Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The First Red Trait!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu reviews the two Heavenly Dao Wheels obtained from completing the Mystic Heaven Continent’s twelve Milestone Missions: one High-Grade and one Supreme-Grade.
• He opens the High-Grade Wheel first and selects:
  • A

Prodigy Fortune Jade Slip

• A

Heavenly Dao Fortune Jade Slip

• He then opens the Supreme-Grade Wheel and chooses:
  • A

Void Refinement supreme-grade special building

• A

Random Red Trait Jade Slip

• The building is revealed to be the Demon-Subduing Pagoda, a thirteen-story structure capable of:
  • Housing and simultaneously activating thirteen Spirit Transformation Domains
  • Imprisoning and refining up to one thousand living beings per floor
  • Increasing the cultivation speed of nearby cultivators through its refining effect
• Chen Qiu realizes the pagoda is extremely well suited to the Mocking Heaven Sect, especially for continuously activating thirteen “Chicken-and-Dog Ascension” domains. However, he cannot place it yet because he is barred from entering the Minor World.
• The Red Trait grants “Sole Law Divine.” For every spell of the same cultivation realm cultivated to Great Perfection, that spell can be sacrificed to significantly strengthen another chosen spell.
• Chen Qiu recognizes that his stockpile of Spirit Transformation spell jade slips and Enlightenment Stones allows him to exploit this trait exceptionally well. He plans to use roughly one hundred Spirit Transformation spells to strengthen his Lightning-Channeling Art before breaking through to Void Refinement.
• Sixteen days pass. Only ten days remain before the Celestial Palace Shackles disappear, at which point the conflict over the Mystic Heaven Throne is expected to erupt across Mystic Heaven Province.
• Meanwhile, countless cultivators gather in the Heavenly Hall surrounding the Celestial Palace. Many come merely to watch Chen Qiu’s anticipated battle.
• The chapter ends by introducing the Mystic Heaven Sect’s leadership, who discuss Chen Qiu’s chances and whether their aging Void Refinement patriarch should apply for a long-term job in the Heavenly Hall to escape further conflict.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu gains major new resources and becomes significantly more confident in his ability to survive the coming siege.
• He demonstrates careful strategic thinking by rejecting valuable but currently unusable rewards in favor of items that immediately strengthen his faction and combat ability.
• His Red Trait acquisition marks an important milestone: it is his first Red Trait, and its effectiveness is amplified by his massive reserves of spells and Enlightenment Stones.
• Chen Qiu postpones his breakthrough to Void Refinement so he can fully prepare the Lightning-Channeling Art, suggesting he is planning to defeat the surrounding Void Refinement cultivators through overwhelming offensive power.
• The Mystic Heaven Sect Master is portrayed as cautious and perceptive. Unlike many observers, he senses that Chen Qiu may possess a hidden advantage.
• The Mystic Heaven Sect’s Void Refinement patriarch has become weary of conflict and is willing to exchange freedom for safety, longevity, and stability in the Heavenly Hall.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and resource optimization: Chen Qiu carefully chooses rewards that complement his existing abilities and reserves.
• Fortune and unpredictability: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes luck, fortune, and Chen Qiu’s ability to turn rare opportunities into overwhelming advantages.
• Accumulated foundations: Previously acquired treasures, spells, and Enlightenment Stones suddenly become invaluable when combined with the new Red Trait.
• Miracles and rising reputation: Chen Qiu has performed so many unexpected feats that even skeptical observers consider another miracle plausible.
• Security versus freedom: The Heavenly Hall offers safety, lifespan preservation, and material rewards, but at the cost of a century or more of tedious, compulsory service.
• The coming storm: The Celestial Palace Shackles symbolize the temporary restraint holding back widespread conflict. Their imminent disappearance creates a sense of approaching chaos.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu internally evaluates the usefulness of each reward and connects the Demon-Subduing Pagoda to the Mocking Heaven Sect’s cultivation system.
• The Mystic Heaven Sect Sect Master and its patriarch debate whether Chen Qiu can survive against dozens of Void Refinement cultivators. Although the patriarch doubts the possibility logically, both feel that Chen Qiu may create another miracle.
• The Sect Master reminds the patriarch that Heavenly Hall employment requires continuous service, challenging his belief that it would resemble peaceful seclusion.
• The chapter also references the Mocking Heaven Sect’s earlier intimidation of the Mystic Heaven Sect, when its Grand Elder and nearly one hundred dragons arrived with a “fruit basket,” forcing the sect to offer compensation and withdraw from the conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Mystic Heaven Sect’s Void Refinement ancestor explains his disillusionment with cultivation. After spending his life pursuing breakthroughs and immortality, he now believes the path has no true end and wants to live out the rest of his life comfortably.
• He plans to apply for a position as a heart-demon remover, attracted by its easy work and abundance of gossip. The Mystic Heaven Sect Master and elders are dismayed that their ancestor has effectively chosen retirement instead of helping them.
• The current heart-demon remover is Ling Yue, the former Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess who earned enormous merit by Mending Heaven. A hundred years earlier, she came to the Vast Continent, became trapped in a Heavenly Hall, and was bound to work as a heart-demon remover.
• Ling Yue’s final customer is an elderly Early Void Refinement cultivator who confesses that he murdered his former lover, her family, and others. Ling Yue is required by the rules of her job to affirm his actions rather than condemn him.
• The old man reveals that he killed his former lover after misunderstanding her marriage and later discovered that she had loved him, carrying a Foundation Establishment Pill and a letter intended to help him. In revenge, he slaughtered her village, only to learn that he was the wealthy household’s illegitimate son and that his victims were his own family.
• Ling Yue continues reassuring him that his actions were “not his fault,” allowing him to calm his heart-demon. After he leaves, she is finally released from her hundred-year contract and vows never to do the job again.
• With only ten days remaining before the Celestial Palace Shackles disappear, Chen Qiu finishes strengthening his Lightning-Channeling Art by using one hundred perfected Spirit Transformation spells as nourishment.
• Chen Qiu sends Ao Tian and the others into the Minor World and begins preparing to undergo his Void Refinement Tribulation.
• The surrounding Void Refinement cultivators initially consider remaining nearby to increase the tribulation’s power and kill Chen Qiu. However, they retreat after realizing the tribulation is already extraordinarily powerful and could kill them as well. They also need Chen Qiu alive so the Mystic Heaven Throne will remain available to seize.
• Young Master Qi watches the tribulation form and anticipates fighting Chen Qiu once the shackles vanish. He is confident because of his Peak Void Refinement cultivation, powerful background, numerous Void Refinement Spirit Treasures, and the Pink Trait Spirit-Treasure True Lord, which enhances his spell power.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master begins to worry that, if Chen Qiu survives such an overwhelming tribulation, he may become strong enough to kill the surrounding Peak Void Refinement cultivators.

Character Developments

• Mystic Heaven Sect’s ancestor: Reveals himself to be deeply weary and disillusioned with the pursuit of immortality. Rather than seeking further advancement, he hopes to find a relaxed, interesting job and enjoy the remainder of his life.
• Mystic Heaven Sect Master and elders: Their confidence in having a powerful ancestor to rely on is undermined when they realize he intends to retire instead of acting as their protector.
• Ling Yue: Is portrayed as compassionate but psychologically exhausted. She has spent a century suppressing her own moral judgment and endorsing monstrous behavior. Her release from the contract represents a long-awaited emotional liberation.
• The elderly customer: His confession exposes his distorted reasoning, guilt, resentment, and inability to accept responsibility. Although his heart-demon is temporarily soothed, the chapter presents him as morally depraved rather than genuinely redeemed.
• Chen Qiu: Demonstrates extraordinary preparation and confidence. His cultivation and spell foundation have reached a level where even a tribulation triggered by billions of Sin Points may not be enough to stop him.
• Young Master Qi: Becomes both more wary of and more excited by Chen Qiu. He recognizes Chen Qiu as a fellow prodigy but believes his superior cultivation, treasures, and aristocratic background will secure victory.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master: Develops unease and begins considering the possibility that Chen Qiu may survive and become a threat to everyone waiting outside the Celestial Palace.

Significant Themes

• The emptiness of endless cultivation: The ancestor reflects that immortals often spend their long lives cultivating and pursuing breakthroughs without ever truly living.
• Moral responsibility and self-justification: The heart-demon remover’s work depends on affirming a person’s chosen interpretation of events, even when that interpretation excuses horrific crimes.
• Professional duty versus personal conscience: Ling Yue must violate her own moral instincts to fulfill the rules of Heaven and Earth, highlighting the emotional cost of institutionalized “healing.”
• Power, potential, and fear: Chen Qiu’s extraordinary foundation makes even powerful opponents uncertain. His enemies fear not merely his current strength, but what he may become if he survives.
• The danger of underestimating a prodigy: Young Master Qi believes his cultivation and resources outweigh Chen Qiu’s advantages, while the Sky Axe Sect Master senses that Chen Qiu’s accumulated achievements may produce an unprecedented tribulation and combat power.
• The value of living in the present: The ancestor’s decision to seek a simple, enjoyable occupation contrasts with Chen Qiu and Young Master Qi’s relentless pursuit of power and victory.

Important Character Interactions

• The Mystic Heaven Sect ancestor’s philosophical speech leaves the Sect Master and elders speechless, as they realize he has abandoned the role they hoped he would play.
• Ling Yue repeatedly reassures the murderous old man that his actions were justified, despite privately considering him irredeemable. Their conversation demonstrates the conflict between her official role and her conscience.
• Chen Qiu calmly orders Ao Tian and the others to retreat to the Minor World, showing authority and confidence while preventing them from being endangered by the tribulation.
• Young Master Qi mentally compares himself with Chen Qiu, framing the coming battle as a contest between two great prodigies.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master’s warning contrasts with the confidence of the other cultivators, foreshadowing that Chen Qiu’s Void Refinement Tribulation may radically alter the balance of power.

Chapter Summary: “First Level of the Void Refinement Realm, the World Stunned!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu’s breakthrough triggers an extraordinarily powerful Void Refinement Tribulation over the Celestial Palace. The tribulation combines ordinary lightning with a Heart-Demon Tribulation, forcing everyone in the Heavenly Hall to flee.
• The tribulation consists of eighty-one strikes—the Void Refinement Nine-Nine Tribulation. Chen Qiu effortlessly withstands the first eighty attacks through his immense Merit Value, Lightning Dharma Physique, and resistance to Heart-Demon Tribulations.
• The final scarlet lightning strike seriously threatens him, but Chen Qiu activates his defensive techniques, including Golden Light Protection, and survives with only a minor wound.
• A Heavenly Dao Edict announces that Chen Qiu is the first person in the Vast Continent’s history to survive the Void Refinement Nine-Nine Tribulation. He is rewarded with Tribulation-Thunder Fortune, which his Edict Regular trait doubles.
• Chen Qiu assigns the fortune to his Lightning-Channeling Art and Heavenly Secrets Umbrella, strengthening both.
• After breaking through to the First Level of the Void Refinement Realm, Chen Qiu chooses a new trait. Using Divine Hand, he generates three cultivation-related choices:
  • Rapid Progress
  • Far-Reaching Fame
  • One Step to Heaven
• He ultimately chooses the Pink Trait Far-Reaching Fame, gaining a ninetyfold cultivation-speed increase because of the vast number of people who know his name.
• Chen Qiu leaves the Celestial Palace before the Shackles disappear, intending to test his new strength and capture the hostile Void Refinement cultivators in his Demon-Subduing Pagoda.
• The opposing cultivators, led by Young Master Qi, a powerful old monk, a beautiful woman, and a bewitching young man, decide to confront him. They expect his recent tribulation to have left him severely injured.
• Chen Qiu appears before them and activates three

Fourteenth-Grade Void Refinement Domains

• Infinite Spiritual Energy
• Three Thousand Thunder Motions
• Snow Gives Birth to All Things
• His domains completely suppress Young Master Qi’s and the old monk’s Eleventh-Grade domains. Chen Qiu then unleashes a devastating lightning attack that kills nearly all the lower-realm Void Refinement cultivators, leaving only the four Peak Void Refinement experts injured but alive.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu proves that his power far exceeds that of an ordinary Early Void Refinement cultivator. He survives a tribulation designed to kill him, gains a major cultivation-speed advantage, and immediately demonstrates overwhelming combat strength.
• His resistance to Heart-Demon Tribulations reflects his disciplined personality: he resolves emotional problems immediately and carries little guilt, regret, or psychological trauma.
• Chen Qiu becomes increasingly confident and ambitious. Rather than waiting for the Celestial Palace Shackles to vanish, he actively seeks battle to measure his abilities.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master becomes completely intimidated by Chen Qiu. After seeing him survive the tribulation, he abandons any intention of fighting and flees.
• Young Master Qi, the old monk, and the other hostile cultivators remain arrogant and underestimate Chen Qiu, believing their numbers and higher cultivation realms will compensate for his recent injuries.
• The old monk reveals that his domain is actually an Eleventh-Grade Domain, while Young Master Qi relies on his Infinite Spiritual Energy domain. Both are shocked when Chen Qiu surpasses them with three Fourteenth-Grade domains.

Significant Themes

• Heavenly punishment and exceptional talent: Chen Qiu’s vast Sin Points and extraordinary Nascent Soul cause Heaven to unleash an unprecedented tribulation, emphasizing that his existence defies normal cultivation standards.
• Inner demons and self-mastery: The Heart-Demon Tribulation cannot affect Chen Qiu because he consistently resolves emotional conflicts instead of allowing regret or guilt to accumulate.
• Overwhelming preparation and accumulation: Chen Qiu’s strength comes from stacking numerous advantages—Merit Value, traits, domains, spiritual treasures, Nascent Souls, and special techniques—rather than relying solely on cultivation level.
• Fame as power: His reputation directly increases his cultivation speed, turning widespread recognition into a practical advantage.
• Arrogance versus reality: The enemy cultivators trust their numbers and higher realms, but Chen Qiu’s superior foundations make their assumptions meaningless.
• Rapid growth and rising stakes: Every breakthrough grants Chen Qiu new abilities, but Heaven and his enemies respond with increasingly dangerous challenges.

Character Interactions

• The Sky Axe Sect Master observes Chen Qiu’s tribulation from afar and decides to flee the moment the Heavenly Dao confirms Chen Qiu’s survival.
• The hostile cultivators debate whether to attack. The old monk justifies killing Chen Qiu as an act of defending Heaven, while the bewitching young man supports him mockingly and the beautiful woman criticizes the others for hesitating.
• Young Master Qi taunts Chen Qiu for confronting so many Void Refinement experts alone and assumes Chen Qiu is overconfident.
• The old monk recognizes the significance of Chen Qiu’s Fourteenth-Grade domains, realizing that Chen Qiu’s courage comes from genuine superiority rather than recklessness.
• Chen Qiu responds to their hostility with calm amusement, dismissing the old monk’s domain as impressive in appearance but weak in grade before annihilating the gathered forces with lightning.

Chapter Summary: “Myriad Thunder Slays Heaven!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu unveils the terrifying power of his enhanced Lightning-Channeling Art after breaking through to the Void Refinement Realm. Because of his instant-casting ability and immense spiritual energy, he overwhelms a group of Void Refinement cultivators before they can retaliate.
• He launches wave after wave of Thunder Dragons, killing the beautiful woman, the demonic young man, and several other Peak Void Refinement experts. The presiding monk of the Buddhist Sect is left severely injured, while the remaining cultivators are captured.
• Chen Qiu uses the Battle to the Death trait to trap Young Master Qi in a Minor World, intending to force a final duel. However, Chen Qiu is unexpectedly expelled because the Mystic Heaven Throne prevents him from entering spaces outside Mystic Heaven Province. Young Master Qi remains trapped inside, potentially exiled indefinitely.
• Chen Qiu orders Fat Dragon to restrain and preserve the surviving cultivators with Dragon-Suppressing Nails so they can later be placed in the Demon-Subduing Pagoda.
• News of Chen Qiu’s victory spreads throughout Mystic Heaven Province. With all opposing Peak Void Refinement experts dead or captured, Chen Qiu effectively secures the Mystic Heaven Throne.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master, the sole survivor of the original group that opposed Chen Qiu, fears Chen Qiu’s revenge. He consults the Buddhist Sect and Azure Mountain Palace ancestors, who teach him how to survive by publicly separating himself from his sect’s hostility, showing submission, and offering compensation.
• Their advice culminates in the Sky Axe Sect Master repeatedly practicing kneeling, sacrificing his pride in exchange for a chance to live. The two ancestors realize they could profit by teaching other factions how to appease Chen Qiu, though they fear Chen Qiu might object.
• Chen Qiu and the Mocking Heaven Sect explore the Heavenly Hall’s Heavenly Dao Architecture. In the Heart-Demon Removal Hall, they discover that a cultivator was accidentally killed by Chen Qiu’s Void Refinement Tribulation.
• Chen Qiu sends his disciples into the hall one by one to have their heart-demons examined. Fat Dragon-like disciples reveal anxieties about being left behind as Chen Qiu’s cultivation advances, prompting the heart-demon master to advise them to continue cultivating and prepare to remain useful.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu demonstrates that his combat power has reached an absurd level: despite only recently entering Void Refinement, he is already invincible within the realm. His confidence, ruthlessness, and resourcefulness increase, though his attempt to use the Battle to the Death trait exposes an unexpected limitation connected to the Mystic Heaven Throne.
• Young Master Qi shifts from a confident Peak Void Refinement expert to a helpless prisoner, trapped in a Minor World without a clear means of escape.
• Fat Dragon becomes increasingly enthusiastic and loyal, helping capture Chen Qiu’s enemies and manage their imprisonment. He openly recognizes Chen Qiu’s overwhelming strength.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master changes from a proud, defiant sect leader into a deeply frightened survivor willing to abandon his dignity and kneel for protection.
• The Buddhist Sect and Azure Mountain Palace ancestors reveal their pragmatism and talent for survival. They reinterpret their past betrayals as misunderstandings and exploit their experience to advise others—and possibly earn money.
• The Mocking Heaven Sect disciples show insecurity about Chen Qiu’s rapid advancement, particularly the fear that they will eventually become useless or be abandoned.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and instant advantage: Chen Qiu’s Lightning-Channeling Art combines the speed of an instant spell with the destructive force of a high-grade technique, making conventional counters impossible.
• Survival through submission: The chapter humorously presents kneeling, surrender, and material compensation as the only reliable responses to Chen Qiu’s overwhelming strength.
• Pride versus pragmatism: The Sky Axe Sect Master must choose between preserving his dignity and staying alive, ultimately sacrificing pride for survival.
• Unintended consequences: Chen Qiu’s Battle to the Death ability backfires because of the Mystic Heaven Throne, trapping Young Master Qi instead of producing the intended duel.
• Rapid growth and insecurity: Chen Qiu’s advancement inspires both admiration and fear among his followers, who worry they may no longer keep pace with him.
• Power reshaping social order: Chen Qiu’s victory effectively makes him unchallengeable in Mystic Heaven Province, forcing every faction to reconsider its relationship with him.

Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu taunts the old monk for taking too long to activate his Buddhist secret art before destroying the opposing forces.
• He casually informs Young Master Qi that his escape abilities are useless inside the Battle to the Death Minor World, only to be unexpectedly expelled himself.
• Fat Dragon excitedly praises Chen Qiu’s battle and assists in securing the defeated cultivators.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master questions the Buddhist and Azure Mountain Palace ancestors about surviving their own conflicts with Chen Qiu. They explain that one must redefine former allies as traitors, demonstrate submission, and offer all available wealth.
• The two ancestors contrast their enormous former grudges with their current survival, humorously portraying Chen Qiu as a “benefactor” who eliminated their enemies.
• Chen Qiu questions the Heart-Demon Removal Hall’s veiled attendant, then has his disciples receive examinations. The disciples’ fears reveal their dependence on Chen Qiu and anxiety over his unstoppable progress.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Inside the Heavenly Hall, Ao Tian tells Chen Qiu that after reaching Void Refinement, he intends to return to the Dragon Clan Main Lineage and seek recognition and the Dragon God Inheritance. Chen Qiu suspects Ao Tian may be humiliated or oppressed, giving him a potential justification to intervene against the Main Lineage.
• Fat Dragon and the other Mocking Heaven Sect disciples emerge from the Inner Demon Removal House, dissatisfied after paying for what they consider useless “chicken soup.” Fat Dragon reveals he has no inner demons, suggesting his low moral restraint prevents guilt-based spiritual conflict.
• The group discovers six Heavenly Dao prize pools: Traits, Treasures, Architectures, Domains, Spells, and Spirit Treasures. Ao Tian, Fat Dragon, and Scholar each fail their first attempts.
• Chen Qiu consumes a strand of Human Prodigy Fortune before spending sixty thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones across the six prize pools. He successfully receives rewards from all of them:
  • Body-Magic Conversion, a Purple Trait allowing him to sacrifice spellcasting temporarily for greatly enhanced physical strength.
  • Twenty Spirit Transformation Heavenly Dao cultivation pills.
  • A pair of Void Refinement stone-lion puppets for guarding the sect.
  • A one-use Spirit Transformation “Instant Formation” domain totem.
  • An early Void Refinement sword technique, One Sword Reaches Heaven.
  • A Heavenly Dao wristguard that shortens casting time and completes his set of eight Heavenly Dao Spirit Treasures.
• The shopkeeper explains that Chen Qiu’s fortune ensured he would not lose money, but did not guarantee especially powerful rewards.
• Ao Tian repeatedly attempts the Architecture Prize Pool, spending eight thousand Spirit Stones before finally receiving a miniature scarecrow that protects spirit fields and strengthens crop growth.
• A group led by the peak Void Refinement body cultivator Kui Thirteen ambushes Chen Qiu. Kui activates his Tenth-Grade “Myriad Techniques Perish” Domain and sacrifices it with the Purple Trait “Self-Destruct Domain,” raising it to Twelfth Grade and preventing the use of spells, talismans, and array disks.
• Believing Chen Qiu to be helpless as a spell cultivator, Kui attacks with several axe-wielding subordinates. Chen Qiu uses Body-Magic Conversion, discovering that his physical strength is powerful enough to catch an incoming axe barehanded and smash its wielder into blood mist with his Twelfth-Grade Nascent Soul.
• Chen Qiu then catches Kui’s chains, endures their tremendous force, and repeatedly swings Kui into the ground, turning the supposed ambush into a brutal humiliation.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master arrives, realizes that Chen Qiu is fighting Kui Thirteen, and decides that rescuing Chen Qiu would earn him more favor than killing him. He charges into the domain shouting, “Fellow Daoist Chen Qiu, hold on! I’m coming to save you!”

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu remains calculating and opportunistic, viewing Ao Tian’s possible oppression as a moral excuse to plunder the Dragon Clan Main Lineage. His luck-based prize draw reinforces both his immense resources and his willingness to spend heavily for rare, useful Traits.
• Chen Qiu also gains confidence in his physical abilities. The Body-Magic Conversion Trait reveals that, despite being regarded as a spell cultivator, his body is extraordinarily powerful when enhanced.
• Ao Tian shows homesickness—or at least a desire to reclaim his clan’s inheritance—while also displaying stubbornness and poor judgment with the prize pools. His repeated failed draws lead him to rationalize the losses until he finally obtains a modest reward.
• Fat Dragon is portrayed as shameless and morally untroubled, possessing no inner demons. He is also highly pragmatic, immediately trying to recover his losses after losing at the prize pool.
• Kui Thirteen is intelligent and strategically cautious, having studied Chen Qiu’s abilities and planned a specialized counterattack. However, his confidence collapses once Chen Qiu demonstrates overwhelming physical strength.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master becomes increasingly eager to repair his relationship with Chen Qiu. He chooses alliance and rescue over competing for the Mystic Heaven Throne directly, hoping to earn Chen Qiu’s gratitude.

Significant Themes

• Luck versus value: Human Prodigy Fortune improves Chen Qiu’s odds but only guarantees that his investment will not be wasted; true treasures still depend on chance.
• Appearances and misjudgment: Kui assumes that Chen Qiu’s identity as a spell cultivator makes him helpless without spells, but Chen Qiu’s hidden physical strength completely overturns that assumption.
• Morality as justification: Chen Qiu distinguishes greed from righteousness, convincing himself that plundering the Dragon Clan Main Lineage would be justified if he were defending Ao Tian.
• Strategic opportunism: Nearly every character weighs profit, survival, and political advantage. The Sky Axe Sect Master’s decision to “rescue” Chen Qiu is motivated as much by future benefits as by immediate danger.
• Power through adaptability: Chen Qiu’s new Trait allows him to switch from spell cultivation to body combat, demonstrating the advantage of possessing multiple combat methods.

Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu and Ao Tian discuss Ao Tian’s return to the Dragon Clan Main Lineage, with Chen Qiu offering support while privately anticipating a chance to intervene.
• Chen Qiu mocks and manages Fat Dragon, Scholar, and Ao Tian as they lose money at the prize pools.
• Ao Tian and Fat Dragon encourage each other’s increasingly irrational attempts to keep drawing, each insisting that the next attempt will recover their losses.
• Kui Thirteen taunts Chen Qiu and explains his carefully prepared anti-spell strategy before attacking.
• Chen Qiu responds by effortlessly overpowering Kui’s subordinate and then using Kui’s own chains to slam him repeatedly into the ground.
• The chapter ends with the Sky Axe Sect Master dramatically entering the battle, claiming he has come to save Chen Qiu, setting up a likely confrontation or temporary alliance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sky Axe Sect Master arrives at the Heavenly Hall and finds Chen Qiu standing amid blood and defeated enemies, holding Kui Thirteen in chains. Mistaking the sect master for an accomplice because of his similar-looking great axe, Chen Qiu’s group frightens him into kneeling and pleading for mercy.
• Chen Qiu defeats Kui Thirteen and his followers, using the extremely heavy Heaven Chains as weapons. He discovers that the chains are naturally formed heavenly materials and decides to attach them to his Twelfth-Grade Nascent Soul for greater impact in Hand-to-Hand Mode.
• After inspecting the Sky Axe Sect Master’s offered treasures, Chen Qiu accepts his explanation that he was coerced into attacking. He gives him a Mocking Heaven Sect token, ostensibly as protection.
• Fat Dragon privately explains the token’s real purpose: the Sky Axe Sect should gather intelligence and help the Mocking Heaven Sect acquire resources by “defending friends” and eliminating hostile factions. The Sky Axe Sect Master enthusiastically accepts this role.
• The newly promoted Body Integration Realm White Crane Daoist arrives to kill Chen Qiu and seize the Mystic Heaven Throne. However, Chen Qiu uses the “Battle to the Death” entry. Because Chen Qiu cannot enter Minor Worlds while bound by the Province-Land Shackles, the ability malfunctions and permanently exiles the White Crane Daoist into a Minor World.
• The White Crane Daoist is left trapped under the Minor World’s laws, just like Young Master Qi. Both begin recording the days of their imprisonment and vow revenge against Chen Qiu once they escape.
• Chen Qiu orders Scholar to obtain intelligence on Mystic Heaven Province, especially information about Body Integration experts, while he continues searching the Heavenly Hall for useful Heavenly Dao Architectures.
• Ling Yue completes the heart-demon removal process for the Mystic Heaven Sect’s members. The Mystic Heaven Sect Master, devastated by Chen Qiu’s overwhelming achievements, abandons his former ambitions and takes a hundred-year job as a Heart-Demon Removal Specialist.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master later visits him for treatment. Their shared experience of being overshadowed by Chen Qiu comforts both men, and the Sky Axe Sect Master leaves feeling relieved.
• At the Bai Family, everyone waits for the Heavenly Dao Edict announcing the White Crane Daoist’s victory, unaware that he has been permanently exiled.
• The chapter ends with Chen Qiu reading an article that labels him arrogant, bandit-like, and evil. He rejects the accusations, then casually orders his followers to identify the publisher and roast the remaining white crane.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu becomes even more confident in his overwhelming power. He creatively exploits a loophole in the “Battle to the Death” ability, turning a potential battle against a Body Integration expert into permanent imprisonment. He also embraces the Heaven Chains as his ideal weapon.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master shifts from terrified potential enemy to loyal subordinate and intelligence-gatherer. His fear of Chen Qiu is balanced by admiration and excitement at gaining his protection.
• Fat Dragon reveals his talent for manipulation and strategic recruitment. He turns the Sky Axe Sect Master’s gratitude into a plan for expanding the Mocking Heaven Sect’s resources and influence.
• White Crane Daoist suffers a complete reversal of fortune. His breakthrough gives him confidence that he can easily kill Chen Qiu, but his arrogance and excessive talking allow Chen Qiu’s loophole to trap him indefinitely.
• Young Master Qi becomes increasingly consumed by hatred and revenge while imprisoned. He survives psychologically by planning future retaliation.
• The Mystic Heaven Sect Master develops a severe inferiority complex after witnessing Chen Qiu’s achievements. He effectively gives up on competing with Chen Qiu and chooses isolation through employment.
• Ling Yue finally feels freed from her duties after completing the heart-demon removal work, though she is soon replaced by the Mystic Heaven Sect Master.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master and the Mystic Heaven Sect Master bond over their shared sense of failure in Chen Qiu’s shadow, allowing the former to recover his confidence.

Significant Themes

• Arrogance versus actual strength: White Crane Daoist’s confidence and lengthy taunting lead directly to his defeat, while Chen Qiu’s calmness and improvisation determine the outcome.
• Exploiting rules and loopholes: Chen Qiu’s success comes not from overpowering the Body Integration expert directly, but from manipulating the interaction between his entry, the Province-Land Shackles, and Minor World laws.
• The psychological impact of genius: Chen Qiu’s achievements crush the pride of other “sky prodigies,” showing how extraordinary talent can inspire both worship and despair.
• Power and resource accumulation: The Mocking Heaven Sect is beginning to build influence through alliances, intelligence gathering, and indirect control of conflicts.
• Reputation versus reality: Chen Qiu sees himself as morally restrained, yet outsiders view him as an arrogant bandit and evil cultivator. His final reaction humorously suggests that his “moral bottom line” is flexible.
• Humor through disproportionate power: Body Integration experts, sect ancestors, and legendary prodigies are treated as minor obstacles or emotional casualties, creating a recurring contrast between their self-image and Chen Qiu’s perspective.

Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu intimidates the Sky Axe Sect Master, then accepts his submission and grants him a token.
• Fat Dragon privately recruits the Sky Axe Sect Master into the Mocking Heaven Sect’s broader resource-gathering strategy.
• Chen Qiu confronts White Crane Daoist, whose boastful monologue gives Chen Qiu enough time to activate the exile-like effect.
• Scholar receives orders to collect provincial intelligence, reinforcing Chen Qiu’s growing dependence on organized information.
• The Mystic Heaven Sect Master and Sky Axe Sect Master share a consoling conversation about being overshadowed by Chen Qiu, turning mutual humiliation into camaraderie.
• Young Master Qi and White Crane Daoist independently plot revenge from their separate Minor Worlds.
• Chen Qiu’s final conversation with his followers combines indignation over his negative reputation with the casually violent order to capture and roast the white crane.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• As night falls in the Heavenly Hall, cultivators remain cautious and wait rather than rushing into uncertain opportunities. The chapter emphasizes the value of patience and survival in the long-lived cultivation world.
• Chen Qiu and the Mocking Heaven Sect dine on the roof of a tavern, enjoying crane prepared by the tavern’s chef.
• Chen Qiu investigates the chef’s traits and discovers that he possesses the extremely powerful Purple Trait “Tenfold Casting,” which causes every spell to be cast ten additional times at no cost. Despite having a trait suited for a top-tier combatant, the chef is content to spend his life cooking because he genuinely loves it and values the safety and freedom of the Heavenly Hall.
• The Northern Ridge Sect panics after learning that Chen Qiu has not only defeated dozens of Void Refinement cultivators but has likely killed or permanently imprisoned the newly advanced Body Integration cultivator, White Crane Daoist.
• The Northern Ridge Sect Master abandons an article criticizing Chen Qiu and begins rewriting the next issue of the Mystic Heaven Daily to heavily praise him. He even prepares a scapegoat in case Chen Qiu retaliates against the sect for its earlier reports.
• In Handsome Men City, the Liu Family is being pressured by the Zhang Clan, whose First Level Void Refinement ancestor wants to take the Liu Family’s eldest daughter as a concubine. The Zhang Clan threatens the family with violence and even suggests a ghost marriage if they refuse.
• The Liu Family Head reveals an ancestral Mocking Heaven Sect Elder Token, claiming the family is under the sect’s protection. The Zhang Clan representatives immediately become fearful, record the token, apologize, and withdraw to verify its authenticity.
• The Zhang Clan ancestor suspects the token may be fake but refuses to risk provoking the Mocking Heaven Sect. He travels to Dodo City to consult an old friend, the proprietor of the Thornbush Shop.
• The Zhang Clan ancestor explains that the Liu family’s eldest daughter is the fourth-ranked Heavenly Dao Substitute Beauty, making her extremely valuable to his cultivation path. However, she does not love him, and he has avoided using direct force because that would destroy any chance of gaining her willing affection.
• The shop proprietor offers to take him to the Sky Axe Sect Master, who possesses a genuine Mocking Heaven Sect token and can verify it.
• The chapter concludes with the observation that Mystic Heaven Province may soon consist of only two sides: the Mocking Heaven Sect and everyone else, reflecting Chen Qiu’s rapidly growing dominance.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu is shown not only as overwhelmingly powerful but also as observant and curious. He recognizes the chef’s extraordinary potential and reflects on the difference between innate talent and personal choice.
• The tavern chef is characterized as someone who sincerely values his craft over power or status. His contentment contrasts with cultivators who pursue strength at any cost.
• The Northern Ridge Sect Master shifts from confidence and political criticism to fear and submissive pragmatism. He demonstrates how quickly sects are adapting to Chen Qiu’s rise.
• The Liu Family Head is desperate but courageous. Though weaker than the Zhang Clan, he risks revealing the ancestral token to protect his daughter and family.
• The Zhang Clan ancestor is portrayed as arrogant, predatory, and obsessed with using the Liu daughter to advance his cultivation. However, he is also cautious enough to fear the consequences of challenging Chen Qiu’s organization.
• The Thornbush Shop proprietor acts as a more experienced and rational counterpoint to the Zhang Clan ancestor, mocking his behavior while warning him to act carefully in Sky Axe Sect territory.

Significant Themes

• Patience versus recklessness: Long lifespans allow cultivators to wait for opportunities, while rash actions can lead to death or clan destruction.
• Talent versus personal choice: The chef possesses an exceptional combat trait but chooses an ordinary life centered on cooking, suggesting that strength does not determine one’s purpose.
• The power of reputation: Chen Qiu’s reputation alone forces powerful sects and clans to reconsider their actions, even when they have not personally met him.
• Political opportunism and survival: The Northern Ridge Sect and other factions quickly alter their positions to avoid becoming Chen Qiu’s enemies.
• Abuse of power and resistance: The Zhang Clan attempts to exploit its superior cultivation to force a marriage, while the Liu Family struggles to protect its daughter through an old connection and political deterrence.
• The rise of a dominant faction: Chen Qiu’s victories are reshaping the balance of Mystic Heaven Province, creating a divide between the Mocking Heaven Sect and all other forces.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu and the chef: Chen Qiu questions the chef about his eight centuries of work, then learns that the man’s dedication comes from genuine love of cooking rather than coercion.
• The Northern Ridge Sect Master and his disciple: The disciple reports White Crane Daoist’s probable defeat, causing the sect master to discard his flattering draft and rewrite the Mystic Heaven Daily.
• The Liu Family Head and Zhang Clan representatives: The Liu patriarch resists their coercive marriage demands and invokes the Mocking Heaven Sect token, immediately changing the representatives’ arrogant attitude into fear and caution.
• The Zhang Clan ancestor and the Thornbush Shop proprietor: The ancestor explains his fixation on the Liu daughter, while his old friend criticizes his behavior and advises him to seek verification from the Sky Axe Sect Master.
• The wider cultivation world and Chen Qiu: Although Chen Qiu is mostly off-screen in the latter half, his recent victories dominate everyone’s decisions and establish him as the central power in Mystic Heaven Province.

Chapter Summary: “Merit Golden House”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sky Axe Sect Master examines an Image Recording Stone showing a supposed Mocking Heaven Sect elder’s token in the hands of the Liu Family of Handsome Men City.
• He notices that the token differs from the one issued to him: his is made of Fierce Baleful Wood, while the recorded token appears to be white jade. Unsure whether it is genuine or an ancient relic, he decides to consult the Mocking Heaven Sect directly.
• The Zhang Clan Ancestor and Thornbush Shop Manager panic, realizing that if the token is authentic, their previous pressure against the Liu Family could lead to their deaths and the destruction of the Zhang Clan.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master orders a Late Void Refinement cultivator to prevent both men from leaving until he returns.
• Two self-proclaimed “Qiu’s Disciples”—the Buddhist Sect Ancestor and Azure Mountain Palace Ancestor—arrive and assess the situation. They conclude that the Zhang Clan Ancestor and shop manager are unlikely to survive, since they could be made examples of to uphold the Mocking Heaven Sect’s authority.
• Chen Qiu spends the morning planning the Mocking Heaven Sect’s next steps: finding more restriction experts, securing a spiritually rich cultivation site, and expanding their resource-gathering operations throughout Mystic Heaven Province.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master reports the matter to Chen Qiu. Chen Qiu confirms that the token is not from the batch he created, but suspects it may have belonged to an older Mocking Heaven Sect elder who reached the Vast Continent tens of thousands of years earlier.
• Chen Qiu travels with Fat Dragon and the Sky Axe Sect Master to investigate the token and the Liu Family’s situation.
• Near Dodo City, Chen Qiu discovers a mysterious wooden cabin floating above the clouds. Only he can see it, and those outside cannot perceive anyone who approaches it.
• The cabin is labeled “Merit Golden House.” A Heart-Demon Removal Hall cultivator explains that only people possessing nearly one hundred billion Merit Value can see it. The houses are connected across the Vast Continent and allow rapid travel between distant regions.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu remains calm and pragmatic, balancing personal freedom and cultivation with the Mocking Heaven Sect’s growing influence. He shows curiosity toward the ancient token and the possibility that a former transmigrator elder left behind something significant.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master demonstrates caution, political intelligence, and humility. He quickly seeks Chen Qiu’s judgment rather than making assumptions, and respectfully pilots the flying boat.
• The Zhang Clan Ancestor shifts from arrogance to fear. He realizes that his attempt to pressure the Liu Family may have placed his entire clan in mortal danger.
• The Thornbush Shop Manager becomes defensive and frightened, though he tries to distance himself from responsibility.
• The Buddhist Sect Ancestor and Azure Mountain Palace Ancestor reveal themselves as intermediaries who help people reconcile with Chen Qiu. The Buddhist Ancestor is practical and discerning, refusing to waste effort on cases he considers hopeless.
• Ao Tian carefully presents himself as Chen Qiu’s subordinate in front of the Sky Axe Sect Master, showing awareness of political hierarchy and the dangers of being misunderstood.
• The Heart-Demon Removal Hall cultivator provides crucial information about the Merit Golden Houses and their connection to the wider world.

Significant Themes

• Power, reputation, and deterrence: The Mocking Heaven Sect’s authority depends not only on punishing enemies but also on maintaining its dignity. The Zhang Clan may be destroyed as an example to discourage others from challenging the sect.
• Respect and political survival: Proper conduct toward powerful figures is repeatedly shown to be as important as strength. The Sky Axe Sect Master’s respectful behavior earns Chen Qiu’s favorable impression.
• Freedom versus immortality: Chen Qiu reflects that he cultivates not merely to live forever, but to gain the freedom to act according to his own wishes.
• Resource accumulation and expansion: The Mocking Heaven Sect is transitioning from survival to large-scale growth, seeking territory, wealth, specialists, and influence.
• Hidden legacies and ancient connections: The mysterious token and Merit Golden House suggest that the Vast Continent contains traces of earlier Mocking Heaven Sect members and other powerful systems unknown to Chen Qiu.
• The limits of redemption: Not everyone can be saved through apology or negotiation; some situations carry symbolic and political consequences that make punishment unavoidable.

Character Interactions

• The Zhang Clan Ancestor and Thornbush Shop Manager argue over responsibility, each attempting to shift blame while secretly planning escape.
• The Buddhist Sect Ancestor and Azure Mountain Palace Ancestor debate whether the two men can be saved, with the Buddhist Ancestor emphasizing the political necessity of making an example of them.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master respectfully reports the token’s existence to Chen Qiu and follows his instructions without question.
• Chen Qiu and Ao Tian exchange a carefully staged “brotherly” interaction that reinforces Ao Tian’s subordinate status before the visiting sect master.
• Chen Qiu meets the Heart-Demon Removal Hall cultivator at the Merit Golden House, learning that the mysterious structure may provide access to distant provinces and continents.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu enters the Merit Golden House, a hidden structure visible only to people possessing nearly one hundred billion Merit Value. He is the highest-ranked individual on the Vast Continent’s Merit Value Rankings, with over four hundred billion points; the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess ranks second.
• He asks the elderly woman inside whether the Golden Houses can transport people across different province-lands. She explains that the Heavenly Dao Shackles currently prevent such travel.
• The old woman reveals that she created all eighty-one Merit Golden Palaces using her cultivation and accumulated Merit Value. They function as a grand formation that sustains her existence and allows her to wait for the eventual resurrection of her deceased Dao companion, Liu Sanqian.
• She recounts her history as a Peak Spirit Transformation cultivator from Mystic Heaven Continent thirty thousand years ago. During a chaotic era when cultivators rapidly gained power but became morally corrupt, she and Liu Sanqian killed evil cultivators and accumulated Merit Value.
• After reaching Void Refinement, they were drawn to the Vast Continent. She eventually reached Body Integration, while Liu Sanqian died after failing to break through. He possessed a trait allowing him to revive after a million years, so she imprisoned herself within the Merit Golden Palaces to wait for him.
• The old woman confirms that the earliest Mocking Heaven Sect members were transmigrators who arrived from Mystic Heaven Continent when it began to collapse. Their sect master later led the remaining disciples into a powerful Minor World—strongly implied by Chen Qiu to be Great Xia Kingdom—to escape a catastrophic battle.
• Chen Qiu connects several mysteries: Mystic Heaven Continent’s repeated sky collapses, the Yin Realm’s instability, Great Xia’s unusual treasures and disasters, and the existence of the highly stable Minor World. He concludes that a terrifying evil demon may be sealed beneath Great Xia Kingdom, with the Mocking Heaven Sect acting as its seal.
• Chen Qiu leaves the Merit Golden House disappointed that it cannot help him travel between province-lands, but resolves to find a way back to Great Xia Kingdom and evacuate his old friends if the evil demon threatens to escape.
• Meanwhile, the Liu Family in Handsome Men City fears persecution from the Zhang Clan. The Liu Family patriarch relies on an old Mocking Heaven Sect token for protection, while his daughter offers to sacrifice herself to the Zhang Clan’s ancestor. The patriarch rejects this, choosing resistance over humiliation.
• On Chen Qiu’s flying boat, the Zhang Clan patriarch secretly wonders whether Chen Qiu’s defenses are weaker than his offensive power and whether he could be assassinated. His divine-sense transmission is overheard, and Chen Qiu calmly turns to look at him, leaving him terrified.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu becomes increasingly concerned about Great Xia Kingdom and recognizes that his former homeland may be the center of a world-threatening seal. His priorities shift from personal advancement toward protecting his friends and relocating the people of Great Xia if necessary.
• The old woman is revealed not as a mysterious Heavenly Dao entity, but as a former Mocking Heaven Sect cultivator who willingly transformed herself into a vast formation to wait for her beloved. Her “eternal life” is portrayed as both survival and imprisonment.
• Liu Sanqian gains importance through the old woman’s memories and his possible connection to the Liu Family in the present era.
• The Liu Family patriarch demonstrates loyalty and pride by refusing to let his daughter submit to the Zhang Clan, even though the family is at a disadvantage.
• The Zhang Clan patriarch is shown to be arrogant yet deeply fearful of Chen Qiu. His reckless speculation about assassination immediately places him in danger.

Significant Themes

• Love, devotion, and imprisonment: The old woman’s eternal existence is motivated by her devotion to Liu Sanqian, but her longevity is also described as permanent confinement.
• Power without morality: Mystic Heaven Continent’s rapid cultivation growth produced powerful but morally depraved “evil demons,” emphasizing that strength without character leads to chaos.
• The hidden cost of survival: The Mocking Heaven Sect’s refuge in Great Xia may have protected its members while unknowingly placing the kingdom atop or around a terrifying sealed entity.
• Dignity versus submission: The Liu Family chooses to preserve its honor rather than sacrifice a woman to appease a stronger clan.
• Uncovering ancient mysteries: Chen Qiu continues piecing together the origins of transmigration, the collapse of Mystic Heaven Continent, and the true nature of Great Xia Kingdom.

Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu speaks respectfully but directly with the old woman, questioning her about the Merit Golden Houses, the Heavenly Dao Shackles, and the history of the Mocking Heaven Sect.
• The old woman shares her tragic relationship with Liu Sanqian and provides Chen Qiu with critical information about the ancient transmigrators.
• Chen Qiu’s companions remain wary and silent during the journey, while the Sky Axe Sect Master supervises the frightened Zhang Clan ancestor.
• In the Liu ancestral hall, the patriarch rejects his daughter’s proposal to sacrifice herself, insisting that the family preserve its dignity and fight if necessary.
• The Zhang Clan patriarch’s secret transmission is intercepted aboard the flying boat. Chen Qiu’s silent glance makes it clear that he has heard the assassination suggestion, ending the chapter on a threatening cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “You’re Not Planning to Kill Me, Are You?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu and his group arrive dramatically in Handsome Men City, bypassing the gates. The guards recognize the Zhang Clan Patriarch—who follows behind Chen Qiu in submission—and wisely avoid confronting the group.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master explains that Handsome Men City is under the jurisdiction of the Path-Seeking Sect and that its City Lord is a Void Refinement cultivator. He promises to ensure the Liu Family remains protected after Chen Qiu leaves.
• Chen Qiu visits the Liu Family, whose members kneel in fear and welcome him. The Liu Family’s eldest daughter, a beautiful Spirit Transformation cultivator, repeatedly attends to him and appears to be offering herself as a form of repayment.
• Chen Qiu confirms that the Liu Family possesses a genuine Mocking Heaven Sect Elder Token, inherited from their ancestor, Liu Sanqian.
• When Chen Qiu asks how the Zhang Clan’s attempted forced marriage should be punished, the Liu Family’s daughter recommends compensation rather than extermination because the Zhang Clan caused no serious physical harm. Chen Qiu accepts her judgment and leaves the compensation negotiations to the two families.
• In the ancestral hall, Chen Qiu learns that Liu Sanqian was the Liu Family’s ancestor. He recognizes the name from the old woman living inside the Merit Golden House, who had once claimed Liu Sanqian as her husband. Chen Qiu finds the connection suspicious but does not investigate further.
• The Liu Family’s eldest daughter reveals that she is the fourth-ranked Heavenly Dao Substitute Beauty. She asks to follow Chen Qiu, offering him the future benefits of her Heavenly Dao Beauty status in exchange for protection and an opportunity for her father to reach Void Refinement.
• Chen Qiu rejects her proposal, explaining that he dislikes relationships based on transactions and considers Heavenly Dao Beauty effects more trouble than they are worth.
• On the return journey, Chen Qiu notices that the old woman in the Merit Golden House has apparently hanged herself. He doubts suicide or Heavenly Dao punishment and concludes that she was likely murdered by the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess, the only other person capable of perceiving the Merit Golden House.
• Chen Qiu initially decides not to interfere, considering the old woman’s death unrelated to him. However, after leaving, he suddenly returns and confronts the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess, who emerges from the Merit Golden House holding a blood-covered dagger.
• Chen Qiu warns her not to harm the Liu Family, which is now under Mocking Heaven Sect protection. He emphasizes that destroying the family immediately after his protection would damage his reputation and provocatively asks whether she had been hiding with the dagger to assassinate him.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu: Remains calm, pragmatic, and highly confident. He avoids unnecessary killing, rejects transactional seduction, and prefers not to become entangled in others’ affairs. Nevertheless, his concern for Mocking Heaven Sect’s reputation and his instinctive suspicion of the Saintess draw him back into the conflict.
• Liu Family’s eldest daughter: Demonstrates intelligence, courage, and calculated ambition. She supports Chen Qiu publicly, offers a moderate punishment for the Zhang Clan, and openly proposes a relationship designed to secure her family’s future. Her willingness to manipulate her potential Heavenly Dao Beauty status shows both self-awareness and concern for her family.
• Liu Family Head: Is terrified by Chen Qiu’s arrival and submits all decisions to him. His inability to confront the Zhang Clan Patriarch highlights the Liu Family’s weakness and dependence on outside protection.
• Zhang Clan Patriarch: Shifts from an oppressive Void Refinement patriarch to a frightened supplicant. He begs the Liu Family for mercy and appeals to Chen Qiu after realizing the vast difference in their power.
• Sky Axe Sect Master: Acts as Chen Qiu’s guide and subordinate. He uses his connections to legitimize Chen Qiu’s authority and secure future protection for the Liu Family.
• Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess: Is revealed to be far more dangerous and morally ambiguous than her title suggests. She appears to have murdered the old woman and may possess hidden abilities that conceal her traits or allow her to bypass the Merit Golden House’s defenses. Her connection to the ancient figures Liu Sanqian and the old woman remains mysterious.

Significant Themes

• Power and submission: The reactions of the city guards, Zhang Clan, and Liu Family show how reputation and overwhelming strength can compel obedience without direct violence.
• Protection as political authority: Chen Qiu’s promise to protect the Liu Family gives them status, but it also creates a responsibility to defend his reputation and uphold that protection.
• Transactional relationships versus genuine affection: The eldest daughter offers beauty, future Heavenly Dao benefits, and family advancement as a calculated exchange. Chen Qiu rejects this, valuing emotional independence over supernatural rewards.
• Mystery and hidden identities: The links between Liu Sanqian, the Merit Golden House’s old woman, and the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess suggest a larger unresolved history involving ancient love, betrayal, and concealed powers.
• Reputation and unintended entanglement: Though Chen Qiu initially wants to avoid the old woman’s death, his public status forces him to respond when the Liu Family’s safety—or his own image—may be threatened.
• Appearance versus reality: Handsome Men City’s attractive men, the Liu daughter’s seemingly submissive behavior, and the Saintess’s sacred title contrasted with her murderous actions all highlight how outward appearances can conceal true motives.

Character Interactions

• The city guards discuss Chen Qiu’s group and decide not to interfere after seeing the Zhang Clan Patriarch’s submissive behavior.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master respectfully explains the city and offers Chen Qiu logistical and political support.
• The Liu Family welcomes Chen Qiu with fear and submission, while the eldest daughter deliberately positions herself beside him and personally presents the ancestral token.
• Chen Qiu consults the eldest daughter about the Zhang Clan’s punishment, granting her judgment authority and choosing compensation over extermination.
• The daughter later proposes a mutually beneficial relationship with Chen Qiu, but he firmly rejects the arrangement.
• Chen Qiu investigates the old woman’s apparent death from a distance, then directly confronts the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess. Their exchange ends as a tense threat: Chen Qiu protects the Liu Family and challenges the Saintess’s apparent attempt—or possible intention—to kill him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a storm over Dodo City, Chen Qiu confronts the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess, who is preparing to attack him and destroy the Liu Family.
• Chen Qiu unleashes two Void Refinement Domains—Infinite Spiritual Energy and Three Thousand Thunder Motions—sending countless thunder dragons into the Merit Golden House. However, the Saintess survives using a Merit Defense Token.
• The Saintess reveals that she also possesses a powerful Merit Attack Token, capable of threatening Chen Qiu. Before she can use it, Chen Qiu activates his “Battle to the Death” ability and drags both of them into a separate minor world.
• Rather than immediately fighting, Chen Qiu encourages the Saintess to tell her story. She claims that she, Liu Sanqian, and the old woman knew one another tens of thousands of years ago, and that she—not the old woman—was Liu Sanqian’s true dao companion.
• Chen Qiu tricks her by claiming that the old woman had already seen through her identity, then escapes the minor world before the Saintess can attack. He leaves her trapped there indefinitely, reflecting on her story.
• Afterward, Chen Qiu searches the Merit Golden House. He finds no treasures or storage rings but decides to preserve the structure as a future base.
• Back in the Celestial Palace, Chen Qiu begins cultivating after reaching the Void Refinement Realm. His existing bonuses grant roughly 100 times normal cultivation speed, allowing him to raise his First-Level Void Refinement progress by 3.3% in twelve hours.
• Over the next ten days, his cultivation progress reaches 33.1%, but the cost is enormous—about 100,000 mid-grade spirit stones.
• When the Celestial Palace Shackles disappear, the Celestial Palace officially becomes Chen Qiu’s possession. He activates the Demon-Subduing Pagoda and embeds a “Chicken-and-Dog Ascension” Domain Totem inside it, doubling cultivation progress for those within its influence.
• Chen Qiu realizes he is running low on spirit stones and decides to collect resources from the families and factions connected to enemies he has killed.
• Guided by the Sky Axe Sect Master, Chen Qiu’s forces attack the Bai Family, whose ancestor—the White Crane Daoist—had previously tried to assassinate him.
• While his followers handle the battle, Chen Qiu uses one of his Threads of Imperial Fortune to create a physical Mystic Heaven Throne, a top-grade Void Refinement celestial-tier growth treasure.
• The Mystic Heaven Throne grants another tenfold cultivation-speed increase and greatly boosts spell power while Chen Qiu sits upon it, bringing his basic cultivation speed to approximately 110 times normal, before further bonuses.
• Chen Qiu rewards the cooperative Sky Axe Sect Master by allowing him to liquidate the conquered families’ fixed assets and granting him a 30% share.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu becomes more decisive and ruthless toward anyone threatening his reputation, protection, or authority. He treats the Saintess’s emotional confession as a distraction and defeats her through deception rather than direct combat.
• He also becomes increasingly pragmatic, prioritizing cultivation resources and strategic assets over unnecessary battles.
• Chen Qiu demonstrates growing leadership by organizing the Celestial Palace, planning to develop the Demon-Subduing Pagoda into a cultivation holy land, and rewarding useful allies.
• The Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess is revealed to be deeply entangled with Liu Sanqian and the old woman across tens of thousands of years. Her confidence and desire to explain her past cause her to hesitate, allowing Chen Qiu to escape.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master shifts into a loyal subordinate and useful enforcer. He gathers intelligence, follows Chen Qiu’s orders, and is rewarded for his cooperation.
• The Liu Family remains under Chen Qiu’s protection, primarily because its association with his Mocking Heaven Sect Token affects his authority and credibility.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus emotion: Chen Qiu dismisses old romantic grievances and emphasizes that enemies care more about survival than personal stories.
• Power and reputation: Chen Qiu protects the Liu Family largely because attacking them would challenge the credibility of his protection and political authority.
• The cost of cultivation: Even extraordinary cultivation speed requires vast quantities of spirit stones, making wealth and resource acquisition essential.
• Strategic use of power: Chen Qiu avoids wasting his strongest techniques, preferring to let allies and subordinate forces handle weaker enemies.
• The absurdity of long-held grudges: The Saintess’s tens-of-thousands-year emotional conflict is presented as another version of familiar love-and-hate entanglements.
• Rewarding loyalty and usefulness: Chen Qiu consolidates power by giving capable followers a share of the profits rather than relying solely on fear.

Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu and the Mystic Heaven Sect Saintess engage in a tense confrontation that shifts from threats and combat to a one-sided interrogation disguised as sympathy.
• The Saintess attempts to justify her history with Liu Sanqian and the old woman, but Chen Qiu manipulates her need to confess and escapes.
• Chen Qiu works closely with the Sky Axe Sect Master, using him as both an intelligence source and battlefield commander.
• Chen Qiu’s forces attack the Bai Family while he remains above the battle, demonstrating his superior status and preference for delegation.
• Chen Qiu rewards the Sky Axe Sect Master with a share of the spoils, strengthening their working relationship.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fat Dragon and the Sky Axe Sect Master return from destroying the Bai Family’s headquarters. They deliver roughly 400,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, numerous treasures, materials, storage rings, and other wealth.
• Because the Bai Family Head attempted to destroy his own treasury in a final attack, the Sky Axe Sect Master is rewarded for preserving it. Chen Qiu grants him 30% of the profits from liquidating the Bai Family’s fixed assets, increasing the sect master’s loyalty and personal wealth.
• Chen Qiu orders the Mocking Heaven Sect to recruit specialists capable of breaking storage-ring restrictions. Inside the Minor World, an exhausted Nascent Soul cultivator continues opening the enormous backlog of rings, despite having once loved the task.
• The Brown Bear Clan discovers a mysterious iron gate and passage beneath the Mocking Heaven Sect’s back mountain. The Young Chief views this as an opportunity to prove the clan’s usefulness and obtain cultivation resources, since the bears are otherwise treated mainly as pets.
• The Brown Bears send clan members into the passage to scout, while the Young Chief and his father remain behind. Their comic argument exposes the Young Chief’s ambition and willingness to sacrifice others for the clan.
• While traveling toward the next target, Chen Qiu studies the Bai Family’s Trait Compendium, a long-maintained record of Traits and optimized Trait combinations.
• Chen Qiu learns that established factions build their strength by collecting Trait Jade Slips and preparing for descendants who randomly awaken important “key” Traits. He decides to gather similar compendiums from other old factions and combine them into a more comprehensive resource for the Mocking Heaven Sect.
• The group arrives at the Female Sword Sect, an all-female faction whose members cultivate the ruthless Ruthless Sword technique. The Sky Axe Sect Master explains that every disciple must kill her own husband to enter the Dao.
• Because the Female Sword Sect’s protective formation is difficult to break, Chen Qiu personally attacks it. Using the Heavenly Secrets Umbrella, the Raging Storm technique, and two Fourteenth-Rank Void Refinement domains, he summons hundreds of thousands of Thunder Dragons.
• The attack devastates the sect: the formation is nearly destroyed, buildings collapse, and the sect suffers enormous casualties. The formation prevents total annihilation but offers little protection otherwise.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu becomes increasingly focused on building the Mocking Heaven Sect’s long-term foundation, not merely accumulating wealth. He recognizes that organized Trait research and stored Trait Jade Slips are crucial to producing future experts.
• Fat Dragon continues acting as Chen Qiu’s trusted logistical subordinate, managing spoils and approving the distribution of Trait Jade Slips.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master grows more deeply invested in Chen Qiu’s faction. He eagerly accepts the reward and offers access to his own sect’s secret Trait Compendium, hoping to strengthen his position within Chen Qiu’s inner circle.
• The storage-ring specialist has become physically and emotionally exhausted by years of nonstop work. His former passion has turned into routine labor, though he continues because it remains his assigned duty.
• The Young Chief of the Brown Bears reveals himself as ambitious, practical, and politically aware. He wants the clan to escape its passive status as pets by proving its usefulness and securing resources.
• The old Brown Bear Chief is cautious and morally uneasy about his son’s plans, but ultimately accepts that the clan must follow the Young Chief’s strategy to survive.
• Chen Qiu’s combat power continues to expand through accumulated Traits. His new Blue Trait, Triple Casting, complements Dual Casting and Tenfold Casting, allowing spells to be cast twice more without additional cost.

Significant Themes

• Power requires infrastructure, not just strength: Chen Qiu realizes that a faction’s foundation includes information, inherited knowledge, Trait Jade Slips, and the ability to rapidly develop talented disciples.
• The exploitation of resources and subordinates: The storage-ring specialist and Brown Bear Clan are both useful to the Mocking Heaven Sect but receive little consideration beyond their functions.
• Loyalty through rewards and patronage: Chen Qiu strengthens allegiance by granting wealth and responsibilities, while the Sky Axe Sect Master seeks greater access to his power and influence.
• Inherited traditions versus newly rising powers: The Bai Family and Sky Axe Sect possess accumulated knowledge from generations of cultivation, while Chen Qiu’s Mocking Heaven Sect is rapidly acquiring and reorganizing that foundation through conquest.
• Comedic treatment of brutal cultivation culture: The chapter contrasts absurd humor—such as bears shouting heroic slogans while sending others to scout—with the ruthless realities of sect warfare, forced sacrifice, and extermination.
• The ruthless nature of cultivation: The Female Sword Sect’s doctrine requires disciples to kill their husbands, while Chen Qiu treats the destruction of rival factions as a practical step in expansion.

Character Interactions

• Fat Dragon reports the Bai Family’s spoils to Chen Qiu, while the Sky Axe Sect Master receives public praise and a lucrative reward.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master repeatedly flatters and defers to Chen Qiu, calling him “Senior” despite being older, reflecting the cultivation world’s hierarchy based on strength rather than age.
• The exhausted storage-ring specialist silently continues his assigned labor, illustrating the Mocking Heaven Sect’s exploitative but efficient organization.
• The Young Chief and old chief debate whether investigating the hidden passage will earn merit. Their exchange shows the son’s ambition and the father’s cautious skepticism.
• Chen Qiu questions whether the Sky Axe Sect Master has the authority to reveal his sect’s Trait Compendium. The sect master admits that, with his elders in seclusion, he effectively controls the sect.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master identifies the Female Sword Sect and reminds Chen Qiu of the supreme elder he previously killed, prompting Chen Qiu to recall the insult and demonstrate his vindictive nature.
• When the Sky Axe Sect Master asks Chen Qiu to help break the sect formation, Chen Qiu immediately intervenes and overwhelms it with a devastating attack.

Chapter Summary: “Civil or Martial?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu’s casual heavenly lightning strike devastates the Female Sword Sect, leaving its disciples dead or severely wounded. The Sky Axe Sect Master realizes that Chen Qiu’s power far exceeds even a Peak Void Refinement cultivator’s strongest attack.
• Fat Dragon, the Sky Axe Sect Master, nearly a hundred adult dragons, and over fifty Mocking Heaven Sect disciples descend to finish off the weakened Female Sword Sect and loot its resources.
• Chen Qiu completes the set of eight Heavenly Dao Spirit Treasures. The set grants three successive enhancements to his Lightning-Channeling Art, pushing his combat power to the peak of what a First Level Void Refinement cultivator can achieve.
• The group obtains at least 570,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones from the Female Sword Sect, bringing their known total from recent raids to roughly 970,000. Chen Qiu estimates that another one or two million Spirit Stones could fund his cultivation to Peak Void Refinement.
• Chen Qiu plans to enter seclusion for one or two years, advance toward the Peak Void Refinement and Body Integration realms, and master the Body Integration Killing Art before competing for the final “Sole King” position after the Twelve Throne Contest.
• The Female Sword Sect’s Trait Compendium reveals its inheritance system, especially the Ruthless Person Trait, which doubles cultivation speed. Its associated Ruthless Sword trait set greatly strengthens swordsmanship through emotional pain but makes surviving the Heart-Demon Tribulation nearly impossible.
• The group next reaches the Buddhist Sect, which is being attacked by two other sects. The attackers flee immediately upon recognizing Chen Qiu’s signature storm and lightning.
• The remaining Buddhist Sect disciples resist, but Chen Qiu destroys them with Thunder Dragons. The Buddhist Sect yields only 80,000 Spirit Stones, since its senior members had already escaped with most of its wealth.
• Chen Qiu orders a wanted notice for the escaped Buddhist Sect leaders and continues toward the next targets.
• He distinguishes between “martial” and “civil” visits: hostile forces that wronged him will be exterminated, while neutral forces will receive a peaceful visit and be expected to provide a return gift.
• The Sky Axe Sect appears on the route, but Chen Qiu refuses to raid it because it is now an ally. The Fate Sect is also listed, but Chen Qiu’s group passes it without stopping because it is too weak and lies merely along the route to the wealthy Dao Sect.
• The chapter ends with Chen Qiu embracing his growing reputation as a bandit-like force, jokingly likening himself to a Pirate King.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu grows increasingly confident and pragmatic. He sees the raids as a way to gather cultivation resources and eliminate enemies, while also planning strategically for the coming contest and the lifting of the Province-Land Shackles.
• His strength is shown to be far beyond ordinary First Level Void Refinement cultivators. His lightning techniques are repeatedly enhanced, making further progress dependent mainly on cultivation breakthroughs.
• Fat Dragon remains an enthusiastic and reckless frontline attacker, eagerly leading the charge and enjoying the loot.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master becomes a valuable subordinate and ally. His Peak Void Refinement strength fills the gap in Chen Qiu’s forces and allows Chen Qiu to delegate much of the fighting.
• The Fate Sect’s Supreme Elder becomes anxious after hearing about Chen Qiu’s campaign. She recognizes the danger of their sect’s connection to the Fate Sect on the Mystic Heaven Continent, which once issued a wanted order against Chen Qiu.
• The former Cao Family Head, now a Fate Sect attendant, explains Chen Qiu’s pattern of “martial” and “civil” visits, helping the Supreme Elder prepare for a possible encounter.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and intimidation: Chen Qiu’s lightning and reputation are enough to make entire sects flee before he attacks.
• Retribution and political survival: Chen Qiu punishes those who attacked him while offering neutral forces a chance to become allies through submission and tribute.
• Resources as the foundation of cultivation: Spirit Stones are treated as essential strategic assets, allowing Chen Qiu to plan long-term breakthroughs and strengthen his sect.
• The cost of power: The Ruthless Sword trait set offers enormous advantages but prevents its users from safely passing the Heart-Demon Tribulation.
• Pragmatism over indiscriminate violence: Despite his destructive reputation, Chen Qiu chooses not to attack the allied Sky Axe Sect or the insignificant Fate Sect, showing that his campaigns are guided by usefulness rather than pure bloodlust.
• Reputation and fear: News of Chen Qiu spreads through Mystic Heaven Province, and his signature storm becomes an instantly recognizable warning that destruction is approaching.

Character Interactions

• The Sky Axe Sect Master openly acknowledges Chen Qiu’s superior power and follows him into battle.
• Fat Dragon cheerfully reports the loot and jokes that the shopkeeper will be overwhelmed by the amount of wealth to process.
• Chen Qiu and the Sky Axe Sect Master discuss whether the Sky Axe Sect should be raided; Chen Qiu rejects the idea because the sect is now an ally.
• Chen Qiu orders the Sky Axe Sect Master to issue a wanted notice for the escaped Buddhist Sect leaders, reversing the usual dynamic in which Chen Qiu himself was the hunted target.
• The Fate Sect’s Supreme Elder consults the former Cao Family Head, who warns her that Chen Qiu may judge the sect based on its historical connection to the Fate Sect that opposed him.
• Ultimately, Chen Qiu’s party passes the Fate Sect without noticing or caring about it, leaving the Fate Sect’s preparations unnecessary and highlighting the gap between Chen Qiu’s perceived threat and the sect’s actual importance.

Chapter Summary: “Dog Tycoon!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Sky Axe Sect Master introduces the Dao Sect, explaining that although it is weaker overall than the Sky Axe Sect, it possesses an extremely formidable defensive foundation: one low-grade Body Integration formation, five top-grade Void Refinement formations, and countless smaller formations.
• He also reveals that the Dao Sect is exceptionally wealthy. As the main producer of formation plates in Mystic Heaven Province, it has accumulated enormous reserves of “Strategic Spirit Stones” specifically intended for wartime formation activation.
• When the Mocking Heaven Sect arrives, the Dao Sect assumes a battle is imminent and activates its entire defensive network. The Dao Sect Master angrily warns them not to invade.
• Fat Dragon initially presents a basket of spirit fruits as a gesture of goodwill, technically initiating a “Civil Visit.” When the Dao Sect Master insults or rejects the gesture, Fat Dragon immediately threatens to label them an Evil Demon sect and massacre them.
• After learning from the Sky Axe Sect Master that refusing the fruit basket would lead to a Martial Visit, and that Chen Qiu’s power vastly exceeds the Dao Sect’s defenses, the Dao Sect Master quickly changes his attitude and offers a return gift.
• Nearly a hundred Brown Bear pets transport enormous quantities of Spirit Stones from the Dao Sect’s vaults. Their procession resembles ants moving house, humiliating and distressing the Dao Sect Master.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master counsels his old friend to submit to the current power structure rather than resist Chen Qiu. He explains that the Mocking Heaven Sect is an absolute, centralized faction with Chen Qiu at its core and no internal factions or succession concerns.
• The Dao Sect Master eventually accepts the new reality. He enthusiastically praises the spirit fruits and offers to buy 1,500 of them at one thousand Spirit Stones each.
• Before departing, the Mocking Heaven Sect gives the Dao Sect:
  • A valuable chess treasure,

Playing Chess Against Heaven

• A Mocking Heaven Sect protection token
• A promise to destroy surrounding sects’ formations, ensuring those sects will return to the Dao Sect for expensive replacement work
• Chen Qiu later worries that the visit may have been too generous and asks how else the Dao Sect can be helped, revealing that even he feels awkward about demanding such a large “return gift.”

Character Developments

• Sky Axe Sect Master: Becomes increasingly pragmatic and politically observant. Having accepted Chen Qiu’s overwhelming dominance, he now studies the Mocking Heaven Sect’s hierarchy carefully and advises others to align themselves with it. His former confidence as a prodigy has been replaced by humility and survival-minded wisdom.
• Dao Sect Master: Undergoes the chapter’s biggest change. He begins proud, defensive, and prepared to rely on the Dao Sect’s formations. After realizing Chen Qiu cannot be resisted, he abandons his stubbornness and becomes outwardly cooperative, even opportunistic. He quickly identifies the business advantages of working with the Mocking Heaven Sect.
• Fat Dragon: Acts as the Mocking Heaven Sect’s aggressive negotiator. He combines politeness, shameless extortion, and theatrical threats, turning a potentially hostile confrontation into a profitable visit.
• Chen Qiu: Remains mostly offscreen but dominates everyone’s thinking. His reputation is so overwhelming that the Dao Sect’s formidable defenses become irrelevant. He also shows a surprisingly generous and socially awkward side, worrying that he has not treated the Dao Sect fairly enough.
• Brown Bears: Function as Chen Qiu’s pets and servants, humorously emphasizing his wealth and status. Their casual use of precious treasures—such as a high-grade Spirit Transformation Kasaya Robe—deepens the impression that the Mocking Heaven Sect possesses absurd resources.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power versus established defenses: The Dao Sect’s ten-thousand-year formation heritage and massive Spirit Stone reserves cannot protect it from Chen Qiu’s reputation and superior strength.
• Pragmatism and survival: The chapter argues that resisting an unstoppable force is foolish. The Sky Axe Sect Master’s philosophy is to “follow the current” and avoid standing before the great tide.
• Wealth and extortion as comedy: Spirit Stones are treated as both financial assets and combat power. The Mocking Heaven Sect’s visit is effectively a protection racket disguised as diplomacy.
• Power reshaping morality: Actions that would normally be considered unethical—destroying formations to create repeat customers or demanding huge payments—become acceptable when backed by overwhelming force.
• Political structure and factional stability: The Mocking Heaven Sect’s strength comes from its unified leadership under Chen Qiu. The absence of a wife, heirs, competing factions, or succession disputes makes it unusually stable.
• Appearances and social performance: Although the Dao Sect Master resents the transaction, he and his disciples publicly wave farewell with smiles and red handkerchiefs. Maintaining the appearance of friendship becomes essential for survival.
• Unexpected generosity: Despite the coercive circumstances, Chen Qiu gives valuable gifts and protection in return, suggesting that his “civil visits” are not purely predatory.

Character Interactions

• The Sky Axe Sect Master explains the Dao Sect’s strength and wealth to Fat Dragon, encouraging him to demand more Spirit Stones.
• Fat Dragon and the Dao Sect Master engage in a comic exchange in which Fat Dragon alternates between offering fruit and threatening extermination.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master privately advises the Dao Sect Master to lower his posture and cultivate relationships with Fat Dragon and other Mocking Heaven Sect elders.
• The two old friends argue over whether Chen Qiu’s methods are legitimate, with the Sky Axe Sect Master insisting that the Dao Sect is fortunate to survive and profit.
• The Dao Sect Master initially criticizes Chen Qiu’s lack of “human feeling,” but quickly shifts to enthusiastic cooperation once he recognizes the commercial opportunities.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master is shocked by how quickly his friend adapts, realizing that the Dao Sect Master is not merely submissive but capable of exploiting the new alliance.
• Chen Qiu’s final concern that the Dao Sect may not have benefited enough contrasts humorously with the Dao Sect Master’s frantic attempt to please and profit from the Mocking Heaven Sect.

Chapter Summary: “Chen Qiu’s Heaven Patrol!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dao Sect Sect Master visits Chen Qiu aboard his flying vessel and gives him 1.5 million Spirit Stones along with 1,500 spirit fruits. Chen Qiu is shocked by the enormous payment, which greatly increases his wealth.
• Chen Qiu names his campaign “Chen Qiu’s Heaven Patrol.” He plans to use his reputation to strengthen the Dao Sect’s influence rather than simply destroy rival array-producing forces.
• Fat Dragon suggests monopolizing Mystic Heaven Province’s array-disk market by eliminating other array cultivators. Chen Qiu rejects the idea as too brutal and instead orders a publicity campaign praising the Dao Sect’s array disks.
• The Mystic Heaven Daily, controlled by the neutral Northern Ridge Sect, is chosen to promote the Dao Sect under Chen Qiu’s name.
• Chen Qiu’s party destroys the protective grand arrays of eight sects surrounding the Dao Sect. They spare one small sect when its terrified master refuses to activate the array.
• The Fate Sect is especially conflicted: its elders first feel insulted when Chen Qiu bypasses them, then relieved when he returns—but Chen Qiu merely destroys their protective array and leaves without stopping. They realize they must now pay to rebuild it without receiving any goodwill in return.
• The Northern Ridge Sect prepares an extravagant welcome, fearing the fate of the Bai Family, Female Sword Sect, and Buddhist Sect. Chen Qiu arrives to a formal reception featuring flowers, cheering disciples, and sword intent spelling “Gratitude!”
• Chen Qiu instructs the Northern Ridge Sect to promote the Dao Sect in the Mystic Heaven Daily. Fat Dragon accepts 150,000 Spirit Stones as a return gift and departs peacefully.
• The Northern Ridge Sect Sect Master learns from the Sky Axe Sect Sect Master that the Dao Sect had given Chen Qiu 1.5 million Spirit Stones, ten times Northern Ridge’s payment. He realizes the promotion must be sincere and free of manipulation.
• Back at the Dao Sect, its Sect Master, Zhang Qing, proudly displays the chessboard treasure Chen Qiu gave him. He treats it as a symbol of Chen Qiu’s favor and political protection rather than using it.
• When the Fate Sect’s Supreme Elder arrives to request help rebuilding its formation, Zhang Qing prepares an impressive reception designed to display his close relationship with Chen Qiu.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu reveals that despite his fearsome reputation and history of killing, he still retains embarrassment and emotional sensitivity. The Dao Sect’s enormous gift makes him uncomfortable, prompting him to reciprocate with a valuable chessboard treasure.
• Chen Qiu increasingly acts like a powerful sect leader: he delegates business, publicity, recruitment, and diplomacy while focusing on cultivation and maintaining an imposing public image.
• Fat Dragon becomes Chen Qiu’s trusted administrator and strategist. He handles negotiations, publicity arrangements, and the collection of Spirit Stones while helping shape the Mocking Heaven Sect’s influence.
• The Sky Axe Sect’s Sect Master becomes increasingly horrified by the Dao Sect’s extravagant bribery. Though appalled by his old friend’s spending, he admits that the tactic successfully overwhelmed Chen Qiu and secured the Dao Sect’s safety.
• The Dao Sect Sect Master, Zhang Qing, becomes more politically calculating. He deliberately frames Chen Qiu’s gift in his own name so that the favor benefits him personally as well as the Dao Sect.
• The Northern Ridge Sect’s Sect Master shifts from pride and neutrality to open fear and submission. He recognizes that survival depends on cooperating with Chen Qiu and now worries about maintaining his favor.
• The Fate Sect’s Supreme Elder experiences wounded pride and frustration. She would rather have paid Chen Qiu directly than be ignored and forced to bear the reconstruction costs herself.

Significant Themes

• Power through reputation: Chen Qiu’s name alone terrifies sects and compels cooperation, even when he does not personally appear.
• Bribery as diplomacy: The chapter humorously presents enormous gifts and “return gifts” as a practical method of avoiding conflict and securing influence.
• Wealth and political leverage: The Dao Sect’s vast resources allow it to buy Chen Qiu’s favor and gain a near-monopoly over the province’s array market.
• Public image versus reality: The Northern Ridge Sect claims neutrality and dignity, but fear transforms its behavior into exaggerated submission.
• Delegation and authority: Chen Qiu’s growing power lets him withdraw from mundane affairs, leaving subordinates to manage publicity, negotiations, and recruitment.
• Pride and social standing: The Fate Sect’s reaction shows that being ignored can feel more humiliating than being robbed, while Zhang Qing values Chen Qiu’s gift primarily as a symbol of status and protection.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu and Zhang Qing: Their tea conversation leads to Zhang Qing’s massive payment and Chen Qiu’s gift of a chessboard treasure, establishing a mutually beneficial relationship based on wealth, favor, and prestige.
• Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon: Chen Qiu rejects Fat Dragon’s violent proposal but entrusts him with the Dao Sect’s publicity campaign and negotiations.
• Fat Dragon and the Northern Ridge Sect: Fat Dragon accepts their payment, exchanges formal blessings, and reinforces the Mocking Heaven Sect’s custom of both giving and receiving gifts.
• The two Sect Masters of the Sky Axe and Northern Ridge Sects: Their exchange reveals the staggering difference between ordinary payments and the Dao Sect’s all-in bribery. The Northern Ridge Sect Master is left stunned and resentful.
• Zhang Qing and the Fate Sect’s Supreme Elder: Though she arrives seeking practical assistance, Zhang Qing views the visit as an opportunity to display his connection to Chen Qiu and strengthen his own authority.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: The narrator opens by asking readers to provide guaranteed monthly votes at the beginning of the new month, celebrating that the work has been updated 56 times and setting a target of 57 updates next month. They then describe having recently suffered from chest tightness, a feverish head, and general discomfort. After going out, returning home, and washing their feet, they feel significantly recovered.
• Character development: The narrator shifts from feeling physically miserable and frustrated to feeling energized, optimistic, and determined to continue writing. Their confidence is reinforced by the advice of the “brothers,” which led them to seek traditional Chinese medical treatment.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes perseverance, renewal, gratitude toward supporters, and the importance of taking action. The start of a new month symbolizes a fresh beginning, while the narrator’s recovery inspires renewed motivation to work harder.
• Character interactions: Although no direct dialogue occurs, the narrator acknowledges the brothers’ helpful medical advice and addresses readers directly, encouraging them to support the story with monthly votes. The chapter ends with a motivational call to “just do it” and a commitment to reach the next update milestone.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dao Sect Master uses his connection with Chen Qiu and the Mocking Heaven Sect to elevate the Dao Sect’s reputation. After paying 1.5 million Spirit Stones, he gains Chen Qiu’s protection and arranges for the surrounding factions’ sect-protecting formations to be destroyed.
• The Fate Sect visits the Dao Sect to rebuild its formation. The Dao Sect Master openly flaunts his relationship with the Mocking Heaven Sect by displaying Chen Qiu’s token, serving his tea, and offering spirit fruits from the Mocking Heaven Sect. However, after only a few boastful remarks, he dismisses them to meet Elder Liu, leaving the Fate Sect’s elder irritated and humiliated.
• Chen Qiu completes his three-day “Heaven Patrol” across the major factions of Mystic Heaven Province. The journey yields immense wealth, resources, consumables, and comprehensive Trait Compendiums, while most factions behave respectfully enough to avoid being captured or punished.
• The Mocking Heaven Sect and the Dragon Race travel to the abandoned Bai Family territory, formerly controlled by a Body Integration cultivator. They clear the ruins, place the Celestial Palace on the mountain, build fences and basic facilities, and establish the area as their temporary cultivation base.
• Chen Qiu discovers and captures a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Heaven-Aligned Sect—the person who had once called him an “ant” from the Mystic Heaven Continent’s reception entrance. Because of his vindictive nature, Chen Qiu sends him to the Demon-Subduing Pagoda.
• Fat Dragon reports that the sect now possesses 7.8 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, over one million Lower-Grade Spirit Stones, hundreds of High-Grade Spirit Stones, and huge supplies of talismans, formation disks, spirit treasures, and Heavenly Dao Jade Slips. The disciples are now extremely well equipped.
• The entire Mocking Heaven Sect, the Dragon Race, and the Brown Bear Clan begin collective seclusion. The Supreme Spirit-Gathering Array, Demon-Subduing Pagoda, Ascension of Chickens and Dogs Domain, and Mystic Heaven Throne maximize everyone’s cultivation speed at enormous cost.
• Ao Tian undergoes his Void Refinement Tribulation. He refuses to use his tribulation treasures because dragons benefit from directly enduring heavenly lightning. He is badly injured, loses nearly all his scales, but successfully reaches the Void Refinement Realm by using his Reverse Scale to withstand the final strike.
• Ao Tian recovers under Star Dipper’s treatment. Black Dragon mocks his father for suffering during the tribulation, creating a humorous father-son exchange.
• Chen Qiu enters seclusion and, after less than thirty days, breaks through from the First Level to the Second Level of the Void Refinement Realm.
• Upon advancing, Chen Qiu receives three Purple Trait options: Free Body, Rebirth from Death, and Divine Hand. He chooses Divine Hand because it will allow future trait selections to be closely tailored to his desires and may enable him to obtain an ideal Supreme Grade Trait.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu is shown as powerful, wealthy, calculating, and somewhat vain, but also concerned with reputation and fairness. He rewards factions that show him respect and punishes those who insult him. His thoughts about dragon blood creating future opportunities reveal a broader, almost legendary perspective on how opportunities circulate through the world.
• The Dao Sect Master becomes increasingly confident and opportunistic after securing the Mocking Heaven Sect’s protection. He plans to use his relationship with Chen Qiu to gain influence, publicity, and better treatment from other factions, though his excessive boasting makes him appear crude.
• The Fate Sect’s white-haired elder recognizes the Dao Sect’s superior position and suppresses her anger despite feeling disrespected. Her reaction underscores the importance of strength in determining social status.
• Ao Tian proves courageous and proud by choosing to endure his tribulation without assistance. His breakthrough greatly increases his confidence and reinforces the Dragon Race’s physical toughness.
• Black Dragon displays a teasing, irreverent personality, mocking Ao Tian’s pain and returning to cultivation immediately afterward.
• Fat Dragon continues acting as an enthusiastic administrator and treasurer, helping organize the sect’s wealth and trait resources.
• The Brown Bear Clan becomes more integrated into the Mocking Heaven Sect. The young chief shows responsibility and loyalty by guarding the Spirit-Gathering Array, while the old chief reveals a more questionable attitude toward the sect’s wealth. Their discussion also introduces the unexplored passage beneath the Mocking Heaven Sect.
• Chen Qiu’s trait strategy develops from immediate selection toward long-term planning. He realizes that Divine Hand can be combined with future trait opportunities, luck enhancement, and the Heavenly Hall prize pool to maximize his eventual power.

Significant Themes

• Power determines respect and social status: The Fate Sect’s humiliation and the Dao Sect Master’s newfound confidence show how weaker factions must accommodate stronger ones.
• Reputation and political influence: The Dao Sect Master seeks not only protection but also public recognition of his connection to the Mocking Heaven Sect.
• Wealth as a cultivation resource: Millions of Spirit Stones, treasures, formations, and consumables allow the sect to accelerate cultivation dramatically, emphasizing the material cost of advancement.
• Collective growth and sect development: The Mocking Heaven Sect is evolving from an individual-centered group into an organized, well-equipped faction with shared resources and coordinated cultivation.
• Endurance versus efficiency: Ao Tian’s decision to endure the tribulation directly contrasts with Chen Qiu’s preference for maximizing efficiency through treasures, formations, and special abilities.
• Cycles of opportunity: Chen Qiu’s realization that Ao Tian’s spilled blood may create valuable treasures for future cultivators suggests that power and opportunity are continually passed on through the world.
• Long-term planning and optimization: Chen Qiu’s choice of Divine Hand reflects his tendency to plan several breakthroughs ahead and combine traits, luck, and resources for maximum benefit.
• Home and belonging: The otherwise useless fences around the Celestial Palace symbolize warmth, stability, and the transformation of a temporary cultivation site into a communal home.

Character Interactions

• The Dao Sect Master and the Fate Sect elder have an awkward, one-sided exchange in which he repeatedly flaunts Chen Qiu’s gifts before dismissing her almost immediately.
• Chen Qiu and Fat Dragon discuss the sect’s wealth, equipment, and trait resources, highlighting Fat Dragon’s enthusiasm and Chen Qiu’s strategic oversight.
• Chen Qiu confronts the captured Heaven-Aligned Sect cultivator over his former insult and sends him away despite his pleas.
• Chen Qiu encourages Ao Tian before the tribulation, promising to protect him if necessary, while still respecting Ao Tian’s desire to face it independently.
• After the tribulation, Chen Qiu questions Ao Tian’s refusal to use protective treasures. Ao Tian explains the Dragon Race’s need to temper its body through lightning.
• Black Dragon mocks Ao Tian’s injuries and endurance, prompting an irritated response from his father.
• The young and old Brown Bear chiefs argue over who should guard the Spirit-Gathering Array. Their conversation reveals both their loyalty to the sect and their awareness of the temptation presented by its enormous wealth.
• Chen Qiu’s final interaction is with his own cultivation system: by choosing Divine Hand, he prepares to shape future trait selections around his personal ambitions.

Chapter Summary: “Betting Life on Immortality!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Qiu reviews several randomly generated traits:
  • Free Body, a Purple Trait that prevents divine-sense locking, making him difficult for spell and talisman cultivators to target.
  • Rebirth from Death, which allows resurrection 100,000 years after death.
  • Occult Immortal, a newly discovered Purple Trait that randomly alters cultivation speed, spell power, and physical strength each year.
• He rerolls the first trait option to expand his personal Trait Compendium, but ultimately chooses Divine Hand, a Supreme Grade trait better suited to him.
• Chen Qiu examines the theoretical “Betting Life on Immortality” trait set, composed of nine highly randomized, risk-based traits. Although it could produce overwhelming power, he considers it impractical and refuses to pursue it.
• The Young Chief of the Brown Bears reports discovering a mysterious, pitch-black tunnel beneath the Mocking Heaven Sect. Chen Qiu investigates but cannot perceive its depths. He postpones further exploration until after his seclusion.
• Chen Qiu and the Mocking Heaven Sect enter extended closed-door cultivation. His cultivation consumes enormous quantities of Spirit Stones, while many Void Refinement cultivators throughout Mystic Heaven Province retreat or lie low out of fear of the sect.
• The Dao Sect’s array-disk business unexpectedly explodes after the Mystic Heaven Daily promotes the sect and associates its products with Chen Qiu. Orders bring in at least 200,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, especially for the inexpensive Threefold Fortune Rite defensive array disk.
• Encouraged by this success, the Dao Sect Master decides to gamble the sect’s entire future on Chen Qiu winning the upcoming Sole King title in the Twelve Throne Contest. He plans to:
  1. Give future profits to Chen Qiu.
  2. Ensure “Dao Sect” array disks are prominently used in the final battle.
  3. Expand production and recruitment across the entire Vast Continent.
• The elders warn that this plan could destroy the Dao Sect’s ten-thousand-year inheritance, but the sect master orders the gamble anyway, even authorizing the sale of ancestral treasures.
• After thirty more days, Chen Qiu reaches the Third Layer of Void Refinement, though he remains puzzled by the absence of his expected Thunder Tribulation. He resumes cultivation, planning to save three trait draws for a future Supreme Grade selection.
• In Cloud City, the Beast Taming Sect Master worries because his beloved Zhang Kui’s array shop has lost all its customers to Dao Sect products. He asks his disciple Xiao Yue whether they can borrow Chen Qiu’s reputation, but she refuses, warning that Zhang Kui’s small shop lacks the foundations to withstand such publicity.

Character Developments

• Chen Qiu remains calm, methodical, and cautious. He avoids traits based excessively on luck, refuses to investigate the tunnel prematurely, and continues cultivating according to a carefully structured plan.
• Despite his immense strength, Chen Qiu displays curiosity about unusual traits and hidden locations, though he does not let them distract him from his objectives.
• The Dao Sect Master undergoes a dramatic change from cautious administrator to reckless gambler. After profiting from Chen Qiu’s reputation, his suppressed gambling instincts erupt, leading him to risk the sect’s entire future on Chen Qiu’s eventual victory.
• The Dao Sect elders are practical and concerned about financial collapse, but ultimately submit to the sect master’s authority and become emotionally invested in the gamble.
• The Brown Bear Young Chief continues acting as a diligent but largely unnecessary patrolman, trying to appear useful while maintaining sect operations.
• Xiao Yue demonstrates clear judgment and loyalty. She refuses to exploit her past contact with Chen Qiu for personal or romantic reasons, recognizing the danger of attaching a weak business to his reputation.
• The Beast Taming Sect Master is shown as affectionate but helpless, desperate to support Zhang Kui yet unable to compete with Chen Qiu’s overwhelming influence.

Significant Themes

• Gambling and risk: The chapter repeatedly contrasts Chen Qiu’s cautious approach with the Dao Sect Master’s reckless all-in strategy. The “Betting Life on Immortality” trait set mirrors the broader gamble being made with the Dao Sect’s future.
• Reputation as power: Chen Qiu’s name has become a commercial and political force. His endorsement can transform an obscure product into a market sensation.
• Calculated cultivation versus blind faith: Chen Qiu relies on planning, resources, and controlled choices, while the Dao Sect Master bets on an uncertain future based on faith in Chen Qiu’s extraordinary record.
• The danger of sudden prosperity: The Dao Sect’s rapid success creates ambition and overconfidence, raising the possibility that its newfound wealth may lead to ruin.
• Long-term foundations versus explosive opportunity: The elders favor gradual development, while the sect master believes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity must be seized immediately, even at the cost of inherited resources.
• Mystery and hidden threats: The inaccessible underground tunnel and Chen Qiu’s missing Thunder Tribulation suggest deeper secrets involving the Minor World or the Heavenly Dao.

Character Interactions

• Chen Qiu interacts with the Brown Bear Young Chief in a gentle but authoritative manner, reassuring him while postponing investigation of the tunnel.
• The Dao Sect Master clashes with his elders over whether to pursue reckless expansion. The First Elder repeatedly challenges his assumptions, but the sect master’s passionate conviction ultimately wins compliance.
• The Dao Sect Master’s belief in Chen Qiu is based on his extraordinary achievements, while the elders focus on the enormous gap between Chen Qiu’s current cultivation and the likely strength of rival throne holders.
• The Beast Taming Sect Master appeals to Xiao Yue for help, but she firmly rejects the idea of using Chen Qiu’s reputation to rescue Zhang Kui’s struggling shop.
• Chen Qiu remains largely unaware of the massive commercial and strategic consequences his reputation is creating throughout the province.

Chapter Summary: “Mocking Heaven Sect Produces No Nobodies!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yue admits that Chen Qiu merely slapped her in the past, undermining the exaggerated romantic reputation others associate with him. July Cat is surprised by Xiao Yue’s newfound self-awareness.
• The Dao Sect’s traditional array business collapses because Chen Qiu’s reputation has made the Mocking Heaven Sect’s products overwhelmingly popular. The Dao Sect cannot obtain enough stock from the Mocking Heaven Sect, even through intermediaries.
• The Dao Sect releases a useless low-grade Qi Refinement array plate bearing the words: “May you return safely—Chen Qiu of the Mocking Heaven Sect.” It has virtually no practical function, but sells for one Mid-Grade Spirit Stone and becomes an enormous sensation across Mystic Heaven Province.
• One million plates sell rapidly, generating roughly 450,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in gross profit. Resale prices soar, with higher-colored “rare” versions eventually reaching hundreds of Spirit Stones.
• Liu Zide explains his marketing strategy to the Dao Sect Master:
  • Sell Chen Qiu’s name and reputation, not the plate’s function.
  • Restrict supply to create scarcity and conversation.
  • Manipulate the secondary market by purchasing plates at inflated prices.
  • Release new versions with different inspirational phrases.
  • Introduce extremely rare color variants to create status symbols.
  • Publicize Chen Qiu’s legendary deeds and arrange influential figures to display the rare plates.
• The Dao Sect reinvests most of its profits into production, recruitment, publicity, and expansion. Within several dozen days, it earns approximately eight million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
• Chen Qiu awakens from seclusion after breaking through to Void Refinement Fourth Layer. He learns of Liu Zide’s success and realizes that the Dao Sect can serve as a powerful external organization for both wealth generation and spreading his reputation.
• Chen Qiu considers recruiting the Dao Sect as his permanent publicity and business apparatus, especially because his “Far-Reaching Fame” Trait benefits from more people knowing his name.
• He resumes cultivation, aiming to accumulate enough Trait draws to obtain a Supreme Grade Trait. Meanwhile, the Mocking Heaven Sect continues cultivating, with members frequently undergoing tribulations.
• The Young Chief of the Brown Bears proudly guards the Celestial Palace and handles visitors and messages. He is especially pleased by the respect shown to him through the Dao Sect Master’s generous gifts.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master confronts the Dao Sect Master, bitterly complaining that he introduced Chen Qiu first but received none of the benefits. He demands a share of the Dao Sect’s newfound wealth and jokingly threatens to hang himself in the Dao Sect if refused.

Character Developments

• Liu Zide finally gains an opportunity to demonstrate his unique talent. Though weak in cultivation, he is revealed to be an exceptionally bold and effective strategist in publicity, commerce, and reputation manipulation.
• Chen Qiu recognizes that he has neglected Liu Zide and begins appreciating him as a rare talent whose abilities complement the Mocking Heaven Sect’s force-based approach. He also becomes more open to using organized publicity and wealth generation rather than relying solely on conquest and robbery.
• The Dao Sect Master evolves from an array craftsman into an ambitious business leader willing to stake the sect’s resources on Liu Zide’s plan. He fully accepts Liu Zide’s authority and becomes impressed by the latter’s daring.
• The Sky Axe Sect Master becomes comically jealous and resentful. Although he helped connect the Dao Sect Master with Chen Qiu, he feels overlooked while the Dao Sect grows rich.
• The Young Chief of the Brown Bears develops a strong sense of belonging and pride in the Mocking Heaven Sect. Even a seemingly minor duty, guarding the Spirit-Gathering Array, gives him a sense of dignity and importance.
• Xiao Yue shows increased emotional clarity by rejecting the false romanticized version of her relationship with Chen Qiu.

Significant Themes

• Reputation as power: Chen Qiu’s name becomes more valuable than the actual products associated with him.
• Marketing and manufactured desire: Scarcity, social status, public display, and artificial resale prices transform a useless object into a highly coveted treasure.
• Talent beyond cultivation: Liu Zide proves that a person with modest cultivation can still influence the world through intelligence, strategy, and unconventional expertise.
• The value of specialization: Chen Qiu excels at force and cultivation, while Liu Zide excels at publicity and commerce. Their success comes from recognizing and combining different talents.
• Belonging and recognition: The Brown Bear Young Chief and Liu Zide both value being useful members of the Mocking Heaven Sect, even when their contributions are not based on combat strength.
• Ambition and reinvestment: The Dao Sect’s willingness to spend nearly all its profits on expansion reflects a “break the cauldrons and sink the boats” mentality.
• Comedy through cultivation-world capitalism: The chapter satirizes cultivators’ obsession with treasures and practical benefits by showing them spend vast sums on a completely useless Chen Qiu-themed plate.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Yue and July Cat: Xiao Yue corrects the exaggerated rumors about Chen Qiu, while July Cat silently marvels at her change in perspective.
• Liu Zide and the Dao Sect Master: Their partnership is the chapter’s central relationship. The Dao Sect Master supplies resources and authority, while Liu Zide provides the vision and strategy. Their personalities—boldness and relentless innovation—fit perfectly together.
• Chen Qiu and Liu Zide: Though Chen Qiu had nearly forgotten Liu Zide, Liu’s achievements remind him of the disciple’s past contributions to his rise and reveal his continuing value.
• Chen Qiu and the Dao Sect: Chen Qiu grows interested in formally recruiting the Dao Sect as a publicity and commercial arm of the Mocking Heaven Sect.
• The Brown Bear Young Chief and the Mocking Heaven Sect: His dedication to guarding the sect reflects his emotional investment in the group and desire to contribute meaningfully.
• Sky Axe Sect Master and Dao Sect Master: Their old friendship becomes a source of comedic tension as the Sky Axe Sect Master demands compensation for making the original introduction to Chen Qiu.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dao Sect Master explains to the Sky Axe Sect Master that the Dao Sect’s recent prosperity comes from selling array discs and leveraging the mysterious Senior’s reputation. The Sky Axe Sect, lacking a comparable product, has struggled to profit similarly.
• The Dao Sect Master introduces Liu Zide, an Outer Disciple of the Mocking Heaven Sect who has been planning the Dao Sect’s expansion under the Senior’s approval. Liu offers the Sky Axe Sect a way to participate in the profits.
• Liu explains that the Dao Sect needs reliable allies for a major operation connected to Pingxi Province, where the throne is currently held by Qin, the ancestor of Peaceful Prefecture.
• Qin is an Integrated Body Middle Stage cultivator who unexpectedly seized the Pingxi throne after killing two Integrated Body Peak Stage challengers with one strike. His victory made him famous and caused everyone to mistake him for an invincible hidden expert.
• In reality, Qin is terrified of the upcoming Sole King Contest. His combat strength depends on numerous randomly fluctuating Traits, most of which are currently weakening him.
• Qin’s unusual power originated from the Gray Trait “Free Person,” which doubles the effects of his random combat Traits. He later received the Red Trait “Fairy’s First Night,” which continuously blessed him with extraordinary luck, and the Purple Trait “Divine Hand,” which allowed him to obtain Traits tailored to his wishes.
• Through luck, repeated Trait selections, and Heavenly Dao Rewind Tokens, Qin assembled a powerful set of random combat Traits. For centuries, he was nearly invincible within his realm.
• However, the “Fairy’s First Night” Trait eventually stopped working, apparently because the fairy who granted it had died. Qin’s luck then collapsed, causing his combat strength to fluctuate wildly.
• During one rare period when all his Traits were enhanced, Qin impulsively intervened in a battle near Peaceful Prefecture. He used the Body Integration Killing Art, “Three Purities World-Extinguishing Strike,” to kill two Integrated Body Peak Stage cultivators instantly.
• His feat made him famous throughout Pingxi Province and secured him the title of Pingxi King. The defeated forces offered lavish compensation, while the public praised Qin as a humble, reclusive immortal.
• Once the excitement faded, Qin realized that most of his Traits had returned to weakening states. He now doubts whether he could even defeat an Early Void Refinement cultivator.
• Qin considers improving his luck with Prodigy Fortune, but recognizes that this is unreliable and difficult. His safer alternative is to surrender the Pingxi throne or concede during the Sole King Contest, sacrificing his reputation to survive.
• He bitterly regrets his impulsive display of strength, realizing that he has truly placed his life on the line.

Character Developments

• Dao Sect Master: Remains proud of the Dao Sect’s growth but acknowledges that its success depends on having a marketable product and the Senior’s backing. He acts as a bridge between the Sky Axe Sect and Liu Zide.
• Sky Axe Sect Master: Becomes increasingly anxious and envious of the Dao Sect’s wealth. Despite initially hesitating to ask for help, pressure from his sect forces him to seek a share of the opportunity.
• Liu Zide: Is revealed as the strategic mind behind the Dao Sect’s expansion. He presents himself modestly but confidently, showing that his planning is crucial to the sect’s success.
• Qin, Ancestor of Peaceful Prefecture: Is revealed to be less a naturally powerful expert than a lucky cultivator whose strength depends on volatile Traits. His public image as a detached, supreme expert contrasts sharply with his private fear, regret, and insecurity.
• Qin’s clansmen and the public: Misinterpret his one-time victory as proof of consistent invincibility, increasing the pressure on him and making it harder for him to retreat without losing face.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The Dao Sect appears wealthy because of its public success, while Qin appears invincible despite being deeply unstable and frightened.
• Luck and fate: Qin’s entire rise depends on extraordinary fortune, but once that luck disappears, his seemingly unstoppable power becomes unreliable.
• The danger of reputation: Qin’s impulsive attempt to impress his clansmen creates an image he cannot sustain, trapping him politically and socially.
• Humility versus vanity: Although Qin had once avoided conflict and cultivated quietly, the admiration he received after his victory awakened his long-suppressed vanity.
• Strategic cooperation and resource competition: The Dao Sect’s success prompts allied sects to seek new ways to profit, highlighting the importance of products, influence, and calculated alliances.
• Survival versus honor: Qin must choose between preserving his reputation as Pingxi King and admitting defeat to stay alive.

Character Interactions

• The Dao Sect Master and Sky Axe Sect Master argue over the Dao Sect’s wealth and whether the Sky Axe Sect can be supported. Their exchange is humorous but also reveals the unequal economic positions of the two sects.
• The Dao Sect Master proudly presents Liu Zide as the architect of the Dao Sect’s recent achievements, surprising the Sky Axe Sect Master.
• Liu Zide calmly explains the opportunity to the two sect leaders, positioning the Sky Axe Sect as a useful ally for the Dao Sect’s broader plans.
• Qin’s interaction with the two Integrated Body Peak Stage cultivators is brief but decisive: offended by their battle near his territory, he arrogantly challenges them and destroys them in one strike.
• Qin’s relationship with his clansmen is shaped by their admiration. Their shocked and worshipful reactions encourage his moment of pride, while their belief in his invincibility later intensifies his anxiety.
• The chapter’s central contrast is between Liu Zide’s calculated strategy and Qin’s impulsive boastfulness: one carefully builds influence, while the other accidentally creates a dangerous legend around himself.