Chapter Summaries

Meng Zhao discovered that the Amber Stone held a Kirin Divine Beast, whose origin had recovered after absorbing his Purple Origin Dragon Blood. He learned the kirin needed time to digest the blood before it could be born, then secured Lu Hou'er and Gan Mingfeng's silence and led them out of Lishou Mountain.

• Meng Zhao recognized the divine beast inside the Amber Stone as a kirin and learned it had been injured by the battle between War God Xing Tian and Emperor Shaohao.
• The kirin told Meng Zhao that his Purple Origin Dragon Blood had replenished its origin, but it needed time to absorb the blood before it could be born.
• Meng Zhao decided to control when the kirin emerged so the Imperial Court and his political enemies would not use its existence against him.
• Meng Zhao summoned Lu Hou'er and Gan Mingfeng, ordered them to keep the events secret, and used his methods to ensure he could control them.
• Meng Zhao led Lu Hou'er and Gan Mingfeng through the water-vein streams, opened a void passage, and left Lishou Mountain with them.

After Meng Zhao, Gan Mingfeng, and Lu Hou'er returned from the Emperor Tablet Space, Meng Zhao explained that damaging Xingtian's Head had released Lishou Mountain's earth-vein energy. They encountered Old Daoist Liu and his young companion, who identified Meng Zhao as the one who had taken the young man's destined opportunity and warned that his nature was beyond their understanding.

• Gan Mingfeng and Lu Hou'er sensed that Lishou Mountain had grown more vigorous after Xingtian's Head was damaged.
• Meng Zhao explained that the two Supremes had used the mountain's earth-vein energy to suppress Demon Lord Xingtian, and that the energy was now released.
• Meng Zhao led Gan Mingfeng and Lu Hou'er along the route back and encountered Old Daoist Liu and his young companion at a steep pass.
• Old Daoist Liu used a compass and face-reading arts to determine that Meng Zhao was an anomaly who had taken the young man's opportunity and blessing.
• Old Daoist Liu described Meng Zhao as having a Dragon Manifestation, an Imperial Bone, and a Silkworm Body, and warned the young man to stay on guard.

Meng Zhao recognized the young man as the Twelfth Prince, Beitang Xing, whom he had met in childhood at Ci'en Temple. Beitang Xing explained that he had been sent to Yanzhou and stopped at Lishou Mountain after hearing that martial artists had gathered there.

• Beitang Xing recognized Meng Zhao from their childhood meetings at Great Compassion Temple, though Meng Zhao initially could not place him.
• Old Daoist Liu revealed that he had once examined Meng Zhao at Ci'en Temple and remarked on how greatly he had changed.
• Meng Zhao identified the young man as the Twelfth Prince, Beitang Xing, and wondered why he had left Imperial Capital City.
• Beitang Xing said the Emperor had sent him to Yanzhou and that he had come to Lishou Mountain after hearing of the gathering there.

Beitang Xing tried to befriend Meng Zhao while concealing his hostility over the opportunities Meng Zhao had taken from him. Meng Zhao refused to surrender what he had gained, and Old Daoist Liu doubted Beitang Xing could ever make the true dragon submit.

• Beitang Xing appeared friendly toward Meng Zhao, though he secretly resented him for intercepting his destined opportunities.
• Meng Zhao warned Beitang Xing that Lishou Mountain was dangerous and tried to leave without joining him.
• Beitang Xing praised Meng Zhao and invited him to travel together so he could probe for useful information and seek to recruit him.
• Old Daoist Liu understood that Beitang Xing hoped to subdue Meng Zhao and draw upon his destiny.
• Old Daoist Liu doubted Beitang Xing could win Meng Zhao's submission because Meng Zhao was already a true dragon.

Meng Zhao rejected Beitang Xing’s invitation and departed with Gan Mingfeng and Lu Hou'er, leaving the Twelfth Prince to reconsider his plans. Beitang Xing agreed to pursue another opportunity while Old Daoist Liu privately noticed that his Destiny Number had subtly changed.

• Meng Zhao refused to travel with Beitang Xing, then vanished with Gan Mingfeng and Lu Hou'er.
• Beitang Xing voiced his resentment to Old Daoist Liu and asked how they could deal with Meng Zhao.
• Old Daoist Liu advised Beitang Xing to wait for Meng Zhao to clash with the Great Emperor or Beitang Shu before acting against him.
• Beitang Xing accepted that he could not recruit Meng Zhao for now and decided to visit the place Old Daoist Liu had identified.
• Old Daoist Liu noticed that Beitang Xing’s Destiny Number had subtly changed after meeting Meng Zhao, but kept the discovery to himself.

After leaving Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu, Meng Zhao brought Lu Hou'er and Gan Mingfeng to a bamboo grove, where Lu Hou'er reconsidered the Imperial Clan’s status and the role of birth in success. Gan Mingfeng worried that Meng Zhao had offended the Twelfth Prince, but Meng Zhao suspected the Prince’s friendliness concealed another motive.

• Meng Zhao took Lu Hou'er and Gan Mingfeng away from Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu to a bamboo grove.
• Lu Hou'er reflected on meeting the Twelfth Prince and concluded that noble birth mattered, but talent and effort could still let ordinary people rise.
• Gan Mingfeng worried that Beitang Xing might resent Meng Zhao for leaving after the Prince had shown him goodwill.
• Meng Zhao questioned whether the Twelfth Prince’s approach was normal and suggested that the Prince wanted something beyond wine.

Meng Zhao rejected Beitang Xing’s overture because he sensed danger in becoming entangled with him. After Gan Mingfeng proposed killing the Twelfth Prince, Meng Zhao declined, wary of the Imperial Clan’s hidden protections.

• Gan Mingfeng reasoned that Meng Zhao had no interest in joining the Beitang Imperial Clan’s internal struggles and questioned why he refused Beitang Xing.
• Meng Zhao said Beitang Xing carried secrets and that he was unwilling to befriend him, while his intuition warned that closeness could bring harm.
• Lu Hou'er pointed out that Beitang Xing’s old Daoist companion seemed to be a feng shui master, and Meng Zhao suspected the man could also read faces and bones.
• Gan Mingfeng suggested killing Beitang Xing while he was alone at Lishou Mountain, hoping to remove a future threat and bind himself to Meng Zhao.
• Meng Zhao refused, saying Beitang Xing likely had Imperial Clan protections that could make an attack dangerous.

Meng Zhao refused Gan Mingfeng’s suggestion to kill Beitang Xing, judging that the risk was not worth taking before the time was right. Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu reached the hidden barrier to the Emperor Tablet space, but Meng Zhao’s actions had sealed it away, leaving them unable to enter.

• Meng Zhao explained that he would not attack Beitang Xing until he could guarantee success, since a failed assassination could destroy everything he had built.
• Gan Mingfeng accepted Meng Zhao’s decision, while Lu Hou'er wondered whether Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu were seeking the legacies of Shaohao and Emperor Yu.
• Meng Zhao suspected Beitang Xing might have been destined to claim the legacies, but dismissed the idea that he had stolen the prince’s opportunity.
• Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu followed Meng Zhao’s group toward the Emperor Tablet space, with Beitang Xing now gloomy and Old Daoist Liu more at ease.
• Old Daoist Liu used his school’s secret technique to locate the vanished spatial barrier and concluded that Meng Zhao had reached the opportunity first.
• Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu found no way into the sealed Cave-Heaven World, which had concealed itself after Meng Zhao injured Xingtian’s Head.

Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu sensed a powerful Celestial approaching Lishou Mountain and watched a mysterious monk arrive. The monk greeted Beitang Xing and asked his name and family.

• Beitang Xing asked Old Daoist Liu whether he could enter the blessed land and undermine Meng Zhao’s gains, but Old Daoist Liu said he had no way to locate its Cave-Heaven World.
• Old Daoist Liu’s divine compass spun wildly as a golden auspicious cloud approached, and he warned Beitang Xing that a powerful figure was coming.
• Old Daoist Liu concluded that the visitor was likely a Celestial rather than Meng Zhao, and Beitang Xing wondered who could possess such strength.
• A short-haired, bearded monk descended from the cloud, walked toward Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu with lotuses appearing beneath his feet, and asked Beitang Xing for his name and family.

Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu met a powerful monk who revealed that Cheng Jun was his disciple-grandson and exposed Beitang Xing’s imperial identity. Old Daoist Liu sensed that the monk would aid Beitang Xing’s fortune, leaving the Twelfth Prince wondering whether his luck was about to rise.

• Beitang Xing introduced himself as Cheng Jun, but the monk said Cheng Jun was his disciple-grandson and called out the false identity.
• Beitang Xing claimed to be Liu Donglong, the son of an Assistant Minister of Revenue, but the monk recognized his imperial lineage and asked which Prince he was.
• Old Daoist Liu confirmed that Beitang Xing was the Emperor’s twelfth son and said the monk appeared to be a friend who would aid his fortune.
• Beitang Xing recalled that his fortune had recently waned and wondered whether meeting the monk marked the beginning of its rise.

A middle-aged monk accepted Beitang Xing as his disciple and gave him powerful martial arts and a life-saving Buddhist treasure. Beitang Xing accepted the gifts but remained suspicious of the monk’s motives.

• The middle-aged monk challenged Old Daoist Liu to read Beitang Xing’s face again, and Liu saw signs of imminent death that he attributed to the monk’s power to change fate.
• Beitang Xing bowed respectfully to the monk and asked why he had sought him out.
• The monk praised Beitang Xing’s ability to yield and conceal his ambition, then offered to teach him divine arts and the path to becoming a Divine Demon Supreme Being.
• Beitang Xing immediately kowtowed and accepted the monk as his master.
• The monk taught Beitang Xing the Wisdom Fist Seal and gave him Buddhist beads containing one-tenth of his Buddhist essence.
• Beitang Xing recognized the gifts’ value but wondered what the monk truly wanted from him.

Beitang Xing tested the Dharma Preaching Monk’s identity and learned that the monk’s prayer beads could protect him from the Ziwei Treasure Body’s influence. He then urged the monk to pursue Meng Zhao and the legacies of Shaohao and Emperor Yu, leaving the monk visibly interested.

• Beitang Xing questioned the middle-aged monk about his identity, and the monk told him to call him the Dharma Preaching Monk.
• The Dharma Preaching Monk explained the risks posed by the Ziwei Treasure Body and said his prayer beads would protect Beitang Xing and his Ziwei World-Shining Art.
• Beitang Xing told the monk that Meng Zhao had intercepted his opportunity and was the current child of fortune.
• Old Daoist Liu described Meng Zhao’s transformed appearance, unusual destiny, and suspected connection to Shaohao and Emperor Yu’s legacies.
• The Dharma Preaching Monk reacted with interest when he learned Meng Zhao was in Lishou Mountain, and Beitang Xing encouraged him to seize the legacies to advance toward the Divine Demon Realm and Dao Fruit.

Beitang Xing led a middle-aged monk and Old Daoist Liu to meet Meng Zhao and his companions as they left the mountains. Meng Zhao recognized the monk as a possible Heavenly Human powerhouse and chose to remain composed and consider befriending him.

• The middle-aged monk agreed to follow Beitang Xing and meet the Lord of the Northern Meng Dragon King, then carried Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu through the sky on a Buddhist cloud.
• Meng Zhao, Gan Mingfeng, and Lu Hou'er traveled toward the route out of the mountains and felt an oppressive presence, though none spoke of it.
• A streak of golden light descended and blocked their way, revealing Beitang Xing, Old Daoist Liu, and the middle-aged monk.
• Meng Zhao sensed that the monk surpassed the Great Grandmaster realm and wondered whether he was Hui Kong, one of the Thirteen Ultimate Fierce Monks.
• Meng Zhao decided not to show fear or hostility and considered befriending the powerful stranger, even if he was Hui Kong.

Meng Zhao met a middle-aged monk whose Heavenly Being insight revealed the terrifying potential of Meng Zhao’s Silkworm Body and the nature of his Invincible Path. The monk recognized Meng Zhao as a Great Grandmaster approaching the Heavenly Being realm, leaving Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu stunned.

• Meng Zhao considered eliminating Zhou Wangqiao to secure Hui Kong’s friendship, while weighing the risks of ordering him to assassinate Beitang Shu.
• The middle-aged monk recognized the limitless potential of Meng Zhao’s Silkworm Body and judged his bearing and cultivation more frightening than those of other prodigies he had known.
• The monk realized Meng Zhao walked the Invincible Path, defined by unparalleled bearing, cultivation, and achievement rather than combat strength alone.
• Meng Zhao greeted the monk and asked whether he had reached the Heavenly Being realm, and the monk confirmed his realm and praised Meng Zhao’s talent.
• The monk identified Meng Zhao as a Great Grandmaster nearing the Heavenly Being realm, shocking Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu.

Meng Zhao revealed that he had reached Great Grandmasterhood and received legacies from Shaohao and Emperor Yu, drawing the wary interest of the Celestial Being known as the Dharma Preaching Monk. The encounter ended with Beitang Xing accusing Meng Zhao of concealing a major opportunity at Lishou Mountain.

• Old Daoist Liu considered whether Meng Zhao might be a better person to support than Beitang Xing, though he decided to observe both men for now.
• Meng Zhao and the Dharma Preaching Monk exchanged guarded compliments, each wary of the other's strength and hidden advantages.
• The Dharma Preaching Monk asked whether Meng Zhao had obtained the legacies of Shaohao and Emperor Yu, and Meng Zhao confirmed it while describing what he had gained.
• The Dharma Preaching Monk doubted that Emperor Yu's legacy contained only historical information and suspected it concealed something important.
• Beitang Xing accused Meng Zhao of hiding an opportunity at Lishou Mountain that could bring immense merit, and the Dharma Preaching Monk approved of his challenge.

Meng Zhao explained that Lishou Mountain's greatest opportunity involved a Three-Life Demon Eradication scheme to destroy Demon Lord Xingtian, but concealed the Emperor Stele Imprint needed to unite the power of three generations of Supremes. After probing the middle-aged monk's background, Meng Zhao warned that although the monk could defeat him, he could not kill him.

• Meng Zhao told Beitang Xing, Old Daoist Liu, and the middle-aged monk that Emperor Yu and Shaohao had arranged for three generations of Supremes to destroy Xingtian's Head and return its demonic fate to heaven and earth.
• Old Daoist Liu and the middle-aged monk accepted Meng Zhao's explanation, while Beitang Xing and the monk took heart from the fact that Meng Zhao said no one could claim the opportunity without Supreme cultivation.
• Meng Zhao withheld the Emperor Stele Imprint and told the middle-aged monk he would not reveal the correct method until he knew whether the monk was righteous, Buddhist, or demonic.
• The middle-aged monk asked whether Meng Zhao feared being forced to reveal what he knew, and Meng Zhao answered that the monk could defeat him but could not kill him.

Meng Zhao revealed a Supreme Being’s legacy that could protect him from the middle-aged monk and proposed cooperating over their discoveries. Beitang Xing questioned who would lead their effort against Demon Lord Xingtian, leaving the monk weighing the risks and benefits of an alliance.

• Meng Zhao told the middle-aged monk that his treasures could let him resist a heavenly martial artist even if he could not win.
• Meng Zhao exposed the Emperor Yu Battle Armor’s eye vessel, and the monk recognized the power of a Supreme Being within it.
• Meng Zhao refused to surrender his secrets by force and offered to share information if the monk showed patience or sincerity.
• Beitang Xing warned that only one person could lead the effort to eliminate Demon Lord Xingtian and asked whether it would be Meng Zhao or the monk.
• The middle-aged monk hesitated to attack Meng Zhao and considered the proposed cooperation.

Meng Zhao and the middle-aged monk left the others inside protective barriers so they could speak privately. Beitang Xing worried about the monk’s motives and Meng Zhao’s growing power, while Old Daoist Liu urged him to use the monk as an ally and consider marrying Meng Zhao into the imperial clan.

• Meng Zhao asked the middle-aged monk to speak in private, and the monk enclosed Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu in a golden circle while Meng Zhao protected Gan Mingfeng and Lu Hou'er with pillars formed from the Five Qi.
• Meng Zhao flew away as a Purple True Dragon, and the middle-aged monk followed him in a golden rainbow, leaving the four others unable to cross their protective barriers.
• Beitang Xing asked Old Daoist Liu whether the monk sought his imperial destiny, and Old Daoist Liu advised him to accept the monk’s help while keeping his own counsel.
• Beitang Xing worried that Meng Zhao had become too powerful to suppress, and Old Daoist Liu warned him against provoking Meng Zhao.
• Old Daoist Liu suggested that Beitang Xing bring Meng Zhao into the imperial clan by arranging a marriage with his younger sister.

Beitang Xing and Old Daoist Liu considered using a marriage alliance to win Meng Zhao over, with Beitang Xing's younger sister as the proposed bride. Beitang Xing was tempted but recognized that the marriage faced political and personal obstacles, including whether Meng Zhao would accept it.

• Old Daoist Liu proposed using a beauty trap to recruit Meng Zhao, suggesting that Beitang Xing marry him to an imperial woman, preferably his younger sister.
• Beitang Xing resisted the idea because he cherished his sister and could not bear to use her as a political tool.
• Old Daoist Liu argued that Meng Zhao's talent, looks, and background made him a worthy husband, easing Beitang Xing's doubts about his sister being wronged.
• Beitang Xing worried that Meng Zhao's lustfulness would humiliate his sister, but Old Daoist Liu assured him her beauty would keep Meng Zhao obedient.
• Beitang Xing considered the proposal but noted that the Great Emperor or Imperial Clan Court controlled imperial marriages, other princes might react badly, and Meng Zhao might refuse to surrender his independence.

Meng Zhao led the hostile Celestial Being monk away and tried to identify him as Fierce Monk Hui Kong by recounting his past dealings with the Pudu Cult and Zhou Wangqiao. The monk did not confirm his identity, leaving Meng Zhao's attempt to draw him out unresolved.

• Lu Hou'er worried about Meng Zhao's clash with the Celestial Being monk, while Gan Mingfeng argued that Meng Zhao could protect himself or turn the monk into an ally.
• Meng Zhao and the monk flew to a cloud-shrouded peak, where Meng Zhao said he wanted an honest conversation rather than a martial contest.
• The monk admitted that greed, anger, and delusion were part of him and said he would not pass up the chance to destroy Xingtian's Head.
• Meng Zhao recounted Hui Kong's history as a murderous monk and suggested that the middle-aged monk was the Fierce Monk who had reached the Celestial Being realm.
• Meng Zhao described his encounters with the Pudu Cult and Zhou Wangqiao, linking their martial arts and history to Hui Kong, but the monk stayed silent.