Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: From Void to Solid

Key Plot Points and Events

• In an unnamed cave in Star Mountain Valley, Jiang Yan guards Ouyang Xiuyah while she spends more than ten days refining a new tool from Phantom Puppet remains and other unusual materials.
• After extensive experimentation, hand seals, and force-energy infusion, the grayish-white material transforms into a transparent mirror marked with strange green patterns.
• Ouyang completes the tool by embedding a “Drag” rune into it. She names it Small Mirror, though Jiang Yan finds the name unremarkable.
• Ouyang explains that Small Mirror temporarily possesses the ability to:
  • Turn illusory things into solid, tangible objects.
  • Turn existing objects into phantoms.
• She demonstrates the power by making a stone illusory and then using the mirror on an illusory moon formed from heaven-and-earth Vital Energy. After twenty breaths, the moon begins to solidify.
• Ouyang reveals the true purpose behind her dangerous journey to Star Mountain Valley: Small Mirror was created as part of an experiment to help martial artists advance from the Void Dan Realm to the Solid Dan Realm.
• Her plan is to release her Void Dan during a breakthrough and use Small Mirror to forcibly transform it into a Solid Dan, thereby “turning the void into the solid.”

Character Developments

• Ouyang Xiuyah is revealed to be an exceptionally gifted and knowledgeable toolmaker. Her success in creating Small Mirror demonstrates creativity, technical skill, persistence, and a deep understanding of strange entities, spiritual materials, formulas, and hand seals.
• Her obsession with refining the tool is shown to have a larger personal goal: finding a way to overcome the extreme difficulty and high failure rate of advancing to the Solid Dan Realm.
• Jiang Yan proves himself patient, observant, and respectful of Ouyang’s privacy. He recognizes that her mission must have a deeper purpose but waits for her to reveal it herself.
• Ouyang’s guarded confidence gives way to greater trust as she voluntarily shares her secret and explains the risks and ambitions behind her work.

Significant Themes

• Innovation through experimentation: Ouyang combines knowledge of tools, martial cultivation, talismans, and strange materials to create an entirely new artifact.
• The danger of advancement: Breaking through from Void Dan to Solid Dan is portrayed as extremely difficult, requiring extensive preparation but still carrying a substantial risk of failure.
• Turning illusion into reality: The physical function of Small Mirror reflects the chapter’s central idea—transforming something insubstantial into something solid and powerful.
• Ambition and risk: Ouyang is willing to face life-threatening dangers and possible contamination from Phantom Puppet materials in pursuit of a revolutionary cultivation method.
• Human reliance on external power: Her experiment questions whether tools can supplement or alter the natural process of martial advancement.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan stands guard while Ouyang works, providing protection during the long and dangerous refinement process.
• After the tool is completed, they discuss its abilities and name, with Jiang offering encouragement about Ouyang’s future as a great toolmaker.
• Jiang correctly suspects that hunting Phantom Puppets was not merely for materials, prompting Ouyang to disclose her true motive.
• Ouyang demonstrates Small Mirror’s abilities directly for Jiang, turning the explanation into proof of the tool’s potential and revealing the breakthrough strategy she intends to attempt.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ouyang Xiuyah reveals a novel method to advance from Void Dan to Solid Dan using the power of a tool, the Small Mirror.
• Ouyang Xiuyah attempts this method under Jiang Yan's guard, successfully transforming her Void Dan into a Solid Dan.
• After stabilizing her realm, Ouyang Xiuyah offers Jiang Yan compensation for his help.

Character Developments

• Ouyang Xiuyah demonstrates her intelligence and boldness in attempting a risky method to advance her cultivation.
• Jiang Yan shows understanding and support for Ouyang Xiuyah's plan, indicating his trust in her.

Significant Themes

• The struggle and innovation involved in advancing through cultivation realms.
• The value of trust and mutual support among cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Ouyang Xiuyah shares her plan with Jiang Yan, showing trust in him.
• Jiang Yan supports Ouyang Xiuyah's attempt, demonstrating his faith in her abilities.
• After her successful advancement, Ouyang Xiuyah offers Jiang Yan compensation, indicating her gratitude and respect for him.

Chapter Summary: Peak Huanjing Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• After ten days of travel, Jiang Yan and Ouyang Xiuyah safely return to Yehuai City from Star Mountain Valley.
• At the city gate, Ouyang Xiuyah and Jiang Yan part ways. She gives him her address and invites him to visit her for artificer knowledge or Void Dan Realm cultivation techniques.
• Jiang Yan returns to his courtyard on Fairy Flower Street, where Lu Lu tearfully welcomes him home.
• After resting, Jiang Yan discovers that Lu Lu has begun cultivating the Zhen Dan Cheng Yun Evil Scripture and has advanced into the Body Refining Realm.
• Lu Lu worries that her cultivation is progressing too slowly. Jiang Yan explains that she is using a super-grade technique, which is powerful but difficult to cultivate, and promises to buy her cultivation pills.
• That night, Jiang Yan activates the Martial Arts Modifier and raises the Supreme Yang Burning Flame True Manuscript from the seventh layer to the completed twelfth layer.
• He successfully reaches the peak of the Huanjing Realm, greatly increasing his Xiantian Gangkqi, transforming his Pure Spirit True Flame completely white, and tripling the size of his Xiantian Gang Crystal.
• Jiang Yan realizes that his exceptionally powerful foundation will make breaking into the Void Dan Realm much more difficult than it is for ordinary Huanjing martial artists.
• The next morning, after eating at a local snack stall, Jiang Yan heads to Tianyuan Pavilion in White Guanyin Market to purchase cultivation pills for Lu Lu. He also plans to visit Ouyang Xiuyah and borrow Void Dan Realm cultivation techniques.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan: Returns from his dangerous journey exhausted but stronger and more determined. He advances to the peak of the Huanjing Realm, though his immense foundation creates new challenges for his future breakthrough. He also continues taking responsibility for Lu Lu’s cultivation and planning his next stage of advancement.
• Lu Lu: Has advanced into the Body Refining Realm by diligently practicing Jiang Yan’s gifted technique. Her concern over her slow progress reveals both her ambition and insecurity, while Jiang Yan reassures her that a solid foundation matters more than speed.
• Ouyang Xiuyah: Becomes a more established ally and potential source of knowledge. She offers Jiang Yan access to artificer teachings and Void Dan Realm techniques, and their relationship gains a closer, more personal undertone through her invitation to visit her residence.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus stability: Jiang Yan’s extraordinary foundation grants him immense power but makes future advancement more difficult.
• Long-term cultivation: The chapter emphasizes that slow progress can be worthwhile when it produces a stronger foundation.
• Responsibility and care: Jiang Yan supports Lu Lu’s development by providing guidance and planning to obtain pills for her.
• Homecoming and relationships: After prolonged wilderness hardship, returning home and reuniting with Lu Lu provides Jiang Yan with emotional relief and a sense of belonging.
• Preparation for greater challenges: Jiang Yan’s next goals—obtaining Void Dan Realm techniques and overcoming his difficult breakthrough—set up his future progression.

Character Interactions

• Ouyang Xiuyah and Jiang Yan part amicably, with her offering continued assistance and inviting him to seek her out.
• Lu Lu greets Jiang Yan with intense relief and affection, highlighting their close bond.
• Jiang Yan evaluates Lu Lu’s cultivation, explains the reason for her slow advancement, and promises to help her with medicinal resources.
• Jiang Yan’s thoughts about Ouyang Xiuyah and his plans to borrow techniques show that their partnership will remain important in his future cultivation.

Chapter Summary: Vermilion Bird True Scripture

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan visits Tianyuan Pavilion on Moon Tree Street to purchase pills that improve cultivation in the Body Refining Realm.
• He also asks whether the pavilion can provide a fire-element cultivation method for the Void Dan Realm.
• Although the local branch lacks one, Chief Shopkeeper Xu Zhou promises to transfer a suitable method from the main store in Nanyan Prefecture within three days.
• Jiang Yan pays a twenty percent deposit and gives Xu Zhou detailed requirements. The high price leaves him nearly broke, prompting him to consider borrowing money from his friend Ying.
• After buying the pills, Jiang Yan visits Ouyang Xiuyah at her wealthy residence on Snow Cedar Street, near Baiyang Academy.
• Ouyang Xiuyah quietly leads him into the estate and asks him to wait while she retrieves the item he requested.
• In a concealed study compartment, she takes out a booklet from a hidden box. After reconsidering, she returns and retrieves two additional booklets.
• She places all three booklets on her desk and uses blood to activate a Fire Cloud phoenix-pattern jade pendant. The pendant reveals the words: “Vermilion Bird True Scripture!”

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan: Demonstrates growing ambition and practical planning by seeking a powerful Void Dan Realm cultivation method. His calm spending contrasts with his frustration over the enormous cost, revealing financial limitations beneath his confident exterior. He also relies on personal relationships, particularly his friendship with Ying, when facing financial pressure.
• Xu Zhou: Shows excellent professionalism and commercial awareness. Though initially disappointed that Jiang Yan only wants inexpensive Body Refining pills, he quickly becomes attentive when Jiang Yan mentions the far more valuable Void Dan Realm method.
• Ouyang Xiuyah: Appears reserved, serious, and emotionally restrained. Her secret actions reveal that she possesses valuable and possibly dangerous inheritances. Her hesitation before retrieving the additional booklets suggests internal conflict or concern over entrusting them to Jiang Yan.

Significant Themes

• The cost of advancement: Higher-level cultivation requires enormous resources, forcing Jiang Yan to balance ambition with financial hardship.
• Hidden power and secrets: Ouyang Xiuyah’s concealed study, secret booklets, and blood-activated jade pendant suggest a mysterious legacy concealed within her household.
• Trust and friendship: Jiang Yan’s willingness to borrow money from Ying highlights the importance of personal bonds in his cultivation journey.
• Foreshadowing: The revelation of the Vermilion Bird True Scripture strongly hints at a major cultivation inheritance, likely connected to fire, phoenix imagery, and Ouyang Xiuyah’s artifact-refining background.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and Xu Zhou engage in a formal merchant-customer negotiation. Xu Zhou is surprised by Jiang Yan’s sudden request for an expensive Void Dan Realm technique but agrees to arrange it after receiving the deposit.
• Jiang Yan and Ouyang Xiuyah interact quietly and somewhat awkwardly. She welcomes him without warmth or small talk, yet personally escorts him inside and retrieves the requested materials.
• Their restrained interaction contrasts with the importance of what Ouyang Xiuyah ultimately reveals, suggesting that her actions may carry deeper implications than her calm exterior indicates.

Chapter Summary: “Drinking Tea”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ouyang Xiuyah gives Jiang Yan three booklets containing tool-crafting formulas and hand seals, along with a jade pendant engraved with the high-grade Void Dan Realm cultivation method, the Vermilion Bird True Scripture.
• She allows Jiang Yan two hours to memorize the cultivation method and asks him to return the crafting manuals within a month.
• Jiang Yan successfully records the Vermilion Bird True Scripture with his Martial Arts Modifier. He recognizes it as a powerful supreme-yang, fire-attribute technique related to his previous cultivation method and possibly connected to the Vermilion Bird and Heavenly Phoenix lineages.
• To avoid immediately upgrading the technique, Jiang Yan studies the tool-crafting manuals, especially their descriptions of valuable monster materials. He plans to use the Jingye Division’s intelligence network to locate monsters he can safely hunt for both materials and Weird Value.
• Ouyang Xiuyah returns and offers him tea. Jiang Yan thanks her and returns the jade pendant, feeling increasingly indebted to her.
• Needing a large amount of money to purchase a Void Dan Realm cultivation method, Jiang Yan visits Ying Mansion hoping to borrow funds.
• At a teahouse, Ying Tianjiao explains that although his blood and vitality have recovered, he has lost lifespan, cultivation, and favor within the Ying Family. He compares his situation to a fallen genius in a tragic novel.
• Ying Tianjiao cannot lend Jiang Yan money, but suggests that Jiang Yan ask Lan Xin, who is wealthier than he once was.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan: Becomes more determined to advance into the Void Dan Realm. His financial difficulties push him to consider hunting monsters, accepting bounty missions, or even cheating gambling houses. He also shows gratitude and some discomfort over how much he owes Ouyang Xiuyah.
• Ouyang Xiuyah: Demonstrates exceptional generosity and trust by lending Jiang Yan a valuable cultivation method and technical knowledge. Her gentler tone while serving him tea hints at a subtle emotional shift or growing warmth toward him.
• Ying Tianjiao: Is revealed to be in a serious decline. Though physically recovering, he has lost cultivation, lifespan, and standing within his clan, making him a sympathetic example of the Ying Family’s ruthless pragmatism.
• Lan Xin: Does not appear directly, but is established as wealthy and potentially Jiang Yan’s next source of financial assistance.

Significant Themes

• The cost of cultivation: Advancement requires enormous resources, and Jiang Yan’s lack of money becomes a major obstacle.
• Generosity and indebtedness: Ouyang Xiuyah’s assistance greatly benefits Jiang Yan but also leaves him feeling burdened by another enormous favor.
• Pragmatism and social status: Ying Tianjiao’s fall from favor shows how powerful families value usefulness and strength over loyalty or past achievement.
• Opportunity amid danger: Monsters are both threats and sources of valuable materials, creating opportunities for Jiang Yan to grow stronger and become wealthy.
• Tea and conversation as social negotiation: The chapter uses seemingly casual meetings over tea to reveal relationships, offer help, and redirect Jiang Yan toward new possibilities.

Character Interactions

• Ouyang Xiuyah and Jiang Yan interact with mutual respect: she provides him rare resources, while he sincerely thanks her and carefully follows her conditions.
• Their tea exchange is restrained but notably gentle, suggesting increasing familiarity.
• Jiang Yan and Ying Tianjiao discuss their recent experiences over tea. Jiang Yan offers encouragement, while Ying Tianjiao candidly reveals his decline.
• When Ying Tianjiao cannot help financially, he still assists Jiang Yan by pointing him toward Lan Xin as a possible lender.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan learns about Lan Xin's status and decides to approach her if needed for Spirit Stones.
• Jiang Yan visits the Golden Gambling Den, aiming to earn a substantial amount of Spirit Stones.
• Jiang Yan wins consecutively, attracting the attention of the gambling house management.
• Jiang Yan discovers a cheater at the table and decides to leave, successfully exiting the gambling den.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan: Demonstrates his ability to estimate dice rolls, showing his strategic and calm demeanor under pressure.
• Shao Liu: Shows his observant nature and understanding of the gambling house's operations, recognizing Jiang Yan's unusual luck and the presence of a cheater.

Significant Themes

• Luck vs. Skill: Jiang Yan's winnings raise questions about whether his success is due to luck or skill.
• Greed and its Consequences: The gambling den's patrons, including the cheater, exhibit greed that could lead to their downfall.
• Adaptability: Jiang Yan adapts his plan when he senses the gambling house's management is onto him.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and the Gambling House Management: Jiang Yan's winnings attract the attention of the gambling house management, leading to a tense situation.
• Jiang Yan and the Cheater: Jiang Yan senses the cheater's presence but doesn't confront him directly, instead choosing to leave the gambling den.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan, after winning big at the Golden Gambler's, avoids potential pursuers and considers borrowing money from a pawnshop but decides against it due to the high interest rates and potential consequences.
• Lan Xin waits for Jiang Yan at her residence, and they spend the day together, with Lan Chong noticing their interaction.
• Jiang Yan borrows money from Lan Xin to fund his advancement to the Void Dan Realm.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan: Shows caution and strategic thinking in avoiding trouble after winning at gambling. He's also determined to advance his martial arts cultivation.
• Lan Xin: Demonstrates her independence and willingness to help Jiang Yan, showing she values their friendship. She also displays her knowledge of Yehuai city and its delicacies.
• Lan Chong: Shows concern for his younger sister's well-being and interest in the person she's meeting, hinting at potential future involvement.

Significant Themes

• Friendship: The chapter highlights the growing bond between Jiang Yan and Lan Xin, with Lan Xin helping Jiang Yan without hesitation.
• Caution and Strategy: Jiang Yan shows prudence in avoiding potential trouble and making decisions.
• Martial Arts Advancement: Jiang Yan's desire to advance to the Void Dan Realm is a significant driving force in the plot.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and Lan Xin: They spend the day together, with Lan Xin showing familiarity and comfort around Jiang Yan. They discuss Jiang Yan's martial arts cultivation.
• Lan Chong and Lan Xin: Lan Chong shows concern for his younger sister, hinting at potential protective or investigative actions regarding Jiang Yan.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan returns home after a long journey and gives Lu Lu a cultivation-boosting Pill.
• He learns that he was dismissed from the Jingye Division due to a new deputy Division Head's appointment.
• Jiang Yan considers his future options, including hunting valuable monsters, participating in adventuring activities, accepting official tasks, or opening a shop to help people with monster-related issues.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan shows responsibility by giving Lu Lu a cultivation Pill.
• He demonstrates resilience and adaptability in facing his dismissal from the Jingye Division.
• Zhao Ruman shows concern for Jiang Yan's well-being and keeps him informed about the situation in the Jingye Division.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation and resilience in the face of change and adversity.
• The importance of responsibility and care for others (seen in Jiang Yan's actions towards Lu Lu).

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan interacts with Lu Lu, showing care and responsibility towards her.
• Jiang Yan meets Zhao Ruman, who updates him about the Jingye Division and expresses her dissatisfaction with his prolonged leave.
• Jiang Yan's thoughts reveal his internal struggle and plans for the future, highlighting his determination and resourcefulness.

Chapter Summary: “Fengshou Seal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Zhou activates a transmission array in Tianyuan Pavilion using a Spirit Stone.
• A black vortex opens, through which a grotesque pale hand and animated red lips appear. The strange messenger delivers a wooden box and complains about the transmission array.
• Xu Zhou pays the messenger with another Spirit Stone and retrieves a technique called “Wujin Chilian Tianhuo Duben.” He is pleased, believing the technique will bring Tianyuan Pavilion a substantial profit when a certain “guest” arrives.
• Meanwhile, Jiang Yan returns home after being dismissed from the Jingye Division. Rather than dwelling on the setback, he focuses on cultivating and preparing for his future.
• For two days, Jiang Yan remains at home, teaching Lu Lu martial cultivation and studying artifact-making knowledge obtained from Ouyang Xiuyah.
• He learns that artifact creation requires both formulas and specialized seals, which demand extensive practice and comprehension. He realizes that the Modifier may allow him to master seals far faster than ordinary artifact makers.
• Jiang Yan studies the Wind Hand artifact, a poisonous black glove powered by the Fengshou Seal. He uses the Martial Arts Modifier to upgrade the seal, spending 110 points of Qi Realm Weird Value.
• The upgrade opens new meridians in his arms and implants the knowledge needed to perform the seal. Jiang Yan begins practicing it and plans to acquire the required materials so he can attempt to refine the Wind Hand.

Character Developments

• Xu Zhou is portrayed as calm, efficient, and accustomed to bizarre supernatural transactions. His careful inspection of the array shows his caution, while his immediate assessment of the delivered technique reveals a practical, profit-oriented mindset.
• Jiang Yan demonstrates resilience after losing his position in the Jingye Division. He shifts his attention toward Baiyang Academy, artifact making, and cultivation rather than allowing the dismissal to discourage him.
• Jiang Yan also becomes more aware of the value of his relationship with Ouyang Xiuyah, recognizing that the knowledge she gave him may exceed the value of what he did for her.
• His confidence in the Modifier grows as he realizes it can compensate for the difficulty and time normally required to master artifact seals.

Significant Themes

• Exchange, debt, and value: Xu Zhou’s payment for the transmission and Jiang Yan’s reflections on Ouyang Xiuyah’s gift both emphasize the importance of equivalent exchange.
• Adaptation after failure: Jiang Yan responds to professional rejection by creating a new path through cultivation and artifact making.
• Knowledge as power: Artifact formulas and seals are treated as rare, accumulated achievements of humanity, and mastery of them offers significant future resources.
• Human ingenuity versus supernatural strangeness: The technical operation of the transmission array contrasts with the bizarre messenger, while Jiang Yan’s systematic study contrasts with the mysterious power of the Modifier.
• Cultivation and specialization: The chapter highlights that even skilled practitioners have limits, while Jiang Yan’s unique advantage may allow him to master many techniques and potentially become an artifact maker.

Character Interactions

• Xu Zhou interacts with the grotesque messenger emerging from the transmission array. Their exchange is routine but hostilely humorous: the messenger mocks the array, delivers the wooden box, receives payment, and departs.
• Jiang Yan’s relationship with Lu Lu is shown through his efforts to guide her martial training.
• His connection with Ouyang Xiuyah remains important even though she does not appear directly; Jiang Yan studies the knowledge she provided and worries that he owes her more than he can repay.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan visits Changshan Restaurant to familiarize himself with adventurer recruitment notices.
• He finds an expedition to Suiflower Village, where Jiangchan Tuipi, a material for crafting 'Death Substitute', can be found.
• Jiang Yan goes to Tianyuan Pavilion to purchase a Cultivation Technique, 'Wujin Chilian Tianhuo Duben'.
• He returns home to find Lan Xin and Lu Lu waiting for him.
• Jiang Yan attempts to enter the Void Dan Realm and upgrade his Cultivation Technique using the Martial Arts Modifier.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan demonstrates determination and focus in his cultivation journey.
• Lan Xin shows concern for Jiang Yan's well-being, hinting at her growing affection for him.
• Lu Lu remains indifferent to Jiang Yan's presence, indicating her lack of interest in his personal life.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of power and cultivation in the Martial Dao system.
• The importance of gathering materials and resources for advancement.
• The struggle between poverty and ambition in Jiang Yan's life.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan interacts with the head shopkeeper, Xu Zhou, at Tianyuan Pavilion, showcasing his knowledge and seriousness in purchasing a Cultivation Technique.
• He greets Lan Xin and Lu Lu upon returning home, revealing his awareness of his financial struggles and Lan Xin's feelings towards him.
• Jiang Yan's interaction with the Martial Arts Modifier illustrates his resolve and dedication to improving his Cultivation Technique.

Chapter Summary: Void Dan Realm Achieved, Vermilion Bird Origin Flame

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lan Xin and Lu Lu play Go in the courtyard while Lu Lu repeatedly becomes distracted by Jiang Yan’s cultivation breakthrough.
• Jiang Yan awakens after stabilizing his breakthrough and examines the updated information on his cultivation panel:
  • He has reached the Void Dan/Core Realm.
  • His technique, the Vermilion Bird True Fire Poison Scripture, has reached the Twelfth Layer.
  • His new technique attribute is the Vermilion Bird Origin Flame.
  • His Weird Value has increased to 544 in the Body and Qi realms and 2 in the Core Realm.
• A pale-gold full-moon phenomenon appears behind Jiang Yan, marking his breakthrough. To avoid attracting attention from powerful martial artists in Yehuai City, he quickly compresses the phenomenon to a radius of one zhang.
• Jiang Yan studies the abilities granted by the Void Dan. Within the area covered by the pale-gold light, he can instinctively resonate with and control the surrounding Vital Energy of heaven and earth.
• His former Pure Spirit True Flame has fused with the new technique attribute to become the Vermilion Bird Origin Flame, which contains both fire and poison properties, represented by black and red runes.
• His Dantian undergoes a major transformation: the former Gang Crystal disappears and becomes an illusory pale-gold moon, while his Dantian sea expands dramatically and gains layered, tidal Gang Qi.
• After breaking through, Jiang Yan realizes that he must cultivate new martial skills and, more urgently, earn money to repay his substantial debt to Lan Xin.
• The following day, he travels to Changshan Workshop to join an adventure team. He chooses a mission to hunt the strange Twin-Born Birds/Twin Cranes in Vulture Mountain, both to earn resources and to accumulate Weird Value.
• Jiang Yan arrives at Ninety-Eight Courtyard, the team’s meeting place. The team leader’s subordinate warns him that several other candidates are competing for the final position and that he must demonstrate his strength to gain Boss Mu’s approval.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan successfully advances to the Void Dan/Core Realm, marking a major increase in both cultivation and life essence.
• He gains greater control over external Vital Energy and obtains the powerful Vermilion Bird Origin Flame, combining fire and poison.
• Jiang Yan becomes more cautious and strategic, concealing his breakthrough to avoid unwanted attention.
• His goals expand beyond cultivation: he now intends to develop martial skills, earn money, repay Lan Xin, and exploit dangerous missions to increase his Weird Value.
• Lu Lu remains inexperienced and somewhat playful, abandoning her Go game so she can prepare lunch and observe Jiang Yan’s breakthrough.
• Lan Xin continues to interact comfortably with Jiang Yan’s household and remains an important figure because of the debt he owes her.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: The Void Dan breakthrough fundamentally changes Jiang Yan’s body, energy, and combat potential.
• Concealment and caution: Despite his breakthrough, Jiang Yan avoids revealing his full strength because public attention could bring danger.
• Practical burdens after advancement: Increased power does not eliminate worldly concerns; Jiang Yan still needs money and must repay his debts.
• Growth through risk: He plans to improve by entering dangerous missions, hunting weird creatures, gathering rare materials, and accumulating Weird Value.
• Balance of opposing forces: The Vermilion Bird Origin Flame unites fire and poison, represented by the red and black runes.

Character Interactions

• Lan Xin casually dominates Lu Lu in Go, while Lu Lu is more interested in watching Jiang Yan cultivate than finishing the game.
• Lu Lu calls Jiang Yan to eat after his breakthrough, grounding the extraordinary event in ordinary household life.
• Jiang Yan later interacts with the rugged gatekeeper at Ninety-Eight Courtyard, who questions his purpose and warns him that he must compete with other applicants.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Yan facing the challenge of proving himself worthy of joining the Vulture Mountain hunting expedition.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan arrives at a courtyard where two groups of martial artists are gathered, one for a confirmed Funiu Mountain hunt and another, hostile group of five led by "Boss Mu."
• Jiang Yan joins the hostile group and waits for Boss Mu, who arrives after two quarters of an hour.
• Boss Mu reveals that only one person can join his team to hunt Twin Cranes, and the others must leave. He suggests a sparring match to determine the winner.
• The group moves to a training ground made of Earthfire Agate. A middle-aged martial artist, a Void Dan Realm cultivator, initiates the spar by displaying his power.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan, a "wild" folk martial artist with a huge debt, decides to fight for a spot in Boss Mu's team.
• Boss Mu, a thin man with a ferocious claw on his left hand, is revealed to be the leader of the Twin Cranes hunt and has a preference for powerful martial artists.

Significant Themes

• Competition and survival among folk martial artists.
• The value of powerful cultivators and artifacts in the martial world.
• The importance of time and efficiency in achieving goals.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan interacts with the hostile group and Boss Mu, showing his determination to join the hunt.
• The middle-aged martial artist, a Void Dan Realm cultivator, interacts with Boss Mu and the other competitors, displaying his power and confidence.

Other Notable Events

• Ying Tianjiao, a member of the Ying family, undergoes a rapid cultivation breakthrough, reaching Huanjing Realm Peak, after communicating with a malevolent spirit from the underworld.

Chapter Summary: “Talisman Ship”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan faces a middle-aged Void Dan Realm martial artist during the team’s recruitment test.
• Although the others initially assume the two are evenly matched, Jiang Yan’s superior cultivation quickly becomes clear. He seizes control of the surrounding heaven-and-earth Vital Energy, breaking the opponent’s control and trapping him within his Core Realm.
• Overwhelmed by Jiang Yan’s suppression and sensing that resistance could cost him his life, the middle-aged martial artist admits defeat and withdraws. The other competitors also leave.
• Impressed by Jiang Yan’s strength, Boss Mu offers him a larger share of the expedition’s profits—twenty percent—as an open effort to recruit and retain him. Jiang Yan accepts the offer.
• The group begins traveling upstream along the dangerous Lei Xiong River aboard Boss Mu’s talisman ship, a rune-powered vessel fueled by Spirit Stones.
• At dusk, the ship leaves the river and lands in the canopy of an ancient tree within a primeval forest. The group establishes a defensive rune formation, clears the surrounding area, and sets warning traps before nightfall.
• Once darkness arrives, the forest fills with terrifying and unnatural sounds, creating an ominous atmosphere as the group prepares for the dangers ahead.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan demonstrates overwhelming superiority over another Void Dan martial artist. His ability to deprive the opponent of control over Vital Energy establishes that his cultivation and Core Realm are far beyond what the others expected.
• He also shows social awareness by accepting Boss Mu’s offer with appropriate courtesy, presenting himself as both powerful and cooperative.
• Boss Mu recognizes Jiang Yan as someone worthy of equal respect rather than merely another subordinate. His increased profit offer reveals how seriously he values Jiang Yan’s strength and the advantage it brings to the expedition.
• The defeated martial artist displays clear recognition of the gap between himself and Jiang Yan, abandoning any attempt to resist.
• The expedition members function efficiently as a coordinated group, following Boss Mu’s instructions in preparation for the dangerous night journey.

Significant Themes

• Power hierarchy and absolute suppression: The confrontation emphasizes that differences within the Void Dan Realm can be decisive. Jiang Yan’s superior Core Realm allows him to control the battlefield before his opponent can react.
• Strength as social and economic value: Jiang Yan’s combat ability directly increases his bargaining power, earning him a larger share of the expedition’s profits.
• Risk and investment: Boss Mu’s talisman ship represents both financial debt and long-term ambition. Its cost is justified by the time, safety, and wealth it may provide.
• Wilderness danger and uncertainty: The hostile river and terrifying primeval forest establish the expedition as a perilous undertaking. The strange nighttime sounds suggest threats beyond ordinary beasts or martial artists.
• Preparation versus the unknown: The group relies on formations, traps, and disciplined teamwork, but the darkness and supernatural atmosphere imply that these defenses may soon be tested.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and the middle-aged martial artist engage in a one-sided confrontation centered on control of Vital Energy. The opponent’s immediate surrender reflects Jiang Yan’s intimidating strength.
• Boss Mu openly courts Jiang Yan’s allegiance by offering him twenty percent of the profits. Jiang Yan responds respectfully, signaling mutual recognition and agreement.
• During the river journey, Boss Mu and Jiang Yan discuss the talisman ship. Jiang Yan admires its usefulness, while Boss Mu explains the heavy costs and favors required to obtain it.
• The group works collectively under Boss Mu’s leadership to secure the ship for the night, ending the chapter with everyone facing the ominous dangers of the forest together.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yan and his adventurer group are drawn into a mysterious, dark green room filled with oppressive aura.
• They are affected by a strange power that solidifies their bodies and minds, making them slow and mechanical.
• A shadow figure appears, wielding a massive Sickle, and attacks them with a curse that causes fragmentation.
• Jiang Yan breaks free, using his Vermilion Bird Origin Flame to counter the curse and free his companions.
• Boss Mu uses his Blood Condensation Claw to attack the shadow, which retaliates by summoning a peculiar entity covered in eyes.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan demonstrates his power over the Vermilion Bird Origin Flame, showing improved control and strength.
• Boss Mu shows his combat prowess and resourcefulness by using his artifact, the Blood Condensation Claw.

Significant Themes

• Power and Control: The shadow figure demonstrates control over the adventurers' bodies and minds, while Jiang Yan and Boss Mu fight back, regaining control.
• Resilience: Despite the dire situation, Jiang Yan and his companions find ways to resist and counterattack.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu work together to combat the shadow figure, showing trust and reliance on each other.
• The other adventurers are affected by the strange power, highlighting their vulnerability and dependence on Jiang Yan and Boss Mu.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A multi-eyed monster attacks Jiang Yan's team, nearly wiping them out.
• Boss Mu, a high-ranking monster, ambushes them with varied and powerful attacks.
• The monster uses a solidification secret power to stall, and its true form is revealed, assimilating the team's bodies.
• Jiang Yan uses the Martial Arts Modifier to deduce a new skill to counter the threat.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan demonstrates his strategic thinking and adaptability in the face of danger.
• Boss Mu showcases its cunning and powerful attacks, revealing a new form.

Significant Themes

• The theme of adaptability and quick decision-making under pressure is emphasized.
• The power of unity and teamwork is highlighted, as Jiang Yan tries to protect his team.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu maintain a wary standoff.
• Jiang Yan tries to protect his team members, who are struggling against the monster's assimilation.
• Jiang Yan interacts with the Martial Arts Modifier, using it to adapt to the new threat.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A bright, clear blade of light (Sword One) attacks Jiang Yan and his group.
• Boss Mu defends using a miniature Yuhua, which self-destructs to counter the blade.
• Jiang Yan completes a new Martial Skill, Sword One, and uses it to destroy the incoming blade.
• They escape the illusionary domain and return to the real world on the black ship.
• Jiang Yan encounters an unknown entity in a carriage on the riverbank.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan completes and uses his new Martial Skill, demonstrating his growth and power.
• Boss Mu shows his gratitude towards Jiang Yan for saving his life.

Significant Themes

• Power and Survival: Jiang Yan's new skill and Boss Mu's gratitude highlight the importance of power and survival in their world.
• Uncertainty and Danger: The encounter with the unknown entity in the carriage emphasizes the constant danger and uncertainty they face.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu work together to survive the crisis, fostering a bond of trust and gratitude.
• Jiang Yan's intuition about the entity in the carriage suggests a potential new interaction or conflict.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group reaches the Funui Mountains, near their destination.
• They decide to enter the main peak to find the Twin Cranes, as the monsters have strong territorial instincts.
• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu discuss their plan; Jiang Yan suggests using a tracking tool like the one used for Phantom Puppets.
• As they approach the main peak, a Twin Cranes monster attacks Jiang Yan.
• Jiang Yan engages in a battle with the Twin Cranes, showcasing his abilities and the monster's unique powers.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan demonstrates his combat prowess and strategic thinking, deciding to engage the Twin Cranes alone to avoid endangering the group.
• Boss Mu shows leadership and experience in planning and organizing the group's actions.

Significant Themes

• The power and territorial nature of high-ranking monsters.
• The importance of strategy and adaptability in combat.
• The connection between Jiang Yan's abilities and the Fierce Beasts Funui.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu discuss their plan, showcasing their trust and cooperation.
• Jiang Yan's decision to engage the Twin Cranes alone highlights his protective nature towards his companions.
• The Twin Cranes' attack on Jiang Yan demonstrates its aggressive territorial behavior.

Summary: “The Hunt Begins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the temporary camp on Vulture Mountain, Boss Mu and the group strengthen their warning traps to defend against hidden monsters. Gutong reflects on how Jiang Yan saved him during the previous night’s danger, while Boss Mu realizes that Jiang Yan’s combat power far exceeds that of ordinary Void Dan martial artists.
• Jiang Yan hunts and kills a Twin Cranes monster with a single spread of Platinum Sword Qi. The monster leaves behind a rare material called the Spirit Crane Secret Soul, containing the creature’s powers and essence.
• Jiang Yan uses his modifier to extract the Secret Soul’s aberrant power and activates “Retrace,” witnessing a vision of how the Twin Cranes hunts. The monster uses the powers of chaos and distortion to confuse prey, manipulate wind, and drain its victims into sand-like remains.
• The vision reveals that the Twin Cranes return to a secluded stone cave on Vulture Mountain’s main peak, identifying a possible gathering place. Jiang Yan decides to return to camp and wait for a chance to attack.
• At dawn, the party begins its planned Twin Cranes hunt. Boss Mu abandons the original strategy and assigns roles based on Jiang Yan’s overwhelming strength: he will lure the monsters, eight Crystal Transformation martial artists will establish restraining talisman arrays, and Jiang Yan will kill the trapped creatures.
• Jiang Yan receives forty percent of the eventual rewards, a division no one disputes because his participation greatly increases the group’s total gains.
• Boss Mu lures a medium-sized Twin Cranes gathering by exposing himself atop a giant ancient tree and releasing his powerful Void Dan aura. A strange, distorted dark-green face with furry feet then appears at his feet, signaling the arrival of an abnormal creature.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan is established as the group’s dominant combat force. He demonstrates effortless killing ability, investigates the Spirit Crane Secret Soul, and gains a deeper understanding of the Twin Cranes’ abilities and habits.
• Boss Mu becomes more respectful and dependent on Jiang Yan after recognizing that Jiang Yan’s strength is far beyond what he initially assumed. He also proves himself practical and adaptable by redesigning the hunt around Jiang Yan’s abilities.
• Gutong develops strong admiration and gratitude toward Jiang Yan, viewing him as an extraordinary figure and hoping to become stronger himself. Boss Mu’s reminder forces him to remain alert despite his exhaustion.
• The adventure party shifts from an equal hunting group into a coordinated operation centered on Jiang Yan’s overwhelming strength.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: Jiang Yan’s true strength reshapes the group’s plans, reward distribution, and interpersonal relationships.
• Gratitude and loyalty: Gutong and Boss Mu both seek to repay Jiang Yan, recognizing that their survival and future success depend heavily on him.
• Preparation versus overwhelming force: The group combines Boss Mu’s planning, talisman arrays, and luring tactics with Jiang Yan’s decisive killing power.
• Understanding the enemy: Jiang Yan’s use of Retrace shows the value of studying monsters rather than merely defeating them, revealing the Twin Cranes’ hunting methods and possible weaknesses.
• Danger hidden beneath routine: Even a carefully planned hunt remains unpredictable, as the appearance of the grotesque dark-green face suggests a new threat.

Character Interactions

• Gutong openly praises Jiang Yan for saving his life, while Boss Mu silently agrees that Jiang Yan possesses terrifying combat strength.
• Boss Mu reprimands Gutong for relaxing at night, emphasizing the need for vigilance in monster territory.
• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu coordinate indirectly: Jiang Yan identifies the Twin Cranes’ cave and habits, while Boss Mu converts that information into a practical ambush plan.
• The party accepts Jiang Yan’s larger reward share without protest, acknowledging that his strength is essential to the operation.
• The chapter ends with Boss Mu deliberately presenting himself as bait, only for an unfamiliar aberrant creature to approach, setting up the next confrontation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Boss Mu encounters a mysterious, ugly monster that asks, "Am I beautiful?" and attacks when Boss Mu doesn't respond.
• Boss Mu evades the monster and lures three Twin Cranes into an ambush using a Talisman Array.
• Jiang Yan, with extraordinary swordsmanship, kills the three Twin Cranes with a single move.
• The group continues hunting Twin Cranes for the next few days, obtaining a significant amount of Spirit Crane Secret Soul.
• On the sixth day, a mysterious, powerful shadow appears on Vulture Mountain's main peak, emanating an aura of violence and cruelty.

Character Developments

• Boss Mu shows its strategic thinking and movement techniques in evading the monster and luring the Twin Cranes.
• Jiang Yan demonstrates his formidable martial power, killing three Twin Cranes with a single move.
• Mu Qiu (Boss Mu) feels a mix of awe and unease at Jiang Yan's power and his own reduced role in the group.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics within the group shift as Jiang Yan's strength becomes apparent.
• The theme of greed and wealth is reinforced as the group continues hunting for more resources.

Character Interactions

• Boss Mu and Jiang Yan work together to hunt the Twin Cranes, with Jiang Yan taking the lead in combat.
• The other eight Crystalization martial artists follow Boss Mu's orders, showing a clear hierarchy within the group.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A powerful, non-human entity descends on Funui Mountain, causing fear and destruction within a hundred-mile radius.
• Jiang Yan and his adventure group flee, and the entity disappears after stripping the life from the main peak.
• They return to Yehuai safely, and Jiang Yan receives two Martial Skills from Boss Mu as gratitude for saving him.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yan demonstrates his speed and endurance while fleeing, showing his physical prowess.
• Boss Mu shows appreciation for Jiang Yan's actions, deepening their relationship.

Significant Themes

• Power and fear: The entity's presence instills fear in all life forms, highlighting the power of unknown, high-level beings.
• Gratitude and reciprocity: Boss Mu's gift of Martial Skills to Jiang Yan emphasizes the importance of reciprocity in their relationship.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yan and his adventure group: They work together to flee the danger, showing teamwork and mutual support.
• Jiang Yan and Boss Mu: Their relationship deepens as Boss Mu expresses gratitude and Jiang Yan accepts the gift, showing mutual respect and trust.