Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• As the expedition approaches the Evil Ancient Temple, its Life-Taking Incantation Sound enthralls more than a dozen Folk Hidden Strength martial artists. Gray-white Evil Qi begins corrupting them, alarming the assembled experts and onlookers.
• The Divine Envoys intervene, using pale-gold Incense Wish Power to clash with the Evil Qi and restore the victims’ senses before they reach the temple. The rescued martial artists flee beyond the chanting’s range.
• The group discovers that strong Qi and Blood Power also shields people from the chanting and Evil Qi. Those without enough power are warned to stay back, while protected martial artists and Divine Envoys prepare to enter.
• Gu Chen warns his Group Chat companions that the temple’s Evil Monks and Novice Monks may be more dangerous than its outer defenses. Ye Zhen dismisses the warning and boasts that he can defeat them easily.

Character developments and interactions

• The expedition’s confidence is shaken by the temple’s opening attack, but finding ways to resist it restores some momentum.
• The Divine Envoys demonstrate the protective, anti-evil nature of Incense Wish Power; the martial artists establish Qi and Blood Power as another effective defense.
• Gu Chen remains wary and practical, privately pleased that the temple he designed is proving formidable. He tries to protect his companions with a warning.
• Ye Zhen’s arrogance and swagger contrast with Gu Chen’s caution, irritating him. The other Group Chat members appear ready to proceed, trusting their own defenses.

Significant themes

• Preparation against the unknown: The expedition succeeds only after recognizing the threat and identifying countermeasures.
• Opposing powers: Incense Wish Power and Qi and Blood Power resist the corrupting Evil Qi and mind-clouding chant.
• Overconfidence versus caution: The temple’s early success undercuts assumptions that it will be easily defeated, while Ye Zhen’s bravado foreshadows possible trouble.
• Spectacle and public reaction: Livestream viewers and bystanders watch and share the expedition’s setbacks, turning the dangerous event into a public spectacle.

Key plot points and events

• Hundreds of martial artists and Divine Envoys enter the Evil Ancient Temple, with Western Augmented Soldiers trailing behind in hopes of benefiting from the expedition.
• Their Qi and Blood Power and Incense Wish Power help them withstand the temple’s oppressive gloom, Life-Taking Incantation, and Evil Qi.
• At first, the sinister monks and novices ignore the intruders. Many explorers conclude that the apparent threat is exaggerated and begin considering the temple relatively safe.
• Gu Chen knows better: the temple’s hidden dangers have not yet been activated, and the monks have not shown their true power.
• Ye Zhen, performing under the grandiose name Ye Liangchen, boasts that no opponent is worthy of him. Ignoring warnings from his companions, he strikes a chanting monk.
• The blow awakens every nearby monk and novice. They stop chanting and turn toward the intruders, while Evil Qi spreads through the temple.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Chen stays composed and understands the danger, but is embarrassed by Ye Zhen’s behavior. He recognizes that the attack has triggered the threat prematurely.
• Ye Zhen is arrogant, attention-seeking, and seemingly impervious to embarrassment. His boastful challenge turns into a reckless act with serious consequences.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai are wary of the monks and alarmed by Ye Zhen’s posturing. They try to distance themselves from him, then urgently warn him not to attack.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli, like many explorers, initially feel relieved when the monks do not react.
• The explorers’ confidence grows as they mistake the monks’ stillness for weakness; Ye Zhen’s strike abruptly ends that false sense of safety.

Significant themes

• Complacency in the face of hidden danger: The monks’ silence conceals a threat rather than proving they are harmless.
• Recklessness and unintended consequences: Ye Zhen’s need to prove himself endangers the entire group.
• Appearance versus reality: What seems like a harmless or inactive enemy is actually a dormant danger.
• Dramatic irony: Gu Chen understands the temple’s true nature while most of the intruders—and the livestream audience—dismiss the warning signs.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhen’s slap awakens the monks and novice monks in the Evil Ancient Temple. The gaunt monk he struck, Xuanxin, repairs his broken neck and invites the intruders to “study Buddhism”—then the monks chant eerily and attack.
• The group fights back amid the temple’s Gray-White Evil Qi. Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli use Incense Wish Power and whips to protect each other, while Security Bureau experts and the other fighters deploy their Blood Qi Manifestations.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai each show distinct, effective fighting styles. Gu Chen joins the battle while deliberately concealing his real strength.
• Ye Zhen faces Xuanxin, who reveals that a thousand years earlier he accompanied elders such as Daojian in a contest of spells against the Shenxiao Sect Ancestor. Rather than be intimidated, Ye Zhen eagerly charges him with his Ultimate Sublimation Swimming Dragon Bagua Palm.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhen is reckless and self-confident: his impulsive strike triggers the crisis, and Xuanxin’s formidable history only makes him more eager to fight.
• Xuanxin shifts from an apparently frail, unremarkable monk to a mysterious figure with a powerful past. His calm, unsettling invitation contrasts with the violence he leads.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli show how much they have grown through their recent supernatural investigations. Their coordinated defense reflects their trust and improving combat discipline, even as they keep streaming.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai fight as a capable team, each relying on a different martial style and manifestation. Gu Chen remains notably restrained.
• Ye Zhen’s companions blame him for provoking the monks, but quickly set aside their frustration to survive the attack. The group’s coordinated resistance contrasts with Ye Zhen’s isolated, head-on challenge.

Significant themes

• Recklessness and consequences: Ye Zhen’s impulsive action awakens a dangerous threat, and his continued bravado endangers him further.
• Strength and hidden history: Xuanxin’s humble appearance conceals a past connected to legendary figures, unsettling the fighters and readers alike.
• Cooperation and growth: The group’s teamwork—especially Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli’s partnership—helps them withstand a supernatural assault.
• Clashing powers: Evil Qi, martial Qi and Blood Power, and Incense Wish Power collide, turning the battle into a contest between different forms of strength.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Zhen insists on challenging Monk Xuanxin, the ancient “Suspended Heart Evil Monk,” despite warnings from Fang Xiu and Liu Qing’er that he is far too powerful.
• Xuanxin invites Ye Zhen to join his temple, then reveals his deep hatred of Shenxiao Sect Ancestor Lin Ling su. A thousand years ago, Lin sought to seize the world’s Incense Wish Power and destroy Buddhism. Sixteen monks fought him, but his Shenxiao Lightning Arts overcame them; thousands died, their devotion became evil qi, and many took their own lives.
• The revelation links the Evil Ancient Temple, the Great Song Incense God Court, and Lin Ling su’s campaign, shocking the Central Continent Security Bureau investigators.
• When one investigator questions Xuanxin about the past, the monk flies into a rage and attacks. His enormous Vajra Giant Hand Seal overwhelms the combined Blood Qi Manifestations of more than a dozen Bureau experts, injuring and scattering them.
• As the crowd considers retreat, Ye Zhen attacks Xuanxin from behind. Xuanxin effortlessly crushes his dragon-shaped manifestation and captures him. Ye Zhen drops his bravado and cries to Gu Chen for help.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhen remains recklessly confident, treating a deadly fight as a chance to reach his “ultimate state.” His sudden plea for Gu Chen’s help exposes the fear beneath his swagger.
• Fang Xiu and Liu Qing’er try to restrain him, recognizing the danger; Wang Xiaoai shares their dismay at his behavior.
• Monk Xuanxin shifts from amused and welcoming to violently enraged when Lin Ling su is mentioned, revealing the depth of his ancient grievance. He sees Ye Zhen as especially suited to his temple and takes him captive.
• The Bureau experts and Shenxiao Daoists become alarmed as the monk’s history and overwhelming strength come to light. The Bureau’s attempt to investigate the past inadvertently triggers his attack.
• Ye Zhen’s final cry makes Gu Chen the apparent last hope, setting up the next confrontation.

Significant themes

• Recklessness versus reality: Ye Zhen’s grandiose battle talk collapses when he faces an opponent far beyond him.
• The burden of historical grudges: A thousand-year-old conflict still drives Xuanxin’s hatred and shapes present-day danger.
• Power and sacrifice: Lin Ling su’s pursuit of Incense Wish Power devastated Buddhist communities and transformed their devotion into evil qi.
• History as a living force: Discovering the connection between the Incense God Court and the ancient campaign immediately affects the characters’ survival.

Key plot points and events

• The Suspended Heart Evil Monk overwhelms more than a dozen powerful fighters with a casual attack, sending the expedition into panic.
• Ye Zhen rushes the monk despite the obvious danger. He is defeated almost immediately and captured, then begs Gu Chen to save him while making increasingly grandiose promises.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai refuse to intervene, arguing that Ye Zhen needs to learn a lesson.
• The monk attacks the fleeing crowd with a giant hand seal, capturing several more fighters and Divine Envoys. The Evil Monks and Novice Monks join the assault.
• The group discovers that the temple’s monks depend on their evil aura: purifying or exhausting it makes them crumble to ash. Divine Envoys exploit this weakness, and some earn Merit Points.
• The survivors organize a retreat. Gu Chen and the others escape, while the monk does not pursue them. The failed expedition soon becomes a major topic of online discussion.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Zhen is exposed as reckless and overconfident: he boasts of his superiority, attacks the monk, and is swiftly reduced to pleading for help.
• Gu Chen stays composed during the escape and evades the monks effectively. He declines to promise Ye Zhen’s rescue.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai share a skeptical, teasing response to Ye Zhen’s predicament and prioritize getting away.
• The Divine Envoys show resourcefulness by identifying and exploiting the evil aura as the monks’ weakness.
• The Suspended Heart Evil Monk remains calm and mocking, treating the fleeing fighters as prospective temple converts and captives.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence and consequences: Ye Zhen’s swagger collapses as soon as he confronts a truly superior opponent.
• Adaptation under pressure: The survivors turn the enemy’s dependence on evil aura into a practical weakness.
• Power and fear: The monk’s overwhelming strength transforms a confident expedition into a desperate retreat.
• Dark humor and group dynamics: The others’ dry remarks about Ye Zhen’s capture contrast with the danger of the situation.

Plot points and events

• The first expedition into the Evil Ancient Temple ends in a costly retreat. Its Evil Monks and Novice Monks regenerate from ordinary injuries, and Xuanxin overwhelms the explorers with a Vajra Giant Hand Seal.
• Of nearly 300 people who entered, only a little over 200 escape. Xuanxin keeps the rest—including Ye Zhen and nearly half of the Central Province Security Bureau’s Captain Level Experts—inside, declaring them “fated with Buddha.”
• The Security Bureau holds an emergency meeting. It recognizes that defeating Xuanxin may require a fighter who has mastered the Blood Changing Chapter of Human Immortal Martial Dao. Officials also discuss training Captain Level Experts in the recently derived Marrow Cleansing Chapter and investigate the temple’s connection to the Great Song Incense God Court.
• Survivors regroup and prepare to leave Wutai Mountain. News footage of the failed expedition spreads widely, making the temple a major public topic.

Character developments and interactions

• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli are shaken but grateful they stayed near the temple’s edge. They escaped with little harm and earned Merit Points for killing two temple guardians.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai acknowledge that their own strength was not enough to overcome Xuanxin. Fang Xiu worries that the inner courtyard may hold even more powerful beings.
• Wang Xiaoai is concerned about Ye Zhen’s capture. Gu Chen suggests it could become an opportunity if Xuanxin takes him as a disciple; Fang Xiu thinks the experience may teach Ye Zhen caution.
• The Central Province Security Bureau shifts from confidence to alarm, while still intending to prepare for another expedition.

Significant themes

• The limits of strength: Even a large group of powerful fighters can be defeated by an enemy whose abilities exceed their level.
• Danger and hubris: The explorers’ confidence gives way to fear once they confront the temple’s true power.
• Sacrifice and uncertain fate: Those left behind may be prisoners, but their survival—and Ye Zhen’s future—remains unclear.
• Strategic adaptation: The authorities respond to defeat by gathering intelligence, developing martial training, and planning for the temple’s possible emergence.

Key plot points and events

• The elite team’s defeat at the Evil Ancient Temple becomes a major online sensation. Reports highlight the Suspended Heart Evil Monk’s overwhelming power and the fact that explorers have only reached the outer courtyard.
• Online discussion turns to the Buddhist-Daoist conflict of the Great Song a thousand years ago. A popular post argues that Shenxiao Sect Ancestor Lin Ling su’s plan to gather Incense Wish Power threatened Buddhist interests, prompting Buddhist masters Hu Monk Lizang and Daojian to challenge him. Lin defeated them and went on to establish the Great Song Incense God Court.
• Explorers respond differently to the defeat: many independent adventurers leave, while some Divine Envoys stay, hoping to use Incense Wish Power to defeat the evil monks and earn Merit Points. Streamers Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli also decide to remain.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai choose to leave, reasoning that the temple is too dangerous. They plan to wait for Central Province officials to act before attempting to rescue the captured Ye Tianjiao.
• Gu Chen discovers that the temple has earned him nearly 600,000 Origin Points, with more still coming. He spends 600,000 to bring Lin Ling su and five Shenxiao Sect disciples into reality.
• Lin Ling su and the disciples appear in the Great Song Incense God Court. Their arrival awakens a response from real-world temples in the Shenxiao tradition: statues at temples around Suhang blaze with golden light, startling the Daoists.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Chen turns the public attention generated by the temple disaster into another opportunity. Rather than simply benefiting from the Origin Points, he deliberately expands the story by manifesting the Shenxiao Sect figures.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, and Wang Xiaoai make a cautious, coordinated choice to withdraw. Their concern is not just survival; they believe a rescue attempt should wait until official forces intervene.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli remain torn between the danger and the opportunity to keep broadcasting, ultimately choosing to stay.
• The Divine Envoys are divided: some are deterred by the Evil Monk, while others see a chance to gain merit through combat.
• The chapter also frames the ancient Buddhist and Daoist leaders as rivals whose conflict may be restarting in the present.

Significant themes

• History returning in the present: The ancient Buddhist-Daoist struggle is drawing renewed attention as figures from that era reappear.
• Faith as power and strategic resource: Incense Wish Power is central to both the historical conflict and the Divine Envoys’ current ambitions.
• Public attention as leverage: Online discussion amplifies the temple’s importance and helps Gu Chen gain resources.
• Risk versus reward: Characters must weigh survival against merit, opportunity, and the possibility of rescuing Ye Tianjiao.

Plot points and events

• The ancestor statues at Xuanmiao and Miaoling Temples suddenly shine with immense golden light, drawing their Daoist priests and elders into the Ancestor Hall.
• The Shenxiao Sect’s inherited sacred artifacts—including a Thunder Talisman, Jade Sword, and Horse Tail Whisk—also glow in response.
• The light renews the priests’ energy and appears to restore the elderly Temple Master Yuan Qing and the elders to youthful health.
• A mysterious voice delivers the Ancestor’s oracle: the Incense God Court will soon open, and the Shenxiao Disciples must prepare a Ritual Altar so the temple’s artifacts can guide the Ancestor into the world.
• The priests accept the command and keep the manifestation and oracle secret from outsiders.
• Despite that order, local residents have filmed the towering light and shared it online, prompting speculation about the Ancestor’s return and a possible conflict with Buddhism.
• Gu Chen, who orchestrated the spectacle, is pleased that the event should bring him more Origin Points.
• Central Province’s security authorities connect the manifestation to other recent supernatural events and send an investigation team to the temples the following day.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuan Qing and the elders move from frailty to renewed strength, responding with tears, gratitude, and renewed authority.
• The priests unite in reverence: they bow before the ancestor, receive the oracle, and promise to protect the temple’s secrets.
• Yuan Qing leads the disciples in scripture recitation and orders them not to reveal what happened.
• Gu Chen views the event strategically, anticipating its rewards rather than sharing the priests’ religious awe.
• The security team’s arrival sets up a likely encounter between the secretive temples and outside investigators.

Significant themes

• Faith and supernatural power: The manifestation transforms the priests’ devotion into a tangible, miraculous experience.
• Restoration and renewal: The golden light restores the elders’ health, symbolizing the sect’s revival.
• Secrecy versus public exposure: The priests try to conceal the oracle, while recordings and online rumors spread the news.
• Faith as strategy: Gu Chen has engineered the spectacle for practical gain, contrasting with the disciples’ sincere reverence.
• Rising public and official scrutiny: Viral speculation and the government investigation show how supernatural events quickly affect the wider world.

Plot points and events

• Investigators from the Central Continent Security Bureau question Xuanmiao Temple’s master, Yuan Qing, about the previous night’s supernatural manifestation. He refuses to explain, citing the Shenxiao Sect’s privacy, though he allows the team to inspect the Ancestor Hall.
• Finding no clear evidence of danger, Captain Lin Zhen withdraws and orders discreet surveillance. Yuan Qing instructs the Daoists to keep the ancestor’s impending descent secret.
• Curious outsiders begin probing the temples. Yuan Qing closes Xuanmiao and Miaoling Temples, especially to keep people away from the Ancestor Hall. Some visitors suspect the elders’ apparent return to youth is tied to a hidden treasure or blessing.
• Martial artists break into the Ancestor Hall at night to seize its ritual implements. Yuan Qing calls upon the ancestor’s Magic Sword, which flies into his hand and drives the intruders off with a powerful strike.
• After half a month, Gu Chen links his consciousness with Shenxiao Sect Ancestor Lin Ling su through the Incense God Court. He projects the ancestor’s power into the temples, where the statue and ritual implements glow with golden light.
• A voice commands the Shenxiao disciples to prepare the Ritual Altar and welcome the ancestor’s descent. The Daoists begin preparations as the spectacle attracts attention from outsiders.

Character developments

• Yuan Qing remains cautious and protective of the sect’s secrets, but proves capable and decisive when the Ancestor Hall is threatened.
• Yuan Ming and Yuan Kong share Yuan Qing’s devotion and support his decisions, guarding the hall and helping prepare for the descent.
• Lin Zhen is restrained by the limits of his authority: though suspicious, he chooses surveillance over force.
• Gu Chen actively initiates the long-awaited descent by using the Incense God Court to connect with Lin Ling su.

Character interactions

• Yuan Qing politely but firmly rebuffs the investigators, while Lin Zhen negotiates a limited inspection to satisfy his superiors.
• Temple elders coordinate to conceal and protect the ancestor’s manifestation from investigators, visitors, and intruders.
• During the break-in, Yuan Qing’s appeal to the ancestor’s Magic Sword turns a confrontation into a decisive defense of the sacred implements.
• Gu Chen and Lin Ling su establish a supernatural link, and the ancestor’s power reaches the Daoists, who respond by preparing the ritual altar.

Significant themes

• Faith and devotion: The elders’ loyalty to the Shenxiao ancestors shapes their choices and fuels their anticipation.
• Secrecy and authority: The temple resists both official scrutiny and opportunistic outsiders, while the authorities are limited by the absence of evidence.
• Power and protection: The Magic Sword and Incense Power demonstrate how sacred objects can defend the sect and enable the ancestor’s return.
• Mounting expectation: The chapter builds suspense toward Lin Ling su’s descent as threats gather and the ritual begins.

Key plot points and events

• For half a month, Xuanmiao and Miaoling Temples have been closed. Earlier intruders who tried to enter were driven off by a powerful Pale Gold Sword Light, discouraging further attempts.
• A new golden radiance appears over the temples. Outsiders gather to watch, while Central Province Security Zone personnel report the event and rush reinforcements to the scene.
• At a grand ritual altar, Old Temple Master Yuan Qing and elders Yuan Ming and Yuan Kong perform a ceremony using three ancient artifacts: a Jade Sword, Jade Talisman, and Horse Tail Whisk. As the Taoists recite the Shenxiao Sect scripture, the artifacts blaze with golden light.
• A vast, lightning-wreathed Incense God Court becomes visible in the void. Its appearance stirs Incense Wish Power throughout Central Province, causing visions at shrines and resonating with the Incense Tokens of the Divine Envoys.
• Gu Chen, acting through Shenxiao Sect ancestor Lin Ling Su, decides the spectacle has made its impression. He channels the power of the ancestor and the God Court to send two Shenxiao Sect ancestors into the present world.
• The two figures descend in pillars of golden light. The temple Taoists welcome them, and the onlookers realize the temples had been preparing for this arrival.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuan Qing, Yuan Ming, and Yuan Kong lead the rite with solemn devotion, then display open excitement when the God Court appears and reverence as the ancestors arrive.
• The temple Taoists move from ritual participation to collective awe and finally greet the newcomers in unison.
• Gu Chen acts decisively from behind the manifestation, controlling the timing and using the Incense God Court to bring the ancestors into the present.
• Outsiders, folk martial artists, and Divine Envoys react in different ways: casual spectators film the spectacle, while experienced observers recognize its immense power and danger. Security personnel treat it as a serious potential threat.

Significant themes

• Ancient power entering the modern world: A thousand-year-old sect’s legacy becomes an immediate reality.
• Faith and collective belief as force: Incense Wish Power manifests on a grand scale, linking temples, artifacts, and Divine Envoys.
• Secrecy and revelation: The temples’ preparations are exposed to the public through an unprecedented supernatural display.
• Awe and uncertainty: The crowd marvels at the God Court, but its power prompts concern as well as wonder.

Key events

• Three Central Province Official teams arrive by helicopter and see the Incense God Court floating in the air, confirming that the temples had concealed the phenomenon from them.
• Two Shenxiao Sect forebears, Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu, descend from the Court onto the ritual altar. Temple leaders welcome them, while ordinary onlookers kneel and pray. Martial artists and Divine Envoys recognize them as exceptionally powerful cultivators rather than literal immortals.
• Lin Ling su appears within the Incense God Court, surrounded by golden lightning. He issues the two forebears a Divine Decree: enter the world, spread the Shenxiao True Dao, and proclaim the sect’s power. They accept his command.
• After making a dramatic impression on the assembled crowd, Lin Ling su and the Incense God Court fade from sight. Gu Chen withdraws his consciousness from Lin Ling su and prepares to advance his plans.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Chen uses Lin Ling su’s image and the Court’s spectacle strategically, anticipating that the public’s awe will generate Origin Points. He intends to establish the Incense God Dao cultivation system and later develop a stronger Daotang.
• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu arrive as representatives of the Shenxiao Sect, show deference to their Ancestor, and commit to carrying out his decree.
• Temple leaders display intense reverence toward the forebears, while official investigators react with suspicion and alarm at the supernatural display. The broader martial community remains cautious, judging the visitors by their power rather than worshipping them.

Significant themes

• Spectacle as power: The Court’s appearance and the forebears’ descent command attention and help Gu Chen pursue his aims.
• Faith and political authority: The crowd’s worship contrasts with the officials’ concern and the martial artists’ practical assessment, showing how the same display can inspire devotion, suspicion, or strategic caution.
• Ancient traditions returning: The Shenxiao Sect’s reappearance signals the revival of old cultivation systems in the present world.

Key plot points and events

• Two Shenxiao Sect forebears, Liu Yu and Xue Dongzhen, arrive from the Great Song Incense God Court and meet with Daoists inside Xuanmiao and Miaoling Temples.
• The Central Continent Security Bureau treats their arrival as a major security issue. After debating the risks, officials decide to seek cooperation rather than provoke a confrontation.
• Videos of the Incense God Court and the forebears’ descent go viral. Public fascination with the Shenxiao Sect sparks a surge in Daoist-themed content, merchandise, and temple visits.
• Gu Chen, who engineered the spectacle, gains nearly 400,000 Origin Points. He spends 500,000 to make the Incense God Dao cultivation system real.

Character developments

• Liu Yu and Xue Dongzhen shift from awe-inspiring arrivals to engaging with the modern world and its Daoists, though their motives remain uncertain.
• Gu Chen moves from creating public excitement to establishing a lasting cultivation system—and builds in a way to keep its practitioners under his control.

Significant themes

• Tradition meets modernity: Ancient religious figures and institutions collide with contemporary government, media, and public culture.
• Power and control: The Incense God Dao offers accessible, rapid advancement, but practitioners’ strength depends on the Court and can be revoked.
• Viral attention as a resource: Online fascination fuels both cultural change and Gu Chen’s accumulation of Origin Points.

Character interactions

• Security officials debate how to deal with the forebears, ultimately choosing cautious cooperation.
• The forebears meet with Daoists behind closed doors while observers speculate about their intentions.
• Gu Chen uses the public response to advance his plans, creating a system in which the Incense God Court—and its master, Lin Ling su—holds authority over its practitioners.

Plot and events

• In the Daoist Palace, Shenxiao Sect forebears Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu teach Old Temple Master Yuan Qing, Elders Yuan Ming and Yuan Kong, and the other Daoists the Incense God Dao—a powerful cultivation method linked to the Incense God Court.
• As they teach, pale-gold Incense Wish Power forms Shenxiao Secret Talismans for the listeners, granting them greater access to the Court’s power than ordinary Incense Tokens.
• Liu Yu warns that the world is changing and that the approaching Great Era Struggle will bring other Daoist Sects into prominence. Xue Dongzhen relays the Ancestor’s Edict: the Shenxiao Sect must expand, open its gates, and recruit more disciples.
• News of the recruitment spreads widely. The Central Continent Security Bureau negotiates cooperation with the sect, including help training new talent, and authorities provide land and infrastructure. Within a month, a large Daoist complex is built.
• On opening day, a huge crowd gathers, requiring officials to manage order. Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu appear at the gates and announce that applicants who pass the trial may become disciples, receive a Shenxiao Secret Talisman, and learn the Incense God Dao.

Character developments and interactions

• Yuan Qing, Yuan Ming, Yuan Kong, and the other Daoists are overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement at receiving the sect’s secret teaching. Their wonder grows as they learn the scale of the coming struggle and their role in strengthening Shenxiao.
• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu act as teachers and strategists: Xue explains the cultivation method and recruitment directive, while Liu places the sect’s rise in the context of a wider upheaval.
• Security Bureau officials move from surprise to cooperation, negotiating conditions with the Shenxiao leaders and temple elders.
• Sun Na and her friend Pan Xiaoli marvel at the crowds. Sun Na is confident that their existing Incense Tokens and recognition by the Incense Deities will help them qualify.
• The gathered applicants respond enthusiastically to the ancestors’ announcement, eager to undertake the trial.

Significant themes

• A changing world and looming competition: The Shenxiao Sect’s early rise is only the beginning of the Great Era Struggle.
• Expansion and adaptation: The sect must recruit broadly and build its influence to meet the coming challenge.
• Knowledge, power, and belonging: Learning the Incense God Dao and receiving a Secret Talisman offer a deeper connection to Incense Wish Power than ordinary tokens provide.
• Tradition meeting modern society: Online discussion, official cooperation, and rapid construction bring an ancient Daoist institution into the contemporary world.

Key plot points

• As the Shenxiao Sect opens its Mountain Gate to recruit disciples, Ancestors Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu summon the sect’s Inheritance Artifacts and the Great Song Incense God Court.
• Gu Chen, controlling the ancient ancestor Lin Ling su through his Incense Deity body, creates a vast Golden Light Curtain over the sect grounds. Though the spectacle draws awe and livestream attention, the curtain secretly tests visitors’ affinity with Incense Wish Power and their character.
• The Ancestors announce that anyone who can pass through the gate may qualify. Many assume the trial is easy, but most are stopped by the curtain; only a small number succeed.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli attempt the trial. Despite the curtain’s resistance, they summon their own Incense Wish Power and make it through.
• Half-bloods empowered by the Great Yuan Imperial Advisor’s Demonic Bloodline try to enter unnoticed. Xue Dongzhen detects them and prepares to confront the intruders.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Chen uses Lin Ling su and the Incense God Court to stage the trial, appreciating both the immense crowd and the opportunity to assess recruits.
• Sun Na is drawn to the power on display and, unlike her optimistic friend Pan Xiaoli, suspects the trial is not as simple as announced. Their shared Incense Wish Power helps them pass.
• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu present the trial together, while Xue demonstrates sharp vigilance by spotting the disguised threat.
• Yuan Qing, Yuan Ming, and Yuan Kong take pride in the sect’s restored prestige. Onlookers and livestream viewers react with amazement, excitement, and envy.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The trial sounds effortless, but the Golden Light Curtain quietly screens candidates.
• Power and spiritual affinity: Passing depends not simply on force, but on one’s relationship to Incense Wish Power.
• Renewed legacy and public spectacle: The ancestors’ return revives the Shenxiao Sect’s former glory and turns recruitment into a widely witnessed event.
• Hidden danger: The half-bloods’ attempted infiltration signals that the sect’s resurgence is attracting hostile attention.

Plot points and events

• During the Shenxiao Sect’s disciple-acceptance ceremony, Ancestor Xue Dongzhen detects four Western Augmented Soldiers hiding among the applicants. Their Demonic Bloodline aura stands out to the sect’s Incense Wish Power.
• Exposed, the infiltrators transform into two Vampire Augmented Soldiers and two Leopard Head Augmented Soldiers, causing panic among ordinary spectators.
• The vampires flee by air, while the leopard-headed pair try to escape through the crowd. Xue retrieves the lightning-sealed Jade Talisman from the ancestral hall and uses the Shenxiao Five Elements Divine Lightning Arts to kill all four.
• The leopard-headed soldiers try to intimidate Xue by citing their American government ties and international regulations, but he dismisses their threats.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli livestream the confrontation, and viewers praise Xue and the sect.
• The initiation trial later ends with nearly four hundred new members accepted, mostly Divine Envoys. Gu Chen’s consciousness leaves Ancestor Lin Ling’s body and returns to his own.

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Dongzhen demonstrates vigilance, confidence, and decisive force. He rejects the infiltrators’ legal and political threats, treating their attack as a direct affront to the sect.
• The infiltrators shift from concealment to desperate flight and pleading once discovered; their attempts to use the crowd as cover and invoke foreign authority fail.
• The witnesses, including Yuan Qing and the other temple elders, react with shock and anger at the attempted theft of the Incense God Dao. The crowd panics, while martial artists and security personnel recognize the danger and remain more composed.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli turn the event into a public spectacle through their livestream; online reactions reinforce Xue’s reputation.
• Gu Chen observes the incident through his connection to Lin Ling and recognizes that the infiltrators’ powerful bloodline auras made them easy for Incense Wish Power to detect.

Significant themes

• Protecting sacred knowledge: The infiltration is framed as an attempt to steal the sect’s teachings, making the attack both a security threat and an insult.
• Power and legitimacy: Xue’s spiritual authority overwhelms the soldiers’ reliance on foreign status and legal claims.
• Public spectacle: The livestream turns the sect’s defense into a widely watched display of power and shapes public opinion.
• The limits of concealment: The infiltrators’ transformations and escape plans cannot hide them from the sect’s supernatural senses.

Key plot points and events

• Shenxiao Sect’s recruitment drive attracts intense online attention after Xue Dongzhen effortlessly kills four American Augmented Soldiers. The event earns Gu Chen nearly 300,000 Origin Points, bringing his total close to two million.
• The American and Central Province governments trade accusations over the killings, while netizens celebrate Shenxiao’s strength and argue with Western commenters.
• New disciples settle into the expanding sect. Many are Divine Envoys with a natural affinity for Incense Wish Power, and the sect’s Incense God Dao teachings help it grow quickly.
• Alarmed by Shenxiao’s rise, Buddhist leaders worry about losing followers, offerings, and influence—and fear the sect may repeat Lin Ling su’s past campaign against Buddhism. They seek support from the Evil Buddha Demonic Temple beneath Wutai Mountain.
• Buddhist envoys successfully make contact with the temple and obtain its Incense God Dao cultivation method.
• At the Central Continent Security Bureau’s request, Shenxiao agrees to rescue explorers trapped in the Evil Ancient Temple. Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu take nearly thirty promising disciples to Wutai Mountain, both to train them and retrieve the captives.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Chen treats the recruitment success as a major resource gain, but plans to finish the Great Song storyline and deal with the Evil Buddha Demonic Temple before pursuing his next project.
• Xue Dongzhen becomes a public hero after his decisive victory, strengthening Shenxiao’s reputation.
• The Buddhist leadership shifts from anxious discussion to desperate action, approaching a dangerous rival for protection and instruction.
• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu respond to the Security Bureau’s request by leading a mission with selected disciples.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli livestream sect life, helping attract public attention and envy toward Shenxiao.

Significant themes

• Power and legitimacy: Shenxiao’s visible supernatural accomplishments contrast with Buddhism’s lack of comparable proof, weakening Buddhist confidence and public support.
• Competition for faith and influence: Offerings and followers shift toward Shenxiao as its teachings and ancestors become publicly known.
• Modernity meeting the supernatural: Government diplomacy, online fandom, livestreaming, and international disputes all react to ancient cultivation powers.
• Desperate alliances: Fear of Shenxiao pushes Buddhist leaders to seek help from a sinister institution they might otherwise distrust.

Plot and key events

• The Shenxiao Sect accepts an official request to rescue Captain Level Experts trapped in the Evil Ancient Temple. Its expedition revives memories of the sect’s defeat of the temple a thousand years earlier, sparking widespread excitement about a renewed Dao-Buddha confrontation.
• Crowds—including martial artists, Divine Envoys, tourists, and online creators—flock to Wutai Mountain. Gu Chen and his companions arrive to watch, while the Shenxiao Sect and Central Continent Security Bureau experts lead the procession to the temple.
• At the temple, the Shenxiao Sect ancestors Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu attack with golden lightning powered by Incense Wish Power. The Suspended Heart Evil Monk and another monk emerge, and the four begin a fierce aerial battle.
• As viewers follow the fight through livestreams, the Shenxiao Sect disciples draw on their own Incense Wish Power and charge into the temple grounds.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Qing’er recognizes the danger posed by Xue Dongzhen, judging him comparable to the Suspended Heart Evil Monk. Fang Xiu remains confident that the group’s strength will grow as they advance in the Human Immortal Martial Dao.
• Li Xingming eagerly anticipates the battle; with his college entrance examination finished, he can join the trip.
• Sun Na and Pan Xiaoli stream the expedition. Their popularity has risen since joining the Shenxiao Sect, and their audiences react enthusiastically to the opening clash.
• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu take command of the expedition and lead the assault; the monks respond directly, turning the rescue mission into open combat.

Significant themes

• History repeating itself: The confrontation echoes the Dao-Buddha struggle of a thousand years ago.
• Competing sources of power: Incense Wish Power and malevolent Buddhist energy clash in a spectacular display.
• Public spectacle: Livestreams, crowds, and online fame turn a dangerous mission into a widely watched event.
• Confidence in progress: Fang Xiu’s faith in the Human Immortal Martial Dao reflects the group’s belief that their future training can narrow the gap with ancient experts.

• The battle begins: Earlier Lightning Arts from Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu had weakened the temple’s Life-Taking Incantation Sound. Shenxiao Sect disciples and Central Continent Security Bureau warriors led the assault, while many Civilian Faction fighters stayed back, hoping to avoid danger and perhaps find treasure. Others joined to search for friends trapped inside.
• The fighters’ fortunes: The two sides clashed fiercely, with casualties and injuries on both sides. Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, Wang Xiaoai, and Li Xingming fought together smoothly, while Gu Chen handled the monks with striking ease. He concealed the extent of his strength, claiming he had not settled on a Blood Qi Manifestation. His companions admired his skill, though Fang Xiu suspected he was hiding something.
• The tide turns—then reverses: The temple’s Evil Monks began to retreat, and Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu gained the upper hand against Suspended Heart Evil Monk Xuanxin and a tall monk. Using the Shenxiao Sect’s Jade Sword and Jade Talisman, they wounded Xuanxin badly and knocked down the other monk, preparing to finish them.
• A deeper threat appears: A sigh from the temple’s depths summoned two gray lotus flowers of evil qi, which blocked the artifacts’ attacks and saved the fallen monks. In the inner courtyard, two formidable monks emerged: a foreign monk and a shriveled Old Monk, both surrounded by terrifying evil manifestations. Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu recognized them as possible opponents of the Shenxiao ancestor from a thousand years earlier. The monks identified themselves as Daojian and Lizang.
  Character developments and interactions: Gu Chen’s concealed power becomes more conspicuous as his teammates compare him to renowned masters, while he deflects their questions with humor. Fang Xiu remains wary; the others are impressed. Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu act in close coordination, but the intervention of Daojian and Lizang forces them to confront the ancient conflict directly.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts self-serving opportunism with loyalty and rescue, emphasizes the burden of concealed strength, and frames the battle as the continuation of a centuries-old Daoist–Buddhist feud.

Key plot points and events

• The crowd realizes that the monks claiming to be Daojian and Lizang are the famed Great Song Buddhist figures who fought Shenxiao Sect Ancestor Lin Lingsu a thousand years ago. Their age and power suggest they may surpass the two Shenxiao ancestors, Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu.
• Tension spreads among the witnesses. Shenxiao disciples and Security Bureau warriors worry, while some civilian warriors edge toward the temple’s perimeter in case they need to flee. Fang Xiu and his friends sense the monks’ immense danger.
• Daojian asks the Shenxiao ancestors to avoid fighting, but Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu insist the thousand-year-old Dao-Buddha Conflict must be settled. They attack with the sect’s Jade Sword and Jade Talisman, unleashing a massive golden sword and a thunder dragon.
• Daojian crushes the sword aura with an evil-energy hand, while Lizang’s ghostly manifestation defeats the thunder dragon. The monks gain the upper hand. Daojian then attacks the two ancestors directly, and their artifacts struggle to protect them.
• With capture seemingly imminent, Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu invoke Shenxiao Patriarch Yuanmiao for help. Gu Chen secretly directs his consciousness toward Lin Lingsu, anticipating the mastermind’s entrance and the chance to gain Origin Points.

Character developments and interactions

• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu remain determined to resolve the old conflict, but their confidence is tested when their strongest attacks prove ineffective. They turn to their patriarch as a last resort.
• Daojian and Lizang reveal themselves as formidable, dangerous opponents. Daojian speaks politely but attacks decisively; Lizang’s power matches his.
• Sun Na steadies the anxious Pan Xiaoli, urging her to trust the ancestors and focus on the disciples’ own fight.
• Gu Chen hides his knowledge of the staged events and reassures his friends that help may come from the Incense God Court, while privately preparing Lin Lingsu’s intervention.
• Fang Xiu, Liu Qing’er, Li Xingming, and Wang Xiaoai share their concern over whether the Shenxiao ancestors can survive the encounter.

Significant themes

• Old rivalries and unfinished history: The thousand-year-old Dao-Buddha Conflict resurfaces, with both sides seeking to settle the past.
• Power and dependence: The Shenxiao ancestors’ defeat in the exchange forces them to call on their patriarch.
• Appearance versus reality: The monks’ familiar religious identities conceal terrifying, corrupted power, while Gu Chen’s outward concern masks his control of events.
• Unequal knowledge: The crowd sees a crisis unfolding, but Gu Chen knows it is part of a larger plan.

Plot points and events

• As High Monk Daojian and Hu Monk Lizang move to capture Shenxiao Sect ancestors Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu, Liu Yu summons the Shenxiao Sect’s Incense God Court.
• Gu Chen takes control of his hidden alias, Shenxiao Ancestor Lin Ling su, and brings the immense, Void-floating court into the battle.
• Lin Ling su confronts Daojian and Lizang, rejects their claim that they only meant to invite the Shenxiao disciples to the temple, and attacks with the Shenxiao Lightning Arts.
• Drawing on the Incense God Court’s power, Lin Ling su fires a massive golden lightning pillar. The monks’ combined Evil Buddha formation is destroyed in three breaths, and the lightning blasts a huge hole into the ground.

Character developments and interactions

• Gu Chen/Lin Ling su eagerly tests how much power the Incense God Court can add to his strength and chooses an overwhelming display to end the confrontation.
• Xue Dongzhen and Liu Yu use their sect’s ultimate support when defeat seems imminent.
• Daojian and Lizang shift from aggression to excuses and attempts to de-escalate, but Lin Ling su refuses to accept their explanation.
• Shenxiao disciples and witnesses move from fear to relief and awe as their powerful ancestor appears. The watching authorities are reassured, though they still wonder whether a missing Security Bureau expert survived the previous expedition.

Significant themes

• Power and deterrence: The Incense God Court transforms Lin Ling su’s strength and makes the Shenxiao Sect appear nearly untouchable.
• Loyalty and protection: Lin Ling su acts decisively to defend his disciples.
• Spectacle and public perception: The battle unfolds before ordinary people and officials, whose reactions show how dramatically such displays shape the sect’s reputation.