Chapter Summaries

Su Zhan overwhelmed the three Black Demon Sect elders and began searching their souls for the sect’s secrets. The Thunder Emperor Divine Seat processed their memories, but the search’s discoveries were still unfolding.

• Su Zhan approached the terrified Black Demon Sect elders, treating them as sources of intelligence rather than enemies.
• Su Zhan used the Immovable Thunderflame Wisdom King’s three lightning-and-fire hands to pin down the elders.
• The Old Man in Black Robe tried to detonate his divine soul, but purple-gold lightning stopped him.
• Su Zhan began searching all three Martial King elders’ souls simultaneously.
• The Thunder Emperor Divine Seat processed the flood of memories while the Blazing Dragon Venerate, Nine Heavens Divine Lightning, and Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon reacted.

Su Zhan used the [Thunder Emperor Divine Seat] to extract the Black Demon Sect’s secrets and discovered the Sect Master’s trap at the Central Altar. After learning how the Ten Thousand Demons Heart-Devouring Blood Pool threatened the Yuan Household, he left the gathered survivors awestruck by his power.

• The [Thunder Emperor Divine Seat] sorted the elders’ memories and revealed a precise diagram of the Central Altar.
• Su Zhan learned that the Sect Master had prepared the Ten Thousand Demons Heart-Devouring Blood Pool to corrupt the Yuan Household’s bloodlines and take their bodies.
• Su Zhan finished searching the elders’ souls, leaving no trace of them beneath his lightning and fire hands.
• Yuan Chou and the other survivors stared at Su Zhan in fear and awe.
• Elder Yuan Ji dropped his broken bone staff and gazed at Su Zhan like a pilgrim.

Su Zhan and the Yuan Household reached the Central Altar, where Yuan Ji explained that its God-Ascending Steps tested outsiders with the Principles of the [Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven]. The Yuan Household disciples climbed easily, but the steps unleashed a tremendous repulsive force as soon as Su Zhan stepped onto them.

• Su Zhan left the cleared Skeleton Wasteland behind and led the group toward the Black Pyramid-Shaped Altar.
• Yuan Ji identified the altar's 9,999 God-Ascending Steps and explained that the Yuan Household bloodline could pass safely and gain nourishment from their Principles.
• Yuan Chou climbed first, delighted by the spiritual energy flowing into him, and the other Yuan Household disciples followed with ease.
• Su Zhan stepped onto the first stair, triggering a terrifying force from across the [Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven] that crushed toward him.

Su Zhan faced the full force of the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven’s principles on the God-Ascending Steps, which treated him as an intruder and tried to destroy him. Ignoring Yuan Ji’s pleas, he stepped onto the second step and triggered an even stronger backlash.

• Su Zhan felt the grotto-heaven’s principles attack him, cracking the first step and twisting the space around him.
• Yuan Ji and the Yuan Household realized the altar was rejecting Su Zhan and feared he could not ascend it.
• The Cultivation Method Chat Group reacted to the pressure, while Su Zhan decided he could devour the principles instead of retreating.
• Su Zhan raised his foot and stepped onto the second step despite Yuan Ji’s warning.
• The stronger backlash struck, and the black altar shook violently.

Su Zhan discovered that the altar’s repulsive Principles became nourishment after the Thunder Emperor Divine Seat purified them, allowing his cultivation methods to absorb the power. He strolled through the devastating storm and continued ascending while the observers watched in disbelief.

• When Su Zhan stepped onto the second stair, the altar unleashed a force that shattered the step and made Elder Yuan Ji beg him to retreat.
• Su Zhan realized the purified, ownerless Power of Principle was nourishing his cultivation methods rather than harming him.
• The Immovable Wisdom King Wall absorbed the Earth Principle, while the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning and other methods drew in different Principles.
• Su Zhan began walking lightly through the storm, breaking the stairs beneath him as he steadily climbed.
• Elder Yuan Ji and Yuan Chou watched Su Zhan ascend in shock.

Su Zhan climbed the God-Ascending Steps with astonishing ease, absorbing the principles’ power as he raced past the Yuan Household members. When he reached the summit, the altar’s resistance vanished and an ancient hum rose from the Black Pyramid Altar.

• Su Zhan accelerated up the steps, leaving the struggling Yuan Household disciples far behind.
• Yuan Ji wondered whether Su Zhan was more compatible with the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven than the descendants who carried its Key bloodline.
• As he climbed, Su Zhan absorbed the principles’ energy, strengthening his cultivation methods and deepening his connection to the realm.
• Su Zhan reached the final step and stepped onto the summit ahead of the Yuan Household members.
• The principles’ repulsive force disappeared, and an ancient hum rose from the depths of the Black Pyramid Altar.

Su Zhan reached the Central Altar atop the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven and discovered three dangerous demonic statues guarding its core. When he stepped onto the platform, its golden runes lit up.

• Su Zhan arrived at the top of the Central Altar, where the world's power welcomed him instead of resisting him.
• Su Zhan saw three obsidian statues armed with an axe, a spiked club, and a bow, and sensed their deadly presence.
• The Cultivation Method Chat Group identified the statues as soulless, rune-reinforced constructs powered by unfamiliar energy crystals.
• Su Zhan recalled that the statues were connected to the altar's formation and had to be destroyed to reveal the Ten Thousand Demons Heart-Devouring Blood Pool.
• Su Zhan reassured the Yuan Household members below, then stepped onto the platform and caused golden runes to light up across it.

Three Obsidian Golems awakened on the Altar summit and began a purge protocol against Su Zhan. He assigned the Blazing Dragon Venerate and Nine Heavens Divine Lightning to fight two of them, then vanished to face the archer golem himself.

• The three Obsidian Golems awakened, identified an unauthorized intruder, and unleashed power comparable to peak Martial King Third Stage experts.
• The pressure from the summit injured and pinned down weaker Yuan Household disciples, while Elder Yuan Ji feared for Su Zhan.
• Su Zhan assigned the club-wielding golem to the Blazing Dragon Venerate and the axe-wielding golem to the Nine Heavens Divine Lightning.
• Su Zhan vanished and took on the bow-wielding golem as the three guardians activated their purge protocol.
• The archer golem swiftly drew a three-meter black arrow and nocked it on its bowstring.

Su Zhan faced three third-level Martial King guardian golems attacking at once, but summoned six Cultivation Methods as independent avatars to confront them. The avatars began countering the golems’ attacks and targeting their weaknesses.

• The three guardian golems attacked Su Zhan simultaneously with an arrow, a spiked club, and a giant axe.
• Su Zhan dismissed the attacks as a warm-up and called all his Cultivation Methods out to fight.
• Six divine lights emerged from Su Zhan and transformed into avatars, astonishing the Yuan Household below.
• Blazing Dragon Venerate met the club, Nine Heavens Divine Lightning confronted the axe, and Immovable Wisdom King Wall blocked the arrow.
• Ancient Life Tree reached to restrain the archer, Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon spread poisonous spores over the golems, and Shadow Thousand Silk Lock searched their bodies for weaknesses.

Su Zhan revealed six powerful clones and ordered them to attack the three golems, overwhelming Elder Yuan Ji with the scale of the fight. The battle raged across the Altar, where Blazing Dragon Venerate and Nine Heavens Divine Lightning began damaging their opponents.

• Elder Yuan Ji realized Su Zhan had turned the fight into a six-against-three battle with clones rivaling Martial Kings.
• Su Zhan ordered his six clones to finish the fight quickly, and they attacked the golems across the Altar.
• Blazing Dragon Venerate wrapped around the Mace Golem and blasted it with Dragon Breath, burning its protective membrane without cracking its obsidian body.
• Blazing Dragon Venerate rammed the Mace Golem, and their collision sheared a layer from the Altar's edge.
• Nine Heavens Divine Lightning dodged the Giant Axe Golem's attack and thrust its spear into a crack, breaking off a piece of obsidian.

Su Zhan and the cultivation methods discovered that the three golems would self-destruct if their energy cores were badly damaged, threatening the Yuan Household members climbing below. The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon proposed poisoning their energy circuits to disable them without breaking their cores, but needed help delivering the toxins inside.

• The Giant Axe Golem struck the platform and blasted the Thunder War God away with a wide shockwave.
• The Bow-Wielding Golem shattered the Immovable Wisdom King Wall's barrier, while the Ancient Life Tree and Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon restrained and corroded its joints.
• The Shadow Thousand Silk Lock found the Bow-Wielding Golem's core and warned that all three golems would self-destruct if their cores took too much damage.
• Su Zhan stopped the Blazing Dragon Venerate from continuing to attack and explained that a self-destruction could collapse the summit onto the climbing Yuan Household members.
• The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon explained that poisoning the golems' energy circuits could paralyze them and shut down their cores, but required help getting the toxins inside.

Su Zhan used the Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon and the Shadow Thousand Silk Lock to disable the bow-wielding golem, then sent poison pellets to help the other fighters. The spiked-club golem began to weaken after the Blazing Dragon Venerate injected poison into its back, while the battle continued.

• Su Zhan used the Shadow Thousand Silk Lock to map the bow-wielding golem's energy conduits and drove poison pellets into its chest.
• The poison spread through the golem's conduits, and the Shadow Thousand Silk Lock sealed its self-destruct triggers before its eyes went dark.
• Su Zhan sent poison pellets toward the other two golems and told the Blazing Dragon Venerate to follow his approach.
• The Blazing Dragon Venerate exposed the spiked-club golem's back, burned open a gap between its joints, and stuffed poison pellets inside.
• The spiked-club golem's limbs slowed, and its weakened swing struck with less force.

Su Zhan and his Cultivation Method Clones defeated the three obsidian guardian golems atop the altar in under thirty breaths. After the clones argued over credit, Su Zhan promised them extra food and began dismantling the golems for their stored energy.

• The Dragon Venerate and Thousand Silk Lock brought down one golem, while the Thunder War God disabled the greataxe golem by striking its three energy cores.
• Su Zhan recalled his six Cultivation Method Clones and felt his energy grow fuller as the Thousand Silk Lock absorbed spatial principle from the obsidian.
• The Cultivation Method Clones argued in Su Zhan's sea of consciousness over who had contributed most to the battle.
• Su Zhan promised the clones extra food, silencing their argument, then asked whether they wanted to eat the golems.
• The clones agreed, and Su Zhan had them begin breaking down and refining the obsidian into energy particles.

Su Zhan uncovered the Black Demon Sect’s Ten Thousand Demons Heart-Devouring Blood Pool and stopped Yuan Ji from activating it with the Yuan Household’s bloodline. The Yuan Household had reached the platform, but the path to the grotto-heaven’s core remained unopened.

• Su Zhan’s six cultivation methods consumed the three demonic statues, revealing a ring-shaped groove and a beating Black Crystal.
• Su Zhan recognized the altar as the Ten Thousand Demons Heart-Devouring Blood Pool, a trap that could steal the Yuan Household’s bloodline power and summon the Black Demon Sect’s Sect Master.
• Yuan Chou and then Yuan Ji arrived on the platform with the other Yuan Household disciples.
• Yuan Ji touched the runes and sensed a great door leading to the true core of the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven.
• Yuan Ji prepared to pour in the Yuan Household’s bloodline power, but Su Zhan stopped his hand and told him not to rush.

Su Zhan discovered that the black crystal in the altar recess was a trap planted by the Black Demon Sect, not the key to opening the grotto-heaven's core. After learning that his cultivation methods could absorb the crystal's components, he proposed a way to deal with it.

• Su Zhan told Yuan Ji that the Black Demon Sect's Sect Master had planted a Myriad Demons Heart-Devouring Stone in the recess to trap members of the Yuan Household.
• Yuan Ji and the other Yuan Household disciples panicked, fearing they could never return home.
• Su Zhan examined the stone and learned that dismantling it could collapse the altar, while burning it would not reach its core.
• Su Zhan asked whether the Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon could consume the stone's resentment and demon baleful intent, and Shadow Thousand Silk Lock could absorb its spatial principles.
• Su Zhan stood and announced that they could deal with the stone without taking it apart or burning it.

Su Zhan used Yuan Ji’s Power of Bloodline to activate the Black Crystal, then began hollowing it out with the help of his six cultivation methods. As the Blood Pool formed and threatened the Yuan Household, the cultivation methods worked to drain the crystal, contain the mist, and keep the formation stable.

• Su Zhan told Yuan Ji to activate the Black Crystal with a small amount of his Power of Bloodline so Su Zhan could drain its contents.
• Yuan Ji activated the runes, causing the recess to shake as the Blood Pool formed and vengeful souls appeared in its liquid.
• Su Zhan used Devour to send his six cultivation methods into action against the crystal’s demonic energy and spatial seal.
• The Nine Heavens Divine Lightning blocked the spreading bloody mist while the Ancient Life Tree and Immovable Wisdom King Wall stabilized the formation and Su Zhan.
• The Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer’s Canon drew out the crystal’s contents, and the Blazing Dragon Venerate struggled to refine them quickly enough.

Su Zhan drained the Myriad Demons Heart-Devouring Stone, restoring the Yuan Household’s ancestral arrays and opening the way to the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven’s core. Before they descended, he discovered that someone had secretly altered the runes to hide a teleportation array meant for outsiders.

• Su Zhan drained the Black Crystal until it crumbled, causing the Blood Pool to vanish and the Yuan Household’s original arrays to awaken.
• Elder Yuan Ji poured his bloodline power into the runes and opened a golden staircase leading to the grotto-heaven’s core.
• Yuan Chou tried to rush down the stairs, but Su Zhan stopped him after spotting dark purple runes among the golden ones.
• Shadow Thousand Silk Lock identified the altered runes as a teleportation array leading to the space at the bottom of the staircase and intended for outsiders.

Su Zhan discovered that someone had entered the Mustard Seed Grotto-Heaven’s core through a hidden passage and was lying in wait. He left Yuan Ji and the others above, then bypassed the staircase and broke into the core space, where he found the grotto-heaven’s heart.

• The Shadow Thousand Silk Lock told Su Zhan that a hidden passage led directly to the core and had been used recently.
• Su Zhan asked Yuan Ji to sense the space below, and Yuan Ji detected a faint presence concealed in the eastern area.
• Su Zhan suspected the Black Demon Sect’s Sect Master had planted a hidden defense in the core and told Yuan Ji to keep the others above.
• Su Zhan bypassed the golden staircase, descended along the altar’s outer wall, and smashed through the rock foundation.
• Su Zhan entered the core space and saw the translucent sphere that served as the grotto-heaven’s heart.

Su Zhan found the Black Demon Sect's Sect Master’s Martial King Fifth Layer clone fused with the grotto-heaven’s core and confronted him. The clone unleashed the core’s power, but Su Zhan attacked before he could finish speaking.

• Su Zhan recognized the half-formed figure in the core space as the Black Demon Sect's Sect Master’s manifestation clone, which had been synchronizing with the grotto-heaven’s core for three days.
• Su Zhan called out the clone, who opened his eyes and listed the obstacles Su Zhan had overcome before declaring he would kill him and examine his body.
• The clone completed his transformation into a full human form and unleashed his Martial King Fifth Layer presence, binding the grotto-heaven’s core to himself with black chains.
• The clone reversed gravity in the core space and began to attack Su Zhan.
• Su Zhan charged with a lightning-and-fire-wreathed fist, and the clone raised a barrier of condensed darkness between them.

Su Zhan discovered that the clone used the grotto-heaven core to reflect attacks and manipulate Principles, making it far stronger than its own abilities. He and the Chat Group began devising a way to distract it while severing the chains that bound it to the core.

• Su Zhan struck the clone's barrier, but it reflected the force of his blow and drove him backward.
• The clone suppressed Su Zhan's fire and lightning and cracked his shield by altering the Principles within the grotto-heaven.
• Su Zhan realized the clone drew its borrowed strength through seventeen black chains connected to the grotto-heaven core.
• Su Zhan asked Thousand Silk Lock how many chains it could sever, and learned it could cut only three or four unless the clone was distracted.
• The Chat Group proposed ways to hold the clone's attention, and Su Zhan agreed with Myriad Poisons Divine Farmer's Canon that poison might bypass its Principle-based defenses.