Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng returns to Emperorfall City through the special passage, encountering Meng Xiaoman and Liu Ruyuan at the gate.
• Liu Ruyuan tries to inspect Chen Cheng's pack, but is stopped by a Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect outer disciple, Wang Zhi, who is later convinced by Zhou Qianyun to let Chen Cheng pass.
• Chen Cheng encounters the woman in the purple gown and white feathered mask, who is coughing up blood and black mucus.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng remains calm and collected under pressure, showing no signs of fear or anxiety.
• Meng Xiaoman is disheartened and hopeless about her cultivation progress and the future of her senior brother and senior sister.
• Liu Ruyuan is haughty and arrogant, showing no remorse for the harm she caused to Meng Xiaoman's senior brother and senior sister.
• Wang Zhi is initially stern and demanding but later shows favoritism towards Zhou Qianyun and Chen Cheng.
• The woman in the purple gown and white feathered mask is injured and desperate, seeking medicine to treat her condition.

Significant Themes

• The harsh competition and pressure in Emperorfall City, where even minor setbacks can ruin one's future.
• The power dynamics and favoritism within the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect and its affiliated organizations.
• The desperation and fear of the woman in the purple gown, highlighting the vulnerability and fragility of life.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Meng Xiaoman share a brief, melancholic reunion, with Meng Xiaoman expressing her despair about her cultivation progress and the fate of her senior brother and senior sister.
• Liu Ruyuan and Meng Xiaoman's relationship is strained, with Liu Ruyuan ordering Meng Xiaoman around and Meng Xiaoman resenting Liu Ruyuan's attitude.
• Wang Zhi shows favoritism towards Zhou Qianyun and Chen Cheng, letting Chen Cheng pass after Zhou Qianyun vouches for him.
• Chen Cheng encounters the woman in the purple gown and white feathered mask, who is injured and desperate, seeking medicine to treat her condition.

Chapter Summary: “God-Casting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng takes advantage of the injured, vulnerable woman in the purple dress by having the Blood Immortal Gu secretly pour the aphrodisiac Obedient for a Night into her medicinal soup.
• He maintains a safe distance, destroys the medicine bottle, and uses the Corpse Demon Gu to monitor the courtyard, ensuring that no one can trace the attack back to him.
• After drinking the soup, the woman loses control of her body and consciousness. The medicine suppresses her pain and drives her into an animalistic frenzy.
• She leaves the courtyard and initially targets an old black dog, but a luxurious carriage passes by. She kills one horse and stops the other, intending to assault it.
• Ling Qingshu emerges from the carriage and attacks her with tremendous force. Chen Cheng recognizes that Ling’s punch possesses at least the strength of the Nine-Qi Divine Treasury realm.
• Despite Ling’s power, the woman casually catches and restrains his wrist, revealing that her physical strength is vastly greater than expected. She then humiliates Ling publicly while he is unable to resist.
• Outer City Law Enforcement disciples arrive but are too frightened to intervene. A crowd gathers, intensifying Ling’s humiliation.
• Elder Feng, a powerful middle-aged woman from the God-Forging Realm, arrives. She destroys the madwoman’s attacking arm and, when the woman continues resisting, kills her instantly by exploding her head.
• After the incident, Chen Cheng sends the Blood Immortal Gu and Corpse Demon Gu back to the courtyard to loot the corpse’s belongings. They recover over three thousand taels in banknotes and three Fourth-Order Qi-Deriving Pills.
• Chen Cheng returns safely to Dingjia Alley, hides the resources, consumes one Qi-Deriving Pill and some fourth-order beast meat, and resumes cultivating Marrow-Washing Taiji.
• The improved resources dramatically increase his cultivation efficiency, restore his physical and mental strength, and allow him to remain at peak condition without rest.
• He notices that the mysterious white spark within his spinal marrow is growing faster, connecting this development to his recent mastery of Demon Flame Burning God.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates exceptional caution, patience, and ruthlessness. Rather than confronting the powerful woman directly, he uses poison-like medicine, Spirit Gu surveillance, distance, and misdirection to eliminate the threat.
• His moral hesitation briefly appears when the woman targets the innocent dog, but this guilt disappears once Ling Qingshu becomes the victim. His resentment toward Ling remains strong because of the earlier robbery, and he intends to settle that grudge later.
• Chen Cheng’s cultivation strategy becomes more ambitious after obtaining high-grade resources. He plans to spend the next four months cultivating continuously and efficiently.
• The injured woman is revealed to possess terrifying physical power, likely above the Divine Treasury realm, but the aphrodisiac completely destroys her rationality and self-control.
• Ling Qingshu, previously proud and confident, is utterly humiliated. His inability to resist the woman damages his dignity and self-image, causing him to wish for death. His dependence on Elder Feng also exposes the limits of his own strength.
• Elder Feng is established as an extraordinarily powerful God-Forging expert who can effortlessly destroy the madwoman. Her strength also makes Chen Cheng reconsider how formidable Fang Zhushan and the higher authorities of South Outer City may be.
• Chen Cheng’s Spirit Gus function increasingly like trained partners, carrying out surveillance and corpse-looting tasks under his remote control.

Significant Themes

• Cunning versus brute strength: Chen Cheng succeeds not through direct combat but through preparation, deception, and the strategic use of Gu and medicine.
• The fragility of reputation: Ling Qingshu’s greatest suffering is psychological. Public humiliation is more unbearable to him than physical injury, highlighting the value placed on status, pride, and social standing.
• Power hierarchies: The chapter contrasts several levels of strength—Chen Cheng’s growing abilities, Ling’s Divine Treasury power, the woman’s overwhelming physical force, and Elder Feng’s effortless God-Forging superiority.
• Moral ambiguity and opportunism: Chen Cheng’s actions are calculated and ethically questionable, yet he views them as justified retaliation. He shows selective sympathy rather than consistent compassion.
• Resources and cultivation: The acquisition of pills, money, and nourishing beast meat reinforces the importance of material resources in advancing cultivation.
• Transformation and hidden potential: The growing white spark in Chen Cheng’s marrow suggests that mastering Demon Flame Burning God is triggering a deeper change or unlocking a new power.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng interacts indirectly with the woman through the Blood Immortal Gu and the adulterated medicinal soup.
• The woman attacks Ling Qingshu, easily overpowering him despite his high cultivation. Their encounter becomes both a physical confrontation and a public humiliation.
• The Outer City Law Enforcement disciples witness the scene but refuse to intervene, fearing the woman’s strength.
• Elder Feng intervenes on Ling’s behalf, destroying the woman and revealing the vast gap between her power and ordinary high-level cultivators.
• Chen Cheng observes all these interactions from hiding, assessing the combatants’ strength while using the chaos to loot the woman’s residence.
• Chen Cheng’s relationship with Ling remains hostile: although he does not rescue him, he views Ling’s humiliation as partial repayment for the earlier robbery.

Chapter Summary: “Killing Intent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng analyzes the Divine Treasury Realm and realizes that the Taiji Primordial Qi in his mind functions like an additional Divine Aperture, potentially giving him an advantage over ordinary martial artists.
• He achieves perfect entry into the top-tier demonic Secret Treasury Martial Art, Demon Flame Burning God. This creates a second spark of Martial Dao True Fire alongside the Taiji True Fire produced by Marrow-Washing Taiji.
• Chen Cheng’s two True Fires—Extreme Yang-based Taiji True Fire and Demon Flame True Fire—do not conflict, suggesting he has transcended normal cultivation limitations. He decides to focus on completing Marrow-Washing Taiji and uncovering the relationship between the two flames.
• Feng Lihua admits to her daughter Feng Yan’an that she killed Ji Ziyi after discovering her demonic corruption. She warns Yan’an not to pursue Chen Cheng, recognizing that someone capable of severely injuring Ji Ziyi and drugging her without detection must possess hidden strength or powerful backing.
• Feng Yan’an visits Chen Cheng under the pretense of investigating Ji Ziyi’s death. She gives him a Fourth-Order Qi-Deriving Pill and attempts to establish a friendly relationship, while secretly intending to discover the truth and eventually kill him.
• Chen Cheng declines Feng Yan’an’s invitation to a social gathering so that he can continue cultivating, though he agrees to attend a future gathering of sect-selection candidates.
• Sun Shuping urges Chen Cheng to move away from her family and offers him cultivation resources in exchange. Chen Cheng refuses, explaining that the Feng Family’s interest in him is suspicious and that moving would expose his connection with Su Wangshu and place her family at greater risk.
• Shen Wanqing and Bai Chong learn that Ji Ziyi and the assassins sent against Chen Cheng have died. Recognizing Chen Cheng as a growing threat, they set aside their hostility and agree to hire a powerful demonic expert to kill him.
• At the Shanhai Sect, Luo Tianfeng and Huo Tailai learn that all the assassins they dispatched—including multiple Six-Qi and Seven-Qi Divine Treasury experts—were killed at Heaven Sword Ferry. They suspect Chen Cheng has an unknown expert protecting him. The chapter ends when someone knocks at their gate.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates increasingly abnormal cultivation potential by sustaining two different True Fires and possessing the Taiji Primordial Qi as an apparent extra Divine Aperture. He remains calm, cautious, and focused on cultivation, refusing to be distracted by wealth, status, or political connections.
• Feng Yan’an: Presents herself as friendly and respectful toward Chen Cheng, but internally remains suspicious and murderous because of her bond with Ji Ziyi. Her fear increases after hearing that Ji Ziyi may have been defeated by someone far stronger than Chen Cheng’s apparent cultivation.
• Feng Lihua: Reveals herself as pragmatic and protective of her family. Although she suppresses Ji Ziyi’s death and warns her daughter against provoking Chen Cheng, she also sees potential benefit in forming ties with him.
• Sun Shuping: Initially treats Chen Cheng as a threat and attempts to buy his departure. After hearing his reasoning, she recognizes his intelligence and agrees that the Feng Family may be setting a trap.
• Shen Wanqing and Bai Chong: Move from personal conflict to cooperation after realizing that Chen Cheng represents a greater danger to both families. Their fear of his future growth overrides their resentment toward one another.
• Liu Ruyuan: Becomes increasingly jealous and resentful of Chen Cheng’s favor with Feng Yan’an, deciding to expose information about him.
• Meng Xiaoman: Shows genuine concern for Chen Cheng and relief when Feng Yan’an appears to favor him, contrasting with Liu Ruyuan’s envy.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Chen Cheng appears to be only a Five-Qi Divine Treasury cultivator, but the deaths of Ji Ziyi and numerous elite assassins suggest overwhelming concealed power.
• Breaking established cultivation laws: Chen Cheng’s ability to cultivate multiple Secret Treasury Martial Arts and True Fires marks him as an unprecedented exception to conventional martial principles.
• Political maneuvering and suspicion: Gifts, invitations, investigations, and offers of protection all conceal competing motives. Nearly every faction attempts to determine whether Chen Cheng is vulnerable or protected.
• Pragmatism versus personal loyalty: Feng Lihua suppresses Ji Ziyi’s death to protect her clan, while Feng Yan’an’s personal attachment drives her desire for revenge. Similarly, Bai Chong chooses cooperation with Shen Wanqing over personal hatred.
• Growth as a threat: Chen Cheng’s rapid cultivation progress and unexplained victories cause powerful families and sect leaders to fear what he may become if allowed to develop unchecked.
• Caution and strategic restraint: Chen Cheng avoids openly confronting the Feng Family, understanding that maintaining appearances prevents them from acting prematurely.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Feng Yan’an: Their meeting is outwardly polite but filled with concealed hostility. Yan’an attempts to befriend and investigate him, while Chen Cheng accepts her gift without revealing suspicion.
• Feng Lihua and Feng Yan’an: Feng Lihua harshly warns her daughter not to attack Chen Cheng and explains why his apparent weakness cannot be trusted.
• Chen Cheng and Sun Shuping: Their conversation shifts from confrontation to mutual recognition. Chen Cheng exposes the danger behind the Feng Family’s approach, and Sun Shuping accepts his judgment.
• Chen Cheng and Zhou Qianyun: Zhou continues to support him and celebrates his connection with the Feng Family, unaware of the deeper danger surrounding it.
• Chen Cheng and Wang Zhi, Meng Xiaoman, and Liu Ruyuan: Wang Zhi becomes obsequiously friendly after seeing Feng Yan’an’s favor, Meng Xiaoman is sincerely happy for Chen Cheng, and Liu Ruyuan grows more jealous and hostile.
• Shen Wanqing and Bai Chong: They reluctantly form an alliance, agreeing to hire a powerful master to eliminate Chen Cheng after recognizing that previous assassinations have failed.
• Luo Tianfeng and Huo Tailai: Their conversation reveals panic over the massacre of their assassins and their growing belief that Chen Cheng is protected by an unknown expert.

Chapter Summary: “Aperture Opened”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious powerhouse infiltrates Sky Eagle Fortress and kills Huo Tailai and the severely wounded Luo Tianfeng instantly. The intruder extracts a strange blood-marrow-like object, suggesting a larger conspiracy.
• Chen Cheng’s tenth mutated Gu Insect emerges from its cocoon. He places it and nine others into a cauldron with the Corpse Demon Gu, using a Gu-control ritual to force them into a battle for Gu King status.
• The Corpse Demon Gu wins and devours the other Gu Insects. Chen Cheng feeds it a Blood Pill from the Red Moon Cult, initiating another mutation.
• After gathering ten more mutated Gu Insects, Chen Cheng repeats the process with the Blood Immortal Gu. It consumes a mysterious golden crystal given by Night-Illuminator and enters a cocoon to undergo transformation.
• Chen Cheng completes the True Fire stage of Marrow-Washing Taiji and advances to the Fire Nourishing stage.
• Using Extreme Yang True Fire, he successfully opens Taiji Primordial Qi as his thirty-sixth Divine Aperture. The aperture contains an independent spherical space holding the powerful Yin Chi Pearl.
• Attempting to refine the Yin Chi Pearl does not produce an Original Image Martial God, but releases vast yin energy. This energy nourishes Chen Cheng’s Extreme Yang True Fire and causes Extreme Yin True Fire to emerge naturally.
• Chen Cheng discovers that his Extreme Yin True Fire has inherited the traits of the Demon Flame True Fire, allowing him eventually to cultivate Demon Flame Burning God.
• He begins using poison powder and other yin-aligned materials to balance and strengthen his Taiji True Fire.
• Chen Cheng joins Su Wangshu, Su Dakang, and Su Wangxing on a journey toward an entry selection taking place in three months. Su Wangxing treats him with open contempt, believing Chen Cheng is scheming to obtain Su Wangshu’s inheritance.
• The Su family carriage encounters Feng Yan’an, the powerful daughter of a defense elder. She ignores the Su family and approaches Chen Cheng directly, shocking them all.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng advances rapidly through cultivation, reaching the peak of True Fire and opening an extraordinary Divine Aperture. His unique constitution allows him to possess and combine multiple types of True Fire, something no one else is known to have done.
• Chen Cheng becomes more confident and decisive. He is willing to sacrifice valuable treasures, such as the Yin Chi Pearl, for long-term cultivation gains, while remaining cautious and practical.
• Su Wangshu continues to trust and defend Chen Cheng, rejecting her brother’s suspicions. Her fragile health and sheltered upbringing leave her vulnerable to the warnings about mistrusting outsiders.
• Su Wangxing is introduced as arrogant, class-conscious, and openly hostile toward Chen Cheng. He judges people according to cultivation level and social status, considering Chen Cheng an inferior “ant.”
• Su Dakang takes a moderate position: he warns Su Wangshu to protect her mother’s secret treasure but acknowledges Chen Cheng saved her and urges Su Wangxing to show basic courtesy.
• Feng Yan’an is established as an intimidating and high-status figure whose attention toward Chen Cheng surprises both the Su family and observers.
• The mysterious attacker at Sky Eagle Fortress is portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful and connected to supernatural blood-related abilities, though their identity and purpose remain unknown.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and resource inequality: Chen Cheng reflects on how elite families monopolize superior resources while ordinary people begin life at a severe disadvantage.
• Persistence versus birthright: Despite his poor origins and weak innate physique, Chen Cheng’s disciplined cultivation and Vertical Eye Mark allow him to challenge naturally gifted nobles.
• Innovation and uniqueness: Chen Cheng repeatedly breaks established rules, especially by possessing multiple Martial Dao True Fires and allowing one True Fire to consume another.
• Transformation and rebirth: The Gu Insects’ cocooning, Chen Cheng’s cultivation breakthroughs, and the emergence of Extreme Yin True Fire all emphasize evolution through danger and sacrifice.
• Trust and suspicion: Su Wangshu trusts Chen Cheng, while Su Wangxing assumes hidden motives. Their disagreement highlights the difficulty of distinguishing genuine loyalty from concealed ambition.
• Social hierarchy and contempt: The Su Wang family’s treatment of Chen Cheng reveals a society where power determines respect and weak cultivators are rarely viewed as equals.
• Balance and duality: The birth of Extreme Yin from Extreme Yang reinforces the chapter’s Taiji theme: opposing forces must eventually balance, and excess yang gives rise to yin.

Important Character Interactions

• The unknown killer’s confrontation with Huo Tailai and Luo Tianfeng demonstrates the attacker’s overwhelming strength and introduces a sinister external threat.
• Chen Cheng interacts primarily with his Gu Insects, treating them as experimental materials while guiding their evolution through controlled slaughter and rare treasures.
• Chen Cheng and Su Wangxing immediately clash because of their different attitudes toward status and trust. Chen Cheng remains calm but leaves the carriage rather than tolerate Wangxing’s insults.
• Su Wangshu openly defends Chen Cheng’s character, while Su Wangxing accuses him of coveting both her and her mother’s secret treasure.
• Su Dakang attempts to mediate, acknowledging both Chen Cheng’s past kindness and the need to guard the family’s secrets.
• Feng Yan’an’s arrival overturns the social dynamic: despite Chen Cheng’s low public cultivation, she approaches him directly, implying that she knows or values him for reasons the Su family does not understand.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng refuses Feng Yan'an's invitation to ride together, causing her to hold a grudge.
• Song Linwei arrives in a precious carriage pulled by eighth-rank Gold-Scaled Great Dragon Steeds, revealing her high status.
• Chen Cheng agrees to board Song Linwei's carriage, shocking Feng Yan'an and the Su Family.
• Song Linwei offers to sponsor Chen Cheng, providing resources and compensation for tasks.

Character Developments

• Feng Yan'an: Realizes Chen Cheng's true worth and becomes fearful of acting against him.
• Su Family: Shocked and intimidated by Chen Cheng's association with a high-ranking noble.
• Chen Cheng: Decides to accept Song Linwei's sponsorship, valuing the resources and opportunities it offers.
• Song Linwei: Reveals her true identity and intentions to Chen Cheng, trusting him with her secrets.

Significant Themes

• Status and power dynamics in society.
• The value of resources and opportunities for cultivation.
• Trust and reciprocity in relationships.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Feng Yan'an: Their interaction highlights the difference in their status and power.
• Chen Cheng and the Su Family: The Su Family's reaction to Chen Cheng's association with a high-ranking noble shows their fear and awe.
• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei: Their conversation reveals their mutual trust and willingness to help each other.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei arrive at the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect's entrance selection gathering in South Outer City.
• Chen Cheng learns about Zhao City's crisis from Liang Fengwen and Huang Hao, and decides to ask Song Linwei about it later.
• Baili Hong approaches Chen Cheng, asking him to find out who assassinated Luo, Huo, Shen, and Bai on his behalf. He offers two Fourth-Order Qi-Deriving Pills as a reward.
• Qi Tiankui, a representative of the Qi Family Fortress, demands that Song Linwei send a fighter for the second match of their wager, or forfeit the Shipwreck Ruins at Azureglow Bay. The rules for this match are: under eighteen years old, no restrictions on methods, and the battle continues until one side dies.
• Chen Cheng steps in to fight for Song Linwei, despite her attempts to dissuade him.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng:
  • Shows concern for his family and friends in Zhao City.
  • Demonstrates his strong mental pressure and aura, surprising Song Linwei and Qi Tiankui.
  • Decides to fight for Song Linwei, showing his loyalty and bravery.
• Song Linwei:
  • Values Chen Cheng highly and considers him a friend.
  • Is willing to concede the second match to protect Chen Cheng from danger.
• Qi Tiankui:
  • Initially disrespectful and provocative, he changes his attitude after experiencing Chen Cheng's mental pressure.
  • Tries to dissuade Chen Cheng from fighting, showing his concern for Chu Ba and the Qi Family Fortress's interests.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and Friendship: Chen Cheng's willingness to fight for Song Linwei despite the danger shows his loyalty and the strength of their friendship.
• Power Dynamics: The interactions between Chen Cheng, Song Linwei, and Qi Tiankui highlight the power dynamics at play, with each character trying to gain an advantage or protect their interests.
• Resource Allocation: The competition for resources, both in terms of cultivation materials and talented individuals, is a significant driving force behind the characters' actions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng interacts with Liang Fengwen and Huang Hao, learning about Zhao City's crisis and the Soulshatter Office's involvement.
• Baili Hong approaches Chen Cheng, asking him to find out who assassinated Luo, Huo, Shen, and Bai, and offering a reward.
• Qi Tiankui demands that Song Linwei send a fighter for the second match, leading to Chen Cheng's decision to fight.
• Song Linwei tries to dissuade Chen Cheng from fighting, showing her concern for his safety.

• Chen Cheng accepts Qi Tiankui's challenge to fight Chu Ba on Song Linwei's behalf.
• Chen Cheng instantly kills Chu Ba with a single punch, shocking everyone present.
• Qi Tiankui signs and seals the contracts, losing the Azureglow Bay Shipwreck Ruins to Snowtread Manor.
• Chen Cheng becomes the center of attention, with representatives from powerful families vying to invite him to their residences or offer him posts.
• Feng Lihua requests a private meeting with Chen Cheng, and he agrees to go with her.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Chen Cheng’s impressive victory at the training grounds, Feng Lihua privately praises his combat ability, estimating it to be comparable to the late Eight-Qi Divine Treasury stage.
• She warns him that the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect’s entrance selection in three months will be extremely difficult. Most present geniuses are around the Nine-Qi stage, while even stronger candidates from Northern Yin and other “seed” groups have yet to appear.
• Feng Lihua offers Chen Cheng a recommendation quota that could allow him to bypass the selection and enter the sect directly as an Outer Sect disciple, provided his Divine Treasuries meet the required medium-grade standard.
• Chen Cheng declines immediate testing because he distrusts Feng Lihua and believes his previously weak innate bones may have limited the number and quality of his Divine Treasuries. Feng Lihua is visibly disappointed but still promises continued goodwill and sends him a valuable Fifth-Order Great Qi-Deriving Pill through Feng Yan’an.
• Before leaving, Chen Cheng humiliates Qi Tiankui further by reminding him to repair the damaged training grounds. Qi Tiankui is left furious and deeply aggrieved. He later secretly confers with Baili Hong, and Feng Yan’an joins their group.
• At home, Chen Cheng encounters Zhou Qianyun and Ling Qingshu. Ling apologizes for their past conflict, returns the funds and goods taken after the Heaven Sword Ferry incident, and offers roughly eighty thousand taels of silver plus additional Northern Emperor Currency.
• Chen Cheng accepts the apology and asks Ling to help the Su Family with its struggling business. Ling eagerly agrees, seeing cooperation with Chen Cheng as an opportunity to build ties with a rising star.
• Feng Yan’an arrives and independently offers to resolve the Su Family’s business troubles, subtly overshadowing Ling Qingshu. She also delivers the Fifth-Order Great Qi-Deriving Pill from her mother.
• The Su Family expresses deep gratitude. Sun Shuping gives Chen Cheng a green hairpin from her master, granting him one future request for assistance at Emerald Bamboo Peak after he reaches Di Luo Plain.
• Zhou Qianyun returns Chen Cheng’s rent money after being promoted in the Law Enforcement Hall, crediting him for improving her position. Chen Cheng refuses the repayment, suggesting it be treated as rent in advance.
• Chen Cheng prepares to leave for Di Luo Plain with his weapons, luggage, cauldron, and Howling Sky Eagle. Song Linwei informs him that a special auction will be held at the Ghost Market that night, delaying their departure until the following morning and inviting him to attend.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Remains cautious, modest, and strategically minded despite gaining fame and power. He accepts gifts and alliances pragmatically while refusing to place blind trust in Feng Lihua. He also uses his growing influence to protect and support the Su Family.
• Feng Lihua: Attempts to cultivate a long-term alliance with Chen Cheng by offering a sect recommendation quota and valuable resources. Her disappointment at his possible lack of qualifying Divine Treasuries reveals that her goodwill may be partly conditional, though she continues to invest in him.
• Feng Yan’an: Acts as an important intermediary for her mother and shows strong initiative by offering direct assistance to the Su Family. Her confidence and influence clearly surpass Ling Qingshu’s.
• Ling Qingshu: Undergoes a sharp reversal from arrogant enforcer to humble negotiator. He apologizes, compensates Chen Cheng, and eagerly seeks friendship after recognizing Chen Cheng’s rising status and the backing of Song Linwei.
• Qi Tiankui: Suffers a major loss of face after Chen Cheng’s victory and final taunt. His resentment intensifies, leading him to secretly confer with Baili Hong.
• Zhou Qianyun: Receives a promotion and gains greater status within the Law Enforcement Hall. Her emotional farewell suggests sincere affection and attachment to Chen Cheng.
• The Su Family: Moves from vulnerability to renewed hope after receiving promises of powerful assistance. Their gratitude toward Chen Cheng becomes profound.
• Sun Shuping: Demonstrates that she possesses influential connections of her own by giving Chen Cheng access to her master’s future assistance.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and social influence: Chen Cheng’s strength and performance transform how major families and influential figures treat him.
• Cautious trust and mutual benefit: Chen Cheng accepts aid but remains alert to hidden motives, while other factions seek alliances with him for both genuine and strategic reasons.
• Reputation as leverage: His actions at the training grounds and Heaven Sword Ferry establish him as a rising figure whose support can affect powerful families.
• Reciprocity and loyalty: Chen Cheng assists the Su Family and values Zhou Qianyun’s past kindness, while others repay him through resources, connections, and promises of future help.
• Innate talent versus later cultivation: The discussion of Divine Treasuries emphasizes how early-born potential may determine a martial artist’s long-term progress, raising doubts about whether Chen Cheng can overcome his disadvantaged origins.
• Humility amid success: Chen Cheng consistently avoids arrogance, strengthening his reputation as someone both formidable and reliable.

4. Character Interactions

• Feng Lihua and Chen Cheng discuss his strength, the sect selection, Divine Treasuries, and a possible recommendation. Their exchange is polite but marked by mutual caution.
• Chen Cheng deliberately provokes Qi Tiankui by reminding him to repair the training grounds, intensifying Qi’s humiliation.
• Ling Qingshu apologizes and offers compensation, while Chen Cheng turns the reconciliation into a request to aid the Su Family.
• Feng Yan’an competes subtly with Ling by offering an even stronger guarantee to help the Su Family, causing Ling brief displeasure.
• The Su Family repeatedly thanks Chen Cheng, and Sun Shuping privately gives him a valuable protective connection.
• Zhou Qianyun and Chen Cheng share a warm, emotionally restrained farewell, with Chen Cheng encouraging her to treat the returned rent as future lodging.
• Song Linwei concludes the chapter by inviting Chen Cheng to the Ghost Market auction before their journey to Di Luo Plain.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei attend a secret auction at the Ghost Market.
• Chen Cheng uses his "Qi Perception" trait to detect a dense mass of Primordial Qi at a stall.
• He discovers that the stall owner is the same one who sold him the aphrodisiac and the Demon Flame Cauldron previously.
• Chen Cheng buys a broken sword from the stall owner, who gives him a small bottle of Obedient for a Night as a throw-in.
• At the auction, they bid on a Mountain Aperture, but Chen Cheng advises against it due to its low Primordial Qi content.
• Qi Tiankui buys the Mountain Aperture and uses an Artificial Qi Well to fill it, but only a medium amount of Primordial Qi is extracted.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: He demonstrates his "Qi Perception" trait and his knowledge of treasure appraisal. He remains calm and composed even when his judgment about the Mountain Aperture seems incorrect.
• Song Linwei: She initially trusts Chen Cheng's judgment but faces ridicule when the Mountain Aperture yields less Primordial Qi than expected. She remains silent and does not blame Chen Cheng.
• Qi Tiankui: He mocks Song Linwei for her apparent misjudgment and becomes enraged when the Mountain Aperture yields less Primordial Qi than expected.

Significant Themes

• Trust: The chapter explores the theme of trust, with Song Linwei initially trusting Chen Cheng's judgment, even when it seems incorrect. Chen Cheng, in turn, remains composed and does not apologize for his apparent mistake.
• Risk and Reward: The auction of the Mountain Aperture illustrates the risks and rewards of gambling, with Qi Tiankui initially profiting but ultimately losing out.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei: They work together at the auction, with Chen Cheng advising Song Linwei on the Mountain Aperture. Despite the setback, Song Linwei does not blame Chen Cheng.
• Chen Cheng and Qi Tiankui: They indirectly clash at the auction, with Qi Tiankui mocking Song Linwei and Chen Cheng remaining calm and composed.
• Song Linwei and Qi Tiankui: They indirectly compete at the auction, with Qi Tiankui mocking Song Linwei when she decides not to bid further on the Mountain Aperture.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The auction of a non-martial powerhouse, a third-realm Zither-Mind Master named Ning Shuangxu, begins with a low starting bid due to her injuries.
• Chen Cheng purchases Ning Shuangxu for one Northern Emperor Currency, revealing his trust in her despite her condition.
• On their journey back, Chen Cheng and Song Linwei discuss their plans and the future. Chen Cheng enters a special state, "I am heaven and earth," which rapidly refines the broken sword and increases his Primordial Qi.
• An enemy attacks their treasure carriage, causing it to crash into the river. Chen Cheng decides to face the enemy while Song Linwei stays with Ning Shuangxu.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng shows his trust in Ning Shuangxu by purchasing her, demonstrating his compassion and loyalty.
• Chen Cheng's cultivation progresses significantly after entering the "I am heaven and earth" state, indicating his growing strength.
• Song Linwei reveals her concern for Chen Cheng's safety, showing her growing attachment to him.

Significant Themes

• Trust and loyalty: Chen Cheng's actions show his trust in Ning Shuangxu and his loyalty to those who have helped him.
• Cultivation and growth: Chen Cheng's cultivation progresses significantly, highlighting the theme of personal growth and self-improvement.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei discuss their plans and the future, strengthening their bond.
• Chen Cheng protects Ning Shuangxu, showing his care and concern for her well-being.
• Song Linwei expresses her worry for Chen Cheng, revealing her growing affection for him.

Chapter Summary: “A Great Gift” (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng spots an ambush on the opposite bank of the river, led by Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong, who intend to kill Song Linwei and bury Chen Cheng with her.
• Using the Howling Sky Eagle’s aerial vision, Chen Cheng identifies five Water Control experts hidden among the waves: four at the middle-to-late Eight-Qi realm and one apparently at the early Nine-Qi realm.
• Chen Cheng sinks the treasure carriage underwater to foil the attackers’ plan, then secretly attacks the strongest enemy beneath the river.
• His water sword is destroyed by the enemy’s overwhelming strength, revealing that the “early Nine-Qi” expert is actually much stronger. Chen Cheng then deploys his mutated Blood Immortal Gu, which poisons and brutally kills the expert before looting his belongings.
• Chen Cheng eliminates the remaining four Water Control experts using a combination of water swords, underwater movement, and close combat.
• Inside the carriage, Song Linwei believes Chen Cheng may have been killed and prepares to reveal her true strength to avenge him, despite the danger this would pose to the Empire’s larger plans. Chen Cheng returns alive, relieving her despair.
• Chen Cheng tells Song Linwei that Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong are still waiting on the opposite bank. He has already prepared a deadly “gift” for them using the final corpse.
• The mutated Corpse Demon Gu controls the corpse of the last slain enemy. Chen Cheng sends it ashore, where it imitates a survivor and ambushes Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong with third-rank lethal poison.
• The corpse bites Qi Tiankui, poisoning him through the wound, while Baili Hong suffers severe facial and cranial corrosion. Both survive temporarily but may die without a rare antidote available only in Jing Kingdom.
• Chen Cheng, Song Linwei, and the unconscious Ning Shuangxu travel to Snowtread Manor in the Yulun Mountains.
• Song Linwei explains her cover identity, the manor’s political situation, and her upcoming entrance examination for the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect.
• At Snowtread Manor, she arranges rooms for Chen Cheng and Ning Shuangxu and gives Chen Cheng a specially made black outfit with defensive power comparable to third-rank treasure armor.
• Chen Cheng prepares to enter seclusion and continue caring for Ning Shuangxu, while Song Linwei reveals that Jiang and Ji are progressing rapidly in secluded cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates exceptional strategic thinking, calmness under pressure, and growing mastery of underwater combat. He relies not only on direct strength but also on careful planning, aerial reconnaissance, Spirit Gu coordination, poison, deception, and remote control. His successful use of the Blood Immortal Gu and Corpse Demon Gu shows how effectively he integrates their newly evolved abilities.
• Song Linwei: Her concern for Chen Cheng becomes unmistakably personal. She nearly abandons her long-term plans and hidden identity to avenge him, revealing the depth of her emotional attachment. She also becomes more openly protective and supportive by arranging clothing, accommodations, and resources for him.
• Blood Immortal Gu: Evolves into a first-stage Gu King, taking on a shark-like form and gaining powerful aquatic abilities, lethal poison, and hundreds of nearly invisible barbed blood threads. It becomes capable of killing much stronger opponents underwater.
• Corpse Demon Gu: Evolves into a first-realm Gu King with enhanced corpse control and the ability to produce the same lethal poison. Its improved control allows it to reproduce speech-like sounds and unleash the dead man’s full physical strength.
• Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong: Their confidence and viciousness turn into panic and humiliation. Their failed assassination attempt leaves both badly poisoned, disfigured, and possibly facing death.
• Ning Shuangxu: Remains unconscious throughout the chapter but is protected by Song Linwei and Chen Cheng and brought safely to Snowtread Manor.

Significant Themes

• Strategy overcoming brute strength: Chen Cheng cannot easily defeat the strongest enemy through direct force, so he uses terrain, concealment, poison, Spirit Gu abilities, and precise timing.
• The value of hidden trump cards: Both Chen Cheng and his Gu conceal abilities that dramatically change the battle’s outcome.
• Loyalty and emotional attachment: Song Linwei’s reaction to Chen Cheng’s apparent death reveals that their relationship has deepened beyond simple cooperation.
• Deception and psychological warfare: The corpse impostor weaponizes the enemies’ confidence and eagerness to learn what happened, turning their own rescue attempt into a deadly trap.
• Political secrecy and responsibility: Song Linwei’s true identity and the Empire’s survival remain dependent on maintaining appearances. Her personal feelings must be balanced against broader national consequences.
• Growth through opportunity and discipline: The chapter emphasizes the importance of cultivation resources, rare treasures, evolutionary mutations, and relentless training.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei: Chen Cheng rescues her from the submerged carriage and carries her through the water. She feels unusually safe in his arms and struggles to conceal her tears and growing affection. Their conversation also establishes trust, mutual dependence, and future cooperation.
• Chen Cheng and the Blood Immortal Gu: Through their mental link, Chen Cheng directs the Gu to assassinate the strongest underwater enemy and retrieve the enemy’s possessions. He openly praises it after its successful performance.
• Chen Cheng and the Corpse Demon Gu: Chen Cheng remotely controls it to transform a corpse into a convincing baited trap for Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong.
• Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong: Their alliance is based on shared hatred of Song Linwei and Chen Cheng, but the attack ends with both suffering the consequences of their arrogance and recklessness.
• Chen Cheng and Song Linwei at Snowtread Manor: She provides him with clothing, lodging, and promised cultivation resources, while he explains his need to care personally for Ning Shuangxu and prepare for seclusion.
• Song Linwei and Chen Cheng regarding Jiang and Ji: She reports their impressive cultivation progress, motivating Chen Cheng to work harder rather than fall behind.

Summary of the Chapter

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng bestows the Moon Breath of Avici skill and specific martial arts on his Spirit Gu.
• He receives a large supply of resources from Song Linwei.
• Chen Cheng cultivates diligently, making significant progress in his martial arts and skills.
• He learns that Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong survived their injuries and even gained benefits, which worries him.
• He also learns about the Qingming Path's Holy Maiden causing chaos on Di Luo Plain.
• Chen Cheng attends a banquet hosted by the Fourth Prince, where he faces hostility from some attendees.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng's cultivation progresses significantly, reaching the middle stage of Seven Qi.
• His Spirit Gu also grow stronger after Chen Cheng bestows new skills and martial arts on them.
• Qi Tiankui and Baili Hong survive their injuries and gain benefits, indicating their resilience and luck.
• The Holy Maiden of the Qingming Path demonstrates her power and influence on Di Luo Plain.
• Wang Chun, a hostile character, is introduced, showing animosity towards Chen Cheng.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and Growth: Chen Cheng's dedication to cultivation and his progress highlight the theme of growth and self-improvement.
• Power Dynamics: The interactions between different factions and individuals, such as the Fourth Prince, Qi Family Fortress, Northern Suppression Manor, and the Qingming Path, emphasize the power dynamics on Di Luo Plain.
• Hostility and Conflict: The hostility Chen Cheng faces at the banquet, particularly from Wang Chun, foreshadows potential conflicts in the future.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng interacts with Jiang Shuqin, who updates him on recent events and expresses concern for him.
• He faces hostility from Wang Chun and others at the banquet.
• The Fourth Prince shows interest in Chen Cheng, indicating his importance or potential.
• Chen Cheng's relationship with Song Linwei is mentioned, showing her support and the resources she provides, but also her absence, which worries Chen Cheng.

Summary of Chapter: "Secret Martial Arts"

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yuwen Xun, the Fourth Prince of Great Shang, arrives at a banquet, accompanied by four black-armored imperial guards and an old eunuch.
• Chen Cheng meets Yuwen Xun's gaze without fear, impressing the old eunuch.
• Yuwen Xun publicly praises Chen Cheng and invites him to the main table.
• Qiu Tongtian, an elder of the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect, arrives with selected young talents, including Chen Cheng's acquaintances Huang Hao and Liang Fengwen.
• Qiu Tongtian acknowledges Chen Cheng's progress and praises Ji Jingyou's and Jiang Shuqin's achievements.
• Yuwen Xun announces a sparring fist competition with a superior Secret Treasury-grade martial art, the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art, as the prize.
• Ji Jingyou accepts the first challenge from Ban Lu, a powerful hammer-wielder, and defeats him effortlessly.

Character Developments

• Yuwen Xun: Shows a friendly and respectful attitude towards Chen Cheng, trying to recruit him.
• Chen Cheng: Maintains composure and humility in the face of powerful figures, revealing no fear.
• Ji Jingyou: Demonstrates his exceptional swordsmanship by defeating Ban Lu with a single move, impressing everyone present.
• Qiu Tongtian: Shows favor towards Ji Jingyou and Chen Cheng, anticipating their success in the entrance selection.

Significant Themes

• Recruitment and Alliances: Yuwen Xun seeks to recruit talented individuals, while Qiu Tongtian shows favor towards those he has selected, expecting rewards from the sect.
• Power Dynamics: The old eunuch's pressure test and Yuwen Xun's public praise of Chen Cheng illustrate the power dynamics at play.
• Talent and Ambition: Ji Jingyou's impressive display highlights the importance of talent and ambition in the martial world.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Yuwen Xun: Yuwen Xun tries to befriend Chen Cheng, while Chen Cheng remains humble and respectful.
• Ji Jingyou and Ban Lu: Ji Jingyou's effortless defeat of Ban Lu showcases his superior swordsmanship and strategic thinking.
• Qiu Tongtian and the Selected Talents: Qiu Tongtian acknowledges Chen Cheng's progress and praises Ji Jingyou and Jiang Shuqin, showing his interest in their future success.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Jingyou easily defeats twelve opponents, impressing everyone.
• Chen Cheng challenges Ji Jingyou, revealing he has a 10% chance of winning.
• Ji Jingyou uses his ultimate move, Mysterious Heaven Wandering Dragon, against Chen Cheng.

Character Developments

• Ji Jingyou: Shows off his strength and skill, but is humiliated when Chen Cheng snatches his sword.
• Chen Cheng: Reveals his confidence in facing Ji Jingyou, showing his growth and potential.
• Qiu Tongtian: Recognizes Chen Cheng's potential and offers him a recommendation quota for the sect selection.
• Yuwen Xun: Initially ignores Chen Cheng but becomes interested in recruiting him after Qiu Tongtian's offer.

Significant Themes

• The power of observation and understanding in martial arts.
• The importance of seizing opportunities and taking risks.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponents.

Character Interactions

• Ji Jingyou and Chen Cheng: Their rivalry deepens as they face off again.
• Qiu Tongtian and Chen Cheng: Qiu Tongtian recognizes Chen Cheng's potential and offers him support.
• Yuwen Xun and Chen Cheng: Yuwen Xun becomes interested in recruiting Chen Cheng after Qiu Tongtian's offer.
• Wang Chun and Chen Cheng: Wang Chun feels threatened by Chen Cheng and begins to plot against him.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng defeats Ji Jingyou by discovering a flaw in his Mysterious Heaven Nine Swords technique.
• Wang Chun challenges Chen Cheng, but is defeated after a series of palm strikes.
• Wang Chun attempts to attack Chen Cheng with concealed weapons, leading to a public humiliation and Wang Chun's subsequent execution.
• Chen Cheng is offered a position in Yuwen Xun's retinue, but declines.
• Qiu Tongtian offers Chen Cheng a place in his sect, which he accepts.
• Jiang Shuqin, Ji Jingyou, and others also choose to leave with Qiu Tongtian.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates exceptional comprehension, intelligence, and audacity in defeating Ji Jingyou.
• Wang Chun's true combat power is revealed to be overestimated, and he is eventually executed for his actions.
• Qiu Tongtian shows approval and appreciation for Chen Cheng's abilities and offers him a place in his sect.
• Yuwen Xun's true colors are revealed as he prioritizes his own interests and has no qualms about executing those who displease him.

Significant Themes

• The importance of comprehension and intelligence in martial arts.
• The dangers of underestimating one's opponent.
• The consequences of acting against one's superiors or going against the grain.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Ji Jingyou share a moment of understanding and mutual respect.
• Chen Cheng and Wang Chun's interaction highlights the difference in their combat abilities and mental fortitude.
• Qiu Tongtian and Chen Cheng's interaction shows Qiu Tongtian's recognition of Chen Cheng's talents.
• Yuwen Xun and Chen Cheng's interaction reveals Yuwen Xun's ruthless and selfish nature.
• Jiang Shuqin and Chen Cheng's interaction shows her support for him and her decision to leave with Qiu Tongtian.

Chapter Summary — Divine Edge

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the banquet is canceled, Fourth Prince Yuwen Xun rages over his humiliation and vows to kill Chen Cheng and Ji Jingyou. His eunuch adviser reminds him that Elder Qiu Tongtian is protecting them, so revenge must wait until the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect’s entrance selection.
• Yuwen Xun reveals his ruthlessness by having Wang Rou and Wang Chun beaten to death. Their deaths were premeditated because the Wang family had sided with the Eldest Prince and undermined Yuwen Xun’s interests.
• Chen Cheng, Ji Jingyou, and Jiang Shuqin leave Snowtread Manor with Qiu Tongtian. They travel to Breezewind Water Stronghold, ruled by the overlooked Ninth Prince, Yuwen Min.
• Yuwen Min receives Qiu Tongtian respectfully and agrees to look after Chen Cheng and the others. Jiang Shuqin explains that Yuwen Min, born to a palace maid and exiled young, has successfully maintained the poor and isolated stronghold despite its lack of resources.
• Ji Jingyou asks Chen Cheng for instruction in swordsmanship. Chen Cheng accepts him as a disciple and helps him perfect his ultimate technique, Mysterious Heaven Dragon Swimming.
• Chen Cheng’s guidance restores Ji Jingyou’s confidence and Dao heart. Ji Jingyou’s swordsmanship improves dramatically, and he regards Chen Cheng’s teaching as life-changing.
• Chen Cheng discovers that the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art given by Yuwen Xun was secretly tampered with. Yuwen Min later confirms the danger, carefully repairs the text, and proves through Chen Cheng’s Vertical Eye Mark that his assistance is sincere.
• Chen Cheng successfully practices the repaired martial art. Its Sword Qi is far more powerful than that of the Mysterious Heaven Nine Swords and can be strengthened through mental power.
• He also learns the technique Black and Yellow Questions the Heart, which attacks an opponent’s mental and emotional defenses rather than the body.
• The next morning, Chen Cheng joins Qiu Tongtian’s expedition to Azureglow Bay and the Shipwreck Ruins, hoping to find resources before the entrance selection. Yuwen Min and his aunt Bai Xinjie travel with them; Bai Xinjie shows immediate and conspicuous interest in Chen Cheng.

Character Developments

• Yuwen Xun is shown to be proud, vindictive, calculating, and politically ruthless. His apparent generosity toward Ji Jingyou and the Wang siblings was merely manipulation.
• Chen Cheng demonstrates restraint, generosity, and sharp judgment. He does not seek revenge against Ji Jingyou and willingly teaches him, while remaining cautious toward Yuwen Min and the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art.
• Ji Jingyou moves from emotional devastation and isolation toward renewed purpose. His breakthrough in swordsmanship restores his confidence, warmth, and hope, and he becomes deeply loyal to Chen Cheng.
• Jiang Shuqin continues to act as an informed and supportive companion. She shares knowledge about Yuwen Min and strongly approves of Chen Cheng’s treatment of Ji Jingyou.
• Yuwen Min is presented as humble, capable, sincere, and politically restrained. Though disadvantaged by his birth and poor territory, he has preserved Qingfeng Stronghold through competence and perseverance.
• Bai Xinjie is introduced as an attractive and observant woman whose unusual interest in Chen Cheng hints at future complications.

Significant Themes

• Political betrayal and hidden schemes: Yuwen Xun’s treatment of Ji Jingyou and the Wang siblings reveals how alliances and kindness can conceal manipulation.
• Trust and discernment: Chen Cheng remains cautious even when accepting help, relying on the Vertical Eye Mark to distinguish Yuwen Min’s sincerity from possible deception.
• Mentorship and redemption: Chen Cheng’s guidance gives Ji Jingyou both technical advancement and emotional recovery.
• Moral character versus status: Yuwen Min’s humble birth and impoverished territory contrast with his dignity and competence, while Yuwen Xun’s royal status is paired with cruelty.
• Power of the mind: The Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art emphasizes that Sword Qi is shaped by clarity of heart, mental strength, and inner conviction.
• Loyalty and gratitude: Ji Jingyou and Jiang Shuqin reaffirm their determination to rescue Song Linwei and Qing Chan, while Ji Jingyou’s scar becomes a symbol of his gratitude and devotion to Chen Cheng.

Important Character Interactions

• Yuwen Xun, his eunuch adviser, and Wang Zhongxian discuss the deaths of the Wang siblings and the delayed plan to eliminate Chen Cheng and Ji Jingyou.
• Qiu Tongtian introduces Chen Cheng, Ji Jingyou, and Jiang Shuqin to Yuwen Min and entrusts them to his protection.
• Jiang Shuqin explains Yuwen Min’s history and political circumstances to Chen Cheng and Ji Jingyou.
• Chen Cheng accepts Ji Jingyou’s disciple’s bow, teaches him swordsmanship, and prevents him from kneeling in excessive gratitude.
• Yuwen Min privately warns Chen Cheng that Yuwen Xun may have altered the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art, then repairs the text for him.
• Yuwen Min questions Chen Cheng’s care for the unconscious Ning Shuangxu, leading to a discussion of Chen Cheng’s loyalty and compassion.
• Bai Xinjie’s focused attention on Chen Cheng establishes a new potential relationship or source of conflict as the group begins its journey to Azureglow Bay.

Chapter Summary: “Nursery Rhyme”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The treasure ship travels through the dense fog of Fallen Immortal Sea, relying on special lamps and the Ninth Prince’s navigator, A-Min, to maintain its course.
• Bai Xinjie tries to reassure Chen Cheng about the journey and subtly attempts to build a relationship with him on behalf of Qingfeng Stronghold, whose leader admires Chen Cheng.
• The ship deliberately strikes a hidden reef to stop near a dangerous bay. The group changes into diving gear and prepares to explore a sunken treasure ship in a deep submarine trench.
• Chen Cheng reveals his fifth-rank Sea-Suppressing Black Dragon Armor, impressing Bai Xinjie, Qiu Tongtian, and Yuwen Min.
• Bai Xinjie and Yuwen Min warn Chen Cheng about the bizarre underwater currents and offer to protect him. Chen Cheng demonstrates his superior Water Control Technique by casually destroying Bai Xinjie’s powerful vortex with one finger.
• The group dives into the dark waters. Chen Cheng’s Dragon Eye trait lets him see clearly without a Night-Luminous Pearl, while his physical traits and techniques allow him to move effortlessly despite the immense water pressure.
• They reach the enormous Shipwreck Ruins, an ancient treasure ship covered in mud, shells, algae, and glowing Treasure Fish. Chen Cheng carefully searches for hidden dangers and possible treasures.
• Chen Cheng spots a horrifying, eyeless child’s head drifting into a stairwell. Soon afterward, an eerie nursery rhyme begins emanating from the wreck.
• The song functions as a powerful yin-aligned mental attack. Qiu Tongtian breaks free by biting his tongue, then orders everyone to retreat. Yuwen Min is already entranced and attempts to swim deeper into the wreck, forcing Qiu Tongtian to drag him away.
• Chen Cheng resists the song because of his strong mind and the restraining effects of his Golden Blood, Jade Marrow, and Extreme Yang True Fire.
• Bai Xinjie is also overcome and swims toward the lower decks. Although Chen Cheng could retreat safely, he chooses to pursue and rescue her, entering the deeper darkness at the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Continues to conceal his true abilities while displaying extraordinary strength when necessary. His mastery of water control, underwater endurance, vision, and mental resistance establishes him as far more capable than the others realize. He also demonstrates compassion and loyalty by risking himself to save Bai Xinjie.
• Bai Xinjie: Reveals that her friendliness toward Chen Cheng is partly motivated by A-Min’s admiration and her desire to recruit or befriend him. She is highly skilled in water techniques and underwater movement, but her confidence and abilities are ultimately overwhelmed by the nursery rhyme.
• Yuwen Min: Shows strong underwater expertise but is less powerful than Qiu Tongtian overall. His admiration for Chen Cheng grows after witnessing Chen’s abilities. He becomes mentally controlled by the nursery rhyme and must be rescued.
• Qiu Tongtian: Acts as the group’s experienced protector. He recognizes the danger quickly, breaks the mental influence, and pulls Yuwen Min away, though even his formidable cultivation cannot fully withstand the song.
• Bai Xinjie and Yuwen Min’s attendants: Their dependence on lamps, breath-preserving pills, and group coordination emphasizes how dangerous and unfamiliar the underwater environment is.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and humility: Chen Cheng repeatedly downplays his abilities, allowing others to underestimate him.
• Danger beneath appearances: The apparently routine expedition quickly becomes supernatural and deadly, showing that the ruins conceal threats beyond ordinary physical dangers.
• Mental corruption and resistance: The nursery rhyme attacks the mind rather than the body, emphasizing that willpower, spiritual strength, and special protective traits are essential for survival.
• Trust, gratitude, and loyalty: Chen Cheng remembers Yuwen Min’s previous kindness and chooses to save Bai Xinjie despite the danger, showing that his actions are guided by personal bonds rather than self-preservation alone.
• The unknown and the abyss: The darkness, eyeless child’s head, twisted currents, and ghostly song create a strong atmosphere of maritime horror and suggest that the wreck may contain an ancient, malevolent secret.

Character Interactions

• Bai Xinjie uses warmth, flirtation, and offers of food and protection to establish rapport with Chen Cheng, while explaining A-Min’s admiration for him.
• Chen Cheng politely rejects her attempts to protect him, prompting her to test his underwater abilities.
• Qiu Tongtian advises Chen Cheng to remain close to stronger swimmers and later praises his unexpected Water Control Technique.
• Yuwen Min enthusiastically admires Chen Cheng and urges him to accept Bai Xinjie’s protection.
• After Chen Cheng defeats the water vortex, Bai Xinjie’s attitude shifts from confident protectiveness to genuine admiration and respect.
• During the nursery rhyme attack, Qiu Tongtian saves Yuwen Min, while Chen Cheng independently chooses to pursue Bai Xinjie, creating the chapter’s final rescue situation.

Chapter Summary: “Magic Eye”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng reaches Bai Xinjie in the submerged Shipwreck Ruins after she loses consciousness. As he tries to rescue her, her body becomes unnaturally cold, rigid, and impossibly heavy, dragging him deeper into the ruins while an eerie nursery rhyme assaults his mind.
• Chen Cheng counters the rhyme with his Heart-Strengthening trait and pure-yang Golden Blood, surrounding himself with golden light. When Bai Xinjie is again affected, he activates the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art, unleashing thirty-six crimson-gold Sword Qi streams. The radiant Sword Qi suppresses the nursery rhyme and forces it to stop.
• Bai Xinjie awakens in Chen Cheng’s arms. He releases her and urges her to return to the surface while he continues exploring. He explains that his pure-yang cultivation and Sword Qi naturally counter the yin-aligned evil arts within the ruins.
• Bai Xinjie reluctantly agrees and promises to repay Chen Cheng for saving her. Chen Cheng asks her to care for his unconscious friend if he fails to return.
• Chen Cheng sends the Blood Immortal Gu ahead as a scout, using their perfected mental connection to share its senses and detect danger.
• On the surface, Qiu Tongtian rescues Yuwen Min and intends to return for Chen Cheng. Bai Xinjie emerges and explains that Chen Cheng is still exploring but possesses powerful pure-yang abilities that can restrain the ruins’ evil forces.
• The Qi Family Fortress arrives to resume its own exploration of the ruins. Their group includes Qi Juntai and Qi Tiankui, a scarred young genius preparing to enter Qiu Tongtian’s sect.
• Chen Cheng reaches the seventh level and discovers signs that the ship has already been looted. On the ninth level, the Blood Immortal Gu finds a gigantic Hell Flower surrounded by vines bearing grotesque human-head fruits and a pool of decomposing corpses.
• Chen Cheng senses intense Pure Yin Qi concentrated behind nine enormous vines. He hides as the Qi Family party arrives, accompanied by Qiu Tongtian, Bai Xinjie, and Yuwen Min.
• Qiu Tongtian identifies the plant as a Hell Flower, a demonic entity that can corrupt the land, absorb life and Primordial Qi, and eventually produce an extremely valuable but dangerous treasure called the Eye of Hell.
• The Qi Family relies on Buddhist seals and a thousand-year-old Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle to suppress the Hell Flower. While they focus on the plant, Chen Cheng secretly sends the Blood Immortal Gu through the vines and extracts the Eye of Hell from the rock wall.
• The Hell Flower suddenly goes berserk, causing violent currents, cracking the seabed, releasing magma, and attacking the Qi Family. Chen Cheng secretly reunites with Qiu Tongtian, Bai Xinjie, and Yuwen Min and urges them to flee.
• After escaping, the group realizes that the Hell Flower only erupted after Chen Cheng appeared and left. Bai Xinjie suspects that the plant was not truly afraid of the Qi Family’s Buddhist artifacts—but of Chen Cheng’s hidden power.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates extraordinary mental resilience, powerful pure-yang abilities, and mastery of the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art. He becomes increasingly cautious and strategic, using the Blood Immortal Gu for reconnaissance and secretly obtaining the Eye of Hell rather than confronting the Hell Flower directly.
• Bai Xinjie: Moves from being a rescued victim to an active, perceptive ally. She recognizes the unusual nature of Chen Cheng’s cultivation, trusts his judgment, worries deeply about his safety, and immediately supports his decision to retreat.
• Qiu Tongtian: His high regard for Chen Cheng becomes unmistakable. He is prepared to risk his life to rescue him and values Chen Cheng’s survival above the chance to obtain the Eye of Hell.
• Yuwen Min: Remains frightened and concerned after the earlier ordeal, but his admiration for Chen Cheng grows. He is tempted by the possibility of finding a great treasure, though he ultimately follows Chen Cheng’s lead.
• Qi Juntai and Qi Tiankui: Are introduced as confident representatives of the Qi Family Fortress. They rely heavily on Buddhist protections and underestimate the true danger of the Hell Flower.
• Qi Tiankui: Is presented as a powerful young genius, but his severe scars and connection to the earlier river ambush suggest a violent past and possible hidden significance.

3. Significant Themes

• Pure Yang versus Yin Evil: Chen Cheng’s abilities directly counter the supernatural forces of the ruins, establishing him as an unusual and potentially dominant force within the cursed environment.
• Courage versus Recklessness: Chen Cheng takes enormous risks but combines bravery with preparation, scouting, concealment, and a clear escape plan. The Qi Family, by contrast, grows overconfident in its protective artifacts.
• Trust and Loyalty: Bai Xinjie, Qiu Tongtian, and Yuwen Min prioritize Chen Cheng’s safety over wealth and opportunity, revealing the strength of their developing bonds with him.
• Hidden Power and Misjudgment: The Qi Family believes its Buddhist seals and pestle control the Hell Flower, but the plant’s reaction suggests that Chen Cheng is the true threat—or that he has secretly taken what it was protecting.
• Temptation of Forbidden Treasure: The Eye of Hell promises immense value and cultivation benefits, but even approaching it risks mental collapse. The chapter contrasts greed with Chen Cheng’s disciplined caution.
• Mystery and Foreshadowing: The eerie nursery rhyme, the Hell Flower, the human-headed fruits, the Pure Yin Qi, and Chen Cheng’s unexplained influence all deepen the mystery surrounding the ruins and Chen Cheng’s true capabilities.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng physically rescues Bai Xinjie and repeatedly suppresses the supernatural force affecting her. Their exchange mixes life-saving urgency with mild embarrassment and teasing.
• Bai Xinjie expresses gratitude and concern, promising to repay Chen Cheng and defending his ability to survive when Qiu Tongtian wants to retrieve him.
• Qiu Tongtian reprimands Yuwen Min for panicking, then later becomes visibly distressed over Chen Cheng’s disappearance and insists on rescuing him.
• Bai Xinjie and Yuwen Min willingly join Qiu Tongtian in searching for Chen Cheng, showing that all three place his survival above the ruins’ treasures.
• Qiu Tongtian, Bai Xinjie, and Yuwen Min are overjoyed when Chen Cheng reappears, while Bai Xinjie jokingly scolds him for frightening her.
• The group ultimately follows Chen Cheng’s command to retreat, demonstrating their trust in his instincts.
• The chapter ends with all three companions turning toward Chen Cheng in shock as they realize he may be the force the Hell Flower feared.

Chapter Summary: “Fierce Battle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The battle at the Shipwreck Ruins escalates when countless Green Demon Jellyfish descend into the trench, signaling the arrival of the powerful guardian of Demon Dragon Island—the green-haired woman and her ninth-rank Jade Flood Dragon Python.
• Qiu Tongtian orders Chen Cheng, Bai Xinjie, and Yuwen Min to retreat while he engages the guardian alone. Bai Xinjie attacks the enemy flank, while Yuwen Min helps prevent the group from being surrounded.
• Chen Cheng deliberately allows dozens of Demon Dragon Island disciples to close in around him. He then unleashes thirty-six crimson-gold Sword Qi streams, massacring the surrounding enemies within moments.
• His display shocks Qiu Tongtian, Bai Xinjie, and Yuwen Min, who recognize that Chen Cheng’s sword art appears even stronger than the superior-grade Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art.
• The guardian’s Jade Flood Dragon Python attacks Chen Cheng. His crimson-gold Sword Qi cannot penetrate its Jade Thorn Scales, and even his strongest silver-blue sword strike fails to pierce its eyelid.
• Chen Cheng uses strategy rather than brute force. He combines the silver-blue Sword Qi, Moon Breath of Avici, and the Eye of Hell—retrieved earlier by the Blood Immortal Gu—to attack the python’s mind. The Eye of Hell overwhelms it, causing it to lose control and plunge into the ruins.
• The python’s fall accidentally crushes the already wounded Qi Family survivors, killing most of them and sending them toward the Hell Flower’s location.
• The guardian retreats from Qiu Tongtian’s battle to recover her spirit python. Demon Dragon Island’s remaining disciples withdraw as well.
• Qiu Tongtian chooses to remain behind and fight the guardian again, believing he has a chance of victory and hoping to increase his standing within the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect. Chen Cheng, Bai Xinjie, and Yuwen Min retreat toward the treasure ship.
• Qiu Tongtian and the guardian clash with devastating force, scattering Chen Cheng’s group and leaving both principal combatants severely injured.
• The Blood Immortal Gu finds the unconscious Qiu Tongtian and the badly wounded guardian. Chen Cheng attempts to rescue Qiu Tongtian while preventing the guardian from killing him.
• Chen Cheng uses illusions and the Blood Immortal Gu’s threads to create an opening. The Gu pries apart the python’s scales, allowing Chen Cheng to drive crimson-gold and silver-blue Sword Qi into its body.
• The python cuts off its own tail to escape, carrying the guardian away. Chen Cheng abandons the pursuit because the enemy has the home-ground advantage, the Eye of Hell may still be nearby, and Qiu Tongtian needs immediate treatment.
• Chen Cheng gathers the python’s severed tail, scales, bones, blood, enemy corpses, medicine bottles, and currency as spoils.
• Qi Tiankui, astonishingly, survives the destruction of the ruins and crawls out badly injured. He reveals that he intended to have Chen Cheng killed during the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect’s entrance selection.
• Despite Qi Tiankui’s desperate denials and malicious oath, Chen Cheng does not believe him and executes him with thirty-six Sword Qi streams, declaring, “I don’t believe you.”

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates a major increase in combat ability after advancing in the Imperial Apex Divine Edge Art. He displays overwhelming close-range Sword Qi, tactical patience, mastery of multiple techniques, and the ability to exploit an enemy’s weaknesses rather than relying solely on power. His use of the Eye of Hell and Blood Immortal Gu shows growing strategic sophistication. He also becomes more decisive and ruthless, killing Qi Tiankui without hesitation once his hostility is confirmed.
• Qiu Tongtian: Acts as a protective elder and leader, taking on the guardian to create an escape opportunity for the younger fighters. He reveals ambition beneath his concern for his companions, hoping to defeat the guardian and gain status and resources within the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect. His final clash leaves him gravely injured but alive.
• Bai Xinjie: Proves to be an exceptionally fast and lethal combatant, swiftly killing ordinary Demon Dragon Island disciples and fighting above the Divine Treasury realm. She remains alert to Chen Cheng’s danger and repeatedly warns the others.
• Yuwen Min: Shows courage and cooperation by engaging the enemy forces and helping prevent encirclement. His shock at Chen Cheng’s strength reflects how dramatically Chen Cheng has surpassed expectations.
• The green-haired guardian: Initially appears overwhelmingly confident and controls the battle through her powerful spirit beast. Her confidence is shaken when Chen Cheng uses the Eye of Hell to subdue the python. Although badly wounded, she remains determined to kill Qiu Tongtian and Chen Cheng.
• The Jade Flood Dragon Python: Displays extraordinary defensive strength, speed, loyalty, and intelligence. Its Jade Thorn Scales repel Sword Qi, but its devotion to its master causes it to ignore its own injuries, ultimately forcing it to sever its tail to survive.
• Qi Juntai and Qi Tiankui: The Qi Family suffers catastrophic losses. Qi Juntai attempts to maintain hope despite losing an arm and dragging the maimed Qi Tiankui. Qi Tiankui’s survival instinct is extreme, but his hatred of Chen Cheng and desire for advancement ultimately expose him and lead to his death.

Significant Themes

• Strategy overcoming raw power: Chen Cheng cannot directly overpower the Jade Flood Dragon Python’s defenses, so he combines distraction, stealth, mental attacks, and coordinated use of the Blood Immortal Gu.
• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: Chen Cheng initially appears motionless and vulnerable, but his stillness is deliberate. His sudden massacre reveals that his true capabilities far exceed what his companions and enemies expect.
• Loyalty and obedience: The python’s absolute loyalty to its master allows it to continue fighting despite fear and severe injury, contrasting with the self-serving motives of many human characters.
• Survival and sacrifice: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes desperate survival, from Qiu Tongtian risking himself for the younger fighters to the python sacrificing its own tail and Qi Tiankui crawling from the ruins.
• Ambition and status: Qiu Tongtian’s willingness to fight for advancement within the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect shows how personal ambition influences even apparently protective actions.
• Trust and betrayal: Qi Tiankui’s vow is rejected because his earlier intentions reveal his hostility. Chen Cheng’s final execution emphasizes that trust must be earned through actions, not words.
• The brutality of the martial world: Battles result in mass death, mutilation, and opportunistic looting, while the survivors immediately seek resources, medicine, and advantages.

Important Character Interactions

• Qiu Tongtian and Chen Cheng: Qiu Tongtian tries to protect Chen Cheng and orders him to retreat, while Chen Cheng later protects the wounded elder through the Blood Immortal Gu.
• Chen Cheng and the Demon Dragon Island disciples: Chen Cheng intentionally lures them close before annihilating them with Sword Qi, transforming their attempted encirclement into a massacre.
• Chen Cheng and the Jade Flood Dragon Python: Their confrontation becomes a battle of sword sharpness against racial defense. Chen Cheng eventually defeats its defenses indirectly by exploiting the gap between its scales.
• Chen Cheng and the guardian: Their conflict evolves from direct combat to psychological and tactical warfare. Chen Cheng uses the Eye of Hell to incapacitate her spirit beast, while she repeatedly orders the python to kill him despite its fear.
• Qiu Tongtian and the guardian: They exchange powerful attacks and display mutual recognition of one another’s strength. Their battle ends inconclusively, with both seriously injured.
• The guardian and her spirit python: She commands the python without hesitation, even ordering it to ignore the pain in its tail. The python obeys completely, ultimately severing part of its body to continue protecting her.
• Chen Cheng and Qi Tiankui: Their final encounter exposes Qi Tiankui’s treachery. Chen Cheng calmly rejects his oath and kills him, ending the chapter on a statement of absolute distrust.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon Transformation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng retrieves the Vajra Demon-Subduing Pestle using the Water Control Technique and discovers that it contains vast reserves of pure-yang Buddha Qi.
• After returning to Qingfeng Stronghold with the severely injured Qiu Tongtian, Chen Cheng learns that Elder Qiu has been placed under treatment and may be unable to assist with the approaching Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect entrance selection.
• Chen Cheng inventories his gains, including Fifth-Order Great Qi-Deriving Pills and healing medicines, then extracts nine drops of Essence of Buddha Qi from the Vajra Pestle. Consuming them raises him from the middle stage of Seven Qi to the peak of Seven Qi.
• He consumes the Eye of Hell, using the Taiji True Fire’s ability to neutralize its dangerous killing intent. The Eye’s pure-yin energy allows him to break into the Eight-Qi Divine Treasury realm, gradually balances the yin and yang within his Two-Forms Divine Qi, and ultimately raises him to the peak of Eight Qi.
• The Eye of Hell is completely absorbed by the Taiji Primordial Qi, doubling the size of Taiji Space.
• After awakening from ten days of cultivation, Chen Cheng interacts with Ning Shuangxu and examines the Slave Artifact linking them. He discovers that its core is the Heart-Enslaving Array and realizes he may be able to use the connection to share perceptions or bestow abilities.
• Ning Shuangxu reveals the tragic history of her mother, who was condemned as a demoness, imprisoned beneath a pagoda, and burned alive by pure-yang fire. She also explains that her mother’s treasured zither, Plain Sound, was taken by the Ghost Market’s master.
• Bai Xinjie reports that Qiu Tongtian has awakened and that Song may have been seen near the Northern Emperor Mountains, suggesting Chen Cheng will soon reunite with them at the sect entrance selection.
• Chen Cheng spends the next thirty days cultivating. Ning Shuangxu repeatedly plays the piece No-Thought, greatly improving his cultivation efficiency despite exhausting herself.
• Chen Cheng advances the Water Control chapter to major accomplishment and unlocks the Water Monarch trait, allowing him to command water-attributed creatures by consuming mental strength.
• He unlocks the Blood Fusion trait in the Dragon Transformation chapter, enabling him to extract dragon bloodlines from treasures and merge them into his own body.
• By absorbing true dragon blood from the ninth-order Jade Flood Dragon Python, Chen Cheng strengthens his skin and moves closer to the extraordinary dragon transformation sought by practitioners of the Eight Extremes Dragon Transformation Sutra.
• His Azure Horn Golden Body Art also improves substantially, giving his skin defense comparable to eighth-order treasure armor.
• With the sect entrance selection imminent, Chen Cheng leaves for the Northern Emperor Demon-Subduing Sect alongside Ning Shuangxu and the others.

Character Development

• Chen Cheng grows dramatically stronger, reaching the peak of Eight Qi and becoming effectively invincible beneath the God-Casting realm. His confidence remains calm and controlled, and he increasingly relies on his unique Taiji True Fire, cultivation traits, and exceptional physical body.
• He gains a clearer long-term cultivation strategy: since reaching Nine Qi before the selection is impossible, he focuses on unlocking powerful traits and improving his physical strength.
• Chen Cheng shows greater emotional responsibility toward Ning Shuangxu. He considers her a friend rather than a servant, promises not to force her, and offers to help recover Plain Sound.
• Ning Shuangxu becomes more emotionally attached to Chen Cheng. Although he asks her to stop calling him “Master,” she continues to do so out of habit and devotion. She demonstrates her loyalty by repeatedly playing No-Thought despite severe mental exhaustion.
• Ning Shuangxu also begins confronting her painful heritage as someone with possible Demon Race blood.
• Bai Xinjie continues to admire and support Chen Cheng, offering resources and a treasure zither for Ning Shuangxu.
• Yuwen Min and Ji Jingyou become increasingly eager to test themselves against Chen Cheng after improving their own cultivation.
• Qiu Tongtian survives his injuries and awakens, though he remains unable to provide immediate assistance.
• Song is hinted to be alive and near the Northern Emperor Mountains, setting up a likely reunion.

Significant Themes

• Power through transformation: Chen Cheng’s advances come from combining Buddhist, demonic, yin-yang, and dragon-based powers rather than following a conventional cultivation path.
• Balance of yin and yang: Absorbing the Eye of Hell initially strengthens his yin energy, but ultimately improves the harmony and efficiency of his entire cultivation system.
• Loyalty and repayment: Chen Cheng saves Qiu Tongtian, while Ning Shuangxu silently repays Chen Cheng’s care through her music and service.
• Freedom versus control: The Slave Artifact creates a troubling mental and spiritual bond, raising questions about whether Ning Shuangxu’s devotion is voluntary or shaped by enslavement.
• Trauma and discrimination: Ning Shuangxu’s mother’s fate highlights prejudice against the Demon Race and the cruelty of religious or social persecution.
• Preparation and self-reliance: With outside help uncertain, Chen Cheng prepares to rely on his own strength for the sect entrance selection.
• Rare opportunity and destiny: The Blood Fusion trait gives Chen Cheng a unique advantage in pursuing the legendary dragon transformation that ordinary cultivators can almost never achieve.

Important Character Interactions

• Yuwen Min and Bai Xinjie praise Chen Cheng for risking his life to save Qiu Tongtian, while Chen Cheng remains composed.
• Chen Cheng tells Ning Shuangxu that he regards her as a friend and tries to release her from calling him “Master,” but she remains emotionally dependent on him.
• Ning Shuangxu confides her mother’s tragic fate to Chen Cheng, revealing a deep source of grief and vulnerability.
• Bai Xinjie visits Chen Cheng after his seclusion, offers support and resources, gives him a treasure zither for Ning Shuangxu, and reports news about Qiu Tongtian and Song.
• Ning Shuangxu’s No-Thought zither music supports Chen Cheng’s cultivation, creating a quiet but meaningful bond between them.
• At the chapter’s end, Chen Cheng reunites with Jiang Shuqin, Bai Xinjie, Yuwen Min, Ji Jingyou, and Ning Shuangxu as they prepare to depart. Ji Jingyou directly asks how much Chen Cheng has progressed, signaling an imminent test or confrontation.