Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Wu Yu battles the Black-Gold Mountain Lord, whose extraordinary toughness lets him shrug off both Destruction Heavenly Thunder and Bi Fang’s flames. He notices a wooden arrow embedded in the creature’s skull but focuses on the more immediate threat.
• Xu Qinghe explains that the Mountain Lord’s Divine Skin protects its exterior, so Wu Yu must attack from within. A Lunar Yin Talisman immobilizes the beast, and the Evernight Lamp reveals an invisible entity attached to it.
• Wu Yu binds the entity with a Withering Talisman and attacks it using the sword intent of the Frost Heaven Divine Sword. The strike freezes the entity, the Mountain Lord, and the surrounding ground into an iceberg, but cracks Wu Yu’s Blackfeather Flying Sword.
• When the expected mission-completion notice fails to appear, Wu Yu learns from Xu Qinghe and Xiao Qing that the entity is a Mutated Mother Taisui, a rare and valuable creature linked to the King of Ferocious Beasts. They say killing the Demonized Mountain Lord should kill it.
• Wu Yu tries Five-Element Divine Light without success. He then uses the Evernight Lamp to expose the weakened entity again; it screams, but its vitality has fallen so far that it can no longer threaten him.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu shows resourcefulness, quickly adapting to Xu Qinghe’s advice and combining talismans, the Evernight Lamp, and powerful sword intent. He is also cautious: he recognizes that his old flying sword may not survive another use and conceals some of his knowledge and intentions.
• Xu Qinghe acts as an informed guide, explaining the Mountain Lord’s defenses and identifying the Mutated Mother Taisui. Her excitement at the creature’s value is mixed with a more complicated reaction to seeing the Mountain Lord trapped.
• Xiao Qing clarifies the practical solution: eliminate the Demonized Mountain Lord to deprive the eerie being of what sustains it.
• Xu Qinghe praises Wu Yu’s apparent ease in subduing the fiend, while Wu Yu lets her believe he accomplished it effortlessly.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and adaptation: Understanding an opponent’s abilities matters as much as raw power.
• Hidden threats and appearances: The dangerous entity is invisible, while the seemingly invulnerable Mountain Lord is only its host.
• Power and cost: Wu Yu’s superior sword art can overcome the threat, but it nearly destroys his weapon.
• Value versus danger: The Mutated Mother Taisui is both a lethal menace and an exceptionally valuable resource.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Yu uses the [Evernight Lamp] to destroy the Mutated Mother Taisui parasitizing the Black-Gold Mountain Lord. The creature drops one Gold Card and two Purple Cards, but the quest remains incomplete.
• The Mountain Lord is badly weakened by the parasite’s removal. It eventually recovers enough to speak and thanks Wu Yu, explaining that it attacked because it mistook him for another hunter.
• Xu Qinghe asks whether she might make a request of the King of Ferocious Beasts once it appears. Wu Yu agrees to let the King decide, but points out that the Mountain Lord has not yet returned to normal.
• The Mountain Lord reveals that it discovered the Long Family was secretly worshipping an outer god and planned to use the taisui fields to breed more Mutated Mother Taisui. One such creature escaped an underground altar and infected the Mountain Lord.
• This disclosure triggers the hidden Dao Foundation quest [Lord of Taisui], which offers three options: report the Long Family to the Government Office, destroy the Lord of Taisui’s temple, or join the Long Family’s operation. Each choice carries serious consequences and potential rewards.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu demonstrates the effectiveness of the [Evernight Lamp] against Eerie Beings and remains practical, admitting that helping the Mountain Lord also served his own goal. He notices that his quest is unfinished and presses the Mountain Lord for information when he senses a hidden quest.
• Xu Qinghe is impressed by Wu Yu and offers him restorative medicines or treasures. She also hopes to ask the King of Ferocious Beasts for something; Xiao Qing voices suspicion about Wu Yu, but Xu Qinghe quickly reprimands her.
• The Black-Gold Mountain Lord shifts from hostile opponent to grateful ally. Its account reveals both its loneliness and anger at human hunters, as well as the danger behind the Long Family’s scheme.

Significant themes

• Hidden danger behind apparent victories: Defeating the parasite uncovers a much larger conspiracy.
• Conflicting motives and moral choices: Wu Yu’s next steps could involve authorities, opposition to the cult, or cooperation with it—each with a cost.
• Distrust between humans and other beings: The Mountain Lord’s attacks grew from repeated human aggression, while it had once longed to enter the human world.

Plot points and events

• Wu Yu considers three quest options involving the Long Family’s worship of the powerful Lord of Taisui and the disaster god behind the crisis. He rejects the dangerous choices and selects the remaining option.
• The Black-Gold Mountain Lord, freed from the Mutated Mother Taisui, offers Wu Yu a reward. To ensure the quest proceeds, Wu Yu uses Yi Wood Divine Light to restore the Mountain Lord fully.
• The recovered beast says it can now contact its ancestor and leave human territory. Wu Yu bluntly asks for a gift from the ancestor.
• The Mountain Lord produces an Ancestor Stone, a relic that can store objects, and transforms it into a small storage bag. From inside, it takes out a damaged, red-grade Dao Foundation item: the Soul-Calming Heaven Stone.
• The stone’s overwhelming soul power affects Xu Qinghe and Xiao Qing, drawing them toward it. Wu Yu’s greed is also stirred, provoking dangerous surges of power, but the Twilight Witch warns him and explains that the object’s soul force is comparable to the Golden Core Stage. She also notes that emotions are amplified in the City of Five Defilements.
• Xu Qinghe takes the stone and suddenly gives a low tiger’s roar, alarming Wu Yu.

Character developments

• Wu Yu shows careful judgment in choosing a quest, generosity in healing the Mountain Lord, and growing caution when the stone’s influence affects him. His bond with the Twilight Witch is reaffirmed when her warning helps him regain control.
• The Black-Gold Mountain Lord recovers completely and expresses gratitude, revealing both its connection to a powerful ancestor and its possession of valuable ancient relics.
• The Twilight Witch wakes from her recovery to protect Wu Yu, demonstrating her continued awareness and concern even when she cannot manifest.
• Xu Qinghe shifts from knowledgeable observer to someone seemingly overtaken by the stone’s influence; her tiger’s roar hints at a dangerous change.

Significant themes

• Temptation and self-control: The relic’s power amplifies greed and emotion, making restraint essential.
• Power and danger: Valuable objects and powerful beings offer opportunities, but their influence can be hazardous.
• Gratitude and exchange: Wu Yu helps the Mountain Lord and openly asks for compensation, while the beast responds with a prized treasure.
• Ancient legacies: The Ancestor Stone and Soul-Calming Heaven Stone suggest a world shaped by forgotten techniques and relics.

Character interactions

• Wu Yu and the Mountain Lord negotiate over repayment; Wu Yu heals it, and the beast offers an ancestral gift.
• Xu Qinghe explains the purpose of Ancestor Stones to Wu Yu, then becomes affected by the Soul-Calming Heaven Stone.
• The Twilight Witch warns Wu Yu about the relic and explains its influence, helping him resist it.
• Xiao Qing is also drawn toward the stone, while the Mountain Lord appears equally entranced, leaving the scene poised for confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• The Hidden Quest “Sorrow of the Mountain Lord” is completed when the strange power within Xu Qinghe awakens.
• Xu Qinghe reveals she is also Tang Qinghe, granddaughter of Tang Ya and daughter of Tang Li—the former village chief and Wu Yu’s old acquaintance.
• She explains that the three Xu Qinghes are her body, soul, and divine power, divided through the True Essence Sect’s Three-Treasure True Essence Art. Xiao Qing and the Black-Gold Mountain Lord transform into her other two selves, and the three reunite.
• Tang Li had defected from the True Essence Sect to protect his daughter, causing the sect great losses. Xu Qinghe’s mother, the King of Ferocious Beasts, arranged a wager with the sect: if Xu Qinghe could reunite, the sect would forgive the past, but she must serve as a True Disciple for a hundred years.
• Xu Qinghe thanks Wu Yu and is carried away by her mother. She tells him that a divine medicine plant in the valley is his reward and warns that the location will be exposed within two hours.
• Wu Yu searches the valley and discovers medicinal fields and a Golden Treasure Chest.

Character developments

• Xu Qinghe changes from an apparently ordinary young woman into a powerful, reunited being with her full body, soul, and divine power. She accepts the hundred-year obligation as a favorable outcome.
• Wu Yu learns that his past connection to Tang Li indirectly helped make this outcome possible. He is startled by the revelation but is wary of becoming entangled in the True Essence Sect’s secrets.
• The King of Ferocious Beasts is revealed as Xu Qinghe’s mother and the force behind the wager and the events that brought Xu Qinghe to the valley.

Character interactions

• Xu Qinghe addresses Wu Yu as “Uncle Wu,” explaining that she knows him from portraits and that her father credited him with helping Tang Li find his opportunity.
• Wu Yu questions her about her identity, her parents, and the arrangement with the sect, while cautioning her not to tell the sect about his connection to Tang Li.
• Xu Qinghe clarifies that the Zhao Clan knew nothing of her family’s affairs, and that her grandfather’s service to the clan was only temporary.

Significant themes

• Consequences of the past: Wu Yu’s earlier dealings with Tang Li echo into the present and shape Xu Qinghe’s fate.
• Family sacrifice and loyalty: Tang Li’s defection was an act of protection for his daughter.
• Reconciliation through obligation: The wager offers Xu Qinghe and the True Essence Sect a path past old grievances, though it requires a century of service.
• Chance and hidden connections: What seemed like an isolated quest turns out to be tied to Wu Yu’s history and a much larger conflict.

Plot points and events

• Wu Yu returns to the valley after a strange encounter that hints at major secrets involving Xu Qinghe, the Three-Treasure True Essence Art, and the True Essence Sect’s past. He decides to keep quiet and “play dumb.”
• He discovers and collects a mature, gold-quality Relic Eastern Radiance Grass, a rare Dao Foundation spirit herb capable of healing the body, soul, and deeper injuries.
• Wu Yu finds a Golden Treasure Chest in the ruins but has no key. He reasons that the Tower’s rules may still allow him to find the key, since the valley’s concealment prevented the King of Ferocious Beasts from interfering.
• He tracks down a nearby Four-Unlike Tiger Beast, hoping it carries the key. The beast’s black mist greatly enhances its power and quickly overwhelms the Winged Mountain Lord.
• Rather than risk a prolonged fight, Wu Yu binds the tiger beast with his Beast-Binding Rope and Withering Talismans, then leaves the Winged Mountain Lord to finish it while he searches for other beasts.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu stays composed despite unsettling revelations, choosing caution and secrecy over probing Xu Qinghe’s past. He also shows practical judgment by prioritizing speed as the valley’s concealment nears its end.
• The Winged Mountain Lord confidently challenges the Four-Unlike Tiger Beast, only to be badly outmatched by its black mist. Confused by the gap in their strength, it looks to Wu Yu for an explanation; Wu Yu instead restrains the enemy and urges it to prove itself.
• Wu Yu’s earlier suspicion that Xu Qinghe might betray him proves misplaced, but the Beast-Binding Rope he prepared for her remains useful against the tiger.

Significant themes

• Hidden history and deliberate ignorance: Powerful secrets surround Xu Qinghe and the True Essence Sect, but Wu Yu chooses not to get involved.
• Preparation and adaptability: Wu Yu turns a plan based on suspicion into a useful tool against a different foe.
• The Tower’s rules and loopholes: Wu Yu uses his understanding of treasure-key mechanics to pursue the chest despite the valley’s unusual circumstances.
• Power and overconfidence: The Winged Mountain Lord’s confidence collapses when it confronts an opponent whose abilities far exceed its own.

Plot points and events

• Wu Yu searches the area around the valley and opens a Bronze Chest, finding silver and two pieces of Dao Foundation equipment—but no key.
• He concludes the key is likely with the Four-Unlike Tiger Beast and returns to the Great River, where the battle has intensified. The tiger is weakened by the Withering Talisman and Beast-Binding Rope, while the Winged Mountain Lord’s summoned Mutant Beasts wear it down.
• Wu Yu uses stealth and a surprise attack with the Frost Heaven Divine Sword to kill the tiger, destroying its body and soul.
• The tiger drops several items, including the Treasure Chest Key, a gold-grade Zheng-Skin Coat, a Mutated Zheng Head quest item, a cultivation technique, and a dangerous parasitic pill. Wu Yu takes them and returns to the valley.
• As the Golden Treasure Chest’s countdown nears its end, the valley trembles and its strange pressure lifts—suggesting the King of Ferocious Beasts’ influence has faded. A mysterious woman in white then appears, claiming bandits robbed her and that she barely escaped.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu shifts from searching methodically to recognizing the tiger as the likely source of the key. He wins through strategy and a concealed strike rather than a direct assault.
• The Winged Mountain Lord fights fiercely despite severe injuries. After the victory, Wu Yu praises and comforts it, then recalls it and its summoned beasts to the Hundred-Thousand Mountains.
• The Twilight Witch supports Wu Yu with spells and asks about the limits of his summoned beasts. Wu Yu explains that the Hundred-Thousand Mountains has greatly reduced their drain on his divine sense.
• Wu Yu is pleased by the loot but unsettled by the items’ eerie parasitic properties.

Significant themes

• Strategy over brute force: Wu Yu exploits the tiger’s restraints and the cover of darkness to land a decisive attack.
• Power with hidden costs: The Zheng-related equipment, technique, and pill promise strength but carry troubling dangers.
• Uncertainty and looming threats: The fading valley pressure and the stranger’s sudden arrival suggest that new dangers may emerge just as Wu Yu nears the treasure chest.

Key plot points and events

• While waiting for the Golden Treasure Chest to open, Wu Yu uses the [Evernight Lamp] to destroy a white-clad Eerie Being and kills an Earth-Element Fierce Beast with Crimson Heavenly Thunder. More Eerie Beings and beasts keep appearing as the chest’s countdown nears zero.
• Cat-faced Granny approaches, pretending to search for her grandson. Her beguiling domain and attempt to control Wu Yu fail against his Foundation Establishment strength and Divine Sense. Wu Yu exposes her with the lamp, cuts her apart with Sword Qi, and burns her remains to ash.
• A concealed black shadow attacks from behind. Wu Yu’s Xu-Earth Heavenly Thunder damages it, but it quickly regenerates. It becomes Beauty Snake, who resists the lamp and advances on him.
• Wu Yu counters with three Dao Foundation-grade Talismans—Hanging Moon, Withered Body Lock, and Divine Bird Carries Fire—and burns Beauty Snake to ashes.
• Sensing a far more terrifying presence, Wu Yu watches the chest countdown and, with three seconds remaining, activates his Dao Foundation manifestation, [One Qi Becomes Three Pure Ones]. A tall, thin black figure arrives on a distant mountaintop.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu remains composed and resourceful under pressure, combining his lamp, Divine Sense, thunder, Sword Qi, and Talismans. His new Foundation Establishment abilities let him resist mental attacks and detect a hidden ambusher.
• Cat-faced Granny tries to lure and mentally dominate Wu Yu by calling him her grandson; he turns her ploy against her.
• Beauty Snake attempts to seduce and attack him, but Wu Yu rejects the approach and responds with a decisive combination of Talismans.
• The chapter ends on a cliffhanger: Wu Yu prepares for the arrival of an apparently powerful new threat just as the treasure chest is about to open.

Significant themes

• Vigilance and preparation: Wu Yu anticipates danger, hides the lamp to bait Cat-faced Granny, and detects the ambush behind him.
• Growing power and adaptability: His Foundation Establishment cultivation strengthens his defenses and makes older tools, such as Talismans, effective at a higher grade.
• Horror and uncertainty: Familiar horror-story monsters appear in a realm where Wu Yu has not encountered them before, raising the possibility that their arrival is not coincidental.
• Escalating danger: Each defeated attacker is followed by a stronger or more mysterious presence, building suspense around the countdown and the final arrival.

Plot and events

• Wu Yu encounters a refined, human-sized creature with the head of a Four-Unlike-a Zheng Beast. Its immense power overwhelms him until his Chaos Spirit Realm shields him.
• The creature reveals that Wu Yu killed its child. Wu Yu launches a barrage of Five-Colored Heavenly Thunder, but the Zheng Beast effortlessly disperses it.
• Wu Yu’s attack is a feint: while the beast focuses on him, he uses the Void Shadow God’s power to escape through the Golden Treasure Chest. The Zheng Beast arrives too late and laments that fewer than two thousand of its three thousand children remain.
• Wu Yu reappears safely in the City of Five Defilements. The treasure chest yields two red and three gold Dao Foundation cards.
• After reassuring the Twilight Witch that the Zheng Beast is unlikely to pursue him into the city, Wu Yu examines his rewards. He recognizes the red Smithing Master’s Favor as a chance to commission an item, though its result is uncertain.

Character development and interactions

• Wu Yu shows tactical restraint: despite having powerful abilities, he prioritizes escape over testing himself against a likely Golden Core-level foe.
• The Zheng Beast appears intelligent and composed, even assessing Wu Yu’s abilities and potential. Its grief over its dead offspring hints at a personal motive behind the confrontation.
• The Twilight Witch worries about Wu Yu and playfully acts clueless to comfort him. Wu Yu notices her concern, teases her, and reassures her that he is not so fragile.

Significant themes

• Cunning over brute force: Wu Yu’s apparent assault conceals a calculated escape.
• Power and uncertainty: The Zheng Beast’s strength makes direct confrontation dangerous, while Wu Yu remains cautious about unknown opponents.
• Humanity and imitation: The King of Ferocious Beasts looks and speaks remarkably like a human, suggesting it has learned to imitate human behavior.
• Luck and rewards: Wu Yu wonders whether the Tower’s treasure system improves rewards in response to danger, though its rules remain unexplained.

Cards obtained

• Red: Smithing Master’s Favor; Aoki True Spirit Art.
• Gold: Tiger King Howling-Heaven Pill; Golden Exquisite Pill; Sentient Beings’ Finger, sought by the Long Family and Zhao Clan.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Yu opens a Golden Treasure Chest and gains two Red-grade cards: the Artifact Master’s Favor Card and the True Wood Azure Spirit Art, plus three Gold-grade cards, including a pill and Sentient Beings’ Finger, another remnant of Zhao Polu’s Divine Body.
• He stores the rewards, considers whether to give the rare materials to Zhao Polu or an Artifact Master, and notices that his Beast-Binding Rope and Void Shadow Mark have shattered.
• After resting, Wu Yu wakes with a new negative status, “Sorrow of the Demon Rain,” and realizes the Demon Rain has begun. A cold drizzle has made the City of Five Defilements eerily quiet.
• He checks the Tower’s notices: an Underground Evacuation Point has appeared, and the Dream Martial Sect Assault will begin in about twenty hours, at the same time the Cloud Island Evacuation Point appears.
• Wu Yu investigates the city with his Divine Sense. The rain’s malice grows stronger with distance and drains his mental power. Most residents have taken shelter, often in basements and underground facilities.
• The Twilight Witch tests the rain and warns that it corrodes both matter and energy. Prolonged exposure could contaminate Wu Yu’s qi sea—or, because he has a Spirit Realm, his body and soul. Her scouting finds no monsters, only local residents.
• Wu Yu considers going to the Zhao Residence but decides the risk and attention are not worthwhile. He stays inside and reads the Frost Heaven Sword Scripture.

Character developments

• Wu Yu reflects that his improved rewards come not just from luck but from having become strong enough to survive dangerous areas.
• He remains cautious and strategic, choosing not to investigate the Zhao Clan or the rain directly when the risks are unclear.
• The Twilight Witch demonstrates her newly increased abilities as a Silver Moon Wizard, acting as Wu Yu’s lookout and conducting reconnaissance.

Character interactions

• Wu Yu asks the Twilight Witch to keep watch while he sleeps, then questions her about what happened during his rest.
• She reports the rain’s arrival, scouts the surrounding area, and warns him about its corrosive effects. Wu Yu uses her findings to assess the threat and plan his next move.

Significant themes

• Strength and reward: Greater power allows Wu Yu to reach more dangerous places and obtain better treasures.
• Uncertainty and restraint: The rain’s effects and the coming sect assault are poorly understood, so Wu Yu favors caution over reckless action.
• A hostile environment: The Demon Rain threatens not only physical matter but spiritual energy, turning the city’s silence and cold into a pervasive danger.
• Preparedness and shelter: Residents retreat underground, while Wu Yu relies on information-gathering and defensive choices to weather the disaster.

Key plot points and events

• The Demon Rain causes cold, malice, and mental interference throughout the City of Five Defilements. Wu Yu finds that reading, cultivating, and drawing talismans all become difficult, even when he tries to focus.
• Wu Yu realizes the Twilight Witch’s Bloodthirst Syndrome is worsening. He allows her to draw on the eternal twilight power in her yellow cloud and temporarily take physical form. Beforehand, he seals the room with a powerful Silent Barrier and uses additional protections.
• The rain becomes a heavy downpour, and an enormous light dome protects Cloud Island. At the True Essence Sect, Xu Qinghe returns as promised. An elder sentences her to a hundred years’ confinement for the harm caused by her birth, though Xu Qinghe is allowed to visit her family’s graves. Her mother has been rescued, and she considers her wishes fulfilled.
• After the rain ends, Wu Yu is left physically depleted by the Twilight Witch’s repeated Bloodthirst Syndrome flare-ups. He uses medicine and his Bronze Tripod to recover, and recognizes that the curse could become increasingly dangerous if he gains more witches.

Character developments

• Wu Yu remains cautious, taking extensive precautions before letting the witch manifest. He also begins to understand that the Bloodthirst Syndrome is a serious, escalating problem requiring a long-term solution.
• The Twilight Witch gains a temporary physical body and indulges her hunger repeatedly. Though she apologizes afterward, she is visibly satisfied, revealing how powerful—and difficult to control—her condition is.
• Xu Qinghe accepts her punishment without protest. Although she believes she has achieved what she wanted, she is puzzled by her recurring thoughts about Wu Yu and an unfamiliar urge to submit to him.

Significant themes

• Consequences and sacrifice: Xu Qinghe accepts a century of confinement for the consequences of her birth and the sect’s lost treasure.
• Temptation and danger: Wu Yu’s intimacy with the witch brings pleasure but leaves him weakened, underscoring the cost of indulging her curse.
• Lingering attachment: Xu Qinghe’s thoughts of Wu Yu suggest feelings or influence she does not fully understand.
• Caution in a hostile world: The demon rain disrupts ordinary activities, while Wu Yu’s barriers and safeguards show the need for constant vigilance.

Character interactions

• Wu Yu and the Twilight Witch negotiate her need for his essence blood; he permits her manifestation under strict protections, but her hunger overwhelms the encounter and drains him.
• Xu Qinghe respectfully accepts the elder’s judgment and asks permission to honor her father and grandfather at their graves.
• After the storm, the witch apologizes and comforts Wu Yu, while he warns himself that her curse must eventually be addressed.

Plot and key events

• A prolonged Demon Rain drenches the City of Five Defilements. With the rain threatening to overwhelm the moat, the city’s general orders residents to leave their basements if the storm continues, despite the rain’s deadly effects.
• The rain eventually stops. In the Attic, Wu Yu tends to the Twilight Witch, then recovers and considers what to do before the Dream Martial Sect’s assault, expected in less than half a day.
• Wu identifies several possible objectives: use the Mutated Zheng Head to find a quest target, pursue a hidden quest, ask about the sect’s attack, and discuss trading the Sentient Beings’ Finger with the Zhao Clan. He decides to visit the Government Office and the Zhao Residence.
• On his way to the Government Office, Wu encounters Constables investigating thefts and robberies committed after the rain. Chief Constable Liu has ordered a harsh crackdown on the offenders.
• Wu learns Liu is at the Government Office, then waits for him. Liu arrives after reporting to the City Lord, complains about pressure from the higher powers—apparently connected to the Three Great Sects—and asks whether Wu has found more Savages. The chapter ends as Liu eagerly offers to fight them.

Character developments

• Wu Yu remains practical and goal-oriented, weighing quests, money, equipment, and the coming sect assault. His Incense Silver has passed 4,000 taels, but he considers it insufficient for shopping in the Blessed Land.
• Chief Constable Liu comes across as both dutiful and combative: he pursues lawbreakers vigorously, but resents the constraints imposed by those above him and is eager for a fight.
• The Twilight Witch is affectionate and devoted to Wu, though reluctant to leave the Attic when he asks her to go.

Character interactions

• The city general and his adviser discuss the rain’s escalating danger and the impossible choice between staying underground and risking exposure.
• Wu and the Twilight Witch share an intimate moment before he ends it due to fatigue and shifts his attention to his plans.
• Constables treat Wu with deference because he is a Heavenly Being. They openly share information about Liu’s investigation and whereabouts.
• Wu reunites with Liu, who vents about political pressure and turns the conversation toward the possibility of fighting Savages.

Significant themes

• Survival under supernatural disaster: the Demon Rain threatens ordinary people and Martial Artists alike, forcing the city to choose between different dangers.
• Power and authority: Heavenly Beings enjoy freedoms unavailable to ordinary Martial Artists, while Liu is constrained by the higher powers and sect politics.
• Preparation and competing priorities: Wu must balance quests, resources, alliances, and the imminent Dream Martial Sect assault.
• Justice and retaliation: Liu’s response to post-disaster crime reflects his determination to punish those exploiting the crisis.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Yu reports to Chief Constable Liu that the Long Family is involved with the Lord of Taisui and the Mutated Mother Taisui, warning that the family likely has powerful resources and escape plans. Liu agrees to alert the City Lord.
• Wu Yu’s quest to report the Lord of Taisui is marked complete.
• Wu Yu shows Liu a mutated beast’s head in a black box. Liu identifies it as a Fierce Beast parasitized by Gu, and explains that Gu and Gu materials are distinct: materials can be useful, while Gu creatures are dangerous.
• Liu suspects the Gu may be connected to the Dream Martial Sect, known for controlling Gu and defeating stronger opponents through unusual methods. After Wu Yu says he found several similar creatures outside the city, Liu decides the threat must be reported to the Three Great Sects.
• Wu Yu visits the Zhao Residence and asks Zhao Polu what to do with the parasitized beast. Zhao identifies it as a blood descendant of the King of Ferocious Beasts and suggests the Life-and-Death Mystic Sect may want it as discarded material.
• Zhao arranges for a nearby Heavenly Being from that sect to come examine it.

Character developments

• Wu Yu proves resourceful and pragmatic: he shares urgent intelligence while concealing how he obtained it, then uses the Gu creature to uncover further leads.
• Chief Constable Liu moves from suspicion to trust, taking Wu Yu’s warning seriously and escalating the possible Gu threat beyond the Government Office.
• Zhao Polu remains calm and decisive, quickly recognizing the creature and arranging expert help.
• Zhao Yulian is visibly enamored with Wu Yu, though she pretends her daze was caused by his sword intent.

Significant themes

• Duty and trust: Liu’s confidence in Wu Yu’s Night Watcher role outweighs the lack of conventional evidence.
• Hidden threats and political risk: The Long Family’s dealings and the possible spread of Gu could involve powerful factions and require action beyond local authorities.
• Practical self-interest: Wu Yu chooses the easiest quest route, while different groups value the same creature for different reasons.

Character interactions

• Wu Yu cautions Liu against underestimating the Long Family; Liu accepts the warning and acts.
• Liu explains the distinction between Gu and Gu materials, helping Wu Yu connect the creature to the Dream Martial Sect.
• Wu Yu and Zhao Polu discuss the beast’s identity and possible value, leading Zhao to summon a specialist.
• Zhao Yulian’s warm greeting contrasts with Wu Yu’s businesslike visit, prompting teasing from her maid.

Key events

• Wu Yu presents Elder Li with a Mutated Zheng Beast, which contains the “Life-and-Death Mystery” Elder Li has been searching for. Elder Li is thrilled, and Wu Yu triggers a hidden, long-term quest from the Life-and-Death Mystic Sect. Because the beast is golden-grade Dao Foundation quality, the quest reward is upgraded to match.
• Elder Li offers Wu Yu one of three golden-grade Dao Foundation treasures in exchange: a powerful blade, a defensive mirror that can negate one fatal blow, or a Life-and-Death Source Jade Pendant.
• Wu Yu realizes the pendant is only one of twelve pieces of a larger uncut jade, potentially far more valuable if reunited and properly refined. Elder Li explains that he split the original jade into twelve pieces because he could not find a skilled artifact refiner.
• Wu Yu wants the jade but lacks enough valuable items to trade for it. Zhao Polu asks whether another arrangement is possible, prompting Elder Li to reconsider.
• Wu Yu then reveals several dozen items from his inventory, gathered across different worlds. Elder Li recognizes only a small fraction, and the chapter ends as Wu Yu invites him to examine the collection.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu stays composed while assessing the offer, concealing his excitement about the jade and thinking strategically about how to obtain it. He uses his knowledge of the Tower’s quest system and his collection of otherwise useless items to negotiate.
• Elder Li is initially delighted by the beast and eager to reward Wu Yu fairly. Though he refuses to give up all three treasures for a single offering, his interest rekindles when Wu Yu reveals unfamiliar items.
• Zhao Polu acts as a mediator, asking if a different deal can be made and helping keep the negotiation open.
• Elder Li’s confidence in judging Wu Yu’s strength contrasts with Wu Yu’s quiet awareness that he comes from another world and cannot be evaluated by ordinary local standards.

Significant themes

• Hidden value and incomplete potential: The jade pendant seems ordinary, but it is only a fragment of a much greater artifact.
• Cross-world exchange: Wu Yu’s items are valuable partly because they come from worlds unfamiliar to the local characters.
• Knowledge as leverage: Wu Yu’s awareness of the quest system, artifact refining, and the jade’s potential shapes his bargaining strategy.
• Negotiation and fair exchange: Elder Li refuses to be exploited, while Wu Yu seeks a mutually acceptable way to obtain what he wants.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Yu trades a collection of items from Secret Sea World and Frostsky Purgatory with Elder Li of the Life-and-Death Mystic Sect. Elder Li is especially intrigued by unfamiliar deep-sea materials and agrees to buy everything at a high price.
• Elder Li identifies the Golden Gorilla as a remarkably fast-growing spirit beast. With a sect’s resources, it could mature into a powerful King of Ferocious Beasts within a century.
• Pleased with the trade, Elder Li returns to the sect to fetch the other eleven pieces of uncut jade, leaving Wu Yu’s goods in his care.
• Zhao Polu recognizes that Wu Yu used his standing to reach a suitable buyer. He approves of the straightforward maneuver rather than taking offense.
• Wu Yu asks whether Zhao Polu still cares about his former body’s remains, then reveals that he has obtained one of Zhao’s missing fingers: the [Sentient Beings’ Finger].
• The finger instinctively returns to Zhao Polu. Zhao explains that he has no desire to restore his Innate God body, but wants to destroy the finger himself. When he crushes it, its spiritual awareness dies and its remains produce unusually large godhead fragments.
• Zhao Polu jokes that killing Wu Yu would spare him the trouble of repaying his debts. Wu Yu nervously changes the subject and asks about top-tier materials.

Character developments

• Wu Yu demonstrates resourcefulness in arranging the trade and good judgment in recognizing how a sect can invest in a spirit beast in ways an individual cannot. His growing good fortune continues to produce valuable discoveries.
• Elder Li proves generous and genuinely curious about unfamiliar items, valuing their potential for the sect’s research even when he does not understand them.
• Zhao Polu shows that he has accepted the loss of his former divine body, but remains determined to personally destroy what is left of it. His impending trip to the imperial court troubles him, as he expects little freedom under the Silver Dynasty’s rule.

Significant themes

• Collective resources versus individual ability: A sect can afford long-term investments—such as raising the Golden Gorilla—that would be impractical for a lone cultivator.
• Luck and strength: Zhao Polu treats Wu Yu’s extraordinary luck as part of his power.
• Duty and submission: Zhao Polu’s likely return to the imperial court reflects the constraints imposed by the Silver Dynasty and the gods’ rule.
• The unequal power of gods: The fragments from one of Zhao Polu’s fingers exceed those Wu Yu obtained from two Lesser Hair Gods, underscoring the vast differences in divine strength.

Character interactions

• Elder Li and Wu Yu conduct a mutually beneficial exchange, with Elder Li’s enthusiasm reinforcing the deal’s value.
• Zhao Polu lightly teases Wu Yu for using his influence, but approves of his honesty and cleverness.
• Wu Yu’s return of the finger becomes a significant, if unsettling, act of assistance; Zhao Polu destroys it himself and acknowledges Wu Yu’s help.
• Zhao Polu’s dark joke about killing his benefactor contrasts with Wu Yu’s wary humor and quick attempt to steer the conversation toward useful materials.

Key events

• Zhao Polu offers Wu Yu compensation for returning the sentient beings’ finger: either five materials of equal value or one rarer material. Wu Yu chooses the rare material, which Zhao promises to provide when the Zhao Clan reaches the city.
• The Three Great Sects surround the Long Family’s compounds beneath a huge formation that blocks flight and spatial travel. Wu Yu observes the forces from the inn and uses his Faithless talent to locate followers of the Lord of Taisui, as well as Temple forces apparently positioned to ambush them.
• Elder Li arrives with two companions and delivers eleven pieces of unworked jade, all containing Golden-Grade Dao Foundations. The Life-and-Death Mystic Sect has chosen to raise Wu Yu’s little monkey as a guardian spirit beast, believing its unusual sensitivity to life and death gives it exceptional growth potential.
• A powerful clash erupts overhead. When Wu Yu tries to investigate, an invisible force nearly kills him; the Chaos Spirit Realm protects him, but he loses one remaining use of Heaven’s Return. He retreats and examines the jades, triggering a prompt to fuse several Life-and-Death-themed items.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu remains practical and detached: he accepts Zhao Polu’s offer, trades with Elder Li, and feels little investment in the monkey’s long-term development. His curiosity about the battle nearly costs him a substitute death, prompting him to act more cautiously.
• Zhao Polu shows gratitude and sincerity by offering generous compensation for the returned relic.
• Elder Li maintains a cordial relationship with Wu Yu and explains that the sect sees greater long-term value in the monkey than in the jade items.
• The Life-and-Death Mystic Sect reveals its ambition to cultivate the monkey into a powerful guardian beast.

Significant themes

• Pragmatism and exchange: characters weigh treasures, favors, and future potential by their value.
• Power and risk: Wu Yu’s distant observation lets him gather intelligence, but the battle’s unseen force demonstrates how dangerous powerful conflicts are even from afar.
• Cultivation and long-term investment: the sect is willing to spend decades nurturing the monkey for its extraordinary growth.
• Hidden motives and shifting alliances: the Temple appears to let the Three Great Sects engage the Long Family while preparing its own ambush.

Key plot points and events

• Wu Yu fuses twelve pieces of Golden-Grade Dao Foundation material, unexpectedly creating a Green-Grade Curio called the Life-and-Death Source.
• He has his Bronze Tripod, Heaven’s Return, devour the Curio. The tripod produces powerful Life Energy and corrosive death energy, and its Status Panel changes: several existing effects combine into a new Void Well.
• The Void Well produces four liquids: Life Well Water for recovery, Death Blackwater that corrodes objects, Void Source Liquid, and Azure Teardrops that restore Mental Power. Wu Yu is thrilled by the Curio’s seemingly unlimited supply of useful resources.
• After the Three Great Sects win a sweeping battle against the Long Family, Wu Yu visits the Zhao Residence. Chief Constable Liu explains that the sects used a costly Heavenly God Artifact and coordinated with the Five Turbid Temple to destroy the family.
• The Long Family Ancestor escaped despite a Curse-Killing Technique, using a stolen body and sacrificing part of himself. Liu also brings Wu Yu the reward issued by the Three Great Sects.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu gains a powerful, versatile Curio and is exuberant about his increased recovery, cultivation resources, and combat potential. He jokingly insists this new advantage makes him “invincible.”
• The Twilight Witch playfully teases Wu Yu for repeatedly making that claim.
• Chief Constable Liu recounts the victory to Zhao Polu, then welcomes Wu Yu and congratulates him on the outcome. He expresses frustration at the Long Family Ancestor’s escape and personally delivers Wu Yu’s reward.

Significant themes

• Growth through fusion: Combining separate materials and Curios can strengthen existing abilities while merging effects, rather than simply adding new ones.
• Power and resilience: Wu Yu’s new resources provide near-constant recovery, while the Ancestor’s escape shows how difficult powerful enemies can be to eliminate.
• The cost of victory: The sects resort to an exceptionally expensive artifact because of the threat associated with the Lord of Taisui.
• Humor amid escalating power: Wu Yu’s repeated boasts and the Witch’s teasing lighten the chapter’s intense developments.

Key plot points and events

• Chief Constable Liu presents Wu Yu with the reward for reporting the Long Family. A jade token is crushed, revealing a red-quality Dao Foundation artifact: the Blood-Red Divine Jade, formally called the Blood God Bone Armor.
• Liu explains that the report helped uncover a sinister ancient altar in the Taisui Temple. The threat associated with the Lord of Taisui was so severe that its release might have destroyed one of the Three Great Sects—or worse.
• The armor can strengthen blood qi, boost combat power, and provide powerful escape and revival abilities. But if its wearer cannot supply enough blood qi, its divine bones consume their flesh.
• Zhao Polu reminds Liu to explain the danger rather than simply admire the treasure. Wu Yu stores the artifact, already considering how it might be researched and upgraded with help from Lu Yiguan.
• The government gives Wu Yu 10,000 taels of incense silver as thanks. He eagerly accepts.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu is delighted by the valuable artifact but reins in his initial greed, recognizing that reporting the Long Family was the safest choice. He is also intrigued by the armor’s potential as research material and accepts the government’s payment without hesitation.
• Chief Constable Liu is grateful to Wu Yu and visibly envious of the reward, which he had hoped to acquire himself. His fear of the Lord of Taisui reveals how deeply that threat unsettles even experienced officials.
• Zhao Polu cuts through Liu’s enthusiastic praise and ensures Wu Yu hears about the armor’s potentially fatal drawback.
• Liu and Wu Yu share a friendly exchange: Liu explains the reward and the government’s gratitude, while Wu Yu accepts both the artifact and the silver.

Significant themes

• Reward and danger go hand in hand: The armor offers extraordinary strength and survival abilities, but can consume its wearer.
• Prudence over greed: Wu Yu recognizes that the smallest, safest quest reward was preferable to riskier alternatives.
• Unknown threats inspire fear: The Lord of Taisui appears even more terrifying than the Five Turbid God, emphasizing the larger dangers surrounding the city.

Key plot points and events

• After the battle, Chief Constable Liu warns Wu Yu that the Long Family’s surviving ancestor may seek revenge. The Government Office has issued a warrant, but the other great families are unlikely to help.
• Zhao Polu explains that the ancestor has prolonged his life through cruel methods, including sacrificing his own descendants. Long Aotian—the Long Family’s celebrated prodigy—was secretly used as nourishment for the ancestor’s [All Beings Bone].
• Zhao leaves, bitterly reflecting that human betrayal helped bring down the [True Martial God]. Wu Yu heads toward the [Hidden Shop], hoping to inspect the newly arrived caravans.
• A sudden, widespread wave of sleep overtakes people and animals throughout the city. Wu Yu’s Bronze Tripod strips away his emotions and activates the [Celestial God Aspect], protecting his senses and waking him.
• Wu Yu realizes the [Dream Martial Sect] has launched its disaster early, taking advantage of the Three Great Sects’ forces being distracted by their campaign against the [Taisui Temple]. He rushes back to the inn and prepares defenses with the Twilight Witch.
• A huge flying ship breaks through the clouds, accompanied by battle cries and a towering Celestial God Aspect. Wu Yu deploys his artifacts, spells, and other protections, but his own protection begins to fade. The [Chaos Spirit Realm] cannot withstand the dream assault, and he fears it may be forced to manifest.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu stays analytical under pressure. He quickly identifies why the Dream Martial Sect acted early and uses every available safeguard to resist the attack.
• Zhao Polu reveals the Long Family ancestor’s history and speaks with deep hatred of the family’s betrayal and cruelty. His recollections show how personal his feud is.
• Chief Constable Liu demonstrates concern for Wu Yu by warning him, despite being burdened with post-battle duties.
• The Twilight Witch remains unaffected by Great Dream because of her nature as a Witch of “Eternal Twilight.” She responds to Wu Yu’s orders by preparing protective Arcane Arts.

Significant themes

• Human cruelty and betrayal: Zhao argues that human wickedness can exceed that of Evil Gods, using the Long Family’s sacrifice of its own descendants as evidence.
• Adaptation and initiative: The Dream Martial Sect changes its plan rather than waiting for the expected countdown, exploiting its opponents’ distraction.
• Preparedness under uncertainty: Wu Yu’s survival depends on recognizing the threat quickly and combining multiple defenses, though their limits remain uncertain.

Plot points and events

• A citywide Great Dream overwhelms the City of Five Defilements. Wu Yu tries multiple protections, then falls asleep despite the Twilight Witch’s efforts to guard him; her staff cracks from sustaining “Eternal Twilight.”
• Outside the city, black-robed members of the Dream Martial Sect prepare Gu-based weapons, intending to destroy the Three Great Sects’ pillars and open a path into the Central Plains.
• In the dream, Wu Yu lives an alternate life: he is recruited by Ascension Technologies, builds a career, and marries a researcher. At the wedding, an uncanny vision and the bride’s list of demands alert him that the scene is an illusion. He kills the bride and priest, shattering the dream.
• Wu Yu wakes unharmed. The dream’s caster collapses, and the group’s Wish Gu bursts, revealing that Wu Yu has broken the Mind Mist.
• Looking over the city, Wu Yu sees most residents asleep and their life auras being drawn beyond the city. He realizes the sect battle is already underway.

Character developments and interactions

• Wu Yu demonstrates caution by preparing extensively before sleep, then sharp perception and decisiveness in recognizing and escaping the illusion. He reflects that his unusual experience as a transmigrator helped him spot its flaws.
• The Twilight Witch risks her staff to protect Wu Yu and is visibly relieved when he wakes.
• The Dream Martial Sect operatives are initially confident in their Mind Mist, but Wu Yu’s escape and the destruction of their Wish Gu unsettle them.
• In the dream, the bride, priest, and guests pressure Wu Yu to follow the wedding ritual; their demands and reactions expose the scene’s artificiality.

Significant themes

• Illusion versus discernment: The dream is persuasive because it offers Wu Yu a gratifying alternate life, but small inconsistencies reveal its danger.
• Choice and consequence: A seemingly ceremonial vow may have trapped Wu Yu in the dream, emphasizing the stakes behind ordinary decisions.
• Protection and sacrifice: The Twilight Witch’s costly defense contrasts with the sect’s calculated attempt to endanger the city.
• Large-scale conflict: The sleeping population and drained life auras show that the supernatural attack is tied to a wider war between sects.

Key plot points and events

• After awakening from the great dream, Wu Yu considers exploiting the battle between the Three Great Sects and the Dream Martial Sect, but decides the risk of revealing his strength is too high.
• The Twilight Witch reports that a mechanical mosquito arrived during his sleep. Wu Yu finds a warning from Liu Zheng: the next day’s disaster will arrive early. The delayed message and fleeting visions of giant insects make him uneasy.
• Wu Yu discovers three new statuses: Misfortune Tongue, which brings constant bad luck; Mind’s Dream, a dangerous dream state that is currently inactive; and Cursed Eye, marking him as a target of the Dream Martial Sect.
• He realizes that awakening from the dream destroyed a Wish Gu, prompting the sect to mark him. To avoid being found, he deliberately enters another dream after taking a Spirit-Calming Pill.
• In his familiar dream realm, Wu Yu reunites with Chang Xi. After he explains the sect conflict, she offers to help and transports them back to the inn. When Wu Yu assumes she will attack his enemies, Chang Xi says she cannot intervene—and pushes him onto the bed.

Character developments

• Wu Yu shows caution and strategic thinking, choosing concealment over the potential rewards of joining the battle. He also uses his understanding of dreams to evade the Dream Martial Sect’s search.
• The Twilight Witch demonstrates her devotion by using the power of eternal twilight to protect Wu Yu, damaging her staff in the process. Wu Yu reassures her and promises to replace it.
• Chang Xi appears playful and affectionate, but also reveals that her ability to travel through dreams does not mean she can directly interfere in the conflict.

Significant themes

• Caution versus ambition: Wu Yu resists the temptation to profit from a vast, dangerous war.
• Dreams as both refuge and danger: Wu Yu uses dreams to hide, yet dream-related powers and curses threaten him.
• Loyalty and protection: The Twilight Witch risks her equipment to keep Wu Yu safe.
• Uncertainty and hidden threats: The delayed warning, strange visions, and curse suggest the next disaster may be approaching sooner than expected.

Character interactions

• Wu Yu warmly acknowledges the Twilight Witch’s sacrifice and comforts her about her damaged staff.
• Liu Zheng’s message reconnects Wu Yu with his teammates and warns him of the approaching disaster.
• Wu Yu and Chang Xi exchange flirtatious banter before discussing the Dream Martial Sect. Chang Xi then transports him to the inn, where the chapter ends on a sudden, intimate cliffhanger.