Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Heart Still, Then Transformation

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The old teacher dies quietly, without a farewell or gravestone. His burial is marked only by a low, nearly indistinguishable mound of earth.
• Life in Willow Creek continues almost unchanged, though the schoolhouse closes and the children begin spending their days playing in the streets.
• Since the night of the teacher’s death, Qin Wangchuan’s pupils have turned gold. His demeanor has also changed: he is calmer, gentler, and more composed, but emotionally more distant.
• Qin Zhaoer repeatedly questions him about his eyes, but he claims not to know why they changed.
• While Qin Wangchuan reads beneath the Jujube Tree, Qin Zhaoer watches him and struggles with her growing desire for his attention and physical closeness.
• Zhou Heng arrives carrying supplies, papers, and a potted plant—the same plant previously given to the teacher, which contains a Gathering Spirit Talisman.
• Qin Wangchuan tells Zhou Heng to keep the valuable plant as compensation for his recent efforts, then agrees to treat him to a meal when Zhou objects.
• Qin Zhaoer tries to explain the plant’s value but is stopped by Qin Wangchuan, who gently catches her wrist. His quiet command, “Eighth Sister,” immediately makes her fall silent.
• Zhou Heng observes the contrasting pair and privately concludes that Qin Zhaoer and Qin Wangchuan are a perfect match.
• The chapter ends as several Martial Practitioners follow the scent of blood into the mountain hollow, where the body of the previously slain Mountain-Shaking Lord remains.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: His transformation is emphasized through his golden eyes and changed emotional presence. He has become more peaceful and accepting, but this calmness creates an almost unreachable distance between him and Qin Zhaoer. He remains considerate, rewarding Zhou Heng and gently controlling the situation without anger or force.
• Qin Zhaoer: Her feelings for Qin Wangchuan are becoming increasingly possessive and romantic. She wants his attention to be focused solely on her and longs to touch him, yet feels separated from him despite sitting beside him. She is impulsive and confrontational with Zhou Heng but immediately obedient when Qin Wangchuan addresses her.
• Zhou Heng: He provides comic relief through his bluntness and chaotic entrance. Although he has helped with recent tasks, he is also perceptive enough to recognize the unusual closeness and contrast between Qin Wangchuan and Qin Zhaoer.
• The teacher: Though dead, his quiet disappearance shapes the chapter. His death marks the end of the school and appears connected to the emotional and possibly supernatural transformation around Qin Wangchuan.

3. Significant Themes

• Death and continuation: The teacher’s unnoticed burial and the town’s rapid return to normal life highlight how ordinary existence continues despite profound personal loss.
• Transformation and emotional stillness: Qin Wangchuan’s golden eyes symbolize a deeper change. Something within him has settled into complete stillness, suggesting growth, transcendence, or emotional detachment.
• Distance within intimacy: Qin Zhaoer can physically sit beside Qin Wangchuan but feels separated from him by an immense spiritual distance. The chapter explores how affection can intensify even as connection becomes more difficult.
• Possessiveness and desire: Qin Zhaoer’s wish to be the sole focus of Qin Wangchuan’s gaze reveals her developing romantic attachment and uncertainty about whether her desire is selfish.
• Gentleness as power: Qin Wangchuan never needs to raise his voice or exert force. His calm words and small gestures—such as catching Qin Zhaoer’s wrist—are enough to control the situation.
• Humor amid grief: Zhou Heng’s disruptive arrival and banter with Qin Zhaoer contrast with the teacher’s death and Qin Wangchuan’s transformation, keeping the atmosphere from becoming entirely somber.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Wangchuan and Qin Zhaoer: Their interaction reveals both emotional intimacy and separation. Qin Zhaoer openly challenges him about his eyes and secretly longs for physical closeness, while Qin Wangchuan responds with patience and gentle amusement. His brief command instantly quiets her, showing the trust and authority between them.
• Qin Zhaoer and Zhou Heng: They clash immediately, trading insults after Zhou Heng enters without knocking. Their hostility is largely playful, with Qin Zhaoer treating him as an irritating intruder.
• Qin Wangchuan and Zhou Heng: Qin Wangchuan calmly compensates Zhou Heng for his efforts, offering him the valuable plant and then promising him a meal. Zhou Heng is surprised by the generosity and notices Qin Wangchuan’s changed eyes.
• Zhou Heng’s observation: His outsider’s perspective emphasizes the pair’s dynamic: Qin Wangchuan appears serene and immovable, while Qin Zhaoer is energetic, volatile, and completely responsive to him.

Plot points and events

• Soaring Tower, a powerful organization that regulates the boundary between Cultivators and ordinary people, sends three outer disciples to investigate unusual animal migrations.
• Led by Zhao Ping, the group finds an enormous, headless Tiger Spirit. Its neck has been cut with a smoothness no ordinary weapon could explain.
• Nearby stands a bloodstained branch that appears to have dealt the fatal blow. Neither Zhao Ping nor his younger companions can pull it from the ground.
• Elder Chen Yuanshan arrives and also fails, even after channeling his True Qi. He concludes the matter is beyond his abilities and summons his teacher, Bai Lao, a Ninth Heaven Realm Cultivator.
• Bai Lao cannot move the branch either. The evidence leads him to suspect that someone beyond the Ninth Heaven Realm—possibly a Celestial Being—is nearby and connected to the beast’s death and the migrations.
• He orders searches of nearby locations: Willow Creek Town, Azure Maple Ferry, and Sunset Glow Ravine.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao Ping responds cautiously and methodically, recognizing that the discovery exceeds the group’s abilities and reporting it rather than risking further action.
• Liu and Sun voice the obvious doubts: a simple branch could not plausibly kill a Tiger Spirit. Their disbelief contrasts with the physical evidence.
• Chen Yuanshan initially approaches the branch with confidence, but repeated failure forces him to take the mystery seriously and seek help.
• Bai Lao arrives with a lightly teasing, teacherly manner toward Chen, but the branch’s resistance quickly sobers him. He shifts from casual authority to careful investigation.
• The group’s hierarchy is emphasized: the younger disciples defer to Zhao, Zhao respects Chen, and Chen respectfully addresses Bai as his teacher.

Significant themes

• Power and its limits: Each stronger figure expects to solve the problem, only to discover that even a Ninth Heaven Realm master cannot move the branch.
• The extraordinary hidden in the ordinary: A small, plain branch suggests immense power and makes familiar measures of strength seem inadequate.
• Evidence versus belief: The characters reject the idea that the branch killed the tiger, yet the blood, wound, and immovable branch point toward exactly that conclusion.
• A larger mystery taking shape: The abnormal migrations, the Tiger Spirit’s death, and the branch may all be signs of a powerful presence nearby.

Chapter Summary: The Immortal Was Not in the Mountains

Key Plot Points and Events

• Rumors spread throughout Qingzhou Prefecture that an unknown expert had killed a Tiger Spirit with a single tree branch and planted the branch in the ground. Even ninth-level cultivators could not pull it free.
• The branch becomes associated with legends of an Immortal, with people claiming that whoever removed it would gain extraordinary aptitude and ascend to greatness.
• Soaring Tower and other factions send investigators to nearby towns, including Willow Creek Town, searching for the mysterious expert. Their presence causes outsiders and suspicious martial cultivators to appear throughout the region.
• Qin Wangchuan remains uninvolved in the rumors. After the schoolhouse closes, he focuses on forging iron and studying medicine, continuing both practices despite his teacher’s death.
• Fan Yuan arrives in Willow Creek Town after traveling extensively to find medicine for Qin Wangchuan’s teacher. He learns that the teacher has already died and feels guilty for being unable to save him.
• Qin reassures Fan Yuan that he did everything possible and should not blame himself. He recognizes Fan Yuan’s loyalty and thanks him formally on his teacher’s behalf.
• Qin offers Fan Yuan one of the few swords he has managed to forge successfully. Though it appears crude and unfinished, Fan Yuan’s near-Celestial cultivation allows him to perceive its terrifying true nature.
• Upon looking at the sword, Fan Yuan’s consciousness is overwhelmed by the vision of an immense divine blade capable of severing heaven and earth.

Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: Demonstrates extraordinary emotional discipline after his teacher’s death. Rather than grieving passively, he turns the teacher’s final lessons into motivation: forging will prevent him from remaining powerless, while medicine will help him save others. His calm demeanor, humility, and natural authority reveal that he is far beyond an ordinary mortal, despite living quietly in town.
• Fan Yuan: Reveals deep loyalty and affection for his deceased teacher. His guilt shows how seriously he takes his obligations, but Qin helps him understand that sincere effort matters even when fate cannot be changed. His cultivation has also advanced dramatically, allowing him to recognize the sword’s hidden power.
• White Dew: Continues acting as a watchful, intelligent presence around Qin’s home and recognizes Fan Yuan as someone familiar.
• Qin Wangchuan’s teacher: Though absent, the teacher’s influence remains central through the medical studies and moral perspective Qin continues to uphold.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden beneath simplicity: The branch and Qin’s seemingly crude sword both conceal overwhelming strength. Ordinary observers mistake them for mundane objects because they cannot perceive their true nature.
• Fate versus responsibility: Qin accepts that his teacher’s death was part of mortal fate, but he refuses to remain helpless in the future. The chapter emphasizes doing everything possible even when the outcome cannot be controlled.
• Grief expressed through action: Qin does not mourn through despair. He honors his teacher by continuing the teacher’s work and transforming loss into determination.
• Humility and recognition: Qin, despite possessing a transcendent presence, sincerely bows to Fan Yuan and acknowledges his efforts. True greatness is shown through gratitude rather than arrogance.
• The limits of perception: Fan Yuan’s sudden vision suggests that the sword’s true power exists on a level far beyond normal cultivation and that Qin’s abilities may be vastly greater than anyone realizes.

Character Interactions

• Qin Wangchuan and Fan Yuan: Their central exchange moves from Fan Yuan’s guilt to Qin’s reassurance and gratitude. Qin rejects Fan Yuan’s belief that he failed, emphasizing that searching for a cure was itself an act of loyalty.
• Qin’s formal bow deeply unsettles Fan Yuan, who instinctively senses Qin’s overwhelming, almost divine nature but also encounters his genuine kindness.
• Qin’s gift of the sword appears modest, yet Fan Yuan’s reaction reveals that Qin has unknowingly—or perhaps casually—created an artifact of terrifying power, setting up the chapter’s final revelation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fan Yuan receives a rough, unfinished sword from Qin Wangchuan after witnessing an overwhelming burst of sword intent. Although Qin dismisses it as ordinary “Mortal Iron,” the weapon contains faint golden power and nearly shatters Fan Yuan’s Divine Soul merely through its lingering aura.
• Fan Yuan realizes that the supposedly crude sword is actually an extraordinary divine weapon. He notices that several similar “scrap” weapons are casually piled up in Qin’s courtyard, suggesting Qin possesses many treasures without recognizing or valuing them as others would.
• Qin continues forging another sword blank and names it the Ten Directions Profound Sword, declaring it to be “the strongest sword, severing ancient and modern.” His confidence initially sounds boastful, but Fan Yuan begins to believe the claim may genuinely be true.
• Fan Yuan leaves the smithy deeply shaken, treating the sword with solemn reverence rather than joy.
• Outside, he encounters his disciple Zhou Heng, who tries to touch the sword. Fan Yuan immediately stops him and warns that even looking at it carelessly could be fatal to someone with Zhou Heng’s limited cultivation.
• Zhou Heng reports that representatives of the Soaring Tower have come to the martial hall seeking Fan Yuan and refuse to leave until they meet him.
• Fan Yuan recognizes the significance of the organization and suspects trouble, since he has no friends there—only enemies. He decides to confront them.

Character Developments

• Fan Yuan: His awe and fear toward Qin Wangchuan deepen. After personally experiencing the sword’s terrifying aura, he becomes completely convinced of Qin’s unfathomable strength and treats the gifted weapon as an incomparable treasure. His attitude also shifts into greater protectiveness, especially when he warns Zhou Heng not to approach the sword.
• Qin Wangchuan: He remains calm, detached, and unaware—or seemingly unconcerned—with the true value of the weapons he forges. He regards a weapon capable of threatening Fan Yuan’s soul as mere unfinished Mortal Iron. His naming of the Ten Directions Profound Sword reveals pride and lofty ambition beneath his otherwise indifferent demeanor.
• Zhou Heng: He remains casual and somewhat mischievous, unable to understand Fan Yuan’s seriousness about the sword. His lighthearted reaction contrasts sharply with Fan Yuan’s terror and reverence.

Significant Themes

• Hidden greatness and mistaken appearances: Qin’s “scrap iron” is actually comparable to a divine weapon, emphasizing the gap between his perspective and that of ordinary cultivators.
• Power beyond comprehension: Fan Yuan’s near-collapse before only a remnant of sword intent demonstrates Qin’s overwhelming level and establishes the sword’s extraordinary nature.
• Humility versus confidence: Qin casually dismisses his work as unfinished Mortal Iron, yet proudly proclaims the Ten Directions Profound Sword the strongest sword in existence.
• The danger of ignorance: Zhou Heng’s inability to perceive the sword’s threat highlights how insufficient cultivation and lack of experience can lead someone to underestimate deadly power.
• Foreshadowing and impending conflict: The arrival of the Soaring Tower introduces a likely external threat and suggests that Fan Yuan’s past enemies or unresolved connections are about to resurface.

Character Interactions

• Qin gives Fan Yuan the unfinished sword without ceremony, while Fan Yuan receives it with profound shock and gratitude.
• Fan Yuan asks about the sword’s name, prompting Qin to reveal the name and grand purpose of the weapon he is forging.
• Fan Yuan and Zhou Heng have a humorous but tense exchange: Zhou Heng casually reaches for the sword, while Fan Yuan reacts urgently and warns that the weapon could kill him.
• Zhou Heng’s report about the Soaring Tower transforms the mood from wonder to suspicion, leading Fan Yuan to set aside his amazement and confront the organization’s representatives.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

• Three powerful Cultivators from Soaring Tower—Huo Qingyang, Shen He, and Zhou Buqi—visit the martial arts school and wait for Fan Yuan.
• Sensing danger, Jiang Zhuo watches them cautiously while Fan Yuan arrives in a grim mood. Before confronting them, Fan Yuan gives his black-wrapped sword to Zhou Heng and orders him to have a sheath made, suggesting he is preparing for a possible fight.
• Fan Yuan recognizes the visitors as former associates from Soaring Tower. His exchange with them quickly becomes tense, especially when he confronts Zhou Buqi.
• Fan Yuan recalls that Zhou Buqi once stole an ancient spirit herb he had found and then used his influence to have Fan Yuan accused of theft and false accusations. Fan Yuan retaliated by severely beating Zhou Buqi and leaving Soaring Tower.
• Although Fan Yuan initially assumes the three men have come to settle this old grievance, Zhou Buqi reveals that they came because Fan Yuan’s recent arrival in Willow Creek Town coincided with another major incident.
• The visitors accuse Fan Yuan of pretending ignorance and imply that he is connected to whatever happened. They order him to come with them, and all three rise together, signaling that the confrontation is about to escalate.

Character developments

• Fan Yuan: Appears calmer and more mature than in the past, but his hatred of Zhou Buqi remains unresolved. He is willing to fight all three Cultivators if necessary and shows loyalty or caution by arranging a sheath for his sword before meeting them.
• Zhou Buqi: Remains arrogant and mocking, relying on the numerical advantage of his companions. Beneath his relaxed manner, he is suspicious and threatening.
• Huo Qingyang and Shen He: Present themselves politely at first but clearly support Zhou Buqi and share his suspicions. Their confidence suggests they believe they hold the upper hand.
• Zhou Heng: Obeys Fan Yuan without question, demonstrating trust and respect for his master.
• Jiang Zhuo: Notices that something is wrong and keeps watch over the encounter.

Character interactions

• Fan Yuan’s restrained hostility toward Huo Qingyang and Shen He contrasts with his open killing intent toward Zhou Buqi.
• Zhou Buqi taunts Fan Yuan about the old spirit-herb incident, while Fan Yuan makes it clear that the betrayal remains unforgiven.
• The three visitors act as a united group, using their combined presence to intimidate Fan Yuan.
• Fan Yuan refuses to be cowed, calmly inviting them to fight if that is their purpose.

Significant themes

• Unresolved injustice and revenge: Fan Yuan’s old grievance against Zhou Buqi still shapes their relationship decades later.
• Power, influence, and corruption: Zhou Buqi’s connections within Soaring Tower allowed him to seize Fan Yuan’s opportunity and escape punishment.
• Mistrust and hidden motives: The visitors’ true mission is unclear, and their accusations suggest a larger incident involving Fan Yuan.
• The past confronting the present: Former companions reunite as enemies, showing that old conflicts can remain buried but never truly disappear.

Chapter Summary: Heaven-Opening Sword Shadow, the Edge of That Sword

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fan Yuan is confronted by three Ninth-Level Cultivators—Huo Qingyang, Shen He, and Zhou Buqi—who pressure him into accompanying them. Though he could likely escape after mastering the technique from the Jade Pendant, Fan Yuan remains because Zhou Buqi hints that their destination may be connected to his teacher.
• The three men mistake Fan Yuan’s silence for submission and deliberately arrange themselves around him to prevent escape.
• Meanwhile, Zhou Heng takes the rough sword given to him by his teacher to Blacksmith Song, asking him to make a scabbard.
• When Blacksmith Song touches the blade, he experiences a terrifying vision of a primordial sword splitting chaos and separating heaven and earth. The vision nearly overwhelms him and reveals that the seemingly crude weapon contains an extraordinary sword intent.
• Blacksmith Song realizes that Qin Wangchuan, whom he had assumed was merely boasting, is actually a true swordsman. He fits the sword with an old scabbard that barely accommodates it.
• Zhou Heng returns home and learns from Jiang Zhuo that Fan Yuan has left with the three visiting Cultivators. Worried, he takes the sword and follows them.
• At a mountain hollow beside Galloping Horse Lake, Fan Yuan sees the corpse of a powerful tiger demon and a strange branch planted beside it. The branch is the real source of his shock.
• Fan Yuan tries to pull up the branch but cannot move it at all. Despite the others’ accusations, he calmly insists that he knows nothing about what happened there.

Character Developments

• Fan Yuan: Displays restraint and strategic patience rather than openly resisting the three Ninth-Level opponents. His reaction to the branch suggests that he recognizes its importance—or at least understands that it is connected to something extraordinary—though he maintains that he is uninvolved.
• Huo Qingyang, Shen He, and Zhou Buqi: Become increasingly confident that they have control over Fan Yuan, misinterpreting his silence as weakness. However, Fan Yuan’s unexpected reaction at the mountain hollow causes them to question whether he truly knows about the incident.
• Blacksmith Song: Reveals considerable insight and sensitivity to sword intent. His experience with the blade convinces him that Qin Wangchuan is a genuine swordsman of extraordinary ability.
• Qin Wangchuan: Although absent, his identity and abilities are revealed indirectly through the sword. His craftsmanship appears to conceal an overwhelming, world-shaking sword principle beneath an intentionally crude exterior.
• Zhou Heng: Moves from casual curiosity to genuine concern for his teacher, choosing to investigate rather than simply wait for Fan Yuan’s return.
• Jiang Zhuo: Acts as the source of information for Zhou Heng, informing him that Fan Yuan has departed.

Significant Themes

• Strength hidden beneath appearances: The rough sword looks poorly made, yet contains a terrifying and majestic sword intent. Likewise, Fan Yuan’s apparent submission may conceal confidence and strength.
• Misjudgment and deception: The three Cultivators assume Fan Yuan has yielded, while Blacksmith Song initially sees only a crude blade. Both judgments prove incomplete.
• The limits of human power: The branch cannot be moved even by Fan Yuan, suggesting a force rooted in something greater than ordinary cultivation or physical strength.
• Mystery and concealed origins: The tiger’s corpse, the immovable branch, Qin Wangchuan’s true identity, and the connection to Fan Yuan’s teacher all deepen the chapter’s central mystery.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Zhou Heng’s decision to follow Fan Yuan shows growing concern and loyalty toward his teacher.

Character Interactions

• Fan Yuan and the three Ninth-Level Cultivators engage in a tense, mostly verbal confrontation, with the others attempting to intimidate and contain him.
• Blacksmith Song and Zhou Heng have a humorous but revealing exchange: Zhou Heng complains about the sword’s roughness, while Song recognizes its hidden power and refuses to explain everything.
• Jiang Zhuo informs Zhou Heng of Fan Yuan’s departure, prompting Zhou Heng to act.
• At the mountain hollow, Zhou Buqi openly accuses Fan Yuan of involvement, while Huo Qingyang and Shen He silently study his reactions. Fan Yuan answers their suspicion through action—testing the branch—and then denies any knowledge of the event.

Chapter Summary: “Draw the Sword!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Fan Yuan is confronted by Zhou Buqi, Shen He, and Huo Qingyang, who accuse him of hiding the identity of the powerful figure responsible for killing a tiger demon.
• The three Cultivators connect the tiger demon’s beheading—done with a single ordinary-looking branch—to the mysterious “gentleman” Fan Yuan serves. They believe this person has reached the legendary Celestial Being Realm.
• Fan Yuan realizes that if the existence of this powerful individual becomes public, countless Cultivators will pursue and disturb him. Determined to protect his benefactor, Fan Yuan prepares to fight despite being outnumbered.
• Just as the battle is about to begin, Fan Yuan’s disciple, Zhou Heng, arrives. Fan Yuan immediately recalls that Zhou Heng carries the divine sword gifted by the gentleman.
• Using his power, Fan Yuan pulls the sword from Zhou Heng’s grasp. Although his opponents mock his swordsmanship, Fan Yuan reveals that the weapon itself is extraordinary.
• The moment he partially draws the sword, Huo Qingyang and Shen He are overwhelmed by a terrifying, primordial sword shadow that disrupts their minds and Divine Souls.
• Zhou Buqi is instantly beheaded without realizing what has happened. His head remains suspended briefly before falling, leaving Huo Qingyang and Shen He horrified.
• Shen He recognizes that the sword, rather than Fan Yuan’s own ability, is responsible for the overwhelming attack. He and Huo Qingyang attempt to flee, but Fan Yuan pursues them, declaring that it is already too late.

2. Character Developments

• Fan Yuan: Shows strong loyalty and gratitude toward the mysterious gentleman. Though initially cornered and outnumbered, he becomes resolute when he realizes he must protect the gentleman’s identity. His confidence rises dramatically after obtaining the divine sword.
• Zhou Heng: Demonstrates concern for his master by tracking him to the mountain hollow, despite not understanding the danger. His arrival unintentionally provides Fan Yuan with the weapon needed to reverse the situation.
• Zhou Buqi: Becomes increasingly arrogant and overconfident, assuming Fan Yuan is helpless. His mockery of Fan Yuan’s swordsmanship is followed by his instant death, emphasizing the danger of underestimating the sword.
• Huo Qingyang and Shen He: Begin as calculated aggressors who believe they control the situation, intending to use Fan Yuan to expose the hidden Celestial Being. After witnessing Zhou Buqi’s death, they lose their composure and flee in terror.
• The mysterious gentleman: Though absent, his influence dominates the chapter. The sword he gave Fan Yuan proves to possess terrifying, possibly transcendent power.

3. Significant Themes

• Loyalty and repayment of kindness: Fan Yuan is willing to risk his life to prevent the gentleman from being exposed and harassed.
• Hidden power and mistaken assumptions: The three Cultivators believe Fan Yuan is merely a trapped opponent, failing to understand the weapon he possesses.
• The danger of greed and ambition: Their desire to uncover and exploit the existence of a Celestial Being leads them into a deadly confrontation.
• The limits of conventional cultivation: The sword’s power is described as something beyond ordinary Sword Light or Sword Intent, suggesting a realm of power that defies established understanding.
• Reversal of power: The chapter shifts from Fan Yuan being surrounded and outnumbered to his enemies becoming terrified fugitives after the sword is drawn.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhou Buqi, Shen He, and Huo Qingyang jointly pressure and surround Fan Yuan, attempting to force him to reveal the gentleman’s identity.
• Fan Yuan refuses to betray the gentleman and silently decides that combat is necessary.
• Zhou Heng arrives and calls Fan Yuan “Master,” revealing their teacher-disciple relationship and prompting Fan Yuan to seize the sword.
• Zhou Buqi ridicules Fan Yuan, but Fan Yuan calmly counters that while his swordsmanship is poor, the sword itself is different.
• The sword’s power instantly kills Zhou Buqi and terrifies Huo Qingyang and Shen He, who realize too late that they have fundamentally misjudged Fan Yuan’s situation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fan Yuan uses an ordinary-looking sword given to him by “Sir” to kill three Ninth-Level Cultivators who had surrounded him.
• The sword’s mysterious power disrupts the Divine Soul and bypasses protective True Qi, allowing Fan Yuan to decapitate Zhou Buqi and Huo Qingyang with ease.
• Shen He, terrified and mentally unraveling, convinces himself that the deaths are merely illusions caused by the sword.
• Fan Yuan confirms that the sword is genuinely powerful and reveals that he now understands its ability because of the attackers’ assault.
• Rather than kill Shen He, Fan Yuan spares him and orders him to deliver a message to the entire Soaring Tower.
• Zhou Heng questions why Fan Yuan would let an enemy survive. Fan Yuan explains that killing everyone would cause the news of the discovery to spread uncontrollably.
• Fan Yuan intends to cooperate with Soaring Tower by allowing them to obtain the cultivation technique hidden within the Jade Pendant, thereby encouraging them to suppress the existence of the opportunity.
• His true goal is to keep the matter—including the tiger’s corpse, the strange tree branch, and the Exiled Immortal connected to Willow Creek Town—from reaching “Sir.”
• The chapter ends with dramatic irony: Fan Yuan believes he has planned everything perfectly, but Qin Wangchuan has already seen through his intentions.

Character Developments

• Fan Yuan: Demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, strategic thinking, and deep loyalty to “Sir.” Although he still harbors old hatred toward Zhou Buqi, he chooses restraint and calculated cooperation over immediate revenge. His actions show that he prioritizes protecting his master and controlling the broader situation.
• Shen He: His confidence collapses after witnessing the sword’s power. Fear drives him into denial and obsession, but he ultimately recognizes that Fan Yuan is backed by an even more powerful figure. He survives only as a messenger.
• Zhou Heng: Remains honest, direct, and inexperienced in political calculation. He understands justice in simple terms but struggles to comprehend Fan Yuan’s broader strategy.
• Qin Wangchuan: Does not appear directly, but his ability to see through Fan Yuan’s scheme establishes him as an important figure who may disrupt Fan Yuan’s carefully constructed plan.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond conventional cultivation: The sword’s ability to ignore protective True Qi challenges the established distinction between Cultivators and ordinary martial practitioners.
• Strategic restraint versus revenge: Fan Yuan chooses not to kill Shen He, showing that long-term control and secrecy matter more to him than immediate satisfaction.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Fan Yuan is willing to surrender the Jade Pendant’s technique and cooperate with Soaring Tower for the sake of protecting “Sir.”
• The limits of perception: Shen He cannot accept what he sees and labels it an illusion, emphasizing how extraordinary power can shatter established beliefs.
• Hidden identities and larger forces: The appearance of an Exiled Immortal and the mysterious “Sir” suggest that the current conflict is part of a much larger struggle.
• Irony and miscalculation: Fan Yuan believes he has anticipated every consequence, but Qin Wangchuan’s insight reveals that his plan may already be compromised.

Character Interactions

• Fan Yuan dominates his confrontation with Zhou Buqi, Huo Qingyang, and Shen He, turning a seemingly certain ambush into a swift massacre.
• Shen He begs for his life and tries to negotiate, but Fan Yuan rebukes him for hiding behind others and attacking only when it was safe.
• Fan Yuan deliberately spares Shen He so he can act as a messenger and warn Soaring Tower.
• Zhou Heng challenges Fan Yuan’s decision, prompting Fan Yuan to explain the difference between immediate anger and long-term strategy.
• Fan Yuan’s internal concern for “Sir” drives his choices, while Qin Wangchuan’s unseen awareness foreshadows a clash between Fan Yuan’s plans and someone capable of understanding them.

Chapter Summary: “How to Resolve Trouble? Only Through Strength!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Qin Clan Courtyard, Qin Wangchuan studies medicine and prepares herbs while Qin Zhaoer affectionately teases him about growing his hair longer.
• Qin Zhaoer reflects on their sibling-like relationship, remembering how she once made noodles for Qin Wangchuan. Though imperfect, he ate them all, which gives her a quiet sense of pride and warmth.
• Their peaceful moment is interrupted by activity near the mountains. Martial Practitioners and unfamiliar outsiders have been investigating the tiger corpse Qin Wangchuan previously left behind.
• Qin Wangchuan decides that the outsiders have overstepped. He explains that stability during a trial does not require cowardice or passive endurance. His solution is simply “strength.”
• The narrative contrasts Qin Wangchuan with Fan Yuan. Fan Yuan must operate within the world’s rules, fearing Soaring Tower and attempting to contain the situation through compromise and indirect methods. Qin Wangchuan, however, possesses enough power to ignore or overturn those rules entirely.
• After dealing with the mountain incident, Fan Yuan is summoned to the Qin Clan Courtyard. Nervous that Qin Wangchuan may know about his actions, he goes despite concerns that Soaring Tower’s watchers may notice.
• Qin Wangchuan asks who the outsiders are. Fan Yuan explains the structure and influence of Soaring Tower, Mystic Capital Prefecture, and Mountain-Quelling Palace, identifying Soaring Tower as the strongest nearby power.
• Qin Wangchuan then asks whether Fan Yuan wants to become the master of Soaring Tower. Fan Yuan admits that he once dreamed of reforming the corrupt organization, where he had begun his cultivation journey, but considers that dream impossible.
• Qin Wangchuan calmly declares that Fan Yuan will become the master of Soaring Tower after the following day.
• Before leaving, Qin Wangchuan warns Fan Yuan that power and authority corrupt people. He orders him not to become like the people he once despised, threatening to kill him personally if he does.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: Reveals a more relaxed and subtly affectionate side around Qin Zhaoer, while remaining overwhelmingly confident and detached when dealing with external threats. His approach to conflict is direct and uncompromising: overwhelming strength rather than negotiation or maneuvering.
• Qin Zhaoer: Shows growing affection and familial attachment toward Qin Wangchuan. She takes pride in her role as his older sister and treasures small memories of caring for him, despite their lack of blood relation.
• Fan Yuan: Is shown to be cautious, politically aware, and constrained by the world’s power structure. His old idealism resurfaces when discussing Soaring Tower, revealing that beneath his pragmatic exterior he still wants to protect younger disciples and reform corruption. He is suddenly thrust into a position of immense authority and responsibility.

3. Significant Themes

• Strength versus compromise: The chapter presents Qin Wangchuan’s overwhelming power as a solution that bypasses political maneuvering and established rules.
• Power and corruption: Qin Wangchuan emphasizes that authority can cause people to forget their origins and become what they once opposed.
• Idealism versus reality: Fan Yuan once dreamed of reforming Soaring Tower but abandoned the idea because of its size and corruption. Qin Wangchuan’s intervention forces that abandoned ideal back into reality.
• Family and affection: Qin Zhaoer’s memories and teasing reveal the quiet intimacy developing between the two non-blood-related siblings.
• Rules and transcendence: Fan Yuan must work within the world’s systems, while Qin Wangchuan exists beyond them, highlighting the vast difference in their positions and abilities.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Zhaoer playfully suggests that Qin Wangchuan keep his hair long, while he responds with mild suspicion and restrained affection.
• She recalls making noodles for him, and his understated criticism—despite finishing the entire meal—becomes a fond memory that strengthens her sense of familial pride.
• Qin Zhaoer criticizes Qin Wangchuan for provoking powerful outsiders, but he calmly explains that enduring threats is not the same as maintaining stability.
• Fan Yuan approaches Qin Wangchuan nervously and explains Soaring Tower’s position in the regional power structure.
• Qin Wangchuan’s unexpected offer to make Fan Yuan the master of Soaring Tower transforms their relationship from one of distant service into one involving enormous trust and responsibility.
• His final threat makes clear that his support is conditional: Fan Yuan may gain power, but Qin Wangchuan will personally punish him if he becomes corrupt.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Soaring Tower’s leadership gathers in the Council Hall to examine a copied cultivation technique brought back by Shen He.
• The technique excites the elders because it follows a completely different cultivation path and may allow Ninth Level Cultivators to break through toward the legendary Celestial Being Realm.
• The council learns that Fan Yuan, who recently killed Soaring Tower’s Ninth Level Cultivators Zhou Buqi and Huo Qingyang, possesses both this technique and a sword capable of piercing protective True Qi.
• Shen He explains that Fan Yuan calls the mysterious figure behind him “Sir.” The elders infer that this person is likely a hidden Celestial Being responsible for Fan Yuan’s rapid advancement, divine weapon, and unusual cultivation method.
• Zhao Chengyue demands that Fan Yuan be captured and killed for the sake of revenge and Soaring Tower’s authority, while Gu Hanshan argues that Fan Yuan should instead be recruited and exploited for his knowledge, weapon, and connection to “Sir.”
• The council adopts Gu Hanshan’s pragmatic plan. Jiang Xuan orders the deaths of Zhou Buqi and Huo Qingyang, as well as the incident at Zouma Lake, to be concealed. Witnesses are silenced, and Fan Yuan is invited back to Soaring Tower as a council elder.
• Several days later, Fan Yuan arrives at headquarters accompanied by an unidentified youth.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shen He remains shaken by Fan Yuan’s overwhelming power and becomes increasingly uneasy about Soaring Tower’s arrogance. Although he recognizes the danger of underestimating Fan Yuan and “Sir,” he suppresses his concerns rather than challenge the elders.
• Lu Guanlan and Xu Xuantong represent the council’s scholarly excitement, focusing on the cultivation technique’s potential to open a new path beyond the Ninth Level.
• Zhao Chengyue reveals his personal loyalty to the deceased Zhou Buqi. He disguises his desire for revenge as concern for Soaring Tower’s honor and security.
• Gu Hanshan openly prioritizes power, advancement, and practical gain over morality or reputation. His willingness to sacrifice Zhou Buqi’s honor—and even collect his corpse himself—shows his ruthless pragmatism.
• Jiang Xuan acts as the final authority, balancing secrecy and strategy. His decision to offer Fan Yuan a council position demonstrates Soaring Tower’s intention to control him rather than confront him immediately.
• The council’s discussion exposes the tension between revenge, institutional honor, and the pursuit of power.

Significant Themes

• Power versus honor: The elders quickly abandon concern for Soaring Tower’s reputation when Fan Yuan’s cultivation technique offers a possible route to the Celestial Being Realm.
• Fear of a blocked cultivation path: The aging cultivators are driven less by fear of death than by the possibility that their advancement has reached its limit.
• Institutional arrogance and manipulation: Soaring Tower assumes Fan Yuan can be lured, controlled, and exploited without seriously considering his wishes or the strength of his backer.
• Pragmatism and moral corruption: The elders treat dead cultivators, witnesses, and even Fan Yuan himself as resources or obstacles to be managed.
• Hidden power and underestimation: Fan Yuan’s mysterious “Sir” and the sword that nullifies True Qi suggest that Soaring Tower may be confronting a force far beyond its expectations.
• Secrecy as strategy: By suppressing news of the deaths and sealing the Zouma Lake incident, Soaring Tower attempts to preserve its authority while preparing to absorb Fan Yuan into its leadership.

Chapter Summary: “Close the Doors and Wait for Them”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fan Yuan returns to Soaring Tower Headquarters after believing he would never come back. He introduces it to Qin Wangchuan, who reacts indifferently to the tower’s immense size, suggesting he has seen far grander places.
• Liu Zhou, a junior disciple, is sent to receive Fan Yuan. Fan Yuan takes offense that the tower did not send someone of higher rank, though he ultimately spares Liu Zhou after learning he was merely following orders.
• As Fan Yuan walks through the familiar grounds, memories of his former failure and resentment toward Soaring Tower resurface. He remembers wanting to reform the institution but lacking the strength and authority to do so.
• The group climbs to the Council Hall. Liu Zhou is surprised that Qin Wangchuan, despite appearing young and carrying only a medical book, shows no fatigue.
• Liu Zhou attempts to curry favor with Qin Wangchuan by offering to arrange a resting place for him, assuming he may be Fan Yuan’s successor. Fan Yuan immediately rejects the suggestion and orders Liu Zhou to leave.
• Zhao Chengyue appears and mocks Fan Yuan for bringing someone into the tower before officially taking his council seat. Fan Yuan responds with a direct threat, causing Zhao to back down after noticing Fan Yuan’s sword.
• Inside the Council Hall, Qin Wangchuan’s golden eyes and detached presence unsettle several senior cultivators, including Jiang Xuan, Lu Guanlan, and Xu Xuantong.
• Rather than sit in the seat prepared for him, Fan Yuan sits beside Qin Wangchuan near the entrance. Together, they effectively guard the doorway, signaling that Fan Yuan considers Qin Wangchuan more important than the council itself.
• Qin Wangchuan remains silent and calmly reads his medical text, leaving the council members increasingly suspicious and uneasy about his true identity.

Character Developments

• Fan Yuan: His old resentment toward Soaring Tower remains strong, but he now returns with far greater confidence and power. He openly challenges the institution’s hierarchy, defends Qin Wangchuan, and deliberately refuses to conform to council expectations.
• Qin Wangchuan: He continues to display extraordinary composure and mystery. His effortless stamina, golden eyes, and commanding aura imply an identity and background far beyond his youthful appearance. His silence itself becomes a source of pressure.
• Liu Zhou: Initially nervous but dutiful, he quickly recognizes Qin Wangchuan as someone unusual. He attempts to build a relationship with him, revealing his political instincts and desire to secure future advantages.
• Zhao Chengyue: Remains hostile toward Fan Yuan and attempts to assert dominance through mockery. However, he retreats when confronted, showing that he is wary of Fan Yuan’s current strength.
• The senior council members: Their confidence is shaken by Qin Wangchuan’s presence. Their reactions reveal that they sense an unusual difference in status or power but cannot identify its source.

Significant Themes

• Return and unresolved resentment: Fan Yuan’s return forces him to confront the place that once frustrated and defeated him. The unchanged surroundings emphasize how deeply his past experiences still affect him.
• Power and status: Qin Wangchuan’s casual attitude toward Soaring Tower contrasts with the institution’s pride in its grandeur, suggesting that true power is not always displayed openly.
• Defiance of corrupt authority: Fan Yuan refuses to follow the tower’s customs or accept its treatment of him, symbolizing his rejection of its old hierarchy and decay.
• Mystery and hidden identity: Qin Wangchuan’s appearance, eyes, calmness, and unexplained authority lead the council to question who he really is.
• Loyalty and protection: Fan Yuan’s actions show that he has aligned himself firmly with Qin Wangchuan. By sitting beside him at the door, he appears ready to protect him and control who enters or leaves.

Important Character Interactions

• Fan Yuan and Qin Wangchuan: Their relationship is built on respect and trust. Fan Yuan treats Qin Wangchuan as a superior, while Qin Wangchuan quietly observes Fan Yuan’s emotional connection to Soaring Tower.
• Fan Yuan and Liu Zhou: Fan Yuan intimidates Liu Zhou but recognizes that the young disciple is only obeying orders. Liu Zhou, in turn, becomes curious about Qin Wangchuan and tries to establish a favorable connection.
• Fan Yuan and Zhao Chengyue: Their exchange is openly hostile. Zhao provokes Fan Yuan, but Fan Yuan’s threat forces him to retreat, establishing Fan Yuan’s unwillingness to tolerate disrespect.
• Qin Wangchuan and the Council: Qin Wangchuan barely acknowledges the council, yet his brief glance and calm presence unsettle its members more effectively than any direct confrontation could.

Chapter Summary: A Sword Descends from Heaven

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Hanshan arrives late at Soaring Tower’s Council Hall and immediately senses an abnormal, tense atmosphere. Fan Yuan is present, seated beside an unfamiliar young man—Qin Wangchuan.
• Zhao Chengyue attempts to confront Fan Yuan, but Qin Wangchuan silences the hall by closing his medical book and shutting the heavy doors.
• Qin Wangchuan introduces himself as the mysterious figure Soaring Tower has been investigating. He admits that:
  • He killed the tiger outside Willow Creek Town.
  • He left behind the mysterious branch.
  • He is the person behind the events attributed to the so-called “Celestial Being.”
  • He is not actually a Celestial Being.
• He declares that Soaring Tower has interfered too much in his affairs and announces that, from that day onward, the entire organization belongs to him. He gives its leaders only two choices: resist or submit.
• Jiang Xuan rejects Qin Wangchuan’s demand and accuses him of arrogance. He blasts open the doors and summons Soaring Tower’s hidden Shadow Guards, intending to overwhelm Qin Wangchuan and Fan Yuan.
• Before Jiang Xuan can order the attack, Qin Wangchuan immobilizes him with invisible force.
• A sword-like beam descends from the heavens, cutting through two floors of the tower and killing Jiang Xuan instantly, reducing him to blood mist without damaging the surrounding floor.
• The hall is left stunned, particularly Zhao Chengyue, who realizes that Qin Wangchuan possesses power far beyond anything a normal human should be capable of.

Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: Reveals himself as the mysterious power behind the recent supernatural incidents. He is calm, confident, and utterly dominant, making no effort to prove his identity or negotiate. His effortless destruction of Jiang Xuan establishes him as an overwhelming threat.
• Gu Hanshan: Shows caution and political awareness. Rather than speaking impulsively, he quietly takes his seat and avoids becoming involved before understanding the situation.
• Fan Yuan: His presence beside Qin Wangchuan confirms his allegiance or submission to him, reinforcing Qin Wangchuan’s credibility in the eyes of the council.
• Jiang Xuan: Initially appears confident in his authority and prepared to suppress Qin Wangchuan through force. His confidence collapses when he is immobilized and killed instantly, demonstrating the limits of his power.
• Zhao Chengyue: Begins angry and eager to challenge Fan Yuan, but his hostility turns into fear after witnessing Jiang Xuan’s death. He becomes one of the first to comprehend the terrifying scale of Qin Wangchuan’s abilities.

Significant Themes

• Power versus authority: Soaring Tower’s leaders are accustomed to controlling others, but Qin Wangchuan overturns the hierarchy by claiming the entire organization for himself.
• Fear and uncertainty: The council members neither fully believe nor dismiss Qin Wangchuan’s claims. Their hesitation reflects their fear and their reluctance to be the first to challenge him.
• The limits of human understanding: Qin Wangchuan’s sword strike is so precise and powerful that Zhao Chengyue questions whether he can even be considered human.
• Overwhelming force versus political maneuvering: The tower’s leaders rely on schemes, guards, and collective strength, while Qin Wangchuan ends the confrontation with a single effortless attack.
• Submission or destruction: Qin Wangchuan offers the tower a simple choice, but Jiang Xuan’s death demonstrates the consequences of resistance.

Character Interactions

• Gu Hanshan and the council: Gu Hanshan carefully observes the room and avoids speaking, contrasting with Zhao Chengyue’s impulsiveness.
• Zhao Chengyue and Fan Yuan: Zhao attempts to confront Fan Yuan, likely over his connection to Qin Wangchuan, but is interrupted before he can continue.
• Qin Wangchuan and the council: Qin addresses the leaders directly, admitting responsibility for the mysterious incidents and demanding their submission.
• Qin Wangchuan and Jiang Xuan: Their exchange becomes the chapter’s central confrontation. Jiang Xuan rejects Qin’s authority and mobilizes the Shadow Guards, but Qin effortlessly pins him down and kills him with a descending sword strike.
• Qin Wangchuan and Fan Yuan: Though they do not directly speak in the scene, Fan Yuan’s placement beside Qin and his calm presence imply a clear association and possibly an acknowledgment of Qin’s superior status.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Wangchuan unexpectedly unleashes a devastating sword technique that splits the sky and destroys the surrounding threat. The witnesses are horrified, believing that such power may surpass even the Celestial Being realm.
• Qin realizes that he has fully transformed the previously vague “Heaven-Opening Intent” into his own technique: Heaven-Opening Sword Intent, one of the Ten Emperor Arts. The system confirms his achievement, though Qin angrily silences its irrelevant remarks about the Chu Clan.
• Gu Hanshan immediately submits to Qin and offers to serve him as his master. Qin then orders everyone in the hall to choose between submission and death.
• During the countdown, Zhao Chengyue and the others reluctantly stand and submit. Fan Yuan also chooses to stand, recognizing the shift in power and accepting Qin’s protection.
• Qin gives the Soaring Tower to Fan Yuan to manage and allows him to name anyone he considers dangerous or untrustworthy. Fan Yuan uses this authority to purge the tower’s corrupt leadership.
• Fan Yuan names Zhao Chengyue, who pleads innocence but is instantly killed by Qin’s sword light.
• Fan Yuan then condemns Shen He for his past betrayal and opportunism. Shen He attempts to escape through a window, but Qin kills him in midair.
• Fan Yuan continues naming corrupt members of the Soaring Tower. Qin executes them one by one, eliminating roughly half the people in the council hall. The condemned include abusers, embezzlers, murderers, and those who collaborated with outside forces.
• Fan Yuan eventually stops the executions, deciding that some people must remain to keep the Soaring Tower functioning. Qin then removes the entire roof—and the two floors above the hall—with a single sword strike.
• Looking toward a familiar mountain range, Qin asks the survivors what the mountain is called, seemingly reminded of his first meeting with Li Qingluan.

Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: Achieves a major breakthrough by comprehending Heaven-Opening Sword Intent. His power and authority become undeniable, and he shifts from being an underestimated outsider to the absolute ruler of the situation. He remains emotionally detached, though memories of Li Qingluan briefly affect him.
• Fan Yuan: Gains confidence and authority under Qin’s protection. Rather than clinging to conventional notions of integrity, he accepts responsibility for reforming the Soaring Tower and decisively removes its worst elements. His long-suppressed resentment is finally given an outlet.
• Gu Hanshan: Quickly recognizes Qin’s overwhelming strength and submits voluntarily, becoming the first person to acknowledge Qin as a master.
• Zhao Chengyue: Revealed as pragmatic and self-serving. Though he submits to survive, his previous hostility toward Fan Yuan leads to his execution.
• Shen He: Demonstrates his cowardice and opportunism by attempting to flee. His escape fails, confirming Fan Yuan’s judgment of him.
• The remaining tower members: Their fear and submission show that Qin’s overwhelming strength has completely destroyed their resistance.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and authority: Qin’s Heaven-Opening Sword Intent establishes him as a figure beyond ordinary cultivation standards, forcing everyone to submit.
• Justice and retribution: Fan Yuan uses Qin’s power to punish people whose crimes he had witnessed but previously lacked the ability to address.
• Trust and responsibility: Qin entrusts the Soaring Tower to Fan Yuan, while Fan Yuan accepts the burden of rebuilding it rather than refusing out of pride.
• Survival versus loyalty: Most characters submit not out of genuine allegiance but because they understand resistance means certain death.
• Corruption and reform: The executions expose how deeply the Soaring Tower has decayed. Fan Yuan’s decision to spare some people suggests that reform requires both punishment and preserving enough structure to rebuild.
• Identity and destiny: Qin’s accidental mastery of one of the Ten Emperor Arts suggests that his true potential far exceeds his current understanding, while the system’s references to the Chu Clan hint at a larger hidden past.

Important Character Interactions

• Qin and the assembled tower leaders: Qin forces them to choose submission or death, establishing complete dominance.
• Qin and Fan Yuan: Qin demonstrates trust by handing Fan Yuan control of the Soaring Tower and granting him the authority to settle personal and political enemies.
• Fan Yuan and Zhao Chengyue: Fan Yuan openly accuses Zhao Chengyue of being dangerous and manipulative, leading to his execution.
• Fan Yuan and Shen He: Shen He attempts to justify his past actions, but Fan Yuan rejects his excuses and condemns him. Shen He then tries—and fails—to escape.
• Qin and the survivors: Qin’s final destruction of the hall’s roof reinforces both his terrifying strength and his control over the frightened assembly.

Chapter Summary: Fists and Pills: Soaring Tower Officially Changes Hands

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Wangchuan tests the range of his Heaven-Opening Sword Intent by pointing toward Dust-Cleansing Peak, more than a thousand miles away.
• With a simple downward motion of two fingers, he cleaves the clouds and splits the distant mountain in half, creating a devastating shockwave that terrifies everyone in the council hall.
• The display convinces the Soaring Tower’s leaders that resistance or escape is impossible. Qin’s power extends across enormous distances, leaving them nowhere to hide.
• Qin gives the gathered cultivators an ultimatum: they must remain in the tower and stabilize it for one year. Afterward, they may choose whether to stay or leave.
• Before departing, he leaves behind a Jade Bottle containing cultivation-enhancing pills.
• Fan Yuan distributes two pills to each person. The pills’ faint fragrance immediately reveals them to be extraordinary treasures.
• Gu Hanshan and the others question Fan Yuan about Qin’s identity. Fan Yuan honestly admits that he does not know, but speculates that Qin may be a reincarnated Exiled Immortal.
• Fan Yuan persuades the cultivators to accept their new circumstances by pointing out that Qin’s power and the pills may offer them a path to becoming Celestial Beings.
• One by one, the cultivators swallow the pills, symbolizing their submission to Qin and the official transfer of control over Soaring Tower.

Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: Demonstrates overwhelming power while remaining calm and casual. Rather than killing or completely expelling the tower’s leaders, he offers them a year to stabilize the organization, showing both authority and a degree of restraint. His true strength is implied to be far greater than what he displays.
• Fan Yuan: Becomes the practical intermediary between Qin and the tower’s cultivators. Though shaken by Qin’s feat, he quickly understands the situation and confidently distributes the pills. He shifts from being merely Qin’s follower to acting as the tower’s new leader and persuader.
• Gu Hanshan and the other cultivators: Their resistance and hidden calculations collapse after witnessing the distant mountain being split. Fear gradually gives way to reluctant acceptance and hope, especially when they realize Qin may help them advance beyond their current limits.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and submission: Qin’s effortless destruction of a mountain establishes an absolute power hierarchy and eliminates the possibility of rebellion.
• Fear versus opportunity: The cultivators submit not only because they fear Qin, but also because the pills and his apparent abilities offer them a chance to achieve legendary cultivation.
• Mystery and speculation: Qin’s identity remains unknown. Fan Yuan’s theory that he is a reincarnated Exiled Immortal increases the sense of wonder surrounding him.
• Leadership through both force and reward: Qin secures control through a terrifying demonstration of power, then reinforces it by offering valuable pills and allowing the cultivators a future choice.
• Transformation and new allegiance: The tower retains its name, but its internal leadership and loyalties change completely.

Character Interactions

• Qin questions Fan Yuan about the distant mountain, then uses the exchange to demonstrate his sword intent before the entire council.
• Qin addresses the gathered cultivators directly, acknowledging their possible resentment but demanding one year of cooperation.
• Fan Yuan and the council members communicate largely through tense looks and hesitation, with everyone relying on him to handle Qin’s pills.
• Gu Hanshan openly challenges Fan Yuan to reveal Qin’s identity, while Fan Yuan insists that he genuinely does not know.
• Fan Yuan then appeals to the entire group, urging them to choose between remaining ordinary cultivators or following Qin toward the possibility of becoming Celestial Beings.
• The cultivators’ collective decision to swallow the pills marks their acceptance of Qin’s rule and Fan Yuan’s authority within the newly transformed Soaring Tower.

Chapter Summary: “Plans for the Future: Only One Word—Fight!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Eight days after Qin Wangchuan’s return to Willow Creek Town, Fan Yuan finishes reorganizing Soaring Tower.
• Corrupt or unsuitable members are purged, new people are recruited, and clearer rules are established, giving the entire organization a renewed sense of order.
• Fan Yuan returns to Qin Wangchuan’s courtyard carrying Soaring Tower’s account books and reports on its resources, including treasures, spirit materials, pills, cultivation items, money, and outside businesses.
• Concerned that Qin Wangchuan’s courtyard is too modest, Fan Yuan suggests using Soaring Tower’s funds to buy him a larger residence and expand the property.
• Qin Wangchuan rejects the idea, reminding Fan Yuan that he was ordered to manage Soaring Tower, not spend its wealth on personal luxuries. A mysterious red jujube striking Fan Yuan’s forehead reinforces the rebuke.
• Fan Yuan then raises the larger strategic problem: Jiang Xuan is dead, many of Soaring Tower’s strongest figures have fallen, and Mystic Capital Prefecture and Mountain-Quelling Palace will likely take advantage of its weakened state.
• He proposes two possible approaches: negotiate and temporarily yield, or refuse compromise and fight.
• Qin Wangchuan gives a decisive answer: fight.
• He argues that yielding once will lead to endless concessions and permanently weaken Soaring Tower’s position.
• Qin Wangchuan also corrects Fan Yuan’s pessimistic assessment. Soaring Tower’s strength does not depend only on its senior experts; it possesses far more disciples than the rival factions.
• He identifies the coming conflict as an opportunity: casualties will create hatred, and that hatred can unite Soaring Tower’s scattered members into a single, controllable force.
• Fan Yuan is deeply affected by Qin Wangchuan’s perspective and accepts the instruction with renewed seriousness.

Character Developments

• Fan Yuan has become much stronger and more capable after taking control of Soaring Tower, but he remains humble and intimidated in Qin Wangchuan’s presence. His instinct to buy Qin a better home reveals his gratitude, loyalty, and anxiety about serving his teacher properly.
• His strategic thinking is cautious and defensive: he focuses on lost elders, possible defeat, and the need to compromise. After Qin Wangchuan’s advice, he begins to recognize the broader strength of Soaring Tower’s disciples and the potential value of conflict.
• Qin Wangchuan demonstrates his authority, restraint, and strategic brilliance. He rejects personal extravagance, gives direct and uncompromising advice, and sees opportunity where Fan Yuan sees only danger.
• Qin’s calm demeanor contrasts with the severity of his ideas. His recommendation to use hatred as a unifying force reveals a pragmatic, even ruthless understanding of human motivation.
• Their teacher-disciple relationship is emphasized: Fan Yuan is powerful elsewhere but remains obedient, respectful, and somewhat fearful before Qin.

Significant Themes

• Strength through resistance: The chapter argues that compromise with stronger rivals can become a permanent loss of dignity and power.
• Unity forged by adversity: Shared suffering and hatred can transform a divided organization into a unified force.
• Strategic vision versus immediate fear: Fan Yuan sees the danger of war, while Qin Wangchuan sees how war might strengthen Soaring Tower.
• Leadership and control: Qin suggests that Fan Yuan need not win loyalty through persuasion; external conflict and shared hatred can naturally bind people together.
• Humility before true power: Fan Yuan’s increased cultivation does not diminish Qin’s overwhelming authority over him.
• Pragmatism and moral ambiguity: Qin’s plan treats hatred and casualties as tools, presenting power politics as something governed by necessity rather than idealism.

Character Interactions

• Fan Yuan approaches Qin with extreme respect, carefully reporting Soaring Tower’s condition and seeking approval for his decisions.
• Qin responds with restrained but firm correction when Fan Yuan proposes spending organizational funds on a new residence.
• The red jujube incident adds a faintly humorous, almost supernatural touch to Qin’s reprimand while showing Fan Yuan’s immediate willingness to admit fault.
• Their central exchange concerns whether Soaring Tower should negotiate or fight. Qin’s single-word answer—“Fight”—establishes the chapter’s decisive direction.
• Qin reframes Fan Yuan’s fear into a strategic opportunity, while Fan Yuan listens, reflects, and ultimately submits to his teacher’s superior judgment.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Fan Yuan, now given a clear direction for his future, prepares to leave Qin Wangchuan’s courtyard.
• Qin Wangchuan reminds him to continue searching for the bandit who killed Qin Rang. Fan Yuan reports that Soaring Tower is secretly investigating and promises the killer will eventually be found.
• Qin Wangchuan explains to Qin Zhaoer that establishing an organization for Fan Yuan was partly self-serving, since it will reduce future trouble for him.
• Qin Zhaoer brings Qin Wangchuan homemade meat buns. Although one contains a bone, he eats them and acknowledges that her cooking has improved.
• Qin Wangchuan returns to forging a sword. Qin Zhaoer sits nearby as usual, watching him work in comfortable silence.
• Absorbed in the peaceful scene and in Qin Wangchuan himself, Qin Zhaoer suddenly says, “Qin Wangchuan, let’s get married,” then freezes in shock at her own words.

Character developments

• Fan Yuan: Gains purpose and support, becoming connected to Soaring Tower and taking responsibility for avenging Qin Rang.
• Qin Wangchuan: Continues helping Fan Yuan while maintaining that his assistance also benefits himself. He remains calm and restrained, but quietly recognizes Qin Zhaoer’s personal growth and improved temperament.
• Qin Zhaoer: Shows increasing domestic effort and emotional attachment. Though her cooking is still imperfect, she is proud of her progress and enjoys caring for Qin Wangchuan. Her feelings deepen to the point that she impulsively proposes marriage.

Significant themes

• Justice and repayment: Qin Rang’s death remains unresolved, and the search for the murderer represents an ongoing blood debt.
• Mutual dependence and practical kindness: Qin Wangchuan helps Fan Yuan both out of compassion and to create a more orderly future for himself.
• Domestic intimacy: Cooking, eating together, and silently sharing the forge create a sense of ordinary companionship amid larger conflicts.
• Emotional awakening: Qin Zhaoer’s growing attachment emerges through small acts of care and culminates in her unplanned marriage proposal.
• Personal growth: Her willingness to cook and adapt reflects a transformation from pampered, impulsive “little demon king” toward someone capable of affection and responsibility.

Character interactions

• Fan Yuan respectfully reports to Qin Wangchuan, who reminds him of his obligation to find Qin Rang’s killer.
• Qin Zhaoer teases Qin Wangchuan about being benevolent, while he deflects the praise with practical reasoning.
• Her awkward cooking leads to playful intimacy: she tastes the bun directly from the bite he has taken, while he responds with tolerant, understated criticism.
• Qin Wangchuan’s quiet approval encourages Qin Zhaoer, even though he does not recognize the full emotional significance of her gestures.
• Their silent companionship beside the forge highlights their growing closeness, ending with Qin Zhaoer’s impulsive confession and proposal.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected, Not Unexpected, To Marry, Not To Marry”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Zhaoer impulsively suggests that she and Qin Wangchuan marry, supposedly as a sham marriage to silence gossip and avoid pressure from outsiders.
• She immediately panics after saying it, but regains her composure when Qin Wangchuan treats the proposal as one of her usual outrageous schemes rather than taking it seriously.
• Qin Zhaoer justifies the idea by claiming that her family is pressuring her to marry, that other marriage candidates are intolerable, and that their close relationship already causes people to speculate.
• Qin Wangchuan refuses to give her a clear answer, saying they can discuss it later. He suspects she may have deeper feelings, though he does not press the issue.
• While trying to prove she has no romantic intentions, Qin Zhaoer examines and touches his arm, only to become unexpectedly aware of his physical attractiveness and strength.
• She describes her ideal partner as someone powerful enough to stand above everyone else and, unlike an obedient follower, strong enough to control or “keep her in line.”
• Qin Wangchuan jokes that disciplining her would be extremely difficult and recalls that she only became closer to him after he had once firmly taught her a lesson.
• His remark makes Qin Zhaoer remember that experience; instead of being offended, she admits that such treatment might not be unacceptable.
• She settles into watching him forge a sword, realizing that there is no need to rush into marriage because the two of them are already closer than anyone else in their isolated world.
• Qin Wangchuan finishes forging and quenching the sword.

Character Developments

• Qin Zhaoer: Her impulsive marriage proposal exposes feelings she has not fully acknowledged. Though she insists the idea is merely practical, her embarrassment, physical curiosity, jealousy of the possibility of him marrying someone else, and satisfaction at being his closest companion reveal growing romantic attachment. She also recognizes that she is drawn to someone strong enough to challenge her rather than simply obey her.
• Qin Wangchuan: He remains calm and restrained, interpreting Qin Zhaoer’s proposal as another eccentric impulse. Nevertheless, he notices the possibility of hidden motives and gently tests her sincerity. His teasing shows familiarity with her personality, while his refusal to immediately accept the proposal preserves emotional distance and uncertainty between them.

Significant Themes

• Unspoken romantic feelings: Qin Zhaoer’s words and actions reveal more than her stated explanations. The chapter centers on the gap between what she claims—marriage for convenience—and what she may actually desire.
• Pride versus vulnerability: Qin Zhaoer repeatedly masks embarrassment with confidence, boasting, and bluster. Her bravado contrasts with her nervous inner thoughts and growing awareness of Qin Wangchuan as a man.
• Companionship and exclusivity: Their isolated circumstances make their bond uniquely important. Qin Zhaoer finds comfort in knowing that no one can be closer to Qin Wangchuan than she is.
• Power and mutual challenge: Qin Zhaoer does not want a submissive partner; she is attracted to strength, authority, and someone capable of restraining her. Their playful conflict suggests that equality and challenge are central to their relationship.
• Marriage as both performance and possibility: Although the proposal begins as a practical arrangement, the conversation gradually exposes marriage as a real emotional possibility.

Character Interactions

• Qin Zhaoer proposes marriage while Qin Wangchuan responds with calm skepticism.
• She attempts to convince him through elaborate reasoning, while he refuses to be rushed and hints that she may have ulterior motives.
• Her physical inspection of him becomes an intimate moment, interrupted when he takes her hand away.
• Their discussion of her ideal partner turns into playful teasing about discipline and obedience.
• Qin Wangchuan’s recollection of having disciplined her in the past causes Qin Zhaoer to react with unexpected acceptance, deepening the suggestive tension between them.
• The chapter ends quietly, with Qin Zhaoer watching Qin Wangchuan work and privately acknowledging the strength of their bond.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Wangchuan completes a new sword after repeatedly hammering, quenching, melting, and refining it. The result appears crude and fragile, with jagged edges and numerous cracks.
• Qin Zhaoer mocks its poor appearance and questions why he engraved the name “Ten Directions Profound Sword” on it.
• Qin Wangchuan explains that it is not yet the true Ten Directions Profound Sword. He realizes that the legendary sword from the Immortal Court was never an inherently divine weapon—it had originally been an ordinary iron sword forged by him in another time and space.
• Rather than repairing the broken original, Qin Wangchuan decides to personally forge the genuine Ten Directions Profound Sword, one capable of containing ten Emperor Arts and devouring countless laws and weapons. He also plans to forge it alongside the Wheel of Fate.
• With no rare materials, powerful flames, or expert guidance, Qin Wangchuan resolves to rely entirely on painstaking craftsmanship and repeated refinement.
• Qin Zhaoer quietly observes him working, then leaves to prepare food. She later returns, and the two eat together. Her parents, Father Wen and Mother Wen, approve of their growing closeness.
• Qin Wangchuan settles into a peaceful routine: studying medicine, treating townspeople, refining medicines and pills, fulfilling blacksmithing orders, and researching talismans and formations. He sends pills to Fan Yuan and the Soaring Tower for testing.
• War eventually breaks out between Soaring Tower and Mystic Capital Prefecture. What begins as disputes over territory, trade routes, and resources escalates after a death leads both sides to demand retaliation.
• Mountain-Quelling Palace remains neutral and observes the conflict.
• Fan Yuan uses the war to consolidate control over the recently unstable Soaring Tower. He recalls scattered forces, reorganizes the faction, purges opposition, and prepares for battle, guided by Qin Wangchuan’s earlier strategic advice.
• The two sides select a deserted wasteland as their battlefield to avoid harming mortal lands. The first day involves reconnaissance and minor clashes; the second brings tens of thousands of Martial Practitioners into open warfare; by the third day, powerful Cultivators enter the conflict, causing massive destruction.

Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan gains a deeper understanding of the Ten Directions Profound Sword’s origins and abandons his dependence on the broken Immortal Court weapon. He becomes more self-reliant and determined, choosing to create the sword’s true form through his own effort.
• His patience, discipline, and craftsmanship are emphasized as he slows his work rather than seeking shortcuts.
• He also develops into a versatile figure, balancing swordsmithing, medicine, alchemy, blacksmithing, talisman creation, and formation study.
• Qin Zhaoer shows increasing affection and quiet support for Qin Wangchuan. Though she initially teases him about the sword, she remains nearby, watches him work, prepares meals, and shares an increasingly intimate domestic life with him.
• Fan Yuan demonstrates strong leadership. Following Qin Wangchuan’s insight, he turns a potentially disastrous war into an opportunity to unify and strengthen Soaring Tower.

Significant Themes

• Creation versus inheritance: Qin Wangchuan realizes that true greatness lies not in possessing a legendary weapon but in forging it himself.
• Perseverance and craftsmanship: The sword’s repeated failures and flaws symbolize the long process required to achieve perfection.
• Self-reliance: Without treasures, special flames, or external masters, Qin Wangchuan relies on persistence and accumulated knowledge.
• Peaceful daily life amid looming conflict: The calm routines of medicine, cooking, and swordsmithing contrast sharply with the large-scale war developing elsewhere.
• Strategy and foresight: Qin Wangchuan’s ability to perceive the larger political situation allows Fan Yuan to prepare for war before it fully erupts.
• Growing companionship: Qin Wangchuan and Qin Zhaoer’s quiet interactions suggest a developing bond supported by her parents.

Character Interactions

• Qin Zhaoer challenges Qin Wangchuan’s judgment about the sword, while he calmly explains its unfinished nature and his new understanding of its origins.
• She silently supports his efforts by keeping him company and preparing food, and they begin eating together regularly.
• Father Wen and Mother Wen observe their closeness and approve rather than interfere.
• Qin Wangchuan’s earlier conversation with Fan Yuan becomes crucial to Soaring Tower’s wartime preparations, showing that their relationship is based on trust and respect.
• The chapter ends as the war reaches the Cultivator stage, with the two sides preparing to reveal their differing objectives in the conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Soaring Tower launches an all-out battle against Mystic Capital Prefecture. Unlike Mystic Capital, which conserves its strength and plans carefully, Soaring Tower fights with nothing to lose, hoping victory will restore its status among the three great powers.
• Although the battle is occurring far away, Willow Creek Town remains peaceful and unaffected.
• Zhou Heng visits Qin Wangchuan while he is finishing a heavily cracked sword. Zhou reveals that he intends to join Soaring Tower’s battlefield campaign.
• Qin warns Zhou that, as a newly advanced Martial Practitioner, he would face overwhelming danger and might have only a slim chance of survival.
• Zhou admits that he is afraid, especially because his mother depends on him, but insists that he must grow stronger and avenge his father by personally killing his enemy.
• Before Zhou leaves, Qin gives him a strangely ripe red jujube from the tree in his courtyard and tells him to keep its pit as a protective talisman. Qin jokingly—or perhaps seriously—claims Zhou should throw it at a powerful enemy, while warning him not to stand too close.

Character Developments

• Zhou Heng: Demonstrates increasing resolve and maturity. Though he understands the pain his death would cause his mother, his desire for vengeance and strength overcomes his hesitation. He is willing to risk his life rather than remain safely in town.
• Qin Wangchuan: Remains mysterious and emotionally restrained, offering no obvious comfort or attempts to stop Zhou. Nevertheless, his approval of Zhou’s resolve and his gift of the jujube suggest quiet concern and possible hidden power.
• Zhou’s mother: Though she does not appear directly, her refusal and physical attempt to stop Zhou reveal her fear of losing her only remaining family member.
• Soaring Tower: Its desperate, united determination contrasts with Mystic Capital’s cautious strategy, establishing the battle as a decisive struggle for survival and prestige.

Significant Themes

• Desperation versus calculation: Mystic Capital fights strategically while Soaring Tower commits everything to a decisive confrontation.
• Vengeance and duty: Zhou’s need to avenge his father drives him to accept extreme danger.
• Family and sacrifice: Zhou understands his responsibility toward his mother but chooses to pursue justice despite the possibility of leaving her alone.
• Hidden power and symbolism: The cracked sword, the unusual red jujube, and Qin’s cryptic words suggest that ordinary-looking objects may possess extraordinary significance.
• Peace amid distant conflict: Willow Creek’s unchanged daily life emphasizes how major struggles can remain invisible to ordinary people.

Character Interactions

• Zhou and Qin’s conversation is restrained but meaningful. Qin tests Zhou’s resolve by emphasizing the battlefield’s danger, while Zhou explains that only real combat can help him become strong enough to face his father’s killer.
• Their farewell reveals a subtle bond: Qin does not openly express affection, but he gives Zhou the jujube pit as a possible safeguard.
• Zhou treats Qin’s talisman explanation skeptically, yet accepts the gift rather than rejecting it, reflecting both their unusual relationship and Qin’s enigmatic nature.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Zhou Heng leaves Willow Creek Town for the battlefield, Qin Wangchuan watches him depart. White Deer praises Zhou Heng as an unusually gifted mortal but emphasizes that Qin Wangchuan is far beyond ordinary people.
• White Deer compares Qin Wangchuan to a crane among chickens, then admits even that metaphor is insufficient. Qin reflects on how living among ordinary mortals has finally allowed him to recognize his own exceptional nature.
• Qin considers when he began to surpass others—perhaps after his tenth birthday, his fight with Sixth Brother, or his appointment as Divine Son—but ultimately decides that his identity is not defined by any single turning point: wherever he is, he remains himself.
• Qin asks the sentient Jujube Tree for a fruit. The tree ripens and drops dates, one of which Qin gives to White Deer. After respectfully thanking the tree, White Deer eats the date and discovers that it greatly increases its cultivation, making the fruit extraordinarily valuable.
• Qin Zhaoer returns with noodles and buns she prepared after learning from Uncle Lu. Though the food is still imperfect, Qin eats it without complaint and tells her he will eat whatever she makes.
• Qin Zhaoer is deeply moved by his acceptance. Remembering Mother Wen’s explanation that cooking for others becomes worthwhile when they enjoy the food, she begins to understand the emotional value of caring for someone.
• She vows to improve until Qin wants to eat her cooking every day. Qin sincerely agrees to wait.
• The scene shifts to the distant battlefield, where Fan Yuan is overwhelmed by Zhou Heng’s unexpected arrival. Worried for Zhou’s safety, Fan orders him to remain by his side, but Zhou refuses and insists on fighting at the front.
• The veterans view Zhou’s declaration with mixed amusement and nostalgia, recognizing in him the youthful courage they themselves once possessed before war tempered it.

Character Developments

• Qin Wangchuan: Gains a clearer awareness of his own extraordinary status. Rather than becoming arrogant, he accepts his abilities calmly and reaffirms his stable sense of identity. His quiet willingness to eat Qin Zhaoer’s imperfect cooking also shows patience, kindness, and emotional attentiveness.
• White Deer: Continues to admire Qin Wangchuan but also demonstrates courtesy and spiritual awareness by thanking the Jujube Tree. The date dramatically strengthens its cultivation, revealing the tree’s unusual power.
• Qin Zhaoer: Begins shifting from viewing cooking as a practical chore to seeing it as an expression of affection and devotion. Her determination to improve reflects growing emotional attachment to Qin Wangchuan.
• Zhou Heng: Shows boldness and eagerness to prove himself by rejecting Fan Yuan’s protection and demanding a place on the battlefield, despite lacking sufficient cultivation.
• Fan Yuan: Acts protectively toward Zhou Heng and feels responsible for his safety because of his connection to Qin Wangchuan.
• Veteran soldiers: Their reaction to Zhou reveals their own past idealism and how war has gradually hardened or subdued it.

Significant Themes

• Self-recognition and identity: Qin’s time among mortals enables him to see the distance between himself and ordinary people, while he still insists that power does not change who he is.
• Affection expressed through ordinary acts: Cooking, eating, sharing food, and accepting another person’s efforts become meaningful demonstrations of care.
• Growth and potential: Zhou Heng represents youthful ambition and the desire to test oneself, while White Deer’s cultivation breakthrough illustrates sudden advancement through rare opportunity.
• Youthful idealism versus harsh experience: Zhou’s eagerness to enter battle contrasts with the veterans’ knowing awareness of war’s dangers.
• Respect for living beings: White Deer’s gratitude toward the Jujube Tree suggests a world in which spiritual intelligence creates bonds of mutual courtesy and recognition.

Character Interactions

• Qin Wangchuan and White Deer: Their conversation combines playful flattery with sincere admiration. Qin rewards White Deer with a jujube, while White Deer responds respectfully to the tree that produced it.
• Qin Wangchuan and Qin Zhaoer: Their meal reveals a growing emotional intimacy. Qin’s uncritical acceptance encourages Zhaoer, and her promise to improve hints at deepening affection.
• Qin Wangchuan and the Jujube Tree: Qin speaks to the tree as a cooperative, sentient companion, and the tree responds by producing ripe fruit.
• Fan Yuan and Zhou Heng: Fan tries to protect Zhou by keeping him away from danger, but Zhou’s refusal establishes his determination to pursue his own path.
• Zhou Heng and the battlefield veterans: Though they see him as inexperienced, his ambition reminds them of their younger selves.