Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu, already furious over signing away a hundred years of his life, discovers that the three Spirit Artifacts he received from Star Pavilion have crumbled into essence-drained fragments.
• He storms into the Pavilion Master’s lounge and accuses Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu of insulting him and treating people from the Southern State as fools.
• Qiu Zhen insists the damage is a misunderstanding and offers replacement artifacts. But each new set loses its essence and shatters within moments, baffling everyone.
• Qiu Zhen and Yun Lu lead Ye Qiu to the Pavilion’s vast armory and invite him to choose four top-quality artifacts as compensation.
• As Ye Qiu approaches the weapon racks, artifacts throughout the armory—including Treasure Artifacts—begin losing their essence. The group realizes the effect is centered on Ye Qiu, and he suspects the Broken Saber he carries is responsible.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shifts from righteous indignation to confusion as the repeated destruction proves the Pavilion may not have deliberately cheated him. He remains outspoken and defends his dignity despite the others’ attempts to calm or restrain him.
• Qiu Zhen responds to Ye Qiu’s accusation with patience and generosity, trying to make amends. His confidence in the armory’s quality turns to alarm when its weapons are drained.
• Yun Lu shares Qiu Zhen’s confusion and helps investigate the strange phenomenon.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer initially panic at Ye Qiu’s confrontation with powerful Pavilion leaders. Their concern turns to excitement at the offer of four artifacts, then to astonishment at the armory’s destruction.
• Ye Qiu briefly wonders whether “Brother Snake” is behind the damage, but gets no response.

Significant themes

• Dignity and respect: Ye Qiu objects not only to receiving poor gifts but to being treated as someone whose intelligence and worth can be dismissed.
• Misunderstanding and accountability: What appears to be deliberate disrespect may instead be an unexplained supernatural effect; Qiu Zhen tries to address the grievance in good faith.
• Hidden power and mystery: The Broken Saber appears connected to the draining of essence, suggesting Ye Qiu may possess—or carry—a power that even the Star Pavilion’s leaders cannot detect or control.

Key plot points

• In the Star Pavilion’s Armory, Ye Qiu’s Broken Saber silently absorbs the essence of every weapon there. More than two hundred Spirit Artifacts and dozens of Treasure Artifacts shatter, leaving the Armory empty.
• Ye Qiu offers the saber to Pavilion Master Qiu Zhen as compensation, but Qiu refuses and presents him with a contract binding him to serve the Star Pavilion for two hundred years. Qiu says this is the only way to keep the loss from reaching Divine Province. Ye Qiu reluctantly signs.
• After Ye Qiu leaves, Yun Lu explains that the saber’s behavior and Ye Qiu’s unusual aura point to extraordinary potential. He judges Ye Qiu’s alchemy talent to be at least Divine Level.
• Qiu Zhen reconsiders the disaster as a worthwhile investment: Ye Qiu’s talent, his connection to the Star Master, and their new debt between them could prove invaluable.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer flee rather than share responsibility. When Wu Xiaokai and Yuan Gang offer to help with Ye Qiu’s debt, he reveals that he owes not money but two hundred years of service.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu goes from stunned embarrassment to grim resignation. He accepts the contract but remains frustrated with the Broken Saber and the enormous consequences of its appetite. He also turns to his companions, though they can offer only money.
• Qiu Zhen initially grieves the destruction of the Armory, then shifts from anger to strategic optimism after hearing Yun Lu’s assessment. He refuses the saber and makes Ye Qiu’s service the price of containing the incident.
• Yun Lu identifies Ye Qiu’s potential and persuades Qiu Zhen to see the loss as an opportunity.
• Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer abandon Ye Qiu when he asks them to face the consequences with him, then flee again when he emerges.
• Wu Xiaokai and Yuan Gang show loyalty by offering their savings, but misunderstand Ye Qiu’s “debt” as a sum of money.

Significant themes

• Power carries a cost: The Broken Saber’s hidden appetite turns a seemingly harmless visit into the destruction of an entire armory.
• Talent as leverage: Ye Qiu’s rare abilities transform him from a liability into someone powerful people want to cultivate and keep close.
• Debt, obligation, and self-interest: The two-hundred-year contract both punishes Ye Qiu and creates a bond Qiu Zhen hopes will benefit the Star Pavilion later.
• Comic contrast: Ye Qiu’s companions imagine a financial burden; the real price is two centuries of service.

Plot points

• Ye Qiu leaves the Lounge after spending the night awake over his two-hundred-year debt. At the Great Dao Academy, he sees a golden gateway appear above the grounds and learns that it marks the opening of a Secret Realm, where the academy’s preliminary selection will take place.
• Members of the Chu and Liu families watch him with murderous hostility. Ye Qiu brushes them off, feeling he has little left to fear.
• At the Cultivation Tower, Ye Qiu encounters Qi Mu, now the Vice Pavilion Master, and a group from the Ye Clan. One Ye Clan man accuses Ye Qiu of betraying the clan and claiming its leadership.
• When the man blocks his way and threatens him, Ye Qiu dares him to attack. The man’s aura flares, but Ye Qiu breaks through it, knocks him into the tower wall, and kills him with a second strike.
• The Ye Clan members appeal to Qi Mu, but Qi Mu pretends not to have seen the killing and invents a self-defense explanation. He clears Ye Qiu of responsibility and has the Ye Clan group escorted out. The onlookers accept the Pavilion’s account, and Qi Mu concludes that the Ye Clan provoked Ye Qiu.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu is increasingly reckless and confrontational, treating danger with indifference because of his overwhelming debt. He responds to threats with violence rather than restraint.
• Qi Mu openly protects Ye Qiu, using his authority and control over how the Pavilion’s rules are applied to shield him.
• The Ye Clan group intends to intimidate Ye Qiu ahead of the Secret Realm selection, expecting to deal with him there, but their threats provoke an immediate and disastrous response.
• The Chu and Liu families’ hostile stares, alongside the Ye Clan confrontation, establish that Ye Qiu is surrounded by enemies. The crowd’s quick acceptance of Qi Mu’s version shows how effectively the Pavilion controls the public narrative.

Significant themes

• Debt and fearlessness: Ye Qiu’s crushing debt makes death seem like an escape, shaping his willingness to risk everything.
• Power and selective justice: The Star Pavilion’s rules are presented as strict, yet Qi Mu’s authority lets him reinterpret them to protect Ye Qiu.
• Provocation and consequence: The Ye Clan expects intimidation to be harmless posturing, but Ye Qiu answers it with lethal force.
• Reputation and public perception: Qi Mu preserves the Pavilion’s image by shifting blame onto the Ye Clan and persuading witnesses to accept his account.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu worries about the enormous debt he owes the Star Pavilion, but Brother Snake reassures him that the Pavilion needs him alive to repay it—and may even protect him because of his connection to its Star Master. Ye Qiu’s anxiety fades.
• On the Training Area’s Sixth Layer, Ye Qiu tests his Broken Saber against True Essence Eighth- and Ninth-Level puppets. A single slash destroys each one, revealing that the saber has grown stronger after consuming many Spirit Artifacts.
• Ye Qiu heads to the Seventh Layer, where the Creation Realm training rooms are located. There, he is approached by Li Zhenzhen, who says Lu Li has beaten her repeatedly.
• Li Zhenzhen proposes that Ye Qiu leave Lu Li and join her instead, claiming her Mu Family is immensely wealthy and powerful. Ye Qiu refuses and tries to enter a training room without her.
• Li Zhenzhen somehow gets inside after him, then destroys a Creation Realm puppet with one punch, leaving Ye Qiu stunned.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shifts from debt-induced worry to renewed confidence, then discovers his saber is far more formidable than he expected. He remains cautious about taking risks and baffled by Li Zhenzhen’s behavior.
• Brother Snake acts as Ye Qiu’s blunt, comic-minded adviser, calming him with cynical logic about debt and the Star Pavilion’s interests.
• Li Zhenzhen is introduced as bold, impulsive, and unusually powerful. Though she looks younger than Ye Qiu, she says she is seventeen, and her effortless defeat of a Creation Realm puppet hints at her exceptional strength.
• Lu Li never appears, but is characterized through Li Zhenzhen’s complaints as someone who has beaten her repeatedly.

Significant themes

• Debt and power: Ye Qiu’s changing attitude reflects the idea that overwhelming debt can matter less when the debtor has leverage or is indispensable.
• Hidden strength and transformation: The Broken Saber’s plain appearance conceals a major increase in power; Li Zhenzhen’s small stature likewise masks remarkable strength.
• Comedy through contrast: Ye Qiu’s cautious, practical responses clash with Li Zhenzhen’s dramatic plan to provoke Lu Li by “stealing” him.

Character interactions

• Brother Snake teases and reassures Ye Qiu about his debt, helping him regain his nerve.
• Ye Qiu tests his saber against progressively stronger puppets, reacting with growing amazement at its power.
• Li Zhenzhen tries to recruit Ye Qiu as a way to get back at Lu Li; Ye Qiu repeatedly declines and attempts to leave.
• Their conversation ends abruptly when Li Zhenzhen reveals her strength by obliterating the Creation Realm puppet.

Plot and events

• Ye Qiu learns that Li Zhenzhen, a young woman with a Xiantian Sacred Body, has repeatedly lost to Lu Li—even though she can destroy a Creation Realm puppet with one punch.
• Li Zhenzhen tries to win Ye Qiu over with increasingly extravagant offers, eventually claiming the entire Mu Family fortune. Ye Qiu refuses, worried that becoming involved with her would put his life at risk.
• He escapes by calling out Lu Li’s name, leaving Li Zhenzhen to discover that he has tricked her.
• Outside the Cultivation Tower, Li Zhenzhen lies to Lu Li that she and Ye Qiu are engaged. Lu Li dismisses her boasts about being more attractive and stronger, but Li Zhenzhen gets under her skin by claiming Ye Qiu prefers larger breasts.
• Ye Qiu later encounters Lu Li, who confronts him about whether he likes “them big.” He denies it, then carries her out of the tower to reassure her.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu remains wary of danger and unimpressed by Li Zhenzhen’s wealth, though he is tempted enough to ask how rich her family is. His assessment of Lu Li rises further after learning she has repeatedly defeated a formidable opponent.
• Li Zhenzhen is proud, impulsive, wealthy, and determined to get Ye Qiu’s attention. Her boasts give way to frustration when Lu Li easily outmatches her in their rivalry.
• Lu Li is confident and dismissive of Li Zhenzhen, but her composure falters when she hears Ye Qiu supposedly prefers larger breasts. She lets Ye Qiu carry her, showing a softer, more affectionate side.
• The chapter’s key interactions are Li Zhenzhen’s comic courtship attempt, her rivalry with Lu Li, and Ye Qiu’s awkward effort to soothe Lu Li.

Significant themes

• Strength and status: Li Zhenzhen’s Sacred Body and wealth cannot make her a match for Lu Li.
• Jealousy and insecurity: Lu Li’s confidence is shaken not by claims about beauty or combat, but by a remark about Ye Qiu’s preferences.
• Romantic comedy: Misleading boasts, Ye Qiu’s evasions, and his practical solution of carrying Lu Li drive the chapter’s humor.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu carries Lu Li from the Star Pavilion to the Great Dao Academy. Their teasing exchange shows their growing familiarity, though Lu Li remains convinced he prefers women with large breasts.
• Lu Li warns Ye Qiu that the Preliminary Selection is unusually dangerous: even Li Zhenzhen might barely place in the top three. Ye Qiu decides he must compete anyway.
• Wang Song watches Lu Li with hostility but recognizes he cannot attack her yet. He turns his attention toward Ye Qiu, considering him a safer target.
• Back at the Star Pavilion, Ye Qiu cautions Li Zhenzhen not to challenge Lu Li. She refuses to give up on proving herself, and Ye Qiu offers mock encouragement.
• Ye Qiu rests and spends several days stabilizing his cultivation and preparing. He then meets Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang; with Song Shu and the Grand Law Enforcer, they plan for the selection.
• At dawn, the Golden Light Gate opens and the Academy’s bells announce the start. Contestants must climb the staircase into the Secret Realm and survive its dangers within half a month to reach the Grand Selection Grounds.
• Before entering, Ye Qiu sees Ye Ru. They exchange a look but do not speak; their relationship appears definitively severed.
• Vice Dean Wang Song announces the selection. As Ye Qiu joins the contestants, he spots Lu Li and Nan Qingyue watching him. Lu Li’s concern makes him wonder whether he is ready for what lies ahead.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu and Lu Li: Their banter is affectionate and increasingly comfortable. Ye Qiu responds to Lu Li’s teasing with exaggerated flattery, while Lu Li worries about the dangers awaiting him.
• Ye Qiu and Li Zhenzhen: He recognizes the gap between her pride and Lu Li’s strength, warns her against provoking Lu Li, and humorously backs her despite expecting her to fail.
• Wang Song: His concealed hostility toward Lu Li shifts toward Ye Qiu, foreshadowing a possible threat.
• Ye Qiu and Ye Ru: Their silent encounter confirms their estrangement: neither approaches the other, and Ye Qiu regards their past as over.
• Ye Qiu’s allies: Song Shu, the Grand Law Enforcer, Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang support his preparations, though they understand the selection may be deadly.

Significant themes

• Danger and necessity: The contestants face slim odds of survival, yet competing is their only path forward.
• Estrangement and unresolved emotion: Ye Qiu and Ye Ru’s silence contrasts with the lingering conflict in her gaze.
• Affection expressed through teasing: Ye Qiu and Lu Li’s playful exchange reveals increasing closeness beneath the humor.
• Ambition and pride: Li Zhenzhen remains determined to prove herself despite Ye Qiu’s warning.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Before entering the Secret Realm, Lu Li wants to rush to Ye Qiu, but her teacher, Nan Qingyue, restrains her. Nan argues that Ye Qiu must face hardship and grow strong enough to win acceptance from Lu Li’s family. Lu Li reflects on how long she has loved him and how his past kindness, promises, and sacrifices have sustained her.
• Ye Qiu and his three companions—Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang—climb into the Secret Realm, knowing hostile forces are waiting and that the contest may be a fight for survival.
• The realm is a vast, dangerous wilderness of mountains, forests, rivers, and powerful beasts. Ye Qiu tells the group to follow their plan: they scatter and use Brother Snake’s Coiling Dragon technique to conceal their presence.
• Four Liu Family pursuers enter the forest. Ye Qiu ambushes their leader, a powerful swordsman, but discovers that the man can withstand his opening saber strike. Ye Qiu follows with a stronger attack, wounding and driving him back.
• Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang swiftly eliminate the other three pursuers through coordinated surprise attacks. They take the dead men’s Storage Rings and disappear into the forest, leaving Ye Qiu to face the leader.

Character developments

• Lu Li openly acknowledges the depth of her love for Ye Qiu, tracing it back to childhood and to his acts of comfort and protection. Though she resents the idea that anyone should have the right to reject him, she accepts Nan Qingyue’s argument that he must prove himself.
• Nan Qingyue acts as a stern but caring mentor, holding Lu Li back for Ye Qiu’s sake and emphasizing the need for him to grow stronger.
• Ye Qiu shows confidence and tactical preparation, using concealment and a coordinated ambush. His surprise at the Liu leader’s resilience signals that he has encountered a formidable opponent.
• Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang demonstrate their growing strength and effectiveness in combat. Their teamwork and Yuan Gang’s resolve show that they are prepared to face the danger despite their fear.

Significant themes

• Love and devotion: Lu Li’s affection is rooted in years of shared memories and Ye Qiu’s steadfast support.
• Growth through hardship: Nan Qingyue insists that Ye Qiu must endure and become stronger if he is to overcome future obstacles.
• Survival and fate: The Secret Realm is presented as a life-or-death trial in which cultivators must fight for their own futures.
• Strategy and cooperation: Concealment, ambush, and coordinated attacks allow the group to overcome several opponents despite the danger.

Character interactions

• Lu Li pleads to go to Ye Qiu, while Nan Qingyue restrains her and urges her to let him face his own challenges.
• Ye Qiu checks whether Yuan Gang is afraid; Yuan Gang admits he is, but remains resolved because they have no alternative.
• The four companions follow Ye Qiu’s plan, divide up, and use Coiling Dragon to hide from the Liu Family pursuers.
• In the forest battle, Ye Qiu engages the leader while Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang eliminate the other Liu Family members, then withdraw to the shadows.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu kills a powerful Liu Family pursuer with three strikes of the Broken Saber, takes his Storage Ring and Spirit Artifact broad sword, and escapes as more enemies close in.
• Realizing the Chu Family and Ye Clan may have even stronger fighters, Ye Qiu doubles back and ambushes another group. Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang join the counterattack; together they kill many pursuers and disappear.
• The four regroup at a lake and rest, then continue toward the Secret Realm’s distant exit, traveling separately but staying in contact so they can support one another.
• Several days pass without another attack, which makes Ye Qiu and Wu Xiaokai suspect the pursuers are planning something.
• In his Consciousness Space, Ye Qiu notices Brother Snake has grown stronger after surviving lightning and is beginning to sprout horns. Ye Qiu asks for the Dragon Blood Brother Snake promised, but gets no answer—until Brother Snake warns that someone is approaching.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu becomes more cautious and tactical, using stealth, misdirection, and ambushes to turn the hunt against his enemies. He also recognizes how outmatched his group could be in a direct confrontation.
• Wu Xiaokai, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang fight alongside Ye Qiu, though the gap between their abilities remains clear: Luo Ling has broken two Spirit Artifacts, and Yuan Gang narrowly survived a serious wound.
• Brother Snake appears stronger and is visibly transforming, with horns beginning to emerge. His teasing refusal to give Ye Qiu the promised Dragon Blood contrasts with his timely warning of danger.
• The group shares a quiet, wary camaraderie, communicating without sound and taking turns on watch and cultivation.

Significant themes

• Survival through strategy: The weaker group avoids a straightforward battle by staying mobile and striking from concealment.
• Uncertainty and danger: The pursuers’ sudden disappearance feels more threatening than their open pursuit.
• Growth and hidden potential: Ye Qiu’s improved combat power and Brother Snake’s transformation suggest that both are developing in unexpected ways.

Plot and events

• Ye Qiu and Wu Xiaokai sense someone approaching and hide with Luo Ling and Yuan Gang. They discover a man from the Ye Clan meeting Wen Yu in the clearing.
• Ye Qiu attacks before the pair can react, crippling the man and then killing him when he tries to shout. He interrogates Wen Yu, who reveals that the Ye Clan is camped by a lake ten li north with fifteen people: Ye Hao in the Creation Realm, three at Half-Step Creation, and the rest in True Formation.
• Wen Yu is knocked unconscious and left alive. Ye Qiu’s group moves toward the camp, recognizing that a direct fight would be dangerous. Wu Xiaokai proposes a “drive the tiger to devour the wolf” plan and leaves with Luo Ling to carry it out, while Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang wait nearby.
• Ye Qiu senses an unusual aura from Yuan Gang and realizes his tribulation is approaching. Yuan Gang confirms it but says he can still delay it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu acts decisively and ruthlessly, using surprise and intimidation to eliminate the Ye Clan scout and extract information. He remains wary of the enemy’s superior strength but chooses to seek an offensive opportunity rather than wait for them to attack.
• Wu Xiaokai shows his appetite for mischief and violence, but also contributes tactically by proposing the group’s plan. Ye Qiu reins him in when his behavior toward Wen Yu goes too far.
• Yuan Gang reveals a dangerous secret: he possesses the Nine Tribulation Body, and each tribulation threatens his life. Ye Qiu’s ability to detect the coming tribulation suggests his perception is exceptionally sharp.
• Luo Ling remains quiet and follows the group’s movements, then accompanies Wu Xiaokai on the plan.

Significant themes

• Survival through strategy: Facing stronger opponents, the group looks for a way to turn enemies against one another instead of fighting head-on.
• Power and danger: The gap between Ye Qiu’s abilities and the Creation Realm cultivators underscores the risks of the coming confrontation.
• Hidden burdens and secrets: Yuan Gang’s approaching tribulation introduces a personal danger that may complicate the group’s plans.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Hao’s group camps in a valley, hoping to capture Ye Qiu for the Ye Clan’s bounty. Ye Hao senses danger and orders everyone to leave.
• Wu Xiaokai arrives pretending to surrender. He loudly claims to hate Ye Qiu and accuses him of cheating him, stealing from him, and ogling his wife. Hidden nearby, Ye Qiu is furious; his companions recognize Wu Xiaokai’s performance as a joke that also contains some truth.
• Wu Xiaokai offers three glowing “treasures,” then throws them toward the lake. They turn out to be eggs, which immediately crack and spill harmless yolk and whites.
• The smell of the eggs draws a Creation Realm Earth Dragon into the valley. Wu Xiaokai dives into the lake as Ye Hao and the others realize they have been tricked.
• The Earth Dragon is revealed to be mutated, with wings, and attacks Ye Hao in midair. As the rest of the group flees, more Earth Dragons appear and surround the valley: Wu Xiaokai has lured an entire pack.

Character developments

• Ye Hao is shown as perceptive and decisive: he senses danger early and tries to withdraw, but the bait draws him into a fight with a powerful beast.
• Wu Xiaokai proves resourceful and audacious, using comic insults and fake treasure to lure the monsters while escaping into the lake.
• Ye Qiu remains hidden, visibly irritated by Wu Xiaokai’s accusations, while his companions watch the trap unfold.

Character interactions

• Ye Hao commands his followers and orders one fighter to kill Wu Xiaokai, but Wu Xiaokai’s promise to lead them to Ye Qiu briefly stops the attack.
• Wu Xiaokai’s exaggerated denunciations of Ye Qiu provoke Ye Qiu’s anger and playful disagreement among Ye Qiu, Yuan Gang, and Luo Ling.
• The hunters’ pursuit of Ye Qiu is abruptly displaced by their need to survive the Earth Dragons.

Significant themes

• Cunning over force: Wu Xiaokai turns the hunters’ greed and expectations against them.
• Greed and opportunism: The bounty draws people into danger, while apparent treasure distracts them from the real threat.
• Comic deception and peril: The scene’s humor quickly becomes a genuine crisis as the pack closes in.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Xiaokai’s clever use of stolen Demon Beast eggs unleashes havoc in the Mountain Valley: Earth Dragons attack on the ground while a flock of Black Feathered Eagles makes escape through the air dangerous.
• Ye Qiu, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang take advantage of the chaos by waiting at the valley’s edge. Ye Qiu kills several fleeing disciples and loots their Storage Rings, including a badly wounded half-step Creation Realm cultivator.
• Ye Qiu follows the distant battle between Ye Hao and a mutated Creation Realm Earth Dragon. At dawn, Ye Hao kills the beast with a powerful Sword Light but emerges gravely injured.
• Ye Qiu ambushes Ye Hao. Though a Sword Light pierces Ye Qiu’s shoulder, he presses on, severs Ye Hao’s right arm, and brings him down. Ye Hao asks to make peace, but Ye Qiu kills him rather than risk letting a powerful enemy escape.
• Ye Qiu claims the Earth Dragon’s corpse for Brother Snake. A bloodied stranger arrives at the same time and argues that he found it first. When the man asks Ye Qiu to prove ownership, Ye Qiu tricks him into letting go, stores the carcass, and walks away.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu shows himself to be opportunistic, calculating, and ruthless. He exploits the battle’s disorder, pursues a major prize despite his injuries, and refuses to spare Ye Hao. His final trick reveals a wry, deceitful sense of humor.
• Ye Hao demonstrates the strength and resources of a great-clan Creation Realm cultivator, but his victory over the Earth Dragon leaves him vulnerable. His plea for peace comes too late.
• Wu Xiaokai is portrayed as resourceful and daring: his knowledge of the mountains and use of Demon Beast eggs turn the battlefield into a trap.
• The fat stranger is introduced as a bold, suspicious rival who is willing to bargain over the carcass, though Ye Qiu outmaneuvers him.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity as a weapon: Wu Xiaokai’s traps and Ye Qiu’s ambush show how preparation and opportunism can matter as much as direct strength.
• Survival and ruthless competition: Characters exploit chaos, injuries, and openings; Ye Qiu treats mercy as an unacceptable risk.
• Power and vulnerability: Even a Creation Realm fighter can be brought low when exhausted and wounded.
• Deception and proof: The chapter’s title comes to a comic conclusion when Ye Qiu turns the fat man’s demand for proof into a way to steal the prize.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu, Luo Ling, and Yuan Gang coordinate silently, staying outside the main battle to target fleeing survivors.
• Ye Qiu and Ye Hao exchange a desperate fight: Ye Hao’s inherited Sword Light wounds Ye Qiu, but Ye Qiu’s persistence ultimately kills him.
• Ye Qiu and the fat stranger clash over the Earth Dragon’s body. Their tense negotiation ends with Ye Qiu exploiting the man’s trust and leaving him empty-handed.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu is chased by a remarkably fast, heavyset man. When a wounded Black Eagle crashes between them, both claim it. Ye Qiu eventually takes the beast after identifying it as one drawn by Wu Xiaokai.
• The man tries to bargain for a share, explaining that he is poor, indebted, and badly injured. Ye Qiu refuses until he reveals his name: Chen Qianqian. Recognizing Ye Qiu as Lu Li’s husband, Chen gives way.
• Chen follows Ye Qiu to the valley, where they find signs of a fierce battle but no sign of Wu Xiaokai or the others. Ye Qiu waits through the night, increasingly worried that they are in danger.
• Heading toward the great banner, Ye Qiu encounters other people. Chen loudly announces Ye Qiu’s identity and connection to Lu Li, prompting them to flee.
• Chen admits that he wants a Demon Beast Spirit to help heal his injuries. Ye Qiu pretends to treat him with Silver Needles, leaving him temporarily paralyzed, then removes the needles and departs—leaving Chen a Demon Beast Spirit after all.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu remains wary, stubborn, and resourceful, using humor and bluffing to manage threats. His concern for his missing companions becomes clear as he waits at the valley.
• Chen Qianqian shifts from rival to persistent admirer and self-declared friend. Despite his comic manner, he is genuinely hurt and seeks help; Ye Qiu ultimately helps him, though not without teasing him.

Significant themes

• Trust and self-interest: Ye Qiu doubts Chen’s motives, while Chen’s persistence gradually suggests he is more than a competitor.
• Camaraderie amid danger: Chen insists on sticking by Ye Qiu, and Ye Qiu’s final gift shows an understated willingness to help.
• Humor as survival: Their playful arguments, Ye Qiu’s fake medical treatment, and Chen’s blustering lighten an increasingly dangerous situation.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu and Chen repeatedly bargain and challenge each other over the Black Eagle, then trade boasts about their hardships.
• Chen openly associates himself with Ye Qiu—even announcing Ye Qiu’s identity to strangers—while Ye Qiu finds this irritating and warns him away.
• Their interaction ends with Ye Qiu tricking Chen with the needles but leaving him a Demon Beast Spirit, balancing mockery with compassion.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qiu spends days searching for Wu Xiaokai and the others, but finds no trace of them. Meanwhile, he is repeatedly hunted by cultivators from the Ye, Chu, and Liu families and suffers several injuries.
• His constant escapes sharpen his movement, control of Qi and Blood, and cultivation. Brother Snake says Ye Qiu is beginning to approach “Hard and Soft Combined,” though Ye Qiu still has much to learn about mastering and shifting between opposing kinds of force.
• Pursued into a canyon, Ye Qiu is trapped between six Creation Realm cultivators from the Chu and Liu families and Ye Lingxi of the Ye Family, who has reached the Second Level of Creation.
• Ye Qiu tries to deter them by claiming Wu Xiaokai and the others have escaped and that outsiders know what is happening. Ye Lingxi dismisses the threat, but her response reassures Ye Qiu that the group is likely alive.
• Just as the enemy attacks, the Star Pavilion arrives. Its white-clad leader engages Ye Lingxi, while Star Pavilion disciples fight the Chu and Liu cultivators, giving Ye Qiu a chance to escape.
• Outside the canyon, Ye Qiu is confronted by Ye Qilin, a formidable Ye Family cultivator at the Third Level of Creation.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu grows more skilled through constant pursuit and combat, but remains badly outmatched by several powerful opponents. His immediate priority is confirming his friends’ safety.
• Brother Snake continues to advise Ye Qiu, but refuses to intervene when Ye Qiu is cornered, even teasing him instead.
• Ye Lingxi remains cold and ruthless, ordering Ye Qiu’s death and showing little concern about concealing the clans’ actions.
• The Star Pavilion leader proves willing to intervene against the three clans, directly challenging Ye Lingxi to protect Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Survival through adaptation: Ye Qiu’s relentless escapes improve his abilities, introducing the ideal of balancing hardness and softness.
• Political hostility and persecution: Southern State’s disciples are targeted by rival groups, with the powerful clans treating them as obstacles to their own advancement.
• Loyalty and uncertainty: Ye Qiu’s concern for his absent companions drives his actions, while the Star Pavilion’s timely intervention offers unexpected aid.
• Power and vulnerability: Ye Qiu’s cunning and speed help him survive, but he remains vulnerable against overwhelming numbers and higher cultivation levels.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu presses Brother Snake for help, but Brother Snake leaves him to face the danger himself.
• Ye Qiu confronts Ye Lingxi with the possibility that his companions have escaped and that the outside world may learn of the clans’ actions.
• The Star Pavilion leader and Ye Lingxi clash, while their disciples engage the Chu and Liu families.
• After escaping, Ye Qiu faces Ye Qilin, setting up a new confrontation.

Key plot points

• Ye Qiu survives Ye Qilin’s opening palm strike, but is badly injured. The impact pushes his cultivation to the eighth level of Law Gathering, making Ye Qilin even more determined to kill him.
• Ye Qiu burns his Essence Blood to escape, dramatically increasing his speed at the cost of his life and cultivation foundation. He takes pills and Law Crystals to replenish himself, but they cannot keep pace with the loss.
• To delay Ye Qilin, Ye Qiu draws him toward a cave inhabited by a third-level Creation Black Tiger. Ye Qilin kills the demon beast with a single sword strike, revealing just how formidable he is.
• Ye Qiu finds Yuan Gang and carries him while fleeing. Yuan Gang’s first calamity has arrived, and he urges Ye Qiu to leave him behind. Ye Qiu refuses.
• They stop in a valley when Yuan Gang can no longer suppress his calamity. As Ye Qilin prepares to attack, thunder and silver lightning erupt around the two men—apparently the beginning of Yuan Gang’s Lightning Tribulation.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu shows both remarkable resilience and loyalty: he risks burning away his life to escape and refuses to abandon Yuan Gang, even when carrying him makes escape harder.
• Ye Qilin shifts from amused confidence to focused concern over Ye Qiu’s rapid growth and strange potential. His effortless killing of the Black Tiger confirms his overwhelming power.
• Yuan Gang accepts that his chances of surviving his calamity are slim and initially tells Ye Qiu to save himself. Ye Qiu’s refusal leads them to face Ye Qilin together.
• Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang coordinate without needing many words: when Ye Qiu stops and asks whether Yuan Gang can hold back the calamity, Yuan Gang understands that they must let it begin.

Significant themes

• Survival and sacrifice: Ye Qiu accepts severe personal costs to stay alive and protect his companion.
• Loyalty under pressure: He will not abandon Yuan Gang, despite the danger to them both.
• Overwhelming power versus desperate resistance: Ye Qilin appears untouchable, but the sudden Lightning Tribulation may change the confrontation.
• Growth as both hope and threat: Ye Qiu’s fast advancement gives him a chance to endure, while also making Ye Qilin see him as a future danger.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang lure Ye Qilin into a moving field of lightning created by Yuan Gang’s first tribulation, the Void Thunderclap.
• Ye Qilin is badly injured but escapes the field. Yuan Gang, however, is left near death by the lightning.
• Brother Snake warns Ye Qiu not to interfere in Yuan Gang’s karma, since doing so could bring severe consequences and burden Ye Qiu’s own fate.
• Ye Qiu decides he cannot abandon his friend. He also provokes Ye Qilin into staying back, then enters the lightning field to reach Yuan Gang.
• Ye Qiu shields Yuan Gang with his own body, taking the worst of the lightning. Brother Snake cannot intervene directly, but uses the moment to help Ye Qiu absorb some Dragon Blood.
• The Dragon Blood gives Ye Qiu a chance to regenerate as the lightning repeatedly destroys his body. He is torn apart and rebuilt again and again, beginning a painful transformation.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu acts on his belief that cultivation should let him protect people he cares about. Despite Brother Snake’s warnings, friendship matters more to him than safety or avoiding karmic consequences.
• Yuan Gang insists that the tribulation is his fate and tries to drive Ye Qiu away, but is too injured to stop him. Ye Qiu’s declaration that they are brothers deeply affects him.
• Brother Snake remains cautious and frustrated by Ye Qiu’s recklessness, yet quietly helps him by supplying Dragon Blood when the lightning makes absorption possible.
• Ye Qilin is shaken by the tribulation and withdraws from the field rather than risk being caught in it. He remains hostile toward Ye Qiu but watches from a distance.

Significant themes

• Friendship and self-sacrifice: Ye Qiu risks death to protect Yuan Gang, acting on the conviction that friends should not be abandoned.
• Fate and karma: Brother Snake warns that interfering in another person’s destiny carries a price, setting Ye Qiu’s loyalty against the dangers of karmic entanglement.
• Painful rebirth and transformation: The lightning destroys Ye Qiu’s body while Dragon Blood repeatedly restores it, turning suffering into a chance for renewal.
• The meaning of strength: Ye Qiu sees power not merely as personal achievement, but as the ability to stand between loved ones and danger.

Key plot points and events

• As Ye Qilin watches the lightning tribulation, Ye Qiu’s screams fade and then grow stronger, proving that he has survived and is regaining vitality. The storm also draws Demon Beasts and Secret Realm disciples, including Li Zhenzhen.
• After fifteen minutes, the lightning disappears. Ye Qiu is standing, while Yuan Gang lies nearby; both are badly blackened but alive. Ye Qiu gives Yuan Gang clothes and dresses himself.
• Ye Qilin orders the onlookers away and prepares to kill Ye Qiu. Ye Qiu asks Li Zhenzhen for help, jokingly asking her to “keep” him.
• Li Zhenzhen claims the Mu Family as her own and challenges Ye Qilin. When he attacks, she blocks his sword strike with a fist, then knocks him backward with another punch.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu survives a tribulation that Ye Qilin believed should have killed him, revealing unexpected endurance. Even in danger, he remains playful and resourceful.
• Li Zhenzhen, initially astonished to discover that Ye Qiu underwent a tribulation, shows herself to be extraordinarily powerful and fiercely protective once she chooses to intervene.
• Ye Qilin shifts from confidence that Ye Qiu is dead to alarm at his survival, then tries to eliminate him—and Li Zhenzhen—to prevent witnesses.
• Yuan Gang, battered but conscious, recognizes Ye Qiu’s sacrifice but is bewildered when Ye Qiu says he endured the lightning “for” him.

Character interactions

• Li Zhenzhen and Ye Qiu trade teasing remarks about his request for her to “keep” him; she pauses rather than immediately leaving.
• Ye Qilin threatens both of them, but Li Zhenzhen dismisses his authority and confronts him physically.
• Yuan Gang and Ye Qiu exchange a confused look: Yuan Gang accepts that Ye Qiu suffered for his sake, but cannot understand what Ye Qiu’s flirtatious plea has to do with him.

Significant themes

• Survival and resilience: Ye Qiu’s growing vitality defies Ye Qilin’s expectations.
• Hidden strength and mistaken judgments: Li Zhenzhen’s delicate appearance conceals overwhelming power, while Ye Qiu proves far tougher than his reputation suggests.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Ye Qiu’s survival is connected to his willingness to endure suffering for Yuan Gang, though the chapter plays their exchange for comedy.
• Power and intimidation: Ye Qilin tries to control the scene through threats, but Li Zhenzhen’s strength overturns the balance.

Key plot points and events

• Li Zhenzhen overwhelms Ye Qilin with a series of thunderous punches, revealing the immense power of her rare Xiantian Sacred Body. Ye Qilin flees, but she chases him down and continues beating him.
• Ye Qiu uses the distraction to escape with the badly injured Yuan Gang. The lightning they endured has strengthened Ye Qiu by letting him absorb the Dragon Blood’s essence, though both men are still in pain.
• Li Zhenzhen catches up and says she intends to keep Ye Qiu. He redirects her attention to Yuan Gang, but Yuan’s crude attempt to make himself a candidate earns him a sharp rejection.
• The three find shelter in a cave near a lake. Ye Qiu checks that he has not been injured below the waist; Yuan Gang discovers he is urinating blood. Ye Qiu offers to keep it secret, then reassures him.
• Elsewhere, Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling worry about Ye Qiu. Wu Xiaokai suspects Ye Qiu is cursing him, while Luo Ling comforts him.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Zhenzhen proves far more powerful than expected, defeating a high-level opponent with ease. She is confident, domineering, and openly pursues Ye Qiu.
• Ye Qiu shows concern for Yuan Gang and pushes through his own injuries to carry him to safety. He also recognizes that the ordeal has strengthened him.
• Yuan Gang remains badly hurt and increasingly displays Wu Xiaokai-influenced, irreverent humor. His flirtatious remarks toward Li Zhenzhen are quickly rebuffed.
• Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang trade teasing banter, especially over Yuan’s injury and his admiration for Wu Xiaokai.
• Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling appear in a brief parallel scene, showing their concern for Ye Qiu.

Significant themes

• Power and spectacle: Li Zhenzhen’s fight highlights the extraordinary force of the Xiantian Sacred Body.
• Resilience and growth: The same lightning that nearly wrecks Ye Qiu also helps him grow stronger.
• Comradeship and comic relief: Ye Qiu’s efforts to protect Yuan Gang are interwoven with crude jokes and teasing, keeping the chapter’s dangerous events lighthearted.

Key plot points and events

• By the lakeside, Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang wash off the damage from the lightning tribulation. Ye Qiu’s skin and hair have regenerated without scars, while Yuan Gang is badly burned and bleeding.
• Yuan Gang reveals that the tribulation raised his cultivation by three minor realms and awakened an ability: a tiny red sparrow spirit.
• Brother Snake warns Ye Qiu that taking on part of Yuan Gang’s tribulation may bring trouble later. Ye Qiu accepts the risk, noting that the lightning also helped him absorb Dragon Blood and advance to the Ninth Layer of Law Gathering, near True Essence.
• A Creation-realm Giant Tiger attacks. Ye Qiu kills it with one strike, demonstrating his greatly improved strength and control.
• Ye Qiu proposes returning to the Star Pavilion’s Ninth Layer for another lightning trial to absorb more Dragon Blood, but Brother Snake refuses.
• Ye Qiu, Yuan Gang, and Li Zhenzhen travel toward the Great Dao Academy banner. They hear that Chu Family members chased them after the battlefield, separating Yuan Gang from Wu Xiaokai and the others.
• They encounter and kill several Liu Family members, but find no Ye or Chu Family opponents. By the fourth day, the academy is visible, about a hundred miles away, and Li Zhenzhen warns the men to stay cautious on the final stretch.

Character developments

• Ye Qiu emerges from the tribulation physically transformed and far stronger. He is confident that the Dragon Blood and lightning have greatly advanced him, and he is eager to seek more stimulation to complete the absorption.
• Yuan Gang survives the tribulation with serious injuries but gains three minor cultivation levels and awakens the red sparrow spirit. He remains blunt and defensive when Ye Qiu teases him.
• Li Zhenzhen continues as the group’s formidable protector; her presence gives Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang confidence as they travel.
• Brother Snake remains wary of the consequences of Ye Qiu’s choices and resists his plan to undergo another lightning strike.

Significant themes

• Risk and growth: The tribulation nearly destroys Yuan Gang, yet strengthens him; Ye Qiu’s willingness to take danger also yields power.
• Power and transformation: Physical resilience, awakened abilities, and cultivation gains mark the characters’ changing strength.
• Courage and responsibility: Ye Qiu accepts the tribulation’s burden rather than stand by, guided by his sense of what is right.
• Survival and looming conflict: Reaching the academy is close, but the coming Grand Selection promises another violent contest.

Character interactions

• Ye Qiu checks on Yuan Gang’s condition and asks about his awakening; their exchange turns teasing when Ye Qiu compares the tiny sparrow to his own ability.
• Brother Snake cautions Ye Qiu about the future cost of taking on the tribulation, while Ye Qiu argues that the benefits outweigh the danger.
• Yuan Gang is astonished by Ye Qiu’s recovery and his one-strike defeat of the Giant Tiger.
• Traveling beside Li Zhenzhen, the two men act boldly, relying on her strength to deter threats; she ends the chapter by urging them to be careful.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qiu, Yuan Gang, and Li Zhenzhen reach the Light Gate, where powerful members of the Ye, Chu, and Liu families are waiting to block them.
• Li Zhenzhen admits she cannot protect Ye Qiu against the assembled fighters. She stays behind to confront Ye Jiulong and the green-clad swordsman, urging Ye Qiu to take care of himself.
• The Star Pavilion’s leaders consider helping Ye Qiu, but recognize that a fight could cripple both sides and jeopardize their chances in the Grand Exam. They move on, as do several opponents.
• More than a dozen formidable enemies remain, most in the Creation Realm. Ye Qiu and Yuan Gang prepare to make a desperate run, hoping at least one of them escapes for Southern State.
• Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling arrive riding a Creation Realm Blood Python Tiger. The group charges toward the gate, but Ye Qiu is targeted by the enemy forces.
• Ye Qiu kills one Creation Realm opponent with a single strike and briefly holds off three more, astonishing everyone. When five Creation Realm cultivators pursue him, he draws them away so the others can continue toward the gate.
• Wu Xiaokai wants to turn back, but Luo Ling and Yuan Gang insist they must escape. The chapter ends as the gate is about to close, with Ye Qiu still being chased inside the Secret Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qiu accepts the danger rather than abandon his companions. His greatly increased combat strength is revealed, and he chooses to sacrifice his own chance of escape to give the others a better one.
• Li Zhenzhen keeps her promise to help Ye Qiu reach the gate, then turns to face powerful opponents herself. Before departing, she reminds him of what he owes her.
• Yuan Gang shows loyalty to Ye Qiu but ultimately prioritizes preserving a survivor for Southern State.
• Wu Xiaokai and Luo Ling arrive unexpectedly with a powerful demon beast, giving the group a chance to break through. Wu Xiaokai’s impulse to rescue Ye Qiu conflicts with the urgent need to escape.
• Ye Qilin remains hostile toward Ye Qiu and threatens him before the final clash.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and solidarity: Characters repeatedly risk themselves or make painful choices to help others survive.
• Survival over pride: The Star Pavilion and other factions avoid an all-out fight because the Grand Exam matters more than settling scores.
• Hope and responsibility: The group’s escape is tied to Southern State’s need to preserve someone who can carry on.
• Unexpected growth: Ye Qiu’s sudden ability to challenge Creation Realm fighters shifts the balance, though he is still outnumbered.

Key plot points and events

• As the fifteen-day Preliminary Selection ends, Wu Xiaokai must choose between returning through the closing Light Gate and staying to help Ye Qiu. He drives the Blood Python Tiger through the gate with his companions, leaving Ye Qiu behind.
• On the Grand Plaza, Song Shu realizes Ye Qiu is missing. Wu Xiaokai explains that Ye Qiu stayed behind to cover their escape. The rival Chu, Liu, and Ye families react with satisfaction, seeing Ye Qiu’s absence as a chance to eliminate him.
• Lu Li tries to return through the gate, but her teacher, Nan Qingyue, restrains her and urges her to wait. Li Zhenzhen insists Ye Qiu is too capable to die, and Lu Li eventually stops—though she remains fiercely protective of him.
• Inside the Secret Realm, Ye Qiu circles back toward the gate, only to find eight Creation experts blocking it. They plan to trap him until the deadline, ensuring he fails the selection and cannot gain the Academy’s protection.
• Ye Qiu proposes that they all leave and face him later in the Grand Selection, but the families refuse. He makes a sudden attempt to break through, forcing the attackers back briefly before their combined assault drives him off. With the gate nearly closed and his Dragon Blood power still slow to absorb, his escape looks increasingly unlikely.
• A familiar voice calls to him. Ye Qiu vanishes, leaving his pursuers standing guard; the chapter ends before revealing what happens next.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Xiaokai makes a desperate choice to save himself and his companions, carrying the burden of leaving Ye Qiu behind.
• Ye Qiu remains resourceful and defiant, using a proposal and a surprise dash to seek an escape despite being outnumbered.
• Lu Li openly shows how deeply she cares for Ye Qiu and is ready to risk her own selection to reach him. Nan Qingyue restrains her, while Li Zhenzhen tries to reassure her and claims a special connection to Ye Qiu.
• Song Shu shifts from relief at seeing Wu Xiaokai return to alarm when he learns Ye Qiu is missing.
• The rival families coordinate to prevent Ye Qiu from reaching the gate, prioritizing his exclusion—and their own safety—over the selection itself.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Ye Qiu stays behind so the others can escape; Wu Xiaokai’s decision highlights the cost of that sacrifice.
• Power and political threat: The great families fear that Ye Qiu’s rapid growth and possible Academy recognition would undermine their influence.
• Hope amid imminent failure: The closing gate and overwhelming odds create a crisis, but Ye Qiu’s escape attempt—and the unexplained voice—leave a possibility of rescue.
• Affection and protectiveness: Lu Li’s determination to reach Ye Qiu contrasts with Nan Qingyue’s caution and Li Zhenzhen’s confidence in his survival.