Chapter Summaries

Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen leaves Nine Provinces, transforming his appearance and aura using the Six Transformations of Heavenly Gang.
• He encounters five First Great Limit Superiors who try to rob him. He defeats them and takes their relics.
• Li Beichen learns about the Heavenly Horse Ruins, where a major battle between Heavenly Soldiers and Generals and ancient Nether Soldiers is about to occur.
• He arrives at a marketplace on a shattered star, where his presence causes fear among the cultivators due to his powerful sword intent.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen demonstrates his ruthlessness and coldness, earning a reputation as a formidable sword cultivator in the Heavenly Horse Star Domain.
• He shows no mercy to those who underestimate him or try to rob him, killing them without hesitation.

Significant Themes

• The law of the jungle in the desolate frontier of the Star Sea, where the strong prey on the weak.
• The struggle for opportunity and resources among cultivators from various realms.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen encounters several Superiors who try to rob him. He defeats them all, leaving one alive to gather information.
• At the marketplace, Li Beichen's presence instills fear in the cultivators, and the marketplace owner, Hua Ruyi, greets him respectfully.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen visits Hua Ruyi’s orderly marketplace in the chaotic borderland. He briefly reveals his Sword Soul to establish his strength, then withdraws it to show he bears no hostility.
• Hua Ruyi, recognizing Li Beichen as a powerful expert, courteously takes him into a portable secret realm to discuss business.
• Li Beichen exchanges storage rings taken from slain tribulation cultivators for intelligence about the Heavenly Horse Star Domain. Hua Ruyi provides extensive information on:
  • The movements and battle locations of the descendants of the Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals.
  • The distribution of Ancient Yin Soldiers.
  • Possible Ancient Immortal Age ruins and secret realms.
  • Other marketplaces and experts above the Three Great Limits, including their abilities and backgrounds.
• Hua Ruyi gives Li Beichen an additional secret: an apparently exhausted Ancient Immortal Age ruin 250,000 kilometers west of the marketplace contains a hidden second layer. The deeper ruin is occupied by powerful Ancient Yin Soldiers and may contain top-tier treasures.
• She also gives Li Beichen a communication treasure mirror and offers to explore the ruin with him, dividing the spoils according to contribution. Li Beichen neither accepts nor rejects the proposal.
• After Li Beichen leaves, Hua Ruyi reports his possession of a powerful spatial divine ability. News of the mysterious “Eastern Imperial Palace” and its exceptional successor spreads among major experts in the region.
• Li Beichen reaches the ruin and uses his vision techniques to uncover the concealed second layer. He confirms the presence of hundreds of Yin Soldiers, with the total force possibly exceeding a thousand.
• He secretly enters the second layer using concealment techniques. The gray mist there corrodes his body, Essence, Qi, and Spirit, but he chooses not to repel it because doing so would alert the Yin Soldiers.
• Li Beichen concludes that the site may be a military camp or troop-transfer station. He decides to investigate further before revealing his full strength or using powerful techniques such as the Twelve Yuanchen Immortal Sword Formation or Law of Heaven and Earth.
• A red-haired Three Great Limits expert arrives, violently opens the entrance to the first layer with his giant axe, and enters after realizing that the hidden second layer contains priceless treasures.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen is shown to be confident, restrained, and highly perceptive. He understands the borderland’s law of survival—strength must be displayed immediately—but still maintains the etiquette of the Upper Realm when treated courteously.
• His cautious and strategic nature becomes clear when he refuses to expose his full power prematurely. He investigates the ruin while concealing his identity and abilities, aware that Hua Ruyi or other forces may be observing him.
• Li Beichen’s growing reputation is established. His connection to the Eastern Imperial Palace, spatial divine ability, and extraordinary combat potential attract the attention of powerful figures throughout the Heavenly Horse Star Domain.
• Hua Ruyi is characterized as intelligent, tactful, and resourceful. She balances courtesy with force, gathers highly detailed intelligence, and appears to be maneuvering powerful experts—including Li Beichen—into a cooperative exploration of the ruin.
• The red-haired axe-wielding expert is introduced as a bold, aggressive Three Great Limits cultivator. Unlike Li Beichen, he openly uses overwhelming force and immediately pursues the rumored treasures.

Significant Themes

• Strength and survival in a lawless world: The borderland rewards those who reveal their power and punishes weakness, making strength a form of social authority.
• Caution versus aggression: Li Beichen favors concealed investigation and strategic restraint, while the red-haired expert acts directly and violently.
• Information as power: Hua Ruyi’s intelligence network is as valuable as physical strength, allowing her to influence the movements of the region’s top experts.
• Hidden agendas and mistrust: Li Beichen suspects Hua Ruyi may be using the ruin to gather powerful allies or observe their abilities, emphasizing that generosity may conceal ulterior motives.
• The danger of ancient legacies: The ruins and Yin Soldiers suggest the continuing influence of the Ancient Immortal Age, with enormous power and unknown secrets buried beneath seemingly exhausted sites.
• Reputation and identity: The mention of the Eastern Imperial Palace causes powerful figures to reassess Li Beichen, even though little is known about his true background.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen and Hua Ruyi: Their meeting is formal and mutually respectful. Hua Ruyi provides exceptional intelligence and offers future cooperation, while Li Beichen responds courteously but remains guarded.
• Hua Ruyi and the wider expert community: After witnessing Li Beichen’s spatial movement technique, Hua Ruyi transmits information about him through her hidden network, helping spread awareness of his presence.
• Li Beichen and the Yin Soldiers: He avoids direct confrontation, studying their numbers, movements, and the corrosive gray mist before deciding how to proceed.
• Li Beichen and the red-haired expert: They have not yet spoken or fought, but their simultaneous interest in the ruin sets up a likely future confrontation or competition over its treasures.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen and Han Giant Spirit, a powerful expert, encounter each other near the ruins.
• Li Beichen enters the second-layer secret realm and confronts ancient Yin soldiers.
• He discovers a war chessboard at the core of the military camp, guarded by yin soldiers.
• Li Beichen and Han Giant Spirit meet again after Li Beichen exits the ruins, and they exchange information about the ruins.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen demonstrates his strength and caution, managing to enter the core of the ruins and clash with the yin soldiers' power.
• Han Giant Spirit shows curiosity and respect for Li Beichen's strength, offering to buy information about the ruins.
• Hua Ruyi, from the Spirit Connection Pavilion, contacts Li Beichen, revealing her organization's involvement and inviting him to explore the ruins together.

Significant Themes

• The power of the yin soldiers and the war chessboard is a central theme, driving Li Beichen's desire to obtain it.
• The theme of information and intelligence is highlighted, with Li Beichen and Han Giant Spirit exchanging information and Hua Ruyi offering to share more.
• The theme of trust and honesty is emphasized, with Li Beichen demanding transparency from Hua Ruyi.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen and Han Giant Spirit have a tense standoff, with Li Beichen demanding a high price for information and Han Giant Spirit offering to pay.
• Li Beichen and Hua Ruyi communicate through the communication treasure mirror, with Li Beichen pressing for honesty and Hua Ruyi revealing the Spirit Connection Pavilion's involvement.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen agrees to cooperate with the Spirit Connection Pavilion to defeat the Yin Soldiers guarding the ruins, while insisting that all treasures in the deeper ruins will be claimed according to individual ability.
• Three days later, he joins more than fifteen other top-tier Three Great Limits High Persons outside the ruins. Among them are Han Giant Spirit, Daoist Qingxu of Cooling Temple, and a powerful swordsman from the Great Thousand Sword Sect.
• The Spirit Connection Pavilion offers participants a twenty percent discount on future services and allows each cultivator to keep the relics of any Yin Soldier they personally kill.
• A cultivator named Zhou questions the Pavilion’s generous arrangement and probes its real source of profit. Hua Yue responds by offering him the chance to become an Attendant of the Spirit Connection Pavilion, revealing a ranked cooperation system of Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow grades.
• Hua Ruyi privately explains the Attendant system to Li Beichen, but he postpones deciding whether to join.
• Hua Yue orders Hua Ruyi and two other women to remain outside and activate the Three Talents Star-Obscuring Formation, sealing the area and preventing outsiders from taking advantage of the battle.
• Hua Yue reveals a replica of the Mystic Yellow Pagoda, a powerful quasi-immortal artifact. Its strength astonishes the gathered experts and gives her exceptional defensive power.
• Han Giant Spirit secretly approaches Li Beichen and proposes that they cooperate to seize the treasure at the center of the Yin Soldier camp, admitting that neither of them can safely claim it alone under the Mystic Yellow Pagoda’s threat.
• Li Beichen evaluates the strength of the assembled experts. Though he has only broken through the First Great Limit, his perfected dharma power, powerful sword and Yama souls, Twelve Yuanchen Immortal Swords, and Law of Heaven and Earth allow him to rival the strongest cultivators present.
• Hua Yue uses the Mystic Yellow Pagoda to break through the first and second layers of the ruins. The disturbance alerts the Yin Soldiers, who begin emerging in formation through rolling gray mist.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen: Remains cautious and focused on obtaining the War Chessboard. He deliberately conceals his true strength behind the appearance of an ordinary Three Great Limits expert. Although he recognizes that he can potentially suppress everyone present with his trump cards, he realizes that his cultivation realm remains inadequate and resolves to advance more quickly.
• Hua Ruyi: Acts as the Spirit Connection Pavilion’s representative and successfully organizes the alliance. She shows particular interest in Li Beichen and seeks to establish a longer-term cooperative relationship with him.
• Hua Yue: Demonstrates authority, strategic confidence, and immense power. She controls the Mystic Yellow Pagoda with ease and clearly possesses a hidden objective behind the Pavilion’s generous terms.
• Han Giant Spirit: Reveals a pragmatic and cooperative side by approaching Li Beichen about jointly claiming the central treasure. He acknowledges the overwhelming strength of the Mystic Yellow Pagoda and the danger posed by the top experts.
• Daoist Qingxu and the Great Thousand Sword Sect swordsman: Are established as two of the strongest figures present, possessing dharma power far beyond ordinary Three Great Limits experts.
• The Zhou-named High Person: Serves as a skeptical and probing figure, recognizing that the Spirit Connection Pavilion must have a deeper profit motive.

Significant Themes

• Hidden motives and strategic cooperation: The alliance is presented as mutually beneficial, but both Li Beichen and the other experts suspect the Spirit Connection Pavilion has a larger plan.
• Concealment of true strength: Li Beichen intentionally allows others to underestimate him, using the Six Transformations of Heavenly Gang to disguise his aura.
• Power versus cultivation realm: Although Li Beichen’s formal realm is lower, his perfected foundations, powerful souls, divine abilities, and artifacts let him compete with experts of much higher standing.
• Treasure competition and fragile alliances: The cultivators cooperate against the Yin Soldiers but remain rivals when it comes to the ruins’ treasures.
• The vastness of the cultivation world: Li Beichen realizes that the frontier of the Star Sea contains many formidable geniuses and that his previous strength is no longer sufficient for complete security.
• Commercial power and influence: The Spirit Connection Pavilion’s Attendant system shows that its influence extends beyond combat and treasure trading into long-term alliances with powerful sects.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen and Hua Ruyi negotiate the terms of their cooperation through messages, agreeing to share the battle while competing independently for deeper treasures.
• Hua Ruyi introduces Li Beichen to the gathered experts, though the group generally treats him as a middle-tier expert rather than a central figure.
• Hua Yue and Zhou exchange a polite but pointed conversation about the Pavilion’s motives and its profit-making methods.
• Hua Ruyi privately offers Li Beichen information about joining the Spirit Connection Pavilion as an Attendant; he gives no commitment.
• Han Giant Spirit secretly proposes an alliance with Li Beichen to seize the ruins’ core treasure, emphasizing the threat posed by Hua Yue and the two strongest sect experts.
• Hua Yue’s activation of the Mystic Yellow Pagoda shifts the balance of power and marks the beginning of the assault on the ruins.

Li Beichen and the other cultivators fought their way into the ruins’ barracks, where the War Chessboard overwhelmed Hua Yue’s Mystic Yellow Tower Replica and drew everyone’s attention as a prize. Just as they began to gain the upper hand, more than two thousand spectral soldiers arrived to reinforce the Yin Soldiers.

• Hua Yue led the cultivators in an assault on five hundred Ancient Yin Soldiers while eight thousand Heavenly Soldiers assembled outside the Heavenly Horse Ruins under their golden-armored general’s command.
• Li Beichen killed Yin Soldiers and collected Soul Pearls as Daoist Qingxu and the Great Thousand Sword Sect swordsman broke through, provoking the War Chessboard to strike them with Gray-White Divine Light.
• Hua Yue used the Mystic Yellow Tower Replica to block the War Chessboard’s follow-up attack, then joined the fight as Daoist Qingxu summoned divine soldier phantoms and the swordsman revealed a quasi-immortal flying sword.
• The War Chessboard suppressed the Mystic Yellow Tower Replica, and Han Giant Spirit and the other cultivators charged toward the central hall, eager to claim the treasure.
• Hua Yue focused on suppressing and collecting defeated Yin Soldiers while Li Beichen and the others fought the War Chessboard’s attacks and gradually gained the upper hand.
• More than two thousand spectral soldiers crossed the gray mist and arrived to reinforce the barracks just as the cultivators neared victory.

Li Beichen seized the War Chessboard from the ruins and escaped with it as thousands of spectral soldiers converged. After the other cultivators surrounded him and demanded a share, Hua Yue upheld the Spirit Connection Pavilion’s agreement and warned them not to attack, while several experts left and others continued watching Li Beichen.

• Li Beichen used Golden Light of Earth-Crossing to enter the great hall, seized the War Chessboard, and glimpsed other linked treasures, including one in the direction of the Heavenly Horse Ruins.
• As two thousand spectral soldiers rushed toward him, Li Beichen escaped the ruins, and the other cultivators withdrew behind him before the reinforcements arrived.
• The cultivators surrounded Li Beichen and challenged his claim to the War Chessboard, but he argued that none of them could have obtained it and refused to divide it.
• Zhu Wuming threatened Li Beichen with a Stabilize Heaven and Earth talisman, and Li Beichen invited him and the other challengers to attack.
• Hua Yue defended Li Beichen by invoking the Spirit Connection Pavilion’s agreement and warning the group that they would have to face her Mystic Yellow Tower.
• The Great Thousand Sword Sect swordsman and several other cultivators departed, while Han Giant Spirit secretly stayed nearby and the remaining experts watched for Li Beichen to leave.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Hua Yue, Hua Ruyi, and the Spirit Connection Pavilion withdraw from the battlefield but secretly conceal themselves nearby to observe.
• Li Beichen faces seven powerful High Persons, including Daoist Qingxu, Zhu Wuming, and several holders of quasi-immortal weapons.
• Zhu Wuming activates the ancient stone talisman Stabilize Heaven and Earth, solidifying the surrounding space and restricting Li Beichen’s movement.
• Daoist Qingxu unleashes the Peach Talisman and summons the Six Ding and Six Jia divine soldiers to attack Li Beichen.
• Li Beichen reveals his true strength and fully activates the Twelve Yuanchen Immortal Sword Formation. Its overwhelming Sword Qi nearly suppresses three ordinary quasi-immortal weapons.
• The battle becomes a stalemate when the seven experts combine their weapons and techniques against him.
• Li Beichen then reveals numerous perfected soul-intents, including the Yin-Yang Sword Soul, Extreme-Cold Soul-Intent, Extreme-Flame Soul-Intent, and powers associated with the Ten Yama Kings. These dramatically increase his combat strength.
• Daoist Qingxu calls for hidden observers to join the siege, promising them a share of Li Beichen’s sword formation and Eastern Imperial Palace inheritance.
• One additional High Person joins the battle, but Han Giant Spirit intercepts him and enters the battlefield, apparently to aid Li Beichen.
• Han Giant Spirit claims he is defending justice and admires powerful heroes. Hua Yue believes his intervention may be partly due to her prior connection with both men.
• Han Giant Spirit secretly approaches Li Beichen and suggests that he will hold off Daoist Qingxu while Li Beichen defeats the others.
• Instead, Han Giant Spirit suddenly attacks Li Beichen with his quasi-immortal axe in a close-range sneak attack.
• Li Beichen deliberately takes the blow on his shoulder rather than dodging. The attack leaves only a faint mark, which immediately heals.
• Han Giant Spirit realizes Li Beichen had detected his betrayal in advance. The chapter ends with Li Beichen calmly asking, “Was that necessary?”

2. Character Developments

• Li Beichen: Demonstrates that his previous strength was heavily concealed. He reveals overwhelming dharmic power, a supreme sword formation, multiple perfected soul-intents, and astonishing physical durability. His calm acceptance of Han Giant Spirit’s betrayal shows extreme confidence and possibly a deliberate attempt to expose his opponent’s intentions.
• Daoist Qingxu: Becomes increasingly alarmed by Li Beichen’s strength. Though initially confident in the group’s advantage, he resorts to summoning hidden allies and negotiating with Hua Yue, revealing his fear that Li Beichen may eventually eliminate them one by one.
• Zhu Wuming: Acts as the initial provocateur and helps initiate the siege by using Stabilize Heaven and Earth. His confidence fades as Li Beichen proves capable of resisting the combined assault.
• Han Giant Spirit: Appears to be a righteous ally, publicly defending Li Beichen and criticizing the others for breaking their promises. However, this is revealed to be deception when he launches a surprise attack, suggesting he has his own arrangement with Daoist Qingxu.
• Hua Yue and Hua Ruyi: Continue observing from the sidelines. Hua Yue maintains a cautious, principled stance by refusing to lend the Mystic Yellow Tower, while Hua Ruyi initially believes Han Giant Spirit’s arrival will secure Li Beichen’s victory.
• The hidden experts: Remain opportunistic, waiting to see which side gains the advantage before committing themselves.

3. Significant Themes

• Concealed strength and strategic revelation: Li Beichen repeatedly surprises everyone by revealing deeper layers of power only when necessary.
• Trust and betrayal: Han Giant Spirit’s apparent rescue of Li Beichen is exposed as a calculated deception, emphasizing the danger of trusting sudden alliances in a ruthless cultivation world.
• Power and opportunism: The surrounding experts are willing to join whichever side offers the greatest benefit, while Qingxu attempts to manipulate them with promises of treasure and inheritance.
• Justice versus self-interest: Han Giant Spirit cloaks his actions in moral language, but his later attack suggests that declarations of righteousness may conceal practical motives.
• Confidence and overwhelming ability: Li Beichen’s calm attitude contrasts sharply with the panic of his enemies. His ability to withstand a quasi-immortal weapon reinforces his position as a terrifyingly powerful cultivator.
• The danger of collective force: Although Li Beichen is individually superior to most opponents, the combined use of multiple quasi-immortal weapons and coordinated attacks creates a serious threat.

4. Character Interactions

• Hua Yue orders the Spirit Connection Pavilion to withdraw and secretly watch the battle.
• Zhu Wuming challenges Li Beichen, while Daoist Qingxu coordinates the attack and supplies divine soldiers through the Peach Talisman.
• Qingxu attempts to recruit both hidden experts and Hua Yue by offering access to Li Beichen’s treasures and inheritance, but Hua Yue refuses to respond.
• Han Giant Spirit publicly defends Li Beichen against Qingxu and Zhu Wuming, creating the appearance of a heroic alliance.
• Hua Ruyi and Hua Yue discuss Han Giant Spirit’s intervention and believe it will turn the battle in Li Beichen’s favor.
• Han Giant Spirit privately claims he will assist Li Beichen, then betrays him with a surprise axe strike.
• Li Beichen’s effortless recovery reveals that he had understood Han Giant Spirit’s intentions and was never truly caught off guard.

Li Beichen, disguised as Gu Yi, defeated the prodigies who attacked him, killed Han Giant Spirit and Daoist Qingxu, and drew an invitation from the Spirit Connection Pavilion. As he traveled toward the Heavenly Horse Ruins, he examined his spoils while news of his battle spread, and Superior Sankong realized that Gu Yi was Li Beichen.

• Li Beichen unleashed Law of Heaven and Earth and the Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation, overwhelming Han Giant Spirit, Daoist Qingxu, Zhu Wuming, and the other attackers.
• Li Beichen killed Han Giant Spirit and later caught and killed the fleeing Daoist Qingxu, while several other opponents escaped after losing their quasi-immortal artifacts.
• Hua Yue invited Li Beichen to become a Mystic-Rank Patron of the Spirit Connection Pavilion, and Li Beichen asked Hua Ruyi to send him the details before leaving for the Heavenly Horse Ruins.
• Li Beichen studied the War Chessboard and his other spoils aboard a starship, discovered that Zhu Wuming's Stabilize Heaven and Earth talisman could replenish itself, and changed course with the War Chessboard in mind for his Yama Dharma Body.
• Witnesses spread accounts of Gu Yi's battle across the star domains, and Superior Sankong recognized him as Li Beichen after hearing the news.

Li Beichen investigated the devastated Heavenly Horse Ruins, learned that the Jiaotai Sect had arrived, and ambushed them after they slaughtered other cultivators for rare treasures. He killed eleven Jiaotai Sect members with the Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation, leaving their Three Great Limits expert alive behind a powerful jade disc.

• Li Beichen sent his War Chessboard through a Nether Eye to his Yama Dharma Body, then changed course to investigate reports of the Heavenly Soldiers' battle at the Heavenly Horse Ruins.
• A golden-armored commander studied a similar War Chessboard and ordered his agents to prioritize information about Donghuang Guyi.
• The Jiaotai Sect's twelve members ambushed cultivators who had killed a group of yin soldiers and claimed the Soul Pearl, Aperture-Opening Pearl, and Dharma Spirit Pearl.
• Li Beichen recognized the Jiaotai Sect, concealed himself, and sealed the area with Stabilize Heaven and Earth as the Jiaotai Sect killed the weakened cultivators.
• The Jiaotai Sect recognized Li Beichen as Donghuang Guyi, but his Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation shattered their array and annihilated eleven of them.
• The surviving Three Great Limits expert failed to activate his teleportation talisman and blocked Li Beichen's swords with a jade disc after unleashing exceptionally pure magical power.

Li Beichen killed Xuan Yizi despite the intervention of an immortal guardian and seized the Banished Immortal Moonlight Wheel, drawing the hostility of the Fire-in-Flame Immortal Lord’s forces. Afterward, he studied Aperture-Opening Pearls and planned to gather more cultivation supplies as he pursued his next breakthrough.

• Xuan Yizi unleashed his Banished Immortal Moonlight Wheel and bloodline divine ability against Li Beichen, but Li Beichen shattered his attacks with Law of Heaven and Earth.
• An immortal guardian appeared, healed Xuan Yizi, and threatened Li Beichen, but Li Beichen killed Xuan Yizi with a punch anyway.
• Li Beichen sealed the space, captured the Banished Immortal Moonlight Wheel, and taunted the guardian, who vowed that the golden-armored deity would avenge the loss once immortals could descend.
• The golden-armored deity’s true body in the Tenth Heaven decided to identify Li Beichen’s sect and kill him in the future, while witnesses at the Heavenly Horse Ruins recognized Li Beichen’s Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation.
• Li Beichen hid inside a meteor, tested the Aperture-Opening Pearls, and realized he needed them and Dharma Spirit Pearls to advance his cultivation.
• Li Beichen studied the Spirit Connection Pavilion’s patron benefits and learned that Mystic-Rank Patrons could exchange points for large numbers of Aperture-Opening Pearls.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen reviews the Spirit Connection Pavilion’s rules and accepts an offer to become a Mystic-Rank Patron, attracted both by its enormous resource benefits and its relatively honorable, organized nature.
• He contacts Hua Ruyi, who agrees to travel to the Heavenly Horse Ruins to sign the required dharma contract.
• Meanwhile, the Heavenly Soldiers and generals begin secretly mobilizing against Li Beichen. Their commander studies his predicted route and orders forces to use the War Chessboard to gather scattered Nether World soldiers.
• A supposed Nether World soldier nest is discovered near the ruins’ core. Although Li Beichen suspects it may be a trap, he deliberately approaches, confident that he can handle any danger short of a Heavenly Court-level scheme.
• At the site, numerous cultivators fail to open the hidden ruin. Li Beichen identifies its spatial structure and uses a Sword Soul technique to pierce the dimensional fissure, stabilizing it with Dao Talismans.
• His effortless success confirms his identity as the famous Donghuang Guyi and causes the surrounding cultivators to view him with awe and expectation.
• The opening triggers a chain reaction, allowing other experts to create additional entrances. Gray mist and Nether World soldiers begin pouring out.
• Li Beichen seals one entrance with the Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation, then deliberately attracts Nether World soldiers into its killing range and waits to slaughter them efficiently.
• The Heavenly Soldiers’ forces activate another War Chessboard inside the ruin, causing countless Nether World soldiers—including those from a previously explored ruin—to converge on Li Beichen’s position.
• Realizing the War Chessboard is inside and that the situation is part of a larger plan, Li Beichen enters the ruin himself. An unidentified young man follows him while using a treasure that conceals his presence and blocks the gray mist.
• Inside, Li Beichen casually kills Nether World soldiers by stripping away their armor and destroying them with his sword. He senses that someone has been observing him despite the concealment and continues toward the War Chessboard without revealing his awareness.

2. Character Developments

• Li Beichen: Demonstrates careful judgment, confidence, spatial insight, and overwhelming combat ability. Though he appears reckless by entering a suspicious ruin, his thoughts reveal a highly cautious and analytical nature. He also shows a willingness to warn weaker cultivators, suggesting a more principled side than his reputation implies.
• Hua Ruyi: Becomes openly enthusiastic about Li Beichen joining the Spirit Connection Pavilion and personally offers to complete the contract-signing process.
• The Heavenly Soldiers’ commander: Reveals himself as a calculating strategist who uses intelligence, military mobilization, and the War Chessboard to manipulate the battlefield and lure Li Beichen into a controlled confrontation.
• The mysterious young man: Appears to be connected to the Heavenly Soldiers and generals. He is tasked with observing or testing Li Beichen and begins doubting the intelligence describing Li Beichen as purely ruthless.
• The surrounding cultivators: Their attitudes shift from skepticism to fear and admiration after witnessing Li Beichen open the ruin with ease.

3. Significant Themes

• Opportunity versus danger: Treasures and breakthroughs often appear alongside carefully arranged traps. Li Beichen recognizes that fortune in the Star Sea may be manipulated by hidden powers.
• Reputation and reality: Li Beichen’s fearsome reputation precedes him, yet his warning to weaker cultivators contrasts with the brutal image others have received through intelligence reports.
• Power and restraint: Li Beichen’s overwhelming strength allows him to control the pace of events, but he remains observant rather than blindly relying on force.
• Strategic warfare: The War Chessboard, military orders, concealed movements, and coordinated Nether World soldiers emphasize that the confrontation is part of a larger campaign rather than an isolated ruin expedition.
• Fate and manipulation: Li Beichen jokes about being favored by destiny, while privately suspecting that the “opportunity” has been deliberately placed along his path.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Beichen and Hua Ruyi communicate about his acceptance into the Spirit Connection Pavilion, establishing a future alliance and formal relationship.
• The surrounding cultivators cautiously approach and address Li Beichen as a senior figure, while he responds briefly and warns them about the ruin’s danger.
• The mysterious young man observes Li Beichen from a distance, reassessing the rumors about his personality and abilities.
• The Heavenly Soldiers’ commanders coordinate indirectly through the War Chessboard, using the Nether World soldiers to pressure and test Li Beichen.
• Li Beichen does not confront the hidden observer directly, instead maintaining the appearance that he has not detected the surveillance while moving toward the central objective.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen realizes that a powerful young man has been secretly following him through the gray-mist ruins. He uses a void-escape technique to test the follower, then conceals himself and catches the man off guard.
• The follower identifies Li Beichen as “Donghuang Guyi” and reveals that he wants to fight him rather than ambush him. He introduces his quasi-immortal saber, Falling Star River, but agrees to postpone the duel until they leave the ruins.
• Li Beichen reaches the location of the newly appeared War Chessboard, which is surrounded by three hundred Ancient Yin Soldiers attempting to carry it away. He activates the Eight-Nine Profound Scripture, transforms into a massive golden body, and destroys the Yin Soldiers with overwhelming physical strength.
• After obtaining the War Chessboard, Li Beichen eliminates the pursuing Yin Soldiers with the Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation. He gains numerous cultivation treasures, including Aperture-Opening Pearls, a Dharma Spirit Pearl, Soul Pearls, and the more powerful War Chessboard containing five pieces.
• Suspecting that this chessboard is connected to the rumored treasure from the Heavenly Horse Ruins, Li Beichen agrees to fight the mysterious young man in the core of the ruins.
• In the dangerous central region, the young man reveals exceptional cultivation: extremely pure dharma power, a perfected Five Elements Blade Soul, and combat ability nearly equal to Li Beichen’s ordinary strength.
• Their battle initially places Li Beichen at a disadvantage because the young man’s cultivation realm is higher. The young man then reveals the divine art Star Shift, which redirects and borrows the force of Li Beichen’s attacks.
• Li Beichen responds by fully using his physical cultivation and combat abilities. Through repeated exchanges, he identifies the cooldown flaw in Star Shift and overwhelms the young man with three hundred consecutive punches.
• The young man concedes that Li Beichen is invincible among opponents of the same realm and withdraws before his divine art is perfected.
• He then removes his disguise and reveals himself as Wu Yi, a vanguard general of the Heavenly Court’s Dipper Department and the commander who led the descendants of Heavenly Soldiers and Generals to seize the Heavenly Horse Ruins.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen: Demonstrates increasing caution and tactical awareness by detecting and testing his pursuer rather than attacking recklessly. He also displays overwhelming mastery of the Eight-Nine Profound Scripture, the Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation, and Battle Victory Intent. The duel gives him a rare opportunity to fight an equal-level expert and analyze a new divine art.
• Wu Yi: Initially appears as an enigmatic, battle-hungry young cultivator. His confidence is justified by his immense cultivation, perfected Five Elements Blade Soul, and Star Shift divine art. However, he remains honorable and focused on martial improvement, willingly acknowledging defeat and postponing a rematch.
• Their mutual respect develops through combat. Wu Yi’s view of Li Beichen changes after discovering that he practices the nearly lost Eight-Nine Profound Scripture.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of martial excellence: Wu Yi seeks battle not for revenge or treasure but to improve himself against a worthy opponent.
• Hidden identities and unexpected alliances: The mysterious pursuer is revealed to be a Heavenly Court general rather than an enemy agent, suggesting deeper political and historical connections behind the ruins.
• Strength versus technique: Wu Yi’s Star Shift represents refined defensive technique, while Li Beichen’s limitless physical power and combat instincts eventually overcome it.
• Adaptability in battle: Li Beichen wins not simply through greater force, but by observing Star Shift’s limitations and exploiting its activation interval.
• Ancient inheritances and lost treasures: The War Chessboard, Eight-Nine Profound Scripture, and Star Shift all connect the current conflict to powerful inheritances from the Heavenly Court and the Earth Immortal Realm.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen confronts Wu Yi over following him but agrees to delay their duel.
• Wu Yi follows Li Beichen through the ruins without claiming any spoils, seemingly to observe his strength and await a proper battle.
• During their duel, Wu Yi openly encourages Li Beichen to use his full strength, showing his confidence and desire for a genuine contest.
• Li Beichen and Wu Yi exchange increasingly powerful attacks, moving from cautious testing to mutual recognition.
• After being defeated, Wu Yi respectfully praises Li Beichen, ends the fight voluntarily, and reveals his true identity as a Heavenly Court vanguard general.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen meets Wu Yi, a vanguard officer from the Heavenly Court's Dipper Department, who reveals he orchestrated the Heavenly Horse Ruins incident to challenge Li Beichen.
• Wu Yi invites Li Beichen to discuss martial arts and the Dao, revealing secrets about the Earth Immortal Realm and the Plague Department's dominance.
• Li Beichen learns about Fire-in-Flame Immortal Lord and the Heavenly Court's stance on him.
• Li Beichen and Wu Yi part ways after several days of discussion and sparring.
• Li Beichen meets Hua Ruyi and Hua Yue at a temporary market, where he signs a Profound-rank retainer contract with Spirit Connection Pavilion, gaining immediate access to their resources.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen: Shows restraint in revealing his true origins, gains valuable information from Wu Yi, and becomes a Profound-rank retainer of Spirit Connection Pavilion.
• Wu Yi: Reveals his distinguished background and his father's status in the Heavenly Court, shows interest in befriending Li Beichen, and offers him a position in the Dipper Department.
• Hua Ruyi: Acts as a mediator between Li Beichen and Spirit Connection Pavilion, facilitating the signing of the contract.
• Hua Yue: Shows enthusiasm in signing Li Beichen as the first Profound-rank retainer, offering him immediate access to Spirit Connection Pavilion's resources.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between different factions in the Heavenly Court, with the Plague Department currently dominant.
• The restrictions on immortals descending into the Human Immortal Realm and the potential consequences of such actions.
• The importance of connections and alliances in the cultivation world, as seen in Wu Yi's offer to Li Beichen.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen and Wu Yi: Engage in a series of discussions and spars, leading to mutual respect and a potential alliance.
• Li Beichen and Hua Ruyi/Hua Yue: Li Beichen signs a Profound-rank retainer contract with Spirit Connection Pavilion, gaining immediate access to their resources and solidifying his relationship with the sisters.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After forming a Dharma Pact, Li Beichen—under the identity of Gu Yi—becomes the first Mystic-Rank Patron of the Spirit Connection Pavilion in the First Heaven.
• He receives access to the Pavilion’s inventory and exchanges all his initial patron points for one hundred Aperture-Opening Pearls. He also obtains the Pavilion’s mission list, which allows him to earn more points through exploration, intelligence gathering, and hunting Nether-related targets.
• Returning to the hidden region where the Nether Eye once existed, Li Beichen sends the seized War Chessboard into the Nether World through his Yama Dharma Body.
• He safeguards himself with the Twelve Yuanchen Immortal Swords before using the Aperture-Opening Pearls to attempt a breakthrough from the First Great Limit to the Second Great Limit.
• The pearls help him sense and approach his unseen Heavenly Aperture. Because of his exceptionally pure and powerful Dharma power, he consumes them far more rapidly than ordinary cultivators.
• Rather than merely creating a small crack, Li Beichen uses his entire remaining supply to violently blast the aperture open completely in a single breakthrough.
• The Heavenly Aperture establishes an inner and outer circulation with his dantian, multiplying his ability to absorb and refine the power of heaven and earth. It also further purifies his already formidable Dharma power.
• After cultivating for a month, the aperture contains an ocean-like reserve of Dharma power, vastly exceeding the capacity normally possessed by other cultivators.
• Li Beichen tests his newfound strength by activating the Twelve Yuanchen Sword Formation and three additional quasi-immortal artifacts simultaneously. His personal Dharma power is rapidly depleted, but the Heavenly Aperture immediately replenishes it, allowing him to maintain all four artifacts effortlessly.
• Meanwhile, his Yama Dharma Body in the Nether World also senses and opens a corresponding Heavenly Aperture. The two apertures become connected across the divide between the living world and the Nether World, allowing Dharma power to flow between them.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen: Advances directly to the Second Great Limit and demonstrates an unprecedented foundation. His Heavenly Aperture is effectively boundless, and his ability to sustain multiple quasi-immortal artifacts dramatically increases his combat power. He also gains a powerful defensive advantage through the existence of a second Heavenly Aperture in the Nether World.
• Hua Yue: Treats Li Beichen as an honored Patron and efficiently provides him with the Aperture-Opening Pearls and mission information. She remains unaware of his true cultivation and exceptional purpose.
• Hua Ruyi: Notices that Li Beichen’s purchase of so many Aperture-Opening Pearls is suspicious, but she and Hua Yue ultimately choose not to question his motives.
• Yama Dharma Body: Becomes even more closely integrated with Li Beichen, sharing in his breakthrough and developing its own Heavenly Aperture within the Nether World.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and foundation: Li Beichen’s immense Dharma power allows him to accomplish in one day what would normally require years of gradual cultivation.
• Connection between cultivator and heaven and earth: The cultivation path is portrayed as a progressive deepening of one’s ability to merge with, draw upon, and control the power of the world.
• Exceptional talent versus ordinary methods: While most cultivators slowly widen their Heavenly Apertures, Li Beichen’s overwhelming foundation lets him open his completely in an instant.
• Boundless power and strategic preparation: The Heavenly Aperture transforms Dharma power from a limited resource into an almost inexhaustible reserve, enabling Li Beichen to use powerful artifacts as ordinary weapons.
• Duality and hidden reserves: The linked apertures in the World of the Living and Nether World give Li Beichen a concealed backup source of power and protect him from techniques that might seal only one aperture.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen formally interacts with Hua Yue and Hua Ruyi during the Dharma Pact ceremony and resource exchange.
• Hua Yue provides him with the inventory catalog, Aperture-Opening Pearls, and mission list, while Hua Ruyi and Hua Yue privately discuss their doubts about his purchase after he departs.
• Li Beichen’s main body and Yama Dharma Body mirror one another’s breakthroughs, creating a new connection between the living and Nether worlds and strengthening their cooperation as essentially two linked incarnations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen forms a pair of Yin-Yang Apertures, a rare achievement.
• He discovers a divine eye on his brow, a mark from an ancient existence.
• Li Beichen receives the complete Eight-Nine Profound Scripture from a mysterious man.
• He opens his first Physical Divine Treasury, increasing his physical strength significantly.
• Li Beichen's Yama Dharma Body refines the central tengen piece of the war chessboard, revealing the origin of yin soldiers and their control method.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen's physical body cultivation advances significantly with the opening of his first Physical Divine Treasury.
• His Yama Dharma Body gains the ability to refine Nether World treasures, revealing the truth behind yin soldiers.
• Li Beichen becomes aware of a potential controller behind the yin soldiers, hinting at another cultivator of the Yama Son of Heaven Scripture.

Significant Themes

• The power of the physical body and its cultivation methods.
• The mysteries of the Nether World and the origin of yin soldiers.
• The potential existence of a hidden controller manipulating yin soldiers.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen interacts with a mysterious, ancient existence who imparts the complete Eight-Nine Profound Scripture.
• The Yama Dharma Body's actions in the Nether World indirectly reveal the truth about yin soldiers to Li Beichen.
• Li Beichen's thoughts suggest a potential connection between the yin soldier controller and the cultivator of the Yama Son of Heaven Scripture.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Beichen discovers the Yama Son of Heaven Scripture and realizes he must comprehend it or obtain it from its original source.
• He begins refining Ancient Yin Soldiers using the battle chessboard and the Yama Son of Heaven Scripture.
• Venerable Queen Mother of the West emerges from the Nether World as a Ghost Immortal, marking the escalation of the conflict.
• Immortal-level forces from the Nether World begin ascending to the world of the living.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen becomes more determined to advance his cultivation and prepare for the upcoming calamities.
• Venerable Queen Mother of the West transforms into a Ghost Immortal, becoming a powerful force in the Nether World.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between the Nether World and the Heavenly Court, with both sides escalating their forces.
• The pursuit of power and immortality, with the Nether World seeking to spread its methods and the Heavenly Court trying to maintain its monopoly.
• The consequences of the ancient calamity that destroyed the six heavens, which continue to affect the current world.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen interacts with the Yama Dharma Body, discussing the Yama Son of Heaven Scripture and the situation in the Nether World.
• Venerable Queen Mother of the West interacts with the other Ghost Immortals, receiving orders to spread the methods of the Nether World.
• Lei Zhen interacts with Supreme Clarity Primordial One Immortal Venerable, discussing the response to the Nether World's immortal-level forces.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heavenly Court learns that the Nether World is preparing a counterattack involving true immortal-level beings. Lei Zhen orders all frontier forces to strengthen defenses and immediately form battle formations if Nether World enemies appear.
• Wu Yi and other commanders recognize the danger. Although they understand the strength of immortal-path opponents, they believe victory remains possible through coordinated formations.
• Li Beichen sends warnings to Wu Yi, Wudang, Zhang Xiu, Liu Binghu, the Giant Elephant Sect, Yan Gucheng, and Liu Qingqing. He predicts unrest in the Nether World, particularly around the frontier Star Sea.
• Wu Yi notices that Li Beichen’s intelligence network rivals the Heavenly Court’s and grows more convinced that the Eastern Imperial Palace possesses ancient, mysterious foundations.
• Li Beichen learns that his elder brother, Yan Gucheng, is heading to the nearby Green Ox Star Domain. He decides to reunite with him and also protect the Yin-Yang Sword Pavilion and Heavenly Mandate Blade Sect if trouble arises.
• The Spirit Connection Pavilion releases numerous new missions related to the Green Ox Star Domain, suggesting that it too has detected the coming Nether World crisis. Li Beichen accepts several intelligence-gathering missions and travels there.
• Meanwhile, Li Beichen’s Yama Dharma Body observes Superior Sanchun—now transformed into the Ghost Immortal Queen Mother of the West—leave the Nether World. Li Beichen does not pursue her, wary of stronger hidden existences within the Nether World.
• The Ghost Immortal Queen Mother of the West arrives in the Green Ox Star Domain while concealing her immortal aura. Her purpose is not immediate destruction but the propagation of Nether World cultivation methods among living beings.
• She encounters Superior Sanchun, a dying High Person whose lifespan has been shortened by past battles and forbidden techniques. Desperate for a way to survive and support his declining sect, he has become a reckless lone-wolf cultivator.
• Offering him the chance to “become immortal,” the Queen Mother gives him a ghostly spirit containing the Three Scrolls of the Underworld. Sanchun mistakenly assumes she is an immortal who cultivated in the mortal world rather than a Ghost Immortal from the Nether World.
• The method teaches him to seek immortality through death and draw immortal-grade power from the Nether World. It becomes magically imprinted on his soul, preventing him from discarding it or telling others about it.
• After refining the spirit, Sanchun’s cultivation rises rapidly. His old wounds and hidden injuries begin to heal, and the Soul Pearls he previously obtained act as a bridge between him and the Nether World’s yin energy.
• Although he senses something dangerous and stops cultivating temporarily, the intoxicating benefits of the method create a powerful temptation.

Character Developments

• Li Beichen demonstrates foresight, caution, and strong protective instincts. He uses his information advantage to warn allies, investigate the crisis, and position himself near those who may be threatened.
• Wu Yi becomes increasingly suspicious of the Eastern Imperial Palace and its supposed intelligence network, further strengthening Li Beichen’s unintended reputation.
• Yan Gucheng reveals his excitement at the prospect of reuniting with Li Beichen after a long separation, emphasizing their close brotherly bond.
• Superior Sanchun shifts from a loyal but exhausted sect elder into a desperate seeker of immortality. His fear of death and desire to preserve his sect make him vulnerable to the Nether World’s influence.
• The Ghost Immortal Queen Mother of the West emerges as a manipulator and missionary rather than a conventional conqueror. She seeks to spread Nether World cultivation among living beings and exploit their desperation.

Significant Themes

• The coming war between life and death: The chapter marks a major escalation, as true immortal-level Nether World forces prepare to enter the conflict.
• Information and hidden power: The Heavenly Court, Spirit Connection Pavilion, and Eastern Imperial Palace all possess remarkable intelligence networks, while Li Beichen’s hidden strength continues to be misunderstood.
• Temptation through desperate circumstances: Superior Sanchun’s declining lifespan and failed struggle for advancement make him susceptible to an apparently miraculous shortcut.
• The corruption of immortality: The Nether World offers genuine power and healing, but its method may turn living cultivators toward death and undermine the boundary between yin and yang.
• The cost of survival: Sanchun’s willingness to accept an unknown method reflects the lengths cultivators may go to escape mortality, protect their sects, and overcome the limits imposed by the Heavenly Court.

Character Interactions

• Lei Zhen receives and carries out the Heavenly Court’s battle orders.
• Wu Yi and Li Beichen exchange warnings, with Wu Yi subtly probing Li Beichen’s knowledge and background.
• Li Beichen warns numerous allies and exchanges an affectionate message with Yan Gucheng, arranging a reunion in Green Ox.
• Li Beichen observes the Ghost Immortal Queen Mother of the West from afar but avoids direct confrontation.
• The Queen Mother approaches Superior Sanchun, exploits his desire for immortality, and gives him a Nether World cultivation method.
• Sanchun’s initial suspicion gives way to awe and temptation as the method rapidly improves his cultivation and physical condition.

Plot Points and Events

• Superior Sanchun and many others in the Star Sea experience rapid cultivation breakthroughs due to mysterious methods imparted by unknown entities, setting the stage for a looming storm.
• Li Beichen, now at the Second Great Limit, saves Yan Gucheng and the Heavenly Mandate Blade Sect from a deadly ambush, killing a Three Great Limits expert with a single strike.
• Wudang, Zhang Xiu, and other Yin-Yang Sword Pavilion experts arrive, and Li Beichen's reputation grows as a potential True Immortal seed.
• Li Beichen and Yan Gucheng reunite and spend two days catching up, strengthening their bond.

Character Developments

• Superior Sanchun and others break through their cultivation bottlenecks, hinting at a larger plan at work.
• Li Beichen demonstrates his incredible swordsmanship and talent, defeating a Three Great Limits expert and gaining recognition as a potential True Immortal seed.
• Yan Gucheng shows his loyalty and determination to uphold his blade path, even in the face of death.

Significant Themes

• The power of brotherhood and loyalty, as seen in Li Beichen and Yan Gucheng's bond.
• The consequences of rapid cultivation breakthroughs and the potential dangers they may hide.
• The pursuit of the martial path and the solitary journey to the summit, as Li Beichen acknowledges.

Character Interactions

• Li Beichen and Yan Gucheng reunite, strengthening their bond and reminiscing about their past.
• Li Beichen interacts with Wudang and Zhang Xiu, showing respect and acknowledging their guidance.
• The Heavenly Mandate Blade Sect members express gratitude to Li Beichen and the Yin-Yang Sword Pavilion for their aid.

Li Beichen learned that a secret organization of experts was offering a path toward immortality and agreed to investigate it with Wudang and Zhang Xiu. The group gathered in the Green Ox Star Domain, where Li Beichen’s growing reputation drew a challenge from Han Yuanbo.

• Zhang Xiu and Wudang told Li Beichen that experts who had gained mysterious opportunities were secretly trading methods and receiving visits from immortal-path experts, and they invited him to investigate.
• Li Beichen accepted, suspecting the organization was connected to the Nether World’s Ghost Immortals and seeing a chance to gather intelligence for the Spirit Connection Pavilion.
• Two days later, Li Beichen, Zhang Xiu, and Wudang traveled to the ruined battlefield in the Green Ox Star Domain, where they met Chen Fenglian, Han Yuanbo, and Wuchen.
• Chen Fenglian recognized Li Beichen as the Exiled Sword Immortal and recounted how he had turned around a battle in the Green Ox Star Domain.
• Han Yuanbo challenged Li Beichen to a sword duel after their business was finished, and Li Beichen agreed.

Li Beichen, Zhang Xiu, Wudang, and other experts infiltrated a hidden realm where cultivators discussed the Three Scrolls of the Underworld as a shortcut to immortality. While the others grew eager to obtain the method, Li Beichen remained wary and unmoved.

• Zhang Asheng used a puppet to pilot a concealed starship along Zhang Xiu's route through hidden spatial formations.
• The group entered a secret realm filled with mystic islands and discovered that more than fifty experts at the Three Great Limits were gathered there, along with a possibly present immortal.
• Daoist Wuchen distributed Qi Gathering Talismans, while Li Beichen changed his and his senior brothers' auras with the Six Transformations of Heavenly Gang.
• Li Beichen, Zhang Xiu, and Wudang blended into the crowd and learned that cultivators on Central Profound Island were discussing the Three Scrolls of the Underworld.
• Zhang Xiu suspected the Three Scrolls offered a new path to immortality, and the gathered experts became excited after witnessing rapid breakthroughs.
• Li Beichen felt an inexplicable chill at the name of the Three Scrolls and stayed composed while the others eagerly anticipated obtaining them.