Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Return to an Old Haunt, Eighth-Rank Alchemist”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the mountain town, Su Yueli plans her next goal: advancing from the Peak Thirteenth Realm to the Fourteenth Realm, the highest level currently attainable in the world.
• Because her Ultimate Physical Body and Leakless Realm cultivation consume enormous amounts of vital energy and blood, ordinary pills and herbs are useless to her. She decides to seek an Eighth-Rank Alchemist in the Great Li Dynasty’s Imperial City.
• On her journey east, Su Yueli passes the Azure Moon Sect. From a distant peak, she recognizes Qi Feng, an old acquaintance from her mortal-world days, though she does not approach him.
• Qi Feng briefly senses that someone is watching him but dismisses the feeling after a junior disciple explains that the sect’s defensive formation should have detected any intruder.
• Two days later, Su Yueli reaches the Great Li Imperial City and reflects on how much it has changed since she once participated in its martial and Immortal Dao tournaments.
• She enters the imperial palace without permission, easily bypassing its guards because her Leakless State conceals her vital energy and blood.
• An Eleventh Realm golden-armored cultivator eventually notices her through the palace formation and confronts her. Su Yueli explains that she is seeking the Eighth-Rank Alchemist, Lord Yun, rather than the emperor.
• Recognizing that Su Yueli is far beyond his ability to oppose, the guard courteously reports her request. Lord Yun agrees to meet her, and the guard returns to escort her.

2. Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Her immense growth is emphasized. Once a cautious and weak martial artist, she is now powerful enough to enter the imperial palace unnoticed and potentially contend with Fourteenth Realm experts. Despite this strength, she remains practical and avoids unnecessary conflict, agreeing to follow palace etiquette when treated respectfully.
• Qi Feng: Now a steady middle-aged man and apparently an important Azure Moon Sect disciple, he serves as a reminder of Su Yueli’s distant past. His brief suspicion shows that he retains some sensitivity, but he does not realize that Su Yueli has passed by.
• Golden-armored cultivator: Initially suspicious and authoritative, he quickly becomes cautious and respectful after recognizing Su Yueli’s overwhelming presence. He handles the situation diplomatically rather than provoking a confrontation.
• Lord Yun: Though he does not appear directly, his status as an Eighth-Rank Alchemist and willingness to receive Su Yueli establish him as the chapter’s next important figure.

3. Significant Themes

• The passage of time: A century has passed, old friends have aged or died, and familiar places remain while the people connected to them have changed.
• Growth and transformation: Su Yueli’s return to locations from her past highlights the extraordinary distance she has traveled in power and status.
• Mortality and loneliness: Her recognition of Qi Feng is tied less to deep friendship than to the fact that so many other acquaintances have already died.
• Power and restraint: Although Su Yueli possesses overwhelming strength, she deliberately avoids violence and respects reasonable procedures, showing maturity and self-control.
• Returning to one’s past: The Azure Moon Sect and Imperial City evoke memories of her former vulnerability, contrasting sharply with her present confidence and freedom.

4. Character Interactions

• Su Yueli silently observes Qi Feng from afar, creating an emotionally restrained reunion that never becomes an actual meeting.
• Qi Feng discusses his unexplained sense of being watched with a junior disciple, who reassures him that the sect’s defenses make such surveillance unlikely.
• Su Yueli and the golden-armored palace cultivator have a tense but controlled exchange. He questions her unauthorized presence, while she calmly states her purpose.
• Their interaction shifts from suspicion to mutual restraint when the cultivator realizes her strength and agrees to report her request.
• The chapter ends with Su Yueli being formally invited to meet Lord Yun, setting up her search for pills capable of supporting her extraordinary cultivation.

Chapter Summary: Dragonblood Crimson Marrow Pill

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yueli follows a Golden Armored Guard through the imperial palace to a secluded alchemy hall.
• She meets Yun Tianheng, an eighth-grade alchemist and Tenth Realm cultivator, and asks him to refine a pill.
• Su bluntly threatens to kill Yun if he refuses, though she later dismisses the threat as a joke. Yun remains wary but recognizes that she is vastly stronger than she appears.
• Su requests an eighth-grade ultimate Qi-Blood Pill. Yun is confused because such pills are generally meant for low-level martial artists and would be useless—or fatal—to ordinary cultivators.
• Yun realizes Su may be the mysterious woman who devastated the Azure Cloud Sect a century earlier. Su openly confirms her identity.
• Yun is shocked and reverent but chooses not to reveal her identity, hoping to gain her favor and avoid provoking someone of legendary strength.
• He explains that an ancient pill called the Dragonblood Crimson Marrow Pill may replenish the deficiencies of an Ultimate Physical Body and help break through the body’s limitations.
• Yun warns that eighth-grade pills involve the laws of heaven and earth, so refinement may fail. The pill also requires extremely rare materials, which Su agrees to seek herself.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli is portrayed as supremely confident and nearly invincible. She is direct, intimidating, and unconcerned with imperial authority, yet she can remain polite and pragmatic when necessary.
• Her identity as the legendary powerhouse who crippled the Azure Cloud Sect is confirmed, establishing her as an unprecedented Thirteenth Realm martial artist.
• Yun Tianheng initially treats Su with mild amusement but quickly becomes cautious after sensing that her apparent lack of cultivation is deceptive.
• Upon recognizing her identity, Yun shifts from curiosity to awe and strategic cooperation. He decides that assisting her is safer and more beneficial than opposing her.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength concealed beneath an ordinary appearance: Su appears to have no spiritual or physical cultivation, yet possesses power far beyond Yun’s understanding.
• Pragmatism and self-preservation: Yun agrees to help not purely out of generosity, but to form a connection with an unmatched powerhouse and avoid making an enemy.
• Breaking physical limits: The Dragonblood Crimson Marrow Pill represents Su’s effort to overcome the restrictions of her Ultimate Physical Body.
• Legend versus reality: A feared historical figure from a “forbidden legend” is revealed to be standing directly before Yun.
• Risk and uncertainty in cultivation: Even a master alchemist cannot guarantee success when refining an eighth-grade pill governed by heaven-and-earth laws.

Character Interactions

• Su and Yun’s meeting begins with formal courtesy but quickly becomes tense when Su threatens him outright.
• Yun tests Su’s confidence by pointing out the imperial palace’s powerful guards, while Su casually insists that killing him would still be easy.
• Their exchange becomes more respectful after Yun recognizes Su’s true identity.
• Yun offers knowledge of the Dragonblood Crimson Marrow Pill, while Su accepts the risks and takes responsibility for obtaining its rare ingredients.

Chapter Summary: Seeking Medicinal Ingredients, Sisters in Distress

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yun Tianheng explains that refining the Dragonblood Crimson Marrow Pill requires six rare ingredients.
• Three ingredients—the Dragon Marrow Crystal, Scarlet Blood Vermilion Fruit, and Yin-Yang Profound Marrow Grass—are already stored in the imperial treasury, and Yun Tianheng plans to request them from the Emperor.
• Su Yueli must personally obtain the remaining three:
  • Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence from the Azure Spine Range near Luochuan City.
  • Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow from the frozen depths of the Great Qian Dynasty.
  • Myriad Tribulations Bloodwashing Vine, rumored to exist in the Great Qian and Great Yan Dynasties.
• Su Yueli immediately leaves to collect the ingredients, displaying movement so fast and subtle that even the powerful Yun Tianheng cannot perceive her departure.
• Yun Tianheng realizes that Su Yueli’s terrifying strength is genuine and privately concludes that she is an overwhelmingly powerful, dangerous martial expert.
• Traveling toward Luochuan City, Su Yueli encounters two severely wounded sisters fleeing through the rain.
• The sisters reveal that they are daughters of the Han Household, which is being destroyed by the neighboring Zhao Household. Zhao Tiancheng, the Zhao heir, intends to force them into becoming concubines and has hired a Second Realm cultivator to hunt them down.
• The Zhao forces catch up with them. Zhao Tiancheng and his cultivator companion become fixated on Su Yueli’s beauty and appear ready to target her as well.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli remains calm, decisive, and fearless. She accepts the difficult quest without hesitation and treats crossing dangerous regions and national borders as a minor inconvenience.
• Her effortless disappearance reveals that her abilities far exceed Yun Tianheng’s expectations, reinforcing her status as an extraordinary martial powerhouse.
• Su Yueli also shows quiet compassion or at least a willingness to investigate injustice when she stops to question the wounded sisters instead of ignoring them.
• Yun Tianheng gains a deeper understanding of Su Yueli’s strength. His initial confidence gives way to awe and fear as he realizes she could kill him before he had time to defend himself.
• The Han sisters are portrayed as courageous but desperate. Despite their injuries and helpless position, they refuse to submit to the Zhao Household.
• Zhao Tiancheng is revealed as arrogant, predatory, and entitled. He uses his family’s power to seize the Han estate and force the sisters into marriage, then immediately turns his lustful attention toward Su Yueli.
• The black-robed Second Realm cultivator appears equally corrupt, abusing his power to support Zhao Tiancheng’s pursuit.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength hidden beneath an ordinary appearance: Su Yueli appears to be an ordinary woman without visible spiritual energy, yet possesses power far beyond even advanced cultivators.
• Courage versus oppression: The Han sisters resist the Zhao Household despite facing overwhelming political and martial disadvantages.
• Abuse of power and corruption: The Zhao Household combines economic manipulation, forced marriage, and hired cultivation experts to eliminate rivals and control innocent women.
• The contrast between true power and social status: The Zhao forces assume Su Yueli is vulnerable because she appears mortal and alone, completely misunderstanding the danger she represents.
• Preparation and sacrifice: Obtaining the Dragonblood Crimson Marrow Pill requires Su Yueli to undertake a dangerous, multi-stage journey, suggesting the importance of the pill and the effort needed to achieve her goal.

Character Interactions

• Yun Tianheng warns Su Yueli about the difficulty of acquiring the ingredients, while she confidently instructs him to prepare for alchemy until her return.
• The elder Han sister tries to protect Su Yueli by urging her to flee, even pushing her away from danger. Su Yueli’s immovable body unintentionally reveals that she is far from ordinary.
• The sisters explain their plight to Su Yueli, establishing the Zhao Household’s cruelty.
• Zhao Tiancheng confronts the sisters, mocks their resistance, and claims the right to decide their fate.
• Upon seeing Su Yueli, Zhao Tiancheng and the black-robed cultivator shift their attention from the sisters to her, viewing her as another object to possess rather than recognizing her overwhelming strength.

Chapter Summary: “Entering the Han Household”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yueli encounters the injured Han sisters, Han Qingling and Han Yu, being harassed by Zhao Tiancheng, the arrogant young master of the Zhao Household.
• Zhao Tiancheng intends to seize Su Yueli as well, while a Second Realm “Immortal Master” and numerous servants support him.
• When a servant attempts to attack her, Su Yueli effortlessly raises her hand and clenches her fist. The resulting pressure annihilates Zhao Tiancheng, the Immortal Master, and all the surrounding servants, reducing them to blood mist.
• Although Su Yueli initially plans to leave without involvement, the Han sisters beg her to wait. Han Qingling admits that she wants to use Su Yueli’s reputation and strength to protect the Han Household from retaliation by the Zhao Household.
• Su Yueli agrees to accompany them after learning that the Han Household is based in Luochuan City and knows the routes through the Azure Spine Range, where she seeks the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence.
• The three travel toward Luochuan City. The Han sisters gradually recover from their injuries, while Han Yu questions Su Yueli about her strength.
• Su Yueli reveals that she is a martial artist rather than a cultivator, shocking the sisters because their society views martial arts as inferior to cultivation.
• The chapter ends with Su Yueli calmly continuing toward Luochuan City, determined to obtain the medicinal ingredient needed for her breakthrough to the Fourteenth Realm.

2. Character Development

• Su Yueli: Demonstrates overwhelming power and absolute confidence, treating Second Realm cultivators as insignificant. Though she dislikes being manipulated, she respects honesty and kindness. She becomes willing to cooperate with the Han Household because their knowledge of the Azure Spine Range will aid her mission.
• Han Qingling: Shows courage by shielding Su Yueli despite her injuries. Initially attempts to recruit Su Yueli partly for selfish reasons, but honestly confesses when exposed. Her ability to recognize her weakness and negotiate sincerely earns Su Yueli’s tolerance.
• Han Yu: Remains lively and straightforward despite the danger. She is openly curious about Su Yueli and helps create a more relaxed atmosphere during the journey.
• Zhao Tiancheng: Is established as arrogant, lecherous, and cruel, abusing his family’s influence. His confidence is immediately destroyed by Su Yueli’s effortless attack.
• The Han Household: Revealed to be in serious danger, with its patriarch injured and the Zhao Household threatening retaliation. The sisters hope Su Yueli’s presence will deter their enemies.

3. Significant Themes

• Absolute power versus limited perception: The Han sisters consider a Second Realm cultivator terrifying, while Su Yueli sees such people as insignificant, emphasizing the vast gap between realms.
• The superiority of genuine strength over social assumptions: Su Yueli’s martial prowess challenges the belief that cultivators are inherently superior to martial artists.
• Honesty and sincerity: Han Qingling’s truthful confession prevents Su Yueli from abandoning them. The chapter suggests that admitting one’s motives is more valuable than disguising selfish intentions.
• Kindness and repayment: Su Yueli saves the sisters because they tried to protect her despite their helplessness, viewing their kindness as deserving a life in return.
• Using power and alliances for protection: The Han Household seeks to leverage Su Yueli’s presence against the Zhao Household, while Su Yueli accepts their assistance for practical reasons.

4. Character Interactions

• Zhao Tiancheng and his Immortal Master treat Su Yueli with contempt and assume she will surrender, only to be instantly killed.
• Han Qingling protects Su Yueli, then kneels and thanks her after the rescue. Their interaction shifts from desperate pleading to cautious negotiation once Su Yueli recognizes Qingling’s hidden motives.
• Han Qingling honestly explains the Han Household’s crisis and offers its resources in exchange for Su Yueli’s protection and assistance.
• Han Yu’s curiosity leads her to ask whether Su Yueli is a cultivator. Su Yueli’s answer—that she is a martial artist—forces both sisters to reconsider their understanding of martial arts.
• During the journey, Han Yu enthusiastically introduces Luochuan City and the Azure Spine Range, while Su Yueli listens quietly and remains focused on finding the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence.

Chapter Summary: Arrival in Luochuan City

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yueli, Han Qingling, and Han Yu arrive in Luochuan City, a prosperous but martial-arts-poor city dominated by ordinary mortals and low-level martial artists.
• They reach the Han Household, where the guards are shocked and overjoyed to see the two Han daughters alive. The family had evidently believed they were lost.
• Han Qingling introduces Su Yueli as their rescuer, revealing that Su killed Zhao Tiancheng, the Zhao Household’s young master, as well as the Second Realm cultivator hired by the Zhao family.
• The Han family is stunned because even Han Zhen, the household head and a Peak Fifth Realm martial artist, would struggle to survive against such a cultivator.
• Han Zhen and the First Elder, Han Changqing, respectfully thank Su Yueli and offer her the family’s hospitality.
• Su explains that she has come to Luochuan City to enter the Azure Spine Range in search of a medicinal ingredient.
• Han Zhen promises to provide her with a guide familiar with the range. Han Yu takes Su to the guest quarters while the rest of the family questions Han Qingling about what happened.
• Han Qingling explains that Su did not engage in a conventional battle. By merely clenching her fist in the air, she caused the surrounding space to collapse, instantly reducing Zhao Tiancheng, the cultivator, and their accompanying elites to blood mist.
• The Han family realizes that Su’s strength is far beyond their understanding. Han Zhen concludes that her presence will protect the Han Household from retaliation by the Zhao Household.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Reveals her true name and displays continued indifference toward her overwhelming power. Although she intends to leave immediately, Han Yu’s dependence and vulnerability soften her resolve, leading her to accept the Han Household’s hospitality.
• Han Qingling: Regains her composure as the Han family’s eldest daughter and takes responsibility for explaining Su’s identity and abilities. Her recollection of Su’s power is marked by awe and lingering fear.
• Han Yu: Shows strong attachment and gratitude toward Su, eagerly guiding her into the residence and treating her as a trusted senior after being rescued.
• Han Zhen: Moves from grief and relief at seeing his daughters alive to profound respect and fear of Su’s strength. He quickly recognizes the political advantage of sheltering such a powerful guest.
• Han Changqing and the elders: Initially assume Su is merely a powerful martial artist, but become terrified once they learn she effortlessly killed a Second Realm cultivator.

Significant Themes

• The overwhelming gap between realms: Su’s effortless destruction of a Second Realm cultivator emphasizes how vastly superior she is to the people of Luochuan City.
• Power and protection: The Han Household sees Su not only as a savior but also as a potential shield against the Zhao Household.
• Reversal of fortune: The Han family’s apparent ruin begins to change after Su eliminates the Zhao Household’s young master and strongest backer.
• Hidden strength and misunderstanding: Su’s calm appearance and lack of visible aura cause the Han family to underestimate her, highlighting the contrast between outward appearance and true power.
• Gratitude and hospitality: The Han family responds to Su’s rescue with formal respect and offers of assistance, while Su accepts partly because of Han Yu’s emotional dependence.

Character Interactions

• The guards react with astonishment and relief when Han Qingling and Han Yu return alive.
• Han Yu clings to Su Yueli and leads her into the household, displaying immediate trust and affection.
• Han Zhen embraces Han Yu after fearing he would never see his daughters again.
• Han Qingling formally presents Su to her father and the elders, making clear that their survival depended entirely on her.
• Han Zhen and Han Changqing bow deeply to Su and pledge the Han Household’s loyalty and gratitude.
• After Su leaves with Han Yu, Han Zhen privately presses Han Qingling for details, and her account leaves the entire hall horrified and exhilarated by the implications of Su’s strength.

Chapter Summary: “You’re Sending Me Male Concubines?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the Han Household’s main hall, the elders discuss how to secure Su Yueli’s favor after witnessing her overwhelming strength and her destruction of the Zhao Household’s young master and an immortal cultivator.
• One elder proposes sending handsome young men to serve as Su Yueli’s “male concubines,” believing this might win her protection. Han Zhen angrily rejects the idea, warning that such behavior could offend her and bring about the Han Household’s destruction.
• Han Qingling agrees that Su Yueli values sincerity and dignity rather than pleasure or flattery. The family decides instead to assist her honestly in finding medicine in the dangerous Azure Spine Range.
• First Elder Han Changqing volunteers to guide Su Yueli through the mountains, since he has extensive experience there. Han Zhen reminds him to remain respectful.
• In the rear courtyard, Han Yu enthusiastically gives Su Yueli a tour of the residence and chats about the city, its declining spiritual energy, and the Zhao Household’s former abuses.
• Han Changqing arrives with maps, poison-warding pills, and provisions. He offers to guide Su Yueli into the Azure Spine Range.
• He then awkwardly suggests bringing handsome, attentive young men to accompany her, indirectly offering her male concubines. Su Yueli immediately understands and is stunned by the misunderstanding.
• Han Yu innocently interprets the suggestion as bringing weak servants or companions into the dangerous mountains, unintentionally making Han Changqing even more embarrassed.
• Su Yueli decisively refuses the offer and orders them to depart immediately. Han Changqing realizes his attempt at flattery has failed and quickly agrees.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Remains calm, dignified, and uninterested in worldly pleasure or flattery. Although she has lived through countless experiences, the Han Household’s offer leaves her genuinely speechless and uncomfortable. She values efficiency and immediately redirects the situation toward the journey.
• Han Zhen: Demonstrates caution and gratitude toward Su Yueli. He understands the danger of treating her casually and insists that the household behave sincerely rather than manipulate or flatter her.
• Han Qingling: Shows perceptiveness and maturity by recognizing Su Yueli’s character. She argues that genuine respect is the only appropriate way to treat her.
• Han Changqing: Proves experienced and dependable by preparing the supplies and volunteering to guide Su Yueli. However, his attempt to curry favor through the “male concubine” suggestion reveals his eagerness to protect the Han Household, while also making him awkward and embarrassed.
• Han Yu: Recovers quickly after her near-death experience and remains lively, innocent, and talkative. Her admiration for Su Yueli grows, and her literal interpretation of Han Changqing’s words creates much of the chapter’s humor.

Significant Themes

• Sincerity versus manipulation: The Han elders recognize that attempting to flatter or exploit Su Yueli’s preferences could be dangerous. Genuine respect is presented as the proper way to build trust with a powerful figure.
• Power and vulnerability: Su Yueli’s strength inspires both awe and fear, causing the Han Household to carefully reconsider how they interact with her.
• Humor from cultural misunderstanding: Han Changqing’s euphemistic offer is immediately understood by Su Yueli but not by Han Yu, creating an amusing contrast between adult implication and childlike innocence.
• Ordinary warmth amid immortal conflict: Han Yu’s stories about lotus ponds, city gossip, and local history give Su Yueli a rare sense of everyday human warmth despite her long, isolated existence.
• The decline of cultivation: Han Yu explains that Luochuan City’s spiritual energy weakened after its spirit vein was drained, forcing former cultivation sects to leave and leaving the region dominated by ordinary martial artists.

Character Interactions

• The Han elders debate how to win Su Yueli’s favor, while Han Zhen and Han Qingling oppose treating her with shallow or inappropriate flattery.
• Han Yu and Su Yueli bond during their walk through the garden. Han Yu talks excitedly, while Su Yueli responds with quiet patience and faint amusement.
• Han Changqing respectfully presents the supplies and offers his guidance, then embarrassingly proposes bringing young male attendants.
• Han Yu innocently questions why such men would be needed, while Su Yueli understands the true meaning and firmly refuses.
• The chapter ends with Han Changqing chastened but relieved, as Su Yueli prepares to leave for the Azure Spine Range without any additional companions.

Chapter Summary: “Pressure!”

Plot Points and Events

• Han Changqing escorts Su Yueli out of the city and nervously apologizes for Han Yu’s earlier questions. Su Yueli dismisses the matter, though she is actually more displeased with Han Changqing for unexpectedly offering her a male concubine.
• In Luochuan City, Su Yueli’s extraordinary appearance attracts public attention. Rumors spread that the Zhao Household is pressuring the declining Han Household to marry Han Qingling and Han Yu into their family.
• A Zhao Household spy notices Han Changqing’s unusually deferential attitude toward Su Yueli and reports back. The Zhao Household Head realizes that his son and the Second Realm immortal master likely died after confronting Su Yueli.
• Though he knows he cannot defeat Su Yueli directly, the Zhao Household Head vows to destroy the Han Household once she leaves, plotting to make them pay for his son’s death.
• Su Yueli and Han Changqing arrive at the entrance of the Azure Spine Range, where numerous rogue cultivators gather to hunt beasts and collect medicinal materials.
• Some rogue cultivators mock Han Changqing, claiming the Han Household is doomed and sarcastically suggesting that Su Yueli’s beauty cannot save it.
• Su Yueli responds with only a glance. Her overwhelming killing intent and aura force the mocking cultivators to their knees and terrify everyone nearby. She then proceeds into the mountains with Han Changqing to obtain the materials she needs.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Remains calm, detached, and impatient with trivial matters. Her effortless suppression of multiple Third Realm cultivators further establishes her as an overwhelmingly powerful figure who vastly surpasses the people around her.
• Han Changqing: Becomes increasingly fearful and respectful toward Su Yueli. He tries to protect the Han Household’s dignity but is clearly dependent on her power and eager not to offend her.
• Zhao Household Head: Shifts from confidence to cautious fear after realizing that Su Yueli may have killed both his son and their allied immortal master. Despite recognizing her strength, he becomes more ruthless and decides to target the Han Household indirectly.
• Rogue cultivators: Their arrogance collapses instantly when confronted with Su Yueli’s pressure, demonstrating the vast gap between ordinary martial artists and her cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and hierarchy: Su Yueli’s casual display of pressure shows that strength determines status in this world.
• Fear versus authority: Han Changqing and the surrounding cultivators obey or fear Su Yueli because of her immense power, while the Zhao Household seeks indirect revenge because it cannot confront her openly.
• Misjudgment and appearances: Su Yueli’s beauty causes others to underestimate or misunderstand her, but her true nature is that of an extremely dangerous and powerful cultivator.
• Political and familial conflict: The Zhao Household’s threat to the Han Household continues even after its direct attack fails, keeping the family’s survival at risk.

Character Interactions

• Han Changqing apologizes to Su Yueli and carefully tries to maintain her goodwill.
• City residents gossip about the Han Household’s crisis and speculate about Su Yueli’s identity.
• The Zhao spy observes Su Yueli’s influence and reports to the Zhao Household Head, prompting plans for retaliation.
• Rogue cultivators insult Han Changqing and the Han Household, but Su Yueli’s silent intimidation humiliates and terrifies them.
• Han Changqing follows Su Yueli into the Azure Spine Range, increasingly treating her as an almost incomprehensible superior.

Chapter Summary: “Earth-Vein... What Essence?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Su Yueli and Han Changqing enter the Azure Spine Range, the oppressive aura she released fades, leaving the observing martial artists stunned and speculating about her true cultivation. Many believe she may be an unprecedented Seventh- or even Eighth-Realm expert.
• The crowd also anticipates a major conflict between Luochuan City’s Han and Lu families, hoping to profit from the chaos.
• Deep in the mountains, Su Yueli asks Han Changqing to lead her to the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence, a rare ingredient needed for an Eighth-Grade Pill. Han Changqing admits he has never heard of it.
• Su Yueli realizes that Han Changqing, despite his long experience in the mountains, lacks the cultivation knowledge necessary to identify such a high-level medicinal ingredient. She instead orders him to guide her to the deepest part of the mountain range.
• Han Changqing warns her that the inner region contains Second-Realm demon beasts and may even hide a terrifying Third-Realm demon beast. Believing Su Yueli to be only a Seventh- or Eighth-Realm martial artist, he fears the expedition is suicidal.
• Nevertheless, because the Han Household owes Su Yueli a debt and hopes to benefit from her protection, Han Changqing reluctantly agrees to accompany her.
• As they travel inward, savage beasts and First-Realm demon beasts attack. Han Changqing fights the weaker creatures himself, eager to demonstrate his usefulness, while Su Yueli occasionally intervenes when he struggles.
• They eventually reach a dark gorge and a concealed cave that Han Changqing discovered years earlier. He recalls seeing strange light and sensing a vicious aura inside, suggesting that the cave may contain the rare treasure Su Yueli seeks.
• A winged, black-scaled bear-like demon beast suddenly bursts from the cave. Its aura confirms that it is a Third-Realm, mid-stage demon beast.
• Han Changqing is overwhelmed with terror, convinced that he and Su Yueli are doomed. Su Yueli, however, remains calm because the beast is far weaker than the dangers she is accustomed to facing.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Demonstrates immense confidence and composure. She treats the rumored Third-Realm demon beast as an insignificant obstacle and remains focused on finding the medicinal ingredient. Her knowledge of high-level pills and cultivation further establishes her as an extraordinary figure far beyond the local martial world.
• Han Changqing: Shifts from cautious guide to anxious but loyal companion. Although terrified of entering the mountain’s depths, he forces himself to accompany Su Yueli out of gratitude and duty. He proves capable against ordinary beasts but is completely intimidated by the Third-Realm demon beast.
• The observing martial artists: Become increasingly fascinated by Su Yueli, viewing her as a mysterious powerhouse whose presence could dramatically alter the struggle between the Han and Lu families.

Significant Themes

• The gap between worlds and levels of power: Su Yueli’s knowledge and strength vastly exceed those of the local martial artists. What Han Changqing regards as an impossible monster is, to her, barely worth serious effort.
• Courage versus fear: Han Changqing is genuinely terrified but continues forward because of his obligations to the Han Household and his respect for Su Yueli.
• Hidden treasures and danger: The concealed cave, strange light, and powerful demon beast suggest that the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence—or another major treasure—may be hidden within.
• Misjudgment and limited knowledge: The locals rely on rumors and incomplete understanding of cultivation realms, while Su Yueli possesses a far broader perspective.
• Political opportunity: The martial artists outside view the conflict between the great families as a chance to profit, revealing the self-interest underlying the coming confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Su Yueli questions Han Changqing about the medicinal ingredient, exposing his limited knowledge.
• Han Changqing repeatedly tries to dissuade her from entering the dangerous inner mountains, but ultimately follows her orders.
• He fights the lesser beasts to prove his value, while Su Yueli casually assists when necessary.
• At the cave, Han Changqing warns Su Yueli of the danger, but the demon beast emerges before he can finish. His panic sharply contrasts with Su Yueli’s calm, setting up a confrontation that will likely display the vast difference between their abilities.

Chapter Summary: Medicinal Ingredients Secured, the Han Household in Crisis

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yueli and Han Changqing encounter a Third Realm bear-shaped demon beast guarding the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence.
• Before the beast can attack, Su Yueli’s artifact spirit, “Little Black,” emerges from her shadow and instantly drains the demon beast of its vitality and demonic power, reducing it to ashes.
• Su Yueli retrieves the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence, the main ingredient needed for an eighth-grade pill, and leaves the cave with Han Changqing.
• Han Changqing is stunned by Su Yueli’s hidden power and mistakenly assumes that her artifact spirit is her greatest trump card.
• Meanwhile, the Zhao Household launches an assault on the Han Residence. The gates are destroyed, the courtyard is devastated, and Han Zhen and the household elders are badly wounded.
• The Zhao Household head declares that the Han Household will be wiped out, believing Su Yueli has died after entering the Spine Ridge Mountains.
• A Peak Fourth Realm immortal cultivator—master of the disciple Su Yueli previously killed—has allied with the Zhao Household. He intends to destroy the Han Household in retaliation.
• With the immortal cultivator preparing to attack and the Zhao Household ordering that no one be spared, the Han family faces imminent annihilation.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Demonstrates another terrifying ability through Little Black, revealing that she possesses overwhelming strength even against Third Realm demon beasts. She remains calm and unconcerned throughout the danger.
• Little Black: Reveals its hunger after being confined during Su Yueli’s long seclusion. Its ability to consume a Third Realm demon beast establishes it as an exceptionally powerful and unusual artifact spirit.
• Han Changqing: Becomes deeply awed and intimidated by Su Yueli, treating her with even greater respect after witnessing Little Black’s power.
• Han Zhen: Despite being wounded and surrounded, continues defending his household. He prioritizes the survival of his daughters and urges them to escape.
• Han Qingling: Refuses to abandon her family and clings to the hope that Su Yueli will return. Her loyalty and determination strengthen despite her fear.
• Han Yu: Remains emotionally distraught but firmly believes Su Yueli is powerful enough to survive and rescue them.
• Zhao Household Head: Grows increasingly arrogant and vindictive, using the presumed death of Su Yueli to justify exterminating the Han Household.
• The Daoist Immortal Master: Appears cold, contemptuous, and driven by revenge for his slain disciple. His Peak Fourth Realm cultivation makes him the greatest threat facing the Han family.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken assumptions: Han Changqing and the Zhao Household both misunderstand the true extent of Su Yueli’s abilities, while the reader sees that her power is far beyond their expectations.
• Despair versus hope: The Han Household appears doomed, yet Han Qingling and Han Yu continue to believe Su Yueli will return.
• Family loyalty and sacrifice: Han Zhen prepares to sacrifice himself so his daughters and household members can escape, while Qingling refuses to abandon her family.
• Power and hierarchy: The clash between martial artists, demon beasts, and immortal cultivators emphasizes the enormous gap between realms and the importance of hidden trump cards.
• Revenge and arrogance: The Zhao Household and the Daoist act from resentment and overconfidence, assuming Su Yueli has died without understanding her capabilities.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Yueli gently reproaches Little Black for consuming the demon beast before she could act, while Little Black responds with an aggrieved sense of hunger.
• Han Changqing questions Su Yueli about the strange event, and she casually identifies Little Black as her artifact spirit, leaving him astonished.
• The Zhao Household head taunts Han Zhen and dismisses his reliance on Su Yueli, then humbly appeals to the Daoist for help.
• Han Zhen orders Han Qingling and Han Yu to escape, but Qingling refuses to leave and Yu insists that Su Yueli will return.
• The Daoist and Zhao Household head prepare to execute the Han Household just as the family’s hope rests on Su Yueli’s return.

Chapter Summary: “Why Should I Stop When You’re Holding Him?”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Zhao Household attacks the Han Household, led by a terrifying Peak Fourth Realm immortal cultivator.
• Han Zhen, badly wounded and realizing defeat is inevitable, orders his daughters, Han Qingling and Han Yu, to flee with the surviving clan members and seek help from the Grand Elder in the Azure Spine Range.
• Determined not to involve Su Yueli, Han Zhen sacrifices himself by attacking the enemy with his remaining strength.
• Meanwhile, Su Yueli and Han Changqing return from the Azure Spine Range after obtaining the Earth-Vein Baleful Astral Essence. Seeing smoke and hearing battle from Luochuan City, Han Changqing rushes back to the Han Residence.
• Su Yueli transports Han Changqing nearly ten li in a single step, shocking him and the watching martial artists.
• They arrive just as the Han sisters are preparing to escape. Su Yueli surveys the massacre and confronts the Peak Fourth Realm cultivator.
• The Daoist arrogantly attempts to subdue Su Yueli and make her his concubine, attacking her with a massive spiritual-power hand.
• Su Yueli casually strikes him with one slap, destroying both the attack and his entire body. Her overwhelming physical strength leaves everyone stunned.
• After witnessing his strongest ally’s death, the Zhao Household Head seizes the wounded Han Zhen and uses him as a hostage, threatening to kill him if Su Yueli moves.
• Han Zhen urges Su Yueli to ignore him and kill the Zhao Household Head, but Su Yueli responds coldly: “You are holding him. Why should I stop?”

2. Character Developments

• Han Zhen: Shows courage, responsibility, and self-sacrifice. He accepts his likely death to protect his benefactor and gives his daughters a chance to survive.
• Han Qingling: Demonstrates emotional strength and clear judgment by overcoming her grief and forcing Han Yu to obey their father’s orders.
• Han Yu: Reacts with deep grief and desperation over her father’s sacrifice but remains with her sister during the escape.
• Han Changqing: Initially panicked by the attack on his family, he becomes utterly awestruck by Su Yueli’s ability to cross the distance to Luochuan City instantly.
• Su Yueli: Though normally indifferent and unwilling to interfere in others’ affairs, she recognizes a debt to the Han Household and returns to save them. Her casual destruction of the Peak Fourth Realm cultivator reveals that her true strength vastly exceeds everyone’s expectations. She also displays impatience toward arrogant speech and hostage tactics.
• Zhao Household Head: Transforms from an apparently confident aggressor into a terrified survivor. After losing his strongest protection, he resorts to using Han Zhen as a human shield.

3. Significant Themes

• The cruelty of the strong-over-the-weak world: The observers believe the Han Household will be exterminated simply because its enemies possess greater power.
• Sacrifice and familial loyalty: Han Zhen risks his life for his daughters and clan, while the sisters struggle to obey his final command.
• Repayment of kindness: Su Yueli intervenes because the Han Household helped guide her and enabled her to obtain a valuable treasure.
• Hidden strength and mistaken power rankings: Everyone assumes the Peak Fourth Realm Daoist is invincible, but Su Yueli destroys him effortlessly, exposing the vast gap between perceived and actual strength.
• Arrogance versus true power: The Daoist’s confidence and predatory attitude collapse instantly when confronted by someone far stronger.
• Defiance in the face of coercion: Han Zhen refuses to let his capture prevent Su Yueli from retaliating, while Su Yueli rejects the Zhao Household Head’s attempt to control her through threats.

4. Character Interactions

• Han Zhen and his daughters: He commands them to flee and survive, while they protest emotionally but ultimately follow his orders.
• Su Yueli and Han Changqing: She silently chooses to help and transports him back to the city with supernatural speed, reinforcing her dominant strength and his admiration.
• Su Yueli and the Daoist: He attempts to intimidate and possess her; she answers his arrogance with a single devastating slap.
• Zhao Household Head and Han Zhen: The Zhao leader uses Han Zhen as a hostage, while Han Zhen refuses to cooperate and urges Su Yueli to kill his captor.
• Su Yueli and the Zhao Household Head: Their confrontation ends with her dismissing his threat, setting up the next moment of the conflict.

Chapter Summary: The Han Clan’s New Patriarch

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Yueli instantly kills the Zhao Household head with a single strike, causing him to explode into a cloud of blood. The hired Peak Fourth Realm immortal master is likewise overwhelmed, revealing the vast gap between Su Yueli’s power and everyone present.
• The surviving Zhao elites panic and attempt to flee, but the Han Household’s warriors pursue and slaughter them all. The Zhao Household of Luochuan City is completely destroyed.
• Although the Han Household wins, Han Zhen is mortally wounded. His meridians and internal organs are destroyed, and he dies after entrusting the clan’s future to his eldest daughter, Han Qingling.
• Han Zhen formally appoints Han Qingling as the new head of the Han Household and asks First Elder Han Changqing to assist and protect her.
• Han Qingling immediately assumes responsibility. She orders the Zhao Household’s properties seized and commands that all remaining members of the Zhao bloodline be eliminated.
• After expressing her gratitude, Han Qingling learns that Su Yueli intends to leave. Han Yu then kneels and begs Su Yueli to accept her as a disciple.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Demonstrates overwhelming strength and absolute confidence by effortlessly defeating the Zhao Household’s strongest opponents. Her attitude toward life and death remains detached, reflecting her long experience and pursuit of immortality. However, she acknowledges that Han Qingling’s earlier kindness created the karmic reason for her intervention.
• Han Zhen: Dies as a responsible patriarch, using his final moments to secure the Han Household’s succession and entrust its protection to Han Qingling and Han Changqing.
• Han Qingling: Transitions from grieving daughter to decisive clan leader. Despite her father’s death, she suppresses her sorrow, takes command, and acts ruthlessly to ensure the Han Household survives.
• Han Yu: Develops from a frightened, grieving girl into someone determined to gain strength. Her decision to beg Su Yueli for discipleship shows both admiration and a desire to protect herself and her family in the future.
• Han Changqing: Remains loyal to the Han Household and pledges to support Qingling, even at the cost of his life.

Significant Themes

• The law of the strong: The chapter emphasizes that power determines survival, as Su Yueli destroys the Zhao Household without effort and the Han Household eliminates its remaining enemies.
• Succession and responsibility: Han Qingling must inherit leadership immediately after her father’s death, showing how personal grief must yield to the needs of the clan.
• Karma and repayment: Su Yueli explains that she intervened because of Han Qingling’s earlier kindness, suggesting that seemingly minor good deeds can produce major consequences.
• Emotional detachment versus human bonds: Su Yueli views death with calm indifference after witnessing countless rises and falls, while the Han sisters’ grief highlights the enduring strength of family affection.
• The cost of survival: The Han Household’s victory is accompanied by bloodshed, grief, and the need to eradicate the Zhao bloodline to prevent future retaliation.

Character Interactions

• Su Yueli’s brief exchange with Han Zhen centers on gratitude and the preservation of the Han bloodline.
• Han Zhen gives Qingling her new position and entrusts Han Changqing with supporting her.
• Han Qingling and Han Yu mourn their father together, but Qingling soon adopts a stern leadership role.
• Qingling respectfully thanks Su Yueli and tries to persuade her to remain, but Su Yueli refuses.
• Han Yu defies Qingling’s attempt to stop her and kneels before Su Yueli, pleading to become her disciple, setting up a possible new relationship between them.

Chapter Summary: Taking a Disciple: First Disciple

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the destruction of the Han Household and the death of her father at the hands of powerful cultivators, Han Yu begs Su Yueli to accept her as a disciple.
• Su Yueli initially refuses, explaining that her life is filled with powerful enemies and danger. She believes Han Yu would only become a burden and urges her to remain in Luochuan City and live peacefully.
• Han Yu rejects the idea of peace, arguing that the weak can be killed at the whim of the strong. Determined never again to helplessly watch her family die, she insists that only power can give her control over her fate.
• To test her resolve, Su Yueli orders Han Yu to seal her meridians, rely only on her mortal body, and carry a thousand-catty half-stone lion from the Han Residence to the summit of the Spine Ridge Mountains within three days.
• Han Qingling desperately tries to stop Han Yu, warning that the task is nearly impossible and would likely kill her. Han Yu refuses, believing the Han Household needs a powerful backing and that she must prove herself worthy of controlling her own destiny.
• Over three days, Han Yu endures repeated falls, severe injuries, torrential rain, exhaustion, scorching heat, and near unconsciousness. Despite her ruined hands, shoulders, and legs, she continues crawling and carrying the stone lion.
• At sunset on the third day, Han Yu reaches the summit and pushes the stone lion over the edge. She collapses, barely alive, but manages to acknowledge that she succeeded.
• Su Yueli, who has been observing her progress, is moved by Han Yu’s extraordinary determination. Accepting that she created the trial and Han Yu passed it, she agrees to take her as a disciple.
• Han Yu prostrates herself before Su Yueli and formally declares herself her disciple.

Character Development

• Han Yu: Transforms from a grieving survivor into a fiercely determined seeker of strength. Her father’s death destroys her belief in peaceful security, replacing it with an obsessive desire for power and dignity. Through the trial, she demonstrates extraordinary endurance and refuses to surrender even when her body is nearly destroyed.
• Su Yueli: Initially remains cold and detached, viewing Han Yu as a mortal burden. However, Han Yu’s persistence reminds Su Yueli of her own past and gradually breaks through her emotional indifference. By the end, Su Yueli accepts responsibility for the test and recognizes Han Yu’s potential.
• Han Qingling: Acts as Han Yu’s protective older sister and voice of caution. She prioritizes survival and stability, offering Han Yu control of the Han Household rather than allowing her to pursue a nearly suicidal path. Her inability to change Han Yu shows how profoundly Han Yu has been altered by their father’s death.

Significant Themes

• Power versus false peace: The chapter presents peace without strength as temporary protection granted by the powerful rather than genuine safety.
• Determination and personal agency: Han Yu’s suffering reflects her refusal to remain helpless or allow others to decide her fate.
• The cost of revenge and cultivation: Su Yueli warns that the path to strength is surrounded by enemies and death, while Han Yu willingly accepts those dangers.
• Teacher and disciple bonds: Su Yueli’s acceptance is not based on pity but on Han Yu proving her resolve through action.
• Cause and consequence: Su Yueli’s trial creates a karmic obligation; once Han Yu succeeds, Su Yueli accepts the consequences of having set the challenge.
• Mortality and immortality: Su Yueli’s observations of ordinary life deepen her detached outlook, but witnessing Han Yu’s struggle reawakens an emotional connection to mortal determination.

Important Character Interactions

• Su Yueli and Han Yu: Their central conflict is between Su Yueli’s refusal to take responsibility for a mortal and Han Yu’s insistence that she be given the chance to become strong. Their relationship changes from rejection and challenge to acceptance and discipleship.
• Han Yu and Han Qingling: Han Qingling urges Han Yu to choose safety and preserve the Han Household, while Han Yu argues that safety without strength is meaningless. Their exchange highlights the sisters’ differing responses to tragedy.
• Su Yueli and Han Yu at the summit: After witnessing Han Yu’s endurance, Su Yueli acknowledges her determination. Han Yu’s formal prostration and declaration mark the beginning of their master-disciple relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After calling Su Yueli “Master,” Han Yu collapses from her severe injuries and exhaustion.
• Su Yueli gives her a healing pill, carries her away, and leaves the mountaintop.
• The next morning, Han Yu awakens fully healed in her chamber. Her sister, Han Qingling, embraces her tearfully, relieved that she survived.
• Han Yu proudly announces that Su Yueli has accepted her as a disciple. She resolves to become stronger and protect the Han Household so her father’s tragedy will not be repeated.
• Su Yueli arrives and tells Han Yu to prepare to leave immediately. Although Su Yueli recognizes their newly formed karmic bond, she reflects that Han Yu’s mortal lifespan is ultimately short compared with her own.
• The Han clan gathers to see Han Yu off. Because Su Yueli’s overwhelming strength has already intimidated Luochuan City’s forces, the Han Household is temporarily safe.
• Han Yu leaves her family and Luochuan City with Su Yueli. Their destination is the neighboring Great Gan Dynasty, where they intend to obtain the medicinal ingredient Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow.
• After traveling for a day, they stay at a roadside inn. Su Yueli begins Han Yu’s formal martial training by teaching her the Heaven-Swallowing Breath-Concealing Formula.
• The technique uses controlled breathing to absorb pure heavenly qi, expel impurities, and strengthen the body’s physical foundation far beyond that of ordinary martial artists.
• Although Han Yu initially struggles with the unfamiliar breathing rhythm, Su Yueli guides her until she successfully enters the proper state.
• Watching Han Yu cultivate reminds Su Yueli of her deceased master and parents, causing her to reflect sadly on mortality and to envy the long lives of cultivators.

Character Developments

• Han Yu: Moves from near death to a determined new beginning. She becomes deeply committed to Su Yueli, eager to repay her trust and protect her family. Her courage and excitement toward the journey reveal her growing confidence.
• Su Yueli: Accepts her responsibility as Han Yu’s master and intends to teach her sincerely, despite believing Han Yu will eventually be only a brief companion in her long life. Her memories of her former master and parents expose a more sentimental and lonely side beneath her calm exterior.
• Han Qingling: Shows strong affection and concern for Han Yu, nearly breaking down from relief after her sister awakens. Their farewell emphasizes the closeness of their family bond.

Significant Themes

• Master-disciple bonds: Su Yueli’s acceptance of Han Yu creates a karmic connection and marks the beginning of Han Yu’s transformation.
• Determination and renewal: Han Yu treats her survival and new training as a second chance to become powerful and prevent further family tragedy.
• Mortality versus immortality: Su Yueli contrasts Han Yu’s limited mortal lifespan with the extended lives of cultivators, highlighting the impermanence of human relationships.
• Family and separation: Han Yu’s departure is both a painful farewell and a necessary step toward protecting her family.
• Inheritance and remembrance: By teaching a breathing method she refined from her master’s instruction, Su Yueli passes on part of her own lineage while remembering those she has lost.

Character Interactions

• Han Qingling comforts and embraces Han Yu after her recovery, while Han Yu reassures her and shares the news of becoming Su Yueli’s disciple.
• Han Yu formally bows to Su Yueli and begins treating her with devoted respect as “Master.”
• Su Yueli teases Han Yu about being afraid of leaving the Great Li Dynasty; Han Yu confidently declares that she will go anywhere with her.
• At the inn, Han Yu serves Su Yueli tea, and Su Yueli evaluates her cultivation before personally guiding her through the new breathing technique.
• Su Yueli’s patient instruction establishes the first practical foundation of their master-disciple relationship.

Chapter Summary

• Han Yu’s cultivation breakthrough: After practicing Su Yueli’s Heaven-Devouring Breath-Concealing Art throughout the night, Han Yu feels her stagnant blood and qi begin circulating again. The barrier between the Second and Third Realms loosens, suggesting she will soon break through naturally. Excited to share the news, she instead finds Su Yueli asleep.
• Master–disciple intimacy: Admiring Su Yueli’s unusually gentle sleeping expression, Han Yu climbs into her bed and falls asleep while embracing her. The next morning, Su Yueli is startled to discover Han Yu clinging to her. Though she quickly checks that her clothes are intact, her reaction reveals unexpected embarrassment and unfamiliarity with Han Yu’s uninhibited affection. Han Yu playfully insists that, as both are girls, sharing a bed is harmless. Su Yueli, flustered and blushing at the ears, escapes the room while Han Yu secretly enjoys seeing her usually untouchable master act adorably.
• Journey and training: After checking out, the pair continue north toward the Great Qian Dynasty. Over the next eight days, Su Yueli teaches Han Yu how to refine her blood and qi during the day and comprehend spiritual qi at night. Han Yu’s Martial Dao cultivation steadily advances under her guidance.
• Arrival in Zhenyuan City: They reach the bustling border city of Zhenyuan, a major trade hub between the Great Li and Great Qian Dynasties. Su Yueli calmly identifies herself and Han Yu as travelers from Great Li seeking medicinal herbs, slipping a guard silver to ensure their smooth entry.
• Search for the Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow: In a local restaurant, they plan to gather information about the herb. Han Yu learns that the Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow is an eighth-grade medicinal herb, likely guarded by a Tenth Realm demonic beast—or something even stronger—because it grows in an extremely cold region.
• Character development and themes: Han Yu becomes increasingly dependent on and affectionate toward Su Yueli, while also gaining confidence and strength through her master’s instruction. Su Yueli remains powerful, composed, and protective, but her discomfort with Han Yu’s closeness exposes a rare vulnerable and flustered side. The chapter emphasizes their affectionate master–disciple bond, Han Yu’s rapid growth, the vast danger of the cultivation world, and the enormous gap between Su Yueli’s apparent calmness and her true power.

Chapter Summary: Crown Prince of Great Gan

Key Plot Points and Events

• Han Yu continues to struggle with the apparent gap between martial artists and immortal cultivators. She wonders whether her master, Su Yueli, might actually possess the strength to defeat beings beyond the Tenth Realm, recalling how effortlessly Su Yueli killed a Peak Fourth Realm cultivator.
• At a tavern in Zhenyuan City, Su Yueli and Han Yu meet Jiang Yunsheng, the Seventh Realm crown prince of the Great Gan Dynasty, accompanied by Pang Lie, his powerful Peak Tenth Realm guard.
• Jiang Yunsheng discusses political turmoil in the Great Li Dynasty, including border tensions with the Wei Dynasty and the exile of Great Li’s Fourth Prince, Zhao Yan. Su Yueli is surprised and saddened because Zhao Yan once helped her.
• Su Yueli asks about the Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow. Jiang Yunsheng reveals that it grows in the dangerous Ice Soul Abyss in northern Great Gan, a region filled with extreme cold and ancient demon beasts.
• Jiang Yunsheng offers to let Su Yueli and Han Yu travel with him, since he is also heading to the Ice Soul Abyss to retrieve a rare cold-related item. Su Yueli accepts, recognizing the advantage of having the imperial family guide them.
• The group leaves Zhenyuan City and begins traveling toward the Far-Northern Ice Plains.
• During the journey, Jiang Yunsheng privately admits that he brought Su Yueli along largely because of her extraordinary beauty and hints that he would like to add her to his harem.
• He suggests flying directly to the Ice Soul Abyss, subtly implying that Su Yueli and Han Yu will slow the party down because they cannot fly. Su Yueli calmly tells him to fly ahead while they follow on foot.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Remains calm, composed, and unreadable. She uses Jiang Yunsheng’s knowledge without revealing her true strength or reacting to his flirtation. Her determination to obtain the Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow is unwavering.
• Han Yu: Becomes increasingly awed by her master’s mysterious power and ability to interact naturally with major figures. She remains insecure about whether martial arts can rival the Immortal Dao, but Su Yueli’s encouragement restores some of her confidence.
• Jiang Yunsheng: Revealed as both politically informed and attracted to Su Yueli. Although outwardly courteous, he views her as a beautiful mortal martial artist without significant backing and underestimates her abilities.
• Pang Lie: Acts as the cautious and practical voice accompanying Jiang Yunsheng. He questions the decision to bring Su Yueli and Han Yu, warning that they may become burdens and that associating with Great Li citizens could cause political complications.

Significant Themes

• Martial Dao versus Immortal Dao: Han Yu’s doubts highlight the perceived gulf between martial artists and immortal cultivators, while Su Yueli’s hidden strength suggests that appearances and conventional boundaries may be misleading.
• Hidden power and mistaken judgments: Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie assume Su Yueli is merely a mortal martial artist, unaware of her true capabilities.
• Fate and political change: The fall of Zhao Yan reflects the unpredictability of power and the way political fortunes can change over time.
• Beauty, status, and objectification: Jiang Yunsheng’s admiration of Su Yueli quickly becomes possessive interest, revealing how he views her as a potential addition to his harem rather than as an equal.
• Mentorship and confidence: Su Yueli encourages Han Yu to value martial cultivation and build a strong foundation instead of being intimidated by immortal cultivators.

Character Interactions

• Su Yueli and Han Yu discuss the limits of martial cultivation, with Su Yueli reassuring her disciple that martial arts can eventually become powerful in its own right.
• Su Yueli exchanges polite but strategically useful conversation with Jiang Yunsheng, obtaining information about the Ice Soul Abyss while concealing her identity and strength.
• Jiang Yunsheng privately tells Pang Lie that he brought Su Yueli because of her beauty, while Pang Lie warns him against underestimating the political and practical risks.
• Jiang Yunsheng attempts to flatter and court Su Yueli, but she responds with restrained politeness and does not encourage his interest.

Chapter Summary: “Flying Ahead, Soul Chasing Behind”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie doubt Su Yueli’s claim that she and Han Yu can keep up with immortal cultivators flying through the air.
• The two cultivators fly ahead at high speed, intending to demonstrate the superiority of immortal techniques.
• Su Yueli effortlessly carries Han Yu through the air using only physical movement, without any visible spiritual-energy fluctuations. She catches up almost immediately, shocking both Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie.
• Jiang and Pang repeatedly increase their speed over the next two days, hoping to leave Su Yueli behind, but she remains just behind them without showing any fatigue.
• The group arrives at the Ice Soul Abyss in the far north of Great Gan. Han Yu is exhausted from the journey, while Su Yueli remains completely calm.
• After entering the abyss, several Third- and Fourth-Realm ice beasts attack. Pang Lie destroys them instantly with a powerful golden palm strike, hoping to impress Su Yueli and Han Yu.
• Su Yueli is unimpressed by Pang Lie’s display, regarding the beasts as insignificant. She senses a powerful icy medicinal force and a hidden, formidable demonic presence deeper within the abyss.
• The four continue into the dangerous depths, each pursuing their own objectives.

Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Reveals extraordinary physical speed and endurance, far beyond what Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie believe possible for a Martial Dao practitioner. Her calm confidence and effortless abilities establish her as an unfathomably powerful figure.
• Han Yu: Begins the chapter doubtful and frightened by the cultivators’ flying speed, but her awe and reverence for Su Yueli grow enormously after witnessing her master keep pace with immortal cultivators for two days.
• Jiang Yunsheng: His initial skepticism turns into intense surprise, curiosity, and admiration. He realizes Su Yueli is concealing a major secret and is far from an ordinary mortal martial artist.
• Pang Lie: Initially views Su Yueli’s movement technique with disbelief, then becomes intrigued but remains doubtful of her actual combat strength. He attempts to assert his superiority by killing the ice beasts and acting as the group’s protector.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between Martial Dao and immortal cultivation: Su Yueli challenges the assumption that spiritual energy and flight are inherently superior to physical martial techniques.
• Hidden strength and mistaken judgment: Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie repeatedly underestimate Su Yueli because of her apparent mortal status and calm demeanor.
• Pride and competition: The cultivators’ attempts to outpace Su Yueli reflect their desire to preserve their superiority and impress her.
• Power versus appearance: Su Yueli appears to be an ordinary woman but possesses overwhelming speed, endurance, and perception.
• Exploration and concealed danger: The Ice Soul Abyss contains valuable icy medicinal energy as well as an unknown powerful beast, setting up future conflict.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yunsheng politely challenges Su Yueli’s confidence while secretly expecting her to fail.
• Han Yu anxiously questions how they can compete with flying cultivators, while Su Yueli reassures her and casually proves her wrong.
• Jiang and Pang become increasingly shocked and fascinated as Su Yueli keeps pace with them.
• Pang Lie warns Su Yueli and Han Yu to stay close once inside the abyss, subtly asserting his combat superiority.
• After Pang Lie kills the attacking beasts, he looks to Su Yueli for admiration, but she remains indifferent and privately finds his pride amusing.
• The group proceeds together despite their differing motives: Jiang and Pang seek to demonstrate their strength, while Su Yueli focuses on the powerful medicinal energy hidden deep within the abyss.

Key plot points and events

• Deep in the Ice Soul Abyss, Jiang Yunsheng’s guard Pang Lie kills a Seventh Realm Frostland Giant Bear to rescue a group of cultivators. The survivors thank Jiang, then gossip about Su Yueli, assuming she is a mortal and perhaps the Crown Prince’s new concubine.
• Su Yueli silences them with a cold glance that makes them perceive her as a terrifying monster. They flee in panic.
• Jiang Yunsheng notices a fleeting sense of immense pressure from Su Yueli. Her apparent lack of spiritual power and extraordinary speed deepen his suspicions, while also increasing his desire to possess her.
• Jiang reveals that he has come to obtain the crystal horn of a frigid beast for his cultivation. Su realizes the horn belongs to the creature guarding the Nine-Leaf Nirvana Ice Marrow, the treasure she seeks as well.
• At the cavern’s center, Su retrieves the Ice Marrow without difficulty, awakening its guardian: a massive, mid-Tenth Realm beast with a crystal horn.
• The beast attacks Su. Pang Lie intercepts it and clashes with it head-on. Jiang orders him to kill it quickly, believing Su is frightened and merely hiding her fear; Su privately thinks the beast would be easy for her to defeat.

Character developments and interactions

• Su Yueli remains composed and conceals her true strength. She protects her privacy with a glance rather than force, then quietly claims the treasure. Pang Lie’s intervention leaves her amused and bemused.
• Jiang Yunsheng continues to misread Su as vulnerable and stubborn, despite noticing signs that she is far more powerful than she appears. His curiosity and possessiveness grow.
• Pang Lie acts decisively to protect Su and confronts the guardian, though the fight may prove challenging.
• Han Yu stays close to her master and reacts with alarm when the beast attacks.
• The rescued cultivators’ admiration turns to fear when Su’s presence overwhelms them.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Su’s mortal appearance conceals abilities that unsettle even experienced cultivators.
• Misjudgment and projection: Jiang interprets Su’s composure as fear and stubbornness, fitting her into his own assumptions.
• Power, desire, and control: Jiang’s interest in Su intensifies alongside his growing awareness that she is mysterious and potentially formidable.
• Competing aims: Jiang and Su’s separate quests converge on the same beast and its guarded treasure.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

In the Ice Soul Abyss, Pang Lie battles a mid-Tenth Realm azure ice beast while Crown Prince Jiang Yunsheng casually attempts to court Su Yueli. Pang Lie is quickly overwhelmed, and Su Yueli discovers that a second beast is hiding underground. The pair consists of a Tenth Realm female and an Eleventh Realm male demon beast. The male beast severely injures Pang Lie, leaving Jiang Yunsheng and the others defenseless.
Su Yueli intervenes, killing the female beast instantly with her Ultimate Dao Fist Technique, Third Form—City Crusher. She then uses the same technique to heavily injure the Eleventh Realm male beast before finishing it with the Fourth Form—River Severing. She removes its Extreme-Cold Crystal Horn and gives it to Jiang Yunsheng as payment for leading the way.

Character developments

• Su Yueli reveals overwhelming physical and martial strength, defeating an Eleventh Realm demon beast without using spiritual or immortal techniques. Her calm, effortless victory establishes her as vastly more powerful than the others expected.
• Pang Lie shifts from confident protector to helpless victim. After being saved, he is humbled and deeply embarrassed by his earlier arrogance toward Su Yueli.
• Jiang Yunsheng loses his composure when faced with genuine danger. His confidence and flirtatious arrogance collapse after witnessing Su Yueli’s power, leaving him stunned and speechless.
• Han Yu experiences a major change in worldview. She realizes that martial artists can rival or surpass high-level immortal cultivators and becomes even more determined to follow Su Yueli’s path.

Significant themes

• The supremacy of perfected Martial Dao: Su Yueli’s fists overcome an Eleventh Realm demon’s terrifying defenses, challenging the belief that immortal cultivation is inherently superior to martial arts.
• Hidden strength and mistaken judgment: Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie underestimate Su Yueli because she appears to lack spiritual power, only to discover that her true abilities far exceed their expectations.
• Arrogance versus reality: Jiang Yunsheng’s leisurely confidence and Pang Lie’s earlier boasting are both shattered by the sudden appearance of a stronger enemy and Su Yueli’s intervention.
• Inspiration and inheritance: Han Yu’s admiration for Su Yueli intensifies, giving her a clear ideal to pursue.

Character interactions

Jiang Yunsheng flirts with Su Yueli while Pang Lie fights, prompting Han Yu to silently criticize his priorities. Su Yueli warns Jiang Yunsheng that there are two beasts and sarcastically notes that his guard appears nearly dead. After saving Pang Lie, she receives his fearful gratitude. She then casually gives the demon beast’s horn to Jiang Yunsheng, reversing their earlier dynamic: the Crown Prince, who had viewed her as an ordinary woman, is left awestruck by her power.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

After witnessing Su Yueli effortlessly defeat Pang Lie, Jiang Yunsheng realizes that her “mortal martial arts” conceal terrifying strength. He and Pang Lie immediately apologize and treat her with great respect. Su Yueli asks Jiang Yunsheng about the final ingredient needed for her medicine—the Myriad Tribulations Bloodwashing Vine. Jiang explains that Great Qian’s supply was likely consumed long ago and that the herb is probably controlled by the imperial family of the Great Yan Dynasty. Su Yueli decides she must eventually travel to Great Yan to obtain it.
Jiang invites her to visit Great Qian’s Imperial City before leaving, hoping to establish a connection with such a powerful figure. She accepts. The group then travels from the Ice Soul Abyss to the magnificent Imperial City, where Han Yu is amazed by the city’s prosperity and abundance.

Character developments

Jiang Yunsheng’s attitude changes completely from cautious skepticism to sincere humility and strategic respect after seeing Su Yueli’s strength. He hopes to gain her goodwill in case Great Qian ever needs her assistance. Su Yueli remains calm and focused on gathering medicinal ingredients so she can refine her medicine, break through to the Fourteenth Realm, and confront the Azure Moon Sect.
Han Yu continues to show exceptional comprehension. After observing Su Yueli’s battle, she gains new insight into the Heaven-Swallowing Breath-Concealing Formula and expects to break through to the Third Realm soon. Su Yueli becomes increasingly pleased with Han Yu’s talent and plans to purchase resources to strengthen her foundation.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the danger of judging people by appearances, as Su Yueli’s seemingly ordinary martial arts vastly surpass Jiang Yunsheng’s expectations. It also highlights the value of forming alliances with powerful individuals and the importance of resources, connections, and major imperial powers in the cultivation world. The master-disciple relationship is shown through Han Yu’s admiration and Su Yueli’s growing care for her development.

Character interactions

Su Yueli dismisses Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie’s apologies without hostility, then questions Jiang about the rare medicinal herb. Jiang responds respectfully and invites her to tour the Imperial City. During the journey, Han Yu excitedly praises Su Yueli’s punches and reveals her impending breakthrough. In the city, Han Yu finds a beautiful blue-tasseled hairpin and offers it to Su Yueli. When Su Yueli rejects it as something for “little girls,” Han Yu innocently points out that her master is also a girl, leaving Su Yueli speechless. Amused, Jiang Yunsheng suppresses his laughter, while Su Yueli reluctantly accepts the gift, making Han Yu delighted.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• While exploring Mystic Heaven Street, Han Yu persuades her stern master, Su Yueli, to wear a blue-tasseled hairpin. The change softens Su Yueli’s imposing appearance and astonishes both Han Yu and Jiang Yunsheng.
• Jiang Yunsheng is captivated by Su Yueli’s beauty, but his memories of witnessing her effortlessly kill an Eleventh Realm demon remind him of her terrifying strength. He quickly suppresses any romantic intentions and resolves not to provoke her.
• Su Yueli visits the Heavenlink Merchant Association seeking medicine to strengthen Han Yu’s body and expand her meridians.
• Jiang Yunsheng attempts to win Su Yueli’s favor by offering rare imperial medicines: Bone-Tempering Marrow-Washing Pills and Jade Marrow Blood-Coalescing Paste. Although he offers them as a gift, Su Yueli insists on paying with Spirit Stones so she will not owe him a favor.
• At Near-Immortal Tower, Su Yueli dissolves part of a pill for Han Yu and uses her Martial Dao will to control its overwhelming power.
• The medicine, combined with Han Yu’s observations of Su Yueli’s martial techniques, allows Han Yu to break through from the peak of the Second Realm to the Third Realm.
• The following morning, Su Yueli and Han Yu leave Great Qian Imperial City and head toward the Great Yan Dynasty in search of the Myriad Tribulations Bloodwashing Vine. Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie escort them to the city’s outskirts before saying farewell.

2. Character Developments

• Su Yueli: Though normally aloof and intimidating, she shows patience and affection toward Han Yu, agreeing to wear the hairpin and carefully guiding her cultivation. Her insistence on paying for the medicine reveals her independence and strong aversion to owing favors.
• Han Yu: Remains lively, affectionate, and curious, but makes meaningful progress as a martial artist. Her breakthrough to the Third Realm demonstrates both her improving foundation and the benefits of Su Yueli’s instruction.
• Jiang Yunsheng: Becomes increasingly impressed and attracted to Su Yueli, yet remains cautious after seeing her overwhelming power. He tries to use the imperial medicines to build a relationship with her, but she prevents him from creating a debt between them.
• Pang Lie: Continues serving Jiang Yunsheng loyally, immediately understanding his intentions and retrieving the medicines from the imperial palace.

3. Significant Themes

• Mentorship and affection: Su Yueli’s severe exterior contrasts with her genuine care for Han Yu, whose growth is supported through both medicine and personal instruction.
• Power and restraint: Su Yueli possesses extraordinary strength but uses it carefully, controlling the medicine so it benefits rather than harms Han Yu.
• Independence and obligation: Su Yueli’s refusal to accept free gifts emphasizes her belief that favors can become burdens or sources of manipulation.
• The contrast between beauty and danger: Su Yueli’s ethereal appearance attracts admiration, but her immense martial strength makes her someone others fear and must treat cautiously.
• The beginning of a larger journey: Their departure from Great Qian marks the transition toward the Great Yan Dynasty and the search for the rare Myriad Tribulations Bloodwashing Vine.

4. Character Interactions

• Han Yu playfully convinces Su Yueli to wear the hairpin, revealing their warm master-disciple bond.
• Jiang Yunsheng compliments Su Yueli and offers imperial medicines in an attempt to gain her favor, but she firmly insists on paying.
• Su Yueli supports Han Yu through her breakthrough and reminds her not to become arrogant.
• Jiang Yunsheng and Pang Lie respectfully see Su Yueli and Han Yu off, remaining behind as the pair rapidly depart for Great Yan.