Chapter summary

Key events: Little Green Peak, once weakened by betrayals and years of decline, has regained attention because rumors claim that Zhou Jing—long believed dead—is alive and is now the powerful master of the Taihua Sect. Stories of his old talents and kindness have spread across Mount Fangcun and Yu Province, while reports that several powerful figures have indirectly confirmed the identification lend the rumor weight. The peak’s leaders and elders debate whether it is true and worry that Zhou Jing’s identity has been exposed at a dangerous moment: he may soon face a Heavenly Tribulation and enemies including the Dragon Clan and powerful Supreme Grandmasters. Elder Nian Wubei arrives from seclusion, having been alerted by a young visitor. The visitor introduces himself as Zhou Xingye and reveals that Zhou Jing is his older cousin.
Character developments: Qi Ling, now Little Green Peak’s peak master, shows sound judgment by considering the political motives behind the rumors and the danger Zhou Jing may face. Nie Qingzhu is visibly hopeful, while Lü Qingyu and Xiao Wan’er remain devoted to Zhou Jing and believe in his abilities. Shen Qingxue defends his character, suggesting she may know more about his life than she has revealed. Nian Wubei’s guilt over Zhou Jing’s presumed death resurfaces; unlike the others, he remembers Zhou as shrewd and opportunistic as well as capable. You Sanfeng confronts his lingering jealousy and regret over his past rivalry with Zhou. The arrival of Zhou Xingye adds a new, unexpected link between the peak and Zhou Jing.
Character interactions: The former disciples and elders share memories, compare reports, and reveal differing views of Zhou Jing, mixing affection, admiration, suspicion, and anxiety. Nian’s teasing skepticism about Zhou sparks objections from Lü Qingyu and Xiao Wan’er, while Shen Qingxue insists he is kind at heart. The chapter ends with the group’s surprise at Zhou Xingye’s claim of kinship.
Themes: The chapter explores how a person’s reputation is rebuilt through memory and rumor; loyalty and enduring affection across years of separation; guilt and regret over past choices; and the danger that great power and public exposure bring. It also highlights the contrast between Zhou Jing’s cherished image among his old companions and Nian Wubei’s more calculating assessment of him.

This isn’t a story chapter — it’s a brief author’s note.

Key points

• The author is packing up to return to their hometown.
• The road is heavily jammed, and they got home too late to finish writing.
• They apologize and ask readers not to wait.
• They announce a day off, with updates resuming the next day as normal.
  No plot, character development, themes, or character interactions are present — it’s purely a scheduling notice.

Key plot points and events

• In the All Living Demon Sect’s Founders’ Hall, the Devil Lord of All Living meets Purple Bamboo and Danling, both recovering from injuries inflicted by the mysterious stone stele in the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasury. They suspect it is a sacred treasure whose power comes from the Sea Eye’s outer-demon energy.
• The Devil Lord reveals that Zhou Jing survived his apparent death and has been living as Taihua Sect master Chen Xuanzi. Because Zhou may soon face his Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation—and could become powerful enough to shift the balance of the world—the Heavenly One, the Demon Sect, and other forces decide he must be killed.
• In Taihua, rumors spread that Chen Xuanzi is an impostor. Qing Lao struggles with his doubts, but Miao Gu reminds him that the sect master has served the sect faithfully and built its strength. She believes his leadership has earned the disciples’ loyalty and that he has anticipated internal unrest. Qing Lao resolves to speak with him rather than condemn him.
• The Moon Venerable arrives and offers to shoulder more of the sect’s burdens. Miao Gu reflects that leading through the dangerous politics of the Three Daos requires more than personal loyalties.
• Two months later, the Three Daos agree to attack Zhou Jing in a year. Their forces gather in the East Sea, joined by the Four Seas Dragon Kings and the Sea Clan. The unprecedented coalition causes panic across the region.
• Ao Xing, the East Sea’s Sixth Prince, watches the assembled forces and taunts Zhou Jing, convinced he will finally be killed.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Jing remains offstage, but his survival, growing influence, and impending tribulation make him a target of unprecedented fear. Even former opponents acknowledge his talent and adaptability.
• Purple Bamboo and Danling remember Zhou with respect and complicated gratitude, yet agree that his potential makes him too dangerous to leave alive. Danling in particular regrets that circumstances now force him to oppose Zhou.
• Qing Lao moves from anger at the rumors to suspicion, then accepts that Zhou’s identity does not invalidate his service as Taihua’s leader. Miao Gu’s calm reasoning helps him regain perspective.
• Miao Gu demonstrates political insight and steadfast support for the sect, while the Moon Venerable’s visit signals that powerful allies are prepared to protect Taihua.
• Ao Xing turns his past escapes from Chen Xuanzi into confidence that the overwhelming alliance will finish Zhou this time.

Significant themes

• Identity versus merit: Whether the sect master is Chen Xuanzi or Zhou Jing matters less to Miao Gu than his record of service and the legitimacy of his succession.
• Power and fear: Zhou’s potential to survive his tribulation unsettles the established order so deeply that rival factions set aside their divisions.
• Loyalty and political judgment: Taihua’s stability rests on earned trust, careful preparation, and allies who can distinguish rumor from genuine threat.
• A lone figure against the world: The chapter builds toward a vast, unprecedented campaign against one man, framing Zhou as a force capable of challenging the entire balance of power.

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Jing retrieves the Eastern Pole Divine Stele from Bao Zhen, returns Bao Zhen’s original body (the Treasure-Gathering Basin), and gains Bao Zhen as an ally—a Supreme Grandmaster with deep experience.
• Bao Zhen asks Zhou Jing to refine a physical body for him, fearing the Heavenly Limit for spirit artifacts. He promises to protect the Taihua Sect if Zhou Jing fails, but Zhou Jing insists he will either succeed or die.
• Zhou Jing enters seclusion, cultivates the Great Peace Hongbao Dao-Integration Art, and continues comprehending the Primordial Scripture, which is one step from completion.
• One year later, the allied forces of the Three Daos, Sea Clan, Righteous Nine Sects, Demon Sect, and Outer Dao surround the Taihua Sect. The waters are sealed; disciples cannot flee. The sect’s island-protecting formations are activated.
• Moon Venerable takes charge, calms the panicking disciples, and secretly sends disguised “escaped disciples” to spread despairing news, forcing wavering members to fight to the death.
• The allied treasure ships halt outside the grand formation, awaiting orders. The Demon Sect begins attacking with seven treasure ships, and three familiar figures—Ant True Person, Lady Qingshan, and Treasure-Filled True Person—appear within the Taihua Sect’s formation.
• The chosen talents who once entered the Heavenly Emperor’s Treasury gather and discuss Zhou Jing, acknowledging that his talent is so great they cannot allow him to survive the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation.

2. Character Developments

• Zhou Jing: Shows absolute resolve, refusing any fallback plan—he views the Great Dao as a path of contention, not yielding. His identity as “Chen Xuanzi” has been publicly exposed, but he remains focused on breaking through.
• Bao Zhen: Makes good on his old promise to aid Zhou Jing, reveals his concern about spirit artifact ascension, and humbly requests Zhou Jing’s help in refining a body, showing both loyalty and self-interest.
• Moon Venerable: Emerges as a calm, strategic leader during the crisis. His plan to seed despair among fleeing disciples demonstrates ruthless pragmatism to unify the sect.
• Qing Lao: Remains loyal to Zhou Jing, insisting that anyone approved by the Pure Yang Patriarch is the rightful sect master, but he is deeply worried about the overwhelming enemy forces.
• Jade Terrace Fairy: Struggles with complicated emotions, remembering past life-and-death bonds with Zhou Jing and wondering if her master had foreseen his identity.
• Shi Jinghong: Distracted and troubled, still haunted by the revelation that “Chen Xuanzi” was Zhou Jing, and increasingly worried about his fate.
• Tian Jingxu, Xu Wuji, Cao An, and other chosen talents: Feel overshadowed by Zhou Jing’s brilliance, but now see him as a threat that must be destroyed rather than a rival to surpass.

3. Significant Themes

• The Great Dao is Contention: Zhou Jing explicitly reflects that the path to transcendence requires fighting, not yielding—setting the stage for the tribulation as both a personal and external battle.
• The Cost of Genius: Zhou Jing’s extraordinary talent isolates him; even former peers and acquaintances become enemies because his success threatens the established order.
• Absolute Siege vs. Desperate Resistance: Moon Venerable notes that surrounding an enemy too completely only strengthens their will to fight—foreshadowing a possible weakness in the Three Daos’ strategy.
• Identity and Falsehood: Zhou Jing’s dual identity as Chen Xuanzi complicates loyalties, yet the Taihua Sect’s core leadership chooses to accept him based on the Pure Yang Patriarch’s validation.
• Preparedness and Legacy: The Pure Yang Patriarch had long foreseen future calamities, leaving behind vast layers of formations across the Taihua Sect, allowing a hopeless-looking defense to hold for now.

4. Character Interactions

• Bao Zhen and Zhou Jing: A warm, mutually respectful exchange; Bao Zhen fulfills his promise and entrusts Zhou Jing with a personal request, binding them as allies.
• Moon Venerable and Qing Lao: A tense strategic conversation—Qing Lao worried, Moon Venerable confident; their exchange reveals the sect’s internal trust and Moon Venerable’s hidden confidence.
• The Chosen Talents: Xu Wuji, Tian Jingxu, Cao An, Yao Xia, and others discuss Zhou Jing with mixed emotions—acknowledging his monstrous talent while concluding he must die.
• Xingyao and the Outer Dao leaders: Xingyao orders them to wait for a summons and show no mercy; Shi Jinghong’s silence reveals her inner conflict, while Beast Emperor and Divine Crow True Person accept the order.
• Shi Jinghong and her observations: She notices the Demon Sect’s sudden attack and spots the three cultivators defending the Taihua Sect, hinting at growing complications within the siege.

Key events

• The Three Demon Sect branches launch an assault on the Taihua Sect, but its island-spanning protective array withstands their opening attacks. Ant True Person, Green Bamboo Empress, and Treasure-Filled True Person emerge to face the Demon Sect’s leading fighters.
• The three battles are evenly matched in different ways: Ant True Person clashes with the Ultimate Dao Elder; Treasure-Filled True Person’s fire arts hold back Blood Sea High Person’s blood sea; and Green Bamboo Empress traps Supreme Demon in her illusory Green Bamboo Mountain of This Place.
• Bliss True Person tries to use the Bliss Mirror to probe Taihua’s formation, but a mysterious woman appears in the mirror and subdues her. The woman is revealed as Moon Venerable, long believed to have died in the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
• The Devil Lord of All Living intervenes from afar, permitting Moon Venerable to live. Moon Venerable now calls herself Zi Chan and releases Bliss True Person, who withdraws rather than challenge her. The Demon Sect forces pull back, and Taihua celebrates having survived the first assault.
• The reprieve lasts three days. The attackers return, and Moon Venerable faces True Person Brightheart of the Righteous Dao. They exchange respectful but pointed remarks before fighting, with neither gaining a clear advantage.
• Three Righteous Dao leaders—Dragon Spring Sword Master, Master Dong of Purple Sun Academy, and True Person Tongxuan—advance together. As Taihua’s defenders face this new threat, a powerful presence rises from within the sect: former Little Green Peak master Jiang Yingshuang, accompanied by two unidentified figures.

Character developments and interactions

• Moon Venerable is revealed to have survived her supposed fall in the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation and to have been concealed at Taihua. Her effortless control of Bliss True Person establishes her formidable strength. She adopts the name Zi Chan, while remaining loyal to Taihua’s cause.
• The three Great Demon Kings risk joining Taihua’s defense, proving unexpectedly willing to fight the overwhelming coalition. Their clashes demonstrate their individual strengths and help keep the enemy at bay.
• Shi Jinghong remains wary despite Taihua’s first success, recognizing that the coalition’s most powerful figures have not yet fully committed.
• Xingyao and the Beast Emperor notice Taihua’s hidden strengths, including Moon Venerable, and wonder whether Sect Master Zhou has further plans.
• Brightheart and Moon Venerable speak as respected peers but subtly test each other’s status and resolve before their duel. Brightheart also names Taihua’s current sect master among the figures she admires.

Significant themes

• Hidden power and mistaken assumptions: Taihua’s apparent vulnerability conceals a powerful array, three demon allies, and Moon Venerable.
• Resistance against overwhelming force: The sect’s defenders hold their ground despite being surrounded by vastly larger allied armies.
• Reputation, identity, and survival: Moon Venerable’s return overturns the belief that she died, while her new name signals a changed public identity.
• Respect intertwined with rivalry: The exchange between Moon Venerable and Brightheart is courteous, yet both make clear that strength—not seniority or admiration—will decide their contest.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• The Mortal Dust Immortal Sect sends three formidable, notorious cultivators to aid Taihua Sect: Jiang Yingshuang, the sword cultivator who left Mount Fangcun; Lu Zuoyuan, a former Three Truths disciple turned brutal renegade; and Ming Hai, a murderous monk who defected from Golden Light Temple. They each engage a righteous leader, helping Taihua Sect’s side hold the line.
• The battle becomes a stalemate among Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect experts. Meanwhile, messages from the Star Venerable prompt Xingyao and the Beast Emperor to join the Sea Clan’s attack.
• Six Sea Clan cultivators join them, and their combined assault breaks Taihua Sect’s mountain-guarding formation. With Taihua’s weaker disciples exposed, the situation appears dire.
• Taihua Sect reveals a second defense: the Nine Yang Heaven-Pacifying Grand Formation. Miao Gu, Mo Xilin, and Pei Sheng help evacuate the disciples to Zhenhai Island, while the formation traps the eight invading Dao Embryo cultivators.
• The Devil Lord of All Living, a Supreme Grandmaster, arrives and cuts through the formation with a single strike, allowing the invaders to escape. His overwhelming presence halts the battle.
• Taihua Sect answers with its own unexpected figure: a middle-aged fisherman, revealed by the Devil Lord to be the head of the Hong’a Immortal Sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yingshuang, Lu Zuoyuan, and Ming Hai fight alongside Taihua’s defenders despite their troubled histories and uneasy reputations. Their arrival confirms that the Mortal Dust Immortal Sect is willing to intervene, at least to this extent.
• Ming Hai taunts the Golden Light Temple abbot and dismisses religious authority, while True Person Tongxuan counters that spiritual attainment is more than strength. They then clash directly.
• The Dragon Spring Swordmaster meets Jiang Yingshuang with mutual recognition as sword cultivators; their contrasting sword paths promise a contest based on skill and conviction.
• Yue Yunqing is deeply torn between her responsibilities as Supreme Dharma Sect master and her personal concern for Zhou Jing, whom she recognizes as Chen Xuanzi. She fears losing him again but cannot openly abandon her sect’s obligations.
• Shi Jinghong draws reassurance from the venerable’s composure, trusting that she anticipated the enemy’s move.
• The Devil Lord’s appearance changes the scale of the conflict. The Taihua defenders and their opponents alike are forced to pause, and the Hong’a sect head’s emergence signals that Taihua may still have another answer.

Significant themes

• Hidden reserves and shifting power: Taihua repeatedly survives through unexpected allies, formations, and leaders, but each revelation is met by a still greater threat.
• Righteousness versus moral character: The chapter complicates sect labels through figures like Lu Zuoyuan and Ming Hai, whose immense power coexists with cruelty and defiance.
• Duty versus personal feeling: Yue Yunqing’s private longing for Zhou Jing conflicts with her public role and responsibility to her sect.
• Escalation and the limits of strength: The arrival of a Supreme Grandmaster shows that even powerful formations and Dao Embryo cultivators are vulnerable to a higher realm of power.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Chu, the Mortal Dust Immortal Sect’s Sect Master and a Supreme Grandmaster, confronts the Devil Lord of All Living to stop Zhou Jing’s tribulation. Neither wants to risk devastating the surrounding lands, so they rise above the clouds and hold each other in check.
• The Heavenly One, leader of the Fate Star Sect and the Outer Dao, arrives. Patriarch Dixiang emerges from Taihua Sect to face him, but Nong Mu—newly revealed as another Supreme Grandmaster and the Outer Dao’s former master Bai Ze—claims that Mount Fangcun’s grievance with Dixiang is its own. Dixiang and Nong Mu leave to settle it, leaving the Heavenly One free to attack Taihua.
• The Moon Venerable and four allies combine Taihua’s Nine Yang Heaven-Pacifying Grand Formation with five water-aspected Dragon Palace treasures. Their formation creates a Kunpeng powerful enough to halt the Heavenly One’s star formation, astonishing the assembled cultivators.
• Two Dragon Kings, Ao Ye and Ao Han, attack Taihua with a vast tsunami and a wall of Dragon Breath True Flame. Two more Dragon Kings remain hidden overhead, threatening to overwhelm the sect.
• Taihua’s submerged defenses reveal nine true suns, and the long-lost Pure Yang Patriarch rises from beneath the sea—apparently alive and ready to confront the Dragon Kings.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Chu is revealed as a Supreme Grandmaster who founded neither the Mortal Dust Immortal Sect nor his actions on a desire to ascend: he acts simply because he wants to.
• Dixiang is confirmed as the long-hidden Mount Fangcun patriarch. His past friendship with Bai Ze adds complexity to their present confrontation.
• Nong Mu is revealed as Bai Ze, the former Outer Dao master and the Heavenly One’s grand-master. He insists that Dixiang’s dispute belongs to Mount Fangcun, not the Heavenly One.
• The Moon Venerable and her allies demonstrate how cooperation and complementary powers can briefly bridge the gap between Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect cultivators and Supreme Grandmasters.
• Ao Ye and Ao Han take the offensive against Taihua, while Ao Qing and Ao Guang appear to support them from above.
• The Pure Yang Patriarch’s unexpected return shocks both Taihua’s disciples and the Dragon Kings. The Divine Crow recalls that he once subdued the Four Seas, suggesting he may be capable of changing the battle’s balance.

Significant themes

• Power and its cost: Supreme Grandmasters avoid fighting directly near Taihua because their battles could destroy the surrounding region and leave lasting karmic consequences.
• Cooperation across limits: The formation’s balance of water and fire allows five cultivators to achieve what individual strength could not.
• Hidden histories and identities: Dixiang’s past, Nong Mu’s identity as Bai Ze, and the Pure Yang Patriarch’s survival overturn what many characters believed.
• Escalation and uncertainty: Each apparent answer to Taihua’s danger is followed by a more formidable threat, leaving the outcome—and Zhou Jing’s tribulation—unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• Pure Yang Patriarch, a legendary Taihua founder believed dead for a thousand years, rises from the seabed during Zhou Jing’s tribulation. His return shocks the Dragon Clan, the Three Daos, and Taihua’s disciples.
• Ao Qing tries to turn him against Zhou Jing by presenting Feng Qingyun, Chen Xuanzi’s former disciple. Feng testifies that Zhou Jing killed Chen Xuanzi fifty-two years earlier and took his identity and position as Taihua Sect Master.
• The Patriarch rejects the accusation’s intended conclusion: he reveals that he founded Taihua specifically to preserve a chance for a future descendant to attain the Dao, and says Zhou Jing is that destined figure. To him, Zhou Jing’s origins in the Righteous Dao do not matter.
• Feng Qingyun, angry and unable to accept the Patriarch’s explanation, is killed by him. The Patriarch says Feng might have been saved had he shown courage and asked for help, but condemns him for cooperating with the “long worms”—the Dragons.
• The four Dragon Venerables attack. The Patriarch activates Taihua’s dormant Nine Yang Heaven-Pacifying Grand Formation, unleashing nine blazing suns and immense pure-yang power. He prepares to face Ao Guang and the others with a divine battle-axe.
• The Dragon Kings divide their forces: Ao Qing, Ao Guang, and another Dragon King target the Patriarch, while Ao Ye is assigned to break the formation. Ao Ye instead volunteers to confront the Patriarch, underestimating the danger.

Character developments

• Pure Yang Patriarch is revealed as a long-planning founder whose ambition was to create a path to ascension for a future generation. His loyalty is to that goal, not to a particular Dao faction or conventional ideas of sect ownership.
• Feng Qingyun confirms the accusation against Zhou Jing but becomes consumed by resentment when he learns Taihua was founded with Zhou Jing’s future in mind. His testimony ends in his death.
• Ao Qing shifts from trying to persuade the Patriarch to attacking him once his allegiance is clear. She also recognizes that Zhou Jing may fulfill the Sea Clan’s prophecy of a future figure who brings the Sea Clan’s decline.
• Ao Ye displays confidence and pride, dismissing the caution shown by the elder Dragon Kings.

Significant themes

• Destiny versus legitimacy: Zhou Jing’s apparent seizure of Taihua is reframed as the fulfillment of the Patriarch’s long-laid plan.
• Factional identity and shared ambition: The Patriarch argues that Righteous and Outer Dao distinctions matter less than the common pursuit of ascension.
• Loyalty, courage, and betrayal: Feng’s fate turns on his submission to the Dragons, while the Patriarch presents courage as the alternative that might have saved him.
• Hidden preparation and inherited purpose: Taihua’s formation and the Patriarch’s plans reveal how the past can shape conflicts centuries later.

Character interactions

• Ao Qing challenges the Patriarch with Feng Qingyun’s testimony, hoping he will disavow Zhou Jing; the Patriarch instead explains his purpose and refuses to condemn Zhou.
• Feng appeals to the Patriarch as Taihua’s founder, then reacts with disbelief and anger when told the sect was created for Zhou Jing’s eventual rise.
• The Patriarch confronts Ao Guang with a taunting reference to their ancient rivalry, then faces the four Dragon Kings as the battle resumes.
• The surrounding observers—including Shi Jinghong and Xingyao—watch anxiously as the Patriarch’s formation activates and the Dragon Clan prepares its assault.

Key plot points and events

• The Pure Yang Patriarch continues fighting the Four Seas Dragon Kings inside the Nine Yang Heaven-Pacifying Grand Formation. His overwhelming power appears to come partly from the formation, which lets him draw on spiritual veins and astral energy to sustain his pure-yang attacks.
• Taihua disciples realize he has reached the legendary eighteenth level of the Pure Yang Art, the Qi-Commanding Extremity Realm. His display inspires them and transforms their understanding of the art.
• The Dragon Kings recognize that the resurrected Patriarch is weaker than he was in life, but believe the formation cannot last. The battle remains brutal, especially for Ao Ye, who is badly scorched.
• A pillar of light rises from the Taihua Sect, announcing Zhou Jing’s Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation. Three-colored thunderclouds seal Zhenhai Island, and a white-robed figure appears within them.
• As the danger grows, Purple Bamboo enters the formation and attacks the nine suns, aiming to break the formation before Zhou Jing’s tribulation can proceed.
• Bao Zhen, the golden-robed youth who is actually Many-Treasure Mountain, intervenes to stop Purple Bamboo. The two prepare to fight while Zhou Jing remains beneath the thunderclouds.

Character developments and interactions

• The Pure Yang Patriarch demonstrates extraordinary mastery, though the Dragon Kings suspect his revived state and the formation impose limits.
• Taihua’s disciples and elders are awed by the Patriarch’s achievement; his combat display renews their sense of what the Pure Yang Art can become.
• The Dragon Kings shift from being overwhelmed to calculating that endurance may let them outlast the formation.
• Purple Bamboo reveals a distrust of relying on others, shaped by the Heavenly Emperor’s past deception. He nevertheless acts to stop the formation, convinced Zhou Jing will not survive the tribulation.
• Bao Zhen recognizes Purple Bamboo as an Elixir of Immortality who attained the Dao, compares his origins to the Azure Emperor, and invites him to join the Many-Treasure Basin. When Purple Bamboo refuses, Bao Zhen chooses to oppose him.
• Their exchange also reveals Bao Zhen’s knowledge of the Dao-Enlightened Green Lotus, another Elixir of Immortality who attained human form but met a tragic end.

Significant themes

• Legacy and inspiration: The Patriarch’s mastery gives Taihua’s disciples a new vision of their tradition.
• Endurance versus limits: The Patriarch’s power is immense, but the formation and his revived state may not hold indefinitely.
• Self-reliance and trust: Purple Bamboo’s past betrayal has convinced him that the Dao must be pursued alone, in contrast with Bao Zhen’s offer of shared advancement.
• Heavenly opposition and balance: The Supreme Demon suggests that Heaven itself will restrain a prodigy like Zhou Jing, framing the tribulation as a cosmic check on extraordinary talent.

Summary: "Happy New Year!"

Nature of the Chapter

This is not a narrative chapter but a meta/author's note—a New Year's greeting and leave announcement from the author to the readers.

Key Points and Events

• The author extends New Year wishes to the "gentlemen and darlings" (readers)
• Wishes include longevity, parental health, wealth in the new year, and national prosperity
• Announcement: The author is taking a day off to watch the Spring Festival Gala and celebrate the New Year with family
• Plot impact: The protagonist Zhou Jing's tribulation (calamity/breakthrough) is delayed by one day
• Confirmation that this is the last leave of the month; updates resume tomorrow
• Readers are advised not to wait for an update tonight

Character Developments

• None — no in-story character progression occurs in this chapter

Significant Themes

• Author-reader relationship: The informal, affectionate tone ("darlings") reflects a close community bond
• Cultural tradition: Emphasis on family gathering during the Spring Festival
• Work-life balance: Even serialized web novelists take breaks for holidays

Character Interactions

• The only "interaction" is the author directly addressing the readers, promising a return to the story while prioritizing family time

Note

This chapter serves purely as a bridge—a brief holiday pause before resuming the narrative with Zhou Jing's anticipated tribulation.

Plot points and events

• Bao Zhen continues to hold off Purple Bamboo and Danling, using the seven-colored peak to absorb and counter lightning and suppress both the thunder talisman and Danling’s ghosts.
• Zhou Jing begins the final stage of his third nine heavenly tribulation. He withstands the three-colored lightning, but an enormous black dragon—Ao Ming—bursts through the clouds and appears to pierce him. The thundercloud disperses, leaving his fate uncertain.
• With Bao Zhen occupied and the Nine Yang Heaven-Pacifying Grand Formation broken, the Taihua Sect’s defenses collapse. The four Dragon Venerables gain the advantage over Pure Yang, while the Heavenly One’s Great Fate Art breaks Moon Venerable’s Kunpeng formation and leaves her companions gravely injured or incapacitated.
• The battlefield falls silent as everyone watches the place Zhou Jing vanished. The dragons then shatter Pure Yang’s body and move to consume his exposed soul.
• Moon Venerable, close to death, assumes her gamble has failed—but a voice returns: “Thank you for your efforts, everyone. Leave this place to me.” Saber light, Sword Qi, and a fingertip appear, signaling an unexpected intervention.

Character developments and interactions

• Bao Zhen proves capable of confronting two ancient Supreme Grandmasters at once, though this leaves him unable to help the other defenders.
• Danling acknowledges his past bond with Zhou Jing but declares that Zhou must not be allowed to complete his tribulation, then unleashes his soul-banner against him.
• The Heavenly One turns the tide against Moon Venerable’s group by identifying and exploiting the Kunpeng formation’s weakness with his Great Fate Art.
• Moon Venerable and her allies suffer devastating injuries; even as she faces defeat, she finds resolve in the thought that Zi Chan has no regrets.
• Pure Yang is overwhelmed after the formation falls. Ao Guang, who once failed to kill him, seizes what he sees as a chance to settle the old score.
• Taihua’s disciples, including Qing Lao, Ying Yuan, and Hong Tianyan, watch in grief and disbelief as Zhou disappears. The final voice reverses their apparent despair, though its speaker remains unidentified.

Significant themes

• Sacrifice and endurance: Taihua’s defenders commit everything they have to buy Zhou time.
• Fate versus agency: The Heavenly One’s art seems to sentence his opponents to death, while Zhou’s uncertain fate—and the final intervention—suggest that outcomes may still be overturned.
• Loyalty and solidarity: The defenders’ struggle is framed as a collective effort, explicitly acknowledged by the closing voice.
• Hope amid apparent defeat: The chapter repeatedly brings the Taihua Sect to the brink of ruin, ending on a sudden sign that the fight is not over.

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Zhou Jing, hiding as “Chen Xuanzi,” finally reveals himself while undergoing the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
• A mysterious blade-light from the void shatters the Great Fate Art that had trapped Moon Venerable, Ant True Person, Treasure-Filled True Person, and others, saving their lives.
• The blade-light injures the Supreme Grandmaster Heavenly One, who is forced to use an ancient tortoiseshell scripture to neutralize it.
• A second sword-light evolves from ambient qi into a world-splitting pillar of light, suppressing the Four Dragon Kings and forcing them into the sea.
• The Dragon Clan’s ancient ancestor, Ao Ming, reveals that Zhou Jing did not actually finish his tribulation — he interrupted it to save his sect.
• Zhou Jing’s cultivation visibly drops back from Supreme Grandmaster to Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect.
• Instead of despairing, Zhou Jing calmly declares he can undergo the tribulation again — and the Three-Colored Thundercloud immediately reappears, stronger than before.
• He withstands the lightning, and his aura begins climbing back to Supreme Grandmaster and beyond.
• The Four Seas Dragon Kings and Ao Ming launch a devastating combined attack: the Azure Profound Dragon Pearl and Ao Ming’s six-fingered dragon claw, both aimed at Zhou Jing.
• Bao Zhen tries to intercept but is blocked by Danling and Purple Bamboo, leaving Zhou Jing to face the assault alone.
• The chapter ends with Zhou Jing rising and manifesting the Primordial Dharma Mountain, a shocking supreme technique.

2. Character Developments

• Zhou Jing / Chen Xuanzi: Fully drops his disguise. Shows selflessness by halting his tribulation to save his allies, then reveals his audacity by restarting it mid-battle. His power and confidence shock friend and foe alike.
• Moon Venerable: Moved from hopelessness to renewed faith; her belief that Zhou Jing would succeed is vindicated.
• Heavenly One: A Supreme Grandmaster who suffers a rare wound from a tribulation-realm cultivator; his Great Fate Art is broken.
• Ao Ming: Ancient Dragon Clan ancestor, initially calm and condescending, now openly admits Zhou Jing is formidable and orders a full-power combined assault.
• Purple Bamboo & Danling: Recognize Zhou Jing and take sides — Purple Bamboo relaxes upon seeing him; Danling grows worried, while both block Bao Zhen from helping Zhou Jing.
• Nong Mu: The Bai Ze strategist is shaken because his “Fate Star” prophecy claimed Zhou Jing would fail the tribulation — reality is contradicting it.

3. Significant Themes

• Sacrifice vs. Strategy: Zhou Jing risks his tribulation to save others, but turns apparent failure into a second chance — blending altruism with cunning.
• Identity and Revelation: The long-hidden truth that Chen Xuanzi is Zhou Jing bursts into the open, shifting every faction’s perception.
• Overwhelming the Innumerable: A single cultivator stands against multiple Supreme Grandmasters, questioning the usual logic of realm and numbers.
• Prophecy vs. Human Will: Fate Star decrees and ancient Dragon Clan prophecies are challenged by Zhou Jing’s unexpected actions.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhou Jing’s blade-light directly clashes with Heavenly One and the Dragon Kings, instantly establishing him as a threat.
• Moon Venerable and the wounded sect masters retreat to Pure Yang Patriarch’s side, unable to fight but watching Zhou Jing’s rise.
• Shi Jinghong recognizes the face of the white-robed youth and whispers “Chen Xuanzi—Zhou Jing!”
• Xingyao and Beast Emperor refuse to believe someone who hasn’t passed the tribulation can possess such power.
• Purple Bamboo, Danling, and Bao Zhen become locked in a three-way Supreme Grandmaster standoff.
• Ao Ming commands the Four Seas Dragon Kings to unite in a single killing strike, acknowledging they cannot hold back against Zhou Jing.

Key plot points and events

• During Zhou Jing’s third ninefold heavenly tribulation, the Four Seas Dragon Kings and their ancestor Ao Ming attack him alongside the Heavenly One, master of the Fate Star Sect.
• Zhou Jing reveals a colossal Primordial Dharma Body, which absorbs the dragons’ combined assault. Its power and scale astonish the assembled masters.
• The Heavenly One identifies an apparent weakness in the Dharma Body’s unfinished upper portion and uses the Fate Star Sect’s Astral Formation and Life-Severing art to trap Zhou Jing’s fate and unsettle his spirit. But Zhou’s Dao-Integration Art breaks the effect, and the incomplete crown of the Dharma Body solidifies—showing the weakness was bait.
• Rather than counter the dragons, Zhou suddenly appears above the Heavenly One and attacks with four amplified sword and saber techniques. When the Heavenly One tries to escape as starlight, Zhou’s own star formation blocks his route and forces him back into human form.
• The Devil Lord of All Living, Imperial Homeland, Nong Mu, and Jiang Chu turn their attention to the Heavenly One, revealing a broader conflict. The Heavenly One suspects Nong Mu possesses the missing final page of the Ziwei Heavenly Book.
• Zhou decides to deal with the dragons first. The Pure Yang Patriarch helps activate the Nine Yang Heaven-Pacifying Grand Formation, and Zhou channels its power through the Nine-Yang Divine Void Axe. Still enduring the lightning, he raises the axe against Ao Ming and the Four Seas Dragon Kings.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Jing demonstrates that his Primordial Dharma Body is complete and immensely powerful, and that he can fight strategically while withstanding a major tribulation. He shifts from surviving attacks to taking the initiative, targeting the Heavenly One and then the dragons.
• Ao Ming and the Dragon Kings are shaken by Zhou’s strength but remain committed to killing him, exploiting the apparent weakness until it proves to be a trap.
• The Heavenly One moves from directing the assault to becoming Zhou’s target. His escape is thwarted, and the other major powers begin to encircle him.
• Purple Bamboo and Danling acknowledge the ruthless logic of their rivalry: both came to stop Zhou despite recognizing his fortune and potential.
• Bao Zhen realizes Zhou has mastered the Primordial Scripture’s Dharma Body far faster than expected. His initial shock gives way to relief that Zhou may survive the tribulation.
• The Pure Yang Patriarch offers his remaining strength and the Nine-Yang formation to support Zhou.
• Ao Xing, watching from beneath the sea, remains consumed by resentment and hopes the combined forces will finally kill Zhou.

Significant themes

• Power born from perseverance and preparation: Zhou entered the tribulation only after perfecting his Primordial Body.
• Strategy and deception: Zhou’s apparent vulnerability is deliberately staged, while the Heavenly One’s fate-binding tactic is overcome.
• Rivalry and shifting alliances: The conflict between Zhou, the dragons, and the Heavenly One intersects with old grudges among the other Supreme Grandmasters.
• Defiance of limits: Zhou endures a heavenly tribulation while challenging multiple supreme opponents, turning an impossible predicament into an opportunity to strike.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Zhou Jing, now a Supreme Grandmaster but still undergoing his thunder tribulation, unleashes the full power of his Primordial Dharma Body. His Cicada Song blade illusion leaves the Four Seas Dragon Kings dazed, and his Nine-Yang Divine Void Axe strike slams them into the seabed.
• Ao Han and Ao Ye are gravely wounded; Ao Guang and Ao Qing survive behind the Azure Profound Dragon Pearl. Ao Ming breaks free of the danger and attacks Zhou Jing with his spear, but cannot pierce or shake the Dharma Body.
• Zhou Jing follows with the Taiyi Primordial-Yang Cave Finger, driving the dragons deeper into the seabed and worsening the wounded kings’ injuries.
• Purple Bamboo and Danling unexpectedly turn against the Dragon Clan, attacking Ao Guang and Ao Qing while Zhou Jing targets the wounded dragons. Bao Zhen blocks Ao Ming, dividing the battle into two fronts: Zhou Jing, Purple Bamboo, and Danling against the dragons, and four Supreme Grandmasters against the Heavenly One.
• Faced with defeat and the likely loss of Ao Han and Ao Ye, Ao Guang chooses to preserve the Dragon Clan’s future. He and Ao Qing escape using the Azure Profound Dragon Pearl, while Ao Qing vows to remember Zhou Jing.
• Zhou Jing refrains from pursuing them, recognizing both the Pearl’s ability to escape and the political danger of destroying the Dragon Clan. He captures the helpless Ao Han and Ao Ye in the Cicada Song illusion and takes them to Zhenhai Island.
• Ao Ming withdraws, promising to kill Zhou Jing during the next tribulation and ascension.
• The focus then shifts to the Heavenly One, or Star Venerable, surrounded by Imperial Homeland, Nong Mu, Jiang Chu, and the Devil Lord of All Living. Despite their numerical advantage, he has established an Astral Formation and resists. The Devil Lord points out that the Star Venerable is injured and warns that his death could endanger the Fate Star Sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Jing demonstrates overwhelming strength, controlling the battlefield while also showing political restraint. He captures two Dragon Kings rather than killing them, and accepts that Ao Guang and Ao Qing escape because eliminating the Dragon Clan would destabilize the region.
• Ao Guang struggles between grief for his brothers and responsibility for the Dragon Clan. He ultimately retreats with Ao Qing, placing the clan’s survival above rescuing Ao Han.
• Ao Qing urges her brother to act decisively and leave the wounded kings behind. Before escaping, she fixes Zhou Jing with a resentful, memorable look.
• Purple Bamboo and Danling reveal that their alliances are governed by opportunity and advantage. They coordinate with Zhou Jing against the dragons, though Bao Zhen prevents them from claiming the wounded kings.
• Ao Ming proves unable to overcome Zhou Jing’s Dharma Body and withdraws rather than risk being trapped, turning his defeat into a promise of future vengeance.
• The Heavenly One remains composed under pressure, relying on preparation and an Astral Formation rather than yielding to four opponents. The Devil Lord attempts to exploit his injuries and concern for his sect.

Significant themes

• Power and shifting alliances: The battlefield’s sides change as interests shift; old enemies cooperate when it benefits them.
• Survival versus loyalty: Ao Guang abandons his wounded brothers to protect the Dragon Clan’s continued existence.
• Restraint and political consequence: Zhou Jing’s decision not to exterminate the dragons reflects the dangers of creating a power vacuum and losing control of the seas.
• The cost of ambition: Zhou Jing’s illusion weapon turns the Dao-seeker’s fear of falling short into a weapon, while the Heavenly One’s desperation reflects the stakes of the approaching ascension.

Key events

• Zhou Jing survives the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation despite the combined assault of the Three Daos and the Dragon Clan, becoming the Outer Dao’s second Supreme Grandmaster.
• Taihua Sect’s disciples hail him as Sect Master Zhou. The assembled leaders and young prodigies recognize that his achievement places him far beyond his peers.
• The Heavenly One negotiates with Imperial Homeland and the Devil Lord of All Living, then reveals his history with Nong Mu, whose true identity is Bai Ze.
• Bai Ze had once prepared the Heavenly One as a vessel for reincarnation. Instead, the Heavenly One defeated him from within their shared body, making Bai Ze his Human Tribulation and surviving the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
• The Heavenly One gives Zhou Jing the Ziwei Heavenly Book and Great Fate Art, declares that the Fate Star Sect will follow Taihua Sect, and then dissolves into starlight. Xingyao and the Fate Star disciples bid him farewell.
• The surviving Supreme Grandmasters depart after Zhou warns that their next meeting will be a fight to the death. The remaining Three Daos sects bow to him.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Jing emerges as a figure whose power commands not only awe but also submission; even his former peers struggle to comprehend the gap between them.
• The young prodigies—including Xu Wuji, Tian Jingxu, and Yao Xia—confront their own limits. Yao Xia especially questions whether years of cultivation can matter beside Zhou’s extraordinary talent.
• The Heavenly One faces the shadow of his former master, Bai Ze, and admits that seeing Zhou’s triumph helped him understand that even Bai Ze could be surpassed. He chooses Fate Star Sect’s future over his own survival.
• Xingyao feels both sorrow and admiration for the Heavenly One, whose final act releases his sect from Bai Ze’s influence.
• Imperial Homeland, the Devil Lord, and Nong Mu/Bai Ze make uneasy arrangements with the Heavenly One, but the old master-disciple conflict remains stark: Bai Ze seeks control, while the Heavenly One insists people should choose their own lives.
• Moon Venerable and the Taihua Sect welcome Zhou’s rise, while other leaders recognize that power in the Outer Dao is shifting decisively toward Taihua.

Significant themes

• Overwhelming talent and its cost: Zhou’s achievement inspires admiration but leaves other gifted cultivators questioning their own paths.
• Freedom versus manipulation: The Heavenly One rejects Bai Ze’s habit of treating people as pieces and argues that everyone deserves a life of their own.
• Legacy and succession: The Heavenly One’s death marks the end of Fate Star Sect’s dominance and the beginning of Taihua Sect’s leadership.
• Acceptance and release: His final poem frames his departure as the peaceful conclusion of a long journey through hardship, power, and worldly affairs.

Summary: Chapter "Four Years Hence, the Outer Dao Dao Venerable"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Four years after the tribulation: Zhou Jing broke through to Supreme Grandmaster. The Ancient Heavenly Emperor's aura (hidden within Zhou Jing) departs for good, never confronting the assembled Three Daos.
• Taihua Sect's meteoric rise: Territory doubled; Zhenhai Island raised 100 zhang into the air with the Founders' Hall atop it; the Myriad Beasts Sect voluntarily ceded six great islands (with hundreds of millions of mortals). The sect becomes the foremost power of the Outer Dao.
• Grand banquet hosted: One year later, Taihua Sect sends invitations across the Three Daos. In unprecedented moves—the East Sea Dragon Palace sends tribute (a first in a thousand years), the Demon Sect's Blood Sea High Person delivers Devil Lord of All Living's letter, the Righteous Dao sends Western Kunlun's True Person Brightheart and the Dragon Spring Swordmaster, the Heavenly Dao Pavilion breaks precedent, and Mount Zhongnan dispatches a representative.
• The Dao Venerable election: After guests gather for a half month, Zhou Jing emerges from seclusion. Xingyao proposes electing him as Dao Venerable of the Outer Dao—a title unused for a thousand years since Star Venerable's fall. The entire hall unanimously bows, "Greetings, Dao Venerable!"

2. Character Developments

• Zhou Jing: Emerges from seclusion as the acknowledged supreme authority of the Outer Dao. Despite his power, he remains courteous—personally supporting Pure Yang Patriarch's arm and showing humility.
• Qing Lao: Transformed from a minor elder into the sect's de facto diplomat and Zhou Jing's trusted steward. He is fêted by many sect masters, though he remains humble. His long-standing guilt over Miao Gu is resolved.
• Miao Gu: Has integrated into Taihua Sect; she can now return to Golden Pouch Mountain for visits with Divine Crow's blessing, healing the rift from her transfer.
• Divine Crow Daoist: Initially bitter at losing Miao Gu, he now welcomes her return visits and maintains close friendship with Qing Lao, gaining influence as an ally of Taihua Sect.
• Pure Yang Patriarch: Returned from death and unfathomably powerful, he formally yields the seat of honor to Zhou Jing, showing proper deference.
• Bao Zhen: The transformed Treasure-Gathering Basin, now a Supreme Grandmaster. He shifts aside to yield the seat of honor to Zhou Jing after initially stepping forward.

3. Significant Themes

• Legitimization through power: The unprecedented tribute from all Three Daos, the Dragon Palace, and even neutral factions signals that overwhelming might compels universal recognition.
• The passing of an era: The Ancient Heavenly Emperor silently departs; the "Dao Venerable" title—vacant for a millennium—is claimed by a new generation, marking the dawn of Zhou Jing's supremacy.
• Diplomacy and hierarchy: A sect's status is visibly stratified by cultivation level—lower cultivators dare not approach the Supreme Grandmasters' table. The novel's power-based social order is reinforced.
• Transformation of relationships: Former adversaries (Xingyao, Beast Emperor, True Person Brightheart) now bow to Zhou Jing; old enemies become subordinates as Taihua Sect's orbit expands.

4. Character Interactions

• Qing Lao and Divine Crow Daoist: Warm, bantering friendship. Divine Crow throws an arm around Qing Lao's shoulders, privately slips him pills, and treats him as an equal—emblematic of Taihua Sect's new prestige.
• Miao Gu, Qing Lao, and Divine Crow: Miao Gu solemnly requests permission to return to Golden Pouch Mountain next year; Divine Crow warmly welcomes it, easing a four-year-old wound for Qing Lao.
• The Outer Dao titans' table: Xingyao, the Beast Emperor, Divine Crow, Yue Yunqing, and Ao Donglai casually discuss nominating Zhou Jing as Dao Venerable—decisions of realm-shaking consequence handled with offhand familiarity.
• The emergence scene: Pure Yang Patriarch bows to greet Zhou Jing; Bao Zhen yields the seat of honor; Moon Venerable formally greets Bao Zhen. The display of hierarchy among Supreme Grandmasters establishes Zhou Jing as supreme among them.
• The unanimous acclamation: Xingyao proposes; the Beast Emperor and Divine Crow immediately second; then all assembled—Righteous Dao, Demon Sect, Sea Clan alike—bow together, sealing Zhou Jing's elevation.

Plot points and events

• At the celebration, Zhou Jing announces that in three days he will preach the Golden Core Dao in the East Sea for six months. The gathered cultivators welcome the opportunity.
• A day later, sect leaders meet Zhou Jing in the Founders’ Hall. His power is so completely controlled that he appears almost mortal, yet his mastery of the Supreme Grandmaster realm impresses and unsettles those present.
• The mysterious Heavenly Dao Pavilion envoy, Golden Monkey, offers thirty Longevity Peaches, each adding five years of life. Zhou Jing returns the courtesy with two wisps of Pure Yang Golden Qi, which can help cultivate a Pure Yang Dharma Body.
• Lu Nangui, a Walker of the World from the Three Truths Sect, presents Zhou Jing with a Three Truths Token. It grants access to Mount Zhongnan, and the sect leader, Dao Xu, invites Zhou Jing to visit within three years—before Dao Xu’s expected death. Lu Nangui says Zhou Jing will find answers there.
• Zhou Jing gives Xingyao and the Beast Emperor permission to attempt the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation. He warns that the greatest danger is the human tribulation, in which past karma becomes calamity. The Moon Venerable also asks to attempt the tribulation, and Zhou Jing promises to guard her.
• Shi Jinghong confronts Zhou Jing and the Moon Venerable for concealing the truth from her, then reproaches Zhou Jing over their past encounter on Golden Pouch Mountain.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhou Jing is now a calm, formidable leader whose restrained presence commands respect. He handles the visiting sects diplomatically, conceals how easily he can produce Pure Yang Golden Qi, and exercises authority over the Outer Dao while remaining cautious about the risks of ascension.
• Golden Monkey represents the enigmatic Heavenly Dao Pavilion. The envoy gives a valuable gift but offers no explanation for the Pavilion’s sudden appearance or broader intentions.
• Lu Nangui reveals both the Three Truths Sect’s gratitude for Zhou Jing’s past rescue of Lu Beiyou and the urgency of Dao Xu’s invitation. His warning raises new questions about the sect and what Zhou Jing may learn at Mount Zhongnan.
• Xingyao and the Beast Emperor are eager to pursue ascension and accept Zhou Jing’s permission. The Moon Venerable likewise seeks to face her tribulation, but Zhou Jing treats her differently, personally promising protection.
• Shi Jinghong shows lingering hurt and indignation toward both the Moon Venerable and Zhou Jing, turning the scene’s formal proceedings into a personal confrontation.

Significant themes

• Power and responsibility: Zhou Jing’s authority lets him permit or protect others’ attempts at ascension, but he cannot remove the spiritual and karmic dangers they face.
• Life, death, and urgency: The Longevity Peaches offer rare extra years, while Dao Xu’s approaching death gives Zhou Jing’s invitation a strict deadline.
• Secrecy and unanswered questions: The Heavenly Dao Pavilion’s motives, Mount Zhongnan’s mysteries, and the “answers” promised by Dao Xu remain unresolved.
• Personal relationships beneath public formality: Behind the gifts, titles, and sect politics lie debts, private loyalties, and Shi Jinghong’s unresolved grievance with Zhou Jing.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter, structured for easy reference:

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Aftermath of Tribulation: The protagonist's figure is revealed to be an incarnation; his true body was in seclusion.
• Sect Expansion Rejected: Numerous overseas sects seek to submit to Taihua Sect, but the protagonist refuses, prioritizing the consolidation and tempering of existing disciples to avoid the mistake of the ancient Mysterious Sect's collapse.
• The Three Truths Token: The protagonist confirms he will travel to Mount Zhongnan to face the Three Truths Lineage, having received the token from Lu Nangui. His enemies are aware of this.
• The Primeval Three-Lifetime Body: It is revealed that the protagonist's four years of seclusion resulted in mastery of the "Primeval Three-Lifetime Body"—a technique granting three incarnations, all equally powerful and interchangeable.
• The True Union with the Dao: The protagonist reveals that his "Union with the Dao" state lasted a full four years (not six breaths as he told Moon Venerable), during which his cultivation advanced enormously, restrained only by the world's upper realm limit.
• Call for Dao Lecture: The chapter ends with the sect-protecting bell ringing nine times, announcing a public Dao lecture for all who are destined.

2. Character Developments

• The Protagonist: Shows extreme confidence and absolute authority ("There is nowhere I cannot go"). He is methodical, rejecting short-term gains (sect expansion) for long-term stability. His cultivation is at its peak, having refined four foundations (One Finger, One Sword, One Blade, One Dharma Body) and created a unique method of existence.
• Shi Jinghong: Misspeaks before the protagonist; his indifference to her words breeds deep resentment within her, though she is too afraid of his power to act.
• Moon Venerable: Displays exceptional perception by deducing the protagonist's true body was absent. She remains resolute in her goal to undergo the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation in three years and seeks ascension. She shows genuine concern for the protagonist's safety.
• Ant True Person & Treasure-Filled True Person: Decline the chance for tribulation, citing the terror of the Human Tribulation and their many enemies/karmic entanglements. They are guided by fear born from experience.
• Lady Qingshan: Also declines tribulation, admitting her lack of battle strength and identifying the Human Tribulation as an insurmountable obstacle for her.

3. Significant Themes

• The Human Tribulation: Highlighted as the most dangerous obstacle for powerful beings, representing the consequences of one's past actions and karmic enmities.
• Caution in Growth: The fall of the Mysterious Sect serves as a warning against reckless expansion; the protagonist emphasizes that true strength requires tempered disciples, not just numbers.
• Mediocrity vs. True Greatness: The protagonist purposely downplays his four-year Union with the Dao as "six breaths," illustrating the gulf between public perception and his actual power.
• The Singular Self: The protagonist's multiple incarnations are all equally "true bodies," blurring the line between projection and reality, emphasizing his absolute mastery over his own existence.

4. Character Interactions

• Protagonist & Shi Jinghong: A tense, one-sided interaction. She speaks out of turn but is ignored, leaving her "dark and resentful" yet powerless.
• Protagonist & The Demon Kings: A polite but firm exchange. He offers protection for tribulation, but they unanimously refuse, prioritizing survival over ascension.
• Protagonist & Miao Gu / Qing Lao: A display of leadership. He corrects their plans for expansion, teaching them the principle of "charcoal in snowy weather" over "flowers on brocade," using the historical Mysterious Sect as a lesson.
• Protagonist & Moon Venerable: The core interaction. She astutely identifies his incarndation, inquires about his Union with the Dao, warns him about the trap at Mount Zhongnan, and is met with his unshakable confidence. Their dynamic shows mutual respect and foreshadows future collaboration during her tribulation.

Key plot points and events

• The Dao Venerable opens a ten-day public teaching at Taihua Sect, welcoming humans, demons, and the Sea Clan alike. He adjusts the program for the mixed crowd: three days on early cultivation realms, followed by seven days on the Golden Core Dao.
• His teaching produces spectacular auspicious signs. Though some were secretly arranged by Divine Crow, True Person Yuhe, and Valley Master Ao, the depth of the lecture astonishes disciples and major sect leaders alike.
• During the Golden Core lectures, Bliss, leader of the Bliss Demon Sect, overcomes her inner demon and moves closer to the Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect. Other listeners also gain insights.
• The Dao Venerable offers an additional day of teaching to anyone able to reach the ninth tier of his platform. The tiers test cultivation and comprehension: many reach the first, but only the Moon Venerable and Daoist Mingxin make it to the top in time to ask one question each. The Dao Venerable later allows the Beast Emperor, Xingyao, and others to ascend, but tells them they arrived too late.
• He concludes the gathering by showering the crowd with pure yang energy, prompting many cultivators to break through.
• Ten days later, the Dao Venerable prepares to travel to Mount Zhongnan with Qing Yao and Ying Yuan. He declines Qing Lao’s suggestion to bring more people, leaving the sect under the care of trusted figures and promising to return within three years.

Character developments and interactions

• The Dao Venerable demonstrates both extraordinary command of the Dao and a willingness to teach cultivators of every level. He remains composed and generous, while preparing for a purposeful journey to Mount Zhongnan.
• Bliss achieves a significant breakthrough after the teaching helps her overcome her inner demon.
• The Moon Venerable and Daoist Mingxin distinguish themselves through cultivation, insight, and humility, reaching the ninth tier first.
• Xingyao jokes that he and the Beast Emperor understand the Dao Venerable’s refined nature, but Divine Crow’s teasing exposes that Xingyao is not as detached from worldly concerns as he claims.
• Qing Lao worries about the coming journey; Miao Gu gently backs the Dao Venerable’s judgment. Qing Yao and Ying Yuan are excited to accompany him, while Hong Tianyan envies their opportunity.

Significant themes

• Inclusive teaching: The Dao is offered without regard to species or background, though each listener can grasp only what their cultivation allows.
• Earned progress: The tiered platform makes differences in cultivation and comprehension visible, while allowing occasional exceptions through aptitude and insight.
• Humility and opportunity: The first to reach the summit are not necessarily the most powerful, and those who arrive late miss the chance to ask their questions.
• The Dao’s transformative power: Teaching brings insight, personal breakthroughs, and even immediate advancement; the final gift of pure yang energy extends that benefit to the whole assembly.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter, broken down by the requested categories:

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter establishes the setting: a Continent-Crossing Treasure Ship owned by the Dragon Scale Merchant Guild, sailing from the East Sea to Yu Province (home of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect).
• Worldbuilding reveals that while great sects control 80% of spirit mines, commercial ferries run by mid-tier sects (like the Dragon Scale Merchant Guild) transport lower-ranked cultivators. The Guild survives by paying 60% of its profits to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, secretly backed by an adopted daughter who is now a high-ranking elder there.
• The protagonists (Zhou Jing, Ying Yuan, and Qing Yao) are aboard, hiding their true cultivation (suppressed to Body Sculpting Early Stage) and enjoying the journey.
• On the opulent fourth floor, an entitled young noble named Yang Chen (the 15th son of a powerful secular lord who also has Late Dragon Court Realm cultivation) and his entourage spot the two women.

2. Character Developments and Interactions

• Zhou Jing: Remains passive and observant, scanning the ship with his divine sense. His true power is heavily concealed, and he appears utterly ordinary to others.
• Ying Yuan and Qing Yao: Interact naturally and curiously. Ying Yuan displays knowledge of sect politics, explaining to Qing Yao why the Dragon Spring Sword Sect dominates the area and how their own Taihua Sect runs similar ferries to the Southern Border.
• Yang Chen: Displays extreme arrogance, entitlement, and cruelty. He dismisses Zhou Jing as a "trash" Body Sculpting cultivator and talks about killing him as casually as swatting a fly.
• Elder Qiu (sinister steward) and Tiger (burly bodyguard): Act as Yang Chen's enablers. Elder Qiu uses his unique sensitivity (lost his manhood) to identify the two women as rare "cultivation furnaces," while Tiger makes crude jokes about Ying Yuan's figure.

3. Significant Themes

• Class hierarchy and power imbalance: The massive gap between Rogue Cultivators, mid-tier sects, and the mighty Nine Sects. The ship's four floors physically represent this stratification.
• Objectification of women: Female cultivators are viewed as commodities and tools. The plot revolves around Yang Chen deciding to gift Qing Yao to his father as a birthday "furnace" and keep Ying Yuan for himself.
• Casual violence and devaluation of life: Low-level cultivators are treated as disposable. The antagonists' plan to kill Zhou Jing is made with zero deliberation or concern for consequences.
• Underestimation: The villains' confidence- based on Zhou Jing's fake low cultivation- sets the stage for the likely violent downfall promised in the title ("Killed Means Killed!").

4. Character Interactions (Antagonists' Scheme)

• Aboard the ship, Yang Chen's group discusses their plan. Elder Qiu advises giving the younger one (Qing Yao) to the old lord and keeping the older one (Ying Yuan) for the young master.
• Yang Chen explicitly instructs Tiger not to act aboard the Dragon Scale Merchant Guild's ship, as they must respect the Guild's backing by the Dragon Spring Sword Sect.
• Yang Chen's final, flippant order regarding Zhou Jing is simply: "Kill him, and that will be that." His plan is to ambush them after disembarking, setting the stage for the next conflict.