Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Hall Council!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Heaven-Mending Sect’s highest leadership gathers in Mending-Heaven Hall to decide how to promote and place Dai Zong (Chen Jichuan), who is only six hundred years old but possesses combat strength comparable to an Eighth- or even Ninth-Heaven cultivator.
• The elders debate whether Dai Zong has enough merit to become a Transmission Elder or deputy hall master. Some argue that his lack of formal achievements makes promotion premature, while others point to his accomplishments in Cavern Realm No. 2 and his overwhelming strength.
• The discussion shifts into a dispute between the Five Directions Hall and the Alchemy Arts Hall, both of which want Dai Zong as a deputy hall master.
• Sect Master Gu Feng interrupts the argument by distributing jade slips containing two newly obtained Transcendent Arts: Heavenly Realms Traversal and Illusory World.
• The leaders initially worry that the arts are restricted to Cloud Serpent bloodlines. Gu Feng reveals that Dai Zong spent a century studying them from the Cloud Serpent-blooded Fu Ling Demon King and another two hundred years refining his understanding until he removed the bloodline limitation.
• The council realizes that Dai Zong has effectively transformed demonic inherited abilities into techniques usable by human cultivators, potentially giving the sect access to many more Transcendent Arts.
• The leaders speculate about having Dai Zong study other variant creatures, such as the Firebird imprisoned in the Dragon-Locking Well, though Gu Feng cautions that success is uncertain and may require centuries.
• Transmission Elder Xu Tang then presses for information about Dai Zong’s other famous techniques, including the Five Thunders Orthodox Method, Lesser Forty-Nine Wind-Thunder Escape Technique, and Seven-Star Sword Diagram.
• Gu Feng clarifies that Dai Zong had already acquired and submitted those techniques to the Nine Refinements Immortal Estate and the Heaven-Mending Sect’s Scripture Repository, proving that he is not withholding valuable arts.
• Zhang Zheng proposes that Dai Zong become Hall Master of the Scripture Transmission Hall, which has been vacant for a long time, and oversee both the Heart-Illumination Hall and the Scripture Repository.
• The proposal reveals that Gu Feng, First Supreme Elder Sun Jiuzhang, and Second Supreme Elder Chen Pu had likely planned this appointment in advance. With Dai Zong’s strength, character, and contributions established, opposition effectively disappears.

Character Developments

• Dai Zong/Chen Jichuan is elevated from a talented but politically unestablished executive elder to a figure worthy of leading a major hall. His achievements demonstrate not only exceptional combat power but also extraordinary talent in deducing and refining techniques.
• Dai Zong is portrayed as selfless and devoted to the sect. He spent centuries studying the two Cloud Serpent abilities, even at the cost of delaying his own cultivation, and willingly contributed the resulting arts.
• Sect Master Gu Feng emerges as a strategic leader who has carefully prepared Dai Zong’s promotion. He controls the timing of the revelations and uses Dai Zong’s contributions to settle the council’s doubts.
• Zhang Zheng acts as a mediator, first suggesting a moderate promotion and later proposing the more appropriate position of Scripture Transmission Hall Master.
• Ji Liuyun reveals his desire to recruit and control Dai Zong’s talents for the Five Directions Hall.
• Xu Tang represents the cautious, tradition-minded faction that emphasizes formal merit and institutional legitimacy, though he later recognizes that his suspicion of Dai Zong was unfair.
• Meng Dajiang defends Dai Zong’s integrity and reminds the council that his contributions already constitute immense merit.
• Zhang Wuya, initially silent, shows his support by mentioning the Firebird in the Dragon-Locking Well as a possible future subject for Dai Zong’s research.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus potential: The council debates whether extraordinary strength and future promise can compensate for a lack of conventional accomplishments.
• Self-sacrifice for the greater good: Dai Zong’s willingness to delay cultivation in order to benefit the sect establishes his loyalty and moral character.
• Institutional recognition of talent: The meeting shows how powerful organizations struggle to accommodate individuals whose abilities surpass normal rules and ranks.
• Preservation and expansion of legacy: Transcendent Arts are treated as treasures that can influence the sect for generations, making Dai Zong’s discoveries more valuable than short-term personal advancement.
• Breaking inherited limitations: Dai Zong’s success in removing the Cloud Serpent bloodline restriction symbolizes the transformation of demonic or natural gifts into universally usable human techniques.
• Political maneuvering and consensus-building: Gu Feng and the senior elders guide the debate toward a decision while allowing the council to believe the conclusion has been reached through open deliberation.

Character Interactions

• The Transmission Elders argue over Dai Zong’s qualifications, with Xu Tang and his allies stressing formal merit and Feng Guang’s faction emphasizing his unmatched combat potential.
• Zhang Zheng and Ji Liuyun compete to claim Dai Zong for their respective halls, revealing his growing political value within the sect.
• Meng Dajiang challenges concerns about the Cloud Serpent arts and later rebukes Xu Tang for implying that Dai Zong might be withholding his techniques.
• Gu Feng repeatedly supplies decisive information, first confirming the authenticity of the two Transcendent Arts and then explaining Dai Zong’s years of effort and prior contributions.
• By the end, the council’s factions unite around Dai Zong’s appointment as Hall Master of the Scripture Transmission Hall, establishing his formal entry into the sect’s highest leadership.

Chapter Summary: “Central Continent Colossus: Dai Zong!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan, under the name Dai Zong, is formally appointed Hall Master of the Heaven-Mending Sect’s Scripture Transmission Hall.
• The appointment is announced throughout the Heaven-Mending Sect, the other six major sects, and Central Continent, greatly expanding his fame. He is no longer merely a respected mid-stage True Person but one of the seven major ruling figures of the Heaven-Mending Sect.
• His promotion attracts a continuous stream of visitors, including subordinate-sect masters, branch-estate leaders, and True Persons who had benefited from his guidance and protection in Cavern Realm No. 2.
• Cheng Beixuan, master of the Nine Refinements Immortal Estate and Chen Jichuan’s former senior martial brother, comes to congratulate him despite their estrangement. Chen treats him impartially but without special warmth, making clear that the distance between them is now immense.
• Chen assumes authority over the Scripture Transmission Hall at Star-Treading Peak. The three Deputy Hall Masters—Xu Tang, Ma Qian, and Zhang Siwei—formally receive him.
• After studying the hall’s responsibilities, Chen reorganizes its administration:
  • Ma Qian oversees the Scripture Repository, Heart-Illumination Hall, lectures, and doctrinal instruction.
  • Zhang Siwei controls the secret cultivation realms and entry approvals.
  • Xu Tang is assigned the difficult and relatively thankless task of collecting cultivation insights from throughout the sect.
• Chen’s arrangement deliberately places the hall’s most important powers under his own control while sidelining Xu Tang, who had previously opposed his appointment.
• Xu Tang grows angry and attempts to interfere in various matters, but Ma Qian, Zhang Siwei, and the subordinate elders consistently block him. Isolated and unable to exercise influence, Xu Tang eventually leaves the hall under the excuse of soliciting contributions.
• With the hall’s affairs stabilized, Chen devotes himself mainly to cultivation while also attending meetings of Mending-Heaven Hall. Over the next two years, he gains a deeper understanding of the sect’s upper-level affairs and becomes more accustomed to his new position.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan/Dai Zong: His status rises dramatically from hall elder to one of the Heaven-Mending Sect’s seven central authorities. His prestige, combat power, and contributions—especially the presentation of two supreme arts—make his authority difficult to challenge. He demonstrates political restraint by treating Cheng Beixuan fairly rather than seeking revenge, while also decisively restructuring the Scripture Transmission Hall.
• Cheng Beixuan: His former confidence is replaced by anxiety. He realizes that Chen Jichuan now has the power to determine the fate of the Nine Refinements Immortal Estate, forcing him to visit despite their damaged relationship.
• Xu Tang: Revealed as power-hungry and overconfident. After losing his chance to become hall master, he attempts to preserve influence through subtle interference, but Chen neutralizes him by assigning him an isolated duty and removing his institutional support.
• Ma Qian and Zhang Siwei: Both quickly accept Chen’s leadership. Their existing dissatisfaction with Xu Tang makes them eager to support Chen’s reorganization and helps consolidate his authority.
• The Scripture Transmission Hall’s elders: Most respect Chen because of their experiences in Cavern Realm No. 2. Their gratitude and admiration ensure that he encounters little resistance after taking office.

Significant Themes

• The transformation of reputation into authority: Chen’s accomplishments in Cavern Realm No. 2, his overwhelming combat strength, and his contributions to the sect culminate in a promotion that changes how the entire cultivation world views him.
• Power and hierarchy: The chapter emphasizes the immense influence of the seven hall masters and shows how institutional authority can reshape personal relationships and political behavior.
• Merit versus seniority: Chen is appointed over established Deputy Hall Masters and Transmission Elders because his achievements and ability surpass their conventional qualifications.
• Political management and controlled retaliation: Chen does not openly punish Xu Tang; instead, he removes Xu Tang’s influence through administrative assignments and alliances, demonstrating calculated leadership.
• The impermanence of personal ties: Cheng Beixuan and Chen’s former martial-brother relationship has been overwhelmed by their difference in status, leaving them unlikely to meet again as equals.
• Knowledge as power: The Scripture Transmission Hall’s role in preserving techniques, teaching disciples, researching countermeasures, and controlling secret realms makes it both a scholarly institution and a major source of sect-wide influence.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Cheng Beixuan: Their reunion is formal and emotionally distant. Cheng acts deferentially out of fear for his sect’s future, while Chen responds with neutral courtesy.
• Chen Jichuan and the three Deputy Hall Masters: Ma Qian and Zhang Siwei openly pledge their cooperation. Xu Tang offers restrained advice that subtly suggests Chen should not interfere too much, revealing his desire to retain control.
• Chen Jichuan and Xu Tang: Chen recognizes Xu Tang’s ambition immediately. Rather than confronting him directly, he limits his authority and assigns him an arduous task, allowing Xu Tang’s isolation to grow naturally.
• Ma Qian, Zhang Siwei, and Xu Tang: Their existing friction becomes politically important. Once Chen signals that Xu Tang is no longer favored, Ma Qian and Zhang Siwei actively prevent him from interfering.
• Chen Jichuan and the sect’s cultivators: Many True Persons come to congratulate him because they benefited from his actions in Cavern Realm No. 2, establishing a broad network of loyalty and goodwill.

Chapter Summary: “Six-Jia Golden Lotus!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan completes a period of secluded cultivation in his cave abode, using Spirit Crystals, medicinal pills, and the Heaven-Mending Sect’s Heavenly Cycle Pill Dragon Formation to accelerate his progress.
• Having reached the Fifth Heaven of the Aperture Opening Realm and opened his fifth aperture, he has accumulated 5,244 strands of Sword Qi. At his current pace, he expects to reach the peak of the Fifth Heaven within a century, though breaking through to the Sixth Heaven will be far more difficult.
• Chen reflects on the limitations of his current cultivation. He looks forward to reaching the Spirit Transformation Realm, where he can learn Spirit Separation and divide his attention between the real world and the Dao Fruit World.
• After two years as master of the Scripture Transmission Hall, Chen finally refines two Fourth Rank supreme treasures:
  • The Heart-Illumination Mirror, which detects violations of Heart-Demon Oaths and can unleash Annihilation Divine Light.
  • The Six-Jia Golden Lotus, an extremely powerful defensive treasure that protects its user from nearly all attacks.
• Chen determines that the Six-Jia Golden Lotus is especially valuable because his offensive abilities are already strong, while his defenses are comparatively weaker.
• The Heart-Illumination Mirror must remain in the Heart-Illumination Hall on Mount Taimu to monitor disciples and enforce oaths, limiting its usefulness in battle.
• Chen reviews the Heaven-Mending Sect’s other supreme treasures and their wielders, including the Fire Dragon Immortal Standard, Suchness Scissors, Evil-Slaying Blades, Starry Inner Armor, and Jade Radiance Ruler.
• He evaluates his own combat strength: despite having only Fifth Heaven cultivation, his powerful Sword Diagram, numerous highly cultivated arts, Five Thunders Orthodox Method, Great Luo Heavenly Sleeve, and other techniques allow him to surpass ordinary Eighth Heaven cultivators and contend with Ninth Heaven experts.
• Chen recognizes that the Great Luo Heavenly Sleeve can seize Second and Third Rank magic treasures but cannot yet take Fourth Rank treasures, reminding himself not to underestimate future opponents.
• He leaves Star-Treading Peak and travels toward the Law Enforcement Hall’s Dragon-Locking Abyss, apparently to investigate or deal with the mysterious Dragon-Locking Well.

Character Development

• Chen Jichuan continues to demonstrate exceptional cultivation talent and efficiency, advancing rapidly despite having cultivated for only eleven years.
• His priorities show increasing maturity: rather than focusing solely on offensive power, he identifies defense and survival as critical weaknesses and welcomes the protection offered by the Six-Jia Golden Lotus.
• He remains cautious and self-aware. Although he possesses extraordinary techniques and treasures, he understands the limits imposed by his cultivation level and refuses to become overconfident.
• Chen’s position as Scripture Transmission Hall master gives him greater authority and access to the sect’s supreme treasures, marking a significant rise in status and influence.
• His long-term ambition expands beyond immediate strength; he is already planning for Spirit Separation and the ability to manage both reality and the Dao Fruit World more effectively.

Significant Themes

• Power versus realm: Chen’s techniques, cultivation methods, and treasures allow him to fight above his cultivation level, but true breakthroughs remain difficult.
• Offense and defense: The chapter emphasizes that overwhelming attack power is insufficient without reliable protection. The Six-Jia Golden Lotus represents Chen’s effort to correct this imbalance.
• Responsibility and authority: As a hall master, Chen is not merely gaining treasures for personal use; he also inherits duties connected to the Scripture Repository and the sect’s oaths.
• Caution amid strength: Even as Chen approaches the upper limits of Second Rank combat power, he recognizes that Fourth Rank treasures and higher-level experts remain dangerous.
• The importance of supreme treasures: The Heaven-Mending Sect’s dominance comes not only from its cultivators but also from the powerful artifacts controlled by its leaders.

Character Interactions

• No direct conversations occur in the chapter. Most interactions are indirect:
  • Chen interacts with the Heart-Illumination Mirror and the Six-Jia Golden Lotus, refining and evaluating their abilities.
  • His relationship with the Heaven-Mending Sect is explored through his responsibilities as Scripture Transmission Hall master and his access to its supreme treasures.
  • Other sect leaders—Zhang Zheng, Ji Liuyun, Bai Nianyun, and Gu Feng—are discussed in relation to the treasures they control and the threat they represent.
  • The chapter ends with Chen moving toward the Law Enforcement Hall and the Dragon-Locking Well, setting up a future encounter or investigation.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon-Locking Well!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan, now the Scripture Transmission Hall Master, visits the Law Enforcement Hall’s infamous Dragon-Locking Abyss.
• The abyss contains ordinary prison cells for lesser offenders, while the legendary Dragon-Locking Well imprisons powerful criminals, Demon Kings, devil lords, and other dangerous figures.
• Elder Luo Xi escorts Chen Jichuan through the abyss and explains the well’s eighteen levels. The deeper levels contain increasingly powerful prisoners, with the eighteenth level reserved for late Second-Rank beings.
• The Dragon-Locking Well is revealed to be an ancient Fourth-Rank treasure originally used to imprison sinful dragons. Its chains severely restrict even powerful cultivators, making escape nearly impossible.
• Chen Jichuan reviews the prison roster and heads directly to the eighteenth level, where eight Demon Kings with rare or aberrant bloodlines are confined.
• He recalls that Zhang Wuya had previously gathered these special prisoners for him, since Chen intends to interrogate them and acquire a powerful curse technique.
• At the end of the chapter, Chen stops before the third prison on the eighteenth level, but the identity of its occupant is not yet revealed.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates his elevated status within the Heaven-Mending Sect. Although the Law Enforcement Hall remains uncomfortable with him after his victory over Zhang Wuya, he is now treated as a respected hall master.
• He reflects on how contributing the two Transcendent Arts, Heavenly Realms Traversal and Illusory World, unexpectedly earned him the position of Scripture Transmission Hall Master and access to the sect’s vast collection of techniques.
• His confidence and ambition continue to grow. With the great method of Enlightenment and accelerated cultivation time, he believes he can study many ultimate arts that other cultivators cannot master simultaneously.
• Despite his apparent moralizing about the sect’s strict laws, Chen is ironically guilty of corruption himself, having collaborated with Luo Pu to resist the law. Luo Xi privately finds Chen’s comments about discipline amusing.
• Chen shows a practical and strategic approach to cultivation. Rather than learning every technique available, he intends to focus only on abilities that complement his existing strengths.
• He identifies his remaining weakness: the lack of a powerful curse technique suitable for covert attacks.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: Chen’s rise to hall master reflects how strength, talent, and valuable contributions determine status within the sect.
• Law versus hypocrisy: The Dragon-Locking Well represents the absolute severity of sect law, while Chen’s speeches about discipline contrast humorously with his own criminal conduct.
• The terror of punishment: The well’s ancient history, brutal conditions, and powerful prisoners emphasize the consequences of violating the Heaven-Mending Sect’s laws.
• Strategic cultivation: Chen values efficiency and specialization, choosing techniques that fill gaps in his arsenal rather than collecting abilities indiscriminately.
• Accumulation of knowledge: As Scripture Transmission Hall Master, Chen gains access to the sect’s immense library, greatly expanding his foundation for future cultivation and Dao Fruit Worlds.
• Hidden opportunities: The prisoners on the eighteenth level are not merely criminals; they may provide rare bloodline techniques and abilities that Chen can exploit for his own advancement.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Luo Xi: Luo Xi formally respects Chen and guides him through the abyss, though he feels uneasy because of the hostility between their respective halls. Privately, he finds Chen’s comments about law and repentance hypocritical but wisely keeps silent.
• Chen Jichuan and the Law Enforcement Hall: Their relationship remains strained after Chen publicly defeated Zhang Wuya and used the Law Enforcement Hall Master’s humiliation to establish his own authority. No hall master or deputy hall master comes to receive him, so Luo Xi is assigned to escort him.
• Chen Jichuan and Luo Pu: Although Luo Pu does not appear directly, Chen recalls that he protected Luo Pu from imprisonment after the elder’s severe corruption was exposed. Their cooperation is described as mutually compromised and morally dubious.
• Chen Jichuan and the imprisoned Demon Kings: Chen approaches the eighteenth level intending to interrogate the powerful aberrant beings and obtain a curse technique, setting up the chapter’s unresolved cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “The Battle It Is!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan reports to Sect Master Gu Feng after returning from the Dragon-Locking Well. He reveals that he has formed a close relationship with the Black-Killing Demon King and intends to analyze his bloodline technique, the Seven Sages’ Name-Calling Divine Curse.
• The curse allows its user to call an enemy’s name from great distances. If the target answers, they are cursed and will die seven days later when their body splits apart.
• Gu Feng criticizes the technique as sinister and lacking dignity, but ultimately permits Chen Jichuan to study it, provided he does not spread it beyond the Heaven-Mending Sect. Chen realizes Gu Feng’s objections are largely superficial, since the sect deliberately imprisoned Black-Killing Demon King for his benefit.
• The discussion shifts to the coming campaign against the Evil Gods. Chen confirms that he wants to serve as one of the campaign’s three commanders, not merely participate as an ordinary cultivator.
• Gu Feng explains that the commander selection will be difficult. The leading candidates include Ji Liuyun, Bai Nianyun, Meng Dajiang, and Chen Jichuan, along with several Supreme Elders. The other candidates possess Ninth Heaven cultivation or strong reputations, while Chen is only at the Fifth Heaven despite having Eighth Heaven-level combat power through the Six-Jia Golden Lotus.
• Gu Feng urges Chen to remain in the sect, continue analyzing supreme arts, and cultivate safely. Chen refuses, arguing that battle is essential for his advancement and for testing the supreme arts he develops.
• Chen openly states that he wants to reach the Third-Rank Spirit Transformation realm in his lifetime and cannot afford to waste the opportunity presented by the Evil Gods.
• To establish his qualifications, Chen suggests fighting powerful outsiders rather than fellow hall masters. Gu Feng proposes that he spar with two allied experts returning to the sect: Wang Ying, the Fiery-Eyed Immortal Lord, and Ma Jian, the River-Turning True Person.
• The chapter ends with Chen accepting the challenge: “Then let’s fight.”

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates increasing confidence and ambition. He is unwilling to be restricted by conventional ideas of righteousness, reputation, or safe cultivation. He views both the curse technique and the war against the Evil Gods as opportunities for growth.
• He also reveals a pragmatic and politically observant side, recognizing Gu Feng’s outwardly righteous objections as strategic posturing rather than genuine opposition.
• Chen’s desire to become a commander is shown to be connected to his cultivation path, not merely status. He believes repeated combat is necessary to unlock his potential and verify his supreme arts.
• Sect Master Gu Feng appears cautious and protective of the sect’s interests. He values Chen’s ability to analyze supreme arts and worries that war may endanger him or interrupt his work. Nevertheless, he respects Chen’s determination and ultimately agrees to help him prove his strength.
• Gu Feng also displays political wisdom, arranging for Chen to fight allied experts so that Chen can build credibility without causing internal conflict.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus outward righteousness: The Seven Sages’ curse is morally questionable, but Chen argues that an art’s value depends on how it is used. Gu Feng publicly objects while privately recognizing its potential.
• Cultivation through conflict: Chen believes true advancement requires dangerous battles and practical experience rather than secluded meditation alone.
• Ambition and limited time: Although Chen is relatively young by the standards of powerful cultivators, he is already six hundred years old and fears that delaying his progress will prevent him from reaching the highest realms.
• Reputation versus actual strength: Chen’s low cultivation makes others doubt his qualifications, even though his combat ability is far greater than his realm suggests. He must demonstrate his power publicly to gain the trust of future allies and subordinates.
• War as both danger and opportunity: The Evil Gods represent a major threat, but their invasion also offers Chen the opponents and pressure needed to advance.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Gu Feng have a respectful but subtly strategic relationship. Gu Feng tries to dissuade Chen from the battlefield, while Chen calmly defends his decision and exposes the practical motives behind Gu Feng’s objections.
• Their conversation also establishes mutual trust: Gu Feng allows Chen to study the curse and later helps him find a suitable way to prove himself.
• Chen’s future interactions with Wang Ying and Ma Jian are set up as important tests of his combat strength and public standing.
• The broader campaign will involve cooperation—and likely competition—among the Heaven-Mending Sect, six other great immortal sects, allied factions, rogue cultivators, and various regional powers.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• While waiting for Wang Ying and Ma Jian to arrive, Chen Jichuan returns to the eighteenth level of Dragon-Locking Well to interrogate the imprisoned Black-Killing Old Devil.
• Chen uses his Illusory World to attack the elder’s soul with endless needle-like assaults, while applying the Innate One-Qi Demon-Subduing Lock-Bone Shrinking Body Method to inflict extreme physical pain.
• Chen repeatedly urges the elder to submit to “Dai Zong,” promising freedom from Dragon-Locking Well. Despite the torture, the Black-Killing Old Devil initially refuses, vowing never to yield.
• Ten days later, at Dueling Sword Peak, the Heaven-Mending Sect gathers to watch a spar between Chen Jichuan and Ma Jian, who has recently arrived with Wang Ying.
• Wang Ying notices the Black-Killing Old Devil standing obediently near Chen and questions Gu Feng about it. Gu Feng falsely claims that Ji Liuyun captured the old devil and that Dai Zong successfully interrogated and reformed him.
• Wang Ying privately recognizes inconsistencies in the story but chooses not to investigate further. Gu Feng, meanwhile, understands that Chen is deliberately displaying the subdued old devil to demonstrate his ability to campaign abroad while continuing to study powerful techniques.
• Chen and Ma Jian begin their match. Chen opens with the Seven-Star Sword Diagram, while Ma Jian counters with River-Turning Spirit Transmutation, summoning river water and transforming it into flood dragons.
• Ma Jian’s Ninth Heaven cultivation initially gives him a slight advantage. Chen responds by doubling his Sword Qi, prompting Ma Jian to transform the river water into ten thousand swords.
• Chen reveals that he has been holding back: he controls one Sword Diagram above to resist the water swords and creates a second below to trap Ma Jian.
• Ma Jian is startled by Chen’s hidden strength and dissolves into water, merging with the surrounding currents to evade detection. The chapter ends as Chen prepares to counter this concealment.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates his ruthless methods of interrogation, strategic cunning, and remarkable combat ability. He is not only capable of overpowering enemies psychologically and physically but also deliberately uses the Black-Killing Old Devil as a public demonstration of his achievements.
• Black-Killing Old Devil: Remains defiant under intense torment, showing his pride and resilience. However, the narration implies that Chen’s efforts are gradually breaking him down, and he is now publicly portrayed as obedient.
• Wang Ying: Displays sharp judgment and skepticism. He immediately notices that the official explanation for the old devil’s submission is suspicious, but his cautious, noninterfering nature leads him to remain silent.
• Gu Feng: Acts as a protector of the sect’s secrets, smoothly covering for Chen. He is amused by Chen’s calculated display but also curious about how Chen subdued such a notorious demonic cultivator.
• Ma Jian: Enters the spar with confidence and curiosity, wanting to test whether Chen’s reputation as a Fifth Heaven cultivator capable of challenging stronger opponents is justified. He soon becomes genuinely surprised by Chen’s concealed power.
• Ji Liuyun and Zhang Wuya: Though absent, they are important to the political subtext. The story that Ji captured the old devil conflicts with Wang Ying’s knowledge of the sect’s internal divisions and Chen’s strained relationship with the Law Enforcement Hall.

Significant Themes

• Power and submission: Chen’s interrogation of the Black-Killing Old Devil shows how overwhelming force can break even a legendary demonic figure, while also raising questions about the morality of Chen’s methods.
• Deception and political maneuvering: Gu Feng’s explanation is deliberately misleading, and Chen’s use of the old devil serves as a carefully staged performance for the sect’s senior figures.
• Hidden strength and reputation: Chen continually conceals the full extent of his abilities, allowing others to underestimate him before revealing greater power at crucial moments.
• Cultivation hierarchy versus true ability: Although Ma Jian possesses Ninth Heaven cultivation and Chen is only at the Fifth Heaven, Chen’s refined techniques and enormous Sword Qi allow him to contend with a much stronger opponent.
• Observation and restraint: Wang Ying recognizes the deception but chooses not to interfere, emphasizing the importance of reading situations carefully and avoiding unnecessary conflict.

Character Interactions

• Chen dominates the Black-Killing Old Devil through torture and repeatedly pressures him to submit.
• Gu Feng and Wang Ying discuss the old devil’s supposed “reformation,” with Gu Feng maintaining the cover story and Wang Ying silently recognizing its implausibility.
• Chen and Ma Jian exchange courteous formalities before engaging in a serious but nominally friendly contest.
• Gu Feng and Wang Ying evaluate the combatants’ techniques, with both acknowledging the extraordinary quality of Chen’s swordsmanship.
• During the battle, Chen’s successive revelations of greater Sword Qi surprise Ma Jian and shift the momentum of the spar.

Chapter Summary: “Dai Zong Takes Command!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan, known publicly as Dai Zong, defeats the Ninth Heaven River-Turning True Person Ma Jian in a spar on Sword-Testing Peak.
• Using the Seven-Star Sword Diagram, Wind-Thunder Twin Wings, and lightning techniques, Chen steadily overwhelms Ma Jian without revealing his full strength or using treasures such as the Great Luo Heavenly Sleeve and Six-Jia Golden Lotus.
• Ma Jian admits defeat and ends the match rather than continue being battered. The two part on friendly terms, with Ma Jian openly praising Chen’s strength.
• Zhang Wuya and the other observers realize that Chen had previously gone easy on Zhang during their own confrontation. They now recognize that Chen’s true combat power is comparable to, or greater than, that of a Ninth Heaven cultivator.
• The Heaven-Mending Sect finalizes the commanders for its three expeditionary routes. Chen, as the new Hall Master of the Scripture Transmission Hall, becomes one of the commanders.
• The Seven Great Immortal Sects announce a massive campaign into the Cavern Realm to fight the Evil Gods. Over three years, they recruit cultivators throughout the Baleful Ring Sea, eventually assembling 3.15 million cultivators divided among three routes.
• At Cangyan Mountain in Tanzhou, more than one million cultivators gather for Chen’s route. The armies are organized into smaller units and prepared for the coming war.
• Chen arrives at the main hall to meet the commanders and powerful cultivators from the other sects. His subordinate force includes Ma Jian, Wang Ying, six Seventh Heaven True Persons from the Heaven-Mending Sect, and three additional Seventh Heaven experts.
• Rogue Cultivator Han Zongyuan is stunned by the concentration of Seventh Heaven True Persons and gains a deeper understanding of the Heaven-Mending Sect’s overwhelming strength.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan/Dai Zong: His reputation rises dramatically. He is no longer viewed merely as a Fifth Heaven cultivator but as an extraordinary figure capable of defeating Ninth Heaven opponents. His appointment as a commander marks his transition from sect prodigy to major leader of Central Continent.
• Ma Jian: Though defeated, he remains dignified and good-natured. He acknowledges Chen’s superiority and becomes one of Chen’s trusted battlefield followers.
• Zhang Wuya: He gains a clearer understanding of the gap between himself and Chen, accepting that Chen had deliberately held back in their earlier encounter.
• Wang Ying and Ma Jian: After spending three years with Chen, both develop favorable opinions of his character and strength and are willing to serve under his command.
• Han Zongyuan: Initially familiar with the Heaven-Mending Sect only in broad terms, he becomes deeply impressed—and somewhat intimidated—by its enormous reserve of high-level experts.
• The older generation of cultivators: Their gradual withdrawal from leadership symbolizes the rise of younger figures such as Chen and Chen Ming.

Significant Themes

• The rise of a new generation: Chen’s promotion, along with Chen Ming’s succession as Law Enforcement Hall Master, signals a shift from the old generation to younger leaders.
• Strength beyond cultivation level: Chen’s Fifth Heaven cultivation conceals combat power that surpasses ordinary Ninth Heaven True Persons, emphasizing the difference between realm and actual ability.
• Power and influence: The Heaven-Mending Sect’s large number of Seventh Heaven experts demonstrates its dominance among the Central Continent’s immortal sects.
• Unity against a common enemy: The recruitment campaign brings rogue cultivators and smaller sects together with the Seven Great Immortal Sects to fight the Evil Gods.
• Opportunity and ambition: Many cultivators join the expedition not only out of loyalty but also because of the Cavern Realm’s resources, Spirit Crystals, and valuable pills.
• Leadership and organization: The coming war requires more than individual strength; the massive cultivator armies must be divided into disciplined units and coordinated under capable commanders.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Ma Jian’s duel ends respectfully, with Chen praising Ma Jian’s water arts and Ma Jian responding with enthusiastic admiration.
• Zhang Wuya silently reevaluates his earlier defeat after witnessing Chen’s battle.
• Chen’s close relationship with Wang Ying and Ma Jian is reinforced as the two agree to accompany and obey him during the expedition.
• Han Zongyuan observes Chen’s followers and the gathered experts with awe, highlighting the commander’s prestige and the Heaven-Mending Sect’s intimidating authority.
• The friendly atmosphere after the duel contrasts with the immense military confrontation soon to come, as former rivals and independent cultivators prepare to cooperate under Chen’s command.

Chapter Summary: “‘Gods’ and ‘Heretic Gods’!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan enters the allied army’s hall and meets the commanders-in-chief of the Seven Great Immortal Sects: Zuo Zongming, Tong Zhan, Cui Dingshan, and Jueyuan. He also becomes acquainted with the eight powerful True Persons recruited by the four sects.
• Teng Qinghai of Nine Tripod Mountain and Huangfu Duan of the Myriad Talisman Sect later arrive, completing the gathering of the seven sect commanders.
• For ten days, the commanders and their subordinates socialize, compare cultivation, and familiarize themselves with one another in preparation for joint warfare.
• The first formal meeting of the Seven-Sect Allied Army is then held in Azure Crag Hall.
• Zuo Zongming presents a detailed map of the Savage Wastes and explains its division into the Inner Domain, the northern and southern Outer Domains, and the Borderlands, separated by four Meteorfall Rifts.
• He reveals that the Evil Gods are divided into two hostile factions:
  • Faith faction: orthodox gods who gain power through believers, faith, divine power, and Divinity.
  • Cultivation faction: Heretic Gods who cultivate independently, master laws, and become gods without relying on faith or followers.
• The Heretic Gods are persecuted by orthodox gods and have been fighting them for centuries, keeping the Outer-Domain Evil Gods too occupied to seriously confront the Seven Great Immortal Sects.
• The allied army receives an estimate of the enemy forces: twenty-six Sixth Heaven Evil Gods in the Inner Domain, fifty-eight High-Rank Evil Gods and 149 Mid-Rank Evil Gods in the Outer Domains, and roughly ten High-Rank Heretic Gods in the Borderlands.
• Zuo proposes a cautious campaign: consolidate the Inner Domain, ally with its Demon Kings, conquer the Southern Outer Domain, and then advance north.
• Tong Zhan argues for simultaneous attacks from the north and south, emphasizing speed before the Evil Gods can summon reinforcements.
• Cui Dingshan explains that the Gods’ Barrier prevents easy access to the Evil Gods’ World, making rapid reinforcement unlikely. After more than ten days of debate, the seven commanders finalize their war strategy and prepare to attack the Savage Wastes.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates his exceptional memory and political awareness by recognizing all major commanders and True Persons despite meeting many of them for the first time. His previous dominance in Cavern Realm No. 2 has given him lasting prestige.
• Former rivals from the six sects still regard Chen Jichuan with awe and a degree of discomfort, but they now treat him as an equal ally—or, implicitly, someone still above them.
• The seven commanders gradually move from unfamiliarity to mutual understanding, recognizing that cooperation will require knowledge of one another’s personalities and fighting styles.
• Zuo Zongming emerges as the experienced, methodical strategist who favors stability and controlled expansion.
• Tong Zhan represents a more aggressive military approach, prioritizing speed and decisive attacks.
• Cui Dingshan contributes historical and strategic knowledge about the Gods’ Barrier and the internal condition of the Evil Gods.

Significant Themes

• Unity against a greater threat: Old rivalries among the Seven Great Immortal Sects are temporarily set aside in favor of cooperation against the Evil Gods.
• Knowledge as power: Intelligence about geography, enemy numbers, factions, and defensive barriers is treated as essential to military success.
• Faith versus self-cultivation: The chapter contrasts gods who depend on worshippers with Heretic Gods who seek power through personal cultivation and mastery of laws.
• Orthodoxy and persecution: The orthodox gods label independent cultivators “heretics,” revealing how established powers suppress rival paths to power.
• Strategy versus aggression: The commanders debate whether patience and secure advancement or rapid attacks will best exploit their current advantage.
• Power and political reputation: Chen Jichuan’s past victories continue to shape how others interact with him, demonstrating the lasting influence of strength and reputation.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan exchanges courteous greetings with the four principal commanders and later meets the other leading True Persons.
• Former opponents from Cavern Realm No. 2 approach him respectfully, turning past humiliation into lighthearted conversation while still recognizing his superiority.
• The commanders spend ten days building rapport before beginning serious military discussions.
• Zuo Zongming leads the strategic meeting by presenting the battlefield and proposing a cautious plan.
• Tong Zhan challenges him with an aggressive alternative, creating the chapter’s main strategic disagreement.
• Cui Dingshan supports the case for caution by explaining why the Evil Gods are unlikely to receive immediate reinforcements.
• Despite differing opinions, the commanders ultimately reach a unified decision and prepare to launch the allied army’s campaign.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Flying Dragon Great Plain is ruled by the Wind God Church under Link, a cautious Sixth Heaven god who has secretly grown his power over several centuries. He controls twelve kingdoms and more than ten million believers.
• Link plans to promote two subordinates to subordinate gods so they can help process his enormous supply of faith power and strengthen his Divine Kingdom.
• His preparations are interrupted when a massive Godslayer army arrives through a bluestone-bridge magic array. Link orders the kingdoms and allied gods to mobilize, but the invasion begins before meaningful resistance can form.
• Han Zongyuan, a Seventh Heaven True Person, leads a small force of cultivators and Demon Race warriors. Despite being vastly outnumbered, his army overwhelms Link’s forces through the strength of its high-level experts. Link is personally defeated and captured with ease.
• The Seven-Sect Allied Army’s campaign across the Savage Wastes proceeds rapidly. Over six years, its forces advance along seven routes, crushing the Evil Gods who attempt to resist.
• The Seven Gods fail to cooperate in time to activate the Gods’ Barrier and call for reinforcements. Their Divine Kingdoms are destroyed, their believers scatter, and the surviving gods flee to the Borderlands with their Ancient Divine Artifacts.
• The Seven Sects seal the entrance to the Evil Gods’ World and begin consolidating their victory while hunting the fleeing gods.
• Four years later, the campaign in Cavern Realm No. 7 also ends in victory. However, Cavern Realm No. 6 becomes a disastrous reversal: its Evil Gods unite, summon reinforcements from the Evil Gods’ World, defeat the allied army, kill two commanders—including Ji Liuyun—and cause the disappearance of the Heaven-Mending Sect’s Suchness Scissors.
• In the closing scene, Chen Jichuan pursues Lei Lin, one of the defeated peak gods of the Savage Wastes. Lei Lin has spent eight months fleeing and has been repeatedly weakened through battles and loss of faith power. He is nearly caught and appears unable to escape Chen’s sword formation.

2. Character Developments

• Link: Revealed as cautious, ambitious, and highly disciplined. His secret accumulation of believers allows him to rise from a minor god to a powerful Sixth Heaven god, but his confidence and preparations prove insufficient against a Seventh Heaven-led invasion. He is defeated and captured almost immediately after attempting to defend his realm.
• Han Zongyuan: Demonstrates overwhelming battlefield superiority as a Seventh Heaven True Person. His small force defeats Link’s much larger religious empire, establishing the immense gap between ordinary divine armies and elite cultivators.
• Chen Jichuan: Emerges as a major military leader and relentless hunter. After entrusting administration to his subordinates, he personally enters the Borderlands and pursues the fleeing gods. His mastery of the Wind-Thunder Heavenly Realms Grand Escape and sword formations is emphasized.
• Lei Lin: Shifts from an influential peak god with hundreds of millions of believers to a desperate fugitive. Without faith power, his strength steadily declines, forcing him to rely almost entirely on the Fire Crow Sand Cup.
• Ji Liuyun: His death in Cavern Realm No. 6 marks a major loss for the Heaven-Mending Sect and signals that the allied forces’ victories are not guaranteed.
• The Seven Gods: Their failure to trust and coordinate with one another prevents them from forming a united defense, leading to the collapse of their power.

3. Significant Themes

• The vulnerability of power built on faith: Gods may command enormous populations, but once their Divine Kingdoms and believers are destroyed, their strength rapidly withers.
• Coordination versus disunity: The Seven Gods’ lack of mutual trust prevents them from activating their greatest defensive weapon, while the Seven Sects’ cooperation enables rapid conquest.
• The disparity between quantity and quality: Link commands millions of believers, yet a few powerful cultivators easily overcome his larger forces.
• The rise and fall of regimes: The destruction of the old gods allows new powers—the Seven Immortal Sects—to dominate the Savage Wastes.
• War’s unpredictability: Victories in Cavern Realms No. 5 and No. 7 contrast sharply with the devastating defeat in No. 6, showing that the broader war remains dangerous despite earlier success.
• Pursuit and attrition: The defeated gods are not immediately executed but are hunted down over time, with exhaustion and loss of resources gradually eliminating their ability to resist.

4. Character Interactions

• Link issues divine commands to the kingdoms and subordinate gods under his control, attempting to organize a unified defense.
• Han Zongyuan directly confronts and effortlessly captures Link, highlighting the power gap between them.
• The Seven-Sect commanders coordinate a broad offensive across the Savage Wastes, while the gods fail to coordinate their own defense.
• Ji Liuyun’s death and the loss of the Suchness Scissors become a major shock to the Heaven-Mending Sect and the broader alliance.
• Chen Jichuan repeatedly clashes with Lei Lin during the latter’s eight-month flight. Their final confrontation in the chapter ends with Chen’s sword formation closing around Lei Lin, leaving the pursuit at a critical moment.

Chapter Summary: “History Was About to Repeat Itself!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan confronts Fire God Lei Lin after an eight-month pursuit. Lei Lin unleashes the Fire Crow Sand Cup, creating a vast fire domain filled with Fire Crows, but Chen withstands the attack using the Six-Jia Golden Lotus and overwhelms him with the Great Luo Heavenly Sleeve and Seven-Star Sword Diagram.
• Despite Lei Lin’s desperate resistance, Chen gradually exhausts him, steals the Fire Crow Sand Cup, and ultimately destroys his divine soul with the Illusory World.
• Lei Lin becomes the fourth of the Seven Gods of the Savage Wastes killed by Chen in four years, following Daina, Simpson, and Muba. Chen now possesses four Ancient Divine Artifacts.
• The Fire Crow Sand Cup is revealed to be a Fourth Rank Ancient Divine Artifact from the Magnolia Continent. It contains powerful fire-related abilities, including the Fire Body Art, Explosion Profundity, a fire domain, and tens of thousands of Fire Crows.
• Chen considers opening the Gods’ Barrier and entering the Evil Gods’ World, but decides against it. The Magnolia Continent contains beings of the Third and Fourth Ranks, and crossing worlds would expose his hidden identity to the world’s will, potentially resulting in heavenly punishment.
• Shortly after Chen leaves, commanders Huangfu Duan, Cui Dingshan, and Master Jueyuan arrive, but once again find that he has defeated their target first.
• Cui Dingshan is especially furious because Chen previously stole the Water God Daina and her artifact from him. The commanders acknowledge that Chen’s escape techniques, treasure, and combat ability make him nearly impossible to challenge directly.
• Huangfu Duan chooses not to provoke Chen and departs. Cui Dingshan, however, harbors growing murderous intent, while Master Jueyuan also appears deeply unsettled.
• From hiding, Chen observes their discussion and reflects on the growing divisions within the Seven-Sect Allied Army.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan/Dai Zong: Becomes increasingly dominant and confident after defeating four Tenth Heaven Evil Gods. His cautious, methodical fighting style allows him to defeat stronger opponents without unnecessary risk. However, he remains aware of the dangers of entering the Magnolia Continent and recognizes the political consequences of his growing power.
• Fire God Lei Lin: His arrogance and hesitation lead to his downfall. He regrets refusing to open the Gods’ Barrier earlier, but by the time he realizes his mistake, Chen has already cornered him. His death marks the collapse of another major Savage Wastes power.
• Cui Dingshan: His repeated failures to claim the Seven Gods and their artifacts turn frustration into open hostility toward Chen. He begins considering Chen a serious future threat to the sects.
• Huangfu Duan: Demonstrates prudence and political awareness. He refuses to create an enemy of Chen, recognizing that Chen’s potential growth makes provoking him extremely dangerous.
• Master Jueyuan: Though outwardly restrained and Buddhist in demeanor, his angry reaction reveals that he is also disturbed by Chen’s growing influence.
• The Seven-Sect Allied Army: Its commanders and sects are shown to be increasingly divided by jealousy, territory, resources, and competition over the Ancient Divine Artifacts.

Significant Themes

• Power and inevitability: Chen’s victories demonstrate the consequences of allowing a powerful opponent time to grow. His enemies repeatedly wait too long to act, only to find that he has become untouchable.
• Regret and missed opportunities: Lei Lin’s refusal to open the Gods’ Barrier illustrates how hesitation can turn a possible escape into certain destruction.
• The cycle of history: The chapter parallels the fall of the original Savage Wastes gods with the emerging conflicts among the victorious sects. Those who defeated the old rulers risk becoming divided by the same greed and rivalry.
• The “dragon slayer becomes the dragon” idea: Chen recognizes that the Seven-Sect Allied Army may gradually replace the Evil Gods as a new oppressive power, while internal competition threatens to fracture the alliance.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen restrains himself from entering the dangerous Magnolia Continent, prioritizing survival and long-term cultivation over immediate opportunity.
• Political consequences of strength: Chen’s increasing power makes him difficult to oppose, but it also creates resentment and fear among the sect leaders.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen and Lei Lin: Their prolonged battle showcases Chen’s superior endurance, technique, and tactical patience. Chen repeatedly offers Lei Lin a chance to surrender, but Lei Lin refuses until escape is impossible.
• Chen and the three commanders: Although they do not meet directly, Chen’s repeated victories frustrate them and establish him as a rival who consistently outmaneuvers the allied forces.
• Cui Dingshan, Huangfu Duan, and Master Jueyuan: Their conversation reveals differing responses to Chen: Cui seeks revenge, Huangfu advocates avoidance, and Jueyuan shares the others’ unease while maintaining a composed exterior.
• Chen observing the commanders: From hiding, Chen understands that the alliance is beginning to fracture, reinforcing his belief that history is repeating itself.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After ten years of war against the Evil Gods, the Seven Great Immortal Sects’ cooperation collapses into open rivalry. Chen Jichuan has killed four of the Seven Gods of the Savage Wastes—acquiring the Heavy Mountain Ring, Ice and Snow Crown, Black Star Divine Sword, and Fire Crow Sand Cup—but decides not to pursue the remaining three gods.
• Chen studies the four Ancient Divine Artifacts. Although Immortal Dao cultivators cannot easily activate them, the artifacts contain valuable insights into laws and cultivation. He plans to use the Heavy Mountain Ring and Ice and Snow Crown to develop earth- and water-element techniques, complementing his existing metal- and fire-element abilities.
• He continues cultivating, studying scriptures, teaching disciples, refining pills and artifacts, hunting fleeing Evil Gods, and occasionally manipulating conflicts among the six remaining sects.
• The remaining three gods are successively killed:
  • Light God Stuart is slain by Zuo Zongming, Cui Dingshan, and Teng Qinghai. Teng takes the Light Scepter, while Zuo claims Stuart’s corpse.
  • Thunder God Lilmons is killed by Zuo, Cui Dingshan, Master Jueyuan, Huangfu Duan, and Tong Zhan. Huangfu takes the divine body, while Zuo takes the Thunder God’s Hammer.
  • Wind God Hanbulit is killed by Zuo, Cui Dingshan, and Master Jueyuan. Cui Dingshan betrays and kills Zuo, taking both the Galaxy Sword and Hanbulit’s body. Master Jueyuan obtains the Light Scepter.
• Zuo’s death sparks a war between the Seven Emperors Sword Sect and the Five Elements Sect. The Blue-Robed Swordsman attempts revenge but dies from his wounds. The war ends with Cui Dingshan’s death, the Galaxy Sword returned, and the Five Elements Sect surrendering the Azure Cloud Shield.
• The weakened Five Elements Sect is then attacked by the Asura Divine Sect and Myriad Talisman Sect. After those sects withdraw, the Heaven-Mending Sect, Kasyapa Temple, and Nine Tripod Mountain launch the decisive assault. The Five Elements Sect is ultimately destroyed after thirteen years of warfare.
• The Seven Great Immortal Sects become the Six Great Immortal Sects. The survivors divide into three stronger and three weaker sects, while the Central Continent remains unstable.
• In the eighty-fifth year after the Ten-Year War, Chen Jichuan advances to the Sixth Heaven, steps down as Hall Master of the Scripture Transmission Hall, and becomes a Supreme Elder.
• That same year, he enters No. 6 Cavern, a realm completely controlled by Evil Gods, intending to use it as a place for further cultivation and combat training. The chapter then jumps forward twelve hundred years.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan becomes increasingly detached from sect conflict. Having gained four Divine Artifacts, he recognizes that pursuing the remaining treasures would make him a target and chooses cultivation over direct competition.
• His understanding of cultivation deepens. He realizes that his techniques lack strong wood-, water-, and earth-element methods and begins planning to complete his mastery of the Five Elements.
• His long-term accumulation through study, teaching, combat, alchemy, and artifact forging eventually allows him to break through to the Sixth Heaven.
• Cui Dingshan changes from a frustrated participant into a dangerous and ruthless figure. Repeatedly receiving none of the spoils intensifies his resentment, eventually leading him to betray and kill Zuo Zongming.
• Zuo Zongming, initially one of the strongest sect leaders and a major participant in the hunt for the gods, is killed through Cui Dingshan’s treachery.
• The major sects become increasingly opportunistic, repeatedly forming and breaking alliances according to their interests rather than any lasting loyalty.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of alliances: The original united front against the Evil Gods quickly gives way to sectarian rivalry and warfare once the external threat weakens.
• Greed and betrayal: Competition over Divine Artifacts fuels resentment, culminating in Cui Dingshan’s murder of Zuo Zongming and the destruction of the Five Elements Sect.
• The value of cultivation over brute force: Chen views the Divine Artifacts primarily as guides to understanding laws rather than weapons, emphasizing comprehension and long-term preparation.
• Balance and the Five Elements: Chen recognizes the importance of mastering complementary elemental techniques so that one element can counter another in battle.
• Rise and fall of powers: Even a sect that has dominated the Central Continent for tens of thousands of years can be destroyed once its weakness is exposed.
• Patience and long-term planning: Chen’s steady cultivation contrasts with the sects’ short-term struggles for power. His eventual breakthrough and retreat to No. 6 Cavern reflect his preference for gradual accumulation and future strength.

Character Interactions

• Chen maintains contact with Heaven-Mending Sect elders and disciples through discussions, teaching, and study, strengthening his position within the sect.
• He deliberately encourages discord among the six sects while avoiding direct involvement in their struggle for the final three Divine Artifacts.
• Zuo Zongming, Cui Dingshan, and Teng Qinghai cooperate to kill Stuart, but immediately quarrel over the spoils.
• Zuo, Cui, Master Jueyuan, Huangfu Duan, and Tong Zhan jointly defeat Lilmons, only to fight over his corpse and artifact afterward.
• Cui Dingshan’s alliance with Zuo and Master Jueyuan against Hanbulit ends in betrayal when he kills Zuo and seizes the Galaxy Sword and Wind God’s body.
• The Seven Emperors Sword Sect retaliates through the Blue-Robed Swordsman and then declares full war on the Five Elements Sect.
• Several sects later exploit the Five Elements Sect’s weakness, first attacking it separately and finally cooperating to destroy it.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After three hundred years at the Tenth Heaven, Chen Jichuan reaches the absolute limit of the Second Rank after opening all nine apertures. His magic power and Sword Qi are perfected, but he cannot advance into the Third-Rank Spirit Transformation realm.
• He suspects that the obstacle may not be his own cultivation, but the incomplete nature of the Central Continent World. Since no Third-Rank cultivator has appeared there since the ancient calamity, he concludes that either the world, himself, or both are flawed.
• At Yulan Mountain in No. 6 Cavern, Chen looks across at the Evil Gods’ World. Over the previous 1,200 years, he used false deaths and supposedly valuable treasures to lure and kill nearly a thousand high-rank Evil Gods in three major massacres. The Evil Gods now regard the Savage Wastes as a place of certain death and no longer dare invade.
• With the Evil Gods temporarily deterred and the Central Continent’s resources consolidated, Chen decides that his own time is coming to an end.
• The leaders of the Heaven-Mending Sect visit him. They report that the sect has destroyed the other five major Central Continent sects and now rules the continent alone, preparing for the eventual merging and conflict between the Central Continent World and the much stronger Evil Gods’ World.
• Chen gives the sect twelve Fourth-Rank Divine Artifacts, hundreds of jade slips, the Sword Diagram, more than twenty Transcendent Arts, cultivation methods, and other accumulated knowledge.
• Among the gifts is the Transcendent-level Mysterious Gate Technique, which can suspend a person between life and death for up to ten thousand years. This will allow the Heaven-Mending Sect to preserve powerful cultivators and awaken them when the world improves or war begins.
• On the same day, Chen Jichuan sits in meditation and dies peacefully at the age of 1,900, bringing his legendary life and the Central Continent arc to an end.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan has become the unrivaled figure of Central Continent: a supreme cultivator, Evil God slayer, teacher, sect founder in all but name, and guardian of the world. Despite reaching the pinnacle of the Second Rank, he remains unable to break through because of possible limitations imposed by the incomplete world.
• Over 1,200 years, he personally teaches eleven groups of disciples—more than 1,100 students in total. His instruction produces at least 446 Second-Order True Persons, including numerous mid-rank, high-rank, and Tenth-Heaven experts.
• Ling Fang, once a disciple of Chen’s fourth teaching term, rises to become the seventh Sect Master of the Heaven-Mending Sect. His position and authority are immense, but he remains deeply reverent and personally indebted to Chen.
• The Heaven-Mending Sect’s leadership develops from one of several major sects into the uncontested hegemon of Central Continent, largely because of Chen’s guidance, treasures, and disciples.
• Chen’s final actions reveal his acceptance of death. Rather than pursuing further personal glory, he ensures that his knowledge, artifacts, and methods will help the world survive after his departure.

3. Significant Themes

• The limits of cultivation: Even someone who has perfected his body and accumulated immense power may be blocked by flaws in the world itself.
• The passage of time and mortality: Chen outlives generations of sect leaders and cultivators, but even his extraordinary lifespan eventually ends.
• Legacy and succession: Chen’s greatest achievement is not reaching the Third Rank, but creating generations of powerful successors who can carry on his work.
• Preparation against catastrophe: The Heaven-Mending Sect’s consolidation of Central Continent reflects the need to set aside internal conflict in preparation for the far greater threat posed by the Evil Gods’ World.
• Power and responsibility: Chen uses his strength not merely for personal advancement but to protect, educate, and strengthen the entire Central Continent.
• Unfinished struggle: The looming collision between the two worlds remains unresolved, leaving the future in the hands of the sect and Chen’s disciples.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen interacts with the Heaven-Mending Sect’s Sect Master, Supreme Elders, and Hall Masters, all of whom treat him as their revered ancestor despite their own immense power.
• Ling Fang respectfully reports the sect’s conquest of Central Continent and receives Chen’s final inheritance. His initial excitement over the treasures turns into grief when he realizes Chen is preparing for death.
• Chen and the sect leadership share an implicit understanding: he has done everything possible to strengthen the Central Continent, and they must now preserve and build upon his legacy.
• The chapter ends without a dramatic farewell. Chen’s quiet death in meditation emphasizes both his transcendence and the profound loss felt by those who depended on him.

Chapter Summary: The Fifth “Dao Fruit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In his sea of consciousness, Chen Jichuan reviews the entirety of his nearly 1,900-year life in the Central Continent World.
• His life progresses from humble beginnings—sheltering in a doghouse and entering the Nine Refinements Immortal Estate—to becoming one of the Central Continent’s most powerful cultivators.
• Major milestones include:
  • Ten years of demon refinement and entry into cultivation.
  • Joining the Heaven-Mending Sect as a true disciple under White Cloud Ancestor’s recommendation.
  • Rising to the top of the Longevity Ranking and earning the title “Jade-Faced Judge.”
  • Becoming a Second-Order True Person and guarding Nine-Yang Island.
  • Spending 150 years in Cavern Realm No. 5, where he slaughtered Evil Gods and gained the title “Sword Prison Lord.”
  • Moving to Cavern Realm No. 2, defeating the Seven Sects, and becoming known as the “Jade-Faced True Person.”
  • Defeating Zhang Wuya, becoming master of the Scripture Transmission Hall, and later serving as commander-in-chief of the Heaven-Mending Sect.
  • Spending 1,200 years in Cavern Realm No. 6, killing countless Evil Gods and reaching the Tenth Heaven of Aperture Opening.
  • Helping the Heaven-Mending Sect unify the Central Continent and eventually becoming invincible within the world.
• After voluntarily ending his life, Chen awakens in his sea of consciousness and discovers that the fifth Dao Fruit has formed a lotus pod containing lotus seeds.
• His new status reveals that he is now 1,900 years old, with an Immortal Dao cultivation of the Tenth Heaven of Aperture Opening, sixth-level cultivation in both the Fate Dao and Nature Path, and numerous powerful techniques and treasures.
• He has also advanced to third-rank alchemy and artifact refining, greatly expanding his future ability to earn resources and secure protection.
• Chen reflects on his inability to break through to the Third Rank of the Immortal Dao despite nearly two centuries of effort.

Character Development

• Chen Jichuan has evolved from a talented but inexperienced cultivator into an extremely seasoned expert, military commander, teacher, administrator, and craftsman.
• His long life has deepened his knowledge, composure, state of mind, and understanding of cultivation.
• He recognizes the limitations of trying to cultivate the Immortal Dao, Fate Dao, and Nature Path simultaneously. The Immortal Dao remains his primary focus, while the other two paths have progressed more slowly.
• He has become increasingly cautious and pragmatic. Rather than relying on dangerous adventures in reality, he intends to use alchemy, artifact refining, and the Dao Fruit Worlds to cultivate safely and steadily.
• His role as a mentor has grown significantly. By instructing 1,200 disciples and experimenting with various cultivation methods, he has accumulated extensive knowledge that he plans to use to guide his younger brother, Chen Shaohe.
• His confidence and affection toward Chen Shaohe are evident when he jokes that even if his brother were “a heap of mud,” he could still shape him into something useful—before affirming that Chen Shaohe is actually talented.

Significant Themes

• The weight of time: Chen feels the emotional and psychological burden of having lived nearly two thousand years in a single world. His memories resemble an entire lifetime ending once again.
• Accumulation and transformation: His power comes not only from cultivation, but also from experience, battles, teaching, study, and repeated refinement.
• The difficulty of divided paths: Attempting to advance three major Dao paths at once proves extremely demanding, forcing Chen to reconsider where he should direct his efforts.
• Knowledge through teaching and experimentation: Chen’s disciples become living examples through which he studies cultivation methods, allowing him to derive more complete and balanced techniques.
• Pragmatism and survival: Alchemy and artifact refining are valuable not merely as scholarly pursuits, but as reliable means of acquiring resources, gaining protection, and avoiding unnecessary risks.
• Loneliness at the summit: After becoming invincible in the Central Continent, Chen experiences the isolation that comes with having no equal.

Character Interactions

• White Cloud Ancestor recognizes Chen’s potential and sends him to the Heaven-Mending Sect, setting him on the path to prominence.
• Nine-Dragon True Person recommends Chen before dying, leading to his transfer to Cavern Realm No. 2.
• Zhang Wuya serves as one of Chen’s major opponents; Chen eventually defeats him and reveals his true strength.
• Chen commands and instructs large numbers of cultivators during the battles against the Evil Gods, eventually teaching 1,200 disciples in the Heaven-Mending Sect.
• His future relationship with Chen Shaohe is highlighted. Chen’s broad experience in cultivation, alchemy, and instruction is intended to help his younger brother advance from the Innate Realm through Qi Refinement and toward the level of a Second-Order True Person.
• The chapter mainly focuses on Chen’s internal reflection rather than present-time dialogue, using his memories and self-assessment to show how far he has developed.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan finishes consolidating the gains from the Central Continent World. He has reached the Tenth Heaven of Aperture Opening, become a Third-Rank Alchemist and Artifact Refiner, mastered twenty-two Transcendent Arts, and deduced the Sword Diagram to the Orthodox Grade.
• His collection of lower-, mid-, and high-tier cultivation methods and arts has become enormous, far surpassing what even the major Immortal Gates possess.
• The fifth Dao Fruit has condensed and can produce sixteen Subsidiary Dao Fruits. Chen Jichuan initially plans to use them on powerful Tenth-Heaven experts, especially grandmasters of alchemy, artifact refinement, formations, and talismans.
• However, forming the sixteen Subsidiary Dao Fruits would cost 160 million Origin Force, while opening another Dao Fruit World would require 100 million. Chen Jichuan discovers that his accumulated Origin Force is nowhere near sufficient and abandons both plans for now.
• Reflecting on his timeline, Chen Jichuan realizes that nearly eight years have passed in reality and that he is now twenty-nine, while his younger brother Chen Shaohe is twenty-seven.
• After completing the Central Continent World, Chen Jichuan visits Chen Shaohe in the neighboring cave abode. The brothers share a long-awaited meal and drink together.
• Chen Jichuan tells Shao He that he can rest for at least three months, since analyzing and preparing for another Dao Fruit World would take more than ninety days.
• Chen Shaohe’s progress is revealed: he has advanced from the Second Layer of the Innate Realm to the First Level of Qi Refinement, gained a lifespan of three hundred years, and adopted stronger cultivation methods and arts.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan has undergone a massive transformation in knowledge, cultivation, and technical skill. Though still only at the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer in reality, his experience and attainments from the Dao Fruit Worlds are vastly greater.
• He becomes more aware of the danger posed by his accumulated treasures. His Orthodox Grade Sword Diagram and numerous Transcendent Arts would cause a catastrophe if exposed, so he intends to remain cautious and conceal his true strength.
• Chen Jichuan also shows practical restraint. Despite his desire to advance quickly, he recognizes that his lack of Origin Force makes immediately entering another world impossible.
• Chen Shaohe has matured both in cultivation and personality. He is now steadier, more independent, socially integrated into Flame Dragon Grotto Market, and capable of handling life without constant guidance from his brother.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and transformation: Chen Jichuan’s years across multiple worlds have built an overwhelming foundation of knowledge and power.
• The contrast between time and progress: Vast centuries pass in Dao Fruit Worlds while only a few years pass in reality, creating a widening gap between Chen Jichuan’s inner achievements and his actual cultivation.
• Resource limitations: Even extraordinary strength cannot eliminate the need for Origin Force, money, and careful planning.
• Concealment and survival: Chen Jichuan must hide his true abilities because revealing them would attract dangerous attention.
• Brotherhood and ordinary life: After years of relentless cultivation, the simple act of sharing food and wine highlights the importance of family and rest.
• Gradual cultivation: Shao He’s development reflects the value of building a solid foundation rather than prematurely pursuing techniques beyond his current level.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe reunite after more than four years of near-continuous separation. Shao He prepares a meal and personally brewed wine to celebrate his brother’s return.
• Their conversation is warm and familiar. Shao He asks how long Chen Jichuan can rest, while Chen Jichuan reassures him that he has at least three months.
• Chen Jichuan silently evaluates Shao He’s progress and explains—implicitly through his choices—that Shao He should advance step by step rather than immediately adopt the most powerful available techniques.
• The brothers drink together until they finish a pot of wine, enjoying rare uninterrupted time together.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Flame Dragon Grotto Market is introduced as a large, well-protected mountain city governed by the Flamecloud, Divine Banner, and Seven Profound Sects. It serves as a refuge and commercial center for Rogue Cultivators.
• Chen Jichuan has lived in the market for eight years, operating an Alchemy and Artifact Workshop. He owns a cave residence and has taken six young cultivators as disciples.
• After spending seven days advising Chen Shaohe on cultivation and pill refinement, Chen Jichuan begins his long-planned public advancement to become a Second-Rank Alchemist.
• He sends letters to the stewards of the three sects, deliberately spreading news of his advancement. The announcement causes a major stir because even the strongest alchemy sects possess very few Second-Rank Alchemists.
• The masters of all three sects invite Chen Jichuan to join them. He chooses the Seven Profound Sect, whose lack of a Second-Rank Alchemist gives him greater importance and autonomy.
• Chen Jichuan becomes Seven Profound Sect’s seventh hall master and takes charge of its Alchemy Hall. His six disciples enter the sect as true disciples.
• The sect assigns Chen Jichuan and his disciples the beautiful Red Maple Valley as their residence.
• After several welcoming banquets, Chen Jichuan retreats to cultivate. The sect purchases his remaining stock of low-grade magic artifacts and pills, giving him more than 2.66 million Spirit Stones.
• He converts the Spirit Stones into over 266 million Origin Force, allowing him to create sixteen new Subsidiary Dao Fruits.
• These new Dao Fruits include ten Third-Rank Array Formation Grandmasters, two Alchemy Grandmasters, two Artifact Refining Grandmasters, and two Talisman-Making Grandmasters.
• Chen Jichuan decides to maintain his existing alchemy and artifact-refining foundations while focusing more heavily on array formations and talisman-making.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates his growing power, wealth, strategic judgment, and independence. His cultivation has reached the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer, and his numerous Transcendent Arts and Orthodox Grade Cultivation Method allow him to negotiate with the three sects from a position of strength.
• He shifts from being a successful Rogue Cultivator to becoming an influential sect leader and the Seven Profound Sect’s foremost alchemy authority.
• Chen Jichuan shows long-term planning by selecting Seven Profound Sect not merely for status, but for access to protection, resources, and a market for Second-Rank pills.
• His six disciples—especially Wang Cheng—benefit greatly from his rise. They move from obscure market cultivators to true disciples of a major sect.
• Wang Cheng is revealed to be the most talented disciple, having reached the Innate Zenith at only thirty years old, though Chen Jichuan plans to temper his character before helping him enter the Qi Refinement Realm.
• Chen Shaohe receives extensive personal guidance from Chen Jichuan, strengthening their relationship and improving his cultivation and alchemy knowledge.

Significant Themes

• Strategic independence: Chen Jichuan carefully chooses the sect that will give him the most freedom rather than simply accepting the strongest or most prestigious offer.
• Power through specialization: His status as a rare Second-Rank Alchemist gives him influence that exceeds what his cultivation alone would provide.
• The benefits of affiliation: Joining Seven Profound Sect grants him protection, resources, wealth, and a reliable distribution network, demonstrating the value of “leaning against a great tree.”
• Accumulation and long-term planning: Chen Jichuan treats wealth, knowledge, disciples, and Subsidiary Dao Fruits as resources to be developed over time.
• Rising horizons: His experiences in the Central Continent World have changed his standards; low-grade artifacts that once seemed valuable now appear ordinary to him.
• Mastery through inherited expertise: The Subsidiary Dao Fruits allow Chen Jichuan to gather the knowledge of exceptional experts and rapidly expand his abilities across multiple disciplines.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Chen Shaohe spend seven days drinking, discussing cultivation, and studying pill refinement, with Chen Jichuan offering detailed instruction.
• Chen Jichuan communicates with the three sects’ stewards through letters, using them to initiate his advancement and attract official attention.
• The three sect masters personally court him, but Chen Jichuan ultimately joins Seven Profound Sect after weighing autonomy and practical benefits.
• His six disciples admire and depend on him. Their excitement at entering Red Maple Valley and becoming true disciples reflects their gratitude and their master’s elevated status.
• Seven Profound Sect welcomes Chen Jichuan with numerous banquets and entrusts him with Alchemy Hall, establishing him as a major figure within the sect.

Chapter Summary

• Chen Jichuan establishes himself in Seven Profound Sect: While waiting for the analysis of the next Dao Fruit World, Chen continues cultivating and refining pills. As Seven Profound Sect’s new Second-Rank Alchemist and Alchemy Hall master, he will supply pills for the sect’s eleven True Persons and eventually use the sect’s sales network to market his products.
• Alchemy profits and advantages: Chen reflects on the difficulty and low profitability of newly advanced Second-Rank Alchemists. Ordinary alchemists have low success rates and may lose money for years, while mature Second-Rank Alchemists can earn several million Spirit Stones over time. Chen, however, possesses Third-Rank-level skill and an improved Breath-Expansion Pill formula, allowing him to refine much faster and more profitably than normal alchemists.
• Seven Profound Sect’s worries: Three months later, Sect Master Gongsun Ming and several True Persons gather anxiously to hear the result of Chen’s first Second-Rank pill furnace. They fear wasting the 120,000 Spirit Stones invested in the medicinal materials, though Hao Pingchuan reminds Gongsun that Chen has only recently advanced and should be given time to improve.
• Successful first furnace: Shen Kang initially teases the group by implying that the furnace failed, causing Gongsun Ming to despair. He then reveals that Chen succeeded, producing eight good-quality Second-Rank pills. The sect leaders are delighted and finally gain confidence in Chen’s abilities, concluding that recruiting him was a major bargain.
• Chen deliberately conceals his true skill: Chen’s actual success rate with Breath-Expansion Pills is around ninety percent, but he plans to present himself as an inexperienced alchemist with a success rate of roughly fifteen percent and a production pace of one furnace every three months. This will reassure the sect while preventing jealousy or suspicion. Even while appearing mediocre, he can still generate substantial profits.
• Improved status and income: Through Seven Profound Sect’s resources and sales channels, Chen expects to earn hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones annually—far more conveniently than through his previous workshop. As Alchemy Hall master, he will also receive a share of the sect’s profits and of the earnings generated by lower-rank alchemists whom he guides.
• Plans for Chen Shaohe: Chen intends to bring his brother, Chen Shaohe, into Seven Profound Sect after a year or two. This will reunite them and provide Shaohe with better opportunities to cultivate and improve his alchemy.
• Chapter conclusion: With his affairs in the real world settled and his position secure, Chen learns that the analysis of the seventh Dao Fruit World is complete and prepares to enter it after four months.

Key Themes

• Hidden strength and strategic modesty: Chen deliberately understates his abilities to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
• Mutual benefit and sect development: His relationship with Seven Profound Sect benefits both sides: the sect gains a powerful alchemist, while Chen gains resources, income, protection, and status.
• Long-term planning: Chen carefully arranges his finances, cultivation, professional position, and reunion with his brother before returning to his Dao Fruit World journeys.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan arrives in a new world, Wu River Star, where time flows 400 times faster than in the Dharma Lord World.
• He takes over the body and identity of Xu Ning, discovering that the original owner recently died from overwhelming physical and emotional distress.
• Xu Ning’s misfortunes included:
  • Expulsion from the Elementary Academy after offending the influential Duan Family.
  • The cancellation of his arranged marriage with the Xiao Family.
  • Bankruptcy and the freezing of his family’s talisman workshop after fraudsters impersonated it and cheated the powerful Yuanchen Merchant Guild.
  • The death of his father, Xu Jishi, known as the “Golden Spear Hand,” while hunting demon beasts.
• The legal case unexpectedly ends after the fraudsters are arrested, but the merchant guild avoids compensating the Xu family and suppresses the matter through public opinion.
• Chen Jichuan identifies the forces responsible for Xu Ning’s ruin, particularly the Yuanchen Merchant Guild, the Duan Family, and the corrupt Legal Office of East River Ward, but decides to postpone revenge until he becomes stronger.
• He learns about Wu River Star’s history and current political structure. Humanity is led by the Silver River Sword Sect and the True Martial Immortal Sect, while several powerful demon factions control other continents and oceans.
• Chen decides not to preserve the failing Golden Spear Talisman Workshop. Instead, he will use his abundant Origin Force to rebuild his cultivation.
• He chooses to focus exclusively on the Immortal Dao in this lifetime, temporarily setting aside the paths of life and destiny so he can compare the results later.
• He creates a new cultivation method, the White Tiger Sword-Prison Scripture, combining the Sword Diagram, White Tiger Descends the Mountain Diagram, and Cycle-Turning Prison-Suppressing Scripture.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan remains calm and pragmatic despite inheriting Xu Ning’s tragic circumstances. He views the past grudges objectively and refuses to seek immediate revenge.
• He demonstrates confidence in his long-term potential, relying on his vast Origin Force reserves and previous cultivation experience.
• His approach becomes more experimental and strategic: rather than repeating his former three-path cultivation, he intends to devote an entire lifetime to testing the Immortal Dao.
• He also shows increased interest in auxiliary skills such as talisman-making and formations, recognizing their value during his early rebuilding period.
• Xu Ning is portrayed as a tragic figure whose life collapsed under injustice, social pressure, family loss, and financial ruin.
• Xu Jishi is established as a capable but ultimately unsuccessful talisman maker who supported his family through both business and dangerous demon-beast hunting.

3. Significant Themes

• Rebirth and inherited consequences: Chen gains a new life but also inherits Xu Ning’s debts, enemies, and unresolved grievances.
• Justice versus power: The Yuanchen Merchant Guild manipulates the legal system and public opinion, demonstrating how powerful organizations can evade responsibility.
• Patience and delayed revenge: Chen recognizes that revenge is best pursued only after he has accumulated sufficient strength.
• Experimentation and self-improvement: His decision to focus on one cultivation path reflects a scientific, comparative approach to spiritual advancement.
• Order amid chaos: Wu River Star has been rebuilt into a structured civilization, but demon beasts, political corruption, and rival powers continue to threaten stability.
• Cultivation as the foundation of freedom: Chen considers strength and cultivation more important than preserving a failing business or immediately settling personal grudges.

4. Character Interactions

• Xu Ning’s conflict with Duan Zhengming, the son of an influential family, leads to his expulsion and the destruction of his future prospects.
• The Xiao Family ends Xu Ning’s childhood engagement after his downfall, revealing their opportunistic attitude.
• The Yuanchen Merchant Guild becomes the central opposing force by exploiting the legal system, suppressing the fraud case, and leaving the Xu family ruined.
• Xu Jishi and Xu Ning share a tragic father-son relationship: the father works to save the family business and dies outside the city, while the son collapses after learning of his death.
• Chen Jichuan has no direct interactions with these figures yet, but he mentally categorizes them as future enemies and prepares to confront them after rebuilding his cultivation.

New Cultivation Method

The White Tiger Sword-Prison Scripture has two branches:

• White Tiger One-Qi Sword Scripture: Nurtures a single powerful strand of Sword Qi within a visualized White Tiger Divine Lord, releasing it in a devastating attack.
• White Tiger Hundred-Thousand Sword Diagram: Divides Sword Qi into as many as 108,000 streams, forming a powerful Sword Diagram capable of crushing enemies and suppressing the world.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan completes the selection of his primary cultivation method, choosing the White Tiger Sword-Prison Scripture. The technique combines:

Qi refinement

Soul cultivation through visualization

Body refinement

• He decides to abandon his previous cultivation paths, including the Sword Diagram and the paths of life and fate, and devote himself entirely to this comprehensive technique.
• After using Origin Force to repair and strengthen Xu Ning’s neglected body, Chen Jichuan begins cultivating through visualization of the White Tiger Descends the Mountain Diagram.
• Although Xu Ning’s body and former life were ruined by misfortune, Chen Jichuan refuses to blame him entirely. He identifies Duan Zhengming and the Yuanchen Merchant Guild as the true sources of Xu Ning’s suffering and vows to seek revenge eventually.
• Rather than rushing into retaliation, Chen Jichuan spends two months cultivating and studying talisman-making in the Golden Spear Talisman Workshop.
• Financial pressure becomes increasingly severe. The workshop is burdened with debts, penalties, lawsuits, and unpaid obligations inherited from Xu Jishi. With repayment deadlines approaching, the workshop may soon have to be mortgaged.
• Chen Jichuan leaves the workshop for the first time in two months and travels through Golden Horn City to visit Huang Xuan, an old friend of Xu Jishi.
• Huang Xuan is sympathetic but unable to offer significant financial assistance. He nevertheless offers Chen Jichuan food and shelter if the workshop is lost.
• Chen Jichuan reveals that he has secretly studied alchemy and presents Huang Xuan with a top-grade Rejuvenation Pill that he claims to have refined himself.
• Huang Xuan is initially skeptical but recognizes the pill’s exceptional quality. To test Chen Jichuan’s claims, he questions him on alchemical theory.
• Chen Jichuan answers every question effortlessly, demonstrating that his alchemical knowledge is genuine and far beyond what Huang Xuan expected.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan has fully adapted to his new identity and circumstances. He transforms Xu Ning’s frail, broken body and replaces his former despair with discipline, patience, and determination.
• He shows strategic maturity by postponing revenge and concentrating first on cultivation, knowledge, and financial survival.
• Chen Jichuan also begins presenting himself as a capable alchemist, carefully using Xu Ning’s past interests as a believable explanation for his sudden expertise.
• Huang Xuan is established as a loyal and compassionate elder. Despite having his own financial burdens and grief, he remains concerned about the son of his deceased friend.
• Huang Xuan is still mourning his younger brother, Huang Ming, who died alongside Xu Jishi while hunting demon beasts. His personal loss deepens his sympathy toward Chen Jichuan.

Significant Themes

• Rebuilding oneself after ruin: Chen Jichuan restores both Xu Ning’s body and his future through cultivation and practical skills.
• Patience and delayed vengeance: Revenge is portrayed as something that should be pursued carefully rather than impulsively.
• Responsibility and inherited burdens: Chen Jichuan inherits Xu Jishi’s debts and must confront the consequences of his predecessor’s choices.
• Talent versus circumstance: Xu Ning’s former life was destroyed by misfortune and despair, while Chen Jichuan’s knowledge and determination allow the same body and resources to be used differently.
• Loyalty and human compassion: Huang Xuan’s willingness to shelter Chen Jichuan reflects the enduring bonds between old friends and their families.
• Hidden ability and strategic deception: Chen Jichuan conceals the true source of his knowledge while revealing enough skill to gain trust and create opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan internally reflects on Xu Ning’s suffering and separates personal weakness from the injustice inflicted by Duan Zhengming and the Yuanchen Merchant Guild.
• His meeting with Huang Xuan begins formally, with Chen Jichuan kneeling to express gratitude for Huang Xuan’s past support.
• Huang Xuan responds like a grieving but caring elder, sympathizing with Chen Jichuan’s hardships and offering him a place to stay.
• Chen Jichuan counters Huang Xuan’s concern by claiming he can support himself through alchemy.
• Huang Xuan’s skepticism leads to an informal examination, but Chen Jichuan’s flawless answers convince him that the young man possesses extraordinary alchemical talent.

Chapter Summary: “Lying Low!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan reveals to Huang Xuan that he is an eighteen-year-old Great Apothecary. Huang Xuan is impressed but immediately warns him to keep the information secret, especially from Duan Zhengming and the powerful Yuanchen Merchant Guild.
• Huang Xuan agrees to help Chen Jichuan repay his debts to the Golden Spear Talisman Workshop. He borrows and gathers 50,000 Spirit Stones, enough to settle the remaining debt.
• He also supplies medicinal herbs for Rejuvenation Pills, Qi-Bursting Pills, Breath-Restoring Pills, and Essence-Nourishing Pills, arranging for Huang Quan to deliver supplies every two months.
• To conceal Chen Jichuan’s activities, Huang Quan pretends to study talisman-making at the workshop and periodically brings friends there as a cover.
• Chen Jichuan begins simultaneously cultivating, refining pills, and studying talisman-making. Publicly, he pretends to have the abilities and productivity of an ordinary Great Apothecary.
• In reality, his Third-Rank Alchemist abilities allow him to refine multiple batches quickly with a perfect success rate. He keeps this hidden to avoid attracting suspicion.
• Huang Xuan increasingly sees Chen Jichuan as a future alchemy master and becomes even more careful in protecting him, hoping his own sons may benefit from the relationship.
• Chen Jichuan privately teaches Huang Quan cultivation and talisman-making. After only a few months of guidance, Huang Quan breaks through from the Late Later-Heaven Stage into the Innate Realm.
• Huang Quan becomes Chen Jichuan’s trusted intermediary and spends much of his time at the workshop, where he also genuinely begins learning talisman-making.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates exceptional alchemy and talisman-making talent while deliberately concealing the full extent of his abilities. He becomes more cautious and adopts a long-term plan focused on repaying debts, accumulating wealth, improving his cultivation, and eventually escaping the influence of the Yuanchen Merchant Guild.
• Huang Xuan: Shifts from merely helping the son of an old friend to deliberately cultivating a relationship with a potential future alchemy master. His protectiveness, foresight, and caution become increasingly pronounced.
• Huang Quan: Though initially of average aptitude and stuck at the Late Later-Heaven Stage, he proves reliable and discreet. Under Chen Jichuan’s instruction, he rapidly advances into the Innate Realm and becomes an effective cover and assistant.
• Xu Jishi/Xu Ning: Their past is discussed as a contrast: Xu Jishi’s stubbornness prevented him from recognizing Xu Ning’s talent, contributing to Xu Ning’s discouragement and the family’s decline.

Significant Themes

• Lying low and concealment: Chen Jichuan carefully hides his true abilities, presenting himself as merely an unusually talented Great Apothecary rather than an extraordinary genius.
• Trust and loyalty: Huang Xuan’s sincere support and Huang Quan’s discretion allow Chen Jichuan to operate safely.
• Long-term planning: Chen Jichuan prioritizes debt repayment, financial independence, cultivation, and eventual escape from powerful enemies.
• Mentorship and opportunity: Huang Quan’s breakthrough shows how proper guidance can unlock hidden potential, while Huang Xuan’s earlier failure to support Xu Ning highlights the consequences of misunderstanding talent.
• Pragmatism and survival: Every action—from selling pills to creating false workshop activity—is designed to protect Chen Jichuan and maintain a believable public identity.

Character Interactions

• Huang Xuan warmly encourages Chen Jichuan, praises his talent, and gives him strategic advice about leaving Fertile City once he becomes strong enough.
• Chen Jichuan expresses gratitude and relies on Huang Xuan’s connections to sell pills and obtain supplies.
• Huang Xuan instructs Huang Quan to remain silent and serve as Chen Jichuan’s public cover.
• Chen Jichuan privately mentors Huang Quan in both cultivation and talisman-making, creating a relationship that goes beyond business.
• Huang Quan’s breakthrough deepens Huang Xuan’s respect for Chen Jichuan, though Huang Xuan wisely avoids visiting the workshop directly to preserve the secrecy of their arrangement.

Chapter Summary: “Five Years! [Requesting Monthly Tickets!]”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan continues observing Wu River Star through Huang Quan and Huang Xuan. Huang Quan enters the Golden Horn City Advanced Academy, while Huang Xuan gathers intelligence during demon-hunting missions.
• The Advanced Academy is revealed to be a major institution serving as part of the Silver River Sword Sect’s talent-selection system. It gathers gifted students from thirty-six wards and their Intermediate Academies, with Innate Realm cultivators as young as seventeen or eighteen.
• Huang Quan, though only average in cultivation compared with his new peers, distinguishes himself in Talisman-Making Art and gains recognition from several instructors and ranked talisman makers.
• Through the information he receives, Chen Jichuan learns more about Golden Horn City, Fertile City, and the Silver River Sword Sect’s broader structure:
  • Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Grand Academies progressively train and select talented cultivators.
  • Specialized Grand Academies exist for Qi Refinement, artifact refining, alchemy, and talisman-making.
  • The Silver River Sword Sect controls ninety-seven main cities and 776 satellite cities, with at least one True Person stationed in every satellite city.
• Chen Jichuan estimates that the Silver River Sword Sect alone possesses nearly a thousand Second-Order True Persons. He speculates that Wu River Star may contain Spirit Transformation cultivators, including the ancestors of the Silver River Sword Sect and other major forces.
• Chen continues cultivating while also investing heavily in talisman-making and beginning serious study of formations. He uses his alchemy profits to repay debts and purchase materials.
• His formation studies are supported by Dao Fruits from ten Third-Rank formation masters, allowing him to build a strong foundation despite having little practical experience.
• Huang Quan’s growing workload at the Advanced Academy reduces his visits home to roughly once a month, but he continues to visit Chen Jichuan and gradually adopts the manners of a disciple.
• Over five years on Wu River Star, Chen Jichuan follows a cycle of one month online and one month offline. He cultivates for eight months and reaches the Innate Realm, deliberately restraining his speed to better understand the White Tiger Sword-Prison Scripture.

Character Developments

Chen Jichuan

Becomes increasingly knowledgeable about Wu River Star’s institutions, political structure, cultivation forces, and possible Spirit Transformation experts. His ambitions expand beyond merely surviving or restoring his cultivation; he looks forward to exploring the deeper mysteries of Wu River Star and the wider cosmos. He also broadens his expertise from alchemy and artifact refining into talisman-making and formations.

Huang Quan

Advances from the Intermediate Academy to the Advanced Academy and reaches the Innate Realm at age twenty. Although his cultivation is merely ordinary among the elite students, he becomes one of the strongest newcomers in Talisman-Making Art. His relationship with Chen gradually shifts into an implicit master-disciple bond.

Huang Xuan

Serves as Chen’s external source of information while participating in demon-hunting missions. His reports help Chen understand the organization and power of the surrounding world.

Xu Jishi

Is mentioned indirectly through debts Chen is helping repay, showing that Chen continues to honor financial obligations connected to his previous identity and relationships.

Significant Themes

• Institutional cultivation and talent selection: The Silver River Sword Sect’s layered academy system demonstrates how powerful organizations systematically identify, train, and absorb talent.
• Hidden depth of the world: Chen’s discoveries reveal that Wu River Star is far more powerful and dangerous than initially apparent, with countless True Persons and the possible existence of Spirit Transformation experts.
• Patience and long-term preparation: Although Chen possesses extraordinary abilities, he deliberately cultivates steadily rather than recklessly, recognizing that deep understanding matters more than immediate speed.
• Knowledge as power: Chen uses Huang Quan and Huang Xuan as his “eyes,” gathering information while remaining secluded. His study of formations, talismans, and cultivation methods reflects his belief that broad knowledge will be crucial in future conflicts.
• The cost of advancement: Talisman-making and formations require enormous investments of time, materials, and money. Chen accepts these expenses because mastery will eventually strengthen his combat ability and expand his sources of wealth.
• Master-disciple relationships: Huang Quan’s growing respect and observance of disciple etiquette show that genuine bonds can develop before they are formally acknowledged.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Huang Quan: Their relationship evolves from teacher and student in practice into an unspoken master-disciple relationship. Huang Quan continues seeking Chen out whenever he returns home, despite his increasingly demanding academy schedule.
• Chen Jichuan and Huang Xuan: Huang Xuan provides Chen with reports and copied intelligence, allowing Chen to study Golden Horn City and the surrounding regions while remaining secluded.
• Huang Quan and the Advanced Academy instructors: His talent in talisman-making attracts the attention and praise of several teachers, giving him early recognition within the academy.
• Chen Jichuan and the wider cultivation world: Though physically isolated, Chen increasingly engages with the world through observation and analysis, forming a strategic understanding of the Silver River Sword Sect and its rival powers.

Ending Position

By the end of the chapter, five years have passed since Chen Jichuan arrived on Wu River Star. He has reached the Innate Realm, begun mastering formations and talisman-making, deepened his connection with Huang Quan, and gained a clearer picture of the immense powers and mysteries surrounding him.