Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “A True Person Comes Calling!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Wu An kills the Witch Lord, one of the Witch Lord’s disciples rushes to inform him that someone has come looking for him.
• Wu An initially suspects China sent the visitor, but concludes this is unlikely given how little time has passed. He instead realizes the visitor is probably another Spirit Refining Transcendent.
• A modestly dressed elder enters with a young girl. Although he appears ordinary, Wu An senses the immense spiritual power within him and recognizes him as a Spirit Refining True Person.
• The elder clarifies that he is not seeking revenge for the Witch Lord, explaining that they were only acquaintances.
• The elder is secretly shocked by Wu An’s apparent youth. He had assumed Wu An was an ancient cultivator using a youthful appearance, but realizes Wu An may genuinely be under twenty—an astonishing possibility for someone who has reached the Spirit Refining realm.
• Wu An notices that the young girl possesses a rare Water-Fire Dual Spirit Body. Her opposing elemental powers have been sealed, similar in nature to the unusual powers of Winter Spirit and Dong Xue.
• The girl is frightened by Wu An, likely because she senses the overwhelming aura of the Primordial Golden Flame within him.
• Wu An presses the elder to reveal his true purpose. The elder asks Wu An’s opinion of China, specifically the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins, and becomes wary when Wu An demonstrates that he already knows what he means.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Displays increasing confidence and power after his experience in the Fox Spirit World. He is unconcerned by the arrival of another Spirit Refining True Person and demonstrates keen perception through his Sharingan. His knowledge of the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins suggests he is more informed about China’s secrets than the elder expected.
• The Cloth-Robed Elder: Initially presents himself as humble and nonthreatening, but internally becomes deeply shaken by Wu An’s age and strength. His cautious questioning reveals that he is concerned about Wu An’s relationship to China and the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins.
• The Young Girl: Revealed to possess a rare and potentially dangerous Water-Fire Dual Spirit Body. She is timid and instinctively fears Wu An’s powerful presence.
• The Witch Lord’s Disciple: Despite once benefiting from his master’s status, he is now visibly terrified, emphasizing the enormous difference between Wu An and ordinary Transcendents.

Significant Themes

• Strength outweighs age and status: Among Transcendents, seniority is determined by power rather than physical age or conventional hierarchy.
• Hidden identities and concealed power: The elder’s ordinary appearance masks his formidable cultivation, while Wu An’s youthful appearance conceals an even more extraordinary reality.
• Rare innate abilities: The girl’s dual Spirit Body establishes the importance of unusual spiritual constitutions and hints at their potential significance.
• Political and supernatural danger: The Nine Provinces Dragon Veins are treated as a highly intimidating secret, suggesting their importance to China’s power and the wider world.
• Mutual caution among powerful figures: Although the elder behaves politely, both he and Wu An carefully assess each other’s strength, motives, and knowledge.

Character Interactions

• The Witch Lord’s disciple approaches Wu An in fear and delivers news of the visitor.
• Wu An and the Cloth-Robed Elder exchange polite but guarded remarks. Wu An immediately challenges the elder’s possible motive of revenge, while the elder denies any personal connection to the Witch Lord.
• The elder studies Wu An and becomes internally alarmed by his apparent youth and lack of the aged aura typical of Spirit Refining True Persons.
• Wu An examines the girl and identifies her Water-Fire Dual Spirit Body, impressing and unsettling the elder.
• The girl clings timidly to the elder and describes Wu An as frightening, likely reacting to the Primordial Golden Flame.
• The conversation ends with the elder probing Wu An’s attitude toward China and the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins, only to discover that Wu An already understands the subject.

Chapter Summary: The Secrets of Year Zero

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An questions the Cloth-Robed Elder about the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins and the great battle from a hundred years earlier.
• The elder explains that the Taizu once used the Dragon Veins to seal the Central Plains’ Spirit Meridian, beginning the Dharma-Ending Era. Since then, spiritual energy has declined, methods have withered, and no ordinary Spirit Refining True Person should have been able to emerge.
• The elder recounts the Taizu’s overwhelming strength: he defeated dozens of Spirit Refining True Persons with a single strike, killing more than a dozen, and forced several ancient hidden experts to retreat before completing the sealing.
• Afterward, the Taizu created the Heavenly Net, using the Central Plains’ mountains and rivers to restrict Spirit Refining True Persons. Any significant use of power triggers the Heavenly Net and alerts China.
• The elder reveals that he came to Wu An primarily to save his granddaughter, who possesses a rare Water-Fire Dual Spirit Body. Her conflicting powers are currently sealed, but the seal will last only about one year.
• He finally asks Wu An to join the Spirit Refining True Persons in destroying the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins and breaking the restrictions imposed upon them.

Character Developments

• Wu An remains calm, detached, and highly confident. He is curious about the Taizu but considers surpassing him a relatively easy task. Although he could potentially save the girl using the Primordial Golden Flame, he refuses to sacrifice his own resources for people he does not value.
• Wu An demonstrates that his true strength exceeds that of ordinary Spirit Refining True Persons, despite technically not meeting the conventional spiritual threshold.
• The Cloth-Robed Elder is revealed to be both a survivor of the ancient conflict and a grandfather deeply concerned for his granddaughter. His bitterness toward the Heavenly Net reflects his resentment at being controlled and weakened.
• The little girl is established as an exceptionally gifted cultivator whose future potential may reach the Spirit Refining Peak, but whose life is endangered by the sealed Spirit Meridian and the instability of her dual origins.

Significant Themes

• Power and restriction: The chapter contrasts the immense authority of the Taizu with the limitations imposed on later cultivators through the sealed Spirit Meridian and Heavenly Net.
• Secrets of history: The true events surrounding the Taizu’s victory and his possible agreement with ancient experts remain uncertain, suggesting hidden political or supernatural arrangements.
• Talent versus environment: The girl’s extraordinary innate potential cannot flourish because the era lacks sufficient spiritual energy.
• Self-interest and sacrifice: Wu An’s refusal to save the girl at personal cost emphasizes his pragmatic, ruthless outlook.
• Freedom versus order: Destroying the Dragon Veins would liberate the Spirit Refining True Persons but could also overturn the order established by the Taizu.

Character Interactions

• Wu An interrogates the elder about the Taizu and the Dragon Veins, while the elder answers cautiously because he fears violating the privacy of a powerful True Person.
• The elder explains his granddaughter’s condition and appeals to Wu An for help.
• Wu An listens without sympathy or commitment, recognizing that he could save the girl but choosing not to do so freely.
• The chapter ends with the elder directly proposing an alliance: Wu An should help destroy the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins and overthrow the Heavenly Net.

Chapter Summary: Lilith’s Call

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious Cloth-Robed Elder asks Wu An to help destroy the Nine Provinces Dragon Veins, the foundation of China’s power and the seal suppressing Transcendents.
• Wu An refuses to commit immediately. He recognizes that destroying the Dragon Veins could cause enormous upheaval but would offer him no direct benefit, since his power comes from the Myriad Heavens and Worlds rather than the Urban World.
• The elder claims an eighty percent chance of success and reveals that the token connected to the Dragon Veins may be in Japan. He blames the Witch Lord’s failure to obtain it on the destruction of the Wu Family, arguing that negotiation would have been more effective.
• Wu An conceals the fact that he is a surviving member of the Wu Family and calmly listens to the elder’s explanation.
• As the elder leaves with a little girl, Wu An frightens her by briefly using the golden flame in his eyes. The elder apologizes and quickly takes her away.
• Wu An reflects that his revenge is complete: the provincial Shi Family has been exterminated, and the Witch Lord is dead.
• Before departing, Wu An dismisses the Witch Lord’s remaining disciples and servants instead of killing them. He orders them never to appear before him again, surprising Zhang Yuman and the others, who had expected punishment.
• Wu An returns to Eastsea rather than Azure Sun Town. Using Moss to alter his identity again, he disguises himself as an ordinary traveler.
• At the airport, Wu An contemplates what might happen if the Dragon Veins are destroyed and the Spirit Meridian revives. He wonders whether Transcendents would once again dominate the world and questions whether the Founding Ancestor sealed the spiritual forces to preserve the peace and prosperity of modern China.
• The chapter ends when Lilith calls Wu An, excitedly announcing that she has found clues about the two people he asked her to investigate.

Character Developments

• Wu An remains cautious and strategic. He neither accepts nor rejects the plan to destroy the Dragon Veins, choosing to gather more information first.
• His revenge against the forces responsible for the Wu Family’s destruction is effectively complete, allowing him to move forward rather than remain consumed by vengeance.
• Wu An shows restraint and a degree of mercy by sparing the Witch Lord’s uninvolved followers, demonstrating that his justice is not indiscriminate.
• His concern expands beyond personal revenge to the fate of China and the potential global consequences of restoring Transcendent power.
• The Cloth-Robed Elder is revealed as pragmatic and politically calculating. He favors negotiation and strategic cooperation over the Witch Lord’s violent methods.
• Zhang Yuman shifts from fear of imminent death to astonishment and relief after Wu An spares her.
• Lilith continues to act as Wu An’s investigative ally and appears to have made a major breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• Revenge versus mercy: Wu An considers his vengeance fulfilled but chooses not to punish everyone associated with the Witch Lord.
• Power and political upheaval: Destroying the Dragon Veins could overturn the existing balance of power and restore the influence of Transcendents.
• The price of peace: Wu An questions whether the Founding Ancestor’s sealing of spiritual power was necessary to create the stable, prosperous world of the present.
• Secrecy and identity: Wu An conceals his connection to the Wu Family and repeatedly alters his identity through Moss.
• Individual interests versus national consequences: Wu An’s decision must account not only for his own power but also for the possible collapse of China’s current order.

Important Character Interactions

• Wu An and the Cloth-Robed Elder: They negotiate cautiously over the Dragon Veins plot. The elder offers information and cooperation, while Wu An probes his confidence and motives.
• Wu An and the little girl: Wu An frightens her with his supernatural eyes, revealing his intimidating presence even while causing no lasting harm.
• Wu An and Zhang Yuman: Zhang fears Wu An will punish her, but he unexpectedly spares her and the other servants.
• Wu An and the Witch Lord’s followers: He gives them freedom on the condition that they leave, marking the end of his vendetta.
• Wu An and Lilith: Their phone conversation introduces the next storyline, as Lilith reports progress in locating two important individuals.

Chapter Summary: “Shrine”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An receives a report from Lilith about his missing parents. She has discovered that an Eastern couple—presumably Wu An’s parents—entered South Cloud Shrine in Japan several months earlier and have not left.
• Realizing Japan may possess powerful Transcendents, Wu An immediately orders Lilith to flee. However, the call is abruptly cut off before she can respond.
• Suspecting that Lilith is in danger, Wu An uses Moss to locate her. He employs the Fox Thought Technique to freeze everyone at the airport, then flies toward her coordinates.
• At Nanyang Shrine in Japan, shrine officials discuss the recent intrusion. They reveal that the couple were captured and transferred to the Central Shrine because of their connection to China’s Dragon Vein.
• The Japanese shrine authorities intend to exploit this connection to control China’s Dragon Vein and potentially seize control over China’s territory and spiritual power.
• Meanwhile, Lilith escapes by yacht with a surviving Church of Science death warrior. A short Japanese man who previously massacred dozens of her guards catches up to them by running across the sea, leaving Lilith convinced that escape is nearly impossible.

Character Developments

• Wu An shows deep concern for his parents and immediately shifts from cautious investigation to decisive action when Lilith’s safety is threatened. His ability to immobilize an entire airport and fly through the sky highlights his overwhelming power.
• Lilith remains completely loyal to Wu An, willingly obeying his orders without hesitation. Despite her usual confidence, the massacre of her guards leaves her frightened and despairing.
• The Japanese shrine leaders are revealed to be pursuing a large-scale political and spiritual objective rather than merely guarding a sacred site. Their ambition extends to controlling China’s Dragon Vein.
• The death warrior demonstrates absolute devotion to Lilith, offering to sacrifice himself so she can escape.
• Wu An’s parents become more important to the broader conflict, as their connection to the Dragon Vein appears to be the reason Japanese forces seized them.

Significant Themes

• Family and rescue: Wu An’s search for his parents drives the chapter and pushes him into direct conflict with Japanese supernatural powers.
• Hidden power and geopolitical conflict: The shrine’s plans suggest that supernatural forces are competing for control of nations and spiritual resources.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Lilith’s obedience to Wu An and the death warrior’s willingness to die for her emphasize devotion and self-sacrifice.
• Escalating danger: What begins as an investigation quickly becomes a deadly confrontation, revealing that Wu An’s enemies possess formidable and mysterious abilities.
• The Dragon Vein: China’s spiritual decline and Japan’s interest in the Dragon Vein establish a larger mystery involving the suppression and possible restoration or exploitation of cultivation power.

Character Interactions

• Wu An and Lilith communicate about the discovery of his parents, but their conversation is interrupted when Lilith is attacked.
• Wu An orders Lilith to flee and later tracks her after the call is cut off, demonstrating both authority and concern.
• The shrine leaders debate the significance of the captured couple and reveal their plan to their fellow officials.
• Lilith and the surviving death warrior discuss the approaching enemy; he offers to delay the attacker, while Lilith doubts anyone can withstand him.
• The chapter ends with Lilith recognizing that the seemingly defeated Japanese man has survived and is pursuing the yacht across the sea.

Chapter Summary: “Despair”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lilith and her companions flee Nanyang Shrine aboard a yacht after their failed infiltration and the detonation of dozens of kilograms of explosives.
• The short man pursuing them survives the explosion unharmed and catches up by running across the water.
• He boards the yacht and confronts Lilith, accusing her of deliberately trespassing into the shrine with suicide warriors and explosives.
• Lilith refuses to surrender, believing she would be tortured or forced to betray the God of Science if captured.
• The short man threatens and sexually humiliates her, claiming he will spare her life if she submits to him.
• Lilith’s loyal bodyguard challenges him, but the short man demonstrates overwhelming strength by cracking the steel yacht simply by stomping on it.
• Realizing they have no chance of defeating him, Lilith accepts that she and her companions may die. Her bodyguard then activates a mechanism that splits the yacht in two, sending Lilith and himself away while leaving the short man on the other section.
• The separated section explodes, briefly giving Lilith hope that the pursuer has been killed.
• The short man emerges uninjured, reveals that he saw through their deception, and strikes the bodyguard with a devastating palm blow. The man is critically wounded but urges Lilith to run.
• With capture imminent, Lilith prepares to kill herself rather than fall into the short man’s hands, trusting that the God of Science will avenge her.
• Before she can act, the atmosphere trembles and an enormous azure-scaled dragon approaches through the sky, interrupting the confrontation.

Character Developments

• Lilith: Moves from fear and regret to grim acceptance of death. Her loyalty to the God of Science remains absolute, and she would rather die than betray him or be captured.
• The short man: Is revealed to possess extraordinary physical power, speed, durability, and combat awareness. His arrogance and cruelty become increasingly clear as he toys with Lilith and dismisses her companions.
• The bodyguard: Demonstrates courage and loyalty by attempting to protect Lilith and devising an escape tactic. Although he cannot match the short man’s strength, he sacrifices himself and continues urging Lilith to survive.
• Wu An / the God of Science: Does not appear directly, but his earlier warning proves accurate, reinforcing his reputation for foresight and strengthening Lilith’s faith in him.

Significant Themes

• Despair and inevitability: The characters’ weapons and escape plans are rendered useless, leaving them facing an apparently unstoppable enemy.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: The bodyguard risks and ultimately gives his life for Lilith, while Lilith refuses to compromise the God of Science even when death seems certain.
• Powerlessness versus overwhelming power: The short man’s abilities make ordinary human resistance meaningless, emphasizing the enormous gap between them.
• Honor and defiance: Lilith’s willingness to die rather than submit reflects her determination to retain control over her fate.
• Unexpected intervention: The arrival of the dragon introduces a sudden reversal and suggests that the seemingly hopeless situation may change.

Character Interactions

• The short man confronts Lilith and mocks her explanation that the shrine intrusion was accidental.
• Lilith refuses his demand to surrender and rejects his attempt to intimidate her.
• The bodyguard steps between them, defending Lilith and condemning the short man’s insult.
• The short man ridicules the bodyguard, allows him to attack first, and effortlessly defeats him.
• As the short man reaches for Lilith, she prepares to take her own life, but the arrival of the massive dragon halts both of them and shifts the balance of the scene.

Chapter Summary: “Shock”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A blue-armored dragon suddenly flies across the sky toward Lilith’s yacht, shocking both Lilith and the short man from Japan’s Nanyang Shrine.
• The dragon’s immense speed and overwhelming pressure create a powerful dragon might that nearly forces the short man to kneel.
• The short man initially assumes the dragon is merely passing by, but then realizes someone is standing on its back.
• Wu An steps calmly from the dragon and descends through the air as though walking down invisible stairs, revealing his overwhelming power.
• The short man respectfully identifies himself as a member of the Nanyang Shrine and attempts to invoke the authority of the shrine’s Cabinet Elders.
• Wu An ignores these political and religious connections and instead asks Lilith whether she is unharmed.
• Lilith apologizes for failing her mission, confirming to the short man that she and Wu An are connected.
• Realizing that he has killed Lilith’s subordinates and placed her in danger, the short man tries to escape.
• Wu An declares that anyone who harms his people cannot expect to leave alive. He stops the fleeing man with a single gesture and causes him to explode, killing him instantly.
• Lilith is overwhelmed with emotion and admiration at Wu An’s arrival and display of power.

Character Developments

• Wu An: His entrance establishes him as an almost godlike figure. He is calm, confident, and utterly unconcerned with the shrine’s influence or the short man’s threats. His decisive execution also shows his loyalty and protectiveness toward his followers.
• Lilith: She shifts from shock and uncertainty to relief, excitement, and deep emotional admiration when Wu An appears. Her apology reveals that she feels responsible for failing her mission, while her reaction shows how strongly she reveres him as the “God of Science.”
• The short man: He moves from disbelief and arrogance to fear and desperation. Although he tries to rely on the Nanyang Shrine’s authority, he quickly realizes that Wu An is beyond his ability to negotiate with or resist. His attempted escape ends in his immediate death.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power: Wu An’s arrival on the dragon demonstrates a level of strength far beyond ordinary human or supernatural forces.
• Loyalty and protection: Wu An’s statement that harming his people warrants death emphasizes his absolute commitment to those under his protection.
• Fear versus authority: The short man believes the Nanyang Shrine and its Cabinet Elders can protect him, but Wu An’s power renders their status meaningless.
• Myth becoming reality: The dragon, previously associated with mythology, appears in the real world and serves Wu An, reinforcing the chapter’s supernatural atmosphere.
• Devotion and awe: Lilith’s emotional response portrays Wu An as a near-divine figure whose presence inspires both reverence and security.

Character Interactions

• The short man and Lilith initially react together in shock to the approaching dragon, though the dragon’s presence quickly places the short man under intense psychological pressure.
• The short man respectfully addresses Wu An and attempts to use the Nanyang Shrine’s influence to avoid conflict.
• Wu An ignores the short man’s diplomatic approach and focuses immediately on Lilith’s safety.
• Lilith’s apology and Wu An’s concern reveal their personal allegiance and connection.
• The short man tries to manipulate the situation by claiming their conflict was a misunderstanding, but Wu An rejects the excuse and kills him when he attempts to flee.

Chapter Summary: “Blood-Red Statue”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lilith reports to Wu An after he rescues her from a pursuer at sea. She explains that, while investigating the whereabouts of Wu An’s parents, she entered the deepest part of Nanyang Shrine.
• Inside an ancient hall, Lilith encountered a mysterious blood-red statue. Although she clearly saw it, she is now unable to remember its appearance, suggesting that the statue or something connected to it can affect memory and the mind.
• The shrine reacted violently when Lilith saw the statue, apparently activating some kind of mechanism. She escaped only by retreating quickly. Before leaving, she overheard shrine members saying that a “god” had been disturbed.
• Wu An considers whether a Spirit Refining True Person could be behind the phenomenon, but concludes that Lilith could not have survived if one had been present. He becomes intrigued by the possibility of another entity capable of wielding mental power.
• A Church death warrior who protected Lilith is near death, suffering catastrophic internal injuries. Wu An heals him with a drop of wine from the Endless Wine Gourd, a magical treasure whose contents can restore severe injuries and, in larger quantities, enhance strength.
• The warrior recovers almost instantly. Lilith and the warrior kneel before Wu An, viewing his actions as proof of his divine power and becoming even more devoted to him.
• Lilith suggests waiting for Church reinforcements, but Wu An orders her to remain with them. He announces that he will go directly to Nanyang Shrine to investigate the blood-red statue and the disturbed “god.”

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates both overwhelming destructive power and miraculous healing ability. His curiosity is aroused by the statue’s memory-altering properties and the shrine’s reference to a god. He takes command of the situation and decides to investigate personally.
• Lilith: Moves from terror and near-suicide to gratitude, relief, and renewed loyalty toward Wu An. Her encounter with the statue leaves her frightened and confused, while her concern for the injured warrior reveals compassion and responsibility.
• The Church death warrior: Initially appears doomed, but Wu An’s healing saves him. Experiencing this miracle firsthand transforms his vague religious faith into intense, personal fanaticism toward Wu An.
• The Church: Its loyal death warriors and ideological devotion are emphasized, as is Lilith’s intention to care for the families of those who died protecting her.

Significant Themes

• Divinity and devotion: Wu An’s ability to kill enemies and restore the dying causes followers to view him as a living god.
• Mystery and the supernatural: The blood-red statue, forgotten appearance, activated mechanism, and mention of a disturbed god introduce a powerful unknown force.
• Mental power and forgotten knowledge: The statue’s influence suggests that information itself can be suppressed or erased, creating a threat beyond physical combat.
• Life, death, and resurrection: The chapter contrasts the death warrior’s near-death state with Wu An’s effortless restoration, reinforcing Wu An’s extraordinary status.
• Faith shaped by direct experience: The warrior’s devotion intensifies because he personally witnesses Wu An’s power rather than relying only on Church teachings.

Character Interactions

• Lilith respectfully reports her discoveries to Wu An and seeks his direction.
• Wu An questions Lilith closely, analyzing her inability to remember the statue and weighing possible explanations.
• Lilith expresses guilt over the warrior’s injuries and gratitude when Wu An saves him.
• The healed warrior addresses Wu An as the God of Science and kneels in worship, while Lilith follows suit.
• Wu An gives orders to both of them, instructing Lilith to wait for reinforcements and declaring that he will personally return to Nanyang Shrine.

Chapter Summary: “Communion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An decides to personally accompany Lilith to the South Yang Shrine instead of waiting for the Church of Science’s forces to arrive. Lilith obeys without hesitation, viewing Wu An as the supreme “God of Science.”
• The sturdy man remains behind to wait for the Church’s reinforcements while Wu An and Lilith travel by yacht toward the shrine.
• Deep inside the South Yang Shrine, a Soul Lamp representing Yamamoto Kuro suddenly goes out, signaling his death.
• The shrine’s elders initially struggle to believe Kuro has died, since he was a powerful Samurai and a descendant of the Grand Cabinet Elder.
• The elders discuss whether Kuro should be granted access to the Central Shrine, a rare opportunity normally reserved for those with the potential to become Onmyoji. The Grand Cabinet Elder initially argues that Kuro is unqualified because he is only a Samurai.
• News of Kuro’s death interrupts the discussion. The Grand Cabinet Elder confirms that the Soul Lamp cannot be wrong because it is connected to the shrine’s deities.
• Suspecting that the woman who infiltrated the shrine may have killed Kuro, the Grand Cabinet Elder uses Onmyōjutsu and Spirit Communication to locate the killer.
• The chapter ends as an illusory scene begins to appear before the shrine members.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates confidence and initiative by going directly to the South Yang Shrine, apparently unconcerned about its mysterious power or the danger it poses.
• Lilith: Her absolute devotion to Wu An is emphasized. She immediately accepts his decision and treats his commands as unquestionable divine orders.
• Yamamoto Kuro: His death establishes that he was powerful but overconfident and possibly distracted by his interest in the intruding woman. His status as the Grand Cabinet Elder’s descendant had earned him special consideration.
• Grand Cabinet Elder: Revealed as the strongest figure in the South Yang Shrine and a skilled Onmyoji. His concern for Kuro conflicts with his strict judgment about Kuro’s qualifications, but his grief and anger emerge once Kuro’s death is confirmed.
• Other shrine elders: They respect and fear the Grand Cabinet Elder while showing surprise at Kuro’s death and eagerness to understand who could have defeated him.

Significant Themes

• Devotion and authority: Lilith’s worshipful obedience to Wu An portrays him as a godlike leader whose commands override fear or personal hesitation.
• Traditional power versus emerging power: The South Yang Shrine represents Japan’s established supernatural systems, while Wu An and the Church of Science suggest a competing scientific or modern force.
• Hierarchy and privilege: Access to the Central Shrine is restricted by status and ability, but the elders consider manipulating the rules for Kuro because of his family connection.
• Death as a challenge to authority: Kuro’s death shocks the shrine because it undermines the belief that its powerful members are protected by their status and strength.
• Mysticism and surveillance: Soul Lamps and Onmyōjutsu allow the shrine to track life and death, reinforcing the supernatural reach of its spiritual traditions.

Character Interactions

• Wu An directs Lilith’s movements, and she responds with complete loyalty.
• The shrine elders debate Kuro’s worthiness and the possibility of granting him access to the Central Shrine.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder dismisses Kuro’s eligibility while revealing his personal investment in Kuro’s future.
• After Kuro’s death is announced, the other elders look to the Grand Cabinet Elder for leadership and reassurance.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder rejects attempts to explain away the Soul Lamp’s signal and begins using Onmyōjutsu to identify the person responsible.

Chapter Summary: “Chance Encounter”

Key Plot Points and Events

• An image produced by the Grand Cabinet Elder’s Onmyōjutsu reveals Lilith traveling across the ocean on a damaged yacht with a mysterious, unidentified man.
• The shrine members recognize Lilith as the woman who previously infiltrated Nanyang Shrine. However, the man beside her—Wu An—cannot be seen clearly because his face is concealed by a strange mist.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder attempts to dispel the mist and reveal Wu An’s identity. When Wu An senses the surveillance, he turns toward the observers. The Primordial Golden Flame appears in his eyes, causing the image to shatter and forcing the Grand Cabinet Elder backward.
• On the yacht, Wu An casually explains that he dealt with “a few ants.” He also removes strands of black smoke from Lilith’s body, implying that she had been carrying a hidden curse, trace, or supernatural influence.
• After reaching shore, Wu An and Lilith travel toward Nanyang Shrine. Lilith explains that the shrine is a famous tourist attraction, though ordinary visitors are restricted to its outer grounds. She also recounts how her earlier infiltration, disguised as a tourist, triggered a major response from the shrine.
• Along the way, they encounter a distressed woman wearing sunglasses. She claims in Chinese and English that she became separated from her companion and lost her phone.
• Wu An ignores her, while Lilith tries to direct her to the police. The woman continues following them, insisting that her companion may have gone to Nanyang Shrine.
• The chapter ends with Lilith becoming startled by this coincidence.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates overwhelming power and composure. He effortlessly detects and breaks the Grand Cabinet Elder’s remote surveillance, revealing the defensive abilities of his Primordial Golden Flame. He also removes a mysterious black substance from Lilith without difficulty, reinforcing his superior strength and knowledge.
• Lilith: Remains respectful and obedient toward Wu An, while revealing more about her past infiltration of Nanyang Shrine. She is multilingual, practical, and more socially considerate than Wu An, attempting to deal with the lost woman even though she wants to move on.
• Grand Cabinet Elder: His confidence is shaken when his Onmyōjutsu fails to identify Wu An and is directly countered. His inability to withstand Wu An’s gaze highlights the gap between them.
• Woman in Sunglasses: Introduced as attractive, anxious, and somewhat naïve. Her search for her missing companion unexpectedly intersects with Wu An and Lilith’s destination.

Significant Themes

• Power and concealment: Wu An’s identity is hidden by supernatural mist, but his ability to sense observation and destroy the viewing technique shows that concealment is only one aspect of his greater power.
• The gap between powerful figures: The Grand Cabinet Elder’s failed attempt to observe Wu An establishes Wu An as someone far beyond the shrine’s expectations.
• Chance and fate: The woman’s accidental search for Nanyang Shrine appears to connect her to Wu An and Lilith at an important moment.
• Supernatural mystery: The black smoke removed from Lilith and the unexplained effects of the Primordial Golden Flame suggest hidden forces and abilities that have not yet been fully revealed.
• Cultural and international interaction: The shrine’s popularity among foreign tourists and the characters’ use of multiple languages broaden the setting beyond a purely local conflict.

Character Interactions

• The Grand Cabinet Elder attempts to expose Wu An through Onmyōjutsu, but Wu An notices the intrusion and confronts him indirectly through the image.
• Wu An and Lilith maintain a clear hierarchy: Lilith treats him with deep respect, while Wu An responds casually and reveals little.
• Lilith explains the shrine’s history and her previous infiltration while Wu An listens without judgment.
• The woman in sunglasses repeatedly appeals to Wu An for help, but he ignores her until Lilith reluctantly responds. Her mention of Nanyang Shrine creates the chapter’s final suspenseful connection.

Chapter Summary: “Kill!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An, Lilith, and a Chinese woman wearing sunglasses travel toward Nanyang Shrine.
• The woman reveals that she is also looking for the shrine but does not know its location. Lilith agrees to let her follow them.
• During the journey, the woman questions Lilith’s relationship with Wu An after hearing Lilith call him the “God of Science.” Lilith explains that she belongs to Wu An in both body and soul, leaving the woman confused and assuming they may be role-playing.
• Near the shrine, Wu An orders the woman to stop following them because he expects violence and does not want her caught in the coming conflict. Intimidated by Wu An’s presence, she reluctantly leaves.
• Lilith leads Wu An through a hidden route into Nanyang Shrine’s inner courtyard, the shrine’s heavily guarded central area.
• When shrine warriors confront them, Wu An immediately kills them with overwhelming power.
• He continues advancing through the shrine, killing wave after wave of warriors. Hundreds die, while the remaining soldiers and higher-ranking members become terrified and refuse to approach him.
• The chapter ends with Wu An stopping after cutting through the shrine’s defenses, apparently preparing for the next stage of his assault.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Reveals a much more ruthless side. Previously cautious about displaying his strength in China, he feels no need for restraint in Japan, especially because Nanyang Shrine may be responsible for abducting his parents. His anger and determination drive him to massacre anyone who obstructs him.
• Lilith: Continues to show absolute loyalty and reverence toward Wu An, calling him the “God of Science.” She initially reacts with shock to his sudden killings but gradually becomes emotionally numb to the violence and follows him without hesitation.
• The woman in sunglasses: Is portrayed as curious but cautious. She is puzzled by Lilith’s devotion to Wu An and senses that he is extremely dangerous. Although initially willing to follow them, she ultimately obeys Wu An’s warning and stays behind.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and submission: Lilith’s complete devotion to Wu An contrasts sharply with the woman’s uncertainty and fear.
• Revenge and parental protection: Wu An’s violence is motivated by the possibility that Nanyang Shrine kidnapped his parents, making the attack personal rather than merely strategic.
• Overwhelming power: Wu An’s effortless destruction of the shrine’s forces establishes the vast gap between his strength and that of ordinary warriors.
• Moral desensitization: Lilith’s progression from shock to indifference reflects how repeated exposure to violence can normalize brutality.
• Restraint versus unleashed force: Wu An distinguishes between operating cautiously in China, a nuclear power, and acting without limits in Japan, which he views as unable to threaten him.

Character Interactions

• Lilith welcomes the sunglasses-wearing woman and offers to guide her to Nanyang Shrine.
• The woman questions Lilith about Wu An, especially her reverent title for him and her declaration of total belonging.
• Wu An directly intervenes, ordering the woman not to follow them for her own safety. His cold authority frightens her into retreating.
• Lilith guides Wu An into the shrine’s inner courtyard and warns him that heightened security may lead to resistance.
• Shrine warriors confront the pair and recognize Lilith, but Wu An silences them by killing them instantly. As he advances, the remaining shrine members become too terrified to engage him.

Chapter 527 Summary — “Nanyang Shrine!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An stands in the inner courtyard of Nanyang Shrine after slaughtering more than five hundred of its trained Samurai in under a minute.
• The shrine’s members are terrified by the massacre. The dead Samurai represent centuries of accumulated strength, leaving Nanyang Shrine vulnerable to decline if it cannot produce another powerful expert.
• A shrine leader confronts Wu An, demanding to know his identity and motive. Wu An refuses to give his name, saying the leader is “not worthy” of knowing it.
• When pressed for a reason, Wu An bluntly says he attacked simply because he was unhappy. He explains that he originally wanted revenge and also wished to test Japan’s Transcendent cultivators, but the opponents he has faced so far were disappointingly weak.
• The shrine leader stalls for time, claiming that Nanyang Shrine’s Cabinet Elders—and eventually its Grand Cabinet Elder—will deal with Wu An.
• More shrine members gather around Wu An and Lilith. Lilith warns that the shrine appears to be mobilizing its forces, but Wu An welcomes this, since having everyone gather in one place will prevent them from escaping.
• Several Cabinet Elders finally arrive. The shrine leader reports Wu An’s massacre and openly condemns him now that he has powerful figures supporting him.
• One elderly Cabinet Elder asks Wu An to identify himself and shows contempt toward China. Wu An declares that many people call him the “Spirit Refining True Person.”
• The title shocks the shrine members who recognize it. In China, a Spirit Refining True Person is considered comparable to a Japanese Grand Onmyoji, and historical figures with that title gained international renown.
• The atmosphere changes as the Cabinet Elders realize Wu An may be far more dangerous than expected. The chapter ends when an unseen voice mocks the claim, pointing out that Wu An is not even twenty years old and accusing him of making an outrageous boast.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, confidence, and ruthlessness by annihilating hundreds of Samurai without hesitation. He remains calm and detached amid the carnage, treating the shrine’s mobilization as a convenience rather than a threat. His declaration of the “Spirit Refining True Person” title establishes him as a figure potentially equal to Japan’s strongest Transcendents.
• Lilith: Acts as Wu An’s cautious observer and adviser, recognizing the danger of the shrine’s growing numbers. Her concern contrasts with Wu An’s complete confidence.
• Shrine leader: Shifts from grief and outrage to fear and tactical delay. He relies on the Cabinet Elders for protection and only dares express his hatred once they arrive.
• Cabinet Elders: Initially appear as authoritative, feared leaders, but their confidence is shaken when Wu An reveals his identity. Their reaction suggests they understand the seriousness of facing a Spirit Refining True Person.
• Unnamed challenger: Introduced at the end as someone confident enough to question Wu An’s identity and age, potentially setting up the next confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and intimidation: Wu An’s massacre establishes a vast gap between himself and ordinary Samurai, making physical strength a tool of psychological domination.
• Pride and hierarchy: The shrine members are deeply concerned with rank, titles, prestige, and whether Wu An deserves recognition. Wu An deliberately humiliates them by refusing to explain himself.
• Decline and succession: The loss of hundreds of elite Samurai raises fears that Nanyang Shrine may collapse once its older masters die, emphasizing the importance of powerful successors.
• Cultural rivalry: The chapter contrasts China’s Spirit Refining True Persons with Japan’s Samurai and Onmyoji, framing Wu An’s arrival as a challenge to Japan’s supernatural power structure.
• Youth versus authority: Wu An’s apparent age conflicts sharply with the legendary status he claims, creating tension over whether he is a prodigy, an impostor, or something even more formidable.

Character Interactions

• Wu An dismisses the shrine leader’s demands and refuses to justify the slaughter, provoking outrage while keeping everyone too frightened to attack.
• Lilith quietly warns Wu An about the gathering forces, but he reassures her that the concentration of enemies benefits him.
• The shrine leader appeals to the Cabinet Elders, presenting Wu An as a criminal who must be punished.
• A Cabinet Elder questions Wu An about his identity and makes a disparaging remark about China, prompting Wu An to reveal his title.
• The Cabinet Elders react with fear and uncertainty, but the final unseen speaker challenges Wu An directly, ending the chapter on a note of impending confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Ghost Control”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The crowd is stunned when Wu An, a man under twenty, claims to be a Spirit Refining True Person. Many mock him and assume he is exaggerating his abilities.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder of Nanyang Shrine arrives. As a powerful Japanese Onmyoji, he is treated with respect and immediately shifts the mood from ridicule to anticipation.
• The elder uses an Onmyōjutsu technique to determine Wu An’s age and confidently declares that Wu An cannot be a Spirit Refining True Person because people who reach that realm are typically over forty and have endured many hardships.
• Wu An remains calm and subtly mocks the elder. He has already killed the Witch Lord, a genuine Spirit Refining True Person, and possesses strength beyond ordinary experts of that level.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder acknowledges that Wu An broke his Yin-Yang Spirit Communication Art but boasts that Nanyang Shrine has experts capable of defeating him. He frames Wu An’s death as proof that Japan’s supernatural practitioners are superior to China’s.
• The elder unleashes the powerful killing technique Ghost Control. The environment becomes cold, dim, and saturated with a terrifying Yin aura.
• Three powerful ghosts, collected and enslaved by the elder over decades, appear behind him. Because they are incorporeal and immune to ordinary physical attacks, the surrounding observers believe Wu An is doomed.
• Lilith and the others are overwhelmed by fear merely from seeing the ghosts, while Wu An remains completely composed.
• As the three ghosts attack, Wu An finally raises his hand and prepares to counter them with the Divine Essence Splitting Art.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates extreme confidence and emotional control. His calmness reveals that he considers the Grand Cabinet Elder and his ghosts far below his true strength. His past victory over the Witch Lord establishes that his abilities exceed the level the elder assumes he has reached.
• Grand Cabinet Elder: Enters as an arrogant and authoritative figure, convinced that Wu An’s youth proves he is a fraud. He becomes increasingly hostile and treats the confrontation as a chance to defend Japan’s prestige while eliminating a dangerous young talent.
• Lilith: Shows fear and concern for Wu An. Although she does not understand the exact power levels involved, she recognizes the elder’s threat and is nearly paralyzed by the ghosts’ pressure.
• Nanyang Shrine’s observers: Shift from skepticism about Wu An to excitement once their Grand Cabinet Elder arrives. They become confident that Wu An will be defeated, though their fear of the Ghost Control technique reveals how formidable it is even to them.

Significant Themes

• Youth versus established power: The elder assumes Wu An’s age makes his claim impossible, while Wu An’s abilities challenge the traditional belief that mastery requires decades of cultivation.
• Appearance versus true strength: The crowd judges Wu An by his age and outward appearance, but his composure and past achievements indicate that his actual power is far greater than they understand.
• National pride and rivalry: The elder turns the duel into a symbolic contest between Chinese Transcendents and Japanese Onmyoji, making Wu An’s potential death a matter of national prestige.
• Fear versus composure: Nearly everyone is overwhelmed by the ghosts’ aura, but Wu An remains unaffected, emphasizing the gap between ordinary experts and his hidden power.
• Control and domination: The Grand Cabinet Elder’s Ghost Control technique reflects his mastery through enslavement and refinement of powerful spirits, setting up a contrast with Wu An’s unknown spiritual counter-technique.

Character Interactions

• The Grand Cabinet Elder openly challenges Wu An’s identity and mocks the idea that someone so young could be a Spirit Refining True Person.
• Wu An responds with restrained confidence, refusing to defend himself verbally and instead allowing his strength to answer the elder’s accusations.
• The elder attempts to intimidate Wu An by threatening him and invoking the superiority of Japan’s supernatural forces.
• Lilith worries for Wu An and reacts with horror when the ghosts appear, while Wu An remains positioned between her and the danger.
• The chapter ends with the elder’s three ghosts attacking Wu An and Wu An calmly beginning the Divine Essence Splitting Art, creating a cliffhanger for the coming confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “The Great Secret”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An raises his hand as the Grand Cabinet Elder unleashes the Ghost-Control Art, sending three intangible ghosts toward him.
• Although the Elder believes the technique is impossible for Wu An to resist, the ghosts suddenly halt when confronted by an eerie, painful laughter. They become visibly frightened, suggesting Wu An has summoned something that naturally overpowers them.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder sacrifices a mouthful of essence blood to strengthen the ghosts and orders them to attack again.
• Wu An summons the Joy Incarnation, one of his five Emotion Incarnations. Its appearance releases a strange, intoxicating power that affects everyone nearby, including the Elder.
• The Joy Incarnation attacks and rapidly overwhelms the three ghosts. Their bodies collapse and are absorbed into it, causing the incarnation to grow stronger.
• Realizing that the Ghost-Control Art has been completely defeated, the Grand Cabinet Elder becomes horrified and desperate.
• Wu An orders the Joy Incarnation to leave the Elder alive, but the incarnation easily destroys the Elder’s defensive barriers.
• The Elder recognizes that Wu An must be a Spirit Refining True Person, a level comparable to a Grand Onmyoji. He realizes he never had any chance of winning.
• As the Joy Incarnation’s influence affects his emotions, the Elder begs for his life and reveals that he knows a major secret related to immortality.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates overwhelming confidence and control. He remains calm throughout the battle, reveals the power of the Joy Incarnation, and shows that his abilities extend beyond ordinary cultivation techniques. His command to keep the Elder alive indicates that he wants information rather than merely victory.
• Grand Cabinet Elder: Transitions from arrogant confidence to shock, fear, and desperation. His dependence on the Ghost-Control Art is shattered when his ghosts are devoured. He correctly identifies Wu An’s true level of power and resorts to revealing a secret to survive.
• Joy Incarnation: Displays increasing autonomy and terrifying strength. It can frighten, destroy, and absorb ghosts, growing stronger by consuming their soul power. Its emotional influence also affects the minds of those nearby.

Significant Themes

• The danger of hidden power: Wu An’s true strength is far greater than the Elder anticipated, turning what seemed like a decisive attack into a one-sided defeat.
• Emotional and spiritual power: The chapter establishes that emotions, ghosts, and soul power share a common essence. This allows Wu An’s Emotion Incarnations to consume and strengthen themselves through supernatural entities.
• Arrogance versus insight: The Elder’s confidence prevents him from recognizing the threat until it is too late, while Wu An’s calm understanding of his own abilities gives him complete control.
• Survival through knowledge: Once physical resistance fails, the Elder attempts to save himself by offering information about immortality, setting up the chapter’s central mystery.

Character Interactions

• The Grand Cabinet Elder repeatedly attempts to overpower Wu An, first through the ghosts and then through essence-blood-enhanced attacks.
• Wu An does not directly struggle with the ghosts; instead, he allows the Joy Incarnation to confront and consume them.
• Wu An commands the Joy Incarnation, showing a master-and-spiritual-avatar relationship.
• The Elder’s recognition of Wu An’s identity as a Spirit Refining True Person marks a major shift in their interaction—from an attack by a supposedly superior opponent to a desperate plea for mercy.
• The chapter ends with the Elder offering a secret about immortality in exchange for his life.

Chapter Summary: The Lone Soul and Wandering Ghost

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Grand Cabinet Elder claims that Nanyang Shrine possesses a Method of Immortality, shocking everyone because true immortality is unknown in the Urban World.
• Wu An becomes interested, not because he needs immortality, but because he wants to understand how such a minor organization could possess it.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder invites Wu An to the shrine’s Divine Temple, claiming that all knowledge related to immortality is preserved there.
• Lilith warns Wu An that the invitation is likely a trap and reveals that the Divine Temple is the same suspicious place she previously encountered.
• Despite recognizing that the Grand Cabinet Elder is hiding something, Wu An confidently follows him, certain that nothing in Japan can threaten him.
• Inside the ancient temple, Wu An sees a terrifying six-armed, blood-red statue. The Grand Cabinet Elder’s fearful attitude disappears, replaced by arrogance and fanaticism.
• The Elder reveals that worshiping the statue and kneeling before it will grant Wu An the Method of Immortality.
• Wu An refuses, exposing the true nature of the trap: a lone wandering ghost is hidden inside the statue and is attempting to force him to submit.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder is stunned that Wu An has seen through the deception. The statue then begins to shake violently, signaling the ghost’s imminent emergence.

Character Developments

• Wu An remains calm, confident, and overwhelmingly powerful. He treats the supposed immortality method as insignificant but deliberately investigates it out of curiosity. His insight allows him to detect the hidden entity before it reveals itself.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder shifts from submissive respect to fanatical arrogance once Wu An enters the Divine Temple. His behavior confirms that he deliberately lured Wu An into a trap involving the statue and the wandering ghost.
• Lilith acts as a cautious and perceptive ally. She recognizes the danger of the Divine Temple and attempts to protect Wu An, though she ultimately respects his decision to proceed alone.
• The wandering ghost is introduced as the hidden power behind the shrine’s so-called Method of Immortality. Its true abilities and motives remain unrevealed at the chapter’s end.

Significant Themes

• Power and deception: The shrine disguises a dangerous supernatural trap as an offer of immortality.
• False worship versus true strength: The Elder believes kneeling before the statue grants power, while Wu An rejects the need to submit to any supposed deity.
• Confidence born from overwhelming power: Wu An’s lack of fear contrasts sharply with the shrine’s manipulation and hidden hostility.
• Knowledge as a weapon: Wu An’s ability to see through appearances exposes the shrine’s scheme before it can succeed.
• Fanaticism and dependence: The shrine’s centuries of worship suggest that its survival and authority depend on the mysterious entity within the statue.

Character Interactions

• The Grand Cabinet Elder respectfully presents the immortality claim to Wu An and invites him to the Divine Temple.
• Lilith privately warns Wu An that the Elder is plotting against him, creating a contrast between her caution and Wu An’s confidence.
• The Elder attempts to manipulate Wu An into kneeling before the statue, presenting submission as a reward.
• Wu An confronts the Elder by openly identifying the hidden wandering ghost, immediately reversing the power dynamic and leaving the Elder shocked.

Summary of “The Secret of Immortality”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The blood-red statue in Nanyang Shrine awakens, causing the Grand Cabinet Elder and other shrine members to believe their “true god” has returned.
• Yamamoto Shinsei, the founder of Nanyang Shrine and a Grand Onmyoji who lived over six centuries ago, manifests from beneath the statue.
• Wu An recognizes that Yamamoto did not achieve true immortality. After his physical body died, he preserved his spiritual power through a hidden location, prolonged slumber, and blood sacrifices.
• Yamamoto admits that ordinary human blood is no longer enough to sustain him. He plans to devour Wu An, whose body and spirit as a young Spirit Refining True Person could nourish him for centuries.
• Yamamoto also hopes to possess Wu An’s body and use it to regain a physical existence.
• He attacks Wu An by transforming into green smoke and surrounding him with darkness.
• Wu An remains calm, protected by the Primordial Golden Flame in his Sea of Consciousness. He considers Yamamoto nothing more than a wandering ghost rather than a genuine immortal.
• Outside the temple, the Cabinet Elders celebrate, convinced that their true god will easily kill Wu An. They taunt Lilith and insist that Wu An cannot survive.
• The battle ends abruptly when Yamamoto’s phantom body is blasted out of the temple. Wu An then walks out unharmed, golden flames burning in his eyes, and dismisses Yamamoto as “pathetically weak.”

Character Developments

• Wu An: Demonstrates complete confidence in his spiritual defenses and superior power. Rather than retreating from Yamamoto’s possession attempt, he advances and defeats him decisively. His understanding of spiritual cultivation allows him to see through Yamamoto’s claim of immortality.
• Yamamoto Shinsei: Revealed as a desperate, predatory survivor rather than a true immortal. His pride and hunger for continued existence have reduced him to relying on blood sacrifices. He becomes obsessed with exploiting Wu An’s body and vitality.
• The Cabinet Elders: Their reverence for the “true god” exposes their dependence on Nanyang Shrine’s founder. Their confidence turns to shock when Yamamoto is defeated.
• Lilith: Initially frightened for Wu An and distressed by the Elders’ certainty that he will die. Her faith and emotional concern highlight her loyalty to him.

Significant Themes

• False immortality: The chapter questions whether survival without a body, freedom, or dignity can truly be called immortality.
• The cost of obsession: Yamamoto’s refusal to accept death has transformed him into a parasitic, tormented existence dependent on sacrifice.
• Power versus reputation: Although Yamamoto is revered as a legendary Grand Onmyoji, his historical status cannot compensate for his current weakness.
• Fear and misplaced faith: The shrine members worship Yamamoto and assume he is invincible, while Wu An sees the reality behind the illusion.
• Spiritual strength and protection: Wu An’s Primordial Golden Flame symbolizes a power capable of destroying both physical and spiritual threats.

Character Interactions

• Wu An directly challenges Yamamoto’s definition of immortality, provoking the older spirit’s anger.
• Yamamoto views Wu An as both prey and a potential vessel, revealing his predatory intentions.
• The Cabinet Elders encourage one another and mock Lilith, confident that Yamamoto will avenge them.
• Lilith worries openly about Wu An, while the Elders attempt to use his supposed defeat to intimidate her.
• Wu An’s emergence from the temple reverses the power dynamic, humiliating Yamamoto’s followers and disproving their faith in the so-called true god.

Chapter Summary: “Yin-Yang Domain”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The spectators, particularly the Cabinet Elders, are stunned when Wu An defeats Yamamoto Shinsei and sends him flying from the Divine Temple. They had believed Yamamoto—a legendary Grand Onmyoji worshipped for centuries—was effectively invincible.
• Wu An emerges from the temple and openly mocks Yamamoto as a “lingering, dying ghost” undeserving of being worshipped as a god.
• Enraged, Yamamoto unleashes the Yin-Yang Domain, a supreme Grand Onmyō Art that creates a temporary isolated space. Within it, the caster’s power increases while the enemy is suppressed.
• Yamamoto explains that the technique consumes his spiritual origin and may force him into prolonged slumber afterward. He recalls once using it to escape a terrifying Western saint centuries earlier.
• Wu An dismisses the Yin-Yang Domain as merely a strengthened variation of a domain, similar to techniques used by Spirit Refining True Persons.
• Yamamoto attacks with a massive hand formed from black mist, but Wu An summons the genuine King’s Sword and destroys the attack with a single slash. The sword also destabilizes the entire domain.
• Shocked that Wu An remains so powerful despite the domain’s suppression, Yamamoto refuses to believe his ultimate technique can be defeated so easily.
• Wu An then activates the Divine Essence Splitting Art, summoning five masks that transform into phantom figures embodying different desires. He orders them to devour Yamamoto’s soul in the hope that they will break through their current limitations.

Character Developments

• Wu An is established as overwhelmingly stronger than the legendary Yamamoto. His confidence and contempt grow as he effortlessly dismantles Yamamoto’s strongest defenses. The true King’s Sword reveals that he has access to far greater power than previously demonstrated.
• Yamamoto Shinsei shifts from arrogant confidence to anger, disbelief, and fear. Although he is already a dead, weakened spirit, he risks exhausting his remaining origin to use the Yin-Yang Domain. Its failure leaves him vulnerable and threatens his continued existence.
• The Cabinet Elders lose their faith in Yamamoto’s invincibility. Their awe turns into terror and regret as they recognize Wu An as a genuine Chinese Spirit Refining True Person of extraordinary strength.
• Lilith reacts with excitement and admiration, referring to Wu An as the “God of Science.” She remains concerned when the domain appears, but her confidence returns once Wu An breaks through it.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of false divinity: Yamamoto is worshipped as a god, but Wu An exposes him as merely a dying remnant relying on reputation and borrowed reverence.
• Power beyond reputation and legend: Centuries of worship and historical fame cannot compensate for the gap between Yamamoto and Wu An’s actual strength.
• Domains and absolute power: The Yin-Yang Domain represents Yamamoto’s ultimate authority, yet Wu An treats it as an imperfect imitation of a broader and more advanced principle.
• The cost of survival: Yamamoto’s strongest technique damages his own essence, showing that his continued existence depends on sacrificing what little power remains.
• Predation and evolution: Wu An uses the Divine Essence Splitting Art to have the five desire-based entities devour Yamamoto, suggesting that even enemies and spiritual remnants can become resources for further advancement.

Character Interactions

• The Cabinet Elders discuss Yamamoto’s defeat and identify Wu An’s cultivation as comparable to—or possibly surpassing—that of a Grand Onmyoji.
• Wu An and Yamamoto engage in a direct exchange of insults and challenges, with Wu An repeatedly belittling Yamamoto’s status and techniques.
• Yamamoto boasts about the Yin-Yang Domain and his past escape from a Western saint, while Wu An dismisses the technique and proves his superiority.
• Lilith watches Wu An’s confrontation with admiration, while the Cabinet Elders react with growing fear.
• The chapter ends with Wu An turning the battle into a test of advancement, unleashing the five phantom figures to consume Yamamoto’s soul.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An uses the Divine Essence Splitting Art to empower five Emotion Incarnations representing joy, anger, sorrow, fear, and pity.
• The incarnations attack Yamamoto Shinsei, who initially assumes they are merely a form of Ghost-Controlling Onmyoji Art and believes himself invincible within the Yin-Yang Domain.
• Yamamoto quickly realizes the incarnations can devour his spiritual origin. Despite his desperate resistance and pleas for mercy, they steadily consume him.
• Yamamoto curses Wu An and invokes the future vengeance of the Lords of Central Shrine, but the five incarnations completely annihilate him.
• With Yamamoto’s death, the Yin-Yang Domain collapses, restoring the surrounding area to normal.
• The onlookers, especially the Cabinet Elders, are horrified that the centuries-old Grand Onmyoji and pillar of Nanyang Shrine has been permanently destroyed.
• Wu An senses that the five incarnations have grown dramatically stronger after consuming Yamamoto. They remain below the Spirit Refining realm but are now close to reaching it.
• The surviving members of Nanyang Shrine kneel and beg Wu An for their lives, claiming they were merely following the Cabinet Elder’s orders.
• Outside the shrine, a sunglasses-wearing woman reunites with Aunt Feng, who reveals that their family secretly sent them to Japan to negotiate with the major shrines and their “true gods.”
• As they approach Nanyang Shrine, the shrine is suddenly enveloped in darkness. Aunt Feng recognizes it as the Yin-Yang Domain and realizes that a Grand Onmyoji must have taken action.

Character Developments

• Wu An demonstrates complete confidence and ruthlessness. He deliberately allows Yamamoto to be consumed because he wants to use the Grand Onmyoji as nourishment for his Emotion Incarnations.
• His cultivation technique proves highly effective: the incarnations evolve from Peak Qi Refining strength to a level approaching Spirit Refining.
• Yamamoto Shinsei changes from arrogant and confident to terrified and desperate once he discovers that his immortality and spiritual origin offer no protection against the incarnations. His final hatred and threat reveal his fear and helplessness.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder is psychologically crushed by Yamamoto’s death. Having personally witnessed the defeat, he realizes that he may be Wu An’s next target.
• Lilith continues to treat Wu An with respect and concern, checking whether he is unharmed and asking how the remaining shrine members should be handled.
• The sunglasses-wearing woman remains irritated by her earlier encounter with Wu An but is surprised to learn that her trip to Japan involves a secret family mission.
• Aunt Feng is portrayed as a capable and informed guardian or family subordinate, familiar with the supernatural forces surrounding the shrines.

Significant Themes

• Power through consumption: The chapter emphasizes that strength can be obtained by devouring powerful spiritual beings, with Yamamoto becoming a “great tonic” for Wu An’s incarnations.
• The collapse of false immortality: Yamamoto’s centuries-long survival depended on blood sacrifices and maintenance of his origin, but this apparent immortality is shown to be fragile.
• Absolute dominance and fear: Wu An’s refusal to show mercy establishes him as overwhelmingly superior, while the shrine’s followers immediately abandon loyalty and beg for survival.
• Consequences and escalation: Yamamoto’s death strengthens Wu An but also hints at future conflict with the Lords of Central Shrine.
• Hidden supernatural politics: The arrival of the sunglasses-wearing woman and Aunt Feng introduces secret family negotiations with Japan’s shrines and suggests a larger struggle involving divine or spiritual powers.

Character Interactions

• Wu An and Yamamoto: Their confrontation shifts from Yamamoto’s confident taunting to desperate pleading and final hatred. Wu An remains calm and unmoved throughout.
• Wu An and the Emotion Incarnations: Wu An uses the Divine Essence Splitting Art to strengthen the incarnations, then observes their increased power after they return to his body.
• Wu An and Lilith: Lilith respectfully checks on Wu An and asks how to deal with the surviving shrine members, reinforcing her subordinate or allied role.
• Wu An and the shrine followers: The followers collectively kneel and blame the Cabinet Elder, revealing their fear and lack of loyalty.
• The sunglasses-wearing woman and Aunt Feng: Their reunion reveals the woman’s ignorance of the secret mission and establishes Aunt Feng as the person guiding her through the family’s supernatural dealings.
• Aunt Feng and the Yin-Yang Domain: Her recognition of the darkness confirms her knowledge of Grand Onmyoji techniques and foreshadows the danger awaiting them inside.

Chapter Summary: Whereabouts

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Aunt Feng senses that a Yin-Yang Domain has appeared around Nanyang Shrine, leading her to believe that a powerful Grand Onmyoji—or the shrine’s awakened true god—is attacking.
• The woman in sunglasses reveals that Wu An and Lilith entered the shrine, prompting Aunt Feng to assume they are doomed because shrine gods are skilled at manipulating souls.
• The woman considers using her family’s influence to save them, but Aunt Feng insists that interference would be useless.
• The Yin-Yang Domain suddenly disappears, and the true god’s aura rapidly fades. Aunt Feng realizes with shock that the true god may have been killed rather than victorious. The shrine’s divine flowers wither, confirming that its divine power is dissipating.
• Inside the shrine, Wu An stands victorious while its leaders and followers beg for mercy. When the Grand Cabinet Elder angrily condemns the Second Cabinet Elder for surrendering, Wu An kills him instantly by causing his head to explode.
• Wu An interrogates the Second Cabinet Elder about his missing parents. He learns that the Chinese couple was sent to Central Shrine because of their connection to China’s Dragon Vein and the Dragon-Shaped Jade Pendant.
• Relieved that his parents are likely still alive, Wu An decides to pursue them at Central Shrine. However, when the Second Cabinet Elder asks to leave after revealing this information, Wu An makes clear that he never promised to spare him.

2. Character Developments

• Aunt Feng shifts from confident certainty that Wu An and Lilith will die to stunned disbelief when she realizes they have apparently defeated a shrine true god.
• The woman in sunglasses demonstrates growing concern for Wu An and Lilith, especially because Lilith treated her kindly. She is willing to consider mobilizing her family’s power to protect them.
• Wu An displays overwhelming strength, calm authority, and ruthless decisiveness. His composure remains intact while destroying the shrine’s leadership, but he shows genuine emotional concern regarding his parents. His relief at learning they are probably alive is quickly replaced by determination to rescue them.
• Lilith continues to act as Wu An’s subordinate or assistant, asking how the defeated shrine members should be dealt with.
• The Second Cabinet Elder abandons loyalty to the shrine and begs for his life, revealing important information to Wu An.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder remains fanatically loyal to the true god and is killed for his defiance.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the immense status of Grand Onmyoji and shrine true gods, only to overturn those assumptions through Wu An’s superior power.
• Fear and survival: The shrine’s leaders quickly abandon loyalty when faced with death, showing how self-preservation overrides ideology.
• The strong preying on the weak: Aunt Feng describes this as the fundamental rule of the world, while Wu An embodies the position of the overwhelmingly powerful.
• Family and vengeance: Wu An’s concern for his parents reveals a deeply personal motivation beneath his detached exterior. The possibility of their death drives his thoughts toward catastrophic revenge.
• Mystery and escalation: The Dragon-Shaped Jade Pendant and China’s Dragon Vein expand the conflict beyond Nanyang Shrine and suggest a larger supernatural struggle involving Japan and China.

4. Character Interactions

• Aunt Feng warns the woman in sunglasses not to interfere, while the woman challenges her pessimism and asks whether her family could save Wu An and Lilith.
• Wu An confronts the shrine’s surviving leaders through Lilith, who asks him how they should be punished.
• The Grand Cabinet Elder attacks the Second Cabinet Elder for kneeling and betraying the true god; Wu An ends the confrontation by killing the Grand Cabinet Elder.
• Wu An questions the Second Cabinet Elder about his parents. The elder cooperates fully but is denied freedom afterward, demonstrating Wu An’s distrust and uncompromising nature.

Chapter Summary: “At Last, They Met”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Second Cabinet Elder provokes Wu An by implying that he can escape after imprisoning Wu An’s parents. Wu An immediately kills him by causing his body to explode.
• Realizing that keeping a low profile has encouraged powerful factions to view him as weak, Wu An decides to confront Japan’s Central Shrine directly.
• Wu An and Lilith leave Nanyang Shrine and head toward Central Shrine. Outside, the woman in sunglasses and her Transcendent protector, Aunt Feng, debate whether to investigate the shrine after sensing that its true god has fallen.
• After Wu An departs, the two women enter Nanyang Shrine and discover that it has been completely destroyed. Pale golden flames still burn among the ruins, confirming that an overwhelming powerhouse annihilated it.
• Aunt Feng realizes that Wu An, whom they had just encountered, was likely the person responsible.
• At Central Shrine, Wu An casually enters despite being challenged by samurai and Onmyoji. His power instantly destroys everyone within several thousand meters and alerts the shrine’s Grand Onmyoji.
• Several Grand Onmyoji surround Wu An and threaten to torture his soul. Wu An ignores them and uses his abilities to locate a room where his imprisoned parents are being held.
• The leading Grand Onmyoji casts the Grand Onmyō Art, “Mortal Ghost Domain,” trapping Wu An and Lilith in a dark alternate realm. Wu An counters with the Primordial Golden Flame, shattering the domain and burning the caster to ash.
• Wu An then destroys the remaining Grand Onmyoji and the shrine’s other defenders without hesitation. He reaches the guarded room where his parents are imprisoned and opens the door, apologizing for arriving too late.

Character Developments

• Wu An: Abandons his previous cautious, low-profile approach. His anger over his parents’ imprisonment drives him to openly challenge Japan’s most powerful faction. He displays overwhelming confidence and ruthlessness, killing enemies immediately rather than prolonging the battle.
• Lilith: Remains loyal to Wu An but is visibly shaken by the destruction of Nanyang Shrine and the Grand Onmyoji’s supernatural techniques. She witnesses the immense gap between Wu An’s power and that of Japan’s elites.
• Aunt Feng: Demonstrates caution and strong judgment by refusing to recklessly report the death of Nanyang Shrine’s true god. After seeing the destruction, she recognizes Wu An as an extraordinarily dangerous figure.
• The woman in sunglasses: Continues to misunderstand Wu An’s true nature, interpreting his silence as rudeness rather than recognizing his power. Her curiosity leads her into the ruined shrine.
• The Grand Onmyoji: Initially arrogant and confident in their supernatural abilities, they are quickly reduced to helplessness when Wu An breaks through their strongest technique and destroys them.

Significant Themes

• The danger of appearing weak: Wu An concludes that excessive restraint can invite exploitation by powerful factions.
• Parental loyalty and revenge: His parents’ imprisonment transforms Wu An’s normally controlled behavior into direct, merciless retaliation.
• Overwhelming power versus established authority: Central Shrine represents Japan’s religious and supernatural power, but Wu An dismantles it almost effortlessly.
• Recognition of true strength: Aunt Feng begins to understand that Wu An is the mysterious powerhouse capable of killing a true god, while the shrine’s defenders fail to recognize the danger until it is too late.
• Fire as destruction and purification: Wu An’s Primordial Golden Flame symbolizes his ability to erase obstacles completely, burning away both supernatural techniques and physical enemies.

Character Interactions

• Wu An confronts and kills the Second Cabinet Elder after learning that his parents were imprisoned.
• Lilith cautiously asks Wu An where they are going and follows him to Central Shrine despite her fear.
• The woman in sunglasses tries to check on Wu An and question him, but he dismisses her and leaves without explanation.
• Aunt Feng warns that Wu An is extraordinary and later realizes he was the destroyer of Nanyang Shrine.
• The Grand Onmyoji attempt to intimidate and attack Wu An, but he effortlessly defeats them.
• At the chapter’s conclusion, Wu An finally reaches his parents, expressing regret that he arrived too late before entering their prison.

Chapter Summary: “The Final Chapter”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu An is reunited with his parents, Father and Mother Wu, who have been held by Central Shrine but kept alive because Central Shrine needs the Wu family’s heirloom.
• Father Wu reveals the Dragon-Shaped Jade Pendant, an ancestral object linked to the Wu bloodline and the Central Plains Spirit Meridian. It cannot be taken by force unless the holder willingly gives it up.
• Father Wu gives the pendant to Wu An. The System identifies it as an Origin Object, capable of granting authority over the Origin World.
• Wu An absorbs the pendant, gaining partial authority over the Origin Great World and receiving one hundred Attribute Points.
• He distributes the points so that all five attributes—Constitution, Spirit, Strength, Endurance, and Agility—rise above one hundred.
• Surpassing this threshold causes a dramatic transformation in Wu An’s power, allowing him to transcend the Spirit Refining realm.
• The System unlocks the Stellar Transformations Technique, which Wu An cultivates by absorbing immense Stellar Force from the stars. His strength becomes impossible even for him to measure.
• The absorption of the pendant removes the seal on the Central Plains Spirit Meridian. Spiritual energy surges throughout China, awakening hidden experts and loosening long-standing realm barriers.
• The revival spreads beyond China: spiritual energy returns across the world, bringing forth Western saints, Eastern immortals and gods, wizards, mythical beings, and other supernatural races.
• Earth and even the Solar System undergo enormous changes, with Earth expanding by at least one-third. Wu An realizes Earth may be far more than a low-martial world and could potentially be the Origin World itself.
• The chapter ends with Wu An declaring his determination to overcome all obstacles and rise to the pinnacle of the Myriad Worlds.

2. Character Developments

• Wu An finally achieves the goal that motivated his growth: reuniting with his parents.
• He advances from the Spirit Refining realm into an entirely higher level of existence after absorbing the Origin Object and surpassing one hundred in every attribute.
• His cultivation evolves further through the Stellar Transformations Technique, leaving his true strength uncertain but potentially powerful enough to destroy an island with one punch.
• Wu An’s perspective expands from personal survival and family reunion to the fate of Earth and the entire Myriad Worlds.
• His confidence becomes almost godlike, reflecting both his immense power and his determination to dominate whatever challenges await.

3. Significant Themes

• Family and inheritance: The Wu family’s bloodline and heirloom are essential to the larger cosmic mystery, and the transfer of the pendant symbolizes Father Wu passing responsibility to Wu An.
• Power and transcendence: Wu An’s advancement demonstrates the limitless escalation of cultivation and the crossing of previously established boundaries.
• Awakening and transformation: The removal of the Spirit Meridian’s seal awakens ancient beings and transforms Earth from an apparently ordinary world into a center of supernatural power.
• Hidden truth and revelation: The chapter reveals that Earth may conceal the Myriad Heavens and Worlds—or possibly be the Origin World itself.
• The end of an era and beginning of a new one: The seal’s collapse marks the return of ancient powers and the arrival of a global golden age, but also suggests future conflict.
• Ambition and destiny: Wu An embraces his role as a figure destined to stand above all others.

4. Character Interactions

• Wu An’s reunion with Father and Mother Wu is emotional, especially for Mother Wu, who never expected to see her son again.
• Wu An questions his father about Central Shrine’s treatment of them, learning that they were protected by the pendant’s unique connection to the Wu bloodline.
• Father Wu willingly gives Wu An the family heirloom, showing his trust in Wu An and acknowledging that he is now capable of carrying the family’s destiny.
• Wu An and the System interact repeatedly as he learns the pendant’s true nature, accepts the Attribute Points, and begins cultivating the Stellar Transformations Technique.
• Although Wu An does not directly interact with the awakened experts around the world, his decision to absorb the pendant causes their revival and fundamentally changes their lives and the balance of power on Earth.