Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Pond Prefecture is celebrating the coming duel between Long Xiuyun and Grand Princess Chen Xi, but rumors of rebellion spread through the city. The Marquis of Pacifying the East has allegedly taken the Eastern Province, with the Wolf God Cult supporting his cause in several neighboring provinces.
• Jiang Ding reflects that the rebellion could threaten the Yue Kingdom—and force him to flee—if it continues to spread.
• At the tournament, Jiang sees Gong Caiyu among Chen Xi’s circle. Caiyu anxiously scans the crowd for Jiang, while Wan You warns her against trusting the “Sword Demon.”
• Long Xiuyun and Chen Xi exchange pointed remarks before their match. Long’s mild, approachable manner contrasts with Chen Xi’s open contempt for her humble origins and rise to power.
• In their sword duel, Chen Xi begins with fast, forceful attacks, but Long’s accumulating, river-like sword intent gradually overwhelms her. Long wins and places her sword at Chen Xi’s throat.
• Humiliated, Chen Xi leaves, rejecting Wan You’s attempt to comfort her. Soon afterward, a maid stabs Wan You with a black iron needle and declares that “Azure Garment” has taken calamity in another’s place. Wan You strikes her down, but dies from the poison. Chen Xi returns to find him dead.

Character developments

• Jiang Ding remains an observant outsider, weighing the rebellion’s danger and studying the fighters’ techniques. He notices that elite martial artists use elemental power, a discipline distinct from the Immortal Sect’s cultivation.
• Gong Caiyu appears shy and socially uncomfortable, but her concern for Jiang is obvious despite her denial.
• Long Xiuyun proves far more formidable and relentless than her gentle appearance suggests; she wins through patience and steadily escalating force.
• Chen Xi is proud and politically sharp, but her defeat leaves her ashamed and angry. She rebuffs Wan You even as he tries to console her.
• Wan You is presented as handsome, devoted, and protective of Caiyu, but his death abruptly turns his romantic idealization into tragedy.

Significant themes

• Political instability and social contrast: The prosperous city’s festivities sit alongside reports of starving refugees and expanding rebellion.
• Appearance versus reality: Long’s soft, neighborly demeanor hides formidable resolve; the maid’s dutiful appearance conceals a deadly attack.
• Power, pride, and humiliation: Chen Xi’s status and skill cannot spare her from defeat or its emotional consequences.
• Hidden schemes and sacrifice: The maid’s cryptic declaration suggests an organized faction or ritual involving “Azure Garment” and the transfer of calamity.

Character interactions

• Caiyu’s quiet attachment to Jiang draws teasing from Chen Xi and warnings from Wan You and the other young women.
• Long and Chen Xi’s polite challenge quickly becomes a clash of status and resentment, then a decisive contest of swordsmanship.
• Wan You’s tenderness toward Chen Xi is met with rejection; moments later, his death shocks the crowd and brings Chen Xi back to his side.

Chapter Summary: “Displeased”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hundred-Blossom Young Master Wan You is murdered during the gathering in Pond Prefecture, apparently by the female official Xiao Ying.
• Granny Liu discovers that the real Xiao Ying had been killed earlier and replaced by an Azure Garment Tower assassin wearing a human-skin mask. She suspects the assassination was commissioned for a huge price and may have involved an Innate expert concealing the assassin’s identity.
• Chen Xi, who initially fears being blamed because the killer appeared to belong to her faction, realizes she has been framed. Nevertheless, she immediately orders Wan You to receive a grand burial and returns to the capital to avoid the wrath of Wan Qianyu, the Purple Tenuity Sword Sect’s sect master and a powerful Innate martial artist.
• Panic spreads throughout Pond Prefecture. Major factions recall or hide their disciples, prepare escape routes, and attempt to distance themselves from Wan You’s death.
• Jiang Ding leaves the city early, anticipating that Wan Qianyu might indiscriminately seek revenge.
• Long Xiuyun also prepares to flee with the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, fearing that her organization is too weak to withstand the anger of an enraged Innate expert.
• Song Qing, the renowned “Azure God Sword” and ninth-ranked figure on the Dragon-Phoenix Ranking, visits Long Xiuyun. He is confident but acknowledges that even he could not safely face a mad Innate expert.
• Before Long Xiuyun can depart, a Heavenly-rank guest arrives at the Chamber of Commerce. She is required to receive him personally. The guest is revealed to be Jiang Ding, ranked fourth on the Dragon-Phoenix Ranking and known as the “Dream-Eating Sword Demon.”
• Long Xiuyun introduces Jiang Ding to Song Qing, but Jiang Ding becomes displeased when he realizes the Chamber disclosed information about his arrival and status without his permission.
• Jiang Ding asks to buy century-old ginseng. When Long Xiuyun says it is unavailable and asks about his sect or lineage, he interprets the questioning as intrusive and leaves despite the shopkeeper’s attempts to retain him.

Character Developments

• Chen Xi: Changes from panic and fear to relief upon learning she was framed, but remains deeply afraid of Wan Qianyu’s retaliation. Her decision to flee shows her political awareness and self-preservation.
• Granny Liu: Remains calm and perceptive amid the chaos. She identifies the assassin’s disguise and correctly traces the murder to Azure Garment Tower.
• Long Xiuyun: Reveals herself to be cautious and realistic. Although innocent, she understands that weaker factions may suffer from the actions of powerful enemies and prepares to hide.
• Song Qing: Demonstrates confidence and status as a famous Azure Ox Palace disciple, but recognizes the danger posed by an enraged Innate expert. His interest in Jiang Ding reflects curiosity about a rising martial figure.
• Jiang Ding: Shows strong sensitivity toward privacy and autonomy. His displeasure with the Chamber’s unapproved disclosure of information leads him to reject further interaction, emphasizing his independent and guarded nature.

Significant Themes

• The danger of power and revenge: The death of Wan You threatens to trigger retaliation from an Innate expert, causing widespread fear even among uninvolved factions.
• Political vulnerability: Status and influence cannot fully protect weaker organizations from the consequences of conflicts among major powers.
• Deception and hidden identities: The assassin’s replacement of Xiao Ying illustrates the importance of disguise, infiltration, and unseen manipulation in the martial world.
• Reputation and hierarchy: Titles such as Heavenly-rank guest, Dragon-Phoenix Ranking position, and sect lineage determine how characters treat one another.
• Privacy and distrust: Jiang Ding’s reaction highlights the value he places on controlling his own information and his suspicion of institutions that act without consent.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xi relies on Granny Liu’s explanation to understand that she has been framed, then acts quickly to protect herself.
• Long Xiuyun and Song Qing discuss the threat posed by Wan Qianyu, revealing their differing levels of confidence and power.
• Long Xiuyun introduces Song Qing to Jiang Ding in hopes of connecting two prominent young martial artists, but Jiang Ding politely declines Song Qing’s invitation to spar.
• Jiang Ding’s interaction with Long Xiuyun and the Chamber’s shopkeeper deteriorates when they question his background and reveal details about him without permission, prompting him to leave.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter begins with a general sense of unhappiness among the characters.
• A mysterious, ancient book is discovered, which promises to grant a wish to whoever solves its riddle.
• The characters decide to solve the riddle together, hoping it will improve their situations.

Character Developments

• Alice: She's feeling unfulfilled in her job and life, leading her to be irritable and short-tempered.
• Bob: Struggling with a creative block, Bob feels he's lost his passion for his art.
• Charlie: Depressed due to a recent breakup, Charlie feels aimless and lonely.
• Diana: She's stressed and overwhelmed with her responsibilities, feeling unappreciated.

Significant Themes

• Unfulfilled Expectations: All characters feel their lives aren't meeting their expectations.
• The Power of Hope: The promise of the book's riddle gives them a common goal and renewed energy.
• The Burden of Expectations: The characters feel pressured to solve the riddle, adding to their stress.

Character Interactions

• Alice and Bob: They clash initially due to Alice's irritability, but they bond over their shared unhappiness.
• Charlie and Diana: They form a connection through their shared sense of loneliness and aimlessness.
• Group Dynamics: The group works together to solve the riddle, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

Key plot points and events

• Long Xiuyun is annoyed that Jiang Ding reacted suspiciously when she asked about his background. An old shopkeeper recognizes that the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce has grown too focused on cultivating martial connections and status, at the expense of its merchant roots, but keeps his criticism to himself.
• Jiang Ding decides the chamber is no longer a trustworthy trading partner, though he still hopes to obtain its century-old spirit ginseng. He returns to cultivation, working on the meridians needed for the Greater Celestial Circuit and improving his sword arts.
• His Great Radiance Sword Art produces convincing decoy Sword Qi with a hand-held sword. His flying sword performs even better, splitting into nine indistinguishable streams and posing a serious threat even to an Innate master.
• After several days of intense practice, Jiang Ding senses an Innate master approaching: Wan Qianyu, the Ten-Blossom Sword Immortal.
• At the governor’s residence, Wan demands an account of her son You’s death. Governor Chen Zheng blames Azure Garment Tower and explains that You was caught off guard during an assassination. Wan kills him before he can finish, then slaughters the fleeing officials with her Sword Qi.
• Wan vows to avenge her son by killing the maid Chen Xi, Azure Garment Tower, and anyone behind the plot.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ding grows more wary of the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce and prioritizes independence over securing the ginseng. His disciplined cultivation and experimentation continue to strengthen his swordsmanship.
• Long Xiuyun comes across as entitled and politically ambitious, treating Jiang Ding as someone to recruit or assess rather than simply a customer. Song Qing gently advises her to be more tactful.
• The old shopkeeper sees the danger in the chamber’s shift toward martial alliances but lacks the authority to confront Xiuyun directly.
• Wan Qianyu is consumed by grief and rage. Her interrogation of the officials quickly becomes a massacre; the officials’ fear and distrust of their own weak military force leave them unable to resist.
• Governor Chen Zheng attempts to deflect blame and invoke his imperial-clan ties, but neither protects him from Wan.

Significant themes

• Commerce versus power politics: The chamber’s pursuit of martial influence threatens the straightforward merchant values that once defined it.
• Suspicion and boundaries: Jiang Ding’s mistrust grows from others probing his origins and trying to draw him into factional plans.
• Discipline and gradual progress: His cultivation advances through patient, repetitive work and technical refinement.
• Grief, vengeance, and unchecked power: Wan’s sorrow turns into indiscriminate violence, suggesting that powerful revenge can engulf both the guilty and those merely in its path.

Plot points and events

• After Wan Qianyu’s rampage destroys the prefect’s residence and mourning hall, the Azure Dragon Gang, Celestial Star Society, Qinghe Grand Princess Chen Xi’s associates, and Pond Prefecture’s leading officials are dead. The Yue court declares the Purple Tenuity Sword Sect and the “Ten-Blossom Sword Immortal” wanted, but lacks the power to capture an Innate expert.
• Jiang Ding watches without intervening, judging the officials’ deaths deserved and recognizing that he cannot defeat Wan Qianyu. He reflects that lasting reform would require honest institutions, oversight, and technological progress.
• Pond Prefecture descends into factional violence and political turmoil. Jiang’s secluded courtyard remains unnoticed while he cultivates.
• Having tempered the twelve principal meridians, Jiang begins breaking through the eight extraordinary meridians. He opens the Governing Vessel, discovering that his meridians need a day to recover between breakthroughs. He also masters the Minor Breath-Concealing Technique, which should help him evade spiritual detection and scans.
• Jiang estimates that completing the meridian breakthroughs and reaching the Greater Celestial Circuit will take a little over two months, though the coming Blue Gold Potion may accelerate his cultivation.
• He pauses training to sit his final exams. His improved sword technique has especially helped his mathematics, while other subjects still depend on gradual study.
• After the written exams, the students are told their practical assessment will take place in the Grand Void Illusory Realm, supported by a Golden Core cultivator aboard an aerospace warship. Jiang informs Lin Wanqiu and enters a device pod with his classmates.

Character developments

• Jiang Ding advances in cultivation, opens his first extraordinary meridian, and masters a concealment technique. He remains cautious about taking on stronger opponents and practical about the limits of his influence.
• He also balances cultivation with ordinary student responsibilities, continuing to focus on his exams rather than assuming martial progress will immediately solve every problem.
• Wan Qianyu’s massacre establishes her as a formidable, politically dangerous figure, prompting the court to issue a major bounty.

Themes

• Power and its limits: The court’s authority is weak against Innate experts, while Jiang recognizes that personal strength cannot by itself repair a broken society.
• Cycles of disorder: Jiang sees corrupt governance and rebellion as part of a recurring cycle unless institutions and technology change.
• Progress through discipline: His cultivation advances through methodical preparation and recovery, while academic gains likewise require sustained effort.
• Technology and risk: The Grand Void Illusory Realm offers a powerful examination tool, but entering it carries dangers and requires protection.

Character interactions

• Jiang silently chooses not to oppose Wan Qianyu, weighing the danger and his view of the officials’ culpability.
• Hua Bing organizes the practical exam, explains the device pods, and answers students’ questions about the Golden Core supervisor.
• Jiang calls Lin Wanqiu to explain the exam arrangements, then joins his classmates in the login room.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ding awakens in a blank virtual space before an exam. He confirms that his body, belongings, and cultivation are reproduced accurately, and uses the waiting time to nourish his meridians.
• He and the other candidates are teleported to an island, a simulated version of the long-distance travel they will face during military service. Many students become sick; Jiang Ding steadies himself with internal force.
• Candidates from First and Seventh High Schools assess one another. First High has more Qi Refining cultivators, but Seventh High has far more Internal Force practitioners. Li Tie, an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator with dual spiritual roots, leads Seventh High.
• A hundred disciples from the Cloud-Separation Sect arrive and bow to the candidates, whom they call Immortal Sect envoys. The Array Spirit explains that, after the cold-weapons exam, the candidates must choose the disciples for five teams from each school. The disciples must consent, but Dao Soldiers must join one side. Candidates will later score the disciples on obedience, combat ability, teamwork, and other qualities.
• Hua Bing forms a temporary command group for First High; Li Tie represents Seventh High. The Cloud-Separation disciples agree to wait while the schools settle their duel, clearly hoping to see which side is stronger before choosing.
• Jiang Ding spots his hostile rival Jiang Jinxian among Seventh High’s students. The cold-weapons exam begins with a randomized desert setting. Li Junhao of First High is matched against Zhou Zhong of Seventh High; he tries to flee but is caught and knocked unconscious.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ding remains observant and cautious, relying on internal force to recover from teleportation and watching the other candidates rather than reacting to the taunts of Jiang Jinxian.
• Hua Bing takes charge of First High’s temporary leadership group, while Li Tie’s superior cultivation and background make him the natural spokesman for Seventh High.
• Li Junhao is visibly intimidated by the stronger Seventh High students and panics in his first match. Zhou Zhong calmly pursues and defeats him.
• The Cloud-Separation disciples are outwardly deferential but practical: their interest in observing the candidates suggests they will choose the stronger or more advantageous side.

Significant themes

• Competition and hierarchy: Cultivation levels, school strength, and social background shape who commands and who is favored.
• Appearances versus reality: The virtual exam feels physically real, including pain and nausea, though the Array Spirit forbids candidates from revealing that no one can die.
• Power and judgment: Candidates must not only fight but also evaluate and lead the Dao Soldiers, making teamwork and obedience as important as individual strength.

Chapter Summary: “The Form of Complete Concealment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The cold-weapons examination begins with a brutal match between Li Junhao of First High and Zhou Zhong of Seventh High. Zhou Zhong kills Li Junhao quickly and graphically, shocking the First High students, many of whom have never witnessed real bloodshed.
• The contrast between the schools becomes clear: Seventh High has trained its students through actual combat in the mortal world, while First High has focused more on cultivation, academics, and controlled practice.
• First High’s instructor, Zhang Dingjun, angrily condemns Seventh High for exposing teenagers to violence, arguing that it could produce emotionally unstable students and damage their loyalty to the Immortal Sect. Seventh High’s instructor, Jin Dazheng, defends the practice as necessary for students without immortal cultivation roots, who must rely on martial combat to advance.
• Zhou Zhong mocks First High after his victory, provoking angry reactions. The examination continues across multiple battlefields, with combatants quickly defeating one another because weapons enhanced by internal force can easily penetrate defensive shields.
• First High performs poorly overall. Seventh High dominates the rankings, while Sun Xiao barely reaches ninth place and realizes that First High’s lack of practical combat training is responsible for the gap.
• Jiang Ding is then matched against Wu Jinqian, a stronger Seventh High martial artist. Wu insults Jiang by repeating rumors that Jiang stole Jiang Jinxian’s Azureflower Foundation Elixir and questions his relatively low cultivation.
• Rather than engage directly, Jiang Ding uses a superior reconnaissance camouflage artifact and the Minor Breath-Concealing Technique to vanish completely into the bamboo forest.
• Wu Jinqian attempts to locate him by destroying the entire battlefield, but Jiang remains nearby and watches him unseen. Wu gradually exhausts more than half of his internal force.
• When Wu finally provokes Jiang into attacking, Jiang uses a subtle sword technique to deflect the momentum of Wu’s spear and exploits a tiny opening in his defense. His sword pierces Wu’s throat, and Sword Qi destroys Wu’s brain, giving Jiang an unexpected victory over the stronger opponent.

Character Developments

• Li Junhao is shown to be psychologically unprepared for real combat. His defeat leaves him pale, trembling, and traumatized, emphasizing the weakness of First High’s sheltered training.
• Zhou Zhong demonstrates confidence and brutality, but his bravado also reveals fear: when First High students prepare offensive spells, he immediately retreats behind stronger allies.
• Zhang Dingjun emerges as protective and idealistic. He believes young students should be nurtured by a stable society and become loyal citizens through warmth rather than trauma. His concern for student welfare contrasts with the examination’s violence.
• Jin Dazheng represents a harsher, pragmatic philosophy. He believes disadvantaged students must fight if they want a chance at immortality and has little patience for Zhang’s objections.
• Sun Xiao recognizes First High’s shortcomings in practical combat and feels embarrassed by the school’s rankings. His respect for Jiang Ding reflects Jiang’s reputation as First High’s strongest internal-force cold-weapons fighter.
• Jiang Ding reveals that his apparent weakness is misleading. He remains calm in the face of provocation, avoids fighting on his opponent’s terms, and relies on concealment, patience, battlefield awareness, and precise swordsmanship.
• Wu Jinqian is physically and technically stronger but becomes frustrated and reckless when he cannot locate Jiang. His confidence turns into anger, and his inability to adapt ultimately causes his defeat.

Significant Themes

• Theory versus practical experience: First High excels academically and cultivationally, while Seventh High’s students possess superior battlefield experience. The examination shows that cultivation realm alone cannot determine combat ability.
• The cost of security: Immortal Sect citizens enjoy stability and prosperity but are expected to fight to defend that society. The chapter presents combat training as both a civic duty and a source of psychological danger.
• Nature versus nurture in martial development: The instructors debate whether students should be protected from violence or hardened through exposure to it.
• Perception and hidden strength: Jiang Ding’s low realm and poor reputation conceal his real capabilities. The chapter emphasizes that apparent weakness can be a deliberate form of misdirection.
• Strategy over brute force: Wu has greater strength, but Jiang wins through concealment, endurance, timing, and precision. The battle demonstrates that controlling the conditions of combat can matter more than overwhelming power.
• The dangers of arrogance: Wu’s insults and confidence lead him to underestimate Jiang, while his frustration causes him to waste energy and overlook the opponent standing almost directly behind him.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Dingjun and Jin Dazheng clash over the morality and usefulness of exposing students to lethal combat. Their argument establishes the ideological divide between compassion and pragmatism.
• Zhou Zhong and the First High students exchange insults after Li Junhao’s defeat, turning the examination into a contest of school pride.
• Sun Xiao and Jiang Ding share a supportive relationship. Sun Xiao asks Jiang to salvage First High’s reputation, showing the trust placed in him by his classmates.
• Jiang Ding and Wu Jinqian interact through provocation and tactical silence. Wu attempts to undermine Jiang with rumors and insults, but Jiang refuses to respond emotionally and defeats him through stealth.
• The students and instructors react differently to the battle: First High initially feels shame and fear, while Seventh High’s students and instructors become increasingly serious once Jiang’s concealed abilities are revealed.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding wins his first match against a Seventh High student, securing a top-ten spot for First High.
• The exams continue, with First High's Inner Qi Realm cold-weapon fighters struggling against Seventh High's students.
• Jiang Ding is assigned a sandy wasteland terrain for his next match, making it difficult to use his Minor Breath-Concealing Technique.
• Despite the disadvantage, Jiang Ding defeats his opponent using Major Mastery-level swordsmanship and cultivation technique.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates significant improvement in his swordsmanship and cultivation technique, reaching Major Mastery levels.
• Sun Xiao, Li Hu, and other First High students gain a newfound respect for Jiang Ding's skills.
• Seventh High students, including Jiang Jinxian, recognize Jiang Ding's potential and are determined to beat him.

Significant Themes

• The importance of skill and technique over brute force and cultivation realm.
• The value of cultural subjects and knowledge in cultivating one's abilities.
• The competitive nature of the cultivation world and the desire for strength and recognition.

Character Interactions

• Sun Xiao and Li Hu show concern and support for Jiang Ding.
• Jiang Jinxian sees Jiang Ding as a formidable rival and is determined to defeat him.
• Jin Dazheng and Zhang Dingjun, proctors from Seventh High, discuss Jiang Ding's potential and the importance of cultural subjects.

Chapter Summary: “Sword Kill”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding defeats another Seventh High School candidate in the Greater Celestial Circuit stage with the same overwhelming sword technique, killing him despite the opponent possessing far greater internal power and more than seventy thousand tempered meridians.
• Jiang Jinxian barely defeats his own opponent, who has over eighty thousand tempered meridians, highlighting the enormous gap between him and Jiang Ding.
• Jiang Jinxian claims that his strength comes from the Azureflower Foundation Elixir he supposedly provided Jiang Ding. Jiang Ding rejects the claim and ends the exchange by declaring that he needs only “one sword.”
• Enraged, Jiang Jinxian attacks with seven powerful strands of Sword Qi. Jiang Ding effortlessly breaks through the attack and kills him with a single thrust through the throat, winning first place in the inner-qi cold-weapon examination with twenty-five points.
• First High School celebrates Jiang Ding’s victory, while Seventh High School is demoralized after losing its long-standing advantage in inner-qi weapon combat.
• In the Qi Condensation cold-weapon battles, First High School’s cultivators dominate Seventh High School. Wu Tianli, Gongsun Ling, Ding Qi, and others overwhelm their opponents.
• Hua Bing is the last remaining Seventh High School competitor. He struggles against Li Tie, whose enormous magnetic-element hill artifact provides nearly impenetrable defense and ultimately crushes him after he refuses to surrender.
• Li Tie takes first place in the Qi Condensation weapon rankings, with Hua Bing second. Both schools lose the categories they traditionally considered their strongest.
• The practical examination is announced. Candidates must select Dao Soldier units from the Cloud-Separation Sect.
• Jiang Ding recognizes that the Cloud Departure Dao Soldiers are specialized for reconnaissance, stealth, mobility, coordinated attacks, and concentrated firepower against stronger enemies.
• Ten late-stage Qi Condensation cultivators immediately volunteer to serve under Li Tie. She selects the strongest available squads, leaving the remaining cultivators to join Hua Bing and the others.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates that his swordsmanship has surpassed conventional limits. His ability to kill stronger opponents instantly confirms him as the dominant inner-qi martial artist.
• Jiang Jinxian shifts from resentment to open desperation. His boastful confidence collapses when Jiang Ding’s attack proves far beyond what his cultivation should allow, ending in his death.
• Li Tie establishes herself as the strongest Qi Condensation combatant through her powerful magnetic-element artifact and decisive battlefield judgment.
• Hua Bing is portrayed as stubborn and increasingly isolated. His refusal to admit defeat results in his being crushed by Li Tie’s artifact.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators reveal their caution and political awareness by quickly aligning themselves with Li Tie, obeying the orders of the Immortal Sect despite uncertainty about its true strength.
• Jiang Ding also shows improved strategic insight, immediately understanding the military purpose of the Dao Soldier formations.

Significant Themes

• Absolute skill versus raw power: Jiang Ding’s swordsmanship defeats opponents with vastly superior internal energy, suggesting that mastery and quality of technique can transcend cultivation level.
• The collapse of established hierarchies: Seventh High School loses both of its traditional strengths, showing that past reputation is no guarantee of present superiority.
• Humiliation and false credit: Jiang Jinxian’s claim regarding the Azureflower Foundation Elixir exposes the poisonous rivalry and dishonesty surrounding Jiang Ding’s family.
• Military organization and cooperation: The practical examination shifts attention from individual duels to coordinated formations, emphasizing teamwork, specialization, and concentrated force.
• Pragmatism under pressure: The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators immediately choose the commander they believe offers the best chance of survival, while the examination forces everyone to make strategic alliances.
• The limits of ordinary mortals: Jiang Ding’s first-place score is described as “the limit of mortals,” framing his achievement as extraordinary even before the more advanced stages begin.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding and Jiang Jinxian’s confrontation combines family resentment, accusations of stolen credit, and a sharp difference in ability. Jiang Ding’s dismissive “one sword” remark provokes Jiang Jinxian’s final attack.
• First High School students enthusiastically celebrate Jiang Ding, while his sudden popularity—especially among female students—makes him uncomfortable and causes him to retreat.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators question their senior about the Immortal Sect envoy’s strength, but she warns them to obey the Immortal Sect because of the Law Enforcement Court.
• Li Tie commands immediate loyalty from the strongest Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators and selects their units for the coming practical examination.
• The remaining Dao Soldiers, disappointed at not being chosen by Li Tie, regroup under Hua Bing and the other First High School candidates.

Chapter Summary: “Reconnaissance Platoon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Ding and the other students arrive in a mountainous forest deployment zone, suffering briefly from the effects of teleportation or rapid transport.
• Type 62 tanks, tracked vehicles, weapons, ammunition, and supplies are parachuted into the area. The tanks land heavily, destroying trees and damaging the ground.
• Hua Bing orders the students to inventory supplies and organizes the strongest students into three tank squads to scout the surrounding region.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators spread out as guards and accompany the tank squads. Their magical invisibility can evade divine sense but cannot conceal them from spirit-particle radar.
• The students equip themselves with military gear. Jiang Ding uses special reconnaissance camouflage and an anti-materiel sniper rifle, combining the camouflage with his Minor Breath-Concealing Technique to become nearly undetectable.
• The tank squads search within forty kilometers but find no enemies. They return after being warned to conserve ammunition.
• A battlefield voting system establishes a temporary joint command structure:
  • Hua Bing becomes provisional battalion commander.
  • Gongsun Ling becomes deputy commander.
  • Ding Qi becomes chief of staff.
  • Other students receive assignments as tank-company, logistics, squad, and platoon commanders.
• Jiang Ding is appointed commander of the First Reconnaissance Platoon and is placed in charge of the Fourth Cloud Departure Dao Soldier Squad, led by Qian Tongyi.
• The students rapidly sort supplies and begin constructing defensive formations, including electromagnetic detection, healing, optical concealment, and protective Vajra formations.
• Hua Bing summons Jiang Ding and orders the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators to follow him eastward on reconnaissance. Though Qian Tongyi and his people are uneasy about obeying a mortal, Hua Bing forces them to accept the order.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: Demonstrates exceptional stealth and reconnaissance ability. His concealment is strong enough to evade both the cultivators’ divine senses and military radar, marking him as a highly capable scout despite being a mortal by the cultivators’ standards. His appointment as reconnaissance commander gives him formal authority and places him in a leadership role.
• Hua Bing: Establishes herself as an efficient, decisive commander. She organizes the deployment, manages ammunition concerns, coordinates the election, assigns responsibilities, and firmly handles the Cloud-Separation Sect’s resistance to Jiang Ding’s authority.
• Gongsun Ling and Ding Qi: Show political awareness and cooperation by withdrawing their own candidacies and supporting Hua Bing. They are rewarded with senior command positions.
• Qian Tongyi and the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators: Reveal pride and discomfort at serving under a mortal commander. Their hesitation reflects the cultural and status gap between cultivators and Immortal Sect soldiers.
• Li Junhao: Is assigned to logistics because of his strong academic abilities, despite lacking divine sense and mana. His role emphasizes the importance of combining technical knowledge with cultivation-based abilities.

Significant Themes

• Integration of technology and cultivation: Tanks, drones, radar, firearms, and military networks operate alongside divine sense, magical formations, and Dao soldiers.
• Military organization and merit-based command: Leadership is determined through cultivation, competence, voting, and practical battlefield needs rather than social status alone.
• Cultural conflict: The cultivators’ reluctance to obey Jiang Ding highlights tensions between traditional cultivator hierarchy and the Immortal Sect’s modern military structure.
• Reconnaissance and information superiority: Stealth, radar, surveillance, and battlefield communication are presented as crucial advantages, especially before any enemy engagement occurs.
• Cooperation under pressure: Students from different classes and cultivators from different backgrounds must work together despite rivalry, unfamiliar customs, and mutual distrust.
• Preparation before combat: The chapter focuses on logistics, fortifications, command assignments, and supply management, emphasizing that organization and preparation are essential to survival.

Character Interactions

• Hua Bing coordinates closely with Gongsun Ling and Ding Qi, who support her leadership and help establish the command structure.
• Gongsun Ling’s excessive use of tank shells prompts Hua Bing to remind her and the others to conserve ammunition.
• Jiang Ding’s stealth impresses the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators, who are shocked that a mortal can disappear even under close divine-sense observation.
• Hua Bing directly confronts Qian Tongyi’s hesitation and makes it clear that disobeying orders is unacceptable.
• Qian Tongyi and the cultivators reluctantly agree to serve under Jiang Ding, setting up a likely tension between traditional cultivator pride and Jiang Ding’s military command.

Summary: “Artillery Fire Lock-On”

1. Key Plot Points

• Jiang Ding, a mortal military reconnaissance specialist, remotely directs Qian Tongyi and ten Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators as they move through a forest in concealed formation.
• Jiang Ding uses drones and an anti-materiel sniper rifle to scan the area; two of his drones are shot down by an unseen enemy.
• He manages to shoot down an enemy drone and calculates a probable enemy location from the crash sites.
• He orders Qian Tongyi’s group to investigate the marked area.
• The cultivators find two hidden enemy scouts, Jiang Jinxian and Wu Jinqian, who are protected by a lean Qi Refining eighth-level Cloud-Separation cultivator.
• A fight breaks out. Qian Tongyi kills the two scouts with his flying sword, enraging the lean cultivator.
• The lean cultivator nearly kills Qian Tongyi, but Jiang Ding snipes him from over four kilometers away, causing him to combust into ash.
• Jiang Ding immediately retreats, knowing his position is compromised.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Ding shows calm tactical competence: precise drone control, ballistic calculation, internal-force-powered sniping, and disciplined retreat.
• Qian Tongyi resents taking orders from a mortal, but follows them anyway; his arrogance nearly gets him killed after he deliberately kills the enemy scouts.
• The lean cultivator is protective of his mortal charges but dies because he underestimates the distant sniper.
• The cults’ broader arrogance toward mortals is repeatedly emphasized—yet it is a mortal who saves Qian Tongyi.

3. Significant Themes

• Tension between mortal military technology/skills and cultivator power.
• Arrogance and underestimation of mortals as a fatal flaw.
• The brutal logic of reconnaissance: small groups trade lives for information.
• Coordination and trust issues between cultivators and mortal commanders.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding commands via jade pendant; Qian Tongyi obeys with visible resentment among his squad.
• Jiang Jinxian and Wu Jinqian cry for help when discovered, but are killed by Qian Tongyi despite their guardian’s intervention.
• The lean cultivator scorns Qian Tongyi as “ridiculous” and nearly kills him before being shot by Jiang Ding.
• Jiang Ding does not engage personally in the melee; he supports from long range and then disengages, leaving the cultivators to handle the aftermath.

Chapter Summary: “Saturation Bombardment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Tongyi narrowly survives an attack by an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator from Black Cloud Peak. With the enemy’s strongest fighter dead, he kills another mid-stage cultivator, causing the remaining Black Cloud Peak forces to flee.
• Jiang Ding orders Qian Tongyi and the surviving Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators to retreat, knowing that Seventh High School’s tank artillery is within range.
• He explains the Immortal Sect’s artillery capabilities: tank shells can be guided and enhanced by cultivators within thirty kilometers, while the guns remain accurate up to seventy kilometers.
• More than twenty artillery shells bombard the battlefield. The shells explode overhead, scattering Spellbreaker Steel fragments and devastating several kilometers of forest.
• Jiang Ding survives by taking cover behind a boulder, but both arms are broken and his concealment ability is lost. Qian Tongyi survives by burrowing underground, though his defensive artifact is destroyed.
• Only Qian Tongyi and three other Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators survive alongside Jiang Ding. They retreat over twenty kilometers and hide in a cave while Jiang Ding requests rescue.
• Several hours later, Seventh High School sends drones, Dao Soldiers, tanks, and radar units to secure the area and locate the survivors.
• Hua Bing arrives and uses a powerful Minor Rejuvenation Spell to repair Jiang Ding’s major bones and meridians. His smaller meridian branches remain damaged, but his cultivation path is preserved.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: Demonstrates tactical awareness by recognizing the danger of artillery and instructing everyone to minimize their profiles. Despite severe injuries, he remains composed and continues cultivating while awaiting rescue. His experience highlights both his resilience and vulnerability; he realizes that without the Grand Void Illusory Realm, his path to immortality might have ended.
• Qian Tongyi: Shows obedience and adaptability by relaying Jiang Ding’s orders and using an earth-based technique to survive the bombardment. His survival also reveals his strength as a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, though he loses his defensive artifact.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect survivors: Their loyalty is complicated. They obey Jiang Ding as an “Immortal Envoy,” but conceal resentment because their fellow cultivators died as collateral damage in a conflict between powerful Immortal Order figures.
• Hua Bing: Acts as Jiang Ding’s rescuer and healer. Her teasing attitude contrasts with the seriousness of his injuries, but her healing ability proves highly valuable.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ding commands Qian Tongyi and the others during the retreat and artillery attack.
• Qian Tongyi respectfully follows Jiang Ding’s orders despite privately harboring hatred over the deaths of his companions.
• The survivors protect and escort Jiang Ding while he is unable to fight or conceal himself.
• Hua Bing jokes about Jiang Ding’s miserable condition before treating him, creating a moment of dark humor amid the aftermath of the massacre.
• Jiang Ding responds irritably to her teasing, emphasizing his pain and frustration.

Significant Themes

• Technological superiority versus cultivation: The artillery barrage demonstrates how modern Immortal Sect weapons can overwhelm traditional cultivators who lack knowledge of their capabilities.
• The cost of war and collateral damage: The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators lose most of their comrades because of a conflict controlled by higher-level powers, underscoring their lack of agency.
• Survival through discipline and adaptation: Jiang Ding survives by understanding the weapons, issuing precise orders, and using available cover, while Qian Tongyi survives through rapid application of his earth technique.
• Fragility of cultivation: Jiang Ding’s broken meridians show how easily a cultivator’s future can be destroyed, even when he survives physically.
• Distrust and divided loyalties: Though the survivors obey Jiang Ding, their concealed resentment reveals the tension between duty, survival, and personal loyalty.
• Escalation of the conflict: The systematic use of drones, artillery, Dao Soldiers, tanks, and radar signals that the battle is becoming an organized military campaign rather than a conventional sect conflict.

Key plot points and events

• First High School’s officers review drone footage of Seventh High School’s camp: a mountain concealed by an unfinished invisibility formation and heavily fortified with hidden guns. The drones are quickly shot down.
• Officers debate whether to attack. Many argue that storming the camp is too dangerous, while others point out that waiting would still leave First High School likely to lose on score.
• Battalion commander Hua Bing proposes an immediate assault, before Seventh High School completes its radar-enhancing formation. She argues that practical combat experience matters more than one exam result and that First High School has superior numbers. Her plan passes with 86.6% support.
• First High School dismantles its partly built position and advances in a large formation of tanks and infantry, with Hua Bing leading a reconnaissance group ahead.
• The advance meets repeated ambushes. Hua Bing evades artillery, while her tank’s machine gun eliminates enemy spotters; armor-piercing rounds and enemy fire on drones show how closely watched the route is.
• Recognizing the risk of pressing forward blindly, Hua Bing orders Jiang Ding to scout the enemy camp on foot. He sets off alone.

Character developments

• Hua Bing demonstrates authority and decisiveness, persuading the officers to accept a risky assault and then adjusting tactics when the enemy’s ambushes make the advance dangerous.
• Jiang Ding remains cautious and quiet during the debate, acknowledging his vulnerability without tank support. Despite lingering discomfort from an earlier injury, he takes on the dangerous scouting mission, relying on his unusual ability to evade radar and spiritual detection.
• The officers shift from arguing over whether to fight to committing to coordinated action once a clear proposal is put to a vote.

Character interactions

• Hua Bing uses a structured vote to settle the officers’ disagreement, overcoming resistance from students who prefer to wait outside the fortress.
• Jiang Ding and Qian Tongyi’s Dao soldiers provide unseen protection for Hua Bing’s forward tanks, though Jiang Ding declines to take one with him when he goes scouting.
• Hua Bing communicates directly with Jiang Ding during the advance, assigning him the reconnaissance task after the enemy’s defenses expose the danger of relying on drones and forward vehicles.

Significant themes

• Practical experience versus safe results: The officers accept the possibility of losing points in exchange for learning how to assault fortified positions.
• Caution versus initiative: The chapter weighs the danger of attacking a prepared fortress against the risk of doing nothing.
• Technology and countermeasures: Radar, drones, camouflage formations, artillery, and hidden gun positions shape the battle, while Jiang Ding’s stealth offers a different kind of reconnaissance advantage.
• Leadership under pressure: Hua Bing’s persuasive planning and rapid tactical adjustment turn a divided meeting into a coordinated operation.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ding discovers three Seventh High School reconnaissance posts, using his concealment skills to avoid detection. He records their locations but delays calling in artillery so he can continue gathering intelligence.
• Near Seventh High School’s camp, he finds fortified heavy-machine-gun positions defended by students and dao-soldiers. He maps the area and spots a six-tank squad returning toward camp.
• Jiang reports the squad’s coordinates to First High School’s command. The school’s forty-three tanks coordinate an armor-piercing-shell barrage, with Gongsun Ling and Hua Bing directing the firing.
• The Seventh High School tanks attempt evasive maneuvers, but successive barrages destroy several vehicles. Jiang keeps updating the targets’ changing positions so the artillery can continue firing.
• The surviving tank crews realize someone is reporting their location and fire wildly into the forest. Jiang takes cover, then resumes observing. He reports further targets and retreats before Seventh High School’s counter-barrage blankets the area with howitzer shells.

Character developments

• Jiang Ding demonstrates patience and tactical judgment: he prioritizes reconnaissance, chooses when to call for fire, and stays mobile under enemy attack.
• Hua Bing, Gongsun Ling, and Ding Qi show effective teamwork in coordinating the tank barrage and calculating trajectories.
• The Seventh High School tank crews shift from overconfident complaints about their commander to panic and anger as the attacks continue.

Significant themes

• Reconnaissance and information warfare: Accurate, timely coordinates turn artillery into a decisive weapon.
• Preparation and coordination: First High School’s practiced tank crews respond quickly and fire in synchrony.
• The dangers of overconfidence and poor leadership: Seventh High School’s crews resent Li Tie’s command, while their exposure leaves them vulnerable to attack.

Character interactions

• Jiang communicates battlefield intelligence to First High School’s command, enabling the tank crews to coordinate their attack.
• Seventh High School’s students complain to one another about Li Tie’s cautious orders and perceived favoritism.
• As the barrage intensifies, the tank crews blame an informant and try to suppress the threat with indiscriminate fire, while Jiang avoids their counterattack.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Ding survives another intense artillery attack despite losing an arm, thanks largely to his concealment technique and luck. He reports his position, prompting Hua Bing’s forces to bombard the Seventh High School tanks.
• The tank squad loses several vehicles but cannot locate Jiang Ding. Its crew blames their commander, Li Tie, for staying hidden rather than fighting.
• After the main force reaches him, Hua Bing heals Jiang Ding’s arm, though the treatment leaves it fragile and cannot repair many of his damaged tiny meridians.
• Hua Bing orders Jiang Ding to lead the remaining forty-three Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators in clearing the forest around the planned camp. The team sweeps the area and kills Seventh High School fighters hiding in tunnels and caves.
• Meanwhile, Hua Bing, Li Junhao, and the other students rapidly construct a First-Order Electromagnetic Induction Wave Formation, which will improve their radar range and precision against the opposing force.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ding proves resourceful and resilient, but his repeated injuries leave him frustrated about the lasting damage to his cultivation.
• Hua Bing praises his combat performance, treats him, and then entrusts him with a dangerous clearing operation. Their exchange combines respect with practical bluntness.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators now treat Jiang Ding respectfully as their “Immortal Envoy,” having dropped their earlier contempt for mortals.
• Seventh High School’s tank crews grow desperate under repeated bombardment and openly resent Li Tie’s refusal to leave his shelter.

Significant themes

• Luck and endurance in combat: Jiang Ding survives overwhelming firepower, but survival comes at a physical cost.
• Technology and cultivation working together: Artillery, radar, concealment, spiritual senses, and formations shape the battles.
• Teamwork and expertise: The students’ specialized education lets them build a complex formation far faster than ordinary practitioners could.
• Changing respect and authority: The cultivators’ treatment of Jiang Ding shifts as they work together in the campaign.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Author announces bonus chapters for 'Three Rivers' upon its release on October 4th.
• Author plans two update strategies post-launch: a daily update of 24 chapters or a weekly mass update of over a dozen chapters at a time.

Character Developments

• No character developments in this chapter as it's an author's note.

Significant Themes

• The theme of learning and adaptation is evident as the author considers different update strategies inspired by other authors.

Character Interactions

• No character interactions in this chapter as it's an author's note.

Chapter Summary: “Grand Offensive”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the night, Seventh High School attempts to scout the enemy position with drones, but the drones are destroyed by grenades before gathering useful information. Li Tie also fails to launch a stealth operation, suggesting he lacks invisibility or spiritual-evasion techniques.
• At dawn, Hua Bing activates the First-Order Electromagnetic Induction Array. The formation eliminates electromagnetic interference within a one-kilometer radius, greatly improving the tanks’ radar detection and shell-guidance capabilities.
• More than forty First High School tanks bombard the Seventh High School fortress. With the enhanced radar and spell-based guidance, the shells accurately strike the fortress’s firing ports and penetrate the defenses.
• Hua Bing, Ding Qi, and Gongsun Ling guide precision artillery strikes, destroying the fortress from within. The hill is devastated, the enemy’s firepower is eliminated, and ammunition reserves fall to roughly one-tenth.
• First High School advances to clear the remaining enemies. Drones are sent into several tunnel entrances, but most are destroyed by defenders inside.
• Jiang Ding studies the tunnel layout and deduces likely underground positions. He orders two Cloud-Separation Sect squads to use Earth-Splitting Art to break through the mountain from above.
• The sudden excavation exposes five Seventh High School martial artists, who are immediately killed by Qian Tongyi and the other cultivators. The dao soldiers then enter and eliminate additional defenders hiding in ambush.
• After securing the area and collecting the spoils—more than ten enemies—the group prepares to move on to the next location.

Character Developments

• Hua Bing demonstrates growing confidence and enthusiasm for large-scale destruction. She successfully operates the electromagnetic formation and coordinates the artillery assault, though the effort leaves her temporarily weakened.
• Jiang Ding acts as the tactical commander. He remains calm, wastes no concern over losing disposable drones, analyzes the underground defenses, and devises an efficient method to bypass them.
• Qian Tongyi and the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators show strong loyalty and respect toward Jiang Ding, treating his instructions as authoritative. They cooperate effectively in combined spellcasting despite the unusual nature of such coordination.
• Li Junhao appears increasingly confident and amused by the operation, especially when the tunnel breakthrough catches the Seventh High School defenders off guard.
• Seventh High School’s survivors display resourcefulness by building tunnels and setting ambushes, but their defensive preparations prove inadequate against Jiang Ding’s technological and tactical advantages.

Significant Themes

• Technology combined with cultivation: Radar, drones, tanks, guided artillery, spiritual formations, and spells work together to create overwhelming battlefield superiority.
• The importance of reconnaissance and precision: Hua Bing’s electromagnetic formation removes interference, while Jiang Ding’s drone observations and deductions allow the attackers to strike hidden tunnel positions accurately.
• Overwhelming modern firepower: The chapter emphasizes the devastating effect of coordinated artillery, reducing a fortified mountain camp to ruins before a ground assault begins.
• Adaptability and strategic thinking: When direct tunnel entry proves dangerous, Jiang Ding changes tactics and uses Earth-Splitting Art to attack from an unexpected direction.
• Command and cooperation: The victory depends on coordination among tank crews, formation users, drone operators, and cultivator squads.

Character Interactions

• Hua Bing encourages the tank crews and energetically urges them to destroy Seventh High School’s “turtle shell.”
• Jiang Ding supervises the operation and gives Qian Tongyi precise excavation orders, reassuring the cultivators that they will rotate so their spiritual power is not exhausted.
• Qian Tongyi respectfully acknowledges Jiang Ding’s authority and coordinates with another squad captain to carry out the breakthrough.
• Li Junhao watches the combined spellcasting with curiosity and later shares in the surprise and satisfaction when the hidden defenders are exposed.
• The First High School forces and Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators operate as a unified group, combining heavy weapons, spiritual techniques, and battlefield intelligence to finish the assault.

Chapter Summary: “Grand Assault and the End”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian Tongyi’s forces continue excavating Seventh High School’s underground tunnels while flying swords map and clear the passages.
• Li Junhao proposes using explosives to widen small openings created by flying swords. The tactic proves extremely effective, destroying hidden ambush points and greatly accelerating the assault.
• First High School’s Dao soldiers and students coordinate artillery, explosives, and flying-sword attacks to eliminate Seventh High School’s remaining forces.
• A counterattack reveals that Li Tie and surviving Dao soldiers from Seventh High School are still hiding underground. Their stronger Cloud Departure Swords repel Qian Tongyi’s initial attack.
• Jiang Ding calls in artillery support through the battle network. More than twenty shells, grenades, armor-piercing rounds, and Spellbreaker Steel fragments devastate the tunnel and kill or severely injure most of the defenders.
• A subsequent search uncovers the bodies of twelve Black Cloud Peak cultivators, including Li Yunchen, as well as many Seventh High School Dao soldiers.
• Li Tie’s body and Small Magnetism Mountain artifact are not found. He suddenly erupts from underground and uses the artifact to pin Jiang Ding beneath its immense weight.
• As Li Tie attempts to kill him, Jiang Ding sees Qian Tongyi’s flying swords rushing to his aid. He is nevertheless crushed and dies, returning from the battle through the Immortal Sect’s recovery device.
• After rating the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators, Jiang Ding gives them perfect scores for obedience, combat ability, and cooperation, but only two points for identification with the Immortal Sect.
• He begins his winter vacation, briefly resumes cultivation, and then returns home, missing his mother and Jiang Yuan after being away for two days.

Character Developments

• Jiang Ding: Demonstrates effective battlefield command and confidence in coordinating modern military technology with cultivation techniques. Despite overseeing a nearly complete victory, he is abruptly killed by Li Tie, reminding him of the danger of underestimating a desperate enemy. After reviving, he remains composed and returns to cultivation, though the experience leaves him shaken.
• Li Junhao: Shows initiative and practical ingenuity by introducing explosives into the tunnel-clearing operation. His idea dramatically improves the assault’s efficiency, though he is slightly injured by debris during the bombardment.
• Qian Tongyi and the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators: Display strong discipline, coordination, and loyalty in battle. They respond immediately to Jiang Ding’s commands and attempt to protect him, but their low ideological identification with the Immortal Sect suggests that their cooperation is based more on orders and circumstances than genuine allegiance.
• Li Tie: Emerges as the final surviving threat from Seventh High School. Furious that Jiang Ding ruined his plan, he uses the Small Magnetism Mountain in a desperate surprise attack, nearly turning victory into tragedy.
• Li Yunchen: Her death is emphasized as a major loss. As the daughter of a Golden Core cultivator and a promising future Foundation Establishment expert, her demise deeply affects the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Integration of cultivation and technology: Flying swords, Dao soldiers, explosives, artillery, and battle-network coordination work together, showing the Immortal Sect’s overwhelming advantage in combining supernatural abilities with advanced military technology.
• Efficiency versus tradition: Li Junhao’s explosives transform the battle, demonstrating how practical innovation can outperform slower, more conventional cultivation methods.
• The cost of victory: Although Seventh High School is virtually destroyed, the victory involves significant deaths, including Li Yunchen, and Jiang Ding himself is killed in the final ambush.
• Ideological loyalty: The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators fight effectively but receive only a low score for identification with the Immortal Sect, highlighting the difference between obedience and genuine belief.
• War’s unpredictability: Even after overwhelming an enemy and securing near-total victory, a single hidden survivor can launch a deadly counterattack.
• Home and emotional grounding: After the battle, Jiang Ding’s thoughts turn toward his family, emphasizing his ordinary human attachments beneath his role as a powerful battlefield commander.

Character Interactions

• Li Junhao persuades Jiang Ding and Qian Tongyi to adopt explosives, and the group works together to implement the tactic.
• Qian Tongyi develops a tacit understanding with Jiang Ding, immediately requesting and coordinating fire support when the counterattack begins.
• Jiang Ding relies on the Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators to search the tunnels and pursue survivors, while they respond to his orders with complete battlefield discipline.
• Li Tie directly confronts Jiang Ding, blaming him for destroying his plan and launching a personal revenge attack.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators attempt to save Jiang Ding by sending their flying swords toward Li Tie, but their intervention comes too late.
• After reviving, Jiang Ding evaluates the cultivators, recognizing their exceptional cooperation while noting their weak emotional allegiance to the Immortal Sect.

Summary of the Chapter

Key Plot Points / Events

• The Grand Void Illusory Realm exam ends. The opposing school’s strongest student, Li Tie, is sliced into thin sheets by dozens of silver flying swords, allowing Li Junhao and his team to finally advance and win the exam.
• Back in the proctoring room, grades for the human students are tallied:
  • Li Junhao: 85 (array-inscription, stealth, heavy machine gun cover)
  • Zhou Liuchuan: 92 (scouting, shooting down enemy drone)
• Proctor Zhang Dingjun objects to these marks—he thinks losing students should be heavily penalized and that “scouting crucial intelligence” is too vague. Chief instructor Jin Dazheng defends the scores, citing the students’ fearless spirit. Disputes are referred to external graders.
• The Cloud-Separation Sect cultivators are then assessed. Zhang Dingjun deliberately gives them low scores (obedience 6, combat 6, cooperation 6, identification with the Immortal Sect 1).
• Other proctors criticize him for letting bias affect the grading. Zhang argues the Cloud-Separation Sect is too dangerous to be trusted as “Dao troops” because of its mobility, explosiveness, and concealment—especially once their radar-wave weakness is fixed. He favors sects like the Heavenly Sea Sect, which are predictable, healing-oriented, and easy to suppress.
• The exam results affect resource allocation, taxes, and ascension/immigration quotas for minor-realm sects. Several teachers discuss how the Immortal Sect only accepts a tiny number of immigrant cultivators, and how the original mortal members—despite having poor spiritual roots—can claim privilege because their ancestors sacrificed and built the Immortal Sect through centuries of war.
• Jiang Ding returns home, eats with his mother and sister, and falls into a deep sleep for over ten hours.
• During dinner the next evening, Lin Wanqiu suggests enrolling Jiang Yuan in a martial arts class. Jiang Yuan immediately objects; Jiang Ding supports the decision, saying she needs a foundation.
• After a family walk, Jiang Ding practices sword forms, recalls the nearly depleted drone, and uses his golden Talisman Sword to gather qi and sun essence in the pond to temper the blade. He then sits to cultivate, circulating inner qi through the twelve primary meridians and into the Governing Vessel.

Character Developments

• Zhang Dingjun: Reveals himself as an extremely cautious, security-obsessed proctor. He is willing to disadvantage an entire sect based on potential future threats, not just current behavior.
• Jin Dazheng: Student-focused and proud of the students’ fearlessness; argues that moral qualities like courage matter as much as tactical results.
• Jiang Ding: Caring but firm elder brother; continues diligent cultivation and sword maintenance. He is aware of his growing power but has not yet found a worthy opponent.
• Jiang Yuan: Vocal, playful, resistant to the idea of training; calls herself “Flower Fairy” but is ultimately overruled.
• Lin Wanqiu: Practical mother; wants to give her daughter structure during the vacation.

Significant Themes

• Trust and control: The Immortal Sect values “Dao troops” that are strong but also easy to suppress; loyalty and predictability matter more than raw power.
• Privilege and heritage: The Immortal Sect’s mortal members have low spiritual aptitude but justify their superior status through the sacrifices of their ancestors.
• Immigration and resources: For minor-realm cultivators, ascending to the Immortal Sect is the only path to higher cultivation techniques—making it a powerful tool of control.
• Family responsibility vs. personal desire: Jiang Yuan resists training, but her family decides what they believe is best for her future.
• Cultivation discipline: Jiang Ding’s careful qi circulation and blade tempering reflect the ongoing importance of steady practice.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Dingjun and Jin Dazheng clash over student grading.
• Zhang Dingjun argues with other proctors about the Cloud-Separation Sect’s assessment.
• Teachers bond over shared grievances about immigrant cultivators and ancestral pride.
• The family dinner: Lin Wanqiu proposes martial arts classes, Jiang Yuan protests dramatically, and Jiang Ding firmly supports his mother's decision.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Ding catches a hungry brother and sister trying to enter his rented courtyard. After learning that the Divine Sword Society killed their parents and took their possessions, he brings them to the Heavenly Dragon Restaurant.
• He protects them from the waiter by briefly pressing his sword scabbard to the man’s chest, then orders them a generous meal and food to take home.
• While the siblings eat, Jiang Ding overhears patrons describe the turmoil in Pond Prefecture: the Divine Sword Society is taking over territory, while the “Ten-Blossom Sword Immortal,” Wan Qianyu, has launched a violent campaign after her son’s murder. Her actions have unsettled the imperial court and several major sects.
• A supporter of the Marquis of Pacifying the East urges people to join his growing forces, but others distrust the marquis, citing abuses and deaths among those who served him.
• Jiang Ding spots Scarlet-Armored Iron Cavalry entering the city and seizing key sites. He concludes that imperial forces have arrived and that the local conflict may soon be brought under control.
• After escorting the siblings home, he gives them copper coins and prepares to leave.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Ding remains guarded and observant, using drones and intelligence to understand his surroundings. Though he avoids eating local food and tries not to become involved, he shows compassion by feeding and protecting the children.
• The brother is only eight or nine, but his hunger and the violence he has witnessed have made him unusually cautious and articulate. He pleads for his sister’s safety and accepts Jiang Ding’s help.
• The sister remains mostly quiet, relying on her brother as they accept the meal and money.
• The restaurant waiter initially treats the children as nuisances, but backs down when Jiang Ding demonstrates his power.
• The restaurant patrons debate the competing forces and reveal the extent of the region’s disorder. Their exchanges show both fear of the Divine Sword Society and skepticism toward the Marquis’s recruitment efforts.

Significant themes

• War’s toll on ordinary people: The siblings’ hunger and orphanhood make the political struggle immediate and personal.
• Power and protection: Jiang Ding uses his strength to shield vulnerable people, while the city’s gangs and armies use power to control territory.
• Instability and shifting loyalties: The patrons’ conflicting accounts show how difficult it is to know whom to trust amid rebellion and factional conflict.
• Compassion tempered by distance: Jiang Ding helps the children but still plans to leave, suggesting he is willing to offer practical aid without becoming deeply entangled.