Chapter Summaries

Jiang Yuechu reflected on the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord’s history, then completed her fifth Dao Chess piece and tested its power. After receiving an urgent message from Lin Feiyan, she flew back toward Chang'an.

• Jiang Yuechu reasoned that the Nine Great Dao Sects may have originated among the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord’s disciples and considered how the realm’s past might connect to the Great Tang.
• Jiang Yuechu decided to focus on her immediate cultivation and completed the fifth Dao Chess piece using the Cloud-Brushing Bracer.
• Jiang Yuechu discovered that the new piece let her move clouds and force a distant hill underground through thought alone.
• Jiang Yuechu received an urgent message from Lin Feiyan asking her to return and discuss an important matter.
• Jiang Yuechu put away the token and flew toward Chang'an.

Lin Feiyan confronted Gao Qingxiu over his plan to trade the people of Chang'an to Northern Mang Ridge in exchange for its service. She challenged her senior brother's appeal to the greater good and realized she no longer recognized the person he had become.

• Lin Feiyan asked Gao Qingxiu why Northern Mang Ridge's cultivators were waiting outside, and he said he had promised them people in exchange for their help.
• Lin Feiyan argued that they should not target Chang'an, whose people had ties to Guest Elder Jiang, but Gao Qingxiu dismissed her concerns as misplaced priorities.
• Gao Qingxiu and the Northern Mang Ridge elder defended taking some mortals, claiming it would serve the Jieqing Sect and protect the human race from worse dangers.
• When Lin Feiyan reached for her sword, Gao Qingxiu warned her not to disappoint him, and she lowered her hand.
• Lin Feiyan asked whether Gao Qingxiu would accept the same reasoning if the Jieqing Sect were powerless, then stood her ground when he called her insolent.

Jiang Yuechu returned to the courtyard and confronted Gao Qingxiu and Northern Mang Ridge over their plan to trade the city’s mortals for support. After a single spear strike drove back the gray-robed elder and several cultivators, Gao Qingxiu summoned twelve Dao Chess pieces and warned her she could not bear the price of opposing him.

• Lin Feiyan’s sword phantom shattered against Gao Qingxiu’s attack, and he threatened her for obstructing him.
• Jiang Yuechu arrived, praised Lin Feiyan, and stopped Gao Qingxiu’s next move with a kick.
• Gao Qingxiu defended exchanging the city’s mortals for Northern Mang Ridge’s service, while Jiang Yuechu refused to back down.
• Jiang Yuechu revealed her Immortal-grade Dao Chess and struck the gray-robed elder and nearby Northern Mang Ridge cultivators into the outer city.
• Gao Qingxiu summoned twelve Dao Chess pieces and gave Jiang Yuechu a final chance to withdraw.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Qingxiu reveals the full extent of his power by summoning twelve Dao Chess pieces, including Treasure-Grade, Spirit-Grade, and one Immortal-Grade piece.
• Jiang Yuechu remains completely unshaken. She activates her Central Palace and releases a massive blood mist that covers Chang’an.
• Five Dao Chess pieces appear around her, and three Immortal-Grade pieces merge into her body. Gao Qingxiu is stunned that someone in the Fifth-Piece Chessmaster Realm can withstand such overwhelming power.
• Jiang Yuechu unleashes the Demon-Defeating Eight Spears, striking Gao Qingxiu with devastating force. Although he catches the spear with both hands, his body is severely damaged, and the resulting explosion destroys much of Chang’an’s inner city.
• Powerful figures from the Imperial City begin to investigate but withdraw after recognizing that the Eldest Princess—Jiang Yuechu—has personally intervened. They instead protect civilians from the battle’s aftermath.
• Gao Qingxiu is blasted through multiple walls and left kneeling amid the ruins. Realizing Jiang Yuechu’s potential surpasses the value of Northern Mang Ridge, he attempts to end the conflict diplomatically without admitting defeat.
• Jiang Yuechu refuses to respond verbally and instead strikes him across the face with a blood-light-infused palm, sending him outside Chang’an and leaving half his face mangled.
• Humiliated and enraged, Gao Qingxiu decides to display the true might of a Jieqing Sect direct disciple. He absorbs all twelve Dao Chess pieces into his body, dramatically increasing his aura, and prepares to unleash Seven Origins—Calamity Release.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, composure, and ruthlessness. Her ability to wield three Immortal-Grade Dao Chess pieces confirms her extraordinary foundation. She does not negotiate or boast, allowing her actions to establish her dominance.
• Gao Qingxiu: Initially confident that his twelve Dao Chess pieces will secure victory, he becomes shocked and fearful after Jiang Yuechu easily overwhelms him. Though he recognizes her immense value and briefly considers retreating, his pride and responsibility as a Jieqing Sect direct disciple prevent him from yielding. His humiliation reignites his determination to fight.
• Lin Feiyan: Shows concern for Jiang Yuechu when Gao Qingxiu reveals his full strength, but her worry proves unnecessary.
• Imperial City experts: Their decision to withdraw rather than interfere reflects their recognition of Jiang Yuechu’s authority and superior position.

Significant Themes

• Power versus status: Gao Qingxiu’s identity as a Jieqing Sect direct disciple gives him prestige, but Jiang Yuechu’s actual strength proves more important than institutional authority.
• Pride and dignity: Gao Qingxiu cannot retreat because doing so would damage the Jieqing Sect’s reputation and his own standing, even after recognizing that Jiang Yuechu is overwhelmingly powerful.
• Hidden foundations and exceptional talent: Jiang Yuechu’s ability to use three Immortal-Grade pieces while only at the Fifth-Piece Chessmaster Realm emphasizes her extraordinary potential and challenges conventional ideas about cultivation limits.
• Authority and restraint: The Imperial City experts recognize that Jiang Yuechu’s intervention places the battle beyond their jurisdiction, while her calm, decisive violence establishes unquestionable control over the situation.
• Humiliation and escalation: Gao Qingxiu’s defeat is not accepted as an ending. His wounded pride drives him to reveal an even more dangerous technique, setting up the next stage of the confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Gao Qingxiu initially treats Jiang Yuechu as someone who should yield to his authority, but her silence and repeated attacks invert their power dynamic.
• His attempt to negotiate is met with a physical slap rather than words, making clear that Jiang Yuechu has no intention of compromising.
• The surrounding Jieqing Sect disciples become helpless observers as their senior brother is beaten, while Imperial City forces tacitly acknowledge Jiang Yuechu’s authority.
• The chapter ends with Gao Qingxiu absorbing all twelve Dao Chess pieces and preparing a major counterattack, leaving the battle unresolved.

Jiang Yuechu fought Gao Qingxiu, a direct disciple of the Jieqing Sect, and forced him to unleash the dangerous Sevenfold Relief from Calamity. The chapter ended with Gao Qingxiu’s enormous blue blade engulfing Jiang Yuechu in Sword Qi.

• Cultivators watching from Chang'an’s outskirts recognized the battered Gao Qingxiu and saw that Jiang Yuechu had defeated him despite her fifth-piece cultivation.
• Xu Liang and his junior sister watched Jiang Yuechu and discussed her astonishing reserves, including her three Immortal-Grade Dao Chess pieces.
• Gao Qingxiu shattered all twelve of his Dao Chess pieces and activated Sevenfold Relief from Calamity.
• Gao Qingxiu summoned an enormous blue blade and brought it down on Jiang Yuechu as the onlookers fled from its force.
• Jiang Yuechu was engulfed by the blade’s Sword Qi.

Chapter Summary: “What Makes Your Life So Precious?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Qingxiu unleashes an enormous azure Sword Qi attack toward Chang’an, threatening not only Jiang Yuechu but the civilians inside the city.
• Jiang Yuechu survives the attack. A purple Qilin and a giant hand formed from the surrounding clouds stop the sword less than a hundred zhang from Chang’an’s walls.
• Though badly wounded, Jiang Yuechu’s power continues to rise. She destroys Gao Qingxiu’s sword technique with a single strike from the Purple-Gold Spear, causing the surrounding gray mist to explode.
• Jiang Yuechu confronts Gao Qingxiu over his willingness to sacrifice an entire city of ordinary people for the “greater good” of the Jieqing Sect and the Dao.
• When she asks whether he would willingly sacrifice his own life for the same cause, Gao Qingxiu angrily rejects the comparison, revealing his contempt for ordinary mortals.
• Jiang Yuechu acknowledges that mortals may seem insignificant and short-lived, but condemns the supposedly superior cultivators who exploit them while refusing to risk their own lives.
• She attacks Gao Qingxiu, shattering both his arms and impaling him through the shoulder before smashing him into a ruined earthen slope.
• Despite Gao Qingxiu’s threats of retaliation from the Jieqing Sect and the Nine Great Dao Sects, Jiang Yuechu declares that she does not depend on any of them to reach the end of her path.
• The chapter ends as she releases another devastating burst of bloody light toward the helpless Gao Qingxiu, strongly implying that she is about to kill him.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu fully abandons her previous restraint. The danger posed to Chang’an’s civilians awakens a cold, ruthless resolve, and she fights with overwhelming confidence.
• Her morality becomes clearer: although she recognizes the low status and harsh lives of ordinary people, she believes their lives should not be treated as expendable by self-serving cultivators.
• Jiang Yuechu also demonstrates her independence from the major Dao sects. She is no longer concerned with their approval or retaliation.
• Gao Qingxiu is exposed as hypocritical and elitist. He considers ordinary people disposable but views his own life as inherently more valuable.
• His confidence collapses as his ultimate attack fails and he is physically dominated by Jiang Yuechu. His reliance on his identity as a Jieqing direct disciple reveals his dependence on sect authority rather than true moral conviction.
• Lin Feiyan watches Jiang Yuechu’s victory without feeling the outrage expected of her, suggesting a possible shift in her attitude or growing recognition that Gao Qingxiu deserved his defeat.
• The young emperor and Chang’an’s citizens experience intense anxiety as the city’s survival depends on Jiang Yuechu stopping the attack.

Significant Themes

• The value of human life: The chapter challenges the idea that ordinary lives are naturally expendable because they are short, poor, or spiritually insignificant.
• Hypocrisy among the powerful: Gao Qingxiu’s willingness to sacrifice civilians while refusing to sacrifice himself exposes the selfishness hidden behind grand ideals and “the greater good.”
• Moral courage versus ideological righteousness: Jiang Yuechu argues that true righteousness requires those making sacrifices to be willing to bear the cost themselves.
• Independence from institutions: Jiang Yuechu rejects the authority of the Nine Great Dao Sects, asserting that personal conviction matters more than belonging to a powerful organization.
• Justice and retribution: Her attack functions not merely as a battle victory but as punishment for Gao Qingxiu’s contempt toward mortal lives.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Gao Qingxiu: Their confrontation is both physical and ideological. Jiang Yuechu forces Gao Qingxiu to face the contradiction between his treatment of mortals and his view of his own life, then defeats him decisively.
• Jiang Yuechu and the civilians of Chang’an: Though she does not directly address them, her willingness to endure Gao Qingxiu’s attack protects them and demonstrates that their lives matter to her.
• Jiang Yuechu and the Dao Sects: Through Gao Qingxiu, she rejects the sects’ moral authority and makes clear that she will not depend on or submit to them.
• Lin Feiyan and Gao Qingxiu: Lin Feiyan’s lack of indignation at his defeat hints that her loyalty or opinion of him may be weakening.

Chapter Summary: “Establishing a Realm Thus”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu kills Gao Qingxiu, a direct disciple of the Jieqing Sect and one of the Twelve Sons of the Chessmaster Realm, after he challenges her over his plan to sacrifice an entire city of mortals for the “greater good.”
• The surrounding rogue cultivators are terrified by the killing and immediately flee, fearing Jiang Yuechu may attack them next.
• Xu Liang and his junior sister, initially trying to maintain their composure as Lingxu Sect disciples, also panic and escape once they realize Jiang Yuechu might be dangerous.
• The remaining Jieqing Sect disciples are left beside Gao Qingxiu’s corpse. They are too frightened to confront Jiang Yuechu or demand his remains.
• They ask Lin Feiyan, who appears to have some familiarity with Jiang Yuechu, to request permission to retrieve Gao Qingxiu’s body.
• Jiang Yuechu summons Lin Feiyan and simply tells her to take the corpse. She then leaves without explanation or concern for the consequences.
• Jiang Yuechu returns to the Grand Princess Residence, dismisses the servants, and reflects on the killing.
• She decides to remain in Chang’an for one night before leaving to seek the opportunities and fortunes of the wider world.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, decisiveness, and emotional control. Although she did not initially intend to kill Gao Qingxiu, she refuses to tolerate his attempt to cross her moral and personal boundaries. She accepts the political consequences without dwelling on them and views the killing as both justified and useful in deterring future threats.
• Gao Qingxiu: His death reveals the consequences of his arrogance and rigid commitment to sacrificing innocents for a supposed greater good. His status as a direct disciple cannot protect him once he provokes Jiang Yuechu.
• Lin Feiyan: Becomes emotionally conflicted. She is disappointed by Gao Qingxiu’s actions but still grieves because he was her fellow senior brother. Her fear of Jiang Yuechu and the weight of her sect identity leave her feeling trapped, causing her to envy Jiang Yuechu’s freedom.
• The Jieqing disciples: Their confidence collapses after Gao Qingxiu’s death. Though they feel obligated to recover his remains and defend the sect’s dignity, fear prevents them from confronting Jiang Yuechu.
• Xu Liang and the rogue cultivators: Their immediate flight highlights Jiang Yuechu’s terrifying reputation and the instinctive caution she inspires in other cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Power and fear: Jiang Yuechu’s single act of violence reshapes the behavior of everyone around her. Her strength grants her freedom but also isolates her from ordinary social interaction.
• Moral boundaries versus institutional authority: Gao Qingxiu acts in the name of the greater good and sect ideals, but Jiang Yuechu rejects the notion that innocent lives can be casually sacrificed. Personal conviction ultimately outweighs sect status.
• Freedom and responsibility: Jiang Yuechu is willing to bear whatever consequences follow her decision, while Lin Feiyan feels burdened by her identity and obligations as a sect disciple.
• The cost of decisiveness: Jiang Yuechu’s refusal to hesitate gives her control, but her actions may provoke conflict with the Jieqing Sect and the other great Dao sects.
• Isolation: Despite returning to a place that should welcome her, Jiang Yuechu is treated with fear. Her power and independence leave her fundamentally separate from those around her.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Gao Qingxiu’s final confrontation establishes that she will not compromise when someone threatens innocents or challenges her bottom line.
• The rogue cultivators’ silent panic and escape demonstrate their reaction to Jiang Yuechu’s intimidating presence.
• Xu Liang and his junior sister’s exchange provides a brief contrast between outward dignity and inward fear as they rationalize fleeing.
• The Jieqing disciples rely on Lin Feiyan to approach Jiang Yuechu because they are too afraid to do so themselves.
• Jiang Yuechu’s brief interaction with Lin Feiyan is strikingly simple: she neither justifies Gao Qingxiu’s death nor demands Lin Feiyan’s loyalty, merely allowing the body to be taken.
• Lin Feiyan’s reaction shows the emotional distance between them: she admires Jiang Yuechu’s freedom but is unable to escape the obligations imposed by her sect and relationships.

Chapter Summary: “Wu Shisan’s Change”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Mysterious Truth Grotto-Heaven is thrown into disorder after news spreads that its Supreme Seat has disappeared. The sect’s disciples become anxious, its bells ring urgently, and its leaders struggle to manage the uncertainty.
• Wu Shisan, once a respected elder of the Tai’a Lineage, remains secluded in his bamboo dwelling. He spends his days lazily eating, drinking medicine, singing vulgar songs, and refusing to participate in the sect’s affairs.
• His disciple, Wang Ziyu, notices that Wu Shisan has changed drastically since returning from the Great Tang. He appears to have abandoned his former concerns and now wishes only to enjoy his remaining days and “wait for death.”
• Wang Ziyu urges Wu Shisan to respond to Ziyang True Person’s summons and help deal with the Supreme Seat’s disappearance, but Wu Shisan dismisses the crisis and refuses to leave his retreat.
• Outside the dwelling, Wang Ziyu encounters a mysterious, extremely powerful gray-robed man who has bypassed the grotto-heaven’s defenses and arrived without permission.
• The stranger claims that he has come to discuss an important matter with Wu Shisan. When Wang Ziyu challenges him, the man effortlessly breaks apart the defensive sword formation Wang Ziyu is preparing, demonstrating overwhelming strength.
• Wang Ziyu attempts to resist but is quickly beaten. Despite his injuries, he continues to worry about protecting his weakened master and warns the stranger not to exploit Wu Shisan’s condition.
• The chapter ends with Wang Ziyu reluctantly leading the stranger to the bamboo hut and announcing his arrival to Wu Shisan.

Character Developments

• Wu Shisan: His behavior has become markedly more apathetic and self-indulgent. He hides from sect responsibilities, masks his condition with vulgar humor, and claims to have lost interest in worldly affairs. His change suggests deep exhaustion, disillusionment, or emotional damage from recent events.
• Wang Ziyu: He demonstrates loyalty, courage, and a strong sense of responsibility. Though far weaker than the stranger, he still tries to defend Wu Shisan and refuses to abandon his duty even after being beaten. His concern for Miss Jiang also reveals his emotional attachment and growing anxiety about the wider turmoil.
• The gray-robed man: He is introduced as a mysterious and terrifying figure whose physical appearance resembles an ancient demon. His calm demeanor contrasts with his overwhelming power and raises questions about his identity and purpose.

Significant Themes

• Withdrawal versus responsibility: Wu Shisan chooses personal retreat while the sect faces a major crisis, creating tension between individual exhaustion and obligations to one’s community.
• The effects of suffering and change: Wu Shisan’s transformation implies that past experiences have profoundly altered him, turning a once-engaged elder into someone who appears to care about nothing.
• Loyalty and protection: Wang Ziyu’s willingness to confront an invincible opponent emphasizes his devotion to his master.
• Power and vulnerability: The stranger’s effortless defeat of Wang Ziyu highlights the immense gap between them and underscores Wu Shisan’s current weakness.
• Uncertainty and impending danger: The Supreme Seat’s disappearance and the stranger’s unexplained arrival suggest that larger upheavals are approaching.

Character Interactions

• Wu Shisan and Wang Ziyu interact like an eccentric, irresponsible master and a dutiful but exasperated disciple. Their banter is humorous, but Wang Ziyu’s repeated attempts to persuade Wu Shisan reveal genuine concern.
• Wang Ziyu confronts the gray-robed stranger defensively, questioning his motives and demanding that he follow proper sect procedures.
• The stranger responds with restrained patience, but his effortless suppression of Wang Ziyu establishes his dominance.
• Even after being defeated, Wang Ziyu verbally challenges the stranger and warns him against attacking an injured man, showing moral courage despite his fear.
• The final announcement at Wu Shisan’s door sets up a confrontation or important conversation between the secluded elder and the mysterious visitor.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The White Elephant, formerly associated with Mo Yang True Person, visits Wu Shisan in seclusion.
• He reveals that powerful outsiders and demons have entered the world seeking the Dao Paintings, supreme opportunities connected to the secrets of the Painting Realm.
• If the outsiders obtain the Dao Paintings, they may devastate the world without regard for its inhabitants.
• The White Elephant explains that Mo Yang entrusted him with the Star Palace Records, which can locate Dao Paintings. More importantly, the records themselves are part of a Dao Painting and can lead outsiders to the remaining fragments.
• He reveals that a younger man once used the records to repel outsiders, but that man was recently killed by an outsider demon.
• Wu Shisan is now the only known person who has comprehended a trace of Painting Intent without entering the Painting Realm.
• The White Elephant asks Wu Shisan to use his Painting Intent to activate the Star Palace Records and create a false Dao Painting aura, luring the outsiders away from the real fragments.
• His plan requires Wu Shisan to evade or delay the powerful enemies for an entire month while the White Elephant handles the remaining preparations.
• Wu Shisan recognizes that the request essentially asks him to risk his life. Rather than immediately agreeing, he hints that he has another possible solution.

Character Developments

• Wu Shisan: Initially wary and self-deprecating, he becomes increasingly serious as he learns the threat facing the world. Although he acts cowardly and doubts his ability to survive against the outsiders, his history of protecting others suggests he may still choose to act. His mention of an alternative plan shows that he is thinking strategically rather than simply refusing.
• White Elephant: Revealed as a loyal survivor of Mo Yang’s lineage and guardian of the Star Palace Records. He carries grief over Mo Yang’s death and the recent loss of the young man who helped him. His calm demeanor gives way to urgency as he attempts to recruit Wu Shisan, even though his plan places Wu Shisan in extreme danger.
• Wang Ziyu: Serves as an observer and disciple who understands his master’s outward laziness hides a willingness to sacrifice himself. His concern highlights the emotional stakes of Wu Shisan’s possible decision.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and responsibility: Wu Shisan must decide whether to risk his life to protect the world, despite being vastly outmatched.
• The burden of legacy: The White Elephant continues Mo Yang’s mission and seeks someone capable of inheriting the responsibility once carried by the deceased young man.
• Appearance versus reality: Wu Shisan’s reputation as “number one under heaven” is largely exaggerated, while his true strength lies in his rare comprehension of Painting Intent.
• Hope amid overwhelming danger: Even after the death of a previous defender, the White Elephant searches for another means to resist the outsiders.
• Trust and manipulation: The White Elephant presents a desperate plan that depends on Wu Shisan’s cooperation, while Wu Shisan carefully questions what is truly being asked of him.

Character Interactions

• The White Elephant introduces himself and confirms his identity as Mo Yang’s former companion, surprising Wu Shisan.
• Their conversation shifts from cautious introductions to a grave discussion about the Dao Paintings and the fate of the world.
• The White Elephant appeals to Wu Shisan’s unique ability, asking him to become the bait in a dangerous diversion.
• Wu Shisan responds with humor and skepticism, exposing the fatal flaw in the White Elephant’s plan: he is expected to survive against enemies far stronger than himself.
• Wang Ziyu silently worries about his master, recognizing that Wu Shisan may ultimately accept the burden despite his fear.
• The chapter ends with Wu Shisan withholding his decision and proposing that he may have another strategy.

Chapter Summary: “Changes in Longyou”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Longyou Circuit, once ravaged by demons and violence, has become remarkably peaceful after a past campaign that eradicated the region’s supernatural threats.
• At the Demon Suppression Office in Liangzhou, former comrades Chen Tong, Monk Bujie, and Liu Ke gather for a meal and drinks. With no demons left to fight, they complain about the boredom of peaceful times.
• Their conversation turns to Jiang Yuechu, a former companion who has since returned to the capital and risen to extraordinary prominence.
• Bujie shares Lord Xu Changfeng’s description of Jiang: her fists can defeat all demons beneath Heaven, and her feet can trample the immortals above. The people now worship her as the “Nine-Heavens Zhaoyue Demon-Quelling True Lord.”
• The three friends nostalgically toast Jiang Yuechu, wondering whether she still remembers them.
• During the toast, an enormous wave of purple demonic energy suddenly covers Liangzhou, suggesting the arrival of a Great Demon. Before the threat can reveal itself, a flash of brilliant golden light disperses the demonic aura completely.
• The mysterious event leaves Chen Tong confused, while Bujie appears quietly relieved. He claims not to have seen clearly what happened, leaving the identity and significance of the golden light unresolved.

Character Developments

• Chen Tong remains blunt, impulsive, and irreverent, but his teasing gives way to genuine admiration and longing when Jiang Yuechu is mentioned. His immediate readiness to confront the demon reflects his continued courage and combativeness.
• Monk Bujie maintains his lazy, humorous exterior, yet shows unusual insight into the passage of time and the meaning of old connections. His reaction to the golden light suggests he may understand more than he admits.
• Liu Ke is approaching Core Formation but remains insecure about falling behind others, especially Jiang Yuechu. He expresses the strongest concern over whether she remembers them, revealing his continued emotional attachment to their shared past.
• Jiang Yuechu, though absent, is characterized as having advanced to a near-mythic level of power and influence. She has become both a legendary protector and a distant figure whom her former comrades can only admire from afar.

Significant Themes

• Peace born from violence: Liangzhou’s tranquility exists because someone previously used overwhelming force to eliminate its demons.
• The passage of time and separation: The former companions remain emotionally connected, but Jiang Yuechu has advanced so far that she is no longer within their reach.
• Memory and moving forward: Bujie suggests that whether Jiang remembers them matters less than the role she played in their lives; people may pass through one another’s lives and still leave a lasting blessing.
• Mythologizing heroes: Jiang has transformed from a comrade into a nearly divine public figure, showing how extraordinary individuals become legends in the eyes of ordinary people.
• Unseen power and foreshadowing: The sudden demonic aura and its immediate destruction hint at a major supernatural force or future conflict, while the golden light may be connected to Jiang or another immensely powerful figure.

Character Interactions

• Chen Tong and Bujie trade crude jokes and insults, preserving the familiar camaraderie they had when they first joined the Demon Suppression Office.
• Liu Ke acts as the more restrained member of the group, though he joins their laughter and eventually shares their hope that Jiang remembers them.
• Bujie challenges Liu Ke’s insecurity about his cultivation, teasing that his pride and fear of losing face will help him break through.
• The three ultimately set aside their banter to honor Jiang together, their shared toast demonstrating enduring friendship and respect.
• After the supernatural disturbance, Chen Tong demands an explanation from Bujie, but Bujie responds ambiguously, reinforcing his mysterious and perceptive nature.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu encounters Bai Wenge, the arrogant Second Young Master of the Southern Immortal Palace, at the Immortal-God Cave Abode.
• Before Bai Wenge can properly reveal himself or intimidate anyone with his status, Jiang Yuechu brutally attacks him, kicking him through the air and smashing him into the ground.
• Bai Wenge attempts to resist using his demonic powers and the phantom of a Demon Palace, empowering all ten of his Dao Chess pieces.
• Jiang Yuechu counters effortlessly. Her three Immortal-grade Dao Chess pieces seal the surrounding space, while her cloud-based technique destroys Bai Wenge’s black-water attack.
• She continues overwhelming him with her spear, breaking his jaw, injuring his body, and driving him into desperation.
• Facing death, Bai Wenge transforms into his enormous true demon form, a massive white-scaled creature with four claws.
• Jiang Yuechu pierces his chest with her violet-gold spear and prepares to finish him.
• At the last moment, a heavily armored, extremely powerful subordinate arrives and blocks her killing blow with a black halberd.
• The newcomer apologizes to Bai Wenge for arriving late, while Jiang Yuechu pauses and waits to see whether Bai Wenge can summon even more reinforcements.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu is established as extraordinarily powerful and ruthlessly decisive. Despite being only in the Fifth-Piece Chessmaster Realm, she possesses three Immortal-grade Dao Chess pieces and combat ability far beyond what her cultivation level suggests.
• She recognizes Bai Wenge’s identity as the Southern Immortal Palace’s Second Young Master and concludes that he must be killed, likely because of her earlier suspicions concerning the Southern Immortal Palace.
• Her calm, almost casual attitude contrasts sharply with the violence of her attacks. She treats Bai Wenge and his possible reinforcements as potential “main dishes,” showing confidence rather than fear.
• Bai Wenge’s arrogance collapses into panic. Initially, he relies on his prestigious identity and reputation, but after being repeatedly overwhelmed, he becomes shocked, furious, and finally terrified for his life.
• Bai Wenge’s transformation into his true demon form demonstrates the extent of his strength, but it still fails to give him control of the battle.
• The armored subordinate is introduced as a powerful rescuer loyal to Bai Wenge. His arrival prevents Bai Wenge’s immediate death, though his strength and intentions toward Jiang Yuechu remain unclear.

Significant Themes

• Strength outweighs status: Bai Wenge’s noble identity and reputation mean nothing when Jiang Yuechu’s actual combat power completely surpasses his.
• Hidden power and underestimated opponents: Jiang Yuechu’s low cultivation realm conceals terrifying abilities, allowing her to defeat someone considered one of Cloud Dream’s greatest prodigies.
• Arrogance and humiliation: Bai Wenge begins the encounter viewing humans as insignificant prey but is reduced to begging for survival after being dominated.
• Ruthlessness and survival: Jiang Yuechu shows no interest in negotiation or mercy, immediately deciding that Bai Wenge must die once she identifies him.
• Suspense through interruption: Just as Jiang Yuechu is about to kill Bai Wenge, the sudden arrival of his subordinate prolongs the conflict and hints at a larger confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Bai Wenge attempts to intimidate Jiang Yuechu by declaring his prestigious identity, but she answers with another kick rather than words.
• Jiang Yuechu attacks him continuously with her spear, while Bai Wenge alternates between rage, disbelief, and desperate resistance.
• Their battle emphasizes the contrast between Bai Wenge’s loud, prideful declarations and Jiang Yuechu’s silent, controlled efficiency.
• The armored subordinate treats Bai Wenge deferentially, apologizing for failing to rescue him sooner.
• Jiang Yuechu does not immediately attack the newcomer; instead, she watches curiously, apparently hoping Bai Wenge will summon more powerful opponents.

Chapter Summary: “Utterly Reckless”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Wenge, the Second Young Master of the Southern Immortal Palace, is severely injured and vomits demon blood after being forced out of his true form by Jiang Yuechu.
• Humiliated and enraged, Bai orders his companion to kill Jiang Yuechu.
• The burly demon refuses to attack immediately, explaining that his father—an immensely powerful Painting Realm Great Demon—ordered him only to protect Bai during the Immortal-God Cave Abode expedition.
• Bai is furious but cannot openly insult or oppose him, since the burly demon’s father commands the Southern Immortal Palace’s elite forces and is politically important to Bai’s ambitions of inheriting the Palace Lord’s position.
• Jiang Yuechu waits in the sky, impatiently asking whether Bai has summoned anyone else. Her confidence makes it clear that she does not regard the group as a serious threat.
• The burly demon attempts to de-escalate the situation. He proposes that both sides leave peacefully and offers Jiang Yuechu a valuable Dao-Union Relic as compensation.
• Jiang Yuechu rejects the logic of negotiation by bluntly pointing out that if she kills them, she can simply take their possessions herself.
• Bai, initially terrified that the burly demon will retreat, becomes delighted by Jiang Yuechu’s apparent recklessness. He provokes the burly demon by accusing him of cowardice and threatening to spread word of his unwillingness to fight.
• Concerned about his own reputation and his father’s standing within the slaughter-oriented Southern Immortal Palace, the burly demon finally abandons his caution.
• His aura changes, he raises his black halberd, and he declares that since Jiang Yuechu is determined to die, he will grant her wish—setting up the next confrontation.

Character Developments

• Bai Wenge: His arrogance and cruelty are exposed by his humiliation. Though badly wounded and dependent on others, he remains manipulative, using threats and insults to pressure the burly demon into fighting on his behalf. His desperation is tied not only to survival but also to preserving his status and political ambitions.
• Jiang Yuechu: She displays overwhelming confidence, composure, and fearlessness. Her willingness to wait for additional enemies and her refusal of the offered treasure suggest that she believes she can defeat the entire group and prefers taking what she wants by force.
• The burly demon: Initially presented as cautious, rational, and unusually pragmatic, he values survival over pride and sees retreat as sensible. However, Bai’s provocation and the expectations attached to his father’s reputation eventually overcome his restraint, pushing him into battle.

Significant Themes

• Pride versus survival: The burly demon understands that retreat may be the safest choice, but social expectations and fear of being labeled a coward force him to fight.
• Political influence and hierarchy: Bai’s relationship with the burly demon is shaped by the power of the latter’s father and by Bai’s campaign to secure support for succession within the Southern Immortal Palace.
• Reputation and masculine honor: In the Southern Immortal Palace’s culture of slaughter, refusing a dangerous fight is treated as disgraceful, even when it is strategically wise.
• Recklessness and confidence: Jiang Yuechu’s refusal to compromise can be interpreted as supreme confidence or extreme arrogance. Her attitude destabilizes the group and turns a possible retreat into a confrontation.
• Manipulation: Bai exploits the burly demon’s concern for his reputation, deliberately provoking him into acting despite his better judgment.

Character Interactions

• Bai Wenge and the burly demon: Bai commands and insults him, while the burly demon remains formally protective but refuses to become Bai’s personal killer. Their exchange reveals tension between Bai’s entitlement and the demon’s independence.
• Jiang Yuechu and the group: Jiang Yuechu remains calm and dismissive while the others debate whether to fight. Her statement that their possessions would become hers if she killed them directly challenges their assumptions about negotiation and power.
• Bai Wenge and Jiang Yuechu: Although Bai is physically defeated, he attempts to influence the battle indirectly by using Jiang Yuechu’s defiance to provoke his opponent.
• The burly demon and Jiang Yuechu: He initially treats her respectfully and offers compensation, but her refusal convinces him that peaceful resolution is impossible. He finally confronts her with his halberd.

Jiang Yuechu fought the burly son of a Southern Immortal Palace general and overwhelmed him with her spear, blood techniques, and Great Black Heaven form. After enduring her assault, he remained conscious in the crater and praised her talent.

• The burly man launched a devastating halberd strike at Jiang Yuechu, but she met it head-on with her Purple-Gold Spear.
• The burly man seized Jiang Yuechu's wrist, and she used her bracer's power to combine the purple demonic mist and scarlet blood mist into a giant palm that smashed him into the Wilderness.
• Jiang Yuechu followed with a blood-colored palm strike and summoned a Celestial River, raining star phantoms down on the burly man.
• Jiang Yuechu unleashed Great Black Heaven and battered the burly man with a storm of spear attacks while Bai Wenge watched in disbelief.
• After the assault, the burly man knelt wounded in the crater and told Jiang Yuechu that her talent was enviable.

Jiang Yuechu fought the burly demon after he revealed the powerful Dragon-Transforming Palm, then chased him down when he fled. With her spear aimed at his brow, the burly demon begged to surrender and settle things peacefully.

• The burly demon discarded his halberd and challenged Jiang Yuechu to fight him bare-handed, but secretly sent the weapon flying at her as a feint.
• The burly demon unleashed the Dragon-Transforming Palm, and Jiang Yuechu countered it with the Demon-Defeating Eight Spears after spending one million years of Dao Cultivation.
• After their attacks collided and both were wounded, the burly demon shouted for another round and then fled, shocking Bai Wenge and Jiang Yuechu.
• Jiang Yuechu used the Moon-Companion Starbow Divine Ability to catch up and kick the burly demon into a crater.
• Jiang Yuechu aimed her spear at the fallen burly demon, who raised a hand and begged to surrender peacefully.

Jiang Yuechu subdued Xuan Yuanming and took his treasures despite his attempt to bargain for his life. Xuan Yuanming then offered his Demon Palace foundation mark to place his fate under her control.

• Xuan Yuanming praised Jiang Yuechu and offered to guide her around the Immortal-God Cave Abode in exchange for his life.
• Xuan Yuanming warned Jiang Yuechu about the half-step Painting Realm Little Heavenly General and offered his knowledge and assistance.
• Jiang Yuechu asked whether Xuan Yuanming carried Dao-Union Relics, and he handed over his Storage Bag containing two relics and other items.
• Jiang Yuechu immobilized Xuan Yuanming and took the Storage Bag, making clear that she had never promised to spare him.
• Xuan Yuanming offered his Demon Palace foundation mark to Jiang Yuechu and asked whether that proved his sincerity.

Chapter Summary: “Harvest”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu considers whether to seize control of Xuan Yuanming’s Demon Palace Foundation. Although she does not fully trust him, controlling it would allow her to determine his life or death.
• Xuan Yuanming explains that if she leaves her aura inside the Demon Palace, it will warn her of any betrayal. If he tries to resist, she can destroy the Demon Palace with a thought.
• Jiang Yuechu decides that Xuan Yuanming’s knowledge is valuable. As the son of a powerful Southern Immortal Palace general, he can provide information about the demons, their foundations, and the layout of Cloud-Dream Palace—knowledge she currently lacks.
• After confirming that the Immortal-God Cave Abode blocks outside detection, Jiang Yuechu accepts Xuan Yuanming’s Demon Palace. She sends blood mist into it, placing him under her control.
• She makes clear that she is only sparing him temporarily and orders him to bring over the “young master” from earlier. Xuan Yuanming obeys because resisting could result in the destruction of his Demon Palace.
• Once Xuan Yuanming leaves, Jiang Yuechu examines the storage pouch she took from him.
• She discovers two extremely valuable Dao-Union Relics: a tortoise-shell fragment and a crystalline beast bone containing golden marrow. Together, they are enough to advance her cultivation to the Seventh Son Realm.
• She also finds three jade slips containing Spirit Arts. The first focuses on offense and the second on escape; neither immediately interests her. The third, titled “Wind-Fire True Form Art,” catches her attention.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu becomes more strategic and pragmatic. Rather than killing Xuan Yuanming outright, she recognizes that controlling him gives her both a powerful safeguard and access to crucial information.
• She demonstrates increasing confidence in managing stronger opponents, relying on the Demon Palace Foundation to neutralize Xuan Yuanming despite his status and cultivation.
• Xuan Yuanming is forced into submission. His desire to survive outweighs his loyalty to his father and his concern over disobeying orders. He presents himself as cooperative and honest, but his fear of Jiang Yuechu remains intense.
• Jiang Yuechu’s acquisition of the Dao-Union Relics further strengthens her potential, suggesting a major advancement in cultivation is imminent.

Significant Themes

• Power through control: Jiang Yuechu does not need to overpower Xuan Yuanming directly; controlling his Demon Palace gives her absolute leverage over him.
• Pragmatism and survival: Both characters act according to practical interests. Jiang Yuechu values information more than revenge, while Xuan Yuanming abandons obedience when his life is threatened.
• Trust and coercion: Their cooperation is not based on genuine trust. It is enforced through mutually understood consequences, with Jiang Yuechu holding all the power.
• Accumulation and advancement: The chapter emphasizes Jiang Yuechu’s rapid gathering of resources, treasures, techniques, and intelligence as she prepares to advance through the realms.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu repeatedly questions Xuan Yuanming about the limits of his Demon Palace and whether other demons can locate him, testing his honesty before accepting his proposal.
• Xuan Yuanming carefully reassures her and voluntarily hands over the Demon Palace, knowing refusal would likely mean death.
• After taking control of it, Jiang Yuechu orders him to retrieve the young master. His hesitation reveals his conflict between filial obedience and self-preservation, but he ultimately submits.

Jiang Yuechu studied the Wind-Fire True Form Art but postponed learning it because she lacked enough Dao Cultivation. Xuan Yuanming returned to Bai Wenge, claimed his defeat was “as good as a win,” then brought him to Jiang Yuechu, leaving Bai Wenge to realize Xuan Yuanming had switched sides.

• Jiang Yuechu examined the Wind-Fire True Form Art and decided to wait before spending her remaining Dao Cultivation to deduce it.
• Bai Wenge crawled through the mud, vowing to abandon his ambitions if he survived and plotting revenge against Jiang Yuechu.
• Xuan Yuanming returned to Bai Wenge, who assumed he had killed Jiang Yuechu, but Xuan Yuanming said the duel had been “as good as a win.”
• Xuan Yuanming explained that he had retreated, preserved his life, and found a prodigy worth following, then picked up Bai Wenge and carried him away.
• Xuan Yuanming brought Bai Wenge to Jiang Yuechu and respectfully announced his arrival.
• Bai Wenge realized Xuan Yuanming had defected to Jiang Yuechu.

After killing the Second Young Master, Jiang Yuechu learned about the Cloud-Dream Palace and its overwhelming prodigy, the Little Heavenly General. Xuan Yuanming advised her to avoid that threat and suggested they pursue an emerging immortal god’s relic guarded by Qianyuan Cave demons.

• Jiang Yuechu gained over four million years of Dao Cultivation from the Second Young Master’s death and stored his ruined corpse.
• Xuan Yuanming explained that the Cloud-Dream Palace controlled four branch palaces and described the main palace’s immense power.
• Xuan Yuanming revealed that the Little Heavenly General was a half-step Painting Realm Yin-Yang Fish with eight Immortal-Grade Dao Chess pieces and many treasures.
• Xuan Yuanming advised Jiang Yuechu to avoid the Little Heavenly General and seek opportunities elsewhere.
• Xuan Yuanming told Jiang Yuechu that Qianyuan Cave demons were guarding an emerging immortal god’s relic three thousand li north, and offered to help her claim it.

Rogue cultivators watched the dangerous opportunity at Frost Ridge as Lingxu Sect's treasure ship arrived at Qianyuan Cave. Before the demons could confront the newcomers, a mountain peak was torn from the earth by an unseen force.

• Rogue cultivators debated whether to risk approaching Frost Ridge, where demons guarded a glowing relic and had recently killed intruders.
• Lingxu Sect's treasure ship descended over Frost Ridge, prompting the rogue cultivators to hope the sect disciples would distract the demons.
• Xu Liang and a junior sister wondered why Senior Sister Lu had brought them to the far north, while Xu Liang urged them to follow her lead.
• A Qianyuan Cave general prepared to challenge the Lingxu Sect, but the ground shook and a distant cliff split apart.
• An unseen force ripped an entire mountain peak from the earth.

Summary: “Lingxu Sect’s Calculations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Tangxi launches a surprise attack on the Qianyuan Cave demons by overturning an enormous mountain and sending it crashing down on them.
• The Qianyuan Cave commander, a powerful brawny elder, destroys the mountain with a single punch empowered by twelve Dao Chess pieces.
• Lu Tangxi orders the initially stunned Lingxu Sect disciples to attack. They bombard the demons with spells while the elder realizes that fighting an entire group of prepared Dao Sect disciples would be dangerous.
• The elder attempts to retreat, abandoning the still-forming immortal god relic, but Lu Tangxi intercepts him.
• She taunts him with the fact that he has delayed joining Cloud-Dream Palace’s gathering in an attempt to seize the relic for himself. She calculates that whether he fights or retreats, he will be punished—unless he loses and dies.
• Enraged by her mockery, the elder attacks Lu Tangxi directly. Their exchange demonstrates the contrast between his overwhelming physical strength and her precise, evasive black-and-white Dao techniques.
• Lu Tangxi deploys talisman nails from the treasure ship, creating a formation that targets and immobilizes the elder’s subordinates rather than trapping him.
• Xu Liang and the other disciples exploit the opening, attacking and injuring several Qianyuan Cave demons.
• The elder realizes Lu Tangxi’s broader strategy: she intends either to kill or cripple him, or at minimum eliminate his followers so that he reaches the Cloud-Dream Palace gathering with a weakened force.
• Rather than rushing to save his subordinates, the elder releases the full phantom of his Demon Palace and draws all twelve Dao Chess pieces’ power into himself, transforming into a more terrifying form.
• Lu Tangxi recognizes that she may have provoked him too far and becomes noticeably serious about the danger he now poses.

Character Developments

• Lu Tangxi is revealed as an aggressive, calculating tactician. She combines deception, psychological pressure, formations, and coordinated attacks rather than relying solely on direct combat. Her mocking personality masks careful strategic planning.
• The Qianyuan Cave elder shifts from confident commander to frustrated and cornered opponent. He initially tries to avoid a costly battle, but Lu Tangxi’s insults and attacks provoke his pride, driving him to reveal greater power.
• Xu Liang and the Lingxu disciples recover quickly from their initial confusion and begin acting as an effective coordinated force under Lu Tangxi’s direction. Xu Liang is the first to follow through with the attack on the immobilized demons.
• The elder’s subordinates are shown to be vulnerable when separated from their commander and caught within Lu Tangxi’s formation.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Lu Tangxi’s true attack is aimed at weakening the Qianyuan Cave group rather than simply defeating the elder in single combat.
• Psychological warfare: Her insults expose the elder’s guilt over disobeying Cloud-Dream Palace’s orders and manipulate him into making an emotional decision.
• Power versus calculation: The elder possesses overwhelming physical strength, but Lu Tangxi’s precision and planning allow her to control the battlefield.
• Political and factional pressure: The demons’ need to report to Cloud-Dream Palace creates additional stakes, showing that internal discipline and rival faction obligations matter as much as the relic itself.
• Consequences of greed: The elder’s attempt to monopolize the immortal god relic leaves him late to the gathering and vulnerable to Lu Tangxi’s carefully timed ambush.

Character Interactions

• Lu Tangxi commands the Lingxu disciples sharply, criticizing their hesitation and forcing them to respond immediately.
• She verbally humiliates the elder by calling attention to his dereliction of duty and poor strategic position.
• The elder and Lu Tangxi engage in a fast, technically contrasting duel: he attacks with raw speed and strength, while she evades and redirects his blows using black-and-white Dao energy.
• Lu Tangxi deliberately prevents the elder from rescuing his trapped subordinates, while the disciples attack them.
• The elder ultimately responds by abandoning restraint and transforming through the full power of his Demon Palace, setting up a more dangerous confrontation.