Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent pursues Song Wen and Rong Shao through a tunnel.
• Song Wen uses his Vast Extremity Divine Thunder to counter the serpent's poisonous mist, creating an energy shockwave that widens the tunnel.
• They discover an enormous underground cavern with dense yin aura.
• They land on a mountain of bones, both human and demonic beast, indicating a recent mass death event.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates his powerful lightning technique, countering the serpent's poison.
• Rong Shao shows analytical skills, deducing that the bones may be the result of a recent human-made massacre.

Significant Themes

• The power of lightning techniques as a counter to poison.
• The dense yin aura in the cavern, hinting at the presence of the Yin Spring.
• The mysterious mass death event, foreshadowing a hidden secret.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao work together to evade the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent, with Song Wen leading the way and Rong Shao providing strategic insights.
• They share theories about the origin of the bones, with Rong Shao suggesting a human-made cause and Song Wen agreeing, hinting at a shared understanding and respect for each other's intellect.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent pursues Song Wen and Rong Shao into the cave.
• They encounter Tu You, a cultivator from the Divine Blood Sect, who mistakes them for sect members.
• Tu You recognizes the Shadow-Escape Rat, revealing his connection to it.
• Song Wen decides to let Tu You lead them to Lord Lü Ling, a powerful Divine Blood Sect cultivator, to deal with the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent.
• Song Wen slows down to confront the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent, using his Nine Transparent Blades to temporarily incapacitate it.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates strategic thinking by using Tu You and Lord Lü Ling to deal with the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent.
• Rong Shao shows concern for their safety and questions Song Wen's decisions but ultimately trusts him.
• Tu You is revealed to have betrayed the Shadow-Escape Rat, adding depth to his character.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal: Tu You's betrayal of the Shadow-Escape Rat highlights the theme of betrayal and its consequences.
• Strategic Alliances: Song Wen's decision to use Tu You and Lord Lü Ling to deal with the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent explores the theme of forming strategic alliances for mutual benefit.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao work together, with Rong Shao following Song Wen's lead despite some reservations.
• Tu You and the Shadow-Escape Rat have a tense interaction, revealing their past relationship.
• Song Wen confronts the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent, showcasing his bravery and skill.

Chapter Summary: “Heaven-Sent Opportunity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen and Rong Shao pursue Tu You through the vast Yin Spring Cave while the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent continues chasing them.
• The surrounding ghost qi gradually thins and converges ahead, suggesting that an important secret or powerful figure lies in that direction.
• Once Song Wen catches up to Tu You, he decides Tu You has outlived his usefulness and attacks him with the Soul-Splitting Blade.
• Tu You summons an early seventh-rank blood corpse to block the attack, but Song Wen destroys it in a single strike by shattering its corpse core.
• Rong Shao joins the assault with his life-bound flying sword. Knowing he cannot survive, Tu You burns his blood essence to enhance his strength and cries out for Lord Lü Ling.
• Lü Ling appears and uses a blood-colored chain to deflect both attacks, rescuing Tu You.
• Lü Ling questions Song Wen and Rong Shao about their presence in the Yin Spring Cave. Tu You falsely accuses them of infiltrating Demonfall Valley to steal its treasures.
• Song Wen secretly instructs Rong Shao to circle around and lure the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent into fighting Lü Ling, while Song Wen handles the situation.
• Lü Ling recognizes that Rong Shao cultivates the Longevity Art at the Integrated Body Peak Stage. He reveals that the Divine Blood Sect considers such cultivators valuable “medicine” for extending lifespans and intends to capture Rong Shao alive for Vice Sect Master Wu Xing.
• Lü Ling attacks Rong Shao with his blood chain. Rong Shao’s flying sword is easily knocked aside, but Song Wen intervenes with a powerful silver lightning attack that disrupts the chain’s corpse-based killing intent.

Character Developments

• Song Wen: Becomes increasingly decisive and ruthless, immediately attempting to kill Tu You once he is no longer useful. He remains calm after Lü Ling exposes the Divine Blood Sect’s treatment of Longevity Art cultivators, indicating that he already understood this secret. He also demonstrates confidence in manipulating the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent against Lü Ling.
• Rong Shao: Shows strong combat ability but recognizes Lü Ling’s superiority. He is deeply angered by being treated as a “humanoid great medicine,” revealing how personally and painfully he regards the Divine Blood Sect’s exploitation of Longevity Art cultivators. He nevertheless trusts Song Wen’s plan and follows his instructions.
• Tu You: Shifts from defiance to panic when Song Wen attacks him, then becomes desperate and servile after Lü Ling saves him. He attempts to gain protection by flattering Lü Ling and framing Song Wen and Rong Shao as enemies.
• Lü Ling: Is introduced as an extremely powerful and authoritative figure who controls the Yin Spring Cave. He easily blocks the combined attacks of Song Wen and Rong Shao and views Rong Shao primarily as a valuable resource rather than a person.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and dehumanization: The Divine Blood Sect deliberately cultivates Longevity Art practitioners as sources of life-extending medicine, reducing powerful cultivators to commodities.
• Desperation and survival: Tu You repeatedly abandons dignity and resorts to sacrifice and deception to stay alive.
• Hidden opportunities within danger: The thinning ghost qi signals the approach of a major secret, while Lü Ling’s arrival creates both a threat and a possible opportunity for Song Wen.
• Strategic cooperation: Song Wen and Rong Shao rely on coordination rather than brute strength, attempting to turn the pursuing Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent against Lü Ling.
• Power imbalance: Lü Ling’s effortless defense and overwhelming attack establish him as a formidable opponent, forcing the protagonists to rely on planning and indirect tactics.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao cooperate in pursuing Tu You and attacking him together.
• Tu You invokes Lü Ling’s protection and then hides behind him, trying to manipulate him against the protagonists.
• Lü Ling dismisses Tu You’s explanation and demands answers directly from Song Wen and Rong Shao, asserting his authority.
• Song Wen secretly communicates his strategy to Rong Shao, who trusts him despite the danger.
• Lü Ling’s identification of Rong Shao as Longevity Art “medicine” creates immediate hostility, particularly from Rong Shao.
• When Lü Ling attacks Rong Shao, Song Wen protects him with a lightning strike, beginning a direct confrontation between Song Wen and Lü Ling.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Rong Shao escapes with a Shadow-Escape Rat, while Lü Ling and Song Wen confront each other.
• Lü Ling attempts to cast the Vast Extremity Divine Thunder, but Song Wen disrupts it with his Thunder Kui Wings.
• Song Wen uses the Nine Calamities Measuring-Heaven Sword to deflect the divine thunder and attacks the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent.
• Lü Ling attacks Song Wen with his chain, and the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent targets Song Wen.
• Song Wen uses a talisman to teleport and avoid the chain's attack, causing the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent to turn its attention to Lü Ling and Tu You.

Character Developments

• Rong Shao demonstrates his cunning and resourcefulness in escaping with the Shadow-Escape Rat.
• Lü Ling shows arrogance and underestimation of Song Wen's abilities, focusing more on his own power than the situation at hand.
• Song Wen exhibits strategic thinking, using his attacks to distract Lü Ling and buy time for the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent to approach.

Significant Themes

• The importance of adaptability and strategy in combat, as shown by Song Wen's actions.
• The dangers of underestimating one's opponents, as seen in Lü Ling's behavior.
• The power dynamics within the Divine Blood Sect, hinted at when Song Wen notes that Lü Ling has not been allowed to fully utilize his sect's resources.

Character Interactions

• Rong Shao and Song Wen work together indirectly, with Rong Shao's actions allowing Song Wen to focus on Lü Ling.
• Lü Ling and Song Wen engage in a battle of wits and power, with Lü Ling initially underestimating Song Wen.
• The Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent's actions are influenced by Song Wen's strategies, ultimately turning its attention to Lü Ling and Tu You.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen escapes from the tiger using a Minor Teleportation Talisman and is teleported 300 li away.
• He discovers a stalagmite forest with a mysterious, impenetrable darkness at its center.
• Inside the forest, he finds a Yin Spring filled with churning yin energy and six Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma.
• He realizes that the ganoderma are being cultivated rapidly using an array and human remains.
• Rong Shao arrives, also seeking the ganoderma.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates his cautious and analytical nature, carefully investigating the stalagmite forest before proceeding.
• Rong Shao shows trust in Song Wen, entering the stalagmite forest without hesitation upon receiving his spiritual-sense transmission.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of power and resources (the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma) drives characters' actions.
• The use of arrays and manipulation of energy (yin energy) to achieve specific goals.
• The consequences of unscrupulous methods (using human remains to cultivate spiritual herbs).

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao meet again, with Rong Shao showing trust in Song Wen.
• Song Wen's thoughts reveal his plan to either eliminate the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent and capture Lü Ling or wait for Lü Ling to kill the demon serpent before acting.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen and Rong Shao discover the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma, but it's not yet ten thousand years old.
• Lü Ling returns after defeating the Ghost-Faced Demon Serpent, but he's wounded and unstable.
• Lü Ling attacks Song Wen and Rong Shao, revealing his true strength and intentions.
• Song Wen uses the Nine Calamities Measuring-Heaven Sword to counter Lü Ling's Vast Extremity Divine Thunder.
• Lü Ling's bonded artifact, the blood-colored chain, is destroyed, seemingly wounding him.
• Lü Ling reveals a trap: a blood-colored formation disk that creates a cage-like formation around Song Wen and Rong Shao.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates his knowledge of the Divine Blood Sect's secret art, the Nine Great Heavenly Thunder Secret Arts, and his ability to counter Lü Ling's Vast Extremity Divine Thunder.
• Lü Ling shows his cunning and deception, feigning weakness to set up a trap using his bonded artifact's fragments.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden strengths: Lü Ling's feigned weakness and hidden trap.
• Countering unexpected attacks: Song Wen's quick response to Lü Ling's true power and the formation trap.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao work together to assess the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma but are later targeted by Lü Ling.
• Lü Ling's hostility toward Song Wen and Rong Shao escalates, leading to his reveal of the formation trap.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen is trapped in a seventh-rank formation, the Blood Prison Rakshasa Formation, set up by Lü Ling.
• Lü Ling captures the Soul-Splitting Blade and the Nine Calamities Measuring-Heaven Sword, proving the formation's power.
• Song Wen learns about the origins of the Scarlet Nether Blood-Drinking Chain from Gu Que but finds no help in breaking the formation.
• Lü Ling attacks Song Wen with a blood-red spear from the formation, which is stopped by the Blood Sea Imperial Seal.
• Song Wen claims to be a hidden agent of the Divine Blood Sect, ordered by Sect Master Xugeng, to convince Lü Ling to release him.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates adaptability and quick thinking, trying to bluff his way out of the situation.
• Lü Ling shows arrogance and overconfidence in his formation's power but becomes suspicious and cautious when Song Wen reveals knowledge of Divine Blood Sect secrets.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between cultivators and the use of formations as a strategic advantage.
• The importance of identity and verification in the cultivation world.
• The consequences of deception and the risks of revealing secrets.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Lü Ling: Song Wen tries to manipulate Lü Ling's pride and suspicion to gain an advantage, while Lü Ling is initially confident in his formation's power but becomes wary of Song Wen's claims.
• Song Wen and Gu Que: Song Wen seeks Gu Que's knowledge about the chain but finds it useless in breaking the formation, leading to irritation towards Gu Que's past decisions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen seeks Gu Que's help to identify the true formation bases of Lü Ling's Blood Prison Rakshasa Formation to break it using his Law-Breaking Divine Eye.
• Song Wen stalls Lü Ling by swearing a Heavenly Dao oath, then attacks one of the true formation bases with the help of Rong Shao.
• The formation is broken, and Lü Ling's attack is disrupted.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates strategic thinking and resourcefulness in breaking the formation.
• Gu Que shows proficiency in formations, having forged the Scarlet Nether Blood-Drinking Chain.
• Lü Ling reveals overconfidence in his formation's strength and underestimates Song Wen.

Significant Themes

• The power of formations and their true bases.
• The importance of strategic planning and patience.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponents.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Gu Que work together to locate the formation bases.
• Song Wen and Rong Shao coordinate their attacks to break the formation.
• Lü Ling's overconfidence leads to his downfall, highlighting the importance of respecting one's opponents.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen and Rong Shao break free from Lü Ling's formation, injuring him critically.
• Lü Ling uses a Teleportation Talisman to escape but is interrupted midway, allowing Song Wen to track him.
• Song Wen pursues Lü Ling through a cave, emerging onto a sheer cliff with a bottomless abyss.
• Lü Ling reaches the edge of Demonfall Valley's poisonous miasma, attempting to escape through it.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates his determination to capture Lü Ling alive, revealing his Void Demon (Shadow Void) to intimidate Lü Ling.
• Lü Ling shows desperation and fear as he attempts to escape, revealing his knowledge of the Five Decays Yellow Springs Qi and Void Demons.

Significant Themes

• Pursuit and escape: Song Wen relentlessly pursues Lü Ling, highlighting the theme of the hunter and the hunted.
• Power dynamics: Lü Ling's desperation and fear underscore the shift in power dynamics between him and Song Wen.
• Knowledge and information: Both characters display knowledge of unique elements (Five Decays Yellow Springs Qi, Void Demons), emphasizing the importance of information in their conflict.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Lü Ling: Their interaction is marked by hostility and desperation, with Song Wen taunting Lü Ling and Lü Ling threatening Song Wen.
• Song Wen and Rong Shao: Though not present in this chapter, their alliance is implied, with Song Wen instructing Rong Shao to capture Tu You alive.
• Song Wen and the bat demon beast: Their interaction is brief but shows Song Wen's indifference to minor obstacles in his pursuit of Lü Ling.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen defeats the bat demon beast using his Blood Tide ability.
• Song Wen captures Lü Ling and Tu You, bringing them to Yin Spring Cave.
• Song Wen interrogates Tu You, who reveals that he and Lü Ling were guarding the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma for Lü Ling to break through to the Mahayana realm.
• Tu You also reveals that the bones in Yin Spring Cave were used to ripen the spirit herb and that he doesn't know how much longer the maturation process will take.
• Lü Ling awakes and laughs wildly, believing that Song Wen cannot kill him without alerting the Divine Blood Sect.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates his power and strategic thinking, capturing both Lü Ling and Tu You and interrogating them to gain information.
• Lü Ling shows his arrogance and overconfidence, believing that Song Wen cannot act against him without consequences.
• Tu You reveals his cowardice and willingness to cooperate to save himself.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and the consequences of underestimating one's opponent.
• The pursuit of cultivation resources and the lengths cultivators will go to obtain them.
• The theme of waiting and patience in achieving long-term goals.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen interrogates both Tu You and Lü Ling, using fear and pain to extract information.
• Lü Ling and Tu You show their differing personalities and priorities, with Lü Ling focusing on his cultivation and Tu You on self-preservation.
• Rong Shao assists Song Wen by capturing Tu You and providing support during the interrogation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen reveals he knew about the Yin-condensing formation and the need for another century to mature the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma.
• Lü Ling admits he planned to use Tu You's flesh and blood to hasten the ganoderma's maturation.
• Song Wen tortures Lü Ling and Tu You by having the Shadow-Escape Rat gnaw at their flesh and using their blood to water the ganoderma.
• Song Wen orders Rong Shao to hasten the ganoderma's maturation without killing Tu You and Lü Ling.

Character Developments

• Song Wen: Shows his cunning and manipulative side, using torture to extract information and further his goals.
• Lü Ling: Reveals his vicious nature and willingness to sacrifice others for his plans.
• Tu You: Betrays no significant change, remaining loyal to Lü Ling until the end.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and betrayal: Song Wen manipulates Lü Ling and Tu You, while Lü Ling betrays Tu You.
• Contribution to the world: Song Wen's statement about humans needing to contribute to the world is ironic, given his actions.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen vs. Lü Ling & Tu You: Song Wen tortures and manipulates Lü Ling and Tu You to achieve his goals.
• Rong Shao vs. Lü Ling & Tu You: Rong Shao is tasked with hastening the ganoderma's maturation without killing the two men.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Five years pass with Tu You and Lü Ling nourishing the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma.
• The first ganoderma reaches a medicinal age of ten thousand years, absorbing nether ghost qi and displaying bloodlight.
• The second ganoderma also reaches ten thousand years of age after several more months.
• Song Wen and Rong Shao decide to each take one ganoderma.
• Song Wen devours Tu You and Lü Ling's cultivation using the Corpse King Reincarnation Art, breaking through to Integrated Body Peak Stage.
• They leave Demonfall Valley, crossing the poisonous miasma with the help of lightning arts and Blazing-Fire Purifying Talismans.

Character Developments

• Tu You and Lü Ling's cultivation is devoured by Song Wen, leading to their deaths.
• Song Wen breaks through to Integrated Body Peak Stage after absorbing their cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The power of the Nine-Aperture Profound-Connecting Ganoderma and its medicinal age.
• The dangers and benefits of consuming multiple ganodermas.
• The ruthless nature of cultivation and the willingness to eliminate threats.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao work together to obtain the ganodermas and leave Demonfall Valley.
• Song Wen decides to keep Tu You and Lü Ling alive initially, but later eliminates them to absorb their cultivation.
• Rong Shao trusts Song Wen's judgment and follows his lead, but is confused by Song Wen's actions regarding Tu You and Lü Ling.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen and Rong Shao part ways after leaving Demonfall Valley. Song Wen heads to Cangwu Province, while Rong Shao goes to the Northern Region of Yujiang Province.
• Thirteen years later, Song Wen arrives in Blood Radiance City, the foremost city under the Divine Blood Sect in Cangwu Province.
• Song Wen visits Immortal Herb Lodge, run by Manager Wang, to purchase a Blood Jade Ginseng and inquire about Azure Glazed Fruit and Great Yin Netherfire, both controlled by the Divine Blood Sect.
• Song Wen offers Manager Wang pills (Spirit-Melting and Heaven-Returning) in exchange for help in acquiring the rare spiritual items.

Character Developments

• Song Wen (Gu Huang): He has reached the Integrated Body Peak Stage and is preparing for a breakthrough into the Mahayana realm. He is now known as 'Ye Hua,' a sixth-rank alchemist at the middle stage of Void Refinement.
• Rong Shao: He plans to avoid the Rong Clan and seek revenge once he reaches the Mahayana realm.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and Power: Song Wen's focus on gathering rare spiritual materials to advance his cultivation, and Rong Shao's desire to reach the Mahayana realm to take revenge.
• Trust and Manipulation: Manager Wang's willingness to help Song Wen, despite his untrustworthy promises, highlights the theme of manipulation in business and relationships.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Rong Shao: They part ways amicably, with Rong Shao expressing gratitude and offering to help Song Wen's friend, Yan.
• Song Wen and Manager Wang: They maintain a business relationship, with Song Wen manipulating Wang to help him acquire rare spiritual items. Wang, in turn, sees the potential profit in their relationship.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen seeks information about Azure Glazed Fruit and Great Yin Netherfire to aid his Mahayana breakthrough.
• He learns these items are held by the Divine Blood Sect and decides to befriend higher-status sect members.
• Song Wen purchases treatises on spirit medicines and poison cultivation manuals.
• He waits at the Immortal Herb Lodge for Wang Qi, who is entertaining an important guest.

Character Developments

• Song Wen: Shows determination in preparing for his Mahayana breakthrough and takes initiative in seeking information.
• Wang Qi: Demonstrates his role as an outer sect steward by hosting an important guest.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and preparation for advancement.
• The importance of connections and status in the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Gu Que: Song Wen consults Gu Que about his cultivation progress and receives guidance.
• Wang Qi and the unknown woman (Qiluo): Wang Qi fawns over Qiluo, showing her importance.
• Song Wen and Qiluo: Song Wen recognizes Qiluo from their past encounter on Qicang Island.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen (disguised as Ye Hua) meets Qiluo in Blood Radiance City.
• Qiluo recognizes his name but is confused by his changed appearance and aura.
• Song Wen learns that Qiluo is connected to a powerful figure in the Divine Blood Sect.
• Song Wen contacts Qiluo using a communication jade slip, revealing his feelings for her and his journey to find her.

Character Developments

• Song Wen (Ye Hua): Reveals his unyielding love for Qiluo, showing determination and patience. He's willing to go through great lengths to be with her.
• Qiluo: Shows initial confusion and melancholy upon meeting Song Wen, but later expresses excitement and eagerness to see him.

Significant Themes

• Unrequited Love: Song Wen's feelings for Qiluo, which he's harbored for over a hundred years.
• Determination: Song Wen's resolve to find Qiluo, despite the challenges and dangers he faces.
• Power Dynamics: The influence of powerful figures in the Divine Blood Sect on Qiluo's actions.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Qiluo: Their brief interaction in the Immortal Herb Lodge is filled with tension and unspoken feelings. Later, they communicate using a jade slip, with Qiluo expressing her excitement to see Song Wen.
• Song Wen and Wang Qi: The manager of the Immortal Herb Lodge warns Song Wen not to provoke Qiluo due to her powerful connections.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen meets Qiluo at a rented courtyard, where they reunite and spend time together.
• Qiluo reveals that her master, Xuan Li, disallows her from having too much contact with others, and she must leave after three days.
• Song Wen tries to contact Qiluo afterward, but fails, leading him to consider alternative methods to obtain the Azure Glazed Fruit and Great Yin Netherfire.
• Song Wen decides to adopt a more proactive approach to lure out the owners of these spiritual treasures.

Character Developments

• Song Wen: Realizes the passivity of his previous approach and decides to be more proactive in obtaining the required spiritual treasures.
• Qiluo: Develops genuine feelings for Song Wen but must leave due to her master's restrictions, causing her distress.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of higher cultivation, greater strength, and a longer lifespan as primary goals for cultivators.
• The consequences of hiding one's true identity and the difficulties it causes in relationships (Song Wen's disguise and Qiluo's secretive nature).

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Qiluo: Their reunion is filled with passion, but Qiluo's departure leaves them both longing and worried for each other.
• Song Wen and Wang Qi: Though Wang Qi remains enthusiastic, he has not provided useful information, leading Song Wen to consider other methods.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen remembers the Life-Restoring Fruit, which can extend lifespan by 3600 years, and decides to acquire a fake one.
• He visits Blood Radiance City's largest market for Rogue Cultivators to find a suitable spirit fruit.
• He buys a Three-Lives Dao-Seeking Fruit from a girl for 100 low-grade spirit stones, intending to use it as a fake Life-Restoring Fruit.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates his shrewdness and practicality in bargaining for the spirit fruit, not falling for the girl's act despite her pitiful story.
• The girl shows adaptability, switching from pleading to impatience when Song Wen offers a lower price.

Significant Themes

• The market's atmosphere of deception and swindling, reflecting the hodgepodge nature of the cultivation world.
• The value of items being subjective, with the jade box worth more than the spirit fruit it contains.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen interacts with two female stall owners, one seductive and mocking, the other playing pitiful to sell her spirit fruit.
• Song Wen shows no interest in their acts, focusing on his goal and bargaining shrewdly.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen, disguised, visits an intelligence shop in East Min Market to spread information about a Life-Restoring Fruit he supposedly possesses.
• He wants Myriad Affairs House to deliver this information to high-ranking members of the Divine Blood Sect, seeking an exchange for ten Azure Glazed Fruits and a split flame of Great Yin Netherfire.
• Song Wen leaves behind an Image-Recording Stone, five communication jade slips, and ten thousand high-grade spirit stones for the transaction.

Character Developments

• Song Wen: Disguised as an elder, he displays cunning and secrecy in his dealings.
• Chen Ming: The manager of the intelligence shop, he is cautious and calculating, trying to determine the authenticity of the Life-Restoring Fruit.

Significant Themes

• Deception and Trust: Song Wen's true intentions and the authenticity of the Life-Restoring Fruit are unclear, raising questions about trust and deception.
• Power and Wealth: The Life-Restoring Fruit's value and the potential profit from spreading its information highlight the power and wealth dynamics in the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Chen Ming: Their interaction is tense and guarded, with each trying to gauge the other's sincerity and intentions.
• Chen Ming's internal dialogue reveals his excitement and curiosity about the Life-Restoring Fruit and its potential value.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Song Wen leaves Myriad Affairs House, evading pursuit, and takes lodging in an inexpensive inn in Blood Radiance City.
• He baits Myriad Affairs House by spreading information about a Life-Restoring Fruit.
• Blood Skeleton Lord, an elder of the Divine Blood Sect, contacts Song Wen, expressing interest in trading Azure Glazed Fruits and Great Yin Netherfire for the Life-Restoring Fruit.
• Song Wen insists on verification and proof from Blood Skeleton Lord before agreeing to the trade.

Character Developments

• Song Wen demonstrates increased caution and cunning, showing a willingness to deceive and manipulate others to achieve his goals.
• Blood Skeleton Lord reveals his desperation for the Life-Restoring Fruit, hinting at a potential life-threatening situation.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Both characters are wary of each other, with Song Wen being particularly cautious about revealing his true intentions and identity.
• The value of life and lifespan: Both characters are willing to go to great lengths to extend their lives, highlighting the premium placed on longevity in their world.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Blood Skeleton Lord engage in a tense negotiation, each trying to gauge the other's sincerity and trustworthiness.
• Song Wen's cautious approach frustrates Blood Skeleton Lord, leading to a power dynamic where Song Wen holds more control over the situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Half a month after the previous events, Song Wen receives an Image-Recording Stone from Blood Skeleton Lord, showing him with fifteen Azure Glazed Fruits and Great Yin Netherfire, offering to trade.
• Song Wen is puzzled by Blood Skeleton Lord's urgency and the lack of interest from other Divine Blood Sect Mahayana cultivators.
• Blood Skeleton Lord sends multiple messages, revealing that he pressured Myriad Affairs House to keep the Life-Restoring Fruit information secret.
• Song Wen agrees to trade with Blood Skeleton Lord in three days at noon in Rockshade City, planning to use the opportunity to learn more about Blood Skeleton Lord's intentions and find a suitable trading location.

Character Developments

• Song Wen: He remains cautious and strategic, using the trade to gather information and set up a potential advantage.
• Blood Skeleton Lord: He appears impatient and eager to trade, hinting at his desperation for the Life-Restoring Fruit.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Both parties are wary and use the trade as a means to gain information and potentially gain an advantage.
• Power dynamics: The trade highlights the power imbalance between Song Wen and Blood Skeleton Lord, with Song Wen trying to level the playing field.

Character Interactions

• Song Wen and Blood Skeleton Lord: Their interactions are tense and guarded, with each trying to outmaneuver the other.
• Song Wen and Myriad Affairs House: Song Wen feels betrayed by Myriad Affairs House's secret agreement with Blood Skeleton Lord.