Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Huijing Preaches the Dharma”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Nether Domain, Old Gou and the black evil Buddha Eternity discuss their plans to manipulate Qin Jianzhi and lure the World Honored One into a trap. Qin Jianzhi’s unpredictable movements have reduced their chances of success, forcing them to rely on another scheme.
• Their plan involves using the Black and White Flowing Light—an object containing Kind Father’s Origin Power—as bait. However, activating the sacrificial array connected to Kind Father is extremely dangerous, since absorbing the power could cause them to be assimilated.
• Eternity prepares to corrupt or manipulate a target from Buddha Land. Since Huijing is currently the only remaining Moon Radiance cultivator there, Eternity believes Huijing will use the Buddha Sarira to elevate another member to Moon Radiance and preserve Buddha Land’s reputation. Eternity intends to exploit this opportunity.
• Old Gou promises Eternity a strand of the Black and White Flowing Light, which could help Eternity advance to Final Ruins if the World Honored One is successfully corrupted.
• Meanwhile, Su Chen infiltrates Buddha Land by assuming the identity of Ming Nian, a relatively obscure Morning Star Bodhisattva from the Ming generation. He reaches Spirit Mountain, the center of Buddha Land, after returning from a Dharma-spreading mission.
• Su Chen successfully passes an inspection by the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit, reporting that Ming Nian established dozens of temples and exceeded his assigned Dharma-spreading quota. His achievement exempts him from further missions for a hundred years.
• On the way up Spirit Mountain, Su Chen encounters Ming Chi, whom he previously knew from the Source Fire Grounds. Ming Chi informs him that Huijing’s Dharma lecture may be intended to select someone with karmic affinity and use the Buddha Sarira to forcibly elevate that person into a Buddha.
• Ming Chi also reveals that Buddha Land has recently suffered major losses and now depends almost entirely on Huijing. He recounts crushing a minor force that opposed Buddha Land and forcing its members to join Buddha Land in repentance.
• When Su Chen indirectly asks about “that person”—meaning Su Chen himself—Ming Chi reacts with alarm. He explains that Su Chen’s name has become taboo within Buddha Land and warns Ming Nian never to mention or investigate the matter again.
• Su Chen follows Ming Chi to the Dharma lecture, where numerous Buddha Land disciples have gathered before the World Honored One’s residence. Huijing appears calm and holy, concealing the frightening and distorted appearance he displayed during his earlier ambush of the Bronze Church.

Character Developments

• Old Gou becomes increasingly cautious and calculating. Qin Jianzhi’s unexpected behavior forces him to revise his strategy, and he places greater hope in Eternity’s Buddha Land operation.
• Eternity shows ambition and loyalty toward Old Gou, but his interest in obtaining the Black and White Flowing Light suggests that he is also motivated by the promise of advancing to Final Ruins.
• Su Chen demonstrates strong infiltration skills and self-control. He uses his detailed knowledge of Ming Nian to pass Buddha Land’s inspections, imitates the identity convincingly, and avoids exposing himself when confronted by Ming Chi.
• Ming Chi appears friendly at first, but his attitude changes sharply when Su Chen is mentioned. His fear of Buddha Land’s reaction reveals how thoroughly Su Chen has been made into a taboo figure.
• Huijing is presented as outwardly serene and authoritative, while the contrast with his earlier monstrous behavior emphasizes his hidden ruthlessness and duplicity.

Significant Themes

• Deception and infiltration: Su Chen’s disguise and Old Gou’s schemes reflect the widespread use of manipulation and false identities among powerful factions.
• Religious authority as political power: Buddha Land’s Dharma-spreading missions are used to expand influence, gather Faith Power, and establish control over other worlds.
• Public holiness versus hidden corruption: Buddha Land presents itself as compassionate and righteous, yet its disciples impose themselves on local powers, while Huijing and other leaders conceal violent and calculating motives.
• Ambition and advancement: Eternity’s desire to reach Final Ruins and Buddha Land’s willingness to use the Buddha Sarira show how spiritual advancement is entangled with personal ambition and political necessity.
• Fear and censorship: Su Chen’s name has become so dangerous that merely mentioning it is forbidden, demonstrating Buddha Land’s effort to suppress information and control its members.
• Decline and desperation: The loss of most of Buddha Land’s Buddhas has left Huijing struggling to maintain the institution’s appearance of strength, motivating the planned elevation of a new Buddha.

Important Character Interactions

• Old Gou and Eternity coordinate a plot involving Buddha Land, the World Honored One, and the Black and White Flowing Light.
• Su Chen interacts with the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit and successfully completes Ming Nian’s mission report.
• Su Chen and Ming Chi exchange polite conversation, but the interaction becomes tense when Su Chen asks about Su Chen’s former relationship with Buddha Land.
• Ming Chi warns Su Chen, while believing him to be Ming Nian, not to mention Su Chen’s name or inquire further.
• Su Chen and Ming Chi then attend Huijing’s Dharma lecture, placing Su Chen near the center of Buddha Land’s impending scheme.

Chapter Summary: “The Eerie Buddha Land”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen and Ming Chi attend a gathering led by Huijing, a high-ranking figure in the Buddha Land. Although Su Chen is largely ignored under the identity of “Ming Nian,” Ming Chi receives unusual respect and flattery from many monks, including some who are stronger than him.
• Huijing delivers a three-day sermon on the “Dharma of Affinity.” The sermon produces an extraordinary Buddhist phenomenon involving golden light, lotus thrones, Bhikshus, and Arhats.
• At the sermon’s conclusion, Ming Chi and another monk, Ming Hao, enter profound realizations. Huijing announces that both have been selected to become Dharma Protector Buddhas of the current age.
• The monks react with apparent joy and congratulations, but Su Chen finds their behavior unsettling and suspects that the selection may have been anticipated or manipulated.
• After leaving the gathering, Su Chen retreats to an isolated temple. He establishes multiple concealment arrays to hide his aura and prevent detection by the Buddha Land’s powerful formations and inhabitants.
• He releases the Remnant Spirit and tests whether it can truly sense the World Honored One’s Body of Greed, Anger, and Delusion. The Remnant Spirit confirms that it can feel the entity’s presence nearby, although its location seems to shift unpredictably.
• The Remnant Spirit reveals that Nine Eyes’ Universe-Peering Method could locate the body precisely. The ritual requires the eyes of nine creatures and fifty thousand portions of Faith Spirit, with the Remnant Spirit acting as the catalyst. Su Chen does not attempt the ritual, fearing that it could expose him.
• Su Chen then activates a Data Core containing a data seed attached to Ming Chi. Despite heavy interference, he manages to observe Ming Chi’s surroundings. The vision reveals that Huijing has taken Ming Chi and Ming Hao into the Offering Pagoda, one of the Buddha Land’s most restricted and important locations.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Becomes increasingly suspicious of the Buddha Land. He carefully balances investigation with concealment, using multiple Rune Arrays, the Remnant Spirit, and his Data Core to gather information without exposing himself. His distrust of the Remnant Spirit remains strong, so he verifies its claims rather than accepting them.
• Ming Chi: Gains sudden prominence after being selected as a potential Dharma Protector Buddha. His previously observed social connections and the excessive respect shown toward him suggest that others may have known or expected this outcome. His apparent enlightenment during the sermon further strengthens his elevated status.
• Ming Hao: Like Ming Chi, he experiences a deep realization during Huijing’s sermon and is chosen as a Dharma Protector Buddha. Unlike Ming Chi, he had not shown the same level of popularity or deference beforehand, making his selection more difficult for Su Chen to interpret.
• Huijing: Displays immense spiritual authority and control. His sermon affects the entire gathering, and he personally selects Ming Chi and Ming Hao under the World Honored One’s decree. His calm, detached manner and access to the Offering Pagoda emphasize his importance within the Buddha Land.
• The Remnant Spirit: Proves that its connection to the Body of Greed, Anger, and Delusion is genuine, though its inability to provide a stable direction makes its information difficult to trust completely. It offers a potentially powerful tracking ritual but demands a large amount of Faith Spirit.

Significant Themes

• Spirituality versus manipulation: The sermon appears holy and profound, but Su Chen cannot determine whether the monks’ reactions are sincere or orchestrated. The Buddha Land’s religious practices may conceal political or supernatural manipulation.
• Deformation beneath holiness: The radiant Buddhist imagery contrasts with Su Chen’s growing sense that the Buddha Land is twisted and abnormal. Its solemn rituals and claims of enlightenment produce an atmosphere of unease rather than reassurance.
• Surveillance and concealment: Su Chen must constantly hide his identity and actions. His use of Rune Arrays and the Data Core reflects the danger of operating inside a realm controlled by immensely powerful beings.
• Faith as power: Faith Spirit is treated as a concrete resource, necessary for rituals and possibly linked to the Buddha Land’s authority and structure.
• Uncertain identity and allegiance: The sudden reverence toward Ming Chi, the mysterious selection of Dharma Protector Buddhas, and the behavior of the monks suggest that loyalties and motivations in the Buddha Land may not be what they appear.

Character Interactions

• Huijing commands the gathered monks, who respond to him with reverence and unquestioning obedience.
• The monks treat Ming Chi with markedly greater respect than Ming Nian, revealing the difference between Ming Chi’s status and Su Chen’s assumed identity.
• Su Chen publicly congratulates Ming Chi while secretly planting a data seed on him, combining outward cooperation with covert investigation.
• Su Chen interrogates the Remnant Spirit about its ability to locate the Body of Greed, Anger, and Delusion. Their exchange is tense, with Su Chen threatening it indirectly and the Remnant Spirit hurriedly defending its honesty.
• The chapter ends with Huijing escorting Ming Chi and Ming Hao into the highly restricted Offering Pagoda, giving Su Chen a new means of investigating one of the Buddha Land’s most important locations.

Chapter Summary: “Deep Foundations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen observes the Buddha Land’s Offering Pagoda through the Data Core and is stunned by the enormous number of Buddha Sarira stored there. He estimates that obtaining and devouring them could increase his power to hundreds of Flesh Imprints, potentially allowing him to challenge even the World Honored One.
• Huijing reveals that the Buddha Land currently has four vacant Spirits of Radiant Moon. He selects Ming Hao and Ming Chi to become Dharma Protector Buddhas through forced elevation using Buddha Sarira.
• Ming Hao chooses to become the Three-World Immovable Wisdom King Buddha, while Ming Chi chooses the Reclining-Lotus Nirvana Manifestation Buddha. Huijing implants the corresponding sarira into each of them, explaining that compatibility will take roughly half a month before they can receive the selection of a Spirit of Radiant Moon.
• Huijing privately warns Ming Chi that the World Honored One still resents his former association with Su Chen and Qi You. To prove his loyalty, Ming Chi is ordered to kill members of the Bronze Church and bring back their heads.
• Su Chen studies the Buddha Land’s defenses, discovering that Ming Chi’s residence is protected by five successive doors and Rune Arrays linked to a larger Bright Sun-level formation. He realizes that infiltrating deeper without detection will be extremely difficult.
• After Ming Chi returns to his quarters, a strange luminous mist emerges from his body and abruptly severs the Data Core’s connection to Su Chen’s data seed.
• Ming Chi reveals his true intentions: he has deliberately infiltrated the Buddha Land and plans to become a Dharma Protector Buddha. He intends to exploit the Bronze Church—already an inner demon of the World Honored One—to create an opportunity for the World Honored One’s corruption.
• Ming Chi secretly leaves a message for “Old Gou” using a withered branch, though he avoids directly contacting the Final Ruins while inside the Buddha Land.
• Su Chen concludes that Ming Chi has likely become an Incarnation controlled by a Great Strange God, and strongly suspects Old Gou is responsible. He considers using Ming Chi and Old Gou’s plans to his own advantage.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Becomes increasingly aware of the Buddha Land’s immense resources and defenses. He shifts from simply seeking treasures to considering how the hidden conflict involving Ming Chi and Old Gou might be exploited.
• Ming Hao: Shows excitement and obedience upon receiving a Buddha Sarira, accepting the chance to reach Moon Radiance despite the limitations of forced advancement.
• Ming Chi: Initially appears loyal and grateful, but is exposed as a highly ambitious infiltrator. He has maintained his cover for years, deceived Huijing, and is now using the Buddha Land’s own promotion system to advance his secret agenda.
• Huijing: Acts both as a religious authority and a political enforcer. He favors Ming Chi because of past karmic ties and orders him to attack the Bronze Church to settle the World Honored One’s suspicions.
• The World Honored One: Though absent, his influence dominates the chapter. His resentment toward Ming Chi and obsession with the Bronze Church become weaknesses that others may exploit.
• Old Gou: Remains offscreen but emerges as a likely mastermind behind Ming Chi’s Incarnation and the broader plan to corrupt the World Honored One.

Significant Themes

• Power and foundations: The Buddha Sarira and Spirits of Radiant Moon symbolize the enormous hidden resources supporting pillar-level forces. Su Chen recognizes that true strength depends not only on individual cultivation but also on accumulated foundations.
• Deception and infiltration: Ming Chi’s peaceful appearance conceals a completely different identity and agenda. The chapter emphasizes how even powerful figures can be deceived by advanced techniques.
• Political and personal motives: Huijing’s decisions are shaped by loyalty, guilt, and past karmic debts rather than pure religious impartiality.
• Corruption and inner demons: The Bronze Church represents a psychological and political vulnerability within the World Honored One. Enemies plan to use his hatred against him.
• Mutual exploitation: Su Chen, Ming Chi, Huijing, the World Honored One, and Old Gou all seek to manipulate one another, creating a layered struggle in which every faction may be using another as a pawn.

Important Character Interactions

• Huijing and Ming Hao: Huijing explains the process of Buddha Sarira fusion and prepares Ming Hao for forced advancement.
• Huijing and Ming Chi: Huijing gives Ming Chi special treatment due to their shared history, then pressures him to prove loyalty by attacking the Bronze Church.
• Ming Chi and Old Gou: Ming Chi secretly signals that his infiltration is proceeding successfully and that he will soon gain a powerful position within the Buddha Land.
• Su Chen and Ming Chi: Although they do not meet directly, Su Chen spies on Ming Chi and uncovers his hidden allegiance.
• Su Chen and the Buddha Land: Su Chen evaluates the Offering Pagoda’s treasures and defenses while searching for a way to exploit its internal structure without exposing himself.

Chapter Summary: “Feeding the Eagle Rite, Merit Pool”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After acquiring the Data Core, Su Chen realizes it may help him complete several objectives. He decides that obtaining at least two or three is necessary, specifically prioritizing the Buddha Sarira and the Spirit of Radiant Moon.
• He leaves Meteorfall Mountain and limits his use of the Data Core because Old Yuan is no longer available to replenish its energy.
• Su Chen reflects on how easily the Buddha Land has been infiltrated, though he recognizes that both infiltrators—himself and Ming Chi, the Strange God’s incarnation—possess rare Bright Sun-level methods.
• Using his prayer beads, Su Chen summons the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit and requests access to the Feeding the Eagle Rite. He wants eighteen powerful star beasts—nine for each of the two Buddhas soon to be born in the Buddha Land.
• The Buddha Spirit agrees to provide the creatures at a discounted cost of nine portions of merit. Su Chen suspects the rite will allow him to obtain the star beasts needed for the sacrificial technique taught by the Remnant Spirit.
• Su Chen explores the upper levels of the Buddha Land, particularly the Merit Pool, to learn the layout and assess possible opportunities.
• He enters the Merit Pool by offering 1,500 portions of Faith Spirit, exceeding the required 1,000. The Pool contains an enormous concentration of Faith Power, far beyond what Su Chen has previously encountered.
• The Buddha Spirit’s true body guards the Merit Pool. Su Chen suspects the pool may be connected to the place where the Body of Greed, Anger, and Delusion is suppressed, but he cannot plant a data seed because of the Buddha Spirit’s presence.
• The Buddha Spirit praises Su Chen’s progress in spreading Buddhist Dharma and recommends that he visit the Delusion-Breaking Forest, where the World Honored One left opportunities for advancement. Su Chen recognizes the suggestion as only a limited “reward,” since the forest is dangerous and forces entrants to confront their inner demons.
• Back at his residence, Su Chen concludes that he must distract the Buddha Spirit before making further moves.
• He returns his consciousness to his true body at Meteorfall Mountain, observes Soaring Heavens’ rune array masters reinforcing the area, and then enters the Stupa Pagoda.
• Su Chen asks the administrator to contact Tao Muzhi, a Reward and Punishment Envoy, intending to use him to reveal the Strange God’s incarnation to the Buddha Land and, indirectly, to Abyssless.
• The administrator fears Tao Muzhi will be converted or killed, but Su Chen insists that the information must be exposed because the Strange God has abandoned immortality and become a human incarnation capable of deceiving even the Bright Sun.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Becomes increasingly strategic and cautious. He balances his desire to exploit the Buddha Land with the danger of being noticed by the Buddha Spirit. He presents himself as a devout and ambitious Buddhist disciple while secretly investigating the Buddha Land’s defenses, resources, and hidden connections.
• The Buddha Spirit: Shows approval of Su Chen’s apparent dedication to Buddhist Dharma, but his constant presence and surveillance make him a serious obstacle. His vast knowledge and control over the Merit Pool emphasize his importance within the Buddha Land.
• The Administrator: Remains wary of Su Chen’s plans, especially his tendency to send others into dangerous situations. He displays concern for Tao Muzhi and distrusts Su Chen’s claim that he is acting purely for the greater good.
• Tao Muzhi: Does not appear directly, but is positioned as a potential pawn in Su Chen’s plan to spread vital information.
• The Strange God/Ming Chi: His ability to incarnate as a human without detection by the Bright Sun becomes the central danger Su Chen wants to expose.

Significant Themes

• Deception and disguise: Su Chen continues impersonating Ming Nian, while the Strange God’s human incarnation represents an even more powerful form of concealment.
• Risk versus opportunity: Every potential gain—Faith Power, star beasts, Buddha Land treasures, or information—comes with the danger of attracting the Buddha Spirit’s attention.
• Faith as power and currency: Merit and Faith Spirit function both as spiritual resources and as the economic foundation of the Buddha Land.
• Surveillance and infiltration: Su Chen studies the Buddha Land’s defenses while avoiding detection, recognizing that seemingly beneficial behavior may still reveal his true identity.
• Moral ambiguity: Su Chen claims he wants to warn Abyssless of the Strange God’s threat, but the administrator suspects that his motives are partly self-serving.
• Self-cultivation and inner demons: The Delusion-Breaking Forest introduces the theme that advancement requires confronting one’s own inner flaws and illusions.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and the Buddha Spirit: Su Chen politely requests the Feeding the Eagle Rite and later visits the Merit Pool. Their conversation is outwardly respectful, but Su Chen remains internally suspicious and vigilant.
• Su Chen and the Merit Pool guards: The guards recognize him as Bodhisattva Ming Nian and allow him entry after he claims he has come to offer merit.
• Su Chen and the administrator: Their exchange is tense and familiar. The administrator questions Su Chen’s motives and worries about Tao Muzhi, while Su Chen defends his plan as necessary to reveal the Strange God’s dangerous secret.
• Su Chen and Tao Muzhi: They do not meet in the chapter, but Su Chen intends to involve Tao Muzhi in a high-risk operation to expose the Strange God’s incarnation.

Chapter Summary: Location of the Spirit of Radiant Moon

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen arranges for Tao Muzhi to travel to Buddha Land under the protection of Reward and Punishment Ambassador Chang Gexiao. By using the Stupa Pagoda’s reputation for impartiality, he can manipulate events while remaining hidden.
• While waiting, Su Chen continues investigating Buddha Land’s Rune Arrays and the sealed upper tiers, especially the area beyond the ninety-seventh step.
• He acquires eighteen star beasts and secretly experiments on nine species. Using a mental Rune Array to erase their memories temporarily, he removes and stores one eye from each beast, heals them, and nourishes them with the Longevity Root’s life source. Some begin approaching transformation, so he stops the enhancement to avoid attracting attention.
• Su Chen monitors Huijing, Ming Chi, and Ming Hao as they climb to the ninety-eighth step to obtain the Spirit of Radiant Moon.
• Huijing explains that Ming Chi is fusing well with the Buddha Sarira, while Ming Hao is progressing more slowly. He suggests using the nirvana method to accelerate the process.
• The group enters a heavily defended region. Su Chen discovers that it contains nine Spirits of Radiant Moon. Huijing causes two of them to select Ming Chi and Ming Hao, who will later undergo the nirvana method in the Merit Pool.
• Su Chen concludes that the Spirit of Radiant Moon is located on the ninety-eighth step and adds it to his future plans, alongside the Offering Pagoda and Merit Pool. The flesh and blood of the Final Ruins remains his least urgent concern.
• Su Chen begins suspecting that Ming Chi is actually Eternity—the former Boundless Buddha and Great Strange God—reincarnated through an Incarnation technique.
• After returning to his residence, Ming Chi merges with the Buddha Sarira. From within him, Eternity schemes to provoke the World Honored One by revealing that the Bronze Church may have found another strand of Black and White Flowing Light.
• Suddenly, a mysterious message appears in the air: “Seven days from now, meet at the Great Power Star Gate node.” Eternity is alarmed because the message was delivered inside Buddha Land’s heavily protected core, where even Old Gou should not be able to communicate so easily.
• Eternity debates whether the message was meant for Ming Chi or for him personally. Since his Incarnation has perfectly replicated Ming Chi’s identity, he ultimately convinces himself that it was probably intended for Ming Chi.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes increasingly strategic and cautious. He expands his covert preparations, gathers biological materials, studies Buddha Land’s defenses, and identifies another major target without exposing himself.
• Huijing demonstrates considerable authority and familiarity with Buddha Land’s deepest regions. He can guide others to the Spirits of Radiant Moon and arrange their selection, suggesting a close relationship with the World Honored One or the system governing Buddha Land.
• Ming Chi/Eternity is revealed as the likely central infiltrator. Eternity has sacrificed his former immortal body and Moon Radiance power to inhabit Ming Chi’s identity, but the loss leaves him insecure and vulnerable.
• Ming Hao is shown to be less compatible with the Buddha Sarira than Ming Chi, though he is still selected by a Spirit of Radiant Moon.
• The World Honored One remains an indirect but powerful presence. His influence over Buddhist Professions and Buddha Land’s defenses appears nearly absolute, while his resentment toward the Bronze Church may make him vulnerable to manipulation.
• Old Gou is coordinating a scheme involving the World Honored One and the Bronze Church, though his exact role remains part of the broader intrigue.

Significant Themes

• Covert manipulation and misdirection: Su Chen uses trusted institutions, such as the Stupa Pagoda and Reward and Punishment Envoys, to act without revealing his involvement.
• Identity and impersonation: Eternity’s transformation into Ming Chi raises questions about whether a perfect replacement can truly remain undetected and whether the original identity still matters.
• Power and hierarchy: Buddha Land’s rigid structure contrasts with other systems such as the Machine Domain. The World Honored One’s influence over Buddhist Professions appears uniquely centralized.
• Risk beneath apparent success: Although Eternity’s plans have proceeded smoothly, the unexplained message exposes how fragile his security is.
• Preparation versus urgency: Su Chen carefully postpones action until he has mapped Buddha Land’s important resources, while Eternity’s sudden summons threatens to disrupt his carefully arranged plans.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Chen and the administrator: Su Chen directs the administrator to arrange Tao Muzhi’s deployment and secure Chang Gexiao’s involvement, while acknowledging the difficulty of controlling powerful Reward and Punishment Ambassadors.
• Su Chen and the star beasts: He secretly experiments on and enhances the beasts, using them as part of his preparations while taking precautions against detection.
• Huijing, Ming Chi, and Ming Hao: Huijing guides the pair to the Spirits of Radiant Moon, evaluates their Buddha Sarira fusion, and arranges for two Spirits to select them.
• Eternity and Huijing: Eternity follows Huijing’s instructions and intends to use Huijing’s request for Bronze Church heads as a pretext to manipulate the World Honored One.
• Eternity and the mysterious messenger: The unexplained message creates a new source of fear and uncertainty, forcing Eternity to question whether his disguise has truly remained perfect.

Chapter Summary: “Won’t Take the Bait?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Eternity, disguised as Ming Chi and possessing Ming Chi’s memories, receives a mysterious message apparently intended to lure him away from Buddha Land. He concludes it may be a trap or an attempt to expose his identity as an Incarnation.
• Refusing to take any risk before his imminent ascension to Buddha, Eternity erases the message and continues merging with the Buddha Sarira.
• Su Chen observes this reaction and realizes that Eternity is far more cautious and mentally resilient than expected. His initial plan to frighten or manipulate him into revealing information about Buddha Land fails.
• Because the World Honored One may soon return, Su Chen abandons his gradual strategy and decides to proceed with a more direct backup plan.
• Elsewhere, the World Honored One, the Dao Lord, Mech Sovereign, and Great Heaven coordinate an attempt to capture Qin Jianzhi alive. They believe Qin’s transformed nature—after devouring the Black and White Flowing Light—could reveal a way to overcome the World Honored One’s own corrosive Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion.
• The World Honored One is increasingly pressured by the rapid rise of the Bronze Church and fears Su Chen may soon advance further in power, forcing him to accelerate his own plans.
• In Buddha Land, Huijing learns that Chang Gexiao of the Longevity Pillar has arrived with Tao Muzhi, a prominent Reward and Punishment Envoy. Tao Muzhi’s past connection to the destroyed Wuqing Temple makes Huijing suspect that he may be linked to the Bronze Church.
• Su Chen uses Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi’s visit as a distraction. He combines the Data Core with Data Mimicry to make his body effectively “nonexistent” to detection systems.
• He infiltrates Buddha Land and reaches the Offering Pagoda, a relatively less-secure repository for Buddha Sarira. There, he begins penetrating its Moon Radiance-level Rune Array while avoiding detection.

Character Developments

• Eternity/Ming Chi: Demonstrates extreme caution, self-control, and confidence. He refuses to respond to the mysterious message despite the possibility of hidden leverage, prioritizing his ascension and trusting that future power will make current threats insignificant.
• Su Chen: Recognizes that Eternity cannot easily be manipulated or intimidated. He shifts from a psychological approach to a direct infiltration strategy, showing greater urgency because of the World Honored One’s possible return.
• World Honored One: Becomes more aggressive and pragmatic. He wants Qin Jianzhi captured rather than killed so that Qin’s transformation can help him solve the problem of his corrosive inner power and achieve complete unity.
• Huijing: Reveals growing suspicion toward the Bronze Church and Tao Muzhi. Though burdened by Buddha Land’s worsening situation, he remains politically alert and prepared to investigate possible infiltrators.
• Qin Jianzhi: Is portrayed as powerful but mentally unstable and tactically unsophisticated, making him vulnerable to coordinated capture efforts.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus manipulation: Su Chen’s failed baiting attempt shows that even subtle psychological traps can fail against someone with strong discipline and suspicion.
• Power and secrecy: Eternity’s Incarnation identity, Buddha Land’s hidden structures, and Su Chen’s infiltration all emphasize the importance of concealing one’s true abilities and intentions.
• Escalating political conflict: The Bronze Church’s rapid expansion destabilizes the balance among the major factions, leaving Buddha Land increasingly vulnerable.
• Using others as tools: Qin Jianzhi is targeted not merely as an enemy but as a source of knowledge, while Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi unknowingly—or possibly knowingly—serve as part of Su Chen’s distraction.
• Urgency and strategic adaptation: With the World Honored One potentially returning and Su Chen’s power rising, characters are forced to abandon slow, cautious plans in favor of decisive action.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Eternity: Their indirect confrontation centers on deception and psychological probing. Su Chen attempts to lure Eternity out, but Eternity’s refusal forces Su Chen to change tactics.
• World Honored One and the other major powers: The World Honored One coordinates with the Dao Lord, Mech Sovereign, and Great Heaven to exhaust and capture Qin Jianzhi, while concealing his deeper motives.
• Huijing and the senior monks: Huijing receives reports about the Bronze Church’s refusal to negotiate over Uncle-Master Formless and its growing influence across the Thirteen Circuits.
• Huijing, Chang Gexiao, and Tao Muzhi: Their upcoming meeting may provide Huijing with information about the Bronze Church, while simultaneously giving Su Chen an opportunity to infiltrate the Offering Pagoda.
• Su Chen and Buddha Land’s defenses: Su Chen quietly exploits the gap between the Offering Pagoda’s Moon Radiance-level defenses and the surrounding Bright Sun Rune Array, beginning a technically demanding infiltration.

Chapter Summary: “Strike When the Time Is Right”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen successfully deciphers the changing route through the Rune Array and uses precise timing to pass through the first tower gate without being detected.
• He enters the Offering Pagoda and realizes he must bypass several more gates before reaching the stored Buddha Sariras.
• In the Buddha Land Reception Hall, Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi meet with Huijing to report their investigation into the Strange God’s infiltration of Buddha Land.
• Tao Muzhi claims the Strange God has developed a new corruption method: abandoning its original body and completely replacing or parasitizing another person.
• He suggests that Ming Xiao may have been corrupted and identifies Ming Chi as another possible suspect, citing suspicious behavior surrounding Jade Pavilion and Ming Chi’s unexplained disappearance.
• Huijing reacts furiously to the accusation against Ming Chi, whom he has recently acknowledged and planned to elevate to Dharma Protector Buddha. He pressures Tao Muzhi with overwhelming spiritual force and accuses him of harboring malicious intentions.
• Meanwhile, Su Chen reaches the Offering Pagoda and discovers seventy-one Buddha Sariras, in addition to two previously removed, potentially providing seventy-three Flesh Imprints.
• When Su Chen attempts to take one Sarira, the others begin resonating with it, revealing that they are interconnected and capable of jointly detecting or resisting theft.
• Su Chen summons the Nine-Profession Wonder Tree. Its Buddha-related authority creates a resonance with the Sariras and suppresses their defensive reaction, allowing him to collect all seventy-one safely.
• Su Chen decides the enormous reward is worth the risk, even though stealing the Sariras will likely cause chaos in Buddha Land and make future operations more difficult.
• He uses the Data Core and Data Mimicry to conceal himself while retracing the previously solved path out of the pagoda.
• As Su Chen escapes, the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit in the Merit Pool suddenly awakens and senses that something has changed, implying that Su Chen’s theft may soon be discovered.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Demonstrates patience, technical precision, and strategic judgment while navigating the Rune Array. His discovery of the seventy-one Sariras greatly increases his potential strength, and he willingly accepts future danger for such a valuable gain. The Nine-Profession Wonder Tree is revealed to possess unusually high authority over Buddha-related powers.
• Tao Muzhi: Shows himself to be uncompromising and fearless. Despite Huijing’s terrifying pressure, he refuses to retreat or soften his accusations and even offers to have his memories searched to prove his innocence.
• Chang Gexiao: Acts as Tao Muzhi’s protector and mediator, controlling the conversation and preventing Tao’s bluntness from immediately provoking disaster. He respects Tao’s integrity but recognizes how dangerously stubborn he is.
• Huijing: His benevolent public demeanor gives way to cold intimidation when Buddha Land’s security and Ming Chi’s reputation are questioned. His strong emotional reaction suggests personal or political investment in Ming Chi and possibly conceals deeper concerns about the Strange God’s infiltration.
• Ming Xiao and Ming Chi: Neither appears directly, but both become central to the investigation. Ming Xiao is suspected of being corrupted, while Ming Chi becomes the focus of Tao Muzhi’s accusations.

Significant Themes

• Trust and hidden corruption: The possibility that the Strange God can secretly replace someone—even while evading the World Honored One—undermines confidence in institutions and individuals.
• Truth versus authority: Tao Muzhi insists on exposing uncomfortable truths, while Huijing attempts to dismiss or suppress accusations through status and overwhelming power.
• Calculated risk and reward: Su Chen weighs the danger of alerting Buddha Land against the immense power represented by the Sariras and chooses to seize the opportunity.
• Knowledge as power: Su Chen’s mastery of the Rune Array, the Data Core, and the Nine-Profession Wonder Tree allows him to overcome defenses that would defeat ordinary intruders.
• Appearances versus reality: Buddha Land’s compassionate image contrasts with Huijing’s threatening behavior, while seemingly harmless Sariras conceal a powerful collective defense.

Character Interactions

• Huijing politely welcomes Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi but quickly becomes guarded when the Strange God is mentioned.
• Chang Gexiao carefully introduces the accusations, while Tao Muzhi delivers the core claims directly and without diplomacy.
• Huijing tests Tao Muzhi’s credibility by pressuring him and questioning whether he himself has been parasitized.
• Tao Muzhi challenges Huijing’s assumptions and offers his memories for inspection, while Chang Gexiao repeatedly intervenes to prevent the exchange from escalating.
• The chapter ends with Su Chen escaping the Offering Pagoda just as the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit detects the disturbance, setting up an imminent confrontation or pursuit.

Chapter Summary: “They’re One of Us!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As Su Chen steps onto the Jade Steps, the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit activates the Buddha Land’s Rune Arrays. Buddhist light seals the area around the Offering Pagoda, trapping nearby monks and blocking movement.
• Su Chen escapes before the Jade Steps are fully sealed. He concludes that although the Buddha Spirit can reach Bright Sun-level power through the Buddha Land’s vast Faith Spirit reserves, it is slower and less flexible than a true Bright Sun cultivator.
• The Buddha Land seals the upper Jade Steps and restricts movement throughout the area, while Su Chen returns quietly to his residence.
• In the main hall, Huijing confronts Tao Muzhi and Chang Gexiao over Tao Muzhi’s accusation that Ming Chi has been parasitized by a Strange God.
• Huijing reveals that Ming Chi has been approved for exceptional promotion to Dharma Protector Buddha. Accusing him is therefore equivalent to challenging both Huijing and the World Honored One.
• Tao Muzhi offers to let Huijing inspect his memories. Chang Gexiao intervenes and guarantees Tao Muzhi’s honesty. As a compromise, Tao Muzhi agrees to atone in the Buddha Land for one hundred years if his accusation is false, though Chang Gexiao insists he must not be converted.
• Before the dispute can be resolved, the Buddha Spirit summons Huijing to the Offering Pagoda.
• Inside the pagoda, Huijing discovers that all seventy-one Buddha Sarira have vanished. The Buddha Spirit confirms that they were stolen, despite no Rune Array detecting an intruder.
• The Buddha Spirit determines that the thief used Bright Sun-level methods. Since the Sarira did not resist or react at all, the culprit likely possessed a Buddhist Profession and was connected to the Buddha Land.
• Huijing realizes the thief may be “one of us,” strongly suggesting that Ming Chi—or another insider—could indeed be linked to the Final Ruins or parasitized by a Strange God.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Demonstrates caution, speed, and analytical skill. He escapes the Buddha Spirit’s trap and evaluates its strengths and limitations, recognizing that Rune Arrays are powerful but constrained by preparation and reaction time.
• Huijing: Initially defensive and furious at Tao Muzhi’s accusation, he becomes deeply alarmed after discovering the stolen Buddha Sarira. His confidence in Ming Chi begins to weaken, though he still struggles to accept the possibility that Tao Muzhi was right.
• Tao Muzhi: Remains calm and willing to risk imprisonment to prove his claim. His readiness to submit his memories and accept a hundred years of atonement emphasizes his sincerity and determination.
• Chang Gexiao: Acts protectively toward Tao Muzhi, formally accepting him as a disciple and defending him from Huijing. However, he also begins questioning whether Tao Muzhi’s discovery was truly accidental and recognizes the danger of accusing someone destined to become a Buddha.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit: Shows superior emotional control and logical reasoning. It confirms that the theft could only have been accomplished through extraordinary methods and points toward an insider with Buddhist and Bright Sun-related abilities.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus suspicion: The chapter centers on whether Tao Muzhi’s accusation should be believed, especially when Ming Chi has the support of powerful Buddhist authorities.
• Institutional loyalty and political danger: Challenging Ming Chi is not merely a personal accusation; it threatens Huijing’s authority and the World Honored One’s judgment.
• Limits of systems and defenses: The Buddha Land’s supposedly flawless Rune Arrays fail to detect the theft, showing that even powerful institutions have vulnerabilities.
• Corruption from within: The stolen Sarira suggest that the greatest threat may not come from an outside enemy but from someone inside the Buddha Land.
• Truth and coincidence: The timing of the theft immediately after Tao Muzhi’s accusation raises doubts about whether events are connected or deliberately orchestrated.

Character Interactions

• Huijing and Chang Gexiao: Engage in a tense confrontation over Huijing’s treatment of Tao Muzhi. Chang Gexiao refuses to let Huijing intimidate his new disciple, while Huijing views Chang’s defense as reckless interference.
• Huijing and Tao Muzhi: Huijing distrusts Tao Muzhi and demands proof, while Tao Muzhi calmly offers access to his memories. Their conflict embodies the chapter’s central question of credibility.
• Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi: Their relationship shifts from reluctant alliance to master and disciple. Chang protects Tao Muzhi but also warns him that exposing Ming Chi could have disastrous consequences.
• Huijing and the Buddha Spirit: Huijing reacts emotionally to the stolen Sarira, whereas the Buddha Spirit remains detached and methodical, explaining the evidence and narrowing the list of possible culprits.
• Tao Muzhi and Chang Gexiao: Tao Muzhi’s calm acceptance of danger contrasts with Chang Gexiao’s growing concern, strengthening their new mentor-disciple bond.

Chapter Summary: “Surge—Eighty Flesh Imprints!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Buddha Spirit and Huijing determine that the stolen Buddha Sariras could probably only be used effectively by someone within the Buddha Land’s own ranks or by the Spirit of Radiant Moon. Since the Spirit of Radiant Moon is still present, suspicion falls on an insider.
• Huijing orders the Buddha Land sealed. All entrances, exits, and important locations above the eightieth level of Spirit Mountain are locked down, trapping everyone inside while an investigation begins.
• The monks sense an unusual clap of thunder and gather on the Jade Steps, where they learn that the upper levels and Spirit Mountain’s exit have been sealed. Huijing appears and dismisses them, claiming that another incident occurred in the Delusion-Breaking Forest.
• Huijing notices Ming Chi among the monks and briefly calls his name, but ultimately allows him to leave without questioning him. Su Chen, hidden within Ming Chi’s group, becomes wary of Huijing’s calm behavior and wonders whether the Buddha has already begun to suspect him.
• Huijing returns to the main hall and tells Chang Gexiao that the disturbance was merely an incident in the Delusion-Breaking Forest. However, he refuses to let Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi leave, revealing that he takes their warning about the stolen Buddha Sariras seriously and intends to investigate further.
• Chang Gexiao realizes that Huijing’s explanation is false and that the Buddha Land must have suffered a major loss. He understands that Huijing is keeping them there both to monitor them and because Chang Gexiao’s status makes harming him politically dangerous.
• Su Chen returns his consciousness to his main body in the Bronze Church and removes the seventy-one stolen Buddha Sariras from the Saint Monarch.
• He absorbs all seventy-one Sariras using the Golden Extremity Flame, converting them into Flesh Imprints. His basic physical strength rises to eighty Flesh Imprints, while his enhanced peak state could approach five hundred, potentially nearing six hundred after fusing with another strand of Moonfire.
• Su Chen briefly worries whether the Longevity Root can withstand this enormous increase, but the Infinite Neural Core’s optimization gives him confidence that he can maintain the power for some time.
• He visits Meteorfall Mountain, which has continued expanding and is now filled with valuable crystalline plants and strange phenomena, including a plant capable of displaying interstellar television signals.
• Su Chen tells Yuan Shuo that he has not been discovered and challenges him to a fight in order to measure his newfound strength.

Character Developments

• Huijing becomes more cautious and politically calculating. Although outwardly composed, he seals the Buddha Land, suspects an internal thief, and keeps Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi under observation. His hesitation toward investigating Ming Chi suggests either uncertainty, emotional investment in his chosen disciple, or a deeper plan.
• Su Chen grows dramatically stronger after absorbing the Buddha Sariras. His confidence increases, and he begins planning larger attacks against the Buddha Land rather than merely focusing on escape. He remains pragmatic about the possibility of losing his avatar, treating it as expendable.
• Chang Gexiao demonstrates sharp political insight. He recognizes Huijing’s cover story as a lie and understands that the Buddha Land is concealing a major crisis.
• Ming Chi/Eternity remains largely unaware of the true situation. Eternity focuses on advancing to the Buddha realm and eventually dealing with enemies from the Bronze Church, while Su Chen uses Ming Chi’s identity as cover.
• Yuan Shuo remains calm and unconcerned about Su Chen’s possible exposure, but is surprised when Su Chen unexpectedly returns and asks to test his strength against him.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through risk: Su Chen’s infiltration and theft produce an extraordinary reward, showing how extreme danger can lead to disproportionate growth.
• Suspicion and deception: Nearly every major character conceals information. Huijing lies about the Delusion-Breaking Forest, Su Chen hides behind an avatar, and Chang Gexiao carefully avoids revealing what he understands.
• Political responsibility and reputation: Huijing fears being blamed if Ming Chi or another insider is responsible, while Chang Gexiao’s importance to the Longevity Pillar protects him from being treated casually.
• The expendability of avatars: Su Chen’s willingness to abandon the Ming Chi avatar emphasizes his detached, strategic approach and the advantage of separating his true self from his dangerous operations.
• Uncontrolled growth and physical limits: The chapter emphasizes that extraordinary strength requires a body capable of bearing it. Su Chen’s increased power may be immense, but its sustainability remains uncertain.
• Escalation toward open conflict: The theft shifts Su Chen’s plans from covert gains to potentially devastating attacks on the Buddha Land, setting up a future confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Huijing and the Buddha Spirit: They discuss the limited users of the Buddha Sarira and coordinate the lockdown and investigation.
• Huijing and Ming Chi: Huijing briefly calls Ming Chi but lets him go, creating uncertainty about whether he suspects him.
• Huijing and Chang Gexiao: Their polite conversation conceals mutual suspicion. Huijing insists they remain in the Buddha Land, while Chang Gexiao realizes they are effectively being detained.
• Su Chen and the monks: Su Chen pretends to share their confusion while secretly monitoring Huijing and maintaining his disguise.
• Su Chen and Yuan Shuo: After absorbing the Sariras, Su Chen seeks Yuan Shuo as a benchmark for his new strength, ending the chapter with an impending test battle.

Chapter Summary: “Manual Dimensional Reduction”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen tells Primordial Mountain Lord Yuan Shuo that he wants to test himself against a true Bright Sun using his own strength, rather than relying on his previous method of merging with a Bright Sun Spirit.
• Yuan Shuo transports them to a virtual battlefield where they can fight without damaging the outside world.
• Yuan Shuo creates a mechanical opponent modeled on Su Chen’s current physical strength, but Su Chen asks him to attack with full power instead.
• Su Chen releases his Flesh Imprint ability, amplifying roughly eighty imprints into about four hundred. His body produces overwhelming Red Gold vitality, nearly destabilizing the virtual space.
• Yuan Shuo is astonished by Su Chen’s physical strength, realizing that ordinary Moon Radiance experts would likely be killed instantly by him.
• Yuan Shuo uses a Bright Sun technique that alters regional rules, freezing Su Chen by slowing time around him. Su Chen breaks free through sheer physical power.
• Yuan Shuo then uses a newly developed technique called Manual Dimensional Reduction, compressing Su Chen’s body toward a two-dimensional plane and preventing him from exerting force normally.
• Su Chen counters by activating his Flesh Aberration Avatar, expanding into a colossal flesh giant. His body forcibly returns from its flattened state and grows to many times its original size.
• The transformation consumes too much energy, rapidly draining the Longevity Root, so Su Chen is forced to end it after only a brief period.
• Yuan Shuo concludes that Su Chen could become a serious threat if he fully maintained the giant form, but emphasizes that Bright Sun power enhances every aspect of combat, not merely physical strength.
• Su Chen recognizes that he still cannot defeat a true Bright Sun through physical strength alone, though he believes continued accumulation of Flesh Imprints may eventually produce a qualitative breakthrough.
• Returning to Meteorfall Mountain, Su Chen gains confidence that his peak form might withstand or challenge the Buddha Land’s Bright Sun Rune Array.
• Back at his residence, Su Chen resumes cultivating with Moonfire while monitoring events through his avatar. He becomes suspicious of Huijing’s unusually passive response to the stolen Buddha Sarira and is pleased that his attempt to redirect suspicion toward Ming Chi has delayed any investigation.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Demonstrates enormous growth in physical power and increasing confidence. He is no longer merely testing his limits against Moon Radiance experts and is beginning to assess himself against Bright Suns. Despite his ambition, he remains analytical about his weaknesses, especially his limited duration and lack of sufficient Bright Sun-level techniques.
• Yuan Shuo: Shows both pride and surprise at Su Chen’s progress. He uses several newly developed Bright Sun abilities, including rule manipulation and dimensional reduction, but becomes concerned that Su Chen may eventually challenge him seriously.
• Huijing: Though absent from the direct action, he is portrayed as patient and enigmatic. His failure to pursue the sarira theft raises Su Chen’s suspicions about his intentions.
• Ming Chi, Chang Gexiao, and Tao Muzhi: Their continued presence in the Buddha Land and apparent lack of investigation contribute to the mystery surrounding the stolen sarira.

Significant Themes

• The limits of raw power: Su Chen’s overwhelming body strength allows him to resist techniques that should restrain a Moon Radiance expert, but Bright Sun-level abilities remain broadly superior.
• Quantitative versus qualitative growth: Su Chen hopes that accumulating more Flesh Imprints will eventually lead to a fundamental transformation rather than merely greater strength.
• Innovation and adaptation: Both Su Chen and Yuan Shuo rely on newly developed techniques, showing that advancement depends on discovering new applications of power rather than simply increasing cultivation.
• Confidence balanced by realism: Su Chen is ambitious and willing to challenge Bright Suns, but he carefully evaluates his energy consumption, combat limitations, and potential future improvements.
• Mystery and strategic deception: Su Chen’s false lead involving Ming Chi continues to delay the Buddha Land’s investigation, giving him valuable time to cultivate and pursue further gains.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Yuan Shuo engage in a respectful but competitive master-disciple sparring match.
• Yuan Shuo initially doubts Su Chen’s willingness to fight without external assistance, then becomes increasingly shocked as Su Chen breaks through his Bright Sun techniques.
• Their exchange highlights their mutual understanding: Yuan Shuo knows Su Chen’s reliance on his body, while Su Chen understands that Yuan Shuo is still experimenting with his newly acquired Bright Sun power.
• After the battle, Yuan Shuo offers a cautious assessment rather than empty encouragement, while Su Chen leaves with a clearer understanding of the gap between himself and Bright Sun experts.

Chapter Summary: “Unruffled—Who Was the Cicada Hunter?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Buddha Land experiences a surprising development: Ming Chi and Ming Hao successfully advance to Buddhahood. Auspicious phenomena appear across Spirit Mountain, drawing admiration from the monks.
• Huijing congratulates the two new Buddhas but postpones the usual celebration because Buddha Land remains unstable after the theft of the Buddha Sarira and the resulting external complications.
• Huijing initially plans to have Ming Chi deal with the Bronze Church, but advises him to wait until he has adapted to his new strength. He later decides that Ming Hao should accompany him.
• Ming Chi secretly contacts Old Gou, signaling that their plan to leave Buddha Land and kill a Bronze Church member is still proceeding.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit discovers that Ming Chi is using a method capable of blocking its surveillance. Huijing and the Buddha Spirit conclude that Ming Chi truly has a hidden problem.
• Huijing reveals that Tao Muzhi and Chang Gexiao identified Ming Chi as being parasitized by a Strange God. Rather than capture him immediately, Huijing chooses to monitor him and use him as bait to uncover the larger force behind the events.
• Huijing suspects Ming Chi may not be the true mastermind, but merely a pawn being manipulated by another faction. He therefore maintains Buddha Land’s outward calm, hoping more conspirators will reveal themselves.
• Meanwhile, Su Chen realizes that Buddha Land is secretly monitoring Spirit Mountain. He refrains from using his most conspicuous detection and concealment methods.
• Instead, Su Chen asks his Remnant Spirit about the Nine Eyes’ Universe-Peering Method. He creates a portable artifact—the Eye of Nine Eyes—using nine eyeballs, Faith Power, and the Remnant Spirit’s ritual.
• The completed artifact can resonate with objects left behind by the Nine-Eye Final Ruins and should allow Su Chen to locate the Body of Greed, Anger, and Delusion.
• Su Chen confirms that the Remnant Spirit did not sabotage the ritual and calculates that his remaining Faith Power contains an enormous reserve of spiritual energy.

Character Developments

• Huijing proves highly cautious and politically astute. Although he suspects Ming Chi, he refuses to act impulsively, understanding that a premature arrest could expose Buddha Land to a larger trap.
• Ming Chi continues pretending to be a newly ascended Buddha struggling to control his power. In reality, he remains an infiltrator with a larger plan involving Old Gou and the Bronze Church.
• Ming Hao becomes Ming Chi’s assigned companion, though he remains unaware of the deeper conspiracy surrounding their mission.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit functions as Huijing’s surveillance and investigative partner. It is suspicious and direct, but accepts Huijing’s strategy of waiting once the larger implications are explained.
• Su Chen demonstrates flexibility and restraint. Realizing that Huijing is watching for abnormalities, he abandons riskier methods and develops an indirect way to continue his investigation.
• The Remnant Spirit is forced to cooperate with Su Chen. Though it considers bargaining for leverage, it ultimately complies because resistance would be dangerous. Its usefulness gives Su Chen a reason to preserve it.

Significant Themes

• Patience versus impulsiveness: Huijing’s decision to observe rather than immediately capture Ming Chi reflects the value of restraint in a complicated conspiracy.
• Pawns and hidden masterminds: The chapter emphasizes that visible conspirators may be tools of deeper forces, making the true objective the discovery of whoever is manipulating events.
• Deception and performance: Ming Chi pretends to be inexperienced, while Su Chen pretends to meditate normally. Both rely on disguising their true abilities and intentions.
• Surveillance and counter-surveillance: Huijing secretly monitors Spirit Mountain, while Su Chen detects the monitoring and changes his methods to avoid exposure.
• Pragmatic alliances: Su Chen and the Remnant Spirit cooperate despite mutual distrust, united by necessity rather than loyalty.
• Calm amid crisis: The chapter’s title reflects Huijing’s deliberate composure. Buddha Land appears peaceful, but beneath that calm, multiple factions are maneuvering.

Character Interactions

• Huijing publicly congratulates Ming Chi and Ming Hao, while privately investigating Ming Chi and testing whether he will expose himself.
• Huijing and the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit debate whether to capture Ming Chi. Huijing explains the danger of acting before understanding the larger conspiracy.
• Ming Chi privately reflects on Huijing’s suspicions and recognizes that Ming Hao’s presence will make his mission more difficult.
• Su Chen interrogates the Remnant Spirit about the Nine Eyes ritual, offering survival in exchange for cooperation and threatening to extract the method by force if necessary.
• The Remnant Spirit performs the ritual, creating the Eye of Nine Eyes, while Su Chen evaluates the artifact and decides that the spirit may remain useful if it continues to obey.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen marvels at Buddha Land’s immense resources and asks Yuan Shuo to conceal the Eye of Nine Eyes so it can evade Bright Sun-level detection.
• Yuan Shuo transforms the sinister eye into a genuine-looking Buddhist prayer bead containing a benevolent Buddha image and aura. He also explains that producing another Data Core will take time, since even he cannot create one effortlessly.
• Su Chen secretly transfers the transformed artifact back into Buddha Land and activates it. Its power pulls his consciousness away from his body and guides him through Delusion-Breaking Forest and into the depths of Spirit Mountain.
• He discovers the Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion, a black Buddha resembling the World Honored One. It is bound by golden Sanskrit chains connected to immense Faith Power, apparently restraining or converting it.
• The entity mistakes Su Chen for “Nine Eyes” and asks for help. The restraints immediately react, forcing Su Chen’s consciousness out. The prayer bead then shatters.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit senses the Body’s disturbance and concludes that the World Honored One must be brought back immediately. He regards the Body’s movement as more urgent than the stolen Buddha Sarira or Ming Chi’s corruption by the Strange God.
• Having learned the Body’s location, Su Chen goes to Delusion-Breaking Forest, located on the ninetieth step of the Jade Stairway. He observes monks entering to confront inner demons and leaving exhausted but rewarded.
• Su Chen enters the forest and deliberately resonates with its power. He experiences an illusion in which he is treated as Ming Nian, praised by senior monks and the World Honored One as a future Dharma-protecting Buddha.
• He quickly recognizes the scene as an inner demon rather than reality. Because Data Mimicry is still concealing his identity and preserving Ming Nian’s information state, the forest cannot directly expose Su Chen’s true self.
• Su Chen realizes that Delusion-Breaking Forest serves two purposes: it trains Buddha Land’s disciples by confronting their desires, while also using their inner struggles and Faith Power to weaken or suppress the Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion.
• After Su Chen breaks through the illusion, a Buddha Phantom rewards him with one thousand portions of Faith Spirit.

Character Developments

• Su Chen remains cautious, opportunistic, and analytical. He finds a way to investigate the Body without directly exposing himself and immediately recognizes the strategic value of learning its location.
• He also demonstrates growing understanding of Buddha Land’s systems, seeing that its spiritual trials may conceal a larger method of suppressing the Body.
• Yuan Shuo displays powerful technical and metaphysical abilities by reconstructing the Eye of Nine Eyes at the level of its essence rather than merely hiding its appearance. His relationship with Su Chen remains affectionate but mildly exasperated, especially over Su Chen’s repeated requests for dangerous tools.
• The Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion is revealed to possess at least limited consciousness and awareness of Nine Eyes. Its plea for help suggests that it may be imprisoned rather than fully controlled.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit becomes visibly alarmed and shifts Buddha Land’s priorities toward the World Honored One’s return.

Significant Themes

• Concealment and identity: The prayer bead and Data Mimicry allow Su Chen to operate under false appearances, emphasizing the importance of information states and perception.
• Faith as both power and restraint: Faith Power sustains Buddha Land but is also used to bind and suppress the corrupted black Buddha.
• Inner demons and desire: Delusion-Breaking Forest externalizes greed, hatred, ambition, lust, and other primal impulses, turning them into trials.
• Control disguised as cultivation: What appears to be spiritual training may also be a mechanism for exploiting disciples’ struggles to weaken the Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion.
• The instability beneath Buddha Land’s peace: Although Buddha Land seems calm after the Buddha Sarira theft, the disturbance of the imprisoned Body reveals a much more serious hidden crisis.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Yuan Shuo exchange a mixture of practical cooperation and playful flattery. Su Chen praises Yuan Shuo’s craftsmanship while withholding the fact that he can transfer the artifact directly through the panel.
• The Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion addresses Su Chen as Nine Eyes and asks him to help, but the chains immediately suppress its awakening.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit reacts to the disturbance and decides that contacting or recalling the World Honored One is now essential.
• Within Su Chen’s illusion, Wuliang, Formless, Wuzhi, Huijing, and the World Honored One all praise him as Ming Nian, exposing the kind of recognition and status the forest uses to tempt practitioners.

Chapter Summary: An Unexpected Turn: Tao Muzhi’s Prestige

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen accepts a reward of a thousand portions of condensed Faith Spirit, recognizing its considerable value even at the Morning Star level.
• Ming Chi, who has recently advanced to Buddhahood, asks Huijing for permission to travel toward the Bronze Church and kill core enemies. Huijing delays him, insisting that he wait until Ming Hao has fully adapted so they can travel together.
• Huijing secretly suspects Ming Chi of being connected to Old Gou and the Great Strange God. A dead branch carrying Old Gou’s power was discovered among objects Ming Chi had attempted to smuggle out of Buddha Land. Huijing decides to keep Ming Chi under surveillance and prevent him from leaving until the World Honored One returns.
• The Heavenly Sound Department reports that the Reward and Punishment Envoys are gathering outside Buddha Land and demanding an explanation for Tao Muzhi’s disappearance. Huijing is surprised that Tao Muzhi possesses enough influence to provoke such a reaction.
• Tao Muzhi is revealed to be safe but confined within Buddha Land. His master, Chang Gexiao, shows him reports that many Reward and Punishment Envoys intend to pressure Buddha Land on his behalf.
• Tao Muzhi urges Chang Gexiao to inform them that he is unharmed, fearing Buddha Land will retaliate against the people supporting him. Chang Gexiao refuses, arguing that this confrontation is necessary to prove the Reward and Punishment Envoys’ strength and legitimacy.
• Chang Gexiao explains that the group will eventually clash with powerful factions, so it must establish its authority against a weakened Pillar-level faction. Buddha Land, currently weakened and unpopular, is the ideal target.
• Su Chen observes the growing movement through the Void Cycle. He realizes that Tao Muzhi’s prestige comes both from his own conduct and from the administrator’s deliberate effort to elevate him as a model figure.
• Su Chen remains skeptical that the movement can truly shake Buddha Land, whose foundations are still extremely deep. His attention instead returns to his larger objective: acquiring the Spirit of Radiant Moon and dealing with the Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion.
• He devises a possible plan to exploit a prisoner exchange involving Formless. If Formless is brought to Buddha Land for ransom, Old Yuan could accompany him and create a major disturbance, distracting the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit while Su Chen attacks the Spirit of Radiant Moon.

Character Developments

• Huijing becomes increasingly suspicious and politically cautious. He does not openly confront Ming Chi, instead using Ming Hao’s incomplete adaptation as an excuse to delay him while investigating his connection to Old Gou. Huijing also demonstrates confidence in Buddha Land’s power, initially dismissing the Reward and Punishment Envoys as an unlikely threat.
• Ming Chi attempts to appear loyal to Buddha Land by volunteering to attack its enemies. His eagerness, however, makes Huijing more suspicious, since it suggests he is trying too hard to prove his allegiance.
• Tao Muzhi is shown to be influential but personally cautious and compassionate. He worries that the people supporting him will be killed and does not want his reputation to provoke a disastrous conflict.
• Chang Gexiao emerges as a pragmatic and ruthless strategist. He is willing to risk Tao Muzhi and others’ lives to force the Reward and Punishment Envoys to establish their authority. He views limited bloodshed as preferable to a larger future conflict.
• Su Chen continues to think strategically rather than emotionally. He is intrigued by Tao Muzhi’s unexpected influence but treats the political unrest mainly as a possible distraction that can aid his plans against Buddha Land.

Significant Themes

• Prestige and political legitimacy: Tao Muzhi’s reputation has grown enough to unite scattered members of the Reward and Punishment Envoys. His influence demonstrates how symbolic leadership can create real political power.
• The cost of establishing authority: Chang Gexiao believes a new organization cannot gain legitimacy without confronting a powerful opponent. The chapter questions whether sacrificing lives for institutional recognition can be justified.
• Suspicion and hidden loyalties: Huijing’s investigation of Ming Chi emphasizes the danger of infiltration and deception within powerful factions. Appearances of loyalty may conceal deeper alliances.
• Power versus moral restraint: Tao Muzhi fears the consequences of rebellion, while Chang Gexiao accepts bloodshed as necessary. Their disagreement highlights the conflict between compassion and political necessity.
• Opportunity amid instability: Su Chen views Buddha Land’s internal weakness, the Reward and Punishment Envoys’ movement, and the proposed prisoner exchange as potential openings for his own advancement.
• Foundations versus appearances: Although Buddha Land is currently unpopular and weakened, its deep reserves of power mean that public unrest alone may not be enough to defeat it.

Important Character Interactions

• Huijing and Ming Chi: Huijing politely delays Ming Chi while secretly monitoring him and investigating the suspicious dead branch connected to Old Gou.
• Huijing and the Heavenly Sound Department: Huijing orders them to monitor the Reward and Punishment Envoys, identify their leaders, and continue watching the Bronze Church.
• Tao Muzhi and Chang Gexiao: Tao Muzhi asks for restraint and protection of his supporters, while Chang Gexiao deliberately pushes toward confrontation to test the Envoys’ strength.
• Su Chen and the wider political situation: Su Chen studies the Reward and Punishment Envoys’ mobilization and recognizes that Tao Muzhi’s influence may have become a significant factor.
• Su Chen and Buddha Land: Su Chen plans to use the Formless exchange and Old Yuan’s presence to distract the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit, allowing him to obtain the Spirit of Radiant Moon and potentially seize the Merit Pool.

Chapter Summary: “All Sides”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen decides that his immediate priorities are securing the Spirit of Radiant Moon’s cooperation in dealing with the Bright Sunfire and eliminating the World Honored One’s Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion.
• The Bronze Church has expanded dramatically around Meteorfall Mountain. Its headquarters now includes the original First Star and numerous newly acquired barren planets, while most of its core forces have moved toward the Abyssless region.
• Su Chen visits Chu Lingyuan and proposes trading Formless, a captured Moon Radiance, back to the Buddha Land in exchange for Faith Spirits.
• Chu Lingyuan estimates Formless could bring between 30,000 and 70,000 Faith Spirits. Su Chen insists that the negotiation be concluded quickly rather than maximizing the price.
• Su Chen specifically demands that the transaction occur inside the Buddha Land. He also arranges for two powerful Moon Radiances—the Xuantian Ancient King and either the Vast Sea Emperor or Star Vault Ancient King—to escort Formless, while keeping Chu Lingyuan away from the danger.
• Su Chen retrieves Formless from the Stupa Pagoda, where he remains sealed inside a life-draining cocoon.
• He discusses the growing dispute over Tao Muzhi with the Stupa Pagoda’s custodian. Reward and Punishment Envoys are demanding answers from the Buddha Land, while various factions secretly inflame the situation. Chang Gexiao’s refusal to publicly prove Tao Muzhi’s safety makes the crisis more suspicious and complicated.
• Elsewhere, Old Gou prepares a trap using black-and-white flowing energy containing the Kind Father’s power and Creation Power. He balances the energies so that, if the World Honored One touches it, the Kind Father’s power will overwhelm the Creation Power and potentially consume both the World Honored One and his Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion.
• Old Gou worries that he cannot contact the Kind Father again soon without risking an uncontrollable accident. He considers warning his allies but fears doing so would reveal that he has already acted.
• In the Buddha Land, Huijing learns of the proposed trade. He rejects the Bronze Church’s initial demand of 70,000 Faith Spirits and sets 40,000 as the absolute maximum.
• Huijing is enraged when he learns that the Bronze Church insists on holding the exchange within the Buddha Land, interpreting the demand as deliberate provocation and a sign that Su Chen believes the Buddha Land is incapable of resisting.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes increasingly strategic and ruthless. His willingness to trade Formless quickly, choose hostile territory, and send expendable or less personally important forces as escorts suggests he is using the transaction for purposes beyond acquiring Faith Spirits.
• Chu Lingyuan remains loyal and accommodating toward Su Chen, even though he is reluctant to give up Formless. He recognizes that Su Chen’s instructions indicate a hidden plan but wisely avoids pressing him for details.
• The custodian shows frustration and helplessness over the Tao Muzhi crisis. Though powerful, he is restricted by his “programmed” neutral persona and cannot openly intervene.
• Old Gou reveals himself as a dangerous conspirator. He is willing to manipulate the Kind Father’s power and sacrifice the World Honored One, but the strain and risk of his plan leave him cautious.
• Huijing shifts from confidence to anger when reminded that the Buddha Sarira has been lost. His authority and pride are challenged by the Bronze Church’s terms, intensifying his hostility.

Significant Themes

• Strategic deception and hidden motives: The Formless trade appears to be more than a simple exchange. Su Chen’s urgency, choice of location, and escort arrangements imply a concealed objective.
• Power, prestige, and political intimidation: The transaction’s location is symbolic. Conducting it in the Buddha Land would demonstrate the Bronze Church’s confidence and potentially damage the Buddha Land’s reputation.
• Factional instability: The Tao Muzhi incident shows how quickly rumors, grievances, and secret manipulation can turn into a broader conflict.
• Dangerous use of transcendent power: Old Gou’s plan illustrates the risks of manipulating the Kind Father and Creation Power, with advancement coming at the cost of corruption or loss of control.
• Pragmatism versus pride: Su Chen and Chu Lingyuan view Formless as a resource to be converted into benefits, while Huijing treats the demand as an insult to the Buddha Land’s dignity and authority.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen and Chu Lingyuan: Their exchange reflects trust and senior-junior camaraderie. Chu Lingyuan jokes with Su Chen but quickly becomes serious when he realizes the plan may be dangerous.
• Su Chen and the custodian: Su Chen seeks information and reassurance regarding Tao Muzhi. The custodian admits his inability to intervene, while Su Chen promises that Tao Muzhi will eventually be removed from the Buddha Land.
• Old Gou and the World Honored One: Although they do not meet directly, Old Gou prepares a concealed trap specifically designed to exploit the World Honored One’s vulnerabilities.
• Huijing and the elderly monk: The monk delivers the trade terms, while Huijing evaluates and rejects them. Their discussion exposes the Buddha Land’s financial limits and growing resentment toward the Bronze Church.
• The Bronze Church and Buddha Land: Their negotiation is framed as both a commercial exchange and a confrontation over status, trust, and control.

Chapter Summary: “Murky Waters”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Buddha Land, Huijing debates whether to trade for Formless, who is being held by the Bronze Church. The Bronze Church’s choice of the Buddha Land as the trading site makes him suspicious, as it could be a trap or an attempt to eliminate troublesome Moon Radiance figures.
• Despite his concerns, Huijing decides to proceed because Formless’s return is urgently needed. With the Buddha Sarira stolen and Ming Chi compromised, Formless’s recovery would restore another powerful asset.
• Huijing caps the transaction at four hundred thousand Faith Spirits and orders the Heavenly Sound Department to spread the narrative that Formless’s capture was a conspiracy between Soaring Heavens and the Bronze Church.
• Beyond Abyssless, the Five Pillars capture Qin Jianzhi, who has become a monstrous, mindless being possessing Bright Sun-level power. They debate where to study him, ultimately agreeing in principle to establish a jointly monitored research facility.
• During the discussion, the World Honored One receives an emergency ritual message from the Buddha Land: all seventy-plus Buddha Sarira have been stolen, a Strange God-parasitized individual has apparently become a Buddha, and the Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion has awakened.
• Although deeply shaken and eager to return, the World Honored One chooses to remain temporarily after sensing that the other Pillars may exploit his absence to exclude the Buddha Land from the research arrangements.
• On the Void Cycle, outrage over Tao Muzhi’s situation escalates. A petition calling for the Reward and Punishment Envoys to surround the Buddha Land rapidly gathers support.
• Chang Gexiao decides to convene all Reward and Punishment Ambassadors and Morning Star-level Reward and Punishment Envoys under the pretext of discussing Strange God parasitization. This allows him to protect the envoys, pressure the Buddha Land, and preserve political flexibility.
• Su Chen learns that the true number of Reward and Punishment Envoys is not thirteen million, as publicly claimed, but fifty-seven million. The administrator predicts that at least five million may head toward the Buddha Land, making the political crisis far more serious than expected.

Character Developments

• Huijing becomes more cautious and politically calculating. He recognizes the potential trap behind the Bronze Church’s proposal but accepts the risk because the Buddha Land desperately needs Formless.
• The World Honored One reveals how deeply invested he is in the Buddha Sarira and the Body of Greed, Hatred, and Delusion. His momentary loss of control exposes both his anger and his fear of losing the Buddha Land’s long-term plans.
• The Five Pillars grow increasingly distrustful of one another. Their insistence on a jointly controlled research facility reflects their unwillingness to let any single faction monopolize Qin Jianzhi.
• Chang Gexiao is shown to be more politically shrewd than his chivalrous reputation suggests. He manipulates the growing public anger while creating a protective framework for the Reward and Punishment Envoys.
• Tao Muzhi is alarmed by the scale of the movement he has helped trigger. He feels both guilty about the danger to others and relieved that the Buddha Land is finally being pressured.
• Su Chen gains a clearer understanding of the administrator’s hidden influence and the true scale of the Reward and Punishment Envoy network.

Significant Themes

• Political maneuvering and mutual distrust: Every faction tries to turn crises into strategic advantages, while none of the major powers fully trusts the others.
• The danger of hidden power: The true size of the Reward and Punishment Envoys’ organization is concealed, demonstrating how public information can be deliberately manipulated.
• Crisis as opportunity: The Buddha Land’s internal disasters, the Formless trade, Qin Jianzhi’s capture, and Tao Muzhi’s persecution all become tools for competing factions.
• The limits of authority: The World Honored One’s inability to simply abandon the joint Qin Jianzhi operation shows that even a Bright Sun-level figure must consider the consequences of appearing weak or isolated.
• Escalating instability: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to control, with more factions preparing to exploit the confusion.

Important Character Interactions

• Huijing and the old monk: They argue over the Faith Spirit price and the risks of trading in the Buddha Land. Huijing ultimately combines caution with aggressive propaganda.
• The Five Pillars: Their debate over Qin Jianzhi’s custody reveals deep suspicion, though they agree to share responsibility through a joint research facility.
• The World Honored One and the other Pillars: His attempt to leave is met with suspiciously accommodating responses, making him fear they intend to proceed without him. He therefore stays despite the Buddha Land emergency.
• Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi: Chang encourages Tao while warning that the Buddha Land may violently suppress the protesters. His decision to organize the ambassadors reassures Tao but also reveals his willingness to manipulate the situation.
• Su Chen and the administrator: Their discussion exposes the administrator’s secret recruitment and information control, while Su Chen recognizes that the resulting mass mobilization could dramatically reshape the balance among the Five Pillars.

Chapter Summary: “Public Outrage Boils Over, the Arrow Is on the String”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen discusses the escalating conflict between the Reward and Punishment Envoys and Buddha Land with the Administrator. Although he refuses to travel personally to Buddha Land, he agrees to find a way to support the Envoys, recognizing that their legitimacy and morale could collapse if Buddha Land openly crushes them.
• The Administrator explains that the Envoys’ authority depends on their prestige and the tacit support of the Five Pillars. Su Chen considers backing them indirectly, possibly using the Buddha Land conflict as justification, while keeping his true strength and plans concealed.
• Chang Gexiao deliberately allows public outrage to grow by refusing to reveal that Tao Muzhi is safe. He believes the movement has already gained too much momentum to stop without damaging the Envoys’ reputation.
• Huijing confronts Chang Gexiao, accusing him of deliberately inflaming the situation by summoning Reward and Punishment Ambassadors and leaking information. Chang counters that Buddha Land imprisoned him and Tao Muzhi and may already know the truth about the Strange God parasitism issue.
• Huijing forcibly expels Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi from Buddha Land rather than detaining them. Chang interprets this as evidence that Buddha Land fears further criticism if it keeps them imprisoned.
• Buddha Land publicly claims that the two men have already been released and suggests Tao Muzhi prevented Chang from contacting the outside world. However, the public largely refuses to believe Buddha Land, citing its history of forced conversion and distrust of its statements.
• The failed clarification makes Buddha Land appear frightened and weak, intensifying the crisis. Huijing realizes that Buddha Land’s past reputation and current troubles have made it vulnerable to attacks from numerous factions.
• Huijing gains some reassurance from the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit, who says Buddha Land cannot be breached by anyone below the true Bright Sun level and that its interior is under control. The World Honored One is also returning, further strengthening Buddha Land’s defenses.
• At the Bronze Church, Su Chen observes the situation and notes that millions of Reward and Punishment Envoys may soon surround Buddha Land. He believes the crisis has expanded beyond Tao Muzhi’s original situation and that even Tao’s testimony would now be dismissed as coerced.
• Su Chen also confirms that negotiations have secured Formless’s entry into Buddha Land for 380,000 Faith Crystal Essences. Profound Heaven and Star Vault are approaching the Bronze Church, and Su Chen plans to send the Xuantian Ancient King to represent him at the upcoming Reward and Punishment Ambassador meeting.
• Before transferring his consciousness to a clone, Su Chen discovers that his abilities and treasures have produced potentially useful intelligence.

Character Developments

• Su Chen: Shows greater willingness to support the Reward and Punishment Envoys, though he remains cautious and avoids exposing his true body or full power. He continues manipulating events from a distance while pursuing separate negotiations and strategic objectives.
• The Administrator: Reveals concern for the Envoys’ long-term credibility and regrets that the confrontation began before Su Chen reached the Bright Sun level. His relationship with Su Chen reflects both dependence and mild frustration over Su Chen’s tendency to accelerate dangerous situations.
• Chang Gexiao: Demonstrates deliberate manipulation and political daring. He knowingly lets public anger intensify, confident that Buddha Land’s explanation will not be trusted. He also openly challenges Huijing’s moral authority.
• Tao Muzhi: Remains anxious and eager to clarify the truth, but follows his master’s strategy. His broken communication device prevents him from immediately responding publicly.
• Huijing: Becomes increasingly frustrated and defensive as multiple crises engulf Buddha Land. Though he believes he acted correctly by releasing Chang and Tao, he recognizes that Buddha Land’s weakened reputation makes even truthful statements ineffective.
• Buddha Spirit: Serves as a stabilizing force, assuring Huijing that Buddha Land’s defenses remain strong and that most hostile forces cannot threaten it directly.

Significant Themes

• Public opinion as a weapon: The chapter emphasizes that perception can matter more than truth. Buddha Land’s statement is rejected not because it is necessarily false, but because its reputation makes people unwilling to believe it.
• The collapse of authority: Buddha Land’s past dominance no longer guarantees obedience. Once its image of invincibility is damaged, numerous factions rush to exploit its weakness.
• Political escalation and loss of control: The Administrator’s warning that events become uncontrollable once begun is reflected in the Envoy movement, which grows beyond its original purpose.
• Indirect power and strategic concealment: Su Chen avoids direct involvement while influencing events through organizations, clones, negotiations, and proxies.
• Reputation and credibility: The Reward and Punishment Envoys’ future depends on preserving their prestige, while Buddha Land’s accumulated history of coercion undermines every attempt at self-defense.
• Truth versus usefulness: Even if Tao Muzhi tells the truth, the timing has made his testimony politically useless; facts are being judged according to factional interests.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Chen and the Administrator: They debate whether Su Chen should support the Reward and Punishment Envoys. Su Chen agrees to help indirectly but refuses to expose himself unnecessarily.
• Chang Gexiao and Tao Muzhi: Master and disciple disagree over whether to clarify the situation. Tao wants to speak, while Chang insists that the momentum cannot be stopped without damaging the Envoys.
• Chang Gexiao and Huijing: Their confrontation exposes the hostility between Longevity Pillar and Buddha Land. Chang accuses Huijing of concealing the truth about Strange God parasitism, while Huijing blames him for provoking the crisis.
• Huijing and the Buddha Spirit: Huijing seeks reassurance about Buddha Land’s defenses and Su Chen’s possible involvement. The Buddha Spirit convinces him that Buddha Land remains secure against most attackers.
• Su Chen and the wider factions: Though not directly present at Buddha Land, Su Chen observes the crisis and prepares proxies and allies to participate in the unfolding political and military confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Bottom of the Nether Domain: A Wall Before Buddha Land

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Chen spends 500 drops of Divine Blood to retrieve information about the Shadowflash Form, accessing a vision of the bottom of the Nether Domain.
• In the vision, Old Gou appears beneath the Ruins Origin Realm holding the sinister Finality Heart. He splits it in half, sending one portion into the abyss and leaving the other behind.
• The retrieved information reveals that Old Gou used half the heart to temporarily prevent other Final Ruins from using flesh and blood to locate the Black and White Flowing Light or interfere with his plans.
• The summary also reveals that Kind Father retained half of the Finality Heart. Rather than using it to heal, Kind Father intends to nurture a new life-form that will travel to Abyssless and seek the origin he lost.
• Su Chen deduces that Old Gou has been working toward corrupting the World Honored One, likely through a scheme involving Ming Chi and the Black and White Flowing Light. Ming Chi’s exposure appears to have disrupted that plan.
• Su Chen decides that Kind Father’s future threat is too serious to handle alone and plans to inform the other Bright Suns.
• The chapter then shifts to the escalating confrontation outside Buddha Land. Millions of Reward and Punishment Envoys gather in the void, effectively forming a blockade around Buddha Land’s gates.
• The Star Vault Ancient King and Xuantian Ancient King arrive aboard a bronze warship. They discuss the political implications, recognizing that the crisis is likely being manipulated by hidden forces and that Buddha Land may either compromise or resort to violence.
• Xuantian, acting partly on Su Chen’s behalf, intends to protect the Reward and Punishment Envoys while using the situation to strengthen the Bronze Church’s position.
• Upon arrival, Xuantian ignores the welcoming monks and publicly displays his power. He transforms into the Primordial Scarlet Meteor Mountain Lord, creating a colossal azure-red mountain that briefly rivals Buddha Land’s Spirit Mountain.
• The spectacle shocks both Buddha Land and the gathered envoys. Su Chen is concealed within the manifestation, using the show of force to ensure that the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit takes the Bronze Church seriously.

Character Developments

• Su Chen becomes increasingly capable of interpreting the Shadowflash Form’s fragmented information. He connects Old Gou’s actions with earlier events involving Ming Chi, the Black and White Flowing Light, and the World Honored One.
• Su Chen also demonstrates strategic maturity: rather than confronting Kind Father alone, he plans to distribute the information and make the other Bright Suns share responsibility for the threat.
• Old Gou is revealed as calculating and highly manipulative. His splitting of the Finality Heart is a deliberate move to obstruct rival Final Ruins while advancing his corruption scheme.
• Kind Father appears more independent and purposeful than expected. He is not merely recovering from injury; he is preparing a new entity to reclaim his lost origin.
• Xuantian Ancient King shows political awareness and confidence. He understands Buddha Land’s likely responses and deliberately uses the crisis to advance the Bronze Church’s influence.
• Star Vault Ancient King remains observant and somewhat opportunistic, recognizing both the danger and the benefits of Buddha Land’s humiliation.
• The World Honored One remains an immense but restrained threat. Buddha Land’s strength still rests largely on his existence, even while his possible corruption hangs over the larger conflict.

Significant Themes

• Hidden schemes and incomplete information: Su Chen must reconstruct vast conspiracies from brief, fragmented visions. Important plans are obscured by missing links and misleading appearances.
• Political pressure and collective power: The enormous gathering of Reward and Punishment Envoys shows that even weaker individuals can become a force when united.
• Fear of uncontrolled threats: Kind Father’s plan to create a new life-form suggests a danger that may not fit existing categories or attract immediate attention.
• Power as spectacle and deterrence: Xuantian’s grand manifestation demonstrates that power is not only used to fight but also to intimidate, negotiate, and shape political perceptions.
• Institutional conflict and hypocrisy: Buddha Land must choose between preserving its dignity through compromise or openly suppressing its opponents and facing condemnation from Abyssless.

Character Interactions

• Su Chen interprets Old Gou’s vision and indirectly links his actions to the World Honored One’s potential corruption.
• The Star Vault Ancient King and Xuantian Ancient King discuss the Reward and Punishment Envoys, Buddha Land’s possible reactions, and the Bronze Church’s strategic interests.
• Xuantian confronts Buddha Land’s welcoming monks by refusing to follow them immediately and instead making a public display of strength.
• The gathered Reward and Punishment Envoys react excitedly to the Bronze Church’s arrival, viewing it as a powerful anti-Buddha Land force.
• Buddha Land’s monks respond with unease and hostility as the Bronze Church publicly demonstrates its strength.
• Su Chen remains hidden inside Xuantian’s manifestation, coordinating the intimidation effort from behind the scenes.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Buddha Land receives the Bronze Church’s delegation while numerous Reward and Punishment Envoys gather outside. The timing is deliberately provocative, making the Buddha Land appear vulnerable because the World Honored One is absent.
• In response, the Buddha Land manifests the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit, a sentient Bright Sun Rune Array supported by the Merit Pool. Its appearance reassures the monks and warns the visiting powers not to underestimate the Buddha Land.
• Huijing and the Buddha Spirit assess Yuan Shuo’s incarnation, concluding that although he is now a Bright Sun powerhouse, his incarnation cannot remain in battle for long because it lacks a stable energy supply.
• Ming Chi proposes secretly attacking the Bronze Church while two of its Ancient Kings are present in the Buddha Land and the Vast Sea Emperor is elsewhere. Huijing refuses, instead exposing Ming Chi’s true identity as Wuliang, a former Buddhist disciple who fell into the Nether Domain.
• Huijing reveals that the Buddha Sarira was stolen from the Offering Pagoda two months earlier and that someone anonymously provided information implicating Wuliang. Wuliang realizes he was deliberately framed.
• Wuliang denies stealing the Sarira and offers to help Huijing find the real culprit, whom he identifies as another Strange God hiding within the Buddha Land. In exchange, he demands freedom and a Nether Pact.
• Huijing temporarily accepts the possibility, while sealing Wuliang with the Buddha Spirit’s Sanskrit chains. He confirms the Buddha Sarira is likely still inside the Buddha Land because everyone who left was inspected.
• Meanwhile, Yuan Shuo arrives to meet Huijing but first approaches the assembled Reward and Punishment Envoys, deliberately maintaining an intimidating stance to emphasize his new Bright Sun status.
• The Envoys explain that the Strange Gods may have developed a new corruption technique: abandoning their immortal bodies and completely parasitizing and replacing another person. Ming Xiao is suspected to have been a victim of this method, since even the World Honored One failed to detect the corruption.

Character Developments

• Huijing is shown to be cautious, politically astute, and manipulative. He uses the Buddha Sarira theft and Wuliang’s reaction to test identities and motives rather than acting rashly.
• Wuliang/Eternity is exposed as the infiltrator posing as Ming Chi. His confidence collapses when he learns he has been framed, but he quickly adapts and bargains for survival by offering information about the hidden Strange God.
• Ming Hao is shocked to learn Ming Chi’s identity and becomes visibly overwhelmed by the revelation that a Strange God, a stolen Sarira, and an internal infiltrator are connected.
• Yuan Shuo, now transformed into a Bright Sun powerhouse, acts with restraint but intentionally displays enough hostility to command respect and make the Buddha Land wary of him.
• Su Chen remains absent because of his own critical situation, but his influence continues through his arrangements with Yuan Shuo and Profound Heaven.
• The Buddha Spirit is established as an intelligent and powerful defensive entity capable of detecting threats, enforcing restrictions, and protecting the Buddha Land.

Significant Themes

• Deception and scapegoating: Wuliang was framed for the Buddha Sarira theft, illustrating how hidden enemies manipulate existing suspicions.
• Paranoia and infiltration: The possibility that Strange Gods can replace people from within makes identity itself uncertain and threatens even powerful figures.
• Political maneuvering: The Bronze Church’s visit, Yuan Shuo’s posturing, and Huijing’s calculated responses all demonstrate that power is often communicated through appearances and controlled provocation.
• Power versus vulnerability: Despite the Buddha Land’s formidable defenses, the absence of the World Honored One and the presence of infiltrators reveal its underlying insecurity.
• Temporary alliances: Wuliang and Huijing may be enemies, but the stolen Sarira creates a situation in which cooperation could benefit both sides.

Character Interactions

• Huijing and the Buddha Spirit discuss Yuan Shuo’s limitations and the need to defend the Buddha Land without overreacting.
• Ming Chi/Wuliang and Huijing engage in a tense confrontation in which Huijing exposes Wuliang’s identity and Wuliang tries to negotiate his freedom.
• Huijing and Ming Hao reveal the depth of the deception to Ming Hao, who struggles to process that his companion was actually Wuliang.
• Yuan Shuo and Ming Hao meet when Ming Hao escorts him toward Huijing, but Yuan Shuo deliberately leaves the group to address the Reward and Punishment Envoys first.
• Yuan Shuo and the Envoys exchange formal greetings before discussing the Strange Gods’ new parasitic corruption method and the suspected case of Ming Xiao.

Chapter Summary: “It’s Su Chen!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chang Gexiao reveals that Strange Gods possess a parasitization method even Bright Sun experts—and possibly the World Honored One—cannot immediately detect. The group discusses obtaining a parasitized “specimen” from Buddha Land to develop a method of identification.
• The Reward and Punishment Envoys continue gathering at Buddha Land, ostensibly to demand justice over Tao Muzhi’s treatment. In reality, the major factions are manipulating the situation to pressure Buddha Land into surrendering Wuliang, whom they believe may be a specimen.
• The factions reach a calculated compromise: Buddha Land must hand over a specimen while the disturbance is contained. They want neither Buddha Land destroyed nor allowed to escape without paying a price.
• Huijing realizes Chang Gexiao is using the crisis to unite and gain influence over the Reward and Punishment Envoys.
• Yuan Shuo and Star Vault Ancient King enter Buddha Land to complete a trade. Yuan Shuo deliberately behaves arrogantly, drawing the attention of the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit and the monks.
• While Buddha Land’s forces focus on Yuan Shuo, Su Chen climbs the Jade Steps unnoticed. Near the ninety-eighth step, he detonates his remaining Data Core and activates Flesh Imprint and Flesh Dharma Aspect: Aberration.
• Su Chen transforms into a gigantic flesh giant and breaks through the sealed upper section of the Jade Steps, apparently infiltrating or attacking a crucial area of Buddha Land.
• At the same time, Yuan Shuo completes the exchange: Formless is traded for 380,000 Faith Spirits. Once the transaction is finished, Yuan Shuo attacks Huijing, creating further chaos and preventing the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit from responding effectively.
• Buddha Land’s guest hall is devastated in the ensuing clash. Huijing, Formless, and Ming Hao emerge from the destruction and discover that the upper Jade Steps have been shattered.
• Recognizing the transformed flesh giant from his previous battle at Bronze Church, Huijing realizes that the supposed Bronze Church scheme and the earlier flesh giant were all connected to Su Chen. He finally identifies the intruder by name: “Su Chen!”

Character Developments

• Su Chen demonstrates careful planning, deception, and boldness. He exploits the conflict between Bronze Church and Buddha Land, using Yuan Shuo as a distraction before making his own decisive move.
• Yuan Shuo openly indulges his hostility toward Buddha Land while still following the larger plan. His arrogance provokes Huijing and the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit, helping conceal Su Chen’s actions.
• Huijing shifts from suspicion and hostility to shock. He gradually understands that the various incidents—the Buddha Sarira theft, Tao Muzhi’s arrival, the Reward and Punishment Envoys’ mobilization, and the trade—are part of Su Chen’s operation.
• Chang Gexiao is portrayed as politically ambitious and manipulative. He uses the crisis to increase his authority over the Reward and Punishment Envoys while forcing Buddha Land into a weakened position.
• Ming Hao becomes increasingly conflicted. He recognizes that the Envoys are being used as weapons and is disturbed by the possibility that Buddha Land will be forced to surrender someone important.
• Star Vault Ancient King remains largely unaware of the true plan, focusing on the trade and becoming confused when the battle suddenly erupts.
• Formless is recovered from the Life-Siphoning Cocoon, weakened but alive, and restored somewhat by the Buddha Spirit’s power.

Significant Themes

• Deception and misdirection: The central strategy depends on making Buddha Land focus on Yuan Shuo while Su Chen moves toward his real objective.
• Political manipulation: The Reward and Punishment Envoys’ demand for justice is revealed to be less about morality than about power, leverage, and factional advantage.
• Calculated risk: Su Chen and Yuan Shuo deliberately provoke Buddha Land despite the danger posed by the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit.
• Identity and hidden power: Su Chen’s transformation reveals that the mysterious flesh giant previously encountered by Huijing was not an unrelated enemy but another manifestation of Su Chen’s strength.
• Conflict between cooperation and hostility: Although Yuan Shuo cooperates with Su Chen, his genuine hatred of Buddha Land adds unpredictability and makes the confrontation more dangerous.
• The limits of perception: Even powerful Bright Sun-level beings may fail to detect Strange God parasitization or recognize Su Chen’s presence until his attack is already underway.

Character Interactions

• Chang Gexiao, Yuan Shuo, Profound Heaven, Yan Xing, and others coordinate their pressure on Buddha Land while discussing the Strange God specimen.
• Ming Hao challenges Chang Gexiao, accusing him of deliberately suppressing Tao Muzhi and causing the crisis, but the stronger factions dismiss his moral objection.
• Huijing and Yuan Shuo engage in a tense confrontation, with Yuan Shuo’s arrogance provoking Buddha Land’s anger.
• Su Chen watches Yuan Shuo and the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit clash from the Jade Steps, recognizing that the confrontation provides the distraction he needs.
• Huijing and Yuan Shuo begin the exchange involving Formless and the Faith Spirits, but Yuan Shuo attacks immediately afterward.
• After witnessing the destroyed Jade Steps and the fading flesh giant, Huijing connects all the recent events and directly names Su Chen as the mastermind and infiltrator.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Huijing recognizes the enormous figure attacking Buddha Land as Su Chen, though he is unsure whether it is Su Chen’s true body, a clone, or a body enhanced by the Primordial Mountain Lord’s methods.
• The attack reveals that the Bronze Church deliberately chose Buddha Land as the trading site to coordinate with Su Chen. Huijing questions the earlier theft of the Buddha Sarira and suspects it may have been intended to weaken or distract Buddha Land.
• Inside Buddha Land, Eternity senses that the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit’s attention has been diverted. The weakening seal gives him hope that he may escape.
• Outside, the Primordial Mountain Lord and the major factions discuss the growing number of Reward and Punishment Envoys. They propose forming a governing body to legitimize and control them, while deliberately excluding Buddha Land.
• News suddenly arrives that Buddha Land is under attack. Massive Buddhist radiance, azure and crimson data streams, and destructive energy erupt around Spirit Mountain, alarming the outside observers.
• Su Chen breaks through the sealing Rune Array and charges directly toward the nine remaining Spirits of Radiant Moon. He captures them with overwhelming physical strength and attempts to imprison them in the Thunderborn Nine Hells.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit immediately retaliates, activating Buddha Land’s Bright Sun Rune Array and attempting to suppress Su Chen.
• Su Chen invokes the Saint Monarch’s power, causing the Spirits of Radiant Moon to stop resisting and allowing him to pull them into an unknown space. Though he obtains them, he cannot yet fully use them to empower the Vast-Heaven Flame.
• Old Yuan takes control of the Data Core and transforms it into a powerful azure-and-crimson spear, attacking the Six-Armed Buddha Spirit and clashing with Buddha Land’s Buddhist energy.
• Su Chen escapes down from the ninety-eighth Jade Step while resisting Red Lotus Karmic Fire and its curses.
• Huijing orders Ming Hao and Formless to attack Su Chen. Ming Hao launches a powerful golden dragon and Buddha-tower attack, but Su Chen destroys it with one casual blow and then strikes Ming Hao, causing a massive explosion of golden blood.

2. Character Developments

• Su Chen demonstrates a dramatic increase in strength. Whether he is using a clone or an enhanced body, his physical power is sufficient to shatter Ming Hao’s Buddhist attack effortlessly and contend with the defenses of Buddha Land.
• Su Chen reveals careful preparation and clear priorities: obtaining the Spirits of Radiant Moon is more important than prolonging the battle. He remains focused even while under attack from the Buddha Spirit and karmic flames.
• Huijing becomes increasingly alarmed and perceptive. He quickly understands that Su Chen’s appearance is connected to the Bronze Church’s plan, but he underestimates Su Chen’s current strength and continues treating him as a secondary threat.
• The Six-Armed Buddha Spirit proves highly responsive, immediately redirecting its power against Su Chen once the Spirits of Radiant Moon are threatened. However, Old Yuan’s interference prevents it from suppressing Su Chen quickly.
• Old Yuan shows unexpectedly formidable combat ability by wielding the Data Core as a weapon capable of directly challenging Buddha Land’s defenses.
• Ming Hao suffers a humiliating defeat. His strongest attack is destroyed instantly, and Su Chen’s counterattack leaves him severely injured.
• Formless remains confused and hesitant, reacting more slowly than Ming Hao and failing to commit immediately to the assault.
• Eternity begins looking for an opportunity to escape as the Buddha Spirit’s attention is drawn toward the invasion.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategic deception and hidden motives: The Bronze Church’s choice of Buddha Land as the meeting place conceals a larger assault, while the purpose of the stolen Buddha Sarira remains uncertain.
• Escalating power and uncertainty: Su Chen’s strength has increased beyond Huijing’s expectations, making previous assumptions about clones, true bodies, and power limits unreliable.
• Conflict between systems of power: Buddhist radiance and karmic fire clash with Old Yuan’s data-based energy, symbolizing the confrontation between ancient spiritual authority and artificial or technological forces.
• Control versus independence: The proposed governing body for the Reward and Punishment Envoys reflects the major factions’ attempt to control an increasingly powerful and unpredictable force.
• Prioritizing objectives under pressure: Su Chen ignores distractions and focuses on acquiring the Spirits of Radiant Moon, even while surrounded by Buddha Land’s defenses and powerful enemies.

4. Character Interactions

• Huijing and Formless discuss Su Chen’s identity and the Bronze Church’s motives, with both struggling to understand how the attack could occur within Buddha Land.
• The outside factions—including Huang Pan, Yan Xing, Chang Gexiao, the Machine Domain representative, and the Xuantian Ancient King—debate how to manage the Reward and Punishment Envoys before being interrupted by news of the attack.
• Huijing directs the Buddha Spirit to suppress the Primordial Mountain Lord first, believing Su Chen is less dangerous; this judgment proves mistaken.
• Su Chen and the Spirits of Radiant Moon clash briefly, but the Saint Monarch’s invisible power forces the spirits into submission.
• Su Chen and Old Yuan cooperate directly, with Su Chen handing over the Data Core so Old Yuan can use it more effectively against the Buddha Spirit.
• Huijing orders Ming Hao and Formless to attack Su Chen. Ming Hao obeys immediately, while Formless hesitates.
• Su Chen overwhelms Ming Hao, destroying his attack and striking him so violently that the chapter ends with Ming Hao’s golden blood exploding across the battlefield.