Chapter Summaries

After waking in a demon’s prison cave, Lin Jun discovered a system that let him spend experience to strengthen his martial arts. The snake demon dragged him deeper into the cave, and Lin Jun used his 200 experience points to simulate the Flowing Swallow Saber Technique.

• Lin Jun woke in a cave, realized he had transmigrated, and learned that a demon had captured him.
• Lin Jun noticed six starving prisoners and recalled that someone may have betrayed him.
• Lin Jun discovered a system that awarded experience for killing demons and showed his martial arts and 200 experience points.
• A snake demon entered the cave, threatened Lin Jun and the prisoners, then kicked him when he reacted to her smell.
• The snake demon dragged Lin Jun deeper into the cave, and he spent all 200 experience points simulating the Flowing Swallow Saber Technique.

Chapter Summary: “Slaying the Snake Demons”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun begins the simulation with 200 experience points and chooses to cultivate the ordinary Mortal-level Flowing Swallow Saber Technique through relentless practice rather than pursuing its hidden mysteries.
• After spending 100 experience, he reaches the technique’s Perfected level, transforming his previously weak body and developing the callused hands and instincts of an experienced saber wielder.
• He spends his remaining experience continuing the same method of diligent training. After the equivalent of sixty years of practice, he reaches the Transcendent Realm—the highest level of martial mastery.
• The Snake Demon senses that Lin Jun has become dangerous but dismisses the feeling, assuming he is still the cowardly, spoiled young master she remembers.
• Lin Jun is dragged into the demons’ cave, where he encounters the enormous male python and the Snake Demon surrounded by human remains.
• Using a bloodstained saber found among the bones, Lin Jun kills the male python with a single upward slash. He then throws the saber into the female demon, pins her to the cave wall, and beheads her before she can recover.
• Lin Jun frees the imprisoned villagers, gives them snake meat, and cooks it for them. The survivors are shocked that he has defeated the demons and confused by his dramatic change in behavior.
• He shows particular kindness toward a frightened child, sharing food and joking with him. The chapter ends with Lin Jun checking his panel and discovering that killing the two demons has raised his experience to 380.

Character Development

• Lin Jun: Undergoes a dramatic transformation from a weak, frightened, and despised young master into a calm and lethal martial artist. Sixty years of simulated training hardens his emotions and makes the saber technique instinctive. Despite his ruthless efficiency in combat, he also displays compassion by rescuing and feeding the villagers, especially the child.
• The Snake Demons: Initially view Lin Jun as helpless prey. Their confidence and negligence prevent them from recognizing the threat he has become. Both are killed before they can properly respond.
• The Villagers: Begin as prisoners overwhelmed by fear and despair. Lin Jun’s victory restores their hope, though they remain stunned by his unexpected courage and kindness.
• The Child: Acts as the first villager to approach Lin Jun and helps reveal Lin Jun’s gentler side. Their brief interaction contrasts with Lin Jun’s merciless battle against the demons.

Significant Themes

• Diligence and perseverance: Lin Jun’s decision to repeatedly choose the simplest training option demonstrates that persistence can elevate even an ordinary technique to extraordinary heights.
• Mastery through practice: The chapter emphasizes that true mastery comes from years of repetition and dedication, not merely from possessing a powerful or rare technique.
• Transformation and identity: Lin Jun’s inner change is so complete that others barely recognize him. His former reputation conflicts sharply with his new abilities and behavior.
• Hidden strength: Lin Jun appears ordinary and harmless after reaching the Transcendent Realm, allowing the Snake Demon to underestimate him. His concealed power becomes decisive.
• Violence and compassion: Lin Jun kills the demons with chilling precision but treats the surviving humans with generosity, suggesting that emotional restraint and kindness can coexist with lethal skill.

Character Interactions

• The Snake Demon dismisses Lin Jun’s sudden danger, while Lin Jun silently prepares to strike.
• The two demons discuss eating him, unaware that he has already surpassed them in combat ability.
• Lin Jun’s swift attack on the male python shocks the female Snake Demon and leaves her unable to defend herself.
• After the battle, the villagers watch Lin Jun with awe and disbelief, struggling to reconcile the rescuer before them with the arrogant “Master Lin” they knew.
• The child cautiously offers to help Lin Jun, and Lin Jun responds warmly, sharing food and encouraging him. This interaction strengthens the impression that Lin Jun’s character has fundamentally changed.

Chapter Summary: “Aftermath”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun reflects on the classification “Mortal,” used for both demons and martial arts, and wonders whether stronger, non-Mortal realms exist. His predecessor’s ignorance leaves him without reliable knowledge.
• He leaves the Snake Demon’s cave, freeing the imprisoned farmers. The farmers remain suspicious of him despite his rescue, showing how deeply his predecessor’s reputation has damaged his image.
• Outside the cave, Lin Jun encounters Chen Feng, his assigned guard. Chen Feng kneels and apologizes for arriving late, asking to be punished.
• Lin Jun remembers that Chen Feng had deliberately abandoned him to the demons because he could no longer tolerate his former master’s cruelty. Chen Feng had even intended to die after confirming Lin Jun’s death.
• Rather than punishing him, Lin Jun tells Chen Feng that his timing was perfect and asks him to return to the cave.
• Lin Jun reveals that he killed the two Snake Demons and searches the cave for their eggs. He destroys thirteen eggs beneath the stone bed, then continues searching for more.
• He also kills various small creatures and newly hatched or developing organisms, using them to test whether killing weaker creatures grants experience through his mysterious panel. When the panel does not change, he concludes that only sufficiently powerful demons provide experience.
• Lin Jun and Chen Feng prepare to leave, but a surviving young snake emerges from the bones. It vows revenge and dreams of becoming a powerful Great Demon.
• Lin Jun unexpectedly returns, detects the snake, and kills it with a single thrown saber strike. Chen Feng sees the deep, precise cut and begins to realize that Lin Jun’s abilities have changed dramatically.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Becomes more pragmatic, ruthless, and methodical. He eliminates every possible future threat by destroying the Snake Demons’ eggs and tests the limits of his experience system. His calm attitude and increasingly refined saber technique contrast sharply with the weak, immoral predecessor whose body and reputation he inherited.
• Chen Feng: Shifts from resentment and despair toward confusion and reluctant reassessment. He had believed Lin Jun was a useless, corrupt wastrel, but witnessing the cleanly severed Snake Demon corpses and Lin Jun’s effortless killing technique makes him question everything he knows.
• The farmers: Remain distrustful of Lin Jun despite being saved, reflecting the lasting consequences of his predecessor’s crimes.
• The surviving snake: Briefly develops into a potential future antagonist, swearing revenge for its family, but is killed before it can grow stronger.

Significant Themes

• Reputation versus reality: Lin Jun is judged according to his predecessor’s crimes, even when his actions have changed. Chen Feng and the farmers struggle to reconcile the notorious figure they know with the person now saving people and destroying demons.
• Justice and redemption: Chen Feng’s attempted betrayal came from a desire to uphold justice, while Lin Jun’s new behavior suggests the possibility of correcting the former Lin Jun’s evil legacy.
• Power and hidden realms: Lin Jun’s thoughts about the “Mortal” classification hint at a larger power system and stronger levels beyond his current understanding.
• Pragmatism and ruthlessness: Lin Jun believes threats must be eliminated completely, demonstrated by his destruction of the eggs and the surviving hatchling.
• Growth through experimentation: Lin Jun actively tests how his mysterious experience system works, discovering that weak creatures cannot be exploited to gain power.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Jun rejects the farmers’ reluctance to travel with him and leaves them to return on their own.
• Chen Feng formally submits himself to Lin Jun’s punishment, but Lin Jun unexpectedly excuses him and treats his arrival as timely rather than late.
• Lin Jun forces Chen Feng to help search the cave, giving Chen Feng a firsthand view of his new ruthlessness and saber mastery.
• Chen Feng repeatedly doubts Lin Jun’s claims, especially when Lin Jun says he killed the Snake Demons himself, but the evidence gradually overwhelms his disbelief.
• Lin Jun’s final killing of the hidden snake leaves Chen Feng stunned, establishing that Lin Jun’s transformation is not merely an act or coincidence.

Chapter Summary: “A New Saber Art”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun returns to Azure Forest City after killing a Snake Demon and cleans himself up at his luxurious manor.
• He reflects on the experience reward system, noting that the weak Snake Demon granted only 20 experience and that stronger demons will be necessary for meaningful growth.
• Lin Jun discovers and studies the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique, a martial art issued by the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• The chapter explains Lin Jun’s official position as Green Forest County’s Demon Exorcist. He was sent there mainly to complete a three-year period of service and gain promotion, since the county was supposedly free of demons.
• After witnessing the Snake Demon’s cave filled with human bones, Lin Jun becomes suspicious that the county is not truly safe and decides to take his duties seriously.
• Using all 400 of his accumulated experience, Lin Jun simulates the technique’s cultivation. He reaches Perfection, gaining a complete understanding of its strengths and flaws.
• He practices the art through the night and discovers that, unlike the rigid and purely technical Falling Goose Saber Art, it channels the body’s blood and qi into concentrated, powerful attacks.
• At dawn, Lin Jun challenges Chen Feng to a spar. Chen Feng doubts Lin Jun’s strength and worries he might injure him.
• Rather than sparring at home, Lin Jun announces that they are going to the Demon Affairs Prefecture to investigate and kill demons, astonishing Chen Feng.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Becomes more proactive and determined. He moves away from the original owner’s lazy, pleasure-seeking lifestyle and begins acting like a genuine Demon Exorcist. His experience with the Snake Demon convinces him that danger exists beneath Green Forest County’s peaceful surface.
• Chen Feng: Remains loyal but skeptical. Although he witnessed Lin Jun kill the Snake Demon, he still believes Lin Jun is weaker than himself and attributes Lin Jun’s success to a desperate burst of strength. His assumptions are likely to be challenged.
• The original Lin Jun: His former habits are emphasized—he ignored his official responsibilities, neglected the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique, and spent his time enjoying himself. The current Lin Jun is markedly different.

Significant Themes

• Growth through responsibility: Lin Jun begins fulfilling the duties he previously neglected instead of merely waiting for an effortless promotion.
• Appearance versus reality: Green Forest County appears peaceful, but the Snake Demon’s lair suggests hidden dangers and possible official negligence.
• Systematic cultivation and power progression: The experience system transforms years of martial training into rapid advancement, while also showing that stronger techniques require far greater resources.
• Technique versus true power: The chapter contrasts the formal, fixed movements of worldly saber arts with the Demon-Subduing Blade Technique’s emphasis on internal strength, blood, qi, and concentrated force.
• Suspicion and investigation: Lin Jun no longer accepts the county’s reputation as “safe” and suspects that demon-related incidents may have been ignored or concealed.

Character Interactions

• The servants respectfully greet Lin Jun, reinforcing his elevated social and official status.
• Chen Feng repeatedly wants to question Lin Jun about the Snake Demon but cannot bring himself to ask, revealing his confusion and disbelief.
• Lin Jun dismisses Chen Feng’s assumptions and focuses on bathing, eating, studying, and training.
• When Lin Jun invites Chen Feng to spar, Chen Feng responds with condescending concern, believing his ten years of sword training make him superior.
• Their exchange about going to the Demon Affairs Prefecture highlights the contrast between Lin Jun’s newfound seriousness and Chen Feng’s belief that he is merely indulging a temporary whim.

Chapter Summary: “Forging a Saber”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun reopens the abandoned Demon Affairs Prefecture after three years, surprising his subordinate Chen Feng and the townspeople.
• He begins cleaning the neglected office, even paying beggars to finish the work. This unusual generosity shocks everyone, since Lin is known as a dissolute, stingy nobleman.
• Lin remains at the prefecture for half a month, eating and sleeping there while Chen Feng practices swordsmanship. Despite the open gates, no one seeks help because the townspeople distrust Lin’s reputation and doubt his ability to exorcise demons.
• On the twentieth day, Liu Song, the village head of Liu Family Ravine, reports that seven households have disappeared overnight. Their homes were destroyed, and villagers witnessed beast-like figures moving through the village.
• Lin accepts the case without hesitation, though the old man and onlookers assume he is once again disappointing those who hoped he had changed.
• That night, Lin takes Chen Feng to a blacksmith and receives a newly forged Miao-style saber designed to maximize the power of his Demon-Subduing Saber Art.
• The blacksmith falsely offers the saber as a gift, but Lin secretly leaves the exact payment—forty taels of silver—behind.
• Lin and Chen Feng set out by carriage for Liu Family Ravine, planning to arrive around midnight and confront the demon threat.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Begins to reveal that his apparent transformation may be genuine. He takes responsibility for the Demon Affairs Prefecture, patiently waits for a case, and quietly pays the blacksmith fairly. His combat preparation and knowledge of specialized weaponry suggest hidden competence beneath his former playboy image.
• Chen Feng: Initially remains suspicious and resentful, believing Lin is cruelly giving villagers false hope. However, witnessing Lin pay for the saber and prepare seriously for the mission causes Chen Feng’s opinion to soften. He becomes more willing to trust Lin, though he remains cautious.
• Liu Song: Represents the desperate villagers who have lost faith in official protection. He approaches Lin only because the disappearances leave him no other choice.
• The blacksmith: Shows the fear and resentment Lin’s reputation inspires, but is surprised when Lin secretly pays him the full value of the saber.

Significant Themes

• Reputation versus reality: Lin’s past behavior causes everyone to dismiss his present efforts, showing how difficult it is to overcome a long-established reputation.
• Hope and distrust: The villagers want to believe someone will save them, but repeated disappointment has made them wary of trusting Lin.
• Actions over appearances: Lin’s quiet deeds—cleaning the bureau, preparing for the case, and paying the blacksmith—contrast with his public image and suggest that genuine change is demonstrated through behavior rather than words.
• Duty and redemption: By accepting the demon case and preparing to face danger, Lin begins a possible path toward redemption.
• Preparation and responsibility: The new saber symbolizes Lin’s serious commitment to his role and foreshadows the coming confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Lin orders Chen Feng to help clean the prefecture and later makes him practice swordsmanship, establishing their tense but cooperative relationship.
• Lin calmly listens to Liu Song’s report, while the village head cautiously gauges whether Lin can be trusted.
• Chen Feng internally condemns Lin for seemingly raising the villagers’ hopes only to abandon them, but his anger lessens after observing Lin’s responsible actions.
• The blacksmith attempts to flatter Lin and give him the saber for free, but Lin quietly ensures the man receives fair payment.
• During the journey, Lin instructs Chen Feng not to show off and to remain behind him, signaling that Lin intends to take the lead in the coming battle.

Chapter Summary: “Black Bear Spirit”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Feng explains that Origin Transformation is the boundary between ordinary Mortal martial men and the Transcendent Realm. Although he has trained for more than ten years, he has only glimpsed this level and has been held back for three years while dealing with Lin Jun.
• Lin Jun and Chen Feng arrive at Liu Family Ravine at midnight to investigate a demon attack. The village is unnaturally silent, and the terrified dogs and villagers suggest that the area has long suffered under demonic threats.
• They encounter two enormous black bears, including a black bear spirit and its cub. The demons are carrying and playing with the mutilated bodies of villagers, revealing that they have been preying on the settlement.
• The Black Bear Spirit assumes Lin Jun is an emissary of Zhang Ju, the county magistrate, and complains that Zhang Ju has restricted it from openly eating humans for three years. It plans to claim the entire village once another Demon Exorcist leaves.
• Rather than fight, Lin Jun confirms that he was sent by Zhang Ju and calmly negotiates with the demon. He persuades the bear that the incident can be overlooked if it does not happen again.
• Lin Jun even carries one of the corpses for the bear cub, ordering the horrified Chen Feng to carry another. The Black Bear Spirit is impressed by Lin Jun’s apparent friendliness and accepts him as a “good kid” and brother.
• While traveling toward the mountains with the demons, Lin Jun flatters the Black Bear Spirit by praising its cub, strength, wife, and large family. He learns that the bear has seven cubs and that its wife is expected to return soon.
• Meanwhile, the village head gathers the surviving villagers. Their hopeless, resigned reactions show that demon attacks have become a routine part of their lives.
• Chen Feng grows increasingly suspicious of Lin Jun’s behavior, sensing that his polite conversation hides a deeper purpose. He briefly wonders whether Lin Jun is gathering information in preparation to eliminate the entire bear family.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun demonstrates remarkable composure, physical strength, deception, and social manipulation. He restrains Chen Feng from attacking, controls the situation through Zhang Ju’s authority, and wins the Black Bear Spirit’s trust through calculated flattery.
• Chen Feng is revealed to be powerful and morally outraged by the demons’ killings, but he is forced to suppress his anger and obey Lin Jun. His confusion about Lin Jun’s motives deepens.
• The Black Bear Spirit is shown as brutal and predatory, yet also fearful of Zhang Ju and proud of its family. Its willingness to trust Lin Jun exposes its arrogance and susceptibility to praise.
• The villagers have become emotionally numb and helpless after repeated demon attacks. Their lack of resistance reflects how thoroughly fear and oppression have broken them.
• The village head appears compassionate but powerless, able only to acknowledge the villagers’ suffering rather than protect them.

Significant Themes

• Power and authority: Zhang Ju’s influence is strong enough to restrain a dangerous demon, even though the villagers themselves have no protection. The chapter suggests that official power may coexist with, or even tolerate, corruption and oppression.
• Deception and manipulation: Lin Jun uses politeness, false camaraderie, and carefully chosen compliments to control the Black Bear Spirit instead of relying on force.
• Moral ambiguity: Lin Jun’s willingness to cooperate with cannibalistic demons—and to handle human corpses without visible emotion—makes his true intentions difficult to judge.
• Despair and normalized violence: The villagers treat mass murder as an expected part of life, emphasizing the destructive effect of unchecked supernatural threats.
• Strength beyond martial cultivation: Although Origin Transformation is presented as the formal gateway to true cultivation, Lin Jun’s intelligence, nerve, and ability to manipulate others prove highly effective even without openly displaying martial power.
• Family and predation: The Black Bear Spirit takes pride in its wife and cubs, but its affection exists alongside its consumption of human beings, creating an unsettling contrast between domestic pride and monstrous violence.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng: Lin Jun suppresses Chen Feng’s impulsive desire for revenge and commands him to cooperate. Chen Feng obeys but becomes increasingly wary of Lin Jun.
• Lin Jun and the Black Bear Spirit: Lin Jun presents himself as Zhang Ju’s respectful subordinate, then carefully flatters the demon into accepting him as a friend or sworn brother. Their exchange is outwardly cordial but filled with hidden motives.
• Chen Feng and the Black Bear Spirit: Chen Feng’s hatred and shock contrast sharply with Lin Jun’s calm friendliness. He is forced to stand beside the demon responsible for slaughtering villagers.
• The villagers and the village head: The head gathers them after the attack, but their hopeless silence shows that neither he nor the community believes anything can be done.

Chapter Summary: “Slaying Demons”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng arrive at the Bear Demon’s cave, which the demon proudly considers an ideal home.
• While casually conversing with the Bear Demon, Lin Jun suddenly attacks and kills him with a single stab through the heart. His blade is empowered by the perfected Demon-Subduing Blade Technique and blood qi.
• Chen Feng is shocked by Lin Jun’s strength and realizes that Lin Jun truly was capable of killing the Snake Demon earlier.
• Lin Jun kills the Bear Demon’s cub and orders Chen Feng to accompany him into the cave. Inside, Lin Jun discovers and eliminates the remaining bear cubs and finds the mutilated corpses of human victims.
• Lin Jun buries the human dead and makes a wooden grave marker for them.
• Expecting the mother bear to return, Lin Jun waits outside. He discovers an additional newborn cub hidden in the cave and kills it to prevent leaving any survivors.
• The enraged mother bear charges from the forest. Lin Jun confronts and cleaves her in two using an intensely blood-qi-infused blade.
• Chen Feng finds a Demon Core inside the mother bear. He explains that it is a rare, valuable source of cultivation energy, though dangerous to absorb directly because of its chaotic and violent demonic power. Lin Jun stores it for later refinement.
• Lin Jun orders Chen Feng to obtain a donkey cart so the bear corpses can be transported back to the city, joking that he wants to eat the bear paws.
• After Chen Feng leaves, Lin Jun vomits and dry-heaves from the sight of the human corpses. Though he can kill demons easily, human deaths affect him deeply.
• Lin Jun resolves to become stronger by continually hunting demons and gaining experience.
• Before leaving, he discovers a wooden plaque carved with a deer and identifies it as a possible “Mountain Assembly Token,” raising a new mystery.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Reveals overwhelming combat ability, possessing a fully mastered Demon-Subduing Blade Technique despite appearing inexperienced. He is ruthless and methodical toward demons, ensuring the entire bear family is eliminated, but remains emotionally affected by human suffering. His fear of his own weakness motivates him to pursue greater strength through demon hunting.
• Chen Feng: Becomes increasingly impressed and intimidated by Lin Jun. He recognizes that Lin Jun’s strength is genuine and begins to see him as far more ruthless and capable than himself. Chen Feng also serves as the source of information about Demon Cores and the dangers of absorbing them.
• Bear Demon family: The Bear Demon is exposed as a human-eating predator with numerous cubs. The mother bear displays fierce protective aggression, but is ultimately no match for Lin Jun.

Significant Themes

• Ruthlessness versus morality: Lin Jun’s complete extermination of the demon family demonstrates the harsh logic of survival in a world where demons prey on humans.
• Humanity beneath violence: Lin Jun can kill demons without hesitation, yet the sight of dismembered human bodies causes genuine psychological distress, emphasizing that he has not lost his human compassion.
• The danger of weakness: The encounter convinces Lin Jun that remaining weak could make him just as vulnerable as the villagers who were slaughtered.
• Power and hidden ability: Chen Feng is stunned by Lin Jun’s concealed mastery, reinforcing the gap between outward appearance and true strength.
• The demon-hunting world’s mysteries: The Demon Core and the Mountain Assembly Token suggest deeper systems of cultivation, demon society, and hidden factions.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Jun deceives the Bear Demon with friendly conversation before killing him, showing his tactical cunning.
• He orders Chen Feng to help clear the cave, forcing Chen Feng to witness the extent of his ruthlessness.
• Chen Feng explains the value and risks of the Demon Core, while Lin Jun chooses to preserve it rather than consume it immediately.
• Their argument over transporting the corpses reveals Lin Jun’s dark humor and practical attitude, while Chen Feng reluctantly obeys.
• Lin Jun’s discovery of the Mountain Assembly Token at the end introduces a new clue likely connected to the bear demon’s origins or a larger demonic organization.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng spend half a day transporting the corpses of the slain Bear Demon family back toward Azure Forest City.
• Villagers are stunned to see the demons dead and kneel in gratitude toward Lin Jun. Their reaction marks a major change in how the community views him.
• A child brings Lin Jun millet porridge, cured meat, and pickled vegetables from his mother. Lin Jun eats the porridge and warmly shares the remaining food with the child.
• The slain demons grant Lin Jun a total of 1,500 experience points, including 400 points from the eight cubs. His increased experience leaves him energized and encourages him to continue hunting demons.
• Lin Jun uses another simulation to refine his perfected Demon-Subduing Blade Technique. After decades of failure and persistent study, he finally creates the powerful Transformation-Origin martial art, Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade.
• Although Lin Jun’s cultivation remains at the Mortal level, he discovers that he can use this higher-level technique. However, his current cultivation cannot unleash its full strength.
• Chen Feng briefly senses an overwhelming killing intent from Lin Jun, resembling a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, suggesting the terrifying aura produced by Lin Jun’s new technique or growing power.
• Lin Jun asks Chen Feng for a cultivation technique, but Chen Feng explains that Demon Exorcism Bureau techniques cannot legally be taught to outsiders. Lin Jun’s merits from killing the Snake Demon and Bear Demon should allow him to exchange for one after returning to Headquarters in two months.
• The pair finally reaches Azure Forest City at night. The guards are frightened by the bloody bear corpses and shocked to realize that Lin Jun, previously known for immoral behavior, may genuinely be exterminating demons.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun continues his transformation from a dissolute and feared nobleman into a capable demon hunter. His acceptance of the villagers’ gratitude, kindness toward the child, and willingness to protect people demonstrate his growing humanity.
• His martial strength advances dramatically. He creates his first non-Mortal martial art and gains confidence from his growing experience reserves.
• Lin Jun remains impatient and practical, disliking the two-month wait for a cultivation technique. He begins considering alternatives rather than depending entirely on the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• Chen Feng becomes increasingly impressed by Lin Jun’s transformation. He notices Lin Jun’s rising power and reacts instinctively to the killing intent surrounding him, though he tries to dismiss it as nervousness.
• The villagers and city guards begin revising their opinions of Lin Jun. Instead of seeing him merely as a corrupt or dangerous official, they start to suspect that he may be a genuine protector.

Significant Themes

• Redemption and changed reputation: Lin Jun’s actions begin to contradict his former reputation, allowing ordinary people to view him with gratitude rather than fear.
• Power through persistence: The creation of the Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade demonstrates that repeated effort and lifelong dedication can produce breakthroughs, even after years of failure.
• The gap between cultivation and technique: Lin Jun possesses a powerful martial art beyond his current realm, but his limited cultivation prevents him from using it fully.
• Institutional control and restricted knowledge: The Demon Exorcism Bureau tightly controls cultivation methods, making advancement dependent on merit and official access.
• The value of small gains: Even the cubs’ experience contributes significantly to Lin Jun’s growth, reinforcing his belief that accumulated minor rewards can become substantial.
• Public perception and proof through action: Lin Jun’s reputation changes not through promises but through visible results—the dead demons returning to the city.

Important Character Interactions

• The villagers kneel to thank Lin Jun, creating a public moment that confirms his new role as a protector.
• A child offers Lin Jun food on behalf of his mother, and Lin Jun responds with unusual warmth and generosity.
• Chen Feng explains the Demon Exorcism Bureau’s rules and reassures Lin Jun that his demon-hunting achievements have earned him the right to obtain a cultivation technique.
• Chen Feng’s instinctive reaction to Lin Jun’s killing intent highlights the dangerous aura and hidden power Lin Jun is beginning to develop.
• The city guards gossip after Lin Jun enters, revealing the growing uncertainty—and reluctant admiration—surrounding his transformation.

Chapter Summary: “Bear’s Strength”

Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng display the corpses of ten bear demons outside the Demon Affairs Prefecture, shocking the people of Green Forest County.
• Rather than merely reporting the demons’ deaths, Lin Jun sells their meat for twenty copper coins per jin. At first, everyone is too frightened to buy it, but one customer eventually steps forward. The bear meat is then rapidly sold out, while the cubs are sold to a restaurant.
• The sale changes the public’s perception of demons. They are no longer viewed solely as terrifying enemies but also as creatures that can be hunted and eaten. Lin Jun hopes this will make ordinary people less afraid to report demon sightings.
• Zhang He, the county commandant, is furious about Lin Jun’s actions. He believes Lin Jun is deliberately disrupting the county magistrate’s three-year arrangement with the demons, which has only two months remaining.
• Zhang He sends a letter to Elder Spiritual Insight and privately threatens to deal harshly with Lin Jun, believing that Lin Jun lacks the protection of the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• Lin Jun uses his simulation ability on the Bear Demon’s core. Instead of directly cultivating through it or studying alchemy, he chooses to absorb its special power through the simulation.
• The simulated process is extremely dangerous: the demon’s energy causes immense pain, destroys his meridians, and overwhelms him with baleful energy. However, Lin Jun survives and gains the Bear Demon’s natural physical strength.
• Afterward, Lin Jun effortlessly pulls a century-old willow tree partly from the ground, demonstrating his dramatically enhanced strength. Chen Feng is stunned and briefly wonders whether Lin Jun might secretly be a demon.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun becomes increasingly bold and unconventional. By selling demon meat, he challenges the deep-rooted fear of demons and influences the county’s social attitude toward them.
• He also grows substantially stronger, gaining the Bear Demon’s raw physical power without needing a cultivation technique. This marks a major advancement from his former identity as a wastrel.
• Chen Feng remains loyal and helpful, assisting Lin Jun with the demon corpses, but he is shocked by Lin Jun’s strength and begins to question his true nature.
• Zhang He shifts from dismissing Lin Jun to recognizing him as a dangerous and unpredictable disruptor. His frustration turns into open hostility, and he begins plotting against Lin Jun.
• The county magistrate remains absent and in seclusion, but the chapter confirms that he has some kind of agreement with the demons concerning Lin Jun.

Significant Themes

• Overcoming fear: Lin Jun’s sale of demon meat symbolically teaches the people that demons are not invincible, untouchable beings.
• Changing public perception: What was once viewed as monstrous becomes a source of food and profit, weakening the demons’ psychological hold over the population.
• Power through risk and innovation: Lin Jun uses his simulation ability to obtain strength in an unconventional way, avoiding the real-world dangers of absorbing the Demon Core.
• Political conflict and hidden agreements: The county’s officials appear to be cooperating with demons, suggesting that Lin Jun’s demon hunting threatens an established arrangement.
• Transformation and identity: Lin Jun’s physical evolution is so extreme that even Chen Feng begins to suspect he may no longer be entirely human.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng work together to arrange the demon corpses, showing their ongoing cooperation.
• Lin Jun confronts the townspeople’s fear by insisting they either buy the meat or stop obstructing others.
• The restaurant owner, previously merely polite, now sincerely invites Lin Jun to dine with him after benefiting from the demon meat.
• Zhang He discusses the incident with his subordinate officials, revealing his anger and suspicion toward Lin Jun while ordering a letter sent to Elder Spiritual Insight.
• Chen Feng discovers Lin Jun’s newfound strength firsthand and is left bewildered when he cannot move the willow tree that Lin Jun nearly uproots.

Chapter Summary: “Mountain Fair”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At midnight, Lin Jun discovers that the wooden plaque taken from the Bear Demon has become active. A glowing, butterfly-winged spirit emerges and leads him outside Green Forest County.
• A peaceful White Deer waits for him and carries him to Phoenix Forest Mountain, where Lin Jun finds a large gathering of nonviolent demons and humans.
• He learns that this gathering is the Mountain Fair, an exchange organized by Lord Lu. Demons bring herbs and other natural resources, while humans contribute tools and goods from human society.
• Lin Jun meets a friendly water buffalo demon, Old Ox, who explains the fair. A rabbit demon tells him that Lord Lu may possess cultivation techniques.
• At the mountaintop, Lord Lu—an elegant deer demon—opens the fair by having every participant contribute an herb to a bronze furnace. He is refining medicine for the gathered demons and humans.
• Since Lin Jun has brought nothing, the rabbit demon gives him an old mountain ginseng to contribute. Lin Jun is struck by the generosity and peaceful atmosphere of the gathering.
• Lord Lu recognizes Lin Jun as a Demon Exorcist, causing the demons to panic because of Lin Jun’s reputation for annihilating the Snake Demon’s and Bear Demon’s households.
• Lin Jun instinctively draws his blade, but Lord Lu produces official Demon Exorcism Bureau documentation proving that the Mountain Fair is legally registered, attempting to prevent a confrontation.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun shows curiosity and restraint. Though he realizes the gathering could provide considerable experience if he killed the demons, he refuses to attack creatures that have not harmed humans.
• He becomes increasingly surprised by the demons’ peaceful behavior and their willingness to cooperate with humans.
• The rabbit demon demonstrates trust and friendliness by lending Lin Jun a mountain ginseng, despite asking him to repay it later.
• Old Ox serves as Lin Jun’s guide to the Mountain Fair and presents himself as simple, peaceful, and uninterested in ambition.
• Lord Lu is introduced as the fair’s respected organizer and a capable medicine refiner. His calm authority is contrasted with his sudden caution upon discovering Lin Jun’s identity.

Significant Themes

• Coexistence and mutual benefit: The Mountain Fair challenges the usual human-demon conflict by showing that peaceful demons and humans can cooperate when their interests align.
• Prejudice versus individual character: Although demons are generally regarded as enemies, these demons are judged by their actions rather than their species.
• Restraint and morality: Lin Jun’s decision not to slaughter the demons, despite the potential rewards, highlights his ability to distinguish genuine threats from harmless beings.
• Community and survival: The weaker demons gather together for protection and support, exchanging resources to survive in a dangerous world.
• Law and legitimacy: Lord Lu’s registration with the Demon Exorcism Bureau suggests that relations between humans and demons are more complicated and organized than Lin Jun initially assumed.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun follows the mysterious spirit and is guided by the White Deer to the fair.
• Old Ox explains the purpose of the Mountain Fair and discusses his horns and cultivation techniques with Lin Jun.
• The rabbit demon directs Lin Jun toward Lord Lu and later gives him a mountain ginseng.
• Lin Jun observes the cooperative relationship between the humans and demons attending the fair.
• Lord Lu identifies Lin Jun as a Demon Exorcist, triggering widespread fear. Lin Jun prepares to defend himself, while Lord Lu responds by presenting official documentation to establish that the gathering is lawful.

Summary: “Boar Demon Ascends the Mountain”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun discovers that Lu Ling possesses a certificate from the previous dynasty’s Demon Exorcism Bureau, suggesting that Lu Ling may be using an old authority to justify actions against the current government. Lin Jun notices the issue but chooses not to expose him.
• Lin Jun asks Lu Ling for a cultivation technique, but Lu Ling postpones the discussion until after preparing the Hundred-Herb Elixir.
• The elixir is completed through an elaborate ritual involving rare herbs, moon worship, and Lu Ling sacrificing one of his own antlers. Every participating demon receives a portion, while Lin Jun is given an especially large bowl.
• Lin Jun drinks the elixir all at once. Its overwhelming medicinal power nearly causes his body to burst, but he uses the Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade Technique to convert the energy into blood vitality.
• The elixir pushes Lin Jun’s physical body to the absolute peak of the Mortal realm, leaving him only one step away from the Transcendent Realm. However, he realizes that entering the next realm requires comprehension and opportunity, not merely physical strength.
• The Mountain Fair begins, with humans and demons bartering various goods. Lin Jun’s presence makes everyone tense and prevents the fair from becoming lively.
• Lu Ling sends a White Deer to retrieve a cultivation technique, but the deer returns mortally wounded and dies at Lin Jun’s feet.
• Three enormous Boar Demons from Black Wind Cave appear, claiming they wish to participate in the fair. They display rotten human corpses as “merchandise,” revealing that they have come to hunt and eat the humans and lesser demons.
• The Boar Demons trap everyone on the mountain by throwing a butcher’s knife in front of the fleeing crowd and surrounding the gathering.
• Lin Jun calmly asks Lu Ling how many demons belong to the Boar Demons’ household, strongly implying that he intends to exterminate their entire clan.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Grows dramatically stronger, reaching the pinnacle of the Mortal realm. He remains calm, observant, and intimidating, even when surrounded by danger. His unusual question at the end signals his decisive and ruthless approach to dealing with threats.
• Lu Ling: Becomes increasingly cautious around Lin Jun, recognizing both his power and his potential to expose Lu Ling’s questionable connection to the former dynasty. He is impressed by Lin Jun’s ability to consume the elixir but is also disturbed by the attack on his Mountain Fair.
• The Boar Demons: Are introduced as brutal, predatory antagonists. Their false claim of wanting to trade quickly gives way to their intention to slaughter and consume everyone present.
• The other demons and humans: Become submissive and fearful because of Lin Jun’s presence, then panic when the Boar Demons reveal the human jerky and begin trapping the crowd.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Lin Jun’s presence suppresses the entire Mountain Fair, while the Boar Demons use physical force and terror to control the crowd.
• Justice and extermination: Lin Jun’s final question hints at a harsh form of justice in which an entire demon household may be punished for the Boar Demons’ crimes.
• Strength versus technique: Although Lin Jun’s body reaches the Mortal realm’s peak, he lacks a proper cultivation method, emphasizing that raw physical power alone is insufficient for higher advancement.
• Political legitimacy and changing dynasties: Lu Ling’s old certificate raises questions about whether authority from the previous dynasty can justify actions under the current regime.
• Predation and hidden motives: The Mountain Fair appears to be a peaceful trading event, but the Boar Demons expose the violence and danger beneath the surface.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Jun silently confronts Lu Ling’s suspicious certificate, causing Lu Ling visible anxiety.
• Lin Jun pressures Lu Ling for a cultivation technique, but Lu Ling delays him while preparing the elixir.
• Lu Ling admires Lin Jun after witnessing him consume the entire bowl of elixir.
• The Boar Demons challenge Lu Ling by forcing their way into the Mountain Fair and killing his White Deer messenger.
• Lin Jun questions Lu Ling about the Boar Demons’ household, suggesting that he is preparing to retaliate against them completely.

Chapter Summary: “The Deaths of the Three Demons”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun confirms that only the three Boar Demon Brothers are present. Lu Ling warns him that they are ancient, powerful demons who previously killed the county’s Demon Exorcist.
• Despite the warning, Lin Jun approaches the nearest Boar Demon and pretends to be a customer buying meat. He demands lean meat, fatty meat, and cartilage, all minced, provoking the demon.
• When the Boar Demon attacks, Lin Jun instantly cuts off his arm. The other two brothers join the fight.
• Lin Jun kills the first brother by breaking his butcher’s knife and cleaving him in half. He defeats the second through overwhelming physical strength, using an Iron Mountain Shoulder Bash before cutting off his leg and piercing his heart.
• The second Boar Demon’s supernatural scream briefly disrupts Lin Jun, but Lin Jun recovers and finishes him.
• The final Boar Demon loses his nerve and begs for mercy. Lin Jun interrogates him about the demon household and why the brothers attacked humans.
• The demon reveals that Zhang Ju had forbidden Green Forest County’s demons from eating humans for three years. The Boar Demon Brothers attacked because they could no longer resist after humans entered the forest.
• Lin Jun appears to agree to spare him, but kills him from behind once he turns away, questioning whether the demon considered himself “human.”
• Lin Jun orders the Monkey Demon to clean his blood-covered blade, borrows Lu Ling’s white deer, and leaves the mountain.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Jun is established as far more powerful and ruthless than Lu Ling expects. He combines expert swordsmanship with extraordinary physical strength and terrifying killing intent.
• Lin Jun also demonstrates a calculating nature: he uses the Boar Demon’s fear to extract information, then eliminates him despite promising mercy. His actions suggest that he values results and justice over conventional honor.
• Lu Ling shifts from confident adviser to stunned observer. He initially believes Lin Jun should flee or seek reinforcements, but becomes awed by Lin Jun’s overwhelming strength.
• The Boar Demon Brothers are presented as brutal predators who quickly become frightened victims once their power proves useless. The surviving brother’s instinct to beg for mercy highlights the demons’ fear-driven nature.
• The Monkey Demon and other lesser demons now treat Lin Jun with fear and obedience, especially after witnessing his massacre of the brothers.

3. Significant Themes

• Power versus reputation: The Boar Demon Brothers’ ancient fame and fearsome reputation are meaningless against Lin Jun’s actual strength.
• Predator and prey: The chapter reverses the expected relationship. The demons begin as hunters of humans but rapidly become helpless prey themselves.
• Justice and deception: Lin Jun’s promise to spare the final Boar Demon, followed by his killing of him, raises questions about whether demons deserve mercy and whether Lin Jun’s methods are justified.
• The nature of humanity: Lin Jun’s final question—“Are you human?”—emphasizes the moral divide between humans and demons while also suggesting that human-like promises and morality may not apply to monsters.
• Hidden power and mystery: Zhang Ju’s prohibition against human consumption, and the Boar Demon’s claim that Zhang Ju “did not seem human,” deepen the mystery surrounding Zhang Ju and the supernatural order in Green Forest County.
• Blood as strength: The Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade Technique converts the demons’ blood into restorative energy, allowing Lin Jun to recover from severe injuries during battle.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Ling and Lin Jun: Lu Ling repeatedly warns Lin Jun not to confront the brothers, but Lin Jun ignores him. Afterward, Lu Ling’s fear and admiration increase, and he willingly lends Lin Jun his deer.
• Lin Jun and the Boar Demons: Their encounter begins as a mocking exchange over “buying meat,” then becomes a one-sided slaughter. Lin Jun intimidates the final brother into answering his questions.
• Lin Jun and the Monkey Demon: After the battle, Lin Jun commands the Monkey Demon to clean his sword, and the demon obeys immediately.
• Lin Jun and the surviving Boar Demon: Their final interaction exposes the demon’s cowardice and Lin Jun’s merciless judgment. Although Lin Jun promises to let him go, he kills him as soon as the demon turns away.

Chapter Summary: Slaying Demons and Returning to the City

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun returns to Phoenix Forest Mountain near dawn and finds the villagers and minor demons collecting the corpses of the pig demons he killed.
• To intimidate the witnesses and prevent rumors or betrayal, he throws down another young pig demon’s corpse, making it clear that he is willing to silence anyone who challenges him.
• Lu Ling apologizes for his inaccurate information and gives Lin Jun the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting, an Origin Transformation cultivation manual discovered in ancient ruins.
• Lin Jun acquires Lu Ling’s large White Deer as a gift. He then has villagers and demons construct a cart, loads the pig demon corpses onto it, and begins the journey back to Azure Forest City.
• Along the way, Lin Jun checks his gains: killing the pig demons has earned him 3,400 experience points, and the new cultivation manual fills a major gap in his training.
• He chooses not to cultivate immediately, deciding to wait until he returns to the city.
• Villagers in Liu Family Ravine recognize and praise him, treating him as a heroic demon slayer. A child offers him water, and Lin Jun responds kindly.
• At the city gate, guards and townspeople are shocked to see Lin Jun returning with a cart full of demon corpses after only one night.
• Lin Jun brings the corpses to the Demon Exorcism Bureau and attempts to sell the meat, as he did with the bear demon previously. However, people refuse to buy it because the pig demons look too humanoid and disturbing to eat.
• Lin Jun buries the corpses instead.
• Meanwhile, government official Zhang He learns that Elder Spiritual Insight is preparing to act against Lin Jun. Zhang orders his subordinate to ensure that no evidence is left behind and worries about the consequences of Lin Jun’s genuine demon-slaying activities.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun becomes increasingly feared and respected. His decisive massacre of the pig demons establishes him as a ruthless and highly capable demon slayer.
• He also displays a practical and generous side: he thanks Lu Ling, treats the White Deer well, and responds gently to the villagers and children who admire him.
• Lin Jun’s growing strength is reflected in his expanding martial-arts arsenal, his new cultivation manual, and his rapidly increasing experience.
• Lu Ling shifts from cautious fear to open cooperation. He gives Lin Jun the cultivation manual and the White Deer, hoping to build a favorable relationship with the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• Chen Feng is increasingly bewildered by Lin Jun’s unexplained accomplishments. Lin Jun’s return with four slain pig demons leaves him unable to understand how much has changed.
• Zhang He becomes more anxious and hostile. Lin Jun’s real achievements threaten the false image and political arrangement Zhang has maintained for years.
• The White Deer becomes Lin Jun’s loyal mount, demonstrating unusual speed, strength, endurance, and obedience.

Significant Themes

• Fear and authority: Lin Jun’s violence creates a reputation powerful enough to control both demons and humans.
• Pragmatism versus morality: Lin Jun kills demons without hesitation but does not harm harmless witnesses and behaves kindly toward villagers. The chapter presents him as ruthless toward enemies but not needlessly cruel.
• Hero worship and public reputation: Villagers increasingly regard Lin Jun as a protector, even beginning to create a statue in his honor.
• Power disrupting corruption: Lin Jun’s genuine demon-slaying threatens officials who benefited from pretending that he was incompetent while secretly maintaining political ties with demons.
• Unexpected alliances: Lu Ling, though a demon, chooses cooperation because Lin Jun’s protection is more valuable than hostility.
• Cultivation and progression: The new manual and experience points mark a major step toward Lin Jun’s advancement into higher-level power.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun intimidates the gathered demons and villagers, reinforcing his dominance.
• Lu Ling respectfully gives Lin Jun the cultivation manual and White Deer, while Lin Jun’s polite thanks surprise him.
• Lin Jun rewards the White Deer with affection and promises it a comfortable life.
• Villagers greet Lin Jun with admiration, and he accepts water from a child before sending him home.
• The city guard and townspeople react with astonishment to Lin Jun’s cart of corpses.
• Chen Feng questions Lin Jun’s sudden success but cannot obtain an explanation.
• Zhang He and his subordinate secretly plan against Lin Jun, revealing the hidden political danger behind his growing reputation.

Chapter Summary: “Stepping into the Transcendent Realm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing three Boar Demons, Lin Jun discovers that none contain Demon Cores, disappointing him and confirming that his previous success had been luck.
• He retreats to cultivate the True Scripture of Body-Melting and Furnace-Casting, an Origin Transformation technique that treats the body as a furnace and heaven-and-earth energy as raw material.
• The cultivation simulation offers only steady, long-term progress rather than shortcuts. Lin Jun spends 3,000 experience and undergoes the equivalent of sixty-three years of study and cultivation:
  • He gradually studies the scripture from beginner to perfected mastery.
  • He spends three years refining external energy.
  • He finally breaks through from the Mortal realm into the Transcendent Realm, reaching the Origin Transformation stage.
• Upon awakening, Lin Jun can visibly perceive the energy flowing through the world. His body automatically absorbs and refines it, functioning like a living furnace.
• Testing his new strength, he performs the Flowing Swallow Saber Technique and realizes that even a mortal martial art now possesses power comparable to the Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade Technique.
• He concludes that ordinary Boar Demons could now be defeated with casual punches.
• Lin Jun briefly becomes intoxicated with his power, proclaiming himself supreme and vowing to suppress all demons, but quickly regains his composure.
• He reflects on the immense difficulty of cultivation: Origin Transformation is only the beginning, followed by Boundary Breach and Golden Core. He has opened only the Ren and Du Meridians and three hand yin meridians.
• After cultivation, Lin Jun’s room is destroyed when he casually shakes the wall with his palm. Chen Feng arrives carrying braised pig-head meat and finds the scene oddly familiar.

Character Development

• Lin Jun makes a major advancement, crossing into the Transcendent Realm and becoming an Origin Transformation cultivator.
• His understanding of cultivation deepens: he learns that unlike martial techniques, cultivation requires persistent accumulation and cannot be achieved through shortcuts.
• His mindset matures significantly. Although his sudden power initially causes arrogance and excitement, decades of simulated cultivation give him unusual calm and perspective for someone under twenty.
• He becomes more cautious and self-aware, recognizing that his breakthrough is merely the start of a much longer journey.
• Chen Feng remains largely unchanged but continues to serve as Lin Jun’s companion and a source of understated humor. His reaction suggests that Lin Jun’s destructive strength may be becoming a recurring problem.

Significant Themes

• Persistence and accumulation: True cultivation requires sustained effort over decades rather than instant rewards.
• Transformation: Lin Jun moves beyond mortal limitations, gaining a new perception of the world and a fundamentally greater level of power.
• Power and humility: His brief boastfulness is tempered by his awareness of the vast realms still ahead and the limitations of his current advancement.
• The body as a furnace: The chapter emphasizes cultivation as a process of refining external energy into personal strength.
• Time and perspective: Simulated decades of practice reshape Lin Jun’s mentality, making him calmer and more mature despite his young age.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun has no direct interaction with the Boar Demons in the chapter, but their absence of Demon Cores prompts his cultivation.
• He exchanges a brief interaction with Chen Feng, accepting the food Chen Feng brings from Shopkeeper Song.
• Lin Jun’s casual destruction of the house contrasts with Chen Feng’s ordinary concern about food, creating a comedic scene and highlighting the gap between Lin Jun’s new abilities and everyday life.

Chapter Summary: “Huagupu”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Green Forest County experiences an unusually peaceful week with no reported demon attacks, frustrating Lin Jun because he cannot gain experience or grow stronger through demon slaying.
• Lin Jun confirms that ordinary cultivation is effectively useless for him due to the previous owner’s extremely poor natural talent; without his demon-slaying system, advancement would take decades.
• While eating at a food stall with Chen Feng, Lin Jun notices several monks from Dharma Enlightenment Temple. Chen Feng explains that martial sects accept disciples only from childhood and value loyalty over talent, while the Demon Exorcism Bureau accepts capable demon slayers regardless of age or background and rewards merit openly.
• The monks’ conversation reveals that their temple raises pigs but has forbidden the monks from eating pork for three years, with only a little over a month remaining in the restriction.
• A court runner arrives with an official request for Lin Jun to investigate demons in Huagupu, where children have been dying for five consecutive days. This is the first time in three years that the local authorities have sent Lin Jun an assignment.
• Chen Feng immediately suspects something is wrong because the authorities have historically ignored Lin Jun. Zhang He, observing from a nearby restaurant, is relieved that Lin Jun accepts the order and privately mocks him for risking his life instead of remaining a wealthy young master.
• Lin Jun leaves for Huagupu on White Deer, taking pancakes for the journey. Chen Feng follows him.
• During the trip, Chen Feng learns that White Deer is a powerful Half-Demon mount. He envies it and is impressed that Lin Jun possesses such an exceptional animal despite not yet holding an official rank in the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• The chapter ends with Lin Jun considering visiting Chen Feng’s benefactor, who may have been punished or placed under surveillance after secretly helping Lin Jun.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Becomes increasingly frustrated with the lack of demon activity but remains determined to grow stronger. He shows confidence by accepting the suspicious assignment immediately and continues to display hidden resources, including his extraordinary Half-Demon mount.
• Chen Feng: Reveals more of his knowledge about martial sects, the Demon Exorcism Bureau, ranks, and Half-Demons. His attitude toward Lin Jun mixes admiration, anxiety, and envy; he worries that the Huagupu assignment may be a trap.
• Zhang He: Demonstrates hostility and contempt toward Lin Jun, believing he should remain a spoiled aristocrat rather than become a demon slayer. His relief when Lin Jun accepts the assignment suggests he may have feared being held responsible if Lin Jun refused.
• The monks: Provide comic relief through their greed and complaints about food, while also introducing Dharma Enlightenment Temple as an important martial sect.
• Chen Feng’s benefactor: Though absent, the character becomes more mysterious. Chen Feng suspects that helping Lin Jun may have resulted in punishment or surveillance by the Demon Exorcism Bureau.

Significant Themes

• Merit versus birth and loyalty: The Demon Exorcism Bureau is presented as more open and merit-based than martial sects, which prioritize childhood indoctrination and absolute loyalty.
• Hidden strength and underestimated individuals: Lin Jun continues to conceal his abilities, causing others to misjudge him as weak or spoiled.
• The need for danger and conflict: Peace is not entirely positive for Lin Jun because demon-free days prevent him from gaining experience and improving.
• Institutional fairness versus corruption: The Bureau’s transparent reward system contrasts with the court’s arbitrary behavior and the sects’ favoritism toward loyal disciples.
• Suspicion beneath apparent calm: The sudden assignment to Huagupu disrupts the peaceful atmosphere and strongly suggests that something unusual or dangerous is occurring.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng discuss martial sects, the Demon Exorcism Bureau, and their differing systems of recruitment and reward.
• Lin Jun overhears the two monks complaining about their temple’s food restrictions, gaining insight into the temple’s strange customs.
• The court runner formally summons Lin Jun, while Chen Feng warns him that the order is suspicious.
• Zhang He watches Lin Jun accept the assignment and privately criticizes him.
• During the journey, Chen Feng questions Lin Jun about White Deer, learns about Half-Demons, and envies the mount’s superior quality.
• Lin Jun’s gentle interaction with White Deer reinforces their close bond and highlights the animal’s unusual nature.

Chapter Summary: The Crooked-Necked Tree

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng approach Huagupu to investigate reports of Demonic activity.
• Village militiamen stop them at the entrance, warning that thirteen martial artists have entered Huagupu over the past ten years and never returned. Their skulls now hang from a crooked-necked tree.
• The villagers explain that Dharma Enlightenment Temple was built ten years earlier by a mysterious monk. The temple provided food and shelter, gradually making the villagers dependent, lazy, and obedient to its teachings.
• Suspecting that the temple’s “Lord Buddha” is a powerful Demon capable of controlling minds, the villagers beg Lin Jun to turn back.
• Chen Feng advises retreat, believing the Demon may have reached the Transcendent realm. Lin Jun refuses, arguing that the Demon Exorcism Bureau must complete assignments it accepts and that withdrawing would damage his reputation.
• Lin Jun reveals that he himself entered the Transcendent realm the previous day. His overwhelming killing intent briefly terrifies Chen Feng, who realizes Lin Jun’s strength and talent far exceed his own expectations.
• Lin Jun and Chen Feng proceed into Huagupu despite the villagers’ warnings. The villagers secretly plan to beg Lord Buddha to spare Lin Jun, fearing that his death would bring official investigators and expose the temple.
• Huagupu initially appears prosperous: its brick houses are clean, and its extremely fat residents seem well-fed. However, the thirteen skulls confirm the villagers’ story.
• The village head denies that any Demon exists and tries to drive the investigators away. Lin Jun responds by ordering his White Deer to knock him down and enters the village without further argument.
• Inside, the apparent prosperity is revealed as grotesque decay. The villagers are filthy, enormously obese, inactive, and surrounded by a terrible stench. Chen Feng vomits, and even Lin Jun struggles to endure the environment.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun demonstrates increasing confidence, decisiveness, and commitment to his duty. He refuses to retreat despite the danger and prioritizes maintaining public trust in the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• Lin Jun’s sudden breakthrough into the Transcendent realm establishes him as an extraordinarily gifted cultivator. His killing intent alone overwhelms Chen Feng.
• Lin Jun also shows a more forceful, practical side. Instead of debating with the evasive village head, he uses direct action and tells Chen Feng not to waste words when physical action will suffice.
• Chen Feng shifts from confident escort and adviser to astonished observer. He recognizes the danger of Huagupu but is shocked to discover that Lin Jun has surpassed him after only a short period of cultivation.
• Chen Feng’s awe is mixed with insecurity and despair over his own ten years of unsuccessful pursuit of the Transcendent realm.
• The villagers are shown to be morally compromised. They fear Lord Buddha and depend on him for comfort, food, and shelter, even though they know he eats people and sacrifices outsiders to him.

Significant Themes

• Comfort versus freedom: The villagers have exchanged independence and human dignity for material security. Their comfortable lives have made them obedient and passive.
• The corrupting influence of power: Dharma Enlightenment Temple appears to provide charity, but its aid has created dependence and allowed the Demon to control the entire village.
• Duty and reputation: Lin Jun’s refusal to abandon the assignment reflects the importance he places on fulfilling promises and preserving public faith in the Bureau.
• Hidden evil beneath prosperity: Huagupu looks prosperous from the outside, but its cleanliness and abundance conceal murder, corruption, physical decay, and spiritual enslavement.
• Fear and complicity: The villagers are victims of Lord Buddha, yet they also protect him because they benefit from his rule. Their fear prevents them from resisting.
• Extraordinary talent: Lin Jun’s effortless breakthrough contrasts sharply with Chen Feng’s decade-long struggle, emphasizing the vast difference between their potential.

Character Interactions

• The militiamen respectfully plead with Lin Jun to turn back, revealing both their admiration for him and their fear that his death will expose the village.
• Chen Feng urges Lin Jun to retreat, but Lin Jun rejects the suggestion and challenges Chen Feng’s assumption that he cannot defeat the Demon.
• Lin Jun’s killing intent briefly overwhelms Chen Feng, changing Chen Feng’s perception of him from a promising junior to a terrifyingly powerful figure.
• The village head attempts to deceive and dismiss Lin Jun and Chen Feng by denying the existence of Demons. Lin Jun immediately silences him by having the White Deer knock him down.
• The villagers’ private discussion reveals their conflicted loyalty to “Lord Buddha”: they know he is dangerous but still hope he will spare Lin Jun so they can preserve their comfortable way of life.

Chapter Summary: “Rat Essence”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng travel to the back mountain of Huagupu and discover that the village has been reduced to a horrifying, animal-like state. The villagers crawl on all fours, make inhuman noises, and feed from troughs filled with slop.
• The monks of Dharma Enlightenment Temple appear to manage the villagers as if they were livestock. Some villagers are confined together, while others are carried away on poles to be slaughtered.
• Lin Jun becomes intensely enraged by what he sees, though he maintains a calm exterior. He warns Chen Feng that what follows may be cruel.
• At the temple, Lin Jun meets Master Spiritual Insight, the thin elderly abbot of the monastery. Outside, the monks prepare boiling water, chopping boards, and a slaughtering knife.
• Spiritual Insight justifies the monks’ actions by claiming that the villagers suffer from poverty and hardship. He argues that feeding them well and allowing them to die painlessly is a form of compassion or “deliverance.”
• Lin Jun questions the abbot about the number of monks and their lack of families, subtly confirming that the temple is hiding something. He then reveals that he is a demon officer and has come specifically to kill Spiritual Insight, regardless of the demon’s reasoning.
• Lin Jun abruptly stabs Spiritual Insight while the abbot is distracted by his own speech. Spiritual Insight transforms, revealing himself as a giant gray-furred rat.
• The fourteen other monks also shed their cassocks and transform into enormous rats. Chen Feng engages the other demons while Lin Jun fights Spiritual Insight.
• Spiritual Insight avoids Lin Jun’s first attack with unnatural agility, but Lin Jun uses the dust from the shattered stone floor to conceal a follow-up slash, injuring the rat demon. The chapter ends with Spiritual Insight screaming in pain.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: His investigation confirms his suspicion that the village is controlled by demons. Although he recognizes the abbot’s argument that the villagers are suffering, his duties and disgust toward the demons remain absolute. His anger becomes more apparent, and he acts decisively rather than allowing Spiritual Insight to continue manipulating the conversation.
• Chen Feng: He continues to trust and follow Lin Jun, becoming increasingly alert to the danger. He recognizes Lin Jun’s unusual fury and bravely takes on the fourteen rat demons so Lin Jun can fight the abbot alone.
• Master Spiritual Insight: Initially presents himself as a calm, compassionate monk concerned with relieving human suffering. His philosophy is revealed as a justification for exploiting and consuming the villagers. Once exposed as a rat demon, he becomes cautious and fearful of Lin Jun’s direct, unpredictable attacks.
• The villagers: Their humanity has been stripped away physically and psychologically; they behave like livestock and appear to be victims of long-term demonic abuse.

Significant Themes

• False compassion and moral corruption: Spiritual Insight disguises cruelty and cannibalism as mercy, raising the question of whether benevolent intentions can excuse monstrous actions.
• Dehumanization: The villagers are treated like pigs, while the monks’ transformation reveals that the true “animals” are the demons exploiting them.
• Duty versus moral reasoning: Lin Jun acknowledges that Spiritual Insight’s argument contains a degree of truth, but refuses to let it interfere with his duty as a demon officer.
• Appearance versus reality: The temple, monks, and Buddhist language suggest holiness and compassion, but conceal a slaughterhouse run by demons.
• Justice and righteous anger: Lin Jun’s growing fury reflects his unwillingness to tolerate abuse, even when the victims’ suffering is used to rationalize it.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Chen Feng share a tense but trusting partnership, with Chen Feng recognizing Lin Jun’s anger and preparing himself for violence.
• Spiritual Insight attempts to engage Lin Jun in philosophical debate, presenting the demons’ actions as a form of salvation.
• Lin Jun refuses to be drawn into the abbot’s rhetoric, bluntly defining their relationship as demon and demon officer.
• When the fight begins, Chen Feng protects Lin Jun by battling the other rat demons, while Lin Jun confronts Spiritual Insight directly.

Chapter Summary: “Extermination”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spiritual Insight, a Transcendent Rat Essence, abandons his human disguise and relies on his exceptional agility to evade Lin Jun’s attacks.
• Lin Jun realizes that his lack of an effective movement technique leaves him unable to hit Spiritual Insight, regardless of his strength or blade mastery.
• Chen Feng, exhausted after fighting fourteen Mortal Rat Demons, retreats to Lin Jun’s side and suggests withdrawing from the demon nest.
• Lin Jun devises a solution: instead of trying to outmaneuver Spiritual Insight, he unleashes a massive area-of-effect attack.
• He orders Chen Feng to flee, then releases all his stored blood energy in a sweeping circular slash. The attack destroys the temple, surrounding structures, and terrain, while killing all fourteen Mortal Rat Demons.
• Spiritual Insight survives because of his Transcendent-level body, though the attack strips away all his fur and leaves him badly injured.
• Lin Jun receives 7,000 experience from the fourteen slain demons, increasing his total experience to 7,400.
• Using his simulation panel, Lin Jun rapidly restores his depleted blood energy and unexpectedly advances the Baleful Blood Demon-Subduing Blade from Great Mastery to the Perfected Realm.
• Spiritual Insight assumes Lin Jun has exhausted himself and prepares to attack. However, Lin Jun raises his blade with even denser Blood-Baleful Aura than before, shocking the demon.
• The chapter ends as Spiritual Insight is engulfed by Lin Jun’s renewed attack.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Demonstrates tactical flexibility by abandoning precision attacks in favor of overwhelming area damage. His confidence and combat ability grow significantly after perfecting his blade technique and discovering that the simulation panel can restore energy and deepen his cultivation.
• Spiritual Insight: Reveals himself as a powerful but arrogant Transcendent demon. His reliance on evasion initially gives him the upper hand, but his confidence collapses when Lin Jun’s large-scale attack negates his agility. He survives the first strike but is left vulnerable and enraged.
• Chen Feng: Recognizes the danger of their situation and shows humility by urging retreat. He follows Lin Jun’s command without hesitation and gains a firsthand impression of the overwhelming power of an Origin Transformation martial artist.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus strategy: Superior agility is useless against an attack that covers the entire battlefield; Lin Jun wins the exchange by changing tactics rather than simply increasing attack speed.
• Hidden reserves and adaptation: Both fighters misjudge the other’s condition. Spiritual Insight believes Lin Jun is exhausted, while Lin Jun uses the simulation panel to recover instantly and gain greater power.
• The gap between realms: The fourteen Mortal Rat Demons are annihilated, while Spiritual Insight survives, emphasizing the enormous difference between Mortal and Transcendent beings.
• Overconfidence and reversal: Spiritual Insight’s mockery and confidence turn into shock when Lin Jun’s supposedly exhausted body produces an even stronger attack.
• Power and annihilation: Lin Jun’s perfected blade technique is portrayed as devastating on a massive scale, reducing the temple and its surroundings to ruins.

Character Interactions

• Spiritual Insight repeatedly taunts Lin Jun while evading his attacks, exploiting Lin Jun’s weakness in movement.
• Chen Feng admits their mistake in entering the demon nest recklessly and proposes retreat.
• Lin Jun reassures the situation through decisive commands, ordering Chen Feng to move away before releasing his sweeping attack.
• After surviving, Spiritual Insight is shocked that Lin Jun killed all fourteen Rat Demons and questions whether they were his offspring.
• Spiritual Insight then assumes Lin Jun is helpless, only to be horrified when Lin Jun restores his strength and launches another Blood-Baleful attack.

Chapter Summary: “Everything Was Over”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun defeats and kills the Origin Transformation–realm Rat Demon after a difficult battle. He earns 3,000 experience and obtains its Demon Core.
• The dying Rat Demon attempts to bargain by offering information about Zhang He, but Lin Jun kills it before questioning it, choosing revenge over information.
• Lin Jun and Chen Feng clean up the temple ruins and collect the corpses of the Rat Demons. The fourteen ordinary Rat Demons have no Demon Cores.
• They discover the villager who had been reduced to behaving like livestock and eating grass. Lin Jun decides not to kill him, allowing him to recover on his own.
• Before leaving, Lin Jun searches the ruins and kills the remaining rats, demonstrating his uncompromising attitude toward anything connected to the Demons.
• Several villagers arrive, expecting to plead with the “Buddha Lord,” but find the Rat Demon dead. Lin Jun orders them to rescue the remaining villagers and warns them not to cooperate with Demons.
• Lin Jun constructs a cart, loads the Demon corpses, and returns toward the city with Chen Feng and White Deer.
• On the journey, Lin Jun reconstructs the conspiracy involving Zhang He and Zhang Ju: they have likely protected or cooperated with the Demons while deceiving both the government and the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• Lin Jun realizes that his former weakness allowed the conspiracy to continue undisturbed, while his recent Demon hunting has made him a threat Zhang He wants eliminated.
• Rather than fear further attacks, Lin Jun hopes Zhang He will continue targeting him, since the attacks may reveal more Demons and provide him with experience.
• Lin Jun deliberately waits until morning to enter the city so Zhang He will see the large haul of Demon corpses, treating it as a direct retaliation.
• The chapter ends with the city guards shocked by the sight of fifteen enormous Rat Demon corpses.

Character Development

• Lin Jun: Becomes increasingly powerful and confident after reaching the Origin Transformation Realm. He is ruthless toward Demons and those who threaten him, but he still respects individual choice, as shown by his decision not to kill the brainwashed villager. He also shows a growing willingness to confront Zhang He indirectly and politically.
• Chen Feng: Remains loyal and obedient, but is repeatedly disturbed by Lin Jun’s brutality and efficiency. He recognizes that Lin Jun’s hatred of Demon-related cruelty has changed his behavior.
• The villagers: Their fear and dependence reveal how thoroughly the Demons have controlled them. Some appear to have cooperated with the Rat Demon, whether from fear or self-interest.
• Zhang He and Zhang Ju: Although absent, they emerge as major antagonistic forces. Their apparent collusion with Demons suggests a hidden power structure involving both local officials and monsters.

Significant Themes

• Strength and survival: The villagers’ degradation into livestock illustrates the brutal consequences of weakness in a world ruled by Demons.
• Justice versus revenge: Lin Jun kills the Rat Demon before extracting information, showing that emotional vengeance sometimes overrides practical strategy.
• Corruption and conspiracy: Government officials and Demons appear to have maintained a secret arrangement, deceiving the Demon Exorcism Bureau and exploiting ordinary people.
• Human dignity and free will: Lin Jun considers the brainwashed villager’s condition worse than death but ultimately refuses to impose his own values on him.
• Escalating power: Lin Jun’s growing strength transforms him from a disposable, overlooked guard into a dangerous force capable of disrupting the local balance of power.

Character Interactions

• The Rat Demon attempts to negotiate with Lin Jun by offering information about Zhang He, but Lin Jun silences it by killing it.
• Chen Feng questions Lin Jun’s decision and is left speechless by his blunt admission that he simply wanted the Demon dead sooner.
• Lin Jun and Chen Feng discuss the fate of the surviving villager, revealing their contrasting emotional reactions to the Demon-controlled victims.
• Lin Jun warns the villagers that cooperation with Demons will not protect them from punishment.
• Lin Jun deliberately stages his return with the Demon corpses as a message to Zhang He, turning their conflict into an open, escalating confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Demon-Slaying Order”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang He learns that Lin Jun has returned from the wilderness with fifteen Rat Demon corpses, including one cut in half. This confirms that Lin Jun is far stronger than expected and may have been hiding his abilities.
• Fearing that Lin Jun will expose Green Forest County’s collusion with Demons, Zhang He decides Lin Jun must be prevented from returning to the Demon Exorcism Bureau. However, he has no immediate way to deal with an unofficial Demon Exorcist of Lin Jun’s strength.
• A powerful Snake Demon arrives and reveals that Lin Jun killed her only adult son and destroyed thirteen unborn offspring. She demands revenge and blames Zhang He for failing to protect them.
• The Snake Demon reminds Zhang He of the agreement made with the old fox: the county authorities would conceal the Demons’ existence and allow them to remain safe, while the Demons would obey certain restrictions, including not causing trouble inside the city.
• After humiliating and striking Zhang He, the Snake Demon leaves. Zhang He secretly resents the Demons but permits her to cause limited trouble, hoping she might kill or drive away Lin Jun without endangering the city or disrupting Zhang Ju’s plans.
• Meanwhile, Lin Jun displays the Rat Demon corpses outside the Demon Exorcism Bureau. His goal is to demonstrate the danger posed by Demons and encourage local people to report suspicious activity.
• A Golden-Feather Eagle arrives carrying an urgent Demon-Slaying Order. The order comes from an officially ranked Two-Headed Fox-Stripe Exorcist who has encountered a dangerous Demon and requested immediate assistance.
• Chen Feng warns Lin Jun not to accept the mission, explaining that such operations are extremely dangerous and that unofficial Demon Exorcists are often used as expendable cannon fodder. The chapter ends with Lin Jun facing the choice of whether to enter this deadly conflict.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: His reputation changes dramatically. Once considered a useless good-for-nothing, he is now revealed to possess the strength to kill multiple Rat Demons and even a creature connected to Spiritual Insight. His public display of the corpses shows that he is also trying to influence the citizens’ attitude toward Demons.
• Zhang He: Becomes increasingly desperate and fearful. He realizes Lin Jun could expose his collaboration with Demons and destroy his clan. Though outwardly compliant with the Demons, Zhang He privately despises them and views them as tools useful for eliminating Lin Jun.
• The Snake Demon: Is introduced as powerful, furious, and emotionally detached. Her grief over her dead son and unborn grandchildren motivates her desire for revenge, but she also treats Zhang He with contempt and makes clear that she considers humans inferior.
• Chen Feng: Shows concern for Lin Jun and a more cautious, protective side. He understands the political and practical dangers of the Demon-Slaying Order and warns Lin Jun against sacrificing himself.
• Zhang Ju: Remains absent in seclusion, but his influence dominates the chapter. Both Zhang He and the Demons fear disrupting his larger plans.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and deception: Lin Jun’s former weakness may have been an act, while Zhang He’s cooperation with the Demons is concealed from the public and the Demon Exorcism Bureau.
• Corruption and political compromise: Local officials protect Demons in exchange for stability or advantages, sacrificing ordinary people and violating the responsibilities of their positions.
• Expendability and hierarchy: Unofficial Demon Exorcists are treated as disposable resources, revealing the Demon Exorcism Bureau’s exploitative structure.
• Power and fear: Zhang He appears to control the county but is powerless before true Demon strength. Likewise, the Snake Demon fears Zhang Ju despite her ability to dominate ordinary humans.
• Consequences of broken agreements: The old pact between humans and Demons is becoming unstable as the period of restraint nears its end and Demons begin demanding retaliation.
• Public awareness: By displaying the corpses, Lin Jun attempts to make the people recognize the reality of the Demon threat rather than remain ignorant or passive.

Character Interactions

• Zhang He and his subordinate: Zhang He’s subordinate reports Lin Jun’s return and the absence of Zhang Ju. Zhang He relies on him for surveillance but has no effective plan.
• Zhang He and the Snake Demon: Their confrontation exposes the unequal relationship between humans and Demons. The Snake Demon threatens and physically assaults Zhang He, while he suppresses his anger and tries to redirect her revenge away from the city.
• Lin Jun and the citizens: Lin Jun uses the Rat Demon corpses as a public warning and an attempt to encourage cooperation against Demons.
• Lin Jun and Chen Feng: Chen Feng acts as a concerned adviser, urging Lin Jun not to accept the dangerous mission.
• Lin Jun and the Demon-Slaying Order: The arrival of the order places Lin Jun at a turning point, potentially drawing him into a major battle against a powerful Demon.