Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “He Really Had the Strength to Be Arrogant”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan decisively defeats He Liancheng, winning in the same effortless manner as his previous opponents. His victory leaves the spectators shocked and fearful.
• He Liancheng accepts the defeat calmly rather than becoming resentful. He admits that the loss relieves the pressure and exhaustion he has carried for years, reigniting his determination to improve.
• With no one else willing to challenge Chen Changan, the referee declares that he has completed the Tier-Five Battle Realm’s hundred-consecutive-victory challenge.
• The reward had been prepared in advance by the War Alliance Leader, who alone had believed Chen Changan could succeed. The prize is far greater than the previous reward, including many Advanced Promotion Beads and Advanced Chaos Stones.
• Chen Changan then asks whether the Elder Council has one hundred members, implying that he wants to challenge all of them next. His audacity astonishes the crowd.
• The Elder Council initially reacts angrily, but the War Alliance Leader reminds them that Chen Changan defeated He Liancheng in one move without apparently using his full strength. The Elders reluctantly admit that Chen Changan may genuinely be strong enough to challenge them.
• After Chen Changan leaves the arena, Mu Yunyao steps forward and challenges the War Alliance’s Eldest Young Lady. The chapter ends as the Eldest Young Lady accepts, while the Alliance Leader allows the confrontation to proceed so that she can be taught a lesson.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: His reputation grows from powerful fighter to virtually unstoppable warrior. His arrogance escalates, but the chapter suggests that his confidence is justified by overwhelming strength.
• He Liancheng: Instead of being broken by defeat, he experiences relief and regains his long-lost fighting spirit. He resolves to surpass Chen Changan through genuine strength rather than resentment or revenge.
• War Alliance Leader: Demonstrates foresight by preparing Chen Changan’s reward in advance and recognizing his true potential before anyone else. He remains calm and amused while managing the Elders’ reactions.
• Elder Council: Moves from indignation and disbelief to reluctant respect. They begin to acknowledge that Chen Changan may be powerful enough to stand among them.
• Mu Yunyao: Shows boldness and confidence by immediately challenging the Eldest Young Lady after Chen Changan’s victory.
• Eldest Young Lady: Remains proud and unwilling to retreat from a challenge, though the Alliance Leader implies that her arrogance and lack of restraint need correcting.

Significant Themes

• Strength as the basis for arrogance: Chen Changan’s arrogance is portrayed as earned because his overwhelming victories support his claims.
• Defeat as motivation: He Liancheng’s loss becomes a turning point, freeing him from pressure and restoring his ambition.
• Recognition of true power: Even proud and powerful figures must reassess Chen Changan after witnessing the gap between his strength and theirs.
• Humility through confrontation: The coming battle between Mu Yunyao and the Eldest Young Lady is presented as an opportunity for the latter to receive a necessary lesson.
• Generational and hierarchical challenge: Chen Changan’s willingness to challenge the Elder Council threatens the established power structure of the War Alliance.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and He Liancheng: Their brief battle ends with Chen Changan’s overwhelming victory, while He Liancheng responds with admiration and renewed determination rather than hatred.
• He Liancheng and the Eldest Young Lady: She worries that he has been humiliated, but he explains that the defeat has actually relieved him and inspired him to grow stronger.
• Chen Changan and the referee: Chen Changan accepts his reward, then provocatively questions whether the Elder Council contains one hundred members, hinting at another challenge.
• War Alliance Leader and the Elder Council: He restrains their anger and forces them to consider Chen Changan’s demonstrated strength. The Elders ultimately admit that he may truly deserve his confidence.
• Mu Yunyao and the Eldest Young Lady: Mu Yunyao initiates a direct challenge, and the Eldest Young Lady accepts out of pride. Their battle is set up but not yet fought.

Chapter Summary: “I Can Kill Too”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Alliance Leader orders Mu Yunyao to teach the Eldest Young Lady a lesson, shocking the Elder Council because Mu Yunyao is usually viewed as relatively restrained.
• The Eldest Young Lady reveals that she threw away the hairpin Mu Yunyao had wanted, admitting that she took it simply because she wanted to snatch it. Mu Yunyao clarifies that the duel is not about the hairpin, but about making her understand that arrogance and taking others’ possessions have consequences.
• The battle begins, and Mu Yunyao immediately overwhelms the Eldest Young Lady. She deliberately controls her strength so that she causes no serious injury, but repeatedly sends her opponent flying and leaves her completely unable to retaliate.
• Rather than ending the fight quickly, Mu Yunyao humiliates the Eldest Young Lady to make the lesson unforgettable.
• He Liancheng objects to the severity of Mu Yunyao’s actions and argues that Chen Changan shares responsibility for spoiling the Eldest Young Lady. Chen responds that if He Liancheng interferes, he will kill him.
• Chen explains that defending one’s people may be called interference, but defending his woman means killing anyone who stands in the way. He Liancheng recognizes Chen’s deadly seriousness and chooses not to intervene.
• The Elder Council protests that the Alliance Leader is allowing his own daughter to be disgraced. The Alliance Leader defends the punishment, admitting that he and the War Alliance indulged her excessively and helped create her current personality.
• The Alliance Leader forbids anyone from interfering, insisting that his daughter must learn whether she can survive without relying on the War Alliance’s protection.
• After stopping her assault, Mu Yunyao mocks the Eldest Young Lady and warns her that her status is the only thing protecting her. She points out that outside the War Alliance, her arrogance could cost her life, concluding with the threat: “I can kill too!”

Character Developments

• Mu Yunyao: Reveals overwhelming combat ability, remarkable control, and a ruthless willingness to humiliate rather than merely defeat her opponent. She presents herself as someone who values consequences and survival over status or sentiment.
• The Eldest Young Lady: Her arrogance and dependence on her privileged position are exposed. Despite her confidence, she is helpless against Mu Yunyao and begins to realize the danger of living as though the War Alliance will always protect her.
• Chen Changan: Shows intense possessiveness and unwavering loyalty toward Mu Yunyao. His casual declaration that he would kill He Liancheng for interfering demonstrates both his murderous resolve and his absolute commitment to protecting her.
• The Alliance Leader: Accepts responsibility for his daughter’s spoiled nature and chooses discipline over blind protection. He recognizes that continued indulgence could eventually lead her to cause a catastrophe.
• He Liancheng: Initially objects to the punishment, but after confronting Chen’s murderous seriousness, he acknowledges that Chen has both the power and determination to carry out his threat.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of privilege: The Eldest Young Lady has mistaken status and protection for genuine strength, and the duel forces her to confront the consequences of that belief.
• Discipline versus indulgence: The Alliance Leader argues that excessive protection has harmed his daughter more than hardship would have.
• Power and loyalty: Chen Changan’s willingness to kill for Mu Yunyao emphasizes the extreme nature of his devotion.
• Humiliation as a lesson: Mu Yunyao intentionally avoids seriously injuring her opponent, using disgrace to break her arrogance and make the lesson memorable.
• Strength beyond status: The chapter contrasts inherited authority within the War Alliance with the real ability to survive independently in the wider world.

Character Interactions

• Mu Yunyao and the Eldest Young Lady clash over the hairpin, but the confrontation becomes a broader judgment of the Eldest Young Lady’s arrogance.
• Chen Changan and He Liancheng debate whether Mu Yunyao’s treatment is excessive, with Chen making clear that no one may interfere when Mu Yunyao is involved.
• He Liancheng and Chen also confront the issue of parental responsibility, as He Liancheng blames the Alliance Leader’s indulgence for the Eldest Young Lady’s behavior.
• The Alliance Leader rejects the Elder Council’s pleas and insists that his daughter face the trial, positioning the duel as necessary correction rather than cruelty.

Chapter Summary: “I Have Seen Your Portrait”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mu Yunyao defeats the War Alliance’s Eldest Young Lady in the Tier-Five Battle Realm. Her victory is accompanied by a warning: the Eldest Young Lady should reflect on her actions and stop interfering with Mu Yunyao’s advancement.
• Mu Yunyao’s killing intent makes it clear that, although she and Chen Changan had previously tolerated the Eldest Young Lady’s childish behavior, they would respond decisively if she crossed a more serious line.
• The Eldest Young Lady leaves the arena without arguing, while He Liancheng follows her anxiously.
• Da Huang wonders whether the War Alliance Master will retaliate because of his daughter. Chen Changan believes the War Alliance Master likely approved of the lesson, since he did not intervene.
• Mu Yunyao, Da Huang, and Heng Dao all successfully advance to Tier Five. Chen Changan’s group’s success becomes obvious to the spectators, who react with awe and increased reverence toward him.
• The group moves into the more spacious and prestigious Tier-Five Residential District. Heng Dao remains their neighbor.
• Chen Changan gives Da Huang his accumulated cultivation resources and the rewards from the Hundred-Win Streak, urging him to cultivate. Da Huang jokingly anticipates Chen Changan’s intentions and obediently begins training.
• Chen Changan predicts that they will soon receive a visitor. His prediction comes true when the War Alliance Master arrives at their residence.
• The War Alliance Master explains that he is not there to defend his daughter. Instead, he wants to uncover Chen Changan’s true identity.
• He reveals that he has seen a portrait of Chen Changan and directly identifies him as Chen Changan, despite Chen’s use of the alias “War Emperor.” He promises not to reveal Chen’s identity, leaving the chapter focused on the tension surrounding this discovery.

Character Developments

• Mu Yunyao: Demonstrates her strength, decisiveness, and intimidating resolve. Her victory over the Eldest Young Lady shows that she is not merely accompanying Chen Changan but is herself a formidable combatant.
• Chen Changan: Remains calm and confident throughout the conflict. He trusts the War Alliance Master’s judgment, continues managing the group’s cultivation, and does not panic when his identity is exposed.
• Da Huang: Shows a more playful but increasingly self-aware attitude. He jokes about being sent to cultivate, yet willingly accepts Chen Changan’s instructions and resources.
• Heng Dao: Inspired by Mu Yunyao and Da Huang’s advancement, he challenges himself and successfully reaches Tier Five, displaying ambition and determination.
• War Alliance’s Eldest Young Lady: Her arrogance is checked by defeat. Though still angry, Mu Yunyao’s threat forces her to reconsider her behavior.
• War Alliance Master: Emerges as a reasonable and perceptive figure. Rather than blindly defending his daughter, he accepts that she needed discipline and personally investigates Chen Changan’s identity.

Significant Themes

• Strength and restraint: True power is shown not only through victory but also through knowing when to tolerate minor offenses and when to respond decisively.
• Consequences of arrogance: The Eldest Young Lady’s privileged behavior leads to humiliation and a necessary lesson.
• Trust and judgment: Chen Changan assumes the War Alliance Master is rational because he did not intervene on his daughter’s behalf.
• Identity and secrecy: Chen Changan’s hidden identity becomes increasingly difficult to protect, while the War Alliance Master’s knowledge creates new tension.
• Cultivation and progress: The chapter emphasizes advancement through the Battle Realm and the group’s continued preparation for greater challenges.

Character Interactions

• Mu Yunyao confronts and defeats the Eldest Young Lady, using both her victory and her threatening words to force the latter to retreat.
• Chen Changan and Da Huang discuss whether the War Alliance Master will seek revenge, revealing their differing but playful perspectives.
• Chen Changan encourages Da Huang to cultivate, while Da Huang humorously shows that he already understands Chen’s habits.
• Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao speculate about the identity of their expected visitor before the War Alliance Master arrives.
• The War Alliance Master speaks casually with Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao, then directly confronts Chen about his identity. Chen responds with composure and mild teasing, refusing to show surprise even after being recognized.

Chapter Summary: Realm-Severing Abyss

Key Plot Points and Events

• The War Alliance’s leader reveals that he has known Chen Changan’s true identity for some time but deliberately concealed it.
• He explains that he dislikes being controlled or following expectations, and he wanted to observe Chen Changan personally after hearing that Chen’s future existence had already alarmed powerful mysterious beings.
• The leader admits to secretly monitoring Chen Changan and testing him for weaknesses, but concludes that Chen has revealed only what he wished others to see.
• He proposes that Chen visit the Realm-Severing Abyss, a dangerous region rich in resources and controlled by the hostile Abyssal Clan.
• The leader’s real objective is for Chen to obtain the Abyssal Clan’s supreme treasure, the Abyssal Stone, which possesses enough power to tempt even Greater Rulers.
• Chen suspects a hidden agenda and questions why the leader does not go himself. The leader admits that he lacks confidence in obtaining the stone and does not want to risk his long lifespan.
• Chen negotiates compensation for the dangerous mission. He initially demands resources equivalent to a Hundred-Win Streak, then cleverly settles for half after pretending the leader might refuse the offer.
• The leader explains that the Abyssal Clan attacks outsiders without mercy and that the Abyssal Stone is located inside their heavily guarded forbidden ground.
• The chapter ends with Chen angrily realizing that obtaining the treasure will require infiltrating the Abyssal Clan’s forbidden territory.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan displays his usual caution, intelligence, and opportunistic nature. He refuses to accept the mission without understanding the risks and securing compensation.
• He also demonstrates strong negotiating ability, manipulating the War Alliance’s leader into accepting a favorable reward.
• The War Alliance’s leader is characterized as independent, rebellious, and motivated more by personal preference than ambition or obedience. He admires Chen’s strength and intelligence but also views him as a subject of observation and testing.
• The leader acknowledges his own unwillingness to take excessive risks, contrasting his cautious approach with Chen’s need to grow stronger quickly.

Significant Themes

• Independence versus control: Both Chen and the War Alliance’s leader dislike being manipulated or bound by others’ expectations.
• Trust and hidden motives: Their conversation is built around concealed identities, secret observation, and suspicion regarding the leader’s true intentions.
• Risk and reward: Chen weighs the danger of the mission against the value of the Abyssal Stone and insists on receiving compensation.
• Strength and survival: The treasure may accelerate Chen’s cultivation, but obtaining it requires confronting an entire hostile race and entering forbidden territory.
• Mutual appraisal: The leader is testing Chen’s true capabilities, while Chen evaluates whether the leader’s proposal is a trap.

Character Interactions

• Chen directly confronts the War Alliance’s leader about hiding his identity and demands an explanation.
• The leader praises Chen’s abilities while admitting that he has been secretly observing him.
• Chen repeatedly challenges the leader’s proposal, questioning his motives, confidence, and failure to undertake the mission himself.
• Their bargaining scene highlights Chen’s cunning and the leader’s amused frustration.
• The discussion shifts from playful negotiation to serious danger when the leader explains the Abyssal Clan, the forbidden ground, and the location of the Abyssal Stone.

Chapter Summary: “Are Your Feelings Really All Right?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The War Alliance Leader suggests that Chen Changan investigate the Realm-Severing Abyss, a forbidden and extremely dangerous region controlled by the powerful Abyssal Clan.
• Although the War Alliance itself lacks confidence in dealing with the Abyssal Clan, Chen Changan agrees to go. He chooses to travel alone so he will not have to worry about Mu Yunyao or Da Huang’s safety.
• Mu Yunyao accepts his decision calmly and chooses to remain behind to cultivate. She explains that Chen Changan will not easily get into trouble and that accompanying him would only burden him.
• The Alliance Leader is surprised by their relaxed and trusting relationship, leading to an awkward exchange in which Chen Changan criticizes him for making unnecessary comments about their feelings.
• Chen Changan immediately begins his journey. An Elder of the War Alliance escorts him, and they spend six months traveling to the Realm-Severing Abyss.
• The Elder explains that few people enter the Abyss because the resources are not worth the danger, and most who venture there never return. Chen Changan responds with his usual shameless confidence, joking that his good looks might convince the Abyssal Clan to hand over their resources.
• At the entrance, the Elder points out a Space Rift beneath a cliff and warns Chen Changan to rely on his own abilities. Chen Changan enters the rift alone while the Elder returns to the War Alliance, wondering why the Alliance Leader sent such a promising person into danger.
• Inside the Realm-Severing Abyss, Chen Changan discovers that the region appears to be an ordinary Small World rather than an obviously hostile forbidden land.
• He immediately senses unfamiliar people. Three cultivators appear before him, and Chen Changan initially assumes they are members of the Abyssal Clan.
• The three clarify that they are humans. They are surprised that Chen Changan, only at the Myriad Thousand Realm, would dare enter the Abyss, where they themselves have reached the Greater Ruler realm.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates decisiveness, confidence, and a willingness to face danger alone. He remains curious rather than intimidated, while using humor and shameless boasting to ease tense situations.
• Mu Yunyao: Shows maturity and trust in Chen Changan. Instead of acting emotionally or insisting on accompanying him, she recognizes that her presence could distract or burden him and chooses to cultivate in his absence.
• War Alliance Leader: Appears awkward and somewhat nosy when commenting on Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao’s relationship. He nevertheless arranges Chen Changan’s journey promptly.
• War Alliance Elder: Begins as a professional escort but becomes exhausted by Chen Changan’s constant chatter. He is concerned by Chen Changan’s decision and quietly questions the Alliance Leader’s motives.
• The Three Human Cultivators: Their appearance establishes that humans also enter and perhaps inhabit the Realm-Severing Abyss. Their surprise at Chen Changan’s cultivation level emphasizes the danger of his situation.

Significant Themes

• Trust and emotional maturity: Mu Yunyao’s calm reaction contrasts with stereotypical melodrama, showing that genuine affection can involve trust, restraint, and understanding.
• Courage versus recklessness: Chen Changan knowingly enters a place where powerful cultivators frequently die, confident in his own abilities despite the apparent danger.
• Humor as a character trait: Chen Changan’s exaggerated self-confidence and banter provide comic relief, especially during the long journey and tense conversations.
• The unknown nature of the Abyss: The Realm-Severing Abyss is presented as more complex than expected. It is not simply a monster-controlled wasteland; humans are present, and its true nature remains unclear.
• Power and perception: The three cultivators immediately judge Chen Changan by his Myriad Thousand Realm cultivation, raising questions about whether his true strength is far greater than it appears.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao display a trusting, low-drama relationship. She accepts his decision to go alone and refuses to become a burden.
• Chen Changan and the Alliance Leader exchange sharp, humorous remarks, with Chen Changan repeatedly shutting down the Leader’s intrusive comments.
• Chen Changan’s playful conversation with the Elder gradually wears the Elder down, highlighting Chen Changan’s resemblance to the irritatingly talkative Da Huang.
• Upon entering the Abyss, Chen Changan encounters three powerful human cultivators who mock his low cultivation level and question his courage, setting up a likely conflict or test.

Chapter Summary: “Visiting the Abyssal Clan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan encounters three cultivators from Starfall Hall, who look down on his affiliation with the relatively obscure War Alliance and advise him to leave the dangerous Realm-Severing Abyss.
• Ignoring their warnings, Chen Changan flies directly into the depths of the Abyss, quickly attracting the attention of more than a dozen members of the Abyssal Clan.
• The Abyssal Clan appears largely human, but its members have pale skin, icy-blue eyes, and energy wings of various colors.
• When confronted, Chen Changan claims he has come not to seize resources but to visit the Abyssal Clan, specifically its chief.
• The Abyssal Clan initially rejects him because of its deep distrust of humans. Chen Changan then suggests that he may be able to make the mysterious Space Rift disappear—something the clan has failed to accomplish despite years of effort.
• Intrigued by this possibility, the Abyssal Clan members agree to report his arrival to their chief. Chen Changan waits ten days before they return and escort him to the clan’s stronghold.
• After traveling for another five days, Chen Changan reaches the Abyssal Clan settlement. He is met with suspicion but is allowed into the chief’s residence.
• The chapter ends with the Abyssal Clan chief recognizing Chen Changan by name and asking, “You’ve finally come to Chaos Heaven?”, implying that the chief already knows of him and that Chen Changan’s arrival may have been anticipated.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates confidence, composure, and strategic intelligence. Rather than fighting his way into the Abyssal Clan, he identifies their greatest concern—the Space Rift—and uses it as leverage to gain access.
• He remains unfazed by the Starfall Hall members’ arrogance and by the Abyssal Clan’s suspicion.
• The Starfall Hall cultivators are shown to be proud and dismissive, but not needlessly hostile. They warn Chen Changan about the danger before abandoning him to his fate.
• The Abyssal Clan is characterized as powerful but highly isolationist. Its members distrust humans because they associate them with greed and deception, yet their attitude changes when Chen Changan offers a possible solution to the Space Rift.
• The Abyssal Clan chief is introduced as imposing and unusually well-informed, suggesting a prior connection or knowledge of Chen Changan.

Significant Themes

• Misjudgment and hidden strength: The Starfall Hall members assume Chen Changan is reckless and underqualified, while he calmly pursues his own objectives.
• Negotiation over violence: Chen Changan chooses diplomacy and leverage instead of confrontation, showing that understanding an opponent’s needs can be more effective than force.
• Prejudice and distrust: The Abyssal Clan’s negative view of humans reflects long-standing conflict and suspicion between races.
• Secrets and foreshadowing: The chief’s recognition of Chen Changan raises questions about how he knows him and why he says Chen has “finally” arrived in Chaos Heaven.
• Isolation versus connection: The Abyssal Clan’s desire to remain undisturbed contrasts with Chen Changan’s attempt to enter and establish contact with them.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Starfall Hall: Their exchange highlights the War Alliance’s low reputation and Starfall Hall’s arrogance, though the three cultivators still offer a genuine warning.
• Chen Changan and the Abyssal Clan guards: Their initial confrontation shifts from hostility to cautious cooperation once Chen proposes visiting the chief and repairing the Space Rift.
• Chen Changan and the Abyssal Clan chief: Their first meeting ends on a mystery, as the chief immediately knows Chen Changan’s identity and appears to have been expecting him.

Chapter Summary: “Friendly Condolences?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan is once again recognized in the Realm-Severing Abyss, prompting him to question why increasingly powerful factions seem able to identify him so easily.
• He meets the Abyssal Clan Chief, who assures him that he means no harm and claims to be “one of Chen Changan’s own.”
• The Clan Chief reveals that he once met Chen Changan’s father in Chaos Heaven. The two fought a brief “spar,” after which Chen Changan’s father discussed profound ideas such as awakening, resistance, and the meaning of existence.
• The Clan Chief admits that he deliberately waited for Chen Changan, though he insists he was not formally assigned to do so and was merely acting as a spectator who wanted to assess Chen Changan’s abilities.
• He gives Chen Changan a spatial cloth sack filled with vast resources, but refuses to immediately hand over the Abyssal Stone, explaining that it is extremely important to the Abyssal Clan.
• After Chen Changan insists that he must obtain the stone regardless of the cost, the Clan Chief consults the clan’s Elders for three days.
• The Elders decide that Chen Changan may take the Abyssal Stone only if he passes an Abyssal Clan test.
• The first test is revealed to be a battle against all the Abyssal Clan Elders, leaving Chen Changan momentarily stunned.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains suspicious and outspoken. He challenges the Clan Chief’s explanations, presses for information about his father, and refuses to abandon his goal of obtaining the Abyssal Stone.
• His curiosity about his father deepens, particularly regarding the mysterious concepts of “awakening” and “resistance.” However, he becomes frustrated when the Clan Chief claims to have forgotten what his father meant.
• The Abyssal Clan Chief is shown to be cautious but cooperative. He respects Chen Changan’s connection to his father, provides him with resources, and is willing to negotiate, though he remains protective of the Abyssal Stone and bound by the Elders’ authority.
• The Clan Chief’s embarrassment about his encounter with Chen Changan’s father suggests that the “spar” may have been more one-sided or humiliating than he admits.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and concealed truths: Chen Changan continues to encounter people who know more about him, his father, and the larger conflict than they are willing to reveal.
• Awakening and resistance: The chapter expands the mystery surrounding the deserters and their apparent mission to awaken the people of Chaos Heaven, suggesting a larger rebellion or struggle against an unknown power.
• Trust and suspicion: Although the Clan Chief claims to be an ally, Chen Changan remains wary of possible manipulation, especially because the War Alliance Master’s actions seem suspiciously coordinated with the events at the abyss.
• Tests of worth and authority: The Abyssal Clan refuses to surrender its treasured stone freely, requiring Chen Changan to prove himself through strength and endurance.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and the Abyssal Clan Chief engage in a probing, often sarcastic conversation about their connection, Chen Changan’s father, and the Abyssal Stone.
• Chen Changan questions the Clan Chief’s claims and mocks his evasiveness, while the Chief responds with guarded explanations and occasional embarrassment.
• Their relationship develops into a tentative alliance: the Chief supplies resources and agrees to negotiate, but Chen Changan must still face the clan’s Elders to obtain the stone.

Chapter Summary: “We Can Cheat”

Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan learns that the Abyssal Clan’s first trial requires him to endure attacks from more than thirty mid-stage Greater Ruler Realm Elders for an entire day.
• Despite being only at the Myriad Thousand Realm, Chen Changan accepts immediately and follows the Abyssal Clan Chief to the Elders.
• The Elders attempt to intimidate him and persuade him to quit, but Chen Changan remains confident and challenges them to begin.
• Instead of defending himself, Chen Changan lies down in midair and falls asleep.
• The Elders attack him repeatedly, first individually and then together, but none of their assaults can even move or injure him.
• After an hour, the Elders realize they cannot defeat or dislodge him. They secretly decide to alter the rules of the second trial so Chen Changan must defeat all of them.
• Chen Changan ignores their scheming and continues sleeping until the full day has passed, effectively completing the endurance requirement.
• The Elders then announce the revised second trial: Chen Changan must defeat every Elder, with no time limit. His complete calm makes them worry that his combat power may be as extraordinary as his physical defense.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates extreme confidence, composure, and overwhelming physical strength. His casual decision to sleep through the trial emphasizes how little he regards the Elders’ attacks.
• Abyssal Clan Elders: Begin as arrogant gatekeepers but become frustrated, shocked, and increasingly shameless when their attacks fail. Their desperation leads them to manipulate the trial rules.
• Abyssal Clan Chief: Acts as a somewhat embarrassed mediator. He recognizes Chen Changan’s monstrosity and becomes uncomfortable with the Elders’ unfair tactics, while also recalling that Chen Changan resembles his powerful father.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength and confidence: Chen Changan’s relaxed attitude contrasts sharply with the Elders’ frantic efforts, showing the enormous gap between them.
• Pride and humiliation: The Elders’ pride is gradually destroyed as they fail to affect Chen Changan and resort to cheating.
• Manipulation of rules: The trial’s supposed fairness collapses when the Elders change the conditions to prevent Chen Changan from advancing.
• Comedic reversal: A test intended to intimidate Chen Changan instead humiliates the testers, who begin questioning whether they are “cheating in the wrong direction.”

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan verbally challenges the Elders and refuses every opportunity to retreat.
• The Elders try to provoke and threaten him, but he responds with indifference, even sleeping through their attacks.
• The Chief repeatedly points out the unfairness of the Elders’ plan, though he cannot stop them.
• The Elders collectively shift from attacking Chen Changan to conspiring against him, while Chen Changan remains fully aware of their discussion and completely unconcerned.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan questions whether he can truly defeat more than thirty Mid-Greater Ruler Realm Elders, though he is confident he can remain undefeated.
• Before the battle begins, Chen Changan points out that fighting at the Abyssal Clan’s headquarters could destroy their home. The Elders reluctantly agree to move the contest to an independent space created by the Abyssal Clan Chief.
• The Elders initially plan to win by preventing Chen Changan from defeating them rather than trying to overpower him directly, recognizing his terrifying physical body.
• Chen Changan attacks first with the Red Dust Sword, instantly sending one Elder flying. His combat aura and strength shock the Elders, who had underestimated him because of his Myriad Thousand Realm cultivation.
• The Elders attempt to overwhelm him with coordinated attacks, believing they can distract him and prevent him from attacking effectively. However, Chen Changan’s immense physical durability allows him to ignore their attacks completely.
• The battle continues for an entire month. The Elders gradually realize that they cannot injure Chen Changan, while he can steadily wear them down and inflict injuries.
• Admitting defeat, the Elders end the battle and acknowledge that Chen Changan has passed the trial.
• Chen Changan immediately asks to begin the third trial, but the Elders delay it, claiming they need to reconsider its conditions. Chen Changan accuses them of changing the rules, but ultimately agrees to rest.
• After Chen Changan leaves, the Elders criticize the Abyssal Clan Chief for creating this problem. He admits that, beyond his connection to Chen Changan’s father, he wanted to discover how many surprises Chen Changan could produce.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates overwhelming defensive power, exceptional combat ability, and confidence. Although he initially doubts whether he can defeat all the Elders, he quickly proves that his physical body makes their attacks ineffective. His teasing and calm attitude further frustrate his opponents.
• The Elders: Shift from arrogance and disbelief to caution, frustration, and eventual resignation. They repeatedly miscalculate Chen Changan’s strength and are forced to admit that their strategy cannot overcome him.
• Abyssal Clan Chief: Remains curious and observant throughout the battle. His memories of being defeated by Chen Changan’s father reveal why he takes the family’s potential seriously. He also shows a willingness to manipulate the trials to test Chen Changan further.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimation: Chen Changan’s low cultivation realm conceals combat power far beyond what others expect.
• Overconfidence and miscalculation: The Elders repeatedly assume they understand Chen Changan’s weaknesses, only to discover that their strategies are useless.
• Endurance versus overwhelming defense: The battle is decided not by a straightforward difference in strength, but by Chen Changan’s ability to absorb attacks without being hindered while slowly injuring his opponents.
• Manipulation of rules and trials: The Elders alter or postpone the next trial after their defeat, suggesting that the trials are not entirely fair or fixed.
• Legacy and inherited expectations: The Abyssal Clan Chief’s memories of Chen Changan’s father shape his expectations of Chen Changan and motivate him to test the younger man’s limits.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan repeatedly provokes the Elders with calm, mocking remarks, turning their confidence into anger and embarrassment.
• The Abyssal Clan Chief acts as a mediator, stopping the Elders from arguing with Chen Changan and providing a separate battlefield.
• The Elders cooperate during the fight but fail to account for Chen Changan’s physical resilience, making their coordinated assault ineffective.
• Afterward, the Elders blame the Abyssal Clan Chief for provoking Chen Changan, while he defends his actions as an attempt to uncover Chen Changan’s true potential.

Chapter Summary: “You’re Really Too Underhanded”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Abyssal Clan Elders spend two months designing Chen Changan’s third trial, determined to prevent him from obtaining the clan’s Sacred Object, the Abyssal Stone.
• Their chosen trial shocks Chen Changan: instead of a conventional challenge, they arrange a blind date.
• The Elders’ strategy is deliberately manipulative:
  • If Chen Changan rejects the candidates, he fails and cannot claim the Abyssal Stone.
  • If he accepts one, he becomes the Abyssal Clan’s son-in-law, making the Stone effectively remain within the clan.
• Although Chen Changan is furious, he agrees to participate because abandoning the trial would mean losing the benefits and resources he has already gained.
• He privately considers using a future excuse that marriage is “not suitable yet,” intending to delay any actual commitment.
• The next day, the Patriarch takes him to the blind-date venue, where Chen Changan discovers that more than ten thousand Abyssal Clan women have been selected as candidates.
• The Patriarch hints that the Elders may add even more candidates, leaving Chen Changan feeling trapped by their “sea-of-people” tactic.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Reveals his pragmatic, calculating nature. Though disgusted by the trial, he accepts it to avoid leaving empty-handed and immediately begins thinking of ways to exploit the situation without forming a real marriage.
• Abyssal Clan Patriarch: Remains caught between his promise to Chen Changan and the wishes of the Elders. He does not interfere with their trial design, but he clearly finds their plan amusing and cleverly underhanded.
• The Elders: Are shown to be deeply protective of the Abyssal Stone and willing to use elaborate, deceptive methods to keep it from Chen Changan. Their plan also reveals that they now regard him as a serious threat.
• Hongchen: Teases and criticizes Chen Changan for participating in the blind date and for considering how to keep a woman waiting without intending to marry her. Her contemptuous remarks add humor and highlight Chen Changan’s opportunistic behavior.
• Abyssal Clan members: Many resent Chen Changan because the clan’s most desirable women have been placed in the blind-date pool, creating hostility toward him.

Significant Themes

• Cunning versus straightforward strength: The Elders avoid a direct trial and instead use social pressure and strategic manipulation.
• Protection of power and sacred possessions: The Abyssal Clan’s determination to retain the Abyssal Stone drives the entire conflict.
• Pragmatism and moral ambiguity: Chen Changan is willing to participate in an absurd situation and manipulate its outcome rather than give up.
• Humor through underhanded schemes: The chapter turns a high-stakes inheritance trial into an exaggerated blind date, creating comic contrast.
• Relationships as political tools: The potential marriage is treated less as romance and more as a way to control ownership of the Abyssal Stone.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan confronts the Patriarch about the absurdity of the trial, while the Patriarch helplessly explains that he promised the Elders authority over its design.
• The Patriarch attempts to justify the blind date by emphasizing the quality of the candidates, but Chen Changan rejects the idea that he came to find a wife.
• Chen Changan and Hongchen exchange sarcastic criticism, with Hongchen condemning his manipulative plan and Chen Changan defending it as necessary.
• The Patriarch takes pleasure in Chen Changan’s discomfort, particularly when revealing the enormous number of candidates.
• The hostile reactions of other Abyssal Clan members establish that Chen Changan’s trial has caused resentment throughout the clan.

Chapter Summary: “Numb from Blind Dates”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan realizes that the Abyssal Clan’s elders are deliberately sabotaging his blind dates. They have apparently instructed the women to waste time and prevent any match from succeeding.
• The Abyssal Clan Chief insists that the scheme is not entirely his doing, while encouraging Chen Changan to have confidence in his appearance, talent, and strength.
• Chen begins the blind-date process, but his first encounter immediately turns into an absurd argument. He tries to force the woman to answer only “yes” or “no,” but she uses his own restrictions to delay the conversation and eventually rejects him.
• Chen adopts the same tactic, rejecting the women before they can waste too much of his time. However, this does not solve the problem: whenever one blind date fails, another woman is added.
• After a month, the number of candidates has not decreased. Chen angrily accuses the Abyssal Clan of trying to trap him in endless blind dates until he grows old.
• The Clan Chief and more than thirty elders discuss the situation. The elders acknowledge that Chen cannot be harmed by them, while he possesses the power to inflict devastating damage on the Abyssal Clan. They agree that pushing him too far could be dangerous.
• The elders decide to make the trial somewhat fairer rather than deliberately sabotaging every encounter. The women who meet Chen afterward appear more sincere and normal.
• Despite this change, Chen senses strong prejudice and rejection from the Abyssal Clan, which views humans as greedy and evil.
• After two months and countless blind dates, Chen becomes emotionally exhausted and numb. His attitude changes when one woman asks whether he would sincerely treat the Abyssal Clan well, suggesting that she may be genuinely considering the relationship.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Begins confident and sarcastically amused by the elders’ schemes, but gradually becomes frustrated, irritated, and emotionally drained. He attempts to regain control by demanding simple answers and rejecting candidates first. By the end, his numbness is interrupted by the first question that seems sincere.
• Abyssal Clan Chief: Initially appears complicit or at least powerless within the elders’ scheme. He sympathizes with Chen and eventually persuades the elders to stop making the trial completely unfair.
• Abyssal Clan Elders: Demonstrate cunning and hostility toward Chen. They seek to delay him without directly provoking him, but become worried once they remember that Chen is effectively immune to their attacks and could retaliate against the entire clan.
• Abyssal Clan Women: At first, they behave like coordinated participants in a sabotage campaign, using evasive arguments and fake politeness to stall Chen. Later candidates act more normally but still reflect the clan’s deep distrust of humans.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and power struggles: The blind dates are presented as a political contest rather than a sincere romantic process, with both sides trying to control the rules.
• Prejudice between races: The Abyssal Clan’s negative view of humanity makes genuine connection difficult, even after the elders stop deliberately interfering.
• Endurance and emotional exhaustion: Chen’s repeated failures and endless encounters gradually wear him down, turning his initial confidence into numbness.
• The danger of unchecked power: The elders recognize that although they are trying to control Chen, he is ultimately the more dangerous party because they cannot hurt him while he can devastate them.
• Possibility of sincerity: The final woman’s direct question hints that genuine understanding may finally emerge from the otherwise artificial and hostile process.

Character Interactions

• Chen and the first blind-date candidate engage in a comedic verbal struggle over whether they should introduce themselves and whether she must answer “yes” or “no.”
• Chen openly mocks the Abyssal Clan Chief, while the Chief responds with awkward encouragement and reassurance.
• The Chief and the elders debate how far they can push Chen without provoking retaliation.
• Chen silently communicates with the Chief through a knowing glance and nod when he notices the candidates becoming more serious.
• The chapter ends with Chen responding internally to a woman whose sincere question breaks through his frustration and makes him suspect that she is different from the others.

Chapter Summary: “There’s Still a Saintess”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious and exceptionally powerful woman suddenly arrives at the Abyssal Clan’s matchmaking gathering, shocking everyone present. The Elders initially suspect the clan chief arranged her appearance, but he denies knowing she would come.
• Chen Changan observes that she is far more impressive than the other candidates, possessing a detached temperament, extraordinary beauty, and brilliant seven-colored energy wings.
• Chen explains his true intentions regarding the matchmaking: he came mainly to obtain the Abyssal Stone, intends to treat the Abyssal Clan sincerely, but does not genuinely plan to marry. He might postpone marriage indefinitely if necessary.
• Satisfied by his honesty, the woman introduces herself as Xiang’er, the Abyssal Clan’s Saintess. Her status is even higher than that of the clan chief, though she is not involved in governing the clan.
• Xiang’er reveals that she came to the gathering because she wants to leave the Abyssal Clan and explore the outside world. She proposes a practical arrangement: if the matchmaking succeeds, she can leave with Chen, while both of them pursue their own goals without interfering with each other.
• Chen immediately agrees, seeing the arrangement as an ideal way to gain access to the Abyssal Stone.
• The Elders strongly object, insisting that anyone but the Saintess would be acceptable. Chen rebukes them, pointing out that the test did not exclude Xiang’er and that both participants have agreed.
• Xiang’er explains that she is exhausted by the pressure of her position and has long been curious about the outside world. She also reminds the Elders that Chen has defeated them twice and should therefore be capable of protecting her.
• The clan chief ultimately confirms that the matchmaking test is complete and orders the clan to honor its promise.
• Chen is taken to the forbidden ground to see the Abyssal Stone. He is astonished by its immense size—roughly three meters tall and five meters long—and by the vast, mysterious energy it contains.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates honesty, pragmatism, and confidence. He openly admits that the matchmaking is primarily a means to obtain the Abyssal Stone and quickly accepts Xiang’er’s proposal when it serves both their interests. He also firmly challenges the Elders when they attempt to invalidate the result.
• Saintess Xiang’er: Is revealed to be a highly respected figure whose authority surpasses the clan chief’s. Beneath her aloof exterior, she is weary of her sheltered, pressured existence and strongly desires freedom and experience beyond the Abyssal Clan.
• The Abyssal Clan Elders: Show intense protectiveness toward Xiang’er and suspicion of Chen. Their resistance also reveals their concern that Chen’s marriage to the Saintess could elevate his status within the clan.
• The Clan Chief: Acts as a mediator, eventually accepting the agreement and ensuring that the clan keeps its promise.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus duty: Xiang’er’s desire to leave reflects the conflict between personal freedom and the burdens of a prestigious position.
• Mutual benefit and practicality: Chen and Xiang’er form an arrangement based less on romance than on shared objectives.
• Authority and social hierarchy: Xiang’er’s status exposes the complicated power structure within the Abyssal Clan, while Chen’s victories give him leverage against its Elders.
• Honesty and trust: Chen’s candid explanation of his motives wins Xiang’er’s approval and forms the foundation of their agreement.
• Promises and fairness: Chen insists that the clan honor the rules of its own matchmaking test, preventing the Elders from changing the conditions after the result.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen and Xiang’er: Their conversation establishes mutual respect and a strategic partnership. Xiang’er appreciates Chen’s honesty, while Chen accepts her proposal because it helps him reach the Abyssal Stone.
• Chen and the Elders: Chen confronts them when they reject Xiang’er, accusing them of going back on their word and emphasizing that the rules never barred the Saintess from participating.
• Xiang’er and the Elders: Xiang’er dismisses their objections and openly criticizes their inability to defeat Chen, making clear that she has already decided to leave.
• Chen and the clan chief: The chief escorts Chen to the forbidden ground and fulfills the clan’s agreement by showing him the Abyssal Stone.

Summary: “Two Supreme Treasures”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan argues with the Abyssal Clan Chief, rejecting the accusation that he exploited the clan. He claims the Abyssal Clan is partly responsible for losing both its supreme treasures because its treatment of the Saintess drove her to leave.
• The Chief explains the Saintess’s origins and importance: she was born from the Abyssal Stone and contains its purest energy. She is the clan’s greatest hope of reaching the Peak Greater Ruler realm or beyond.
• Because the Saintess felt constrained by the clan’s excessive protection, she wants to travel and gain experience. The Chief reluctantly agrees to let her accompany Chen Changan, while warning him never to pursue her romantically.
• Chen Changan insists that although he has no interest in the Saintess, he cannot control her future feelings or choices. He urges the Chief to focus on preparing the clan for the long-term consequences of her departure.
• Chen Changan stores the Abyssal Stone in the Chaos Jade Bottle and discovers that the bottle can reproduce Abyssal Stones. This means he may eventually be able to return one to the clan while still using the original to strengthen himself.
• As Chen Changan leaves with Saintess Xiang’er, the Abyssal Clan members glare at him resentfully because both of their supreme treasures—the Abyssal Stone and the Saintess—are now in his possession.
• Xiang’er chooses to remain with Chen Changan temporarily because she lacks worldly experience and considers traveling alone too dangerous. They leave the clan together without formally saying goodbye.
• Afterward, the clan members debate the decision. Some fear for Xiang’er, while others believe her journey will help her mature and resolve to support her from afar.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Remains confident, blunt, and opportunistic, but also offers practical wisdom. He recognizes that Xiang’er must make her own decisions and encourages the Chief to prepare for major future changes. His discovery about the Chaos Jade Bottle further increases his strategic advantage.
• Abyssal Clan Chief: Moves from resentment and suspicion to reluctant acceptance. He acknowledges that the clan’s rigid protection contributed to Xiang’er’s desire to leave and begins considering the clan’s long-term future rather than simply trying to keep her confined.
• Saintess Xiang’er: Takes an important step toward independence by choosing to leave the clan. Though inexperienced and only at the Early Greater Ruler realm, she shows judgment by recognizing her limitations and choosing Chen Changan as a guide.
• Abyssal Clan members: Their hostility toward Chen Changan reflects their sense of loss, but some begin to question the clan’s old-fashioned methods and accept that Xiang’er’s growth requires freedom.

Significant Themes

• Freedom versus protection: Excessive care can become confinement, and Xiang’er’s departure represents her need to experience the wider world.
• Responsibility and consequences: The clan must accept that its treatment of the Saintess helped cause the current situation.
• Preparation for the future: Chen Changan emphasizes that true preparedness requires planning far ahead, especially when a clan’s future depends on one individual.
• Growth through experience: Xiang’er must leave the safety of her homeland to develop independence and practical knowledge.
• Power, possession, and jealousy: The Abyssal Clan views the Saintess and Abyssal Stone as priceless treasures, making Chen Changan’s acquisition of both a source of resentment and anxiety.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and the Chief exchange sharp, argumentative remarks, with Chen Changan teasing him while forcing him to confront the clan’s own failures.
• The Chief warns Chen Changan protectively and possessively about Xiang’er, while Chen Changan challenges his attempts to control her future.
• Chen Changan treats Xiang’er with unusual respect by allowing her to decide her own path rather than ordering or restricting her.
• The clan members’ later discussion shows a gradual shift from fear and resentment toward acceptance: they conclude that Xiang’er should gain experience while the clan rebuilds and remains ready to support her.

Chapter Summary: “Am I a Tool?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan returns to the War Alliance after spending time in the Realm-Severing Abyss, bringing Saintess Xiang’er, an Abyssal Clan member, with him.
• His return causes a stir because he survived the Abyss and has apparently persuaded the Abyssal Clan’s Saintess to leave with him.
• Chen introduces Xiang’er to Mu Yunyao and Da Huang at his residence. After briefly explaining her circumstances, Mu Yunyao welcomes her, while Da Huang jokingly comments on Chen’s ability to “bring another one back.”
• Xiang’er chooses a room and rests, beginning her life outside the Realm-Severing Abyss.
• The War Alliance Lord visits Chen and reveals that he had prior knowledge of the Abyssal Clan and the Realm-Severing Abyss.
• He explains that Chen’s father personally tore open the Space Rift leading to the Abyss and was responsible for the initial contact between the two sides.
• The War Alliance Lord also reveals that Chen has only a little over one hundred years to prepare for an important gathering hosted by Starfall Hall.
• Although called an exchange gathering, the event will determine the distribution of status, influence, and resources among the region’s major forces.
• The War Alliance is relatively weak and politically isolated, so it is relying on Chen to improve its position.
• Chen ends the chapter by sarcastically questioning whether he is merely being used as a tool by the War Alliance.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Returns more powerful and influential after surviving the Realm-Severing Abyss. He becomes increasingly suspicious of the War Alliance Lord’s hidden motives and his father’s past. He also recognizes the pressure placed on him to strengthen the War Alliance.
• Saintess Xiang’er: Experiences the outside world for the first time and is relieved by Mu Yunyao’s acceptance. Her initial nervousness suggests that she is unused to freedom and uncertain about her place among humans.
• Mu Yunyao: Demonstrates maturity and generosity by welcoming Xiang’er without jealousy or hostility.
• Da Huang: Provides comic relief but also expresses sympathy for Xiang’er, recognizing that her position as a Saintess deprived her of freedom.
• War Alliance Lord: Reveals that he knew more about the Abyssal Clan and Chen’s father than he previously admitted. He appears to have deliberately sent Chen into the Realm-Severing Abyss and now expects Chen to carry the Alliance’s hopes.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and identity: Xiang’er’s departure from the Abyss represents her first opportunity to live freely rather than serve as a controlled Saintess.
• Manipulation and hidden agendas: Chen questions whether the War Alliance Lord knowingly placed him in the Abyss and whether his actions have been guided by others.
• Inherited responsibility: Chen is pulled into the consequences of his father’s past actions and legacy.
• Political power and survival: The upcoming gathering emphasizes the competitive structure of the cultivation world, where weaker forces must struggle for resources and recognition.
• The individual versus being used as a tool: Chen’s closing remark captures his frustration at being repeatedly relied upon to solve larger political and personal problems.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Xiang’er discuss the stark difference between the Abyss and the outside world, with Xiang’er focused more on her newfound freedom than the desolate surroundings.
• Mu Yunyao reassures Xiang’er that she has no reason to feel threatened and encourages her to explore the outside world.
• Da Huang teases Chen about returning with another woman but also sympathizes with Xiang’er’s lack of freedom.
• Chen confronts the War Alliance Lord about his knowledge of the Abyssal Clan, his connection to Chen’s father, and the deliberate nature of Chen’s mission.
• The War Alliance Lord shifts the conversation toward the coming Starfall Hall gathering, placing responsibility on Chen to help secure the War Alliance’s future.

Chapter Summary: Myriad Thousand Realm Peak

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan is invited, along with the War Alliance, to an exchange meeting hosted by Starfall Hall. He suspects the invitation is primarily aimed at him because of his remarkable performance.
• The War Alliance leader admits that the alliance may contain informants, since it accepts members without asking about their identities or pasts. Chen’s abilities may already have attracted attention.
• The invitation specifically requires both the War Alliance and its “War Emperor”—Chen Changan—to attend, suggesting that Starfall Hall may be considering recruiting him.
• Chen worries that attending could expose his identity before he reaches the Greater Ruler Realm, potentially placing both himself and the War Alliance in danger.
• The leader believes Starfall Hall is relatively trustworthy and might approach Chen privately rather than reveal his identity publicly, but neither he nor Chen knows whether other factions have also discovered Chen’s background.
• After their discussion, Chen reflects on the larger situation in Chaos Heaven. He concludes that some former enemies may have awakened from their puppet-like existence due to his father, Chen Ao, gaining independent thoughts and ambitions. However, he remains wary that certain enemies may still possess hidden weapons designed to kill him.
• Chen decides that increasing his strength is the safest course and enters seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.
• Over more than a century, he reaches the peak of the Myriad Thousand Realm but still cannot break through to the Greater Ruler Realm.
• Chen discovers that his advancement depends partly on the people in his Small World reaching the Ruler Realm. He visits Chen Yunxuan, who has advanced to the Emperor Above Realm but is not yet ready to break through.
• The chapter ends with Chen asking Chen Yunxuan for a precise estimate of how long he will need before attempting the breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Becomes increasingly cautious and politically aware. He recognizes that his identity and unusual strength are attracting attention, yet he prioritizes cultivation over immediate political involvement. His understanding of his father’s influence and the awakening of former puppets also deepens.
• War Alliance Leader: Reveals a more calculating side, having initially withheld the fact that Starfall Hall explicitly demanded Chen’s attendance. Despite his relaxed attitude, he understands the alliance’s vulnerability and the inevitability of its eventual exposure.
• Saintess Xiang’er: Remains calm and independent, asking permission to explore the War Alliance while Chen enters seclusion. Her trust in Chen and willingness to adapt are evident.
• Chen Yunxuan: Has made significant progress, reaching the Emperor Above Realm, but still falls short of the Ruler Realm required to help Chen achieve his own breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• Strength as security: Chen repeatedly concludes that true power is the only reliable protection against political threats and hidden enemies.
• Identity and exposure: The chapter centers on the danger of Chen’s identity being discovered before he is strong enough to defend himself.
• Trust and uncertainty: Chen cannot determine whether Starfall Hall is an ally, an enemy, or another faction awakened by his father. Alliances remain uncertain and conditional.
• Free will versus manipulation: The possibility that former puppets have awakened and developed personal goals challenges the idea that they are merely tools created to oppose Chen.
• Interdependence: Chen’s path to the Greater Ruler Realm depends not only on his own cultivation but also on the progress of those within his Small World.

Character Interactions

• Chen and the War Alliance leader engage in a tense but humorous discussion about the invitation, with Chen accusing the leader of concealing information.
• The leader encourages Chen to attend and potentially win Starfall Hall’s support, while Chen remains skeptical of their motives.
• Chen gives Saintess Xiang’er freedom to move around the War Alliance during his seclusion and instructs her to seek the alliance leader if problems arise.
• Chen questions Chen Yunxuan about his cultivation progress, reassures him that his advancement is satisfactory, and demands a concrete timeline for reaching the Ruler Realm.

Chapter Summary: Chaos Star Stone

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan asks Chen Yunxuan to break through from the Emperor Above Realm’s Eighth Heaven to the Ruler Realm within a few decades. Chen Yunxuan admits the timeframe is extremely difficult and suggests that Ye Zhi Qiu, Gu Xian’er, or others might achieve the breakthrough first.
• Chen Changan reassures him that there is no need to rush and decides to consult the others. However, Ye Zhi Qiu, Gu Xian’er, and the other candidates are similarly stuck at the Eighth Heaven.
• Feeling that he has failed Chen Changan, Chen Yunxuan begins an intense period of cultivation, determined to break through as quickly as possible.
• Chen Changan returns his attention to his true body and stops focusing on the Small World, recognizing that breakthroughs cannot be forced. With twenty or thirty years remaining before Starfall Hall’s exchange conference, he chooses not to cultivate and instead spends time with Mu Yunyao and Da Huang.
• Mu Yunyao and Da Huang have reached the peak of the Myriad Thousand Realm but are progressing slowly toward the Greater Ruler Realm because their Small Worlds lack the exceptional talents present in Chen Changan’s.
• Chen Changan, Mu Yunyao, and Da Huang prepare to travel and relax. They discover that Saintess Xiang’er has returned after spending years exploring the War Alliance.
• Xiang’er has undergone a major emotional change. She is now more cheerful, expressive, and relaxed, having experienced ordinary social relationships instead of being treated as an untouchable Abyssal Clan saintess.
• As the group prepares to leave, the War Alliance Master arrives with important news: someone has discovered a Chaos Star Stone.
• The stone is particularly valuable because it can strengthen Hongchen, Chen Changan’s sword. Hongchen reacts intensely to its name, sensing that obtaining it could greatly increase her power. Chen Changan immediately promises to acquire it for her.

Character Developments

• Chen Yunxuan becomes more determined after realizing he cannot meet Chen Changan’s requested deadline. His guilt motivates him to cultivate with even greater intensity.
• Chen Changan shows greater patience and understanding toward his companions. Although he needs someone to reach the Ruler Realm, he refuses to place excessive pressure on them. He also remains protective of Hongchen and is eager to secure the Chaos Star Stone for her.
• Mu Yunyao and Da Huang reach the peak of the Myriad Thousand Realm but acknowledge that their advancement has slowed. Da Huang is especially enthusiastic about the chance to leave seclusion and travel.
• Saintess Xiang’er experiences perhaps the greatest transformation. Away from the restrictive expectations of the Abyssal Clan, she begins developing a more natural, youthful, and joyful personality.
• Hongchen reveals a powerful instinctive connection to the Chaos Star Stone, suggesting that it may be closely tied to her origins or future evolution.
• The War Alliance Master continues to involve Chen Changan in important missions, irritating him but also providing opportunities and resources.

Significant Themes

• The limits of forced cultivation: Even gifted cultivators cannot simply accelerate major breakthroughs through effort alone.
• Pressure and responsibility: Chen Yunxuan’s guilt contrasts with Chen Changan’s attempt to reduce the burden placed on his companions.
• Freedom and personal identity: Xiang’er’s transformation shows the importance of being treated as an individual rather than as a symbol or exalted figure.
• Companionship and shared experiences: After prolonged seclusion, the characters seek leisure and connection, emphasizing that life is more than cultivation.
• Power and destiny: The Chaos Star Stone’s mysterious attraction to Hongchen hints at a deeper connection between powerful treasures and the sword’s hidden nature.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Chen Yunxuan discuss the difficulty of reaching the Ruler Realm, with Chen Changan offering reassurance rather than criticism.
• Chen Changan consults Ye Zhi Qiu, Gu Xian’er, and others but learns that none can easily achieve the breakthrough either.
• Mu Yunyao and Da Huang discuss their stalled cultivation and encourage the group to go out and explore.
• The group questions Xiang’er about her changed personality, allowing her to explain how life in the War Alliance has helped her experience ordinary emotions and equality.
• Mu Yunyao and Da Huang warmly invite Xiang’er to join their outing.
• The War Alliance Master interrupts their plans with news of the Chaos Star Stone, creating a new objective for Chen Changan.
• Chen Changan and Hongchen share a protective and trusting exchange, with Chen Changan promising to obtain the stone after sensing how strongly it affects her.

Chapter Summary: “Star Sea”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan becomes suspicious that the appearance of news about a Chaos Star Stone—just after he reaches a cultivation bottleneck—may be part of a larger arrangement. The stone could greatly enhance the Red Dust Sword, making the opportunity especially valuable.
• The War Alliance Master explains that the stone’s location is unknown and that the information was likely spread by someone unable to obtain it themselves, possibly to attract powerful cultivators and create chaos.
• Chen Changan decides to pursue the stone immediately. The Star Sea lies three to four months southwest of the War Alliance.
• Da Huang reveals that the Star Sea contains numerous Star Stones, which can strengthen weapons. Each stone is protected by a Star Behemoth, powerful creatures said to be at least at the Myriad Thousand Realm. A Chaos Star Stone’s guardian is presumed to be even more dangerous.
• Chen Changan’s group travels to the Star Sea, an independent world made of countless celestial bodies. Many Greater Ruler-level cultivators have already arrived, drawn by the rumors.
• Chen Changan warns that they will avoid conflict unless others interfere, in which case they will respond according to their usual ruthless principles.
• Shortly after entering, the group discovers a Star Stone guarded by a ten-meter-tall, black, stone-bodied Star Behemoth. The creature appears to be at the Early Greater Ruler stage.
• Saintess Xiang’er volunteers to fight it. Chen Changan allows her to proceed, intending to assess her actual strength.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains cautious and perceptive, questioning whether the Chaos Star Stone’s appearance is coincidental. At the same time, he is decisive and willing to seize the opportunity. He also shows confidence in his group’s strength and concern for improving Hongchen’s weapon.
• Da Huang proves that his past visits to the Desire Tower were not entirely frivolous, as he remembers useful information about the Star Sea. His playful personality remains evident, but he contributes valuable intelligence.
• Hongchen openly expresses her desire to obtain Star Stones, reinforcing the importance of strengthening the Red Dust Sword. Chen Changan remains committed to fulfilling his promise to help her improve.
• Saintess Xiang’er seeks to demonstrate that she can contribute rather than remain an outsider or burden. Her decision to challenge the Star Behemoth shows initiative and determination.
• Mu Yunyao perceptively understands Xiang’er’s motives, recognizing that the Saintess is trying to prove her worth to the group.

Significant Themes

• Fate and manipulation: The timing of the Chaos Star Stone’s appearance makes Chen Changan suspect that unseen forces may be arranging events.
• Power and opportunity: The Star Sea offers rare resources capable of significantly strengthening weapons, making it a dangerous but valuable destination.
• Trust and usefulness: Xiang’er’s desire to prove herself reflects the broader issue of earning trust and demonstrating value within a powerful group.
• Danger beneath appearances: Although Star Stones may appear easy to locate, each is guarded by a powerful companion beast, suggesting that the search will involve serious risks.
• Pragmatism and controlled aggression: Chen Changan avoids unnecessary conflict but is prepared to eliminate obstacles if others threaten his objectives.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan challenges the War Alliance Master about the suspicious timing of the news, though he ultimately accepts the explanation and acts on the opportunity.
• Da Huang shares his knowledge with Chen Changan and humorously defends his past visits to the Desire Tower.
• Hongchen asks for as many Star Stones as possible, and Chen Changan agrees to pursue them for her.
• Chen Changan and Da Huang discuss how they will respond if other cultivators obstruct them.
• Xiang’er volunteers to fight the first Star Behemoth, while Mu Yunyao explains that the Saintess is attempting to prove she will not burden the group.

Chapter Summary: “The Feeling of Being Needed Was Wonderful”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Saintess Xiang’er demonstrates her immense combat strength by killing a Star Behemoth of the same realm with a single punch and retrieving its Star Stone.
• Impressed by her power, Da Huang suggests that Xiang’er could become a valuable fighting force. Chen Changan warns him not to treat her as a tool or interfere with her future choices.
• Xiang’er happily gives the Star Stone to Chen Changan, explaining that she is excited to contribute because the Abyssal Clan previously treated her like an ornament and never allowed her to take responsibility.
• Chen Changan assigns her the task of hunting Star Behemoths and collecting Star Stones. Xiang’er embraces the work enthusiastically, while Da Huang mocks Chen Changan for seemingly exploiting her after warning against exploitation.
• As Xiang’er gathers Star Stones, Chen Changan closely observes the Star Sea and the other searchers. He suspects that some people know the true location of the Chaos Star Stone.
• He notices that many individuals are moving with a clear purpose rather than searching randomly. Chen Changan leads the group after them, theorizing that the original informant deliberately gave selected people the location in order to use them and profit amid the ensuing chaos.
• Their pursuit ends when a terrifying roar and oppressive aura emerge, suggesting that they may have found the Chaos Star Stone’s guardian beast.

Character Developments

• Saintess Xiang’er: Reveals herself as an exceptionally powerful fighter, but more importantly, she gains confidence and happiness from being useful. Her eagerness to work stems from having felt neglected and undervalued within the Abyssal Clan.
• Chen Changan: Shows a protective and thoughtful attitude toward Xiang’er, insisting that her life and decisions should remain her own. At the same time, he gives her meaningful responsibilities, believing that helping her feel needed is beneficial rather than exploitative. He also displays strategic insight by analyzing the behavior of the other searchers.
• Da Huang: Continues acting irreverently and jokingly, questioning Chen Changan’s apparent contradictions. Despite his teasing, he remains observant and helps notice the unusually large number of people moving toward the same destination.
• Mu Yunyao: Acts as a moderating presence, encouraging Xiang’er to rest and recognizing her excessive enthusiasm.

Significant Themes

• The importance of feeling needed: Xiang’er’s joy comes less from the rewards than from finally having a meaningful role and being trusted with responsibility.
• Freedom versus control: Chen Changan emphasizes that friendship means respecting Xiang’er’s autonomy rather than shaping her into a weapon or deciding her future for her.
• The difference between exploitation and support: The chapter explores how assigning someone work can either use them selfishly or help them regain confidence, depending on the intention and respect involved.
• Trust and manipulation: Chen Changan suspects that the Chaos Star Stone’s information was deliberately distributed to manipulate powerful searchers and create profitable confusion.
• Strength and identity: Xiang’er’s overwhelming power challenges the perception that she is merely a ceremonial figure within the Abyssal Clan.

Character Interactions

• Da Huang praises Xiang’er’s strength and suggests using her as a future asset, prompting Chen Changan’s serious warning about respecting friends.
• Xiang’er eagerly offers Chen Changan the Star Stone and expresses her desire to help, leading him to give her an ongoing mission.
• Da Huang sarcastically accuses Chen Changan of contradicting himself, while Chen Changan argues that he is helping Xiang’er feel valued.
• Mu Yunyao tries to persuade Xiang’er to rest, but Xiang’er insists that hunting Behemoths is enjoyable.
• Chen Changan interrupts their discussion when he identifies a promising lead, shifting the group’s focus from collecting ordinary Star Stones to locating the Chaos Star Stone.

Chapter Summary: “Terrifying Ferocious Beast”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan, Mu Yunyao, Da Huang, and Saintess Xiang’er approach the guardian beast protecting the Chaos Star Stone.
• From a great distance, the beast’s aura reveals that it possesses strength at least equal to the Greater Ruler Late-Stage.
• Rather than confronting it directly, Chen Changan decides to wait for an opportunity and profit from the efforts of other cultivators attacking the beast.
• Numerous cultivators gather around the beast, but most remain at a safe distance because of its overwhelming power. Many eventually abandon their attempts to seize the Chaos Star Stone.
• Saintess Xiang’er attracts attention because her energy wings identify her as a member of the mysterious Abyssal Clan. Chen Changan advises her to minimize the wings to avoid provoking unwanted trouble.
• The group finally sees the guardian beast: it is so enormous that it resembles a mountain, standing several hundred meters tall. Its attacks generate powerful gales and effortlessly repel nearby cultivators.
• Da Huang notices that the Chaos Star Stone cannot be found externally. Hongchen informs Chen Changan that the stone is likely inside the beast’s body, meaning the beast must probably be killed before the treasure can be obtained.
• Chen Changan retreats to a quieter location and studies the battle instead of joining the ineffective attacks.
• He reasons that even such a powerful creature must possess some weakness or flaw. After observing the beast for a long time, the group circles around to inspect its back.
• When Da Huang begins to doubt that the beast has any weakness, Chen Changan suddenly announces that he has found it.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates caution, strategic thinking, and patience. He recognizes that brute force may be insufficient and chooses to exploit the battle rather than waste energy.
• Da Huang remains impulsive and openly skeptical, repeatedly suggesting alternatives while being impressed by the beast’s immense size and strength.
• Saintess Xiang’er is revealed to belong to the Abyssal Clan. Her unfamiliar wings make her a source of curiosity and suspicion among the surrounding cultivators. She does not initially understand why she should conceal them, showing her unfamiliarity with ordinary social dangers.
• Mu Yunyao quietly supports Chen Changan and joins the group in carefully observing the beast.
• Hongchen displays exceptional sensitivity toward valuable resources and immediately identifies the likely location of the Chaos Star Stone.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over strength: Chen Changan emphasizes that overwhelming enemies need not be defeated through direct combat; intelligence and timing may be more effective.
• Patience and observation: Success depends on studying the beast carefully and waiting for the right opening.
• Risk versus reward: Many cultivators desire the Chaos Star Stone but recognize that obtaining it may cost their lives.
• Hidden weaknesses: Even seemingly invincible opponents may possess vulnerabilities that can be discovered through careful analysis.
• Outsiders and suspicion: Xiang’er’s Abyssal identity highlights the fear and curiosity surrounding unfamiliar races.

Character Interactions

• Da Huang asks whether Chen Changan is confident in defeating the beast, prompting Chen Changan to explain his plan to outwit it.
• Chen Changan advises Xiang’er to conceal her conspicuous wings, while she questions why they should avoid attention.
• Da Huang repeatedly comments on the beast’s size and the failure of other cultivators’ attacks.
• Chen Changan explains to Da Huang that the Chaos Star Stone is probably inside the beast and that finding its weakness is more important than attacking recklessly.
• After prolonged observation and a failed inspection of the beast’s rear, Da Huang expresses doubt, but Chen Changan ends the chapter by declaring that he has discovered the beast’s flaw.

Chapter Summary: “Successfully Obtained”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hongchen identifies the vicious beast’s hidden weakness: the Chaos Star Stone is embedded in its heart and serves as the source of its immense power.
• Chen Changan confirms that the beast instinctively protects its heart during attacks.
• To avoid involving his companions in the coming conflict, Chen Changan orders Da Huang, Mu Yunyao, and Saintess Xiang’er to leave and gather ordinary Star Stones while he handles the beast alone.
• Chen Changan charges directly at the beast. Despite being struck by its enormous palm and blasted by its roar, his exceptionally powerful body remains unharmed.
• Using the Red Dust Sword, he cuts open the beast’s chest and removes the Chaos Star Stone in less than a thousandth of a second.
• Once the stone is extracted, the beast immediately loses its strength, shatters, and dies.
• Chen Changan stores the Chaos Star Stone in the Chaos Jade Bottle, deciding to cultivate with ordinary Star Stones before attempting to use the more powerful treasure.
• The surrounding cultivators, who had struggled unsuccessfully against the beast, realize that Chen Changan possesses the Chaos Star Stone and surround him, demanding that he surrender it.
• Rather than submit, Chen Changan sarcastically points out that there is only one stone and asks the greedy cultivators to decide among themselves who should receive it.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, confidence, speed, and tactical awareness. He successfully exploits the beast’s weakness while remaining calm under pressure.
• He also shows prudence by refusing to absorb the Chaos Star Stone immediately, recognizing that its energy is too powerful and that gradual cultivation is safer.
• Hongchen proves her unique sensitivity to Chaos Star Stones and plays a crucial strategic role by discovering the beast’s hidden weakness. Her excitement over obtaining the stone highlights her strong personal interest in it.
• Da Huang remains deeply confident in Chen Changan’s abilities and leaves without hesitation when ordered to do so, though he humorously admits to fearing retaliation from the powerful factions.
• Mu Yunyao acts decisively to protect the group by taking Saintess Xiang’er away from the battlefield.
• Saintess Xiang’er is surprised by Da Huang’s immediate departure and by the extent of Chen Changan’s strength.
• The surrounding cultivators shift from mocking Chen Changan to fearing and coveting what he has obtained.

Significant Themes

• Strength and hidden capability: Appearances are misleading, as the cultivators underestimate Chen Changan because of his apparent cultivation level.
• Intelligence over brute force: The beast cannot be defeated through conventional attacks, but identifying the Chaos Star Stone’s location turns the battle decisively.
• Greed and opportunism: The other cultivators ignore Chen Changan’s achievement and immediately attempt to seize the treasure for themselves.
• Confidence and composure: Chen Changan remains playful and relaxed even after defeating the beast and being surrounded by hostile forces.
• Prudence in cultivation: He understands that powerful treasures must be used carefully rather than consumed recklessly.

Character Interactions

• Hongchen communicates telepathically with Chen Changan, guiding him toward the beast’s heart.
• Da Huang encourages Chen Changan to rely on his superior body and warns him that other factions will seek revenge.
• Chen Changan separates his allies from the danger, prioritizing their safety while taking responsibility for the battle.
• After the beast’s death, Chen Changan verbally challenges the surrounding cultivators’ competing claims, exposing the absurdity of their demand that he surrender the only Chaos Star Stone.