Chapter Summaries

Chapter 641 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Radiant Dawn Tower explains that the formation inside Mingxuan City is a Dragon Gate Formation designed specifically to trap Jun Zhaoying.
• The masked evil cultivator has linked thousands of innocent lives—and possibly the forty-nine people previously found beneath the Life-Destruction Formation—to the formation. Destroying it by force would kill them instantly.
• Jun Zhaoying is therefore trapped in a moral dilemma: saving the victims may allow the formation and the enemy’s plan to continue, while destroying the formation could sacrifice them.
• Radiant Dawn Tower believes that if the dragon had entered, Jun could have used the Wind-Riding Formula to save the bound victims while Cheng Wei destroyed the formation. However, Wushan cannot send another Body Integration Cultivator inside.
• Guan Xinglan has entered the formation to assist Jun. Because Nascent Soul cultivators would be ineffective and entering the formation eye would mean stepping directly into the enemy’s territory, Jun originally asked Wen Xu to persuade Radiant Dawn Tower to retreat.
• Wen Xu reveals that he possesses a protective jade slip from his master, capable of withstanding one full-force attack from the enemy. Radiant Dawn Tower decides this may allow a coordinated assault from inside and outside the formation.
• Wen Xu relays the plan to Zheng Jin and the others, who agree to wait rather than advance recklessly.
• The group discusses the ethical dilemma of choosing between saving one person, several thousand people, or potentially tens of millions. They also worry that the evil cultivator may be connected to the hidden demon.
• Wen Xu suggests that the evil cultivator may be linked to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, possibly being a Medicine Cauldron—or even a spirit plant that became a demon.
• He theorizes that the Hundred Herbs Pavilion may have used blood to force No Spring to bear fruit prematurely, allowing its Pavilion Master to obtain the Jade Banyan Fruit and attempt to break through from Nascent Soul Peak to Spirit Transformation.

Character Developments

• Radiant Dawn Tower becomes increasingly enraged by the masked cultivator’s cruelty and admires Wen Xu’s willingness to risk himself.
• Wen Xu demonstrates courage and responsibility, volunteering to enter danger despite his limited cultivation. His protective jade slip gives him a meaningful role in the coming confrontation.
• Jun Zhaoying is portrayed as burdened by the need to protect countless innocent people while being specifically targeted by the enemy.
• Guan Xinglan proves her commitment by entering the formation to support Jun.
• Zheng Jin finally recognizes that Wen Xu and the others earned their rapid cultivation breakthroughs through life-threatening experiences rather than luck.
• Bian Chunchou reflects on the moral complexity of the situation, comparing it to the trolley problem and acknowledging the limits of Nascent Soul cultivators.
• Her Majesty Zhaoxia reacts with fierce anger toward the evil cultivator and strongly supports the plan to rescue Jun and destroy the formation.

Significant Themes

• Moral sacrifice and impossible choices: The characters must weigh the lives of thousands against the safety of millions and the survival of key individuals.
• The limits of power: Even a Divine Venerable cannot easily solve the crisis because the enemy has turned innocent lives into a shield.
• Responsibility and courage: Wen Xu’s willingness to risk himself contrasts with the danger of acting recklessly.
• The corruption of cultivation: The Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s blood-watering method suggests that cultivation advancement and resource production may depend on horrific exploitation.
• Nature versus humanity: The possibility that the enemy is a spirit plant or plant-derived demon complicates the distinction between monsters, cultivators, and victims.
• Hidden conspiracies: The formation crisis may be connected to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, No Spring, and the concealed origins of the blood-watering technique.

Character Interactions

• Radiant Dawn Tower recounts the crisis to Wen Xu and discusses how Jun, Cheng Wei, and the dragon might have combined their abilities.
• Wen Xu reveals his protective jade slip, changing Radiant Dawn Tower’s view of him from a liability to a possible asset.
• Wen Xu informs Zheng Jin and the others of Jun’s situation, prompting a serious discussion about the moral dilemma and the group’s limited strength.
• Zheng Jin teasingly questions whether Wen Xu’s group has taken control of the Radiant Dawn Tower Secret Realm, while Wen Xu insists they merely made a friend.
• Wen Xu and the others connect the masked cultivator’s behavior to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion and debate whether the enemy is a Medicine Cauldron or an awakened spirit plant.

Chapter Summary: “Recognition”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu theorizes that Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s blood-irrigation practices may have corrupted spiritual plants, possibly turning one into a plant demon. Su Yao’s unusual knowledge of spiritual plants may come from a blood connection with Bupengchun, which matured prematurely after being watered with her blood.
• The group realizes that this discovery could have major consequences. If the Demon Cultivators learn that cultivators forced spiritual plants onto an evil path, conflict between the Demon and Cultivation Realms could follow.
• Wen Xu, Zheng Jin, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui formulate a plan to rescue the thousands trapped inside Mingxuan City’s grand formation. Radiant Dawn Tower reports that Jun can free the captives through her connection while the others use a jade slip to disrupt the Evil Cultivator’s plans.
• Wen Xu rejects the initial plan of entering without additional protection. He points out that the formation was created by demons, yet no demons or Demon Seeds have been seen. This suggests a deeper conspiracy connected to the high-level demon and hidden Demon Seeds previously found in Pill Fragrance City.
• Wen Xu insists on entering because his Golden Light is especially effective against Demon Seeds. The group divides responsibilities: Bian Chunchou remains outside with the Bewildering Formation’s array disk, while Wen Xu and Zheng Jin enter the formation.
• Chen Zui loses the contest to accompany Wen Xu and Zheng Jin, though he suspects Zheng Jin cheated. He accepts the result because he still wants the opportunity to confront his biological father.
• Upon entering the formation, Wen Xu and Zheng Jin encounter a dark, distorted mountain filled with oppressive evil energy. The corrupted wind reacts violently to Wen Xu’s Wind Spiritual Root, making movement difficult and preventing him from safely using the Wind Sword.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu demonstrates increasingly sharp strategic thinking. Rather than merely reacting to danger, he prepares for hidden possibilities, especially the threat of Demon Seeds. He also accepts responsibility for entering the formation because of his unique Golden Light.
• Zheng Jin gains greater respect for Wen Xu’s intelligence and begins to recognize how much he has learned from working alongside Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui.
• Bian Chunchou shows practical maturity by accepting that he is the weakest combatant and remaining outside. His connection to Su Yao may still be useful for uncovering hidden information.
• Chen Zui reveals his emotional motivation: he wants to see his biological father, even if only once more. His frustration at losing the contest reflects both his competitiveness and personal urgency.
• Radiant Dawn Tower acts protectively toward Wen Xu, worrying that the formation is too dangerous for him. She is persuaded by his reasoning but remains concerned about his safety.
• Su Yao remains an enigmatic figure whose knowledge and possible connection to the corrupted spiritual plants may be crucial to understanding the larger conspiracy.

Significant Themes

• The exploitation of nature: The blood-irrigation system treats both medicine cauldrons and spiritual plants as tools for profit, suggesting that spiritual plants may resist or become corrupted when forced to violate their natural state.
• Hidden consequences of oppression: The possible creation of a plant demon shows how cruelty and exploitation can produce dangerous, unforeseen results.
• Reason versus recklessness: Wen Xu’s careful deductions contrast with the group’s tendency toward impulsive action. He emphasizes preparation instead of blindly trusting the apparent situation.
• Trust and teamwork: The group’s survival depends on dividing roles according to each person’s strengths rather than allowing everyone to pursue the same goal.
• Personal motives amid larger crises: Chen Zui’s desire to confront his father adds a deeply personal element to the broader conflict involving demons, cultivators, and the grand formation.

Character Interactions

• Zheng Jin praises Wen Xu’s reasoning while joking that such constant thinking will make him go bald, highlighting their growing familiarity.
• Wen Xu persuades Radiant Dawn Tower that the lack of visible demons is itself suspicious, convincing her to support a more cautious plan.
• Bian Chunchou and Wen Xu discuss their respective roles, with Wen Xu subtly justifying why Chunchou should remain outside by pointing to his connection with Su Yao.
• Chen Zui argues with Zheng Jin over the contest’s fairness but ultimately accepts the outcome.
• Before entering the formation, Zheng Jin warns Wen Xu to be careful. Inside, the pair face the formation together as the corrupted environment immediately begins targeting Wen Xu.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu and Zheng Jin enter a dangerous area where the surrounding power suppresses cultivation. Wen Xu’s Nascent Soul and Wind Spiritual Root become useless, leaving him dependent on his sword, while Zheng Jin retains more strength through his Metal Spiritual Root and weapon-refining expertise.
• Zheng Jin takes the lead, insisting on clearing the path for Wen Xu rather than hiding behind his junior.
• They encounter a mysterious Evil Cultivator manifested as Black Smoke. The entity initially mistakes them for remnants of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion because of the Medicine Cauldron aura on them, but offers to let them leave after realizing they are not members.
• Zheng Jin refuses to leave because he has come seeking revenge against Zhu Chang, his biological father. He reveals that Zhu Chang sold him as a child to be used as a cultivation resource.
• The Black Smoke accepts Zheng Jin’s explanation and leads them to a horrific sacrificial altar. Members of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion have been bound, mutilated, and used as living sacrifices. Fu Jingmu appears to be impaled at the top of the altar, while Martial Uncle Jun stands nearby.
• The Evil Cultivator produces an old, weakened man and identifies him as Zhu Chang. Zheng Jin confirms his identity, though Zhu Chang has aged nearly beyond recognition.
• Zhu Chang awakens and senses a blood connection but cannot identify Zheng Jin. Zheng Jin deliberately stalls and provokes him by mentioning Zhu Chang’s many children and the poor prospects of his remaining nine-year-old son, giving Wen Xu and Martial Uncle Jun time to prepare.
• The chapter ends by revealing Zhu Chang’s deep resentment toward his own Five-Element Spiritual Root and his jealousy of his exceptionally talented youngest son, whose success threatens to expose Zhu Chang’s own failures.

Character Development

• Wen Xu: Forced to confront his dependence on the wind and recognize that his ordinary senses and swordsmanship still have value. He remains emotionally restrained in the face of the sacrificial scene, suggesting either deep composure or a deliberate suppression of his feelings.
• Zheng Jin: Demonstrates courage, responsibility, and moral resolve by protecting Wen Xu and confronting his father directly. His confession exposes a deeply painful past, but he approaches the encounter with control and strategic patience rather than immediately seeking violence.
• Zhu Chang: Revealed as a selfish, embittered father who exploited his children and treated them as tools for cultivation. His hatred of his own limitations has turned into resentment toward his more talented offspring.
• The Evil Cultivator: Contrary to expectations, behaves calmly and even cooperatively, allowing Zheng Jin to verify Zhu Chang and seemingly taking pleasure in watching the father-son confrontation unfold.
• Martial Uncle Jun: Her presence confirms that the situation involves an exceptionally powerful Wind cultivator and suggests that she may be central to resolving the current crisis.

Significant Themes

• Family betrayal and karmic reckoning: Zheng Jin’s return to confront the father who sold him frames the chapter around punishment, revenge, and the consequences of past cruelty.
• Talent, inferiority, and resentment: Zhu Chang’s hatred of his Five-Element Spiritual Root and jealousy of his son show how obsession with status and ability can corrupt familial bonds.
• The distortion of morality: The sacrificial altar creates an image of hell, yet the victims reportedly volunteered. The scene complicates the distinction between good and evil and leaves Zheng Jin uncertain how to judge what he sees.
• Power and dependence: Wen Xu’s loss of his Wind Spiritual Root emphasizes the fragility of relying on a single ability, while Zheng Jin’s sword and weapon knowledge allow him to remain effective.
• Cycles of exploitation: Zhu Chang used his children as resources, while the Evil Cultivator uses the Hundred Herbs Pavilion members as sacrifices, linking personal abuse to broader institutional cruelty.

Important Character Interactions

• Zheng Jin acts protectively toward Wen Xu, taking the front position and clearing the way.
• Wen Xu and Zheng Jin cautiously negotiate with the Black Smoke entity, which questions their connection to the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
• Zheng Jin openly recounts his history with Zhu Chang, earning the Evil Cultivator’s recognition that their conflict deserves resolution.
• Zheng Jin identifies Zhu Chang while pretending to discuss his family, using psychological pressure to destabilize him.
• Zhu Chang’s inability to recognize Zheng Jin immediately highlights the emotional and moral distance between father and son, even though their blood connection remains unmistakable.

Chapter Summary: “Broken, Broken”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhu Chang once sold his exceptionally talented son, Zheng Jin, to a sect in exchange for cultivation resources. He believed Zheng Jin was expendable and assumed he could have another gifted child.
• However, all of Zhu Chang’s later children were ordinary or even talentless, while Zheng Jin flourished after joining Yonglu Mountain. Zheng Jin eventually became a renowned Nascent Soul cultivator and appeared on the Prodigies Ranking.
• Zheng Jin confronts Zhu Chang, who is near death following the destruction of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion. Zhu Chang initially begs his son for help, claiming their blood relationship.
• Zheng Jin reminds him that Zhu Chang personally severed their father-son bond when he sold him. He also reveals that he took his mother’s surname, making clear that he no longer identifies with the Zhu family.
• During their confrontation, Zheng Jin exposes Zhu Chang’s true motive: he did not merely want a talented heir. He coveted Zheng Jin’s exceptional body and spiritual root for Soul Seizure, intending to use his son’s talent for himself.
• Zheng Jin explains that Zhu Chang’s greed, jealousy, and cruelty destroyed his own future. Had Zhu Chang treated him well, Zheng Jin might have helped him reach Core Formation.
• Zhu Chang responds with rage, insisting that Zheng Jin was his property and that he had the right to dispose of him. Zheng Jin leaves him to face the consequences of his own choices rather than rescuing him.

Character Developments

• Zheng Jin: He has grown from an abandoned child into a powerful and respected cultivator. Although he claims to have moved beyond his childhood hatred, his confrontation reveals lingering pain and a need to voice the truth before his resentment remains buried. He is controlled, sarcastic, and emotionally dominant, refusing to let Zhu Chang manipulate him through their biological connection.
• Zhu Chang: His hypocrisy and moral corruption are fully exposed. He presents himself as a father who sacrificed for his family, but in reality he was driven by jealousy and selfish ambition. His hatred of Zheng Jin’s talent led him to sell his own son, and his later failures intensified his bitterness. Facing death, he remains unwilling to accept responsibility.
• Wen Xu: He silently witnesses Zheng Jin sever his final emotional ties with Zhu Chang. Wen Xu recognizes that Zheng Jin’s connection to others may stem from shared experiences, though the immediate crisis leaves him little time to reflect on it.

Significant Themes

• Parental betrayal and severed family bonds: Blood relations have no value when deliberately destroyed through cruelty and exploitation.
• Jealousy and resentment: Zhu Chang’s envy of his son’s potential becomes the source of his downfall.
• Consequences of selfish ambition: Zhu Chang’s attempts to control talent and pursue an easier path to power leave him isolated, disgraced, and without the future he imagined.
• Nature versus nurture: Zheng Jin’s success comes not from his birth family but from the opportunities and relationships he found after being abandoned.
• Justice and moral accountability: Zheng Jin argues that killing or abandoning Zhu Chang would not be immoral, because Zhu Chang has already been condemned by his own actions and the crimes surrounding Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
• Emotional closure: Zheng Jin does not reconcile with Zhu Chang; instead, he confronts the past directly and rejects the identity and obligations Zhu Chang tries to impose on him.

Character Interactions

• Zheng Jin and Zhu Chang: Their exchange is the chapter’s central confrontation. Zhu Chang shifts from pleading as a father to cursing Zheng Jin when denied help, while Zheng Jin calmly dismantles his excuses and exposes his hidden motives.
• Zheng Jin and Wen Xu: Wen Xu remains nearby as a silent observer and confidant. His presence emphasizes Zheng Jin’s new bonds within Yonglu Mountain compared with the failed relationship with his biological father.

Chapter Summary: “Tug-of-War”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu and Jun Zhaoying activate the next stage of their rescue plan through the Radiant Dawn Tower. Their goal is to break the Pill Formation and free the people being sacrificed by the Evil Cultivator without worsening Mingxuan City’s destruction.
• Wen Xu uses the Divine Dragon’s power stored in a jade talisman to attack the formation, while Jun Zhaoying destroys the altar.
• Black Smoke realizes that his “home” has been infiltrated and turns his fury toward Wen Xu. Zheng Jin intervenes, declaring that he—not Black Smoke’s father—is his true opponent.
• Zheng Jin is severely injured after briefly fighting Black Smoke, a Spirit Transformation cultivator, but succeeds in delaying him long enough for Wen Xu and Jun Zhaoying to complete their task.
• The Pill Formation collapses, and Jun Zhaoying rescues the sacrificial victims and hands them to Guan Xinglan.
• A ten-thousand-year-old Spirit Tree named No Spring emerges from the shattered altar. He reveals that he was once the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s guardian treasure but was corrupted and driven to revenge after Fu Jingmu damaged his cultivation.
• No Spring argues that the Medicine Cauldrons and everyone who knows about them must die, claiming this is the only way to prevent the cruel practice from being repeated.
• Jun Zhaoying rejects his plan and promises that the Hehe Sect will expose and deal with the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s crimes while protecting the innocent people of Mingxuan City.
• Outside the formation, Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui are forced back into the city by the disturbance. After receiving a message from Su Yao, Bian Chunchou takes Chen to the house where Su Yao is staying rather than rushing into the ongoing battle.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu remains calm and dependable, confidently carrying out the dangerous task of breaking the formation. His willingness to act without dwelling on blame emphasizes his practical courage.
• Jun Zhaoying takes responsibility for both the rescue and the larger injustice behind the crisis. Her promise to protect the innocent and correct the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s crimes reflects her determination to atone for past failures.
• Zheng Jin demonstrates loyalty toward Wen Xu and his fellow disciples. Although badly outmatched, he willingly places himself between Wen Xu and Black Smoke, showing that his concern is no longer focused on his father or personal revenge.
• Black Smoke becomes increasingly enraged and reckless when his plans are disrupted. His strength is formidable, but his fury causes him to lose control of the situation.
• No Spring is revealed to be both victim and antagonist. His hatred comes from ten thousand years of exploitation and Fu Jingmu’s destruction of his cultivation, but his desire for revenge has led him to justify killing innocent people.
• Bian Chunchou acts cautiously and strategically, choosing to investigate Su Yao’s message and wait for reinforcements rather than charging into danger.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus revenge: No Spring’s suffering is genuine, but his attempt to punish the entire city shows how revenge can become indistinguishable from cruelty.
• Responsibility and atonement: Jun Zhaoying accepts responsibility for stopping the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s evil practices, while Wen Xu refuses to burden himself with blame for acting to save others.
• Innocence amid conflict: The chapter repeatedly distinguishes between the guilty perpetrators and the innocent citizens and victims caught in the struggle.
• Sacrifice and protection: Zheng Jin risks his life to protect Wen Xu, while the Medicine Cauldrons are caught between being rescued and being used as justification for further sacrifice.
• Abuse of power: The Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s experiments, blood-fed spiritual plants, and creation of Medicine Cauldrons reveal how cultivation and authority have been corrupted by ambition.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Jun Zhaoying coordinate smoothly, combining his Divine Dragon power with her ability to destroy the altar.
• Zheng Jin and Black Smoke clash directly. Zheng Jin rejects Black Smoke’s claim that he is acting out of filial revenge and makes clear that he is fighting to protect Wen Xu.
• Jun Zhaoying and No Spring debate the meaning of justice. No Spring demands total destruction to prevent future abuse, while Jun insists that innocent lives must be spared and promises institutional accountability.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui cooperate cautiously, following Su Yao’s instructions and avoiding unnecessary involvement in the battle as the formation collapses.

Chapter Summary — Page 646

Key plot points and events

Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui-Zui return to the residence after Mingxuan City’s immediate crisis has been resolved. They find Su Yao confronting more than ten ordinary men while holding a blade and talismans. The men accuse her of attacking a Hundred Herbs Pavilion disciple, whom they found tied up and bleeding. Chen Zui-Zui confirms that the disciple is alive and dismisses the outrage, revealing that the Hundred Herbs Pavilion has committed countless atrocities, including using human blood to nourish spirit plants. Bian Chunchou explains the Pavilion’s destruction and restrains the disciple again.
Su Yao admits that she did attack the disciple, intending to make him experience the suffering inflicted on others. Her emotional restraint collapses, and she sobs over the years of helplessness and persecution endured by Medicine Cauldrons. She reveals that she had deliberately volunteered to remain behind in Mingxuan City because she believed all Medicine Cauldrons were destined for horrible deaths.
Although the city’s sealing formation has been broken, Su Yao explains that escape is still impossible. The Medicine Cauldrons and No Spring have signed a demonic contract: if they remain in the city when it falls, No Spring can drain their life force and blood, causing them and Mingxuan City to perish together. A black demonic vein extending toward Su Yao’s heart confirms the contract. Chen Zui-Zui says it cannot be removed by ordinary cultivators, though Wen Xu-Xu may be able to help.
Before Bian Chunchou can determine what to do, a powerful figure suddenly descends into the courtyard. After emerging from the crater, a striking woman in a purple dharma robe scolds the two men for making “a little girl” cry, creating a dramatic cliffhanger.

Character developments

• Su Yao moves from desperate resistance to emotional confession. Her attack on the Hundred Herbs Pavilion disciple reflects both personal rage and her desire for justice, while her breakdown reveals how deeply years of abandonment and oppression have damaged her. Despite her despair, she still urges Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui-Zui to escape and save themselves.
• Bian Chunchou continues to show genuine concern for Su Yao. He is awkward at comforting her but immediately promises to honor his word and take her out of the city. Her revelation leaves him deeply confused and alarmed.
• Chen Zui-Zui remains blunt, forceful, and uncompromising. He dismisses the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s authority, protects Bian Chunchou, and quickly identifies the contract’s demonic nature.
• The Hundred Herbs Pavilion disciple is portrayed as arrogant and enraged despite being exposed as part of a corrupt organization.
• The newly arrived woman is introduced as a powerful, authoritative figure with an apparent maternal connection to one of the men, though her exact identity and relationship are not yet clarified.

Significant themes

• Oppression and exploitation: Medicine Cauldrons are treated as expendable resources, while the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s use of human blood reveals the cruelty embedded in the cultivation world.
• Justice versus vengeance: Su Yao’s attack is motivated by a desire to make the Pavilion’s disciple feel the suffering he helped cause, raising questions about whether revenge is justified against systemic abuse.
• The importance of being saved: Su Yao’s grief stems not only from physical danger but from repeatedly calling for help and receiving none. Bian Chunchou’s prompt response becomes profoundly meaningful because it challenges her belief that the world is entirely indifferent.
• Hope amid despair: Although Su Yao believes escape is impossible, the arrival of Bian Chunchou, Chen Zui-Zui, and potentially Wen Xu-Xu suggests that her fate may not be fixed.
• Hidden dangers and contracts: The broken city formation does not resolve the crisis, revealing that the true threat lies in the deeper demonic contract binding the Medicine Cauldrons to No Spring.

Character interactions

Bian Chunchou confronts the men attacking Su Yao, while Chen Zui-Zui intimidates them and defends the decision to restrain the Hundred Herbs Pavilion disciple. Bian later tries, awkwardly, to comfort Su Yao and insists he will not abandon his promise to help her escape. Su Yao responds by confessing the truth about the Medicine Cauldrons’ fate and warning them to leave. The scene ends with the sudden arrival of a powerful woman who angrily reprimands the men for causing Su Yao to cry.

Chapter Summary: “Mountain Lord”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Zui is reunited with his mother, Chen Shanjun, who has been hiding in Mingxuan City after accidentally sealing away her own memories during her travels. Her memories return when Wen Xu breaks the city’s seal.
• Chen Zui proudly tells his mother that he has reached the Nascent Soul stage and risen to fifth place on the Prodigies Ranking. Chen Shanjun is astonished and pleased by his growth.
• After learning that No Spring, a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual plant from Hundred Herbs Pavilion, has fallen into demonic corruption, Chen Shanjun becomes enraged. As a Demon Cultivator herself, she sympathizes with No Spring and decides to intervene.
• Chen Zui insists on accompanying her. Bian Chunchou and Su Yao also follow, strengthening the group’s effort to stop the crisis.
• No Spring prepares to sacrifice itself and destroy all of Mingxuan City. It argues that the entire city benefited from Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s exploitation and is therefore complicit in its suffering.
• No Spring’s Demon Seed begins parasitizing the altar, threatening to overwhelm the city. Jun Zhaoying realizes the situation is rapidly worsening.
• Wen Xu reveals that he knows how to eradicate the Demon Seed. He explains that he has resisted and expelled Demon Seeds on two previous occasions, once in Pill Fragrance City and once when he was still only at the Qi Refining stage.
• Wen Xu attributes his unusual resistance to being born into the imperial family and possessing an “Imperial Destiny.” Jun Zhaoying is shocked but decides to trust him and promises to protect him while he acts.

Character Developments

• Chen Zui has matured dramatically, advancing to the Nascent Soul stage and ranking among the realm’s greatest young prodigies. Despite his accomplishments, he remains straightforward, affectionate, and somewhat gullible around his mother.
• Chen Shanjun is revealed to be a powerful Body Integration Realm Demon Cultivator and a loving, if evasive, mother. Her sympathy for No Spring shows that she does not automatically regard demonic beings as evil.
• No Spring has transformed from a wronged spiritual plant into a vengeful demonic entity. Its suffering and resentment have driven it to embrace mutual destruction, even at the cost of innocent lives.
• Jun Zhaoying struggles between opposing No Spring’s threat and understanding its grievances. She also comes to recognize Wen Xu as far more extraordinary—and far more dangerous to underestimate—than she had realized.
• Wen Xu demonstrates courage, rare spiritual resistance, and a willingness to reveal his secret origins. His Imperial Destiny appears to be the source of his ability to repel Demon Seeds.
• Bian Chunchou and Su Yao show their loyalty by following Chen Zui and Chen Shanjun into danger rather than remaining behind.

Significant Themes

• Grievance and collective guilt: No Spring believes that Mingxuan City’s prosperity was built on its suffering, raising the question of whether an entire community can be punished for benefiting from injustice.
• The danger of corruption and revenge: No Spring’s desire for justice has been twisted into a willingness to destroy everyone, showing how righteous anger can become monstrous.
• Hidden identities and unexpected power: Chen Shanjun’s concealed circumstances and Wen Xu’s Imperial Destiny reveal that characters often possess abilities or histories far beyond what others expect.
• Trust and chosen relationships: Jun Zhaoying trusts Wen Xu because of his bond with Cheng Wei, while Wen Xu openly confides in her because of her longstanding connection with his master.
• Family and loyalty: Chen Zui’s immediate desire to stand beside his mother, and his friends’ decision to follow him, emphasize the importance of personal bonds amid the larger crisis.

Character Interactions

• Chen Zui and Chen Shanjun share a warm but humorous reunion, with Chen Zui proudly seeking his mother’s approval and Chen Shanjun affectionately evading embarrassing questions.
• Chen Shanjun reacts strongly to No Spring’s mistreatment and takes responsibility for helping it, while Chen Zui refuses to let her face the danger alone.
• Bian Chunchou initially hesitates, but Su Yao persuades him to join the rescue effort, demonstrating their mutual concern and loyalty.
• Jun Zhaoying confronts No Spring over its extreme plan, but No Spring rejects her appeal by insisting that Mingxuan City is complicit in its suffering.
• Wen Xu and Jun Zhaoying develop greater trust as he reveals his past encounters with Demon Seeds. Though alarmed by his revelations, Jun Zhaoying commits to protecting him while he attempts to destroy the current Demon Seed.

Chapter Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu prepares to use the Golden Light in his Dantian to save No Spring from the Demon Seed.
• He recognizes that No Spring’s situation differs greatly from Shi Yijian’s. No Spring, a ten-thousand-year spirit plant betrayed by Hundred Herbs Pavilion, has far stronger reasons to seek revenge and destroy the Cultivation Realm.
• Jun Zhaoying protects Wen Xu by creating multiple barriers around him, realizing that the Golden Light is an extraordinary treasure.
• Wen Xu sends the Golden Light into No Spring’s tree body. Because No Spring has no Sea of Consciousness, the Demon Seed has parasitized its roots, where its life force is concentrated.
• Although No Spring strongly rejects the Golden Light, it cannot expel it because the Golden Light naturally restrains the Demon Seed.
• Wen Xu speaks with No Spring and argues that destroying Mingxuan City will not bring true satisfaction or make its enemies genuinely regret their actions.
• He warns that No Spring’s revenge could cause the entire Cultivation Realm to condemn Demon Cultivators, potentially triggering a major conflict between human and demon cultivators.
• Wen Xu questions why the Hundred Herbs Pavilion Master suddenly acted against No Spring after thousands of years of restraint. He suggests that the Pavilion Master may have been manipulated or controlled by demons.
• Wen Xu further casts doubt on the origin of the Medicine Cauldron Method, implying that it may be an evil technique created or introduced by demonic forces.
• While conversing with No Spring, Wen Xu begins attacking the Demon Seed from two sides: with the Golden Light physically and by prompting No Spring to reconsider the truth behind its betrayal.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Demonstrates empathy toward No Spring’s suffering while remaining committed to protecting the Cultivation Realm. He refuses to simplistically urge No Spring to abandon its desire for revenge, instead appealing to logic, consequences, and the possibility of manipulation. His ability to analyze motives and expose hidden schemes shows increasing insight and maturity.
• No Spring: Initially distrustful and mocking toward Wen Xu, No Spring gradually becomes more receptive to his arguments. Its silence and emotional reaction suggest that it begins questioning whether the Hundred Herbs Pavilion Master was the true mastermind behind its suffering.
• Jun Zhaoying: Acts protectively toward Wen Xu, placing barriers around him and guarding the secret of the Golden Light. Her loyalty to Cheng Wei and sense of responsibility toward Wen Xu are emphasized.
• Hundred Herbs Pavilion Master: Is revealed as a possible pawn rather than the ultimate culprit. His use of No Spring may have been driven by manipulation, coercion, or demonic influence.
• No Spring and Wen Xu: Their interaction shifts from resistance and suspicion toward cautious dialogue, allowing Wen Xu to influence No Spring without invalidating its pain.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus revenge: Wen Xu acknowledges that No Spring’s anger is justified but warns that indiscriminate revenge may create further injustice and destroy innocent lives.
• Trauma and moral corruption: No Spring’s descent into demonic power is portrayed as a desperate response to betrayal rather than inherent evil.
• Manipulation and hidden conspiracies: The chapter suggests that the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s crimes may be part of a larger demonic scheme involving the Medicine Cauldron Method.
• Perspective and truth: Wen Xu emphasizes that those trapped within a situation may not understand the full reality. No Spring may have correctly identified its immediate attacker but mistaken that person for the true mastermind.
• Human greed and betrayal: The chapter contrasts No Spring’s centuries of loyalty with the Pavilion’s willingness to exploit and sacrifice it for cultivation advancement.
• Conflict between human and demon cultivators: Wen Xu fears that No Spring’s actions will reinforce prejudice and provoke a broader war between the two groups.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Jun Zhaoying: Jun Zhaoying silently supports and protects him as he uses the Golden Light.
• Wen Xu and No Spring: Their conversation forms the chapter’s core. Wen Xu validates No Spring’s suffering but challenges its assumptions and revenge-driven course.
• Wen Xu and the unseen conspiracy: Through his questions about the Pavilion Master and the Medicine Cauldron Method, Wen Xu begins uncovering a possible demonic plot behind No Spring’s betrayal.

Chapter Summary: “This Tribulation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• No Spring is shaken by Wen Xu’s theory that he and Fu Jingmu were manipulated by a hidden mastermind. He realizes he may have become an enemy’s pawn during his ten thousand years at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
• Wen Xu suggests that No Spring question Fu Jingmu directly, since the dying Hundred Herbs Pavilion master may reveal the truth.
• No Spring confronts Fu Jingmu, who confirms that they were both merely chess pieces. Rather than showing remorse, Fu Jingmu embraces his fate and urges No Spring to accept his as well.
• Chen Shanjun suddenly arrives and attacks Fu Jingmu, furious that he harmed the Jade Banyan Tree and dared to justify his actions.
• Her appearance alarms Jun Zhaoying, who wonders whether Chen Shanjun had been allied with No Spring or had deliberately allowed the city’s crisis to continue.
• Chen Shanjun recognizes No Spring’s transformed state and berates him for remaining at the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, being deceived, and allowing his ten-thousand-year cultivation to be ruined.
• No Spring explains that he rescued the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s spiritual plants and moved them into the secret realm. Chen Shanjun inspects them and becomes even angrier, blaming the Hehe Sect for failing to supervise the pavilion and prevent the abuse of the plants.
• Chen Shanjun tries to stop No Spring from falling to demonic corruption, warning that the Demon Seed will destroy him completely. Her anger and presence finally help No Spring regain his reason.
• No Spring realizes that his corruption would endanger not only the rescued plants but also Ghostmist Forest, and he becomes unwilling to sacrifice them to his hatred.
• He admits that Wen Xu promised to stop the Demon Seed from parasitizing him. Chen Shanjun initially dismisses this as another example of No Spring trusting humans too easily.
• Chen Zui arrives and defends Wen Xu, emphasizing that Wen Xu is one of his closest friends and not an ordinary human cultivator.

Character Developments

• No Spring: His hatred toward human cultivators begins to weaken as he learns he was manipulated and sees the consequences of his possible demonic corruption. He remains submissive and childlike before Chen Shanjun, revealing a gentler side beneath his rage.
• Chen Shanjun: She appears fiercely protective of No Spring and the spiritual plants. Her anger comes from guilt, concern, and frustration that she failed to notice the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s crimes earlier because her memories were sealed.
• Fu Jingmu: Even while dying, he remains cynical and resigned, accepting that he was used and attempting to pull No Spring into the same despair.
• Jun Zhaoying: She becomes increasingly suspicious of Chen Shanjun’s motives and is forced to acknowledge the Hehe Sect’s responsibility for failing to investigate the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
• Chen Zui: He reinforces his loyalty to Wen Xu and openly recognizes him as a close friend, helping establish Wen Xu’s importance in the unfolding crisis.
• Wen Xu: Though mostly offstage, he gains credibility as someone capable of resisting or removing the Demon Seed, and Chen Zui’s defense strengthens that trust.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and loss of agency: No Spring and Fu Jingmu confront the possibility that their lives and actions were orchestrated by another power.
• Hatred versus responsibility: No Spring’s anger toward humanity threatens to destroy the plants and forest he wishes to protect, forcing him to reconsider what his revenge truly accomplishes.
• Trust and betrayal: No Spring’s misplaced trust in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion contrasts with Chen Zui’s sincere faith in Wen Xu.
• Nature exploited by humanity: The pavilion’s use of “Medicine Cauldrons” to nourish spiritual plants exposes the abuse hidden behind supposedly benevolent cultivation practices.
• A tribulation in cultivation: Chen Shanjun recognizes No Spring’s crisis as a spiritual trial. Surviving it may allow him to grow, while failure will lead to destruction.
• Accountability: The Hehe Sect’s failure to supervise the Hundred Herbs Pavilion raises questions about institutional responsibility and complicity.

Character Interactions

• No Spring and Wen Xu: Wen Xu calmly guides No Spring toward uncovering the truth and offers practical help against the Demon Seed.
• No Spring and Fu Jingmu: Their confrontation reveals their shared status as manipulated pawns, though Fu Jingmu responds with despair rather than resistance.
• Chen Shanjun and Fu Jingmu: Chen Shanjun violently condemns Fu Jingmu for harming spiritual beings and for defending his cruelty.
• Chen Shanjun and No Spring: Their relationship is affectionate but sharply scolding. No Spring, normally ferocious, becomes timid and obedient in her presence, while her anger reflects deep concern for him.
• Chen Shanjun and Jun Zhaoying: Chen Shanjun blames the Hehe Sect for the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s crimes; Jun Zhaoying cannot deny the sect’s negligence but insists that stopping No Spring’s corruption is more urgent.
• Chen Zui and Chen Shanjun: Chen Zui interrupts his mother’s scolding to defend Wen Xu, showing his loyalty and his growing independence in judging others.

Chapter 381: “Proper Arrangements” — Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jun Zhaoying realizes that Chen Zui, one of Little A-Xu’s companions, is the son of Chen Shanjun, the Mountain Lord. This discovery reassures her that the crisis may still be manageable.
• Chen Shanjun worries that Little Jade Banyan’s condition is worsening: evil qi has entered his body, demonic qi is spreading, and the Demon Seed may cause the tree to become fully demonized. If that happens, Mingxuan City could suffer mass casualties and the humans and demons might become irreconcilable enemies.
• Chen Zui confidently insists that Wen Xu can stop the Demon Seed, based on his personal experience with Wen Xu’s abilities.
• Bian Chunchou arrives with Su Yao. Their appearance causes confusion, especially because Wen Xu is absent, Zheng Jin has been injured, and another Hundred Herbs Pavilion disciple is unconscious. Chunchou also defensively questions whether anyone mistreated Su Yao, who unexpectedly describes him as a good person.
• With the Pill Formation in the sky collapsing, Chen Shanjun forcibly returns Little Jade Banyan to the tree and enters its life vein to assist Wen Xu. She quickly accepts Wen Xu’s plan after learning what has happened and trusting Chen Zui’s judgment.
• Wen Xu uses the Golden Light Net to force the Demon Seed out of No Spring’s body. The Demon Seed attempts to hide, but the golden light counters it and leaves it no choice but to abandon its host.
• Jun Zhaoying restrains the exposed Demon Seed before it can find another host, effectively ending the immediate threat.
• Wen Xu returns safely, though exhausted. Chen Zui and Bian Chunchou help him, while Zheng Jin minimizes his own injuries despite having coughed up a large amount of blood.
• Chen Zui criticizes Zheng Jin for being unable to withstand as much punishment as he could have, while Wen Xu promises to be “fair and impartial” next time. Zheng Jin is horrified at the suggestion that there will be another dangerous mission.
• With the Demon Seed removed, the Pill Formation collapses completely, and Mingxuan City—sealed for more than three months—is finally reopened. The outside cultivators celebrate and rush toward the city, though the Hehe Sect attempts to control access.
• Divine Venerables Cheng Wei and Wushan override the Hehe Sect’s restrictions and enter the city. Cheng Wei recognizes that Wen Xu has once again survived a serious crisis and proved his ability.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Wen Xu demonstrates exceptional intelligence, composure, and practical skill by successfully eliminating the Demon Seed’s parasitism. His familiarity with the creature’s behavior allows him to outmaneuver it.
• Chen Shanjun shifts from suspicion and concern to immediate trust in Wen Xu. Her decisive, forceful cooperation reflects both her confidence in her son and her willingness to act pragmatically during the crisis.
• Chen Zui continues to show absolute faith in Wen Xu. His blunt, earnest personality contrasts with his remarkable cultivation strength and loyalty to his friends.
• Jun Zhaoying acts decisively by restraining the Demon Seed once it is expelled, demonstrating her power and ensuring it cannot infect another host.
• Zheng Jin appears relaxed and humorous despite serious injuries. His interaction with Wen Xu and Chen Zui highlights his bravery, but also his limits compared with Chen Zui’s durability.
• Bian Chunchou and Su Yao arrive as a supportive pair. Chunchou’s concern over Su Yao’s treatment reveals a protective side, while Su Yao’s defense of him suggests their relationship has softened.
• The friends’ banter after the crisis emphasizes their closeness, particularly the contrast between Chen Zui’s literal competitiveness, Wen Xu’s conciliatory humor, and Zheng Jin’s alarm.

Significant Themes

• Trust and cooperation: Chen Shanjun’s willingness to trust Wen Xu based on Chen Zui’s judgment allows the rescue to proceed without delay.
• Friendship and loyalty: Wen Xu’s companions risk themselves to help him, while Chen Zui’s unwavering faith supports Wen Xu under extreme pressure.
• Pragmatism over suspicion: In a crisis, the characters set aside political and racial tensions to focus on preventing mass destruction.
• The consequences of unchecked power: The Demon Seed and the collapsing Pill Formation represent dangers capable of devastating an entire city and deepening conflict between humans and demons.
• Relief after prolonged danger: The reopening of Mingxuan City marks the end of a three-month lockdown and provides a moment of collective release after sustained fear and uncertainty.

Chapter 651 Summary

Plot and Key Events

• Wen Xu reports that he is safe after helping resolve the crisis in Mingxuan City. With Martial Uncle Jun and Mother Chen present, the remaining threats posed little danger, and he successfully used Golden Light to remove the Demon Seed from No Spring.
• Although No Spring is freed from the demon’s control, years of cultivation have likely been ruined because he had already strayed onto the wicked path.
• Cheng Wei leaves to find Jun Zhaoying and tells the others to rest, since the Hehe Sect has taken control of the city. Zheng Jin and Bian Chunchou carry the exhausted Wen Xu, while Zheng Jin also transports Su Yao.
• Su Yao realizes that the city has been unsealed and that she is finally free. Overwhelmed by relief and exhaustion after achieving a dream she had nearly abandoned, she faints.
• The group also discovers an injured Hundred Herbs Pavilion disciple. Zheng Jin humorously pretends not to notice him, leaving the Hehe Sect to handle the matter.
• Jun Zhaoying explains that No Spring was originally a victim and was manipulated into attacking Mingxuan City. The Mountain Lord of Ghostmist Forest has taken him away, and the Hehe Sect will negotiate the aftermath later.
• Wushan goes to inspect the damaged sacrificial formation, while Cheng Wei, Jun Zhaoying, and Wushan discuss the successful resolution of the crisis.
• Jun Zhaoying praises Wen Xu’s strength and intelligence, recognizing that he is likely destined to become the future emperor of the human realm. Cheng Wei proudly defends his disciple but admits that Wen Xu’s sharpness was forged through a painful childhood.
• The group prepares to travel north to Rongyuan City. Jun Zhaoying jokes that Wen Xu may soon replace Wushan’s favored position as second on the Prodigies Ranking.
• Before departing, Jun Zhaoying instructs Guan Xinglan to ensure the rescued Medicine Cauldrons are safely settled and protected from future exploitation.
• After the Divine Venerables leave, Guan Xinglan begins processing the Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s records and remaining affairs. She condemns the Pavilion’s inhumane treatment of the Medicine Cauldrons and reflects on Fu Jingmu’s strange death: he was frightened to death upon seeing the Mountain Lord of Ghostmist Forest.

Character Development

• Wen Xu demonstrates increasing power, composure, and insight by eliminating the Demon Seed and helping resolve the city’s crisis. His abilities impress even powerful figures such as Jun Zhaoying.
• Cheng Wei reveals a strongly protective and affectionate side toward Wen Xu. He recognizes that Wen Xu’s intelligence and vigilance were shaped by childhood suffering and wishes his disciple had not needed to become so guarded.
• Su Yao experiences a major emotional turning point. After years of captivity and despair, she finally gains her freedom, though the overwhelming release of emotion causes her to collapse.
• No Spring is confirmed to have been manipulated rather than wholly evil. His redemption comes at a heavy cost, as his cultivation is likely destroyed.
• Jun Zhaoying remains sharp-tongued and practical but shows genuine concern for both Wen Xu and the Medicine Cauldrons.
• Guan Xinglan is proud of having fought alongside the Grand Elder and becomes determined to protect and properly resettle the rescued victims.

Major Themes

• Freedom and emotional release: Su Yao’s collapse shows how liberation after prolonged suffering can be as overwhelming as captivity itself.
• Manipulation versus guilt: No Spring’s actions are framed within the larger issue of demonic influence and exploitation, complicating the distinction between villain and victim.
• The cost of survival and talent: Wen Xu’s exceptional insight is linked directly to the hardships that shaped him, raising the question of whether strength gained through suffering can truly be called a blessing.
• Protection and responsibility: The Hehe Sect must not merely defeat its enemies but also protect the Medicine Cauldrons from future abuse.
• The hidden danger of powerful figures: The Mountain Lord of Ghostmist Forest inspires such fear that even Fu Jingmu dies at the mere sight of him, emphasizing the terrifying power and mystery surrounding the forest.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu reassures Cheng Wei that he is unharmed, while Cheng Wei responds with concern and takes responsibility for the remaining situation.
• Zheng Jin and Bian Chunchou exchange humorous remarks while transporting the exhausted survivors.
• Jun Zhaoying teases Cheng Wei about his lack of modesty, while Cheng Wei proudly insists that Wen Xu is still his disciple.
• Jun Zhaoying and Cheng Wei discuss Wen Xu’s abilities and the painful experiences that shaped him.
• Jun Zhaoying gives Guan Xinglan instructions on protecting the Medicine Cauldrons, and Guan Xinglan responds with respect and determination.

Chapter Summary: “The True Body”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group confirms that the swamp and ghost mist at the center of Mingxuan City are connected to the Mountain Lord, making the area inaccessible without the Mountain Lord’s token. They also learn that the Mountain Lord has a human cultivator son—Chen Zui of Yonglu Mountain.
• Guan Xinglan and the Hehe Sect continue searching for the surviving “Medicine Cauldrons” exploited by Hundred Herbs Pavilion. They discover that Su Yao, who had been missing, is the same girl seen near the altar during the earlier crisis.
• Su Yao awakens after three days of unconsciousness. Guan Xinglan explains the Hehe Sect’s plans to help the rescued Medicine Cauldrons relocate, offering financial support and different arrangements depending on whether they possess Spiritual Roots.
• Bian Chunchou reveals that Su Yao may be his long-lost sister. A Kin-Seeking Talisman led him to her, and he explains that their relatives remain in Bian Family Village. Su Yao also remembers where her deceased parents were buried.
• Su Yao decides to leave Mingxuan City and asks whether she can take her parents’ remains back to their hometown. Bian Chunchou promises to help her exhume and rebury them in Bian Family Village.
• With the crisis resolved, the four Yonglu Mountain cultivators prepare to travel with Su Yao. Zheng Jin, injured but nearing a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, returns alone to Yonglu Mountain.
• Before leaving, Zheng Jin visits the Zhu Household and sees a mourning hall for Zhu Chang. The nine-year-old child mourning there resembles Zheng Jin and reminds him of his own childhood, when he had been sold away while still longing for Zhu Chang.
• Zheng Jin leaves Mingxuan City, symbolically freeing himself from his painful past. The child follows him outside and thanks him.

Character Developments

• Su Yao: Awakens emotionally devastated but proves resilient. She cautiously accepts help, chooses to leave Mingxuan City, and learns that she is not truly alone or without a home. Her decision to return her parents’ remains reflects her renewed connection to family and identity.
• Bian Chunchou: Shows compassion and responsibility by caring for Su Yao and revealing their possible sibling relationship. He takes on the duty of bringing her and her parents back to their ancestral village.
• Guan Xinglan: Demonstrates practical leadership and kindness, offering Su Yao freedom of choice, protection, and financial assistance rather than forcing her into a particular arrangement.
• Zheng Jin: Reaches an important emotional turning point. Although he remains outwardly calm and humorous, seeing the mourning child forces him to confront his own childhood trauma. Leaving Mingxuan City becomes an act of closure and liberation.
• The Yonglu Mountain group: Their rescue efforts and concern for Su Yao deepen their bonds, though their self-deprecating humor and lack of awareness continue to amuse Zheng Jin.

Significant Themes

• Recovery and reclaiming identity: The rescued Medicine Cauldrons must determine who they are after escaping exploitation. Su Yao begins rebuilding her identity through family and belonging.
• Home and family: The revelation that Su Yao still has relatives gives her hope, while Zheng Jin’s journey shows that “home” can also mean confronting and moving beyond painful origins.
• Healing from exploitation and trauma: Both Su Yao and Zheng Jin carry the scars of being treated as objects or commodities. Their departures from Mingxuan City mark the beginning of healing.
• Choice and agency: Guan Xinglan emphasizes that the survivors may choose where and how to live, contrasting sharply with the forced lives imposed on them by Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
• Closure and new beginnings: The funerary rites for Su Yao’s parents and Zheng Jin’s departure from the city represent the respectful burial of the past and the possibility of a better future.

Important Character Interactions

• Guan Xinglan and Su Yao: Guan Xinglan offers concrete support while respecting Su Yao’s autonomy, helping her regain control over her future.
• Bian Chunchou and Su Yao: Their conversation transforms Su Yao’s understanding of herself. Bian Chunchou assures her that she has living family and a home to return to.
• Zheng Jin and his junior companions: Their farewell is affectionate and lightly comedic, with Zheng Jin warning them to report their safe arrival and repairing Wen Xu’s Windfold.
• Zheng Jin and the mourning child: Though brief, their encounter is emotionally significant. The child’s resemblance to Zheng Jin and final thanks allow Zheng Jin to recognize how far he has come from the abandoned child he once was.

Chapter Summary

• Zheng Jin and Zhu Chang’s child: After the child proudly speaks and runs off at remarkable speed, Zheng Jin recognizes his potential as a Body Cultivator. Zheng Jin laughs at Zhu Chang’s poor parenting, concluding that someone like Zhu Chang does not deserve such sincere devotion.
• Su Yao finds her parents’ graves: Su Yao, accompanied by Zheng Jin and Bian Chunchou, locates the neglected graves of her parents in Mingxuan City. She recalls her father’s chronic illness, her mother’s exhausting work washing clothes and mending garments, and the sorrowful expression her mother wore before dying. Although Su Yao is uncertain at first, the group confirms through cultivation techniques that the remains belong to her biological parents. Bian Chunchou arranges for the graves to be exhumed and the coffins transported, allowing Su Yao to properly reclaim and honor her family.
• Chen Zui returns home: Before leaving Mingxuan City, Chen Zui visits his mother, Chen Shanjun, and announces that he has reached the Nascent Soul stage. She is pleased but teasingly skeptical of his claim that he has not suffered or been deceived while traveling. Chen Zui proudly produces Wen Xu’s extensive instructional booklet on dealing with people, revealing that he has relied heavily on Wen Xu’s guidance.
• Mother-son interaction: Chen Shanjun realizes that Wen Xu has essentially become a “bargain father” to her naïve son. She wants to copy the booklet to educate younger members of the Demon Race. Despite calling Chen Zui a numbskull, she is deeply comforted by his progress and prepares gifts for his companions, including two Heaven-grade Spirit Plants and Jade Banyan Fruits.
• No Spring and Hundred Herbs Pavilion: Chen Shanjun explains that No Spring survived but lost most of his cultivation after the Demon Seed was removed and corrupt energy damaged his body. Outraged by Hundred Herbs Pavilion’s actions and arrogance, she declares that the sect must be destroyed and promises to oppose any attempt to rebuild it in Mingxuan City. Chen Zui understands that his mother’s remarks may help the Hehe Sect.
• Little Jade Banyan: Chen Shanjun gives Chen Zui gifts intended for his friends and mentions that Little Jade Banyan is unlikely to recover fully, though its vital lifeline remains and may eventually allow it to regrow. This reflects the chapter’s broader sense of loss balanced by the possibility of renewal.
• Departure: Chen Zui leaves with the gifts after confidently claiming he can defeat Spirit Transformation cultivators. Chen Shanjun mocks his arrogance while affectionately warning him to seek help if necessary. He departs by his usual route, carrying both his mother’s provisions and the lessons he has received from his new companions.

Character Development and Themes

• Su Yao confronts her painful past and begins reclaiming her family identity, receiving emotional closure through the recovery of her parents’ remains.
• Chen Zui reaches a major cultivation milestone and shows subtle intellectual and social growth through Wen Xu’s guidance, though he remains innocent and comically straightforward.
• Chen Shanjun appears stern and sarcastic but demonstrates strong maternal affection, generosity, and moral outrage at injustice.
• Major themes include family and filial devotion, grief and remembrance, mentorship, personal growth, justice against exploitation, and renewal after destruction. The interactions—especially between Su Yao and her companions, and Chen Zui and his mother—balance emotional sorrow with warmth and humor.

Chapter Summary: “Rumors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Zui returns to his friends Bian Chunchou and Wen Xu-Xu after being kicked out of his mother’s home. He delivers belongings and a message from her and asks them to keep everything safe.
• He reveals that his mother is a powerful Tiger Ghost Demon Vine whose cultivation once rivaled the Body Integration Realm. She gave Chen Zui a piece of her true form—a branch that allows him to enter and leave her home freely.
• Chen clarifies that he is not a Half-Demon. He was a human child on the verge of death, and his adoptive mother saved him with her precious blood essence and raised him.
• His exceptional physical strength, rapid hair growth, and resilience are all consequences of his mother’s care and the way she repaired his frail body.
• Chen has no interest in finding his birth parents because he believes they are dead and considers his adoptive mother his true family. He plans to buy her fashionable spirit robes, though Bian Chunchou doubts Chen’s poor taste in clothing.
• After practicing his saber through the night, Chen brings Wen Xu-Xu to help him choose clothes before returning home.
• Meanwhile, Su Yao prepares to leave Hundred Herbs Pavilion with Bian Chunchou and his companions. Though nervous about traveling, she becomes more comfortable after the group survives the journey together.
• They return to Bian Family Village, where Su Yao reconnects with her relatives and buries her parents. She chooses to remain in the village temporarily, using it as a safe place to recover from her past life as a Medicine Cauldron.
• Bian Chunchou eventually prepares to leave. He encourages Su Yao to care for herself, promises to keep in contact through Communication Talismans, and asks her to offer incense to his adoptive father if he cannot return for the Qingming Festival.

Character Developments

• Chen Zui: His background is revealed more fully. Although blunt and socially inexperienced, he is deeply devoted to his adoptive mother and recognizes that his strength and survival are entirely due to her sacrifice. His attempts to buy her clothes also show his sincere but awkward desire to repay her.
• Bian Chunchou: He acts as Chen Zui’s practical and teasing friend, while also showing emotional maturity and compassion toward Su Yao. He helps her establish a sense of safety and family.
• Wen Xu-Xu: He remains a quiet but reliable companion, assisting with Chen Zui’s clothing purchase and accompanying the group on their journey.
• Su Yao: She grows more independent and courageous. Rather than relying entirely on others, she studies spirit-plant care and hopes to support herself. Returning her parents to their homeland gives her closure, while staying in Bian Family Village provides a period of healing.

Significant Themes

• Family beyond blood: Chen Zui’s bond with his adoptive mother and Su Yao’s reconnection with distant relatives show that genuine family is defined by care and sacrifice rather than biological ties.
• Debt and gratitude: Chen Zui’s life was saved by his mother’s blood essence, and he wants to repay her; Bian Chunchou similarly honors his adoptive father.
• Healing and recovery: Su Yao’s decision to remain in the village reflects the need to recover emotionally and physically after exploitation and trauma.
• Independence versus dependence: Su Yao wants to develop practical skills and support herself, even while accepting help from others.
• Rumors versus truth: The chapter corrects assumptions about Chen Zui’s origins, demonstrating that appearances and rumors often conceal more complicated realities.

Important Character Interactions

• Bian Chunchou and Wen Xu-Xu react with surprise to Chen Zui’s revelations but accept his unusual family history with affection and humor.
• Bian advises Chen Zui to let Wen Xu-Xu choose his mother’s clothes, teasing him about his lack of aesthetic judgment.
• Bian encourages Chen Zui to treat his adoptive mother well, reinforcing the importance of gratitude and filial devotion.
• Bian supports Su Yao as she reunites with her family and buries her parents, then gently reassures her before leaving.
• Su Yao’s interactions with her relatives and her decision to stay in the village mark her transition from frightened victim to someone beginning to rebuild her life.

Chapter Summary

• Su Yao begins a new life: After Bian Chunchou, Chen Zui-Zui, and Wen Xu-Xu depart, Su Yao feels an unexpected emptiness but quickly turns to her grandfather. Having escaped Cauldron City alive, she is relieved to believe she can finally live freely.
• Yonglu Mountain learns of Mingxuan City’s crisis: Gu Wufang receives news that the danger in Mingxuan City has been resolved, once again involving the group of troublesome prodigies—this time including Zheng Jin. He summons Zheng Jin to hear what happened.
• Details of the battle emerge: Zheng Jin explains that the crisis was connected to another Demon Seed. Chen Zui’s mother, an unidentified Body Integration Divine Venerable, joined Lord Jun and helped stop the evil cultivator and rescue Mingxuan City. Gu Wufang is surprised that Chen Zui apparently has such a powerful mother, especially since Chen Zui and even his master Yanshan seem unaware of her true background.
• Zheng Jin advances in cultivation: After returning to Artifact Refining Peak, Zheng Jin enters seclusion and reaches the Nascent Soul Middle Stage within a month. This raises him from sixth to third place on Yonglu Mountain’s Prodigies Ranking. The wider cultivation world is relieved that the change is merely an internal advancement rather than another terrifying breakthrough by the already exceptional trio.
• Rumors about Wen Xu spread: Cultivators begin discussing Wen Xu’s blindness and speculate that it is caused by his possession of immense Demon-Slaying Power. Some believe his apparent blindness may mean he has “seen too much.” They also claim that he was responsible for lifting the seals on Pill Fragrance City and Mingxuan City and criticize Yonglu Mountain for not sending him to rescue other cities, particularly Rongyuan City. The rumors range from admiration and concern to envy and accusations that Wen Xu is selfish or motivated by fame.
• The demons’ strategy is revealed: The rumors are part of the demons’ plan. After their Demon Heaven Grand Array failed to secure victories in two cities, they seek to eliminate Wen Xu, whom they regard as their greatest hidden threat, by turning public opinion against him and possibly forcing him into dangerous action.
• Gu Wufang responds: Recognizing that the rumors have become uncontrollable, Gu Wufang orders the sect to announce that Yonglu Mountain’s Junior Martial Granduncle was seriously injured during the battle at Mingxuan City and is currently in secluded recovery. This appears intended to protect Wen Xu and counter the pressure being placed on him.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Su Yao transitions from trauma and captivity toward hope and independence, while her emotional reaction to the departing group hints at a growing attachment.
• Gu Wufang remains exasperated by the repeated involvement of his sect’s prodigies in major incidents, but he is perceptive and acts decisively to protect Wen Xu.
• Zheng Jin demonstrates increasing maturity by preparing his report in advance and then achieves a major cultivation breakthrough.
• Chen Zui’s mother is introduced as a powerful and mysterious figure, while Chen Zui’s unknown family background becomes more significant.
• The trio and Zheng Jin continue to be viewed as unusually event-prone prodigies, inspiring both awe and frustration among other cultivators.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and recovery after trauma
• Hidden family identities and concealed power
• Envy, public opinion, and the danger of rumors
• The burden placed on powerful prodigies
• Demonic manipulation and psychological warfare
• The tension between personal safety and responsibility to the wider cultivation world

Chapter Summary: “Keeping the Appointment”

• Journey through the Southern Luo Mountains: After leaving Bian Family Village, Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui avoid retracing their previous route and travel through the remote Southern Luo Mountains. The dangerous, desolate journey lasts more than half a month, but the isolation helps all three calm their restless emotions. They gather common spirit fruits along the way and eventually head toward Crane-Luring City.
• Arrival in Crane-Luring City: The city is known for its love of immortal cranes, but instead of being noisy, it is peaceful, filled with birdsong and flowers. While there, the group learns that rumors about Wen Xu’s Golden Light, a powerful means of purging parasitic Demon Seeds, have spread throughout the Cultivation Realm.
• The demons’ provocation: Bian Chunchou is angered that the secret has become public and wonders who leaked it. Wen Xu reasons that the demons may have deduced the method themselves after repeatedly seeing Demon Seeds removed in Pill Fragrance City and Mingxuan City. Because the first incident occurred at the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect’s Five Sects Assembly, many witnesses—including disciples from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion—could have connected the events to Wen Xu.
• A carefully constructed trap: Rumors claim that Wen Xu must go to Rongyuan City or Pagoda City, where the demons have likely prepared traps designed to kill him. Wen Xu recognizes that this is more than a physical ambush: the demons are deliberately provoking him. By spreading slander and forcing him into a public choice, they hope to make him feel humiliated and resentful, eventually pushing him to act impulsively.
• Friends’ concern: Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui angrily offer to enter the danger zone and destroy the threat themselves, urging Wen Xu to stay behind. Wen Xu playfully pretends to fear being left alone and being forced into the city, exposing how vulnerable his position is. Their reactions show their genuine loyalty and concern, despite Bian Chunchou’s usual impulsiveness.
• Wen Xu’s decision: Rather than wait until others force him into the trap, Wen Xu decides to “keep the appointment” voluntarily. He believes that if the demons have already arranged a confrontation, he can at least choose the timing and retain control over his actions. He also understands that, after discovering the true power of the Golden Light, he cannot remain uninvolved in the conflict against the demons.

Character Development and Themes

• Wen Xu demonstrates strategic maturity and emotional awareness. He sees through the demons’ psychological manipulation and refuses to let anger dictate his choices. His decision to act proactively reflects both courage and a willingness to accept responsibility.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui reveal their protectiveness and loyalty. Their immediate willingness to confront the demons for Wen Xu contrasts with his more measured approach.
• Major themes include psychological warfare, manipulation, responsibility, friendship, and personal agency. The demons attempt to weaponize public opinion and wounded pride, while Wen Xu counters them by consciously reclaiming control over the situation.

Chapter Summary: “Rongyuan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu decides to reclaim control of the rumors surrounding his actions by issuing a public announcement under his own name. He explains that, despite serious injuries sustained while exposing demonic schemes in Pill Fragrance City and Mingxuan City, he has gone to Pagoda City to confront the demons.
• His statement is deliberately supported by Yonglu Mountain and Hehe Sect. Gu Wufang spreads a mixture of truth and exaggeration, emphasizing Wen Xu’s injuries, unstable Nascent Soul foundation, and self-sacrificing determination.
• Public opinion shifts in Wen Xu’s favor. Many people begin admiring his courage or worrying that he is being pushed into a trap, while others remain skeptical and accuse Yonglu Mountain of fabricating the story to protect its reputation.
• Wen Xu does not intend to go to Pagoda City. Because of the dangerous situation there and the presence of hostile figures, he chooses Rongyuan City instead, especially since his master and other allies are there.
• Wen Xu, accompanied by his companions, rents a fast crane and reaches Rongyuan City in less than three days.
• Outside the city, he meets Mist Mountain God Venerable Wushan and Lord Jun Zhaoying. They tell him that his master, Cheng Wei, has already entered Rongyuan City and has been unable to leave.
• Wushan and Jun Zhaoying offer to protect Wen Xu and refuse to let public pressure force him into unnecessary danger. Wen Xu appreciates their concern but remains determined to proceed with his plan.
• The chapter ends with Jun Zhaoying warning that Rongyuan City’s situation is highly abnormal. Cheng Wei has been inside for several days, yet—unlike his usual behavior—has not escaped, suggesting that the city contains an especially serious threat or restriction.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Demonstrates strategic intelligence and emotional composure. Rather than simply reacting to rumors, he deliberately shapes public opinion to counter the demons’ propaganda. He remains firm in his resolve to confront danger, showing both courage and independence despite his injuries and recent breakthrough.
• Gu Wufang: Shows strong loyalty and political awareness by immediately understanding Wen Xu’s intentions and mobilizing the sect to support him.
• Wushan: Acts as the most cautious and dependable of the older cultivators. He recognizes the danger of Wen Xu’s plan and offers him protection, while also suspecting that the demon’s rumors are meant to provoke Cheng Wei.
• Jun Zhaoying: Reveals concern and admiration for Wen Xu’s maturity. Her protective attitude even makes her consider taking him as another disciple. She also hints that she and Cheng Wei may know more about Wen Xu’s hidden circumstances than they have revealed.
• Cheng Wei: Though absent from the scene, his unusual inability to leave Rongyuan City becomes an important source of tension. His reputation for acting decisively makes his prolonged absence especially alarming.

Significant Themes

• Truth and propaganda: The chapter explores how public opinion can be manipulated through carefully constructed narratives. Wen Xu and the demons both use rumors as weapons, blending truth and falsehood to influence the Cultivation Realm.
• Heroism versus exploitation: Wen Xu’s bravery inspires others, but the chapter questions whether it is fair to place responsibility for the entire realm on a young cultivator who is injured and inexperienced.
• Individual resolve and communal responsibility: Wen Xu insists on honoring his declaration and confronting danger personally, while the older God Venerables argue that protecting him is part of their responsibility.
• Hidden danger: Rongyuan City is presented as more than another battlefield. Cheng Wei’s failure to escape suggests that an unseen power or trap may be restricting even a powerful God Venerable.
• Loyalty and protection: The support from Yonglu Mountain, Gu Wufang, Wushan, and Jun Zhaoying shows the importance of alliances in the struggle against the demons.

Important Character Interactions

• Wen Xu works with his companions to devise a public-relations strategy, using an official announcement and sect-supported rumors to reverse public suspicion.
• Wen Xu encounters skepticism from the wider Cultivation Realm but remains unconcerned, even finding his assumed blindness useful for avoiding recognition.
• Wushan and Jun Zhaoying meet Wen Xu outside Rongyuan City and attempt to dissuade him from risking his life.
• Wen Xu respectfully rejects their protection, making clear that he has already chosen his path and would not retreat even if Cheng Wei were present.
• Jun Zhaoying and Wushan’s discussion reveals their concern for both Wen Xu and Cheng Wei, while hinting that the demon’s actions may be part of a deliberate attempt to provoke or isolate them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu learns that Rongyuan City is not simply a trapped city but a massive artifact-refining center dominated by cultivators and divided among powerful factions.
• The city’s residents may resist breaking the sealing formation because a divine weapon is being forged within Rongyuan. The project was originally intended to create a weapon rivaling the Heaven-Shattering Divine Sword.
• The weapon has already taken shape, and its completion may depend on the collective strength and concentration of the entire city. Any disruption could ruin the forging process, while the completed weapon might attract both political conflict and demonic interest.
• Cheng Wei has entered Rongyuan to deal with the city’s potentially uncontrollable artifact refiners. Wen Xu’s master and Wei Zhou are also inside, while Shen Yue guards the city from outside.
• Wushan recommends that Wen Xu go first to Pagoda City, where the Buddhist Sect is believed to have better control over the population. However, Wen Xu reveals that Chishan’s Dao Heart has been corrupted by demons, potentially making Pagoda City a demonic stronghold.
• Despite this danger, Wen Xu chooses Rongyuan City, partly because he trusts Bushi in Pagoda City less than he trusts the situation in Rongyuan, and partly because he does not want to deal with Buddhist cultivators.
• Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui prepare to enter Rongyuan together, despite having little actual expertise in artifact refinement.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu demonstrates strategic judgment and decisiveness. Though initially unaware of Rongyuan’s true circumstances, he quickly understands the danger and chooses the city he considers the more manageable option.
• He also shows concern for his companions, insisting on accompanying Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui rather than allowing them to proceed alone.
• Wushan acts as a pragmatic adviser, explaining the political and martial situation in Rongyuan and respecting Wen Xu’s decision.
• Jun Zhaoying reacts fiercely upon learning that Chishan’s Dao Heart has been corrupted, revealing her anger toward the demonic influence and her willingness to confront the problem directly.
• Bian Chunchou maintains an optimistic, humorous attitude, while admitting that the group lacks sufficient artifact-refining skill.
• Chen Zui remains blunt and combat-oriented, even joking that a blade would be better than a sword and suggesting Wen Xu remain outside the city. His attitude reinforces Wen Xu’s need to supervise him.
• Chishan is revealed as a major potential threat: his corrupted Dao Heart may have transformed Pagoda City into a demonic trap.

Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: The divine weapon belongs symbolically to the entire city, raising questions about who will control it and whether anyone can prevent its misuse.
• Obsession and fanaticism: Rongyuan’s artifact refiners are so consumed by their work that they may oppose efforts to save the city or break the formation.
• Hidden corruption: The revelation about Chishan shows that apparent stability, particularly in Pagoda City, may conceal deep demonic influence.
• Strategy versus brute force: The characters must navigate competing factions, public opinion, and dangerous projects rather than simply destroy the formation by force.
• Comradeship and balance: Wen Xu’s group lacks specialized expertise, but their complementary personalities and mutual reliance allow them to face the crisis together.

Character Interactions

• Jun Zhaoying praises Wen Xu’s insight after he correctly guesses that a major artifact is being forged.
• Wushan explains Rongyuan’s history and warns Wen Xu about the consequences of disrupting the weapon’s creation.
• Wen Xu unintentionally reveals to Wushan and Jun Zhaoying that Chishan’s Dao Heart has been corrupted, provoking Jun Zhaoying’s furious reaction.
• Wushan and Jun Zhaoying debate the relative dangers of Rongyuan and Pagoda City, while Wen Xu firmly chooses Rongyuan.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui joke about their lack of artifact-refining ability, with Chen Zui suggesting Wen Xu stay outside. Wen Xu rejects the idea, insisting on remaining with them and keeping Chen Zui under control.

Chapter Summary: “Fine Snow”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu, Chen Zui, and Bian Chunchou are sent into Rongyuan City by the Mist Mountain God Venerable to investigate the demonic threat and the trap surrounding Wen Xu.
• Outside the city, the Five Major Sects begin correcting the rumors surrounding Wen Xu, Jun Zhaoying, and Yonglu Mountain’s Divine Dragon.
• Jun Zhaoying publicly supports Wen Xu, followed by Wushan, Bitter Crossing Temple, Yonglu Mountain, and even an Integrated Body cultivator from the Demon Cultivators. This causes many cultivators to reconsider whether the rumors are demonic manipulation.
• Inside Rongyuan City, the group encounters abnormal, long-lasting snowfall. The snow has accumulated for at least a month, buried buildings, collapsed houses, and made travel extremely difficult.
• They take shelter in a ruined house and realize that communication with Wen Xu’s master has failed. They must investigate the city without relying on outside help.
• Wen Xu senses that the snow carries unnatural, deathly cold winds that disturb his emotions. Chen Zui notices that the snow is affecting his own mind, creating an irrational and urgent desire to practice his saber.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu remains calm, pragmatic, and self-aware. He refuses to depend entirely on his master and carefully monitors his own emotional state, recognizing that his sudden urge to destroy the wind indicates supernatural influence.
• Bian Chunchou provides cautious and humorous commentary while adapting to the harsh conditions with protective talismans. He also recognizes the danger of the situation and supports Wen Xu’s assessment.
• Chen Zui displays his usual obsession with saber practice, but his desire becomes unnaturally intense. His observation is crucial in revealing that the snowfall may affect people psychologically.
• Jun Zhaoying demonstrates strong loyalty and protectiveness toward Wen Xu by publicly defending him, challenging the widespread belief that she and the Divine Dragon oppose him.
• The wider cultivation world begins shifting from suspicion to concern, realizing that criticizing Wen Xu may play directly into the demons’ plans.

Significant Themes

• Rumor versus truth: The cultivation world’s assumptions about Wen Xu and Jun Zhaoying are exposed as potentially manipulated falsehoods.
• Demonic psychological warfare: The snow appears to influence emotions and impulses, suggesting that the trap in Rongyuan City attacks the mind as well as the body.
• Self-awareness and emotional control: Wen Xu’s disciplined introspection allows him to identify that his feelings are being distorted.
• Isolation and uncertainty: Once inside Rongyuan City, the group loses contact with their allies and must rely on their own judgment.
• Hidden catastrophe: The apparently natural snow conceals a deeper threat, transforming the city into a hostile and unnatural environment.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu briefs Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui on the need for caution and warns them not to rely solely on his master.
• Bian Chunchou acknowledges their vulnerability, joking that even contacting the Divine Dragon might only make them burdens.
• Chen Zui initially resists being treated as helpless, but the others silence him, showing their familiarity and protective dynamic.
• The group discusses the snowfall’s origins and effects, with Wen Xu analyzing its timeline and possible magical source.
• Chen Zui’s confession that he desperately wants to practice his saber prompts the others to recognize that the snow may be manipulating their minds.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu theorizes that the unnatural snow intensifies people’s strongest obsessions or fixations. Chen Zui’s fixation on his blade is obvious, while Wen Xu worries that losing control over the wind could trigger his controlling nature and provoke violent reactions. Bian Chunchou claims he feels no unusual urges, prompting Chen Zui to insult him.
• Bian Chunchou raises a practical concern: Rongyuan City already suffers from scarce rainfall and limited water supplies. Since the snow does not melt and may be dangerous to consume, the city’s ordinary inhabitants could soon face a severe drinking-water crisis.
• To protect the group from the snow, Bian creates talismans for warmth, concealment, snow resistance, and other daily needs.
• Wen Xu covers his eyes with a ribbon containing his master’s spiritual power. Rather than hiding his identity, the ribbon serves as an anchor that allows his master to locate and reach him if necessary. He also changes into Yonglu Mountain robes, believing that openly displaying his affiliation is now advantageous and may reveal how the enemy’s scheme works.
• Chen Zui follows Wen Xu’s example and changes into his sect robes. The three leave their shelter and notice that Wen Xu’s murderous impulse is becoming more pronounced, though it has not yet overwhelmed him.
• A group of attackers spots them near a bell tower. Despite recognizing that they appear to be Yonglu Mountain disciples—and suspecting that the blindfolded Wen Xu may be the famous chief disciple—the attackers decide they are impostors and order an ambush.
• Chen Zui reacts before Wen Xu or Bian Chunchou can act. He quickly defeats the attackers, leaving only their Nascent Soul-level leader alive. He demands to know why they attacked the group.
• The surviving leader, realizing that the “Golden Core” disciples are actually far stronger than they claimed, attempts to appeal to their supposed morality and asks whether great-sect disciples would kill indiscriminately.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Becomes increasingly aware that the snow is affecting his violent impulses. He deliberately reveals his identity and sect affiliation, shifting from cautious concealment to a more assertive strategy. His master’s ribbon also demonstrates Wen Xu’s trust in and reliance on his master’s protection.
• Bian Chunchou: Shows practical intelligence by focusing on the city’s water shortage and the snow’s threat to civilians. He also prepares useful talismans for the group, reinforcing his role as the resourceful and socially aware member of the trio.
• Chen Zui: Remains blunt, combative, and overwhelmingly powerful. His obsession with the blade is evident, and the snow seems to encourage his already ruthless, weapon-centered nature. He responds instantly to danger and defeats the attackers with effortless efficiency.
• The attackers’ leader: Shifts from confidence and aggression to fear and self-preservation after discovering that the group’s apparent cultivation levels are false.

Significant Themes

• Obsession and psychological influence: The snow appears to amplify latent fixations, potentially turning ordinary traits into dangerous compulsions.
• Appearance versus reality: The group’s displayed Golden Core cultivation and sect identities lead to mistaken judgments, while the attackers’ assumptions conceal the true power dynamics.
• Sect authority and reputation: Wen Xu experiments with openly relying on Yonglu Mountain’s status, but the city’s chaos has made even respected identities easy to imitate and difficult to trust.
• Survival amid societal collapse: The discussion of water scarcity shows that the snow threatens not only cultivators but also ordinary people and the city’s basic infrastructure.
• Violence and moral justification: The attackers claim the group should not kill indiscriminately, despite having initiated an unjustified assault themselves, setting up a conflict between self-defense and moral restraint.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Bian Chunchou exchange teasing remarks about the snow’s effects, while Chen Zui bluntly criticizes Bian’s failure to experience any fixation.
• Bian’s concern for Rongyuan City’s civilians contrasts with Chen Zui’s detached, weapon-focused attitude.
• Wen Xu and Chen Zui silently reinforce each other by changing into their sect robes, embracing a more open and authoritative approach.
• The attackers argue over whether to confront the apparent Yonglu Mountain disciples, but their leader ultimately orders the attack.
• Chen Zui dominates the confrontation and interrogates the surviving enemy, while the leader attempts to manipulate the group by invoking the moral standards expected of disciples from a powerful sect.