Chapter Summaries

Plot and events

• Ye Qiu leaves after seeing Luo Ling arrange a match between Wu Xiaokai and Lin Xiaoyu. Lu Li calmly reminds him that she once “sold” Ye Qiu to Li Zhenzhen, deepening his frustration.
• Ye Qiu visits Yuan Gang, who blames Wu Xiaokai for his own condition and fumes over Xiaokai’s extraordinary luck: Lin Xiaoyu has the rare Nine Yin Profound Body, which complements Xiaokai’s Pure Yang Savage Body, and their pairing boosts his cultivation. Xiaokai has already reached True Essence Sixth Level, while Yuan Gang has struggled to reach True Condensation Fourth Level.
• Sharing Yuan Gang’s anger, Ye Qiu agrees to help punish Xiaokai. After dark, the two drug Xiaokai’s tiger, ambush Xiaokai when he comes outside, and beat him badly before escaping.
• As they celebrate, Ye Qiu senses danger. Gong Yun and Gong Xiu appear with members of several clans and a group of nobles. Yuan Gang explains that rumors have made him and Xiaokai targets; Xiaokai was nearly taken to the Life and Death Stage, but Lu Li intervened. The hostile group taunts them but leaves rather than risk acting first inside the academy.
• The next morning, a black-clad elder arrives at Ye Qiu’s gate and orders him to come along.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu’s jealousy and impulsiveness remain evident, but his resentment of Xiaokai also makes him receptive to Yuan Gang’s grievance. The two become partners in the retaliatory beating.
• Yuan Gang, usually reserved, vents at length about Xiaokai’s advantages and admits how deeply the situation has affected him. The assault briefly lifts his spirits.
• Lu Li stays composed and matter-of-fact, while Luo Ling and Lin Xiaoyu’s matchmaking arrangement becomes the source of Ye Qiu’s jealousy and Yuan Gang’s envy.
• Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang share an easy, conspiratorial bond, but their celebration is interrupted by the threat posed by Gong Yun, Gong Xiu, and their allies.

Significant themes

• Luck and unfairness: Xiaokai’s romantic and cultivation advantages fuel the others’ envy.
• Jealousy and resentment: Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang’s frustrations turn into comic, reckless retaliation.
• Rumors and danger: Gossip has escalated into real threats, with academy rules preventing open violence—for now.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu is summoned with the other Grand Selection Top Ten to receive their reward: three days of cultivation in the Dao Pool.
• He reunites with Li Zhenzhen, Chen Luolan, and Qin Sen. Li complains that everyone received the same reward despite her effort to win first place.
• The Dao Pool is revealed to be a reservoir of extraordinary essence, enriched over generations with divine medicines, pills, beast essence, and even the remains of ancient academy cultivators who chose to nourish future students after death.
• As the group enters, Gong Yun and Gong Xiu confront Ye Qiu. Gong Xiu uses pressure to stop him, while Vice Dean Wang Song intervenes against Ye Qiu rather than restraining the Gong brothers.
• Li Zhenzhen returns from inside, challenges Wang Song’s treatment of Ye Qiu, and pulls him into the pool. The Gong brothers enter afterward, warned only to respect the academy’s rules.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains wary of authority and openly objects when Wang Song allows the Gong family to target him. His anger nearly leads him to fight Gong Xiu.
• Li Zhenzhen continues teasing Ye Qiu about his supposed romantic prospects and jokingly asks Chen Luolan to “keep” him too. When Ye Qiu is in real danger, however, she stands up for him and helps him enter the pool.
• Chen Luolan shows interest in Ye Qiu, agreeing that she wants to keep him. Her quiet, direct manner contrasts with Li’s playful teasing.
• Qin Sen jokes that he could beat his older brothers but cannot bring himself to hit them, then entertains Ye Qiu’s offer to take them on for another payment.
• Gong Yun and Gong Xiu’s mockery turns into a direct show of hostility toward Ye Qiu; Wang Song’s apparent favoritism makes the conflict more serious.

Significant themes

• Generational sacrifice: The Dao Pool embodies the academy’s strength, built from the sacrifices of past cultivators for those who come after them.
• Power and injustice: Wang Song’s response suggests that authority may not be applied fairly, while the Gong family can exert pressure with apparent impunity.
• Loyalty beneath banter: Li Zhenzhen’s teasing masks genuine concern, shown when she intervenes on Ye Qiu’s behalf.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu and Li Zhenzhen enter the Dao Pool, a golden river rich with the essence of generations of sages who gave themselves to the Dao. Its power far surpasses the Star Pavilion’s Ninth Layer.
• Li Zhenzhen guides Ye Qiu upstream, where the essence grows stronger. He breaks through two barriers at her urging, despite realizing that the Academy may punish intruders.
• Beyond the second barrier, the river divides into lakes containing the remains of the Academy’s mighty gods. Li Zhenzhen settles in one lake, while Ye Qiu chooses another.
• Gong Xiu and his companions repeatedly follow Ye Qiu between lakes, deliberately crowding him and provoking him. Gong Xiu admits he hopes Ye Qiu will attack him.
• Ye Qiu avoids the bait, continues upstream, and breaks through another gate. He hides behind it and punches the first person through—apparently Gong Xiu—then escapes.
• In the deeper region, Ye Qiu finds larger lakes and dives into one, using the Coiling Dragon Method to conceal himself. The chapter ends as he discovers something ahead underwater.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shows restraint when Gong Xiu tries to provoke him, then turns the situation to his advantage with a calculated ambush. He also grows increasingly wary of Li Zhenzhen’s schemes.
• Li Zhenzhen displays confidence and familiarity with the Dao Pool. She has a powerful background—though not one of the Six Great Divine Clans—and cheerfully persuades Ye Qiu to take risks on her behalf.
• Gong Xiu reveals his hostility is intentional: he wants Ye Qiu to hit him, suggesting he has some motive beyond simple bullying.

Significant themes

• Legacy and sacrifice: The Dao Pool’s extraordinary power comes from sages who surrendered themselves to benefit later generations.
• Opportunity and risk: Greater rewards lie behind increasingly restricted barriers, forcing Ye Qiu to weigh gains against potential punishment.
• Provocation and self-control: Ye Qiu refuses to give Gong Xiu the confrontation he wants, choosing strategy over anger.
• Competition for resources: Even those who need the Dao Pool less can disrupt others’ cultivation for their own purposes.

Character interactions

• Li Zhenzhen rejects Gong Xiu’s advances by bluntly insulting his looks and comparing him unfavorably with Ye Qiu.
• She leads Ye Qiu deeper into the Pool and manipulates him into breaking barriers she fears the Academy might hold her responsible for.
• Ye Qiu tries to stop Li Zhenzhen from undressing in the open, prompting her to tease him as possessive; she then shields herself with a Token.
• Gong Xiu’s group repeatedly follows and harasses Ye Qiu, until Ye Qiu retaliates with a surprise punch and disappears.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu secretly leaves the first Lake after glimpsing a woman meditating there, avoiding another potentially dangerous misunderstanding. He hides his aura and begins absorbing the Lakes’ essence.
• The Strange Flame dramatically improves how quickly and purely Ye Qiu refines the essence. Brother Snake also absorbs it—far faster than Ye Qiu—so they move from Lake to Lake to avoid draining any one place and attracting attention.
• Over several days, Ye Qiu’s cultivation nears the True Essence Seventh Level, and his Qi and blood grow stronger.
• When a pursuer follows him, Ye Qiu uses his speed and concealment to lead the man into a distinctive Lake, then disappears underwater.
• The pursuer’s disturbance draws Gong Xiu, Gong Yun, and others. A woman in a colorful dress—Miss Xiao—appears and asks whether she is nice to look at. After the man agrees, she blinds him and kills him.
• Miss Xiao attacks Gong Yun and his group when she learns they are from the Gong Family. She overwhelms them with the Dragon Pattern Spear. They flee through the Light Gate, but two disciples are killed before Miss Xiao pursues them.
• Ye Qiu emerges safely from the Lake, shocked by Miss Xiao’s brutality. As he prepares to flee, Brother Snake insists the situation presents an opportunity.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains cautious and resourceful: he conceals his presence, limits how long he stays in each Lake, and uses his speed to evade pursuit. The essence and Strange Flame greatly strengthen him.
• Brother Snake is recovering rapidly, shown by his increased absorption and newly grown horns. He is less cautious than Ye Qiu and urges him to exploit the chaos.
• Miss Xiao is revealed as both beautiful and extremely dangerous, responding to unwanted attention with immediate violence and showing open hostility toward the Gong Family.
• Gong Yun and his group discover that their family name offers no protection from Miss Xiao; they are forced into retreat.

Significant themes

• Caution and concealment: Ye Qiu’s restraint keeps him safe amid powerful, volatile figures.
• Power and danger: The Lakes offer rapid cultivation, but exploiting them risks attracting notice; Miss Xiao’s strength makes even a brief encounter perilous.
• Beauty and threat: Miss Xiao’s striking appearance contrasts sharply with her lethal response to being admired.
• Opportunity amid chaos: Brother Snake sees the confrontation as a chance for Ye Qiu to act rather than simply escape.

Key plot points and events

• Brother Snake suddenly consumes the Dao Pool’s golden essence at an astonishing rate, draining most of the lakes Ye Qiu passes. Phantom figures—apparently the Heroic Spirits of ancient gods—rise from the water and are swallowed too.
• Ye Qiu rushes through the Light Gates to escape, but the devouring continues. Li Zhenzhen emerges from a lake, and Ye Qiu pulls her along, warning her that the Gong Family has caused a disaster.
• Brother Snake’s feeding strengthens Ye Qiu, pushing his cultivation to True Essence Seventh Level. From the outside, however, it looks as if Ye Qiu himself is eating the academy’s Heroic Spirits.
• They meet Chen Luolan and the Qin brothers as Gong Yun, Gong Xiu, and two injured Gong Family disciples flee from a spear-wielding woman. Ye Qiu repeatedly blames the Gong Family for the catastrophe, though his glowing body makes the others suspicious.
• The woman confronts Vice Dean Wang Song for letting the Gong Family into the Dao Pool and repeatedly slaps him. The academy’s Dean arrives, also holds Wang Song responsible, and orders everyone to “clear the field.”
• The Dean discovers that the Dao Pool’s essence has been devastated across multiple layers. Recovery could take more than a decade, and the damage is far worse than anything the academy has seen. He leaves with the woman and Wang Song as the gathered students and elders watch, sensing his fury.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is alarmed by Brother Snake’s uncontrolled appetite and tries to flee, but also uses the chaos to shift blame onto the Gong Family. He gains a cultivation breakthrough while struggling to conceal his role.
• Brother Snake is revealed to be far more voracious than before, consuming both the Dao Pool’s essence and its phantom spirits without regard for the destruction.
• Li Zhenzhen is confused and suspicious, openly questioning whether Ye Qiu is the one causing the damage.
• Chen Luolan and the Qin brothers witness Ye Qiu’s suspiciously glowing state. Qin Sen warns Ye Qiu not to ask about the powerful woman.
• Wang Song appears powerless before both the woman and the Dean. He claims the Dean had approved admitting the Gong Family, but is struck before he can explain.
• The Dean and the woman respond with overwhelming authority and anger, treating the destruction as a grave institutional crisis.

Significant themes

• Uncontrolled power and its costs: Brother Snake’s feeding gives Ye Qiu strength while ruining a treasured cultivation resource.
• Blame and appearances: Ye Qiu attributes the disaster to the Gong Family, while others suspect him because of his glowing aura.
• Authority and accountability: The woman and Dean punish Wang Song for allowing the Gong Family in, though the truth of his claim remains unresolved.
• The value of opportunity: The Dao Pool’s destruction threatens a resource central to the academy’s cultivation and future.

Plot points

• The Dean punishes Vice Dean Wang Song for the disaster in the Great Dao Pool: he removes him from office, halves the stipends of Wang Household members, and demands compensation of 100 million per year for ten years.
• He explains that the group’s actions caused severe damage across the Pool’s upper layers, disturbed the Ancestors’ Heroic Spirits, depleted vital essence, and damaged the formation that sustains the Pool. It will be sealed for a year, disappointing disciples scheduled to enter.
• The Wang Household first tries to distance itself from Wang Song, but the Dean reminds them that they benefited from his position and must share responsibility. The Household’s Clan Leader then strips Wang Song of his title, with the elders unanimously supporting the decision.
• Wang Song blames the Gong Family for ignoring his instructions to follow the rules. Gong Xiu counters by accusing Ye Qiu of leading them into the Pool’s depths and starting the conflict.
• Ye Qiu denies involvement and recruits witnesses to support his account. The Qin brothers deny knowing anything; Chen Luolan says she stayed with Ye Qiu; Li Zhenzhen blames the Gong Family; and the Colorful-Skirt Woman says she did not see Ye Qiu. The Dean turns his demand for an explanation toward the Gong Family.

Character developments and interactions

• The Dean shifts from his usual mild manner to stern authority, making clear that damage to the Academy’s foundations will not be tolerated. He holds both Wang Song and the Wang Household accountable.
• Wang Song loses his position and standing, and the Wang Household turns against him as the consequences mount. He bitterly regrets allowing the Gong Family to enter.
• The Wang Household moves from self-protection to collective punishment, then formally casts Wang Song out.
• Ye Qiu appears calm and evasive under accusation, relying on allies’ testimonies while concealing what happened. His glance at Brother Snake—whose light has grown brighter—hints at an important benefit from the incident.
• The Gong Family, represented by Gong Xiu, tries to shift blame onto Ye Qiu, but the Dean’s attention turns to them instead. The witnesses’ statements do not fully resolve what happened.

Significant themes

• Accountability: Those who benefit from someone’s power cannot simply abandon them when that power brings trouble.
• Rules and consequences: Violating boundaries damages not only individuals but institutions and the people who depend on them.
• Blame and unreliable testimony: Characters maneuver to protect themselves, leaving the truth contested.
• Power and institutional responsibility: The Dean’s penalties emphasize the Academy’s need to protect its resources and foundations.

• The academy refuses to take sides. The Dean tells the Wang Clan Leader that the Gong Family is the real culprit, but neither he nor the Wang Household can make the Gong Family pay. The Wang Clan must accept blame for Wang Song’s part in events. Privately, the Dean doubts the Gong Family could have caused the essence absorption and suspects the Colorful-Skirt Woman may have triggered it, though he cares more about collecting compensation than uncovering the truth. When trouble begins outside the Dao Pool, he and the Grand Martial Officer decide the academy will remain neutral as long as both sides follow the rules.
• Ye Qiu challenges Gong Xiu to a death match. After the Colorful-Skirt Woman leaves, Gong Xiu confronts Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu openly challenges him to fight on the Life and Death Stage, explaining that he cannot coexist with the man who killed his mother. His friends are alarmed: Wu Xiaokai warns him about the Gong Family’s strength but then volunteers to fight alongside him, while Li Zhenzhen doubts Ye Qiu can win. Ye Qiu even jokes that he should not have hit Wu Xiaokai if he had known Wu would offer to help.
• Gong Xiu accepts. Gong Yun suspects Ye Qiu must have a hidden trump card, but Gong Xiu cannot refuse without disgracing the Divine Race. He enters the match confident that his Seventh Level of Creation cultivation gives him an overwhelming advantage. A crowd gathers, expecting Ye Qiu to lose.
• Ye Qiu turns the fight around immediately. Gong Xiu raises his left hand to block Ye Qiu’s saber, but the blade suddenly surges with power, shatters his aura, and cuts off his arm. Enraged, Gong Xiu attacks with his right fist. Ye Qiu meets him head-on with a punch, and Gong Xiu’s fist and arm are badly broken as he is knocked backward.
  Character developments and interactions: Ye Qiu moves from being viewed as an unlikely challenger to demonstrating extraordinary strength and resolve. Gong Xiu’s confidence gives way to shock and pain, while Gong Yun’s caution proves justified. Wu Xiaokai’s loyalty emerges despite his recent injury, and the Dean’s choice of neutrality reflects the academy’s reluctance to antagonize either the Gong Family or Ye Qiu’s powerful connections.
  Themes: The chapter highlights political compromise and the limits of justice, the tension between reputation and caution, and the risks of underestimating someone based on status or apparent power. Ye Qiu’s challenge also makes personal vengeance the central force driving the conflict.

Key plot points and events

• On the Life and Death Stage, Ye Qiu overwhelms Gong Xiu, despite Gong Xiu’s higher cultivation and Divine Province background. Ye Qiu breaks both of Gong Xiu’s arms, then uses his uncanny speed—enhanced by borrowing the wind—to sever both legs.
• Rather than kill him quickly, Ye Qiu continues to mutilate Gong Xiu, cutting out his eyes and opening his abdomen. He ignores Gong Yun’s repeated demands to stop, leaving Gong Xiu alive and suffering for a quarter of an hour.
• Ye Qiu explains through his thoughts that his violence is meant to make Gong Xiu experience the torment inflicted on Ye Qiu’s mother and unborn sister.
• Ye Qiu then addresses Ye Jiangshan, accusing him of failing as a husband and father and declaring that he has no right to hold his head high.
• After asking Ye Jiangshan, “Did you see clearly?”, Ye Qiu finally beheads Gong Xiu.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu reveals both a dramatic rise in combat ability and the depth of his long-held grief and rage. His victory is decisive, but his prolonged revenge shows how completely vengeance has taken hold of him.
• Gong Xiu goes from arrogant confidence to disbelief, terror, and desperation. He realizes too late that he underestimated Ye Qiu and ultimately begs to be killed.
• Gong Yun shifts from astonishment to fury and helplessness as his commands and threats fail to protect his brother.
• Ye Jiangshan remains silent when confronted, visibly conflicted. Ye Qiu’s accusation makes clear that their relationship is deeply damaged by his failure to protect Ye Qiu’s family.

Significant themes

• Revenge and inherited trauma: Ye Qiu’s brutality is driven by the suffering of his mother and unborn sister.
• Power and status: Gong Xiu’s Divine Race standing and superior cultivation cannot save him from Ye Qiu’s strength.
• Justice versus cruelty: Ye Qiu frames his actions as repayment, but the extended torture blurs revenge with deliberate cruelty.
• Family responsibility: Ye Qiu’s confrontation with Ye Jiangshan emphasizes the lasting consequences of failing one’s family.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu repeatedly rejects Gong Yun’s attempts to intervene, showing that neither rank nor threats can sway him.
• He forces Ye Jiangshan to witness the punishment, turning Gong Xiu’s defeat into a message about the family’s past.
• The surrounding spectators—including Wang Song, Wu Xiaokai, Yuan Gang, Luo Ling, and Lin Xiaoyu—watch in shock, horror, or conflicted silence.

Key plot points

• Ye Qiu kills Gong Xiu after defeating him decisively; his only injury is a shallow cut on his sleeve and arm. Ye Jiangshan flees, while Gong Yun and the Liu, Chu, and Ye families turn against Ye Qiu.
• Gong Yun, consumed by rage, abandons restraint and attacks Ye Qiu. Lu Li intercepts him with a punch, and Nan Qingyue kicks him back into the valley.
• Lu Li pursues Gong Yun onto the Life-and-Death Battle Stage, declaring a fight to the death. She overwhelms him despite his peak Creation Ninth Level cultivation, dismissing his appeal to the rules.
• A powerful Gong Family Protector appears and orders the fighting to stop. Nan Qingyue challenges him, but his strength—revealed to be that of a formidable Human God—forces her back and draws blood.
• Nan Qingyue refuses to yield and calls for help. Two more old men emerge from the void.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu leaves the battle victorious and remains focused on Gong Yun despite threats from the allied families. His companions prepare to defend him, but Lu Li steps in first.
• Gong Yun shifts from controlled hostility to reckless fury, then tries to invoke the rules once Lu Li gains the upper hand.
• Lu Li reveals a dramatic increase in power, defeating and cornering an opponent far above the level of Gong Xiu. Her defiant attitude toward rules is captured in her declaration: “When did I ever follow the rules?”
• Nan Qingyue protects Ye Qiu’s side and confronts the Gong Protector without hesitation. Though wounded, she remains confident and summons reinforcements.
• Wu Xiaokai and the others are stunned by Lu Li’s strength, which makes Ye Qiu’s own achievement seem less extraordinary by comparison.

Significant themes

• Power and escalation: Ye Qiu’s victory is quickly eclipsed by Lu Li’s strength, then challenged by the arrival of a Human God and further reinforcements.
• Revenge versus restraint: Gong Yun’s rage drives him to disregard rules, while Lu Li openly rejects them as well, turning the conflict into a life-or-death confrontation.
• Fear of rising talent: The established families recognize Ye Qiu as a growing threat and seek to unite against him.
• Defiance and loyalty: Lu Li and Nan Qingyue place themselves between danger and Ye Qiu, refusing to back down even when facing overwhelming opposition.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Two black-robed elders appear, and Ye Qiu recognizes them as the men who once destroyed members of the Ye Clan in Southern State. Their power is far greater than he remembered.
• They attack and kill the Gong Family’s Human God Protector in a brief, devastating battle. Nan Qingyue takes the Protector’s Storage Ring, briefly teasing Ye Qiu by offering it before snatching it away.
• Lu Li faces Gong Yun on the Life and Death Stage. Despite promising not to rely on outside power, she effortlessly destroys his Divine-level Awakened Item and kills him with a sword thrust.
• Lu Li then kills Wang Song, the Academy’s Vice Dean, when he tries to plead his case.
• She orders the two elders to destroy the Liu Family, which is wiped out along with its ancestral household.
• When the Chu Family begs for mercy and promises to leave, Lu Li condemns their lack of backbone and sends the elders to deal with them too.
• Ye Qiu realizes Lu Li is eliminating those who could threaten him because she is preparing to leave.

Character developments

• Lu Li shifts from a formidable fighter to an apparently overwhelming force. Her aura begins resonating with heaven and earth, and a powerful presence overhead seems to be focused on her. She remains unmoved by the scale of the violence she unleashes.
• Ye Qiu is stunned by the elders’ power and Lu Li’s reach. He understands that her actions are meant to protect him before her departure.
• Gong Yun loses his confidence and support after his Protector’s death, then is decisively defeated and killed.
• The surrounding families and officials abandon any plans for revenge or resistance, recognizing that they cannot oppose Lu Li or her allies.
• Nan Qingyue remains composed amid the bloodshed and keeps the spoils of the battle from Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming power and fear: The elders’ ability to kill a Human God and Lu Li’s effortless victories leave the gathered factions powerless.
• Protection and sacrifice: Lu Li’s purge of Ye Qiu’s enemies is an act of protection, made more poignant by his realization that she is about to leave.
• Power’s consequences: Conflicts that once involved rival families and political authority are resolved through sudden, near-total destruction.
• Backbone and submission: The Chu Family’s desperate surrender contrasts with Lu Li’s contempt for their lack of courage.

Character interactions

• The elders act on Lu Li’s orders, while Nan Qingyue’s playful refusal to give Ye Qiu the Storage Ring offers a brief comic contrast to the carnage.
• Lu Li gives Gong Yun a chance to fight her directly, then kills him; she also silences Wang Song and openly challenges the Liu and Chu families.
• The opposing families respond with terror, pleas, and submission. Ye Qiu says little, but recognizes that Lu Li is clearing the way for his safety before she goes.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Lu Li declares that the Liu and Chu families are finished. The Ye Clan panics, raises its defenses, and summons its ancestors, but Lu Li ignores it.
• As Lu Li approaches Ye Qiu, a terrifying Lightning Tribulation gathers over her. She tells him she must leave and will try to settle everything within a month, then flies away with the storm.
• Ye Qiu pursues her, burning his Essence Blood to power his Blazing Flame wings, but cannot catch up. Nan Qingyue explains that Lu Li does not want him to witness the lightning strike and warns him never to fail her. Two elders carry Lu Li farther away, and Ye Qiu eventually loses sight and sound of her.
• Brother Snake reveals that Lu Li is not simply breaking into the Divine Realm: she is forging a Unique Path, a new realm between Creation and the Divine Gate. If she survives, she will be unbeatable below the Divine Realm and powerful enough to challenge even a true god. But heaven and earth will resist her with countless tribulations.
• Ye Qiu insists that Lu Li will survive, then spends the night in a valley before returning toward Great Dao City with Wu Xiaokai. On the way, they see a vast blood-red light rising over the city.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Li displays immense power and determination, but her departure reveals the danger and personal cost of her unprecedented cultivation. Her promise to return within a month gives Ye Qiu hope.
• Ye Qiu is deeply afraid for Lu Li and refuses to stop chasing her, even at the cost of his own blood and strength. Though he cannot reach her, he ultimately chooses faith in her survival.
• Nan Qingyue shows concern for Lu Li while keeping Ye Qiu at a distance, bluntly emphasizing how much Lu Li has sacrificed for him.
• Brother Snake explains the significance of Lu Li’s Unique Path and warns Ye Qiu that his own unusually smooth progress may precede an immense calamity.
• Wu Xiaokai finds Ye Qiu and accompanies him back, offering support without pressing him after seeing his resolve.

Significant themes

• Ambition against the order of heaven: Lu Li’s Unique Path breaks established limits, but extraordinary power brings extraordinary resistance.
• Love, sacrifice, and separation: Lu Li leaves to face danger alone, while Ye Qiu’s desperate pursuit shows his devotion and fear.
• Faith in the face of uncertainty: No one can guarantee Lu Li will survive the tribulation, yet Ye Qiu chooses to believe she will.
• Foreshadowing: Brother Snake’s warning suggests Ye Qiu’s own great trial is still ahead, while the blood-red light over Great Dao City signals a new development.

Key plot points and events

• A huge blood-red light rises from a tablet in the woods outside Great Dao City. Ye Qiu, Wu Xiaokai, and many others feel their bloodlines resonate with it, gaining a brief boost to their cultivation.
• Li Zhenzhen explains that Lu Li’s Lightning Tribulation exposed the Tomb of the God King, though it is not yet possible to enter. When the tablet’s light fades, the others’ resonance ends—but Ye Qiu’s blood continues to react to it.
• Back at Great Dao Academy, Chen Qianqian reappears after recovering from injuries. He tries to charm Li Zhenzhen and then Luo Ling and Lin Xiaoyu, but is rejected or deterred by the group.
• Chen reveals that his sister, Chen Luolan, broke both his legs. When he warns Ye Qiu to stay away from her, Ye Qiu realizes she is nearby. Chen is immediately punched and beaten by his sister, while Ye Qiu watches.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains curious about the Blood Tablet and is the only one whose reaction persists after its light fades, suggesting a special connection. He also recognizes Chen Luolan and understands Chen Qianqian’s warning is about to backfire.
• Wu Xiaokai confirms that his Pure Yang Savage Blood resonates with the tablet. He jokingly claims Luo Ling and Lin Xiaoyu are “both mine” to keep Chen Qianqian away.
• Li Zhenzhen provides the news about the tomb and continues her blunt, teasing manner, dismissing Chen Qianqian’s advances.
• Chen Qianqian returns as an eager but socially awkward comic figure. His injuries—and his fear of his formidable sister—explain his long absence.
• Luo Ling, Lin Xiaoyu, and Yuan Gang also resonate with the tablet, then leave as Chen’s attention turns toward them.

Significant themes

• Bloodline and hidden affinity: The tablet’s resonance hints at deeper ties between certain people and the Tomb of the God King, especially given Ye Qiu’s lingering response.
• A looming mystery: The tomb has been revealed, but access is delayed, building anticipation for what lies within.
• Comic contrast and family power: The chapter moves from an ominous supernatural discovery to playful romantic rejection and Chen Qianqian’s spectacularly bad luck with his sister.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Luolan repeatedly beats her brother, the fat man, while feeding him Divine Pills to keep him alive. Ye Qiu is horrified and leaves rather than intervene.
• Ye Qiu asks Brother Snake about the Blood Tablet. Brother Snake confirms it marks the Tomb of the God King, which may contain valuable treasures.
• Brother Snake says he must sleep while shedding his skin. Ye Qiu asks to keep the shed skin; Brother Snake brusquely refuses, then disappears as the process begins.
• Brother Snake notices something unusual about Chen Luolan’s aura, identifying her as “no ordinary flower.”
• Chen Luolan visits Ye Qiu repeatedly, first offering him five million to support him, then raising the offer to ten million. Ye Qiu insists he will not live off a woman.
• On the seventh day, Chen Luolan reveals that the flower on her skin has changed from red to faint purple and bloomed further. Ye Qiu’s presence seems to accelerate its growth.
• Wu Xiaokai and Yuan Gang walk in while Ye Qiu and Chen Luolan are struggling over her robe, misinterpret the scene, and leave in embarrassed surprise. Chen Luolan says she will return the next day.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is shaken by Chen Luolan’s extreme “tough love,” but remains curious and conscientious. He consolidates his recent cultivation gains while Brother Snake rests.
• Chen Luolan appears severe and teasing, but believes she is helping her brother improve. Her growing visits to Ye Qiu are linked to the mysterious flower’s response to him.
• Brother Snake hints at Chen Luolan’s supernatural nature before vanishing to shed his skin.
• Chen Luolan and Ye Qiu develop a playful, awkward dynamic: she persistently offers money and tests his reactions, while he resists and becomes flustered when she exposes the flower.

Significant themes

• Harsh care and family bonds: Chen Luolan’s brutal treatment of her brother is framed as intended for his own good, though Ye Qiu questions her methods.
• Cultivation and transformation: Ye Qiu’s progress, Brother Snake’s shedding, and the flower’s changing color all suggest ongoing metamorphoses.
• Mystery and attraction: The flower’s connection to Ye Qiu remains unexplained, drawing Chen Luolan back to him and setting up further revelations.

Plot and events

• After Chen Luolan leaves, Ye Qiu reflects on her unusual floral scent, which seems to intensify the stirring of his Bloodline. Brother Snake is absent, having begun shedding his skin.
• Yuan Gang and Wu Xiaokai tease Ye Qiu about Chen Luolan. When Yuan Gang claims Ye Qiu had hugged her and taken off her clothes, Ye Qiu tries—and fails—to shift the blame for Wu Xiaokai’s earlier beating onto Yuan Gang.
• Ye Qiu goes to Broken Cliff to study the Godbreaker Saber Technique. There he meets the colorful-skirted woman he saw at the Dao Pool.
• She confronts him about possibly seeing her at the bottom of the Dao Pool and stealing its essence. Ye Qiu denies both, but his awkward, implausible oaths only make her more suspicious.
• Broken Cliff suddenly unleashes waves of saber light, trapping Ye Qiu in a relentless trial. He fights through the night and gains the Third, Fourth, and then Fifth Forms of Godbreaker.
• The woman reveals she is Xiao Qingyu, granddaughter of Great Dao Academy’s Dean, Xiao Qingsong. She demands access to Ye Qiu’s inheritance. Though he claims he has only one Saber, she accepts: “One Saber will do.”

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains quick-witted but easily flustered, using evasions and bad excuses to conceal what he knows. Despite his comic awkwardness, he proves capable and determined by surviving the cliff’s trial and mastering three new forms.
• Xiao Qingyu is perceptive, confident, and playfully coercive. She tests Ye Qiu, recognizes his skill, and uses her influential family position—and his alleged glimpse of her at the Dao Pool—to pressure him.
• Yuan Gang and Wu Xiaokai continue their teasing, while Ye Qiu’s attempt to pit them against each other goes nowhere.
• Ye Qiu and Xiao Qingyu’s exchange mixes suspicion, flirtatious embarrassment, and bargaining; her final demand leaves Ye Qiu with little room to refuse.

Significant themes

• Skill earned through hardship: Ye Qiu gains the saber forms by enduring a punishing trial.
• Power and leverage: Xiao Qingyu’s status lets her make demands without needing proof.
• Deception and comic embarrassment: Ye Qiu’s denials and improvised oaths repeatedly expose his discomfort rather than concealing it.
• Inheritance and ambition: Both characters value the saber technique, setting up a negotiation over its secrets.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Qingyu persuades Ye Qiu to follow her by offering news about Lu Li’s fate after the Lightning Tribulation. She takes him to the Great Dao Tower’s top floor, where a combat Arena preserves images of notable fighters.
• Lu Li’s image remains on the Arena, proving she survived. Xiao Qingyu explains that Lu Li also surpassed the Academy’s century-old record, then demonstrates the image’s strength and is quickly knocked back.
• In exchange for the news, Ye Qiu writes down the first five forms of Godbreaker for Xiao Qingyu.
• When Ye Qiu steps onto the Arena, Lu Li’s image disappears and Ye Qiu’s takes its place. Xiao Qingyu realizes Lu Li deliberately “made way” for him.
• A Light Gate opens, and a woman identified as the Upper Realm Academy’s Guide appears. She mistakenly assumes Ye Qiu broke the record and gives him a reward before declaring she will await him in the Upper Realm.
• The reward enters Ye Qiu’s mind: Nine Stars Descend, a peak Ninth-Rank Divine Ability. Ye Qiu does not correct the Guide in time.
• Hoping to earn a reward herself, Xiao Qingyu challenges Ye Qiu’s image. Though the Arena suppresses her cultivation to match the record holder’s level, her powerful spear thrust is effortlessly shattered by the image’s simple punch.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu resists Xiao Qingyu’s manipulation but is swayed by news of Lu Li. He remains wary of her schemes, and his growing strength is underscored by how easily his Arena image defeats her.
• Xiao Qingyu is clever and opportunistic: she trades information for Godbreaker, then immediately tries to exploit Ye Qiu’s new Arena record. Her confidence collapses when his image overwhelms her.
• Lu Li is revealed to have survived the tribulation and to have deliberately yielded her Arena position to Ye Qiu, signaling her regard for him.
• The Guide mistakes Ye Qiu for the record-breaker and rewards him, linking his Arena appearance to the Academy in the Upper Realm.

Significant themes

• Records, reputation, and merit: Ye Qiu receives a prestigious title and reward despite not having earned the record himself; Lu Li’s choice to yield complicates the meaning of achievement.
• Power and humility: Xiao Qingyu’s formidable attack is casually countered, exposing the gap between her expectations and Ye Qiu’s actual ability.
• Manipulation and exchange: The chapter’s encounters revolve around bargaining, strategic withholding, and attempts to turn others’ actions to one’s advantage.
• Connections across realms: The Guide’s appearance and invitation to the Upper Realm suggest larger forces and future developments beyond the Academy.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Qingyu challenges Ye Qiu’s projection in the Great Dao Tower, repeatedly testing herself with her Dragon Pattern Spear. Each time, his punch instantly shatters her attack and defeats her.
• Recognizing that Ye Qiu is far stronger than she assumed, Qingyu concludes that he has been concealing his ability and may be second only to Lu Li.
• She reports to the Grand Martial Officer that Ye Qiu received the inheritance of all Five Sabers, set a new record on the Tower’s top floor, and defeated her. She also says he may have received more than a first-grade Divine Ability.
• Qingyu asks the Grand Martial Officer to tell the Dean she had nothing to do with the disturbance at the Dao Pool. She says Ye Qiu gave her the Five Sabers and she promised not to reveal this to the Dean.
• Meanwhile, the Blood Tablet above the city grows brighter and roars, suggesting the Tomb of the God King may open much sooner than expected. The Dean wonders what could be resonating with it now that Lu Li has left.
• After hearing Qingyu’s report, the Dean and Grand Martial Officer inspect Ye Qiu’s projection in the Tower. The Dean admits they misjudged him and orders that he be watched closely, judging him potentially worthy of competing for Heaven’s Chosen.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Qingyu moves from disbelief and contempt to respect after experiencing Ye Qiu’s overwhelming strength firsthand. Though humiliated, she recognizes his talent and advocates for his inclusion among the top contenders.
• Ye Qiu remains absent, but his reputation rises sharply: he has inherited all Five Sabers, set the Tower’s record, and appears capable of defeating the Academy’s chief disciple.
• The Grand Martial Officer initially doubts Qingyu’s claim, then grows impressed as she lists Ye Qiu’s achievements and confirms he beat her.
• The Dean shifts from dismissing Ye Qiu as a third-tier talent to taking him seriously after hearing the evidence.
• Qingyu’s brief exchange with the Grand Martial Officer shows she trusts him to pass on her message while keeping her promise to Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken judgment: Ye Qiu’s apparent dependence on Lu Li has caused others to underestimate him.
• Recognition through trial: Qingyu’s direct defeat and Ye Qiu’s Tower achievements force the Academy’s leaders to reassess him.
• Competition and ambition: Ye Qiu’s rise positions him as a possible Heaven’s Chosen contender, while the approaching Tomb of the God King adds urgency and mystery.

Key plot points and events

• The Blood Tablet stirs again, drawing crowds, but no one else can connect with it. Ye Qiu feels his blood boiling more intensely than ever and senses that he could open a doorway at the Tomb of the God King—but chooses not to act while so many people are watching.
• At the Star Pavilion, Qi Mu tries to collect the 5.8 million Ye Qiu owes him for an axe. Ye Qiu dodges the debt by invoking their brotherly relationship and hurrying away.
• Ye Qiu enters a lounge where Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu are locked in a battle of minds inside a Consciousness Space. He is drawn into it and absorbs the battle’s shockwaves, greatly expanding his Sea of Consciousness.
• Yun Lu tests Ye Qiu’s mental power and confirms it has reached the extraordinary Thirteenth Grade. Qiu Zhen recognizes how exceptional Ye Qiu’s potential is and resolves to protect him.
• Qiu Zhen warns that the Gong Family has already set out and may come after Ye Qiu. He promises to do what he can to protect him, while admitting he might fail.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows increasing signs of a powerful bloodline awakening and unexpectedly advances in mental power. He remains cautious about the Tomb and playfully evades Qi Mu’s debt demand.
• Qiu Zhen shifts from valuing Ye Qiu to recognizing him as a potentially exceptional future alchemist and worthy of serious cultivation. His warning about the Gong Family reveals both concern and uncertainty about his ability to keep Ye Qiu safe.
• Yun Lu confirms Ye Qiu’s Thirteenth Grade mental power, though his needle test causes Ye Qiu pain.
• Qi Mu is frustrated that Ye Qiu still owes him money and cannot yet pay it.

Significant themes

• Unusual potential and sudden growth: Ye Qiu’s bloodline, mental power, and prospects continue to develop beyond expectations.
• Power and risk: His growing abilities attract attention, but also increase the danger posed by powerful enemies such as the Gong Family.
• Caution amid opportunity: Though the Tomb of the God King seems within reach, Ye Qiu restrains himself because acting openly could be dangerous.

Key plot points and events

• Qiu Zhen explains that the powerful Gong Family has stronger connections in Divine Province than he does. He promises to speak on Ye Qiu’s behalf, but first urges him to learn Alchemy, since becoming an Alchemist may help win him protection.
• Yun Lu offers to teach Ye Qiu and brings out his prized furnace, ranked eighteenth among Central Province’s famous furnaces.
• Ye Qiu reveals the “battered” purple furnace he received from the Pill Tower. Its overwhelming presence makes Yun Lu’s furnace and another nearby furnace topple, crack, and catch fire. The disturbance affects furnaces elsewhere as well.
• Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu recognize Ye Qiu’s furnace as the Purple-Gold Divine Furnace, the Pill Tower’s number-one furnace. They infer that the Pill Tower may be grooming Ye Qiu as its heir. Ye Qiu, unaware of the furnace’s importance, puts it away to avoid damaging other furnaces—and to keep the Broken Saber from possibly destroying it.
• Yun Lu begins teaching Ye Qiu to control Pill Fire. Ye Qiu produces a golden flame lotus, which instantly extinguishes Yun Lu’s fire. Qiu Zhen’s more powerful scarlet flame, containing a Demon Fox, is extinguished too, and the fox bursts apart. The pair conclude that a Strange Flame makes all other flames submit.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains oblivious to the value of his possessions and abilities. He accepts Yun Lu’s instruction but casually reveals both a top-ranked Divine Furnace and an overpowering Strange Flame.
• Qiu Zhen bargains with Ye Qiu over his debt, then promises to advocate for him in Divine Province. He is astonished by Ye Qiu’s resources but still advises him pragmatically.
• Yun Lu takes on the role of Ye Qiu’s alchemy teacher. His pride in his furnace and confidence in his Pill Fire are shaken when both are overwhelmed by Ye Qiu’s treasures.
• The contrast between Ye Qiu’s ignorance and the elders’ mounting shock drives their interactions: they repeatedly recognize the significance of what he has while he dismisses it as ordinary.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and mistaken appearances: Ye Qiu’s shabby-looking furnace is actually the region’s greatest, while his golden flame surpasses experienced alchemists’ fires.
• Hierarchy and dominance: The Divine Furnace commands ordinary furnaces, and the Strange Flame overwhelms lesser flames.
• Opportunity through talent and connections: Learning Alchemy may help Ye Qiu secure support from powerful forces, including the Gong Family and Pill Tower.
• Comic dramatic irony: The elders understand the importance of Ye Qiu’s possessions far better than he does.

Key events

• Yun Lu begins teaching Ye Qiu Fire Control, explaining that mastery allows an alchemist to keep ordinary paper from burning when placed over a flame.
• Ye Qiu immediately demonstrates that control with the Golden Lotus Strange Flame. He then identifies several herbs and extracts their essences with exceptional purity, astonishing Yun Lu and Qiu Zhen.
• Following Yun Lu’s instructions, Ye Qiu combines the essences and forms a Pill Embryo. He nearly completes a pill, but it bursts apart.
• Ye Qiu keeps trying through the day and into the night. After one hundred failed attempts, his 101st attempt causes the Alchemy Furnace itself to explode.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu discovers that, despite struggling with Acupuncture, he has extraordinary aptitude for Alchemy. His confidence grows as he masters each lesson almost instantly.
• Yun Lu eagerly teaches him, hoping to become the first person to guide such a remarkable prodigy. His amazement turns to excitement as Ye Qiu surpasses even his own standards.
• Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu encourage Ye Qiu after his early failures. They believe setbacks are a necessary part of learning, though the furnace explosion ends the chapter on a comic cliffhanger.
• The Golden Lotus’s overwhelming power is also revealed: it subdues the other men’s flames, and Qiu Zhen’s flame loses much of its power.

Significant themes

• Natural talent versus experience: Ye Qiu advances in minutes and hours where others needed years, suggesting that Alchemy comes unusually easily to him.
• Failure as part of mastery: Even a prodigy cannot avoid repeated setbacks; persistence is essential.
• Power and prestige: The Strange Flame and Ye Qiu’s abilities could attract attention from powerful figures and make him highly sought after.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu repeatedly fails at the final Pill Condensation stage of alchemy. Although his preparation and Pill Embryos are excellent, every attempt ends in an explosion.
• Yun Lu and Qiu Zhen replace furnace after furnace and teach him multiple formulas, but neither can identify the cause. Ye Qiu’s exhaustion grows, and the Star Pavilion suffers the cost of losing ten valuable furnaces.
• Chen Luolan arrives and takes over instruction. She demonstrates the process, then guides Ye Qiu through it. He quickly produces an exceptionally fine Pill Embryo, impressing her.
• Chen urges him to condense it, promising that she will take responsibility if anything goes wrong. The furnace promptly explodes—revealed to be her treasured Feathered Flight Furnace, a gift from her mother.
• Chen demands compensation, naming the price as ten million. Ye Qiu protests that he is broke, so Chen cheerfully declares that he now belongs to her.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shows remarkable aptitude and learns the practical steps of alchemy almost immediately, but his unexplained failure at Pill Condensation leaves him frustrated and wary of trying again. He remains blunt and defiant when pressed for payment.
• Chen Luolan shifts from confident teacher to astonished witness when Ye Qiu destroys her prized furnace. She turns the loss into leverage, playfully claiming him as compensation.
• Yun Lu and Qiu Zhen go from impressed teachers to baffled, weary observers. Their inability to explain the explosions undermines their confidence, and they evade responsibility for Chen’s damaged furnace.

Themes

• Talent versus inexplicable limits: Ye Qiu’s skill is undeniable, yet one mysterious obstacle repeatedly defeats him.
• Comedy through escalating misfortune: Each failed attempt raises the cost, culminating in the destruction of Chen’s treasured furnace.
• Responsibility and opportunism: Chen’s promise to accept the risk becomes a disputed debt, while Ye Qiu’s lack of money gives her a new way to claim him.

Character interactions

• Yun Lu and Qiu Zhen repeatedly instruct Ye Qiu, then argue over possible causes when he fails.
• Chen scolds Ye Qiu for giving up, teaches him directly, and praises his exceptional work before encouraging the very attempt that destroys her furnace.
• Ye Qiu appeals to Qiu Zhen after the explosion, but Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu deny hearing Chen’s promise. Chen then turns Ye Qiu’s admission that he is broke into a teasing claim over him.