Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Forcefully Slaying Him, the Initial Church Young Master’s Supreme Gift”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Demonic Cultivator Dimension, a soul phantom watches the battle with amusement, confident that the Initial Church Young Master has provoked someone far beyond his expectations.
• Li Yue, an apparently ordinary Deity at the Half-step Dao-wielding level, launches the first attack against Chu Yuan, declaring that Chu Yuan has repeatedly courted death.
• Li Yue summons more than a hundred Heavenly Dao Myriad Derivation Wheels, each containing a powerful Half-step Dao-wielding Divine Technique. The spectators are horrified because Deities are normally believed incapable of unleashing so many Taboo Divine Techniques simultaneously.
• Chu Yuan remains arrogant at first, believing Li Yue’s attack is insufficient to threaten him. However, Li Yue then brings out the Soul Abyss Bell, a Half-step Dimension-level supreme treasure.
• Chu Yuan is shocked because the bell is comparable to the Initial Church’s own sect-suppressing treasures, while even he does not possess a treasure of equal level.
• Chu Yuan uses multiple Dao-wielding-level defensive and offensive Taboo treasures to resist the bell waves, but they are quickly overwhelmed.
• Realizing that he is facing death, Chu Yuan abandons his arrogance and begs Li Yue to spare him. He offers to surrender the stolen possession and invokes his father, the Half-step Dimension-level Initial Church Master, as a threat.
• Li Yue refuses to relent. He states that even dimensions have an end, and that Chu Yuan’s status cannot save him from his own final hour.
• The Soul Abyss Bell obliterates Chu Yuan’s body, divine soul, will, and true spirit, killing him in a single decisive exchange.
• The three Taboo Lives observing the battle are stunned. When the old man attempts to flee, Li Yue warns that anyone who runs will die, forcing them to remain.
• Li Yue loots Chu Yuan’s remains and discovers enormous wealth, including the True Destiny Grand Luo Flower—a rare treasure capable of helping a Deity advance into the Taboo Divine Rank.

2. Character Developments

• Li Yue: Displays overwhelming combat power, decisiveness, and absolute confidence. He shifts from appearing merely powerful to revealing that he possesses a Half-step Dimension-level treasure. His victory greatly increases his confidence in advancing to the Taboo Divine Rank.
• Chu Yuan: Undergoes a dramatic collapse from arrogant, status-based confidence to desperation and terror. His belief in his own invincibility is shattered when his treasures fail and his lineage proves useless against Li Yue.
• The three observing Taboo Lives: Their attitude changes from astonishment to fear. Witnessing Chu Yuan’s death makes them recognize Li Yue as an existence they cannot oppose or escape from.
• The soul phantom: Serves as an amused spectator who immediately recognizes that Chu Yuan has provoked a dangerous opponent.

3. Significant Themes

• Overconfidence and the limits of status: Chu Yuan’s identity as the Initial Church Young Master and son of a supreme giant cannot protect him when faced with superior strength.
• Absolute power and hidden capabilities: Li Yue’s true strength is concealed until he reveals the Soul Abyss Bell, emphasizing that appearances and established assumptions about power levels can be misleading.
• Mortality and the inevitability of an ending: Li Yue’s statement that even dimensions have a final hour underscores the theme that no being, regardless of rank or destiny, is exempt from death.
• Ruthless decisiveness: Once Li Yue chooses to act, he refuses negotiation or hesitation, demonstrating the harsh logic of the cultivation world.
• Opportunity arising from danger: Chu Yuan’s death not only removes a powerful enemy but also gives Li Yue access to wealth and the True Destiny Grand Luo Flower, potentially accelerating his breakthrough.

4. Character Interactions

• The soul phantom mocks Chu Yuan’s impending defeat while observing the battle from the Demonic Cultivator Dimension.
• The three Taboo Lives react with disbelief as Li Yue unleashes an unprecedented number of Divine Techniques.
• Chu Yuan initially dismisses Li Yue’s attack, but his attitude changes completely after seeing the Soul Abyss Bell.
• Chu Yuan attempts to negotiate by offering the stolen item and threatening Li Yue with his father’s retaliation. Li Yue rejects the appeal and answers with a philosophical declaration about the inevitability of death.
• After Chu Yuan’s death, the old man tries to escape, but Li Yue’s warning immediately suppresses the group’s resistance and leaves them terrified of him.
• Li Yue’s final interaction is with Chu Yuan’s remains and possessions, especially the True Destiny Grand Luo Flower, which he views as a crucial step toward reaching the Taboo Divine Rank.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing the Initial Church Young Master, Li Yue examines his belongings and discovers an enormous fortune:
  • 11 Dao-wielding-grade taboo treasures
  • 26 Creation-grade taboo treasures
  • 110 Dao-wielding-grade taboo spiritual items
  • 469 Creation-grade taboo spiritual items
  • The exceptionally rare

True Destiny Grand Luo Flower

• Li Yue confronts three surviving Taboo Life forms who witnessed the Young Master’s death: one Half-step Dao-wielding expert and two High Creation-grade beings.
• Rather than killing them, he gives them the choice to serve him. The three immediately submit, valuing survival over resistance.
• Li Yue uses the Spirit-Binding Scroll, one of the Young Master’s Dao-wielding-grade treasures, to bind portions of their true spirits. This gives him control over their lives.
• The three servants introduce themselves as Mo Ke, Jing Yuan, and Giant Demon God. Li Yue orders them to address him as God Lord.
• Upon returning to the Demonic Cultivator Dimension, the three are shocked to find thirty-six Taboo Life forms gathered in the otherwise ordinary Onefold Dimension, including the powerful Dao-wielding-grade Bai Chan.
• Li Yue places the new servants under the authority of the Taichen Heavenly Palace, ordering Bai Chan to assign their duties.
• He then commands Bai Chan to establish a Dimensional Divine Luo Reception Altar, which is necessary for the Mythic Dimension to govern the Demonic Cultivator Dimension despite the immense spatial distance between them.
• With less than a year remaining before the next stage of his plans, Li Yue realizes that even the True Destiny Grand Luo Flower cannot independently help him complete the Taboo Divine Rank. He therefore turns his hopes toward the Dao Fruit Divine Tree and three upcoming Wheel lottery draws.

Character Developments

• Li Yue grows even more powerful and wealthy after inheriting the Initial Church Young Master’s treasures. His control over Dao-wielding-grade artifacts greatly increases his ability to suppress powerful Taboo Life forms.
• He demonstrates a more strategic approach to conquest: instead of killing the three witnesses, he binds them through their true spirits and incorporates them into his growing organization.
• Mo Ke, Jing Yuan, and Giant Demon God shift from potential enemies and witnesses to unwilling but obedient subordinates. Their submission highlights both Li Yue’s overwhelming strength and the harsh survival logic of the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Bai Chan continues to act as Li Yue’s loyal and capable administrator. He eagerly accepts responsibility for integrating the three new servants and organizing the dimensional altar.
• The three newly recruited Taboo Life forms gain a new awareness of Li Yue’s extraordinary influence when they encounter the densely populated Demonic Cultivator Dimension and Bai Chan’s reverence toward him.

Significant Themes

• Power and wealth as consequences of danger: Killing a high-status enemy brings enormous rewards, but also risks provoking the Initial Church.
• Control versus loyalty: Li Yue secures obedience not through genuine allegiance but by controlling fragments of his servants’ true spirits.
• Expansion and empire-building: The Demonic Cultivator Dimension is being transformed into a subordinate territory under Li Yue’s broader rule.
• Survival in a hostile cosmos: Even ancient Taboo Life forms readily submit when faced with the possibility of death and soul destruction.
• Limits of external treasures: Despite possessing the priceless True Destiny Grand Luo Flower, Li Yue recognizes that treasures are merely aids and cannot replace his own cultivation and breakthrough.
• Urgency and preparation: The approaching deadline of less than a year forces Li Yue to seek every possible advantage, including the Dao Fruit Divine Tree and lottery draws.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue interrogates the three Taboo Life forms about how they should be treated, prompting their immediate submission.
• He commands them to surrender portions of their true spirits through the Spirit-Binding Scroll, establishing a relationship based on absolute control.
• Li Yue formally renames their relationship by having them call him God Lord.
• Upon meeting Bai Chan, the three new servants witness his respectful treatment of Li Yue and realize the vast difference in status and power between them.
• Li Yue delegates their future duties to Bai Chan, reinforcing the Taichen Heavenly Palace’s hierarchy.
• Bai Chan accepts Li Yue’s orders confidently and promises to establish the Dimensional Divine Luo Reception Altar within a month.

Chapter Summary: “Three Divine Path Wheel Draws, Terror Rewards”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue retreats within the Divine Domain and uses taboo power to isolate himself before claiming the reward for Personal Quest 57.
• Three Taboo-grade Divine Path Wheels appear. Unlike previous wheels, their contents are hidden by gray mist, and Li Yue expects rewards at least equal to his current Half-step Dao-wielding level.
• The first wheel produces the Divine Maiden Zither, a Half-step Dimension-level treasure created from the remains of the female Deity Que Xianyan.
• The second wheel grants nine Taboo-grade Blessing Talismans, which can help Li Yue’s subordinates advance to the Taboo Grade.
• The final wheel reveals the Black Emperor Sword, the former weapon of Shui Wuhui, a powerful and extremely violent Half-step Dimension-level Deity.
• Li Yue calculates that his current reserves of World Divine Power allow him to activate Half-step Dimension-level treasures only a limited number of times. Used together with his Seal of Dao Origin and Thousandfold Combat Power, however, these treasures could allow him to contend with genuine Half-step Dimension-level Taboo Lives.
• One month later, Li Yue prepares to lead the Mythic Dimension in ruling the Demonic Cultivator Dimension. He expects this conquest to make the Dao Fruit Divine Tree produce its second-stage fruits, potentially granting him enormous benefits.

Character Developments

• Li Yue gains three exceptionally powerful rewards, dramatically increasing his arsenal and strategic options.
• He becomes more confident in challenging Half-step Dimension-level opponents, though he remains aware of the immense energy cost and limitations of his new treasures.
• Li Yue also continues developing his forces rather than focusing solely on personal strength, planning to use the Blessing Talismans to advance allies such as Li Xiuwu, Li Deyang, and Chen Zhuxian.
• The backstories of Que Xianyan and Shui Wuhui expand the chapter’s lore:
  • Que Xianyan was a peaceful, artistic genius whose combat ability nevertheless allowed her to kill three enemies of the same Half-step Dimension-level.
  • Shui Wuhui was a ruthless cultivator who destroyed an entire Ninefold Fusion Dimension and pursued Dimension-level power before ultimately perishing.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through legacy: Both major weapons contain the accumulated power and history of fallen Half-step Dimension-level Deities.
• The cost of strength: Li Yue’s treasures are extremely powerful but consume vast amounts of World Divine Power, preventing him from using them recklessly.
• Talent versus fate: Que Xianyan’s extraordinary ability still could not protect her from a stronger Dimension-level enemy, while Shui Wuhui’s ambition and brutality also failed to carry him to the next realm.
• Accumulation and preparation: Li Yue strengthens both himself and his followers while preparing for a larger conquest and the rewards promised by the Dao Fruit Divine Tree.
• Expansion of dominion: The coming takeover of the Demonic Cultivator Dimension marks another step in Li Yue’s growing influence and the Mythic Dimension’s expansion.

Character Interactions

• There are no direct conversations between characters in this chapter, as Li Yue spends most of the chapter alone examining his rewards.
• The reward descriptions establish indirect relationships between Li Yue and the deceased Deities whose legacies he inherits.
• Li Yue also considers how the Blessing Talismans will benefit his subordinates and enhance the power of the Seal of Dao Origin, showing his continuing reliance on and investment in his wider faction.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The setting is a realm where the Dimension of Myriad Daos controls ninety percent of the Dao, while the Demonic Cultivator Dimension controls the remaining ten percent. Their collision creates demonic monsters and gives rise to the exorcist cultivation path.
• Ma Ling’er, the most talented heir of the Ma Family exorcists, patrols the Sacred Heaven Continent. While observing the enormous Dimension Gate, she glimpses a fragment of the Mythic Dimension and becomes immersed in its profound Dao.
• Ma Ling’er unexpectedly draws a strand of genuine Dao from the Mythic Dimension into her body. Li Yue notices this and suspects that she possesses a powerful hidden divine soul and may be the reincarnation of an extraordinary being.
• Li Yue manifests three thousand Dao Divine Chains from the Mythic Dimension, uses them to seize control of the Demonic Cultivator Dimension, and declares it subordinate to the Mythic Dimension.
• The Demonic Cultivator Dimension resists, but Li Yue suppresses its will. Myth, the young spirit of the Mythic Dimension, transforms that will and assimilates it completely. The Mythic Dimension’s origin is partially restored as a result.
• A mysterious soul shadow observes these events and reflects on the rarity of Ninefold Fusion Dimensions, the difficulty of transcending the Three Thousand Dimensions, and the unfathomable nature of the Divine Path.
• Back in the Mythic Dimension, Li Yue grants Li Xiudao a Taboo Grade Blessing Talisman, allowing him to break through into the Taboo realm.
• Li Xiudao’s breakthrough produces spectacular seven-colored phenomena throughout the dimension. Because the Mythic Dimension is a Ninefold Fusion Dimension, he receives an Origin Blessing: the ability to create a personally suited Taboo technique, along with the benefits of a Taboo spirit item and ten eras of Dao comprehension.
• Myth then informs Li Yue that the second-stage fruits of the Dao Fruit Divine Tree have ripened, exciting him and setting up the next development.

Character Developments

• Ma Ling’er is revealed to be far more extraordinary than an ordinary Immortal King. Her ability to absorb Dao from the Mythic Dimension suggests a hidden identity, reincarnation, or powerful soul within her.
• Li Yue demonstrates absolute authority over the Mythic Dimension and expands its influence by conquering another dimension. He acts as both ruler and benefactor, personally arranging Li Xiudao’s advancement.
• Myth proves capable of directly transforming and assimilating another dimension’s will. Her success strengthens the Mythic Dimension and restores part of its damaged origin.
• Li Xiudao advances to the Taboo realm and gains exceptional benefits unavailable to cultivators in lower-level dimensions.
• The soul shadow remains an enigmatic observer, knowledgeable about the Three Thousand Dimensions and the Divine Path but unwilling—or unable—to pursue the matter further.

Significant Themes

• Dimensional hierarchy and conquest: The chapter emphasizes the power differences between dimensions and establishes the Mythic Dimension’s expansion into a ruling force.
• The rarity of talent and hidden identities: Ma Ling’er’s unusual connection to the Mythic Dimension hints that great figures may be concealed within ordinary worlds.
• Power through advancement: A dimension’s quality directly affects the benefits gained by those who reach the Taboo realm within it.
• Limits of transcendence: Even immensely powerful beings remain trapped within the Three Thousand Dimensions unless they achieve near-impossible transcendence.
• Restoration and growth: By absorbing the Demonic Cultivator Dimension and nurturing Taboo beings, the Mythic Dimension gradually repairs and strengthens its depleted origin.

Character Interactions

• Ma Ling’er unknowingly interacts with Li Yue through her contact with the Mythic Dimension’s Dao; her talent captures his attention.
• Li Yue commands Myth to seize and transform the Demonic Cultivator Dimension’s will, showing their cooperation and his authority over her.
• Li Yue personally addresses and empowers Li Xiudao, while Li Xiudao responds with complete loyalty and vows not to disappoint him.
• Myth explains the dimensional blessings associated with Taboo breakthroughs, deepening Li Yue’s understanding of the Mythic Dimension’s advantages.
• Myth concludes the chapter by informing Li Yue about the ripened Dao Fruit Divine Tree fruits, prompting his anticipation.

Chapter Summary: Dao Fruit of the Second Stage, Entering the Gray Valley Ark

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue enters the Heavenly Emperor Palace with Myth and reaches the rejuvenated Dao Fruit Divine Tree.
• He discovers and consumes the Divine Tree’s second-stage fruit, the Dao-wielding Fruit.
• The fruit grants him an immersive experience of the Willow Emperor’s entire cultivation journey:
  • Entry into the Dao-wielding Grade.
  • Countless battles against Dao-wielding Grade Taboo Lives.
  • Advancement from the Initial to Intermediate and then Advanced Dao-wielding Grade.
  • Eventual attainment of the Half-step Dimension-level.
• Although most of the Willow Emperor’s memories and forbidden techniques fade afterward, Li Yue retains a perfect understanding of the Emperor’s Fusion Great Dao.
• Li Yue tests this comprehension by forming a sword from his World Divine Power, discovering that his power has reached a level capable of displaying a fraction of Half-step Dimension-level might when combined with his trump cards.
• He returns to the Demonic Cultivator Dimension, where the soul shadow awaits him.
• A gate to the legendary Gray Valley Ark appears for holders of its token. Li Yue enters and arrives beneath an ancient stairway.
• The soul shadow joyfully emerges and immediately calls for the “first soul” and “second soul,” suggesting unfinished business or a reunion with powerful entities.

Character Developments

• Li Yue gains an enormous advancement in comprehension. The Dao-wielding Fruit allows him to personally experience hundreds of millions of epochs of cultivation, giving him insight far beyond his former level.
• He acquires the Willow Emperor’s Fusion Great Dao, greatly strengthening his potential and possibly allowing him to approach Half-step Dimension-level combat power.
• Li Yue remains cautious and analytical, testing his newfound strength rather than recklessly assuming he has fully reached the next realm.
• The Willow Emperor is revealed through the fruit’s vision as a slow but extraordinarily persistent cultivator. His strength comes from unwavering Dao-heartedness, repeated life-and-death battles, and gradual mastery of fusion.
• The soul shadow displays intense excitement and impatience about returning to the Gray Valley Ark. He also remains cynical toward deities, accusing them of hypocrisy and betrayal based on past experiences with Yun Qiannian and his organization.
• Myth accompanies Li Yue to the Divine Tree but does not play a major role in the chapter’s later events.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and perseverance: The Willow Emperor’s success comes not from sudden talent or rapid breakthroughs but from improving steadily over countless epochs.
• Experience as power: The Dao Fruit does more than provide information; it allows Li Yue to live through another being’s cultivation, granting him profound experiential understanding.
• The distinction between comprehension and realm: Li Yue gains the insight of a Half-step Dimension-level existence, but this does not mean his own cultivation realm has instantly advanced to that level.
• Fusion and synthesis: The Willow Emperor’s Dao revolves around combining countless Great Daos, symbolized by the innumerable willow branches that each contain different powers.
• Trust and betrayal: The soul shadow’s distrust of deities contrasts with Li Yue’s insistence that he honors his promises. The chapter also reflects on how harsh environments and constant deception shape people’s morality.
• The unknown and transcendence: The Gray Valley Ark is presented as a mysterious, supreme location beyond ordinary dimensional understanding, raising the stakes for the next stage of the story.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Yue and Myth travel together to the Dao Fruit Divine Tree, with Myth following closely behind him.
• Li Yue internally evaluates the fruit’s benefits and reflects on the Willow Emperor’s achievements after awakening from the vision.
• In the Demonic Cultivator Dimension, Li Yue reassures the soul shadow that he has kept his promise.
• The soul shadow responds skeptically, criticizing deities for their lack of integrity and invoking the example of Yun Qiannian.
• When the Gray Valley Ark gate appears, the soul shadow urgently urges Li Yue to enter and then attaches himself to Li Yue’s palm.
• Upon arrival, the soul shadow abandons his restrained demeanor, appearing in the air and shouting triumphantly for the first and second souls, signaling a significant connection to the Gray Valley Ark’s past.

Chapter Summary: “The Enraged Initial Church Leader, a Familiar Voice”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Initial Church Leader learns that his son, Chu Yuan, has been killed inside the Gray Valley Ark. Chu Yuan was exceptionally important because he possessed the potential to become a Dimension-level Taboo Life and represented the Initial Church’s hope of producing another such existence.
• Although the Initial Church Leader’s Supreme Sensory Highest Causality Method detected no danger during Chu Yuan’s journey, Chu Yuan still died after taking the Gray Valley Tower. This leaves the leader enraged and baffled.
• He orders his eldest disciple, Chu Lu, to enter the Gray Valley Ark and kill the unknown Taboo Life responsible. Chu Lu accepts the mission and departs immediately.
• The Initial Church Leader cannot enter personally because the Gray Valley Ark prohibits Half-step Dimension-level beings. He vows to hunt down Chu Yuan’s killer across the Three Thousand Dimensions, viewing the death as an interruption of his own path toward the Dimension-level.
• In the endless darkness, Pangu and Mo Yin end their battle after Pangu gains the upper hand. With the Gray Valley Ark open, they agree to stop fighting temporarily and enter their respective portals.
• In the Hongyuan Dimension, numerous Taboo Lives enter the Gray Valley Ark. The Left Minister has ordered three experts from the Heaven-Battling and Heaven-Opening Bureaus to kill the Leader of the Divine Path Organization, who is apparently connected to the death of a Patrol Inspector.
• Wangkong, deputy chief of the Heavenwatch Bureau, privately worries that these developments may trigger a major upheaval. He fears that unrest would destroy his already-slim chance of reaching the Half-step Dimension-level.
• Beneath the ancient stairway to heaven, Li Yue hears the mysterious soul shadow mention a “First Soul” and “Second Soul,” as well as a “Third Soul.” A powerful voice then addresses the shadow as “Little Third” and warns it to respect its elder brothers.
• Li Yue recognizes the voice, ending the chapter on a suspenseful revelation.

Character Developments

• Initial Church Leader: His grief and fury reveal that he regarded Chu Yuan not only as a son but also as a vital resource for his own future advancement. His reaction shows his ruthless, utilitarian attitude toward disciples and offspring.
• Chu Lu: Introduced as a terrifying and highly talented Intermediate Dao-wielding Grade Taboo Life. Despite his low-key appearance, he possesses immense slaughtering power and now becomes the Initial Church Leader’s principal agent of revenge.
• Pangu: Demonstrates overwhelming combat strength by suppressing Mo Yin, though he agrees to end the battle once the Gray Valley Ark opens.
• Mo Yin: Although injured and disadvantaged, he remains difficult to kill due to his Peak Dao-wielding Grade cultivation. He chooses pragmatism over continuing a pointless battle.
• Wangkong: Shows caution and political awareness. He understands the danger posed by the Hongyuan Dimension’s hidden powers and worries that coming conflicts may affect his own cultivation goals.
• Li Yue: Becomes increasingly alarmed by the mysteries surrounding the Gray Valley Ark and the soul shadow. His instinct is to flee, suggesting he senses a threat far beyond his current understanding.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and the severing of one’s Dao Path: The Initial Church Leader sees Chu Yuan’s death as more than personal loss; it has damaged his future path toward the Dimension-level, making his revenge absolute.
• The ruthlessness of cultivation: Powerful beings treat disciples, children, and organizations as tools or resources. Personal relationships are inseparable from ambition and advancement.
• Hidden conspiracies and impending upheaval: Orders from the Hongyuan Dimension, the death of a Patrol Inspector, and the targeting of the Divine Path Organization suggest that several major powers are maneuvering behind the scenes.
• The mystery and danger of the Gray Valley Ark: Its history, connection to Dimension-level beings, and restrictions make it a place where extraordinary opportunities and catastrophic threats coexist.
• Hierarchy and origins: The references to First, Second, and Third Souls hint at a deeper structure or identity involving the soul shadow, while the commanding voice implies an ancient and powerful relationship among them.

Important Character Interactions

• The Initial Church Leader commands Chu Lu to avenge Chu Yuan, making clear that failure will cost Chu Lu his life or place within the church.
• Pangu and Mo Yin negotiate a truce after their battle, temporarily setting aside their conflict to pursue the opportunities within the Gray Valley Ark.
• Hongyuan’s authorities direct their Taboo Lives to target the Leader of the Divine Path Organization, demonstrating the escalation of factional conflict.
• Li Yue and the soul shadow are linked through the mysterious First, Second, and Third Souls. The newly heard voice addresses the shadow as an inferior younger soul and imposes a hierarchy.
• Li Yue’s recognition of the final voice suggests that someone from his past—or someone tied to a major hidden secret—is connected to the Gray Valley Ark’s ancient soul entities.

Chapter Summary: “The Third Soul’s ‘Proxy,’ a Dimension-level Inheritance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue realizes that the voice speaking to him is the same entity that once gave him the Gray Valley Ark talisman. This entity identifies itself as Gray Valley, the master of the ark.
• The soul shadow he brought into the Gray Valley Ark is revealed to be Gray Valley’s Third Soul. Gray Valley originally possessed three souls, which have been separated for countless years.
• The three souls are preparing to begin the Gray Valley Contest, a trial intended to reunite them and restore Gray Valley as the master of the ark. However, because the souls’ union will cause two of them to perish, the contest is effectively a life-or-death struggle.
• Each soul has selected a proxy to represent it. The Third Soul has chosen Li Yue, though Li Yue was unaware that entering the ark would involve him in this conflict.
• The Third Soul reveals that he underwent reincarnation three times in the outside world, proving the Dao to Dimension-level each time. His purpose was to grow stronger and eventually avenge an ancient, blood-deep hatred.
• The Third Soul had promised Li Yue a King-grade Inheritance, forcing the First Soul and Second Soul to honor his promise. They agree that Li Yue may receive it if he ranks among the top ten on the Heavenly Stairway.
• The Third Soul tells Li Yue that becoming his proxy could grant him benefits far beyond imagination and may provide crucial assistance on the path toward Transcendence. However, Li Yue must first prove himself by obtaining the King-grade Inheritance.
• Li Yue begins by using his General-grade Talisman. The Gray Valley Ark presents him with a choice among 108 General-grade Inheritances, each emitting powerful Dimension-level fluctuations.

Character Developments

• Li Yue shifts from confusion and suspicion to intense interest. He realizes that the Gray Valley Ark’s inheritances are vastly more valuable than he had understood.
• He becomes especially motivated by the possibility of obtaining a King-grade Inheritance, which could directly guide a practitioner toward Half-step Transcendence-grade.
• Li Yue also begins considering the greater implications of becoming the Third Soul’s proxy, particularly the possibility that a higher-level Supreme Inheritance could aid him in reaching Transcendence.
• The Third Soul is revealed as ambitious, powerful, sarcastic, and driven by revenge. His three successful Dimension-level reincarnations demonstrate extraordinary determination and ability.
• The First Soul is cautious and relatively stingy with the ark’s inheritances, insisting that Li Yue prove his worth before receiving the King-grade reward.
• The Second Soul remains more detached, speaking from throughout Time-Space and confirming that he has also chosen a proxy.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and destiny: Li Yue is unexpectedly drawn into a conflict involving the legacy of an ancient supreme existence.
• Power and qualification: Valuable opportunities are not freely granted; Li Yue must prove his strength by climbing the Heavenly Stairway and obtaining the required inheritance.
• Ambition versus caution: The Third Soul urges Li Yue to seize opportunities rather than retreat from danger, while the other souls emphasize conditions and limitations.
• Revenge and enduring hatred: The Third Soul’s motivation is rooted in an ancient grievance that has survived countless years and repeated reincarnations.
• Transcendence and growth: The chapter expands the power hierarchy, revealing that General-grade Inheritances point toward Dimension-level, King-grade Inheritances toward Half-step Transcendence, and the mysterious Supreme Inheritance may potentially lead toward Transcendence itself.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue confronts the revelation that the soul shadow is not merely a guide but one of Gray Valley’s three divided souls.
• The Third Soul negotiates with the First and Second Souls, using his prior promise to Li Yue to pressure them into offering a King-grade Inheritance.
• The First Soul establishes the condition that Li Yue must rank within the top ten of the Heavenly Stairway.
• The Third Soul encourages Li Yue directly, framing the proxy role as a path to extraordinary rewards while leaving the final decision to him.
• The chapter ends with Li Yue beginning the inheritance-selection process, surrounded by 108 Dimension-level General-grade options.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue enters a vast inheritance pavilion containing 108 General-grade inheritances, each carrying a Dimension-level aura and offering a path toward becoming a Dimension-level Taboo Life.
• He selects the Flowing Light Inheritance, an advanced inheritance centered on the Light Origin Great Dao and its eventual fusion into the Time Origin Great Dao.
• The inheritance explains that understanding an Origin Great Dao is the key to forging a Ninefold Fusion Dimension, which provides the foundation for proving the Dao and reaching the Dimension-level.
• Li Yue discovers that the Flowing Light Inheritance contains thirty million symbols of the Light Origin Great Dao, with each symbol composed of thirty million patterns. Only after mastering all of them can one progress toward the Time Origin Great Dao.
• He activates the previously unexplained Grand Dao Resolution ability of the Seal of Dao Origin by transmitting the first Light Origin Great Dao symbol into it.
• The Seal gathers the comprehension of hundreds of thousands of Dao-Treading Creatures and several hundred Taboo Lives under Li Yue’s command. Their combined insight forms a “wisdom god” that analyzes the symbol and sends its understanding back to Li Yue.
• After withdrawing from the inheritance space, Li Yue examines the Heavenly Stairway’s ranking tablet. He learns that it records the thirty strongest challengers throughout the history of the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• He discovers that the thirtieth-ranked figure is Xing Mo, who reached the tenth level of the Heavenly Stairway while only at the Early Dao-wielding Grade and had slain two Dimension-level Taboo Lives.

Character Development

• Li Yue gains a clear understanding of the path to Dimension-level cultivation. He realizes that inheritances do not guarantee success but provide the only genuine hope for comprehending an Origin Great Dao.
• He recognizes the enormous difficulty of the process, comparing it to feats far beyond ordinary cultivation limits.
• His confidence increases after discovering that the Seal of Dao Origin can multiply his comprehension through the collective wisdom of his subordinates.
• At the same time, he identifies a weakness: he needs many more Dao-Treading Creatures and Taboo Lives to strengthen the Seal’s “wisdom god.”
• His ambition becomes more focused when he sees the Heavenly Stairway rankings and sets his sights on entering the top ten to obtain a King-grade Inheritance.

Significant Themes

• The difficulty of transcendence: Becoming Dimension-level is portrayed as an almost impossible feat requiring mastery of an Origin Great Dao and the creation of a Ninefold Fusion Dimension.
• Inheritance versus personal effort: An inheritance can reveal the correct path, but success still depends on the cultivator’s talent, persistence, and comprehension.
• Collective strength: Li Yue’s Seal of Dao Origin demonstrates how the knowledge of many beings can be combined into a powerful source of insight.
• Ambition and hierarchy: The Heavenly Stairway ranking emphasizes the vast gap between powerful Taboo Lives and the truly supreme beings of history.
• The mystery of the Origin Great Daos: These fundamental laws underlie all other Daos but remain nearly impossible for ordinary Taboo Lives to perceive, much less comprehend.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue does not engage in direct dialogue with other characters in this chapter, but his connection with his followers becomes central.
• Hundreds of thousands of Dao-Treading Creatures and several hundred Taboo Lives contribute their comprehension through the Seal of Dao Origin, effectively assisting Li Yue’s cultivation.
• The chapter also introduces Xing Mo indirectly through the ranking tablet. As leader of the Myth Organization and a being capable of killing two Dimension-level Taboo Lives, Xing Mo establishes the level of power Li Yue must surpass.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue examines the Gray Valley Ark’s Heavenly Ladder Rankings, which list the strongest Taboo Lives in the history of the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• He discovers that Xing Mo, leader of the Mythic Dimension and slayer of two Dimension-level Taboo Lives, ranks only thirtieth. Li Yue realizes this reflects the extraordinary difficulty of the rankings rather than Xing Mo’s weakness.
• The rankings reveal several legendary figures:
  • Minghua, the youngest and strongest Taboo Life of the Immortal Source Dimension, ranked twenty-ninth after killing two Dimension-level Taboo Lives.
  • Shen Meng, leader of the God Dream Organization, ranked twenty-fifth after killing three.
  • Xing, leader of the Ancient God Organization, ranked sixteenth after killing two.
  • Pan, ranked ninth, a mysterious figure friendly toward the Divine Path and humanity who once shattered a Ninefold Fusion Dimension and killed five Dimension-level Taboo Lives.
  • Yun Qiannian, leader of the Years Organization, ranked fourth after killing seven Dimension-level Taboo Lives and severely damaging both the Immortal Source Dimension and Ancient Path Dimension.
• Li Yue cannot penetrate the resistance concealing the top three rankings. He decides it is not worth wasting divine power to reveal them, believing their identities will become clear once he rises high enough himself.
• He notices that nearly all of the top thirty had reached the Dimension-level and killed Dimension-level Taboo Lives, while the few exceptions likely died before completing their growth.
• More than 160 Taboo Lives then arrive, including over one hundred Dao-wielding Grade experts. They immediately recognize that Li Yue must have obtained a General-grade Talisman and inheritance.
• The other Taboo Lives become envious and potentially hostile, since General-grade Inheritances can lead directly to the Dimension-level and are exceedingly rare.
• Chu Lu suspects Li Yue is the person who killed his junior brother, Chu Yuan. He covets Li Yue’s inheritance, hoping to use it to leave the Myriad Forms Dimension and eventually return powerful enough to dominate it and the Initial Church.
• Pangu openly approaches Li Yue and stands beside him, intimidating the surrounding Taboo Lives with his overwhelming Dao of Strength.
• An Intermediate Dao-wielding Grade Taboo Life offers Li Yue a temporal Heaven and Earth Wonder in exchange for part of the General-grade Inheritance. Li Yue recognizes that the object is compatible with Ultimate Pangu and could complete it, especially when combined with twelve drops of Pangu Essence Blood.

Character Developments

• Li Yue gains a clearer understanding of the terrifying history and power scale of the Gray Valley Ark’s strongest beings. His ambition and confidence grow as he compares himself with the legendary figures above him.
• He becomes especially curious about Pan, whose mysterious origins and friendliness toward humanity remind him of the great god Pangu.
• Chu Lu is revealed to be fiercely ambitious and vengeful. He wants the General-grade Inheritance to escape his current constraints and eventually crush the powerful elder who controls the Myriad Forms Dimension and Initial Church.
• Pangu demonstrates his loyalty and willingness to protect Li Yue by standing beside him when the other Taboo Lives begin showing hostility.
• Li Yue identifies an opportunity to complete Ultimate Pangu and potentially raise its power to the Half-step Dao-wielding Grade.

Significant Themes

• The vastness of the cultivation hierarchy: Even figures capable of killing Dimension-level Taboo Lives may rank only near the bottom of the top thirty, emphasizing the immense scale of power in the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Legacy and historical greatness: The rankings preserve the achievements of ancient beings, many of whom are dead or mysterious, allowing their deeds to influence the living.
• Fortune and opportunity: Obtaining a General-grade Talisman is portrayed as an extraordinarily rare stroke of destiny that can determine a cultivator’s future.
• Competition and danger: Li Yue’s inheritance gives him both a tremendous advantage and a target, drawing envy and possible threats from the newly arrived Taboo Lives.
• Loyalty and alliance: Pangu’s immediate support contrasts with the greed and suspicion of others, reinforcing the importance of powerful allies.
• Unresolved mysteries: Pan’s unknown origins and possible connection to Pangu introduce a major mystery.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue internally evaluates the achievements of Xing Mo, Minghua, Shen Meng, Xing, Pan, and Yun Qiannian while studying the rankings.
• The arriving Taboo Lives assess Li Yue with envy, recognizing his likely possession of a General-grade Inheritance.
• Chu Lu silently identifies Li Yue as Chu Yuan’s killer and begins coveting his inheritance.
• Pangu joins Li Yue and projects his intimidating aura toward the hostile crowd, effectively warning them against acting recklessly.
• An Intermediate Dao-wielding Grade Taboo Life attempts to negotiate with Li Yue by offering a temporal Heaven and Earth Wonder for part of the inheritance.
• Li Yue realizes the proposed trade could help complete Ultimate Pangu, creating a possible alliance—or a new source of conflict—among the assembled Taboo Lives.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue refuses to give the other Taboo Lives the Gray Valley Ark’s Flowing Light Inheritance, explaining that it is branded directly into his divine soul and cannot be copied, traded, or transferred. He could only place the Light Origin Great Dao symbols into the Seal of Dao Origin because that treasure was also part of his soul.
• The surrounding Taboo Lives are disappointed but immediately begin considering whether Li Yue’s soul could be extracted and refined to obtain the inheritance. Since it is a General-grade Inheritance capable of guiding someone toward the Dimension-level Dao, they view Li Yue as a major threat and opportunity.
• Mo Yin develops intense killing intent toward Li Yue. He recalls that Pangu once obtained a similar inheritance, eventually reaching the Dimension-level Dao and forcing Mo Yin into hiding. He fears Li Yue may repeat that history and resolves to kill him.
• An Intermediate Dao-wielding Taboo Life openly condemns the others as schemers and enters the ancient Heavenly Stairway. Pangu encourages Li Yue, and the two enter together. The other Taboo Lives follow, with some secretly forming alliances against Li Yue.
• After everyone enters, a young, expressionless Daoist arrives. His body is revealed to be a lingering obsession that has survived for countless years despite repeated attempts to erase it.
• At the peak of the Firmament, Gray Valley First Soul and Gray Valley Third Soul discuss this mysterious Daoist, whose original strength once ranked among the top three in the history of the Three Thousand Dimensions. First Soul and Second Soul have chosen his Past body as a proxy because they were able to intercept and replicate it.
• The Gray Valley Souls debate which Heavenly Ladder contender Third Soul should choose. Third Soul intends to select the strongest possible individual—preferably someone capable of transcending the Three Thousand Dimensions—rather than merely defeating his fellow souls.
• The discussion turns to the first-ranked Taboo Life on the Heavenly Ladder Rankings. First Soul explains that this being’s Past body cannot be intercepted or replicated, making him the true strongest existence in history. His disappearance coincided with the emergence of the Divine Path, leading First and Second Soul to suspect that he is connected to its true source.
• The Divine Path is described as extremely young yet terrifyingly powerful. It already occupies four of the top thirty Heavenly Ladder positions and would occupy twelve if the rankings were expanded. Given enough time, it might dominate more than a third of the top thirty.
• Third Soul remains skeptical of the others’ chosen proxies and believes only someone capable of transcendence can help him avenge his hatred and return to his homeland.
• Based on Li Yue’s previous battle against a Half-step Dao-wielding existence, Third Soul estimates that Li Yue is at least strong enough to clear the eleventh level of the Heavenly Stairway—placing him around the top four.

Character Developments

• Li Yue: Demonstrates restraint and honesty by refusing to make promises he cannot fulfill. His possession of an untransferable General-grade Inheritance increases his importance and makes him a target for nearly every Taboo Life present.
• Pangu: Continues to support Li Yue openly, accompanying him into the Heavenly Stairway and showing that he is willing to stand beside him despite the danger.
• Mo Yin: Becomes increasingly fearful and hostile. His past defeat and long-term fear of Pangu influence his determination to eliminate Li Yue before Li Yue can reach the Dimension-level.
• Gray Valley First and Second Souls: Reveal their strategic interest in selecting powerful historical figures as proxies. They are cautious and choose the second- and third-ranked beings rather than risking an uncertain choice.
• Gray Valley Third Soul: Shows ambition and defiance, prioritizing transcendence and revenge over merely winning the internal contest among the souls. He places considerable confidence in Li Yue’s potential.
• The first-ranked Taboo Life: Remains mysterious and absent, but is portrayed as the greatest being in Three Thousand Dimensions history, possibly linked to the origin of the Divine Path.
• The lingering Daoist obsession: Is introduced as an extraordinary remnant of a once peerless existence whose power and potential may have approached transcendence.

Significant Themes

• Power and inherited opportunity: The Flowing Light Inheritance represents a rare path toward the Dimension-level Dao and demonstrates how access to knowledge can determine the fate of supreme beings.
• Fear of rising threats: Li Yue’s potential causes the same panic that Pangu once inspired in Mo Yin, showing how powerful figures seek to destroy future rivals before they mature.
• Transcendence and limitation: The Gray Valley Souls debate whether anyone can truly transcend the Three Thousand Dimensions, emphasizing the near-impossibility of surpassing the highest known realm.
• Mystery of the Divine Path: The chapter deepens the mystery surrounding the Divine Path, suggesting that its source may be tied to the disappearance or transcendence of the first-ranked Taboo Life.
• Competition and manipulation: The Heavenly Stairway functions not only as a trial of strength but also as a battlefield for the Gray Valley Souls, who use historical figures as proxies in a larger struggle.
• The persistence of will: The surviving Daoist obsession illustrates how an indomitable will can remain even after death and repeated destruction.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue and the Taboo Lives: Li Yue’s refusal to share the inheritance causes disappointment and turns many of them against him. Their greed and suspicion reveal that they view him more as a source of power than as an individual.
• Li Yue and Pangu: Pangu reassures Li Yue and enters the Heavenly Stairway with him, reinforcing their alliance.
• Mo Yin and Li Yue: Although they do not directly confront each other in this passage, Mo Yin’s memories of Pangu make him view Li Yue as a potential repeat of his greatest enemy and motivate his plan to kill him.
• Gray Valley First, Second, and Third Souls: The three debate their proxy choices and disagree over strategy. First and Second Soul favor safer, proven candidates, while Third Soul seeks the strongest possible candidate who may help him transcend and reclaim his homeland.
• Gray Valley Souls and the lingering Daoist: First Soul and Third Soul analyze the Daoist’s extraordinary past strength and the difficulty of replicating his true body.
• Third Soul and Li Yue: Third Soul has not formally chosen Li Yue, but his assessment of Li Yue’s combat ability suggests that Li Yue may become a major piece in the Souls’ contest.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue enters the Heavenly Stairway, whose challenges are set at Elementary Creation-grade difficulty for Taboo Life below that level.
• On the first level, he is tasked with killing one Elementary Creation-grade lifeform. He effortlessly destroys the radiant giant with a single wisp of Sword Qi, despite its repeated resurrection.
• Clearing the first stage places Li Yue above 97% of challengers of the same rank and rewards him with a randomly selected Soldier-grade Inheritance.
• The first inheritance, Black Sun, contains part of the Disaster Origin Great Dao. Fully comprehending it could allow someone to reach the Half-step Dimension-level.
• Li Yue realizes that these inheritances are powerful but randomly assigned, meaning their usefulness depends partly on luck. Although Black Sun does not align with his desired Light Origin Great Dao or Origin of Time, he plans to incorporate its principles into his own supreme path, the Heavenly Dao.
• He rapidly clears the second through sixth levels, obtaining six Soldier-grade Inheritances in total. The second inheritance is Full Moon, derived from the Taiyin Origin Great Dao.
• The seventh level requires him to defeat a High Creation-grade lifeform. Upon clearing it, Li Yue receives his first General-grade Inheritance.
• The General-grade Inheritance is the Oscillation Origin Great Dao, an ancient and pervasive Dao involving the oscillations of life, time, space, power, and worlds. Li Yue recognizes its immense destructive potential.
• Li Yue prepares to continue climbing, noting that the Heavenly Stairway’s current challenges are still easy for him. Although certain treasures and techniques are prohibited, he can still use Endless Combat Power and activate Thousandfold Combat Power, potentially reaching Advanced Dao-wielding Grade strength.

Character Development

• Li Yue’s overwhelming strength is emphasized: He defeats opponents far above the nominal challenge with minimal effort and remains composed throughout.
• He demonstrates increasing understanding of the Heavenly Stairway’s reward system and the significance of the inheritances.
• His ambitions remain focused on transcending the Dimension-level through his own Heavenly Dao, rather than simply relying on any single Origin Great Dao.
• His confidence grows as he views the early stairway levels as little more than a warm-up, while also showing strategic awareness regarding restricted treasures and available combat techniques.

Significant Themes

• Talent and disparity: The first-stage ranking reveals how rare it is for beings to defeat others of the same Taboo Life rank.
• Luck versus preparation: Random inheritance rewards may either suit or fail to suit a cultivator, making opportunity dependent on both ability and fortune.
• Individual Dao versus borrowed inheritance: Origin Great Daos can help beings reach the Dimension-level, but Li Yue’s true goal is to develop and perfect his own Heavenly Dao.
• The nature of power: The Oscillation Origin Great Dao represents destruction at the most fundamental level, contrasting with the majesty of Radiance and the mystery of Time.
• Limits and hidden potential: The stairway restricts certain external treasures, but Li Yue’s personal techniques and combat reserves still allow him to display extraordinary power.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue has no meaningful dialogue with other characters in this chapter.
• His main “interaction” is with the Heavenly Stairway’s trials, inheritance system, and summoned Taboo Life opponents.
• The chapter also references Xing Mo, who previously reached the ninth level and stopped at the tenth, establishing a benchmark for Li Yue’s potential progress.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue reaches the eighth level of the Heavenly Stairway, where his mission is to kill two High Creation-grade Taboo Life forms while remaining at Elementary Creation-grade.
• Two powerful Taboo Life forms attack him with a war halberd and bronze sword, unleashing forbidden arts and taboo treasures. Li Yue effortlessly destroys them with twenty strands of Sword Qi, each comparable to a Half-step Dao-wielding attack.
• After passing the eighth level, Li Yue receives another General-grade Inheritance, adding more Origin Great Dao knowledge to his cultivation.
• He later exits the eighth level with the Soul Inheritance, containing thirty million symbols of the Soul Origin Great Dao.
• Li Yue reflects on the terrifying potential of soul cultivation, noting that a Dimension-level master of the Soul Origin Great Dao might be able to annihilate the souls of all beings beneath the Dimension-level.
• He then reaches the ninth level, where he must kill three High Creation-grade creatures. After completing it, he receives the Heart Demon Origin Great Dao inheritance.
• The Heart Demon inheritance causes Li Yue to reconsider the past incident involving Dao Gu, suspecting that a powerful cultivator of the Heart Demon Origin Great Dao may have manipulated Dao Gu’s inner demons and nearly replaced his true self.
• Li Yue advances to the tenth level, a point where many of the Heavenly Stairway’s top-ranked Taboo Life forms, including Xing Mo, have stopped.

Character Development

• Li Yue’s strength continues to rise dramatically. His mastery of multiple Origin Great Daos enhances his own all-encompassing Dao, increasing his combat power even though his cultivation level remains unchanged.
• He becomes increasingly aware of the vast gap between himself and the truly ancient powerhouses of the Three Thousand Dimensions, leading him to remain cautious despite his overwhelming performance.
• His understanding of the Dao deepens. Rather than merely collecting inheritances, he uses them to strengthen his own Dao, which dominates and incorporates the principles of other Origin Great Daos.
• The Soul and Heart Demon inheritances broaden his understanding of the fundamental nature of living beings, souls, identity, good and evil, and psychological corruption.

Significant Themes

• Talent and inheritance: Passing higher levels of the Heavenly Stairway signifies extraordinary potential. Obtaining multiple General-grade Inheritances may greatly increase one’s chances of reaching the Dimension-level.
• The supremacy of comprehension: The inheritances provide profound Origin Great Dao symbols, but true power depends on the cultivator’s ability to comprehend and integrate them.
• The soul and identity: The Soul Origin Great Dao represents the deepest foundation of life, while the Heart Demon Origin Great Dao raises questions about whether a person’s inner darkness can replace their true self.
• Hidden dangers and ancient secrets: Li Yue realizes that the Three Thousand Dimensions contain powerful beings and unknown histories far beyond his current understanding.
• The individual’s role in power: No Origin Great Dao is inherently superior; the true determinant of strength is the being who cultivates it.

Character Interactions

• Li Yue has no direct dialogue with other characters in this chapter, but he confronts and destroys the two summoned High Creation-grade Taboo Life forms on the eighth level.
• His main “interactions” are intellectual: he analyzes the nature of the Soul and Heart Demon Origin Great Daos and connects the latter to Dao Gu’s past corruption.
• He also reflects on figures such as Xing Mo, Pangu, and other ancient powerhouses, whose achievements serve as benchmarks for his own progress.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Pangu reflects on his failure in the Heavenly Stairway. Despite using all his trump cards, he only clears the fourth stage and has no confidence in defeating the five Advanced Dao-wielding Peak Grade Taboo Lives expected in the fifth.
• A mysterious phantom suddenly appears before Pangu. It recognizes that Pangu is replicating an Origin Dao and suspects he was made into a chess piece by the “Undying old fellow.”
• The phantom gives Pangu a powerful inheritance by tapping his brow: thirty million Force Origin Dao symbols, greatly advancing his understanding of the Force Origin Dao.
• Mo Yin also fails in the Heavenly Stairway, clearing only two stages. The Soldier-grade Inheritances he receives do not suit him, though he begins studying them in hopes of gaining indirect benefits.
• Li Yue reaches the tenth layer, where he finds the enormous Lifeless Ancient Pass, apparently forged from a dimension of at least the Sevenfold level.
• Rather than fighting a specified number of enemies, Li Yue is assigned to defend the pass. A colossal eye-like entity appears and offers him a King-grade Inheritance if he kneels before “The Venerable One.”
• Li Yue refuses, declaring that the pass must not fall if he is its defender.
• The entity summons the Nine Heavens Demons. Although they initially display faint Dimension-level auras, seven disappear and the remaining two are reduced to the Half-step Dao-wielding Grade because Li Yue is only at the Elementary Creation Grade.

Character Developments

• Pangu: His limitations become clear, but his potential is dramatically increased through the mysterious phantom’s Force Origin Dao inheritance. He also learns that his cultivation may be connected to the plans of an ancient powerful being.
• Mo Yin: His frustration grows after failing the third stage and receiving unsuitable inheritances. Nevertheless, he remains pragmatic and tries to use them as supplementary material for his cultivation.
• Li Yue: He demonstrates extraordinary courage and resolve by confronting a being vastly beyond his apparent level. His confidence and sense of responsibility strengthen as he accepts the role of defending the Lifeless Ancient Pass.
• The Phantom: Revealed as an immensely powerful and enigmatic existence familiar with the secrets of Origin Daos, the Undying being, and the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• The Venerable One: Established as a terrifying entity of at least Half-step Dimension-level power, whose influence can summon or command the Nine Heavens Demons even while supposedly unable to act directly.

Significant Themes

• Limits of cultivation and transcendence: Even Advanced Dao-wielding experts struggle to progress, while true transcendence beyond the Three Thousand Dimensions remains impossible for figures such as the Undying being.
• Hidden manipulation and destiny: Pangu’s status as a possible “chess piece” suggests that powerful ancient beings have been influencing events behind the scenes.
• Courage against overwhelming power: Li Yue’s refusal to submit emphasizes defiance, duty, and determination in the face of impossible odds.
• Inheritance and indirect growth: Even unsuitable inheritances can provide valuable Origin Dao knowledge, showing that cultivation can advance through adaptation and synthesis.
• The scale of the cosmos: The tenth layer expands the story’s sense of scale, introducing dimension-forged structures and entities whose power surpasses ordinary Dao-wielding beings.

Character Interactions

• The phantom directly confronts and evaluates Pangu, exposes the possible source of his cultivation, and grants him the Force Origin Dao inheritance.
• Mo Yin compares himself with Li Yue, worrying that Li Yue may surpass seven stages and obtain another General-grade Inheritance.
• Li Yue confronts the Venerable One’s representative voice and rejects its demand for submission.
• The Venerable One’s forces test Li Yue’s resolve by sending the Nine Heavens Demons against the Lifeless Ancient Pass, establishing the central conflict of the tenth layer.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue faces the final two Nine Heavens Demons guarding the Lifeless Ancient Pass. Their cultivation has fallen from Dao-wielding to Half-step Dao-wielding, but the mysterious gatekeeper still claims they are invincible among equals.
• Li Yue challenges this claim by releasing three hundred streams of Sword Qi, each possessing Half-step Dao-wielding power and individually surpassing ordinary experts of that rank.
• The Sword Qi instantly annihilates both Heavenly Demons. Even when they revive, the attacks continue destroying their bodies, souls, causes, effects, and fate, leaving them unable to resist.
• The gatekeeper orders the demons to withdraw and then attempts to recruit Li Yue as a disciple. He reveals that his four previous disciples became Dimension-level Taboo Lives and offers Li Yue a King-grade Inheritance, a Dimension-level supreme treasure, and help with future transcendence.
• Li Yue refuses, arguing that none of the gatekeeper’s previous disciples ranked among the top thirty on the Heavenly Ladder Rankings. Since he considers himself no weaker than them, he sees no reason to become the gatekeeper’s disciple.
• By passing the tenth level, Li Yue rises to twenty-first place on the Heavenly Ladder Rankings and receives two additional General-grade Inheritances.
• He examines the inheritances: Origin Avenue of the World and Origin Avenue of the Apex.

2. Character Developments

• Li Yue demonstrates overwhelming combat power and extraordinary control over Sword Dao. His ability to simultaneously unleash three hundred strongest Divine Techniques far exceeds the gatekeeper’s understanding of what a Deity should be capable of.
• His confidence and ambition become clearer: he is determined to become the Heavenly Emperor and refuses even an offer from a powerful Half-step Transcendence-grade existence.
• Li Yue’s status rises dramatically after entering the top thirty of the Heavenly Ladder Rankings, confirming that he is already among the most exceptional beings in the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• The mysterious gatekeeper is revealed to be immensely powerful and proud of his past achievements, particularly his four disciples who became Dimension-level Taboo Lives. However, Li Yue’s refusal leaves him stunned and unable to counter Li Yue’s reasoning.
• The two Nine Heavens Demons, previously portrayed as terrifying opponents, are shown to be completely outmatched by Li Yue’s unusual and overwhelming technique.

3. Significant Themes

• Overwhelming talent and breaking limits: Li Yue’s ability to unleash three hundred powerful Sword Qi attacks contrasts with the known limit of around nineteen strongest Divine Techniques, emphasizing his extraordinary potential.
• Independence and ambition: Li Yue refuses to rely on a powerful master or external support because he seeks to forge his own path toward becoming the Heavenly Emperor.
• The value of inheritance: General-grade Inheritances are portrayed as priceless treasures because they provide direct access to Origin Great Daos and a path toward Dimension-level existence.
• Recognition through achievement: Li Yue does not seek status through association with the gatekeeper; instead, he earns his ranking and inheritances by personally overcoming the tenth level.
• Power specialization: The new inheritances represent two complementary supreme paths—boundless defense and capacity through the World avenue, and unparalleled offensive penetration through the Apex avenue.

4. Character Interactions

• The gatekeeper belittles Li Yue’s cultivation as merely Elementary Creation-grade and insists that the weakened Heavenly Demons can still suppress him.
• Li Yue calmly rejects this judgment and disproves it by destroying both demons with three hundred Sword Qi streams.
• After witnessing Li Yue’s power, the gatekeeper changes from intimidation to persuasion, offering discipleship and valuable rewards.
• Li Yue questions the gatekeeper’s record, specifically asking whether any former disciple ranked in the Heavenly Ladder’s top thirty. When the answer is no, Li Yue uses this to reject the offer.
• The gatekeeper is left speechless by Li Yue’s confidence and logic, while Li Yue departs immediately after clearing the level and claims the rewards granted by the Heavenly Ladder.

Chapter Summary: The Eleventh Stage, the First Origin Great Dao Symbol Mastered

Key Plot Points and Events

• After spending months or years comprehending the inheritances, Li Yue awakens with a deeper understanding of the Origin Great Dao and the terrifying power of Dimension-level Taboo Life.
• He reflects on his progress: six General-grade Inheritances have given him seven complete Origin Great Dao Symbols. Although curious about King-grade Inheritances and Half-step Transcendence-grade beings, he recognizes that such matters remain far beyond his current cultivation.
• Li Yue advances to the eleventh level of the Heavenly Stairway, where he once again encounters the Lifeless Ancient Pass.
• The stage requires him to defend the pass against the Venerable One’s Nine Heavens Demons.
• The Venerable One mocks Li Yue as a powerless mayfly trapped within the Three Thousand Dimensions. Li Yue responds by challenging him to a wager: if Li Yue passes, the Venerable One must grant him a benefit; if he fails, Li Yue will acknowledge the Venerable One as his master.
• The Venerable One accepts and summons nine Heavenly Demons, each possessing invincible strength at the Half-step Dao-wielding Grade. Their combined power is comparable to that of a Dao-wielding-level Taboo Life.
• The Venerable One assumes Li Yue is destined to fail, since the challenge appears overwhelmingly beyond the ability of an Elementary Creation-grade being.
• Li Yue counters with eight hundred Sword Qi attacks, each one at least as powerful as a Half-step Dao-wielding Grade attack. Each Sword Qi contains a blazing Radiance Origin Great Dao Symbol, making them significantly stronger than his attacks in the previous stage.

Character Development

• Li Yue demonstrates increased self-awareness and discipline. Despite his ambition to transcend the Three Thousand Dimensions and become the Heavenly Emperor, he understands that cultivation must proceed steadily, one realm at a time.
• His confidence has grown dramatically. Rather than being intimidated by the Venerable One’s arrogance, he directly challenges him and turns the confrontation into a wager.
• Li Yue’s mastery has advanced substantially: he now possesses seven complete Origin Great Dao Symbols and has incorporated the Radiance Origin Great Dao into his combat techniques.
• His strategic awareness also deepens as he evaluates the strength of past challengers such as Yun Qiannian and compares their abilities with his own.
• The Venerable One remains arrogant and dismissive, viewing Li Yue as an insignificant being. However, his willingness to accept the wager suggests interest in Li Yue’s defiance and potential.

Significant Themes

• Steady cultivation and humility: Li Yue acknowledges that even great ambitions must be pursued step by step.
• Defiance against oppressive power: The chapter contrasts the Venerable One’s belief in absolute superiority with Li Yue’s refusal to accept a lesser status.
• The limits of perception: The Venerable One sees Li Yue as a mayfly, while Li Yue believes future strength can overturn all existing hierarchies.
• Legacy and competition: References to Yun Qiannian and the few historical figures who passed the eleventh stage emphasize the extraordinary achievements required to reach the highest levels.
• Power through mastery: Li Yue’s strength comes not merely from cultivation level, but from his mastery of Origin Great Dao Symbols and powerful combat trump cards.

Character Interactions

• The Venerable One repeatedly insults and belittles Li Yue, asserting his supremacy over all beings.
• Li Yue responds calmly but provocatively, rejecting the Venerable One’s worldview and proposing the wager.
• The Venerable One accepts the challenge and sets the conditions by summoning the nine Heavenly Demons.
• The confrontation shifts from verbal intimidation to a major battle, with the Venerable One expecting Li Yue to be crushed and Li Yue revealing his newly strengthened Radiance-based Sword Qi.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Nine Heavens Demons confront Li Yue at the Lifeless Ancient Pass in the eleventh layer of the Gray Valley Heavenly Ladder.
• Li Yue unleashes eight hundred Sword Qi attacks, each carrying symbols of the Radiance Origin Great Dao and possessing power beyond that of the Nine Heavens Demons.
• Despite their collective strength, the Nine Heavens Demons are instantly destroyed. Recognizing the overwhelming difference in power, Vast Eyes orders them to withdraw.
• Li Yue is declared the winner and receives the Nine-Colored Dao-Transforming Jade, an exceptionally rare Dimension-level treasure connected to the Soul Origin Great Dao.
• Li Yue stores the treasure and leaves the trial.
• At the Heavenly Ladder’s summit, the three Gray Valley Souls observe the result. Li Yue’s successful completion of the eleventh layer places him fifth on the Heavenly Ladder Rankings.
• His victory confirms that he possesses a trace of transcendent potential, making him only the fifth being in history to pass this layer.

Character Developments

• Li Yue demonstrates a dramatic increase in power, advancing from three hundred Half-step Dao-wielding attacks in the previous round to eight hundred Sword Qi attacks infused with Origin Great Dao symbols. His victory establishes him as an exceptionally rare and potentially future “ceiling-level” existence among the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Vast Eyes is forced to acknowledge Li Yue’s monstrous talent and strength, ranking him among the top talents in the history of the Three Thousand Dimensions. However, Vast Eyes remains confident that Li Yue, as a “cage mayfly,” will ultimately be unable to transcend.
• The Nine Heavens Demons suffer repeated annihilation but are revived by the Heavenly Ladder. Their inability to resist Li Yue’s attack proves the vast gap between them.
• Gray Valley Third Soul initially feels nervous about Li Yue’s chances but becomes triumphant after Li Yue passes the eleventh layer.
• Gray Valley First and Second Souls are shocked because they doubted that another Divine Path cultivator could match the earlier prodigy Yun Qiannian.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming talent and power: Li Yue’s strength grows beyond conventional limits, overturning expectations about what a Deity can achieve.
• Transcendent potential: Passing the eleventh layer symbolizes possessing a rare possibility of rising beyond the limitations of the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Cage versus freedom: Vast Eyes acknowledges Li Yue’s greatness but insists that even extraordinary beings remain trapped within the universe’s “cage.”
• Proven achievement versus skepticism: The doubts of the Gray Valley First and Second Souls are immediately disproven by Li Yue’s success.
• Rare inheritance and opportunity: The Nine-Colored Dao-Transforming Jade represents the immense rewards available to those who overcome the Heavenly Ladder’s greatest trials.

Character Interactions

• Vast Eyes and Li Yue interact as victor and gatekeeper: Vast Eyes concedes the match, praises Li Yue’s achievement, and grants him the precious jade as a worthy wager.
• Li Yue remains composed and respectful, asking whether he has won, praising Vast Eyes’s generosity, and departing without arrogance.
• The three Gray Valley Souls debate Li Yue’s prospects. First and Second Soul doubt that he can repeat Yun Qiannian’s achievement, while Third Soul defends his proxy.
• After Li Yue passes the eleventh layer, Third Soul openly mocks the other two for underestimating him, leaving them speechless.

Chapter Summary: “Fifth on the Heavenly Stairway Rankings, Mo Yin’s Despair”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mo Yin withdraws from the Heavenly Stairway after obtaining only two Soldier-grade Inheritances, neither of which suits his cultivation. He realizes that reaching Half-step Dimension-level—or even Creation-grade—will be extremely difficult through them.
• He becomes alarmed after believing that Li Yue has ranked twenty-first on the Heavenly Ladder Rankings. Mo Yin fears Li Yue will eventually become a terrifying Dimension-level Taboo Life, just as he previously offended another future powerhouse.
• Upon checking the rankings again, Mo Yin discovers that Li Yue is not in twenty-first or twenty-second place and briefly celebrates, assuming he had simply made a mistake.
• His relief ends when another Taboo Life announces that the fifth place has changed because someone has passed the eleventh level of the Heavenly Stairway.
• Passing the eleventh level is extraordinarily significant: only four beings in history had previously achieved it, and all were considered future invincible beings of the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Mo Yin sees Li Yue’s name in fifth place and falls into despair. He realizes that, after hundreds of thousands of eras of seclusion, his first major action resulted in him fatally offending a future invincible being.
• Meanwhile, Li Yue receives several rewards for his achievement:
  • One King-grade Inheritance
  • Three General-grade Inheritances
• The General-grade Inheritances are:

Devouring Inheritance

Life-and-Death Inheritance

Great Sealing Inheritance

• These contain the Devouring, Life, Death, and Sealing Origin Great Daos. Li Yue absorbs their knowledge, causing the four Origin Great Daos to become deeply imprinted in his consciousness.
• Li Yue reflects that his collection now includes six incomplete Origin Great Daos and eleven complete ones.
• The chapter ends with Li Yue preparing to select the King-grade Inheritance, which is said to point directly toward Half-step Transcendence-grade.

Character Developments

• Mo Yin: His confidence collapses completely. His fear of Li Yue evolves from anxiety over a possible future Dimension-level powerhouse into despair at having offended a future invincible being. His repeated misfortune reinforces his belief that he is cursed by the origin of the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Li Yue: His status rises dramatically after passing the eleventh level and ranking fifth. He gains immense new knowledge and cultivation foundations, while remaining calm and focused on obtaining the King-grade Inheritance. His progress confirms his extraordinary potential.

Significant Themes

• Fate and misfortune: Mo Yin interprets his repeated encounters with powerful future enemies as supernatural bad luck, creating a contrast between his helplessness and Li Yue’s rise.
• Power and hierarchy: The rankings establish a clear scale of greatness, with the top positions representing beings capable of becoming invincible even among Dimension-level Taboo Lives.
• The value of inheritance: Suitable inheritances are portrayed as essential for advancement. Li Yue’s access to complete Origin Great Dao inheritances gives him foundations that ordinary beings could never obtain.
• Despair versus opportunity: Mo Yin sees Li Yue’s rise as a catastrophe, while Li Yue views the same achievement as an opportunity to strengthen himself further.
• Transcendence and limitless potential: The King-grade Inheritance introduces an even higher realm of cultivation, suggesting that Li Yue’s advancement is far from complete.

Character Interactions

• Mo Yin has no direct conversation with Li Yue, but their relationship is defined by Mo Yin’s fear and Li Yue’s overwhelming advancement.
• The Taboo Lives emerging from the Heavenly Stairway collectively react with shock to the changing rankings.
• One Dao-wielding Taboo Life alerts the others to the new fifth-place ranking, triggering Mo Yin’s realization of Li Yue’s achievement.
• Li Yue interacts primarily with the Heavenly Stairway’s reward system, calmly examining and accepting the inheritances before moving on to select the King-grade one.

Chapter Summary

In the vast library pavilion of the Gray Valley Ark, Li Yue discovers nine floating gray stone slabs, each containing a King-grade Inheritance. The slabs radiate an aura far beyond the Origin Great Daos, allowing Li Yue to glimpse the power of Half-step Transcendence. He compares the experience to someone inside a painting seeing forces existing beyond the painting itself, realizing that even the strongest beings within the Three Thousand Dimensions remain unable to resist external destruction unless they transcend the dimension.
Each inheritance contains the image and legacy of a terrifying super lifeform born beyond the Three Thousand Dimensions. These beings achieved Half-step Transcendence through the perfect fusion of three Origin Great Daos:

• Gulan: Space, Matter, and Five Elements
• Yandao: Death, Taiyin, and Devouring
• Other inheritances involve combinations of Creation, Life, World; Destruction, Death, Slaughter; Sun, Radiance, Soul; Five Elements, Taiyin, Sun; Polar Point, Slaughter, Kai Tian; Immeasurable, Causality, Time; and Matter, Strength, Kai Tian.
  Li Yue is stunned to learn that such Half-step Transcendence-grade beings can be naturally born in worlds beyond the Three Thousand Dimensions. Their overwhelming presence makes him acutely aware of the vast gap between his current level and true transcendence.
  The three Gray Valley Souls then appear. Soul Shadow reminds Li Yue that he had promised him a King-grade Inheritance and reveals that, because Li Yue also passed the eleventh level of the Heavenly Stairway, he may choose two of the nine inheritances. Li Yue gratefully accepts the opportunity.
  However, Soul Shadow explains that accepting the additional inheritance will make Li Yue his agent and obligate him to fight a dangerous battle. If he wins, he will obtain the Gray Valley Ark’s supreme inheritance—the true purpose behind the Ark’s existence and something capable of helping him transcend the Three Thousand Dimensions. He would also gain four chances at the Divine Path Wheel. If he loses, he may suffer Dao Severing, which could damage or obstruct his future cultivation.
  Li Yue carefully questions the conditions, asking who his opponents will be and whether the fight will be limited to the same cultivation realm. Soul Shadow confirms that the battle will be between individuals of the same realm, but Li Yue’s opponents will be the agents selected by the second- and third-ranked challengers on the Heavenly Stairway. Realizing the significance of the match, Li Yue looks toward the Ranking Stele and prepares to inspect the identity of the third-ranked contender.

Character Development and Interactions

• Li Yue becomes increasingly aware of the immense scale of existence beyond the Three Thousand Dimensions. His awe at the nine inheritances is balanced by caution when faced with the risks of becoming Soul Shadow’s agent.
• Soul Shadow shifts from his earlier playful demeanor to a serious and authoritative role, presenting Li Yue with both an extraordinary opportunity and a potentially devastating trial.
• Gray Valley First Soul and Second Soul remain silent observers, reinforcing the gravity of the decision and suggesting that Li Yue’s choice is being closely judged.
• Li Yue’s questioning demonstrates his growing maturity and strategic thinking: despite desiring the Supreme Inheritance, he refuses to accept the challenge blindly.

Major Themes

• Transcendence and limitation: Even the most powerful beings within the Three Thousand Dimensions are likened to figures trapped inside a painting, emphasizing the limits of their existence.
• The vastness of the higher world: The naturally born Half-step Transcendents reveal that realms beyond the known dimensions contain unimaginable lifeforms and powers.
• Opportunity versus risk: Li Yue is offered a path toward true transcendence, but failure could cripple his Dao and future cultivation.
• Power through Dao fusion: The chapter establishes that mastering and perfectly combining at least three Origin Great Daos is the foundation of Half-step Transcendence.
• Trials and succession: Li Yue’s opportunity to inherit greater power is tied to proving himself through conflict against other chosen agents.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yue examines the top three entries on the Heavenly Ladder Rankings.
• Third place is Mo Hai, the founder and greatest figure of the Martial Path. He stopped at the twelfth level, killed twelve Dimension-level Taboo Lives, destroyed four Ninefold Fusion Dimensions, and led the Human Race from weakness to dominance across the Three Thousand Dimensions.
• Second place is Dao Immortal, the foremost figure of the Immortal Path. He also stopped at the twelfth level, killed thirteen Dimension-level Taboo Lives, and defeated a Half-step Transcendence-grade being from beyond the Three Thousand Dimensions. He once preached for thirty thousand years, taking twelve disciples who all eventually reached the Dimension-level.
• First place is Treading Dao, the founder of the Treading Dao Stage and six major cultivation paths: the Pollen, Heaven-Shattering, Fusion, Creation, Fortune Dynasty, and Merit Paths. Each path produced multiple Dimension-level Taboo Lives. He reached the thirteenth level, killed eleven Dimension-level Taboo Lives, and slew three Half-step Transcendence-grade lifeforms.
• Li Yue learns that becoming an “Agent” will involve fighting soul shadows modeled after these historical supreme beings, likely at the same cultivation realm.
• He asks whether the Agent battle would still be necessary if he surpassed the twelfth level of the Heavenly Ladder. The three seniors are stunned, since only Treading Dao has ever passed that level and they consider Li Yue’s success extremely unlikely.

2. Character Developments

• Li Yue gains a deeper understanding of the legendary figures who shaped the Three Thousand Dimensions. He is especially impressed by Mo Hai’s role in protecting and elevating the Human Race.
• Despite acknowledging the overwhelming achievements of Mo Hai, Dao Immortal, and Treading Dao, Li Yue remains confident in his own abilities, declaring that he fears no opponent in a same-realm battle.
• His ambition and self-confidence become more pronounced. He not only considers fighting Mo Hai and Dao Immortal but even entertains the possibility of surpassing the twelfth level and challenging the unprecedented thirteenth-level standard.
• The First Soul of Gray Valley, Second Soul of Gray Valley, and the soul shadow are revealed to be genuinely shocked by Li Yue’s progress. Although he has not yet become a true Taboo Life, he has already passed the eleventh trial under the disadvantage of being judged by the Elementary Creation standard.

3. Significant Themes

• Supreme achievement and legacy: The rankings emphasize that true greatness is measured not only by personal strength but also by the lasting influence one has on cultivation systems and entire races.
• The rise of civilization through violence and sacrifice: Mo Hai’s bloody campaigns allowed the Human Race to flourish, showing how one individual’s struggle can determine the fate of a people.
• Cultivation innovation: Treading Dao represents the ultimate creative genius, having established six separate cultivation paths that later produced countless powerful beings.
• Historical comparison and rivalry: Li Yue measures himself against the strongest figures of the past, creating a tension between reverence for their accomplishments and his belief that he can eventually surpass them.
• Unprecedented potential: The chapter highlights Li Yue’s abnormal talent and rapid advancement, while also stressing the enormous gap separating him from the true apex of history.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Yue reflects internally on the accomplishments of Mo Hai, Dao Immortal, and Treading Dao, alternating between admiration and competitive confidence.
• He directly questions the three Gray Valley-related figures about the rules of the Agent battle, particularly whether combat will occur at equal cultivation realms.
• The First Soul of Gray Valley explains that the battle will be fought at least at the Elementary Creation level.
• Li Yue then challenges their assumptions by asking whether passing the twelfth Heavenly Ladder level would eliminate the need for the Agent battle. His question leaves all three seniors speechless, revealing both his daring mindset and the extraordinary expectations he has begun to place on himself.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gray Valley First Soul warns Li Yue that the twelfth level of the Heavenly Stairway is unimaginably difficult. Across countless ages, only one being—“Treading Dao,” ranked first on the Heavenly Stairway—has ever passed it.
• The trial is so difficult that even a Low Dao-wielding Grade Taboo Life would face a true Dimension-level Taboo Life as an opponent. Li Yue’s lower cultivation does not reduce the challenge.
• The soul shadow reveals that Treading Dao may have transcended and could be connected to the origin of Li Yue’s Divine Path. The Divine Path appeared only after Treading Dao disappeared.
• Li Yue realizes that Treading Dao created six supreme cultivation paths and may have later created the Divine Path as well. He suspects Treading Dao could be the hidden mastermind behind it, possibly seeking to create another Transcendence-level being or conducting a mysterious experiment.
• Despite the warning, Li Yue declares that the gods of the present need not be inferior to those of the past and chooses to attempt the twelfth trial.
• Before entering, Li Yue selects two King-grade Inheritances from the nine gray stone slabs:
  • Ultimate Yang Inheritance, combining the Sun Origin Great Dao, Radiance Origin Great Dao, and Soul Origin Great Dao.
  • Ancient Tribulation Inheritance, combining the Origin Avenue of the Apex, Slaughter Origin Dao, and World-Opening Origin Grand Dao.
• The inheritances manifest as an Ultimate Yang core plume and an Ancient Tribulation core scale, fragments of Half-step Transcendence-grade lifeforms containing their complete Daos.
• Li Yue absorbs both treasures into his sea of consciousness. He plans to cultivate more Taboo Lives and Dao-wielding Grade Taboo Lives to create additional Wisdom Deities and accelerate his comprehension of Origin Great Daos.
• The chapter ends with Li Yue arriving at the twelfth level of the Heavenly Stairway.

Character Developments

• Li Yue displays exceptional resolve and refuses to be intimidated by Treading Dao’s achievement. His confidence reflects his belief that present-era cultivators can surpass ancient figures.
• He also becomes increasingly suspicious of the Divine Path’s origins, seriously considering that Treading Dao may be its creator or hidden architect.
• Li Yue makes strategic inheritance choices: Ultimate Yang strengthens his core path as a Deity, while Ancient Tribulation provides overwhelming destructive power and protection.
• Gray Valley First Soul shows admiration for Li Yue’s determination, even while believing that failing the twelfth trial would be normal.

Significant Themes

• The limits of cultivation and transcendence: The twelfth trial represents an almost impossible gap between Dao-wielding and Dimension-level existence.
• Past versus present: Li Yue’s statement that “the gods of today” need not be inferior to “the gods of old” emphasizes the possibility of surpassing legendary predecessors.
• Mystery and hidden origins: The chapter deepens the mystery surrounding the Divine Path and suggests that Treading Dao may be its true creator.
• Power through inheritance: The King-grade Inheritances are not mere teachings but physical core fragments of Half-step Transcendence beings, highlighting the extraordinary resources required to approach ultimate power.
• Preparation and accumulation: Li Yue recognizes that victory will require not only personal talent but also the cultivation of supporting forces, especially Wisdom Deities and powerful Taboo Lives.

Character Interactions

• The Gray Valley souls caution Li Yue about the twelfth level while testing his resolve.
• Their revelation about Treading Dao causes Li Yue to reassess the history of the Divine Path and his own position within it.
• Li Yue’s defiant response impresses the souls, who respect his will even though they doubt he can succeed.
• His interaction with the inheritance slabs is largely strategic and internal: he carefully selects powers that complement one another before proceeding to the final trial.