Chapter Summary: Earth Immortal Ao Mang

Key Plot Points and Events

• Grandmaster explains that the Divine Court and Great Xia Divine Dynasty will hesitate to exploit Dragon Abyss unless they can confirm whether its master, Ao Mang, is dead. Liu Yuanchen realizes he can eventually merge the Earth Book with Dragon Abyss’s spatial barrier and gain control of the entire realm, but decides to wait until Liu Yan’s clone locates its core and confirms Ao Mang’s condition.
• In Eight Desolations Valley, Divine Ability Clone No. 3 successfully refines the first Dragon Willow Dao Soldier. The soldier reaches the Peak Condensed Origin Realm after only an hour of refinement and possesses defenses comparable to an Early Spirit Platform cultivator. Liu Yuanchen concludes that Dragon Willows could produce thousands of powerful soldiers capable of forming devastating battle formations.
• The new Dao Soldier begins cultivating the land, while Clone No. 3 continues refining more Dragon Willow soldiers.
• Clone No. 5 and a clone of Liu Yan travel deep into Dragon Abyss. They encounter numerous beasts and birds with dragon-like features, suggesting either environmental transformation or widespread Dragon Race bloodlines.
• After more than six months of underground travel at roughly a thousand miles per hour, they reach Dragon Abyss’s central region. They estimate that the Grotto-Heaven has a radius exceeding 2.4 million miles, making it nearly comparable to a small world.
• They discover a massive circular mountain range shaped like a coiled dragon. The range radiates overwhelming dragon might and an unusual force resembling the might of heaven and earth.
• Liu Yan is unable to approach because of this pressure, while Liu Yuanchen remains unaffected. Liu Yuanchen suspects that the mountain range may be formed from Ao Mang’s corpse.
• At the center of the mountain range lies a lake fed by spiritual water from the dragon’s mouth. Beneath it, Liu Yuanchen discovers a deep pool of perfected One-Origin Heavy Water, an extremely valuable material.
• At the bottom of the pool, he finds Ao Mang’s dragon scales and a stone stele identifying the burial site of Azure Cloud King Ao Mang. This confirms that Ao Mang is dead and that the surrounding dragon-shaped mountain range is likely his transformed corpse.
• The stele records Ao Mang’s history: he was a Dragon Race imperial grandson, reached the Earth Immortal Realm before twenty thousand years of age, cultivated to the peak of that realm, and later obtained a complete Earth Immortal Path inheritance. Liu Yuanchen begins comparing the Dragon Race’s cultivation system with that of the Origin Spirit Realm and his previous-world knowledge.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more cautious and strategic. Rather than immediately claiming Dragon Abyss, he chooses to verify Ao Mang’s death and locate the realm’s core first. His discovery of Ao Mang’s burial stele confirms that his plan to seize Dragon Abyss may now be viable.
• He also gains confidence in the potential of Dragon Willow Dao Soldiers, recognizing that they can become a major military force through mass production, cultivation, and battle formations.
• Liu Yuanchen’s understanding of the Dragon Race deepens. He realizes that Ao Mang’s Earth Immortal Path inheritance may represent a cultivation level far superior to the human race’s incomplete Earth Immortal traditions.
• Liu Yan shows his limitations despite being connected to the Grand Evolution Divine Tree. He explains that, as a branch rather than the mother tree, he remains vulnerable to the might of heaven and earth. His fear highlights the unusual nature of Dragon Abyss’s central region.
• Ao Mang, though dead, is characterized through the stele as an exceptionally talented and powerful Dragon Race noble whose ambition drove him to seek a path beyond the limits imposed by the Origin Spirit Realm.

Significant Themes

• Caution and strategic patience: Liu Yuanchen avoids acting prematurely, understanding that control of Dragon Abyss depends on confirming Ao Mang’s death and identifying the realm’s core.
• The immense power of ancient inheritances: Ao Mang’s cultivation history suggests that the Dragon Race possesses traditions and methods far beyond those of the Human Race.
• Transformation and legacy: Ao Mang’s body has become an enormous dragon-shaped mountain range, while his scales and burial site continue to influence events long after his death.
• The potential of mass-produced power: The Dragon Willow Dao Soldiers demonstrate how natural resources, refinement techniques, and organized formations can create an overwhelming military force.
• Worlds beyond conventional boundaries: Dragon Abyss is so vast and powerful that it is nearly a Minor World rather than an ordinary Grotto-Heaven, raising questions about its true nature and hidden laws.
• Differences between cultivation systems: Liu Yuanchen begins mapping the Dragon Race’s Earth Immortal Realm and first-rank laws onto the cultivation stages and law systems of the Origin Spirit Realm.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and his grandmaster discuss how the Divine Court and Great Xia Divine Dynasty might respond to Dragon Abyss, leading Liu Yuanchen to formulate a safer plan.
• Liu Yuanchen directly tests the Dragon Willow Dao Soldier’s durability by striking it with an azure sword and is impressed by its resistance.
• Liu Yuanchen and Liu Yan travel together toward Dragon Abyss’s center. Liu Yan’s inability to withstand the dragon and heavenly pressure contrasts with Liu Yuanchen’s immunity, prompting an explanation of plant-kind’s dependence on heaven and earth.
• At the dragon-shaped mountain range, Liu Yuanchen and Liu Yan debate whether it was formed from Ao Mang’s corpse.
• Liu Yuanchen investigates the underwater burial site alone after sending Liu Yan away, ultimately uncovering the stele and learning the truth about Ao Mang’s identity and achievements.

Chapter Summary: “Half-Step Minor World”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen studies the inscription left by Ao Mang and learns more about the history of the Origin Spirit Realm, including the decline of the Witch Race after the destruction of the Myriad-Longevity Flat Peach Tree.
• Ao Mang, a powerful descendant of the Dragon Emperor, seized Blackcloud Ridge and cultivated the Earth Immortal Path. He rapidly developed his Spirit Realm into a vast Grotto-Heaven.
• When Ao Mang attempted to transform his Grotto-Heaven into a Minor World, he sensed an impending deadly tribulation. His immense Dragon Race bloodline carried heavy Karmic Force, while the Dragon and Witch Races had accumulated little Merit, making the tribulation potentially fatal.
• Ao Mang abandoned the breakthrough and sought Merit to offset his Karmic Force. Later, after becoming a powerful military leader against the Human Race, he was ostracized by the Dragon Race for practicing the Earth Immortal Path.
• After leaving the Dragon Race, Ao Mang was ambushed by Human Race experts and gravely wounded. He fled to Dragon Abyss and attempted to transform it into a Minor World as a final means of survival. The Dragon-Shaped Mountain Range outside is revealed to be his corpse, indicating that he died during the Thunder Tribulation.
• Liu Yuanchen concludes that Dragon Abyss is ownerless and considers claiming it with the Earth Book. Although he cannot fully seize the Grotto-Heaven yet, he realizes he may be able to extract its vast reserves of Innate Primordial Qi.
• He searches for Ao Mang’s inheritance, treasures, and the core of Dragon Abyss but finds nothing in the lake or beneath the One-Origin Heavy Water pool.
• Liu Yuanchen eventually discovers that the dragon head contains an underground waterway leading to a powerful Spring Eye connected to Dragon Abyss’s First Spirit Nexus. Beneath it lies an enormous eighth-rank Spirit Vein and an intertwined Earth Vein.
• Dragon Abyss lacks an obvious suppressing treasure, yet remains unusually stable and prosperous. This leads Liu Yuanchen to suspect that it may have partially transformed into a Minor World.
• Using the Earth Book and a Qi-Gathering Seal, Liu Yuanchen begins extracting Innate Primordial Qi. The process is extremely productive, but it also causes Karmic Force to flow into him.
• The Earth Book’s Merit Golden Light initially cancels the Karmic Force, but Liu Yuanchen realizes that extracting too much energy damages his karmic standing. When he reduces the extraction rate, Karmic Force only stops appearing at a rate of ten wisps of Innate Primordial Qi per year.
• He concludes that Dragon Abyss is neither a normal Grotto-Heaven nor a true Minor World, but a transitional state—a “Half-Step Minor World.”

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more knowledgeable about the distinctions between laws, Grotto-Heavens, Minor Worlds, Merit, and Karmic Force. His investigation also demonstrates his growing caution: after discovering the karmic consequences of extracting energy, he restrains himself rather than recklessly pursuing resources.
• He gains confidence after confirming Ao Mang’s death and Dragon Abyss’s ownerless status, but his confidence is tempered by uncertainty regarding the missing inheritance and the strange nature of the Grotto-Heaven.
• Ao Mang is portrayed as exceptionally talented, ambitious, and powerful. However, his pride, loyalty to the Dragon Race, and lack of Merit leave him vulnerable. His willingness to adopt the Earth Immortal Path leads to exile, and his final attempt to survive through breakthrough ends in death.
• Ao Mang’s history also reveals the oppressive traditionalism of the Dragon Race and the political threat posed by a powerful independent dragon.

3. Significant Themes

• Merit versus Karmic Force: Great power and bloodline cannot protect cultivators from karmic consequences. Merit becomes essential for surviving major breakthroughs.
• Tradition versus innovation: Ao Mang’s adoption of the Earth Immortal Path challenges the Dragon Race’s belief in the superiority of its inherited traditions.
• The dangers of cultivation advancement: Transforming a Grotto-Heaven into a Minor World is not merely a technical breakthrough; it provokes heavenly resistance and may bring death.
• Control and independence: A Minor World can escape the Origin Spirit Realm’s influence, explaining why the realm suppresses or obstructs such transformations.
• Unstable transitional states: Dragon Abyss embodies the boundary between two realms of existence, possessing traits of both a Grotto-Heaven and a Minor World.
• Power must be balanced with caution: Liu Yuanchen’s access to enormous resources is limited by the karmic price of using them.

4. Character Interactions

• Ao Mang’s conflict with the Dragon Emperor centers on authority, tradition, and the prohibition against learning outside inheritances. The Dragon Emperor exposes Ao Mang’s Earth Immortal cultivation, causing the Dragon Race to reject him.
• Ao Mang later clashes with the Human Race, leading to repeated battles, a growing reputation, and ultimately an ambush that leaves him mortally wounded.
• Liu Yuanchen interacts primarily with Ao Mang indirectly through his inscription, corpse, cultivation remains, and abandoned Dragon Abyss. Through these discoveries, he reconstructs Ao Mang’s life and final struggle.
• Liu Yuanchen also interacts with the remnants of Dragon Abyss itself: its Spirit Veins, Earth Veins, embryonic Heavenly Dao, and Karmic Force. His attempt to extract Innate Primordial Qi effectively places him in conflict with Dragon Abyss’s developing world authority.

Chapter Summary: Merit Dharma Treasure Suppresses Evil

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen calculates that he can obtain roughly thirteen strands of Innate Primordial Qi each year—ten from Dragon Abyss and three from the Nether Sun Grotto-Heaven. This is sufficient for his current cultivation, including condensing the Seven Po Souls, strengthening his primordial spirit, and tempering his body.
• He considers taking control of Dragon Abyss with the Earth Book, but rejects the idea for now. Because Dragon Abyss has already developed characteristics of a Half-Step Minor World, forcibly extracting all its Innate Primordial Qi would incur enormous Karmic Force. Liu decides to preserve it as a long-term reserve rather than risk draining it prematurely.
• Liu recognizes Dragon Abyss’s other uses. Its abundant Dragon Qi could accelerate the growth of his Azure Dragon Vine and help Azure Scale eventually transform into a True Dragon. However, he decides not to allow Azure Scale access until the flood dragon has rendered greater service.
• After leaving Dragon Abyss, Liu gathers several hundred drops of One-Origin Heavy Water and stores them in Dongyang Grotto-Heaven. The water can strengthen Spirit Veins, refine treasures, and assist in cultivating divine abilities.
• He returns to the Yang Realm and then the Netherworld, intending to obtain more auxiliary treasures for condensing the Seven Po Souls. Rather than purchase them through the Divine Court, which might expose his hidden Soul Condensation Realm cultivation, he sends Divine Ability Clone No. 4 to Eastern Plains City.
• Liu also seeks Earth Baleful Pearls. These treasures can strengthen the Earth Book’s Earth Vein Marks, potentially helping the mark connected to the Origin Spirit Realm’s Ancestral Earth Vein become a True Imprint more quickly.
• On the way to Eastern Plains City, the clone encounters a mysterious black-robed old man. The old man conceals Liu’s danger-sensing ability and uses an extraordinary spatial movement technique to block his escape.
• The old man questions Liu about the Human Race’s ancient history, correcting his incomplete understanding of the Primordial, Ancient, Medieval, and Recent Ancient Eras. He recounts how the Witch and Demon Races once enslaved and treated humans as livestock.
• The old man reveals himself as a representative of the Heaven-Restoration Sect and attempts to recruit Liu, claiming that joining them would allow him to overthrow the Witch and Demon Races. Liu distrusts the sect, remembering its earlier ambush against him and questioning why it has failed to act after hundreds of thousands of years.
• When Liu refuses, the old man attacks. Liu sacrifices the clone, which disperses into energy, but the old man uses a black thread to absorb the remaining energy and threatens to make Liu suffer.
• Back at Coiled Dragon Mountain, Liu informs Venerable Sea Severing and his grand martial ancestor that the Heaven-Restoration Sect has finally acted openly. Venerable Sea Severing proposes confronting the sect’s hidden agents in Coiled Dragon City.
• Liu then suffers a second attack: an icy-blue ghostly shadow enters his body and drains his yang energy while leaving behind yin energy. Rather than simply destroy it, Liu uses the Earth Book to trap it and activates the Nine-Petaled Golden Lotus.
• The Lotus’s Merit Golden Light immobilizes the ghostly shadow. When an external force attempts to pull it away, Liu uses the Lotus’s immense merit to crush the shadow completely, demonstrating the overwhelming power of merit against evil techniques.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more strategic and restrained. Although eager to accelerate his cultivation, he recognizes that greedily extracting Dragon Abyss’s resources would create dangerous Karmic Force and exceed his present needs.
• He continues to broaden his long-term plans, treating Dragon Abyss as a reserve, developing his spirit plants and subordinates, and investing in the Earth Book rather than pursuing immediate but risky gains.
• Liu demonstrates increasing caution toward the Divine Court and the Heaven-Restoration Sect. He avoids exposing his cultivation and quickly identifies the old man’s recruitment attempt as a trap.
• His combat judgment remains sharp: he sacrifices a clone to evade capture, summons powerful allies, and uses the Earth Book and merit at the precise moment needed to neutralize the spiritual attack.
• Venerable Sea Severing displays confidence and aggression, dismissing the Heaven-Restoration Sect as cowardly and advocating direct retaliation.
• The black-robed elder is established as a powerful and manipulative Heaven-Restoration Sect member. He combines historical persuasion, recruitment, concealment techniques, spatial movement, and sinister soul attacks.

Significant Themes

• Restraint versus ambition: Liu wants rapid cultivation but understands that reckless use of Dragon Abyss could bring disastrous karmic consequences.
• Merit as protection and power: Merit is not merely a safeguard against Karmic Force; through the Earth Book and Nine-Petaled Golden Lotus, it becomes a direct weapon capable of suppressing and annihilating evil.
• Long-term cultivation and preparation: The chapter emphasizes gradual accumulation, strategic resource management, and strengthening foundations instead of seeking immediate breakthroughs.
• Historical oppression and racial conflict: The old man’s account reveals the Human Race’s long history of enslavement by the Witch and Demon Races, providing broader context for the ongoing struggle.
• Trust and hidden agendas: The Heaven-Restoration Sect claims to oppose the Witch and Demon Races, but its secretive methods and delayed action make Liu question whether its stated goals are genuine.
• The cost of power: Innate Primordial Qi, merit, karmic force, and spiritual treasures are all interconnected, showing that every powerful resource carries consequences or requires careful management.

Character Interactions

• Liu evaluates Dragon Abyss’s potential benefits for the Azure Dragon Vine and Azure Scale, but keeps control over when his subordinates may access it.
• He coordinates with Divine Ability Clones to gather resources while concealing his true cultivation from the Divine Court.
• The black-robed elder attempts to dominate Liu through intimidation, historical instruction, and recruitment, but Liu refuses to submit and openly challenges the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s credibility.
• Liu communicates the attack to Venerable Sea Severing and his grand martial ancestor, prompting plans for retaliation against the sect’s hidden network.
• Azure Origin Pill King notices Liu’s physical distress, while Liu alone perceives the ghostly attack clearly and resolves it with the Earth Book and merit treasure.
• The final confrontation between Liu’s merit-powered defenses and the unseen enemy’s ghostly technique reinforces the chapter’s central idea: accumulated virtue can become an overwhelming force against concealed evil.

Chapter Summary: Heaven-Restoration Sect’s Inner Workings

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter explains how Merit counters sinister techniques. Merit can crush living yin souls, burn curses, or invoke Heavenly Punishment through a Merit Dharma Treasure. Its effectiveness depends on the target’s Karmic Force: heavily burdened enemies are easier to punish, while attacking virtuous opponents consumes vast Merit and may backfire.
• The black-robed elder from the Heaven-Restoration Sect suffers severe backlash after his wraith attack on Liu Yuanchen fails. Half of his Wraith Soul Thread is destroyed, and he realizes he can only use the remaining energy once more. Fearing Liu Yuanchen’s future potential, he decides to seek help from the Blood Curse Old Fiend.
• Liu Yuanchen returns safely to Netherworld Coiled Dragon Mountain after destroying the attacking wraith. Azure Origin Pill King and Venerable Sea Severing worry that the Heaven-Restoration Sect may use curse techniques against him, recalling how curses once killed many Eight Desolations Pavilion patriarchs.
• Liu Yuanchen reveals that he possesses Merit, which can resist curses and improve one’s chances of surviving future Heavenly Tribulation. Venerable Sea Severing becomes interested in accumulating Merit for the eventual transformation of his Grotto-Heaven into a Minor World.
• The group identifies a suspected Heaven-Restoration Sect spy, Lord Liu, a powerful Wood Spirit hiding in Yin Mountain General Store. They suspect the sect intends to capture Liu Yuanchen, exploit Second Martial Uncle’s knowledge of Coiled Dragon Mountain’s formations, and seize control of the mountain.
• Azure Origin Pill King and Venerable Sea Severing wait patiently for Lord Liu to appear. After a month, Lord Liu returns to the store, and Azure Origin Pill King effortlessly captures him in the form of a potted willow tree.
• Liu Yuanchen initially threatens to kill Lord Liu unless he reveals the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s secrets. Lord Liu quickly admits his allegiance and explains the sect’s internal factions and power structure.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen remains calm despite the danger and demonstrates growing confidence in his Merit and abilities. He also shows strategic thinking by questioning Lord Liu before using his Divine Ability Seed, hoping to gain information about the sect.
• Azure Origin Pill King becomes fiercely protective of Liu Yuanchen and the Pill King Lineage. He is angered that the Heaven-Restoration Sect targeted his grand-disciple’s disciple and eagerly captures Lord Liu. His effortless victory reveals that his combat strength is far greater than outsiders assume.
• Venerable Sea Severing supports Liu Yuanchen and urges a decisive response against the Heaven-Restoration Sect. He proudly explains that he has fought Azure Origin Pill King several times and is only slightly stronger, while also recognizing the long-term value of Merit.
• Lord Liu shifts from defiance to submission once Liu Yuanchen reveals the phantom of Ancestor Witch Jumang. His fear of death leads him to disclose detailed information about the Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• The interactions between Liu Yuanchen, Azure Origin Pill King, and Venerable Sea Severing emphasize their mutual trust and willingness to protect one another. The two elders also compete playfully over their reputations and combat ability.

Heaven-Restoration Sect’s Structure

Lord Liu reveals that the sect contains three major factions:

1. Human Race faction — Led by Dao Lord Hongyuan. It has the most members and experts, representing roughly sixty percent of the sect’s strength, though its average individual power is lower than the Spirit Race faction.
2. Spirit Race faction — Led by Myriad Spirits Dao Lord. It has more members and experts than the Exotic Beast faction but is considered the weakest overall.
3. Exotic Beast faction — Led by Heaven Hound Dao Lord, the current sect master and strongest individual in the sect. Though small, this faction’s members are exceptionally powerful.
   Dao Lord Hongyuan originally helped found the Heaven-Restoration Sect and advocates supporting the Human Race while suppressing the Witch and Demon Races. His influence is rapidly increasing, and he may soon dominate the entire sect if he gains one more top expert.
   Dao Lord Heavenly Soul, who commands the black-robed elder known as Venerable Ghost Tamer, leads only a minor faction. He is aligned with Myriad Spirits Dao Lord and Heaven Hound Dao Lord and acts as their aggressive vanguard against Hongyuan. Most minor factions remain neutral, but Heavenly Soul is the only one openly provoking Hongyuan.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus Karmic Force: Merit is portrayed as both protection and punishment, rewarding righteous actions while making karmically burdened enemies vulnerable.
• The danger of sinister techniques: Curses and wraith-based attacks remain serious threats, but preparation, yang energy, Merit, and specialized knowledge can counter them.
• Factional politics and hidden agendas: The Heaven-Restoration Sect is not unified; its internal racial factions compete for dominance, complicating its dealings with Liu Yuanchen.
• Protection and loyalty: Liu Yuanchen’s elders defend him not only out of personal affection but also because his growth benefits their lineages and the broader Human Race.
• Power hidden behind appearances: Azure Origin Pill King’s easy capture of a Peak Divine Ability Realm expert shows that apparent status and reputation do not always reflect true strength.
• The Human Race’s rising influence: Hongyuan’s faction is expanding rapidly, suggesting that the Heaven-Restoration Sect may eventually be reshaped around Human Race interests.

Chapter Summary: “Plundering Three Divine Abilities”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen reflects on whether to hand Lord Liu over to the Witch Race. Doing so could expose the Heaven-Restoration Sect, but it would also create an irreconcilable enemy and damage Dao Lord Hongyuan’s support for the Human Race.
• He decides instead to weaken Dao Lord Heavenly Soul’s faction without betraying the Heaven-Restoration Sect as a whole. This would strengthen Hongyuan’s human-aligned faction and weaken the Spirit Race and Exotic Beast factions.
• Lord Liu reveals extensive information about the Heaven-Restoration Sect:
  • It has twenty-five Dao Lords/Longevity Immortals: twelve humans, five Exotic Beasts, six Spirit Race members, and two leaders of minor factions.
  • Humans form the majority among lower-level Primordial Immortals.
  • Dao Lords have grasped at least Second-Rank Laws, while Heaven Hound Dao Lord may be close to mastering a Third-Rank Law.
  • First-Rank Laws represent ten percent of a complete Law, while Second-Rank Laws represent twenty percent.
  • The sect possesses no Innate Spirit Treasures, though it has various Acquired Spirit Treasures, including seized Acquired Sea-Calming Pearls.
• Liu Yuanchen concludes that Dao Lord Heavenly Soul’s attack was designed to create conflict between the Human Race and the Heaven-Restoration Sect regardless of its outcome. By surviving and uncovering the plot, Liu Yuanchen can now target that faction directly.
• Rather than killing Lord Liu, Liu Yuanchen uses a Divine Ability Seed on him. The seed nearly drains his vitality, but Liu Yuanchen repeatedly nourishes him with mana to keep him alive.
• After the seed is absorbed into the Jumang Ancestral Shaman True Form Diagram, Liu Yuanchen extracts and refines Lord Liu’s energy. Some replenishes Liu Yuanchen, most is sent into the Earth Book, and the life force nourishes the Yin-Yang Spirit Flame.
• After a month of refinement, Liu Yuanchen obtains three powerful Divine Abilities from Lord Liu:

Earth-Escape Divine Ability

Ghost Willow Domain

Wind-Listening Ear

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more politically cautious and strategic. He recognizes that directly betraying the Heaven-Restoration Sect would harm the Human Race’s long-term interests, so he chooses a more subtle approach: destroying an opposing faction while preserving useful alliances.
• He gains a clearer understanding of the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s internal power structure and realizes the strength of Dao Lord Hongyuan’s human faction.
• Liu Yuanchen also expands his personal arsenal by extracting Lord Liu’s abilities and converting his immense power into resources for the Earth Book and his other treasures.
• Lord Liu is forced to reveal the sect’s secrets. Although he survives, his body and energy are exploited through the Divine Ability Seed, demonstrating Liu Yuanchen’s growing control and ruthlessness.
• Venerable Sea Severing and the Azure Origin Pill King learn that realms and Law classifications exist above the Longevity Immortal Realm, broadening their understanding of the Primordial World’s power structure.

Significant Themes

• Political strategy over brute force: Liu Yuanchen avoids a direct betrayal that would create a powerful enemy and instead seeks to manipulate factional rivalries within the Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• Factional balance and alliances: The chapter emphasizes how the Human Race’s future depends on supporting the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s human faction while countering the Spirit Race and Exotic Beast Lineage.
• The importance of Laws: Differences in Law comprehension dramatically affect combat strength. Even cultivators in the same broad realm can possess enormous power gaps based on their mastery of Laws.
• Power and resources: Liu Yuanchen transforms an enemy’s abilities, mana, and vitality into personal strength and treasures, reflecting the cultivation world’s exploitative survival logic.
• Hidden strength and intelligence: Lord Liu’s scouting and escape abilities show that information-gathering, concealment, and mobility can be as important as direct combat power.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Lord Liu: Their exchange is both an interrogation and a negotiation. Lord Liu cooperates out of fear, providing detailed intelligence in exchange for survival, but Liu Yuanchen ultimately imposes the Divine Ability Seed on him regardless of his wishes.
• Liu Yuanchen, Venerable Sea Severing, and the Azure Origin Pill King: The elders ask about the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s realms, Dao Lords, Laws, and treasures. Their surprise highlights the gap between their knowledge and Lord Liu’s understanding of the Primordial Era’s major forces.
• Liu Yuanchen and the Heaven-Restoration Sect: Although he views many of its upper-level figures as dangerous and morally corrupt, he recognizes the shared interests between its human faction and the Human Race—particularly the potential benefit to the Eight Desolations Pavilion.
• Liu Yuanchen and his treasures: The Jumang Ancestral Shaman True Form Diagram, Earth Book, and Yin-Yang Spirit Flame each absorb or refine different aspects of Lord Liu’s power, allowing Liu Yuanchen to profit from the encounter on multiple levels.

Result

Liu Yuanchen avoids triggering an open conflict with the entire Heaven-Restoration Sect, gains crucial intelligence about its factions and power levels, and acquires three valuable Divine Abilities. The chapter positions him to strike specifically at Dao Lord Heavenly Soul’s faction while strengthening his own cultivation and strategic resources.

Chapter Summary: “Zhurong Devours the Curse”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen obtains three genuine divine abilities, including Wind-Listening Ear and the powerful Earth-Escape Divine Ability. He reflects on how divine abilities differ from minor divine abilities: although he has not yet mastered their laws, they possess far greater potential and can continue growing with cultivation and comprehension.
• The Earth-Escape ability is especially valuable because it contains multiple earth-related laws that can help him develop the forty-nine laws needed to transform his Grotto-Heaven into a Minor World.
• The Divine Ability Seed drains Lord Liu’s energy, but Liu Yuanchen’s mana repairs the old willow spirit’s damaged foundation. Lord Liu reveals his name as Liu Hun, explains that he is a Profound-Yin Ghost Willow, and claims he may eventually reach the Origin Immortal Realm.
• Liu Yuanchen warns Liu Hun that the favor he received comes with absolute control over his life. Demonstrating this power, Liu Yuanchen causes Liu Hun to rapidly age and lose vitality.
• Facing death, Liu Hun submits and agrees to serve Liu Yuanchen as his master. Liu Yuanchen restores him and orders him to remain an intelligence agent within the Heaven-Restoration Sect, report its movements, and monitor Dao Lord Heavenly Soul’s faction near Coiled Dragon Mountain.
• Liu Hun leaves using Earth-Escape, becoming Liu Yuanchen’s spy and potential source of information about the Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• Shortly afterward, Liu Yuanchen suffers a sudden internal attack. His blood boils, his body overheats, and a blood-colored flame containing a ghostly face appears in his Spirit Platform.
• Azure Origin Pill King and Venerable Sea Severing temporarily suppress the attack with a cooling pill and water-based technique. Liu Yuanchen identifies it as a curse and uses the Zhurong Ancestor Witch True Form Diagram to devour the blood flame completely.
• Azure Origin Pill King identifies the curse as the infamous Bloodflame Soul-Devouring Curse, which had previously killed a Dao Embryo Realm patriarch of the Eight Desolations Pavilion.
• Meanwhile, the curse’s caster suffers backlash when the curse fails. The blood-robed caster and Venerable Ghost Tamer speculate that Liu Yuanchen’s protection may come from An Changsheng, the Luochuan Dragon King, or another hidden inheritance. They consider asking Dao Lord Heavenly Soul to intervene and plan to attempt the curse again after recovering.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more powerful and strategically capable. He gains three divine abilities, improves his True Essence and vitality, and demonstrates that his mana can repair spiritual plants. His ability to control Liu Hun shows increasing ruthlessness and political awareness.
• Liu Hun changes from a proud and independent plant spirit into a fearful but obedient subordinate. His restored appearance and repaired foundation give him hope for future advancement, but his survival now depends on serving Liu Yuanchen.
• Azure Origin Pill King and Venerable Sea Severing continue to act as protectors and allies. They provide immediate assistance when Liu Yuanchen is cursed and are impressed by both his methods and his ability to neutralize the attack.
• The unnamed blood-robed curse caster is revealed as a powerful enemy whose normally reliable curse fails against Liu Yuanchen. His confidence is shaken, and he begins considering stronger assistance.
• Venerable Ghost Tamer remains hostile toward Liu Yuanchen but is increasingly cautious after both his Bone-Eroding Wraith and his ally’s Bloodflame Soul-Devouring Curse fail.

Significant Themes

• Power through control and fear: Liu Yuanchen secures Liu Hun’s loyalty not through trust but by combining the promise of advancement with the threat of death.
• The value and danger of hidden abilities: Divine abilities, the Immortal Seed, and the Zhurong inheritance give Liu Yuanchen advantages that others do not understand, making him difficult to predict or defeat.
• Growth through multiple cultivation paths: The chapter emphasizes Liu Yuanchen’s development in divine abilities, spiritual cultivation, physical cultivation, vitality, and law comprehension.
• Life, vitality, and restoration: Liu Yuanchen’s mana can repair Liu Hun’s damaged foundation, while the Yin-Yang Spirit Flame stores vitality for future physical strengthening.
• Escalating conflict: Liu Yuanchen’s survival against a powerful curse reveals that his enemies are escalating their efforts and may soon involve Dao Lord Heavenly Soul directly.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Liu Hun establish a master-servant relationship based on coercion, with Liu Hun becoming an undercover informant.
• Liu Yuanchen reassures and threatens Liu Hun simultaneously, offering him the possibility of becoming a Longevity Immortal while proving he can kill him instantly.
• Venerable Sea Severing praises Liu Yuanchen’s skill in subduing the proud plant spirit and asks whether similar methods could help human cultivators advance.
• Azure Origin Pill King and Venerable Sea Severing cooperate to suppress Liu Yuanchen’s curse before he destroys it himself with the Zhurong inheritance.
• The two enemies, Venerable Ghost Tamer and the blood-robed caster, discuss their failed attacks and conclude that Liu Yuanchen may require the attention of Dao Lord Heavenly Soul.

Chapter Summary: “Merit Memorial Summons Heavenly Punishment”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen continues cultivating at Netherworld Coiled Dragon Mountain after absorbing the Bloodflame Soul-Devouring Curse into his Zhurong Ancestor Witch True Form Diagram. The blood flames become controllable, possibly granting him the power of the Fire Witch Divine Ability, Myriad Flames Paying Homage.
• Azure Origin Pill King and Venerable Sea Severing return to the Yang Realm, leaving Liu Yuanchen without their protection. He uses the Jadeglow Twofold Ceremonial Lamp to strengthen his Life Soul and prepare for further soul cultivation.
• Liu Yuanchen remains wary of the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s curses. He realizes that the curse medium connected to his destroyed clone will soon lose its effectiveness, meaning he only needs to endure for a few more months.
• A new curse suddenly affects him by greatly increasing his sexual desire and making him crave wine and women. Liu Yuanchen recognizes it as an attempt to corrupt his mind and cripple his cultivation through the manipulation of desire.
• Instead of immediately removing the curse, he decides to exploit it as energy for condensing the Foul Lung Soul, one of the Seven Po Souls. His Withered Wood Longevity Art allows him to suppress the curse and maintain control.
• To protect his body while his consciousness is trapped in illusions, Liu Yuanchen summons Divine Ability Clone No. 4. The clone enters the Earth Book’s Seven Emotions Heart-Refining Formation with him and is prepared to destroy the curse if it becomes dangerous.
• Over more than a year, Liu Yuanchen repeatedly enters the formation’s illusions, where he experiences a life of indulgence and loses his memories temporarily. Despite the risks, he successfully condenses the Foul Lung Soul.
• The newly formed Foul Lung Soul dramatically increases the circulation speed of his mana and improves his cultivation efficiency by more than double.
• Once the Foul Lung Soul is complete, Liu Yuanchen uses the Earth Book and Merit Golden Light to expose and remove the curse. He discovers that the curse had lodged energy in both of his kidneys, explaining his persistent weakness.
• Enraged, Liu Yuanchen uses the Merit Memorial, a secret art that submits evidence of wrongdoing to the Heavenly Dao and requests punishment for the curse caster.
• The curse’s energy and Merit Golden Light form burning inscription runes, sending a column of green smoke into the heavens.
• The scene shifts to the Heaven-Restoration Sect, where Life Soul Dao Lord and Venerable Soul Control discuss the curse. They mistakenly believe Liu Yuanchen is still suffering from it and that outside medicines have merely prolonged his life.
• Heavenly might suddenly descends. Heavenly Punishment locks onto Life Soul Dao Lord, and a blood-red lightning bolt strikes him. Although he survives the first blow and flees, the punishment is successfully activated.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly calculating and resourceful. Rather than simply defending against the curse, he turns it into a cultivation resource and gains the Foul Lung Soul without needing rare spiritual materials.
• His confidence in his techniques and defensive abilities grows, especially through the Withered Wood Longevity Art, the Earth Book, the Immortal Seed, and his Divine Ability clone.
• His personality also shows a sharper, more vengeful side. After discovering that the curse damaged his kidneys and weakened him for over a year, he abandons a restrained solution and deliberately invokes Heavenly Punishment against the caster.
• Divine Ability Clone No. 4 takes on a more important protective role, serving as a safeguard while Liu Yuanchen’s consciousness is trapped in the formation.
• Life Soul Dao Lord is revealed as the mastermind behind the desire-based curse. His arrogance and misjudgment lead him to believe Liu Yuanchen has been successfully crippled, only for the curse to rebound through the Merit Memorial.

Significant Themes

• Turning adversity into strength: Liu Yuanchen transforms an enemy’s curse into the means of advancing his cultivation.
• Cunning versus brute force: The chapter emphasizes strategic patience. Liu Yuanchen does not immediately destroy the curse; he suppresses it, studies it, and exploits it.
• Self-control and spiritual discipline: The Withered Wood Longevity Art allows him to withstand a curse targeting desire and maintain his rationality.
• Moral and cosmic retribution: The Merit Memorial represents the Heavenly Dao as a force that can punish hidden schemes and restore justice when provided with evidence.
• The danger of underestimating an enemy: Life Soul Dao Lord assumes that Liu Yuanchen’s apparent weakness proves the curse worked, failing to realize that Liu Yuanchen has used it to advance.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen reflects on the threat posed by the Heaven-Restoration Sect and prepares countermeasures against their curses.
• He relies on Divine Ability Clone No. 4 for protection while undergoing the dangerous Seven Emotions Heart-Refining Formation.
• Life Soul Dao Lord speaks with Venerable Soul Control about Liu Yuanchen’s condition, with Venerable Soul Control flattering the Dao Lord and reinforcing his mistaken belief that the attack succeeded.
• Liu Yuanchen never directly confronts the two Heaven-Restoration Sect members, but his Merit Memorial creates a supernatural confrontation by drawing Heavenly Punishment onto Life Soul Dao Lord.

Chapter Summary: Unexpected Gains

Key Plot Points

1. Dao Lord Heavenly Soul endures Heavenly Punishment: After being hit by a blood lightning bolt, he survives multiple strikes, takes heavy damage (burnt robes, destroyed crown, hair gone), and flees.
2. Dao Lord Heavenly Soul seeks refuge: He escapes eastward and, using a Black Tortoise seal as a sacrificial spirit treasure to block a devastating Blood-Colored Lightning Sword, plunges into a mountain lake and uses a black token to enter a natural Grotto-Heaven.
3. The stalemate in the Grotto-Heaven: The Heavenly Dao dares not strike inside the Grotto-Heaven (fearing it would destroy the important realm-supplying resource), so it eventually disperses. Dao Lord Heavenly Soul is trapped—unable to leave without inviting a worse punishment, he is for all purposes crippled as an active threat.
4. Liu Yuanchen receives unexpected Merit: The Merit Golden Light descends upon him, replenishing his spent Merit and adding enough to reach eight Merit Lightwheels (from five). The sect intelligence agent Liu Hun confirms Dao Lord Heavenly Soul was nearly killed by the punishment Liu Yuanchen initiated.
5. Liu Yuanchen's strategic decision: On learning the green smoke from his Merit Memorial was visible, he orders Liu Hun to report honestly to the Heaven-Restoration Sect—choosing to display strength rather than hide weakness, hoping this will lead the sect to recruit or leave him alone.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Gains immense Merit (eight Lightwheels—one step from the Nine-Petaled Merit Golden Lotus). Uses his victory to strategize politically: proving his threat level to the Heaven-Restoration Sect. Considers Dao Lord Heavenly Soul effectively "dead" despite his survival.
• Dao Lord Heavenly Soul: Reduced from a mighty Longevity Immortal to a desperate fugitive trapped in a Grotto-Heaven, his body burned, his Dharma treasure destroyed, and his future uncertain.
• Venerable Ghost Tamer: Realizes his own mortality and vulnerability—a "dog" whose master (Dao Lord Heavenly Soul) is now fallen; fears retribution.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen ↔ Liu Hun: Liu Yuanchen uses Divine Sense to question Liu Hun from hidden underground. Liu Hun reveals Dao Lord Heavenly Soul's fate, and later asks how to report to his Heaven-Restoration Sect superiors.
• Liu Yuanchen's orders: Instructs Liu Hun to openly tell the sect about the green smoke (i.e., the Merit Memorial) rather than conceal it—a calculated power play.

Significant Themes

• Cause and effect (Karma): The Heavenly Dao punishes those who commit dark deeds; the more Karmic Force, the harsher the punishment. Dao Lord Heavenly Soul's long history of tormenting souls seals his fate.
• Merit as power: Merit is a real, tangible resource that grants protection and—through secret arts—the power to strike enemies. Liu Yuanchen's righteous act is rewarded with even more Merit.
• Political maneuvering: Showing strength as protection; turning a narrow escape into a strategic advantage to reshape the Heaven-Restoration Sect's behavior toward the Human Race lineage.
• Vulnerability of even the powerful: Even Longevity Immortals are not untouchable—Heavenly Punishment shows absolute limits.

Chapter Summary: Heaven-Restoration Sect’s Attitude

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Liu Yuanchen allows Liu Hun to report the truth, he informs Dao Lord Hongyuan about the incident at Netherworld Coiled Dragon Mountain, gaining confidence that the Heaven-Restoration Sect will handle Dao Lord Heavenly Soul.
• At the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s headquarters, Venerable Ghost Tamer reports that Heavenly Soul was struck by Heavenly Punishment while cursing Liu Yuanchen and is now trapped within a Grotto-Heaven.
• The sect debates whether Liu Yuanchen caused Heavenly Soul’s punishment. Strange green smoke and violent law fluctuations at Coiled Dragon Mountain suggest that Liu Yuanchen’s actions may have triggered the event.
• Several Longevity Immortals argue that Liu Yuanchen must be eliminated because his ability to invoke Heavenly Punishment could threaten the sect. Others warn that a direct attack would expose the sect to the Witch and Demon Races.
• The sect’s larger objective—the Innate Black Lotus beneath Demon Cloud Sea—takes priority. Attacking Liu Yuanchen could alert the Witch Race and jeopardize this plan.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan proposes contacting Liu Yuanchen instead: the sect should attempt to recruit him, maintain cooperation if he refuses, and investigate the truth behind Heavenly Soul’s punishment.
• Dao Lord Heaven Hound agrees to this approach, and Hongyuan sends an emissary to negotiate.
• More than half a month later, a powerful middle-aged Ghost Cultivator arrives at Coiled Dragon Mountain pretending to sell Liu Yuanchen an eighth-rank Earth Baleful Pearl.
• Liu Yuanchen recognizes the danger, suspects the pearl is bait, and has a clone receive the visitor while his true body escapes to the Yang Realm using a Substitute-Death Clone technique.
• The emissary offers the Earth Baleful Pearl as a gift in exchange for an explanation of how Liu Yuanchen caused Heavenly Soul to suffer Heavenly Punishment.
• Liu Yuanchen admits that he used a secret method to lodge a complaint with the Heavenly Dao but denies possessing the power to summon punishment at will. He claims Heavenly Soul’s own heavy karmic burden and wrongdoing made the punishment possible.
• He warns that such a method would require an enormous price against a truly innocent or powerful Longevity Immortal, attempting to reassure the Heaven-Restoration Sect that he is not an unlimited threat.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly cautious and politically astute. He anticipates retaliation, relocates his true body, and uses a clone to negotiate safely.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan emerges as a pragmatic and influential leader. Rather than acting rashly, he prioritizes the sect’s long-term interests and advocates recruitment or cooperation.
• Dao Lord Heaven Hound initially supports eliminating Liu Yuanchen but ultimately accepts Hongyuan’s more cautious plan.
• Dao Lord Myriad Spirits confirms intelligence about the strange phenomenon at Coiled Dragon Mountain, strengthening suspicions about Liu Yuanchen.
• Venerable Ghost Tamer is reduced to seeking help for his trapped master, Heavenly Soul, and provides an uncertain account of the incident.
• Dao Lord Heavenly Soul is effectively neutralized, trapped in a Grotto-Heaven after his attempt to curse Liu Yuanchen backfires.
• The Heaven-Restoration Sect’s Longevity Immortals are divided between fear-driven aggression and strategic restraint.

Significant Themes

• Power and deterrence: Liu Yuanchen’s ability to involve the Heavenly Dao makes even ancient Longevity Immortals wary of him.
• Karma and moral judgment: The chapter suggests that Heavenly Punishment is not easily manipulated; Liu Yuanchen’s method only works because Heavenly Soul already carried severe karmic wrongdoing.
• Pragmatism versus fear: Some sect members want to eliminate Liu Yuanchen immediately, while others recognize that rash action could cause greater strategic losses.
• Political balance: The sect must weigh Liu Yuanchen’s potential threat against the danger of exposing itself to the Witch and Demon Races.
• Hidden strength and deception: Both sides conceal their true capabilities. The emissary disguises an investigation as a transaction, while Liu Yuanchen uses clones and carefully worded explanations to protect himself.
• Long-term ambition: The Innate Black Lotus is more important to the sect than settling its grievance with Liu Yuanchen, revealing the scale of its broader plans.

Character Interactions

• Venerable Ghost Tamer reports Heavenly Soul’s failure to Dao Lord Heaven Hound, Dao Lord Hongyuan, Dao Lord Myriad Spirits, and the assembled sect experts.
• Hongyuan criticizes Heavenly Soul for ignoring his earlier advice to befriend Liu Yuanchen.
• Myriad Spirits supports Hongyuan’s interpretation that Liu Yuanchen was likely involved in the Heavenly Punishment.
• Heaven Hound recognizes Liu Yuanchen’s danger but agrees that the sect cannot attack without risking exposure.
• Hongyuan persuades the sect to negotiate rather than launch an immediate assault.
• The middle-aged Ghost Cultivator tests Liu Yuanchen with the Earth Baleful Pearl, while Liu Yuanchen counters by hiding his true body and offering a carefully limited explanation.
• Their conversation establishes a tense but cautious relationship: the Heaven-Restoration Sect seeks information and leverage, while Liu Yuanchen attempts to prevent the sect from viewing him as an existential threat.

Chapter Summary: Recruitment by the Heaven-Restoration Sect

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• A middle-aged Ghost Cultivator (envoy of Dao Lord Hongyuan) visits Liu Yuanchen to discuss the Heaven-Restoration Sect's interest in him.
• Liu Yuanchen explains his three consecutive attacks from the Heaven-Restoration Sect: a destroyed avatar, a Frost Wraith, the Bloodfire Soul-Devouring Curse, and a lust-inducing curse—all perpetrated by Tianhun Venerable's faction.
• The envoy reveals internal division in the Heaven-Restoration Sect: Dao Lord Hongyuan's faction (pro-Human Race) vs. Tianhun Venerable's faction (anti-Human, non-human descent). Tianhun Venerable's death has suppressed the hostile faction.
• The envoy offers recruitment as Dao Lord Hongyuan's personal disciple, with backing from a dozen-plus Longevity Immortals.
• Liu Yuanchen refuses, citing justifiable distrust of the sect's intentions and refusing to hand over his life-preserving secret arts or natal magic treasure.
• The conversation shifts to cooperation. The envoy proposes Dao Lord Hongyuan providing inheritances and strategic resources for breaking through major realms in exchange for support.
• Liu Yuanchen promises future support—including backing Dao Lord Hongyuan as ruler of the Human Race—but the envoy demands something tangible.
• Liu Yuanchen offers Luochuan Dragon King's research on a method to establish a Blessed Land within a spirit treasure (carried on one's person), which greatly interests the envoy.
• Liu Yuanchen deliberately withholds Grand Immortal Zhenyuan's true inheritance and considers using the Sky-Suspended Ghost City secret as a future bargaining chip.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Demonstrates strategic diplomacy, composure under pressure, and calculated information-revealing. He successfully turns a potential confrontation into a cooperative negotiation, protecting his true assets while offering enough to satisfy the other party. He understands his own value and the leverage the Eight Desolations Pavilion's potential gives him.
• The Middle-Aged Ghost Cultivator: Acts as a skilled negotiator; initially appears sympathetic, then escalates to recruitment offers, and eventually settles for negotiated cooperation. He shows genuine excitement at the Blessed Land research, revealing his master's interests.

3. Significant Themes

• Political Realism in Diplomacy: Alliances are built on mutual benefit, not trust. Liu Yuanchen's refusal of recruitment is based on rational self-preservation rather than emotion.
• Trust and Hidden Dangers: The Heaven-Restoration Sect's sudden friendliness after previous hostility raises valid concerns—its three ancient giants would likely devour Liu Yuanchen if he joined.
• Strategic Resource Exchange: Inheritances and secret arts serve as currency in high-level cultivation politics; half-truths and selective disclosure are essential survival tactics.
• The Human Race's United Front: The primary enemy remains the Demon Race; cooperation with any force willing to oppose the Demon Race is framed as acceptable.
• Power as an Amphibole of Fear and Opportunity: Liu Yuanchen's visible strength (countering Tianhun Venerable) both attracts covetous attention and earns him bargaining power.

4. Character Interactions

• The envoy begins by validating Liu Yuanchen's logic, building rapport, then probes for information about his methods.
• Liu Yuanchen reveals just enough (the Bloodfire Soul-Devouring flame) to justify his grievances without exposing his actual secrets.
• The envoy offers discipleship; Liu Yuanchen rejects it and boldly states the sect's likely motives (internal greed for his supposed Luochuan Dragon King inheritance).
• The envoy acknowledges Liu Yuanchen's reasoning and pivots to cooperation terms; Liu Yuanchen promises large-scale future political support while deflecting requests for his personal techniques.
• The envoy presses for tangible goods; Liu Yuanchen produces the Blessed Land research, which the envoy eagerly accepts as a reportable item, agreeing to bring it back to Dao Lord Hongyuan.

Chapter Summary: “Eight Desolations Pavilion’s Stance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen considers revealing further intelligence to Heaven-Restoration Sect: the Witch and Demon Races’ cooperation, their possible connection to Extraterritorial Lifeforms, and the possibility that Sky-Suspended Ghost City is a passage to the Primordial World. However, he decides the speculation could cause unpredictable consequences, including forcing powerful Longevity Immortals to leave the Origin Spirit Realm.
• He explains the value of Luochuan Dragon King’s secret art, which creates a movable Grotto-Heaven or Blessed Land inside a spirit treasure. Such a method eliminates the Earth Immortal Path’s greatest weakness: a stationary Grotto-Heaven can be discovered and attacked, while a portable one can protect its owner and increase their strength.
• Liu deliberately gives the middle-aged Ghost Cultivator only an incomplete and altered version of the secret art. He conceals the Dragon Pearl’s role and mixes in misleading information so Dao Lord Hongyuan must spend time reconstructing the method rather than immediately gaining overwhelming power.
• The Ghost Cultivator accepts the incomplete inheritance, stating that Dao Lord Hongyuan and Heaven-Restoration Sect’s many Human Race Longevity Immortals should be able to deduce the complete technique. He urges Liu to negotiate with Eight Desolations Pavilion.
• Liu informs the elders of Eight Desolations Pavilion that Heaven-Restoration Sect wants to support the Pavilion as the Human Race’s strongest faction. In exchange, the Pavilion must recognize Heaven-Restoration Sect as the Human Race’s orthodox authority and Dao Lord Hongyuan as its ruler.
• Heaven-Restoration Sect offers valuable inheritances and resources capable of helping the Pavilion’s experts break through major realms. The elders debate the danger of becoming subordinate to Dao Lord Hongyuan but ultimately agree that the benefits outweigh the risks.
• Liu offers the portable Grotto-Heaven technique as an initial contribution to the alliance, emphasizing that it is most useful to Longevity Immortals and has limited value for the Pavilion’s aging elders.
• The elders reach a consensus to cooperate, pending a formal decision by the Pavilion Master and branch leaders.
• Meanwhile, Liu merges an eighth-rank Earth Baleful Pearl from Heaven-Restoration Sect into the Earth Book. The pearl becomes a Black Dragon and enters the Ancestral Earth Vein Mark, causing the mark to grow and become denser and pitch-black.
• Liu concludes that many more high-grade Earth Baleful Pearls—or cheaper Earth Baleful Crystals—will be needed to transform the Ancestral Earth Vein Mark into a true imprint.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen demonstrates increasing political caution and strategic manipulation. He balances the need to cooperate with Heaven-Restoration Sect against the danger of strengthening Dao Lord Hongyuan too quickly. His long-term goal is to remain peaceful until he becomes a Longevity Immortal and fully develops the Earth Book.
• He also becomes more suspicious of Heaven-Restoration Sect, wondering whether their gifts may contain curses, though he remains willing to use them after merging the Earth Baleful Pearl into the Merit Dharma Treasure Earth Book.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan is established as an ambitious leader seeking authority over the Human Race. His faction is strong enough to offer rare inheritances and breakthrough resources, but it still needs a powerful Human Race force such as Eight Desolations Pavilion to legitimize its rule.
• The elders of Eight Desolations Pavilion shift from cautious skepticism to acceptance. Their desire for better inheritances and a chance to become Longevity Immortals outweighs their concerns about submitting to Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• The middle-aged Ghost Cultivator acts as an intermediary, acknowledging his limited authority while conveying Heaven-Restoration Sect’s demands and recognizing Liu’s value.

Significant Themes

• Alliance and political control: Cooperation with Heaven-Restoration Sect offers protection and resources but risks turning Eight Desolations Pavilion into a subordinate faction.
• Strategic deception: Liu uses partial truths and altered inheritances to influence powerful enemies without giving them enough information to become an immediate threat.
• Power versus vulnerability: Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands can greatly enhance strength but become dangerous weaknesses if they are stationary. Portability represents a major evolution of the cultivation path.
• Long-term planning: Liu prioritizes delaying conflict and preserving the Origin Spirit Realm’s stability until he has enough strength to protect himself.
• Cultivation and resource accumulation: The Earth Book’s growth depends on absorbing Earth-related treasures, showing the importance of both rare treasures and more accessible substitutes such as Earth Baleful Crystals.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu negotiates with the middle-aged Ghost Cultivator, offering a modified secret art while withholding the true Dragon Pearl inheritance.
• He reports Heaven-Restoration Sect’s proposal to Azure Origin Pill King, Venerable Sea Severing, Golden Flame Venerable, and the other elders.
• The elders question whether Dao Lord Hongyuan’s leadership would restrict them, while Liu reassures them that Longevity Immortals would retain influence within Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• Liu persuades the elders by arguing that Heaven-Restoration Sect’s rule is preferable to the Divine Court’s and that their experts’ chances of reaching Longevity Immortal would greatly improve.
• After the political negotiations, Liu privately uses Heaven-Restoration Sect’s Earth Baleful Pearl to strengthen the Earth Book and advance his own cultivation foundation.

Summary: Heaven-Restoration Sect's Extravagance

Key Plot Points & Events

• Liu Yuanchen analyzes the properties of Earth Baleful Pearls vs. Earth Baleful Crystals, noting their differences in value and uses. He plans to acquire them to nourish the Ancestral Earth Vein Mark on the Earth Book, realizing the Heaven-Restoration Sect could supply them.
• Eight Desolations Pavilion officially approves cooperation with the Heaven-Restoration Sect after about a month.
• Ling Song Venerable, Dao Lord Hongyuan's personal disciple, arrives at Coiled Dragon Mountain (Netherworld) to negotiate in person. Liu Yuanchen invites Venerable Sea Severing, Azure Origin Pill King, and Golden Flame Venerable as fellow negotiators.
• The Heaven-Restoration Sect's resource list amazes everyone: 49 stable Acquired Treasure Restrictions (from spirit treasure fragments), 20 Eighth-Tier Earth Baleful Pearls, 1,000 pounds of Earth Baleful Crystals yearly, cultivation insights, and secret arts for Grotto-Heaven transformation.
• Critically for Liu Yuanchen, the list includes the God-Detested Fruit and Lovesick Jade Lotus Root—the final two spiritual medicines needed to condense the Seven Po Souls.
• Liu Yuanchen presents the altered Luochuan Dragon King secret art (modified to remove Dragon Pearl content and supplemented with Earth Immortal Path knowledge). Ling Song Venerable verifies its authenticity and praises the original Dragon King genius.
• Ling Song Venerable presents the Heavenly Dao Blood Oath alliance pact, containing the previously agreed terms plus new clauses on mutual defense and Heaven-Restoration Sect leadership in joint operations.
• A dispute arises over who should sign the pact. Azure Origin Pill King and Golden Flame Venerable each volunteer, but Ling Song Venerable insists Liu Yuanchen must sign, as his value is the true reason the Heaven-Restoration Sect chose this alliance.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Demonstrates strategic resource planning and political acumen. His cultivation timeline is projected to accelerate dramatically—completing Seven Po Souls within years, potentially reaching Divine Spring before age 200. His status as the linchpin of the alliance is explicitly acknowledged.
• Ling Song Venerable: Introduced as a composed, diplomatic negotiator who appears as an ordinary mortal scholar despite being a powerful cultivator. He establishes rapport with Liu Yuanchen by calling him "Junior Brother" and demonstrates the Heaven-Restoration Sect's vast wealth and generosity.
• The three old venerables (Azure Origin, Golden Flame, Sea Severing): Their excitement reveals they were struggling to complete their Grotto-Heavens' transformation within their remaining lifespans; the Heaven-Restoration Sect's resources effectively save them. Their willingness to sign the pact shows commitment to the alliance.

Significant Themes

• Mutual Benefit & Strategic Alliance: Each side gains what it fundamentally needs—Eight Desolations Pavilion receives scarce strategic resources; Heaven-Restoration Sect gains political legitimacy as the "orthodox lineage" and a path to becoming the ruler of the Human Race.
• The Power of Wealth/Resources: The Heaven-Restoration Sect's extravagance demonstrates how material abundance can resolve seemingly insurmountable cultivation bottlenecks (lifespan pressure, law comprehension, Grotto-Heaven evolution).
• Trust & Binding Commitments: The Heavenly Dao Blood Oath represents a serious, magically enforced commitment, contrasting with the transactional nature of the negotiations. The debate over who signs underscores which individuals truly anchor the alliance.
• Value Hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes that certain individuals (Liu Yuanchen) and rare strategic resources vastly outweigh even very precious materials like Earth Baleful Pearls.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and the middle-aged Ghost Cultivator: Cordial messenger relationship; the messenger eagerly relays that his master's terms are accepted and escorts Ling Song Venerable in.
• Liu Yuanchen and Ling Song Venerable: Positive rapport, with Ling Song preemptively calling Liu "Junior Brother." Ling Song's praise of the Luochuan Dragon King secret art shows genuine appreciation for the sect's sincerity.
• Azure Origin Pill King and Golden Flame Venerable: Both step forward to claim the pact-signing duty, showing their authority within Eight Desolations Pavilion and their investment in the alliance.
• Ling Song Venerable asserting Liu Yuanchen's unique importance over the older experts: A subtle power dynamic showing who truly matters to the Heaven-Restoration Sect.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen worries about the Heavenly Dao blood oath after signing an alliance with the Heaven-Restoration Sect, but devises multiple escape routes (e.g., using Merit, growing the Earth Book, mutually dissolving the agreement, or deposing Dao Lord Hongyuan later).
• He signs the alliance by leaving a Divine Sense Imprint; Ling Song Venerable takes one copy and leaves.
• The elders discuss the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s advanced Dao of space and the storage token.
• With Liu Yuanchen's permission, they divide the spoils: he takes all Earth Baleful Pearls and Crystals, plus portions of spirit medicines.
• Liu Yuanchen integrates Earth Baleful Pearls and Crystals into the Earth Book. After a month, the Ancestral Earth Vein Mark becomes a True Imprint, triggering a mysterious dragon roar heard across the Origin Spirit Realm.
• The Earth Book becomes the Earth Book of the entire Origin Spirit Realm, expanding its mark-mapping range from 300 li to 10,000 li, and begins a major transformation.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Shows strategic, cautious thinking; strengthens his cultivation resources; achieves a major breakthrough in the Earth Book, increasing his influence and power.
• The elders (Venerable Sea Severing, Golden Flame Venerable, Azure Origin Pill King) display respect for Liu Yuanchen's leadership, deferring to his decisions on resource distribution.

Significant Themes

• Risk management and long-term planning in cultivation.
• The importance of resource accumulation and strategic alliances.
• Growth through perseverance and use of rare materials.
• The interdependence of personal power and organizational strength.

Character Interactions

• Ling Song Venerable reassures Liu Yuanchen about the alliance and praises his talent and luck.
• The elders acknowledge Liu Yuanchen's central role in the deal and insist he take more rewards; he ultimately accepts only what he needs.
• Liu Yuanchen works alone for most of the second half, focusing on refining the Earth Book.

Chapter Summary: Earth Book Transformation

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Earth Book continues absorbing vast amounts of law power as it evolves toward becoming the Earth Book of the Origin Spirit Realm.
• Liu Yuanchen investigates the treasure with his Divine Sense and discovers that most of the law power is flowing into its four original Inscription Runes.
• The Ancestral Spirit Vein and Ancestral Earth Vein within the Earth Book’s Ancestral Vein Imprint have merged into a single true Ancestral Vein. Through it, Liu Yuanchen can observe the condition of Spirit Veins, Earth Veins, and Spirit Vein Sources throughout Blackcloud Ridge.
• He realizes that the Earth Book could eventually allow him to repair the entire Ancestral Vein remotely, though his current cultivation is far too low to use its full potential.
• Liu Yuanchen detects a severely damaged Spirit Vein Source. Repairing the corresponding sources in both the Yin and Yang Realms could grant him three Merit Lightwheels—enough to complete his Nine-Petaled Merit Golden Lotus.
• Before he can send a clone to investigate, Blackcloud Ridge trembles and emits powerful dragon roars in both realms.
• Numerous factions, including the Heaven-Restoration Sect, the Eight Desolations Pavilion, the Dragon Race, and forces near Blackcloud Ridge, assume that the Dragon Race has caused the disturbance. They begin investigating and preparing for possible conflict.
• Liu Yuanchen realizes that the disturbance was actually caused by the Earth Book’s new connection with the Origin Spirit Realm’s Ancestral Vein. He decides not to visit Blackcloud Ridge, since doing so would attract suspicion and expose him.
• After more than a year in seclusion, the Earth Book develops numerous Law Fragments. Although they are disordered and cannot form complete laws, they can still unleash considerable power.
• The four Inscription Runes eventually break apart and merge with the Law Fragments, forming forty-eight strange patterns corresponding to the original Earth Book’s forty-eight Innate Treasure Restrictions.
• These patterns function as prototypes of Acquired Treasure Restrictions. Using them, Liu Yuanchen effortlessly raises the height of Coiled Dragon Mountain, demonstrating that the Earth Book has become a Spirit Treasure Artifact Embryo despite still being only a fifth-rank magic treasure.

Character Development

• Liu Yuanchen gains a deeper understanding of the Earth Book’s origins, structure, and future potential. He recognizes that it is not merely a magic treasure but an extension of his own power, almost comparable to possessing a Dao Embryo.
• His confidence in the Earth Book increases, especially after seeing that it can manipulate terrain with power comparable to Heavenly Dao Authority.
• He becomes more cautious and politically aware. Rather than investigate the disturbance personally, he correctly deduces its cause and avoids exposing himself while rival factions search for the culprit.
• Liu Yuanchen also develops a greater appreciation for Grand Immortal Zhenyuan’s accomplishments, realizing that Zhenyuan had merged forty-eight Innate Treasure Restrictions into only four simplified Inscription Runes.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and evolution: The Earth Book progresses from a fifth-rank magic treasure toward a Spirit Treasure Artifact Embryo through its connection with the Origin Spirit Realm.
• Power limited by cultivation: Although the Earth Book possesses extraordinary potential, Liu Yuanchen’s current cultivation prevents him from using more than a tiny fraction of its abilities.
• Hidden influence and misunderstanding: The world interprets the Blackcloud Ridge disturbance as a Dragon Race action, while the true cause is Liu Yuanchen’s secret advancement.
• Inheritance and mastery: Liu Yuanchen’s discoveries reveal the sophistication of Grand Immortal Zhenyuan’s methods and place his own cultivation journey within a larger legacy.
• Merit and advancement: Repairing the Ancestral Vein could significantly increase Liu Yuanchen’s Merit and help him form a Nine-Petaled Merit Golden Lotus.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Liu Yan: Liu Yan alerts Liu Yuanchen to the tremors and dragon roars at Blackcloud Ridge, allowing him to understand the consequences of the Earth Book’s transformation.
• Heaven-Restoration Sect leaders: Dao Lord Hongyuan, Heaven Hound Dao Lord, and Myriad Spirits Dao Lord debate the disturbance. Myriad Spirits suspects that the Dragon Race has interfered with Blackcloud Ridge through Dragon-Subduing Mountain.
• Eight Desolations Pavilion: Azure Origin Pill King, Golden Flame Venerable, and Venerable Sea Severing discuss the disturbance and ask Liu Yuanchen to monitor Blackcloud Ridge, unaware that he caused it.
• Dragon Race: Ao Zhenting and his subordinates also conclude that Dragon-Subduing Mountain is responsible and prepare to offer support, demonstrating that even the Dragon Race misunderstands the event.
• Liu Yuanchen and Grand Immortal Zhenyuan: Though they do not interact directly, Liu Yuanchen repeatedly compares his discoveries with Zhenyuan’s achievements and gains admiration for the ancient expert’s mastery of treasure restrictions and terrain manipulation.

Chapter Summary: “Mountains and Rivers in Illusion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Earth Book finishes absorbing a massive amount of law power and becomes the Earth Book of the entire Origin Spirit Realm rather than merely Dongyang Grotto-Heaven.
• Its forty-eight Acquired Treasure Restriction Prototypes show little advancement, confirming that the Earth Book remains far from becoming a true Acquired Spirit Treasure.
• Spirit Vein, Earth Vein, and Dragon Vein Marks reorganize across the Earth Book. They are no longer dependent on Dongyang Grotto-Heaven’s First Spirit Nexus as a central energy hub.
• The Earth Book begins displaying illusory images of the Origin Spirit Realm’s mountains, rivers, plains, lakes, and other terrain. These are not yet functional marks, but Liu Yuanchen realizes they represent the Earth Book’s gradual transformation toward its complete form.
• The clarity of each terrain phantom depends on the strength and maturity of the corresponding Spirit Vein or Earth Vein Mark. Blackcloud Ridge appears extremely clear because it contains the Ancestral Vein’s True Imprint, while Dongyang Lake remains faint because its mark is recent and weak.
• Liu Yuanchen tests the Earth Book’s perception:
  • Through the Blackcloud Ridge phantom, he can observe the mountain’s general terrain but cannot affect it, perceive living beings, or see hidden ore veins.
  • Through the existing Coiled Dragon Mountain Mark, he can clearly observe the entire mountain, including vegetation, underground resources, markets, and inhabitants.
  • Formations can still obstruct his vision, especially those protecting Dongyang Divine Prefecture and the grandmasters’ law-comprehension site.
• A phantom and Spirit Vein Mark of the Luochuan River appear, likely because Luochuan Blessed Land contains part of the river’s Heavenly Dao Authority.
• Liu Yuanchen concludes that further development of the Earth Book requires both extensive Spirit Vein/Earth Vein Marks and Mountain-and-River Marks formed through Heavenly Dao Authority.
• He speculates that obtaining the authority of Blackcloud Ridge might eventually allow the Earth Book to absorb or control the authority of nearby mountains, rivers, and lakes, potentially letting him challenge the Divine Court’s control over local gods and land-based authority.
• After examining the Earth Book, Liu Yuanchen discovers that Dongyang Grotto-Heaven has expanded from roughly three hundred miles to over six hundred miles in diameter.
• A tiny hill-like protrusion has appeared at its center, concealing a much larger mountain beneath it, suggesting that Grotto-Heavens naturally develop mountains or mountain ranges as they grow.
• The First Spirit Nexus now produces overwhelming spiritual energy. The Ginseng Fruit Tree suppresses the excess, while the Earth Vein absorbs the incoming Earth Vein Baleful Intent.
• At the bottom of the First Spirit Nexus, Liu Yuanchen finds a newly formed Spirit Spring Pearl. He realizes it is the remnant of the original Spirit Spring Pearl he had previously fused into the nexus, meaning its energy has continued transforming Dongyang Grotto-Heaven, the Earth Book, and the Ginseng Fruit Tree.

Character Development

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more aware of the Earth Book’s true potential and its connection to the Origin Spirit Realm’s structure. He moves from simply observing its changes to forming long-term plans for acquiring Heavenly Dao Authority.
• His strategic ambition expands: he considers eventually using the Earth Book to contest the Divine Court’s authority over mountain gods, water gods, and land gods.
• He also demonstrates caution and political awareness. Because multiple powers—including the Divine Court, Demon Race, and Heaven-Restoration Sect—may ambush him, he recognizes that he cannot yet travel freely across the Origin Spirit Realm to collect marks.
• His understanding of the Earth Book’s origins deepens through comparison with Grand Immortal Zhenyuan’s original Earth Book.
• He correctly traces the formation of the new Spirit Spring Pearl to the lingering energy of the earlier treasure he used, showing his growing ability to analyze the interactions between his artifacts and domains.

Significant Themes

• Growth through accumulation: The Earth Book’s evolution depends on gradually gathering Spirit Vein, Earth Vein, terrain, and Heavenly Dao Marks.
• Connection between artifact and world: As the Earth Book becomes a reflection of the Origin Spirit Realm, its development becomes tied to the growth and structure of the world itself.
• Authority and political power: Heavenly Dao Authority is portrayed as a means of controlling territory and potentially challenging the Divine Court’s Divine Path authority.
• Limits and patience: Liu Yuanchen recognizes that his current cultivation, range, and political situation prevent him from completing the Earth Book’s transformation immediately.
• Interdependence of treasures: The Spirit Spring Pearl, Earth Book, Ginseng Fruit Tree, Dongyang Grotto-Heaven, and First Spirit Nexus all influence one another, producing a chain of mutually reinforcing growth.
• Perception versus control: The illusory terrain phantoms allow observation but not intervention, while genuine marks such as Coiled Dragon Mountain grant far greater insight and authority.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen interacts primarily with his artifacts, grotto-heaven, and the surrounding spiritual environment rather than with other characters.
• The Earth Book, Ginseng Fruit Tree, and Dongyang Grotto-Heaven function as an interconnected system:
  • The Earth Book absorbs law power and regional energy.
  • The Ginseng Fruit Tree suppresses the First Spirit Nexus’s excessive output.
  • Dongyang Grotto-Heaven absorbs spiritual energy and expands.
  • The First Spirit Nexus and Earth Vein regulate dangerous spiritual and baleful energy.
• Past figures influence Liu Yuanchen’s reasoning:
  • Grand Immortal Zhenyuan’s original Earth Book provides the model for what Liu Yuanchen’s artifact may eventually become.
  • The Luochuan Dragon King’s Mountains and Rivers in the Palm technique explains the Luochuan River mark within Luochuan Blessed Land.
• The Divine Court, Demon Race, and Heaven-Restoration Sect remain offstage political forces whose potential hostility shapes Liu Yuanchen’s decisions and limits his movements.

Chapter Summary: “Seven Po Souls Gathered, Rotten Wood Longevity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen confirms that the Spirit Spring Pearl formed within the First Spirit Nexus can serve as the catalyst for opening a Divine Spring, the sixth realm of the Earth Immortal Path.
• Because the pearl is still too small, he uses a drop of One-Origin Heavy Water from Dragon Abyss to accelerate its growth.
• The heavy water greatly enriches the First Spirit Nexus, causing its lake to expand and nourishing the surrounding spirit plants.
• The Hundred-Year Flat Peach grows dramatically, while the Ginseng Fruit Tree absorbs most of the energy and develops several new branches and enlarged flower buds. Liu Yuanchen decides to seek more One-Origin Heavy Water in the future.
• The Spirit Spring Pearl grows from dragon-eye size to roughly ping-pong-ball size, though more time and resources will be needed before it can be used to open a Divine Spring.
• Liu Yuanchen turns his attention to condensing the remaining four Po Souls: the Non-Toxic, Tunzei, Queyin, and Filth-Expelling Souls.
• Concerned that his recent retaliation against Dao Lord Heavenly Soul has attracted enemies, he chooses to remain in seclusion rather than continue provoking powerful opponents.
• Over the next ten years, he successfully condenses three additional Po Souls. Only the Queyin Soul remains.
• Using Skyweeping Grass and the Soul-Congealing Art, he forms the final Queyin Soul. His Seven Po Souls and Life Soul now appear together on his Spirit Platform, completing the primary cultivation objective of the Soul Condensation Realm.
• With control over his body greatly enhanced, Liu Yuanchen discovers that he can suppress all bodily activity without harming his internal functions.
• This breakthrough allows him to perfect the third stage of the Withered Wood Longevity Art, the Rotten Wood Stage.

Character Development

• Liu Yuanchen becomes more strategic and cautious. Although he has gained revenge against Dao Lord Heavenly Soul and strengthened the Human Race branch of the Heaven-Restoration Sect, he recognizes that powerful enemies may retaliate indirectly.
• His confidence in his cultivation resources increases, particularly after seeing how effectively One-Origin Heavy Water nourishes the Ginseng Fruit Tree and Spirit Spring Pearl.
• The completion of the Seven Po Souls gives him extraordinary control over his body and greatly improves his foundation for future body refinement and advancement toward the Divine Spring Realm.
• His successful cultivation of the Rotten Wood Stage marks a major longevity breakthrough: his energy no longer leaks away, his lifespan ceases to decrease, and he effectively enters a state of immortality so long as he avoids serious injury.

Significant Themes

• Preparation before breakthrough: Liu Yuanchen does not rush into the Divine Spring Realm; he focuses first on gathering the necessary materials, strengthening his body, and completing the Seven Po Souls.
• Resource investment and long-term cultivation: Precious treasures are willingly consumed when they contribute to greater advancement, with One-Origin Heavy Water serving both immediate and future purposes.
• Balance between ambition and caution: Liu Yuanchen’s desire to grow stronger is tempered by his awareness that his recent actions have made him a target.
• Transformation through inner control: The Seven Po Souls represent mastery over bodily functions, emotions, and life energy, allowing Liu Yuanchen to reach a higher state of cultivation.
• Longevity and preservation: The Rotten Wood Stage embodies the ideal of becoming like dead wood—still internally functioning, but free from the ordinary loss of vitality and lifespan.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen has no major direct confrontations in this chapter, remaining secluded at Netherworld Coiled Dragon Mountain.
• His relationship with his cultivated treasures is emphasized: the First Spirit Nexus, Ginseng Fruit Tree, Hundred-Year Flat Peach, and Spirit Spring Pearl all respond strongly to the nourishment he provides.
• Xiao Yu and the Dao Soldiers indirectly contribute through the canals they previously constructed, allowing the enriched spring water to spread through Dongyang Grotto-Heaven.
• Liu Yuanchen reflects on his conflict with Dao Lord Heavenly Soul and the resulting tension with the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s opposing forces, shaping his decision to avoid outside activity.

Chapter Summary: Method for Tempering the Golden Body

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen reflects on the nature of immortality. Although his complete Earth Immortal Path inheritance allows him to recover from almost any injury and avoid ordinary lifespan limits, true immortality requires the ability to endlessly restore depleted life force.
• He continues cultivating the Innate Gods-and-Devils Forging Method, the perfected fourth stage of the Withered Wood Longevity Art. His Life Soul and Seven Po Souls have already been strengthened with Innate Primordial Qi, granting him exceptional law comprehension, danger sensing, and concealment abilities.
• His perfected Withered Wood Longevity Art prevents his energy from leaking, making him extremely difficult to detect except through rare detection abilities or treasures.
• Liu Yuanchen considers traveling to Netherworld Blackcloud Ridge to repair its Earth Veins and Spirit Veins, gain Merit, and steal Heavenly Dao Merit. However, his Corpse Hound Soul senses danger despite his detection abilities finding nothing unusual.
• Liu Yan reports that Blackcloud Ridge has been monitored for ten years following mysterious tremors and a dragon roar. Powerful Demon Race and Spirit Race experts remain hidden there, likely agents of the Heaven-Restoration Sect. Liu Yuanchen therefore abandons the trip.
• Instead, he decides to focus on strengthening his souls, spirits, and physical body before attempting to condense a primordial spirit.
• He analyzes various Golden Body cultivation methods and concludes that the Witch Race’s Five Elements body-tempering inheritance, combined with the Innate Gods-and-Devils Forging Method, could produce an exceptionally powerful Golden Body.
• Since he lacks Houtu Ancestor Witch’s inheritance, he plans to temper his spleen later with Earth Turbid Qi, using the other four Ancestor Witch inheritances in the meantime.
• As a wood-attribute cultivator, he begins with Jumang Ancestor Witch’s inheritance, focusing on tempering his liver.
• Liu Yuanchen uses his Substitute-Death Clone ability to travel to Eight Desolations Valley in Dragon Abyss. There, he absorbs the abundant life force and wood-element essence from the valley’s vegetation.
• Using the vitality from the Yin-Yang Spirit Flame to prevent bodily damage, he directs the gathered energy into his liver meridian and physical body.
• After more than ten days, his eyesight, physical strength, qi, and blood have all noticeably improved, marking a successful beginning to his Golden Body cultivation.

Character Development

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. Rather than recklessly investigating Blackcloud Ridge, he trusts his danger-sensing ability and withdraws when he detects a threat.
• His confidence in his long-term potential grows. With his complete inheritance and powerful concealment abilities, he believes he can live for hundreds of thousands of years and eventually reach higher realms.
• He shifts his priorities from immediate Merit gains to strengthening his fundamental cultivation, recognizing that a powerful soul, primordial spirit, and physical body are essential for future advancement.
• His understanding of his own advantages deepens: his complete Earth Immortal inheritance, Witch Race techniques, Dragon Abyss resources, and Innate Primordial Qi allow him to pursue a Golden Body far superior to ordinary human cultivators’ achievements.

Significant Themes

• True immortality versus extended life: Longevity is not enough; genuine immortality requires limitless recovery of life force.
• Caution and patience: Even with powerful abilities, Liu Yuanchen recognizes that hidden experts and suppressed threats make reckless action dangerous.
• Building an unshakable foundation: Rather than rushing toward the primordial spirit realm, he strengthens his souls and body to ensure greater future potential.
• Fusion of cultivation traditions: Liu Yuanchen combines Earth Immortal, Physical Body, Witch Race, and Innate Gods-and-Devils methods to create a uniquely powerful cultivation path.
• Concealment and hidden power: His ability to suppress all energy leakage gives him a major advantage in a world filled with monitoring and ambushes.
• Resources and strategic territory: Dragon Abyss, with its immense vegetation and vitality, becomes an important cultivation resource and a secure base for his advancement.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Liu Yan: Liu Yan reports on the situation at Blackcloud Ridge, revealing the continued presence of hidden Demon Race and Spirit Race experts. Their exchange confirms that the area is being watched by forces connected to the Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• Liu Yuanchen and the Heaven-Restoration Sect: Though they do not meet directly, the Sect’s long-term surveillance creates an indirect conflict and forces Liu Yuanchen to change his plans.
• Liu Yuanchen and Grandmaster Mountain Mover: Grandmaster Mountain Mover’s defensive formations protect Eight Desolations Valley, allowing Liu Yuanchen to cultivate there safely.
• Liu Yuanchen and the Witch Race inheritances: Through the Jumang inheritance, Liu Yuanchen invokes a nascent Jumang Dharma Form and begins using Five Elements energy to reshape and strengthen his body.

Chapter Summary: Houtu Ancestral Witch Inheritance

Key Plot Points & Events

1. Completion of Liver Tempering (3 years) — Liu Yuanchen spends three years using the Jumang Ancestral Witch Inheritance (wood element) to temper his liver with Innate Primordial Qi, completing the first of his five viscera.
2. Call to Grandmaster — Just as he prepares to temper his kidneys with One-Origin Heavy Water, his grandmaster summons him regarding an invitation from Red Wasteland Marquis to jointly decipher an Ancestral Shaman Statue.
3. Houtu Statue Revealed — The envoy Huang Zhongwu presents the statue: Houtu, the Ancestor Witch of Earth. Liu Yuanchen activates it and receives the Houtu Ancestral Witch Inheritance.
4. Five Elements Completed — With Houtu's inheritance, Liu Yuanchen now possesses all five elemental Ancestor Witch inheritances (water, fire, wood, metal, earth), allowing him to potentially form a Five-Element Baleful Formation.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen — His true body has reached late Soul Condensation Realm (7 Po souls condensed), nearing peak. His liver tempering grants:
  • Greatly improved eyesight (100-mile clarity)
  • Doubled True Essence mobilization speed (enough to severely injure an early sixth-realm cultivator)
  • Increased tendon strength, physical strength, and reaction speed
  • Meridians gleam with bright yellow light
• Divine Ability Clone — Has broken through to Soul Condensation Realm, but this has inadvertently drawn attention from Red Wasteland Marquis's spies, revealing a vulnerability in his concealment strategy.

Significant Themes

• Five Elements Theory — The chapter emphasizes elemental generation/restraint cycles (wood→fire, water→wood, metal→wood, wood→earth), guiding his decision to temper kidneys (water) next using One-Origin Heavy Water.
• Systematic Body Tempering — Each organ requires ten strands of Innate Primordial Qi; one organ takes roughly three years and lays an innate foundation when all five are complete.
• Political Intrigue — The alliance offer is suspected to be a covert probe into Liu Yuanchen's true cultivation level; his concealment arts fool even seventh-realm experts.
• Ancient Inheritance Power — Houtu's domain ability (Virtue Bearing All Things) and recovery ability (Thick Earth Return to Origin) promise significant defensive and regenerative potential.

Character Interactions

• Azure Origin Pill King (Grandmaster) — Shows concern for Liu Yuanchen's Life Soul, gifts him over ten Five-Element Pine pinecones (sixth-rank spiritual materials) for body tempering, and questions his cultivation progress.
• Venerable Sea Severing & Golden Flame Venerable — Note Liu Yuanchen's perfect aura concealment (appears like a stone to Divine Sense); dismiss Red Wasteland Marquis's probing as harmless.
• Huang Zhongwu (Envoy) — Courtly, etiquette-observant retainer of Red Wasteland Marquis; directly presents the Houtu statue without prevarication.

Key Details

• Houtu Inheritance includes: earth-element body tempering method, Witch Patterns, battle arts, a fragment of the Twelve-Celestial Capital Gods and Fiends Formation, and two divine abilities:
  1. Virtue Bearing All Things — domain-type, converts all energy within an area to earth attribute; can draw Earth Turbid Qi and summon earth power (weaker than the Earth Book, with range limits and self-burden)
  2. Thick Earth Return to Origin — devours earth-attributed spiritual objects to gain their functions; enables rapid recovery from injuries when earth energy is available
• Liu Yuanchen considers using Divine Breath Soil (from Dongyang Grotto-Heaven) with Thick Earth Return to Origin for potential origin replenishment.
• Dragon Abyss vegetation shows no withering despite repeated essence extraction, due to ancient grade and abundant Dragon Qi.

Chapter Summary: “Underground Fire Vein”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen receives the complete Houtu Ancestral Witch inheritance but withholds its two divine abilities. He records the rest and gives it to Huang Zhongwu, envoy of the Red Wasteland Marquis.
• Huang Zhongwu reveals that the Red Wasteland Marquis wishes to marry Liu Yuanchen to the Jade Mountain County Princess. Liu Yuanchen immediately refuses, suspecting the Divine Court may have ulterior motives and fearing that marriage would expose his secrets and compromise future conflicts.
• Azure Origin Pill King argues that marriage could benefit the Eight Desolations Pavilion and potentially produce talented descendants, but Liu Yuanchen remains firm. He does not want political ties or a spouse who might become a liability or discover his hidden cultivation.
• Liu Yuanchen shares the Houtu inheritance with his grandmaster and discusses using it alongside the Five-Element Essence body-tempering method.
• He has already secured materials for tempering most of his five viscera: One-Origin Heavy Water for the kidneys, Geng Metal for the lungs, and Divine Breath Soil for the spleen. He still lacks a suitable fire-attribute material for tempering his heart.
• Azure Origin Pill King suggests obtaining a powerful spirit flame from Liu Yuanchen’s master or from his junior brother, Meng Tieshan, who possesses the Earth-Fiend Bloodflame and Zhurong Ancestor Witch inheritance.
• Liu Yuanchen visits Meng Tieshan beneath Coiled Dragon Mountain. He discovers that Meng’s karmic force has decreased by roughly ten percent.
• Meng explains that an underground lava passage appeared after Blackcloud Ridge shook more than a decade earlier. He has been guarding and absorbing energy from it to prevent a destructive eruption.
• Liu Yuanchen and Meng descend more than five thousand zhang and discover a newly formed underground Fire Vein. Though only slightly more than ten zhang wide, it produces fire spiritual qi equivalent to a Seventh-Tier Spirit Vein.
• Liu Yuanchen realizes that Meng’s efforts to suppress the Fire Vein protect nearby life, earning him Merit that offsets the karmic force attached to his bloodline.
• He instructs Meng to continue guarding and cultivating from the Fire Vein, predicting that Meng may eliminate his remaining karmic force within several decades.
• The Earth Book reveals a new scarlet Fire Vein Mark connected to the Ancestral Earth Vein. Liu Yuanchen concludes that the Fire Vein is either a newly reopened remnant of an ancient vein or the result of energy leaking from a powerful treasure or fire-attributed Grotto-Heaven.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly cautious and politically detached. His refusal of the marriage proposal reflects his distrust of the Divine Court and his determination to protect his secrets and independence.
• He also demonstrates greater strategic insight, recognizing that Meng’s actions are unintentionally generating Merit and helping erase his karmic burden.
• Meng Tieshan continues to grow stronger through his mastery of the Earth-Fiend Bloodflame. Though somewhat simple and unaware of the deeper principles involved, he faithfully follows Liu Yuanchen’s instructions and acts as a protector of the region.
• Azure Origin Pill King remains supportive of Liu Yuanchen’s cultivation and succession concerns, while Golden Flame Venerable helps plan the study of the Witch Race’s formation inheritance.

Significant Themes

• Trust and political danger: Liu Yuanchen views seemingly benevolent alliances, especially marriage, as potential traps because of the hostile relationship with the Divine Court.
• Cultivation through preparation: The chapter emphasizes the importance of gathering the correct Five-Element materials before advancing physical cultivation.
• Merit and karmic retribution: Meng’s accidental protection of local life allows Merit to counteract the destructive karmic force of his bloodline.
• Hidden opportunities: The newly formed Fire Vein may conceal a valuable treasure, ancient remnant, or connection to a powerful Grotto-Heaven.
• Protection and responsibility: Cultivation is linked to safeguarding the surrounding population, not merely personal advancement.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Huang Zhongwu: They exchange the Houtu inheritance, then clash indirectly over the marriage proposal. Liu Yuanchen’s firm refusal ends the negotiation.
• Liu Yuanchen and Azure Origin Pill King: They discuss marriage, inheritance, body tempering, and the missing fire-attribute material.
• Liu Yuanchen and Meng Tieshan: Liu requests access to Meng’s Earth-Fiend Bloodflame, then learns about the underground Fire Vein and assigns Meng to continue guarding it.
• Liu Yuanchen and his grandmaster: Liu provides the Houtu inheritance for study, potentially allowing the Pavilion to develop new formations or techniques.

Chapter Summary: “Refining Divine Breath Soil”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen and his junior brother, Meng Tieshan, investigate a powerful Seventh-Rank Fire Vein beneath a lava lake. Liu suspects it may be connected to an Acquired Spirit Treasure or even a Grotto-Heaven, both of which could provide immense benefits, including fire-law insights and Innate Primordial Qi.
• Because the Fire Vein is dangerously volatile, Liu decides not to explore it further. He instructs Meng Tieshan to cultivate nearby and carefully refine its energy, leaving the vein untouched for future investigation or as a source of Merit for Meng.
• The pair return to the Earthfire Chamber at Coiling Dragon Lake Market. Liu begins using the Five-Element Pine’s pine nuts to temper his internal organs:
  • The green pine nut nourishes his liver with wood-attributed energy.
  • The red pine nut, combined with Meng’s bloody flames and the Zhurong Ancestor Witch Inheritance, helps temper his heart.
• Over the next ten years, Liu completes the tempering of his heart, lungs, and kidneys. The process requires only modest amounts of rare materials, demonstrating that his physical body is nearing the limits of the fifth realm.
• Only his spleen remains. Liu identifies Divine Breath Soil as the most suitable earth-attributed material, but because its nature and possible effects are unknown, he retreats into Dongyang Grotto-Heaven to experiment safely.
• Dongyang Grotto-Heaven has grown substantially, reaching roughly a thousand li in diameter. Its spirit plants have also advanced:
  • The Spirit Spring Pearl has grown large enough to open a Divine Spring.
  • The Hundred-Year Flat Peach Tree has gained additional Dao Resonances and is approaching the level of a Thousand-Longevity Flat Peach.
  • The Ginseng Fruit Tree’s flower buds have grown and may soon bloom, though it is unlikely to produce the full thirty fruits of its mother tree.
• Liu discovers that Divine Breath Soil cannot easily be refined through ordinary methods. After swallowing a grain, it fuses naturally with his body, apparently because humans and Divine Breath Soil share a common origin.
• Using the Thick Earth Return-to-Origin Divine Ability, Liu slowly extracts a strand of yellow earth energy from the soil and guides it into his spleen. The energy greatly strengthens his muscles and limbs, while the soil itself remains almost completely unchanged.
• After three years of gradual refinement, Liu’s spleen reaches the limit of the Golden Body Realm. With all five viscera tempered to their peak, he considers himself ready to attempt opening a Divine Spring.
• Testing his newly strengthened body, Liu discovers that he can freely alter his size—from roughly four feet tall to more than thirty feet. He concludes that he has gained a limited version of the Size-As-You-Wish Minor Divine Ability, possibly due to the Innate Gods-and-Devils Forging Method, Divine Breath Soil, or both.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. Rather than greedily exploring the dangerous Fire Vein, he preserves it for future use and considers its potential value to both himself and Meng Tieshan.
• His physical cultivation advances significantly. By tempering all five viscera, he reaches the peak of the Golden Body Realm and gains greatly enhanced strength.
• Liu also develops a deeper understanding of the relationship between his cultivation methods and his innate foundation. He realizes that his physical body, Life Soul, and Seven Po Souls may be generating innate abilities.
• His successful absorption of Divine Breath Soil confirms the compatibility between his human body and primordial earth substances, while the size-changing ability suggests that his body-tempering path is producing unexpected supernatural powers.
• Meng Tieshan continues to serve as Liu’s reliable junior brother and cultivation partner. His interest in the Five-Element Pine nuts reveals his physical cultivator’s instinctive appetite for powerful nourishment, but he accepts Liu’s warning when he learns the nuts are valuable for future breakthroughs.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus immediate gain: Liu repeatedly chooses to preserve dangerous or valuable resources rather than exploit them prematurely, especially the Fire Vein.
• Accumulation and long-term cultivation: The chapter emphasizes patient refinement over many years, with small gains eventually pushing Liu to the peak of the Golden Body Realm.
• The relationship between body and primordial matter: Divine Breath Soil can merge directly with the human body, suggesting a shared origin between humanity and primordial earth.
• Inheritance and transformation: Liu’s abilities arise from a combination of inherited techniques, rare spiritual materials, and his own innate foundation. His cultivation is not merely strengthening him—it is gradually changing what he is capable of.
• Growth of a personal cultivation world: Dongyang Grotto-Heaven develops alongside Liu, with its spiritual treasures and plants steadily maturing. Its growth reflects Liu’s increasing resources and independence.
• Limits and potential: Although Liu reaches the physical limits of his current realm, the emergence of the Size-As-You-Wish ability hints that his body still contains abilities he has yet to understand or fully develop.

Character Interactions

• Liu and Meng work together to investigate the Fire Vein, with Liu taking the leadership role and prioritizing Meng’s safety.
• Liu assigns Meng responsibility for cultivating near the Fire Vein, allowing his junior brother to gain benefits while ensuring the resource is not recklessly disturbed.
• Meng asks about the Five-Element Pine nuts because of his physical cultivation needs. Liu explains their origin and promises that Meng may seek them after reaching the Golden Body Realm.
• Meng assists Liu’s heart-tempering by releasing his blood-colored flames and manifesting the phantom of the Zhurong Ancestor Witch, allowing Liu to combine Meng’s power with the fiery pine nut’s energy.
• Liu’s later reflections are largely internal, as he analyzes the effects of Divine Breath Soil and debates whether his new size-changing power comes from his cultivation method, the soil, or both.