Slaying Demons for Merit: I Seek Immortality Through Virtue - Chapter Summaries - Page 4

Ch. 61Demon Catchers of Qing Province

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

Gao Fei declines Li Qingyao’s invitation to stay at her home, settles his second uncle’s family at an inn, and accompanies Qingyao to the Demon Catchers’ headquarters.
Qingyao explains the Demon Catchers’ ranking system—gold, silver, bronze, and iron—and that even Iron-Badge Demon Catchers must possess Spirit-Absorption Realm cultivation.
Gao Fei joins primarily to gain access to demon-hunting opportunities and Merit Points for martial cultivation, while prioritizing safety and avoiding unnecessary challenges.
At headquarters, Gao Fei encounters Rong Shu, a powerful ghost cultivator known as a Nation-Guardian Spirit or Ghost Immortal. Her sudden appearance startles him, but she accepts him into the organization based on Qingyao’s recommendation and his solid foundation.
Rong Shu immediately appoints Gao Fei an Iron-Badge Demon Catcher of Qing Province.
A young male Demon Catcher attempts to invite Qingyao to a meal, but she rejects him coldly after recognizing his ulterior motives. His resentment is directed toward Gao Fei.
Qingyao tells Gao Fei that she will visit her master to report current events and rescue her second senior brother. She warns him to be careful while she is away.
When Gao Fei asks to work alone, Rong Shu assigns him to Gao Lichuan, a rugged, powerful Demon Catcher who normally prefers solo missions.
After Qingyao and Rong Shu depart, Gao Lichuan questions Gao Fei about his age, cultivation, and family. He suspects Gao Fei may be related to someone he once knew.
The chapter ends with Gao Lichuan asking whether Gao Fei’s second uncle is Gao Linyue.

Character Developments

Gao Fei: Demonstrates caution, independence, and practical thinking. He is reluctant to form a team, hides the true extent of his cultivation, and remains alert to suspicious behavior. His encounter with Rong Shu also reveals his growing awareness of the wider supernatural world.
Li Qingyao: Shows warmth and familiarity with Rong Shu, becoming playful and childlike around her. At the same time, she is firm and perceptive when dealing with unwanted attention. Her concern for her endangered second senior brother highlights her loyalty and sense of responsibility.
Rong Shu: Introduced as a powerful and eccentric Ghost Immortal who serves the Demon Catchers. Despite her frightening nature, she is friendly, perceptive, and decisive, quickly accepting Gao Fei and assigning him a position.
Gao Lichuan: Initially appears rough, solitary, and reluctant to accept a partner. His reaction to Gao Fei’s appearance and surname suggests a personal connection to Gao Fei’s family and hints at an important unresolved history.

Significant Themes

Hidden identities and concealed strength: Gao Fei deliberately downplays his abilities and refuses to reveal his true background, while Gao Lichuan seems to recognize something significant about him.
The coexistence of humans and supernatural beings: Rong Shu’s role as a ghost within the Demon Catchers reflects the broader integration of spirits, demons, and humans into the same social and institutional order.
Trust and caution: Gao Fei remains wary of both strangers and potential allies, emphasizing the need to judge people carefully in a dangerous world.
Duty and loyalty: Qingyao’s determination to rescue her senior brother and Gao Fei’s desire to cultivate responsibly both demonstrate commitment to personal obligations.
Social motives versus genuine affection: Qingyao recognizes that the men pursuing her are interested in her status and master’s influence rather than in her sincerely.

Character Interactions

Gao Fei and Qingyao travel together as she introduces him to the Demon Catchers.
Gao Fei’s blunt remarks about Rong Shu being a ghost contrast with Qingyao’s familiarity and affection toward the spirit.
Qingyao firmly rejects the flirtatious young Demon Catcher, while Gao Fei observes the exchange with amusement.
Rong Shu accepts Gao Fei and assigns him to Gao Lichuan despite both men preferring to work alone.
Gao Lichuan’s attitude shifts from indifference to agitation when he notices Gao Fei’s appearance, surname, and family background, establishing a mystery surrounding Gao Fei’s parents and second uncle.

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Ch. 62Origins

Chapter Summary: “Origins”

Plot Points and Events

Gao Fei agrees to accompany Gao Lichuan to meet the man who may be his father, despite doubting the connection because they look nothing alike.
Before they leave, the arrogant nobleman Lin Xiangbei confronts Gao Fei, asking about Qingyao. Gao Lichuan intervenes and warns Gao Fei not to provoke him, revealing that Lin is a Perfected Spirit-Absorption cultivator backed by powerful Jade-Liquid experts and a Grandmaster ancestor.
Gao Lichuan brings Gao Fei to an inn, where they reunite with Gao Linyue, another former personal guard of Gao Fei’s father. Gao Linyue recognizes Gao Fei as the “Young Marquis” and calls Gao Lichuan his Fourteenth Uncle.
Gao Fei overhears the two men discussing Gao Lichuan’s injuries, the disappearance of their comrades, and the uncertain fate of the Marquis. They eventually admit that Gao Fei’s origins have been deliberately hidden from him.
Gao Linyue explains that Gao Fei’s father was Gao Zhenyue, the Marquis of Annan, a prodigy who reached the Grandmaster Realm at twenty-two and eventually advanced to the Golden Core Realm.
Gao Zhenyue left after the Dao Palace revealed that cultivation methods existed beyond martial arts. When demons later invaded and occupied Nan Shuo Commandery, the Marquis’s guards escorted his wife and son to safety.
Gao Fei’s mother eventually found Gao Zhenyue at the Dao Palace. The two returned together but instructed the guards never to let Gao Fei practice martial arts. They then ordered the guards to hide his identity and flee, while Dao Palace Grandmasters pursued them.
Gao Linyue explains that the Dao Palace is the central authority governing martial artists in Great Wu. Grandmasters must register and report every major breakthrough, or face forced military service, imprisonment, or execution for treason.

Character Development

Gao Fei remains skeptical, blunt, and independent. Rather than blindly obeying the adults, he deliberately eavesdrops and forces them to reveal the truth about his past.
His confidence is evident in his refusal to fear Lin Xiangbei, even after learning about Lin’s powerful backing. He is increasingly curious about his own abilities and heritage.
Gao Lichuan is revealed as a loyal but injured former guard who has spent years searching for Gao Fei and the other survivors. Though cautious, he does not simply demand passive obedience from Gao Fei.
Gao Linyue provides the history of Gao Fei’s family. His cheerful, talkative personality contrasts with the gravity of the secrets he carries.
Gao Zhenyue, though absent, is established as an extraordinary martial genius whose disappearance is tied to the Dao Palace and the greater conflict between martial power, cultivation, and political authority.
Gao Fei begins to understand that his ordinary upbringing was an elaborate concealment rather than his true identity.

Significant Themes

Hidden identity and inheritance: Gao Fei discovers that he is the son of a powerful marquis, not an ordinary abandoned child.
Power and control: The Dao Palace regulates all Grandmasters, suggesting a rigid political system in which cultivation is monitored and independent power is treated as a threat.
Family and loyalty: The former guards risked their lives to protect Gao Fei, even after being separated and hunted.
Truth versus protection: Gao Fei’s guardians hid his origins and suppressed his martial development to keep him safe, but this protection also deprived him of knowledge about his own life.
The limits of martial arts: Gao Zhenyue’s transition from martial cultivation to a higher path hints at a broader world beyond the known martial hierarchy.
War and abandonment: The demon invasion exposes the weakness and indifference of the ruling powers, while the Marquis’s disappearance leaves his family and retainers to survive alone.

Character Interactions

Gao Fei and Lin Xiangbei immediately establish antagonism, with Lin provoking him and Gao Fei refusing to show submission.
Gao Lichuan acts protectively toward Gao Fei, warning him about Lin’s strength and political connections.
The reunion between Gao Lichuan and Gao Linyue reveals their shared history as loyal guards and their emotional relief at finding one another.
Gao Fei’s teasing, direct manner disrupts the two men’s attempt to hide the truth. His persistence ultimately forces them to acknowledge him as mature enough to hear about his origins.
Gao Linyue treats Gao Fei affectionately as family, while Gao Fei gradually responds with warmth despite his initial skepticism.

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Ch. 63Beast Horde

Beast Horde — Chapter Summary

Plot and Key Events

Gao Fei discusses the Dao Palace with Gao Linyue, learning that it serves as Great Wu Kingdom’s powerful enforcement arm. Some Grandmasters willingly serve it, while others live anonymously or join the Hemp-Robe Sect.
Gao Linyue explains that Gao Fei’s physical strength is already enough to injure a newly advanced Grandmaster, despite Gao Fei’s relatively low spiritual cultivation. Gao Fei asks the family to stop calling him “Young Marquis” to avoid exposing his identity.
A Demon Catcher summons Gao Fei and Gao Lichuan to deal with a rat demon tide near Cloud-Tide Commandery. Gao Lichuan offers Gao Fei lodging and gives him a Spirit-Absorption Realm demon core to restore his energy during their journey.
Upon reaching the battlefield, they find countless giant rats attacking fleeing villagers and surrounding constables. Gao Fei kills one and receives only a single Merit Point, realizing that the ordinary rats are weak and worth little individually.
Gao Lichuan warns that such hordes are usually controlled by intelligent demons. Gao Fei travels behind the main swarm and discovers two Jade-Liquid Realm weasels commanding awakened Rat Demons.
The weasels underestimate Gao Fei because his spiritual cultivation appears to be only at the Middle Spirit-Absorption Realm. Gao Fei launches a surprise attack, killing both commanders almost instantly.
Without their leaders, the intelligent Rat Demons flee, while the mindless horde falls into confusion and begins attacking itself. Gao Fei pursues and kills eight of the ten Spirit-Absorption Realm Rat Demons.
He gains over 1,300 Merit Points from the two weasels and spends 500 years’ worth of Merit Points to absorb materials from their corpses, strengthening his body further.
Gold-Badge Demon Catcher Rong Shu arrives carrying two more weasel corpses and confronts Gao Fei about concealing his physical cultivation. After understanding the situation, she decides to promote him to Gold-Badge Demon Catcher, recognizing that a hidden Grandmaster could greatly influence Qing Province’s war effort.
Rong Shu leaves and orders Gao Fei to meet her at the branch office later. Gao Fei reunites with Gao Lichuan, who suggests collecting Rat Demon corpses for household expenses.
The chapter ends when an unknown young man approaches and orders Gao Fei and Gao Lichuan to put down what they are carrying.

Character Development

Gao Fei: Demonstrates that his physical strength has reached the Grandmaster realm, allowing him to defeat stronger opponents through speed, surprise, and overwhelming force. He becomes more confident in exploiting the gap between his apparent and actual strength. His curiosity about his absent father also deepens.
Gao Lichuan: Acts as a supportive uncle and mentor, testing Gao Fei’s movement technique, supplying him with a demon core, and offering him better cultivation resources. He also shows practical concern for Gao Fei’s living arrangements and finances.
Rong Shu: Initially suspicious of Gao Fei’s hidden abilities, she quickly recognizes his value and responds pragmatically by arranging his promotion.
The Weasel commanders: Their arrogance and reliance on Gao Fei’s apparent weakness lead directly to their deaths.

Themes

Hidden strength and deception: Gao Fei’s low spiritual cultivation conceals his extraordinary physical power, allowing him to surprise enemies and observers.
Merit and cultivation: Combat is tied to the accumulation of Merit Points, which Gao Fei converts into bodily improvement and resources.
Power and responsibility: The demon crisis emphasizes Qing Province’s need for capable fighters, while Rong Shu’s promotion shows how individual strength can affect the broader conflict.
Loyalty and legacy: Gao Fei’s thoughts about his missing father and the continued loyalty of his followers suggest that personal charisma and past influence may shape his future.
Order versus chaos: Once the weasel commanders die, the organized demon horde collapses into panic and mutual slaughter.

Important Character Interactions

Gao Fei challenges Gao Linyue’s view of the Dao Palace and insists on being addressed by his real name.
Gao Lichuan encourages Gao Fei to abandon the low-grade Savage Bull Force cultivation method and obtain a Profound-rank technique.
Gao Fei and Gao Lichuan cooperate during the demon hunt, with Lichuan identifying the likely presence of intelligent commanders.
Gao Fei and Rong Shu clash over his secrecy, but she ultimately accepts his explanation and rewards his ability.
The final confrontation begins with an unidentified young man attempting to seize the demon corpses from Gao Fei and Gao Lichuan.

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Ch. 64Mountain-Moving Force

Chapter Summary: “Mountain-Moving Force”

Key Plot Points and Events

Gao Fei and Gao Lichuan hunt demon beasts outside Qing Province, where the surrounding counties appear to be preparing for abandonment.
A young cultivator from an enforcement team attempts to rob and ambush Gao Fei. Gao Fei effortlessly dodges the attack and kills him with a single elbow strike using Dark Force, earning 120 Merit Points.
Gao Fei conceals the corpse and weapon in a Storage Bag, intending to dispose of them later and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Gao Lichuan explains that Great Wu’s laws require battle spoils to be divided evenly among participants, which is why they take only a limited number of demons.
The pair sell two Jade-Liquid Realm Weasel corpses for 4,300 taels and return to the Demon Catchers’ station. The station is nearly deserted, suggesting many people have already left or are preparing to do so.
After waiting to submit their mission, Gao Fei is confronted by Lin Xiangbei, the arrogant young master of the Lin Family. Lin attempts to provoke him and rally witnesses by falsely claiming Gao Fei challenged him.
Before Gao Fei can retaliate, Rong Shu arrives and kicks Lin Xiangbei away. She reveals that he has repeatedly abused his status and warns him for daring to provoke a Grandmaster.
Lin Xiangbei learns that Gao Fei is a Grandmaster and kneels to apologize. Gao Fei rejects the apology, pointing out that apologies cannot replace the law, then leaves.
Lin Xiangbei fears that his powerful ancestor will sacrifice him to appease Gao Fei, especially since the ancestor is elderly, near death, and currently unable to protect the family.
Back at the cramped Gao family residence, Rong Shu gives Gao Fei his Grandmaster badge and the Earth-rank cultivation technique Mountain-Moving Force.
Gao Fei begins cultivating the technique with the aid of demon cores and his system’s accelerated training. Over a hundred years, he progresses from early cultivation to fully opening his meridians:
- He reaches the Mid and Late Spirit-Absorption Realm.
- He perfects the Spirit-Absorption Realm after opening the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
- He discovers and eventually opens 312 collateral meridians, along with countless tiny meridians throughout his body.

Character Development

Gao Fei becomes increasingly confident in his strength and status. He remains cautious about exposure and trouble but is ruthless when directly attacked. His rejection of Lin Xiangbei’s apology shows his firm belief that law and consequences matter more than empty words.
Gao Lichuan demonstrates practical knowledge of Great Wu’s rules and social conditions. He acts as Gao Fei’s guide while hunting and managing their spoils.
Rong Shu continues to protect and support Gao Fei. She handles Lin Xiangbei decisively and helps him obtain both his official badge and a stronger cultivation technique.
Lin Xiangbei shifts from arrogant aggression to fearful submission once he realizes Gao Fei is a young Grandmaster. His actions also reveal his cowardice and willingness to use public pressure when direct confrontation fails.
Lin Ye recognizes the danger of provoking Gao Fei and tries to restrain Lin Xiangbei, but he cannot prevent the conflict.
Gao Fei’s Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body and prior foundation from Savage Bull Force prove highly advantageous, allowing him to cultivate Mountain-Moving Force rapidly and thoroughly.

Significant Themes

Power and social hierarchy: Grandmasters are treated as exceptions to ordinary law, and Lin Xiangbei’s entire attitude changes once Gao Fei’s true status is known.
Law versus personal influence: Gao Fei insists that apologies cannot erase crimes, while the Lin Family considers offering Lin Xiangbei as compensation.
Caution and concealment: Despite his overwhelming strength, Gao Fei avoids openly displaying his Storage Bag or creating unnecessary conflict.
Cultivation and bodily perfection: Mountain-Moving Force emphasizes opening every meridian, presenting cultivation as a long-term process of refining the entire body rather than merely increasing spiritual power.
Decline and instability: The near-empty Demon Catchers’ station and abandoned outer regions suggest that Great Wu is facing a major crisis or impending upheaval.
Generational and family pressure: Lin Xiangbei’s fate is controlled by his family’s need to appease stronger figures, showing how individual lives are subordinate to clan survival.

Important Character Interactions

Gao Fei and Gao Lichuan discuss the legality of their demon-hunting spoils and the enforcement team’s authority.
Gao Fei clashes with the enforcement-team cultivator, killing him after a surprise attack.
Gao Fei dismisses Lin Xiangbei’s provocation, while Lin tries to manipulate the crowd into supporting his false accusation.
Rong Shu intervenes physically and verbally, defending Gao Fei and reprimanding Lin Xiangbei.
Lin Xiangbei kneels before Gao Fei and begs forgiveness, but Gao Fei refuses to accept a superficial apology.
Rong Shu gives Gao Fei the Mountain-Moving Force technique and badge, strengthening both his official position and future cultivation prospects.

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Ch. 65Force-Barrier Realm

Chapter Summary: “Force-Barrier Realm”

Key Plot Points and Events

After centuries of cultivation, Gao Fei opens every meridian in his body and advances from the Spirit-Absorption Realm into the True Return Realm. His spiritual power, recovery, stamina, and physical nourishment increase dramatically.
His mastery of several techniques improves:
- Meridian-Severing Hand reaches major mastery.
- Air-Splitting Slash reaches the Ultimate Realm and can now be used with either hand.
- Form-Intention Fist advances from Transforming-Force Peak into the Force-Barrier Realm, eventually reaching completion.
Gao Fei’s Force-Barrier Realm evolves over thousands of years. It begins as a natural physical rebound and develops into a nearly effortless barrier that protects his entire body, resists poison, extends force outward, and can vibrate or shake nearby enemies.
By combining the Force-Barrier Realm with Transforming Force, Gao Fei can launch charged attacks over a hundred feet, greatly expanding his combat ability beyond close-range physical fighting.
With his remaining Merit Points, Gao Fei plans to cultivate the Jade-Liquid Realm, believing it will further strengthen his already formidable combat power.
After emerging from cultivation, Gao Fei returns Rong Shu’s book and briefly enjoys the ordinary atmosphere of his family and household. The “smoke and fire” of mortal life helps him remain emotionally grounded after thousands of years of isolation.
Rong Shu informs him that they must travel to the Wei River to confront the increasingly arrogant Flood Dragon Lord, whose demons have been harassing Qing Province. Their mission is primarily to intimidate it, since it repeatedly escapes into the water whenever humans attempt to surround it.
Rong Shu explains her tragic past: she was once the matriarch of a powerful lineage, became a House-Guardian Immortal through her family’s worship, and eventually reached the Jade-Liquid Realm. When demons destroyed her lineage, Li Chengfeng rescued her, after which General Li appointed her steward of Qing Province’s Demon Catchers.
The chapter ends with the arrival of Lin Yueren, ancestor of the Lin Family, accompanied by Lin Xiangbei, Lin Ye, and another man. Lin Yueren forces his descendants to kneel and apologizes for their behavior.
Gao Fei rejects the apology as insufficient, accusing the Lin Family of collaborating with demons and attempting to undermine the county’s incense-offering system. He invokes Great Wu’s law and questions whether their crimes can simply be forgiven.

Character Developments

Gao Fei becomes vastly stronger, moving from a primarily close-combat fighter toward a more versatile combatant capable of long-range, charged force attacks and broad defensive techniques.
His cultivation has made him extremely patient and disciplined, but his four-thousand-year isolation has begun affecting his ability to speak naturally. He also develops a deeper appreciation for ordinary family life as a source of emotional stability.
Gao Fei shows increasing confidence and independence. He refuses to be intimidated by Lin Yueren and insists that serious crimes require more than a superficial apology.
Rong Shu is revealed to be a loyal but burdened Ghost Immortal whose dedication to protecting Qing Province stems from the destruction of her family and lineage.
Lin Yueren presents himself as courteous and conciliatory, but his forced apology suggests he is attempting to protect his descendants and family interests rather than openly accept responsibility.

Significant Themes

Cultivation through extreme time and patience: Gao Fei’s progress demonstrates the enormous gains possible through relentless, centuries-long practice.
Balancing strength with humanity: Despite becoming extraordinarily powerful, Gao Fei finds comfort in family life and everyday human warmth, which prevents him from becoming entirely detached.
Responsibility and grief: Rong Shu’s continued service reflects the way personal loss can become a reason to protect others.
Law versus personal influence: The confrontation with the Lin Family raises the issue of whether powerful families can escape punishment through status, apologies, or connections.
Adaptation in combat: Gao Fei recognizes the limitations of relying solely on physical defense and develops techniques that combine martial strength with long-range spiritual force.

Important Character Interactions

Gao Fei and Rong Shu discuss the Flood Dragon Lord, Qing Province’s difficult circumstances, and Rong Shu’s past.
Gao Fei’s gentle interaction with his family contrasts with his stern attitude toward criminal wrongdoing.
Rong Shu introduces Gao Fei to Lin Yueren as a newly promoted Gold-Badge Demon Catcher.
Lin Yueren flatters Gao Fei before forcing Lin Xiangbei and Lin Ye to kneel and apologize.
Gao Fei directly challenges Lin Yueren, making clear that the Lin Family’s alleged cooperation with demons is a serious legal offense that cannot be erased by a few polite words.

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Ch. 66The River Earl

Chapter Summary — The River Earl

Key Plot Points and Events

Lin Yueren reveals that he must travel to the Capital Dao Palace because of a secret matter connected to his age and declining lifespan. He and Rong Shu are under a strict gag order and cannot disclose the details without risking execution of their entire household.
Gao Fei questions Lin Yueren about the Yueyang County Lin Family’s decision to cooperate with the demons and sacrifice commoners. Lin admits that his remaining lifespan has been reduced to fifty years and that the family sought incense fortune to preserve its longevity. He blames the Hemp-Robe Sect and a Fox Demon for misleading them, but Gao Fei rejects this as an excuse.
Lin Yueren argues that sacrificing poor commoners to preserve the majority of the Lin Family was a rational choice. Gao Fei condemns this belief as the reason the family treats human lives as worthless.
Rong Shu prevents the disagreement from turning violent and reminds them of their immediate mission: travel east, confront the Flood Dragon Lord and the River Earl of the Wei River, and stop them from harming the region.
The group sets out. Rong Shu will confront the Flood Dragon Lord, while Gao Fei and Lin Yueren are tasked with fighting the River Earl.
The chapter briefly shifts to Chiyang Mountain, where Li Ye remains imprisoned in the Chiyang Sect with his spiritual energy sealed. He worries that his message may not have reached his master and fears that he may soon lose his chance to return.
Gao Fei, Lin Yueren, and Rong Shu reach the Wei River after traveling through increasingly desolate territory. Villages have been abandoned, and the surviving people are elderly, numb, and resigned to death.
At the river, they witness a horrific sacrificial ceremony. Villagers offer young women as brides to the River God, while ritualists perform strange dances. The River Earl demands ten young women for a larger sacrifice in twenty days.
The River Earl appears as a grotesque, diseased creature covered in tumors and infested with insects. A gigantic serpent-like shadow, likely the Flood Dragon Lord, moves in the river nearby.
Rong Shu flies off to confront the Flood Dragon Lord. Gao Fei attacks the River Earl using Shrinking Earth to Inches and a powerful Force-Barrier palm strike. His attack breaks the River Earl’s spiritual protection, ruptures its tumors, destroys the insects within them, and sends the creature crashing into an earthen slope.

Character Developments

Gao Fei becomes increasingly uncompromising in his opposition to cruelty and exploitation. He refuses to excuse the Lin Family’s actions and is willing to fight if Lin Yueren cannot justify them.
Gao Fei’s cultivation and martial abilities continue to advance. His mastery of riding, improved Shrinking Earth to Inches technique, and powerful palm strike demonstrate his rapid growth.
Lin Yueren is portrayed as remorseful but morally compromised. He admits the Lin Family’s wrongdoing and acknowledges his limited remaining lifespan, yet still defends the family’s sacrifice of the poor as a practical necessity.
Rong Shu acts as the mediator and mission leader. She keeps Gao Fei and Lin Yueren focused on their shared objective and divides the battle responsibilities.
Li Ye remains isolated and powerless in Chiyang Sect custody. His anxiety grows as he realizes that time may be running out before he can escape or receive help.
The River Earl has degenerated physically, becoming a swollen, tumor-covered monster. Its grotesque condition suggests corruption, illness, or the consequences of its continued sacrifices.

Significant Themes

Moral responsibility versus justification: Lin Yueren explains the Lin Family’s crimes through survival and longevity, but Gao Fei insists that necessity does not erase guilt.
The devaluation of human life: Both the Lin Family and the River Earl treat ordinary people—especially the poor and young women—as expendable resources.
Corruption and decay: The abandoned villages, dying population, diseased River Earl, and insect-filled tumors reflect the broader physical and moral deterioration of the region.
Duty and cooperation despite mistrust: Gao Fei and Lin Yueren deeply distrust one another, yet must cooperate against greater supernatural threats.
Secrecy and political control: The gag order surrounding the Dao Palace mission hints at hidden imperial or spiritual matters that may become important later.
Desperation under oppression: The villagers’ helplessness and numb obedience show how prolonged fear and exploitation have destroyed their ability to resist.

Important Character Interactions

Gao Fei challenges Lin Yueren directly over the Lin Family’s sacrifices, while Lin defends them as a means of saving his clan.
Rong Shu interrupts their confrontation and redirects both men toward the mission.
The villagers submit fearfully to the River Earl, while the ritualists enforce the sacrifice through ceremony and intimidation.
Rong Shu assigns Gao Fei and Lin Yueren the River Earl, then personally takes responsibility for confronting the Flood Dragon Lord.
Gao Fei initiates the battle with a decisive surprise attack, demonstrating both his growing confidence and his willingness to act immediately against demonic threats.

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Ch. 67Flood Dragon Lord

Chapter Summary: “Flood Dragon Lord”

Key Plot Points and Events

Gao Fei kills the Mutated River Earl with two devastating Force-Barrier Realm palm strikes, earning 1,235 Merit Points.
Afterward, he searches the River Earl’s corpse for its Beast Core. Lin Yueren explains that Monster Kings cultivate through their lower dantian, where the Beast Core is located.
Gao Fei discovers the core and spends 1,000 Merit Points on the Golden Body Art, gaining a thousand years’ worth of physical strength.
The terrified townspeople surround Gao Fei, fearing that the Flood Dragon Lord will punish them for the River Earl’s death. When they attempt to stop him, a woman in a red bridal gown intervenes.
Gao Fei gives the River Earl’s Demon Core to the woman, challenging her to use it, then leaves to assist Rong Shu and Lin Yueren against the Flood Dragon Lord.
The Flood Dragon Lord appears in his true form: a massive, blue-black, four-legged creature that is evolving toward dragonhood.
Rong Shu uses her speed and a flying hairpin to harass him, while Lin Yueren attacks with a flying sword. Their attacks barely affect the dragon’s tough scales.
Gao Fei launches a surprise palm strike, severely damaging the Flood Dragon Lord and knocking him toward the river.
The Flood Dragon Lord flees into the water, where Gao Fei is unable to pursue effectively because he cannot swim or fight underwater.
Rong Shu enters the river to force the injured dragon out, while Gao Fei guards the surface and repeatedly attacks whenever the Flood Dragon Lord emerges.
Exhausted and cornered, the Flood Dragon Lord reveals that the entire Chiyang Sect has allied with the Hemp-Robe Sect. Together with a southern tiger and the Monster King of Mount Mang, they are besieging the Commander-in-Chief, Prefect, and Inspector.

Character Developments

Gao Fei demonstrates overwhelming offensive power, killing the River Earl almost instantly and badly injuring the far stronger Flood Dragon Lord through a surprise attack.
His cautious but opportunistic fighting style is emphasized: he prefers ambushes, long-range palm strikes, and exploiting openings rather than confronting enemies directly.
Gao Fei becomes stronger by investing Merit Points into the Golden Body Art, further increasing his physical cultivation.
Lin Yueren becomes more wary and respectful of Gao Fei after witnessing his strength. He explains the nature of Monster King cultivation and assists in the battle from a distance.
Rong Shu displays courage and tactical skill, using her Ghost Immortal abilities to maneuver around the Flood Dragon Lord and later pursue him underwater.
The Flood Dragon Lord is revealed to be powerful, durable, and highly mobile, but also badly injured and desperate enough to disclose major political and military information.
The woman in the bridal gown is introduced as someone willing to oppose the frightened townspeople. Her acceptance of the Demon Core hints at possible future cultivation or transformation.

Significant Themes

Power and intimidation: Gao Fei’s strength changes how others perceive him, frightening both allies and enemies.
Strategic combat versus brute force: The battle highlights the importance of surprise attacks, positioning, mobility, and exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses.
Transformation and cultivation: The River Earl’s Beast Core and the Flood Dragon Lord’s evolution toward becoming a true dragon reflect the theme of creatures advancing beyond their original forms.
Fear and coercion: The villagers’ fear of the Flood Dragon Lord causes them to turn against Gao Fei, while Gao Fei’s power reverses the balance of intimidation.
Wider conflict: The Flood Dragon Lord’s revelation expands the story beyond the local battle, indicating a coordinated alliance and a larger siege involving major human and supernatural forces.

Character Interactions

Lin Yueren explains Monster King cultivation and the location of the Beast Core to Gao Fei.
Gao Fei orders Lin Yueren to assist Rong Shu, showing that he trusts him enough to divide their forces.
The villagers confront Gao Fei, but the bridal-gowned woman prevents the situation from escalating.
Gao Fei rewards or tests the woman by giving her the River Earl’s Demon Core.
Rong Shu and Lin Yueren work together to restrain the Flood Dragon Lord, while Gao Fei delivers the decisive surprise attack.
Rong Shu and Gao Fei coordinate after the dragon escapes into the river, with her pursuing him underwater and Gao Fei guarding the surface.
The Flood Dragon Lord attempts to persuade the three fighters to abandon him by revealing the larger crisis involving the Chiyang and Hemp-Robe Sects.

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