Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Hailong, a powerful cultivator, attacks Dragon Roar Martial Hall, intending to kill everyone and take their legacy.
• The disciples, including the weakest, Yang Mang, and even the delicate Qi Weiwei, fight back but are no match for Meng Hailong's incarnation, suffering severe injuries.
• Long Wuhui, the hall master, is forced to consume a [False Immortal Pill] that turns him into a pig demon to save his disciples.
• Meng Hailong kills a disciple to prove his intent and kicks a blade towards Qi Weiwei, aiming to kill her.
• Murong Canghai, an old man previously thought to be mad and witless, suddenly appears, blocks the blade, and engages Meng Hailong.

Character Developments

• Long Wuhui's desperation and despair grow as he's forced to compromise his principles to save his disciples.
• Meng Hailong's cruelty and madness are further revealed as he enjoys torturing and killing the disciples.
• Qi Weiwei shows bravery and concern for her fellow disciples, rushing to support Murong Canghai.
• Murong Canghai's mysterious past and current state are hinted at, with his sudden appearance and powerful blade skills raising questions about his true abilities and sanity.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against overwhelming power and oppression (Meng Hailong vs. the disciples and Murong Canghai).
• The consequences of compromise and desperation (Long Wuhui's transformation into a pig demon).
• The hidden potential and true nature of individuals (Murong Canghai's sudden display of power).

Character Interactions

• Long Wuhui's interaction with Meng Hailong highlights the power dynamic and Long Wuhui's despair.
• Qi Weiwei's interaction with Murong Canghai shows her concern and curiosity about his sudden change.
• Meng Hailong's interaction with Murong Canghai reveals Meng Hailong's uncertainty and shock at Murong Canghai's power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Murong Canghai, initially appearing weak and mad, asks Qi Weiwei if the dead can be revived.
• Meng Hailong attacks Murong Canghai, but Murong Canghai blocks his strikes with ease.
• Qi Weiwei tells Murong Canghai that people can be revived, triggering his rapid advancement to Yang Refining.
• Meng Hailong sends his Yin Spirit avatars to attack, but Murong Canghai kills them with ease.
• Meng Hailong controls Long Wuhui, now at Yang Refining level, and blocks Murong Canghai's attack.

Character Developments

• Murong Canghai: Regains clarity and advances to Yang Refining, demonstrating immense power.
• Meng Hailong: Shows jealousy and frustration at Murong Canghai's progress, uses multiple avatars and controls Long Wuhui.
• Qi Weiwei: Realizes Murong Canghai's mind is still unclear, lies to him to trigger his advancement.
• Long Wuhui: Transformed into a pig demon, controlled by Meng Hailong, and reaches Yang Refining level.

Significant Themes

• The power of belief and words (Qi Weiwei's lie triggers Murong Canghai's advancement).
• The consequences of jealousy and obsession (Meng Hailong's actions).
• The strength of ancient bloodlines (implied by Murong Canghai's easy advancement).

Character Interactions

• Murong Canghai and Qi Weiwei: Their conversation leads to Murong Canghai's advancement.
• Murong Canghai and Meng Hailong: Their battle demonstrates Murong Canghai's immense power.
• Meng Hailong and Long Wuhui: Meng Hailong controls Long Wuhui, using him as a pawn.

Chapter Summary: Meng Hailong’s Defenses Shattered, Li Qiming Arrives

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Hailong uses Long Wuhui’s Flower-Shifting Grafting Divine Skill to extract the Martial Hall’s three hundred years of accumulated incense wish-power.
• The technique creates a massive flower and countless roots on Long Wuhui’s body, forcing the incense power through Meng Hailong and causing him intense pain—but also rapidly strengthening his Yin Spirit Avatar.
• As Meng Hailong absorbs the incense, his avatar reaches the Yang Refining Realm, and he begins fantasizing about absorbing all the power, becoming a Grandmaster, obtaining a Divine Weapon, and attacking Kunlun.
• Murong Canghai attacks the incense-absorbing avatar, but Meng Hailong merges his remaining avatars and withstands the strike, demonstrating his rapidly increasing strength.
• Li Qiming, Shen Changsheng, and Jiang Lianyue arrive while concealed by Li Qiming’s Hidden Domain. Taking advantage of Meng Hailong’s divided attention, they launch a surprise attack.
• Li Qiming uses the inherited Gods and Devils Blade Domain, while Shen Changsheng and Jiang Lianyue employ Gods and Devils Power. Their combined assault destroys the roots and interrupts Meng Hailong’s absorption of the incense.
• Long Wuhui transfers the remaining incense power to Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng. Li Qiming consequently breaks through to Perfected Aperture Refining, opening his final Heavenly Gate Spirit Aperture.
• To prevent Meng Hailong’s two avatars inside him from taking control, Long Wuhui destroys his own Sea of Consciousness and extraordinary meridians, effectively crippling his martial cultivation.
• The two damaged avatars flee Long Wuhui’s body and merge with Meng Hailong’s other avatars. Furious that his chance to become a Grandmaster has been ruined, Meng Hailong vows to kill everyone involved.

2. Character Developments

• Meng Hailong becomes increasingly powerful and arrogant as he absorbs the incense power. His confidence turns into rage when his advancement is interrupted, revealing how dependent he is on the opportunity to seize others’ accumulated power.
• Long Wuhui demonstrates extraordinary self-sacrifice. Though severely injured, he protects his disciples by distributing the remaining incense power and cripples himself to prevent Meng Hailong from controlling him.
• Li Qiming arrives at a critical moment and proves his growing strength by successfully using the Supreme Elder’s Blade Domain against a Yang Refining opponent. His breakthrough to Perfected Aperture Refining marks a major advancement.
• Shen Changsheng reacts with deep grief and fury upon seeing his master’s condition, emphasizing his loyalty and emotional bond with Long Wuhui.
• Jiang Lianyue supports Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng in the coordinated attack, contributing to the disruption of Meng Hailong’s plan.
• Murong Canghai continues to hold off Meng Hailong’s strongest avatar, preventing it from fully assisting the incense-absorbing avatar.

3. Significant Themes

• Self-sacrifice versus selfish ambition: Long Wuhui willingly destroys his own cultivation to save his disciples, contrasting sharply with Meng Hailong’s attempt to steal the Martial Hall’s power for personal advancement.
• Loyalty and inheritance: Long Wuhui passes the incense power to Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng, symbolically entrusting the Martial Hall’s future to his disciples.
• The danger of power gained through exploitation: Meng Hailong’s strength comes from forcibly draining Long Wuhui and the Martial Hall, making his advancement unstable and morally corrupt.
• Unity against overwhelming strength: Li Qiming, Shen Changsheng, Jiang Lianyue, and Murong Canghai succeed because they combine their abilities and exploit Meng Hailong’s divided attention.
• Determination and defiance: Long Wuhui’s decision to destroy himself rather than submit shows resistance even in a hopeless situation, while Meng Hailong’s reaction reveals the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition.

4. Character Interactions

• Meng Hailong uses Long Wuhui as a conduit for the Flower-Shifting Grafting Divine Skill, turning his body into the source of Meng Hailong’s stolen power.
• Murong Canghai directly clashes with Meng Hailong’s merged avatar, preventing it from freely protecting the incense-absorbing avatar.
• Li Qiming, Shen Changsheng, and Jiang Lianyue coordinate a concealed surprise attack that breaks Meng Hailong’s defenses.
• Long Wuhui entrusts Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng with the remaining incense power, strengthening their bond as master and disciples.
• Li Qiming urges Long Wuhui to preserve his power, but Long Wuhui reveals that he has already chosen self-destruction to escape Meng Hailong’s control.
• The chapter ends with Meng Hailong’s surviving avatars reunited and united by hatred against Li Qiming, Long Wuhui, Murong Canghai, and the others.

Chapter Summary: Misery! The Death of Long Wuhui!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Hailong’s two powerful forms merge, elevating him to Early Second Grade Yang Refining, far above Murong Canghai’s First Grade strength.
• He easily overwhelms Murong Canghai, severely injuring him, and prepares to kill everyone in the courtyard.
• A Silver Badge Demon Catcher attempts to intervene but is killed instantly. More Demon Catchers arrive under Ghost Dread’s Dragon-Level Order, yet Meng Hailong remains confident that numbers cannot defeat him.
• While Long Wuhui transfers his remaining two hundred years of Incense Power to Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng, Meng Hailong offers to spare them if they cultivate the evil Grafting Evil Technique. They refuse.
• Meng Hailong sends Yin Spirit Avatars into Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng to possess them. Li Qiming’s White Lotus destroys one avatar, while Shen Changsheng’s Sea of Consciousness absorbs and annihilates the other, revealing that both disciples possess unusual defensive abilities.
• Realizing possession will not work, Meng Hailong attacks the group directly. Li Qiming uses three strands of Supreme Blade Domain to extinguish Meng Hailong’s Fire Dragon Blade Intent and force him back.
• Although Li Qiming’s counterattack disrupts Meng Hailong, it also interrupts the Incense Power inheritance. Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng receive only about one hundred years of power combined, while Long Wuhui retains the remaining hundred years.
• Meng Hailong seizes Long Wuhui and uses a False Immortal Pill to restore his failing body. He then threatens to kill him unless the disciples submit and consume the same pill.
• Long Wuhui rejects the offer, spits in Meng Hailong’s face, and orders his disciples to fight or flee rather than surrender.
• To prevent his disciples from being controlled through him, Long Wuhui detonates his own Blood Qi and dies, taking the remaining hundred years of Incense Power with him.
• Grief-stricken and enraged, Li Qiming, Shen Changsheng, Jiang Lianyue, and Murong Canghai attack Meng Hailong again. However, all are exhausted, while Meng Hailong’s superior cultivation and recovery allow him to repel them.
• Just as Li Qiming reaches his limit and has only two Supreme Blade Domain powers remaining, Lv Xiaoyi, Xia Bingbing, and Yun’er arrive and leap into the battlefield.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Meng Hailong becomes increasingly ruthless and desperate. His initial confidence turns into anxiety when Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng resist possession and begin absorbing the Incense Power. He ultimately resorts to hostage-taking and psychological manipulation, but Long Wuhui’s sacrifice frustrates his plans.
• Li Qiming demonstrates both courage and tactical judgment. He withstands possession, uses the Supreme Blade Domain to counter Meng Hailong’s attack, and repeatedly fights despite severe physical strain. His dwindling Blade Domain reserves emphasize how close he is to defeat.
• Shen Changsheng firmly rejects evil cultivation and shows unexpected spiritual strength. His Sea of Consciousness destroys Meng Hailong’s avatar, proving he is far more formidable than Meng Hailong expected.
• Long Wuhui emerges as the chapter’s central heroic figure. He refuses to surrender, prioritizes his disciples’ freedom over his own survival, and sacrifices himself to destroy the remaining Incense Power and remove Meng Hailong’s leverage.
• Murong Canghai, despite being badly injured and greatly outmatched, repeatedly rises to attack Meng Hailong. His persistence earns him the image of an “unkillable” fighter.
• Jiang Lianyue joins the counterattack after recovering enough strength, fighting alongside the others even though she is exhausted.
• The arrival of Lv Xiaoyi, Xia Bingbing, and Yun’er introduces new potential support for the battered defenders and ends the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Long Wuhui chooses death rather than allowing his disciples to be enslaved or manipulated.
• Resistance to evil and coercion: The disciples refuse Meng Hailong’s offer despite the promise of survival and power.
• The limits of strength: Meng Hailong’s superior realm dominates the battlefield, but loyalty, spiritual resilience, and sacrifice repeatedly prevent him from achieving total victory.
• Desperation and control: Meng Hailong’s attempts at possession, intimidation, and hostage-taking reveal his desire not merely to win but to control and corrupt his enemies.
• Inheritance and legacy: Long Wuhui’s final act protects the future of the Dragon Roar Martial Hall, passing his will and ideals to his surviving disciples.
• The cost of power: Li Qiming’s use of the Supreme Blade Domain severely damages his body, illustrating that even powerful techniques demand a devastating price.

Overall Significance

The chapter marks the tragic death of Long Wuhui, who transforms himself from a failing master into a symbol of defiance. His sacrifice removes Meng Hailong’s leverage but also eliminates the last reserve of Incense Power. The surviving characters are exhausted and nearly defeated, leaving the sudden arrival of three new fighters as their only apparent hope against Meng Hailong.

Chapter Summary: Xia Bingbing’s Ultimate Move and the Battle with Meng Hailong

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lv Xiaoyi, Xia Bingbing, and Yun’er join the battle against Meng Hailong, but they are initially hopelessly outmatched. Even Lv Xiaoyi cannot withstand a single attack.
• Xia Bingbing reveals that her Gods and Devils Inheritance is a powerful martial technique called the “power to fuse all things.” By reciting an incantation, she draws in surrounding energy and creates a link through which multiple people can share and combine their strength.
• Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng successfully join the fusion, multiplying their power. Lv Xiaoyi, Jiang Lianyue, the Martial Hall disciples, Demon Catchers, and even ordinary civilians across Dragon Spring City gradually contribute their energy.
• Meng Hailong responds by unleashing his ultimate technique: his saber transforms into a black dragon that produces a demonic Demon Extermination Golden Lotus, now corrupted by evil power.
• The combined forces form a massive azure saber that clashes with Meng Hailong’s black-red lotus. Although Meng Hailong is pushed back slightly, his overwhelming strength—derived from his Yang Refining, Second Grade cultivation—gradually crushes the azure saber.
• Xia Bingbing reveals that using her fusion technique comes at a severe cost: it can permanently damage her cultivation and may prevent her from ever becoming a martial artist again. Nevertheless, she uses it to repay the Martial Hall’s kindness.
• As ordinary citizens throughout the city join the fusion, the accumulated energy becomes too vast for Xia Bingbing to control. She asks someone else to take command, but Murong Canghai mysteriously disappears.
• Li Qiming takes over control of the city-wide power. At the critical moment, he personally grips the azure saber and uses the remaining power of his Blade Domain to strike the base of Meng Hailong’s lotus.
• The black lotus’s nine petals shatter, injuring Meng Hailong. However, Meng Hailong retaliates by channeling demonic power through the saber, blasting Li Qiming backward and causing everyone linked to him to collapse.
• The chapter ends with Meng Hailong unleashing countless black demonic rays across Dragon Spring City. The civilians and martial artists are pierced by the attack, and the city falls into silence.

Character Developments

• Xia Bingbing demonstrates courage, selflessness, and loyalty. She sacrifices her future cultivation to protect the Martial Hall and everyone in the city.
• Li Qiming grows into the group’s central leader, taking control of the overwhelming fused energy after Murong Canghai vanishes. He personally risks his life to damage Meng Hailong’s ultimate technique.
• Shen Changsheng acts as a cautious but determined protector, repeatedly warning others of the danger while ultimately fighting alongside them.
• Yun’er, despite having no martial ability, contributes her limited strength and remains emotionally supportive of Xia Bingbing.
• Murong Canghai becomes increasingly mysterious. His sudden disappearance raises questions about the source of his abnormal strength and his true intentions.
• Meng Hailong reveals both immense confidence and growing frustration. Though still dominant, he is surprised and angered that the united forces can injure him.

Significant Themes

• Unity against overwhelming power: The strength of thousands of people, even ordinary civilians, becomes meaningful when combined.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Xia Bingbing’s willingness to risk losing her cultivation highlights the cost of protecting others and repaying kindness.
• The limits of individual strength: Even powerful martial artists cannot challenge Meng Hailong alone; survival depends on cooperation.
• Righteousness versus evil: The azure fused saber symbolizes collective righteous power, while Meng Hailong’s corrupted lotus represents demonic destruction.
• Hope amid despair: The united resistance briefly gives everyone hope, but Meng Hailong’s superior cultivation shows how difficult it is to overcome an absolute difference in realms.

Character Interactions

• Shen Changsheng urges the weaker fighters to retreat, but Lv Xiaoyi refuses to abandon the battle.
• Xia Bingbing explains her inherited technique to Li Qiming and the others, persuading them to trust and join her.
• Yun’er questions why Xia Bingbing had not used the technique earlier and becomes distressed upon learning its consequences.
• Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng support Xia Bingbing by joining the fusion and later rallying the combined forces.
• Xia Bingbing looks to Li Qiming to control the growing power, but he redirects responsibility toward Murong Canghai before realizing that Murong has disappeared.
• The Martial Hall disciples, Demon Catchers, and city residents unite behind Li Qiming, encouraging him to hold the line against Meng Hailong.
• Li Qiming’s attack wounds Meng Hailong, but Meng Hailong’s counterattack devastates the united defenders and leaves the fate of Dragon Spring City uncertain.

Chapter Summary: A Thread of Luo Mengling’s Immortal Power

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Hailong’s Yin Spirit Avatar unleashes demonic power across Dragon Spring City, shattering everyone’s heart meridians and seemingly killing the entire population.
• Li Qiming is the only person left standing, but he is exhausted and severely weakened. He realizes that even with the city’s combined strength, he could not defeat Meng Hailong—and that this enemy is only a fraction of Meng Hailong’s true power.
• Meng Hailong offers Li Qiming a chance to submit and become his subordinate. Li refuses with repeated insults, provoking Meng Hailong into attacking him with full force.
• Mumu intervenes, forming a gigantic wooden fist to block Meng Hailong’s strike. Because Mumu has not recovered its strength, it is destroyed, leaving only a fading final message urging Li Qiming to run.
• Meng Hailong immobilizes Li Qiming and tears out his heart. Even while dying, Li Qiming refuses to submit.
• A powerful force suddenly emerges from Li Qiming’s body, restraining Meng Hailong. The source is revealed to be a strand of Luo Mengling’s hair, which she had left behind as a life-saving safeguard.
• Luo Mengling manifests through the hair, restores Li Qiming’s heart and wounds, and destroys Meng Hailong’s avatar with a single fireball.
• She then uses the Spirit-Healing Art to revive most of the city’s victims by repairing their shattered heart meridians. However, roughly one-tenth of the weaker residents are beyond saving.
• Before disappearing, Luo Mengling warns Li Qiming that Meng Hailong’s true body remains alive and asks him to help locate spirit stones for her cultivation. She promises to seek him out once her true body emerges from seclusion.
• Shen Changsheng, Jiang Lianyue, Xia Bingbing, and the others awaken fully and begin asking Li Qiming what happened to Meng Hailong.

Character Developments

• Li Qiming: Experiences humiliation, grief, and helplessness after failing to protect the city. Despite having his heart torn out, he maintains his defiance and refuses to become Meng Hailong’s subordinate. His bond with Mumu is emphasized through his anguish when Mumu is destroyed.
• Meng Hailong: Reveals himself as arrogant, manipulative, and ruthless. He admires Li Qiming’s talent but ultimately values domination over mercy. His confidence is shattered when Luo Mengling’s overwhelming power appears.
• Mumu: Demonstrates loyalty by sacrificing itself to protect Li Qiming despite being severely weakened. Its apparent destruction becomes a major emotional turning point.
• Luo Mengling: Establishes herself as a mysterious and immensely powerful immortal cultivator. She is compassionate toward Li Qiming and the city’s survivors, but fiercely condemns Meng Hailong’s demonic aura and mass slaughter.
• The city’s survivors: Return to life but initially remain disoriented, underscoring the severity of Meng Hailong’s attack.

Significant Themes

• Defiance against corruption: Li Qiming refuses to surrender his principles even when death seems inevitable.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Mumu’s destruction highlights the depth of its devotion to Li Qiming.
• The limits of strength: Li Qiming’s greatest effort is still powerless against Meng Hailong, showing the vast gap between their realms and foreshadowing a larger conflict with Meng Hailong’s true body.
• Hope through hidden protection: Luo Mengling’s preserved strand of power transforms certain death into survival, suggesting that unseen bonds and preparations can alter fate.
• Immortal cultivation versus demonic power: Luo Mengling’s spiritual techniques and tangible fireball contrast sharply with Meng Hailong’s destructive demonic energy.
• The cost of catastrophe: Although most of the city is revived, many weaker people die permanently, emphasizing that victory cannot erase all consequences.

Character Interactions

• Meng Hailong attempts to recruit Li Qiming, but Li responds with contempt and refuses to submit.
• Mumu sacrifices itself to shield Li Qiming from Meng Hailong’s killing blow.
• Luo Mengling restores Li Qiming, speaks to him as a friend rather than a subordinate, and asks him to call her “Mengling” instead of “Senior.”
• Luo Mengling and Meng Hailong briefly confront one another, with her condemning his demonic nature and massacre before effortlessly destroying his avatar.
• Luo Mengling and Li Qiming establish a stronger connection through her promise to meet him again, while her warning about Meng Hailong’s surviving true body sets up future danger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qiming clarifies that he did not kill Meng Hailong; an unidentified senior expert intervened. He deliberately conceals Luo Mengling’s involvement.
• Long Wuhui, master of the Dragon Roar Martial Hall, dies from his injuries. His disciples mourn and begin repairing the destroyed martial arts pavilion.
• Shen Changsheng vows revenge against Meng Hailong, while Li Qiming promises to kill him as well, recognizing the personal debt and danger Meng represents.
• Mumu survives Meng Hailong’s attack but is severely injured and falls into a deep sleep. Its scattered wooden fragments reform into a hairpin, which Li Qiming wears while planning to study formations to restore it.
• Li Qiming discovers that Meng Hailong has cursed his luck, preventing the system from producing item drops. The system reveals that the curse can be dispelled through the Supreme Buddhist Dharma of Golden Sun Temple.
• After Long Wuhui’s burial, the martial hall holds a contest to select a new leader. Feng Yuan wins, comprehends Dragon Roar Sword Intent, and breaks through to the Organ Refining realm.
• Li Qiming, Shen Changsheng, and their companions leave Dragon Spring City to grow stronger and eventually avenge Long Wuhui. Their next destination is Golden Sun Temple, located along the route to Danzhou.
• Meanwhile, Meng Hailong gathers five eighth-grade Five-Elements Demon Cores and uses them to open an Immortal’s Abode on Myriad Demon Island in the forbidden region of the Endless Sea.
• The opened abode releases terrifying Earth Vein Fire, preventing Meng Hailong from entering. He realizes the stone doors contain powerful immortal array formations and begins studying them in hopes of controlling the flames and breaking through to the Grandmaster Realm.
• Meng Hailong suddenly learns that his Yin Spirit Avatar has been destroyed after attacking Dragon Spring City. He becomes enraged at Li Qiming and places a Gods-and-Devils Curse on him, though he decides to prioritize reaching the Grandmaster Realm.

Character Developments

• Li Qiming becomes more determined and confident. Although aware of Meng Hailong’s overwhelming strength, he resolves to surpass and kill him. He also shows concern for Mumu and recognizes the need to improve his knowledge of formations.
• Shen Changsheng suffers deeply from Long Wuhui’s death, viewing him as both father and teacher. His grief develops into a powerful desire for revenge.
• Mumu demonstrates loyalty by sacrificing itself to block Meng Hailong’s attack. Though incapacitated, it remains alive.
• Feng Yuan emerges as a dependable leader, gaining a breakthrough in cultivation and earning the trust of the martial hall disciples.
• Meng Hailong reveals his ambition to become a Grandmaster. Despite his confidence and ruthless nature, he is frustrated by his inability to enter the Immortal’s Abode and shaken by the destruction of his Yin Spirit Avatar.
• Lv Xiaoyi continues to show loyalty toward Li Qiming and grows increasingly fascinated by the mysterious sword power Li displayed against Meng Hailong.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and responsibility: Long Wuhui’s death binds Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng to a shared mission of vengeance.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Mumu and Lv Xiaoyi’s actions emphasize the value of comrades who risk themselves for others.
• The pursuit of power: Both Li Qiming and Meng Hailong seek greater strength, but their goals differ—Li Qiming wants justice and protection, while Meng Hailong pursues advancement and personal dominance.
• Fate versus self-determination: Meng Hailong declares that his fate is his own to command, yet his curse and setbacks reveal the limits of his control.
• Knowledge as power: Mastery of formations becomes crucial, offering both a way to heal Mumu and a possible path beyond the Grandmaster bottleneck.
• Hidden forces and uncertainty: The intervention of Luo Mengling, the system’s revelations, and the unknown power behind the Buddhist Dharma suggest that greater forces are shaping the conflict.

Character Interactions

• Li Qiming comforts Shen Changsheng and makes a solemn vow to avenge Long Wuhui.
• The martial hall disciples cooperate in mourning, repairing the pavilion, burying their master, and selecting a successor, strengthening their unity.
• Li Qiming’s relationship with Lv Xiaoyi deepens as he acknowledges Lv’s loyalty and willingness to fight beside him.
• Lv Xiaoyi questions Li Qiming about the extraordinary sword power he displayed, recognizing that it surpasses ordinary Blade Intent.
• Meng Hailong’s hatred toward Li Qiming intensifies after his Yin Spirit Avatar is destroyed, leading him to curse Li Qiming from afar.

Chapter Summary: “Jing Yi”

Plot Points and Events

• Li Qiming explains the advanced concept of Blade Domain to Lv Xiaoyi, revealing that it lies beyond Blade Intent.
• Deeply affected by the instruction, Lv Xiaoyi memorizes Li Qiming’s words, though much of the theory remains difficult for him to understand.
• Lv Xiaoyi parts ways with Li Qiming and the others to fulfill his promise to protect the descendants of the old man who gave him the Frenzied Thunder Blade Art. Before leaving, Li Qiming warns him not to be overly simple-minded in the martial world.
• At Golden Sun Temple, the Buddhist holy land is attacked by Bai Changfeng, the Jade-Faced Scholar and tenth-ranked figure on the Prodigy Ranking. He defeats several temple monks and demands to challenge Monk Jing Yi.
• Bai Changfeng explains that he wants to defeat Jing Yi and improve his position on the Prodigy Ranking. Jing Yi, however, is still in seclusion comprehending Buddhist teachings.
• A mysterious and arrogant martial artist, Xiao Shiyilang, arrives with the same goal: challenging Jing Yi and becoming famous. He mocks Bai Changfeng’s ranking, while Bai Changfeng ridicules Xiao Shiyilang for being unknown.
• Martial Uncle Jie Se orders Golden Sun Temple to close its gates and announces that Jing Yi will emerge within an hour. While waiting, Xiao Shiyilang challenges Bai Changfeng.
• Bai Changfeng unleashes his powerful technique, “Sword Feathers Fill the Heavens,” but Xiao Shiyilang blocks it with a single ordinary palm strike and severely overwhelms him.
• Xiao Shiyilang follows with a punch that stops just short of Bai Changfeng’s face, demonstrating his overwhelming superiority without seriously injuring him.
• Bai Changfeng accepts his defeat and recognizes that he had greatly overestimated his own strength.
• Jing Yi finally emerges from seclusion. The monks eagerly ask whether he has broken through to the Spirit Refining realm, but Jing Yi honestly admits that he failed to comprehend the Buddhist Dharma, though he gained a very limited understanding of it.

Character Developments

• Lv Xiaoyi: Gains a deeper awareness of the blade path and learns that Blade Intent is not its ultimate realm. His pure, blade-focused personality is highlighted, while others worry that his innocence may make him vulnerable in the martial world.
• Li Qiming: Demonstrates profound mastery of the blade and acts as a mentor to Lv Xiaoyi. His warning reflects concern for Lv Xiaoyi’s future and worldly naivety.
• Bai Changfeng: Begins as arrogant and confident, believing his ranking and abilities justify looking down on others. His one-move defeat by Xiao Shiyilang humbles him and forces him to reassess his strength.
• Xiao Shiyilang: Introduced as an unknown but extraordinarily powerful martial artist. His confidence borders on arrogance, but his overwhelming combat ability proves that he is a genuine prodigy.
• Jing Yi: Presented as a young, pure-hearted Buddhist monk with great expectations placed upon him. Despite his reputation and ranking, he remains humble and admits that his comprehension of Buddhist teachings is still insufficient.
• Martial Uncle Jie Se and the Golden Sun monks: Act protectively toward Jing Yi and the temple, attempting to prevent the challengers from damaging Golden Sun Temple’s reputation.

Significant Themes

• The endless progression of martial cultivation: Blade Intent is revealed to be only one stage, with Blade Domain representing a higher realm.
• Talent versus comprehension: Even gifted martial artists may struggle before profound teachings, as shown by both Lv Xiaoyi’s difficulty understanding Blade Domain and Jing Yi’s inability to fully grasp the Supreme Buddhist Dharma.
• Reputation versus true strength: Bai Changfeng relies on his ranking and reputation, while Xiao Shiyilang has no established name but possesses far greater actual power.
• Humility and disillusionment: Bai Changfeng’s defeat shatters his inflated confidence, while Jing Yi’s honest admission shows genuine humility.
• Purity in the martial path: Lv Xiaoyi’s single-minded devotion to the blade and Jing Yi’s spiritual purity contrast with the ambition, pride, and worldly calculations of others.
• The danger of naivety: Li Qiming’s parting warning suggests that purity alone may not be enough to survive the politics and deception of the martial world.

Character Interactions

• Li Qiming and Lv Xiaoyi: Mentor and student-like interaction, with Li Qiming offering advanced guidance and a warning about worldly experience.
• Lv Xiaoyi and the group: Lv Xiaoyi respectfully bids farewell, leaving to fulfill his obligation to the Frenzied Thunder Blade Art’s inheritor.
• Bai Changfeng and the Golden Sun monks: Bai threatens the temple and pressures the monks to summon Jing Yi, while they attempt to protect Jing Yi’s seclusion and the temple’s dignity.
• Bai Changfeng and Xiao Shiyilang: Their exchange is openly antagonistic. Bai mocks Xiao’s anonymity, while Xiao dismisses Bai’s ranking and then proves his superiority in combat.
• Martial Uncle Jie Se and the challengers: Jie Se remains calm and authoritative, moving the confrontation outside and ordering the temple gates closed.
• Jing Yi and the monks: The monks admire and expect great things from Jing Yi, especially a breakthrough into Spirit Refining. Jing Yi responds modestly and truthfully, admitting that his progress has been limited.

Summary of “Golden Sun Temple’s Crisis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Shiyilang challenges Monk Jing Yi, the seventh-ranked figure on the Prodigy Ranking, expecting an easy or unimpressive opponent because Jing Yi appears harmless and possesses seemingly ordinary Martial Power.
• Jing Yi accepts the challenge and initially reinforces Xiao’s underestimation by moving slowly and appearing passive. Xiao arrogantly offers him three free attacks.
• Jing Yi’s first seemingly weak punch sends Xiao flying and makes him vomit blood. He then reveals his true strength, radiating golden Buddhist light and overwhelming martial pressure.
• Xiao attempts to evade Jing Yi’s second strike by creating five afterimages, but Jing Yi counters by launching five punches simultaneously. The attack destroys the afterimages and severely injures Xiao’s true body, forcing him to concede.
• Bai Changfeng, who had earlier considered challenging Jing Yi, becomes intimidated and immediately denies any intention of fighting him.
• Abbot Master Kongxin and six Spirit Refining elders emerge from the temple. Kongxin reprimands Jing Yi for his impulsiveness and teaches him that the Wrathful Buddha Path cannot be advanced through uncontrolled anger. Jing Yi realizes that mastering strength without anger may be the key to reaching the Spirit Refining realm.
• Kongxin warns Xiao Shiyilang and Bai Changfeng not to leave through the main gate because danger has appeared at the foot of the mountain. The two decide to remain and help Golden Sun Temple rather than flee.
• More than twenty temple martial monks are thrown up the mountain by an approaching enemy: Dharma Master Wuxiang and his young disciple, Hongming, apparently from Magadha in the Western Regions.
• Wuxiang, a Half-Step Yang Refining expert armed with a massive Vajra Pestle, demands access to Golden Sun Temple’s Supreme Buddhist Dharma. He claims that all Buddhist sects are one family and that Buddhist teachings should be shared.
• Kongxin refuses to surrender the temple’s secret teachings, citing the founder’s rule that only core disciples may study them. He counters that the worthy should obtain the Dharma, implicitly accepting Wuxiang’s proposal of a contest.
• Wuxiang challenges Golden Sun Temple to a Buddhist martial arts competition, confident that the temple lacks a Yang Refining expert capable of defeating him.

Character Developments

• Monk Jing Yi: Reveals himself as a highly deceptive and overwhelmingly powerful fighter. His harmless appearance masks a “mad monk” temperament and devastating combat skill. After Kongxin’s guidance, he begins to understand that suppressing anger—not merely expressing it—may be necessary to perfect the Wrathful Buddha Path and break through to Spirit Refining.
• Xiao Shiyilang: Begins arrogant and dismissive, but is decisively defeated despite using his full strength. He accepts the loss without resentment and develops greater respect for Jing Yi. His willingness to stay and help the temple shows courage and a sense of responsibility.
• Bai Changfeng: Initially skeptical of Jing Yi, but quickly recognizes the monk’s terrifying strength after witnessing the fight. He becomes cautious and humble, while also showing bravery by agreeing to help Golden Sun Temple.
• Master Kongxin: Appears as a calm, respected, and powerful leader. He guides Jing Yi spiritually, protects the temple’s teachings, and handles the outsiders’ challenge with restraint while defending the sect’s interests.
• Dharma Master Wuxiang: Emerges as a confident and aggressive outsider. Though he frames his demand as a pursuit of Buddhist unity, his insistence on obtaining the secret Dharma suggests ambition and a willingness to use force.
• Hongming: Wuxiang’s young disciple remains largely silent but is presented as a serious participant in the coming confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Jing Yi’s innocent appearance conceals extraordinary power, allowing him to exploit Xiao’s arrogance.
• Humility versus pride: Xiao and Bai learn that appearances are unreliable, while Jing Yi must confront his own anger and impulsiveness.
• The nature of Buddhist cultivation: The chapter emphasizes that true mastery requires inner control. For Jing Yi, the deepest level of the Wrathful Buddha Path may involve becoming powerful without being driven by rage.
• Tradition versus universal sharing: Wuxiang invokes Buddhism’s principle that all Buddhist teachings belong to one family, while Golden Sun Temple argues that sacred knowledge must be earned and protected.
• Honor and responsibility: Despite being outsiders who caused trouble, Xiao and Bai choose to stay and assist the temple when a greater threat appears.
• Clash between sects: The chapter shifts from a personal sparring match to a major conflict over Golden Sun Temple’s Supreme Buddhist Dharma.

Character Interactions

• Xiao’s mockery and underestimation of Jing Yi lead directly to his defeat.
• Bai acts as a warning voice during the fight, then becomes an observer who recognizes the true gap between Jing Yi and the Prodigy Ranking’s other fighters.
• Kongxin’s interaction with Jing Yi is both disciplinary and instructional, redirecting the young monk’s violent temperament toward spiritual growth.
• Kongxin reassures Xiao and Bai that the temple does not intend to punish them, earning their trust and cooperation.
• Wuxiang and Kongxin engage in a tense ideological exchange over Buddhist doctrine, with Wuxiang using tradition to justify his demand and Kongxin responding by invoking merit and capability.
• The chapter ends with the opposing sides preparing for a formal Buddhist martial contest that will determine who can claim access to the temple’s supreme teachings.

Chapter Summary: “Challenge Li Qiming”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Master Kongxin accepts Dharma Master Wuxiang’s demand for a competition over Golden Sun Temple’s Supreme Buddhist Dharma. However, he proposes using the combined strength of the temple’s seven Spirit Refining monks against Wuxiang, a Half-Step Yang Refining expert.
• Wuxiang rejects the unfairness of fighting many opponents at once and instead challenges the younger generation. His disciple, Monk Hongming, volunteers to fight Golden Sun Temple’s prodigy, Jing Yi.
• While Jing Yi and Hongming prepare to duel, Li Qiming, Shen Changsheng, Jiang Lianyue, and Xia Bingbing arrive at the temple. Li Qiming has come seeking Golden Sun Temple’s Supreme Buddhist Dharma to remove the curse afflicting him.
• Before entering the temple, the group discusses Murong Canghai’s mysterious disappearance and Ghost Dread’s current status. Jiang Lianyue confirms that Ghost Dread has recovered and continues hunting demons elsewhere.
• The group reaches the temple after hearing a violent clash. Jing Yi has already been defeated by Hongming, and the monks of Golden Sun Temple have also fought unsuccessfully against Wuxiang and his disciple.
• Wuxiang demands access to the Supreme Buddhist Dharma, claiming that Jing Yi’s defeat entitles him and Hongming to read it. Master Kongxin reveals that he never promised to lend them the Supreme Dharma—only that they could browse the temple’s ordinary scriptures.
• Enraged by Kongxin’s technical refusal, Wuxiang attacks. His overwhelming Half-Step Yang Refining strength sends Kongxin and the temple’s monks flying and leaves them badly injured.
• Li Qiming steps forward and offers assistance. His identity shocks everyone because he is the famous sixth-ranked figure on the Prodigy Ranking.
• Hongming challenges Li Qiming, confident that defeating him will prove his superiority over the rankings. Li Qiming effortlessly catches Hongming’s full-powered punch and defeats him with a single palm strike.
• Wuxiang is alarmed by his disciple’s defeat and threatens Li Qiming, offering to let him leave if he refuses to interfere. Li Qiming points out that he never initiated the conflict—Hongming was the one who challenged him.

Character Developments

• Master Kongxin: Demonstrates cleverness, stubbornness, and loyalty to Golden Sun Temple. Though badly injured, he refuses to surrender the Supreme Buddhist Dharma and uses a literal interpretation of the competition’s terms to resist Wuxiang’s demands.
• Dharma Master Wuxiang: Reveals himself to be domineering and aggressive. Although he initially argues for fairness, he abandons restraint when Kongxin refuses to hand over the manual and resorts to force.
• Jing Yi: Despite being Golden Sun Temple’s prodigy and sixth-ranked in earlier expectations, he is decisively defeated by Hongming, showing that his reputation is insufficient against the visiting monk.
• Monk Hongming: Displays great confidence and ambition, believing he can surpass the Prodigy Ranking. His arrogance is shattered when Li Qiming stops his strongest punch with one hand and defeats him instantly.
• Li Qiming: Establishes an immense gap between himself and the other young prodigies. His calmness, humor, and overwhelming strength contrast sharply with Hongming’s arrogance. He appears to be far more powerful than his ranking suggests.
• Jiang Lianyue and the others: Their curiosity about Murong Canghai and Ghost Dread provides background context, while their stunned reactions emphasize the significance of Li Qiming’s arrival.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus rules: The chapter questions what constitutes a fair contest. Wuxiang considers a group battle unfair, while Kongxin argues that overwhelming a Half-Step Yang Refining expert with numbers is equally justified.
• Literal interpretation and deception: Kongxin exploits the ambiguity of the agreement, distinguishing between allowing Wuxiang to read ordinary scriptures and giving him the Supreme Buddhist Dharma.
• Power and reputation: Jing Yi and Hongming are both respected prodigies, but Li Qiming’s actual strength vastly exceeds their expectations, suggesting that rankings and fame do not always reflect true ability.
• Pride and humiliation: Hongming’s confidence turns into humiliation after his effortless defeat, while Wuxiang’s pride drives him toward increasingly violent actions.
• Defending one’s principles: Kongxin is willing to risk his life rather than surrender the temple’s sacred inheritance, even when facing a much stronger opponent.

Important Character Interactions

• Kongxin and Wuxiang: Their verbal dispute over fairness and the Supreme Buddhist Dharma escalates into open violence.
• Jing Yi and Hongming: Their duel ends with Hongming’s decisive victory, shifting control of the confrontation toward Wuxiang’s side.
• Li Qiming and Hongming: Hongming challenges Li Qiming to prove his superiority, but Li Qiming humiliates him by neutralizing his strongest attack and defeating him with one palm.
• Li Qiming and Wuxiang: After Hongming’s defeat, Wuxiang threatens Li Qiming, but Li Qiming calmly reminds him that he was merely responding to a challenge rather than interfering voluntarily.
• Li Qiming and Golden Sun Temple: His arrival transforms the temple’s situation from certain defeat into a potential reversal, leaving Wuxiang facing an opponent whose true strength he has underestimated.

Chapter Summary: Battle Against Master Wuxiang, White Lotus Shows Its Divine Might!

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qiming explains that he never initiated the conflict with Master Wuxiang, leaving Wuxiang unable to justify attacking him despite his anger.
• Master Kongxin, abbot of Golden Sun Temple, urges Li Qiming to leave because Wuxiang is at the Half-Step Yang Refining realm and appears overwhelmingly stronger.
• Li reveals that he came to study Golden Sun Temple’s Supreme Buddhist Dharma and remove the curse afflicting him. He promises to resolve the temple’s crisis in exchange for access to the scripture. Kongxin agrees, believing Li cannot possibly defeat Wuxiang.
• Wuxiang attacks with his Vajra Pestle. Li avoids the assault using his Hidden Domain, concealing both his body and aura while preparing multiple saber, sword, spear, and spiritual techniques.
• Li uses psychological pressure and surprise attacks to unsettle Wuxiang. Although Wuxiang eventually traps him with the Vajra Pestle’s imprisoning barrier, Li uses the Brahma Heaven Eye to stun him for a crucial instant.
• Li beheads Wuxiang and destroys his severed head before Wuxiang can reunite his body. Wuxiang’s Yin Spirit survives and unleashes the powerful Buddhist technique “Ten Thousand Buddhas Return to the Sect.”
• At the critical moment, Li uses the White Lotus in his Sea of Consciousness to suppress and absorb Wuxiang’s Yin Spirit. The White Lotus has become stronger and more controllable after absorbing fifty years of Incense Power.
• Four Great Demon Yin Spirits residing within the White Lotus—belonging to the Qingqiu Fox, Demon Abyss Blood, Ghost-Eroding Soul, and Barbaric Wilderness Beast clans—attack Wuxiang’s trapped Yin Spirit. They consume much of his power, while the remainder strengthens the White Lotus.
• Li discovers that the White Lotus can absorb Yin Spirit power and may grow stronger through continued consumption. He also realizes that he possesses absolute control over the four demon spirits.
• After Wuxiang’s defeat, Li collects the Vajra Pestle by storing it in Mumu’s hairpin-drawer space.
• Hongming attacks Li in grief and desperation, but Master Kongxin intervenes and stops him. Kongxin asks Li to spare Hongming, prompting Li to question whether Wuxiang and Hongming would have shown the same mercy to Golden Sun Temple without his intervention.

2. Character Developments

• Li Qiming: Demonstrates that he can defeat an opponent far above his cultivation level through concealment, tactical deception, spiritual attacks, and precise timing. He becomes more confident in controlling the White Lotus and gains absolute command over four powerful demon Yin Spirits.
• Master Wuxiang: His arrogance and confidence collapse as Li repeatedly evades and surprises him. Though he initially appears dominant because of his Half-Step Yang Refining cultivation, he is ultimately killed and reduced to a powerless Yin Spirit before being consumed.
• Master Kongxin: Shows gratitude and concern toward Li, recognizing his talent and wishing to prevent his death. However, his willingness to negotiate only because he assumes Li will lose reveals his underestimation of Li’s abilities. He later acts compassionately by protecting Hongming.
• Hongming: Shifts from confidence in his master to shock, grief, and desperation. After Wuxiang’s destruction, he accepts that he may die and launches a final attack.
• The Four Great Demon Yin Spirits: Their relationship with Li becomes clearly defined as one of absolute servitude. They regard the destruction of Wuxiang’s Yin Spirit as a reward from their master and obey his commands without resistance.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategy over cultivation: Li’s victory emphasizes concealment, psychological warfare, spiritual techniques, and exploiting brief openings rather than relying solely on raw strength.
• The danger of underestimation: Kongxin assumes Li cannot defeat Wuxiang, while Wuxiang underestimates Li’s hidden abilities. Both misjudgments shape the battle.
• Power and control: The White Lotus transforms defeat into domination by imprisoning Yin Spirits and granting Li authority over powerful demonic servants.
• Mercy versus justice: Kongxin appeals to Buddhist compassion and asks Li to spare Hongming, but Li challenges whether mercy should be extended to enemies who would have destroyed the temple.
• Moral ambiguity and political danger: Wuxiang threatens to accuse Li of colluding with demons, highlighting the tension between Li’s unconventional methods and the Great Yan Imperial Court’s hostility toward humans associated with demons.
• Growth through absorption: The White Lotus not only suppresses enemies but also strengthens itself by absorbing Yin Spirit power, suggesting a developing divine artifact with potentially greater future abilities.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Qiming and Wuxiang: Their confrontation evolves from verbal provocation into a battle of tactical intelligence. Wuxiang relies on overwhelming Buddhist force, while Li uses stealth, spiritual disruption, and the White Lotus to turn the fight around.
• Li Qiming and Kongxin: Kongxin offers Li a chance to study the Supreme Buddhist Dharma if he saves the temple, but his agreement is based on the belief that Li will fail. After Li wins, Li confronts Kongxin over asking for mercy only after the danger has passed.
• Wuxiang and Hongming: Their master-disciple bond is reflected in Hongming’s devastation when Wuxiang is defeated. Wuxiang’s final actions, however, are focused on survival and revenge rather than protecting his disciple.
• Li Qiming and the demon Yin Spirits: Li commands the four demons to attack Wuxiang, confirming his complete authority over them. They respond with reverence and gratitude.
• Kongxin and Hongming: Kongxin prevents Hongming from making a suicidal attack and asks Li to let him go, embodying the Buddhist ideal of compassion amid the cycle of vengeance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Master Kongxin argues that Monk Hongming should be spared and given a chance to reform, following the Buddhist principle that recognizing and correcting one’s mistakes is a great virtue.
• Li Qiming rejects this mercy. Using his Heaven-Burning Eye, he sees that Hongming is consumed by vicious aura and believes he will eventually become a major calamity. Li kills Hongming with a single punch.
• With both Wuxiang and Hongming dead, Master Kongxin honors his earlier promise and gives Li Qiming access to Golden Sun Temple’s Supreme Buddhist Dharma.
• The temple’s main hall has been destroyed in the battle, but the Scripture Pavilion remains intact. There, Li receives the incomplete Supreme Bodhi Golden Body Formula.
• Master Kongxin explains that even partial comprehension can remove Li’s curse, improve his aptitude and fortune, or allow him to reach the Spirit Refining realm.
• Li begins studying the scripture. The White Lotus in his consciousness and the Yin Spirits of his four Great Demons assist his comprehension.
• Within the time of one incense stick, Li comprehends three portions of the Buddhist Dharma. Golden Buddhist light purifies him, completely erasing the curse afflicting him.
• Believing Li has failed because he leaves the Scripture Pavilion quickly, Master Kongxin and the others try to comfort him. Xia Bingbing and Jiang Lianyue each offer to seek help from their powerful connections.
• Li secretly tests whether the curse is gone by looting Hongming’s corpse. The system produces several valuable Entries, proving that his luck and corpse-looting ability have returned to normal.
• He selects Buddha Dust, a Superior Root Bone Entry, and fuses it with his existing Dragon Bone and Great Ape Bone to form the Great Buddha Dragon Bone, a Super Root Bone granting five hundred years of Buddhist aptitude.
• The sudden increase in Li’s Buddhist aptitude awakens several toppled golden Buddha statues. Their Buddhist power, incense, and wish power flood toward him, astonishing everyone.
• Li confirms that he has successfully dispelled the curse. Master Kongxin realizes that Li may be an extraordinary Buddhist prodigy.

Character Developments

• Li Qiming becomes more decisive and ruthless when necessary, choosing to eliminate Hongming rather than risk allowing a dangerous enemy to survive. At the same time, he demonstrates remarkable Buddhist comprehension and gains renewed confidence after breaking his curse.
• Li also gains a deeper understanding of the relationship between fortune and his system. He realizes that improved luck directly increases the quality and frequency of his corpse-looting rewards, effectively functioning like a system upgrade.
• Master Kongxin is shown to be compassionate and hopeful, believing Hongming can be redeemed. After witnessing Li’s achievements, however, he becomes astonished and excited by Li’s unprecedented Buddhist talent.
• Hongming is revealed to be Wuxiang’s biological son. His hatred over Wuxiang’s death and his own corrupted nature confirm Li’s judgment that he is too dangerous to spare.
• Xia Bingbing and Jiang Lianyue show concern for Li and offer assistance through their respective powerful connections, revealing their gratitude and growing personal attachment to him.
• Shen Changsheng acts as a supportive senior brother, immediately trying to reassure Li when he assumes the Buddhist scripture has defeated him.

Significant Themes

• Mercy versus necessary justice: Master Kongxin believes in redemption, while Li argues that some corrupted people must be eliminated before they become greater threats.
• Fate, fortune, and ability: The chapter emphasizes that luck is a real force influencing cultivation, opportunities, and even the system’s rewards.
• Growth through comprehension: Li’s progress comes not only from innate ability but also from the White Lotus, his spiritual companions, and the benefits gained from previous battles.
• The relationship between curse and destiny: Once the curse is removed, Li’s fortune and system functions recover, suggesting that external forces had been suppressing his potential.
• Hidden potential and transformation: The fusion into the Great Buddha Dragon Bone dramatically increases Li’s Buddhist aptitude and triggers a supernatural response from the temple’s Buddha statues.

Character Interactions

• Master Kongxin and Li clash over whether Hongming deserves mercy, but Kongxin ultimately accepts Li’s decision and fulfills his promise.
• Li’s companions initially misunderstand his quick return from the Scripture Pavilion and assume he failed. Their attempts to comfort him demonstrate their loyalty.
• Xia Bingbing offers the aid of the Han Family, while Jiang Lianyue promises help through the Demon Suppression Division.
• Li keeps his successful corpse looting secret until he confirms the curse has vanished, creating a contrast between his private excitement and the group’s mistaken concern.
• After the Buddha statues awaken, everyone turns to Li for an explanation, while Master Kongxin recognizes that the phenomenon is connected to Li’s extraordinary Buddhist cultivation.

Plot points and events

• Master Kongxin explains that the four golden Buddha statues acknowledged Li Qiming as a Buddhist prodigy, strengthening his Buddhist power and sharpening his mind.
• Li’s three Root Bone Entries finish merging into a First-Tier Spirit Bone, dramatically increasing his comprehension, training speed, and combat power.
• The improved Root Bone awakens the long-hidden Divine Weapon: the Exquisite Pagoda. Li earns a tentative acknowledgment from its spirit, but cannot open its doors and is told he is not yet qualified.
• The Buddha statues respond again, flooding Li with Buddhist power and Incense Power. He uses corpse-looting on Master Wuxiang and chooses the Buddha Bone of a Hundred Lifetimes over Wuxiang’s Buddhist knowledge or the powerful Blazing Sun Transformation.
• The choice triggers another surge from the statues, which are left bronze and diminished. Li gains a total of one hundred years’ worth of Incense Power, while the monks lament the loss of their temple’s reserves.
• Grateful for the temple’s help, Li promises Kongxin one future favor. He then leaves for Danzhou, still wary of the enemies pursuing him and intent on reaching Kunjin Mountain to cultivate in safety.

Character developments and interactions

• Li’s rapid growth makes him a remarkable talent in both martial arts and Buddhism, and he believes further Root Bone advancement may let him open the Exquisite Pagoda.
• Kongxin shifts from amazement to admiration and sees Li’s promise as a valuable future protection for the temple. He regrets that Li is not a Golden Sun Temple disciple.
• Jing Yi and the other monks watch Li’s gifts with envy and astonishment; Xiao Shiyilang and Bai Changfeng likewise feel overshadowed by his talent.
• Li reflects on the danger of Wuxiang’s unused ultimate technique, which could have struck with five times his combat power, and chooses long-term Buddhist aptitude over immediate power.
• Li’s thoughts turn to Bai Yu, the Second Prince, Meng Hailong, and his vow to avenge his master, Long Wuhui.

Significant themes

• Power and qualification: Even a First-Tier Spirit Bone is not enough to master the Divine Weapon, emphasizing the distance between great talent and true mastery.
• Growth through choices: Li favors an enduring boost to Buddhist cultivation over a powerful attack or instant knowledge.
• Reciprocity and alliance: Li’s promise to repay Golden Sun Temple turns its costly generosity into a potential future bond.
• Ambition amid danger: Li’s gains do not ease his sense of vulnerability; his enemies and unfinished revenge drive him to keep pursuing strength.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• In Dragon Spring City, Bai Yu—a First Grade Yang Refining expert sent by the Second Prince to find a blind prodigy—hears a storyteller claim that Li Qiming fought Meng Hailong’s Yin Spirit Avatar for three days and nights. The crowd doubts the story, and even Bai Yu finds it implausible.
• The storyteller is Bean Bun in disguise. Though he tells the tale confidently, he privately cannot explain how Li Qiming could have survived; he suspects an immensely powerful, undetectable figure intervened.
• A message from the Second Prince reveals that Li Qiming is the blind prodigy Bai Yu has been seeking. Bai Yu is ordered to recruit him if possible or kill him otherwise. Bai Yu, confident that killing will be simpler, sets out for Danzhou.
• Li Qiming and his companions arrive in Danzhou City, hoping to secure a Spirit Refining quota. At the gate, Li Qiming is recognized by the crowd as a famous Prodigy Ranking talent. He reveals that he is joining the Demon Suppression Division as a Silver Badge Demon Catcher.
• Some martial artists criticize his decision to serve the court, but the gate captain defends it as a sensible route to advancement.
• Liangzi, a poor laborer who admires Li Qiming’s rise from beggar to prodigy, reflects on a small amber-like crystal he found in a mine. Since finding it, he has felt stronger and dreamed of practicing martial arts.
• After Liangzi enters the city, members of the Clearwater Gang ambush him, having overheard that he had savings. They demand money and begin beating him; the chapter ends as they seize and threaten him.

Character developments

• Bai Yu shifts from searching for an unknown blind prodigy to targeting Li Qiming directly. His orders allow recruitment, but his personal confidence and hostility make assassination his preferred option.
• Bean Bun presents an apparently certain account of Li Qiming’s battle, yet privately admits the outcome defies his calculations and may have required hidden intervention.
• Li Qiming is now publicly celebrated and recognized, but his fame prevents him from entering Danzhou unnoticed. He remains focused on obtaining a Spirit Refining opportunity and accepts a government post despite martial-world disapproval.
• Liangzi moves from modest pride in his hard-earned prospects to awe and inspiration upon seeing Li Qiming. The mysterious crystal may represent his own chance at a martial breakthrough, though the gang’s attack puts him in immediate danger.
• Jiang Lianyue relaxes once the group reaches Danzhou, while Shen Changsheng and Li Qiming share their determination to pursue Spirit Refining.

Significant themes

• Reputation versus reality: Li Qiming’s growing legend is treated as fact by the public, even while experienced fighters doubt the stories behind it.
• Ambition and unequal opportunity: Liangzi recognizes the enormous gap between ordinary laborers and privileged martial talents, yet Li Qiming’s rise gives him hope.
• The costs of fame and fortune: Li Qiming attracts attention wherever he goes, while Liangzi’s small savings make him a target for predators.
• Pragmatism versus loyalty to the martial world: The martial artists condemn service to the court, but a Demon Suppression Division post may offer access to advancement unavailable elsewhere.
• Hidden forces and uncertainty: Bean Bun’s failed divinations suggest that unseen powers may have shaped the events in Dragon Spring City.

Character interactions

• Bai Yu listens to Bean Bun’s story and dismisses it, then receives the message that identifies Li Qiming as his target.
• Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng silently share their goal of obtaining a Spirit Refining quota.
• The crowd welcomes Li Qiming as a hero, while some martial artists rebuke him for joining the court; the gate captain intervenes in his defense.
• Liangzi watches Li Qiming with admiration and imagines following a similar path.
• Master Jin and his gang exploit Liangzi’s earlier boast about his savings, turning his hopeful arrival in Danzhou into a violent confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• Cornered by Master Jin and his gang, Liangzi uses the breathing method and martial technique from a dream to kill two thugs with a single attack. Master Jin realizes Liangzi has an unusual secret and orders his men to search him for a valuable amber crystal.
• Shen Changsheng intervenes and effortlessly defeats Master Jin and the remaining thugs. After Shen leaves, Liangzi fears the gang will retaliate once they recover, so he kills them all and takes their money. Unnoticed, seven strands of vital essence flow from the corpses into the crystal at his waist; the bodies then decay into skeletons.
• At the Demon Suppression Division headquarters, Xia Bingbing declines further help and leaves with Yun’er for the Han Family. She has grown quietly attached to Li Qiming, though she tells herself the feeling may fade.
• Jiang Lianyue explains the Demon Suppression Division’s organization as she leads Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng inside. They learn that a transformed great demon—roughly at the half-step Yang Refining level—has appeared on Hidden Dragon Mountain. Jiang sets off to help, and both men volunteer to join her.

Character developments and interactions

• Liangzi discovers that the crystal and his dream-taught techniques give him extraordinary, if apparently limited, power. His fear and desperation turn into ruthless self-preservation when he kills the incapacitated gang rather than risk their revenge.
• Shen Changsheng shows compassion by trusting Liangzi and rescuing him without hesitation. He also openly praises Li Qiming, saying Qiming far surpasses him.
• Xia Bingbing shows more courage and goodness than her privileged background suggested, but her inherited technique is weakening her cultivation. Her admiration for Li Qiming has begun to become emotional dependence; she parts from him reluctantly.
• Li Qiming remains unaware of Xia Bingbing’s feelings. Jiang Lianyue takes the lead at the headquarters and responds promptly to the new danger.

Significant themes

• Power and its cost: Liangzi’s sudden strength is tied to a mysterious crystal, while Xia Bingbing’s powerful technique causes her cultivation to decline.
• Survival and moral compromise: Liangzi’s final killings are presented as a grim choice shaped by fear of future retaliation.
• Hidden potential and admiration: Liangzi dreams of someday standing alongside Li Qiming, whose reputation and ability inspire those around him.
• Duty amid danger: The Demon Suppression Division’s stretched resources underscore the scale of the threat posed by demons, and the heroes immediately answer the call.

Li Qiming watched the Demon Suppression Division elders use a Yang Refining Golden Body to kill a transformed python demon, then secretly took her Yin Spirit and gained a superior root bone. Back at headquarters, Shen Changsheng began the Demon Catcher assessment by driving the Red-Browed Elder back with his first punch.

• The Red-Browed Elder and two other elders summoned a Golden Body that overwhelmed and destroyed the transformed python demon and her Yin Spirit.
• Li Qiming secretly touched the demon’s corpse, claimed her Python Yin Jade Bone entry, and discovered her Yin Spirit had been absorbed into his white lotus.
• The Red-Browed Elder explained that the Golden Body could only unleash its power near the Demon Suppression Division because it depended on incense power.
• The Red-Browed Elder challenged Li Qiming and Shen Changsheng to drive him back three steps within two hours as their Demon Catcher assessment.
• Shen Changsheng struck the Red-Browed Elder back one step and launched a second punch as Su Xuan, Liu Wu, and Wang Hu watched.