Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Venerables Gather”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Luotian, who had initially considered supporting either side in the conflict, becomes fearful after witnessing the overwhelming power of the True Lords. He approaches only after the family faction gains the advantage, but Luo Seventeen questions his allegiance.
• Feng Jun and Qian Zhong conduct a successful Deduction and uncover the Wood Spirit Dao’s plan. Qianxi Venerable had allied with the Thief Lineage to alter nearby spatial coordinates.
• The Wood Spirit Dao arranged the Elders Council selection in Qiongan Block to draw the local factions into the matter and give itself legitimacy to interfere with the strategically important spatial coordinates.
• The investigation confirms Qianxi’s involvement, but it cannot determine whether she and Celestial Aspect True Immortal specifically plotted against the Luo Family, Feng Jun, or Yi Jue. Qianxi remains unconscious, while Celestial Aspect refuses to answer questions.
• The group debates where to take the accused for judgment. They ultimately escort them to the Insectoid World passage entrance, where sect cultivators can judge the matter fairly.
• Several Venerables arrive to weigh in. Most openly support Feng Jun, Yi Jue, or the family faction, leaving Guoyi Venerable and the Wood Spirit Dao politically isolated.
• Feng Jun briefly leaves to treat Vast Sea Venerable, who has suffered Fire Toxin in the Insectoid World. Feng Jun assures everyone that Vast Sea will recover.
• The chapter ends with Procrastinating Venerable revealing that Qianxi’s soul is incomplete. This unexpected condition may explain her actions, but the incompleteness appears unusual even to those skilled in soul-related techniques.

Character Developments

• Han Luotian is shown to be cautious and politically calculating. He initially considers choosing a side but ultimately waits, fearing the consequences of backing the wrong faction. His uncertainty leaves him worried that the True Lords may resent him.
• Feng Jun continues to demonstrate extraordinary abilities, including powerful Deduction and the ability to transport large groups. His influence is emphasized by the number of Venerables willing to support him.
• Qianxi Venerable is confirmed to have dealings with the Thief Lineage and to be deeply involved in the spatial-coordinate scheme. Her unconscious state prevents a full interrogation.
• Celestial Aspect True Immortal refuses to cooperate with the investigation, leaving his precise role unclear.
• Guoyi Venerable shifts from defending the Wood Spirit Dao to recognizing its increasingly weak position. He is impressed by Feng Jun’s connections and begins to understand how isolated his faction has become.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains aggressively protective of Feng Jun and refuses to forgive Qianxi. His intimidating reputation silences the Myriad Illusions Sect Venerable.
• Yi Jue’s influence becomes clearer through Ren Tu Venerable’s declaration that the Grand Void Gate will support her regardless of the issue.
• Procrastinating Venerable displays unexpected decisiveness. He openly supports the Wood Spirit Dao only conditionally and later identifies Qianxi’s abnormal soul.
• Fishing Elder Venerable acts as a relatively neutral investigator but questions why Qianxi was so determined to antagonize Feng Jun.

Significant Themes

• Factional politics and strategic alliances: The Elders Council is revealed as a political tool designed to involve Qiongan Block’s forces in the Wood Spirit Dao’s plans.
• Influence versus formal status: Feng Jun is dismissed by one Venerable as a “rogue cultivator,” yet his relationships and supporters demonstrate that practical influence matters more than official affiliation.
• Loyalty and personal connections: Ren Tu supports Yi Jue because she belongs to the Grand Void Gate, while Luanxiong supports Feng Jun partly because of longstanding factional grievances against the Wood Spirit Dao.
• Power and intimidation: The Xuanyuan Family’s reputation prevents the Myriad Illusions Sect from escalating its insults into violence.
• Uncertainty behind apparent guilt: Although Qianxi’s involvement is established, her incomplete and abnormal soul suggests that her motives or actions may not have been entirely her own.
• Generational change: Guoyi Venerable is astonished by the achievements of younger cultivators such as Feng Jun, reflecting the rapidly shifting balance of power.

Character Interactions

• Han Luotian’s approach is met with suspicion from Luo Seventeen and silent disapproval from the True Lords.
• Xuanyuan Buqi clashes with the Myriad Illusions Sect Venerable, sarcastically reframing the sect’s members as a “unit of pricing” and threatening him into silence.
• Guoyi Venerable questions Fishing Elder about Feng Jun’s reputation and later asks him to help judge the dispute.
• Fishing Elder challenges the logic behind Qianxi’s hostility toward Feng Jun, while Xuanyuan Buqi reacts defensively to his comments about the family faction.
• Ren Tu and Luanxiong openly declare support for Yi Jue and Feng Jun, respectively, reinforcing the impression that Feng Jun’s alliance network is unusually strong.
• Procrastinating Venerable warns the others not to punish Qianxi hastily because of her incomplete soul, prompting Fishing Elder and Feng Jun to reconsider the situation.

Chapter Summary: “Unusual Injuries”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qianxi Venerable is discovered to be severely injured after the Soul-Severing Nail vanished. Part of his Divine Soul has been completely annihilated rather than merely damaged, making recovery nearly impossible under Heaven’s laws.
• Procrastinating Venerable explains that restoring an annihilated Divine Soul would require defying Heaven, likely demanding cultivation at the Tribulation Transcendence Stage or higher.
• The group realizes that Feng Jun may have caused the Soul-Severing Nail’s destruction through a protective talisman connected to his mysterious sect elder. Feng Jun deliberately keeps the true source of the power ambiguous.
• Xuanyuan Buqi demands Qianxi’s death in revenge for the theft and misuse of Xuanyuan Family treasures. He eventually agrees to spare Qianxi if:
  • The other conspirators are executed.
  • The Thief Lineage behind the plot is located.
• The Wood Spirit Dao is revealed to have collaborated with the infamous Thief Lineage, damaging its standing with the other factions.
• Feng Jun proposes that Wood Spirit Dao disciples be exchanged for Myriad Illusions Sect cultivators of equivalent cultivation, attempting to drive a wedge between the two hostile factions.
• Feng Jun openly taunts the Myriad Illusions Sect Venerable and challenges him to a duel, claiming he would transport the Venerable to his sect elder for judgment. The Venerable refuses to accept the terms and does not dare provoke Feng Jun.
• Celestial Aspect True Immortal is executed by Guoyi Venerable. Guoyi takes the gravely injured Qianxi Venerable away, while Xuanyuan Buqi captures the remaining Wood Spirit Dao disciples.
• The captured disciples are placed under restrictions and forced to work. Their release depends on the Wood Spirit Dao handing over members of the Myriad Illusions Sect.
• Afterward, Xuanyuan Buqi asks Luo Seventeen about the Ruomu he obtained. Luo Seventeen refuses to show it, hinting that it is highly important to the Luo Family and may be connected to its cultivation technique.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Continues to conceal the extent of his powers and the true capabilities of his protective talismans. He acts provocatively and confidently, using psychological pressure and political maneuvering rather than openly revealing his strength.
• Qianxi Venerable: Suffers a potentially irreversible Divine Soul annihilation as punishment for using the Soul-Severing Nail. His condition demonstrates the dangers of soul-based treasures.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Shows himself to be vengeful, forceful, and protective of the Xuanyuan Family’s interests. Although he initially demands Qianxi’s death, he is willing to negotiate if substantial compensation and justice are provided.
• Guoyi Venerable: Tries to protect the Wood Spirit Dao’s lesser disciples and limit the consequences for his faction, but ultimately executes Celestial Aspect True Immortal and accepts responsibility for taking Qianxi away.
• Myriad Illusions Sect Venerable: Is humiliated by Feng Jun’s challenge but restrains himself because he recognizes Feng Jun’s hidden backing and actual danger.
• Luo Seventeen: Remains hostile toward the Soul-Severing Nail and refuses to surrender information about the Ruomu, emphasizing his loyalty to and concern for the Luo Family.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of violating natural law: Divine Soul annihilation is portrayed as fundamentally different from ordinary injury, suggesting that some damage cannot be repaired without transcending Heaven’s limitations.
• The danger of powerful treasures: The Soul-Severing Nail inflicts devastating damage but also causes backlash when destroyed, emphasizing that weapons targeting the soul carry extraordinary risks.
• Revenge and justice: Xuanyuan Buqi’s demands reflect a belief that those who harm others must pay an equivalent price, while Guoyi Venerable argues for mercy toward lesser accomplices.
• Hidden strength and strategic deception: Feng Jun allows others to misunderstand his abilities, using the supposed protection of a sect elder to intimidate stronger cultivators.
• Factional politics and manipulation: Feng Jun exploits tensions between the Wood Spirit Dao and Myriad Illusions Sect, attempting to prevent them from forming a stable alliance.
• Secrets surrounding inheritance and cultivation: Luo Seventeen’s guarded response suggests that Ruomu may be tied to the Luo Family’s deeper heritage or cultivation method.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiu Si Venerable and Feng Jun: Jiu Si questions Feng Jun about the Soul-Severing Nail, while Feng Jun gives an evasive answer that preserves his secrets.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Guoyi Venerable: They negotiate Qianxi’s fate and the punishment of the Wood Spirit Dao. Xuanyuan insists on severe consequences, while Guoyi seeks to save uninvolved or lesser disciples.
• Feng Jun and the Myriad Illusions Sect Venerable: Their exchange becomes a battle of intimidation. Feng Jun repeatedly mocks the Venerable’s reluctance to duel, while the Venerable criticizes Feng Jun’s reliance on external protection.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi: Feng Jun supports Xuanyuan’s handling of the captured disciples but also uses the negotiations to undermine potential cooperation between enemy factions.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Luo Seventeen: Xuanyuan’s curiosity about Ruomu introduces a new mystery involving the Luo Family’s cultivation legacy.

Chapter Summary: “A Big Shot’s Covetousness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Seventeen explains that the Luo Family’s cultivation techniques were created beneath a Ruomu tree and are deeply connected to Ruomu’s essence. Their divine ability Great Sun’s Western Descent reflects this relationship.
• Feng Jun requests and receives a wisp of Ruomu Aura from Luo Seventeen, who is willing to offer it in gratitude for Feng Jun’s earlier rescue.
• Xuanyuan Buqi asks Luo Seventeen to guard the area around Qiongan Block. In exchange, Luo Family disciples are allowed to enter the Asura World for training once the passage opens.
• The Xiong Family also requests access for its younger generation. Xuanyuan Buqi agrees, provided the Xiong and Xuanyuan Families cooperate against the Wood Spirit Dao for the next hundred years.
• After Feng Jun leaves, the Xiong Family True Lord questions why two Xuanyuan True Lords constantly accompany him. Luo Seventeen suggests Feng Jun may possess valuable opportunities, though neither knows their exact nature.
• Feng Jun returns to Libo Shoal, performs deductions, refines two sets of Magic Treasures, and enters seclusion. After two months, he successfully advances to the High-Tier Gold Core Seventh Level.
• He visits the Yin Soul big shot, whose cultivation has improved greatly after digesting a divided soul from the Qingchuan Realm.
• Feng Jun gives the big shot the Soul-Severing Nail, whose traces of Qianxi’s refinement have been erased. The big shot reacts with unexpected sorrow, revealing that the treasure once had the potential to become its opponent.
• Despite pretending to be mourning an old acquaintance, the big shot eagerly takes the Soul-Severing Nail after learning it is highly useful to it.
• Feng Jun then presents the wisp of Ruomu Aura. The big shot becomes even more interested and jokingly suggests abandoning their plans to visit the lower realm in favor of continuing the campaign against the Wood Spirit Dao.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to gain influence and resources through his connections with powerful cultivators. His rapid advancement to High-Tier Gold Core demonstrates his growing strength, though he treats the breakthrough casually.
• Luo Seventeen shows gratitude toward Feng Jun by sharing Ruomu Aura and agreeing to protect the area. However, he still retains some resentment toward the Xiong Family and remains guarded in their interactions.
• Xuanyuan Buqi acts as a coalition-builder, arranging access to the Asura World while binding the Xuanyuan and Xiong Families into mutual opposition against the Wood Spirit Dao.
• The Xiong Family True Lord becomes increasingly curious and suspicious about Feng Jun’s hidden opportunities, but his concern for the survival of his family prevents him from taking reckless action.
• The Yin Soul big shot reveals a sentimental or nostalgic side beneath its usual inscrutable demeanor. At the same time, its eagerness to obtain the Soul-Severing Nail and Ruomu Aura exposes its covetous interest in rare treasures.

Significant Themes

• Rare resources and strategic alliances: Ruomu Aura and the Soul-Severing Nail are valuable enough to influence relationships among major families and powerful individuals.
• Mutual dependence among great powers: The families cooperate not out of complete trust, but because the Wood Spirit Dao has created a shared threat.
• Hidden opportunities and suspicion: Feng Jun’s success attracts the attention of True Lords, who suspect that he possesses extraordinary opportunities even though he remains secretive.
• The cost and nature of power: The Soul-Severing Nail’s ability to taint Divine Souls suggests that powerful treasures may be dangerous, morally troubling, or tied to the remains of other beings.
• Mortality and immortality: The Yin Soul big shot’s remarks about the fallen treasure and the pursuit of immortality introduce a reflective contrast between the ambitions of great powers and the inevitability of loss.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Luo Seventeen establish a more cooperative relationship through the exchange of Ruomu Aura and mutual assistance.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and the Xiong Family True Lord negotiate a joint commitment against the Wood Spirit Dao, while Luo Seventeen remains cool and somewhat hostile toward the Xiong patriarch.
• The Xiong Family True Lord probes Luo Seventeen about Feng Jun’s importance, but Luo Seventeen offers only partial information.
• Feng Jun and the Yin Soul big shot engage in playful yet revealing banter over the Soul-Severing Nail. Feng Jun’s teasing exposes the big shot’s eagerness to possess it.
• The final exchange over Ruomu Aura humorously emphasizes the big shot’s greed and suggests that Feng Jun’s resources may be even more valuable than his companionship or original plans.

Chapter Summary: “Mirror Spirit’s Discovery”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Yin Soul elder becomes interested in the Wood Spirit Dao after learning that both the Soul-Severing Nail and Ruomu have appeared there. It agrees to refine the Ruomu aura first and plans to accompany Feng Jun to the Wood Spirit Dao once Yi Jue reaches the Soul Emergence Realm.
• Feng Jun negotiates compensation for giving the elder the Soul-Severing Nail, emphasizing that the elder should contribute something in return—particularly information about hidden stores of Ultimate Spirit Stones.
• The Mirror Spirit unexpectedly discovers the Yin Soul elder’s existence while secretly investigating Feng Jun’s surroundings. It demands a share of the Ultimate Spirit Stones in exchange for helping locate them, but the elder refuses to surrender its secret reserves.
• Feng Jun mediates between the Mirror Spirit, the Yin Soul elder, and the Guardians. The Guardians reject the Mirror Spirit’s request for half of the Ultimate Spirit Stones, arguing that they had supported Feng Jun from the beginning while the Mirror Spirit had not contributed enough. They do, however, permit Feng Jun to help the Mirror Spirit hunt Soul Bodies for nourishment.
• Feng Jun sends the Mirror Spirit back to Blue Star to negotiate with the Guardians, then visits Zhige Mountain. There, he promotes the replication of the Electric-Powered Rain-Praying Formation to improve food production in Donghua Kingdom, whose power generation has outpaced its agricultural output.
• The cultivators accept the task because Feng Jun is known for helping mortals, and the work also gives sect cultivators stationed there a way to earn Spirit Stones through manufacturing.
• To find Soul Bodies for the Mirror Spirit, Feng Jun consults Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong. They recommend several Domains, with Qian Zhong suggesting the Mistveil Realm, a harsh and relatively undeveloped region dominated by sect forces.
• Xia Nichang explains that the Golden Crow Sect and Profound Water Sect each have Lower Sects in the Mistveil Realm—the Scarlet Gold Sect and Azure Snow Sect—but that the two factions compete over local resources.
• Feng Jun recruits True Immortal Yide of the Profound Water Sect and True Immortal Wanhui of the Golden Crow Sect, both Nascent Soul Fourth Layer cultivators. Xia Nichang wants to join but stays behind to protect Libo Shoal, since the Mirror Spirit will be accompanying Feng Jun.
• Yide and Wanhui argue over which Lower Sect Feng Jun should visit first. Qian Zhong resolves the dispute by asking which area has more Soul Bodies. Yide admits that the Azure Snow Sect’s remote location likely gives it more nearby Soul Bodies, so the group chooses that destination.
• Upon arriving through the Cross-Realm Token, the party finds itself surrounded by gray haze. Qian Zhong immediately recognizes the possibility of a soul tide attack.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to act as a mediator and negotiator among powerful, self-interested beings. He balances the Yin Soul elder, Mirror Spirit, and Guardians while protecting his own interests and avoiding conflict with any of them.
• The Yin Soul elder remains cautious and defensive, particularly about revealing its origins and secret Ultimate Spirit Stone reserves. Despite its suspicious nature, it is willing to negotiate fairly and offers a practical arrangement involving the Mirror Spirit’s consumption of Soul Bodies.
• The Mirror Spirit becomes more active after recovering some of its original power through refined Magic Treasures and Ultimate Spirit Stones. Its curiosity leads it to uncover the Yin Soul elder, and its resentment toward the Guardians reveals its insecurity and desire to regain status and resources.
• The Guardians maintain their favored relationship with Feng Jun and continue prioritizing the protection of Blue Star. They refuse to reward the Mirror Spirit with Ultimate Spirit Stones but show some consideration by allowing it to obtain Soul Bodies as nourishment.
• Xia Nichang demonstrates her concern for Feng Jun and her willingness to take risks, but she also accepts an important protective role at Libo Shoal.
• True Immortals Yide and Wanhui reveal the competitive and politically complicated relationship between their sects’ Lower Sects, even though the upper-level sects remain allies.

Significant Themes

• Competition over resources: Ultimate Spirit Stones, Soul Bodies, Spirit Stones, talents, and territory all drive alliances and disputes.
• Negotiation and unequal contributions: The chapter repeatedly questions what constitutes fair compensation, especially between the Mirror Spirit, Guardians, and Yin Soul elder.
• Trust and secrecy: Feng Jun must manage hidden identities and private reserves while preventing powerful allies from turning against one another.
• Political complexity between upper and lower realms: Sect alliances in the Upper Realm do not eliminate rivalry among their Lower Sects, where local resources are more directly contested.
• Responsibility toward mortals: Feng Jun’s effort to spread the Rain-Praying Formation shows his continued concern for ordinary people and practical societal development.
• Recovery and survival: The Mirror Spirit’s search for Soul Bodies reflects the broader importance of nourishment, restoration, and rebuilding lost strength.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Yin Soul elder discuss the Ruomu aura, the Soul-Severing Nail, and compensation involving Ultimate Spirit Stones.
• The Mirror Spirit confronts Feng Jun and the elder after discovering the elder’s presence, demanding access to Ultimate Spirit Stones.
• Feng Jun mediates the dispute and warns the Mirror Spirit that it cannot act independently without risking the Guardians’ opposition.
• The elder and Mirror Spirit reach a tentative cooperative arrangement: the Mirror Spirit may consume Soul Bodies, while the elder protects its own Ultimate Spirit Stone reserves.
• Feng Jun consults Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and Xia Nichang about suitable lower-realm destinations and sect relationships.
• True Immortals Yide and Wanhui compete to host Feng Jun, but their dispute is settled according to the practical goal of finding Soul Bodies.
• The chapter ends with the entire group entering the Mistveil Realm and apparently encountering a dangerous soul tide.

Chapter Summary: “Upper Realm Reinforcements”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yiming and Wang Yongnian, two elite hunters from Ren Mountain Village, defend a fortress against a powerful Soul Tide.
• The fortress is severely outmatched. Fewer than two hundred elite martial warriors stand among roughly two thousand defenders, while multiple Immortal B-Rank Soul Bodies approach.
• The defenders prepare for what appears to be a final battle. Talismans are scarce, morale is failing, and the soldiers accept that many of them will die.
• Reinforcements suddenly arrive from the Upper Realm. Yide True Immortal destroys the attacking Soul Bodies with a single sweep of white light.
• The Azure Snow Sect’s Qi Refining disciples cautiously question the newcomers and explain why powerful cultivators cannot casually exterminate all Soul Bodies: previous slaughters provoked devastating retaliation, possibly involving Celestial Demons.
• The reinforcements include Yide True Immortal, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, Wanhui True Immortal, and other powerful cultivators. They travel through several Azure Snow Sect strongholds toward a major Southern Region town.
• Along the way, they eliminate weaker Soul Bodies and two Gold Core Soul Bodies with ease.
• At the town, Shanlin True Immortal and several Gold Core Adepts welcome them. An unexpected Scarlet Gold Sect cultivator is among the defenders, demonstrating cooperation between formerly competitive sects.
• Yide explains that the Upper Realm group has come to hunt Soul Bodies and asks for a map, specifying that they seek targets at Gold Core level or higher.

Character Developments

• Gu Yiming remains courageous and practical despite exhaustion and fear. His concern over dying hungry, especially when his flatbread is knocked away, highlights his ordinary human desires amid the impending slaughter.
• Wang Yongnian shows deep fatigue and despair after four Soul Tide campaigns. His frustration reflects the helplessness of lower-level defenders who lack access to immortal arts.
• The Qi Refining disciples shift from determined defenders to cautious observers when the Upper Realm immortals arrive. One displays surprising boldness by asking questions about the visitors, including their sect affiliations.
• Yide True Immortal appears overwhelmingly powerful but somewhat naïve about the harsh conditions of the Voidmist Realm. He initially assumes the Soul Bodies can simply be wiped out, then becomes interested in hunting stronger enemies.
• Wanhui True Immortal reveals the political rivalry between the Azure Snow and Scarlet Gold Sects, though the conflict is tempered by their shared cooperation against external threats.
• Shanlin True Immortal acts as a careful host and administrator, recognizing the need to determine what level of Soul Bodies the Upper Realm visitors intend to fight.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and survival: Ordinary defenders accept death as part of protecting their homes and descendants.
• The inequality of power: Elite martial warriors struggle desperately against Soul Bodies that Upper Realm immortals can destroy effortlessly.
• Limits on overwhelming strength: Even supreme cultivators cannot solve every problem through indiscriminate destruction, since Soul Bodies may retaliate and larger forces—such as Celestial Demons—may be involved.
• Duty to future generations: Gu Yiming and the other defenders endure danger partly to protect their families and secure a future for their descendants.
• Unity against external enemies: Rival sects can set aside internal competition when confronting the Soul Tide and other foreign threats.
• Perspective and privilege: The Upper Realm cultivators view the crisis differently from the local defenders; what seems like an apocalyptic battle to one side is merely an opportunity to hunt stronger opponents to the other.

Character Interactions

• Gu Yiming and Wang Yongnian share food, complaints, and fears, creating a bond between exhausted villagers facing certain danger.
• The defenders argue over Talismans and reinforcements, revealing panic and limited resources.
• Gu Yiming humorously curses the burly warrior who knocks away his flatbread, while the warrior compensates him with meat.
• The Qi Refining disciples cautiously address Yide and the other Upper Realm cultivators, emphasizing the gap between local sect members and visiting patriarch-level figures.
• Yide questions the disciples about the restrictions on using divine power, while Xuanyuan Buqi challenges the idea that the Soul Bodies cannot be eliminated.
• Wanhui’s interaction with the Scarlet Gold Sect’s Gold Core Adept shows both sect rivalry and improved cooperation.
• Yide and Shanlin discuss the purpose of the visit, establishing that the Upper Realm reinforcements intend to pursue increasingly powerful Soul Bodies rather than merely defend the fortress.

Chapter Summary: “Choice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and several powerful cultivators discuss the appearance of Celestial Demons in the newly discovered Domain.
• Shan Lin True Immortal explains that Nascent Soul-stage Celestial Demons are uncommon but may appear in groups of seven or eight. Nascent Soul Peak demons have also appeared, while Soul Emergence-stage demons cannot be ruled out because new Domains may connect to the outer heavens.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi react with disappointment, considering the number and strength of these demons insufficient for their purposes.
• The Yin Soul big shot informs Feng Jun that it has no hidden treasure troves in this relatively new Domain. Instead, it suggests creating a specialized Treasure Artifact capable of refining Soul Bodies—especially Celestial Demons and Heaven-and-Earth Life Souls—into Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• Soul-Nourishing Liquid is described as a cultivation supplement for strengthening souls, while Soul-Nourishing Pills are stronger and also have healing effects.
• The Yin Soul explains that Feng Jun is now powerful and influential enough to protect such a valuable artifact, and that this Domain contains enough Soul Bodies to justify developing it.
• Refining the artifact would be extremely difficult. Ordinary Artifact Refining Dao cultivators would be unable to accomplish it; at least a Soul Emergence Venerable, or possibly a Spirit Division Lord, would be required.
• The Yin Soul hints that the artifact might be entrusted to the powerful figure above Shan City rather than Xuanyuan Buqi or Qian Zhong, apparently to prevent the Xuanyuan and Yao Families from learning too much.
• The Mirror Spirit objects to sharing the resulting Soul-Nourishing Liquid and demands ninety percent, while the Yin Soul sarcastically threatens to abandon the project. The Mirror Spirit then claims it can refine the materials itself.
• The Yin Soul warns that Celestial Demons are dangerous because they can contaminate the Divine Soul and require careful cleansing. The Mirror Spirit dismisses this concern, revealing that its origins as the Yin-Yang Mirror and its control over yin, yang, life, and death give it an exceptionally powerful foundation resistant to such contamination.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun is shown to have gained considerable status and protection. Although only a newly advanced High-Tier Gold Core, his connections to Elder Cang Jing and Venerable Hanhai make others treat him cautiously. He also begins seriously considering the creation of a major soul-refining artifact.
• Shan Lin True Immortal initially underestimates Feng Jun because of his low cultivation, but quickly becomes respectful after learning Feng Jun’s background. He also recognizes Xuanyuan Buqi as a likely Soul Emergence-level family cultivator.
• Xuanyuan Buqi maintains his blunt, irreverent personality, openly judging the available Celestial Demons as too weak.
• The Yin Soul big shot demonstrates extensive knowledge of rare cultivation methods and artifact refinement. It is pragmatic, secretive, and unwilling to expend effort without sufficient resources, while also attempting to secure access to Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• The Mirror Spirit reveals its arrogance and confidence in its ancient, powerful nature. It is possessive of valuable resources but believes its mastery of yin-yang and life-death laws makes it uniquely capable of refining Celestial Demons safely.
• Yide True Immortal acts as a mediator, introducing Feng Jun carefully and protecting the identities of more powerful figures.

Significant Themes

• Power and status are relational: Feng Jun’s low cultivation does not prevent him from receiving respect because of his connections, achievements, and potential value.
• Rare resources require both opportunity and influence: The Domain’s abundance of Soul Bodies becomes useful only because Feng Jun now has the protection and authority to exploit it.
• Knowledge and secrecy are forms of power: The refining method is valuable not merely because it is difficult, but because revealing it could transform the Domain into a coveted resource.
• Cooperation versus selfishness: The dispute between the Yin Soul and Mirror Spirit highlights competing claims over resources and the tension between cooperation and possession.
• Ancient foundations surpass ordinary cultivation: The Mirror Spirit’s confidence suggests that innate origin, laws, and artifacts may matter more than apparent cultivation level when confronting specialized threats.
• Danger hidden within opportunity: Celestial Demons provide valuable soul energy, but their contamination ability makes processing them hazardous.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun questions Shan Lin about the number and strength of Celestial Demons, while Shan Lin is surprised that a Gold Core cultivator speaks so boldly.
• Yide protects Feng Jun from being underestimated by explaining his connections to powerful figures.
• Xuanyuan Buqi interrupts the discussion and challenges Shan Lin about Soul Emergence-stage Celestial Demons, prompting Shan Lin to ask about his identity.
• Feng Jun and the Yin Soul communicate privately about the Domain, hidden treasures, and the possibility of refining Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• Feng Jun consults the Mirror Spirit, which bargains over how the liquid will be divided.
• The Yin Soul and Mirror Spirit exchange sarcastic remarks over their respective abilities, with the Mirror Spirit ultimately asserting that its superior foundation makes Celestial Demon refinement easy.

Chapter Summary: “Parting Ways”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun challenges the Mirror Spirit’s assumption that he and the two True Lords should continue helping it. He agrees to forge a Treasure Artifact for the Yin Soul elder to collect Soul-Nourishing Liquid, but insists that the elder must not use the Mirror Spirit’s power to kill Soul Bodies.
• Feng Jun proposes that everyone hunt Soul Bodies independently. The Mirror Spirit objects, arguing that Feng Jun is helping the Yin Soul elder while refusing to help it.
• Feng Jun criticizes the Mirror Spirit’s selfishness and lack of cooperation. He explains that companionship and mutual support are necessary on the path of cultivation, but the Mirror Spirit insists that its noble status entitles it to special treatment.
• Feng offers the Mirror Spirit to Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong, but both refuse to accompany it. They trust Feng Jun more and fear the consequences of associating with the unpredictable senior.
• The Mirror Spirit then asks for Yu Qingzhu, but Feng Jun rejects the idea because she is too weak for the unfamiliar Domain. They eventually settle on True Immortal Wanhui carrying the Yin-Yang Mirror, with the Mirror Spirit reluctantly accepting the arrangement.
• The group formally splits into two teams. Wanhui leaves with the Mirror Spirit, while Feng Jun focuses on having the Guardians forge a Treasure Artifact capable of refining Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• Feng Jun privately decides to stop indulging the Mirror Spirit: after helping it obtain enough resources and completing the necessary treasures, he intends to send it back to Mars rather than bring it to future Domains.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun becomes increasingly firm and unwilling to tolerate the Mirror Spirit’s self-centered behavior. Although he remains pragmatic and courteous, he resolves to distance himself from it and to stop enabling its dependence on others.
• The Mirror Spirit shows that its restored pride has made it more arrogant and demanding. It views assistance from others as something it deserves because of its former status, but its current lack of mobility leaves it dependent on carriers. Despite its anger, it eventually compromises when no one agrees to serve it directly.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong demonstrate loyalty to Feng Jun and caution toward the Mirror Spirit. Their refusal reflects both distrust and a practical desire to avoid jeopardizing their relationship with Feng Jun.
• The Yin Soul elder becomes an outspoken critic of the Mirror Spirit, mocking its claims of nobility and pointing out that it currently lacks the strength to act independently.
• True Immortal Wanhui accepts responsibility for carrying the Yin-Yang Mirror. Though he recognizes the treasure’s value, Feng Jun trusts his loyalty to the sect and believes he will not betray them.

Significant Themes

• Cooperation versus selfishness: The central conflict concerns whether cultivation should be pursued through mutual support or individual strength. Feng Jun values companions and reciprocal effort, while the Mirror Spirit believes power and status justify self-interest.
• Pride and changing circumstances: The Mirror Spirit’s former greatness has restored its confidence before its actual strength and mobility have fully recovered, creating tension between its self-image and present limitations.
• Trust and loyalty: Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong choose Feng Jun’s side because of their established relationship with him, showing that trust is built through consistent cooperation rather than status alone.
• Entitlement versus earned resources: Feng Jun emphasizes that cultivation resources must be contested and cannot be claimed merely because someone is powerful or noble by origin.
• The limits of friendship: Feng Jun refuses to maintain a relationship in which one party only takes and never contributes, marking a clear boundary in his relationship with the Mirror Spirit.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Mirror Spirit argue repeatedly over fairness, cooperation, and whether the Mirror Spirit deserves assistance.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong politely but decisively reject the Mirror Spirit’s request for help, implicitly siding with Feng Jun.
• The Yin Soul elder directly attacks the Mirror Spirit’s arrogance, questioning what its former nobility means when it currently needs someone to carry it.
• Feng Jun and the Mirror Spirit reach a reluctant compromise by assigning Wanhui to transport it, but their relationship is clearly damaged.
• The chapter ends with the two sides separating, leaving Feng Jun to pursue the Soul-Nourishing Liquid project independently while the Mirror Spirit tests whether it can function with limited support.

Chapter Summary: Myriad Forms Stone Forest

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun returns to Luohua and asks the Guardians to forge a Treasure Artifact based on an obsidian blueprint. The artifact is intended to purify or refine Soul Bodies.
• The Guardians reveal that the Mirror Spirit only offered ten percent of the required contribution. Feng Jun nevertheless agrees to compensate the Guardians generously while reserving a share for the Yin Soul senior.
• Rather than forge the artifact entirely from scratch, the Guardians modify Feng Jun’s damaged stone lamp from the Blue Star Realm. They also require rare materials and eventually produce a small, crystal-clear jade lamp containing a soft, flameless glow.
• The forging costs Feng Jun twenty thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, in addition to the expensive materials he supplied. The Guardians admit the work exhausted them and request Soul-Nourishing Liquid for future research into forging Soul Bodies.
• Feng Jun prepares to travel to the Voidmist Realm but learns that Yu Qingzhu is about to attempt advancement to the Third Layer of the Dust-Free Realm. He leaves her in the Blue Star Realm so she can cultivate safely rather than accompany him into the dangerous Soul Body hunt.
• In the Voidmist Realm, True Immortal Wanhui has departed for the Central Region with the Yin-Yang Mirror. True Immortal Shanlin has identified three dangerous regions filled with Soul Bodies and joins Feng Jun, True Immortal Yide, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Qian Zhong.
• Their first destination is the Myriad Forms Stone Forest, a vast, mist-covered region filled with poisonous gas, illusions, and terrain that interferes with Divine Sense.
• At the forest’s edge, a Gold Core Soul Body threatens the group and is immediately destroyed by Shanlin. The Soul Body dissolves into mist and returns to the surrounding environment.
• The group advances cautiously. After the weaker Soul Bodies flee, they eventually encounter dozens of Gold Core Soul Bodies and a powerful multicolored Soul Body at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.
• The multicolored Soul Body accuses the humans of killing members of its clan and threatens them. True Immortal Yide responds by using the Profound Water Sect technique Living Soul Lock to bind it.
• Several Gold Core Soul Bodies sacrifice themselves by rushing into the technique and weakening its force. The Nascent Soul Soul Body then attacks the binding rope with a powerful red light, but Yide remains confident and mocks its attempt to burn through his Life Force.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to act as the mediator and organizer among powerful factions. He negotiates fairly with the Guardians, showing trust in their honesty and willingness to bear heavy costs for the group’s long-term goals.
• He also displays strategic responsibility by leaving Yu Qingzhu behind rather than exposing her to the dangers of the Voidmist Realm.
• The Guardians are shown to be extraordinarily capable but modest and candid. They acknowledge their limitations compared with the mysterious blueprint’s creator and reveal an interest in researching Soul Body forging.
• Yu Qingzhu reaches an important cultivation milestone, preparing to break through to the Third Layer of the Dust-Free Realm.
• True Immortal Shanlin proves aggressive and confident, swiftly killing the Gold Core Soul Body. At the same time, he demonstrates strategic awareness by recognizing that Soul Bodies retaliate mainly against weaker populations and that frontier development depends more on mortals than on high-level cultivators.
• True Immortal Yide demonstrates specialized expertise in soul-related techniques. His use of Living Soul Lock establishes him as the group’s principal expert in restraining living or spiritual entities.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong, as True Lords, remain powerful senior figures whose presence could easily intimidate or drive away stronger Soul Bodies, influencing the group’s cautious approach.

Significant Themes

• Trust and candid cooperation: Feng Jun’s dealings with the Guardians emphasize straightforward negotiation and mutual respect rather than manipulation.
• The cost of progress: The new Treasure Artifact requires enormous quantities of spirit stones, rare materials, and Soul-Nourishing Liquid, showing that powerful advancements demand substantial sacrifices.
• Balance between exploration and responsibility: Feng Jun must weigh the benefits of bringing allies into dangerous regions against the need to protect them and preserve their cultivation prospects.
• The relationship between high-level power and ordinary life: Shanlin points out that Nascent Soul cultivators can fight battles, but mortals are necessary to actually occupy and develop territory.
• Soul Bodies as a distinct civilization or faction: The Soul Bodies defend their territory, organize collectively, and retaliate against perceived attacks, making them more than simple monsters.
• Caution versus overwhelming strength: Though the human group is vastly stronger, they avoid using excessive power because it might frighten away stronger Soul Bodies or provoke broader retaliation.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun respectfully negotiates with the Guardians over the artifact’s design, cost, and distribution of benefits.
• He internally suspects that the Guardians may themselves be Artifact Spirits but suppresses the thought because of their extraordinary perceptiveness.
• Feng Jun chooses not to take Yu Qingzhu to the Voidmist Realm, prioritizing her safe advancement.
• Shanlin and Yide disagree implicitly over how aggressively to confront the Soul Bodies. Shanlin kills the first Gold Core Soul Body without hesitation, while Yide worries that such actions could trigger retaliation.
• The group discusses the strategic implications of Soul Body attacks, concluding that weaker cultivators and mortals are more vulnerable than Nascent Soul experts.
• Xuanyuan Buqi encourages Feng Jun to test the newly forged Treasure Artifact, but Feng Jun postpones using it until they encounter a powerful Nascent Soul Soul Body.
• Shanlin realizes from Feng Jun’s behavior that Feng Jun and Yide are likely Spirit Division Lords in disguise.
• Yide takes responsibility for confronting the multicolored Soul Body and activates Living Soul Lock, while the Soul Body sacrifices its Gold Core subordinates to resist the technique.

Chapter Summary: “Soul Flame (Henan, Stay Strong)”

Plot Points and Events

• Yide True Immortal explains that the red light is an effective countermeasure against the Living Soul Lock. The technique pits the attacker’s Life Force against the Soul Body’s Divine Soul, making cultivation strength decisive.
• The Soul Bodies use a human-wave tactic, sacrificing numerous Gold Core Soul Bodies to pressure Yide and Shan Lin True Immortal. Shan Lin struggles because he cannot freely use his strongest attacks without destroying the Soul Bodies Mount Master Feng intends to refine.
• Xuanyuan Buqi intervenes with overwhelming Divine Sense Spikes, scattering several Soul Bodies and relieving Shan Lin’s danger. When additional Nascent Soul Soul Bodies arrive, Xuanyuan simply immobilizes the entire group with a powerful “Freeze” technique.
• Feng Jun activates the Exquisite Jade-Stone Lamp, revealing its true power as a Soul Flame treasure. The lamp absorbs and refines the trapped Soul Bodies, while weaker Soul Bodies and the energy permeating the Myriad Forms Stone Forest are drawn into it.
• The five-colored Soul Body recognizes that the situation is hopeless and laments that the “greater trend” has been lost before being absorbed.
• A Delusion Celestial Demon attempts to escape by disguising itself as a beautiful, androgynous head, but Xuanyuan Buqi detects and stops it. Shan Lin identifies it as a rare Celestial Demon, suggesting that the Domain passage is flawed.
• Qian Zhong detects and captures a High-Tier Nascent Soul Soul Body. The creature claims innocence and offers to swear a Heavenly Way Oath, surprising Shan Lin and Yide.
• Qian Zhong explains that Living Souls contaminated by Celestial Demons can become intelligent, deceptive, and capable of using human cultivation customs. She also reveals that Celestial Demons can contaminate Living Souls despite supposedly being allies.
• After the remaining Nascent Soul Soul Bodies are captured, Feng Jun increases the lamp’s power. It expands to over a hundred feet and creates a massive vortex that draws in the surrounding mist and Soul Body energy.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates greater control over the Exquisite Jade-Stone Lamp than previously shown. He initially limits its suction to avoid frightening away potential targets, then unleashes its full strength.
• Xuanyuan Buqi continues to display overwhelming Divine Soul power and confidence. He effortlessly protects Shan Lin, freezes a large group of Soul Bodies, and prevents the Delusion Celestial Demon from escaping.
• Qian Zhong shows precise detection abilities and deep knowledge of Celestial Demons and contaminated Living Souls. Her curiosity about the treasure’s limits leads her to test the lamp’s capabilities.
• Shan Lin is forced into a defensive role because he must avoid destroying the Soul Bodies. His understanding of the danger is sound, but he is repeatedly astonished by the higher-level abilities and knowledge around him.
• Yide True Immortal contributes strategic understanding of the Living Soul Lock but, like Shan Lin, is humbled by the unfamiliar power of Feng Jun’s treasure.
• The Soul Bodies shift from aggressive confidence to panic and submission once Xuanyuan Buqi and Feng Jun reveal their superior strength.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus numbers: The Soul Bodies rely on sacrificing weaker members to overwhelm their enemies, but superior cultivation and specialized abilities overcome the human-wave tactic.
• Refinement rather than destruction: Feng Jun’s group must capture the Soul Bodies intact, emphasizing the difference between annihilating an enemy and exploiting or transforming its power.
• Hidden dangers and corrupted beings: The Delusion Celestial Demon and contaminated Soul Bodies reveal that appearances and stated alliances cannot be trusted.
• Knowledge disparity: Qian Zhong’s familiarity with Celestial Demons exposes the sect cultivators’ limited understanding, creating both humor and a warning about the dangers of ignorance.
• The value of superior treasures: The Exquisite Jade-Stone Lamp is shown to be an extraordinary artifact, powerful enough to absorb Nascent Soul-level Soul Bodies and massive quantities of environmental energy. Its value may exceed even that of the virtual battle system.

Character Interactions

• Yide and Shan Lin cooperate to resist the Living Soul Lock, while Shan Lin struggles against the multiplying Soul Bodies.
• Xuanyuan Buqi rescues Shan Lin and takes command of the battlefield through his Divine Soul attacks and immobilization technique.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan work together: Xuanyuan restrains the Soul Bodies while Feng Jun refines them with the lamp.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan jointly deal with the escaping and contaminated entities, though Qian Zhong focuses on testing the artifact while Xuanyuan urges her to recognize its already exceptional performance.
• Shan Lin and Yide react with embarrassment when Qian Zhong reveals their ignorance about Celestial Demon contamination.
• Yide expresses interest in purchasing the lamp, but Xuanyuan and Qian Zhong mock the idea, emphasizing that its true value is far beyond ordinary treasures.

Chapter Summary: “Competing with Me?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun uses the Exquisite Jade-Stone Lamp to absorb and refine the soul bodies and mist covering the Myriad Forms Stone Forest. The process takes less than two hours and clears mist stretching tens of millions of miles.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong discover that the lamp can absorb Divine Sense, forcing them to withdraw their probing. They determine that the lamp is not hostile, but that approaching it with Divine Sense is dangerous.
• Once the mist is removed, the Stone Forest becomes clear and visible for the first time, though the land remains barren because the mist had prevented plant growth.
• Feng Jun reveals that the mist’s source is a naturally formed millstone made from Yin-Yang Essence. Qian Zhong explains that its heavy baleful aura and accumulated Domain Causality make it difficult to suppress or refine.
• True Immortal Shanlin immediately expresses interest in claiming the millstone for Azure Snow Sect, while True Immortal Yide carefully asks about the conditions and risks.
• Qian Zhong offers the treasure to the local cultivators, but Xuanyuan Buqi suddenly claims an interest in it, arguing that his contribution to clearing the Stone Forest gives him the right to take it.
• Feng Jun points out that obtaining the millstone would bring serious Domain Causality, especially because Xuanyuan Buqi is an outsider. Xuanyuan replies that he could arrange for someone else to bear the causality.
• Xuanyuan eventually reveals that he is mainly trying to fulfill his promise to Feng Jun to collect specialties from the Lower Realm. Profound Water Sect offers to provide Voidmist Realm specialties in exchange for Xuanyuan relinquishing his claim.
• Qian Zhong states that the Yin-Yang Essence millstone is about ten feet in size. Shanlin is overjoyed, having expected something only fist-sized.
• Xuanyuan warns Shanlin that the millstone cannot simply be removed. Its baleful aura can be suppressed, but its causality is extremely heavy; it would likely need to be guarded and dissolved through formations over several hundred years.
• Shanlin realizes that acquiring the treasure would impose a major burden on Azure Snow Sect. Xuanyuan mocks him for trying to compare himself with a Spirit Division True Lord who could move it immediately if he truly wished.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates confidence and practical judgment. He understands Xuanyuan’s motives and sees through his exaggerated claim to the millstone, using humor to push him toward stating his real intentions.
• Xuanyuan Buqi appears domineering and opportunistic, but ultimately shows generosity and loyalty. His claim is largely a negotiation tactic designed to obtain resources for Feng Jun rather than a genuine desire to take the dangerous treasure.
• Qian Zhong remains calm, sharp, and impatient with unnecessary bargaining. She protects the group’s interests while showing little concern for local disputes, though she is prepared to fight if the Profound Water Sect becomes unreasonable.
• True Immortal Shanlin is enthusiastic and straightforward, quickly attracted by the value of the Yin-Yang Essence. His excitement turns to concern when he learns how difficult and costly the millstone will be to manage.
• True Immortal Yide acts as a cautious negotiator. He recognizes the power imbalance between the local sect and the visiting True Lords and seeks a practical exchange rather than confronting Xuanyuan directly.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and authority: Xuanyuan’s status as a Spirit Division True Lord allows him to make claims that ordinary True Immortals could not safely make.
• The cost of opportunity: The Yin-Yang Essence is immensely valuable, but obtaining it also means accepting heavy causality, baleful aura, and centuries of maintenance.
• Causality and responsibility: The cultivators repeatedly weigh whether a treasure is worth the consequences of claiming it, emphasizing that power in this world is inseparable from karmic obligations.
• Negotiation behind apparent conflict: Xuanyuan’s confrontation with the Profound Water Sect initially seems like a dispute over treasure, but it is ultimately a bargaining tactic to secure rare Lower Realm specialties for Feng Jun.
• Generosity versus exploitation: Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan both insist they do not intend to take advantage of the local cultivators, while Shanlin’s open honesty earns him a more favorable response.

4. Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan and Qian Zhong silently investigate the Jade-Stone Lamp and agree that it is harmless so long as they do not expose their Divine Sense to it.
• Shanlin repeatedly praises Feng Jun’s achievement, while Xuanyuan and Qian Zhong remain focused on the practical value and risks of the lamp and the source of the mist.
• Yide and Shanlin negotiate over the millstone, with Yide attempting to establish fair terms and Shanlin revealing his genuine expectations.
• Xuanyuan pressures Shanlin by claiming the right to the treasure, prompting the Azure Snow Sect to offer realm specialties in exchange.
• Feng Jun mediates the dispute by exposing Xuanyuan’s true motives, after which the discussion shifts from competition over the millstone to fulfilling Xuanyuan’s promise to him.
• Xuanyuan ends by teasing Shanlin for underestimating the treasure’s dangers and for believing he can handle the matter as easily as a True Lord.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Azure Snow Sect decides to accept the imperfect Yin-Yang Essence, believing that “good enough” is preferable to waiting for perfection.
• Two of the sect’s leaders—the sect master and grand elder—arrive at the Myriad Forms Stone Forest to claim it. True Immortal Shanlin has already secured the area with formations and directs them to the Essence roughly two li underground.
• Shanlin immediately leaves for the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains, where Feng Jun’s group is preparing to eliminate another Soul Body stronghold.
• The Azure Snow Sect leaders debate how to use the Yin-Yang Essence. Rather than extract it—which would require centuries to cleanse its baleful aura—they plan to transform the entire region into a cultivation ground.
• They intend to keep the resource within the Lower Sects, though they acknowledge that help from the Upper Sects may be necessary. The sect master argues that any attempt by the Upper Sects to take the Essence should require substantial compensation, especially since Mountain Lord Feng granted it to them.
• The leaders discuss offering valuable treasures, including an Eight-Leaf Charm Lotus and a Heart-Questioning Pearl, to secure cooperation and protect the sect’s interests. The grand elder reluctantly agrees to notify the Meritorious Hall and arrange guards.
• The Azure Snow Sect leaders are puzzled that Feng Jun’s group has chosen the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains instead of the comparatively more familiar Myriad Isles Lake.
• Shanlin catches up with Feng Jun, Yide, and Qian Zhong and learns that Qian Zhong’s deductions predicted a major battle in the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains.
• The group changes its original plan because Soul Bodies from the Myriad Forms Stone Forest may have escaped and spread news of their defeat. If the group attacks Myriad Isles Lake first, the Soul Bodies there and in the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains could form an alliance or flee.
• Feng Jun confirms that both Qian Zhong’s deduction and his own intuition support dealing with the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains first.

Character Developments

• True Immortal Shanlin remains committed to supporting his sect despite lacking the strength to negotiate from an equal position. He recognizes that the respect shown by Feng Jun and Yide is largely due to Feng Jun’s influence, not his own status, but he still acts decisively and responsibly.
• The Azure Snow Sect’s sect leader displays strong determination to protect Lower-Sect interests. He refuses to surrender valuable resources to the Upper Sects without adequate compensation and takes the initiative in planning the Yin-Yang Essence’s long-term use.
• The grand elder is more cautious and deferential toward the Upper Sects. He worries that the Azure Snow Sect may be unable to protect the Essence during the renovation process and considers offering it to the Upper Sects. His reluctance to part with his rare Charm Lotuses also adds a humorous, personal dimension to the negotiation.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates the importance of her exceptional Deduction ability, identifying the danger of allowing the Soul Bodies time to coordinate.
• Feng Jun shows flexibility and sound judgment by accepting a revised strategy rather than rigidly following the original plan. His reputation and authority also give the Azure Snow Sect confidence that the Upper Sects will respect their claim.
• True Immortal Yide continues to rely on Qian Zhong’s deductions while coordinating the group’s operations.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over perfection: The flawed Yin-Yang Essence is still considered valuable because cultivation and survival require accepting imperfect opportunities.
• Resource ownership and sect independence: The Azure Snow Sect struggles with whether to retain its treasure for Lower-Sect development or surrender it to stronger Upper Sects.
• Power and influence: Shanlin’s treatment highlights the difference between personal status and borrowed authority; Feng Jun’s backing determines how seriously the Azure Snow Sect is treated.
• Adaptability: The group changes its plans when new information suggests that the Soul Bodies may have escaped or formed alliances.
• Strategic foresight: Deduction, intuition, and intelligence gathering are as important as combat strength in deciding the order of the group’s campaigns.
• Risk and reward: The Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains are far more dangerous than the other regions, but ignoring them could allow their enemies to prepare and become even more difficult to defeat.

Character Interactions

• Shanlin and the Azure Snow Sect leaders cooperate smoothly over the Yin-Yang Essence, though Shanlin’s abrupt departure contrasts with the leaders’ more cautious and political approach.
• The sect leader and grand elder debate whether to extract the Essence, preserve it as a cultivation ground, or offer it to the Upper Sects. Their exchange reveals both their close familiarity and differing attitudes toward risk and authority.
• The grand elder’s objections to sacrificing his Eight-Leaf Charm Lotuses create a lighthearted conflict with the sect leader, who compares that sacrifice to his own Heart-Questioning Pearl.
• Shanlin questions Yide about the change in plans, while Yide discreetly indicates that Qian Zhong is the source of the warning.
• Feng Jun clarifies the strategy directly, affirming Qian Zhong’s deduction and explaining why the group must attack the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains before Myriad Isles Lake.

Summary: Mirror Spirit’s Imbalance

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun briefs Yide and Shanlin on the situation and possible preparations for the upcoming battle.
• Xuanyuan Buqi impatiently asks whether the Exquisite Jade-Stone Lamp has finished refining the soul bodies and misty fog gathered from the Myriad Forms Stone Forest.
• Feng Jun confirms that the refinement is complete after two days. The lamp produces tens of thousands of drops of Gold Core-grade Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong are astonished by the quantity. They estimate that, after further purification, it could produce dozens of drops of Nascent Soul-grade liquid.
• Feng Jun explains that the lamp’s current grade limits it to Gold Core-level refinement. A stronger artifact would be difficult for him to operate because he is still only an Advanced Gold Core cultivator.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi offer to buy some of the liquid. Yide also requests to purchase a portion.
• Feng Jun notes that most of the refined liquid belongs to the Mirror Spirit, for whom the artifact was originally created, though he is willing to consider sharing or selling some.
• From another dangerous location, the Mirror Spirit senses Feng Jun discussing the Soul-Nourishing Liquid. It uses Deduction to discover that Feng Jun cleared and absorbed the misty fog from every dangerous area.
• The Mirror Spirit becomes enraged and jealous when it realizes Feng Jun may sell the valuable liquid to outsiders.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing generosity and responsibility. Although the Soul-Nourishing Liquid could benefit him, he recognizes that he cannot use it all and is willing to help other cultivators—while still respecting the Mirror Spirit’s claim.
• Xuanyuan Buqi gains greater appreciation for Feng Jun’s artifact and cultivation speed. He initially criticizes Feng Jun’s dissatisfaction with the yield, but realizes that Feng Jun’s progress is already extraordinarily rapid.
• Qian Zhong remains practical and immediately focuses on purchasing the liquid rather than debating its refinement.
• Yide and Shanlin shift from observers to potential buyers, showing how valuable the Soul-Nourishing Liquid is.
• The Mirror Spirit reveals its possessive and competitive nature. Though it understands that absorbing misty fog is inefficient for itself, it resents Feng Jun’s superior artifact and especially his willingness to share the results with others.

Significant Themes

• Practical results versus speculation: Xuanyuan Buqi insists that theories about the coming battle matter less than testing abilities in actual combat.
• Efficiency and limitations: The discussion emphasizes that refinement inevitably causes losses and that artifact grade, cultivation level, and operating costs constrain what even powerful cultivators can achieve.
• Generosity versus ownership: Feng Jun’s desire to distribute useful resources conflicts with the Mirror Spirit’s belief that the Soul-Nourishing Liquid belongs primarily to it.
• Cultivation disparity: Feng Jun’s rapid advancement is both impressive and limiting; he possesses an artifact beyond his current cultivation level but cannot fully exploit stronger versions.
• Jealousy and imbalance: The Mirror Spirit’s anger reflects its inability to tolerate Feng Jun benefiting from opportunities it cannot efficiently seize itself.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi presses Feng Jun for information and challenges his judgment of the refinement results.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi exchange remarks about artifact upgrades and Feng Jun’s unusually fast cultivation, with Xuanyuan Buqi ultimately left speechless.
• Qian Zhong approaches Feng Jun respectfully but directly to negotiate for the Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• Yide joins the negotiations, prompting Xuanyuan Buqi to defend Feng Jun’s right to reserve most of the liquid for the Mirror Spirit.
• The Mirror Spirit indirectly confronts Feng Jun by projecting its thoughts after overhearing the discussion, reacting with outrage to his dealings with outsiders.

Chapter Summary: Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Mirror Spirit becomes upset that Feng Jun sold Soul-Nourishing Liquid to outsiders instead of offering it to the Guardians and Yin Souls. However, because it had previously refused a share, it cannot fairly complain or break its word.
• To compensate True Immortal Wanhui and the Scarlet Gold Sect’s cultivators for helping eliminate the Soul Bodies, the Mirror Spirit allows them to search the dangerous area for heavenly treasures.
• Feng Jun secretly negotiates with the Yin Soul Great Lord over how to distribute the Soul-Nourishing Liquid. The Great Lord agrees to take a large share but allows Feng Jun to decide how to use the rest.
• Feng Jun offers fifteen percent of his share to the four people who assisted him. Five percent will be given directly to them, while the remaining ten percent must be exchanged for valuable heavenly treasures.
• Xuanyuan Buqi decides the four helpers will divide the five percent unequally: Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong receive four portions each, while the other two receive one portion each. He argues that Feng Jun has already gained the Yin-Yang Essence and should not claim more.
• True Immortal Yide and True Immortal Shanlin attempt to negotiate for the remaining ten percent. Feng Jun refuses to make firm promises but offers to ask the powerful “senior” connected to him about extracting higher-grade Soul-Nourishing Liquid, for a fee.
• The group agrees that future shares will depend on the contribution and value demonstrated by the various sects. Shanlin asks his sect for assistance, but learns that it is occupied consolidating gains from the Myriad Forms Stone Forest and cannot provide much support.
• After resting for one night, Yide and Shanlin lead the group into the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains despite the continuing rain.
• Deep in the mountains, Nascent Soul Soul Bodies organize a defense after learning that the Myriad Forms Stone Forest has fallen. They form an alliance with Myriad Isles Lake and prepare to counterattack rather than retreat.
• The human cultivators advance rapidly, killing hundreds of Soul Bodies, including over thirty Gold Core-level Soul Bodies, in less than an hour.
• Their progress is halted by a group of Gold Core Soul Bodies leading more than a thousand Dust-Free Realm Soul Bodies in an organized battle formation. Just as Yide and Shanlin prepare to attack, Qian Zhong warns that Nascent Soul Soul Bodies are circling around to strike from behind.

Character Developments

• The Mirror Spirit reveals a strong sense of possessiveness toward the Guardians and Yin Souls, considering them its own people. Though jealous and irritable, it remains bound by pride and honor, accepting responsibility for its earlier refusal to take a share.
• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing leadership and caution. He distributes resources generously but avoids making unrealistic promises, especially concerning the difficult extraction of Nascent Soul-grade Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• The Yin Soul Great Lord appears reasonable and modest, willingly accepting a smaller share and offering technical assistance with extraction. It also recognizes that Feng Jun’s distribution decisions affect his safety and ability to control the group.
• Xuanyuan Buqi continues to act as the dominant authority. He is decisive in dividing the rewards, confident in judging others’ contributions, and relaxed even while facing a dangerous enemy.
• Qian Zhong remains calm and calculating. Rather than worrying about Celestial Demons, she focuses on detecting spatial rifts and protecting the group from the most dangerous environmental threats.
• True Immortals Yide and Shanlin become more invested in proving their value to Feng Jun’s group. They lead the advance aggressively and attempt to secure better future rewards for their sects.
• The Soul Bodies show unexpected development. They are no longer merely scattered enemies: they can organize armies, form alliances, and possibly use battle formations.

Significant Themes

• Fairness, obligation, and reward: The characters repeatedly debate how power, risk, and assistance should translate into shares of the Soul-Nourishing Liquid.
• Trust and hierarchy: Feng Jun must balance the demands of powerful allies, while the True Immortals recognize that their access to the harvest depends on the stronger True Lords and Great Lords.
• Resource scarcity and strategic value: Soul-Nourishing Liquid is so valuable that even small percentages represent enormous benefits, while extracting higher-grade versions may involve serious losses.
• Growth of the enemy: The Soul Bodies are becoming more organized and capable, transforming the conflict from simple slaughter into a strategic war.
• Hidden dangers: Beyond direct enemies, spatial rifts and the Misty Aura make the environment itself a major threat.

Important Character Interactions

• The Mirror Spirit argues with Feng Jun’s group indirectly through its resentment over the sale of the Soul-Nourishing Liquid, then urges them to move on quickly.
• Feng Jun and the Yin Soul Great Lord privately negotiate the distribution of resources, showing their growing cooperation and mutual trust.
• Xuanyuan Buqi imposes the final division of the five-percent reward, silencing potential objections from the others.
• Yide and Shanlin seek a larger future share, but Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong insist that they must first prove their usefulness.
• Shanlin’s failed attempt to obtain sect support leaves him embarrassed, though Xuanyuan Buqi explains that the sect’s limited assistance is understandable.
• During the advance, Yide and Shanlin fight at the front while Xuanyuan Buqi stands ready to intervene and Qian Zhong monitors spatial dangers.
• The chapter ends with Qian Zhong revealing that the apparent frontal enemy is a distraction: Nascent Soul Soul Bodies are maneuvering behind the group for a surprise attack.

Chapter Summary: Celestial Demon Chaos

Key Plot Points and Events

• The soul bodies of the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains surround Feng Jun’s group, using layered obstructions, a battle array, and a spatial-rift trap to prevent escape.
• Their strategy fails because they underestimate the group’s true strength: Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong are both True Lords, while Qian Zhong possesses exceptional deduction abilities.
• Xuanyuan Buqi notices that the surrounding rules of heaven and earth have been distorted. Qian Zhong deduces that forcefully breaking the restriction would trigger hidden spatial rifts.
• Qian Zhong unveils her water-based divine ability, Sweet Rain, modeled after Yi Jue’s Sweet Rain of Thought. By accelerating the natural rain into needle-like attacks, she destroys the distorted force field without triggering the traps.
• Shanlin True Immortal uses the Soul-Beating Whip, annihilating dozens of soul bodies. Yide True Immortal combines his Absolute Ice Seal with the Ten-Thousand Arrow Disc, slowing and killing large numbers of Gold Core and Dust-Free Realm soul bodies.
• The coordinated attacks of Qian Zhong, Shanlin, and Yide shatter the enemy battle array and kill more than twenty Gold Core soul bodies.
• The soul bodies deploy Nascent Soul reinforcements to stabilize their formation and continue luring the group toward the spatial-rift traps.
• Feng Jun uses his deductions to identify two Nascent Soul soul bodies that can be killed safely. Xuanyuan Buqi destroys them with two white pearls.
• Qian Zhong repeatedly casts Sweet Rain, forcing the soul bodies to retreat. Feng Jun’s group pursues them for over two hundred li.
• At a second battlefield, Qian Zhong’s divine ability becomes even more powerful because lingering water vapor remains in the environment. The soul bodies realize that the group had previously concealed its full strength.
• Just as the soul bodies appear cornered, more than a hundred Celestial Demons arrive, including at least twenty Nascent Soul-level demons and one Spirit Severing Realm expert. The soul bodies reveal that they have their own Spirit Severing Realm ally.

Character Developments

• Qian Zhong: Demonstrates her exceptional deduction, combat adaptability, and mastery of water-based techniques. Her creation of Sweet Rain shows that True Lords can analyze and recreate the principles behind others’ divine abilities. She also uses the technique strategically to conceal her actual cultivation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Initially irritated by the enemy’s traps and battlefield tactics, he becomes more cautious because of his past trauma involving Celestial Demons. He nevertheless trusts Feng Jun’s deductions and decisively kills the two vulnerable Nascent Soul soul bodies.
• Feng Jun: Shows that his deductive abilities are reliable enough to guide battlefield decisions. He identifies safe targets and recognizes the soul bodies’ deliberate positioning. He also confirms that the Soul-Severing Nail is genuinely unavailable.
• Yide True Immortal: Uses his Absolute Ice Seal and upgraded Ten-Thousand Arrow Disc effectively despite the artifact being only a high-grade Treasure Artifact rather than a True Artifact. His cooperation with Qian Zhong greatly improves its effectiveness.
• Shanlin True Immortal: Acts as the group’s rapid offensive force, using the Soul-Beating Whip to eliminate soul bodies quickly.
• The soul bodies: Prove intelligent and tactically capable, using battle arrays, traps, reinforcements, and deliberate positioning. However, they repeatedly misjudge the group’s strength and are forced into retreat.

Significant Themes

• Underestimating one’s opponents: The soul bodies’ careful plan collapses because they fail to recognize that the group possesses two True Lords and powerful deduction abilities.
• Adaptation and imitation: Qian Zhong’s Sweet Rain illustrates how high-level cultivators can study existing techniques, understand their underlying rules, and create improved or parallel abilities.
• Teamwork and tactical coordination: The group combines deduction, battlefield control, crowd attacks, and direct assault. Qian Zhong’s rain amplifies Yide’s ice techniques, while Feng Jun’s deductions guide Xuanyuan Buqi’s attacks.
• Caution versus brute force: Xuanyuan Buqi initially considers breaking the restriction directly, but Qian Zhong’s warning demonstrates the danger of acting without understanding hidden mechanisms.
• Resource limitations among cultivators: Yide’s continued use of an upgraded Treasure Artifact reflects the difficulty of acquiring or refining suitable True Artifacts, even for powerful Nascent Soul cultivators.
• Escalation of conflict: What first appears to be a battle against soul bodies expands into a confrontation involving a large Celestial Demon force and a Spirit Severing Realm enemy.

Character Interactions

• Qian Zhong prevents Xuanyuan Buqi from destroying the restriction recklessly and explains the spatial-rift trap.
• Feng Jun and Qian Zhong independently recognize the soul bodies’ deliberate positioning and warn Xuanyuan Buqi not to attack blindly.
• Xuanyuan Buqi relies on Feng Jun’s deductions despite his own suspicion and frustration, showing growing battlefield trust.
• Qian Zhong, Yide, and Shanlin form the chapter’s main combat combination: her rain disrupts and weakens the enemy, Yide freezes and bombards them, and Shanlin rapidly destroys weakened soul bodies.
• Xuanyuan Buqi questions Feng Jun about the missing Soul-Severing Nail, and Feng Jun answers directly, reinforcing their candid relationship.
• The soul bodies’ final boast about possessing a Spirit Severing Realm Celestial Demon marks the sudden reversal of the battle’s momentum and sets up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanyuan Buqi confronts a Spirit Severing–realm Celestial Demon and reminds it that the Voidmist Realm restricts descending Soul Emergence cultivators to High-Tier Nascent Soul combat power. The demon argues that an outer-realm passage exempts it from the rules and attempts to overwhelm him.
• Qian Zhong reveals an aura comparable to a Soul Emergence Venerable and unleashes Sweet Rain, instantly destroying one Nascent Soul Soul Body, severely injuring two others, and wiping out many lower-realm cultivators.
• A Delusion Celestial Demon tries to mentally manipulate Qian Zhong by claiming she has killed someone important and threatening her with soul torture. Qian Zhong resists and counters with Demon Slayer, killing one Soul Body, though the others defend against it using Four Symbols Heaven and Earth.
• Qian Zhong scans the battlefield and discovers that she and her allies are surrounded by more than forty Nascent Soul Soul Bodies and Celestial Demons. She remains confident because her true cultivation is far above what she is displaying, but Feng Jun tells her to wait for further developments.
• Reinforcements arrive from the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains and Myriad Isles Lake, including more than ten Nascent Soul Soul Bodies, numerous Celestial Demons, and a peak Nascent Soul Illumination Celestial Demon—one of the most dangerous types of Celestial Demons.
• Qian Zhong’s hatred of Illumination Celestial Demons, due to their past harm to people close to her, provokes her into immediate action. She uses Divine Sense Spike and the powerful Cage technique to imprison an area over one hundred li wide, trapping the Illumination Celestial Demon and three other Nascent Souls. She eventually seals them in a Soul-Sealing Token.
• While Qian Zhong is occupied, Yide and True Immortal Wanhui come under increasing pressure. Xuanyuan Buqi demonstrates his overwhelming strength by using Freeze to immobilize more than thirty Nascent Soul enemies and many Gold Core cultivators.
• Xuanyuan then blasts away the Soul Emergence Delusion Celestial Demon and destroys several enemies, though the effort strains and briefly overdraws his available spiritual energy.
• The Delusion Celestial Demon recognizes Feng Jun as the group’s vulnerable but important “minor” cultivator and uses Flash Step to attack him directly, hoping to seize control of his Sea of Consciousness.
• Warned by the Yin Soul boss, Feng Jun activates a jade-colored lamp. The treasure’s light terrifies the demon, which recognizes it as a Soul-Refining True Treasure.

2. Character Developments

• Qian Zhong displays extraordinary hidden strength, effortlessly overpowering ordinary Nascent Soul enemies while carefully concealing her true cultivation. Her confidence is balanced by caution toward Celestial Demon techniques.
• Her personal hatred of Illumination Celestial Demons becomes clear. The suffering they inflicted on an elder and a trusted clansman drives her to abandon restraint and target one immediately.
• Xuanyuan Buqi proves himself capable of controlling the battlefield even while limited by the Voidmist Realm. His willingness to overextend himself to protect the others highlights both his power and responsibility.
• Feng Jun is revealed to be far more important and well-protected than his Gold Core cultivation suggests. His possession of the jade lamp gives him a decisive defense against the Delusion Celestial Demon.
• The Delusion Celestial Demon is established as highly calculating and opportunistic, shifting its strategy from psychological warfare to directly targeting Feng Jun when the battlefield turns against it.
• Yide and True Immortal Wanhui are shown to depend heavily on Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi’s support as the enemy numbers and formations increase.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Qian Zhong disguises her true realm, while Feng Jun’s apparent weakness conceals extraordinary importance and protection.
• The danger of mental warfare: Celestial Demons threaten more than physical destruction; they can invade souls, manipulate emotions, force betrayal, and make existence worse than death.
• Hatred and vengeance: Qian Zhong’s reaction to the Illumination Celestial Demon shows how personal trauma can override caution and restraint.
• Power under restriction: Even superior cultivators must operate within the Voidmist Realm’s limits, making strategy, timing, and control of spiritual energy essential.
• Battlefield coordination: Victory depends on different characters covering one another’s weaknesses—Qian Zhong seals enemies, Xuanyuan controls the battlefield, and Feng Jun possesses the key defensive treasure.
• The underestimated “weak link”: Feng Jun’s apparent vulnerability becomes the focal point of the enemy’s strategy, but also the source of an unexpected reversal.

4. Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi verbally challenges the Wrath Celestial Demon over the Voidmist Realm’s rules.
• Qian Zhong counters the demons’ arrogance and psychological threats with repeated displays of force, while Feng Jun communicates with her and urges her to delay revealing her full hand.
• The Delusion Celestial Demon attempts to intimidate Qian Zhong by invoking soul torture and emotional betrayal, but she dismisses its manipulation.
• Xuanyuan and Qian Zhong work in parallel: she captures the Illumination Celestial Demon and several enemies, while he protects the rear and relieves pressure on Yide and Wanhui.
• Xuanyuan angrily calls out to Qian Zhong when she remains occupied, then independently drives back the Soul Emergence demon.
• The Delusion Celestial Demon exploits the temporary separation and attacks Feng Jun, only to be confronted by Feng Jun’s jade lamp and its soul-refining power.

Chapter Summary: The Hardships of the Lower Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Delusion Celestial Demon recognizes that Feng Jun’s jade lamp possesses power beyond an ordinary Treasure Artifact, possibly reaching the level of a True Treasure.
• Qian Zhong compresses the containment cage while Xuanyuan Buqi immobilizes the Soul Bodies. Feng Jun activates the jade lamp, which directly absorbs and suppresses the Soul Emergence-level Delusion Celestial Demon.
• The lamp then begins drawing in the surrounding Soul Bodies. With Qian Zhong’s Sweet Rain, Xuanyuan Buqi’s immobilization technique, and the Ice Seal techniques of Wanhui and Yide True Immortals, the group prevents the remaining Celestial Demons from escaping.
• The group debates the lamp’s true classification. Xuanyuan Buqi suspects it is a suppressed True Treasure or a True Treasure prototype, while Feng Jun insists that it is only a Treasure Artifact. Internally, the Yin Soul senior confirms that it has the potential to become a True Treasure and was responsible for its overwhelming burst of power.
• Qian Zhong apologizes for acting impulsively because of her hatred toward the Illumination Celestial Demon. She requests permission to keep and refine it in her clan’s Soul-Refining Icefire Cavern for one hundred thousand years. Feng Jun agrees, understanding her desire for vengeance.
• Feng Jun offers to lend the lamp to others for the purpose of eliminating Celestial Demons, framing this as a contribution to his merit. Xuanyuan Buqi humorously argues that such a powerful treasure should be rented rather than borrowed.
• The remaining Celestial Demons unleash the Celestial Demon Life-and-Death Art, a devastating sonic soul attack in which they sacrifice themselves to harm their enemies. The attack briefly threatens the group’s consciousness, but Xuanyuan Buqi warns everyone to steady their minds. The Yin Soul senior also secretly protects and conceals Feng Jun’s Divine Soul.
• Xuanyuan Buqi immobilizes the demons again while the others continue controlling the attack. Feng Jun appears to be exerting himself through the lamp but is actually communicating with the Yin Soul senior.
• After nearly four days and four nights, the jade lamp absorbs all the hazy mist covering the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains.
• Once the mist clears, the group discovers several highly unstable regions of space and numerous violent spatial rifts. Qian Zhong advises them to report the discovery to the Profound Water Sect, creating an opportunity to repair the lower realm’s damaged space.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates increasing confidence and generosity. He accepts the risks of using the jade lamp while carefully concealing the Yin Soul senior’s involvement and his own deeper trump cards. He also cultivates an image of being willing to help others combat Celestial Demons.
• The Yin Soul senior proves highly capable and protective. It controls the lamp’s hidden power, suppresses the Delusion Celestial Demon, safeguards Feng Jun from the soul attack, and warns him against relying too heavily on favors from powerful beings.
• Qian Zhong reveals the depth of her hatred toward the Illumination Celestial Demon, whose actions destroyed members of her clan or affiliated forces. Her apology shows humility, while her request to refine the demon reflects her desire for justice and emotional release.
• Xuanyuan Buqi continues to act as the group’s stabilizing force. He immobilizes the demons repeatedly, recognizes the lamp’s true potential, warns everyone during the Life-and-Death Art, and recalls a painful previous encounter with the technique.
• Yide and Shan Lin True Immortals contribute crucial defensive techniques. Yide’s personal grudge against Illumination explains his sympathy toward Qian Zhong, while Shan Lin’s experience dealing with Soul Bodies allows him to resist the sonic attack effectively.
• The group’s casual conversation while exterminating the Celestial Demons highlights their confidence and the overwhelming advantage they eventually gain.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and underestimation: The jade lamp appears to be a mere Treasure Artifact but displays power capable of suppressing a Soul Emergence Venerable. Its uncertain status reflects the recurring theme of concealed strength.
• Vengeance versus justice: Qian Zhong’s wish to refine Illumination for one hundred thousand years shows how suffering caused by Celestial Demons creates a desire for prolonged retribution.
• The danger of Celestial Demons: Though cowardly when facing overwhelming force, the demons possess frightening collective techniques such as the Life-and-Death Art and can evolve from Soul Bodies through accumulation and inheritance.
• Cooperation among powerful cultivators: The battle succeeds through coordinated use of Sweet Rain, immobilization, Ice Seal, and the jade lamp rather than through one person’s strength alone.
• The neglected lower realms: The discovery of widespread spatial instability emphasizes the enormous damage suffered by the lower realms and the difficulty of repairing them, especially when powerful Venerables are too few to help everywhere.
• Favors, merit, and political positioning: Feng Jun’s offer to lend the lamp helps him build a reputation as a protector against Celestial Demons, while the discussion of borrowing and renting reveals the practical value and political importance of powerful treasures.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi teases Feng Jun about falsely calling the jade lamp a Treasure Artifact, while Feng Jun offers a carefully evasive explanation.
• The Yin Soul senior privately advises Feng Jun, creating a contrast between his public dependence on the lamp and the senior’s hidden control over it.
• Qian Zhong apologizes to the group, and Feng Jun responds graciously, acknowledging the work of Yide and Shan Lin. Yide sympathizes because Illumination had destroyed one of his senior brothers.
• Qian Zhong asks Feng Jun for the Illumination Celestial Demon, and he grants her request without hesitation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Feng Jun disagree humorously over whether the lamp should be lent or rented, while Shan Lin and Yide quietly worry that they could not afford its price.
• During the Life-and-Death Art, Xuanyuan Buqi takes command by warning the others and then immobilizing the demons again.
• After the mist disappears, Qian Zhong responsibly alerts the group to the spatial rifts, and Yide formally agrees to report them despite privately doubting that the Profound Water Sect can secure a Venerable capable of repairing them.

Chapter Summary: “An Unusual Consciousness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After absorbing the aura of the Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains, Feng Jun searches for naturally formed treasures but finds none. Xuanyuan Buqi is similarly disappointed, while Qian Zhong recognizes that the mountains themselves form a valuable natural grand formation.
• Feng Jun, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and True Immortal Yide leave for Myriad Isles Lake. Feng Jun asks the Azure Snow Sect to report the spatial rift in the mountains to the Upper Sects.
• Reinforcements from the Azure Snow Sect arrive and learn that the mountains contain both a natural formation and a spatial rift. They are also informed that Myriad Isles Lake may contain another rift, since numerous Nascent Soul Soul Bodies and Celestial Demons came from there to support the battle.
• At Myriad Isles Lake, Qian Zhong scans the area and determines that there are only a few Nascent Soul gathering places, with no more than seven Nascent Soul cultivators in total.
• The three powerful allies divide the targets among themselves and attack from different directions to prevent the Soul Bodies from escaping. Feng Jun is assigned to remain at the edge and intercept fugitives.
• Before the assault begins, the Yin Soul expert warns Feng Jun that consequences from Qian Zhong’s earlier mistake may be about to appear. Feng Jun then detects an unexpected Spirit Severing Realm aura beneath the lake.
• A hundred-zhang earthworm transforms into a small, white infant and reveals itself as the Domain Consciousness of the region. It confronts the Yin Soul expert for using power beyond the Domain’s limits and threatens to exile him.
• The Domain Consciousness argues that the Yin Soul expert damaged the Domain’s origin by exceeding the permitted combat strength. The Yin Soul expert counters that powerful Celestial Demons, including a Soul Emergence Realm demon, were allowed into the Domain and accuses the Domain Consciousness of applying its rules unfairly.
• The confrontation ends humorously with the Domain Consciousness crying and complaining that the Yin Soul expert is bullying a child.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Continues acting cautiously and responsibly, worrying about Yide’s safety despite Yide’s ability to escape. He also becomes increasingly aware that the situation contains forces far beyond the apparent Nascent Soul-level enemies.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Remains openly interested in rare treasures and shows disappointment when the mountains yield no movable wonders. He nevertheless accepts the tactical division of enemies.
• Qian Zhong: Demonstrates overwhelming investigative ability by accurately assessing the enemy presence at Myriad Isles Lake. After her earlier lapse in attention nearly endangered the group, she takes a more active role and insists on helping handle the enemies.
• True Immortal Yide: Shows confidence in his survival skills and refuses to be treated as fragile. He insists that he can retreat if necessary and may even frighten the weakened Soul Bodies into fleeing.
• The Yin Soul expert: Displays arrogance and complete confidence in challenging the Domain Consciousness. He refuses to acknowledge its authority and highlights the inconsistency between the treatment of himself and the Celestial Demons.
• The Domain Consciousness: Is revealed to possess a humanlike form and personality. Although it claims authority over the Domain’s laws, it behaves like an immature, emotional child, shifting from sternness to tears when challenged.

Significant Themes

• Hidden powers and deceptive appearances: What seems to be a region containing only weak Nascent Soul enemies conceals a Spirit Severing Realm entity—the Domain Consciousness itself.
• Rules versus fairness: The conflict centers on whether the Domain’s laws are being applied consistently. The Yin Soul expert argues that the Domain cannot punish him while allowing stronger Celestial Demons to enter.
• Authority and territorial control: The Domain Consciousness considers the region its home and claims the right to regulate all beings within it, while the Yin Soul expert rejects its authority.
• Humor amid danger: The potentially serious confrontation becomes comic because the Domain Consciousness appears as a plump child who cries about being bullied.
• Caution and underestimated threats: The characters repeatedly misjudge the situation, demonstrating that apparent strength levels and battlefield information may not reveal the true dangers present.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong discuss the lack of treasures and the value of the natural grand formation.
• Feng Jun exchanges information with the Azure Snow Sect’s reinforcements through Shanlin, emphasizing the importance of reporting the spatial rift.
• Feng Jun worries about Yide, while Yide and Qian Zhong assure him that Yide can survive independently.
• The Yin Soul expert advises Feng Jun to let the others fight and rest, then reveals his awareness of the emerging crisis.
• Feng Jun and the Domain Consciousness meet directly, while the Domain Consciousness primarily argues with and challenges the hidden Yin Soul expert.
• The Yin Soul expert and the Domain Consciousness engage in a clash of wills: one relies on superior cultivation and defiance, while the other relies on territorial authority and the Domain’s laws.

Chapter Summary: “Unconventional Indeed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Domain Consciousness confronts the Yin Soul big shot for using power beyond the rules of its Domain while dealing with a Soul Emergence Celestial Demon.
• The big shot argues that powerful cultivators—especially Integration Stage and higher existences—may not fear karma, since overwhelming strength and control over rules can outweigh the consequences of destroying a small Domain.
• The Domain Consciousness claims it can expel beings who violate the Domain’s rules, but the big shot intimidates it by threatening to return and kill it if expelled.
• After reluctantly accepting the big shot’s continued presence, the Domain Consciousness declares that it will no longer permit beings above the Soul Emergence Realm into the Domain.
• The big shot warns that this restriction may be impossible because powerful Celestial Demons could already exist within the Domain.
• The conversation shifts toward the nature and fate of Domain Consciousnesses. The big shot explains that they often begin active and curious but eventually grow tired of their immobile existence and enter deep slumber.
• The Domain Consciousness worries about eventually sleeping until its Domain dies and asks whether its existence is pitiful.
• The big shot reassures it that its immense lifespan is something even Tribulation Transcendence experts would envy, reflecting Heaven’s Way’s balance of gains and sacrifices.
• Inspired by the desire to “live brilliantly,” the Domain Consciousness asks whether it can escape its Domain and transform into another kind of life. It believes such a change may be possible despite the risk of angering Heaven’s Way.
• The chapter ends humorously when the Domain Consciousness notices Feng Jun’s skepticism and challenges him directly.

Character Developments

• The Yin Soul big shot is shown to be domineering, pragmatic, and unapologetically unreasonable when dealing with weaker beings. It openly admits that strength, rather than fairness, determines how disputes are settled. However, it also displays insight and a trace of sympathy when discussing the lonely fate of Domain Consciousnesses.
• The Domain Consciousness develops from a defensive, tearful figure into a more thoughtful and ambitious one. Though intimidated by the big shot, it demonstrates strong instincts, caution, and an increasing desire to understand the wider world. Its wish to escape the Domain reveals a budding longing for freedom and a meaningful life.
• Feng Jun remains mostly an observer, silently recognizing the Domain Consciousness’s unusual innocence and the broader implications of the big shot’s explanation. His internal reaction highlights the extraordinary scale of the Domain Consciousness’s lifespan and ambitions.
• The Mirror Spirit is mentioned as an example of an existence possessing both Great Dao-level authority and sufficient strength to ignore ordinary concerns such as karma. The Yin Soul big shot respects and fears it but dislikes its arrogance and isolation.

Significant Themes

• Power versus morality: The discussion suggests that karma restrains ordinary beings but may have little meaning against existences powerful enough to command or resist the rules themselves.
• The limits of justice: The Domain Consciousness wants to enforce its rules fairly, yet it must compromise when facing overwhelming strength, showing that “fairness” is often dependent on power.
• Freedom versus responsibility: The Domain Consciousness is bound to protect and manage its Domain. Escaping would offer freedom but could violate its natural role and provoke Heaven’s Way.
• Immortality and stagnation: An extremely long life is not automatically fulfilling. Domain Consciousnesses may eventually become weary of eternal confinement and choose sleep over continued existence.
• Heaven’s Way and balance: Every advantage comes with a corresponding limitation. Domain Consciousnesses possess extraordinary longevity and authority but lack mobility and freedom.
• Youthful curiosity and ambition: The Domain Consciousness’s questions and refusal to accept a predetermined fate contrast with the big shot’s experience and resignation.

Character Interactions

• The central interaction is the power struggle between the Yin Soul big shot and the Domain Consciousness. The latter protests and appeals to karma and rules, while the former responds with threats and blunt assertions of superiority.
• Despite bullying the Domain Consciousness, the big shot becomes a reluctant mentor, answering its questions about other Domains, aging, slumber, life, death, and Heaven’s Way.
• Feng Jun silently observes the exchange, while the Domain Consciousness eventually turns its attention toward him and questions his disbelief, setting up a more direct interaction.

Chapter Summary:

Wood Spirit Dao’s Lower Sect

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Domain Consciousness directly questions Feng Jun for the first time, explaining that although becoming a Domain Consciousness is the dream of most cultivators, its own greatest desire is freedom.
• The Yin Soul expert challenges this idealism, suggesting that the Domain Consciousness will naturally move on once it grows tired of its current Domain. The Domain Consciousness rejects this, fearing that prolonged existence will dull its individuality and “smooth away” its edges.
• The Domain Consciousness reveals that it has secretly taken the form of cultivators to interact with outsiders. It once debated Dao principles with a Spirit Severing/Soul Emergence cultivator named Qianxi, from a major sect on the Heavenly Zither Main Plane.
• Feng Jun recognizes Qianxi as an enemy whom he recently heavily injured. The Domain Consciousness refuses to avenge him, insisting that it will not interfere in cultivator conflicts or become entangled in the karma of another race.
• The discussion turns to the Domain Consciousness’s earthworm transformation. The Yin Soul expert suspects it was influenced by the Chunren Sect, the Wood Spirit Dao’s lower sect in the Voidmist Realm.
• The chapter explains the sect’s history: Chunren predates the split between the Wood Spirit Dao and Spirit Plant Dao, but later came under Wood Spirit Dao control, while Spirit Plant Dao-aligned cultivators were purged. Feng Jun has avoided attacking Chunren because it is powerful, politically sensitive, and may eventually be reconciled with the Spirit Plant Dao.
• The Domain Consciousness expresses approval of Chunren, believing the benevolent vitality of wood suits the Voidmist Realm’s development. Feng Jun clarifies that his hostility is directed mainly toward Chunren’s Upper Sect, which has repeatedly antagonized him.
• A battle begins at Myriad Isles Lake, apparently initiated by True Lord Qian Zhong. Yide remains hidden, seemingly preparing a sneak attack.
• The Domain Consciousness withdraws and spreads its awareness, then asks whether the two True Lords involved are family cultivators. Feng Jun confirms that one is Great Lord Xuanyuan Buqi of the Xuanyuan Family, while withholding the identity of the other.
• The Yin Soul expert urges the Domain Consciousness to seal off Myriad Isles Lake. It refuses, fearing Heaven’s Way would punish it for interfering with the Soul Bodies there. However, it offers to help if Feng Jun and the Yin Soul expert acknowledge that they requested its intervention.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Remains calm, observant, and politically cautious. He recognizes the significance of karma connecting him to Qianxi and is careful not to antagonize the Chunren Sect unnecessarily. He also uses the Xuanyuan Family’s reputation to intimidate others without correcting the Domain Consciousness’s assumptions.
• The Yin Soul expert: Continues to dominate the conversation through blunt criticism and threats, but also shows concern about karmic consequences and the Domain Consciousness’s future. It becomes impatient with the hesitation of Xuanyuan Buqi and Yide.
• The Domain Consciousness: Emerges as curious, intelligent, emotionally expressive, and unusually independent. Its desire for freedom conflicts with its fear of losing its identity. It is willing to experiment, interact with outsiders, and form opinions, but remains cautious about violating Heaven’s Way or becoming involved in karma.
• Qianxi: Though absent, his importance increases through the revelation that he debated Dao principles with the Domain Consciousness and is connected to Feng Jun’s recent conflict.
• Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, and Yide: Their actions remain mostly off-page, but their positioning sets up the ongoing battle and possible ambush at Myriad Isles Lake.

3. Significant Themes

• Freedom versus security and destiny: The Domain Consciousness does not want to become complacent or lose its individuality by remaining tied to one Domain.
• Growth and loss of identity: The fear that existence and experience can gradually erode one’s sharpness reflects the broader tension between maturation and preserving one’s original self.
• Karma and responsibility: Conversations repeatedly emphasize the dangers of influencing others, interfering in conflicts, and being held accountable for consequences.
• Political restraint and long-term strategy: Feng Jun’s decision not to attack Chunren illustrates the importance of considering future alliances, factional mergers, and the wider balance of power.
• Limits of power: Even a Domain Consciousness must obey Heaven’s Way and cannot freely act against the Soul Bodies of its own Domain.
• Curiosity and self-awareness: The Domain Consciousness’s interactions with outsiders show its desire to understand the wider world, despite its isolation and limited experience beyond its Domain.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Yin Soul expert jointly question and challenge the Domain Consciousness, with the expert taking the role of an impatient senior and Feng Jun offering more measured responses.
• The Domain Consciousness jokingly accuses the Yin Soul expert of creating karmic trouble for it, while the expert threatens to erase its intelligence once fully recovered.
• Feng Jun reveals his connection to Qianxi, prompting surprise from both the Domain Consciousness and the Yin Soul expert.
• The Yin Soul expert identifies the Domain Consciousness’s earthworm form as evidence of Chunren’s influence, leading to an explanation of the sect’s history and Feng Jun’s restrained attitude toward it.
• The Domain Consciousness refuses to take sides in Feng Jun’s dispute with the Wood Spirit Dao but offers a neutral policy: it will not interfere as long as combatants do not use power above the Nascent Soul Stage.
• The chapter ends with a negotiation: the Domain Consciousness will help contain Myriad Isles Lake only if Feng Jun and the Yin Soul expert admit that they requested its assistance.

Chapter Summary: “Scenery Beyond the Domain”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Domain Consciousness confronts the mysterious “big shot” after he urges it to intervene against the Extraterritorial Celestial Demons. It demands that he acknowledge responsibility, but he refuses, arguing that the Domain’s disorder—especially the descent passage at Myriad Isles Lake—should be handled by the Domain itself.
• The Domain Consciousness explains that its principle is to minimize artificial interference. Natural elimination is part of the Domain’s laws, while intervention could provoke punishment from Heaven’s Way. It also hesitates because it fears the big shot may deny responsibility and because it still wishes to preserve its existence.
• The big shot tempts the Domain Consciousness by mentioning that he might someday take a trace of it beyond the Domain to see the “scenery beyond the Domain.” This possibility immediately interests and unsettles the Domain Consciousness.
• True Immortal Yide launches an ambush against a weak Nascent Soul-stage Soul Body. The target teleports away, but Xuanyuan Buqi has anticipated this and immobilizes it with his Character-Setting Art. The three allied groups begin attacking simultaneously.
• Feng Jun enters Myriad Isles Lake to activate the lamp that absorbs the area’s hazy mist. The big shot warns him of a spatial rift ahead, allowing Feng Jun to stop in time and redirect himself.
• The lamp absorbs the poisonous mist of Myriad Isles Lake over nearly four days and three nights. The area’s reduced number of Soul Bodies and fewer spatial rifts make the process shorter than the operation at Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains.
• Refinement of the harvest from Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains produces approximately 700,000–800,000 drops of Soul-Nourishing Liquid. Feng Jun estimates that Myriad Isles Lake will yield around 400,000 drops.
• The group agrees on a distribution of the other treasures: the Soul-Polluting Mother Spring from Myriad Isles Lake and the Innate Grand Formation from Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains will be divided in a four-four-one-one arrangement among the major participants.
• The Azure Snow Sect plans to seal the spatial rifts at Nine-Ten-Thousand Mountains and use them as training grounds for disciples to gain real combat experience against Celestial Demons. Feng Jun worries that leaving the rifts active could allow stronger demons to emerge, especially since Soul Emergence Realm Celestial Demons have already appeared.
• Feng Jun asks the powerful cultivators to repair the two remaining spatial rifts at Myriad Isles Lake. Xuanyuan Buqi agrees to handle them, though he first considers whether a small opening should be preserved for training purposes.
• Qian Zhong emphasizes that the Domain is interconnected and that spatial rifts in nearby regions could affect one another. After considering her reasoning, Xuanyuan Buqi decides to repair both rifts completely. He estimates the work will take about three days.

Character Developments

• The big shot remains evasive, arrogant, and shameless, refusing to accept responsibility despite having encouraged the Domain Consciousness to act. However, his mention of traveling beyond the Domain reveals his immense reach and suggests that he may possess knowledge of realms outside the current world.
• The Domain Consciousness is shown to be cautious, principled, and protective. It values the Vastmist Domain and its inhabitants as if they were its children, but its curiosity about the world beyond the Domain begins to challenge its instinct for self-preservation.
• Feng Jun demonstrates alertness and responsibility. He reacts quickly to the warning about the spatial rift and remains concerned about the long-term danger of leaving demonic passageways intact.
• Xuanyuan Buqi proves both powerful and thoughtful. His Character-Setting Art is crucial to capturing the escaping Soul Body, while his concern about altering the Domain shows humility and respect for broader consequences. He also accepts Qian Zhong’s correction without resistance.
• Qian Zhong continues to act as the group’s practical strategist and expert in Deduction. She establishes the treasure distribution, evaluates the interconnected nature of the Domain, and counters Xuanyuan Buqi’s assumptions with specialized knowledge.
• True Immortals Yide and Shanlin remain active allies, though Shanlin’s dissatisfaction with his sect’s decision shows that he recognizes the danger of treating spatial rifts merely as training resources.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and accountability: The conflict between the big shot and the Domain Consciousness centers on whether someone who encourages an action must also bear responsibility for its consequences.
• Protection versus noninterference: The Domain Consciousness struggles between protecting its inhabitants directly and obeying the Domain’s principle that natural elimination should not be artificially disrupted.
• Curiosity about the unknown: The possibility of seeing the world beyond the Domain introduces a larger cosmic setting and gives the Domain Consciousness a temptation that may influence future decisions.
• Short-term benefit versus long-term danger: The sects want to preserve the spatial rifts as training grounds, while Feng Jun worries that this could allow more powerful Celestial Demons to develop or descend.
• Interconnected systems: The discussion of repairing spatial rifts emphasizes that the Domain functions as a whole; changing one region may produce consequences elsewhere.
• Real combat and cultivation: The chapter contrasts controlled training with genuine battles against Celestial Demons, suggesting that dangerous environments can provide valuable experience but must be managed carefully.

Important Character Interactions

• The big shot and the Domain Consciousness argue over oaths, karma, responsibility, and the Domain’s duty to intervene.
• Feng Jun relies on the big shot’s warning to avoid a spatial rift, demonstrating their unusual cooperation despite the big shot’s evasiveness.
• Yide’s attack and Xuanyuan Buqi’s timed Character-Setting Art work together to trap a fleeing Soul Body.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi debate whether spatial rifts should remain partially open for training or be completely repaired; Qian Zhong’s broader understanding of the Domain ultimately persuades him.
• Feng Jun questions Shanlin about the Azure Snow Sect’s plans, revealing his distrust of leaving dangerous demonic passages available for cultivation exercises.
• Yide indirectly urges Feng Jun to summon Hanhai Great Venerable, while Feng Jun instead appeals to the nearby Great Lords to repair the rifts.