Chapter Summaries

Lu Tangxi and the Lingxu Sect disciples fought Xun Laoqi in Frost Ridge until his overwhelming strength left her badly injured. Xuan Yuanming arrived and nearly killed Xun Laoqi, then declared that the Southern Immortal Palace had taken over the area.

• Xun Laoqi revealed his demonic form and attacked Lu Tangxi, forcing her to fight while protecting the Lingxu Sect disciples.
• Lu Tangxi used her movement arts to evade Xun Laoqi and strike his weak points, but he eventually landed a knee strike that sent her crashing through frozen ridges.
• Purple-black mist appeared in the sky, and Xun Laoqi called for help from a demon general.
• Xuan Yuanming descended and struck Xun Laoqi with a halberd, explaining that he was attacking Qianyuan Cave on purpose.
• Xuan Yuanming left Xun Laoqi limp in an icy pit and ordered everyone to leave because the Southern Immortal Palace had taken over Frost Ridge.

Xuan Yuanming drove away the Lingxu Sect disciples and Rogue Cultivators, then declared that he had joined the enemy and welcomed his master, Jiang Yuechu. Jiang Yuechu killed the Qianyuan Cave demons and their general, greatly increasing her Dao Cultivation, and Xuan Yuanming asked whether they should keep waiting for the relic or do something else.

• Lu Tangxi ordered the Lingxu Sect disciples to flee Frost Ridge, and the Rogue Cultivators scattered after them.
• Xuan Yuanming told the remaining Qianyuan Cave demons that he had joined the enemy.
• Xuan Yuanming welcomed Jiang Yuechu, who descended in a black robe and forced the demons to their knees with her spear-wielding pressure.
• Jiang Yuechu killed the Qianyuan Cave demons and their general, gaining over twenty-four million years of Dao Cultivation.
• Xuan Yuanming asked Jiang Yuechu whether they should wait for the immortal-god relic or take another course of action.

Chapter Summary: Wind-Fire True Form Art Reaches Mastery

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu pauses at Frost Ridge and orders Xuan Yuanming to prevent anyone from approaching while she uses her stored Dao Cultivation.
• She pours nearly twenty million years of Dao Cultivation into the Wind-Fire True Form Art, advancing it through beginner, proficient, and minor mastery stages before finally reaching mastery.
• The breakthrough causes a painful bodily transformation. A divine bird formed from ultimate wind and fire emerges from her body, then fuses into her heart, repeatedly reforging her flesh and strengthening her physical body.
• Her new power far surpasses the foundation provided by the Black Heaven Body-Forging Scripture. Even without relying on the Central Palace or Dao Chess, she believes she can now physically contend with powerful eleven- or twelve-piece demons.
• Jiang Yuechu considers advancing the Wind-Fire True Form Art further but decides to conserve her remaining Dao Cultivation because the Immortal-God Cave Abode is dangerous and unpredictable.
• Instead, she spends over five million years of cultivation to advance the Skywater Qilin to the Eye-Pointing stage, receiving feedback that enables her to master the Supreme Realm technique Demon-Defeating Eight Spears.
• This second breakthrough creates a massive heavenly phenomenon: phantom armies, weapons, armor, and battle sounds fill the sky as Jiang Yuechu’s spear intent becomes divine and instinctive.
• With the mastery-stage Wind-Fire True Form and Supreme Realm Demon-Defeating Eight Spears, Jiang Yuechu concludes that she could now defeat a thirteen-piece Great Demon such as Xuan Yuanming with a single spear strike.
• After completing her preparations, she takes out the two Dao-Union Relics and prepares to begin cultivation, intending to condense her Dao Chess because her current five-piece Chessmaster realm is insufficient.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Experiences a major increase in physical strength and combat ability. Her wind-fire power becomes integrated into her heart and body, while her spear technique reaches the Supreme Realm. She also demonstrates strategic restraint by saving part of her Dao Cultivation rather than spending everything on further breakthroughs.
• Xuan Yuanming: Becomes increasingly shocked and impressed by Jiang Yuechu’s abnormal talent. He recognizes that she has mastered techniques that normally require demons to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of years enduring extreme cultivation conditions. His confidence in his decision to follow her grows, and he begins to see her as someone who may eventually surpass the powerful beings of Cloud Dream.

Significant Themes

• Extraordinary talent and cultivation speed: Jiang Yuechu’s ability to master supreme techniques almost instantly contrasts with the immense time normally required by other cultivators.
• Power through pain and transformation: The Wind-Fire True Form strengthens her by destroying and reforging her body, presenting advancement as an agonizing but rewarding process.
• Preparation and restraint: Despite possessing vast resources, Jiang Yuechu avoids exhausting all her Dao Cultivation, recognizing the dangers of the cave abode and the need to preserve emergency reserves.
• Growing dominance: Her successive breakthroughs establish her as an increasingly overwhelming force capable of challenging beings far above her previous level.
• Loyalty based on potential: Xuan Yuanming’s allegiance deepens as he realizes that following Jiang Yuechu may secure his own future.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu gives Xuan Yuanming the simple task of guarding the area, and he dutifully stands watch with his halberd.
• Xuan Yuanming witnesses the aftermath of her Wind-Fire breakthrough and is stunned that she has mastered the art he gave her in such a short time.
• He is shocked again when her advancement triggers the heavenly phenomenon associated with Demon-Defeating Eight Spears, reinforcing his awe and loyalty.
• Jiang Yuechu remains focused on her cultivation and preparations, largely ignoring Xuan Yuanming’s changing expressions and internal reactions.

Jiang Yuechu used Xun Laoqi’s and Bai Wenge’s demon bodies to forge two Dao Chess pieces, raising one to Immortal-Grade while the other remained at the pinnacle of Spirit-Grade. After Xuan Yuanming broke the restriction protecting a relic in Frost Ridge, Jiang Yuechu found a jade slip containing Jing Xiao’s account of waiting for the missing Cloud Dream Immortal Lord.

• Jiang Yuechu transformed the beast-bone Dao Chess piece into an Immortal-Grade piece using Xun Laoqi’s demon body.
• Jiang Yuechu used Bai Wenge’s demon body to raise the tortoise-shell piece to the pinnacle of Spirit-Grade, just short of Immortal-Grade.
• Xuan Yuanming volunteered to scout the treasure in Frost Ridge and shattered the formation protecting a jade slip.
• Jiang Yuechu examined the jade slip and discovered it was Jing Xiao’s account rather than a cultivation method.
• Jing Xiao’s account described how the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord left for the Heavenly Court and never sent word back to his waiting disciples.

Jiang Yuechu witnessed Jing Xiao’s memories of Cloud Dream’s destruction and his failure to resist the Heavenly Court and its appointed ruler. Jing Xiao’s account ended as he reached the long-awaited day he had been waiting for.

• Jieqing and a majority of Cloud Dream’s disciples left to confront the Heavenly Court, while Jing Xiao stayed behind to guard the mountain.
• The Heavenly Court declared the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord executed and ordered his legacy and Dao Orthodoxy destroyed; Jing Xiao refused to leave his cave abode to help those under attack.
• The Heavenly Court appointed a young man as Cloud Dream Heavenly Lord, and the Cloud-Dream Palace rose by replacing the old order and hunting its survivors.
• Jing Xiao continued to refuse pleas for help as the Cloud-Dream Palace and the Heavenly Court purged the remaining old disciples and protected beings.
• Jing Xiao told Jiang Yuechu that the day he had waited for had finally arrived.

Chapter Summary: “Dog Bites Dog, a Mouthful of Fur”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cloud-Dream Palace sends a purple-robed envoy and demon soldiers to summon Immortal Master Jing Xiao to the palace as an Attendant.
• Jing Xiao initially hesitates, having spent his life retreating from conflict. His disciple urges him to resist, insisting there is nowhere left to retreat.
• Realizing that continued retreat has only led him to this final corner, Jing Xiao takes up his long-neglected sword and orders the mountain gate opened.
• He refuses the Palace Lord’s summons and accepts execution rather than submit.
• A battle follows between Jing Xiao and the Cloud-Dream Palace forces. His disciple, servants, and other dependents of the mountain are killed. Jing Xiao seals the mortal creatures into a painting to protect them.
• Jing Xiao fights alone until his sword breaks and his blood runs dry. Before dying, he records a jade-slip message explaining the truth behind the so-called Immortal-God Cave Abodes.
• His final words reveal that these abodes were not gifts from immortals but sealed relics, inheritances, regrets, and truths left behind by people who had once been too afraid to fight.
• After the remnant thought in the jade slip disappears, Jiang Yuechu finishes viewing it. She agrees that Jing Xiao’s warning is valuable: when one can draw a sword and act, one should not wait until everything has been destroyed.
• Jiang Yuechu reconstructs the history of the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord, his disciples, the Heavenly Court’s purge, and the later conflict between the Nine Great Dao Sects and the Four Cloud-Dream Palaces.
• She questions Xuan Yuanming about the mysterious Cloud-Dream Palace Lord, whose position has never changed hands and whose true form no one has ever seen. Jiang Yuechu realizes the answer may be close to being revealed.

Character Developments

• Jing Xiao: Develops from a lifelong coward who repeatedly retreats into someone willing to make a final stand. His courage comes too late to save himself or his companions, but he leaves behind a warning for future generations.
• Jing Xiao’s disciple: Grows from a young attendant into an adult who finally confronts his master and demands resistance. His defiance helps force Jing Xiao to face the consequences of his past choices.
• Jiang Yuechu: Responds strongly to Jing Xiao’s philosophy and recognizes its value, though she views his delayed realization with some cynicism. She also displays sharp political insight by deducing how the modern Dao Sects may have preserved their names through submission and later turned against the Cloud-Dream Palaces.
• Xuan Yuanming: Acts as Jiang Yuechu’s source of information. Though uncertain about the Palace Lord’s identity, he provides what little is known about the mysterious ruler.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus cowardice: Jing Xiao’s life illustrates the cost of continually avoiding conflict. The chapter emphasizes that courage delayed until the moment of death may be morally meaningful but practically futile.
• Regret and responsibility: Jing Xiao admits that he wronged his former comrades, the Immortal Lord, and the suffering beings who depended on him. His jade slip is an attempt to prevent others from repeating his failures.
• Hidden history: The cave abodes are revealed as memorials and remnants of a suppressed past rather than divine gifts. Their existence preserves truths that official history has obscured.
• Corruption of legacy: The Nine Great Dao Sects and Cloud-Dream Palaces both claim legitimate inheritance, but their origins are rooted in betrayal, submission, and political survival.
• The danger of silence: The chapter criticizes those who kneel before overwhelming power to preserve themselves, suggesting that such compromises eventually produce hypocritical and violent institutions.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The unchanging, unseen Cloud-Dream Palace Lord is presented as an important unresolved mystery. The Lord’s connection to the old disciples and hidden identity hint at a major revelation.

Character Interactions

• Jing Xiao and his disciple: Their confrontation centers on the disciple’s demand that Jing Xiao stop retreating. The disciple’s grief and anger push Jing Xiao toward his final decision.
• Jing Xiao and the Cloud-Dream envoy: The envoy speaks with the authority of the Palace Lord, while Jing Xiao rejects both the invitation and the threat of execution, turning their exchange into an open declaration of resistance.
• Jiang Yuechu and Xuan Yuanming: Jiang Yuechu questions him about the Cloud-Dream Palace Lord. Xuan Yuanming admits that even powerful demons have never seen or identified the Lord’s true form.
• Jiang Yuechu and Jing Xiao’s legacy: Though they never meet, Jiang Yuechu evaluates his final message and adopts its central lesson while criticizing the lateness of his awakening.

Chapter Summary: “Was It You Who Brought the Devils Here?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chang’an is rebuilding after a recent catastrophe. Although its walls and buildings are badly damaged, the city remains lively, with civilians and martial artists repairing roads, homes, and businesses.
• Wu Shisan, his disciple Wang Ziyu, and the disguised White Elephant travel through the city.
• White Elephant observes that Chang’an’s inhabitants are extremely weak—none have even reached the Tower-Climbing Realm. He is puzzled that powerful foreign cultivators avoid the city despite its apparent lack of defenses.
• Wu Shisan and Wang Ziyu imply that the city is protected by Jiang Yuechu, whom they regard as an extraordinary and possibly unmatched figure. White Elephant remains skeptical because he has been imprisoned beneath Spirit Mountain for years and knows little about recent events.
• The group enters the Imperial City, where the young emperor personally welcomes Wu Shisan.
• Wu Shisan asks to see Jiang Yuechu, explaining only that an urgent matter concerning Great Tang requires her presence. The emperor reveals that she left Chang’an several days earlier and does not know her current location.
• The emperor uses a jade communication talisman Jiang Yuechu left behind for emergencies. However, the signal is destroyed by an unknown force before it can leave Chang’an.
• Immediately afterward, purple mist spreads across the sky, covering Chang’an. Numerous sinister figures appear within it and stare down at the vulnerable city, signaling the arrival of a powerful enemy force.

Character Developments

• White Elephant becomes increasingly uneasy. His long isolation has left him unaware of Jiang Yuechu’s reputation and the political and supernatural changes in the Eastern Region. Though doubtful, he silently hopes she truly possesses the strength Wu Shisan claims.
• Wu Shisan remains casual and irreverent, but his confidence falters when Jiang Yuechu cannot be contacted. He realizes that finding her is essential if he is to accept White Elephant’s dangerous request.
• Wang Ziyu shows strong faith in Jiang Yuechu, dismissing White Elephant’s doubts and suggesting that White Elephant’s ignorance comes from being isolated from the outside world.
• The young emperor is respectful toward Wu Shisan and eager to help, demonstrating both his reliance on powerful cultivators and his concern for Great Tang’s survival.
• Jiang Yuechu, though absent, is established as a major protective figure. Her reputation is so formidable that foreign powers avoid approaching Chang’an, and her emergency communication device becomes central to the chapter’s tension.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power beneath apparent weakness: Chang’an appears defenseless because its people are weak, yet outside forces deliberately avoid it, implying that its true protection is concealed.
• Isolation and ignorance: White Elephant’s imprisonment has separated him from the changing world, making him underestimate Jiang Yuechu and misunderstand the forces shaping the region.
• Protection and dependence: Great Tang’s security appears to depend heavily on Jiang Yuechu, while Wu Shisan and White Elephant seek her aid for their own survival.
• Impending danger: The failed communication and sudden appearance of the purple mist create a sense that the enemy has arrived before help can be summoned.
• Contrasting appearances and reality: The bustling, ordinary city conceals extraordinary power and danger, while White Elephant’s disguise hides his inhuman nature.

Character Interactions

• Wu Shisan questions White Elephant’s lack of knowledge, subtly mocking his years of isolation.
• Wang Ziyu openly defends Jiang Yuechu and dismisses White Elephant as ignorant of her true strength.
• The emperor treats Wu Shisan with great respect and personally assists him, revealing their established relationship.
• Wu Shisan avoids alarming the emperor by withholding details about the Dao Painting and Star Palace Records.
• White Elephant observes these exchanges silently, gradually shifting from skepticism toward cautious hope.
• The chapter ends before a direct confrontation, with the gathered figures in the purple mist looming over Chang’an and the main characters forced to face an immediate, unidentified threat.

Xuan Shian led thousands of demon soldiers to Chang'an to seize the Dao Painting and ordered the city slaughtered if it resisted. As Jiang Yuechu and Xuan Yuanming traveled south, she learned Xuan Shian was nearby and decided to seek him out despite his Sixteenth Son Realm strength.

• White Elephant recognized the force above Chang'an, and Wu Shisan realized that White Elephant had drawn the demons to the city.
• Xuan Shian ordered his troops to find the Dao Painting and its concealment, and to kill anyone in Chang'an who resisted.
• Xuan Yuanming warned Jiang Yuechu that his second uncle, Xuan Shian, was a tyrannical Sixteenth Son Realm demon with thousands of elite soldiers.
• Jiang Yuechu considered how much Dao Cultivation she might gain by killing Xuan Shian and asked Xuan Yuanming to locate him.
• Xuan Yuanming contacted Xuan Shian, claiming he had a treasure to show him.

Chapter Summary: “Delivering Treasure to the Door”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xuan Shian, a Sixteenth-Tier great general, oversees demon soldiers massacring a mortal city in search of a hidden Dao Painting. He refuses to participate personally because slaughtering a city without a Tower-Climbing Realm cultivator would damage his dignity and reputation.
• Xuan Yuanming unexpectedly contacts Xuan Shian, claiming to have found an extraordinary treasure that he is too weak to protect. He flatters Xuan Shian and asks him to inspect it.
• Xuan Shian immediately suspects a trap but pretends to be warmly receptive. He gives Xuan Yuanming his location and secretly plans to use the Immortal-God Cave Abode as a burial ground for his nephew, whom he resents because of the protection offered by Xuan Yuanming’s father.
• Xuan Shian orders the demon army to accelerate its assault while he waits for Xuan Yuanming to “deliver the treasure.”
• Xuan Yuanming reveals the information to Jiang Yuechu. After briefly examining the jade talisman, she suddenly identifies the destination as Chang’an and rushes there at tremendous speed. Xuan Yuanming follows, sensing that Xuan Shian may be heading toward a disastrous end.
• In Chang’an, Wu Shisan and White Elephant face the overwhelming demon forces in the sky. White Elephant proposes transferring the Dao Painting’s aura onto Wu Shisan so Wu can lure the attackers away from the city.
• Wu Shisan prepares for the likely escape by giving his disciple Wang Ziyu several storage bags containing his accumulated belongings and ordering him to return to the Mysterious Truth Grotto-Heaven once the enemy is drawn away.

Character Developments

• Xuan Shian is shown as proud, calculating, and vindictive. His concern for dignity masks deep jealousy and hostility toward his younger brother’s branch of the family. He views Xuan Yuanming’s approach as an opportunity to eliminate his nephew.
• Xuan Yuanming demonstrates caution and strategic deception. Though he outwardly acts submissive and filial, his behavior strongly suggests that he is luring Xuan Shian into a trap.
• Jiang Yuechu reacts with sudden determination upon learning the destination. Her immediate flight toward Chang’an implies a powerful connection to the crisis and suggests that she may be coming to confront or destroy Xuan Shian.
• Wu Shisan reveals a protective and self-sacrificing side. Though he complains about the danger, he accepts responsibility for diverting the enemy and prioritizes Wang Ziyu’s survival.
• Wang Ziyu remains inexperienced and emotionally unwilling to abandon his master, but Wu Shisan’s harsh instructions force him to confront the seriousness of the situation.
• White Elephant remains calm and practical, offering the only viable plan for saving the people of Chang’an.

Significant Themes

• Pride and status: Xuan Shian’s actions are shaped by his obsession with maintaining the dignity of a great general, even while he participates in mass violence.
• Family rivalry and resentment: The conflict between Xuan Shian and his younger brother’s branch demonstrates how jealousy and clan politics can turn family members into enemies.
• Deception and hidden intentions: Xuan Yuanming’s flattering language conceals a possible scheme, while Xuan Shian likewise masks murderous intentions behind false warmth.
• Sacrifice and protection: Wu Shisan’s willingness to risk himself for Chang’an and Wang Ziyu reflects the chapter’s emphasis on protecting others despite overwhelming danger.
• The contrast between appearance and reality: Xuan Shian presents himself as dignified and benevolent, but is ruthless underneath; Wu Shisan appears irritable and dismissive, yet acts with genuine care.

Character Interactions

• Xuan Shian and Xuan Yuanming: Their jade-talisman conversation is outwardly polite but filled with suspicion. Xuan Yuanming flatters his uncle while seemingly luring him into danger; Xuan Shian responds with false warmth while plotting his nephew’s death.
• Xuan Yuanming and Jiang Yuechu: He reports his discovery to her, but her sudden recognition of “Chang’an” shifts control of the situation. He follows her despite not understanding her motives.
• Wu Shisan and White Elephant: Their exchange establishes the emergency plan: transfer the Dao Painting’s aura to Wu Shisan and use him as a decoy.
• Wu Shisan and Wang Ziyu: Wu Shisan harshly orders his disciple to flee and entrusts him with his belongings, disguising affection and concern behind insults and impatience.

Chapter Summary: “What Treasure Did You Want to Show Me?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the main hall, Wu Shisan prepares to leave and confront the demons despite the Emperor and Wang Ziyu urging him to wait for Gu Yue’s return.
• Realizing that the purple mist is rapidly descending and time is running out, Wu Shisan accepts that he may die and agrees to White Elephant’s aid.
• White Elephant releases golden mist into Wu Shisan, causing a massive illusory Dao Painting to appear. It depicts mountains, rivers, and a magnificent Star Palace, sending a powerful aura into the heavens.
• Xuan Shian detects the Dao Painting and becomes alarmed that its conspicuous appearance will attract rival demons or the Little Heavenly General. He orders his forces to attack Chang’an and capture Wu Shisan.
• The Shadowbearing Sword attempts to defend the Imperial City, killing several demon soldiers, but Xuan Shian effortlessly destroys it because it lacks a master.
• Before White Elephant can flee with Wu Shisan, a Purple-Gold Spear descends from the heavens. Its overwhelming killing intent annihilates thousands of demon soldiers in a single strike.
• Xuan Yuanming ambushes Xuan Shian with a black halberd, openly declaring his intent to kill his “Second Uncle.” However, Xuan Shian’s superior cultivation allows him to seize and overpower the weapon.
• Xuan Shian prepares to kill Xuan Yuanming and mockingly refers to the Dao Painting as the “treasure” he wished to show him.
• Before Xuan Shian can strike, an unidentified young girl—likely Gu Yue—appears, wielding the Purple-Gold Spear and launching the Supreme Realm’s Demon-Defeating Eight Spears against him.

Character Developments

• Wu Shisan abandons hope of waiting for rescue and calmly embraces the possibility of death, showing courage and acceptance in the face of overwhelming danger.
• White Elephant demonstrates loyalty and decisiveness by using his power to awaken or reveal Wu Shisan’s Dao Painting, despite the danger.
• Xuan Shian shifts from confident control to urgency and alarm once the Dao Painting appears. His desire to monopolize it exposes his greed and strategic anxiety.
• Xuan Yuanming openly betrays Xuan Shian and attacks him, revealing that his hostility toward his uncle has become direct and lethal. Despite his boldness, he remains vastly weaker.
• The young girl makes a dramatic entrance as a powerful combatant, apparently arriving to protect the Imperial City or assist Xuan Yuanming.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and acceptance of death: Wu Shisan’s willingness to face death contrasts with the fear and desperation of those around him.
• Power and cultivation disparity: Xuan Shian’s effortless destruction of the Shadowbearing Sword and suppression of Xuan Yuanming emphasize the enormous gap between high-level demons and their opponents.
• Treasure and hidden power: The Dao Painting is revealed as an extraordinary artifact or source of power whose appearance immediately changes the balance of the conflict.
• Betrayal and family conflict: Xuan Yuanming’s attack on his uncle transforms an underlying family rivalry into open violence.
• The arrival of reinforcements: The sudden appearance of powerful allies suggests that the Dao Painting’s revelation has drawn major forces into the battle.

Character Interactions

• The Emperor and Wang Ziyu plead with Wu Shisan to delay his departure, fearing he will die.
• White Elephant supports Wu Shisan by transferring the golden mist that reveals the Dao Painting.
• Xuan Shian commands his demon soldiers to invade the Imperial City and capture Wu Shisan.
• The Shadowbearing Sword briefly defends the city but is destroyed by Xuan Shian.
• Xuan Yuanming confronts Xuan Shian directly, attacking him with a halberd and proclaiming his desire to avenge or oppose him.
• Xuan Shian taunts Xuan Yuanming and attempts to kill him, but the young spear-wielding girl intervenes before the blow can land.

Jiang Yuechu fought Xuan Shian outside Chang'an, testing herself against the Sixteenth Son Realm general before using Dao Cultivation to strengthen her body. She seized him by the skull with a sudden, overwhelming strike, leaving him stunned.

• Jiang Yuechu arrived above Chang'an and clashed with Xuan Shian, whose full Sixteenth Son Realm power drove away the demonic mist.
• Wang Ziyu recognized Jiang Yuechu, while Wu Shisan and White Elephant stared in shock at her strength.
• Xuan Shian identified Jiang Yuechu as a Cloud-Dream Palace prodigy and fought her at close quarters with his saber and demonic power.
• Jiang Yuechu and Xuan Shian battled from the sky above Chang'an to the wilderness, where she assessed her strength against him.
• Jiang Yuechu spent a million years of Dao Cultivation to strengthen her body, vanished in front of Xuan Shian, and sank her fingers into his skull.

Chapter Summary: “A Fortune Overnight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu kills Xuan Shian, a sixteenth-tier Great Demon and Southern Immortal Palace general, after defeating him in battle. Xuan Shian dies furious and resentful, believing his years of loyalty have been repaid with betrayal.
• The system rewards Jiang Yuechu with over 8.4 million years of Dao Cultivation. Combined with the Dao Cultivation gained from defeating numerous demon soldiers and Chessmaster Realm demons, her total rises to nearly 75 million years.
• Jiang Yuechu stores Xuan Shian’s corpse and gives his storage pouches to Xuan Yuanming, ordering him to retrieve any Dao-Union Relics while she returns to the ruined Imperial City.
• Upon arriving, Jiang Yuechu reunites with Wang Ziyu, Wu Shisan, and Wu Shisan’s disciple, the White Elephant. She bluntly remarks that she is surprised Wu Shisan and his disciple survived.
• The White Elephant reveals that he is the Pure Yang Spirit Elephant and once studied under Mo Yang. He possesses part of the Star Palace Records, which are connected to the Dao Painting.
• The aura of the Star Palace Records—and therefore the Dao Painting—has already been exposed. Foreign cultivators and demons are expected to arrive in Chang’an within half a day, possibly sooner, to seize it.
• Wu Shisan explains that he had planned to create a false Dao Painting aura and lure the outsiders away, but that plan is no longer viable. He offers to leave with the White Elephant and draw the enemies away from Great Tang if Jiang Yuechu refuses to help.
• Jiang Yuechu does not openly promise to fight. Instead, she instructs Wu Shisan and the White Elephant to find a place to stay in Chang’an, implying that she may remain and confront the approaching enemies there.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates overwhelming power and rapidly increasing wealth in Dao Cultivation. Her vast new reserves give her confidence she can face threats that would previously have forced her to flee.
• Her attitude has changed from cautious self-preservation to a willingness to shoulder greater responsibility. Rather than immediately escaping, she appears prepared to defend Chang’an and its inhabitants.
• Xuan Shian dies consumed by resentment, emphasizing his belief that loyal service has not protected him from being discarded by the powerful.
• Xuan Yuanming becomes even more submissive toward Jiang Yuechu, immediately obeying her order to sort through his uncle’s possessions.
• Wu Shisan shows unusual seriousness and humility. Although he wants Jiang Yuechu’s help, he acknowledges the danger and does not attempt to pressure her.
• The White Elephant is revealed to be far more significant than previously believed. His survival, identity, connection to Mo Yang, and possession of the Star Palace Records make him central to the conflict surrounding the Dao Painting.
• The young emperor becomes increasingly worried about Jiang Yuechu, recognizing that she is being forced to bear responsibility not only for Great Tang but potentially for the entire realm.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and injustice: Xuan Shian’s death reflects the brutal politics of powerful organizations, where loyalty does not guarantee protection or justice.
• Power and confidence: Jiang Yuechu’s enormous increase in Dao Cultivation transforms her outlook and alters the balance of power.
• Responsibility versus survival: The central dilemma is whether Jiang Yuechu should flee to preserve herself or remain in Chang’an to protect millions of civilians.
• The burden of strength: As Jiang Yuechu becomes stronger, others increasingly look to her to solve threats affecting the entire world.
• Hidden identities and forgotten histories: The White Elephant’s unexpected survival and past connection to Mo Yang suggest that the current crisis is tied to deeper events and lost knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu dismisses Xuan Shian’s final outburst and kills him without hesitation.
• She orders Xuan Yuanming to examine the storage pouches, establishing her authority over him.
• Wang Ziyu welcomes Jiang Yuechu enthusiastically when she returns.
• Jiang Yuechu exchanges blunt, familiar remarks with Wu Shisan, while Wu Shisan responds with irritation but clear trust.
• The White Elephant respectfully explains the Dao Painting crisis and appeals to Jiang Yuechu’s judgment rather than demanding her assistance.
• Wu Shisan offers to sacrifice himself and flee with the White Elephant if necessary, demonstrating concern for Great Tang despite the danger.
• Jiang Yuechu’s final instruction to settle in Chang’an leaves the others uncertain but strongly suggests she intends to stay and face the incoming enemies.

Chapter Summary: “They Were All on Their Way”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a temporary demonic platform in the Western Eastern Region, the Little Heavenly General of the Cloud-Dream Palace gathers forces from the Four Palaces: Southern Immortal Palace, Qianyuan Cave, Purple Firmament Island, and Grand Unity Peak.
• His soldiers report that captured Dao Sect disciples and local martial artists know nothing useful about the Dao Painting. Deeming them worthless, the Little Heavenly General orders their execution, and hundreds are slaughtered.
• The Four Palaces have already collected an enormous number of treasures from the Immortal-God Cave Abode, including 137 Dao-Union Relics, 41 Immortal-God jade slips, and countless damaged spirit artifacts. Their success is credited to the Little Heavenly General’s knowledge of the cave abode’s terrain and restrictions, obtained from Cloud-Dream Palace records.
• The Little Heavenly General makes clear that these treasures are secondary. His true objective is the Dao Painting, whose appearance could allow someone to break through to the Painting Realm.
• The Dao Painting suddenly manifests in the eastern sky, displaying a vast phantom of the Star Palace, mountains, and rivers. The Little Heavenly General and his generals celebrate with a toast before mobilizing the entire demonic force toward it.
• Elsewhere, Lu Tangxi and the Lingxu Sect disciples travel aboard a treasure ship. When Lu Tangxi sees the Dao Painting’s manifestation, she abruptly changes course and heads east.
• The frightened disciples warn that the Cloud-Dream Palace demons will likely converge on the Dao Painting and argue that they should return to their sect. Lu Tangxi dismisses their fear, insisting that the Nine Great Dao Sects will also send powerful reinforcements.
• She encourages them to view the journey not as a suicidal gamble, but as a rare opportunity to witness and sense the Dao Painting, even from a safe distance.

Character Developments

• The Little Heavenly General is revealed as calculating, ruthless, and highly confident. He efficiently exploits Cloud-Dream Palace records to seize treasures ahead of the Dao Sect cultivators.
• Despite his composure, the appearance of the Dao Painting exposes his deep excitement and desperation. His long stagnation at a cultivation bottleneck has nearly worn down his spirit, and he sees the Painting as his chance to advance.
• Lu Tangxi demonstrates boldness, decisiveness, and strong confidence in her judgment. Rather than retreating in fear, she immediately redirects toward the greatest opportunity in the cave abode.
• Lu Tangxi also acts as a mentor to Xu Liang and the other Lingxu Sect disciples, challenging their fear and broadening their understanding of cultivation opportunities.
• Xu Liang and the Lingxu disciples remain shaken and cautious after their encounter with the Southern Immortal Palace demons, highlighting the disparity between ordinary Dao Sect disciples and the powerful demonic forces.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity versus danger: The Dao Painting is both an extraordinary chance for enlightenment and a battlefield likely to attract every major faction.
• Cultivation ambition: The Little Heavenly General’s years of frustration and his desire to reach the Painting Realm show how immense opportunities can become the focus of an entire life.
• Courage and perspective: Lu Tangxi reframes a dangerous journey as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to expand one’s horizons and improve future cultivation.
• Power and ruthlessness: The demons’ casual execution of prisoners contrasts sharply with the Dao Sect disciples’ fear, emphasizing the brutal competition within the Immortal-God Cave Abode.
• The coming convergence of factions: The manifestation of the Dao Painting draws both demons and Dao cultivators eastward, setting up a large-scale confrontation.

Character Interactions

• The Little Heavenly General commands the demonic generals with calm authority, while they display unquestioning loyalty and excitement over his plans.
• His order to kill the useless captives reveals the harsh relationship between the demon forces and their prisoners.
• Lu Tangxi sharply rebukes Xu Liang’s fear, then encourages him and the other disciples by explaining the rarity and value of witnessing the Dao Painting.
• The chapter ends with both the Cloud-Dream Palace demons and the Dao Sect cultivators heading toward the same destination, making their eventual clash increasingly inevitable.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu realizes that the many outsiders gathering for the Dao Painting may actually benefit her, since they will come to her instead of requiring her to hunt them down individually.
• She postpones trying to seize White Elephant’s Dao Painting, recognizing that although her combat power is overwhelming, her cultivation remains only at the Chessmaster Seven Pieces level. She decides to handle the immediate threats first and plan for the painting later.
• With more than seventy million years of Dao Cultivation available, Jiang Yuechu begins strengthening herself before the coming battle.
• In the wilderness, Xuan Yuanming presents the spoils taken from the deceased Southern Immortal Palace general, Xuan Shian. Among them are three exceptionally powerful Dao-Union Relics:
  • Half of a blood-red suit of armor
  • A black cloak
  • A broken bow
• Jiang Yuechu orders Xuan Yuanming to guard her while she refines the treasures.
• She spends over seven million years of Dao Cultivation to raise the Hell-Suppressing Evil-Subduing Chess-Condensing Chapter to the Supreme Realm.
• Using the advanced technique, she begins condensing new Dao Chess from the relics and demon bodies.
• The first Dao Chess combines the ruined armor with Xuan Shian’s demon body, forming a violet-gold savage wolf image. When fused into Jiang Yuechu, it becomes a damaged scarlet-and-gold armor covering the left side of her body.
• The wolf armor grants both strong defensive protection and increased physical force, especially through Jiang Yuechu’s left arm.
• She then uses the black cloak and the body of a tiger demon previously slain alongside the Skywater Qilin to form a second Dao Chess.
• The resulting crimson cloak can extend around her body, slice through massive boulders with its edges, and create a nearly airtight defensive barrier.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates increased strategic patience. Despite possessing nearly unmatched combat strength, she avoids recklessly pursuing the Dao Painting and prioritizes preparation.
• Her cultivation technique reaches the Supreme Realm, marking a major advancement in her ability to condense powerful Dao Chess.
• She gains two new abilities:
  • A wolf-themed armor that enhances defense and strength
  • A tiger-themed cloak capable of cutting and shielding
• Xuan Yuanming becomes increasingly loyal and reverent toward Jiang Yuechu. He efficiently sorts the spoils and willingly serves as her guard, viewing the opportunity as a great honor.

Significant Themes

• Preparation over impulsiveness: Jiang Yuechu chooses to strengthen herself before confronting the gathering enemies or pursuing the Dao Painting.
• Power gained through conquest: The deaths of powerful demons provide both Dao Cultivation and valuable relics, turning defeated enemies into resources.
• Transformation and refinement: Jiang Yuechu converts ancient treasures and demon bodies into new forms of power through her Supreme Realm cultivation method.
• Pragmatic exploitation of circumstances: Rather than viewing the influx of outsiders solely as a threat, she recognizes it as an opportunity to gather them in one place.
• Loyalty and hierarchy: Xuan Yuanming’s obedient service highlights Jiang Yuechu’s growing authority and the awe inspired by her strength.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Xuan Yuanming interact in a formal, hierarchical manner. He respectfully calls her “Fairy,” presents the selected treasures, and immediately follows her command to stand guard.
• Jiang Yuechu rewards his efficiency with approval but remains focused on her own cultivation rather than engaging in extended conversation.
• Her interactions with the relics and demon bodies are central to the chapter: she treats them as materials to be evaluated, refined, and transformed into weapons and defenses.

Jiang Yuechu condensed three Immortal-Grade Dao Chess pieces and advanced the Wind-Fire True Form Art to supreme, displaying power that shocked Xuan Yuanming. As she prepared to face those converging on the Dao Painting, Xuan Yuanming warned that the Little Heavenly General was far beyond ordinary Sixteenth Son experts.

• Jiang Yuechu forged a black bow Dao Chess piece from the black bird demon's body and destroyed three distant peaks with its arrows.
• Jiang Yuechu spent millions of years of Dao Cultivation to bring the Wind-Fire True Form Art to perfection and then supreme, manifesting a divine bird amid immense wind and fire.
• Xuan Yuanming marveled at Jiang Yuechu's talent and praised her, but she stopped him from continuing to flatter her.
• Jiang Yuechu asked how many powerful demons the Cloud-Dream Palace had sent, and Xuan Yuanming warned that outsiders would soon gather over the Dao Painting.
• Xuan Yuanming explained that the Little Heavenly General's Sixteenth Son Realm surpassed his second uncle's by an enormous margin and could challenge even a Painting-Realm Great Demon.

Jiang Yuechu returned to Chang'an to collect Wu Shisan and White Elephant, intending to flee before the fighting over the Dao Painting began. Before they could leave, the Cloud-Dream Palace’s full army surrounded the city, and the Little Heavenly General descended as he prepared to attain the painting realm.

• Jiang Yuechu rejected Xuan Yuanming’s plan to wait for the Dao Sect cultivators to weaken the Little Heavenly General and told him to prepare to run.
• Jiang Yuechu left Xuan Yuanming behind and returned to Chang'an to collect Wu Shisan and White Elephant.
• Jiang Yuechu explained that she had only stayed in Chang'an to handle personal business and wanted to move the battle away from the city’s ordinary people.
• The Cloud-Dream Palace’s army surrounded Chang'an, and its generals escorted the Little Heavenly General down from the clouds.
• The Little Heavenly General appeared before the gathered forces as he prepared to attain the painting realm.

The Nine Great Dao Sects arrived above Chang'an as the Little Heavenly General prepared to seize the Dao Painting by force. Just as he unleashed his Half-Step Painting Realm pressure, a piercing spear whistle interrupted him, and his eyes widened at a flash of crimson and azure.

• Lu Tangxi and Xu Liang arrived aboard the Lingxu Sect's treasure ship, followed by cultivators from the other Dao Sects.
• Wu Shisan, Wang Ziyu, and White Elephant realized that the sects might not protect them from the struggle over the Dao Painting.
• The Little Heavenly General refused to retreat, declaring that the Dao Painting belonged to the Cloud-Dream Palace and demanding that the sects leave.
• The white-browed elder of the Yuanshan Sect rejected the Little Heavenly General's claim, and the Little Heavenly General began unleashing his power over Chang'an.
• Lu Tangxi stopped speaking when a piercing spear whistle rang out, and the Little Heavenly General looked down at a dazzling flash of crimson and azure.

Jiang Yuechu abruptly attacked the Little Heavenly General above Chang'an, and the two traded brutal blows as onlookers struggled to understand who she was. The Little Heavenly General ordered the Cloud-Dream Palace generals to stand down, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Jiang Yuechu struck the Little Heavenly General with the Purple-Gold Spear and used the Wind-Fire True Form Art and Demon-Defeating Eight Spears.
• The Little Heavenly General caught Jiang Yuechu's strike and recognized her spirit arts and unusual Chessmaster Realm foundation.
• The Little Heavenly General used Heaven-Earth Laugh to break apart Jiang Yuechu's wind and fire and hit her chest, but she struck his face with her spear.
• Jiang Yuechu and the Little Heavenly General continued fighting hand to hand, sending shock waves across the demon army, the Dao Sect ships, and Chang'an.
• Xu Liang asked Lu Tangxi who Jiang Yuechu was, while the watching cultivators and demon soldiers retreated from the shock waves.
• The Cloud-Dream Palace generals moved to intervene, but an indifferent voice ordered them to stand down.

Chapter Summary: “Fine, I’ll Slip Away”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Little Heavenly General confronts Jiang Yuechu amid a violent storm, believing his superior cultivation and newly manifested White Dragon Armor make him invincible.
• He boasts that he can defeat any technique or opponent with a single spear, presenting himself as the unrivaled genius of Cloud-Dream Palace.
• Instead of challenging him, Jiang Yuechu calmly accepts his claim and says, “Fine, I’ll slip away.”
• She transforms into a streak of light, grabs Wu Shisan and White Elephant, and flees while carrying them toward the horizon.
• Little Heavenly General and the demon army are left stunned and humiliated. He then orders the entire army to pursue them.
• The Nine Great Dao Sects, realizing that the Dao Painting has been taken, also join the chase despite feeling ignored by the demons.
• The scene shifts to Cloud-Dream Palace, where a young man lives in seclusion on the former preaching grounds of the Cloud Dream Immortal Lord.
• His master, appearing through purple mist, warns him that he has only one hundred years to pacify the unrest in Cloud Dream. After that, the Heavenly Court’s Sky-Patrol Bureau will intervene.
• Left alone, the young man reflects on his decades of preparation and his former hope of overturning the Heavenly Court’s control. He recognizes that even his best efforts could not overcome the overwhelming power of the gods.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates cleverness, composure, and a refusal to be drawn into a pointless battle. Her playful retreat completely undercuts Little Heavenly General’s grand speech and exposes his arrogance.
• Little Heavenly General is introduced as extraordinarily powerful and confident, but his pride is wounded when Jiang Yuechu simply escapes. Though he remains outwardly calm, his embarrassment and anger are obvious.
• The young man in Cloud-Dream Palace is revealed as a tragic, restrained figure. He once dreamed of changing the fate of his people but has been forced into submission by the Heavenly Court. His youthful appearance contrasts with the immense age, exhaustion, and resignation suggested by his memories.
• The master acts as a representative of the Heavenly Court’s authority, granting only limited leniency while reminding the young man that his obligations now belong to the Court.

Significant Themes

• Arrogance versus practical intelligence: Little Heavenly General relies on intimidation, while Jiang Yuechu wins the encounter simply by refusing to play along.
• The burden of overwhelming power: The young man’s reflections show how even immense preparation and determination can become meaningless against a superior cosmic authority.
• Forced compromise and political submission: His acceptance of Heavenly Court’s investiture has placed him in conflict with his old loyalties, leaving him trapped between duty and affection for Cloud Dream’s past.
• The passage from idealism to resignation: The young man describes how youthful ambition is gradually crushed into caution and restraint by an oppressive world.
• Time and limited hope: The remaining hundred years function as both a deadline and a final chance for resistance.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu’s brief exchange with Little Heavenly General reverses the expected power dynamic: his threats receive a deliberately casual response, followed by her escape.
• Little Heavenly General’s interaction with his generals reveals the pressure of authority. He blames them for failing to stop Jiang Yuechu even though he had previously forbidden them from interfering.
• The demons and the Dao Sect cultivators, normally opposing forces, pursue the same objective—the stolen Dao Painting—while both groups are frustrated at being sidelined.
• The young man’s conversation with his master reveals a relationship shaped by obedience, lingering affection, and unequal power. He pleads for more time, receives a final reprieve of one hundred years, and remains respectful even after the master’s warning.

The elders of the Nine Great Dao Sects watched a mysterious girl lead Cloud-Dream Palace and their own forces in pursuit, then demanded to know her background. Lingxu True Lord revealed that she belonged to the Jieqing Sect as a recently recruited guest elder, but left the details unexplained.

• The Dao Sect elders gathered aboard the Yuanshan Sect’s flying vessel and wondered who the girl was.
• Lingxu True Lord said the girl belonged to the Jieqing Sect, prompting the elders to suspect the sect of hiding a powerful disciple and monopolizing the Dao Painting’s opportunity.
• Lingxu True Lord denied that the Jieqing Sect planned to betray the Nine Great Dao Sects, and his glance at the Wusang Sect elder sparked an argument.
• The Yuanshan Sect’s white-browed elder stopped the bickering and pressed Lingxu True Lord to explain the girl’s background.
• Lingxu True Lord revealed that the girl was a guest elder whom the Jieqing Sect had recruited not long ago.