Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu leaves the Great Dao Tower after his Wash Dust state ends and a new, seemingly ongoing state called Mortal Transformation begins. His cultivation, physical power, spirit, and overall talent continue to rise.
• He meets the Tower Guard Elder and Chen Feng. Chen Feng now views Ye Qiu with respect and apprehension, having learned that Ye Qiu resonated with the Great Dao Master.
• Ye Qiu thanks the elder for having reported the truth fairly to the Academy Head, then gives him a jade bottle containing a wisp of Demonic Blood Qi. The elder recognizes it as an extraordinarily powerful, priceless substance that could cleanse Chen Feng’s Qi, Blood, and Root Bone. He tells Chen Feng to remember Ye Qiu as his lifelong benefactor.
• Ye Qiu visits Wu Xiaokai and Wu Feng, learns that the Ye Clan has departed for Central Province to prepare for the Grand Selection, and leaves them another wisp of Demonic Blood Qi to repay their past help.
• He delivers a further wisp to the Northwest gathering place in gratitude for its support. Each gift causes astonishment because the substance is far beyond anything Southern State can provide.
• Brother Snake reminds Ye Qiu that the gifts came from his “breath.” Ye Qiu acknowledges this, explaining that the portions distributed were heavily diluted compared with what he himself absorbed, and that obtaining them took considerable effort.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows restraint and generosity despite his earlier mistreatment by the Tower Guard Elder and Chen Feng. Rather than seeking revenge, he recognizes the elder’s fairness and repays those who helped him.
• The Tower Guard Elder shifts from suspicion and hostility to respect and gratitude. He realizes how mistaken his earlier judgment of Ye Qiu was.
• Chen Feng moves from rivalry and wariness toward indebted respect, as the gift may greatly improve his future prospects.
• Wu Xiaokai and Wu Feng remain connected to Ye Qiu through their earlier assistance; Wu Feng is stunned by the value of Ye Qiu’s gift, while Wu Xiaokai is fortunate to benefit from their friendship.
• Brother Snake provides the powerful essence behind Ye Qiu’s gifts, though he playfully insists Ye Qiu owes him for it.

Significant themes

• Growth and transformation: Ye Qiu’s advancement continues beyond Wash Dust, suggesting an unprecedented process of ongoing improvement.
• Gratitude and reciprocity: Ye Qiu repays people who treated him fairly or helped him, even when he has far greater power and status.
• Changing judgment and respect: Those who once underestimated or opposed Ye Qiu must reassess him as his achievements and generosity become clear.
• The value of opportunity: Demonic Blood Qi can alter a cultivator’s constitution and prospects, making Ye Qiu’s gifts potentially life-changing.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu visits Nan Qingyue and Lu Li on Green Moon Mountain after being away for a while. To repay Nan Qingyue for backing his new clan, he gives her a jade bottle containing a potent blood essence.
• Nan Qingyue absorbs it and experiences a dramatic rise in power, reaching a high level of the True Formation Realm, possibly nearing Creation.
• Ye Qiu offers a second bottle to Lu Li, only to learn she has already reached the True Formation Realm. She also reveals that her physique has advanced from the Immaculate Physique to the Divine King Body—and then, after a dream, to the Divine Emperor Body.
• Nan Qingyue insists Lu Li keep the bottle, hoping it will help her grow even stronger and stay ahead of Ye Qiu. She jokes that this might help Lu Li keep Ye Qiu from going to brothels. Ye Qiu is left to make lunch.
• After collecting their Academy stipends, Ye Qiu and Lu Li learn that the Ye Clan and Chu Qianqiu have left. They plan to depart for Central Province the next day, well ahead of the Grand Selection. Lu Li then seriously advises Ye Qiu to consider withdrawing from this year’s selection.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows gratitude toward Nan Qingyue despite their combative relationship. His growing strength and mysterious blood energy make her wary of how quickly he may advance. He is also stunned by Lu Li’s astonishing cultivation and physique.
• Nan Qingyue acknowledges Ye Qiu’s talent and accepts his gift, but remains protective of Lu Li and determined to keep Ye Qiu in check. Her teasing about brothels reflects their familiar, antagonistic rapport.
• Lu Li reveals that her rapid cultivation has continued despite her inability to fight, and that her physique has reached an extraordinary level. She accepts the bottle after Nan Qingyue frames it as a way to keep up with Ye Qiu.
• Chu Qianqiu’s departure suggests that losing his position and reputation as the Academy’s strongest Chief has dealt a serious blow to his pride.

Significant themes

• Gratitude and loyalty: Ye Qiu remembers Nan Qingyue’s support and repays it with a valuable gift.
• Rapid growth and hidden potential: Both Ye Qiu’s mysterious blood energy and Lu Li’s divine physique point toward exceptional, possibly unpredictable advancement.
• Rivalry and affection: Nan Qingyue’s warnings and jokes, and Lu Li’s earnest response, mix teasing with genuine protectiveness.
• The cost of status: Chu Qianqiu’s departure shows how a former reputation can become painful when someone is surpassed.
  The chapter ends on a note of concern: Lu Li’s warning that Ye Qiu may need to give up the Central Province Grand Selection hints that a serious obstacle or danger lies ahead.

Plot points and events

• Lu Li urges Ye Qiu to skip the Central Province Grand Selection, saying her Special Recruit status at the Great Dao Academy will let her arrange things for him. Ye Qiu refuses: he wants to earn his own place and gain the Academy’s recognition before confronting the forces tied to his mother’s death.
• At the Star Pavilion, Ye Qiu gives Brother Snake more than a hundred Demon Beast Spirits. The snake eats them, glows with blood-red light, and appears to be growing a horn.
• Back at the Academy, Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling announce that they are leaving for Central Province the next day, having both qualified for the selection.
• The three visit the Pill Hall to collect accumulated stipends. Ye Qiu receives ninety-eight Spirit Pills. He then tries to collect Lu Li’s allotment with her Chief Token, but the elder refuses and directs him to the Hall Master.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains determined to rely on his own ability, despite Lu Li’s offer of protection. He is also eager to claim the Academy benefits he has overlooked.
• Lu Li is protective of Ye Qiu but frustrated by his refusal of help. Their tension is played for comedy when she raises a hand and he assumes she is about to hit him.
• Brother Snake accepts Ye Qiu’s tribute but abruptly snaps at him when Ye Qiu jokes about relying on him before the Great Emperor. His possible transformation hints at growing power.
• Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling appear affectionate and are both ready to compete in Central Province. Wu Xiaokai has advanced significantly in cultivation.
• The Pill Hall elder treats Ye Qiu and his friends with contempt for collecting their stipends, then reacts with alarm when Lu Li’s token is presented.

Significant themes

• Independence and self-respect: Ye Qiu wants to earn his own standing rather than depend on Lu Li.
• Power and opportunity: The Academy’s recognition is crucial to Ye Qiu’s plans, while privilege and family backing shape who can enter the selection.
• Loyalty and reciprocity: Ye Qiu honors Brother Snake and values the bonds he believes they share.
• Comedy amid tension: Jealousy, awkward misunderstandings, and the dispute over free pills lighten the serious stakes of Ye Qiu’s journey.

Plot points

• Ye Qiu enters the Pill Hall to collect Lu Li’s pills, leaving Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling to return without him.
• The Pill Hall Master, Qiu Qi, tells Ye Qiu that Lu Li is owed 1,342 Origin Energy Pills—but refuses to provide them, saying the Hall cannot spare that many. He also rejects Ye Qiu’s offers to take money or a share of their value.
• Ye Qiu tries invoking his status as Left Chief and his supposed closeness to the Academy Head, but Qiu Qi remains unmoved.
• The Green-Robed Man—revealed after Ye Qiu leaves to be the Academy Head—offers ten Heaven Tier Pills to settle the matter. Ye Qiu accepts eight, leaving two as the man’s share.
• The Academy Head says Ye Qiu’s ability to resonate with the Great Dao Master is almost certainly real. Though Qiu Qi doubts Ye Qiu’s worthiness, the Academy Head sees him as a possible turning point in the coming Grand Selection.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows his usual persistence and bargaining skill, trying several tactics to secure compensation. He also reveals that he is short of money because he is supporting a gluttonous snake.
• Qiu Qi is stern and uncompromising, refusing to let Ye Qiu claim the pills or their cash value. His bluntness frustrates Ye Qiu, but their exchange has a humorous, teasing edge.
• The Academy Head remains calm and generous toward Ye Qiu, offering a valuable substitute while privately weighing Ye Qiu’s importance.
• Brother Snake is humorously blamed, in absentia, for Ye Qiu’s financial troubles.

Significant themes

• Practical bargaining and humor: Ye Qiu’s increasingly desperate arguments, and his parting jab at Qiu Qi, make the dispute comic.
• Potential versus reputation: Qiu Qi sees Ye Qiu as a disgrace to the Great Dao Master, while the Academy Head is willing to consider him a crucial hope.
• High stakes: The approaching Grand Selection matters greatly to Southern State, lending weight to the Academy Head’s faith in Ye Qiu.

Key plot points and events

• Back at Green Moon Mountain, Ye Qiu gives Lu Li two Heaven Tier Pills, explaining that the Pill Hall restored only part of Lu Li’s allowance. Nan Qingyue initially wants to confront Qiu Qi, but Lu Li persuades her to let it go.
• Nan Qingyue playfully asks Ye Qiu to compare her beauty with Lu Li’s. He diplomatically praises them both, but they call him a scoundrel anyway.
• Unable to sleep before leaving Southern State, Ye Qiu reviews his medical and Pill Dao knowledge in the Consciousness Space. He struggles to master Brother Snake’s Rejuvenation Needle, so Brother Snake teaches him the more powerful Creation Divine Needle.
• The next morning, academy bells announce the departure. Ye Qiu proudly flies using his power, but falls well behind Nan Qingyue and Lu Li, both Sword Cultivators.
• Brother Snake teaches him the Dragon’s Passage movement technique. Ye Qiu then combines it with his qi and blood, boosting his speed and eventually forming illusory, blood-red wings.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu is eager to improve before heading to Central Province, but recognizes he must also give his rapidly acquired power time to settle. He continues learning despite frustration with his poor practical skill at acupuncture.
• Lu Li remains composed and forgiving, choosing not to press the dispute over her pill allowance.
• Nan Qingyue shows both fierce protectiveness toward Lu Li and a teasing, playful side.
• Brother Snake continues acting as Ye Qiu’s teacher and transactional ally, supplying techniques while reminding Ye Qiu of their bargain.

Significant themes

• Growth requires balance: Ye Qiu reflects that rapid advancement can be harmful if he does not consolidate his gains.
• Knowledge versus execution: Ye Qiu understands acupuncture techniques intellectually but struggles to perform them.
• Adaptability and combined strengths: By combining movement technique with qi and blood, Ye Qiu finds a way to improve beyond relying on one method alone.
• Trust and obligation: Ye Qiu values Brother Snake’s help and acknowledges the reciprocal nature of their relationship.

Character interactions

• Nan Qingyue’s protectiveness clashes with Lu Li’s preference to avoid further conflict, while Ye Qiu tries to calm them and conceal how much of Lu Li’s allowance he kept.
• Ye Qiu’s tactful compliment briefly appeases both women, though their shared reaction leaves him embarrassed.
• Brother Snake mocks Ye Qiu’s acupuncture attempts but still provides new instruction and practical guidance as Ye Qiu works to keep up with the Sword Cultivators.

Key plot points and events

• The Academy gathers for its departure to the Central Province Grand Selection, a contest that will determine how much support the Great Dao Academy allocates to Southern State. Since the region is poor and the Academy is a vital path to cultivation—especially for people from humble backgrounds—the stakes extend beyond individual competitors.
• Ye Qiu arrives in a spectacular display, using golden power and precisely controlled Qi-and-Blood wings. His abilities impress even the formidable observers from the East Barrens, who reconsider their assumptions about his constitution.
• An azure flying ship carries the group toward Central Province. The participants include Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, Ye Qiu, and Yuan Gang; Lu Li travels as a Special Recruit and does not need to compete. Ye Rudí and Chu Qianqiu have already gone ahead, while Gu Qingyun is absent after offending someone powerful.
• On the ship, Ye Qiu is startled to find the Grand Law Enforcer and a refined, white-haired scholar. The others address the scholar as “Academy Head,” ending the chapter on his unexpected appearance.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu demonstrates major progress: he can combine cultivation with Qi and Blood, and his use of Dragon’s Passage has greatly increased his speed. He believes further practice may let him rival or surpass Sword Cultivators. His confident, pleased reaction to the crowd’s admiration draws Lu Li’s suspicious frown.
• Lu Li accompanies Ye Qiu and reacts jealously—or at least warily—to the young women admiring him, interpreting his grin as interest in their attention.
• Nan Qingyue recognizes the significance of Ye Qiu’s Transcendent seed and Qi-and-Blood wings, and shares the crowd’s surprise.
• The East Barrens observers, including their lord, acknowledge that Ye Qiu’s skill and control exceed their expectations. The Northwest and East Barrens groups also show goodwill toward him and hope he will help Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling in the future.
• Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling receive farewells and advice from their respective groups before boarding the ship alongside Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Education and social mobility: The Academy is portrayed as Southern State’s “Heaven-Ascending Ladder,” particularly for those without powerful family backgrounds.
• Competition and regional survival: The Grand Selection is not merely a personal trial; its results may affect the Academy’s resources and Southern State’s future.
• Hidden potential and earned respect: Ye Qiu’s impressive abilities overturn others’ assumptions about him and demonstrate that mastery matters as much as raw strength.

Chapter Summary

• Ye Qiu’s debt comes due. Nan Qingyue confronts Academy Head Song Shu over the thousands of Origin Energy Pills Ye Qiu supposedly owed Lu Li. Song Shu claims he gave the pills to his “little brother”—meaning Ye Qiu—and reveals that Ye Qiu also shared profits with him. When Song Shu produces ten Heaven Tier Pills, Nan Qingyue confiscates them, then takes Ye Qiu’s remaining six and tells him he still owes her ten more.
• Song Shu outmaneuvers Ye Qiu again. Song Shu distributes ten Heaven Tier Pills each to Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang, while telling Ye Qiu that his own share was already given the previous day and used to cover his debt. Ye Qiu tries to appeal to their closeness, but Song Shu takes back even the two pills he offers. The Grand Law Enforcer and Song Shu’s knowing smiles make it clear that Ye Qiu has been thoroughly outplayed.
• The group departs for the Central Province Grand Selection. Ye Qiu complains to Brother Snake, only to be reminded that he still owes a batch of Demon Beast Spirits. As the ship leaves Southern State and travels through the Nineteen Linked Peaks, the others cultivate while Song Shu watches the route ahead.
• Song Shu explains the stakes. Thirty-two states, along with Central Province, will send roughly five hundred participants to the Grand Selection. Southern State has placed dead last for fifty consecutive years and receives few resources as a result. Lu Li’s status as a Special Recruit guarantees the state some rewards, but Song Shu warns that a poor showing could leave the Academy at risk of closing. A top-hundred placement is considered the minimum acceptable result—news Ye Qiu finds surprisingly modest.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Ye Qiu shifts from embarrassment and alarm to frustrated resignation. He realizes he is no match for the older, more experienced figures’ schemes, though he is surprised by how low the required target is.
• Song Shu reveals himself as both Academy Head and a playful, calculating authority figure. He uses teasing familiarity—insisting Ye Qiu call him “big brother”—while manipulating the pill distribution to settle debts.
• Nan Qingyue acts decisively on Lu Li’s behalf, confiscating pills and holding Ye Qiu accountable, but does not immediately punish him.
• Lu Li notices Ye Qiu’s unease and begins to infer what is behind it; his Special Recruit status is also shown to be important to the Academy’s survival.

Significant Themes

• Cunning and power dynamics: Ye Qiu’s attempts to bargain fail against the older characters’ experience and cleverness.
• Institutional decline and survival: Southern State’s long record of last-place finishes has left its Academy starved of resources and facing possible closure.
• Individual talent serving collective interests: Lu Li’s recruitment gives Southern State a foothold in the competition, while the group’s results may determine the Academy’s future.

Plot points and events

• Song Shu warns Ye Qiu that the Central Province Grand Selection will be fiercely competitive: previous top-hundred contestants had reached at least the True Formation Realm, and many strong-state disciples—and over a hundred Central Province locals—will compete.
• Ye Qiu nevertheless vows to secure Southern State a place in the top hundred. Song Shu promises ten Heaven Tier Pills for that result, five hundred if Ye Qiu reaches the top fifty, and jokes that he’ll call Ye Qiu “big brother” if he makes the top thirty.
• Ye Qiu spends three days stabilizing his recently surged cultivation and Qi and Blood before using the pills. The pills and his remaining resources yield surprisingly little progress: he reaches only the first level of Law Gathering, with less than ten thousand additional Qi and Blood.
• Brother Snake explains that Ye Qiu has entered Mortal Transformation, where his body—especially as a Body and Law dual cultivator—requires vastly more resources. A sliver of Creation granted by the Great Emperor has already spared him from needing far more.
• Ye Qiu asks Song Shu for another ten pills, then consumes those and all his remaining resources, including more than a hundred Law Crystals. His gains remain modest.
• When Ye Qiu looks around for more resources, Song Shu warns the Grand Law Enforcer that Ye Qiu may “eat” him next. Ye Qiu then approaches Nan Qingyue after she makes a breakthrough and asks to borrow money; her cheerful mood immediately disappears.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows confidence and ambition, but the scale of the competition weighs on him. His rapid advancement now meets the practical obstacle of a greatly increased need for resources. He is also persistent—and shamelessly direct—when asking others for help.
• Song Shu supports Ye Qiu with pills and rewards, while privately doubting how realistic a top-hundred finish is. His concern grows as Ye Qiu consumes resources at an alarming rate.
• Brother Snake provides the explanation for Ye Qiu’s slow gains, linking them to his new stage and unusual dual cultivation.
• Nan Qingyue has a breakthrough and begins in high spirits, but Ye Qiu’s request for a loan instantly dampens them. The other cultivators, including Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Lu Li, remain absorbed in cultivation.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus reality: Ye Qiu’s goal is bold, but the competition is populated by exceptional talents from far stronger regions.
• Growth comes at a cost: Greater cultivation potential brings dramatically greater resource demands.
• Comic relief amid pressure: Song Shu’s exaggerated rewards and fear of being asked for resources, followed by Ye Qiu’s blunt loan request, lighten the serious stakes.

Key events

• Ye Qiu tries to borrow more money from Nan Qingyue, claiming he is a talented physician and future alchemist who will repay her triple. She sees through the boast and refuses.
• After spending the night watching the moon, Ye Qiu watches the sunrise from the flying ship and unexpectedly comprehends momentum. Though his cultivation and Qi and Blood remain unchanged, he realizes momentum could at least double the force of his punches.
• Brother Snake explains that momentum will require even more resources, but will also give Ye Qiu a stronger foundation for future growth.
• The ship enters Central Province, where Ye Qiu learns their destination, Great Dao City, lies deep within a region vastly larger than Southern State.
• Wu Xiaokai reports rapid progress, and Lu Li says she has reached True Condensation Third Level despite backlash. Both have benefited from the blood energy Ye Qiu gave them. Ye Qiu remains stuck at 420,000 Qi and Blood and unsuccessfully asks Lu Li for money.
• Ye Qiu develops an intense, worsening hunger as his body demands energy. After several days, the group arrives above Great Dao City, whose immense scale astonishes everyone.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu gains a major insight—momentum—but his lack of resources prevents him from advancing and leaves him physically ravenous. He remains prone to asking others for money, despite repeated refusals.
• Nan Qingyue firmly rebuffs Ye Qiu’s latest request, teasing him for his implausible promises.
• Wu Xiaokai and Lu Li continue progressing, partly thanks to Ye Qiu’s help, while Ye Qiu’s own cultivation remains stalled.
• Brother Snake explains the benefits and costs of Ye Qiu’s new breakthrough.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer notice Ye Qiu’s unusual breakthrough, while the group later shares in the awe of seeing Great Dao City.

Significant themes

• Breakthroughs demand sacrifice: Momentum strengthens Ye Qiu’s foundation but sharply increases his need for resources.
• Uneven progress and generosity: Ye Qiu helps others advance even as he remains stuck himself.
• A vast new world: The journey into Central Province and the arrival at Great Dao City emphasize the scale of the challenges ahead.

Key plot points and events

• The group arrives in Central Province and marvels at Great Dao City, whose golden inscription was written by the legendary Great Dao Master. Song Shu reminds everyone to keep a low profile.
• Inside the bustling city, Wu Xiaokai enthusiastically points out sights—including the Myriad Flower Tower and its attention toward Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu dismisses him, focused on his hunger.
• Liu Xin and her group confront Ye Qiu over his killing of three Liu Family descendants. Under pressure and feeling unwell, Ye Qiu openly admits it and tells the family to settle the matter at the upcoming competition.
• When Liu Xin’s nephew insults Ye Qiu, Lu Li attacks him, overwhelms and kills him, then coldly asks whether he believes Lu Li would do it.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu remains blunt and unbothered by threats, though his hunger leaves him weak and distracted.
• Lu Li reveals a fiercely protective, ruthless side, swiftly killing the man who provokes Ye Qiu.
• Song Shu tries to rein in the group, especially Nan Qingyue, wary of causing trouble in Central Province.
• Wu Xiaokai stays exuberant and mischievous, teasing Ye Qiu about the women at the tower.

Significant themes

• Reputation and legacy: Great Dao City’s scale and the Great Dao Master’s inscription reflect the reach of the Great Dao Academy.
• Power and intimidation: The Liu Family’s attempt to intimidate Ye Qiu is answered by Lu Li’s overwhelming strength.
• Honor, defiance, and consequences: Ye Qiu accepts responsibility for his actions and invites the Liu Family to confront him at the competition.
• Dark humor: Ye Qiu’s repeated, weary agreement and Lu Li’s twisted “believe me” exchange contrast sharply with the violence.

Character interactions

• Song Shu warns Nan Qingyue and Ye Qiu to behave, while Nan Qingyue reassures him without inspiring much confidence.
• Wu Xiaokai teases Ye Qiu about the Myriad Flower Tower, drawing an irritated response.
• Liu Xin confronts Ye Qiu; her nephew escalates the encounter by insulting him.
• Lu Li intervenes on Ye Qiu’s behalf, punishes the nephew, and kills him despite the man’s family connections.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Li kills a young Liu Family member, provoking Liu Xin and her group. Although the crowd assumes Ye Qiu is trembling with anger, he is actually starving.
• Liu Xin’s furious killing intent gives Nan Qingyue the opening she wanted. She attacks and kills Liu Xin with a single sword strike.
• Nan Qingyue then kills the ten remaining Liu Family members in one blow, even catching those who try to flee. She collects their Storage Rings and returns calmly to Lu Li.
• Lu Li suggests finishing off the whole Liu Family. Nan Qingyue agrees, but Song Shu desperately insists they leave before the conflict grows worse.
• Song Shu carries Ye Qiu toward the Great Dao Academy, with the Grand Law Enforcer taking the other students after them. Lu Li and Nan Qingyue follow more slowly, deciding not to bring further trouble to Southern State.
• Soon after, Liu Family elders arrive, find the massacre, and pursue the group toward the academy.

Character developments and interactions

• Nan Qingyue reveals just how formidable—and ruthless—she is. She acts without hesitation, frames the slaughter as self-defense, and is eager to continue the fight.
• Lu Li remains composed and supports Nan Qingyue, though she repeatedly mistakes Ye Qiu’s shaking hand for anger. She ultimately shows concern for Southern State’s difficulties.
• Ye Qiu is mostly bewildered by the others’ assumptions; his trembling is caused by hunger, not rage.
• Song Shu shifts from trying to manage the dispute diplomatically to panicked damage control. He fears retaliation against himself and Southern State and rushes the group away.
• The Liu Family goes from demanding an explanation to suffering a devastating massacre, setting up an inevitable retaliation.

Significant themes

• Appearance can mislead: the crowd’s impression of Lu Li’s beauty gives way to fear once her capability becomes clear.
• Power and violence escalate conflict: a provocation becomes a total massacre, making peaceful settlement impossible.
• Responsibility and collateral consequences: Nan Qingyue and Lu Li claim they will handle the fallout, while Song Shu worries that Southern State will pay for their actions.
• Dark comedy amid brutality: Ye Qiu’s hunger is mistaken for anger, and the characters’ strained justifications contrast sharply with the slaughter.

Plot points and events

• Song Shu rushes Ye Qiu to the Great Dao Academy, where candidates are gathering to register for the Central Province Grand Selection. The imposing statue of the Great Dao Master triggers Ye Qiu’s familiar resonance, which makes his already severe hunger intensify.
• The Liu Family elders arrive, apparently seeking revenge for Ye Qiu’s killings of their relatives. Song Shu tells Ye Qiu to stay put: the Academy’s rules protect registered candidates, and the Liu elders refrain from attacking.
• While waiting in line, Ye Qiu is approached by Su Xue. Lu Li intercepts her handshake by taking her hand and kissing Ye Qiu on the cheek, making clear that she considers him hers. This sparks teasing and jealousy over Ye Qiu’s supposed interest in other women.
• When the Southern State group reaches registration, the elder mocks them for repeatedly finishing last. Ye Qiu impatiently tells him to get on with it. Lu Li then produces a golden Special Recruitment Token marked “Dao,” forcing the elder to reconsider their standing.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is weakened by hunger and the statue’s resonance, leaving him impatient and barely able to focus. He remains caught off guard by Lu Li’s possessiveness and the others’ teasing.
• Lu Li openly asserts her relationship with Ye Qiu, confronting Su Xue and joking that he may take up to five concubines. She also demonstrates the group’s influence by presenting the rare recruitment token.
• Song Shu acts as Ye Qiu’s escort and protector, keeping the group moving and explaining why the Liu Family cannot safely attack near the Academy.
• Nan Qingyue joins Lu Li in teasing and threatening Ye Qiu, while Su Xue withdraws after Lu Li’s pointed display.
• The registration elder shifts from contempt to shock when Lu Li reveals the token.

Significant themes

• Status and prejudice: Southern State is dismissed because of its poor record, but the golden token challenges the elder’s assumptions.
• Protection through institutions: The Academy’s rules restrain the Liu Family and offer candidates a measure of safety.
• Jealousy and comic romance: Lu Li’s possessiveness and Ye Qiu’s bewildered responses provide the chapter’s humor.
• Mystery of the resonance: Ye Qiu’s connection to the Great Dao Master appears powerful, but its immediate effect is overwhelming hunger.

Key events

• Lu Li confronts the registration official for disrespecting Ye Qiu. Recognizing her name and influence, he apologizes and resumes the registration.
• Ye Qiu registers as leader of the Southern State Ye Clan, surprising the official, who had assumed the Central Province Ye Imperial Clan was the only Ye Clan.
• Lu Li and Nan Qingyue enter the Great Dao Academy separately; Ye Qiu and his companions head toward the cultivation grounds with Song Shu.
• Ye Rudí provokes Ye Qiu, boasts of his superiority, and blocks his way. Despite Ye Qiu’s apparent trembling under his aura, Ye Qiu lands a sudden punch that sends him flying.
• Song Shu prevents the Ye and Liu families from retaliating, reminding them that they are on Academy grounds. Ye Rudí realizes the punch has unexpectedly stirred a breakthrough in his cultivation.
• The Grand Plaza begins to shake violently. The crowd panics, and someone points toward an unseen spectacle.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Li demonstrates her formidable status and protects Ye Qiu, but then lets him proceed on his own.
• Ye Qiu refuses to be drawn into his family’s taunts and threats, yet responds decisively when Ye Rudí repeatedly obstructs him. His strength appears greater than Ye Rudí expected.
• Ye Rudí moves from smug confidence to humiliation and pain, then senses that the impact of Ye Qiu’s punch has sparked a possible breakthrough.
• Song Shu acts as a firm authority figure, shielding Ye Qiu’s group from retaliation within the Academy.
• Ye Tongtian, Ye Jiangshan, and Liu Xiu insult and threaten Ye Qiu, insisting that he is inferior and demanding he kneel.

Significant themes

• Status and power: Lu Li’s reputation overrides the registrar’s hostility, while institutional authority limits the families’ ability to act.
• Underestimated strength: Ye Qiu’s calm refusal to engage masks an ability that surprises Ye Rudí.
• Conflict and unintended consequences: Ye Rudí’s provocation ends in defeat, but the encounter may also push him toward greater power.
• Ominous upheaval: The chapter closes on the plaza’s unexplained shaking, shifting attention from personal rivalries to a looming disturbance.

Key plot points and events

• The Great Dao Master’s statue in the Grand Plaza begins shaking and emits a brilliant golden radiance. A towering Dharma Form appears in the sky, drawing the attention of the entire academy and plaza.
• The figure looks toward Ye Qiu. He feels its aura cleanse and strengthen his body, mind, and soul—but the process makes his already intense hunger even worse.
• While the crowd worships the apparition, some people receive a boost to their cultivation from its aura. Academy elders search for the person who caused the unprecedented manifestation, believing they must be a peerless prodigy.
• Ye Qiu, focused on finding food, urges Academy Head Song Shu to take him to the Star Pavilion. Song Shu leads the group away.
• Seeing Ye Rudí’s aura strengthen at the same time as the statue stirred, the Ye and Liu families assume he may be responsible. Liu Xiu boldly claims her son is the Fortune Child and demands recognition from the Liu Family.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu receives another profound spiritual cleansing but reacts with exasperation rather than awe, asking Brother Snake to stop it because he is starving. Brother Snake dismisses him as shameless for complaining about such a rare blessing.
• Song Shu and the academy’s elders recognize the scale of the manifestation and suspect a prodigy has appeared.
• Liu Xiu becomes triumphant, confronting the Liu Family’s Great Elder after they previously rejected her and her son. She insists Ye Rudí deserves the family’s support.
• Ye Rudí starts to believe he caused the phenomenon and adopts a proud, self-satisfied manner. The Ye family shares his excitement, while the Liu elders suddenly become eager to court him.
• The chapter closes on Liu Xiu publicly announcing that Ye Rudí resonated with the Great Dao Master, though the actual source of the manifestation is Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Misattributed recognition: Ye Qiu’s extraordinary achievement goes unnoticed by the families nearby, who mistakenly credit Ye Rudí.
• Fortune and status: Even a small connection to the Great Dao Master is seen as a path to immense prestige, prompting the Liu Family to reconsider its treatment of Liu Xiu and her son.
• Humor through contrast: The crowd treats the event as sacred and world-shaking, while Ye Qiu’s main concern is getting something to eat.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Rudí’s family mistakes the Great Dao Master’s dramatic appearance above the Academy for a response to Ye Rudí’s breakthrough. Liu Xiu boasts that her son caused it, and the crowd briefly admires him.
• The Academy’s Vice Dean checks Ye Rudí and declares that he had nothing to do with the phenomenon. When Ye Rudí is tested, the Vice Dean is knocked back and concludes that the young man is nowhere near powerful enough to have resonated with the Great Dao Master.
• Public admiration turns to ridicule. The Liu Family’s Great Elder expels Liu Xiu from the family, and Ye Tongtian slaps her for bringing shame on them. Ye Jiangshan helps Ye Rudí away.
• Meanwhile, the Academy elders search the Grand Plaza but cannot find the person who truly resonated with the statue. The Vice Dean suspects that the person has already left and orders the elders to scrutinize the coming Grand Selection.
• The real source is Ye Qiu, who is still overwhelmed by the resonance’s energy and can barely walk. After he silently begs the Great Emperor’s phantom to disappear, it vanishes, and the energy finally subsides.
• Exhausted and nearly fainting from hunger, Ye Qiu reaches the Star Pavilion with Wu Xiaokai and Song Shu. They pass through its Treasure Pavilion toward the Cultivation Grounds, where several Giant Towers stand.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Rudí goes from basking in admiration to being exposed as an impostor in the eyes of the crowd; he ends the scene humiliated and needing help.
• Liu Xiu refuses to accept the truth even after the Vice Dean’s judgment, costing her place in the Liu Family and provoking Ye Tongtian’s anger.
• The Vice Dean is stern and decisive: she recognizes that Ye Rudí is not responsible, then focuses on locating and cultivating the unknown prodigy.
• Ye Qiu remains the chapter’s actual, unwitting prodigy. Rather than celebrating his power, he is desperate for the phantom to leave and for help with his hunger.
• Wu Xiaokai offers comic banter but cannot support Ye Qiu, while Song Shu guides the group to the Star Pavilion.

Significant themes

• False credit versus hidden ability: The Ye family claims a feat that belongs to the unseen Ye Qiu, whose true significance goes unnoticed.
• Pride and humiliation: Liu Xiu and Ye Rudí’s overconfidence collapses when confronted with the truth.
• Recognition and merit: The Academy is determined to find the genuine prodigy, though the real talent has already slipped away.
• Comedy through contrast: Ye Qiu’s overwhelming resonance is paired with his mundane distress—blurred vision, exhaustion, and hunger.

Plot and events

• Song Shu brings Ye Qiu, Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang to Star Tower, an elite cultivation facility in Great Dao City. Steward Luo mocks Southern State’s poor record and announces increased prices. Song Shu pays eighty thousand Law Crystals—nearly all Southern State’s available funds—for one month of access.
• Inside, Ye Qiu finds the tower’s energy extraordinarily dense, with different areas for different kinds of cultivation. Time also passes at one-third the rate of the outside world.
• He climbs to the fifth floor and discovers Cultivation Rooms containing Law Pools filled with energy-rich liquid. He absorbs the contents of thirteen pools in six days and nights, only then beginning to feel satisfied.
• As Ye Qiu leaves, an elder discovers the drained pools and reacts with fury.

Character developments and interactions

• Song Shu stays composed despite Steward Luo’s insults and the steep price, protects Wu Xiaokai from provoking an elder in the Creation Realm, and secures the group a month of training.
• Wu Xiaokai openly resents the price hike and Steward Luo’s contempt, but backs down when Song Shu reminds him of the elder’s power.
• Ye Qiu is intensely driven to cultivate. His extraordinary appetite for energy becomes clear as he rapidly empties pool after pool; the Great Serpent suggests he may be making up for a long period of deprivation.
• Steward Luo treats the Southern State group with disdain, while Song Shu and Wu Xiaokai challenge him verbally in different ways: Song Shu remains restrained, whereas Wu Xiaokai reacts angrily.

Significant themes

• Disparity and humiliation: Southern State’s weak standing is reflected in both its limited resources and the ridicule it faces.
• The cost of advancement: Powerful cultivation opportunities come at an almost prohibitive price.
• Unusual potential and appetite: Ye Qiu’s ability to consume an immense amount of energy hints at exceptional needs—and possibly exceptional capacity.
• Determination: Despite the expense and insults, the group commits to making use of the opportunity.

Key plot points and events

• Steward Luo discovers that all thirteen Law Pools have been drained and their Spirit Locking Arrays destroyed. The losses are enormous, but Ye Qiu quietly leaves before anyone suspects him.
• Seeking to refine the remaining essence in his body and control his new strength, Ye Qiu enters the Training Area and fights Law Gathering Peak Combat Puppets.
• He destroys fifteen puppets, becoming increasingly efficient: the final one falls to a single punch. Through the battles, he develops a better grasp of force and rapidly refines the essence, boosting his Qi, Blood, and cultivation.
• Steward Luo arrives to find the puppets wrecked as well. With the combined losses threatening his career prospects, he orders an investigation and has several names on the entry list watched. He dismisses the people from Southern State as unlikely culprits.
• Ye Qiu moves to the Sixth Layer, where he faces a puppet at the first level of True Essence.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu discovers that he is much stronger than expected after his body’s cleansing and gains a more practical understanding of force through repeated combat. He remains discreet, leaving each scene before the damage is discovered.
• Steward Luo becomes increasingly furious and anxious. The financial losses threaten his standing in a contest to become Vice Pavilion Master, making him quick to suspect rivals but dismissive of Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Power through trial: Ye Qiu’s strength and control improve through direct, repeated combat.
• Hidden growth and misjudgment: Others overlook Ye Qiu, allowing him to develop unnoticed, while his actions cause consequences far beyond what they suspect.
• Ambition and accountability: Luo’s reaction is driven not only by the damage but by how it could undermine his career.

Character interactions

• Luo questions his subordinate about the Law Pool disaster and later orders him to investigate the Training Area damage.
• Brother Snake explains that Ye Qiu’s transformation and cleansing consumed much of the essence to improve his aptitude, and identifies his grasp of force as the reason for his strength.
• Ye Qiu interacts with the Combat Puppets through successive fights, using each encounter to refine his technique and power.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu challenges a True Formation Realm opponent in the Cultivation Tower but is repeatedly defeated. The mismatch between his False Law Realm and the opponent’s true laws is overwhelming.
• Despite the losses, the repeated clashes help Ye Qiu refine the essence in his body, raise his Qi and Blood beyond 430,000, and advance to the Second Layer of Law Gathering. His body’s ongoing Mortal Transformation leaves him hungry again.
• Ye Qiu and Wu Xiaokai explore Great Dao City. Steward Luo mocks them as “last place” and warns his grandson to avoid them. Wu Xiaokai is furious but cannot retaliate against the powerful steward.
• Passing the Myriad Flower Tower, Ye Qiu questions Wu Xiaokai about visiting brothels while in a relationship with Luo Ling. Wu Xiaokai insists his “illness” makes it necessary—and claims Luo Ling sometimes encourages him.
• At the Great Dao Academy, Ye Qiu senses the Great Dao Master’s statue responding to him. He leaves before it can be traced to him; the statue then manifests again, drawing a crowd and the academy’s vice dean, but no one identifies the person responsible.
• Wu Xiaokai dismisses Ye Qiu’s claim that he caused the resonance. The pair return to the Star Pavilion, where Steward Luo’s continued mocking reignites Wu Xiaokai’s anger.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu grows stronger through painful combat, though he remains far below a True Formation Realm opponent. He suspects Brother Snake’s presence in his body—and the statue’s unusual attention—may have a deeper purpose, but gets no answers.
• Wu Xiaokai remains loyal to Ye Qiu and easily provoked by Steward Luo. His confidence in Ye Qiu’s future medicinal skill is notably low, and his defense of his visits to the Myriad Flower Tower is played for comedy.
• Brother Snake explains the realm gap but has no explanation for the Great Dao Master’s interest in Ye Qiu, and evades questions about why he appeared inside him.
• Steward Luo continues to belittle Ye Qiu and Wu Xiaokai, establishing a recurring source of tension.

Significant themes

• Progress through hardship: Ye Qiu’s defeats still produce meaningful gains.
• Hidden potential and mystery: The Great Dao Master appears to respond specifically to Ye Qiu, while Brother Snake’s motives remain unclear.
• Pride, jealousy, and provocation: Wu Xiaokai’s wounded pride and teasing banter provide comic contrast to Ye Qiu’s earnest concern.
• Power and social status: The pair can only endure Steward Luo’s insults because they lack the strength or standing to challenge him.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After being humiliated by Star Pavilion staff, Wu Xiaokai leaves for the Myriad Flower Tower to vent. Ye Qiu is angry too, but understands that Southern State is too weak and politically isolated to challenge the Pavilion.
• Ye Qiu encounters Chu Qianxue, a powerful young woman from Central Province’s influential Chu Family and a leading Grand Selection contender. Chu Qianqiu, Southern State’s former chief, accompanies her.
• Chu Qianxue looks down on Ye Qiu and dismisses Lu Li’s status as a Special Recruit. She says the Chu Family will settle its old grievance at the Grand Selection—and that Lu Li is included.
• Two days later, Star Pavilion discovers that its repaired cultivation rooms have been drained and its training puppets destroyed. Steward Luo refuses to believe Ye Qiu could be responsible, despite a subordinate’s suspicion, and orders closer surveillance.
• In the Cultivation Tower, Ye Qiu trains against a True Essence First puppet. The pressure helps him refine the gathered essence and rapidly advance: he reaches Law Gathering Triple, then Fourth Layer, and finally Fourth Layer peak.
• After adapting to his new strength, Ye Qiu fights the puppet with his fists before using the Broken Saber to destroy it. He recognizes that the weapon’s power is borrowed and resolves to become strong in his own right, though he still intends to make Chu Qianqiu suffer.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu channels his anger into training rather than confronting the Pavilion directly. His cultivation rises dramatically, and he begins to understand the limits of relying on the Broken Saber.
• Wu Xiaokai responds to humiliation by walking away to blow off steam, reflecting Southern State’s lack of power and options.
• Chu Qianxue is introduced as arrogant, politically influential, and determined to prove herself at the Grand Selection. She views both Ye Qiu and Lu Li with contempt.
• Chu Qianqiu remains silent beside Chu Qianxue, but his hidden killing intent suggests his hostility toward Ye Qiu persists.
• Steward Luo is deferential toward Chu Qianxue but dismissive of Ye Qiu, illustrating how he treats people according to their power and status.

Significant themes

• Power and inequality: The Star Pavilion can mistreat Southern State because it lacks influence; stronger states enjoy protection and respect.
• Pride under oppression: Ye Qiu and Wu Xiaokai resent the humiliation, but the risks of resistance constrain their response.
• Self-reliance: Ye Qiu acknowledges that the Broken Saber cannot substitute for his own strength.
• Rivalry and revenge: The Chu Family’s promised reckoning at the Grand Selection sets up conflict with Ye Qiu and Lu Li.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu and Wu Xiaokai share frustration over Southern State’s treatment, though they react differently.
• Chu Qianxue judges Ye Qiu and Lu Li from a position of privilege; Ye Qiu refuses to bow to her or acknowledge her demand for respect.
• Chu Qianqiu informs Chu Qianxue about Lu Li, prompting her to declare the Chu Family’s intention to confront both Lu Li and its enemies at the Grand Selection.
• Steward Luo sides with the powerful Chu Family and later dismisses the idea that Ye Qiu could have damaged the Pavilion’s facilities.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu has destroyed thirty True Essence First Level puppets in the Cultivation Tower, bringing the damage from his repeated attacks to nearly three million Law Crystals.
• Steward Luo is devastated by the losses. Worried that the deficit will ruin his chances of becoming Vice Pavilion Master—and perhaps cost him his position—he orders the investigation kept secret and demands that Ye Qiu be found and killed.
• Ye Qiu avoids the increasingly guarded Law Cultivation and Training Areas and enters the Body Refining Area. There, he unexpectedly breaks through from Law Gathering Fourth Level to Fifth Level.
• Seeking to strengthen his body, Ye Qiu climbs to the fifth floor and discovers rooms with medicinal blood pools. Brother Snake absorbs the first pools so rapidly that Ye Qiu can barely benefit.
• Brother Snake shields Ye Qiu from the tower’s crushing pressure, allowing him to climb to the ninth floor. There, Ye Qiu finds exceptionally potent golden blood essence.
• Brother Snake devours pool after pool, urging Ye Qiu to keep moving. Ye Qiu absorbs small portions as well, until the accumulated energy leaves him painfully swollen and afraid he may explode.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains audacious and opportunistic: he continues damaging the tower despite the danger, breaks through to a new cultivation level, and pushes deeper into the Body Refining Area in search of greater gains.
• Brother Snake proves both powerful and self-serving. He protects Ye Qiu from the tower’s pressure but takes nearly all the blood essence, claiming Ye Qiu owes him soul essence. Ye Qiu protests, yet ultimately helps him continue harvesting.
• Steward Luo shifts from anger to panic as the losses threaten his career. He responds by ordering a secret investigation and calling for Ye Qiu’s death.

Significant themes

• Power gained through risk: Ye Qiu’s breakthrough and access to the golden pools promise great strength, but the essence is so potent that even absorbing a little may overwhelm his body.
• Greed and exploitation: Brother Snake’s voracious appetite turns Ye Qiu’s cultivation opportunity into a struggle over resources.
• Escalating consequences: Ye Qiu’s sabotage has moved beyond property damage; it now threatens Steward Luo’s standing and has made him a determined enemy.