Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Chen Changming welcomes the Cold Nether Spider to Snow Bamboo Mountain, where he has become an inner disciple of the Snow Bamboo Sect. Regretting that the spider’s cultivation has lagged behind, he encourages it to leave the mountain and seek opportunities, confident its stealth and his ability to protect it will keep it safe.
• The spider slips out unseen, briefly eyeing the sect’s spirit medicines before crossing the snowy wilderness. Chen Changming then seals the Ancient Hall with a formation and takes out a jar containing twelve drops of Dragon Blood.
• He swallows and refines two drops, spending six days on each. The powerful blood greatly strengthens his cultivation; he estimates that three drops should carry him from the Fifth to the Sixth Layer of the Void Refinement Realm.
• Before consuming the third drop, he leaves the sect to find a remote place for the Lesser Heavenly Tribulation he expects to face upon advancing. Outer disciples notice his frequent departures but accept that an inner disciple can come and go freely.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changming shows care and some guilt toward the Cold Nether Spider for letting it fall behind. He balances that concern with confidence in its abilities and his own readiness to help. He is also increasingly powerful and cautious: rather than risk drawing attention to a breakthrough and tribulation near the sect, he seeks privacy.
• The Cold Nether Spider is delighted by its new surroundings and eager to cultivate. It remains playful and food-motivated, but its Shadow Stealth lets it leave without being detected.
• The outer disciples contrast with Chen Changming’s freedom: they diligently guard the valley, while the inner disciples assigned there have little work and considerable autonomy. One is envious; the other responds with resignation.

Significant themes

• Cultivation and sacrifice: Powerful resources like Dragon Blood can accelerate advancement, but refining them demands intense effort.
• Responsibility and companionship: Chen Changming feels accountable for the spider’s stalled progress and gives it room to pursue its own opportunity.
• Secrecy and caution: He conceals his presence and moves away from the sect to avoid attracting attention to his breakthrough.
• Hierarchy and unequal freedom: The disciples’ differing duties highlight the privileges enjoyed by inner disciples over outer disciples.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Changming contacts Xue Yan to ask for a remote place to face the Lesser Heavenly Tribulation. She points him toward the sparsely populated region north of Snow Bamboo Mountain. He disguises himself and flies there at extraordinary speed.
• Xue Yan suspects Chen has made a breakthrough, though she assumes it is in his cultivation realm rather than his already formidable body cultivation. She decides not to follow, believing she would only be an insignificant spectator.
• Elsewhere, the Cold Nether Spider senses something valuable inside a snowy mountain and digs into it. It reaches a wall of exceptionally hard silvery ice and attacks until cracks begin to spread.
• A green-robed, Third Layer Void Refinement sword cultivator secretly watches the spider, planning to let it uncover the hidden opportunity before stealing it.
• Recognizing the ice wall as the entrance to a Frozen Source Grotto, the man becomes eager for its potential Ice Origin Crystals, which could greatly advance his ice-aspected sword cultivation.

Character developments

• Chen Changming acts with caution, seeking privacy for his tribulation and concealing his identity while traveling.
• Xue Yan shows both awe of Chen’s power and humility about her own strength; she chooses not to interfere.
• The Cold Nether Spider is driven by an instinctive attraction to the mountain’s hidden treasure and grows increasingly frustrated as it struggles to break through the ice.
• The green-robed cultivator reveals himself as calculating and opportunistic, confident that he can exploit the spider’s work.

Significant themes

• Power and disparity: Xue Yan sees Chen’s strength as so far beyond her that she can barely comprehend it.
• Opportunity and greed: The spider’s discovery draws the sword cultivator’s covetous attention.
• Patience and cunning: The cultivator deliberately lets another do the difficult work, intending to claim the reward afterward.
• Hidden natural wonders: The Frozen Source Grotto represents rare opportunities formed by the natural world.

Character interactions

• Chen and Xue Yan communicate respectfully through a Message Transmission Token; Xue Yan provides directions, then remains behind.
• The Cold Nether Spider unknowingly leads the green-robed cultivator to the grotto. He watches it from a distance and plans to exploit its discovery rather than confront it immediately.

Key plot points and events

• A blue-robed sword cultivator discovers a Frozen Source Grotto containing valuable Ice Origin Crystals. Worried another cultivator might claim them, he breaks into the grotto.
• The Cold Nether Spider, which had dug toward the grotto, mistakes the opening for its own breakthrough. The blue-robed man traps it in a Swordlight Cage, enters the grotto, and begins harvesting the crystals.
• The spider calls to its master, Chen Changming. He quickly reaches the mountain, frees it, and learns that the blue-robed man has taken the opportunity it uncovered.
• Chen enters the grotto with the spider. The blue-robed man dismisses him because Chen appears to have lower cultivation, but Chen identifies the crystals and asserts that the spider is his Demon Pet. He confronts the intruder for stealing its find.

Character developments

• The blue-robed man is opportunistic and possessive: he intends to take the crystals, capture the spider for himself, or sell it if it cannot be contracted. His confidence turns to hostility when Chen arrives.
• The Cold Nether Spider is resourceful enough to locate the hidden grotto, but is outmatched by the sword cultivator. Its distress shows its reliance on Chen and trust in their bond.
• Chen Changming responds swiftly to the spider’s call and calmly frees it. His casual manner gives way to cold authority when he challenges the man.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and ownership: The spider finds the grotto, but the stronger cultivator seizes its reward—prompting a dispute over who has the right to claim it.
• Power and presumption: The blue-robed man assumes Chen’s lower cultivation makes him easy to threaten, while Chen’s composure suggests the confrontation may not be so simple.
• Loyalty and protection: Chen immediately comes to his Demon Pet’s aid and treats the theft as an injury to them both.

Character interactions

• The blue-robed man traps and taunts the spider, treating it as a potential prize.
• The spider appeals to Chen through their mental link; Chen frees it and reassures it that he will make things right.
• Chen and the blue-robed man face off over the crystals and the spider. The man threatens Chen, while Chen responds with a claim of ownership and growing spiritual pressure.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• A blue-robed sword cultivator, at the Third Layer of the Void Refinement Realm, attacks Chen Changming after Chen refuses to yield. His sword splits into a net of deadly sword lights.
• Chen counters with his Geng-Gold Sword and destroys the attack with ease, revealing a striking gap between the blue-robed man’s apparent cultivation and Chen’s actual strength.
• The man invokes the Iron Sword Alliance and uses a token containing a powerful sword strike from the alliance leader. Its black sword light initially holds Chen’s attack back.
• Chen sends two more Geng-Gold Swords against the token’s defense, shatters it, and kills the blue-robed man.
• The Cold Nether Spider eats the corpse. Chen then examines the Ice Origin Crystals the man had been cutting, recognizing them as exceptionally valuable ice-aspected treasures.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changming remains calm and confident throughout the confrontation. He does not recognize the Iron Sword Alliance and is unimpressed by its name, but the token’s power makes him reconsider the group’s potential strength.
• The blue-robed cultivator shifts from arrogant anger to panic as Chen repeatedly overwhelms him. His threats and alliance token cannot save him.
• The Cold Nether Spider acts as Chen’s companion and consumes the fallen enemy; Chen accepts this matter-of-factly.
• The confrontation emphasizes Chen’s dominance over the blue-robed man, while the token hints that the Iron Sword Alliance has resources and powerful members.

Significant themes

• Might makes right: The Spirit Realm is portrayed as a world where the weak are prey to the strong.
• Appearance versus true power: Chen’s stated cultivation level badly understates his fighting ability.
• Threats and status have limits: Invoking an organization offers no protection when an opponent is stronger.
• Power and valuable resources: The Ice Origin Crystals introduce the chapter’s broader interest in rare spiritual treasures.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• The Cold Nether Spider discovers a trove of Ice Origin Crystals in the Frozen Source Grotto. Eager to consume them, it expects to reach the middle stage of the Void Refinement Realm and asks to stay and cultivate.
• Chen Changming agrees, hides the cave with a concealment formation, reseals its entrance with rubble and snow, and removes traces of blood.
• To keep the Iron Sword Alliance from finding the cave and interrupting the spider, Chen carries the slain disciple’s Iron Sword Token and deliberately waits nearby, hoping to draw the Alliance’s attention away.
• He summons Little Wolf, whose strength is comparable to a First Layer Fusion Realm cultivator, to guard the spider. Little Wolf agrees, and the spider gratefully treats it as an older brother.
• A black-robed First Layer Fusion Realm swordsman arrives, recognizes the token, and asks whether Chen killed an Iron Sword Alliance disciple. Chen openly admits it.
• The swordsman cannot determine Chen’s true cultivation. Suspecting Chen cultivates both body and spiritual power, he grows wary and retreats upward to increase the distance between them.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changming shows strategic care for his companions: he protects the spider’s cultivation site, assigns Little Wolf as its guard, and takes the risk of drawing the Alliance away. He remains composed when confronted but carefully assesses the swordsman’s range and escape options.
• The Cold Nether Spider is excited by its new source of power and grateful to Chen and Little Wolf for helping it cultivate safely.
• Little Wolf willingly accepts the responsibility of guarding the spider and responds warmly to its thanks.
• The black-robed swordsman shifts from arrogance to suspicion and caution when Chen’s calm demeanor and concealed strength defy his expectations.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and mutual support: Chen, Little Wolf, and the spider protect one another and share responsibilities.
• Caution and strategy: Chen hides the cave and uses the token to redirect danger; the swordsman likewise reassesses the threat before approaching.
• Concealed strength and mistaken impressions: Chen appears to be a low-level cultivator, but the swordsman suspects his true abilities are far greater.

Plot points and events

• Chen Changming’s ambush fails when the black-clad Iron Sword Alliance cultivator senses the danger and escapes. Chen keeps the Iron Sword Token, hoping it may attract a more valuable opponent.
• Chen asks True Person Xue Yan about the alliance. She explains that it is a group of unaffiliated cultivators with three Fusion Realm members, led by a Third Layer Fusion Realm sword cultivator.
• Confident in his strength and his Primal Magnetism Ren Mountain Replica, Chen declines Xue Yan’s offer of backup and continues to a remote mountain range. He makes a temporary cave, sets a formation, assigns Little Four to guard it, and begins a body-cultivation process by taking Dragon Blood and enduring the flames of his Heavenly Furnace.
• Three days later, the escaped cultivator returns to the alliance and tells its leader about Chen, estimating that Chen’s body cultivation is around the First Layer of the Fusion Realm.
• The leader agrees to hunt Chen with him. The two anticipate profiting by selling Chen’s body to the Demon Race, while the leader reveals a deep personal hatred of Body Cultivators.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changming remains calm and self-assured, treating the alliance’s leader as a manageable threat. He uses the token strategically rather than discarding it and proceeds with his planned cultivation.
• The black-clad cultivator is cautious enough to retreat rather than risk fighting Chen alone. Back at the alliance, he seeks his leader’s help and is eager for the promised bounty.
• The alliance leader initially reacts warily because Body Cultivators remind him of a painful past encounter. Greed and long-standing resentment eventually lead him to agree to the hunt.
• True Person Xue Yan offers practical support and warns Chen about the alliance, showing concern for his safety; Chen politely refuses.

Significant themes

• Caution versus confidence: The black-clad cultivator survives by retreating, while Chen trusts his growing power.
• Greed and self-interest: The alliance’s members see Chen not only as an enemy but as a valuable corpse to sell.
• The cost of power and old grudges: The leader’s hatred of Body Cultivators stems from an earlier defeat, hinting that past conflicts continue to shape present choices.
• Preparation before danger: Chen secures a remote location and guards before beginning a demanding cultivation process.

Key events

• Steel Sword Elder and An Xin, a First Layer Fusion Realm cultivator of the Iron Sword Alliance, track the Iron Sword Token to a remote, snowbound region of Cold Light Province.
• A powerful breakthrough aura erupts from a nearby cave. An Xin’s Compass confirms that the trail leads there, but the aura is at the Sixth Layer of the Void Refinement Realm—far higher than the First Layer cultivation he had previously sensed.
• An Xin guesses the cave’s occupant may have exceptionally strong body cultivation. Steel Sword Elder, wary after a past encounter with a Body Cultivator, urges caution and tells An Xin to keep his distance. They separate rather than approach together.
• Chen Changming emerges from the cave after completing his breakthrough to the Sixth Layer of the Void Refinement Realm. He recognizes An Xin as the Iron Sword Alliance cultivator who escaped him six days earlier, and identifies the other man as Steel Sword Elder, whom he had previously frightened away at Blood Dragon Mountain.
• Chen realizes Steel Sword Elder founded the Iron Sword Alliance and connects him to someone Xue Yan had mentioned. Before he can confront either man, dark clouds gather and thunder signals the imminent Lesser Heavenly Tribulation.

Character developments and interactions

• Steel Sword Elder remains deeply distrustful of Body Cultivators after a previous near-fatal experience. His fear shapes his tactical advice to An Xin and makes him cautious even when facing a stranger.
• An Xin is surprised by the occupant’s apparent strength and initially questions Steel Sword Elder’s retreat, but ultimately follows his advice and keeps his distance.
• Chen Changming reaches a major cultivation milestone and recognizes that his earlier encounter with Steel Sword Elder has unexpectedly intersected with the Iron Sword Alliance’s pursuit. Despite the potential confrontation, his immediate concern is surviving the tribulation.

Significant themes

• Caution shaped by past experience: Steel Sword Elder’s earlier encounter governs his behavior and strategy.
• Unexpected connections: Characters from separate conflicts meet again in a remote corner of the world.
• Power and uncertainty: An Xin’s detection reveals only part of Chen’s strength, leaving both pursuers wary of what he may be capable of.
• Progress brings danger: Chen’s breakthrough is immediately followed by the threat of a heavenly trial.

Plot points and events

• Iron Sword High Person—formerly Steel Sword Elder—plans to ambush Chen Changming as soon as he completes his tribulation. He orders his fellow Fusion Realm cultivator An Xin to join the attack.
• Chen completes four waves of the Void Refinement Lesser Heavenly Tribulation and easily passes the Heart Demon Tribulation. He then absorbs the Heavenly Earth Origin Qi and Lawlight granted by the heavens.
• Though Iron Sword High Person and An Xin doubt Chen’s strength because his tribulation seems unimpressive, they attack once the clouds clear. Iron Sword High Person sends a massive Flying Sword at him, while An Xin unleashes countless streaks of sword light.
• Chen recognizes Iron Sword High Person as Steel Sword Elder, the man he had been searching for since the events at Blood Dragon Mountain. Terrified, Steel Sword Elder recalls his attack, warns An Xin, and escapes using a Ten-Thousand-Mile Talisman.
• Chen destroys An Xin’s sword-light assault with one punch, injuring him through the backlash to his bonded sword. He then immobilizes An Xin and pulls him toward himself, leaving An Xin fearing Chen is the infamous Body Cultivator from Azure Billow Central Province.

Character developments

• Chen Changming has advanced to the Sixth Layer of the Void Refinement Realm. His confidence and overwhelming physical strength are evident as he withstands the ambush and defeats An Xin’s attack with ease.
• Steel Sword Elder / Iron Sword High Person shifts instantly from commanding confidence to panic when he recognizes Chen, revealing that his bravado depends on believing himself to hold the advantage.
• An Xin begins as a reluctant but obedient ally. After his leader abandons him, he is left wounded, trapped, and despairing.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and false solidarity: Iron Sword High Person invokes brotherhood to secure An Xin’s help, but abandons him at the first sign of danger.
• Reputation and recognition: Chen’s identity alone is enough to shatter Steel Sword Elder’s confidence and send him fleeing.
• Appearance versus true strength: Chen’s modest-looking tribulation misleads his attackers, but his actual combat power is far beyond what they expect.
• Overconfidence and consequences: The ambush turns into a rout once Chen reveals that he knows his attackers and can easily overpower them.

Character interactions

• Iron Sword High Person pressures An Xin into joining the attack despite An Xin’s doubts.
• Chen directly addresses Iron Sword High Person by his former name, exposing their history and triggering his escape.
• Iron Sword High Person’s warning comes too late to save An Xin; Chen defeats and captures him while An Xin realizes how thoroughly his supposed “big brother” has abandoned him.

Key plot points and events

• Vice Alliance Leader An Xin is captured by Chen Changming after his bonded flying sword is destroyed and he is left unable to fight.
• An Xin is devastated when Alliance Leader Iron Sword High Person escapes alone, abandoning him. His trust and loyalty toward the leader collapse.
• Hoping to survive, An Xin offers to submit to Chen and gives him his Storage Ring. Chen says this is not enough.
• An Xin then reveals the Iron Sword Alliance’s greatest secret: it is secretly aligned with the Snow Bear Demon King and serves as a hidden Demon Race pawn among humans.
• He claims that Iron Sword High Person alone handles contact with the Demon King, and swears that he and another vice leader know no details.
• Chen considers sparing An Xin, seeing practical value in his cultivation, local knowledge, and public standing. He asks whether An Xin could return to the Iron Sword Alliance if released.

Character developments

• An Xin shifts from loyal, trusting subordinate to furious and disillusioned survivor. Abandoned by his leader, he is willing to betray the alliance’s secret to save himself.
• Chen Changming remains controlled and calculating. He weighs An Xin’s usefulness against the risk that he may be lying, and probes whether he can exploit An Xin’s connections.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and loyalty: Iron Sword High Person’s escape destroys An Xin’s faith in the alliance.
• Survival and compromise: An Xin sacrifices wealth and allegiance rather than face death.
• Hidden political treachery: The alliance’s secret ties to the Demon Race complicate the conflict between humans and demons.
• Pragmatism and power: Chen treats mercy as a strategic decision, not an act of kindness.

Character interactions

• Chen interrogates and pressures An Xin, demanding proof of allegiance.
• An Xin bargains first with his Storage Ring, then with the alliance’s secret, while insisting he was not involved in its dealings with the Demon King.
• Chen doubts An Xin’s account, but his oath partially reassures him; he then tests An Xin’s potential usefulness by asking whether he can return to the alliance.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Changming releases An Xin after forcing him to surrender his Storage Ring and agree to investigate Iron Sword’s dealings with the Snow Bear Demon King. An Xin keeps the ring temporarily to retrieve a pair of Message Transmission Tokens, then gives one to Chen so they can stay in contact.
• Chen plans to remain in the area for another month or two, refine more dragon blood, and reach the seventh layer of the Void Refinement Realm before returning to the Snow Bamboo Sect to stabilize his cultivation.
• After the lightning tribulation wrecks his old cave, Chen chooses a new mountain site, carves out a temporary abode, and has Little Four guard it rather than setting up a formation.
• Chen resumes refining dragon blood with the Immortal Furnace Body-Forging Art. The process is faster than before, but advancing past the sixth layer proves increasingly difficult. He worries the remaining blood may only bring him close to the seventh layer.
• As Chen refines his fifth drop, Little Four detects an alluring scent in the snowstorm. Its Four-Colored Diamond Heart reacts, and it becomes wary, though it cannot see the scent’s source.

Character developments

• An Xin appears outwardly submissive and eager to prove his loyalty, but Chen remains unconcerned about whether the surrender is genuine.
• Chen recognizes that his rapid progress comes with risks: dragon blood may destabilize his cultivation or leave hidden damage. He resolves to consolidate his foundation after reaching the next layer.
• Chen also realizes he has neglected his Demon Pets while focusing on his own advancement and promises to seek opportunities for them, especially Little Four.
• Little Four is excited by Chen’s offer but shows alertness and caution when it senses something unusual.

Character interactions

• Chen bargains with An Xin: An Xin must investigate Iron Sword, while Chen holds the Storage Ring as leverage. They exchange Message Transmission Tokens to maintain contact.
• Chen speaks warmly to Little Four, acknowledges his neglect, and offers to search for suitable opportunities for his companions.
• Little Four guards the cave while Chen cultivates, then alerts to the mysterious fragrance.

Significant themes

• Power and leverage: Chen secures An Xin’s cooperation through control of his possessions, while remaining confident that An Xin poses little threat.
• The cost of advancement: Dragon blood accelerates cultivation but brings resistance, uncertainty, and potential harm to Chen’s foundation.
• Responsibility and loyalty: Chen begins to consider the welfare of the Demon Pets who have followed him faithfully.
• Unseen danger: The unexplained fragrance hints at a new presence or threat approaching the isolated cave.

Key plot points and events

• A mysterious, irresistible fragrance pulls Little Four out of Chen Changming’s cave, despite his attempts to resist. Chen is deep in cultivation and does not hear his cries for help.
• The scent leads Little Four to the valley where Chen recently underwent his tribulation. A huge, eye-like black opening has appeared there, releasing dense ghostly vapor and eerie sounds.
• The opening connects to the Ghost Realm, where a vast formation is close to breaking through the barrier between realms.
• The Nether Venerable announces that the passage will open soon, leading to the remote north of Cold Light Province. He cannot enter the Spirit Realm himself, so his ghost forces will carry out the invasion.
• The invading army is eager to slaughter and feed on living beings. The Nether Venerable also orders them to find the Ancient Ghost Clan’s Life and Death Bottle, a treasure sought by the Nine Li Nether Emperor.
• Little Four arrives above the valley and realizes that the irresistible fragrance is coming from the black opening.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Four is drawn into danger by the scent and becomes frightened when he cannot control his own body. At the chapter’s end, he is confused by the sudden appearance of the opening.
• Chen Changming remains absorbed in cultivation and is unaware that Little Four has left or that a gateway has appeared.
• The Nether Venerable directs the invasion with confidence, explaining its destination and mission to the assembled ghost kings, generals, and soldiers.
• The ghost forces respond eagerly to the prospect of entering the Spirit Realm, then grow serious when reminded of their mission to retrieve the Life and Death Bottle.

Significant themes

• Imminent invasion and looming danger: A hidden gateway is about to let a hostile army into the Spirit Realm.
• Temptation and loss of control: The fragrance overrides Little Four’s will, pulling him toward an unknown threat.
• Ambition and greed: The ghosts seek both slaughter and the powerful treasure promised by the invasion.
• Isolation and delayed response: The remote location and Chen’s inattention give the invasion a chance to begin unnoticed.

Plot points and events

• Little Four discovers a black hole filled with unusually rich ghostly energy and guesses it leads to the Ghost Realm. Eager to feed and grow stronger, it flies inside.
• In the Ghost Realm, the Nether Venerable’s formation finally shatters the barrier between realms. He orders the ghosts to invade the Spirit Realm, and a vast force pours through the rift.
• Little Four survives the barrier’s destructive shock wave by using its four-colored core to become intangible.
• A horde of Fusion Realm Ghost Kings emerges, boasting about raiding Cold Light Province and advancing into Azure Billow Central Province.
• Little Four sees the Ghost Kings as a feast and attacks them with a beam of four-colored light. Though only at the middle stage of Void Refinement, its ghost-countering nature terrifies the much stronger Ghost Kings.
• One late-stage Fusion Realm Ghost King suppresses his fear with anger and fires a black beam at Little Four’s attack, setting up a clash.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Four is revealed as greedy, bold, and confident in its innate ability to counter ghosts. Its hunger makes it charge at an overwhelming enemy force rather than retreat.
• The Nether Venerable takes command once the passage opens, directing the invasion.
• The Ghost Kings begin as confident invaders, but Little Four’s approach makes them tremble despite their greater cultivation. One rallies himself by turning fear into anger.
• Little Four’s appetite and the Ghost Kings’ fear create the chapter’s central contrast: the hunters entering the Spirit Realm become prey to an unexpected predator.

Significant themes

• Power versus cultivation: Little Four’s lower realm does not prevent it from threatening far stronger opponents because of its special abilities.
• Greed and opportunity: Little Four views the invasion not as danger but as a chance to feast and advance.
• Fear and reversal: The Ghost Kings arrive expecting conquest, only to discover that they are afraid of the creature confronting them.

Plot points and events

• Little Four’s four-colored light passes harmlessly through Ghost King attacks while dissolving ghostly armor. It traps and devours a high-stage Fusion Realm Ghost King.
• The remaining Ghost Kings launch a coordinated assault, but Little Four turns half-illusory, letting their attacks pass through and strike the passage walls instead.
• Little Four captures and eats two low-stage Fusion Realm Ghost Kings, causing the rest to panic and flee toward the Ghost Realm.
• Little Four pursues them into the black hole, but cannot catch any more: the fleeing Fusion Realm Ghost Kings are faster than the mid-stage Void Refinement Beast.
• In the Ghost Realm, Lord Ming waits for news, unaware that his retreating forces are leading Little Four toward him.

Character developments

• Little Four reveals that its Four-Colored Diamond Heart grants powerful ghost-countering abilities: it can ignore ghostly attacks, dissolve ghost energy, and ensnare ghosts. Devouring powerful Ghost Kings awakens its bloodline power and intensifies its appetite.
• The Ghost Kings shift from confidence in their numbers to terror once their attacks prove useless. Even their leader abandons the fight and orders a retreat.
• Lord Ming remains unaware of the unfolding danger.

Significant themes

• Predator becomes prey: the invading Ghost Kings are suddenly hunted by Little Four.
• Overconfidence and panic: the Ghost Kings’ confidence in their combined strength collapses when they cannot harm their opponent.
• Comic appetite amid danger: Little Four treats the battle as a feast, turning a lethal pursuit into gleeful gluttony.
• Escalating threat: the conflict is moving toward the Ghost Realm, where Lord Ming has not yet grasped what is coming.

Character interactions

• Little Four taunts the Ghost Kings and treats captured enemies as food.
• The Ghost Kings try to rescue their trapped companion, then attempt a joint attack; when that fails, they scatter and flee.
• Little Four chases them, while Lord Ming waits apart from the action, unaware that his forces are bringing the Beast toward his realm.

Key plot points and events

• The Nether Venerable discovers that the invading army is fleeing back through the passage from the Spirit Realm. The Void Refinement Ghost Generals know little, but surviving Ghost Kings report that a strange four-colored Beast defeated their vanguard.
• The Beast—Little Four—is only at the middle stage of Void Refinement, yet its powers evade ghost attacks and dissolve ghostly bodies. It has already devoured four Fusion Realm Ghost Kings.
• As the passage between realms closes, Little Four slips through at the last moment and enters the Ghost Realm, where it finds a vast concentration of Ghost Generals, Ghost Kings, and a Mahayana expert.
• Delighted by the abundance of ghostly energy, Little Four announces it intends to devour them all. The Nether Venerable attacks with a massive spectral spear, but Little Four’s semi-illusory state lets the strike pass through harmlessly.
• Little Four counters with a river of four-colored light, forcing the Nether Venerable to raise a layered Underworld Barrier. The confrontation remains unresolved.

Character developments

• The Nether Venerable shifts from puzzled curiosity to disbelief and then anger. Though confident that the Ghost Realm gives him the advantage, Little Four’s ability to evade his attack makes him reassess the threat.
• Little Four is fearless, boastful, and driven by hunger. It treats the Ghost Realm’s formidable population not as a danger but as a feast.

Significant themes

• Unexpected power and overturned hierarchies: A cultivator far below the Ghost Kings—and the Nether Venerable—can challenge them through unusual abilities.
• Fear versus confidence: The Ghost Kings return in panic, while Little Four remains cheerful in the face of overwhelming numbers.
• Home-ground security under threat: The Nether Venerable assumes the Ghost Realm protects him, but Little Four’s arrival immediately puts that confidence to the test.

Character interactions

• The Nether Venerable interrogates fleeing Ghost Generals, then hears the true account from the surviving Ghost Kings.
• Little Four openly taunts the assembled ghosts and challenges the Nether Venerable.
• The Nether Venerable’s first attack misses, and Little Four retaliates, beginning a direct battle between them.

Plot points and events

• Little Four unleashes a four-colored river that pierces the Nether Venerable’s formidable defenses. The Mahayana expert retreats, unable to risk taking the attack directly.
• Little Four captures and devours five Fusion Realm Ghost Kings. The immense quantity of ghostly energy leaves it stuffed and overwhelmingly drowsy.
• The passage back to the Spirit Realm has sealed shut. Rather than panic, Little Four decides to use the Ghost Realm’s abundant energy to cultivate until it can break through and return to its master.
• It settles on the formation’s central platform, a rich source of ghostly energy, and enters a protected, half-illusory state before falling asleep.
• The Nether Venerable secretly tests Little Four with a powerful Netherworld Death Ray, but the attack passes harmlessly through its illusory body.
• Unable to harm it, the Nether Venerable orders the Ghost Kings to seal the platform with the Two-World Passage Formation. They plan to contain Little Four until the Nine Li Nether Emperor finishes his secluded cultivation.

Character developments and interactions

• Little Four demonstrates overwhelming strength, a talent for devouring ghostly beings, and confidence in its unusual defenses. Despite being stranded, it responds calmly and turns the situation into a cultivation opportunity.
• The Nether Venerable shifts from alarm and curiosity to cautious containment. He consults his Ghost Kings but refuses to interrupt the Nether Emperor’s seclusion.
• The Ghost Kings fear Little Four and speculate about its unknown origins. They ultimately accept the Nether Venerable’s plan to restrain it rather than confront it.

Significant themes

• Unfathomable power and mystery: Little Four’s abilities defy the Ghost Realm’s expectations, leaving even powerful beings unable to explain or counter them.
• Adaptability: Stranded in an unfamiliar world, Little Four calmly finds a way to grow stronger.
• Caution over confrontation: The Nether Venerable chooses containment because direct attacks have failed and the Nether Emperor is unavailable.

Summary

• In the Ghost Realm, Ghost Kings and Generals seal the sleeping Little Four inside a powerful interrealm formation to contain it. Their invasion of the Spirit Realm has failed disastrously: Little Four defeated their forces, killed four Body Integration Ghost Kings, and left the formation badly weakened. The frustrated ghosts abandon the campaign and disperse.
• Still asleep in its prison, Little Four dreams of eating enough ghost creatures to reach Mahayana and then returning to its master, Chen Changming.
• In the Spirit Realm, Chen finishes a period of secluded cultivation refining dragon blood. He discovers that Little Four has disappeared from its post and that their normally clear mind-to-mind bond has been severed. Alarmed by Little Four’s unusual abilities, he searches the region and finds ghost aura near the valley where his tribulation had left a vast hole.
• Chen enters the passage and reaches the barrier between the realms. From the signs of battle, he deduces that the Ghost Realm tried to invade through the far north, but Little Four routed the invading army and pursued it into the Ghost Realm—apparently because it found the ghost creatures irresistible.

Character developments and interactions

Chen’s composure gives way to urgent anxiety when he realizes Little Four is missing, revealing how strongly he depends on and cares for his companion. His investigation shows his ability to quickly connect clues and reconstruct events. Little Four remains loyal to Chen, but its appetite has carried it far beyond its assigned post. The Ghost Kings, meanwhile, are humiliated and fearful after encountering an enemy they cannot counter.

Themes

The chapter contrasts the Ghost Realm’s elaborate preparations and overwhelming force with Little Four’s unexpected effectiveness. It also emphasizes the bond between Chen and Little Four, the danger of underestimating strange abilities, and the irony that a planned invasion collapses because its target is distracted by its attackers’ deliciousness.

Chen Changming escaped the collapsing passage after Little Four entered the Ghost Realm, then refined all nine remaining drops of dragon blood but failed to advance beyond the sixth layer of the Void Refinement Realm. As he headed back toward the Snow Bamboo Sect, the Snow Bear Demon King revealed that he knew about Iron Sword High Person’s encounter with Chen Changming.

• Chen Changming escaped the collapsing passage, accepted that Little Four was safe in the Ghost Realm, and returned to his cave abode.
• Chen Changming refined the sixth drop of dragon blood for three days, then worried that the last three drops might not be enough for a breakthrough.
• Chen Changming refined the final three drops over nine days but remained at the peak of the sixth layer of the Void Refinement Realm, and he resolved to consolidate his cultivation.
• Chen Changming left for the Snow Bamboo Sect, passed near the Frozen Source Grotto, and continued on after sensing the Cold Nether Spider and Little Wolf cultivating.
• At the Iron Sword Alliance headquarters, Iron Sword High Person told the Snow Bear Demon King about his near-fatal encounter with Chen Changming.
• The Snow Bear Demon King said he already knew Chen Changming possessed a Demon Talisman, making Iron Sword High Person wary of the Demon King's knowledge and influence.

The Snow Bear Demon King gave Iron Sword High Person blood essence to protect him from Chen Changming and asked him to secretly abduct talented women from two sects. Meanwhile, Chen Changming returned to the Snow Bamboo Sect disguised as Chen Chuan and faced accusations of abandoning his post, leaving his claim that the sect leader had sent him on an errand in doubt.

• The Snow Bear Demon King gave Iron Sword High Person blood essence that could withstand an all-out strike from a cultivator at the fifth level of Body Integration or below.
• The Snow Bear Demon King urged Iron Sword High Person to secretly abduct talented female disciples from the Snow Bamboo Sect and Ice Ripple Sect as cultivation cauldrons.
• Chen Changming disguised himself as Chen Chuan and returned to the Snow Bamboo Sect's Ninth Spiritual Medicine Valley.
• Zhang Huaichu and Jiang Beiyu accused Chen Chuan of abandoning his post and allowing a Spirit Transformation beast to damage the valley's spiritual medicine.
• The deacon elder ordered guards to seize Chen Chuan, but Chen Changming said he had left on the sect leader's orders.
• Zhang Huaichu, Jiang Beiyu, the deacon elder, and the watching disciples dismissed Chen Changming's claim and suspected he was lying.

Chen Changming summoned True Person Xue Yan after Elder Yu accused him of abandoning his post, and she arrived to confirm he had been carrying out her secret assignment. After punishing the officials who wronged him, Chen returned to secluded cultivation, where the Ghostface Butterfly announced it was about to enter the Void Refinement Realm.

• Elder Yu accused Chen Changming of abandoning his post, lying, and defying the sect's enforcers, then ordered guards to seize him.
• Chen Changming contacted True Person Xue Yan, who teleported to the Ninth Spiritual Medicine Valley and confirmed she had assigned him the secret mission.
• True Person Xue Yan sentenced Elder Yu to three years of confinement and forfeiture of twenty years' stipend, and demoted Zhang Huaichu and Jiang Beiyu to outer disciples with ten years of labor.
• Chen Changming accepted Xue Yan's handling of the matter, returned to the Ancient Hall, and resumed cultivating behind its protective formations.
• The Ghostface Butterfly told Chen Changming that it was about to break through to the Void Refinement Realm.

Chen Changming left the Snow Bamboo Sect to oversee the Ghostface Butterfly’s breakthrough, while Sun Lei learned Chen Chuan’s true identity and was warned to keep it secret. The Ghostface Butterfly formed a massive chrysalis in a secluded valley, and Chen Changming stood guard as its transformation began.

• Chen Changming stopped his cultivation and left the Ninth Spiritual Medicine Valley, prompting the disciples to speculate about his status and privileges.
• Sun Lei saw Chen Chuan leaving the sect and went to True Person Xue Yan to complain that he had left without permission again.
• True Person Xue Yan revealed to Sun Lei that Chen Chuan was a reclusive elder from the Medicine Sect headquarters and ordered him to protect the secret.
• Sun Lei apologized for his misunderstanding and promised not to reveal Chen Chuan’s identity or disturb his cultivation.
• Chen Changming traveled more than a thousand li from the sect, released the Ghostface Butterfly’s six-zhang chrysalis into a secluded valley, and began guarding it as it prepared to break through to the Void Refinement Realm.