Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Vast Dragon-Offering, Dao-Mystic Spirit Stele”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After suffering the backlash of the Thunder Prison lightning, Chen Lingxi recovers on Deer-Crying Peak. Yuan Lingyu gives him a valuable Life-Nourishing Pill and arranges a new Water-Curtain Cave for him after his former residence is destroyed.
• Yuan Lingyu furnishes the cave with spiritual stones and two useful spirit plants. In return, she asks Chen Lingxi to guide her in cultivation whenever she encounters difficulties.
• Chen Lingxi examines his injuries and discovers that the lightning has damaged his Dragon-Stripping Dao Platform, Profound Root treasure tree, and Wondrous Fruit. He begins healing through the Dragon-Stripping True-Transformation One-Qi True Art.
• Because Deer-Sleeping Peak possesses extremely dense spiritual qi, Chen Lingxi realizes he no longer needs to rely on the Immortal Husk for cultivation. He hides the Immortal Husk inside his Divine Chamber to prevent powerful cultivators from discovering it.
• Two days later, True Person Xiang Shu summons Chen Lingxi and grants him a Divine Ability Jade. Although Chen Lingxi observes him carefully, he detects no hostility, only the unfathomable schemes of a powerful figure.
• Chen Lingxi meets Shen Xiu’an, who gives him a Sword Talisman and warns him that the Dragon-Offering Sect is becoming increasingly competitive. Resources will soon have to be won through strength, and Deer-Sleeping Peak—now the weakest of the seven inner peaks—must produce stronger disciples.
• Shen Xiu’an urges Chen Lingxi to climb the Dragon-Transformation Immortal Ranking and gives him an Immortal Veneration Stone to heal his injuries. After a month of cultivation, Chen Lingxi fully recovers and his Dao Origin becomes denser.
• Yuan Lingyu then brings Chen Lingxi to the Heaven-Nurturing Hall to witness the triennial Cauldron Manifestation. The Dragon-Offering main sect’s Dao-Mystic Spirit Stele reveals opportunities discovered across the sect’s two hundred peaks, with inner peaks receiving the most precious manifestations.
• More than a hundred Dao Foundation cultivators gather at the hall, demonstrating the formidable strength of Deer-Sleeping Peak and the Dragon-Offering Sect. The chapter ends as Shen Xiu’an arrives amid terrifying Sword Qi.

Character Developments

• Chen Lingxi: Becomes more cautious and politically aware. He hides the Immortal Husk, recognizes the danger posed by the sect’s powerful Cauldron Vessels, and begins treating the present world as genuinely dangerous rather than merely part of an evolution. His injuries heal completely, and his cultivation foundation strengthens.
• Yuan Lingyu: Displays continued concern and affection for Chen Lingxi by caring for his recovery, preparing his cave, giving him medicine and spirit plants, and even sewing new robes for him. Her request for future guidance suggests she wants to remain close to him.
• Shen Xiu’an: Reveals himself to be both exceptionally powerful and genuinely protective of Chen Lingxi. He provides a Sword Talisman, offers strategic advice, and gives Chen Lingxi the Immortal Veneration Stone.
• True Person Xiang Shu: Remains enigmatic. He appears kind and benevolent, but Chen Lingxi senses that his intentions and schemes are far deeper than they seem.
• Yan Shu: Appears as a reserved senior disciple overseeing the Dao-Mystic Spirit Stele. Her quiet authority reflects her high status within the weakened Deer-Sleeping Peak.

Significant Themes

• Concealment and survival: Chen Lingxi recognizes that revealing the Immortal Husk or his true foundations could attract deadly attention. Strength must be concealed until he is capable of protecting himself.
• Decline and competition: Deer-Sleeping Peak has lost its elders and many disciples, leaving it vulnerable. The sect’s changing rules mean resources will increasingly depend on competition and individual strength.
• Mentorship and loyalty: Yuan Lingyu and Shen Xiu’an support Chen Lingxi in different ways—through personal care, practical assistance, healing treasures, and strategic guidance.
• Power and hierarchy: The vast gathering of Dao Foundation cultivators emphasizes the Dragon-Offering Sect’s enormous strength and the gap between Chen Lingxi’s current cultivation and the sect’s upper echelons.
• Mystery and fate: The Cauldron Vessels, especially the Dao-Mystic Spirit Stele and Xiang Shu’s Fate-Evolving Purple Radiance Cauldron Vessel, continue to shape Chen Lingxi’s destiny and raise questions about hidden agendas.

Character Interactions

• Yuan Lingyu and Chen Lingxi develop a warm, mutually trusting relationship, with her openly caring for him and seeking continued contact.
• Chen Lingxi maintains respectful but wary relations with True Person Xiang Shu, accepting his gift while remaining suspicious of his motives.
• Shen Xiu’an acts as a stern but benevolent elder brother, warning Chen Lingxi about sect politics and materially helping him recover.
• Chen Lingxi and Yuan Lingyu meet Yan Shu at the Heaven-Nurturing Hall, where Yan Shu acknowledges them but remains focused on the Cauldron Manifestation.
• The arrival of over a hundred Dao Foundation cultivators, followed by Shen Xiu’an’s dramatic entrance, reinforces the hierarchy and competitive atmosphere within Deer-Sleeping Peak.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dao-Mystic Spirit Stele manifests in Heaven-Nurturing Hall during the triennial cauldron appearance, revealing numerous extraordinary opportunities across the Nine-Towers Land.
• Two opportunities stand above the rest:
  • A rust-covered broken sword buried beneath Frost Sea, containing terrifying Sword Qi and possibly possessing the quality of a second-grade spirit artifact.
  • The Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection, a Dao-born treasure capable of helping a Dao Foundation Early Stage cultivator advance to the Middle Stage, strengthen their foundation, and gain insight into the legendary Suspended-Qi Treasure Body.
• Chen Lingxi is deeply tempted by both treasures but decides not to pursue either immediately. The Suspended-Qi Fruit is already known throughout the Nine-Towers Land and would attract powerful competitors, while the broken sword lies in an extremely dangerous region and has likely drawn the attention of other factions.
• Chen returns to Water-Curtain Cave, where he begins studying the Great Divine Ability Heavenly-Law Edict and attempts to refine the accompanying spiritual item, the Heaven-Square Cauldron.
• Heavenly-Law Edict allows its user to invoke heavenly law so that spoken words become binding restrictions. Unlike Chen’s offensive Great Divine Ability, Thunder-Prison Heaven, it specializes in sealing, restraint, and suppression.
• Chen finds Heavenly-Law Edict extremely difficult to comprehend. Even with his strong foundation and enhanced reserves, he can only sense its principles without grasping them fully. He resolves to cultivate it gradually.
• Several peaceful days pass as Chen studies the ability, nourishes his Dao Platform and Profound Root with the Immortal Veneration Stone, tempers his body, and practices the True Edict of Audience with the Dao.
• A major disturbance then occurs: the phantom of the Divine Deer above Deer-Sleeping Peak shines brilliantly, and two cultivators appear atop its antlers.
• The newcomers are Cheng Shuangtian of Crane-Clumsy Peak, a powerful middle-aged cultivator carrying a terrifying dark-gold pagoda, and his young disciple Lian Sheng.
• Cheng Shuangtian meets with Shen Xiu’an, Deer-Sleeping Peak’s Eldest Senior Brother, and reveals that he has come to compete for the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection.
• Cheng explains that Lian Sheng is an exceptionally gifted Dao Foundation Early Stage cultivator with the Wondrous Fruit, the [Illusory Birth] divine ability, and a powerful foundation. He has also enlisted Chu Zhuo of Sword-Illuminating Mystic Peak to help secure the treasure.
• Cheng then pointedly asks which disciple Shen Xiu’an intends to support in the struggle. Shen responds by looking directly toward Chen Lingxi, strongly implying that Chen is his chosen candidate.

Character Developments

• Chen Lingxi demonstrates caution and strategic maturity. Although he greatly desires the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection and recognizes the broken sword’s immense value, he prioritizes increasing his cultivation and preserving his secrets over recklessly competing for dangerous treasures.
• Chen gains a clearer understanding of his cultivation path. He recognizes that mastering Heavenly-Law Edict alongside Thunder-Prison Heaven would give him both overwhelming offense and powerful defensive or restrictive abilities.
• His difficulty with Heavenly-Law Edict emphasizes that even his exceptional foundation cannot immediately overcome the complexity of a Great Divine Ability tied to heavenly law and authority.
• Shen Xiu’an shows continued interest in Chen, first observing him during the Spirit Stele’s manifestation and later apparently selecting him as his representative in the struggle for the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection.
• Cheng Shuangtian is presented as confident and politically deliberate. He emphasizes Lian Sheng’s achievements while politely but unmistakably testing Shen Xiu’an’s intentions.
• Lian Sheng appears highly talented and proud, yet sufficiently respectful to defer to Shen Xiu’an because of the latter’s seniority and status.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity versus preparedness: Chen recognizes that possessing information about a treasure does not mean one is ready to claim it. True strength and preparation must come first.
• Caution amid power struggles: The Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection attracts sects, immortal clans, and powerful cultivators throughout the Nine-Towers Land, making ambition dangerous without sufficient backing.
• Law versus force: Heavenly-Law Edict and Thunder-Prison Heaven represent contrasting forms of power—one imposes heavenly restrictions, while the other destroys through overwhelming force.
• Patience and gradual cultivation: Chen’s slow progress with Heavenly-Law Edict reinforces the idea that profound abilities require persistent effort rather than instant mastery.
• Hidden competition within the sect: The courteous exchange between Shen Xiu’an and Cheng Shuangtian conceals a serious contest between rival inner peaks and their chosen disciples.

Character Interactions

• Chen stands with Yuan Lingyu and Yan Shu while observing the Spirit Stele, then later bids them farewell before returning to his cave.
• Shen Xiu’an silently observes Chen during the Spirit Stele event, creating an unresolved sense that he has already taken special notice of him.
• Cheng Shuangtian formally greets Shen Xiu’an and introduces Lian Sheng, who salutes Shen as his Martial Uncle.
• Cheng and Shen exchange polite but competitive words over the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection. Cheng highlights Lian Sheng’s qualifications and support network, while Shen’s final glance toward Chen suggests that Chen will be placed in direct opposition to Lian Sheng.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Xiu’an brings his junior brother, Chen Lingxi—also known as Spirit Bearer—to meet Cheng Shuangtian and Lian Sheng above Deer-Sleeping Peak.
• Cheng Shuangtian initially assumes Chen Lingxi is a new disciple, but Shen clarifies that he is True Person Xiang Shu’s junior brother. Lian Sheng becomes more respectful after learning Chen’s connection to Golden Grotto.
• The central dispute concerns the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection, a valuable cultivation opportunity sought by both Shen Xiu’an and Cheng Shuangtian’s disciple, Lian Sheng.
• Cheng offers a fourth-grade Star-Pond Formation Disk in exchange for Shen withdrawing, but Shen rejects it as inadequate.
• Cheng argues that Lian Sheng’s stronger Dao Origin and ranking entitle him to the opportunity. Shen responds that they should simply compete for it by force.
• Cheng threatens future retaliation from Crane-Clumsy Peak and reveals that he has enlisted Chu Zhuo, a powerful sword cultivator ranked fourth on the Dragon-Transformation Four-Mystic Ranking.
• Shen unleashes a terrifying sword-path divine ability: a black-and-white millstone formed from more than ten thousand treasured swords. His pressure overwhelms both Cheng and Lian Sheng, and he threatens to sever one of Cheng’s Profound Roots.
• Chu Zhuo arrives atop an enormous thousand-zhang treasured sword. Rather than helping Cheng out of loyalty, he explains that he wants to challenge Shen and determine whose sword path is superior.
• Shen dismisses the confrontation for now, confidently claiming that no sword cultivator beneath the Golden Grotto Realm can match his sword light. Chu Zhuo accepts the future duel and departs.
• Lian Sheng then publicly challenges Chen Lingxi to exchange pointers, hoping to test the newly arrived cultivator and likely preserve Crane-Clumsy Peak’s prestige.
• Despite Shen’s concern and Yuan Lingyu’s warning, Chen accepts the challenge.

Character Developments

• Chen Lingxi: Remains composed and observant while assessing the sect’s power structure. He recognizes Shen’s protectiveness and develops strong battle intent after hearing of Lian Sheng’s reputation. He decides to reveal his strength rather than remain inactive.
• Shen Xiu’an: Demonstrates fierce loyalty toward Chen and an uncompromising attitude toward threats or coercion. His calm confidence is backed by overwhelming sword power, establishing him as one of the Dragon-Offering Sect’s supreme experts.
• Cheng Shuangtian: Begins diplomatically but becomes increasingly aggressive when Shen refuses to yield. His reliance on Chu Zhuo shows both his ambition and his awareness that he cannot contend with Shen alone.
• Lian Sheng: Initially arrogant toward Chen because of Chen’s apparently modest Dao Origin, but becomes respectful after learning his seniority. He later uses a public challenge to provoke Chen and test his true ability.
• Chu Zhuo: Reveals himself as an intensely proud and independent sword cultivator. His motivation is not factional loyalty but the desire to measure his swordsmanship against Shen’s.

Significant Themes

• Strength as authority: The Dragon-Offering Sect’s culture emphasizes that opportunities and status are ultimately decided by cultivation strength.
• Hidden power and mistaken judgment: Chen appears young and inexperienced, causing others to underestimate him, while Shen’s terrifying ability makes clear that outward calm can conceal overwhelming force.
• Loyalty and protection: Shen’s willingness to confront an entire faction for Chen shows the importance of personal bonds within the competitive cultivation world.
• Rivalry among geniuses: The chapter introduces several elite cultivators whose pride, rankings, and desire to prove themselves drive conflict.
• Reputation versus reality: Rankings and sect fame influence how characters judge one another, but the impending contests suggest that actual strength—not reputation—will decide the truth.

Character Interactions

• Shen and Cheng engage in a polite but increasingly hostile negotiation over the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection.
• Shen’s sharp rebuttal and display of power force Cheng to retreat from direct confrontation.
• Chu Zhuo interrupts the conflict and establishes a personal sword-path rivalry with Shen.
• Lian Sheng shifts attention to Chen, publicly challenging him in front of Deer-Sleeping Peak’s disciples and elders.
• Chen’s acceptance transforms the chapter’s tension from a dispute between senior experts into an imminent contest between two Dao Foundation Early Stage cultivators.

Chapter Summary: “Sword Intent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Lingxi accepts Lian Sheng’s challenge despite Lian Sheng’s high ranking on the Dragon-Transformation Immortal Ranking. His decision surprises the spectators, especially Yuan Lingyu, who worries for him.
• Lian Sheng opens with the Great Art Illusory Birth, creating multiple powerful warrior and immortal projections. He strengthens them with the fourth-grade spirit artifact Jade Tiger of Hidden Mechanism.
• Chen Lingxi effortlessly destroys the projections and the jade tiger’s empowered manifestations with the Great Art of Thunder-Prison Heaven, revealing overwhelming destructive power.
• Lian Sheng acknowledges Chen Lingxi’s strength but launches three linked attacks: Heavenfrost Spirit Net, Roaring Vermilion Palm Seal, and Blazing Cloudfire Qi, combining freezing and burning forces.
• Chen Lingxi counters with the Thunder-Prison Immortal Eye, immobilizing the frost net, then draws the Abyssal Heaven Spirit Sword and uses Twelve Heavenly Drum Peals to shatter the scarlet palm seals.
• Riding the Longevity Bridge, Chen Lingxi breaks through the remaining fire attack and closes in on Lian Sheng.
• Chen Lingxi then activates the Great Sage Treasure Form, becoming a towering, immensely powerful figure. His Palace-Knocking Finger destroys Lian Sheng’s protective barrier and sends him crashing into the sea of clouds.
• Lian Sheng survives and attempts to use the Jade Tiger as a final trump card, but Shen Xiu’an intervenes, warning him not to use a life-saving reserve in a disciple spar.
• Chen Lingxi reveals an even more terrifying sword intent. Its pressure freezes Lian Sheng’s Dao Origin and makes clear that Chen Lingxi has still not used his full strength.
• Realizing the gap between them, Lian Sheng admits defeat.

Character Developments

• Chen Lingxi is revealed to be far more powerful and versatile than his quiet, unassuming reputation suggests. He demonstrates mastery of thunder arts, swordsmanship, movement techniques, physical transformation, and overwhelming combat judgment.
• Chen’s calm demeanor never changes, even when surrounded by Lian Sheng’s strongest attacks. His confidence reassures Yuan Lingyu and impresses Shen Xiu’an.
• Lian Sheng begins the battle arrogant and confident in his ranking and abilities. After his techniques are destroyed one after another, his arrogance gives way to seriousness, then unwillingness and frustration. Ultimately, he recognizes Chen Lingxi’s superior strength and accepts defeat with reluctant honesty.
• Yuan Lingyu displays open concern for Chen Lingxi. His faint smile, assuring her not to worry, deepens her emotional investment in him.
• Shen Xiu’an initially allows the contest to proceed, recognizing Chen Lingxi’s composure. After Chen’s victory, he shows approval and intervenes only when Lian Sheng attempts to escalate the spar dangerously.
• Cheng Shuangtian, who had appeared confident that events were under control, loses his composure as Chen Lingxi dominates the fight.
• The six hall masters, though mostly unseen, grow increasingly attentive as Chen Lingxi reveals his extraordinary strength.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Chen Lingxi’s quiet exterior conceals an exceptional foundation and a frightening range of abilities.
• Confidence versus arrogance: Lian Sheng’s pride is challenged by an opponent whose power surpasses his assumptions. His defeat forces him to replace arrogance with recognition.
• Restraint and control: Shen Xiu’an’s intervention emphasizes that the battle is a spar between fellow disciples, not a life-or-death struggle. Chen Lingxi also shows control by defeating Lian Sheng without immediately killing him.
• Sword intent as a measure of true power: Chen Lingxi’s final sword intent is more intimidating than his previous techniques, proving that his earlier attacks did not represent his full strength.
• Public revelation and reputation: The battle changes how Deer-Sleeping Peak views Chen Lingxi, transforming him from an obscure Spirit Bearer Martial Uncle into a figure whose abilities command attention from disciples and hall masters alike.

Character Interactions

• Chen Lingxi silently reassures Yuan Lingyu with a smile before the fight, creating a moment of trust and concern between them.
• He acknowledges Shen Xiu’an before beginning, while Shen Xiu’an respects his decision and refrains from stopping the challenge.
• Lian Sheng formally addresses Chen as “Martial Uncle,” but his initial politeness is paired with clear confidence and competitive arrogance.
• Their exchange evolves from Lian Sheng’s aggressive attacks and Chen’s calm counters into a decisive demonstration of superiority.
• Shen Xiu’an directly restrains Lian Sheng when he attempts to use his ultimate reserve, preserving the boundary between sparring and lethal combat.
• Chen Lingxi’s final sword intent forces Lian Sheng to confront the complete disparity between them, leading him to openly concede: he had lost, and Chen had not yet fought at full strength.

Chapter Summary

Key events

• Chen Lingxi defeats Lian Sheng of Crane-Clumsy Peak with the Jade Tiger Sea-Reversing Sword Light, a rare and difficult sword art from the Thunder-Hiding Sword Canon. The swift, decisive victory astonishes Cheng Shuangtian and the disciples watching.
• Shen Xiu’an reminds Cheng that he had agreed the Suspended-Qi Fruit Projection should go to the stronger fighter. Though Cheng recognizes Chen Lingxi’s superiority, he leaves with Lian Sheng rather than concede the opportunity, apologizing for his discourtesy.
• Yuan Lingyu congratulates Chen Lingxi and hosts a celebratory meal. Over dinner, she tells him that earning a place on the Dragon-Transformation Immortal Ranking can bring powerful cultivation benefits.
• A dragon’s roar announces the arrival of two imposing, horned visitors traveling in an extraordinary immortal carriage. Their innate pressure nearly forces Chen Lingxi to kneel. Yuan Lingyu identifies them as immortals from Great Luo Heaven, whom the sect’s disciples are ordered to treat with reverence.
• Their arrival stirs Chen Lingxi’s memories of Great Luo Heaven and the mysteries he encountered in Weiji Grotto-Heaven. Soon afterward, a dragon’s gaze surveys the sect and its territory, scattering Mystic Light. One strand lands on Chen Lingxi, and a heavenly proclamation orders everyone touched by the light to enter the main sect.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Lingxi reveals exceptional sword ability, though he downplays it as an ordinary divine art. His victory raises his standing among the disciples, and the mysterious Mystic Light marks him for a new opportunity.
• Cheng Shuangtian is visibly shaken by Chen’s skill and unwilling to accept the defeat’s consequences. He removes Lian Sheng from the scene without resolving the dispute over the fruit opportunity.
• Shen Xiu’an backs his junior brother and invokes Cheng’s own principle of strength deciding the outcome, then departs in his characteristically abrupt fashion.
• Yuan Lingyu shows warm admiration and care for Chen, celebrating his victory with a meal and encouraging him to pursue the ranking. Her delight turns to excitement when the Mystic Light selects him.

Significant themes

• Strength and fairness: The duel tests the claim that power should decide who receives a coveted opportunity, while Cheng’s departure leaves that principle unresolved.
• Hidden ability and recognition: Chen’s understated presence contrasts with his remarkable swordsmanship and the attention he attracts.
• Hierarchy and awe: The Great Luo Heaven visitors’ innate authority demonstrates the gulf between ordinary sect disciples and higher powers.
• Destiny and advancement: The Mystic Light’s selection signals a major transition, drawing Chen toward the Dragon-Offering Main Sect and its larger mysteries.

Chapter Summary: Entwined-Dragon Servitor

Key Plot Points and Events

• A streak of pure Mystic Light descends from the heavens and envelops Chen Lingxi. It enters his body, flowing through his meridians and settling near his Dao Platform and Thunder-Prison Profound Root.
• Yuan Lingyu explains that the Mystic Light is a blessing from the Great Luo Heavenly Immortals. Those it selects are considered people of fate and are summoned to the Dragon-Offering Sect’s main sect to meet the immortals.
• Though others view the event as a rare opportunity to become an Immortal Attendant, Chen Lingxi suspects the Mystic Light may indicate that he is being treated as another kind of “Cauldron Vessel.” He conceals his doubts and travels to the main sect.
• At the magnificent Dragon-Offering main sect, Chen Lingxi is received by his master, True Person Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu warns him to show respect to the Great Luo Heavenly Immortals but emphatically tells him: “Do not agree to anything.”
• Chen Lingxi enters the Origin Peak Mountain Main Hall, where three other Mystic Light-selected cultivators have gathered. Present are True Person Yu Jun, seven powerful sect figures, and the male and female Great Luo Heavenly Immortals from the immortal carriage.
• The male immortal identifies Chen Lingxi as someone selected by Dragon-Appraising Lake and declares that he will become his Entwined-Dragon Servitor, summoned to the Entwined-Dragon Palace once he reaches the Dao Foundation Late Stage.
• Before Chen Lingxi can accept, True Person Xiang Shu reveals that Chen Lingxi is his personal disciple and that the sect master has designated him to inherit the dragon molt at the Great Lodestar Dragon-Offering Palace. Xiang Shu argues that his disciple is needed to preserve the weakening Deer-Sleeping Peak.
• The Dragon Palace prince ultimately yields to Xiang Shu, recognizing his status as a Golden Grotto True Person, but offers Chen Lingxi a choice by presenting him with a strand of his Dao Origin, called Dragon Origin.
• Through his eyes, the prince reveals his true-dragon form and attempts to overwhelm Chen Lingxi with spiritual pressure and temptation. He promises him a Cauldron Vessel opportunity, the Mysterious Void Dao Fruit, and a Young Dragon Bloodline if he becomes a dragon servant.
• Chen Lingxi nearly submits, but the Heaven-Inviting Great Sage within his Inner Divine Palace awakens and dispels the prince’s influence. Realizing that the true-dragon form contains something strange, Chen Lingxi refuses to answer immediately.
• The prince allows him to take the Dragon Origin and study it before making his decision. Chen Lingxi leaves the hall under Xiang Shu’s instruction.

Character Developments

• Chen Lingxi: Demonstrates increasing caution and independence. Although tempted by the extraordinary rewards offered by the Dragon Palace prince, he resists coercion and does not surrender his judgment. His hidden protection from the Heaven-Inviting Great Sage becomes crucial.
• Yuan Lingyu: Shows genuine excitement and concern for Chen Lingxi, believing the Mystic Light signals great destiny. Her reverence for the immortals contrasts with Chen Lingxi’s suspicion.
• True Person Xiang Shu: Is revealed to be far more powerful and influential than his plain appearance suggests. He is a Golden Grotto True Person and strongly protects Chen Lingxi’s future, warning him not to agree to the immortals’ demands.
• The Dragon Palace Prince: Displays immense authority, charisma, and manipulative power. He initially claims Chen Lingxi as his servant but later adopts a more patient strategy, giving him the Dragon Origin to tempt or influence him over time.
• Heaven-Inviting Great Sage: Acts as a powerful spiritual safeguard, awakening at the critical moment to protect Chen Lingxi from the dragon prince’s domination.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus personal choice: The Mystic Light is said to select people according to mysterious destiny, yet Chen Lingxi questions whether this “fate” is actually a deliberate arrangement or exploitation.
• Temptation and autonomy: The Dragon Palace prince offers immense benefits, but those rewards come with submission and servitude. Chen Lingxi’s struggle emphasizes the danger of accepting power without understanding its cost.
• Hidden identities and power: Xiang Shu’s unassuming appearance conceals his status as a Golden Grotto True Person, while the seemingly benevolent Mystic Light may conceal ulterior motives.
• Protection versus possession: Xiang Shu seeks to preserve Chen Lingxi’s freedom and place within Deer-Sleeping Peak, while the Dragon Palace prince seeks to claim him as a servant.
• The dangers of immortal authority: Even without openly attacking, the Great Luo Heavenly Immortals exert overwhelming pressure. Their words and presence demonstrate how easily lesser cultivators can be controlled.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Lingxi and Yuan Lingyu: Yuan Lingyu celebrates his selection and urges him to obey the main sect’s summons; Chen Lingxi politely agrees while privately distrusting the opportunity.
• Chen Lingxi and Xiang Shu: Xiang Shu receives him coldly but later gives a serious warning not to agree to anything. In the hall, he openly challenges the Dragon Palace prince to protect his disciple.
• Xiang Shu and the Dragon Palace prince: Their exchange becomes a struggle over Chen Lingxi’s future. Xiang Shu invokes his authority and the needs of Deer-Sleeping Peak, forcing the prince to concede.
• Chen Lingxi and the Dragon Palace prince: The prince attempts to dominate Chen Lingxi through his true-dragon manifestation and seductive promises. Chen Lingxi resists, leaving their relationship unresolved but clearly adversarial and manipulative.
• Chen Lingxi and the Heaven-Inviting Great Sage: The Great Sage intervenes internally, breaking the prince’s spiritual influence and allowing Chen Lingxi to retain control of himself.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Lingxi returns to Water-Curtain Cave without telling Yuan Lingyu whether he secured the immortal attendant opportunity. She comforts him, then leaves; he waits until she is gone before examining the Dragon Origin he received from the Entwined-Dragon Palace.
• The Dragon Origin contains an unfamiliar, living-seeming power that resonates with something ancient. It conflicts with Chen Lingxi’s lightning-based Thunder-Prison Profound Root, though the two do not outright repel each other.
• A phantom Divine Deer summons Chen Lingxi to his master, True Person Xiang Shu. Xiang Shu warns him never to become an Entwined-Dragon Servant, despite the Great Su Dragon Palace’s overwhelming power. He refuses to explain why, but promises to protect Chen Lingxi and says he would never harm him.
• Chen Lingxi learns that the crown prince is the Sixth Entwined-Dragon Crown Prince, Chan Zhaofu.
• Back at his cave, Chen Lingxi reflects on the vast and mysterious powers above Deer-Sleeping Peak, then decides to use his Wandering Sight Divine Ability to investigate Chan Zhaofu. He uses the Dragon Origin as a possible karmic link, and the previously empty third Sight-Roaming slot lights up. The chapter ends as he begins to Sight-Roam Chan Zhaofu.

Character developments

• Chen Lingxi remains outwardly respectful but grows more wary and curious. Rather than accept his master’s warning without question, he seeks information for himself, using his new connection to the crown prince to expand his understanding.
• Yuan Lingyu shows affection and concern for Chen Lingxi, hiding her disappointment so as not to burden him.
• True Person Xiang Shu reveals unusually earnest concern for Chen Lingxi, deepening the mystery of his motives. Chen Lingxi suspects Xiang Shu has a hidden purpose because he altered the memories surrounding Chen’s place in the sect, yet the master’s apparent care seems genuine.

Significant themes

• Power and uncertainty: Chen Lingxi discovers that the world’s hierarchy extends far beyond what he knows, with Great Luo Heaven and the Dragon Palace towering over the Nine-Towers Land.
• Trust and hidden motives: Xiang Shu’s warning and promise of protection conflict with Chen Lingxi’s suspicions about the master’s past actions.
• Knowledge as survival: Recognizing his own weakness, Chen Lingxi uses his unique ability to seek insight into forces he could not safely investigate directly.
• Dangerous connection: The Dragon Origin may be both a remarkable treasure and a link to a powerful figure whose intentions remain unknown.

Character interactions

• Yuan Lingyu checks on Chen Lingxi, offers encouragement, and serves him morning dew before leaving.
• Xiang Shu summons Chen Lingxi and cautions him against becoming Chan Zhaofu’s servant, while withholding the reason for the warning.
• Chen Lingxi questions Xiang Shu about the servant role and asks the crown prince’s name, then departs still uncertain about his master’s motives.