Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Heavenly Demon Divine Ability

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Jiang Yuechu kills the Buddhist Sect’s White Ape and several other demons, Fairy Jadeface invites her to remain at Jade Luan Manor for protection.
• Fairy Jadeface explains that the Buddhist Sect will likely retaliate, since the White Ape’s death is a serious insult. Jade Luan Manor cannot defeat the entire sect, but its experts can offer Jiang Yuechu some protection.
• Jiang Yuechu initially intended to leave after profiting from the conflict, but she changes her mind after realizing that staying could allow her to exploit future battles with Buddhist Sect reinforcements.
• She agrees to remain at Jade Luan Manor with Zi Ling and Kongming, much to Zi Ling’s confusion and frustration.
• Jiang Yuechu retreats to her room and examines her rewards:
  • She has accumulated 231 Dao Essence after spending 50 to record the White Ape in the Myriad Demon Records.
  • Recording the White Ape grants her the Heavenly Demon Divine Ability.
• The chapter ends with Jiang Yuechu beginning to suspect that the Buddhist Sect may contain hidden factions or undercover agents, given the strange and rebellious nature of the White Ape’s bestowed technique.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu becomes more calculating and opportunistic. Rather than acting from pure righteousness, she decides to stay at Jade Luan Manor because it provides a safe base from which to harvest Dao Cultivation during future conflicts.
• She also gains a powerful new cultivation method, the Heavenly Demon Divine Ability, which significantly expands her potential for rapid advancement.
• Fairy Jadeface demonstrates both strength and responsibility. As a Wandering Void Sea Perfection expert, she recognizes the danger Jiang Yuechu faces and sincerely attempts to protect her while repaying her assistance.
• Zi Ling remains anxious, outspoken, and suspicious of Jiang Yuechu’s decision. She fears that staying will cause them to be caught in a war with the Buddhist Sect.
• Kongming is confused and uninformed about the recent events, becoming the target of Zi Ling’s resentment despite apparently having little control over the situation.

3. Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus righteousness: Jiang Yuechu may have acted heroically, but her decision to remain is driven primarily by personal gain and strategic advantage.
• Strength through conflict: Future battles are presented not only as danger but also as opportunities for Jiang Yuechu to grow stronger.
• Hidden agendas and factional intrigue: The White Ape’s technique contradicts the Buddhist Sect’s apparent teachings, suggesting internal conspiracies or divided loyalties.
• Power gained through external resources: The Heavenly Demon Divine Ability allows its user to refine heavenly treasures and earthly materials directly into the body, potentially bypassing ordinary bottlenecks and making advancement dependent mainly on resources.
• Protection and mutual obligation: Fairy Jadeface’s invitation reflects Jade Luan Manor’s desire to repay Jiang Yuechu while also strengthening its defenses against the coming Buddhist Sect retaliation.

4. Character Interactions

• Fairy Jadeface politely but firmly urges Jiang Yuechu to stay, framing the invitation as both repayment and mutual protection.
• Jiang Yuechu accepts after privately calculating how she can benefit from the situation.
• Zi Ling protests the decision and questions Jiang Yuechu’s judgment, but Jiang Yuechu dismisses her objections by shutting her out of the room.
• Zi Ling blames Kongming for the trouble, while Kongming remains bewildered because no one has explained what happened.
• Jiang Yuechu’s discovery of the Heavenly Demon Divine Ability creates a new connection between her cultivation path and the Buddhist Sect’s hidden mysteries.

Chapter Summary: “Seeing White Ape Lord Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu evaluates how to spend her remaining Dao Cultivation and decides that empowering the White Ape is the most valuable option.
• Since her Heart-Intent Qi Primordial Unity Technique and Nine Refinements of the Golden Crow have already reached the Supreme Realm, and Mountain Might offers limited immediate benefits, she focuses on the White Ape.
• She spends 182 Dao Essence to raise the White Ape to the Heaven-Natured Realm. This simultaneously advances her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability to the Grandmaster Realm.
• The upgrade dramatically strengthens Jiang Yuechu’s physical body. Although her cultivation remains at Perfected Inkfall, she believes she could now slightly suppress the peak Buddhist White Ape she previously fought through physical combat alone.
• Jiang Yuechu spends another 40 Dao Essence to record the Buddhist White Ape in the Myriad Demon Records.
• When the White Ape is being imprinted, the dormant soul of a previously recorded demon emerges and devours it. The figure that appears is revealed to be the former White Ape Lord, suggesting that demons of similar species trigger a special reaction within the records.
• The narrative then shifts to the Nine Provinces, where the Nine Netherworlds Divine General and the Xuan Luan Immortal Official descend into the mortal realm and travel toward the Sky-Patrolling Command Office in Cloud Province Prefecture.
• The Divine General, disguised as a burly black-bearded man, radiates such intense killing intent that crowds instinctively part before him.
• The pair eventually arrive at a shabby shop in a secluded alley, presumably connected to their search for Jiang Yuechu or the alleged murderer.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu grows substantially stronger, especially in physical power, through the White Ape’s advancement and the elevation of her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability.
• Despite her newfound strength, Jiang Yuechu remains cautious and self-aware. She recognizes that powerful figures in the Painting Realm may possess hidden trump cards and refuses to assume she is invincible.
• Jiang Yuechu also discovers a new function of the Myriad Demon Records: previously recorded demons can suppress and devour newly recorded souls of related species.
• The White Ape Lord reappears as a dormant soul within the records, implying that his existence or influence remains significant despite his earlier defeat or recording.
• The Nine Netherworlds Divine General is portrayed as domineering, impatient, and supremely confident. He believes that personally entering the lower realm guarantees the murderer’s death.
• The Xuan Luan Immortal Official is anxious and politically compromised. Having exceeded his authority and offended multiple divine generals, he knows his future in the Heavenly Court is likely ruined. Nevertheless, he remains loyal to his disciple and is willing to risk himself to protect him.

Significant Themes

• Strength tempered by caution: Jiang Yuechu’s power rises sharply, but the chapter emphasizes that true experts must never underestimate opponents or assume victory.
• The value of strategic investment: Jiang Yuechu carefully considers the long-term benefits of each possible use of Dao Essence and chooses the option that provides multiple advantages at once.
• Predator and hierarchy dynamics: The Myriad Demon Records establishes a brutal internal hierarchy in which stronger or older demon souls can consume newly recorded ones.
• Loyalty versus duty: Xuan Luan’s willingness to defend his disciple conflicts with the laws and authority of the Heavenly Court.
• Consequences of political disobedience: Xuan Luan’s unauthorized actions have endangered his career and relationships, showing that institutional betrayal carries lasting consequences.
• Hidden dangers and uncertainty: Both Jiang Yuechu and the Heavenly Court pursuers act without complete knowledge of the enemy’s abilities, leaving room for concealed trump cards and reversals.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu interacts primarily with the White Ape’s phantom and the Myriad Demon Records, using her powers to transform both into sources of strength.
• The White Ape’s newly recorded soul is immediately overwhelmed and devoured by the dormant White Ape Lord, highlighting the latter’s dominance.
• The Nine Netherworlds Divine General attempts to reassure—or intimidate—the silent Xuan Luan Immortal Official, insisting that the murderer cannot escape.
• Xuan Luan responds cautiously, concealing his fear and maintaining a deferential attitude while inwardly remaining determined to protect his disciple.
• Their tense partnership reflects a conflict between the Divine General’s confidence and Xuan Luan’s awareness of the situation’s risks.

Summary of “Why the Hell Investigate?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Nine Netherworlds Divine General arrives at the shabby Cloud Province Sky-Patrol Directorate to find Liu Qingshan, treating the neglected office with contempt.
• He forcibly enters by kicking down the half-open wooden door and demands to see Liu Qingshan.
• Elder Liu, initially mistaken for a mere gatekeeper, reveals an aura equal to that of a Myriad-Forms Heaven cultivator. The Divine General immediately becomes more cautious and respectful.
• Liu Qingshan is absent, reportedly inspecting other regions, so Elder Liu handles the Divine General’s inquiry.
• The Divine General explains that he has accompanied Xuan Luan Immortal Official, whose disciple—an immortal serving in the Cloud-Dream Realm—was recently killed.
• Elder Liu assumes they want the Sky-Patrol Bureau to investigate and apprehend the murderer.
• The Divine General abruptly rejects the idea of investigating, revealing that the killer is currently staying openly inside the Cloud Province Sky-Patrol Bureau.
• The chapter then shifts to Jade Luan Manor, where Jiang Yuechu lives peacefully with the Palace Clan sisters despite the danger posed by their conflict with the Buddhist Sect.
• Jiang Yuechu has repeatedly declined invitations to explore the surrounding immortal mountains, but she agrees to consider attending a memorial rite for two fallen righteous warriors whose remains could not be recovered.

Character Developments

• Nine Netherworlds Divine General: Initially arrogant, aggressive, and dismissive of the Directorate, he changes his attitude after discovering Elder Liu’s immense cultivation. His visit reveals that he is not seeking justice through a formal investigation but is pursuing a more direct confrontation.
• Elder Liu: Demonstrates calm authority and hidden strength. Though treated rudely, he remains composed and professional, questioning the Divine General without being intimidated.
• Xuan Luan Immortal Official: Appears meek and deferential while accompanying the Divine General. His connection to the murdered disciple establishes the personal motive behind the visit.
• Jiang Yuechu: Continues to act cautiously and pragmatically. She is wary of the Buddhist Sect conflict and refuses casual outings, but her willingness to attend the memorial rite shows sympathy and respect for the dead.
• Palace Clan sisters: Their relaxed behavior despite the looming Buddhist Sect threat suggests confidence in their own hidden power and resources.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength beneath humble appearances: The shabby Directorate conceals an exceptionally powerful cultivator, while Jade Luan Manor’s seemingly carefree inhabitants may possess far greater strength than outsiders realize.
• Authority and intimidation: The Divine General’s initial arrogance falters when he encounters someone of comparable power, emphasizing that status alone cannot guarantee dominance.
• Justice versus personal retaliation: Although an immortal has been killed, the Divine General is not interested in a formal investigation, suggesting that the Heavenly Court’s involvement may be driven by revenge or a predetermined accusation.
• Calm amid impending danger: Jiang Yuechu and the Palace Clan sisters maintain ordinary routines despite hostility from the Buddhist Sect, creating a contrast between peaceful daily life and approaching conflict.
• Memorial and remembrance: The planned rite for the fallen warriors highlights respect for sacrifice and the importance of honoring the dead even when their bodies are lost.

Character Interactions

• The Divine General confronts Elder Liu with hostility, but Elder Liu’s revealed cultivation forces him to moderate his behavior.
• Elder Liu questions the Divine General about the purpose of his visit, expecting a request for an official investigation.
• The Divine General and Xuan Luan present the murder of Xuan Luan’s disciple as the central grievance, before shocking Elder Liu by claiming the killer is already inside the Directorate.
• At Jade Luan Manor, the Palace Clan’s fourth sister invites Jiang Yuechu to attend a memorial ceremony, offering a gentler and more respectful interaction that contrasts with the Divine General’s aggressive arrival.

Jiang Yuechu attended a memorial dedication for two heroes at a monument on the main peak of the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, while considering whether their spirit tablets could benefit from the incense-fire power. That night, Palace Second Sister regretted not acting faster to save the Tiger Demon as three figures secretly crept up the mountain.

• Palace Fourth Sister explained that the factions of the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds had opened a shared sanctuary and would dedicate all its incense-fire power to the two heroes.
• Jiang Yuechu offered incense at the monument and decided not to use the Great Compassion Glazed Pearl to absorb the offerings while mourners were present.
• After nightfall, Palace Second Sister watched over the monument while the last visitors departed.
• Palace Second Sister remembered that she might have saved the Tiger Demon and regretted not acting faster or more decisively.
• Three figures furtively crept up the mountain without Palace Second Sister noticing.

White Ape Lord proposed posing as a wandering demon to lure Palace Second Sister away from the monument while the Tiger Mountain God and Cosmic Demon King gathered its incense-fire power and merit. He attacked her and scattered her foxfire, then did something that stunned the two demons watching from hiding.

• The Cosmic Demon King and Tiger Mountain God worried about collecting the incense-fire power while Palace Second Sister guarded the monument.
• White Ape Lord suggested disguising himself as a wandering demon and drawing Palace Second Sister away so the others could use their master's treasure to gather the offerings.
• White Ape Lord flew toward the monument amid a surging blood sea and threatened Palace Second Sister.
• Palace Second Sister attacked with azure foxfire, and White Ape Lord struck back, scattering it.
• White Ape Lord did something that left the Tiger Mountain God and Cosmic Demon King gaping.

White Ape Lord used a filthy trick to enrage Palace Second Sister and draw her away while Tiger Mountain God and Cosmic Demon King harvested the Incense-Fire Power from the cliffside stele. Palace Second Sister realized the diversion and tried to return, but White Ape Lord turned to attack her.

• White Ape Lord hurled his own filth at Palace Second Sister, enraging her into chasing him away from the cliff.
• Tiger Mountain God and Cosmic Demon King used the Great Compassion Glazed Pearl to drain the stele's accumulated Incense-Fire Power, then fled.
• Palace Second Sister grew suspicious of White Ape Lord's relentless escape and recognized that he was luring her away from the main peak.
• Palace Second Sister warned White Ape Lord that Jade Luan Manor would hunt him if the Incense-Fire Power was stolen, but he lunged at her with his ape arms.

Palace Second Sister sent warnings to Jade Luan Manor, but White Ape vanished before she could capture him. In Hengyun Commandery, Tang Qingyuan told the Buddha Son that unresolved guilt over abandoning someone who had supported him had stalled his cultivation, and asked to join the Buddhist Sect to cleanse his soul and Dao heart.

• Palace Second Sister sent two jade talismans toward Jade Luan Manor to report the demons’ attempt to seize the incense-fire power.
• Palace Second Sister prepared to capture White Ape, but he turned hazy and vanished.
• Tang Qingyuan visited the Buddha Son in Hengyun Commandery’s White Pagoda and nervously questioned him about Buddhist rules and teachings.
• Tang Qingyuan confessed that guilt over leaving behind someone who had supported him had become an inner demon that prevented his cultivation from advancing.
• Tang Qingyuan asked the Buddha Son to accept him into the Buddhist Sect so he could use its method to cleanse his soul and reshape his Dao heart.

Chapter Summary: The Buddha’s Son Expounds Zen

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Buddha’s Son observes that Tang Qingyuan remains emotionally troubled by past relationships or debts of gratitude, which have shaken his Dao heart and motivated him to abandon the Buddhist Sect’s rival, the Heavenly Court.
• He attempts to enlighten Tang through Zen-like analogies, comparing emotional entanglement to the relationship between wind and willow branches. When Tang fails to understand, the Buddha’s Son uses humorous reframings of various calamities, portraying disasters and setbacks as having positive aspects.
• Although Tang gains some perspective, he still insists on joining the Buddhist Sect as a means of escape from his past and inner turmoil.
• The Buddha’s Son explains that the sect cannot simply accept a Heavenly Court cultivator without proof of loyalty. He assigns Tang the task of reclaiming the Incense-Fire Power territory known as Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds.
• The previous Buddhist Sect agent, a White Ape in the Wandering Void Sea Realm, was killed while attempting to subdue the territory. Tang is initially alarmed, but his confidence returns when he learns he may command anyone under the Buddha’s Son’s authority below the Myriad-Forms Heaven Realm.
• Tang enthusiastically accepts the mission and leaves to gather forces.
• At Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, the Palace Clan discovers that the Incense-Fire Power gathered around a newly erected monument has been completely stolen. The theft is especially offensive because it occurred before the cenotaphs of two righteous heroes.
• Gong Qiulan suppresses her anger and orders every cultivator and demon in the territory to be mobilized. She vows to punish the culprit regardless of their background.

Character Developments

• The Buddha’s Son demonstrates both insight and playful humor. He recognizes Tang’s emotional suffering but also reveals a colder, more commanding side when discussing the stolen territory.
• Tang Qingyuan is shown to be emotionally burdened and desperate for a new direction. Though he struggles to understand the Buddha’s teachings, he is eager to escape his past and willingly accepts a dangerous mission. His confidence rises sharply once granted command over the Buddhist Sect’s forces.
• Gong Qiulan emerges as fiercely protective of the territory and its honored dead. Rather than exploding in anger, she becomes unnervingly calm, suggesting strong self-control and formidable power.

Significant Themes

• Emotional attachment and the Dao heart: Love, gratitude, and unresolved obligations can obstruct cultivation and distort one’s spiritual path.
• Perspective and enlightenment: The Buddha’s Son teaches that suffering depends partly on how events are interpreted, using absurdly optimistic descriptions of misfortune to challenge Tang’s pessimism.
• Escape versus genuine resolution: Tang seeks refuge in the Buddhist Sect, but his desire to flee may not mean he has truly overcome his past.
• Loyalty and qualification: The Buddhist Sect welcomes all beings in principle, but joining requires action and demonstrated allegiance.
• Sacred memory and desecration: Stealing Incense-Fire Power from a monument honoring righteous heroes is treated not merely as theft, but as a profound insult and violation.

Character Interactions

• The Buddha’s Son repeatedly tries to guide Tang Qingyuan toward emotional detachment, alternating between philosophical metaphors and sarcastic humor.
• Tang misunderstands the Buddha’s Zen teachings but remains respectful and eventually asks to prove his worth through service.
• The Buddha’s Son grants Tang broad military authority, creating a mentor-and-recruit dynamic in which Tang gains both purpose and responsibility.
• Gong Qiulan’s restrained fury commands the obedience of her sisters and the servants of Jade Luan Manor, transforming their outrage into a coordinated mobilization against the unknown thief.

Chapter Summary: “Cinnabar Flow, Complete!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu remains secluded in a guest room at Jade Luan Manor while chaos unfolds outside.
• She examines the Great Compassion Glazed Pearl, discovering that the Incense-Fire Power accumulated by the demons has transformed into 130 gui of Merit—an amount that would have taken her years to earn through official work.
• She sorts through the many gifts and treasures she has collected from various factions and villagers, hoping to find something suitable for cultivation.
• Jiang attempts to use the Heavenly Demon Divine Ability on numerous items, including spirit herbs, ores, jade slips, bottles, and artifacts, but the technique shows no reaction.
• Remembering that White Ape Lord inherited the memories of the Buddhist Sect’s White Ape, she consults him mentally. He explains that the technique can refine only baleful and ferocious objects, not ordinary spiritual treasures.
• Jiang realizes that demon corpses may qualify and retrieves the corpse of Toad Immortal Lord from her storage pouch.
• The technique activates immediately, producing a terrifying blood aura and rapidly reducing the Great Demon’s corpse to ashes.
• Ten gui of Merit are consumed, allowing Jiang Yuechu’s cultivation barrier to break through. She completes the Perfected Inkfall realm and advances to Cinnabar Flow.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu displays growing ambition and resourcefulness. Her realization that independent ventures offer greater wealth than working for others reveals a more pragmatic, entrepreneurial side.
• She remains cautious and politically aware, refusing to summon her demonic subordinates openly because doing so might expose her role in manipulating the apparent self-sacrifice and stealing the Incense-Fire Power.
• Her frustration at the Heavenly Demon Divine Ability’s selectiveness gives way to clear-headed problem-solving when she remembers White Ape Lord’s knowledge.
• Her successful refinement of a Great Demon corpse marks a major advancement in her cultivation and demonstrates the frightening power of her demonic path.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and independence: Jiang’s enormous Merit gain reinforces the contrast between laboring within an institution and profiting from one’s own schemes.
• Knowledge as power: Her breakthrough depends not on brute force but on using inherited memories and consulting White Ape Lord.
• Demonic cultivation: The Heavenly Demon Divine Ability rejects ordinary treasures and instead thrives on violent, baleful substances, emphasizing the dangerous and predatory nature of Jiang’s cultivation.
• Secrecy and manipulation: Jiang must conceal her true involvement in recent events while benefiting from the plans she orchestrated through her demons.
• Transformation through destruction: The demon corpse’s annihilation fuels Jiang’s advancement, showing how death and destruction become resources on her path to power.

Character Interactions

• Jiang interacts mentally with White Ape Lord, asking him to explain the requirements of the Heavenly Demon Divine Ability. He respectfully clarifies that only baleful and ferocious objects can be refined.
• Jiang thinks of Xuan Yuanming, wishing she could rely on his experience to organize and identify her possessions.
• She also considers summoning the Tiger Mountain God and other demons, but decides against it to avoid revealing her hidden operations.
• The chapter concludes with Jiang’s terrifying transformation as she breaks through into Cinnabar Flow, establishing a major new stage in her cultivation.

Chapter Summary: “The Arrival of the Buddhist Sect”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After two foreign demons die fighting the Buddhist Sect’s Wandering Void Sea Great Demon over Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, Fairy Jadeface builds a cenotaph for them. The resulting influx of worshippers generates a large amount of incense-fire power.
• Before midnight, an unknown intruder secretly drains all of the mountain’s accumulated incense-fire power. This alarms Jade Luan Manor and neighboring powers such as Blackwater Pool and Wild Goose Peak, who seal off the region to find the culprit and preserve the rules governing incense-fire power.
• Meanwhile, Tang Qingyuan arrives near Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds with more than ten powerful Buddhist Sect demons. He travels disguised, on foot, and without using escape arts, supposedly to conceal the Buddhist Sect’s movement and catch the mountain’s defenders off guard.
• Tang is visibly troubled by his return. He once received major assistance from the person behind Jade Luan Manor, yet he is now leading forces intended to seize that person’s incense-fire foundation.
• When questioned about his plan, Tang admits internally that he has mainly been delaying because he has not decided how to face his former benefactor—or whether he should abandon the Buddhist Sect and return to the Heavenly Court.
• To justify his delays, Tang claims that the group’s slow, concealed approach is a deliberate military strategy designed to avoid a costly direct confrontation. The Buddhist demons accept this explanation because they are unwilling to risk their hard-earned cultivation in battle.
• The chapter ends when the white horse asks what they should do now that they have reached the mountain. Tang is exposed as having no concrete next step and vaguely gestures toward the mist.

Character Developments

• Tang Qingyuan is shown as anxious, guilty, indecisive, and self-serving beneath his confident exterior. He is caught between gratitude toward his former ally, fear of the Heavenly Court’s punishment, and dependence on the Buddhist Sect for protection.
• Although Tang presents himself as a strategist, his explanation is largely improvised to conceal his uncertainty. His habit of questioning nature and inanimate objects reflects his inner conflict and inability to resolve his betrayal.
• The white horse appears calm and patient at first, but its true authority and terrifying power become clear when it silences He Laosi with a single cold look. It acts as the group’s moral and disciplinary restraint while also scrutinizing Tang’s leadership.
• He Laosi is blunt, aggressive, and easily angered, but he fears the white horse enough to suppress his temper. His hostility toward Tang reveals the group’s underlying distrust.
• The other Buddhist Sect demons are cautious rather than blindly zealous. Their willingness to accept Tang’s plan shows that self-preservation tempers their loyalty to the Buddhist Sect.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and divided loyalty: Tang’s return forces him to confront the consequences of abandoning someone who once supported him.
• Guilt and moral uncertainty: Tang’s rambling questions and reluctance to face the mountain symbolize his struggle with whether his actions are justified.
• Appearance versus reality: Tang disguises his lack of a plan behind persuasive strategic language, while the Buddhist Sect’s supposedly controlled operation is built on incomplete information.
• Power and political pressure: Incense-fire power is treated as a strategic resource, and the mountain’s loss threatens the balance among several supernatural factions.
• Self-preservation versus duty: The Buddhist demons prefer a safe seizure of power over a glorious but dangerous battle, while Tang fears both the Buddhist Sect and the Heavenly Court.

Character Interactions

• Tang repeatedly appeals to the white horse for judgment, asking whether anyone understands his cryptic questions and whether breaking a precept is involved.
• He Laosi insults Tang, but the white horse reprimands him and invokes the importance of guarding against sinful speech.
• Tang then deliberately curses He Laosi, exploiting the fact that he is not yet officially a monastic and therefore claims the precept does not apply to him.
• The white horse challenges Tang directly about his lack of a plan. Tang responds with a fabricated tactical explanation that temporarily restores the group’s confidence.
• Their final exchange exposes the gap between Tang’s persuasive words and his actual uncertainty, leaving the Buddhist Sect’s next move unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Plans for Incense-Fire Power”

Plot and events

Zi Ling and Kongming remain confined in the bamboo grove behind Jade Luan Manor while the fox demons conduct an intense search for whoever stole the Incense-Fire Power from the main peak. Zi Ling is bored and avoids causing trouble because the manor is tense and heavily guarded. Jiang Yuechu visits them and directly asks whether Incense-Fire Power can be extracted from beings inside a Dao Painting. She explains that she recently broke through to the Middle Cinnabar Flow Realm by using Merit to support her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability and devouring demon corpses. However, after exhausting her Merit, devouring corpses becomes drastically less effective. Since the stolen Incense-Fire Power makes obtaining more outside nearly impossible, she is considering using the temples and offerings she established in Great Tang as an alternative source of power.

Character developments

Jiang Yuechu’s question reveals both her recent arrival in the Nine Provinces and her practical, strategic approach to cultivation. She is actively seeking a sustainable way to restore her Merit and strengthen herself, while still avoiding a premature return to Great Tang because she lacks sufficient power to change its situation safely. Zi Ling, initially suspicious of Jiang Yuechu’s sudden concern, realizes that Jiang Yuechu is simply using the conversation to obtain information. Kongming remains calm and observant but is surprised by Jiang Yuechu’s basic misunderstanding of Incense-Fire Power.

Important revelations and themes

Incense-Fire Power generated by beings inside a Dao Painting is useless to cultivators in the physical world because those beings lack recognition from the Great Thousand World. Only offerings from living beings governed by the Great Dao can transform into genuine Merit. However, painted beings can potentially be brought into the Nine Provinces and integrated into the world, allowing their power to become effective. This process requires Heavenly Court inspection and strict approval; secretly smuggling them in is a serious crime. The chapter emphasizes the laws and hierarchy governing cultivation, the limitations imposed by origin and world recognition, and the importance of patience and strategic preparation over reckless action.

Character interactions

Jiang Yuechu bluntly questions Zi Ling and Kongming without disguising her motives, irritating Zi Ling but prompting a useful explanation. Kongming confirms that Jiang Yuechu’s question is unusual, while Zi Ling explains the distinction between useless painted-world Incense-Fire Power and true Merit. Zi Ling also introduces the possibility of bringing painted beings into the Nine Provinces, giving Jiang Yuechu a potential path toward rebuilding her cultivation resources.

Chapter Summary: The Vanished Fairy

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu asks Zi Ling about the rules governing the movement of living beings from Dao Paintings into the outside world.
• Zi Ling explains that the Heavenly Court restricts such transfers because the Nine Provinces could not support limitless additional life. However, in lawless regions such as the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, someone who controls territory may secretly receive beings from a Dao Painting.
• Jiang Yuechu realizes that obtaining vast amounts of Incense-Fire Power would require either securing authority within the Heavenly Court or conquering territory in an ungoverned region.
• Zi Ling then discovers that Jiang Yuechu’s Dao Painting contains living beings and warns her that this is extremely dangerous. Living beings inside a painting continuously consume the cultivator’s foundation, weakening long-term cultivation.
• Zi Ling explains that only powerful Myriad-Forms Heaven cultivators, or leaders protecting their sects and clans, generally maintain living beings in their Dao Paintings. Most other cultivators cleanse their paintings of life.
• Jiang Yuechu remains unconcerned because she suspects the system protects her from the usual burden. Her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability and access to Merit and demon corpses allow her to force breakthroughs without immediately worrying about the cost of nurturing her painted inhabitants.
• The conversation is interrupted when Palace Fourth Sister arrives in alarm, having lost her usual composure. She asks whether anyone has seen “the fairy,” establishing that someone important has disappeared.
• Elsewhere, White Horse and several demons hold Tang Qingyuan captive in the mountains. Tang had apparently arranged for the demons to separate and gather information, but they believe his plan was intended to send them to their deaths.
• Tang learns that the demons are waiting for the foxes of Jade Luan Manor to arrive and need him alive as a witness. White Horse reveals that the Buddhist Son originally gave Tang a chance to attract an immortal official of the Heavenly Court, which could have benefited the Buddhist Sect.
• Because Tang still values his connection to the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, White Horse declares that he will let Tang die alongside those connected to him, presenting the execution as a twisted form of mercy.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu continues to think strategically about expanding her future access to Incense-Fire Power. Rather than being discouraged by the dangers of maintaining life in her Dao Painting, she trusts her unusual abilities and plans to handle any consequences later.
• Zi Ling takes on a protective, advisory role. She is shocked by Jiang Yuechu’s lack of concern and urgently warns her about the long-term damage living beings can cause to a cultivator’s foundation.
• Palace Fourth Sister appears deeply distressed by the disappearance of the fairy, suggesting the missing figure is important to her or to the group.
• Tang Qingyuan is exposed as an unreliable strategist whose scheme has failed. Though still defiant and resentful, he becomes frightened when he realizes the demons are connected to Jade Luan Manor and may intend to eliminate him.
• White Horse is shown to be patient, calculating, and ruthless. He allowed Tang’s plan to continue because it might have benefited the Buddhist Sect, but once that possibility faded, he calmly accepted Tang’s death.
• He Laosi is aggressive and vindictive, openly enjoying Tang’s helplessness and resenting the insults and danger caused by Tang’s plan.

Significant Themes

• Power versus long-term cultivation: The beings inside a Dao Painting may provide combat strength, but they consume the cultivator’s foundation, illustrating the cost of gaining immediate power.
• Control and territory: Jiang Yuechu’s discussion highlights the importance of jurisdiction. Authority within the Heavenly Court or control of lawless territory determines who may gather followers and Incense-Fire Power.
• Rules versus lawlessness: The Heavenly Court imposes restrictions to preserve cosmic balance, while regions such as the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds operate beyond its reach, where power is enforced through conquest.
• Pragmatism and risk: Jiang Yuechu willingly accepts dangers that traditional cultivators avoid because her system and Heavenly Demon Divine Ability give her unusual alternatives.
• False mercy and loyalty: White Horse frames execution as mercy, exploiting Tang’s attachment to his allies and mocking the idea of loyalty even as he uses it to justify violence.
• Hidden identities and political schemes: Tang’s connection to Jade Luan Manor, the Buddhist Sect’s larger plans, and the disappearance of the fairy suggest that several factions are maneuvering behind the scenes.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu and Zi Ling: Their discussion begins as a practical exchange about Incense-Fire Power but becomes a warning about the dangers of Dao Paintings. Zi Ling worries for Jiang Yuechu, while Jiang remains calm and secretive about the protection provided by her system.
• Palace Fourth Sister and the group: Her abrupt arrival interrupts the conversation and shifts the chapter toward an urgent mystery involving the missing fairy.
• Tang Qingyuan and He Laosi: He Laosi taunts and physically intimidates Tang, blaming him for a reckless plan. Tang responds with excuses and resentment but is unable to defend himself.
• Tang Qingyuan and White Horse: Tang appeals to White Horse as the more rational figure, but White Horse rejects any possibility of leniency. He reveals the Buddhist Sect’s former intentions and then condemns Tang to die with those he remains loyal to.
• White Horse and the demons: The demons question why White Horse tolerated Tang for so long. His answer shows that he had been acting according to the Buddhist Son’s broader political strategy rather than simple impulsiveness.

Chapter Summary: “So Hard to Lead”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jadeface Fairy suddenly disappears after a series of major disturbances: the Buddhist Sect’s Wandering Void Sea White Ape is killed, and the Incense-Fire Power is stolen from the main peak’s stone stele.
• The fox-demon sisters of Jade Luan Manor become deeply worried because Jadeface Fairy would normally send word before leaving, especially during such a dangerous time.
• Jiang Yuechu helps them reason through the possible cause of Jadeface Fairy’s disappearance. They conclude that the most likely explanation is the return of Tang Qingyuan, a man from Jadeface Fairy’s past.
• The sisters explain that Tang Qingyuan once saved Jadeface Fairy when she was gravely wounded. To repay him, she welcomed him into Jade Luan Manor and gave him extensive resources.
• Jadeface Fairy eventually promised to become his Dao companion once he reached the Wandering Void Sea realm. However, after breaking through, Tang Qingyuan abandoned her with only a letter, claiming he was going to the Nine Provinces to become an immortal official.
• Jadeface Fairy, humiliated and heartbroken, later staged a sham wedding with a passing cultivator—an incident that accidentally involved one of Jiang Yuechu’s friends.
• Tang Qingyuan has now apparently returned, causing the sisters to fear that Jadeface Fairy may have gone to confront him and could once again be hurt by his schemes.
• Jiang Yuechu decides to leave and search for Jadeface Fairy, while also using the opportunity to inspect the surrounding region for a possible location where Great Tang could establish itself.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates calm reasoning and practical leadership. Although she is not personally close to Jadeface Fairy, she recognizes the genuine kindness the fox sisters have shown her and chooses to help.
• She also reveals a pragmatic, slightly exasperated personality, silently judging the others for remaining passive instead of immediately organizing a search.
• Jadeface Fairy is portrayed as proud, loyal, and deeply devoted once she considers someone deserving of her gratitude. Her past decision to trust Tang Qingyuan exposes an emotional vulnerability beneath her powerful and composed exterior.
• Tang Qingyuan is characterized as ungrateful and potentially opportunistic. His abandonment of Jadeface Fairy after receiving years of support makes his sudden return highly suspicious.
• The Palace Clan sisters show strong loyalty toward their eldest sister. Their anger toward Tang Qingyuan reflects both their protectiveness and their longstanding resentment over Jadeface Fairy’s suffering.
• Zi Ling provides a moment of awkward humor by assuming Jadeface Fairy’s superior cultivation would protect her from Tang Qingyuan.
• Kongming reacts with sympathy and solemnity, recognizing how Jadeface Fairy’s misfortune led indirectly to his own previous trouble.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and misplaced trust: Jadeface Fairy’s gratitude toward Tang Qingyuan led her to give him extraordinary privileges, which he repaid with abandonment.
• Emotional vulnerability beneath power: Even a cultivator at the Perfection stage can be wounded by humiliation, affection, and betrayal.
• Loyalty and repayment of kindness: Jadeface Fairy’s actions are driven by her commitment to repay a life-saving favor, while Jiang Yuechu’s decision to help reflects her own growing sense of obligation toward those who have treated her well.
• Suspicion during political turmoil: The recent attacks and thefts create an atmosphere in which every disappearance may conceal a larger plot.
• Leadership and initiative: Jiang Yuechu’s willingness to act contrasts with the sisters’ anxious hesitation, highlighting her growing role as the practical problem-solver of the group.
• Comic contrast: The chapter balances serious concerns about betrayal and danger with Jiang Yuechu’s dry frustration at having to “lead” an indecisive group.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu reassures the distressed fox sisters and guides them toward identifying Tang Qingyuan as the likely cause of Jadeface Fairy’s disappearance.
• The sisters collectively reveal Jadeface Fairy’s history with Tang Qingyuan, exposing both their contempt for him and their concern for their eldest sister.
• Zi Ling innocently questions whether a newly advanced Wandering Void Sea cultivator could threaten Jadeface Fairy, prompting an awkward silence that reveals the sisters’ fear is emotional and strategic rather than simply physical.
• Jiang Yuechu silently understands that Tang Qingyuan’s return likely carries hidden motives and that Jadeface Fairy may be vulnerable to him despite her strength.
• The chapter ends humorously when Jiang Yuechu walks out to search, leaving everyone surprised that she expects them to follow and act immediately.

Fairy Jadeface confronted the Buddhist Sect after they abducted Tang Qingyuan and demanded a share of Jade Luan Manor’s incense-fire power. Meanwhile, Jiang Yuechu sent the Cosmic Demon King to search the mountains for Fairy Jadeface.

• Fairy Jadeface found Tang Qingyuan captive among the Buddhist Sect’s demons and realized he had gone to them himself.
• Tang Qingyuan tried to explain himself, but He Laosi seized his topknot as the white horse demanded that Jade Luan Manor surrender some of its incense-fire power.
• Jiang Yuechu told the search party to split up, then clarified that she meant everyone should leave her to search alone.
• Jiang Yuechu summoned the Cosmic Demon King and ordered him to find Fairy Jadeface.
• The Cosmic Demon King spread his wings and flew into the clouds to search the mountain ranges.

Chapter Summary: Cinnabar Flow Battles Wandering Void Sea

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gong Qiulan, a Wandering Void Sea Perfection cultivator, is cornered by more than a dozen Buddhist Sect demons in a ruined forest clearing.
• Despite being heavily wounded and exhausted, she has already killed two Wandering Void Sea experts and severely damaged the surrounding landscape.
• The demons acknowledge her extraordinary strength but believe that their overwhelming numbers will eventually defeat her.
• White Horse argues that Gong Qiulan’s opposition is futile. It claims that losing some Incense-Fire Power and Merit is insignificant and that the weak are naturally destined to be eliminated.
• Gong Qiulan reflects on the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds and refuses to surrender its people’s future merely because the Buddhist Sect demands tribute and submission.
• Although she could still escape, Gong Qiulan chooses to remain, partly because she feels indebted to Tang Qingyuan, who once protected her. She believes her life may be the only repayment sufficient for that debt.
• Just as Gong Qiulan prepares for a final counterattack, thunder erupts above the battlefield.
• Jiang Yuechu suddenly descends in a blaze of golden light and strikes He Laosi, blasting the Wandering Void Sea expert through several trees and into a cliff.
• Her unexpected arrival briefly shocks the Buddhist Sect demons, despite her only being at the Cinnabar Flow Realm.
• White Horse quickly regains control of the situation and orders some demons to restrain Jiang Yuechu while the rest join it in killing the already weakened Gong Qiulan.

Character Developments

• Gong Qiulan: Demonstrates immense resilience, combat talent, and determination. She refuses to abandon the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds or submit to the Buddhist Sect, even though escape remains possible. Her stubbornness is tied to past betrayal and a strong sense of responsibility. Her decision to stay also reflects her belief that she must repay Tang Qingyuan’s earlier protection.
• White Horse: Acts as the calculating leader of the Buddhist Sect’s forces. It respects Gong Qiulan’s strength but remains dismissive of her ideals and the lives affected by the conflict. Its confidence returns quickly after Jiang Yuechu’s arrival, revealing its belief that numerical superiority will decide the battle.
• Jiang Yuechu: Makes a dramatic and unexpected entrance. Her powerful first strike against He Laosi shows that her combat ability is far beyond what her Cinnabar Flow cultivation level would suggest. Her arrival creates a sudden shift in the battlefield.
• Tang Qingyuan: Though physically incapacitated, he is important to Gong Qiulan’s motivations. His present cowardice contrasts sharply with the protection he once offered her, contributing to her disappointment and emotional distance.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus numbers: Even a supreme expert like Gong Qiulan can be overwhelmed when surrounded by numerous opponents of comparable cultivation.
• Defiance against submission: Gong Qiulan’s resistance represents opposition to the Buddhist Sect’s attempt to control the region through power, tribute, and Incense-Fire Power.
• The law of the strong and weak: White Horse believes that the powerful naturally exploit the weak, while Gong Qiulan’s actions challenge the idea that survival and strength are the only measures of worth.
• Stubbornness, loyalty, and repayment: Gong Qiulan’s refusal to flee stems from both personal pride and her determination to repay past protection and protect the people under her care.
• Hidden strength and unexpected intervention: Jiang Yuechu’s sudden arrival emphasizes that cultivation realms do not always reflect actual combat power and introduces hope into Gong Qiulan’s seemingly hopeless situation.

Character Interactions

• White Horse verbally dismisses Gong Qiulan’s ideals, arguing that lost Merit and Incense-Fire Power will only harm weaker cultivators who are unworthy of advancement.
• Gong Qiulan does not directly debate White Horse but silently rejects its worldview through her decision to continue resisting.
• Her final look at Tang Qingyuan reveals her disillusionment with him, while her words explain the debt connecting them.
• Jiang Yuechu immediately confronts the Buddhist Sect forces by attacking He Laosi, disrupting the tense standoff.
• White Horse responds tactically, dividing the demons to contain Jiang Yuechu while preserving the main assault against Gong Qiulan.

Summary: Battle Against the Buddhist Sect Demons

Key Plot Points and Events

• Three powerful Buddhist Sect Great Demons attack Jiang Yuechu and Gong Qiulan, carefully avoiding underestimating Jiang after witnessing her earlier punch.
• Gong Qiulan decides to hold off the demons so Jiang Yuechu can escape. She feels responsible for the crisis because it stems from her own past actions and does not want the younger cultivator to die because of her.
• Jiang Yuechu ignores Gong Qiulan’s warning and charges directly at the three Wandering Void Sea demons.
• She casually strikes a dog demon, sending its enormous body flying and shocking the other demons.
• White Horse orders more than ten Great Demons to attack Gong Qiulan, believing that killing her will secure victory regardless of Jiang’s strange strength.
• Gong Qiulan sees Jiang surrounded by the remaining two Wandering Void Sea demons and rushes to protect her, leaving herself exposed to the larger attack.
• Before the demons can harm Jiang, she places a hand on them and completely suppresses them through sheer physical strength. The two demons are forced to their knees, leaving White Horse and the others stunned.
• Jiang unleashes her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability, becoming surrounded by dark golden flames and overwhelming killing intent.
• She brutally attacks the two restrained demons, piercing their bodies, shattering their bones, and reducing them to a helpless state before finishing them with a devastating kick.
• Both Wandering Void Sea demons are killed, granting Jiang Dao Essence.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu reveals that her apparent Cinnabar Flow Realm cultivation conceals terrifying physical strength and accumulated foundations. Her power comes from numerous treasures, techniques, divine abilities, absorbed demon souls, and other enhancements.
• Jiang’s previously emotionless composure turns into cold, ruthless killing intent once she fully activates her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability.
• Gong Qiulan demonstrates guilt, responsibility, and self-sacrifice. She is willing to risk her life to protect Jiang, even though Jiang is seemingly much weaker by cultivation realm.
• Gong Qiulan’s perception of Jiang changes as she witnesses her casually repel and suppress high-level demons, though she remains shocked and worried for her safety.
• White Horse and the Buddhist Sect demons lose their confidence. Their belief that Jiang is merely a Cinnabar Flow Realm cultivator is shattered by her overwhelming strength.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Jiang’s cultivation level vastly understates her actual combat ability.
• Accumulated foundations: Her terrifying power is presented as the result of countless techniques, treasures, divine abilities, and previous experiences built up over time.
• Responsibility and atonement: Gong Qiulan believes she must personally face the danger because the crisis originates from her own past sins.
• Self-sacrifice and protection: Gong Qiulan attempts to shield Jiang despite being surrounded, while Jiang ultimately protects herself and decisively eliminates the threat.
• Fear caused by overwhelming power: The demons’ hesitation and terror emphasize how completely Jiang surpasses their expectations.

Character Interactions

• Gong Qiulan urges Jiang to flee, but Jiang ignores her and attacks first.
• White Horse commands the other demons to focus on Gong Qiulan, treating Jiang as a secondary threat.
• Gong Qiulan abandons her advantageous position to rush toward Jiang and protect her from the two attacking demons.
• Jiang’s effortless suppression of the demons overturns everyone’s assumptions and leaves both the demons and Gong Qiulan astonished.
• The chapter ends with Jiang killing the two Wandering Void Sea demons while the surviving Buddhist Sect forces witness her true power.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yuechu decisively kills two more Buddhist Sect Wandering Void Sea Realm demons, bringing the total Buddhist Sect losses to four. Her effortless victories shock the remaining demons, who realize they badly underestimated her.
• A dog demon that had been knocked aside earlier witnesses the deaths of its companions and becomes frightened and confused about whether it should continue attacking Jiang Yuechu.
• White Horse Venerable remains composed despite the catastrophic losses. Believing the Buddhist Sect still has more than ten Great Demons and can win through overwhelming numbers, he refuses to retreat.
• White Horse orders all the remaining demons to attack Gong Qiulan, who is already severely weakened. This leaves him alone to face Jiang Yuechu.
• Jiang Yuechu recognizes that White Horse’s decision is unusual and suspects he possesses hidden strength or motives. White Horse questions whether she truly comes from Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, believing her extraordinary power could not have been produced by such a poor region.
• Jiang Yuechu gives no answer. She immediately attacks, kicking White Horse with overwhelming force.
• White Horse blocks the kick but is shaken by its immense power. Before he can respond, Jiang Yuechu follows with three rapid punches that smash into his back.
• The blows send White Horse crashing through the forest, destroying trees and gouging a deep trench in the ground. He vomits blood and is left barely able to stop his uncontrolled tumble.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Her strength is revealed as vastly beyond what her Cinnabar Flow Realm cultivation suggests. She is silent, cold, efficient, and relies on overwhelming physical force rather than elaborate techniques.
• White Horse Venerable: Initially calm and strategically confident, he refuses to retreat despite the losses. However, Jiang Yuechu’s attack finally exposes his shock and ferocity, demonstrating that he may have underestimated her.
• The Buddhist Sect demons: Their confidence collapses after witnessing Jiang Yuechu’s effortless kills. They obey White Horse’s orders but are clearly more afraid of confronting Jiang Yuechu than of fighting the weakened Gong Qiulan.
• Dog demon: Its earlier arrogance turns into panic after seeing its companions killed instantly, highlighting the psychological impact of Jiang Yuechu’s power.
• Gong Qiulan: Though not directly active in this section, she remains a crucial target and is vulnerable enough that White Horse assigns the surviving demons to finish her.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Jiang Yuechu’s apparent low cultivation conceals power capable of surpassing even Wandering Void Sea Perfection experts.
• Pride versus retreat: White Horse values completing the Buddhist Sect’s mission over preserving his forces, showing the Buddhist Sect’s rigid discipline and determination.
• Fear caused by overwhelming power: The demons’ reactions reveal how quickly confidence and hierarchy can collapse when confronted with an incomprehensible opponent.
• Strategic sacrifice: White Horse deliberately sends his subordinates away to attack Gong Qiulan, suggesting both confidence in his own abilities and a willingness to risk everything for victory.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yuechu’s earlier attack leaves the dog demon humiliated and frightened, while her effortless killing of two other demons silences the entire battlefield.
• White Horse commands the remaining demons to abandon Jiang Yuechu and attack Gong Qiulan, creating a direct confrontation between himself and Jiang Yuechu.
• White Horse attempts to learn Jiang Yuechu’s origins, but she responds only through violence.
• Their battle begins with Jiang Yuechu’s kick against White Horse’s guarded arms and escalates into a one-sided barrage that sends him flying through the forest.

Summary: “Battle Against White Horse Venerable! (Part 2)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After White Horse Venerable leaves the main battlefield, the Buddhist Sect’s Great Demons turn their attention to Gong Qiulan. Believing that eliminating her will allow them to combine their strength against the mysterious Cinnabar Flow Realm cultivator, Jiang Yuechu, they launch a coordinated attack.
• Gong Qiulan remains calm despite being heavily outnumbered. She uses her fox tails and Dao Painting-derived techniques to summon countless fox phantoms and blue flames, successfully preventing the demons from reaching her.
• Her fighting style is revealed to be centered on divine abilities and immortal arts rather than physical strength. Acknowledging that her foundation cannot compete with demons from powerful sects, she specializes in entanglement and control, allowing her to hold off multiple Wandering Void Sea Great Demons.
• Meanwhile, White Horse Venerable rises from the crater after being severely injured by Jiang Yuechu. Though his body is shattered, he shows no fear and accepts that he may be unable to overcome his current tribulation.
• Facing certain defeat, White Horse Venerable forcibly releases the cultivation and foundation accumulated through three previous reincarnations of the Buddhist Sect’s Ten Abodes Reincarnation Sutra. This causes his power to surge to the Wandering Void Sea Perfection Realm.
• The technique allows cultivators to repeatedly seal their cultivation and begin again, increasing their chance of breaking through barriers, but White Horse Venerable sacrifices all the progress and potential gained through his previous three cycles by unsealing it prematurely.
• Now at the peak of the Wandering Void Sea Realm—and only one step from Myriad-Forms Heaven—White Horse Venerable launches a full-force attack against Jiang Yuechu.

Character Developments

• Gong Qiulan: Demonstrates her experience and tactical intelligence. Rather than recklessly confronting the stronger Great Demons head-on, she exploits her specialty in illusion, fox phantoms, flames, and restraint. Her internal reflection also shows her awareness of her limitations and her dependence on Jiang Yuechu to alter the battle’s outcome.
• White Horse Venerable: Reveals the enormous price he is willing to pay for victory. By sacrificing the accumulated potential of three reincarnations, he abandons his future path toward a higher realm. His bitterness reflects both his determination and his resentment toward those who refuse to submit to the Buddhist Sect.
• Jiang Yuechu: Though still only in the Flowing Elixir/Cinnabar Flow Realm, she has already pushed White Horse Venerable to abandon his long-term cultivation prospects. Her true combat ability is presented as extraordinary, but the chapter leaves open whether she can survive his newly unleashed peak strength.
• The Buddhist Great Demons: Their confidence in overwhelming Gong Qiulan through numbers is challenged as her defensive and restraining techniques keep them at bay.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and desperation: White Horse Venerable gives up the fruits of three lifetimes of cultivation to survive the immediate crisis, emphasizing the cost of clinging to power.
• Fate versus defiance: He claims that fate has decreed his defeat, yet immediately defies that fate by using the Ten Abodes Reincarnation Sutra and forcing his cultivation to its maximum.
• Individual power versus collective strength: The Buddhist demons rely on numbers and formation, while Gong Qiulan’s specialized abilities allow her to resist them. The greater confrontation similarly contrasts Jiang Yuechu’s mysterious strength with White Horse Venerable’s overwhelming cultivation foundation.
• Sectarian superiority and prejudice: White Horse Venerable dismisses remote demons and cultivators as insignificant, believing that only submission to the Buddhist Sect can lead to greatness.
• The burden of cultivation: Repeated reincarnation offers a path to overcome innate limits, but demands extraordinary endurance, lifespan, and willingness to endure repeated loss.

Character Interactions

• The Buddhist Great Demons collectively attack Gong Qiulan, while she counters by trapping and repelling them with fox tails and ghostly flames.
• White Horse Venerable verbally confronts and condemns Jiang Yuechu and the independent demons, accusing them of clinging to meaningless sentiments instead of submitting to the Buddhist Sect.
• Gong Qiulan watches White Horse Venerable’s transformation with growing alarm, recognizing that his Wandering Void Sea Perfection cultivation and Buddhist Sect heritage make him vastly more dangerous.
• The chapter ends with White Horse Venerable initiating a life-or-death battle against Jiang Yuechu, leaving Gong Qiulan—and the reader—uncertain whether the much lower-realm cultivator can withstand him.

Jiang Yuechu fought the White Horse Venerable, endured his attacks, and killed him with the help of a hidden ally. She then pursued the fleeing Buddhist Sect demons, while Gong Qiulan began to realize who had been behind the strange events in the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds.

• White Horse Venerable broke the seal on his cultivation and challenged Jiang Yuechu to survive three attacks, but she withstood his first two blows.
• Jiang Yuechu seized White Horse Venerable and revealed the strength of her Heavenly Demon Divine Ability, prompting him to suspect that the local demon cultivators had allied with White Ape.
• A hidden ape struck White Horse Venerable from behind, allowing Jiang Yuechu to batter him with a barrage of punches until he died.
• Jiang Yuechu collected White Horse Venerable's corpse and gained 372 Dao Essence, while the Buddhist Sect demons fled in terror.
• Jiang Yuechu told Gong Qiulan to wait and pursued the fleeing demons, as Gong Qiulan reconsidered her past suspicions about the stolen incense-fire power and the grave.

Chapter Summary: “A Warmhearted Fellow Daoist Jiang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the battle in the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds, Jiang Yuechu pursues the fleeing Buddhist Sect demons. Although several escape using ingenious techniques, she decides not to continue chasing them, unwilling to risk entering Buddhist Sect territory.
• Jiang checks her cultivation panel and discovers that she has gained 932 Dao Essence from the battle. Her strength has also increased dramatically: she can now defeat a Wandering Void Sea Perfection cultivator head-on without relying on stored Dao Cultivation.
• Recognizing that she may even be capable of contending with a Myriad-Forms Heaven cultivator, Jiang nevertheless chooses caution and returns to the battlefield.
• The three summoned Great Demons—the White Ape Lord, the Cosmic Demon King, and another demon—are recalled into the Myriad Demon Records.
• Back at the devastated battlefield, Tang Qingyuan is overwhelmed by what he has witnessed: a girl seemingly at the Cinnabar Flow Realm destroyed a terrifying Buddhist demon assault and killed a Wandering Void Sea Perfection expert.
• Gong Qiulan tells Tang Qingyuan that because he once saved her life and she has now risked hers to save him, they are even. She intends to leave the Eight Hundred Miles of Linked Clouds and end their connection.
• Before Tang can explain himself or ask about Jiang Yuechu, Jiang returns. Gong Qiulan immediately greets her and confirms that she is unharmed.
• Gong Qiulan sincerely apologizes for involving Jiang in her personal vendetta and expresses deep gratitude for Jiang’s intervention.
• Jiang dismisses the danger as a “small effort” and unexpectedly tells Gong Qiulan to seek her out again if anything similar happens in the future.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu: Her confidence grows as she realizes how much her combat ability has advanced. Despite possessing enough Dao Essence to act recklessly, she remains cautious and understands the danger posed by the Buddhist Sect. Her seemingly selfless behavior is also revealed to be partly motivated by the enormous Dao Essence rewards she gains from fighting powerful enemies.
• Gong Qiulan: She becomes deeply grateful to Jiang and feels guilty for dragging her into danger. Her relationship with Tang Qingyuan reaches a breaking point as she attempts to settle their past debt and separate from him.
• Tang Qingyuan: He is mentally shaken by Jiang’s overwhelming strength and remains more fascinated by her identity and abilities than by the personal conflict with Gong Qiulan. His awkwardness and panic suggest he does not want their relationship to end so simply.
• The Great Demons: Even the normally rebellious Cosmic Demon King behaves obediently around Jiang, demonstrating the authority and fear she now commands.

Significant Themes

• Power tempered by caution: Jiang’s strength has reached an extraordinary level, but she recognizes that overwhelming power does not make her invincible, especially against major sects such as the Buddhist Sect.
• Gratitude and indebtedness: Gong Qiulan views Jiang’s rescue as a profound life-saving favor, while Jiang sees it as a rewarding and worthwhile opportunity, creating a contrast between sincere gratitude and Jiang’s private practical motives.
• The value of knowing when to stop: Jiang deliberately abandons the pursuit rather than becoming overconfident and entering dangerous territory.
• Misunderstanding and differing perspectives: Gong Qiulan interprets Jiang’s actions as extraordinary kindness, whereas Jiang considers them an advantageous “small effort.” Their relationship is therefore built on an imbalance of understanding.
• Past debts and severed ties: Gong Qiulan attempts to repay Tang Qingyuan’s old kindness and move on, while Tang appears unwilling or unable to accept that their bond has ended.

Character Interactions

• Jiang commands the summoned demons and earns their unquestioning obedience.
• White Ape Lord respectfully asks whether the fleeing enemies should be pursued, and Jiang chooses restraint.
• Gong Qiulan tells Tang Qingyuan that their mutual life-saving debt has been repaid, but Tang’s awkward reaction suggests unresolved feelings or concerns.
• Gong Qiulan warmly welcomes Jiang back, then apologizes for endangering her.
• Jiang reassures Gong Qiulan and invites her to seek help again in the future, leaving Gong Qiulan confused about why Jiang is so willing to assist someone she barely knows.