Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Virtue Matters Too”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan accepts the Grand Elder’s arrangement and joins the Heavenly Profound Sect with Da Huang, Mu Yunyao, and the others.
• Because of their extraordinary potential scores, the group is admitted directly into the inner sect and designated as reserve candidates for the Elder Council—a status second only to the sect master.
• Their arrival causes widespread discussion among the sect’s disciples and elders. Some admire their talent, while others argue that potential alone does not guarantee strength or success.
• Chen Changan chooses not to confront the inner sect elders, preferring the peace and cultivation opportunities provided by the sect.
• The group begins secluded cultivation rather than immediately exploring the sect’s cultivation arts.
• After more than half a year, Chen Changan and the others reach the Ninth Layer of the Ultimate Mortal Transformation Realm. However, they discover that the spirit-grade Heavenly Spirit Art has become extremely difficult to advance beyond, suggesting that the technique has serious limitations.
• They conclude that they need higher-grade cultivation arts and decide that each person should eventually choose a technique suited to their individual cultivation path.
• When Chen Changan leaves seclusion, he finds an inner sect elder waiting outside, setting up the next development.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates increasing restraint and maturity. Rather than fighting simply to display his strength, he recognizes the value of avoiding unnecessary conflict and using the sect’s resources to cultivate.
• He also shows practical judgment by acknowledging the limits of his current cultivation art and considering individualized cultivation methods.
• Da Huang remains humorous and straightforward, teasing Chen Changan about his earlier overwhelming cultivation speed and questioning whether he truly needed to avoid fighting the elders.
• Mu Yunyao displays insight and initiative by identifying the flaws in the Heavenly Spirit Art and proposing that the group stop relying on one shared technique.
• The group proves highly disciplined, spending their time in cultivation instead of seeking fame or attention.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s sect master is impressed by their diligence but remains cautious, believing that talent and secluded cultivation are insufficient proof of good character.

Significant Themes

• Potential versus current strength: The group’s incredible talent earns them extraordinary status, but some sect members point out that potential does not equal present ability.
• The importance of character: The sect master fears that individuals with immense talent but corrupt morals could eventually destroy the sect, emphasizing that virtue matters as much as power.
• Restraint over unnecessary conflict: Chen Changan chooses peace and cultivation instead of provoking a fight, showing that strength does not always need to be displayed.
• Limits of cultivation methods: The Heavenly Spirit Art’s apparent shortcomings highlight the importance of choosing techniques appropriate to one’s level and individual path.
• Discipline and perseverance: Despite the attention surrounding them, Chen Changan and the others remain focused on cultivation and avoid seeking recognition.
• Resources and advancement: Their rapid growth requires enormous resources, revealing the practical difficulties of supporting powerful cultivators even within a major sect.

Character Interactions

• Da Huang jokingly asks Chen Changan why he did not fight the inner sect elders, prompting Chen Changan to explain his preference for avoiding pointless conflict.
• The group discusses whether to study new cultivation arts or focus on raising their current cultivation. Chen Changan initially favors continuing with the Heavenly Spirit Art until they reach its limits.
• After everyone reaches the Ninth Layer, they collectively recognize that the technique has become restrictive.
• Mu Yunyao argues that they should select different cultivation arts suited to their individual needs, and Chen Changan agrees.
• Meanwhile, the sect master discusses the group with his subordinates and orders them to bring the five geniuses to him after seclusion so he can personally assess their character.

Chapter Summary: The Origin of the Name Forgetfulness River?

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Inner Sect Elder is shocked to discover that Chen Changan and his companions have all reached the ninth level of the Ultimate Mortal Transformation Realm. Their breakthrough took only half a year, far faster than even the Heavenly Profound Sect’s most talented disciples.
• The Elder escorts them to meet the Sect Master, who wants to assign them an important mission.
• The Sect Master explains that Forgetfulness River was named after the River of Forgetfulness inside the Netherworld Mystic Realm.
• The Netherworld Mystic Realm is not an ordinary secret realm but a strange, self-contained world within Forgetfulness River. It opens only occasionally, allowing its resources to accumulate.
• The realm contains native lifeforms, but they do not cultivate like humans and apparently have no use for the resources sought by cultivators. They generally do not attack unless provoked.
• The greatest danger inside the realm comes from competing cultivators gathering resources.
• Each eligible faction may send five people into the Netherworld Mystic Realm. In addition to the Heavenly Profound Sect, the Carefree Abode, the Exquisite Grotto, and five other Lineage factions will participate.
• The next opening is six months away. Since the journey takes three months, Chen Changan and the others will have three months to prepare before setting out.
• Chen Changan requests access to better cultivation methods because their current techniques have reached a bottleneck. The Sect Master agrees to let them choose immortal-grade methods, though he cautions them against selecting techniques that are too advanced.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan continues to demonstrate practical judgment and curiosity. Rather than blindly accepting the mission, he questions the nature of the Netherworld Mystic Realm, its inhabitants, its resources, and the potential dangers.
• Da Huang remains outspoken and irreverent, immediately accusing the Sect Master of exploiting them by assigning them work without first giving them benefits. His bluntness provides comic relief but also reflects his protective attitude toward the group.
• The Inner Sect Elder gains a deeper appreciation of Chen Changan and the others’ extraordinary talent, realizing that their cultivation speed far exceeds normal expectations.
• The Sect Master recognizes the group as uniquely suited for the mission and becomes willing to grant them access to the sect’s best resources. However, he remains cautious about their choice of cultivation methods.

Significant Themes

• Extraordinary talent and cultivation speed: The group’s rapid breakthroughs emphasize how far their potential surpasses ordinary geniuses, even those supported by a major sect.
• Resources and mutual benefit: The Heavenly Profound Sect expects the group to contribute through the Netherworld Mystic Realm expedition, while Chen Changan insists that their rewards should match their efforts.
• Knowledge versus assumptions: Chen Changan repeatedly challenges the Sect Master’s explanations, exposing potential contradictions about why the realm’s resources remain untouched and whether its inhabitants pose a threat.
• Competition among factions: The expedition is presented as a contest between several powerful groups, suggesting that human cultivators—not the realm’s native creatures—will be the main source of conflict.
• Preparation for greater challenges: The group’s current techniques are no longer sufficient, marking a transition toward more advanced cultivation and a more dangerous upcoming adventure.

Character Interactions

• The Inner Sect Elder reacts with disbelief to the group’s cultivation progress and escorts them to the Sect Master.
• Da Huang confronts the Sect Master over assigning them a mission without prior benefits, while the Sect Master responds with amusement rather than anger.
• Chen Changan repeatedly interrupts to clarify important details, especially regarding the realm’s inhabitants, resources, and dangers.
• Chen Changan acts as the group’s negotiator, securing permission to select immortal-grade cultivation methods before undertaking the mission.

Chapter Summary: “Nameless Sword Art”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s Sect Master explains that immortal-tier cultivation arts are divided into four grades: lower, middle, upper, and top. Higher-grade arts are more powerful but also much more difficult to cultivate and require vastly greater resources.
• Because the Heavenly Profound Sect cannot afford to support many disciples cultivating middle-grade arts, the Sect Master recommends that Chen Changan and the others begin with lower-grade immortal-tier cultivation arts.
• Chen Changan learns that a lower-grade immortal-tier art can support cultivation up to the fifth-grade Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm. Above that lies the Ultimate True Immortal Realm.
• The Sect Master reveals that even the Heavenly Profound Sect’s strongest expert, the Grand Elder, has only reached the sixth-grade Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm. The Exquisite Grotto and Carefree Abode possess experts no higher than the fifth grade.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s dominance comes mainly from having more Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm experts than its rivals, rather than possessing an overwhelmingly superior individual expert. The Elder Council is implied to be an effort to strengthen this numerical advantage.
• Chen Changan and his companions are taken to select cultivation arts. Mu Yunyao chooses the lower-grade immortal-tier Tyrant Body Art, while the others select arts suited to themselves.
• Chen Changan rejects all the available options, feeling that none truly fit him.
• The Sect Master then presents him with an incomplete, unidentified cultivation art obtained by chance: the Nameless Sword Art, whose grade is unknown but presumed to be at least immortal-tier.
• The chapter ends with Chen Changan noticing that the art is “nameless” as well, creating a possible connection to the mysterious restrictions surrounding cultivation arts and Ultimate Heaven.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates his unusually high standards and confidence. Unlike the others, he refuses to settle for a merely adequate cultivation art and continues questioning the limits imposed by the cultivation system.
• He becomes more aware of the importance of resources, foundations, and inherited advantages in determining a cultivator’s future.
• The Sect Master acts as a knowledgeable guide, revealing the broader realm structure and the Heavenly Profound Sect’s actual position within the River of Forgetfulness Territory. His reaction to the Ultimate True Immortal Realm shows his personal ambition and longing.
• Mu Yunyao chooses the Tyrant Body Art, a selection that reflects her suitability for a powerful physical cultivation path despite her elegant appearance.
• Da Huang and the other companions take a more practical approach, encouraging Chen Changan to choose any suitable art for now and replace it later if necessary.

Significant Themes

• Resources versus talent: The chapter emphasizes that talent alone cannot determine a cultivator’s success. Wealth, foundations, sect support, and access to resources are equally decisive.
• Social inequality in cultivation: Even talented commoners may struggle to reach the highest realms because they lack the resources available to those born into powerful backgrounds.
• Limits and restrictions: Chen Changan questions whether cultivation arts have natural limits or whether their restrictions are imposed by heaven and earth—or perhaps by a greater force.
• Strength through numbers: The Heavenly Profound Sect’s supremacy is shown to depend on its larger pool of powerful cultivators, exposing the fragility of its position.
• Mystery and identity: The incomplete and nameless sword art introduces a new mystery. Its unknown origin, grade, and name may be connected to Chen Changan’s own unusual path.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan repeatedly questions the Sect Master about cultivation grades and realms, forcing the Sect Master to explain knowledge that Chen and the others lack.
• The Sect Master personally guides the group through the sect’s collection of cultivation arts, showing respect for their importance.
• Da Huang teases Chen Changan for being too selective and advises him to pick something temporarily.
• The Sect Master notices Chen Changan’s difficulty choosing and offers him the mysterious Nameless Sword Art.
• Mu Yunyao asks about the art’s name, prompting the explanation that it was named “Nameless Sword Art” only because its original name is unknown. The chapter closes with Chen Changan highlighting the significance of that coincidence.

Chapter Summary: “You Swear? Get Lost!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan discovers that the Heavenly Profound Sect possesses an incomplete Nameless Sword Art, a technique resembling his own mysterious “Nameless” constitution. After examining it, he decides to cultivate it, recognizing that it is likely at least Immortal grade.
• With three months remaining before the Netherworld Mystic Realm opens, Chen Changan asks whether he and the others may still enter if their cultivation advances into the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm. The sect master explains that cultivators at that level are normally prohibited from entering.
• To avoid this problem, the sect master advises them to slow their cultivation for three months. Chen Changan agrees, deciding that everyone can treat the period as a break.
• Da Huang jokingly asks the sect master about visiting a brothel. Their exchange becomes a comedic interrogation, with Da Huang repeatedly demanding that the sect master swear he has never visited one. The sect master eventually gives him directions, though Da Huang decides the location is too far away to visit before the expedition.
• Rumors spread throughout the sect that Chen Changan and the other four prodigies were granted the five Netherworld Mystic Realm positions without undergoing the usual selection process.
• Many disciples resent what they see as unfair favoritism, though others acknowledge that the prodigies’ exceptional potential justifies their privileges.
• Several disciples complain to the Senior Disciple Brother, who orders them not to cause trouble or challenge the sect master’s decision. He argues that unity is more important than internal conflict and that the five prodigies will not compete with ordinary disciples for the resources they value.
• The Senior Disciple Brother concludes that the prodigies’ true abilities will be proven after the Netherworld Mystic Realm expedition.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Shows interest in expanding his cultivation through the Nameless Sword Art. He remains calm and pragmatic about the coming expedition, accepting the need to temporarily restrain his progress.
• Da Huang: Provides comic relief through his obsession with visiting a brothel and his relentless teasing of the sect master. His persistence eventually forces the sect master to reveal its location.
• The Sect Master: Displays helplessness and irritation in dealing with Da Huang but continues to look after Chen Changan and the others. He is confident enough in their potential to grant them expedition positions without a public selection.
• The Senior Disciple Brother: Emerges as a mature and reasonable leader. Rather than joining the resentment, he defends the sect master’s judgment and urges the disciples to focus on cultivation and sect unity.
• The Sect Disciples: Their jealousy and dissatisfaction reveal insecurity over being overshadowed by the newly arrived prodigies. Some begin to reconsider their resentment after hearing the Senior Disciple Brother’s argument.

Significant Themes

• Privilege and fairness: The disciples debate whether talent should grant special treatment. The chapter suggests that absolute equality is unrealistic and that exceptional ability naturally brings privilege.
• Jealousy and comparison: The disciples do not object to privilege itself so much as to seeing others receive it instead of themselves.
• Unity versus internal conflict: The Senior Disciple Brother emphasizes that the sect must avoid fighting among its own members if it hopes to grow stronger.
• Potential versus proof: Although the five prodigies have extraordinary reputations, their actual ability remains uncertain to the sect. Their performance in the Netherworld Mystic Realm will settle the debate.
• Humor amid cultivation tensions: Da Huang’s crude jokes and persistent teasing provide a lighthearted contrast to the serious disputes over status, talent, and sect resources.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and the sect master discuss cultivation limits and the rules governing entry into the Netherworld Mystic Realm.
• Da Huang repeatedly pesters and jokes with the sect master, leading to an amusing back-and-forth that ends with the sect master angrily telling him to “get lost.”
• Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao silently share their exasperation at Da Huang’s behavior.
• The Senior Disciple Brother confronts dissatisfied disciples, rejects their complaints, and encourages them to trust the sect master’s decision.
• The chapter closes with the disciples still uncertain but forced to wait for the expedition’s results before judging whether Chen Changan and the other prodigies truly deserve their privileged positions.

Chapter Summary: Mm, Then What?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Three months after receiving the mission, Chen Changan and his companions set out for the Netherworld Mystic Realm.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s Sect Master worries about sending the group without supervision. He is unsure of their character and fears that their extraordinary strength could lead them to cause trouble.
• The Inner Sect Grand Elder reassures him that talented young people are bound to be proud and that the sect can handle any problems they create.
• Chen Changan understands that the mission is also a test of their loyalty and character. The sect wants to know whether they are trustworthy rather than merely powerful.
• During the journey, Chen Changan explains that their objective is to locate valuable resources. They plan to openly display their discoveries so that greedy opponents will attack them, giving them a justification to defeat and rob those enemies.
• Chen and his companions study the resource map provided by the Heavenly Profound Sect and intend to prioritize the rarest and most valuable locations.
• At the entrance to the mystic realm, representatives of the Exquisite Grotto, Carefree Abode, and five other lineages are already waiting. Unlike those factions, Chen’s group arrives without elders or protectors.
• A Carefree Abode Elder questions why the Heavenly Profound Sect has sent only five young disciples. Chen challenges the assumption that escorting elders is an actual rule, pointing out that it is merely a customary practice.
• Chen deliberately behaves arrogantly toward the elder, provoking him. When the elder threatens to discipline him, Chen dismissively responds, “Mm, then what?”

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates sharp insight into the Heavenly Profound Sect’s hidden test and shows himself to be calculating, confident, and deliberately provocative. He plans not only to gather resources but also to manipulate others into attacking his group.
• Da Huang: Continues to act boldly and greedily, suggesting that they let others gather resources before taking them. He also shows a growing concern with appearances and prestige, adding comic contrast to Chen’s strategic thinking.
• Mu Yunyao and the others: Follow Chen’s plans without hesitation and recognize the importance of securing rare resources early.
• Sect Master: Reveals caution and uncertainty when dealing with Chen’s group. He is more concerned with their personalities and loyalty than their combat ability.
• Inner Sect Grand Elder: Acts as a voice of reassurance, believing the sect should allow talented disciples to gain experience independently.
• Carefree Abode Elder: Becomes increasingly angered by Chen’s disrespect and arrogance, setting up a confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Trust and loyalty: The Heavenly Profound Sect is testing whether Chen and his companions are reliable allies rather than powerful but ungrateful individuals.
• Tradition versus actual rules: Chen exposes how customs can be mistaken for laws and refuses to follow conventions simply because others do.
• Strategy and manipulation: The group intends to use its reputation and visible success to lure enemies into attacking first.
• Pride and authority: The confrontation highlights the tension between an established elder’s authority and Chen’s refusal to submit to rank or tradition.
• Independence: The absence of escorts emphasizes the Heavenly Profound Sect’s confidence in Chen’s group and allows them to act freely.

Character Interactions

• The Sect Master and Inner Sect Grand Elder discuss whether Chen’s group can be trusted and whether their independence is dangerous.
• Chen, Da Huang, and the others coordinate their resource-gathering and ambush strategy, with Da Huang providing more ruthless suggestions.
• Chen clashes verbally with the Carefree Abode Elder, rejecting the elder’s appeal to tradition and mocking his authority.
• The chapter ends with Chen openly challenging the elder to act, creating suspense as the group prepares to enter the Netherworld Mystic Realm.

Chapter Summary: River of Forgetfulness

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan dismisses the Elder of the Carefree Abode and leads Mu Yunyao and the others into the newly opened Netherworld Mystic Realm without waiting for permission.
• Their arrogant behavior causes the Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto to grow suspicious of the Heavenly Profound Sect. Both factions suspect that Chen Changan’s group consists of powerful hidden geniuses and plan to investigate or suppress them.
• Inside the mystic realm, Chen Changan discovers that it is a complete Small World connected to the Ultimate Heaven, unlike the ruined worlds that usually become mystic realms.
• The realm has no sun or moon and is filled with strange grayish-yellow light. Its atmosphere creates an inexplicable sense of sorrow, even affecting the group’s state of mind.
• Using information supplied by the Heavenly Profound Sect, Chen Changan’s group quickly gathers rare resources unique to the mystic realm without encountering immediate danger.
• They eventually reach the enormous River of Forgetfulness, which is so vast that it resembles a sea. The river blocks spiritual perception, making it impossible to sense anything within it.
• Wang Ba enters the river and soon returns, reporting that it is filled with valuable treasures. Chen Changan suspects that the resources are bait or that previous explorers were unable to remove them, suggesting a hidden danger.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains calm, decisive, and openly contemptuous of authority. He prioritizes his objectives and immediately takes command of the exploration.
• Mu Yunyao and the others follow Chen Changan’s leadership and begin to experience the mystic realm’s unusual emotional influence.
• Da Huang continues providing blunt, humorous commentary, but he also notices the realm’s strange effects and recognizes the potential danger of the river.
• Wang Ba demonstrates his usefulness by entering the River of Forgetfulness and investigating it directly. His aquatic nature makes him the natural choice for the task.
• The Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto reveal their growing anxiety about the Heavenly Profound Sect’s possible hidden strength and their desire to prevent its further rise.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and political rivalry: The major factions fear that the Heavenly Profound Sect has produced exceptionally powerful individuals, intensifying the struggle for dominance.
• Appearance versus reality: The mystic realm appears to offer abundant, untouched treasures, but Chen Changan recognizes that such obvious rewards may conceal serious dangers.
• The unknown and alien environment: The complete Small World, unfamiliar lifeforms, unusual light, and strange cultivation systems emphasize that the realm operates according to rules different from those of the outside world.
• Emotional and spiritual influence: The realm’s sorrowful atmosphere hints that its environment may affect visitors’ minds or reflect a deeper tragedy connected to the River of Forgetfulness.
• Caution amid opportunity: Although the group seeks resources, Chen Changan repeatedly balances greed and curiosity with suspicion.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan sharply shuts down the Elder of the Carefree Abode, establishing his dominance and impatience.
• The Elder instructs his disciples to probe Chen Changan’s group and determine whether their arrogance is supported by real power.
• Da Huang, Wang Ba, and Guan Ao react with confusion to the realm’s yellow color, while Chen Changan attempts to analyze its cause.
• Chen Changan’s observation that the realm feels sorrowful causes Da Huang and the others to recognize that they, too, have been emotionally affected.
• Da Huang persuades Wang Ba to investigate the river because of his true form, and Wang Ba confirms the presence of vast treasures.
• Chen Changan challenges the assumption that earlier explorers simply ignored the treasures, concluding instead that they may have been unable to retrieve them.

Chapter Summary: “A Three-Not-Alike?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan investigates why the River of Forgetfulness contains immense, untouched resources despite Wang Ba having been able to enter and leave safely.
• Wang Ba confirms that he never touched the resources, only observed the area before reporting back.
• Chen Changan enters the river with Mu Yunyao, Da Huang, Guan Ao, and Wang Ba. He discovers an extraordinary abundance of resources, including rare materials unknown even to the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• Believing the danger cannot be too great, Chen Changan begins collecting the resources while the others watch their surroundings.
• Ripples appear in the river, suggesting that a powerful creature is approaching. Since perception is ineffective inside the River of Forgetfulness, the group must rely on sight.
• A gigantic, strange creature emerges. It has a fish-like head, a flood-dragon body, bluish-brown scales, enormous eyes, and wings, giving it an unnatural, composite appearance.
• The creature attacks Chen Changan by attempting to swallow him, but he repels it with a single strand of Sword Qi. The monster is surprised by his strength and speed.
• Chen Changan questions the creature about whether it is guarding the resources and why it refuses to speak.
• The creature eventually admits that it cannot stop Chen Changan from taking the resources. However, it sternly forbids him from going deeper into the River of Forgetfulness, claiming it will fight to the death to prevent him from doing so.
• The creature leaves after warning Chen Changan that learning too much could bring trouble. The chapter ends with Chen Changan asking Mu Yunyao for her interpretation of the encounter.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates confidence, curiosity, and fearlessness. He assumes the resources are worth taking and tests the creature rather than being intimidated by its size or hostility.
• His combat ability is emphasized when he forces the enormous monster to retreat with minimal effort.
• His curiosity deepens after the creature’s warning. Although he came for resources, he becomes increasingly interested in the secret hidden in the river’s depths.
• Mu Yunyao remains calm and observant, trusting Chen Changan’s judgment even when the monster appears dangerous. Her insight is valued by Chen Changan at the chapter’s conclusion.
• Da Huang provides emotional reactions and comic relief, expressing shock at the creature’s appearance and questioning the situation.
• Guan Ao reacts with astonishment at the monster’s size and briefly worries about Chen Changan’s safety.
• Wang Ba remains composed because of his own enormous true form, though he recognizes that the creature carries a genuine sense of danger.
• The River Monster is revealed to possess intelligence and the ability to communicate. Though hostile, it acknowledges Chen Changan’s superiority and appears bound to protect something deeper in the river.

Significant Themes

• Greed versus fear: The resources are so valuable that ordinary cultivators would naturally want to collect them, yet some unseen danger has kept everyone away.
• Curiosity and forbidden knowledge: The monster’s refusal to explain what lies deeper only intensifies Chen Changan’s desire to investigate.
• Limits and warnings: The creature permits Chen Changan to take the resources but establishes a strict boundary, suggesting that some dangers should not be challenged casually.
• Appearance versus ability: Despite its awkward, mismatched appearance, the monster is extremely fast and powerful, demonstrating that unfamiliar forms should not be judged by appearance.
• Strength and negotiation: Chen Changan does not rely solely on combat. After proving his superiority, he questions the creature and negotiates rather than immediately destroying it.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan questions Wang Ba about his earlier visit and uses the information to decide to enter the river.
• He directs Mu Yunyao and the others to observe the surroundings while he gathers resources.
• Da Huang and Guan Ao express concern when the monster appears, while Mu Yunyao reassures them that Chen Changan knows what he is doing.
• Chen Changan and the monster engage in a tense exchange: Chen Changan challenges its authority, while the creature warns him not to investigate the river’s depths.
• After the creature departs, Chen Changan turns to Mu Yunyao for her assessment, indicating that he considers her judgment important.

Chapter Summary: “Is There a City Here?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan, Mu Yunyao, and their companions discuss the mysterious resources hidden within the River of Forgetfulness. They suspect the resources were deliberately preserved for certain beings and wonder whether the creator of the Netherworld Mystic Realm might still be hidden inside it.
• They theorize that the creator may have encountered trouble or lost the ability to control the world. The realm’s periodic opening and its restriction against cultivators above the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm may be safeguards established by its creator.
• Rather than investigate the River’s deeper secrets, Chen Changan focuses on gathering resources. He and his group collect everything valuable from the outer reaches before leaving.
• Several powerful monsters appear to be observing them from within the River, and Chen Changan suspects there may be more than one. Despite his curiosity, he decides not to venture deeper and instead explores other parts of the mystic realm.
• When the group exits, the nearby cultivators are shocked that they survived entering the supposedly taboo River of Forgetfulness. Chen Changan openly admits that they found and took many resources, even provoking the others by implying that nothing valuable remains.
• Curious cultivators enter the River and discover that it has been completely emptied. Their surprise quickly turns into envy and greed.
• Some cultivators begin discussing robbing Chen Changan’s group, reasoning that the resources are valuable and that they can unite against the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• Chen Changan reveals that he deliberately publicized their harvest to lure potential attackers. He expects the greedy cultivators to make a move and intends to rob them in return after they accumulate more resources.
• The group continues exploring areas that others have not reached. At the end of the chapter, Mu Yunyao discovers an unexpected city within the mystic realm.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates caution, strategic thinking, and confidence. Although curious about the River’s deeper mysteries, he prioritizes practical gains and avoids unnecessary danger. He also deliberately manipulates the surrounding cultivators, planning to use their greed to his advantage.
• Mu Yunyao: Remains observant and engaged in the group’s theories. She playfully questions Chen Changan’s curiosity and later notices the newly discovered city.
• The other companions: Support Chen Changan’s decisions and participate in analyzing the Netherworld Mystic Realm’s mysteries. They also recognize the danger posed by the greedy cultivators.
• The surrounding cultivators: Shift from shock and suspicion to envy and hostility after learning that Chen Changan’s group emptied the River of Forgetfulness. Their willingness to consider robbery exposes their greed and opportunism.

Significant Themes

• Greed and consequence: The cultivators’ desire for the River’s resources drives them toward robbery, exactly as Chen Changan anticipates.
• Mystery of creation and control: The group questions who created the Netherworld Mystic Realm, why it exists, and whether its creator is still present or has lost control over it.
• Caution versus curiosity: Chen Changan chooses not to investigate the River too deeply, recognizing that curiosity could expose the group to powerful monsters.
• Power and ownership: The chapter challenges the idea that resources belong to whoever finds them, while also suggesting that possession ultimately depends on the ability to defend them.
• Unexplored mysteries: The sudden appearance of a city suggests that the mystic realm contains even greater secrets and civilizations beyond the known areas.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao debate the possible condition and whereabouts of the realm’s creator.
• Chen Changan advises the group to focus on gathering resources rather than pursuing unnecessary dangers.
• He confronts the nearby cultivators with provocative remarks about the River’s treasures, intentionally encouraging their greed.
• The group discusses the likelihood of an ambush and Chen Changan explains his plan to turn the would-be robbers into targets.
• Mu Yunyao’s discovery of the city provides the chapter’s final revelation and sets up the next stage of exploration.

Chapter Summary: “You’re Scarier Than Ghosts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan and his companions discover a previously unknown city inside the Netherworld Mystic Realm. Its existence surprises them because the Heavenly Profound Sect’s sect master never mentioned it.
• The city resembles a Human Race settlement but is completely deserted. After exploring it, the group finds no inhabitants or clues about its purpose.
• Rather than leave immediately, Chen Changan decides to wait, suspecting the city’s existence is meaningful. Mu Yunyao supports this decision, sensing that they may gain something from staying.
• The city suddenly begins growing dark, despite having no visible sun or moon. The darkness becomes unnaturally absolute, severely restricting even the group’s powerful vision and senses.
• Chen Changan orders Da Huang, Wang Ba, and Guan Ao to remain close to him for safety.
• As night falls, the city seems to disappear or transform into something else. Chen Changan theorizes that it may exist specifically to lure curious Human Race cultivators inside before vanishing at night.
• The group discusses the possibility that ghosts or other entities inhabit the Netherworld Mystic Realm. Their conversation is interrupted when a terrifying ghostly face suddenly appears.
• Da Huang, Wang Ba, and Guan Ao panic instead of attacking, clinging to one another and screaming. Chen Changan mocks them for being more frightening than the ghost and tells them to attack if it appears again.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains cautious and analytical. He refuses to dismiss the mysterious city as meaningless and actively considers why it appeared, why it vanished, and whether it was designed as bait.
• Mu Yunyao demonstrates strong intuition and supports Chen Changan’s decision to investigate rather than leave. Her unusual feeling that they will gain something influences Chen Changan’s choice.
• Da Huang continues to provide comic relief through his fear of the dark and ghosts. Despite being a cultivator, he becomes increasingly frightened as the environment changes.
• Wang Ba and Guan Ao share Da Huang’s nervousness. Guan Ao’s admission that he is afraid of the dark particularly surprises Chen Changan.
• The three companions’ fear contrasts sharply with Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao’s calm observation and vigilance.

Significant Themes

• Mystery and deception: The city’s sudden appearance and disappearance suggest that it may be an illusion, trap, or lure created for a specific purpose.
• Fear of the unknown: Even powerful cultivators become unsettled when their vision and senses are rendered useless.
• Caution versus recklessness: Chen Changan emphasizes patience, observation, and preparedness instead of acting impulsively.
• Humor amid danger: The companions’ exaggerated fear provides comic relief while also highlighting the genuinely supernatural atmosphere of the Netherworld Mystic Realm.
• Appearance and hidden purpose: The ordinary-looking city may conceal a far more sinister function beneath its familiar appearance.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao work together as the group’s calm investigators, discussing the city’s unusual changes.
• Da Huang repeatedly questions the city’s purpose and later voices fears about ghosts, drawing agreement from Wang Ba and Guan Ao.
• Chen Changan reprimands the frightened trio but also instructs them to stay close, showing that his irritation is balanced by concern for their safety.
• When the ghostly face appears, the trio’s collective panic becomes the chapter’s main comedic interaction, while Chen Changan responds with exasperation rather than fear.

Chapter Summary: “Playing a Game?”

Key plot points and events

• After a ghostly face appears and frightens Da Huang, Wang Ba, and Guan Ao, Mu Yunyao observes that it shows no hostility and may only be trying to scare them.
• Chen Changan realizes the hidden being may be playful and curious rather than dangerous. He and the others pretend to possess an interesting object, successfully luring the being out.
• When the being becomes distracted and exposes itself, Chen Changan traps it with a restriction.
• The entity appears as a small, child-sized figure made of black mist, with no clear physical features.
• It explains that it has always lived in the Netherworld Mystic Realm, cannot leave, and created the mysterious city to attract humans because it was lonely and bored.
• It reveals that humans once lived in the realm but disappeared long ago.
• The entity invites Chen Changan and the others to play hide-and-seek, warning that losing will result in punishment. Chen Changan asks what the punishment and potential reward will be.

Character developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates intelligence and adaptability, using deception rather than force to identify and capture the hidden entity. He remains cautious, setting a restriction before confronting it directly.
• Mu Yunyao shows perceptiveness by recognizing that the ghostly face was intended to frighten rather than attack, helping Chen Changan understand the entity’s playful nature.
• Da Huang, Wang Ba, and Guan Ao initially behave cowardly but cooperate effectively with Chen Changan’s plan, pretending to be fascinated by the nonexistent object.
• The mysterious entity is revealed to be lonely, childlike, curious, and mischievous rather than openly malicious. Its long isolation has driven it to create games and seek companionship.

Significant themes

• Loneliness and the desire for companionship: The entity’s actions stem from centuries of isolation and boredom.
• Cleverness over strength: Chen Changan defeats the entity psychologically by exploiting its curiosity instead of attacking it.
• Fear versus true danger: The frightening manifestations are revealed to be tricks meant to scare people, emphasizing that appearances can be misleading.
• Games with hidden stakes: The seemingly playful hide-and-seek challenge introduces uncertainty, since the entity promises punishment for losing.

Character interactions

• Mu Yunyao and Chen Changan work together to interpret the entity’s behavior.
• Chen Changan directs Da Huang and the others in a coordinated act, and they enthusiastically play along to deceive the hidden being.
• Once revealed, the entity speaks openly with Chen Changan, answering questions about its identity, home, and purpose.
• Their conversation shifts from confrontation to negotiation when the entity proposes playing hide-and-seek, setting up the chapter’s next conflict.

Chapter Summary: “You Need Companionship”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan asks the mysterious being what reward he offers for playing, exposing that the being has never experienced defeat and has no understanding of conventional rewards or punishments.
• The being explains that the “punishment” for losing is staying there forever to play with him, but he does not view this as punishment because he considers companionship the greatest happiness.
• Chen Changan realizes that the being is mentally similar to an isolated child. Having existed alone in the darkness, he lacks an understanding of morality, relationships, and the value others place on freedom.
• The being reveals that previous intruders tried to kill him, so he killed them instead. He does not initially show malice toward Chen Changan’s group.
• Chen Changan explains that he already has friends, companions, and loved ones, so simply playing is not enough of a reward. He then displays cultivation resources and asks whether the being has anything valuable to offer.
• The being reveals that he possesses abundant resources, flowers, and plants, and offers them in exchange for companionship. Chen Changan even proposes taking him out of the darkness so he will no longer be alone.
• Although tempted, the being says he cannot leave because previous attempts failed. He agrees to go with them if they can find a way, then immediately starts a game of hide-and-seek.
• The being disappears into the darkness, demonstrating extraordinary concealment abilities. Da Huang and the others are unable to track him because their perception is severely limited.
• Chen Changan reveals that he secretly collected the being’s aura and can use the Spirit Guiding Technique to locate him.
• Chen Changan also notices that the being bypassed his restriction when disappearing. This suggests that the restriction only temporarily restrained him and that he could have escaped much earlier.
• The group concludes that the being may have stayed voluntarily because he sensed they were harmless and found them interesting. They also recognize that his abilities are innate or governed by a unique system rather than conventional cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains calculating and opportunistic. He sympathizes with the being’s loneliness but also cleverly negotiates for resources and considers taking him away.
• The mysterious being is revealed to be emotionally immature and profoundly lonely, behaving like a child who equates playing with love and companionship. Despite his innocence, he is extremely powerful and capable of killing threats.
• Mu Yunyao continues to act as Chen Changan’s primary partner in investigating the being and acknowledges the difficulty of tracking him.
• Da Huang provides comic relief while also recognizing Chen Changan’s manipulative strategy.
• The group as a whole shifts from treating the being as a possible threat to viewing him as both a lonely child and a dangerous, incomprehensible lifeform.

Significant Themes

• Loneliness and companionship: The being values companionship above all else because he has never had friends or loved ones.
• Innocence without guidance: His lack of moral understanding comes from total isolation rather than deliberate evil.
• Power and danger beneath innocence: Though childlike, the being has killed previous attackers and can effortlessly evade Chen Changan’s restrictions.
• Manipulation and negotiation: Chen Changan uses the being’s desire for companionship to secure resources and potentially recruit him.
• The limits of conventional understanding: The being does not cultivate in the traditional sense, suggesting that the world contains powers and lifeforms outside established systems.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan questions and negotiates with the being, treating him like a child while strategically guiding the conversation toward rewards and resources.
• The being openly discusses his loneliness and past killings, creating a mixture of sympathy and unease among Chen Changan’s group.
• Chen Changan offers companionship and possible freedom, while the being responds with enthusiasm but doubts that escape is possible.
• Da Huang jokes about Chen Changan trying to take everything, while Chen Changan justifies the plan as helping the lonely being.
• During hide-and-seek, the group’s inability to perceive the being highlights the gap between their abilities and his innate power.
• Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao analyze the being’s behavior, concluding that his apparent innocence may be genuine, even though his capabilities make him exceptionally dangerous.

Chapter Summary: The Newly Taken Little Brother

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan uses the Spirit Guiding Technique to instantly locate the black-clad little fellow, Xiao Hei, despite Xiao Hei repeatedly changing positions and hiding his aura.
• Xiao Hei fulfills Chen Changan’s request for payment, returning with a large quantity of rare resources. He even brings back unfamiliar resources containing powerful energy, impressing Chen Changan and the others.
• Chen explains that the Spirit Guiding Technique tracks a person through their aura. Xiao Hei is fascinated by the technique and admires Chen, since previous visitors had attacked him rather than speaking with him.
• Chen questions Xiao Hei about his strength. Xiao Hei reveals that:
  • He has no cultivation method like the Human Race.
  • His immense power was innate.
  • He becomes stronger by periodically falling asleep and awakening with increased strength.
• Xiao Hei admits that he has no name, so Chen names him Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei eagerly asks to leave with them because he is lonely and tired of remaining alone in the area.
• Xiao Hei explains that an invisible force prevents him from leaving. At the boundary, Chen witnesses Xiao Hei being repelled by a barrier-like energy fluctuation.
• Chen determines that the restriction is designed specifically to block Xiao Hei, while allowing Chen and the others to pass through.
• Da Huang accepts Xiao Hei as a new younger brother and boasts that they will help him escape. He humorously promises to take Xiao Hei to a brothel, though Mu Yunyao reprimands him for speaking that way to someone who appears childish.
• Da Huang attempts to destroy or break through the restriction in his true form by firing a powerful golden sphere of energy. However, the attack passes through the boundary without affecting it.
• Chen concludes that the barrier does not react to their attacks and that Xiao Hei’s cooperation will be necessary to solve the problem.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates his superior tracking ability and cautious curiosity. Rather than treating Xiao Hei as an enemy, he investigates his origins, abilities, and limitations. He also formally takes responsibility for Xiao Hei by giving him a name and considering him part of their group.
• Xiao Hei: Develops from a mysterious and isolated being into a curious, trusting, and eager companion. He is unfamiliar with ordinary cultivation, social customs, and even basic concepts such as names, but quickly bonds with Chen and Da Huang. His loneliness motivates him to leave his prison-like environment.
• Da Huang: Quickly embraces Xiao Hei as a younger brother and tries to impress him with his strength. His crude humor contrasts with his emerging sense of responsibility. When Xiao Hei praises his true form, Da Huang becomes especially boastful and determined to help.
• Mu Yunyao: Acts as a moderating and protective presence, warning Da Huang not to expose Xiao Hei to inappropriate topics and urging the group to focus on solving the barrier problem.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and belonging: Xiao Hei’s loneliness and desire to leave make the group’s acceptance of him emotionally significant. The group begins treating him as family rather than as a dangerous anomaly.
• Different forms of power: The chapter contrasts Human Race cultivation with Xiao Hei’s innate strength and sleep-based growth, emphasizing that power can develop through fundamentally different paths.
• Curiosity over hostility: Unlike previous visitors who attacked Xiao Hei, Chen chooses conversation and investigation, allowing the group to understand him and gain his trust.
• Relative fairness: Chen points out that every advantage has disadvantages. Although Xiao Hei grows stronger effortlessly, he lacks knowledge, freedom, and the ability to leave his confinement.
• Freedom and imprisonment: Xiao Hei’s mysterious barrier represents an unseen force controlling his existence. His desire to escape becomes the group’s immediate objective.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Xiao Hei establish mutual curiosity and trust through their conversation about the Spirit Guiding Technique and Xiao Hei’s abilities.
• Chen gives Xiao Hei his name, creating the first clear sign of personal identity and belonging for him.
• Da Huang adopts a teasing but affectionate older-brother role, while Mu Yunyao restrains his inappropriate jokes.
• Xiao Hei admires Da Huang’s true form, boosting Da Huang’s pride.
• The group’s failed attempt to break the barrier leads Chen to recognize that Xiao Hei himself must participate in overcoming the restriction.

Chapter Summary: Xiao Hei’s New Skin

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan devises a plan to rescue Xiao Hei from the barrier trapping him. Xiao Hei repeatedly activates the barrier while Chen Changan attacks it at the same moment.
• Their coordinated strike succeeds, and Xiao Hei discovers that the barrier has disappeared. He is finally able to leave his isolated world and enter the Netherworld Mystic Realm.
• Xiao Hei is amazed by the outside world, especially its colors, since he had never been able to see beyond the barrier. His city had been created only from descriptions given by others.
• Because Xiao Hei’s original form is completely black and faceless, Chen Changan suggests that he transform into a cat. Xiao Hei adopts the form of a cute black cat.
• Xiao Hei climbs onto Da Huang’s back, leading to a series of humorous misunderstandings and teasing among Da Huang, Guan Ao, and Chen Changan.
• With only a few months remaining in the Netherworld Mystic Realm, Chen Changan decides that they cannot explore everything. He plans to return and inspect the resources gathered by the other groups.
• Chen Changan expects the people from rival forces, including the Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto, to target them. He believes their jealousy and suspicion will compel them to test the group’s strength. Upon returning, the group sees that these people have indeed been waiting for them.

Character Developments

• Xiao Hei: Gains freedom after a long period of isolation. His excitement at experiencing the outside world reveals his innocence and lack of worldly knowledge. His transformation into a black cat gives him a more convenient and socially acceptable form for traveling with the group.
• Chen Changan: Demonstrates strategic thinking by coordinating Xiao Hei’s barrier activation with his own attack. He also acts protectively toward Xiao Hei, helping him adapt to the outside world and anticipating the hostility of rival factions.
• Da Huang: Serves as comic relief through his irritation at Xiao Hei riding on his back and his exaggerated reactions to the group’s teasing. Despite complaining, he remains part of Xiao Hei’s growing support system.
• Guan Ao: Encourages the humorous misunderstanding between Xiao Hei and Da Huang, showing his playful and mischievous personality.
• Xiao Hei and the group: Xiao Hei quickly becomes attached to them, trusting Chen Changan’s guidance and comfortably treating the group as his new companions.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and discovery: Xiao Hei’s escape represents liberation from isolation and confinement. His wonder at ordinary sights emphasizes how precious freedom and experience are.
• Innocence versus worldly experience: Xiao Hei misunderstands common expressions and social implications, while the others possess more worldly—sometimes vulgar—interpretations.
• Adaptation and identity: Xiao Hei’s new cat form symbolizes his adjustment to life outside the barrier and his willingness to accept a new identity for practical reasons.
• Trust and companionship: Xiao Hei immediately relies on Chen Changan and the others, while the group accepts and protects him despite his unusual background.
• Conflict and suspicion: The chapter foreshadows confrontation with rival forces. Chen Changan recognizes that unfamiliar talents and resources naturally provoke greed, jealousy, and attempts to test their power.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Xiao Hei work together closely to destroy the barrier.
• Chen Changan helps Xiao Hei choose a cat form, while Da Huang compliments the result.
• Xiao Hei innocently rides Da Huang, provoking Da Huang’s angry and suggestive misunderstanding.
• Guan Ao intensifies the teasing, and Chen Changan rebukes the others for misinterpreting Xiao Hei’s innocent behavior.
• Chen Changan and Da Huang discuss the likelihood that rival factions will attack or test them, setting up the next conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan arrives at the Netherworld Mystic Realm and finds members of the Carefree Abode, the Exquisite Grotto, and five allied Lineages waiting to confront him.
• The Carefree Abode claims they want revenge because Chen Changan insulted one of their Elders. The Exquisite Grotto presents its challenge as an “exchange of pointers,” though Chen Changan openly accuses them of coveting his resources.
• Chen Changan also criticizes the five Lineages for becoming involved with the two major factions, warning that their actions may bring trouble upon their own clans. Their representatives are visibly conflicted, having been pressured into joining the confrontation.
• Rather than fight personally, Chen Changan allows Xiao Hei to handle the battle. He instructs Xiao Hei not to kill the opponents, but to leave them with only one breath remaining.
• Xiao Hei instantly transforms into a black blur and defeats everyone from the Carefree Abode, Exquisite Grotto, and the five Lineages before they can react.
• Xiao Hei is disappointed that the fight ends so quickly and complains that he has not had enough fun.
• Chen Changan gives Xiao Hei toys to occupy him, asking Da Huang to teach him how to use them.
• Chen Changan then confronts the defeated groups and demands that they surrender all the resources they obtained in the mystic realm. When they threaten him, he points out that their survival depends on Xiao Hei, leaving them terrified.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains confident, perceptive, and domineering. He immediately recognizes the hidden motives behind the factions’ claims and manipulates the situation to his advantage.
• Xiao Hei is revealed to possess overwhelming and mysterious combat strength despite having no apparent cultivation. He treats battle like a game and defeats powerful opponents effortlessly.
• Da Huang reacts with surprise to Xiao Hei’s strength and takes on the role of entertaining or teaching him, though his suggestion about visiting a brothel is rebuked by Chen Changan.
• The opposing factions shift from arrogance to fear after being defeated instantly. Their earlier confidence collapses once they realize they are completely outmatched.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimation: The factions dismiss Xiao Hei as an insignificant black cat, only to discover that he is far more powerful than they imagined.
• Power and intimidation: Chen Changan does not need to fight personally; his control over Xiao Hei is enough to establish his dominance.
• Political pressure and divided loyalties: The five Lineages are trapped between powerful factions and struggle to avoid offending either side.
• Greed and consequences: The factions’ desire for Chen Changan’s resources leads them into a confrontation that ends with them losing both their dignity and their gains.
• Playfulness amid danger: Xiao Hei’s childlike enthusiasm for fighting contrasts humorously with the seriousness and terror of the defeated enemies.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan verbally challenges the Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto, exposing their excuses and accusing them of greed.
• He warns the five Lineages that following stronger factions may endanger their own clans.
• Chen Changan encourages Xiao Hei to fight, while Xiao Hei eagerly treats the battle as entertainment.
• After the battle, Da Huang attempts to teach Xiao Hei how to play with toys, creating a comic break from the confrontation.
• Chen Changan uses Xiao Hei’s terrifying strength to pressure the defeated groups into handing over their resources, turning their earlier threat against them.

Chapter Summary: I Like to Pull Up the Weeds by the Roots

Key Plot Points and Events

• A group of cultivators threatens Chen Changan and his companions, warning that attacking them would provoke the two great cave abodes and create trouble with the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• Chen Changan dismisses their threats, arguing that the cave abodes would not sacrifice themselves or start an all-out conflict for the sake of these individuals.
• The group is forced to surrender all the resources they gathered in the Netherworld Mystic Realm. Chen Changan criticizes their meager harvest despite taking it.
• Although the cultivators believe surrendering their resources will save them, Chen Changan reveals that he does not leave behind potential future enemies. Because they threatened that he would regret sparing them, he decides to eliminate them.
• He also kills members of five other factions who had been coerced into joining the robbery, reasoning that the living could later reveal what happened.
• Chen Changan discovers that, unlike other realms, Ultimate Heaven does not cause a dead person’s resources to disappear. This means he could have killed the group immediately instead of negotiating first.
• The group prepares to leave the Netherworld Mystic Realm. They discuss the strange lifeforms mentioned by the Sect Master, but apart from the fish-headed, dragon-bodied monster in the River of Forgetfulness, they have encountered none.
• Chen Changan suspects those creatures may have been nearby but hidden by their unusual nature. The group ultimately accepts that they may not be destined to encounter them and departs.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates confidence, strategic insight, and ruthless pragmatism. He understands that the Heavenly Profound Sect values his group highly and will likely protect them, even against major factions.
• His philosophy becomes explicit: he prefers to eliminate threats completely rather than leave enemies who may seek revenge or expose his actions. This is reflected in the chapter’s title and his “pulling weeds by the roots” mentality.
• He also learns from the situation, realizing that Ultimate Heaven preserves the possessions of the dead. This changes how he plans to act in future encounters.
• Xiao Hei remains playful and easily distracted, enthusiastically playing with a toy even after the confrontation.
• Da Huang acts teasing and irreverent, joking about Xiao Hei’s toy and helping maintain the group’s lighthearted atmosphere.
• Wang Ba shows concern about the consequences of killing people in Ultimate Heaven, while Mu Yunyao questions Chen Changan’s decision to speak at length before attacking.

Significant Themes

• Power and leverage: Chen Changan’s confidence comes from knowing that his talent makes him extremely valuable to the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• Ruthlessness and survival: The chapter presents the dangerous logic of eliminating enemies before they can become future problems.
• Actions and consequences: Those who attempted to rob Chen Changan become victims of the same principle they invoked against him.
• Uncertainty and hidden danger: The unseen lifeforms suggest that the Netherworld Mystic Realm contains threats and mysteries beyond what the group can perceive.
• Pragmatism over morality: Chen Changan makes decisions based on security, secrecy, and advantage rather than mercy or conventional restraint.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan verbally dismantles the hostile group’s confidence by challenging their belief that the cave abodes would fight the Heavenly Profound Sect for them.
• The defeated cultivators reluctantly surrender their resources but are shocked when Chen Changan refuses to spare them.
• Chen Changan reassures Wang Ba that caution cannot change the situation, while Mu Yunyao questions his unnecessary negotiation.
• Da Huang and Xiao Hei provide comic relief through their argument over the toy before Chen Changan calls them to leave.
• The group ends the chapter in agreement that they may never encounter the mystic realm’s strange lifeforms again, accepting this as a matter of fate.

Chapter Summary: “Nothing Can Be Said Without Evidence”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan, Mu Yunyao, Da Huang, and Xiao Hei leave the Netherworld Mystic Realm unusually early, shocking the observers because the realm has not yet closed.
• Their early return reduces the number of competitors, but the outside forces do not question them, since their own participants have not yet emerged.
• Xiao Hei experiences the outside world for the first time. He is amazed by its colors and beauty, though initially uncomfortable. His body gradually adapts, confirming that he is an unusual and potentially powerful being.
• After returning to the Heavenly Profound Sect, Chen Changan presents all the resources obtained during the expedition. The Sect Master is astonished, noting that their gains exceed what the sect normally acquires in ten expeditions.
• Chen Changan explains that he collected many resources from the dangerous River of Forgetfulness. He insists his survival was due to ability rather than luck.
• Under the sect’s rules, Chen Changan is entitled to thirty percent of the resources. Because of the mission’s exceptional success, the Sect Master increases his share to fifty percent and doubles his monthly resources.
• The Sect Master asks about Xiao Hei and learns that Chen Changan brought him back after finding him in the mystic realm.
• Chen Changan warns that the Carefree Abode and the Exquisite Grotto will likely come to the Heavenly Profound Sect because all of their members died inside the mystic realm.
• Although Chen Changan clearly killed them, he emphasizes that there is no evidence. He claims they died after recklessly entering the River of Forgetfulness to seize resources.
• He explains that the two groups had intended to rob him and threaten him, so he eliminated them to prevent future trouble. He makes clear that, if the sect disapproves of his methods, he is willing to leave.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan remains confident, calculating, and unapologetically decisive. He protects himself politically by relying on the principle that accusations require evidence, while openly defending his choice to eliminate potential enemies.
• Xiao Hei is introduced as innocent, curious, and childlike. He is fascinated by the outside world and enjoys praise, but his ability to adapt physically suggests extraordinary potential.
• Da Huang continues to provide comic relief through his bluntness and lack of interest in serious thought. He accepts Chen Changan’s teasing and focuses mainly on matters that interest him personally.
• Mu Yunyao demonstrates clear reasoning by explaining why outsiders do not question their early return.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s Sect Master shifts from surprise to admiration and cautious support. He recognizes Chen Changan’s value, rewards him generously, and understands that the sect has no grounds to accuse him.

Significant Themes

• Evidence and political protection: Chen Changan uses the absence of proof to shield himself and the sect from retaliation.
• Strength and survival: The chapter portrays the mystic realm as a place where greed and weakness lead to death, while preparation and power ensure survival.
• Pragmatic morality: Chen Changan views eliminating enemies as sensible self-preservation rather than excessive cruelty.
• Belonging and adaptation: Xiao Hei’s gradual adjustment to the outside world reflects his transition into a new environment and possibly a new life.
• Mutual benefit and loyalty: The sect rewards Chen Changan because his success benefits the entire organization, strengthening their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Mu Yunyao explains the observers’ silence to Da Huang, who realizes he had failed to consider the obvious reason.
• Chen Changan reassures Xiao Hei about his adaptation and explains the meaning of “a bright future,” encouraging Xiao Hei’s confidence.
• The Sect Master and Chen Changan negotiate the distribution of resources, with both sides reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.
• Their conversation about the deaths in the mystic realm reveals mutual understanding: the Sect Master suspects Chen Changan, but accepts that the sect can defend itself because no evidence exists.
• Chen Changan firmly warns the Sect Master that he will not tolerate enemies who threaten him, even if that puts his position within the sect at risk.

Chapter Summary: “Human Nature Cannot Withstand Testing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s sect master admits that the Netherworld Mystic Realm mission was designed to test Chen Changan and his companions’ character, not merely their strength.
• He explains that their extraordinary talent could become dangerous if their character were flawed, though he concedes that their violence was understandable because their opponents had provoked and attempted to rob them.
• Da Huang criticizes the mission, arguing that it tested combat ability rather than human nature. He suggests that a true character test should place people in moral dilemmas, conceal the real purpose of the mission, or even present misleading information to see whether they can recognize the truth.
• The sect master accepts Da Huang’s reasoning and agrees to handle matters involving the Carefree Abode and the Exquisite Grotto.
• Before leaving, Chen Changan warns him that “human nature cannot withstand testing.” Testing others may alter their circumstances and behavior—and may also cause the tester’s own human nature to be tested.
• Chen Changan later explains that people contain both good and evil. A test can change their environment, mindset, and psychological state, potentially revealing or creating sides of them that would otherwise never emerge.
• Afterward, Chen Changan gives Da Huang and Xiao Hei permission to seek entertainment, warning them not to cause trouble. Wang Ba and Guan Ao choose to remain behind and cultivate.
• The group’s next goal is to advance toward the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates clear insight into human psychology and the dangers of manipulating people through tests. He remains candid, relaxed, and confident while also showing responsibility toward his companions.
• Heavenly Profound Sect’s sect master: Moves from defensiveness to genuine reflection. He acknowledges the limitations of his test and begins reconsidering how character should be judged.
• Da Huang: Shows sharp judgment and a skeptical attitude toward the sect master’s methods. He understands that moral character must be tested through difficult choices rather than simple battles.
• Xiao Hei: Remains naïve about human customs and human nature. He imitates Da Huang by calling Chen Changan “Big Brother” and innocently asks about brothels.
• Wang Ba and Guan Ao: Display discipline and ambition by choosing cultivation over leisure because they fear falling behind the others.

Significant Themes

• The danger of testing human nature: Attempts to expose someone’s character can themselves change that person and produce behavior that would not otherwise appear.
• The complexity of morality: People are neither purely good nor purely evil; their actions depend on which side is strengthened by their circumstances.
• Mutual judgment: Those who test others are also revealing their own motives, assumptions, and moral character.
• Talent versus character: Great ability is not enough for a sect to trust someone, but judging character is itself difficult and potentially unreliable.
• Freedom and responsibility: Chen Changan allows his companions to pursue pleasure or cultivation, but reminds them that they must handle the consequences of their own actions.

Important Character Interactions

• The sect master and Chen Changan discuss the purpose and results of the mission, with Chen speaking bluntly about the flawed character test.
• Da Huang directly challenges the sect master and proposes better ways to test human nature.
• Chen Changan offers the philosophical warning that testing others may result in being tested oneself.
• Da Huang and Xiao Hei joke about calling Chen Changan “Big Brother” and visiting brothels, creating a humorous contrast with the chapter’s serious discussion.
• Wang Ba and Guan Ao’s decision to cultivate highlights their determination to remain useful members of the group.

Chapter Summary: Netherworld Mystic Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Netherworld Mystic Realm closes, but none of the participants from the Carefree Abode, Exquisite Grotto, or the other five Lineages emerge.
• Since only the Heavenly Profound Sect’s disciples returned safely—and had even exited ahead of time—the surviving factions suspect that the Heavenly Profound Sect killed everyone inside.
• The five Lineages lack the courage to confront the Heavenly Profound Sect and choose to accept their losses.
• The Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto mock the other Lineages for their cowardice but decide to act together. Their leaders agree to demand an explanation while avoiding a conflict that could not be repaired.
• The two great abodes travel to the Heavenly Profound Sect, hoping at minimum to force it into issuing a formal apology and thereby preserve or increase their prestige.
• Sect Master Qi, already informed by Chen Changan, pretends to be surprised by their arrival and acts as though he knows nothing about the deaths.
• The abodes accuse the Heavenly Profound Sect’s disciples of killing their people. Sect Master Qi rejects the accusation, demanding actual evidence and ridiculing the claim that the disciples’ survival itself constitutes proof.
• The confrontation ends with Sect Master Qi warning that the Heavenly Profound Sect is not easy to bully.

Character Developments

• The five Lineages: Their fear of the Heavenly Profound Sect is exposed. Though they suspect foul play, they retreat rather than risk confrontation.
• The Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto: They display greater confidence and ambition, joining forces to protect their reputation and pressure the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• The two Abode Masters: They are cautious, recognizing the danger of provoking the Heavenly Profound Sect, but still approve a controlled confrontation to preserve their status.
• Sect Master Qi: He demonstrates political skill by concealing his knowledge of the incident, feigning surprise, and turning the accusation back on his opponents. His stern response reinforces the sect’s authority.
• Chen Changan: Though he does not appear directly, his advance warning to Sect Master Qi shows that he remains informed and influential behind the scenes.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: The weaker factions hesitate to confront a stronger force, revealing the importance of political and martial hierarchy.
• Prestige and reputation: The two great abodes are motivated as much by public standing as by justice for their dead disciples.
• Evidence versus suspicion: The abodes rely on circumstantial evidence, while Sect Master Qi insists that accusations require proof.
• Diplomacy and controlled confrontation: Both sides seek advantage without immediately allowing the dispute to become an all-out conflict.
• Strategic deception: Sect Master Qi’s feigned ignorance illustrates how appearances and political maneuvering shape the conflict.

Character Interactions

• The five Lineages discuss blaming the Heavenly Profound Sect but ultimately withdraw.
• Members of the Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto criticize the Lineages, then agree to cooperate.
• Their leaders instruct their representatives to demand an explanation without pushing the Heavenly Profound Sect beyond reconciliation.
• Sect Master Qi engages the two abodes in a tense exchange, first pretending ignorance, then dismissing their accusations as baseless.
• The chapter concludes with the two abodes’ claim challenged and the Heavenly Profound Sect asserting its dominance.

Chapter Summary:

Elder Council Recruitment

Key Plot Points and Events

• The two great abodes confront the Heavenly Profound Sect over accusations that its disciples were responsible for a past incident.
• Sect Master Qi refuses to acknowledge the accusations without evidence, turning the confrontation back on them. He insists that:
  • The abodes must provide proof.
  • Without evidence, their actions amount to deliberately targeting and bullying the Heavenly Profound Sect.
  • If they cannot make a decision, their Abode Masters should come personally.
• Unable to respond effectively, the Elders sent by the Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto withdraw.
• Qi Sect Master realizes that the Abode Masters deliberately sent Elders instead of appearing themselves, indicating that they wanted to make a public show of defending their people without seriously escalating the conflict.
• After hearing the Elders’ reports, both Abode Masters leave the matter unresolved but secretly spread the story to shape public opinion.
• News then emerges that the Heavenly Profound Sect has established an Elder Council and is recruiting powerful outsiders.
• Membership in the Council offers extraordinary status—second only to the Sect Master—making the opportunity especially attractive to Rogue Cultivators in the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm.
• The two abodes become alarmed that the recruitment will strengthen the Heavenly Profound Sect and make it even harder to challenge.
• They decide to interfere indirectly by:
  • Recruiting their own people to infiltrate the Elder Council.
  • Sending them to disrupt or obstruct the recruitment if they cannot gain admission.
  • Calling in old favors and inviting powerful outsiders to their abodes in an effort to influence them first.
• Meanwhile, the Heavenly Profound Sect works to spread news of the recruitment both throughout the River of Forgetfulness Territory and beyond it.
• The chapter ends with an unnamed individual breaking through into the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm, celebrating the achievement but recognizing that this new strength is still insufficient.

Character Developments

• Qi Sect Master demonstrates increased confidence and authority. Rather than yielding to the two abodes, he firmly defends the Heavenly Profound Sect and makes clear that it will not be treated as weak or submissive.
• The two Abode Masters reveal themselves to be politically calculating. They avoid direct confrontation while using the accusations to create publicity and pressure the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• The Elders of the two abodes realize that their confrontation was largely performative: they were sent to represent their abodes’ stance, even though they were unlikely to achieve anything.
• The two great abodes shift from open accusation to covert competition, showing that they view the Elder Council as a serious threat to their influence.
• The unnamed breakthrough character reaches the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm but remains aware of the gap between personal advancement and true strength.

Significant Themes

• Power and political maneuvering: Both sides use appearances, public statements, and indirect action instead of immediately resorting to open conflict.
• The importance of evidence and legitimacy: Qi Sect Master gains the upper hand by demanding proof and exposing the weakness of accusations unsupported by evidence.
• Strategic expansion: The Elder Council represents the Heavenly Profound Sect’s attempt to consolidate and expand its influence by gathering powerful independent cultivators.
• Competition for talent: The abodes recognize that recruiting unaffiliated experts can shift the balance of power.
• Strength and insecurity: Even reaching a major cultivation realm does not guarantee safety or dominance; greater power is still required in the face of stronger factions.

Character Interactions

• Qi Sect Master vs. the Elders of the two abodes: He verbally overwhelms them by demanding evidence and accusing them of provoking the Heavenly Profound Sect without justification.
• The Elders and their Abode Masters: After returning, the Elders report honestly, while the Abode Masters dismiss the matter publicly but use it privately to influence public opinion.
• The two Abode Masters and their subordinates: They coordinate a covert plan to recruit or manipulate outsiders who might otherwise join the Heavenly Profound Sect’s Elder Council.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect and potential recruits: The sect actively publicizes the Council in hopes of attracting powerful Rogue Cultivators and strengthening its position.

Chapter Summary: “Unwilling at Heart, Trouble Was Bound to Arise”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan and the others successfully break through to the first level of the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm, greatly strengthening their status within the River of Forgetfulness Territory.
• Da Huang remains in seclusion because he delayed his cultivation to visit a brothel with Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei, however, found the experience dull and cannot understand why Da Huang enjoyed it.
• Chen Changan takes the bored Xiao Hei out for a walk and brings the group to report their breakthroughs to Sect Master Qi.
• Sect Master Qi is shocked by their rapid progress. He explains that the Heavenly Profound Sect’s Elder Council recruitment will officially begin in about six months.
• Although Chen Changan and the others have already been selected by the Grand Elders, they must still participate in the formal recruitment process to preserve the appearance of fairness. Dozens of powerful outsiders are expected to compete.
• The dispute involving the Netherworld Mystic Realm is considered settled for the moment. The Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto mainly wanted to demonstrate that they would defend their disciples, rather than truly attack the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• Chen Changan predicts that these two rival factions will nevertheless interfere with the Elder Council recruitment, since its successful establishment would widen the Heavenly Profound Sect’s advantage.
• He warns that they may secretly send infiltrators to join the recruitment, either to become informants within the future Elder Council or to sabotage the process if they fail.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan becomes increasingly influential and strategically perceptive after reaching the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm. He understands that the recruitment’s fairness is largely procedural and correctly anticipates political opposition.
• Xiao Hei remains innocent and inexperienced regarding worldly pleasures. His boredom with the brothel and confusion over Da Huang’s enthusiasm provide comic relief. He also feels hurt that Da Huang no longer wants to accompany him.
• Da Huang is portrayed as pleasure-loving and devoted to brothel visits, even at the cost of delaying his cultivation breakthrough. His absence becomes noticeable to Sect Master Qi and the others.
• Sect Master Qi continues to respect Chen Changan’s group despite being startled by their speed of advancement. He also begins seriously considering the political dangers surrounding the Elder Council.

Significant Themes

• Power and political balance: The Elder Council could greatly consolidate the Heavenly Profound Sect’s dominance, provoking rival factions.
• Formal fairness versus hidden agendas: The recruitment is presented as an impartial process, but the sect has already decided to ensure Chen Changan and his companions succeed.
• Rivalry and ambition: The Carefree Abode and Exquisite Grotto do not want to openly fight the Heavenly Profound Sect, but they also cannot accept its growing superiority.
• Infiltration and mistrust: Political enemies may exploit official procedures to plant spies or disrupt the sect from within.
• Individual preferences and companionship: The contrast between Xiao Hei’s innocence and Da Huang’s enthusiasm highlights how personal interests shape relationships.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Changan jokes with Xiao Hei about the brothel and comforts him by offering to take him out.
• Xiao Hei complains that Da Huang refuses to bring him along because he is “boring,” revealing his confusion and wounded pride.
• Chen Changan and Sect Master Qi discuss the breakthroughs, Da Huang’s absence, and the upcoming Elder Council recruitment.
• Chen Changan challenges Sect Master Qi to consider how rival factions will react to the sect’s increasing strength, leading them to recognize the likelihood of covert interference.