Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Chen Lin and Wood Fairy’s plan to destroy the Golden Giant Eye with the Thunder God Sword fails. The Eye blocks the sword and prepares to counterattack, but five strands of light restrain it.
• Chen Lin attacks with the Soul-Destroying Finger while the strands hold the Eye in place. The struggle becomes a lengthy war of attrition: Chen Lin repeatedly restores his soul power and attacks as the Eye tries to recover and break free.
• To keep him going, the five-element spirits provide medicinal ingredients, a superior pill cauldron, and top-tier spirit fire. Chen Lin refines and consumes pills continuously, wearing the Eye down—though the pills take a heavy toll on his body.
• When Chen is near collapse, Wood Fairy gives him a drop of her life-giving origin water, restoring him instantly. The Eye then tempts him with the promise of sending him to the “true world of cultivation” because he possesses true origin. Wood Fairy warns that it is manipulating him, and Chen resumes his assault.
• After several more days, the Eye finally dissolves. The five spirits seize its remaining light particles, while Chen avoids them and prepares to escape.
• Wood Fairy opens a spatial vortex to send Chen away before the realm changes. Though wary and unsure where he will arrive, Chen chooses not to use the dangerous Fortunate Art. Just before he leaps through, another spirit gives him an earth-element rule origin as a gift.

Character developments

• Chen Lin shows endurance, caution, and resourcefulness, using the spirits’ supplies to sustain a relentless attack. His repeated use of the Soul-Destroying Finger also deepens his understanding of the technique. He briefly falters when the Eye appeals to his desire for the Great Dao’s secrets, but regains control.
• Wood Fairy remains Chen’s guide and protector, warning him about the Eye’s deception and sustaining him when he is close to exhaustion. She also reveals that the spirits’ bindings are weakening.
• The Golden Giant Eye is powerful and manipulative, but ultimately loses through attrition. It exploits Chen’s deepest ambition rather than relying only on force.
• The five-element spirits provide substantial aid but remain enigmatic. After the Eye’s defeat, Chen cannot be sure of their motives, though they spare him and help him escape.

Significant themes

• Endurance and cooperation: Chen’s persistence, combined with the spirits’ restraint and resources, overcomes an enemy that he could not defeat alone.
• Temptation and self-control: The Eye’s promise nearly distracts Chen because it speaks directly to his ambition; resisting it requires vigilance.
• Power and uncertainty: Even victory brings no security. Chen remains vulnerable, unsure of the spirits’ intentions, and unable to predict where the vortex will take him.
• Pragmatism over ambition: Chen avoids claiming the Eye’s remnants and declines to use the Fortunate Art, choosing the less risky path when the consequences are unclear.

Character interactions

• Wood Fairy directs Chen’s attacks, supplies him with ingredients and life-giving water, and warns him against the Eye’s offer.
• The Eye alternates between mocking Chen and tempting him, attempting to exploit his desire to advance his cultivation.
• The other spirits help Chen through gifts and the final passage out, including the unexpected earth-element rule origin.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin emerges from the Space Passage into a lush, spiritually rich mountain region. After scouting, he finds almost no monster beasts and confirms the area seems unusually safe.
• He questions two boatmen and learns that the region belongs to the Tiancang Realm, a prosperous cultivation world where orthodox cultivators keep monsters and ghosts in check. He is in Zheng State, near the cultivator settlement of Wanling Mountain.
• Chen Lin releases the Cheng sisters from his Space Bag. He explains that their grandfather cannot safely leave their former realm because he would face heavenly tribulation, and that the sisters may have to abandon their current cultivation if he cannot remove the foreign energy in their mana.
• The group visits Sanhe County City. The sisters delight in ordinary sights and food after their restricted lives, while Chen Lin observes local rules requiring powerful cultivators to restrain their energy around mortals.
• Chen Lin learns more about the Tiancang Realm: they are on Beiyuan Continent, where Void Refinement is the highest known realm. He takes the sisters by flying boat toward Wanling Mountain, a major cultivation hub with numerous sects, spiritual veins, and a large market.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin is relieved to have reached a normal, orderly cultivation world. He acts cautiously, gathering information before traveling, and shows warmth toward the sisters when they worry about him.
• Cheng Lingdie and Cheng Lingchan recover from the journey and begin to accept their uncertain future. Their wonder at ordinary life reveals how sheltered they have been.
• Chen Lin reassures them that they can rebuild their cultivation and urges them to work hard, stay cautious, and avoid trusting others too easily.
• Cheng Lingchan jokingly offers herself and her sister for “dual cultivation” to secure their place with Chen Lin. He firmly rebukes her but assures both sisters he will not abandon them.

Significant themes

• A fresh start: The Tiancang Realm offers Chen Lin and the sisters a stable cultivation environment after their experiences in a bizarre, dangerous place.
• Cultivation’s costs and limits: The sisters may need to restart their progress, while their grandfather remains trapped by the consequences of avoiding heavenly tribulation.
• Protection and responsibility: Chen Lin gathers information, safeguards the sisters, and encourages them while setting boundaries.
• Wonder and ordinary life: The sisters’ delight in simple landscapes, towns, and food highlights how much they have missed—and how precious ordinary experiences can be.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin brings Cheng Lingdie and Cheng Lingchan to Wanling Market, uses jade talismans to conceal their unusual souls, and rents a modest cave abode while he assesses the area.
• He finds that the sisters’ mana has been tainted by the Heaven Concealing Technique. Unable to remove the foreign energy efficiently, he disperses their cultivation and has them rebuild from scratch. After three years of secluded training, he helps them return to Foundation Establishment through orthodox methods.
• Chen Lin spends three years gathering rare ingredients and successfully refines two Thousand-Lifespan Pills. He hopes to use them to save Qin Lingyu and the others if they are still alive and near the end of their natural lifespans.
• Having located a reportedly safe Nightmare Realm Node, Chen Lin prepares to enter the Nightmare Realm. He warns the sisters to stay inside the market and gives them supplies for his absence.
• In White Cloud Pasture, Chen Lin confirms that the node to the Ancient Cultivator Cave Abode has vanished, likely leaving Cheng Jianshan and his family unreachable. He discovers, however, that he can bring a nightmare-transformed spirit flower into the real world—an ability he attributes to his Shepherd identity.
• Chen Lin concludes that his Shepherd Token has further uses: it lets him enter White Cloud Pasture even from other Nightmare Realm scenarios. He plans to investigate these benefits, while conserving Nightmare Coins for his search for Qin Lingyu and the others.

Character developments and interactions

• The sisters remain trusting and obedient, accepting Chen Lin’s decisions and enduring the hardship of restarting their cultivation. Chen Lin’s concern for them has become genuine; despite some self-interest in their rare soul essence, he says he would not abandon them.
• Their relationship with Chen Lin has grown close enough that they consider themselves his people, treating his help as a bond rather than something requiring thanks.
• Chen Lin acts as protector and mentor: he conceals the sisters’ souls, tends to them after their cultivation is dispersed, supplies them with resources, and firmly warns them not to leave the market.
• Chen Lin’s practical, investigative nature is prominent. He tests the limits of his identity, manages scarce resources carefully, and pursues ways to rescue old companions.

Significant themes

• Identity as power: Chen Lin’s Shepherd status and token provide unexpected abilities beyond their apparent purpose.
• Loyalty and obligation: Chen Lin’s care for the sisters and concern for lost companions extend beyond simple self-interest.
• Risk and preparation: He balances exploration and rescue efforts against the dangers of the Nightmare Realm and the scarcity of Nightmare Coins.
• Loss and uncertainty: The vanished node may mean the Cheng family and an entire route to the past are permanently lost.

Summary

• Chen Lin’s reflections: After Fat Tiger takes over his sheep-tending duties, Chen Lin recognizes the Shepherd Token’s value: it can let him move between Nightmare Realm scenarios, though it remains inferior to a Level Four Road Guide. He also considers the uncertain strength and origin of the Golden Giant Eye, concluding it may have been only a remnant of the terrifying entity Luo. He resolves to focus on becoming stronger.
• Preparing a transfer point: Chen Lin travels to an island in the dangerous Silent Sea, where his subordinate Liu Shengyuan reports that all is well. Chen Lin installs powerful formations that conceal and defend the island, then descends to an underground chamber containing a stable Nightmare Realm node. He leaves two guards with supplies and orders them to wait up to ten years.
• Entering the Nightmare Realm: The node lies in an abandoned ancient residence whose walls bear undeciphered writing. Chen Lin deploys nine powerful puppets as protection, then enters. He passes through a reception hall into a neglected courtyard. The courtyard is the area accessible with a Level One Road Guide; its locked gate leads beyond the permitted boundary, but Chen Lin has no intention of exploring further.
• Meeting the Cat-headed Monster: Using the Cat Whisker, Chen Lin summons the Cat-headed Monster, Lady Xi. She is curious about the seemingly promising scenario, but Chen Lin explains that he came only to use the node as a transfer point. He asks her to take him to his wife and daughter, and she agrees, while making clear she will not help search for them.
• Monalisa’s condition: Lady Xi asks about Monalisa. Chen Lin explains that she has not recovered her memories and has reverted to flower form after saving him from an attack that fractured his previous plane; recovery may take decades. Monalisa’s memories had begun to return, and Chen Lin gave her Lady Xi’s ruby, but she cautioned that she may never regain all her memories and that Lady Xi should not rely too heavily on her.
• Departure and cliffhanger: Lady Xi accepts this news with disappointment, then takes Chen Lin away. As they vanish, loud celebration—firecrackers, suona horns, and singing—erupts outside the courtyard, hinting at an unexpected event.

Character developments and themes

Chen Lin is cautious and strategic, prioritizing a secure route to reunite with his family over exploring the Nightmare Realm. His concern for his wife and daughter is clear, as is his determination to prepare for dangers beyond his current strength. Lady Xi shows loyalty to her promise and concern about Monalisa, but also maintains firm limits on her involvement. The chapter emphasizes the vast, unresolved mysteries of the Nightmare Realm, the value of preparation and power, and loyalty and hope amid separation and uncertainty.

Key plot points and events

• In the Pool Scenario, Chen Lin hopes to revisit the plane where he once lived, but Lady Xi tells him the connecting node has vanished. She suggests the plane may have shattered and reformed rather than been completely destroyed.
• Chen Lin asks about the Primal Domain and legendary beings such as Luo, Tianluo, Youruo, and Asura. Lady Xi explains that the Primal Domain is the immortal cultivators’ term for an origin boundary domain and recalls a similar legendary being, the Eye of Darkness. She warns him not to dwell on powers beyond his reach.
• The node to another world remains intact. Chen Lin sends a Crow Puppet through first, then follows it. He finds a world with weak spiritual qi and limited prospects for cultivators, and worries about his family.
• Two Yucai Sect disciples identify him from a portrait and explain that their sect has maintained a watch at the node since its founding, awaiting his arrival. Their sect master is Chen Ling’er, Chen Lin’s daughter, now a late-stage nascent soul cultivator.
• The disciples have never heard of Qin Lingyu or Sun Caiyi, deepening Chen Lin’s concern. He follows them to the sect, rewarding each for her service with valuable pills.
• In the Teleportation Hall, Chen Lin meets Chen Jiliang, who reveals that Chen Qingying was his mother. Chen Lin recognizes him as his great-grandson.
• Chen Jiliang explains that Chen Qingying used a secret art that consumed her life force to bear him, and died after his birth. Chen Lin is devastated that he arrived too late to see her.

Character developments

• Chen Lin moves from hoping his old world might survive to cautiously accepting its uncertain fate. His anxiety about Qin Lingyu and Sun Caiyi grows, then gives way to joy at learning Chen Ling’er survived—only to be replaced by grief over Chen Qingying’s death.
• Lady Xi acts as a knowledgeable but pragmatic guide, answering Chen Lin’s questions while reminding him to focus on immediate concerns.
• Chen Ling’er is revealed to have become a powerful cultivator and the head of the Yucai Sect, though she has not yet appeared in person.
• Chen Jiliang is introduced as Chen Lin’s great-grandson. His account reveals the sacrifice Chen Qingying made to continue the family line.
• The two disciples are diligent and deferential; Chen Lin’s generous gifts visibly excite them and may help advance their cultivation.

Significant themes

• Loss and uncertainty: Chen Lin cannot know what became of his former plane or several people he cares about.
• Family, inheritance, and sacrifice: The Yucai Sect’s watch has preserved a link to Chen Lin, while Chen Qingying’s sacrifice extended the Chen family line at the cost of her life.
• The limits of power and knowledge: Legendary beings and cosmic rules remain beyond Chen Lin’s control, as Lady Xi emphasizes.
• Time and missed connections: Generations have passed, and Chen Lin’s return comes too late to reunite with Chen Qingying.

Character interactions

• Chen Lin consults Lady Xi about cosmic terminology and legendary entities; she provides context but discourages speculation.
• The Yucai disciples welcome Chen Lin as the person their sect has long awaited, and he rewards them for their service.
• Chen Lin questions the disciples about his loved ones; their ignorance of Qin Lingyu and Sun Caiyi alarms him.
• Chen Lin and Chen Jiliang discover their family relationship, but their reunion is overshadowed by the news of Chen Qingying’s death.

Plot points and events

• Chen Lin arrives at his daughter Chen Ling’er’s sect and learns that Chen Qingying has died, leaving him subdued.
• Chen Jiliang, Chen Lin’s descendant, guides him to the main peak. Chen Lin notices the sect’s strong defenses and meets Xue Honglan, one of Ling’er’s disciples. She cautiously summons Ling’er rather than risk disturbing her during secluded cultivation.
• Ling’er rushes out angrily, then recognizes her father. Their emotional reunion gives Chen Lin a chance to see that she is safe, though somewhat worn down by her responsibilities.
• In private, Ling’er explains that a dangerous enemy, the Heartless Devil Lord, once attacked her family, coveting the earth spiritual bodies possessed by her and her mother. He later disguised himself as Chen Lin and ambushed them.
• Silver Fairy and Chen Qingying were badly injured in that attack. Ling’er and Silver Fairy drove the Devil Lord away, but Silver Fairy’s condition worsened. She later left with Chen Bao to search the Nightmare Realm for a way to reach a higher realm; their fate remains unknown.
• Chen Lin reassures Ling’er that Silver Fairy and Chen Bao may be safe, and explains his own understanding of where they might be.
• Ling’er then reveals that Chen Qingying, once a Nascent Soul cultivator, fell back to the Golden Core Realm after being injured, while Big Aunt never reached Nascent Soul. Both are near the ends of their lifespans and have been sealed away to preserve their vitality. The chapter ends with Chen Lin asking how the other members of their group have fared.

Character development

• Chen Lin is warmly reunited with his daughter, but quickly shifts from joy to concern as he hears about her family’s suffering. His composure and experience help him take in the revelations and offer hope.
• Chen Ling’er is revealed as a capable sect master who has reached Nascent Soul Late Stage and protects her family and followers. Beneath that authority, she still longs for her father and carries guilt over Silver Fairy’s disappearance.
• Xue Honglan shows caution and loyalty by verifying Chen Lin’s identity before allowing him access to her master.
• Chen Jiliang demonstrates respect toward Chen Lin and concern for avoiding any slight to him.

Significant themes

• Family reunion and enduring bonds: Years of separation do not diminish Ling’er’s affection for her father.
• The cost of protection: Silver Fairy and Chen Qingying suffered while defending their family from the Devil Lord.
• Loss, uncertainty, and hope: Several loved ones are missing or near death, yet Chen Lin’s arrival offers the possibility of rescue and renewed hope.
• Trust and deception: The Devil Lord’s impersonation of Chen Lin shows how easily love and excitement can be exploited.

Character interactions

• Chen Lin gently reassures and comforts Ling’er after their reunion, while she openly expresses her happiness and lingering fear that he might be an impostor.
• Xue Honglan balances respect for Chen Lin with caution, prompting Ling’er to leave seclusion and confirm his identity.
• Ling’er confides in Chen Lin about the attacks, her guilt, and the fate of their loved ones; Chen Lin responds with questions, concern, and reassurance.
• Chen Lin and Ling’er’s conversation ends on the unresolved question of how the rest of their companions are doing.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin learns that everyone he left behind has died of old age except Nanmen Lingyue, who vanished soon after arriving in the realm. His old friend Sheng Zhenqing is among the dead.
• Chen Ling’er leads Chen Lin to a hidden chamber where Qin Lingyu and Sun Caiyi have been kept alive by energy from a spiritual vein. Both are near death, especially Qin Lingyu.
• Chen Lin gives each woman a Thousand-Lifespan Pill and carefully helps them absorb it. Sun Caiyi awakens first after three months; Qin Lingyu wakes a month later. Their health improves, though full recovery will take years.
• After learning more about the Heartless Devil Lord’s cruelty and the Myriad Demon Sect’s atrocities, Chen Lin decides to destroy the sect. He is also determined to discover how the Lord impersonated him so convincingly.
• Before setting out, Chen Lin gives Chen Ling’er powerful armor, a spirit-transforming-grade sword, and other treasures for protection, then she leads him toward the sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin mourns the losses of old companions, reflecting on how time separates those pursuing the Great Dao. His reunion with his family reinforces his resolve to remain emotionally connected rather than become detached through cultivation.
• Chen Ling’er has spent years protecting her mothers and sustaining their lives. She trusts her father’s abilities but worries about the danger he faces; his gifts reassure her of his affection and concern.
• Sun Caiyi initially believes Chen Lin’s appearance is a dying hallucination. His reassurance and promise to stay together revive her hope and affection.
• Chen Lin shows tenderness and patience in caring for both women, carefully managing the pills’ effects and comforting Sun Caiyi when she wakes.

Significant themes

• Love and family amid the pursuit of immortality: Chen Lin values his family as a safeguard against becoming emotionally numb.
• Time, loss, and perseverance: Even close friends eventually fall behind, while Chen Ling’er’s long vigil demonstrates devotion.
• Protection and responsibility: Chen Lin uses his strength and resources to care for his family and to confront a force harming the wider realm.
• Justice and vengeance: His campaign against the Myriad Demon Sect is driven both by personal harm and by its widespread atrocities.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin and Chen Ling’er scout the Myriad Demon Sect before attacking. Chen Lin sends his spirit treasure Scholar to destroy the sect’s Guardian Mountain Formation.
• Scholar immobilizes the sect with the Suppress Talisman. The Heartless Devil Lord breaks free and counters with a soul-shaking saber strike, but Scholar’s stronger attack forces him to split into black mist and flee.
• Chen Lin unleashes Five Thunders Smite the Crown, devastating the sect and killing nearly everyone. He captures and kills the Devil Lord, then searches his soul and those of the surviving Nascent Soul cultivators. A mysterious energy in the Devil Lord’s soul prevents Chen Lin from recovering more than fragments of his memories.
• Afterward, Chen Lin’s puppets gather the sect’s spoils. He compares the Devil Lord’s saber with an identical weapon he already owns, which Chen Ling’er recognizes as a Celestial Demon Saber.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin demonstrates overwhelming power but remains cautious, warning Chen Ling’er never to underestimate opponents or give them a chance to retaliate. He also reassures her that she can reach spirit transformation after they leave this qi-poor realm, and promises her a valuable storage treasure.
• Chen Ling’er is shaken by the slaughter, though she accepts its necessity. She behaves affectionately and playfully with her father, first pretending not to want his Storage Bracelet, then eagerly accepting his promise of another treasure.
• The Heartless Devil Lord proves shrewd and willing to abase himself when confronted with superior force, but his attempts to bargain and explain himself fail. His unusual soul energy and saber remain unexplained.

Significant themes

• Cultivation’s brutality: Mercy can leave one vulnerable, while power can erase an entire sect in moments.
• Caution and preparedness: Chen Lin insists that even a powerful cultivator must use full strength and account for hidden tricks.
• Family affection amid violence: The father-daughter exchange offers warmth after the massacre, and Chen Lin shows care by planning for Ling’er’s advancement.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The Devil Lord’s strange soul energy and his matching Celestial Demon Saber hint at a larger connection yet to be uncovered.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin discovers that the two Celestial Demon Sabers are identical. He learns the Heartless Devil Lord supposedly rose to power after acquiring one, but stores both sabers for possible use by Hua Ruyu rather than investigate them himself.
• After confirming he has searched the Myriad Demon Sect thoroughly, Chen Lin returns to the Yucai Sect with Chen Ling’er. The sect’s destruction alarms the cultivation world, which wonders who defeated it and fears similar attacks.
• Chen Lin takes his family and a small group of disciples into the Pool Scenario, relying on the Cat-headed Monster, Lady Xi, to transport them. She says she will be unavailable for a long time and explains that Road Guides can be upgraded through authorized offices or obtained from rare missions. Silver Road Guides are exceptionally scarce and valuable.
• On arriving at the dilapidated courtyard, Chen Lin notices the bronze lock on its gate has turned, suggesting the gate was opened. Unsure whether someone entered or something is inside, he seals the node, leaves a Nightmare Coin as a precaution, and reinforces the surrounding area.
• The group emerges into a region rich in spiritual qi. Chen Lin buys a mountain with a strong spiritual vein near Wanling Market, builds a fortified residence, and settles his family and disciples there.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains cautious and practical: he saves the sabers for someone who may benefit from them, questions Lady Xi about the Nightmare Realm, and responds to the changed lock by sealing the node rather than taking risks.
• Chen Ling’er explains the saber’s legend and is delighted by the new region’s abundant spiritual qi.
• Lady Xi is helpful but sets boundaries, warning Chen Lin not to rely on her while she explores a high-level nightmare scenario and jokingly demanding payment for future favors.
• Chen Lin’s wives and disciples are reunited with him and begin settling into their new home. He later shares private time with his two wives after their long separation.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and vigilance: The altered lock hints at an unknown threat, prompting Chen Lin to secure the node.
• Knowledge as power: Information about Road Guides and Silver Scenarios is valuable, but access to both remains difficult.
• Security and stability: Chen Lin uses wealth, formations, and careful planning to create a safe base for his family.
• Family and reunion: After major dangers and separation, Chen Lin’s priority is bringing his family together and establishing a home.

Chapter Summary: “Tianbao Peak”

Key plot points and events

• After reuniting with his family, Chen Lin establishes and improves their mountain home, naming it Tianbao Peak. He and his family spend thirty peaceful years cultivating there.
• Chen Lin’s cultivation becomes increasingly stable, but he cannot find the opportunity needed to advance to Void Refinement through secluded cultivation alone.
• His daughter, Chen Ling’er, reaches Nascent Soul Great Perfection and prepares to break through to Spirit Transformation. Chen Lin cautions her about the dangers of the breakthrough, especially the inner-demon trial, but she remains confident.
• Chen Lin plans to travel to the True Spirit Continent across the Silent Sea in search of his own advancement opportunity. He intends to leave after Ling’er’s breakthrough and asks Sun Caiyi to keep an eye on her.
• Chen Lin visits Cheng Lingdie and her sister, both now at Core Formation. He continues studying the mysterious purple origin essence in their souls, hoping it may eventually help him advance his soul cultivation, and advises them to remain near the market while he is away.
• Three months later, Ling’er undergoes her Spirit Transformation tribulation. She withstands the lightning with a simple earth-element barrier, then passes the inner-demon trial almost instantly.
• Her breakthrough draws representatives from powerful local factions, who compete to invite her to join them. After accepting many invitations, she returns to Tianbao Peak with her family.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains protective and attentive toward his family and dependents. Though eager to travel, he delays his departure until Ling’er is safely through her breakthrough. He is also increasingly focused on the potential of the sisters’ purple soul essence.
• Chen Ling’er proves that her confidence is justified: she easily passes both the tribulation and inner-demon trial, becoming a Spirit Transformation cultivator with the potential to form a primordial spirit domain immediately. Her joking, irreverent relationship with Chen Lin contrasts with her imposing manner around others.
• Sun Caiyi supports her daughter but worries that Ling’er’s new strength will make her harder to discipline. She also corrects Chen Lin’s assumption that Ling’er behaves the same way with everyone.
• Qin Lingyu returns in time to witness Ling’er’s breakthrough, while her own search for an opportunity to form a Nascent Soul appears to be progressing less smoothly.
• Cheng Lingdie and her sister remain grateful and dependent on Chen Lin, following his instructions and focusing on cultivation.

Significant themes

• Cultivation as relentless progress: The chapter opens by comparing cultivation to rowing against the current—stagnation means regression.
• Family affection and protection: Chen Lin’s plans and decisions are shaped by concern for his daughter and household.
• Unequal talent and opportunity: Ling’er’s rapid progress, aided by exceptional aptitude and a rare treasure, contrasts with Qin Lingyu’s slower journey and highlights the unfairness of cultivation.
• Power brings recognition: Ling’er’s breakthrough immediately attracts the attention of local factions, demonstrating how status and influence follow strength.
• Peace as a period of preparation: The thirty years on Tianbao Peak are calm, but the characters use them to cultivate, strengthen their position, and prepare for future journeys.

Chapter Summary: The Golden Island

• Chen Lin explores the Silent Sea: Traveling toward the True Spirit Continent without teleportation, he visits an old underwater cave abode. He replaces the spirit crystals in his Golden Core Puppet and reinforces the seal on a Nightmare Realm node. The strange, undecipherable writing on the cave wall still has no explanation, so he decides not to pursue it for now.
• A mysterious discovery: After three months at sea, Chen Lin spots a golden island. He identifies it as an immense deposit of gold essence stone, potentially valuable enough to yield spirit gold that could repair his Golden Light Saber. But the island’s unusual pillar-like shape and sudden appearance make him suspect danger. Cautious, he stops investigating and summons an ally.
• A deal with Zhang Zhenqian: Manager Zhang of the All-Direction Trading Firm arrives and confirms the island’s value. He and Chen Lin jokingly argue over the split before agreeing to share the proceeds equally. They formalize the agreement with a spirit pact, and Zhang brings in a large mining team through a teleportation formation.
• Huang Ying’s introduction: Huang Ying, a young member of the firm’s ruling family, approaches Chen Lin and seeks his support at Wanling Market. Chen Lin warmly offers his pill-refining services, and she gives him a contact jade talisman. His exchange with Zhang suggests that Zhang may have been involved in earlier efforts to recruit Chen Lin’s daughter, Chen Ling’er.

Character developments and interactions

Chen Lin remains prudent despite his excitement over a potentially enormous windfall. His past experiences make him wary of sudden good fortune, especially since his luck seems to have improved after helping defeat Tianluo’s remnant thought. His relationship with Zhang is familiar and playful, though both bargain aggressively before settling on a fair arrangement. With Huang Ying, Chen Lin is cordial and politically astute, recognizing her family connections and establishing a useful business relationship.

Significant themes

• Caution amid opportunity: Wealth and advancement tempt Chen Lin, but he weighs risks before acting.
• Uncertainty and fate: The unexplained cave inscriptions and the island’s strange appearance remain unresolved, reinforcing how much of the cultivation world is beyond his understanding.
• Power and self-interest: The trading firm’s internal maneuvering shows that cultivators, like ordinary people, are subject to competition and ambition.

Key plot points

• Chen Lin and the All-Direction Trading Firm’s crew mine an island rich in gold essence stone, uncovering an enormous, unbreakable golden pillar.
• Huang Ying claims the firm wants the pillar and offers compensation for Chen Lin’s share. He agrees in exchange for spirit gold pith, a rare material that could help repair his Golden Light Saber. They formalize the deal with a Spirit Pact, and Huang Ying gives him a token for collecting the material at the firm’s headquarters.
• Chen Lin leaves immediately. He had sensed a faint Buddhist aura from the pillar and avoids investigating, wary of renewed involvement with the Buddhist Sect.
• On the journey toward the True Spirit Continent, Chen Lin rescues an injured Nascent Soul cultivator and his Golden Core companion from a powerful monster. He later declines their invitation to visit their city.
• The travelers tell him that Bamian City is hosting a major trading convention, featuring True Spirit Legacy Treasures, as part of Ancestor Qingyun’s birthday celebration. Chen Lin decides to attend, while the two cultivators head home.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin shows unusual flexibility in negotiating over the pillar, but his agreement is strategic: he secures a resource valuable to repairing his saber and avoids a treasure that may carry Buddhist danger. He remains cautious and focused on his own plans.
• Huang Ying demonstrates authority within the firm, successfully securing the pillar for it and arranging the spirit-gold-pith exchange.
• Zhang Zhenqian is suspicious of Chen Lin’s easy concession and irritated by Huang Ying’s conduct. Huang Ying rebukes him and questions his position within the firm, leaving him angry but restrained.
• Chen Lin treats the two rescued cultivators courteously, but keeps his distance and continues toward Bamian City.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism over greed: Chen Lin gives up a potentially valuable treasure when its risks outweigh its uncertain benefits.
• Caution shaped by experience: His past dealings with the Buddhist Sect make him avoid even investigating the pillar.
• Power and hierarchy: The exchange between Huang Ying and Zhang Zhenqian exposes tensions over authority and political backing within the firm.
• Opportunity and advancement: The upcoming convention may offer Chen Lin rare resources or a chance to improve his cultivation.

Plot points and events

• Chen Lin arrives in Bamian City and presents Huang Ying’s jade pendant at the All-Direction Trading Firm headquarters. Its Great Elder confirms the token and Huang Ying’s promise of spirit gold pith.
• The firm has none in stock, but promises to arrange a transfer from another branch. Chen Lin agrees to wait and leaves a transmission talisman.
• The Great Elder reports that the Golden Island has been mined, but the enormous golden pillar cannot be moved. Ancestor Qingyun has gone to investigate it. The pillar bears the words “as you will,” and its depth remains unknown.
• Intrigued by the inscription, Chen Lin briefly wonders whether the pillar could be the legendary Ruyi Jingu Bang from his former life, but dismisses the idea as far-fetched.
• While gathering resources in the city, he buys a rubbing of writing from the shell of an Elder Ancient Historian Turtle Descendant. The writing is Taixu script, which Chen Lin can partly recognize.
• For the next three months, he studies the rubbing and collects materials. The firm still has no spirit gold pith. Then alarming new information about the golden pillar arrives, leaving him shocked.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains composed but resolute: he intends to claim the spirit gold pith he was promised and would not forgive the firm if it reneged.
• The Great Elder treats Chen Lin with respect after sensing his cultivation, verifies Huang Ying’s token, and explains the delay rather than refusing the obligation.
• Chen Lin’s curiosity about ancient writing grows, and his ability to recognize Taixu script gives him a particular interest in the otherwise obscure turtle-shell rubbing.
• Chen Lin and the Great Elder discuss the pillar’s inscription and discovery; Chen Lin conceals his more fanciful speculation about its identity.

Significant themes

• Promises and obligation: Chen Lin expects the trading firm to honor a pact made by one of its members.
• Mystery and ancient knowledge: The pillar’s inscription and the Historian Turtle writing suggest hidden histories and powers yet to be understood.
• Reason versus speculation: Chen Lin entertains a connection to legends from his former life, then checks himself when the evidence seems too tenuous.
• Patience amid uncertainty: He waits for the spirit gold pith while pursuing research and resources, but the pillar’s new developments threaten to disrupt that quiet period.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin learns that the All-Direction Trading Firm has cleared the seabed around the Ruyi Staff. The staff is embedded in the head of a gigantic, bald statue, which has drawn rival factions to the Silent Sea.
• Images reveal that the statue’s face is Nian Kong’s. Chen Lin is disturbed but decides not to investigate, reasoning that he should avoid attracting trouble.
• Chen Lin finishes reconstructing the Taixu Script on the Historian Turtle’s rubbing. It describes the fall of a Higher Realm, the shattering of the Tianxuan Realm, and the possibility that the Nightmare Realm is the true plane while their own world is a “void realm.”
• The revelation triggers a crisis of doubt, nearly letting an inner demon take hold. Chen Lin steadies himself, but cannot destroy the rubbing, which withstands his attacks.
• He concludes that uncertain records are not proof, reaffirms his own sense of reality, and goes to the All-Direction Trading Firm to demand the spirit gold pith it still owes him.

Character developments

• Chen Lin shows greater confidence than in the past: although Nian Kong’s image unsettles him, he refuses to let fear dictate his actions.
• The rubbing’s claims shake his faith in his world and cultivation, nearly corrupting him. He recovers by grounding himself in his own experience and rejecting unverified speculation.
• Cheng Lingdie’s talent for deciphering scripts is highlighted; she is working on the few Taixu characters Chen Lin has not mastered.

Significant themes

• Reality and illusion: The chapter questions whether Chen Lin’s world—and its cultivation path—are genuine.
• Faith and self-doubt: Existential uncertainty can become a cultivator’s inner demon; conviction is essential to spiritual stability.
• Knowledge and risk: Ancient records may reveal profound truths, but incomplete or hearsay information can also cause harm.
• Power and secrecy: The rare Ruyi Staff draws competing factions, while Chen Lin’s spreading of news helps prevent the Trading Firm from silencing him.

Character interactions

• Chen Lin gathers rumors from a market shopkeeper, rewarding him and asking to be kept informed.
• The All-Direction Trading Firm faces pressure from other factions seeking access to the seabed discovery; Ancestor Qingyun’s influence may determine whether it can hold them off.
• Chen Lin’s indirect dealings with Nian Kong remain unresolved: the statue’s likeness revives his unease, but he chooses distance over engagement.
• Chen Lin’s final move toward the Trading Firm signals a return from metaphysical worries to practical business—recovering his promised spirit gold pith.

• Chen Lin receives the spirit gold pith he needs from the All-Direction Trading Firm’s Great Elder, Yan Jiujiang. In return for his help identifying the Ruyi Staff’s origins, Chen cautiously explains that its aura reminded him of records about the Elder Ancient Buddhist Sect. Yan reveals that the statue was indeed Buddhist, and introduces himself as a disciple of Ancestor Qingyun.
• Chen repairs the broken tip of his Golden Light Saber with the spirit gold pith, then places it in ten-thousand-year spirit liquid to heal. Its recovery may take decades or longer, but the prospect of restoring a Spirit-Condensing Grade treasure excites him.
• Grass and the Tri-Color Flower have regained some vitality but will need decades more to recover. Chen is no longer as dependent on them, and remains patient.
• Chen learns that the Ruyi Staff has been retrieved and that Nian Kong’s hollow statue contained a temple and many treasures. After the major powers nearly clash over the find, Dao Rhyme experts broker an agreement: the treasures will be auctioned at the True Spirit Assembly, with half the proceeds going to the All-Direction Trading Firm. The firm, however, is barred from bidding, apparently to prevent Ancestor Qingyun from gaining too much power.
• Chen identifies the temple as the Demon-Suppressing Temple and realizes he remains bound to it by karma. Severing the visible mark with the Karmic Ring Blade did not end the deeper connection; he believes he will need to strengthen his talent ability to perceive and correct the bond. He abandons plans to leave and stays to investigate the temple’s treasures and Nian Kong’s purpose.
• While gathering supplies for his wife and daughter, Chen reflects that cultivation should enrich life, not require abandoning affection. This conviction gives him an insight that may bring him close to advancing to Void Refinement. He refuses his daughter’s request to attend the assembly, wishing to keep her away from the karmic danger surrounding the temple.
• The True Spirit Assembly begins on schedule, drawing a huge crowd curious about the ancient Buddhist relics. The day before the convention, Chen meets Zhang Zhenqian, who says he has quit the trading firm after feeling that the Huang family would always be favored. Chen is surprised and doubts Zhang could leave so easily, given his senior position, cultivation, and ties to Ancestor Qingyun.
  Character and theme notes: Chen remains cautious and resourceful, but his priorities are shaped by gratitude to Niuniu and devotion to his family. His insight suggests that attachment can give cultivation meaning rather than obstruct it. The chapter also highlights the cultivation world’s ruthless power politics: the major powers constrain the trading firm to limit Qingyun’s influence, while Chen guards his newly repaired treasure carefully.

Key plot points

• Zhang Zhenqian explains why he left the All-Direction Trading Firm: as a rogue cultivator, he refused to sign a soul pact and was never fully trusted. After years of being treated as a disposable guard for the Huang Family, he traded the reward owed to him for his freedom.
• Chen Lin sympathizes, though he believes Zhang has underestimated the risks of relying on a powerful organization for advancement. The two toast to Zhang’s new independence.
• Zhang invites Chen to join an expedition after the True Spirit Assembly. He knows of a cavern rich in soul-related plants, including the rare soul-crossing herb, but filled with dangerous yin souls and chilling winds.
• The cavern resembles Myriad Souls Ridge, prompting Chen to suspect a connection to the Netherworld. Because the herb is the key ingredient in a pill that could strengthen his soul, he accepts—cautiously insisting that the group remain small and sign a spirit pact. Yue Tianyi and Xin Yueling are already expected to join.
• After Zhang leaves to recruit others, Chen reflects on people he has lost contact with since the realm’s upheavals, including Qiu Mufan and Nan Mochu, and wonders who survived.
• The next morning, Chen attends the True Spirit Assembly auction as a VIP. Huang Yuee, a late Spirit Transformation cultivator, presides. She hints that major items—including True Spirit remains—will appear later. The first displayed item is a Lotus Buddhist Treasure Chen recognizes from the Demon-Suppressing Temple in Guyuan City.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Zhenqian reveals his resentment toward the trading firm and his wish to live freely as a wanderer rather than build a faction. Despite his disappointment, he remains hopeful about reaching Void Refinement.
• Chen Lin shows empathy and practical caution. His interest in soul-refining resources draws him into the expedition, but he sets safeguards against danger and betrayal.
• Their conversation is candid and companionable: Chen offers encouragement, while Zhang shares a valuable lead and expresses greater confidence in the expedition with Chen involved.
• Chen’s reflections reveal lingering concern for old acquaintances and uncertainty about the consequences of the realm’s fragmentation.
• At the auction, Huang Yuee’s charm and status draw the crowd’s attention, while the exchange with Senior Gu builds anticipation for the rare lots to come.

Significant themes

• Freedom versus security: Zhang chooses independence over the resources and protection of a powerful firm.
• Trust and self-preservation: Chen’s insistence on rules and a spirit pact reflects the dangers of cooperation among cultivators.
• Ambition and scarcity: Advancement depends on rare resources, and even promising ancient formulas may be nearly impossible to fulfill.
• Loss and uncertainty: The shattered realm has severed relationships and left the fates of many characters unknown.
• Foreshadowing: The soul-rich cavern may connect to the Netherworld, and the familiar Lotus Buddhist Treasure suggests the auction will intersect with Chen’s past.

Plot points and events

• At the Trading Convention, Huang Yuee auctions Buddhist treasures recovered from the Demon-Suppressing Temple. She explains that Buddhist treasures require Buddhist power, but the firm is also selling cultivation techniques that can provide it.
• A white lotus said to suppress inner demons triggers a fierce bidding war, ultimately selling for 200 spirit crystals to an elderly Void Refinement expert. Chen Lin privately suspects this particular lotus may be dangerous, perhaps allowing an inner demon to possess its user, but keeps quiet.
• The Vajra Body-Refining Art is sold as inexpensive copies, and a string of Buddhist prayer beads follows. Chen Lin avoids bidding on all Buddhist items, determined to stay away from the Buddhist Sect until he reaches Dao Integration.
• The auction moves on to ordinary treasures, and Chen Lin buys several high-grade spiritual herbs.
• A rusted short saber from the Nightmare Realm is offered. Though its region remains unexplored, the saber can be powered by soul energy and strike with spirit-treasure-level force. Warned that it consumes substantial soul power, most bidders hold back; Chen Lin buys it for the starting price of 50 spirit crystals.
• The final item is a natal spirit bone from an unidentified true spirit, containing water, fire, and wood law auras. A powerful woman, Fellow Daoist Xin, identifies it as belonging to the Elder Ancient Wood-Wind Beast and claims she will take it. Ancestor Qingyun intervenes, offering it as a gift, but Xin insists on paying its price and takes it into her room before the bidding begins.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains cautious about his unresolved karmic ties to the Demon-Suppressing Temple, but feels less vulnerable now that his internal mark is gone and he has abandoned Buddhist cultivation. He is intrigued by the saber because it could strengthen his future Nightmare Realm explorations, and his confidence in his soul strength makes its drawback manageable.
• Huang Yuee presents and explains the auction items, emphasizing both their benefits and limitations. She is visibly relieved when Ancestor Qingyun steps in over the spirit bone.
• Fellow Daoist Xin displays authority and expertise by identifying the spirit bone and immediately claiming it. Her exchange with Ancestor Qingyun is courteous but assertive.
• Ancestor Qingyun uses his influence to offer Xin the bone, then directs the auction to continue for the other attendees.

Significant themes

• Temptation versus caution: Valuable Buddhist treasures promise protection from inner demons, but Chen Lin suspects that apparent benefits may conceal danger.
• Preparation and self-reliance: Chen Lin’s soul training gives him an advantage others lack, enabling him to acquire a weapon suited to his plans.
• Power and influence: The bidding scene around the spirit bone shows how status and personal connections can override ordinary auction competition.
• Karma and past entanglements: The Buddhist items revive Chen Lin’s awareness of his history with the Demon-Suppressing Temple, even as he believes its hold over him has weakened.

Plot points and events

• At the auction, Chen Lin recognizes Xin Shangxiu, a powerful Dao Rhyme Seventh Stage cultivator and Xin Yueling’s grandmother. The major treasures go to Void Refinement powerhouses; the Ruyi Staff is never shown.
• Back at the inn, Chen Lin enters the Nightmare Realm’s Small Woods with the Embroidery Saber he bought at auction.
• Testing it, he discovers that activating the saber nearly exhausts his exceptional soul power. Its strike first seems weak, but the cut widens into a vast rift and slightly pushes past the Road Guide Barrier—evidence of remarkable power.
• Chen Lin concludes the saber is a Nightmare Realm weapon, so it avoids the suppression that limits ordinary treasures there. Its strength likely depends on the quality and amount of soul power used. Though imperfect and costly to wield, it suits him unusually well.
• The Traveling Merchant appears. He praises the saber and offers to trade for it, but Chen Lin refuses, proposing other goods instead.
• The merchant calls Chen Lin’s plane the “Void Realm” and says its treasures are mostly illusory, while items Chen Lin can bring into the Nightmare Realm are “real.” Chen Lin produces a Tianluo firewood saber, which the merchant identifies as carrying Luo’s aura.
• Learning that Chen Lin has killed creatures connected to Luo, the merchant—who regards Luo as the Nightmare Realm’s common enemy—offers to explain the truth about planes for free. He begins his explanation.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin shows caution and curiosity: he tests the saber carefully, avoids provoking dangerous beings nearby, and recognizes that the merchant is trying to draw him into a bargain. He refuses to surrender a weapon he considers vital but takes the chance to gain information.
• The Traveling Merchant remains shrewd and persuasive, initially trying to acquire the saber and emphasizing Chen Lin’s lack of valuable “real” goods. His attitude shifts when he sees the Tianluo weapon, and he offers information out of hostility toward Luo.
• Chen Lin and the merchant’s reunion renews their familiar, wary trading relationship: each understands the other’s motives, but Chen Lin manages to secure a valuable offer without paying.

Significant themes

• Reality versus illusion: The merchant’s distinction between real items and the largely illusory goods of Chen Lin’s plane suggests a deeper flaw or unusual status in Chen Lin’s world.
• Rules and power: The saber’s effectiveness comes from being native to the Nightmare Realm, whose rules differ from those governing ordinary treasures.
• Bargaining and knowledge: Information is treated as a commodity, and Chen Lin must balance suspicion against the value of uncovering the truth.
• A broader conflict: The merchant’s hatred of Luo hints at a larger struggle affecting the Nightmare Realm and the connected planes.

Plot points and events

• The Traveling Merchant explains that a mysterious beam of light passed through many planes, causing them to shift from real to illusory. It went unnoticed by most beings because they could not perceive the change.
• He uses the image of leaves to explain the dimensional gap: worlds that seem vast to their inhabitants may be tiny objects to higher-dimensional beings.
• The beam affected numerous realms, including the Immortal and Nightmare Realms, as well as the Demon Realm, God Realm, and Wizard World. Even Luo is a victim; it attacks other planes to absorb their origin essence and resist Voidification.
• The merchant says Voidification may be overcome by forming true origin, which can let a being preserve its reality and potentially transcend its dimensional limits.
• He explains that true origin is a higher form of origin energy. It has not fully formed in Chen Lin’s talent, innate, and soul origins, but energy usable in a Nightmare Realm projection has true-origin traits. It becomes complete when it can manifest a real body there through projection.
• Before disappearing, the merchant tells Chen Lin that weapons carrying Luo’s aura cannot be used, but can be traded for rewards at the Yamen by someone with Yamen Runner status. Chen Lin leaves with his Shepherd Token, intending to investigate.

Character developments

• Chen Lin is shaken by the revelation that even the greatest realms may be insignificant in a higher-dimensional perspective, but accepts the explanation and focuses on finding a way forward.
• He is relieved that Voidification is not necessarily inevitable. He believes Luo Qinglan and Sun Caiyi have paths to true origin; Qin Lingyu may need to advance through Immortal cultivation, an Innate Treasure, or soul development.
• The Traveling Merchant is candid and helpful, though bound by rules that limit how much he can share.

Themes

• Scale and perspective: A realm’s apparent vastness may be relative to its inhabitants.
• Reality and illusion: The distinction between real and illusory existence can change without most beings noticing.
• Hope amid catastrophe: True origin offers a possible path out of Voidification.
• Knowledge and limits: Lower-dimensional beings cannot fully understand higher-dimensional existence, and even the merchant is constrained in what he can disclose.

Character interactions

• The merchant anticipates Chen Lin’s doubts, explains the truth through an analogy, and answers his questions about the beam, affected realms, and true origin.
• Chen Lin responds with skepticism, then gratitude, and shifts from seeking the cause of the crisis to considering practical ways to protect those close to him.
• The merchant’s final advice about the Yamen gives Chen Lin a possible way to turn Tianluo weapons into a reward.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lin checks the White Cloud Pasture. Fat Tiger reports that everything is normal, while Du Dahai remains transformed into a sheep and seems content grazing. Chen Lin considers testing whether he could bring a sheep out of the scenario, but sets the idea aside because the only suitable known node is in a dangerous underwater cave.
• After reflecting on the Traveling Merchant’s account of planes and the vastness of existence, Chen Lin steadies his resolve and leaves the inn.
• He meets Zhang Zhenqian and four other cultivators outside Bamian City: Yue Tianyi, Xin Yueling, Mu Shengyuan, and Lu Xiaoyi. They sign a pact and travel for nearly three months to a remote mountain range covered in black mist.
• Before entering the Black Mist Forbidden Land, the group agrees that each person keeps what they find individually, while shared gains are divided by contribution. Zhang asks for compensation for revealing the location. Xin Yueling and Chen Lin pay him fifty Spirit Crystals each rather than take on a favor; the other three agree to help him obtain a guarded Spirit Herb.
• The group reaches a hidden fissure that leads to a vast, layered earth cave. Zhang explains that deeper levels contain denser yin qi and stronger ghostly beings. He has explored only as far as the fourth layer, where he encountered a peak Spirit Transformation entity. Creatures from lower levels reportedly cannot ascend, though the group is warned not to enter the fifth layer.
• Zhang enters first, but the others remain cautious. Xin Yueling sends her peak fourth-rank Red Bird into the fissure to scout.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lin remains protective of his pasture and thoughtful about the risks of cultivation. He keeps his strength understated, intends to explore independently, and sees the cave as a possible source of powerful ghostly materials for Shadow Puppets. He is also newly interested in taming a high-ranking spirit beast.
• Zhang Zhenqian organizes the expedition and provides the cave’s location, but only reveals his request for preferential treatment once the group arrives. His attempt to steer the others toward helping him obtain the Spirit Herb is frustrated when Chen Lin and Xin Yueling pay instead.
• Xin Yueling has been quiet throughout the journey, but acts decisively at the cave entrance: she pays the requested fee and uses her powerful Red Bird to scout.
• The other cultivators demonstrate the caution common to experienced adventurers, inspecting the site and questioning Zhang before entering. Lu Xiaoyi, despite looking like a child, is an ancient cultivator and is already visibly wary.

Significant themes

• The danger and uncertainty of cultivation: One unforeseen danger can undo years of effort, as Chen Lin’s thoughts about Du Dahai suggest.
• Scale and perspective: The discussion of worlds existing within “leaves” makes Chen Lin feel small, but he concludes that size does not determine strength and renews his resolve.
• Trust, caution, and self-interest: Even allies verify dangerous locations, negotiate rewards, and avoid becoming indebted when possible.
• Ambition balanced by prudence: The cave promises valuable opportunities, but its escalating dangers force the group to proceed carefully.