Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary:

The Alchemy Furnace Was Secured

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hongchen insists that an alchemy furnace exists somewhere in the Fallen Land, though her certainty and anxious behavior make Chen Changan suspect she is concealing information.
• Chen Changan theorizes that Hongchen may have recovered memories or discovered instructions connected to his father.
• While exploring, Chen Changan notices that Sword Souls are becoming rarer, possibly because they are approaching an area dominated by the spear’s aura.
• Xiao Hei spots an alchemy furnace sitting openly on a flat plain. Its conspicuous placement makes Chen Changan suspicious that it was deliberately left for him rather than found by chance.
• The furnace is completely intact despite the destruction throughout the Fallen Land, and its quality appears exceptionally high.
• Chen Changan and Xiao Hei find no other resources inside. Chen Changan concludes that, aside from absorbing sword aura, the furnace is his only significant gain.
• They leave the Fallen Land without encountering further Sword Souls or other obstacles.
• Their return shocks everyone outside, since no one believed someone could safely emerge from the Fallen Land.
• Chen Changan warns the gathered cultivators that the region contains terrifying sword and spear auras, which have produced powerful Sword Souls and likely Spear Souls.
• He suggests that the resources periodically emerging from the Fallen Land may not actually originate there, implying that the area conceals a deeper secret.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan becomes increasingly suspicious of Hongchen but chooses not to force her to reveal what she knows. He remains cautious about the furnace’s suspicious placement and refuses to underestimate the Fallen Land.
• Hongchen displays unusual anxiety and evasiveness, suggesting that her recovering memories may have revealed more about the furnace or Chen Changan’s father than she admits.
• Xiao Hei contributes directly by discovering the furnace and continues to act as Chen Changan’s attentive companion.
• The outside cultivators gain greater respect and fear for Chen Changan after witnessing him survive the Fallen Land. They begin to suspect he possesses powerful backing or extraordinary protective abilities.

Significant Themes

• Hidden motives and incomplete memories: Hongchen’s evasiveness suggests that important truths remain concealed.
• Suspicion versus apparent luck: Chen Changan rejects the idea that finding the furnace was mere good fortune, recognizing that its deliberate placement may indicate manipulation.
• Danger beneath appearances: The Fallen Land appears to contain resources from outside, but its interior holds only lethal sword and spear forces.
• Power and reputation: Chen Changan’s survival dramatically elevates his standing among the surrounding cultivators.
• Unresolved mystery: The source of the resources and the reason for the furnace’s placement remain unknown, hinting at a larger scheme.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan questions Hongchen about her sudden certainty, while she attempts to dismiss his concerns with explanations about luck.
• Chen Changan teases Hongchen when she falls silent, highlighting the tension between them and his awareness that she is withholding information.
• Xiao Hei alerts Chen Changan to the furnace, enabling them to secure their primary objective.
• After returning, Chen Changan speaks with the gathered cultivators, correcting their assumptions about the Fallen Land and warning them against entering it casually.

Chapter Summary: Refining the Profound Origin Pill

Key Plot Points and Events

• After uncovering clues that the Fallen Land contains deeper secrets, Chen Changan decides not to explore further for now. He returns to the Heavenly Profound Sect with the pill furnace he obtained.
• His journey—including the trip to and from the Fallen Land—takes nearly six years. The sect members are relieved and impressed that he survived the dangerous region.
• Chen confirms that he successfully acquired a pill furnace, though he is uncertain how effectively he can use it within the Ultimate Heaven.
• Upon returning, Chen learns that the Heavenly Profound Sect’s expansion has proceeded extremely well, with its resources increasing more than tenfold.
• Mu Yunyao and the others are close to reaching the Third-Tier Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm, while Da Huang and Zhan Tian have once again gone to brothels.
• Chen begins testing the pill furnace by refining Profound Origin Pills. Gou Sheng discovers that the furnace doubles both his refining speed and the quality of material processing.
• The first batch successfully forms, but only three mid-grade pills are produced. Chen realizes that the laws of heaven and earth in the Ultimate Heaven interfere with alchemy and prevent him from achieving his previous standards.
• Rather than becoming discouraged, Chen and Gou Sheng view the difficulty as an interesting challenge and prepare to continue refining.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Returns stronger after absorbing powerful sword intent in the Fallen Land. His combat ability has increased significantly, but the experience has also made his presence sharper and more aggressive. He remains focused on preparing for the future final battle and improving alchemy.
• Mu Yunyao and the others: Continue making steady cultivation progress and are nearing the Third-Tier Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm.
• Xiao Hei: Unexpectedly enters another period of slumber, leaving Chen temporarily without her companionship.
• Gou Sheng: Demonstrates enthusiasm and confidence in the new pill furnace, recognizing its exceptional quality and enhanced refining abilities.
• Da Huang and Zhan Tian: Remain carefree and continue visiting brothels, reflecting their lack of serious ambitions.

Significant Themes

• Growth through challenge: Chen’s increased strength does not make everything easy; the Ultimate Heaven’s laws create new obstacles, especially in alchemy.
• Preparation for future conflict: Chen emphasizes that growing stronger is necessary to improve their chances in the eventual final battle.
• Adaptation to a new world: Techniques that once worked effortlessly are affected by the Ultimate Heaven’s unique laws, forcing Chen to adjust.
• Contentment versus ambition: Da Huang’s pursuit of pleasure contrasts with Chen’s relentless desire for strength and preparation.
• The unknown nature of the Ultimate Heaven: The dangers of the Fallen Land and the unexplained limits of the Ultimate Heaven suggest that greater secrets and threats remain hidden.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan and Qi Sect Master: Qi welcomes Chen’s safe return and promises to provide whatever resources he needs for alchemy. Their exchange shows the sect’s growing trust and dependence on Chen.
• Chen and Mu Yunyao: Mu notices the change in Chen’s aura and questions why he has become sharper. Chen explains that absorbing sword intent transformed both his combat power and his state of mind.
• Chen and Xiao Hei: Xiao Hei apologizes for being unable to accompany him during her sudden slumber, while Chen reassures her that he can manage alone.
• Chen and Gou Sheng: Together they test the pill furnace. Gou Sheng praises its power, while Chen oversees the pill-condensing process and accepts the disappointing mid-grade result as a valuable challenge.

Chapter Summary: “Breakthrough!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan spends ten days refining a single Supreme Profound Origin Pill, relying heavily on Gou Sheng’s power.
• He orders Gou Sheng to continue refining for another month, using up all available Profound Origin Pill ingredients.
• Their efforts produce:
  • 66 Mid-Grade Profound Origin Pills
  • 128 High-Grade Profound Origin Pills
  • 240 Supreme Profound Origin Pills
• Chen gives Gou Sheng only three days of rest before planning to resume refining.
• Chen presents the pills to Qi Sect Master and explains that his refining skill improved progressively: he first produced mid-grade pills, then high-grade pills, and finally achieved flawless supreme-grade results.
• He keeps some supreme-grade pills but gives most of the high- and supreme-grade pills to the Heavenly Profound Sect, while sending the mid-grade pills to the Guan Family and Heavenly Origin Martial Grounds.
• Qi Sect Master agrees to gather more ingredients so Chen can continue strengthening the sect through pill production.
• Da Huang returns and consumes Chen’s Supreme Profound Origin Pills. Three pills raise him to the fourth tier of the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm.
• Chen takes several pills himself and also reaches the fourth tier, though his enormous energy requirements make his advancement much more resource-intensive.
• Chen gives Da Huang additional pills for his companions and returns to refining.
• Da Huang prepares to resume exploring Ultimate Heaven, particularly its brothels, prompting Chen to warn him not to get himself killed.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Demonstrates terrifying talent in alchemy, progressing from mid-grade to flawless supreme-grade pills within a short time. He becomes more focused on using resources to strengthen the Heavenly Profound Sect and advances to the fourth tier of the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm.
• Gou Sheng: Is exhausted by the prolonged refining process but remains vastly powerful and capable of supporting Chen. His complaints highlight both his frustration and his loyalty.
• Qi Sect Master: Gains a deeper appreciation of Chen’s abilities and recognizes that Chen is not only an exceptional cultivator but also an extraordinary pill refiner. He becomes committed to supplying ingredients for Chen’s continued work.
• Da Huang: Receives a major cultivation boost, reaching the fourth tier of the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm. Despite this progress, he remains carefree, pleasure-seeking, and eager to explore Ultimate Heaven.

Significant Themes

• Talent and mastery: Chen’s rapid improvement in alchemy emphasizes his extraordinary adaptability and technical skill.
• Resource management and sect development: Chen prioritizes distributing pills to allies and the Heavenly Profound Sect rather than keeping them all for himself.
• The cost of cultivation: Even powerful pills produce diminishing returns, and Chen’s high energy requirements make his advancement unusually expensive.
• Strength and responsibility: Chen repeatedly treats Gou Sheng’s power as a resource that must be used for larger goals, while also accepting responsibility for strengthening those around him.
• Humor and camaraderie: Gou Sheng and Da Huang’s complaints, banter, and eccentric behavior balance the chapter’s focus on cultivation and production.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Gou Sheng argue humorously over Gou Sheng’s exhausting workload, with Chen dismissing his complaints while still granting him a short rest.
• Chen and Qi Sect Master discuss the pill results and the Heavenly Profound Sect’s need for more resources. Qi Sect Master is shocked by Chen’s flawless supreme-grade output.
• Chen and Da Huang share pills and compare their effects. Da Huang’s rapid breakthroughs contrast with Chen’s greater resource consumption.
• Da Huang’s desire to resume exploring Ultimate Heaven—especially its brothels—clashes playfully with Chen’s more practical priorities and concern for his safety.

Chapter Summary: “Heavenly Dao City?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Over two years, Chen Changan focuses entirely on refining pills with the Heavenly Profound Sect’s full support and abundant materials.
• His alchemy dramatically strengthens the sect. Many elders and disciples break through, including the Grand Elder, who reaches the eighth stage of the Ultimate Immortal Ascension Realm.
• The Golden Marrow Pill becomes the sect’s greatest asset because it can greatly increase a cultivator’s potential. One disciple’s potential rises from several thousand to nearly one hundred thousand after taking it.
• Chen’s alchemy work eventually exhausts most of the sect’s materials. Although Chen remains energetic, Gou Sheng—who performs most of the labor—becomes exhausted and demands a break.
• Chen visits Qi Sect Master and learns that the distant and powerful Heavenly Dao City has invited the Heavenly Profound Sect to a mysterious Flower-Viewing Gathering.
• The gathering is likely intended both to display rare flowers and to assess the Heavenly Profound Sect’s rapidly growing strength.
• Rather than sending the sect’s members, Chen decides to attend himself and investigate what Heavenly Dao City is really planning.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan: Becomes the central force behind the Heavenly Profound Sect’s rise. His alchemy abilities and confidence continue to grow, and he shows curiosity rather than fear toward Heavenly Dao City’s invitation.
• Gou Sheng: Revealed to be responsible for most of the exhausting alchemy process. After two years without rest, he reaches his limit and insists on taking a break.
• Qi Sect Master and the sect elders: Their respect and enthusiasm toward Chen deepen as they witness the sect’s unprecedented improvements. They become increasingly cautious about the attention the sect is attracting.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect’s disciples: Their cultivation and potential improve significantly through Chen’s pills, giving the sect a stronger future than ever before.

Significant Themes

• The transformative power of resources and talent: Chen’s alchemy changes the entire sect’s strength and prospects.
• Potential and future achievement: The Golden Marrow Pill emphasizes that increasing one’s potential can be more important than immediate cultivation gains.
• Rising influence and external scrutiny: The sect’s rapid growth attracts powerful outsiders, creating new uncertainty and possible danger.
• Curiosity versus caution: While the sect elders worry about Heavenly Dao City’s motives, Chen treats the invitation as an opportunity to investigate personally.
• Labor and exhaustion: Gou Sheng’s complaints provide comic relief while highlighting the intense effort behind the sect’s progress.

Character Interactions

• The sect members enthusiastically praise Chen and credit him with the sect’s transformation.
• Chen and Gou Sheng argue humorously over who is truly exhausted from the alchemy process, with Gou Sheng pointing out that he performs most of the work.
• Chen meets with Qi Sect Master and the elders, questioning the purpose of Heavenly Dao City’s invitation.
• The elders speculate that Heavenly Dao City may be testing the Heavenly Profound Sect, but Chen dismisses their prolonged debate and volunteers to go himself.

Chapter Summary: “A Ruthless Power Player?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan decides to attend Heavenly Dao City’s Flower-Viewing Gathering personally, despite the elders’ concerns that the city may be plotting against the Heavenly Profound Sect.
• The elders admit that their concern is both sincere and self-interested: Chen’s survival is essential to the sect’s future.
• Chen argues that he must go because Heavenly Dao City may be testing the Heavenly Profound Sect’s strength. He also urges the sect’s leaders to improve their cultivation and secure the territories the sect has recently acquired.
• The elders discover that Chen has advanced from the second to the fourth layer of the ultimate immortal ascension realm by taking Profound Origin Pills.
• Chen criticizes the sect for hoarding precious pills instead of using them. He orders the sect master and elders to consume them first, followed by the most talented disciples, so the sect can build its strength efficiently.
• Before leaving, Chen assigns Wang Ba and Guan Ao to remain behind and guard the Heavenly Profound Sect while continuing to cultivate.
• Chen asks Zhan Tian about Heavenly Dao City and learns about its lord, Su Tiandao.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates confidence, strategic awareness, and strong leadership. He is willing to face danger personally and understands that the sect must become self-sufficient rather than depend entirely on him.
• He also reveals a practical attitude toward resources, insisting that pills are valuable only when used to strengthen the sect.
• The sect master and elders show greater honesty about their motives. They acknowledge that their loyalty to Chen is mixed with concern for their own survival and the sect’s future.
• Their reluctance to use the pills reveals excessive caution, but Chen’s reprimand pushes them toward a more proactive approach.
• Wang Ba and Guan Ao accept the responsibility of defending the sect and recognize that their limited potential means they must work harder.
• Zhan Tian provides important political and historical information, showing his usefulness as a knowledgeable adviser and his respect for Chen’s judgment.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and responsibility: Chen refuses to remain isolated in cultivation and takes responsibility for confronting external threats.
• Strength must be cultivated and used: The chapter emphasizes that resources have no value if they are merely preserved. The sect must actively invest in its strongest members.
• Pragmatism versus idealism: The elders openly admit that their sincerity and self-interest coexist, suggesting that political alliances are rarely purely selfless.
• Power and ambition: Su Tiandao’s rise from beggar to ruler illustrates the lengths a determined person may go to achieve power.
• Trust and friendship: Su Tiandao’s lack of genuine friends implies that ruthless ambition and manipulation may have enabled his success but isolated him from meaningful relationships.

Character Interactions

• Chen debates the elders about whether he should attend the gathering, ultimately overruling their objections through his confidence and reasoning.
• He scolds the sect leaders for treating cultivation pills as precious ornaments rather than practical resources, forcing them to reconsider their priorities.
• He entrusts Wang Ba and Guan Ao with protecting the sect, showing confidence in them while acknowledging their limitations.
• Chen and Zhan Tian discuss Su Tiandao. Chen becomes intrigued by the city lord’s extraordinary rise, while Zhan Tian warns that Su Tiandao is powerful and capable but likely incapable of genuine friendship.

Chapter Summary: “Personality Determined Destiny”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changan explains why Su Tiandao has no genuine friends. Although Su is powerful and socially influential as the lord of Heavenly Dao City, his ruthless, self-serving nature makes people distrust him.
• Su Tiandao treats people as tools and would readily sacrifice or betray anyone if doing so advanced his goals. Because others recognize this, they avoid close friendship with him—and Su himself has no real need for friends.
• The group discusses Su’s unusual Flower-Viewing Gathering. Since Su is not known for leisure or sentimentality, everyone suspects the event conceals another motive. The gathering attracts widespread attention, and factions send people to Heavenly Dao City to investigate.
• Chen Changan decides to attend the gathering with Xiao Hei. Xiao Hei reveals that he has slept for nearly two years and has grown stronger, requiring no additional recovery time.
• Chen Changan and his companions begin their journey to Heavenly Dao City. After traveling for more than three years, they encounter a group of over thirty hostile pursuers.
• Da Huang effortlessly kills all the attackers. The group then confronts a young man who appears to have deliberately led the enemies toward them, hoping to use them as a shield while he escaped.

Character Developments

• Chen Changan demonstrates his insight into human nature and explains the connection between personality and relationships. He remains calm, perceptive, and suspicious of hidden motives.
• Zhan Tian is shown to be straightforward but socially naïve. He initially mistakes Su Tiandao’s lack of friends for pride, failing to understand how dangerous and untrustworthy Su’s personality appears to others.
• Da Huang provides the crucial explanation of Su’s character. He is blunt, insulting, and comedic, but also perceptive and experienced. His confidence is reinforced when he instantly defeats the attackers.
• Xiao Hei has become significantly stronger after his long sleep. His unusual habit of resting through cultivation continues, and he is eager to accompany Chen Changan.
• Su Tiandao, though absent, is characterized as calculating, ruthless, and fundamentally incapable of forming sincere relationships.
• The young man encountered on the journey is revealed to be manipulative and opportunistic, using Chen Changan’s group to protect himself.

Significant Themes

• Personality shaping destiny: Su Tiandao’s lack of friends is not caused by circumstance but by his own selfish and exploitative nature. His choices determine how others perceive and treat him.
• Trust and betrayal: The chapter emphasizes that people cannot safely befriend someone who views every relationship as a potential transaction.
• Appearances versus reality: The Flower-Viewing Gathering appears harmless, but Su Tiandao’s reputation makes everyone suspect a hidden agenda.
• Experience and naïveté: Zhan Tian’s inability to understand Su contrasts with Da Huang’s practical knowledge of human behavior.
• Strength and manipulation: The young man tries to exploit the group, but their overwhelming power prevents his scheme from succeeding.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changan patiently questions Zhan Tian before Da Huang angrily explains Su Tiandao’s true nature.
• Da Huang and Xiao Hei exchange humorous insults, highlighting their crude but entertaining rapport.
• Chen Changan checks on Xiao Hei’s condition and agrees to let him join the journey.
• The group debates the meaning of the Flower-Viewing Gathering and whether it is connected to Su Tiandao’s larger plans.
• After Da Huang kills the attackers, Chen Changan directly accuses the surviving young man of using them as bait and warns him that manipulating the wrong people could cost him his life.

Key events

• A young man thanks Chen Changan for saving him and admits he deliberately ran to Chen for protection. He judged that Chen and his companions were powerful because they remained calm while others panicked.
• The youth explains that although his pursuers far outclass him in combat, years of fleeing have made him faster than they are. They hunt him because he learned a dangerous secret.
• He warns Chen against attending Heavenly Dao City’s Flower-Viewing Gathering, calling it a scheme by Su Tiandao to draw people into risking their lives.
• The secret concerns the Demon Abyss, a sealed, perilous place discovered by the youth’s father, a City Guard captain. The father’s team suffered heavy losses before escaping.
• The Demon Abyss may contain a source of immense power. The flowers used at the gathering came from there and are called Demon Flowers.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan remains curious and unafraid, pressing the youth to reveal the full secret despite the warning that knowledge could make him a target. He recognizes the youth’s perceptiveness and asks how the discovery led to his father’s death.
• The youth shows unusual composure and insight despite being hunted. He admits his selfish reason for seeking Chen’s help, but also warns Chen sincerely about the danger ahead. He inherited the secret from his father, who hoped it might give him a chance to survive.
• Their exchange shifts from gratitude and explanation to a serious warning about the gathering and its connection to the Demon Abyss.

Significant themes

• Survival and judgment: The youth survives through speed, observation, and choosing allies wisely rather than strength.
• Secrets and danger: Learning the truth can offer a chance of survival while also making people targets.
• Deception and exploitation: The Flower-Viewing Gathering may be a disguise for Su Tiandao’s plan to use attendees for his own ends.
• Power at a cost: The Demon Abyss promises great strength, but its dangers have already caused deaths.

Plot points and events

• A fugitive Youth reveals that his father discovered the Demon Abyss and a mysterious Demon Flower, then reported his findings to Su Tiandao of Heavenly Dao City.
• The Youth believes Su Tiandao later killed his father and others who knew the secret, then hunted him to prevent any leaks. His father had left instructions for him to flee if he died unexpectedly.
• The Youth says the pursuit has lasted nearly ten years. Before parting, he warns Chen Changan and his companions that the Demon Abyss is filled with “killing and lies,” and that they must be cautious about whom they trust.
• Chen Changan and his group remain determined to go to Heavenly Dao City and investigate the Demon Abyss.
• After the Youth leaves, Mu Yunyao wonders whether his story—and even his encounter with them—might be part of Su Tiandao’s plan to lure visitors toward the secret.

Character developments and interactions

• The Youth appears grateful and frightened, but offers a warning in return for being saved. He admits he knows little beyond his father’s account.
• Chen Changan is willing to face danger, though he recognizes the risk. He considers Su Tiandao ruthless for killing his own people, contrasting that suspicion with his own trust in his subordinates.
• Mu Yunyao is more openly skeptical of the convenient timing and proposes that the fugitive and his story could be bait. Chen Changan agrees that this is plausible, while noting he saw no clear sign the Youth was lying.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and ruthless power: Su Tiandao may be eliminating anyone connected to the Demon Abyss to protect his plans.
• Trust and deception: The warning that the Abyss is full of lies leaves open whether the Youth’s story is true, manipulated, or part of a larger scheme.
• Courage and resolve: Fear of death does not stop Chen Changan from pursuing the truth.
• Uncertainty: The chapter offers competing explanations but no confirmation, setting up the journey to Heavenly Dao City as an investigation into both the Abyss and Su Tiandao.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Changan and his companions arrive in crowded Heavenly Dao City for Su Tiandao’s Flower-Viewing Gathering. The guards require visitors to register, explaining that the system helps keep the city safe and identify troublemakers.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect was invited, but its delegation consists only of Chen Changan and his companions. They are escorted to a large, clean estate prepared for them, with no servants.
• A guard says nearly all the invited factions have arrived and that about fifteen were invited. Chen Changan infers that the other groups are likely powerful, since Su Tiandao would have little reason to invite weak factions.
• Da Huang volunteers to explore the city and “gather information,” though his questions and enthusiasm make clear that brothels are a major motivation. Zhan Tian joins him.
• Before they leave, Chen Changan warns them not to cause trouble before the gathering. Zhan Tian explains that he has never visited Heavenly Dao City because he had not yet worked his way up to challenging it.
• Soon after the pair depart, a visitor arrives: Qian Lai of the Qian Family. He recognizes the Heavenly Profound Sect and remarks that it has become well known despite being far from the city.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan remains measured and practical. He asks about the other factions and the gathering, accepts Da Huang’s plan reluctantly, and cautions both companions to behave.
• Da Huang is boisterous and irreverent, peppering the guard with questions and joking about his brothel-going habits. He frames his outing as reconnaissance and recruits Zhan Tian.
• Zhan Tian reveals his competitive nature: he challenges opponents progressively, from weaker to stronger, and had not yet reached Heavenly Dao City on his personal “ladder.”
• The guard stays professional but is visibly baffled by Da Huang’s questions, especially since they come from a dog.
• Qian Lai makes an unexpected visit and indicates that the Heavenly Profound Sect’s reputation has spread beyond its home region.

Significant themes

• Reputation and influence: The Heavenly Profound Sect is recognized in distant regions, suggesting its standing has grown.
• Caution and preparation: Chen Changan seeks information about the gathering and its participants, while the city’s registration system reflects concern for security amid a major event.
• Comedic contrast: Da Huang’s crude, carefree interests and Zhan Tian’s challenge-seeking ambition contrast with Chen Changan’s sensible approach.
• Uncertainty and intrigue: The gathering’s purpose and the identities and strength of the invited factions remain unclear.

Key plot points and events

• Qian Lai visits Chen Changan, curious about the Heavenly Profound Sect’s rapid conquest of twenty territories and its decision to share half the profits with local powers.
• He questions why the Sect sent only a few people to Heavenly Dao City, warning that Su Tiandao may take offense at their apparent disregard for him.
• Qian Lai then asks Chen Changan about the Flower-Viewing Gathering and brings up the Demon Abyss, apparently testing whether the Sect knows about it.
• Chen Changan feigns ignorance, giving Qian Lai no confirmation. After he leaves, Chen and Mu Yunyao conclude that Qian Lai was probing them and may suspect Su Tiandao is behind the gathering.
• They discuss how little can be trusted about the Demon Abyss: a boy’s account may have been fabricated or selectively shaped by Su Tiandao.
• Chen expects Da Huang and Zhan Tian to return with some intelligence, though nothing definite. After several quiet days, they come back looking battered, and Da Huang insists their trouble was someone else’s fault.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan remains composed and strategic, answering Qian Lai’s probing questions with evasions and reasoning out why he chose the unfamiliar Heavenly Profound Sect as his target.
• Mu Yunyao supports Chen’s conclusions and connects Qian Lai’s questions to her earlier suspicions about the boy’s story.
• Qian Lai appears both curious about the Sect’s unusual rise and cautious about Su Tiandao’s plans. Unable to determine what Chen knows, he leaves uncertain.
• Da Huang and Zhan Tian return from their information-gathering excursion in poor condition; Da Huang immediately defends himself, setting up the next incident.

Significant themes

• Deception and uncertainty: Neither the Demon Abyss nor the boy’s account can yet be trusted; information may be manipulated.
• Strategic restraint: Chen protects the Sect by withholding knowledge and letting Qian Lai remain unsure.
• Power and reputation: The Sect’s rapid expansion draws attention, while its apparent disregard for Su Tiandao risks consequences.
• Hidden motives: The Flower-Viewing Gathering may be a lure for a larger plan, but its purpose remains unclear.

Key plot points and events

• Da Huang and Zhan Tian return from gathering information at a brothel, saying members of the Sacred Spear Sect provoked them while testing the Heavenly Profound Sect’s strength. The pair beat them up.
• Da Huang insists he wasn’t a “whoremonger” because he didn’t pay, prompting Chen Changan to tease him before demanding the real story.
• The Sacred Spear Sect arrives soon afterward with more than twenty people, loudly demanding an explanation.
• Chen Changan comes out with Mu Yunyao and Xiao Hei. He explains that the sect leader is absent and that he is leading their small group.
• Onlookers interpret the Heavenly Profound Sect’s tiny delegation—and Chen’s calm, confident manner—as deliberate provocation or a trap, assuming the sect wants others to attack so it can seize their territory.
• The Sacred Spear Sect leader, unsettled by that possibility, backs down and leaves with a warning rather than escalating the dispute.

Character developments and interactions

• Da Huang remains shamelessly self-justifying, turning the accusation of being a brothel patron into a comic argument about whether paying makes the difference.
• Zhan Tian is presented as equally quick to fight, joining Da Huang in beating the Sacred Spear Sect members.
• Chen Changan responds to their story with amused skepticism, then handles the confrontation without showing fear. He does not realize that others mistake his limited forces for calculated intimidation.
• The Sacred Spear Sect leader begins confrontational and dismissive of Chen, but becomes wary when he sees how few people the Heavenly Profound Sect sent and hears the crowd’s theories.
• The gathered factions amplify the misunderstanding, interpreting the Heavenly Profound Sect’s actions as a cunning expansion strategy.

Significant themes

• Comedy through bravado and wordplay: Da Huang’s “upright gentleman” defense contrasts with the seriousness of the sect dispute.
• Appearance versus reality: The Heavenly Profound Sect’s small delegation reflects limited personnel, but outsiders read it as confidence and menace.
• Rumor and misinterpretation: Speculation transforms an ordinary fight and an understaffed visit into an imagined political trap.
• Power and deterrence: The perceived possibility of retaliation is enough to make the Sacred Spear Sect withdraw without a fight.

Key plot points and events

• The Sacred Spear Sect abruptly withdraws after confronting Chen Changan and Mu Yunyao. Their caution leads the other factions to view the Heavenly Profound Sect as dangerous and best left alone.
• Chen Changan realizes that the sect’s lack of visible information about itself is working to its advantage: outsiders cannot judge its strength and fear the risk of provoking it.
• Su Tiandao, the City Lord of Heavenly Dao City, invites only the Heavenly Profound Sect to his mansion. His unusually warm reception—and offering them the seats of honor—raises suspicions among Chen Changan and his companions.
• Su Tiandao reveals that the Demon Abyss is real and was discovered by Heavenly Dao City. Unable to explore it alone, he proposes partnering with the Heavenly Profound Sect and splitting all gains evenly.
• Chen Changan asks what purpose the other invited factions serve, suggesting they may merely be decoys or “foils.”

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan remains calm and observant, weighing why the Sacred Spear Sect fled and why Su Tiandao is treating his group with such respect. He accepts the invitation to hear Su Tiandao out but questions the arrangement directly.
• Da Huang regrets missing the chance to confront the Sacred Spear Sect, while Chen Changan dismisses the idea of picking a fight.
• Su Tiandao presents himself as candid and generous, but his knowledge of the Heavenly Profound Sect’s potential and Chen Changan’s authority makes his motives seem calculated.
• Other factions grow increasingly wary, interpreting the City Lord’s exclusive invitation as evidence that the Heavenly Profound Sect is unusually important.

Significant themes

• Information and reputation: Uncertainty about the Heavenly Profound Sect’s real strength makes rivals afraid to challenge it.
• Caution and power: The Sacred Spear Sect’s retreat shows how fear of an unknown opponent can outweigh aggression.
• Hidden agendas and alliances: Su Tiandao’s offer may be generous, but his selective invitation and knowledge of the sect suggest a larger strategy.
• Competition for opportunity: The Demon Abyss promises valuable discoveries, while the role of the other factions remains unclear.

Key plot points and events

• Su Tiandao tells Chen Changan that some people may have to be sacrificed during an expedition to the Demon Abyss. He admits he would prioritize his own survival, and expects Chen to do the same.
• Su says he knows little about the Demon Abyss and plans to announce it at a Flower-Viewing Gathering in three days, hoping to persuade everyone to join an expedition. He calls Chen and his companions valuable allies.
• Back at their residence, Chen and his group discuss Su’s unusually candid manner. Chen suspects it is partly an act, designed to make his self-interest seem transparent while concealing a deeper scheme.
• Chen reasons that Su is inviting factions one by one and dangling the prospect of an equal share of the rewards. This will intensify their greed while allowing Su to claim he warned them of the risks in advance.
• Chen also doubts whether the Demon Abyss is real at all and suspects the gathering will reveal something—possibly the Demon Flower—that will make the potential prize irresistible.
• Chen secretly observes the surrounding roads and confirms that Su has been inviting every group. The gathering draws near, and Su’s arrangements appear tightly controlled: it is held in a specially built courtyard protected by multiple layers of defenses.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan remains wary and analytical. He questions Su directly, then looks beyond his words to infer how the alliance pitch may manipulate the other factions.
• Su Tiandao presents himself as bluntly self-serving, but Chen believes this candor is calculated. His repeated invitations show how actively he is building interest in the expedition.
• Mu Yunyao, Zhan Tian, and Da Huang share Chen’s suspicion and ask him to interpret Su’s behavior. Chen explains his theory, while acknowledging that it remains speculation.
• Chen and Su establish a tentative understanding: both admit they would protect their own people first, but neither fully trusts the other.

Significant themes

• Self-interest and survival: Characters openly weigh their own lives against others’ and accept that alliances have limits.
• Manipulation through honesty: Su’s apparent frankness may be a strategy, making others feel informed while steering them toward a risky venture.
• Greed and temptation: The promise of shared rewards could persuade factions to overlook danger.
• Uncertainty and mistrust: The Demon Abyss may be real or merely bait, and the gathering’s purpose remains unclear.

1. Key plot points and events

• Chen Changan and his companions arrive at the heavily guarded Flower-Viewing Gathering. The Heavenly Profound Sect has been given seats close to City Lord Su Tiandao, a placement that could have provoked other factions.
• The group realizes the other guests interpret the sect’s sparse attendance and Su’s personal invitation as signs of great strength. Their caution creates a “beautiful misunderstanding,” sparing the group open hostility.
• Su reveals that the gathering is meant to display a Demon Flower found in the Demon Abyss. Its vivid, energy-filled appearance amazes the guests and stokes their desire to explore the Abyss.
• Su confirms that the Demon Abyss is real and can be reached, but stresses its danger and warns that individuals may not be strong enough to face it alone. He makes clear that the guests must choose for themselves whether to risk going.

2. Character developments

• Chen Changan remains observant and cautious: he recognizes both the guests’ mistaken assumptions and the Demon Flower’s unsettling, possibly dangerous nature.
• Mu Yunyao quickly understands why the other factions are treating them carefully and senses that something about the flower is wrong.
• Da Huang and Zhan Tian initially misunderstand the guests’ deference, with Da Huang jokingly crediting his own strength, before Chen explains the situation.
• Su Tiandao demonstrates political skill, presenting the opportunity—and its dangers—while distancing himself from whatever choices the factions make.

3. Significant themes

• Misjudgment and appearances: Other factions mistake the sect’s small delegation for a deliberate show of confidence.
• Greed and risk: The Demon Flower’s power overwhelms caution and makes the Demon Abyss tempting despite its dangers.
• Political responsibility and self-interest: Su openly warns the guests, shifting responsibility for the consequences onto them.
• Unease beneath apparent reward: Chen and Mu sense that the flower’s energy is powerful but somehow unnatural.

4. Character interactions

• Chen explains the factions’ behavior to Da Huang and Zhan Tian; Mu quickly follows his reasoning.
• The group shares dry humor over being treated as formidable because of others’ assumptions.
• The gathered factions press Su for the real purpose of the event, while he answers with a measured warning.
• Chen and Mu discuss the flower’s strange energy, contrasting their suspicion with the guests’ growing excitement.

Plot points and events

• At the Flower-Viewing Gathering, the Demon Flower’s connection to the Demon Abyss captivates the visiting factions. They eagerly agree to explore it, believing the risk is worth the chance of finding treasures.
• Su Tiandao is pleased: because the factions volunteer, he can deny responsibility if they die there. He presses Chen Changan’s group for an answer, and Chen says the Heavenly Profound Sect will join.
• After five days of preparation, Su leads the group and Heavenly Dao City’s elite forces toward the Demon Abyss. The journey takes about four months.
• During the trip, other factions criticize Chen’s group for bringing no powerful experts and warn they will not protect them. Chen confidently replies that they should worry about not holding him back.
• The party reaches the hidden Demon Abyss, prompting doubts about how Heavenly Dao City found it.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Tiandao appears outwardly helpful but is carefully avoiding responsibility; Chen and Xiao Hei both suspect his behavior is insincere.
• Chen Changan stays calm and agrees to investigate despite his suspicions. He sees the journey as a way to uncover the truth, find possible treasures, and build the Heavenly Profound Sect’s reputation.
• Xiao Hei voices his first personal judgment, sensing that Su’s words and conduct seem false. He also remains puzzled by Da Huang and Zhan Tian’s enthusiasm for brothels.
• Da Huang and Zhan Tian spend the days before departure enjoying the city’s brothels, while Chen’s group otherwise shows little urgency.
• The other factions underestimate Chen’s group because of their low apparent cultivation and worry that the Heavenly Profound Sect may blame them if anything goes wrong. Chen’s defiant response turns their concern into mockery and a challenge.

Significant themes

• Greed and risk: The factions willingly pursue the Demon Abyss for the promise of wealth, despite its unknown dangers.
• Deception and hidden motives: Su’s apparent generosity may conceal an agenda, and the Abyss’s secluded location raises further questions.
• Confidence versus appearances: Others judge Chen’s group by their visible strength, while Chen refuses to be treated as a liability.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Changan and the others enter the secluded Demon Abyss, whose hidden location makes Su Tiandao’s claim that he found it by chance seem doubtful.
• Inside, they encounter a hostile atmosphere and pervasive Demonic Qi. The group suspects the Abyss may be a battlefield from the ancient Demon-Cleansing Campaign.
• They explain that the campaign united the races of Ultimate Heaven to destroy the powerful, brutal Devil Race. The battle was said to have been devastating, though the present characters know it only through inherited stories.
• Su Tiandao urges everyone to stay together, move cautiously, and investigate before deciding what to do. The group agrees, wary that Demonic Qi could corrupt both body and mind.
• As they advance without encountering immediate danger, they discover a ruined city ahead. Some believe they can sense people within it—and fear they may be Devil Race survivors.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan becomes increasingly suspicious of Su Tiandao, reasoning that the city lord likely sought the Abyss deliberately and may have hidden motives connected to the Devil Race. He considers whether Su might be a demon or seek to revive demons, but avoids watching him too closely so as not to raise suspicion.
• Su Tiandao appears excited by the Abyss but presents himself as cautious, warning the group about danger and recommending a measured approach. His true intentions remain unclear.
• The expedition members are tempted by the possibility of treasure and the remains of powerful experts, yet recognize the risks of Demonic Qi. They accept Su’s plan and proceed together.

Significant themes

• Greed versus caution: The prospect of valuable relics leads the group to rationalize their doubts about Su, even while recognizing that his story does not add up.
• Hidden motives and distrust: Chen suspects that Su’s discovery and invitation are part of a larger plan.
• The legacy of past wars: The Abyss may preserve the remains—and unresolved dangers—of the Demon-Cleansing Campaign.
• Corruption and danger: Demonic Qi threatens not only physical injury but also mental transformation, making even a peaceful exploration perilous.

Key plot points and events

• The group reaches a ruined city inside the Demon Abyss and discovers people moving within it, raising fears that Devils may have survived.
• Su Tiandao urges caution but leads the group closer. They confirm the inhabitants are Human, not Devils.
• Chen Changan notices something unsettling: the residents seem unaffected by the surrounding demonic energy, despite apparently living there for a long time.
• The city contains just over twenty inhabitants, several of whom are powerful enough that Chen Changan cannot gauge their strength.
• The residents recognize that others from Heavenly Dao City visited earlier and warn Su Tiandao’s group that more visitors will strengthen the Devils imprisoned nearby.
• They reveal that the Devils were never fully exterminated: some remain sealed in the Demon Abyss, and the residents serve as their wardens. According to them, visitors’ energy and Essence Blood help the Devils recover and could eventually enable their escape.
• The newcomers are alarmed but skeptical, questioning the story and suggesting the residents may be inventing it to keep the area’s resources for themselves.

Character developments

• Su Tiandao remains the group’s practical leader, cautious at first and then inquisitive. His questions bring out the wardens’ warning and the supposed truth about the sealed Devils.
• Chen Changan stays detached from the group’s discussion, quietly assessing the inhabitants and sensing that their immunity to demonic energy is suspicious. He chooses to observe Su Tiandao’s intentions rather than act prematurely.
• The city’s inhabitants present themselves as guarded wardens, but their explanation leaves their motives open to doubt.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus truth: The inhabitants are Human, yet their circumstances seem unnatural; the official claim that all Devils were destroyed may also be false.
• Fear and uncertainty: The possibility of a Devil resurgence turns exploration into a potential threat to all of Ultimate Heaven.
• Trust and suspicion: The group must decide whether to believe the wardens or suspect them of protecting their own interests.
• Responsibility and unintended consequences: The visitors may unknowingly be helping the Devils regain strength.

Character interactions

• Su Tiandao reassures and guides the group as they approach the city.
• The newcomers speculate among themselves about the inhabitants, the Devils, and the lack of resources.
• The wardens confront the visitors with questions, then accuse them of ignoring earlier warnings and endangering the sealed Devils’ containment.
• The visitors challenge the wardens’ account, pointing to the accepted history of the Devils’ destruction and questioning whether the warning is a pretext for monopolizing resources.

Key plot points and events

• The explorers doubt the guardians’ claim that the Devil Race could return, suspecting they are lying to keep others away from the battlefield’s resources.
• The guardians warn that local resources—including the Demon Flower—are contaminated with devilish energy, making cultivation with them dangerous.
• Su Tiandao voices the group’s suspicions: the guardians have lived in the Demon Abyss without being corrupted, so their motives and methods deserve explanation.
• Su Tiandao invites Chen Changan to join the discussion as “Elder Chen,” surprising the others. Chen politely declines to move forward, avoiding attention.
• A guardian explains that the Demon-Slaying War was far more brutal than later accounts admit. Powerful Devil Race members could revive if surrounded by devilish energy, so the race was suppressed rather than eradicated.
• The Demon Abyss is one of many sealed battlefields. The guardians’ generations-old methods protect them from corruption, and their cultivation is suited to maintaining the seals.
• The visitors’ arrival may have weakened the seals and could trigger an early revival. The group becomes alarmed, then asks why the entrance was left open if the site is so dangerous.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Tiandao acts cautiously and assertively, testing the guardians’ credibility while trying to draw Chen Changan into the discussion.
• Chen Changan remains composed and modest, declining Su’s invitation without confrontation.
• The guardians move from rebuking the group’s greed to offering a fuller account of their mission and the danger they guard against.
• The visitors shift from disbelief and suspicion to serious concern as the possibility of the Devil Race’s return becomes clearer.

Significant themes

• Official history versus hidden truth: the supposed destruction of the Devil Race was a reassuring public story, not the whole truth.
• Vigilance and trust: the visitors’ suspicions are understandable, but so is the guardians’ need to protect the seals.
• The cost of greed and ignorance: contaminated resources may corrupt those who pursue them without caution.
• A danger kept at bay, not defeated: the Devil Race’s continued capacity to revive makes containment fragile and the visitors’ presence potentially consequential.

Plot points and events

• Chen Changan asks how the entrance to the Demon Abyss opened. The guardians admit they do not know—and cannot close it. When visitors came previously, they urged them to leave and keep the place secret, but the visitors ignored them.
• Su Tiandao argues that, as members of the Human Race, the group should help reinforce the seal holding back the Devil Race. In exchange, they want access to the area’s resources.
• The guardians warn that the resources contain Demonic Qi and are unsuitable for humans. Su Tiandao insists his group can deal with the Qi and still benefit from the resources.
• While the guardians deliberate, Da Huang points out that the promised secret of power in the Demon Abyss has vanished from the discussion. He suspects it may be a lure, or that Su Tiandao or the guardians are concealing something.
• Chen Changan agrees that the situation feels suspicious: Su Tiandao is unusually determined to stay, while the guardians seem too easily swayed. He decides to watch their “performance” and learn what they are really pursuing.
• Chen believes the Devil Race’s possible revival is likely genuine—and may be something the group can exploit. Da Huang worries Chen might deliberately unleash the Devil Race to create chaos.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changan remains outwardly quiet but shows sharp suspicion and patience, choosing to observe rather than intervene.
• Da Huang reveals that boredom has pushed him to listen closely and think critically. Chen is impressed by his insight; Da Huang protests that he is simply trying to pass the time.
• Su Tiandao presents his group’s offer as a duty to humanity but openly demands resources, leaving the guardians unsure whether their motives are trustworthy.
• The guardians appear torn between wanting help and distrusting the group’s self-interest. Their readiness to consider the offer deepens Chen and Da Huang’s suspicions.
• The “sister-in-law” cuts into Da Huang’s private exchange with Chen, prompting a brief, playful complaint.

Significant themes

• Trust and hidden motives: Claims of duty may conceal self-interest, and both Su Tiandao and the guardians may be withholding information.
• The value of observation and intelligence: Da Huang’s careful listening uncovers inconsistencies, while Chen waits to see how events unfold.
• Temptation and risk: The promise of valuable resources competes with the danger of Demonic Qi and a revived Devil Race.
• Moral ambiguity: The group’s offer to help protect humanity is conditional, raising questions about whether their aims are truly altruistic.

Chapter Summary

Chen Changan tells his companions that he is willing to make ruthless choices if necessary to survive and stop the Devil Race’s revival. He warns that their actions may earn either praise or condemnation, but his priority is keeping himself and those he cares about alive—and, ultimately, preventing everything from falling into ruin. The group accepts that others may judge Chen Changan very differently depending on their perspective.
The Guardians agree to let the gathered factions help address the Demon Abyss crisis. They explain that the entrance’s sudden opening suggests they are losing control, and that driving away newcomers will not solve the problem. Their shared goal is to suppress the Devil Race and strengthen the seal.
The Guardians lay out the first tasks: protect themselves, inspect the nine Formation Cores, and reinforce any weakened ones with Demon-Suppressing Stones. Each core needs ten stones, which must be obtained by killing Blood Demons—powerful creatures formed from demonic energy and the remains of those killed in the ancient Demon-Extermination War. The Guardians withhold the final step until the others complete these tasks, citing their distrust of the newcomers.
With seventeen outside factions and the Guardians making eighteen groups, the participants consider forming nine teams of two. Many immediately single out the Heavenly Profound Sect, judging Chen Changan’s companions too weak to contribute. Some propose leaving them behind, claiming this would protect both them and the others from becoming liabilities.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Changan reveals a pragmatic, survival-first outlook. Though dependable and compassionate to those close to him, he recognizes that others may see him as a monster. He accepts the possibility of being condemned if it means protecting those he cares about.
• Da Huang and the others remain silent after Chen’s remarks, reflecting the weight and moral ambiguity of his position.
• The Guardians show both duty and caution: they welcome help but withhold vital information until trust is earned.
• Su Tiandao and the gathered factions respond with public resolve to help, then begin negotiating how to divide into teams.
• The Heavenly Profound Sect becomes a target of suspicion and condescension as other factions question its usefulness.

Significant Themes

• Moral ambiguity: Goodness and villainy depend on perspective; desperate circumstances may force people to abandon principles.
• Survival and responsibility: Chen prioritizes keeping people alive, while the Guardians frame the crisis as a shared duty.
• Trust and secrecy: Cooperation is necessary, but the Guardians’ reluctance to reveal everything highlights the difficulty of trusting strangers.
• Judgment and legacy: The characters may be praised or cursed by future generations, but Chen refuses to let reputation outweigh survival.