Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Chen Xia returns to Handong and has dinner with Jiang Xinglan, enjoying a peaceful evening together.
• They discuss Brant’s election as the Federation’s new Holy Lord. Chen Xia suspects the result was driven less by popular opinion than by political alliances among national leaders, who turned against Lei Qianren and Xia Nation’s influence.
• Chen Xia gives Jiang Xinglan the Nine Revolutions Qi-Nurturing Art, a powerful cultivation manual that can lead to the Nascent Soul realm. Because she has not formed a Spirit Flower, she can switch paths without sacrificing her existing foundation.
• Jiang Xinglan tries the art and quickly finds it more compatible with her than martial arts. Her Yin Essence Body lets her sense unusual energies, including what Chen Xia identifies as the yin power of heaven and earth. He advises her to cultivate that energy.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xia is now a Martial Venerable, but remains cautious about involving himself in Federation politics. He prioritizes his own growth and the wellbeing of those close to him.
• Jiang Xinglan has advanced in martial arts while Chen Xia was away, but discovering qi cultivation gives her a path that better fits her talents. She is grateful to Chen Xia and hopeful that she can unlock her constitution’s full potential.
• Their relationship is affectionate and supportive: they share a domestic evening, discuss world events, and Chen Xia actively helps Jiang Xinglan develop her abilities.
• Jiang Xinglan reveals that the Jun Family sends her cultivation resources to build a connection with Chen Xia. Her father encourages her to accept them, recognizing how Chen Xia has changed the family’s standing.

Significant themes

• Power and political change: Public support can be shaped by fear, promises, and alliances among leaders; the Holy Lord’s election reflects shifting power rather than simple popular choice.
• Personal advancement and compatibility: Jiang Xinglan’s new cultivation path shows the importance of finding a method suited to one’s natural gifts.
• Pragmatism and responsibility: Chen Xia imagines sharing cultivation methods for the Federation’s benefit, but decides that doing so is too risky until he is powerful enough to protect himself and others.
• Mutual support: The couple’s affection is expressed through both intimacy and practical investment in each other’s growth.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Xia returns to his family home with Jiang Xinglan, who brings gifts for his parents. The family gathers for a warm, harmonious evening, and Chen Xia reflects that he would happily stay if he did not need to grow stronger.
• In a hidden realm beneath Northern Mang, Ouyang Shuo discovers the remains of Vermilion Bird Patriarch Bao Guoshan. The Patriarch’s journal reveals that lightning stones can briefly disrupt the barrier beneath the North Sea, allowing someone to enter it. Bao died after triggering a deadly lightning restriction while searching for more stones.
• Ouyang retrieves Bao’s ring and lightning stones, honors his wish to leave his remains undisturbed, seals the cave, and returns to Blue Star. He decides to keep the North Sea entry method secret.
• Chen Xia meets with Ouyang, who confirms that Chen has reached Martial Venerable and examines his unusually large first Spirit Flower. Ouyang warns that Chen must form eight more flowers of equal size, which may slow his advancement.
• Ouyang explains that Brant Henry’s rise to Holy Lord, backed by his powerful family and possibly half-step Martial God father, has united nations seeking access to the North Sea’s secret. Their plans risk a bloody conflict and a dangerous exploration of the barrier, whose Primal Qi helped transform Blue Star.
• Chen Xia accepts that the consequences of exploring the barrier are uncertain. He is willing to be sent into danger because battlefield resources could help him grow stronger.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xia values his family and enjoys their closeness, but remains committed to strength and advancement. He meets political warnings with calm practicality and sees danger as an opportunity to gain resources.
• Ouyang Shuo shifts from pride in Chen’s breakthrough to concern about its political consequences. He also weighs the risks of the North Sea secret, though he admits he would personally want to explore it.
• Bao Guoshan, though dead, is revealed as a resourceful Patriarch whose discoveries may shape the Federation’s future. His instructions show both respect for the dead and a willingness to leave knowledge to whoever follows.
• Chen and Ouyang discuss the Federation’s leadership and the competing ambitions of Brant’s coalition and the former Holy Lord. Their exchange highlights their trust while exposing their different instincts about risk.

Significant themes

• Family versus ambition: Chen cherishes home but chooses the path of cultivation and responsibility.
• Power and danger: Even the strongest martial artists can be killed by ancient forces beyond their understanding.
• Knowledge versus restraint: The North Sea barrier could bring great benefits or catastrophic harm; exploration is a political and moral gamble.
• Uncertain judgment: Chen argues that history will determine whether restraint or exploration was wiser.
• Personal growth amid political upheaval: Chen’s advancement makes him valuable—and potentially vulnerable—as the Federation moves toward conflict.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia learns that Farrell, Brant's father and a half-step Martial God, has emerged from seclusion, backing Brant's power grab.
• The Thunder Holy Lord compromises due to Brant's growing support from various countries.
• Chen Xia decides not to reveal his visit to the Heavenly Origin Mountain secret realm to his master, fearing trouble.
• Chen Xia updates his identity records at the Martial Warrior Alliance, passing the Martial Venerable assessment and receiving a 120-million bonus.
• He requests a defense-focused exclusive badge to be made for him, to be delivered in a week.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Becomes a Martial Venerable, gains more intelligence about Brant's plans, and decides to help his master reach Martial Saint.
• Ouyang Shuo: Acknowledges Chen Xia's growth and offers guidance for the Nine Flower Realm.
• Brant: Gains support from various countries and his father, Farrell, a half-step Martial God.
• Jiang Qiu (Martial Warrior Alliance Leader): Recognizes Chen Xia's potential and treats him with extra courtesy.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and political intrigue within the Federation.
• The importance of cultivation and growth in martial arts.
• The potential consequences of revealing secrets.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Ouyang Shuo: Master and disciple discuss cultivation, the Federation's situation, and Chen Xia's future plans.
• Chen Xia and Jiang Qiu: Jiang Qiu recognizes Chen Xia's potential and treats him with extra courtesy during the assessment process.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia returns to his camp and begins absorbing Beichenzi's Source of Martial Arts to increase his law power.
• Brant, the new Federation Holy Lord, holds a meeting to discuss the Federation's reaction to his ascension and the progress of the Nirvana Virus project.
• The Nirvana Virus, a bioweapon, is revealed to have a 100% infection rate, a 50% chance of permanent effects, and can be controlled through specific sonic commands. However, it has a 30% mortality rate after intense activity.
• Brant orders the production of 200 tubes of the Nirvana Virus to be ready in two days for deployment against the Different Races.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia continues his cultivation, aiming to fuse one hundred strands of laws into his mind to gain immense water element manipulation powers.
• Brant, now the Federation Holy Lord, displays his ambition and ruthlessness in his plans against the Different Races, prioritizing results over caution.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and power hunger, as seen in Brant's actions and plans.
• The consequences of unchecked ambition, as demonstrated by the potential global impact of the Nirvana Virus.
• The struggle between the Federation and the Different Races, with the Federation gaining a new weapon in their arsenal.

Character Interactions

• Brant interacts with his subordinates, discussing the Federation's reaction to his ascension and the progress of the Nirvana Virus project.
• Chen Xia is not present in this chapter, focusing solely on his cultivation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brant, the new Holy Lord, plans to reform the Federation and deploy a virus in nonhuman race territories.
• He dismisses concerns about collateral damage and potential infection of Federation soldiers.
• Brant convenes a meeting with Martial Saint experts from various countries to discuss exploring the North Sea's secrets.
• He agrees to let them explore the North Sea but prioritizes his plans to attack the Different Race in five days.
• Brant orders the Super Umbrella Company to prepare their goods and Chen Xia to lead the charge against the Different Race.

Character Developments

• Brant: Displayed his ambition, ruthlessness, and confidence in his plans. He is willing to sacrifice Federation soldiers to achieve his goals.
• Morgan: Showed shame and determination after being reprimanded by Brant for failing to kill Chen Xia.
• Other Martial Saint experts: Revealed their eagerness to explore the North Sea's secrets and their concern about the upcoming war with the Different Race.

Significant Themes

• Power and ambition: Brant's rise to power and his desire to reshape the Federation.
• Sacrifice for the greater good: Brant's willingness to sacrifice Federation soldiers to achieve his goals.
• The allure of ancient secrets: The fascination and desperation of the Martial Saint experts to uncover the North Sea's mysteries.

Character Interactions

• Brant and his subordinates: Brant issued orders and plans, while his subordinates expressed concerns and agreed with his decisions.
• Brant and the Martial Saint experts: Brant negotiated with them about exploring the North Sea, balancing their eagerness with his own priorities.
• Brant and Morgan: Brant reprimanded Morgan for failing to kill Chen Xia and gave him another chance to do so.

Key plot points and events

• After Brant’s election as Federation Holy Lord, Hong Zhendong receives orders naming Chen Xia vanguard for an attack on the alien races in the Outer Domain. Lei Qianren suspects Brant is deliberately trying to weaken or endanger their side.
• Lei advises against openly defying the order, since Brant has the backing of powerful Martial Saints—especially his father, Farrell, who has reached the legendary half-step Martial God realm and cleared the Martial Saint Tower’s hundredth floor.
• Chen Xia refuses to change posts. He plans to obey publicly but adapt to circumstances in the Outer Domain, where he hopes to gather resources. He reveals that he can summon an army of fifteen thousand undead, making the mission less risky.
• Lei and Hong agree to send Martial Saint Xiao Yuanzhou to protect Chen Xia secretly, despite Chen Xia’s confidence that he can handle himself.
• Chen Xia continues training, developing a second Spirit Flower and increasing his understanding of laws to twenty-six strands, particularly water-attribute laws.
• In the North Sea, Martial Saints from many countries investigate a massive, mysterious light fissure. Nidhogg’s “Heaven-Shattering Hammer,” powered by the gathered Saints, seems to vanish harmlessly into it—but the fissure responds by revealing visions.
• The visions show a star-filled expanse, a vessel invaded by red creatures, a battle against them, and finally an immense, intelligent eye that appears to be repairing a gap. The gathered leaders realize the entity or force beyond the fissure is observing them.

Character developments and interactions

• Hong Zhendong is anxious about Brant’s political maneuvering and seeks Lei Qianren’s guidance.
• Lei Qianren remains cautious and politically constrained. He recognizes Farrell’s strength as a major threat but works to protect Chen Xia without giving Brant grounds to remove Hong.
• Chen Xia shows confidence and strategic independence, relying on his growing strength and undead army rather than withdrawing from the assignment. His capabilities impress Lei and Hong.
• Xiao Yuanzhou accepts the secret protective assignment, prioritizing the younger generation’s safety over his training.
• Nidhogg leads the attempt to breach the fissure, while Fujiwara Miyazo interprets its reaction as evidence that it may be aware of the investigators. The other Martial Saints shift from confidence to awe and alarm.

Significant themes

• Political power and coercion: Brant uses formal authority to pressure rivals, while Farrell’s overwhelming strength limits their options.
• Protection of talent and future generations: Lei, Hong, and Xiao Yuanzhou work to shield Chen Xia from political schemes.
• Growing power and self-reliance: Chen Xia’s training and undead army give him increasing independence, though his mission remains dangerous.
• The unknown beyond human understanding: The North Sea phenomenon resists advanced technology and reveals signs of cosmic scale, intelligence, and possible danger.
• Cooperation under uncertainty: Rival nations temporarily unite to investigate the fissure, only to discover something far beyond their control.

Key plot points and events

• At the mysterious undersea light barrier, the Martial Saints see a giant eyeball and a fleeting image of something enormous arriving on Blue Star. They debate whether it was an alien creature or a spacecraft, but cannot determine what lies beyond the barrier.
• Most favor continuing to explore, but their attacks have no effect. After five days without progress—and with war approaching—they abandon the attempt and return under Brant’s orders.
• The Federation begins mobilizing for war against the other races. At the Giant Deer Star Realm base, Brant announces that the first strike will use a virus called the Nirvana Virus against the Winged Race’s strongholds. More than two hundred fighter jets carry the agent, disguised among conventional munitions, and are sent to their targets.
• Chen Xia realizes this secret operation may be Brant’s promised trump card. He also overhears Brant and Boston discussing how to use him—and possibly expose his troops to infection—while Brant considers him a threat because of his rapid rise to Martial Venerable.
• Chen Xia resolves to protect the Haixing War Zone troops while using the coming conflict to gather Negative Energy and Soul Crystals. He hopes to help his master, Ouyang Shuo, reach Martial Saint.

Character developments and interactions

• Brant reveals his ruthless ambition: he presents the virus campaign as a new era for humanity and hopes to prove himself more effective than Lei Qianren. Privately, he wants to remove Chen Xia, whose exceptional talent makes him wary.
• Chen Xia remains outwardly compliant but privately understands Brant’s hostility. Confident in his own strength, he plans to turn the danger to his advantage without allowing his troops to be sacrificed.
• Boston encourages Brant’s scheme by suggesting Chen Xia be sent in first, potentially exposing the Haixing forces to the virus.
• Ouyang Shuo is not present, but Chen Xia’s determination to help him attain the final breakthrough to Martial Saint motivates his search for Soul Crystals.
• The explorers’ disagreement over the barrier shows a divide between those drawn by possible treasures and those alarmed by the danger within it.

Significant themes

• Ambition and political manipulation: Brant disguises personal power plays as Federation strategy and treats both troops and individuals as expendable.
• The cost of warfare: The planned use of a virus raises the stakes beyond conventional combat, threatening mass infection and chaos.
• The unknown and restraint: The barrier’s strange images suggest a potentially catastrophic force, yet curiosity and hopes of gain tempt the Martial Saints to continue.
• Loyalty and self-interest: Chen Xia seeks personal gains, but also intends to protect his troops and repay his master’s kindness.

Key events

• At dawn, Brant launches a surprise attack on more than two hundred Winged Race sectors. Explosives and orange-red mist distract the defenders while capsules spread a blue agent: the Nirvana Virus.
• A wounded Winged Race member exposed to the agent transforms, becomes violently aggressive, and bites others. The infection spreads rapidly through camps, carried by bites and infected blood.
• Victims change in stages: their awareness fades, their bodies become increasingly monstrous, and they eventually lose reason and attack anyone nearby. Winged Race defenses collapse as friends, relatives, and even children turn on one another.
• Long Yuan sees the disaster firsthand and learns that ordinary medicine cannot stop the contagion.
• Brant watches footage with Morgan and Peter, head of the Super Umbrella Company. They celebrate the attack’s success. Peter explains the virus’s transmission and says that even suicide cannot prevent an infected person from transforming.
• One Winged Race member kills himself rather than risk harming his people, but the virus revives him as a mindless attacker. Survivors flee and vow revenge, though immediate survival is their priority.

Character developments and interactions

• Long Yuan shifts from dismissing the bombing as a familiar, minor provocation to confronting a catastrophe he cannot control.
• Brant is shown as cold and ruthless: he considers even the Winged Race’s young, sick, and elderly legitimate targets, and takes satisfaction in the attack.
• Peter takes pride in the virus’s effectiveness and matter-of-factly explains its horrifying persistence.
• Morgan supports Brant and celebrates the operation’s early success.
• Winged Race members struggle between instinctive hesitation to harm loved ones and the desperate need to defend themselves. The self-sacrificing victim embodies their resistance, but the virus strips even that choice of its intended effect.

Significant themes

• Biological warfare and dehumanization: The virus turns people into weapons against their own community.
• Slavery and loss of agency: The infected are described as slaves because they lose their will; the Winged Race’s cry that they “will never be slaves” becomes tragically ironic.
• The cost of war: Brant’s strategic victory depends on mass suffering, including among civilians and the vulnerable.
• Survival versus compassion: Hesitation to attack loved ones can be fatal, while fighting back means confronting people who are no longer themselves.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Brant sends Chen Xia and the Haixing War Zone army to fight the Different Race, but Chen Xia secretly orders his army to hold back.
• Chen Xia summons his undead legion and fights alone at the front lines, harvesting negative energy from the infected Different Races.
• The virus spreads, causing chaos among the Different Races. The Winged Race's Blackstone Mountain activates its grand formation for defense.
• The Rock Race, Gillman, and Four-Armed Race also face threats from the mutated Different Races.
• The Winged Race ancestors decide to drive the infected clansmen towards the Federation using the Netherworld Blazing Flame and then mobilize their forces to attack the Federation.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia shows his strategic prowess by using the situation to his advantage, harvesting negative energy while keeping his army safe.
• The Winged Race ancestors display their power and determination to retaliate against the Federation.

Significant Themes

• The theme of survival and desperation is evident as the Different Races face the virus threat and the Winged Race ancestors decide to fight the Federation.
• The theme of power and its consequences is shown through the Federation's deployment of the virus and the Winged Race's retaliation.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia interacts with his undead legion and the Haixing War Zone army, showing his strategic mind and care for his troops.
• The Winged Race ancestors interact with each other, displaying their unity and determination to fight the Federation.
• The Different Races interact with each other, showing their desperation and fear in the face of the virus threat.

Plot points and events

• Chen Xia’s bats detect the Netherworld Blazing Flame before it reaches the Haixing War Zone. He orders his troops into a valley and uses a formation barrier—taught by Master Northern Star—to shield them from the worst of the attack.
• The flame kills birds, beasts, and many mutated Winged Race members without burning their bodies, apparently attacking the mind. Chen realizes it could have devastated the Federation army.
• Detecting powerful figures approaching, Chen withdraws his soldiers rather than risk a confrontation with the Blackstone Mountain ancestors. He takes cover while the Federation’s forces mobilize.
• Brant gathers the Federation’s Martial Saints and troops to face the approaching Winged Race ancestors. He rejects using nuclear weapons, fearing they would destroy valuable resources and attract stronger enemies from Northern Mang.
• Brant intends to capitalize on the other race’s losses, defeat the ancestors, and seize Blackstone Mountain and its territory. His father, Farrell, reassures him that he will support the battle.
• The Third Ancestor of the Winged Race arrives with the other ancestors and orders them to kill the Federation’s leaders.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xia proves alert and resourceful, protecting his army through timely scouting and an unfamiliar formation technique. He chooses caution over glory when the ancestors approach.
• Brant remains focused on conquest and strategic advantage. Though Chen Xia’s survival frustrates his hopes of weakening him, Brant postpones dealing with him to face the immediate threat.
• Farrell lends Brant confidence simply by being present, and Brant clearly relies on his father’s strength.
• The soldiers’ awe and gratitude toward Chen Xia reinforce their trust in his leadership. Federation commanders, meanwhile, assemble under Brant to confront the Winged Race.

Significant themes

• Preparation and leadership: Chen Xia’s foresight saves his troops from a devastating attack.
• The cost of war: Both sides treat soldiers, territory, and resources as pieces in a larger struggle.
• Strategic restraint: Brant rejects nuclear weapons because victory depends not only on defeating enemies but also on preserving what he hopes to conquer.
• Escalation and uncertainty: The battle shifts from an attack on armies to a decisive clash between the Federation’s Martial Saints and the Winged Race’s ancestors.

Plot points and events

• The Third Ancestor summons a gigantic Dragon Soul, while Xing Zhan merges with a Netherworld Beast and unleashes demonic flames. Lei Qianren blocks the flames with a vast web of lightning.
• Brant orders the Martial Saints into battle, confident that his father, Farrell, will secure victory. As the aerial fight begins, Federation forces advance on Blackstone Mountain and other Venerables loot the region.
• Chen Xia avoids the main battle and searches for hidden aliens and their supplies. He clears several underground hideouts, then leads Deputy Commander Zhou and the Ninth Regiment into a larger cave containing thousands of Winged Race members.
• There, Chen Xia kills Long Xiao and Long Yuan despite their pleas and threats. His troops kill the remaining aliens, and Chen Xia claims the cache, including a huge Soul Crystal.
• At another cave entrance, Federation representative Boston arrives while Chen Xia is underground. He declares that he is taking charge of the site, overwhelms Deputy Commander Zhu, and enters despite the guards’ orders.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Xia prioritizes resource gathering over the Martial Saints’ battle. His overwhelming strength is clear in how effortlessly he defeats Long Xiao, Long Yuan, and the aliens; he shows little emotion about killing them.
• Long Xiao remains consumed by hatred and dreams of revenge, but Chen Xia kills him before he can act. Long Yuan, desperate to save his son, turns to rage and is killed as well.
• Deputy Commander Zhu tries to obey Chen Xia’s instructions and protect the cave entrance, but Boston’s authority and strength leave him unable to resist.
• Boston uses his political office and martial power to seize control, setting up a confrontation with Chen Xia.
• Brant seeks a historic victory and believes Farrell’s presence makes his side superior, while Lei Qianren demonstrates formidable defensive power.

Significant themes

• Power and authority: Martial strength dominates the battlefield, while Boston also invokes political authority to impose his will.
• Changing fortunes and revenge: Long Xiao’s long-standing hatred cannot overcome the gap between his strength and Chen Xia’s.
• Pragmatism and plunder: Chen Xia treats the wider conflict as an opportunity to eliminate hidden enemies and collect resources.
• Conflict within the Federation: Boston’s attempt to claim Chen Xia’s discoveries suggests that rivalry and ambition persist even among supposed allies.

Plot points and events

• Chen Xia’s unit clears out a hidden underground storehouse, taking spirit rice, meat, Soul Crystals, and medicines. Chen Xia gives Deputy Commander Zhou a share for the troops, rather than letting the supplies all go to Brant’s faction.
• Councilor Boston forces his way into the restricted site, injures Deputy Commander Zhu, and demands Chen Xia surrender the supplies. Chen Xia rejects his claim of authority, citing military regulations.
• Boston attacks Chen Xia, but Chen Xia defeats him with one punch, severely damaging his arm and leaving him bleeding. Boston retreats without further protest.
• Chen Xia explains privately that his newly developed Vast Spring True Law gives his water-aspected Qi a destructive effect inside an opponent’s body. He holds back rather than risk killing a federal councilor.
• The troops resume their mission to eliminate enemy species and gather resources. Over several days, they collect more than 40,000 Soul Crystals. Chen Xia reverses 20,000 of them, advances the growth of his second Spirit Flower, and condenses 30 strands of law.
• The chapter ends as Chen Xia’s force reaches the foot of Blackstone Mountain and the enemy’s main camp.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xia asserts his authority as a commander, protects his subordinates, and demonstrates that his strength exceeds Boston’s despite Boston’s higher rank and cultivation stage. He remains disciplined, choosing to warn rather than kill him. He also reflects on combining his water and fire powers and developing another divine ability.
• Boston begins arrogant and confident in his status and backing from Brant, but after Chen Xia’s single blow he is frightened, humiliated, and forced to withdraw.
• Chen Xia’s officers and soldiers become more admiring of him. They see his defense of his men and his battlefield leadership as proof that he is a capable, trustworthy commander. They also help search for Soul Crystals without needing to be asked.
• Deputy Commander Zhou understands Chen Xia’s decision to distribute some spoils among the troops, while Deputy Commander Zhu reports Boston’s abuse and later asks where the unit should go next.

Significant themes

• Authority versus abuse of power: Boston’s council position does not give him the right to interfere in military operations, and Chen Xia invokes procedure to defend his command.
• Loyalty and leadership: Chen Xia shares the spoils with his troops and stands up for a subordinate who was mistreated.
• Strength and restraint: Chen Xia proves his superiority but deliberately avoids killing Boston, showing both confidence and political judgment.
• Cultivation and ambition: The growing power of Chen Xia’s water-aspected Qi, his law cultivation, and his accumulated resources point to his continued rise in strength.

Plot points and events

• Chen Xia leads the Federation force around Blackstone Mountain rather than attack its formidable barrier. He judges that the mountain’s resources are not worth the casualties or the risk of drawing its ancestors away from the front lines; his priority is pursuing fleeing aliens and gathering Negative Energy.
• From inside the mountain, Winged Race elders Balu and Ironwood mistake Chen Xia’s departure for a retreat. Hoping to kill him, claim his treasures, and wipe out his army, they leave the protected mountain despite orders to stay.
• Chen Xia senses the pair approaching and orders his troops to spread out, keeping them clear of the coming fight.
• Balu and Ironwood attack together. Chen Xia counters with a gigantic White Dragon formed through his Water Law. It overwhelms both attackers, grievously wounds Balu, and traps him in its crushing grip.
• Balu escapes by using a talisman containing a Martial Saint’s power to knock the dragon aside. He flees, while Ironwood also races back toward Blackstone Mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xia shows restraint and concern for his soldiers, choosing a safer route rather than risking them for a costly assault. His overwhelming power becomes unmistakable when he defeats two Martial Venerables with ease.
• Balu is arrogant and overconfident, assuming Chen Xia can be killed because he is isolated. The fight shatters that confidence, and he survives only through an emergency talisman.
• Ironwood shares Balu’s greed and confidence, agreeing to attack for a share of Chen Xia’s supposed treasures. He quickly retreats once Chen Xia proves far stronger than expected.
• Balu and Ironwood coordinate their ambush, while Chen Xia protects his troops by sending them away before engaging.

Significant themes

• Prudence versus ambition: Chen Xia avoids unnecessary losses, whereas the elders abandon their orders for glory and loot.
• Misjudgment and hubris: Balu and Ironwood underestimate Chen Xia, with near-fatal consequences.
• Power and restraint: Chen Xia’s strength is evident, but he initially prioritizes the safety of his army over confrontation.

Plot and events

• Chen Xia pursues and kills Martial Venerables Balu and Ironwood as they flee. Their deaths confirm that his strength has reached near–Martial Saint level.
• He takes their storage rings and the green token that opens Blackstone Mountain’s barrier. The rings contain substantial wealth, and the two deaths yield more than 300,000 Negative Energy.
• Learning that the aliens inside the mountain are preparing to escape, Chen Xia enters through the barrier rather than wasting time breaking it.
• He unleashes the Earthcore Flame across Blackstone Mountain, trapping and burning the Winged Race and other aliens. To deal with those hiding underground or in caves, he uses Water Sky, drawing on moisture and blood throughout the area. The ability disrupts the aliens’ bodies and kills many beyond his direct reach.
• Chen Xia gathers the blood, extinguishes the flames, and uses blood energy to retrieve the aliens’ hidden resources. After clearing the mountain in under five minutes, he leaves.

Character development and interactions

• Chen Xia grows increasingly confident in his power. He believes ordinary Nine Flower Realm fighters cannot match him and that he can now stand against a Martial Saint.
• His confidence is paired with ruthless resolve: though he had initially planned to spare Blackstone Mountain, the two Martial Venerables’ attack changes his decision.
• His actions are driven by remembered atrocities committed against Federation civilians. He sees the aliens as enemies responsible for immense suffering and refuses to show them mercy.
• Balu and Ironwood underestimate Chen Xia and try to flee, but he kills them before they can resist. The aliens at Blackstone Mountain witness their deaths, panic, and attempt to escape or hide; Chen Xia’s attacks reach even those deep underground.
• Before departing, Chen Xia tells Commander Zhou to continue killing aliens elsewhere, keeping the larger campaign in motion.

Significant themes

• Power and its consequences: Chen Xia’s rapidly increasing strength gives him security and control, but also enables overwhelming, merciless destruction.
• Revenge and justice: His campaign is presented as retaliation for the aliens’ past violence against humans, though the mass killing extends beyond those directly responsible.
• The terror of overwhelming force: The aliens’ fear and helplessness mirror the suffering Chen Xia recalls from their earlier attacks on civilians.
• Escalation through opportunity: The token and the enemies’ decision to confront him turn a plan to leave Blackstone Mountain alone into a total assault.

Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia leaves the battlefield, discovers a vast amount of Soul Crystals in a storage ring, and finds a mysterious wooden box.
• He joins the Sea Prosperity Army and continues harvesting negative energy within the Rock Race's territory.
• In the skies above, the Human Race's and Different Race's Martial Saints engage in a fierce battle, with Farrell and Ling Cang as the main opponents.
• Farrell defeats the Different Race's Third Ancestor, Ling Tian, and the Second Ancestor arrives to reinforce their side.
• Xing Zhan learns that Blackstone Mountain's resources have been stolen, including the precious Angel's Blood.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates his resourcefulness and strategic thinking by looting valuable resources from the Winged Race grandmaster.
• Farrell shows his formidable strength and mastery of the Law of Light, defeating Ling Tian.
• Xing Zhan reveals his fury and concern over the theft of Angel's Blood, indicating the importance of this resource.

Significant Themes

• The struggle for resources and power between the Human Race and the Different Race.
• The importance of strategic thinking and resourcefulness in combat and survival.
• The consequences of underestimating one's enemies and leaving valuable resources unguarded.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia interacts with the Sea Prosperity Army, working together to harvest negative energy.
• Farrell and Ling Cang engage in a brutal and evenly matched battle, showcasing their strength and determination.
• Xing Zhan and Jia Luo discuss the theft of Angel's Blood, revealing their concern and anger over the incident.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Angel's Blood is stolen from the Different Race's Blood Pool.
• The Different Race ancestors order a Martial Saint, Xing Kong, to kill Chen Xia and retrieve the blood.
• Farrell, a Federation Martial Saint, leaves the battlefield to pursue Chen Xia, believing the blood can help him reach Martial God.
• The Different Race and Federation Martial Saints race towards Blackstone Mountain to capture Chen Xia.
• Chen Xia learns about the pursuit and decides to stay behind to cover the retreat of the Haixing War Zone's army.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates quasi-saint combat power, killing two Martial Venerables effortlessly.
• Farrell shows ambition and disregard for the Federation's safety, prioritizing his own growth.
• The Different Race ancestors display their ruthless nature, ordering the death of Chen Xia without hesitation.

Significant Themes

• Power and ambition: Farrell's pursuit of the Angel's Blood highlights the theme of power and the lengths one might go to obtain it.
• Consequences of actions: Chen Xia's theft of the Angel's Blood sets off a chain reaction, drawing the attention of powerful enemies and putting him and his allies in danger.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Chen Xia chooses to stay behind to protect his army, showing a sense of responsibility and selflessness.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Xiao Yuanzhou: Xiao Yuanzhou, a Martial Saint, initially underestimates Chen Xia but later recognizes his strength and withdraws his protection.
• Chen Xia and the Haixing War Zone's army: Chen Xia prioritizes the safety of his army, choosing to stay behind and cover their retreat.
• Farrell and the Different Race ancestors: Farrell's pursuit of the Angel's Blood puts him at odds with the Different Race ancestors, who also seek the blood's power.

Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia discovers the wooden box contains Angel's Blood, a powerful essence from a Spirit Transformation-level Demon Race.
• He decides to consume the blood to advance his cultivation, reversing its side effects.
• Chen Xia consumes two portions of the blood, significantly advancing his Spirit Flower cultivation and strengthening his body.
• Morgan, a Martial Saint, secretly approaches Chen Xia with killing intent.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates his decisiveness and ambition in consuming the powerful Angel's Blood to advance his cultivation.
• Morgan, a new character, is introduced with a clear intent to harm Chen Xia.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of power and cultivation is a central theme, as Chen Xia seeks to advance his abilities and Morgan seeks to eliminate a threat.
• The chapter also explores the concept of treasure and its value in the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia interacts with the Angel's Blood, demonstrating his control over his cultivation and body.
• Chen Xia and Morgan have a silent, tense interaction, with Morgan's killing intent directed at Chen Xia.

Key plot points and events

• Morgan, a foreign Martial Saint, catches Chen Xia drinking Angel’s Blood and attacks him, expecting an easy kill.
• Chen Xia survives Morgan’s opening strike by using the Earth Escape Art, repeatedly burrowing away and drawing Morgan away from the Haixing War Zone’s retreating army.
• Once they are far enough from the army, Chen Xia turns to fight. He combines several techniques—boosting his strength and speed, multiplying his power, and wielding a spirit sword—to meet Morgan’s strongest attack head-on.
• Chen Xia overwhelms Morgan in a series of clashes, leaving the Martial Saint shocked and questioning whether Chen Xia is a reincarnated ancient powerhouse.
• Chen Xia uses the Eye of the Evil God and White Dragon Divine Ability to break through Morgan’s defenses and sever his left arm.
• Before Chen Xia can press his advantage, another foreign Martial Saint, Xing Kong, arrives. Chen Xia takes a ring from Morgan’s severed arm and escapes underground.
• Morgan unleashes a power-boosting art, but Chen Xia is already beyond his reach. Xiao Yuanzhou arrives afterward, sees Morgan’s injury, and realizes Chen Xia may be able to fight a Martial Saint.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xia shifts from evasive survival to a decisive counterattack, revealing extraordinary power and tactical judgment. He prioritizes buying the army time and retreats rather than risking a fight against two Martial Saints.
• Morgan begins arrogant and dismissive, but Chen Xia’s strength turns his confidence into disbelief, then rage and humiliation. Even after powering up, he cannot catch Chen Xia.
• Xing Kong arrives as reinforcement for Morgan, forcing Chen Xia to withdraw.
• Xiao Yuanzhou witnesses the aftermath and begins reassessing Chen Xia’s abilities.
• Morgan mocks Chen Xia for burrowing, while Chen Xia taunts him in return. Their verbal sparring underscores Morgan’s contempt and Chen Xia’s growing confidence.

Significant themes

• Talent challenging rank: Chen Xia’s Martial Venerable status does not prevent him from overpowering a Martial Saint.
• Strategy over brute force: Chen Xia uses terrain, timing, and retreat as effectively as direct combat.
• Overconfidence and reversal: Morgan’s certainty that Chen Xia is easy prey contributes to his humiliation.
• The value of restraint: Chen Xia chooses escape when a second powerful enemy appears, showing that winning a battle does not require pursuing every advantage.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia reveals his true strength, severing a Martial Saint's arm and fleeing.
• Morgan, the severed-armed Martial Saint, attacks Xiao Yuanzhou and Xing Kong before fleeing.
• Chen Xia uses an earth escape technique to hide underground and observe Morgan.
• Chen Xia ambushes and kills Morgan using a combination of his most powerful techniques.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia: Demonstrates his hidden strength and cunning, proving he can fight Martial Saints and showcasing his earth escape technique.
• Morgan: Reveals his identity as a Martial Saint and his connection to Brant. Dies at Chen Xia's hands after underestimating him.

Significant Themes

• The power of hidden strengths and surprise attacks.
• The importance of caution and vigilance, even in victory.
• The ruthlessness of Chen Xia in eliminating threats.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia vs. Morgan: Chen Xia demonstrates his superior cunning and strength, leading to Morgan's demise.
• Morgan vs. Xiao Yuanzhou and Xing Kong: Morgan attacks the two, showing his formidable power even with a severed arm.

Summary of Chapter: "Provocation"

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xia kills Morgan, a Martial Saint from the Federation, and absorbs his spirit into the Spirit-Calling Bone Staff.
• Chen Xia buries Morgan's body and leaves the scene.
• The Different Race's ancestors gather and discuss the situation. They decide to spread news about the Federation's assassination attempt on Chen Xia to sow discord among the Federation's Martial Saints.
• The Federation's Martial Saints, led by Brant, arrive at the scene. Ling Tian, an ancestor of the Different Race, confronts them and reveals that one of their Martial Saints has been injured by Chen Xia.
• The Different Race's ancestors leave, and the Federation's Martial Saints decide to retreat as well, acknowledging their failure to achieve their objectives.

Character Developments

• Chen Xia demonstrates his power by killing a Martial Saint and absorbing his spirit, further solidifying his status as a formidable force.
• Brant's plans to seize Angel's Blood and weaken the Different Race fail, leading to a decrease in his confidence and spirits.
• Ling Tian shows his cunning and strategic thinking by using the Federation's assassination attempt on Chen Xia to sow discord among their Martial Saints.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and the struggle for resources between nations and races.
• The consequences of underestimating one's enemies and the importance of careful planning.
• The use of propaganda and misinformation to sow discord and manipulate public opinion.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xia and Morgan's brief encounter ends with Morgan's death, demonstrating Chen Xia's growing power.
• Ling Tian and Brant's confrontation highlights the tension and mistrust between the Different Race and the Federation.
• Brant and Farrell's interaction shows the father-son dynamic and the shifting power dynamics within the Federation.