Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changqing arrives at the Ancient Immortal Hall, causing panic among cultivators due to his high ranking on the Heavenly Void Mirror.
• Gu Yuan, a Half-Step True Lord from the Yinyue Holy Dynasty, attacks Chen Changqing but is instantly killed with a single sword strike.
• Chu Heng, a Half-Step True Lord from the Great Chu Dynasty, steps forward to challenge Chen Changqing, rallying other cultivators to join forces against him.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing demonstrates his formidable strength, killing a Half-Step True Lord with ease, further solidifying his reputation as a ruthless and powerful cultivator.
• Gu Yuan's and Chu Heng's actions showcase their ambition and willingness to risk their lives for the bounty and opportunities in the Heavenly Void Land.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and the fear it instills in others, as seen in the cultivators' reactions to Chen Changqing's presence and strength.
• Ambition and the desire for opportunities, driving cultivators to take risks and challenge Chen Changqing.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing and Gu Yuan: A brief, one-sided exchange leading to Gu Yuan's death, demonstrating Chen Changqing's overwhelming power.
• Chen Changqing and Chu Heng: A tense standoff, with Chu Heng attempting to rally cultivators against Chen Changqing, highlighting the growing threat and danger Chen Changqing poses.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chu Heng, leader of the Great Chu Dynasty, tries to make Chen Changqing a public enemy by gathering cultivators from three major factions to defeat him.
• Chen Changqing, using his superior combat power, single-handedly defeats the combined forces of the Great Chu Dynasty, Yinyue Holy Dynasty, and Blood God Sect, killing over forty cultivators including three Half-Step True Lords.
• Chen Changqing opens the long-sealed Ancient Immortal Hall doors using his pure immortal power and immortal-grade artifact-refining techniques, revealing a dark and ancient interior.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing demonstrates his overwhelming combat power, instilling fear in other cultivators and proving his ability to protect himself.
• Chen Yong chooses to stay outside the Ancient Immortal Hall, acknowledging his limits and offering to guard the entrance for Chen Changqing.

Significant Themes

• The power of individual strength and skill, as Chen Changqing single-handedly defeats multiple factions.
• The allure and danger of ancient immortal halls, with the Ancient Immortal Hall's opening revealing an intimidating and unknown interior.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing and Chu Heng: Chen Changqing's strength and ruthlessness are pitted against Chu Heng's cunning and desperation, resulting in Chu Heng's death.
• Chen Changqing and Chen Yong: Chen Yong shows respect and understanding of his limits, choosing to support Chen Changqing from outside the Ancient Immortal Hall.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The bronze gate of the Immortal Hall opens, releasing immortal energy.
• Cultivators rush towards the gate, but a restriction kills those below the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
• Top-tier geniuses from various sects enter the Immortal Hall.
• Inside, Chen Changqing finds a nine-colored heavenly stairway leading to a treasure pagoda, guarded by bronze puppets.
• Seventeen cultivators, including five True Lords, appear behind him.

Character Developments

• Chen Yong shows restraint and follows Chen Changqing's instructions, not entering the Immortal Hall.
• Chen Changqing demonstrates his dominance and combat prowess, breaking the seal of the Immortal Hall.

Significant Themes

• Greed vs. Caution: Cultivators' greed leads them to disregard the danger, while Chen Yong's caution saves him.
• Power and Prestige: The True Lord cultivators command respect and fear, highlighting the importance of cultivation level.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing and Chen Yong: Chen Yong follows Chen Changqing's orders, showing loyalty and understanding.
• Chen Changqing and the other cultivators: Tension builds as the top-tier geniuses enter the Immortal Hall, setting the stage for potential conflicts.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changqing faces five True Lord cultivators (including Lu Chengfeng and Long Ao) in the Ancient Immortal Hall's Secret Realm.
• Long Ao attacks Chen Changqing, but he is easily defeated with a single punch, demonstrating Chen Changqing's immense physical strength.
• Chen Changqing climbs the Nine-Colored Heavenly Stairway, triggering trials and absorbing law origins with each step.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Proves his formidable strength and fearlessness, showing no fear against multiple True Lord cultivators. He demonstrates his prowess by defeating Long Ao with a single punch and then climbs the heavenly stairway, absorbing law origins.
• Lu Chengfeng: Initially arrogant, he quickly changes his attitude after witnessing Chen Changqing's power, attempting to defuse the situation and avoid conflict.
• Long Ao: Shows his violent temper and underestimates Chen Changqing, leading to his quick defeat. After being injured, he becomes fearful and retreats.

Significant Themes

• Strength and power dynamics: Chen Changqing's immense strength allows him to dominate the situation, while the other cultivators fear him and change their attitudes accordingly.
• The pursuit of the Dao: The Ancient Immortal Hall's trials and opportunities represent the cultivators' desire to advance their cultivation and seek immortality.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing vs. Long Ao: Chen Changqing easily defeats Long Ao with a single punch, demonstrating his superior strength and causing Long Ao to fear him.
• Lu Chengfeng vs. Chen Changqing: Lu Chengfeng initially shows arrogance but quickly changes his attitude after witnessing Chen Changqing's power, attempting to defuse the situation and avoid conflict.
• Chen Changqing vs. the heavenly stairway: Chen Changqing climbs the heavenly stairway, triggering trials and absorbing law origins, demonstrating his determination and prowess.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points

1. Chen Changqing ascends the second tier of the Ancient Immortal Stairway, where his Primordial Nine-Turn Body Refining Art easily devours the crimson True Fire Law, revealing his ability to withstand trials effortlessly.
2. He encounters the star-clad phantom, an ancient Tribulation Immortal's remnant projection, which explains the stairway's nine-tier structure: each tier passed grants an "Ancient Immortal Fortune."
3. Chen Changqing chooses accumulation over immediate rewards, aiming for the ultimate prize — a true Primordial Immortal Dao Source at the ninth tier.
4. The third tier opens with multiplied difficulty — blinding golden Gengjin Sword Qi pounds down with several times the previous pressure, yet Chen cannot even damage his robes.
5. Other cultivators enter the stairway below. A Tribulation Transcendence cultivator from the Formation Annihilation Sacred Land claims a reward and instantly breaks through to Half-Step True Lord, while Lu Chengfeng and other True Lord experts choose accumulation out of competitive pride.
6. Chen reaches the fourth tier (Blackwater Mystic Ice Stairway), smashing through towering Mystic Ice with golden qi as he sprints onward.
7. Outside the secret realm, Chen's score on the Heavenly Void Mirror remains frozen at 213 points, causing his ranking to plummet from 1st to 102nd place as others accumulate points.
8. Hostile factions gloat over his presumed death, while Mount Shu's camp grows anxious.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Demonstrates complete confidence and ambition — he rejects lesser rewards entirely and pursues only the finest treasure, matching the relentless forward momentum of his "keep charging ahead" philosophy.
• Lu Chengfeng: Motivated by wounded pride after witnessing Chen's terrifying strength, he forces himself to endure the accumulated difficulty rather than take the safe path.
• Unnamed formation cultivator: Represents the ordinary cultivator's mindset — satisfied with small gains, breaking through to Half-Step True Lord and rejoicing.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation vs. instant gratification: The chapter's core tension — Chen and Lu stockpile risk for greater eventual returns, while others settle for immediate gains.
• Mismatch between external perception and actual progress: Chen's falling rank appears as failure to outside observers, while he is actually progressing through far more demanding trials than anyone else.
• Overwhelming superiority: Chen breezes through trials that crush others, highlighting his transcendent power relative to his peers.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing with the star phantom: A terse, decisive exchange — he answers "I choose accumulation" instantly, then receives the multiplied trial.
• Lu Chengfeng and the phantom: His choice to accumulate is framed less as ambition and more as prideful competition against Chen.
• Hostile elders' mockery: They assume Chen was "surrounded and killed" by enemies — their gleeful speculation contrasts sharply with his actual effortless ascent.
• Mount Shu side (Liu Ruyan, Xuanyuan Xiaoyu, Hua Yao): Shown in a protective, worried huddle — their anxiety underscores the dramatic irony that Chen is completely safe and far ahead of everyone.

Summary: "Eightfold Stairway, Never Retreat"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Outside the Heavenly Void Secret Realm, Chen Changqing's points on the Heavenly Void Mirror remain unchanged for a full day and night, worrying his companions and the Mount Shu sect.
• Sect Master Daoist Chen Yuan hides his concern, publicly confident in Chen Changqing's survival and abilities.
• Inside the Ancient Immortal Hall's Heavenly Stairway, most geniuses are eliminated by crushing gravity and law pressure. Lu Chengfeng of the True Martial Immortal Sect reaches only the sixth level before being forced to stop.
• Chen Changqing, bare-chested and using his Primordial Nine-Turn Body Refining Art, powers through levels six and seven, then reaches the eighth level—the Yin-Yang Chaos Stairway—where yin and yang forces form a millstone trying to destroy him.
• He suffers his first minor injury, but uses the Heavenly Emperor Divine Fist (Samsara Style) to advance, reaching the final step of the eighth level.
• A stellar phantom appears and offers him an immediate payout: three strands of Pure-Yang Immortal Marrow and a ninth-grade Immortal Artifact—enough to aim for the Heavenly Monarch Dao.
• Chen Changqing refuses, demanding the ninth level be opened. The phantom complies, and the ninth-level stairway manifests, guarded by a colossal imperial silhouette before the Nine-Layer Immortal Pagoda.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Demonstrates extreme physical resilience, stubborn ambition, and refusal to settle for partial rewards. His battle intent grows sharper under pressure; he pushes forward despite injury and warns that "when nine returns to one, only then can true fruition be attained." He chooses maximum risk for maximum reward.
• Daoist Chen Yuan: Outwardly calm and reassuring, but internally anxious and emotionally invested in Chen Changqing's success. Shows a mentor's hidden worry and pride.
• Xuanyuan Xiaoyu & Liu Ruyan: Both are anxious, but Liu Ruyan tries to rally hope, showing loyalty and faith in Chen Changqing's "trump cards" and methods.
• Lu Chengfeng: Serves as a contrast—a talented genius who reaches his limit earlier and is forced to settle, highlighting Chen Changqing's exceptional endurance.

3. Significant Themes

• Never retreat / unwavering determination: Chen Changqing refuses to stop even when offered immense rewards, embodying the chapter's title.
• Risk vs. reward: The story emphasizes that accumulating trials yields greater returns, and only those willing to face death can reach the supreme realm.
• Faith and trust: Companions and sect leader must trust Chen Changqing even when circumstances look dire.
• The price of ambition: Pressure, injury, and near-certain death are the costs of reaching the top.

4. Character Interactions

• Xuanyuan Xiaoyu and Liu Ruyan: Dialogue reveals their worry and their reliance on Chen Changqing's reputation and strength.
• Bai Wuya and Daoist Chen Yuan: Bai Wuya reports the situation; Chen Yuan scolds the disciples for panicking though he is secretly uneasy.
• Chen Changqing and the stellar phantom: A dramatic exchange. The phantom warns of certain death on the ninth level, but Chen Changqing laughs and commands the path be opened, forcing even the ancient guardian to acknowledge his audacity.

Summary of Ascending the Ninth Layer, Supreme Treasures

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Ascension of the Ninth Layer: Chen Changqing, wielding his Heaven-Stepping Ring and fortified by his Primordial Nine-Turn Body Refining Art, successfully ascends the Chaos Immortal Jade steps of the Ninth Layer of the Heavenly Ladder, defying overwhelming immortal-path pressure that shatters the void.
• Trial Completion: After 99 steps, he reaches the summit, where an imperial phantom (a divine entity of the Immortal Ancient Sect) declares his achievement as unmatched in ancient and modern times.
• Reward Bestowal: The phantom grants him:
  • Tribulation Immortal Pill – A supreme divine pill that allows a Heavenly Monarch to become a Tribulation Immortal (bypassing the Great Dao Tribulation) or a Tribulation Immortal to ascend a minor realm instantly, saving ten thousand years of cultivation.
  • Quasi-Postnatal Spirit Treasure (Primordial Hongmeng Embryo) – A supreme treasure beyond Immortal Artifacts, containing innate origin law from the dawn of Heaven-Opening. Chen molds it into a Divine Sword using his Immortal Execution Sword Intent, naming it the Immortal Execution Sword, a weapon capable of cleaving heaven and earth.

2. Character Developments

Chen Changqing

• Physical & Spiritual Growth: His Primordial Nine-Turn Body Refining Art reaches its limit, allowing him to endure explosive immortal-path pressure without breaking.
• Treasure Acquisition: Gains two unprecedented rewards, elevating his power beyond his Heaven-Stepping Ring and Dragon-Patterned Sky-Splitting Spear.
• Confidence & Ambition: His reaction to the Tribulation Immortal Pill (initial confusion, then realization of its value) shows his strategic mind—understanding its potential to dominate the Nine Provinces.
• Sword Bonding: The Immortal Execution Sword is imbued with his will and intent, making it a personalized weapon with berserk, world-shattering power.

Imperial Phantom

• Divine Authority: Acts as the judge and rewarder of the Ninefold Heavenly Ladder, enforcing the Immortal Ancient Sect’s laws.
• Mysterious & Calm: Speaks with heaven-earth resonance, but his slight pause upon Chen’s reaction hints at unexpectedness in his performance.

3. Significant Themes

• The Cost of Power: The top experts (Ji Xuan, Huang Tiannü, etc.) who failed before him sacrificed forbidden artifacts to survive, showing that true strength requires extreme endurance.
• Supremacy & Uniqueness: Chen’s unbroken ascent (unlike past failures) proves his exceptional cultivation and adaptability, setting him apart from clan-bound prodigies.
• Treasure as Destiny: The Tribulation Immortal Pill and Immortal Execution Sword represent rare, world-altering rewards—symbolizing that greatness is not just earned but granted by cosmic laws.
• The Weight of Legacy: The Primordial Hongmeng Embryo’s chaotic transformations mirror the uncertainty of destiny, yet Chen shapes it into his own weapon, showing agency over fate.

4. Character Interactions

Chen Changqing vs. The Ninth Layer

• Physical & Spiritual Duel: His body and Primordial Spirits clash with the immortal-path will, showcasing brute strength and refined technique.
• Reward Negotiation: His skeptical yet eager reaction to the Tribulation Immortal Pill contrasts with the imperial phantom’s measured tone, creating a dynamic of power and curiosity.

Chen Changqing vs. Failed Ascenders (Ji Xuan, Huang Tiannü, etc.)

• Contrast of Strength: While they barely survived using clan-forged forbidden artifacts, Chen ascended purely through his own merit, highlighting his superiority.
• Unspoken Rivalry: Their **stunned gaz

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changqing reaches the summit of the Ancient Immortal Trial unharmed, standing before the Nine-Layer Immortal Pagoda with the terrifying Immortal Execution Sword.
• The Emperor Shadow announces the trial’s rewards:
  • Huang Tiannü receives three drops of Nine-Turn Heavenly Phoenix True Blood.
  • Lu Chengfeng receives a low-grade Immortal Artifact.
  • Ji Xuan, who reached the summit by accumulating trials and using the Ji Clan’s secret treasure, receives a seven-colored divine pill. It is described as a Heavenly Monarch Pill capable of helping a True Lord break into the Heavenly Monarch realm.
  • Chen Changqing is declared the only person to pass entirely through his own body and Dao heart. He receives the quasi-Acquired Spirit Treasure, the Immortal Execution Sword, and a genuine Tribulation Immortal Pill capable of raising even a Tribulation Immortal by an entire minor realm.
• The Emperor Shadow disappears, and the Nine-Layer Immortal Pagoda opens, revealing the route to the Ancient Immortal Hall’s core inheritance.
• Everyone becomes envious of Chen Changqing’s superior rewards. Ji Xuan, Huang Tiannü, and Lu Chengfeng attempt to disguise their greed as concern for the Nine Provinces, asking to examine or “study” the sword.
• Chen Changqing openly mocks their excuses and challenges them to admit that they intend to rob him.
• Ji Xuan abandons all pretenses and threatens Chen, demanding that he surrender both the sword and the pill. He warns that Chen will not leave the Secret Realm alive otherwise.
• Rather than becoming frightened or angry, Chen Changqing appears delighted by the confrontation, setting up an impending battle.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Demonstrates overwhelming composure and confidence. His successful completion of the trial proves the strength of his physical body and Dao heart, while his sarcastic responses reveal his fearless and confrontational personality. He clearly trusts his new treasure and seems eager for the coming conflict.
• Ji Xuan: His initial joy at receiving a powerful pill turns into humiliation and rage when he learns that Chen’s rewards are vastly superior. His jealousy causes him to discard his polite facade and openly threaten Chen.
• Huang Tiannü: Receives valuable Phoenix Clan blood and recognizes the Immortal Execution Sword’s extraordinary power. Although she speaks in the language of collective benefit, her interest suggests that she, too, is tempted by the sword.
• Lu Chengfeng: Is happy with his Immortal Artifact only briefly before feeling dissatisfied and greedy when comparing it to Chen’s reward. He supports Ji Xuan’s attempt to pressure Chen.
• The Emperor Shadow: Acts as the impartial judge of the trial, clearly distinguishing between genuine achievement and success obtained through external assistance.

3. Significant Themes

• True strength versus borrowed power: Chen is rewarded for completing the trial through his own body and Dao heart, while Ji Xuan’s externally assisted ascent earns him a lesser evaluation.
• Greed beneath righteousness: The other prodigies cloak their desire to seize Chen’s treasures in claims about protecting the Nine Provinces and studying the sword for the common good.
• Unequal fortune and resentment: The vast difference between Chen’s rewards and those of the others intensifies their envy and turns former cooperation into hostility.
• Power beyond established limits: The Immortal Execution Sword surpasses the known level of Immortal Artifacts, introducing a treasure that could reshape the balance of power in the Nine Provinces.
• Fearlessness and provocation: Chen’s refusal to submit demonstrates his willingness to confront entire factions rather than surrender hard-earned power.

4. Character Interactions

• The Emperor Shadow formally evaluates and rewards each cultivator, with Chen receiving special recognition as the trial’s only fully successful participant.
• Ji Xuan, Huang Tiannü, and Lu Chengfeng jointly pressure Chen by appealing to morality, shared responsibility, and the reputation of their clans and sects.
• Chen rejects their arguments with mockery, directly accusing them of wanting to rob him.
• Ji Xuan responds with an explicit threat, transforming the tense negotiation into an open confrontation. The chapter ends with Chen apparently welcoming the chance to fight.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changqing reaches the white jade platform at the top of the Ninefold Heavenly Ladder, where several elite prodigies from powerful sects and ancient clans have gathered.
• Seeing that these experts possess large numbers of Heavenly Void Mirror points, Chen views them as easy targets and prepares to fight.
• Ji Xuan, enraged by Chen’s arrogance, attacks first with the Ji Clan’s Quasi-Immortal Artifact, the Nine-Dragon Heaven-Turning Seal.
• Chen casually swings the Immortal Execution Sword, whose overwhelming power destroys the seal in a single strike and breaks through Ji Xuan’s defensive robe.
• Ji Xuan loses his entire left arm and is sent crashing into a stone pillar. The others are stunned by the sword’s terrifying might.
• Rather than retreat, Ji Xuan becomes even more obsessed with obtaining the sword. He uses a blood-colored jade talisman to temporarily seal his wound and raise his strength to True Lord Grand Completion, then summons the Ji Clan’s hidden trump card, the Xuanming Immortal-Slaying Sword.
• Huang Tiannü, Lu Chengfeng, and Monk Falun join Ji Xuan, each unleashing their strongest techniques and treasures:
  • Huang Tiannü activates her Nine-Turn Heavenly Phoenix bloodline.
  • Lu Chengfeng uses the True Martial Immortal Sect’s Yin-Yang Life-and-Death Wheel.
  • Monk Falun manifests a massive Vajra Arhat form and Buddhist barrier.
• The four prodigies surround Chen and attempt to overwhelm him through numbers.
• Chen responds by activating the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor’s Invincible Avatar Technique, creating four powerful copies of himself.
• Each avatar possesses Late Tribulation Transcendence combat strength and wields a different Immortal Artifact: the Dragon-Patterned Sky-Splitting Spear, Haotian Hammer, Immortal-Burying Zither, and Heavenly Thunder Sword.
• The chapter ends with Chen’s original body and four avatars surrounding the platform, ready to confront the four prodigies.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Displays extreme confidence and a growing dominance over the elite cultivators. His casual destruction of a Quasi-Immortal Artifact demonstrates that the Immortal Execution Sword gives him overwhelming offensive power. His ability to create four equally powerful avatars reveals another major advantage: superior numbers and versatility.
• Ji Xuan: His arrogance is shattered when he loses an arm and his prized artifact in one blow. However, humiliation turns into greed and madness; he becomes even more determined to seize Chen’s sword and reveals a hidden artifact and emergency power-boosting talisman.
• Huang Tiannü: Initially observes the battle cautiously, hoping to assess Chen’s strength. After witnessing his sword’s power, she is visibly shaken but ultimately chooses to join the attack and fully activates her phoenix bloodline.
• Lu Chengfeng: Secretly prepares to cut off Chen’s retreat, but his confidence collapses after seeing Ji Xuan defeated so easily. He nevertheless commits to the group assault and brings out his strongest technique.
• Monk Falun: Remains composed and tactical, quietly establishing a Buddhist barrier before later transforming into a powerful Vajra Arhat to participate in the attack.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power versus cultivation level: Chen’s Late Tribulation Transcendence realm appears insignificant compared with the others’ True Lord cultivation, but the Immortal Execution Sword allows him to overcome their conventional advantages.
• Greed and obsession: Ji Xuan’s desire for the sword grows even after suffering a crippling injury, showing how ambition can overpower reason and self-preservation.
• Pride and humiliation: The chapter reverses the usual hierarchy. The revered heirs of ancient clans and top sects are forced to recognize that Chen, whom they dismiss as an outsider, possesses far greater combat power.
• Numbers and strategy: The opponents attempt to defeat Chen through coordinated teamwork, but Chen counters by multiplying himself, turning their numerical advantage against them.
• Hidden trump cards: Nearly every major character conceals powerful artifacts, bloodlines, or techniques, suggesting that the coming battle will involve escalating revelations.

Character Interactions

• Ji Xuan directly insults and challenges Chen, framing the conflict as a clash between the ancient Ji Clan’s heritage and Chen’s supposedly humble origins.
• Huang Tiannü, Lu Chengfeng, and Monk Falun initially watch Ji Xuan’s confrontation rather than immediately helping, each assessing Chen and preparing to exploit a possible weakness.
• After Ji Xuan’s defeat, he urges the other three to attack together, persuading them that Chen’s strength depends entirely on the Immortal Execution Sword and that his own cultivation is limited.
• The four prodigies unite against Chen despite their individual rivalries and suspicions.
• Chen mocks their attempt to overwhelm him with numbers and answers with four avatars, transforming the confrontation into a five-against-four battle.

Chapter Summary: AFK Points Soar, His Name Shakes the Outside World

Key Plot Points

• Chen Changqing reveals four external incarnations, each wielding a top-tier Immortal Artifact (Dragon-Patterned Sky-Splitting Spear, Haotian Hammer, Immortal-Burying Zither, Heavenly Thunder Sword), while his main body holds the quasi-Postnatal Spirit Treasure Immortal Execution Sword.
• The four enemy geniuses—Ji Xuan, Lu Chengfeng, Dharma Wheel Monk, and Huang Tiannü—are utterly shocked by this display, realizing the numerical advantage has reversed.
• Chen Changqing taunts them, then attacks with all five bodies simultaneously in a single devastating exchange.
• All four geniuses are severely wounded instantly: Ji Xuan's arm bones shatter, Lu Chengfeng suffers a hole in his chest, Dharma Wheel Monk's Arhat Dharma Wheel cracks and he collapses, and Huang Tiannü's Flame Feather Battle Armor breaks apart.
• Ji Xuan begs for his life, invoking the Ji Clan's protection, but Chen Changqing executes him with a sword thrust through the brow, earning 120,000 AFK Points.
• Lu Chengfeng also pleads for mercy, citing righteous-path relations between sects, but is beheaded by the Heavenly Thunder Sword incarnation, earning 90,000 AFK Points.
• Dharma Wheel Monk calmly accepts his death with a bitter smile and is killed by the Haotian Hammer incarnation.
• Chen Changqing collects Ji Xuan's storage ring and the Xuanming Immortal-Slaying Sword. Huang Tiannü's fate is left unresolved as the chapter ends.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Reveals his true overwhelming strength—his incarnations are practically full-powered duplicates. Exhibits absolute ruthlessness, showing zero hesitation to kill the scions of major immortal lineages and no regard for their political backing. His power is described as monstrous and inhuman by his enemies.
• Ji Xuan: Degrades from arrogant confidence to terror, shamelessly begging for his life and offering bribes. Dies with eyes wide open, soul destroyed.
• Lu Chengfeng: Reduced to weeping, kowtowing, and spouting sect-friendship rhetoric, then dispatched without mercy.
• Dharma Wheel Monk: Contrasts the others by accepting death with dignity—a bitter smile and pressed palms rather than desperate pleas.
• Huang Tiannü: Severely wounded and pinned at the platform's edge, her battle armor shattered; her arrogance stripped away.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming Power Reverses Fortunes: The attackers who came to plunder become the helpless prey in an instant, highlighting the chasm between ordinary geniuses and the true protagonist.
• Ruthlessness Without Hesitation: Chen Changqing does not entertain mercy, redemption, or political fears—reminders of sect backgrounds and alliances are meaningless to him. This marks him as a decisive, unromantic killer.
• Humiliation of Arrogance: The four geniuses' earlier confidence and greed are punished with fatal brutality, reinforcing the cause-and-effect of coveting another's treasure.
• External Incarnation Subversion: The chapter explicitly subverts the convention that incarnations are fragile and weak (30–40% power), with Chen Changqing's being equivalent to the main body and armed with rare weapons.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing directly mocks his enemies, echoing their earlier threats back at them.
• Ji Xuan and Lu Chengfeng attempt to appeal to Chen Changqing via sect/political ties (Ji Clan ancestor, True Martial Immortal Sect brotherhood) but are ignored.
• The incarnations act as extensions of Chen Changqing, fighting semi-autonomously while he handles Ji Xuan personally.
• Dharma Wheel Monk's silent acceptance and Huang Tiannü's forced retreat show enemies broken not just physically but psychologically.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Chen Changqing defeats and kills four renowned True Lord prodigies—Ji Xuan, Lu Chengfeng, Huang Tiannü, and Dharma Wheel Monk—atop the White Jade Dao Platform in under half an incense stick's time. Huang Tiannü attempts to use a clan soul-forbidden artifact but is killed before she can.
• Chen gathers all their spoils and his four incarnations merge back into his body.
• Outside, the Heavenly Void Mirror updates dramatically: Chen Changqing surges to First Place with 2,460 points, knocking the previous top disciple of Great Thunder Sound Temple to second. The four slain prodigies' names turn gray and are erased.
• Factions of the fallen (Ji Clan, True Martial Immortal Sect, Phoenix Clan, Great Thunder Sound Temple) erupt in grief and rage; Mount Shu elders rejoice, especially Daoist Chen Yuan.
• Inside the Heavenly Void Hall, Chen senses a hidden observer. A mysterious youth in moon-white robes, Mo Que, appears. He is another inheritor of the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor's lineage, holding a bronze Heaven-Stepping Token. Chen's own three tokens resonate.
• Mo Que reveals the inheritance was split into nine portions and declares he will take Chen's tokens, Divine Sword, and Tribulation Immortal Pill. He attacks with a devastating spear thrust, believing Chen is weakened—but Chen has actually been healing internally and laughs.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Demonstrates overwhelming combat power, cunning, and calm under pressure. Despite sustaining hidden injuries from the Yin-Yang Reversal Chaos Millstone and exhausting true essence, his Primordial Nine-Turn Body Refining Art is rapidly healing him—making him more dangerous than his enemies assume.
• Mo Que: New antagonist introduced—a confident, skilled Half-Step True Lord spear cultivator. He is calculating and opportunistic, waiting for Chen to be weakened, but also arrogant and unaware of Chen's true condition.
• Daoist Chen Yuan: Transforms from tense worry to triumphant laughter, showing his deep investment in Chen's success.

3. Significant Themes

• The struggle for inherited legacy: The Heaven-Stepping Immortal Emperor's fragmented inheritance drives conflict, with only the strongest claiming it.
• Miscalculation vs. hidden resilience: Enemies misjudge Chen's exhaustion; his secret cultivation art reverses their advantage.
• Fame and fallout: Ranking shifts in the Heavenly Void Mirror trigger both celebration and mourning across major powers, showing how one battle reshapes the balance between sects.
• Ambush and opportunism: Mo Que preys on a supposedly weakened foe, illustrating the ruthless, tactical nature of top cultivators.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen's decisive, efficient slaughter of the four prodigies solidifies his terrifying reputation.
• External reactions contrast sharply: the fallen factions' fury vs. Mount Shu's celebration (Chen Yuan laughing, Liu Ruyan/Xuanyuan Xiaoyu/Hua Yao relieved).
• The confrontation with Mo Que begins with mutual wariness and evolves into open challenge—Mo Que's taunting confidence against Chen's calm readiness. Their exchange centers on the Heaven-Stepping Tokens, setting up a future clash.

Chapter Summary: "Immortal Emperor Secret Canon, Violence Formula!"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Chen Changqing reveals the Dragon-Patterned Sky-Splitting Spear, the Immortal Emperor's personal life-bound divine weapon, proving he is the orthodox inheritor of the Emperor's spear Dao.
• Mo Que attacks with the Heaven-Stepping Immortal Step and Eight Desolations Earth-Splitting Spear, but Chen Changqing counters with the Immortal-Extinguishing Three Spears (Monarch-Slaying), fusing both spear lineages into a single devastating strike.
• Chen Changqing defeats Mo Que decisively—shattering his protective Jade Talisman, caving in his chest, and breaking his right arm.
• Rather than yield, Mo Que activates the Violence Formula, a forbidden Immortal Emperor secret art. He consumes the blood essences and residual souls of the fallen True Lords (Ji Xuan, Lu Chengfeng, Huang Tiannü, monk Faxiang) and all remaining corpses on the Dao Platform.
• Mo Que's cultivation forcibly skyrockets from Half-Step True Lord → True Lord Grand Completion → Heavenly Monarch realm, his wounds fully healing as he becomes an even greater threat.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Reveals himself as dangerously versatile—not merely a sword cultivator but a master of the Emperor's complete spear Dao. Remains calm, decisive, and utterly dominant. His possession of the Emperor's personal weapon solidifies his legitimacy as the true inheritor.
• Mo Que: Initially arrogant and confident in his own comprehension of the inheritance, he descends into despair when crushed by Chen Changqing. However, his final act reveals a fanatical, desperate streak—willing to sacrifice his own body and devour the dead to seize victory by any means. His philosophy ("the strongest deserves the inheritance") is brutally inverted upon himself.

3. Significant Themes

• The True Meaning of Inheritance: The chapter debates whether inheritance belongs to the one with the best tools, the deepest comprehension, or the greatest strength. Chen Changqing embodies all three; Mo Que's defeat proves his claim hollow.
• The Cost of Forbidden Power: The Violence Formula is portrayed as an abhorrent, blood-soaked technique requiring the sacrifice of powerful cultivators' essence. Its power is monstrous but clearly comes with profound corruption—physical and spiritual.
• Arrogance and Judgment: Both characters believe themselves supreme, but the gap between them is crushing. Mo Que's greed and self-perception as a "child of destiny" are shattered in an instant.
• Escalating Threat: The chapter ends on a cliffhanger—the villain has just become exponentially more dangerous, raising the stakes for the next confrontation.

4. Character Interactions

• Mo Que's shock upon recognizing the Dragon-Patterned Sky-Splitting Spear, realizing Chen Changqing's inheritance runs deeper than his own.
• Their verbal duel mirrors their physical one—Mo Que insists comprehension and ability matter over mere weapons; Chen Changqing counters that his comprehensive mastery (sword and spear) proves his natural superiority.
• Mo Que's monologue before activating the Violence Formula shows his refusal to accept defeat, shifting from arrogance to desperation, culminating in a crazed, shameless resort to forbidden sorcery.
• Chen Changqing's observation of the Violence Formula's effect—his internal shock at its sinister nature—hints that even he was unprepared for this turn, setting up the next stage of their battle.

Mo Que used his Heavenly Monarch laws to suppress Chen Changqing and his four avatars, but Chen Changqing claimed his AFK gains and broke through to the Middle True Lord Stage. The chapter ended with Mo Que dismissing the breakthrough, unaware that Chen Changqing could now summon five powerful avatars.

• Mo Que reached the Heavenly Monarch realm and used his laws to pin Chen Changqing's four avatars beneath a blood-colored palm.
• Chen Changqing recalled his avatars and claimed all his AFK gains, receiving progress on Human Emperor Heaven-Suppressing Seal and a cultivation Dao fruit.
• The Dao fruit's energy pushed Chen Changqing from late tribulation transcendence through the True Lord barrier to the Middle True Lord Stage.
• Chen Changqing's Invincible Avatar Technique advanced, allowing him to manifest five avatars with his main body's fighting strength.
• Mo Que mocked Chen Changqing's breakthrough, confident that a Middle True Lord could not challenge a Heavenly Monarch.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points

• Mo Que attacks Chen Changqing on the White Jade Dao Platform, using the Violence Formula to forcefully elevate himself to the Heavenly Monarch realm.
• Chen Changqing responds by summoning five incarnations, each at mid-stage True Lord and wielding a genuine Immortal Artifact:
  1. Dragon-Patterned Sky-Splitting Spear
  2. Haotian Hammer
  3. Immortal-Burying Zither
  4. Heavenly Thunder Sword
  5. Blood Prison Mad Blade
• Mo Que is overwhelmed and attempts to flee with a blood escape technique, but the incarnations seal off the void.
• Chen Changqing severs Mo Que's spear with the Immortal Execution Sword and cleaves him in half, killing him.
• System notification: +1,000,000 AFK Points for killing a Heavenly Monarch cultivator.
• Chen obtains Mo Que's Heaven-Stepping Token — the fourth one. The four tokens resonate and partially connect, and Chen learns the Violence Formula.
• Chen loots Mo Que's storage ring and broken spear materials.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Demonstrates overwhelming combat power; his incarnations can wield Immortal Artifacts independently. Gains a new inheritance token and secret art. His physical body is noted as being strong enough to withstand the Violence Formula's backlash.
• Mo Que: Dies in disbelief; his forced Heavenly Monarch realm lacked a solid foundation and proved insufficient.

Themes

• Overwhelming power difference — the "group fight" advantage.
• Inheritance progression — Chen now holds four of nine Immortal Emperor inheritances.
• Cost and reward — killing a powerful foe yields system points and rare resources.

Character Interactions

• Mo Que taunts/attacks with a single word ("Die!").
• Chen calmly responds with "Incarnations" and later quips, "I've never lost a group fight."
• Mo Que's final words: "You... what exactly... are you..." before death.
• System interaction: AFK Points reward notification.

Chapter Summary: AFK Violence Formula

Key Plot Points

• Chen Changqing receives a system notification about an "ownerless high-grade secret technique: Violence Formula" and activates AFK mode using AFK Points earned from killing Mo Que (1 million points).
• The Primordial Immortal Hall trial ends, and the secret realm begins expelling foreign cultivators via teleportation.
• Chen Changqing's score rises to 2,760 points (300 points for killing a Heavenly Monarch-level enemy), breaking all previous Secret Realm records.
• This causes uproar among the major sects watching via the Heavenly Void Mirror: the Ji Clan, True Martial Immortal Sect, Great Thunder Sound Temple, and Phoenix Clan are all enraged.
• Mount Shu's Sect Master Chen Yuan defends Chen Changqing, backed by Bai Wuya and Empress Liuye, threatening the Heaven-Slaying Sword Formation against anyone breaking the rules.
• Chen Changqing exits the ancient hall and meets Chen Yong of the Dao Sect, who waited three days outside for him.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Demonstrates extreme confidence and ruthlessness; accumulates massive points and enmity from top powers.
• Chen Yuan (Mount Shu Sect Master): Shows protective resolve, willing to confront multiple great forces for his disciple.
• Chen Yong (Dao Sect): Cautious and loyal, waited outside the ancient hall for three days to see if Chen Changqing would survive.

Significant Themes

• Ruthless cultivation competition where victory/death is left to fate.
• Sect politics and protective backing in the cultivation world.
• The AFK system allows automated growth/combat, making Chen Changqing uniquely powerful.
• The consequences of killing elite disciples from major factions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing with the system: activates AFK mode without hesitation.
• Chen Yuan confronting the gathered powers: establishes that in-realm deaths are "fate" and threatens retaliation.
• Chen Yong providing information to Chen Changqing about the secret realm's closing timeline.
• Various sect elders reacting in fury (Ji Changkong, True Martial Immortal Sect ancestors, Phoenix Clan forces) at their losses.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Chen Changqing emerges from the ancient hall and casually tells Chen Yong that everyone else inside is dead—all the top prodigies from the great factions have been slaughtered by him.
• The secret realm’s spatial passage collapses, and the two escape using jade talismans.
• Outside, fewer than 30% of the thousands of cultivators who entered the trial survive; the elders of the Ji Clan, True Martial Immortal Sect, Phoenix Clan, and Great Thunder Sound Temple await their heirs—who never return.
• Chen Changqing’s name stands at #1 on the Heavenly Void Mirror with 2,760 points, confirming him as the killer.
• Ji Changkong attacks Chen Changqing in rage, but Mount Shu’s Bai Wuya blocks him with a spear strike.
• The True Martial Immortal Sect, Phoenix Clan, and Great Thunder Sound Temple jointly pressure Mount Shu, demanding Chen Changqing be handed over for execution or imprisonment.
• Chen Changqing draws the Immortal Execution Sword, releasing a fierce baleful aura, and defiantly challenges all of them to make a move.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Changqing: Remains utterly calm and unrepentant after killing dozens of elite prodigies. He shows ruthless decisiveness, absolute confidence in his own strength, and disdain for the great sects’ authority.
• Chen Yong: Shocked and terrified by Chen Changqing’s actions; his fear highlights the scale of the massacre and the danger of the situation.
• Bai Wuya: Demonstrates loyalty to Mount Shu and Chen Changqing, openly mocking the opposing elders and defending his sect’s Holy Son.
• The elders (Ji Changkong, True Martial Heavenly Monarch, Phoenix Clan woman, Thunder Sound Arhats): Portrayed as hypocritical and enraged, willing to break the rules of the trial because their juniors lost.

3. Significant Themes

• Righteous path vs. demonic hypocrisy: The so-called righteous sects condemn Chen Changqing for massacring rivals, yet their own actions are vindictive and tyrannical.
• Strength and defiance: Chen Changqing’s philosophy is that the sword can hold up the sky; might justifies survival in a brutal cultivation world.
• Sect politics and protection: Mount Shu shields its Holy Son, showing how factional power determines justice in the cultivation world.
• Consequences of ruthless ambition: The massacre reshapes the balance of power among young prodigies and provokes a major confrontation.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing & Chen Yong: Chen Changqing calmly reveals the massacre; Chen Yong is horrified and warns of the outside storm.
• Ji Changkong vs. Chen Changqing/Bai Wuya: Ji Changkong attacks Chen Changqing; Bai Wuya intervenes and trades insults, escalating the conflict.
• Four factions vs. Mount Shu: The elders unite to demand Chen Changqing’s punishment, surrounding the Mount Shu warship with overwhelming pressure.
• Chen Changqing vs. the world: He responds to the combined pressure with mockery and a drawn sword, refusing to yield.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changqing's return from the Secret Realm is challenged by several Heavenly Monarch experts, who demand to search his soul and cleanse his sins.
• Daoist Chen Yuan defends Chen Changqing, leading to a tense standoff between Mount Shu and the other major powers.
• The Divine Dynasty's crown prince, Xuanyuan Hong, arrives with his army, supporting Mount Shu and Chen Changqing.
• Rujie of the Heavenly Sound Temple and Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing of Medicine God Valley also arrive, further bolstering Mount Shu's position.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing remains defiant and confident in his actions.
• Daoist Chen Yuan shows unwavering support for Chen Changqing.
• Xuanyuan Hong demonstrates his power and influence as the crown prince of the Divine Dynasty.
• Rujie and Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing show their support for Chen Changqing, indicating their trust in him.

Significant Themes

• Power Dynamics: The chapter highlights the shifting balance of power among the major factions in the Nine Provinces.
• Loyalty and Friendship: The actions of Daoist Chen Yuan, Xuanyuan Hong, Rujie, and Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing underscore their loyalty and friendship towards Chen Changqing.
• Righteousness vs. Corruption: The chapter explores the tension between those who act righteously (like Chen Changqing and his supporters) and those who act out of corruption or self-interest (like the Ji Clan and the True Martial Immortal Sect).

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing and Daoist Chen Yuan: Their relationship is one of mutual respect and support, with Daoist Chen Yuan acting as a mentor and protector to Chen Changqing.
• Chen Changqing and Xuanyuan Hong: Their bond as brothers-in-law is strengthened as Xuanyuan Hong openly supports Chen Changqing.
• Chen Changqing and Rujie/Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing: Their interactions show a growing trust and alliance, with Rujie and Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing standing by Chen Changqing's side against their common enemies.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Changqing thanks Xuanyuan Hong, Rujie, and Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing for their support.
• Chen Changqing steps forward alone to face Ji Changkong and the True Martial Immortal Sect, refusing to hide behind the Divine Dynasty or Medicine God Valley.
• Chen Changqing reveals his Middle True Lord Stage cultivation and summons five avatars, each wielding an Immortal Artifact, surrounding Ji Changkong.
• Ji Changkong is shocked and halted by the overwhelming power of the six Chen Changqings.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing demonstrates his growth, courage, and determination to protect Mount Shu, showing no fear against powerful enemies.
• Ji Changkong is revealed to be furious and reckless, driven by grief over his grandson's death and anger at Chen Changqing's disrespect.

Significant Themes

• Courage and determination in the face of adversity.
• The power of unity and support, as seen in Chen Changqing's gratitude towards those who stood up for him.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponent, as seen in Ji Changkong's shock at Chen Changqing's true strength.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing expresses gratitude towards Xuanyuan Hong, Rujie, and Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing, strengthening their bond.
• Chen Changqing challenges Ji Changkong, showing no fear or respect for his seniority, highlighting the tension between them.
• Mount Shu's upper echelon, including Daoist Chen Yuan, Bai Wuya, and Empress Liuye, express their support for Chen Changqing, demonstrating unity within Mount Shu.

Chen Changqing defeated and killed Ji Changkong in a one-sided battle before the great orthodox lineages. He returned to the Mount Shu Warship after the watching factions realized how formidable he had become.

• Chen Changqing attacked Ji Changkong with his five avatars and true body, shattering his halberd and leaving him gravely wounded.
• Xuanyuan Hong, Heavenly Monarch Hua Xing, and Daoist Chen Yuan blocked the other factions from rescuing Ji Changkong.
• Chen Changqing used the Human Emperor Heaven-Suppressing Seal to crush Ji Changkong, then destroyed his True Lord soul with the Immortal Execution Sword.
• Chen Changqing collected Ji Changkong's storage ring and weapon fragments, and his avatars merged back into his body.
• The watching factions stayed silent as Chen Changqing returned to the Mount Shu Warship.

Key Plot Points and Events

• True Person Kongwu, a Fourth Tribulation Immortal and elder of the Great Thunder Sound Temple, arrives at the Heavenly Void Grand Tournament.
• The Ji Clan and True Martial Immortal Sect accuse Chen Changqing of murder and ask Kongwu to intervene.
• Kongwu, instead of punishing Chen Changqing, tries to justify the deaths of Ji Xuan and Lu Chengfeng.
• He then attempts to manipulate the situation to convert Chen Changqing into a Buddhist Sect guardian using the Great Salvation and Conversion Zen Light.

Character Developments

• Chen Changqing remains calm and unruffled despite the accusations and pressure.
• True Person Kongwu reveals his manipulative and ambitious nature, prioritizing the Great Thunder Sound Temple's interests over justice.

Significant Themes

• The manipulation of power and influence by major factions.
• The struggle between different cultivation sects and their ideologies.
• The consequences of unchecked ambition and greed.

Character Interactions

• Chen Changqing stands his ground against Kongwu's attempts to pressure him.
• Kongwu tries to sway the other factions to his side by using moral high ground.
• The Divine Dynasty, Medicine God Valley, and Mount Shu defend Chen Changqing against Kongwu's manipulations.