Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Rui returns to Dongqi University, causing a stir among students with his display of power.
• He meets with teachers from the Martial Arts Academy, who now treat him with respect.
• Zhao Rui visits his sister, Tian Yaru, at her dormitory, causing a stir among her roommates and classmates.
• Zhao Rui teaches martial arts to Tian Yaru and Qin Rui, emphasizing the importance of learning self-defense.
• He visits his younger brother, Zhao Ke, at his school in Zizhou City, meeting his girlfriend, Shao Qianwen, for the first time.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui: Shows maturity and responsibility in teaching martial arts to his loved ones, emphasizing the importance of self-defense in the current world.
• Tian Yaru: Shows excitement and admiration for Zhao Rui's strength and is willing to learn martial arts from him.
• Zhao Ke: Shows pride in his brother's accomplishments but also feels a hint of jealousy from his past.
• Shao Qianwen: Shows shyness and respect towards Zhao Rui but also displays confidence in her relationship with Zhao Ke.

Significant Themes

• Power and Respect: Zhao Rui's display of strength earns him respect from the teachers at the Martial Arts Academy and the students at the university.
• Family and Responsibility: Zhao Rui takes it upon himself to teach martial arts to his loved ones, showing his responsibility and care for their well-being.
• Jealousy and Acceptance: Zhao Ke feels a hint of jealousy towards his brother but ultimately accepts and appreciates his brother's accomplishments.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Wang Zhanshan: Wang Zhanshan expresses his admiration and surprise at Zhao Rui's growth, treating him with respect and as an equal.
• Zhao Rui and Tian Yaru: The two show affection and care for each other, with Zhao Rui teaching Tian Yaru martial arts and emphasizing the importance of learning self-defense.
• Zhao Ke and Shao Qianwen: The couple shows affection and support for each other, with Zhao Ke expressing pride in his brother's accomplishments and Shao Qianwen showing respect towards Zhao Rui.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Rui teaches his younger brother, Zhao Ke, and girlfriend, Shao Qianwen, martial arts.
• Zhao Ke gets beaten up by students from the Martial Arts Team, and Zhao Rui intervenes, incapacitating the attackers using the Mirage Finger technique.
• Zhao Rui takes Zhao Ke to the counselor's office, where they request a few days' leave for Zhao Ke's recovery.
• The Martial Arts Team's coach and members try to undo the acupoint seals but fail, leading them to seek help from the school's dean and a Daoist master, who also fail to undo the seals.

Character Developments

• Zhao Ke gains confidence in using his martial arts skills after Zhao Rui's encouragement.
• Zhao Rui demonstrates his power and willingness to protect his family, showing growth in his role as an older brother.
• Coach Lu and the Martial Arts Team face a challenge they can't overcome, potentially leading to a loss of face and a shift in their perception of their power within the school.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics within the school, with the Martial Arts Team's arrogance and the Business Administration department's students pushing back against it.
• The resurgence of spiritual energy and martial arts, leading to an increase in conflicts and a need for resolution.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Zhao Ke's brotherly bond strengthens as Zhao Rui protects and teaches Zhao Ke.
• The conflict between Zhao Ke and the Martial Arts Team highlights the power struggle within the school.
• The interactions between Coach Lu, the Martial Arts Team, the school's dean, and the Daoist master showcase the attempts to resolve the situation and the limitations of their power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Ke's brother, Zhao Rui, arrives to resolve the incident involving Zhao Ke and the Martial Arts Team.
• Coach Lu, the head coach of the Martial Arts Team, attacks Zhao Rui, leading to a fight.
• Dean Wang and Daoist Master Zhang intervene, but Zhao Rui continues fighting, defeating both Coach Lu and Daoist Master Zhang.
• Zhao Rui and Dean Wang discuss the incident, with Dean Wang promising to hold Coach Lu accountable and prevent future bullying.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates his powerful martial arts skills, defeating two experienced opponents.
• Dean Wang shows humility and willingness to take responsibility for the incident.
• Coach Lu's reckless behavior leads to his defeat and loss of face.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between martial artists and the academic world, with martial artists gaining more influence.
• The consequences of reckless behavior and the importance of self-control.
• The value of humility and taking responsibility for one's actions.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Coach Lu: A conflict arises due to Coach Lu's aggressive behavior, leading to a fight and Coach Lu's defeat.
• Zhao Rui and Dean Wang: Dean Wang initially tries to maintain his authority but eventually yields to Zhao Rui's power and the vice principal's influence.
• Zhao Rui and Daoist Master Zhang: They engage in a brief fight before Daoist Master Zhang concedes and introduces himself.

Chapter Summary: “Meeting Shen Xinzhu Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dean Wang intervenes after Zhao Rui subdues the students who attacked him, promising to report the incident and punish those responsible.
• The instigator is identified as a Student Union member named Senior Ge, who acted on behalf of Shao Qianwen. Zhao Rui leaves the matter to his younger brother, Zhao Ke, to handle.
• Zhao Rui advises Zhao Ke not to remain passive or allow others to bully him, emphasizing that the martial arts he taught him should be used for self-protection.
• Zhao Rui stays in Zichuan City for five days until Zhao Ke fully masters the Five Poisons Divine Palm, then travels to Qingzhou City to relax by the sea.
• In Qingzhou, Zhao Rui unexpectedly encounters Shen Xinzhu being pursued by several Japanese members of the Ruins Return Demon Sect.
• The attackers destroy multiple vehicles, including Zhao Rui’s SUV, while pursuing Shen. Enraged by their reckless violence and the destruction of his car, Zhao Rui intervenes.
• Zhao Rui defeats the pursuers using the Twenty-Eight Dragon Subduing Palms, Illusory Sound Great Method, Sword Qi, Five Poisons Divine Palm, Seven Star Divine Palm, Step on the Big Dipper, and Innocent Woman Formless Heavenly Demon Great Law.
• Shen Xinzhu reveals that she is not an ordinary student but the Saintess of the Sacred Lotus Sect. Her sect was nearly destroyed after the revival of spiritual qi, and she is its only known surviving member.
• She explains that the sect leader fought several Ruins Return Demon Sect experts and may be dead or missing.
• Shen asks to stay with Zhao Rui, citing her sect leader’s belief that Zhao Rui’s fortune is at its peak. Zhao Rui rejects the idea that he should protect her, and she leaves alone.
• Zhao Rui returns toward the battle site, intending to deal with the destruction of his SUV and investigate why the Japanese attackers acted so openly.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates increasing authority and confidence. He allows Zhao Ke to deal with his own enemies, showing that he wants his brother to become independent rather than rely on him forever.
• Zhao Ke gains self-confidence after seeing his brother’s overwhelming strength and mastering the Five Poisons Divine Palm.
• Zhao Rui’s temper becomes more apparent during the Qingzhou battle. Although he initially does not want to become involved, the attackers’ killing of civilians and destruction of his vehicle provoke him into unleashing his full power.
• Shen Xinzhu is revealed to be a former undercover or disguised martial artist rather than an ordinary student. Her identity as the Sacred Lotus Sect’s Saintess explains her mysterious behavior and connection to Zhao Rui.
• Shen has become isolated and desperate after the destruction of her sect. Her request to remain with Zhao Rui reflects both practical survival needs and a personal belief that he is connected to her fate.
• Zhao Rui remains emotionally guarded and unwilling to accept responsibility for Shen’s future, despite saving her twice.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and independence: Zhao Rui teaches Zhao Ke to defend himself and handle future conflicts independently.
• The collapse of old martial institutions: The Sacred Lotus Sect’s destruction shows how the spiritual revival and the rise of powerful factions are reshaping the martial world.
• Hidden identities and uncertain loyalties: Shen Xinzhu’s true status is finally revealed, reinforcing the chapter’s recurring uncertainty about people’s motives.
• Justice versus restraint: Zhao Rui initially avoids interfering, but the attackers’ disregard for innocent lives forces him to act.
• Isolation and survival: Shen’s fallen sect leaves her without allies, while Zhao Rui’s refusal to take her in emphasizes the harsh divisions between their paths.
• National and factional conflict: The Japanese Ruins Return Demon Sect members’ open attack in Qingzhou suggests that foreign martial forces are becoming increasingly bold and lawless.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Dean Wang: Dean Wang recognizes the seriousness of students being hired as thugs and promises to punish the instigator.
• Zhao Rui and Zhao Ke: Zhao Rui mentors his younger brother, encouraging him to become assertive and use his martial training responsibly.
• Zhao Rui and Shen Xinzhu: Their reunion begins with Zhao Rui rescuing Shen from assassins. Their conversation exposes her tragic circumstances, but Zhao Rui maintains emotional distance and refuses to become her protector.
• Zhao Rui and the Ruins Return Demon Sect attackers: Their confrontation highlights Zhao Rui’s overwhelming strength compared with the enemy fighters.
• Shen Xinzhu and her former sect: Her account establishes her as the last surviving representative of the Sacred Lotus Sect and reveals the sect’s conflict with the Ruins Return Demon Sect.

Chapter Summary: Qingcheng Sword Sect or Iron Anvil Sword Sect

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Zhao Rui’s battle with members of the Nine Erosion Sect, the wreckage of several cars is discovered on a city road. More than a dozen Eastern Japanese attackers are dead, while Zhao Rui casually arrives to ask whether his destroyed car will be covered by insurance.
• The patrol officers suspect that Zhao Rui and a young woman were responsible, but choose not to investigate too deeply. They recognize that the dead foreigners were likely connected to the broader conflict involving the Nine Erosion Sect.
• Zhao Rui discusses the worsening international situation with his brother-in-law, Zheng Huaifeng. Martial artists and Ruins Return forces have destabilized many countries, while the Imperial Court is constrained by threats on multiple fronts. Huaxia remains relatively stable because of its cultural cohesion, social ethics, and long-term preparation for the martial revival.
• Reflecting on the consequences of revived spiritual energy, Zhao Rui questions whether the new martial age is truly better than the comparatively stable world of his previous life. He resolves to contribute to peace within the limits of his ability.
• Zhao Rui travels to Sichuan Province to reconnect with the displaced Qingcheng Sword Sect and continue improving his cultivation. During the train journey, he observes that fights and conflicts among ordinary people are becoming increasingly common as martial power spreads.
• Daoist Yu Zheng’nan personally meets Zhao Rui and brings him to the sect’s new, impoverished base on Iron Anvil Mountain, near Crane Cry Mountain. Although the sect has been forced away from Qingcheng Mountain, Yu insists that it remains the Qingcheng Sword Sect.
• Zhao Rui is warmly welcomed by the young Daoist disciples, former Qingcheng disciples, and Yun Hao. The children are training diligently and still dream of eventually reclaiming Qingcheng Mountain.
• Yun Hao explains that the people occupying Qingcheng Mountain came through the Mount Emei secret realm, where a weak connection to Ruins Return had existed for a long time. The Qingcheng group feels betrayed because Mount Emei, once considered an ally, concealed this connection.
• Zhao Rui settles into the remote mountain temple and prepares to resume teaching the sect’s Daoist blessing techniques. His cultivation reaches a critical point as his true qi begins to loosen and he approaches the Dharma Aspect realm.
• The chapter ends with the arrival of a large Qingcheng contingent at the occupied Qingcheng Mountain. Hundreds of Daoists welcome their returning Headmaster, signaling that the Ruins Return Qingcheng Sect has formally reestablished itself.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui displays increasing maturity and responsibility. He is no longer concerned only with personal strength; he worries about national stability, social disorder, and the consequences of the martial revival. His resolve to “carve out a stretch of blazing sunshine” reflects his growing sense of mission.
• Zhao Rui also becomes more closely connected to the Qingcheng Sword Sect. He encourages the young disciples, critiques their technique constructively, and prepares to help restore the sect’s training and livelihood.
• Yu Zheng’nan remains warm, humorous, and resilient despite losing Qingcheng Mountain and living in poverty. His longing to return home is clear, but he continues leading the sect and raising its young disciples.
• Yun Hao has advanced rapidly in cultivation but remains psychologically burdened by the power of the enemy occupying Qingcheng Mountain. Zhao Rui’s return greatly eases his anxiety because he is no longer the temple’s only major combatant.
• The young Daoist disciples are portrayed as energetic and determined. Their desire to reclaim Qingcheng Mountain gives the displaced sect hope, though their impulsiveness also shows that they still need guidance and discipline.

Significant Themes

• The costs of spiritual and martial revival: Martial power has empowered humanity but has also produced violence, lawlessness, international instability, and social disorder.
• Responsibility versus powerlessness: Zhao Rui recognizes that he cannot control global events, yet he still feels obligated to protect his country and improve the situation where he can.
• Displacement and identity: Although the Qingcheng sect has lost its ancestral mountain, Yu Zheng’nan insists that its identity survives through its people, teachings, and traditions.
• Tradition confronting upheaval: The old sects are forced to adapt to secret realms, Ruins Return forces, modern institutions, and rapidly changing power structures.
• Hope and restoration: The young disciples’ ambition and the return of the Qingcheng Headmaster suggest that the sect’s exile may eventually lead to a confrontation and possible recovery of its homeland.
• Cultivation and inner transformation: Zhao Rui’s impending breakthrough to the Dharma Aspect realm parallels his broader development from a powerful individual into someone capable of shaping the future.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and the patrol officers: Zhao Rui calmly files an insurance claim for his destroyed car, while the officers deliberately avoid probing his role in the massacre.
• Zhao Rui and Zheng Huaifeng: Their conversation reveals the worsening global political and martial situation and prompts Zhao Rui’s reflections on the value and danger of the new era.
• Zhao Rui and Yu Zheng’nan: Their reunion is friendly and humorous, but also carries the pain of exile. Zhao Rui encourages Yu’s hope of returning to Qingcheng Mountain.
• Zhao Rui and the young Daoist boys: He encourages their training, corrects one boy’s lack of control, and is emotionally uplifted by their innocence and determination.
• Zhao Rui and Yun Hao: Yun Hao confides his fear of the powerful enemies on Qingcheng Mountain. Zhao Rui validates his concerns and provides reassurance through his return.
• The Qingcheng disciples and their returning Headmaster: Their emotional welcome at the end establishes the strength and legitimacy of the Ruins Return faction while foreshadowing a major conflict between the two Qingcheng sects.

Chapter Summary: “Return to Mount Emei”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the restored Qingcheng Sect, Sect Leader True Person Weichen orders True Person Weiyun to force the former Qingcheng Sword Sect to remove “Qingcheng” from its name. He celebrates the sect’s return to its ancestral mountain and displays overwhelming purple qi, attracting attention from ordinary people and fueling rumors about martial arts masters.
• Qingcheng investigators report that the relocated Qingcheng Sword Sect has few strong fighters. Yun Hao is identified as a Grandmaster skilled in Thunderclap Sword Art, while another powerful figure—likely Zhao Rui—remains mysterious and is believed to have resolved several past crises.
• Daoist Cangwu recognizes Zhao Rui as the person who destroyed his divine soul. Although he pretends to prioritize the Sect Leader’s orders, he clearly intends to exploit the naming dispute to settle his personal grudge.
• At Iron Anvil Mountain, the Qingcheng Sword Sect receives an invitation from Emei to attend a meeting concerning the future of Sichuan’s martial world. Because the court will attend and the matter concerns their sect, Yu Zheng’nan reluctantly agrees to go.
• Yu Zheng’nan visits Yun Hao and Zhao Rui, who are training together. Yun Hao demonstrates major progress in sword intent, shattering a boulder with Thunderclap Sword Qi. Zhao Rui agrees to accompany Yu Zheng’nan to Emei, while Yun Hao remains behind to guard the sect.
• At Mount Emei, representatives from various martial factions—including the Shushan Tang Sect, Emei monks, Daoists, and court officials—gather for the convention. The Tang Sect’s arrogant young master contrasts with his deferential father.
• The meeting begins with speeches about cooperation between martial sects and the government, maintaining public order, and controlling violence after the resurgence of spiritual energy.
• Director Wang then announces that, because the Qingcheng Sword Sect abandoned its original mountain base, it is no longer legally permitted to use “Qingcheng” in its name. The announcement places the relocated sect under immediate public scrutiny.

Character Developments

• True Person Weichen is portrayed as an authoritative and ambitious leader determined to establish the restored Qingcheng Sect as the legitimate orthodox lineage. His grand display of purple qi emphasizes his immense power and confidence.
• True Person Weiyun functions as Weichen’s loyal administrator, accepting responsibility for enforcing the name change.
• Daoist Cangwu reveals a vindictive side. Though he speaks of obedience and sect duty, he secretly seeks revenge against Zhao Rui for destroying his divine soul.
• Yu Zheng’nan becomes increasingly cautious and burdened by political pressure. He would prefer to avoid Emei, but recognizes that refusing could endanger his sect’s interests.
• Yun Hao advances significantly in swordsmanship, developing powerful Thunderclap Sword Intent under Zhao Rui’s guidance. His aggressive, direct nature is reflected in his combat-oriented cultivation.
• Zhao Rui continues to act as a stabilizing and influential figure within the Qingcheng Sword Sect. His mysterious strength and willingness to support Yu Zheng’nan make him central to the sect’s defense.
• Tang Aiguo is courteous and politically careful, while his son is arrogant, dismissive, and openly disdainful of others.
• Zen Master Zhishan presents himself as a gracious host, but his faintly amused reactions suggest that Emei expects conflict or political advantage from the gathering.

Significant Themes

• Legitimacy and orthodoxy: The central conflict concerns which group has the right to claim the name and legacy of Qingcheng. Physical possession of the mountain, legal recognition, and historical lineage all compete to define legitimacy.
• Power and political authority: Martial sects can no longer operate independently; the court seeks to regulate them and use sects to preserve social order.
• Personal grudges disguised as duty: Cangwu’s desire for revenge demonstrates how official missions can conceal private motives.
• Tradition versus modernization: Ancient sects from Ruins Return must adapt to automobiles, government institutions, modern society, and the changed martial world.
• The consequences of spiritual resurgence: The increase in martial artists has brought both greater power and social instability, making organized cooperation necessary.
• Growth through mentorship: Zhao Rui’s guidance helps Yun Hao transform his existing sword training into genuine sword intent.

Important Character Interactions

• Weichen commands Weiyun to remove “Qingcheng” from the rival sect’s name, establishing the chapter’s main political conflict.
• Cangwu and his fellow Daoist discuss using the naming dispute as an opportunity to provoke confrontation with the relocated sect.
• Yu Zheng’nan consults Yun Hao and Zhao Rui about Emei’s invitation; Zhao Rui volunteers to accompany him, while Yun Hao accepts the responsibility of guarding the sect.
• Zhao Rui’s training guidance enables Yun Hao to make a major breakthrough, and the group responds with mutual respect and lighthearted humor.
• At Emei, the Tang family’s strained relationship is evident: Tang Aiguo behaves humbly, while his son mocks both him and the surrounding factions.
• The Emei gathering appears cordial on the surface, but the guests’ reactions reveal that many are anticipating a confrontation involving the Qingcheng Sword Sect.
• The chapter ends with Director Wang publicly declaring that the sect must abandon the name “Qingcheng,” forcing Yu Zheng’nan and his companions to respond.

Chapter Summary: “Steering with the Wind”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Martial Arts Association, represented by Director Wang, attempts to prevent the Qingcheng Sword Sect from using the name “Qingcheng,” arguing that the sect no longer resides on Qingcheng Mountain.
• Yu Zheng’nan angrily protests, recognizing that the ruling is an attempt to erase the sect’s historical connection and inheritance. Daoist Cangsong of the orthodox Qingcheng Sect supports the decision and mocks the Sword Sect’s decline.
• Zhao Rui initially appears to calm Yu Zheng’nan, but then turns the argument around by suggesting that the Qingcheng Sword Sect simply move back to Qingcheng Mountain.
• Cangsong attacks Zhao Rui with Qingcheng martial arts. Zhao Rui easily neutralizes the attack and taunts him, revealing that he understands and has restored many Qingcheng techniques.
• Their confrontation escalates. Cangsong reveals himself to be a Dharma Aspect Realm expert and summons a giant tree-like Dharma Form. Zhao Rui counters with powerful sword techniques and lightning-infused Daoist magic, destroying the attack.
• Cangsong attempts to wear Zhao Rui down with layers of wooden defenses, but Zhao Rui breaks through them using the Dragon Subduing Palm, setting the defenses ablaze.
• When Cangsong calls in several Qingcheng disciples, Zhao Rui uses flute music and sword intent to confuse them and control their swords, demonstrating overwhelming superiority.
• Zen Master Zhishan intervenes by using Buddhist sound to awaken the Qingcheng disciples and prevent the conflict from escalating further.
• Zhishan declares the dispute an internal Qingcheng matter and urges Director Wang to report the issue for further negotiation. Director Wang readily withdraws his earlier position, unwilling to become entangled in the conflict.
• Cangsong admits defeat indirectly and leaves with his disciples. The gathering ends, and many martial artists approach the Qingcheng Sword Sect afterward, recognizing its renewed strength.
• Zhishan invites Zhao Rui and the Qingcheng Sword Sect to remain at Emei overnight. Zhao Rui later exchanges insights on sword qi and sword intent with Zhishan.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui emerges as the decisive figure of the chapter. He demonstrates mastery of multiple disciplines: Qingcheng martial arts, sword techniques, thunder-based Daoist arts, the Dragon Subduing Palm, flute-based sound techniques, and sword intent. His confidence and provocative humor contrast sharply with the sect’s previously weak position.
• Yu Zheng’nan begins furious and fearful that his sect’s name and heritage will be erased. He gradually realizes that Zhao Rui’s strength has restored the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s dignity and influence.
• Daoist Cangsong is revealed to be a powerful Dharma Aspect Realm expert, but his arrogance and contempt for the Sword Sect lead him into a humiliating defeat. His reliance on reinforcements further exposes his inability to overcome Zhao Rui alone.
• Director Wang shifts from confidently supporting the Qingcheng Sect’s demand to backing away once he discovers Zhao Rui’s strength. His change reflects his opportunism and fear of misjudging the balance of power.
• Zen Master Zhishan initially refuses to interfere, treating the battle as an internal Qingcheng dispute. However, he ultimately steps in to restore order and later develops a genuine intellectual interest in Zhao Rui’s sword cultivation.
• The Tang Sect’s Young Master openly mocks the contradiction in calling the conflict a “family matter” while denying the Sword Sect’s identity, though Tang Aiguo quickly tries to prevent further involvement.

Significant Themes

• Strength determines status: The chapter emphasizes that martial strength, rather than history or legal arguments, determines whether a sect can preserve its name and influence.
• Inheritance and legitimacy: The dispute over the word “Qingcheng” represents a deeper struggle over historical ownership, sect identity, and whether a five-hundred-year split can erase shared origins.
• Adaptability and hidden power: Zhao Rui’s varied techniques show that survival depends on combining traditions and adapting them creatively rather than relying on a single established lineage.
• Political opportunism: Director Wang and the surrounding martial factions support whichever side appears strongest, revealing the self-interested nature of institutional and sectarian alliances.
• Humiliation transformed into authority: The Qingcheng Sword Sect begins the chapter as an apparently weakened faction but ends it commanding respect because Zhao Rui proves its strength publicly.

Character Interactions

• Yu Zheng’nan and Zhao Rui clash over how seriously to treat the naming dispute, with Zhao Rui using boldness and action where Yu initially relies on protest.
• Zhao Rui and Cangsong engage in both verbal and martial combat, turning the political dispute into a direct contest between the two Qingcheng traditions.
• Zhishan maintains a formal neutrality during the fight but later intervenes to prevent further bloodshed and recognizes Zhao Rui’s exceptional abilities.
• The Tang Sect highlights the contradiction in the Qingcheng Sect’s position, while Tang Aiguo attempts to keep his side from becoming involved.
• After the confrontation, Zhishan and Zhao Rui establish a respectful exchange based on their shared interest in sword qi and sword intent, suggesting a potential alliance or deeper relationship between Emei and the Qingcheng Sword Sect.

Chapter Summary: “When Men Were Men, Who Didn’t Want to Be Big?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emei Sect’s influence over Sichuan’s martial world and secular society is emphasized. Zen Master Zhishan’s intervention gives the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s name dispute room for compromise, preventing the court from automatically siding with the Qingcheng Sect.
• After meeting Zhishan, Yu Zheng’nan and the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s representatives return to Iron Anvil Mountain.
• Zhishan orders his disciple to quietly monitor events, suggesting that Emei is manipulating the situation from the background and treating the conflict as a political and martial chess game.
• At the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s temporary base, Zhao Rui meets Ye Qinglian, who has come with Yun Hao. Ye Qinglian’s affection for Yun Hao is obvious, though Yun Hao remains embarrassed and reluctant to acknowledge it.
• Zhao Rui reflects on his own relationships and calls Miao Miaomiao and Qin Rui. Qin Rui answers warmly, while Miao Miaomiao returns his call later because of restrictions at her Daoist temple.
• A white-haired Daoist, Cangwu Zi of the Qingcheng Sect, arrives at Iron Anvil Mountain and challenges Zhao Rui. He reveals that Zhao Rui previously shattered his divine soul while dealing with the possessed Shouzhuo.
• Zhao Rui accepts the challenge and leads Cangwu Zi away from the sect to protect the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s base.
• The two fight in the Dharma Aspect Realm. Cangwu Zi uses a spiritually imbued whisk and the powerful Dust Sweeping Skill, initially overwhelming Zhao Rui’s techniques.
• Zhao Rui copies the Dust Sweeping Skill through his system and gradually turns the battle into a learning opportunity. Yun Hao throws him a sword, allowing Zhao Rui to use Thunderclap Sword Art.
• Zhao Rui’s thunder-powered sword technique breaks through Cangwu Zi’s whisk-based defenses, shocking Cangwu Zi with the strength of Zhao Rui’s true essence.
• The battle escalates as both fighters manifest enormous Dharma Aspect weapons: Cangwu Zi’s whisk becomes immense, while Zhao Rui’s sword expands into a giant blade. Their clash devastates the surrounding ravine.
• Cangwu Zi finally reveals a massive personal Dharma form, the Xuanqiong True Self Appearance. Zhao Rui narrowly evades its attack and immediately copies the technique, delighted by the prospect of using such an imposing transformation.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates increasing confidence and adaptability. Rather than merely surviving against Cangwu Zi, he uses the fight to refine his techniques and acquire new abilities through the system.
• He also shows loyalty to the Qingcheng Sword Sect by preventing the battle from occurring near the sect’s disciples.
• Zhao Rui’s playful, opportunistic nature remains evident: he is more excited about copying Cangwu Zi’s impressive techniques than intimidated by them.
• Cangwu Zi is introduced as an experienced and powerful elder of the Qingcheng Sect, but his confidence gradually turns to alarm as Zhao Rui matches him and grows stronger during the fight.
• Yun Hao shows loyalty and trust by supplying Zhao Rui with his sword, while his reactions to Ye Qinglian reveal his continued embarrassment about her affection.
• Ye Qinglian is portrayed as direct, energetic, and openly devoted to Yun Hao. Her persistence contrasts with his awkward resistance.
• Zen Master Zhishan emerges as a calculating political strategist who views the conflict as part of a larger power struggle rather than a simple matter of justice.
• Zhao Rui’s calls with Qin Rui and Miao Miaomiao emphasize his emotional connections and his growing romantic entanglements.

Significant Themes

• Power struggles and political maneuvering: Emei’s influence demonstrates that martial sect conflicts are tied to government, business, and broader social authority.
• Growth through combat: Zhao Rui treats battle as both a test and an opportunity to improve, copy techniques, and expand his abilities.
• Old sects versus rising forces: Cangwu Zi represents the deep resources and ancient power of the established Qingcheng Sect, while Zhao Rui represents a rapidly advancing new generation.
• Loyalty and protection: Zhao Rui deliberately moves the fight away from the sect, and Yun Hao risks helping him by providing his sword.
• Romantic companionship: The interactions between Yun Hao and Ye Qinglian, along with Zhao Rui’s calls to Qin Rui and Miao Miaomiao, lighten the martial conflict and highlight the characters’ personal lives.
• Masculine ambition and spectacle: The chapter humorously presents enormous Dharma forms and supernatural displays as symbols of power, pride, and the desire to possess increasingly impressive abilities.

Character Interactions

• Zhishan and his disciple: Zhishan instructs him to observe events quietly and treat Qingcheng as a chess piece, revealing Emei’s detached manipulation.
• Zhao Rui, Yun Hao, and Ye Qinglian: Their reunion is playful and familial. Ye Qinglian criticizes Yun Hao for being hesitant, while Zhao Rui teases him and acknowledges her past assistance.
• Zhao Rui and Qin Rui/Miao Miaomiao: Their phone conversations show mutual affection and Zhao Rui’s desire to remain emotionally connected despite their separation.
• Zhao Rui and Cangwu Zi: Their confrontation begins as a revenge duel but becomes a contest between Cangwu Zi’s established mastery and Zhao Rui’s extraordinary potential.
• Zhao Rui and Yun Hao during the battle: Yun Hao supports Zhao Rui by lending him his sword, enabling Zhao Rui to unleash Thunderclap Sword Art.
• Zhao Rui and the system: The system rewards Zhao Rui with copied martial arts and advancement points, making every battle a chance to expand his arsenal.
  The chapter ends with Zhao Rui copying Cangwu Zi’s Xuanqiong True Self Appearance, suggesting that the battle is about to escalate even further.

Chapter Summary:

True Self Triple Body

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cangwu Zi activates the Qingcheng Sect’s Dharma Appearance Embellishment, transforming into a gigantic True Self Dharma Body with vastly increased strength and power.
• Zhao Rui barely avoids Cangwu Zi’s eye beams and is sent flying by the enlarged whisk. He realizes that the technique does not merely increase size—it dramatically amplifies physical power.
• The battle attracts attention from nearby villagers and travelers, who mistake the supernatural conflict for an alien invasion or an elaborate hoax. Videos of the battle spread online, though most viewers dismiss them as fake.
• Zhao Rui uses Myriad Avatars to create eight bodies and attacks the weaknesses in Cangwu Zi’s Dharma Body. However, Cangwu Zi’s immense true qi continually repairs the damage, creating a stalemate.
• Cangwu Zi attempts to destroy the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s temporary base and kill its weaker disciples when he cannot defeat Zhao Rui directly.
• Enraged, Zhao Rui uses the Heavenly Demonic Illusory Sound Great Law and the Innocent Woman Formless Heavenly Demon Great Law, attacking Cangwu Zi’s soul and awakening the Inner Demon hidden within him.
• Cangwu Zi loses control. His demonic power surges, his body grows to more than a hundred meters tall, and his cultivation advances dramatically as Dao and demon merge.
• The transformed Cangwu Zi nearly overwhelms Zhao Rui, smashing Iron Anvil Mountain apart. Zhao Rui is forced to evade continuously while attacking with Dragon Subduing Palm techniques.
• At the critical moment, Zhao Rui’s system completes its copying of the Xuanqiong True Self Appearance, granting him an advancement point and allowing him to manifest his own Dharma Body.
• Zhao Rui progresses from the Xuanqiong True Self Appearance to the stronger Shenxiao Yuque Body, though he cannot yet use the highest Zifu Yuanzun Dharma Body.
• With his strengthened Dharma Body, Zhao Rui unleashes the Twenty-Eight Dragon Subduing Palms, followed by Blazing Fire Heart-Urging Palms and Ice True Qi.
• The attacks strip away Cangwu Zi’s demonic protection and destroy his Dharma Body. Cangwu Zi is reduced to his battered human form before mysteriously disappearing.
• Iron Anvil Mountain and the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s temporary base are left devastated. Zhao Rui orders the sect members to relocate to the provincial capital and enters seclusion.
• Back at Qingcheng Mountain, Daoists Weichen and Weiyun are shocked by the destruction. Weiyun orders Cangsong to locate Cangwu Zi, whether alive or dead.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates increasing combat intelligence and adaptability. Rather than trying to overpower Cangwu Zi directly, he studies the Dharma Body’s circulation, exploits its weaknesses, and combines copied techniques with soul-based demonic arts.
• Zhao Rui’s understanding of advanced cultivation deepens. By copying the Xuanqiong True Self Appearance, he learns that Dharma Bodies have multiple stages and recognizes the terrifying power gained when Dao and demonic forces merge.
• His protective instincts toward the Qingcheng Sword Sect become clear. Cangwu Zi’s attempt to attack the weaker disciples provokes Zhao Rui into using his most dangerous abilities.
• Cangwu Zi becomes increasingly consumed by hatred, resentment, and obsession over his previous soul injury. His inability to defeat Zhao Rui drives him to attack the innocent, allowing his Inner Demon to seize control.
• Cangwu Zi’s transformation gives him overwhelming power but destroys his clarity and judgment. He becomes a demonic, unstable version of himself rather than a disciplined cultivator.
• Yu Zheng’nan and the Qingcheng disciples are forced to recognize how far beyond their understanding the conflict has become. Their helplessness reinforces the widening gap between ordinary cultivators and the strongest beings in the world.
• Daoists Weichen and Weiyun begin to reassess Zhao Rui as a major threat. Their concern shifts from ordinary sect conflict to locating Cangwu Zi and determining the outcome of the battle.

Significant Themes

• Power through adaptation and knowledge: Zhao Rui succeeds not through superior raw strength at first, but by copying techniques, identifying weaknesses, and combining different cultivation arts.
• The danger of obsession and demonic influence: Cangwu Zi’s hatred weakens his judgment and creates the opening through which his Inner Demon takes control.
• Dao and demon as two sides of power: The chapter suggests that demonic transformation can produce enormous strength, but at the cost of sanity, stability, and control.
• The widening gap between the supernatural and ordinary society: Villagers interpret the battle through familiar modern ideas such as aliens, AI, and viral videos, showing how incomprehensible cultivation has become to normal people.
• The destruction caused by cultivator conflicts: Entire mountains and sect grounds are obliterated, emphasizing the immense collateral damage produced by battles among top-tier experts.
• The beginning of a larger cultivation world: Zhao Rui realizes that Qingcheng is only one of many powerful traditions, including Emei, Shaolin, and other Ruins Return forces, suggesting greater challenges ahead.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Cangwu Zi engage in a prolonged battle of technique, endurance, and cultivation foundations.
• Cangwu Zi threatens Yu Zheng’nan and the Qingcheng disciples to provoke Zhao Rui, but this instead triggers Zhao Rui’s fury and strongest demonic techniques.
• Zhao Rui commands Yu Zheng’nan and the disciples to retreat, prioritizing their survival over the ruined sect buildings.
• After the battle, Yu Zheng’nan confirms Zhao Rui is unharmed but is too overwhelmed to question what he witnessed.
• Zhao Rui orders the Qingcheng Sword Sect to abandon Iron Anvil Mountain, then announces his seclusion.
• Qingcheng’s senior Daoists discuss the battle and instruct Cangsong to search for Cangwu Zi, revealing the sect’s growing alarm over both Cangwu Zi’s disappearance and Zhao Rui’s strength.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Qingcheng Sect's civil war and Cangwu Zi's fall into the demonic path are broadcasted, causing a stir in the Martial Arts World and society.
• The Martial Arts Association investigates Wang Ping, and the local government allocates funds for the Qingcheng Sword Sect's temporary residence.
• Luo Min reports to the Demon Lord about the Qingcheng Sect's infighting and is tasked to find Cangwu Zi.
• Various sects discuss the Qingcheng Sect's "civil war" and strengthen their internal personnel's loyalty.
• Society is in uproar due to the displayed power of Martial Artists, leading to many impersonators and internet celebrities claiming to be Grandmasters.

Character Developments

• True Person Weiyun: Ponders the Qingcheng Sect's rise and the influence of Cangwu Zi's fall into the demonic path.
• Luo Min: Reports to the Demon Lord and is tasked to find Cangwu Zi.
• Cangwu Zi: Absent but discussed, his fall into the demonic path is a significant event.

Significant Themes

• The influence of power and its impact on society.
• The reaction of the Martial Arts World to the Qingcheng Sect's civil war.
• The rise of impersonators and internet celebrities claiming to be Grandmasters.

Character Interactions

• True Person Weiyun and the Sect Leader: The Sect Leader sends a message to True Person Weiyun, ordering him to observe and wait.
• Luo Min and the Demon Lord: Luo Min reports to the Demon Lord and is tasked to find Cangwu Zi.
• Song Ziwen and the fatty: The two work together to impersonate Cangwu Zi for live broadcasts, attracting a significant audience.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brother Diao, a local thug, demands 80% of Song Ziwen's livestream e-commerce income, threatening him and his partner.
• The silly old man (Cangwu Zi) intervenes, taking the beating meant for Song Ziwen and demonstrating immense power.
• Brother Diao and his men retreat in fear after realizing Cangwu Zi's power.
• Cangwu Zi's fellow disciples from the Qingcheng Sect arrive, seeking to take him back. They destroy Song Ziwen's courtyard.
• A mysterious couple and the Mount Tai Sect Daoists pursue Cangwu Zi and Song Ziwen.
• A large Monk appears, claiming to be Cangwu Zi's friend and ordering Song Ziwen to follow him. The Qingcheng Sect intervenes, and a fight ensues.

Character Developments

• Song Ziwen: Initially timid and submissive, he gains confidence after Cangwu Zi's display of power. He becomes more assertive and even defiant.
• Cangwu Zi: Despite his senile appearance, he reveals immense power and martial prowess. His true identity as a powerful martial artist is hinted at.
• The Large Monk: He appears mysterious and powerful, claiming to be Cangwu Zi's friend. His true intentions are unclear.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics: The story explores how power dynamics shift between characters, with Song Ziwen gaining confidence after witnessing Cangwu Zi's power.
• Identity: Cangwu Zi's true identity as a powerful martial artist is revealed, challenging his initial portrayal as a senile old man.
• Deception and truth: The Large Monk's true intentions are unclear, raising questions about deception and truth in relationships.

Character Interactions

• Song Ziwen and Cangwu Zi: Song Ziwen initially sees Cangwu Zi as a tool for making money but later develops a sense of dependence and respect for him.
• The Qingcheng Sect and Cangwu Zi: The Sect seeks to take Cangwu Zi back, revealing their connection to him and their desire to control him.
• The Large Monk and Song Ziwen: The Monk orders Song Ziwen to follow him, demonstrating his power over Song Ziwen's mind.

Chapter Summary: “Demonic Thought Revives”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Ziwen panics after Cangwu Zi collapses, but before Daoist Songhe can strike him, two mysterious figures—a young man and a woman—rescue both Song Ziwen and Cangwu Zi.
• The young man claims to be acting under his sect master’s orders to retrieve Cangwu Zi, while Songhe insists that Cangwu is a Qingcheng Sect elder. Their confrontation escalates into a battle.
• Songhe and the young man fight evenly, revealing that both possess exceptionally high cultivation. The Qingcheng disciples form the Big Dipper Demon-Subduing Formation, while Songhe manifests the Qingcheng Sect’s enormous Xuanqiong True Self Dharma Body.
• The young man counters by summoning a gigantic mountain-sprite-like Dharma Form capable of generating devastating winds. The hurricane destroys the Qingcheng formation and scatters both Qingcheng and Mount Tai Daoists.
• The mysterious woman takes advantage of the chaos to seize Cangwu Zi. A large monk briefly attempts to snatch him away, causing Cangwu great pain before retreating.
• Cangwu’s terrifying black eyes and unusual power frighten the woman. When he begins exerting overwhelming palm force, the young man intervenes to save her.
• Cangwu suddenly transforms into a colossal, over-one-hundred-meter-tall demonic figure. His power vastly surpasses the other Dharma Bodies, forcing the Qingcheng and Mount Tai forces to retreat.
• Cangwu rampages across the area, destroying buildings and causing widespread panic. The destruction is so extreme that the imperial court may be forced to reassess the threat posed by powerful martial artists.
• Senior Daoists from both Mount Tai and Qingcheng arrive. True Master Cang of Qingcheng transforms into an enormous Dharma Aspect body, apparently preparing to confront or restrain Cangwu.

Character Developments

• Cangwu Zi awakens from unconsciousness in a violently altered state. His eyes turn crimson, his body expands monstrously, and he becomes an apparently uncontrolled destructive force.
• Song Ziwen is shown as cowardly, dependent, and utterly helpless, fainting from fear while relying on Cangwu for protection.
• Daoist Songhe demonstrates courage, leadership, and formidable skill. Despite being pressured by the mysterious young man, he prioritizes protecting Cangwu and his fellow disciples.
• The young man, Zhang Kui, proves arrogant, powerful, and highly confident. He can create and control a giant mountain-sprite Dharma Form, but he is visibly shocked by Cangwu’s transformation.
• The mysterious woman is swift and capable, successfully capturing Cangwu, but her confidence collapses when she encounters his overwhelming power. Her frightened plea for Zhang Kui’s help reveals her dependence on him.
• The Mount Tai Daoists, especially Changfeng Zi, remain cautious and politically aware. They avoid directly joining a battle beyond their strength and recognize the broader consequences of Cangwu’s rampage.
• True Master Cang arrives as a senior Qingcheng expert, displaying the sect’s confidence in its secret Dharma Aspect techniques.

Significant Themes

• The danger of uncontrolled power: Cangwu’s transformation turns a martial conflict into a regional disaster, showing how cultivation strength can threaten ordinary society.
• The limits of sect authority: Qingcheng’s prestige and claims of righteousness fail to intimidate the opposing figures, exposing rivalry and arrogance among the sects.
• Righteousness versus demonic methods: Both sides frame the other as heretical or demonic, while their actions reveal that sectarian pride and political interests influence their behavior.
• The fragile balance between martial artists and the imperial court: Cangwu’s destructive ability may force the government to reconsider whether powerful cultivators can remain outside direct state control.
• Pride and misjudgment: Songhe, Zhang Kui, and the various sects initially underestimate one another. Cangwu’s transformation demonstrates how quickly confidence can turn into fear.
• Human vulnerability before supernatural force: Even elite Daoists are scattered like ordinary people when confronted by the hurricane and Cangwu’s colossal form.

Important Character Interactions

• Song Ziwen pleads with the fallen Cangwu Zi for protection, then becomes the target of Songhe’s anger.
• Songhe and Zhang Kui engage in a prolonged, evenly matched battle, trading insults over Qingcheng’s prestige and the opposing sect’s demonic methods.
• Zhang Kui and the woman cooperate to capture Cangwu, but she later needs Zhang Kui to rescue her from Cangwu’s terrifying power.
• The Qingcheng and Mount Tai Daoists interact tensely, with Mount Tai criticizing Qingcheng for fighting on its territory while still refusing to risk joining the battle.
• The large monk briefly contests the woman for possession of Cangwu, then abandons the struggle after accidentally causing Cangwu severe pain.
• True Master Qingyang and True Master Cang discuss the implications of Qingcheng’s Dharma Body techniques as Cangwu continues destroying the surrounding area.

Key plot points and events

• Cangwu Zi, lost in demonic madness, fights True Master Cang and True Master Qingyang. Qingyang’s Stone Gāndāng briefly restrains him, but Cangwu Zi breaks it and continues rampaging.
• The colossal battle devastates the surrounding countryside. Daoists and constables evacuate villagers while authorities and soldiers cordon off the area. Videos spread online, but the imperial court removes them.
• As the two masters struggle to contain Cangwu Zi, a gigantic Nine-headed Serpent appears. It is the Dharma Body of the Sacred Lotus Sect Leader, who claims Cangwu Zi as the sect’s Protector and tries to call him back through a demonic sound technique.
• Cangwu Zi begins responding to the Sect Leader’s command. True Master Cang attacks the serpent, Qingyang tries to block Cangwu Zi, and Qingcheng disciples and Sacred Lotus Envoys join the fight.
• A young Daoist, Zhao Rui, arrives playing a flute. His music overpowers the serpent’s demonic sound, halts Cangwu Zi, and restores some clarity to him. The Sect Leader reveals his interest in Zhao Rui, who is known for having fought Cangwu Zi alone.

Character developments and interactions

• True Master Cang shifts from trying to subdue Cangwu Zi to urgently protecting Qingcheng’s interests, asking Qingyang for help and then confronting the Sect Leader.
• True Master Qingyang intervenes despite the danger, using his famed Stone Gāndāng to protect others and hold Cangwu Zi back. He recognizes that neither he nor Cang can contain him for long.
• The Sacred Lotus Sect Leader openly asserts authority over Cangwu Zi and demonstrates powerful sonic techniques, but Zhao Rui’s flute counters them.
• Zhao Rui makes a dramatic entrance and displays a skill capable of disrupting the Sect Leader’s control. Both the Sect Leader and True Master Cang recognize him.
• The Qingfeng Envoy initially agrees to Qingyang’s request for noninterference, but the Sect Leader’s arrival changes the situation and draws the Envoy into the fighting.

Significant themes

• Power and helplessness: Even elite martial artists and armed authorities struggle to control the destruction caused by Dharma Appearance experts.
• Institutional rivalry and allegiance: The conflict over Cangwu Zi becomes a contest between Qingcheng, Mount Tai, and the Sacred Lotus Sect, each claiming responsibility or authority over him.
• Public spectacle and information control: The battle becomes a viral online event, exposing the gap between ordinary martial arts and sect-level power, while authorities attempt to suppress coverage.
• Music versus demonic influence: Zhao Rui’s flute provides a counterforce to the Sect Leader’s demonic sound, suggesting that Cangwu Zi’s madness may still be interrupted or resisted.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Rui arrives amid the confrontation between the Qingcheng Sect, Mount Tai Sect, and the Sacred Lotus Sect. He announces that he is from Eastern Qi and urges the Mount Tai disciples to clear the area before a major battle.
• True Master Qingyang agrees, and the onlookers, army, and Patrol House withdraw. True Master Cang, recognizing he is isolated, joins Qingyang in trying to subdue the rampaging Cangwu Zi.
• Zhao Rui confronts the Sacred Lotus Sect Leader and asks about his origins and the Ruins Return. The Leader offers only a cryptic answer: the Ruins Return is far larger than Zhao Rui imagines, and its mysteries must wait.
• Zhao Rui and Qingyang fight the Leader, who proves overwhelmingly skilled. During the battle, Zhao Rui copies his Great Sumeru Buddha Hand technique.
• Cangwu Zi begins to regain his awareness as the Demonic Thought revives. Zhao Rui rushes to stop him while Qingyang and Cang try to hold off the Leader. The Leader’s strength becomes clear when he easily knocks both Qingcheng and Mount Tai masters back.
• Zhao Rui manifests the Qingcheng Sect’s Zifu Yuanzun Dharma Body, surprising the Leader. He uses powerful sound and soul techniques to interrupt the Leader and counter his demonic sound, then joins Qingyang and Cang in a three-on-one battle.
• Cangwu Zi fully awakens, speaks a cryptic Buddhist-sounding verse, and declares that he is himself now—but will be “Mahā” when they meet again. He then takes Song Ziwen from the Sacred Lotus woman and flees east.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Rui shows tactical judgment, confidence, and formidable versatility. He coordinates with Qingyang, protects the battlefield from spectators, and uses his unusual mix of copied and learned techniques to challenge the Sect Leader. His familiarity with Sacred Lotus methods also hints at deeper ties to the sect.
• True Master Qingyang shifts from an aggrieved observer to Zhao Rui’s ally, helping clear the area and fight the Sect Leader.
• True Master Cang is forced to set aside his anger toward Zhao Rui and cooperate against the greater threat. He is shaken by the Sect Leader’s power.
• The Sacred Lotus Sect Leader remains composed and cryptic, but Zhao Rui’s soul attack briefly disrupts him and provokes genuine surprise.
• Cangwu Zi changes from a confused, violent figure into a lucid and purposeful one. His farewell suggests he regards this awakened self as temporary and anticipates returning as a different, more powerful identity. He retrieves Song Ziwen and escapes.

Significant themes

• Shifting identities and divided selves: Cangwu Zi’s Demonic Thought and his claim to be “himself” raise questions about which version of him is authentic.
• Cooperation under pressure: Zhao Rui, Qingyang, and Cang unite despite mistrust when confronted with a greater danger.
• Hidden knowledge and origins: The Leader’s evasive remarks about the Ruins Return and Zhao Rui’s copied Buddhist art deepen the mystery surrounding the characters’ backgrounds.
• Power and perception: The battle reveals that apparent parity can be misleading; Zhao Rui’s coordination had helped conceal the vast gap between the Leader and the other masters.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Rui pursues Cangwu Zi after the latter flees the battlefield. Cang Zhenzi follows, while the Sacred Lotus Sect Leader and Qingfeng Envoy depart separately.
• The Sacred Lotus Sect Leader cryptically warns True Master Qingyang that Mount Tai Sect cannot resist the coming upheaval forever. Qingfeng Envoy admits that Zhao Rui’s abilities may surpass his own.
• After the battle, True Master Qingyang orders the spectators to disperse and encourages Changfeng Zi to strive toward the Dharma Aspect Realm.
• Cangwu Zi escapes to Jiangsu Province with Song Ziwen, who awakens and immediately accepts the deranged figure as his “grandfather.” Cangwu Zi adopts the name Song Guangxuan and grants Song Ziwen the newly comprehended Mahā Ananta Divine Art.
• Song Guangxuan declares that he is heading toward the East Sea, sensing that something important lies there.
• Zhao Rui catches up with him. The two debate the nature of Cangwu Zi’s identity: he is both Cangwu Zi and not Cangwu Zi, apparently an Inner Demon or transformed consciousness.
• Zhao Rui challenges Song Guangxuan to a battle, partly to settle their karmic conflict and partly to learn more about him. During the fight, Zhao Rui uses his ability to copy the Mahā Ananta Divine Art.
• Their battle is intense but controlled, with both relying on their physical bodies and Dharma Aspect True Essence rather than fully unleashing their Dharma Forms.
• Cang Zhenzi arrives and realizes that Cangwu Zi’s strength may now rival Qingcheng Sect’s leader. He begins to suspect that Qingcheng Sect has badly misjudged the situation and must reconsider its previous plans.
• After the duel, Song Guangxuan explains the principles of Mahā Ananta: the self is formless, and from the heart arise all forms and laws. He formally ends his entanglements with Qingcheng Sect, saying the divine art he taught them repays their past kindness.
• Song Guangxuan leaves for the East Sea with Song Ziwen. Zhao Rui chooses not to pursue him, and Cang Zhenzi returns to report the matter to the sect.
• News of the Dharma Aspect battles spreads throughout society. The public becomes aware that martial artists of this level are essentially comparable to immortals, prompting fear, fascination, political concern, and a rush to send children to sects for training.
• Members of the Dongqi University Martial Arts Team recognize Zhao Rui in the battle footage but doubt that the enormous Dharma Aspect figure could really be their former captain. They decide to question their coach.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates increasing confidence and ambition. He openly challenges Song Guangxuan and prioritizes copying Mahā Ananta so that he can keep pace with future developments. His pursuit is motivated by both curiosity and strategic caution.
• Cangwu Zi/Song Guangxuan appears to have fully embraced his transformed identity. He is calm, enigmatic, and detached from his former sect, possessing a philosophy that blends Daoist, Buddhist, and demonic ideas. His power and insight have grown dramatically.
• Song Ziwen eagerly accepts Song Guangxuan as his grandfather and becomes the recipient of a powerful divine art. Despite his fear and physical discomfort during the battle, he remains opportunistic, already imagining how powerful he might become.
• Cang Zhenzi shifts from simply opposing or observing his senior brother to recognizing the danger of Qingcheng Sect’s current strategy. He concludes that the sect must adapt to the changing world and avoid repeating the disaster of the Ruins Return.
• Changfeng Zi is deeply inspired by the Dharma Aspect experts’ battle. His determination to break through into the Dharma Aspect Realm strengthens considerably.
• Qingfeng Envoy acknowledges Zhao Rui’s exceptional talent and wonders whether their next meeting will make them allies or enemies.
• True Master Qingyang maintains authority after the conflict, guiding Mount Tai Sect and placing faith in its younger generation.

Significant Themes

• Identity and transformation: Cangwu Zi’s uncertain relationship with “Song Guangxuan” raises questions about whether a person can remain themselves after being consumed or reshaped by an Inner Demon.
• The nature of the Dao: Song Guangxuan argues that Dao, Buddhism, and demonic cultivation are all expressions of the same root principle, with the heart generating every law and form.
• Power and adaptation: The rise of Dharma Aspect experts forces sects, governments, and ordinary people to reconsider the existing social order.
• Knowledge as power: Zhao Rui’s copying ability allows him to turn an opponent’s advantage into his own, emphasizing learning and adaptability over simple strength.
• The divide between mortals and transcendents: Public reaction suggests that society now sees Grandmasters as beings fundamentally different from ordinary humans.
• Sect politics and changing alliances: Qingcheng Sect’s plans become uncertain, while individuals such as Qingfeng Envoy and Cang Zhenzi recognize that former rivalries may need to be reevaluated.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Song Guangxuan: Their confrontation combines philosophical debate, suspicion, and mutual respect. They fight to settle their grievances, while Zhao Rui secretly uses the battle to copy Mahā Ananta.
• Song Guangxuan and Song Ziwen: Song Ziwen flatters and accepts him as his grandfather, while Song Guangxuan rewards him with a divine art and takes him toward the East Sea.
• Song Guangxuan and Cang Zhenzi: Song Guangxuan releases himself from Qingcheng Sect’s debts, while Cang Zhenzi recognizes his senior brother’s overwhelming growth but cannot bring himself to ask for reconciliation.
• True Master Qingyang and Mount Tai Sect disciples: Qingyang’s return restores order, and his encouragement pushes Changfeng Zi toward greater cultivation.
• The public and the martial world: The battle’s official footage transforms Dharma Aspect experts from hidden martial figures into publicly recognized, near-immortal beings.

Chapter Summary: “What Does Ruins Return Truly Seek?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Zhanshan learns that Zhao Rui has reached the Dharma Aspect Realm. Zhao Rui’s achievement elevates the Dongqi Martial Arts Team into the province’s model team, earning it special treatment and attracting the Governor’s interest.
• Zhao Rui agrees to meet the Governor eventually but first returns to the Qingcheng Sword Sect.
• Using his new Dharma Aspect abilities, Zhao Rui flies thousands of miles directly to Crane Cry Mountain, demonstrating his extraordinary speed and power.
• At the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s temporary headquarters, Zhao Rui learns that the sect is considering returning to Qingcheng Mountain and reconciling with the established Qingcheng Sect.
• Yu Zheng’nan explains that the return involves complicated issues of doctrine, rites, inheritance, and religious authority. Zhao Rui gives him full authority to negotiate.
• Zhao Rui visits Yun Hao, who is attempting to advance to the high stage of the Divine Void Realm. After Yun Hao successfully leaves seclusion, Zhao Rui predicts that he may soon reach the Dharma Aspect Realm.
• Zhao Rui teaches Yun Hao the principles of the Mahā Ananta Divine Art, a profound divine-soul technique related to Dharma and heavenly Dao. Yun Hao is deeply moved and immediately enters secluded cultivation again.
• Zhao Rui and Yu Zheng’nan travel to the established Qingcheng Sect. True Master Cang and other senior Daoists receive them formally.
• The Qingcheng Sect explains the dangerous conditions of Guixu, or Ruins Return, and how its people and the Central Plains Daoists gradually merged through centuries of conflict, exchange, and cooperation.
• After negotiations, the Qingcheng Sword Sect and Qingcheng Sect agree to coexist on Qingcheng Mountain as branches of the same lineage rather than resolve their differences through force.
• Zhao Rui then directly asks Sect Leader Weichen what Ruins Return truly wants and why its people are returning, sensing that the official explanations conceal a larger agenda.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui has become a major power whose influence extends beyond martial circles. His advancement forces government officials and sect leaders to treat him as an equal or even a decisive figure.
• Despite his growing status, Zhao Rui remains humble and loyal to the Martial Arts Team, reassuring Wang Zhanshan that he has not abandoned his roots.
• Zhao Rui displays increased mental discipline. He recognizes the desire to dominate heaven and earth as a martial obstacle and avoids falling into demonic deviation.
• He continues to distance himself emotionally from women such as Miao Miaomiao, Qin Rui, and He Wanqing, questioning whether his lack of romantic attachment comes from insufficient shared experiences or from his past.
• Wang Zhanshan becomes aware that Zhao Rui’s rise may transform the entire Dongqi Martial Arts Team. His relief that Zhao Rui still identifies with the team reveals his personal attachment and concern about losing him.
• Yu Zheng’nan remains politically cautious and uncertain about the sect’s future, but Zhao Rui’s support gives him confidence to negotiate the return to Qingcheng Mountain.
• Yun Hao demonstrates a firm and disciplined Dao heart. Rather than rushing into the Dharma Aspect Realm, he chooses to perfect his sword intent first. Zhao Rui’s instruction strengthens their bond and gives Yun Hao a new path toward advancement.
• Ye Qinglian is shown as devoted to Yun Hao but frustrated by his repeated seclusion, humorously comparing her marriage to widowhood.
• Sect Leader Weichen initially presents himself as courteous and open-minded, but his reaction to Zhao Rui’s question suggests that the Qingcheng Sect may be guarding important information.

Significant Themes

• Power and status: Zhao Rui’s breakthrough changes how the government, martial organizations, and sects view him. His cultivation now carries political and institutional consequences.
• Humility and self-control: Zhao Rui understands that great power can produce dangerous arrogance. Recognizing and resisting the illusion that he can freely command heaven and earth becomes part of his spiritual discipline.
• Inheritance and legitimacy: The Qingcheng Sword Sect’s return is not merely a relocation. It raises questions about authentic lineage, ritual authority, doctrine, and the right to represent Qingcheng tradition.
• Cooperation between traditions: The proposed merger reflects the possibility of reconciliation between different branches of the same heritage, especially after centuries of conflict and cultural exchange.
• Knowledge and hidden agendas: The chapter emphasizes that important truths are controlled by social circles and classes. Zhao Rui refuses to remain ignorant and seeks to uncover the real motives behind Ruins Return.
• The relationship between cultivation and responsibility: Zhao Rui’s teaching of Yun Hao is framed not simply as personal advancement, but as a way to protect the Dharma and the common people.
• Emotional distance and companionship: Zhao Rui contrasts Yun Hao and Qinglian’s devoted relationship with his own inability to form equally deep attachments.

Important Character Interactions

• Wang Zhanshan and Zhao Rui: Their conversation combines respect, affection, and uncertainty. Wang Zhanshan tests whether Zhao Rui still considers himself part of the team, and Zhao Rui reassures him without making a dramatic declaration.
• Zhao Rui and Yu Zheng’nan: Their relationship is built on trust. Zhao Rui avoids interfering in administrative matters and allows Yu Zheng’nan to lead the sect’s negotiations.
• Zhao Rui and Yun Hao: They share a deep martial and spiritual connection. Zhao Rui acknowledges Yun Hao’s potential and transmits advanced knowledge, while Yun Hao responds with profound respect.
• Zhao Rui and Ye Qinglian: Their brief exchange shows Qinglian’s concern for Yun Hao and Zhao Rui’s awareness of the intimacy between the couple.
• Zhao Rui, True Master Cang, and Sect Leader Weichen: These interactions begin as formal diplomacy but gradually reveal the larger conflict. Cang offers background about Ruins Return, while Weichen faces Zhao Rui’s direct challenge about the true purpose behind their return.

Overall Significance

The chapter marks Zhao Rui’s transition from rising martial prodigy to a central figure in the political and spiritual structure of the martial world. The Qingcheng Sword Sect’s return appears settled, but Zhao Rui’s final question exposes a deeper mystery: Ruins Return may have motives beyond reconciliation, and understanding those motives will likely determine the future of both Qingcheng sects and the Central Plains.

Chapter Summary: “Witch Venerable”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Rui learns from True Person Weichen that the sects returning from Ruins Return are actually refugees and defeated forces fleeing a civil war that began over a century earlier.
• Their ancestors had developed a barren region of Ruins Return, but after powerful enemies invaded, the surviving factions secretly contacted Blue Star and prepared a retreat through a newly reappeared spatial fissure.
• Zhao Rui realizes that the Qingcheng and other sects’ recent activities, as well as his conflict with Cangwu Zi, may be connected to a much larger political struggle involving Ruins Return.
• He and Yu Zheng’nan finalize the location of the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s new Daoist temple beside Qingcheng Mountain’s auxiliary hall, securing the sect’s future stability.
• Zhao Rui then travels to Mount Song to investigate Shaolin.
• At Shaolin, a Buddhist Dharma Appearance is displayed to pilgrims as though it were a miraculous appearance of the Buddha. Zhao Rui privately criticizes the temple’s commercialized and theatrical approach.
• A mysterious and arrogant woman, later identified as the Ruins Return Witch Venerable, openly mocks the pilgrims and Shaolin’s Buddhist spectacle.
• She immobilizes several Shaolin monks with a glance after they attempt to monitor her, then attacks Zhao Rui simply because she dislikes him.
• Zhao Rui evades her attack, but Shaolin’s Hui Kong intervenes, surrounding the area with a kasaya Dharma Form and separating the supernatural confrontation from the tourists.
• Hui Kong recognizes the Witch Venerable and treats her cautiously, revealing that Shaolin is unwilling to provoke her. She declares that she has come merely to look around, though her behavior clearly suggests she intends to cause trouble.
• To mock Shaolin, the Witch Venerable announces that she will take Zhao Rui away. Hui Kong does not stop her and even withdraws the kasaya, hoping the two will leave.
• Zhao Rui escapes by leaping from the mountain and using his Lightness Skill through the forest. The Witch Venerable pursues him effortlessly, teasing him about the weakness of his aerial movement.
• Realizing that his movement techniques rely too heavily on traditional body-lightening and true qi, Zhao Rui combines his accumulated martial arts insights and transforms his movement into a sword-like flight technique, temporarily shocking the Witch Venerable before she resumes the chase.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui: Becomes more aware of the larger geopolitical conflict surrounding Ruins Return and recognizes that his actions may be manipulated as part of broader factional schemes. He remains cautious and pragmatic, preferring cultivation and strength over political entanglements. During the escape, he also identifies a weakness in his movement techniques and adapts creatively under pressure.
• True Person Weichen: Reveals the humiliating history of the returning sects, showing himself to be candid but burdened by the defeat and exile of his people.
• Yu Zheng’nan: Continues cooperating with Zhao Rui to establish the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s new base and secure its institutional future.
• The Witch Venerable: Is introduced as an extremely powerful, playful, arrogant, and unpredictable figure. She acts according to personal whim, provoking both Shaolin and Zhao Rui without apparent fear of consequences.
• Hui Kong: Demonstrates Shaolin’s political caution. Though outwardly courteous and composed, he clearly fears the Witch Venerable’s power and prioritizes avoiding conflict over defending Shaolin’s authority.

Significant Themes

• Exile and hidden history: The returning sects are not triumphant conquerors but displaced survivors, complicating the public image of Ruins Return and its martial forces.
• Political maneuvering: Zhao Rui realizes that sect mergers, public displays of power, and even personal conflicts may serve larger strategic purposes.
• Stability versus upheaval: Establishing the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s temple represents Zhao Rui’s desire for stability, while the Witch Venerable embodies chaos and disruption.
• Appearance versus reality: Shaolin presents a Dharma manifestation as a spiritual miracle, while Zhao Rui sees it as a calculated public spectacle. Similarly, Hui Kong’s polite words conceal apprehension.
• Adaptation and martial growth: Zhao Rui’s realization that his Lightness Skill is outdated leads him to integrate different techniques and develop a more advanced form of movement.
• Power and authority: Shaolin’s prestigious reputation proves insufficient to make it confident against the Witch Venerable, revealing that true strength, rather than status, determines who controls the situation.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui questions the Qingcheng True Persons and draws out Weichen’s account of Ruins Return’s civil war and refugee history.
• Zhao Rui and Yu Zheng’nan collaborate on the Qingcheng Sword Sect’s new temple site.
• The Witch Venerable mocks Shaolin’s pilgrims and confronts its monks, effortlessly sealing their acupoints.
• She clashes verbally and physically with Zhao Rui, attacking him without provocation and then pursuing him when he tries to flee.
• Hui Kong negotiates with the Witch Venerable, recognizing her identity and attempting to placate her rather than fight.
• The Witch Venerable deliberately claims Zhao Rui as the person she will take away, using him to taunt Shaolin and demonstrate that she is not intimidated by the temple.
• The chapter ends with Zhao Rui and the Witch Venerable racing through the sky, their confrontation escalating as Zhao Rui unveils a new sword-like movement technique.

Chapter Summary: “Witchcraft, Copying”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Rui flees across the sky from a powerful woman after provoking her. Using his newly mastered sword-intent flight, unusual footwork, and seemingly endless true qi, he keeps outmaneuvering her.
• During the chase, Zhao Rui deliberately irritates her by eating ice, catching birds and fish, and cooking food in midair. Their pursuit becomes a mix of insults, threats, and comedic bickering.
• They eventually reach Yokohama in Eastern Japan. Zhao Rui lands to find food, while the woman follows him, initially believing he has finally surrendered.
• At a small restaurant, Zhao Rui orders local specialties. The woman casually threatens the staff and kills or incapacitates people outside, revealing her extreme disregard for human life. Zhao Rui remains largely indifferent and focuses on eating.
• After dining, Zhao Rui introduces himself under the alias “Old Driver.” The woman reveals her name as Mo Ling’er and agrees to spend two days experiencing modern city life with him, though she insists he cannot escape.
• Mo Ling’er secretly casts a Soul Chasing Seal on Zhao Rui. His system detects the witchcraft as a copyable technique, allowing him to copy it while concealing the fact that he has neutralized her advantage.
• Zhao Rui takes Mo Ling’er sightseeing, including sliding down a skyscraper and drinking at an izakaya. He appears to be entertaining her while secretly attempting to delay her and possibly lead her toward the Sacred Lotus Sect’s territory.
• Zhao Rui eventually slips away through the restroom. When Mo Ling’er realizes she can no longer sense her soul-mark on him, she becomes furious, destroys the bar, and incapacitates numerous bystanders.
• Members of the Sacred Lotus Sect arrive to confront her. Before they can meaningfully react, Mo Ling’er disappears and leaves them unconscious, prompting them to suspect that an outside Dharma Appearance Realm expert has entered their territory.

2. Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates increasing mastery of his abilities, especially sword-intent flight, evasive movement, Ice True Qi, Blazing Fire Palm, and his ability to improvise in unfamiliar environments.
• He is shown to be mischievous, resourceful, and highly adaptable. Rather than confronting Mo Ling’er directly, he uses humor, food, sightseeing, and deception to exhaust or distract her.
• Zhao Rui’s system becomes crucial when it copies the Soul Chasing Seal, allowing him to turn Mo Ling’er’s own scheme against her and successfully evade her tracking.
• Mo Ling’er is revealed to be powerful, cruel, curious, and emotionally volatile. She treats killing as trivial, yet also shows childlike curiosity toward modern technology, food, architecture, alcohol, and city life.
• Her frustration grows as Zhao Rui repeatedly escapes her control. Although she appears confident and dominant, his ability to resist and deceive her wounds her pride.
• Mo Ling’er’s memories of Ruins Return briefly expose a more reflective side, suggesting attachment to her homeland beneath her violent exterior.

3. Significant Themes

• Wit versus brute force: Zhao Rui survives not by overpowering Mo Ling’er but through deception, endurance, evasive techniques, and strategic improvisation.
• Power and moral detachment: Mo Ling’er’s casual violence contrasts sharply with Zhao Rui’s comparatively restrained behavior, highlighting the danger of someone who views ordinary people as disposable.
• Modernity versus the supernatural: Mo Ling’er’s fascination with Eastern Japan’s city life and technology creates a contrast between the ancient, mystical world she comes from and the modern world Zhao Rui navigates.
• Mutual manipulation: Zhao Rui pretends to entertain Mo Ling’er while planning an escape, while she pretends to indulge him after secretly marking his soul.
• The value of adaptability: Zhao Rui quickly turns unfamiliar circumstances—air travel, local food, translation software, nightlife, and urban architecture—to his advantage.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui and Mo Ling’er spend most of the chapter trading insults and threats, but their hostility is mixed with teasing, curiosity, and a strange mutual amusement.
• Their aerial chase establishes their contrasting personalities: Zhao Rui is playful and evasive, while Mo Ling’er is aggressive, proud, and increasingly exasperated.
• At the restaurant, Zhao Rui ignores Mo Ling’er’s murderous provocations, while she repeatedly tries to provoke him by threatening strangers.
• Mo Ling’er attempts to establish control by placing the Soul Chasing Seal on Zhao Rui, but he secretly copies the technique and later escapes, reversing the power dynamic.
• Their drinking and sightseeing temporarily create the appearance of companionship, though both remain suspicious and self-interested.
• The chapter ends with Mo Ling’er violently retaliating after losing Zhao Rui, setting up further conflict between her, Zhao Rui, and the Sacred Lotus Sect.

Chapter Summary: “On-Site Observation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mo Ling’er arrives over a city in Eastern Ocean Japan, loudly demanding that Zhao Rui reveal himself. When he does not respond, she destroys several skyscrapers to force him out, causing widespread panic.
• A masked Divine Envoy of the Sacred Lotus Sect confronts her. He reveals a powerful “Desire Demon Body,” but Mo Ling’er overwhelms him, absorbs the desire-based demonic energy, and defeats him by crushing him between her palm seals.
• The Sacred Lotus Sect Leader, Sansheng—also referred to as the Samsara Sect Master—appears and rescues the defeated envoy. He avoids conflict with Mo Ling’er and orders the sect’s forces and government contacts to search for Zhao Rui.
• Mo Ling’er asks Sansheng to help locate Zhao Rui, explaining that she mainly wants him to know she is looking for him. Sansheng also offers her accommodation, and the two leave together in a luxury car.
• Zhao Rui emerges from hiding after they depart. Using his Innate Female Formless Heavenly Demon technique, he had concealed himself from Mo Ling’er and the surrounding experts.
• Zhao Rui explores Eastern Ocean Japan, observing its entertainment, food, nightlife, and social conditions. He discovers that the government has effectively become a puppet of the Sacred Lotus Sect, while demonic cultivation, exploitation, enslavement, and human sacrifice have become common.
• He recalls Zhang Kui and Luo Min, former acquaintances who have joined the demon sect, and wonders whether they have fully embraced the demonic path.
• A powerful earthquake-like tremor shakes the entire island. Soon afterward, brilliant light and unusual spiritual energy appear over the sea, accompanied by gigantic waves and a massive vortex.
• Zhao Rui senses that the phenomenon is connected to a Divine Weapon and possibly to the Ruins Return. He flies toward the vortex to investigate, reflecting on the mysterious origins of the Central Plains sects and other Ruins Return forces.
• Mo Ling’er and Sansheng arrive and confront Zhao Rui. As he attempts to retreat, Sansheng stops him and identifies the vortex as the Realm of Void Boundaries.

Character Developments

• Mo Ling’er: Demonstrates overwhelming martial power and a reckless, playful destructiveness. She treats the Sacred Lotus Sect with contempt, easily defeating one of its Twelve Heavenly Demons and remaining confident that Zhao Rui will eventually reveal himself.
• Zhao Rui: Shows caution and resourcefulness by hiding successfully with his shapeless demonic concealment technique. He also displays curiosity and growing awareness of the larger mysteries surrounding Divine Weapons and the Ruins Return.
• Sansheng/Samsara Sect Master: Establishes himself as a powerful and calculating leader. Rather than fight Mo Ling’er, he placates her, controls the local situation, and uses the search for Zhao Rui to advance his own interests.
• Masked Divine Envoy: His apparent confidence and demonic transformation prove insufficient against Mo Ling’er. His defeat highlights the gap between ordinary high-level demon cultivators and Mo Ling’er’s strength.
• Zhang Kui and Luo Min: Although absent, they become more significant through Zhao Rui’s concern that they may have completely fallen into demonic cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The corruption of society by demonic power: Eastern Ocean Japan appears normal on the surface, but its government and social order have been hollowed out by the Sacred Lotus Sect.
• Power and domination: Mo Ling’er’s destruction, the sect’s control over the government, and the abuse of ordinary people all illustrate a world governed by superior force rather than law or morality.
• Secrecy and concealment: Zhao Rui hides his identity and movements, while the sect conceals its origins and the route by which outside forces entered the world.
• Exploration of unknown realms: The Divine Weapon phenomenon and the Realm of Void Boundaries deepen the mystery of the Ruins Return and suggest the existence of portals or passages between worlds.
• Moral decline and complicity: The chapter suggests that Eastern Ocean Japan’s existing selfishness and violence made it especially compatible with the Sacred Lotus Sect’s doctrines.

Important Character Interactions

• Mo Ling’er vs. the Divine Envoy: Their battle demonstrates Mo Ling’er’s superiority; she neutralizes his blade techniques and absorbs his desire-based demonic power.
• Mo Ling’er and Sansheng: Their conversation is outwardly courteous but tense. Sansheng flatters and accommodates her, while she mocks the sect and treats him as a useful guide rather than an equal.
• Mo Ling’er and Zhao Rui: Though they do not directly fight in this chapter, she actively hunts him, while Zhao Rui hides and later prepares to flee upon hearing her approach.
• Zhao Rui and Sansheng: Sansheng prevents Zhao Rui from escaping and introduces him to the Realm of Void Boundaries, placing the two on the verge of a more direct confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Make You Kneel”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Samsara Sect Master explains that the Realm of Void Boundaries connects the current world to another realm known as the Ruins Return.
• Zhao Rui attempts to leave, but the Sect Master’s nine divine envoys ambush him using the Nine Sons Scarlet Yin Soul Lock Array, a soul-binding formation that Zhao Rui copies through his system.
• Using his powerful soul and various demonic and immortal techniques, Zhao Rui breaks free. He manifests his Dharma Aspect True Body and overwhelms the nine envoys with the Great Sumeru Buddha Hand, throwing them toward the Realm of Void Boundaries.
• The Samsara Sect Master retrieves his subordinates and confronts Zhao Rui. Mo Ling’er then attacks, transforming into a gigantic black-feathered bird covered in strange runes. The Sect Master manifests his Nine-headed Serpent Dharma Aspect, and both join the battle against Zhao Rui.
• During the fight, Zhao Rui copies many of Mo Ling’er’s unusual martial arts. Their clash destabilizes the area, creating violent winds and enormous waves.
• A Nine-aperture Soul Devouring Worm suddenly emerges from the Realm of Void Boundaries and swallows both Zhao Rui and Mo Ling’er. The worm then disappears, leaving the sea calm.
• The Samsara Sect Master orders the nine envoys to conceal the incident and accelerate the Sacred Lotus Sect’s plan to control Eastern Japan, killing anyone who resists.
• Inside the worm, Zhao Rui and Mo Ling’er discover that their true qi is being drained. They must escape before their bodies are reduced to flesh and expelled.
• Mo Ling’er reveals that she possesses paired Witch Treasures in the form of phoenix hairpins. They require the combined strength of a man and a woman to create an opening through the worm’s body.
• Zhao Rui learns the related witchcraft through repeated practice. After prolonged training, he and Mo Ling’er combine the hairpins into a phoenix-shaped attack and bore their way out.
• Once outside, their strength quickly recovers. Mo Ling’er attempts to command Zhao Rui to kneel using her witchcraft, but he resists and immediately flees toward a distant island.

Character Developments

• Zhao Rui demonstrates exceptional resilience, combat power, and adaptability. He repeatedly copies unfamiliar techniques and quickly masters Mo Ling’er’s witchcraft despite having no prior knowledge of it.
• He remains cautious and pragmatic, preferring escape when possible, but becomes ruthless and decisive when attacked.
• Mo Ling’er is shown to be powerful, arrogant, vindictive, and eccentric. Her obsession with capturing Zhao Rui continues even when both are trapped in mortal danger.
• Despite their hostility, Mo Ling’er becomes serious and patient while teaching Zhao Rui the Witch Treasure technique, revealing that she can cooperate when survival requires it.
• The Samsara Sect Master appears calculating and politically ambitious. Although shocked by Zhao Rui’s strength, he prioritizes protecting his subordinates and maintaining the Sacred Lotus Sect’s larger plans.
• The nine divine envoys shift from attackers to observers after realizing that Zhao Rui is far stronger than expected.

Significant Themes

• Adaptability and survival: Zhao Rui survives by combining immense power with rapid learning and improvisation.
• Conflict between freedom and control: Mo Ling’er repeatedly tries to capture and dominate Zhao Rui, while Zhao Rui refuses to submit to anyone.
• Reluctant cooperation: Zhao Rui and Mo Ling’er must work together despite mutual hostility when trapped inside the worm.
• Power and ambition: The Samsara Sect Master’s orders reveal the Sacred Lotus Sect’s expansionist goals and willingness to use violence.
• The unknown beyond the world: The Realm of Void Boundaries and the Ruins Return introduce larger realms, strange creatures, and threats beyond the characters’ understanding.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Rui rejects the Samsara Sect Master’s attempt to entice him with information about the divine light and tries to leave.
• He humiliates the nine divine envoys by capturing and throwing them with the Great Sumeru Buddha Hand.
• Mo Ling’er angrily demands the Samsara Sect Master’s assistance and personally battles Zhao Rui in her transformed bird form.
• Inside the worm, Zhao Rui mocks Mo Ling’er’s supposed authority and repeatedly kicks her when she refuses to reveal a means of escape.
• Their antagonism gradually becomes functional cooperation as Mo Ling’er teaches him witchcraft and Zhao Rui helps complete the escape technique.
• After escaping, Mo Ling’er tries to reassert control by ordering Zhao Rui to kneel, but he ignores her and escapes, preserving their ongoing rivalry.