Chapter Summaries

Jiang Yuechu unleashed her Great Black Heaven Demon Aspect and destroyed the Azure Sea Palace, killing Formless Mountain’s Supreme Seat and reducing Formless Mountain to a vast basin. Hanxian True Person, a few elders, and Niu Ben survived the devastation.

• Jiang Yuechu tested the blue-robed old Daoist’s Dao Chess pieces with her spectral Demons, then gathered them back into herself.
• Jiang Yuechu transformed into Great Black Heaven and struck the Azure Sea Palace with a colossal punch.
• The old Daoist raised eighteen defensive techniques and turned his two deep-blue giants into barriers, but Jiang Yuechu’s punch shattered them all.
• Jiang Yuechu’s punch destroyed the Azure Sea Palace and killed the old Daoist, then continued onward to devastate Formless Mountain.
• Hanxian True Person and several elders survived with grave injuries, while Niu Ben stopped himself near the riverbed and saw that Formless Mountain had become an enormous basin.

Chapter Summary: The Special Nature of the Chessmaster Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu defeats a powerful Chessmaster Realm cultivator with a single punch, shocking everyone present. Her feat violates the established rules of cultivation, since she is only in the Tower-Climbing Realm.
• Despite killing the Chessmaster, Jiang Yuechu receives no Dao Cultivation notification, leading her to suspect that the Chessmaster Realm has a special mechanic involving the condensation of Dao Chess.
• She finishes off Hanxian True Person and the surviving elders of Formless Mountain with a single palm strike, completely destroying both their bodies and souls.
• Formless Mountain is reduced to a massive crater, demonstrating the overwhelming scale of Jiang Yuechu’s power.
• Jiang Yuechu orders Niu Ben to find his “big sister.” Niu Ben attempts to flatter her in the style of the Red Flood Dragon, but his awkward praise only irritates her.
• Niu Ben awakens the Tiger Demon by kicking it, then leaves to search the ruins.
• The Tiger Demon discovers that Formless Mountain has been entirely destroyed. It feels both horrified and regretful, realizing it fainted during a legendary battle and missed the chance to witness it.
• Jiang Yuechu questions the Tiger Demon about whether Chessmaster Realm cultivators possess inherent life-preserving abilities, such as the Heart Lamp of the Burning Lamp Realm or the surviving Primordial Spirit of the Tower-Climbing Realm.
• When Jiang Yuechu casually admits that she has just fought a Chessmaster, the Tiger Demon is stunned and refuses to believe that a Tower-Climbing cultivator could survive such a battle unharmed.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Continues to display terrifying strength and emotional composure. Even after destroying Formless Mountain, she is more annoyed by the realm’s complicated rules than impressed by her victory. Her questions reveal that she is actively trying to understand the unique principles of the Chessmaster Realm.
• Niu Ben: Remains loyal and eager to serve Jiang Yuechu, though he is clumsy and poor at flattering her. His instinctive obedience and willingness to search for his big sister emphasize his dependable but simple-minded nature.
• Tiger Demon: Shifts from unconscious bystander to an important source of information. Its terror and disbelief highlight how extraordinary Jiang Yuechu’s achievement is, while its regret over missing the battle adds comic relief.
• Hanxian True Person and Formless Mountain’s elders: Are completely eliminated, marking the destruction of Formless Mountain as a major consequence of Jiang Yuechu’s intervention.

Significant Themes

• Breaking the laws of cultivation: Jiang Yuechu’s victory over a Chessmaster while still in the Tower-Climbing Realm challenges the supposedly absolute hierarchy of power.
• Mystery of the Chessmaster Realm: The lack of a Dao Cultivation reward and the possible existence of special survival mechanics suggest that the realm operates according to unusual rules.
• Overwhelming power and destruction: The destruction of one of the Eastern Region’s major Dao Orthodoxies emphasizes Jiang Yuechu’s frightening strength.
• Knowledge versus strength: Although the Tiger Demon is weak, its broader knowledge makes it valuable to Jiang Yuechu, showing that information remains important even to someone overwhelmingly powerful.
• Humor amid catastrophe: Niu Ben’s failed flattery and the Tiger Demon’s regretful shock contrast with the otherwise terrifying destruction, creating comic relief.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu silences Niu Ben’s exaggerated praise and bluntly tells him to stop forcing himself to flatter her.
• She orders Niu Ben to search for his big sister, while he briefly pauses to wake the unconscious Tiger Demon.
• The Tiger Demon reacts with terror to the destroyed Formless Mountain and approaches Jiang Yuechu respectfully, calling her “Senior.”
• Jiang Yuechu questions the Tiger Demon about Chessmaster Realm survival abilities, but its answer initially misses the point.
• When she reveals that she fought a Chessmaster Realm cultivator, the Tiger Demon is overwhelmed by disbelief, setting up the chapter’s central mystery about how Jiang Yuechu survived and whether the Chessmaster possessed an inherent means of escape.

Chapter Summary: “Central Palace”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the destruction of Formless Mountain, Jiang Yuechu stands unharmed amid the ruins, having defeated a Chessmaster Realm cultivator with a single overwhelming attack.
• Hu Cuihua, a book-loving Tiger Demon, is stunned by Jiang’s strength and realizes that her earlier claim—that she could defeat the Chessmaster—was true.
• Hu explains the secret of the Chessmaster Realm: the powerful cultivator’s visible body is often only an incarnation. Their true “Central Palace,” the life-gate connected to their core existence, is hidden elsewhere.
• Destroying the incarnation and its Dao Chess does not kill the Chessmaster. It merely causes severe damage, from which the cultivator can recover after roughly a thousand years.
• Jiang becomes frustrated upon realizing that her enormous attack may have destroyed only a projection rather than the true body.
• She asks Hu to deduce where the old cultivator’s Central Palace might be hidden.
• Hu reasons that it is unlikely to be within Formless Mountain. Since the mountain is vulnerable to attacks from rival Dao Orthodoxies—and has now been destroyed—the Chessmaster would never risk placing his true life-gate there.
• Hu concludes that the Central Palace is probably hidden somewhere completely unexpected, such as a ruined temple, remote ravine, or spiritually barren wilderness.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Her confidence remains intact, but her mood shifts from triumph to irritation after learning that she has not truly killed the Chessmaster. Her immense power is contrasted with her limited understanding of the Chessmaster Realm’s hidden mechanisms.
• Hu Cuihua: The Tiger Demon is revealed to be unusually scholarly and nonviolent for a demon. Its love of books has given it knowledge of human culture, Dao Orthodoxy politics, formations, and high-level cultivation realms. Initially terrified, Hu gradually gains confidence as it develops a logical theory about the Central Palace.
• The defeated Chessmaster: Though absent, he is characterized as extremely cautious, secretive, and experienced, relying on an incarnation and concealing his true weakness rather than risking direct destruction.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The mighty figure Jiang defeated was only an incarnation, emphasizing that what appears to be a true body or final victory may be deceptive.
• Cunning and survival: Long-lived cultivators survive through planning, concealment, and multiple escape routes rather than relying solely on strength.
• Knowledge as power: Hu’s fondness for books allows a lowly demon to provide crucial insight into a realm far above its own cultivation level.
• Power and frustration: Even overwhelming strength may be insufficient when an opponent’s true foundation is hidden.
• Political insecurity among Dao Orthodoxies: Formless Mountain’s position as one of twenty-five branches makes it vulnerable to rivals, explaining why its leader would not hide his Central Palace there.

Character Interactions

• Jiang questions Hu directly and demands concise explanations, intimidating the demon into speaking carefully.
• Hu alternates between fear and reluctant expertise, privately cursing its ignorance while outwardly showing deference.
• As Jiang listens without interrupting, Hu becomes increasingly absorbed in its own reasoning and grows more assertive.
• Hu flatters Jiang by describing her as “heaven-reaching and earth-penetrating,” using praise to maintain her favor while presenting its deduction.

Jiang Yuechu learned why the Supreme Seat of the Formless Dao Orthodoxy had escaped, then discovered Niu Ben’s phoenix-blooded big sister had survived Formless Mountain’s destruction by regressing into a chick. The little bird woke in the ruins, confused about what had happened and whether she was dead.

• Jiang Yuechu accepted Hu Cuihua’s explanation that the Supreme Seat had hidden his Central Palace elsewhere and dismissed him as no threat if he showed himself again.
• Niu Ben searched the rubble for his big sister, and Jiang Yuechu realized she might have been caught in the destruction of Formless Mountain.
• Niu Ben found his big sister alive as a faint, nearly featherless red chick after she used Rebirth from Flames.
• Hu Cuihua praised Jiang Yuechu’s divine might and claimed the ordeal would help the phoenix variant grow stronger, but Jiang Yuechu told her to shut up.
• Niu Ben’s big sister woke, saw the ruined Formless Mountain and her changed body, and wondered if she had died.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After rescuing the transformed Nishang, Jiang Yuechu turns her attention to Formless Mountain’s ruins. Since the ancient Dao Orthodoxy was destroyed by her punch, she orders Niu Ben and Hu Cuihua to search the ruins thoroughly for resources.
• Niu Ben transforms into his enormous black-ox form and digs through the debris, while Hu Cuihua becomes a striped tiger and searches by scent. They uncover surviving treasure vaults protected by formations.
• The group retrieves a large collection of magical treasures, pills, cultivation materials, and techniques. Jiang Yuechu stores the spoils, believing they will greatly strengthen the Great Tang’s weak foundation.
• Jiang Yuechu explains that destroying Formless Mountain publicly is also a strategic warning to the other Dao Orthodoxy lineages. The fear and hesitation caused by her attack will give the Great Tang time to develop.
• After the excavation, Jiang Yuechu decides to return to Chang’an with the spoils and Nishang. Niu Ben attempts to persuade her to kill Hu Cuihua, claiming that the tiger demon is dangerous because she came from Spirit Mountain.
• Hu Cuihua desperately begs for her life, emphasizing her knowledge of the Eastern Region and insisting that she does not eat humans. Jiang Yuechu stops the argument and decides to evaluate Hu Cuihua’s usefulness.
• Recognizing Hu Cuihua as a valuable source of information about the cultivation world, Jiang Yuechu asks for her name. The tiger introduces herself as Hu Cuihua.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu remains ruthless, pragmatic, and strategically minded. She treats the destruction of Formless Mountain as both compensation for her lost cultivation and a calculated demonstration of power. Despite her harshness, she is capable of recognizing practical value and chooses to spare Hu Cuihua for her knowledge.
• Niu Ben becomes increasingly insecure about his position. He worries that Hu Cuihua’s intelligence and eloquence will make him irrelevant beside Jiang Yuechu and the Red Flood Dragon, motivating his attempt to eliminate her.
• Hu Cuihua shifts from a frightened survivor to a desperate political asset. She displays flexibility, shameless pleading, and useful knowledge, successfully convincing Jiang Yuechu that she may be worth keeping alive.
• Nishang, still trapped in the body of a bald chick, begins to recover mentally and physically. She feels grateful and oddly secure around Jiang Yuechu and Niu Ben, though she is frustrated by being treated like an ordinary baby bird.
• Niu Ben and Hu Cuihua’s relationship becomes openly competitive. Niu Ben sees Hu Cuihua as a threat, while Hu Cuihua views him as an untrustworthy rival willing to betray her after using her labor.

Significant Themes

• Power as deterrence: Jiang Yuechu’s destruction of Formless Mountain is intended to prevent future attacks by making the Great Tang’s enemies fear retaliation.
• Resource accumulation and national development: The treasures recovered from Formless Mountain represent the Great Tang’s transition from a weak state toward a powerful immortal dynasty.
• Pragmatism over morality: Jiang Yuechu judges people according to their usefulness rather than sentiment or conventional justice.
• Survival through adaptability: Hu Cuihua survives by quickly identifying what Jiang Yuechu values and presenting herself as indispensable.
• Insecurity and competition: Niu Ben’s fear of losing favor shows how proximity to power creates rivalry even among allies.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu commands Niu Ben and Hu Cuihua while they excavate the ruins, treating their efforts as repayment for the cultivation power she expended.
• Nishang attempts to thank Jiang Yuechu through birdlike chirps, but Jiang Yuechu dismisses her complaints and tells her to eat more bugs so her feathers will grow back.
• Niu Ben tries to turn Jiang Yuechu against Hu Cuihua by portraying her as a dangerous cannibalistic demon from Spirit Mountain.
• Hu Cuihua counters by kneeling and pleading, offering her knowledge, storytelling ability, and understanding of the Eastern Region as reasons to spare her.
• Jiang Yuechu silences both demons and ultimately shows interest in Hu Cuihua’s intelligence rather than ordering her execution.

Chapter Summary: “Returning to Chang’an”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu returns to Chang’an after her journey to Spirit Mountain/Formless Mountain, arriving by flying through the clouds with Niu Ben and Hu Cuihua.
• Niu Ben proudly shows the bald chick the capital, while Hu Cuihua is overwhelmed by Chang’an’s size, prosperity, and lively mortal atmosphere.
• The two demons contrast sharply in personality: Hu Cuihua responds poetically to the city’s grandeur, while Niu Ben mocks its literary phrasing.
• Bai Yulou, Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Suppression Office, leads officials to welcome Jiang Yuechu. He appears healthy and restored, no longer showing the weakened aura he had previously possessed.
• You Wujiang, Gu Wanlan, and other Demon Suppression Office members also greet her.
• Jiang Yuechu observes that the Incense-Fire Power has greatly strengthened You Wujiang and Gu Wanlan. You Wujiang has reached the late Mountain-Viewing Realm, while Gu Wanlan is close to a breakthrough.
• Bai Yulou reports that the eight hundred members of the Elixir Cauldron Sect have been settled in western Chang’an, along with their alchemy equipment and supplies.
• Jiang Yuechu asks Bai Yulou to have Zhou Xuan meet her so that he can help organize the treasures and materials she obtained from Formless Mountain.
• As the group travels toward the Imperial City, the citizens respectfully make way for Jiang Yuechu.
• Hu Cuihua secretly assesses Chang’an’s cultivators and is shocked by how weak they are. The capital appears to possess no Tower-Climbing Realm expert, making Jiang Yuechu’s extraordinary strength seem even more inexplicable.
• Hu Cuihua invents an elaborate theory that Jiang Yuechu must secretly be the abandoned daughter of a powerful Dao Orthodoxy leader, returning one day to take revenge. Its admiration for her grows into near worship.
• Bai Yulou cautiously begins asking Jiang Yuechu about her confrontation with Spirit Mountain, hinting that the Demon Suppression Office had been prepared to intervene if she and her opponent were both seriously injured.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Remains calm, authoritative, and composed after her dangerous journey. She naturally commands the respect of officials and citizens, while already focusing on practical matters such as organizing resources and strengthening Chang’an.
• Niu Ben: Continues to display a blunt, irreverent personality. His teasing of Hu Cuihua highlights his confidence and his status as the stronger of the two demons.
• Hu Cuihua: Experiences Chang’an for the first time and gains a deeper appreciation for the mortal world. Its observations reveal growing intelligence and awareness of cultivation politics, though its imagination leads it to hilariously exaggerated conclusions about Jiang Yuechu’s origins.
• Bai Yulou: Shows deep loyalty and concern for Jiang Yuechu. His restored condition suggests that he has benefited from recent developments, while his cautious questions indicate how seriously the authorities view her confrontation with Spirit Mountain.
• You Wujiang and Gu Wanlan: Their rapid advancement demonstrates the effectiveness of Incense-Fire Power and suggests that the Great Tang Dynasty’s forces are becoming stronger.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between worldly prosperity and cultivation strength: Chang’an is vibrant and magnificent despite having a weak cultivation foundation, emphasizing that political and cultural greatness do not necessarily depend on martial power.
• The importance of resources and institutions: Hu Cuihua reflects that talent alone cannot create powerful cultivators; methods, wealth, teachers, companions, and suitable environments are essential. Dao Orthodoxies dominate because of their accumulated foundations rather than individual strength alone.
• Jiang Yuechu’s exceptional nature: Her presence in a relatively weak dynasty makes her power seem almost miraculous, reinforcing her image as a peerless figure who exceeds the limitations of her surroundings.
• Loyalty and authority: The formal welcome from Bai Yulou and the Demon Suppression Office shows Jiang Yuechu’s elevated status and the devotion of those serving her.
• Humor through misunderstanding: Hu Cuihua’s dramatic “protagonist” theory and Niu Ben’s blunt mockery provide comic relief amid the chapter’s political and cultivation-focused developments.
• The growth of Great Tang: The settlement of the Elixir Cauldron Sect and the advancement of its martial forces suggest that the dynasty is rapidly accumulating resources and building a stronger foundation.

Character Interactions

• Niu Ben and Hu Cuihua: Their exchange establishes a comedic rivalry. Hu Cuihua speaks in an educated, poetic manner, while Niu Ben dismisses it as pretentious and “sour.”
• Jiang Yuechu and Bai Yulou: Their interaction is formal and respectful. Bai Yulou provides updates on the Elixir Cauldron Sect and cautiously raises the subject of Spirit Mountain, showing both obedience and concern.
• Jiang Yuechu with You Wujiang and Gu Wanlan: She silently evaluates their progress, recognizing the benefits of Incense-Fire Power without making a show of praise.
• Hu Cuihua and Jiang Yuechu: Though Jiang Yuechu does not engage with it directly, Hu Cuihua’s awe-filled observations reveal how intimidating and mysterious Jiang Yuechu appears to outsiders.
• Jiang Yuechu and the citizens of Chang’an: The townspeople’s reverent salutes demonstrate her public prestige and the respect she commands throughout the capital.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu returns to Great Tang and announces that the leading Demon Emperors of Spirit Mountain have been killed.
• She then reveals that she also destroyed Formless Mountain, a major Dao Orthodoxy with thousands of disciples, numerous Tower-Climbing Realm True Persons, and a powerful Chessmaster Realm elder.
• According to Niu Ben, Jiang Yuechu eliminated the Formless Mountain powerhouse and its entire stronghold with a single punch. He boasts that he also helped defeat many of its cultivators, though Hu Cuihua silently recognizes that he is exaggerating his contribution.
• Jiang Yuechu brought back Formless Mountain’s treasures and foundations. She orders Bai Yulou and the Demon Suppression Office to inventory and distribute them so Great Tang’s strongest cultivators can advance more quickly.
• Bai Yulou, You Wujiang, and Gu Wanlan formally pledge to fulfill her expectations.
• At the imperial palace, the Great Tang Emperor anxiously waits for Jiang Yuechu and greets her with obvious relief. He fusses over her safety and personally serves her food.
• Jiang Yuechu introduces Hu Cuihua as a guide she encountered. The frightened tiger demon immediately recognizes the emperor and kneels before him.
• During the meal, the emperor tells Jiang Yuechu that a Demon Emperor recently descended upon Chang’an. Great Tang’s forces, including Wu Shisan True Person, prepared for a desperate battle, but Jiang Yuechu’s Golden Body appeared and defeated the invader so thoroughly that it allegedly made the demon cry for its mother.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu is established as overwhelmingly powerful and increasingly central to Great Tang’s rise. She remains calm and understated despite destroying major demonic and Daoist powers. Her concern for Great Tang is shown through her decision to return Formless Mountain’s resources for the nation’s development.
• Bai Yulou, You Wujiang, and Gu Wanlan are deeply shaken by Jiang Yuechu’s accomplishments. Their shock turns into renewed determination to strengthen Great Tang and obey her orders.
• Niu Ben eagerly uses Jiang Yuechu’s victory to boast, presenting himself as a major participant in the destruction of Formless Mountain. His exaggeration provides comic relief.
• Hu Cuihua remains timid and cautious around powerful figures. She understands Niu Ben’s boasting but wisely keeps silent, and she shows immediate respect and fear toward the emperor.
• The Great Tang Emperor is portrayed as an affectionate and protective elder brother rather than a distant ruler. His concern for Jiang Yuechu is intense, and he takes great pride in the power of her Golden Body and her victories.

Significant Themes

• The rise of Great Tang: Once intimidated by distant Dao Orthodoxies, Great Tang now possesses the strength and resources to challenge and destroy them.
• Overwhelming power and changing status: Jiang Yuechu’s victories completely alter how others view Great Tang’s position in the Eastern Region.
• Nation-building through strength: Jiang Yuechu does not merely defeat enemies; she repurposes their treasures to improve Great Tang’s cultivation foundations.
• Family affection amid grand conflict: The emperor’s anxious welcome and personal care contrast with the chapter’s large-scale battles, emphasizing the close bond between him and Jiang Yuechu.
• Humor through exaggeration: Niu Ben’s inflated account of his own heroism and the emperor’s dramatic retelling of the Demon Emperor’s defeat lighten an otherwise awe-filled chapter.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu calmly informs Bai Yulou and the others of her victories, while they react with disbelief and reverence.
• Niu Ben turns the report into an exaggerated heroic story, and Hu Cuihua privately recognizes his dishonesty.
• Jiang Yuechu commands the Demon Suppression Office to use the captured resources, prompting a solemn pledge from its leaders.
• The emperor greets Jiang Yuechu with overwhelming concern, examines her for injuries, feeds her personally, and listens to her explanation of Hu Cuihua.
• Hu Cuihua’s fearful submission to the emperor highlights the difference between Jiang Yuechu’s casual attitude and the tiger demon’s awareness of imperial authority.
• The emperor and Jiang Yuechu exchange stories about recent battles, revealing that while she destroyed Spirit Mountain and Formless Mountain, her Golden Body independently protected Chang’an from another Demon Emperor.

Chapter Summary: The Strange Wu Shisan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu learns that the massive increase in her Dao Cultivation came from the Golden Body avatar she left in Chang’an. Its defensive mechanism automatically killed a Demon Emperor who had attempted to attack or provoke it.
• During a long family banquet, the emperor talks casually while Jiang Yuechu listens. Afterward, she leaves the palace and gives Zhou Xuan several storage artifacts containing resources from Formless Mountain, instructing him to inventory them.
• Jiang Yuechu searches for Wu Shisan and his disciple, Wang Ziyu, who have been living unusually modestly in Chang’an’s outer city rather than accepting luxurious imperial accommodations. They frequently move between shabby courtyards.
• She finds them in a dilapidated courtyard. Wu Shisan is weak, coughing, and visibly dispirited. He explains that his extremely long-lived body has reached its natural limit: his “oil has run dry, and the lamp has gone out.”
• Wu Shisan attempts to hide the seriousness of his condition, while Wang Ziyu is clearly worried. Jiang Yuechu chooses not to press him for details, believing that Wu Shisan will ask for help if he truly needs it.
• Jiang Yuechu reveals that she has encountered a cultivation obstacle. Although she has only recently entered the Tower-Climbing Realm, she has already reached its Ninth Layer and wants to know why advancing to the Complete Tower-Climbing Realm feels unusually difficult.
• Wu Shisan and Wang Ziyu are stunned by her revelation. Their sorrow over Wu Shisan’s approaching death disappears momentarily as they realize the astonishing speed of Jiang Yuechu’s cultivation progress.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Remains calm, detached, and practical. She treats the Demon Emperor’s death as an unremarkable event, efficiently manages Great Tang’s resources, and respects Wu Shisan’s privacy rather than forcing him to explain his illness. Her rapid advancement to the Ninth Layer of the Tower-Climbing Realm further establishes her as extraordinarily powerful.
• Wu Shisan: His usual carefree, eccentric, and irreverent persona gives way to genuine weakness and resignation. He acknowledges that even cultivators at the Tower-Climbing Realm are not truly immortal. Despite his failing body, he still tries to maintain his image as an unworldly master.
• Wang Ziyu: Shows clear concern for his master and becomes unusually serious. His shocked reaction to Jiang Yuechu’s cultivation proves how extraordinary her progress is.

Significant Themes

• The limits of immortality: Wu Shisan’s condition challenges the belief that high-level cultivators can live forever. Even those who appear immortal may eventually reach the end of their lifespan.
• Extraordinary cultivation talent: Jiang Yuechu’s almost absurdly rapid advancement contrasts sharply with Wu Shisan’s slow decline, emphasizing the different stages and destinies of cultivators.
• Detachment and personal boundaries: Jiang Yuechu cares enough to visit Wu Shisan but refuses to intrude on his hidden troubles. Her restrained attitude reflects both emotional control and a belief that people should ask for help when necessary.
• The contrast between appearance and reality: Wu Shisan acts like a carefree old master while secretly facing death, whereas Jiang Yuechu appears quiet and ordinary despite possessing overwhelming strength.
• Power used indirectly: Jiang Yuechu’s Golden Body protects Chang’an automatically, demonstrating how immense power can operate without her direct intervention.

Character Interactions

• The emperor proudly observes Jiang Yuechu’s calm response to the Demon Emperor’s death, treating her composure as a source of familial pride.
• Jiang Yuechu entrusts Zhou Xuan with the task of organizing Formless Mountain’s resources, showing their practical working relationship.
• Jiang Yuechu and Wang Ziyu meet at Wu Shisan’s temporary residence, where his initial surprise and serious demeanor reveal that something is wrong.
• Jiang Yuechu questions Wu Shisan about his condition, but he deflects her concern and changes the subject.
• The chapter’s emotional tension is abruptly overturned when Jiang Yuechu casually reveals her Ninth-Layer cultivation. Wu Shisan and Wang Ziyu are left speechless, their concern replaced by astonishment.

Jiang Yuechu asked Wu Shisan why she could not advance to the complete Tower-Climbing Realm, and he discovered that she had tempered her primordial spirit with only one kind of heart material. The chapter ended with Wu Shisan warning that her lone support could not bear the strain of a breakthrough and might cause her primordial spirit to shatter.

• Jiang Yuechu told Wu Shisan that her spiritual energy was overflowing but something prevented her from advancing.
• Wu Shisan explained that cultivators normally reached the complete Tower-Climbing Realm once their spiritual energy and primordial spirit were ready.
• Wu Shisan asked how many kinds of heart material Jiang Yuechu had fused into her primordial spirit, and she said she had used only Twelve-Colored Rosy Cloud Silver.
• Wang Ziyu realized Jiang Yuechu had never sought other heart materials after he once accompanied her to find one.
• Wu Shisan scolded Jiang Yuechu and warned that forcing a breakthrough with only one heart material could shatter her primordial spirit.

Jiang Yuechu learned that she could overcome her stalled cultivation by finding supreme heart materials, and Wu Shisan offered her a lead on one called waterfire coldsmoke coal. Wu Shisan explained that he wanted the Great Tang to grow strong enough to protect its people, leaving Jiang Yuechu with his token and a path to the rare material.

• Wu Shisan warned Jiang Yuechu not to rush her breakthroughs by filling her primordial spirit with inferior heart materials.
• Jiang Yuechu planned to ask Zhou Xuan to search the treasures taken from Formless Mountain for suitable heart materials.
• Wu Shisan revealed that he knew where waterfire coldsmoke coal could be found and gave Jiang Yuechu a wooden token to present to its guardians.
• Jiang Yuechu questioned why Wu Shisan had not kept the supreme heart material for himself or given it to Wang Ziyu, and Wu Shisan explained that his Dao Path was severed and Wang Ziyu had the Mysterious Truth Grotto-Heaven to support him.
• Wu Shisan told Jiang Yuechu that the Great Tang needed the material and said he hoped it could forge its own path and spare its people from ruin.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu thanks Wu Shisan for his help. In return, Wu Shisan asks his disciple, Wang Ziyu, to guide her to a distant destination in the Eastern Region.
• Wang Ziyu hesitates because he is worried about leaving his aging and weakened master, but Wu Shisan dismisses his concern and orders him to go.
• Jiang Yuechu and Wang Ziyu depart together, leaving Wu Shisan alone in his ruined courtyard. In a moment of melancholy, Wu Shisan reflects on the meaning of home and whether peace of heart can make any place a homeland.
• At Lone Peak, Junior Sister Xu struggles with the trauma of Azure Luan Mountain’s destruction and Senior Brother Liu’s death. Her Primordial Spirit is badly damaged, and she blames herself for the disaster.
• Wang Canglan comforts her, stabilizing her Primordial Spirit and reassuring her that surviving was already an achievement. He promises that she can use the cave’s Parting Flame Essence to rebuild her body.
• Once outside the cave, Wang Canglan’s gentle demeanor disappears. He reveals to True Person Zhuge that he intends to pursue Jiang Yuechu—not merely for revenge, but to obtain her essence, blood, and soul.
• Wang Canglan’s Nine-Turn Pure Yang Golden Scripture has reached a dangerous stage. The overwhelming Pure Yang qi is consuming his organs, and he needs an extremely yin substance to balance his cultivation.
• His original plan was to use Xu Ling’er as the necessary harmonizing vessel, but he hesitated because she was his junior sister. After Jiang Yuechu destroyed his medicinal resources and disrupted his plans, he decided she would be a superior substitute.
• True Person Zhuge warns that Wang Canglan has only one chance to succeed before the Pure Yang Fire destroys him, but ultimately allows him to leave.
• Wang Canglan flies off to confront Jiang Yuechu, while Zhuge predicts that if he returns, he may advance into the Chessmaster Realm.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates humility and gratitude by sincerely thanking Wu Shisan. She accepts his assistance without unnecessary ceremony and begins the next stage of her journey.
• Wang Ziyu shows deep filial loyalty and concern for Wu Shisan, hesitating to leave because of his master’s poor condition. Nevertheless, he obeys and accompanies Jiang Yuechu.
• Wu Shisan appears irritable and dismissive, but his words reveal loneliness, resignation, and uncertainty about where he belongs. His reflections suggest he is quietly confronting mortality and the loss of companionship.
• Junior Sister Xu is emotionally shattered by the destruction of Azure Luan Mountain and Liu’s death. She views herself as responsible, but Wang Canglan’s comfort temporarily restores her sense of safety.
• Wang Canglan is presented as outwardly compassionate and refined but inwardly ruthless. His care for Xu Ling’er is genuine to some extent, yet he is ultimately willing to sacrifice her—or Jiang Yuechu—for his own cultivation and supposed mission to save the world.
• True Person Zhuge confirms his favoritism toward Wang Canglan. Although he recognizes the danger of Wang’s plan, he treats Liu and Xu as secondary figures and ultimately supports Wang’s ambitions.

Significant Themes

• Home and belonging: Wu Shisan questions whether homeland is defined by geography or by the place where one’s heart can rest peacefully.
• Sacrifice for the greater good: Wang Canglan believes he is pursuing the salvation of the world, but his methods require exploiting and killing others.
• The conflict between compassion and ambition: Wang Canglan’s tenderness toward Xu Ling’er contrasts sharply with his plan to use another woman as a cultivation resource.
• Trauma and guilt: Xu Ling’er’s damaged Primordial Spirit reflects the psychological consequences of catastrophe, while Wang Canglan attempts to soothe her pain.
• Master-disciple relationships: Wang Ziyu’s relationship with Wu Shisan is based on genuine affection and loyalty, whereas Zhuge’s relationship with Wang Canglan is shaped by favoritism and instrumental judgment.
• Cultivation as self-destruction: Wang Canglan’s pursuit of greater power has placed him in mortal danger, forcing him to find a way to control the Pure Yang Fire before it consumes him.

Character Interactions

• Wu Shisan and Jiang Yuechu: He offers her practical help while rejecting formal thanks, establishing a relationship of reluctant generosity and mutual respect.
• Wu Shisan and Wang Ziyu: Wu Shisan hides his affection behind insults, pushing Wang Ziyu away to ensure he survives rather than remains behind out of loyalty.
• Wang Canglan and Xu Ling’er: He acts as a gentle protector, calming her Primordial Spirit and promising her a future, though his private plans reveal that his affection is limited by his ambition.
• Wang Canglan and True Person Zhuge: Their exchange exposes Wang’s true motives and Zhuge’s willingness to permit extreme measures for the sake of his favored disciple.
• Wang Canglan and Jiang Yuechu: Though they do not meet directly in the chapter, Jiang Yuechu becomes the target of Wang’s pursuit and the key obstacle to his cultivation plan.

Chapter Summary: “Deriving Lightning Arts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After returning from Formless Mountain, Jiang Yuechu retreats to a quiet hall in the Imperial City to assess her gains.
• Her Dao Cultivation has risen to 4,723,540 years, despite spending more than two million years fighting the old Daoist Hun Yuan. The destruction of Formless Mountain yielded roughly 300,000 years from its disciples, while the remainder of her gains apparently came from hidden demons and devils within the mountain.
• Jiang Yuechu experiments with upgrading the White-Eyed Demon Emperor scroll rather than directly enhancing the associated technique.
  • Spending 1.3 million years raises the demon emperor to the Eye-Pointing level and grants the Rare Seven-White Body-Shattering Method at Minor Accomplishment.
  • Spending another 1.8 million years elevates it to Heaven-Natured and completes the technique.
• The completed method triggers an enormous golden-white lightning phenomenon. Lightning erupts from Jiang Yuechu’s body and eyes, tearing through the night sky above Chang’an and frightening the city’s inhabitants.
• At the Demon Suppression Headquarters, Bai Yulou, You Wujiang, and Gu Wanlan initially suspect an enemy attack. Bai Yulou recognizes Jiang Yuechu’s aura and orders the guards to reassure the populace, claiming that the Demon Suppression Office is practicing lightning arts.
• The citizens gradually calm down and even cheer for the supposed training, allowing the authorities to avoid panic.
• After the lightning subsides, Jiang Yuechu’s remaining Dao Cultivation stands at 1,623,540 years. She deliberately preserves this reserve as a safeguard against powerful enemies.
• She then takes out the golden seal seized from the Crimson Heavens Demon Emperor. Using the Flesh-and-Bone Furnace, she devours and refines the seal into her body.
• The refinement grants her a powerful new ability: she manifests a massive golden-seal phantom and demonstrates its crushing suppression power.

Character Development

• Jiang Yuechu becomes more strategic and cautious. Although she has accumulated tremendous cultivation, she refuses to spend everything, recognizing the importance of retaining hidden reserves for unforeseen threats.
• She also demonstrates increasing mastery over her cultivation system, correctly identifying that upgrading the demon emperor first is necessary to obtain and improve the linked technique.
• Her growing strength is made clear by the lightning phenomenon and her ability to refine a powerful imperial artifact into a personal combat technique.
• Bai Yulou shows sound judgment by quickly distinguishing Jiang Yuechu’s aura from that of an invading enemy and managing the resulting public panic.
• You Wujiang and Gu Wanlan are positioned as capable but initially uncertain subordinates, relying on Bai Yulou’s perception and authority.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through risk and destruction: Jiang Yuechu’s dangerous journey to Formless Mountain ultimately produces an enormous reward.
• Strategic resource management: The chapter emphasizes that overwhelming strength is not enough; Jiang Yuechu must preserve cultivation as a trump card.
• Transformation and absorption: Both the demon technique and the golden seal are converted into new personal abilities, reflecting Jiang Yuechu’s practice of turning external power into her own.
• Public order and perception: The Demon Suppression Office controls fear through a convenient explanation, showing how official narratives maintain stability.
• Escalating strength: The chapter marks another stage in Jiang Yuechu’s advancement, moving from lightning arts to physical refinement and artifact-derived techniques.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu has no direct conversation in the chapter but interacts indirectly with the people of Chang’an through the lightning phenomenon she causes.
• Bai Yulou, You Wujiang, and Gu Wanlan confer at the Demon Suppression Headquarters when the lightning appears. Bai Yulou reassures them that it is Jiang Yuechu’s power rather than an invasion.
• The Demon-Suppression Guards calm frightened citizens by claiming that powerful officials are practicing lightning arts. The citizens accept the explanation and shift from fear to admiration.
• Jiang Yuechu’s use of the golden seal establishes a continuing connection to the previously defeated Crimson Heavens Demon Emperor, whose spoils now become part of her growing arsenal.

After another blast shook Chang'an, Old Li and a fellow Demon-Suppression Guard calmed the panicked citizens with a fabricated explanation that the palace was being demolished by a Martial Immortal. In the Imperial City, Jiang Yuechu’s imperial brother learned that Princess Zhaoyue’s Residence was complete and invited her to move in the next day, which she agreed to do.

• Old Li and the younger Demon-Suppression Guard were startled by a second explosion that sent citizens fleeing into the streets.
• Old Li claimed the palace halls were being demolished by a Martial Immortal, and the guards persuaded the citizens to return home.
• Jiang Yuechu’s imperial brother reassured her about the Golden Jade Palace’s collapse while the minister of works took the blame for neglecting its repairs.
• The minister of works reported that Princess Zhaoyue’s Residence had been completed the previous day and described its fine construction and furnishings.
• Jiang Yuechu’s imperial brother invited her to move into the residence the next day, and Jiang Yuechu agreed.

Jiang Yuechu moved into her lavish new residence, where Wei Qing visited and her demon followers argued over their housewarming gifts. Meanwhile, the emperor pressed the court officials to bring gifts worthy of Zhaoyue, warning them that she had emptied Formless Mountain’s treasury.

• The emperor unveiled Princess Zhaoyue's Residence, and crowds gathered to marvel at its extravagant construction.
• Wei Qing visited Jiang Yuechu, who invited her to stay and help look after the residence.
• Old Red Flood Dragon mocked Niu Ben's crystalline beast-bone gift, and Hu Cuihua tried unsuccessfully to calm their argument.
• The emperor and court officials arrived at the residence, where he praised the Ministry of Works for its construction.
• After ordering preparations for the housewarming brazier, the emperor warned the officials to bring impressive gifts and mentioned Jiang Yuechu's raid on Formless Mountain's treasury.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Emperor tricks the court officials into presenting valuable gifts to Jiang Yuechu under the pretext of an auspicious ceremony. Once they realize how dangerous Jiang Yuechu is, the officials panic and send servants racing back to their residences for hidden treasures.
• Although the Emperor pretends to care about the offerings, his real motive is to surround Jiang Yuechu with ordinary human activity and worldly relationships. He fears that her rapidly increasing power and emotional detachment will eventually elevate her beyond mortal affairs.
• Jiang Yuechu subdues the three demons—Hu Cuihua, Niu Ben, and the Old Red Flood Dragon—after they quarrel too loudly, leaving them bruised and kneeling obediently.
• Jiang Yuechu prepares to leave with Wang Ziyu to search for something. The demons eagerly ask to accompany her.
• She refuses Niu Ben because he must care for his vulnerable, half-feathered “eldest sister,” and refuses the Old Red Flood Dragon because it must remain as keeper of the True Lord Temple and lacks sufficient cultivation for the dangerous journey.
• Hu Cuihua silently hopes to join Jiang Yuechu, dreaming of traveling throughout the Eastern Region, but the chapter ends before Jiang Yuechu responds to her request.

Character Developments

• The Emperor: Reveals himself as a calculating but concerned elder brother. His manipulation of the officials is intended not for wealth, but to keep Jiang Yuechu connected to mortal life and prevent her from becoming an emotionless immortal detached from Great Tang.
• Jiang Yuechu: Remains powerful, blunt, and emotionally reserved. She casually punishes the quarrelling demons and makes practical decisions based on responsibility and strength, while showing a small degree of consideration by explaining her plans and apologizing to Wang Ziyu for the delay.
• Niu Ben: Displays his desire for freedom and eagerness to serve Jiang Yuechu, but ultimately accepts responsibility for caring for his weak elder sister.
• The Old Red Flood Dragon: Becomes increasingly anxious about losing his favored place beside Jiang Yuechu. His exaggerated declarations of loyalty reveal both comic desperation and genuine insecurity about his usefulness.
• Hu Cuihua: Emerges as ambitious and curious. Unlike the others, she does not openly plead, but she longs to explore the world and learn from Jiang Yuechu’s strength.
• Wang Ziyu: Acts patient and accommodating, assuring Jiang Yuechu that he can wait until she is free before guiding her.

Significant Themes

• Human connection versus transcendence: The Emperor fears Jiang Yuechu will become so powerful that she abandons mortal emotions, relationships, and obligations.
• Power and usefulness: The demons measure their worth by their ability to accompany and assist Jiang Yuechu, while the Old Red Flood Dragon worries that his lower cultivation makes him replaceable.
• Duty and responsibility: Niu Ben must prioritize his vulnerable sister, and the Old Red Flood Dragon must remain at the temple despite his desire to travel.
• Comedy amid danger: The chapter contrasts Jiang Yuechu’s overwhelming strength and the officials’ fear with the demons’ petty quarrels, injuries, jealousy, and frantic attempts to gain her favor.

Character Interactions

• The Emperor manipulates the officials while indirectly attempting to shape Jiang Yuechu’s connection to society.
• Jiang Yuechu disciplines the three demons with effortless physical force, establishing her authority over them.
• Wang Ziyu interacts respectfully and patiently with Jiang Yuechu, reinforcing their cooperative relationship.
• Niu Ben, the Old Red Flood Dragon, and Hu Cuihua compete—openly or silently—for the chance to accompany Jiang Yuechu, creating a humorous rivalry.
• Jiang Yuechu’s refusals expose the different obligations and weaknesses of the three demons, especially the Old Red Flood Dragon’s growing “workplace crisis” as he fears being replaced.

Jiang Yuechu chose Hu Cuihua to accompany her to the distant You Mountain Grand Vein in search of waterfire coldsmoke coal. After Hu Cuihua described the demon-dominated Self-Growing Earth Lineage, Jiang Yuechu asked Wang Ziyu to confirm whether the claims were true.

• Jiang Yuechu chose Hu Cuihua as her traveling companion, leaving Niu Ben and Old Red Flood Dragon jealous and disappointed.
• Wang Ziyu explained that the You Mountain Grand Vein lay across the Eastern Region and that a powerful local cultivator lineage guarded the heart material.
• Hu Cuihua said ancient accounts described the You Mountain Grand Vein as a region where demons held sway.
• Hu Cuihua revealed that the region contained the Self-Growing Earth Lineage, a Dao orthodoxy whose members were mostly demons and whose leader was rumored to be a Great Demon.
• Jiang Yuechu asked Wang Ziyu whether Hu Cuihua's account was true.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Wang Ziyu confirms rumors about the Self-Growing Earth Lineage: it is secretive, surrounded by demons and monsters, and based near the You Mountain Grand Vein. Its inhabitants value bloodlines and clans, making conflict dangerous because harming one person may provoke an entire clan.
• He warns Jiang Yuechu to avoid unnecessary trouble there, since their main objective is obtaining the Heart Material.
• The Great Tang Emperor arrives with numerous officials to celebrate Jiang Yuechu’s new residence. A housewarming ritual begins with her stepping over a brazier for good luck and the expulsion of negative energy.
• The officials present Jiang Yuechu with extravagant treasures, pressured by the Emperor and intimidated by her strength. Although the gifts are valuable, Jiang Yuechu finds the ministers’ pained expressions more amusing than the treasures themselves.
• Bai Yulou arrives with members of the Demon Suppression Office. Instead of presenting a conventional treasure, they offer historical case files, geographical records, and information about secret locations and local customs. Jiang Yuechu recognizes that this is more practically useful than the other gifts.
• A large celebratory feast follows, filled with food, wine, music, dancing, and comic interactions among the guests and demon companions.

Character Development

• Jiang Yuechu appears composed and self-assured, subtly amused by the Self-Growing Earth Lineage’s connection to demons. She demonstrates that she values useful knowledge over wealth and treasures.
• Her attitude toward the housewarming reflects a lively, unrestrained personality: rather than rejecting ceremony, she participates decisively and enjoys the festivities.
• Wang Ziyu acts as a cautious guide, aware that Jiang Yuechu is powerful but also prone to provoking trouble. His exasperation suggests familiarity with her impulsive confidence.
• The Great Tang Emperor is portrayed as enthusiastic and proud, organizing the celebration and taking pleasure in forcing his officials to provide impressive gifts.
• Bai Yulou shows thoughtfulness and strategic awareness by offering information that may genuinely aid Jiang Yuechu’s future travels.
• Gu Changge continues to admire and revere Jiang Yuechu, viewing her as the reason Great Tang survived and prospered.
• The demon characters remain comically awkward around one another, especially Niu Ben, Hu Cuihua, and the Red Flood Dragon.

Character Interactions

• Wang Ziyu questions Jiang Yuechu’s suspicious excitement and warns her against antagonizing the demon clans.
• The Emperor affectionately calls her “Gu Yue,” guides the housewarming ritual, and encourages the officials to present their gifts.
• Jiang Yuechu evaluates the gifts and gives special attention to Bai Yulou’s records, appreciating their practical value.
• The feast creates humorous exchanges: Wei Qing drinks with You Wujiang, Gu Changge is intimidated by Niu Ben, and Hu Cuihua’s attempt to be friendly with the Red Flood Dragon ends in embarrassment.
• Jiang Yuechu observes the lively gathering from a position of authority but also participates by drinking and enjoying the atmosphere.

Significant Themes

• Freedom over conventional immortality: The chapter’s central idea is that true immortality is not merely endless life or cultivation, but the freedom to live according to one’s heart.
• Practical knowledge over material wealth: Jiang Yuechu values maps, records, and intelligence more than rare treasures, emphasizing usefulness over ostentation.
• Community and vitality: The celebration contrasts the usual secrecy, schemes, and struggles of immortal cultivation with ordinary joy, friendship, food, wine, and shared celebration.
• Power and responsibility: Jiang Yuechu’s strength inspires gratitude and fear, but she chooses to use her position to enjoy life rather than maintain distant solemnity.
• Comedic relief and camaraderie: The interactions among humans, officials, and demons blur traditional boundaries and create a sense of a lively, unconventional household.

After settling into Princess Zhaoyue's Residence, Jiang Yuechu weighed her cultivation needs and received Zhou Xuan, who had finished cataloguing the spoils from Formless Mountain. Zhou Xuan began reporting on the heart materials, soul techniques, and Chess-Condensing Method she had specifically requested.

• Jiang Yuechu settled into Princess Zhaoyue's Residence as her imperial elder brother sent hundreds of servants to staff it, while Niu Ben, Old Red Flood Dragon, and Hu Cuihua claimed outer courtyards as guards.
• Jiang Yuechu considered finding heart material, a soul-tempering method, and the Chess-Condensing Method to advance her cultivation.
• A maid told Jiang Yuechu that Zhou Xuan of the Elixir Cauldron Sect had arrived with important news, and Jiang Yuechu asked that he wait in the front hall.
• Zhou Xuan recalled discovering that the storage treasures Jiang Yuechu had entrusted to him contained vast quantities of loot marked as belonging to Formless Mountain.
• Jiang Yuechu met Zhou Xuan, who reported that the pills, treasures, techniques, spiritual plants, and ores from Formless Mountain had been counted and sorted.
• Zhou Xuan began telling Jiang Yuechu what they had found among the heart material, soul techniques, and Chess-Condensing Method she had requested.

Jiang Yuechu received Exquisite Coral, a supreme-grade Heart Material, from Zhou Xuan and used it to strengthen her primordial spirit, bringing her closer to completing the Tower-Climbing Realm. She also ordered Zhou Xuan to refine pills to raise Great Tang’s cultivators, while the chapter ended with her primordial spirit transformed and her second Heart Material completed.

• Zhou Xuan gave Jiang Yuechu soul-related jade slips and three Heart Materials, including the supreme-grade Exquisite Coral.
• Zhou Xuan identified the Exquisite Coral as a legendary Dragon Palace treasure that could temper the primordial spirit, and Jiang Yuechu rewarded him with merit.
• Jiang Yuechu ordered Zhou Xuan to oversee the refining of Lamp-Lighting Elixirs and pills that could take cultivators directly to Mountain-Viewing.
• Jiang Yuechu considered Great Tang’s need for powerful cultivators, then went to her meditation chamber to cultivate.
• Jiang Yuechu used the Soul-Worshiping Might-Unleashing Method to absorb the Exquisite Coral, transforming her primordial spirit and completing her second Heart Material.

At a wedding in Cinnabar Radiance City, the Ma Family gave its eldest granddaughter to Demon Emperor Juechen as a concubine to protect the clan from the Cold Mountain Demon Emperor. The festivities were interrupted when a child, a timid Tiger Demon, and a stunning girl in black arrived at the residence.

• The Ma Family hosted a lavish wedding feast attended by human cultivators and demons.
• Two human guests revealed that the Ma Family had arranged the marriage to Demon Emperor Juechen after the patriarch's grandson killed a demon from Cold Mountain Ridge.
• Old Master Ma greeted the wedding guests with a smile while concealing his bitterness and humiliation.
• A concealed flying boat tore through the clouds, and three newcomers landed outside the Ma Residence: a child, a meek Tiger Demon, and a beautiful girl in black.