Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Zhang Su Returns, Lu Tingxue Seeks Help!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su examines the effects of consuming a drop of Primordial Blood, a unique Cosmic Treasure purchased for 1.2 million Battle Merits. His Physical Great Dao Light expands dramatically, his physical body rises from the Twentieth to the Twenty-Fifth Order, and his overall combat power increases roughly four- to fivefold.
• The God-Slaying Alliance orders all cultivators to retreat from the Evil God Battlefield, warning that powerful experts will soon act.
• Heavenly Prison explains that Holy Lords, the strongest among Holy Venerables, are expected to intervene. Their power is so immense that they can shatter entire domains, although even they cannot completely destroy the deepest and most terrifying Evil Gods.
• After three days, a colossal hand descends over the Evil God Battlefield and annihilates nearly every ordinary Evil God within moments. The display shocks Zhang Su and the other cultivators, demonstrating the overwhelming gap between their level and that of a Holy Lord.
• Zhang Su and the Heavenly Prison Squad leave the battlefield. Zhang Su spends his remaining Battle Merits, returns to the Heart Sage Sect, and resumes cultivating.
• Back in the sect, Zhang Su discovers that sales of the Desperate Realm Series in the Grand Void Illusion Realm have earned him over 130,000 High-Grade Origin Crystals. With his improved physical body, he can now cultivate Heart Force far more quickly and expects to reach the Third Layer of the Heart Force Canon in a little over two years.
• Meanwhile, Lu Tingxue faces pressure from Yun Tianming, who wants her to become his Dao companion. His unusual Innate Dao Body can merge with her Dao Path and become a Peerless Dao Body, but the process would damage Lu Tingxue’s vital essence and innate Dao Body.
• Yun Tianming uses the influence of the powerful White Cloud Realm Sect to pressure Lu Tingxue’s sect, the Thunder Upper Sect, leaving her with few options.
• Fang Hanyan informs Lu Tingxue that Zhang Su has returned. They visit him and ask for help.
• Zhang Su agrees to intervene, ordering Lu Zhaixing to deliver a message to Yun Tianming: Lu Tingxue does not wish to become his Dao companion, and he must stop pursuing her.
• The chapter ends as Lu Zhaixing arrives at Yun Tianming’s cave abode and publicly demands that he come out.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Becomes vastly stronger after consuming Primordial Blood, especially in physical power and Dao potential. His return to the Heart Sage Sect marks a transition from battlefield advancement to focused cultivation. He also demonstrates increased influence and confidence by readily protecting Lu Tingxue.
• Heavenly Prison and the squad: Gain a deeper understanding of the immense power of Holy Lords and accept that their current role is to continue resisting the Evil Gods until the source of the threat is resolved.
• Lu Tingxue: Shows strong resolve and independence, refusing to sacrifice her body and cultivation for Yun Tianming’s advancement. Although pressured, she remains committed to pursuing the Great Dao rather than entering an unwanted relationship.
• Fang Hanyan: Acts as Lu Tingxue’s outspoken supporter and quickly seeks Zhang Su’s assistance when no other solution seems available.
• Yun Tianming: Is portrayed as ambitious and coercive. His interest in Lu Tingxue is motivated primarily by the chance to improve his Dao Body, not genuine affection.
• Lu Zhaixing: Becomes Zhang Su’s representative, showing Zhang Su’s growing authority among the Myriad Spirits Realm disciples.

Significant Themes

• The vast hierarchy of cultivation: The Holy Lord’s effortless destruction of the Evil Gods illustrates the enormous differences between cultivation realms.
• Power and influence: Zhang Su’s strength and potential now give him the authority to resolve conflicts that once seemed impossible for the Myriad Spirits Realm disciples.
• Individual will versus coercion: Lu Tingxue’s refusal to become Yun Tianming’s Dao companion emphasizes the importance of personal choice and bodily autonomy.
• The cost of advancement: Yun Tianming’s proposed Dao Body transformation would benefit him but harm Lu Tingxue, revealing how cultivation ambitions can exploit others.
• Temporary victory and continuing danger: The Evil Gods are wiped out for now, but their source remains, meaning the battlefield conflict will eventually resume.
• Cultivation resources and opportunity: Zhang Su’s success shows how Battle Merits, treasures, and commercial ventures can dramatically accelerate a cultivator’s progress.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su discusses the Holy Lords’ intervention with Heavenly Prison and Red Face, sharing their shock at the destructive power displayed.
• Zhang Su and the Heavenly Prison Squad part amicably after the battlefield evacuation.
• Fang Hanyan and Lu Tingxue appeal to Zhang Su for protection against Yun Tianming.
• Zhang Su confirms Lu Tingxue’s wishes, promises to intervene, and instructs Lu Zhaixing to confront Yun Tianming.
• Lu Zhaixing delivers Zhang Su’s warning directly to Yun Tianming, setting up the confrontation that concludes the chapter.

Chapter Summary: A Challenge to an Eight-Star True Person Shakes the Heart Sage Sect!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhaixing visits Yun Tianming on Zhang Su’s behalf and orders him to stop pressuring Lu Tingxue to become his Dao companion. He warns Yun Tianming that Zhang Su possesses Eight-Star Entering-Dao combat power and may eventually rival a Dao-Proving Venerable.
• Yun Tianming refuses to back down because Feng Yu, another Eight-Star True Person, is present in his cave abode. Feng Yu declares that Lu Tingxue’s dispute with Yun Tianming should remain between them and warns Zhang Su not to interfere.
• Lu Zhaixing reports the confrontation to Zhang Su. Fang Hanyan discovers that Feng Yu is protecting Yun Tianming because Yun Tianming’s missing elder brother, Yun Tian, once had a close relationship with Feng Yu.
• Lu Tingxue worries that the situation has become too dangerous, but Zhang Su decides on a direct solution: he publicly challenges Feng Yu to a battle three days later.
• Zhang Su explains that his confidence comes from the rapid improvement he achieved while fighting in the dangerous Evil God Battlefield. He also hopes the challenge will establish his authority and deter future harassment of disciples from the Myriad Spirits Realm.
• Feng Yu reveals to Yun Tianming that she secretly possesses Nine-Star Combat Power and expects to Transform the Dao within three years. She initially assumes Zhang Su will not dare oppose her.
• When Feng Yu receives Zhang Su’s public challenge, she is enraged but realizes she cannot refuse without losing face. She accepts the battle, promising to help Yun Tianming one final time.
• News of the duel spreads throughout the Heart Sage Sect, accompanied by exaggerated rumors. After three days of preparation, the battle is about to begin.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Demonstrates decisive leadership, confidence, and a willingness to protect his fellow Myriad Spirits Realm disciples. He reveals that his strength has advanced considerably through his experiences in the Evil God Battlefield and deliberately uses the duel to build his reputation.
• Lu Tingxue: Becomes increasingly anxious about the consequences of involving Zhang Su, especially after Feng Yu enters the conflict. Her concern shows that she values Zhang Su’s safety and does not want him risking his future on her behalf.
• Lu Zhaixing: Acts as Zhang Su’s representative and delivers the warning to Yun Tianming and Feng Yu. He remains respectful but recognizes the seriousness of Feng Yu’s backing.
• Yun Tianming: Continues trying to justify his pursuit of Lu Tingxue, claiming he never forced her and promising compensation for the benefits her Innate Dao Body would provide him. He relies heavily on Feng Yu’s protection and becomes excited at the prospect of Zhang Su being defeated.
• Feng Yu: Initially acts with confidence and superiority, believing her age, experience, imminent Dao Transformation, and hidden Nine-Star Combat Power place her far above Zhang Su. After learning that Zhang Su has challenged her, she becomes angry and suspicious of Yun Tianming’s actions.
• Fang Hanyan: Contributes crucial information by uncovering the connection between Feng Yu, Yun Tian, and Yun Tianming.

Significant Themes

• Protection and responsibility: Zhang Su’s intervention is motivated not only by Lu Tingxue but by his broader responsibility toward the Myriad Spirits Realm disciples.
• Reputation and authority: The public challenge is both a personal confrontation and a political display intended to establish Zhang Su as someone others cannot casually provoke.
• Confidence versus experience: The duel pits Zhang Su’s rapid recent growth against Feng Yu’s veteran experience and superior self-proclaimed realm.
• Hidden strength and underestimated opponents: Feng Yu conceals her true Nine-Star Combat Power, while Zhang Su hints that his time in the Evil God Battlefield has made him far stronger than others realize.
• Entanglement and consequences: Yun Tianming’s selfish pursuit of Lu Tingxue creates a conflict involving multiple powerful cultivators, showing how personal disputes can quickly become sect-wide events.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhaixing and Yun Tianming: Lu Zhaixing issues Zhang Su’s warning, but Yun Tianming refuses to yield.
• Lu Zhaixing and Feng Yu: Their exchange establishes Feng Yu’s firm opposition to Zhang Su’s interference.
• Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue: Lu Tingxue urges caution, but Zhang Su calmly reassures everyone that he is confident in victory.
• Feng Yu and Yun Tianming: Feng Yu questions Yun Tianming about his actions and warns him not to mistreat Lu Tingxue. Their conversation reveals her protective feelings toward Yun Tianming because of his missing brother.
• Zhang Su and Feng Yu: Though they do not meet directly in the chapter, Zhang Su’s public challenge and Feng Yu’s forced acceptance establish the central confrontation.
• The Heart Sage Sect disciples: Their speculation transforms the dispute into a major public spectacle, with the upcoming duel becoming one of the most anticipated battles in the sect.

Chapter Summary: Zhang Su Reveals Nine-Star Combat Power and Defeats Feng Yu

Key Plot Points and Events

• A public duel between Zhang Su and Feng Yu is arranged in the Battle Realm of the Grand Void Illusion Realm.
• The battle becomes a symbol of the rivalry between specially recruited disciples and normally recruited disciples of the Heart Sage Sect.
• Zhang Su enters the duel representing the Myriad Spirits Realm, while Feng Yu is supported by several powerful disciples from the previous intake.
• Feng Yu initially reveals overwhelming strength through her ice-based divine powers, freezing Zhang Su’s Sword Qi Threading and Thunder Flame True Fire.
• Zhang Su determines that Feng Yu possesses Nine-Star Entering-the-Dao Combat Power, not the Eight-Star strength many had assumed.
• Feng Yu similarly realizes that Zhang Su has likely reached Nine-Star Combat Power after his time in the Evil God Battlefield.
• Zhang Su unveils several powerful abilities:

Sword Qi Threading

• Thunder Flame True Fire, a top-tier fire divine power
• Heavenly Net, another top-tier divine ability
• Heart-Dream Without Trace, activated through his Dream Beast Bloodline
• A Mirage created through his Mirage Beast Bloodline, forming a double-layered illusion
• Although Feng Yu is not inferior in the clash of divine powers, Zhang Su’s layered dream and illusion techniques trap her consciousness and prevent her from defending herself effectively.
• Zhang Su’s flames overwhelm Feng Yu, causing the Battle Realm to teleport her out after judging her to be in mortal danger. Feng Yu therefore loses the duel.
• The spectators are astonished to discover that the battle was between two Nine-Star combatants. Zhang Su’s rapid rise from Eight-Star to Nine-Star Combat Power after only a year in the Evil God Battlefield is considered extraordinary.
• Yun Tianming admits defeat and promises not to harass Lu Tingxue again.
• Zhang Su returns to the cave dwelling with Lu Tingxue and the others, where his allies celebrate his achievement.
• Lu Tingxue then reveals a shocking secret: she possesses two Innate Dao Bodies, which is the real reason Yun Tianming has pressured her to become his Dao companion.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su demonstrates that his strength has advanced dramatically. He is no longer merely an exceptional special recruit but a genuine Nine-Star combatant capable of defeating a veteran opponent.
• He displays greater confidence and tactical maturity, relying not only on direct attacks but also on layered abilities, bloodline powers, and spiritual techniques.
• Zhang Su also establishes himself as a protector of the Myriad Spirits Realm. His victory gives its disciples greater status and protection within the Heart Sage Sect.
• Feng Yu is shown to be a formidable and disciplined cultivator who had secretly reached Nine-Star Combat Power. Despite losing, she recognizes that Zhang Su’s spiritual and illusion-based techniques were the decisive factor.
• Yun Tianming is thoroughly shaken by Feng Yu’s defeat and Zhang Su’s overwhelming reputation. He abandons his pursuit of Lu Tingxue.
• Lu Tingxue gains temporary relief from Yun Tianming’s harassment but reveals that her situation is far more dangerous than previously known because of her rare constitution.
• Lu Zhaixing and the other Myriad Spirits Realm disciples become even more devoted to Zhang Su, viewing him as a source of protection and pride.

Significant Themes

• Strength determines status: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that arguments, rumors, and factional disputes are ultimately settled by actual power.
• Hidden strength and deception: Both Zhang Su and Feng Yu concealed their true combat levels, reflecting the dangers of revealing one’s full abilities in the cultivation world.
• Rapid growth and limitless potential: Zhang Su’s progress suggests that his talent has no obvious upper limit, distinguishing him from geniuses whose growth eventually stalls.
• Factional rivalry: The duel represents the broader tension between specially recruited and normally recruited disciples, transforming a personal conflict into a contest over group prestige.
• Deterrence through reputation: Zhang Su’s victory protects not only Lu Tingxue but the entire Myriad Spirits Realm, showing how an individual’s strength can benefit an entire community.
• The danger of exceptional talent: Lu Tingxue’s two Innate Dao Bodies make her valuable and vulnerable, suggesting that her secret may attract even greater threats.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Feng Yu speak respectfully but firmly, agreeing that only strength can resolve the conflict surrounding Lu Tingxue and Yun Tianming.
• Their duel becomes a contest between Feng Yu’s powerful ice divine abilities and Zhang Su’s fire, sword, dream, and illusion techniques.
• Zhang Su’s victory forces Yun Tianming to withdraw from Lu Tingxue’s life.
• Lu Tingxue thanks Zhang Su for intervening, explaining that she had previously helped him and that he is repaying that kindness.
• The Myriad Spirits disciples acknowledge Zhang Su as their protector, while he urges them not to rely solely on his reputation and to cultivate diligently.
• In private, Lu Tingxue confides in Zhang Su about her two Innate Dao Bodies, setting up a potentially more serious conflict in the future.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Tingxue reveals her greatest secret to Zhang Su: she possesses a second Innate Dao Body, the Purifying Spirit Dao Body.
• This Superior Dao Body can raise another cultivator’s Dao Body by one level through dual cultivation, potentially elevating a Superior Dao Body to a Peerless Dao Body or a Peerless Dao Body to a Saint Body.
• Yun Tianming discovered this secret and pressured Lu Tingxue to become his Dao companion so that he could improve his own Dao Body. After Zhang Su defeated Feng Yu, Yun Tianming’s leverage weakened, but he still threatened to expose the secret.
• Lu Tingxue asks Zhang Su to become her Dao companion. She explains that doing so would protect her from being hunted by powerful cultivators seeking the Purifying Spirit Dao Body, while also allowing Zhang Su to strengthen his own Postnatal Dao Body.
• Zhang Su first asks whether Lu Tingxue would still choose him without the Purifying Spirit Dao Body. When she firmly says yes, he agrees.
• Zhang Su plans the Dao companion ceremony for three days later and personally confronts Yun Tianming. He announces the marriage and warns Yun Tianming that any rumor about Lu Tingxue’s secret will be treated as proof of Yun Tianming’s betrayal and will result in his death.
• Yun Tianming, intimidated by Zhang Su’s overwhelming talent and strength, chooses not to reveal the secret. He bitterly recognizes that his lack of strength caused him to lose Lu Tingxue and the opportunity to improve his Dao Body.
• Zhang Su announces the upcoming Dao companion ceremony in the Myriad Spirits Realm group chat. The news shocks the disciples, who assume that Zhang Su’s recent battle with Feng Yu was motivated by his feelings for Lu Tingxue.
• The news spreads throughout the Heart Sage Sect. Feng Yu becomes angry at Yun Tianming for previously claiming that Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue had no relationship.
• Three days later, the Dao companion banquet begins. Lu Tingxue arrives in a red dress, and Zhang Su publicly takes her hand as the guests offer congratulations.
• Baili Baoshan arrives and presents two extremely valuable Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits. Just as the banquet is about to begin, Beichen Lord arrives and presents a Cosmic Treasure: a Great Dao Stele Rubbing, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

2. Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Demonstrates both emotional sincerity and strategic decisiveness. He is willing to accept the danger associated with Lu Tingxue’s secret, but insists on knowing whether her feelings are genuine. His confidence has grown enormously after reaching Nine-Star Entering-the-Dao Combat Power, and he now openly threatens Yun Tianming.
• Lu Tingxue: Moves from fear and helplessness to actively choosing her own fate. By revealing her secret and choosing Zhang Su, she places trust in him rather than allowing Yun Tianming or other powerful cultivators to control her.
• Yun Tianming: Suffers a major psychological defeat. He realizes that his previous reliance on Lu Tingxue’s secret and his inferior strength left him unable to compete with Zhang Su. Although resentful, he decides not to spread the secret because doing so would gain him nothing and would likely lead to Zhang Su killing him.
• Feng Yu: Feels deceived and humiliated after learning that Yun Tianming concealed the truth about Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue’s relationship.
• Baili Baoshan: Appears as a supportive ally and has already entered the Dao, with his Azure Phoenix Bloodline greatly enhancing his strength.

3. Significant Themes

• Strength determines the ability to seize opportunities: Yun Tianming recognizes that even a priceless opportunity is useless without sufficient power to protect it.
• Trust and genuine affection: Zhang Su refuses to treat the relationship as merely a transaction involving Dao Body enhancement. His question forces Lu Tingxue to affirm that she would choose him regardless of the secret.
• Power, possession, and personal freedom: Lu Tingxue’s Purifying Spirit Dao Body makes her a target and threatens to strip her of control over her own fate. Becoming Zhang Su’s Dao companion becomes a way to reclaim that control.
• Consequences accompanying great opportunities: Zhang Su understands that obtaining the Purifying Spirit Dao Body will bring immense danger, but accepts the pressure as the necessary price of advancement.
• Reputation and public perception: The sect interprets Zhang Su’s actions as a romantic defense of Lu Tingxue, while the deeper political and cultivation-related motives remain hidden.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue: Have an intimate, serious conversation about her secret, the dangers surrounding her, and whether their relationship is genuine. Their decision to become Dao companions is based on both mutual trust and the protection their union provides.
• Zhang Su and Yun Tianming: Zhang Su confronts Yun Tianming directly, announces his upcoming union with Lu Tingxue, and issues a deadly warning against exposing her secret. Yun Tianming responds submissively, recognizing Zhang Su’s superiority.
• Zhang Su and the Myriad Spirits Realm disciples: Zhang Su publicly announces the ceremony, generating excitement, surprise, and speculation throughout the group chat.
• Lu Tingxue and Fang Hanyan: Fang Hanyan excitedly questions Lu Tingxue about the sudden marriage, while Lu Tingxue remains emotionally complicated and reflective about how far Zhang Su has surpassed her.
• Zhang Su and Baili Baoshan: Zhang Su warmly receives Baili Baoshan and seats him prominently after he offers the valuable Vermilion Fruits.
• Zhang Su and the assembled guests: The banquet establishes Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue publicly as Dao companions, but Beichen Lord’s dramatic arrival and extraordinary gift suggest that an important new development is about to unfold.

Chapter Summary:

Transformation, Peerless Dao Body!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beichen Lord, a powerful Dao-Transforming Lord and disciple of Clear Sky Holy Venerable, unexpectedly attends Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue’s Dao companion ceremony.
• He presents them with a priceless Cosmic Treasure: the Great Dao Stele Rubbing.
• Beichen Lord reveals that he came under Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s orders. The Holy Venerable wishes to meet Zhang Su, but only if Zhang Su can comprehend and master the mysterious method recorded on the stele rubbing.
• The stele is therefore both a congratulatory gift and a test. If Zhang Su fails to comprehend it, he will not be granted an audience.
• After the banquet, Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue begin dual cultivation. Lu Tingxue gives up her Purifying Spirit Dao Body, transferring its benefits to Zhang Su.
• The sacrifice causes Lu Tingxue severe vitality loss, but Zhang Su’s Infinite Dao Body transforms from a Superior Dao Body into a Peerless Dao Body.
• Zhang Su’s cultivation efficiency, physical strength, Heart Force gains, combat ability, and Great Dao Light all increase dramatically.
• He estimates that he can reach the Third Layer of the Heart Force Canon in slightly over a year and may eventually transform his Peerless Dao Body into the legendary Saint Body.
• Zhang Su gives Lu Tingxue large quantities of Treasured Medicine and two Ten-Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruits to help her recover and advance toward Entering the Dao.
• Zhang Su begins studying the Great Dao Stele Rubbing but initially cannot understand its chaotic patterns. He then spends 300 strands of Dao Heart Force to enhance his perception, allowing him to examine every detail of the stele.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Becomes increasingly powerful after absorbing the benefits of Lu Tingxue’s Purifying Spirit Dao Body. His Dao Body reaches the Peerless level, his foundations become extraordinarily deep, and his wealth is revealed to be immense due to his illusion-realm business and battlefield gains. He also gains a new long-term objective: passing Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s test.
• Lu Tingxue: Officially becomes Zhang Su’s Dao companion and willingly sacrifices her Purifying Spirit Dao Body to support him. Though weakened, she is happy with the result and determined to cultivate quickly so she can accompany Zhang Su on the Great Dao rather than become a burden.
• Beichen Lord: Appears as an emissary of Clear Sky Holy Venerable. Though initially mysterious, he is shown to be peaceful and respectful, delivering the test and invitation without hostility.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable: Remains unseen but becomes an important figure in the story. His interest in Zhang Su suggests that Zhang Su’s talent or potential has attracted the attention of a supreme expert.

Significant Themes

• Mutual support between Dao companions: Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue’s relationship is founded on helping each other pursue the Great Dao, even at great personal cost.
• Sacrifice and shared advancement: Lu Tingxue’s loss enables Zhang Su’s transformation, while Zhang Su responds by providing resources to help her recover and progress.
• Deep foundations over immediate strength: The chapter emphasizes that Dao Bodies, bloodlines, treasures, techniques, and opportunities all contribute to a cultivator’s long-term potential.
• Talent and evaluation: Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s test introduces the idea that even extraordinary cultivators must prove themselves before gaining access to higher opportunities.
• Wealth as a cultivation advantage: Zhang Su’s ability to consume Treasured Medicine daily highlights the contrast between traditional hard cultivation and resource-supported advancement.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Beichen Lord: Zhang Su directly questions Beichen Lord about his motives. Beichen Lord explains the purpose of the Great Dao Stele Rubbing and Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s invitation.
• Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue: They complete their Dao companion ceremony, undergo dual cultivation, and discuss Lu Tingxue’s future cultivation. Their relationship deepens through trust, sacrifice, and mutual concern.
• Zhang Su and the guests: Their simple Dao companion ceremony is witnessed and celebrated by fellow cultivators, who offer blessings for their shared future.
• Zhang Su and Clear Sky Holy Venerable: Though they have never met, Zhang Su is placed under the Holy Venerable’s scrutiny and must comprehend the stele’s mysterious method to earn an audience.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Using 300 strands of Dao Heart Force, Zhang Su perceives an image of a gigantic hand within the Great Dao Stele Rubbing and discovers the cultivation method Ancient God’s Left Hand.
• The technique initially has zero compatibility with him, but Zhang Su spends ten Compatibility Points to raise it to 100%. Despite this, it takes an entire year of cultivation to reach the Initiation Realm.
• During that year:
  • His Thunder Flame True Fire reaches perfection, strengthening his Self Dao’s Great Dao Light.
  • His Great Dao Light expands to approximately 1.4 li wide and 5.7 li long.
  • His physical body advances from the Twenty-Fifth to the Twenty-Sixth Order, enhancing his Peerless Dao Body by 30%.
  • His Heart Force grows to 900 strands, bringing him close to the 1,000 strands needed to cultivate the Third Layer of the Heart Force Canon and attempt Transforming the Dao.
• Once the Ancient God’s Left Hand reaches Initiation Realm, Zhang Su tests it with a casual palm. Even using only about one percent of his strength, he destroys the formations in his quiet room and heavily consumes his Body Origin, revealing the technique’s tremendous power.
• Zhang Su investigates the mysterious Ancient God through Baili Baoshan. He learns that the Ancient God was an ancient, body-cultivating existence of immense power, while the Evil God attempted to imitate it but instead fell onto a crooked path.
• Suspecting that the Clear Sky Holy Venerable gave him the Stele Rubbing for a specific reason, Zhang Su visits her at the Clear Sky Sacred Palace.
• The Clear Sky Holy Venerable confirms that he cultivated the Ancient God’s Left Hand and offers to accept him as her disciple. She explains that she has distributed similar Stele Rubbings to physically talented disciples, hoping to nurture a true Ancient God capable of ending the Evil God calamity.
• Zhang Su becomes the Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s thirteenth disciple and receives:
  • A second Great Dao Stele Rubbing containing the Ancient God’s Right Hand.
  • A token allowing him to freely enter the Clear Sky Sacred Palace and seek her guidance.
• Beichen Lord welcomes Zhang Su as a fellow disciple and offers him a cave residence in the Sacred Palace.
• The chapter ends when Beichen Lord asks Zhang Su to help deal with trouble caused by their Eleventh Senior Sister, who appears to be a frequent source of problems.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Makes major progress in both body cultivation and Dao cultivation. He successfully enters the Ancient God’s Left Hand’s Initiation Realm, gains confidence in its power, and moves from being an ordinary Heart Sage Sect disciple to a direct disciple of a Holy Venerable. He also becomes more willing to confront powerful figures directly rather than conceal information or act cautiously.
• Lu Tingxue: Successfully enters the Dao with Zhang Su’s support. She remains concerned about the Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s intentions but ultimately supports Zhang Su’s decision and urges him to protect himself.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable: Revealed to be deliberately searching for someone capable of cultivating the Ancient God’s techniques. Her goal is to nurture a complete Ancient God who might destroy the Evil Gods, making her interest in Zhang Su purposeful rather than hostile.
• Beichen Lord: Becomes Zhang Su’s senior brother and demonstrates trust in him by explaining the Holy Venerable’s intentions and seeking his assistance with their Eleventh Senior Sister.
• Baili Baoshan: Provides crucial historical information linking the Ancient God, the Evil God, and their divergent paths.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation through extraordinary talent: Zhang Su’s unprecedented physical aptitude allows him to succeed where countless others have failed.
• Hope against an overwhelming calamity: The Holy Venerable’s plan reflects the belief that only a new Ancient God may be able to permanently end the Evil God threat.
• Power and helplessness: Zhang Su’s strength has grown enormously, yet he remains insignificant before a Holy Venerable, emphasizing the vast hierarchy of the cultivation world.
• Trust versus suspicion: Zhang Su initially questions the Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s motives, but her candid explanation and willingness to provide resources resolve his doubts.
• Inheritance and destiny: The seven Great Dao Stele Rubbings and their corresponding techniques establish Zhang Su’s possible path toward forming a complete Ancient God’s Body.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue: Zhang Su tells her about reaching Initiation Realm in the Ancient God’s Left Hand. She worries about the Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s motives, while Zhang Su argues that meeting her directly is the best way to understand the situation.
• Zhang Su and Baili Baoshan: Zhang Su requests information about the Ancient God, learning that the Evil God tried and failed to follow the Ancient God’s path.
• Zhang Su and the Clear Sky Holy Venerable: She tests his cultivation, confirms his achievement, explains her plan, and accepts him as her disciple. Zhang Su responds honestly and formally submits to her.
• Zhang Su and Beichen Lord: Beichen Lord recognizes Zhang Su as a junior fellow disciple, praises his achievement, shows him the Sacred Palace, and asks for his help with their troublesome Eleventh Senior Sister.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Beichen Lord explains that Su Shang has an ongoing rivalry with Qin Yue, a Dao-Transforming Lord from the Star Sea Sacred Sect. They agree to settle their conflict through a best-of-three contest: Dao-Transforming Lords, Entering-Dao cultivators, and Innate Realm cultivators each fight one round.
• Su Shang offers Zhang Su a rare Heavenly Dao Fragment if he helps secure victory. Zhang Su accepts, and Beichen Lord recruits Huo Yunzheng as the Innate Realm representative.
• In the first match, Su Shang and Qin Yue battle for over an hour in the Grand Void Illusion Realm. Their strength is nearly equal, but the Heart Saint Spirit judges Su Shang the winner by a slight margin.
• Qin Yue sends Zhou Yan, the Star Sea Sacred Sect’s top-ranked Entering-Dao combatant, into the second match. Zhou Yan possesses a powerful Combat-Type Peerless Dao Body and a lightning-based divine ability.
• Zhou Yan launches an extremely fast lightning attack, but Zhang Su uses Heavenly Net defensively to withstand it. Zhang Su then traps Zhou Yan in a layered illusion using Heart-Dream Without Trace and a Mirage.
• Zhang Su follows with Thunder Flame True Fire, overwhelming Zhou Yan’s defenses and defeating him in essentially one move. Since Su Shang’s side wins the first two matches, the final Innate Realm battle is unnecessary.
• Qin Yue leaves in frustration after suffering a decisive defeat. Su Shang rewards Zhang Su with the promised Heavenly Dao Fragment, while Beichen Lord compensates Huo Yunzheng despite his not fighting.
• News of Zhang Su’s victory spreads rapidly throughout the Heart Sage Sect, greatly increasing his reputation.
• After returning home, Zhang Su reveals to Lu Tingxue that Clear Sky Holy Venerable has accepted him as a disciple because of his cultivation of the Ancient God’s Hand. Lu Tingxue is stunned by the magnitude of this opportunity.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Demonstrates overwhelming Entering-Dao combat power, defeating the Star Sea Sacred Sect’s number-one-ranked cultivator through superior defense, illusion, and offensive ability. His victory confirms that his strength far exceeds ordinary nine-star combatants. He also gains a Heavenly Dao Fragment and reveals his newly elevated status as a Holy Venerable’s disciple.
• Su Shang: Her confidence and joy increase after finally gaining a decisive victory over Qin Yue. She becomes openly supportive of Zhang Su and views his potential to surpass her as a positive development.
• Qin Yue: Initially appears confident because of her careful preparations, especially Zhou Yan’s participation. Her confidence collapses after Zhou Yan’s defeat, leaving her humiliated and resentful.
• Zhou Yan: Though exceptionally fast and powerful, he recognizes that Zhang Su completely outclasses him. Rather than denying the result, he respectfully acknowledges Zhang Su’s extraordinary strength.
• Lu Tingxue: Remains anxious while waiting for news about Zhang Su, then reacts with shock and awe upon learning that he has become Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s disciple.
• Huo Yunzheng: Shows humility and respect toward Zhang Su and Beichen Lord. Although disappointed at not being able to fight, he receives compensation for his participation.

Significant Themes

• Strength beyond reputation: Zhang Su defeats the publicly recognized number-one Entering-Dao cultivator, showing that rankings cannot fully measure true ability.
• Preparation versus overwhelming power: Qin Yue carefully prepares for the contest, but Zhang Su’s superior cultivation and newly enhanced Peerless Dao Body render those preparations ineffective.
• Growth through opportunity: The Heavenly Dao Fragment and Zhang Su’s connection to Clear Sky Holy Venerable represent major opportunities for future cultivation.
• Mentorship and sect relationships: Su Shang’s trust in Zhang Su and her willingness to rely on him demonstrate the importance of sect bonds and senior-junior relationships.
• Humility and recognition: Zhou Yan accepts defeat honestly, while Zhang Su recognizes that his opponent was genuinely formidable despite the one-sided result.
• Rising status: Zhang Su’s victory and new discipleship signal his rapid ascent within the Heart Sage Sect and the wider cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Beichen Lord recruits Zhang Su and Huo Yunzheng on Su Shang’s behalf and introduces Zhang Su as a powerful new junior disciple.
• Su Shang warmly asks Zhang Su to fight for her and later rewards him personally with the Heavenly Dao Fragment.
• Qin Yue and Su Shang exchange sharp remarks throughout their rivalry, with Qin Yue attempting to undermine Zhang Su’s future potential even after losing.
• Zhang Su and Zhou Yan briefly exchange names before engaging in a battle that reveals the enormous gap between them.
• Zhou Yan respectfully praises Zhang Su after the fight, acknowledging that Zhang Su is stronger than he is.
• Su Shang celebrates Zhang Su’s victory and expresses gratitude for his help.
• Zhang Su later reassures Lu Tingxue by explaining his new status as Clear Sky Holy Venerable’s disciple, dramatically changing her understanding of his future prospects.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su tells Lu Tingxue about Su Shang, his Eleventh Senior Sister, and reveals that he defeated Zhou Yan—the publicly ranked number-one combatant of the Starsea Sacred Sect—in a single move. Lu Tingxue is shocked by the extent of his strength.
• Zhang Su studies the Heavenly Dao Fragment given to him by Su Shang. Although its fragmented Great Daos are of little use to him as an Inner Dao cultivator, it contains many incomplete forms of Martial Dao Momentum.
• Using his Infinite Momentum to temper the fragment, Zhang Su raises his Martial Dao Momentum from 1% to 53% of the Initiation Realm.
• Through Baili Baoshan, Zhang Su purchases three more Heavenly Dao Fragments for 900 High-Grade Origin Crystals. Two fragments advance his Infinite Momentum into the Minor Accomplishment Realm, while the remaining two raise it to 10%.
• Zhang Su realizes that the effectiveness of Heavenly Dao Fragments decreases as his realm rises. He begins seeking more fragments while continuing to cultivate his Heart Force, physical body, and divine abilities.
• After roughly two months, his Heart Force reaches 1,000 strands, officially advancing the Heart Force Canon to its Third Layer. He begins constructing a Heart Force Divine Temple.
• The increased Heart Force dramatically accelerates his cultivation. His Heavenly Net divine ability reaches the Major Accomplishment Realm after two additional months.
• Because Heavenly Dao Fragments become increasingly difficult to obtain, Zhang Su decides to travel to the dangerous Heavenly Pillar Domain, where worlds are torn apart by black holes and their fragments can be found.
• Zhang Su informs Lu Tingxue of his plans and quietly teleports to the Sky Pillar Realm, the only intact world in the domain.
• At the local Spirit Treasure Pavilion, he learns that Heavenly Dao Fragments are extremely scarce and are being purchased for as much as 3,000 High-Grade Origin Crystals each.
• Unable to buy any directly, Zhang Su hires a guide familiar with the Heavenly Pillar Domain. The guide, an Entering-Dao woman, dismisses him as too weak to survive and refuses the job.
• Zhang Su responds by using his Dream Beast Bloodline to pull her into an illusion, demonstrating that she has badly underestimated him.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: His combat strength, Heart Force, Martial Dao Momentum, and divine abilities all advance significantly. He becomes more ambitious and determined to establish an exceptionally strong foundation before Transforming the Dao. Rather than advancing as soon as possible, he aims eventually to surpass even the Holy Venerable realm.
• Lu Tingxue: She is deeply impressed by Zhang Su’s power and becomes increasingly supportive of him. Having also entered the Entering-Dao realm, she begins handling matters involving the sect’s Myriad Spirits Realm disciples and commits herself to continuing her own cultivation.
• Baili Baoshan: He acts as Zhang Su’s intermediary, helping him acquire Heavenly Dao Fragments and advising him about the Heavenly Pillar Domain.
• The guide: Initially confident and dismissive, she judges Zhang Su solely by appearances and is immediately shocked when he reveals his powerful illusion technique.

Significant Themes

• Building an unshakable foundation: Zhang Su refuses to rush into Transforming the Dao, believing that every aspect of his cultivation must be perfected first.
• Scarcity and competition for resources: Valuable cultivation resources are difficult to obtain, forcing cultivators to rely on personal networks, wealth, exploration, and risk.
• The difference between Inner Dao and Outer Dao: Heavenly Dao Fragments directly aid Outer Dao cultivators in confirming their paths, while Zhang Su uses them primarily to strengthen Martial Dao Momentum.
• Hidden strength and underestimation: Zhang Su repeatedly conceals his true power, leading others to underestimate him until he demonstrates overwhelming abilities.
• Risk versus advancement: Greater power requires venturing beyond the safety of the sect into dangerous regions such as the Heavenly Pillar Domain.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su calmly shares his victory over Zhou Yan with Lu Tingxue, while she reacts with disbelief and admiration.
• He negotiates with Baili Baoshan for Heavenly Dao Fragments and asks him to continue searching for more.
• Baili Baoshan warns Zhang Su about the danger and scarcity of resources in the Heavenly Pillar Domain.
• Zhang Su informs Lu Tingxue of his departure; she worries about him but agrees to manage sect affairs and keep his journey discreet.
• At the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, Zhang Su deals with the pavilion master, learns about the extreme value of Heavenly Dao Fragments, and requests a guide.
• The guide insults Zhang Su’s strength and refuses to accompany him, prompting him to reveal his Dream Beast Bloodline and trap her in an illusion.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected Joy: Weaving a Black Hole Illusion!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su tests his illusion technique on a female cultivator and reveals that his Mirage is actually a Double Illusion. Impressed, she agrees to guide him through the dangerous Heavenly Pillar Domain.
• The guide, Reverend Jiu Xia, sets four conditions: she will only guide and not fight, Zhang Su must protect her, she may refuse overly dangerous routes, and she must be paid 1,000 High-Grade Origin Crystals per month. Zhang Su accepts, and they sign an employment agreement.
• They travel into the Heavenly Pillar Domain, where Jiu Xia teaches Zhang Su to avoid the numerous black holes. For over half a month, she prioritizes safety, but Zhang Su becomes dissatisfied because he has found no Heavenly Dao Fragments.
• Jiu Xia explains that Heavenly Dao Fragments are most likely found where several black hole forces intersect, though such areas also attract powerful cultivators.
• At one such location, Zhang Su studies the black holes and unexpectedly develops a powerful Black Hole Illusion using his Dream Beast and Mirage Beast bloodlines. The illusion simulates countless black holes dragging an opponent toward them, greatly strengthening his Double Illusion.
• Zhang Su detects a massive Heavenly Dao Fragment, equivalent to four or five ordinary fragments, but another cultivator, Wei Yang of the Rising Sun Sacred Sect, attempts to claim it.
• Zhang Su traps Wei Yang in the Black Hole Illusion. While Wei Yang desperately struggles against imaginary black holes, Zhang Su takes the large fragment and then kills Wei Yang with the Heavenly Net, Thunder Flame True Fire, and sword qi.
• Wei Yang’s Storage Bag contains three additional Heavenly Dao Fragments. Zhang Su therefore obtains the equivalent of eight fragments and refines them, raising his Infinite Momentum by 40% to 80% progress toward Major Accomplishment.
• A month later, Jiu Xia encounters two Dao-Transforming Lords waiting near a shattered world whose Heavenly Dao is about to be destroyed by a black hole. She immediately attempts to flee, but the Lords attack their vessel to prevent the news from spreading.
• Zhang Su blocks and shatters portions of their Great Dao Light, revealing that his strength is far beyond that of an ordinary Entering the Dao cultivator. He leaves the vessel and openly asks the two Lords to let him share in the world’s Heavenly Dao Fragments.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su grows more confident and ambitious. He refuses to spend the journey merely following safe routes and insists on pursuing Heavenly Dao Fragments.
• His understanding of illusion techniques advances significantly. By incorporating the natural terror and gravitational force of black holes into his illusions, he creates a technique several times stronger than his previous Double Illusion.
• Zhang Su demonstrates ruthless decisiveness by trapping and killing Wei Yang without hesitation, showing that he is prepared to eliminate rivals when there are no meaningful consequences.
• His cultivation also advances sharply: refining eight fragments raises his Infinite Momentum to 80% completion.
• Reverend Jiu Xia begins as a cautious, business-minded guide who doubts Zhang Su’s survival prospects. After witnessing him trap and kill Wei Yang, and later repel the Great Dao Light of two Dao-Transforming Lords, she becomes deeply shocked and more respectful toward him.
• Jiu Xia’s cautious nature remains intact. When faced with two Dao-Transforming Lords, she immediately chooses retreat rather than gamble with her life.

Significant Themes

• Danger and opportunity: The Heavenly Pillar Domain is lethal, but its greatest dangers—especially black holes—also create the conditions where rare Heavenly Dao Fragments can be found.
• Innovation through observation: Zhang Su transforms the environment itself into a weapon, using the terrifying nature of black holes to make his illusions more convincing and powerful.
• Strength beyond appearances: Though Zhang Su appears to be only an Entering the Dao cultivator, his deep foundation and exceptional techniques allow him to challenge opponents at the level of Dao-Transforming Lords.
• Pragmatism and survival: Jiu Xia’s guiding philosophy emphasizes caution, while Zhang Su balances risk with calculated aggression to seize greater rewards.
• Competition for cultivation resources: Heavenly Dao Fragments are valuable enough to provoke conflict among powerful cultivators, making every discovery a potential battle.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Jiu Xia establish a formal employer-guide relationship, with clearly defined responsibilities and risks.
• Jiu Xia repeatedly warns Zhang Su about the dangers of black holes and the mortality of inexperienced cultivators, while Zhang Su remains confident and determined.
• Zhang Su and Wei Yang clash over the massive Heavenly Dao Fragment. Wei Yang invokes his sect’s reputation, but Zhang Su rejects the appeal and defeats him through illusion and overwhelming attacks.
• Zhang Su protects Jiu Xia from the two Dao-Transforming Lords, then confronts them directly to negotiate a share of the shattered world’s fragments.
• The chapter ends with Zhang Su asserting himself before the two Lords, setting up a likely confrontation over the world’s remaining Heavenly Dao Fragments.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su confronts two Dao-Transforming Lords who reject his demand for a share of the Heavenly Dao Fragments. When they attack, he responds with his Black Hole Illusion, Thunder Flame True Fire, Sword Silk, and Infinite Momentum.
• Although the illusion is weakened by the Lords’ manifested Great Dao Light, Zhang Su’s offensive techniques overpower both opponents’ attacks. His regenerative Deathless Mark allows him to withstand their counterattack and recover instantly.
• The two Lords recognize that Zhang Su possesses combat power comparable to a Five-Star Lord, forcing the original two-way contest into a three-way standoff.
• After waiting for a month, the collapsing world finally shatters, releasing countless Heavenly Dao Fragments. Zhang Su cuts away and claims roughly one-third of the world, trapping its fragments with his Heavenly Net. Since all three combatants obtain ample rewards, they avoid a decisive battle and leave peacefully.
• During the return journey, Zhang Su refines the fragments. Four fragments advance his Infinite Momentum to the Major Accomplishment Realm; one hundred elevate it to the Perfected Realm; after refining 2,003 fragments, it transforms into an Infinite Martial Domain.
• The transformation creates a massive phenomenon over the Sky Pillar Realm. Numerous Dao-Transforming Lords gather, but Jiu Xia prevents them from interfering by warning that disturbing Zhang Su would create a life-and-death “enmity of obstructing the Dao.”
• Zhang Su successfully completes the transformation. His Martial Domain can isolate an area, suppress enemies, strengthen his own techniques, and endlessly amplify his Thunder Flame True Fire and Sword Silk attacks.
• After revealing that he is Zhang Su of the Heart Sage Sect, Zhang Su attracts further attention. A Seven-Star Lord arrives with the two Dao-Transforming Lords from the Heavenly Pillar Domain and offers only one hundred High-Grade Origin Crystals for Zhang Su’s fragments—an offer presented as a purchase but clearly intended as coercion.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su proves that his strength has advanced far beyond ordinary Nine-Star Entering-Dao Cultivators. He can fight two Five-Star Lord-level Dao-Transforming Lords simultaneously and survive their combined attacks.
• He recognizes a weakness in his current offense: his sword techniques and limited variety of divine abilities are beginning to lag behind his rapidly increasing power. He plans to seek a stronger sword-path divine ability from the Heart Sage Sect.
• His Infinite Momentum evolves first through the Major Accomplishment and Perfected Realms, then undergoes a qualitative transformation into a rare and powerful Martial Domain.
• Jiu Xia gains a clearer understanding of Zhang Su’s terrifying strength. Though pressured by the gathered Dao-Transforming Lords, she courageously protects him and successfully prevents them from interrupting his breakthrough.
• The two defeated Dao-Transforming Lords become subordinate to the Seven-Star Lord, apparently surrendering their gains to him for a poor price.

Significant Themes

• Strength earns recognition: Zhang Su’s right to claim resources is established not through status but through overwhelming combat power.
• Transformation through accumulation: The Heavenly Dao Fragments directly fuel Zhang Su’s evolution, showing how rare resources can produce qualitative breakthroughs.
• The danger of unmatched talent: Zhang Su’s Martial Domain is so extraordinary that even Dao-Transforming Lords are astonished and wary of him.
• Power and exploitation: The two Lords’ later submission to the Seven-Star Lord highlights the brutal hierarchy of the cultivation world, where weaker experts can be forced to surrender their gains.
• Preparation for future growth: Zhang Su’s awareness of his offensive limitations emphasizes that advancement requires not only greater power but also more versatile techniques.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and the two Dao-Transforming Lords begin as enemies, but mutual recognition of their comparable strength leads them to cooperate indirectly in collecting the fragments rather than fight to the death.
• Jiu Xia acts as Zhang Su’s guardian during his transformation, using the threat of an “enmity of obstructing the Dao” to deter the observing Lords.
• After emerging, Zhang Su calmly announces his identity and handles the gathered Lords himself, relieving Jiu Xia of responsibility.
• The arriving Seven-Star Lord attempts to pressure Zhang Su into selling his fragments cheaply, while the two previous opponents stand behind him, establishing the next major conflict.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su and Jiu Xia encounter Seven-Kill Lord, a notorious disciple of the Kunyu Holy Sect with Seven-Star combat power, placing him near the level of an ordinary Dao-Proving Venerable.
• Seven-Kill Lord has already forcibly taken the Heavenly Dao Fragments of two Dao-Transforming Lords and demands Zhang Su’s remaining fragments as well.
• Zhang Su refuses, explaining that surrendering them would obstruct his state of mind and hinder his cultivation of the Inner Dao.
• Rather than immediately fight, Zhang Su proposes a single-palm agreement: if Seven-Kill Lord can withstand one palm strike, Zhang Su will hand over the fragments.
• Zhang Su activates the newly initiated Ancient God’s Hand, gradually increasing its power by consuming his body origin:
  • 10% origin consumption begins the attack.
  • 30% overwhelms Seven-Kill Lord’s Great Dao Light.
  • 50% destroys his divine ability.
  • 90% completely shatters his Great Dao Light and kills him.
• Seven-Kill Lord’s body explodes into blood mist, and because he lacks Blood Rebirth, he dies from the single palm strike.
• Zhang Su retrieves Seven-Kill Lord’s storage bag, discovering more than six thousand Heavenly Dao Fragments, bringing his total close to eight thousand.
• Zhang Su pays Jiu Xia four thousand High-Grade Origin Crystals for her assistance and returns to the Heart Sage Sect.
• After reuniting with Lu Tingxue, Zhang Su recounts the dangerous expedition and announces that he will enter seclusion.
• Because the Ancient God’s Hand consumed ninety percent of his body origin, Zhang Su searches for treasures to restore his physical body. He purchases the Blood Qilin, a cosmic treasure related to physical cultivation, for ten thousand High-Grade Origin Crystals.

2. Character Developments

• Zhang Su demonstrates remarkable growth and confidence. Although his ordinary strength is estimated around the Five-Star Lord level, he reveals that the Ancient God’s Hand gives him a terrifying one-strike trump card capable of killing a Seven-Star Lord.
• His refusal to surrender the Heavenly Dao Fragments shows that he prioritizes preserving his Daoist state of mind over temporary safety.
• Zhang Su’s status as a disciple of Clear Sky Holy Venerable becomes known to the surrounding cultivators, greatly increasing their fear and respect for him.
• Despite his victory, Zhang Su recognizes the severe limitation of the Ancient God’s Hand: it consumes enormous amounts of body origin and cannot be used repeatedly until he recovers.
• Jiu Xia gains a deeper understanding of Zhang Su’s background and strength, becoming shocked by both his Holy Venerable lineage and his ability to defeat Seven-Kill Lord.
• Lu Tingxue is relieved by Zhang Su’s return but is stunned to learn that he killed a Seven-Star Lord, realizing how rapidly his strength has advanced.

3. Significant Themes

• The pursuit of one’s Dao: Zhang Su refuses to compromise his state of mind, emphasizing that Inner Dao cultivators must remain true to their principles.
• Power and status: Seven-Kill Lord’s arrogance is tempered by Zhang Su’s connection to a Holy Venerable, showing how factional backing affects relationships in the cultivation world.
• Hidden strength and trump cards: Zhang Su’s apparent Five-Star-level power conceals the Ancient God’s Hand, allowing him to overcome an opponent far stronger than himself.
• The cost of power: Victory comes at the price of ninety percent of Zhang Su’s body origin, reinforcing that overwhelming techniques often carry serious consequences.
• Transformation and advancement: Zhang Su’s battle marks a major milestone in his cultivation, while his search for the Blood Qilin signals the beginning of his recovery and further physical development.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Seven-Kill Lord: Their negotiation escalates into a formal one-palm challenge. Seven-Kill Lord seeks the Heavenly Dao Fragments to aid his imminent Dao-Proving and frames Zhang Su’s refusal as an obstruction to his Dao. Zhang Su answers through action, killing him with the Ancient God’s Hand.
• Zhang Su and Jiu Xia: Jiu Xia warns Zhang Su about Seven-Kill Lord and later receives four thousand High-Grade Origin Crystals as payment for accompanying him. Their cooperation ends amicably when Zhang Su returns to the sect.
• Zhang Su and the surrounding cultivators: The crowd initially expects Zhang Su to yield because of Seven-Kill Lord’s reputation, but his victory transforms their attitude into awe and fear.
• Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue: Their reunion provides an emotional contrast to the battle. Lu Tingxue worries about his safety, celebrates his return, and reacts with disbelief to his account of killing Seven-Kill Lord.
• Zhang Su and Little Blue: Zhang Su relies on Little Blue to locate a suitable physical-cultivation treasure, leading to his purchase of the Blood Qilin and the start of his recovery plan.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su continues browsing sword Dao divine abilities after acquiring the Blood Qilin. Seeking stronger offensive techniques, he selects Sword Qi Storm, an expensive divine ability that unleashes an unstoppable tide of sword qi.
• His initial compatibility with Sword Qi Storm is 31%, which he raises to 100% using Compatibility Points.
• Zhang Su consumes the Blood Qilin. Its energy rapidly restores the 90% of Body Origin he had previously expended and continues strengthening his body.
• The Blood Qilin advances his physical body from the Twenty-Sixth Order to the Twenty-Seventh Order, raising his daily Heart Force cultivation and combat power by roughly 30%. However, it grants him no new innate talent.
• Zhang Su spends the following year cultivating:
  • Heavenly Net, which reaches the Perfected Realm.
  • Ancient God’s Right Hand, which reaches the Initiation Realm.
  • Sword Qi Storm, which reaches the Major Accomplishment Realm.
  • His physical body, which advances to the Twenty-Eighth Order.
• With his growing strength, Zhang Su believes he now possesses ordinary Six-Star or even Six-Star Peak combat power, though reaching Seven-Star combat power remains extremely difficult without using Ancient God’s Hand.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable summons Zhang Su and explains that his difficulty cultivating Ancient God’s Hand comes from lacking Ancient God’s Blood.
• The master reveals that the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace, an ancient inheritance site appearing once every ten thousand years, is about to emerge. It contains Ancient God’s Blood and many other treasures.
• Only Entering-Dao cultivators may enter, and Zhang Su is offered one of the Heart Sage Sect’s ten places. He accepts, hoping to obtain Ancient God’s Blood and improve his cultivation of Ancient God’s Hand.
• Zhang Su learns that Clear Sky Holy Venerable personally secured the position for him. Five places went to powerful disciples with connections, while the other five were awarded through a competitive selection process.
• At the Heart Sage Palace, the ten chosen cultivators gather. They immediately divide into two opposing groups: those who received places through connections and those selected through ability.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su grows significantly stronger through the Blood Qilin, advancing his physical body twice and improving his combat power. He also develops his offensive arsenal through Sword Qi Storm.
• He remains calm and pragmatic, neither becoming arrogant over his strength nor embarrassed by receiving a place through his master’s influence.
• Zhang Su recognizes the limitations of Ancient God’s Hand and understands that acquiring Ancient God’s Blood may be essential for further progress.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable demonstrates his support for Zhang Su by using his influence to secure him a coveted opportunity. He also provides crucial guidance regarding Ancient God’s Blood and Ancient God’s Hand.
• Beichen Lord and Su Shang show interest in Zhang Su’s opportunity, with Su Shang expressing envy that she can no longer participate after transforming the Dao.
• The selected disciples reveal strong pride and suspicion toward those who obtained places through connections, creating immediate rivalry.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus connections: The chapter highlights the tension between cultivators chosen through personal ability and those admitted through powerful patrons.
• Foundations and long-term growth: Zhang Su prioritizes strengthening his body, divine abilities, and Great Dao foundations before transforming the Dao.
• Opportunity and luck: The Blood Qilin produces a major physical breakthrough despite failing to awaken a new talent, while the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace offers another rare chance for advancement.
• Limits of cultivation: Even Zhang Su’s exceptional foundation cannot easily overcome the qualitative gap between Six-Star and Seven-Star combat power.
• Mentorship and privilege: Becoming a Holy Venerable’s disciple grants Zhang Su access to opportunities unavailable to ordinary cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su consults Little Blue while selecting Sword Qi Storm and later relies on it to navigate the Heart Sage Palace.
• He discusses his cultivation progress and the difficulties of Ancient God’s Hand with Clear Sky Holy Venerable, who reveals the need for Ancient God’s Blood.
• Beichen Lord and Su Shang speak with Zhang Su after his audience, confirming the importance of his opportunity and explaining how difficult it was to obtain a place.
• Zhang Su informs Lu Tingxue about the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace, and she notes that the Heart Sage Sect’s selection process has caused considerable turmoil.
• At the Heart Sage Palace, Lu Tong introduces himself to Zhang Su. Zhang Su deliberately joins Lu Tong’s faction of connected disciples, while the independently selected disciples react coldly. The ten cultivators remain divided into two tense groups as they prepare for the imperial palace’s emergence.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Holy Venerable Xuangu arrives at the Heart Sage Palace to lead the selected Heart Sage Sect disciples to the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace. He warns them that disobedience will result in disqualification.
• The group teleports to the remote Flying Star Domain and travels by flying vessel for two months before reaching the palace’s predicted location.
• The Heart Sage Sect’s arrival attracts widespread attention because of its reputation as one of the strongest Saint-Tier Factions. Other cultivators are wary of its disciples, who are renowned for their Heart Force and exceptional comprehension.
• Tension arises within the Heart Sage Sect between Holy Venerable disciples, such as Lu Tong, and disciples selected through competition, such as Jiang Que. Jiang Que implies that the Holy Venerable disciples benefited from special protection, while Lu Tong defends their qualifications. Xuangu stops the argument and encourages them to prove themselves inside the palace.
• Zhou Qin of the Star Sea Sacred Sect approaches Zhang Su. As Zhou Yan’s younger sister, she acknowledges Zhang Su’s defeat of her brother but claims that her own talent surpasses his. She challenges Zhang Su to outperform her in the palace’s talent-based trials.
• The Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace finally materializes. Entering the Dao cultivators are drawn inside, while cultivators of other realms cannot enter.
• The palace’s artifact spirit, the scarlet Cat Spirit, explains the rules: there are twelve month-long trials. Passing at least six allows a cultivator to select a treasure from the Heavenly Apex Treasure Vault, with better rewards granted to those who pass more trials.
• The first trial tests physical foundation. Participants must endure increasingly harsh pressures, including freezing and burning, and must score above eighty points to pass.
• Zhang Su remains calm throughout the more-than-twenty-day trial, barely affected by the pressure. After everyone is evaluated, his perfect score of one hundred shocks the gathered cultivators.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Displays extreme confidence and physical strength. Although he claims to have come primarily for the Ancient God’s Blood in the palace treasury rather than the Emperor’s legacy, he easily withstands the first trial and establishes himself as the leading participant.
• Lu Tong: Shows pride in the Heart Sage Sect and defends the prestige of its Holy Venerable disciples. He passes with a respectable score of eighty-eight.
• Jiang Que: Reveals a competitive and confrontational personality. He challenges the privileged status of the Holy Venerable disciples and scores ninety-one, temporarily surpassing Lu Tong.
• Zhou Qin: Introduces herself as a rival to Zhang Su. She is honest about being weaker in combat but believes her talent exceeds her brother’s and may surpass Zhang Su in the palace’s trials.
• Holy Venerable Xuangu: Acts as the group’s strict leader and mediator. He suppresses internal conflict while supporting competition among the disciples.
• Cat Spirit: Serves as the palace’s guide and judge, explaining the trial system and enforcing the Heavenly Apex Great Emperor’s rules.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus privilege: The conflict between Jiang Que and the Holy Venerable disciples raises questions about whether success comes from innate ability, selection, or protection by powerful masters.
• Competition and reputation: The Heart Sage Sect’s prestigious reputation causes other factions to treat its disciples as major threats before any trial begins.
• Physical foundation versus abstract cultivation: The first trial emphasizes that true strength requires a powerful body, not merely Great Dao comprehension or rapid cultivation.
• Merit and recognition: The palace rewards cultivators according to demonstrated ability, ensuring that even those without the Emperor’s legacy may receive treasures if they prove themselves.
• Zhang Su’s exceptionalism: His perfect score marks him as an extraordinary talent and immediately places him at the center of attention.

Character Interactions

• Xuangu commands the Heart Sage Sect disciples and later mediates the dispute between Lu Tong and Jiang Que.
• Lu Tong explains the Heart Sage Sect’s influence and reputation to Zhang Su, helping him understand why other factions fear them.
• Jiang Que and Lu Tong clash over whether Holy Venerable disciples possess unfair advantages, though both ultimately remain silent under Xuangu’s authority.
• Zhang Su meets Zhou Qin, who challenges his superiority and establishes a future rivalry.
• Lu Tong and Jiang Que compare their first-trial scores, reinforcing their competitive relationship.
• Zhang Su’s perfect score causes the surrounding cultivators to reevaluate him as one of the rare geniuses capable of achieving a flawless result in the palace’s history.

Chapter Summary: Three Trials, First Place! Zhang Su Became the Great Demon King in Everyone’s Eyes!

Key Plot Points and Events

• The results of the first trial, which tested physical foundations, are revealed. Zhang Su shocks everyone by earning a perfect score and taking first place.
• All ten Heart Sage Sect disciples pass the first trial, though none of the other factions achieve comparable results. Those scoring below eighty points are expelled from the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace.
• Outside the palace, the Holy Venerables learn that Zhang Su achieved a perfect score. Profound Ancient Holy Venerable is surprised but pleased, recognizing that Clear Sky Holy Venerable made the right choice in selecting Zhang Su.
• The second trial tests Martial Dao Momentum. Zhang Su uses his Martial Domain to completely suppress every form of momentum presented to him, including Sword Force and Blade Momentum.
• Zhang Su earns another perfect score and again ranks first. It is revealed that he has cultivated a Martial Domain, placing him far above most of the other geniuses. Four other cultivators also possess Martial Domains.
• The third trial tests willpower through prolonged mental terror. Zhang Su endures for a month and scores ninety-one points, placing thirteenth rather than first.
• Lu Tong and Jiang Que perform poorly in the third trial, scoring seventy-eight and seventy-nine points respectively, and are eliminated. Seven Heart Sage Sect disciples remain.
• The fourth trial tests the mind through a Heart-Mind Illusion Realm formed from each participant’s memories and consciousness.
• Zhang Su recognizes the illusion, remains in control, and even treats the experience as a month of rest before shattering it. He receives the only perfect score and returns to first place.
• The fourth trial eliminates most of the remaining participants, leaving only about one-tenth of the original group.
• The fifth trial is introduced. It tests inspiration, rewarding both the quantity and quality of insights generated. Zhang Su confidently enters first, while the others hesitate because of the trial’s difficulty.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Establishes himself as an exceptional all-around genius. His perfect scores in physical foundations, Martial Dao Momentum, and mental aptitude make him appear almost like an unbeatable “great demon king” to the other participants. However, his thirteenth-place result in the willpower trial reminds him that other prodigies may surpass him in specific areas, making him more cautious and humble.
• Lu Tong: Initially celebrates Zhang Su’s achievements and remains friendly toward him. He barely passes the second trial but is ultimately eliminated after underestimating the difficulty of the willpower test.
• Jiang Que: His arrogance is weakened by Zhang Su’s repeated victories. Though he narrowly passes the second trial, he also fails the third trial and is eliminated.
• Heart Sage Sect disciples: Their confidence is shaken by Zhang Su’s overwhelming performance. Although the sect’s overall success remains impressive, Zhang Su’s accomplishments clearly place him in another league.
• Guan Yue: Introduced as an exceptionally capable cultivator in matters of the mind. He earns ninety-nine points in the fourth trial but is astonished to discover that Zhang Su has surpassed him with a perfect score.
• Profound Ancient Holy Venerable: Becomes more convinced that Zhang Su is a major talent and that Clear Sky Holy Venerable chose the correct disciple for the palace’s trials.

Significant Themes

• True genius versus ordinary talent: The trials reveal that being selected as a faction’s top disciple does not guarantee success. Zhang Su’s performance distinguishes him even among elite geniuses.
• Comprehensive cultivation: The palace tests more than combat power, examining physical foundations, Martial Dao Momentum, willpower, the mind, and inspiration. True advancement requires strength in multiple areas.
• Humility and vigilance: Zhang Su dominates most trials but recognizes that other cultivators possess powerful abilities, especially after seeing four others with Martial Domains and being surpassed in willpower.
• The limits of confidence: Lu Tong and Jiang Que believe their willpower is strong, yet both are eliminated. The trials expose the gap between self-perception and actual ability.
• Mental mastery and self-awareness: Zhang Su’s ability to recognize and control the illusion demonstrates the importance of understanding one’s own mind rather than merely resisting external attacks.
• Competition among prodigies: As the trials progress, the number of survivors sharply declines, intensifying the pressure and making every remaining participant a genuine rival.

Character Interactions

• Lu Tong openly congratulates Zhang Su after his first perfect score and later questions him about the second trial.
• Zhang Su’s calm answers contrast with Lu Tong’s astonishment, further emphasizing how effortlessly Zhang Su experiences trials that torment others.
• Jiang Que and Lu Tong both fall silent after learning that Zhang Su has cultivated a Martial Domain.
• Their elimination in the third trial removes two of Zhang Su’s earlier rivals and shows how quickly relationships and rivalries are transformed by the palace’s ruthless assessments.
• Guan Yue recognizes Zhang Su as a true genius after losing to him in the mind trial, despite believing himself unmatched in that area.
• The Holy Venerables discuss Zhang Su’s performance outside the palace, spreading his reputation throughout the major factions.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

Fifth Trial—Creation of a Divine Ability

Zhang Su is transported before a stone stele containing the principles and restrictions for creating a divine ability. He realizes the trial tests inspiration and creativity rather than merely cultivation. Drawing on his vast knowledge and even concepts from his past-life memories, he spends nearly a month repeatedly designing and refining a divine ability until he can improve it no further.

• Zhang Su returns to the main hall three days before the deadline and becomes the first participant to finish. When the results are revealed, he receives 100 points, while Zhou Qin ranks second with 89. Anyone scoring below 80 is eliminated, leaving roughly thirty participants.

Sixth Trial—Secret Techniques and Comprehension

Cat Spirit announces that the contestants must cultivate 100 Dao Realm Secret Techniques to the Initiation Realm, with more than 80 required to pass. Zhang Su first spends half a month cultivating basic techniques to increase his Compatibility Points from 286 to 736.

• Using Compatibility Points to raise each secret technique’s Compatibility Rate to 100%, Zhang Su rapidly masters all 100 techniques in only ten days. He earns another perfect score and returns to the hall five days early.
• Only nine contestants remain after the sixth trial, including Zhang Su, Zhou Qin, and Guan Yue. Zhang Su is the sole surviving disciple of the Heart Sage Sect.

Seventh Trial—Fortune

The contestants must stand in a void while streams of light, representing Fortune, pass through them. The streams exist in a separate layer of space and cannot be captured by ordinary physical force, domains, or divine abilities.

• Zhang Su uses his Delusion-Piercing Eye to understand the nature of the streams, then employs the Ancient God’s Hand to shatter the space surrounding them. He captures countless streams in only ten days and receives another 100 points.
• The other eight contestants cannot manipulate the streams and are eliminated. They are permitted to choose basic treasures from the Heavenly Apex Treasure Vault before leaving.

Eighth Trial—Advanced Comprehension

Zhang Su, now the sole remaining contestant, is required to master the special Dao Realm Secret Technique Three Minds, Two Intentions. The technique creates a second mode of thought, allowing its user to operate two independent minds.

• Zhang Su raises its Compatibility Rate from 0% to 100%, practices it with the aid of over a thousand units of Dao Heart Force, and reaches the Initiation Realm in ten days. He earns another perfect score and finishes twenty days early.

Ninth Trial—Facing Oneself

Rather than resting, Zhang Su immediately enters the ninth trial. Cat Spirit explains that he must defeat a replica possessing abilities identical to his own. Zhang Su enters with anticipation, curious to see whether the Imperial Palace can truly reproduce him accurately.

2. Character Developments

Zhang Su

Continues to demonstrate overwhelming versatility, creativity, comprehension, and adaptability. His Compatibility Rate ability allows him to master techniques that would otherwise be impossible, while the Ancient God’s Hand gives him a unique solution to the Fortune trial. His repeated perfect scores shift him from a talented contestant to the leading candidate for the Heavenly Apex Great Emperor’s inheritance. He also becomes increasingly confident and relaxed as the trials progress.

Zhou Qin

Proves that her exceptional comprehension is genuine by placing second in the fifth trial and surviving the sixth. She remains motivated by her desire to surpass Zhang Su, though his continued perfect scores leave her discouraged and astonished.

Guan Yue

Quietly survives the first six trials, revealing that his abilities are stronger than his low-profile behavior suggests. He is among the few contestants to obtain access to treasures after the sixth trial, though he is ultimately eliminated in the seventh.

Cat Spirit

Becomes increasingly impressed by Zhang Su. Although it must continue following the Heavenly Apex Great Emperor’s rules, it begins to view Zhang Su as a potentially ideal inheritor of its master’s legacy.

Profound Ancient Holy Venerable

Initially feels disappointed when most Heart Sage Sect disciples are eliminated, but Zhang Su’s continued success restores his confidence and pride in the sect.

The other contestants

Grow increasingly helpless and demoralized as Zhang Su repeatedly finishes early and achieves perfect scores far beyond their capabilities.

3. Significant Themes

Exceptional talent across multiple dimensions

The trials emphasize that inheriting the Great Emperor’s legacy requires mastery of creativity, comprehension, willpower, adaptability, and Fortune—not merely raw strength.

Innovation versus conventional methods

Zhang Su repeatedly succeeds by thinking beyond the obvious requirements. Instead of accepting the Fortune trial as random luck, he discovers its spatial mechanism and forcibly alters it.

Preparation and accumulated resources

Zhang Su’s past cultivation, broad knowledge, Compatibility Points, Dao Heart Force, and unusual abilities all combine to give him advantages in trials that defeat ordinary geniuses.

Comprehension as a path to efficiency

The sixth and eighth trials show how profound comprehension can turn seemingly impossible cultivation tasks into manageable ones. Zhang Su’s ability to raise Compatibility Rates makes this advantage even more extreme.

The limits of luck and Fortune

The seventh trial questions whether Fortune is truly random. Cat Spirit describes it as inevitability, but Zhang Su proves that an extraordinary cultivator may overcome the trial through insight and force rather than passive luck.

The escalating test of inheritance worthiness

Each trial narrows the field and increasingly distinguishes Zhang Su from the other geniuses, setting up the final confrontation with a version of himself.

4. Character Interactions

Zhang Su and Zhou Qin

Zhou Qin hopes to defeat Zhang Su in the comprehension-based fifth trial, but Zhang Su’s perfect score surpasses her second-place result. She later questions him about completing the seventh trial early, only to learn that he finished in ten days.

Zhang Su and the other contestants

His early returns and perfect scores repeatedly shock the remaining participants. By the seventh trial, they recognize that they cannot match his methods or understanding.

Cat Spirit and Zhang Su

Cat Spirit explains the rules of the fifth through ninth trials and evaluates Zhang Su’s results. Its attitude changes from impartial examiner to hopeful observer as Zhang Su repeatedly demonstrates qualities suited to inheriting the Great Emperor’s legacy.

Profound Ancient Holy Venerable and the eliminated Heart Sage disciples

The eliminated disciples apologize for failing the sixth trial, but Profound Ancient Holy Venerable reassures them and focuses on Zhang Su’s success.

Profound Ancient Holy Venerable and Vast Sea Holy Venerable

Vast Sea congratulates the Heart Sage Sect and suggests Zhang Su may clear the later trials and possibly obtain the inheritance. Profound Ancient responds cautiously, acknowledging Zhang Su’s excellence while noting that the legacy remains extremely difficult to obtain.

Zhang Su and his replica

The chapter ends just as this crucial confrontation begins. The ninth trial is expected to test whether Zhang Su can overcome an opponent with all of his own abilities.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su reaches the ninth trial of the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace, where he faces an identical copy of himself. Combat, divine abilities, bloodlines, and Heart-Mind Illusion techniques are useless because the copy possesses exactly the same abilities.
• Instead of fighting, Zhang Su proposes a cultivation contest. He uses Compatibility Points to raise his Compatibility Rate with a new cultivation technique to 100%, reaching the Initiation Realm in only three days and defeating his copy.
• He enters the tenth trial, learning that he must cultivate a special divine ability to the Perfected Realm within one hundred years to qualify for the eleventh trial. He is allowed to leave the palace and cultivate elsewhere, while concealing his progress by claiming he failed the ninth trial.
• Zhang Su receives the divine ability Nine Heavens Bone-Eroding Divine Wind, an extremely powerful and difficult technique. He raises its Compatibility Rate from 8% to 100% and begins cultivating it, estimating that he can perfect it within several years.
• Before leaving, Zhang Su is allowed to choose one treasure from the Heavenly Apex Treasure Vault. He selects a drop of Ancient God’s Divine Blood, despite Cat Spirit warning that it contains an Ancient God’s will and may erode his mind.
• Zhang Su exits the palace after more than seven months. The waiting cultivators assume he failed around the eighth trial, but he publicly states that he cleared the ninth and failed the tenth.
• Profound Ancient Holy Venerable is overjoyed that a disciple of the Heart Sage Sect has matched the highest known public achievement in the palace.
• When asked what treasure he chose, Zhang Su presents the bottle and calls it Ancient God’s Blood, deliberately concealing that it is actually the much more valuable Ancient God’s Divine Blood. The Holy Venerables react with shock and pity, believing he made a poor choice.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su demonstrates exceptional intelligence and adaptability by abandoning direct combat and exploiting his unique Compatibility Points to defeat his mirrored self.
• His confidence grows as he realizes that his special System abilities give him advantages the palace’s simulations cannot reproduce.
• He remains cautious and strategic, agreeing to conceal his success and delaying refinement of the divine blood until his willpower becomes stronger.
• Zhang Su’s primary weakness is revealed to be his relatively weaker willpower, which may endanger him when refining Ancient God’s Divine Blood.
• Cat Spirit is shown to be a careful guardian of the Heavenly Apex Great Emperor’s inheritance. It explains the trials, warns Zhang Su about the risks of the divine blood, and emphasizes the importance of secrecy.
• Profound Ancient Holy Venerable gains immense pride and prestige from Zhang Su’s achievement, regarding it as a major honor for the Heart Sage Sect.

Significant Themes

• Wisdom over force: The ninth trial emphasizes that true victory may require insight rather than superior combat power.
• Uniqueness and talent: Zhang Su succeeds because his Compatibility Points are an ability that his simulated counterpart cannot imitate.
• Secrecy and protection: The Heavenly Apex Great Emperor designed the inheritance process to protect inheritors from jealous or hostile factions.
• Risk and opportunity: The Ancient God’s Divine Blood offers extraordinary potential but carries serious mental danger.
• The limits of public knowledge: Historical records suggest that no one passed beyond the ninth trial, but the chapter reveals that some geniuses likely advanced secretly.
• Legacy and qualification: Talent alone is insufficient; Zhang Su must prove his compatibility with the Great Emperor’s cultivation method and divine abilities.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and his mirrored self engage in an intellectual and cultivation-based contest rather than a physical battle.
• Zhang Su and Cat Spirit discuss the nature of the tenth trial, previous inheritors, the treasure vault, and the danger of Ancient God’s Divine Blood.
• Cat Spirit repeatedly advises Zhang Su to prioritize cultivating the Nine Heavens Bone-Eroding Divine Wind and to avoid refining the blood prematurely.
• Outside the palace, Zhang Su reunites with Profound Ancient Holy Venerable and carefully manages the truth about his progress.
• Profound Ancient Holy Venerable proudly announces Zhang Su’s ninth-trial achievement to the other factions.
• The surrounding Holy Venerables and disciples react with envy, admiration, and relief that Zhang Su did not obtain the complete legacy.
• The chapter ends with the Holy Venerables misunderstanding Zhang Su’s treasure choice, setting up possible future conflict or revelation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su returns from the Heavenly Extremity Imperial Palace after clearing the unprecedented ninth trial. He chooses what everyone believes to be Ancient God’s Blood, causing the other Holy Venerables to think he wasted the opportunity.
• In reality, the bottle contains the far more valuable Ancient God’s Divine Blood, though no one recognizes the difference. Zhang Su keeps this secret to avoid attracting danger.
• After returning to the Heart Sage Sect, Zhang Su reports to his master, Clear Sky Holy Venerable. She praises his choice, believing the blood may awaken the faint Ancient God Bloodline already present in him and allow him to perfect the Ancient God’s Hand.
• Clear Sky gives Zhang Su a Seven-Colored Lotus, a Cosmic Treasure that helps his physical body break through from the Twenty-Eighth to the Twenty-Ninth Order, reaching the peak of the Entering-Dao realm.
• Zhang Su examines his extraordinary Great Dao Light: his Physical Great Dao Light is about 13.4 miles wide and 21.5 miles long, while his Self-Dao Great Dao Light is about 16 miles wide and 40.8 miles long.
• Rather than delaying for years to reach the Thirtieth-Order body, Zhang Su decides to immediately attempt Transforming the Dao, believing his Heart Force and foundation are sufficient.
• His attempt causes a massive disturbance throughout the Heart Sage Sect. Lu Tingxue, Fang Hanyan, Baili Baoshan, Su Shang, Beichen Lord, Clear Sky Holy Venerable, Profound Ancient Holy Venerable, and many others come to observe.
• Zhang Su’s Great Dao Light summons the Great Dao Sound, an extremely rare phenomenon. More astonishingly, the universe sends down a Thunder Tribulation, revealing that his Dao is a legendary Universe-Grade Great Dao.
• Zhang Su attempts to resist the first lightning strikes with Sword Qi Storm, but the attack fails and his body is shattered. He survives through Blood Rebirth.
• As the Great Dao Light continues to manifest, a stronger tribulation of three lightning bolts descends. Zhang Su responds by unleashing the Ancient God’s Hand, shocking the observing Holy Venerables and confirming that he has already reached the Initiation Realm in the technique.

2. Character Developments

• Zhang Su demonstrates extraordinary secrecy, judgment, and ambition. He conceals the true nature of the Divine Blood, rapidly advances his physical cultivation, and confidently attempts Dao Transformation despite his relatively short time in the Entering-Dao realm.
• His development now encompasses three exceptional paths: the Self Dao, the Ancient God Path, and an unprecedented Universe-Grade Great Dao.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable shows strong confidence in and investment in Zhang Su, granting him a precious Cosmic Treasure and personally protecting him during his tribulation.
• Lu Tingxue remains dedicated to cultivation but recognizes that Zhang Su’s progress is rapidly widening the gap between them. She is shocked when he begins Dao Transformation without warning.
• Fang Hanyan is preparing to Enter the Dao and initially assumes Zhang Su’s Dao Transformation is still far away, making his sudden breakthrough especially startling.
• Baili Baoshan believes careful foundation-building is more important than speed, but Zhang Su’s Great Dao Light forces him to reconsider the limits of what an Entering-Dao cultivator can achieve.
• Su Shang has greater faith in Zhang Su than Beichen Lord, sensing that he may cultivate both the Ancient God Path and the Great Dao simultaneously.
• Beichen Lord, initially convinced that the Ancient God Path would make Dao Transformation difficult for Zhang Su, is stunned when Zhang Su begins transforming the Dao almost immediately.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden value and misunderstanding: Others dismiss Zhang Su’s choice because they mistake Ancient God’s Divine Blood for ordinary Ancient God’s Blood, emphasizing how appearances and incomplete knowledge can conceal enormous power.
• Talent versus preparation: Baili Baoshan represents the cautious belief that one must slowly establish a foundation, while Zhang Su demonstrates that overwhelming talent and preparation can permit rapid advancement.
• Multiple cultivation paths: The chapter explores the difficulty of balancing the Ancient God Path with the path of comprehending the Great Dao. Zhang Su’s progress suggests he may succeed where others failed.
• Defiance of cosmic limits: An Inner Dao cultivator must manifest a Dao separate from the Cosmic Great Dao, inviting immense pressure. Zhang Su’s Universe-Grade Great Dao is so powerful that the universe itself attempts to suppress it.
• Potential and danger: The stronger Zhang Su’s Dao becomes, the greater his future potential—but also the more deadly his tribulation. His unprecedented foundation turns Dao Transformation into a life-or-death confrontation with the universe.

4. Character Interactions

• The other Holy Venerables mock or outwardly console Profound Ancient Holy Venerable over Zhang Su’s supposed poor choice, while Clear Sky privately supports Zhang Su’s decision.
• Zhang Su reports to Clear Sky, who explains her hopes that the blood will awaken his Ancient God Bloodline and grants him the Seven-Colored Lotus.
• Zhang Su later speaks with Lu Tingxue, who updates him on the disciples of the Myriad Spirits Realm before he enters seclusion.
• Lu Tingxue and Fang Hanyan discuss whether Zhang Su could soon Transform the Dao; Zhang Su immediately disproves their assumptions by beginning the process.
• Baili Baoshan observes Zhang Su’s Great Dao Light and is deeply shaken by how vastly it surpasses his own foundation.
• Su Shang and Beichen Lord debate Zhang Su’s future, with Beichen doubting he can maintain progress in both cultivation paths. Their conversation is overturned when they discover Zhang Su is already transforming the Dao.
• Clear Sky and Profound Ancient Holy Venerables observe the tribulation but cannot interfere, since doing so would draw the Cosmic Great Dao’s attention.
• The chapter ends with the Holy Venerables recognizing Zhang Su’s Ancient God’s Hand as it clashes with the increasingly powerful Thunder Tribulation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su completes his transformation into a Dao-Transforming Lord while enduring a powerful Thunder Tribulation.
• His Ancient God’s Hands effortlessly destroy the lightning, demonstrating their terrifying strength and shocking the observing cultivators.
• After the tribulation ends, Zhang Su’s Great Dao Light expands dramatically to approximately 160 li wide and 408 li long, far exceeding that of ordinary Dao-Transforming Lords.
• Observers speculate that Zhang Su may already possess Nine-Star Lord combat power, despite having only just transformed the Dao.
• Zhang Su greets his master, Clear Sky Holy Venerable, then returns to stabilize his cultivation.
• After ten months, Zhang Su fully stabilizes his realm and studies the path toward Proving the Dao. He learns that it requires surviving the Three Calamities—Wind, Fire, and Thunder—and the Heart-Demon Tribulation amid the Five Decays of Heaven and Man.
• He realizes that the Nine Heavens Bone-Eroding Divine Wind may have been intended to help him endure the future Wind Calamity and decides to prioritize cultivating it.
• Zhang Su perfects the secret art Three Minds, Two Intentions over ten months, allowing him to divide his mind and cultivate two techniques simultaneously.
• Concerned about his weak will and his inability to safely refine the Ancient God’s Divine Blood, Zhang Su researches methods to temper his will.
• He chooses to enter the Abyss Forbidden Zone, where Abyssal Pollution can strengthen the will but may also corrupt the mind.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable advises him to remain within the first ten levels, avoid attempting to control an entire abyss level, and leave before the pollution becomes too severe.
• Su Shang gives Zhang Su a Contact Stone for communicating with her friend Bao Lian Lord, who is exploring the Abyss.
• Zhang Su enters the first layer of the Abyss Forbidden Zone and experiences the gradual, nearly irreversible erosion of Abyssal Pollution.
• He meets Shui Ze Lord, who attempts to lure him to the eighth layer to seize Abyss Tokens from a Nine-Star Lord. Zhang Su refuses, sensing that Shui Ze’s mind has already been distorted by Abyssal Pollution.
• Later, Zhang Su discovers three Dao-Transforming Lords fighting. The outnumbered cultivator offers him one of his two Abyss Tokens in exchange for assistance, while the other two become hostile after realizing Zhang Su is nearby.

2. Character Developments

• Zhang Su rises from an Entering-Dao Adept to a Dao-Transforming Lord and immediately displays strength potentially comparable to a Nine-Star Lord.
• His confidence increases after effortlessly destroying the Thunder Tribulation, though he remains cautious about the challenges ahead.
• He becomes more strategically minded, identifying his weaknesses: insufficient willpower, an incomplete physical body, and many divine abilities that still require cultivation.
• By perfecting Three Minds, Two Intentions, Zhang Su greatly improves his cultivation efficiency.
• Zhang Su also becomes more aware of the danger posed by his Ancient God Bloodline inheritance and the Ancient God’s remaining will.
• Lu Tingxue remains supportive but worried, encouraging Zhang Su to be careful while accepting his determination to pursue further growth.
• Clear Sky Holy Venerable continues to guide and protect Zhang Su, balancing concern for his safety with confidence in his judgment.
• Baili Baoshan recognizes that he can no longer hope to catch up to Zhang Su, but feels fortunate that their earlier friendship may benefit him.
• Beichen Lord becomes aware that Zhang Su has surpassed him, while Su Shang, a Nine-Star Lord herself, acknowledges that Zhang Su’s Great Dao Light may already rival or exceed her own.
• Shui Ze Lord appears mentally unstable, suggesting that prolonged exposure to Abyssal Pollution has already damaged his mind.

3. Significant Themes

• Extraordinary talent and rapid advancement: Zhang Su’s immediate rise to possible Nine-Star strength emphasizes his unprecedented potential.
• Power versus hidden weaknesses: Although Zhang Su’s combat power is overwhelming, his weak will and incomplete mastery of his abilities remain serious vulnerabilities.
• The dangers of advancement: Transforming the Dao is only one stage; Proving the Dao requires surviving internal calamities that cannot be defeated through external treasures or brute force.
• Risk and opportunity: The Abyss Forbidden Zone contains immense dangers but also rare Cosmic Treasures and Abyss Tokens, forcing cultivators to weigh ambition against corruption.
• The price of power: Ancient God’s Blood can grant Zhang Su tremendous strength, but accepting it prematurely could overwhelm his will.
• Relationships and support: Zhang Su’s bonds with his master, Lu Tingxue, and fellow disciples provide guidance, protection, and potential assistance as he enters increasingly dangerous realms.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhang Su respectfully reports his progress to Clear Sky Holy Venerable, who gives him detailed advice about the Abyss.
• Su Shang and Beichen Lord invite Zhang Su to explore the Vast Sea Star River with them, but he declines because of his plans to temper his will in the Abyss.
• Su Shang gives Zhang Su a Contact Stone and offers a possible connection to Bao Lian Lord.
• Lu Tingxue expresses concern over Zhang Su’s dangerous decision but ultimately supports him.
• Shui Ze Lord attempts to recruit Zhang Su through promises of Abyss Tokens, then turns threatening when Zhang Su refuses.
• At the chapter’s conclusion, a besieged cultivator appeals to Zhang Su for help, placing him at the center of a new conflict over Abyss Tokens.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su is lured into a conflict involving three Nine-Star Lords because one of them possesses two Abyss Tokens. Distrusting everyone in the Abyss Forbidden Zone, Zhang Su attacks all three.
• He uses his Martial Domain, Sword Qi Storm, Sword Qi Threading, Thunder Flame True Fire, and enormous Great Dao Light to crush the opponents. Their bodies and blood mist are burned to ash, ensuring they cannot recover through Blood Rebirth.
• Zhang Su obtains the two Abyss Tokens and retreats to a hidden cave. Rather than immediately fusing the tokens, he first experiments with Abyssal Power to temper his will.
• After realizing that Abyssal Pollution accumulates rapidly, Zhang Su returns to the Heart Sage Sect and uses Little Blue to search for techniques that purify or restore the mind.
• He raises the Compatibility Rate of a Mind Purification Method and eventually perfects fifteen different techniques. When used together, they can completely remove the Abyssal Pollution accumulated during his cultivation.
• Zhang Su fuses the two Abyss Tokens and spends a year in the First Layer of the Abyss, increasing his willpower from 8% to 20%. He discovers that the tokens’ control effects vanish when he leaves the Abyss.
• Seeking stronger pollution to accelerate his progress, he travels through the Abyss layers and eventually settles in the Eleventh Layer. Repeated cycles of cultivation in the Abyss and recovery at the Heart Sage Sect raise his willpower to 100%.
• His will transforms from “Immovable as a Mountain” into Crystal Will, allowing him to withstand Abyssal Pollution much more easily.
• Zhang Su begins refining a drop of Ancient God’s Divine Blood. The process repeatedly destroys his body, but Blood Rebirth allows him to reconstruct himself and continue refining it.
• The divine blood reveals memories of Ancient God Shang, a being powerful enough to destroy countless worlds with one punch. Zhang Su realizes that the Ancient God’s Will within the blood is even more dangerous than Abyssal Pollution because it subtly alters his thoughts and identity.
• To resist this influence, Zhang Su decides that he must advance his will beyond Crystal Will to Perfect Will. He descends to deeper Abyss layers and reaches the Twenty-First Layer.
• There, he receives a distress signal from Bao Lian Lord, who is being besieged in the Twenty-Third Layer by nine Nine-Star Lords led by Bai Xun. Zhang Su goes to rescue her.
• Zhang Su overwhelms the attackers with his Martial Domain, perfected Sword Qi Storm, Thunder Flame True Fire, Heavenly Net, and immense Great Dao Light. He destroys the combined Great Dao Light of all nine Lords and kills them all.
• Bao Lian Lord thanks him. Zhang Su reveals that he is connected to his Eleventh Senior Sister, causing Bao Lian Lord to realize his possible identity.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Demonstrates a major leap in combat ability after Dao Transformation, easily overpowering multiple Nine-Star Lords. He becomes increasingly cautious and strategic, developing a method of alternating Abyss cultivation with mental recovery. His will evolves into Crystal Will, but he also discovers the hidden danger of Ancient God’s Will and recognizes the need for further advancement.
• Bao Lian Lord: Shown to be extremely powerful, capable of fighting several Nine-Star Lords, but becomes vulnerable when they form a coordinated battle formation. Her rescue establishes a connection between her and Zhang Su’s senior sister.
• Bai Xun and the eight attacking Lords: Their greed for Bao Lian Lord’s Cosmic Treasure leads them to organize a siege. They underestimate Zhang Su and are ultimately destroyed.
• Ancient God Shang: Though absent in the present, his overwhelming power is revealed through the divine blood’s memories. His lingering will becomes a serious threat to Zhang Su.

Significant Themes

• Distrust and survival: The Abyss is governed by betrayal and opportunism; Zhang Su assumes everyone may be an enemy and acts decisively.
• Strength beyond conventional rankings: The chapter emphasizes that “Nine-Star Combat Power” is only a rough category. Zhang Su’s Great Dao Light places him far above ordinary Nine-Star Lords.
• Persistence and adaptation: Rather than abandoning the Abyss after suffering pollution, Zhang Su creates a repeatable cultivation method using multiple purification techniques.
• The danger of power: Both Abyssal Pollution and Ancient God’s Divine Blood grant opportunities for growth while threatening Zhang Su’s mind and identity.
• Uncovering ancient mysteries: The memories of Ancient God Shang deepen the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Ancient God collective and the universe’s hidden history.
• Alliances and obligation: Zhang Su rescues Bao Lian Lord partly because of her connection to his senior sister, showing that relationships can influence his decisions despite his usual pragmatism.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Su confronts and kills the three Lords seeking to exploit him over the Abyss Tokens.
• He consults Little Blue for techniques capable of resisting Abyssal Pollution.
• Zhang Su interacts indirectly with Ancient God Shang through the divine blood’s memories and struggles against the Ancient God’s lingering will.
• Bao Lian Lord and Bai Xun argue over the ownership of her Cosmic Treasure while she is surrounded by the nine Lords.
• Zhang Su intervenes in Bao Lian Lord’s siege, kills her attackers, and reveals his connection to his Eleventh Senior Sister, leaving Bao Lian Lord shocked and curious about his identity.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Su reveals that he is the thirteenth disciple of Clear Sky Holy Venerable and Su Shang’s junior brother. Bao Lian Lord realizes that his true strength far exceeds what she and Su Shang had expected.
• After Zhang Su defeats nine Nine-Star Lords who had besieged Bao Lian Lord, she explains that they were fighting over Blood-Soul Grass, a rare Cosmic Treasure she discovered in the Abyss Forbidden Zone.
• As repayment, Bao Lian Lord gives Zhang Su two of her three Blood-Soul Grasses and returns to the Heart Sage Sect.
• Zhang Su travels to the Abyss Forbidden Zone’s Thirtieth Layer, where he establishes a cave dwelling and uses the pollution there to temper his Crystal Will.
• He temporarily stops refining the Ancient God’s Divine Blood because the Ancient God’s Will is too dangerous for his current mental strength. He also consumes both Blood-Soul Grasses.
• The Blood-Soul Grasses greatly strengthen Zhang Su’s mind and unexpectedly produce a rare Blood-Soul Mark, a talent that can absorb and fuse Heart-Mind Illusion Realm powers.
• Zhang Su combines his “Mirage” and “Heart-Dream Without Trace” abilities into a much more powerful unified illusion realm.
• Over two years, Zhang Su’s will rises to 73% progress toward its next transformation. His Rainbow Transformation Art reaches the Perfected Realm, and both the Ancient God’s Left and Right Hands reach Minor Accomplishment.
• Because prolonged exposure to abyssal pollution is becoming dangerous, Zhang Su returns to the Heart Sage Sect. It takes him six months to purge the accumulated pollution from his mind.
• Lu Tingxue expresses concern over Zhang Su’s dangerous cultivation habits. Zhang Su assures her that he can rely on Blood Rebirth, though he still intends to return to the Abyss Forbidden Zone.
• The Abyss Forbidden Zone enters its once-in-ten-thousand-years Active Period, causing Cosmic Treasures to grow rapidly and drawing enormous numbers of cultivators, including many Entering the Dao cultivators.
• Zhang Su returns to the Abyss Forbidden Zone and learns that the Heart Saint Spirit can temporarily communicate with cultivators inside because the zone’s defenses have weakened during the Active Period.
• On the Eighteenth Layer, Zhang Su discovers that Gu Yun Lord and two other Heart Sage Sect cultivators are surrounded by twenty or thirty Nine-Star Dao-Transforming Lords over six Blood God Fruits.
• Zhang Su arrives in response to Gu Yun Lord’s plea for help. Rather than fleeing with the three cultivators, he declares that they should defeat their enemies, promising to secure three Blood God Fruits for them.

Character Developments

• Zhang Su: Becomes significantly stronger in mind, willpower, movement, illusion techniques, and physical combat ability. He gains the Blood-Soul Mark, raises his will to 73%, perfects the Rainbow Transformation Art, and advances the Ancient God’s Hand. He also demonstrates growing confidence, openly challenging a large group of powerful Dao-Transforming Lords.
• Bao Lian Lord: Develops respect and gratitude toward Zhang Su after witnessing his overwhelming strength. Her willingness to give him two Blood-Soul Grasses shows her decisiveness and trust.
• Lu Tingxue: Shows deep concern for Zhang Su’s safety, especially after seeing the harmful effects of abyssal pollution. Her relationship with him is affectionate and supportive.
• Gu Yun Lord and his companions: Initially confident in their ability to explore the Abyss Forbidden Zone together, they become desperate when surrounded and prepare to surrender the Blood God Fruits. Zhang Su’s arrival gives them renewed hope.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated power: Zhang Su repeatedly reveals that his true abilities are far beyond what others assume.
• Risk and reward in cultivation: Zhang Su constantly balances the benefits of Cosmic Treasures and dangerous environments against the threat of mental corruption and death.
• The importance of the mind and will: The chapter emphasizes that powerful techniques and treasures are useless without sufficient mental strength to control them.
• Companionship and mutual aid: Bao Lian Lord rewards Zhang Su for saving her, while Zhang Su later responds to Gu Yun Lord’s plea despite the danger.
• Opportunity amid chaos: The Abyss Forbidden Zone’s Active Period creates unprecedented chances to obtain treasures but also intensifies competition, violence, and uncertainty.
• Ambition and confidence: Zhang Su’s refusal to retreat before overwhelming odds reflects his rapidly growing confidence and willingness to confront stronger opponents.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhang Su and Bao Lian Lord: Their meeting establishes Zhang Su’s identity and strength. Bao Lian Lord gives him the Blood-Soul Grasses as thanks for saving her.
• Zhang Su and Lu Tingxue: Lu Tingxue worries about his dangerous cultivation choices, while Zhang Su reassures her but remains determined to continue.
• Zhang Su and Gu Yun Lord: Zhang Su answers Gu Yun Lord’s distress call. Though Gu Yun expects only an escape attempt, Zhang Su instead proposes defeating the entire encircling force.
• Zhang Su and the surrounding Lords: The gathered Lords underestimate him because he has only recently reached Dao Transformation, setting up the chapter’s cliffhanger confrontation.