Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The Demons’ Speculations”

Key Plot Points and Events

• With only one day remaining before the Gratitude Assembly, Chu Tiange realizes that Jiang Yuechu still has not returned and that suspicious, chaotic auras are beginning to appear nearby.
• He concludes that the Buddhist Sect is actively searching for them after the death of Golden Scale, a powerful demon whose murder has triggered an investigation.
• Concerned that remaining in place could lead to a confrontation, Chu orders Qiu Yinong, Gao Wen, and Junior Brother Liu to leave immediately. Gao Wen and Junior Brother Liu have recovered enough to use escape techniques, though they are still badly injured.
• Qiu Yinong protests because Jiang Yuechu has contacted her and said she will arrive soon. Chu nevertheless refuses to gamble with their safety or risk being delayed and missing the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool before the Gratitude Assembly ends.
• Chu removes the traces of their formation and leaves behind a carved pig’s-head marker so Jiang Yuechu can follow them. The group then flees into the wilderness, with Qiu helping the injured Junior Brother Liu and Gao Wen struggling to keep up.
• Less than half an hour later, several Buddhist Sect demons arrive at their former campsite but find no trace of them.
• The pursuing demons debate Golden Scale’s death and the likelihood that the killer is not an ordinary outsider. They reason that only someone with Supreme Capital-level strength, or an insider within the Buddhist Sect, could have killed Golden Scale without triggering the Buddhist Sect’s protective Golden Light.
• The demons grow afraid that investigating too deeply could implicate a powerful Buddhist Sect figure. The Pig Demon proposes an alternative explanation: perhaps Golden Scale abandoned the Gratitude Assembly to pursue another opportunity.
• The group then worries about how to explain Golden Scale’s disappearance to the Buddha’s Son. The Pig Demon turns to the one-horned demon, Venerable Wutian, for his opinion.

Character Developments

• Chu Tiange: Becomes more decisive and cautious. Though he wants to reach the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, he prioritizes protecting his injured companions and refuses to risk being surrounded by the Buddhist Sect.
• Qiu Yinong: Shows concern for Jiang Yuechu and initially questions Chu’s decision to leave without waiting. She ultimately suppresses her worries and follows his judgment.
• Gao Wen: Feels deep regret and self-blame for his earlier carelessness, believing his severe injuries have placed the group in danger and complicated Chu’s plans.
• Junior Brother Liu: Remains dependent on the others because of his injuries, though he has recovered enough to travel with assistance.
• The Pig Demon: Grows increasingly bold and resentful toward Venerable Wutian after previously being reprimanded. He openly challenges the investigation and subtly encourages the other demons to question their orders.
• Venerable Wutian: Acts as the apparent leader of the pursuing demons. His caution reflects awareness of the political danger behind Golden Scale’s death, though he has not yet offered a clear conclusion.
• Jiang Yuechu: Does not appear in the chapter, but her delayed arrival drives the protagonists’ decision to leave. She is expected to follow the marker and catch up.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus opportunity: Chu must choose between waiting for Jiang Yuechu and pursuing the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, ultimately placing immediate survival above potential gains.
• Responsibility and leadership: Chu accepts the burden of protecting his injured companions, while Gao Wen’s regret highlights the consequences of individual mistakes on an entire group.
• Political danger and hidden power: Golden Scale’s murder suggests an internal conflict within the Buddhist Sect or the involvement of an overwhelmingly powerful figure. The demons recognize that uncovering the truth may be more dangerous than remaining ignorant.
• Self-preservation and hypocrisy: Although the demons serve the Buddhist Sect for its rewards, they are reluctant to risk themselves for its interests. Their loyalty is conditional and motivated largely by the promise of spiritual benefits.
• Uncertainty and speculation: With no evidence or bodies, the demons construct competing explanations for Golden Scale’s disappearance, revealing both their fear and their desire to avoid responsibility.

Character Interactions

• Chu and Qiu Yinong clash briefly over whether to wait for Jiang Yuechu, but Chu’s practical concerns prevail.
• Chu’s decision is shaped by his responsibility toward Gao Wen and Junior Brother Liu, whose injuries make confrontation dangerous.
• Gao Wen’s silent regret contrasts with Chu’s focused decisiveness.
• The pursuing demons openly question the investigation, while the Pig Demon exploits their doubts to undermine the search.
• The demons collectively fear that Golden Scale’s death may be connected to a powerful Buddhist Sect insider, and they look to Venerable Wutian for guidance on how to proceed and what to tell the Buddha’s Son.

Chapter Summary

• Wutian rejects the Pig Demon’s provocation: The demons discuss the Buddhist Son’s seemingly impossible order to find Golden Scale within two days. The Pig Demon tries to persuade Venerable Wutian, their strongest and most senior member, to lead a revolt or defect to another Arhat. Wutian recognizes the danger of being the first to rebel and responds diplomatically, insisting that they obey orders and leave the result to fate.
• The demons outwardly submit: Realizing that Wutian will not take the bait, the Pig Demon retreats and falls silent. Other demons quickly echo Wutian’s words, pretending to be loyal and cooperative despite their earlier dissatisfaction. The tense atmosphere briefly becomes harmonious.
• Jiang Yuechu appears: The group is suddenly interrupted when Jiang Yuechu arrives above them. The demons are surprised that someone would approach so openly despite their combined strength. Jiang, following directions from Qiu Yinong, had been searching for Chu Tiange and the others, but finds only the Buddhist Sect-affiliated demons.
• Jiang assesses the situation: After confirming that no battle has occurred and that her targets were likely not killed by these demons, Jiang decides not to leave empty-handed. Although Wutian is the strongest, at the Myriad-Forms Heaven Late Realm, the others are only at the initial or middle stages.
• Wutian demands her identity: Wutian warns Jiang that she will not be allowed to leave unless she explains who she is. Before he can finish, Jiang attacks without saying a word.
• Jiang reveals a terrifying technique: She manifests a vast crimson Blood Sea containing a dark-red pagoda and covered with intense Buddhist radiance. The display combines an ominous killing aura with unmistakable Buddhist Sect power.
• Wutian realizes the truth about Golden Scale: Jiang’s Buddhist cultivation explains how Golden Scale could have been killed without triggering the Buddhist Sect’s protective golden light. Wutian concludes that Golden Scale was murdered by another Buddhist Sect member—someone outside the range that would have alerted the sect.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Venerable Wutian proves cautious, politically astute, and unwilling to sacrifice himself by openly challenging the Buddhist Son. His composure collapses into shock when Jiang reveals her Buddhist identity.
• The Pig Demon is shown to be scheming but fearful. He attempts to manipulate Wutian into leading a collective rebellion, then immediately withdraws when the plan fails.
• The other demons demonstrate cowardice and opportunism by quickly changing from dissatisfaction to apparent obedience.
• Jiang Yuechu appears calm, decisive, and extremely confident. She refuses negotiation and attacks immediately, suggesting that she considers the demons either enemies or useful targets.
• The key interaction is between Wutian and Jiang: his verbal intimidation is rendered meaningless by her silent, overwhelming revelation of power.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation and political calculation: The demons understand that collective rebellion might protect them, but none are willing to act first.
• False loyalty: Their public obedience masks resentment and fear of punishment.
• Hidden identity and betrayal: Jiang’s Buddhist techniques reveal that the threat to Golden Scale came from within the Buddhist Sect itself.
• Power overturning diplomacy: Wutian’s careful verbal maneuvering becomes irrelevant when Jiang responds with overwhelming force rather than words.

Jiang Yuechu pretended to be tied to a mysterious Buddhist Sect undertaking while confronting a group of demons, then killed one demon with a single punch when Venerable Wutian challenged her. As the demons prepared to fight, she focused her attention on Venerable Wutian.

• The Pig Demon and the other demons begged Jiang Yuechu to spare them, claiming they knew nothing about Golden Scale.
• Jiang Yuechu played along with their assumptions, saying she could not let them leave without risking blame from her superiors.
• Venerable Wutian unleashed his aura and demanded to know which Arhat Jiang Yuechu served.
• Jiang Yuechu appeared above a Myriad-Forms Heaven Initial Realm demon and killed him with one punch, destroying his Myriad-Forms Heaven and Earth.
• Venerable Wutian urged the demons to fight back, and they released their Myriad-Forms Heaven and Earth as Jiang Yuechu prepared to target him first.

Chapter Summary: The Demons Escape, Sister Jiang Pursues, They Have Nowhere to Run

Key Plot Points and Events

• Venerable Wutian, a demon in the Myriad-Forms Heaven Late Realm, challenges Jiang Yuechu after seeing her defeat another demon.
• Confident in his superior cultivation, Wutian unleashes a Buddhist-derived secret technique, condensing thousands of meters of heaven and earth into his palm before striking at Jiang.
• Jiang Yuechu chooses to meet the attack head-on rather than retreat. Her Great Netherworld Blood Sea Scripture and perfected Buddhist methods allow her to withstand the realm gap.
• Their collision shakes the surrounding skies and earth. Both initially remain motionless, leaving the watching demons uncertain about the victor.
• Jiang suddenly turns and delivers a devastating whip-kick. Wutian fails to defend in time and is blasted into a deep crater.
• Wutian recognizes that Jiang’s foundation is extraordinarily powerful—strong enough to rival or surpass a late-realm cultivator despite her being only at the Initial Realm.
• Jiang decides to end the battle quickly and prepares to use the golden Dao Armament ring taken from Venerable Golden Scale.
• Before she can attack, Wutian abandons the fight and flees. The other demons immediately follow, scattering in every direction.
• Jiang is left behind, amused and exasperated that the battle has once again turned into a pursuit.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yuechu gains confidence in her current strength. The battle confirms that her improved cultivation, blood-sea technique, and Buddhist method allow her to fight a Myriad-Forms Heaven Late Realm opponent without being suppressed.
• She demonstrates both courage and tactical restraint by testing herself in direct combat, then deciding to finish the fight before Wutian can unleash a desperate technique.
• Jiang also displays a playful, sardonic personality, privately criticizing Wutian for posing dramatically before fleeing.
• Venerable Wutian shifts from arrogant confidence to shock and caution. After realizing Jiang’s terrifying foundation, he abandons his dignity and escapes rather than risk death.
• The other demons reveal their cowardice and lack of loyalty, instantly fleeing once Wutian runs.

Significant Themes

• Strength beyond cultivation realms: Jiang’s powerful foundation and techniques allow her to overcome the apparent gap between the Initial Realm and Late Realm.
• Confidence versus arrogance: Wutian initially underestimates Jiang, while Jiang’s confidence is grounded in actual combat ability.
• Pragmatism and survival: Despite his earlier threats, Wutian prioritizes survival and escapes when the battle turns against him.
• Humor amid danger: The dramatic clash is undercut by Wutian’s sudden flight and Jiang’s amused reaction, adding comic relief.
• Testing and growth: Jiang uses the fight not merely to defeat an enemy but to accurately measure the limits of her newly enhanced power.

Character Interactions

• Wutian taunts Jiang as an inexperienced “frog at the bottom of a well,” while Jiang answers through direct action rather than words.
• Their confrontation becomes a test of martial foundations, with Jiang matching Wutian’s condensed heaven-and-earth palm.
• Jiang’s surprise counterattack decisively reverses the battle, exposing Wutian’s overconfidence.
• Wutian’s escape causes the remaining demons to panic and flee as well, leaving Jiang to pursue them in another “you escape, I chase” encounter.

Plot points and events

• Venerable Wutian flees across Buddhist Sect territory, pursued by a powerful white-robed woman. He hopes to reach the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, where the gathered Buddhist experts might deter her.
• Ahead of him, Chu Tiange and his companions—Qiu Yinong among them—are also traveling through the region. Chu senses a Myriad-Forms Heaven Late Realm cultivator approaching and assumes the Buddhist Sect has discovered them.
• Chu sends the others onward and tells them to contact Jiang if he does not return. To avoid attracting more Buddhist experts, he refrains from fully unleashing his power and confronts the approaching pursuer with his Earth-Grade Dao Armament.
• Chu’s surprise attack badly wounds Wutian, but Wutian’s counterblow overwhelms him, injuring him and nearly damaging his weapon.
• Instead of pursuing Chu, Wutian immediately races onward, desperate to escape whatever is behind him. Chu is left bewildered—until he sees the approaching pursuer and recognizes her as Miss Jiang.

Character developments and interactions

• Venerable Wutian is powerful but increasingly panicked, prioritizing escape over fighting Chu once he senses the woman closing in.
• Chu Tiange acts protectively and decisively, staying behind to buy Qiu Yinong and the others time despite recognizing the danger. His restraint reflects the risk of drawing the Buddhist Sect’s attention.
• Qiu Yinong is frightened and looks to Chu for direction; he reassures her with instructions for seeking help.
• Chu and Wutian clash briefly, each mistaking the other’s intentions: Chu attacks to protect his group, while Wutian assumes Chu is another obstacle—or possibly the woman’s ally.
• Miss Jiang is revealed as the terrifying figure pursuing Wutian, connecting the chase to Chu and his companions.

Significant themes

• Misread intentions and mistaken identities: Both Chu and Wutian misunderstand the situation, creating a clash that neither originally sought.
• Courage and sacrifice: Chu risks himself to protect his companions.
• Fear overriding power: Wutian’s desperate flight is striking precisely because he is a formidable Late Realm cultivator.
• Danger of hostile territory: Chu must limit his strength because unleashing it could attract even more Buddhist Sect forces.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Tiange is stunned that Jiang Yuechu made Venerable Wutian, a powerful Buddhist Sect demon, flee. He realizes her strength may be far greater than he had assumed.
• Jiang asks whether Chu’s movement technique is good enough, then orders him to take her after Wutian. Chu agrees, setting aside his questions until later.
• As they close in, Wutian becomes confused about Jiang’s identity and whether Chu is her ally. Unable to outrun them or risk fighting, he offers to defect from the Buddha Son and serve Jiang’s Arhat.
• Jiang ignores his offer. Once they are away from witnesses, she reveals her Dao Armaments: the Subduing Tiger Seal Ring and the Azure Spear.
• The ring seals most of Wutian’s cultivation. Jiang’s spear pierces him, but he endures the blow long enough to send a golden signal toward the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, intending to expose his attackers to the Buddha Son.

Character developments

• Jiang Yuechu acts with decisive focus, pursuing Wutian without explaining her motives. Her weapons reveal a connection to the Subduing Tiger Arhat, though the full nature of her identity remains unclear.
• Chu Tiange trusts Jiang’s judgment despite his confusion and uses his movement technique to help her pursue Wutian.
• Venerable Wutian shifts from flight to desperate bargaining, then to revenge when he realizes Jiang will not spare him.

Character interactions

• Jiang gives Chu brief, direct instructions; he follows them and postpones asking questions.
• Wutian tries to persuade Jiang to accept him as a servant, while Chu is left wondering whether she truly belongs to the Buddhist Sect.
• Jiang answers Wutian’s plea through action rather than words, sealing his power and attacking him.

Significant themes

• Hidden identity and misdirection: Jiang’s mastery of Buddhist techniques and her apparent ties to an Arhat leave both Chu and Wutian uncertain who she is.
• Trust under pressure: Chu cooperates with Jiang despite lacking explanations.
• Survival and betrayal: Wutian offers loyalty to save himself, then signals the Buddha Son to retaliate when rejected.

Jiang Yuechu killed Venerable Wutian by destroying his Myriad-Forms Heaven and Earth, then took his merit and treasures before leaving with Chu Tiange. At the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, the Buddha Son received a report accusing Subduing Tiger Arhat of killing the demons, and learned that the venerables had returned.

• Jiang Yuechu killed Venerable Wutian and gained enough Dao Cultivation to reach 1,777 Dao Essence.
• Jiang Yuechu searched Venerable Wutian's thumb ring, found two jade caskets holding eight thousand gui of merit, and transferred his belongings into her Storage Bag.
• Jiang Yuechu told Chu Tiange they should leave, and the two flew away into the wilderness.
• The Buddha Son practiced his Dragon-Tiger Phantoms but remained short of the living beings he needed to complete his Myriad-Forms Heaven and Earth.
• The Buddha Son read a golden-light message accusing Subduing Tiger Arhat of killing the demons and suspected the demons had fabricated the story.
• A panicked messenger announced that the venerables had returned.

Plot points and events

• The Buddha Son questions demons who have returned from an encounter with a mysterious female cultivator. They report that she used Buddhist secret arts, claimed to serve another Arhat, and killed Venerable Wutian. They also saw her wield a golden ring resembling the Subduing Tiger Arhat’s Subduing Tiger Seal Ring.
• The Buddha Son suspects Wutian is dead, but doubts the story and considers whether the Subduing Tiger Arhat might be involved. He decides not to investigate or confront anyone before the imminent Gratitude Assembly, ordering the demons to stay by the Merit Pool and avoid further trouble.
• Focused on the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool and the chance to gain Arhat Fruition, the Buddha Son sets aside his suspicions and resumes cultivating.
• In West Creek Commandery, Qiu Yinong worries that Chu Tiange has drawn away a powerful enemy and Jiang Yuechu is missing, jeopardizing their chance to obtain the Nine-Colored Bodhi.
• Jiang Yuechu and Chu Tiange arrive together at the inn. Jiang gives a brief explanation that they met by chance, and Chu is impressed by her strength and modesty.
• Chu outlines their plan for the next day: he, Qiu, and Jiang will pose as rogue cultivators and enter the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool area to seize the Nine-Colored Bodhi, then retreat immediately. Their injured companions, Gao Wen and Liu, will remain behind.

Character developments and interactions

• The Buddha Son responds to alarming reports with caution rather than anger. His ambition to establish himself within the Buddhist Sect outweighs the urge to pursue immediate answers.
• Jiang Yuechu remains composed and understated despite her extraordinary power, and quietly cuts off Chu Tiange before he can explain their encounter.
• Chu Tiange recognizes Jiang’s unusual combination of talent, strength, and humility, and takes charge of the group’s strategy.
• Qiu Yinong shifts from anxious uncertainty to relief when Jiang and Chu return. The group coordinates around the injured Gao Wen and Liu.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus immediate conflict: The Buddha Son suppresses suspicion to pursue a rare opportunity for advancement.
• Power and restraint: Jiang’s strength is paired with modesty, while the Buddha Son’s self-control serves his political and spiritual ambitions.
• Uncertainty and suspicion: The demons’ account raises doubts about the Subduing Tiger Arhat’s role, but the truth remains unresolved.
• Risk and cooperation: The protagonists plan a swift, coordinated attempt at the Nine-Colored Bodhi, knowing they must avoid a direct clash with the Buddhist Sect.

Plot points and events

• A vast crowd of cultivators and demons waits outside West Creek Commandery for the Buddhist Sect’s Gratitude Assembly.
• Chu Tiange explains the rules: Buddhist Sect members enter the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool first, and outsiders must wait until its golden bell rings nine times. Anyone who breaks the rule will be expelled and permanently barred.
• He describes what follows: outsiders must remain still and conceal their auras during the Buddhist sermon. Afterward, the pool’s waters will release hidden fortunes, prompting a scramble among the crowd.
• Jiang Yuechu asks about the Nine-Colored Bodhi. Chu explains that it appears unpredictably, usually late in the assembly, and that the Buddhist Sect is chiefly pursuing the Eight-Treasure Merit Lotus’s core. He expects the unprecedented crowd to make the competition chaotic.
• Jiang agrees with the plan to try to seize the Bodhi while the Buddhist Sect focuses on the Lotus Core, then leave.
• With the opportunity ahead, she spends 1,000 Dao Essence to upgrade the Great Netherworld Blood Sea Scripture. Her Blood-Sea Heaven and Earth expands beyond 1,000 meters, and the system identifies the scripture as having reached the Supreme Realm.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu shows unusual initiative and deference toward Jiang, warning her about the assembly and explaining its dangers. He respects her strength after seeing her defeat powerful demons.
• Qiu Yinong notices Chu’s changed manner and wonders whether something significant has happened between him and Jiang.
• Jiang listens carefully, questions the apparent access to the Nine-Colored Bodhi, and accepts Chu’s explanation and proposed strategy.
• Jiang’s cultivation grows substantially through her scripture upgrade, revealing her readiness to capitalize on the coming opportunity.

Significant themes

• Insiders versus outsiders: The Buddhist Sect protects its own members’ access to fortune before allowing outsiders to compete.
• Opportunity amid disorder: The Nine-Colored Bodhi’s unpredictable appearance and the enormous crowd promise fierce competition.
• Pragmatism and ambition: Jiang and Chu plan to exploit the Buddhist Sect’s focus on the greater treasure and take their chance at the Bodhi.
• Strength and respect: Chu’s attitude toward Jiang reflects how demonstrated power can reshape relationships and social deference.

Plot points and events

• As they wait near the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, Jiang Yuechu notices that her realm panel still lists her as Myriad-Forms Heaven Initial Realm, despite her Painted World extending more than 1,400 meters.
• Confused, she asks Chu Tiange how cultivators advance. He explains that ordinary cultivators can usually reach the Middle Realm once their world extends about 1,000 meters.
• Jiang realizes her unusual world size has not brought a breakthrough. Chu Tiange identifies a possible reason: she may not have condensed the required Dao Patterns.
• He explains that Dao Patterns anchor a cultivator’s Painted World: two are needed in the Initial Realm, six in the Middle Realm, twelve in the Late Realm, and eighteen at perfection.
• Chu Tiange describes how nurturing living beings in a Painted World can help form Dao Patterns. When a cultivator faces the great tribulation required to transcend the world’s laws, those beings share the burden through their causal bonds.
• Jiang turns her awareness inward and discovers eight figures looking toward her beneath the golden waves of her Blood-Sea Heaven and Earth.

Character developments

• Jiang Yuechu shifts from enjoying her extraordinary power to worrying that she has missed essential cultivation fundamentals. Though embarrassed by her ignorance, she keeps asking questions to understand her stalled advancement.
• Chu Tiange moves from bewilderment at Jiang’s carefree questioning to patiently teaching her, then realizes she may have no grasp of basic cultivation despite her overwhelming strength.
• Qiu Yinong remains silent during the discussion, sharing Chu Tiange’s initial surprise.

Significant themes

• Power versus understanding: Jiang’s immense strength and vast world do not mean she understands how cultivation works.
• Foundations and growth: A large Painted World alone is not enough; Dao Patterns provide the structure needed for advancement.
• Collective responsibility: Living beings nurtured within a Painted World may help their cultivator endure the tribulation, tying individual transcendence to the fate of others.
• Cultivation as painting: The chapter presents realms as Painted Worlds that must be anchored, developed, and ultimately tested against the laws of heaven and earth.

Character interactions

• Jiang repeatedly questions Chu Tiange about cultivation, while he answers carefully and patiently.
• Chu Tiange’s explanations turn Jiang’s confusion into a new suspicion: her Painted World may already contain the living beings needed for Dao Patterns.
• The chapter ends with Jiang and the eight figures in her inner world seemingly becoming aware of one another.

Key plot points and events

• In the Myriad-Forms Heaven Realm, Jiang Yuechu sees eight demons she previously imprinted in her Dao Painting standing within her heaven and earth. She suspects they can serve as Dao Patterns in place of living beings.
• The Dao Painting also shows people and places from Great Tang. Jiang Yuechu weighs two options: use those living beings as the foundation for her Dao Patterns, risking their safety when she breaks through, or use the imprinted demons, an untested path with uncertain results.
• Trusting the path presented by her system—and unwilling to endanger people she knows—she chooses the demons. With the Gratitude Assembly approaching, she decides not to wait until she can strengthen her roster.
• After considering which demons to use, she selects Tiger Mountain God and the Cosmic Demon King. She rules out the others because they are damaged, unavailable, potentially useful later, or too weak. The two chosen demons are also hiding from a money house after swindling it out of Merit.
• The system prompts her to spend Dao Cultivation. She agrees, and the two demons transform into imposing, armored figures seated on newly formed thrones beside the Dark Red Pagoda. Their power flows back to Jiang Yuechu, confirming her advancement within the Myriad-Forms Heaven Middle Realm.

Character developments

• Jiang Yuechu moves from uncertainty to resolve, choosing an unconventional route rather than putting Great Tang’s people at risk. She also acts pragmatically, using two demons who are otherwise unable to show themselves.
• Tiger Mountain God and the Cosmic Demon King are transformed from demonic figures into majestic, godlike guardians embodying complementary forces.

Significant themes

• Risk versus responsibility: Jiang Yuechu weighs an uncertain breakthrough against the possibility of harming innocent people.
• Trust and self-belief: She overcomes her hesitation by trusting the system’s guidance and the progress it has brought her.
• Pragmatism and resourcefulness: She turns the demons’ predicament into an opportunity, making use of what she already has.
• Yin and yang: The black-armored tiger and golden-armored roc, placed on opposite sides of the pagoda, represent complementary powers.

Character interactions

• Jiang Yuechu considers Chu Tiange’s advice but ultimately rejects its safer approach in favor of protecting Great Tang’s people.
• Tiger Mountain God and the Cosmic Demon King bow to Jiang Yuechu before taking their places as the foundations of her Dao Patterns.
• Jiang Yuechu complains inwardly about the system’s repeated demands for Dao Cultivation, but complies when it offers her the chance to condense the patterns.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Yuechu closes her eyes after asking Chu Tiange about advancing in cultivation. He soon realizes she has broken through to the middle realm of Myriad-Forms Heaven almost instantly.
• Chu Tiange is stunned but decides she must have already completed most of the work and needed only a final push. Jiang thanks him for his advice, while he modestly deflects her praise.
• Nine bell tolls announce the start of the Gratitude Assembly. Cultivators and demons rush toward the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool, where Buddhist Sect golden light slows outsiders but strengthens the sect’s own members.
• Chu Tiange, Jiang Yuechu, and Qiu Yinong arrive and settle unobtrusively among the waiting crowd. Buddhist Sect followers appear relaxed and satisfied, suggesting they have already secured opportunities before outsiders were admitted.
• As the ceremony is about to begin, a vast white-jade lotus dais rises from the pool. The crowd is shocked to see the figures on it—and recognizes them as people of Supreme Capital.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yuechu demonstrates extraordinary talent by breaking through with startling ease. She remains composed and practical, and shows Chu genuine gratitude for his guidance.
• Chu Tiange is both impressed and unsettled by Jiang’s talent. He keeps his disbelief to himself, focuses on the group’s plan, and warns his companions to stay inconspicuous.
• Qiu Yinong senses that something unusual has happened between Jiang and Chu but chooses not to pry.
• The trio act cautiously and cooperatively, following Chu’s lead as they enter the gathering.

Significant themes

• Exceptional talent and understated power: Jiang’s effortless breakthrough contrasts with the painstaking effort usually required.
• Unequal access and advantage: Buddhist Sect members benefit from the golden light and appear to have gained opportunities before outsiders arrive.
• Caution amid competition: The outsiders must obey the ceremony’s rules and avoid attracting attention, even as they prepare for a difficult contest over the Nine-Colored Bodhi.
• A looming escalation: The arrival of the Supreme Capital figures signals that the assembly’s stakes may be greater than the crowd expected.

Plot points and events

• The Buddhist Sect’s Gratitude Assembly gathers tens of thousands of Rogue Cultivators and demons at the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool. The three powerful Arhats—Dragon-Subduing, Cloth Bag, and River-Crossing—preside, making it clear that seizing the Nine-Colored Bodhi will be extremely difficult.
• The central Arhat calms the crowd, describes the assembly as a chance to aid all living beings, and begins publicly teaching a Buddhist cultivation art.
• Golden ripples carry the Great Compassion Demon-Subduing Mantra, a Painting Realm art. Many attendees begin studying it, while those not yet advanced enough memorize it for later.
• Some gray-robed figures suspect the Buddhist Sect has a hidden motive. They ask whether to act, but Sky-Patrol Bureau Commandant Chen Changeng warns that confronting three Supreme Capital Arhats would be dangerous.
• Chen turns to Lord Feng for his opinion, but stops when he sees Feng Linxi staring toward a distant corner. The chapter ends before revealing what has caught his attention.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Tiange recognizes the scale of the danger and admits he has no clear plan. He looks to Jiang Yuechu, who advises waiting to see how events unfold.
• Qiu Yinong, newly arrived in the Myriad-Forms Heaven realm, is overwhelmed by the Arhats’ pressure and turns to Chu Tiange for guidance.
• Jiang Yuechu remains cautious rather than joining the crowd’s excitement. Her inner panel identifies the mantra, but she declines to learn it, having recently advanced her own scripture and seeing little reason to spend resources on a lesser art.
• Chen Changeng takes a pragmatic, cautious stance, while Feng Linxi’s attention shifts to something unseen by the others, hinting at a new development.

Significant themes

• The assembly presents a striking image of universal spiritual “deliverance,” but the gray-robed cultivators’ doubts introduce tension between genuine compassion and institutional self-interest.
• The chapter contrasts the crowd’s desperation for cultivation knowledge with Jiang Yuechu’s experience and discernment.
• Power and hierarchy shape everyone’s choices: even formidable cultivators hesitate before the three Arhats.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Feng Linxi notices a white-robed girl among the crowd, startling at the sight of her. Chen Changeng also finds her face familiar, but neither pursues the thought.
• Feng and Chen discuss the Heavenly Court’s plans to investigate the Buddhist Sect’s Gratitude Assembly and cause trouble. With three Supreme Capital experts overseeing the event—and the Heavenly Court’s strongest commanders stationed at Kunlun—they decide they cannot act directly. Feng suggests waiting to see what happens when the merit pool opens.
• The presiding Arhat tells the assembled cultivators and demons that the Buddhist Sect offers its teachings freely, whether or not they choose to join. The crowd responds with deep gratitude.
• The Arhats open the Eight-Treasure Merit Pool. It divides into streams carrying scriptures, books, treasures, pills, and other valuable resources.
• The crowd rushes to claim the prizes, and the gathering quickly turns violent: cultivators attack one another, demons rampage, and treasures change hands amid bloodshed.
• Jiang Yuechu, Chu Tiange, and their companion initially stay out of the fighting, waiting for the Nine-Colored Bodhi to appear. When a demon attacks them, Jiang Yuechu kills it with a powerful kick and tells Chu Tiange to leave the fighting to her.

Character developments and interactions

• Feng Linxi appears unsettled by seeing Jiang Yuechu, though he conceals his reaction. He favors patience over confronting the Buddhist Sect directly.
• Chen Changeng is cautious about the Buddhist Sect’s intentions but accepts Feng’s suggestion to wait. His vague recognition of Jiang Yuechu remains unresolved.
• The Arhats present the Buddhist Sect as generous and welcoming, then turn the pool’s opening into a public contest for its rewards.
• Jiang Yuechu initially restrains herself, but quickly demonstrates formidable strength when threatened, taking control of the immediate situation.
• Chu Tiange advises caution and protects the group from stray attacks. Jianguechu’s decisive intervention leaves him surprised and temporarily sidelines his plan.

Significant themes

• Generosity and its consequences: The Buddhist Sect gives teachings and treasures freely, earning sincere gratitude, but competition for material rewards soon brings out greed and violence.
• Opportunity and survival: The pool’s treasures promise advancement, yet claiming them requires strength—and may cost lives.
• Restraint versus action: The group waits for the more important Nine-Colored Bodhi, but Jiang Yuechu acts immediately when danger reaches them.
• Uncertain appearances and hidden tensions: Feng and Chen’s recognition of Jiang Yuechu hints at unresolved connections, while the Heavenly Court remains wary of the Buddhist Sect’s true aims.

Key plot points

• After Jiang Yuechu kills a demon, the other rogue cultivators and demons keep their distance, leaving her with no further opponents to “defend” herself against.
• Determined to continue exploiting the chaos, she invents absurd accusations against nearby demons and kills them one after another—including a demon who simply looks her way, a frightened Leopard Demon, and a pig demon offering her a treasure.
• Her spree terrifies everyone within hundreds of meters. The fighting stops, and nobody dares look at the treasures in the stream.
• Jiang returns to Chu Tiange and Qiu Yinong, declaring that they can now watch in peace. Chu thanks her awkwardly, while silently questioning what she thinks “watching” means.
• From a distance, Feng Linxi recognizes Jiang and expects her to cause trouble. Chen Changeng urges him to leave and report to Kunlun, but Feng insists on watching a little longer, offering only a vague feeling as his reason.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yuechu is revealed as brazen, opportunistic, and comically ruthless: she turns self-defense into an excuse to kill anyone nearby, then remains completely composed.
• Chu Tiange is relieved that the group is safe, but increasingly exasperated by Jiang’s interpretation of their plan to observe events.
• Qiu Yinong remains beside Chu and Jiang, visibly stiffened by Jiang’s conduct.
• Feng Linxi recognizes Jiang and believes her presence may foreshadow greater upheaval. He withholds his reasoning from Chen Changeng because he doubts Chen’s commitment.
• Chen Changeng is confused by Feng’s decision to stay and suspects he knows more than he admits.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Jiang’s overwhelming force ends the local conflict more effectively than negotiation.
• Abuse of authority and self-justification: Jiang invents “crimes” to rationalize violence, exposing the absurdity of her supposed restraint.
• Suspense and foreshadowing: Feng’s insistence on waiting suggests that Jiang’s antics may be only the beginning of a larger disturbance.

Key plot points and events

• The struggle around the Pond Waters winds down as Rogue Cultivators and Demons retreat to the perimeter, wary of further danger.
• Chu Tiange expects the Nine-Colored Bodhi to appear soon. He warns his companions to avoid the coming fight and seize an opening to escape.
• Jiang Yuechu unexpectedly enters a deep state of insight. Chu stops Qiu Yinong from waking her, recognizing that interrupting an epiphany could damage her cultivation. He promises to protect her and go after the Bodhi alone if she remains unconscious.
• In her inner world, Jiang Yuechu reviews her cultivation resources and decides to strengthen Venerable Golden Scale rather than spend nearly all her Dao Essence on the more powerful Venerable Wutian.
• Her deductions produce the Supreme Realm technique Supreme Merit Scripture. It fuses with her Great Netherworld Blood Sea Scripture, creating the Supreme Capital realm technique Profound Prison God-Slayer, which she begins to refine.
• The transformation reshapes her inner world: the Blood Sea becomes dark-red scorched earth called Profound Prison, while golden light condenses into stars called God-Slayer. Jiang Yuechu is left pale and visibly affected by the change.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Tiange shows growing respect for Jiang Yuechu’s talent and independence. Though devoted to helping his master, he refuses to demand that she risk her own path for that goal.
• Qiu Yinong is alarmed by Jiang Yuechu’s trance and instinctively tries to wake her, but accepts Chu’s decision to let her continue.
• Jiang Yuechu acts cautiously and strategically, weighing the cost of each possible upgrade before committing her resources.

Significant themes

• Opportunity and restraint: Cultivators must know not only how to seize fortune, but when to withdraw.
• Respect for individual paths: Chu recognizes that another person’s cultivation cannot be commandeered, even for a worthy cause.
• Growth through experience: Jiang Yuechu’s decision to venture out yields the resources and breakthrough needed to develop her power.
• Transformation and transcendence: The fusion of techniques radically remakes Jiang Yuechu’s inner world, foreshadowing a new level of strength.

Plot points and events

• Jiang Yuechu keeps her eyes closed to master the new technique before attempting to seize the lotus. The merger of the Supreme Merit Scripture and Profound Prison God-Slayer has advanced her to the Myriad-Forms Heaven Middle Realm and created a Supreme Capital Realm cultivation path.
• Her inner realm has changed: the Blood Sea and Dark Red Pagoda are gone, replaced by black mist, scorched earth, stars, and a new structure called Profound Prison. It can capture and suppress a living being’s soul, letting her use the techniques that person knew in life.
• The pond’s waters turn white, and a crystal-clear Eight-Treasure Merit Lotus rises. Buddhist cultivators quickly surround it, while their disciples close in from the outside, trapping the Rogue Cultivators and Demons.
• Chu Tiange shields Qiu Yinong and the still-absorbed Jiang Yuechu. The crowd realizes the Buddhist Sect may be preparing to act against them.
• Chen Changeng and Feng Linxi suspect the sect’s true aim is to refine a World-Crossing Blood Lotus. Chen explains that the Buddhist Sect practices “Lotus-Crafting,” using rare lotuses to create powerful Dao Lotuses.

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Yuechu becomes substantially stronger and more confident, but prioritizes understanding her abilities over immediate action.
• Chu Tiange responds protectively, placing himself between the advancing disciples and his companions.
• Qiu Yinong voices the group’s fear and uncertainty; Chu admits he does not know the sect’s intentions.
• Chen Changeng identifies the likely plot and prepares a Black Token, while Feng Linxi recognizes the danger and readies himself to act.

Significant themes

• Preparation and restraint: Jiang Yuechu avoids acting before she understands her newfound power.
• Power and threat: The Buddhist Sect’s public generosity contrasts with its coordinated attempt to seal off the crowd.
• Ambition and suspicion: The lotus may be more than a treasure to claim—it may be material for a powerful Buddhist artifact, putting everyone present at risk.

Key plot points and events

• The chapter explains the World-Crossing Blood Lotus, a powerful Buddhist Dao Lotus that can endure heavenly tribulations and is exceptionally destructive. Unlike ordinary lotuses, it must be fed living cultivators who belong to the Buddhist Sect.
• Chen Changeng realizes that the Buddhist Sect intends to use tens of thousands of Rogue Cultivators and Demons—many of whom accepted its teachings—as sacrifices. He questions how the sect could do this without losing public trust and the Merit and Incense-Fire Power on which it depends.
• Chen decides to wait for the Buddhist disciples to act, then leave with his companions and report the truth to the Heavenly Court. Feng Linxi, however, quietly considers bringing one additional person along.
• On the White Jade Lotus Platform, Dragon-Subduing Arhat confronts Cloth Bag Arhat and River-Crossing Arhat over the plan. River-Crossing reveals that it was ordered by a Bodhisattva.
• Cloth Bag identifies that Bodhisattva as the Dragon Girl whom Dragon-Subduing once spared. River-Crossing suggests she may be following someone else’s orders, but Dragon-Subduing is unmoved.
• When River-Crossing calls the sacrifices the Rogue Cultivators’ “good fortune,” Dragon-Subduing rejects the justification and declares he will subdue the Dragon Girl again. He turns on the two Arhats, and the chapter ends as his power erupts in a storm of dragon roars.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Changeng is cautious and politically minded: he questions the Buddhist Sect’s motives but prefers to avoid unnecessary risk and bring evidence back to the Heavenly Court.
• Feng Linxi remains quiet and observant, apparently considering a more ambitious plan than simply leaving.
• Dragon-Subduing Arhat emerges as a principled opponent of the sacrifice, driven by compassion and anger at the sect’s hypocrisy. His history with the Dragon Girl makes the decree especially personal.
• River-Crossing Arhat tries to mediate and persuade Dragon-Subduing to accept the Bodhisattva’s authority, while Cloth Bag Arhat is blunt and dismissive, provoking the confrontation further.

Significant themes

• Compassion versus institutional power: Dragon-Subduing rejects the sect’s authority when it conflicts with protecting lives.
• Hypocrisy and moral rationalization: The Buddhist Sect labels suffering and sacrifice “good fortune,” exposing how sacred language can disguise cruelty.
• Faith, merit, and public trust: Chen recognizes that sacrificing followers may undermine the beliefs and offerings that sustain the sect.
• Individual conscience versus the tide of events: River-Crossing argues that the decree must be obeyed; Dragon-Subduing insists that responsibility cannot be excused by orders.

Plot points and events

• Dragon-Subduing Arhat suddenly attacks amid the Buddhist Sect’s Gratitude Assembly, alarming the crowd and drawing out River-Crossing and Cloth Bag Arhats.
• The three Arhats—each a Supreme Capital–realm powerhouse—clash in the sky, shattering Buddhist Golden Light and making the gathering grounds dangerously unstable.
• With the Buddhist Sect’s attention divided, Rogue Cultivators and Demons rush the perimeter. The defending disciples fight back, while guards at the Eight-Treasure Merit Lotus argue over whether to reinforce them or protect the treasure.
• Chu Tiange realizes the turmoil creates an opportunity to seize the Nine-Colored Bodhi. He asks Qiu Yinong to protect the still-meditating Jiang Yuechu and escape with her if necessary.
• Chu launches toward the lake, unleashing his full aura, Myriad-Forms Heaven and Earth, and a powerful saber technique. The Lotus’s guards notice him and prepare to stop him.

Character developments and interactions

• Dragon-Subduing Arhat proves too stubborn to heed restraint, openly attacking a fellow disciple.
• River-Crossing Arhat tries to reason with him, while Cloth Bag Arhat dismisses negotiation and favors force.
• Chu Tiange acts decisively, accepting the danger of pursuing the treasure while prioritizing Jiang Yuechu’s safety.
• Qiu Yinong silently agrees to remain with Jiang and understands why Chu must take the chance. Jiang remains absorbed in contemplation.
• Chen Changeng, secretly watching for the Heavenly Court, is caught off guard by the upheaval and initially fears Dragon-Subduing has detected him.

Significant themes

• Chaos creates opportunity: The Arhats’ feud and the perimeter battle distract the Buddhist Sect, opening a narrow chance for Chu.
• Conflicting duties: The Lotus’s guards must choose between protecting the treasure and helping their overwhelmed disciples.
• Ambition and risk: Chu seizes an opportunity despite the formidable guards and likely consequences.
• Institutional disorder: The Buddhist Sect’s public infighting undermines its authority and exposes its gathering to attack.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Tiange charges toward the White Jade Lotus Platform, where the eight-treasure merit lotus is being guarded. The three Supreme Capital experts’ battle dominates the sky, but the defenders still recognize Chu as a serious threat.
• Buddha Son Lu Yue sees a chance to earn merit and rushes to stop him, ignoring Subduing Tiger Arhat’s warning.
• Lu Yue attacks with a powerful Buddhist dragon-claw technique, but Chu blocks it and cuts off his arm with a single saber strike. Lu Yue retreats in terror.
• Chu turns his attention to the lotus and unleashes his full strength, shattering the platform’s golden defenses and advancing toward it.
• Subduing Tiger Arhat intervenes. A tiger’s roar knocks Chu and hundreds of others out of the sky. The Arhat transforms into a radiant, otherworldly form and declares that all beings must submit to his rule.

Character developments

• Chu Tiange reveals the full force of his late Myriad-Forms Heaven cultivation and his exceptional saber skill, establishing that he is far stronger than Lu Yue.
• Lu Yue acts out of ambition rather than caution. His defeat exposes his recklessness and leaves him frightened and badly wounded.
• Subduing Tiger Arhat shifts from frustrated observer to decisive defender, unveiling a formidable transformation and power that can suppress everyone nearby.

Significant themes

• Ambition versus judgment: Lu Yue’s eagerness to claim merit leads him to ignore sound advice and suffer a severe defeat.
• Hidden strength and mistaken confidence: Chu’s restraint had concealed his true power, while Lu Yue misjudges him.
• Authority and hierarchy: The chapter ends with the Arhat asserting overwhelming control over the battlefield and all who occupy it.

Character interactions

• Subduing Tiger Arhat warns Lu Yue not to abandon the lotus’s defense, then rebukes him after his defeat.
• Lu Yue challenges Chu to win recognition, but Chu answers with action rather than words.
• After Chu breaks through the defenses, Subduing Tiger Arhat confronts him directly, ending his advance and imposing control over the entire gathering.