Chapter Summaries

Key plot points

• Li Xiao is blocked from leaving when a huge, rune-covered coffin erupts from the ground. The Zombie tells him that corpse venom is already slowly turning him into a Zombie and demands that he find the other half of its body and a second Token in exchange for drawing out the poison.
• The Zombie senses that both the missing body part and the other Token are somewhere in the underground palace. Li Xiao realizes another faction must possess a key Ten Thousand Souls Sect relic, but cannot determine whether it is the Hatred-Severing Sect, Cai Family, or Golden Blade Sect.
• Elsewhere, the Cai Family Old Ancestor follows his Token to a graveyard, where the chained lower half of the Zombie’s body is imprisoned. He reports that he has found one Token but not the other.
• The Zombie gives him an Armor Fragment that can detect the second Token, ordering him to find its holder, kill them, and bring the Token back. In return, it promises to help him unite Mu Province once freed.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao remains composed despite being trapped and poisoned. He weighs the Zombie’s demands cautiously and begins treating the other factions as potential rivals for the Token.
• The Cai Family Old Ancestor is revealed to have Corpse Marks spreading up his arm. Though he has reached Sixth Turn, he is being corrupted and controlled by the Zombie; he admits that greed drove him to pursue the relic and that he may have no way back.
• The Cai Family Patriarch questions the danger of freeing a Seventh Turn being. The Old Ancestor shares his fear but hopes the two Tokens may be used to restrain the Zombie. The Patriarch is left cautiously encouraged.
• The Zombie exerts control over both Li Xiao and the Old Ancestor, using threats, promises, and magical objects to make them pursue its goals.

Significant themes

• The cost of ambition: The Old Ancestor’s pursuit of power has left him vulnerable to corruption and coercion.
• Coercion versus agency: Both men are pushed into serving the Zombie, though each considers how to protect himself.
• Power and betrayal: The competing Tokens may become weapons against the Zombie—or triggers for conflict among the palace’s factions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the Blood Pool Underground Palace, Li Xiao attempts to remove the corpse poison left in his calf by the Zombie. Unable to purge it, he cuts away the infected flesh with Sword Qi, but discovers that the corpse aura remains embedded near the bone.
• Li Xiao becomes concerned that the Zombie may betray him after recovering the other half of its body. He also examines the mysterious Token he carries, but finds no obvious clues about its purpose.
• A signal arrow from the Golden Blade Sect summons Li Xiao to a large plaza containing the ruins of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect, an ancient sect renowned for corpse-refining and ghost-controlling techniques.
• Sect Master Wang Yuanqiao hopes to find part of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect’s inheritance. However, the Sect Master of Hatred-Severing Palace arrives with his own forces and claims that his sect is equally entitled to the ruins.
• The two sects prepare for a confrontation, but Li Xiao arrives and changes the balance of power. The Hatred-Severing Palace leader is visibly uneasy because of Li Xiao’s reputation for killing a Red Dust Devil Palace elder and confronting its Saintess.
• Shen Qinghe then appears as a third party, observing rather than immediately siding with either faction.
• Li Xiao proposes that all three groups explore the ruins first and determine ownership afterward. Shen Qinghe agrees and even offers Li Xiao first choice of anything he needs. Li Xiao accepts the arrangement.

Character Developments

• Li Xiao: Demonstrates his resilience and decisiveness by cutting away poisoned flesh, though he is unsettled by the corpse aura’s persistence. He remains calm and authoritative when confronted by rival sects, using his strength and reputation to impose a practical solution.
• Wang Yuanqiao: Shows excitement and ambition regarding the possible Ten Thousand Souls Sect inheritance. He relies on Li Xiao’s arrival to prevent the Golden Blade Sect from being overwhelmed or forced into an unfavorable conflict.
• Sect Master of Hatred-Severing Palace: Appears outwardly relaxed and confident while attempting to claim a share of the ruins, but his confidence falters when confronted with Li Xiao’s presence.
• Shen Qinghe: Displays unusual restraint and pragmatism. Rather than competing directly, she acknowledges Li Xiao’s authority and voluntarily gives him priority, suggesting that she carefully evaluates situations before acting.
• The Zombie: Though absent from the immediate events, it remains a looming threat through the corpse aura embedded in Li Xiao’s body and his doubts about whether it will honor its promise.

Significant Themes

• Hidden danger and loss of control: The corpse aura symbolizes Li Xiao’s vulnerability and the lingering influence of the Zombie, despite his formidable cultivation.
• Power and negotiation: The gathering demonstrates how reputation and strength can prevent immediate violence. Li Xiao resolves the standoff through calm authority rather than direct combat.
• Greed and inheritance: The ruins represent the temptation of ancient knowledge, with each faction eager to claim the Ten Thousand Souls Sect’s forbidden techniques.
• Strategic cooperation: Rival factions temporarily set aside their hostility to explore the ruins, emphasizing the value of compromise when the potential rewards are uncertain.
• Mystery: The Token and the hidden nature of the ruins remain unresolved, hinting at deeper secrets beneath the apparent inheritance.

Character Interactions

• Li Xiao and Wang Yuanqiao maintain a cooperative relationship, with Wang seeking Li Xiao’s help and support.
• The Golden Blade Sect and Hatred-Severing Palace engage in a tense verbal and strategic confrontation over ownership of the ruins.
• Li Xiao’s arrival intimidates the Hatred-Severing Palace leader and shifts the negotiation in the Golden Blade Sect’s favor.
• Shen Qinghe remains independent but acknowledges Li Xiao’s influence by supporting his proposal and granting him priority in claiming discoveries.

Chapter Summary: “Obtained”

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao declares that his priorities in the Ten Thousand Souls Sect Ruins are the Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow and the Mountain Earth Core Qi. He allows the others to search for anything else but warns that anyone obstructing him will receive no mercy.
• The group separates to explore the ruins. As they excavate, they uncover a perfectly preserved, black pyramid covered in ancient runes.
• A Hatred-Severing Palace elder approaches the pyramid and is instantly dragged inside and killed. Black, imprisoned shadows then emerge from the formation and release a terrifying wail that causes everyone severe mental pain.
• Shen Qinghe identifies the entities as Sixth Turn-level ghosts, confirming the ruin’s connection to the ancient Ten Thousand Souls Sect.
• The group recognizes the black banner atop the pyramid as the legendary Ten Thousand Souls Banner, a powerful sect-suppressing treasure believed to command countless ghosts. Despite its value, no one dares approach it.
• Li Xiao senses a faint connection between his mysterious Token and the banner, suggesting that the Token may be linked to the Ten Thousand Souls Sect or its treasures. He conceals this discovery.
• The Cai Family arrives without its Patriarch or strongest elders. Li Xiao suspects their other Token is in the Cai Family’s possession and realizes they have allied with Hatred-Severing Palace to eliminate Golden Blade Sect as a rival.
• Choosing his immediate objective over the banner, Li Xiao continues deeper into the ruins. Golden Blade Sect members discover several pieces of the Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow, fulfilling the first part of his goal. The Mountain Earth Core Qi remains to be found.

Character developments

• Li Xiao demonstrates authority and determination by openly establishing his conditions. He remains focused and pragmatic, resisting the temptation of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner because the Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow and Mountain Earth Core Qi are more urgent. He also becomes increasingly suspicious of the Cai Family and carefully hides his connection to the banner.
• Shen Qinghe maintains her composure despite the ghosts’ attack and displays considerable knowledge by identifying their strength and the Ten Thousand Souls Sect’s history.
• Wang Yuanqiao reveals strong greed and ambition when he recognizes the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, though fear of its power prevents him from acting recklessly.
• The Hatred-Severing Palace elder’s death emphasizes the danger of the ruins and the consequences of acting impulsively.
• The Cai Family’s absence of its strongest members deepens the mystery surrounding its plans and suggests a concealed advantage.

Significant themes

• Danger versus temptation: The Ten Thousand Souls Banner is an extraordinary treasure, but its terrifying guardians demonstrate that great rewards carry equally great risks.
• Priorities and restraint: Li Xiao’s decision to pursue his essential objectives rather than chase a legendary artifact highlights discipline and strategic thinking.
• Hidden alliances and competition: The factions cooperate uneasily while maneuvering against one another, particularly through the Cai Family’s apparent alliance with Hatred-Severing Palace.
• Secrets of the past: The pyramid, imprisoned ghosts, banner, and mysterious Tokens point toward deeper connections to the fallen Ten Thousand Souls Sect.
• Greed and caution: Wang Yuanqiao’s reaction shows how desire for power can conflict with the instinct for self-preservation.

Character interactions

• Li Xiao’s warning establishes a tense understanding with the other sect leaders; even Wang Yuanqiao reluctantly accepts his terms.
• Shen Qinghe and the Hatred-Severing Palace group investigate the pyramid, while her calm assessment provides context for the supernatural threat.
• Wang Yuanqiao reacts intensely to the banner, contrasting with Li Xiao’s more controlled response.
• Shen Qinghe questions the Cai Family’s incomplete delegation, but their elder gives a deliberately vague explanation.
• Golden Blade Sect members actively assist Li Xiao by locating the Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow, strengthening their practical cooperation.

Chapter Summary

• Greed and restraint: After Li Xiao stores the Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow, the surrounding cultivators show clear envy. However, none dares to attack him because of his powerful Sword Qi and his earlier merciless execution of a Red Dust Devil Palace elder. Li Xiao notices their reactions but ignores them, burdened by the stone’s immense weight and regretting that, as a Martial Master without spiritual power, he cannot use a Storage Bag.
• Discovery of the Earthfire fissure: Continuing through the ruins, Li Xiao encounters a massive fissure filled with Earthfire and flowing magma. The heat is intense enough to threaten even Fifth Turn experts. While examining the area, he detects wisps of dark-golden mist—an aura distinct from ordinary Earthfire and suggestive of concentrated Earth Qi.
• Descent into the earth: Li Xiao uncovers a hidden passage leading deep beneath the fissure. Despite the extreme heat, he descends into a vast underground pit. His ordinary clothing burns away, while the Sect Master’s protective robe shields him from most of the temperature. His exposed skin is scorched, and his hair and eyebrows burn off, leaving him bald, but he reaches the bottom safely.
• Mountain Earth Core Qi: At the base of the pit, Li Xiao finds an ancient stone platform bearing formation-like patterns. A pool of dense, dark-golden Mountain Earth Core Qi rests in its center. After carefully checking for traps, he confirms that the energy is genuine and realizes he has obtained both major treasures he sought: the Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow and the Mountain Earth Core Qi.
• Awakening presence: When Li Xiao prepares to collect the Earth Qi, the platform activates and begins to tremble. The Earth Qi churns as though something is awakening beneath it. A mysterious voice demands to know who has disturbed its slumber. Li Xiao immediately forms three strands of Sword Qi and remains on guard.
• Connection to the Token: The mysterious entity senses a Token on Li Xiao and reacts with surprise, implying that the Token is linked to it. Li Xiao becomes uneasy, wondering how many Tokens exist within the underground palace, but calmly asks the speaker’s identity. The chapter ends with the revelation that the awakened being is the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Li Xiao demonstrates caution, courage, and physical endurance. He resists the temptation to underestimate the underground danger, investigates the formation before touching the Earth Qi, and remains ready to fight when the mysterious voice appears.
• His humorous reaction to losing his hair briefly contrasts with the otherwise tense exploration.
• Li Xiao interacts indirectly with the gathered cultivators, whose fear prevents them from challenging him, and directly with the awakened entity, maintaining a respectful but guarded tone.
• The entity’s recognition of the Token introduces a deeper connection between Li Xiao and the Ten Thousand Souls Sect and sets up a major mystery.

Significant Themes

• Power and deterrence: Li Xiao’s reputation and strength suppress the greed of others without requiring him to act.
• Danger accompanying opportunity: The valuable treasures are hidden in lethal environments and protected by unknown forces.
• Ancient secrets awakening: The Earth Qi and formation serve as a seal or resting place for a powerful ancient figure.
• Growing mystery surrounding the Tokens: The revelation that another powerful being is connected to a Token suggests a broader hidden scheme within the ruins.

Plot points and events

• Li Xiao discovers that the floating head belongs to the former Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Souls Sect, thought to have been wiped out centuries ago.
• The Sect Master recognizes the Token Li Xiao carries but learns it has ended up with an outsider.
• He reveals that the gold-armored corpse Li Xiao encountered was once his own body. Seeking to break through from Seventh to Eighth Turn, he developed a method to refine himself into a Zombie.
• Before the transformation was complete, the Sect’s grand elder tried to seize his body. Zhou Kingdom and other experts attacked the Sect, while Qi Cultivators called down heavenly punishment. The Sect Master’s body was split into three parts: his head, upper body, and lower body, each sealed in a different place and developing its own consciousness.
• Li Xiao tells him that the upper body had a real, speaking head attached to it. The Sect Master reacts with shock and disbelief.

Character developments

• Li Xiao remains cautious, gathering information while keeping his Sword Qi ready. He begins to understand that the Sect Master’s apparent failure was caused by betrayal, invasion, and heavenly punishment rather than a flaw in his technique.
• The Sect Master reveals his ambition, formidable strength, and resentment toward those who destroyed his work. His confidence in his method is shaken by Li Xiao’s report of another head on the upper body.

Themes

• Ambition and its cost: The Sect Master’s pursuit of immortality and greater power leads him to transform himself into a corpse.
• Betrayal and political conflict: Internal treachery and outside enemies combine to destroy the Sect.
• Defiance of heaven: The Sect Master’s forbidden method provokes heavenly punishment.
• Fragmented identity: The body’s separated parts have become independently conscious, raising questions about what remains of a person when their body and self are divided.

Character interactions

• Li Xiao questions the Sect Master about his identity, body, and the Sect’s downfall, balancing curiosity with caution.
• The Sect Master probes Li Xiao about his corpse-qi infection and Token, then recounts his past.
• Li Xiao’s disclosure about the second head unsettles the Sect Master, leaving their understanding of the body’s fragmented existence uncertain.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao tells the severed, golden-armored head what he saw: a blood pool, chains, a damaged body, and another speaking head. The head identifies the culprit as Zong Yun, a former grand elder who betrayed him and may have lodged part of his soul in the zombie body.
• The head explains that his nearly indestructible body was split into three parts, his consciousness scattered, and each part sealed in a different location. Three Tokens contain nodes of the Suppression Formation; gathering them can undo the palace’s seals. Zong Yun is apparently seeking another Token to reclaim the body.
• After noticing Li Xiao’s Life-Slaying Amitabha Sword Scripture, the head offers him an opportunity in exchange for collecting the Tokens and restoring his body, promising to serve him for a hundred years.
• Wary after a previous betrayal, Li Xiao refuses to commit. The head grows desperate, offering cultivation methods, treasures, and other rewards, but Li Xiao remains silent.
• Instead, Li Xiao begins training the Mystic Glazed Body Scripture. He swallows life-sustaining and healing Pills, withdraws the True Qi protecting him, and exposes himself to the realm’s extreme heat, enduring agonizing burns as the chapter ends.

Character developments

• Li Xiao remains cautious and self-reliant. Rather than accept a dangerous bargain, he focuses on strengthening himself through a risky body-tempering method.
• The golden-armored head reveals his history and desperation: after centuries conscious but immobilized, he is increasingly frantic to escape and willing to promise Li Xiao almost anything.
• Zong Yun emerges as a continuing threat, apparently intent on taking over the head’s body and restoring it.

Significant themes

• Trust and manipulation: Li Xiao’s past experience makes him skeptical of promises, while the head’s desperation complicates his offer.
• Freedom and confinement: The head’s centuries of helpless awareness contrast with Li Xiao’s resolve to act on his own terms.
• Perilous self-improvement: Li Xiao knowingly risks severe injury, following the principle that the body must first be broken down to be strengthened.

Character interactions

• The head answers Li Xiao’s questions about the Tokens and the betrayal, then tries to recruit him with a hundred-year service offer.
• Li Xiao listens but withholds agreement, frustrating the head, who escalates from promises of loyalty to offers of knowledge and treasure.
• Their exchange ends without a deal: Li Xiao turns away from negotiation and begins training beside the sealed head.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao endures the Earthfire’s extreme heat after his True Qi protection vanishes. His flesh burns away until he is nearly a skeleton, but he stays conscious and silent.
• He circulates the Mystic Glazed Body Scripture and absorbs Ten-Thousand-Year Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow. It melts into dark-gold liquid, strengthening his bones and helping regrow his blood vessels and flesh.
• When his initial supply proves insufficient, the detached, helmeted head tells him about more marrow in a ruined storehouse elsewhere in the underground palace.
• Despite his fragile, painful condition, Li Xiao makes his way to the cave, clears its blocked entrance, retrieves more marrow, and resumes cultivation.
• After several days, his body has partly recovered. Dark-gold Earth Qi coats his bones, and he draws close to the Scripture’s Entry Level, which will form the Glazed Body.

Character developments

• Li Xiao demonstrates extraordinary endurance, discipline, and determination, accepting horrific suffering as part of his transformation. He remains focused even when barely able to move.
• The helmeted head shifts from viewing Li Xiao mainly as a tool for its own purposes to feeling admiration and wary respect for his willpower and potential.

Significant themes

• Self-sacrifice and perseverance: Li Xiao willingly endures near-destruction to advance his cultivation.
• Transformation through suffering: His damaged body is gradually rebuilt into something stronger.
• Power and potential: The head recognizes that Li Xiao’s combination of opportunity, luck, and determination may eventually make him one of the world’s greatest cultivators.

Character interactions

• The head watches Li Xiao’s ordeal, questions the brutal cultivation method, and praises his resolve.
• It gives Li Xiao directions to the hidden marrow supply; Li Xiao accepts without hesitation and acts on them.
• Their relationship becomes more complex: the head’s original calculation gives way, at least partly, to genuine admiration mixed with caution.

Key plot points and events

• After more than ten days of cultivation with the Mystic Yellow Stone Marrow, Li Xiao’s injuries heal and his body grows stronger. His bones begin their first transformation into jade, an early stage in forming the Glazed Body.
• A trapped, disembodied head offers him more Mystic Yellow Stone in exchange for release. Li Xiao refuses to risk unleashing it and leaves it trapped.
• With the Candidate Saint Son Grand Tournament approaching, Li Xiao leaves the underground palace and sets out for the Three Origins Sect.
• Wang Yuanqiao, leader of the Golden Blade Sect, tries to persuade Li Xiao to stay, fearing his sect will again be vulnerable to the Hatred-Severing Sect and the Cai Family. Li Xiao departs without delay.
• The Cai Family Old Ancestor and his disciples continue searching the maze-like palace for the Token Li Xiao carries. The Old Ancestor believes finding it will allow them to release a lower-half Zombie and claim the Ten Thousand Souls Sect’s true legacy, but he does not know Li Xiao has already left.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao gains substantial physical power and confidence, but remains cautious: he refuses the head’s tempting offer and prioritizes his sect tournament over the Golden Blade Sect’s troubles.
• Wang Yuanqiao reveals how dependent his sect has become on Li Xiao. His appeal fails, leaving him and his elders worried about their precarious position.
• The Cai Family Old Ancestor grows frustrated and envious as rival factions collect relics, yet stays focused on the Token and the larger prize.
• The trapped head shifts from ingratiating persuasion to helpless fury when Li Xiao ignores it.

Significant themes

• Power through cultivation: Li Xiao’s physical transformation marks the rewards of patient training and rare resources.
• Caution and restraint: He avoids freeing a potentially dangerous being, despite its promise of further benefits.
• Conflicting priorities and dependence: Li Xiao pursues his own urgent goals, while the Golden Blade Sect faces the consequences of relying on him.
• Irony and dramatic irony: The Cai Family searches desperately for a Token that Li Xiao has already taken out of the palace.

Plot points and events

• Li Xiao returns to the Three Origins Sect after several days away and finds it crowded with visitors gathering for the Candidate Saint Son Grand Tournament.
• The Flying Cloud Peak Master greets him, first teasing him about his shaved head, then recognizing that Li Xiao’s body-refining method has made him considerably stronger. Li Xiao says he has reached Entry Level and believes he can face any opponent without relying on his sword scripture.
• Li Xiao reports his dispute with the Red Dust Devil Palace, including killing one of its elders. The Peak Master is unconcerned: with Emperor Zhou preparing a major move, the Palace’s allies are unlikely to risk a quarrel with the Three Origins Sect.
• Li Xiao raises the Golden Blade Sect’s request to come under Three Origins Sect protection. The Peak Master approves, seeing an opportunity to extend the sect’s influence into strategically important Mu Province. They agree to discuss arrangements after the tournament.
• Back at his courtyard, Li Xiao is visited by Wu Lingshuang, who has come with her father to watch the tournament.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao returns both physically stronger and more confident, while also showing growing concern for the Three Origins Sect’s interests.
• The Flying Cloud Peak Master shifts from playful teasing to pride in Li Xiao’s progress and approval of his political judgment.
• Wu Lingshuang appears more decisive and authoritative than when Li Xiao last saw her. She briefly teases him about his bald head before explaining why she has come.

Significant themes

• Growth and responsibility: Li Xiao’s cultivation gains are matched by an emerging willingness to think strategically on behalf of his sect.
• Power and political calculation: The Peak Master assesses the elder’s death in the context of larger political upheaval, while the Golden Blade Sect’s vulnerability offers the Three Origins Sect a chance to expand its influence.
• Mentorship and trust: The Peak Master’s confidence in Li Xiao—and Li Xiao’s willingness to seek his counsel—signals a strengthening relationship.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Lingshuang catches up with Li Xiao, remarking on how dramatically he has advanced since they first met. She explains that her father is preparing her to succeed him as Military Governor.
• Li Xiao declares that the Candidate Saint Son position at Flying Cloud Peak is his to claim.
• He invites Wu Lingshuang to join the Under Heaven Society, an alliance of talented cultivators built around mutual support and independent growth. She accepts, though she recognizes the ambition implied by its name. Members must reach the Fifth Turn.
• Wu Lingshuang asks about Liu Qingyue. Li Xiao says he knows where she is and plans to visit her after the grand competition; the exchange leaves an awkward silence.
• Wu Lingshuang departs so Li Xiao can continue preparing. The next morning, Huangfu Yuan, Du Tianshan, Su Chen, Qingyunzi, and the other Society members arrive to support him. They tease him about his bald head, then admire his endurance when he explains that it resulted from training in extreme Earthfire. They settle in to drink tea and wait for the competition.

Character developments

• Li Xiao is confident about winning the Candidate Saint Son position and is expanding his influence by building the Under Heaven Society. His bald appearance reflects the punishing training he has undertaken.
• Wu Lingshuang is increasingly capable and poised to inherit her father’s political role, though she privately wishes she could avoid its burdens. She joins Li Xiao’s organization and shows an emotional reaction to his plans to visit Liu Qingyue.
• The Society members demonstrate loyalty by traveling from afar to support Li Xiao, while their humor and admiration reveal their camaraderie.

Significant themes

• Ambition and responsibility: Wu Lingshuang faces a leadership role she does not want, while Li Xiao openly pursues influence through both competition and organization.
• Perseverance and earned advancement: Li Xiao’s progress and Earthfire training emphasize achievement through effort and endurance.
• Loyalty and mutual support: Wu Lingshuang’s membership and the group’s visit show the growing bonds within the Under Heaven Society.
• Unspoken feelings: Wu Lingshuang’s question about Liu Qingyue and the resulting silence hint at complicated emotions she does not express.

Character interactions

Li Xiao and Wu Lingshuang reconnect warmly, discuss their ambitions, and form a new alliance through the Society, but their conversation turns delicate when Liu Qingyue comes up. Soon after, Li Xiao’s friends arrive, teasing him affectionately and offering their presence as support before the competition.

Key events

• Huangfu Yuan brings the Imperial Jade Liquor Li Xiao had once mentioned, turning the visit into a celebratory gathering.
• Li Xiao welcomes Huangfu Yuan and the other guests in his bamboo courtyard, preparing the wine himself.
• Shi Xin arrives, having recovered from his injuries and wanting to attend Li Xiao’s tournament. Despite Du Tianshan’s concern about monastic rules, Shi Xin joins the drinking with the quip, “Wine and meat pass through the gut; Buddha remains within the heart.”
• Li Xiao arranges to have a piece of the Seventh-Turn Dragon Race warrior’s kidney brought from the sect treasury. The enormous, powerful meat is difficult to preserve, so it has been sealed in ice and true qi.
• Li Xiao uses his own true qi to intensify a bonfire enough to roast the dragon kidney. As the guests drink and talk, Li Xiao samples the Imperial Jade Liquor and praises it.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao shows generosity toward his guests, sharing rare food and drink. He also reveals his practical use of the dragon kidney as a cultivation resource and demonstrates his strength by cooking it.
• Huangfu Yuan reinforces his friendship with Li Xiao by remembering his casual remark and going to considerable effort to obtain the liquor.
• Shi Xin appears recovered, sociable, and relaxed about conventional expectations of a monk, fitting easily into the gathering.
• The guests, including Wang Shichong and Du Tianshan, express amazement and excitement about the dragon kidney and share in the convivial atmosphere.

Significant themes

• Friendship and generosity: The gathering celebrates fellowship, with Li Xiao sharing prized provisions and Huangfu Yuan offering a carefully chosen gift.
• Cultivation and power: The dragon kidney’s immense energy—and Li Xiao’s ability to cook it—highlights the extraordinary resources and abilities of the martial world.
• Tradition versus personal conviction: Shi Xin’s relaxed attitude toward drinking suggests that spiritual commitment need not be defined solely by outward rules.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao and his companions feast on the kidneys of a Seventh-Turn dragon, a rare delicacy rich in powerful qi and blood. Its potent yang energy visibly suppresses the spreading corpse mark on Li Xiao’s calf.
• The dragon meat and liquor leave the group unusually energized, so they burn off the excess vigor by wrestling. Li Xiao proves exceptionally strong, matching only Du Tianshan, whose family specializes in body refinement.
• After the guests depart, Li Xiao resumes cultivating the Mystic Glazed Body Scripture. He spends the next three days in seclusion, using pills and the lingering energies of the dragon meat, mystic yellow stone marrow, and earthfire to advance.
• The final barrier breaks: Li Xiao’s glazed body takes shape. His skin gains a subtle jade-like sheen, and he believes he can now withstand an ordinary Round Marrow Realm strike with his body alone.

Character developments

• Li Xiao grows more confident and exuberant during the feast, then channels that energy into disciplined cultivation. Completing the glazed body marks a major leap in his physical strength.
• Huangfu Yuan is impressed by Li Xiao’s improvised drinking song and openly praises his talent.
• Wang Shichong voices the group’s amazement at Li Xiao’s rapid progress and many cultivation methods, while others begin to regard him as exceptionally gifted.
• Du Tianshan stands out as the only guest able to match Li Xiao in the wrestling contest, demonstrating the strength of his body-refining art.

Significant themes

• Cultivation through hardship and discipline: Li Xiao’s breakthrough follows relentless practice and the careful use of rare resources.
• Power and transformation: The dragon’s vitality both helps heal Li Xiao’s affliction and fuels his physical advancement.
• Camaraderie and celebration: Shared food, wine, song, and friendly competition bring the group together.
• Talent and envy: Li Xiao’s progress inspires admiration but also makes his peers reflect on the gap between their abilities.

Character interactions

The companions share dragon meat and wine, cheer Li Xiao’s song, and compete with him in friendly wrestling. Huangfu Yuan encourages him ahead of the upcoming tournament, while Wang Shichong’s remark about Li Xiao’s talent prompts the others to look at him with renewed attention. After seeing his guests off, Li Xiao returns alone to cultivation.

Key plot points and events

• After half a day in seclusion, Li Xiao finishes adapting to his newly formed Glazed Body and feels ready for the Three Origins Sect’s grand competition.
• He arrives at Returning Origin Peak, where the competition has drawn crowds of powerful visitors, including sect and clan representatives and renowned cultivators.
• The Flying Cloud Peak Master introduces Li Xiao to Huangfu Yulong, a prince whom the Three Origins Sect hopes to support. Huangfu seeks Li Xiao out and greets him with unusual courtesy.
• Li Xiao secretly examines Huangfu’s fortune and sees abundant purple qi but no Dragon Qi. He concludes the prince is unlikely to become emperor—and therefore cannot provide the Dragon Qi essence blood needed to complete Li Xiao’s Seven Orifice Insect ritual.

Character developments

• Li Xiao is confident in his new strength and growing standing within the sect. He remains composed amid scrutiny and conceals his disappointment about Huangfu.
• Huangfu Yulong comes across as personable and politically astute. He recognizes Li Xiao’s influence and tries to build a connection with him.
• The Flying Cloud Peak Master continues to promote Li Xiao, presenting him as the strongest candidate for Candidate Saint Son.

Significant themes

• Ambition and destiny: Li Xiao sees the competition as the beginning of his rise, while his reading of Huangfu’s fortune raises questions about who is destined for power.
• Power and reputation: Li Xiao’s achievements have made him a figure of interest to both the sect and the wider cultivation world.
• Political alliances: The sect’s backing of Huangfu and his effort to win Li Xiao’s favor show how cultivation strength and political influence intersect.

Character interactions

• Li Xiao and Huangfu exchange formal, respectful greetings; Huangfu’s praise reflects his interest in recruiting Li Xiao’s support.
• The Flying Cloud Peak Master acts as intermediary, introducing the two and emphasizing Li Xiao’s importance.
• Li Xiao’s outwardly friendly conversation with Huangfu contrasts with his private judgment that the prince cannot fulfill his ritual’s requirement.

Key plot points and events

• Huangfu Yulong chats with Li Xiao about the capital and Zhou Kingdom’s court, apparently hoping to build ties. Li Xiao responds politely but remains preoccupied with the dragon qi.
• The Three Origins Sect’s Sect Master opens the Candidate Saint Son Grand Tournament. Each of the sect’s three peaks will select a candidate through one-on-one eliminations among fifth-turn disciples. Once selected, each candidate can be challenged by disciples or visiting experts; a failed challenge costs the candidate the position.
• The gathering includes many powerful guests, most at the sixth turn or above, revealing the sect’s deep resources and broad connections.
• Gold-Robed Divine Constable Zhan arrives with Tang Xiu, the Third Young Master of the Tang Family. Zhan taunts Li Xiao for rising to fifth turn, while implying he regrets not killing him earlier.
• Li Xiao answers that Zhan did attack him once, and vows to seek “instruction” from him someday. He then confronts Tang Xiu over the deaths of Tang family members and the wound Li Xiao inflicted on him.
• Tang Xiu declares that he will not rest until one of them is dead. Zhan restrains him and formally announces his intention to have Tang Xiu challenge the sect’s candidates. The Sect Master accepts, warning that Tang Xiu will be bound by the tournament’s rules.
• Li Xiao uses Wind Listening and Qi Observing to inspect Tang Xiu’s fortune. He sees abundant purple qi mixed with black, and wonders whether the black qi is connected to himself.

Character developments

• Li Xiao remains composed under pressure, showing confidence and a willingness to confront powerful opponents. His attention to Tang Xiu’s unusual fortune suggests he is also assessing the danger strategically.
• Tang Xiu is driven by hatred for Li Xiao and openly seeks revenge, though Zhan’s intervention keeps him from escalating the confrontation.
• Arrestor Zhan presents himself as controlled and courteous in public, but his exchange with Li Xiao reveals a lingering desire to eliminate him.
• The Sect Master demonstrates confidence in his sect’s rules and candidates, allowing outside challenges without backing down.

Significant themes

• Reputation and rising power: Li Xiao’s advancement has made him a figure even formidable authorities must acknowledge.
• Revenge and old grievances: The hostility between Li Xiao, Zhan, and Tang Xiu brings past violence into the tournament.
• Power, risk, and public challenge: The tournament’s rules turn ambition into a high-stakes test, with failure carrying a serious consequence.
• Fortune and hidden destiny: Li Xiao’s reading of Tang Xiu’s qi hints that unseen forces may influence their coming conflict.

Character interactions

• Huangfu Yulong seeks closer relations with Li Xiao through friendly conversation.
• Li Xiao and Zhan exchange veiled threats, with Li Xiao refusing to be intimidated despite Zhan’s greater cultivation.
• Li Xiao and Tang Xiu trade direct accusations and threats rooted in the destruction of the Tang Family.
• Zhan acts as Tang Xiu’s protector and sponsor, while the Sect Master accepts the challenge but insists that the rules apply equally.

Key plot points and events

• The Three Origins Sect’s Candidate Saint Son tournament begins, with fifth-turn disciples from Flying Cloud, Iron Wire, and Azure Wave Peaks preparing to compete. The rules restrict candidates to the Marrow-Piercing Realm; those who reach Round Marrow may challenge the reigning Saint Son.
• Li Xiao observes the older, more experienced competitors and realizes he is the youngest. His bald head attracts amused looks and whispers, which he tries to ignore.
• Li Xiao’s first match is against Shen Qingyun, a veteran Flying Cloud Peak disciple. Shen is alarmed and resentful, especially after realizing he cannot use the forbidden Life-Slaying Amitabha Sword Scripture.
• Shen attacks first with Flying Cloud Leg, hoping to wear Li Xiao down. Li Xiao avoids the kick and answers with a palm strike whose force shatters a stone slab, showing the strength of his newly formed Glazed Body.
• Shen sees that Li Xiao’s palm does not instantly overwhelm him and regains enough confidence to continue. Li Xiao trades blows while carefully controlling his force, allowing Shen to believe he has a chance. Spectators debate whether Li Xiao is testing him or deliberately making the fight appear closer.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao remains calm and self-assured. He demonstrates formidable physical strength without relying on his sword technique and appears to manipulate the pace of the fight to draw Shen into attacking.
• Shen Qingyun moves from dread to cautious hope after Li Xiao’s first strike seems survivable. He fights out of fear of humiliation and determination to prevent Li Xiao from becoming a Candidate Saint Son.
• Feng Qing, watching from the stands, is visibly pleased that Shen is Li Xiao’s opponent, suggesting he has been waiting for this confrontation.
• The referee confirms that Li Xiao cannot use the non-Sect sword scripture, but otherwise leaves the match to proceed.

Significant themes

• Strength over seniority: The tournament emphasizes that combat ability—not age or years of service—decides advancement.
• Competition and succession: The Sect’s rules balance the Saint Son’s authority with opportunities for challengers to rise.
• Control and deception: Li Xiao’s measured response suggests that appearing evenly matched can be a tactical choice, not a sign of weakness.
• Reputation and scrutiny: Li Xiao’s fame draws the crowd’s attention, while his conspicuous appearance makes him a target of casual amusement.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao initially considers exploiting Shen Qingyun’s overconfidence to cripple him, but decides against it because the tournament is being watched by leaders from many factions and the public violence could damage his standing.
• Shen mistakes Li Xiao’s restraint for weakness and attacks with increasing confidence. Li Xiao then ends the bout with a single Iron Wire Fist, whose crimson Fist Aura overwhelms Shen’s Flying Cloud Leg and knocks him unconscious off the stage.
• The crowd and sect leaders are impressed by Li Xiao’s decisive victory. The other Marrow-Piercing disciples of Flying Cloud Peak lose much of their confidence in facing him.
• Li Xiao watches strong fighters win at the other peaks: an Iron Wire Peak disciple defeats an agile opponent with a barrage of powerful punches, while Liu Ruyan wins with her fluid Azure Wave Palm.
• He reassesses the Sect’s strength, recognizing that even its fifth-rank disciples are formidable. Huangfu Yuan points out that Arrestor Zhan and Tang Xiu are the challengers who truly threaten Li Xiao.
• Li Xiao wins his later bouts using his fists, legs, and palms, without resorting to archery. After the day’s tournament ends, he returns to his courtyard to review the fights and prepare for the coming final showdown.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao shows restraint for strategic reasons, then reveals the overwhelming force he had been holding back. His confidence remains steady, but he also becomes more respectful of the Sect’s capable fighters and takes time to prepare.
• Shen Qingyun grows complacent, reads Li Xiao’s restraint as weakness, and is swiftly defeated.
• Liu Ruyan wins calmly and briefly meets Li Xiao’s gaze, hinting at mutual awareness.
• Huangfu Yuan praises Li Xiao and warns him that Arrestor Zhan and Tang Xiu are his main challengers. Other sect leaders—Du Tianshan and Shi Xin—also applaud his performance.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Li Xiao’s apparent hesitation masks both restraint and strength, while Shen’s confidence rests on a mistaken reading of him.
• Reputation and public conduct: Li Xiao considers how a brutal victory might affect his standing before choosing not to cripple Shen.
• Hidden strength and competition: The day’s bouts reveal that the Sect holds many capable fighters, setting up a harder contest ahead.
• Preparation and humility: Despite winning easily, Li Xiao studies the day’s fights and recognizes that tomorrow’s decisive matches will be more challenging.

Key plot points and events

• Arrestor Zhan asks Tang Xiu how confident he is about fighting Li Xiao. Tang admits the bout will be difficult, despite years of training, his master’s guidance, and a powerful trump card.
• Zhan advises Tang to avoid a direct clash and wear Li Xiao down, while his own visit serves a political purpose: testing Li Xiao and the Three Origins Sect on behalf of a prince opposing Huangfu Yulong.
• Alone, Tang reveals his Exotic Insect, Blue Silver Grass. He believes the injury Li Xiao inflicted on him—destroying his manhood—unexpectedly let him complete the insect’s ritual and gain full control of it. He vows to kill Li Xiao, even at the cost of his own life.
• Other faction representatives study Li Xiao’s combat record and prepare for the next day, hoping to defeat him and gain fame.
• Li Xiao, by contrast, cultivates briefly and then sleeps without apparent concern.
• The next day, Returning Origin Peak fills with spectators as the remaining fifth-turn disciples compete. Iron Wire Peak’s seasoned fighters display polished techniques; Yang Fan wins its contest. Azure Wave Peak’s matches follow, and Li Xiao waits for Flying Cloud Peak’s turn.

Character developments and interactions

• Tang Xiu is driven by vengeance but recognizes Li Xiao’s strength and feels uncertain about the coming fight. His control of Blue Silver Grass gives him renewed confidence and a dangerous willingness to sacrifice himself.
• Arrestor Zhan acts as Tang’s adviser, but his interest is also strategic and political: he wants to assess Li Xiao and weaken the Three Origins Sect’s standing.
• Li Xiao remains composed, confident in his Glazed Body and superior physical attributes. He respects the older Iron Wire Peak disciples’ technical mastery, but sees the later challenges from outside factions as the greater test.
• Yang Fan is introduced as a calm, experienced victor whom Li Xiao quietly notes.
• Across the tournament, rival factions turn Li Xiao into a shared target, while he remains largely detached from their preparations.

Significant themes

• Revenge and obsession: Tang’s hatred shapes his training and his willingness to die in pursuit of Li Xiao.
• Political maneuvering: The tournament is not only a contest of skill but also a way for powerful figures to measure rivals and influence reputations.
• Preparation versus confidence: Opponents carefully gather intelligence and plan for Li Xiao, while he trusts his own strength.
• Experience versus innate advantages: Iron Wire Peak’s veterans show the value of long practice, while Li Xiao’s Glazed Body, speed, strength, and abundant True Qi give him a different kind of edge.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xiao dominates the remaining Flying Cloud Peak tournament bouts, becoming its Candidate Saint Son without needing to use a trump card. Quiet, previously overlooked disciples Han Shu and Ye Qian win the titles for Iron Wire Peak and Azure Wave Peak, while several favored contenders are eliminated.
• The referee invites challenges to the three winners. Most of the formidable challengers register to face Li Xiao; Tang Xiu is among them, intent on revenge.
• Li Xiao’s companions congratulate him and worry about the next day’s fights. He remains composed, saying he will judge his confidence once the battles begin.
• After a full night’s rest, Li Xiao arrives at Returning Origin Peak calm and prepared. The crowd is larger and more excited than the day before.
• Li Xiao’s challengers include Tang Xiu, Yang Shaohua, Zhao Wumian, and Bai Ye—well-connected fighters with distinctive and dangerous abilities. Because interest is overwhelmingly focused on Li Xiao, the referee schedules the Flying Cloud Peak challenges first.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao continues to demonstrate overwhelming strength, but treats the coming challenges as the real test. He rests normally rather than letting pressure disrupt him.
• Han Shu and Ye Qian emerge as surprising, low-profile victors. Their wins are clean, though their earlier bouts were harder than Li Xiao’s.
• Tang Xiu openly signals his hostility toward Li Xiao; the Blue Silver Grass in his hand seems to respond to his anticipation.
• Huangfu Yuan, Wang Shichong, Shi Xin, and Wu Lingshuang congratulate or watch over Li Xiao. Wang Shichong voices concern, while Li Xiao’s confidence and composure reassure the group.

Significant themes

• Hidden talent and overturned expectations: Under-the-radar disciples succeed while heavily favored contenders fall.
• Reputation versus proof: The crowd is eager to see whether Li Xiao’s fame matches his ability against elite opponents.
• Composure before conflict: Li Xiao’s measured attitude contrasts with the intense anticipation surrounding him.
• Strength under scrutiny: His title is secure for now, but the challenges will determine whether he can hold it.

Plot and events

• Before the six challengers can draw lots for their order, Li Xiao invites them to attack him all at once. Though they question his arrogance, they accept and surround him.
• The spectators and Li Xiao’s allies react with a mix of admiration, excitement, and anxiety. Huangfu Yuan and the Flying Cloud Peak Master, in particular, doubt that Li Xiao’s confidence is justified.
• Tang Xiu opens the fight by unleashing an Exotic Insect’s mass of thorned blue vines. Li Xiao’s newly formed Glazed Body and powerful punches smash through them.
• Yang Shaohua calls for a coordinated assault. The six attack from multiple directions with heat, fists, ice, and other techniques.
• Li Xiao evades through a narrow opening and counters with a combination of punches, palms, and agile steps. Under pressure, he begins linking the Iron Wire Fist, Flying Cloud Leg, and Azure Wave Palm into a unified fighting style.

Character developments

• Li Xiao shows bold confidence and a willingness to take risks. Rather than simply prove his strength, he uses the fight to test and integrate his techniques. His movements reveal the first signs of genuine mastery, though they remain imperfect.
• Tang Xiu openly displays his hatred of Li Xiao and relies on his Exotic Insect’s unusual power. He is startled when Li Xiao easily withstands the opening attack.
• Yang Shaohua responds tactically, recognizing that the group must attack together before Li Xiao can establish a rhythm.
• Li Xiao’s allies reveal their concern: Wu Lingshuang grips her teacup, Shi Xin watches solemnly, and his followers nearly intervene.

Themes

• Confidence versus arrogance: Observers disagree over whether Li Xiao’s challenge reflects courage or dangerous conceit.
• Growth through pressure: Li Xiao deliberately uses overwhelming opposition to refine his skills.
• Integration and adaptability: The fight marks his shift from using three methods separately toward combining them into a cohesive system.
• Power and uncertainty: Tang Xiu’s Exotic Insect impresses and tempts the crowd, but Li Xiao’s physical cultivation proves unexpectedly formidable.

Character interactions

• Li Xiao dismisses Tang Xiu as a “two-faced freak,” intensifying their hostility.
• The challengers debate whether to accept Li Xiao’s terms, then cooperate when the fight begins.
• Yang Shaohua coordinates the group’s assault, while the other fighters attack from different angles.
• Li Xiao’s performance shifts the mood of his friends: their fear gives way to focused attention as they realize he is using the assault to forge his techniques together.

Plot points and events

• Six elite young challengers coordinate their attacks against Li Xiao, combining Yang Shaohua’s scorching Flame Dragon Palm, Tang Xiu’s binding Blue Silver Grass, and other techniques.
• Tang Xiu’s vine pierces Li Xiao’s chest and begins draining his life force. Li Xiao withstands it with his Glazed Body technique, burns the vine, tears it apart, and rapidly heals the wound.
• Li Xiao counters with the Three Absolutes Returning Origin Qi, forming a huge sphere of True Qi that shatters Tang Xiu’s vine barrier, wounds him, and knocks back two other challengers.
• The remaining fighters press their attack with renewed ferocity. Li Xiao continues trading blows despite taking hits, repeatedly recovering and returning to the fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xiao reveals extraordinary endurance, healing, and mastery of several complementary techniques. He welcomes the intense pressure, treating the group battle as an opportunity to improve.
• Tang Xiu is shocked when his prized Blue Silver Grass barely wounds Li Xiao; Yang Shaohua and the others grow increasingly alarmed by Li Xiao’s resilience.
• Watching from the sidelines, Elder Shi, the Flying Cloud Peak Master, and Shi Xin react with concern when Li Xiao is pierced.
• Qingyunzi, Huangfu Yuan, and Du Tianshan assess Li Xiao’s abilities. Du Tianshan judges his body-refining method comparable to his family’s renowned Law of Heaven and Earth, while admitting he himself could not endure the fight as Li Xiao does. Su Chen prompts this comparison.

Significant themes

• Resilience and physical cultivation: Li Xiao’s ability to endure, heal, and fight on demonstrates the power of his body-refining practice.
• Pressure as a path to growth: Li Xiao deliberately seeks the challenge, while the setbacks only intensify his opponents’ determination.
• Teamwork versus individual versatility: The challengers’ coordinated attacks threaten Li Xiao, but his balanced abilities and adaptability prevent them from exploiting a lasting weakness.