Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Yang Ling provocatively trades insults with Star-Gazing Academy scholars, even flicking dirt into Gu Weizhou’s mouth. Zhang Xuanshui ends the confrontation and escorts him to the negotiations.
• On the way, Zhang raises the unresolved death of Kong Xinghu. Yang says the case was officially blamed on the Star-Gazing Academy’s head, but offers to request a new investigation—also seeking answers for the civilians burned to death.
• Yang asks about Luo Kai, whom he says is wanted for a serious crime. Zhang admits Luo has a personal grudge against Yang but refuses to help locate him. Yang warns that concealing him could make the Academy accomplices.
• At the three-party negotiations, Yang recognizes several officials and examines the Star-Gazing Academy head and Eagle Taisui, concluding that both are powerful but newly advanced Second-Grade Human Immortals. He privately suspects Eagle was involved in the assassination attempt against him.
• When the Star-Gazing Academy head suggests Yang investigate the Fire Jiao Island murders, Yang clarifies that he has other official business. He formally summons Eagle Taisui for suspected attempted murder.

Character developments

• Yang Ling remains irreverent and confrontational, but uses his authority strategically. He is determined to pursue old cases and hold powerful figures accountable.
• Zhang Xuanshui stays controlled and guarded, defending his Academy and avoiding open conflict while refusing to cooperate over Luo Kai.
• Hua Jinsong grows increasingly anxious, fearing Yang’s boldness will provoke a dangerous incident.
• The Star-Gazing Academy head and Eagle Taisui are revealed as formidable Second-Grade cultivators; Eagle’s reaction and Yang’s suspicions heighten the tension around him.

Significant themes

• Law versus power: Yang insists that rank and influence do not exempt suspects from legal process.
• Unresolved justice: Kong Xinghu’s death and the deaths of innocent civilians remain sources of grievance.
• Institutional rivalry and accountability: The Iron Garment Division, Star-Gazing Academy, Rong Tribe, and Fishing Alliance navigate tense political negotiations.
• Defiance and risk: Yang’s audacity challenges powerful opponents, but may endanger himself and complicate diplomacy.

Character interactions

• Yang humiliates Gu Weizhou and provokes the Academy scholars before Zhang intervenes.
• Yang and Zhang clash over Kong Xinghu’s death and Luo Kai’s whereabouts.
• Hua tries to steer Yang away from danger, but Yang ignores the warning.
• At the negotiations, Yang rejects the proposed Fire Jiao Island investigation and publicly confronts Eagle Taisui with a formal summons.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Ling accuses Rong Tribe Second-Grade Human Immortal Eagle Taisui of attacking him in Kyoto and demands that he come quietly.
• Eagle Taisui denies the charge and threatens Yang Ling with the loss of his cultivation if he cannot prove it.
• The Star-Gazing Academy Head tries to contain the dispute: Yang may live, but Eagle Taisui may strip his cultivation. The decision reflects the danger of escalating tensions between the Zhao Kingdom and the Rong Tribe.
• Hua Jinsong backs Yang Ling, saying his eyewitness account counts as evidence and urging the Academy Head to arrest Eagle Taisui. The Iron Garments prepare for a fight.
• Zhao Zheng argues that Yang’s belief came from information supplied by Qi Tairan, so Qi—not Yang—should bear the penalty if there was a misunderstanding. Xie Jinjia agrees.
• Yang reveals that he has come to pursue two cases: Eagle Taisui’s alleged attack and the death of Kong Xinghu, in which more than a hundred displaced people also died. He alleges that the Star-Gazing Academy obstructed the earlier investigation and says Zhang Xuanshui had agreed to reopen the case.
• Zhang Xuanshui angrily denies Yang’s claim.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling remains composed under pressure and expands the confrontation into a challenge to the Academy’s handling of an old case.
• Eagle Taisui moves from amused confidence to open fury, framing the accusation as a possible pretext for war.
• Zhao Zheng and Xie Jinjia try to prevent Yang from becoming the sole target of punishment and to limit the diplomatic fallout.
• Hua Jinsong unexpectedly supports Yang without hesitation, while the Iron Garments show their readiness to stand with him.
• The Star-Gazing Academy Head seeks to preserve order and protect relations between the kingdoms, but his proposed ruling would still punish Yang.
• Zhang Xuanshui’s furious denial contradicts Yang’s claim that he had agreed to reopen the Kong Xinghu case.

Significant themes

• The clash between justice and political expediency: officials weigh evidence against the risk of war.
• Accountability and institutional influence: Yang questions whether powerful figures interfered with the Kong Xinghu investigation.
• Courage and solidarity: Hua Jinsong and the Iron Garments stand with Yang despite the danger.
• Diplomatic mistrust: both sides suspect the accusations may be part of a broader political maneuver.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Ling challenges Zhang Xuanshui for reversing his earlier support of reopening the investigation into Kong Xinghu’s death. The Star-Gazing Academy Head confirms he also wants the case reopened, but first wants the dispute over Yang Ling’s alleged false accusation settled.
• Eagle Taisui suppresses nearly everyone present, then carries Yang Ling into the sky to fight him away from the fishing village. The Star-Gazing Academy Head explains that he will not intervene: he is weaker than Eagle, and the fight can test Yang Ling’s claim that he previously survived an ambush by a Second-Grade Human Immortal.
• Gu Weizhou argues that if Eagle kills or cripples Yang Ling, it will supposedly prove Yang Ling falsely accused him. Eagle accepts this logic and prepares to recreate the alleged attack.
• Eagle strikes first, but Yang Ling shatters the attack, closes the distance, and overwhelms him with the Spirit-Suppressing Divine Saber. In moments, Yang Ling lands hundreds of blows, leaving Eagle badly injured and his mental power nearly depleted.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling remains confident under pressure and reveals that his combat power far exceeds what Eagle’s rank and cultivation suggest. He observes that Eagle’s three second-rate internal arts provide poor combat foundations despite his Human Immortal realm.
• Eagle Taisui initially treats the confrontation as an opportunity to punish Yang Ling, but Yang Ling’s overwhelming counterattack abruptly reverses their positions.
• The Star-Gazing Academy Head supports reopening Kong Xinghu’s case but refuses to rescue Yang Ling, framing the duel as a test of his claim.
• Zhao Zheng and Xie Jinjia argue that Yang Ling must be protected as a rare Zhao Kingdom talent. Zhao also resents the Academy Head’s apparent willingness to let a Rong Tribe warrior threaten him.
• Zhang Xuanshui is challenged over his change of position, while the others watch anxiously, uncertain whether Yang Ling can survive.

Significant themes

• Power versus rank: Yang Ling demonstrates that formal cultivation grade does not necessarily determine actual combat strength.
• Justice and political maneuvering: The inquiry into Kong Xinghu’s death is entangled with accusations, factional interests, and attempts to control the terms of proof.
• Self-reliance and risk: The Academy Head leaves Yang Ling to face the danger himself, treating the fight as a test rather than intervening.
• Reversal of expectations: Those who expect Yang Ling to be helpless instead witness him decisively dominate a Second-Grade Human Immortal.

• Key events: As Yang Ling defeats the Sky Wolf Guard commander overhead, the people below realize he is a Middle Second-Grade Human Immortal. Zhao Kingdom’s officials and Iron Garment Division members are stunned, while Rong Tribe warriors try to draw courage from their commander’s claim that their emperor will avenge them. Chen Quan then appeals to the Star-Gazing Academy Head, invoking a secret “cooperation agreement” and asking whether their alliance still stands. Xie Jinjia recognizes the danger and orders Xu Wuji to evacuate the Rong-Pacifying King, with Hua Jinsong covering them—but an invisible force immobilizes everyone. The scene suggests the negotiations were a trap.
• Character developments: Hua Jinsong, Zhao Zheng, Xie Jinjia, and others struggle to reconcile Yang Ling’s current power with his earlier exploits. They conclude he must have been concealing his cultivation all along, since they cannot believe he advanced so quickly. Xu Wuji suspects Yang Ling may have been secretly placed near Zhao Zheng by the emperor, strengthening his loyalty to the king. The Star-Gazing Academy Head remains unreadable, while Zhang Xuanshui fears the academy has made a mortal enemy of Yang Ling.
• Character interactions: The Iron Garment Division’s members excitedly discuss how Yang Ling’s strength could elevate their standing to rival the Ministry of Justice. Chen Quan’s appeal to the Academy Head exposes a connection between the Rong Tribe and the academy, alarming Zhao Zheng’s allies. Their attempted retreat is thwarted by the unseen force.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes concealed power and the danger of underestimating others; political alliances can shift abruptly from negotiation to betrayal; and a single powerful figure can transform an institution’s status and the balance of power.

Key events

• The Star-Gazing Academy Head reveals he secretly cooperated with the Rong Tribe, which supplied the resources that helped him reach Second Grade. He resents the Grand Secretary and sees his betrayal as justified.
• Yang Ling continues fighting Eagle Taisui, first with his saber and then with a powerful combination of Azure Dragon Force and Wind God Vajra Leg Technique. He overwhelms Eagle Taisui, but the Second-Grade immortal heals almost instantly.
• Eagle Taisui suddenly enters the divine immortal domain, a brief state available to Second-Grade Human Immortals that greatly increases their power at the cost of lifespan. His attributes surge, and he lands a rapid barrage that badly damages Yang Ling.
• Yang Ling counters with Thunder God Form, becoming immune to more than a hundred physical attacks. He then activates the Myriad Dharma Eye and chants the White Bone Journey West Scripture. Eagle Taisui’s flesh begins to disappear, and his regeneration stops.
• When the Academy Head moves to intervene, a mysterious hand presses him back down and warns him not to disturb Yang Ling’s training.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling treats the battle as a chance to learn about Second Grade, remaining confident even as Eagle Taisui’s power rises. He adapts quickly, shifting from physical attacks to his scripture’s more decisive power.
• Eagle Taisui reveals a hidden reserve of strength through the divine immortal domain, briefly turning the fight in his favor before Yang Ling’s counterattack undermines his regeneration.
• The Star-Gazing Academy Head openly confirms his alliance with the Rong Tribe and his hostility toward the Grand Secretary. Though initially confident in Eagle Taisui’s advantage, he is shaken by Yang Ling’s abilities—and restrained when he tries to interfere.
• Chen Quan urges the Academy Head to act, while Zhao De asks about the divine immortal domain, prompting an explanation that the group commits to memory.
• The Rong Tribe Warriors celebrate Eagle Taisui’s reversal; the observers’ reactions swing with the battle’s changing momentum.

Significant themes

• Power has hidden stages and costs: Second Grade brings near-instant regeneration and access to a temporary, lifespan-consuming state.
• Adaptation over brute force: Yang Ling recognizes that ordinary damage cannot overcome Eagle Taisui’s healing, then changes tactics.
• Loyalty, resentment, and political betrayal: The Academy Head’s alliance with the Rong Tribe stems from both ambition and a grievance against the Grand Secretary.
• Confidence in Yang Ling’s allies: The unseen protector’s intervention shows that Yang Ling’s apparent isolation in battle is not the full picture.

Plot points and events

• Zhao De appears behind the Star-Gazing Academy Head, reveals himself as Yang Ling’s master, and demonstrates that the Head is powerless before him. The onlookers assume Zhao De is an Earthly Immortal and speculate about Yang Ling’s mysterious training and political backing.
• Zhao De tells the Head to focus on the fight, challenging Yang Ling to kill Eagle Taisui despite the gap between Yang Ling’s third-grade cultivation and Eagle Taisui’s second-grade status.
• The Head voices resentment that Yang Ling’s success depends on having an Earthly Immortal as his master. Zhao De answers, “There are no ifs in this world,” then orders Hua Jinsong to disarm and detain the Head’s people and prepare to return them to Zhao.
• Eagle Taisui appears to turn to ash after enduring Yang Ling’s technique without begging for mercy. Yang Ling initially thinks he has killed him, but notices his expected experience points have not appeared and suspects Eagle escaped—possibly through the “divine immortal domain.”
• Yang Ling returns to Zhao De and reports his suspicion. Zhao De is surprised he noticed, and the others are left wondering how Eagle could have survived.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling earns widespread awe by defeating a much stronger opponent, but remains observant and analytical: he questions the apparent death when the evidence does not match his expectations.
• Zhao De takes control of the situation with calm authority, openly claiming Yang Ling as his disciple and directing the detention of the opposing delegation.
• The Star-Gazing Academy Head shifts from confidence to defeat and bitterness, while his followers fear that they have been branded traitors.
• Zhao Zheng, Xu Wuji, and Xie Jinjia each try to interpret the revelations, imagining different political explanations for Yang Ling’s origins and Zhao De’s role. Their theories show how little they truly understand.
• Hua Jinsong obeys Zhao De immediately; the Rong warriors and Chen Quan fall silent as the balance of power turns against them.

Significant themes

• Power and status: Zhao De’s presence instantly changes how everyone sees Yang Ling and the conflict.
• No room for counterfactuals: Zhao De rejects the Head’s excuse that Yang Ling would be unworthy without his backing.
• Appearance versus reality: Eagle’s apparent death may be a deception, and even witnesses cannot explain what happened.
• Uncertainty and political intrigue: The characters speculate about betrayal, allegiance, and hidden motives, but the truth remains unclear.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Ling learns that a Second-Grade Human Immortal can survive apparent destruction through the power of a divine immortal domain. This ability is limited, however: it can be used only two or three times.
• The Star-Gazing Academy Head, Zheng Hai, kills himself rather than be captured. His body becomes ash, but Zhao De explains that Zheng has spent one of his limited chances to return.
• The gathering turns to the fate of the Rong Tribe’s representatives. Yang Ling defers the decision to Zhao Zheng, the Rong-Pacifying King.
• Chen Quan insists the Rong and Zhao kingdoms are not at war and warns that detaining them could provoke conflict and undermine Zhao Zheng politically.
• The Sky Wolf Guard Chief counters that the Rong Tribe is preparing a major offensive within six months to a year. He suggests the day’s events were part of a plan to sow confusion and internal discord in Zhao.
• The chief then shocks everyone by revealing that he is Pei Zhiyan, Director of the First Office of Zhao’s Iron Garment Division Strategy Division. His own subordinates refuse to believe him.

Character developments

• Yang Ling is pleased to learn the limits and workings of Second-Grade immortality. He also shows unexpected sympathy for the Sky Wolf Guards when their chief appears to surrender.
• Zheng Hai maintains that his disciples were innocent of his treason, then chooses death over capture. His final act suggests he values his cause—and his remaining chance at immortality—more than negotiation.
• Zhao De calmly explains the nature of divine-domain immortality and points out that Zheng Hai wasted a chance to bargain.
• Pei Zhiyan shifts from apparent enemy commander to a claimed Zhao intelligence operative, suggesting he may have been undercover.
• Chen Quan tries to deter Zhao from detaining the Rong delegation by invoking the threat of war and political opposition at home.

Significant themes

• Immortality has limits: Even legendary powers come with constraints and strategic costs.
• Loyalty and betrayal: Zheng Hai’s treason, his defense of his disciples, and Pei Zhiyan’s revelation complicate easy judgments about allegiance.
• Politics alongside warfare: Decisions are shaped not just by military strength but by factional pressure and the danger of internal instability.
• Hidden identities and deception: The chief’s revelation casts the apparent surrender—and the wider confrontation—in a new light.

Character interactions

• Xie Jinjia condemns Zheng Hai for betraying Zhao, while Zheng dismisses him as too young to understand the temptation of seeking advancement.
• Zhao De informs Yang Ling and the others that Zheng’s apparent death is real but not necessarily permanent.
• Chen Quan and Zhao Zheng clash over whether the Rong representatives can be detained; Chen warns of the consequences, while Zhao suspects a deeper plot.
• Pei Zhiyan’s disclosure leaves his Sky Wolf Guard subordinates outraged and bewildered, while Zhao Zheng and Yang Ling struggle to make sense of it.

Plot points and events

• Pei Zhiyan reveals that he is the Director of the Iron Garment Division’s First Office—and has secretly served as the Rong Tribe’s Sky Wolf Guard Chief. Zhao De confirms his claim, stunning the Sky Wolf Guards and delighting the Zhao officials.
• Pei explains that the Rong Tribe likely kept him in place for one last use. He and Zhao Zheng agree to take Chen Quan and the other Rong prisoners to Kyoto for interrogation.
• Zhang Xuanshui and the Star-Gazing Academy disciples are also sent to Kyoto for investigation. Pei offers to search Rong territory for Luo Kai, who may lead them to the vanished Li Fengxian and the Immortal Gods Sect.
• After the ship departs, Yang Ling reassures Zhao Zheng and Xu Wuji that they can rely on him. He openly offers to help Zhao Zheng challenge the Crown Prince and Third Prince—and even urges Zhao Zheng to become emperor.
• Zhao Zheng accepts Yang Ling’s support, revealing his ambition. Immediately afterward, the Divine Realm announces a Zhao Kingdom succession quest, requiring players to choose which prince to support within one day.

Character developments and interactions

• Pei Zhiyan is revealed as a deeply embedded Zhao spy who rose to lead the enemy’s intelligence force. He now works openly with Zhao Zheng and commits resources to finding Luo Kai.
• Yang Ling shifts from trusted official to kingmaker, speaking bluntly about succession and promising Zhao Zheng his backing.
• Zhao Zheng moves from cautious, indirect probing to openly entertaining a bid for the throne after Yang Ling’s pledge.
• Xu Wuji is initially wary of Yang Ling’s changed status, then relieved and excited by his support for Zhao Zheng, while cautioning him to keep treasonous talk quiet.
• Zhao De verifies Pei’s identity but vanishes before the others can question him further.

Significant themes

• Espionage and hidden loyalties: Pei’s double identity turns the apparent balance of power between Zhao and Rong on its head.
• Political ambition and allegiance: Yang Ling’s support transforms Zhao Zheng’s prospects and brings the succession struggle into the open.
• Uncertainty and changing systems: The Divine Realm’s update may explain Li Fengxian’s disappearance, while its new quest forces players to commit to a political side with severe penalties for failure.

Plot points and events

• A regional main quest suddenly appears, asking players to support one of Zhao Kingdom’s four princes in becoming emperor. Helping the First or Third Prince is rated A difficulty, the Second Prince S, and the Fourth Prince—Zhao Zheng, the Rong-Pacifying King—SSS.
• Players who support a losing claimant risk a 50% attribute penalty and, if they backed anyone but the Crown Prince, possible charges of rebellion. The quest is voluntary, has no time limit, and offers doubled rewards because Zhao Kingdom is the first region to receive a main quest.
• Yang Ling judges that Zhao Zheng’s SSS rating reflects the danger of powerful immortals opposing him, but believes his own support—and his master Zhao De’s—could make Zhao Zheng’s path far easier.
• Players debate which prince to back. Many favor the Crown Prince as the safest choice; others consider the Second Prince for its higher difficulty and potential rewards, while some want to abstain.
• Yang Ling publicly urges everyone to support Zhao Zheng and offers priority access to his 100,000 Spirit Deer Sets. Lin Caiyi and his allies follow his lead, but other players distrust his recommendation and accuse him of steering them into a dangerous quest.
• Yang Ling sees the quest as a way to identify capable players ahead of coming conflicts, including a likely war with the Rong Tribe and possible invasions by the Great Dream Dynasty and the Asura Path.
• Zhao De arrives and, after Yang Ling asks whether Zhao Zheng can succeed, endorses letting him take the throne. Yang Ling ends the chapter by boldly declaring that Zhao Zheng will become emperor.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling takes a decisive, high-risk position, using his influence and promised resources to rally players. He also thinks strategically about their survival through future crises.
• Zhao De gives Yang Ling’s plan crucial backing, signaling support for Zhao Zheng despite the danger of challenging the established succession.
• Zhao Zheng remains offstage, but the quest and Yang Ling’s confidence establish him as a controversial claimant with a difficult path to the throne.
• The players divide between cautious supporters of the Crown Prince, risk-takers attracted by higher rewards, and those who follow Yang Ling. His advice sparks both loyalty and suspicion.

Significant themes

• Risk, reward, and choice: Players weigh potentially greater gains against severe penalties and political danger.
• Leadership and influence: Yang Ling uses reputation, incentives, and conviction to shape collective action.
• Loyalty and legitimacy: Supporting the legally favored Crown Prince seems safest, yet Yang Ling argues that Zhao Zheng is the only viable victor.
• Survival amid escalating conflict: The succession quest foreshadows broader upheavals that will test and eliminate players.

Plot points

• As registration closes, 1.2 million players have chosen the Crown Prince, while far fewer have backed the other princes. Yang Ling suspects many chose the Crown Prince for a low-risk chance at rewards, and that some Fourth Prince supporters are gambling on a possible top-tier reward.
• While waiting in Fire Cloud Cave, Yang Ling asks Zhao De about Second-Grade Human Immortals and their Divine Immortal Domains. Zhao De explains that they can survive death through rebirth in a powerful, unfamiliar Upper Realm, but cannot remain there permanently.
• Zhao De reveals he once killed himself to test the rumor, spent about a month in the Upper Realm, then returned. He wonders whether some legendary figures actually ascended there.
• After three days, Ji Tianming absorbs the entire magma sea. He sheds his Jiao Dragon form, returns to his original appearance, and triumphantly declares that he has discovered his true identity. Yang Ling begins checking his attribute panel.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling shows his strategic awareness by interpreting the player-registration numbers and continues probing the mysteries of cultivation and the Upper Realm.
• Zhao De is candid with Yang Ling about his own death and return, and encourages him to pursue advancement, suggesting he may one day reach the Upper Realm.
• Yang Ling’s concern for his sworn brother eases when Zhao De says the Immortal Spirit Pill gives Ji Tianming a good chance of escaping his beast form.
• Ji Tianming’s transformation appears successful: he returns to human form and reacts with exuberant relief.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: Players make different choices based on how much they stand to lose and gain.
• Identity and transformation: Ji Tianming’s recovery culminates in his realization of who he truly is.
• Life, death, and advancement: Death is not necessarily final for powerful cultivators, while the Upper Realm offers greater resources but remains inaccessible for long.
• The boundary between game and world: Yang Ling suspects the Upper Realm may be the Celestial Immortal Network and that the world’s natives could be descendants of players, though he has no proof.

Plot points and events

• Yang Ling tries to inspect Ji Tianming’s cultivation and is struck by a severe Primordial Spirit backlash. Zhao De explains that Ji’s spirit is exceptionally powerful, while Ji warns Yang Ling not to probe other people recklessly.
• Ji credits Yang Ling’s Immortal Spirit Pill with freeing him, and agrees to stay in the Zhao Kingdom’s capital after resting. Zhao De permits the visit, though he cautions Ji to keep a low profile and avoid revealing who he is.
• The group discusses investigating the people behind the earlier attempt on Yang Ling’s life. Yang Ling suspects officials Qi Tairan and Ning Xiu, as well as the Crown Prince, the empress, and possibly the Nine Immortal Dao Palace. Ji is eager to help uncover the plot.
• Zhao De says they still need to visit the White Bone Dao Palace. Ji initially worries that the White Bone God Lord may be dangerous, but agrees to go after Zhao De assures him he can handle any threat—and Yang Ling says the God Lord invited them.
• At the Dao Palace, they find it outwardly unchanged, though marks of the previous battle remain. Zhu Xiu greets them and leads them toward the God Lord. Yang Ling abruptly asks whether Zhu Xiu is human or a ghost; Zhu Xiu responds angrily.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling shows curiosity about Ji’s extraordinary spiritual strength, then accepts the danger of probing others. He remains determined to trace the conspiracy behind the assassination attempt and seeks Ji’s protection in the capital.
• Ji Tianming emerges grateful to Yang Ling, confident in his near-Earthly-Immortal Primordial Spirit, and ready to support his sworn brother. His initial unease about the White Bone Dao Palace gives way to caution rather than refusal.
• Zhao De acts as mentor and mediator: he explains the backlash, authorizes Ji’s stay, and reassures him about the upcoming visit. He also keeps his own role as the future Grand Ancestor of the Cicada-Holding Directorate concealed from enemy spies.
• Yang Ling and Ji share an affectionate, teasing bond, while Zhao De balances their plans with practical warnings. Yang Ling’s blunt question to Zhu Xiu creates a tense comic beat at the chapter’s end.

Significant themes

• The risks of probing hidden power: spiritual curiosity can provoke a dangerous backlash.
• Loyalty and protection: Ji’s gratitude and willingness to accompany Yang Ling reinforce their sworn-brother bond.
• Political suspicion and concealed identities: the group plans to expose a possible assassination conspiracy while avoiding alerting the Great Dream Dynasty’s spies.
• Unease around the supernatural: the visit to the White Bone Dao Palace builds suspense, capped by Yang Ling’s question about whether Zhu Xiu is human or ghost.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Ling confronts Zhu Xiu, who doubts his authority, and insists on being taken to the White Bone Master. His companions, Ji Tianming and Zhao De, let him handle the dispute himself.
• At the White Bone Dao Palace, the group enters a shrine where an apparition of the White Bone God Lord emerges from a statue of the Bone Emperor.
• Yang Ling kneels and addresses the God Lord as his master. Zhu Xiu and Luo Wendao object, revealing that Yang Ling obtained the White Bone Primordial Spirit Method by burning it out of them. The God Lord confirms that he himself passed the method to Yang Ling, making Yang Ling the young cave lord of the White Bone Cave. The others accept his new status.
• After dismissing the White Bone Palace attendants, the God Lord explains that the Primordial Spirit Method is incomplete. He once attempted to cultivate its complete version—a Beyond First-Rate Internal Skill—but suffered a backlash.
• Yang Ling realizes the full method might be exceptionally powerful, but wonders whether the same danger could affect him. A memory suggests he may know what caused the God Lord’s failure.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling shifts from indignation to relief and confidence as his rank is officially recognized. His curiosity about the complete method is tempered by concern over its risks.
• Zhu Xiu and Luo Wendao go from hostility toward Yang Ling to reluctant acceptance once the God Lord confirms his authority.
• The White Bone God Lord is calm and authoritative, clarifying Yang Ling’s position and revealing the incomplete state—and danger—of the method.
• Ji Tianming and Zhao De support Yang Ling without taking over the confrontation. Both insist on staying for the private discussion, identifying themselves as his sworn brother and master.

Significant themes

• Authority and legitimacy: Yang Ling’s contested status is settled by the God Lord’s explicit recognition.
• Inheritance and responsibility: Becoming the young cave lord gives Yang Ling a claim to the White Bone tradition, but also exposes him to its unfinished and dangerous teachings.
• Power and risk: The promise of a Beyond First-Rate art is paired with the warning that even its master suffered a backlash.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Ling recalls that he received the Vajra White Bone Wisdom King Art only after gaining the Vajra White Bone Buddha’s approval. This leads Zhao De to explain that beyond first-rate arts require approval from their creator; cultivating one without it can cause a backlash.
• The White Bone God Lord reveals that his cultivation of the complete White Bone Primordial Spirit Method caused such a backlash. He asks Yang Ling to seek the approval of the White Bone Cave’s founding patriarch—not for himself, but so the God Lord can be freed from the lingering backlash.
• Yang Ling agrees and follows the God Lord into a hidden inner hall. Zhao De and Ji Tianming remain outside.
• The God Lord identifies the patriarch as the Great Luo Holy Ancestor, a woman said to have reached godhood. No one in the sect since her has fully mastered the complete method, and the White Bone Cave has declined as a result.
• The God Lord plans to use his Descending God ability, supported by Yang Ling’s strengthened White Bone Loose Immortal, to test whether the patriarch’s approval can be obtained. Yang Ling activates the White Bone Primordial Spirit Method, raising his mental power to 13,200 and summoning the Loose Immortal. The chapter ends as he calls out to the apparently vanished God Lord.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling is eager to help his master and treats the request as his duty, though he briefly worries that petitioning the patriarch on the God Lord’s behalf may be deceptive.
• The White Bone God Lord is revealed to have concealed his true purpose: he wants Yang Ling’s help to remove his cultivation backlash and potentially complete his own path.
• Zhao De explains the approval requirement and recognizes that the Bone Emperor statue outside contains an incomplete primordial spirit that may awaken if the White Bone Dao Palace faces destruction.
• Ji Tianming is curious about the secret but admits his knowledge of the White Bone Cave is limited because his sect was destroyed when he was young. He and Zhao De wait outside while Yang Ling enters.

Significant themes

• Worthiness and authorization: Powerful arts are not merely learned; their creators’ approval is required.
• Trust and obligation: Yang Ling’s loyalty leads him to accept a risky request without knowing what will happen inside.
• Decline and legacy: The White Bone Cave’s fading fortunes are linked to the loss of access to its founder’s complete teachings.
• Hidden power: The statues, concealed hall, and sleeping primordial spirit suggest that the sect’s past—and its potential defenses—remain far from fully understood.

Key plot points

• The White Bone God Lord uses Yang Ling’s Descending God ability to gain recognition from the Great Luo Holy Ancestor and inherit the Golden Immortal White Bone Primordial Spirit Method.
• Yang Ling then asks for an inheritance of his own. The ancestor recognizes him and grants the Primordial Chaos White Bone Primordial Spirit Method, which will reach the Divine Path Realm once Yang Ling advances from Third Grade to Second Grade; the required experience is stored for later.
• The new method includes Rebirth, Inviting Immortals, and Descending God. Yang Ling notes that its powerful skills may strengthen further as the method advances, and wonders what Inviting Immortals does.
• After half an hour, the White Bone God Lord completes his inheritance. His internal backlash is gone, his cultivation has returned to its peak and advanced further, and he agrees to overlook Yang Ling’s bone-burning inheritance of Zhu Xiu and Luo Wendao.
• Leaving the inner hall, the White Bone God Lord asks Zhao De and Ji Tianming which side they will take in an impending attack on the Great Dream Dynasty.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Ling gains a major long-term cultivation advantage and reflects that receiving an inheritance late can yield greater value, even if it sacrifices earlier-stage benefits.
• The White Bone God Lord is restored and strengthened. He acknowledges Yang Ling’s help and shows him goodwill by dropping the matter of the bone-burning inheritance.
• Zhao De and Ji Tianming recognize that the God Lord has changed, suggesting his successful advancement may shift the balance of power. They are now pressed to declare their allegiance in the coming campaign.

Significant themes

• Inheritance and legitimacy: The ancestor’s recognition validates the White Bone arts and allows their recipients to master them.
• Timing and strategic growth: Early advancement offers incremental benefits, while later inheritance may provide greater stored experience.
• Power and political alignment: The God Lord’s renewed strength immediately leads to plans for war and a demand that others choose sides.

Plot points

• The White Bone God Lord proposes attacking the Great Dream Dynasty, arguing that his restored strength, Ji Tianming’s power, and their allies could overwhelm it.
• Zhao De advises waiting. He warns that a direct invasion would give the dynasty a just cause to unite its forces, and that conquering territory would be pointless if they could not govern it.
• Zhao reveals that the Asura Path’s Third Court Dao Lord is expected to attack soon. The confrontation should expose who is alive, dead, or aligned with whom, giving their side a clearer picture and the chance to choose when and how to act.
• Yang Ling explains that the Dao Lord is pursuing a major breakthrough and could become powerful enough to overcome the White Bone God Lord’s usual countermeasures.
• Zhao identifies Yang Ling as the best person to enter Netherworld City and oppose the Dao Lord, citing Yang Ling’s Transcendent-grade Martial Dao Fire Seed and strong foundations.
• The White Bone God Lord agrees to stay temporarily in Zhao Kingdom. He shrinks the White Bone Dao Palace into his palm, and plans for his followers to rebuild their physical bodies.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhao De emerges as the cautious strategist, stressing political legitimacy and long-term governability over military strength alone. He directs the discussion toward the coming threat and supports Yang Ling’s role.
• The White Bone God Lord begins confident that his restored power makes war feasible, but becomes more serious after learning of the Dao Lord’s potential breakthrough. He accepts Zhao’s counsel and Yang Ling’s candidacy.
• Yang Ling supports Zhao’s argument and is entrusted with a dangerous mission. He also offers the God Lord a place to stay in his courtyard and privately grumbles when the White Bone elders look at him warily.
• Ji Tianming mostly listens, then reacts with alarm to news of the Dao Lord’s attack. He is reassured by the White Bone God Lord’s apparent advantage and privately asks Yang Ling where he will stay.
• Zhu Xiu, Zhu Wudi, and Luo Wendao are relieved to learn the God Lord has recovered. They are excited by the prospect of regaining physical bodies, though some remain wary of Yang Ling.

Significant themes

• Timing and restraint: Strength alone does not make war wise; the right moment and circumstances matter.
• Legitimacy and governance: A conquest can fail even after military victory if the victors lack a just cause or cannot govern what they seize.
• Preparation against hidden threats: The coming attack may reveal the true balance of power, while Yang Ling’s unusual abilities make him a strategic answer to the Dao Lord’s methods.

Yang Ling reopened the unresolved Elephant Peak Prefecture case and ordered a separate investigation into Eagle Taisui’s assassination attempt in Kyoto. He appointed Xu Wenjun and Yun Buchuan as deputy leaders of the two Special Case Task Forces, while the chapter ended with Zhao De reacting to Yang Ling’s pointed remark about the Division Chief.

• Yang Ling arrived at Kyoto’s Iron Garment Division with Zhao De, White Bone God Lord, Ji Tianming, Zhu Wudi, and the others.
• Yang Ling reopened the Wangzhi Medicine Firm case from Elephant Peak Prefecture and appointed Xu Wenjun as deputy leader of a Special Case Task Force.
• Yang Ling ordered a thorough investigation into how Eagle Taisui had entered Kyoto to assassinate him and appointed Yun Buchuan as deputy leader of a second task force.
• Yang Ling told the investigators to treat anyone obstructing them as a lead and bring them in for questioning.
• Ji Tianming teased Yang Ling about being the most imposing figure in the Iron Garment Division, and Yang Ling named the Division Chief instead, prompting Zhao De to react suspiciously.

Yang Ling brought his companions to the Iron Garment Division and introduced Zhao De and the White Bone God Lord as his masters. Zhao Chongxu learned that Yang Ling was far older and more powerful than he had believed, then erupted in disbelief and unleashed his aura.

• Zhao Chongxu told Li Zhong to let Yang Ling investigate the old case and sent him to welcome Yang Ling and his companions.
• Li Zhong was startled by the visitors’ unreadable cultivation, and Zhao De silently made Zhao Chongxu sit back down when he tried to rise.
• Yang Ling introduced Zhao De and the White Bone God Lord as his masters, and Zhao Chongxu recognized the White Bone God Lord.
• Ji Tianming explained that an Immortal Spirit Pill had freed him from lying in Fire Cloud Cave and that the passage to the Abyssal Beast Grotto was sealed.
• Zhao De revealed that Yang Ling was his personal disciple, while Ji Tianming said Yang Ling had become his sworn brother before Zhao Chongxu could walk.
• Zhao Chongxu accused the group of using an illusion technique and released a terrifying aura that remained unnoticed outside the courtyard.

Zhao Chongxu learned that Yang Ling was his senior brother and heard Yang Ling’s account of the threats facing the Zhao Kingdom. He let Yang Ling take charge of the Iron Garment Division’s cases while Zhao De and Ji Tianming prepared to support him.

• Zhao Chongxu accepted White Bone God Lord’s explanation that Yang Ling had become his disciple before Zhao Chongxu knew martial arts.
• Zhao Chongxu gave Yang Ling the Iron Garment Division chief’s token, then snatched it back when Yang Ling recognized it from the Heaven-Devouring Dao Palace.
• Yang Ling recounted the Abyssal Beast Grotto, the Grand Ancestor’s imprisonment, Eagle Taisui’s defeat, and the White Bone Dao Palace.
• Zhao Chongxu welcomed Yang Ling as his senior brother and discussed the risk that reopening the Elephant Peak Prefecture and Eagle Taisui cases could provoke the Grand Councilor and the Four Sects.
• Zhao De and Ji Tianming assured Yang Ling they would support him, and Yang Ling decided to let Xu Wenjun, Yun Buchuan, and the others proceed freely.

Yang Ling visited Player Street in Kyoto and met with the four gangs’ core players at the Green Gang Headquarters. He gave them Spirit Deer Sets for the upcoming Divine Realm Martial Arts Tournament and urged them to challenge players from other regions.

• Yang Ling saw how the four gangs had turned Player Street into a thriving hub that helped new and struggling players.
• Qin Mo told Yang Ling that seven ships were ready to carry one hundred thousand Spirit Deer Sets from the docks.
• Yang Ling arrived at the Green Gang Headquarters, where more than a thousand players gathered to greet him.
• Yang Ling used an invisible force to hold back the crowd, then asked Lu Xiangdi and the other gang leaders to disperse onlookers outside.
• Yang Ling briefly encouraged the players to train and grow stronger before announcing that the Martial Arts Tournament would begin in about ten days.
• Yang Ling promised each player a Spirit Deer Set and told them to challenge players from other regions for the tournament rewards.

Yang Ling distributed Spirit Deer Sets to the Four Great Gangs’ core members, sharply increasing their combat strength and urging them to prepare for the Martial Arts Tournament. The chapter ended when Ministry of Justice officials accused Green Gang leader Yang Yi of plotting rebellion and ordered everyone to surrender.

• Yang Ling gave every core member of the Four Great Gangs a Spirit Deer Set, regardless of rank, and put Zhang Shendao and the others in charge of distributing them.
• Players equipped the sets and saw their attributes rise, with many reaching Upper Ninth Grade combat strength.
• Yang Ling warned the players about their weaknesses against trained martial artists and encouraged them to level up and compete in the Martial Arts Tournament.
• About twenty black-clad Ministry of Justice officials forced their way into the Green Gang headquarters and demanded to see its leader.
• Yang Yi identified herself as the Green Gang leader, and the officials accused her of plotting rebellion and ordered everyone to surrender.