Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Chen An completes the system’s deduction of the Quasi-Emperor Realm Purple Sky Thunder Emperor Scripture. As it merges with his existing Saint Realm scripture, he gains a clear understanding of how to reach both the Saint King Realm and, eventually, the Quasi-Emperor Realm.
• Expecting a formidable breakthrough tribulation—and fearing an attack by the Sikong Family with an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon—Chen An plans to leave the Heavenly Court Ancient Star and seek an uninhabited world in space.
• He considers waiting for the Emperor Ruins to open, since they may contain the White Tiger Dao Secret, but decides that improving his cultivation is more urgent. He converts his 18,000 catties of Dao Crystals into 18,000 Source Points.
• Before he can depart, the Emperor Ruins open above Immortal Dream City. Their appearance causes widespread upheaval, and cultivators rush toward them.

Character developments

• Chen An becomes much more confident about his future cultivation path after absorbing the deduced scripture.
• He demonstrates a pragmatic, strength-first outlook: he is willing to forgo a valuable secret art if pursuing it would delay a safer breakthrough.
• He remains cautious of the Sikong Family, recognizing that his breakthrough could leave him vulnerable.

Significant themes

• Power and preparation: Chen An prioritizes strengthening himself before pursuing other opportunities.
• Pragmatism over temptation: The White Tiger Dao Secret is prized by others, but Chen An judges it less valuable than advancement and survival.
• Ambition amid danger: The Emperor Ruins promise immense rewards, yet their opening draws cultivators into a perilous contest.

Character interactions

• Chen An interacts with the system to complete his scripture deduction and convert Dao Crystals into Source Points.
• The chapter’s broader interaction is between the Emperor Ruins and the cultivators of Immortal Dream City: their sudden appearance sparks a citywide scramble to enter and claim the treasures within.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points

• The Sikong Family holds an emergency council in their minor world after investigating Li Xiaoyao, who severely injured their Second Elder.
• The investigation reveals Li Xiaoyao crossed the Saint Tribulation only days ago, yet defeated an elder wielding an imitation Ultimate Imperial Weapon.
• Li Xiaoyao reportedly used three forbidden secret arts derived from the Nine Secrets to forcibly boost his cultivation to Saint King–comparable levels.
• His appearance is 80–90% identical to the Sikong Family’s Dao Child, Sikong Haoyue, causing speculation about a possible lost bloodline connection.
• The elders dismiss the idea that Li Xiaoyao could be related to Haoyue’s missing father Lu Qingxuan, since Lu was only at Golden Core Realm a decade ago.
• Great Elder ends the debate: instead of guessing, they will capture Li Xiaoyao. If he is a lost descendant, he can be brought back; if not, his soul will be extracted and sealed.
• Decision: awaken a Saint King Realm ancestor, who will carry the family’s Ultimate Imperial Weapon to ensure Li Xiaoyao is captured.

Character Developments

• Sikong Xuanfeng (Holy Lord): Acts as administrator, cautious and procedural, deferring to the Great Elder’s authority.
• Great Elder: Calm, pragmatic, and ruthless. He cuts off speculation and issues the final order.
• Fifth Elder and other elders: Hot-tempered, prideful, eager to kill Li Xiaoyao to restore clan dignity; they represent the clan’s arrogance and warrior culture.

Significant Themes

• The strong rule supreme: Cultivation strength determines authority and justice; the clan operates on overwhelming power.
• Clan honor and face: The Sikong Family sees Li Xiaoyao’s defiance as an intolerable insult requiring brutal retaliation.
• Identity and mystery: Li Xiaoyao’s resemblance to Sikong Haoyue raises questions about hidden lineage and the unknown past of Lu Qingxuan.
• Bureaucratic deliberation vs. decisive action: The elders argue, but ultimate power lies with the hidden Saint King ancestors and the Ultimate Imperial Weapon.

Character Interactions

• Holy Lord presents the investigation reports to the elders, prompting outrage.
• Fifth Elder volunteers to capture Li Xiaoyao but is restrained by Sikong Xuanfeng’s caution.
• Several elders exchange accusations and theories, with one mocking the idea that Li Xiaoyao could be Lu Qingxuan’s son.
• Great Elder overrules everyone, giving a clear ultimatum: capture, identify, and if unworthy, destroy.
  (The chapter ends with an author’s note pleading for readers to support the free webnovel through ads, as traffic has dropped sharply.)

Plot points and events

• The Emperor Ruins open just as Chen An is preparing to leave the region and advance his cultivation. Though he had planned to abandon the search for the White Tiger Dao Secret, he decides the opportunity is too valuable to miss.
• Chen An arrives at the unstable entrance, where cultivators from major factions are waiting for it to settle. His reputation—especially his defeat of the Sikong Family’s second elder—makes them treat him with caution and respect.
• Before the passage stabilizes, Chen An sells copies of three secret arts. Su Mu of the Heavenly Cloud Sect buys the complete set for 3,000 pounds of Dao Crystals. Chen An also agrees to sell individual arts at a higher per-art price.
• The sales bring him 22,800 pounds of Dao Crystals: two complete sets and fourteen individual arts. He reflects that offering both bundles and single items would have been a better sales strategy.
• Once the passage stabilizes, cultivators rush into the Emperor Ruins, and Chen An follows.

Character developments

• Chen An is impulsive but strategic: he quickly reverses his decision to skip the ruins, judging that the White Tiger Dao Secret is too rare to pass up.
• He remains confident despite his wariness of the Sikong Family, believing he can withstand even an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon.
• His unexpectedly successful sales reveal a keen, if still developing, business sense. He learns to reconsider how he packages and prices his wares.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and risk: Chen An weighs the dangers of entering the ruins against the rarity and importance of the White Tiger Dao Secret.
• Reputation and power: His past victory discourages others from acting on their greed, even when his profits provoke envy.
• Trade and pragmatism: Knowledge becomes a commodity, and Chen An adapts his pricing to attract buyers with different means.
• Chance versus suspicion: The ruins’ opening seems suspiciously timed, but Chen An recognizes it is likely coincidence.

Character interactions

• Cultivators greet Chen An and show respect because of his strength and recent victory.
• Yun Family representatives explain that the entrance is not yet safe to enter.
• Su Mu politely purchases the three secret arts and invites Chen An to visit the Heavenly Cloud Sect.
• Other cultivators negotiate for the arts; some can afford only individual copies, while others watch the lucrative trade with envy but refrain from challenging Chen An.

Key plot points and events

• Chen An enters the Emperor Ruins and is disoriented by the crossing. An emperor’s glyph suppresses his cultivation from Peak Saint Realm to roughly Golden Core Realm and pins down his Primordial Spirit.
• The suppression does not disable his system or three secret arts. His physical body also retains much of its toughness, and the Reverse Dragon Essence Burst Art lets him reach power comparable to the Dao Seed Realm.
• He finds himself in a vast, ancient wilderness filled with demonic beasts and lingering imperial might. Because the ruins restrict his divine sense and limit his perception to about half a kilometer, locating the White Tiger Dao Secret will be difficult.
• He suspects that the Nine Mysteries—and especially the Four Symbols Dao Secrets—may be connected. He recalls that the True Dragon, White Tiger, Black Tortoise, and Phoenix Dao Secrets together can form the Four Symbols Primordial Dao Body.
• Chen An creates a protected cave dwelling and asks his system to use Source Points to deduce three Dao Secrets from his existing arts: True Dragon from Reverse Dragon Essence Burst, Peng from God-Burning Escape, and Phoenix from Heaven-Mending Resurrection. The result is left for the next chapter.

Character development and interactions

• Chen An responds methodically to a dangerous, unfamiliar environment: he checks his abilities, assesses the limits of the suppression, and establishes a secure base before experimenting.
• His system remains a dependable resource and an important partner in his plans; he confirms it is unaffected and asks it to perform the deductions.
• Chen An reflects on the complicated history between humans and demons. He recognizes both the Demon Race’s former dominance and accounts of demons who helped humanity, rather than treating the ancient conflict as simple.

Significant themes

• Adaptation under constraint: Chen An’s strength is reduced, but preparation and the abilities that remain give him options.
• Ancient power and mystery: The emperor’s glyph and the ruins’ lingering imperial aura suggest forces beyond ordinary cultivation.
• Hidden connections: Chen An’s theory that the Dao Secrets correspond to the Four Symbols drives his next experiment.
• Complex history and coexistence: The human–demon conflict is presented as ancient and morally ambiguous, with hostility and goodwill on both sides.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An deduces three of the Nine Secrets: True Dragon Dao Secret, Phoenix Dao Secret, and Peng Dao Secret.
• His cultivation, suppressed by Emperor script, is restored to the peak of the Saint Realm after activating the True Dragon Dao Secret.
• The True Dragon, Phoenix, and Peng runes hint at the location of the White Tiger Dao Secret.

Character Development

• Chen An demonstrates his strategic thinking and patience by waiting in the cave abode instead of rushing out.
• He shows determination and decisiveness in confirming the deduction of the Nine Secrets without hesitation.
• Chen An's understanding of the Nine Secrets deepens, revealing their extraordinary nature and profoundness.

Significant Themes

• The power and profundity of the Nine Secrets, which are connected to the Great Dao and potentially immortality.
• The suppression of cultivation and the struggle to break free from it.
• The pursuit of strength and the desire to uncover hidden secrets.

Character Interactions

• Chen An interacts with the system, confirming deductions and observing the progress of the Nine Secrets' acquisition.
• There are no direct interactions with other characters in this chapter.

Chapter Summary

• After mastering the True Dragon, Phoenix, and White Tiger secret arts, Chen An senses the Dragon and Phoenix runes resonating faintly, suggesting that the corresponding secrets may be nearby. He discovers that more than half a day has passed and recognizes how extraordinary the Nine Mysteries are.
• Chen An surveys the enormous Emperor Ruins with his divine sense, then follows the runes’ resonance to an unremarkable valley. There he spots members of the Primordial Origin Holy Land.
• Elder Qin Yuan and Holy Son Song Yunci recognize Chen An as Li Xiaoyao, whose public sale of three secret arts earned him a huge stash of Dao Crystals. Lured by the prospect of stealing both, they decide to attack him, believing the Emperor Ruins’ restrictions—which suppress powerful cultivators to Golden Core strength—give them an advantage.
• Qin Yuan orders the group to use the Profound Origin Grand Formation and kill Chen An quickly. Song Yunci and the disciples approach him with confidence and threaten him, demanding his secret arts and treasures.
• Chen An remains unmoved and contemptuously calls Song Yunci a Dao Seed Realm “ant.” Song Yunci becomes furious, while a young woman from the group demands that Chen An kneel and warns him he will die if he refuses.

Character Developments and Interactions

Chen An’s confidence and disdain for lesser opponents are on display: despite facing a group plotting to ambush him, he answers their threats with an insult rather than fear. Song Yunci’s greed and wounded pride emerge as he moves from quietly coveting Chen An’s wealth to openly confronting him. Qin Yuan acts as the calculating instigator, directing the planned attack, while the other disciples follow Song Yunci’s lead.

Significant Themes

The chapter highlights the allure of extraordinary power and wealth, which drives the Primordial Origin Holy Land to betray the appearance of civility. It also emphasizes the danger of the Emperor Ruins’ distorted conditions: their power-suppressing rules create opportunities for weaker groups to challenge figures they would normally fear.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An faces off against Primordial Origin Holy Land members, including Song Yunci and Qin Yuan.
• Song Yunci activates the Profound Origin Grand Formation to attack Chen An, but it fails to harm him.
• Chen An easily defeats all the Primordial Origin Holy Land members and Qin Yuan.
• Chen An learns from Qin Yuan's soul that the Primordial Origin Holy Land's patriarch believes the Divine Radiance Great Emperor's imperial palace exists within the Emperor Ruins, containing valuable treasures.

Character Developments

• Chen An demonstrates his immense power and calm demeanor, showing no fear against multiple opponents.
• Song Yunci and Qin Yuan reveal their greed and desperation, underestimating Chen An's abilities.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and the consequences of underestimating one's opponent.
• Greed and ambition leading to downfall.
• The allure of ancient treasures and the lengths people will go to obtain them.

Character Interactions

• Chen An shows no mercy to his enemies, swiftly defeating them with ease.
• Song Yunci and Qin Yuan attempt to intimidate and reason with Chen An, but their efforts are futile.
• Qin Yuan tries to plead for his life, but Chen An remains indifferent.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Divine Radiance Great Emperor, a legendary figure known for cultivating the Law of Light, is mentioned. His imperial palace is believed to be within the Emperor Ruins.
• Chen An loots the corpses of Primordial Origin Holy Land disciples, finding valuable items worth over a hundred billion Yuan Crystals.
• An ailing old man, Chu Chengtian, and his grandson, Chu Tianfeng, appear. They reveal they've been watching Chen An's battles from afar.
• Chu Chengtian invites Chen An to see a discovery related to the White Tiger Dao Secret.

Character Developments

• Chen An: Shows his calm and collected demeanor when faced with unexpected experts. He also demonstrates his understanding of ruthlessness in dealing with enemies.
• Chu Chengtian: Reveals his high cultivation level and his teaching methods to his grandson, Chu Tianfeng.
• Chu Tianfeng: Displays his admiration for Chen An's fighting skills and repeats his grandfather's teachings about dealing with enemies.

Significant Themes

• Ruthlessness and mercy in dealing with enemies.
• The value of experience and learning from others, as seen in Chu Tianfeng's admiration for Chen An and Chu Chengtian's invitation to explore together.

Character Interactions

• Chen An and Chu Chengtian: They exchange polite greetings and express mutual respect, with Chu Chengtian appreciating Chen An's clear-sightedness.
• Chen An and Chu Tianfeng: The child expresses his admiration for Chen An's fighting skills, while Chen An advises him not to imitate him in the future.
• Chu Chengtian and Chu Tianfeng: The grandfather-grandson pair shows a close relationship, with Chu Chengtian teaching Chu Tianfeng about dealing with enemies and lightly reprimanding him for speaking without restraint.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An is invited by Chu Chengtian to find the White Tiger Dao Secret together.
• They discover the hidden Divine Radiance Emperor Palace within a valley, concealed within motes of light and dust.
• Chu Chengtian effortlessly reveals the palace, displaying immense power.
• They enter the palace, finding it filled with light and vast, imperial architecture.

Character Developments

• Chen An: Initially surprised and suspicious of Chu Chengtian's invitation, he becomes awestruck by Chu Chengtian's power and the revelation of the imperial palace.
• Chu Chengtian: Reveals himself as an incredibly powerful figure, possibly a Quasi-Emperor Realm expert, displaying calm and confidence in the face of the imperial might.

Significant Themes

• The power and subtlety of the Dao of Light, as demonstrated by the Divine Radiance Emperor's hiding of his palace.
• The vastness and might of ancient Great Emperors, reflected in the imperial palace's architecture and aura.

Character Interactions

• Chen An and Chu Chengtian: They interact respectfully, with Chen An showing deference to Chu Chengtian's power and knowledge.
• Chu Chengtian and Chu Tianfeng: The old man treats the boy kindly and protectively, holding his hand throughout their journey.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An, accompanied by Chu Chengtian and Chu Tianfeng, enters the vast Divine Radiance Emperor Palace.
• They encounter array patterns and puppet-like figures with terrifying auras and imperial might.
• They enter the Divine Radiance Main Hall, where Chen An sees the White Tiger Dao Secret and Metal Dao Secret inscribed on the palace walls.
• Chen An records both secret arts using his divine sense.

Character Developments

• Chen An: Realizes the grandeur of ancient Great Emperors, feels the pressure of the restrictions and puppet guards, and memorizes the two Dao Secrets.
• Chu Chengtian: Demonstrates his unfathomable cultivation and background, guides Chen An and Chu Tianfeng through the palace, and reveals his knowledge of the Nine Secrets.
• Chu Tianfeng: Reveals his monstrous cultivation (Immortal Platform Realm at five or six years old) and eye technique, memorizes the two Dao Secrets.

Significant Themes

• The power and grandeur of ancient Great Emperors.
• The importance of opportunity and seizing it.
• The vast gap in cultivation levels and potential among individuals.

Character Interactions

• Chen An and Chu Chengtian: Chu Chengtian guides Chen An through the palace, clearing his doubts and revealing his knowledge of the Dao Secrets.
• Chen An and Chu Tianfeng: Chen An is amazed by Chu Tianfeng's cultivation level and physique, but does not dare ask about it due to Chu Chengtian's presence.
• Chu Chengtian and Chu Tianfeng: Chu Chengtian guides and teaches Chu Tianfeng, showing concern for his well-being and cultivation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An, Chu Chengtian, and Chu Tianfeng enter a vast, luminous great hall.
• They traverse a spatial formation set by Divine Radiance Great Emperor, which Chu Tianfeng identifies.
• They reach a Ninefold Divine Altar, atop which lies an ancient coffin (possibly Divine Radiance Great Emperor's), with a scripture scroll and a damaged bronze mirror beside it.

Character Developments

• Chen An: Realizes his limitations and decides to follow Chu Chengtian, showing wisdom and adaptability.
• Chu Tianfeng: Demonstrates extraordinary knowledge and insight for his young age, understanding the spatial formation.
• Chu Chengtian: Shows expertise in spatial formations and Divine Radiance Great Emperor's power, leading the group through the formation.

Significant Themes

• Power and Status: The vast difference in knowledge and ability between characters, echoing the theme of power dynamics and social status.
• Legacy and Burial: The search for Divine Radiance Great Emperor's burial place and his legacy (scripture scroll and bronze mirror) highlights the theme of inheritance and the importance of past achievements.

Character Interactions

• Chen An and Chu Chengtian: Chen An follows Chu Chengtian's lead, showing deference and respect.
• Chu Chengtian and Chu Tianfeng: Chu Chengtian interacts warmly with Chu Tianfeng, showing affection and pride in the boy's understanding.
• Chen An and Chu Tianfeng: Chen An is astonished by Chu Tianfeng's knowledge, realizing the boy's extraordinary origins.

Plot points and events

• Chen An, Chu Chengtian, and Chu Tianfeng discover the Divine Radiance Great Emperor’s Imperial Scripture and the damaged Divine Radiance Mirror atop the coffin.
• The mirror is an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon, but a past battle destroyed half of it and left its inner deity dormant, with less than a tenth of its power remaining.
• Chu Chengtian offers the mirror to Chen An. Chen An eagerly accepts, nearly buckling under its immense weight.
• Chu Chengtian explains that the mirror can be partly awakened by cultivating the Metal Dao Secret. Chen An conceals that he could likely master the technique with help from his system.
• Chu Chengtian then examines the Great Emperor’s scripture. Chen An resists the temptation to ask for it, judging that he has already gained more than enough—and that the scripture’s light-based Dao would not suit his lightning cultivation.

Character developments

• Chen An is thrilled by the gift but shows growing restraint: despite craving the Imperial Scripture and recognizing its immense market value, he avoids appearing greedy or offending Chu Chengtian. He also privately considers how the mirror could protect him against the Sikong Family.
• Chu Chengtian remains composed and strikingly generous, giving away a priceless weapon without visible regret. His teasing manner and final, knowing smile suggest he may be testing or observing Chen An.
• Chu Tianfeng shows some envy of Chen An’s windfall, though he does not challenge the gift.

Significant themes

• Restraint and contentment: Chen An decides not to pursue every possible reward, believing excess could cost him Chu Chengtian’s favor.
• Power and inheritance: Imperial treasures carry immense force and prestige, but their usefulness depends on their condition and the cultivator’s Dao.
• Generosity and hidden motives: Chu Chengtian’s casual gift is unusually lavish, leaving Chen An to wonder why he is being favored.

Character interactions

• Chu Chengtian guides Chen An on the mirror’s weight, origins, and how to access its remaining power.
• Chen An responds with intense gratitude while carefully concealing his full capabilities.
• Chen An deliberately looks away as Chu Chengtian reads the scripture; Chu Chengtian notices and smiles, hinting that he approves—or has learned something—from Chen An’s restraint.

Key plot points and events

• Inside the Divine Radiance Emperor Palace, Chu Chengtian studies the Divine Radiance Emperor Scripture while Chu Tianfeng tries to persuade Chen An to look inside the Great Emperor’s coffin. Chen An refuses, wary of the danger posed by the corpse’s Supreme Emperor Might.
• Chu Chengtian reflects that even a Great Emperor ultimately dies, lamenting that without immortality all beings return to the earth.
• With nothing more to find in the palace, Chu Chengtian takes Chu Tianfeng and Chen An back to the Emperor Ruins. Chu Chengtian and the boy then depart separately.
• Chen An chooses not to linger near the coffin. Concerned that the Sikong Family may be waiting for him outside the ruins, he heads toward a nearby mountain to refine the Divine Radiance Mirror and strengthen his control of the Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon.

Character developments

• Chen An shows caution and restraint, resisting both curiosity about the coffin and temptation to claim the Great Emperor’s corpse. He recognizes how much he owes Chu Chengtian and remains wary of the elder’s immense, inscrutable power.
• Chu Chengtian reveals a moment of melancholy as he contemplates mortality, but Chu Tianfeng’s faith in him restores his warmth. He remains composed and generous toward Chen An.
• Chu Tianfeng is curious and mischievous, but obedient when corrected. His sincere confidence that his great-grandfather will become immortal comforts Chu Chengtian.

Significant themes

• Mortality and immortality: Even supreme power cannot prevent death; the chapter’s central reflection is that all return to the earth without immortality.
• Caution and self-preservation: Chen An survives by recognizing his limits and avoiding risks he cannot handle.
• Fate and gratitude: Chu Chengtian calls Chen An’s gains a matter of fate, while Chen An sees them as a debt earned through the elder’s help.
• Family affection and hope: Tianfeng’s innocent faith briefly lifts Chu Chengtian’s sorrow.

Character interactions

• Tianfeng urges Chen An to investigate the coffin, but Chu Chengtian gently stops him.
• Tianfeng reassures his great-grandfather, prompting a tender exchange that dispels the elder’s loneliness.
• Chen An thanks Chu Chengtian for his help and offers to repay him; Chu Chengtian brushes this aside, saying Chen An was simply fated to receive the legacy.
• Chen An and Tianfeng part warmly, with both acknowledging they may meet again.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An encounters Huairen, a fake monk, looting corpses in the Emperor Ruins.
• Chen An reveals that Huairen's actions led to him being stranded in the Heavenly Court Ancient Star.
• Huairen uses a Saint King weapon, a golden alms bowl, to defend against Chen An.
• Chen An, now a Saint, directly clashes with the Saint King weapon using his physical body.

Character Developments

• Chen An has advanced to the Saint Realm and can now directly contend with a Saint King weapon.
• Huairen is revealed to possess a Saint King weapon, indicating his true strength and cunning.

Significant Themes

• The power of cultivation and the disparity between realms.
• The importance of weapons and artifacts in combat, especially at higher realms.
• The consequences of one's actions and the karma that follows.

Character Interactions

• Chen An and Huairen's interaction is filled with tension and animosity due to their past encounter.
• Chen An's calm and confident demeanor contrasts with Huairen's fear and disbelief.

Plot points

• Chen An overpowers Huairen’s golden bowl, a Saint King Weapon, with one hand, leaving Huairen terrified.
• Huairen pleads for mercy, claiming he once saved Chen An in a spatial vortex by sacrificing one of his Calamity-Deliverance Pearls.
• Chen An inspects Huairen’s remaining Buddhist beads and recognizes their protective power as matching a fragment he previously found.
• Chen reminds Huairen that Huairen had secretly followed him and sabotaged his formation, prompting Chen to detonate the teleportation array. He rejects Huairen’s claim that the rescue obligates him to gratitude.
• When Chen resumes his attack, Huairen admits his wrongdoing and offers compensation. His offer of a Saint Weapon is dismissed, so he raises the stakes by offering a Quasi-Emperor scripture. The chapter ends before Chen responds.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen An is shown to have become powerful enough to suppress a Saint King Weapon. He remains cold and unswayed by Huairen’s appeals, but the Buddhist beads spark his interest.
• Huairen shifts from boastful self-justification to desperation and confession as Chen’s pressure overwhelms him. He first invokes the rescue, then bargains with increasingly valuable treasures.
• Their exchange is a contest over responsibility: Huairen stresses that he saved Chen, while Chen points out that Huairen helped cause the crisis in the first place.

Significant themes

• Cause, blame, and consequences: Both men suffered from the teleportation-array disaster, but Chen refuses to let Huairen use his later rescue to erase his earlier betrayal.
• Power and leverage: Huairen’s treasures and protective weapon offer little security once Chen can overpower them.
• Self-interest disguised as virtue: Huairen frames his actions as compassionate, but his admission that he followed Chen and broke the formation undermines that claim.
• Bargaining under pressure: The escalating offers show how quickly moral arguments give way to material negotiation when Huairen faces defeat.

Chapter Summary: “The Amitabha Buddha! A Quasi-Emperor Scripture?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huairen attempts to settle his grudge with Chen An by offering a Quasi-Emperor Scripture from the ancient Buddhist sect.
• He claims the scripture is the Great Nirvana Chan Scripture, written by the nearly Buddha-level Nirvana Bodhisattva, and says it contains insights into the Quasi-Emperor Dao.
• Chen An is skeptical, remembering Huairen’s history of deception and frugality. He suspects Huairen may possess even greater treasures, such as an Imperial Scripture or Extreme Dao weapon.
• Chen An agrees to wipe away their past conflict if the scripture proves genuine.
• Huairen produces an ancient jade scroll refined from Nine Heavens Divine Jade, covered in Sanskrit and emitting a powerful Buddhist aura.
• Chen An examines the scripture with his divine sense and confirms that it is indeed a Quasi-Emperor Scripture.
• However, he discovers that it is incomplete: its most important Dao patterns and pathways toward Emperor-level advancement have been removed or obscured.
• Although extremely valuable to Saint and Saint King cultivators, the scripture is of limited use to Chen An, who already possesses the complete Purple Sky Thunder Emperor Scripture.
• Chen An chooses not to expose the scripture’s flaw. He accepts it as compensation, knowing it could still be sold for a large sum of Dao Crystals.
• Believing he has successfully escaped the crisis, Huairen prepares to leave immediately, but Chen An suddenly stops him.

Character Developments

• Chen An remains cautious, perceptive, and calculating. He recognizes Huairen’s deceptive nature but does not act impulsively or destroy him.
• Chen An demonstrates his superior understanding of cultivation scriptures by identifying the Great Nirvana Chan Scripture’s incompleteness—something an ordinary cultivator would likely miss.
• He also shows increasing sophistication in dealing with Huairen, choosing to conceal what he knows rather than reveal all his cards.
• Huairen continues to present himself as reluctant and impoverished despite possessing immense wealth and treasures. His relief after Chen An accepts the scripture reveals how fearful he is of being exposed or forced into a desperate confrontation.
• Huairen becomes determined to distance himself from Chen An, believing that every encounter with him brings misfortune.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Both men conceal their true abilities, treasures, and intentions. Their exchange is less a sincere settlement than a contest of psychological manipulation.
• The value of knowledge: Chen An’s possession of a genuine Quasi-Emperor Scripture allows him to recognize the flaws in Huairen’s offering and avoid being deceived.
• Incomplete inheritances: The Buddhist scripture symbolizes the decline of the ancient Buddhist sect, whose once-great Dao lineage has been fragmented and lost.
• Pragmatism over revenge: Chen An accepts compensation and lets go of the grudge rather than pursuing unnecessary conflict.
• Decline of ancient powers: The chapter provides background on Amitabha Buddha, Zhunti, and Jieyin, emphasizing how the once-glorious Buddhist sect has withered and retreated to the Sumeru Star Domain.

Character Interactions

• Chen An confronts Huairen with suspicion, while Huairen attempts to persuade him through exaggerated claims and a show of reluctance.
• Their negotiation reflects mutual distrust: Chen An doubts the scripture’s authenticity, while Huairen worries that Chen An may discover its incompleteness.
• After secretly recognizing the scripture’s defect, Chen An pretends to accept Huairen’s explanation without complaint.
• Huairen believes the conflict has ended and tries to flee, but Chen An’s sudden “Wait!” suggests that he has another demand or suspicion to address.

Chapter Summary: “Sikong Family Attacks!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dream Immortal City is consumed by excitement over the newly opened Emperor Ruins, which may contain ancient inheritances, the White Tiger Dao Secret, and possibly Divine Radiance Great Emperor’s imperial palace and Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon.
• The city is suddenly overwhelmed by a terrifying pressure as the Sikong Family arrives in force.
• Leading the procession is Sikong Qingyun, a powerful Saint King Realm ancestor who rides a Saint Realm Xuanhuang Black Jade Rhinoceros. He is accompanied by:
  • Sikong Jin, the Third Elder, riding a Crimson Flame Qiongqi.
  • Sikong Yuntang, the Ninth Elder, riding a Frost-Horned Xuanzheng.
  • More than a dozen armored demonic beasts.
• The cultivators recognize Sikong Qingyun as a legendary powerhouse who awakened after thirty thousand years and was reputed to have slain several Saint King Realm experts.
• Sikong Qingyun demands to know Li Xiaoyao’s whereabouts.
• Su Mu of the Heavenly Cloud Sect informs him that Li Xiaoyao entered the Emperor Ruins two days earlier and has not returned.
• Although Sikong Jin suggests entering the ruins to capture Li Xiaoyao, Sikong Qingyun refuses. Since the ruins will close after one more day and their internal suppression would weaken his cultivation, he decides to wait at the exit.
• The Sikong Family proceeds toward the ruins’ entrance, preparing to intercept Li Xiaoyao when he emerges.

Character Developments

• Sikong Qingyun is established as calm, confident, and extremely powerful. He views Li Xiaoyao as a minor opponent and believes his own strength, combined with a Quasi-Emperor Weapon, is more than sufficient.
• Despite his confidence, Qingyun demonstrates caution and strategic judgment by refusing to enter the dangerous Emperor Ruins without need.
• Sikong Jin appears aggressive and eager to act, immediately volunteering to enter the ruins and capture Li Xiaoyao.
• Sikong Yuntang is suspicious of Li Xiaoyao, believing he may have deliberately hidden in the ruins after learning that the Sikong Family was coming.
• Su Mu acts respectfully and cautiously, taking the opportunity to inform Qingyun rather than risk provoking the powerful family.
• Li Xiaoyao does not appear directly, but his earlier defeat of Sikong Yan and current position inside the ruins make him the focus of the family’s pursuit.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: The Sikong Family’s arrival demonstrates the overwhelming authority of ancient aristocratic lineages and causes the entire city to fall silent in fear.
• Confidence versus caution: Qingyun considers Li Xiaoyao insignificant, yet he still evaluates the risks of entering the Emperor Ruins and chooses the safer strategic option.
• Ancient legacies and hidden power: The chapter emphasizes the immense foundations of old families, including Saint King ancestors, bloodline beasts, and Quasi-Emperor Weapons.
• Fate and confrontation: The coming clash between Li Xiaoyao and the Sikong Family is presented as inevitable, with the ruins’ exit becoming the stage for their encounter.

Character Interactions

• Sikong Qingyun and Su Mu: Su Mu respectfully reports Li Xiaoyao’s location, while Qingyun responds with detached authority.
• Sikong Qingyun, Sikong Jin, and Sikong Yuntang: The elders discuss whether to pursue Li Xiaoyao inside the ruins. Qingyun overrules them and orders the family to wait outside.
• The Sikong Family and Dream Immortal City: Their arrival terrifies the city’s inhabitants and sparks widespread speculation about the impending battle.
• The Sikong Family and Li Xiaoyao: Though they do not meet in this chapter, Qingyun and the elders organize a direct interception, setting up their confrontation when the Emperor Ruins close.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen An returns the Calamity-Deliverance Pearls to Huairen, who had earlier given them to Chen An.
• Chen An uses the system to calculate the Source Points needed for cultivating the White Tiger Dao Secret and the Metal Dao Secret, both of which are part of the Nine Secrets.
• Chen An successfully cultivates these two Dao Secrets, increasing his combat strength significantly.
• Chen An decides to refine the Divine Radiance Mirror next.

Character Developments

• Chen An: Shows magnanimity by returning the Calamity-Deliverance Pearls to Huairen. He also demonstrates his growing power and wisdom by calculating resource needs before cultivating new techniques.
• Huairen: Shows gratitude and relief upon receiving the Calamity-Deliverance Pearls back. He seems to want to tell Chen An something but ultimately keeps silent.

Significant Themes

• Power and wealth: Chen An's growing strength and resources allow him to make decisions based on wisdom rather than immediate gain.
• Gratitude and debt: Huairen's gratitude towards Chen An for saving his life is evident, and he feels indebted to Chen An.

Character Interactions

• Chen An and Huairen: Their interaction is cordial, with Chen An showing understanding and Huairen expressing gratitude. However, there's an unspoken tension due to Huairen's earlier deception about the Great Nirvana Chan Scripture.

Chapter Summary: Refining the Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Inside his Dao Palace, Chen An begins refining the severely damaged Divine Radiance Mirror, an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon created by the ancient Divine Radiance Great Emperor.
• The mirror is badly cracked, its Emperor patterns mostly destroyed, and its weapon deity has fallen into a deep slumber after a past Imperial battle.
• Normally, controlling an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon requires the Great Emperor’s bloodline and a corresponding inheritance technique. However, the mirror’s damaged state and dormant deity allow Chen An to attempt refinement without facing its full resistance.
• Using the Metal Dao Secret, which he has cultivated to perfection, Chen An sends golden Metal Dao runes into the mirror.
• The mirror instinctively retaliates, activating its remaining Emperor patterns and unleashing overwhelming Supreme Emperor Might that destroys more than half of Chen An’s Dao patterns.
• Rather than overpowering the weapon, Chen An exploits the cracks in its damaged surface. He transforms the shattered runes into Metal Dao Origin and gradually guides them through the mirror’s cracks.
• His Dao Origin reaches the mirror’s core, where he sees its immense source and the sleeping weapon deity.
• Carefully avoiding awakening the deity, Chen An brands his Primordial Spirit into the weapon’s source.
• The mirror finally stops resisting. A purple-gold lightning rune appears within its center, resonating with the rune between Chen An’s brows.
• Chen An successfully achieves an initial refinement of the Divine Radiance Mirror, gaining the ability to begin controlling the powerful Imperial Weapon.

Character Development

• Chen An demonstrates patience, caution, and strategic intelligence rather than relying on brute force. He understands that forcibly refining the weapon would destroy him.
• His mastery of the Metal Dao Secret proves crucial, allowing him to communicate with and infiltrate the damaged weapon despite lacking the Divine Radiance Great Emperor’s bloodline.
• Chen An takes a major step toward becoming one of the strongest figures in the Divine Profound Realm by gaining control over an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon.
• His successful refinement also shows his growing ability to merge his own cultivation and Primordial Spirit with powerful external treasures.

Significant Themes

• Strength through strategy: Chen An succeeds by exploiting the mirror’s weakness instead of confronting its full power directly.
• Damage as opportunity: The Divine Radiance Mirror’s destruction, which would normally be a disadvantage, creates an opening for Chen An to refine it.
• Cooperation over domination: His method is described as a fusion with the weapon rather than forcible seizure or deception.
• The dangers of supreme power: Even a damaged Imperial Weapon remains capable of destroying cultivators far beyond Chen An’s current level.
• Inheritance and individuality: Although Imperial Weapons are traditionally bound to their creators’ bloodlines, Chen An’s mastery of the Metal Dao allows him to establish his own connection.

Character Interactions

• Chen An has no direct interaction with another character in the chapter, but Chu Chengtian’s earlier guidance is essential. The sickly old man informed him that the mirror’s deity would remain asleep unless the weapon was reforged with Extreme Dao power.
• This knowledge gives Chen An the confidence to attempt refinement while avoiding the greatest danger: awakening the dormant deity.
• Chen An’s interaction with the Divine Radiance Mirror is effectively a battle and negotiation between his Primordial Spirit and the weapon’s instinctive power. Though initially hostile, the mirror eventually harmonizes with his aura and accepts his mark.

Summary

Key events

• Inside the Dao Palace, Chen An successfully establishes a preliminary bond with the damaged Divine Radiance Mirror, an Extreme Dao Imperial Weapon. Though he can draw out less than ten percent of its power, even that small fraction of Emperor Might dwarfs Saint King Weapons.
• Chen An senses that the mirror’s divine spirit is badly injured and dormant. Repairing it would require Great Emperor-level ability and rare Black Feather Immortal Gold; awakening its spirit would also be dangerous, since it might kill him for taking control of the weapon.
• As the Emperor Ruins are about to close, Chen An leaves the mirror hovering above his Primordial Spirit and returns to his body. Though he could use it to leave the ruins at will, he chooses not to reopen them, respecting the tomb of Divine Radiance Great Emperor, whose weapon he has taken.
• Outside, the entrance is nearly shut. The Sikong Family has assembled a formidable force to intercept Li Xiaoyao, including Saint King Sikong Qingyun, guardian beasts, and a large contingent of elite fighters. A purple-gold figure appears at the exit.

Character developments

• Chen An gains a powerful weapon and recognizes both its potential and the danger of relying on it. His decision not to disturb the tomb shows restraint and respect despite his newfound advantage.
• The Sikong Family’s leaders show how seriously they take the pursuit of Li Xiaoyao: they have mobilized overwhelming force to prevent his escape.

Character interactions

• Chen An forms a tenuous connection with the mirror but treats its sleeping spirit as a potential threat rather than a willing ally.
• The Sikong forces dominate the gathering outside the ruins, compelling other families and Holy Lands to hold back.
• The chapter ends on a cliffhanger: the purple-gold figure emerges just as the Sikong Family’s trap awaits.

Significant themes

• Power and danger: Even a fraction of an Imperial Weapon’s strength is immense, but wielding it carries serious risks.
• Respect for the dead: Chen An avoids reopening the Emperor’s tomb after taking its treasure.
• Overwhelming force and pursuit: The Sikong Family’s display sets up an impending confrontation over Li Xiaoyao.