Ch. 601Third-Order Wraith
Key plot points and events
- Yang Fan’s oracle—that dead believers could become ghost cultivators and continue cultivating—sends believers into a frenzy of faith and courage. At Calamity Suppression Pass, fighters vow to defend their homes without fear of death; families take comfort in believing their dead loved ones have begun cultivation in the Netherworld.
- Yang Fan sees this response as proof that effective Divine Kingdom management requires more than obedience: believers need hope, purpose, and sincere faith to unite them and keep the kingdom productive.
- He learns that his next opponent is a Third-Order Wraith Race god, whose followers and Divine Kingdom talents specialize in souls and spirit bodies. Yang Fan sees the enemy’s Divine Kingdom Core as a valuable opportunity to advance his own ghost-cultivation research.
- After confirming that Yang Si’s army is ready, Yang Fan orders the invasion and plans to observe the Wraith Race’s methods firsthand. Nearly ten billion Vanguard Army soldiers enter a spatial rift toward the enemy Divine Kingdom.
Character developments and interactions
- Yang Fan reveals himself as both a strategic administrator and an opportunistic god: he deliberately inspires his believers, while viewing their faith as a source of power. He is also eager to study the Wraith god’s soul-based abilities.
- Yang Da reports the enemy’s identity and strength, then relays Yang Fan’s orders.
- Yang Si is tasked with leading the prepared Vanguard Army into battle.
- Believers’ attitudes shift from fear of death to fervent confidence, strengthening their resolve to fight.
Significant themes
- Faith, hope, and social cohesion: Belief in an afterlife can transform fear into courage and unify a Divine Kingdom.
- Power and administration: Yang Fan argues that lasting strength comes from giving believers purpose, not merely enforcing obedience.
- Faith as exploitation: His nurturing metaphor compares believers to crops repeatedly cultivated and harvested for a god’s power.
- Death and continuation: The promise of ghost cultivation reframes death as a possible next stage rather than an end.
- Knowledge through conflict: Yang Fan intends to turn war into an opportunity to study the Wraith Race and develop his own ghost-cultivation path.