Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: The Overlooked Man

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xuanxian warns Clan Head Li Xinge not to rush into rebellion against Great Zhou. Although Li Xinge has recently reached the Great Perfection of the Divine Mansion Realm and can overpower a Half-Saint, the Jiang royal clan possesses terrifying hidden strength.
• The Jiang Clan may still have at least three active Half-Saints, while the Northern Aristocratic Coalition could gather over forty Divine Mansion experts. Combined, their forces would greatly outnumber Li Xinge’s allies, who possess roughly forty Divine Mansion experts even after incorporating the demonic path and the Four Seas Alliance.
• Li Xuanxian identifies the Emperor as the most overlooked threat. Contrary to the public belief that he is a weak puppet, every Great Zhou emperor inherits Half-Saint-level power upon taking the throne and wields the Imperial Seal, a High-Rank Heavenly Weapon.
• This imperial power is inherited rather than cultivated, but it shortens each emperor’s lifespan to roughly three hundred years.
• Li Xinge reveals the reason he cannot afford to wait: the Jiang Clan has spent thousands of years using the lives of imperial descendants to nourish a Heavenly Human Saint undergoing transformation within the Imperial Mausoleum.
• The process is reportedly close to completion. If successful, the Jiang Clan could produce a being capable of overwhelming the entire world.
• Convinced of the urgency, Li Xuanxian pledges the North Branch’s complete obedience to Li Xinge’s rebellion.
• Li Xinge agrees that the uprising cannot be delayed, but states that the immediate priority is recovering the Sacred Weapon for the Main Branch. With it, he believes he may be able to challenge even a Heavenly Human-level existence.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge is shown to be decisive, confident, and willing to act before reaching his full potential because he believes the Jiang Clan’s secret project is nearing completion. His calm reaction suggests he may possess hidden means of confronting a Heavenly Human Saint.
• Li Xuanxian develops from a cautious adviser into a committed supporter. Initially, he urges patience because of the Jiang Clan’s overwhelming strength, but after learning the truth about the Imperial Mausoleum, he accepts that immediate action is necessary.
• Li Xuantong, the Great Elder, raises a crucial objection concerning the Emperor’s short lifespan, prompting the explanation of the inherited imperial power.
• The Emperor is recharacterized from an apparently useless ruler into a potentially formidable Half-Saint whose strength has been deliberately underestimated.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and misjudgment: Public reputations conceal the true strength of the Emperor, the Jiang Clan, and possibly Li Xinge himself.
• Urgency versus preparation: Li Xuanxian favors waiting for Li Xinge to become stronger, while Li Xinge argues that delay could allow the Jiang Clan’s plan to succeed.
• The cost of power: Imperial strength is inherited at the price of a drastically shortened lifespan, while the Jiang Clan’s pursuit of transcendence requires sacrificing its own descendants.
• Political rebellion and existential danger: The conflict is no longer merely a struggle for control of Great Zhou; it may determine whether a world-threatening Heavenly Human Saint is born.
• Faith in a leader: Li Xuanxian’s fear subsides as he trusts that Li Xinge possesses the strength or resources to withstand even the collapse of the existing order.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuanxian respectfully but forcefully challenges Li Xinge’s strategy, emphasizing the Jiang Clan’s hidden forces and the Emperor’s importance.
• Li Xuantong interrupts to question how an emperor could possess Half-Saint power despite a short lifespan, leading to the revelation of the imperial inheritance.
• Li Xinge responds to the warnings with confidence, explaining the Imperial Mausoleum’s secret and convincing Li Xuanxian that rebellion must begin immediately.
• After understanding the danger, Li Xuanxian bows and formally pledges the North Branch to Li Xinge.
• The chapter ends with Li Xinge redirecting the discussion toward reclaiming the Sacred Weapon, which he views as essential to confronting the Jiang Clan’s ultimate threat.

Chapter Summary

• Li Xinge prepares to attack Zhou: Li Xinge orders Li Xuanxian and the North Branch to remain in hiding and await instructions. Although the Sacred Weapon is important, moving it from Shenjing would alert the Jiang Clan and the Rootless People, so Li Xinge postpones retrieving it.
• The Li Family’s preparations: After Li Xuanxian departs, Li Xinge asks the Grand Elder whether everything is ready. The Grand Elder confirms that the Li Family’s forces and plans are prepared, awaiting only the Patriarch’s command.
• A mysterious source of aid: Just as Li Xinge resolves to launch his campaign against Zhou, Grand Elder Li Qingcang appears. He claims to know of a powerful source of assistance for the campaign. The chapter withholds the exact identity or nature of this aid, but Li Xinge is immediately intrigued.
• Journey to the Dragon Palace: Li Xinge travels across the sea on the back of the Qinghe Dragon King and descends to the underwater Dragon Palace. The Dragon Palace is heavily guarded by shrimp soldiers and crab generals.
• Confrontation at the palace gates: The guards fail to recognize Qinghe Dragon King and mistake him for an ordinary human. The lead crab general orders the soldiers to seize him, humiliating the Dragon King.
• Qinghe reveals his authority: Enraged, Qinghe Dragon King manifests a massive Azure Dragon phantom. Its overwhelming bloodline pressure forces the soldiers and the crab general to collapse and beg for mercy. The crab general realizes his mistake and apologizes repeatedly.
• The Eldest Princess appears: The disturbance draws out the Dragon Palace’s Eldest Princess and four Demon Kings. Rather than welcoming Qinghe, she insults him for returning after leaving with Li Xinge and orders him to leave. Her intimidating presence causes Qinghe to immediately become fearful and hesitant.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Li Xinge is shown as cautious, strategic, and decisive. He delays using the Sacred Weapon to avoid alerting his enemies, but is prepared to mobilize against Zhou once he secures outside assistance.
• Li Xuanxian proves obedient and loyal, accepting the order to keep the North Branch dormant despite concerns over the Sacred Weapon.
• Li Qingcang acts as a mysterious adviser, offering Li Xinge a potentially decisive alliance or resource.
• Qinghe Dragon King displays both pride and insecurity. He is deeply humiliated when his own palace guards fail to recognize him, then restores his dignity by revealing his true power. However, his confidence collapses when confronted by the Eldest Princess.
• The Eldest Princess is introduced as powerful, commanding, and openly hostile toward Qinghe. Her relationship with him appears strained, with Qinghe behaving more like a frightened subordinate than an equal.
• The palace guards illustrate the Dragon Clan’s dominance over aquatic beings: they are initially arrogant toward Qinghe but immediately submit once his identity and bloodline are revealed.

Significant Themes

• Strategic patience and secrecy: Li Xinge prioritizes concealment and timing over immediately deploying the Sacred Weapon.
• Power and recognition: The conflict at the Dragon Palace emphasizes how status depends on being recognized. Qinghe’s authority is dismissed until he demonstrates overwhelming power.
• Humiliation and hierarchy: The guards’ mistake humiliates Qinghe, while the Eldest Princess’s rebuke reveals that even a Dragon King may occupy a subordinate position within his own family.
• Preparation for war and alliances: The chapter sets up Li Xinge’s campaign against Zhou and introduces the Dragon Palace as a potentially important source of military support.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon King, Will You Not Show Yourself?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qinghe Dragon King returns to the Underwater Dragon Palace with Li Xinge, the King of Chu, on an important mission.
• Princess Royal initially responds with hostility and unleashes overwhelming Late-stage Divine Mansion dragon might against Qinghe Dragon King.
• Li Xinge effortlessly dispels her attack with a casual motion, revealing the vast gap between their powers.
• The four Demon Kings recognize Li Xinge as the terrifying figure who once humiliated the Dragon Palace and immediately retreat in fear and respect.
• Princess Royal also recognizes Li Xinge and, aware that he has reached Great Perfection of Divine Mansion and defeated the powerful Princess Royal of Great Zhou, adopts a far more cautious and respectful attitude.
• Li Xinge and his companions are invited into the Dragon Palace, where they are received with tea and delicacies.
• Once inside, Li Xinge reveals his purpose: he wants the Dragon Palace to send troops to help him attack Great Zhou.
• Princess Royal firmly refuses, citing the Dragon Palace’s long-standing policy of remaining neutral in human dynastic struggles and never interfering in affairs on land.
• Li Xinge calmly states that Princess Royal does not have the authority to make the final decision, then calls out to the hidden Dragon King, demanding that he reveal himself.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge: His immense growth in power and status is emphasized. He now commands fear and respect from the Dragon Palace, remains calm under pressure, and confidently challenges its highest authority.
• Princess Royal: Once arrogant and domineering toward Li Xinge and Qinghe Dragon King, she becomes restrained and respectful after witnessing Li Xinge’s strength. However, she remains firm in defending the Dragon Palace’s neutrality.
• Qinghe Dragon King: Gains confidence from Li Xinge’s presence and privately enjoys seeing Princess Royal forced to curb her arrogance. His dependence on Li Xinge’s authority is also apparent.
• The four Demon Kings: Their fear of Li Xinge is immediate and instinctive, showing how deeply his previous actions traumatized the Dragon Palace.
• The Dragon Palace attendants and guards: Their terror and submissiveness highlight Li Xinge’s fearsome reputation and the dramatic difference between his current status and their earlier perception of him.

Significant Themes

• Power commands respect: The Dragon Palace’s attitude changes instantly once Li Xinge’s overwhelming strength becomes apparent.
• The transformation brought by status: Li Xinge is no longer treated as an outsider or nuisance; he is now recognized as a powerful king capable of influencing major powers.
• Political neutrality versus ambition: The Dragon Palace’s tradition of avoiding human conflicts clashes with Li Xinge’s attempt to recruit it into a war against Great Zhou.
• Hidden authority and hierarchy: Princess Royal appears to speak for the Dragon Palace, but Li Xinge reveals that the ultimate decision belongs to the unseen Dragon King.
• Humiliation and reversal of positions: Qinghe Dragon King takes satisfaction in seeing Princess Royal, formerly aggressive toward him, forced to show respect before his master.

Character Interactions

• Li Xinge and Princess Royal: Their exchange is outwardly polite but charged with old hostility and mutual caution. Li Xinge’s calm dominance contrasts with her guarded resistance.
• Li Xinge and Qinghe Dragon King: Qinghe relies on Li Xinge’s presence for protection and authority, while Li Xinge casually resolves conflicts on his behalf.
• Li Xinge and the Demon Kings: The Demon Kings respond with fear and reverence, remembering his past destruction and recognizing his current power.
• Princess Royal and Qinghe Dragon King: Their antagonism continues beneath the formal setting. Qinghe quietly celebrates her loss of dominance, while she resents his reliance on Li Xinge.
• Li Xinge and the Dragon King: Though the Dragon King has not yet appeared, Li Xinge directly challenges him to stop hiding, setting up the chapter’s central confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xinge invokes the “Holy Emperor’s debt” while visiting the Dragon Palace, startling its leaders. His aura overwhelms the eldest princess and four Demon Kings, forcing them to recognize the vast gap in power between him and them.
• The Dragon Palace’s Half-Saint chancellor, Turtle Chancellor, emerges from the darkness. He acknowledges Li Xinge and treats the Holy Emperor’s title with deep seriousness.
• Li Xinge explains that the message came from Li Qingcang, the Li Family’s seventeenth-generation Grand Elder. Turtle Chancellor recognizes the name and learns that only a remnant of Li Qingcang’s soul remains.
• Acting on the Dragon King’s instructions, Turtle Chancellor takes Li Xinge to the Dragon Palace’s forbidden grounds, where the Dragon King is practicing Pure Cultivation. The chapter ends as they descend into the abyss and glimpse light ahead.

Character developments

• Li Xinge demonstrates overwhelming strength and composure, while showing that he now understands the historical connection between his family and the Dragon King.
• The eldest princess shifts from confidence to fear under Li Xinge’s pressure, then to disbelief when she learns her father has invited an outsider into the forbidden grounds.
• Turtle Chancellor reveals that the old title still carries weight for him and that Li Qingcang is a figure from his distant past.
• The Dragon King, though absent, shows that he remembers the debt and has chosen to meet Li Xinge.

Significant themes

• Power and humility: Li Xinge’s presence exposes the Dragon Palace’s vulnerability.
• History and obligation: The “Holy Emperor’s debt” links present events to an old, consequential relationship.
• Generational distance: Li Qingcang’s remnant soul and Turtle Chancellor’s memories underscore the passage of immense time.

Character interactions

• Li Xinge’s display of force silences the Dragon Palace’s resistance and draws Turtle Chancellor out.
• Turtle Chancellor and Li Xinge exchange wary but respectful recognition, then discuss Li Qingcang and the old debt.
• The eldest princess questions the decision to enter the forbidden grounds, but Turtle Chancellor insists that it comes from the Dragon King himself.

Key plot points

• Li Xinge enters a freezing abyss beneath the Dragon Palace and sees the ancient Dragon King chained to a colossal pillar. The chains are not simply a prison: the Dragon King uses their cold to suppress his badly decayed, festering injuries.
• The Dragon King recognizes Li Xinge as a descendant of the Holy Emperor, though he emphasizes that Li Xinge is not the Holy Emperor himself.
• Li Xinge asks the Dragon Palace to join him in attacking Great Zhou and restoring the Li Family’s realm. The Dragon King agrees immediately, then orders the entire Dragon Palace and its aquatic forces to obey Li Xinge’s commands.
• As Li Xinge leaves, the Dragon King warns him that the Rootless People are his true enemy and offers him refuge and protection if his situation becomes desperate.
• Left alone, the Dragon King reflects on seeing the Holy Emperor’s shadow in Li Xinge and coughs violently.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xinge shows ambition and confidence by asking for military support directly. He is surprised by the Dragon King’s sweeping commitment, but accepts it respectfully and promises to repay the favor.
• The Old Dragon King is gravely injured yet powerful and generous. His deep gratitude to the Holy Emperor motivates his support for Li Xinge, and he appears emotionally affected by the family resemblance.
• Turtle Chancellor remains dutiful and composed. He carries out the Dragon King’s command, though the scale of the order briefly shocks him, and tactfully prompts Li Xinge to leave so the Dragon King can rest.
• The exchange between Li Xinge and the Dragon King is respectful but warm; the Dragon King even teases Li Xinge for continuing to call himself “junior.”

Significant themes

• Inherited legacies: Li Xinge benefits from his descent from the Holy Emperor, but the Dragon King distinguishes him from the revered ancestor.
• Debt, gratitude, and loyalty: The Dragon King’s enduring gratitude to the Holy Emperor drives him to place the Dragon Palace at Li Xinge’s disposal.
• Power amid vulnerability: The Dragon King commands immense loyalty and influence, yet is physically ruined and dependent on the chains to contain his injuries.
• Foreshadowed danger: The warning about the Rootless People points to a larger threat beyond Li Xinge’s campaign against Great Zhou.

Chapter Summary: Regent of the Dragon Palace

Key plot points and events

• The Eldest Princess waits anxiously outside the abyss, where her father, the Dragon King, has unexpectedly received Li Xinge, a human known as the King of Chu.
• Turtle Chancellor emerges with Li Xinge and commands the Eldest Princess and four Demon Kings to kneel.
• He announces that the Dragon King has ordered the entire Underwater Dragon Palace and all Aquatic Races to obey Li Xinge’s commands.
• The Eldest Princess openly challenges the decree, arguing that placing a human in control violates the Dragon Palace’s traditions and damages its authority.
• Turtle Chancellor suppresses her with his Half-Saint pressure and strips her of her position as regent for questioning the Dragon King’s order.
• He then reveals the Dragon King’s ancient command token, containing the Dragon King’s blood. Its appearance forces every Aquatic Race throughout the Endless Sea Region to submit, proving the order is genuine.
• Turtle Chancellor declares Li Xinge the new Regent Prince, warning that anyone who resists will be killed without mercy.
• The four Demon Kings, Turtle Chancellor, and finally the Eldest Princess—whose name is revealed as Ao Bai—bow to Li Xinge.
• Li Xinge accepts the Dragon King’s command token but modestly leaves the Dragon Palace’s daily administration to Turtle Chancellor and Ao Bai.

Character developments

• Li Xinge rises from an outsider to the supreme authority of the Dragon Palace and the Endless Waters. His calm silence and composed response emphasize his confidence and new status.
• Ao Bai changes from a proud, defiant regent into a reluctant subordinate after seeing the Dragon King’s token. Though humiliated and distressed, she ultimately accepts the decree.
• Turtle Chancellor demonstrates absolute loyalty to the Dragon King. Despite his affection for Ao Bai, he firmly enforces the Dragon King’s will and removes her from power when she objects.
• The four Demon Kings show their submission by immediately kneeling and accepting Li Xinge’s authority.

Significant themes

• Authority and legitimacy: The Dragon King’s command overrides tradition, rank, and personal opinion.
• Loyalty versus personal judgment: Ao Bai believes she is defending the Dragon Palace, but her resistance conflicts with her duty to obey the Dragon King.
• Power and submission: The Dragon King’s blood and command token symbolize unquestionable legitimacy, compelling every Aquatic Race to submit.
• Humility and leadership: Although Li Xinge receives absolute power, he avoids micromanaging and entrusts the Dragon Palace’s affairs to its experienced leaders.
• Tradition challenged by outsiders: A human taking control of the Dragon Palace overturns long-standing racial and institutional expectations.

Character interactions

• Ao Bai confronts Turtle Chancellor over the Dragon King’s decision, but he rebukes and punishes her.
• Turtle Chancellor publicly confirms Li Xinge’s authority and bows to him, setting an example for the Demon Kings and Ao Bai.
• Ao Bai’s final bow marks her acceptance of Li Xinge’s supremacy.
• Li Xinge responds to the submission by accepting the command token and restoring Ao Bai to an administrative role alongside Turtle Chancellor, softening the chapter’s harsh power transition.

Chapter Summary: “Aquatic Race’s Foundation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Xinge formally assumes authority as Regent King but immediately returns day-to-day control of the Dragon Palace to Turtle Chancellor and the Eldest Princess.
• He punishes the Eldest Princess for defying the Dragon King’s decree by removing her position as regent, but allows her to continue managing the palace because of her experience and abilities.
• Li Xinge announces his campaign against Great Zhou and gives the Dragon Palace three orders:
  1. Mobilize the Aquatic Races of the Nine Seas to blockade Great Zhou’s coastline.
  2. Send water-capable aquatic forces into Great Zhou’s rivers, lakes, and waterways to prepare for the invasion.
  3. Require every Aquatic Race expert at the Demon Lord level or above to accompany him north.
• Turtle Chancellor borrows the Dragon King’s Jin Order and proclaims the Dragon King’s decree throughout the seas. The command awakens and mobilizes enormous aquatic forces across every region.
• Ancient and powerful creatures—including whales, flood dragons, Ice Chi Dragons, sea demons, secluded experts, Demon Kings, and vast armies of ordinary aquatic soldiers—begin converging on the Dragon Palace.
• The second Dragon Son, Ao Lan, arrives and initially behaves arrogantly toward the Eldest Princess. However, after seeing Turtle Chancellor’s respect for Li Xinge, he immediately submits and pays respects to the new Regent.
• The remaining dragon sons and daughters arrive, all possessing Demon King-level cultivation. Numerous other powerful aquatic experts follow, causing Li Xinge to realize that the Dragon Palace’s military foundation is far greater than he expected.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge demonstrates political maturity and strategic clarity. Rather than obsessing over personal control, he focuses on ensuring that the Dragon Palace’s commands are obeyed and that capable administrators remain in place.
• The Eldest Princess loses her regency as punishment but retains an important administrative role. Her attitude toward Li Xinge becomes more complicated as she recognizes his magnanimity and competence. Ao Lan’s arrival also makes her feel threatened.
• Turtle Chancellor becomes Li Xinge’s reliable executor and appears deeply impressed by his wisdom. His public submission reinforces Li Xinge’s legitimacy.
• Ao Lan, the second Dragon Son, is introduced as proud and politically observant. Though initially arrogant, he quickly acknowledges Li Xinge’s authority after recognizing Turtle Chancellor’s loyalty to him.
• The Dragon Palace and Aquatic Races are revealed to possess immense hidden strength, including numerous Demon Kings and ancient experts who had remained inactive for thousands of years.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatic leadership: True authority lies in achieving results, not personally controlling every task.
• Merit and punishment: Li Xinge separates the Eldest Princess’s political offense from her administrative abilities, punishing her without wasting her talents.
• Legitimacy and obedience: The Dragon King’s Jin Order transforms Li Xinge’s authority into a command recognized throughout the seas.
• Hidden strength and resurgence: The Dragon Palace, dormant for millennia, suddenly reveals its enormous military power.
• Political hierarchy and adaptation: Even proud figures such as Ao Lan quickly adjust to changing power structures.

Character Interactions

• Li Xinge and Turtle Chancellor establish a cooperative relationship based on trust and practical governance.
• Li Xinge’s decision to retain the Eldest Princess creates a tense but respectful dynamic between them.
• Turtle Chancellor publicly validates Li Xinge’s authority by commanding the aquatic forces and requiring Ao Lan to pay respects.
• Ao Lan’s deferential behavior toward Li Xinge contrasts with his provocative glance at the Eldest Princess, intensifying her sense of political danger.
• The arrival of the dragon children and countless aquatic experts shifts the atmosphere from internal political tension to the anticipation of a massive military campaign against Great Zhou.

Chapter Summary: “Black Whale King”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Turtle Chancellor arrives at the Underwater Dragon Palace with Li Xinge and declares him the new Dragon Palace Regent, appointed personally by the Old Dragon King.
• He warns the Dragon Sons and Daughters that everyone—including himself—must obey Li Xinge, and anyone who resists will be killed without mercy.
• A massive demonic presence emerges from the sea. The Black Whale King, a colossal Nine Nether Devouring Sea Whale and ancient founder of the Dragon Palace, arrives.
• The Black Whale King questions why the former Regent, the Eldest Princess Ao Bai, has been replaced by a human.
• Although initially skeptical, the Black Whale King immediately submits after seeing the Dragon King’s Command, recognizing the authority behind Li Xinge’s appointment.
• He then openly challenges Li Xinge’s legitimacy, arguing that authority based solely on the Dragon King’s decree may not be enough to earn the Aquatic Race’s loyalty.
• Li Xinge responds by releasing the pressure of his Golden Crow bloodline or power. His aura completely overwhelms the Black Whale King’s Half-Saint pressure and forces him backward five steps.
• Convinced by Li Xinge’s overwhelming strength, the Black Whale King accepts him sincerely and pledges to obey his commands.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge establishes himself as more than a nominal ruler. His effortless defeat of the Black Whale King’s pressure proves that he possesses formidable personal strength.
• The Turtle Chancellor shifts from merely respecting Li Xinge because of the Dragon King’s order to genuinely admiring and fearing his abilities.
• The Black Whale King moves from suspicion and resistance to complete acceptance. His reaction demonstrates his practical judgment and his belief that strength determines authority among the Demon and Aquatic Races.
• Ao Bai, the former Regent, remains silent and avoids challenging the Old Dragon King’s decision, emphasizing the political tension surrounding her replacement.
• The Dragon Sons and Daughters, initially confused and secretly amused by Li Xinge’s situation, become impressed and more cautious after witnessing his power.

Significant Themes

• Authority versus personal strength: The Dragon King’s command grants Li Xinge official legitimacy, but his battle with the Black Whale King proves that he can also command respect through strength.
• The prestige of the Dragon King: Even ancient and powerful figures immediately obey the Dragon King’s Command, showing the enormous influence and fear attached to the Old Dragon King.
• Hierarchy and bloodline: The Aquatic Race values noble lineage and power, making Li Xinge’s position as a human outsider controversial.
• Respect for the strong: The Black Whale King embodies the principle that true authority must be backed by overwhelming ability.
• Political consolidation: Li Xinge’s victory strengthens his position within the Dragon Palace and discourages future challenges from its powerful factions.

Character Interactions

• The Turtle Chancellor publicly introduces Li Xinge as Regent and uses the Dragon King’s Command to silence potential opposition.
• The Black Whale King confronts the Turtle Chancellor over Li Xinge’s appointment, then formally bows to Li Xinge after recognizing the Dragon King’s authority.
• Li Xinge and the Black Whale King test each other indirectly through their auras. Li Xinge’s Golden Crow pressure decisively defeats the whale’s Half-Saint power.
• Afterward, the Black Whale King openly pledges his loyalty, transforming their relationship from confrontation to alliance.

Chapter Summary: Campaign Against Great Zhou

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Black Whale King, a feared Half-Saint elder of the Dragon Palace, unexpectedly bows to Li Xinge. His submission shocks the Dragon Sons and Daughters, who had expected him to challenge or pressure Li Xinge.
• The Eldest Princess, witnessing the Black Whale King’s obedience, abandons the last of her resistance and recognizes the overwhelming authority and strength Li Xinge possesses.
• Forty-one Demon Kings from the Endless Sea Region gather before Li Xinge, including:
  • Two Half-Saints: the Turtle Chancellor and Black Whale King
  • One Great Perfection Divine Mansion expert
  • Six Late-stage, ten Mid-stage, and twenty-two Early-stage Divine Mansion Demon Kings
• The gathering reveals the immense power of the Underwater Dragon Palace. Their combined demon aura covers the sea, and their submission dramatically strengthens Li Xinge’s forces, reversing his previous disadvantage against the northern powers.
• Li Xinge meets Qianzu, the Centipede Demon Insect, a Great Perfection Divine Mansion expert whose severed legs can each grow into independent demons, making him exceptionally difficult to kill.
• In the Chu King’s Palace, the leading forces of the Southern Region assemble, including aristocratic families, surrendered officials, demonic sects, Li Family elders, and other Divine Mansion experts.
• Li Xinge formally announces his decision to campaign against Great Zhou. Cui Yuan and the southern aristocratic factions immediately support him, followed by Ming Tianchen and the Demon Venerables.
• The assembly enthusiastically declares its intention to march on Shenjing, overthrow Great Zhou, and establish Li Xinge as ruler of a new dynasty.

Character Developments

• Li Xinge: His authority and confidence reach a new height. With the Dragon Palace’s submission, he becomes the strongest political and military force in the realm and openly prepares to claim Great Zhou’s throne.
• Black Whale King: Once an uncompromising and terrifying enforcer of the Dragon Palace, he humbles himself before Li Xinge, demonstrating the latter’s dominance.
• Eldest Princess: Her remaining unwillingness disappears after witnessing the Black Whale King’s submission. She accepts that Li Xinge stands far above ordinary contenders.
• Turtle Chancellor: Acts as Li Xinge’s guide to the Dragon Palace’s forces and formally presents the gathered Demon Kings.
• Qianzu/Centipede Demon Insect: Introduced as an unusual and dangerous ally whose incarnation technique makes him extremely difficult to eliminate.
• Cui Yuan, Ming Tianchen, and the Demon Venerables: Their long-standing resentment toward Great Zhou transforms into open enthusiasm for war. They now view Li Xinge as the likely founder of a new dynasty.

Significant Themes

• The power of overwhelming strength: Li Xinge’s authority is established not merely through words but through the submission of powerful figures who once answered only to the Dragon King.
• Alliance and political consolidation: The Dragon Palace’s allegiance unites the sea’s Demon Kings with the Southern Region’s human and demonic factions.
• Revenge and liberation: The Southern People’s six-thousand-year oppression under Great Zhou fuels the campaign and gives it the character of a historical reckoning.
• The decline of an old dynasty: Great Zhou is portrayed as weakened and nearing its end, while Li Xinge’s coalition represents the rise of a new order.
• Ambition and legitimacy: The coming war is framed both as liberation from Great Zhou and as the foundation for Li Xinge’s imperial rule.

Character Interactions

• The Black Whale King’s bow to Li Xinge establishes a clear hierarchy and influences the other Demon Kings to submit as well.
• The Turtle Chancellor serves as an intermediary between Li Xinge and the Dragon Palace’s forces.
• Li Xinge acknowledges Qianzu after learning about his strange incarnation ability, signaling respect for the demon’s unusual strength.
• In the Council Hall, Cui Yuan publicly endorses Li Xinge first, encouraging the other southern factions to follow.
• Blood Abyss Demon Venerable boldly volunteers to lead the assault on Shenjing and even promises to drag Great Zhou’s emperor from the throne.
• The entire assembly unites behind Li Xinge, ending the chapter with a collective vow to march against Great Zhou.

Chapter Summary: “Anti-Zhou Proclamation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Internal Affairs Hall of Green Maple Valley, Li Xuanyong prepares an Anti-Zhou Proclamation on behalf of Li Xinge, the King of Chu.
• Reflecting on the Li Family’s difficult past and its rise over the last twenty years, Li Xuanyong writes a formal declaration condemning the six-thousand-year Jiang Clan Zhou Dynasty.
• The proclamation lists four major crimes committed by the Zhou regime:
  1. Usurping the Liang Dynasty through bloodshed and massacres in the southern lands.
  2. Oppressing the southern people, exploiting their labor and resources while denying talented southerners opportunities to cultivate.
  3. Misgoverning the empire, causing factional conflict, rebellion, famine, poverty, and widespread suffering.
  4. Sacrificing members of its own imperial clan in the Imperial Mausoleum to prolong the dynasty’s declining fortune.
• The proclamation declares that Heaven and the people have abandoned Zhou, and that the dynasty’s mandate has ended.
• Li Xinge presents himself as a ruler who values talent over birth, promising resources and advancement to rogue cultivators and fair treatment to those who submit.
• He promises protection for northern civilians and offers northern aristocratic families and soldiers the chance to surrender without punishment.
• However, he issues a severe warning to those who continue supporting Zhou: their cities will be destroyed and their descendants exterminated.
• After completing the proclamation, Li Xuanyong is physically and emotionally exhausted.
• Meanwhile, Li Xinge visits the Li Clan ancestral tombs and pays respects to his grandfather, Li Xuanfeng.
• He pours out his grandfather’s favorite inexpensive wine, remembers the sacrifices and guidance that shaped him, and vows to fulfill the old man’s hope of restoring the Li Family’s greatness.
• Li Xinge kneels and bows three times before the grave, marking a deeply personal moment of remembrance and resolve.

Character Developments

• Li Xuanyong is shown as a seasoned, loyal elder who has endured the Li Family’s former weakness and witnessed its transformation. Writing the proclamation forces him to confront the family’s history and the scale of the coming revolution. His exhaustion reveals the emotional weight and responsibility he carries.
• Li Xinge is portrayed not only as a powerful conqueror but also as a grandson shaped by loss. His memories of Li Xuanfeng reveal gratitude, filial devotion, and a strong sense of inherited duty. His promise to restore the Li Family shows that his campaign is both political and deeply personal.
• Li Xuanfeng, though deceased, remains central to Li Xinge’s identity. His strict upbringing, political decisions, and faith in Li Xinge laid the foundation for the Li Family’s resurgence.

Significant Themes

• Legitimacy and the Mandate of Heaven: The proclamation frames Zhou’s fall as morally and cosmically inevitable, presenting Li Xinge’s rise as the fulfillment of Heaven’s will rather than mere rebellion.
• Revolution and Justice: Zhou’s crimes justify the coming war, while Li Xinge claims to offer a fairer society based on merit rather than ancestry or faction.
• Oppression and Liberation: The suffering of southern civilians, rogue cultivators, and talented individuals is contrasted with the privileges of the Northern Faction and the Jiang Clan.
• Inherited Duty and Family Legacy: Li Xinge’s campaign is tied to his grandfather’s dream of restoring the Li Family’s former glory.
• Mercy and Ruthlessness: The proclamation offers generous terms to civilians and defectors but threatens total destruction to stubborn supporters of Zhou, emphasizing the balance between reconciliation and vengeance.
• Personal Grief Amid Historical Change: Grand political upheaval is paired with intimate mourning, showing how national struggles are connected to family memories and private sacrifice.

Character Interactions

• Li Xuanyong’s interaction is primarily with the memory of the Li Family’s past and with Li Xinge’s political vision, which he transforms into the proclamation.
• Li Xinge’s encounter with Li Xuanfeng’s grave is one-sided but emotionally powerful. Through his words, wine offering, and bows, he reconnects with the grandfather who raised and guided him.
• The chapter also presents an implied relationship between Li Xinge and the people of the empire: he positions himself as their protector while warning enemies that resistance will bring terrible consequences.

Chapter Summary: “The Realm Trembles”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Third Elder’s Anti-Zhou Proclamation is mass-produced and distributed across the Southern Ten Provinces, inflaming public anger and inspiring calls to overthrow Great Zhou and support the King of Chu.
• Night Owl Hall secretly circulates the proclamation throughout the northern provinces, where its revelations shock readers.
• The proclamation exposes the truth behind the Imperial Mausoleum: descendants of the Jiang imperial clan have allegedly been sent there for generations and used as fuel by a monstrous being within.
• In Shenjing’s South Garden Ward, collateral members of the Jiang Clan realize that their missing sons and grandsons were likely sacrificed. Jiang Shouzhuo, whose entire family has been taken, breaks down and loses his sanity.
• Jiang Huai’en gathers local collateral clansmen in secret. He argues that the creature in the mausoleum cannot be considered their ancestor if it consumes its own bloodline. His speech turns their grief and fear into a decision to revolt.
• Similar unrest spreads throughout Great Zhou as hidden resentment and fear erupt into rebellion.
• Prime Minister Wen studies the proclamation, focusing not on its accusations but on its promises of clemency to nobles, soldiers, and commoners who defect or remain neutral.
• He admits that Li Xinge’s momentum makes victory seem likely, but the unknown power within the Imperial Mausoleum remains a decisive factor.
• Wen and his son Wen Zhongyan conclude that the palace likely knew about the mausoleum’s secret and deliberately pretended ignorance.
• Prime Minister Wen decides that, regardless of which side wins, the Wen Clan must survive, signaling an imminent betrayal or political realignment. He also implies that his own fate is already sealed.

Character Developments

• Jiang Shouzhuo changes from a patient, obedient imperial relative into a broken man after learning that his descendants were sacrificed rather than honored.
• Jiang Huai’en emerges as a decisive revolutionary leader. His loyalty shifts away from the imperial ancestor and toward protecting the surviving collateral branches.
• The other collateral Jiang clansmen move from disbelief and helpless grief to collective outrage and willingness to rebel.
• Prime Minister Wen reveals himself to be pragmatic and calculating rather than ideologically loyal to Great Zhou. He recognizes the proclamation’s strategic brilliance and begins prioritizing his family’s survival.
• Wen Zhongyan realizes the gravity of his family’s past actions and becomes fearful of the consequences. He understands that his father is preparing for a major political choice.
• The unseen ruler in the palace is characterized as patient, manipulative, and exceptionally capable of concealing his knowledge.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal by authority: The Jiang descendants discover that the imperial institution and their supposed ancestor sacrificed them while demanding their loyalty.
• Truth as a revolutionary force: Once the proclamation exposes the mausoleum’s secret, private grief becomes widespread political rebellion.
• Family loyalty versus political survival: Prime Minister Wen places the survival of the Wen Clan above loyalty to the dynasty.
• The collapse of legitimacy: The Zhou regime’s authority weakens as nobles, soldiers, commoners, and even imperial relatives question the system they served.
• Moral corruption hidden beneath tradition: The sacred Imperial Mausoleum is revealed as a site of exploitation, undermining the reverence traditionally owed to ancestors.
• Uncertainty and hidden power: Although Li Xinge’s victory appears increasingly likely, the mysterious force within the mausoleum may still determine the war’s outcome.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Huai’en and the collateral clansmen: He confronts their fear and religious loyalty, persuading them that revolt is justified because the mausoleum’s occupant has betrayed their bloodline.
• Jiang Shouzhuo and the proclamation: His reaction embodies the personal devastation caused by the imperial secret, while the weeping households show that his tragedy is collective.
• Prime Minister Wen and Wen Zhongyan: Their conversation reveals mutual political calculation and fear. Wen tests his son’s understanding before instructing him to preserve the family at all costs.
• Wen and the palace ruler: Though the ruler never appears, Wen’s reflections portray a long-standing political struggle with an emperor who knowingly tolerated the mausoleum’s horrors.
• Wen and Li Xinge: Li Xinge is not present, but his growing momentum forces Wen to reconsider Great Zhou’s chances and prepare for its possible defeat.

Chapter Summary: “I’m Not Hiding Anymore”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Imperial Study, Emperor Great Zhou reads the southern “Anti-Zhou Proclamation,” authored by Li Xinge. The proclamation condemns the Jiang imperial clan for atrocities, accusing it of devouring its own relatives and calling the emperor an “evil demon.”
• Enraged, the emperor overturns his desk, curses Li Xinge, and orders Eunuch Song Wuya to investigate where the proclamation has spread and punish everyone who has read, copied, or circulated it.
• The emperor soon regains control, restores the torn proclamation through spiritual power, and reads it again carefully. He recognizes that its most damaging lines have already shaken the loyalty of half the northern forces.
• Realizing that the southern side has exposed the Royal House’s hidden plans, the emperor decides to stop concealing the truth. He summons Chancellor Wen Zhong, Duke Li Taiming, the major northern Lineages in the capital, and the Clan Affairs Office to Tai Chi Hall.
• In the hall, the northern representatives anxiously anticipate an explanation. They fear both the coming southern invasion and the consequences of the Royal House’s secret scheme, while privately considering how to protect themselves or align with the eventual victor.
• The emperor arrives openly displaying the pressure of his Half-Saint Realm, orders Jiang Yuandu to read the proclamation aloud, and confronts the gathered nobles for their fear and wavering loyalty.
• Jiang Yuandu denounces the proclamation and urges immediate military retaliation, but his panicked reaction exposes his anxiety. The emperor also challenges Prime Minister Wen Zhong, who avoids revealing his thoughts.
• The chapter ends with the emperor declaring that he will no longer hide the truth: “I’m done hiding!”

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Shifts from explosive anger to cold, deliberate control. He understands the proclamation’s political power and recognizes that secrecy is no longer useful. His decision to reveal the Royal House’s plans marks a major turning point in his rule.
• Song Wuya: Remains terrified and obedient, carefully observing the emperor’s moods. He understands that the emperor’s calm is more dangerous than his anger, but still carries out his orders without protest.
• Li Xinge: Though absent, he becomes a powerful political force through the proclamation. His attack has successfully shaken the northern camp before any military action begins.
• Jiang Yuandu: Attempts to prove loyalty by calling for Li Xinge’s extermination, but his nervousness makes him appear weak and frightened. The emperor openly exposes his panic.
• Wen Zhong: Maintains his characteristic caution and political restraint. His refusal to answer directly suggests that he understands the proclamation’s implications but is unwilling to commit himself publicly.
• Northern Lineage leaders: Their confidence in the Royal House has been seriously damaged. They are increasingly focused on survival and choosing the side most likely to prevail.

Significant Themes

• The power of propaganda and public narrative: The proclamation weakens the emperor’s position before the southern army even moves, showing that words can destabilize a regime as effectively as weapons.
• Fear and political opportunism: The northern elites are not motivated purely by loyalty; they are already calculating how to survive or benefit if the Royal House falls.
• Secrecy versus disclosure: The emperor has relied on concealment, but the proclamation forces him to abandon that strategy and confront the political crisis openly.
• Authority and intimidation: The emperor uses his Half-Saint power, harsh words, and psychological insight to reassert dominance over the assembled nobles.
• Truth as a weapon: By exposing what everyone is thinking—fear, doubt, and thoughts of changing allegiance—the emperor places the nobles under pressure before revealing his own plans.

Important Character Interactions

• The emperor and Song Wuya interact through a clear hierarchy of fear and obedience; Song Wuya tries to calm him but is careful not to challenge him.
• The emperor confronts Jiang Yuandu directly, identifying his outward loyalty as panic rather than genuine confidence.
• The emperor tests Wen Zhong, implying that the chancellor understands more than he admits, while Wen Zhong remains respectfully evasive.
• The emperor addresses all the northern leaders collectively, accusing them of considering how to curry favor with a possible future ruler. This forces them to face their own wavering loyalty and establishes the tense political confrontation that will continue in the next chapter.

Chapter Summary: “The Trump Card Revealed, Steadying Hearts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emperor challenges the court to explain how the Jiang Clan has maintained control of Great Zhou for more than 6,400 years.
• Prime Minister Wen attributes the dynasty’s survival to the Founder’s efforts, loyal ministers, and the sacrifices of soldiers. The Emperor rejects this answer as empty rhetoric and declares that the true reason is “absolute strength.”
• The Emperor summons Prince Wuning, Jiang Wuyang, a legendary royal commander who lived three thousand years earlier and famously annihilated the Northern Barbarians. His appearance shocks the court, as everyone believed him dead.
• A second ancient figure appears: Jiang Wuji, the Founder’s youngest son and the “Second Founder.” He carries the Founder’s Heavenly Weapon, the Dragon-Slaying Sword, and casually sits on the Dragon Throne.
• Jiang Wuji’s survival is astonishing because he is over six thousand years old and should have long surpassed the normal limits of the Divine Mansion Realm.
• The Emperor respectfully acknowledges Jiang Wuji, revealing the extraordinary status of the ancient figure within the Jiang Clan.
• Jiang Wuji warns Duke of Zhenguo Li Taiming not to harbor ambitions against the imperial family, implying that powerful hidden figures are still watching the Li Family.
• Jiang Wuji then announces that he has emerged to help stabilize the Jiang Clan’s rule against those seeking to overthrow it.
• With Jiang Wuyang, Jiang Wuji, and the Emperor all revealed as Half-Saints, the Jiang Clan displays three supreme experts within the imperial court.
• Despite this revelation, the court remains uneasy. Since Li Xinge is young, has defeated the Princess Royal, and may be capable of killing Half-Saints, the Jiang Clan’s new strength may still be insufficient to guarantee victory.

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Reveals himself as confident, ruthless, and determined to dispel any doubts about the Jiang Clan’s authority. His declaration that strength—not idealism or cooperation—preserves the dynasty exposes his pragmatic worldview.
• Prime Minister Wen: Remains outwardly calm even when criticized, but his shock at seeing Prince Wuning demonstrates how significant the ancient warrior’s return is.
• Jiang Wuyang / Prince Wuning: Reintroduced as a terrifying legendary warrior whose reputation alone once frightened the Northern Barbarians. He shows complete loyalty to the Emperor by silently taking his place beside him.
• Jiang Wuji: Emerges as an ancient, immensely powerful member of the imperial family. He is arrogant, perceptive, and protective of the Jiang Clan, while also acting as a stern judge of other powerful families.
• Li Taiming: Becomes visibly frightened when Jiang Wuji hints that the Li Family is being watched. He immediately submits and assures Jiang Wuji that he understands the warning.
• Li Xinge: Does not appear directly, but his overwhelming combat ability remains the central threat. His potential to defeat Half-Saints prevents the court from feeling secure even after the Jiang Clan reveals its hidden experts.

Significant Themes

• Power as the foundation of authority: The Emperor argues that dynasties survive through overwhelming strength rather than cooperation, loyalty, or noble ideals.
• Hidden foundations of ancient institutions: The Jiang Clan’s six-thousand-year rule rests on secret immortals and legendary figures who have remained concealed until needed.
• The weight of history: Names such as Prince Wuning, Jiang Wuji, and the Dragon-Slaying Sword embody Great Zhou’s long history and inspire both reverence and fear.
• Political intimidation and submission: Jiang Wuji’s warning to Li Taiming shows how power can enforce loyalty without open conflict.
• The uncertainty of overwhelming strength: Even three Half-Saints may not be enough against Li Xinge, suggesting that established power can still be challenged by a new generation.

Character Interactions

• The Emperor verbally rebukes Prime Minister Wen, dismissing his explanation of Great Zhou’s longevity.
• The Emperor respectfully bows to Jiang Wuji, showing that even the reigning monarch defers to the ancient founder’s son.
• Jiang Wuji recognizes Li Taiming as a descendant of an old acquaintance and uses their historical connection to issue a veiled threat.
• Li Taiming responds submissively, acknowledging Jiang Wuji’s authority.
• Jiang Wuyang and Jiang Wuji position themselves beside the Emperor, symbolically demonstrating the unified strength of the Jiang Clan and reinforcing the Emperor’s claim to power.

Chapter Summary: “Standing on Unbeaten Ground?”

Plot and major revelations

The emperor confronts the northern nobles, accusing them of doubting the Jiang Clan’s ability to withstand Li Xinge’s Southern Army. He correctly recognizes that many have already considered surrendering their territories to preserve their families. To restore their confidence, he confirms the truth of Li Xuanyong’s Anti-Zhou Proclamation: the Imperial Mausoleum contains a living, terrifying existence, and generations of Jiang imperial clansmen—numbering more than ten million—have been sacrificed as blood, flesh, souls, and cultivation to sustain him.

The Progenitor Emperor’s secret

The emperor reveals that the being beneath the Imperial Mausoleum is the Progenitor Emperor, founder of Great Zhou. Though believed to have died 6,400 years earlier, he has survived by consuming his descendants. His goal was to advance beyond the Half-Saint Realm into the Heavenly Human Sacred Realm. He has now condensed a True Spirit and is supposedly only one step away from completing his breakthrough.

Political and military stakes

The emperor argues that Li Xinge, despite being unmatched among those of his realm—even stronger than the Princess Royal—cannot challenge a Heavenly Human Saint. Once the Progenitor Emperor emerges, the emperor believes Li Xinge and the Southern Army will be effortlessly destroyed. He therefore declares that the Jiang Clan has already secured “unbeaten ground,” attempting to convince wavering officials that resistance is pointless.

Character developments

• The emperor displays ruthless confidence and calculated intimidation. Rather than deny the Jiang Clan’s crimes, he openly admits them and uses the Progenitor Emperor’s impending breakthrough as leverage to force the nobles back into obedience.
• Jiang Wuji, the Second Progenitor, reveals his fanatical reverence for the Progenitor Emperor and accepts the sacrifice of countless Jiang descendants without hesitation.
• Jiang Yuandu is devastated by the revelation, especially because his position in the Clan Affairs Office made him aware of the huge number of imperial clansmen sent into the mausoleum.
• Prime Minister Wen, normally composed and politically perceptive, is finally shaken when he realizes that the Progenitor Emperor may truly become a Heavenly Human Saint and that events have escaped his control.
• Li Taiming remains outwardly calm but is inwardly terrified, since the emperor’s warning clearly targets those who have secretly supported Li Xinge.
• Jiang Wuyang remains watchful and hostile, his hand resting on his saber, while the other nobles fall into uneasy silence.

Character interactions

The emperor dominates the entire court through direct accusations and carefully timed revelations. He challenges the nobles’ doubts, answers Prime Minister Wen’s question about the mausoleum, and watches with satisfaction as Wen and the others lose their composure. He also implicitly threatens Li Taiming and other sympathizers of Li Xinge, offering forgiveness for their “foolish” actions while warning that continued resistance will bring severe consequences.

Significant themes

The chapter explores political fear, tyranny, sacrifice, and the corruption of imperial power. The Jiang Clan’s supposed legitimacy is revealed to rest on generations of internal slaughter, while the emperor treats family members as expendable resources. It also emphasizes the danger of absolute power: the promise of a Heavenly Human Saint allows the emperor to justify atrocity and demand obedience. Finally, the chapter contrasts moral truth with pragmatic survival, as the nobles must choose between opposing the Jiang Clan’s crimes or submitting to a regime that claims victory is already inevitable.

Chapter Summary: “Has the Saint Path Been Severed?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emperor dismisses the court officials after revealing that the imperial clan members in the Imperial Mausoleum are all dead. His cold response frightens Jiang Yuandu and demonstrates that the Emperor is willing to sacrifice even members of his own bloodline.
• After the officials leave, only the Emperor, Prince Wuning, and Second Ancestor Jiang Wuji remain in Tai Chi Hall. They discuss the proclamation and rebellion of Li Xinge, acknowledging his extraordinary ability to manipulate people and understand human nature.
• Jiang Wuji declares that, now that the Jiang Clan’s secrets have been exposed, they must act without restraint. He proposes beginning with Jiang Qinghuang, the Emperor’s daughter.
• Jiang Wuji argues that Qinghuang should be sent into the Imperial Mausoleum as nourishment for the secluded First Ancestor. He claims that her cultivation and Ice Phoenix Sacred Body could provide enough power to help the First Ancestor break through to the Heavenly Human realm.
• The Emperor vehemently rejects the proposal, insisting that Qinghuang is the Jiang Clan’s greatest talent and his only daughter with the late Empress.
• Jiang Wuji explains that the world’s origin was damaged by an ancient calamity, making it impossible for anyone to become a Saint through ordinary cultivation. Since Qinghuang’s Saint Body origin was damaged after her defeat by Li Xinge, her path to sainthood has effectively been severed, and she can advance no further than the Half-Saint realm.
• Jiang Wuji insists that her sacrifice is necessary to prevent six thousand years of Jiang Clan sacrifices from becoming meaningless and to give the First Ancestor a chance to break free from the world’s limitations.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Wuji reminding the Emperor that his own lifespan is limited and that only the First Ancestor’s breakthrough can save the Jiang Clan and allow them to escape their doomed world.

2. Character Developments

• The Emperor: Reveals a conflict between his ruthless political role and his identity as a father. Although he has accepted the deaths of countless Jiang Clan descendants, he refuses to sacrifice Jiang Qinghuang, exposing a rare weakness and emotional attachment.
• Jiang Wuji, the Second Ancestor: Becomes the chapter’s most uncompromising figure. He views people as resources for the Jiang Clan’s survival and treats Qinghuang’s sacrifice as a logical repayment of her debt to the family.
• Prince Wuning: Remains fiercely loyal to the Jiang Clan’s survival strategy. His hostility and grip on his weapon suggest that he supports Jiang Wuji and may be prepared to enforce the decision.
• Jiang Qinghuang: Though absent, she undergoes an important narrative development. Her defeat by Li Xinge has damaged the origin of her Ice Phoenix Sacred Body, leaving her Saint path broken and making her vulnerable to being discarded by her own family.
• Li Xinge: Also absent, but his influence is significant. His victory over Qinghuang and his ability to expose and manipulate human weaknesses have destabilized the Jiang Clan.

3. Significant Themes

• Family versus duty: The Emperor’s refusal to sacrifice his daughter clashes with Jiang Wuji’s belief that rulers must abandon personal affection for the sake of the clan.
• The cost of survival: The Jiang Clan justifies generations of sacrifice as necessary for escape from a dying world, raising the question of whether survival can excuse any cruelty.
• Loss of destiny: Qinghuang’s damaged Saint Body represents the destruction of a once-promising future. Her defeat has not only weakened her physically but also erased the path she was expected to follow.
• Power and sacrifice: The Imperial Mausoleum embodies the Jiang Clan’s horrifying system, in which descendants are treated as fuel for the First Ancestor’s advancement.
• A decaying world: The damaged world origin and broken laws establish that the setting itself is failing, making cultivation and sainthood increasingly impossible.
• The corruption of authority: The Emperor and his ancestors have normalized mass sacrifice, showing how power and long-term ambition can strip familial and moral bonds of meaning.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuandu and the Emperor: Jiang Yuandu questions why imperial blood was sacrificed, but the Emperor intimidates him with the threat of sending him into the Mausoleum as well.
• The Emperor and Prince Wuning: They privately acknowledge that the court officials are unreliable fence-sitters and agree that the Jiang Clan can only delay opposition until the First Ancestor emerges.
• The Emperor and Jiang Wuji: Their discussion becomes a direct ideological confrontation. The Emperor appeals to Qinghuang’s talent and their father-daughter bond, while Jiang Wuji responds with utilitarian arguments about sacrifice, duty, and the clan’s survival.
• Prince Wuning and Jiang Wuji: Wuning silently supports Jiang Wuji’s severe position, reinforcing the threat against the Emperor’s refusal.
• The Emperor and Qinghuang: Though Qinghuang never appears, the Emperor’s memories of her as his only daughter reveal the depth of their bond and explain why he finally resists the Jiang Clan’s demands.

Chapter Summary: “Princess Royal, Sacrifice?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Tai Chi Hall, the emperor reluctantly agrees to send the Princess Royal to the imperial mausoleum, following the wishes of Second Progenitor Jiang Wuji.
• Jiang Wuji assures the emperor that the ancient Progenitor Emperor may solve the dynasty’s problems after breaking into the Heavenly Human Sacred Realm.
• After the emperor leaves, Prince Wuning urges Jiang Wuji to inform their powerful backers in case the Progenitor Emperor fails. Jiang Wuji firmly refuses.
• Jiang Wuji reveals that the Jiang family was chosen by those higher powers to act as a “mad dog” against their former master. The family’s attempt to break free—and its destruction of the passage to the Lower Realm—has trapped it on a dangerous path.
• At the Princess’s Mansion, Jiang Qinghuang continues recovering from her defeat by Li Xinge. The latter’s Great Sun True Fire still ravages her Divine Mansion and damages her cultivation foundation.
• The Dragon Tiger Imperial Guard surrounds the mansion under the emperor’s orders, preventing anyone from leaving.
• Eunuch Cao Jin warns the princess that the emperor intends to sacrifice or hand her over to the “old dog” in the imperial mausoleum. He offers to help her escape, even at the cost of his life.
• Jiang Qinghuang refuses to flee or surrender. She declares that the outcome is still uncertain and prepares to resist.

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Shows some reluctance and paternal conflict, but ultimately submits to Jiang Wuji’s authority and agrees to sacrifice his daughter for the Jiang family’s survival.
• Jiang Wuji: Is revealed as pragmatic, ruthless, and fully aware of the Jiang family’s subordinate status. He rejects seeking outside aid, believing the family must follow its chosen path.
• Prince Wuning: Displays fear and insecurity about the family’s future. Jiang Wuji’s explanation forces him to confront the Jiang clan’s humiliating dependence on higher powers.
• Jiang Qinghuang: Her defeat by Li Xinge has shattered her former confidence and exposed the limitations of her talent. Nevertheless, she remains composed and regains her determination, refusing to be treated as a helpless sacrifice.
• Cao Jin: Reveals genuine loyalty beneath his usual submissive behavior. Though afraid of death, he is willing to risk himself to protect Jiang Qinghuang.

Significant Themes

• Political sacrifice and family survival: The emperor and Jiang clan are willing to sacrifice the Princess Royal to preserve their power and appease the being in the imperial mausoleum.
• Subjugation and rebellion: Jiang Wuji’s “mad dog” metaphor emphasizes that the Jiang family is merely a tool of stronger powers, while the Progenitor Emperor seeks transcendence to escape that servitude.
• Pride humbled by greater power: Jiang Qinghuang’s defeat teaches her that her exceptional talent is insignificant compared with beings from higher realms.
• Loyalty versus self-preservation: Cao Jin’s willingness to die for the princess contrasts with the imperial family’s readiness to abandon her.
• The end of familial loyalty: By attempting to use her as a sacrifice, the Jiang clan finally destroys the last bond of affection between Jiang Qinghuang and her family.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Wuji pressures the emperor into accepting the princess’s sacrifice and reassures him about the Progenitor Emperor’s future success.
• Prince Wuning questions Jiang Wuji’s refusal to contact their backers, prompting the revelation of the Jiang family’s true political position.
• Cao Jin warns Jiang Qinghuang and begs her to escape, offering his life in her defense.
• Jiang Qinghuang calmly rejects his plan, making clear that she will face the Jiang clan rather than surrender.

Chapter Summary: “King of Chu, Worth It!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shi Qianqiu, the wealthy and influential Southern General Pavilion Master of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, arrives personally at Green Maple Valley to meet Li Xinge, the King of Chu.
• The Li Family guards initially stop him, but are shocked to learn his identity and quickly report his arrival.
• Li Xinge personally comes to welcome Shi Qianqiu, recognizing that such a powerful figure would not visit without an important reason.
• Inside Green Maple Valley, Shi Qianqiu is astonished by the Li Family’s rapid growth. Qi-Blood cultivators are common, and Innate experts are plentiful, revealing the clan’s extraordinary development.
• In the reception hall, Shi Qianqiu presents Li Xinge with a Myriad Treasures Token.
• The token grants:
  • A 30% discount on purchases from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.
  • Priority access to resources from branches across the world.
  • One protective intervention from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, even against a Heavenly Human, provided the Pavilion’s own foundations are not endangered.
• Li Xinge realizes these benefits are far too generous to be explained merely by their existing business relationship.
• When he questions the token’s true purpose, Shi Qianqiu answers that although their partnership is valuable, the real reason is simple: “The King of Chu is worth it.”

Character Developments

• Li Xinge: His status and power have grown dramatically since Shi Qianqiu last saw him as the Marquis of Chu. He is now an unfathomable and influential ruler whose family has also risen rapidly. He demonstrates caution, insight, and confidence by immediately recognizing that Shi’s offer carries a deeper motive.
• Shi Qianqiu: He is established as a major worldly power with immense wealth, connections, and influence. Despite his high position, he behaves respectfully toward Li Xinge and personally offers him an exceptionally valuable alliance, showing how highly he evaluates Li Xinge’s potential.
• Elder Jiang: He serves as Li Xinge’s trusted aide and observes the negotiation. His surprise at the token’s protection promise emphasizes how extraordinary Shi Qianqiu’s offer is.
• The Li Family: The clan has expanded from a relatively modest family into a powerful force, with advanced cultivators now widespread throughout Green Maple Valley.

Significant Themes

• Power and rising influence: Li Xinge’s rapid advancement from Marquis to King, along with the Li Family’s growth, demonstrates the accelerating expansion of his authority.
• Value based on potential: The token is not presented merely as payment for past cooperation. Shi Qianqiu believes Li Xinge’s future importance makes him worth investing in now.
• Strategic alliances: The Myriad Treasures Pavilion’s offer shows how powerful organizations secure relationships with rising leaders through resources, privileges, and protection.
• Mutual respect and hidden motives: The courteous exchange masks a serious political and strategic calculation. Both men understand that the meeting has significance beyond ordinary business.
• Transformation and reputation: Li Xinge’s changed presence and the awe he inspires reveal how greatly his reputation has grown in only a few years.

Character Interactions

• The guards shift from suspicion to extreme respect after discovering Shi Qianqiu’s identity.
• Li Xinge treats Shi Qianqiu with formal courtesy, personally welcoming him and hosting him in the reception hall.
• Shi Qianqiu maintains a respectful but purposeful attitude, offering substantial benefits while carefully revealing the true reason for his visit.
• Li Xinge responds politely but remains skeptical, refusing to accept the token without understanding the Pavilion’s motives.
• The chapter ends on Shi Qianqiu’s emphatic declaration that Li Xinge himself—not merely their past cooperation—is valuable enough to justify the extraordinary offer.

Key plot points and events

• Myriad Treasures Pavilion master Shi Qianqiu praises Li Xinge’s rise and strength, citing his defeat of the Princess Royal, but Li remains wary of the flattering offer.
• Shi explains that the world extends far beyond their realm: beyond the Middle Thousand and Great Thousand Worlds lie the Three Great Heavenly Realms. Powerful forces survive through strength, not wealth alone.
• He reveals that the Pavilion has sometimes lost even Heavenly Human experts, and explains its strategy of investing early in exceptionally promising people. Its Myriad Treasures Token offers protection backed by the Pavilion’s long record of keeping its word.
• Li asks whether the token can protect a True Saint. Shi confirms that it can. Li accepts the token and binds it with his vital blood, receiving token number 18,946. It grants him direct access to any Pavilion branch and its master—even in the Upper Realm.
• In return, Shi warns that the Jiang Family intends to target the Princess Royal, hoping to accelerate the transformation of the figure in the Imperial Mausoleum. Li remains unruffled, confident that the Princess Royal cannot be easily sacrificed.
• Concerned about the Rootless People and the danger of using his Emperor Weapon, Li asks Shi whether he knows of the Holy Emperor.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xinge stays composed and discerning, accepting the token only after testing the Pavilion’s promises. His final question signals that he is seeking information about a more serious threat.
• Shi Qianqiu presents the Pavilion as pragmatic and far-reaching, using praise, protection, and intelligence to build an alliance with Li.
• Elder Jiang reacts with alarm to the revelation that the Jiang Family plans to move against the Princess Royal.
• Shi and Li negotiate with mutual respect: Shi offers the token and warning; Li accepts the favor while probing the limits of the Pavilion’s reach.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: In the wider world, strength—not wealth or influence alone—determines who can operate safely.
• Strategic investment and trust: The Pavilion accepts that most alliances will not pay off, betting instead on rare individuals with exceptional potential.
• Hidden scale and looming threats: The expanded hierarchy of realms and the unresolved dangers surrounding the Rootless People suggest that Li’s current struggles are part of a much larger conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Li Xinge asks Shi Qianqiu about the Li Family’s ancestral “Holy Emperor.” Shi explains that, by Upper Realm standards, a true Holy Emperor must survive all Nine Heavenly Human Calamities; the figure Li Xinge refers to was apparently a True Saint, and “Holy Emperor” was likely an honorific used in that era.
• Shi warns that, despite the Holy Emperor’s close connection to Li Xinge, he should remain wary of him. Shi cannot share much more, but reveals that the group who betrayed the Holy Emperor became a powerful faction in the Nine Mysteries Great World.
• Their leader, the Green Wood Saint, rose from the Second to the Fifth Calamity in just ten thousand years and is attempting to advance further. Li Xinge suspects this is the person once favored by the Holy Emperor.
• As Shi prepares to leave, a spectacular breakthrough phenomenon appears over Green Maple Valley: purple qi fills the sky, immense spiritual energy rushes toward the Li Family’s Nine-Layered Spirit Gathering Tower, and dragon and elephant phantoms form above it.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Xinge remains outwardly composed while Shi’s warning confirms his suspicion that the Holy Emperor’s history contains hidden complications. He listens carefully and invites Shi to witness the Li Family breakthrough.
• Shi Qianqiu shares what he knows but sets clear limits on the conversation. He is impressed—and privately amused—by Li Xinge calling the already-powerful person undergoing the breakthrough a “mediocre junior.”
• The breakthrough is revealed to belong to Li Hao, a celebrated young talent of the Li Family. The family elders gather in anticipation as his aura continues to rise.

Significant themes

• Uncertain history and hidden loyalties: The Holy Emperor’s past and the betrayal remain only partly understood.
• Power and hierarchy: Titles can mislead; true standing is measured by cultivation and influence.
• Legacy and rising potential: The account of the Green Wood Saint’s rapid ascent contrasts with the dramatic promise of Li Hao’s breakthrough.

Key events

• Li Hao forms his fourth Divine Mansion, and the spiritual energy unleashed by the process creates a spectacular phenomenon: life-giving golden rain that helps Li Family disciples break through their cultivation bottlenecks.
• As the Divine Mansion Tribulation begins, Li Hao meets its lightning head-on. He withstands the bolts with his body and absorbs their power to temper himself.
• Over nine strikes, he uses the Primordial Dragon Elephant’s divine light to break through the thunderclouds and ultimately swallows the final bolt.
• The tribulation ends with a vast Divine Mansion World appearing above the Nine-Layered Spirit Gathering Tower. Li Hao successfully enters the Divine Mansion Realm and becomes the Li Family’s newest cultivator at that level.
• The Li Family celebrates his achievement. Shi Qianqiu, head of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion’s Southern General Pavilion, congratulates him and recognizes his exceptional potential.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Hao displays fearlessness and growing confidence, facing the tribulation directly and emerging with a new realm and extraordinary power. He proudly credits his great-grandfather and the First Elder, then respectfully greets both Li Xinge and Shi Qianqiu.
• Li Xinge watches with quiet pride, praising Li Hao while cautioning Shi Qianqiu not to let his compliments make the young man arrogant.
• Shi Qianqiu is astonished by the breakthrough and increasingly convinced the Li Family is a remarkable investment. Though he speaks modestly, he sincerely believes Li Hao’s talent could place him among the Upper Realm’s elite.
• The Li Family responds with jubilant support, seeing Li Hao’s advance as a major strengthening of the clan.

Significant themes

• Talent, perseverance, and transformation: Li Hao turns a dangerous trial into a means of strengthening himself.
• Family legacy and collective pride: His success is celebrated as both a personal triumph and a Li Family achievement.
• Potential versus circumstance: Shi Qianqiu reflects that Li Hao’s accomplishments in the resource-poor Lower Realm may be even more impressive than comparable achievements in the Upper Realm.
• Investment and ambition: The Myriad Treasures Pavilion’s interest in the Li Family grows alongside its recognition of their rising power.