Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: A Gentleman Is No Gentleman; Chen Jichuan the Killer!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan arrives at Golden Horn Mountain riding his Red-Scaled Beast. His distinctive white robes, long sword, and mount immediately identify him as the infamous Gentleman Sword.
• The gathered Grandmasters react with fear, resentment, embarrassment, or hostility because Chen Jichuan has defeated many of them in past battles.
• Full-Moon Saber Chai Yingrong, who has been obsessed with defeating Chen Jichuan for years, steps forward to settle their old grudge.
• Their feud began five years earlier when Chen defeated Chai. Chai repeatedly challenged him afterward and lost every time. During their fifth confrontation, Chen severely injured him by blinding one eye.
• Chai now attacks again, believing his saber skills have improved. Despite the spectators’ doubts, he is killed instantly in a single exchange. Chen’s sword cuts his throat, and the Red-Scaled Beast casually kicks his corpse down the mountain.
• Chen then reaches the mountaintop and greets the gathered Grandmasters as if nothing unusual has happened.
• Fang Chuang makes a guarded, sarcastic remark about Chai’s death, but Chen remains calm and even invites Fang to exchange techniques in the future.
• Chen claims he has come because of rumors concerning the Sword Ancestor’s Treasure. Dong Qing and the others clarify that no such treasure exists; they are only seeking the Vermilion Fruit Wine hidden inside Iron Arm Monkey Mountain.
• The supposed treasure rumors were spread to mislead people and cause trouble for the Three Schools and Thirteen Sects. The chapter ends with Chen maintaining his false explanation for coming to the mountain.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Revealed as overwhelmingly powerful, ruthless when provoked, and unconcerned with the resentment he creates. Though called the “Gentleman Sword,” his behavior is blunt and often merciless. He believes he previously showed Chai enough mercy and guidance, but finally kills him after repeated challenges. Chen is also calculating: he hides his real interest in the Vermilion Fruit Wine to avoid exposing his connections and creating trouble for the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect.
• Chai Yingrong: Shown as proud, stubborn, and consumed by revenge. His repeated defeats do not weaken his determination, but his obsession prevents him from recognizing the enormous gap between himself and Chen. His final challenge ends in his death.
• Fang Chuang: Displays sympathy for Chai but lacks the courage to intervene. He is bold enough to make a veiled accusation afterward, yet clearly fears Chen’s strength.
• Dong Qing and Liu Hengbo: Act as cautious representatives of the gathered Grandmasters, attempting to explain the truth about the rumors and avoid provoking Chen.
• The other Grandmasters: Their collective silence and discomfort show the lasting impact of Chen’s previous victories over them.

Significant Themes

• The contradiction between reputation and reality: Chen is called the “Gentleman Sword,” but his ruthless methods make others view the title as ironic or hypocritical.
• Pride and obsession: Chai’s inability to accept defeat drives him to challenge an opponent far beyond his level, ultimately costing him his life.
• Strength and humiliation in the martial world: Defeat leaves long-lasting resentment, especially when an opponent treats the victor’s superiority casually.
• Mercy versus responsibility: Chen believes he gave Chai repeated chances and even offered guidance, but when Chai continued provoking him, Chen considered killing him justified.
• Rumor and manipulation: False reports about legendary treasures draw martial artists to Golden Horn Mountain and create conflict among sects and rogue cultivators.
• Hidden identity and strategic deception: Chen conceals his true purpose and possible connection to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, demonstrating that his direct personality is balanced by careful planning.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Chai: Their encounter is the chapter’s central confrontation. Chai approaches with hatred and demands revenge, while Chen treats the fight as an annoying but predictable consequence of Chai’s stubbornness. The battle ends almost immediately with Chai’s death.
• Chen and Fang Chuang: Fang offers a subtle verbal jab after Chai’s death, but Chen responds without anger, pretending to accept the remark politely while steering the conversation toward his purpose.
• Chen and the gathered Grandmasters: Chen greets them familiarly despite their hostility, highlighting his confidence and their discomfort.
• Dong Qing, Liu Hengbo, and Chen: They attempt to correct Chen’s misunderstanding—or apparent misunderstanding—about the Sword Ancestor’s Treasure. Chen listens while continuing to conceal that he is actually interested in the Vermilion Fruit Wine.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan confirms that the Sword Ancestor’s Treasure is not present, but instead of leaving, he announces that he will help the other martial artists obtain the rare Vermilion Fruit Wine.
• The assembled Grandmasters are uneasy because Chen recently killed Chai Yingrong with a single sword strike, and many present hold grudges against him. However, they recognize that his strength—particularly his position in the top ten of the Heaven Ranking—would make him a valuable ally against the Iron-Armed Monkey King.
• Dong Qing, Liu Hengbo, and Yang Xiong privately debate whether to allow Chen to join their operation. They eventually agree to compensate him with portions of the Vermilion Fruit Wine obtained by their sects. The other thirteen sects also promise him part of their shares.
• Chen rejects the idea of receiving wine from only a single raid and proposes capturing and raising the Iron-Armed Monkey Clan so that they can produce Vermilion Fruit Wine indefinitely for future generations.
• When the others point out that the monkeys would be difficult to tame, Chen claims that he is proficient in “Beast Speech” and can communicate with them. He confidently promises to make them remain in the mountains and continue brewing wine.
• Although the sect leaders doubt that Beast Speech can truly overcome differences between species and regions, Chen’s reputation and his successful taming of the Red-Scaled Beast persuade them to accept his participation.
• The group reaches Iron Arm Monkey Mountain and hides near the summit. They observe thousands of powerful Iron-Armed Monkeys and two Vermilion Fruit trees growing on an island in a lake.
• Dong Qing explains that the fruits are nearly ripe. Once the monkeys harvest and crush them in the wine pool, the Vermilion Fruit Wine will be ready, creating the moment when the human forces intend to attack.
• Chen becomes eager to obtain the wine, intending to study its formula and brewing method through alchemy. He privately reasons that if he can reproduce the wine himself, he may not need to keep the monkey clan at all.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates both confidence and strategic cleverness. He turns a potentially hostile situation into an opportunity to join the expedition, negotiates a share of the reward, and then attempts to secure a permanent source of Vermilion Fruit Wine. His claim of understanding Beast Speech adds another mysterious ability to his already formidable reputation. His thoughts also reveal an alchemist’s practical ambition: he wants to analyze and replicate the wine rather than depend on the monkeys.
• Dong Qing, Liu Hengbo, and Yang Xiong: Initially try to limit Chen’s involvement and give him only a small, one-time compensation. After realizing his strength and possible future status, they reluctantly accommodate him. Their reactions show that they fear provoking him but also understand the advantage of having him as an ally.
• The Red-Scaled Beast: Remains fierce and resentful despite being portrayed by Chen as proof of his ability to communicate with beasts. Its snorts and bursts of flame provide comic resistance to Chen’s self-confident claims.
• The other sect leaders: Follow the major sects’ lead and agree to offer Chen a portion of their rewards, recognizing that a small concession is preferable to opposing a powerful Heaven Ranking expert.

Significant Themes

• Power and negotiation: Chen’s overwhelming strength allows him to insert himself into an alliance that was originally meant to exclude additional Grandmasters. The others must balance fear, resentment, and practical necessity.
• Short-term gain versus long-term benefit: The sects initially plan a single raid for one batch of wine, while Chen immediately proposes establishing a permanent supply. His suggestion exposes the limitations of their original plan.
• Trust and concealed intentions: The leaders pretend to welcome Chen while secretly attempting to minimize his reward. Chen, meanwhile, presents himself as cooperative but is already considering how to reproduce the wine independently.
• Human control over nature: The plan to capture and domesticate the Iron-Armed Monkeys reflects the martial world’s willingness to exploit rare beasts and natural resources for cultivation.
• The limits of knowledge: The discussion of Beast Speech emphasizes the difficulty of communication across species and regions, while Chen’s unexplained expertise reinforces his unusual abilities and enigmatic identity.

Character Interactions

• Chen repeatedly reassures Dong Qing and Liu Hengbo that he understands the truth about the missing treasure, causing the group to relax—until he declares that he will remain and claim a share of the wine.
• The sect leaders privately debate whether Chen is too dangerous to include, ultimately deciding that his strength outweighs the risks.
• They offer him portions of their sects’ future wine shares, but Chen counters with a much more ambitious proposal: capturing the entire monkey clan and maintaining a permanent wine source.
• Yang Xiong attempts to explain the difficulty of taming the monkeys, but Chen interrupts with his claim of proficiency in Beast Speech.
• Chen’s interaction with the Red-Scaled Beast serves as evidence of his supposed ability, though the beast’s irritated reactions suggest that their relationship may be less harmonious than Chen implies.
• At Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, Chen joins the others in observing the approaching harvest, preparing for the planned assault while secretly considering how to obtain and reproduce the Vermilion Fruit Wine himself.

Chapter Summary: The Monkey King’s Ferocity, Devastating Losses!

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Vermilion Fruits on Iron Arm Monkey Mountain ripen, and the Iron-Armed Apes harvest them to brew Vermilion Fruit Wine.
• Yang Xiong explains that the wine will attract powerful demonic beasts once its fragrance spreads. He proposes waiting for the beasts to create chaos before stealing the wine.
• After three days, the wine’s aroma draws numerous powerful creatures, including the Silver-Armored Horned Python, Mountain-Pushing Beast, Flying-Feather Crow, Golden Centipede, and Scorching-Horn Crocodile.
• A massive battle erupts between the demonic beasts and the Iron-Armed Monkey Clan. The clan’s twenty-five leaders prove immensely powerful, easily killing or overwhelming many of the invading beasts.
• Realizing the beasts are losing and the wine may soon be consumed, Dong Qing urges the group to act. The twenty-two human cultivators sneak past the battlefield and enter the Monkey King’s cave.
• Inside, they discover that the Vermilion Fruit Wine is stored in numerous pools made from stalactite milk and spirit fruits.
• The Iron-armed Monkey King suddenly attacks. Its first strike severely injures several cultivators and kills one Rogue Cultivator Grandmaster instantly, revealing that it possesses strength at the Half-Step Void Realm.
• Fang Chuang cleverly throws a gourd into a wine pool and retrieves it using an almost invisible thread, drawing the Monkey King’s attention while the others collect wine.
• The cultivators fill their gourds, taking nearly all of the wine brewed by the clan—over a hundred jin in total.
• Enraged, the Monkey King unleashes a devastating area attack, sending rocks flying throughout the cave and injuring several more cultivators.
• Chen Jichuan shouts a warning and leads the escape. The group encounters Iron-Armed Ape leaders blocking the exit but manages to force or evade their way out.
• Of the twenty-two cultivators who entered, only twelve survive. Three of the five Rogue Cultivator Grandmasters die, along with seven members from the thirteen sects. The group escapes with the wine but suffers catastrophic losses.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates agility, calm judgment, and leadership under pressure. He fills his gourds quickly, protects himself from the Monkey King’s rock attack, notices Yang Xiong is safe, and deliberately draws the Monkey King away to help the others escape.
• Yang Xiong remains the group’s strategic leader, initially devising the plan to exploit the demonic beasts’ attack. His knowledge of secret lore and the Vermilion Fruit Wine proves valuable.
• Dong Qing recognizes that waiting too long will cost them their opportunity and decisively orders the raid on the Monkey King’s cave.
• Fang Chuang is revealed to be bold, greedy, and highly resourceful. Despite risking his life, he uses a concealed thread to retrieve wine safely and distracts the Monkey King, allowing the others to gather more wine.
• The Iron-armed Monkey King is established as an overwhelming and brutal force, far stronger than the ordinary ape leaders. Its Half-Step Void Realm strength and rage make it the central threat of the chapter.
• The Iron-Armed Ape leaders are shown to be nearly Heaven Ranking-level fighters, emphasizing the clan’s extraordinary combat power.

Significant Themes

• Greed and risk: The cultivators knowingly enter extreme danger for the rare Vermilion Fruit Wine, and their success comes at the cost of many lives.
• Strength and hierarchy: The difference between ordinary leaders, powerful ape leaders, and the Monkey King highlights the rigid hierarchy of cultivation strength.
• Teamwork amid chaos: The group succeeds because different members distract the Monkey King, gather the wine, and cover one another’s escape.
• Calculated opportunism: The humans exploit the demonic beasts’ attack, turning a three-way conflict into an opportunity to steal the clan’s treasure.
• The price of treasure: Although the group obtains the wine, the devastating casualties make clear that valuable resources often demand enormous sacrifice.

Character Interactions

• Yang Xiong coordinates the overall strategy, while Dong Qing pushes the group to act before the opportunity disappears.
• The cultivators rely on Fang Chuang’s distraction and Chen Jichuan’s warning to divide the Monkey King’s attention and escape.
• The Iron-Armed Apes defend their territory fiercely, fighting both the invading demonic beasts and the human thieves.
• The Monkey King focuses its fury first on Fang Chuang, then on the wider group, forcing the cultivators to abandon any attempt at prolonged combat and flee.

Chapter Summary: “Decisive Battle at the Mountain Peak, a Breakthrough in the Heat of Battle?!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping the cavern, the human Grandmasters reassess their plan to subdue the Iron-armed Monkey King. Although its strength greatly exceeds their expectations, they decide to continue the attack rather than retreat.
• The group lures the Monkey King and its clan leaders to the summit of Iron Arm Mountain, where the difficult terrain prevents the thousands of ordinary iron-armed apes from surrounding them.
• More than fifty human Grandmasters gather at the peak. Before they can organize fully, the Monkey King attacks with immense speed and power.
• The Monkey King kills Suo Zongtang with a single thrown javelin, piercing his heart and destroying his body. Dong Qing then engages it directly but is defeated within several exchanges and forced to retreat.
• The humans adopt a rotating battle strategy, sending Grandmasters forward in waves to exhaust the Monkey King while avoiding unnecessary deaths. The ape leaders hold off many of the human fighters and prevent them from overwhelming the Monkey King.
• The battle continues for three days and nights. Six ape leaders are killed and twelve severely wounded, while the humans lose twenty-five Grandmasters, including Suo Zongtang and many members of the Thirteen Sects.
• The losses reveal an imbalance: the three major sects suffer relatively few casualties, while the Thirteen Sects lose most of their fighters. However, the survivors are too consumed by the hope of obtaining the Monkey King’s Vermilion Fruit Wine to recognize or confront the hidden schemes behind this distribution of casualties.
• By the fourth morning, the Iron-armed Monkey King is visibly exhausted. Dong Qing suggests using Beast Speech to persuade it to surrender.
• Chen Jichuan takes over the next exchange. Instead of merely delaying the Monkey King, he appears to enter a profound combat state. His swordsmanship holds the Monkey King at bay while his own aura grows stronger.
• The chapter ends with Yang Xiong realizing that Chen Jichuan may be breaking through during the battle, prompting shock and excitement among the other Grandmasters.

Character Developments

• Iron-armed Monkey King: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, speed, endurance, and combat instinct. However, the prolonged rotating assault gradually drains both its body and mind, bringing it close to collapse despite its superior abilities.
• Dong Qing: Initially remains determined to follow the original plan, but his confidence is shaken after being forced back by the Monkey King. He later recognizes that the creature is nearing exhaustion and proposes negotiation.
• Suo Zongtang: Dies suddenly and brutally from a single javelin, establishing the Monkey King’s lethality and the extreme danger of the siege.
• Chen Jichuan: Remains cautious and observant rather than rushing into the fight. His exceptional perception allows him to identify the Monkey King’s strengths and weaknesses. During his turn in the battle, he appears to achieve a major breakthrough through combat.
• Yang Xiong: Notices Chen Jichuan’s increasing aura and correctly interprets it as a possible breakthrough, becoming unexpectedly ecstatic.
• The human Grandmasters: Their initial fear turns into greed and determination as they imagine using Vermilion Fruit Wine to cultivate a future supreme Grandmaster. Their desire for the wine causes them to ignore casualties and internal political manipulation.

Significant Themes

• Greed versus survival: The Grandmasters continue fighting despite enormous losses because of their desire for Vermilion Fruit Wine and the power it might provide.
• Attrition and endurance: The battle shows that even a vastly superior individual can be worn down through sustained, coordinated pressure.
• Human schemes and unequal sacrifice: The relatively low losses among the three major sects, compared with the devastation suffered by the Thirteen Sects, suggest deliberate manipulation beneath the apparent alliance.
• Breakthrough through combat: Chen Jichuan’s possible advancement reflects the theme that extreme pressure and life-or-death struggle can produce sudden martial growth.
• Strength and numbers: The chapter contrasts the Monkey King’s overwhelming individual power with the humans’ advantage in numbers, organization, and rotating tactics.
• False unity: Although the sects appear united, each group ultimately protects its own interests, making the alliance fragile and politically divided.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Zhishen, Dong Qing, Yang Xiong, and Liu Hengbo silently exchange doubt after witnessing the Monkey King’s strength, revealing uncertainty within the leadership.
• Dong Qing and the other sect masters debate whether to retreat or continue, ultimately reaffirming the original plan.
• Liu Hengbo leads the group toward the summit, while the other Grandmasters follow and organize the defensive position.
• The Monkey King and Suo Zongtang have a brief but fatal confrontation, with the Monkey King killing him instantly.
• Dong Qing and the Monkey King exchange several moves, demonstrating the vast gap between a renowned human Grandmaster and the beast.
• The human Grandmasters and the ape leaders engage in a prolonged rotating battle, with each side restraining the other and preventing a decisive early victory.
• Dong Qing and Chen Jichuan discuss the possibility of using Beast Speech once the Monkey King appears exhausted.
• Chen Jichuan and the Monkey King fight evenly at the chapter’s climax, while Chen’s rising aura alerts Dong Qing, Liu Hengbo, and Yang Xiong that something extraordinary may be occurring.

Chapter Summary: “Yang Xiong, You Old Undying Thing!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Yan watches the three-day battle on Iron Arm Monkey Mountain through a Thousand-Li Mirror, focusing especially on Chen Jichuan, who is fighting under the identity of the Gentleman Sword.
• She initially suspects Sect Master Yang Xiong and the other Grandmasters are deliberately prolonging Chen Jichuan’s battle so the Iron-Armed Monkey King can kill him.
• Her suspicion changes when she realizes the other Grandmasters are genuinely alarmed: Chen Jichuan is overpowering the Monkey King rather than being threatened by it.
• Chen Jichuan achieves a breakthrough during combat, advancing from the Transformative Force Realm into the Elixir Embracement Realm. His strength, vitality, and swordsmanship increase dramatically, making him comparable to a Great Grandmaster.
• After breaking through, Chen Jichuan easily suppresses the Iron-Armed Monkey King with the martial technique “Dragon Coiled, Tiger Crouching,” forcing the powerful beast to its knees.
• The surrounding Grandmasters panic because Chen Jichuan’s breakthrough may attract terrifying Void Realm demonic beasts from the Qinling Mountains. They abandon the Vermilion Fruit Wine and flee.
• Yang Xiong secretly warns Chen Jichuan to escape. Chen follows the advice immediately, using his movement and earth-escape techniques to leave Iron Arm Monkey Mountain.
• While fleeing west through the forest, Chen Jichuan is attacked by a Gale Divine Eagle. He evades its devastating assault with the Willow-Floss Movement Technique and Earth-Escape Art, leaving behind a decoy made of paper scraps.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Reaches the Elixir Embracement Realm through battle, becoming a Great Grandmaster-level figure. His physical body, internal force, and swordsmanship undergo a major transformation. He also demonstrates composure and adaptability by trusting Yang Xiong’s warning and escaping immediately.
• Wang Yan: Her admiration for Chen deepens, but she initially misjudges Yang Xiong’s intentions and becomes fiercely protective of her martial uncle. She ultimately observes the breakthrough and understands Chen’s overwhelming strength.
• Yang Xiong: Though Wang Yan believes he may be plotting Chen’s death, he is actually pleased by Chen’s breakthrough and secretly prepares to protect him. He warns Chen of the danger in the Qinling Mountains, revealing that his apparent envy and hostility are partly an act to conceal Chen’s identity and advancement.
• The Grandmasters: Their rivalry and jealousy are overshadowed by fear of the Qinling Mountains’ Void Realm monsters. Once Chen breaks through, survival becomes more important than the original struggle over the wine.
• Iron-Armed Monkey King: It shifts from being the dominant combatant to being completely suppressed by Chen after his breakthrough, experiencing genuine fear of death.

Significant Themes

• Misjudgment and hidden motives: Wang Yan mistakes Yang Xiong’s expression of satisfaction and feigned jealousy for murderous intent, emphasizing how appearances can conceal true intentions.
• Breakthrough through combat: Chen’s advancement demonstrates the cultivation theme that intense battle and comprehension can produce sudden, transformative progress.
• The difference between realms: The chapter stresses that the Elixir Embracement Realm is vastly superior to the Transformative Force Realm, granting greatly increased strength, longevity, and potential.
• Danger beyond human conflict: The Grandmasters’ rivalry becomes insignificant once the Qinling Mountains’ ancient and powerful demonic beasts are awakened or drawn near.
• Pragmatism and survival: The cultivators quickly abandon wealth and grudges when faced with overwhelming danger, while Chen’s willingness to follow sound advice helps him survive.

Character Interactions

• Wang Yan watches Chen’s battle and privately worries that Yang Xiong and the other Grandmasters are conspiring against him.
• Yang Xiong outwardly appears jealous and displeased by Chen’s success, but secretly supports him and prepares to prevent interference during his breakthrough.
• Yang Xiong later sends Chen a private warning to flee the Qinling Mountains.
• Chen defeats and immobilizes the Iron-Armed Monkey King but abandons the confrontation after receiving Yang Xiong’s warning.
• The Grandmasters flee together in panic, indirectly confirming that Chen’s breakthrough has triggered a much greater danger.

Chapter Summary: “Diverting Disaster Eastward!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Hammer Mountain is introduced as the Five Clouds Sect’s military base, holding roughly 3,000 elite Azure Wolf Army soldiers. Although the army has lost its legendary azure wolf mounts, it remains comparable to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s Blood-Robed Army.
• The Five Clouds Sect has launched a sudden invasion of Yulin Commandery, taking three cities in three days. Yulin is poorly defended because its major sects and experts have been lured into the Qinling Mountains by false rumors concerning the Sword Ancestor’s and Yong Emperor’s treasures.
• The three great sects of Yue Prefecture—Five Clouds, Grand Vacuity Sword, and Spring Silkworm—secretly coordinated this strategy. Each launched an attack on one neighboring commandery:
  • Grand Vacuity Sword Sect attacked Anhua Commandery.
  • Five Clouds Sect attacked Yulin Commandery.
  • Spring Silkworm Sect attacked Shuofang Commandery.
• Huang Zan and Han Tao discuss the Five Clouds Sect’s ambitions. They expect the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect to become vulnerable after the three commanderies are divided and absorbed.
• Chen Jichuan deliberately lures the enraged Void Realm Gale Divine Eagle toward Hammer Mountain. The demon beast devastates the Azure Wolf Army camp, killing approximately 90 percent of the 2,000 soldiers stationed there.
• Chen avoids the encampments of several other sects, then leads the Gale Divine Eagle and a second Void Realm demon beast—Bear General—toward the Spring Silkworm Sect’s Cangya Army camp. The Cangya Army suffers a similar catastrophic attack.
• Chen flees southward afterward, attempting to keep the demon beasts away from Camel Mountain, where the Blood-Robed Army and his former subordinates are stationed.
• Two days later, Sect Master Yang Xiong and four senior Grandmasters escape the Qinling Mountains and reach White Elephant City. They lament the failure of their original ambush after Chen’s breakthrough forced the Blood-Robed Army and their forces to retreat.
• Yang Xiong secretly worries about Chen’s safety, knowing that Chen has only recently entered the Elixir Embracement Realm and is being pursued by two Void Realm demon beasts. He plans to return to Pengshan City and summon the sect’s Void Grand Grandmaster to rescue him.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates strategic cunning, courage, and ruthlessness. Rather than fighting the Five Clouds and Spring Silkworm forces directly, he manipulates the demon beasts into destroying their elite armies. He also shows loyalty and responsibility by deliberately steering the danger away from Camel Mountain and the Blood-Robed Army, where many of his former comrades remain.
• Huang Zan: Reveals himself as an ambitious and confident military commander. He celebrates the rapid conquest of Yulin and already looks beyond it toward eliminating the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect.
• Han Tao: Provides political and strategic insight into the sects’ territorial ambitions and the risks of upsetting the balance among Yue Prefecture’s three great sects.
• Yang Xiong: Becomes increasingly concerned for Chen’s survival. Although he publicly frames his return as a need to oversee the war, his real goal is to arrange a rescue, showing genuine personal concern.
• Ge You and the other Grandmasters: Remain unaware of Chen’s true identity and continue cursing him as “Gentleman Sword,” unknowingly criticizing the very person Yang Xiong hopes to save.

3. Significant Themes

• Strategic manipulation over direct confrontation: Chen wins major victories by redirecting existing forces against one another rather than engaging in open combat.
• The danger of political overreach: The three sects’ plan promises enormous territorial gains but risks destroying the balance that has kept them from total war.
• Identity and dramatic irony: Chen’s true identity is known to the reader and Yang Xiong but not to Ge You and the other Grandmasters, creating irony as they condemn him while Yang Xiong worries about him.
• Loyalty amid conflict: Despite acting against the sects, Chen protects the Blood-Robed Army and his former comrades, revealing that personal bonds still influence his choices.
• The unpredictability of power: The sects believe they control the battlefield, but the appearance and manipulation of Void Realm demon beasts completely overturn their plans.
• Ambition and territorial expansion: The Five Clouds Sect’s desire to absorb Yulin—and eventually dominate the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect—drives the broader political conflict.

4. Character Interactions

• Huang Zan and Han Tao discuss the successful invasion of Yulin, the sects’ secret alliance, and their expectation that the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect will eventually be destroyed.
• Chen Jichuan and the Gale Divine Eagle: Chen repeatedly provokes and evades the demon beast, using its fury as a weapon against the sect armies.
• Chen and Bear General: Chen inadvertently—or deliberately through his continued provocation—draws a second Void Realm demon into the pursuit, greatly increasing the destruction.
• Chen and the Blood-Robed Army: Though they do not meet directly in this chapter, Chen’s actions are shaped by his attachment to Wang Yan and his former soldiers, whom he deliberately tries to protect.
• Yang Xiong and Ge You: Ge You angrily blames “Gentleman Sword” for ruining their military operation, while Yang Xiong silently knows Chen’s true identity and chooses not to correct him.
• Yang Xiong and the other Grandmasters: They travel together toward Pengshan City, with Yang Xiong concealing his urgent intention to secure help for Chen.

Chapter Summary: “One Month Later!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• One month after the battle at Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect has completely conquered Anhua Commandery, taking all six major cities and seven minor cities.
• The sect is now working to stabilize the conquered territory. Remnants of Anhua’s forces have become bandits and mountain brigands, so Elder Pei Zhiyong recommends permanently stationing the First and Third Divisions of the Blood-Robed Army there.
• The elders agree that suppressing the bandits is essential for integrating Anhua Commandery and preparing for future conflict with the Five Clouds Sect and Spring Silkworm Sect.
• The three major sects of Yue Prefecture have each conquered a commandery:
  • Grand Vacuity Sword Sect: Anhua Commandery
  • Five Clouds Sect: Yulin Commandery
  • Spring Silkworm Sect: Shuofang Commandery
• The Five Clouds Sect and Spring Silkworm Sect suffered devastating losses in the Qinling Mountains. Their elite armies were attacked by demon beasts after the battle over Vermilion Fruit Wine, losing more than 2,000 soldiers each and numerous Grandmasters.
• News spreads that Gentleman Sword Chen Jichuan defeated Chai Yingrong and broke through to the Great Grandmaster realm while fighting the Iron-Armed Monkey King. His breakthrough attracted the attention of powerful factions throughout the Seven Prefectures.
• Chen Jichuan’s identity and whereabouts remain secret. Within the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, he is referred to by his hidden identity, Wang Shan.
• Yang Xiong visits the gray-clothed elder at Ten-Thousand Scrolls Grotto to ask whether there has been any news of Wang Shan. Two Great Grandmasters, Nie and Bu, have entered the Qinling Mountains to search for and protect him.
• The chapter ends with Yang Xiong returning alongside an unnamed young man in blue, accidentally overhearing the gray-clothed elder angrily blaming Yang Xiong for sending Wang Shan into such danger.

Character Developments

• Yang Xiong: Although normally shrewd and capable, he is consumed by guilt and anxiety because he encouraged Chen Jichuan/Wang Shan to enter the Qinling Mountains. He fears that his decision may have endangered the sect’s greatest young talent.
• Chen Jichuan/Wang Shan: His reputation has risen dramatically after breaking through to the Great Grandmaster realm at only thirty-six. His survival is uncertain, but the sect considers rescuing him important enough to risk the lives of two elderly Great Grandmasters.
• The gray-clothed elder: Publicly calm and reassuring, he privately feels intense worry and anger. He bitterly regrets allowing Wang Shan to enter the Qinling Mountains and harshly criticizes Yang Xiong once he is alone.
• Pei Zhiyong and Peng Xin: Both demonstrate practical leadership, focusing on military security, administrative consolidation, and the sect’s long-term strategic position.
• Unnamed young man in blue: Introduced at the end of the chapter. His arrival creates an awkward moment when he and Yang Xiong hear the gray-clothed elder’s private outburst.

Significant Themes

• The cost of ambition: Wang Shan’s extraordinary breakthrough came at the price of disappearing into one of the world’s most dangerous regions.
• Responsibility and regret: Yang Xiong and the gray-clothed elder both struggle with the consequences of permitting Wang Shan to take such a dangerous risk.
• Strategic consolidation: Military conquest is shown to be only the first step; suppressing bandits, restoring administration, and stabilizing territory are necessary to truly absorb Anhua Commandery.
• Political opportunism: The Grand Vacuity Sword Sect willingly accepts blame for the Qinling Mountains disaster because the “black pot” helps conceal its own involvement and effectively saves thousands of its soldiers.
• The rise of a legend: Chen Jichuan’s breakthrough marks him as a figure of importance to powerful sects and Great Grandmasters across the region.
• The tension between humanity and demon beasts: The agreement restricting human Great Grandmasters and Void Realm demon beasts from crossing into each other’s territories highlights the danger and political balance surrounding the Qinling Mountains.

Character Interactions

• The Administrative and Military Affairs Council elders cooperate in planning how to govern Anhua Commandery and eliminate remaining resistance.
• Pei Zhiyong proposes the permanent deployment of elite troops, while Peng Xin supports the plan and emphasizes the need for internal stability.
• Yang Xiong repeatedly consults the gray-clothed elder about Wang Shan, revealing his emotional dependence on the elder’s reassurance.
• The gray-clothed elder tells Yang Xiong that Nie and Bu are searching for Wang Shan and insists that saving the young Great Grandmaster would justify even their deaths.
• After Yang Xiong returns with the young man in blue, the elder’s private anger is exposed, producing an awkward confrontation and revealing that his apparent calm conceals deep concern.

Chapter Summary: Void Realm! Divine Realm!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan meets Patriarch Qin, an elderly Great Grandmaster who had secretly observed him ten years earlier after noticing his exceptional sword talent.
• Qin reveals that Chen’s reputation as a “Heaven-Born Sword Seed” was recognized early on. Qin’s martial granduncle selected Chen’s sword techniques and instructed the sect not to interfere with his development.
• Sect Master Yang Xiong explains that Qin, along with Patriarchs Nie and Bu, was once known as one of the “Taixu Three Heroes.” The three disappeared from the Heaven Ranking after advancing to the Great Grandmaster realm.
• Patriarch Qin introduces the detailed realms beyond the ordinary Grandmaster stages:
  • External arts: Elixir Embracement, Astral Condensation, and Indestructible Divine Manifestation—the three tiers of the Divine Realm.
  • Internal arts: Entering the Void, Void Insight, and Empty Nether—the three tiers of the Void Realm.
• Qin explains that Chen has reached the First Divine Realm Tier, Elixir Embracement, while Qin himself has reached the Second Void Realm Tier, Late Void Insight, along with substantial external-art cultivation.
• Chen learns that only four people in history—the Yong Emperor Gu Yong, Sword Ancestor Taixu, Dao Ancestor Taixuan Fuyao, and Buddha Ancestor Sanbao—ever surpassed the Void and Divine Realms to become true Supreme Powerhouses.
• Qin discusses the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s lost supreme inheritance, the Taixu Ten Swords, one of the legendary Four Great Divine Canons. Though the sect recovered a version of it, the inheritance remains inferior to the original divine-grade canon.
• Qin offers Chen several incomplete external-art manuals for reference but warns him that attempting to cultivate them could be dangerous.
• Chen politely refuses, reaffirming that he intends to focus on swordsmanship and internal arts. Qin is delighted, having hoped Chen would choose the sect’s traditional path.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: His true stature becomes clearer. He is revealed to be a thirty-six-year-old Elixir Embracement Great Grandmaster with exceptional swordsmanship, discipline, gratitude, and loyalty. He also gains a broader understanding of the world’s cultivation system and realizes that the Qinling World may extend beyond Qi Refinement to the Aperture-Opening Realm.
• Patriarch Qin: His identity as Chen’s former observer and hidden supporter is revealed. He values Chen’s talent, diligence, gratitude, and loyalty, and begins treating him as someone worthy of important responsibilities. He also shows concern for Chen’s future and hopes to guide him toward internal arts.
• Yang Xiong: He acts as an intermediary, helping Chen understand Qin’s importance and encouraging him to seek Qin’s guidance.
• Wang Yan and Wang Ji: Though not present, their importance to Qin’s evaluation of Chen is emphasized. Chen’s efforts to aid his martial mother and instruct Wang Yan demonstrate his strong sense of affection and responsibility.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and recognition: Chen’s rise was observed and quietly supported long before he knew it, showing how powerful figures may shape events from behind the scenes.
• Gratitude and loyalty: Chen’s willingness to help his martial family greatly influences Qin’s favorable opinion of him.
• The limits of knowledge: Even powerful Great Grandmasters possess incomplete inheritances and cannot necessarily guide every cultivation path.
• Tradition versus individual talent: The sect urges Chen to abandon external arts and follow its internal-art sword tradition, while Chen must balance his unusual gifts with the sect’s expectations.
• A vast cultivation hierarchy: The revelation of the Divine Realm, Void Realm, and Supreme Powerhouses expands Chen’s understanding of the world and renews his ambition.
• Rise and decline of sects: Qin’s account of the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect and other ancient powers highlights how even legendary organizations can suffer disasters, lose inheritances, and later rise again.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Patriarch Qin: Their meeting transforms a hidden relationship into an open one. Qin acknowledges that Chen surpassed his expectations, while Chen expresses sincere gratitude for Qin’s past protection and guidance.
• Chen Jichuan and Yang Xiong: Yang clarifies Qin’s background and subtly directs Chen toward accepting Qin as a mentor.
• Chen Jichuan and Patriarch Qin regarding cultivation: Qin advises Chen to focus on internal arts and swordsmanship, offering external-art texts only as references. Chen understands the underlying concern and reassures Qin that he will remain devoted to the sword path.
• Qin and the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect: Qin’s explanation reveals both his pride in the sect’s ancient heritage and his concern over its incomplete inheritance and uncertain future.

Chapter Summary: “Taixu Three Heroes! [Please Vote!]”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Patriarch Qin permits Chen Jichuan to leave after confirming his breakthrough into the Divine Realm, but orders him to keep the news secret. The sect considers Void Realm and Divine Realm experts essential pillars whose identities and remaining lifespans must be concealed.
• On the journey back, Yang Xiong tells Chen that Patriarchs Nie Yun and Bu Wushuang entered the dangerous Qinling Mountains to search for him after he disappeared. Chen learns that the legendary Taixu Three Heroes—Qin Feng, Nie Yun, and Bu Wushuang—are all still alive and have reached the Void Realm.
• Chen returns safely to the Wang residence, then goes to the Fourth Division of the Blood-Robed Army. The division is stationed in Pengshan Commandery as a reserve force while the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect attacks Anhua Commandery.
• Chen visits Wang Yan, who has been overworked managing military affairs while worrying about his disappearance. She is visibly relieved to see him, examines him for injuries, eagerly listens to his experiences, and eventually falls asleep leaning against him.
• Eleven days later, Qin Feng brings Chen to the Ten-Thousand Scrolls Grotto to meet Nie Yun and Bu Wushuang, who have returned from the Qinling Mountains.
• Chen discovers through his special perception that Nie Yun is 275 years old and Bu Wushuang is 281. Qin Feng, the youngest and strongest of the three, is already 268. Their advanced ages and limited remaining lifespans reveal the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s succession crisis.
• The three patriarchs discuss Chen’s future cultivation. Chen confidently states that he should be able to advance into the Void Realm within one or two years.
• Recognizing that Chen has reached the Divine Realm and is close to a breakthrough in internal cultivation, Nie Yun proposes allowing him to study the sect’s supreme inheritance, the Sword Stele. Qin Feng agrees that Chen is finally ready.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates greater maturity and strategic awareness. He understands why his breakthrough must remain secret and appreciates the sacrifices made by the sect’s patriarchs. His confidence has grown considerably: he openly predicts his advancement to the Void Realm within one or two years. He is also approaching access to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s most important inheritance.
• Qin Feng: Acts as a protective and pragmatic elder. He prioritizes concealing Chen’s breakthrough and personally reunites him with the returning patriarchs. His urgency and concern highlight the importance he places on Chen’s future.
• Nie Yun: Emerges as warm, gentle, and perceptive. He praises Chen’s humility and recognizes his enormous potential, particularly his ability to preserve and surpass the sect’s internal cultivation legacy.
• Bu Wushuang: Remains quiet and stern but shows goodwill toward Chen. His presence reinforces the strength and unity of the Taixu Three Heroes.
• Wang Yan: Her concern for Chen reveals deep emotional attachment and loyalty. Despite being burdened by military administration, she immediately relaxes upon seeing him and resumes her lively, affectionate manner. Her exhaustion also shows the personal cost of the ongoing conflict.
• The Taixu Three Heroes: Their survival and Void Realm achievements are impressive, but their advanced ages expose their vulnerability. They increasingly view Chen as the sect’s likely future pillar.

3. Significant Themes

• Secrecy and survival: Powerful experts must conceal their identities and cultivation levels so enemies cannot exploit the sect’s weaknesses.
• Succession and legacy: The sect’s three remaining Void Realm experts are nearing the ends of their lives, making Chen’s growth vital to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s continued survival.
• Youth versus age: The patriarchs possess experience and power but are approaching their lifespan limits, while Chen has extraordinary potential and centuries of life ahead.
• Duty and emotional bonds: Chen’s return affects both the sect’s strategic plans and the people personally attached to him, especially Wang Yan.
• Inheritance and preparation: Chen’s long cultivation journey is beginning to bear fruit, culminating in his imminent access to the Sword Ancestor’s secret inheritance.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen and Patriarch Qin: Qin protects Chen’s secret and later guides him to meet the other patriarchs. Their relationship reflects trust between a promising disciple and a powerful elder.
• Chen and Yang Xiong: Yang explains the patriarchs’ rescue mission, giving Chen a clearer understanding of the dangers he survived and the concern he inspired.
• Chen and Wang Yan: Their reunion is affectionate and intimate. Wang Yan’s relief, physical inspection, excited questioning, and eventual sleep beside him reveal how deeply she worried about him.
• Chen and the Taixu Three Heroes: The meeting begins formally but quickly becomes harmonious. Nie Yun and Qin Feng encourage Chen to be less restrained, while Bu Wushuang quietly expresses support.
• The three patriarchs: Their discussion of Chen’s cultivation shows their shared concern for the sect’s future and their agreement that he is ready to receive the Sword Stele’s inheritance.

Overall Significance

The chapter marks Chen Jichuan’s transition from promising junior to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s potential future foundation. His Divine Realm breakthrough is kept secret, his Void Realm advancement is imminent, and the elders finally decide that he is ready to study the sect’s supreme Sword Stele inheritance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan enters a deeper section of the Ten-Thousand Scrolls Grotto and discovers hundreds of stone steles bearing rubbings of the Sword Ancestor’s inscriptions.
• The inscriptions represent the Taixu Ten Swords: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, cloud, frost, thunder, and lightning. Though only rubbings, they contain profound sword intent and can greatly aid Void Realm cultivation.
• Qin Feng explains that the original inscriptions were lost after the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect declined following the Sword Ancestor’s ascension. Complete originals are now held by powerful organizations such as Imperial Heaven City, the Form-Intent Sect, the Great Sun Vajra Temple, and the Supreme Profound Abbey, while others are scattered overseas.
• The sect’s attempts to recover the lost inscriptions have failed, though its exploration of the Western Sea produced extensive nautical charts and helped build its enormous wealth.
• Chen Jichuan begins studying the rubbings and uses them to greatly advance his sword-path comprehension. His true swordsmanship is considerably stronger than what he previously revealed.
• After the battle at Iron Arm Monkey Mountain, Yue Prefecture is divided among the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, the Five Clouds Sect, and the Spring Silkworm Sect. The Grand Vacuity Sword Sect expands into a second commandery but faces the threat of future attacks from the other two sects.
• While cultivating, Chen Jichuan also trains disciples and Blood-Robed Army generals. Through his deep experience, Dao Fruits, and secretly administered pills, he rapidly increases the sect’s number of Innate and Transformative Force experts.
• In the second year after reaching Elixir Embracement, Chen Jichuan leaves Yue Prefecture and breaks through another major stage of martial cultivation. In the third year, his Dao Arts advance from Spirit Projection to Night Roaming.
• These breakthroughs complete advances along all three of his cultivation paths, bringing him closer to the peak of his previous life.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan grows stronger in all areas. His swordsmanship advances substantially through studying the Taixu inscriptions, while his martial and Dao Arts cultivation also break through.
• He becomes increasingly important to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, acting not only as its strongest figure after the senior Void Realm experts but also as its most effective teacher and future pillar.
• Chen Jichuan begins considering a future journey overseas to locate the lost original inscriptions, potentially using the Circle-Light Technique to track them down.
• Qin Feng, Nie Yun, and Bu Wushuang reveal more of the sect’s history and resources. Their explanations also reflect their concern that the sect may not be able to retain Chen Jichuan unless they demonstrate its strength and long-term potential.
• Yang Xiong and the sect’s leadership become both alarmed and delighted by Chen Jichuan’s ability to produce large numbers of new experts, recognizing that his efforts may determine the sect’s survival.

Significant Themes

• Preservation and loss of legacy: The Taixu Ten Swords have been scattered because of political upheaval, sectarian conflict, and the decline of the Sword Ancestor’s influence.
• Inheritance versus innovation: Even incomplete rubbings can inspire new techniques, as past Grand Vacuity Sword Sect masters used them to create the inferior Taixu Sword Canon.
• The rise and fall of great powers: The chapter emphasizes the cyclical nature of unity, domination, decline, and fragmentation in the martial world.
• Cultivation as both personal and collective progress: Chen Jichuan advances his own cultivation while strengthening the entire sect by teaching and nurturing new experts.
• Strategic preparation: The Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s survival depends not only on its supreme experts but also on building a broad foundation of Innate and Transformative Force cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Qin Feng: Qin Feng explains the origin and limitations of the inscriptions, while also defending their value. He later reveals the sect’s history of losing the originals and searching for them overseas.
• Chen Jichuan and Nie Yun: Nie Yun introduces the stone steles and describes the sect’s overseas wealth and merchant networks, showing both discouragement over the lost inscriptions and pride in the sect’s hidden resources.
• Chen Jichuan with the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect: He shifts from being merely a powerful guest or ally to becoming a central protector, instructor, and prospective leader of the sect.
• Chen Jichuan and the disciples and soldiers: Through direct instruction and covert assistance with pills, he dramatically improves their cultivation, strengthening their loyalty and the sect’s military foundation.
• The Grand Vacuity Sword Sect versus the Five Clouds and Spring Silkworm Sects: Their uneasy balance after the recent war establishes the main external threat, with future conflict likely once the rival sects recover and consolidate their gains.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Thirty years pass. Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan remain youthful because of their Innate Realm cultivation, though Wang Yan is now sixty and Chen is forty-nine by worldly age.
• Wang Yan has perfected the Nine Lightning Swords and Great Might Heavenly Thunder Sword, while her Forty-Nine Tribulation Sword has reached marvelous mastery. She is now sixth on the Heaven Ranking and known as the “Lightning Sword,” surpassing Chen’s former reputation as the “Gentleman Sword.”
• During a night of sword practice, a sudden chill signals the return of Patriarch Bu Wushuang, who has spent over twenty years searching for Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice.
• Bu returns to the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect with three pieces of the ice. Chen had previously taught the three patriarchs the Mysterious Gate Technique, which can place them into suspended slumber and conceal them from the cycle of life and death.
• Chen, Qin Feng, Nie Yun, and Bu Wushuang gather in the Ten-Thousand Scrolls Grotto to discuss using the ice and technique to extend the sect’s protection for centuries.
• Nie Yun and Bu Wushuang refuse to enter slumber. With only days left to live, they choose to travel through Pengshan and Anhua Commanderies, seeing the peaceful lands they helped protect.
• The two patriarchs die peacefully in a carriage on June sixth, apparently passing away together while revisiting their memories.
• Ten days later, Qin Feng settles his affairs and uses the Mysterious Gate Technique to seal himself in Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice.
• Chen Jichuan becomes the sole active Void Realm Grand Grandmaster remaining in the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, marking the beginning of a new era.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan has matured into the central pillar and future leader of the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect. He understands the significance of preserving the three patriarchs and accepts the emotional burden of outliving them.
• Wang Yan has become an exceptional swordswoman, rising to sixth on the Heaven Ranking. Her progress is attributed to Chen’s guidance and her regular consumption of Vermilion Fruit Wine, though she remains temporarily stuck before the Void Realm.
• Bu Wushuang demonstrates extraordinary endurance and loyalty by spending over twenty years searching for the Profound Ice despite his advanced age. After fulfilling his mission, he accepts death peacefully.
• Nie Yun shows contentment and closure. Having witnessed the sect’s stability and waited for Bu’s return, he feels no regret and chooses to spend his final days traveling rather than gamble on eternal slumber.
• Qin Feng is the most eager to preserve the sect’s future. Though saddened by Nie Yun and Bu’s deaths, he accepts the need to enter suspended animation so that he may protect the sect in a distant future.
• The three patriarchs’ final choices reveal their differing attitudes toward death: Nie Yun and Bu embrace a natural ending, while Qin Feng chooses to preserve himself for the sect’s future.

3. Significant Themes

• The passage of time and mortality: Thirty years pass almost instantly, and even powerful Void Realm experts cannot escape aging and death.
• Legacy and succession: The patriarchs’ greatest concern is ensuring that the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect survives and flourishes after they are gone. Chen represents the next generation capable of carrying their legacy forward.
• Acceptance versus preservation: The chapter contrasts accepting death with attempting to evade it through the Mysterious Gate Technique. Neither choice is presented as wholly right or wrong.
• Friendship and brotherhood: The three patriarchs endured conflict, separation, and hardship but ultimately remained bound by deep loyalty and shared history.
• Peaceful closure: Nie Yun and Bu’s final journey emphasizes gratitude and fulfillment as they witness the prosperity of the territories they protected.
• The beginning of a new age: With two patriarchs dead and one asleep, the old generation recedes, leaving Chen to guide the sect into an uncertain future.

4. Character Interactions

• Wang Yan and Chen practice swords together like an experienced married couple, reflecting their close and comfortable relationship.
• Wang Yan offers Chen wine when the temperature suddenly drops, prompting him to explain that Bu Wushuang has returned.
• Chen welcomes Bu and retrieves the Profound Ice from him, recognizing the enormous effort behind his mission.
• Qin Feng and Nie Yun greet Bu warmly, showing the emotional significance of the three old companions being reunited.
• Qin Feng urges the others to use the Mysterious Gate Technique, but Nie Yun and Bu calmly refuse, explaining that they prefer to spend their remaining time traveling.
• Chen respects their decision and does not pressure them, while Qin Feng is visibly saddened by the loss of his two senior brothers.
• The memories shared by Qin, Nie, and Bu emphasize their lifelong bond and the rise of the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect together.

Chapter Summary: “Six Years Later: Sorrow at Parting!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Six years have passed since Patriarchs Bu and Nie died, while Patriarch Qin Feng remains in slumber.
• Yang Xiong brings a newly advanced Void Realm expert, Li Qingshan, into the sect’s forbidden Ten-Thousand Scrolls Grotto.
• Inside, Li discovers that the mysterious “Wang Shan” is actually Chen Jichuan, the legendary “Gentleman Sword” who became a Great Grandmaster more than thirty years earlier.
• Chen explains that he deliberately concealed his identity because the Five Clouds Sect and Spring Silkworm Sect would have tried to eliminate such a young and dangerous Great Grandmaster.
• Yang Xiong reveals that Li’s years of support—including Vermilion Fruit Wine and spear manuals—were secretly provided by Chen. Li is deeply grateful.
• Chen and Li discuss the difference between the Void Realm and Divine Realm, the wider world beyond Yue Prefecture, and the secrets of the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect.
• Chen shows Li the rubbings of the Taixu Ten Swords. Although Li uses a spear, his exceptional comprehension allows him to absorb the sword intent and incorporate it into his own techniques.
• Chen reviews his current cultivation and realizes that he has already gained everything possible from the Taixu rubbings. With Li now strong enough to help protect the sect, Chen decides it is time to leave the Central Land and travel overseas in search of the original Taixu sword steles.
• The next day, Chen informs his master Wang Ji and Madam Wang of his plans. They are worried about the dangers of the sea but ultimately support him.
• They insist that Chen settle his long-delayed relationship with Wang Yan before leaving and encourage him to take her overseas if she wishes.
• Chen returns to his residence at night and finds Wang Yan still practicing swordsmanship, setting up the chapter’s emotional ending and impending conversation.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: His hidden identity is revealed to Li Qingshan, demonstrating the immense progress and power he has accumulated. He is now confident enough to leave the Central Land, but remains considerate toward his sect, master, and Wang Yan. His decision to travel marks a transition from quiet cultivation to active exploration.
• Li Qingshan: After decades of independent cultivation, he reaches the Void Realm at age eighty-six. He becomes one of the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s two main Void Realm protectors and gains a deeper understanding of Chen’s identity and past assistance. His humility and gratitude strengthen their brotherly bond.
• Yang Xiong: Acts as the mediator who introduces Li to Chen’s true identity and ensures that Li understands the source of his advancement.
• Wang Ji and Madam Wang: Now elderly but still healthy due to cultivation and Vermilion Fruit Wine, they become increasingly concerned about Chen’s departure and Wang Yan’s future. Their opposition to his voyage softens into affectionate support.
• Wang Yan: Though she does not directly speak in the chapter, her continued devotion is emphasized. She has remained beside Chen for decades, sacrificing her own romantic prospects, and is now central to the emotional conflict surrounding his departure.

Significant Themes

• The passage of time: Six years have passed since major losses, and the older generation is fading while newer generations rise.
• Generational succession: Li Qingshan and Wang Yan’s generation have become the sect’s backbone, while younger disciples begin to flourish.
• Hidden identity and quiet contribution: Chen’s greatness is concealed, and he supports others from the shadows rather than seeking recognition.
• Mentorship and reciprocity: Chen once received guidance from his elders and now fulfills the same role for Li, creating a cycle of inheritance.
• Parting and emotional responsibility: Chen’s pursuit of greater cultivation conflicts with his obligations to family, sect, and Wang Yan.
• Exploration and ambition: Having exhausted the resources available in the Central Land, Chen seeks new horizons, greater inheritance, and the original Taixu sword steles.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Li Qingshan: Their reunion reveals Chen’s true identity. They exchange mutual respect and gratitude, with Chen acknowledging Li’s earlier help and Li learning that Chen secretly supported his breakthrough.
• Chen and Yang Xiong: Yang exposes Chen’s contributions to Li and helps reinforce the importance of their relationship as fellow Great Grandmasters.
• Chen and Wang Ji/Madam Wang: Their conversation centers on Chen’s plan to sail overseas. They worry about his safety and, more importantly, about Wang Yan’s uncertain future. Despite their reluctance, they encourage him to take Wang Yan with him.
• Chen and Wang Yan: Their direct conversation has not yet occurred, but the chapter ends with Chen approaching her while she practices swordsmanship, foreshadowing an important discussion about their relationship and the voyage.

Chapter Summary: “Wang Yan”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Yan has stepped down from her demanding government position and now holds only nominal posts, along with a teaching role at the Martial Instruction Hall. Unused to having so much free time, she considers becoming dean of the Upper Three Courts.
• Chen Jichuan tells her that Yang Xiong, the aging Sect Master of the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, intends for her to succeed him. Yang has spent decades grooming potential successors, first considering Li Qingshan and later Wang Yan.
• Chen reveals that Li Qingshan has recently broken through to the Void Realm. Wang Yan is shocked and experiences both admiration and jealousy, realizing that her former rival has surpassed the limits of ordinary Innate cultivators.
• Motivated by Li Qingshan’s breakthrough, Wang Yan decides not to become Sect Master. Instead, she wants to travel and seek her own breakthrough into the Void Realm.
• Chen Jichuan announces that he will soon sail to the Western Sea and invites Wang Yan to accompany him. She accepts, relieved and happy that they can continue their journey together.
• After Wang Yan declines the succession, Yang Xiong and Chen Jichuan select Chu Xu as the new Sect Master. Chu Xu, once Wang Yan’s follower, has matured into a capable top Grandmaster with extensive experience in the sect’s affairs.
• Chen Jichuan advises Chu Xu to balance administration with cultivation and not abandon his chance of reaching the Void Realm.
• Chen apologizes to Li Qingshan for leaving soon after Li’s breakthrough, but Li reassures him that he understands and promises to protect the sect.
• Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan depart after emotional farewells with Wang Ji and Huang Jing. The elders escort them out of Pengshan City but remain behind for a long time, watching them leave.

2. Character Developments

• Wang Yan: Moves from political and military leadership toward a personal cultivation goal. Her competitive spirit is awakened by Li Qingshan’s breakthrough, and she chooses advancement over prestige or authority. Her emotional attachment to Chen Jichuan is also evident when he offers to travel with her.
• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates his continued role as the sect’s principal protector and organizer. He prioritizes the long-term future of the sect while remaining attentive to Wang Yan’s ambitions and feelings. His departure marks a new stage in his own cultivation journey.
• Li Qingshan: Reaches the Void Realm after decades of solitary training and hardship. He accepts responsibility for safeguarding the sect and shows humility and gratitude toward Chen Jichuan.
• Yang Xiong: Recognizes that age has diminished his ability to manage the sect and finally steps toward retirement. He supports the transition to new leadership.
• Chu Xu: Develops from Wang Yan’s former subordinate into a reliable, steady leader capable of becoming Sect Master.
• Wang Ji and Huang Jing: Their emotional farewell emphasizes their deep affection for Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan and the pain of seeing them leave on a dangerous voyage.

3. Significant Themes

• Cultivation versus worldly authority: Positions such as Sect Master or dean offer status and responsibility, but the Void Realm represents a far greater personal achievement.
• The passage of responsibility: Leadership shifts from Yang Xiong to Chu Xu, while Li Qingshan assumes responsibility for protecting the sect in Chen Jichuan’s absence.
• Ambition and rivalry: Wang Yan’s pride and competitiveness push her to pursue the Void Realm rather than settle for her already impressive reputation.
• Friendship and companionship: Chen Jichuan’s invitation allows Wang Yan to pursue her ambitions without being separated from him entirely.
• Aging and succession: Yang Xiong’s decline forces the sect to prepare for the future, while the older generation gradually yields its roles to younger successors.
• Parting and emotional attachment: The farewell scenes highlight the cost of pursuing distant goals and the bonds that make departure painful.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan discuss her future, with Chen encouraging her to consider becoming Sect Master but ultimately supporting her decision to seek the Void Realm.
• Wang Yan reacts strongly to Chen’s revelation about Li Qingshan’s breakthrough, exposing her competitive feelings and determination.
• Chen comforts Wang Yan by reminding her that she is younger and may surpass Li Qingshan in time.
• Chen invites Wang Yan to sail with him to the Western Sea, transforming her disappointment at leaving him into excitement.
• Chen and Li Qingshan exchange mutual respect before Chen’s departure. Li accepts the burden of protecting the sect, while Chen entrusts it to him.
• Chen advises Chu Xu to remain committed to cultivation even while managing the sect.
• Wang Ji and Huang Jing share a tearful farewell with Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan, underscoring the family-like bonds among them.

Chapter Summary: “Forty Years!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan leave Pengshan City after bidding farewell to Wang Ji and his wife. Their journey westward is interrupted when the Red-Scaled Beast catches up with them and joins them.
• Over the next forty years, Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan travel throughout the Western Sea. Using the Circle-Light Technique, they search for and collect Sword Ancestor Steles scattered across the sea.
• Their efforts eventually yield two complete sets of Sword Steles—Thunder and Lightning—along with three incomplete steles related to Metal, Frost, and Cloud.
• In the Lotus Archipelago, Chen Jichuan studies the steles in the Sword Tower’s forbidden ground. His prolonged meditation and sword practice lead to a major breakthrough: he reaches the threshold of “Refining the Sword into a Rainbow,” an advanced stage of true sword intent.
• His sword produces a faint yellow rainbow light, allowing it to fly and be controlled through sword intent. Though only the lowest level of rainbow sword light, this marks Chen Jichuan’s entry into genuine sword cultivation and brings the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer within reach.
• Wang Yan has also cultivated intensively during these decades. With Chen Jichuan’s guidance, pills, Origin Seeds, Iron Lotus Seeds, and cultivation insights, she entered Qi Refinement twenty-two years earlier and has now reached the Third Qi-Refining Layer, or Late Void-Entering Stage.
• As the chapter ends, a visitor from the Central Land arrives at the Sword Tower: Yang Biqing, an old acquaintance of Chen Jichuan. His unexpected appearance prompts Chen Jichuan to smile knowingly and leaves the purpose of the visit unresolved.

Character Development

• Chen Jichuan: His decades of perseverance significantly deepen his swordsmanship. The Sword Ancestor Steles accelerate his mastery of the Forty-Nine Tribulation Sword, enabling him to cross from ordinary artifact control into authentic sword-intent cultivation. He also continues to act as Wang Yan’s mentor and benefactor.
• Wang Yan: She grows from a comparatively inexperienced cultivator into a capable Qi-Refining practitioner. Her talent, combined with Chen Jichuan’s extensive support, allows her to progress quickly and possibly surpass Li Qingshan in cultivation.
• Red-Scaled Beast: It remains aloof and proud, showing little affection toward Wang Yan, but accepts her pills and willingly carries both travelers, suggesting a tacit bond beneath its indifference.
• Yang Biqing and Zhang Zong: Their arrival establishes the power and isolation of the Sword Tower. Yang Biqing is shown to be cautious despite his Void Realm cultivation, while Zhang Zong is impressed by the archipelago’s military and martial strength.
• Huangfu Yu: Though he does not appear directly, he is portrayed as the formidable Sword Tower Lord and a peer of Yang Biqing, possessing swordsmanship comparable to the greatest Central Land sects.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance and gradual achievement: Chen Jichuan’s breakthrough comes after centuries of practice and forty years of arduous searching, emphasizing that persistence can overcome limited natural talent.
• Mentorship and sacrifice: Chen Jichuan devotes immense resources and effort to Wang Yan’s advancement, demonstrating loyalty, responsibility, and the importance of guidance in cultivation.
• The distinction between appearance and true mastery: Earlier “flying sword” techniques are revealed to be mere artifact manipulation. True sword cultivation requires sword intent, rainbow sword light, and the ability to command a sword through one’s own understanding.
• The passage of time: Forty years pass almost in an instant, highlighting the long timescale of cultivation and the transformation that can occur over decades.
• Power and isolation: The Lotus Archipelago’s geography, population, military strength, and martial tradition make it nearly impregnable, illustrating how distance and natural barriers can create an independent power center.
• Inheritance and opportunity: The Sword Ancestor Steles preserve ancient wisdom, allowing later cultivators to advance more rapidly through access to the insights of their predecessors.

Important Character Interactions

• Wang Yan cheerfully reconnects with the Red-Scaled Beast after the emotional farewell from her grandparents.
• Chen Jichuan encourages Wang Yan while warning her that advancing beyond the Void-Entering Stage will be far more difficult than her initial progress.
• Wang Yan congratulates Chen Jichuan when he achieves the yellow sword rainbow, sharing in his breakthrough.
• Yang Biqing and Zhang Zong discuss the strength of the Sword Tower while traveling through the dangerous waters of the Lotus Archipelago.
• The chapter concludes with Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan learning that Yang Biqing has come to request an audience, setting up a significant meeting between Central Land figures and the Sword Tower.

Chapter Summary: “Undying Grass!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Biqing of the Spring Silkworm Sect arrives at Shadow-Projection Island with his disciple’s descendant, Zhang Zong, intending to seek aid from Huangfu Yu.
• They meet Chen Jichuan, who introduces himself as the new Sword Tower master, along with his wife, Huang Yan.
• Chen reveals that Huangfu Yu died twenty years earlier. He claims that Huangfu had been responsible for the destruction of Chen Jichuan’s family, so he killed Huangfu and expelled the Huangfu Family from the Sword Tower.
• Yang Biqing investigates the story for three days and confirms that Huangfu Yu and another powerful member of the Huangfu Family were indeed killed, though the exact circumstances remain unclear.
• Yang then reveals his true purpose: the Spring Silkworm Sect wishes to obtain a stalk of Undying Grass guarded by an Empty Nether Realm demon beast. He originally intended to recruit Huangfu Yu for the mission.
• In exchange for Chen’s assistance in obtaining the grass, the Spring Silkworm Sect offers him one stalk and asks him to guard their sect for one hundred years.
• Chen accepts after learning the extraordinary properties of Undying Grass: it can rapidly heal even fatal injuries and extend a Void Realm expert’s lifespan by two hundred years.
• Chen and Huang Yan prepare for the dangerous mission. Chen plans to steal the herb and flee rather than fight the demon beast directly. He instructs Huang Yan to hide the Sword Stele and be ready to escape if necessary.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates his growing power and authority as the Sword Tower’s new master. His claim to have killed Huangfu Yu makes Yang Biqing believe Chen may be stronger than the former tower master.
• Chen also shows himself to be highly calculating. He refuses to help the Spring Silkworm Sect until they offer a reward worthy of the risk, and he carefully analyzes the dangers of the mission.
• Yang Biqing appears cautious, diplomatic, and opportunistic. After discovering Huangfu Yu’s death, he quickly shifts his attention to recruiting Chen instead. He hides the full purpose of his visit until he has assessed Chen’s strength and willingness.
• Huang Yan remains loyal and supportive but is more cautious than Chen regarding the danger posed by the Empty Nether Realm demon beast. She recognizes the possibility that the Spring Silkworm Sect may sacrifice Chen if the mission goes wrong.
• Zhang Zong primarily observes the negotiations and helps represent the Spring Silkworm Sect.
• The chapter reinforces Chen’s reputation for confidently deceiving others, as Huang Yan privately finds his fabricated account of the Huangfu Family amusing.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Chen’s apparent ability to kill Huangfu Yu immediately changes Yang Biqing’s attitude and makes Chen a valuable ally.
• 利益 and manipulation: The Spring Silkworm Sect attempts to secure Chen’s service by offering a priceless treasure, while Chen recognizes that they are using the Undying Grass to recruit a powerful protector.
• Risk versus opportunity: The herb offers immense benefits, but obtaining it means confronting an Empty Nether Realm demon beast.
• Longevity and cultivation: The Undying Grass symbolizes the importance of lifespan in the cultivation world, giving Void Realm experts more time to pursue higher realms.
• Deception and strategy: Chen maintains a false identity and controls the narrative surrounding Huangfu Yu’s death, while Yang Biqing investigates before committing himself.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Yang exchange polite but guarded words during the banquet, each assessing the other’s strength and intentions.
• Yang indirectly praises Huangfu Yu while giving Chen an opportunity to justify his actions; Chen responds by portraying Huangfu as arrogant and responsible for his own death.
• After investigating, Yang openly negotiates with Chen and offers the Undying Grass in return for a century of service.
• Huang Yan questions the wisdom of accepting the mission, warning that the Spring Silkworm Sect may use Chen as a scapegoat. Chen reassures her by explaining his escape-focused strategy and orders her to prepare the Sword Tower for a possible retreat.

Chapter Summary: Zuzhou Island, Undying Grass, Great Sun Golden Peng Bird!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Three days after leaving the Lotus Archipelago, Chen Jichuan travels across the Western Sea with Yang Biqing and Zhang Zong.
• The chapter recounts how Chen obtained the Lotus Archipelago and the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect’s “Thunder” and “Lightning” Sword Steles:
  • He originally sought the Sword Stele from Huangfu Yu, master of the Sword Tower.
  • Huangfu Yu attempted to seize Chen’s other Sword Steles, so Chen killed him and his great-grandson.
  • Chen then took control of the Sword Tower, cultivated there, and gathered another complete set of Sword Stele inscriptions.
• Chen later acquired the Spring Silkworm Sect and the Undying Grass as potential targets. Though he cooperates outwardly with Yang Biqing, he secretly intends to use the Undying Grass and Sword Tower as bait to expose and eliminate hidden experts from the Spring Silkworm Sect.
• After nearly two months at sea, the group reaches Zuzhou Island, where the Undying Grass grows.
• The island is guarded by a Great Sun Golden Peng Bird, a powerful divine beast proficient in wind and fire. It is comparable to an Empty Nether Realm expert and has two fledglings.
• On a nearby island, Chen meets five additional cultivators: Yi Rang, Yang Jing, Xu Ming, Ling Fangying, and Pei Yuanshun. Together with Yang Biqing and Zhang Zong, they form a group of seven powerful Qi-Refining experts.
• Yi Rang proposes that he, Yang Biqing, and Chen lure away and restrain the adult Golden Peng Bird, while the weaker cultivators remain on Zuzhou Island to kill or distract the two fledglings and harvest the Undying Grass.
• To verify that the group truly belongs to the Spring Silkworm Sect, Chen challenges them to exchange techniques. They demonstrate the sect’s famous spear arts, confirming their identities.
• The group agrees to act after ten days. During this period, Chen secretly leaves behind a Water Mirror illusion and conceals his true body, apparently preparing another undisclosed plan.
• At the end of the chapter, the ten-day preparation period concludes and the operation is about to begin.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Remains outwardly courteous and cooperative but is increasingly calculating and suspicious. He sees the expedition as an opportunity to expose the Spring Silkworm Sect’s hidden experts and potentially eliminate them. He also demonstrates confidence in his swordsmanship and takes precautions by creating an illusion and concealing his true body.
• Yang Biqing: Presents himself as a reliable guide and collaborator. He explains the dangers of Zuzhou Island and helps organize the plan, though Chen remains uncertain about his true intentions.
• Zhang Zong: Serves as the weakest member of the expedition, having only recently reached the First Qi-Refining Level. His presence emphasizes the disparity between the group’s strength and the danger posed by the Golden Peng Bird.
• Yi Rang: Revealed as the strongest member of the Spring Silkworm group, at the Late Void Insight Realm. He acts as the expedition’s principal planner and proposes the strategy for separating the Golden Peng Bird from the Undying Grass.
• The other Spring Silkworm cultivators: Their hidden identities and cultivation levels emphasize the sect’s policy of concealing its true strength. They cooperate with Chen’s verification because they genuinely want his assistance.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Major sects conceal their Void Realm and Divine Realm experts, making appearances unreliable. Chen also hides his own intentions and preparations.
• Strategic cooperation and mutual suspicion: Although the characters form an alliance, none of them fully trusts the others. Each side seeks to secure the Undying Grass while guarding against betrayal.
• Power and opportunity: The Undying Grass is valuable enough to draw multiple powerful cultivators into a life-threatening confrontation with a divine beast.
• Cause and effect of arrogance: Huangfu Yu’s attempt to seize Chen’s treasures led to his death, while the Spring Silkworm Sect’s dependence on outside assistance now places it at Chen’s mercy.
• The gap between worlds: The presence of numerous Void Realm experts in the Qinling World highlights its far greater cultivation strength compared with the Jade Spring World.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Yang Biqing maintain a polite partnership, though Chen privately views Yang and the Spring Silkworm Sect with suspicion.
• Yi Rang explains the plan directly to Chen, treating him as an essential ally against the Golden Peng Bird.
• Chen challenges all five visiting cultivators to martial exchanges, using the encounter to authenticate their identities and confirm their mastery of the Spring Silkworm Sect’s supreme spear arts.
• After the exchanges, the atmosphere becomes more cordial, and the group jointly finalizes the plan to attack Zuzhou Island.
• The chapter ends with the alliance assembled and prepared to confront the Golden Peng Bird, while Chen’s secret illusion and concealed movements suggest that he has an additional agenda.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan, Yi Rang, and Yang Biqing launch their planned assault on the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird on Zuzhou Island to obtain the Undying Grass.
• The bird hides the Undying Grass and its two young in the volcano before confronting the intruders.
• Yi Rang initially engages the beast, but its Empty Nether Realm strength quickly overwhelms him. Chen Jichuan and Yang Biqing join the fight, forming a three-person blockade and gradually luring the bird away from the island.
• Meanwhile, Zhang Zong and the others infiltrate the volcanic crater to seize the Undying Grass.
• The Great Sun Golden Peng Bird eventually realizes the group’s true objective and desperately tries to break through the cultivators’ formation. It attacks Yang Biqing, Yi Rang, and Chen Jichuan in turn.
• Yang Biqing survives a direct claw attack because of his Golden Silkworm Silk Armor, while Yi Rang’s Black Armor proves even more powerful. Chen Jichuan, lacking comparable protective treasures, suffers the most injuries while bearing the greatest share of the attacks.
• Just as the Undying Grass is nearly secured, Chen Jichuan suddenly declares that he cannot continue and flees into the sea. His withdrawal allows the Golden Peng Bird to return to the crater.
• Yi Rang and Yang Biqing attempt to stop the beast, but they arrive too late. The bird kills Zhang Zong and the infiltrating cultivators, then emerges from the volcano in fury.
• Beneath the sea, Chen Jichuan activates a secret spell associated with the Five Elements Fortune Gods. The spell disrupts Yi Rang and Yang Biqing’s internal organs and renders them helpless.
• The Great Sun Golden Peng Bird kills both men, leaving behind their armor and weapons. It then returns to its nest, while fierce winds and flames ravage Zuzhou Island for months.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan demonstrates exceptional swordsmanship and endurance, using the battle to temper his techniques. Although he appears to be the weakest defensively, he withstands the greatest pressure and reveals himself to be far more calculating than his allies realize.
• Chen’s apparent retreat is ultimately a calculated betrayal. He abandons the others at the critical moment, then secretly uses a powerful spell to ensure Yi Rang and Yang Biqing cannot escape.
• Yi Rang proves experienced, disciplined, and highly resilient. His Black Armor allows him to withstand repeated attacks, but his confidence in the group’s cooperation leaves him vulnerable to Chen’s treachery.
• Yang Biqing is revealed to possess the Spring Silkworm Sect’s Golden Silkworm Silk Armor. Despite being much weaker than the Golden Peng Bird, he survives several attacks, though his internal injuries become severe.
• Zhang Zong and the infiltrating cultivators successfully reach the volcano but are ultimately sacrificed when Chen withdraws and the Golden Peng Bird returns.
• The Great Sun Golden Peng Bird is portrayed as fiercely protective of its nest, offspring, and Undying Grass. Its intelligence allows it to recognize the cultivators’ strategy, while its overwhelming power makes it nearly impossible to confront directly.

3. Significant Themes

• Betrayal and self-interest: The cooperative alliance collapses when Chen prioritizes his own survival and gains over the lives of his companions.
• Deception and hidden power: Chen’s retreat is not weakness but part of a larger plan. His secret spell reveals that the visible battle was only one part of his strategy.
• The danger of underestimating an opponent: Yi Rang and Yang Biqing believe Chen is a necessary frontline fighter, but they fail to recognize his willingness and ability to turn against them.
• Preparation versus overwhelming strength: Despite careful planning, armor, teamwork, and tactical positioning, the cultivators remain at a severe disadvantage against an Empty Nether Realm divine beast.
• Endurance and exploitation: Chen uses the prolonged battle not only to test his swordsmanship but also to weaken everyone involved before making his final move.

4. Character Interactions

• Yi Rang initially acts as the group’s leader, reminding Chen and Yang Biqing to follow their plan and adapt to circumstances.
• Chen and Yang cooperate with Yi Rang to surround and distract the Golden Peng Bird, rotating positions whenever one of them becomes unable to endure the attacks.
• Yi Rang and Yang Biqing increasingly depend on Chen to hold back the beast, especially as their own injuries worsen. Their trust makes Chen’s sudden departure especially shocking.
• The Golden Peng Bird repeatedly changes targets, first attacking Yang Biqing because he appears weakest, then Yi Rang because of his armor, and finally Chen because he lacks comparable protection.
• When Chen disappears, Yi Rang and Yang Biqing are forced to abandon their original objective and pursue the returning bird. Their anger and panic reveal that they still believe Chen may have simply lost his nerve.
• Chen’s hidden spell ultimately turns the former allies into helpless victims, allowing the Golden Peng Bird to kill them without realizing that Chen was responsible.

Chapter Summary: “Impossible! [Please Vote!]”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan escapes by sea after orchestrating the destruction of the Spring Silkworm Sect’s seven major Void Realm experts.
• His apparent injuries from the battle with the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird were mostly feigned. His real wounds came from the backlash of using multiple Dao Arts and curses to kill or weaken the Spring Silkworm Sect cultivators.
• Chen explains that the Spring Silkworm Sect had planned to use him for a century after obtaining the Undying Grass. Their larger goal was to destroy the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect, absorb its territory, and eventually dominate Yue Prefecture.
• Instead, Chen secretly betrayed them. His Refined Corpses infiltrated the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird’s nest and stole the Undying Grass during the chaos. Only after securing it did he retreat and activate his curses.
• The curses disrupted the cultivators’ essence, qi, and spirit, leaving them unable to escape the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird. Yi Rang and Yang Biqing, despite possessing powerful divine armor, were also killed.
• Chen reflects that his combination of curses, Dao Arts, and Refined Corpses made the operation possible; ordinary Void Grotto Realm cultivators could not have duplicated his strategy because they would have been unwilling to abandon the Undying Grass.
• At the Spring Silkworm Sect, Yang Yunda guards seven Life-and-Death Jades belonging to the expedition members. One after another, the jades shatter, confirming the deaths of Yang Jing, Zhang Zong, Xu Ming, Ling Fangying, Pei Yuanshun, Yi Rang, and Yang Biqing.
• Yang Yunda is devastated and initially refuses to believe that all seven could have died. After realizing the jade stones are functioning normally, he concludes that the expedition has been completely wiped out.
• He cancels the Spring Silkworm Sect’s planned attack on the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect and orders the sect to withdraw its defensive lines.
• Meanwhile, at the Western Sea Sword Tower, Wang Yan waits for Chen’s signal using a Life-and-Death Jade. After more than three months without any sign of danger, Chen finally returns safely.
• The chapter ends with Wang Yan happily welcoming him.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: Demonstrates his ruthlessness, strategic intelligence, and mastery of unconventional Dao Arts. He successfully turns the Spring Silkworm Sect’s alliance against itself, obtains the Undying Grass, and protects the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect from a devastating future assault. Despite suffering serious vitality damage, he remains confident and victorious.
• Yang Yunda: Changes from cautious but reassured guardian to a shocked and grief-stricken survivor. The deaths of the seven experts force him to abandon the Spring Silkworm Sect’s ambitious expansion plans.
• Yi Rang and Yang Biqing: Their confidence and reliance on divine armor prove insufficient against Chen’s layered curses and the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird. Their deaths eliminate two of the Spring Silkworm Sect’s strongest leaders.
• Wang Yan: Shows loyalty and concern by waiting for Chen’s return while prepared to flee with the Sword Stele and Red-Scaled Beast if his Life-and-Death Jade failed.
• Red-Scaled Beast: Although it has grown stronger through years of cultivation and medicinal support, it remains trapped in the Innate Realm because of its limited foundation and comprehension.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Chen wins not through direct confrontation but through deception, timing, curses, hidden preparations, and the use of Refined Corpses.
• Greed and overconfidence: The Spring Silkworm Sect’s desire for the Undying Grass blinds them to Chen’s true intentions and prevents them from retreating when they still might have survived.
• The cost of power: Chen’s Dao Arts are highly effective but inflict severe backlash, emphasizing that supernatural abilities carry personal consequences.
• Fortune and preparation: The success of Chen’s plan depends on long-term preparation, especially the presence of his Refined Corpses inside the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird’s nest.
• Collapse of grand ambitions: The Spring Silkworm Sect’s plan to conquer the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect and unify Yue Prefecture is abruptly destroyed by the deaths of its key experts.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s relationship with the Spring Silkworm Sect is revealed as fundamentally deceptive: they intended to bind him into service, while he used their operation to eliminate them.
• Yi Rang, Yang Biqing, and the other cultivators become unwilling participants in Chen’s scheme, believing they are pursuing the Undying Grass while unknowingly carrying his curses.
• Yang Yunda’s silent reliance on the Life-and-Death Jades gives way to panic as he watches each one shatter.
• Yang Yunda then confronts the sect’s leaders and decisively ends the planned attack, prioritizing survival after the catastrophe.
• Wang Yan’s reunion with Chen provides a warm contrast to the chapter’s destruction and confirms his safe return after the dangerous mission.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Yan examines five stalks of Undying Grass given to Chen Jichuan. She initially believes they could extend someone’s life by a thousand years, but Chen explains that only the first stalk increases lifespan; additional stalks merely heal injuries. The grass can therefore add at most two hundred years.
• Chen is nevertheless delighted, as the added lifespan gives him far more time to cultivate toward the Qi-Refining Apex and possibly the realm of a Supreme Powerhouse. He regrets that he obtained the grass too late to save his deceased master and mistress.
• Over the next 275 years, Chen continues cultivating in the Qinling World:
  • He searches the Western Sea for Sword Steles and studies their insights.
  • He advances in Qi Refinement, external arts, and Dao Arts.
  • His Dao Arts progress more slowly because he has no one with whom to exchange knowledge and refuses to teach them before becoming powerful enough to protect himself.
  • He improves his alchemy and artifact refining, aided by abundant resources from the Grand Vacuity Sword Sect and Sword Tower. Using his Creation ability, he focuses on perfecting pill formulas and refining weapons, especially swords.
• On Zuzhou Island, Chen battles the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird. Using numerous sword techniques, Wind-Thunder Wings, and the Willow-Floss Movement Technique, he overwhelms her.
• At the climax of the battle, he reveals his completed Seven-Origin Calamity-Dispelling Wish-Fulfilling Heavenly Gang Light-Severing Sword Art, splitting one sword into seven and severely wounding the Golden Peng Bird while deliberately sparing her life.
• Chen then retreats to cultivate. Having mastered the sword art and entered the Seven-Star Sword Diagram, he breaks through to the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer.
• During the breakthrough, he opens his first Embryonic Treasury Aperture, causing a massive surge of magic power and a transformation of his body and bloodline.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan becomes increasingly confident and disciplined. The Undying Grass removes much of his anxiety about limited lifespan, while centuries of uninterrupted cultivation steadily deepen all his abilities.
• His swordsmanship reaches a major milestone. By mastering dozens of sword techniques and fusing them into the Seven-Origin sword art, he gains a powerful foundation for future cultivation.
• Chen’s understanding of his own body also expands. Reaching the late Qi-Refining stage allows magic power to enter his flesh and his bloodline to begin developing the potential for inherited Bloodline Arts.
• Despite his vast progress, Chen remains cautious. He keeps his Dao Arts secret and avoids killing the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird even after decisively defeating her.
• Wang Yan serves as an observer who helps clarify the value and limitations of the Undying Grass.
• The Great Sun Golden Peng Bird, though fierce and unwilling to surrender, is forced to acknowledge Chen’s superiority after being defeated. Her two young offspring are frightened by her furious reaction.

Significant Themes

• Lifespan and mortality: Even miraculous treasures cannot fully overcome the limits of life. Chen reflects on the deaths of his master and mistress and accepts that time cannot be reversed.
• Long-term cultivation and perseverance: Chen’s achievements come from centuries of steady practice, research, and repeated effort rather than a single lucky breakthrough.
• Knowledge and specialization: The chapter compares cultivation methods, sword insights, alchemy, and artifact refining, emphasizing that mastery requires both talent and relentless practice.
• Isolation versus companionship: Chen advances rapidly in fields where he can exchange ideas with others, but Dao Arts progress slowly because he must study them alone.
• Inheritance and bloodlines: Opening the Embryonic Treasury Apertures begins the process by which divine abilities may eventually become inherited Bloodline Arts.
• Power tempered by restraint: Chen demonstrates overwhelming strength but chooses not to kill the defeated Golden Peng Bird, showing confidence and control.

Character Interactions

• Chen Jichuan and Wang Yan: They discuss the Undying Grass, with Chen correcting Wang Yan’s misunderstanding about its lifespan-extending effects.
• Chen Jichuan and the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird: Their battle showcases Chen’s superior speed, swordsmanship, and tactical flexibility. Although the bird fights fiercely and attempts counterattacks even while injured, Chen defeats her and spares her.
• The Great Sun Golden Peng Bird and her young: Her furious reaction to defeat frightens the two young golden pengs, who hide inside the volcanic crater.
• Chen and his deceased master and mistress: Though they do not appear directly, Chen’s regret over obtaining the Undying Grass too late highlights the lasting emotional influence they have on him.

Ending

Chen successfully reaches the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer, opens his first Embryonic Treasury Aperture, and begins transforming from an ordinary cultivator into a higher life form with the potential to develop powerful inherited abilities.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Jichuan reviews his progress after reaching the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer. Compared with his previous life, he has advanced far more quickly and now possesses nearly 150 years of natural lifespan, plus the possibility of another 200 years through the Undying Grass.
• He plans to use his new strength to reclaim the remaining inheritances of the Sword Ancestor and other Supreme Powerhouses, including those of the Yong Emperor, Supreme Profound Immortal, and Sanbao Arhat.
• Chen’s other cultivation paths have also advanced:
  • External cultivation reaches the Fourth Layer of Elixir Embracement, transforming his inner force into powerful Astral Force.
  • Dao Arts cultivation reaches the Fourth Level of Night Roaming, allowing his divine soul to manipulate external matter and form temporary bodies from substances such as smoke, water, sand, and dust.
• During his consolidation period, he intends to transfer accumulated magic power into the Sword Diagram, advance the Corpse Control Formula, create a seventeenth Refined Corpse, and strengthen his existing corpses, paper soldiers, and Five Ghost Yin Soldiers.
• Five years later, Chen travels to the Western Sea Sword Tower riding the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird, an Empty Nether Realm divine beast he recently subdued on Zuzhou Island.
• He orders the Golden Peng to obey Wang Yan as well as himself. Though resentful, the beast submits after seeing Chen’s authority and strength.
• Chen discovers that Wang Yan has reached the Sixth Qi-Refining Layer and has become nearly unbeatable among Void Insight cultivators due to her powerful Dao Arts and equipment.
• Wang Yan’s lifespan is nearly exhausted, so Chen urges her to consume her Undying Grass. Though reluctant to waste it while still healthy, she ultimately eats it after Chen jokingly suggests that she should first fight an Empty Nether Realm beast and be nearly killed.
• With Wang Yan’s lifespan secured, Chen tells her to prepare for their return to the Central Land.

Character Developments

• Chen Jichuan: His breakthrough to the Seventh Qi-Refining Layer marks a major increase in confidence and ambition. He now believes he can move freely through the Qinling World and confront its remaining inheritances without restraint. His physical body, divine soul, Dao Arts, and magical resources have all developed alongside his main cultivation.
• Wang Yan: She has advanced to the Sixth Qi-Refining Layer through diligent cultivation and Chen’s support. Despite her immense combat strength, her lifespan is nearly over, revealing her vulnerability and dependence on the Undying Grass. Her willingness to consume it also shows her trust in Chen and concern for his wishes.
• Great Sun Golden Peng Bird: Once a powerful and independent divine beast, it has been forcibly subdued by Chen. It remains resentful but has no choice but to obey him and, now, Wang Yan.

Significant Themes

• Rebirth and accumulated advantage: Chen’s memories, experience, and prior-life knowledge allow him to progress much faster in his second life.
• The increasing difficulty of cultivation: Early breakthroughs were relatively easy, but advancement at higher realms requires far more time, preparation, and resources.
• Preparation and long-term planning: Chen carefully consolidates each breakthrough and strengthens every aspect of his cultivation before pursuing greater inheritances.
• Power and control: Chen’s subjugation of the Golden Peng demonstrates how his rising strength allows him to dominate beings who once stood far above him.
• Lifespan and mortality: Wang Yan’s hesitation over consuming the Undying Grass highlights the preciousness of life-extending treasures and the constant pressure of limited lifespan.
• Mastery through multiple paths: Chen’s strength comes not only from Qi Refinement but also from body cultivation, Dao Arts, divine-soul development, magic treasures, and refined corpses.

Character Interactions

• Chen reprimands the Golden Peng for snarling at Wang Yan and explicitly grants her authority over it, reinforcing their close relationship and his protective attitude toward her.
• Wang Yan proudly admires Chen’s strength and is delighted by his ability to command an Empty Nether Realm divine beast.
• Chen evaluates Wang Yan’s condition and insists that she use the Undying Grass before her lifespan runs out. Their exchange is affectionate and teasing, with Wang Yan reluctantly obeying after Chen jokes about sending her into a near-death battle.
• The chapter ends with Chen and Wang Yan preparing to travel together to the Central Land, signaling the beginning of his next phase of reclaiming powerful inheritances.