Summary: God-Striking Whip in Hand

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen assesses the Witch Race's strength (only four Celestial Immortals) but acknowledges their Earth Immortal-level Twelve-Celestial Capital Gods and Fiends Formation can threaten Demon Race Celestial Immortals.
• He realizes the Origin Spirit Realm lacks resources to nurture a new Celestial Immortal and resolves to use the Heaven Hound Marshal's Immortal Golden Nature for his future breakthrough. He also determines that breaking through to Golden Immortal Realm will require a Middle Thousandfold World, impossible within the Origin Spirit Realm.
• Over two years, Liu Yuanchen and his clones sort through and copy the entire Dragon Race inheritance salvaged from the memories of captured True Dragons—amounting to tens of thousands of beast-hide books of secret arts and classics.
• He discovers the waterway between Demon Cloud Sea and the Red Wasteland heartland is fully opened; Venerable Sea Severing remains stationed there.
• The Witch Race's Genfu arrives through the Netherworld Passage, revealing the Witch Race's seemingly generous offer: they produce the God-Striking Whip as a "gift of greeting" and propose a formal alliance with the Human Race.
• Liu Yuanchen tests the whip: it contains forty-eight seventh-grade Acquired Treasure Restrictions, eighty-four talismanic seals, and holds a faint connection to the Investiture List. Striking himself with it causes no harm, confirming it is the genuine God-Striking Whip.
• Alliance terms are not finalized; a Witch Race envoy will arrive in one year to negotiate details with Asking Dao Mountain's leadership.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Demonstrates foresight about resource constraints and future cultivation needs. Shows mature diplomacy, recognizing that fighting the Witch Race would be pointless (the Netherworld is uninhabitable for humans) and that allying against the Demon Race is strategically superior. Wisely chooses to let past grudges go.
• Genfu: Transitions from wartime adversary to diplomatic envoy. Uses thick-skinned deception (claiming the whip was "found in a warehouse") but shows sincere interest in a Witch-Human alliance.

3. Significant Themes

• Alliance over vengeance: Practical self-interest trumps past conflicts; the mutual threat of the Demon Race unites former enemies.
• Resource scarcity and cultivation limits: The damaged Origin Spirit Realm cannot sustain high-level breakthroughs, driving Liu Yuanchen's long-term planning.
• The God-Striking Whip's significance: It frees the Human Race's Divine Path system from Witch Race control over the gods' lives—critical for the system's future viability.
• Knowledge as treasure: The Dragon Race inheritance is portrayed as an enormous asset for the Human Race's growth.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Genfu: A tense but courteous exchange. Liu Yuanchen probes the Witch Race's true intentions, subtly reproaches them for leaking his strength to the Demon Race, and accepts the whip while negotiating from a position of cautious goodwill. Genfu delivers the offer, deflects blame, and departs with terms pending.
• Liu Yuanchen and the God-Striking Whip: His ritual of infusing it with Astral Force, refining its restrictions, and testing it on himself confirms its authenticity and establishes his mastery over it.

Summary: Mystery of Reincarnation in the Origin Spirit Realm

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen returns to Asking Dao Mountain after defeating the True Dragons of Demon Cloud Sea three years prior, bringing tens of thousands of beast-hide books containing Dragon Race inheritances extracted from the dragons' memories—the most comprehensive Demon Race inheritance ever obtained by the Human Race.
• He also presents partial Demon Race deployment maps of the Eastern Region obtained from Dragon Race Earth Immortals.
• The God-Striking Whip is tested. Liu Yuanchen reveals it was delivered by the Witch Race. A Divine Court Army commander (a god whose name is on the Investiture List) volunteers to test it and is utterly suppressed, confirming its authenticity and power over gods.
• Liu Yuanchen explains the Witch Race's motive: he dismantled a hidden measure in the Investiture List, captured and beat a Pinnacle Earth Immortal Witch, and the Witch Race now seeks to erase grievances and form an alliance against the Demon Race.
• After debate, the Human Race leaders unanimously agree to ally with the Witch Race.
• Liu Yuanchen privately shares the spoils from the sixteen True Dragons with Eight Desolations Pavilion, keeping three Sea-Calming Pearls and donating the Spirit Treasure Artifact Embryos to Asking Dao Mountain's treasury.
• A year later (Liu Yuanchen is 504 years old), the Witch Race delegation arrives for negotiations, led by a Celestial Immortal named Hun Yu of the Dijiang Lineage, accompanied by Genfu, a Wood Witch, and a Fire Witch.
• Negotiations conclude: mutual aid against the Demon Race will take the form of material support or tying down Demon Race forces (since Human cultivators cannot fight effectively in the Netherworld). The Human Race agrees to resume sending yin souls into the Netherworld for Reincarnation.
• Hun Yu reveals that the Origin Spirit Realm possesses its own Reincarnation, created 130,000 years ago when the essence of fallen Earth Witch Lineage experts merged with a Reincarnation Phantom born from the influence of the Houtu Ancestor Witch's transformation. It is a crude, single-path Reincarnation, far inferior to the Primordial World's six paths.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Demonstrates strategic generosity by sharing spoils generously while keeping the most valuable items (Sea-Calming Pearls). Shows diplomatic skill in deflecting Hun Yu's probing about his relationship with Grand Immortal Zhenyuan, redirecting with "seniority is determined by cultivation." Continues to be the Human Race's most powerful and resourceful figure.
• Hun Yu (new): A Celestial Immortal of the Dijiang Lineage, brought primarily to hold the field and suppress Human Race momentum. Respectful yet probing regarding Liu Yuanchen's connection to Grand Immortal Zhenyuan. Possesses deep knowledge of the Origin Spirit Realm's Reincarnation's origins.
• Daoist Lord Qing Yuan and Golden Flame Venerable: Pragmatic leaders weighing the alliance's benefits; they recognize the Witch Race's strength and the strategic necessity of not making enemies of them.
• The Witch Race: Portrayed as pragmatic but calculating—willing to surrender a treasure like the God-Striking Whip for strategic gain, yet revealing a hidden urgency (the disruption of Reincarnation) behind their rush to ally.

3. Significant Themes

• Alliances forged by necessity: Both races recognize the Demon Race as an overwhelming common enemy, making cooperation pragmatic despite past hostility.
• Knowledge as power: The Dragon Race inheritances represent a foundational breakthrough for the Human Race's Qi Refinement Path, which had stagnated due to lacking high-grade Demon Race inheritances.
• Limits of power: Even the Human Race's greatest strength has limitations (inability to fight in the Netherworld), requiring creative diplomatic solutions rather than brute force.
• The nature of Reincarnation: The Origin Spirit Realm's Reincarnation is a weakened imitation, born from the Houtu Ancestor Witch's influence and the sacrifice of Earth Witch Lineage experts—a key mystery underpinning the setting.
• Seniority and hierarchy: The negotiation dynamic highlights how cultivation level, not lineage, ultimately commands respect and authority in the cultivation world.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen with the hall masters: Presents the inheritances and maps, explains the Witch Race situation, and receives unanimous support for the alliance. His grandmaster handles distribution of treasures.
• God-Striking Whip test: An elderly Divine Court commander volunteers to test the whip and is left trembling and sweating, illustrating the whip's devastating effectiveness against Investiture List gods.
• Negotiation scene: Daoist Lord Qing Yuan opens as the Human Race's representative; the Witch Race's Wood Witch proposes mutual military aid; Daoist Lord Golden Flame counters with the "material support or diversion" alternative; Daoist Lord Qing Yuan agrees to resume sending yin souls to the Netherworld.
• Liu Yuanchen and Hun Yu: The Celestial Immortal probes about Grand Immortal Zhenyuan's formal acceptance of Liu Yuanchen as a disciple; Liu Yuanchen deflects. Hun Yu then respectfully explains the Origin Spirit Realm's Reincarnation origins, noting the Houtu Ancestor Witch's friendship with Zhenyuan, but keeps the secrets of what beings yin souls reincarnate into hidden.

Summary: "Battle Against a Celestial Immortal in Chaos"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Liu Yuanchen reflects on the impossibility of creating Reincarnation in the Dongyang Realm, since the opportunity was lost with Ancestor Witch Houtu 130,000 years ago.
• Negotiations conclude between the Human Race and the Witch Race on an alliance treaty. Terms include:
  • Mutual exchange of resources (Netherworld soul-enhancing plants vs. Yang Realm physical-body treasures).
  • Establishment of designated trade ports at Netherworld Passages, guarded by both races to prevent Demon Race infiltration.
  • A Heavenly Dao Blood Oath, signed by Witch Race clan leaders and Dao Lord Qing Yuan on behalf of the Human Race, with severe consequences for breaking it.
• Liu Yuanchen agrees to the treaty but stipulates that trade must be restricted to agreed ports, protecting both Dongyang Divine Prefecture interests and overall security.
• After the treaty is signed, Witch Race Celestial Immortal Hun Yu challenges Liu to a sparring match in Chaos (to avoid harming the Origin Spirit Realm).
• Hun Yu uses a Spatial Golden Bridge to travel to Chaos. Liu follows. They fight:
  • Hun Yu traps Liu in a spatial maze of countless minor spaces, attacking with spatial rifts.
  • Liu uses the Earth Book imitation to withstand attacks, then the Sea-Calming Pearl to shatter dozens of spaces, but the maze regenerates.
  • Liu activates the Body-Leaving Trace Divine Ability (Flying Body Concealment) to bypass spatial barriers and locate Hun Yu.
  • The fight ends with Hun Yu acknowledging Liu's skill—the Body-Leaving Trace neutralizes at least 30% of his spatial abilities.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Shows foresight in securing trade advantages and avoiding vulnerabilities. Displays incredible combat ability, matching a Celestial Immortal veteran despite being only Late Earth Immortal Realm. Demonstrates mastery of multiple inheritances (Earth Book, spatial arts, Witch Race techniques) and strategic adaptability.
• Hun Yu (Witch Race Celestial Immortal): Respectful and reasonable, not arrogant. Acknowledges Liu's strength and openly praises the effectiveness of the Body-Leaving Trace. Represents a pragmatic, reformed Witch Race that regrets past karma.
• Witch Race negotiating team: Cooperative and savvy (e.g., the Wood Witch expert understands trade taxation). Shows a shift from traditional “simple-minded” Witch Race stereotypes.

3. Significant Themes

• Alliance and Mutual Benefit: The treaty emphasizes exchanging resources to benefit both races, with careful regulation to prevent exploitation.
• Power and Respect: Strength earns acknowledgment across realms. Liu’s ability to fight a Celestial Immortal elevates his status and deters threats.
• Spatial Mastery vs. Dimensional Traps: The battle explores the contrast between brute-force spatial power (Hun Yu's maze) and tactical evasion (Liu's Body-Leaving Trace).
• Karmic Consequences: Hun Yu notes the Witch Race’s past suffering from karma and now avoids destroying worlds—a lesson in responsibility.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen & Witch Race experts: Negotiate the alliance amicably. The Wood Witch expert proposes trade; Hun Yu directly challenges Liu, showing respect rather than hostility.
• Liu Yuanchen & Commerce Hall Master Wan Zhonglin: Wan Zhonglin checks the Blood Oath for hidden traps, reflecting trust and shared interests.
• Human Race leaders (Dao Lord Qing Yuan, Azure Origin Pill King): Initially object to Hun Yu challenging Liu, fearing it would harm the alliance—showing they regard Liu as a valuable but vulnerable asset. Liu accepts confidently.
• Liu Yuanchen & Hun Yu: A duel that turns into mutual admiration. Hun Yu praises Liu’s Earth Book and adaptability; Liu acknowledges Hun Yu’s spatial mastery, admitting his own spatial methods were “small witch before great witch.”
  Note: The chapter ends with the battle ongoing, but Hun Yu’s lines indicate a cessation of hostilities and recognition of Liu’s peer-level status, effectively concluding the test.

Key Plot Points

• Liu Yuanchen is trapped inside Hun Yu’s spatial domain, but his Body-Leaving Trace Divine Ability and Earth Book let him dodge spatial turbulence unharmed.
• His Sea-Calming Pearl attack initially fails, so he uses the Mystic Yellow Bell—a replica of the Chaos Bell—to shatter space around Hun Yu and expose his position.
• Hun Yu recognizes the replica and, after being forced back, unleashes the Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms.
• Liu Yuanchen reveals his Pangu Dao Embryo, which he formed by fusing the Twelve Ancestral Witch True Form Diagrams into his original Jumang Dao Embryo.
• Liu Yuanchen’s First Heaven-Cleaving Form overpowers Hun Yu’s version and wins the bout.
• Hun Yu admits defeat and, intrigued by Liu Yuanchen’s Pangu-related power, offers the Witch Race’s complete Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms inheritance in exchange for future help.
• They return to the Origin Spirit Realm’s Divine Court, where Hun Yu publicly acknowledges Liu Yuanchen’s superiority.
• In private, Hun Yu asks Liu Yuanchen to help destroy an Innate Black Lotus sealed in the Netherworld’s Demon Cloud Sea—a descendant of the Twelve-Petaled World-Ending Black Lotus that once instigated the Extraterritorial Lifeforms’ invasion.
• Liu Yuanchen hears a faint, mysterious bell chime reminiscent of the true Chaos Bell after the battle, and privately wonders if his Mystic Yellow Bell could resonate with it.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen demonstrates combat adaptability and immense latent power; he is curious about the Chaos Bell and tempted by the promise of a complete Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms inheritance.
• Hun Yu starts arrogant but becomes humble after defeat; he shows pragmatism, shifting from opponent to negotiator and offering a major Witch Race legacy to secure Liu Yuanchen’s aid.
• The Human Race cultivators are relieved and proud; the Witch Race experts are shocked, realizing Liu Yuanchen may now be nearly unstoppable without their full grand formation.

Significant Themes

• Power and legacy: Inherited divine arts like the Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms are only truly devastating when paired with a matching origin/power source.
• Racial pride vs. practical alliance: Both Human Race and Witch Race must reconcile past pride with the reality of a new, overpowering individual.
• Hidden cosmic mysteries: The Chaos Bell’s possible lingering presence hints at greater primordial secrets beyond the current plot.

Character Interactions

• Hun Yu vs. Liu Yuanchen: A focused duel that transforms from a contest of spatial techniques to a clash of primordial divine forms; ends in mutual respect.
• Hun Yu and Liu Yuanchen after battle: Victor and vanquished become negotiating partners, with the Witch Race seeking Liu Yuanchen’s unique Pangu power.
• Public reactions: Human cultivators rejoice; Witch Race cultivators are disbelieving, leading to a cautious atmosphere in the Divine Court.

Summary: Exploring the Blood Sea

1. Key Plot Points

• Liu Yuanchen and Witch Race elder Hun Yu discuss the Innate Black Lotus. Liu admits he is not yet confident against its Innate Demon Qi and suggests waiting until he reaches Pinnacle Earth Immortal. Hun Yu agrees the Witch Race can continue suppressing it.
• Hun Yu proposes that Liu marry into the Witch Race, promising the Witch Race would obey him as master. Liu refuses, not wanting to identify with the Witch Race or become breeding stock.
• Liu questions Hun Yu about Ghost City. Hun Yu confirms the Origin Spirit Realm’s separation from the Primordial World was accomplished with Ghost City’s help, and that a passage to the Primordial World exists inside it—but it is now controlled by Extraterritorial Lifeforms. The formation in the Savage Sandplain was altered to seal Ghost City.
• Liu asks about the Blood Sea. Hun Yu reveals it contains an Acquired Karmic Fire Red Lotus and over a dozen Earth Immortal Asura guards. The Witch Race avoided destroying it because shattering the Blood Sea would release Karmic Force and trigger Heavenly Punishment.
• Liu sends Divine Ability Clone No. 4 to the Blood Sea. He uses the Merit Dharma Eye to observe immense Karmic Force, then enters the separate space. The Earth Book records the Blood Sea’s earth veins, with a core node at the center.
• At the center, Liu finds a blood-red palace above Karmic Fire. An Asura at Pinnacle Earth Immortal confronts him. Liu tries to ask about the Luochuan Dragon King’s relics, but the Asura attacks.
• Liu summons his true body via the Death-Substitute Clone ability and traps the Asura with a Spatial Domain. The Asura shatters the spaces and escapes into the Blood Sea.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Cautious and strategic, unwilling to take unnecessary risks against the Innate Black Lotus. He values his human identity and refuses the Witch Race’s marriage proposal. He is ambitious to obtain the Karmic Fire Red Lotus to strengthen himself.
• Hun Yu: Pragmatic and ancient, willing to make Liu master of the Witch Race because of his Pangu Dao Embryo, but disappointed by Liu’s refusal. He is forthcoming with historical secrets but still prioritizes Witch Race interests.
• Asura guard: Fierce, aggressive, and deeply hostile to intruders. He is powerful enough to break Liu’s spatial domain and uses the Blood Sea’s terrain to escape.

3. Significant Themes

• Karmic Force and consequences: The Blood Sea is dangerous not just because of its guardians, but because destroying it would bring divine punishment.
• Racial pride and identity: Liu refuses to merge bloodlines with the Witch Race despite potential power.
• Ancient secrets and hidden history: The true roles of Ghost City, the Witch and Demon races, and the passage to the Primordial World are revealed.
• Risk versus reward: Liu ventures into a dangerous place for treasure and power, but is not yet successful.
• Limits of cultivation: Even Liu’s spatial domain can be overcome by a determined opponent.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen & Hun Yu: An alliance built on mutual benefit; Hun Yu offers information and future cooperation, while Liu offers potential future help against the Innate Black Lotus. Their conversation reveals major lore about the Origin Spirit Realm.
• Liu Yuanchen & Asura: A failed negotiation that turns into combat. Liu attempts to ask for information about Luochuan Dragon King’s relics, but the Asura refuses to listen, leading to a brief but inconclusive battle.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Yuanchen confronts an Asura guarding the Blood Sea. Concerned that killing Asura could multiply them—or leave the Blood Sea undefended—he tries to capture the guardian instead.
• Nine more Asura arrive, but Liu Yuanchen uses the Profound Yellow Bell to immobilize them and the Azure Jade Ancient Lamp to capture all ten. The lamp strips away their independent consciousness, allowing him to question their commander.
• The commander reveals that Luochuan Dragon King’s remains lie beneath the Hall of Karmic Fire. Reaching them requires protection from the Blood Sea’s corrosive waters; the Karmic Fire Red Lotus provides it. However, removing the ancient lotus would disrupt the Blood Sea’s restraint and endanger the Origin Spirit Realm.
• Rather than disturb the original lotus, Liu Yuanchen absorbs Karmic Fire into his Pangu Dao Embryo and enters the hall. He finds a mature, movable lotus seed on the Fifth-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus and learns it can be nurtured with Karmic Fire Essence.
• Over ten years, he cultivates the seed using Karmic Fire Essence, magical power, and accelerated time. It grows into a Three-Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus, which he uses as a protective platform to descend into the Blood Sea.
• At the seabed, he spots a Crystal Palace. The chapter ends before he reaches Luochuan Dragon King’s remains.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Yuanchen is cautious and pragmatic: he avoids destroying the Blood Sea’s guardians or removing its vital lotus, even though both options might make his task easier.
• After capturing the Asura, he questions their commander about the remains, the hall, and the lotus seed. The commander answers mechanically under the lamp’s influence.
• Liu Yuanchen’s confidence grows as he discovers that his Pangu Dao Embryo can absorb Karmic Fire, turning a dangerous obstacle into a useful power and a means of cultivation.
• The first Asura initially taunts Liu Yuanchen and calls for reinforcements, but panics once his companions are captured and he is trapped himself.

Significant themes

• Power balanced by responsibility: Liu Yuanchen recognizes that tampering with the Blood Sea could harm the wider realm, so he seeks a safer alternative.
• Adaptation and resourcefulness: He converts Karmic Fire from a threat into a tool, using it both to strengthen himself and to cultivate a new lotus.
• Patience and long-term cultivation: The lotus seed’s growth takes years, emphasizing that progress depends on sustained effort as well as magical power.

Plot points and events

• Liu Yuanchen breaks through the ruined defenses of Luochuan Dragon King’s Crystal Palace and plunders its vast treasure vault and Scripture Repository.
• The haul includes enough Innate Treasure Materials to bring his accumulated Innate Primordial Qi to roughly 1.2 million strands, allowing him to attempt condensing Innate Undying Radiance.
• He questions an Asura commander and learns that Luochuan Dragon King abandoned his Dragon bloodline and used an Asura secret technique to take on Asura blood. Because he had already reached Peak Earth Immortal, he became a Blood Flood Dragon rather than a true Asura.
• The commander explains that the Blood Seas of individual worlds branch from the Primordial Blood Sea. They collect unclaimed Karmic Force, which grows whenever Merit is generated but not used to offset it. Karmic Fire Red Lotuses consume that force; they are rare and are placed in worlds nearing absorption by the Primordial World.
• Liu Yuanchen returns to Netherworld Coiled Dragon Mountain and places his Karmic Fire Red Lotus atop the Earth Book, which can draw Karmic Force from Blood Sea Earth Vein Marks he recorded.
• He studies Luochuan Dragon King’s archives, preserving confidential material while planning to place ordinary inheritances on Asking Dao Mountain for the Human Race.
• The most valuable discovery is the complete method for cultivating Mountains and Rivers in the Palm. It explains how to link a Dragon Pearl’s inner world to Luochuan River using Heavenly Dao Authority and materials from the river’s spirit veins.
• Luochuan Dragon King had planned to add a Minor Netherworld to his Grotto-Heaven and eventually seize control of Reincarnation. Liu Yuanchen rejects that dangerous ambition but considers creating a Minor Netherworld in Dongyang Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Yuanchen gains significant resources and knowledge, and his curiosity shifts from looting Luochuan’s palace to understanding the Blood Sea, world structures, and the Dragon King’s techniques.
• The Asura commander remains emotionless but provides key explanations about Luochuan’s transformation and the relationship between worlds, Merit, and Karmic Force.
• Luochuan Dragon King emerges through his records as a gifted, ambitious figure whose techniques rival the principles behind Grand Immortal Zhenyuan’s Earth Book Imprinting Technique.
• Liu Yuanchen recognizes the value of Ao Mang’s Earth Immortal Path inheritance, particularly for fellow Azure Dragon Liu Cang and for strengthening the Human Race’s knowledge base.

Significant themes

• Power and world order: The Primordial World suppresses lesser worlds and may absorb them, while separation can allow a world to develop its own Heavenly Dao.
• Balance of Merit and Karmic Force: Merit and Karmic Force arise together, but unused Merit and unclaimed Karmic Force accumulate unevenly, creating a need for mechanisms such as the Merit Golden Lotus and Karmic Fire Red Lotus.
• Ambition and its limits: Luochuan Dragon King’s plan to seize Reincarnation demonstrates the scale of his ambition; Liu Yuanchen adopts the less perilous idea of making Dongyang Realm more complete.
• Inheritance and adaptation: Liu Yuanchen values old knowledge not just as treasure, but as a foundation he can preserve, share, and develop further.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen studies the Luochuan Dragon King’s legacy and discovers the Mountains and Rivers in the Palm technique. By combining it with the Earth Book Imprinting Technique, he can connect a personal Grotto-Heaven to the power of a region’s mountains and rivers, greatly enhancing its owner’s strength. Because the technique is extremely valuable to the Heaven-Restoration Sect, Liu Yuanchen decides to keep it and only trade it for an exceptional price.
• He reads the Luochuan Dragon King’s diary and learns why the Dragon King abandoned the Dragon Race and adopted the Asura Bloodline. The Dragon King wanted to advance his Luochuan Grotto-Heaven into a Minor World and eventually become a Celestial Immortal, but his enormous Dragon Race karmic burden made surviving the Ascension Tribulation nearly impossible.
• To erase that karmic burden, the Dragon King converted to an Asura, using the Blood Sea and Karmic Fire Red Lotus to cleanse himself. However, when the Human Race invaded the Luochuan River basin, he postponed his tribulation and instead focused on resisting the invasion.
• Over three years, Liu Yuanchen sorts through the Dragon King’s entire inheritance, placing ordinary materials in Asking Dao Mountain while preserving the most valuable knowledge within the Eight Desolations Pavilion.
• He calculates that the Innate Treasure Materials he obtained amount to roughly 1.2 million strands of Innate Primordial Qi, potentially enough to condense Innate Undying Radiance. However, because failure would be devastating and recovering the lost resources could take thousands of years, he decides to postpone the attempt until after reaching the Celestial Immortal Realm.
• Liu Yuanchen investigates the mysterious bell he heard in Chaos. Believing it may be the legendary Chaos Bell, he repeatedly activates the Mystic Yellow Bell outside the Dongyang Realm. The bell’s power disperses Chaos Qi and recreates Innate Spiritual Qi, earth, fire, wind, and water, though it is not yet strong enough to produce Innate Primordial Qi.
• After repeated attempts, the distant bell answers. Liu Yuanchen becomes convinced that the Chaos Bell is responding to the Mystic Yellow Bell and may be gradually approaching him. Although he recognizes that obtaining it would be nearly impossible, even witnessing the Innate Supreme Treasure would be a remarkable achievement.
• Thirty years later, Liu Yuanchen completes his Earth Immortal Body, reaching the peak of the Earth Immortal Realm. He confirms that this stage allows him to directly draw upon Earth-Origin Qi and wield the earth’s power like a true Earth Immortal.
• With his Earth Immortal Body complete, Liu Yuanchen believes he has met all the requirements for advancing to the Celestial Immortal Realm. He plans to consolidate his cultivation, strengthen his body, and prepare to endure the Bifeng Calamity.
• He enters the Flat Peach Grotto-Heaven, which has expanded significantly through nourishment from the Earth Book and Earth Vein Baleful Intent. Beneath the improved Myriad-Longevity Flat Peach Tree, he begins using the Innate Gods-and-Devils Forging Method to temper his body and primordial spirit.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. Rather than recklessly using his limited Innate Primordial Qi, he prioritizes long-term cultivation and waits for a stronger foundation before attempting to condense Innate Undying Radiance.
• His understanding of the Earth Immortal Path deepens as he completes his Earth Immortal Body. He gains greater control over Earth-Origin Qi and becomes far more confident in confronting major enemies.
• His ambitions expand beyond the Origin Spirit Realm. The possibility of obtaining the Chaos Bell gives him a potential path to immense power and access to resources needed for higher realms of cultivation.
• Liu Yuanchen also becomes more aware of the gap between his current strength and the great powers of the Primordial World. Though dominant within the Origin Spirit Realm, he remains humble about his chances against true ancient experts.

Significant Themes

• The price of advancement: Progress toward higher realms requires immense resources, careful preparation, and the willingness to delay opportunities until success is more certain.
• Karma and identity: The Luochuan Dragon King’s transformation shows how racial karma can limit cultivation and force individuals to abandon their origins in pursuit of greater power.
• Preparation versus risk: Both the Dragon King and Liu Yuanchen face dangerous breakthroughs. The Dragon King postpones his tribulation because of war, while Liu Yuanchen delays condensing Innate Undying Radiance until his odds improve.
• Inheritance and adaptation: Liu Yuanchen uses the Dragon King’s knowledge while modifying it for his own path, combining Earth Immortal techniques, spiritual treasures, and body cultivation.
• The scale of the cosmos: The Chaos Bell and references to Golden Immortals, Taiyi Golden Immortals, and Quasi-Saints broaden the story beyond the Origin Spirit Realm and emphasize how much greater the Primordial World is.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen’s main interaction is with the Luochuan Dragon King through his diary and legacy. Although the Dragon King is absent, his decisions and experiences guide Liu Yuanchen’s understanding of karma, tribulation, and Earth Immortal cultivation.
• Liu Yuanchen reflects on Hun Yu, recognizing that even an expert who once fought him could not identify the source of the mysterious bell. This reinforces the possibility that the bell’s connection is specifically tied to Liu Yuanchen and the Mystic Yellow Bell.
• He considers the threat posed by the Human Race, Demon Race, and Witch Race. The Human Race continues consolidating the Red Wasteland, the Demon Race remains inactive after learning of his strength, and the Witch Race’s formations may soon become opponents he must face directly.
• His relationship with his spiritual treasures—especially the Earth Book, Mystic Yellow Bell, Golden-Feather Lihuo Banner, and Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms—becomes increasingly central to his cultivation and future battles.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Yuanchen spends twenty years cultivating beneath the Myriad-Longevity Flat Peach Tree, using its dense innate spiritual qi to strengthen his body and primordial spirit. He reaches the limit of what he can achieve as a Pinnacle Earth Immortal and prepares to ascend.
• He uses a small portion of the Heaven Hound Marshal’s immortal golden nature, blending it with heavenly clear essence from Dongyang Realm. This lets him temper his body and primordial spirit more efficiently while conserving the precious golden nature.
• After ten years of this process, the first signs of a celestial immortal body appear—and the Bifeng Calamity arrives. Liu Yuanchen activates the Earth Book and merges the Pangu Dao Embryo with his flesh before the tribulation can strike.
• The Great Dao assesses his merit. His Merit Golden Lotus has advanced to the seventh grade, and the assessment produces purple-gold rain that benefits cultivators and mortals throughout Dongyang Realm. Merit weakens the tribulation clouds somewhat, but the Heavenly Dao Will has little further effect.
• Bifeng Wind attacks from the crown of Liu Yuanchen’s head, threatening to destroy his body. The Earth Book’s Mountain-and-River Phantoms repeatedly block the wind, while the Pangu Dao Embryo devours it. Together, they prevent the calamity from penetrating his body.
• As the tribulation clouds begin to shrink, Liu Yuanchen judges that he will survive. He prepares for the enlightenment expected after the calamity, focusing on the Time and Space Laws and using the Mystic Yellow Bell to try to restrain the wind.

Character developments

• Liu Yuanchen demonstrates patience and strategic preparation: he stabilizes his Earth Immortal foundation before attempting the breakthrough, conserves his rare resources, and uses multiple defenses rather than relying on a single technique. His strength and law comprehension are already comparable to many Celestial Immortals, though he has not yet completed the breakthrough.
• His successful preparation reflects growing mastery of his possessions and techniques, especially the Earth Book, Pangu Dao Embryo, and Mystic Yellow Bell.

Character interactions

• The chapter centers on Liu Yuanchen’s struggle against the Great Dao’s Bifeng Calamity. His Earth Book and Pangu Dao Embryo work in tandem: one absorbs the impact, while the other consumes the wind.
• The people of Dongyang Realm benefit from the merit rain, though they do not understand its source.
• The Heaven Hound Marshal, though absent, remains significant through the immortal golden nature and meteoritic flame Liu Yuanchen acquired from him.

Significant themes

• Preparation and patience: Liu Yuanchen avoids forcing a breakthrough before his foundation is ready.
• Resourcefulness: Combining lower-grade heavenly clear essence with high-grade immortal golden nature makes a scarce resource more efficient.
• Merit and responsibility: Liu Yuanchen’s cultivation, care for living beings, and teaching efforts earn merit that benefits both him and the realm’s inhabitants.
• The limits of power: Merit and Heavenly Dao Will can reduce the tribulation, but only modestly; survival depends chiefly on Liu Yuanchen’s preparation and defenses.
• Cultivation as transformation: Ascending requires body and primordial spirit to develop together, marking a fundamental change rather than a simple increase in strength.

Key plot points

• Preparing for the final Immortal Dao calamity, Liu Yuanchen decides to conserve his energy for the laws most useful to himself and Dongyang Realm—especially Time, Space, Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Taiyin, and Solar laws—while repeating the Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms in hopes of seeing Pangu’s creation vision.
• His Pangu Dao Embryo and Earth Book withstand the Bifeng Wind Calamity. Afterward, he spends two months refining the leftover wind energy, which remains dangerous even after the Dao Embryo has weakened it.
• Enlightenment brings him a vision of Heaven Hound Marshal’s final battle. Familiar with the Chaos Bell’s energies, Liu Yuanchen now perceives more clearly how its toll freezes and destroys the attackers.
• He then witnesses Pangu fighting the Three Thousand Chaos Demon Gods. He studies the Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms, but can retain the first four; the fifth remains indistinct.
• The enlightenment raises his Time, Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water Laws to the third rank. After three years consolidating his Celestial Immortal cultivation, he surveys Dongyang Realm and sees its spirit roots, population, and cultivators prospering from the tribulation.
• With his breakthrough complete, he plans to travel to the Netherworld’s Demon Cloud Sea, help the Witch Race deal with the Innate Black Lotus, and attempt to claim it.

Character developments and interactions

• Liu Yuanchen grows more strategic, choosing focused mastery over attempting to study too many laws. His improved grasp of the Chaos Bell and Pangu’s forms reflects his deepening cultivation, though the vision’s limits show he cannot yet fully comprehend the later forms.
• He takes pride in Dongyang Realm’s growth, especially the Ginseng Fruit Tree and Five-Needle Pine, while recognizing that its people still lack exceptional talent and have not produced a true Grotto-Heaven.
• In the Heaven Hound Marshal vision, Marshal’s defiant last stand with the Golden-Feather Lihuo Banner summons an image of Donghuang Taiyi. Its bell stuns and incinerates the Witch and Demon forces surrounding him.

Significant themes

• Disciplined cultivation: Progress comes from prioritizing the most valuable laws and managing limited energy.
• Growth through adversity: The calamity strengthens Liu Yuanchen, his Dao Embryo, and the realm he protects, despite its danger.
• Power and inheritance: Relics and visions—including the Chaos Bell, lotus treasures, and Pangu’s forms—let Liu Yuanchen build on ancient powers.
• Stewardship and ambition: He nurtures Dongyang Realm while seeking the Innate Black Lotus, hoping to accelerate its development and strengthen his own resources.

Summary: Chapter "Innate Demon Qi"

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen contacts Witch Race elder Hun Yu to negotiate cooperation on subduing the Innate Black Lotus, in exchange for the complete Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms inheritance.
• Hun Yu reveals the Witch Race has stationed over ten Earth Immortal experts at the Demon Cloud Sea to suppress the lotus, leaving them unable to mobilize sufficient forces elsewhere.
• Liu proposes an alternative: he may be able to refine Innate Demon Qi directly using his Pangu Dao Embryo, rather than relying on the Twelve-Celestial Capital Gods and Fiends Formation.
• Hun Yu leads Liu’s clone to the underground core beneath Demon Cloud Sea, where the Pangu statue and suppression formation are located.
• Liu extracts a wisp of Innate Demon Qi, transmits it to his main body, and successfully refines it. He then refines all gathered demon qi, gaining pure energy and Innate Spiritual Qi that nourish his Primordial Spirit.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen demonstrates growing confidence in his unique abilities, but remains cautious by sending a clone instead of his true body.
• Hun Yu shows respect for Liu’s speed of cultivation and is surprised by his claim to refine demon qi, revealing the Witch Race’s own limited ability in that regard.
• Liu discovers his innate talent for refining demon qi surpasses even the Witch Race, hinting at unknown origins beyond the Witch Race inheritance.

3. Significant Themes

• Risk versus reward: Liu weighs the dangers of confronting the Innate Black Lotus against the valuable reward of the Nine Heaven-Cleaving Forms.
• Strategic caution: Avoiding large-scale conflict with the Witch and Demon Races, and protecting the Ancestral Vein, are central concerns.
• Unique power and mystery: Liu’s Pangu Dao Embryo grants abilities beyond normal cultivation, raising questions about his potential.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen and Hun Yu engage in cooperative negotiation, exchanging information about the Witch Race’s constraints and Liu’s capabilities.
• Hun Yu guides Liu to the Demon Cloud Sea core and demonstrates the suppression formation, while Liu tests his refining ability.
• The interaction is pragmatic and mutually beneficial, with Hun Yu agreeing to proceed based on Liu’s successful demonstration.

Chapter Summary: The Pangu Dao Embryo’s Transformation

Key Plot Points and Events

• After refining innate demon qi, Liu Yuanchen seeks to gain control of the Innate Black Lotus, which would provide him with an inexhaustible source of demon qi and greatly accelerate his cultivation.
• He uses the Death-Substitute Clone Divine Ability to bring his true body to the Sealing Grounds, where Hun Yu realizes that Liu can refine the lotus’s innate demon qi.
• Liu explains that none of his treasures can reliably suppress the Innate Black Lotus. Hun Yu suggests combining Liu’s Pangu Dao Embryo with the Pangu Statue and the Witch Race’s suppression formation.
• When Liu manifests the Dao Embryo, it resonates with the Pangu Statue and the powers of the Twelve Ancestral Witches. Energy from the statue and the formation flows into him, dramatically strengthening the Dao Embryo.
• Hun Yu reveals that the Pangu Statue was formed from the blood essence of powerful Witch Race experts. Liu’s resonance with it suggests that his Dao Embryo shares a deep connection with Great God Pangu, possibly even giving him the potential to have become a thirteenth Ancestor Witch.
• As the Dao Embryo absorbs more energy, it begins a dangerous transformation. Since Liu cannot refine the newly released demon qi himself, he diverts it into the Moonwater Demon Lotus and the Black Jade Lotus Platform.
• The Moonwater Demon Lotus rapidly evolves, producing new lotus seeds and growing black flowers with fifty-four petals instead of thirty-six. The Black Jade Lotus Platform, which shares the same origin, absorbs the demon qi directly and grows an additional petal.
• After an hour, the Pangu Statue is completely drained and shatters. Its energy and the essence of the suppression formation have been absorbed into Liu’s Dao Embryo.
• The transformation causes the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ astral force to fuse into a new, inseparable energy. Liu retains complete control over the Dao Embryo, which now possesses power comparable to—and ultimately replaces—the Pangu Statue.
• With the statue destroyed, the sealing formation becomes unstable, and cracks begin spreading through the altar. At the same time, signs of a premature Demon Cloud Eruption appear in both the Netherworld and Yang Realm, threatening to alert the Demon Race.
• Hun Yu urges Liu to either suppress or destroy the Innate Black Lotus immediately. Liu instead decides to attempt subduing it himself.
• Liu activates the Earth Book’s defensive power, summons mountain-and-river projections, and stands on the Karmic Fire Red Lotus before stepping onto the altar.
• His presence stabilizes the formation. The Dao Embryo takes over as the formation’s core, halting the demon-qi leakage, calming the iron chains, stopping the Demon Cloud Eruption, and completely suppressing the Innate Black Lotus.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen grows far more powerful as his Pangu Dao Embryo undergoes a qualitative transformation. It evolves from a construct based on the combined astral force of the Twelve Ancestral Witches into a new, unified energy that can no longer be separated.
• His control and composure remain intact despite the immense and volatile power entering his body, demonstrating his increasing mastery.
• Liu also reveals significant hidden resources, including the Karmic Fire Red Lotus and his ability to use the Earth Book’s defensive power, surprising Hun Yu.
• Hun Yu becomes increasingly hopeful about Liu’s ability to resolve the crisis. He recognizes Liu’s unusual connection to Pangu and begins treating him almost as a member of the Witch Race, while also growing anxious as the seal destabilizes.
• Liu becomes more suspicious and curious about his connection to Pangu. He considers whether the Buzhou stone from his previous life and the origin of his Spirit Realm may explain this connection, though he cannot reach a conclusion.

Significant Themes

• Transformation through fusion: The Dao Embryo’s advancement comes from the complete unification of the Twelve Ancestral Witches’ powers into something new and indivisible.
• Hidden origins and destiny: Liu’s unexplained resonance with Pangu raises questions about his true origin and whether forces from his previous life shaped his present cultivation.
• Power and responsibility: Liu gains the ability to control the formation, but doing so destroys the Witch Race’s precious Pangu Statue and places the fate of the sealing grounds in his hands.
• Adaptation and evolution: The Moonwater Demon Lotus and Black Jade Lotus Platform both evolve by absorbing innate demon qi, showing how different beings and treasures convert dangerous power into growth.
• Crisis and opportunity: The premature Demon Cloud Eruption threatens disaster, but the same instability creates the opportunity for Liu to take control of the Innate Black Lotus.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu and Hun Yu cooperate closely, with Hun Yu providing knowledge about the Witch Race’s formation and Pangu Statue while Liu supplies the power needed to stabilize the seal.
• Hun Yu praises Liu’s resemblance to the Witch Race and suggests that Liu might have become a thirteenth Ancestor Witch under different circumstances.
• Liu and Hun Yu disagree slightly over how to handle the Innate Black Lotus: Hun Yu favors immediate suppression or destruction, while Liu insists on first attempting to subdue it.
• Hun Yu is visibly shocked when Liu reveals the Karmic Fire Red Lotus, recognizing it as an extraordinary treasure acquired in only a few decades.
• By the chapter’s end, Liu’s Dao Embryo has replaced the Pangu Statue as the central force suppressing the Innate Black Lotus, bringing the immediate crisis under control.

Summary: Chapter 3 – Innate Black Lotus

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• After the demonic cloud phenomenon subsides, Liu Yuanchen inspects the fully suppressed Innate Black Lotus beneath the altar—a Second-Grade Lotus Throne (six layers, fifty-four petals) sealed by the Witch Race for over 60,000 years.
• Liu Yuanchen attempts to probe the lotus with Divine Sense but is repelled by a powerful Master-Recognition Restriction left by its original owner.
• Using the Zhurong Ancestor Witch True Form Diagram, he enters the lotus's inner space and confronts the restriction's manifested figure, who reveals himself as Mo Luo, a subordinate of the Devil Ancestor.
• Liu Yuanchen identifies Mo Luo as the future adversary who will end Buddhism's prosperity—but realizes that event is still two tribulations away, meaning Mo Luo is currently weak.
• After a brief standoff, Liu Yuanchen burns away Mo Luo's projection with Yin Fire, cleanses the lotus with the Pangu Dao Embryo, and shatters the altar to claim the treasure.
• He stores the Innate Black Lotus in the Black Lotus Grotto-Heaven. Hun Yu offers a favor from the Witch Race; Liu Yuanchen initially declines but reluctantly accepts after Hun Yu insists.
• Back at Netherworld Coiled Dragon Mountain, Liu Yuanchen inspects the lotus: seventeen Treasure Restrictions total—twelve Acquired (quickly mastered) and five Innate (each requiring ~1.5 years to resolve, roughly 7–8 years total).

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Displays growing confidence, strategic foresight, and caution. His Dao Embryo has been transformed by the Pangu statue's energy, granting him enhanced strength and suppressive power. He proves pragmatic—willing to intimidate Mo Luo but also courteous with the Witch Race.
• Hun Yu: Demonstrates shrewd political thinking; he binds Liu Yuanchen to the Witch Race through a favor to secure future goodwill, showing long-term planning and recognition of Liu Yuanchen's potential.
• Mo Luo: Introduced as a remnant consciousness of a Devil Race expert—arrogant and threatening, but currently too weak to back his words. His existence hints at future conflicts for Buddhism.

3. Significant Themes

• Power & Heritage: The transfer of ancient inheritances (Innate Black Lotus, Pangu Dao Embryo) and the importance of claiming and refining treasures.
• Political Alliances: Hun Yu's insistence on the favor reflects the Witch Race's strategy of aligning with the Human Race's rising power.
• Foresight & Timing: Liu Yuanchen deduces Mo Luo's current weakness based on the timeline of future tribulations, demonstrating the value of broader cosmological knowledge.
• Consumption & Persistence: The process of claiming the lotus—overcoming restrictions through sustained effort—mirrors cultivation's core principle of patient, incremental accumulation.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen & Hun Yu: Discuss the lotus's suppression and the Witch Race's sealing methods. Hun Yu explains the advantage Liu Yuanchen holds in the consumption war, and later insists on granting a favor despite Liu Yuanchen's humility.
• Liu Yuanchen & Mo Luo: A tense confrontation inside the lotus. Mo Luo threatens Liu Yuanchen, but Liu Yuanchen remains unimpressed, destroys Mo Luo's manifestation, and seizes the treasure.
• Hun Yu & Witch Race Elder: The elder questions why Hun Yu forced a favor on Liu Yuanchen; Hun Yu explains his reasoning—binding Liu Yuanchen to the Witch Race secures future protection and legitimacy for their guardianship of Reincarnation.

Chapter Summary: “Ghost City Appears Out of Nowhere”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen examines the newly acquired Innate Black Lotus and considers how it can continue evolving. He concludes that binding a treasure to a growing world is more sustainable than continuously feeding it Innate Undying Radiance.
• Because the Black Lotus is now connected to the Black Lotus Grotto-Heaven and Dongyang Realm, it can potentially advance as Dongyang Realm grows. Its status as a descendant of the Chaotic Azure Lotus gives it exceptional potential.
• The Black Lotus begins refining Chaos Qi into Innate Primordial Qi and Innate Spiritual Qi. It may produce nearly ten thousand strands of Innate Primordial Qi annually, with part of the energy nourishing Dongyang Realm. Liu Yuanchen creates a Qi-Gathering Seal to extract a limited amount for his own use.
• Subduing the Black Lotus raises Liu Yuanchen’s Merit Golden Lotus to twenty-four petals, advancing it to the Eight-Rank level. He decides to preserve the Black Lotus as an energy-producing spirit root and rely on the restored Black Jade Lotus Platform for combat and the absorption of negative energy.
• Liu Yuanchen begins refining the Black Lotus’s five Innate Treasure Restrictions so that he can fully control its power.
• In Sky-Suspended Ghost City, the black-robed master discovers that the Innate Black Lotus has been taken. Since communication with Origin Spirit Realm was severed after the destruction of the Black Lotus Holy Sect, he orders the city to attack the sealing formation and send Heavenly Demons to investigate. He forbids the premature use of sleeper agents.
• Sky-Suspended Ghost City suddenly reappears in Savage Sandplain. A massive storm of wind and sand traps numerous merchant ships and other flying vessels.
• Wan Yutang urgently asks Liu Yuanchen for help because many Myriad Treasures Trading Association ships—and his uncle—are trapped. Dao Lord Duan Hai arrives soon afterward with the same request, as his Sky-Piercing Warship and the cultivators Dragon Fisher and Wan Shan are also inside the danger zone.
• Liu Yuanchen sends a clone to Savage Sandplain and locates the abnormal alternate dimension containing the Ghost City. He then enters it personally to investigate.
• Using his giantized Pangu-like form, axe, and spatial abilities, Liu Yuanchen shatters the Near-Far Divine Ability surrounding the city and creates a gray-mist passage through which the trapped flying vessels escape.
• After rescuing the ships, Liu Yuanchen recognizes that Sky-Suspended Ghost City remains a serious hidden threat because it connects to another realm. He decides to enter the city and seek a way to suppress it permanently.
• The chapter ends with Liu Yuanchen enveloping the city in his Spatial Domain, opening its gate, and walking inside.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Becomes more powerful and strategically mature. He gains substantial merit, acquires a valuable Innate Spirit Root, and demonstrates confidence by personally entering the Ghost City rather than merely rescuing the trapped vessels. He also shows greater long-term planning by preserving the Black Lotus for energy production instead of using it recklessly.
• The black-robed master: Revealed as the authority behind Sky-Suspended Ghost City. His anger over losing the Innate Black Lotus highlights its importance and exposes his cautious reliance on hidden agents and indirect investigation.
• Wan Yutang: Normally composed, he becomes visibly anxious because his family members and the association’s ships are endangered, showing his personal trust in Liu Yuanchen.
• Dao Lord Duan Hai: Appears urgently and seeks Liu Yuanchen’s assistance, demonstrating both the severity of the crisis and Liu Yuanchen’s rising status among powerful allies.
• Dragon Fisher and the other trapped cultivators: Depend on Liu Yuanchen’s intervention and quickly evacuate once he opens a route.

Significant Themes

• Growth through connection: Spirit treasures and roots can evolve by being bound to a developing world, emphasizing the relationship between individual power and world-building.
• Power versus restraint: Liu Yuanchen chooses not to exploit the Black Lotus as a weapon, instead preserving it as a long-term source of Innate Primordial Qi.
• Hidden threats and unfinished conflicts: Although the Black Lotus crisis has been resolved, Sky-Suspended Ghost City remains an unresolved danger capable of reappearing at any time.
• Responsibility and protection: Liu Yuanchen uses his growing power to protect allies, merchants, and the wider Human Race rather than pursuing only personal advancement.
• Strategic preparation: Both sides plan for future conflict—Sky-Suspended Ghost City relies on sleeper agents and secret investigations, while Liu Yuanchen seeks to eliminate threats before they interfere with his future campaign against the Demon Race.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen’s interaction with the Black Lotus is primarily one of assessment and cultivation: he studies its potential, links it to Dongyang Realm, and begins refining its restrictions.
• The black-robed master orders the Black Mist subordinate to investigate the stolen Innate Black Lotus, but refuses to activate sleeper agents prematurely.
• Wan Yutang appeals directly to Liu Yuanchen for help, relying on their long-standing relationship.
• Dao Lord Duan Hai independently approaches Liu Yuanchen with a similar request, reinforcing Liu Yuanchen’s role as the most capable person available.
• Liu Yuanchen rescues the trapped vessels, while Dragon Fisher acknowledges his aid and leads the evacuation.
• The final interaction is between Liu Yuanchen and Sky-Suspended Ghost City itself, as he breaches its defenses and enters to confront the deeper threat.

Chapter Summary: “Information from Other Worlds”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen sends a clone into Sky-Suspended Ghost City to investigate and contain the demons imprisoned there. His primary goal is to prevent them from escaping while he repairs the Ancestral Vein and strengthens the formation suppressing the city.
• Upon entering, the ghost city initially appears deserted, but it soon transforms into a bustling marketplace filled with vendors and travelers—just as Liu Yuanchen experienced during his first visit.
• He encounters two familiar stall owners:
  • An old man who previously deceived one of Liu Yuanchen’s companions into dying.
  • A mysterious black-robed merchant from whom Liu Yuanchen once purchased a fragment of the Jumang Ancestral Shaman Statue.
• Liu Yuanchen recognizes that the black-robed merchant is an Early Earth Immortal whose cultivation method resembles the Demon Race’s inheritance. He concludes that the man likely came from another world rather than the Origin Spirit Realm.
• When the merchant demands one-tenth of Liu Yuanchen’s magic power in exchange for information, Liu Yuanchen traps him within a Spatial Domain and overwhelms him with the suppressive power of his Pangu Dao Embryo. The merchant is forced to cooperate.
• The merchant reveals that he comes from the Vast Sea Realm, a Lesser Thousandfold World. He traveled between Kanwater City and Xunwind City through a spatial passage, using a special token.
• Liu Yuanchen learns that Sky-Suspended Ghost City was originally called Xunwind City and that similar cities exist across multiple worlds. There are eight cities named after the Eight Trigrams:
  • Qian Origin City and Kun Origin City are located in a Middle Thousandfold World.
  • The other six, including Kanwater City and Xunwind City, are in Lesser Thousandfold Worlds.
• The Vast Sea Realm is mostly ocean, with countless islands. The Demon Race dominates it, especially the Dragon Race and Black Tortoise Clan. The Gonggong lineage leads the Witch Race, while the Human and Witch Races have allied to resist the demons.
• The realm’s strongest cultivators have reached the Celestial Immortal Realm, and it can still nurture new Celestial Immortals. The merchant cites the Human Race’s Dragon-Slayer Dao Lord, who broke through five thousand years earlier.
• Liu Yuanchen realizes that the Vast Sea Realm possesses superior cultivation resources compared with the Origin Spirit Realm. He begins planning to resolve the Origin Spirit Realm’s problems, travel to the Vast Sea Realm, cultivate there, and potentially seize more Innate Spirit Treasures from the Demon Race.
• The merchant shows Liu Yuanchen a Kanwater City token that permits travel to Xunwind City. However, the tokens are individually registered and likely cannot be used by others without difficulty.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Demonstrates immense growth since his first visit to the ghost city. He has advanced from the Sea of Qi Realm to a level far beyond the Earth Immortal Realm, easily suppressing an Early Earth Immortal. His ambitions also expand: he no longer views the Origin Spirit Realm as his ultimate destination and begins considering the wider network of worlds as opportunities for cultivation and treasure-hunting.
• The Black-Robed Merchant: Initially guarded and transactional, he becomes terrified after Liu Yuanchen demonstrates overwhelming power. Recognizing that resistance is futile, he respectfully reveals information about his origins, the interworld cities, and the Vast Sea Realm.
• The Old Stall Owner: Remains a sinister and familiar presence, but Liu Yuanchen now considers him insignificant and does not engage with him.

Significant Themes

• The expansion of the world: The chapter reveals that the setting consists of numerous connected worlds rather than a single realm. Sky-Suspended Ghost City is part of a much larger interworld network.
• Power and growth: Liu Yuanchen’s transformation over five hundred years is emphasized through the merchant’s disbelief and helplessness. His former dangers are now beneath his notice.
• Strategic ambition: Liu Yuanchen balances immediate responsibilities—containing the demons and repairing the Origin Spirit Realm—with long-term plans for cultivation, exploration, and acquiring treasures from stronger worlds.
• Resource inequality between realms: The Vast Sea Realm can still produce Celestial Immortals, while the Origin Spirit Realm struggles even to nurture Earth Immortals. This highlights the importance of environmental and spiritual resources in cultivation.
• Information as power: Liu Yuanchen uses intimidation to obtain knowledge that may fundamentally alter his plans. The chapter shows that understanding interworld connections can be as valuable as physical treasures.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen ignores the old vendor’s attempt to sell him damaged artifacts, showing how far his status and standards have risen.
• He questions the black-robed merchant about his origins and travel methods, but the merchant initially tries to restrict the conversation to business.
• Liu Yuanchen uses his Spatial Domain to prevent outside interference, then threatens and suppresses the merchant with the Pangu Dao Embryo.
• Once defeated, the merchant explains the network of Eight Trigram cities, the Vast Sea Realm’s political balance, its major races, and the requirements for interworld travel.
• Though Liu Yuanchen could seize the merchant’s token or extract his memories by force, he chooses not to do so because his immediate priorities in the Origin Spirit Realm remain unfinished.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen learns that the black-robed cultivator possesses a token allowing travel between Xunwind City and Kanwater City. The token grants indefinite residence in either city, access to nearly all shops and inns, and the ability to leave by activating it.
• The black-robed cultivator explains that he previously exchanged ten percent of Liu Yuanchen’s cultivation to revive an injured Acquired Spirit Root in the Vast Sea Realm. Liu’s powerful vitality had partially restored it, but the amount of cultivation transferred was insufficient.
• The cultivator reveals the Spirit Root: a severely damaged purple-gold grapevine covered in wounds and infused with demonic qi.
• He explains that the vine once produced purple-gold grapes containing Immortal Golden Nature. Eating those grapes allowed him to break through two major realms and reach the Earth Immortal Realm.
• Liu Yuanchen identifies the vine as an Acquired version of the legendary Purple-Gold Grape Vine, originally a Middle-Grade Innate Spirit Root capable of producing Immortal Golden Nature and greatly aiding cultivation.
• Liu agrees to exchange a treasure for the vine. In return for the grapevine, the black-robed cultivator requests an item that can help him advance beyond his cultivation bottleneck.
• Liu gives him a Myriad-Longevity Flat Peach, an Innate Spirit Root fruit capable of substantially improving his aptitude and giving him a chance to reach the Late Earth Immortal Realm.
• Impressed by the peach and recognizing Liu’s extraordinary background, the cultivator pledges loyalty, surrenders the travel token, and reveals his identity as Tang Yunhai, a Vast Sea Realm cultivator with connections there.
• Liu accepts Tang Yunhai as a subordinate and sends him to the Luochuan Grotto-Heaven to refine the peach.
• Liu begins healing the Purple-Gold Grape Vine by removing most of its demonic qi and nourishing it with his magical power. The vine regains vitality and grows new leaves.
• He relocates it beside the Ginseng Fruit Tree in the Dongyang Realm, where Divine Breath Soil, rejuvenation abilities, and the Ginseng Fruit Tree’s energy dramatically accelerate its recovery.
• Liu discovers that the grapevine contains twenty strands of Acquired Dao Resonance, each tied to a seventh-grade law, proving that it is a First-Generation Acquired Spirit Root and suggesting that the Vast Sea Realm contains far deeper mysteries than expected.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen demonstrates increased confidence and strategic foresight. Rather than killing Tang Yunhai or taking the vine by force, he secures both the Spirit Root and a potentially valuable ally through an advantageous exchange.
• He shows growing interest in the Vast Sea Realm, realizing that its history, resources, and hidden treasures may surpass his earlier expectations.
• Tang Yunhai shifts from fear and self-preservation to genuine submission. Initially worried that Liu will kill him and seize the token or grapevine, he ultimately recognizes Liu’s overwhelming power and generosity. His successful negotiation for the Myriad-Longevity Flat Peach turns him into a willing subordinate.
• Tang’s identity and connections make him valuable not only as an Earth Immortal but also as Liu’s guide and future support in the Vast Sea Realm.

Significant Themes

• Power balanced by strategy: Liu’s strength allows him to dominate the situation, but his willingness to negotiate produces greater long-term benefits than violence would.
• Mutual exchange and loyalty: Tang Yunhai’s allegiance is secured through a valuable but calculated gift, showing how trust and subordination can be built through mutually beneficial arrangements.
• Hidden value and restoration: The damaged grapevine initially appears weak, but its true nature is revealed through careful examination and cultivation, emphasizing that potential can survive even after severe destruction.
• The Vast Sea Realm’s depth and mystery: Historical references to the Demon Race’s invasion and the existence of a First-Generation Acquired Spirit Root suggest that the realm possesses immense untapped power and secrets.
• Cultivation and long-term preparation: Liu continues building resources, allies, and future advantages rather than focusing only on immediate battles or breakthroughs.

Character Interactions

• Liu interrogates Tang about the travel token, but reassures him that he does not intend to kill him.
• Tang explains the origin and value of the Purple-Gold Grape Vine while cautiously fearing that Liu may take it by force.
• Liu offers Tang a Myriad-Longevity Flat Peach in exchange for the grapevine and future cooperation.
• Tang responds by surrendering the travel token and pledging to serve Liu.
• Liu formally accepts Tang’s allegiance, sends him away to cultivate, and then personally restores and relocates the grapevine.

Chapter Summary: “Settling Scores”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yuanchen uses a Xunwind City token to gain access to the city’s shops, then leaves his true body to refine the Innate Black Lotus while a divine ability clone remains behind.
• The clone disguises himself as Tang Yunhai, continues running the street stall, and monitors Xunwind City to prevent the demons from causing further trouble.
• The demon forces attempt to escape Xunwind City but are trapped by layers of spatial divine abilities surrounding the city. Even captured Witch Race experts from the Dijiang Lineage cannot break through the spatial confinement.
• The demons’ defensive formation in Savage Sandplain has also been strengthened, leaving them unable to launch another escape attempt for decades. Their leader considers requesting reinforcements, but the demon king is occupied conquering other realms.
• In Dongyang Divine Prefecture, Liu Yuanchen informs Dao Lord Duan Hai and Wan Yutang that his clone has secured Sky-Suspended Ghost City and rescued numerous flying boats. This allows Savage Sandplain to become a safer and more profitable trade route.
• Five years later, Liu Yuanchen finishes refining the Innate Black Lotus. Although he has little need for its defensive abilities because of the Earth Book, he recognizes its value as an Innate Spirit Root capable of converting chaotic energy into Innate Primordial Qi.
• He discovers that the Purple-Gold Grape Vine, despite being an Acquired Spirit Root, absorbs chaotic qi through the Earth Veins and converts it into Immortal Golden Nature. This may eventually provide cultivation resources for advancing toward the Golden Immortal Realm.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan of the Heaven-Restoration Sect visits Liu Yuanchen after learning that he and the Witch Race obtained the Innate Black Lotus.
• Hongyuan accuses Liu Yuanchen and the Human Race of violating their alliance with the Heaven-Restoration Sect and threatens him with Heavenly Punishment.
• Liu Yuanchen dismisses the threat, explaining that his merit and relationship with the Origin Spirit Realm’s Heavenly Dao would protect him. He also points out that the alliance never prohibited the Human Race from forming additional alliances.
• Hongyuan finally admits that the Heaven-Restoration Sect wants the Innate Black Lotus and offers to exchange treasures for it. Liu Yuanchen refuses, warning that the lotus’s demonic qi would corrupt the entire sect and turn its members into puppets.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen becomes increasingly confident and politically influential. He successfully balances multiple fronts: refining the Innate Black Lotus, controlling Sky-Suspended Ghost City, supporting trade, and maintaining alliances with the Witch Race.
• His understanding of the Innate Black Lotus deepens. Rather than valuing it only as a defensive treasure, he recognizes its ability to generate useful primordial energy.
• Liu Yuanchen also demonstrates growing insight into natural laws by identifying how the Purple-Gold Grape Vine obtains Immortal Golden Nature through the Earth Veins.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan shifts from attempted intimidation to negotiation. His confidence collapses when Liu Yuanchen reveals that Heavenly Punishment cannot easily threaten him.
• The demon leadership is shown to be increasingly desperate. Their forces are trapped, their resources are depleted, and their greater war effort prevents them from receiving immediate aid.
• Wan Yutang reveals a pragmatic, profit-oriented attitude. Once the trade route is secured, he is more concerned with its commercial benefits than with the possible fate of his uncle.

Significant Themes

• Power and leverage: Political agreements and threats are only effective when backed by real authority. Liu Yuanchen exposes the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s lack of leverage.
• Strategic alliances: The Human Race’s alliance with the Witch Race strengthens its position against the demons while remaining technically compatible with previous agreements.
• Control versus corruption: The Innate Black Lotus is both a powerful treasure and a dangerous source of demonic influence. Liu Yuanchen’s ability to control it sets him apart from other factions.
• Resource accumulation and cultivation: The discovery of the Purple-Gold Grape Vine’s ability to create Immortal Golden Nature highlights Liu Yuanchen’s long-term preparation and interest in sustainable cultivation resources.
• Political maneuvering: Both Hongyuan and Liu Yuanchen initially speak indirectly, but Liu Yuanchen quickly sees through Hongyuan’s intentions and forces the conversation onto his own terms.
• Pragmatism: Several characters prioritize strategic or material gains over personal concerns, especially in the discussion of trade and the Innate Black Lotus.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen’s clone interacts with merchants and travelers by securing Sky-Suspended Ghost City and making Savage Sandplain safer for trade.
• The demon commander reports unsuccessfully to his superior, revealing the internal frustration and helplessness of the demon forces.
• Liu Yuanchen reassures Dao Lord Duan Hai and Wan Yutang that the ghost city is under control, strengthening his relationship with the Human Race’s commercial and political forces.
• Liu Yuanchen and Dao Lord Hongyuan engage in a tense negotiation. Hongyuan tries to use the alliance and Heavenly Punishment as leverage, but Liu Yuanchen counters every argument and exposes the weakness of the Heaven-Restoration Sect’s position.
• The chapter ends with Liu Yuanchen warning Hongyuan that the Heaven-Restoration Sect could be destroyed by the very lotus it seeks, turning the negotiation into a clear rejection of its demands.

Summary

Key Plot Points

• Liu Yuanchen (Divine Lord) realizes he must neutralize the Heaven-Restoration Sect, which is demanding the Innate Black Lotus despite their alliance.
• He reveals that he knows the sect's headquarters (Golden Feather Grotto-Heaven) and implies he could destroy them outright, but offers Dao Lord Hongyuan a deal instead.
• Liu discloses the existence of the Vast Sea Realm, a world where Celestial Immortals can still be nurtured, and offers Hongyuan resources to break through to the Celestial Immortal Realm.
• Liu claims to possess a First-Generation Acquired Spirit Root descended from the Purple-Gold Grape Vine, which produces Immortal Golden Nature.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan, after initial hesitation, agrees to help lure out and eliminate Heaven Hound Dao Lord and Myriad Spirits Dao Lord.
• They outline the post-purge plan: the Heaven-Restoration Sect's Human Race branch will join the Human Race's Asking Dao Mountain; the Exotic Beasts and Wood Spirits will be dealt with or resettled.
• Hongyuan agrees to retire and go to the Vast Sea Realm.
• Liu finally reveals he is the successor of the Ancestor of Earth Immortals, explaining his rapid cultivation.

Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen shows ruthlessness and strategic cunning: he decides to eliminate potential threats before leaving the Origin Spirit Realm, and manipulates Hongyuan with a mix of threats, incentives, and insider knowledge.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan reveals his true priority—personal Dao advancement over sect loyalty—and is willing to betray his sect peers to survive and progress.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatic betrayal and alliance politics.
• Ambition vs. loyalty: the Dao path outweighs sect ties.
• Power as the ultimate bargaining chip.
• Deception: Liu exaggerates the Purple-Gold Grape's current utility without revealing its damaged state.

Character Interactions

• Liu and Hongyuan negotiate with mutual suspicion; Liu demonstrates his Celestial Immortal mana to prove his claims.
• Hongyuan, tempted by the promise of breakthrough resources and escape from the Origin Spirit Realm, shifts from demanding the Black Lotus to collaborating in the planned massacre of sect leaders.
• Liu ends with a rare admission of his background, signaling a level of trust or confidence in his now-secured ally.

Key plot points and events

• Liu Yuanchen explains that Grand Immortal Zhenyuan’s strength and authority over the Earth Immortal Path make him a powerful safeguard against the Heaven-Restoration Sect.
• After three years of cultivation, Liu receives word that Heaven Hound Dao Lord and Myriad Spirits Dao Lord will meet him at a damaged grotto-heaven. He anticipates their escape plan and prepares to contain them.
• Liu enters the grotto-heaven, where he meets the two leaders alongside Dao Lord Hongyuan. He reveals that he knows Heaven Hound Dao Lord is the son of the ancient Heaven Hound Marshal and briefly discusses returning the Jadeglow Twofold Ceremonial Lamp, once owned by his father.
• Liu displays the Innate Black Lotus, which the Heaven-Restoration Sect has pursued for millennia. When the leaders cannot meet his price—valuable replica innate treasures and grotto-heavens—Liu reveals that he wants Heaven Hound Dao Lord’s life.
• Using the Pangu Dao Embryo, Earth Book, and Innate Black Lotus, Liu suppresses Heaven Hound and the others. He captures Heaven Hound Dao Lord in the ceremonial lamp, then turns to Myriad Spirits Dao Lord, who submits.

Character developments

• Liu Yuanchen acts with growing confidence and strategic ambition. He intends to strengthen his realm by acquiring grotto-heavens, but also pursues vengeance for the Heaven Hound family’s past attacks on humanity.
• Heaven Hound Dao Lord shifts from guarded negotiator to helpless captive. His impressive cultivation and ancestry cannot save him from Liu’s combined powers.
• Myriad Spirits Dao Lord goes from powerful sect leader to a pragmatic prisoner who submits rather than resist.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan serves as the intermediary who arranges the meeting, then witnesses Liu’s overwhelming strength.

Significant themes

• Power and inherited authority: Liu’s connection to Grand Immortal Zhenyuan gives him political influence, while his own abilities prove decisive.
• Retribution: Liu frames Heaven Hound’s death as repayment for the ancient persecution of humans.
• Pragmatism and ambition: Liu treats the negotiation as an opportunity to gain territory and resources, not merely a chance to obtain the lotus.
• The reversal of power: Leaders who once controlled others find themselves at Liu’s mercy.

Character interactions

• Liu and Heaven Hound trade courteous but pointed remarks about ancestry, seniority, and the ceremonial lamp.
• Their discussion of the Innate Black Lotus turns into a confrontation when Liu reveals his true demand.
• After capturing Heaven Hound, Liu offers Myriad Spirits Dao Lord the choice of how to respond; Myriad Spirits bows and submits.

Summary of the Chapter

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Myriad Spirits Dao Lord's Surrender: After his previous defeat, Myriad Spirits Dao Lord formally submits to Liu Yuanchen, who spares him and his Spirit Race subordinates.
• Origins Revealed: Myriad Spirits explains that he is not a natural Spirit Root but an ordinary spirit plant (a Five-Element Pine) that later became an Acquired Spirit Root through a secret art he personally created—the Plant-to-Spirit-Root Secret Art. Liu Yuanchen realizes this is the same art he obtained from Venerable Soul Control's memories. He identifies Myriad Spirits' true form as a Five-Needle Pine (descended from a high-grade Innate Spirit Root) and promises him future growth potential in the Primordial World.
• Repairing the Grotto-Heaven: Using the Earth Book, Liu Yuanchen revitalizes the ruined Grotto-Heaven's Spirit and Earth Veins, restoring its vitality—a display of Celestial Immortal-level power.
• Infiltration of Heaven-Restoration Sect: Disguised as Heaven Hound Dao Lord (via Womb-Shift Transformation), Liu Yuanchen and Myriad Spirits Dao Lord enter Golden Feather Grotto-Heaven. They summon all Earth Immortal and Origin Immortal experts under false pretenses.
• The Purge: Liu Yuanchen reveals his true identity, captures Golden Scale Dao Lord and other Exotic Beast loyalists into the Jadeglow Twofold Ceremonial Lamp, and exposes Heaven Hound Dao Lord's fate.
• Formal Submission: After suppressing all opposition, the Heaven-Restoration Sect (Spirit Race faction, Human Race faction, and minor factions) officially pledges allegiance to the Human Race. Liu Yuanchen appoints Dao Lord Hongyuan and Myriad Spirits Dao Lord as temporary managers and plans for Asking Dao Mountain to integrate the sect's assets and personnel.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Yuanchen: Demonstrates strategic mercy (spares the Spirit Race), meticulous planning (infiltrating the sect, purging opposition), and deep knowledge of Spirit Root lore. He positions himself as a leader who rewards loyalty and offers further cultivation opportunities in the Primordial World.
• Myriad Spirits Dao Lord: Shifts from a defeated enemy to a genuinely loyal subordinate. He openly reveals his true form and origins, showing trust in Liu Yuanchen. His identity as the creator of the Plant-to-Spirit-Root Secret Art adds depth to his character.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan: Aligns with Liu Yuanchen without conflict, helping legitimize the takeover and manage the sect afterward.
• Golden Scale Dao Lord: Serves as the final stubborn loyalist to Heaven Hound Dao Lord, emphasizing the Demon Heavenly Court's unyielding hatred toward the Human Race—but he is swiftly neutralized.

3. Significant Themes

• Integration vs. Annihilation: Liu Yuanchen's policy of sparing willing enemies but utterly destroying hardcore opponents (especially Demon Heavenly Court remnants) reflects pragmatic governance.
• Identity and Origins: The distinction between innate and acquired Spirit Roots, and the idea that true heritage (e.g., the Five-Needle Pine) determines latent potential, highlights the importance of lineage in cultivation.
• Power and Submission: Liu Yuanchen's overwhelming strength and strategic use of illusion, relics, and authority demonstrate how absolute power dictates political outcomes.
• The Demon Heavenly Court's Legacy: The chapter reinforces the ancient blood feud between the Demon Race and Human Race, with remnants still harboring ambitions of vengeance (e.g., Golden Scale's threat of Donghuang—likely a reference to fallen ancient emperors).

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Yuanchen ↔ Myriad Spirits Dao Lord: A master–subordinate dynamic established through negotiation. Liu Yuanchen questions Myriad Spirits' origins, and their conversation reveals shared history (the secret art) and mutual benefit.
• Liu Yuanchen ↔ Sect Experts: He commands the assembly, crushes dissent instantly with the Spatial Domain ability and the Innate Black Lotus, then offers mercy to those who submit—ensuring the sect's survival through obedience.
• Dao Lord Hongyuan and Myriad Spirits Dao Lord: Act as intermediaries and proof of authenticity during the takeover, and are rewarded with continued authority as provisional leaders under Liu Yuanchen.
  The chapter concludes with the complete integration of an ancient power into the Human Race, expanding Liu Yuanchen's influence and setting the stage for future conflicts with larger Demon Race forces.