Chapter Summaries

Jiang Yuechu unleashed her full power and killed Skywater Qilin, overcoming his Heavenly One Divine Hand despite the gap in their cultivation. She then hunted down the fleeing black bird demon, leaving all three Great Demons of the Cloud-Dream Palace dead.

• Skywater Qilin summoned the Azure Dragon Black Elephant with the Heavenly One Divine Hand, but Jiang Yuechu used three Dao Chess pieces and a storm of talismans to halt its descent.
• Jiang Yuechu charged Skywater Qilin and unleashed Blood-Devouring Heaven, engulfing and destroying the Azure Dragon Black Elephant.
• Skywater Qilin desperately resisted Jiang Yuechu's palm, but she pierced his chest, drew his heart's purple-gold blood, and shattered his body with a punch.
• The black bird demon tried to flee, but Jiang Yuechu caught up and crushed it with a palm.
• All three Great Demons of the Cloud-Dream Palace lay dead.

Summary of “Greedy and Foolish”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Feiyan races back to the Jieqing Sect’s encampment after witnessing Guest Elder Jiang charge alone into the dangerous Immortal-God Cave Abode.
• She reports the situation to her master, Jing Shui True Lord, interrupting preparations for the sect’s planned entry into the cave abode’s formation the following day.
• Gao Qingxiu argues that Jiang acted recklessly and should be left to face the consequences, warning that organizing a rescue could endanger the entire Jieqing Sect.
• Jing Shui True Lord agrees that the sect cannot openly disrupt its plans or search for Jiang, since rival factions are watching and any movement could make the Jieqing Sect a target.
• She nevertheless orders the disciples to remain alert and watch for Jiang when they enter the formation.
• Lin Feiyan pleads for a rescue but is rebuked by Gao Qingxiu for breaking sect rules and risking the sect’s interests over an outsider. She reluctantly leaves, deeply disappointed.
• Afterward, Jing Shui cautions Gao Qingxiu not to be overly harsh toward Lin Feiyan. She reflects privately on whether his extreme lack of compassion is truly compatible with cultivation and humanity.

Character Developments

• Lin Feiyan is shown to be impulsive but deeply compassionate. Although frightened by Jiang’s actions, she returns immediately to seek help and refuses to view Jiang as merely expendable. Her concern stems from Jiang’s previous willingness to fight demons and protect others.
• Jing Shui True Lord demonstrates practical leadership and political caution. She recognizes Jiang’s extraordinary talent and understands why the sect values her, but she prioritizes the safety and strategic position of the entire Jieqing Sect. At the same time, she worries that Gao Qingxiu’s coldness may have gone too far.
• Gao Qingxiu is established as disciplined, rational, and highly capable, but also severe and emotionally detached. He interprets Jiang’s actions as greed and recklessness, and considers saving her an irresponsible use of sect resources.
• Guest Elder Jiang remains offstage, but her reputation develops through others’ reactions. Her talent, boldness, ruthlessness, and willingness to confront danger have impressed some elders, while her refusal to become a personal disciple has led Gao Qingxiu to view her as calculating and self-serving.

Significant Themes

• Individual courage versus collective responsibility: Jiang’s daring pursuit of opportunity conflicts with the sect’s need to protect its larger interests.
• Compassion versus cold pragmatism: Lin Feiyan believes Jiang deserves help because of her past actions, while Gao Qingxiu judges her solely by the risks and consequences of her choice.
• The cost of ambition: The chapter questions whether Jiang’s boldness is admirable courage or foolish greed, leaving her motives deliberately ambiguous.
• Humanity in cultivation: Jing Shui wonders whether abandoning all emotion in pursuit of the Dao produces a true immortal—or someone who has become emotionally dead.
• Political danger and strategic restraint: The cave abode is not only physically perilous but also surrounded by competing factions, making even a rescue attempt potentially disastrous.

Character Interactions

• Lin Feiyan and Jing Shui: Lin Feiyan anxiously seeks her master’s aid, while Jing Shui listens but ultimately refuses to authorize a rescue.
• Lin Feiyan and Gao Qingxiu: Their disagreement exposes opposing values. Lin Feiyan emphasizes loyalty and kindness; Gao Qingxiu emphasizes rules, discipline, and sect survival. His harsh rebuke leaves her unable to defend herself.
• Jing Shui and Gao Qingxiu: Jing Shui respects Gao Qingxiu’s judgment and sees him as a dependable future leader, but she warns him to show more kindness toward his junior sister.
• The sect and Jiang: The Jieqing Sect admires Jiang’s exceptional potential but remains unwilling to fully support her after she repeatedly rejects its offers and now acts independently.

After Jiang Yuechu annihilated the demons threatening Chang'an, she healed the wounded and dying with a single gesture. The city’s survivors began to recover and rebuild, while Jiang Yuechu left them behind.

• Chang'an’s citizens and cultivators celebrated Jiang Yuechu’s overwhelming victory as Lu Changfeng and the High Ancestor realized how extraordinary her strength was.
• Jiang Yuechu recorded the Skywater Qilin, then returned to the ruins as the Old Red Flood Dragon and the others mourned Niu Ben and the many wounded.
• Jiang Yuechu told everyone to bring Niu Ben and anyone still breathing to her, while the emperor went to oversee Chang'an’s recovery.
• Jiang Yuechu healed the gathered injured with emerald light and left after saying she had something else to attend to.
• Niu Ben awoke fully restored and learned the demons were dead, prompting laughter as Great Tang’s survivors celebrated their survival.

Chapter Summary: Enemies Under Heaven

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating three Great Demons of Cloud-Dream, Jiang Yuechu leaves Chang’an without celebrating. Although Great Tang has survived the immediate crisis, she realizes that the true danger is only beginning.
• The restrictions surrounding the Immortal-God Cave Abode—revealed to be the entire territory of Great Tang—will weaken completely by the following dawn. At that point, numerous Chessmaster Realm cultivators, demons, and monsters from the Cloud-Dream Realm will be able to enter.
• Jiang Yuechu understands that these outsiders will seek the Dao Painting, a treasure powerful enough to provoke the entire Cloud-Dream Realm. The human cultivators and demons alike are willing to sacrifice Great Tang’s ordinary people for their own advantage.
• Determined to protect Great Tang, Jiang Yuechu decides that she cannot surrender the Dao Painting. She resolves to strengthen herself before the coming invasion.
• Before doing so, she turns her attention to an old enemy: the Breath Soil hag from Cloud-Dream Palace. Jiang Yuechu realizes that the hag lied when she claimed she would report the situation and ask Cloud-Dream Palace to repair the world’s Dao Painting. If she had truly delivered the message, Cloud-Dream Palace would likely have descended and destroyed Great Tang while seizing the treasure.
• Jiang Yuechu travels to Self-Growing Earth Mountain, where the old woman is preparing to return to Cloud-Dream Palace in triumph.
• The hag dresses in a ceremonial purple-gold cloak, believing that Jiang Yuechu’s actions have earned her immense credit and restored her standing in Cloud-Dream Palace. She eagerly anticipates recognition for revealing the Dao Painting’s existence.
• Jiang Yuechu arrives aggressively, clearly intending to settle the betrayal. The hag mistakes her cold manner for ordinary arrogance and warmly invites her inside, unaware of Jiang Yuechu’s hostility.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu becomes more aware of the enormous responsibility before her. She recognizes that she is effectively standing alone against powerful humans, demons, and monsters, but refuses to surrender to fear.
• Her priorities shift from merely surviving to actively protecting the people of Great Tang. She accepts that the Dao Painting must be defended, even if doing so makes her the enemy of nearly everyone seeking it.
• Jiang Yuechu also shows a colder, more deliberate side. Rather than immediately attacking, she approaches the old hag with controlled hostility and lets the woman remain unaware of the danger.
• The old Breath Soil hag is revealed as manipulative and self-serving. She lied to Jiang Yuechu, intending to claim credit for reporting the Dao Painting and regain status in Cloud-Dream Palace.
• Her excitement exposes a deep longing for recognition and home. After years of isolation, she believes the ritual garment will remind Cloud-Dream Palace of her identity and accomplishments.
• The fox woman remains cautious and observant. She senses Jiang Yuechu’s hostile intent and urges the old woman to activate the mountain’s defenses, but her warning is dismissed.

Significant Themes

• The coming invasion and helplessness of the mortal world: Great Tang has survived one battle, but the arrival of powerful outsiders threatens to overwhelm the entire land.
• Protection versus personal ambition: Jiang Yuechu seeks to preserve ordinary life, while the Cloud-Dream cultivators and demons view Great Tang primarily as a source of treasure, blood food, and opportunity.
• Betrayal and deception: The old hag’s false promise demonstrates how easily trust is exploited in a world dominated by power and self-interest.
• Recognition and belonging: The hag’s obsession with returning to Cloud-Dream Palace reveals her desire to be remembered and valued after years of exile.
• The burden of standing alone: Jiang Yuechu understands that defending Great Tang may place her against “all beneath heaven,” yet she chooses responsibility over safety.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu internally condemns the old hag’s deception and arrives at Self-Growing Earth Mountain intending to settle the debt.
• The fox woman warns the hag that Jiang Yuechu’s arrival is dangerous and likely hostile.
• The hag ignores the warning because she believes Jiang Yuechu has helped secure her return to Cloud-Dream Palace. She adopts a falsely warm, elder-like manner and asks whether Cloud-Dream Palace issued further instructions.
• Jiang Yuechu refuses to answer directly and instead requests an invitation inside, masking her intentions behind a faint smile.
• The chapter ends with the hag happily welcoming her into the hall, unaware that Jiang Yuechu is likely preparing to confront or punish her.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a cold hall on Self-Growing Earth Mountain, an ancient fox-demon woman hosts Jiang Yuechu and offers her rare spiritual tea.
• The old woman assumes Jiang Yuechu intends to join Cloud-Dream Palace, a powerful demonic organization in the Cloud-Dream Realm. She promises to recommend Jiang Yuechu for admission in return for the valuable information Jiang previously delivered.
• Jiang Yuechu dismisses the offer and reveals that she has come for another purpose. She then unexpectedly kills the fox girl servant with a burst of crimson power.
• The old woman realizes Jiang Yuechu is attacking her and attempts to escape by summoning withered trees, roots, vines, and miasma.
• Jiang Yuechu effortlessly destroys the defensive attack, demonstrating a dramatic increase in strength. She reveals that she has already killed three demons from Cloud-Dream Palace and sarcastically offers to make the number even by killing the old woman.
• A fierce battle follows. Jiang Yuechu uses Moon-Companion Starbow, Parting Flame, and overwhelming blood-colored power to burn through the old woman’s vines and shatter half her body in a single exchange.
• The old woman begs for her life, arguing that Cloud-Dream Palace could offer Jiang Yuechu an extraordinary future. Jiang Yuechu rejects this “stairway to heaven” and kills her with another crimson strike.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Yuechu receiving nearly 3.9 million years of Dao Cultivation for defeating a Chessmaster Realm cultivator.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Becomes far more powerful and confident, showing no fear of Cloud-Dream Palace or its reputation. She is calm, mocking, and decisive, choosing to eliminate potential enemies rather than seek advancement through their organization. Her battle abilities—especially her crimson killing power, Moon-Companion Starbow, and Parting Flame—are portrayed as overwhelming.
• The old woman: Shifts from benevolent and patronizing to frightened and desperate. Initially believing she can recruit Jiang Yuechu through promises of status, she is forced to recognize that Jiang Yuechu has surpassed her expectations. Her confidence collapses into terror and pleading once her attacks fail.
• The fox girl servant: Serves tea at the beginning but is immediately killed when Jiang Yuechu reveals her hostile intent, emphasizing the sudden brutality of the encounter.

Significant Themes

• Power versus authority: Cloud-Dream Palace’s immense reputation cannot intimidate Jiang Yuechu, suggesting that personal strength can outweigh institutional influence.
• Rejection of conventional advancement: The old woman views Cloud-Dream Palace as a “stairway to heaven,” but Jiang Yuechu refuses the promised status and chooses her own path.
• Hidden strength and misjudgment: The old woman mistakes Jiang Yuechu’s calmness for willingness to cooperate and fails to understand how greatly her power has grown.
• Irony and dark humor: Jiang Yuechu twists the old woman’s language about “soaring to heaven,” using it as a grim euphemism for killing her.
• Retribution and elimination of threats: Jiang Yuechu acts decisively against figures connected to Cloud-Dream Palace, apparently pursuing her own objectives without leaving dangerous witnesses behind.

Character Interactions

• The old woman treats Jiang Yuechu with exaggerated respect and offers her spiritual tea and a possible position in Cloud-Dream Palace.
• Jiang Yuechu remains detached, politely accepting the tea while concealing her true intentions.
• Their diplomatic exchange abruptly becomes violent when Jiang Yuechu kills the servant and attacks the old woman.
• The old woman attempts to intimidate Jiang Yuechu by invoking Cloud-Dream Palace’s power, but Jiang Yuechu mocks that authority and reveals she has already killed three of its demons.
• After defeating the old woman, Jiang Yuechu ignores her pleas and delivers the final blow, ending the relationship as one between a desperate victim and an utterly dominant killer.

Jiang Yuechu used the Skywater Qilin’s gift to create an Immortal-Grade Dao Chess piece, then spent Dao Cultivation to master the Demon-Defeating Eight Spears. She left with greater reserves and a powerful new Spirit Art as the great formation’s activation loomed.

• Jiang Yuechu decided to postpone condensing the weaker demons’ bodies and examined her Dao Cultivation and recorded demons.
• Jiang Yuechu activated the Skywater Qilin’s Chess Transmutation gift and created a fourth Dao Chess piece, an Immortal-Grade piece.
• Jiang Yuechu calculated that her two Spirit-Grade and two Immortal-Grade pieces could boost her reserves by 180 percent when deployed.
• Jiang Yuechu spent 4,723,100 years of Dao Cultivation to reach Vermilion Coloring on the Skywater Qilin scroll and obtained the perfected Spirit Art Demon-Defeating Eight Spears.

Chapter Summary: “Finally, It Had Arrived”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu activates the fourth Dao Chess piece, which transforms into a powerful dragon-scale spear.
• Using the Immortal-Grade Dao Chess enhancement and the Demon-Defeating Eight Spears, she unleashes a devastating attack across Self-Growing Earth Mountain.
• Her single strike destroys the mountain range, disperses the miasma, and kills countless demons and devils.
• The deaths grant her 3.1 million years of Dao Cultivation, giving her greater confidence and more resources to face the coming calamity.
• Jiang Yuechu stores the spear back inside her Central Palace and senses strange thunder gathering above the Ninth Heaven, realizing that the anticipated upheaval is finally beginning.
• Elsewhere, cultivators from the Nine Great Dao Sects and numerous Rogue Cultivators gather outside an Immortal-God Cave Abode.
• The cave’s ancient restrictions remain powerful despite the passage of countless ages, preventing even powerful Cloud-Dream Realm cultivators from entering before its opening.
• The leaders notice the suspicious absence of Cloud-Dream Palace’s demon forces. Lingxu True Lord warns the sects to remain alert, suspecting a hidden plot.
• At dawn, the cave abode opens. Rogue Cultivators rush inside first, while the Nine Great Dao Sects wait and observe.
• Lingxu True Lord declares that the sects will not monopolize the entrance and allows the Rogue Cultivators to seek their own opportunities. He then orders the sect disciples to form up and enter.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates a major increase in strength. Her mastery of the enhanced Demon-Defeating Eight Spears allows her to annihilate an entire demon-infested mountain range with one blow.
• Her accumulation of 3.1 million years of Dao Cultivation gives her renewed confidence and strategic security as the world’s impending crisis approaches.
• Jiang Yuechu remains cold, controlled, and decisive, treating the demons’ deaths as both punishment and a practical means of preparing for the future.
• Lingxu True Lord is portrayed as experienced and cautious. Although the cave abode amazes him, he does not allow greed to override his judgment and immediately recognizes the danger in Cloud-Dream Palace’s absence.
• Jing Shui True Lord becomes suspicious about Jiang Yuechu’s disappearance and wonders whether the supposedly weak guest elder may somehow be connected to the missing demons, though she dismisses the idea as implausible.

Significant Themes

• Power and preparation: Jiang Yuechu uses overwhelming strength to gather resources before the coming calamity, emphasizing the importance of preparation over passivity.
• The gap between cultivation and comprehension: The ancient cave formation shows that deep Dao and formation understanding can remain formidable even when an expert’s cultivation foundation is no longer superior.
• Greed versus caution: The Rogue Cultivators rush toward the cave’s treasures, while the great sects act more carefully, recognizing that the apparent opportunities may conceal danger.
• Impending catastrophe: The strange thunder and Jiang Yuechu’s reaction signal that major changes are approaching the world.
• Hidden schemes and uncertainty: Cloud-Dream Palace’s unexplained absence suggests that the cave-abode expedition is part of a larger, potentially dangerous plan.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu has no direct interaction with the other cultivators in this chapter, but her actions indirectly affect the wider situation by eliminating the demons near Self-Growing Earth Mountain.
• Lingxu True Lord and Jing Shui True Lord discuss the absence of Cloud-Dream Palace and agree that the anomaly likely indicates a concealed threat.
• Jing Shui privately considers whether Jiang Yuechu’s disappearance is connected to the situation but rejects the possibility because of Jiang Yuechu’s apparent low cultivation.
• Lingxu True Lord addresses the Rogue Cultivators respectfully, granting them permission to enter rather than allowing the Nine Great Dao Sects to monopolize the cave.
• He then commands the sect disciples to enter in formation, establishing order after the Rogue Cultivators’ chaotic rush.

The Cloud-Dream Palace arrived outside the Immortal-God Cave Abode and proposed waiting to see which side’s disciples emerged alive. Inside, Lin Feiyan was mistaken for a threat by Great Tang soldiers and captured after her spell produced flowers instead of an attack.

• The Cloud-Dream Palace’s demon army surrounded the valley, and True Lord Jing Shui realized its Painting Realm powerhouses intended to blockade the entrance.
• A brocade-robed Cloud-Dream Palace man proposed that both sides wait outside while their disciples fought inside the cave abode.
• Lin Feiyan arrived in a ruined city, where Cui Yuan and the Demon-Suppression Guards ordered her and nearby rogue cultivators seized.
• Niu Ben knocked out a rogue cultivator with a stone pillar, and the guards prepared to arrest Lin Feiyan.
• Lin Feiyan tried to cast a spell, but it created fragrant flowers, so Cui Yuan’s guards netted and gagged her.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Feiyan, a Chessmaster Seven Pieces cultivator, easily breaks free from the refined-steel net used by Chang’an’s martial forces.
• She releases her overwhelming qi, immediately frightening Niu Ben and Cui Yuan. Realizing they cannot possibly defeat her, they quickly abandon their hostile attitude and pretend their attempted capture was merely a joke.
• Lin Feiyan questions Cui Yuan about her surroundings, learning that she has entered the Immortal-God Cave Abode, a strange realm where humans and demons coexist under the Great Tang dynasty.
• Cui Yuan explains that Chang’an recently survived an attack by three powerful demons from Cloud-Dream Palace, but that the Eldest Princess, Jiang Yuechu, defeated them single-handedly.
• Shocked by Jiang Yuechu’s strength, Lin Feiyan becomes eager to meet her, hoping to gain the protection or assistance of such a powerful figure.
• Cui Yuan cautiously refuses to take her directly to the princess, claiming that Jiang Yuechu is recovering in secluded cultivation. He instead arranges for Lin Feiyan to stay in Chang’an while he reports her arrival.
• After Lin Feiyan is escorted away, Cui Yuan drops his polite façade and orders Niu Ben to report to the emperor. He asks that Jiang Yuechu be summoned immediately to deal with the dangerous newcomer.

Character Developments

• Lin Feiyan is established as vastly stronger than the local martial artists, though she is not hostile or bloodthirsty. Her attitude shifts from dismissive confidence to caution after learning about Jiang Yuechu’s ability to kill Cloud-Dream Palace demons.
• She also demonstrates practical judgment, choosing to remain in Chang’an rather than wander through an unfamiliar and dangerous realm. Her interest in meeting Jiang Yuechu reveals her desire to secure powerful allies and locate her missing fellow disciples.
• Cui Yuan shows both fear and political caution. He instantly changes from an aggressive interrogator to a deferential negotiator once Lin Feiyan reveals her cultivation. However, he remains suspicious and carefully avoids exposing Jiang Yuechu’s whereabouts.
• Niu Ben is intimidated by Lin Feiyan’s aura and becomes noticeably more cooperative after realizing the gap between their strengths.
• Jiang Yuechu, though absent from the chapter, gains greater stature through the others’ descriptions. Her defeat of the Cloud-Dream demons makes her appear almost invincible even to an outsider of Lin Feiyan’s level.

Significant Themes

• Strength determines authority: Cui Yuan and Niu Ben’s behavior changes instantly when confronted with Lin Feiyan’s true cultivation, highlighting the importance of power in this world.
• Appearances and hidden power: Lin Feiyan initially seems like a vulnerable outsider, while Chang’an’s supposedly weak natives are protected by the immensely powerful Jiang Yuechu.
• Caution amid uncertainty: Both sides avoid open conflict because neither fully understands the other. Lin Feiyan chooses safety, while Cui Yuan prioritizes surveillance and reporting.
• Humor through social adaptability: Cui Yuan and Niu Ben’s shameless reversal—from attempting to capture Lin Feiyan to calling it a joke—provides comic relief and emphasizes their survival instincts.
• The world broadens: References to the Immortal-God Cave Abode, Cloud-Dream Palace, and the Great Tang reveal a larger, interconnected setting filled with powerful factions and outsiders.

Character Interactions

• Lin Feiyan confronts Cui Yuan and Niu Ben, overpowering them psychologically without attacking.
• Cui Yuan uses flattery and diplomacy to calm her, while Niu Ben awkwardly supports his explanation.
• Lin Feiyan questions Cui Yuan about the realm, the Great Tang, demons, and Jiang Yuechu’s achievements.
• After Lin Feiyan leaves, Cui Yuan privately reveals his true concern and orders Niu Ben to seek help from Jiang Yuechu, effectively asking her to “come save” them from the unknown cultivator.

A young man from the Southern Immortal Palace abandoned his search for the Dao Painting and headed east to seek other treasures and blood food. In Chang'an, Jiang Yuechu took charge after powerful strangers appeared across the Great Tang, while Lin Feiyan warned her about the fearsome Eldest Princess without realizing Jiang Yuechu was there.

• The moon-white-robed young man decided the Dao Painting was too difficult to obtain and set off to explore the Immortal-God Cave Abode for other legacies.
• Niu Ben reported that powerful demonic newcomers had appeared in the city, and officials reported unfamiliar cultivators across the Great Tang.
• Jiang Yuechu ordered the authorities to increase patrols and leave the newcomers alone unless they caused trouble.
• Jiang Yuechu found Lin Feiyan eating roast chicken in a courtyard and asked why she was there.
• Lin Feiyan complained about being netted by local martial artists and warned Jiang Yuechu about the savage Eldest Princess who ate demons raw.

Lin Feiyan learned that Jiang Yuechu was the Eldest Princess, while cultivators gathered in Chang'an and the Hundred Flowers Valley disciples retrieved their fallen comrades. Celestial music then announced that the hidden treasures of the Immortal-God Cave Abode had begun to emerge.

• Jiang Yuechu told Lin Feiyan to stay and help look after things, and Niu Ben revealed her identity as the Eldest Princess.
• Cultivators gathered at Chang'an's ruins to regroup, while Great Tang moved civilians into protected areas of the city.
• Zhao Zhongliu escorted the Hundred Flowers Valley disciples to the sixteen bodies of their comrades, which their leader collected along with their belongings.
• Rogue cultivators speculated that the Nine Great Dao Sects had already made plans in the Immortal-God Cave Abode after seeing Hundred Flowers Valley enter the inner city unchallenged.
• Celestial music rang across the land, and Jiang Yuechu and the other cultivators realized that the hidden treasures had begun to emerge.

Jiang Yuechu sensed the treasures emerging as the Immortal-God Cave Abode opened, left her spirit sword to guard Chang'an, and headed toward the celestial phenomenon. At a broken stele, rogue cultivators hesitated to claim an opportunity until Wusang Sect disciples arrived and changed the mood.

• Jiang Yuechu sensed the world's hidden reserves being released, sent her spirit sword down to guard Chang'an, and flew toward the heavens.
• Rogue cultivators gathered around a broken stele whose golden glow strengthened with the immortal music, but none dared approach first.
• A gray-robed old man proposed that the cultivators act together to test and break any restrictions around the stele.
• Dark-robed Wusang Sect disciples arrived, and the rogue cultivators debated whether they should still compete for the opportunity.
• After learning the group belonged to Wusang Sect, the bushy-bearded cultivator apologized and left, while the others asked what made the sect special.

Senior Brother Zhang tried to persuade the rogue cultivators to help the Wusang Sect investigate the restrictions beneath a broken stele in the Immortal-God Cave Abode. He offered Origin-Restoring Pills and promised the sect would honor any agreement, but the cultivators remained wary as some began reconsidering.

• The rogue cultivators fled after learning the newcomers were from the Wusang Sect, whose disciples had a reputation for violence.
• Senior Brother Zhang reprimanded his junior disciples for frightening away potential scouts and explained that they needed help investigating the broken stele safely.
• Senior Brother Zhang invited the remaining rogue cultivators to investigate together and promised the Wusang Sect would not bully them, but they distrusted his assurances.
• Senior Brother Zhang offered an Origin-Restoring Pill to anyone who helped and swore the Wusang Sect would exchange something of equal value for any treasure they found.
• The bushy-bearded man said Senior Brother Zhang's promise made sense, while the thin man reminded him that he had just been preparing to leave.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Several Rogue Cultivators agree to help the Wusang Sect investigate the restriction beneath a broken stele after Senior Brother Zhang offers them Origin-Restoring Pills as payment.
• Zhang secretly instructs his disciples to cripple anyone who tries to seize the treasure and flee, while maintaining a polite public façade to protect the Wusang Sect’s reputation.
• More than ten cultivators combine their auras to probe the restriction. Their power activates the stele, causing ancient characters to glow and revealing a damaged, palm-sized jade tablet.
• The tablet is recognized as an immortal god relic, immediately transforming the cooperative atmosphere into one of concealed greed and suspicion.
• The bearded Rogue Cultivator, Fang, boldly grabs the tablet. When nothing happens, he realizes he has obtained it safely, while the others regret their hesitation.
• Senior Brother Zhang congratulates Fang courteously, making Fang and the other cultivators believe the Wusang Sect will respect the agreed arrangement.
• Zhang suddenly attacks with dark-red blood threads, injuring Fang and attempting to force him to surrender the relic.
• When another Rogue Cultivator condemns the Wusang Sect’s dishonorable ambush, a threatening voice declares that judgment only matters if they survive.
• Zhang’s junior disciple initially assumes Zhang has ordered the group to kill everyone, but Zhang tells them to prepare to defend instead.
• A vast purple mist rolls in from the horizon, accompanied by beastly roars. The cultivators recognize the approaching force as Cloud-Dream Palace, revealing that the ominous threat was not Zhang’s statement at all.

Character Developments

• Senior Brother Zhang demonstrates calculating pragmatism. He uses generosity and courtesy to recruit allies and lower their guard, but is fully prepared to attack once the relic appears.
• Zhang also shows concern for the Wusang Sect’s public reputation. Although willing to use ruthless methods, he avoids openly appearing to bully or rob others without justification.
• The young Wusang disciple is naïve and overly literal. He interprets Zhang’s instructions as permission to kill, then becomes confused when ordered to defend instead, highlighting his inexperience.
• Fang, the bearded Rogue Cultivator, displays courage and opportunism by taking the initiative when others hesitate. His confidence turns to shock and fury when Zhang attacks him.
• The other Rogue Cultivators reveal that their claims of solidarity are fragile; once the relic appears, greed, regret, and suspicion quickly replace cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Beneath politeness lies competition: Courteous words about friendship and service to the human race conceal self-interest and the readiness to betray.
• Reputation versus ruthlessness: The Wusang Sect attempts to preserve its standing while still employing underhanded tactics, showing the tension between public morality and survival.
• Opportunity rewards decisiveness—but also invites danger: Fang gains the relic by acting first, yet possessing it makes him the immediate target of stronger forces.
• Survival takes priority over moral judgment: The chapter’s title is emphasized by the approaching Cloud-Dream Palace: accusations and justice are meaningless if no one survives the confrontation.
• Miscommunication and hidden threats: The final exchange demonstrates that the cultivators have misunderstood the source of the threatening voice, creating sudden uncertainty and danger.

Character Interactions

• Zhang bargains with the Rogue Cultivators through pills, appealing to both their greed and their sense of duty.
• He privately instructs his disciples to punish potential thieves while publicly presenting himself as fair and restrained.
• Fang and Zhang exchange polite compliments after Fang obtains the relic, but both remain suspicious of the other.
• Zhang’s sudden attack shatters the pretense of cooperation, prompting another Rogue Cultivator to defend Fang and denounce the Wusang Sect.
• Zhang’s junior disciple misunderstands the situation, while the arrival of Cloud-Dream Palace forces the Wusang Sect and Rogue Cultivators to confront a larger common threat.

The Cloud-Dream Palace demons arrived and demanded the humans surrender their discovery, but Jiang Yuechu descended and killed their Heaven-Shaking Rhinoceros with two spear strikes. The other two demons remained frozen in shock as the rhinoceros was pinned to the hillside.

• Three Cloud-Dream Palace demons landed and demanded that the bearded man hand over his find.
• Senior Brother Zhang objected, but the horned demon claimed everything in the Cloud-Dream Realm belonged to the Cloud-Dream Palace.
• A blood-red mist swept across the sky, and Jiang Yuechu descended with the Demon-Defeating Eight Spears.
• The horned demon transformed into a Heaven-Shaking Rhinoceros and charged Jiang Yuechu's spear.
• Jiang Yuechu shattered the rhinoceros's horns and pierced its skull, killing it.

Chapter Summary: Shattering Everything, Slaying Three Demons in Fury

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu assesses Cloud-Dream Palace’s formidable foundation but demonstrates that her own power, enhanced by two Immortal-Grade Dao Chess pieces, is even more overwhelming.
• She kills a Cloud-Dream prodigy, the Heaven-Shaking Rhinoceros, with a single thrust of the Dragon-Scale Longspear and stores its corpse.
• The remaining two Cloud-Dream Great Demons—the short, fat demon and the gray-winged demon—are shocked and immediately decide to flee after realizing they cannot match her.
• Zhang Xingzhi, a direct disciple of Wusang Sect, praises Jiang Yuechu and introduces himself. She ignores him, remaining focused on the fleeing demons.
• Zhang orders the Wusang disciples to attack. Nearby rogue cultivators also join the battle, putting aside their earlier conflict with Wusang Sect to resist the demons.
• The two demons evade the group by transforming into purple mist and escaping in opposite directions.
• Jiang Yuechu pursues both simultaneously:
  • She throws the Dragon-Scale Longspear at the gray-winged demon.
  • She personally chases the short, fat demon and attacks it with the Blood Palm Art.
• The short, fat demon uses all eight of its Dao Chess pieces to strengthen its body and prepare for the strike. Jiang Yuechu suddenly invests five hundred thousand years of Dao Cultivation into the Blood Palm Art, dramatically increasing its power.
• Her palm tears open the demon’s back. She then shatters its jaw, preventing it from using its purple-mist escape technique, and kills it with a devastating Qilin-enhanced punch through the head.
• Jiang Yuechu receives 3,943,500 years of Dao Cultivation for killing the Chessmaster Realm demon.
• The gray-winged demon, seeing its companion die, abandons its wounded wing and continues fleeing. It hopes to reach the Little Heavenly General, believing that his power beneath the Painting Realm can defeat Jiang Yuechu.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu is revealed to be exceptionally powerful, decisive, and ruthlessly efficient. She combines the Demon-Defeating Eight Spears, Blood Palm Art, and Qilin-infused physical attacks, while also using her accumulated Dao Cultivation to strengthen techniques instantly.
• Zhang Xingzhi shifts from surprise to admiration and curiosity. Jiang Yuechu’s use of the Blood Palm Art makes him suspect she may be a hidden prodigy connected to Wusang Sect.
• The Cloud-Dream demons lose their initial confidence and become desperate survivors. The short, fat demon attempts a direct defense but is overwhelmed, while the gray-winged demon sacrifices a wing and abandons its companion to escape.
• The rogue cultivators and Wusang disciples put aside their hostility temporarily to confront the greater threat posed by the demons.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and hidden talent: Jiang Yuechu’s abilities exceed what others believe possible, causing both humans and demons to question her identity and origins.
• Adaptability in battle: Jiang Yuechu does not rely on one technique; she switches between spear combat, pursuit, Blood Palm Art, and Qilin-enhanced physical attacks.
• Fear and survival: The demons’ transformation from confident attackers to panicked fugitives highlights the terror created by an opponent they cannot overcome.
• Cooperation against a common enemy: Despite prior tension between Wusang Sect and the rogue cultivators, both sides unite when the demons become the immediate threat.
• Ruthlessness and decisiveness: Jiang Yuechu shows no interest in conversation or mercy, eliminating enemies before they can recover or use their strongest abilities.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Xingzhi openly praises Jiang Yuechu and introduces himself, but she responds only with an indifferent glance.
• Zhang then directs the Wusang disciples into battle, indirectly supporting Jiang Yuechu’s pursuit.
• Rogue cultivators follow Wusang’s lead and join the fight.
• The gray-winged demon’s escape is driven by its hope of reaching the Little Heavenly General, establishing him as a potential future threat and the demons’ last source of confidence.

Jiang Yuechu killed three Cloud-Dream prodigies and claimed a treasure from the survivors, while the Little Heavenly General slaughtered cultivators in the Myriad Demon Marsh and turned his attention to finding the Dao Painting. The chapter left him confident that no human cultivator could stop him.

• Jiang Yuechu landed after killing three Cloud-Dream prodigies, leaving the onlookers terrified and Zhang Xingzhi wondering whether she had killed his junior brother Sima.
• Jiang Yuechu demanded the item from the broken stone tablet, and the bearded man feared refusing her.
• The Little Heavenly General killed a fourth-piece Chessmaster rogue cultivator with an arrow as his attendants praised his skill.
• The Little Heavenly General learned his followers had found no trace of the Skywater Qilin or the demons scattered through the cave abode.
• The Little Heavenly General prioritized finding the Dao Painting and declared that humanity's cultivators could not stop him.

Jiang Yuechu received the jade token from the bearded rogue cultivator, then used it to open a hidden compartment beneath the broken stele. Inside, she found a wrist guard whose pure aura suggested it was a Dao-Union Relic.

• The bearded rogue cultivator gave Jiang Yuechu the jade token and warned her that the Wusang Sect had attacked him after he obtained it.
• The rogue cultivators left, and Zhang Xingzhi led the Wusang Sect disciples away after deciding to consult the sect's elders.
• Jiang Yuechu chose not to pursue the Wusang Sect, recalling Chang'an's debt to outsiders who had fought to protect it.
• Jiang Yuechu fitted the jade token into the broken stele, revealing a sealed stone case beneath the earth.
• Jiang Yuechu opened the case and found a translucent wrist guard that she suspected was a Dao-Union Relic.

Jiang Yuechu perfected her Chess-Condensing Method and used the Cloud-Brushing Bracer to condense a Dao Chess piece. The relic’s power drew her into a strange vision where she had become a child among unfamiliar cultivators.

• Jiang Yuechu spent 15.2 million years of Dao Cultivation to perfect the Hell-Suppressing Evil-Subduing Chess-Condensing Chapter, strengthening her Central Palace.
• Jiang Yuechu shattered the Cloud-Brushing Bracer and refined its fragments, learning its name and legend as its power entered her body.
• Jiang Yuechu was transported into a cloud-filled valley and discovered she had a child’s body and wore a plain gray tunic.
• Jiang Yuechu met the blue-robed youth Jieqing, who scolded her for letting her mind wander during meditation.
• Baihua defended Jiang Yuechu, while Wusang criticized her lack of discipline, and Jieqing tried to smooth over their argument.

Chapter Summary: “Cloud Dream’s Past”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu enters an illusion or memory in which she becomes a young junior disciple in a secluded cultivation valley. Although she knows she is an outsider observing the scene, the physical sensations and emotions feel completely real.
• The valley’s master teaches that true immortality is not merely escaping death. A genuine immortal must understand the joys and sufferings of living beings and remain willing to enter the mortal world.
• A tense discussion arises over the Heavenly Court. Wusang questions what happens if Heaven forbids immortals from descending, while the master declares that the Heavenly Court does not truly govern or save the mortal world.
• Jiang spends what seem to be years training alongside the disciples Jieqing, Baihua, and Wusang:
  • Jieqing carefully guides her cultivation and secretly gives her sweets.
  • Baihua brings warmth and humor to the group, defending the value of enjoying life.
  • Wusang harshly trains Jiang, forcing her to improve through painful sparring.
• Jiang eventually manages to touch Wusang’s sleeve during a match, earning his restrained praise and the delight of Baihua and Jieqing.
• One day, the sky splits open and heavenly forces appear. The master announces that he is going to confront Heaven and “ask a question” of those who want him to submit.
• Before leaving, he instructs his disciples to descend into the mortal world, establish a Dao tradition, destroy demons and evil, and protect ordinary people. He tells them that if Heaven opposes them, they must fight Heaven for supremacy, destiny, and the Dao.
• The master recognizes that Jiang Yuechu is not the original girl who belonged in the memory. He nevertheless tells her that she may be able to continue his path and advises her to wait for those who come after if she reaches the end of her journey alone.
• Heavenly generals and armies appear, including a terrifying three-eyed, lion-faced warrior. The disciples bid farewell as their youthful forms blur into the older figures who will eventually establish a Dao Sect.
• The master finally reveals his identity: he is the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Becomes emotionally immersed in the valley’s life and forms bonds with the disciples despite knowing the setting is not truly hers. Her initial resentment toward Wusang’s harshness turns into determination, discipline, and genuine progress. The master’s recognition of her outsider status suggests that her role may extend beyond merely witnessing the past.
• Jieqing: Is established as responsible, disciplined, and gentle. He corrects Jiang’s training while quietly caring for her, acting as a supportive senior brother.
• Baihua: Represents warmth, joy, and compassion. She dislikes excessive hardship and repeatedly comforts Jiang, balancing the severity of cultivation with affection and appreciation for life.
• Wusang: Initially appears cold and severe, treating Jiang as though she were already an enemy. His demanding training pushes her to improve, and his brief praise after she touches his sleeve reveals respect beneath his harsh exterior.
• The Cloud Dream Immortal Lord: Emerges as a principled rebel against heavenly authority. He values compassion, mortal experience, and independent action over submission to Heaven, while also showing deep affection and concern for his disciples.

Significant Themes

• True immortality: Immortality is defined by compassion, awareness, and participation in the mortal world rather than physical longevity alone.
• Resistance to heavenly authority: The chapter challenges the legitimacy of the Heavenly Court, presenting Heaven as a force that may control destiny and suppress those who oppose it.
• Passing on a legacy: The master’s instructions establish a tradition that must continue through successive generations, even if its founders are defeated or lost.
• Perseverance and collective struggle: The disciples are told to continue walking the path, protect ordinary people, and wait for future allies rather than abandoning their ideals.
• Memory, identity, and destiny: Jiang’s presence in the past raises questions about whether the illusion is a memory, a historical imprint, or something capable of altering her own fate.
• Balance between hardship and joy: The contrasting personalities of Jieqing, Baihua, and Wusang show different approaches to cultivation—discipline, enjoyment, and relentless combat.

Character Interactions

• The master’s philosophical teachings shape the disciples’ understanding of immortality and their relationship with Heaven.
• Wusang’s brutal training clashes with Jiang’s defiance, producing both conflict and eventual mutual recognition.
• Baihua acts as Jiang’s protector and emotional support, criticizing Wusang while treating Jiang’s injuries.
• Jieqing mediates the group’s dynamics through patient instruction and quiet kindness.
• The final farewell unites all the disciples as they acknowledge the master and prepare to carry on his teachings.
• The master’s private exchange with Jiang is especially significant: he identifies her as an outsider yet entrusts her with the possibility of continuing his unfinished mission.