Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su cultivates at the heart of the immortal mountain, seeking a Dao mark.
• He absorbs the dragon horn's Dao resonance and true dragon inscriptions.
• Li Su realizes the core method of the Supreme Purity Saint's Dao: forging heaven and earth into treasures.
• He begins forging a new Dao body, opening a new path for the Spirit Fusion phase.
• Li Su encounters a vision of a corpse, believed to be the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, who was enraged and caused a world-ending tribulation.
• The corpse points at the sky, revealing a colossal, writhing body with countless eyes, radiating extreme malice.
• A gigantic palm and sleeve appear, annihilating the enormous body.
• Voices from the depths of space mock the corpse, saying it can't hold on much longer.
• The corpse roars, causing the sky to change, and a black token flies out and merges into Li Su's brow.

Character Developments

• Li Su absorbs the dragon horn's power, gains insights into the Supreme Purity Saint's Dao, and begins forging a new Dao body.
• He experiences fear and awe upon seeing the vision of the enraged corpse and the colossal body.

Significant Themes

• The power and danger of the Saintly Daos.
• The struggle and survival of the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals against unknown outer forces.
• The pursuit of strength and the opening of new paths in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts with the vision of the enraged corpse and the colossal body, experiencing their power and malice.
• The black token merges with Li Su, potentially connecting him to the Ancestor of Earthly Immortals' Daoist grounds.

Key Plot Points & Events

• Li Su obtains a vision of a Ginseng Fruit, which is located in the Central Western Region, requiring him to cross regions and enter the deep-red region.
• Li Su experiences despair and contamination from an outer demon's influence within the vision, but his artifacts and the Seven Supreme Sages' lineage help him overcome it.
• The Hanging Sky Sect uses the Mountain River Seal, an immortal artifact, to search for Li Su, but it encounters resistance from unknown entities in the unseen realm.

Character Developments

• Li Su's understanding of the world and his enemies deepens, causing him to question his abilities and feel despair, but he ultimately overcomes it.
• The Hanging Sky Sect's Profound Immortal demonstrates his resolve and power by using the Mountain River Seal.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against despair and contamination from outer demons.
• The power and significance of immortal artifacts in the Mythical Realm.
• The division between regions in the Mythical Realm and the challenges of crossing them.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts with his artifacts and the Seven Supreme Sages' lineage, which help him overcome despair.
• The Hanging Sky Sect's Profound Immortal interacts with the Mountain River Seal, demonstrating his power and resolve.

• Key Plot Points and Events:
  • The Hanging Sky Sect's Profound Immortal is baffled when the Mountain River Seal suddenly vanishes.
  • The Sect Master arrives in person, furious and accusing Mo Yundao of betrayal, but Mo swears his innocence.
  • The Heavenly Thunder Sword explores the past and reveals that other immortal artifacts were present when the Mountain River Seal disappeared.
  • The Sect Master orders full alert and invites other sect masters for a discussion.
• Character Developments:
  • The Hanging Sky Sect Master is revealed to be injured and arrives in person due to the seriousness of the situation.
  • Mo Yundao is accused of betrayal but swears his innocence and is believed by the Sect Master.
• Significant Themes:
  • The power and importance of immortal artifacts.
  • The consequences of betrayal in the Mythical Realm.
• Character Interactions:
  • The Hanging Sky Sect Master and Mo Yundao have a tense interaction, with the Sect Master initially accusing Mo of betrayal but later believing him.
  • Mo Yundao interacts with the Mystic Immortals from Great Nether Hall and the Black Mystery Sect, who witness the events and later corroborate his account.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su learns about the unique contamination in the Mythical Realm's inhabitants, affecting both their bodies and souls, which makes them crave outsiders' bodies.
• Li Su discovers he can't mimic this contamination aura, which is unique to the Mythical Realm.
• The Mountain River Seal reveals it can release the contamination aura, and it has a vast amount of it.
• Li Su successfully disguises himself as a native of the Mythical Realm by altering his body and soul and using the contamination aura.

Character Developments

• Li Su adapts to the contamination aura and uses it to temper his supreme cultivation body.
• The Mountain River Seal shows loyalty and eagerness to help Li Su, acknowledging him as its true master.

Significant Themes

• The contamination and its effects on the Mythical Realm's inhabitants.
• The struggle and resistance of immortal artifacts against being contaminated.
• The power dynamics between humans and immortal artifacts.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts with a captured bandit's soul to test his disguise and learns about Decayed Ones.
• Li Su communicates with the Mountain River Seal, learning about its past and its ability to release the contamination aura.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su approaches Luoyang City, which is heavily fortified and guarded due to a past bandit attack.
• He encounters new entry rules: appearance fixation, cultivation realm lock, and a one-month stay requirement.
• Li Su decides to enter the city with another suspicious cultivator, a lecherous fatty.
• Inside the city, they learn that the Mountain River Seal has been stolen, and the culprit is being sought. The Hanging Sky Sect is offering a reward for information leading to the thief's capture.

Character Developments

• Li Su: He becomes more cautious and strategic, deciding to enter Luoyang despite the risks.
• The Lecherous Fatty: He is revealed to have a hidden agenda, and his true identity is unknown.

Significant Themes

• Security and paranoia in the Mythical Realm, leading to strict entry rules and inspections.
• The power dynamics between cultivators and non-cultivators, with cultivators often exploiting or harming mortals.

Character Interactions

• Li Su and the Lecherous Fatty: They form a temporary alliance, each believing the other to be a criminal on the run. They decide to enter Luoyang together to avoid suspicion.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su examines his supplies, discovering that the currency in this world is made from spiritual metal, which is extremely valuable and can be used to forge divine weapons.
• He realizes that the currency he possesses is worth a fortune, enough to forge multiple divine weapons.
• A mysterious fishhook appears, hooks Li Su, and drags him into the void, disappearing with him.

Character Developments

• Li Su: He becomes aware of the immense value of the currency in this world and its potential for forging divine weapons. He also experiences a sudden and powerful attack that seals his mana and pulls him into the void.

Significant Themes

• The value of spiritual metal and its role as currency, highlighting the wealth and power dynamics in this world.
• The sudden and unexpected danger Li Su faces, emphasizing the unpredictability and danger of his situation.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts with the fat man next door, who seems to be aware of the attack and redirects it toward Li Su, saving himself but putting Li Su in danger. He also offers to treat Li Su to a drink later, suggesting a potential future interaction.

Chapter Summary: “Secluded Island”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su is suddenly caught by a mysterious fishing hook that pierces his heart and soul. Its sealing power disconnects him from his immortal artifacts and drags him out of Luoyang through an unknown spatial passage.
• He realizes that the hook’s owner is not overwhelmingly powerful; the hook itself is a terrifying natal divine artifact containing ultimate Dao principles. Li Su also discovers that he was accidentally targeted because the hook was meant for the “fatty” whose karma had been transferred onto him.
• Furious at being used as a substitute, Li Su transforms himself into the fatty’s appearance and aura, intending to settle the grudge with both the fisherman and the person who caused the calamity.
• He is pulled onto a strange isolated island floating in outer space. The island is surrounded by enormous celestial bodies, while a massive furnace beneath it refines the matter of a collapsing planet. A central mountain continuously produces vast quantities of red-gold-like material containing innate Great Dao patterns.
• Li Su finds five fishing rods on the island, two of which are being operated by young men named Du Fei and Xing Feng. They treat living cultivators as fish, scoring points based on the strength of their catches.
• After Li Su arrives, the hook devastates his Dao veins, threatening to permanently sever his cultivation path. Five powerful steel spikes then pierce his limbs and chest, sealing his body and suppressing his golden core.
• Xing Feng casually attacks Li Su when he breathes, shattering his jaw and tearing part of his tongue away. Du Fei stops him from killing Li Su because the captured cultivators are meant to nourish a treasure tree.
• Li Su observes dozens of corpses around him and three other surviving captives, all of whom are close to death. He also identifies the true danger: “Armor Unit One,” a powerful crimson-gold mechanical entity with a giant red eye.
• After one hundred casts, Du Fei wins the fishing competition and receives a precious Purple Marrow from Xing Feng. The two leave, ordering Armor Unit One to dispose of the corpses and clean the island so their actions remain hidden from their elders.
• Once the fishermen depart, Li Su seizes his chance. He tears out one of the sealing spikes, grabs Armor Unit One, and unleashes the Mystic Yellow Tower.
• The machine survives the supreme treasure’s suppression and reveals power comparable to a Mysterious Immortal. Li Su responds by combining the Kindling Flame Banner and Pangu Banner with the Mystic Yellow Tower, finally locking down and suppressing the machine.

Character Developments

• Li Su: Endures extreme physical and spiritual pain without losing control. He quickly analyzes the hook, identifies the karmic deception behind the attack, and deliberately conceals his true strength while waiting for the right moment to strike. His anger and resolve intensify, but he remains patient and tactical.
• Du Fei: Appears cheerful, greedy, and casually cruel. He treats captured cultivators as disposable resources and is primarily interested in winning the fishing contest and obtaining the Purple Marrow.
• Xing Feng: Is competitive, arrogant, and violent. He mocks Du Fei, cheats or complains about the competition, and attacks Li Su simply because the captive’s breathing annoys him.
• Armor Unit One: Initially functions as an obedient execution and cleanup machine. Its immense strength is revealed when it withstands the Mystic Yellow Tower and displays combat power at the Mysterious Immortal level.

Significant Themes

• Cruelty and dehumanization: The fishermen view powerful cultivators as fish, livestock, or fertilizer, highlighting the brutality of the island’s owners.
• Patience and concealed strength: Li Su survives by hiding his abilities and waiting until his enemies lower their guard.
• Karma and betrayal: Li Su suffers because another person redirected a calamity onto him, turning the chapter’s conflict into a personal karmic grievance.
• Technological and mystical power: The island combines furnaces, mechanical entities, divine artifacts, and Dao principles, suggesting a highly advanced and mysterious higher-domain force.
• Cultivation as vulnerability: The destruction of Li Su’s Dao veins shows that even a powerful cultivator can be crippled when his fundamental cultivation foundation is attacked.

Character Interactions

• Li Su internally condemns the unknown fatty for transferring the calamity onto him and vows revenge.
• Du Fei and Xing Feng engage in a competitive fishing wager, taunting each other over points and the strength of their catches.
• Xing Feng attacks Li Su, while Du Fei prevents him from killing the captive because Li Su is intended to become fertilizer for the treasure tree.
• Their casual conversation reveals that the deaths and torture on the island are routine entertainment and resource gathering for them.
• After Du Fei and Xing Feng leave, Li Su directly confronts Armor Unit One, using three supreme treasures in succession to overcome its formidable defenses.

Plot Points and Events

• Li Su defeats the metal machine and suppresses it using the Mystic Yellow Tower, Kindling Flame Banner, and Pangu Banner.
• He destroys all evidence and kills the remaining cultivators to avoid detection by the Great Luo behind the island.
• Li Su discovers an inner armor immortal artifact deep within the island, being repaired using crimson gold and an unidentified metal.
• He takes the remaining intact and half-ruined red gold and metal, then uses a Dao pattern to temporarily suppress the inner armor's deterioration.
• Li Su retrieves the fishing rods and throws them into the room where the fatty is staying, causing the fatty to flee in panic.
• The Divine Forger, Du Tianming, senses the intrusion and attempts to track Li Su, but he escapes using space manipulation.

Character Developments

• Li Su demonstrates his prowess and resourcefulness in dealing with the metal machine and the inner armor.
• The fatty shows his cowardice and desperation in fleeing from both Li Su and Du Tianming.

Significant Themes

• The value and scarcity of immortal artifacts, and the lengths people go to protect and repair them.
• The consequences of meddling with powers beyond one's reach, as seen in the inner armor's deterioration and the fatty's predicament.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts with the Mountain River Seal, discussing the inner armor's origins and the Divine Forger's reputation.
• Li Su confronts the fatty, leading to the latter's panicked escape from Du Tianming's pursuit.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su returns to Luoyang, changes his appearance, and stays at an inn.
• Luoyang is unsealed after a bounty is offered for Daoist Kongkong's capture.
• Li Su continues forging his divine weapon in secret.
• An emergency conscription is announced, ordering all cultivators to participate in the battle against Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction.

Character Developments

• Li Su remains focused on forging his divine weapon, demonstrating his dedication and patience.
• Skinny Monkey (Daoist Kongkong) returns to Luoyang, still furious about his pursuit and eager for revenge.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of stealing from powerful cultivators (Skinny Monkey's pursuit).
• The importance of one's appearance in maintaining a low profile (Li Su's face change).
• The necessity of participating in the battle against Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction, highlighting the danger and importance of the situation.

Character Interactions

• Li Su and Skinny Monkey briefly make eye contact, but neither seeks further interaction.
• The emergency conscription affects both Li Su and Skinny Monkey, forcing them to change their plans.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction, a sudden invasion of Wanderers, is announced.
• Li Su and Skinny Monkey (Shen Chen) are forced to participate due to the Pseudo-Saint's karma.
• They receive tokens to record their kills and earn merit points, which can be exchanged for supplies and other rewards.
• Li Su uses Brother-in-law's name, Yang Jian, to register.
• The card dealer treats Li Su and Skinny Monkey differently, showing favoritism to Li Su.

Character Developments

• Li Su: Shows ambition and desire for power and resources. He is excited about the opportunity to earn merit and exchange it for rewards.
• Skinny Monkey (Shen Chen): Seems to be a struggling independent cultivator with little ambition or hope. He is treated poorly by the card dealer.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity and advancement: The battlefield offers a chance for cultivators to earn merit and improve themselves, but it is also extremely dangerous.
• Survival of the fittest: The Mythical Realm is a harsh environment where only the strong survive. Those who cannot keep up will eventually become Decliners and wandering souls.
• Preferential treatment: The card dealer shows favoritism to Li Su, possibly due to his potential and ambition, while treating Skinny Monkey poorly.

Character Interactions

• Li Su and Skinny Monkey: They are forced to participate together in the Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction event. Li Su is more ambitious and seems to have a better chance of survival and earning rewards, while Skinny Monkey is treated poorly and seems to have little hope.
• Li Su and the Card Dealer: The card dealer shows favoritism to Li Su, treating him kindly and even recommending him for special care and discounts when exchanging supplies. This could be due to Li Su's potential and ambition.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A thousand people are teleported to a dark, foggy mountain range filled with wandering ghosts.
• The commander, a Great Luo, announces that they must complete mandatory and bounty tasks or face death.
• The vanguard army, consisting of criminals and offenders, is sent first and engages in fierce battle with powerful wandering souls.
• Li Su receives special intelligence from an unknown person, outlining a strategy to improve his cultivation.
• Li Su encounters a group of seven cultivators who attempt to steal his intelligence.

Character Developments

• Li Su: He receives special treatment and intelligence, indicating he might have a significant role. He remains calm and composed when faced with threats.
• Skinny Monkey (Shen Chen): He is marked as a criminal and sent to the vanguard army, showing the harsh consequences of deceit.
• Fishing Rod Boss (Du): He is also sent to the vanguard army, revealing the severity of his punishment and the power of Du Tianming's wrath.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and Growth: Li Su's intelligence outlines a path for him to improve his cultivation, highlighting the importance of strategy and guidance in growth.
• Consequences of Actions: Shen Chen's punishment and Du's demotion emphasize the repercussions of one's actions.
• Loyalty and Betrayal: The group attempting to steal Li Su's intelligence shows the darker side of cultivators, where loyalty is questioned, and betrayal is common.

Character Interactions

• Li Su and the unknown person who gives him intelligence: Their interaction hints at a potential alliance or mentorship.
• Li Su and the group of seven cultivators: Their confrontation showcases the ruthless and competitive nature of the cultivator world.
• Shen Chen and the Great Luo: Their interaction demonstrates the power dynamics and the harsh rules of the Upper Domain.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su encounters a group of rogue cultivators and defeats them using his lifebound divine weapons, a bronze bell, and palm-sized swords.
• He completes the first minor task of killing ten Soul Infants and earns ten merit points, which he uses to exchange for the Soul-Extinguishing Blade.
• Li Su then sets out to find Soul Children to complete the next task, requiring forty of them for eighty merit points, which he uses to exchange for the Meridian-Sensing Pill.
• After consuming the pill, Li Su discovers he has fifteen spirit meridians, allowing him to cultivate according to the methods of the Mythical Realm.
• He completes the third step of the mission by killing fifty Foundation Establishment wandering souls and exchanges for a Golden Core cultivation art and a Golden Core Dissolution Pill.
• Li Su decides to return and pauses the mandatory mission timer by spending a thousand merit points to rest and consolidate his gains.

Character Developments

• Li Su demonstrates his power and confidence by defeating a group of rogue cultivators and completing missions efficiently.
• He shows curiosity and eagerness to explore the cultivation methods of the Mythical Realm after discovering his spirit meridians.
• Li Su's actions and achievements attract attention and resentment from other cultivators, particularly Skinny Monkey and the man he nearly defeated.

Significant Themes

• The power of divine weapons and their importance in combat.
• The discovery of spirit meridians and the potential for cultivating according to the Mythical Realm's methods.
• The value of merit points and the rewards available for exchange, including cultivation arts and pills.
• The importance of resting and consolidating gains during long missions.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts briefly with the person who helped him earlier, exchanging information and making arrangements for seclusion.
• He encounters Skinny Monkey and the man he nearly defeated, who both harbor resentment and killing intent toward him.
• Li Su's actions and achievements draw the attention of other cultivators, who watch him with curiosity and hostility.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The narrator, a writer, struggles with their work, feeling unsatisfied with their progress.
• They decide to take a day off from writing to clear their mind and find inspiration.

Character Developments

• The narrator: Shows signs of creative block and a need for a break to recharge.

Significant Themes

• The struggle of the creative process.
• The importance of taking breaks and self-care for artistic rejuvenation.

Character Interactions

• As this is a first-person narrative, there are no interactions with other characters in this chapter. The narrator interacts with their own thoughts and work.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su, after his rest period, begins secluded cultivation in a special cave residence where time flows differently.
• He chooses to cultivate the "Three Realms" immortal art, which connects to the vault of heaven and the land of the dead via Yongquan and Baihui acupoints.
• Upon reading the technique, Li Su discovers its high risk: cultivators could be crippled or even explode due to bad luck in drawing power from the wrong places.
• Li Su enters the Netherworld through Yongquan and descends for months, eventually finding a vortex but sensing poison and low-quality energy, leading him to continue searching.

Character Developments

• Li Su shows curiosity and determination despite the risks of the "Three Realms" cultivation method.
• His consciousness, enhanced by the Seven Supreme Sages lineage, allows him to sense the Netherworld and choose suitable vortices, giving him an advantage over other cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Risk and reward in cultivation: Li Su faces high risks but also potentially great rewards.
• The unknown: The Netherworld and the "Three Realms" technique are mysterious and unexplored aspects of cultivation.
• Luck and effort: The success of the "Three Realms" technique depends on both the cultivator's effort and their luck in finding suitable power sources.

Character Interactions

• None in this chapter; Li Su is in secluded cultivation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su descends into the Nether Soil, expecting to find a bottomless abyss, but instead reaches a solid surface after traveling for over a decade.
• He discovers that the Nether Soil is not infinite but has a wall at the ten-thousand-meter mark, which he decides to dig through.
• After digging for several years, he finds numerous Ten-Fire Golden Core vortices, some flawed and others perfect.
• At the ten-thousand-meter mark, he encounters a wall that is incredibly difficult to break through, taking him three years to cut through just one meter.
• Upon breaking through, a vast expanse of Nether Soil rises, and Li Su is thrown out of his consciousness state. He is overwhelmed by the energy, but his Seven Saint Dao Lineages and Dao Fruits help him adapt and survive.
• After a week of agony, Li Su forms a perfect Golden Core with fifteen Dao patterns and fifteen spirals.

Character Developments

• Li Su demonstrates his determination and perseverance in digging through the Nether Soil wall, even when faced with immense difficulty and pain.
• His physical body and consciousness adapt to the overwhelming energy from the Nether Soil, showing his resilience and ability to withstand extreme conditions.
• Li Su's Golden Core is perfected, indicating that he has successfully cultivated the "Three Realms" cultivation method's Golden Core chapter.

Significant Themes

• The theme of perseverance and determination is emphasized as Li Su continues to dig through the Nether Soil wall despite the challenges and setbacks he encounters.
• The power of adaptation and resilience is highlighted as Li Su's body and consciousness adapt to the overwhelming energy from the Nether Soil.
• The theme of cultivation and growth is present as Li Su successfully forms a perfect Golden Core, demonstrating his progress in the "Three Realms" cultivation method.

Character Interactions

• There are no character interactions in this chapter, as Li Su is solely focused on his cultivation and exploration of the Nether Soil.

Plot Points and Events

• Li Su breaks through to a Fifteen-Fire Golden Core, gaining immense power and energy.
• He changes his appearance to that of a twenty-year-old.
• He encounters the Central Region's top forces battling against Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction.
• He meets Liang Kong, who refunds his merit points and recommends a trial for Li Su, which he accepts unwillingly.

Character Developments

• Li Su's power and confidence grow significantly after his breakthrough.
• Liang Kong shows favoritism towards Li Su due to his astonishing luck.

Significant Themes

• Luck and its influence on cultivation.
• The power of a Fifteen-Fire Golden Core and its implications.
• The burden of debt and obligation in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Li Su and Liang Kong interact, with Liang Kong showing favor to Li Su and recommending a trial that Li Su accepts reluctantly.
• Li Su encounters familiar faces from the Vanguard Army, including the skinny monkey and the man who had set his sights on Li Su's head.

Chapter Summary: “Cooperation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su studies and begins cultivating the Heaven-Severing Hand, a powerful Interception Sect technique that operates through Dao principles rather than physical space. It can sever techniques, objects, souls, and eventually even Dao itself.
• The technique’s first stage requires forming 108 palm vortices, but Li Su completes them instantly because of his exceptional compatibility with the technique:
  • His Dao Eye gives it full comprehension.
  • His Supreme Purity inheritance fully supports it.
  • The Mythical Realm’s connection to the Primordial Continent gives him complete world-based enhancement.
• Li Su discovers that he possesses a previously unknown Heavenly Vein Dao Body, which has opened all his spiritual veins and makes him exceptionally talented in techniques involving them. Combined with his Seven Saints Dao Body, his natural gifts are even more extraordinary than expected.
• Continuing into the fog, Li Su encounters increasingly powerful wandering souls. The number of souls is not decreasing despite extensive killing, suggesting that the coming Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction is becoming more severe.
• Li Su is attacked by a group of cultivators. He uses the Heaven-Severing Hand to intercept a claw attack and crushes a massive star-like punch by seizing and destroying its Dao rhythm.
• The attackers are revealed to be seeking allies rather than enemies. Among them is Shen Chen, Li Su’s former companion from Luoyang, along with Du Fei, who has survived but is badly disfigured and missing an eye.
• Shen Chen offers Li Su cooperation, explaining that they intend to venture deeper into the fog, where ordinary Golden Core cultivators can no longer survive alone.
• Li Su reveals that his sudden advancement from a Two-Flame to a Ten-Flame Golden Core resulted from the dangerous Descent to the Netherworld cultivation method. The others react with disbelief and resentment, since they achieved their strength through years of hardship.
• Shen Chen explains the true stakes of the Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction: Upper Domain prodigies will soon enter the region with powerful forces, including Profound Immortals who will not directly fight the wandering souls.
• The Upper Domain cultivators are not merely trying to eliminate wandering souls. They seek rare treasures and living objects washed out from the depths of the Netherworld by the advancing fog.
• Ordinary mortals are being evacuated from the Middle Domain, while loose cultivators like Shen Chen’s group are being left behind to confront the disaster and serve as expendable forces.

Character Development

• Li Su gains a major combat technique and becomes much more confident in his abilities, though he consciously restrains his pride. He recognizes that his talent is extraordinary but that he remains only a Golden Core cultivator compared with the world’s true experts.
• Li Su’s identity becomes more complicated: he has unexpectedly joined the Interception Sect and become a registered disciple of one of its Three Heavenly Venerables. He plans to investigate the sect’s status and benefits later.
• Shen Chen has matured from the skinny, expendable “monkey” Li Su once knew into a calculating survivor capable of organizing powerful cultivators. Despite joking and teasing Li Su, he understands the political and strategic dangers of the coming crisis.
• Du Fei has been transformed by survival. Once a spoiled young dandy, he is now physically ruined and filled with hardened killing intent.
• The assembled cultivators show both strength and vulnerability: they are powerful Golden Core experts, but they resent Li Su’s seemingly effortless advancement and recognize that none of them can survive the next stage alone.

Significant Themes

• Power and talent versus effort: Li Su’s effortless cultivation contrasts sharply with the others’ hard-won strength, provoking envy and frustration.
• Cooperation amid crisis: The coming disaster makes individual survival impossible, forcing former strangers and rivals to unite.
• Expendability and hierarchy: The Middle and Lower Domain cultivators are treated as disposable tools by higher-level powers, while Upper Domain prodigies use the crisis to pursue treasures.
• Hidden truths behind disasters: The Wandering Ghost Soul Extinction is not simply a plague of wandering souls; it is also a treasure-hunting opportunity for the powerful.
• Restraint and self-awareness: Although Li Su’s abilities are growing rapidly, he reminds himself that he is still far from the Heavenly Immortal and higher realms.

Character Interactions

• Li Su clashes briefly with the group’s aggressive star-punching cultivator, who is impressed after his attack is destroyed.
• Shen Chen intervenes before the confrontation escalates, emphasizing that the group wants allies rather than enemies.
• Shen Chen recognizes Li Su’s strength and exposes his supposed “lucky” breakthrough, while Li Su insists—somewhat implausibly—that he truly advanced through luck.
• Li Su’s revelation of the Descent to the Netherworld technique shocks the entire group and creates comic resentment, as the others compare his shortcut with their arduous cultivation.
• Shen Chen explains the group’s plan and the larger political situation, persuading Li Su that cooperation and deeper advancement are necessary for survival.

Plot Points and Events

• Li Su encounters a group of nine cultivators, including disciples from Great Nether Hall and Black Mystery Sect, led by a mysterious figure called the Skinny Monkey.
• They are searching for an extraordinary place deep inside the fog, potentially containing top-tier treasures like the Three Lives Grass, which can extend one's lifespan and allow a person to walk the path of cultivation once more.
• Li Su learns from his senior brother, Liang Qiong, that disciples from the upper regions have come down and may be looking for capable laborers without backing to clear a dungeon, potentially putting him in danger.
• Li Su sells valuable intelligence about the Skinny Monkey's group and the Three Lives Grass to Liang Qiong, becoming an official disciple of the Interception Sect and earning 180,000 merit points.

Character Developments

• Li Su demonstrates his cunning and resourcefulness by selling valuable information to his senior brother, securing his status as an official disciple and earning a substantial amount of merit points.
• Liang Qiong reveals himself to be money-oriented and somewhat manipulative, initially withholding information about the upper domain disciples' arrival and attempting to bargain with Li Su.

Significant Themes

• The theme of money and its influence on relationships and actions is prominent, with the Interception Sect's doctrines revolving around financial transactions and protection.
• The dangers of becoming involved in conflicts between powerful factions, as Li Su faces the potential threat of upper domain disciples.

Character Interactions

• Li Su interacts with the Skinny Monkey's group, initially showing interest in their plans but ultimately declining to join them.
• Li Su communicates with his senior brother, Liang Qiong, through the life tablet, revealing valuable intelligence and securing his status as an official disciple of the Interception Sect.
• Liang Qiong displays a mix of concern and manipulation towards Li Su, initially withholding information but ultimately providing guidance and protection.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su continues practicing the Heaven-Severing Hand, opening a domain spanning ten meters after ten minutes.
• He encounters a group of Upper Domain cultivators, who chase him and attempt to capture him as a slave.
• A Profound Immortal from the Upper Domain arrives and engages Li Su, but is ultimately defeated and his avatar destroyed.
• Li Su kills the five chasing cultivators and escapes before the Profound Immortal can catch him.

Character Developments

• Li Su demonstrates his formidable strength, easily defeating five Nine-Fires cultivators and a Profound Immortal's avatar.
• The Upper Domain cultivators show their arrogance and cruelty, planning to enslave and torture Li Su.

Significant Themes

• The power of cultivation techniques and domains.
• The arrogance and cruelty of Upper Domain cultivators.
• The vast difference in strength between Li Su and the Upper Domain cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Li Su faces off against the Upper Domain cultivators and the Profound Immortal, showcasing his strength and determination.
• The Upper Domain cultivators underestimate Li Su and pay the price for their arrogance.

Chapter Summary: “Killing Profound Immortals”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Su is pursued by two Profound Immortals after killing five disciples from the Shangming/Upper Nether Sect. Rather than confront them in open territory, he deliberately runs toward the deeper fog where Celestial Immortal-stage wandering souls reside.
• The pursuers summon Yuan Liu, a powerful Profound Immortal from an Upper Domain sect, to intercept Li Su. Yuan Liu attacks with thousands of true-dragon scales, but Li Su blocks the assault with his Ten-Fire Golden Core and Heaven-Severing Hand.
• Their clash destroys hundreds of Golden Core wandering souls and attracts dozens of extremely powerful Ten-Fire and “ultimate Ten-Fire” wandering souls. These souls represent various cultivation paths, including ghost cultivation, body refinement, artifact cultivation, Daoist spell cultivation, and Buddhism.
• The wandering souls attack both Li Su and Yuan Liu. Yuan Liu is placed under severe pressure, especially when an artifact cultivator’s attack exceeds the normal Ten-Fire level and damages him despite his dragon-scale defense.
• Li Su effortlessly kills an ultimate Ten-Fire Daoist wandering soul and frightens away a Buddhist cultivator. He reveals that his Heaven-Severing Domain and 108 energy vortices have surpassed the ordinary Ten-Fire level.
• Li Su then uses power beyond the Ten-Fire limit to drive Yuan Liu toward the nearby Celestial Immortal region. The wandering souls unintentionally—or instinctively—assist by redirecting their attacks toward Yuan Liu.
• Yuan Liu attempts to unleash his suppressed immortal power and escape, but realm-locking inscriptions prevent him from breaking through his restraints. Li Su blasts him into the Celestial Immortal region, where the starving Celestial Immortal wandering souls tear apart and devour both his body and soul.
• The other pursuing Profound Immortals arrive too late and see Yuan Liu’s remains being consumed. Enraged, they accuse Li Su, but he collects the scattered dragon scales and flees into the Celestial Immortal domain.

2. Character Developments

• Li Su: Demonstrates overwhelming confidence, tactical intelligence, and growing power. He deliberately turns the dangerous fog and wandering souls into weapons against his pursuers. His technique has advanced beyond the Ten-Fire level, allowing him to suppress even ultimate Ten-Fire opponents effortlessly and threaten a Profound Immortal.
• Yuan Liu: Initially arrogant and confident in his superiority as an Upper Domain Profound Immortal, Yuan Liu becomes increasingly desperate when the fog limits his strength and the wandering souls surround him. His jealousy toward Li Su’s superior cultivation potential turns into panic and terror before his death.
• The pursuing Profound Immortals: Their confidence collapses after witnessing Yuan Liu’s defeat. Their fury toward Li Su intensifies, but they are unable to stop him from escaping.
• The wandering souls: Though mindless, they display powerful instincts and react to the presence of immortal power. Their collective behavior becomes a decisive factor in Yuan Liu’s death.

3. Significant Themes

• Cunning over brute force: Li Su wins not simply through direct strength but by choosing the battlefield and exploiting the restrictions imposed by the fog and realm locks.
• The danger of arrogance and sectarian superiority: Yuan Liu and the other Upper Domain cultivators view Li Su as an inferior lower-domain rogue cultivator. Their contempt blinds them to his true capabilities.
• The limits of cultivation realms: The chapter emphasizes that the boundary beyond Ten Fires is extraordinarily significant. Li Su’s technique has crossed that boundary, allowing him to challenge beings whose nominal realm is higher.
• The environment as a weapon: The heavy fog, wandering souls, and Celestial Immortal domain are not merely obstacles; Li Su manipulates them to create an inescapable trap.
• Predation and survival: The wandering souls’ ravenous attack turns the battlefield into a brutal ecosystem, where even a Profound Immortal can become prey.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Su and Yuan Liu clash directly, with Yuan Liu’s dragon-scale technique repeatedly countered by Li Su’s Heaven-Severing Hand and stellar power.
• Yuan Liu becomes increasingly frustrated and jealous when Li Su reveals strength beyond the Ten-Fire limit.
• Li Su deliberately pushes Yuan Liu toward the Celestial Immortal region, while the wandering souls redirect their attacks to help drive him there.
• Yuan Liu begs for mercy and invokes the authority of the Upper Nether Sect, but Li Su dismisses his threat and continues the attack.
• After Yuan Liu’s death, the arriving Profound Immortals confront Li Su in anger. Li Su ignores them, takes Yuan Liu’s dragon scales, and escapes into the deeper domain.