Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Potential Threat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun confirms through deduction that Yi Jue has not been infected. True Lord Qing Yao immediately leaves the battlefield and Flash Steps close to Feng Jun, asking him to examine her as well.
• Feng Jun verifies that Qing Yao is also uninfected and encourages her to deduce her own karma while still fighting.
• Qing Yao, Qian Zhong, and Yi Jue each sense an unusual but relatively weak threat connected to the puppets and the world they occupy.
• Qian Zhong notes that Fire Spirits and Earth Spirits should normally be unable to cultivate beyond the Nascent Soul Peak, making the existence of these powerful puppets highly abnormal.
• Concerned by the unknown danger, Qian Zhong orders the Asuras destroyed. Xuanyuan Buqi joins the battle and uses a precisely controlled confinement technique that immobilizes nearly every Asura and puppet in the space.
• The experts rapidly exterminate more than ten thousand Asuras, leaving only three Nascent Soul captives: an Asura princess, a royal guard, and the deputy commander of the battle team.
• The puppets prove difficult to kill because they can self-destruct or reconstruct their bodies. Xuanyuan Buqi discovers that their origins must be destroyed. Qing Yao and Vast Sea eliminate the Flame Origins, while Yi Jue’s Spirit Plant Dao restrains the Rock Golems. Once Qian Zhong joins in, the puppets can no longer reassemble.
• The surviving Asuras are handed over to Yi Jue for transport back to the Spirit Plant Dao. The group then studies the puppets and deduces that they are artificial constructs with limited, preset intelligence rather than true living beings.
• Feng Jun determines that all the puppets originated from the same Earth Spirit and Fire Spirit. This raises concerns that the beings may exist as a larger population or collective rather than as isolated individuals.
• Yi Jue proposes abandoning the current Nurturing Space and allowing the remaining puppets to evolve and destroy it, thereby avoiding using their limited permission to destroy a space directly.
• Feng Jun deduces that the puppets can divide, reproduce, and eventually destroy the space, but the process would take approximately two months. Since the group cannot afford to wait, they decide to destroy the puppets instead and search for another collapsing space where they can observe the process more efficiently.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Feng Jun demonstrates the continued value of his deduction abilities, confirming the absence of infection and discovering the puppets’ common origin. His cooperation with Yi Jue shows their strong familiarity and trust.
• Qing Yao displays confidence and battlefield control by approaching Feng Jun during combat. Although initially frustrated that Feng Jun expects her to deduce her own karma while fighting, she accepts his judgment and participates in the investigation.
• Qian Zhong emerges as the most cautious and analytical figure. She recognizes that the puppets may represent a broader and unprecedented threat and repeatedly emphasizes the need to account for unknown possibilities.
• Xuanyuan Buqi proves his superior control by confining the entire battlefield without exceeding the world’s limits. His expertise earns Qing Yao’s rare praise, though he remains focused on eliminating the danger.
• Yi Jue takes a strategic and experimental approach, suggesting that the puppets be left alive so the group can study how they destroy the space. She also volunteers to protect Feng Jun and intercept threats during the battle.
• The group debates the danger and value of the puppets, with Qing Yao questioning whether Five-Element Spirits can live in groups and Qian Zhong stressing that established assumptions may be unreliable.

Significant Themes

• The danger of the unknown: The puppets’ weak but undeniable threat is alarming precisely because its nature and source remain unclear.
• Limits of conventional knowledge: The existence of advanced Earth and Fire Spirit constructs challenges accepted beliefs about Five-Element Spirits and their cultivation potential.
• Caution versus experimentation: Yi Jue wants to observe the puppets’ development, while Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi prioritize preventing them from escaping or transmitting information.
• Power and precision: The experts’ strength is important, but their ability to control it within the world’s limits is equally significant.
• Strategic cooperation: The group combines deduction, combat ability, confinement techniques, and specialized Dao methods to overcome the Asuras and puppets.
• Artificial intelligence and autonomy: The puppets possess only programmed, state-based intelligence, yet their ability to reproduce and destroy an entire world gives even limited intelligence potentially catastrophic consequences.

Chapter Summary: Asura Battleships

Key Plot Points and Events

• After discussion, the group agrees with Yi Jue’s plan to destroy the remaining puppets and abandon the current space. They decide to preserve Yuan Hao’s single refuge quota for emergencies rather than use it immediately.
• Yi Jue returns to the passage entrance with Feng Jun and hands over the three captured Asuras, explaining the situation to the guards.
• The group chooses Mistveil, a nurturing space already close to collapse and even more devastated than South Cold, as their next observation point.
• They conceal themselves and watch as the Five-Element Spirits’ destruction leaves Mistveil on the verge of disintegration. Qing Yao is disturbed by the scale of their slaughter and concludes that the Five-Element Spirits should not be treated leniently in the future.
• As the space begins to collapse, the last surviving Asuras attempt to flee. Two enormous centipede-shaped Asura battleships suddenly appear.
• A silver-horned Asura King emerges with the battleships. Qing Yao suggests attacking them, but Xuanyuan Buqi refuses, partly because he does not want to abandon their carefully chosen observation point. Qing Yao ultimately remains silent, realizing that completely eliminating both battleships would be difficult.
• Yi Jue privately asks Feng Jun whether they should support Qing Yao’s proposal, but Feng Jun avoids answering. Yi Jue interprets this as a reason not to intervene.
• The battleships do not rescue the fleeing Asuras. Instead, they allow some to use the ships as cover while coldly observing the dying nurturing space.
• Mistveil’s membrane turns red, expands and contracts violently, and develops cracks across its surface. Just before it collapses, the battleships fire bluish-white beams into it.
• The attacks contain a trace of the Annihilation Law, surprising Qing Yao and the others because Asura battleships are generally believed to possess crude and inefficient weapon systems.
• Rather than destroy the battleships, the group decides to continue observing. The unusual scene may reveal important information about the Asuras and the puppets.
• After several attacks fail to destroy the space, Qing Yao and Feng Jun realize that the puppets may be able to withstand the battleships’ weapons.
• The battleships then launch a much stronger fourth attack, with beams more than three times thicker than before, and immediately execute a long-range spatial movement. Qing Yao suddenly realizes something is wrong and orders Hanhai to get to Feng Jun.

Character Developments

• Yi Jue continues to act cautiously and strategically, prioritizing the preservation of resources and the success of the larger mission. Although she shares Qing Yao’s concern about hidden Asura dangers, she avoids directly supporting Qing Yao because of the political awkwardness between them.
• Qing Yao displays a strong sense of responsibility toward other cultivators and the Spirit Plant Dao, repeatedly advocating the destruction of the Asura battleships. However, she restrains herself when the others refuse to act and later becomes increasingly alert to the battleships’ abnormal capabilities.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains willful and provocative. He rejects Qing Yao’s suggestion partly out of personal irritation, but later changes his position when the battleships reveal rare and valuable combat techniques. His curiosity ultimately outweighs his desire to avoid interference.
• Feng Jun serves as a cautious observer and tactician. His judgment confirms that the battleships’ actions are unusual, though he offers little direct guidance when Yi Jue asks whether to intervene.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates her Deduction abilities by accurately predicting Mistveil’s collapse and identifying the Annihilation Law within the battleships’ attacks.
• Hanhai acts as a practical intermediary, asking Feng Jun for his assessment and helping coordinate the group’s response.
• Qing Yao and Xuanyuan Buqi’s antagonistic relationship continues, with Xuanyuan deliberately provoking her and Qing Yao choosing not to react.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus responsibility: The group debates whether to conserve resources and avoid danger or eliminate the battleships for the safety of other cultivators.
• The value of observation and knowledge: Even powerful cultivators decide not to interfere because witnessing the Asuras’ unprecedented method of destroying a nurturing space may yield more valuable information than an immediate victory.
• Asura brutality and alien methods: The Asuras show no concern for their own dying kin or the collapsing space, emphasizing their ruthless and destructive nature.
• Hidden strength and mistaken assumptions: The battleships challenge established beliefs that Asura technology is crude. Their use of Annihilation Law, coordinated tactics, and spatial movement suggests a much more sophisticated threat.
• Political and interpersonal tension: Personal friction influences decisions, especially Xuanyuan Buqi’s opposition to Qing Yao and Yi Jue’s hesitation to openly support her.
• The danger of curiosity: The group’s desire to witness a rare event causes them to delay action, potentially placing Feng Jun and the others in danger.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue and Feng Jun cooperate in handling the captives and later communicate privately about whether to support Qing Yao.
• Qing Yao repeatedly urges the group to attack, while Xuanyuan Buqi dismisses her proposal and provokes her. She eventually refuses to engage with him.
• Qian Zhong and Feng Jun compare their calculations regarding the collapse of Mistveil and the endurance of the nurturing space.
• Hanhai consults Feng Jun about the proper course of action, reflecting Feng Jun’s role as a tactical authority.
• The group collectively shifts from wanting to avoid the battleships to deliberately preserving them as subjects of observation.
• The chapter ends with Qing Yao recognizing an imminent threat and urgently ordering Hanhai to protect or regroup with Feng Jun, creating a cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Void Turbulence (Second Update)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Asura Battleship suddenly retreats, Hanhai realizes that Void turbulence is about to erupt. He and the others quickly gather around Feng Jun, using him as their planned means of protection and escape.
• The group briefly faces an unexpected dilemma: whether to flee the approaching turbulence or remain and observe it. Since no one had been assigned to make such decisions, their previously efficient plan proves incomplete.
• Feng Jun decides they should stay and observe the phenomenon at close range. The others agree, especially after Hanhai senses that spatial distortion has already begun.
• The Mistveil bubble membrane collapses explosively. Its destruction causes massive spatial distortion, followed by violent Void turbulence in which the laws of reality and the Void clash.
• The group’s concealment techniques fail, but their defensive measures hold. Feng Jun is protected by techniques from Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi, allowing even the weakest members to survive the extreme environment.
• The Asuras observe the group enduring the turbulence and speculate that they may be cultivators on the level of Kings. The golden-horned Asura orders them to investigate Mistveil’s destruction.
• While being swept through the turbulence, the group discusses the Asura Battleship’s actions. They conclude that the Asuras may be experimenting with ways to counter the puppets—or deliberately destroying the spaces the puppets seek to obtain.
• Spatial locking prevents Feng Jun from immediately transporting everyone into the Void. After roughly an hour, the lock begins to weaken, and Feng Jun uses Footprints to move the group to an uninhabited region of the Void.
• Qing Yao recognizes the Void immediately, recalling the painful centuries she once spent trapped there. After a short pause, Feng Jun returns everyone to the Asura World.
• The group rests and restores themselves before deciding to target the Shan Yu nurturing space. Although Shan Yu is not yet close to collapse, it is their most practical available target, and they plan to accelerate its destruction by secretly dealing with Asuras within it.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates quick judgment and leadership. Rather than hesitating over the danger, he chooses to observe the Void turbulence, prioritizing useful information. He also endures severe physical discomfort from the group’s protective restraints without activating his own protective talisman.
• Hanhai reacts quickly and responsibly, immediately moving to protect Feng Jun. His ability to sense resistance during Flash Step helps confirm that spatial distortion has already begun.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi provide crucial defensive protection for Feng Jun. Their strength allows the group to survive an environment that could kill even Nascent Soul Peak cultivators.
• Xuanyuan Buqi remains energetic and provocative even during the crisis, teasing Qing Yao about the puppets’ goals. His behavior contrasts with Qian Zhong’s more serious concern.
• Qing Yao shows both vulnerability and renewed dependence on Feng Jun. The Void awakens traumatic memories of her long imprisonment there, and she later asks Feng Jun to accompany her on future Void journeys.
• Yi Jue briefly laughs at the group’s awkward tactical predicament, revealing a lighter side amid the danger.
• The Asuras become more cautious and intrigued by the human cultivators’ ability to withstand Void turbulence. Their investigation suggests growing concern about the group.

Significant Themes

• The importance of decisive leadership: The group’s lack of a designated final decision-maker creates confusion, but Feng Jun resolves the problem immediately.
• Observation versus avoidance: The cultivators deliberately face danger to gather knowledge, showing that understanding the Void and the Asuras’ methods may be as important as immediate survival.
• Limits of preparation: Even powerful cultivators can be caught off guard by unexpected practical problems. Broad strategies are not enough without attention to execution and coordination.
• Survival through cooperation: Feng Jun’s transport ability, the True Lords’ defenses, and the group’s protective formation all demonstrate that survival depends on combined strengths.
• Trauma and recovery: Qing Yao’s reaction to the Void reveals how deeply past suffering continues to affect her, while the group’s return to the Asura World provides only a temporary refuge.
• Escalating conflict and experimentation: The Asuras are not merely attacking randomly; they appear to be testing methods against the puppets and possibly destroying valuable spaces to deny their enemies resources.

Important Character Interactions

• The group physically gathers around Feng Jun, reaffirming his role as their central protector and escape route.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi argue indirectly over the Asuras’ motives, with Xuanyuan speculating that they are searching for weaknesses and Qian Zhong emphasizing that their destruction of the space must have a deeper purpose.
• Xuanyuan teases Qing Yao while she struggles to communicate through Divine Thought, prompting Qian Zhong to intervene on her behalf.
• Qing Yao asks Feng Jun to accompany her during future Void travel. His cautious, noncommittal response satisfies her enough, while her pointed glance toward Yi Jue hints at unspoken interpersonal tension.
• The group continues to rely on Feng Jun’s abilities while preparing to confront the Asuras in the next nurturing space, Shan Yu.

Chapter Summary: “Eerie Changes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun and the others enter the Shan Yu space through concealed passageways rather than forcibly breaking through its membrane.
• Shan Yu is a medium-sized world where Flame Golems and Rock Golems have begun rampaging. The Asuras mobilize to suppress them and are surprisingly holding their own.
• The cultivators notice that the Asuras have improved their tactics, using wood-based methods against Rock Golems and water-based methods against Flame Golems.
• Qing Yao performs a Soul Search on a Nascent Soul Asura and discovers that the Asuras learned these Five Elements techniques from another Asura World.
• Xuanyuan Buqi becomes furious, suspecting that a cultivator from Humanity may have betrayed them by transmitting the knowledge.
• A second Soul Search reveals that Shan Yu is being used as an experimental site for studying ways to combat the golems.
• The group decides to observe the experiments for two days, partly to gather information and practice Deduction. Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly verifies his deductions through Soul Searches.
• On the second day, an Asura battleship arrives carrying three Silver Horns and a combat squad. While some troops reinforce the fight against the golems, the main group approaches the cultivators.
• One Silver Horn broadcasts a proposal for Humanity and the Asuras to cooperate against the golems, arguing that the creatures consume spiritual energy and could eventually threaten Humanity’s worlds as well.
• The local Asuras immediately denounce the proposal, calling the Silver Horn a traitor and demanding his death. Their ingrained hatred of Humanity makes cooperation nearly impossible.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains observant and pragmatic, questioning whether the Asuras’ rapid progress is simply the result of learning from experience.
• Qian Zhong acts cautiously and strategically, favoring concealed entry and extended observation. She avoids taking direct responsibility for contentious decisions, instead deferring to Yi Jue.
• Qing Yao demonstrates her ruthless decisiveness by conducting Soul Searches without hesitation. She is also concerned about wasting time on prolonged observation.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reveals his deep hatred of betrayal and his family’s harsh opposition to traitors. He also begins practicing Deduction more seriously, unwilling to remain inferior in that area.
• Yi Jue serves as a measured decision-maker, approving the two-day observation period and seeing it as an opportunity to test Deduction.
• Hanhai contributes suggestions but has limited influence within the group.
• The Asuras show unexpected adaptability and strategic growth, but their collective thinking remains primitive, emotional, and rigidly hostile toward Humanity.

Significant Themes

• Evolution through adversity: The Asuras are learning from their battles and gradually developing elemental strategies, suggesting that they may become more dangerous over time.
• The danger of outside influence and betrayal: The Five Elements Secret Art appears to have been transmitted from another Asura World, raising the possibility of human defectors or ideological traitors.
• Pragmatism versus principle: The cultivators debate whether to destroy the Asuras immediately or observe them for valuable information. Their choices reflect the tension between efficiency, curiosity, and strategic responsibility.
• Deep-rooted hatred and ideological conditioning: The Asuras’ instinctive rejection of cooperation shows how firmly their hostility toward Humanity has been embedded in their culture.
• Common enemies and impossible alliances: The Silver Horn’s proposal introduces the possibility that Humanity and the Asuras face a shared threat, but emotional prejudice prevents even a practical alliance from gaining acceptance.
• Confidence and underestimation: The cultivators assume the Asuras cannot detect or challenge them, but the arrival of the battleship proves that their assessment may be dangerously incomplete.

Character Interactions

• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi jointly recognize the Asuras’ improved use of elemental counters after Qian Zhong first points it out.
• Qing Yao disputes the idea that the Asuras could have learned so quickly, emphasizing that their development is abnormal.
• Feng Jun questions Qing Yao about the risks of repeated Soul Searches, prompting her terse declaration that decisiveness is essential.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reacts angrily to the possibility of human betrayal, reflecting the Xuanyuan Family’s uncompromising stance against traitors.
• Qing Yao and Hanhai question whether observing for two full days is worthwhile, while Qian Zhong leaves the final decision to Yi Jue.
• The Silver Horn’s attempt to address Humanity is immediately undermined by the surrounding Asuras, who reject cooperation and label him a traitor. Their hostile response creates internal conflict among the Asuras before Humanity even answers.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking Treatment at Random”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Asuras’ unrest escalates into a minor riot as they struggle with internal conflict, the puppet threat, and the arrival of powerful human cultivators. A Silver Horn Asura suppresses the violence, while the local Quasi-King’s guards use threats and persuasion to restore order.
• The cultivators debate whether the Asuras’ sudden willingness to cooperate is a genuine change or part of a scheme. Qing Yao and Qian Zhong caution against underestimating their ability to evolve intellectually.
• A Silver Horn reveals that the human cultivators have entered Shanyu Space, having noticed that several Nascent Soul Asuras have mysteriously disappeared. It attempts to provoke Xuanyuan Buqi by accusing Humanity of cowardice.
• Xuanyuan Buqi refuses to be angered, but when the Silver Horn challenges him directly, he kills it instantly by exploding its head with Divine Thought.
• Another Silver Horn apologizes for its companion and tries to negotiate. It asks Humanity to stop attacking the Asuras while the two sides settle their affairs, but Xuanyuan Buqi dismisses the request, choosing not to attack only because the surviving Asura shows unusual patience and courage.
• Yi Jue becomes concerned that the Asuras may contact cultivators on the front lines, where most forces do not belong to the Spirit Plant Dao. She decides to negotiate directly in order to keep the situation under control.
• Yi Jue reveals that Humanity intends to attack both the Asuras and the puppets, just as it apparently devastated Nande Space. The Asuras, terrified of annihilation and trapped between Humanity and the plague-afflicted puppets, propose an alliance against the puppets in exchange for resources after the battle.
• Yi Jue rejects the proposal, insisting that the Asuras must also be destroyed because of their history of eating humans. She dismisses their denial that they have ever encountered humans before and concludes that only dead Asuras can be trusted.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan Buqi demonstrates both his arrogance and restraint. He refuses to be provoked by the Asuras, viewing them as beneath his concern, but immediately punishes one that openly challenges him. He also recognizes the surviving Silver Horn’s patience as a form of courage.
• Yi Jue emerges as a decisive representative of Humanity’s interests. Although she is not especially concerned with the Spirit Plant Dao’s internal control, she intervenes to prevent uncontrolled negotiations and firmly rejects compromise with the Asuras.
• Qian Zhong shows understanding toward Yi Jue’s desire to manage the situation and supports her by concealing her presence.
• Qing Yao remains observant and skeptical, noting Xuanyuan Buqi’s tendency to treat others according to their status.
• The Silver Horn Asuras display an unexpected degree of diplomacy. Despite their race’s violent reputation, they suppress internal unrest, apologize after one of their own is killed, and attempt to negotiate an alliance when faced with possible extinction.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus pride: The Asuras are forced to abandon their usual belligerence and seek cooperation because they face threats from both Humanity and the puppets.
• Prejudice and irreconcilable hatred: Yi Jue’s refusal to believe the Asuras and her declaration that they must be destroyed reflect the deep historical hatred between humans and Asuras.
• Control and strategy: The Spirit Plant Dao wants to control communication and the pace of the campaign, not merely for selfish gain but to prevent unpredictable complications.
• Power and submission: The Asuras’ willingness to bow, apologize, and negotiate marks a striking reversal of their traditionally dominant and aggressive behavior.
• Underestimating intelligent enemies: The cultivators debate whether the Asuras are capable of strategy and evolution, suggesting that even a violent race may develop new methods under pressure.

Character Interactions

• The cultivators debate the Asuras’ intentions, with Hanhai dismissing their intelligence while Qing Yao and Qian Zhong argue that they should not be underestimated.
• The Silver Horn attempts to provoke Xuanyuan Buqi, but he responds with contempt rather than anger and kills it when it directly challenges him.
• The surviving Silver Horn respectfully addresses Xuanyuan Buqi and later Yi Jue, showing the Asuras’ sudden shift toward diplomacy.
• Yi Jue consults the others before intervening; Qian Zhong conceals her, Xuanyuan Buqi permits her action, and Qing Yao silently observes their differing attitudes.
• Yi Jue and the Silver Horn engage in a tense negotiation that quickly collapses. The Asura offers resources and cooperation against the puppets, while Yi Jue insists that Humanity’s objective is the complete destruction of both hostile races.

Chapter Summary: “What Is a Plague?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Jue interrogates the remaining Silver-Horned Asuras about Nande Space and the mysterious “plague” spreading through Asura territories.
• When the Asuras fail to provide a satisfactory explanation, Yi Jue kills or captures them, eventually using a Soul Search to obtain their knowledge.
• The Asuras’ theory confirms Humanity’s suspicion: the plague spreads silently through the earth and fire elements naturally present in Asura bodies, allowing the mutated origin to move between incubation spaces.
• Humanity debates whether this phenomenon should truly be called a “plague.” Feng Jun argues that it is more accurately the spread of a mutated origin through the power of rules, while Xuanyuan Buqi points out that rules govern the world and could therefore constitute a plague medium.
• The Quasi-King of Shanyu Space appears and begs for a way to preserve his tribe. Yi Jue orders the Asuras to evacuate the space within one day.
• Though the Quasi-King initially views the demand as an intolerable seizure of his tribe’s homeland, he realizes that resistance would be pointless against Humanity’s overwhelming strength. He agrees to move the tribe within half a day.
• Yi Jue reveals that Humanity intends to leave the puppets behind and observe them destroying Shanyu Space in order to understand their nature and develop a method of dealing with them.

Character Developments

• Yi Jue remains ruthless, domineering, and impatient. She has no interest in genuine negotiation, but she shows limited strategic restraint by sparing weaker Asuras to avoid provoking wider retaliatory massacres.
• Silver Horn and the other Silver-Horned Asuras are shown to be both proud and pragmatic. Even after companions are killed, the last survivor continues trying to negotiate, demonstrating the Asuras’ strict hierarchy and determination to preserve their people.
• Feng Jun approaches the plague scientifically and cautiously, questioning whether the term accurately describes the phenomenon.
• Xuanyuan Buqi responds philosophically, suggesting that anything spreading through the world’s governing rules could reasonably be considered a plague.
• The Quasi-King of Shanyu Space undergoes the most significant emotional shift. He moves from anger and wounded pride to reluctant submission, recognizing that defending the tribe’s homeland would only lead to pointless destruction. He also reframes the evacuation as cooperation with the Asura King’s larger policy to preserve his reputation.

Significant Themes

• Power and survival: The Asuras’ courage and pride become meaningless against overwhelming power, forcing them to choose survival over resistance.
• The cost of surrender: Losing an incubation space means losing a tribe’s foundation, homeland, and identity, making Yi Jue’s demand deeply humiliating even when compliance is rational.
• The nature of a plague: The chapter questions whether a destructive phenomenon must spread through conventional physical carriers to qualify as a plague, or whether the spread of altered rules and origins is sufficient.
• Knowledge through cruelty: Humanity gains vital information through intimidation, Soul Search, and observation rather than cooperation, highlighting the brutal methods required in the conflict.
• Observation versus intervention: Humanity deliberately allows Shanyu Space to be destroyed so they can study the puppets, sacrificing an Asura homeland for potentially valuable knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue dominates her exchanges with the Silver-Horned Asuras, repeatedly threatening death and punishing hesitation or perceived deception.
• Feng Jun and Xuanyuan Buqi discuss the plague’s definition, contrasting Feng Jun’s technical caution with Xuanyuan Buqi’s broader philosophical reasoning.
• Yi Jue’s interaction with the Quasi-King illustrates the imbalance between the two sides: he attempts negotiation, but she reduces the matter to a simple ultimatum—evacuate or die.
• The Quasi-King’s final questions reveal his anxiety over whether his people can ever reclaim their homeland, while Yi Jue’s blunt answer confirms that the space is doomed and that Humanity intends to use its destruction as an experiment.

Side Story Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Shanyu Tribe evacuates Shanyu Space after Humanity deliberately allows the puppet plague to continue destroying it for observation. Though humiliated, the Shanyu quasi-king recognizes that Humanity’s actions may ultimately benefit the Asuras by providing information about the puppets.
• More than 300,000 Shanyu Asuras flee within a day. The quasi-king plans to report to the Asura King and hopes to earn permission for the tribe to settle in Nande Space, which Humanity previously cleansed of puppets.
• The evacuation is not bloodless. The three Silver Horn commanders are killed, and their subordinate squad deliberately challenges Feng Jun’s group because Asura military law requires them to die when their commanders fall.
• Yi Jue’s group kills the remaining Asuras and confiscates their warship. Nine Asuras attempt to escape with it, but Xuanyuan Buqi prevents their spatial jump, Qian Zhong freezes the vessel, and Yi Jue claims it as spoils—especially because she wants its Annihilation Light weapon.
• Humanity remains in Shanyu Space to observe the puppets’ development. The process is slower than expected, leading Xuanyuan Buqi to jokingly suggest adding origin to accelerate it. The others reject the idea as an absurd waste of precious resources.
• Qing Yao grows impatient and suggests finding another space to observe, but Hanhai argues that the ongoing evolution is worth studying.
• Feng Jun decides to enter the Void to retrieve people according to his regular schedule. Yi Jue volunteers to accompany him, though Xuanyuan Buqi objects because their departure could disrupt the Spirit Plant Dao’s work.
• Feng Jun also intends to test whether the Void can eliminate or suppress the puppet plague. He believes Heavenly Zither is powerful enough to handle the threat, unlike the Asura World, which has been overwhelmed by it.
• He warns the cultivators returning from the Void that the fire and earth attributes around him are abnormal, but conceals the full truth of the plague to avoid undermining Yi Jue’s responsibilities. He refuses invitations to seek help from powerful clans.
• After returning to Heavenly Zither, Feng Jun avoids Libo Shoal and waits at the Ice Plains in case the plague infects anyone. Instead of leaving, he discovers that more than thirty Venerables are still gathered there, continuing a prolonged debate over Dao theory.

Character Developments

• Shanyu quasi-king: Moves from humiliation and grief over losing its homeland to pragmatic acceptance. It focuses on saving its people, reporting useful intelligence, and potentially securing Nande Space as a new home.
• Yi Jue: Demonstrates decisiveness and possessiveness by forcibly claiming the Asuran warship. She remains energetic and impatient with delays, volunteering to accompany Feng Jun into the Void.
• Feng Jun: Acts pragmatically and somewhat selfishly by testing the plague in Heavenly Zither rather than on Blue Star, while still trying to protect the people he transports. He balances responsibility, secrecy, and concern for the broader consequences.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Serves as a cautious and outspoken counterbalance to Yi Jue and Feng Jun. He restrains the escaping Asuras, criticizes Yi Jue’s impulsiveness, and objects to her leaving the group.
• Qing Yao: Becomes frustrated with the slow pace of the puppet evolution and wants more active experimentation, though she ultimately accepts the group’s decision to wait.
• Hanhai: Shows patience and moderation by defending the value of continued observation.
• Heavenly Zither’s cultivators and Venerables: Their confidence and strategic understanding are emphasized. They are willing to accept risks from unknown threats and continue pursuing knowledge rather than reacting with panic.

Significant Themes

• Humiliation versus survival: The Shanyu Tribe loses its homeland but prioritizes preserving its people and turning the disaster into a political opportunity.
• Pragmatism and moral ambiguity: Humanity knowingly allows Shanyu Space to be destroyed for research. Feng Jun similarly exposes Heavenly Zither cultivators to possible danger, though he believes the world can withstand it.
• Knowledge through sacrifice: Both Humanity and the Asuras accept enormous losses to understand the puppets and the plague.
• Cultural differences: Asura military law demands death after the loss of commanders, while Heavenly Zither cultivators approach danger with confidence and calculated discipline.
• Power and responsibility: The chapter questions whether powerful civilizations have the right to use weaker spaces or people as experimental subjects simply because they can manage the consequences.
• Patience versus impatience: Qing Yao and Yi Jue favor action, while Hanhai and Xuanyuan Buqi emphasize caution, observation, and maintaining group stability.
• Confidence in institutional strength: Feng Jun trusts Heavenly Zither’s powerful cultivators and Ancestral Venerables to handle the plague, highlighting the world’s immense foundations and self-assurance.

Character Interactions

• The Shanyu quasi-king silently endures Humanity’s treatment, choosing evacuation and intelligence-gathering over protest.
• Yi Jue refuses to let the surviving Asuras escape with their warship, while Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong help immobilize them. Qing Yao nearly uses a destructive technique but stops when Hanhai reminds her that the warship is meant to be preserved.
• Qing Yao presses Feng Jun and the others to accelerate or relocate the experiment; Hanhai persuades her to continue observing.
• Yi Jue volunteers to join Feng Jun in the Void, prompting Xuanyuan Buqi to complain that their absence could interfere with ongoing operations.
• Feng Jun’s return to the Ice Plains ends on a humorous note when he discovers the Venerables are still debating Dao theory and asks them, incredulously, whether they are still continuing.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun’s Libo Shoal Dao Discussion unexpectedly grows into an unprecedented gathering of more than sixty Venerables in the Icefield Sector.
• Unlike ordinary factional meetings or war councils, the event allows Venerables from different sects, families, and schools to exchange insights on the Dao.
• Although disagreements occasionally lead to fights, the practical benefits of the discussions gradually overcome sectarian prejudice. Many Venerables remain in the Icefield Sector even after Feng Jun leaves because they continue discovering valuable topics to debate.
• Nearly half the Venerables eventually depart to handle sect affairs or absorb their new insights, but the rest continue holding smaller, informal Dao discussions.
• Feng Jun returns to the Asura World with Yi Jue, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, Wei Sancai, and other cultivators. The group observes the gradual collapse of Shanyu Space.
• Feng Jun wonders whether Shanyu Space can be transported to Heavenly Zither. Yi Jue and Xuanyuan Buqi explain that similar attempts failed because of differences between the worlds’ laws and the enormous spiritual resources required.
• Qian Zhong suggests that Feng Jun use his Deduction abilities to develop a new method for converting or relocating the space.
• The proposal excites the major powers because successfully moving Shanyu Space could provide Heavenly Zither with a vast source of spiritual energy and potentially reverse its decline.
• The Profound Water Sect, Spirit Plant Dao, and the Xuanyuan and Qian families all offer materials and support. They imply that any successful method would become a shared secret and resource.
• Feng Jun remains cautious, admitting that he does not understand how Asuras create and nurture spaces. He agrees to examine the available materials before deciding whether the Deduction is feasible.
• The group chooses to finish observing Shanyu Space’s collapse before proceeding.

2. Character Developments

• Feng Jun: His influence continues to grow despite his relatively low cultivation, strength, and seniority. His ability to connect otherwise hostile Venerables demonstrates his unique value. However, he remains self-aware and avoids promising more than he can deliver.
• Yi Jue: She shows strong confidence in Feng Jun while also understanding his limitations. She supports the proposed investigation but encourages a measured approach rather than blind optimism.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: He acts as a practical expert on spatial laws and resources. He recognizes the scale of the proposed undertaking and emphasizes that several major powers would need to cooperate.
• Qian Zhong: She takes the initiative in proposing that Feng Jun attempt a new Deduction, revealing her willingness to pursue an opportunity that could benefit Heavenly Zither.
• Wei Sancai: He places considerable trust in Feng Jun and underestimates the potential complexity of the Asura World, though he later instructs his family’s disciples to proceed carefully.
• The major sects and families: Their willingness to cooperate marks a shift away from rigid factional divisions toward mutually beneficial collaboration.

3. Significant Themes

• Knowledge overcoming prejudice: Shared Dao insights prove more valuable than old sectarian resentments, allowing Venerables from opposing factions to communicate and cooperate.
• The scarcity of true intellectual exchange: Even the strongest cultivators need discussion and outside perspectives, but opportunities for meaningful exchange are rare.
• Influence beyond strength: Feng Jun’s importance comes not from overwhelming power but from his unusual abilities, neutrality, and role as the founder of the Alien Cultivation System.
• Cooperation and shared interests: The possibility of restoring Heavenly Zither’s spiritual energy encourages powerful factions to set aside their differences and form an unprecedented alliance.
• Caution versus ambition: The characters are tempted by a potentially transformative opportunity, but Feng Jun’s restraint highlights the risks of attempting something that exceeds their current understanding.
• Decline and restoration: Shanyu Space’s collapse reflects the fragility of worlds, while the plan to relocate it represents a possible means of revitalizing Heavenly Zither.

4. Character Interactions

• The Venerables interact across factional boundaries, moving between discussion groups and occasionally fighting when their interpretations of the Dao conflict.
• Feng Jun’s earlier example inspires the remaining Venerables to suppress sectarian prejudice and continue exchanging ideas openly.
• Wei Sancai questions whether Feng Jun truly needs to remain involved in the Asura World, prompting Feng Jun to cautiously reveal that the world is unusually dangerous or complex.
• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, Qing Yao, and Hanhai debate the possibility of relocating Shanyu Space.
• Qing Yao, Hanhai, and Yi Jue openly encourage Feng Jun, while Xuanyuan Buqi and Qian Zhong focus on the practical and strategic value of the plan.
• Yi Jue and Feng Jun share a brief, meaningful exchange in which she tests his confidence and he responds honestly, reinforcing their mutual understanding and trust.

Chapter Summary: “Qing Yao’s Suggestion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• While waiting for Feng Jun’s Deduction, Qing Yao impatiently suggests sending Hanhai back to retrieve more information. Hanhai refuses because observing the spatial changes benefits his cultivation, so Qing Yao, along with Qian Zhong, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Yi Jue, asks Feng Jun to transport them instead.
• Over the next few days, the group gathers additional information while continuing to observe Shanyu Space. During this time, Silver Horn Asuras approach to propose an alliance, but the Humanity cultivators reject them. Qian Zhong even kills one Asura after repeated harassment.
• The Asuras withdraw their warships but continue observing from a distance. Qing Yao warns them not to interfere.
• Shanyu Space eventually collapses. Its spiritual energy and spatial fragments disappear through a mysterious spatial distortion, confirming that a hidden mastermind is manipulating the phenomenon and removing the world’s origins.
• Feng Jun attempts to deduce the mastermind’s location but fails. Qing Yao then suggests capturing puppets from several nurturing spaces and using them as samples for comparison.
• The group captures more than forty rock and flame puppets from three different spaces. The puppets survive despite being removed from their nurturing environments, allowing Feng Jun to conduct a “multi-point sampling” analysis.
• Feng Jun detects that the flame puppets share an aura with a particular Fire Spirit. Qian Zhong supplements his result with Causal Divination and determines the Fire Spirit’s approximate location nearly ten billion li away.
• After seven days of travel, the group reaches a dangerous region filled with energy vortices and strange celestial phenomena. They locate the Fire Spirit inside a concealed folded space.
• Xuanyuan Buqi seals the surrounding space to prevent escape. Just as Qing Yao acknowledges the effectiveness of his technique, he suddenly grabs her and orders everyone to run, implying that an unexpected danger has appeared.

Character Developments

• Qing Yao is shown to be highly impatient and eager to secure additional spaces before others can claim them. Although she is sometimes dismissed by Xuanyuan Buqi, her practical suggestion about using captured puppets proves crucial.
• Hanhai remains stubborn and focused on his own cultivation, refusing to leave an observation site even when Qing Yao pressures him.
• Feng Jun continues to serve as the group’s primary source of analytical Deduction. Though he cannot understand the deeper spatial laws, his ability to match and trace auras becomes essential.
• Qian Zhong demonstrates her superior expertise in Deduction and Causal Divination, improving Feng Jun’s directional result into a precise location.
• Xuanyuan Buqi once again proves the value of his powerful spatial-sealing technique. Despite his limited Deduction ability, his combat and control skills make him indispensable.
• Yi Jue acts as a cautious strategist, opposing unnecessary expansion or provocation of the Asuras while the situation remains unstable.
• The Asuras shift from hostility toward cautious observation and possible cooperation, recognizing that the Humanity cultivators may have discovered the source of the puppet plague.

Significant Themes

• Practical cooperation despite rivalry: The group members frequently disagree, but their specialized abilities combine effectively.
• Knowledge versus cultivation: Hanhai and the other cultivators gain different benefits from observing the spatial collapse, while Feng Jun contributes through methods suited to his own abilities.
• Escalating mystery: The destruction of Shanyu Space reveals that powerful forces manipulate spatial laws and remove entire worlds’ origins.
• Tension between Humanity and the Asuras: Although the two sides remain enemies, the Asuras’ fear of the mysterious mastermind creates a subtle possibility of cooperation.
• The value of overlooked ideas: Qing Yao’s seemingly simple suggestion becomes the breakthrough that allows the group to trace the Fire Spirit.
• Danger beneath apparent success: Even after successfully locating their target, the group immediately faces a new and unforeseen threat.

Character Interactions

• Qing Yao repeatedly pressures Hanhai and later asks Feng Jun for transportation, while Hanhai responds with resigned helplessness.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan Buqi support Qing Yao’s plan to capture puppets, but Yi Jue urges restraint to avoid worsening the Asuras’ anxiety.
• Xuanyuan Buqi mocks Qing Yao’s usefulness, though her idea ultimately proves important.
• The Asuras closely interpret the Humanity cultivators’ movements, trying to determine whether they have found a way to investigate the plague.
• Feng Jun’s Deduction and Qian Zhong’s divination complement one another, turning a vague direction into a workable destination.
• Xuanyuan Buqi’s final command to Qing Yao—“Run!”—ends the chapter on a sudden cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Attack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qingyao the Venerable is startled when Xuanyuan Buqi suddenly attacks her, but she soon realizes he is reacting to a massive Subspace Energy Tide sweeping toward the group.
• The energy tide possesses Peak Spirit Severing Stage power and appears without warning, making its origin and possible follow-up attacks impossible to predict.
• Xuanyuan Buqi throws Qingyao out of danger and remains behind to protect the bound Fire Spirit. He suspects the tide is intended to disrupt his binding technique and free it.
• Despite Qian Zhong’s warning about spatial turbulence, Xuanyuan Buqi uses his first two attacks to block the tide, then unleashes his final True Lord strike. The strike forces the tide back into the energy vortex, but the entire attack suddenly vanishes through an apparent spatial technique.
• A powerful Divine Thought appears and orders the human cultivators to leave. Xuanyuan Buqi immediately recognizes that the speaker may be an Integration Stage Ancestor, causing everyone to become highly alert.
• Xuanyuan defiantly challenges the hidden being rather than retreating. Qingyao also attacks with Extreme Cold Bind, targeting the entire energy vortex, but her technique is neutralized by spatial fluctuations.
• Yi Jue attempts to divine the mysterious being’s identity but suffers a backlash, warning the others not to investigate recklessly.
• After a tense silence, the hidden expert identifies the cultivators’ affiliations: the Profound Water Sect, Grand Void Gate, and Xuanyuan Family. Xuanyuan apologizes after concluding that the being is likely a senior of Humanity.
• The mysterious expert recognizes Yi Jue’s original Grand Void Sect cultivation despite her transfer to the Spirit Plant Dao. It also identifies Qingyao and Qian Zhong as Profound Water Sect cultivators.
• The being then reveals that it is not a Humanity cultivator, despite its extraordinary knowledge, and asks why no one from the Profound Yellow Gate has come to the Asura World.

Character Developments

• Xuanyuan Buqi is shown to be fiercely protective, aggressive, and unwilling to surrender an advantage. He risks facing the energy tide because retreating might allow the Fire Spirit to escape. His arrogance remains strong even when confronting an Integration Ancestor, though he is capable of immediately showing proper respect once he recognizes a superior.
• Qingyao demonstrates composure and strength. Though Xuanyuan’s sudden attack initially surprises her, she quickly assesses the danger and contributes a powerful divine ability once the hidden enemy emerges.
• Qian Zhong reveals genuine concern for Xuanyuan despite their frequent bickering. Her warnings show both tactical awareness and personal attachment.
• Yi Jue becomes more cautious after her divination attempt is obstructed. Her exchange with the mysterious being also highlights the depth of her cultivation foundation and her transition from the Earth Cultivation path to the Spirit Plant Dao.
• The mysterious Integration Stage existence is established as extraordinarily powerful, knowledgeable, and enigmatic. It can manipulate or erase high-level attacks, identify the cultivators’ origins, and impose pressure without directly revealing itself.

Significant Themes

• The danger of the unknown: The energy tide is frightening less because of its immediate strength than because its source, limitations, and possible follow-up attacks are unclear.
• Conflict between strength and world rules: Xuanyuan’s True Lord power is constrained by the Asura World’s laws, while the hidden attacker benefits from being native to the world and able to launch sustained rule-based attacks.
• Pride versus prudence: Xuanyuan refuses to retreat or be intimidated, while Yi Jue and Qian Zhong emphasize caution. The chapter contrasts boldness with the need to respect unfamiliar powers.
• Unity beyond sectarian boundaries: Qingyao argues that cultivators should cooperate when conquering another world, and the mysterious expert mocks the group for only now recognizing the foolishness of sectarian prejudice.
• Identity and belonging: The hidden being’s knowledge of Humanity’s sects and cultivation paths conflicts with its claim not to be human, raising questions about its origins and loyalties.

Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan forcibly saves Qingyao from the first energy tide, then rejects Qian Zhong’s command to retreat because he wants to maintain control over the Fire Spirit.
• Qian Zhong and Xuanyuan argue indirectly over whether he should prioritize safety or maintain his binding technique, revealing their long-standing familiarity and mutual concern.
• Xuanyuan challenges the hidden Integration Ancestor, while Qingyao joins the confrontation with her Extreme Cold Bind.
• Yi Jue warns the group after her failed divination, showing that even she cannot safely probe the being’s identity.
• The mysterious expert questions each group about its affiliations, especially Yi Jue’s changed cultivation path and the Profound Water Sect’s cooperation with family cultivators.
• Xuanyuan shifts from provocation to respectful apology once he believes the being is a Humanity senior, but the being’s denial of any connection to Humanity leaves the group—and the reader—with a major unresolved mystery.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group encounters a mysterious Ancestral Venerable cultivating in the foreign world connected to the Asura Passage. He appears to have a history with the Profound Yellow Gate and orders the Heavenly Zither cultivators to leave.
• Yi Jue refuses, explaining that the Profound Yellow Gate’s main forces are fighting elsewhere and that many cultivators have already entered this world. The Spirit Plant Dao controls the passage entrance and intends to develop the world further.
• The Ancestral Venerable threatens them, but the group counters by revealing their connections to powerful Ancestral Venerables, including Jiuling Ancestor, Hewei Ancestor, Shadow Ancestor, and Zi Xian.
• Feng Jun adds that he knows a senior who has already undergone tribulation. Under pressure, he identifies this figure as Bamboo Gentleman.
• The mysterious cultivator recognizes Bamboo Gentleman’s name and reveals that he knows Bamboo Gentleman’s secret identity and reputation. Because Feng Jun is connected to Bamboo Gentleman, the Ancestral Venerable becomes reluctant to attack or forcibly expel the group.
• Yi Jue and Xuanyuan Buqi argue that the situation cannot be judged purely by personal authority: if the Asura Passage opens, Heavenly Zither must act to prevent an invasion. Xuanyuan Buqi further warns that driving them away could provoke the major forces behind them and destroy the Ancestral Venerable’s own plans.
• Feng Jun directly asks what the Ancestral Venerable is seeking in the world. When mocked for being only a Lesser Gold Core, Feng Jun deliberately stands his ground and challenges the senior to discipline him.
• Feng Jun prepares his Protective Talisman and attack Talisman Treasure, while the others assume defensive positions. The Ancestral Venerable does not attack, admitting that Feng Jun possesses real trump cards and that invoking Bamboo Gentleman makes bullying him dangerous.
• The Ancestral Venerable examines Feng Jun’s protective talisman and realizes it was not made by Bamboo Gentleman. Feng Jun explains that it came from an elder of his sect, prompting the Ancestral Venerable to wonder whether Feng Jun’s sect also possesses a Tribulation Transcendence expert.

Character Developments

• Yi Jue takes clear command of the group and demonstrates unusual courage by directly opposing an Integration-stage Ancestral Venerable. Her confidence comes from both moral conviction and faith in the support of her allies and elders.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reveals himself as calm, strategic, and skilled at negotiation. Rather than provoking the senior emotionally, he appeals to practical consequences, political pressure, and the threat of destroying the Ancestral Venerable’s plans.
• Feng Jun shifts from cautious restraint to deliberate boldness. He recognizes that the Ancestral Venerable is unpredictable and chooses open confrontation, relying on hidden protective and offensive treasures as well as his connection to Bamboo Gentleman.
• The mysterious Ancestral Venerable is shown to be powerful, volatile, and difficult to predict, but not reckless. He is wary of the major forces of Heavenly Zither and especially unwilling to provoke Bamboo Gentleman.
• Bamboo Gentleman, though absent, becomes the decisive source of protection and influence. His fearsome reputation is strong enough to restrain an otherwise domineering Ancestral Venerable.

Significant Themes

• Power balanced by reputation and alliances: Even an Integration-stage expert must consider the consequences of offending powerful factions or figures.
• Strength hidden behind apparent weakness: Feng Jun’s Lesser Gold Core cultivation level is misleading; his talismans, connections, and backing make him far more dangerous than he appears.
• Negotiation under threat: The group survives not through direct combat but by combining courage, strategic argument, political leverage, and implied reinforcements.
• The importance of justice and responsibility: Yi Jue insists that stopping the Asura invasion is a collective obligation, not a matter the Ancestral Venerable can dismiss for personal convenience.
• Unpredictability as a form of danger: The mysterious senior’s rapidly shifting attitude makes him more threatening than a straightforward opponent, forcing the group to remain constantly prepared.

Character Interactions

• Yi Jue serves as the group’s principal spokesperson, firmly rejecting the order to retreat.
• Qingyao, Xuanyuan Buqi, and Qian Zhong strengthen the group’s position by listing their encounters with powerful Ancestral Venerables.
• Feng Jun’s mention of Bamboo Gentleman changes the tone of the negotiation, causing the mysterious senior to reconsider attacking them.
• Yi Jue and Xuanyuan Buqi challenge the senior’s authority from different angles: Yi Jue appeals to reason and responsibility, while Xuanyuan Buqi emphasizes consequences and strategic interests.
• Feng Jun directly provokes the Ancestral Venerable, leading the group to prepare for battle. The confrontation ultimately becomes a tense display of hidden strength rather than an actual fight.
• The chapter ends with the Ancestral Venerable realizing that Feng Jun’s sect may possess an even greater hidden background than he expected.

Chapter Summary: “Sectarian Public Enemy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuanyuan Buqi identifies the Protective Talisman protecting Feng Jun as the work of a powerful Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator. This makes the mysterious Ancestral Venerable hesitate to act against Feng Jun, since harming him could provoke several powerful seniors.
• Feng Jun claims that his sect has more than one Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator. To prove his connection with Bamboo Gentleman, he produces several battered boxes from Bamboo Gentleman’s secret vault.
• Convinced that Feng Jun is acting on Bamboo Gentleman’s behalf, the Ancestral Venerable agrees to “give Bamboo Gentleman face” and asks why the group has come.
• Feng Jun explains that they intend to capture the Fire Spirit and investigate the plague, whose destruction of space is threatening the cultivators fighting the Asura.
• The Ancestral Venerable angrily objects, insisting that he arrived first and that the group has disrupted his affairs. Xuanyuan Buqi counters that the world’s threat to Heavenly Zither should take priority, especially since the Ancestral Venerable failed to stop the passage from opening.
• Qian Zhong recognizes the mysterious Ancestral Venerable as the ancient great power Nine Sentiments. Nine Sentiments, in turn, recognizes Qian Zhong as a member of the secluded Yao Family.
• Qing Yao and Vast Sea Venerable immediately become hostile after learning that Nine Sentiments is the infamous “sectarian public enemy.”
• The group confronts Nine Sentiments over his history of joining and later abandoning several major sects. He admits the events but rejects the accusation that he was a traitor, claiming that he opposed blindly following others.
• Xuanyuan Buqi reveals that Nine Sentiments killed or injured numerous True Lords, Venerables, and even Ancestral Venerables. Nine Sentiments unapologetically argues that they attacked him first and that he merely defended himself.
• Yi Jue asks Nine Sentiments to explain his past and why later generations view him so negatively. He instead warns her to trust no one, including fellow disciples.
• Nine Sentiments claims that his actions helped make changing sects more acceptable, while also explaining that sect transfers were originally common during wartime but became restricted afterward to prevent sects from losing talented disciples.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Demonstrates confidence and political awareness. He carefully invokes Bamboo Gentleman’s name and clarifies that he is merely transporting or retrieving treasures rather than personally possessing them.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Acts as the group’s negotiator and defender. He boldly challenges the Ancestral Venerable’s moral argument and refuses to accept the claim that the Xuanyuan Family ever needed mercy.
• Nine Sentiments: Emerges as an arrogant, volatile, and extremely powerful ancient cultivator. Despite his reputation, he presents himself as an independent thinker persecuted for refusing sectarian conformity.
• Qian Zhong: Reveals her perceptiveness by identifying Nine Sentiments, though doing so also exposes her own Yao Family origins.
• Yi Jue: Shows flexibility and curiosity by questioning the accepted version of Nine Sentiments’ history rather than condemning him outright. However, she rejects his cynical belief that fellow disciples cannot be trusted.
• Qing Yao: Reacts strongly to Nine Sentiments’ reputation and defends Yi Jue’s legitimate sect transfer, though she is intimidated into silence by his temper.
• Vast Sea Venerable: Remains mostly silent but visibly prepares for conflict when Nine Sentiments’ identity is revealed.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Even ancient and powerful cultivators must consider the consequences of provoking someone protected by other great powers.
• Reputation versus truth: Nine Sentiments is remembered as a sectarian traitor and public enemy, but he insists that history has distorted his motives and ignored the circumstances surrounding his conflicts.
• Sectarian loyalty and individual freedom: The chapter examines whether disciples should remain loyal to one sect or have the freedom to pursue their own paths.
• Political and moral authority: The group’s discussion shows how powerful figures use seniority, ownership, and past grievances to justify their actions.
• Trust and independence: Nine Sentiments believes reliance on sects and fellow disciples inevitably leads to betrayal, while Yi Jue represents a more cooperative and trusting view of cultivation society.
• Changing historical norms: Sect transfers were once encouraged to weaken factional barriers, but later became restricted when sects recognized the value of retaining exceptional disciples.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and the Ancestral Venerable: Their tense exchange shifts from potential coercion to cautious negotiation after Feng Jun proves his connection to Bamboo Gentleman.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and the Ancestral Venerable: Xuanyuan Buqi challenges the senior cultivator’s claim to priority and refuses to be intimidated, creating a clash between ancient authority and practical responsibility.
• Qian Zhong and Nine Sentiments: Their mutual recognition reveals both characters’ hidden backgrounds and establishes a connection between two ancient, concealed powers.
• Yi Jue and Nine Sentiments: Yi Jue attempts to understand his past, while Nine Sentiments responds by warning her against trusting sects. Their exchange contrasts her measured openness with his deep cynicism.
• Qing Yao and Nine Sentiments: Qing Yao condemns his reputation and defends Yi Jue, but Nine Sentiments’ explosive temper forces her to withdraw.
• Nine Sentiments and Feng Jun: Nine Sentiments responds favorably to Feng Jun’s admiration, suggesting that Feng Jun’s straightforward attitude has earned his goodwill.

Chapter Summary: “Unlucky Bastard”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sectarian tensions cause talented disciples to be increasingly prevented from changing affiliations. Nine Sentiments, however, refuses to be constrained by the Profound Yellow Gate.
• When his master threatens to sever their relationship if he leaves, Nine Sentiments interprets it as an attempt to block his cultivation path. He breaks away from the sect rather than formally switching, accepting the label of “traitor.”
• He subsequently joins the Azure Lotus Sect as a Nascent Soul cultivator, later rebels again, and enters the Primal Steel Gate as a consecrated elder. After reaching the True Lord realm, he leaves that sect as well and joins the Beast-Taming Dao.
• His repeated departures earn him a notorious reputation as a traitor to three sects. His uncompromising attitude also leads to numerous conflicts and killings, especially after he stops avoiding former fellow disciples.
• After disappearing for over a thousand years, Nine Sentiments is blamed for the disappearance—and presumed death—of the Beast-Taming Dao’s True Lord-level Mountain-Guarding Divine Beast. The Beast-Taming Dao issues a bounty for him and enlists the major sects and family factions in the hunt.
• Nine Sentiments eventually reappears as an Ancestral Venerable. He dismisses the accusations and reveals that he believes an unnamed “old bastard” actually took the divine beast and framed him.
• He admits that he killed the person responsible but refuses to identify him, claiming that exposing the truth would implicate too many others. He also acknowledges that he killed many people during the ensuing conflicts, including some who may not even have understood why they were targeted.

Character Development

• Nine Sentiments: He is portrayed as fiercely independent, contemptuous of sectarian prejudice, and unwilling to tolerate interference with his cultivation. Although extremely self-willed and sometimes violent, he is not entirely heartless: he values gratitude, remembers old bonds, and protects people who once helped him. His refusal to explain himself allows rumors to portray him as far worse than he may be.
• Qing Yao: She listens critically to Nine Sentiments’s account and recognizes the weakness in the rumor that consuming the divine beast enabled his breakthrough.
• Yi Jue: She sympathizes with Nine Sentiments because of their similar temperaments and her own experience with changing cultivation paths. She is especially concerned by what she sees as an injustice and presses him for the truth.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: He teasingly probes Nine Sentiments for clues about the culprit and enjoys exposing the absurdity of the sects’ situation. Despite his irreverence, he respects Nine Sentiments’s seniority and strength. His shameless, flexible personality contrasts with Nine Sentiments’s blunt self-possession.

Significant Themes

• Individual freedom versus institutional loyalty: Nine Sentiments prioritizes his personal cultivation path over sect allegiance, challenging the expectation that cultivators must remain loyal to one organization.
• The danger of reputation and rumor: His repeated departures and silence allow others to define him as a villain, even when the truth is uncertain.
• Sectarian prejudice and hypocrisy: The sects condemn him as a traitor while benefiting from the same system of recruitment and political maneuvering that created the conflict.
• Justice, vengeance, and moral ambiguity: Nine Sentiments kills those who provoke or betray him, yet he distinguishes between being merciless and being faithless. His actions are neither wholly justified nor wholly villainous.
• The costs of excessive individualism: His independence protects his cultivation but also produces enemies, bloodshed, and misunderstandings. The chapter suggests that living by one’s own principles does not eliminate responsibility for the consequences.

Character Interactions

• Nine Sentiments’s confrontation with his master establishes his lifelong rejection of coercive sect loyalty.
• His dealings with the three sects are largely transactional: they value his talent, while he uses their resources without forming lasting allegiance.
• In the present conversation, Yi Jue treats him with sympathy and curiosity, while Qing Yao questions the logic of the rumors surrounding him.
• Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly jokes and tests Nine Sentiments, prompting him to clarify that he is not heartless, merely unwilling to endure injustice.
• The group ultimately recognizes that Nine Sentiments may have been framed, but also that his own willfulness and readiness to kill make it impossible to regard him as blameless.

Chapter Summary: Ancestral Venerable’s Troubles

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine Sentiments Ancestral Venerable discusses the accusations surrounding his past, particularly the death of True Lord Dian He of the Profound Water Sect.
• He admits that he may have injured the True Lord but claims not to remember killing him during the chaotic battle in which multiple Ancestral Venerables and numerous other cultivators tried to annihilate him.
• After escaping the encirclement, Nine Sentiments launched a ruthless retaliation against those involved. His revenge provoked widespread outrage, leading the Beast-Taming Dao and other sects to pursue him relentlessly.
• Already badly wounded, he was chased without time to recover and was eventually torn apart by a Void Storm created by the attacks of several Ancestral Venerables.
• Although the Heavenly Zither accepted his death, rumors persisted that he had survived and was secretly taking revenge. Many criminals later acted under his name, increasing his posthumous influence and turning “Nine Sentiments” into a feared legend.
• The case of True Lord Dian He remains unresolved because there was no body or definitive evidence. The Profound Water Sect officially considers him dead, but rumors suggest he may have escaped.
• Nine Sentiments reveals that he has survived as a Ghost Immortal and has been hiding in the Asura World to recover from his ancient injuries.
• He is absorbing the Asura World’s spiritual energy and origin to restore himself and eventually face the severe Heavenly Tribulations required for further advancement.
• Yi Jue confronts him over his intention to plunder the entire world, pointing out that Humanity’s cultivators have entered the Asura World and therefore deserve a share of its resources. Nine Sentiments reluctantly acknowledges that he is no longer the only party with a claim to the spoils.

Character Developments

• Nine Sentiments Ancestral Venerable: Reveals himself as deeply embittered by being made a scapegoat and hunted as a public enemy. He remains arrogant, ruthless, and unwilling to show mercy to the Asuras, but also displays vulnerability when confronted by powerful figures connected to Feng Jun. His survival as a Ghost Immortal highlights both his extraordinary resilience and his bleak future, since he must eventually face extremely dangerous Heavenly Tribulations.
• Yi Jue: Shows strong empathy toward Nine Sentiments as another “defector” and understands his resentment at being falsely blamed. At the same time, she remains rational and challenges his claim to the Asura World’s resources, demonstrating concern for fairness and broader strategic consequences.
• Qingyao the Venerable: Investigates Nine Sentiments’ possible responsibility for Dian He’s death but treats the matter cautiously because the evidence is inconclusive. Her restrained attitude reflects the difference between an uncertain grievance and an established blood feud.
• Feng Jun: Focuses less on whether Nine Sentiments was guilty and more on the broader political implications of how sects treat defectors. He is already considering how similar accusations might affect Yi Jue, Libo Shoal, Luohua, and any future independent force he builds.
• Xuanyuan Buqi: Correctly infers that Nine Sentiments has become a Ghost Immortal, prompting Nine Sentiments to acknowledge his nonhuman state and the risks he faces.

Significant Themes

• Injustice and scapegoating: Nine Sentiments’ central grievance is not merely being accused of killing Dian He, but being blamed by sects seeking to conceal their own responsibility.
• The danger of defection: The sects view those who abandon them as outsiders, making defectors vulnerable to collective suspicion and political manipulation.
• Enduring hatred and blood feuds: Heavenly Zither cultivators preserve grudges across generations, though uncertain cases such as Dian He’s disappearance may gradually lose their force.
• Isolation and power: Nine Sentiments’ lack of attachments makes him difficult to control and especially dangerous, but it also leaves him without allies or protection.
• Survival at any cost: His transformation into a Ghost Immortal and continued absorption of the Asura World demonstrate his refusal to surrender despite overwhelming persecution.
• Ownership and the right to resources: The conflict over the Asura World raises the question of whether Nine Sentiments, as its current occupier, or the newly arrived Human cultivators have the legitimate right to exploit it.
• Legend versus truth: Nine Sentiments’ reputation grew after his presumed death, as others used his name to justify crimes and sects shaped public memory around him.

Character Interactions

• Nine Sentiments and Yi Jue: They share an understanding based on both being defectors. Yi Jue sympathizes with his mindset but still challenges his excessive exploitation of the Asura World.
• Nine Sentiments and Qingyao: Qingyao questions him about Dian He’s death. He responds indifferently, neither firmly confessing nor denying responsibility, while Qingyao accepts that the evidence is too unclear to justify revenge.
• Nine Sentiments and Feng Jun: Feng Jun probes the political reason behind the accusations, asking whether Nine Sentiments was chosen as a scapegoat because he had disappeared and was viewed as an outsider. His questions also reveal concern about future sect politics.
• Nine Sentiments and Xuanyuan Buqi: Xuanyuan identifies his Ghost Immortal status. Nine Sentiments answers with rare bitterness, emphasizing how far he has been forced from his former human existence.
• Nine Sentiments and the group overall: He attempts to maintain an intimidating, dominant posture, but the group’s powerful backgrounds—especially Feng Jun’s connections to multiple Tribulation Transcendence experts—force him to acknowledge that he cannot simply impose his will anymore.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine Sentiments recuperates in the Asura World after emerging from the Void, but the arrival of Feng Jun, Yi Jue, and their allies forces him to reconsider whether he can remain there.
• Although Nine Sentiments initially considers driving them away or even killing them, he realizes that defeating them would require risking serious injury. He therefore agrees to negotiate rather than fight.
• Yi Jue proposes dividing the Asura World’s territory between them. Nine Sentiments accepts and begins gathering information to create a distribution map.
• Feng Jun asks about Nine Sentiments’ method for creating and controlling puppets through the Five-Element Spirit. Nine Sentiments refuses to explain freely, so Feng Jun offers an exchange of information.
• Yi Jue reveals that Feng Jun’s information comes from a discussion involving more than sixty True Venerables and two True Lords. This greatly interests Nine Sentiments, who is surprised that Feng Jun managed to organize such an influential gathering.
• Nine Sentiments examines the cultivation system developed for alien races through the Ice Plains discussion. Though he criticizes the amount of unproductive material, he recognizes the value of the collective research.
• The exchange is completed: Nine Sentiments gives Feng Jun and Yi Jue the Puppet Art, while they provide him with the discussion records.
• Afterward, Feng Jun begins using his secret deduction technique to analyze possible flaws in Nine Sentiments’ methods. Nine Sentiments notices and becomes curious about the technique.

2. Character Developments

• Nine Sentiments is revealed as proud, highly intelligent, cautious, and deeply interested in new knowledge. Despite his arrogance and hostile reputation, he is pragmatic enough to avoid a battle that could damage his recovering body. His willingness to trade the Puppet Art also shows that he honors agreements and values genuinely useful information.
• Feng Jun demonstrates confidence, strategic judgment, and considerable influence. He does not react angrily to Nine Sentiments’ insults and instead uses negotiation and the value of his research to gain access to the Puppet Art. His deduction ability is presented as a major source of his influence.
• Yi Jue acts as the main mediator. She sympathizes with Nine Sentiments, proposes the territorial compromise, manages the information exchange, and ensures Feng Jun’s interests are protected.
• Qian Zhong contributes by confirming that the discussion records were preserved and by explaining Feng Jun’s role in bringing together the various experts.
• Xuanyuan Buqi and Qing Yao reinforce Feng Jun’s reputation. Qing Yao also intervenes because her Profound Water Sect hopes to benefit from the Puppet Art.
• Bamboo Gentleman is discussed as an old associate of Nine Sentiments. Despite once being notorious, his past grudges have faded enough that he could participate in the gathering without causing conflict.

3. Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over pride: Nine Sentiments may be arrogant, but he recognizes when fighting is too dangerous and chooses negotiation.
• The value of collective knowledge: A discussion involving dozens of True Venerables is treated as more valuable than the isolated insight of even a powerful expert.
• Creation and experimentation: The attempt to invent a cultivation system for alien races reflects the theme of creating new paths rather than merely following established traditions.
• Knowledge as a form of power: The Puppet Art, cultivation research, and Feng Jun’s deduction technique all function as valuable resources that can be exchanged or leveraged.
• Reputation and influence: Feng Jun’s ability to gather powerful cultivators demonstrates how influence can overcome old grudges and institutional divisions.
• Mutual benefit despite hostility: Even enemies or rivals can cooperate when both sides possess something the other wants.

4. Character Interactions

• Nine Sentiments and Yi Jue: Yi Jue treats him respectfully and offers a compromise, while Nine Sentiments responds curtly but ultimately accepts her proposal.
• Nine Sentiments and Feng Jun: Their interaction is tense and marked by mutual testing. Nine Sentiments belittles Feng Jun’s confidence, but Feng Jun remains calm and proves the value of his information.
• Yi Jue and Feng Jun: Yi Jue helps negotiate on Feng Jun’s behalf and checks that he approves of the exchange before finalizing it.
• Qian Zhong and Nine Sentiments: Qian Zhong explains the scope of the Ice Plains discussion and confirms that the full process was recorded.
• Qing Yao and the group: Qing Yao reveals Feng Jun’s deduction method and positions herself as a representative of the Profound Water Sect, which hopes to use the Puppet Art to improve its manipulation of Water Spirits.
• Nine Sentiments and the broader cultivation world: His comments about Bamboo Gentleman and his former persecution reveal his history as a feared and isolated figure, while his reaction to Feng Jun’s gathering shows that the balance of influence may be changing.

Chapter Summary: “Nine Sentiments’ Request”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine Sentiments questions Feng Jun’s reputation as a deducer, initially dismissing the abilities of the Chess Dao and comparing Feng Jun’s skills to those of the Yitian lineage.
• Qing Yao explains that Feng Jun can do far more than ordinary deduction: he can trace causes, foresee events, devise treatment plans, and precisely deduce entirely new pill formulas and formations.
• Nine Sentiments is shocked by Feng Jun’s achievements, particularly the creation of the Energy Conversion Formation and Fake-Death Pill. He recognizes that inventing new formulas and formations is vastly more difficult than merely improving existing ones.
• Qing Yao reveals that cultivators seeking difficult injury treatments now primarily visit Feng Jun at Libo Shoal, turning it into a renowned but still relatively manageable medical destination.
• Feng Jun confirms that he can precisely deduce pill formulas, formations, and treatment methods, but cannot currently predict events as distant or uncertain as Nine Sentiments’ tribulation time and chances of success.
• Nine Sentiments asks Feng Jun to deduce a treatment for him. Feng Jun explains that he must be within roughly ten li and that Nine Sentiments must withdraw his defensive counterattack against deduction.
• Nine Sentiments reveals that his “defense” had caused backlash against Yi Jue during an earlier deduction. Feng Jun realizes that Nine Sentiments had deliberately shown mercy and thanks him.
• Nine Sentiments abandons the treatment deduction, then asks whether tribulation-related deductions also have distance and foresight restrictions. Feng Jun explains that his foresight currently reaches only about one year and is affected by unpredictable variables.
• The group has nearly completed gathering a distribution map and begins discussing confidentiality. Nine Sentiments proposes a Heavenly Way Oath as a condition for keeping the information secret.
• Yi Jue, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, Qing Yao, and Hanhai all agree. Attention then turns to Feng Jun, who worries that the Guardians protecting Blue Star must be warned about Nine Sentiments and prepared for possible danger.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: His extraordinary deductive talent is further established. He is modest about his abilities but firmly states their limits, especially regarding distance, foresight, and defensive backlash. He also demonstrates caution and responsibility by considering how to protect the Guardians.
• Nine Sentiments: He shifts from skepticism to genuine respect for Feng Jun’s abilities. Though highly confident in his own deduction skills, he acknowledges Feng Jun’s unique precision. His revelation that he restrained the backlash against Yi Jue suggests that, despite his dangerous nature, he is not needlessly hostile.
• Qing Yao: She strongly advocates for Feng Jun, providing evidence of his accomplishments and correcting Nine Sentiments’ underestimation of him. Her confidence indicates growing trust in Feng Jun.
• Qian Zhong: Her pride in her own and the Yao Family’s divination heritage is emphasized. She remains confident enough to dismiss the Chess Dao, relying on her status as the Yao Family’s greatest divination genius.
• Yi Jue and the others: Their willingness to accept the Heavenly Way Oath shows their seriousness about protecting the group’s secrets and maintaining cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Limits and scope of deduction: The chapter distinguishes between ordinary prediction, precise matching, tracing the past, foreseeing the future, and creating solutions for problems that have never existed before.
• Talent versus inheritance: Qian Zhong argues that powerful lineages matter, but individual genius matters just as much. Her own authority comes from exceptional ability rather than inheritance alone.
• Recognition of true expertise: Nine Sentiments initially undervalues Feng Jun because he does not understand the technical difficulty of Feng Jun’s accomplishments. Once Qing Yao explains them, he recognizes their extraordinary nature.
• Trust, secrecy, and responsibility: The Heavenly Way Oath reflects the need to protect sensitive information. Feng Jun’s concern for the Guardians shows that power and cooperation also carry obligations.
• Strength balanced by limitations: Even exceptional cultivators cannot deduce everything. Distance, defensive resistance, limited foresight, and unpredictable variables constrain Feng Jun’s abilities.

Character Interactions

• Nine Sentiments and Qian Zhong: They debate the relative value of the Chess Dao and Divination Art, revealing their differing perspectives and strong confidence in their own specialties.
• Nine Sentiments and Qing Yao: Qing Yao defends Feng Jun and explains his achievements, gradually forcing Nine Sentiments to reconsider his assumptions.
• Nine Sentiments and Feng Jun: Their exchange combines testing, negotiation, and mutual assessment. Nine Sentiments probes Feng Jun’s abilities, while Feng Jun sets firm conditions for any deduction and refuses to overpromise.
• Nine Sentiments and Yi Jue: The revelation that Nine Sentiments’ defensive backlash harmed Yi Jue, but did not cause her to fall in realm because he restrained it, adds complexity to their relationship.
• The assembled group: Yi Jue, Xuanyuan Buqi, Qian Zhong, Qing Yao, Hanhai, and Feng Jun must decide whether to accept Nine Sentiments’ confidentiality terms. Their agreement strengthens the temporary alliance while leaving Feng Jun conflicted about informing the Guardians.

Chapter Summary: “Ancient Artifact”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun reassures Nine Sentiments that his sect is unrelated to him, but refuses to reveal the sect’s identity or make absolute promises about what he can conceal from its elders.
• Nine Sentiments examines Feng Jun’s Protective Talisman and senses an unusual aura, confirming that Feng Jun is backed by a powerful and mysterious force. He asks Feng Jun not to reveal his title or actions in detail.
• Feng Jun, Yi Jue, Qing Yao, and Hanhai agree to swear a Heavenly Way Oath. They promise not to expose Nine Sentiments’ karmic connections, while acknowledging that his existence and the disturbance he caused in the Asura World cannot be hidden entirely.
• While waiting for a distribution map and studying puppet techniques, Feng Jun questions Nine Sentiments about how the passage into the Asura World was opened.
• Nine Sentiments reveals that human cultivators had entered the world and that he had exiled them into the Void. He also explains that one passage entrance was randomly displaced and that he discovered a human traitor through fluctuations connected to the mysterious guidance.
• Nine Sentiments admits he did not kill the traitor because the person was descended from an old friend and did not know Nine Sentiments’ true identity.
• The conversation shifts to Feng Jun’s backer, Bamboo Gentleman, and the ancient treasures associated with Feng Jun’s sect. Feng Jun avoids revealing sensitive information and instead asks whether Nine Sentiments was connected to the Heaven-Deriving Mirror.
• Feng Jun reveals a sealed broken arrowhead—the Vanquishing Immortal Arrow—as an example of an Ancient Artifact. Nine Sentiments recognizes it and nearly reaches for it, but an unseen threat warns him against doing so, confirming that Feng Jun’s protector is extraordinarily powerful.
• Nine Sentiments is astonished that Feng Jun claims to have simply “picked up” the artifact. He speculates that Feng Jun’s sect must be immensely powerful and wealthy, while Feng Jun criticizes him for implying that the sect may have suffered a calamity.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun remains cautious, evasive, and strategically honest. He refuses to expose his sect or the true nature of his backing, while skillfully turning Nine Sentiments’ questioning back on him.
• Nine Sentiments is shown to be proud, suspicious, and domineering, but also highly perceptive. He recognizes Feng Jun’s hidden protection and restrains himself when he senses the danger surrounding the Vanquishing Immortal Arrow. His attachment to an old friend’s descendant reveals a rare sense of loyalty beneath his harsh personality.
• Xuanyuan Buqi becomes frustrated while questioning Nine Sentiments about the passage and the Thief Lineage, but recognizes that he cannot challenge the powerful Ancestral Venerable directly.
• Yi Jue, Qing Yao, and Hanhai act as practical mediators, helping establish the terms of the Heavenly Way Oath and preventing the discussion from escalating.
• Bamboo Gentleman remains an important but mysterious connection. Feng Jun carefully denies that Bamboo Gentleman is close to his backer or a member of his sect.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and information control: Both Feng Jun and Nine Sentiments carefully conceal their origins, alliances, and past actions, making every answer a negotiation.
• Power balanced by restraint: Although Nine Sentiments is vastly powerful, the unseen force protecting Feng Jun prevents him from acting freely.
• Karmic consequences and oaths: The Heavenly Way Oath emphasizes the dangers of revealing identities and becoming entangled in another powerful figure’s karma.
• Ancient legacies: The Heaven-Deriving Mirror and Vanquishing Immortal Arrow suggest a larger history involving lost cultivators, powerful artifacts, and past calamities.
• Old loyalties versus present conflict: Nine Sentiments’ refusal to kill an enemy because of the person’s ancestry shows that personal bonds can influence even ruthless decisions.
• Mutual probing: The chapter’s central interaction is a battle of questions, with Feng Jun and Nine Sentiments testing each other without openly revealing their deepest secrets.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Nine Sentiments engage in a tense but controlled exchange, each probing the other’s background and limits.
• The group collectively negotiates with Nine Sentiments over what may be revealed, ultimately binding themselves through the Heavenly Way Oath.
• Xuanyuan Buqi challenges Nine Sentiments regarding the passage entrances and the Thief Lineage, but Nine Sentiments dismisses him condescendingly.
• Feng Jun uses the Heaven-Deriving Mirror and Vanquishing Immortal Arrow to test Nine Sentiments’ knowledge, inadvertently revealing how strongly the older cultivator reacts to ancient artifacts.
• Nine Sentiments’ attempted inspection of the arrowhead is halted by the unseen protector, reinforcing the unequal but delicate power balance surrounding Feng Jun.

Summary of “Thief Lineage’s Secret”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun questions Ancestral Venerable Nine Sentiments about Feng Jun’s mysterious sect and its connection to the fourth passage entrance in the Asura World.
• Nine Sentiments reveals that the passage was moved by a cultivator from the Thief Lineage, though he initially refuses to provide its coordinates.
• Xuanyuan Buqi presses Nine Sentiments for information, arguing that the passage represents valuable resources for the younger members of his clan. Nine Sentiments dismisses his concerns and boasts that he can extract the Asura World’s spiritual energy and origin.
• When Xuanyuan Buqi accuses him of cooperating with the Thief Lineage, Nine Sentiments openly admits that he once spent several days as a guest member of the organization.
• Feng Jun states that his sect has a deep grudge against the Thief Lineage and asks Nine Sentiments for the location of the final passage. Nine Sentiments explains that the entrance is heavily concealed and that finding it could take three to five years, even for him.
• Feng Jun decides not to pursue the matter immediately. His real goal is to confirm that the passage is sufficiently hidden to satisfy the Guardians and prevent an immediate crisis.
• Nine Sentiments secretly tells Feng Jun that anyone investigating the Thief Lineage should look into the Seven Emotions Dao.
• Feng Jun meets Nine Sentiments separately to discuss this revelation. Nine Sentiments explains that the Seven Emotions Dao is secretly connected to and supports the Thief Lineage.
• The chapter ends with Feng Jun asking about Nine Sentiments’ cultivation level when he temporarily joined the Thief Lineage.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun demonstrates caution and strategic thinking. Rather than insist on obtaining the passage’s exact coordinates, he settles for learning that the entrance is well concealed. He also becomes increasingly suspicious of the deeper power structure behind the Thief Lineage.
• Nine Sentiments is portrayed as arrogant, blunt, powerful, and unconventional. He claims to have been a temporary member of the Thief Lineage, apparently out of curiosity, but emphasizes that he never killed anyone, suggesting he maintains a personal moral boundary.
• Xuanyuan Buqi becomes openly confrontational with Nine Sentiments. He prioritizes securing resources for his clan’s younger generation and feels justified in challenging a powerful senior.
• Yi Jue remains highly observant and cautious. She notices Feng Jun’s unusual behavior and insists that he should not meet Nine Sentiments alone.
• Qing Yao shows interest when Nine Sentiments mentions having no close friendship with clan cultivators, though she does not openly intervene.

Significant Themes

• Hidden alliances and institutional survival: The Thief Lineage’s endurance suggests that it could not have survived solely through the efforts of rogue cultivators. Its connection to the Seven Emotions Dao reveals a deeper support network.
• Pragmatism over long-term certainty: Feng Jun accepts a temporary solution rather than trying to resolve every future danger immediately. The chapter emphasizes that cultivators must address urgent problems without overplanning the entire future.
• Power and caution: Even powerful cultivators recognize that safety comes first. Nine Sentiments mocks the group’s caution, but the others refuse to risk their lives unnecessarily.
• Moral ambiguity: Nine Sentiments has associated with the notorious Thief Lineage while claiming not to have killed anyone. His actions show that relationships with morally questionable groups do not always imply total ideological or moral alignment.
• The limits of appearances: The Thief Lineage appears to be a rogue-cultivator organization, but its survival reveals hidden backing from the more powerful Seven Emotions Dao.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Nine Sentiments engage in a cautious exchange in which both conceal information while testing the other’s intentions.
• Xuanyuan Buqi repeatedly challenges Nine Sentiments, creating tension and exposing the elder’s past association with the Thief Lineage.
• Feng Jun subtly warns Nine Sentiments that his sect may eventually act against the Thief Lineage, though Nine Sentiments interprets this as a possible threat.
• Nine Sentiments privately shares the Seven Emotions Dao connection with Feng Jun, indicating that he trusts or respects Feng Jun enough to reveal sensitive information.
• Yi Jue and the others insist on protecting Feng Jun when he leaves the group, demonstrating their dependence on him and their concern that his safety affects their own.

Summary of “Ancient Artifacts of the Sect”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Jun learns that Nine Sentiments once infiltrated the Thief Lineage while already a True Lord, concealing his cultivation and avoiding the lineage’s usual restrictions.
• Nine Sentiments explains that he joined the Thief Lineage while studying the Seven Emotions Dao. The lineage provided an intense environment filled with greed, fear, hostility, and other emotions that sect disciples normally lacked.
• He reveals that Seven Emotions Dao disciples were capable of murdering one another within the Thief Lineage, illustrating the brutality and emotional cultivation methods of the sect.
• Nine Sentiments admits that his “old acquaintances” were generally people he had beaten into submission or intimidated into serving him, rather than genuine friends.
• The conversation shifts to the Seven Emotions Dao. Feng Jun considers targeting a few individuals, but Nine Sentiments urges him to think more ambitiously, arguing that Feng Jun has the backing of a Tribulation Transcendence expert.
• Feng Jun refuses to endanger his sect and its people, emphasizing his responsibilities. This contrasts sharply with Nine Sentiments’ belief in severing all mortal attachments to pursue the Dao.
• Nine Sentiments explains that he discovered the hidden relationship between the Thief Lineage and sect cultivators through soul searches. Feng Jun connects this revelation to the earlier destruction of a Thief Lineage stronghold linked to the Seven Emotions Dao.
• Neither knows whether the Thief Lineage is still controlled by the Seven Emotions Dao, since Nine Sentiments has been away from Heavenly Zither for tens of thousands of years.
• Nine Sentiments hints that he knows more about the strange developments surrounding the world’s approach to Heavenly Zither but refuses to reveal details, insisting he was not involved and that those events disrupted his long-term plans.
• He questions Feng Jun about Bamboo Gentleman’s reaction to Feng Jun’s elder and becomes suspicious that Feng Jun’s sect may be interested in the world, its treasures, or Heavenly Zither’s bounty.
• Feng Jun carefully reassures him that his sect is not interested in the world and subtly suggests that Bamboo Gentleman may be wealthier, easing Nine Sentiments’ concerns.
• Near the end, Nine Sentiments observes that Feng Jun’s Protective Talisman has a familiar aura. This leads to a discussion of Feng Jun’s sect possessing Ancient Artifacts.
• Nine Sentiments asks whether the sect ever owned a gourd Ancient Artifact. Feng Jun replies that it possessed several, including a set of seven gourds, setting up a potentially important connection.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun: Shows increasing confidence and frankness when speaking with Nine Sentiments. He remains cautious about revealing his sect’s identity and the existence of Blue Star, but uses his mysterious background strategically to deter investigation. He also demonstrates strong loyalty and responsibility toward his sect and associates.
• Nine Sentiments: Is revealed to be extremely ruthless, detached, and pragmatic. He views relationships as tools and believes emotional attachments must be severed for the sake of cultivation. Despite his arrogance, he is perceptive, easily reading Feng Jun’s thoughts and becoming wary of Feng Jun’s hidden affiliations.
• Their relationship: Feng Jun becomes more comfortable challenging Nine Sentiments, even calling him selfish and suggesting he is jealous of people with meaningful attachments. Their exchange develops into a mixture of ideological debate, mutual probing, and cautious trust.

Significant Themes

• Emotional cultivation versus emotional detachment: Nine Sentiments treats emotions as material for cultivation but advocates cutting off personal attachments, while Feng Jun believes bonds and responsibilities give life meaning.
• The loneliness of power: Nine Sentiments argues that geniuses at the summit cannot have true companions, only useful or tolerable acquaintances.
• Sect politics and hidden identities: The Thief Lineage’s secret connection to sect cultivators reveals the complex infiltration and manipulation occurring among Heavenly Zither’s major powers.
• Responsibility versus individual Dao pursuit: Feng Jun’s concern for his sect contrasts with Nine Sentiments’ belief that nothing should take priority over one’s cultivation path.
• Secrecy and mutual suspicion: Both men conceal important information. Feng Jun protects Blue Star and his sect, while Nine Sentiments withholds what he knows about the world’s strange changes and his own plans.
• Ancient artifacts and hidden inheritance: The Protective Talisman and the seven gourds suggest that Feng Jun’s sect possesses powerful artifacts connected to Nine Sentiments’ past or to broader secrets in Heavenly Zither.

Important Character Interactions

• Feng Jun and Nine Sentiments debate whether ruthless submission can count as friendship.
• Feng Jun challenges Nine Sentiments’ rejection of attachments, accusing him of selfishness and emotional isolation.
• Nine Sentiments probes Feng Jun about the Seven Emotions Dao, his sect, Bamboo Gentleman, the fourth passage entrance, and the Heavenly Zither bounty.
• Feng Jun responds cautiously but honestly enough to convince Nine Sentiments that his sect may not be seeking control of the world.
• Their conversation ends with Nine Sentiments recognizing a familiar aura in Feng Jun’s Protective Talisman and Feng Jun revealing that his sect once possessed—and may still possess—a set of seven gourd Ancient Artifacts.

Chapter Summary: “This Venerable Generation Won’t Do”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine Sentiments is shocked to learn that Feng Jun’s sect possesses an entire set of Ancient Artifacts, far surpassing the rarity of even two such treasures. He becomes wary and probes Feng Jun about the sect’s true goals.
• The discussion turns to the crimson gourd Ancient Artifact, which possesses a white-winged Artifact Spirit and can kill both a person’s body and Primordial Spirit by commanding, “Please turn around, treasure.”
• Feng Jun recognizes it as the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger, associated with the legendary cultivator Lu Ya, also known as a “wild man” or independent cultivator from beyond the heavens.
• Nine Sentiments explains that Lu Ya appeared and disappeared mysteriously, acted mainly against aliens, and inspired powerful cultivators to seek opportunities beyond the heavens. He also confirms that Lu Ya once killed a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator, though that enemy’s lineage has since disappeared.
• Nine Sentiments reveals that he sensed a similar aura from Feng Jun’s Protective Talisman, though Feng Jun denies having a particularly deep connection with Lu Ya.
• Feng Jun admits that the Yin-Yang Mirror, now called Senior Mirror Spirit, is connected to his sect and is currently at Libo Shoal helping refine the Heaven-Deriving Mirror. Its origin has been badly depleted, so Feng Jun is helping it recover through Ultimate Spirit Stones.
• Nine Sentiments becomes concerned that the Yin-Yang Mirror might come to the Asura World and plunder its spiritual energy. Feng Jun assures him that this will not happen.
• Feng Jun reveals his real objective: he wants to take several Asura bubble spaces away intact rather than harvest their resources destructively. He plans to use deductions to discover how.
• Nine Sentiments offers to listen in on Feng Jun’s deductions, but criticizes the current generation of Venerables after observing their Dao discussion. He considers their understanding shallow and their vision limited.
• Feng Jun defends the later generation, arguing that declining spiritual energy has forced them to focus on narrower paths and adapt to their circumstances.
• At the end, Nine Sentiments provides Feng Jun with a piece of obsidian containing his detailed understanding of Asura Space, gathered over tens of thousands of years. Feng Jun realizes the information is extraordinarily valuable.

Character Developments

• Feng Jun continues to conceal the full extent of his sect’s power and origins. He remains cautious about claiming Lu Ya as an elder, fearing both Lu Ya’s possible survival and the enemies connected to him.
• Feng Jun’s goals become clearer: he is not interested in ordinary spiritual energy, but in acquiring Asura bubble spaces for strategic or practical purposes. His willingness to support Mirror Spirit also shows loyalty to his sect and companions.
• Nine Sentiments shifts from suspicion and hostility toward cautious cooperation. Although arrogant and openly critical of modern cultivators, he demonstrates intelligence, restraint, extensive knowledge, and a willingness to help Feng Jun.
• Feng Jun’s view of Nine Sentiments becomes more nuanced. He begins to suspect that Nine Sentiments is not simply a villain, but someone who was wronged and primarily lives for himself rather than actively seeking to harm society.

Significant Themes

• Power and hidden origins: Ancient Artifacts and mysterious figures from beyond the heavens suggest that Feng Jun’s background is far more formidable than he reveals.
• Generational decline versus adaptation: Nine Sentiments sees modern Venerables as inferior, while Feng Jun argues that declining spiritual energy has forced them to specialize and adjust.
• Knowledge as power: Nine Sentiments’ accumulated understanding of Asura Space may be more valuable than any ordinary treasure, emphasizing the importance of experience and information.
• Moral ambiguity: The chapter challenges the simple image of Nine Sentiments as a public enemy, showing that his actions and motives are more complicated than his reputation.
• Cooperation between wary allies: Feng Jun and Nine Sentiments remain suspicious of each other, yet their shared interests lead them toward an increasingly useful alliance.

Character Interactions

• Feng Jun carefully manages Nine Sentiments’ curiosity, answering enough to maintain cooperation while withholding sensitive information.
• Nine Sentiments repeatedly tests Feng Jun by asking about his sect, Lu Ya, the Yin-Yang Mirror, and his objectives, revealing both his caution and his fear of powerful Ancient Artifacts.
• Their debate over the quality of modern Venerables highlights their contrasting perspectives: Nine Sentiments values broad vision and exceptional talent, while Feng Jun emphasizes practicality and adaptation.
• By giving Feng Jun his Asura Space research, Nine Sentiments moves beyond conversation and provides concrete assistance, marking a significant step toward trust and cooperation.