Ding Zhen as an ally and remains focused on avenging his family before his aging body limits his martial potential.
• Ding Zhen: Initially distrusts Yang Shi’s motives but gradually accepts him after learning about his past and accomplishments. He becomes sympathetic toward the Yang Family’s blood feud with the Xiang Family and promises to help destroy them.
• Yang Genshuo: Gains a broader understanding of the Da Nai Dynasty’s political and demonic crisis. He begins considering the strategic value of the region’s spirit fields while recognizing that the Yang Family lacks the strength to confront all three demonic factions directly.
• Xiang Shi and the Xiang Family: The Xiang Family is shown to be politically vulnerable after Xiang Shi is placed under house arrest, though its hidden strength remains uncertain.

3. Significant Themes

• Alliance and mutual dependence: Yang Shi and Ding Zhen overcome their initial tension and form a partnership based on shared enemies, personal loyalty, and the restored Thunderclap Sword.
• Revenge versus survival: Yang Shi’s personal vengeance drives him, but the dangerous political climate forces him to act cautiously rather than attack the Xiang Family immediately.
• Institutional corruption: The Da Nai Dynasty’s government and Law Enforcement Division have been compromised, demonstrating how demonic influence has spread into established authorities.
• The conflict between cultivation and development: Yang Genshuo views the Da Nai Dynasty as an agricultural opportunity, but realizes that war and demonic violence make peaceful farming impossible.
• Hidden strength and uncertainty: Even weakened families may conceal powerful cultivators, making appearances unreliable and revenge difficult.
• Time and mortality: Yang Shi’s approaching physical decline creates urgency; he must reach the Innate Grandmaster realm before he loses his chance.

4. Character Interactions

• Yang Shi’s blunt admission that he wanted Ding Zhen’s sword sheath creates comic tension and highlights their contrasting personalities.
• Ding Zhen explains the demonic crisis to Yang Shi and Yang Genshuo, helping them understand the scale of the Da Nai Dynasty’s collapse.
• Yang Shi and Ding Zhen bond through shared discussions of past battles, family destruction, and their hatred of the Xiang Family.
• Ding Zhen reassures Yang Shi that the Xiang Family will eventually be punished, while Yang Shi plans to investigate the Da Nai capital.
• Their parting is cooperative but cautious: Ding Zhen warns Yang Shi about the infiltrated Law Enforcement Division, and both commit to meeting again after one month.

Chapter Summary: Undercover in the Law Enforcement Department

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Genshuo struggles to identify the mysterious Martial Saint because Martial Cultivators lack the obvious spiritual glow that reveals ordinary cultivators. He uses Divine Manifestation to guide Yang Shi, trusting that fate will lead them to the right person.
• While Yang Shi investigates the Martial Saint, Yang Genshuo observes the Yang family and their allies. Yang Fushuo continues refining pills, Yang Fujian steadily improves through the Clear Heart Art, and Yang Fuqing becomes somewhat depressed after losing her friends from the Demon Wind Forest.
• Huzi unexpectedly returns with a group of Black Ghosts, whom he captured from the wilderness. He forces them to join the Yang family, farm, and adopt their laws and “civilization,” threatening them with his newly developed Thousand Lightning Whips.
• Huzi’s brutal training methods reveal that he has developed his own path of enlightenment: the Innate Farmer Saint Body. His mastery over the Black Ghosts explains how he was able to subdue even a Qi Refinement-level Cang Wolf.
• Yang Shi discovers that the mysterious Martial Saint, Wu Sheng, has repeatedly appeared in the Great Nai capital and occasionally trained Martial Cultivators within the Great Nai Law Enforcement Division. Even Qi Refinement immortals treat Wu Sheng with great respect.
• The Law Enforcement Division is secretly far stronger than it appears, reportedly rivaling Blood Soul Valley. Approaching its leadership directly would be dangerous.
• A new recruitment order offers Martial Cultivators the chance to receive personal instruction from Wu Sheng. Yang Shi recognizes this as the perfect opportunity to approach him.
• Tensions rise across the Great Nai Dynasty. Two Law Enforcement legions were destroyed, apparently by the Lightning Immortal Venerable, while the same figure was also seen killing powerful Demon Cultivators. Rumors, the Xuan Shi Sect’s accusations, and the imperial court’s silence suggest that the Law Enforcement Division may have been infiltrated or corrupted.
• Yang Shi decides to use the recruitment drive to infiltrate the Law Enforcement Division under the alias Liu Shi. He and Ding Zhen plan to infiltrate the Law Enforcement Division and Blood Soul Valley respectively, coordinating with the Xuan Shi Sect to destroy both evil factions.
• On his very first day undercover, Yang Shi is summoned with the other Innate Grandmasters to receive instruction directly from Wu Sheng.

Character Developments

• Yang Genshuo becomes increasingly reliant on intuition, fortune, and mystical guidance rather than tedious investigation. He also remains deeply invested in observing the growth and daily lives of the Yang family.
• Yang Shi demonstrates greater strategic confidence and emotional resolve. His mission is motivated not only by the Yang family’s grievances but also by gratitude toward Murong Ziyan and Bai Heyu, whose legacies he wants to honor.
• Huzi develops into a frightening but effective leader. His harsh treatment of the Black Ghosts is both comedic and ruthless, while his cultivation advances through his unique agricultural and disciplinary path.
• Yang Fushuo continues pursuing alchemy and maintains a close, talkative relationship with the Old Ancestor.
• Yang Fujian makes steady progress in cultivation, nearing the entry level of the Clear Heart Art.
• Yang Fuqing suffers a slight decline in morale due to isolation after moving away from the Demon Wind Forest.
• Ding Zhen becomes Yang Shi’s partner in the broader undercover operation against Blood Soul Valley and the Law Enforcement Division.

Significant Themes

• Fortune and destiny: Yang Genshuo’s faith in Divine Manifestation and Yang Shi’s seemingly impossible timing suggest that luck and providence strongly influence the family’s path.
• Different paths to enlightenment: Yang Shi gains insight through money, while Huzi advances through farming, discipline, and violence, showing that cultivation can arise from highly unconventional life experiences.
• Civilization versus brutality: Huzi claims to be civilizing the Black Ghosts, but his methods rely on coercion and beatings, creating a humorous yet morally ambiguous contrast between order and cruelty.
• Loyalty and remembrance: Yang Shi’s determination is driven by gratitude and personal bonds, especially his desire to repay the kindness of Murong Ziyan and Bai Heyu.
• Political conspiracy and hidden corruption: Conflicting reports about the destroyed legions and the imperial court’s silence suggest that demonic forces may have infiltrated the Law Enforcement Division, setting the stage for an impending conflict.
• Undercover strategy and deception: Yang Shi’s use of a false identity reflects the growing importance of espionage as the major factions prepare for war.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Genshuo guides Yang Shi through Divine Manifestation, while Yang Shi unquestioningly trusts the Old Ancestor’s advice.
• Yang Genshuo observes Yang Fushuo’s enthusiastic conversations and offerings, reinforcing their affectionate ancestor-descendant relationship.
• Huzi confronts and controls the Black Ghosts, imposing Yang family rules on them through intimidation.
• Jiang Xiaobai questions Huzi’s decision to bring the Black Ghosts back, prompting Huzi to explain his plan to make them farmers and “civilized” subjects.
• Yang Shi and Ding Zhen coordinate their plans to infiltrate opposing organizations.
• Yang Shi enters the Law Enforcement Division just as Wu Sheng begins teaching the recruited Innate Grandmasters, bringing him closer than ever to the Martial Saint.

Chapter Summary: Wu Sheng Reaches Divinity

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Genshuo, under the identity of Yang Shi, joins the newly formed Immortal Extermination Legion after invoking the name of Lightning Whip Liu Shi. Instead of facing suspicion or mistreatment, he is appointed a Centurion in the Law Enforcement Department.
• The ten newly appointed Centurions are taken to the Great Nai Capital’s military camp to receive instruction from Lord Wu Sheng, whom Yang Shi has specifically sought out for guidance on breaking through the Innate Grandmaster realm.
• Upon seeing Wu Sheng, Yang Shi immediately recognizes him and instinctively senses overwhelming danger. His divine ability, Qi Lock, reveals that Wu Sheng’s Qi is many times stronger than his own.
• Wu Sheng questions the ten martial artists about their time as Innate Grandmasters and whether they believe the realm is the peak of martial cultivation.
• He gives them the Clear Heart Art, a heart technique he created, and explains that martial arts combined with specially supplied immortal pills can help them advance beyond their current limits.
• The Centurions are delighted by the generous benefits of joining the legion, though Yang Shi realizes that Wu Sheng’s instructions are incomplete. The Clear Heart Art and immortal pills may strengthen them, but they cannot explain how to reach Wu Sheng’s level.
• Yang Shi confirms through the Old Ancestor’s Character Card that Wu Sheng is genuinely a Divine Connection Realm expert, the strongest martial artist in the Da Nai Dynasty.
• Late that night, someone knocks three times above Yang Shi’s tent and orders him to follow.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi/Yang Genshuo: His caution and suspicion deepen. Though impressed by Wu Sheng’s strength, he remains wary of Wu Sheng’s connection to the Law Enforcement Department and the demonic path. He becomes increasingly impatient to learn the true method of entering the Divine Connection Realm, especially because his age limits the time he has left to advance.
• Lord Wu Sheng: He is presented as calm, restrained, and grandfatherly, concealing an extraordinary level of power. Rather than fully teaching the Centurions, he offers only foundational guidance and appears to be testing or preparing them for something more advanced.
• The other nine Centurions: They begin the chapter curious and cautious but quickly become enthusiastic after learning they will receive Wu Sheng’s technique and royal immortal pills. They do not perceive the hidden danger or deeper implications that Yang Shi notices.
• Liu Wuhen: Mentioned as another practitioner of the Clear Heart Art who, like Yang Shi, has gained strength from it but remains far below Wu Sheng’s realm.

Significant Themes

• The limits of martial cultivation: The chapter challenges the belief that the Innate Grandmaster realm is the highest stage of martial arts.
• Age and urgency: Yang Shi’s awareness that martial artists decline after their physical peak creates pressure to find a breakthrough quickly.
• Hidden power and incomplete knowledge: Wu Sheng reveals enough to inspire the Centurions but withholds the true path to Divine Connection, suggesting deeper secrets behind his teachings.
• Trust and suspicion: Yang Shi struggles to reconcile Wu Sheng’s benevolent presentation and the military legion’s respectable appearance with rumors of demonic affiliations.
• Fate and opportunity: Yang Shi reflects on how fortunate his current circumstances are, while recognizing that his encounter with Wu Sheng may carry risks as well as benefits.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Shi observes Wu Sheng’s overwhelming aura and secretly uses Qi Lock to assess him, while Wu Sheng briefly senses that something unusual is present among the newcomers.
• Wu Sheng questions each Centurion about their cultivation history, creating an elder-to-junior atmosphere that puts the group at ease.
• The Centurions respectfully bow to Wu Sheng and eagerly question whether his teachings can eventually make them as powerful as he is.
• Wu Sheng responds indirectly, promising further instruction later while emphasizing that their eventual progress will depend on their own efforts.
• The chapter ends with an unidentified person summoning Yang Shi from his tent, setting up a private encounter or new development.

Chapter Summary: Ancient Sword Remnant Soul

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Shi secretly follows Wu Sheng out of the military camp after Wu Sheng summons him.
• Wu Sheng recognizes Yang Shi as Liu Wuhen’s disciple through the Clear Heart Art, a cultivation method Wu Sheng created and both men practice.
• Yang Shi confirms his identity and asks Wu Sheng to teach him the Method of Divine Connection.
• Wu Sheng reveals that Liu Wuhen had previously asked him to pass on his abilities to Yang Shi if they ever met. Wu Sheng also agrees because Yang Shi is exceptionally talented and suitable to inherit his legacy.
• Wu Sheng explains that Yang Shi’s body has already reached the peak of the Innate Grandmaster realm, but he lacks the spiritual cultivation necessary to advance further.
• He introduces the Visualization Art, a method Wu Sheng created by studying Cultivation Methods and adapting spiritual-sense training for Martial Cultivators.
• Through visualization of a powerful “divine object,” a Martial Cultivator can cultivate Spiritual Sense, merge their accumulated martial knowledge, form a divine ability, and break through into the Divine Connection realm.
• Wu Sheng explains that the required divine object is similar to a Foundation Establishment Spirit Item, making it extremely rare and valuable. However, unlike Cultivators, Martial Cultivators only need to visualize the item, allowing it to be passed down and shared.
• Wu Sheng gives Yang Shi his own treasured divine object: the broken wooden sword known as the Ancient Sword Remnant Soul.
• The item is revealed to be an innate Gold-element spirit item containing the remnant thought of a powerful cultivator and profound sword intent.
• Wu Sheng explains that he used the sword to comprehend his divine ability, Qi Sword, and then begins teaching Yang Shi the Visualization Art.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi: Takes another major step toward advancing beyond the Innate Grandmaster realm. His humility, talent, and connection to Liu Wuhen earn Wu Sheng’s approval. He also becomes Wu Sheng’s disciple, expanding his martial heritage and responsibilities.
• Wu Sheng: Shifts from mysterious martial expert to mentor and successor-bearer. His genius is emphasized through his creation of the Visualization Art, while his generosity and respect for Liu Wuhen are shown through his willingness to teach Yang Shi and surrender his treasured sword remnant.
• Liu Wuhen: Though absent, his influence remains important. His trust in Yang Shi and his prior request to Wu Sheng establish a connection between the two masters.
• Yang Genshuo: Observes and analyzes the encounter from outside the scene, recognizing Wu Sheng’s extraordinary talent and reflecting on the difficulties of obtaining spiritual treasures and supporting a growing cultivation family.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and mentorship: Yang Shi inherits knowledge from both Liu Wuhen and Wu Sheng, suggesting the continuation and merging of two martial legacies.
• Unity of body, qi, and spirit: Wu Sheng presents spiritual cultivation as the missing component preventing Martial Cultivators from progressing beyond physical and internal-energy limits.
• Innovation versus tradition: Wu Sheng develops a new path by adapting principles from Cultivation Methods into a martial technique, demonstrating creativity beyond established systems.
• The burden of leadership: Yang Shi’s concern over needing multiple divine objects for his family highlights the pressures of being a clan patriarch.
• Treasure and destiny: The Ancient Sword Remnant Soul is rare, powerful, and tied to profound sword dao, reinforcing the idea that advancement depends not only on effort but also on finding exceptional opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Yang Shi respectfully identifies himself as Liu Wuhen’s disciple and kneels to request Wu Sheng’s instruction.
• Wu Sheng responds warmly, revealing Liu Wuhen’s earlier request and accepting Yang Shi as his disciple.
• Their relationship changes from strangers connected by martial recognition to master and disciple.
• Wu Sheng entrusts Yang Shi with the Ancient Sword Remnant Soul, showing deep confidence in his potential.
• Yang Genshuo’s commentary provides an outside perspective on the mutual respect between Wu Sheng and Liu Wuhen, while also adding humor about Yang Shi’s two masters and the practical difficulties of obtaining cultivation treasures.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Shi continues cultivating the martial saint’s inheritance, especially the Visualization Art. He gradually gains control over his spiritual sense and hopes to use storage artifacts like a cultivator.
• He returns to the mortal town to meet Ding Zhen, but Ding fails to appear. A blue bird delivers Ding’s note canceling the meeting. Ding says his plan is proceeding, but warns Yang Shi never to seek out the Thunder Peak Peak Master unless his life is in danger, implying serious hidden trouble.
• Back at the Law Enforcement Division, Yang Shi focuses on cultivation rather than investigating Ding’s situation.
• In the Yang family’s modern-world domain, Yang Genshuo finds martial cultivation tedious and jokes about obtaining pills to advance instantly. He abandons plans to equip Yang Shi with modern weapons, deciding that powerful martial arts are more valuable.
• Yang Genshuo inspects the Immortal Qi food factory, relaxes with Cheng Bo, and reflects humorously on the family’s work-life balance and Dao Ye’s ability to earn and enjoy money.
• Six months pass in the game before the Ancestor Worship. Yang Shi’s Visualization Art reaches the Entry Realm, allowing him to record and visualize the Broken Sword Remnant Soul without physically holding it. His realm advances to the Innate Grandmaster Tenth Layer.
• With his improved spiritual sense, Yang Shi opens the storage rings taken from the Blood Hand Daoist and his demon-cultivator companion. The loot includes spirit stones, pills, demonic artifacts, talismans, and a rare Five Elements Spirit Pendant.
• The Five Elements Spirit Pendant is identified as an Innate Spirit Item capable of serving as a Foundation Establishment item for cultivators of any of the five elements. Yang Genshuo realizes it may allow Yang Fu to establish his foundation.
• Before leaving, Yang Shi speaks privately with Wu Sheng. Yang Shi asks what the Law Enforcement Department is hiding, but Wu Sheng refuses to explain, saying that he is old and must settle past debts.
• Wu Sheng tells Yang Shi that once he leaves, Yang Shi must no longer call him “master.” He urges Yang Shi to pursue martial cultivation and declares that martial cultivators should never be inferior to immortals.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi: Makes major progress in spiritual cultivation, reaching the Visualization Art’s Entry Realm and the tenth layer of the Innate Grandmaster realm. He gains independent access to his storage ring and moves closer to developing his own divine ability. His concern for Ding Zhen shows his loyalty and caution.
• Ding Zhen: Remains alive but is caught up in an unexplained and apparently dangerous situation. His cryptic warning about the Thunder Peak Peak Master deepens the mystery surrounding the Law Enforcement Department and the sects.
• Yang Genshuo: Continues balancing family management, business, entertainment, and strategic planning. He recognizes that Yang Shi’s martial path is more promising than modern weaponry and identifies the Five Elements Spirit Pendant as a crucial resource for Yang Fu.
• Yang Fushuo: Continues learning alchemy but can only make flawed Grade 1 pills, which the family jokingly considers unlucky or defective.
• Wu Sheng: Reveals a solemn, burdened side. His words suggest a long history with the Law Enforcement Department and unresolved conflicts. By severing his formal relationship with Yang Shi, he prepares to confront his past while passing his legacy onward.
• Yang Fu: Does not appear directly, but the discovery of the Five Elements Spirit Pendant greatly improves his future prospects for Foundation Establishment.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and succession: Wu Sheng formally passes responsibility to Yang Shi, emphasizing that the younger generation must continue exploring the Martial Dao.
• The tension between martial cultivation and immortality: Wu Sheng’s declaration that martial cultivators should not be inferior to immortals reinforces the story’s central effort to elevate martial power.
• Hidden conspiracies and unanswered mysteries: Ding Zhen’s cancellation, the warning about the Thunder Peak Peak Master, and Wu Sheng’s refusal to discuss the Law Enforcement Department suggest larger political and sectarian conflicts.
• Progress through disciplined cultivation: Yang Shi’s breakthrough demonstrates the rewards of sustained practice, contrasting with Yang Genshuo’s humorous desire for instant advancement through pills.
• Family support and resource accumulation: The family’s growth depends on gathering artifacts, pills, spirit stones, and industrial resources to prepare future generations for higher realms.
• Separation and independence: Yang Shi’s final conversation with Wu Sheng marks his transition from student to an independent inheritor of the martial tradition.

Character Interactions

• Yang Shi and Ding Zhen: Their planned meeting is canceled through Ding’s cryptic message. Yang Shi worries about him but respects the warning and does not pursue the matter recklessly.
• Yang Genshuo and Yang Fushuo: Genshuo jokingly pressures Fushuo to produce miraculous advancement pills, highlighting the family’s playful but demanding dynamic.
• Yang Genshuo and Cheng Bo: They enjoy a foot massage together before Cheng returns to his laboratory, illustrating their relaxed friendship and Cheng’s disciplined lifestyle.
• Yang Shi and Wu Sheng: Their final master-disciple exchange is the emotional core of the chapter. Wu Sheng acknowledges Yang Shi, gives him permission to inherit his techniques, and ends their formal master-disciple relationship before confronting his own unresolved past.

Chapter Summary: “Tempering the Body with Thunder Tribulation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Genshuo reflects on the separation between Yang Shi and Wu Sheng, worrying that their former master-disciple relationship could eventually turn hostile.
• He analyzes the limitations of the Martial Path, noting that even Divine Connection Realm martial artists only live around 150 years, while Qi Refinement cultivators generally have a 200-year lifespan. Despite this, he acknowledges that Divine Connection experts can threaten Foundation Establishment cultivators.
• Yang Genshuo evaluates the Yang Family’s future prospects:
  • Yang Fu is likely to reach Foundation Establishment.
  • Yang Fujian may eventually achieve Divine Connection through martial cultivation.
  • Yang Fushuo possesses strong potential as a Fire Cultivator and alchemist.
  • Yang Fuqing’s spirit-beast talent remains valuable, especially after obtaining a suitable Soul Seal Beast Taming Technique.
• At age fifty, Yang Shi begins preparing to break through to the Divine Ability Realm. Living in the Great Nai Dynasty, he cultivates by day and hunts Demon Cultivators by night. His Thunderclap Sword and powerful physique make him virtually unbeatable below Foundation Establishment.
• The “two Lightning Immortal Venerables” become legendary figures in the Great Nai Dynasty. Their presence terrifies Demon Cultivators, while magnate Ding Zhen attempts unsuccessfully to organize a hunt against them.
• The Great Nai Dynasty’s Immortal Slayer Corps, led personally by Wu Sheng, becomes a major force. The dynasty stops paying tribute to the Xuan Shi Sect, and other clans begin following its example.
• Yang Fushuo reaches Qi Refinement Layer 2, becoming the Yang Family’s first cultivator at that level.
• Yang Fuqing advances to Fetal Breath Layer 7 and forms a Soul Seal with her spirit parrot, Maomao.
• Yang Fujian reaches Body Tempering Layer 8 and continues progressing rapidly through the Clear Heart Art and his Earth-Grade martial talent.
• Two years later, Yang Fu’s thunder tribulation arrives as he attempts to advance to Qi Refinement Layer 2.

Character Developments

• Yang Genshuo: Becomes more analytical about the strengths and weaknesses of different cultivation paths. Though he still believes the Immortal Path is superior, he recognizes the Martial Path’s ability to produce powerful short-lived experts.
• Yang Shi: Establishes himself as a feared hunter of Demon Cultivators and prepares for advancement into the Divine Ability Realm.
• Yang Fu: His “Heaven’s Jealous Talent” forces him to undergo a thunder tribulation with every minor Qi Refinement breakthrough. Instead of merely surviving it, he discovers that the lightning can temper his body and strengthen his martial cultivation.
• Yang Fushuo: Advances to Qi Refinement Layer 2 and continues developing his alchemy and Spirit Cuisine abilities, though his inability to refine Grade 2 Pills temporarily limits his progress.
• Yang Fuqing: Gains a cultivation boost from the Soul Seal Beast Taming Technique and strengthens her bond with Maomao.
• Yang Fujian: Progresses quickly in both Qi cultivation and body tempering, benefiting from his exceptional martial talent.
• Wu Sheng: Expands his influence through the Immortal Slayer Corps and helps the Great Nai Dynasty challenge the Xuan Shi Sect.
• Ding Zhen: Becomes increasingly frustrated and desperate as his attempts to find the Lightning Immortal Venerable repeatedly fail.
• Shen Yao: Begins suspecting that Yang Fu may be connected to the mysterious Lightning Immortal Venerable after observing that he is absent during repeated tribulations.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between the Martial and Immortal Paths: Martial cultivation offers tremendous combat power but a shorter lifespan, while the Immortal Path provides greater longevity and long-term potential.
• Turning disadvantages into advantages: Yang Fu’s Heaven’s Jealous Talent initially appears to be a dangerous burden, but repeated thunder tribulations become powerful opportunities for body tempering.
• The Yang Family’s growing strength: Each family member develops along a different path—alchemy, spirit beasts, martial cultivation, or dual cultivation—creating a broad foundation for the clan’s future.
• Power and political change: Wu Sheng’s rise and the Immortal Slayer Corps weaken the Xuan Shi Sect’s influence and encourage the Great Nai Dynasty and local clans to assert their independence.
• Hidden identities and emerging legends: The mysterious Lightning Immortal Venerables become feared throughout the region, while Shen Yao begins piecing together their possible connection to Yang Fu.
• Cultivation as adaptation: Success depends not only on talent but also on discovering how to exploit one’s unique abilities and limitations.

Character Interactions

• Yang Genshuo remembers the complicated relationship between Yang Shi and Wu Sheng and hopes they will never become enemies.
• Wu Sheng’s past instruction of Yang Shi continues to influence Yang Shi’s cultivation, even though the two are now separated.
• Yang Fu benefits from the protection and expectations of the True Fire Sect, where he undergoes his tribulation safely.
• Yang Fu’s relationship with Maomao deepens through the Soul Seal, strengthening Yang Fuqing’s spirit-beast cultivation.
• Yang Fushuo’s interactions with his master over Spirit Cuisine end humorously when his experimental cooking results in him being confined to his room.
• Shen Yao watches the repeated thunder tribulations and begins connecting the strange events to Yang Fu, though she mistakenly wonders whether he is simply afraid of lightning.
• During his tribulation, Yang Fu deliberately abandons defensive techniques and allows the lightning to temper his body, transforming the heavenly punishment into a major source of strength.

Chapter Summary: Immortal Road Clash Is About to Begin!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Shi’s escape and recovery: Yang Shi is surrounded by the Law and Order Bureau, led by a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Ding Zhen saves him by merging the Thundering Sword’s blade and scabbard, unleashing the powerful Immortal-Slaying Thunder Sword Formation. Both escape seriously wounded. After recovering for six months in the Blazing Sun Dynasty, Yang Shi begins closed-door cultivation, determined to reach the Divine Communion Realm before emerging.

Family cultivation progress

• Yang Fujian advances from the Ninth to the Tenth Layer of Body Tempering, demonstrating enormous untapped potential and receiving additional demonic beast talents.
• Yang Fuqing reaches the Ninth Layer of Embryonic Breath while forming multiple Spirit Beast contracts.
• Yang Fushuo becomes the first Yang family descendant to reach the Third Layer of Qi Refining, earning a major increase in family incense and securing a place in the upcoming Immortal Road Clash.
• The mysterious visitor: A young maiden arrives at Spirit Lake Manor seeking Yang Shi, but the long-haired parrots turn her away. Jiang Xiaobai learns of the incident but chooses not to disturb Yang Shi’s closed-door cultivation.
• Immortal Road Clash preparations: Cloudveil Spirit Sect sends envoys to the twelve great dynasties to gather 120 gifted cultivators for the competition. The weakest competitors are generally at the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, while most are at the Ninth Layer or Great Perfection.
• Yang Fu’s frustration: Yang Fu is close to reaching the Third Layer of Qi Refining but remains slightly short of the breakthrough. His Five-Element Transfer Art cultivates slowly, though it provides an exceptionally solid foundation. He recognizes that his cultivation method is the reason he has not yet reached Foundation Establishment, but believes its long-term potential is extraordinary.
• Yang Fushuo’s questionable selection: Despite being far weaker than the other competitors, Yang Fushuo obtains one of the Blazing Sun Dynasty’s places by flattering the superior sect’s envoy. His selection frustrates Huang Sheng and other disciples, who believe the slot should have gone to a stronger candidate.
• Yang Fushuo’s alchemy preparations: Concerned that Yang Fushuo may die in the competition, Li Xuyang allows him to use his private warehouse of valuable herbs. Yang Fushuo proceeds to refine large quantities of second-grade pills, including fire-enhancing, perception-boosting, and anti-water-cultivator pills. His Flame of Life unexpectedly upgrades some herbs into third-grade quality, and he even creates unknown pills through instinctive experimentation.
• Companion selection: Each competitor may bring one companion to handle affairs outside the arena. Yang Fushuo immediately chooses Huang Sheng, claiming they are very close despite Huang Sheng’s intense resentment toward him.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi becomes more cautious and ambitious after experiencing the overwhelming power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. His decision to enter seclusion shows his determination to close the gap between himself and stronger enemies.
• Ding Zhen proves his loyalty and courage by risking his life to save Yang Shi and revealing the full power of the Thundering Sword.
• Yang Fujian displays exceptional physical cultivation talent, reaching the peak of Body Tempering and revealing that his true potential remains largely untapped.
• Yang Fuqing continues steadily advancing through Spirit Beast contracts and Embryonic Breath cultivation.
• Yang Fu remains patient and analytical. Though frustrated by his slow progress, he values the unparalleled foundation created by the Five-Element Transfer Art.
• Yang Fushuo grows more shameless and confident. He uses social manipulation to obtain a competition slot, publicly boasts that his success comes from his own efforts, and treats his master’s resources as an opportunity to prepare an arsenal of pills.
• Huang Sheng becomes increasingly embittered by Yang Fushuo’s success, feeling that his own talent and seniority have been eclipsed.
• Li Xuyang acts as a protective but exasperated master. He worries about Yang Fushuo’s survival, refuses to give him a precious third-grade pill, but ultimately provides herbs and practical support.

Significant Themes

• The gap between cultivation realms: Yang Shi’s near-death experience emphasizes how overwhelming Foundation Establishment cultivators are compared with weaker practitioners.
• Slow cultivation versus strong foundations: Yang Fu’s struggles illustrate the trade-off between rapid advancement and building an exceptionally stable foundation.
• Talent and opportunity: Yang Fushuo’s rise comes less from strength than from opportunism, connections, and unusual alchemical abilities, provoking resentment from more naturally talented disciples.
• Resourcefulness and risk-taking: Yang Fushuo’s reckless pill experimentation reflects both his creativity as an alchemist and his willingness to gamble with unknown results.
• Family growth: The Yang family continues producing stronger descendants, with each breakthrough increasing the family’s influence and incense.
• Comedic rivalry amid danger: Serious threats such as the Immortal Road Clash are balanced by Yang Fushuo’s shameless behavior, Huang Sheng’s frustration, and Li Xuyang’s helpless reactions.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Shi and Ding Zhen: Their escape demonstrates mutual reliance, with Ding Zhen sacrificing his safety to protect Yang Shi.
• Jiang Xiaobai and the mysterious maiden: Jiang Xiaobai learns that someone is seeking Yang Shi but decides not to interrupt his seclusion.
• Yang Fushuo and the sect disciples: His public claim that everything was earned through his own effort worsens the hostility of the senior disciples who believe he is unqualified.
• Yang Fushuo and Li Xuyang: Their exchange highlights their comedic master-disciple relationship: Li Xuyang worries about him, while Yang Fushuo shamelessly demands rare pills and raids the herb warehouse.
• Yang Fushuo and Huang Sheng: Yang Fushuo casually names his resentful rival as his companion, setting up an antagonistic and potentially humorous partnership for the Immortal Road Clash.

Chapter Summary: “Setting Off!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huang Sheng is stunned when Yang Fushuo chooses him as an accompanying disciple for the Immortal Road Clash, despite Huang Sheng having publicly belittled him in the past.
• Huang Sheng interprets the invitation as proof of Yang Fushuo’s generosity and brotherly fellowship. Overcome with shame and gratitude, he concludes that he has been defeated not only in alchemy but also in character and Dao heart.
• Determined to repay Yang Fushuo’s trust, Huang Sheng gathers all his supplies and hidden pills, promising to assist Yang Fushuo wholeheartedly.
• Before departure, Yang Fushuo gives Huang Sheng an unidentified pill. Huang Sheng trusts him completely and swallows it, only to suffer an agonizing reaction as the pill draws fire spiritual power from his body. Yang Fushuo admits that he does not even know what the pill does, creating a comic contrast between Huang Sheng’s emotional sincerity and Yang Fushuo’s reckless confidence.
• Meanwhile, Yang Fu and Shen Yao prepare to board the flying ship with the Truefire Sect’s delegation. Shen Yao enthusiastically lectures Yang Fu on the proper conduct expected of attendants, including deferring to senior disciples, opening doors, serving food, and observing strict etiquette.
• Shen Yao becomes increasingly confused because all the prominent inner disciples already appear to have attendants. She wonders why she and Yang Fu were allowed to join the journey and even briefly suspects that Yang Fu may be one of the competitors.
• The delegation of twenty-two people—ten competitors, ten attendants, and two elders—finally departs the Blazing Sun Dynasty for Cloudveil Spirit Sect, where the Immortal Road Clash will take place.
• Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo exchange knowing smiles, implying that their presence on the trip involves a hidden arrangement. Shen Yao’s humorous guess that Yang Fu secretly boarded under a false name leaves him exasperated.
• The chapter closes with a strange sound emerging from the Yang Family Estate’s secluded cultivation grounds, hinting at another ongoing development.

Character Developments

• Huang Sheng: Experiences a major change in attitude toward Yang Fushuo. Jealousy and resentment give way to admiration, gratitude, and a desire to serve. He sees Yang Fushuo as possessing a kind Dao heart and embraces the fellowship he once longed for.
• Yang Fushuo: Demonstrates generosity by bringing Huang Sheng along, though his casual and irresponsible use of an unknown pill shows that his kindness is mixed with eccentricity and recklessness.
• Yang Fu: Remains playful and composed, enjoying Shen Yao’s misunderstandings rather than correcting them immediately. His mutual understanding with Yang Fushuo suggests a shared secret or plan.
• Shen Yao: Shows both enthusiasm and insecurity. She takes the role of attendant seriously, memorizing elaborate rules of hierarchy, yet her lack of awareness about the trip’s arrangements makes her adorably overconfident and comical.
• Yang Genshuo: Observes events from the perspective of the Yang Family’s long-term interests. He views Yang Fu and Shen Yao as a genuinely affectionate pair but worries that Shen Yao’s ordinary spiritual-root aptitude may weaken future descendants. He begins considering a “spiritual root optimization” plan for Yang Fushuo.

Significant Themes

• Fellowship and forgiveness: Huang Sheng’s transformation emphasizes that sincere generosity can overcome rivalry and resentment.
• Dao heart and personal growth: True strength is presented as more than cultivation or alchemy; moral character and the ability to recognize one’s mistakes are equally important.
• Trust versus recklessness: Huang Sheng places absolute trust in Yang Fushuo, even when given an unknown pill, while the scene humorously questions whether such trust is wise.
• Social hierarchy and etiquette: Shen Yao’s instructions highlight the rigid status system within sects, though her exaggerated seriousness turns it into comedy.
• Family planning and cultivation inheritance: Yang Genshuo’s thoughts introduce the theme of spiritual-root heredity and the Yang Family’s desire to improve future generations through advantageous marriages.
• Romance and companionship: Yang Genshuo recognizes the sincere bond between Yang Fu and Shen Yao, contrasting their simple affection with his own more cynical concerns about aptitude and status.

Character Interactions

• Huang Sheng and Yang Fushuo: Their relationship shifts from rivalry to loyal cooperation. Huang Sheng becomes devoted, while Yang Fushuo treats him casually and gives him an unknown pill.
• Yang Fu and Shen Yao: Shen Yao lectures Yang Fu on how to behave as an attendant, while Yang Fu quietly teases her. Their banter reveals familiarity and growing romantic closeness.
• Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo: The brothers communicate through smiles and unspoken understanding, suggesting that they share knowledge about the true reason for their participation.
• Yang Genshuo and the younger generation: Through his observations, Yang Genshuo acts as both commentator and schemer, evaluating relationships, spiritual aptitude, and the family’s future.

Chapter Summary: “Yang Shi Leaves Seclusion!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After two and a half years of seclusion, Yang Shi breaks through from the Innate realm into the Divine Connection Realm.
• His breakthrough causes the seclusion cave to crack and collapse, releasing powerful strands of Sword Qi.
• Yang Shi reveals that he has created a divine ability called Heart Sword, which allows him to manifest Sword Qi through his will.
• His son, Yang Fujian, immediately imitates a rudimentary version of the technique after seeing it once, astonishing Yang Shi and Yang Genshuo.
• Yang Shi learns that his family has remained safe and prosperous during his absence.
• Despite his wives’ wishes that he remain home and enjoy a peaceful family life, Yang Shi decides to return to the Da Nai Dynasty to help Senior Brother Ding fight demons and uphold the Dao.
• With the Old Ancestor’s blessing and protection, Yang Shi leaves after three days and travels through the Demon Wind Forest.
• On the way, he passes Spirit Lake Manor, where he pauses while remembering an old friend.

Character Developments

• Yang Shi successfully overcomes the long-standing bottleneck that had delayed him for years. His breakthrough confirms his growth from a former beggar into a powerful cultivator.
• He develops the divine ability Heart Sword, demonstrating his advanced understanding of swordsmanship.
• Yang Shi remains devoted to his responsibilities and ideals, refusing to abandon the struggle in the Da Nai Dynasty even after achieving family stability.
• Yang Fujian is revealed to possess extraordinary talent. At fifteen, he has reached the Half-step Innate realm and is close to becoming an Innate Grandmaster.
• Fujian’s talents include:
  • Innate Sword Obsession, giving him exceptional sword-learning ability and combat strength.
  • Talented Physique, accelerating his physical cultivation.
  • Martial Arts Prodigy+++, reducing bottlenecks and increasing his ability to learn cultivation methods.
• Fujian’s effortless imitation of Heart Sword highlights that his potential may surpass even Yang Shi’s.
• Jiang Xiaobai and Liu Zihan are shown as protective mothers who prioritize family safety and stability.
• Yang Genshuo, despite understanding the danger Yang Shi faces, supports his decision and promises to watch over him through Divine Manifestation.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus effort: Yang Shi required years of hardship and seclusion to achieve his breakthrough, while Yang Fujian can imitate advanced techniques almost instantly due to his exceptional innate gifts.
• Parental pride: Rather than feeling threatened by his son’s superior talent, Yang Shi is delighted and proud, seeing Fujian’s accomplishments as a continuation of the family’s legacy.
• Duty versus family: The chapter contrasts the peaceful life Yang Shi has built with his obligation to return to the dangerous fight against demons.
• Persistence and conviction: Yang Shi’s determination remains unchanged from his days as a beggar. His circumstances have transformed, but his commitment to his ideals has not.
• Legacy and succession: Fujian’s rapid growth suggests that Yang Shi’s family may produce a new generation of powerful martial artists capable of surpassing their predecessors.

Character Interactions

• Yang Shi affectionately praises Yang Fujian’s growth, while Fujian excitedly asks to learn his father’s movement technique and Heart Sword.
• Yang Genshuo humorously points out Fujian’s overwhelming sword talent and mocks the idea that he could be compared with an ordinary martial artist.
• Yang Shi’s wives plead with him to abandon his dangerous mission, but he firmly rejects their request.
• Yang Genshuo supports Yang Shi through Divine Manifestation, promising to protect and observe him after his departure.
• The chapter ends with Yang Shi leaving his family behind once again, emotionally connecting his present journey to memories of an old friend at Spirit Lake Manor.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two and a half years after the Law and Order Bureau ambushed and injured Lightning Immortal Venerable, the Great Nai Dynasty remains unstable. Demonic cultivators have resumed oppressing the population, though Bureau regulations prevent them from killing indiscriminately. Instead, they drain portions of mortals’ longevity.
• Ding Zhen, the demonic overlord, opposes the Bureau’s restrictions and repeatedly urges Bloodsoul Valley to destroy it and seize control of the dynasty. Bloodsoul Valley’s leader rejects open slaughter, advocating a “sustainable” system of draining mortals so that their vitality can continue to be harvested.
• As mortals and lower-level cultivators lose hope, demonic cultivators increasingly pursue personal advancement and immortality, caring little about the destruction left behind. Ding Zhen exploits this unrest, inciting them through speeches such as I Have a Demonic Cultivator Dream! and encouraging attacks against the Law and Order Bureau.
• Yang Shi returns to the Great Nai Dynasty and is horrified by the suffering of ordinary people. Guided by the Thundering Sword, he searches for Ding Zhen to cooperate on a larger scheme.
• The Blackstone Sect can protect only part of the dynasty. Its strength has declined severely: many disciples have died fighting demons, new recruits are scarce, and the sect now survives largely because of Daoist Xuanzhen’s Golden Core cultivation.
• Chu Qiao asks why Xuanzhen does not personally end the conflict. Xuanzhen reveals that Bloodsoul Valley’s master is also a Golden Core cultivator. The two once fought, but the surrounding region could not withstand their battle, so they agreed to let their disciples determine the conflict. Xuanzhen privately resolves that, if necessary, he will drag the Bloodsoul Valley master down with him before his death.
• Meanwhile, Yang Fu, Yang Fushuo, and the Pillfire Sect delegation arrive at the Cloudveil Spirit Sect after a month-long journey.
• During the trip, Yang Fushuo repeatedly used Huang Sheng as a test subject for experimental pills. His first creation, the tier-2 I Cracked Open Pill, split Huang Sheng into two bodies: his original physical body and a separate spiritual-energy body, both controlled by one consciousness.
• Huang Sheng suffered humiliating difficulties learning to control two bodies at once. He still has no antidote and cannot recombine them, though he has gradually learned to function in this divided state.
• Yang Fushuo attempts to compensate by preparing spirit food for Huang Sheng, but even that causes an extreme reaction. Just before disembarking, Yang Fushuo offers him a supposed antidote, the I Combined Back Pill. Huang Sheng initially refuses, fearing another humiliation, then panics when Yang Fushuo withdraws the offer.
• Yang Fushuo secretly gives Yang Fu several pills from his Flame Soul Crucible Ring. Yang Fu senses that at least one is a powerful tier-3 pill, setting up the next development.

Character Developments

• Ding Zhen becomes more radical and politically active. His refusal to accept controlled demonic cultivation leads him to manipulate widespread resentment and push the demonic cultivators toward open rebellion.
• Yang Shi grows more morally outraged as he witnesses the suffering caused by the conflict. His sympathy for mortals motivates him to seek cooperation with Ding Zhen despite the latter’s dangerous nature.
• Daoist Xuanzhen is shown to be physically aged and increasingly burdened by the decline of the Blackstone Sect. Although he appears restrained, he remains determined to confront Bloodsoul Valley’s master, even at the cost of his own life.
• Chu Qiao represents the younger generation’s desire for decisive action, but learns that the conflict is constrained by the existence of an opposing Golden Core expert.
• Huang Sheng undergoes both physical and psychological transformation. He is humiliated and tormented by the split-body pill, yet becomes increasingly competent at controlling his two bodies and more resistant to Yang Fushuo’s experiments.
• Yang Fushuo is portrayed as brilliant, inventive, and irresponsibly playful. He treats pill experimentation as entertainment, but also shows occasional consideration by preparing Huang Sheng food and possibly creating a method to restore him.
• Yang Fu remains more cautious and perceptive, immediately recognizing the extraordinary power of Yang Fushuo’s pills.

Significant Themes

• Oppression and exploitation: Both the demonic cultivators and the Law and Order Bureau treat ordinary people as resources within competing systems of control.
• The collapse of social hope: Mortals and weaker cultivators lose the will to resist or improve their circumstances, creating an environment where chaos and selfish advancement flourish.
• Sustainable oppression versus outright destruction: Bloodsoul Valley’s policy reveals that restraint does not necessarily mean benevolence; it may simply make exploitation more efficient and long-lasting.
• Decline of former powers: The Blackstone Sect’s weakening shows how prolonged conflict erodes institutions, kills its best members, and leaves even powerful leaders unable to intervene freely.
• Power balanced by deterrence: The stalemate between Xuanzhen and the Bloodsoul Valley master demonstrates that overwhelming strength can prevent direct action rather than resolve a conflict.
• Absurdity and comic relief: Huang Sheng’s split-body ordeal contrasts sharply with the chapter’s grim political events, using humiliation and bizarre alchemy to lighten the narrative.
• Scientific experimentation without responsibility: Yang Fushuo’s pill-making reflects creativity detached from ethical caution, with Huang Sheng serving as the unwilling victim of innovation.

Important Character Interactions

• Ding Zhen and Bloodsoul Valley: Ding Zhen presses for unrestricted demonic violence, while the valley master praises his convictions but rejects his methods in favor of controlled exploitation.
• Yang Shi and the suffering populace: The sight of starving and ruined civilians intensifies his anger toward all powerful factions and drives his search for Ding Zhen.
• Xuanzhen and Chu Qiao: Their conversation reveals the hidden Golden Core-level conflict behind the sects’ apparent inaction and exposes the Blackstone Sect’s precarious position.
• Yang Fushuo and Huang Sheng: Their relationship is defined by cruel experimentation, humiliation, dependence, and occasional gestures of compensation. Huang Sheng resents Yang Fushuo but still reacts strongly to the possibility of being restored.
• Yang Fushuo and Yang Fu: Yang Fushuo discreetly entrusts Yang Fu with powerful pills, suggesting that a significant experiment or plan may soon unfold.

Chapter Summary: Twelve Dynasties’ Chosen Gather at Cloudveil Spirit Sect

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Fushuo finishes testing the pills and records their effects on a jade slip before joining the others to disembark.
• The cultivators arrive at a massive floating platform outside the Cloudveil Spirit Sect, where they encounter its imposing gate and overwhelming spiritual energy. Li Xuyang suspects the gate may contain a Tier 4 formation.
• The accompanying elders warn their disciples not to wander or touch anything until all twelve dynasties have assembled.
• Meng San encourages the nonparticipating disciples to cultivate diligently in the sect’s exceptionally rich spiritual environment.
• Treasure ships from the various dynasties gradually arrive. The Cloudveil envoy orders everyone to wait together before entering the sect.
• Former rival sects from the Blazing Sun Dynasty—the Pillfire Sect and Truefire Sect—temporarily set aside their disputes, united by their shared origin.
• Yang Genshuo observes everything through the family’s monitoring system, slowing time to examine the Cloudveil Spirit Sect and its competitors.
• He discovers that the reception platform and apparently the entire Cloudveil Sect are filled with spiritual energy dense enough to qualify as Spirit-Nurturing Lands. Such resources would be priceless in the lower dynasties but are commonplace here.
• The Great Nai Dynasty sends a weak, largely symbolic delegation because its sect is suffering internal turmoil. Its disciples are mostly only at the first or second Qi Refining layer.
• Disciples from the other dynasties assess one another. The Blackstone Sect immediately begins cultivating rather than socializing.
• Yang Genshuo examines the character information of the more than two hundred participants and discovers that the competition is filled with exceptionally talented cultivators.
• Most alarming is Li Yao of the Haishen Dynasty, a Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator specializing in water techniques. His attribute directly counters Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo’s fire-based abilities.
• Realizing that the Immortal Path Brawl will be far more difficult than expected, Yang Genshuo resolves to find a way to support the two brothers.

Character Developments

• Yang Fushuo demonstrates increasing competence by testing pills and systematically recording their effects, suggesting growing importance as a participant.
• Yang Fu is revealed to have become one of the chosen contestants, surprising those who knew him as an apparently ordinary accompanying disciple.
• Shen Yao struggles to adjust to Yang Fu’s changed status. She had treated him as a junior and instructed him, but now he outranks her as a competition participant. Her embarrassment turns into romantic confusion and growing affection.
• Yang Genshuo shifts from curiosity to concern. Initially fascinated by the upper sect’s resources, he becomes deeply worried after assessing the competitors, especially Li Yao, and begins planning how to aid Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo.
• The Blackstone Sect disciples reinforce their image as practical and disciplined by immediately cultivating instead of interacting with the other delegations.

Significant Themes

• The vast difference between regions and sects: Resources considered legendary in the lower dynasties are ordinary within Cloudveil Spirit Sect, emphasizing the immense hierarchy of the cultivation world.
• Competition and hidden talent: The gathering reveals that the Immortal Path Brawl is not a casual contest but a meeting of elite cultivators selected from across twelve dynasties.
• Adaptation to changing status: Shen Yao’s discomfort reflects how sudden changes in reputation and cultivation rank can disrupt established relationships.
• Resource inequality: The chapter highlights how spiritual environments determine cultivation speed and opportunity, making Cloudveil’s abundant energy a major advantage.
• Family protection and strategic preparation: Yang Genshuo’s observation of the competitors shows the Yang family’s reliance on information and preparation to overcome stronger opponents.
• Unity amid external pressure: Rival sects temporarily cooperate because they are fellow travelers from the same dynasty, showing how shared circumstances can overcome internal conflict.

Character Interactions

• Yang Fushuo and Yang Fushuo’s unnamed associate briefly discuss the pill results before entering the crowd.
• Meng San addresses the Truefire Sect disciples, urging them to take advantage of Cloudveil’s spiritual energy.
• Shen Yao responds resentfully to Yang Fu’s teasing about their seniority, while privately developing romantic feelings for him.
• The Pillfire and Truefire Sect elders put aside their longstanding hostility to converse as fellow representatives of the same dynasty.
• The various delegations observe and evaluate one another while waiting for the Cloudveil gates to open.
• Yang Genshuo functions as an unseen observer, studying the contestants and recognizing Li Yao as a severe threat to Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo.

Chapter Summary: “Blessed Land”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Cloudveil Spirit Sect opens its gates to cultivators from the Twelve Dynasties participating in the Immortal Road Clash.
• Shen Yao and Yang Fu enter the sect with the other disciples and marvel at the superior sect’s vastness and grandeur.
• They pass enormous spirit fields filled with rare and high-quality spirit plants. Yang Genshuo, observing through Yang Fu, recognizes the agricultural potential of the land and considers how it could greatly benefit the Yang Family’s spirit-rice cultivation.
• The Cloudveil Spirit Sect’s lower residential area—occupied by handyman disciples and dependents—is revealed to be superior to the Yang Family’s main cultivation environment. This causes Yang Genshuo to reassess his family’s future plans and recognize the overwhelming importance of spiritual land and resources.
• The group approaches the cloud-covered upper sect, where the formal disciples reside and senior cultivators observe the arriving participants.
• The senior cultivators discuss the likely contenders in the Immortal Road Clash, including the Heavenly Spirit Root disciple from the Haishen Dynasty, the resource-rich Hanging Gardens Dynasty, and the spirit-planting expertise of the Yindi Dynasty.
• The Great Nai Dynasty is judged to be at a disadvantage because war prevented it from sending strong candidates. Its former prodigy, Murong Ziyan, has already been taken by the Cloudveil Spirit Sect.
• The observing masters notice that the Blazing Sun Dynasty has sent two unusually weak participants, suggesting that it may also be suffering from conflict or other difficulties.

2. Character Developments

• Yang Genshuo/Yang Fu: Their appreciation for farming and spirit cultivation is emphasized. Seeing the Cloudveil Spirit Sect’s fields inspires Yang Genshuo to imagine establishing a Yang Family branch there. He also realizes that the family’s greatest strategic weakness is its poor cultivation environment and begins reconsidering its long-term development plans.
• Yang Fu: He demonstrates practical experience and awareness by identifying the spirit monkey as a Foundation Establishment-level beast through its tag. His past work with the Spirit Rain Art reinforces his connection to the family’s agricultural traditions.
• Shen Yao: She is openly curious and easily impressed by the superior sect. After provoking the arrogant spirit monkey, she becomes cautious and stays close to Yang Fu.
• Zhuang Li: As the Great Nai Dynasty’s guide, she worries about her sect’s financial crisis. She hopes to persuade the Cloudveil Spirit Sect to suspend the Blackstone Sect’s tribute for ten years, though she doubts the request will succeed.
• The senior cultivators: Their conversation reveals their knowledge of the various dynasties, their prejudices, and their interest in ranking the participants before the competition begins.

3. Significant Themes

• The importance of spiritual land: The chapter stresses that cultivation depends not only on talent and techniques but also on access to fertile, spiritually rich territory. The Cloudveil Spirit Sect’s land is portrayed as a decisive advantage.
• Class and resource inequality: The difference between even the sect’s handymen and the Yang Family highlights the enormous gap between ordinary cultivation forces and a superior sect.
• Agriculture as a foundation of power: While many elite cultivators dismiss spirit farming as mundane, the Yang Family recognizes that food production and soil fertility are essential to long-term strength.
• Environment shapes values: The passage contrasts privileged cultivators, who take resources for granted, with farming-oriented families that understand the labor and importance behind cultivation supplies.
• Competition and destiny: The Immortal Road Clash is presented as unpredictable, with talent, resources, dynasty-wide support, and trial-specific strengths all affecting the outcome.
• Political and economic pressure: The Great Nai Dynasty’s inability to pay tribute demonstrates how war and internal disorder can weaken even established sects and threaten their relationship with a superior power.

4. Character Interactions

• Shen Yao points out the spirit monkey to Yang Fu, who warns her to respect it because of its Foundation Establishment cultivation.
• Yang Fu and Shen Yao move through the sect together, with Shen Yao relying on him for guidance and protection.
• The Twelve Dynasties’ disciples observe the Cloudveil Spirit Sect differently: the Yang Family members admire its spirit fields, while most other disciples ignore them.
• Zhuang Li’s private concerns contrast with the Cloudveil Sect’s apparent abundance, emphasizing the unequal relationship between superior and subordinate sects.
• Senior cultivators discuss and judge the various dynasties, speculating about their strengths, weaknesses, and chances of winning the Immortal Road Clash.
• The observers’ attention ultimately focuses on the two weak-looking Blazing Sun Dynasty participants, setting up questions about why they were sent and what hidden circumstances may surround them.

Chapter Summary: Ascend the Nine Heavens Ladder

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Immortal Road Clash begins, bringing together 120 young Earthly-Grade cultivators from the Twelve Dynasties.
• Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo stand out negatively because they are only at the second and third layers of the Earthly Grade, while most competitors are at the eighth, ninth, or tenth layers.
• Other cultivators and Cloudveil Spirit Sect observers mock the Blazing Sun Dynasty for sending such apparently weak representatives. Some suspect the brothers may possess hidden abilities, but most expect them to fail immediately.
• Murong Ziyan arrives and recognizes Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo as resembling Yang Shi. Though she remains outwardly calm, their appearance affects her emotionally and reminds her of Yang Shi’s snacks.
• Yang Genshuo angrily defends the two brothers, but after examining the powerful Golden Core cultivators overseeing the competition and the exceptional contestants from the Twelve Dynasties, he becomes less confident—especially about Yang Fushuo’s chances.
• Cultivator Douyang explains the competition’s rewards and rules. The Clash consists of three stages testing foundation, skill, and overall strength. High-ranking individuals may gain admission to the Cloudveil Spirit Sect, while the top three dynasties receive a three-year tribute exemption.
• The first stage, the Nine Heavens Heavenly Ladder, contains 900 steps divided into nine tiers. It tests cultivation foundations, disables all external items, and awards points according to the number of steps climbed and the speed of advancement.
• The contestants begin climbing. Leading figures such as Baji of the Yindi Dynasty, Li Yao of the Haishen Dynasty, and Shi Hongyun of the Pillfire Sect quickly demonstrate their superior talent.
• Yang Fushuo struggles heavily under the ladder’s gravitational force, while Yang Fu fares even worse. As a five-element spiritual-root cultivator, he suffers an extreme disadvantage on the first hundred steps, which test spiritual-root purity. His feet become effectively stuck, provoking laughter from the spectators.

Character Developments

• Yang Fu: Revealed to have an unusually deep foundation despite his low cultivation realm. His simultaneous cultivation of the five elements and refinement of five wisps of Innate Spiritual Qi give him considerable combat potential, but the ladder’s spiritual-root test severely disadvantages him.
• Yang Fushuo: Identified as the weaker competitor. His main talent is alchemy, and his lack of combat abilities makes the first and third stages especially dangerous. His Spirit Meals could potentially give him an advantage if other contestants agree to consume them.
• Yang Genshuo: Initially confident and fiercely protective of the brothers, he becomes more realistic after seeing the overwhelming strength of the competition. Nevertheless, he continues believing that the Yang family will eventually prove itself.
• Murong Ziyan: Maintains her cold, distant demeanor but is visibly affected by the brothers’ resemblance to Yang Shi. Her brief defense of their possible abilities suggests lingering feelings and curiosity.
• Li Yao: Established as the leading genius among the contestants, possessing the competition’s only heavenly spiritual root and moving effortlessly up the ladder.
• Baji and Shi Hongyun: Introduced as major rivals. Baji’s dual spiritual roots and powerful physique let him dominate the opening section, while Shi Hongyun uses fire-based techniques to compete with him.
• Cultivator Douyang: Acts as the competition’s host and presents himself as authoritative and fair, though his earlier behavior toward Murong Ziyan suggests a somewhat ingratiating personality.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus hidden potential: Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo appear hopelessly weak because of their realms, yet Yang Fu’s profound foundation suggests that visible cultivation level does not determine true ability.
• Talent and innate limitations: The first hundred steps emphasize spiritual-root quality, immediately rewarding geniuses such as Li Yao while punishing Yang Fu’s five-element constitution.
• Public judgment and humiliation: The spectators quickly ridicule the Blazing Sun Dynasty and the brothers before they have a chance to demonstrate themselves.
• Competition and social hierarchy: The Clash is not merely a contest between individuals; it affects dynastic tribute, political standing, family advancement, and access to the powerful Cloudveil Spirit Sect.
• Fairness versus perception: The organizers insist that the contest is impartial and free of underhanded methods, but the observers’ favoritism and mockery reveal the social biases surrounding the event.
• Persistence under disadvantage: The chapter sets up the brothers’ struggle against overwhelming odds, particularly Yang Fu’s battle to advance despite being placed at the worst possible starting point.

Character Interactions

• A Golden Core cultivator mockingly comments to Murong Ziyan about the weak-looking representatives from the Great Nai and Blazing Sun Dynasties, prompting her restrained defense of Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo.
• Yang Genshuo internally condemns the powerful Cloudveil Spirit Sect observers for ridiculing the brothers, though he becomes intimidated after realizing that nearly all of them are Golden Core experts.
• Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo exchange a determined glance before beginning the climb, showing mutual resolve.
• Huang Sheng and Shen Yao cheer for Yang Fu, creating a humorous echoing gag involving the two Huang Shengs.
• The contestants immediately establish rivalries as Baji, Li Yao, and Shi Hongyun race ahead, while the crowd compares their spiritual roots and predicts the rankings.
• The spectators’ laughter at Yang Fu’s immobility sharply contrasts with the support of his companions and Yang Genshuo’s faith in him, highlighting the social pressure surrounding his performance.

Chapter Summary: My Speed, Above Yours!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Fu is publicly ranked last in the Immortal Road Clash because he possesses the supposedly inferior Five-Element Spiritual Root. The Cloudveil Spirit Sect disciples mock him, while only Murong Ziyan remains quietly interested.
• At the Nine Heavens Heavenly Ladder, Yang Fu initially cannot move. However, he activates his special talents and cultivation technique, causing all five spiritual roots to absorb spiritual energy at extraordinary speed—triple their normal rate.
• His foundation proves so powerful that the first hundred tiers, which test spiritual-root quality and foundational training, become nearly effortless. Yang Fu overtakes the other competitors and reaches the hundredth tier second only to Li Yao, a prodigious Heavenly Spirit Root cultivator.
• The spectators are stunned and begin questioning whether Yang Fu’s Five-Element Spiritual Root has been misunderstood. The elders suspect he may possess a unique talent or secret technique rather than be cheating.
• From the 101st tier onward, the ladder tests cultivation strength through increasingly powerful gales. Li Yao uses water-based defensive techniques, while Yang Fu’s five-element spiritual energy neutralizes the wind. Yang Fu advances just as easily, shocking everyone further.
• Yang Fushuo remains at the back, struggling because elixirs are forbidden during the trial. Despite this, he hints that he has not yet used his full strength and is relying on elixirs consumed before the competition.
• At the 201st tier, the ladder tests the cultivators’ state of mind. Yang Fu’s ancestral blessing, Tranquility, eliminates the distracting voices and allows him to proceed without difficulty.
• Yang Fu and Li Yao continue competing through later sections:
  • They remain evenly matched in comprehension trials.
  • Li Yao briefly gains an advantage against Yang Fu’s inner demons.
  • Yang Fu excels at understanding the Five Elements and surges ahead.
  • Li Yao performs better on the void-hidden staircase, but Yang Fu’s ancestral “cheat” allows him to leap one hundred tiers ahead.
• Li Yao begins to suspect that he is trapped in an illusion because Yang Fu’s progress seems too impossible to be real. The other disciples even begin wondering whether the Five-Element Spiritual Root may actually be the greatest talent.
• Yang Fu reaches the 700th tier after only one day. He pauses to recover before attempting the final two hundred tiers, which he knows are the most difficult.
• Just as Yang Fu prepares for the final stage, Yang Fushuo appears and announces that he will help his brother.

Character Developments

• Yang Fu: Transforms from a mocked last-place participant into the tournament’s most shocking prodigy. His immense spiritual-energy absorption, strong foundation, ancestral blessings, and mastery of five-element cultivation reveal that his supposedly inferior talent is extraordinarily powerful.
• Li Yao: Remains Yang Fu’s primary rival. His Heavenly Spirit Root, powerful cultivation base, defensive techniques, and strong comprehension make him the only competitor able to keep pace. His confidence gradually gives way to confusion and self-doubt as Yang Fu repeatedly surpasses expectations.
• Yang Fushuo: Appears comic and disadvantaged because of the elixir ban, but suggests that he still possesses hidden strength. His declaration that he has not used his full power foreshadows a possible reversal.
• Murong Ziyan: Her interest in Yang Fu deepens. After recognizing his resemblance to Yang Shi and witnessing his performance, she becomes quietly pleased and even smiles—an unusual emotional display.
• Shen Yao: Firmly supports Yang Fu and believes in his destiny as the “child of the heavenly tribulation.”
• Huang Sheng: Shows humorous hostility toward Yang Fushuo, secretly hoping the heavenly ladder will keep him from advancing.
• Cloudveil disciples and Golden Core elders: Shift from ridicule and skepticism to astonishment, confusion, and speculation about whether Yang Fu’s talent challenges the cultivation world’s established knowledge.
• Cultivator Douyang: Becomes distracted by Murong Ziyan’s rare smile, misinterpreting it as a sign that she is enjoying the competition he is presiding over.

Significant Themes

• Challenging conventional judgments: The chapter questions the accepted belief that the Five-Element Spiritual Root is inherently weak and suggests that talent may depend on cultivation method, foundation, and compatibility rather than simple classification.
• Hidden potential and underestimated individuals: Yang Fu’s low ranking and public mockery conceal his overwhelming abilities, emphasizing that appearances and conventional evaluations can be misleading.
• Preparation versus natural talent: Yang Fu’s foundation results from both innate gifts and extensive preparation, while Li Yao represents an exceptional natural talent. Their rivalry explores whether disciplined cultivation can surpass supposedly superior birth advantages.
• Competition and perseverance: The heavenly ladder tests spiritual roots, cultivation base, mental strength, comprehension, inner demons, and spiritual sense, making advancement a measure of total ability rather than raw power alone.
• The power of ancestral support and unseen advantages: Yang Fu’s blessings and the Yang family’s “system” give him advantages invisible to others, creating dramatic irony as spectators struggle to explain his success.
• Humor amid high-stakes cultivation: The chapter contrasts grand spiritual trials with comedic reactions, especially Yang Fushuo’s complaints, Li Yao’s dramatic declarations, and the bewilderment of the elders.

Important Character Interactions

• The Cloudveil disciples ridicule Yang Fu, but their attitude changes to disbelief after he overtakes the field.
• Yang Fu and Li Yao develop a respectful yet highly competitive rivalry, repeatedly matching or surpassing one another across different trials.
• Yang Fu praises Li Yao’s strength, but Li Yao interprets the compliment as condescension and vows to surpass him in the remaining tiers.
• Murong Ziyan silently observes Yang Fu and recognizes his connection to Yang Shi, while Douyang awkwardly attempts to gain her attention.
• Shen Yao encourages Yang Fu internally, whereas Huang Sheng roots against Yang Fushuo.
• The chapter ends with Yang Fushuo approaching Yang Fu and offering assistance, setting up the final and most difficult section of the heavenly ladder.

Chapter Summary: “Their Astonishing Perseverance Had No Spectators”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Fu hears his brother Yang Fushuo encouraging him and gains confidence. Unknown to the other competitors, Fushuo’s attached spiritual body secretly transforms into a sword and follows Yang Fu to the 700th floor, bypassing the ladder’s gravity.
• Yang Fu rests on the 700th step, using his Five Spiritual Roots and the Spirit Gathering blessing to rapidly restore his spiritual power and Spiritual Sense.
• Yang Fushuo struggles badly, reaching only the 150th floor before collapsing from exhaustion. Other disciples mock him, assuming he will remain in last place and eventually give up. Some even begin betting on him as the competition’s final-ranked participant.
• After recovering, Yang Fu begins the final 200-step section. Floors 701–800 test combat techniques through phantoms modeled after legendary disciples from the Twelve Dynasties.
• Yang Fu defeats the first phantom with a Metal-element sword technique, then continues overcoming successive challenges with powerful spells, including a flame whip and Earth-element techniques.
• His Five Elements abilities, supported by high-grade spiritual energies and his Heaven-grade Spirit Fire, allow him to exploit elemental advantages against nearly every phantom.
• Li Yao finally reaches the 700th floor after more than a day of intense effort. Though exhausted, he remains determined to reclaim first place and uphold the reputation of Heavenly Spiritual Roots.
• The spectators become increasingly impressed by Yang Fu’s performance and begin recognizing him as an exceptional genius. They also notice his resemblance to Yang Fushuo and speculate that the two are brothers.
• Meanwhile, other cultivators continue climbing with remarkable determination, but their perseverance receives little attention because the crowd is focused on the extraordinary performances of Yang Fu and Li Yao.

Character Developments

• Yang Fu: Demonstrates composure, adaptability, and exceptional combat talent. Rather than rushing, he advances methodically, relying on the versatility of his Five Spiritual Roots to counter different techniques.
• Yang Fushuo: Although physically weak and ridiculed for his low cultivation, he remains useful and supportive. His hidden spiritual-body technique reveals that he possesses far more ability and ingenuity than observers realize.
• Li Yao: Maintains his ambition and confidence despite falling behind Yang Fu. His determination to defend the honor of Heavenly Spiritual Roots establishes him as a serious rival rather than a defeated competitor.
• Yang Genshuo: Supports both brothers, restoring their energy through blessings and taking amusement in Fushuo’s apparent laziness while recognizing the unusual nature of the brothers’ performance.
• The spectators and Golden Core cultivators: Shift from dismissing Yang Fu to acknowledging him as a formidable genius. Their reactions also reveal their tendency to overlook less spectacular but equally persistent competitors.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and misunderstood ability: Yang Fushuo appears to be the weakest contestant, but his concealed spiritual body shows that appearances are deceptive.
• Versatility versus conventional talent: Yang Fu’s Five Spiritual Roots, usually considered inferior, become a major advantage because he can use different elements to counter his opponents.
• Perseverance without recognition: Many cultivators continue climbing despite having little chance of winning, yet their efforts remain unnoticed beside the spectacular achievements of Yang Fu and Li Yao.
• Talent and hard work: The chapter contrasts innate advantages—such as Li Yao’s Heavenly Spiritual Root—with Yang Fu’s adaptability and the perseverance of ordinary cultivators.
• Public judgment and ridicule: Fushuo is mocked and treated as worthless, demonstrating how quickly spectators judge people based on visible performance.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Fushuo encourages Yang Fu from behind, strengthening his brother’s confidence.
• Yang Genshuo supports both brothers with restorative blessings and jokes about Fushuo’s apparent laziness.
• Yang Fu respectfully acknowledges each defeated phantom, showing humility toward the legendary cultivators represented by them.
• The Golden Core observers ridicule the former cultivator whose phantom Yang Fu defeats, creating a lighthearted moment among the spectators.
• Li Yao watches Yang Fu’s progress after reaching the 700th floor, viewing him as a dangerous rival and resolving to regain first place.
• The Cloud Concealment Spirit Sect disciples discuss and reassess Yang Fu, gradually moving from skepticism to admiration while continuing to dismiss Fushuo.

Chapter Summary: “We’re Going to Go All Out”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Fu continues climbing the Nine Heavens Ascension Ladder, but his progress becomes increasingly difficult as he reaches the higher stages.
• Li Yao catches up somewhat, clearing several stages while maintaining peak Qi Refinement combat ability.
• At the 745th step, Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo cooperate against a powerful Metal-element phantom using the Golden Spirit Spear Dance. By combining two streams of Heaven-grade innate spirit fire—“Liquefied Natural Gas”—they destroy the spell and advance.
• Other contestants accuse Yang Fu of cheating because Yang Fushuo appears as a powerful spirit sword. A Golden Core overseer dismisses the complaints, identifying the weapon as an unusual illusionary spell technique.
• Yang Fushuo’s main body remains far behind at the 155th step, weakened by his damaged spiritual body and unable to control both bodies independently. Meanwhile, his spiritual body continues assisting Yang Fu.
• At the 759th step, Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo encounter the phantom of Murong Ziyan, the strongest challenge they have faced. To confront her, Yang Fushuo summons and merges his main body with his spiritual form, dramatically flying up the ladder and immediately placing himself in second place.
• This unexpected maneuver shocks the spectators, enrages gamblers who had bet on Yang Fushuo coming last, and causes widespread accusations of unfairness. The sect’s ancient voice confirms that the ladder is functioning normally, forcing the competition to continue.
• Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo jointly attack the young Murong Ziyan phantom with their strongest techniques, including the Five Elements Spirit River and their combined fire technique. Despite their teamwork and confidence in their family bond, Murong Ziyan defeats them instantly with two lightning orbs.
• Their score is fixed at the 759th step. Li Yao later reaches the same stage but is defeated by the phantom and ranks below the brothers.
• The first round concludes amid complaints about a possible “black curtain” or rigged competition. The second round, titled “Hundred Cultivation Arts,” is announced.

Character Developments

• Yang Fu shows growing dependence on and trust in Yang Fushuo, recognizing that cooperation is essential to overcoming the high-level trials.
• Yang Fushuo demonstrates unusual ingenuity by merging his separated spiritual body with his main body. His playful confidence and willingness to exploit his unique condition transform him from the apparent weakest contestant into a leading competitor.
• Li Yao remains highly capable and disciplined, using powerful techniques at the limit of Qi Refinement cultivation. However, he is ultimately surpassed by the brothers’ unconventional strategy.
• Murong Ziyan is further established as an extraordinary prodigy. Her younger phantom remains powerful enough to defeat Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo in a single exchange.
• Murong Ziyan’s backstory is briefly revealed: she won the Immortal Path Competition decades earlier, became a disciple of the Cloud Concealment Spirit Sect’s Sect Master, achieved the Golden Core realm quickly, and continued to worry about her hometown in the Da Nai Dynasty.
• The spectators and overseers shift from confidence to confusion as Yang Fushuo’s unexpected advancement disrupts their assumptions about the competition.

Significant Themes

• Family unity and cooperation: Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo repeatedly emphasize that their brotherly bond gives them strength, even though their combined power still has limits.
• Ingenuity over conventional talent: Yang Fushuo succeeds not through standard cultivation strength but by creatively using his divided spiritual body and exploiting the ladder’s rules.
• Perceptions of talent: The chapter challenges assumptions about spiritual roots, especially the belief that Five Spiritual Roots are inherently inferior.
• Fairness versus rules: Contestants consider Yang Fushuo’s method cheating, but the sect confirms that the challenge is operating correctly, raising questions about whether exploiting an unusual ability is truly unfair.
• The gap between prodigies: Even after reaching an astonishing height, Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo are effortlessly defeated by Murong Ziyan’s phantom, emphasizing the immense difference between exceptional contestants and legendary geniuses.
• Humor amid intense competition: Yang Fushuo’s teasing greetings, exaggerated confidence, and irreverent comments contrast with the serious reactions of the Golden Core cultivators and other competitors.

Important Character Interactions

• Yang Fu and Yang Fushuo: They coordinate attacks, share spiritual energy, merge their bodies, and encourage one another while climbing. Their partnership is the emotional and strategic center of the chapter.
• Yang Fu and the other contestants: Other prodigies resent his use of Yang Fushuo as a spirit sword and accuse him of using an unfair magic tool.
• Yang Fushuo and the spectators: His sudden flight to the 759th step leaves cultivators, sect disciples, overseers, and gamblers stunned. He openly mocks the seriousness of the situation.
• The brothers and Murong Ziyan’s phantom: They approach the battle with pride and determination, but her lightning techniques overwhelm them immediately.
• Li Yao and the brothers: Li Yao keeps pace through legitimate, highly refined cultivation, but after reaching Murong Ziyan’s trial, he is defeated and placed below them.
• The Golden Core overseers and the Sect Master: The overseers are confused by Yang Fushuo’s advancement, while the Sect Master’s declaration that the ladder is functioning normally ends the public dispute.

Summary: “Yang Fu’s Choice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Seven days after the first stage of the Immortal Path Competition, the prodigies recover from the dangerous Nine Heavens Cloud Ladder trial. Some contestants suffer injuries or inner-demon attacks, while their respective dynasties assist with healing and recovery.
• Yang Fu achieves first place on the Cloud Ladder, astonishing the leaders of the Blazing Sun Dynasty. His feat is attributed partly to his extraordinary talent and his history of attracting Lightning Tribulations during breakthroughs.
• Yang Fushuo’s performance is even more mysterious: he somehow bypasses the ladder’s immense gravitational pressure and finishes with an exceptional result.
• His master, Li Xuyang, questions him about his method. Yang Fushuo reveals that he used an advanced version of the Grade 2 My Body Cracked Pill, an elixir he personally created.
• Huang Sheng implies that Yang Fushuo possesses additional new elixir formulas, including a possible My Body Rejoined Pill. The combination of splitting and rejoining his body may have created a powerful gravitational force that pulled his main body rapidly up the ladder.
• Yang Fushuo refuses to explain the full method, especially with cultivators from other dynasties listening. Li Xuyang and Meng San drive away the would-be investigators, realizing that Yang Fushuo’s technique could give the Blazing Sun Dynasty a major advantage in future competitions.
• Murong Ziyan observes the results with a faint smile, possibly pleased that her record from thirty years earlier remains unbroken or proud of the two Yang brothers.
• Yang Fu quietly cultivates after the trial, analyzing the techniques used by past prodigies above the 700th level. His comprehension improves rapidly, and he reaches the peak of Qi Refinement Layer Two, close to breaking through to Layer Three.
• Seven days later, the second stage, Hundred Cultivation Arts, begins. The contestants must choose one of over thirty recognized cultivation skills—such as alchemy, artifact refining, formations, talismans, spiritual plants, beast taming, or mechanisms—to challenge.
• Yang Fushuo enters the alchemy challenge, consistent with his remarkable talent for creating elixirs.
• Despite being familiar with talismans, Yang Fu chooses the Spiritual Plants challenge, following a strategy devised by Yang Genshuo.

Character Developments

• Yang Fu demonstrates exceptional comprehension. Rather than merely imitating the techniques he witnessed, he studies, deconstructs, and combines them, steadily deepening his understanding of spellcraft. His cultivation is also nearing another breakthrough.
• Yang Fushuo is revealed to be an unusually inventive alchemist capable of creating multiple elixir formulas in a short time. His cryptic attitude suggests that he possesses abilities and knowledge beyond what he has shown.
• Li Xuyang shifts from confusion and skepticism to admiration for Yang Fushuo’s talent. Although surprised by his disciple’s accomplishments, he accepts that unconventional methods are valid as long as they do not violate the competition rules.
• Huang Sheng appears to understand at least part of Yang Fushuo’s method, using his strange duplicate-body ability to infer the role of the two elixirs.
• Yang Genshuo continues acting as a strategist for Yang Fu, devising an alternative path to help him perform well despite his limited inheritance in talisman arts.
• The Blazing Sun Dynasty’s leaders, Meng San and Fan Di, recognize that the brothers’ performances may significantly improve their dynasty’s standing in the Immortal Path Competition.

Significant Themes

• Ingenuity over convention: Yang Fushuo’s success comes from exploiting the interaction between his elixirs and bodily techniques rather than relying on ordinary cultivation methods.
• The value of practical skills: The Hundred Cultivation Arts stage emphasizes that cultivators need an auxiliary profession or craft to obtain resources and support their cultivation.
• Knowledge and secrecy: Yang Fushuo deliberately conceals his methods, showing that rare discoveries and techniques are valuable strategic assets.
• Talent versus inheritance: Yang Fu lacks a strong talisman tradition in his dynasty, but his intelligence and adaptability allow him to seek another route to success.
• Learning through observation: Yang Fu turns the brief battles on the Cloud Ladder into valuable lessons, using the techniques of former prodigies to advance his own understanding.
• Competition as political leverage: Individual achievements affect the status of entire dynasties. Yang Fushuo’s method could help the Blazing Sun Dynasty rise from the lower tier to the upper tier in future competitions.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuyang interrogates Yang Fushuo about his Cloud Ladder technique, praising his alchemical talent while questioning whether he truly invented the formulas.
• Huang Sheng supports Yang Fushuo’s claims, though his bizarre appearance and cryptic remarks only deepen the mystery.
• Li Xuyang and Meng San jointly prevent other dynasties from extracting Yang Fushuo’s secrets.
• Yang Fu remains mostly isolated, cultivating and reflecting on the techniques he witnessed rather than participating in the surrounding excitement.
• Yang Genshuo guides Yang Fu’s strategic choice for the next stage, leading him away from talismans and toward Spiritual Plants.
• The leaders of the Blazing Sun Dynasty collectively begin viewing the Yang brothers as major assets to the dynasty’s future.