Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu absorbs energy spilling over from the Ninth Layer of the Star Pavilion’s Cultivation Tower. His Qi and Blood rise rapidly past 450,000, becoming dangerously difficult to contain.
• Brother Snake devours the remaining ten energy pools. He warns Ye Qiu that someone is approaching, then disappears when a Light Gate opens and a woman in a blood-red robe emerges.
• Ye Qiu flees down the tower under crushing pressure, eventually hiding on the Fifth Layer before escaping with the other cultivators.
• The Ninth Layer has been completely drained. Steward Luo collapses in despair, realizing he will be held responsible; Star Pavilion authorities rush into the tower to investigate.
• Feeling a powerful aura resonating with him, Ye Qiu races toward the Great Dao Academy. His Dragon’s Passage advances several levels as he runs.
• Blood clouds gather over the city, revealing the red-robed woman with a sword. The Great Dao Master’s golden phantom appears, and the two legendary figures face one another in the sky. The chapter ends as onlookers recognize the Star Master and Great Dao Master have both appeared.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu risks absorbing immense power, then shifts into a desperate flight when the mysterious woman arrives. His fear grows as he senses that both legendary figures may be focused on him, though his rapid escape also advances his cultivation.
• Brother Snake shows unusual fear, abandons Ye Qiu, and repeatedly goes silent. He briefly answers when called but offers no real help.
• Steward Luo goes from authority figure to a devastated, terrified scapegoat after discovering the Ninth Layer has been emptied.
• The blood-robed woman and Great Dao Master confront one another in the sky, while Ye Qiu fears he may be caught between them.

Significant themes

• Power carries danger: Ye Qiu’s rapid gains threaten to overwhelm his body, and the tower’s energy theft triggers a major crisis.
• Fear and abandonment: Brother Snake’s retreat leaves Ye Qiu to face the danger alone.
• Escalating mystery and scale: The Light Gate, the woman’s apparent connection to Ye Qiu, and the simultaneous arrival of two legendary figures suggest a conflict far beyond the tower.
• Consequences and responsibility: The tower’s destruction leaves Steward Luo facing the blame for losses he can barely comprehend.

Key plot points and events

• After Ye Qiu absorbs the energy that had injured him, his Qi and Blood rise to over 480,000, and his cultivation reaches Law Gathering Fifth Level.
• The Great Dao Master and a blood-red apparition appear over Great Dao City, both focusing on Ye Qiu. Alarmed, he slips away and waits outside the city until the apparitions fade.
• Brother Snake eventually speaks again, insisting Ye Qiu was never in danger. He identifies the red-dressed woman as the Mystic Maiden, founder of the Star Pavilion, and calls her the “First Female Fiend of Azure Summit.” He also reveals that she and the Great Dao Master are married but have lived apart for three thousand years because she defeated and dominates him.
• Back in the city, Ye Qiu hears that the simultaneous appearance of the two figures gave many people insights and sparked breakthroughs. He is irritated to learn that Chu Qianxue was among those who benefited, since he believes the opportunity arose because of him.
• A spectacular phenomenon then announces Chu Qianxue’s latest advance: her Mystic Ice Phoenix Awakened Item has risen beyond Nine-Star rank to Divine Grade, making her a leading contender in the Central Province Grand Selection.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shifts from fear to relief, then confidence as he takes stock of his greatly increased power. He jokes about the Great Dao Master’s fear of his wife and privately imagines eventually overcoming Nan Qingyue.
• Brother Snake reveals genuine terror of the Mystic Maiden, despite boasting that he would protect Ye Qiu. Their teasing exchange exposes the gap between his bravado and his fear.
• Ye Qiu and Brother Snake discuss the Great Dao Master and Mystic Maiden’s marriage, with Ye Qiu finding humor in the fact that even a Great Emperor is controlled by his wife.
• Chu Qianxue, though absent from the scene, gains prominence through her Divine Grade awakening and becomes a major threat—or rival—in the upcoming selection.

Significant themes

• Power and its limits: Ye Qiu’s strength grows dramatically, yet beings far above him still command fear and caution.
• Pride, rivalry, and recognition: Ye Qiu resents Chu Qianxue receiving acclaim for an opportunity he believes he created.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter balances cosmic-scale events with banter about fear, marriage, and domestic power dynamics.
• The escalating stakes of the Grand Selection: The rare Divine Grade awakening signals that the competition will feature extraordinary talent.

Chapter Summary: “Let Her Go or Not?”

Key plot points and events

• Chu Qianxue reveals a Divine Grade Awakened Item, stunning the crowd. Ye Qiu realizes how far above him she is and feels renewed pressure about the coming Grand Selection.
• Near the Star Pavilion, Ye Qiu catches Wu Xiaokai after he is hurled through the air. Wu is gravely wounded: both arms are broken, and his chest has been savagely torn open.
• Wu begs Ye Qiu to save Luo Ling. A group led by Chu Shaobai has beaten and abducted her. Chu Shaobai boasts that he intends to force himself on her and kill her and Wu.
• Ye Qiu steps in. Chu Shaobai attacks him with a killing blow, but Ye Qiu’s punch drives him back. Ye Qiu then overwhelms him with a series of increasingly powerful strikes.
• Despite Chu Shaobai claiming to be a direct descendant of the Chu Family and Chu Qianxue’s brother, Ye Qiu continues beating him, pins him to the ground, and demands that he release Luo Ling.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shifts from feeling intimidated by Chu Qianxue’s Divine Grade talent to acting decisively against an immediate injustice. His strength and resolve surprise Chu Shaobai and the onlookers.
• Wu Xiaokai is left helpless by his injuries, but remains fiercely protective of Luo Ling and urges Ye Qiu to save her.
• Chu Shaobai is introduced as cruel, entitled, and accustomed to using his status to get what he wants. His confidence falters when Ye Qiu proves stronger.
• Chu Qianxue is established as an exceptionally powerful talent whose status creates pressure for Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Talent and pressure: Chu Qianxue’s Divine Grade awakening underscores the intense competition surrounding the Grand Selection.
• Power and abuse: Chu Shaobai uses privilege and strength to threaten those who cannot resist him.
• Protection and justice: Ye Qiu risks confronting a powerful family to defend his friends and oppose the abuse.
• Defiance of status: Chu Shaobai’s lineage fails to intimidate Ye Qiu or stop him from acting.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu catches and supports the badly injured Wu Xiaokai, then responds to Wu’s plea by confronting Chu Shaobai.
• Chu Shaobai mocks Wu and Ye Qiu, threatens Luo Ling, and dismisses Ye Qiu until their first clash changes his attitude.
• Ye Qiu repeatedly orders Chu Shaobai to release Luo Ling, striking him each time he resists or boasts about his identity.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu demands that Chu Shaobai release his captives. When Chu Shaobai threatens him with his sister Chu Qianxue’s Divine Level status, Ye Qiu kills him with a crushing stomp.
• Ye Qiu immediately attacks the Chu Family members present, killing several in a sudden, brutal assault.
• A black-robed captor threatens Luo Ling, but Yuan Gang strikes him from behind, giving Ye Qiu the chance to kill him and save her.
• Ye Qiu tears through the remaining Chu Family disciples, whose attacks are no match for his strengthened One Punch Breaks All Laws.
• More Chu Family members arrive, led by Chu Qianqiu. He assumes Ye Qiu’s actions will bring ruin on Southern State and help the Chu Family dominate it.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer arrive, apparently concerned that Ye Qiu’s actions will endanger Southern State’s prospects in the Grand Selection. Ye Qiu insists that he will kill Chu Qianqiu, and they fall silent rather than stop him.
• Chu Qianqiu taunts Ye Qiu, confident that his True Essence–level allies and the Chu Family’s influence will ensure Ye Qiu’s defeat.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu abandons his earlier restraint. He had held back from killing fellow Southern State contenders for the sake of the Grand Selection, but the attacks on Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling push him past that limit.
• Yuan Gang, previously quiet and distant, proves his loyalty through decisive action, saving Luo Ling without hesitation.
• Chu Qianqiu reveals his spiteful ambition: he sees the crisis as a way to punish Southern State and expand his family’s control.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer recognize the likely connection between Chu Qianqiu and the attack, but struggle between protecting Southern State’s future and responding to the victims’ suffering.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and protection: Ye Qiu’s violence is driven by the need to defend his companions; Yuan Gang likewise acts when Luo Ling is in danger.
• Personal justice versus collective interest: Ye Qiu chooses revenge and protection over the strategic priority of preserving Southern State’s Grand Selection chances.
• Power and political exploitation: Chu Qianqiu expects the Chu Family’s prestige and strength to let it turn a death into leverage over an entire state.
• Restraint reaching its limit: Ye Qiu’s earlier patience gives way once his companions are harmed and he believes Chu Qianqiu is responsible.

Character interactions

• Chu Shaobai’s threats and appeal to his family status only harden Ye Qiu’s resolve.
• Yuan Gang and Ye Qiu act in quick coordination to rescue Luo Ling.
• Ye Qiu openly challenges Chu Qianqiu, while Chu Qianqiu taunts him and expects him to be overwhelmed.
• Song Shu’s warning and silence expose the tension between political caution and the immediate demand for justice.

Plot points and events

• Chu Qianqiu taunts Ye Qiu, convinced Ye Qiu cannot harm him. Ye Qiu answers by drawing the Broken Saber, a notorious weapon no one else has been able to wield.
• Ye Qiu swiftly kills a black-robed True Formation Realm cultivator from Central Province, then tears through the Chu Family group. Their attacks fail to stop him, and the Broken Saber seems to grow more powerful as it drinks blood.
• Chu Shaoyu, a second-stage True Formation Realm fighter and one of the Chu Family’s Thirty-Three Prodigies, arrives in response to the slaughter. He attacks from the air, but Ye Qiu shatters his sword and kills him with three strokes.
• With the street stunned into silence, Ye Qiu turns back toward the now-terrified Chu Qianqiu and declares that he is there to kill him.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu reveals overwhelming combat ability, proving he is formidable even without relying on Lu Li. His confidence is matched by lethal precision, and his connection to the Broken Saber appears to be awakening the weapon’s power.
• Chu Qianqiu shifts from arrogant provocation to disbelief and fear as Ye Qiu destroys the Chu Family’s fighters and defeats their celebrated prodigy.
• Steward Luo, Song Shu, and the Grand Law Enforcer are stunned by Ye Qiu’s strength, forcing them to reconsider their assumptions about Southern State.
• Chu Shaoyu enters as a proud, powerful champion, but is quickly overmatched and killed.

Significant themes

• Arrogance and reversal: Chu Qianqiu’s boastful challenge collapses as Ye Qiu proves he can indeed reach him.
• Power and reputation: Ye Qiu overturns the Chu Family’s confidence and outsiders’ contempt for Southern State.
• A weapon awakening through violence: The Broken Saber’s growing brilliance suggests its bloodshed is unlocking a greater force.
• Uncertainty about Southern State: The observers realize the region may be far more dangerous than its low standing suggests.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu responds to Chu Qianqiu’s taunts by attacking the Chu Family instead of merely answering him.
• He cuts down the Chu Family’s fighters and then confronts Chu Shaoyu, who arrives to defend his family and kill him.
• Chu Qianqiu’s pleas to Chu Shaoyu for help briefly restore his hope, but Ye Qiu’s victory leaves him isolated and terrified.

Plot and key events

• Ye Qiu kills Chu Qianqiu, whose fear is so great that his Dao Heart collapses. Chu Qianqiu begs to make amends, but Ye Qiu says some mistakes allow no second chance and beheads him.
• Chu Qianxue arrives on her Mystic Ice Phoenix, bringing snow, freezing temperatures, and immense pressure. The crowd assumes Ye Qiu is doomed for killing a Chu Family direct descendant.
• Chu Qianxue’s elderly Protector overwhelms Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer, brushing aside their combined power and clearing the way for her.
• Chu Qianxue confronts Ye Qiu and vows not only to kill him but to destroy Southern State and kill his fiancée, Lu Li.
• As Ye Qiu prepares to fight, Lu Li descends beside him and steps between the two. She calmly tells Chu Qianxue, “Then you die!”

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shows no hesitation or mercy, even when Chu Qianqiu pleads and Chu Qianxue arrives. Though he recognizes the danger she poses, he prepares to use a potentially once-in-a-lifetime technique.
• Chu Qianqiu is revealed as far less formidable than his reputation suggests: Ye Qiu’s approach breaks his confidence and Dao Heart before he is killed.
• Chu Qianxue appears powerful, proud, and vengeful. She treats Ye Qiu’s actions as an offense against her family and extends her revenge to his home state and loved ones.
• Lu Li enters as a composed, confident counterforce to Chu Qianxue. Rather than retreating, she protects Ye Qiu and openly challenges his opponent.

Character interactions

• Chu Qianqiu begs Ye Qiu for a chance to atone; Ye Qiu refuses and kills him.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer try to shield Ye Qiu and invoke the Grand Selection’s ban on fighting, but Chu Qianxue orders them aside and her Protector defeats them.
• Chu Qianxue threatens Ye Qiu, Southern State, and Lu Li. Lu Li answers by placing herself between Chu Qianxue and Ye Qiu, turning the confrontation into a direct challenge between the two women.

Significant themes

• Actions and consequences: Ye Qiu insists that some choices cannot be undone, while Chu Qianxue’s retaliation threatens to spread beyond the original conflict.
• Power and intimidation: The crowd’s expectations, Chu Qianxue’s overwhelming presence, and her Protector’s strength show how power shapes the confrontation.
• Loyalty and protection: Chu Qianxue’s vengeance targets everyone tied to Ye Qiu, while Lu Li’s arrival demonstrates her willingness to stand with and defend him.
• Pride and rivalry: Chu Qianxue and Lu Li meet each other with poised confidence, setting up a clash of both strength and will.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Li accepts Ye Qiu’s challenge against Chu Qianxue, promising to fight for him despite Ye Qiu’s doubts about the difference in their cultivation.
• Chu opens with a storm of sword strikes, but Lu Li effortlessly breaks them with her Azure Sword.
• Chu escalates to a single, powerful Ice Dragon attack. Lu Li puts away her sword and destroys the dragon with one punch.
• As Chu summons her Divine Grade Mystic Ice Phoenix, its cry and pressure overwhelm many spectators. Lu Li answers with a punch infused with Borrowing the Way, drawing on the power of heaven and earth to shatter the Phoenix.
• The destruction of Chu’s Awakened Item injures her as well, since her life is bound to it. She staggers and spits blood, while Lu Li calmly invites her to keep fighting.

Character developments

• Lu Li reveals a dramatic leap in ability, displaying mastery of Hard and Soft Combined and beginning to use Borrowing the Way. Her calm confidence contrasts with Chu’s escalating aggression.
• Chu Qianxue, accustomed to admiration and victory, struggles to accept being outmatched on the day of her Mortal-Breaking Spirit Transformation. Her pride drives her to use increasingly powerful attacks, but shock gives way to horror when Lu Li defeats them.
• Ye Qiu moves from concern for Lu Li to amazement at her strength. The Great Serpent’s assessment shifts from saying she could defeat ten Chus to fifteen.
• The Great Serpent explains Lu Li’s techniques and recognizes the scale of her skill.

Significant themes

• Unexpected strength and growth: Lu Li’s abilities exceed the expectations of both Ye Qiu and Chu.
• Pride versus humility: Chu’s status and history of admiration make defeat difficult to accept, while Lu Li remains composed.
• Skill over spectacle: Lu Li’s controlled force defeats Chu’s flashy, overwhelming attacks.
• Power and consequence: Because Chu’s Awakened Item is linked to her life, its destruction directly harms her.

Character interactions

• Lu Li fights on Ye Qiu’s behalf, reassuring him through her confidence and actions.
• Chu and Lu Li exchange increasingly pointed challenges: Chu escalates her attacks, while Lu Li repeatedly invites her to continue.
• Ye Qiu consults the Great Serpent internally, who interprets Lu Li’s techniques and marvels at her power.
• The crowd witnesses the duel in stunned silence, with many spectators physically overwhelmed by Chu’s Divine Grade Awakened Item.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Li effortlessly destroys Chu Qianxue’s Divine Grade Awakened Item, astonishing the crowd and establishing her overwhelming strength.
• When Chu Qianxue invokes the Chu Family after threatening Lu Li, Lu Li attacks. She repeatedly strikes and brutally beats Chu Qianxue, citing her threats against Ye Qiu, Southern State, and Lu Li herself.
• Lu Li asks Ye Qiu whether he wants to join in; he declines. Onlookers joke grimly that his strength as a body cultivator may help him endure life with Lu Li.
• Chu Qianxue’s Protector tries to intervene, but Nan Qingyue confronts him. After switching to a golden sword, she wounds him severely and cuts off one of his arms.
• Lu Li continues stomping Chu Qianxue until she dies. Despite a warning from the Chu Family, Lu Li orders them to “make them shut up,” then delivers the final blow. The Chu Family falls silent.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Li displays both extreme power and ruthless devotion to those she cares about. Her cheerful smile contrasts with her brutality, and she openly dismisses the authority of the Chu Family.
• Ye Qiu is impressed and somewhat intimidated by Lu Li, but remains passive during the beating, refusing her offer to take a turn.
• Chu Qianxue shifts from confident, threatening “divine maiden” to helpless victim, ultimately dying in the street.
• Nan Qingyue reveals formidable combat ability, decisively overpowering Chu Qianxue’s Protector with her golden sword.
• The crowd, including Ye Qiu’s companions and the Chu Family, reacts with shock and fear. Lu Li’s command silences even the powerful family.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Lu Li and Nan Qingyue demonstrate strength that overwhelms status, reputation, and conventional authority.
• Loyalty and vengeance: Lu Li’s fury is driven by Chu Qianxue’s threats against Ye Qiu, Southern State, and Lu Li herself.
• The collapse of social hierarchy: Chu Qianxue’s family name and standing offer no protection, while Lu Li’s final command shows that she can defy the Chu Family without consequence.

Key plot points and events

• After the brutal fight, Lu Li and Ye Qiu leave together. Nan Qingyue gathers the fallen fighters’ Storage Rings and dismisses the crowd; onlookers are horrified by what remains of Chu Qianxue.
• Lu Li and Ye Qiu spend two hours walking through Snack Street. Lu Li prompts Ye Qiu to buy food, and Ye Qiu patiently pays at each stall.
• At a lakeside, a man from the Wang Household tries to court Lu Li and threatens Ye Qiu. Lu Li kicks him in the groin, and Ye Qiu knocks him unconscious.
• The two sit by the lake, where Lu Li playfully calls himself “taken” and “husband.” They rent a boat, and Lu Li enjoys trailing his feet in the water while Ye Qiu rows.
• Ye Qiu learns that his grandfather and companions are in Pill City. He plans to visit after the Grand Selection, using a teleportation array.
• When Lu Li says he is cold, Ye Qiu offers him a coat. Lu Li instead demands that Ye Qiu come over and hold him.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows patience and attentiveness, indulging Lu Li’s requests and protecting him from the Wang Household suitor. He remains flustered by Lu Li’s increasingly affectionate teasing, while privately appreciating his gentler, more feminine side.
• Lu Li relaxes into playful intimacy with Ye Qiu, openly claiming him and seeking physical affection. His playful demands contrast with his earlier fearsome violence.
• Their easy hand-holding, teasing, and shared outing deepen the sense of closeness between them. Ye Qiu’s thoughts suggest growing affection, though he does not directly answer Lu Li’s romantic overtures.

Significant themes

• Tenderness amid violence: The chapter shifts from the aftermath of a grisly fight to an ordinary, affectionate evening.
• Affection and indirect communication: Lu Li expresses closeness through jokes and demands; Ye Qiu responds through practical care, even when embarrassed.
• Loyalty and family: Ye Qiu’s thoughts turn to his grandfather, whom he longs to see again.

Plot points and events

• After the Chu Family’s heavy losses at the Grand Selection—including Chu Qianxue’s death at Lu Li’s hands—its elders demand revenge against Lu Li, Ye Qiu, and Southern State.
• Clan Leader Chu Shanhe restrains them because Lu Li is a Special Recruit and Vice Dean Wang Song intervened. He goes to the Great Dao Academy to learn who she is.
• Wang Song admits he does not know Lu Li’s identity, but says the Dean personally approved her recruitment. He suspects Lu Li’s extraordinary talent may be connected to the recent manifestations of the Great Dao Master and Star Master. He warns Chu Shanhe not to act rashly, though he notes that casualties are an ordinary part of the Grand Selection.
• Later, Ye Qiu carries Lu Li home after they spend time together at the lake. He takes the Storage Ring of Young Master Wang, who has been knocked unconscious, and discovers it contains enormous wealth and valuable pills.
• Lu Li explains that Wang belongs to one of Great Dao City’s major clans. Realizing the man will likely seek revenge, Ye Qiu returns and kills him, deciding that eliminating a future threat is safer than leaving him alive.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Shanhe balances his family’s anger against the danger of defying the academy and its Dean. He chooses caution, at least for now.
• Wang Song is wary of Lu Li’s importance but remains detached from the losses suffered by Southern State.
• Lu Li and Ye Qiu show growing intimacy and familiarity: she rides on his back, while he accommodates her even when she discards valuable shoes. Their playful closeness contrasts with the violence around them.
• Ye Qiu reveals a pragmatic, ruthless streak. Though he first treats the Storage Ring as a lucky windfall, he kills Young Master Wang once he concludes the man will become a dangerous enemy.
• The Chu elders are united in outrage, but their desire for revenge is checked by the academy’s authority.

Significant themes

• Power and political restraint: Even a powerful clan must consider the consequences of opposing the academy and its leadership.
• Hidden significance and destiny: Lu Li’s unknown identity and possible connection to extraordinary cosmic manifestations make her a figure of growing concern.
• Revenge and pre-emptive violence: Ye Qiu’s decision to kill Young Master Wang reflects the chapter’s harsh logic that unresolved grudges can become future threats.
• Intimacy amid danger: The tender, teasing interaction between Lu Li and Ye Qiu sits alongside escalating clan conflict and lethal choices.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu carries Lu Li back to the Great Dao Academy. Along the way, he buys her boots, a dress, and cosmetics, but talks her out of an expensive necklace.
• Lu Li suggests the three of them could live together with her teacher, Nan Qingyue. Ye Qiu rejects the idea, privately fearing Nan’s genuine hostility toward him.
• At the Academy, Lu Li asks Ye Qiu to meet her in five days for another boat trip. He leaves quickly as the Great Dao Master’s strange aura begins resonating with him again.
• After Ye Qiu leaves, Lu Li’s cheerful demeanor vanishes. She approaches the Great Dao Master Statue, resonates with it, and thanks it.
• Vice Dean Wang Song meets Lu Li and promises that killing the Wang family elder will bring her no consequences. He recognizes her ability to resonate with the statue and concludes she is extraordinarily gifted and fortunate.
• Wang Song considers drawing Lu Li closer to his family, perhaps through his grandson, while leaving the Ye Qiu–Lu Li marriage contract for the Chu Family to handle.
• An elder arrives with news that Wang Song’s sole grandson, Wang Chao, has been killed. Wang Song erupts in anger and demands to know who did it; the body is still by the lake.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is protective and indulgent toward Lu Li, though he is careful with his money and wary of both the Wang family and the Great Dao Master’s attention. His teasing arguments with Lu Li reveal growing familiarity.
• Lu Li acts sweet and playful with Ye Qiu, but her serious side emerges after he leaves. Her unexplained ability to resonate with the statue marks her as a figure of exceptional potential.
• Wang Song shifts from warmly accommodating Lu Li to furious upon learning of his grandson’s death. His interest in Lu Li is partly strategic, as he hopes to strengthen his family’s ties to her.
• Lu Li’s relationship with Ye Qiu appears close, while her teacher Nan Qingyue remains an unseen source of tension for him.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and destiny: Lu Li’s connection to the Great Dao Master suggests a remarkable future.
• Affection and teasing: Ye Qiu and Lu Li’s playful exchanges contrast with the danger and ambition surrounding them.
• Family interests and political calculation: Wang Song sees Lu Li as a valuable ally and considers using marriage to secure that connection.
• Shifting consequences: Wang Song casually excuses one killing, only to be confronted moments later with the death of his own grandson.

Key plot points and events

• Wang Song arrives at the lakeside and finds his grandson Wang Chao dead. The investigation has only linked Lu Li and Ye Qiu to the area, but the Clan Leader pointedly mentions them anyway, apparently hoping Wang Song will target Lu Li. Wang Song’s fury rises, though he takes the body and leaves without revealing his next move.
• Ye Qiu returns to the Star Hall with Brother Snake hiding his aura, wary of the Star Master’s formidable presence. He meets Song Shu, the Grand Law Enforcer, and the injured Luo Ling and Wu Xiaokai.
• Song Shu warns that the Chu Family, Liu Family, and Ye Clan will threaten Southern State, especially during the coming Grand Selection, when deaths could be dismissed as part of the competition.
• Ye Qiu insists Southern State must enter the selection: avoiding it would leave them even more vulnerable and without the Great Dao Academy’s protection. Though the odds look grim, he and his friends are unwilling to abandon their home and families.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer leave to meet Ye Jiangshan of the Ye Clan. The young fighters are told to stay inside and recover.
• Ye Qiu thanks Yuan Gang for saving Luo Ling and gives him ten Heaven Tier Pills to help him prepare. Yuan Gang accepts them and heads to cultivate.
• Brother Snake warns Ye Qiu to keep his distance from Yuan Gang and asks whether he has heard of a “Tribulation Body.” Ye Qiu has not, but suspects the term may apply to Yuan Gang.

Character developments and interactions

• Wang Song shifts from goodwill toward Lu Li to intense suspicion and anger after Wang Chao’s death, though his intentions remain unclear.
• The Wang Clan Leader appears to manipulate events by directing suspicion toward Lu Li despite limited evidence; another elder recognizes the danger but stays silent.
• Ye Qiu shows loyalty, resolve, and leadership, choosing to face the Grand Selection rather than flee. He also builds trust with Yuan Gang by recognizing his courage and sharing pills.
• Yuan Gang remains quiet and modest, but his willingness to risk himself for Luo Ling earns the others’ respect. He accepts Ye Qiu’s help and commits to becoming stronger.
• Wu Xiaokai uses humor to stay upbeat while recovering and declares Yuan Gang his brother for saving Luo Ling. Luo Ling is recovering, and Ye Qiu’s concern for her makes her blush.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer recognize the danger but continue seeking a political response by going to Ye Jiangshan.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and belonging: Ye Qiu and his friends choose Southern State despite the danger because their families and home are there.
• Power, protection, and political maneuvering: Southern State’s survival may depend on gaining the Academy’s recognition, while influential figures exploit uncertainty for their own ends.
• Courage and solidarity: Yuan Gang’s intervention and the group’s mutual support contrast with the overwhelming strength of their enemies.
• Hidden potential and foreshadowing: Brother Snake’s mention of the Tribulation Body hints that Yuan Gang may possess a rare, dangerous, or significant nature.

Key plot points and events

• Brother Snake identifies Yuan Gang as a possessor of the Nine Tribulation Body, a rare constitution that grows stronger by surviving nine increasingly severe tribulations. Yuan Gang’s first is near, but Brother Snake warns Ye Qiu not to interfere: the tribulation is Yuan Gang’s own fate, and Ye Qiu could be caught in it.
• Ye Qiu enters the Cultivation Tower. Steward Luo watches him with suspicion but says nothing; he is under pressure to identify the culprit behind the earlier disaster in the Ninth Layer.
• Ye Qiu trains for weeks, advancing through increasingly difficult puppet battles and using the Sixth Layer’s Law Cultivation and Body Refining areas. A gaunt middle-aged man secretly follows him for twenty-three days but sees nothing suspicious. Ye Qiu briefly takes a day off to go boating with Lu Li.
• After the watcher leaves, the Sixth Layer is found devastated: thirty powerful puppets have been destroyed, ten Law Pools drained, and the Body Refining area emptied. Steward Luo is blamed and dismissed, then demoted to menial posts with drastically reduced pay.
• Luo stays at the Star Pavilion, hoping his replacement will fail and he can regain his position. When the tower remains trouble-free under the new steward, Luo realizes the destruction was likely a deliberate setup against him. A supposed clue then boosts his former deputy’s prospects, while Luo is further punished for an absence and reassigned to guard the Treasure Pavilion.
• Despite losing status and suffering a severe shock, Luo refuses to resign. He vows to discover who ruined him and kill them.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is shown as considerate toward Yuan Gang, yet cautious about risks. He is also increasingly powerful: the puppets on the Sixth Layer no longer challenge him easily, so he seeks stronger opponents and continues intensive training.
• Brother Snake remains guarded and protective of Ye Qiu, hiding his presence from the Star Master and warning Ye Qiu against interfering with Yuan Gang’s tribulation.
• Steward Luo shifts from contemptuous confidence to anxious suspicion, then to humiliation and vengeful determination. His clashes are mostly indirect: he suspects Ye Qiu but cannot prove anything, and his former deputy’s success deepens his resentment.
• Ye Qiu and Lu Li share a brief, restorative outing that contrasts with Ye Qiu’s relentless training.

Significant themes

• Power through hardship: The Nine Tribulation Body makes advancement dependent on surviving escalating trials.
• Fate and responsibility: Brother Snake argues that Yuan Gang’s tribulation is his own karma and should not be interfered with.
• Ambition and consequences: Ye Qiu’s growth brings him closer to powerful challenges, while Luo’s career collapses under pressure and suspicion.
• Hidden motives and retaliation: The tower’s destruction appears to have been orchestrated to frame or punish Luo, though the culprit remains unknown.

Plot points and events

• Wu Xiaokai mocks the disgraced former steward, Luo Sen, but Ye Qiu says it is better to finish the problem than merely taunt him.
• The Star Pavilion’s new steward, Qi Mu, treats Ye Qiu courteously and offers a twenty-percent discount for monthly Cultivation Tower bookings, helping Southern State continue its training.
• Qi Mu suspects Ye Qiu may have been behind the incidents that plagued the pavilion under Luo Sen, though he has no proof. He discusses a plan with the Pavilion Master and Master Yun, who approve it.
• Ye Qiu continues training against fifth-stage True Essence puppets. His Qi and Blood have surpassed 500,000, and he has reached the sixth stage of Law Gathering, but he still wants to defeat the puppets instantly with his fists.
• With the Grand Selection approaching in less than a month, Ye Qiu worries that even reaching the top fifty may be difficult; he aims for the top thirty. Brother Snake suggests returning to the tower’s top floor, but Ye Qiu fears getting caught causing trouble.
• Ye Qiu leaves the tower and meets Lu Li at the Great Dao Academy. She is wearing the outfit he gave her, and he carries her away on his back.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains cheeky and calculating, but is disciplined about training and increasingly anxious about the competition’s deadline. His affection for Lu Li shows in their comfortable, playful reunion.
• Qi Mu establishes himself as a more respectful steward than Luo Sen. He is observant and ambitious, quietly investigating Ye Qiu while considering how to draw him out.
• Wu Xiaokai enjoys seeing Luo Sen humbled, while Ye Qiu urges a more decisive response.
• Lu Li greets Ye Qiu warmly and playfully climbs onto his back, displaying their closeness.
• Brother Snake encourages Ye Qiu to revisit the dangerous top floor; Ye Qiu refuses, worried about the consequences.

Significant themes

• Reputation and change: Qi Mu warns against dismissing people, pointing to his own rise and Ye Qiu’s rapid advancement.
• Suspicion and concealed motives: Qi Mu’s investigation and the elders’ interest suggest Ye Qiu’s actions and connection to the Star Master are attracting attention.
• Preparation under pressure: Ye Qiu’s demanding training reflects how high the Grand Selection’s standards are and how little time remains.
• Retaliation versus resolution: Ye Qiu’s “fill in the well” remark hints that he favors dealing with a problem decisively rather than simply mocking a fallen opponent.

Plot points

• Ye Qiu carries Lu Li through Snack Street, where she teases him about enjoying the attention—and about having touched her butt.
• They go boating and linger on the lake after dark. Lu Li senses that Ye Qiu has reached the threshold of Spiritual Connection, a hidden cultivation realm, but has not fully entered it.
• Lu Li proposes either a painful beating or a Divine Pill to help him break through. She produces two pills supplied monthly by her academy, but makes Ye Qiu kiss her before handing them over. What he expects to be one kiss turns into a playful embrace on the boat.
• At the Ye Clan’s rear gate, Song Shu warns Ye Jiangshan that Ye Qiu is in grave danger. Ye Jiangshan insists that Ye Qiu is no longer part of the family and should stay away, even saying there will be no place for him in the ancestral graveyard if he dies.
• Inside the estate, Ye Ru confronts Ye Jiangshan. She accuses him of secretly helping Ye Qiu during the West Mountain battle and asks whether he is willing to sacrifice his younger brother. Ye Jiangshan denies any family connection and forbids her from intervening.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu and Lu Li grow more intimate through teasing and flirtation. Ye Qiu is eager to accept Lu Li’s rare pills, though he tries to maintain the appearance of having principles.
• Lu Li shows perceptiveness and generosity: her own Spiritual Connection lets her identify Ye Qiu’s progress, and she offers him two valuable Divine Pills.
• Ye Jiangshan presents himself as rejecting Ye Qiu, but his anger and visible distress at the mention of Wen Xi suggest unresolved grief and concealed concern.
• Ye Ru reveals that she believes Ye Jiangshan still cares about Ye Qiu and may have aided him secretly before. Despite her plea, Ye Jiangshan blocks her from helping.

Significant themes

• Affection masked by teasing or rejection: Lu Li’s playful provocations contrast with the strained, denied family bonds at the Ye estate.
• Sacrifice and family loyalty: Ye Jiangshan’s past loss of Wen Xi and his apparent willingness to distance himself from Ye Qiu complicate his motives.
• Cultivation through hardship and resources: Ye Qiu’s breakthrough may require either a painful shock or an exceptionally rare pill, highlighting the cost of advancement.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu learns that the Academy’s preliminary selection will begin in half a month, making rapid cultivation essential.
• At the Cultivation Tower, he encounters Luo Sen, who has been reinstated as a steward. Luo Sen taunts Ye Qiu, but Ye Qiu refuses to rise to the bait and heads inside.
• Ye Qiu suspects Luo Sen’s return may be part of a trap, especially since Qi Mu was dismissed despite doing his job well. He decides to focus on cultivating.
• On the Seventh Layer of the Law Cultivation Area, Ye Qiu takes two Divine Pills and drains the blue cultivation pool. He expects to complete Spiritual Connection, but discovers he has already passed that realm and is beginning to enter Glaze, the next Secret Realm.
• Brother Snake urges him to push through the breakthrough while his momentum is strong, promising him a drop of Dragon Blood. Ye Qiu hesitates, partly fearing the Star Master’s reaction, but is tempted by the prospect of greater strength. He finally leaves the cultivation room, apparently preparing to continue the breakthrough.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu is increasingly focused on the looming selection and willing to take risks to gain strength. His cultivation advances faster than he realizes, though he remains wary of Brother Snake’s advice.
• Luo Sen has regained his post and acts smugly, but he avoids provoking a serious confrontation for now.
• Brother Snake alternates between teasing, scolding, and coaxing Ye Qiu, pushing him toward Glaze while offering Dragon Blood as an incentive.

Significant themes

• Urgency and ambition: The approaching selection leaves Ye Qiu little time to prepare.
• Unintended progress: Ye Qiu’s overzealous use of pills carries him beyond his intended breakthrough.
• Trust and risk: Ye Qiu must decide whether to heed Brother Snake despite their history of bickering and his concerns about the Star Master.
• Power and political danger: Luo Sen’s reinstatement and Qi Mu’s dismissal suggest hidden motives, while powerful clans may pose a threat during the upcoming selection.

Character interactions

• Wu Xiaokai mocks Ye Qiu’s swollen mouth, then angrily questions Luo Sen’s reinstatement.
• Luo Sen taunts Ye Qiu, who answers briefly and refuses to be drawn into an argument.
• Ye Qiu and Brother Snake bicker over the pills and the risks of advancing, but Brother Snake eventually persuades him to consider breaking through with promises of strength and Dragon Blood.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu suspects the Star Pavilion has stopped watching him only because its people are hiding nearby, ready to catch him breaking the rules. Unsure whether to trust Brother Snake’s advice but worried about missing his chance, he cautiously goes to the Ninth Layer—then leaves without acting.
• Outside the tower, Steward Luo Sen sneers at Ye Qiu over Southern State’s troubles. Ye Qiu stares him down until Luo Sen walks away, which only fuels Ye Qiu’s anger and resolve.
• Ye Qiu returns to the Ninth Layer after memorizing the tower’s rules. He and Brother Snake rapidly drain pool after pool of golden essence.
• As Brother Snake consumes the twelfth pool, a mysterious lightning attack engulfs him in Ye Qiu’s Consciousness Space. Ye Qiu can feel no attack himself, but Brother Snake is in agony and begs him to seek mercy from his “sister-in-law.”
• Luo Sen and his men arrive, intent on killing Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu avoids arrest by citing rules against fighting, forcibly removing cultivators, obstructing cultivation, and intimidation. Luo Sen’s men confirm the rules are real.
• A gaunt subordinate points out that rule violations need witnesses. Since no one else is present, Luo Sen and his men believe they can act without consequences.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu moves from hesitation to bold action, using the tower’s rules as a shield. His deliberate staring contest with Luo Sen shows his growing defiance and adds a comic edge to his anger.
• Brother Snake urges Ye Qiu to act and rapidly consumes the essence, but his confidence collapses when the lightning strikes. His distress hints at a powerful, unseen force targeting him specifically.
• Luo Sen shifts from smug mockery to furious confrontation, then regains confidence when he thinks the lack of witnesses will let him ignore the rules.
• The gaunt subordinate first serves Luo Sen and later identifies the loophole that restores the group’s advantage. The Black-Robed Man’s news prompts Luo Sen’s rush to the Ninth Layer.

Significant themes

• Rules as both protection and loophole: Ye Qiu uses the tower’s regulations to restrain his enemies, but the group plans to exploit the need for witnesses.
• Defiance under pressure: Ye Qiu acts despite uncertainty and intimidation, turning caution into a calculated challenge.
• Unequal consequences and hidden power: The lightning attacks Brother Snake alone, while Ye Qiu remains unharmed, suggesting forces at work beyond the visible conflict.

Plot points and events

• Luo Sen and two subordinates corner Ye Qiu, intending to beat him and take him alive. Qi Mu appears with two witnesses: Qiu Zhen, the Star Pavilion’s Pavilion Master, and Yun Lu, a renowned alchemist.
• Qiu Zhen swiftly cripples Luo Sen; deprived of his cultivation under the immense pressure, Luo Sen dies. Qi Mu kills the two subordinates for switching loyalties. The Pavilion elders then leave, saying Ye Qiu can come speak with Qiu Zhen whenever he is ready.
• Ye Qiu returns to the Seventh Layer to recover and train. Over several days, he defeats True Essence Sixth- and Seventh-Level puppets, reaching peak Law Gathering Sixth Level with 530,000 Qi and Blood. His cultivation and Qi and Blood are described as pure as Glaze.
• Brother Snake finally stops screaming after being struck by lightning for seven days and nights, but is left charred and badly injured.
• Ye Qiu tells Wu Xiaokai about his trouble with the Star Pavilion, but Wu and Yuan Gang assume he is joking. Deciding the issue cannot be avoided, Ye Qiu heads for the Pavilion’s Top Floor to face it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains cautious and uneasy around the powerful Pavilion leaders, even after they spare him; he suspects the matter is not over.
• Qi Mu is revealed to be both resourceful and ruthless, having arranged witnesses and personally dealt with Luo Sen’s subordinates.
• Qiu Zhen presents himself as calm and principled, but demonstrates overwhelming, lethal power.
• Ye Qiu’s growing strength contrasts with his helplessness to aid Brother Snake. His attempt to confide in Wu Xiaokai is dismissed as a joke, reinforcing his isolation.

Significant themes

• Power and enforcement: The powerful decide how rules are applied, even as they claim to uphold them.
• Appearance versus reality: The Pavilion elders’ friendly manner hides danger, while Qi Mu’s genial demeanor masks ruthlessness.
• Being believed: Ye Qiu’s sincere warning is dismissed because it sounds too implausible.
• Facing the inevitable: Ye Qiu chooses to confront the Pavilion rather than keep waiting for its intentions to become clear.

Plot and events

• Ye Qiu meets with Star Pavilion Master Qiu Zhen, who serves him Enlightenment Tea. Two sips help Ye break through from the peak of the Sixth Law-Gathering Layer to the Seventh.
• Qiu Zhen confronts Ye over the damage he caused in the Ninth Layer: more than a hundred Puppets, over a hundred Spirit Pools, the Grand Formation, and its contents. He claims the losses total at least thirty million Law Crystals.
• Citing the Pavilion’s “right of final interpretation,” Qiu Zhen rejects Ye’s argument that he followed the posted rules. Since Ye cannot pay, Qiu offers him a hundred-year contract as a Star Pavilion guest elder, with his salary applied to the debt. He threatens to make Southern State answer for the bill.
• Ye secures a clause stating that the debt is cleared if he dies, then accepts the contract to protect Southern State from being burdened. He receives a Pavilion token, monthly pills, a Spirit Artifact saber, and the Divine Ability One Saber Cuts Heaven and Earth—though he suspects the benefits will come with dangerous duties.
• After Ye leaves, Qiu promotes Qi Mu to Vice Pavilion Master. Qiu and Yun Lu reveal that Ye resonated with the Star Master, marking him as a remarkably fortunate prodigy. Yun Lu also suspects Ye has significant talent in Alchemy.
• Qiu plans to celebrate and invite Song Shu, while arranging for the Southern State branch to support Nanzhou Academy.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu advances in cultivation but is trapped in an exploitative arrangement. He resents the Pavilion’s coercion yet accepts the contract out of concern for Southern State and Song Shu.
• Qiu Zhen presents himself as generous while cleverly using the Pavilion’s rules and Ye’s loyalty to secure a promising young talent.
• Qi Mu rises dramatically from a marginal post to Vice Pavilion Master and is delighted by his new status and authority.
• Yun Lu recognizes Ye’s potential beyond his connection to the Star Master, particularly as a possible Alchemist.

Significant themes

• Power and the manipulation of rules: The “right of final interpretation” lets the Pavilion override fairness and turn regulations into leverage.
• Debt, coercion, and obligation: Ye’s contract binds him for a century, but his decision is driven partly by protecting his home state.
• Talent as an asset: The Pavilion treats Ye’s extraordinary luck and possible Alchemy skill as a valuable opportunity.
• Humor amid exploitation: Ye’s indignant complaints and Qiu’s smooth bargaining make an unfair deal comic as well as troubling.

Plot points and events

• In a foul mood after signing a contract that leaves him owing the Star Pavilion a hundred years of service, Ye Qiu leaves the Lounge and spends the day wandering Great Dao City with Lu Li. He admits to the debt but withholds the details, knowing Lu Li might retaliate against the Pavilion.
• Ye Qiu asks Brother Snake how to hide his aura, hoping to avoid the Great Dao Master’s attention. Brother Snake refuses, still resentful over the seven days of lightning strikes he endured.
• Back at the Star Pavilion, Ye Qiu learns that Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer have been invited to dine with the Star Pavilion Master. Unable to follow them, he retreats to his private Lounge.
• Ye Qiu studies the Pavilion’s Divine Ability, One Saber Cuts Heaven and Earth, briefly grasps its mysteries, and combines them with his existing technique, One Saber Breaks Ten Thousand Laws.
• The Spirit Artifact saber provided with the technique begins trembling, then cracks and breaks apart. Ye Qiu assumes the Pavilion gave him a defective weapon.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer return from their lavish dinner, praising the Star Pavilion Master and showing off two Spirit Artifact sabers he gave them. Before they can finish, those weapons also tremble and crumble. Ye Qiu, convinced the Pavilion is deliberately mocking them, storms off to confront its master.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains frustrated and guarded. He accepts responsibility for his debt but hides its true scale from Lu Li. Despite his anger at the Star Pavilion, he makes a sincere effort to study and improve his saber skills.
• Brother Snake is still injured and bitter about being struck by lightning, and openly distrusts Ye Qiu’s promises to protect him in the future.
• Lu Li notices Ye Qiu’s mood and asks about his money troubles, but Ye Qiu keeps him from getting involved.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer return from their meeting impressed by the Star Pavilion Master’s generosity and praise of Ye Qiu. Their excitement turns to bewilderment when their gifts break alongside Ye Qiu’s weapon.

Significant themes

• Debt and obligation: Ye Qiu’s hundred-year contract weighs heavily on him and shapes his resentment toward the Pavilion.
• Trust and misunderstanding: The broken weapons appear to confirm Ye Qiu’s suspicion that the Pavilion is mistreating them, though the cause remains unexplained.
• Loyalty and resentment: Ye Qiu and Brother Snake are bound together, but their recent ordeal has strained their trust.
• Comic reversal: The Pavilion Master’s apparent generosity and praise are undercut by the sudden destruction of all three Spirit Artifacts.