Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding receives a television set, which he uses to watch news about the Immortal Sect.
• He learns about Spirit Transformation Policies, which are proposals made by newly advanced Spirit Transformation cultivators that the Immortal Sect attempts to implement.
• He also learns about the advantages of family systems in technological development, as exemplified by Heavenly Direction Group.
• Jiang Ding receives thirteen quasi-third-rank Radiant Sun Electromagnetic Swords, which he refines using his Supreme Clarity Flying Sword.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding shows a newfound fragility and a desire for human connection, as seen in his enjoyment of watching television.
• He reflects on his own potential Spirit Transformation Policy, considering ways to benefit the Immortal Sect and its sword cultivators.
• He also acknowledges the advantages of family systems but expresses concern about their potential negative impacts.

Significant Themes

• The power and influence of Spirit Transformation cultivators and their policies.
• The advantages and disadvantages of family systems in the Immortal Sect's technological development.
• The importance of human connection and emotional well-being, even for powerful cultivators like Jiang Ding.

Character Interactions

• There are no direct interactions with other characters in this chapter, as Jiang Ding is alone in his mining-area dormitory. However, his thoughts and reflections are influenced by the news he watches and the items he receives.

Chapter Summary: "Would You Become My Maid and Protect Me Forever?"

Key Plot Points & Events

1. The Sword Bestowal Ceremony: Jiang Ding formally offers maid contracts to thirteen women who served him since Goldspirit Mountain, presenting each with a Radiant Sun Dao-Soldier Sword—quasi-third-order flying swords that amplify their power and link together in formation.
2. Formation Activation: The thirteen swords' array patterns merge, with Gong Caiyu at the center, creating a unified aura far beyond Foundation Establishment peak.
3. Deployment and Purge: Jiang Ding sends the maids in three-person teams to patrol 500 kilometers around Tushan Immortal City, executing bandit and demonic cultivators on sight without trial.
4. The "Tushan Witches": Within a month, hundreds of Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators are killed, restoring total order to the region and intimidating cultivators into courteous behavior.
5. Foreshadowing Conflict: Two Golden Core cultivators—Peach Blossom Young Master and Vajra the ascetic monk—observe the maids and discuss how Jiang Ding's public display of Yellow Leopard's bonded treasure will provoke the Eighteen Bloodcloud Riders, and how avenging Yellow Leopard could earn favor from Bloodflow Cloud, a quasi-Nascent Soul cultivator.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: Demonstrates strategic investment in subordinates, decisive leadership, and willingness to enforce absolute order within his domain. His actions show both magnanimity (giving powerful artifacts to servants) and ruthlessness (summary execution policy).
• Gong Caiyu: Elevated from candidate maid to formal maid, receives a dramatic power boost (can now potentially fight Foundation Establishment Late Stage despite being Early Stage), and shows fierce loyalty.
• The Thirteen Maids: Evolve from servants into an elite, disciplined combat force capable of coordinated formation attacks and stealth operations.
• Peach Blossom Young Master & Vajra: Introduced as opportunistic Golden Core cultivators tempted by the political opportunity Jiang Ding's actions have created, though wary of his strength.

Significant Themes

• Contracts and Loyalty: The formal maid agreement establishes mutual obligations—service and protection in exchange for resources and training—creating a structured power relationship.
• Order vs. Chaos: Jiang Ding's aggressive pacification of his territory contrasts with the typical cultivation world norm where chaos and banditry are tolerated outside market boundaries.
• Consequences of Public Actions: Displaying Yellow Leopard's treasure as a deterrent creates escalating political repercussions, illustrating how strength invites greater challenges.
• Power Consolidation: Building an elite personal military force capable of enforcing territorial control.
• Ambition and Foresight: Jiang Ding's long-term planning (training for centuries, preparing for battlefield use) shows his vision beyond immediate security.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding formally contracts each maid with a ritual question-and-answer exchange.
• Gong Caiyu kneels and pledges lifelong devotion; Jiang Ding helps her up gently.
• The maids operate in synchronized coordination, showing trust and familiarity developed over sixteen years.
• The two Golden Core cultivators discuss Jiang Ding's reputation, comparing him favorably to Yellow Leopard and Liu Yan, while plotting how to leverage the coming Bloodcloud Rider conflict for personal gain.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding receives a letter from Zhou Sanyan warning him of impending danger.
• Vajra Ascetic and Peach Blossom Young Master enter Tushan Immortal City, but are captured by Jiang Ding.
• Jiang Ding discovers that Peach Blossom Young Master is a wanted criminal and that Vajra Ascetic is a late-stage Golden Core cultivator who planned to hunt Jiang Ding's head.
• Peach Blossom Young Master is killed, and his memories reveal that he often preyed on innocent women.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates his power and ruthlessness, killing Peach Blossom Young Master without hesitation.
• Vajra Ascetic's true cultivation level is revealed, showing that he had been concealing it.
• Peach Blossom Young Master's true nature is revealed, showing that he was not as innocent as he appeared.

Significant Themes

• The theme of deception and hidden truths is emphasized, as characters are not always what they seem.
• The theme of power and its consequences is explored, as Jiang Ding's strength allows him to act without fear of repercussions.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding interacts with Zhou Sanyan through letters, showing a level of trust and camaraderie between them.
• Jiang Ding captures and interrogates Vajra Ascetic and Peach Blossom Young Master, revealing their true intentions and natures.
• Peach Blossom Young Master betrays Vajra Ascetic, selling him out to save himself.

Chapter Summary: “Bandit Mentality Will Never Achieve Great Things”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding investigates Vajra Ascetic’s identity through Peach Blossom Young Master’s memories. He discovers that Vajra Ascetic had been Peach Blossom Young Master’s close accomplice for nearly a century, working with him to ambush Golden Core cultivators of the Righteous-Demonic Alliance.
• Jiang suspects that Vajra Ascetic has concealed his true cultivation and may belong to either the Six Paths Sect or the fugitive Eighteen Bloodcloud Riders.
• Rather than continue speculating, Jiang attacks with his Azure Flying Sword.
• Vajra Ascetic uses his ancient treasure, the Sunken-Water Drum, which normally traps or slows small magical weapons. However, it fails to restrain Jiang’s flying sword.
• Jiang’s sword damages the wooden-fish treasure within only a few exchanges, spreading powerful Annihilation Sword Intent through its formation patterns.
• Vajra Ascetic launches a counterattack by summoning golden-armored soldiers, military formations, and volleys of soul-targeting arrows. Jiang effortlessly destroys them with Sword Qi.
• Jiang seals the surrounding area, preventing Vajra Ascetic from sending messages or calling for assistance through divine sense or magical transmission.
• When Jiang offers to leave Vajra Ascetic’s corpse intact if he surrenders, Vajra Ascetic is enraged by the insult and reveals his true identity: the Drum-Hammer General, the Ninth General of the Eighteen Bloodcloud Riders.
• Vajra Ascetic transforms into a massive, horned golden monster and changes his wooden fish into a huge war drum and hammer.
• He threatens Jiang’s entire household in revenge for Jiang killing another Bloodcloud Rider. Jiang responds with contempt, mocking the Bloodcloud Riders as fugitives whose organization is already close to destruction.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates calm confidence, sharp investigative reasoning, and overwhelming combat ability. He relies on evidence from memory but ultimately prefers to resolve uncertainty through direct battle.
• Jiang’s superiority becomes clear when he destroys Vajra Ascetic’s supposedly powerful ancient treasure and neutralizes his battlefield-style attacks with ease.
• Jiang also reveals the broader strengths of his cultivation technique, the Myriad Transformations Magnetic Origin Scripture, especially its ability to track, block, and disrupt communications.
• Vajra Ascetic is revealed to be far stronger and more dangerous than his ordinary appearance suggests, but his confidence is badly shaken when his treasured artifact fails.
• His pride and reputation as a Northern Plains hero make him especially vulnerable to Jiang’s dismissive attitude. Humiliation quickly turns into murderous rage.
• Vajra Ascetic’s transformation and revealed identity establish him as a major criminal figure, but Jiang’s evaluation suggests that he is powerful yet trapped within a collapsing, desperate faction.

Significant Themes

• Strength as the foundation of confidence: Vajra Ascetic believes cultivation strength determines one’s right to act boldly, but Jiang’s superior power exposes the limits of his confidence.
• Bandit mentality versus long-term greatness: Jiang criticizes Vajra Ascetic and the Bloodcloud Riders for robbing others and pursuing revenge while their own faction remains hunted and unstable. Their short-sighted greed prevents them from building anything lasting.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Both men are proud, but Jiang’s composure and contempt undermine Vajra Ascetic psychologically before the battle has even concluded.
• Order versus predation: The Bloodcloud Riders survive through ambushes, theft, and violence, while Jiang represents a more organized and disciplined cultivation force capable of controlling information and territory.
• Hidden identities and true strength: Vajra Ascetic’s harmless appearance conceals his criminal identity and cultivation, while Jiang’s ordinary appearance hides his overwhelming sword power.

Character Interactions

• Jiang interrogates Vajra Ascetic indirectly by analyzing his history with Peach Blossom Young Master.
• Their battle becomes a clash between Vajra Ascetic’s ancient drum-based treasure and Jiang’s exceptionally powerful flying sword.
• Vajra Ascetic attempts to intimidate Jiang with his reputation and transformation, but Jiang remains bored and dismissive.
• Jiang’s offer to preserve Vajra Ascetic’s corpse is interpreted as a profound insult, provoking Vajra Ascetic’s full transformation and killing intent.
• The chapter ends with Jiang openly ridiculing the Bloodcloud Riders’ fugitive status and self-destructive behavior, setting the stage for the continuation of their battle.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding confronts Vajra Ascetic, a Golden Core cultivator, after the latter's attempt to capture him fails.
• Vajra Ascetic reveals the harsh reality of the Northern Plains, where cultivators outside the twenty-eight great families are oppressed and not allowed to form Nascent Souls.
• Jiang Ding kills Vajra Ascetic and obtains his storage pouch and a war magic treasure, the Skin-Covered Vajra Drum.
• Jiang Ding plans to investigate the small building where Vajra Ascetic and his companion intended to enter.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates his formidable strength and calm demeanor, even when facing a powerful cultivator like Vajra Ascetic.
• Vajra Ascetic reveals his fear and regret for provoking Jiang Ding, showing his awareness of the power dynamics at play.

Significant Themes

• The harsh hierarchy and oppression within the Northern Plains' cultivation world.
• The importance of fortune and luck in cultivation, as seen through Bloodflow Cloud's story.
• The power of allies and the dangers of having unreliable or weak ones.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding and Vajra Ascetic's interaction highlights the power imbalance between them and the futility of Vajra Ascetic's attempts to reason with Jiang Ding.
• Jiang Ding's mention of Bloodflow Cloud and the Nine Sons' Heart-Linking Knot foreshadows future events and the potential threat posed by Bloodflow Cloud.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding attends an underground auction hosted by Spirit Treasure Commerce.
• The auction features forbidden items like living souls, slaves, and cultivation furnaces.
• Notable items include the Nine-Mother Ghost Blades, triple spiritual-rooted slaves, and low-grade Dharma treasures.
• Two female children with heavenly spiritual roots are auctioned off in exchange for Golden Core Formation Pills or equivalent items.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding, disguised as Peach Blossom Young Master, attends the auction to investigate Spirit Treasure Commerce's activities.
• Thousand-Snake Madam, a notorious late-stage Golden Core cultivator, attends the auction and purchases all the male slaves.
• Golden Pagoda King, another late-stage Golden Core cultivator, is impatient and straightforward.

Significant Themes

• The dark underbelly of the cultivation world, featuring forbidden trades and exploitation of living beings.
• The value and power dynamics of spiritual roots and cultivation levels.
• The ruthlessness and ambition of cultivators, willing to pay high prices for powerful tools and resources.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding observes the auction without participating, gathering information.
• Thousand-Snake Madam and Golden Pagoda King interact with the auctioneer, Fatty Shang, expressing dissatisfaction with the prices and conditions.
• The attendees, mostly Foundation Establishment and early-stage Golden Core cultivators, engage in bidding wars for the items, revealing their desires and ambitions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• An auction is held by the Shang Clan, featuring rare and valuable items.
• Two girls with Heavenly Spiritual Roots are auctioned, drawing interest from Golden Core cultivators.
• A Golden Core Formation Pill is exchanged for the girls.
• The Blood-Kin Spirit Refinement Secret Art, capable of improving spiritual root aptitude, is auctioned.
• A stone token representing a favor from Bloodflow Cloud, a quasi-Nascent Soul cultivator, is the final item.
• Golden Pagoda King and Thousand-Snake Madam bid for the favor, intending to hunt the Tushan sword cultivator.
• Early- and middle-stage Golden Core cultivators agree to jointly govern Tushan Immortal City after the battle.
• The Peach Blossom Young Master, revealed to be from Tushan, assassinates Golden Pagoda King.

Character Developments

• Golden Pagoda King: Initially appears as a powerful and confident late-stage Golden Core cultivator, but is later assassinated.
• Thousand-Snake Madam: A late-stage Golden Core cultivator who competes with Golden Pagoda King.
• Peach Blossom Young Master: Initially appears as a handsome and ingratiating young master, but is later revealed to be a Tushan cultivator with hidden strength and cunning.

Significant Themes

• Power and ambition: Golden Core cultivators vie for power and resources, leading to conflict and betrayal.
• Trust and deception: Characters use deception and manipulation to gain an advantage, highlighting the lack of trust among cultivators.
• The value of spiritual roots: Heavenly Spiritual Roots are highly sought after, demonstrating the importance of innate talent in cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Golden Pagoda King and Thousand-Snake Madam: They compete against each other in the auction and later form an uneasy alliance to hunt the Tushan sword cultivator.
• Peach Blossom Young Master and Golden Pagoda King: The young master manipulates the situation to assassinate Golden Pagoda King, revealing his true allegiance to Tushan.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding, the City Lord of Tushan Immortal City, confronts a group of cultivators who were planning to auction off a human head and evade taxes.
• Golden Pagoda King and Peach Blossom Young Master, two cultivators involved in the plot, are killed by Jiang Ding.
• Jiang Ding sentences the remaining cultivators, including Thousand-Snake Madam and Shang Chengye of Spirit Treasure Commerce, to pay a fine of five million low-grade spirit stones each for their crimes of human trafficking, indirect participation in slaughter, and tax evasion.
• Most cultivators pay the fine and flee, while Shang Chengye attempts to use his connection to the Shang Clan of the Northern Plains to intimidate Jiang Ding.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates his powerful cultivation and stern justice, willing to punish those who break the law, even if they are powerful cultivators.
• Zhou Sanyan, a cultivator who had previously clashed with Jiang Ding, is shown to have formed ties with him and is grateful for his help.
• Shang Chengye, initially confident in his position and connections, becomes desperate and attempts to use his clan's influence to avoid punishment.

Significant Themes

• Justice and the rule of law: Jiang Ding upholds the laws of the city, even against powerful cultivators who attempt to evade taxes and engage in human trafficking.
• Power dynamics: Jiang Ding's power and influence as the City Lord allow him to enforce the law, while Shang Chengye's clan connections initially give him confidence but ultimately prove insufficient.
• Neutrality and compromise: The Shang Clan of the Northern Plains, while powerful, has made compromises to avoid making enemies everywhere, and their members are forbidden from participating in conspiracies against local ruling powers.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding confronts and punishes the cultivators involved in the plot, demonstrating his power and justice.
• Zhou Sanyan and Jiang Ding show a level of mutual respect and understanding, acknowledging past ties and favours.
• Jiang Ding and Shang Chengye engage in a tense exchange, with Jiang Ding using his knowledge of the Shang Clan's rules to expose Shang Chengye's violation of neutrality.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shang Chengye pleads with Jiang Ding for his life, arguing that killing a member of a Nascent Soul lineage over a minor offense would bring severe consequences. He secretly searches for Vajra Ascetic, apparently hoping the missing cultivator might rescue him.
• Jiang Ding exposes Shang’s inflated claim of status, implying that Shang is not from the Shang Clan’s true direct line. Shang cannot bring himself to identify himself as a direct-line descendant, revealing the weakness of his position.
• Thousand-Snake Madam mocks Shang’s collateral-line status and explains that the aristocratic clans strictly restrict the cultivation paths of concubine and collateral branches, making Nascent Soul advancement nearly impossible without special intervention.
• Jiang Ding and Thousand-Snake Madam exchange flirtatious banter before Jiang suddenly attacks with his Azure Flying Sword. Shang Chengye simultaneously uses twelve bronze coins to form a restraining formation around Jiang.
• Jiang counters Shang’s formation by activating a powerful third-rank formation, summoning nine flaming meteorite greatswords that relentlessly bombard and drive Shang backward.
• Jiang’s flying sword initially struggles against Thousand-Snake Madam’s serpent-shaped golden hairpin. Although his sword and Sword Intent are powerful, his actual swordsmanship is inexperienced compared with that of veteran cultivators.
• Thousand-Snake Madam gains the upper hand and sends her black-and-white serpent spirit pets to attack Jiang. At the critical moment, Jiang’s sword reveals a golden power capable of breaking techniques and extinguishing spirits.
• The enhanced sword destroys the golden hairpin and instantly kills both serpents. Thousand-Snake Madam suffers severe backlash and realizes Jiang’s flying sword is far beyond what a normal Golden Core cultivator should possess.
• Jiang admits that his swordsmanship is inferior to other cultivators of the same realm, but emphasizes that this does not matter when his weapon and Sword Intent are overwhelming. He prepares to kill her.
• Thousand-Snake Madam uses essence blood to revive her serpent bodies and transform them into countless small snakes, forming the “Thousand Snakes: Venom King Formation.” A vast poisonous mist spreads across the battlefield, corroding everything and blocking divine sense.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: Demonstrates composure, tactical intelligence, and confidence. He openly acknowledges his weakness in refined swordsmanship, but compensates with superior Sword Intent, an extraordinarily powerful flying sword, and formation techniques. His fighting style relies on combining overwhelming destructive power with battlefield control.
• Shang Chengye: Reveals himself to be insecure about his clan status. His attempt to invoke his Nascent Soul ancestry fails because he likely belongs to a collateral or concubine branch rather than the prestigious direct line. Despite his late-stage Golden Core cultivation, he is forced into a defensive position by Jiang’s formation.
• Thousand-Snake Madam: Initially appears seductive and confident, believing Jiang is an inexperienced sword cultivator dependent on his magic treasure. After losing her spirit pets and hairpin, her confidence turns to rage and desperation. She reveals additional powers and resorts to a deadly poison formation.

Significant Themes

• Lineage and social hierarchy: The distinction between direct, collateral, and concubine branches of aristocratic clans determines status, resources, and even access to higher cultivation realms.
• Power versus technique: Jiang’s lack of polished swordsmanship is contrasted with the immense sharpness of his weapon and Sword Intent. The chapter questions whether technical mastery is always necessary when overwhelming power can compensate.
• Hidden strength and underestimation: Both Shang and Thousand-Snake Madam underestimate Jiang, assuming his youth and lack of experience make him vulnerable.
• Resource and inheritance inequality: The chapter suggests that cultivation ability is shaped not only by talent but also by access to legitimate clan inheritances and proper training.
• Desperation in battle: After her initial advantages collapse, Thousand-Snake Madam abandons restraint and uses a dangerous, self-sacrificial technique to continue fighting.

Character Interactions

• Shang Chengye respectfully negotiates with Jiang while concealing fear and attempting to leverage his family background.
• Jiang humiliates Shang by questioning his claim to direct-line status.
• Thousand-Snake Madam reinforces Jiang’s criticism by explaining the clan hierarchy and mocking Shang’s efforts to obtain Bloodflow Cloud’s favor.
• She then attempts to seduce Jiang, but he rejects her and responds with an immediate attack.
• During their duel, she taunts his immature swordsmanship, while Jiang accepts the criticism but proves that his sword’s destructive ability is far greater than she expected.
• The chapter ends with Thousand-Snake Madam transforming the battle by unleashing her poisonous Thousand Snakes formation.

Chapter Summary: Myriad Venom Grand Formation

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding battles Thousand-Snake Madam within a vast poison formation filled with corrosive mist and countless venomous snakes.
• Despite the formation’s power and the sheer number of attacks, Jiang Ding remains unharmed, relying on his deep-blue shield and Blue-Gold Flying Sword.
• Realizing she cannot escape or defeat him through ordinary means, Thousand-Snake Madam sacrifices blood essence and forcibly merges her venomous snakes—and the poisonous mist—into one of her bonded black-and-white spirit snakes.
• The snake temporarily develops dragonkin characteristics and releases a devastating emerald dragon breath.
• Jiang Ding’s Blue-Gold Flying Sword clashes directly with the dragon breath and ultimately destroys it, then pierces and kills the transformed spirit snake.
• Thousand-Snake Madam attempts to escape by splitting into countless identical venomous snakes, but Jiang Ding identifies and kills the true body. The resulting explosion leaves behind a poisonous wasteland.
• Jiang Ding reflects that late-stage Golden Core cultivators remain dangerous and should not be provoked without sufficient reason.
• He then turns to the second battlefield, where Shang Chengye is trapped inside a powerful third-rank high-grade flame formation powered by a spirit vein.
• Although Shang Chengye has resisted for a long time with twelve copper-coin magic treasures, his defenses are weakened. Jiang Ding joins the attack, breaking through his treasures and killing him with the Blue-Gold Flying Sword and nine flaming swords.
• Jiang Ding collects both enemies’ storage bags and magic treasures.
• To conceal the battle site and prevent outsiders from investigating, he destroys the caves’ structural supports, causing the underground complex and its concealment formation to collapse completely.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates overwhelming offensive power, precise control, and confidence in his flying sword. He remains calm throughout both battles and carefully evaluates the risks posed by late-stage Golden Core opponents.
• His victory over Thousand-Snake Madam shows that even unusual bloodline techniques and large-scale poison formations cannot withstand his sword’s Law Annihilation and law-breaking properties.
• Thousand-Snake Madam shifts from confidence to desperation. Her willingness to sacrifice her centuries-old bonded spirit pet reveals both her ruthlessness and her fear of defeat. Her final attempt to escape fails.
• Shang Chengye is portrayed as resilient and capable, holding out against a powerful formation longer than expected. Nevertheless, his defenses are already failing when Jiang Ding arrives, leaving him unable to survive the combined assault.

Significant Themes

• The gap between cultivators of the same realm: Magic treasures, wealth, bloodlines, formations, and specialized techniques can create enormous differences in strength among Golden Core cultivators.
• The cost of desperation: Thousand-Snake Madam sacrifices a treasured spirit pet and damages its potential for future transformation, only to lose it and herself.
• Sword cultivation and absolute offense: Jiang Ding’s flying sword embodies overwhelming speed, penetration, and destructive power, breaking through both poison techniques and defensive treasures.
• Pragmatism and risk assessment: Jiang Ding recognizes that late-stage Golden Core cultivators remain serious threats despite his victory, emphasizing the importance of avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
• Erasing evidence and controlling information: The destruction of the underground site ensures that the battle, the formation, and the treasures hidden there remain concealed.

Character Interactions

• Thousand-Snake Madam attempts to overwhelm Jiang Ding through poison, spirit beasts, and hidden needles, but he casually neutralizes each attack.
• Jiang Ding’s calm remarks contrast with Thousand-Snake Madam’s growing panic, highlighting the imbalance between them.
• Jiang Ding briefly praises Shang Chengye’s endurance, acknowledging his ability even while preparing to kill him.
• Shang Chengye’s final threat that the Shang Clan will seek revenge has no effect; Jiang Ding kills him immediately and removes all evidence of the encounter.

Chapter Summary: The Northern Plains Clan’s Cold-Blooded Cruelty

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the battle against the demonic cultivators, Jiang Ding surveys the aftermath. The resisting Foundation Establishment cultivators have been killed, while those who surrendered without causing serious casualties are fined.
• Gong Caiyu, Xia Tu, and the other close-guard maidservants report to Jiang Ding. Although they performed well, he criticizes them for lacking combat experience and needing further tempering.
• Jiang Ding returns to the Demon Palace and examines the spoils taken from Golden Pagoda King, Shang Chengye, and Thousand-Snake Madam.
• Golden Pagoda King’s wealth includes tens of millions of spirit stones, numerous Third Rank treasures, pills, herbs, and a powerful superior-grade pagoda magic treasure. Jiang Ding decides the life-bound treasure is not worth refining for use and plans to reclaim its materials.
• Jiang Ding studies the Blood-Kin Spirit Refinement Secret Art, a horrifying technique that sacrifices collateral clan children to improve the spirit roots of direct-line heirs. He realizes that the Northern Plains clans’ power rests on the systematic exploitation of their collateral branches.
• He refuses to upload the technique’s knowledge, fearing that powerful clans—including the Xu Clan and influential Immortal Sect figures—could use it to cause mass deaths.
• Among the loot are pills that can help Golden Core cultivators break through bottlenecks, as well as a Golden Core Formation Pill. Since Jiang Ding and his close associates cannot use them, he considers selling or rewarding them to others based on merit.
• Shang Chengye’s storage pouch contains an astonishing 230 million low-grade spirit stones, along with valuable cultivation resources.
• Jiang Ding frees two young girls held in an iron cage. Through soul-searching information taken from Shang Chengye, he learns that they were collateral Shang Clan children intended to be sacrificed for the benefit of the direct line.
• Their fathers, both Foundation Establishment cultivators, personally handed them over, allowed their souls to be searched, and then killed themselves so their daughters might escape the clan’s control.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding remains practical and efficient in handling battle spoils, but the Blood-Kin Spirit Refinement Secret Art provokes strong moral disgust and deepens his condemnation of the Northern Plains clans.
• He demonstrates increasing responsibility as a leader by evaluating the maidservants’ weaknesses, planning rewards according to merit, and considering the consequences of disseminating dangerous knowledge.
• Gong Caiyu, Xia Tu, and the maidservants have grown enormously stronger over the past decade, now capable of slaughtering groups of Foundation Establishment cultivators, though they still lack battlefield experience.
• Monk Fazheng and the other cultivators are frightened and impressed by the maidservants’ transformation and overwhelming strength.
• Golden Pagoda King, Shang Chengye, and Thousand-Snake Madam are further characterized through their possessions: all were wealthy and powerful cultivators who benefited from the violent Northern Plains environment.
• The two rescued girls become symbols of the collateral clans’ suffering, while their fathers’ sacrifice reveals the desperation and hatred produced by the clan system.

Significant Themes

• Cruelty hidden behind clan prosperity: The direct-line heirs’ superior talents are produced through the sacrifice and exploitation of collateral relatives.
• Moral corruption and systemic violence: The Northern Plains clans are portrayed as worse than ordinary bandits because their social order institutionalizes bloodshed and inequality.
• Knowledge as a dangerous weapon: Jiang Ding recognizes that revealing the spirit-refinement technique could unleash even greater atrocities, forcing him to balance truth against potential consequences.
• Cultivation and human cost: The pursuit of spirit roots, breakthroughs, and immortal power drains entire populations and treats children as resources rather than people.
• Accumulated resentment: The suffering of collateral branches has created deep hatred, explaining why some Northern Plains figures are celebrated as “heroes” despite their violent behavior.

Character Interactions

• The maidservants kneel before Jiang Ding and accept his criticism with shame, showing their respect for him and their willingness to improve.
• Jiang Ding’s assessment of their performance emphasizes his role as both commander and mentor.
• He debates whether to give a valuable breakthrough pill to Zhou Sanyan, revealing his careful approach to favors and personal relationships.
• The discovery of the girls’ origins connects Jiang Ding directly to the tragedy of the Shang Clan’s collateral branches and strengthens his resolve to oppose such practices.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

1. Jiang Ding investigates the murder of his master and confronts Shang Chengxuan, the Spirit Treasure Commerce shopkeeper, who reveals that Shang Chengye's son was taken in by a Nascent Soul ancestor.
2. Jiang Ding attends an Ideology and Morality class, where his teacher, Ou Yanghui, assigns the class to oversee an investigation into a suspected violation of the First Law of the Immortal Sect by Heavenly Direction Group.
3. The class is tasked with investigating Liu Military Industries' lawsuit against Heavenly Direction Group for unfair competition, with the suspicion that Heavenly Direction Group has violated the First Law.

Character Developments

1. Jiang Ding continues to grow in power, reaching the late Foundation Establishment realm and displaying his ability to monitor and judge others using his divine sense and sword intent.
2. Ou Yanghui is revealed to be a late Golden Core cultivator with severe hidden injuries, preventing her from advancing further in her cultivation.
3. Shang Chengxuan shows fear and desperation when confronted by Jiang Ding, revealing his knowledge of the internal workings of Spirit Treasure Commerce and the potential complications regarding Shang Chengye's son.

Significant Themes

1. The First Law of the Immortal Sect: The importance of the First Law, which states that all knowledge of the Immortal Sect belongs to every Immortal Sect citizen, is emphasized. Violations of this law are shown to have severe consequences.
2. Family and Inheritance: The Immortal Sect's family system and inheritance laws are discussed, highlighting the importance of these systems in maintaining the Immortal Sect's prosperity and the role of high-level cultivators in these families.
3. Law and Order: The need for a functioning legal system to maintain order within the Immortal Sect is emphasized, with the investigation into Heavenly Direction Group's suspected violation of the First Law serving as an example.

Character Interactions

1. Jiang Ding interacts with Shang Chengxuan, extracting information about Spirit Treasure Commerce and the potential complications regarding Shang Chengye's son.
2. Jiang Ding attends an Ideology and Morality class with An Siyan and Jin Lingfeng, where they discuss the investigation into Heavenly Direction Group's suspected violation of the First Law.
3. Ou Yanghui assigns the class to oversee the investigation and emphasizes the importance of maintaining moral boundaries and writing reflections on the matter.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Immortal Sect's Aerospace Division is deployed to investigate a potential violation of the First Law by the Heavenly Direction Group.
• Jiang Ding is appointed as the brigade commander, with Jin Lingfeng as deputy and An Siyan as chief of staff.
• The division, comprising over 1,000 Foundation Establishment cultivators and their Aerospace Fighters, surrounds the Heavenly Direction Group's floating island.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates his leadership and strategic thinking in forming the brigade and planning the mission.
• Liu Mei, now a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, commands Big Dipper University's Aerospace Brigade.
• Students from various universities reunite, showing camaraderie and familiarity.

Significant Themes

• The importance of the First Law of the Immortal Sect and its enforcement.
• The competitive nature of the immortal world's industry and the consequences of violations.
• The role of the Immortal Sect's academies in training combat forces and their involvement in major matters.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding, Jin Lingfeng, and An Siyan work together to form and lead the brigade.
• Liu Mei and Jin Lingfeng's friendly banter highlights their long-standing friendship.
• Students from different universities reunite, showcasing their bonds and shared history.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding arrives at the Heavenly Direction Floating Island, headquarters of Heavenly Direction Group, surrounded by a massive army.
• Luo Zhongfu, director of the Economic Investigation Division, joins Jiang Ding to investigate suspected violations of the First Law of the Immortal Sect.
• Xu Jianian, general manager of Heavenly Direction Group, greets them, but tensions rise when he sees Jiang Ding.
• Liu Yan, heir of Liu Military Industries, arrives and accuses Heavenly Direction Group of using improper competitive methods to achieve a sudden breakthrough in military research.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: Maintains his composure and professionalism despite Xu Jianian's hostility.
• Xu Jianian: Struggles to maintain his poise as a business elite, revealing his anger and frustration when confronted by Jiang Ding and Liu Yan.
• Liu Yan: Shows respect for Jiang Ding and Luo Zhongfu but is openly hostile toward Xu Jianian and Heavenly Direction Group.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and abuse of power within Immortal Sect corporations.
• The struggle for dominance between Heavenly Direction Group and Liu Military Industries.
• The impact of family hierarchies and connections on career advancement within Immortal Sect society.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding and Luo Zhongfu: Work together professionally, with Jiang Ding showing deference to Luo Zhongfu's experience and authority.
• Xu Jianian and Jiang Ding: Hostile, with Xu Jianian blaming Jiang Ding for previous investigations and implying that he has a personal grudge against him.
• Xu Jianian and Liu Yan: Openly hostile, with both accusing the other of using improper methods to gain an advantage in their corporate rivalry.
• Liu Yan and Jiang Ding/Luo Zhongfu: Respectful, with Liu Yan presenting his case against Heavenly Direction Group and seeking their support.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Military Industries accuses Heavenly Direction Group (Xu Clan) of violating the First Law of the Immortal Sect by monopolizing scientific research and withholding patent fees.
• The Economic Investigation Division finds evidence of tax evasion and illegal practices but no clear violation of the First Law.
• Jiang Ding and Luo Zhongfu consult with the Immortal Gate Academy of Sciences, and President Shuling True Lord confirms that Heavenly Direction Group's research materials contain logical flaws every century.

Character Developments

• Liu Yan: Stands firm against Heavenly Direction Group, risking his company and personal cultivation progress to expose the truth.
• Xu Jianian: Remains confident and defiant, suggesting a Spirit Transformation cultivator might be involved in their research breakthroughs.
• Jiang Ding: Shows integrity and fairness, willing to help the investigation even if it means risking his year-end bonuses.
• Luo Zhongfu: Initially hesitant, he gains confidence after consulting with higher authorities.

Significant Themes

• Fair competition and the sharing of knowledge within the Immortal Sect.
• The consequences of violating the First Law of the Immortal Sect.
• The power dynamics between different levels of cultivators and organizations.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yan vs. Xu Jianian: A tense standoff between the accuser and the accused, with Liu Yan driven by desperation and Xu Jianian by confidence and defiance.
• Jiang Ding and Luo Zhongfu: They work together to investigate the case, with Jiang Ding showing initiative and Luo Zhongfu gaining confidence from higher authorities.
• The Immortal Gate Academy of Sciences: They provide crucial expertise and confirmation of the logical flaws in Heavenly Direction Group's research materials.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Immortal Sect demands a soul search of the Heavenly Direction Group, which the Xu Clan refuses.
• The Xu Clan ambushes the Immortal Sect delegation, attempting to capture Jiang Ding as a hostage.
• The Immortal Sect's Aerospace Corps counterattacks, killing several Xu Clan Golden Core cultivators and capturing two.
• Xu Jianian is captured and sealed.
• The surviving Heavenly Direction Group members are imprisoned and taken to the Immortal Sect Prison.

Character Developments

• Xu Jianian shows his true colors and is captured.
• The Xu Clan Golden Core cultivators display their cunning and ruthlessness.
• Jiang Ding demonstrates his combat prowess and strategic thinking.

Significant Themes

• The power struggle between the Immortal Sect and the Xu Clan.
• The ruthlessness and cunning of cultivators in the face of danger.
• The importance of the Great Sun Sword Heir to the Immortal Sect.

Character Interactions

• Xu Jianian and the Xu Clan Golden Core cultivators work together to ambush the Immortal Sect delegation.
• Jiang Ding and the Immortal Sect forces counter the ambush and capture the Xu Clan cultivators.
• The captured Xu Clan cultivators blame each other for their predicament.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The temporary Aerospace Corps completes its mission by transporting several thousand Heavenly Direction Group employees and suspects to the police station for investigation.
• Although many detainees were likely uninvolved in the research fraud and First Law violations, authorities intend to investigate everyone thoroughly. Those with even minor involvement may receive prison sentences, while the principal offenders face execution.
• After the suspects are handed over, the Aerospace Corps disbands and returns to its respective university units. Jiang Ding exchanges farewells with Liu Mei and reflects on how his childhood companions are gradually moving into distant careers and realms.
• The students discuss the likely punishments for the Heavenly Direction Group’s leadership:
  • Xu Jianian may receive roughly a century in prison.
  • His elder brother, Xu Long, as the group’s director, will probably be executed.
  • Heavenly Direction True Lord is unlikely to fall completely because he holds no formal management position and can rely on subordinates and legal protections to absorb responsibility. At most, he may face imprisonment.
• Jiang Ding returns to his ordinary school routine, balancing classes, laboratory research on the Great Sun Core-Formation Secret Art and Dyson solar-mirror drones, and regular visits home.
• In a lecture on heart demons and Core Formation, Dinghai True Lord teaches that the best defense against heart demons is maintaining inner honesty and living without betraying one’s values, rather than relying heavily on special pills.
• Jiang Ding asks where he can study swordsmanship, still troubled by Thousand-Snake Madam’s ability to defeat stronger opponents despite not specializing in sword cultivation.
• Dinghai True Lord demonstrates his swordsmanship with twelve precise sword flowers. Jiang Ding instinctively identifies the weakness in the technique and disables the flying sword with a single strike, despite deliberately suppressing his sword intent and special abilities.
• Astonished, Dinghai True Lord concludes that Jiang Ding’s swordsmanship is unexpectedly “decent.”

Character Development

• Jiang Ding: Shows increasing maturity and emotional distance from his childhood friends as their paths diverge. His combat instincts and swordsmanship are revealed to be far more advanced than he realizes, even when he uses no formal technique.
• Dinghai True Lord: Initially acts as a teacher answering a student’s question, but becomes visibly shocked and embarrassed when Jiang Ding effortlessly defeats his sword move. His assessment of Jiang Ding shifts from ordinary student to someone possessing extraordinary natural sword ability.
• Heavenly Direction True Lord and the Xu Clan: Their political and legal protection is emphasized. Despite the scandal’s scale, Heavenly Direction True Lord may escape severe punishment because of his indirect legal connection to the company and his powerful status.
• Jiang Ding’s acquaintances: Liu Mei, Li Junhao, and Hua Bing represent the different paths available to Immortal Sect cultivators—military service, business, and pursuit of higher cultivation through military merit.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus implication: The authorities pursue everyone connected to the Heavenly Direction Group, even those who may be only marginally involved, emphasizing the Immortal Sect’s strict approach to institutional corruption.
• Power, law, and accountability: The chapter questions whether influential figures can be punished equally under the law, while acknowledging that openly violating legal norms could threaten the Immortal Sect’s unity.
• True heart and cultivation: Dinghai True Lord teaches that spiritual advancement depends on remaining honest with oneself and preserving one’s values. Inner integrity is presented as essential not only for overcoming heart demons but for the entire cultivation journey.
• Growing apart: Jiang Ding’s reflections show how time and advancement separate old friends, as each pursues different careers, realms, and responsibilities.
• Natural talent versus formal training: Jiang Ding’s swordsmanship is instinctive rather than technique-based. His ability to see and exploit flaws suggests that genuine combat understanding may matter more than elaborate forms.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding and Liu Mei exchange a friendly farewell after the Aerospace Corps mission.
• The students debate Xu Jianian’s and Heavenly Direction True Lord’s likely punishments, with An Siyan providing the most informed analysis.
• Jiang Ding regularly visits his family, maintaining ties despite his increasingly demanding cultivation and academic life.
• During class, Jiang Ding challenges Dinghai True Lord with a question about swordsmanship. Their brief exchange turns into an impromptu duel, ending with Jiang Ding effortlessly breaking the teacher’s sword move and leaving Dinghai True Lord stunned.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding seeks a Nascent Soul sword cultivator to teach him swordsmanship, but Dinghai True Lord warns it will take a hundred years due to the complexity of such an exchange between immortal sects.
• Jiang Ding writes a practical report for his Ideological and Moral Education class on the differences between families and clans, reflecting on his past actions and relationships with his nephews and niece.
• Twenty-five years pass, and Jiang Ding returns to Banyan City to visit his uncle, Lin Yong, who is on his deathbed.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: He continues to cultivate and grow stronger, reflecting on his past actions and relationships. He shows more consideration for his family, indicating a shift in his perspective.
• Lin Yong: He is nearing the end of his life, reflecting on his past and expressing his wish to see his nephew again in a future life.

Significant Themes

• The passage of time and its impact on relationships and life stages.
• The importance of family and familial affection, as explored through Jiang Ding's reflections and Lin Yong's final wishes.
• The differences between families and clans, as discussed in Jiang Ding's report.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding interacts with Dinghai True Lord, seeking a swordsmanship teacher and discussing the complexities of immortal sect politics.
• Jiang Ding visits his uncle, Lin Yong, on his deathbed, promising to help his son if he proves worthy of cultivation.
• Jiang Ding reflects on his past actions and relationships with his nephews and niece, indicating a shift in his perspective on familial affection.

Chapter Summary: “Single Dogs Have No Right to Lecture”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Several months after a previous loss, Lin Yuanwang’s aunt dies of old age, leaving the family much smaller and quieter.
• Lin Yuanwang becomes withdrawn and emotionally devastated, having lost the parents who formed the foundation of his spiritual world.
• Jiang Ding stays with him, recognizing that Foundation Establishment cultivators still experience grief and human emotions deeply.
• Jiang Ding encourages Lin Yuanwang to stay active, consider marriage, and continue cultivating toward Golden Core.
• Lin Yuanwang jokes that Jiang Ding, as a lifelong bachelor, has no right to lecture him about relationships.
• During an evening walk, Lin Wanqiu reveals that nearly all her old classmates, colleagues, neighbors, and friends have died. She feels she has little left to live for, though she has reached the peak of Qi Refinement.
• Lin Wanqiu plans to attempt Foundation Establishment the next day. Jiang Ding supports her but acknowledges that the outcome must depend on her own state of mind.
• The family discusses the younger generation:
  • Jiang Yuan’s son remains stuck at Young Eagle Inner Qi Completion and has become preoccupied with worldly pleasures.
  • Her daughter works hard, has entered Qianling University’s School of Dao Cultivation, and has reached the Fledgling Innate realm.
• Jiang Ding agrees to provide the daughter with a top-grade Foundation Establishment Pill and part of the resources needed to reach peak Qi Refinement, while deliberately avoiding giving her everything so she retains motivation.
• The family gathers outside the library’s cultivation room to await Lin Wanqiu’s Foundation Establishment attempt.
• Jiang Yuan’s two children—nicknamed Bear and Xiao Yun—meet Jiang Ding for the first time and bicker humorously before becoming serious when the room’s spiritual energy begins to fluctuate, signaling that the breakthrough has started.

Character Developments

• Lin Yuanwang: Becomes deeply lonely and fragile after repeated family deaths, but remains capable of humor and practical thought. He considers marriage and is encouraged to keep pursuing cultivation.
• Jiang Ding: Shows greater emotional maturity and compassion, supporting Lin Yuanwang and Lin Wanqiu while balancing care with sensible limits in providing cultivation resources.
• Lin Wanqiu: Having witnessed the deaths of nearly all her peers, she reaches a calm, detached understanding of mortality. She decides to attempt Foundation Establishment despite accepting either success or failure.
• Jiang Yuan: Remains confident in Jiang Ding and acts as the disciplinarian of her children.
• Jiang Yuan’s children: The son is portrayed as indulgent and stagnant in cultivation, while the daughter is hardworking and ambitious. Their lively quarrel adds comic relief before the family’s attention turns to the breakthrough.

Significant Themes

• Grief and mortality: Repeated deaths reveal how immortality and cultivation do not eliminate sorrow or the pain of losing loved ones.
• Family and emotional support: Jiang Ding’s presence helps preserve the family’s remaining bonds as generations pass away.
• The human side of cultivators: Even powerful cultivators retain ordinary emotions, attachments, loneliness, and vulnerability.
• Acceptance of life and death: Lin Wanqiu’s attitude reflects a mature acceptance of the natural cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.
• Balance in cultivation: Success requires both diligent practice and comprehension; excessive resources or overreliance on external help can weaken personal motivation.
• Changing generations: The once-large family has dwindled, while younger relatives begin their own paths in cultivation.

Important Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding and Lin Yuanwang discuss loneliness, marriage, cultivation, and the possibility of having children, ending in playful teasing about Jiang Ding’s lack of romantic experience.
• Jiang Ding and Lin Wanqiu walk together and discuss death, her emotional state, and her upcoming Foundation Establishment attempt.
• Lin Wanqiu and Jiang Ding discuss the differing personalities and cultivation progress of the younger generation.
• Jiang Yuan scolds and quiets her children when their bickering becomes disruptive.
• Bear and Xiao Yun’s first meeting with Jiang Ding is marked by curiosity and playful conflict, but the family quickly unites in concern when Lin Wanqiu’s breakthrough begins.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Heaven and earth spiritual energy converges, compressing and transforming into a liquid state, which can extend one's lifespan if successful, but destroy the body and soul if failed.
• Jiang Ding uses a Spirit Transformation military merit to preserve Lin Wanqiu's half-transformed soul and send it to the Slumber Secret Realm.
• Lin Wanqiu successfully crosses the Foundation Establishment hurdle, appearing much younger.
• Jiang Ding visits the Banyan City Cemetery, paying respects to his deceased high school teachers.

Character Developments

• Lin Wanqiu: Successfully crosses the Foundation Establishment hurdle, appearing much younger.
• Jiang Ding: Reflects on the cycle of life and death, visits the cemetery to pay respects to his late teachers.
• Zhang Dingjun: The last remaining high school teacher, reflects on the choices of his late colleagues.

Significant Themes

• Life and Death: The chapter explores the inevitability of life and death, and the desire to defy these natural laws through cultivation.
• Mortality: The passing of time and the mortality of loved ones are central themes, as Jiang Ding grapples with the loss of his teachers and the aging of his mother.
• Cultivation: The pursuit of cultivation is shown to have both benefits (extended lifespan) and drawbacks (the pressure to succeed and the loss of loved ones).

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding and Lin Wanqiu: Their relationship is strengthened as Lin Wanqiu successfully crosses the Foundation Establishment hurdle, appearing much younger.
• Jiang Ding and Zhang Dingjun: They share a moment of reflection and remembrance at the cemetery, highlighting their bond as teacher and student.
• Jiang Ding and the deceased teachers: Jiang Ding's visits to the cemetery emphasize his respect and gratitude for his teachers, as well as his acceptance of their mortality.