Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui return to Yonglu Mountain after their journey. Gu Wufang reflects on Wen Xu’s astonishingly rapid cultivation progress but decides not to worry, trusting that the Dragon Venerable can handle any consequences. His main concern is preventing the monks of Bitter Crossing Temple from poaching Wen Xu during the upcoming Five Sects Assembly.
At the sect, the three are welcomed by the gate disciple and briefly report to the Sect Master. Afterward, Wen Xu separates from his companions and returns to Springless Peak, feeling unexpectedly like someone coming home after a long absence. His master, Divine Venerable Cheng Wei, initially scolds him for spending a year away and seeking help from Martial Uncle Jun instead of relying on his own master. Wen Xu responds submissively, and the tension quickly softens.
To apologize and show his affection, Wen Xu presents Cheng Wei with Li River Brew and a large collection of souvenirs bought during his travels. Cheng Wei teases him about treating his master like a child, but is clearly pleased by the gesture. He especially enjoys hearing that Wen Xu genuinely had fun during the journey, noting that Wen Xu had seemed too mature and restrained after returning from the Mortal Realm.
Cheng Wei notices that Wen Xu’s cultivation has advanced again and asks about the fortunate opportunities he encountered. Wen Xu recounts the dangers he faced in Jingyuan City and Pingshui City, including the events surrounding the Bright Moon Secret Realm. Cheng Wei regrets that the aristocratic clans of Pingshui City failed to seal the secret realm, since doing so would have given him an excuse to descend the mountain openly.
Wen Xu then asks about the old boatman’s identity and whether he fulfilled the man’s request. Cheng Wei reveals that the boatman was an old acquaintance and explains the connection to Yangming Manor, the Bright Moon Secret Realm, and Shu Wenzhou. He infers that Wen Xu’s friend Chen Zui is Shu Wenzhou’s adopted son and jokes that Chen is exceptionally fortunate, benefiting from powerful parents and reliable friends. Wen Xu also realizes that Chen Zui’s mother is a Body Integration Divine Venerable.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Wen Xu has grown rapidly in cultivation and maturity, but his return shows his emotional attachment to his sect and master. He remains humble, obedient, and sincere, using gifts and honest conversation to repair his relationship with Cheng Wei.
• Divine Venerable Cheng Wei shifts from mock anger to warmth and amusement. His teasing reveals both his pride in Wen Xu and his relief that the disciple still seeks connection with him. He also demonstrates deep knowledge of the Cultivation Realm’s hidden history.
• Gu Wufang acts as a cautious but trusting elder, recognizing Wen Xu’s unusual talent while relying on the Dragon Venerable’s strength to protect him.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui return safely with Wen Xu, though their deeper backgrounds—especially Chen Zui’s powerful family connections—become more significant through Cheng Wei’s revelations.

Major Themes

• Homecoming and familial affection: Wen Xu’s return to Springless Peak emphasizes that the sect and Cheng Wei are his emotional home.
• Mentorship and reconciliation: Cheng Wei’s scolding masks concern, while Wen Xu’s gifts and explanations restore their closeness.
• Hidden identities and ancient connections: The chapter expands the mystery surrounding the old boatman, Yangming Manor, Shu Wenzhou, and the Bright Moon Secret Realm.
• Luck, talent, and protection: Wen Xu’s rapid advancement and Chen Zui’s extraordinary fortune highlight the role of opportunity, powerful connections, and dependable companions in cultivation.
• Humor amid danger: Cheng Wei’s exaggerated complaints and jokes lighten the serious revelations about secret realms, tribulations, and powerful cultivators.

Chapter Summary: “A Conversation”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• As the year ends, Founding Peak is overwhelmed with annual reports, mission submissions, and the calculation of Sect Contribution Points.
• Bian Chunchou returns to the sect and joins the long queue to submit the missions completed during the trio’s year-long training journey. Although one mission was canceled by its client, Wen Xu had anticipated such possibilities, allowing all three to meet their yearly contribution quota—and making next year’s requirement easier.
• Bian is teased by the disciples of Founding Peak for his rapid rise to the Golden Core stage and his association with other exceptionally talented cultivators. Embarrassed, he leaves before the teasing becomes worse.
• He searches for Uncle Chen but learns that Chen Hezhi has gone to inspect Bian’s hotpot restaurant in Langyuan City. Bian therefore invites Wen Xu and Chen Zui to eat at Shared Goblet Tavern.
• At the tavern, they reunite with Chen Hezhi, who has advanced to the fifth layer of Qi Refining and visibly regained a youthful appearance through cultivation.
• The four share hotpot while discussing their experiences from the journey. Chen Zui comically steals food from Bian, revealing the familiar, playful dynamic among the group.
• Chen Hezhi observes that Wen Xu has finally released his emotional attachment to his painful past. The chapter closes with Wen Xu recognizing that he now wants a hopeful future rather than remaining controlled by resentment.

2. Character Developments

• Bian Chunchou remains sociable, energetic, and proud of his progress, though he is still easily embarrassed by praise and teasing. He also shows responsibility by ensuring the group’s missions and contribution requirements are properly handled.
• Wen Xu has undergone the most significant emotional growth. His year of travel has broadened his worldview and gradually healed the anger and fixation rooted in his past. He now acknowledges his desire for happiness and a brighter future.
• Chen Zui continues to be quiet and seemingly indifferent, but his fondness for food and playful arguments shows his comfortable closeness with the others.
• Chen Hezhi has adapted well to cultivation life. He is progressing steadily, growing younger through cultivation, and has come to appreciate the warmth and community of the sect.

3. Significant Themes

• Healing and letting go: Wen Xu’s recovery demonstrates that people can gradually overcome trauma through time, experience, and new relationships.
• The importance of companionship: The reunion over hotpot emphasizes the comfort and stability found in friendship and familiar connections.
• Growth and transformation: Cultivation changes not only physical ability but also appearance, confidence, worldview, and emotional maturity.
• Moving toward the future: Wen Xu’s realization that he wants a brighter future marks a turning point from resentment and fixation toward hope and personal freedom.
• Belonging and adaptation: Chen Hezhi’s integration into the sect reflects the contrast between his former mortal life and his growing sense of belonging in the Cultivation Realm.

4. Character Interactions

• Bian chats casually with Founding Peak disciples, who tease him about his advancement and upcoming participation in the Sect Grand Competition.
• He reunites with Wen Xu and Chen Zui and invites them to share a meal, reinforcing their close friendship.
• Chen Hezhi warmly welcomes the trio while initially struggling to remember that they are now his martial uncles.
• During dinner, Bian and Chen Zui bicker humorously over stolen hotpot ingredients, highlighting their relaxed, sibling-like relationship.
• Chen Hezhi quietly evaluates Wen Xu’s emotional progress and recognizes that Wen Xu has finally moved beyond the “knot” in his heart.

Chapter Summary: “Making a Comeback”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Hezhi discusses his unresolved feelings toward the monarch who betrayed him after years of loyal service. He believes he may only know whether he has truly let go once he reaches Foundation Establishment. Wen Xu reassures him that healing is possible, speaking from personal experience.
• Bian Chunchou offers to buy Wen Xu a drink using a jar of Li River Brew. However, Bian collapses after only one sip and remains unconscious for three days.
• After waking, Bian is summoned by his master, Ruoshui Venerable, to assist with research on Communication Talismans. Their goal is to develop a “paging” function for communication within secret realms, preventing information inequality during crises like the incident in No-Shu City.
• Bian’s disappearance from the sect’s busy preparations ends when the Sect Master catches him and two martial uncles hiding in Juyong Hall. They are ordered to report to Sect Master Peak and perform labor before the upcoming Five Sects Assembly.
• The Sect Grand Competition begins. Wen Xu’s group, already familiar with the event, watches several contests, including Chen Hezhi’s match. Despite his talent, Chen Hezhi loses after exhausting all three chances because he has cultivated for only a year and faces more experienced Qi Refining Perfection opponents.
• Bian congratulates Xia Ying for reaching the finals, then encounters Lin Congcong after Lin wins his match. Lin is irritated by Bian’s presence and competitiveness, declaring that he will eventually reach Golden Core and challenge him.
• Chen Zui enters the Golden Core division and immediately dominates the competition. Because he is powerful enough to fight Nascent Soul cultivators, his matches against Golden Core peers become effortless, one-sided victories rather than exciting duels. He advances through several rounds without showing his full strength.

Character Developments

• Chen Hezhi: Continues struggling with betrayal and the emotional consequences of his former loyalty, but remains focused on cultivation and eventual recovery.
• Wen Xu: Reveals that he has personally experienced and overcome similar emotional pain, showing his maturity and ability to guide others.
• Bian Chunchou: Remains playful, impulsive, and sociable, but is comically terrible at drinking. He also contributes meaningfully to sect development through his work on improved Communication Talismans.
• Lin Congcong: Though frustrated by Bian’s superior cultivation progress, he becomes more determined rather than giving in to resentment. He resolves to catch up and challenge Bian in the future.
• Chen Zui: Demonstrates overwhelming strength and confidence in the Golden Core competition, reinforcing his reputation as an exceptional cultivator.
• The Sect Master: Shows both exasperation and practical authority, forcing Bian and the other troublemakers to fulfill their responsibilities.

Significant Themes

• Healing from betrayal: Chen Hezhi’s difficulty letting go reflects the lasting damage caused by political betrayal, while Wen Xu represents the possibility of recovery.
• Growth through perseverance: Lin Congcong’s rivalry with Bian becomes motivation to improve rather than a reason to surrender.
• Strength and expectation: Chen Zui’s overwhelming power creates a gap between competition and spectacle, showing how extraordinary talent can make ordinary challenges meaningless.
• Responsibility versus leisure: Bian’s attempt to avoid work contrasts with the sect’s expectations and the importance of contributing to collective progress.
• Communication and fairness: The planned improvements to Communication Talismans aim to ensure that cultivators have equal access to vital information in dangerous situations.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Chen Hezhi: Wen Xu offers emotional reassurance, while Chen Hezhi reflects on his unresolved past.
• Wen Xu, Bian, and Chen Hezhi: Bian lightens the serious conversation by proposing drinks, though his attempt ends in his immediate collapse.
• Bian and Ruoshui Venerable: Bian is redirected from social distractions into his master’s research project.
• Bian and the Sect Master: Their interaction highlights Bian’s habit of shirking duties and the Sect Master’s determination to discipline him.
• Bian and Lin Congcong: Their antagonistic but somewhat playful rivalry continues, with Lin vowing to surpass Bian.
• Chen Zui and the sect disciples: His overwhelming victories impress but disappoint spectators, who hoped for a more balanced and dramatic contest.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu competes in the Golden Core division of the Sect Grand Competition. Although he is only at the Middle Golden Core stage and lacks Chen Zui’s intimidating reputation, his status discourages challengers, forcing the referee to select opponents randomly.
• Wen Xu deliberately restrains his strength but still advances rapidly. While fighting Inner Sect Golden Core disciples from Yonglu Mountain, he realizes how much stronger and more refined they are than ordinary Golden Core cultivators. Nevertheless, he handles them with surprising ease.
• During one battle, Wen Xu experiences an epiphany while observing the clear qi surrounding his Windfold Sword, mirroring Chen Zui’s earlier breakthrough in understanding.
• Bian Chunchou encounters Shi Yijian, an old acquaintance who has recently returned to the sect after forming his Golden Core. The two exchange nostalgic remarks before beginning their match.
• Shi Yijian defeats Bian Chunchou through superior talisman techniques. Bian accepts the loss calmly, recognizing that Shi has progressed farther in the Dao of talismans.
• Shi’s return and his friendly interaction with Bian revive an old rumor that the two share a romantic relationship, while Lin Congcong supposedly harbors unrequited feelings for Shi.
• Bian tries to flee the gossip, but Shi chases after him to give him something, unintentionally making the rumors spread even more intensely.
• Wen Xu and Chen Zui eventually hear the scandal. Chen Zui believes it because the gossip sounds convincing and even warns Bian not to let “personal feelings” interfere with cultivation.
• Bian angrily protests his innocence and complains that he is always the victim of sect gossip during competitions.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Demonstrates significant combat ability despite his seemingly modest cultivation and lack of reputation. His successful battles reveal that his strength is much greater than expected, and his sword-related epiphany suggests further development in his cultivation.
• Bian Chunchou: Shows maturity and composure in accepting his defeat. He remains more distressed by the revived rumors than by losing the match, highlighting his practical yet easily flustered personality.
• Shi Yijian: Returns as a Golden Core cultivator with a gentler, more composed aura. His growth from a once-criticized Foundation Establishment failure into a talented Golden Core disciple is emphasized. His deep familiarity and playful affection toward Bian fuel the rumors.
• Chen Zui: Remains straightforward, battle-focused, and comically literal. He accepts the rumors as plausible and sincerely believes Bian should avoid being distracted by emotional matters.
• Lin Congcong: Does not appear directly, but his past connection to Shi and the sect’s interpretation of his supposed feelings become central to the gossip.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Wen Xu’s performance shows that cultivation rank and reputation do not fully reveal a person’s true ability.
• Growth through perseverance: Shi Yijian’s advancement from repeated failure and criticism to Golden Core demonstrates the rewards of persistence.
• The distortion of truth through gossip: Ordinary past interactions are transformed into an elaborate romantic scandal as disciples embellish and reinterpret events.
• Friendship versus public perception: Bian and Shi’s genuine friendship is mistaken for romance because outsiders impose their own narrative onto their closeness.
• Competition as personal development: The Sect Grand Competition serves not only to determine rankings but also to reveal breakthroughs, renewed relationships, and changes in the disciples’ cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu fights several Inner Sect Golden Core disciples and gains insight into his own strength and swordsmanship.
• Bian and Shi reunite warmly, teasing each other about cultivation, status, and their shared past.
• Shi’s pursuit of Bian after the match unintentionally intensifies the sect’s romantic speculation.
• Bian pleads with Wen Xu to dismiss the rumors, while Wen Xu humorously points out that he has not even made an accusation.
• Bian blames Chen Zui for believing the scandal; Chen responds that the rumor is credible because it was described so vividly, creating a comic contrast between Bian’s embarrassment and Chen’s blunt sincerity.

Chapter Summary: “Taking Turns”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu jokes that Bian Chunchou enjoys gossiping about other people’s romantic affairs, prompting discussion of Chunchou’s habit of getting involved in everyone else’s business.
• Chunchou wonders why Shi Yijian is not angry after their previous confrontation. Wen Xu suggests that Shi may be patient and grudging, but does not truly resent Chunchou—possibly because Chunchou has helped him in the past.
• Chunchou admits that he entered the grand competition mainly for entertainment rather than to win. He acknowledges that he is not especially skilled at solo combat and says he will cheer for the others instead.
• Wen Xu and Shi Yijian face each other in the Golden Core competition. Their battle becomes a highly anticipated match between Wen Xu’s swordsmanship and Shi’s powerful talisman arts.
• Shi’s fighting style is revealed to be relentlessly aggressive and precise, contrasting with Chunchou’s defensive, elemental talisman techniques.
• Wen Xu unveils an upgraded form of his weapon, Windfold, transforming it from a sword into a folding fan. The fan allows him to control spiritual wind with far greater precision, direction, and power.
• The duel lasts from sunrise to sunset. Shi eventually concedes, recognizing that he cannot defeat Wen Xu, though the match increases his anticipation for future battles and growth at Yonglu Mountain.
• Afterward, Chen Zui-Zui prepares to face Wen Xu. The two discuss their upcoming match with surprising friendliness, while Chunchou realizes he may once again be forced to “balance the cups” among the powerful competitors and manage their interpersonal complications.

2. Character Developments

• Bian Chunchou: Maintains his playful, gossip-loving personality but shows self-awareness about his limitations as a fighter. He is content to participate for fun rather than prestige. His growing anxiety over being entangled in the relationships and rivalries of stronger cultivators provides much of the chapter’s humor.
• Wen Xu: Demonstrates considerable growth and versatility. He is not only an excellent swordsman but also capable of wielding the Windfold Fan with precision. His perceptive nature allows him to understand Shi’s personality and fighting style quickly. He remains modest and gracious after winning.
• Shi Yijian: Emerges as a disciplined, highly aggressive talisman cultivator. His refusal to stop attacking until he draws blood reveals his sharp and relentless nature, but his decision to concede once victory becomes impossible shows maturity and sound judgment. His respect for Wen Xu deepens.
• Chen Zui-Zui: Remains confident and eager for a difficult challenge. His casual, friendly conversation with Wen Xu reveals the strong camaraderie beneath their competitive relationship.
• Wen Xu, Shi Yijian, and Chen Zui-Zui: Their positions as the likely champion, runner-up, and third-place contenders become increasingly clear, while Chunchou is humorously caught between them.

3. Significant Themes

• Competition and mutual respect: The tournament is not portrayed solely as a struggle for victory. Challenging opponents helps the characters improve, and even defeated fighters gain respect and motivation.
• Versatility versus specialization: Wen Xu’s ability to use both sword and fan contrasts with Shi’s focused mastery of talisman arts, highlighting different paths to strength.
• Appearance versus reality: Wen Xu’s perceptive ability allows him to see beyond outward appearances, while the apparently cordial conversations between rivals conceal intense competitive ability.
• Humor amid tension: Serious battles are balanced by Chunchou’s exaggerated anxiety and the group’s teasing, reinforcing the characters’ close relationships.
• Acceptance of personal limits: Chunchou does not force himself to pursue victory and is comfortable acknowledging that his strengths lie elsewhere, especially in support, observation, and social maneuvering.

4. Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Chunchou discuss Shi Yijian’s personality and speculate about why he does not resent Chunchou.
• Chunchou warns the group about Shi’s powerful talisman techniques, showing that despite his comic behavior, he is attentive to others’ strengths.
• Wen Xu and Shi exchange formal respect before their duel and maintain mutual courtesy afterward.
• During the match, Shi tests Wen Xu’s limits, while Wen Xu uses the battle to practice and refine his Windfold Fan.
• Chen Zui-Zui and Wen Xu discuss their upcoming fight amicably, with Chen asking Wen Xu to use his sword rather than the more complicated fan.
• Chunchou observes the others’ easy camaraderie and worries that he will have to mediate among multiple powerful competitors, becoming the comic center of the chapter despite being eliminated.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Daoist Bian watches Wen Xu and Chen Zui’s Golden Core Stage final while teasing Lin Congcong and encouraging Senior Brother Shi.
• Wen Xu and Chen Zui, longtime sparring partners with nearly identical records, engage in an intense, evenly matched duel. Their battle focuses almost entirely on swordsmanship versus saber technique as their spiritual power dwindles.
• Wen Xu ultimately wins by unveiling Yi Jian, a sword technique Chen Zui has never seen before.
• Chen Zui accepts the defeat without resentment and immediately looks forward to fighting Wen Xu again.
• The competitors select their Sect Grand Competition prizes. Wen Xu chooses a book of formation diagrams, Chen Zui chooses Glazed Brocade, Shi Yijian chooses before Chunchou, and Chunchou takes a high-quality talisman brush.
• After meeting the Sect Master, the disciples return to their peaks to report their results. Chen Zui discovers that his chosen brocade is unattractive and considers exchanging it; Chunchou begins testing his new brush; Wen Xu discusses studying formations with his master.
• Divine Venerable Cheng Wei warns that the upcoming Five Sects Assembly will be held at Bitter Crossing Temple, joking that Buddhist cultivators are dangerous because they once nearly tricked him and Jun Zhaoying into converting.

Character developments

• Wen Xu demonstrates growth by defeating Chen Zui with a previously hidden sword technique, proving the depth of his sword comprehension and preparation.
• Chen Zui shows admirable sportsmanship. Though visibly dissatisfied with losing—and later with his ugly prize—he recognizes Wen Xu’s skill and remains eager for a rematch.
• Chunchou continues to act as an enthusiastic, affectionate supporter of his friends. He recognizes that both fighters held nothing back and is delighted despite placing only sixth.
• Daoist Bian is again shown to be outwardly sharp-tongued but genuinely caring, supporting his friends even while exchanging insults.
• Wen Xu also shows responsibility and ambition by intending to improve the Hundred Springtime Scenes through his new formation knowledge.
• Divine Venerable Cheng Wei expresses pride in Wen Xu while maintaining his irreverent, casual attitude toward major sect affairs.

Significant themes

• Friendship and mutual respect: Wen Xu and Chen Zui compete fiercely but harbor no resentment, recognizing one another as worthy equals.
• The difference between competition and true combat: Chunchou observes that the duel is a contest of skill rather than a life-or-death struggle, since each fighter still possesses dangerous trump cards.
• Growth through rivalry: Their repeated battles push both Wen Xu and Chen Zui to refine their techniques and reveal new abilities.
• Individual strengths and complementary paths: Wen Xu relies on thought, technique, and sword insight, while Chen Zui fights through instinct, physical control, and forceful saber attacks.
• Humor amid serious cultivation: The characters’ teasing, Chunchou’s dramatic reactions, Chen Zui’s ugly prize, and Cheng Wei’s complaints about Buddhist cultivators lighten the tension surrounding the competition.

Character interactions

• Daoist Bian alternates between encouraging Shi Yijian and trading barbs with Lin Congcong.
• Wen Xu and Chen Zui exchange respectful post-battle remarks, establishing that their rivalry remains friendly.
• Chunchou enthusiastically embraces and praises both fighters, treating the victory and defeat as shared achievements.
• Yanshan Venerable bluntly critiques Chen Zui’s chosen brocade, worsening Chen Zui’s mood but adding comic relief.
• Ruoshui Venerable readily supports Chunchou’s talisman practice by providing cinnabar.
• Cheng Wei and Wen Xu discuss formations and the upcoming Five Sects Assembly, with Cheng Wei’s wary humor revealing his distrust of Bitter Crossing Temple.

Chapter Summary: “Heavy Renovation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sect Grand Competition concludes with Xia Ying narrowly defeating Lin Congcong by half a move to win first place in the Foundation Establishment division.
• The strongest contestants, aside from the Qi Refining division, all come from the same generation, creating the impression that Yonglu Mountain is filled with unusually gifted disciples. However, the chapter emphasizes that their achievements are largely the result of sustained effort.
• Chen Zui’s relentless saber practice earns him widespread respect, though he remains unaware of—and indifferent to—the admiration. He values practice above reputation.
• Planning to visit Bian Chunchou, Chen Zui travels to Shared Goblet Tavern and discovers that Bian has gone down the mountain because the tavern has become too crowded to operate comfortably.
• The tavern’s manager explains that its spatial expansion has reached its physical limit. The recent competition and Xia Ying’s victory have dramatically increased public interest, especially because Xia is Langyuan City’s young city lord.
• Bian decides to relocate or rebuild the tavern. He asks Xia Ying for help finding suitable land, and she readily offers him three plots.
• The largest plot is located on the outskirts of the city and is likely too remote for ordinary customers, leaving Bian with a difficult choice.
• In the opening exchange, Divine Venerable Cheng Wei reveals curiosity about Jun Zhaoying’s connection to the son of a divine cultivator who became a Buddhist cultivator, hinting at broader sect and personal histories beyond the main events.

Character Developments

• Xia Ying establishes herself not only as a formidable cultivator but also as a well-connected and generous figure. Her victory increases both her personal fame and the city’s prestige.
• Lin Congcong demonstrates that she is nearly Xia Ying’s equal, losing only by half a move. Their close contest highlights her strength and determination.
• Chen Zui is portrayed as exceptionally disciplined. His high ranking and reputation come from years of consistent saber training rather than natural talent or a desire for recognition. He also shows practical concern for his mother and intends to send her gifts.
• Bian Chunchou remains playful and fond of leisure, but he is also a capable business owner. Faced with the tavern’s unexpected success, he takes responsibility and begins planning a major expansion.
• The tavern manager shows initiative by recognizing the business’s growth and seeking Bian’s intervention. His enthusiasm for cultivator news also illustrates how closely ordinary people follow the immortal masters.
• Divine Venerable Cheng Wei is shown as curious and interested in the personal backgrounds of other cultivators, while Wen Xu appears familiar with his master’s inquisitive nature.

Significant Themes

• Hard work versus innate talent: The chapter stresses that the young cultivators’ success comes from dedication. Chen Zui’s constant training is presented as an example of effort converting ability into achievement.
• Fame and public perception: The disciples themselves treat the competition calmly, while outsiders react with excitement. Their reputations bring unexpected consequences, including increased business and social attention.
• The impact of cultivators on ordinary society: Xia Ying’s victory boosts Langyuan City’s pride, brings rewards from the city lord, and drives a surge of customers to Bian’s tavern.
• Growth and adaptation: Shared Goblet Tavern has outgrown its original space, forcing Bian to consider relocation and reconstruction. Its physical expansion mirrors the characters’ rising influence.
• Humility and indifference to status: Chen Zui does not care about his ranking or fame, focusing instead on training. This contrasts with the public fascination surrounding the competition.

Character Interactions

• Divine Venerable Cheng Wei questions Wen Xu about Jun Zhaoying’s rescue of a promising Buddhist disciple, showing a mentor-student relationship marked by curiosity and teasing restraint.
• Chen Zui speaks with the tavern manager and Bian’s associates, learns of the overcrowding problem, and suggests asking Xia Ying for assistance.
• Bian initially worries about imposing on Xia Ying but ultimately approaches her himself, while Chen Zui offers to help but is humorously dismissed because Bian doubts his speaking skills.
• Xia Ying responds warmly and efficiently, using her influence to provide Bian with several possible locations, demonstrating the supportive ties among the sect’s younger generation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Boss Bian selects and purchases a large plot of land near the old shop and commercial district to build a new branch of the Shared Goblet Tavern. Though more expensive than other options, its spacious frontage is ideal for customer carriages and feathered vehicles.
• Xia Ying’s connections help reduce the land price, while Wen Xu-Xu agrees to expand the formation arrays. Bian Chunchou hires mercenaries to complete construction, allowing the restaurant to be built in less than a month.
• The new tavern features bold, fashionable architecture with colorful lighting and elegant interiors, contrasting sharply with the old shop’s antique style. Chen Zui jokes that the building would suit a brocade shop better, but Bian insists it will work perfectly once furnished.
• After the furnishings, parking area, and formations are completed, Bian keeps the old shop open to direct customers toward the new location.
• Bian posts a sect mission to select an auspicious opening date. The mission-taker requests a premium tavern card instead of payment, but Bian generously gives both the requested card and Sect Contribution Points.
• The new Shared Goblet Tavern opens three days later. Although Bian conducts little advertising, the enthusiastic manager attracts many customers, and the opening is immediately successful.
• During the celebration, Bian, Chen Zui, and Wen Xu reflect on the approaching Five Sects Assembly and the dangerous events they survived a decade earlier, including Wen’s fall into a secret realm and the emergence of the Demon Seed.

Character Developments

• Bian Chunchou demonstrates growing confidence and competence as a businessman. He carefully manages costs, plans the restaurant’s design, delegates construction, and takes pride in the tavern’s successful opening.
• His entrepreneurial identity is becoming an important part of him; he realizes that business brings him a distinct sense of satisfaction even before significant profits arrive.
• Xia Ying admires Bian’s rapid cultivation progress and begins imagining her own future adventures after forming her Core. She hopes to leave the mountain, gain experience, and uphold justice.
• Chen Zui remains blunt, teasing, and reckless, particularly when recalling past adventures. His tendency to challenge vastly stronger opponents is presented as both absurd and characteristic.
• Wen Xu-Xu continues supporting Bian through practical assistance, especially by managing formation arrays and helping restrain Chen Zui during the opening celebration. However, he privately worries about his vulnerability to the Demon Seed after giving away his Imperial Destiny Pattern.

Significant Themes

• Growth and transformation: The new tavern symbolizes Bian’s development from an inexperienced shopkeeper into an ambitious entrepreneur.
• Friendship and shared survival: The characters’ humor and toast reflect the deep bond formed through surviving repeated crises together.
• Courage versus recklessness: Their past decision to enter the secret realm demonstrates bravery, but also youthful foolishness and impulsiveness.
• Security beneath celebration: Even during the tavern’s joyful opening, the threat of the Demon Seed remains unresolved, showing that peace is fragile.
• Luck, cultivation, and experience: Bian’s rapid progress is linked humorously to surviving dangerous challenges, while Xia Ying recognizes that true growth requires leaving familiar surroundings and facing the wider world.

Character Interactions

• Bian and Xia Ying discuss the new shop, cultivation, and Bian’s unusual rise in strength, with Xia teasing him about repeatedly calling her “Senior Sister.”
• Bian, Wen Xu-Xu, and Chen Zui exchange jokes about the restaurant’s design, revealing their comfortable, familiar dynamic.
• During the opening celebration, Chen mocks Bian’s impatience and business pride, while Wen quietly prepares to prevent their teasing from becoming a fight.
• The three friends reminisce over their past calamities and raise a toast to having survived them, though Wen’s private thoughts reveal that the danger connected to the Demon Seed is still weighing on him.

Chapter 489 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu and Bian Chunchou discuss the upcoming Five Sects Assembly at Bitter Crossing Temple. Wen Xu explains that the event is unusual because the Blissful Union Sect traditionally sends many disciples, some of whom eventually join Bitter Crossing Temple.
• The two sects appear to “poach” disciples from one another. Blissful Union Sect disciples may become Buddhist cultivators, while some Bitter Crossing Temple disciples return to secular life and begin cultivating Daoist arts after encountering Blissful Union Sect disciples.
• Chen Zui reveals that his previous defeat on the Cloud Platform was caused by a Blissful Union Sect disciple arranged by Aunt Meng. He also recalls his earlier defeat by Wen Xu’s sword strike, showing that he carefully remembers every loss.
• Bian Chunchou jokes about what might happen if Bushi joined the Blissful Union Sect. Wen Xu and Chunchou conclude that Bushi, already indulgent, might become even more shameless and uncontrollable, especially toward Wen Xu.
• After overseeing the new, larger Shared Goblet Tavern for two days, Bian Chunchou returns to his sect to cultivate. His master needs him as a test subject for newly developed talismans.
• Chen Zui becomes more relaxed after learning that Bian Chunchou has returned and devotes himself completely to blade practice.
• Wen Xu visits Zheng Jin, who has just emerged from seclusion and is disappointed to have missed the sect competition. Wen Xu gives him gifts from his travels, including Shu Household notes and forged objects.
• Wen Xu recounts his experiences in the Bright Moon Secret Realm, including meeting Master Wen Zhou and encountering an iron sword that developed sentience.
• Zheng Jin becomes fascinated by the sword and examines it closely. Although its physical forging is not exceptional, he recognizes that the Daoist techniques embedded within it are extremely subtle.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu continues acting as the knowledgeable and comparatively responsible member of his group, though he is also drawn into teasing speculation about Bushi. His experiences in the Bright Moon Secret Realm have broadened his understanding of forging and extraordinary weapons.
• Bian Chunchou remains witty, curious, and fond of gossip, but he also shows perceptiveness regarding the complementary relationship between the Blissful Union Sect and Bitter Crossing Temple. He returns to cultivation and becomes a test subject for his master’s talisman research.
• Chen Zui demonstrates his intense, disciplined personality through his dedication to blade practice. His refusal to reveal information about his defeat also shows that he is becoming more cautious and less easily manipulated.
• Zheng Jin emerges from seclusion still passionate about forging. His immediate interest in Wen Xu’s sword highlights both his professional curiosity and his desire to improve his own skills.

Significant Themes

• Contrasting but complementary cultivation paths: The Blissful Union Sect emphasizes emotion and personal nature, while Bitter Crossing Temple emphasizes detachment, insight, and liberation. Their disciples can therefore transition between the two traditions.
• Cultivation through defeat and self-improvement: Chen Zui remembers every defeat, treating failure as a source of motivation and discipline.
• Friendship and teasing: The characters’ jokes about Bushi and their casual conversations reveal strong familiarity and affection beneath their mockery.
• The limits of expertise: Zheng Jin’s examination of the sword shows that even an accomplished forger can encounter techniques beyond his current understanding.
• The intersection of ordinary objects and spiritual power: The sentient sword and the mysterious Daoist arts within it suggest that profound cultivation can transform seemingly mundane materials.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Bian Chunchou trade observations about the Five Sects Assembly and jokingly imagine Bushi becoming a “demonic monk.”
• Chen Zui joins the conversation by revealing the source of one of his past defeats, though he resists Bian Chunchou’s attempts to extract more information.
• Wen Xu and Zheng Jin reconnect after Zheng Jin’s seclusion. Their exchange combines gift-giving, travel stories, professional admiration, and Zheng Jin’s envy that he could not enter the Bright Moon Secret Realm.
• Zheng Jin’s intense examination of Wen Xu’s sword reflects his respect for Wen Xu’s experiences and his own continuing pursuit of mastery in forging.

Chapter Summary: “On the Road”

Key plot points and events

• Zheng Jin examines Wen Xu’s newly forged sword and asks to borrow it, though he ultimately leaves it behind after reminding Wen Xu that he is not a Sword Cultivator.
• Zhi Lianshan arrives to meet Zheng Jin but instead speaks with Wen Xu, receiving spirit plants that Wen Xu brought back as a gift.
• Their conversation turns to Wen Xu’s return to the Mortal Realm, where he settled his past grievances and achieved revenge. Wen Xu summarizes the outcome with, “Man proposes, heaven disposes.”
• Zhi Lianshan reveals that he also has a twin brother in the Mortal Realm. This prompts a discussion about whether twins are bound to one another or should be regarded as separate individuals.
• Wen Xu argues that every person has an independent path. A bond need not be “severed” for the individuals involved to live independently; whether the connection remains depends on one’s own understanding.
• Zhi Lianshan realizes that he has allowed the Cultivation Realm’s prejudices about twins—and his emotional connection to his brother—to define his identity and choices.
• Remembering his former determination to escape the Zhi Household’s judgment, he regains confidence in his own path and bows to Wen Xu, asking to become his disciple.

Character developments

• Wen Xu demonstrates maturity, empathy, and philosophical insight. His experience of resolving his own past allows him to offer Zhi Lianshan a new way of understanding family bonds and personal independence.
• Zhi Lianshan moves from uncertainty and emotional entrapment toward self-recognition. He understands that he has already defied the belief that twins are inherently doomed or inferior, particularly through his success in cultivation via the unusual path of “entering the Dao through illness.”
• Zheng Jin is shown as respected and trusted by Wen Xu; Wen Xu readily offers him the sword and treats him as an honored senior brother.
• Wen Xu and Zhi Lianshan’s relationship deepens from a formal senior-junior connection into one of spiritual guidance, culminating in Zhi Lianshan’s request to become Wen Xu’s disciple.

Significant themes

• Individual identity versus social definitions: The chapter challenges the Cultivation Realm’s tendency to treat twins as a single entity, emphasizing that each person has a separate will and destiny.
• Breaking free from prejudice: Zhi Lianshan recognizes that society’s judgment of twins as flawed or doomed does not determine his potential.
• Family bonds and emotional independence: A relationship can remain meaningful without controlling either person’s life. Separation does not necessarily require emotional severance.
• Self-determination and perseverance: Zhi Lianshan’s cultivation journey reflects his desire to prove that supposedly impossible paths can still lead to success.
• Mentorship and understanding: Wen Xu’s personal insight helps Zhi Lianshan confront beliefs he could not overcome alone.

Important character interactions

• Wen Xu and Zheng Jin share a warm, respectful exchange over the sword, highlighting their trust and senior-junior bond.
• Wen Xu and Zhi Lianshan discuss revenge, family, twins, and independence with unusual honesty.
• Wen Xu’s words force Zhi Lianshan to reconsider his relationship with his twin brother and the Zhi Household.
• The chapter ends with Zhi Lianshan acknowledging Wen Xu as someone capable of guiding him and formally asking to become his disciple.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhi Lianshan abruptly leaves after bowing to Wen Xu and collecting the local gifts, moving so quickly that even Golden Core–realm Wen Xu cannot follow him with his eyes.
• After resolving his past concerns, Wen Xu adopts a calmer attitude toward cultivation. Ironically, this relaxed mindset allows his progress to improve rapidly, and he quietly advances to the Late Golden Core stage before the Five Sects Assembly.
• Divine Venerable Cheng Wei suggests that Wen Xu remain behind rather than attend the assembly, mainly because he is reluctant to part with his youngest disciple again. Wen Xu jokes that the sect master would cling to Cheng Wei and beg if excluded.
• Cheng Wei gives Wen Xu permission to invoke his name if trouble arises, though Wen Xu privately suspects that doing so might make matters worse. He bids his master farewell and promises to bring back spirit wine.
• Wen Xu joins the sect’s delegation. Unlike their previous trip, he and his companions are now among the main combat forces and are placed at the front of the flying vessel.
• Zheng Jin is absent because he is nearing the Nascent Soul Middle Stage and has been detained by his master to focus on breaking through. Zhi Lianshan attends instead, despite his sickly appearance and apparent proximity to enlightenment.
• Zhi Lianshan speaks warmly with Wen Xu and adopts a more familiar form of address, revealing that he enjoys discussing the Dao with him.
• Bian Chunchou is delighted to see Wen Xu becoming more socially active and forming friendships, though he soon gets into another quarrel with Chen Zui. Wen Xu attempts to calm him, but Bian remains dissatisfied.
• The younger disciples aboard the vessel—including Xia Ying, Lin Congcong, Huo Shengyin, and Ming Jing—observe the older disciples’ constant interpersonal drama. Xia Ying and Lin joke that the group’s dramatic life experiences may be helping their cultivation.
• Lin Congcong insists that he wants no involvement in the group’s rumors and conflicts, but Bian Chunchou immediately twists his words into another teasing confrontation, leaving Lin regretting the journey.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Becomes more emotionally relaxed and less obsessive about cultivation, yet advances naturally to Late Golden Core. He is also growing more comfortable initiating friendships and handling interpersonal conflicts.
• Cheng Wei: Appears stern and dismissive, but his concern for Wen Xu and reluctance to see him leave reveal a deeply affectionate, protective side.
• Zhi Lianshan: Shows unusual warmth and familiarity toward Wen Xu, suggesting that he genuinely values their conversations and relationship.
• Bian Chunchou: Continues to be energetic, meddlesome, and easily provoked, but his pride in Wen Xu’s growing sociability shows genuine affection.
• Lin Congcong: Remains wary of being dragged into rumors and drama, though his attempts to distance himself only make him a target for further teasing.
• Huo Shengyin and Ming Jing: Are established as promising young disciples, both having reached Late Foundation Establishment and possessing strong prospects.

Significant Themes

• Natural growth versus forced striving: Wen Xu’s cultivation improves once he stops obsessively pursuing advancement, suggesting that inner peace and emotional balance are as important as effort.
• Mentorship and familial affection: Cheng Wei’s teasing and sternness conceal his attachment to Wen Xu, emphasizing the bond between master and disciple.
• Friendship and social development: Wen Xu’s increasing willingness to engage with others marks a meaningful change from his formerly passive and reserved personality.
• Humor amid cultivation life: The chapter contrasts high-level cultivation and impending breakthroughs with petty arguments, gossip, and everyday interpersonal absurdity.
• Experience as a form of cultivation: The younger disciples jokingly suggest that the group’s emotional chaos and accumulated life experiences contribute almost as much to their growth as formal training.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Cheng Wei exchange affectionate, teasing remarks during their farewell, with Cheng Wei pretending to be cold while clearly worrying about him.
• Wen Xu and Zhi Lianshan form a noticeably closer connection through their shared discussions of the Dao.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui continue their playful but irritating verbal sparring.
• Wen Xu tries to mediate Bian’s frustration, demonstrating his growing emotional maturity.
• Bian’s teasing of Lin Congcong creates another comic conflict, while Xia Ying and the younger disciples watch the older cultivators’ antics with amusement.

Chapter Summary: Floating Mountain

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Yonglu Mountain group arrives at Floating Mountain City, located beneath Bitter Crossing Temple, ahead of the delegations from Hehe Sect and Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect.
• Sect Master Gu Wufang, wishing to avoid meeting Yicheng, decides that the group will remain in the city for two days under the excuse of resting after their journey.
• Bian Chunchou, Wen Xu, and Chen Zui explore the city, which is crowded with cultivators, aristocratic clans, and rogue cultivators preparing for the Five Sects Assembly.
• Floating Mountain City is described as a strongly Buddhist mountain city, filled with temples and aspiring monks hoping for enlightenment despite lacking spiritual roots.
• The trio notices that several young cultivators are imitating the appearances of famous prodigies—including Wen Xu’s blindfolded image, Bian Chunchou’s style, and Chen Zui’s blade-user appearance.
• A passerby jokingly gives Wen Xu a satin ribbon so he can complete the imitation. Wen Xu plays along, amusing Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui.
• They encounter Wu Fang, whom they previously met in the Radiant Dawn Tower Secret Realm. Wu Fang has abandoned sword cultivation and begun training with a blade.
• Chen Zui immediately challenges Wu Fang to a fight, but Wu Fang declines, noting that they will eventually meet during the Five Sects Assembly.
• Wu Fang reveals that he will represent Thunderclap Manor in the competition and humbly asks the trio to show mercy. Bian Chunchou quickly restrains Chen Zui before he can enthusiastically pursue another duel.

Character Developments

• Gu Wufang demonstrates his dislike of Yicheng by deliberately delaying their arrival at Bitter Crossing Temple.
• Bian Chunchou remains playful and socially perceptive. He enjoys teasing Wen Xu and quickly anticipates Chen Zui’s tendency to challenge strong opponents.
• Wen Xu continues embracing his false image of a blind cultivator. He shows increasing comfort with the joke, even wearing the ribbon over his eyes despite knowing it is an inferior imitation of his master’s blindfold.
• Chen Zui remains direct, competitive, and obsessed with testing himself against skilled opponents. His immediate interest in Wu Fang’s blade reflects his enthusiasm for martial combat.
• Wu Fang has matured since his previous appearance. Accepting that he cannot inherit Rongshan Jian’s sword legacy, he has switched to blade cultivation. He is also aware of the trio’s rapid advancement and is intimidated by their current strength.

Significant Themes

• Reputation and imitation: The trio’s growing fame is shown through cultivators copying their distinctive appearances. Wen Xu’s supposedly fraudulent blind persona has become recognizable enough to imitate.
• Rapid growth and changing status: Wu Fang’s anxiety highlights how dramatically the protagonists have advanced—from Foundation Establishment cultivators capable of matching him to Late Golden Core prodigies ranked among the top fifty.
• Identity versus appearance: The chapter humorously contrasts genuine ability with superficial imitation. The copied ribbons, weapons, and clothing resemble the famous cultivators but cannot reproduce their real identities or strength.
• Buddhist faith and enlightenment: Floating Mountain City’s temples and aspiring monks introduce the idea of people pursuing enlightenment despite extremely low odds, emphasizing hope, devotion, and perseverance.
• Friendship and comic balance: The trio’s teasing and familiar interactions provide warmth and humor amid the competitive atmosphere surrounding the upcoming assembly.

Character Interactions

• Bian Chunchou and Wen Xu joke about the city’s solemn Buddhist atmosphere and the imitators they encounter.
• Bian Chunchou teases Wen Xu after he is given a satin ribbon, while Chen Zui seriously confirms that Wen Xu’s imitation is noticeably different from the original.
• Wu Fang greets all three protagonists, showing familiarity from their previous meeting.
• Chen Zui challenges Wu Fang to a duel after noticing his new blade, but Wu Fang tactfully postpones the confrontation.
• Bian Chunchou restrains Chen Zui and reassures Wu Fang, reinforcing his role as the group’s socially aware mediator.

Chapter Summary: “Watching the Spectacle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Fang departs abruptly after hearing a fellow disciple call him, leaving behind Chen Zui-Zui, Bian Chunchou, and Wen Xu-Xu. Bian prevents Chen from provoking Wu Fang before his upcoming match, explaining that Wu Fang was merely being polite and should not have his mindset disturbed.
• The trio spends two days sightseeing in Floating Mountain City, enjoying its local customs. Chen Zui-Zui repeatedly wants to challenge Blade Cultivators they encounter, but Bian Chunchou stops him each time.
• Upon learning that the Hehe Sect and Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect will soon arrive, Gu Wufang reluctantly visits Bitter Crossing Temple. Abbot Yicheng politely thanks the three disciples for helping Bushi during the events in Jingyuan City.
• The group learns that Bushi has been punished and confined at Lotus Pond for his past actions. Although Chen and Bian decline to visit him, Wen Xu agrees to go.
• Wen Xu travels across the enormous, spiritually sentient Buddha Lotus Pond on a lotus leaf using an extraordinary teleportation technique.
• Bushi greets Wen Xu with exaggerated emotion. His head has been shaved as punishment, likely also to conceal the fact that his former black hair turned white after his cultivation was lost in Jingyuan City.
• Wen Xu brings spiritual vegetables and fruits for the Water-Ripple Beast, “Little Counterweight,” at Bian’s request. Bushi becomes jealous that the gifts are for the beast rather than for him and complains that Wen Xu brought him nothing.

Character Developments

• Wu Fang: Shown to be courteous and sensitive to social interactions, though his sudden departure suggests nervousness or excitement about his upcoming match.
• Chen Zui-Zui: Remains straightforward, competitive, and blade-obsessed. He is eager to spar with fellow Blade Cultivators but can be restrained by Bian.
• Bian Chunchou: Acts as the practical mediator of the group, protecting Wu Fang’s mental state and preventing Chen from creating unnecessary conflict. He also cares for the Water-Ripple Beast.
• Wen Xu-Xu: Continues his dry, deadpan humor and willingness to indulge his companions. Despite his face blindness and his habit of pretending to be blind, he notices Bushi’s altered appearance and responds with blunt honesty.
• Bushi: Reveals a playful, dramatic, and emotionally needy side. Though punished for his past actions, he remains mischievous and tries to draw affection and sympathy from Wen Xu. His jealousy toward the Water-Ripple Beast highlights his attachment to his friends.
• Abbot Yicheng: Demonstrates diplomacy and generosity by praising the visitors and allowing Wen Xu to visit Bushi, while tactfully avoiding any mention of his earlier conflict with Gu Wufang.

Significant Themes

• Friendship and loyalty: The characters’ actions show concern for one another, whether by protecting someone’s state of mind, delivering food, or making the effort to visit a punished companion.
• Humor through contrasting personalities: Chen’s blunt aggression, Bian’s restraint, Wen Xu’s deadpan remarks, and Bushi’s melodrama create much of the chapter’s comedy.
• Punishment and recovery: Bushi’s confinement and shaved head reflect the consequences of his earlier actions, while his changed hair and lost cultivation hint at the lasting damage caused by the Jingyuan City disaster.
• Appearances versus reality: Wen Xu’s face blindness, his feigned blindness, and Bushi’s shaved head all complicate how characters perceive one another. Bushi’s comic behavior also masks deeper vulnerability.
• Spiritual wonder: The vast, sentient Buddha Lotus Pond and its subtle teleportation technique emphasize the mystical nature of Bitter Crossing Temple.

Character Interactions

• Bian restrains Chen from provoking Wu Fang and from challenging Blade Cultivators around the city.
• Wen Xu and Bian humorously acknowledge that their behavior has become increasingly mischievous.
• Abbot Yicheng formally thanks the trio for helping Bushi and offers them access to Lotus Pond.
• Wen Xu and Bushi exchange teasing remarks, with Wen Xu bluntly telling Bushi that his shaved head makes him less attractive.
• Bushi tries to gain Wen Xu’s sympathy by emphasizing their shared hardships in Jingyuan City, but Wen Xu remains focused on delivering food to the Water-Ripple Beast, leaving Bushi comically jealous and offended.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Wen Xu gives Bushi a vermilion spirit fruit from Chunchou for the Water-Ripple Beast, joking with him about his softness and past losses. Their playful exchange is interrupted when Bushi unexpectedly begins forming his Golden Core. The Buddha Lotus transforms the lotus pond and protects Wen Xu from the powerful tribulation. Three bolts of Golden Core Tribulation Lightning descend, but Bushi remains calm and successfully completes the breakthrough. The Water-Ripple Beast is brought to Wen Xu during the tribulation and anxiously watches over Bushi. After the tribulation ends, Wen Xu begins scheming to lure the beast toward Chunchou.

Character developments

Bushi’s cultivation has fully recovered since the disaster in Jingyuan City, and he is now close to Core Formation. His successful breakthrough marks a major restoration of his strength and freedom, since forming a core may allow him to break the Confinement Curse placed on him by his master. His previously gloomy demeanor has also lightened, and he interacts with Wen Xu in a relaxed, teasing manner. Wen Xu, meanwhile, shows increasing tenderness: he comforts the Water-Ripple Beast and begins to understand Chunchou’s affection for it. However, he also reveals his mischievous and competitive side by plotting to “steal” the beast away.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes recovery, renewal, and personal transformation through Bushi’s successful Core Formation. It also explores genuine affection and emotional openness through the Water-Ripple Beast’s unreserved concern for Bushi. Wen Xu’s envy of the beast’s direct devotion highlights his own difficulty with expressing or receiving uncomplicated love. Humor and teasing provide relief alongside the serious cultivation breakthrough.

Character interactions

Wen Xu and Bushi share affectionate, sarcastic banter, with Wen Xu leaving after Bushi teases him about being swindled. True Lord Siren and Zhi Lianshan discuss the tribulation while joking about disciples, masters, and the Buddha Lotus’s notoriously selective temperament. Their conversation also hints at concern that Buddhist cultivators may be interested in Wen Xu. The Buddha Lotus protects Wen Xu despite its usual harshness toward outsiders. Finally, Wen Xu bonds with the Water-Ripple Beast, reassuring it about Bushi’s safety before attempting to lure it toward Chunchou.

Chapter Summary: “Joyous Union”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Water-Ripple Beast agrees to leave the lotus pool with Wen Xu after apparently recognizing him and trusting him. Buddha Lotus sends Wen Xu and the beast safely to shore.
• Wen Xu reunites with Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui. Chunchou happily plays with Water-Ripple Beast, while Chen Zui immediately notices that Bushi has successfully formed his Golden Core and expresses interest in fighting him.
• After the tribulation, Buddha Lotus restores the lotus pool and sends Bushi away on a lotus leaf. Bushi proudly announces his successful breakthrough to his master, Siren, but becomes nervous when Dharma Master Yicheng and Sect Master Gu arrive.
• Bushi is informed that he has entered the Prodigies Ranking at ninety-eighth place. His grandmaster urges him to control his temperament and cultivate more diligently. Siren, instead of simply praising him, begins considering how to give him even more Buddhist training.
• Bushi discovers that Wen Xu and his friends have taken Water-Ripple Beast, which he calls “Little Counterweight.” He jokingly accuses Wen Xu of abducting it, but Wen Xu explains that the beast consented and that Buddha Lotus personally allowed them to leave.
• Bushi reveals that Buddha Lotus may have sent them away because of an old grudge: Bushi once stole a lotus seedpod when he was young, though Wen Xu suspects there was more to the story.
• Although Bushi has just advanced to the Golden Core realm, he will not participate in the upcoming competition because the temple’s list of contestants was finalized earlier. He refuses to take another disciple’s place.
• Chen Zui is disappointed that he will not be able to fight Bushi. Bushi then congratulates Wen Xu, Chunchou, and Chen Zui on their rapid cultivation progress, joking that their advancement has put pressure on him.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu remains calm and observant, casually bringing Water-Ripple Beast away while ignoring the jealousy directed at him. His willingness to respect the beast’s choice shows his considerate nature.
• Water-Ripple Beast demonstrates trust toward Wen Xu and affection toward Chunchou, willingly leaving the lotus pool and enthusiastically playing with him.
• Bian Chunchou becomes completely absorbed in caring for and entertaining the beast, temporarily ignoring his usual habit of arguing. His attachment to it is clear.
• Chen Zui continues to show his straightforward, battle-loving personality. Rather than focusing on Bushi’s breakthrough socially or emotionally, he immediately sees him as a worthy opponent.
• Bushi successfully forms his Golden Core and earns a place on the Prodigies Ranking. Despite his mischievous and irreverent behavior, he shows integrity by refusing to displace another contestant. He also remains intimidated by his elders, especially his grandmaster and master.
• Siren is proud of Bushi but hides it behind restrained praise and immediately thinks about imposing additional training, revealing a mixture of affection, competitiveness, and strictness.
• Dharma Master Yicheng displays great pride in Bushi’s achievement, though the glory is slightly diminished by Yonglu Mountain’s already impressive record on the ranking.

Significant Themes

• Growth and recognition: Bushi’s Golden Core breakthrough and ranking confirm his growing strength and talent.
• Humor within authority and mentorship: Bushi fears his elders’ reactions even after achieving major success, while Siren’s praise quickly turns into plans for stricter cultivation.
• Integrity and fairness: Bushi refuses to seize another disciple’s place in the competition, showing that his unruly personality does not make him unethical.
• Companionship and trust: Water-Ripple Beast’s decision to accompany Wen Xu, along with Chunchou’s affection for it, highlights the importance of mutual consent and emotional bonds.
• Rivalry and competition: Chen Zui’s eagerness to fight Bushi and the jealousy surrounding Wen Xu’s relationship with the beast add playful tension to the group’s interactions.
• The contrast between appearance and character: Bushi appears mischievous and undisciplined, but he is talented, principled, and deeply rooted in Buddhist cultivation.

Important Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Water-Ripple Beast establish a trusting relationship, while Buddha Lotus facilitates their departure.
• Chunchou enthusiastically bonds with the beast, provoking Bushi’s playful complaint that his “household’s Little Counterweight” has been taken.
• Chen Zui treats Bushi’s breakthrough primarily as an opportunity for a future duel.
• Bushi interacts nervously with Siren and Dharma Master Yicheng, exposing the pressure placed on him by his teachers.
• Wen Xu challenges Bushi’s explanation of Buddha Lotus’s grudge, suggesting that Bushi is concealing additional mischief.
• Bushi’s congratulations to the others reveal friendly camaraderie beneath their competitive relationships.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• News spreads that Bushi has become a newly recognized young prodigy after advancing to the Golden Core Realm, causing envy among the other sects attending the Five Sects Assembly.
• Before the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect and Hehe Sect can attempt to recruit him, the Blissful Union Sect sends three disciples to approach Bushi.
• The Blissful Union Sect is portrayed as exceptionally influential and polished, particularly because it controls the famous Rainbow Garment Pavilion and is led by Fairy Yutan, a powerful Spirit Transformation cultivator.
• Wen Zhiyi, the Blissful Union Sect’s most prominent younger disciple, politely congratulates Bushi and hints that the sect would welcome him. He praises Bushi’s advancement and mentions that his own master admires Bitter Crossing Temple’s talent.
• Bushi recognizes that Wen Zhiyi’s master was once Bitter Crossing Temple’s celebrated prodigy and True Lord Siren’s senior brother. This reveals an old, complicated connection between the two sects and explains why Bushi becomes distracted after the visitors leave.
• Bushi insists that the relationship is not truly hostile, though his master remains resentful and unable to let go of the past.
• The conversation turns humorous when Bian Chunchou jokingly asks whether Bushi’s sect settles grudges immediately. Bushi responds by trying to recruit Bian into Bitter Crossing Temple, prompting Wen Xu to stop him with the Buddhist maxim, “Do not impose upon others what you yourself do not desire.”

Character Developments

• Bushi: His new Golden Core status attracts serious attention from major sects. Although he firmly rejects the Blissful Union Sect’s recruitment attempt, he is emotionally affected by the revelation about Wen Zhiyi’s master and his own master’s history.
• Wen Zhiyi: He is established as gentle, diplomatic, socially connected, and exceptionally difficult to offend. His strength lies not only in cultivation but also in charm, tact, and the powerful network of friends who would defend him.
• Bian Chunchou: He continues providing comic commentary, teasing Bushi and observing the group’s interactions. His fondness for the Water-Ripple Beast remains a defining trait, and he is quick to recognize Wen Zhiyi’s polished “smooth-talking” style.
• Wen Xu: He remains blunt, calm, and perceptive, immediately silencing Bian when necessary and backing him up when Bushi attempts to recruit him.
• Chen Zui: Though mostly silent, his restless, impatient nature is contrasted with Wen Zhiyi’s soothing conversational style.

Significant Themes

• Talent and sect competition: Bushi’s breakthrough makes him valuable to competing sects, highlighting the political and strategic importance of young Golden Core cultivators.
• Recruitment and influence: The Blissful Union Sect’s approach demonstrates how major sects cultivate power through talent acquisition, reputation, and social networks.
• Reputation versus reality: Wen Zhiyi’s impressive reputation and vast network make others wary of antagonizing him, even though he behaves with sincere gentleness.
• Old grudges and Buddhist restraint: The unresolved history between Bitter Crossing Temple and the Blissful Union Sect explores the tension between resentment and Buddhist ideals of detachment and non-enmity.
• Humor through contrast: The chapter repeatedly contrasts the refined Blissful Union Sect disciples with the rougher-looking protagonists, while also juxtaposing Wen Zhiyi’s elegance with Chen Zui’s impatience and Bian Chunchou’s irreverence.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu curtly stops Bian Chunchou’s teasing.
• Bian jokes that the Blissful Union Sect disciples are interested in Bushi, while Bushi dismisses their advances.
• Wen Zhiyi courteously praises Bushi, creating a calm exchange that even the normally impatient Chen Zui tolerates.
• Bushi responds aggressively to Wen Zhiyi’s indirect recruitment, forcing Wen Zhiyi to apologize.
• Bian probes Bushi about the sects’ past conflict, leading to the revelation about Wen Zhiyi’s master.
• Bushi jokingly attempts to recruit Bian, and Wen Xu immediately turns Bushi’s own Buddhist principle back on him.

Chapter Summary: “Brothers”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bushi escapes from Yonglu Mountain but is caught by his master, True Lord Siren, near the lotus pool. Siren reminds him that he was supposed to retrieve the Water-Ripple Beast.
• Bushi jokes that the beast is enjoying itself too much to return and claims that Yonglu Mountain is trying to “poach” him. Siren warns him that the Blissful Union Sect might actually be interested in him, though his status as Siren’s disciple protects him.
• Bushi praises Yonglu Mountain’s “Little Granduncle-Master,” Wen Xu, suggesting that Siren should recruit him. Siren immediately shuts down the idea, pointing out that Wen Xu’s master, the powerful Dragon Venerable, would make such an attempt extremely dangerous.
• Siren sends Bushi to help receive guests arriving for the Five Sects Assembly. Bushi reluctantly obeys while maintaining his usual polished facade around unfamiliar people.
• The Hehe Sect and Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect arrive, completing the gathering of the major sects. Their leaders exchange warm, diplomatic greetings, though the narration hints that their true motives remain concealed beneath the surface.
• Hehe Sect Leader Ding Jieyou sends Wen Xu a gift in Lord Jun’s name, showing that Lord Jun holds Wen Xu in high regard.
• Guan Xinglan, the Hehe Sect’s renowned eldest senior sister, introduces herself to Wen Xu. Once the greatest talent of her generation, she had dominated the Prodigies Ranking before Zhi Lianshan eventually took first place.
• Guan Xinglan, who deeply admires Lord Jun, takes a special interest in Wen Xu because he is valued by her idol. She casually calls him “Junior Brother Wen” and expresses regret that they were born too far apart to fight.
• Wen Xu redirects her interest toward his junior brother, Chen Zui, who is currently practicing his saber and will participate in the Five Sects Assembly.
• Guan Xinglan asks after Zhi Lianshan. Wen Xu claims that Lianshan is probably playing chess with True Lord Siren, though the two are actually elsewhere drinking tea.
• Zhi Lianshan samples Siren’s bitter tea and complains that its bitterness is worse than the hardships of his life. Their teasing escalates until Siren accuses him of deliberately provoking him and hiding from social obligations.

Character Developments

• Bushi: Remains playful, sly, and shamelessly opportunistic, but also shows loyalty and obedience toward Siren when necessary. He recognizes Wen Xu’s gentle nature and is fascinated by the possibility of drawing him into Bitter Crossing Temple.
• True Lord Siren: Acts as a stern but protective master. He acknowledges Bushi’s strengths while criticizing his deliberate feigned ignorance. His friendship with Wen Zhiyi and familiarity with other sect leaders reveal his deep connections within the cultivation world.
• Wen Xu: Demonstrates courtesy, tact, and social composure. He skillfully handles Guan Xinglan’s enthusiastic attention and subtly avoids revealing the truth about Zhi Lianshan’s whereabouts.
• Guan Xinglan: Is established as an exceptionally talented and influential cultivator. Despite her legendary status, she is approachable, energetic, and physically affectionate, quickly treating Wen Xu as a younger fellow disciple.
• Zhi Lianshan: Displays his usual sharp wit and self-deprecating humor. His complaints about the tea and his refusal to face the gathering suggest both physical suffering and an aversion to social interaction.
• Chen Zui: Though absent from the chapter, he is presented as a promising saber cultivator whom Guan Xinglan may eventually challenge.

Significant Themes

• Sect alliances and concealed motives: The five great sects present a united front, but their polite exchanges mask unspoken calculations and rivalries.
• Reputation and influence: Guan Xinglan’s history, Lord Jun’s approval, and the danger posed by Wen Xu’s master emphasize how status and personal connections shape the cultivation world.
• Found family and “brotherhood”: The chapter highlights bonds between masters and disciples, senior and junior cultivators, and rival sects that resemble familial relationships.
• Humor amid political tension: Teasing, exaggerated politeness, and arguments over bitter tea create a lighthearted contrast to the serious power dynamics surrounding the Five Sects Assembly.
• Avoidance versus responsibility: Bushi and Zhi Lianshan both try to avoid duties—Bushi through distraction and Lianshan through hiding—while their companions force them to contribute.

Character Interactions

• Bushi and Siren: Their master-disciple relationship is affectionate beneath the scolding. Bushi provokes Siren with jokes, while Siren protects him and assigns him practical responsibilities.
• Bushi and Wen Xu: Bushi admires Wen Xu’s kindness and believes his gentle nature makes him vulnerable to recruitment by another sect.
• Wen Xu and Guan Xinglan: Guan Xinglan enthusiastically adopts Wen Xu as a junior brother, while Wen Xu remains polite and tactfully maintains personal space and control of the conversation.
• Wen Xu and Zhi Lianshui: Wen Xu notices Zhi Lianshui leaving to search for Zhi Lianshan but deliberately pretends not to understand the situation.
• Guan Xinglan and Chen Zui: Although they do not meet, Guan Xinglan shows immediate interest in challenging Chen Zui after learning that he is Wen Xu’s junior brother.
• Siren and Zhi Lianshan: Their bantering exchange reveals a comfortable but combative friendship. Lianshan mocks Siren’s tea and avoidance of public duties, while Siren grows irritated at being continually provoked.

Summary

Zhi Lianshan initially hesitates to visit his younger brother, Zhi Lianshui, who has been anxiously pacing outside Siren’s courtyard. Lianshui’s difficulty lies in his unresolved emotional knots, which make Nascent Soul Formation especially challenging: creating a Nascent Soul requires complete self-understanding and acceptance. Lianshan recognizes that he has become the greatest obstacle in his brother’s heart.
Reflecting on the past, Lianshan realizes that avoiding Lianshui and severing their relationship was not an act of selflessness but a way of avoiding painful truths. He decides that their issues must finally be confronted. Siren remains behind, recognizing that this is a private matter between the brothers.
Lianshui has not seen Lianshan for a long time. He remembers sitting beneath the Prodigies Ranking whenever he missed his brother, using the rankings as the closest remaining connection between them. He feels guilt and anger over his own weakness, believing that if he had cultivated faster, Lianshan might not have suffered abandonment by the Zhi Household’s Lineage.
When Lianshan finally appears, he offers Lianshui tea. Lianshui accepts eagerly despite the tea’s extreme bitterness, unwilling to reject anything from his brother. Their interaction briefly recaptures their childhood dynamic: Lianshan laughs at Lianshui’s obvious lie that the tea tastes good, observing that his younger brother still cannot be honest with him.
Lianshan then acknowledges the sacrifices Lianshui made for him. Lianshui had hidden the parents’ cruelty so that Lianshan could retain some familial affection, used his own cultivation as leverage to secure medicine for Lianshan’s failing health, and endured the Lineage’s pressure after Lianshan betrayed it. Lianshan admits that his survival depended on Lianshui’s sacrifices.
However, he also reveals the darker truth behind their relationship: despite loving Lianshui, he was deeply jealous of him. Lianshui possessed talent, kindness, and the favor of fate, while Lianshan had been born sickly and without cultivation talent, making him disposable in the eyes of the Lineage. Lianshan resented the unfairness of their unequal treatment, though he never fully hated the Household or sought revenge against it after gaining power.

Character Development

• Zhi Lianshan: Moves from avoidance to emotional honesty. He recognizes that distancing himself from Lianshui only buried their problems and finally admits both his gratitude and jealousy.
• Zhi Lianshui: Revealed as devoted, self-sacrificing, and burdened by guilt. He has long blamed himself for failing to protect Lianshan and struggles to accept his brother’s suffering.
• Siren: Provides humorous commentary and quietly respects the brothers’ need for privacy.

Major Themes

• Sibling love and sacrifice: The brothers have protected one another, but their sacrifices also created guilt, resentment, and emotional distance.
• Jealousy and unequal destiny: Lianshan’s envy arises from the radically different treatment they received despite sharing the same family.
• Self-acceptance: Nascent Soul Formation serves as a metaphor for confronting and accepting every part of oneself, including weakness, resentment, and regret.
• Avoidance versus reconciliation: Lianshan realizes that suppressing painful relationships cannot resolve them; healing requires direct acknowledgment.
• Institutional cruelty: The Zhi Household’s Lineage values talent and utility, abandoning Lianshan because of his poor health and lack of ability.

Chapter Summary

• Key events: Zhi Lianshan and his twin younger brother, Zhi Lianshui, have an emotional conversation about their childhood, their estrangement, and the conflict caused by the Zhi Household and its Lineage. Lianshan explains that he has severed his ties with the Zhi Household and no longer considers it his home. He urges Lianshui to stop sacrificing himself for the Lineage and to focus on becoming stronger. Lianshan also agrees that, should he ever need refuge, Lianshui may become his “home.”
• Lianshui asks about Lianshan’s path to cultivation and his unusual Dao. Lianshan reveals that he entered the Dao while close to death and is walking a path no one has traveled before, though he reassures Lianshui that he is capable of handling its dangers. Their discussion ends with Lianshui promising to pursue Nascent Soul Formation without recklessness. A humorous final exchange hints at Lianshan’s connection with Guan Xinglan and her possible anger toward him.

Character development

• Zhi Lianshan demonstrates that he has moved beyond resentment toward the Zhi Household. He no longer sees himself as Lianshui’s burden or as someone who must be reclaimed by his former family. At the same time, he openly acknowledges his affection for Lianshui and offers him emotional reassurance, showing a softer side rarely expressed directly.
• Zhi Lianshui confronts the emotional attachment that has prevented his breakthrough. He has been unable to advance because he could neither abandon the Lineage nor accept losing his brother. Lianshan’s reassurance allows him to let go of his guilt and anxiety, giving him renewed confidence in his cultivation.

Significant themes

• Family bonds versus institutional loyalty: The brothers’ relationship has endured despite the Zhi Household’s manipulation and the Lineage’s heartlessness.
• Letting go of the past: Both brothers must accept that they cannot return to their childhood or restore their former family life, but they can preserve their bond in a new form.
• Emotional freedom and cultivation: Lianshui’s inability to advance reflects his unresolved attachments; emotional acceptance becomes a necessary step toward Nascent Soul Formation.
• Trust and mutual protection: The brothers realize that protecting one another does not require self-sacrifice or secrecy, but honest communication and confidence in each other.
• Character interactions: The central interaction is a tender reconciliation between the twins. Lianshan physically comforts Lianshui by rubbing his head, recalling their childhood closeness, while Lianshui admits that he wants to be Lianshan’s home rather than merely a servant of the Lineage. Lianshan accepts this desire and promises that he trusts his brother enough to reveal the truth about his Dao. Their teasing conversation about praise, worry, and Guan Xinglan lightens the emotional scene while confirming that their brotherly relationship has survived their years apart.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Zhiyi arrives at Bitter Crossing Temple to deliver a gift from his master, Wen Chishan, to True Lord Siren.
• Siren refuses the gift without even seeing it, making it clear that he still resents Chishan and does not want to reconcile. He emphasizes that Bitter Crossing Temple remains one of the Five Great Sects without Chishan.
• Wen Zhiyi observes that the Zhi brothers appear to have reconciled and encounters Zhi Lianshan, who explains that Siren viewed Chishan less as a fellow disciple and more like a master figure. This helps Wen Zhiyi understand why Siren’s feelings are so complicated.
• Zhi Lianshan also teasingly warns Wen Zhiyi not to poach disciples from Yonglu Mountain, referencing tensions among the sects.
• Shortly afterward, one of Wen Zhiyi’s junior disciples, Xue Qingmu, declares that he wants to become a Buddhist Cultivator and remain at Bitter Crossing Temple.
• Xue Qingmu is found clinging to a Buddha Lotus in the temple’s Lotus Pond. Bushi, True Lord Siren’s talented disciple, has allowed the situation to continue partly because he enjoys watching the ensuing commotion.
• Wen Zhiyi attempts to calmly retrieve Xue Qingmu, but the young disciple admits that he genuinely wishes to stay with the Buddha Lotuses.

Character Developments

• Wen Zhiyi remains courteous and diplomatic but becomes increasingly exasperated by the eccentric personalities and unexpected events at Bitter Crossing Temple. His confidence in handling social situations is challenged.
• True Lord Siren is shown to be far less composed than his public reputation suggests. His refusal of Chishan’s gift reveals lingering resentment and emotional distance.
• Zhi Lianshan acts as a perceptive and mischievous observer, offering Wen Zhiyi insight into Siren and Chishan’s past while teasing him about sect rivalries.
• Bushi displays a playful, opportunistic personality. Though outwardly polite, he subtly encourages the potential defection of Xue Qingmu and enjoys watching the Blissful Union Sect struggle.
• Xue Qingmu is revealed to be innocent, sheltered, and deeply captivated by the Buddha Lotuses. Despite his young age and promising cultivation talent, he shows a strong and sudden desire to abandon his sect for Bitter Crossing Temple.

Significant Themes

• Unresolved relationships and old grievances: Siren’s reaction to Chishan’s gift shows how past bonds can become tangled with resentment and pride.
• Sect rivalry and competition: The interactions reflect ongoing tensions between the major sects, especially over talented disciples.
• Individual desire versus sect loyalty: Xue Qingmu’s wish to stay at Bitter Crossing Temple conflicts with his obligations to the Blissful Union Sect.
• Appearances versus reality: Siren’s reputation as a mature Buddhist Cultivator contrasts with his openly emotional behavior, while the supposedly refined Wen Zhiyi is repeatedly caught in absurd situations.
• The influence of youth and talent: Xue Qingmu’s spiritual potential makes his possible defection especially serious, demonstrating how valuable promising disciples are to the sects.

Character Interactions

• Wen Zhiyi and Siren: Wen Zhiyi attempts a formal gift delivery, but Siren rejects it and indirectly criticizes Chishan.
• Wen Zhiyi and Zhi Lianshan: Lianshan teases Wen Zhiyi and explains the deeper nature of Siren and Chishan’s relationship.
• Wen Zhiyi and Xue Qingmu: Wen Zhiyi treats his junior with patience and affection, trying to persuade him to return rather than reprimanding him.
• Bushi and Xue Qingmu: Bushi watches over the young disciple but does not force him away from the Buddha Lotus, subtly encouraging the possibility that he may join Bitter Crossing Temple.
• The sects as a whole: The chapter presents their interactions as a mixture of polite diplomacy, playful provocation, and competitive attempts to attract talented disciples.