Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: The Ge Family’s Destruction

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yinglong attacks Li Xinge with his full strength, summoning a massive Thunder Dragon and striking with a lightning-infused spear.
• Li Xinge reveals that he has reached the Middle Stage of the Innate Realm. He effortlessly destroys the Thunder Dragon, shatters Xiao Yinglong’s spear, and captures him.
• Realizing he cannot win, Xiao Yinglong abandons his pride and begs for mercy, emphasizing his value as the Xiao Family Patriarch.
• Rather than killing him, Li Xinge seals Xiao Yinglong’s cultivation and orders Elder Jiang to send him to the Lingdang Mountain spirit stone mine as a laborer.
• The ancestors of the Xie and Wang Families emerge from hiding. They deny supporting the Ge Family and immediately submit to Li Xinge’s authority.
• Li Xinge demands their loyalty to the State Governor and claims control over the spirit stone mine. The two ancestors pretend that neither family owns such a mine, but Li Xinge declares that the Five Great Families of Ascending Dragon Prefecture are finished.
• The Xie and Wang Families accept the Li Family’s leadership, leaving the Baihe Li Clan as the dominant power in the prefecture.
• With Xiao Yinglong defeated and the other families submitting, Zheng Cangfeng leads the army in an assault on the Ge Family.
• The army quickly breaks through the Ge Family’s defenses. The Ge Family Head and First Elder are killed, its cultivators are slaughtered, and most retainers surrender.
• Li Xinge spares the surrendered fighters, intending to use them as laborers in the Li Family’s spirit stone mines.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge is shown to possess overwhelming power, defeating Xiao Yinglong without revealing his full strength. He is ruthless, pragmatic, and focused on expanding the Li Family’s influence rather than acting out of simple vengeance.
• Xiao Yinglong undergoes a sharp reversal from an arrogant patriarch to a fearful captive. His willingness to beg and accept humiliating labor demonstrates his instinct for survival.
• Elder Jiang becomes increasingly awed by Li Xinge’s growth and decides to remain loyal to him permanently, viewing him as an extraordinarily powerful patron.
• The Xie and Wang Family ancestors abandon resistance as soon as they recognize Li Xinge’s superior strength. Their submission illustrates their cautious, opportunistic nature.
• Zheng Cangfeng acts as the military leader of the assault, personally directing and participating in the destruction of the Ge Family.

Significant Themes

• Absolute power and submission: Li Xinge’s superior cultivation instantly overturns the balance of power among the major families.
• Pragmatism over pride: Xiao Yinglong and the two family ancestors sacrifice dignity and loyalty to preserve their lives and influence.
• Political consolidation: The defeat of the Ge, Xiao, Xie, and Wang powers allows the Li Family to dominate Ascending Dragon Prefecture.
• Punishment and exploitation: Captives are spared not from compassion, but because they can be used as labor in the spirit stone mines.
• The destruction of the old order: The Five Great Families cease to exist as an independent political structure, replaced by the rule of the Baihe Li Clan.

Character Interactions

• Li Xinge humiliates and overpowers Xiao Yinglong, then offers him survival only on the condition that he becomes a mine laborer.
• Elder Jiang witnesses Li Xinge’s strength, receives Xiao Yinglong as a prisoner, and silently deepens his loyalty to his master.
• Li Xinge intimidates the Xie and Wang ancestors into pledging allegiance, exposing their false claims about the spirit stone mine.
• Zheng Cangfeng and the army carry out Li Xinge’s broader political will by destroying the Ge Family, while Li Xinge decides the fate of the surviving retainers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xinge takes back all territories held by Xie, Wang, and Ge families, restoring them to the Baihe Li Clan.
• Yang Zhongze, the Old Ancestor of the Yang Family, is dying after using a Blood Burning Pill to protect the family.
• Yang Zhongze's grandson kills a wealthy young master, leading to a conflict with the young master's parents, who are powerful cultivators.
• The Yang Family is in danger as the young master's father, a renowned Monster Hunter at the Qi and Blood Great Accomplishment realm, will seek revenge upon his return.

Character Developments

• Li Yuran discovers she can communicate with plants after hearing their voices and providing them with water and sunlight.
• Yang Zhongze, despite his impending death, remains focused on protecting the Yang Family and passes on a crucial favor to his son, Yang Zongxing.
• Yang Zongxing, the Yang Family Patriarch, feels guilty for his father's sacrifice and is determined to protect the family.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Both Li Xinge and Yang Zhongze prioritize their families' interests above all else.
• Consequences of actions: The Yang Family's actions have severe repercussions, putting the entire family at risk.
• Power dynamics: The wealthy young master's parents, due to their strength, pose a significant threat to the Yang Family.

Character Interactions

• Li Xinge interacts with various forces in Ascending Dragon Prefecture to form a Demon Purging Army.
• Yang Zhongze interacts with his son, Yang Zongxing, to pass on crucial information about a favor owed to their family.
• The Yang Family's descendants interact with their Old Ancestor, Yang Zhongze, expressing their sorrow and fear for the family's future.

Chapter Summary: “A Favor Owed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Zongxing, head of the Yang Family of Qu County, arrives at the Baihe Li Clan’s mountain gate seeking protection for his endangered family.
• He presents a jade command arrow bearing the Li Family’s insignia, proving that his family has a connection to the clan’s leadership. The guards’ attitude immediately changes, and Elder Li Yanwu personally escorts him inside.
• Yang is astonished by the Li Family’s strength. He sees over a hundred young Body Realm cultivators, far surpassing the Yang Family’s total of seventeen.
• He meets First Elder Li Xuantong, who informs him that the family head, Li Xinge, is in seclusion. Yang therefore explains his request to the First Elder instead.
• A flashback reveals that Yang’s late father, Yang Zhongze, once earned a favor from Li Xinge. Four years earlier, Li Xinge—then a young but exceptionally talented cultivator—had become acquainted with Yang Zhongze after taking in the rogue cultivator Jiang Dao. In exchange for abandoning his pursuit of Jiang Dao, Yang Zhongze received a promise from Li Xinge.
• Before his death, Yang Zhongze urges his son not to waste this favor merely by asking the Li Family to destroy Zhao Minglan and his wife. Instead, he tells Yang Zongxing to use it to secure vassal status for the entire Yang Family.
• Yang explains that the Yang Family is facing destruction at the hands of Zhao Minglan, a powerful Qi and Blood cultivator, and formally asks to become a Li Family vassal.
• Li Xuantong accepts the request, affirming that the Li Family’s promises are binding. He then declares that, as a vassal family, the Yang Family will no longer be left defenseless and orders the Fourth Elder to be summoned.

Character Developments

• Yang Zongxing: Initially fearful and overwhelmed by the Li Family’s power, he demonstrates humility, resolve, and strategic judgment. He follows his father’s instructions and chooses long-term protection and elevation for the Yang Family rather than immediate revenge.
• Yang Zhongze: Though already dead, he emerges as a perceptive and regretful patriarch. He recognizes the value of Li Xinge’s favor and gives his son crucial final guidance, prioritizing the family’s survival and future prosperity.
• Li Xuantong: Introduced as an intimidatingly powerful First Elder, he also displays warmth, courtesy, and respect for old connections. He honors Li Xinge’s promise without hesitation and decisively takes responsibility for protecting the Yang Family.
• Li Xinge: Although absent due to seclusion, his rapid rise from talented youth to Innate True Person and Prefect establishes his extraordinary potential and the immense value of the favor he granted.

Significant Themes

• The value of promises and favors: A promise made by a powerful figure retains enormous weight years later, emphasizing the importance of trust and personal bonds.
• Strategic sacrifice over emotional revenge: Yang Zhongze teaches that using the favor to eliminate one enemy would only solve the immediate crisis, while becoming a vassal ensures the family’s lasting survival and advancement.
• Power and hierarchy: Yang’s awe at the Li Family’s strength highlights the vast difference between local clans and major aristocratic families.
• Legacy and foresight: Yang Zhongze’s final advice allows his family to benefit from a relationship he established years earlier, showing how one generation’s decisions shape the next.
• Protection through allegiance: The Yang Family’s decision to become a vassal reflects the practical realities of the cultivation world, where weaker families survive by attaching themselves to stronger powers.

Character Interactions

• The gate guards initially dismiss Yang but become respectful after seeing the Li Family command arrow.
• Li Yanwu treats Yang courteously and escorts him into the clan, reinforcing the Li Family’s formal yet orderly culture.
• Yang respectfully interacts with Li Xuantong, whose reassuring demeanor gradually eases his fear.
• Through the flashback, Yang Zhongze advises and reprimands his son, transforming the favor from a weapon of revenge into a means of securing the family’s future.
• Li Xuantong recognizes Yang Zhongze’s influence in his son and honors their past relationship by accepting the Yang Family as a vassal and preparing to send aid.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xuanzong, the Fourth Elder of the Baihe Li Clan, arrives at the First Elder's residence.
• The First Elder asks Li Xuanzong to help the Yang Family, who are in peril due to the actions of Zhao Minglan.
• Li Xuanzong agrees and they leave immediately, riding an Azure Wolf.
• In the Qinghe Mountain Range, a group of Monster Hunters, led by Zhao Minglan, discover his wife, who is severely injured and dies soon after.
• Zhao Minglan vows revenge and, accompanied by his Monster Hunters, heads to Qu County to destroy the Yang Family.
• Other influential families in Qu County watch the developments with mixed emotions.

Character Developments

• Li Xuanzong is introduced as a powerful and decisive character, ready to act swiftly.
• Zhao Minglan, the main protagonist, is driven by grief and a desire for vengeance after his wife's death.
• The Yang Family is portrayed as arrogant and careless, leading to their impending downfall.

Significant Themes

• Revenge: The central theme of this chapter is revenge, with Zhao Minglan seeking it for his wife and son's deaths.
• Consequences of Actions: The Yang Family's actions have led to their potential destruction, highlighting the theme of consequences.
• Family and Loyalty: The Monster Hunters' loyalty to Zhao Minglan and his wife, even in the face of death, emphasizes the importance of family and loyalty.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuanzong and the First Elder: They have a brotherly relationship, with the First Elder seeking Li Xuanzong's help and Li Xuanzong agreeing without hesitation.
• Zhao Minglan and his Monster Hunters: They share a deep bond, with the Monster Hunters willing to follow Zhao Minglan to their deaths.
• Zhao Minglan and his wife: Their love and commitment to each other are evident, even in death.
• The influential families of Qu County: They watch the Yang Family's downfall with a mix of schadenfreude and concern for their own families.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Yang Family, aware of Master Zhao's arrival, prepares for battle.
• Master Zhao, with his entourage, confronts the Yang Family, intending to annihilate them.
• Li Xuanzong, the Fourth Elder of the Baihe Li Clan, arrives to protect the Yang Family.
• Zhao Minglan, despite Li Xuanzong's intervention, insists on avenging his family.
• Most of Zhao Minglan's companions abandon him, fearing the Baihe Li Clan's power.
• Zhao Minglan, the scarred man, and a few loyal companions decide to fight Li Xuanzong together.

Character Developments

• Zhao Minglan: Starts as a determined avenger but becomes more resigned to his fate, showing acceptance of his impending death.
• Li Xuanzong: Demonstrates his formidable strength and the power of the Baihe Li Clan, instilling fear in his opponents.
• The Scarred Man: Shows loyalty to Zhao Minglan, choosing to stand by him despite the danger.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between noble families and commoners.
• Loyalty and camaraderie among friends.
• The consequences of one's actions and the inescapable nature of fate.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Minglan and the Scarred Man: Their bond deepens as they decide to fight together against Li Xuanzong.
• Zhao Minglan and Li Xuanzong: Their interaction highlights the power imbalance between a noble family powerhouse and commoners.
• Zhao Minglan and his companions: Most abandon him due to fear, but a few remain loyal, showing the complexity of human nature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xuanzong faces two powerful opponents, Zhao Minglan and the scarred man, both at Qi and Blood Great Accomplishment realm.
• Li Xuanzong uses his 'Savage God' technique, transforming and defeating the two opponents with a single punch each.
• After the fight, Li Xuanzong warns the Yang Family to behave, and they invite him to stay for a banquet.

Character Developments

• Li Xuanzong: Demonstrates his immense power and the 'Savage God' technique, revealing his true strength and instilling fear in the Yang Family and other observers.
• Zhao Minglan and the scarred man: Show their determination and desperation by burning their Qi and Blood, but ultimately fall to Li Xuanzong's might.
• Yang Zongxing: Realizes Li Xuanzong's power and pledges allegiance to the Baihe Li Clan, showing respect and fear towards Li Xuanzong.

Significant Themes

• Power and Respect: Li Xuanzong's display of strength earns him respect and fear from the Yang Family and other observers.
• Alliances and Pledges: The Yang Family pledges allegiance to the Baihe Li Clan, highlighting the importance of alliances in the power dynamics of the world.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuanzong vs. Zhao Minglan and the scarred man: A one-sided battle where Li Xuanzong demonstrates his superiority.
• Li Xuanzong and Yang Zongxing: Li Xuanzong warns Yang Zongxing, and Yang Zongxing shows deference and invites Li Xuanzong to stay for a banquet.
• Yang Family and other observers: The Yang Family and other dignitaries in the distance are shocked and reverent towards Li Xuanzong's power.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Yang family hosts Li Xuanzong, the Fourth Elder of the powerful Baihe Li Clan, at a lavish banquet. Although the family members flatter him constantly, he remains aloof and drinks alone.
• The heads of Qu County’s other five Great Families arrive to pay their respects. Upon learning Li Xuanzong’s identity, they become extremely respectful, recognizing the Baihe Li Clan as the dominant power in Ascending Dragon Prefecture.
• When the Fu Family head invites Li Xuanzong to remain as a guest so the local families can “fulfill their duties as hosts,” Li Xuanzong angrily rebukes him. He declares that the entire prefecture belongs to the Baihe Li Clan and that it alone is the region’s master.
• The Fu Family head immediately kneels, apologizes, and promises never to repeat the offense. The other family heads realize that Li Xuanzong’s warning is directed at all of them.
• Through conversation and probing, the visiting families discover that the Yang family has become a vassal of the Baihe Li Clan. They envy the Yang family, since this powerful backing will likely allow it to surpass the other families and become Qu County’s leading clan.
• At Sky Flame Mountain, a violent volcanic eruption occurs. Magma destroys the surrounding lands and kills hundreds of thousands of ordinary people in the nearby towns.
• The powerful figures of the two prefectures initially ignore the disaster, considering the victims insignificant. Three days later, however, a dazzling seven-colored crystalline flame appears from the volcano, revealing that a rare heavenly treasure may have emerged.
• Cultivators rush toward Sky Flame Mountain, and news quickly reaches every major power. The authorities order investigations into the possible treasure.

Character Developments

• Li Xuanzong is established as domineering, arrogant, and fiercely protective of the Baihe Li Clan’s authority. His brief anger is enough to terrify the strongest local family head.
• Yang Zongxing and the Yang family gain a major political advantage by becoming vassals of the Baihe Li Clan. Their status is poised to rise dramatically despite their current weakness.
• The Fu Family head is shown to be powerful within Qu County but completely submissive before a true superior. His panic and humiliation demonstrate the enormous gap between the local families and the Baihe Li Clan.
• The other family heads reveal themselves as cautious, politically calculating, and eager to exploit connections with greater powers.
• The cultivators and regional authorities shift from indifference to intense interest once the volcanic eruption is linked to a potentially priceless treasure.

Significant Themes

• Absolute hierarchy and political dominance: The Baihe Li Clan rules Ascending Dragon Prefecture so completely that even powerful local families must bow before it.
• Power determines status: The Yang family’s fortunes change not through its own strength, but through its alliance with a superior clan.
• Fear and submission: Li Xuanzong maintains authority through intimidation, while the family heads survive by apologizing and flattering him.
• The insignificance of ordinary people: The deaths of hundreds of thousands are dismissed by the powerful until the disaster produces something valuable.
• Opportunity amid destruction: The volcanic catastrophe becomes a source of hope and conflict for cultivators seeking the newly revealed treasure.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuanzong and Yang Zongxing: Yang Zongxing treats Li Xuanzong with extreme respect and publicly presents him as the Yang family’s powerful connection.
• Li Xuanzong and the five visiting family heads: They initially flatter him, but his confrontation with the Fu Family head forces all of them to acknowledge the Baihe Li Clan’s supremacy.
• Li Xuanzong and the Fu Family head: Their exchange is the chapter’s central confrontation. A careless phrase leads to a harsh warning, a public kneeling, and a clear reaffirmation of the Baihe Li Clan’s authority.
• The five families toward the Yang family: After learning of the Yang family’s vassal status, they become envious and recognize that the family’s alliance may soon transform Qu County’s balance of power.
• Cultivators and regional powers regarding Sky Flame Mountain: The emergence of the crystalline flame draws competing attention, setting up a likely struggle over the heavenly treasure.

Key plot points and events

• A volcanic eruption at Sky Flame Mountain draws more than a hundred thousand cultivators, though the lava keeps most of them at a distance.
• An elder identifies the phenomenon as the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame, a rare heaven-and-earth strange flame said to take ten thousand years to mature. Its power could greatly strengthen its wielder and possibly help someone break through to the Innate Realm.
• Qionshan Sanren, a powerful Qi and Blood Great Perfection rogue cultivator, declares that he will kill anyone who competes with him for the flame. Heads of Innate Families challenge his claim, and the gathering grows tense.
• Experts from several families arrive, including the Xie and Wang families of Ascending Dragon Prefecture. Their polite greetings conceal serious resentment toward the Baihe Li Clan, which has seized their territory and resources and conscripted their cultivators.
• The Baihe Li Clan’s First Elder, Li Xuantong, arrives with a group of Qi and Blood Realm experts. Though he is only at Qi and Blood Great Accomplishment, the Xie and Wang leaders defer to him, surprising the crowd. His identity links the delegation to Li Xinge, whose extraordinary power has made the clan feared.

Character developments and interactions

• Qionshan Sanren reveals both his ambition and desperation: he sees the flame as his only chance to reach the Innate Realm. His threat provokes resistance from family leaders who refuse to be intimidated.
• Wang Tongyun hides his anger and distress behind a forced smile when Li Daoshan asks after his well-being. He dares not criticize the Li Clan openly, fearing further retaliation.
• Xie Baifeng also bears the consequences of Li Xinge’s demands: most of his family’s Qi and Blood cultivators have been taken away.
• Li Xuantong’s authority is evident in how Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun stand behind him, even though his personal cultivation seems modest beside theirs. Other observers recognize his clan’s reputation but do not yet regard him as a major threat.

Significant themes

• Power and coercion: The Li Clan’s influence rests not only on strength but on its ability to take territory, labor, and resources from rival families.
• Greed and competition: The rare flame draws cultivators into an uneasy gathering where courtesy may quickly give way to violence.
• Ambition and limitation: Qionshan Sanren’s pursuit of the flame reflects how a rare opportunity can appear to offer a way past the limits of talent and background.
• Reputation and perception: The crowd’s reaction to Li Xuantong shows how a powerful family’s name—and Li Xinge’s deeds—can shape how others judge its members.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame is about to mature after seven days.
• Cultivators gather, tension builds as everyone anticipates a fight for the flame.
• The flame erupts, killing many low-level cultivators.
• Once mature, the flame begins to defend itself, killing cultivators who approach.
• Powerful cultivators, including Qionshan Sanren, attempt to seize the flame but are injured or killed.
• A group of cultivators decides to attack the flame together to deplete its power.

Character Developments

• Li Xuantong shows wisdom and patience, advising Li Xuanzong to wait for the right moment to act.
• Li Xuanzong learns from Li Xuantong, understanding the true meaning of cultivation and the struggle for destiny.
• Qionshan Sanren, a powerful cultivator, is injured and retreats, demonstrating the flame's power.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for power and resources in the cultivation world.
• The true meaning of cultivation and the willingness to take risks for growth.
• The dangers and consequences of coveting heavenly treasures.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong: Li Xuantong guides and teaches Li Xuanzong, fostering his understanding of the cultivation world.
• Qionshan Sanren and other cultivators: They initially rush to seize the flame but are injured or killed, highlighting the flame's power and the cultivators' desperation.

Chapter Summary: “Fierce Struggle!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame suddenly unleashes a devastating sea of fire, killing at least a hundred Qi and Blood Realm cultivators, including several at Great Perfection.
• The flame’s power is greatly depleted, causing the Seven-Colored Lotus to close and leaving only a faint flame at its center.
• When one cultivator seizes the lotus, he is immediately assassinated. The black-robed killer is then attacked and killed by the surrounding cultivators, beginning a chaotic battle in which the lotus repeatedly changes hands.
• Old Man Ku Gu, a powerful Half-step Innate demonic cultivator, appears and kills several cultivators with a single spiritual-energy palm strike. Rather than risk being besieged by hundreds of enemies, he throws the lotus away and allows the crowd to resume fighting among themselves.
• After half an hour, fewer than half of the original cultivators remain, but the battle grows even more intense as the strongest survivors compete for the lotus.
• Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong decide that it is time for the Baihe Li Clan to act. Despite mockery from other factions, the Li Family advances toward the struggle.
• A Qi and Blood Great Perfection cultivator finally obtains the lotus and attempts to escape using a powerful movement technique. Old Man Ku Gu ambushes and defeats him, taking the lotus for himself.
• Ku Gu then encounters Li Xuantong, Li Xuanzong, and their followers. They demand that he surrender the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame in exchange for his life.
• Enraged by their apparent arrogance, Ku Gu attacks them. Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong retreat slightly while more than ten mysterious figures step forward to confront him.

Character Developments

• Old Man Ku Gu demonstrates both overwhelming strength and cunning. Although capable of killing ordinary Qi and Blood cultivators instantly, he recognizes the danger of fighting hundreds at once and uses the crowd’s greed to escape. His desire to obtain the flame and break through to the Innate Realm becomes clear.
• Li Xuantong shows caution and leadership by reminding Li Xuanzong that survival matters more than the treasure.
• Li Xuanzong remains confident in his own strength and in the Baihe Li Clan’s ability to claim the flame, revealing his pride and determination.
• The fleeing Qi and Blood Great Perfection cultivator displays speed and opportunism but is ultimately undone by Ku Gu’s ambush.
• The mass of cultivators are consumed by greed, abandoning reason and repeatedly turning on whoever possesses the lotus.

Significant Themes

• Greed and madness: The Seven-Colored Lotus causes cultivators to disregard survival, alliances, and reason, turning the mountaintop into a slaughterhouse.
• The danger of great power: The flame acts almost like a death curse; anyone who obtains it immediately becomes the target of everyone else.
• Cunning versus brute force: Ku Gu survives not only through superior strength but also through manipulation and opportunistic attacks.
• Pride and underestimated strength: The Li Family is mocked for challenging a Half-step Innate expert, hinting that their confidence may be supported by hidden power.
• Survival amid chaos: Even powerful cultivators must choose their timing carefully, since numbers and shifting alliances can overwhelm individual strength.

Character Interactions

• Ku Gu intimidates the crowd with his palm strike, but the cultivators unite against him until he cleverly redirects their attention by throwing away the lotus.
• Li Xuantong advises Li Xuanzong to prioritize safety, while Xuanzong confidently insists that the flame belongs to their clan.
• Other factions ridicule the Li Family’s advance, underestimating them.
• Ku Gu confronts the Li Family after stealing the lotus. Their demand that he surrender it provokes him into attacking, setting up a major confrontation between the Half-step Innate expert and the Li Clan’s previously hidden forces.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Man Ku Gu is attacked by a group of people with vacant eyes, who seem unharmed by his powerful palm strike.
• He realizes they are likely body-refining cultivators or suicide soldiers, but their resilience is unprecedented.
• Ku Gu uses his spiritual energy and Ku Gu Demonic Art, but the attackers remain undeterred.
• He deduces they are Human Weapons controlled by someone else.
• Ku Gu is overwhelmed and exhausted, unable to break through their encirclement.
• Just as he's about to be killed, the Human Weapons suddenly stop, their runes dimming.

Character Developments

• Old Man Ku Gu shows his power and experience but is ultimately outmatched by the Human Weapons.
• Li Xuantong and the other person are revealed to be controlling the Human Weapons, showing their ruthlessness and disregard for life.

Significant Themes

• The ruthlessness and desperation of cultivators in pursuing power.
• The dehumanization of enemies and the use of living beings as weapons.
• The struggle between different factions of cultivators (Demonic Path vs. Righteous).

Character Interactions

• Old Man Ku Gu interacts with the Human Weapons, trying to reason with them but failing.
• Ku Gu's disdain for Li Xuantong and the other person grows as he realizes they control the Human Weapons.
• Li Xuantong and the other person show no remorse, demanding Ku Gu hand over the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame.

Chapter Summary: “An Unexpected Roadblocker”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Human Weapons used by Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong suddenly stop functioning because their spirit stones have exhausted their energy.
• Old Man Ku Gu, a Half-step Innate Realm demonic cultivator, survives the battle but is left helpless.
• Li Xuanzong initially intends to kill him, but Li Xuantong stops him. They decide to capture Ku Gu alive and use him to appease Gongsun Ban, the Li Family’s eccentric Weapon Forger, since nearly all twelve Human Weapons have been destroyed.
• Li Xuantong takes the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame from Ku Gu. The flame is confirmed to be the genuine treasure.
• Li Xuanzong knocks Ku Gu unconscious, and the brothers flee with both the flame and their captive.
• Pursuing cultivators arrive at the battlefield and mistake the devastation for evidence that Ku Gu was ambushed. One middle-aged man recognizes Ku Gu’s severed head and realizes that his “ancestor” has been defeated.
• While fleeing toward Green Maple Valley, the brothers are intercepted by Li Daoshan, head of the Hengzhou Li Clan, and Li Sixuan, the clan’s First Elder. Both are at Qi and Blood Great Perfection.
• Li Daoshan demands the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame and reveals that he intends to kill the brothers even if they surrender, fearing retaliation from a ruthless figure in the Baihe Li Clan.
• Believing the Human Weapons are exhausted and the brothers are only at Qi and Blood Great Accomplishment, the two Hengzhou Li Clan elders launch an attack.
• Li Xuanzong reveals his hidden trump card: the “Barbarian God” Special Physique. His power surges dramatically, bringing his strength to the level of Qi and Blood Great Perfection and shocking the ambushers.
• The chapter ends as the confrontation is about to begin, with Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong preparing to fight the two powerful elders.

Character Developments

• Li Xuantong displays strategic thinking and composure. Rather than killing Ku Gu immediately, he recognizes the value of delivering a living Half-step Innate cultivator to Gongsun Ban.
• Li Xuanzong shows his straightforward and aggressive nature, first wanting to kill Ku Gu but later revealing confidence and excitement at facing Qi and Blood Great Perfection opponents.
• Old Man Ku Gu shifts from a feared and powerful demonic cultivator to a helpless captive, terrified of what the brothers may do with him.
• Li Daoshan is revealed to be calculating, ruthless, and opportunistic. He had secretly followed events and waited until the brothers appeared weakened before ambushing them.
• Li Sixuan acts as Li Daoshan’s powerful accomplice, helping seal off the brothers’ retreat.
• Li Xuanzong’s Barbarian God Special Physique is unveiled, establishing that his apparent cultivation level greatly understates his true combat ability.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: The brothers’ exhausted Human Weapons make them appear vulnerable, but Li Xuanzong possesses a powerful secret ability.
• Greed and opportunism: Li Daoshan attempts to seize the treasure only after others have fought and suffered for it.
• Family rivalry and political danger: Although the opposing parties share the Li surname, clan loyalty does not prevent betrayal or murder when a treasure is involved.
• The cost of power: The destruction of the Human Weapons represents a major loss for the Li Family, forcing the brothers to find another way to compensate Gongsun Ban.
• Treasure as a source of conflict: The Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame drives the pursuit, betrayal, and escalating battles.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Xuantong restrains Li Xuanzong from killing Ku Gu and persuades him to preserve Ku Gu as a valuable offering to Gongsun Ban.
• The brothers mock and outmaneuver Ku Gu before taking the flame and knocking him unconscious.
• Li Daoshan and Li Sixuan confront the brothers, claiming that surrender will still result in death.
• Li Xuantong attempts to avoid open conflict by proposing that the two Li clans remain separate, but Li Daoshan rejects the offer.
• Li Xuanzong counters the elders’ confidence by activating the Barbarian God transformation, turning the ambush into an uncertain battle.

Chapter Summary: “Shifting the Disaster Eastward”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xuantong reveals a powerful Special Physique, transforming into a Flame Monarch clad in scarlet flame armor. His Spirit Fire proves extraordinarily destructive.
• Li Xuanzong joins the attack, using a devastating tiger-shaped punch while Li Xuantong’s flames wear down Li Daoshan and Li Sixuan’s Qi and Blood barrier.
• The barrier shatters, and both Hengzhou Li Clan elders are severely injured and thrown into the surrounding forest. Realizing they cannot win, they flee.
• Li Xuantong stops Li Xuanzong from pursuing them, emphasizing that their priority is to return the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame to the Baihe Li Clan.
• Li Daoshan and Li Sixuan encounter the pursuing alliance of cultivators. They claim that the Baihe Li Clan’s elders defeated them, captured Old Man Ku Gu, and seized the flame.
• The pursuing cultivators initially accuse the two men of hiding the treasure and attempting to keep it for themselves. They refuse to believe that both Baihe elders possess Special Physiques.
• To prove his claim, Li Daoshan makes a severe oath that the Hengzhou Li Clan’s inheritance and bloodline will be destroyed if the flame is in his possession.
• The crowd reluctantly accepts his testimony and turns toward the Baihe Li Clan, while threatening to destroy the Hengzhou Li Clan if he has lied.

Character Developments

• Li Xuantong is revealed to possess a rare and immensely powerful Special Physique, dramatically increasing his combat strength. He also displays composure and strategic judgment by refusing to pursue the wounded enemies.
• Li Xuanzong demonstrates overwhelming physical power, breaking through the opponents’ defenses with a single decisive attack. He obeys Li Xuantong’s judgment and abandons the chase.
• Li Daoshan and Li Sixuan suffer a humiliating defeat despite having a minor realm advantage. Their confidence turns into fear as they realize how dangerous the Baihe elders’ Special Physiques are.
• Li Daoshan proves resourceful under pressure, using a severe oath to escape suspicion and redirect the pursuing forces toward the Baihe Li Clan. His final reaction shows relief and malicious satisfaction at passing the danger onward.

Significant Themes

• The overwhelming power of Special Physiques: The chapter emphasizes their rarity and ability to let cultivators fight across realms.
• Strategic restraint: Victory is not pursued recklessly; Li Xuantong prioritizes the clan’s larger objective over revenge.
• Suspicion and greed: The pursuit of the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame causes cultivators to distrust one another and quickly resort to threats.
• Political pressure and survival: Li Daoshan’s oath illustrates how clans use reputation, inheritance, and threats of annihilation as tools of negotiation.
• Shifting danger: Rather than resolving the conflict, Li Daoshan successfully transfers the pursuing crowd’s hostility from his own clan to the Baihe Li Clan.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong cooperate effectively, combining Spirit Fire and physical force to defeat Li Daoshan and Li Sixuan.
• Li Xuantong acts as the more cautious strategist, while Li Xuanzong serves as the direct attacker.
• Li Daoshan and Li Sixuan support each other during their escape but are later forced to defend themselves before the pursuing cultivators.
• The green-robed Liao Family Head and the other cultivators confront and threaten the Hengzhou elders, revealing the alliance’s fragile trust.
• Li Daoshan manipulates the crowd through his oath and persuades them to pursue the Baihe Li Clan instead.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xuanzong and Li Xuantong are pursued by cultivators seeking the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame.
• They decide to head towards Jin Chuan County and the Lingdang Mountain Range, where a teleportation array is located.
• The pursuers include the Ji Family Head, who uses a secret technique to enhance his speed and intercepts the Li brothers.
• The Ji Family Head is joined by other cultivators, surrounding Li Xuanzong and Li Xuantong.
• Li Xuantong threatens Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun, causing them to switch sides and join the Li brothers.
• A fierce battle ensues between the remaining pursuers and the Li brothers, along with their new allies.

Character Developments

• Li Xuantong demonstrates his strategic thinking and intimidation skills, successfully convincing Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun to switch sides.
• Li Xuanzong shows bravery and determination, willing to hold off the Ji Family Head to allow his brother to escape.
• The Ji Family Head reveals his family's secret technique, the Wind Hành Step, showcasing their power and speed.
• Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun display their cowardice and opportunism, switching sides when threatened.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and Betrayal: Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun's betrayal highlights the theme of loyalty and its importance in maintaining alliances and power dynamics.
• Power and Influence: The fear of Li Xinge, the Patriarch of the Baihe Li Clan, showcases the power and influence he holds over the other families in Ascending Dragon Prefecture.
• Adaptability: Li Xuantong's quote, "The wise man knows when to switch sides," emphasizes the importance of adaptability in the face of changing circumstances.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong demonstrate their brotherly bond, with Li Xuanzong willing to sacrifice himself to allow his brother to escape.
• Li Xuantong's interaction with Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun showcases his ability to intimidate and manipulate others to achieve his goals.
• The interactions between the various cultivators highlight the complex power dynamics and alliances within Ascending Dragon Prefecture.

Key Plot Points and Events

• An Innate cultivator intervenes, causing panic among the fighting cultivators.
• Li Xuantong reveals a powerful pill given by the Patriarch, allowing him to temporarily reach the Innate Realm.
• Li Xuantong faces off against an old man in a black robe (another Innate cultivator) who seeks a heavenly treasure.
• Li Xuantong uses his Fire Spirit Body, Fire Spirit Seal, and Magma Fire Pillar to combat the old man.
• The old man attempts to flee but is ultimately killed by Li Xuantong's Magma Fire Dragon.

Character Developments

• Li Xuantong: Reveals his true strength and power, demonstrating his ability to temporarily reach the Innate Realm and defeat an Innate opponent.
• Old Man in Black Robe: Shows his desire for the heavenly treasure, revealing his desperation due to his nearing lifespan's end.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between Qi and Blood Great Perfection and Innate cultivators.
• The desperation and lengths one might go to extend their lifespan.
• The reveal of Li Xuantong's true strength and his use of a special physique.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong: Li Xuanzong is surprised by Li Xuantong's trump card and his sudden ascension to the Innate Realm.
• Li Xuantong and the Old Man in Black Robe: They clash, with Li Xuantong ultimately defeating the old man, showcasing the power of his Fire Spirit Body.

Chapter Summary: “Teleportation Array, Li Xinge’s Terror”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing an Innate Realm expert, Li Xuantong intimidates the Ji Family Head and the other surviving cultivators into abandoning their claim to the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame.
• Although he appears overwhelmingly powerful, Li Xuantong’s strength was achieved by forcibly drawing on earth-vein fire. Once he escapes, the backlash causes him to vomit blood and become severely weakened.
• Li Xuantong, Li Xuanzong, and Old Man Ku Gu travel to the Li Family’s hidden Teleportation Array in the Lingdang Mountain Range and return safely to Green Maple Valley.
• Li Xuantong learns that Family Head Li Xinge has not emerged from seclusion. Concerned that the enemies’ Innate Realm ancestors may retaliate, he and Li Xuanzong immediately request an audience.
• Elder Jiang initially blocks them but allows them to enter after recognizing the urgency of the matter.
• Li Xuantong presents Li Xinge with the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame, a heaven-and-earth treasure ranked twenty-seventh on the Strange Flame List.
• He explains that the Li Family used the Innate Spirit Pill provided by Li Xinge to secure the flame. Li Xinge recognizes the pill as the transformed Innate experience card he had previously given Li Xuantong.
• Li Xuantong urges Li Xinge to refine the flame, believing it could help him break through from the Early-stage to the Middle-stage Innate Realm.
• Li Xinge instead reveals that the flame is even more valuable to Li Xuantong because of his Fire Spirit Body. It may allow Li Xuantong to advance directly from the peak Qi and Blood Realm to the Innate Realm.
• Li Xinge refuses to accept the treasure, deeply moving Li Xuantong. The chapter ends when Li Xinge releases a terrifying pressure, shocking Elder Jiang outside the chamber and hinting that Li Xinge’s true strength may be far greater than expected.

Character Developments

• Li Xuantong: Demonstrates his hidden strength by killing an Innate expert and terrifying the assembled enemies, but suffers severe backlash afterward. His willingness to sacrifice his own advancement for Li Xinge highlights his loyalty and selflessness.
• Li Xuanzong: Becomes more aware of Li Xuantong’s true power and remains closely supportive during the escape and return to the Lineage.
• Li Xinge: Shows gratitude and concern toward his elders. He values the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame but prioritizes Li Xuantong’s potential growth over his own. His final burst of pressure suggests that his cultivation and capabilities are much deeper than previously revealed.
• Elder Jiang: Acts as a cautious guardian of Li Xinge’s seclusion but recognizes the seriousness of the elders’ report and is startled by Li Xinge’s sudden aura.
• Xie Baifeng and Wang Tongyun: Their decision to side with the Li Family is validated, as they witness Li Xuantong’s overwhelming strength and realize that opposing the family would have been disastrous.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Li Xuantong had concealed his Innate-level power, successfully “playing the pig to eat the tiger” until the perfect moment.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Li Xuantong is willing to surrender a treasure that could transform his own cultivation if it benefits Li Xinge and the Lineage.
• Family responsibility: The elders immediately report the danger and prioritize protecting the entire Li Family from future retaliation.
• Treasure and opportunity: The Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame represents a rare chance for a major breakthrough, but its greatest value depends on the recipient’s constitution and cultivation path.
• Unrevealed power: Li Xinge’s calmness and final display of pressure emphasize that appearances underestimate his true strength.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Xuantong intimidates the Ji Family and other cultivators, forcing them to retreat.
• Li Xuantong and Li Xuanzong cooperate closely while escaping and reporting the crisis.
• Elder Jiang initially refuses to interrupt Li Xinge’s seclusion but changes his mind after seeing the elders’ grave expressions.
• Li Xinge and Li Xuantong disagree over who should refine the strange flame: Li Xuantong wants Li Xinge to use it, while Li Xinge insists it is better suited to Li Xuantong.
• Their disagreement reveals mutual respect, affection, and willingness to sacrifice for one another.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xinge, the patriarch, has broken through to the Middle Stage Innate Realm, astonishing Elder Jiang and Li Xuantong.
• Li Xinge reveals he has a heavenly flame, the Three Fiends Spirit Swallowing Flame, ranked seventh on the Heavenly Flames Ranking, making the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame less useful to him.
• Li Xinge gifts the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame to Li Xuantong, who plans to refine it to break through to the Innate Realm.
• Li Xuantong expresses concern about potential trouble from those who competed for the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame, but Li Xinge assures him he will handle it.
• Li Xuantong brings Old Man Ku Gu to Gongsun Ban, a Weapon Forger, for unknown reasons.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge: Shows immense cultivation progress, breaking through to Middle Stage Innate Realm, and reveals a powerful heavenly flame, demonstrating his extraordinary talent and strength.
• Li Xuantong: Expresses concern for the Li Family's safety and shows eagerness to refine the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame to reach the Innate Realm.
• Gongsun Ban: Advances in cultivation from Qi and Blood Minor Accomplishment to Qi and Blood Great Accomplishment, showing growth and continued importance within the Li Family.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation progress and talent: Li Xinge's rapid advancement highlights the theme of exceptional talent and the importance of cultivation progress in the story's world.
• Power dynamics: The potential threat from those who competed for the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame underscores the power dynamics within the story's world and the Li Family's position within it.

Character Interactions

• Li Xinge and Li Xuantong: Their interaction shows respect and trust, with Li Xinge entrusting Li Xuantong with the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame and Li Xuantong expressing concern for the Li Family's safety.
• Li Xuantong and Gongsun Ban: Their interaction is tense, with Gongsun Ban showing disdain for Li Xuantong and Li Xuantong being sheepish in response, hinting at a complex relationship between them.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xuanzong reports to Gongsun Ban that nearly all the Human Weapons were destroyed in the operation. Gongsun Ban initially appears untroubled, saying they were made to be used—but perks up when Li hints that he brought back valuable material.
• The “material” is Old Man Ku Gu, a living cultivator at the Half-step Innate Realm. Gongsun Ban eagerly accepts him as compensation, believing that forging him into a Human Weapon could help Gongsun reach the coveted third-tier Weapon Forger level.
• The story shifts to the Hengzhou Ji Clan, where the family head reports that the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame has ended up with Li Xinge of the Baihe Li Clan. The Ji Clan’s Great Ancestor hopes to use the flame to break through to the Late-stage Innate Realm.
• After weighing the risks of provoking Li Xinge, the Ji elders are persuaded that reclaiming the flame could both benefit their clan and please their political backer, who opposes the Governor.
• The Great Ancestor decides to travel to the Baihe Li Clan. Rather than go alone, he orders invitations sent to the Innate experts from every major clan involved in the flame’s contest, planning a show of force.

Character developments

• Gongsun Ban reveals that beneath his blunt, dismissive manner he is driven by ambition and gratitude toward Li Xuanzong and the Li Family Head. The prospect of working with Ku Gu revives his hope of advancing as a weapon forger.
• Li Xuanzong handles Gongsun Ban’s attachment to his creations with teasing confidence, using the promise of valuable material to draw him in.
• The Ji Clan’s Great Ancestor shifts from caution to resolve after his relatives frame the flame as both a path to personal advancement and a way to strengthen the clan’s political standing.
• The Ji Family Head proves politically calculating, connecting the dispute to the Ji Clan’s relationship with its powerful backer.

Significant themes

• Ambition and opportunity: Gongsun Ban sees Ku Gu as a chance to achieve his lifelong professional goal, while the Great Ancestor sees the flame as a possible breakthrough in cultivation.
• Power and risk: The Ji Clan weighs the danger of confronting a talented rival against the rewards of seizing a rare treasure.
• Political maneuvering: The flame dispute is tied not only to cultivation but also to factional rivalries and the pursuit of favor.
• People treated as resources: Gongsun’s excitement at Ku Gu’s value as forging material underscores the story’s stark view of power and utility.

Character interactions

• Li Xuanzong and Gongsun Ban trade barbs: Gongsun dismisses him, then eagerly reverses course when he learns about Ku Gu.
• Gongsun Ban inspects Ku Gu and recognizes his unusual cultivation, while Li Xuanzong presents him as compensation for the ruined Human Weapons.
• Within the Ji Clan, the family head and Second Ancestor persuade the hesitant Great Ancestor to take action, ultimately leading him to summon other clans’ Innate experts for the confrontation.

Summary

Three days after the Baihe Li Clan acquired the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame, Ji Clan Great Ancestor Ji Wangtian summoned eight other Innate True Persons to his clan’s ancestral grounds. Reminding them of the heavy losses they had suffered competing for the flame, he urged them to help him take it back from the Li Clan. They refused, unwilling to risk provoking the Li Clan’s powerful head, Li Xinge, and the State Governor who supported him. When Ji Wangtian threatened to stop them leaving, the gathering nearly turned violent; his Second Ancestor intervened and restored a fragile calm.
The Second Ancestor then revealed that the Ji Clan had pledged allegiance to Prince Jingjiang, a powerful Imperial Noble. Instead of reassuring the guests, the news frightened them: they believed the Ji Clan had chosen a doomed political side, since Prince Jingjiang’s title could not outweigh the State Governor’s power in Yang Province. The visitors departed, leaving the two Ji ancestors bewildered. Ji Wangtian remained determined to reclaim the flame, which could help him advance to Late-stage Innate and demonstrate his loyalty to Prince Jingjiang.
Afterward, the visitors met again. They agreed that Ji Wangtian was likely to attack the Baihe Li Clan. Rather than join him, they devised a plan to gain favor with the Li Clan and the State Governor: one would alert Lord Sima in the provincial capital, while the others would go to the Li Clan and offer protection if Ji Wangtian attacked.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Wangtian is proud, forceful, and unwavering. He tries to enlist allies through their shared losses, then risks a confrontation when they refuse. Even after they leave, he presses ahead for both personal advancement and political loyalty.
• The Ji Clan’s Second Ancestor acts as a mediator, calming the near-fight and revealing the clan’s allegiance. His announcement, however, drives the visitors away rather than winning their support.
• The visiting Innate True Persons, led by the brocade-robed Wang elder and the blue-robed cultivator, prioritize self-preservation and political advantage. They reject Ji Wangtian’s risky proposal, then turn the coming conflict into a chance to curry favor with the Li Clan.
• The central interaction is a failed attempt at alliance: Ji Wangtian seeks collective action, but his threats and political revelation deepen distrust. The visitors instead form their own pragmatic plan.

Significant themes

• Political power and shifting loyalties: Allegiance to Prince Jingjiang is not automatically an advantage; the visitors judge the balance of power in the present.
• Self-interest over solidarity: Shared losses do not persuade the other factions to accept further risk.
• Ambition and miscalculation: Ji Wangtian’s determination may serve his advancement, but it leaves him isolated.
• Opportunity amid conflict: The visitors see the likely clash not as a danger to avoid, but as a way to gain influence with the Li Clan and the State Governor.

Plot points and events

• Li Xinge offers Elder Jiang his Demonic Core back as a reward for loyal service. Elder Jiang initially refuses, fearing Li Xinge will kill him to protect the secret that he is a demonic cultivator.
• Li Xinge recognizes the fear behind the refusal and reassures him. Elder Jiang agrees to take the core only after Li Xinge places a restriction on it. In reality, Li Xinge has already embedded a wisp of the Three Fiends Spirit Swallowing Flame in the core to keep control over him.
• The core’s return restores Elder Jiang’s power and briefly prompts him to boast as “Old Demon Jiang,” until Li Xinge silences him with a look.
• The Ji Clan’s Great and Second Ancestors arrive above Green Maple Valley. They covet the Li Clan’s spirit-vein land as well as the Seven-Colored Sky Burning Flame, and plan to use Li Xinge’s refusal to surrender it as an excuse to destroy the clan.
• Their overwhelming auras batter the valley, drawing the Li Family members out of cultivation. The Great Ancestor demands the flame and threatens to spare the family only if it is handed over; the Li members respond defiantly.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xinge shows a mix of confidence and manipulation: he rewards Elder Jiang but ensures the core remains a means of control. His teasing reassures the frightened elder, while his firm presence keeps him in line.
• Elder Jiang remains wary and calculating. Though he longs for his Demonic Core, he sees continued dependence on Li Xinge as safer than appearing free of control. Their exchange is comic, built on Li Xinge’s sincerity and Jiang’s concealed suspicion.
• The Ji Clan’s ancestors reveal their greed and arrogance, treating the Li Clan’s home and resources as prizes already within reach.
• The Li Family faces the threat with confidence born of past victories, setting up a confrontation.

Significant themes

• Trust and control: Li Xinge’s apparent generosity is paired with a hidden safeguard, while Elder Jiang accepts the core precisely because he expects it to remain controlled.
• Greed and ambition: The Ji ancestors’ demand for the flame masks their desire to seize Green Maple Valley and its spirit vein.
• Defiance under threat: The Li Family’s lack of fear contrasts with the Ji Clan’s assumption that victory is already assured.