Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Great Advancement in Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Within his Otherworldly Space, Luo Yuanyou discovers that an unknown force is forcibly dragging the entire space toward the outside world.
• He suspects that a powerful King Realm expert may be interfering, but Sage Qi—his mysterious mentor-like remnant will—intervenes to help him resist.
• Sage Qi temporarily channels his Saint Realm power through Luo Yuanyou. Luo Yuanyou is shocked by the overwhelming strength and begins to believe that Sage Qi may truly have reached the Saint Realm.
• Even Sage Qi’s power proves ineffective. The Otherworldly Space continues being pulled outward at the same steady pace, revealing that the unknown attacker is vastly stronger than Sage Qi and may be powerful enough to ignore or instantly destroy a Saint Realm expert.
• Sage Qi explains that the original plan was for Luo Yuanyou to subdue the Flood Dragon and use the Evil-Cleansing Dragon to devour the Shadow Demon inside it, saving the Flood Dragon and making it submit to him.
• Realizing that the Flood Dragon has attracted an impossibly powerful enemy, Sage Qi orders Luo Yuanyou to abandon it. However, Luo Yuanyou discovers that he can no longer expel the Flood Dragon or control the Otherworldly Space freely—the mysterious being outside has sealed it.
• Sage Qi immediately changes tactics, humbly begging the unknown expert to show mercy and promising to return the Flood Dragon. There is no response, leaving him uncertain whether the attacker wants the Otherworldly Space or simply does not consider him worth answering.
• The chapter then shifts to Yu Xiu, who is being struck by an enormous sea of heavenly lightning near Oxback Mountain. He swallows the lightning directly, causing his cultivation to rise rapidly.
• Yu Xiu realizes that Heavenly Father’s intervention is granting him tremendous benefits. While continuing to pull Luo Yuanyou’s Otherworldly Space outward under the identity of Miao Qingfeng, he intends to prolong the heavenly lightning and exploit the situation.
• He also plans to eventually deal with the Demon King, the hidden grotto-heaven, the Unborn Cult’s Shadow Demons, and the Demon Race, while avoiding any immediate movement that might cause them to act.

Character Developments

• Luo Yuanyou becomes increasingly frightened and uncertain. His confidence in controlling his Otherworldly Space collapses when even Sage Qi cannot defend it, showing him how insignificant his own strength is before the unknown attacker.
• His view of Sage Qi changes as he witnesses the terrifying power of Sage Qi’s remnant will, making him seriously consider that Sage Qi truly was a Saint Realm expert. However, Sage Qi’s inability to resist the outside force also reveals the limits of that power.
• Sage Qi demonstrates both immense strength and adaptability. Although he initially speaks confidently, he quickly recognizes the danger and abandons the Flood Dragon when necessary. He then lowers himself to plead for mercy, showing his pragmatism and instinct for survival.
• Yu Xiu makes a major cultivation breakthrough through the heavenly lightning. His willingness to exploit Heavenly Father’s “gift” reveals his opportunistic, calculating nature and his confidence that other powerful factions will not dare interfere while he remains still.

Significant Themes

• The vast hierarchy of power: Even a Saint Realm remnant will is helpless before the unknown force, emphasizing that strength at the highest levels remains relative.
• Powerlessness and loss of control: Luo Yuanyou cannot defend or even command his own Otherworldly Space, while Sage Qi cannot influence the mysterious attacker, highlighting the vulnerability of seemingly powerful figures.
• Pragmatism and survival: Sage Qi immediately abandons his original plan and begs for mercy once the situation becomes dangerous.
• Exploiting opportunity: Yu Xiu treats the crisis and heavenly lightning as resources to be harvested, embodying an opportunistic approach to cultivation and conflict.
• Mystery and hidden forces: The identity and motives of the being pulling the Otherworldly Space remain unknown, creating suspense about whether it seeks the Flood Dragon, the space itself, or something else.
• Cosmic manipulation: Yu Xiu’s actions, Heavenly Father’s intervention, and the uncertain “fate” of the demons suggest that powerful beings and unseen forces are shaping events on a much larger scale.

Character Interactions

• Luo Yuanyou and Sage Qi: Luo Yuanyou relies on Sage Qi for guidance but remains wary of formally accepting him as a master. Their exchange shifts from confidence to alarm as Sage Qi’s power fails to stop the attack.
• Sage Qi and the unknown attacker: Sage Qi attempts to negotiate and plead for mercy, but the attacker gives no response, implying an enormous disparity in status and power.
• Luo Yuanyou and the Flood Dragon: Luo Yuanyou initially intends to subdue and save the Flood Dragon, but is forced to abandon it when its presence attracts the mysterious expert. He ultimately cannot expel it even when he chooses to do so.
• Yu Xiu and the surrounding factions: Yu Xiu deliberately remains stationary to keep the Demon King, hidden grotto-heaven, and Shadow Demons from acting while he absorbs heavenly lightning and prepares to deal with them later.

Chapter Summary: “That One Has Left”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cao Ziqi realizes that the Otherworldly Space beneath the battlefield has been disrupted. It has swallowed Huanzhang, the Flood Dragon undergoing the Shadow-Demon Tribulation, but cannot fully pull him inside and is instead being dragged toward the surface.
• Miao Qingfeng is revealed to be seizing control of the Otherworldly Space, apparently overpowering its mysterious master.
• Nine Leaves and the Unborn Cult’s Shadow Demons recognize that Miao Qingfeng is distracted and decide to ambush him. They launch a coordinated attack aimed at the back of his head.
• Miao Qingfeng, controlled by Yu Xiu, already knows their thoughts and movements. Without turning around, he freezes their attacks and redirects them back at the Shadow Demons.
• Nine Leaves and the other Shadow Demons are seemingly obliterated instantly. Their remains, however, pass through the void and are absorbed into the Human Emperor Banner and Human Emperor Cauldron, contributing to the Dao Ancestor’s cultivation.
• Inside the Otherworldly Space, Luo Yuanyou and Sage Qi can only watch helplessly as Miao Qingfeng continues forcing Huanzhang inside.
• Huanzhang is finally pressed completely into the space, but one scale, some dragon blood, and part of his horn are torn away and vanish into the void.
• Immediately afterward, Miao Qingfeng releases his hold, allowing the Otherworldly Space to burrow underground again. Sage Qi concludes that the mysterious figure has left.

Character Developments

• Miao Qingfeng/Yu Xiu: Demonstrates overwhelming power, effortlessly defeating the Unborn Cult’s Grotto-Heaven Realm Shadow Demons while simultaneously contending with the Otherworldly Space. His ability to read the attackers’ thoughts and redirect their techniques establishes him as vastly beyond the Grotto-Heaven Realm.
• Nine Leaves: Shifts from calculating hunter to desperate survivor. His attempt to exploit Miao Qingfeng’s distraction fails completely, exposing the enormous gap between their strengths.
• Cao Ziqi: Becomes increasingly terrified and realizes that Miao Qingfeng is far more powerful than anyone present. He begins to suspect that Miao Qingfeng has not yet revealed his true strength.
• Luo Yuanyou and Sage Qi: Are rendered powerless inside the Otherworldly Space. Sage Qi abandons resistance and tries to understand Miao Qingfeng’s motives, while Luo Yuanyou remains confused and frightened.
• Huanzhang: Survives being forcibly dragged into the Otherworldly Space, though he loses a scale, blood, and part of his horn—possibly items Miao Qingfeng deliberately took.

Significant Themes

• Absolute power and helplessness: The chapter emphasizes the overwhelming difference between Miao Qingfeng and the other cultivators, portraying powerful Grotto-Heaven experts as insignificant before him.
• Hunters becoming prey: The Unborn Cult initially intends to profit from the conflict, but quickly realizes that multiple stronger beings are treating them as targets.
• Hidden motives and mystery: Miao Qingfeng never explains his goals, leaving everyone uncertain whether he seeks the Otherworldly Space, Huanzhang, or some deeper objective.
• Strategic opportunism: Nine Leaves’s ambush reflects the chapter’s recurring struggle among factions attempting to exploit one another’s weaknesses.
• Power beyond appearances: Miao Qingfeng’s calm behavior and minimal movements contrast sharply with the catastrophic force he commands.

Character Interactions

• The Unborn Cult Shadow Demons coordinate through silent communication, agreeing that attacking Miao Qingfeng is their only chance to survive.
• Miao Qingfeng directly mocks their attempt, then turns their combined attacks against them without even looking back.
• Cao Ziqi and the other observers react with shock and fear, silently reassessing Miao Qingfeng’s identity and capabilities.
• Sage Qi debates Miao Qingfeng’s intentions while controlling Luo Yuanyou, ultimately recognizing that resistance is futile.
• Miao Qingfeng’s unseen confrontation with the Otherworldly Space’s master culminates in him extracting part of Huanzhang before abruptly departing.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Yuanyou reflects on his recent encounter with the mysterious being that seized and manipulated his Otherworldly Space. The experience deeply frightens him, especially because even Sage Qi believed they might be doomed.
• Although terrified, Luo Yuanyou develops resentment toward the unknown entity and vows to repay the humiliation someday. Sage Qi warns that doing so would require reaching the Ultimate Saint or even Great Saint Realm, a goal as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
• Sage Qi reminds Luo Yuanyou that cultivation cannot be achieved instantly; even extraordinary talent requires time, experience, accumulation, and understanding of each realm.
• Luo Yuanyou notices that Flood Dragon Huanzhang is surrounded by black smoke and learns that Huanzhang is undergoing the Shadow-Demon Tribulation.
• Sage Qi explains that Evil-Cleansing Dragon feeds on foul and turbid energy, which is why it has been lethargic and constantly sleeping. Luo Yuanyou wakes Little Black and brings it to Huanzhang.
• Evil-Cleansing Dragon begins devouring the Shadow Demons and demonic aura surrounding Huanzhang. As it consumes the corruption, Huanzhang’s own demonic qi recovers, allowing him to begin resisting the tribulation.
• At Oxback Mountain, the Otherworldly Space escapes, while the Unborn Cult’s Grotto-Heaven Realm experts, including Nine Leaves, are annihilated.
• Miao Qingfeng, still controlled by the Dao Ancestor, gathers Huanzhang’s scale, blood essence, and horn to fulfill a promise to the deceased Guo Xun by taking the materials to his burial.
• Miao Qingfeng then targets the Demon Race’s will avatars. The Demon Kings attempt various escape methods—wind movement, blood escape, earth escape, and ordinary movement—but Miao Qingfeng effortlessly neutralizes every technique.
• Realizing the overwhelming difference in power, one Demon King abandons resistance and accepts the loss of his will avatar.

Character Developments

• Luo Yuanyou: Experiences his first true crisis, exposing his inexperience and dependence on Sage Qi. His fear is mixed with stubbornness and a desire for revenge, though he ultimately recognizes the enormous gap between himself and the mysterious enemy.
• Sage Qi: Acts as Luo Yuanyou’s realistic guide, tempering his pride and emphasizing that cultivation requires gradual progress. He also reveals his own reluctance to confront the mysterious being directly.
• Evil-Cleansing Dragon (“Little Black”): Its strange lethargy is explained as hunger caused by a lack of foul and turbid energy. Once awakened, it demonstrates its natural ability to consume Shadow Demons and aid Huanzhang.
• Flood Dragon Huanzhang: Initially appears close to being overwhelmed by the Shadow-Demon Tribulation, but Little Black’s intervention restores his strength and gives him a chance to fight back.
• Miao Qingfeng/Dao Ancestor: Demonstrates overwhelming control and precision. He honors his promise to Guo Xun while treating the Demon Kings’ will avatars as resources that should not be wasted.
• Demon Kings: Their confidence collapses as every escape technique fails. They recognize that the mysterious powerhouse is far beyond their level and that resistance is meaningless.

Significant Themes

• The vastness of cultivation and power gaps: Even saintly beings can appear helpless before a higher existence, emphasizing the endless hierarchy of martial realms.
• Gradual growth versus instant advancement: Sage Qi stresses that talent and opportunities cannot replace time, comprehension, and accumulated experience.
• Fear as a catalyst for ambition: Luo Yuanyou’s terror transforms into resentment and a long-term determination to become strong enough to seek revenge.
• Predation and survival: Little Black’s consumption of Shadow Demons and Miao Qingfeng’s collection of powerful materials reflect the ruthless, resource-driven nature of cultivation.
• Futility before absolute power: The Demon Kings’ failed escape attempts show that once the difference in realms becomes too great, skill and technique can no longer compensate.
• Loyalty and remembrance: Miao Qingfeng’s decision to preserve Huanzhang’s parts for Guo Xun’s burial shows respect for promises and the dead amid the chapter’s violence.

Character Interactions

• Luo Yuanyou and Sage Qi discuss the mysterious enemy, revenge, and the realistic difficulty of reaching the required cultivation realms.
• Luo Yuanyou awakens Little Black and brings it to Huanzhang, unintentionally creating a mutually beneficial situation: Little Black receives nourishment while Huanzhang gains relief from the Shadow-Demon Tribulation.
• Miao Qingfeng interacts indirectly with the fallen Guo Xun by collecting materials for his burial.
• Miao Qingfeng confronts the Demon Kings, whose repeated attempts to escape reveal his complete dominance over them. Their final surrender underscores the enormous disparity between them.

Chapter Summary: “Ye Jingzhe”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious, overwhelming force destroys the will incarnations of the Demon Kings involved in the battle at Oxback Mountain. Their remnants are absorbed into the Human Emperor Cauldron and Human Emperor Banner.
• Miao Qingfeng, whose body had been possessed by the Dao Ancestor, disappears after annihilating the Shadow Demons of the Unborn Cult and suppressing the mysterious Otherworldly Space beneath Oxback Mountain.
• The battle’s true nature becomes clear: it was not simply a conflict between humanity and the Demon Race. Some Demon Kings obstructed the human cultivators, while others—especially Ying Jie—conspired with the Unborn Cult and summoned heretic Shadow Demons.
• Miao Qingfeng kills the Shadow Demon Jiang Du, destroys the invading heretic experts, suppresses the Otherworldly Space, and kills the Demon Race’s Grotto-Heaven experts, including the traitorous Ying Jie.
• The surviving human Grotto-Heaven experts begin cleaning up the remaining demons and protecting their sect disciples.
• Cao Ziqi briefly suspects that Miao Qingfeng may be connected to the Qingwei Sword Sect, but his memory of the matter is mysteriously erased. He continues his duties without realizing anything is missing.
• From a distant mountaintop, Ye Jingzhe observes the aftermath. He regrets that the Unborn Cult’s Grand Protector did not appear and is fascinated by Miao Qingfeng’s unfathomable strength.
• Ye Jingzhe leaves without intervening, intending to pursue the Grand Protector. His identity is revealed as Spirit Void Cave’s greatest true disciple.
• The chapter ends with Duan Yun killing Guo Xun to survive an encounter with a tiger demon. She believes the demon promised to spare her, but it mocks her for trusting it and implies that it never intended to let her go.

Character Developments

• Miao Qingfeng: His power is shown to be far beyond the Grotto-Heaven Realm, possibly reaching or exceeding the King Realm. He acts decisively and effortlessly, erasing both demonic and heretical threats before vanishing.
• Cao Ziqi: He demonstrates strong insight by recognizing that Miao Qingfeng’s strength may surpass the Universe Realm. However, his memories are subtly altered, suggesting that Miao Qingfeng—or a power connected to him—can erase knowledge at will.
• Ye Jingzhe: Introduced as an extraordinary martial prodigy who reached Nine Grotto-Heavens after rejecting the conventional belief that Seven Grotto-Heavens was the limit. He is intellectually curious, highly perceptive, and confident enough to observe the battle without acting.
• Duan Yun: She undergoes a moral and psychological collapse. Forced to choose between her own survival and Guo Xun’s life, she kills someone she grew up with and immediately struggles between guilt, self-justification, fear, and desperation.
• Ying Jie: His betrayal is exposed. He is punished and killed by Miao Qingfeng, emphasizing the consequences of siding with the Unborn Cult.
• Guo Xun: Dies after being betrayed by Duan Yun, his death marked by shock and disbelief.

Significant Themes

• The limits of power: Miao Qingfeng’s strength is so great that even powerful cultivators cannot understand or measure it, reinforcing the existence of realms beyond ordinary perception.
• Hidden identities and erased knowledge: Miao Qingfeng’s origins remain unknown, and Cao Ziqi’s memories are altered, suggesting that truth itself can be concealed by higher powers.
• Betrayal and divided loyalties: The conflict is complicated by Demon Kings who cooperate with the Unborn Cult, demonstrating that alliances are unstable and self-interest often overrides racial or factional unity.
• Moral compromise and survival: Duan Yun’s decision to kill Guo Xun shows how fear and desperation can drive people to betray those closest to them.
• The pursuit of martial understanding: Ye Jingzhe’s desire to discuss the Dao with Miao Qingfeng highlights the chapter’s emphasis on cultivation, enlightenment, and the search for higher realms.
• Deception and false promises: The tiger demon’s manipulation of Duan Yun reveals the danger of trusting enemies, especially when survival is at stake.

Character Interactions

• Miao Qingfeng and the Demon Kings/Shadow Demons: Miao Qingfeng dominates them completely, eliminating the Unborn Cult’s agents and punishing the Demon Kings who aided them.
• Cao Ziqi and Miao Qingfeng: Cao Ziqi attempts to identify Miao Qingfeng’s origins but loses the relevant memory, emphasizing the vast gap between them.
• Ye Jingzhe and Miao Qingfeng: Though they never speak, Ye Jingzhe watches him with admiration and curiosity, hoping to one day discuss martial principles with him.
• Ye Jingzhe and Cao Ziqi: Their relationship is indirectly established through Cao Ziqi’s memories: Ye Jingzhe’s guidance enabled Cao Ziqi to surpass the Seven-Grotto-Heaven limit.
• Duan Yun and Guo Xun: Their longstanding bond is destroyed when Duan Yun kills Guo Xun to save herself.
• Duan Yun and the tiger demon: The tiger demon manipulates Duan Yun with a false promise of mercy, then ridicules her for believing it.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Miao Qingfeng questions why Yu Xiu refuses to rescue Duan Yun, since Yu Xiu had previously interfered with fate at Oxback Mountain. Yu Xiu explains this paradox by striking Miao Qingfeng with a ruler and declaring that even this was “fate’s arrangement.” Miao Qingfeng realizes that although fate cannot control the Dao Ancestor, the Dao Ancestor can control and rearrange fate.
• Duan Yun confronts the tiger demon after betraying and killing Guo Xun at the demon’s demand. She regrets her actions but attempts to threaten the tiger demon with a powerful Black Heaven Thunder weapon.
• The tiger demon easily kills and devours Duan Yun before she can activate the weapon, mocking humans for their fear of death.
• Yu Xiu secretly intervenes. Using the blood from the tiger demon’s mouth as a weapon, he kills the demon instantly and absorbs its remains into the Human Emperor Banner and Cauldron.
• Yu Xiu then revives Guo Xun by restoring his wound, restarting his heart, and reassembling his consciousness.
• Guo Xun realizes that Yu Xiu’s earlier predictions were completely accurate: Duan Yun killed him, and Yu Xiu has now fulfilled his promise to provide Flood Dragon treasures as his burial offerings.
• Yu Xiu reveals that Guo Xun will remain alive for only another quarter of an hour. He presents the Flood Dragon scale, essence blood, and horn fragment.
• Rather than ask for a longer life, revenge, or help delivering the treasures to his sect, Guo Xun accepts his fate peacefully. He dies again after thanking Yu Xiu and expressing that he has no regrets.

Character Developments

• Yu Xiu: Demonstrates overwhelming power, killing the tiger demon effortlessly and reviving Guo Xun. His actions show that he manipulates fate rather than being bound by it. He also tests Guo Xun’s character by offering only a temporary revival, expecting him possibly to beg for continued life.
• Miao Qingfeng: Gains a deeper understanding of Yu Xiu’s philosophy and abilities. His initial confusion about fate is resolved, though he remains astonished by Yu Xiu’s power and Guo Xun’s calm acceptance of death.
• Duan Yun: Her fear and desperation lead her to betray Guo Xun, whom she had relied on for protection. After realizing the tiger demon cannot be trusted, she attempts resistance but is quickly killed, completing the tragic consequences of her decision.
• Guo Xun: Shows remarkable dignity after resurrection. Though he initially reacts with anger and astonishment, he ultimately refuses to cling to life or demand further favors. He values repaying debts and maintaining a clear conscience above survival.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus intervention: The chapter presents fate as something Yu Xiu can reshape. The Dao Ancestor stands outside ordinary destiny and can make his own actions appear to be part of fate’s design.
• Betrayal and its consequences: Duan Yun sacrifices Guo Xun to save herself, only to be killed by the same demon she trusted. Her actions illustrate the danger of seeking survival through treachery.
• Death and acceptance: Guo Xun’s temporary resurrection allows him to settle his final regret, receive the treasures he desired, and die without resentment. The chapter contrasts his peaceful acceptance with Duan Yun’s desperate fear.
• Debts, gratitude, and honor: Guo Xun believes he has repaid his master and refuses to create another debt by asking Yu Xiu for additional help. His sense of moral obligation defines his final choice.
• The Dao Ancestor’s power: Yu Xiu’s ability to kill demons, restore life, and manipulate destiny elevates him beyond ordinary cultivators, suggesting nearly divine authority over life and death.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xiu and Miao Qingfeng discuss fate, with Yu Xiu humorously correcting Miao Qingfeng’s doubts through the ruler strike.
• Duan Yun and the tiger demon interact as betrayer and betrayer: she attacks Guo Xun to gain mercy, but the tiger demon kills her without honoring its promise.
• Yu Xiu silently intervenes against the tiger demon and then restores Guo Xun’s life.
• Guo Xun recognizes Yu Xiu as the mysterious senior who had foreseen his death and promised to fulfill his final wish.
• Miao Qingfeng urges Guo Xun to ask for more help, but Guo Xun declines, choosing death and freedom from further obligations.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Guo Xun dies again, Miao Qingfeng feels sorrow and considers asking Yu Xiu to revive him. However, Guo Xun’s final decision was to accept death, so Yu Xiu refuses to interfere and buries him alongside the Flood Dragon’s blood essence, scales, and horn.
• Yu Xiu observes Guo Xun’s departing soul and true spirit. Rather than descending toward a known reincarnation realm, they rise into the starry sky. This reinforces Yu Xiu’s uncertainty about whether reincarnation in this world is incomplete, disordered, or otherwise inaccessible.
• Yu Xiu and Miao Qingfeng leave and the scene shifts to Spirit Void Cave, where its leaders discuss the events at Oxback Mountain.
• The elders debate the identity and strength of the mysterious expert who destroyed the Unborn Cult’s Shadow Demons, killed a Demon King, and confronted the master of the Otherworldly Space who captured the Flood Dragon Huanzhang. They estimate that this expert is at least at the peak of the Universe Realm and possibly a King, True King, or even Heavenly King.
• The master of Spirit Void Cave concludes that the mysterious expert may have come from the wider starry sky and decides not to pursue him.
• The leaders then focus on the growing threat of the Shadow Demon heretical cult. The appearance of a Saint Realm Shadow Demon and widespread unrest across Wangding Star suggest that the cult may be preparing a major offensive and could soon surpass the established sects.
• The elders also revisit the earlier battle at Guangling Lake, where the Saint Realm Shadow Demon Zhaoyan Sacred Lord and Great Demon God Ye Zhenliu were destroyed. They find it suspicious that the sects failed to take the event seriously afterward, as though their memories or perceptions had been influenced.
• They speculate that Sage Qi’s lingering will may have suppressed their awareness and may even have been responsible for destroying Ye Zhenliu and Zhaoyan Sacred Lord.

Character Developments

• Guo Xun completes his emotional shift from fearing death to accepting it calmly. His choice is treated as final and worthy of respect.
• Yu Xiu demonstrates restraint and respect for individual will by refusing to revive Guo Xun. His observations also reveal his continued curiosity about the deeper laws of life, death, souls, and reincarnation.
• Miao Qingfeng shows grief and attachment to Guo Xun but ultimately accepts Yu Xiu’s judgment.
• The Spirit Void Cave leadership moves from analyzing a single mysterious expert to recognizing a broader crisis involving the Shadow Demon cult. Their concern becomes increasingly strategic and political.
• The elders’ suspicion of Sage Qi grows, suggesting that they are beginning to connect seemingly unrelated supernatural events to a hidden, immensely powerful influence.

Significant Themes

• Acceptance of death and respect for free will: Guo Xun’s decision shows that choosing death can be an act of resolve rather than weakness.
• The mystery of reincarnation: Yu Xiu’s inability to locate a reincarnation cycle raises questions about the structure and maturity of the world’s cosmic laws.
• Hidden power and unseen intervention: The identity of the mysterious expert—and possibly Sage Qi—remains obscured, emphasizing how much influence powerful beings can exert without revealing themselves.
• Rising supernatural and political danger: The Shadow Demons are no longer a marginal threat; their growing strength may destabilize all of Wangding Star.
• Limits of knowledge and perception: Even beings capable of understanding cosmic principles may be unable to fully comprehend human emotions, spiritual mysteries, or the effects of overwhelming will.

Character Interactions

• Miao Qingfeng’s grief contrasts with Yu Xiu’s calm, philosophical judgment over Guo Xun’s death.
• Yu Xiu silently understands Miao Qingfeng’s desire to request a resurrection, showing the closeness of their perception and his ability to read human thoughts.
• Within Spirit Void Cave, the elders debate the mysterious expert’s identity and strength, while the cave master guides the discussion toward the larger threat of the Shadow Demon cult.
• The elders build upon one another’s suspicions about Guangling Lake, eventually agreeing—though without proof—that Sage Qi may have orchestrated or caused the destruction of the powerful enemies there.

Chapter Summary: “Eating It Can Transform One into a Flood Dragon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Tea Ridge in Baishi Commandery, an ancient tree—actually a Shadow Demon, or “Holy Spirit”—observes that Spirit Void Cave has stopped sending disciples to investigate.
• The tree previously devoured the yang qi of several Spirit Void Cave disciples, including Qi Guihong, whose unusually sharp spiritual perception allowed him to discover the Unborn Cult’s concealed formation.
• The old tree is confident that Tea Ridge is secure because powerful Unborn Cult experts have gathered there following the disaster at Oxback Mountain. Numerous Grotto-Heaven Realm beings are present.
• Inside the formation, a terrifying Demon God Statue reprimands the Shadow Demons for allowing the newly transformed Flood Dragon at Oxback Mountain to survive and for losing the Nine Leaves experts.
• The statue reveals that a major upheaval beyond the heavens may draw away the Saint Realm patriarchs of Wangding Star’s leading sects. The Unborn Cult views this as a rare opportunity to prepare and expand its influence.
• Meanwhile, Yu Xiu fishes beside a great river while Miao Qingfeng assists him. Yu Xiu uses a strand of refined Flood Dragon essence as bait and a hook.
• Yu Xiu explains that consuming this essence can directly transform a creature into a Flood Dragon. The revelation astonishes Miao Qingfeng, who understands that such power could cause the entire cultivation world to fight over it.
• Spiritually aware aquatic creatures gather around the bait, including an ancient turtle, a powerful blue fish, and an old soft-shelled turtle being dragged behind it by an iron chain.
• The chapter ends when a familiar, handsome young man arrives and greets Miao Qingfeng.

Character Developments

• The old tree: Revealed to be a powerful Heavenly Demon aligned with the Unborn Cult. It is arrogant and predatory but also deeply impressed by the strength of the Grotto-Heaven experts gathered at Tea Ridge.
• Qi Guihong: Established as exceptionally perceptive, surpassing the other Spirit Void Cave disciples by locating the hidden formation before being devoured.
• The Demon God Statue: Demonstrates overwhelming authority over the Grotto-Heaven Shadow Demons and serves as a commanding voice for the Unborn Cult’s larger strategy.
• Yu Xiu: Displays extraordinary power and refinement. He can extract and enhance Flood Dragon essence, turning it into a substance capable of transforming another creature into a Flood Dragon.
• Miao Qingfeng: Continues acting as Yu Xiu’s attendant and observer. His shock emphasizes how unprecedented Yu Xiu’s abilities are.
• The aquatic creatures: Their spiritual awareness and competition suggest that the bait may produce a powerful new being, though no selection has yet been made.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: Becoming a Flood Dragon represents a dramatic leap to the top of the natural and cultivation hierarchy.
• The vast gap between realms: The Grotto-Heaven experts and Demon God Statue are portrayed as beings whose presence alone overwhelms lesser cultivators.
• Strategic upheaval: The possible absence of Saint Realm patriarchs creates an opening for the Unborn Cult, highlighting how major cosmic events reshape political and sectarian power.
• Predation and opportunity: The old tree feeds on martial cultivators, while the river creatures compete for the chance to gain greater power.
• Yu Xiu’s extraordinary status: His casual ability to create a Flood Dragon contrasts sharply with the immense struggle and upheaval caused by Huanzhang’s transformation.

Character Interactions

• The old tree reflects on its encounters with Spirit Void Cave disciples, especially Qi Guihong, whom it identifies as unusually dangerous or perceptive.
• The Demon God Statue harshly rebukes the assembled Shadow Demons, then motivates them by revealing the strategic opportunity created by the coming heavenly upheaval.
• Yu Xiu calmly explains the nature of the Flood Dragon essence to the astonished Miao Qingfeng, reinforcing the difference between Yu Xiu’s capabilities and ordinary cultivation knowledge.
• Miao Qingfeng observes the gathering aquatic creatures with growing interest and amusement.
• The chapter concludes with the arrival of a previously known young man, who respectfully greets Miao Qingfeng, setting up a new interaction.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Jingzhe meets Miao Qingfeng and says he remembers seeing him display his strength on Oxback Mountain. Miao starts to explain that the figure there was the Dao Ancestor using his name, but Yu Xiu’s intervention prevents him from revealing this.
• Ye realizes Yu Xiu has been beside them all along without his noticing. He judges Yu to be vastly stronger than Miao and respectfully asks permission to watch him fish.
• The river appears calm, but beneath the surface Yu’s fishing line draws sentient creatures from far and wide. A giant turtle, softshell turtle, blue fish, python, and crocodile battle over the bait while Yu’s bamboo rod silently holds down the disturbance.
• A Jade Rainbow Loach suddenly darts in, swallows the bait, and is hooked. As Yu lifts it from the water, it rapidly grows, develops jade-like scales, four legs, and a horn, while releasing draconic pressure.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Jingzhe shifts from confusion about Miao’s recognition to awe at Yu’s concealed presence and immense power. Though curious about the bait and fishing, he remains cautious and courteous.
• Miao Qingfeng is deferential toward Yu and nearly discloses the truth about Oxback Mountain before being stopped.
• Yu Xiu remains calm and understated, allowing Ye to watch while demonstrating extraordinary control through apparently ordinary fishing.
• The chapter ends with Ye recognizing Yu’s purpose: he is fishing for a dragon.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and perception: Yu’s presence and skill are so subtle that even a formidable warrior cannot detect them.
• The ordinary concealing the extraordinary: A simple bamboo rod suppresses a tumultuous river, while bait draws rare creatures into danger.
• Patience and transformation: Yu’s quiet fishing culminates in the loach’s sudden evolution toward a dragon.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiu transforms a Jade Rainbow Loach into a jade Flood Dragon, Yu Lei, with a single ball of bait. Ye Jingzhe witnesses the feat and is stunned by how rare and significant dragon transformation is.
• Yu Lei pledges himself to Yu Xiu. Five other giant river creatures beg for the same gift, but Miao Qingfeng tells them the fortune was not theirs; Yu Lei drives them back into the water.
• Yu Xiu explains that he developed the Myriad Spirits Dragon-Transformation Art, an Emperor Dao Killing Move and cultivation method, after witnessing Huanzhang of Oxback Mountain become a Flood Dragon. It can only be practiced by beings with dragon blood.
• Yu Lei immediately asks Yu Xiu to teach him the art. Ye Jingzhe, meanwhile, wonders whether Yu Xiu could truly be a Martial Dao Emperor, though he knows no Emperor exists in the current age.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Lei shifts from an ordinary loach into a Flood Dragon and becomes Yu Xiu’s devoted disciple, eager to learn the technique that might further his transformation.
• Ye Jingzhe moves from amazement to alarm. He realizes Yu Xiu’s ability could draw the attention of demons, humans, and Shadow Demons, and fears that knowing the secret may endanger him.
• Miao Qingfeng acts as Yu Xiu’s spokesman, turning away the creatures who seek the same favor. He also privately worries that Yu Lei may compete with him for Yu Xiu’s attention.
• Yu Xiu remains calm and measured, explaining that the transformation was part of his effort to develop a specialized martial art.

Significant themes

• Transformation and potential: Becoming a Flood Dragon represents a dramatic rise in power and the possibility—however distant—of becoming a true dragon.
• Fortune and deservingness: The other river creatures cannot claim Yu Lei’s opportunity merely by asking; the chapter presents transformation as a rare gift tied to chance.
• Power, reputation, and danger: Yu Xiu’s apparent ability to create an Emperor-level art could attract powerful factions, making his secret both extraordinary and perilous.
• Faith versus skepticism: Yu Lei accepts Yu Xiu’s greatness without hesitation, while Ye Jingzhe struggles to reconcile the claim of an Emperor Dao Killing Move with the absence of Emperors in the current age.

Key events

• Yu Xiu grants Yu Lei the first half of the Myriad Spirits Dragon-Transformation Art, an Emperor Dao Killing Move. Yu Lei finds it nearly incomprehensible, so Yu Xiu also supplies foundational texts and methods to address his lack of cultivation knowledge.
• Yu Xiu reveals that Ye Jingzhe is traveling to find his corrupted senior brother, Xin Chengci, and warns that the journey will end in Ye’s death. Believing the warning, Ye abandons the search and returns to Spirit Void Cave.
• Miao Qingfeng asks whether Ye’s change of course will avert his fate. Yu Xiu says Ye’s fate has shifted, but changing it entirely will be difficult.
• Yu Lei offers to serve as Yu Xiu’s mount. Yu Xiu points out that, despite his newly elevated Flood Dragon bloodline, Yu Lei’s martial attainment is weak and he must train.
• Yu Xiu explains that Huanzhang survived the Shadow-Demon Tribulation in the Otherworldly Space, thanks to a fortunate individual and a “little fellow” able to resolve the tribulation.
• Yu Xiu creates a crystalline sphere called Pot Heaven Sun and Moon, a vast inner space for cultivation, and draws Yu Lei and the curious Miao Qingfeng inside.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Lei is grateful and eager to prove himself, but learns that bloodline elevation alone does not make him powerful; he needs study and disciplined cultivation.
• Ye Jingzhe is shaken by Yu Xiu’s uncanny knowledge and death prediction. He chooses caution over his original mission, though the warning does not guarantee his fate has changed.
• Miao Qingfeng admires Yu Xiu and envies Yu Lei’s chance to act as his mount, then shows curiosity about Huanzhang’s survival and Pot Heaven Sun and Moon.
• Yu Xiu acts as teacher and guide, identifying Yu Lei’s shortcomings, warning Ye Jingzhe, and arranging a place for cultivation.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and foundations: Talent and powerful techniques are not enough without the learning needed to understand them.
• Fate and choice: Ye Jingzhe’s decision alters his fate somewhat, but may not erase the danger awaiting him.
• Fortune and cultivation: Yu Xiu contrasts Ye’s talent without great fortune with Huanzhang’s unexpected reversal of misfortune.
• Humility and discipline: Yu Lei must move beyond pride in his transformed bloodline and build genuine martial strength.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiu places Miao Qingfeng and Yu Lei inside a droplet of water that contains an immense ocean-world beneath a sun. Miao Qingfeng is attacked by seventy-two giant pythons, while nine Daoists punish Yu Lei for resisting their scripture recitation.
• Yu Xiu assigns them training: Miao Qingfeng must defeat all the pythons; Yu Lei must listen to the scriptures until the Daoists stop.
• As he travels, Yu Xiu perfects the Heaven and Earth in Sight Technique, gaining substantial comprehension and lifespan. The technique lets him compress vast distances into a single step or an inch and observe their landscapes and inhabitants.
• Yu Xiu reflects on how time leaves traces throughout all things, but concludes that he must keep observing the world to understand the Dao of Time.
• He notices that Jiang Han’s fortune has improved. After gaining an opportunity at Guangling Lake, Jiang Han became a Spirit Void Cave disciple and won the backing of a reclusive elder.
• Yu Xiu also observes Luo Yuanyou, who has recently grown stronger. Sage Qi urges him to leave the small Wangding Star for the Great Heaven Domain and compete with the prodigies of many races.

Character developments

• Miao Qingfeng is exposed as strong but poorly trained in technique and combat; he is forced into rigorous practice.
• Yu Lei shows good comprehension but a weak foundation, and is made to study Dao scriptures.
• Yu Xiu advances his spatial perception and continues pursuing the deeper mysteries of time, taking a patient, long-term view.
• Jiang Han rises from a fortunate outsider to an inner disciple with powerful protection, though his fortune still pales beside Luo Yuanyou’s.
• Luo Yuanyou has recently advanced and is being encouraged to seek a larger world.

Significant themes

• World-making and perspective: A mere droplet can contain a vast world, while immense distances can be reduced to a step or an inch.
• Training through discipline: Each student’s weaknesses determine the form of their instruction.
• Fate and fortune: Yu Xiu’s intervention alters who receives an opportunity, with consequences for Jiang Han and the Spirit Void Cave successors.
• Time and patient cultivation: Yu Xiu believes that understanding time requires observing change across the world and over long ages.
• Ambition and scale: Luo Yuanyou is urged to leave his limited world and test himself among a wider field of rivals.

Character interactions

• Yu Xiu evaluates Miao Qingfeng and Yu Lei, then imposes tailored trials rather than rescuing them from difficulty.
• Miao Qingfeng and Yu Lei briefly share astonishment at the world contained in the droplet before being separated by their respective trials.
• Jiang Han’s conflict with Spirit Void Cave successors ends when a reclusive elder accepts him as a disciple and compels them to let the matter go.
• Sage Qi’s will challenges Luo Yuanyou to pursue greater opportunities in the Great Heaven Domain.

Key plot points and events

• Yu Xiu reflects that Luo Yuanyou’s effortless good fortune comes with a future cost: he is a “child of fortune,” or pawn of the Heavenly Father, destined to bear great karma. The Heavenly Father’s lightning strikes whenever Yu Xiu interferes with him, though Yu Xiu believes fate would find a replacement if Luo died.
• Yu Xiu plans to travel beyond Wangding Star once the Qingwei Sword Sect survives its coming calamity. He is determined to resist the foretold disasters threatening the Sword Sect and other sects, despite the Heavenly Father’s power to restore altered destiny.
• In the mountains, Yu Xiu witnesses a lightning-struck, withered tree revive on its own. His insight produces the perfected Turning Wheel Fate Art, granting him a major increase in comprehension and lifespan. The art lets practitioners renew their lives, potentially through ten lifetimes, while pursuing true understanding of life and longevity.
• Ye Jingzhe arrives and says he is investigating the deaths of Spirit Void Cave disciples near Tea Ridge. Yu Xiu sees that Ye is fated to die there at the hands of Great Demon God Ye Zhenliu, whose will avatar can be summoned through an idol held by gathered Shadow Demons. Yu Xiu senses that Ye may still have a chance to survive, with the Dao Ancestor as that possibility.
• At Tea Ridge, Ye Jingzhe quickly exposes and destroys a Shadow Demon disguised as an old tree. More demonic aura approaches, and a demon recognizes him as the Spirit Void Cave’s foremost True Disciple.

Character developments and interactions

• Yu Xiu shows growing confidence in his ability to alter fate and protect the Sword Sect, while remaining curious about life and destiny. He observes Luo Yuanyou from a distance, then advises Ye Jingzhe only indirectly by allowing him to proceed.
• Ye Jingzhe appears capable and decisive: he investigates the deaths and immediately destroys a hidden demon. Despite having previously avoided one fatal encounter after heeding Yu Xiu’s advice, he now faces another deadly fate.
• Luo Yuanyou is presented as fortunate but ultimately burdened by a destiny shaped by the Heavenly Father.
• Yu Xiu and Ye Jingzhe meet respectfully; Ye pays his respects, explains his mission, and leaves for Tea Ridge. Yu Xiu watches over him through his understanding of karma and fate.

Significant themes

• Fortune has a price: effortless success may conceal future suffering and karmic obligations.
• Destiny versus agency: fate exerts pressure, but Yu Xiu believes it can be challenged—and that the Dao Ancestor may intervene beyond its reach.
• Renewal and persistence of life: the revived tree embodies life’s refusal to yield, inspiring a cultivation art that grants repeated rebirth.
• Sect loyalty and impending change: Yu Xiu intends to defend the Qingwei Sword Sect as the Martial Dao declines and widespread calamities approach.

Ye Jingzhe confronted eight Grotto-Heaven Realm Shadow Demons at Tea Ridge and proved overwhelmingly stronger, killing them as they tried to flee. He continued into the depths of the demon den, slaughtering every Shadow Demon in his path while an unseen power erased his suspicions about the demons’ remains.

• Ye Jingzhe dismissed the eight Shadow Demons’ threats and revealed that his Nine Grotto-Heavens cultivation made him far stronger than they expected.
• Ye Jingzhe killed one four-grotto-heaven Shadow Demon with a single hand and extinguished its collapsing grotto-heavens.
• The seven remaining Shadow Demons fled to seek the Great Demon God’s statue, but Ye Jingzhe pursued and killed them.
• Ye Jingzhe briefly wondered why the dead Shadow Demons left no spiritual objects, then inexplicably forgot the question as an unseen power erased the traces.
• Ye Jingzhe advanced into Tea Ridge and slaughtered the Shadow Demons hiding throughout the den.

Ye Jingzhe slaughtered the Tea Ridge Shadow Demons until the survivors awakened the Demon God Statue, revealing the King-Realm demon Ye Zhenliu. As Ye Zhenliu moved to kill Ye Jingzhe, the Dao Ancestor arrived and the two remaining Shadow Demons vanished.

• Ye Jingzhe swept through Tea Ridge, slaughtering its Shadow Demons and driving two Grotto-Heaven Realm survivors to the Demon God Statue.
• The two Shadow Demons fed their innate demonic breath into the statue and begged the Great Demon God to descend.
• The awakened statue recognized Ye Jingzhe and revealed that it was Ye Zhenliu, a former First True Disciple of the Qingwei Sword Sect who had reached the King Realm.
• Ye Jingzhe refused Ye Zhenliu's offer to embrace demonhood, and Ye Zhenliu appeared with a hand on his head, ready to kill him.
• The Dao Ancestor approached from the east, and the two remaining Shadow Demons broke apart and vanished.