Chapter Summaries

Jian Shang realized the Otherworlders were burning their lives to unleash overwhelming strength, and many died after devastating the enemy army. King Luolong emerged, absorbed the battlefield’s blood, and began annihilating his opponents until Zhi Ji abruptly weakened him with Heaven-Destroying Finger.

• Jian Shang questioned Tian Dan about stopping the secret art, and Tian Dan admitted he could not control it.
• Blade used his strength to blast the Crimson Dragon Elder away, then died when his life-burning power ran out.
• Otherworlders unleashed their ultimate techniques and died in large numbers as King Luolong appeared, empowered by the battlefield’s blood.
• King Luolong killed the Six-Tailed Demon Fox in one strike, and Demon Empress Ying Ying’s treasures burst from her shattered body.
• Flower Consort Qi Ji played Hundred Flowers' Burial, causing vegetation to grow while the battlefield’s blood dissipated.
• Zhi Ji struck King Luolong with Heaven-Destroying Finger, and his surging aura abruptly plunged.

Chapter Summary: “Madness in Hot Blood”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After five days in Guangzhou, Shadow prepares to return home following an exhausting franchise-training trip undertaken with his wife.
• The trip was financially risky: Shadow relied on borrowed credit cards and manuscript income to pay the franchise fee, leaving him anxious about repayment and whether the venture would succeed.
• The training was completed, though the promised accommodations were limited; food was often inconvenient and reduced to inexpensive meals such as instant noodles.
• During the trip, Shadow reflects on the purpose of the gamble: securing a better future for his wife, their son, and their family.
• Shadow learns that the writing website has begun providing social and medical insurance to more than two hundred authors. He is disappointed that he was excluded despite believing Forging the Sacred Court deserved a place among the site’s top authors.
• He becomes increasingly frustrated by piracy, weak legitimate-site engagement, and readers who consume his work without subscribing, clicking, recommending, or otherwise supporting it.
• Near two in the morning before his train departure, Shadow writes a lengthy standalone chapter expressing his feelings about his trip, his writing career, his readers, and the novel’s current storyline.
• He ends with a passionate rallying cry, comparing loyal readers to soldiers and urging them to help him achieve greater success.

Character Developments

• Shadow is shown as anxious, financially pressured, and emotionally conflicted, but also determined and willing to take risks. Although he initially opposed his wife’s franchise plan, he ultimately chooses to support her rather than crush another of her hopes.
• His frustration with the writing industry deepens. He feels overlooked by the website, suspicious of poor subscription figures, and hurt by the contrast between strong piracy-site popularity and weak legitimate support.
• Despite his bitterness, Shadow remains devoted to his readers and continues updating regularly, even while traveling and working on unfamiliar computers.
• Shadow’s wife is portrayed as innocent, hardworking, family-oriented, and more willing to gamble on uncertain opportunities. Her determination motivates Shadow to join her in the risky venture.
• The readers are presented as a fluctuating community: some disappear over time, while others become active and loyal. Their support—or lack of it—strongly affects Shadow’s morale.

Significant Themes

• Risk and sacrifice: The franchise is a gamble taken for the family’s future, while Shadow’s writing career also requires persistent financial and emotional sacrifice.
• Dreams and perseverance: The chapter emphasizes that ambition, hard work, and continued effort can eventually lead to success.
• Family loyalty: Shadow supports his wife not because he believes the plan is safe, but because he values her hopes and wants to stand beside her.
• The struggles of creative work: Shadow highlights writers’ lack of benefits, unstable income, unfair recognition, and dependence on readers’ support.
• Piracy and appreciation: The chapter questions whether readers who enjoy free or pirated content understand the practical importance of subscriptions, votes, recommendations, and legitimate purchases.
• Community and shared purpose: Writers and readers are depicted as participants in a collective struggle, united by the desire to see the novel succeed.
• Passion and rebellion: “Madness in Hot Blood” represents Shadow’s determination to fight against discouragement and push toward his dreams.

Character Interactions

• Shadow and his wife briefly explore Guangzhou together while waiting for Xiao Ya, giving them a rare moment outside the training and writing schedule.
• Shadow’s relationship with his wife is defined by tension over financial risk but ultimately strengthened by mutual commitment to their family.
• He reconnects with an old author acquaintance, who informs him about the website’s new author-benefit system.
• Shadow addresses his readers directly, criticizing their lack of legitimate support while also encouraging those who can help to do so.
• He recalls two loyal, fully subscribing readers who entrusted him with their voting accounts, illustrating both reader dedication and the common failure to use available promotional support.
• The chapter concludes by turning the relationship between Shadow and his readers into a metaphorical army: together, they can “charge forward,” overcome obstacles, and open the door to glory.

Zhi Ji’s Heaven-Destroying Finger badly wounded King Luolong but failed to kill him, and he began recovering by drawing blood from the battlefield. Jian Shang fought him in several beast forms, but King Luolong endured the attacks and grew stronger; the chapter ended as Jian Shang raised an ancient bow whose aura halted the fighting.

• Zhi Ji struck King Luolong with Heaven-Destroying Finger, leaving him poisoned and suffering cultivation deviation, but he survived and transformed into a badly wounded dragon.
• King Luolong absorbed blood from the corpses to recover, so Zhao Ji attacked him and Jian Shang transformed into Kunpeng to consume the battlefield’s remains alongside Qi Ji’s Hundred Flowers’ Burial.
• King Luolong tried to flee, but Jian Shang attacked with Kunpeng Shatters Heaven; King Luolong countered with Red Dragon Burns Heaven and overwhelmed Jian Shang’s Rift-Splitting Mad Lion form.
• Jian Shang transformed into a Mountain-Shaking Demon Elephant, grabbed King Luolong with his trunk, and slammed him into the ground before charging him with Mountain-Shaking Collision.
• King Luolong burst from the ruins with stronger flames and a rising aura, and Jian Shang returned to human form and summoned an ancient bow as the battlefield fell silent.

Jian Shang’s Setting Sun Divine Arrow grievously wounded King Luolong, but the Devouring Heaven Tiger King used King Luolong and several other Beast Kings to transform into the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King. The monster reached the legendary great demon level, leaving the China Faction facing an enemy whose wounds healed almost instantly.

• Jian Shang shot King Luolong with the Setting Sun Divine Arrow, sending him crashing thousands of meters away with a massive wound.
• Zhi Ji warned the China Faction that the Devouring Heaven Tiger King had not yet appeared.
• The Devouring Heaven Tiger King offered King Luolong a choice, then used King's Heaven-Devouring to absorb him into a purple vortex.
• The Dragon-Tiger King, two Crimson Dragon Elders, and the Chenla Witch King entered the vortex, while the Howling Moon King refused to join them.
• Jian Shang, Zhao Ji, and the other fighters attacked the vortex, but it revealed the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King, whose aura rose to the great demon level.
• The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King endured attacks from the Loose Immortals and rapidly healed its shattered scales.

Jian Shang’s National Artifact destroyed the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King, but the Great Demon quickly regenerated, leaving the Huan Kingdom’s forces facing an enemy that seemed impossible to kill. The chapter ended with Jian Shang and the others stunned as the dragon re-formed in the sky.

• Jian Shang wounded the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King with the Scarlet Sky Sword, but the dragon healed completely within moments.
• Dongfang Shi identified the dragon’s cloud-riding ability as a sign of a Great Demon, and Zhi Ji explained what ancient records said about Great Demons, True Immortals, and ascension.
• Jian Shang used the Investiture of the Gods Hall to strike the dragon with the Light of the Star Tribulation, which blew it apart into tiny particles.
• Jian Shang asked Dongfang Shi whether the wealthy Penglai Commerce Association could reimburse the National Artifact’s hundred thousand Diamond Coins cost.
• Tian Dan spotted the particles gathering, and the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King re-formed intact, shocking Jian Shang, Dongfang Shi, Zhi Ji, Zhao Ji, and Yu Ji.

The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King pursued the Howling Moon King while Jian Shang gathered the China Faction inside the Eight-Gate Heaven-Locking Formation, but their attacks failed to stop him. Hua Qiandai’s World-Extinguishing Immortal Palm tore the dragon’s body apart, yet he struck the Howling Moon King and tried to devour him; the Howling Moon King then vanished from the crater.

• The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King blamed the Howling Moon King for refusing to fuse with him and attacked, forcing the Howling Moon King to evade with his speed.
• Jian Shang deployed the Eight-Gate Heaven-Locking Formation and gathered the China Faction inside it to attack the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King.
• The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King ignored most attacks and burned to ashes those who charged close, so Jian Shang ordered the weaker fighters to stop attacking and remain in the formation.
• Hua Qiandai unleashed the World-Extinguishing Immortal Palm, which shattered the dragon’s claw and blasted his body apart.
• The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King struck the Howling Moon King, destroyed two of his heads, and lunged to devour him, but the Howling Moon King vanished from the crater.

Jian Shang rescued the Howling Moon King to learn the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King's secrets, then killed him and received system rewards. As the formation began to fail, Zhao Ji revealed that she and Zhi Ji, Qi Ji, and Yu Ji could use a powerful formation to hold the monster back.

• Jian Shang learned from the Howling Moon King that the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King was a fusion of powerful beings controlled by the Devouring Heaven Tiger King, whose unstable mind made it vulnerable to mental strength.
• The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King battered the Eight-Gate Heaven-Locking Formation, causing heavy casualties, while the Howling Moon King offered to help Jian Shang defeat it.
• Jian Shang rejected the Howling Moon King's offer and killed him, earning divine ability rewards and a system notification.
• As the formation weakened and Zhi Ji could not use the Heaven-Destroying Finger again, Jian Shang prepared to have Qi Ji use the Investiture of the Gods Hall and readied the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow.
• Zhao Ji proposed that she, Zhi Ji, Qi Ji, and Yu Ji work together to deploy a formation capable of trapping the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King, and began calling its spirits into position.

Zhao Ji, Zhi Ji, Qi Ji, and Yu Ji trapped the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King in the True Yin Soul-Misleading Ultimate Formation, calming his rampage while the China Faction reinforced its defenses. After an hour, the Dragon King’s power turned against him, and he began exhausting himself fighting the formation’s endlessly appearing creatures.

• Zhao Ji, Zhi Ji, Qi Ji, and Yu Ji activated the True Yin Soul-Misleading Ultimate Formation and ensnared the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King in a tranquil illusion-like space.
• The formation calmed the Dragon King and eased pressure on the Eight-Gate Heaven-Locking Formation, while Jian Shang ordered cities to teleport more troops to the battlefield.
• Enemy forces continued attacking the formation, suffered heavy losses, and some slipped away as China’s reinforcements gathered.
• After an hour, the Dragon King began convulsing and roaring as his power slipped out of control.
• The Dragon King unleashed blood-red flames and fought the formation’s fairies, insects, flowers, and trees instead of attacking the formation itself.

The four women weakened the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King inside the Soul-Misleading Space, but he shattered it and escaped. Jian Shang killed King Luolong as he emerged from the formation, gaining rewards and fortune that advanced his cultivation and strengthened the Huan Kingdom.

• Yan Wuji urged Jian Shang to let an Otherworlder kill the Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King for its rewards, but Jian Shang cautioned against risking the greater undertaking for loot.
• The Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King erupted with power, shattered the Soul-Misleading Space, and blasted Zhao Ji and the other three women out of it.
• Jian Shang used the formation to pull the four women to safety, then led the others out to attack the escaping King Luolong.
• Jian Shang's Scarlet Sky Sword cut King Luolong in two, killing him and triggering system rewards, including the Jingyang Dragon Ring and the choice to upgrade the Wei Martial Guards.
• Jian Shang's fortune surged, advancing him to the eighth level of the Innate Realm and the Divine Dragon Realm, while the Huan Kingdom's national fortune and the strength of its people increased.

Jian Shang defeated the invading forces’ remaining leaders and received major National War rewards, including the Vietnam Region’s National Artifacts and an upgraded troop type. After the Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword consumed King Luolong’s dragon soul, it transformed into a Red Dragon King and devoured the Chenla Witch King, leaving Jian Shang with new sword powers and rewards from the Laos Region.

• Jian Shang received the Huan Martial Guards upgrade and the decisive-battle rewards after the system declared his victory over the Vietnam Region.
• The Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword revealed its hunger, and Jian Shang used the Three-Realm Soul Refinement Art to send King Luolong’s dragon soul into it.
• The Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword transformed into a hundred-meter Red Dragon King and devoured the Chenla Witch King’s gu insects.
• The sword returned to Jian Shang’s hand with its Dragon Transformation trait activated and its Emperor Dao laws strengthened.
• Jian Shang received the Laos Region’s God-Commanding Art, the Heavenly Gu Codex, and other rewards for slaying Yang Sui.

After Jian Shang killed King Luolong, the Huan Kingdom won the Sino-Vietnam Decisive Battle and gained major rewards, including two National Artifacts. Jian Shang then used the Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword to devour the Chenla Witch King, strengthening the sword and earning Laos Region rewards.

• Jian Shang received system notices confirming King Luolong's death and upgrading the surviving Wei Martial Guards into Huan Martial Guards.
• The system declared the Huan Kingdom victorious in the Sino-Vietnam Decisive Battle and awarded Jian Shang the Jingyang Dragon Ring, the Jingyang Water Estate, and ten million National War points.
• Jian Shang pursued the Chenla Witch King as the Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword signaled that it was hungry for King Luolong's dragon soul.
• Jian Shang used the Three-Realm Soul Refinement Art to draw King Luolong's dragon soul into the Scarlet Firmament Divine Sword, which transformed into a Red Dragon King and devoured the Chenla Witch King.
• The system announced that the Scarlet Sky Sword had grown stronger and unlocked its Dragon Transformation trait, while Jian Shang received the Laos Region's God-Commanding Art, Heavenly Gu Codex, and other rewards.

After China’s forces defeated the enemy Great Adepts, Jian Shang ordered an immediate pursuit and a campaign to reclaim lost territory. Di Wushuang offered him her valuable spoils, including an Immortal Elixir, but her generosity left Yan Wuji questioning whether she was really Wei Wushuang.

• Jian Shang found that his allies had already slain the remaining Great Adepts, then ordered the armies to pursue the retreating enemy and march south for vengeance.
• China’s forces charged through the routed enemy troops as Jian Shang recalled the Eight-Gate Heaven-Locking Formation.
• Di Wushuang offered Jian Shang the Devouring Heaven Tiger King’s spoils, including an Immortal Grade Duh'e Ascendant God Pill, explaining that she had merely picked up a bargain.
• Jian Shang hesitated over accepting the Immortal Elixir, while the gathered experts stared at it and Yan Wuji sighed with relief when Jian Shang initially refused Di Wushuang’s loot.
• Di Wushuang placed the spoils in Jian Shang’s hands, and Yan Wuji asked whether she was really Wei Wushuang.

Di Wushuang gave Jian Shang five supreme treasures and asked to be treated as part of the Huan Kingdom rather than an outsider. Jian Shang promoted her to Wushuang Marquis, and Zhao Ji helped her realize that belonging also meant placing herself within the kingdom’s rules and responsibilities.

• Jian Shang examined the five supreme treasures Di Wushuang had given him and asked what she wanted in return.
• Yan Wuji suggested Di Wushuang had fallen in love with Jian Shang, and she slapped him down before declaring that no man was worthy of her.
• Di Wushuang asked Jian Shang to include her as one of his own, explaining that the treasures did not suit her Jade Lotus Path and that she hoped to gain more by following the Huan Kingdom.
• Jian Shang appointed Di Wushuang Wushuang Marquis and granted her the Marquis Fruition Rank, strengthening her cultivation through the Huan Kingdom’s national fortune.
• Zhao Ji advised Di Wushuang that she needed to accept the kingdom’s rules and put herself in the proper position if she wanted its people to accept her.
• Di Wushuang understood that her own distant, willful conduct had kept her from fitting in and sincerely thanked Zhao Ji for her guidance.

Summary of “Dividing the Spoils”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Huan Kingdom’s victory over the Yue/Vietnamese forces, Di Wushuang bows to Yue Empress Zhao Ji. Zhao Ji accepts the gesture because of her past relationship with the Evil King Zhao Gao and asks Di Wushuang to fulfill his final wish. Their exchange hints at a complicated history between Zhao Ji and the Evil King, possibly involving romantic feelings or mutual admiration.
• Jian Shang orders Prime Minister Tian Dan to organize the battlefield, distribute the spoils, and rapidly reinforce the region. He appoints seven marquises—including Li Tong, Ji Bu, Meng Tian, Wang Ben, Gao Gong, Yang Ning, and Long Ju—to pursue and destroy the retreating enemy armies.
• Jian Shang declares that Huan Kingdom’s strategy will be to “destroy the nation” of the Vietnam Region. This shocks Di Wushuang and several others because the region contains over a hundred million Otherworlders and vast numbers of civilians, and such an attack could provoke the United Nations and public condemnation.
• Jian Shang rejects these objections, arguing that the United Nations did nothing when Yue forces massacred forty-seven Huan cities. He insists that anyone who obstructs him will become his enemy and makes it clear that he intends to enforce his decision through strength rather than negotiation.
• The discovery of National War Merit Jade Tokens changes the handling of the battlefield remains. When an Otherworlder’s account is permanently deleted, their accumulated National War merits become jade tokens that can be recovered.
• Jian Shang orders that the possessions and merit tokens of fallen Otherworlders be carefully preserved and returned to their original owners. He also grants each fallen Otherworlder an additional three months of military-rank salary as a gift of thanks.
• Prime Minister Tian Dan protests the enormous expense because more than a million Otherworlders died, including over a hundred thousand powerful Advanced and Apex-level fighters. Jian Shang nevertheless insists that their sacrifices deserve compensation beyond ordinary system rewards.
• Di Wushuang warns Jian Shang not to offer similar compensation during the Vietnam campaign, since it could draw a huge proportion of China’s Otherworlders away from the other fronts. Jian Shang realizes that doing so would leave the eastern, western, and northern battlefields dangerously undermanned.
• Dongfang Shi abruptly asks about dividing the spoils. Jian Shang proposes dividing all unclaimed spoils into ten portions: seventy percent for Huan Kingdom and ten percent each for the three allied factions. He promises to compensate the factions personally if their shares prove insufficient.
• Dongfang Shi praises Jian Shang’s generosity but immediately shifts the discussion toward business, asking whether he is willing to sell Duh’e Ascendant God Pills.

Character Developments

• Jian Shang displays increasing confidence, ruthlessness, and authority after the victory. He is willing to pursue total destruction of the enemy nation and openly challenges anyone who opposes him.
• At the same time, Jian Shang demonstrates unusual generosity and a strong sense of responsibility toward allied Otherworlders. He distinguishes between official rewards and personal gifts of gratitude, viewing the fallen as heroes whose sacrifices made victory possible.
• Di Wushuang acts as both a moral adviser and a political realist. She warns Jian Shang about the consequences of destroying Vietnam and about the strategic danger of over-rewarding Otherworlders, but she ultimately accepts his decisions.
• Zhao Ji is shown to have a deep and possibly intimate history with the Evil King. Her acceptance of Di Wushuang’s bow suggests respect for both Di Wushuang and the Evil King’s legacy.
• Yan Wuji becomes noticeably submissive and flattering toward Jian Shang, partly because he fears being forced to surrender the Crimson Dragon Elder’s reward.
• Dongfang Shi reinforces her image as a shrewd, pragmatic merchant. Even after receiving Jian Shang’s generous offer, she immediately focuses on acquiring valuable cultivation pills.
• Long Ju reveals that he prefers military command to administrative duties and is delighted when Jian Shang allows him to join the pursuit forces.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus retaliation: Jian Shang justifies total war as repayment for Yue’s earlier massacres, raising questions about whether vengeance can become morally indistinguishable from the original crime.
• The cost of war: The chapter emphasizes the enormous human and financial price of victory, including millions of deaths, exhausted treasuries, and the sacrifices of newly recruited soldiers.
• Leadership and generosity: Jian Shang’s willingness to spend national wealth and personally compensate fallen allies presents him as a ruler who values loyalty and sacrifice, though his ministers see the policy as dangerously extravagant.
• Political pragmatism: Military alliances, merchant contributions, strategic troop placement, and the division of spoils all demonstrate that victory depends on diplomacy and economics as much as battlefield strength.
• Otherworlders and mortality: The chapter challenges the belief that Otherworlders are effectively immortal, explaining that repeated deaths can permanently damage their souls even if their accounts are not entirely erased.
• Legacy and the past: Zhao Ji’s interaction with Di Wushuang connects the present conflict to the older generation of legendary figures, particularly the Evil King and the Wulin Myth Lord.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Ji and Di Wushuang: Their formal exchange is shaped by respect for the Evil King, while Zhao Ji’s words imply a shared history and an expectation that Di Wushuang will carry out his final wish.
• Jian Shang and Di Wushuang: Di Wushuang repeatedly challenges Jian Shang’s decisions on humanitarian and strategic grounds, but Jian Shang firmly overrules her.
• Jian Shang and Tian Dan: Jian Shang gives Tian Dan responsibility for battlefield logistics and compensation, while Tian Dan struggles with the financial burden of his ruler’s generous orders.
• Jian Shang and the military marquises: The marquises eagerly accept the chance to pursue the retreating enemy, seeing the campaign as both a duty and an opportunity to earn merit.
• Jian Shang and Dongfang Shi: Their exchange combines political reward and commercial negotiation. Jian Shang offers the allied factions a substantial share of the spoils, while Dongfang Shi responds by seeking access to Duh’e Ascendant God Pills.

Jian Shang negotiated with Dongfang Shi over the Duh'e Ascendant God Pill, then discovered that his National War points could help supply the Huan Kingdom's troops. He sold her the pill under an equipment and spoils agreement, while the ruined Fanyu Royal City remained a grim aftermath of the battle.

• Dongfang Shi offered the Penglai Commerce Association's investment and ten-percent share of the spoils for the Duh'e Ascendant God Pill, and Jian Shang agreed to sell it in exchange for outfitting the Huan Kingdom's active-duty troops.
• Di Wushuang urged Jian Shang to check his National War points, and he found that his total exceeded 1.234 billion after kills by himself and the Huan Army were counted.
• Jian Shang examined the exchange rules and realized his points could not fully equip the kingdom's troops, then asked Tian Dan how many active-duty soldiers needed supplies.
• Dongfang Shi agreed to supply ordinary troop equipment and discount Special Legion equipment, and Jian Shang handed her the pill while arranging further custom orders.
• Jian Shang asked Zhi Ji and Dongfang Shi to divide and absorb the battlefield spoils, and Zhi Ji agreed as the chapter ended on the devastation of Fanyu Royal City.

After the Sino-Vietnam Decisive Battle devastated both sides, Jian Shang secluded himself to assess the immense rewards he had gained. He discovered that the captured Jingyang Dragon Ring held a vast fortune and examined the other treasures, including the Jingyang Water Estate and a powerful Gu Mother.

• The Huan Kingdom and its allies defeated the Vietnamese Allied Army, killing every enemy Loose Immortal and destroying most of its forces, while suffering catastrophic losses themselves.
• Jian Shang entered seclusion after the battle and reviewed his cultivation gains, treasures, divine abilities, and the Huan Martial Guards’ advancement.
• Jian Shang decided to learn the divine abilities and profound arts he had acquired, using Cosmic Star Tribulation as their central framework.
• Jian Shang inspected the Jingyang Dragon Ring, discovered its enormous storage space and more than ten million Diamond Coins’ worth of valuables, and put the ring on.
• Jian Shang examined the Jingyang Water Estate and the Seven-Colored Demon Butterfly Gu Matriarch, wondering how he could merge with the powerful Gu Mother.

Jian Shang used the Heavenly Gu Codex to awaken the Seven-Colored Demon Butterfly Gu Matriarch, who transformed into a beautiful woman and received the name Xiao Dieyi. After recognizing her as his independent younger sister, Jian Shang prepared to merge with the Heavenly Gu Body.

• Jian Shang studied the Heavenly Gu Codex and decided to nurture the Seven-Colored Demon Butterfly Gu Matriarch despite the risks of merging with a Gu insect.
• The Gu Matriarch drained Jian Shang's Innate True Qi and vital energy until she broke free and emerged as a giant seven-colored butterfly.
• The butterfly transformed into a naked young woman, spoke to Jian Shang, and tried to enchant him before he asked her name.
• Jian Shang named her Xiao Dieyi, told her to conceal her wings and present herself as his younger sister, and affirmed that she was an independent being.
• Jian Shang told Xiao Dieyi to study her innate gifts while he prepared to merge with the Heavenly Gu Body.

Chapter Summary: Preparations for the Southern Campaign

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jian Shang completes his initial fusion with the Heavenly Gu Body, gaining a preliminary understanding of its profundities. The body can transform into or divide into multiple natal Gu, allowing him to revive so long as one surviving form retains enough power.
• Although he possesses the powerful Heaven-Devouring Crimson Dragon King golden core, Jian Shang refuses to fuse with it. Remembering the dangers of consuming a Loose Immortal-grade Essence Qi Pill and nurturing Xiao Dieyi, he decides that power must be accumulated gradually rather than gained through dangerous shortcuts.
• Ten days after the Sino-Vietnam Decisive Battle, Jian Shang emerges from seclusion. He consolidates his eighth-layer Innate Realm cultivation, absorbs numerous soul crystals, and gains partial insights into the Sky Beast Kunpeng, Heavenly Gu Codex, and two foreign national artifacts.
• At a council meeting, Jian Shang introduces Xiao Dieyi as his royal younger sister, Princess Dieyi. Her exceptional beauty shocks the ministers, who had assumed Jian Shang had no surviving relatives. Xiao Dieyi is deeply moved by his public acknowledgment and formally greets the court.
• Prime Minister Tian Dan reports that the kingdom’s share of the battlefield spoils has been greatly reduced by military expenses. After paying for pensions, gifts, new legions, and expanded Forbidden Guards, Huan Kingdom owes the Penglai Commerce Association three million Diamond Coins.
• The main expense was Jian Shang’s decision to expand the two Forbidden Guard units to fifty thousand soldiers each, creating a total of one hundred thousand elite guards—an unprecedented achievement for the newly founded kingdom.
• Much of the enemy’s plundered wealth has disappeared because Jian Shang secretly stored it in his Jingyang Dragon Ring. He chooses not to repay the debt immediately, preferring to use available resources to strengthen the kingdom for the coming southern campaign.
• The kingdom also obtains more than ninety million National War merit points from captured enemy jade tokens. Though their monetary value is limited, Jian Shang reassures the ministers that his private treasury contains abundant wealth.
• Reports confirm that Huan forces have reclaimed their territories, defeated scattered enemy forces, and killed more than three million opponents while advancing toward Yue State.
• The four commanderies of Changsha, Qianzhong, Ba, and Shu have collapsed into chaos after the enemy withdrawal. Bandits and refugees dominate the region, so Jian Shang orders Han Xin to stabilize and submit these territories without disrupting the Yue campaign.
• Jian Shang plans to exchange National War merit points for long-distance teleportation formations and communication devices, improving coordination across the expanding front.

Character Developments

• Jian Shang demonstrates increasing restraint and strategic maturity. Rather than risk an unstable power breakthrough by fusing with the golden core, he chooses steady cultivation.
• He presents himself as a confident and generous ruler, reassuring his ministers about the kingdom’s finances despite its debts. His willingness to spend heavily on military development shows his priority is long-term strength.
• Jian Shang’s treatment of Xiao Dieyi reveals a protective and compassionate side. By publicly naming her his sister, he gives her legitimacy and emotional security.
• Xiao Dieyi appears obedient and refined, but her emotional reaction shows deep gratitude and attachment to Jian Shang.
• Tian Dan acts as a responsible minister burdened by the kingdom’s financial crisis, while Jiang Yao provides military intelligence and helps translate Jian Shang’s strategic decisions into action.
• Jian Shang’s commanders—including Tong Meng Tian, Wang Ben, Long Ju, Ji Bu, Gao Gong, Li Tong, and Yang Ning—are portrayed as highly successful military leaders driving the southern advance.

Significant Themes

• Power versus restraint: Jian Shang rejects an easy path to overwhelming strength, emphasizing that true power must be built safely and progressively.
• The cost of war: Victory brings enormous financial burdens, military pensions, equipment costs, and administrative challenges.
• State-building and militarization: Huan Kingdom is transforming from a newly established state into a major military power through elite armies, Forbidden Guards, and logistical infrastructure.
• Hidden resources and strategic deception: Jian Shang conceals the enemy’s treasure in his ring and keeps his true financial strength private, allowing him to control the kingdom’s strategic options.
• Family and legitimacy: Xiao Dieyi’s introduction highlights the importance of familial bonds and public recognition within the court.
• Victory followed by disorder: Although the battlefield victory is decisive, reclaimed territories remain unstable, showing that conquest must be followed by governance and pacification.

Character Interactions

• Jian Shang’s introduction of Xiao Dieyi unsettles the court and causes the ministers and consorts to speculate about her relationship with him.
• Xiao Dieyi’s grateful glance toward Jian Shang and formal response to the ministers reveal a close, trusting bond between them.
• Tian Dan hesitates to reveal the kingdom’s financial losses, but Jian Shang encourages him to speak openly, reinforcing his authority and confidence.
• Lan Ge openly questions the unexpectedly low value of the spoils, prompting Tian Dan to explain the enormous expense of the Forbidden Guards.
• Jian Shang reassures the anxious ministers that they should focus on developing the kingdom rather than fearing debt.
• Jian Yao’s military report leads Jian Shang to issue direct orders concerning the unstable commanderies and to prioritize improved communication and troop deployment for the southern campaign.

Jian Shang led the Huan Kingdom’s forces to the Yue State’s border and ordered an invasion aimed at destroying the country. He assigned seven armies to capture Hanoi while he planned a surprise march south toward Saigon.

• Jian Shang chose expensive Message Talismans and Teleportation Formations for military communications and transport, then joined the Huan Kingdom’s postwar military conference.
• Jian Shang marched south with a large force, passing through devastated lands before reaching the Yue State’s border after half a month.
• Long Ju reported that the Yue State was disorganized after its recent defeat, while Meng Tian warned that conquering its vast population and territory could trap the Huan Kingdom in a prolonged war.
• Jian Shang rejected a limited raid and ordered the seven marquises to capture Hanoi while he personally led an army toward Saigon to seize the Yue State’s two royal cities.
• Jian Shang ordered his forces to take Lang Son and Pingxiang and establish them as bases for Teleportation Formations and the movement of reinforcements and supplies.

Jian Shang accepted Han Xin’s Salvation Edict and marched the Huan Army south toward Lang Son and Pingxiang, where its soldiers witnessed the Yue people’s desperate poverty. Near Lang Son, Jian Shang encountered Ruan Lan leading a million Yue people who declared goodwill toward China, leaving him unsure of their purpose.

• Jian Shang read Han Xin’s edict, which framed the invasion as salvation and authorized killings under its Seven Killings provisions, then agreed to proclaim it despite intending to kill, seize wealth, and massacre cities.
• The next day, forty million Huan troops split into two armies: Wang Ben and three marquises headed for Pingxiang, while Jian Shang and his commanders advanced toward Lang Son.
• As the Huan Army marched south, its soldiers saw impoverished and starving Yue civilians, and Di Wushuang explained that the region’s brutal social order oppressed its weaker people.
• The Huan Army distributed copies of the Salvation Edict as it approached Lang Son Giant City.
• Ruan Lan led a million Yue people onto the road, paid respects to Jian Shang, and announced their benevolence toward China, leaving him baffled about their intentions.