Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing completes the Imperial Court Scroll and the Sun and Moon Shining Together Diagram, perfecting his immortal arts.
• He learns about the prefect's side making a stir due to the tiger demon's improved condition and the increased demonic qi.
• Ren Shanshi plans to open a martial arts school, and Ren Qing instructs Mouse True Person to investigate the backgrounds of any disciples.
• Ren Qing goes underground to check on his disciples, the frog and the fish, and decides to give them Metamorphosis Pills.
• In Three Rivers Prefecture, the golden rolls are compiled, and the frog and the fish's names appear on Water Mouth City's roll, causing a stir among the demons.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing continues to cultivate diligently and perfects his immortal arts. He also shows concern for his disciples and the city's safety.
• Ren Shanshi shows initiative in wanting to open a martial arts school, indicating his desire to improve the city's future.
• The frog and the fish show progress in their cultivation, hinting at their potential growth.

Significant Themes

• The theme of cultivation and growth is prominent, with Ren Qing perfecting his immortal arts and his disciples showing signs of improvement.
• The theme of the struggle between good and evil is evident, with the tiger demon's improved condition and the increased demonic qi causing concern.
• The theme of change and adaptation is seen in Ren Qing's approach to cultivation and his decision to give Metamorphosis Pills to his disciples.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing interacts with Mouse True Person, instructing him on various matters and rewarding him with the prospect of a Metamorphosis Pill.
• Ren Qing's divine sense influences the two enlightened great medicines, showing his connection with them.
• The demons in Three Rivers Prefecture discuss the golden rolls, revealing their attitudes towards the new names on the list, including the frog and the fish.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The provincial examination golden list is pasted on the yamen wall.
• Mouse True Person is envious of his senior brothers' success but is content with the third Classic Laureate position.
• Ren Qing undergoes a transformation due to the effect of the Transformation Pills on his disciples.
• Mouse True Person finds various types of mice for Ren Qing to choose from for the Wood Escape Art.
• Ren Qing teaches Mouse True Person the use of the Five Elements Immortal Art for offense.

Character Developments

• Mouse True Person shows ambition and eagerness to improve his cultivation.
• Ren Qing's immortal body undergoes transformation, bringing him closer to becoming a Yin Immortal.
• Ren Qing's disciples are revealed to be magic artifacts, which he accepts reluctantly.

Significant Themes

• The temptation of power and success, as seen through Mouse True Person's envy.
• The consequences of one's actions, as seen through Ren Qing's transformation due to his disciples' advancement.
• The acceptance of reality, as seen through Ren Qing's reluctant acceptance of his disciples as magic artifacts.

Character Interactions

• Mouse True Person interacts with Ren Qing, showing reverence and eagerness to learn.
• Ren Qing interacts with Mouse True Person, teaching him about the Five Elements Immortal Art and its offensive uses.
• Ren Qing's disciples interact with him through their magic artifact forms, showing their eagerness to please him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Strange phenomena occur in Water Mouth City at midnight, hinting at demonic activity.
• Yin Qianzhang, a demon cultivator, infiltrates Wish-Fulfillment Abbey to disrupt the Immortal Ascension Assembly.
• He uses the Immortal Court Sub-Diagram to investigate the central statue, which represents Ren Qing, but encounters an unknown force that injures him.
• The newly appointed prefect of Three Rivers Prefecture announces that the compilation of the golden list will take place in Water Mouth City, attracting many demon cultivators.

Character Developments

• Yin Qianzhang's investigation reveals that the central statue is connected to Ren Qing, and he becomes determined to eliminate her.
• Ren Qing's Primordial Spirit grows unexpectedly, hinting at his impending achievement of Yin Immortality.
• Mouse True Person demonstrates his innate divine ability to sense treasure lights, showing growth and potential.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between demon cultivators and cultivators of the Way.
• The importance of maintaining a pure Dao heart and avoiding greed for external possessions.
• The duty of cultivators to slay demons and defend the Way.

Character Interactions

• Yin Qianzhang interacts with the Immortal Court Sub-Diagram, leading to his injury.
• Ren Qing and Mouse True Person discuss the treasure lights and decide to investigate, demonstrating their bond and shared values.
• Ren Qing gives Mouse True Person guidance on maintaining a pure Dao heart, showcasing his role as a teacher and mentor.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sky-Shocking Rat Bandit Gang, led by Lord Huang, is transporting half-demons and spiritual materials to Water Mouth City.
• They are attacked by a mouse horde led by Mouse True Person, who is secretly working with Ren Qing.
• The mouse horde defeats and kills Lord Huang and his eel demons, and takes the spiritual materials.
• Ren Qing uses the stolen materials to refine a Transformation Pill for Frog Immortal Lord.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing: He continues to guide and help his disciples, showing concern for their well-being and growth.
• Mouse True Person: It gains Ren Qing's favor and is about to learn the complete Five Elements Immortal Art.
• Lord Huang: He is arrogant and underestimates the mouse horde, leading to his demise.

Significant Themes

• Power Dynamics: The mouse horde's victory over the eel demons demonstrates the shifting power dynamics among demons.
• Cultivation Growth: Ren Qing's focus on helping his disciples grow in power highlights the importance of cultivation in the story's world.
• Trust and Loyalty: Ren Qing's trust in Mouse True Person and the mouse horde's loyalty to him show the importance of these qualities.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing and Mouse True Person: Their interaction shows Ren Qing's mentorship and Mouse True Person's eagerness to learn and please Ren Qing.
• Mouse True Person and Lord Huang: Their interaction highlights the mouse horde's cunning and Lord Huang's underestimation of them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing completes the Five Elements Immortal Art, stabilizing his fleshly body.
• Water Mouth City inexplicably grows in size, hinting at another immortal's arrival.
• Ren Qing observes two quasi-juren demons, Ling Chenyun and Jiao Yuan, discussing the provincial examination compilation and the Ghost Quarter opening.
• Ren Qing achieves Yin Immortal, and his fleshly body disintegrates and reforms.
• He takes "Primordial Beginning" as his immortal name.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing becomes a Yin Immortal, marking a significant advancement in his cultivation journey.
• Mouse True Person successfully takes the transformation pill, regaining his original form.
• Ling Chenyun and Jiao Yuan, two quasi-juren demons, are introduced, revealing their intentions and plans.

Significant Themes

• The growth and expansion of Water Mouth City reflect the increasing influence of the supernatural world on the mortal realm.
• The provincial examination compilation and the Ghost Quarter opening highlight the upcoming conflicts and events that will shape the story's direction.
• Ren Qing's achievement of Yin Immortal emphasizes the importance of personal growth and self-realization in his journey.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing observes Ling Chenyun and Jiao Yuan from a distance, learning about their plans and intentions.
• Ren Qing interacts with Mouse True Person, guiding him through the transformation process.
• Ren Qing's achievement of Yin Immortal is a solitary event, marking a significant milestone in his journey without direct interaction with other characters.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing's Immortal-Seeking Statue begins to form his immortal name, causing Wish-Fulfillment Abbey to disappear.
• Daoist Beisu, fearing Ren Qing's power, flees and gives the Ghost Bone to the Mouse Children to contest valuation items in the upcoming Ghost Quarter.
• Ren Shanshi brings six non-human children to Ren Qing's house, planning to teach them martial arts.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing becomes an immortal, with the immortal name "Primordial Beginning."
• Daoist Beisu becomes fearful of Ren Qing's power and seeks to distance himself.
• Ren Shanshi shows compassion towards the six children, despite not knowing their true nature.

Significant Themes

• The power and mystery of Ren Qing's immortal name and origins.
• The fear and caution that Ren Qing's power inspires in others, such as Daoist Beisu.
• The theme of compassion and responsibility, shown by Ren Shanshi towards the children.

Character Interactions

• Daoist Beisu interacts with the Mouse Children, giving them the Ghost Bone to contest valuation items.
• Ren Shanshi interacts with the six children, planning to teach them martial arts despite their non-human nature.
• Ren Qing interacts with the six children through his divine sense, discovering their non-human nature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Shanshi brings six half-demons (three eel-like and three eagle-headed) to the shop.
• Ren Qing discovers that the half-demons can only accept specific breaths of heaven and earth.
• Ren Qing decides to let Ren Shanshi teach the half-demons martial arts.
• Ren Qing learns about three appraised items at the upcoming ghost market: Heavenly Dao Diagram, Primordial Unity Spirit Flesh, and Yin Immortal Head.

Character Developments

• Ren Shanshi becomes more accepting of the half-demons despite their strange appearances.
• Ren Qing shows interest in the Yin Immortal Head at the ghost market.
• Mouse True Person is sent to keep an eye on the Heavenly Dao Diagram and Primordial Unity Spirit Flesh.

Significant Themes

• The acceptance and treatment of outsiders and those who are different (half-demons).
• The pursuit of power and knowledge (Ren Qing's interest in the Yin Immortal Head).
• The potential dangers and hidden tricks of powerful artifacts (Heavenly Dao Diagram).

Character Interactions

• Ren Shanshi and Ren Qing discuss the half-demons' fate.
• Ren Qing instructs Mouse True Person about the ghost market appraised items.
• Ren Shanshi teaches the half-demons martial arts, showing patience and understanding.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The provincial exam results are posted, with Mouse True Person as the champion.
• Mouse True Person shares his pride in his accomplishment and vows not to disappoint his immortal elder.
• Strange voices are heard near the golden list, hinting at potential interference in the exam.
• The Ghost Quarter Master's disciple is beheaded, and his head is left on the market execution ground.
• Cang Feng captures Plum Blossom Granny, who reveals that Three Incense Lady's true disciple has become an immortal and killed the Demon Cultivators in the exam.
• Ren Qing appears on the wooden platform and inspects the Yin Immortal Head, discovering the Temple Immortalization Method inside.

Character Developments

• Mouse True Person: Shows pride and determination in his accomplishment, hinting at his ruthless side.
• Ghost Quarter Master: Reveals his strange actions and potential interference in the exam.
• Cang Feng: Shows cunning and ambition, seeking to trade Plum Blossom Granny for resources.
• Ren Qing: Shows curiosity and caution about the Yin Immortal Head and its contents.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and pride: Mouse True Person, Cang Feng
• Strange occurrences and potential interference: Ghost Quarter Master, the voices near the golden list
• Hidden secrets and revelations: Plum Blossom Granny's information, Ren Qing's discovery

Character Interactions

• Mouse True Person interacts with the shadows, hinting at his connection to the Mouse Children.
• Cang Feng interacts with Yin Jiangyuan and Ban Zheng, attempting to trade Plum Blossom Granny for resources.
• Ren Qing interacts with the Yin Immortal Head, showing curiosity and caution about its contents.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing ignores the three demons and studies the Yin Immortal Head, discovering the Temple Immortalization Method.
• The demons attack Ren Qing, but he uses the Five Elements Immortal Art to escape and heal his injuries.
• Ren Qing absorbs the life force of the demons, killing them, and then takes their Niwan Palaces.
• Plum Blossom Granny is taken by Mouse True Person.
• Ren Qing asks about the other appraisal objects and decides to take the Temple Immortalization Method.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing demonstrates his power and control over his cultivation, absorbing the life force of demons to heal and strengthen himself.
• Plum Blossom Granny's fate is uncertain after being taken by Mouse True Person.
• The seven voices in the wall argue about Ren Qing's cultivation and decide to help him and drive him out of Three Rivers.

Significant Themes

• The power and danger of Ren Qing's cultivation method.
• The theme of misfortune and fortune being intertwined.
• The importance of resources and guidance in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing interacts with the three demons, defeating them without directly engaging in combat.
• Ren Qing interacts with Mouse True Person, giving him instructions and showing trust in him.
• The seven voices in the wall interact with each other, showing disagreement and unity in their decision to help Ren Qing.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing returns to the rear courtyard and finds Mouse True Person has prepared everything for his cultivation.
• Ren Qing studies Yin Jiangyuan's cultivation insights from the book found on the tiger demon's corpse.
• Ren Shanshi leads the Half-Demons in martial practice, with no significant progress.
• Ren Qing decides to refine an ownerless dharma seal to advance to Yin Immortal.
• Frog Immortal Lord gains the ability to grow larger by eating soil and shedding his skin.
• Ren Qing approves of Frog Immortal Lord's progress and begins refining the dharma seal.
• Ren Shanshi asks Ren Qing about marrying Yun Niang, and Ren Qing agrees.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing: Becomes more focused on his cultivation and decides to refine a dharma seal to advance to Yin Immortal. He also shows approval of Frog Immortal Lord's progress and agrees to his father's marriage.
• Frog Immortal Lord: Gains the ability to grow larger by eating soil and shedding his skin, showing potential for growth.
• Ren Shanshi: Shows improvement in his martial practice and decides to marry Yun Niang, showing a desire to settle down.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and advancement: Ren Qing focuses on refining a dharma seal to advance to Yin Immortal, while Frog Immortal Lord shows potential for growth.
• Family and responsibility: Ren Shanshi decides to marry Yun Niang, showing a desire to settle down and take on more responsibility.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing and Mouse True Person: Ren Qing relies on Mouse True Person for assistance in his cultivation, while Mouse True Person remains loyal and helpful.
• Ren Qing and Frog Immortal Lord: Ren Qing approves of Frog Immortal Lord's progress and begins refining a dharma seal with his help.
• Ren Qing and Ren Shanshi: Ren Qing agrees to his father's marriage, showing support for his decisions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing continues refining his dharma seal, deciding to create a Three Pure Ones Seal, the highest level of Honored Deity Name Seal.
• He gives Frog Immortal Lord a dharma seal, causing concern among the Ghost Quarter Masters.
• Mouse True Person brings Ren Qing jade for refining, which he accepts to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing shows his disregard for traditional methods and rules, cultivating recklessly and altering the method of refining a dharma seal.
• Frog Immortal Lord shows understanding and obedience to Ren Qing's commands.
• Mouse True Person shows eagerness to please and understanding of Ren Qing's temperament.

Significant Themes

• The importance of dharma seals in the Dao-lineage inheritance and the Age of Dharma's End.
• The consequences of cultivating recklessly and straying from the right path.
• The concern and frustration of the Ghost Quarter Masters regarding Ren Qing's actions.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing interacts with Frog Immortal Lord and Mouse True Person, giving orders and showing his disregard for traditional methods.
• The Ghost Quarter Masters discuss and express their concern and frustration about Ren Qing's actions among themselves.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing refines the Three Pure Ones Seal and consecrates it by worshiping himself, marking a significant step in his cultivation.
• He merges part of his Primordial Spirit with the seal and advances the Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art to Yin Immortal.
• The Ghost Quarter Masters feel the influence of Ren Qing's cultivation and decide to go into seclusion.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing continues to make progress in his cultivation, demonstrating his unique approach to Daoism.
• The Ghost Quarter Masters realize the extent of Ren Qing's power and decide to avoid him, showing their fear and respect.

Significant Themes

• Ren Qing's unorthodox approach to cultivation, worshiping himself instead of ancestral masters.
• The power dynamics between Ren Qing and the Ghost Quarter Masters, with the latter now fearing the former.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing interacts with Mouse True Person and Frog Immortal Lord, showing his confidence and efficiency in his cultivation.
• The Ghost Quarter Masters interact among themselves, expressing their fear and regret regarding Ren Qing's power.

Chapter Summary: Ren Qing’s First “Heart Demon Tribulation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing’s lower dantian continues merging with the Imperial Court Scroll as he advances the Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art toward the creation of a Small Grotto-Heaven.
• While circulating the Three Pure Ones Seal and chanting the scripture, he hears countless indistinct whispers and realizes that he is undergoing his first Heart Demon Tribulation.
• Rather than fear the trial, Ren Qing welcomes it, believing that heart demons are a necessary obstacle on the path to enlightenment. His experiences across two lifetimes have prepared and strengthened his Dao heart.
• The narrative shifts to a pavilion where numerous Demon Cultivators study a human-skin scroll known as the Great Dao Diagram. The diagram is composed of fragments from Immortal Court Sub-Diagrams.
• The demons become increasingly obsessed with the scroll, convinced that it is revealing the Great Dao and will help them break through their cultivation bottlenecks.
• Zhou Jue, a skeptical snake-like cultivator, initially dismisses the diagram and attempts to leave. However, when a humanoid figure appears within it, his skepticism turns into greed and fanaticism.
• The other demons’ heads suddenly explode, apparently because they lack the fate or ability to comprehend the diagram. Zhou Jue survives, interprets this as proof that he is chosen, and takes the scroll with him.
• Ren Qing awakens after breaking through the heart demon. His mind is clear, his Dao heart remains firm, and he feels the accumulated burdens of his two lives dissipate.
• He discovers that the Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art has successfully reached the Yin Immortal stage and that his lower dantian now contains an immature Small Grotto-Heaven.
• The Small Grotto-Heaven contains an island, water, clouds, and alternating sun and moon, though its natural laws are crude and still largely controlled by Ren Qing’s thoughts.
• Ren Qing also notices preparations for an upcoming wedding involving Ren Shanshi and observes that Fish Immortal is transforming into a flood dragon.
• The feedback from overcoming the Heart Demon Tribulation nourishes Ren Qing’s Primordial Spirit and makes his cultivation progress more smoothly.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing: Demonstrates exceptional composure and confidence during his first Heart Demon Tribulation. His past-life experiences and long cultivation have forged a resilient Dao heart. He successfully advances the Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art to Yin Immortal and establishes the foundation of a Small Grotto-Heaven.
• Zhou Jue: Begins as a skeptical outsider who considers the demons’ obsession ridiculous. After witnessing the scroll’s manifestation, he becomes even more obsessed than the others, revealing his latent greed and desire for advancement.
• The Demon Cultivators: Their fixation on the Great Dao Diagram develops into irrational fanaticism. Their deaths show the danger of pursuing enlightenment without sufficient aptitude, preparation, or restraint.
• Fish Immortal: Continues transforming, approaching the form of a flood dragon, suggesting further growth through the cultivation system’s feedback.

Significant Themes

• Heart demons and Daoist cultivation: Inner demons are presented as unavoidable tests that reveal and challenge a cultivator’s mental state. Overcoming them strengthens both the Dao heart and cultivation.
• Delusion and obsession: The demons mistake fascination and imagined comprehension for genuine enlightenment. Their obsession ultimately destroys them.
• Qualification and fate: The Great Dao cannot be understood merely through desire. The demons’ deaths imply that insight depends on deeper aptitude or karmic qualification.
• Progress from falsehood to reality: Ren Qing’s Small Grotto-Heaven is crude and incomplete, but it represents the first step toward creating a genuine independent world.
• Self-awareness versus fanaticism: Ren Qing recognizes the limitations and artificiality of his cultivation realm, while the demons blindly project their desires onto the Great Dao Diagram.

Character Interactions

• The Demon Cultivators encourage and reinforce one another’s obsession as they discuss their supposed breakthroughs.
• The wolf demon asks Zhou Jue for his opinion, creating a contrast between Zhou Jue’s initial skepticism and the group’s fanaticism.
• Zhou Jue’s contemptuous reaction to the demons’ behavior turns into rivalry with them once he believes the Great Dao has chosen him.
• Ren Qing has no direct interaction with the demons, but the Heart Demon manifests through an illusion resembling their collective voices and deluded claims, linking his inner trial to the external events surrounding the Great Dao Diagram.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fish Immortal attains Yin Immortal rank after breaking out of the water vat.
• Su Huo awakens from his grave and meets Ren Qing, who asks him to help train the martial hall apprentices.
• Ren Qing discovers Fish Immortal can create dragonfish fry, which are sword qi incarnations.
• Thousand Diners, a Yin Immortal, appears in Water Mouth City, killing a woman and expressing interest in the green-clothed woman from the Fuyang Chamber of Commerce.
• Jiang Yanzhi, a scholar, invites Ren Qing to a gathering to discuss the provincial examination tally, but Thousand Diners intervenes.

Character Developments

• Fish Immortal evolves into a miniature flood dragon and gains the ability to create dragonfish fry.
• Su Huo accepts Ren Qing's immortality and decides to help train the martial hall apprentices.
• Thousand Diners reveals his cannibalistic tendencies and expresses interest in the green-clothed woman.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of immortality and the Dao.
• The consequences of defying societal norms and expectations (e.g., Thousand Diners' cannibalism).
• The struggle for power and influence in the provincial examination tally.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing and Fish Immortal: Ren Qing helps Fish Immortal evolve, and they discuss Fish Immortal's new abilities.
• Ren Qing and Su Huo: Ren Qing asks Su Huo to help train the martial hall apprentices, showing trust in him.
• Thousand Diners and Jiang Yanzhi: Thousand Diners reveals his intentions regarding the provincial examination tally and expresses interest in the green-clothed woman.
• Thousand Diners and the green-clothed woman: Thousand Diners shows appreciation for the woman's physical attributes, hinting at his intention to consume her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Shanshi's wedding procession arrives at Fortune-Life Martial Hall, drawing attention from passersby.
• Li Yao visits the martial hall, bringing a substantial dowry from the Fuyang Chamber of Commerce.
• Li Yao receives a mysterious betrothal letter and senses an otherworldly presence in the martial hall.
• An unknown entity emerges from the betrothal letter, manifesting as cooked sesame tangyuan with eyeballs, which are then eaten by a toad.

Character Developments

• Ren Shanshi has transformed physically and is now respected by the guards.
• Li Yao suspects that Ren Shanshi might be connected to an immortal but later dismisses the idea.
• Yun Niang's eyesight improves, and she seems more coherent and talkative.

Significant Themes

• The supernatural and otherworldly presence in the martial hall.
• The theme of transformation and change, seen in Ren Shanshi's physical appearance and Li Yao's newfound suspicions.
• The theme of uncertainty and the unknown, as Li Yao struggles to understand the strange events happening around her.

Character Interactions

• Ren Shanshi and Yun Niang interact warmly, showing affection for each other.
• Li Yao and Yun Niang share a close bond, with Li Yao showing concern for Yun Niang's well-being.
• Li Yao and the unknown entity in the martial hall have a tense interaction, with Li Yao trying to protect Yun Niang from the threat.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yao visits Ren Qing's residence and discovers signs of immortals and demons, including half-demons practicing martial arts.
• Ren Shanshi, Ren Qing's uncle, demonstrates his martial prowess, revealing he's an exceptional martial artist.
• Li Yao suspects Ren Qing might be an immortal due to the unusual environment and his aunt's hints.

Character Developments

• Li Yao: Realizes the extraordinary nature of Ren Qing's residence and becomes more determined to marry Ren Qing.
• Ren Shanshi: Shows his immense martial skill, hinting at his potential as a powerful ally or protector.
• Ren Qing: Continues to cultivate in secret, struggling with integrating his immortal arts and seeking a Yin Immortal lineage inheritance.

Significant Themes

• The extraordinary nature of Ren Qing's family and their potential immortality.
• The power of martial arts and the potential of Ren Shanshi.
• Li Yao's growing determination to marry Ren Qing for his potential immortality and power.

Character Interactions

• Li Yao and Ren Shanshi: Li Yao is awestruck by Ren Shanshi's martial prowess, while Ren Shanshi feels guilty for frightening Li Yao.
• Li Yao and Ren Qing: Li Yao becomes more convinced that Ren Qing is an immortal, while Ren Qing remains unaware of her suspicions and continues to cultivate.
• Ren Qing and Ren Shanshi: Ren Qing's cultivation progress relies on Ren Shanshi's help, highlighting their close relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Success, Five Qi Returning to Origin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing continues cultivating the Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art by absorbing the breaths of the sun, moon, and surrounding environment into the Imperial Court Scroll.
• His internal Small Grotto-Heaven develops a functioning sun-and-moon cycle, but maintaining the balance of different earthly breaths proves extremely difficult and time-consuming.
• While cultivating at home, Ren Qing is suddenly attacked by a powerful Left Path Immortal technique that attempts to transform his body, soul, divine sense, and even his immortal arts into cooking ingredients.
• Instead of blocking the attack, Ren Qing uses the connection between the Imperial Court Scroll and the outside world to circulate the various breaths of heaven and earth through his body. This unexpectedly allows him to achieve Qi Refinement and successfully reach the stage of Five Qi Returning to Origin.
• The breakthrough links his Vapor-Feeding Immortal Art with his Corpse-Liberation Immortal Body, confirming that his cultivation method is correct.
• The hostile technique also affects Ren Shanshi and the six Half-Demons, turning their flesh into cured meat and covering them with salt. Ren Qing removes the abnormality through the Metamorphosis Immortal Art and orders Mouse True Person to search every kitchen in Water Mouth City.
• The attacker, Thousand Diners, is revealed to be preparing a gruesome feast using former Demon Cultivators as ingredients. He attempts to cook Ren Qing’s divine sense and plans to eventually turn Ren Qing’s body and soul into twelve dishes.
• Tasting Ren Qing’s divine sense causes severe backlash: Thousand Diners’ body begins to dissolve, but he interprets this as proof that consuming Ren Qing could help him advance.
• Before the planned feast can occur, Thousand Diners suddenly explodes into pus and blood, leaving his fate uncertain.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing: Demonstrates exceptional adaptability and composure. Rather than resisting the cooking technique directly, he turns its connection to his own cultivation into an opportunity, achieving a major breakthrough in Qi Refinement. His amusement at first gives way to cold fury once he realizes others have been harmed.
• Mouse True Person: Continues to act as Ren Qing’s loyal and efficient subordinate, immediately responding to danger and carrying out the investigation order.
• Ren Shanshi and the six Half-Demons: Are shown to be vulnerable to the Left Path Immortal’s technique, though Ren Qing protects them and removes the transformation.
• Thousand Diners: Is characterized as grotesquely obsessed with food and cultivation. His culinary madness blinds him to his own destruction, while his confidence grows after sampling Ren Qing’s divine sense.
• Jiang Yanzhi: Serves as the horrified observer who recognizes the danger of Thousand Diners’s condition and forcibly interrupts his trance with a lion’s roar.

Significant Themes

• Turning danger into advancement: Ren Qing converts an enemy technique into the catalyst for a major cultivation breakthrough.
• Balance and harmony: The Small Grotto-Heaven depends on maintaining equilibrium among countless breaths of heaven and earth, reflecting the broader cultivation principle of harmonizing opposing forces.
• Body and soul as commodities: Thousand Diners’s grotesque cooking imagery reduces living beings, divine sense, and immortal cultivation to consumable ingredients, emphasizing the depravity of Left Path methods.
• The dangers of obsession: Thousand Diners’s fixation on flavor and advancement prevents him from recognizing his own physical collapse.
• Righteousness versus heresy: Ren Qing’s reaction frames the Left Path Immortal’s actions as evil and deserving of eradication, reinforcing the conflict between disciplined cultivation and corrupt, predatory practices.

Important Character Interactions

• Ren Qing and Mouse True Person interact as master and subordinate, with Mouse True Person awaiting instructions and then being ordered to investigate the source of the attack.
• Ren Qing’s breakthrough directly affects Ren Shanshi and the Half-Demons, prompting him to intervene protectively.
• Thousand Diners and Jiang Yanzhi reveal their uneasy relationship: Jiang Yanzhi is disturbed by Thousand Diners’s madness, while Thousand Diners dismisses his own disintegration and remains focused on cooking Ren Qing.
• Thousand Diners’s attempt to consume Ren Qing’s divine sense becomes an indirect confrontation between them, with Ren Qing’s cultivation overpowering and destabilizing the attacker even before a direct battle occurs.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing shops in the city, displaying his qi cultivation openly.
• Mouse True Person informs Ren Qing about water rats capable of inheriting immortal arts.
• Jiang Yanzhi observes Ren Qing from a tavern, suspecting his cultivation method.
• Thousand Diners' Rice Mass leaks from a dog corpse, revealing his resentment and plans.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing: Maintains his cultivation at all times, showing no concern for hiding his abilities.
• Mouse True Person: Grows more devoted to serving Ren Qing, seeing him as a path to becoming the first great demon among rats.
• Jiang Yanzhi: Becomes increasingly worried about Ren Qing's strength and intentions, seeks a way out of the banquet.
• Thousand Diners: Struggles to maintain his form, plans to use the Rice Mass to achieve True Immortalhood during the banquet.

Significant Themes

• The power and danger of Ren Qing's cultivation method.
• The struggle between Thousand Diners and Ren Qing, with Thousand Diners underestimating Ren Qing's abilities.
• The tension between Jiang Yanzhi and Ren Qing, with Jiang Yanzhi growing more concerned about Ren Qing's true intentions.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing and Mouse True Person: Ren Qing gives instructions to Mouse True Person, who shows growing devotion to serving him.
• Jiang Yanzhi and Ren Qing: Jiang Yanzhi observes Ren Qing from a distance, trying to understand his cultivation method.
• Thousand Diners and the Rice Mass: Thousand Diners' Rice Mass leaks from a dog corpse, revealing his resentment and plans to the readers.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ren Qing and Yun Niang's wedding is held quietly at Fortune-Life Martial Hall.
• Ren Qing senses his heart-devil tribulation is approaching and enters seclusion.
• Ling Chenyun hosts a gathering of Demon Cultivators on his painted pleasure boat, displaying the Great Dao Diagram.

Character Developments

• Ren Qing shows concern for his tribulation and seeks to advance his Dao heart.
• Li Yao shows reverence for Ren Qing and willingness to help him find a wife.
• Ling Chenyun demonstrates his influence and status among Demon Cultivators.

Significant Themes

• The importance of tribulations in cultivator growth.
• The power dynamics and alliances within the demon cultivator community.

Character Interactions

• Ren Qing and Ren Shanshi have a strained relationship, with Ren Qing's eccentric behavior causing discomfort.
• Li Yao and Yun Niang share a close aunt-niece bond, with Li Yao showing respect and care for Yun Niang.
• Ling Chenyun and Jiang Yanzhi have a tense interaction, with Ling Chenyun subtly asserting his superiority.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ghost Quarter Masters revive and sense a terrifying Great Dao sound that nearly shook their foundations.
• They observe that Fortune-Life Martial Hall is preparing to leave Water Mouth City.
• They discover that the Demon Cultivators who died in the provincial examination did so due to the Great Dao Diagram.
• The painted pleasure boat carrying the Great Dao Diagram and over forty Demon Cultivators begins to show strange phenomena, and the demons inside fall into a trance-like state.
• The demons inside the boat start to die one by one, and the Ghost Quarter Masters realize it's too late to save them.

Character Developments

• The Ghost Quarter Masters show fear and desperation when faced with the Great Dao sound and the deaths of the Demon Cultivators.
• Ren Qing continues to cultivate in seclusion, showing no signs of leaving Water Mouth City.
• Jiang Yanzhi becomes infatuated with the Great Dao Diagram and decides he must obtain it.
• Thousand Diners panics when he realizes the danger he's in and tries to hide.

Significant Themes

• The power and danger of the Great Dao.
• The obsession and single-minded pursuit of cultivation and power.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponents and the danger of traps.

Character Interactions

• The Ghost Quarter Masters discuss and share their thoughts, showing unity and concern for their territory and the Demon Cultivators.
• The Demon Cultivators inside the painted pleasure boat are consumed by their desire to comprehend the Great Dao Diagram, leading to their downfall.
• Jiang Yanzhi and Thousand Diners both desire the Great Dao Diagram but for different reasons, leading to a potential conflict.