Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Anything Is Possible”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Demon Affairs Prefecture learns that Lin Jun has killed the Quwu Demon Sovereign, a Mid-Rank Demon Sage, in less than half a day.
• Jade Frost confirms that the achievement is genuinely Lin Jun’s and warns that although the Demons will be temporarily thrown into chaos, the Quwu Demon Sovereign’s eventual retaliation will be even more severe.
• The revelation shocks Yan Gong and the assembled martial artists, since Lin Jun is still only a Grandmaster. His victory demonstrates an extraordinary level of strength.
• Zhao Yue, humiliated by Lin Jun’s accomplishment and the surrounding reactions, leaves angrily. Yan Gong explains that the Demon Exorcism Bureau will settle accounts with Zhao Yue’s faction once it has enough manpower.
• Lin Jun discovers that many Demon Exorcists are injured and that the prefecture’s medicinal supplies are nearly exhausted.
• He produces an enormous stockpile of rare herbs and pills from the Jade Abode, providing enough medicine to potentially support North Pass—and even the General Directorate—for a long time.
• Lin Jun allows the allied martial factions to take whatever medicines they need. Their earlier loyalty to the Demon Exorcism Bureau is rewarded, while Zhao Yue’s group is left to regret opposing it.
• Yan Gong estimates that the medicines could double North Pass’s combat strength and possibly help the Demon Exorcists grow stronger through continued fighting.
• Lin Jun requests a quiet place to cultivate for half a day rather than continuing his investigation of the mountains, prompting Yan Gong to wonder whether he intends to break through to the Martial Saint realm.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: His status rises dramatically. He is revealed to possess enough power to kill a Mid-Rank Demon Sage despite remaining a Grandmaster. His immense reserves of medicine further establish him as extraordinarily wealthy and well-prepared. His generosity also shows that he values his colleagues and is confident enough not to fear displaying his resources.
• Yan Gong: He is deeply shocked by Lin Jun’s strength and resources. His attitude shifts from treating Lin Jun as a powerful ally to recognizing him as someone capable of transforming the entire defensive situation at North Pass.
• Jade Frost: She acts as an impartial verifier and warns the Demon Exorcism Bureau about the Demons’ future retaliation. Her investigation confirms that the Flame Martial Hall is active and striking back.
• Zhao Yue: He is publicly humiliated and forced to withdraw. His faction’s opposition to Lin Jun and the Demon Exorcism Bureau now appears foolish, especially after witnessing Lin Jun’s overwhelming power and generosity.
• The allied martial factions: Their decision to support the Demon Exorcism Bureau is validated. They remain restrained when taking the medicines, hoping to build a favorable relationship with Lin Jun rather than exploit his generosity.

Significant Themes

• The unpredictability of power: Lin Jun’s achievement proves that conventional judgments based on cultivation level are unreliable; a Grandmaster can defeat a Mid-Rank Demon Sage.
• Confidence backed by strength: Lin Jun freely displays treasures of immense value because he possesses the power to protect himself from anyone who might covet them.
• Loyalty and consequences: The factions that supported the Demon Exorcism Bureau receive generous benefits, while Zhao Yue’s faction is isolated and humiliated.
• Preparation for future conflict: The immediate danger from the Demons has lessened, but the warning of stronger retaliation emphasizes that the current victory is only temporary.
• Abundance and generosity: Lin Jun’s willingness to share his resources strengthens the Demon Exorcism Bureau and reinforces his image as a powerful but unpretentious ally.

Character Interactions

• Jade Frost and Yan Gong: Jade Frost confirms Lin Jun’s victory and warns Yan Gong about the Demons’ coming retaliation, leaving him stunned.
• Jade Frost and Lin Jun: Her report indirectly validates Lin Jun’s achievement and confirms that the Flame Martial Hall’s actions are connected to broader conflict with the Demons.
• Lin Jun and Zhao Yue: Lin Jun points attention toward Zhao Yue after the discussion of the battle, intensifying Zhao Yue’s humiliation without directly confronting him.
• Lin Jun and Yan Gong: Lin Jun reassures Yan Gong that Zhao Yue’s faction can be dealt with later, then solves the medicine shortage by donating his own supplies. Their exchange highlights Yan Gong’s growing respect and Lin Jun’s casual confidence.
• Lin Jun and the martial factions: Lin Jun invites them to take the medicines they need, rewarding their previous cooperation and encouraging continued loyalty.
• Lin Jun and Yan Gong at the end: Lin Jun requests half a day of seclusion, while Yan Gong suspects he may soon attempt a breakthrough to Martial Saint, underscoring how extraordinary Lin Jun’s growth has become.

Chapter Summary: “Zhou Yu Came Knocking”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating two Mid-Rank Demon Sages, including the powerful Wood Man, Lin Jun retreats to a safe house in North Pass. Once alone, he vomits black blood because his body was unable to withstand the prolonged use of Worldly Momentum to create the divine general’s outer shell.
• He treats his injuries with Jade Abode medicine and reflects on the overwhelming gap between Saint Realm stages, realizing he must be more cautious when fighting Mid-Rank Demon Sages.
• Lin Jun examines the Bloodflesh Tree remnant and discovers it is a Dao Seed, apparently connected to the Dao Realm and possibly mass-produced by the Flame Martial Hall. Inside it is a Pseudo Dao Realm Fragment, which can accelerate cultivation even for those below the Saint Realm.
• The discovery raises troubling questions about how the Flame Martial Hall might be producing Dao Realm-like treasures and how many powerful cultivators it may possess.
• Nine-Tail awakens after absorbing the Flame Vein and Great Yin’s incense offerings. She has transformed into the Yin Vein, gaining immense strength and developing a faint connection with Great Yin. Lin Jun believes she may now be powerful enough to contend with Quwu Demon Sovereign, though he keeps her true strength secret.
• Lin Jun upgrades the Heaven-Seizing Dao Refinement Method to the Transcendent Realm using experience points.
• Late at night, Zhou Yu arrives unexpectedly. He explains that he came to North Pass while searching for the scattered Flame Kingdom Royal Family.
• Zhou Yu reveals that the Flame Martial Hall’s earlier spectacle involving the Flame Vein was partly a trap intended to lure the royal family out of hiding. He has now detected their presence in the mountains near North Pass, where they are sheltered in a Small World guarded by Demons.
• He offers Lin Jun at least five Dao Realm Fragments from Quwu Demon Sovereign’s son, plus at least four more believed to be held by the Flame Kingdom Royal Family—a total of nine fragments.
• Despite distrusting Zhou Yu, Lin Jun accepts the proposal because the potential reward is enormous and Nine-Tail’s proximity to Great Yin gives him a strong escape route if the situation becomes dangerous.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Demonstrates both immense combat ability and physical limits. He becomes more cautious after recognizing the danger of overusing Worldly Momentum. His discovery of the Dao Seed expands his understanding of the Flame Martial Hall’s resources and ambitions. He also becomes more willing to take calculated risks for Dao Realm Fragments.
• Nine-Tail: Undergoes a major transformation after absorbing the Flame Vein and Great Yin’s offerings. She is no longer merely a Demon but has effectively become the Yin Vein, greatly increasing her power and importance to Lin Jun.
• Zhou Yu: Reveals his true mission and shows desperation to locate the Flame Kingdom Royal Family before they escape again. His willingness to offer valuable Dao Realm Fragments demonstrates how urgently he needs Lin Jun’s assistance.

Significant Themes

• The cost of power: Lin Jun’s injuries show that even extraordinary techniques can damage the user when pushed beyond their limits.
• The widening gap between realms: Advancement beyond the Saint Realm becomes increasingly difficult, with each minor stage representing a major difference in strength.
• Secrecy and mistrust: Lin Jun hides Nine-Tail’s transformation, while Zhou Yu withholds information and has a history of misleading him. Their alliance is therefore based on mutual benefit rather than trust.
• Power accumulation and artificial cultivation: The Dao Seed’s apparent mass production suggests that the Flame Martial Hall may possess unprecedented methods for manufacturing cultivation resources.
• Risk versus reward: Lin Jun accepts a dangerous mission because nine Dao Realm Fragments could bring him close to the Saint Realm.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun exchanges brief words with the Demon Exorcist guarding his temporary residence, who expresses gratitude for the medicine that saved him.
• Lin Jun privately observes and communicates with Nine-Tail, recognizing both her extraordinary growth and the need to conceal her strength.
• Zhou Yu and Lin Jun engage in a tense negotiation. Lin Jun challenges Zhou Yu’s credibility, while Zhou Yu explains his motives and offers a substantial reward.
• Though Lin Jun does not trust Zhou Yu’s claims about Quwu Demon Sovereign’s absence, he agrees to cooperate, relying on Nine-Tail and Great Yin to protect him if the mission turns dangerous.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun finishes preparing for his departure, leaves Yan Gong a message, and follows Zhou Yu north toward the mountains.
• Yan Gong learns that Lin Jun has left but allows it, prioritizing the evacuation of Yu Prefecture’s civilians. Half the population remains, and he asks for another half month. Lin Jun’s supply of precious medicines may help them hold out, provided the Quwu Demon Sovereign does not appear.
• After two days, Lin Jun and Zhou Yu arrive at a vast Small World left behind by the Flame Kingdom. The Flame Kingdom’s royal family is hidden within it, separate from the Flame Martial Hall, though both are remnants of the former kingdom.
• To avoid detection, Lin Jun transforms into a Fox Demon. Zhou Yu leads him through a maze-like courtyard and into an empty great hall.
• Three Dao Realm Tomes are placed conspicuously on a table. Lin Jun recognizes them as three Dao Realm Fragments and takes them, realizing they are bait for a trap.
• Black Fiend, a Demon Sage and the son of the Quwu Demon Sovereign, appears. He reveals that the Dao Realm fragments affect cultivators by causing heaven-and-earth energy to flee their bodies and inflicting severe pain.
• Zhou Yu is badly affected, while Lin Jun remains completely unharmed. Black Fiend concludes that Lin Jun possesses a Dao Realm within his body and decides to seize it.
• Black Fiend transforms into human form and prepares to fight with a silver spear. Zhou Yu warns Lin Jun to use every available trump card, since Black Fiend is stronger than expected and has already begun refining a Dao Realm.
• Outside the Small World, two mysterious children reveal that they deliberately used the three Dao Realm Fragments as bait to lure and kill a Flame Martial Hall pursuer. They consider any cost worthwhile if it allows them to avoid returning to the Flame Martial Hall.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Demonstrates composure, exceptional transformation ability, and unusual resistance to the suppressive effects of a refined Dao Realm. His hidden strength attracts Black Fiend’s attention and places him in immediate danger.
• Zhou Yu: Shows caution and knowledge of the Small World’s dangers. Although severely weakened by Black Fiend’s Dao Realm, he forces himself to stand and prepares to fight alongside Lin Jun.
• Yan Gong: Displays strategic priorities by continuing the evacuation of Yu Prefecture rather than pursuing Lin Jun. He understands the broader threat posed by the fall of North Pass.
• Black Fiend: Is established as a powerful Demon Sage and the Quwu Demon Sovereign’s son. His greed and confidence grow when he realizes Lin Jun may possess a valuable Dao Realm.
• The two children: Are revealed to be scheming opponents of the Flame Martial Hall, willing to sacrifice valuable Dao Realm Fragments to eliminate its pursuers.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice for survival: The defenders are willing to abandon North Pass if Yu Prefecture’s civilians can be saved, while the two children are willing to sacrifice precious treasures to escape the Flame Martial Hall.
• Hidden power and deception: Lin Jun disguises himself as a demon, while the apparent treasure discovery is actually an ambush designed to lure powerful enemies.
• The decline of Great Yin: Yan Gong reflects on how the weakening of the empire’s central powers has left distant regions increasingly vulnerable.
• Predation and opportunism: Black Fiend immediately seeks to seize Lin Jun’s suspected Dao Realm, highlighting the ruthless competition between powerful cultivators and demons.
• Uncertain alliances: Former remnants of the Flame Kingdom, the Flame Martial Hall, and the mysterious children all pursue conflicting goals, creating a dangerous web of hostility.

Character Interactions

• Yan Gong’s men report Lin Jun’s departure, and Yan Gong accepts it while focusing on civilian evacuation.
• Zhou Yu guides Lin Jun through the Small World and explains the distinction between the Flame Kingdom’s royal family and the Flame Martial Hall.
• Black Fiend confronts the pair after they take the Dao Realm Tomes, taunting Lin Jun and targeting him for his apparent internal Dao Realm.
• Zhou Yu warns Lin Jun about Black Fiend’s unexpectedly high cultivation and urges him to reveal his strongest abilities.
• The two children discuss the ambush from outside, confirming that Lin Jun and Zhou Yu have been lured into a carefully prepared trap.

Chapter Summary: “What Are You Waiting For?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Under a blood moon and ominous storm, Lin Jun and Zhou Yu encounter Black Fiend, a powerful Wolf Demon who has absorbed half of a Dao Realm and is close to the Middle Saint Realm.
• Recognizing the danger and the disadvantage of fighting at night in the Demon Main Camp, Lin Jun orders a retreat. He uses his superior Dao Martial movement technique to flee southward.
• Black Fiend pursues them, throwing his silver spear at Zhou Yu. The attack seriously injures Zhou Yu, who falls from the sky, while Black Fiend continues chasing Lin Jun.
• The pursuit is witnessed by Zi Yuan, who realizes that the fleeing “white streak” is actually Lin Jun rather than the fox demon he had previously seen accompanying him.
• Jade Frost also joins the pursuit after recognizing that Lin Jun is in danger. Both she and Zi Yuan attempt to assist him, though they initially struggle to keep pace.
• Lin Jun deliberately slows down and allows Black Fiend to catch up. When Black Fiend launches a sneak attack, Lin Jun catches his spear barehanded, pulls him in, punches him in the face, and destroys his weapon.
• Lin Jun summons countless phantom soldiers, overwhelming Black Fiend with a barrage of attacks and driving him into the ground.
• Black Fiend survives with only superficial injuries, transforms into his true wolf form, and attacks Lin Jun at close range. He cuts Lin Jun’s chest and bites him, believing he has gained the advantage.
• Lin Jun reveals that he has been waiting for the right distance and timing. He crushes Black Fiend’s jaw, throws him aside, and allows Jade Frost and Zi Yuan to join the battle.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Demonstrates that his apparent retreat was strategic rather than a sign of weakness. His physical strength, combat instincts, confidence, and ability to control the battlefield greatly exceed Black Fiend’s expectations.
• Black Fiend: Initially dominates the chase and is confident in his speed and strength. However, he underestimates Lin Jun, mistakes him for a fox demon, and is shocked when Lin Jun counters his attacks with overwhelming power.
• Zhou Yu: Is quickly incapacitated by Black Fiend’s spear, showing the danger of remaining close to the conflict.
• Zi Yuan: Tries to aid Lin Jun partly out of gratitude and partly to repair their previously strained relationship. He becomes increasingly astonished by Lin Jun’s hidden strength.
• Jade Frost: Joins the battle because Lin Jun once saved her life. Her willingness to intervene highlights her growing loyalty and respect toward him.

Significant Themes

• Strategic patience versus reckless confidence: Lin Jun appears to flee, but he is carefully positioning himself for a counterattack.
• Hidden strength and misjudgment: Black Fiend assumes Lin Jun is merely a powerful fox demon and repeatedly underestimates him.
• Loyalty and repayment of favors: Jade Frost and Zi Yuan risk themselves to help Lin Jun because of past interactions and obligations.
• The gap between appearance and reality: Lin Jun’s disguise and transformation conceal his true identity, while his retreat conceals his actual advantage.
• Power dynamics: The chapter quickly reverses the apparent hierarchy, changing Lin Jun from hunted prey into the dominant fighter.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Black Fiend engage in a battle of mockery, pursuit, and psychological manipulation. Black Fiend taunts Lin Jun for fleeing, while Lin Jun quietly waits for the ideal moment to retaliate.
• Zi Yuan and Jade Frost coordinate indirectly in following and supporting Lin Jun, despite being unable to match the speed of the two main combatants.
• Zi Yuan’s desire to preserve his relationship with Lin Jun motivates him to intervene, while Jade Frost’s assistance stems from genuine gratitude.
• The chapter ends with Lin Jun, Jade Frost, and Zi Yuan attacking Black Fiend together, setting up the continuation of the fight.

Summary: “A Little Like the One Marshal Lin Raised”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Black Fiend, empowered by absorbing half of a Dao Realm, overwhelms the battlefield and mocks the Yin Ruins Sect martial artists for interfering.
• Jade Frost True Person and Zi Yuan True Person admit that Black Fiend is effectively in the mid-stage Dao Realm. Their attacks cannot harm him, while Lin Jun has managed to injure him several times.
• Black Fiend offers to let the two Martial Saints retreat if they abandon Lin Jun, but they attack instead. He easily defeats both: he severely injures Zi Yuan with black qi and shatters Jade Frost’s ice formation, leaving them helpless.
• As the wounded Saints are rescued, they fear Lin Jun will soon be killed. However, a strange phenomenon appears across Great Yin: its Spirit Vein goes berserk, and a golden Nine-Tail Fox manifests in the sky.
• Officials Guan Cheng and Cang Jian realize that Great Yin has given birth to a Nation Vein Avatar, taking the form of a Nine-Tail Fox. Guan Cheng notes that it resembles the fox Marshal Lin once raised.
• At North Pass, Black Fiend suddenly becomes immobilized by an unseen force. Lin Jun summons the golden fox, which expands and swallows Black Fiend whole, ending the crisis.

Character Developments

• Black Fiend is shown to be overwhelmingly powerful and increasingly arrogant. His greed leads him to target both the Dao Realm Fragment and the two Martial Saints, but his confidence collapses when the Nation Vein Avatar appears.
• Lin Jun proves far more capable than his apparent Grandmaster cultivation suggests. Despite being underestimated by Black Fiend, he is able to injure him and ultimately command the force that defeats him.
• Zi Yuan True Person begins reconsidering his decision to help Lin Jun after realizing the danger, but he remains and is gravely wounded. His fear and regret emphasize Black Fiend’s strength.
• Jade Frost True Person, previously capable of holding her own against powerful enemies, is effortlessly defeated, making her recognize the vast gap between herself and Black Fiend.
• Guan Cheng and Cang Jian witness the birth of Great Yin’s Nation Vein and react with shock and excitement, recognizing its importance for the nation’s future.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and underestimated ability: Lin Jun appears to be only a Grandmaster, yet his connection to the Nation Vein allows him to defeat an enemy far above his level.
• The emergence of national power: Great Yin’s Spirit Vein evolves into a Nation Vein, suggesting that the strength and destiny of an entire nation can produce forces rivaling powerful individuals.
• Arrogance and greed: Black Fiend’s certainty that no one can challenge him causes him to overreach, leaving him vulnerable when a greater power emerges.
• Connection between individuals and the nation: The Nation Vein’s fox form resembles Lin Jun’s own Celestial Fox, hinting at a deeper relationship between Lin Jun, his companion, and Great Yin’s spiritual power.

Character Interactions

• Black Fiend taunts Jade Frost and Zi Yuan, offering them a chance to abandon Lin Jun.
• The two Saints discuss Black Fiend’s terrifying cultivation and attempt to attack him, but he defeats them with ease.
• The injured Saints rely on surrounding martial artists for rescue and learn that reinforcements may not arrive in time.
• Guan Cheng and Cang Jian discuss the Nine-Tail Fox’s identity and its significance as Great Yin’s Nation Vein Avatar.
• Lin Jun directly confronts Black Fiend and summons the golden fox, whose intervention decisively ends the battle.

Chapter Summary: Lin Jun’s Promotion Once Again

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Demon Sage suddenly disappears after overwhelming True Person Zi Yuan, leaving everyone confused and stunned.
• Yan Gong arrives from North Pass after sensing the immense disturbance. Lin Jun reveals that the golden Nine-Tail Fox is Great Yin’s newly created Yin Vein Avatar.
• Lin Jun explains that he transformed the Flame Vein into the Yin Vein, giving Great Yin a powerful Nation Vein capable of:
  • Converting the kingdom’s incense offerings into usable power.
  • Gathering the energy of heaven and earth.
  • Encouraging the emergence of talented martial artists.
• Yan Gong offers Lin Jun the position of Military Commissioner, one of the highest authorities in Great Yin. Lin Jun accepts out of gratitude toward the Demon Exorcism Bureau and concern for Great Yin’s future.
• Lin Jun raises concerns about the mysterious Flame Martial Hall, an old enemy of the Yin Ruins Sect connected to the fallen Flame Kingdom.
• He warns Yan Gong that the Quwu Demon Sovereign did not appear during the demon disaster, despite Lin Jun killing his son. This suggests the Demon Sovereign may be pursuing another scheme.
• Lin Jun prepares to travel north to investigate two concealed Dao Realm figures he sensed near the Small World. Yan Gong gives him a Black Jade Dragon Talisman as proof of his new rank.
• Lin Jun departs, while Yan Gong returns to North Pass and Zi Yuan and Jade Frost head back to the Yin Ruins Sect to report the situation.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Jun gains enormous political and spiritual importance. By creating the Yin Vein and accepting the Military Commissioner position, he becomes both a protector of Great Yin and a central authority within its power structure.
• Yan Gong demonstrates his trust in Lin Jun by offering him a prestigious position despite the weakened state of the Demon Exorcism Bureau. He also shows political awareness by recognizing that Lin Jun’s protection is vital to Great Yin.
• True Person Zi Yuan remains shocked by Lin Jun’s power and rapid advancement. His respect for Lin Jun deepens, though he is troubled by the Flame Martial Hall’s resurgence.
• Jade Frost takes a pragmatic view, recognizing that the conflict involving the Flame Martial Hall and the demons is beyond their current ability to influence.
• The Quwu Demon Sovereign becomes a more ominous threat because of his unexplained absence and possible hidden plans.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and responsibility: Lin Jun’s promotion is not merely an honor; it binds him more closely to Great Yin’s survival and prosperity.
• National strength and spiritual foundations: The Nation Vein represents the connection between a kingdom’s people, prosperity, and supernatural power.
• Political loyalty and gratitude: Lin Jun accepts the position partly because the Demon Exorcism Bureau helped him in the past and because he wants to preserve Great Yin.
• Old enemies returning: The Flame Martial Hall’s appearance suggests that past conflicts from the destroyed Flame Kingdom are resurfacing.
• Unseen threats and strategic uncertainty: The Demon Sovereign’s absence and the concealed Dao Realm figures emphasize that the most dangerous developments may be occurring outside the characters’ immediate view.
• Limits of individual power: Although Lin Jun has become extraordinarily strong, Zi Yuan and Jade Frost recognize that some conflicts remain beyond their influence.

4. Character Interactions

• Yan Gong supports and assists Zi Yuan before questioning him about the vanished Demon Sage.
• Zi Yuan directs Yan Gong to Lin Jun, acknowledging that Lin Jun understands what happened better than anyone else.
• Lin Jun and Yan Gong discuss the Yin Vein, Great Yin’s future, and Lin Jun’s appointment as Military Commissioner. Their exchange reflects mutual respect and political cooperation.
• Lin Jun warns Yan Gong about the Quwu Demon Sovereign, and Yan Gong promises to remain cautious while relying on Guan Cheng and Cang Jian to protect Great Yin’s central government.
• Zi Yuan and Jade Frost congratulate Lin Jun but also discuss the danger posed by the Flame Martial Hall and the suffering of Yin Ruins Sect disciples.
• Lin Jun departs independently to pursue the hidden Dao Realm figures, reinforcing his decisive and self-directed nature.

Chapter Summary: “Still Counting by Months”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving North Pass, Lin Jun checks his rewards for defeating Black Fiend and is furious to discover that he gained only 360,000 experience, less than he received for defeating the weaker Wood Man Demon Sage.
• Despite the disappointing experience gain, he obtains five Dao Realm Fragments and reflects on the limits of his

Yin Vein Avatar

• Within Great Yin, it can confront a middle-stage Dao Realm Demon Sage and may eventually suppress a late-stage one as Great Yin’s population and faith grow.
• Outside Great Yin, its strength is greatly reduced, though it remains formidable.
• Lin Jun returns to the ruins of the destroyed Small World, where Qing He informs him that he has captured the two humans who possess Dao Realms.
• The captives—a boy and girl—are revealed to be members of the Flame Kingdom Royal Family. They offer Lin Jun a Dao Realm Tome in exchange for their lives.
• Lin Jun notices traces of blood on them and deduces that they killed Zhou Yu after Black Fiend incapacitated him.
• The siblings initially distrust Lin Jun’s promises of protection, especially because the powerful Flame Martial Hall is hunting their family.
• To convince them, Lin Jun reveals increasingly powerful evidence of his authority and strength:
  1. His position as a

Yin Kingdom Commander

2. Black Fiend’s corpse
3. His possession of

Nine-Tail, the Yin Vein Avatar

• Shocked by the Yin Vein, the girl realizes that Lin Jun may be capable of protecting them from the Flame Martial Hall and agrees to bring him before their elders.
• She suggests that the Flame Kingdom Royal Family may return to its former territory under Great Yin’s protection.
• The chapter ends humorously when the boy asks how long Lin Jun has been stuck at his current cultivation realm. Lin Jun answers that it has been only two or three months, leaving both siblings speechless.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Demonstrates growing confidence in the power of the Yin Vein and his political authority. He is impatient to break through his current realm and is willing to negotiate with the Flame Kingdom’s remnants to obtain Dao Realms. His absurdly short cultivation timeline highlights his extraordinary talent.
• The Flame Kingdom siblings: Initially appear submissive and desperate, but the girl proves perceptive, cautious, and politically savvy. She refuses to trust Lin Jun until he provides convincing proof of his ability to protect them. The boy is more innocent and straightforward, often voicing observations his sister misses.
• Qing He: Shows initiative by capturing the siblings and successfully locating them despite their concealment abilities.
• Black Fiend: Though dead, his corpse remains a symbol of Lin Jun’s strength and helps intimidate the siblings.

Significant Themes

• Power and legitimacy: Lin Jun’s authority as a Commander, combined with his control of the Yin Vein, gives him influence beyond raw combat strength.
• Trust and negotiation: The siblings will not surrender their remaining resources based on promises alone; Lin Jun must prove that cooperation with him is safer than continued flight.
• Political protection versus personal power: The siblings recognize that shelter under an entire nation may be more reliable than hiding from one enemy faction.
• Impatience and cultivation: Lin Jun’s refusal to wait reflects both his ambition and the urgency of his situation, while his unusually rapid progress emphasizes his exceptional status.
• Appearances and hidden identities: The siblings initially assume Lin Jun is a demon, and their true royal identity is concealed until he exposes it through deduction.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Qing He: Qing He reports his capture of the siblings, surprising Lin Jun because of the disparity in their cultivation levels.
• Lin Jun and the siblings: Their exchange develops from a hostage negotiation into a political alliance. The girl challenges Lin Jun repeatedly, while he counters her doubts with demonstrations of authority and strength.
• The siblings and the Yin Vein: Their shock at Nine-Tail reveals how extraordinary it is for a Nation Vein to serve an individual, forcing them to reconsider Lin Jun’s true status.
• The boy and Lin Jun: The boy’s final question about Lin Jun’s cultivation timeline provides the chapter’s comedic ending and underscores how abnormal Lin Jun’s growth is.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun learns that Liu Yue and Liu Zuo are descendants of the former Great Yan royal family, now hiding from the Flame Martial Hall.
• Liu Yue leads Lin Jun through a concealed formation into the Rotten Land, where their family has been living in secrecy.
• They meet Liu Yu, the family’s “Second Ancestor,” who initially distrusts Lin Jun and orders him to leave.
• Liu Yue explains that Lin Jun is Great Yin’s Military Commissioner, possesses the Yin Vein, and is willing to help the Liu Family escape to Great Yin.
• Liu Yu doubts these claims until Nine-Tail reveals itself as the incarnation of a Nation Vein, proving Lin Jun’s identity and power.
• Lin Jun offers to exchange the Liu Family’s Dao Realm Fragment for their relocation and protection in Great Yin. Liu Yu realizes he may also be seeking the Flame Martial Vein-Nourishing Scripture, which the family no longer needs.
• Liu Yu agrees to consult the family’s old ancestor before finalizing the decision.
• The group enters a hidden, high-grade Small World filled with mountains, buildings, bridges, and a lively population.
• They discover that important guests are already visiting the Liu Family, apparently in connection with the family’s survival.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun remains direct, confident, and pragmatic. Since he has already antagonized the Flame Martial Hall by killing one of its members and becoming involved with Zhou Yu’s death and the Flame Vein, he decides there is little reason to avoid further conflict.
• Liu Yue is bold and impulsive. She previously stole the Dao Mirror to lure Zhou Yu into a trap and protect her family, but she becomes noticeably submissive when confronted by Liu Yu.
• Liu Zuo is quiet and obedient, following Liu Yue and deferring to the family elders.
• Liu Yu shifts from suspicion and hostility to respect once Lin Jun’s possession of the Yin Vein is confirmed. She also demonstrates practical judgment by recognizing that the family’s old treasures may be more useful as bargaining tools than as possessions.
• Qing He continues to act casually and humorously, encouraging Liu Yu to “rephrase” her dismissive attitude after Lin Jun’s power is revealed.
• Nine-Tail serves as decisive proof of Lin Jun’s status and influence.

Significant Themes

• Decline of former powers: The Flame Kingdom has vanished, leaving its descendants unable to claim royal status openly.
• Power over lineage: Lin Jun accepts the Liu Family’s desire to be treated as an ordinary martial aristocratic clan, reflecting a world where strength matters more than ancestry.
• Survival through secrecy and adaptation: The Liu Family hides in the Rotten Land and Small World, using concealment and strategic alliances to endure persecution.
• Pragmatic alliances: Lin Jun and the Liu Family negotiate based on mutual benefit—he gains the Dao Realm Fragment and possibly the Flame Martial Scripture, while they gain protection from the Flame Martial Hall.
• The contrast between danger and normalcy: Despite the family’s precarious situation, its younger members live peacefully enough to joke and tease one another, showing how sheltered they have become.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yue tries to persuade Liu Yu that Lin Jun is their opportunity to escape the Flame Martial Hall, but Liu Yu initially scolds her for recklessness and for stealing the Dao Mirror.
• Liu Yu formally submits to Lin Jun after Nine-Tail’s revelation, marking a clear shift in their power dynamic.
• Lin Jun openly states his demands rather than negotiating indirectly, while Liu Yu probes his motives and identifies his interest in the Flame Martial Vein-Nourishing Scripture.
• The younger members of the Liu Family tease Liu Yu about bringing a young man home, embarrassing her and adding comic relief to the otherwise tense encounter.
• The chapter ends with Lin Jun being brought into the Liu Family’s hidden Small World, where an unexplained gathering of guests may affect the family’s fate.

Chapter Summary: Inside the Liu Family Small World

• Lin Jun arrives at the Liu Family’s territory: Liu Yu escorts Lin Jun to a quiet residence at the foot of the mountain while the Liu Family Ancestor finishes entertaining another guest. Lin Jun agrees to wait and uses the opportunity to refine Black Fiend’s corpse.
• Black Fiend’s remains are converted into Dao Realm Fragments: Using the Heaven-Seizing Dao Refinement Method, Lin Jun dissolves Black Fiend’s corpse and extracts five Dao Realm Fragments. After spending additional experience to accelerate the process, only three fragments remain. Combined with his previous four, Lin Jun now has seven fragments, leaving him five short of forming a complete Dao Realm and advancing toward the Saint Realm.
• Liu Yue reports Lin Jun’s strength: Liu Yu questions Liu Yue, who explains everything she knows about Lin Jun and Black Fiend’s disappearance. The Liu Family realizes that Lin Jun defeated or eliminated a powerful Demon Sage in a single night despite still being a Grandmaster. Liu Yu concludes that Lin Jun is an invaluable ally, especially given his connection to the Yin Kingdom, and regrets that the family initially kept him waiting.
• Liu Yu interrupts the Ancestor’s banquet: She goes directly to Liu Hong, the Liu Family Ancestor, who is entertaining a mysterious old crone. Liu Yu privately explains Lin Jun’s importance and urges Liu Hong to meet him immediately. Liu Hong initially tells her to keep Lin Jun waiting, but the old crone overhears their conversation despite Liu Yu’s soundproofing and suggests inviting the Yin Kingdom’s Military Commissioner to the mountaintop.
• The old crone’s mysterious influence: Liu Hong, normally the head of the Liu Family, behaves with notable humility toward the old woman. She appears exceptionally powerful and claims that her presence will allow the Liu Family to stop fearing the Flame Martial Hall within a hundred years. Her true identity and motives remain unclear.
• Lin Jun is summoned to Flameglory Peak: The Liu Family invites Lin Jun to join the banquet. He arrives calmly despite the gathered family members watching him with curiosity. Liu Hong is surprised that Lin Jun is only a Grandmaster, while Liu Yu insists that his low cultivation makes his achievements even more terrifying.
• A possible way to restore the Flameblood Treasure Tree: Before Liu Hong can properly address Lin Jun, the old crone asks for his opinion on reviving the Liu Family’s withered Flameblood Treasure Tree. She proposes using a Withered Wood to Flourishing Formation, Azure Origin Stone, and Seven-Song Fruit to gradually restore it.

Character and thematic developments

• Lin Jun demonstrates patience, resourcefulness, and continued preparation for his eventual breakthrough.
• Liu Yu becomes more proactive and protective of the Liu Family’s interests, recognizing Lin Jun as a crucial opportunity.
• Liu Hong is revealed to be cautious but deeply concerned with the family’s survival and future strength.
• The old crone emerges as a powerful, enigmatic figure who may possess the knowledge to restore the family’s greatest treasure.
• Major themes include strategic alliances, hidden strength, the struggle for survival against the Flame Martial Hall, and the value of powerful resources and talents.

Chapter Summary: “Lin Someone Tells the Truth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun repeatedly claims that he knows nothing about formations or alchemy, astonishing the Liu Family and irritating the old woman, a Saint Realm expert.
• When asked what he can do, Lin Jun answers that he can “exterminate demons,” causing the surrounding martial artists to mock him internally and dismiss him as useless.
• Liu Hong intervenes to prevent the old woman from becoming angry and invites Lin Jun to his residence. Lin Jun accepts, apparently withdrawing from the competition over how to revive the Flameblood Treasure Tree.
• The old woman and Liu Hong interpret Lin Jun’s behavior as cowardice or deliberate self-deprecation. Believing he has conceded, they proceed with their own plan to restore the tree.
• Liu Yu later finds Lin Jun and questions why he behaved so rudely toward the old woman. Lin Jun explains that he truly does not understand formations or alchemy and that he always treats “inhuman things” this way—a cryptic statement suggesting he regards the old woman as something other than human.
• The group travels to the mountain peak where the Liu Family’s Flameblood Treasure Tree stands. The enormous blood-red tree, said to be capable of increasing talent and comprehension, has withered completely.
• Lin Jun questions what price must be paid for such an extraordinary treasure, prompting Liu Yu to realize that the tree’s power likely carries a hidden cost.
• The old woman calls Lin Jun forward under the pretense of asking for his help. As Lin Jun approaches, his killing intent intensifies and is revealed to be directed specifically at her.
• Liu Hong and Liu Yu realize too late that Lin Jun is not retreating at all. Liu Yu desperately tries to stop him, but she is immobilized by the overwhelming pressure. The chapter ends at this confrontation.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Maintains an apparently ignorant and irreverent façade, but his statements are largely truthful. His calm demeanor masks immense hostility toward the old woman. His extraordinary killing intent reveals that he is far more dangerous than the Liu Family assumes.
• The old woman: Initially believes Lin Jun is pretending to be ignorant and considers him cowardly and incompetent. Her confidence grows after she thinks he has yielded, but she fails to recognize that he sees her as an inhuman enemy.
• Liu Hong: Acts as a mediator, trying to prevent conflict between Lin Jun and the old woman. He mistakenly believes Lin Jun has accepted a way out and becomes horrified when he senses Lin Jun’s killing intent.
• Liu Yu: Begins questioning Lin Jun’s motives and notices the inconsistency between his supposed weakness and his behavior. By the end, she understands that he is targeting the old woman but is powerless to intervene.
• The Liu Family martial artists: Initially mock and dismiss Lin Jun, viewing him as an incompetent outsider. Their attitude is based on a serious misjudgment of his abilities.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus reality: Lin Jun’s claims of ignorance are taken as signs of weakness, but his true strength and intentions are concealed beneath his unassuming behavior.
• Underestimation and misjudgment: The Liu Family assumes that Lin Jun has conceded, while Lin Jun is actually preparing to confront the old woman.
• The cost of extraordinary power: The Flameblood Treasure Tree’s ability to enhance talent and comprehension raises the question of what sacrifice or price such unnatural power demands.
• Humanity and monstrosity: Lin Jun’s description of the old woman as an “inhuman thing” introduces a deeper conflict involving demons or beings disguised as humans.
• Controlled violence: Lin Jun remains outwardly calm while emitting increasingly terrifying killing intent, emphasizing the danger beneath his restraint.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and the old woman clash verbally over his supposed lack of knowledge, with each interpreting the other incorrectly.
• Liu Hong attempts to smooth over the dispute by redirecting Lin Jun away from the banquet.
• Liu Yu privately questions Lin Jun and receives a cryptic explanation about how he treats inhuman beings.
• At the Flameblood Treasure Tree, the old woman deliberately summons Lin Jun, seemingly believing she can control the situation.
• Lin Jun’s approach transforms the gathering from a cooperative attempt to save the tree into an imminent confrontation, leaving Liu Hong and Liu Yu shocked and helpless.

Chapter Summary: “Why Only a Grandmaster”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun launches a sudden attack and grabs the Flame Kingdom’s old ancestor, a Martial Saint, by the throat before anyone can react.
• The old woman reveals unusual abilities: she reshapes her body, detaches and reconnects her head, and survives Lin Jun’s attacks.
• Lin Jun kicks through her chest, exposing a blue-violet Blood Tree growing inside her. The tree produces countless tiny hands that attempt to invade and consume him.
• Liu Yu identifies the Blood Tree as a Dao Seed. The seed begins taking control of the old woman, terrifying even her.
• The Dao Seed releases a powerful cry that incapacitates the Liu Family’s martial warriors and begins draining the surrounding worldly energy.
• Liu Yu warns Lin Jun that the old woman possesses the False Dao Realm, making her strength comparable to that of a Dao Realm Martial Saint.
• Lin Jun draws his blade and kills her in an instant, severing the Dao Seed before anyone can perceive his movement.
• Afterward, Liu Yu orders the Liu Family to bind their ancestor, declaring that she and Liu Hong have betrayed the family by bringing someone from the Flame Martial Hall into their territory.
• The old woman, barely conscious and unable to understand Lin Jun’s power, asks why he is “only a Grandmaster.”
• Lin Jun truthfully replies that he is only a Grandmaster because he lacks the Dao Realm, then finishes her with another strike.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun demonstrates overwhelming speed, physical strength, composure, and swordsmanship. His ability to kill a False Dao Realm Martial Saint while technically remaining a Grandmaster deepens the mystery surrounding his true power.
• The old ancestor is revealed to be partly controlled or consumed by the Blood Tree Dao Seed. Although extremely powerful, she is frightened by the monster growing inside her and loses control of her own body.
• Liu Yu shifts decisively into leadership. After witnessing Lin Jun’s strength, she takes command of the Liu Family and condemns Liu Hong’s actions.
• Liu Hong is exposed as fearful and politically compromised. Lin Jun’s murderous aura leaves him paralyzed, and he offers no resistance when the family turns against him.
• The Liu Family martial warriors move from shock and helplessness to obedience under Liu Yu’s orders, accepting her authority after the ancestor’s betrayal.

Significant Themes

• The gap between titles and true strength: Lin Jun is officially a Grandmaster, yet he easily surpasses a Martial Saint with False Dao Realm power.
• The danger of forbidden or corrupt power: The Blood Tree Dao Seed grants immense strength but also threatens to consume and control its host.
• Betrayal and survival: The Liu Family’s greatest threat comes from within, as Liu Hong and the ancestor endanger the entire clan by associating with the Flame Martial Hall.
• Mystery surrounding Lin Jun: His statement that he lacks the Dao Realm is technically truthful but only makes his extraordinary abilities more puzzling.
• Authority through power: Lin Jun’s strength immediately changes the political balance, while Liu Yu gains control by acting decisively after the crisis.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun intimidates Liu Hong with a single glance, establishing his dominance without needing to attack him.
• The old ancestor battles Lin Jun using her distorted body and Dao Seed, but her attacks cannot penetrate his formidable physique.
• Liu Yu confronts Liu Hong and blames him for bringing the Flame Martial Hall into the Liu Family’s territory.
• After Lin Jun kills the ancestor, Liu Yu orders the family warriors to bind Liu Hong, formally removing him from power.
• The dying ancestor questions Lin Jun’s classification as a Grandmaster, and his cryptic answer—“Because I lack the Dao Realm”—captures the chapter’s central paradox.

Chapter Summary: It Was the Dao Seed Mother Tree

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun kills the old woman and the Blood Tree growing from her body with a single flash of cold light. The Dao Seed attempts to crawl toward him, revealing that it craves his body, just like the Dao Seed he encountered previously.
• Liu Yu explains that members of the Flame Martial Hall usually have Dao Seeds planted inside them, confirming that the old woman was connected to the organization.
• The seemingly withered Flameblood Treasure Tree suddenly awakens. It grows into a towering crimson tree, tears its roots from the mountain, and causes the peak to collapse.
• The old woman and the Dao Seed are absorbed by the tree, leaving behind dried corpses. Lin Jun realizes that the Flameblood Treasure Tree is actually the Flame Martial Hall’s Dao Seed Mother Tree, possessing an aura even stronger than an ordinary Dao Seed.
• Liu Yu confronts her ancestor, Liu Hong, demanding an explanation. Liu Hong reveals that he too has implanted a Dao Seed within his chest.
• Liu Hong explains that the Liu Family’s royal ancestors gained extraordinary power at the cost of being controlled by the Flame Martial Hall. Their attempt to escape and gamble everything on reviving the Mother Tree has failed.
• The Mother Tree has awakened without sufficient energy and has consequently lost control. Liu Hong urges Liu Yu and the others to flee to Great Yin and asks Lin Jun to protect them.
• As the Dao Seed begins taking control of Liu Hong, Lin Jun attacks the Mother Tree directly. He uses his blade, immense physical strength, killing intent, and Worldly Momentum to tear open its trunk.
• The tree manifests the old woman’s face and unleashes enormous scarlet flames, setting the Liu Family’s Small World ablaze. However, the flames cannot injure Lin Jun.
• Lin Jun continues fighting the Mother Tree through the destruction of the mountain and the Small World. His overwhelming physical power forces the tree to howl in apparent pain or submission.
• Liu Yu, who had expected to sacrifice herself, is stunned by Lin Jun’s dominance. Liu Hong warns her to escape immediately as the Dao Seed begins fully controlling him.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Displays growing suspicion about his mysterious attraction to Dao Seeds. He proves capable of physically overpowering a Dao Seed Mother Tree, even after the surrounding world’s energy has been depleted. His killing intent and mastery of Worldly Momentum make him extraordinarily dangerous to the tree.
• Liu Yu: Learns that her family’s connection to the Flame Martial Hall is deeper and more horrifying than she believed. Her shock and anger toward Liu Hong give way to concern for her family and a desperate attempt to find a way to save them.
• Liu Hong: Reveals himself as a tragic figure who knowingly implanted a Dao Seed in order to gamble for his family’s survival. He accepts that he has sacrificed his own body and urges Liu Yu to preserve the royal bloodline before he loses control completely.
• The Old Woman: Is revealed to have been controlled or heavily influenced by the Dao Seed. After being absorbed, her face appears within the Mother Tree, suggesting that her identity and consciousness have become part of it.
• The Dao Seed Mother Tree: Awakens as a powerful but unstable entity. It possesses immense destructive strength yet seems unable to control itself, eventually being driven into apparent agony by Lin Jun’s attacks.

Significant Themes

• Power and its price: The Liu Family’s supernatural strength came through Dao Seeds, but the cost was loss of autonomy and eventual possession.
• Control and betrayal: The Liu Family believed it had escaped the Flame Martial Hall, yet the implanted Dao Seeds allowed the organization to influence or reclaim them.
• Inherited corruption: The Flameblood Treasure Tree, long revered by the Liu Family, is revealed to be the very source of their enslavement—the Dao Seed Mother Tree.
• Sacrifice and survival: Liu Hong sacrifices himself to give his family a chance to survive, while urging Liu Yu to preserve their bloodline.
• Lin Jun’s unexplained connection to Dao Seeds: Multiple Dao Seeds are drawn to Lin Jun, hinting at an important secret about his body or power.
• Human strength versus monstrous power: Despite the Mother Tree’s ability to destroy the Small World, Lin Jun defeats it through physical might rather than reliance on external energy.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Liu Yu: Liu Yu thanks Lin Jun for saving the Liu Family and explains the Flame Martial Hall’s use of Dao Seeds. Their relationship shifts as she increasingly depends on him for survival.
• Liu Yu and Liu Hong: Liu Yu angrily demands the truth, while Liu Hong confesses the family’s connection to the Flame Martial Hall and warns her to flee.
• Liu Hong and Lin Jun: Liu Hong recognizes Lin Jun’s strength and asks him to protect Liu Yu and guide her toward Great Yin.
• Lin Jun and the Mother Tree: Their confrontation becomes the chapter’s central conflict. Lin Jun’s attacks suppress, injure, and seemingly overwhelm the Mother Tree despite its overwhelming size and destructive flames.
• Liu Hong and the Dao Seed: Liu Hong struggles against the seed taking control of his body, giving Liu Yu only a brief window to escape.

Chapter Summary: “Try It and Die”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun continues battling the Blood Tree, destroying large numbers of its branches with ease. Although he is wounded for the first time in a long while, he finds the injury exhilarating rather than alarming.
• Liu Hong suddenly attacks Lin Jun, apparently attempting to kill him. Lin Jun effortlessly catches his sword, drags him close, punches through his chest, and forcibly removes his Dao Seed. He then kicks Liu Hong back toward Liu Yu.
• The Liu family realizes that Lin Jun’s supposed “Grandmaster” cultivation is deeply misleading. Liu Hong, a Saint Realm martial artist, is defeated in only two breaths and concludes that Lin Jun must actually be a terrifying expert concealing his true strength.
• Lin Jun attacks what appears to be the Blood Tree’s main body, only to discover that it is an empty shell. The real Blood Tree has escaped while he was dealing with Liu Hong.
• Qing He uses his enhanced treasure-sensing ability to locate the Blood Tree’s true body, which has transformed into a severely damaged, blood-colored Wood Man disguised as an ordinary tree.
• The Wood Man attacks by causing blood-colored roots to erupt from the ground. Lin Jun protects Qing He, seizes one of the roots, and injects it with Worldly Momentum, forcing the Blood Tree to retreat.
• Believing that Lin Jun cannot truly kill it because of the difference between Grandmaster and Dao Realm power, the Blood Tree regains confidence and flees. Lin Jun deliberately allows it to escape.
• Liu Yu questions Lin Jun’s decision, but he reveals that he has been waiting for the right moment. A golden fox-shaped Yin Vein Avatar arrives, intercepts the weakened Blood Tree, and swallows it completely.
• Lin Jun’s strategy succeeds: rather than trying to kill the Blood Tree directly, he exhausted and lured it into the range of the Yin Vein Avatar.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Displays overwhelming combat ability, strategic patience, and growing enjoyment of danger. His first injury in a long time excites him, showing how thoroughly his harsh environment has shaped him. He also demonstrates that he is far more powerful and calculating than others realize.
• Liu Hong: Shifts from overconfident attacker to humbled survivor. After being effortlessly defeated and losing his Dao Seed, he recognizes that he completely misjudged Lin Jun.
• Liu Yu: Moves from fear and uncertainty to stunned respect. She witnesses Lin Jun’s strength firsthand and begins to understand that his apparent cultivation level cannot be trusted.
• Qing He: Contributes decisively through his improved ability to sense treasures and Dao Realm auras. His perception allows Lin Jun to locate the Blood Tree after it abandons its shell.
• The Blood Tree: Evolves from confident predator to frightened and desperate fugitive, then briefly regains confidence after deciding Lin Jun cannot kill it. Its miscalculation leads directly to its destruction by the Yin Vein Avatar.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Lin Jun’s Grandmaster status conceals power far beyond what others expect, while the Blood Tree’s apparent body is only a decoy.
• Strategy over brute force: Lin Jun does not need to overpower the Blood Tree completely; he weakens it, tracks it, and lures it into the Yin Vein Avatar’s limited range.
• Adaptation to a dangerous world: Lin Jun’s excitement at being injured reflects how violence and peril have reshaped his personality and expectations.
• Overconfidence and misjudgment: Both Liu Hong and the Blood Tree underestimate Lin Jun. Their mistaken assumptions leave them helpless against his actual abilities.
• The limits of cultivation realms: The chapter emphasizes the contrast between nominal cultivation levels and real combat strength, showing that Lin Jun can defeat opponents far above his stated realm.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun and Liu Hong: Their brief confrontation ends in Liu Hong’s complete defeat, establishing Lin Jun’s dominance and punishing Liu Hong’s reckless betrayal.
• Lin Jun and Liu Yu: Liu Yu questions his decision to let the Blood Tree escape, while Lin Jun remains calm because his larger plan is already in motion.
• Lin Jun and Qing He: Lin Jun protects Qing He during the root attack and relies on his unique sensing ability, showing both trust and practical cooperation.
• Lin Jun and the Blood Tree: Their exchange becomes psychological as well as physical. Lin Jun intentionally lets the Blood Tree believe it has survived, while the Blood Tree’s false confidence leads it into the Yin Vein Avatar’s attack.
• Blood Tree and the Yin Vein Avatar: The weakened Blood Tree is finally swallowed when the Avatar reaches its maximum effective range, bringing the confrontation to an abrupt conclusion.

Chapter Summary: The Method for Mass-Producing Dao Realms

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nine-Tail returns to Great Yin carrying the power of the Yin Vein. Lin Jun remains injured after battling the Blood Tree and begins investigating why it possessed a Dao Realm aura with a rotten, unnatural quality.
• With the Liu Family’s Small World destroyed, Lin Jun has nowhere private to recover. He instead swallows large quantities of medicinal pills to heal himself.
• Lin Jun questions the Liu Family about the Dao Seed, a mysterious power source repeatedly connected to recent events.
• Liu Hong, now rapidly wasting away after losing the Dao Seed, explains its origins. The Flame Kingdom obtained the Dao Seed through the Demon Kingdom’s Ascension Ritual.
• The Flame Kingdom partially completed the ritual, obtaining two Dao Seed Mother Trees. These trees could produce Dao Seeds capable of dramatically increasing a person’s talent and cultivation speed.
• The power came at a terrible cost: shortened lifespans and the possibility that the user’s consciousness could eventually be controlled.
• The Flame Martial Hall rose to power by exploiting one Dao Seed Mother Tree, becoming strong enough to challenge the Yin Ruins Sect within only three thousand years.
• The Liu Family had possessed the second Mother Tree, formerly known as the Flameblood Treasure Tree. Liu Hong had originally rejected its corrupting power, but later used it to escape the Flame Martial Hall and then put it into dormancy.
• The Flame Martial Hall’s true goal was not to claim the second Mother Tree, but to destroy it so their own would remain the only one.
• Lin Jun’s destruction of the Mother Tree therefore served the Flame Martial Hall’s interests, though it also removed a dangerous threat.
• Liu Hong reveals that the Mother Tree could create a False Dao Realm, which could potentially be nurtured within a massive Spirit Vein for three to five hundred years and eventually transformed into a True Dao Realm Fragment.
• Lin Jun produces the False Dao Realm Fragment he refined from He Jin’s Dao Seed. Liu Hong realizes that Lin Jun possesses both the ability to extract these fragments and the Yin Vein needed to nurture them—raising the possibility of mass-producing Dao Realms.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Demonstrates his growing curiosity about the deeper origins of Dao Seeds and Dao Realms. He remains practical and emotionally detached, refusing to personally protect the Liu Family while still offering them Great Yin’s protection. His possession of the Yin Vein and ability to refine Dao Realm Fragments reveals potentially world-changing power.
• Liu Hong: Near death after losing the Dao Seed, he finally abandons secrecy and reveals the truth about the Ascension Ritual, the Dao Seed Mother Trees, and the False Dao Realm. His past is exposed as that of a desperate gambler who sacrificed his principles in pursuit of power and revival.
• Liu Yu: Learns that the Flameblood Treasure Tree was actually a Dao Seed Mother Tree and confronts Liu Hong about why it was not destroyed earlier. He comes to understand that Liu Hong’s attachment to its power caused the family’s suffering.
• The Flame Martial Hall: Its rise is revealed to be based on the exploitation of a dangerous “evil” artifact rather than ordinary cultivation. Its ambition is to monopolize Dao Seed production and eliminate competing Mother Trees.
• The Liu Family: Their dependence on the Mother Tree is shown to have placed them in danger of losing their freedom, lives, and possibly their consciousness.

Significant Themes

• Power versus autonomy: Dao Seeds provide extraordinary cultivation benefits but threaten the user’s lifespan and free will.
• The dangers of ambition: Liu Hong’s desire to revive the Flame Kingdom and emulate the Flame Martial Hall leads him to gamble with the entire Liu Family’s fate.
• Hidden history and political manipulation: Major powers—including the Flame Kingdom, Flame Martial Hall, Demon Exorcism Bureau, and Yin Ruins Sect—are connected through suppressed knowledge of the Ascension Ritual.
• Artificial cultivation and unnatural power: The Dao Seed Mother Tree creates power artificially, explaining its disturbing aura and suggesting that these Dao Realms are fundamentally corrupted or incomplete.
• The mass production of supreme power: Lin Jun’s Yin Vein may provide a method for systematically nurturing False Dao Realm Fragments into genuine Dao Realm power, potentially overturning the balance between the major factions.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun rejects Liu Hong’s request to personally protect the Liu Family, making clear that his obligations have limits.
• Liu Hong bargains for the family’s survival by revealing the Dao Seed’s origin and the Flame Kingdom’s history.
• Liu Yu questions Liu Hong’s past decisions, forcing the old ancestor’s greed and failed gamble into the open.
• Lin Jun methodically questions Liu Hong about the Mother Tree’s Dao Realm aura, gradually uncovering the mechanism behind Dao Seed creation.
• Liu Hong’s shock at seeing Lin Jun’s False Dao Realm Fragment confirms that Lin Jun has achieved something no one before him could: extracting the artificial Dao Realm and potentially using the Yin Vein to create Dao Realms on a large scale.

Chapter Summary: “Today, Asking the Dao-Seeking Martial Saint”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun confirms that the Dao Seed Mother Tree is still alive inside Nine-Tail’s body. He realizes he can destroy its consciousness, use it to generate Dao seeds, and cultivate false Dao realms in the Yin vein before accelerating them into genuine Dao realms.
• He also plans to combine twelve Dao realm fragments into a complete Dao realm, giving him a reliable and seemingly endless method of obtaining Dao realms.
• Liu Hong, already gravely wounded, dies after Lin Jun’s provocation. The Liu Family accepts Liu Yu as its new leader.
• Liu Yu formally submits the Liu Family to Great Yin and offers Lin Jun:
  • Five Dao realm fragments, bringing the family’s total to nine fragments.
  • The Flame Martial Vein-Nurturing Method.
  • The Flame Martial Profound Wind Art, a Dao martial art connected to the Profound Wind of Heaven and Earth.
• Lin Jun gives Liu Yu his Black Jade Dragon Talisman and instructs her to seek protection from the Great Yin General Directorate. He also promises that his Yin Vein Avatar will escort them safely.
• After the Liu Family departs, Lin Jun hides in a cave and asks Qing He to protect him while he attempts to break through to the Martial Saint Realm.
• Lin Jun fuses twelve Dao realm fragments into a complete Dao realm and begins refining it.
• He realizes too late that he has not prepared a Saint Realm cultivation technique. Instead of stopping, he decides to forcibly draw in and contain the energy of Heaven and Earth.
• With two Dao realms supporting him, Lin Jun gains Heaven and Earth’s assistance. A massive energy vortex forms, drawing worldly energy from the surrounding region and even across Great Yin.
• The Liu Family senses the disturbance shortly after departing and realizes that Lin Jun is already beginning his breakthrough—apparently advancing toward the Dao-Seeking Martial Saint Realm in only half a day.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun becomes increasingly confident and ambitious. His discovery of the Dao Seed Mother Tree transforms his cultivation prospects, giving him a repeatable way to create Dao realms rather than relying on chance or arduous searching.
• He also demonstrates boldness and improvisational ability by attempting a Saint Realm breakthrough without a proper cultivation technique, relying on his two Dao realms and the support of Heaven and Earth.
• Liu Yu decisively assumes leadership of the Liu Family and chooses submission to Great Yin over continued allegiance to the declining Flame Kingdom or the Flame Martial Hall. Her actions show pragmatism and a willingness to sacrifice the family’s remaining resources for its survival.
• Liu Hong dies after losing his final support and being provoked by Lin Jun, marking the collapse of the old Liu Family leadership.
• Qing He is shocked to be entrusted with guarding Lin Jun during such a dangerous breakthrough, highlighting the enormous difference between his own strength and Lin Jun’s current level.

Significant Themes

• Resourcefulness and cultivation strategy: Lin Jun treats cultivation almost like farming, using the Dao Seed Mother Tree and the panel to produce Dao realms systematically.
• Power and political submission: The Liu Family’s survival depends on recognizing Lin Jun’s overwhelming authority and aligning with Great Yin.
• Decline and preservation: Although the Flame Kingdom Royal Family is weakened, the Liu Family still possesses considerable resources. These are surrendered to secure protection and preserve the family.
• Risk-taking and confidence: Lin Jun’s willingness to break through without proper preparation reflects both his extraordinary advantages and his growing confidence in his own abilities.
• The relationship between individual power and Heaven and Earth: Lin Jun’s two Dao realms allow him to attract the recognition and assistance of the world itself, suggesting that personal cultivation is becoming intertwined with the structure of the entire realm.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun psychologically pressures Liu Hong, contributing to the dying patriarch’s final collapse.
• Liu Yu interacts respectfully and strategically with Lin Jun, offering the Liu Family’s treasures and requesting Great Yin’s protection.
• Lin Jun gives Liu Yu practical instructions and a protective talisman rather than accompanying her personally, demonstrating both trust in his forces and confidence in his own plans.
• Lin Jun orders Qing He to guard his Dharma during the breakthrough; Qing He initially reacts with disbelief but ultimately accepts the responsibility.
• The departing Liu Family members witness the enormous disturbance caused by Lin Jun’s breakthrough and recognize that his advancement is extraordinarily rapid.

Chapter Summary: “If All Else Fails, Take It by Force”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun begins his breakthrough into the Saint Realm with the assistance of the Dao Realm and the favor of heaven and earth. His blood and body start dissolving so they can be reconstructed using heaven-and-earth energy.
• The breakthrough unexpectedly fails at the body-reconstruction stage. Lin Jun’s mortal body is too powerful to be dissolved, and he lacks a Divine Soul, preventing him from following the conventional path to Sainthood.
• Heaven and earth begin rejecting him because his body was not created by their energy. Rather than accept this limitation, Lin Jun forcibly intercepts and absorbs the energy needed for the breakthrough.
• By using his powerful body to contain and compress the stolen energy, Lin Jun creates an unconventional route into the Saint Realm. Despite consuming nearly all of his experience, he successfully becomes a Martial Saint.
• His breakthrough causes spectacular omens: thunder, rosy light, meteors, and rapid vegetation growth. Once he becomes a Martial Saint, the world’s rejection disappears, apparently because the Dao Realm resumes its influence.
• Lin Jun tests his new power by draining the heaven-and-earth energy from a large area, creating a vacuum that kills the surrounding vegetation. His strength has increased so dramatically that he believes he could kill the Blood Tree in under half an hour.
• Qing He reports sensing a treasure’s aura from the Eastern Sea. Lin Jun suspects it may be the Jade Abode or that demons may have obtained the Demon-Exalting Sword, so he decides to investigate.
• At North Pass, Yan Gong, Zi Yuan, Jade Frost, and others witness the enormous breakthrough phenomenon. They conclude that a Dao Realm martial artist has likely become a Martial Saint, though they cannot identify the person.
• News then arrives that Quwu Demon Sovereign has appeared in the Eastern Sea, leading Yan Gong to suspect that the Jade Abode is involved. The search for Lin Jun remains unsuccessful.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Reaches the Martial Saint Realm through sheer force and innovation rather than the normal heaven-and-earth reconstruction process. His body proves exceptionally powerful, and he demonstrates a growing willingness to defy natural laws and seize what he needs.
• Qing He: Remains cautious and timid around Lin Jun but continues to provide valuable information, including the distant treasure detection that directs Lin Jun toward the Eastern Sea.
• Yan Gong: Shows concern over the lack of new Martial Saints from Great Yin and recognizes the significance of the breakthrough. He also becomes alarmed when Quwu Demon Sovereign appears in the Eastern Sea.
• Zi Yuan and Jade Frost: Debate the nature and scale of the breakthrough. Their discussion highlights their knowledge of Dao Realms and the rarity of multiple Dao Realms.
• Quwu Demon Sovereign: Does not appear directly, but his movement into the Eastern Sea establishes a new threat and suggests that he may be pursuing the Jade Abode.

Significant Themes

• Taking power by force: The chapter’s central idea is that cultivation ultimately depends on taking. When heaven and earth refuse to grant Lin Jun what he needs, he forcibly seizes it.
• Defiance of natural order: Lin Jun’s breakthrough challenges the established rules of cultivation. His mortal body, initially an obstacle, becomes the foundation of an unprecedented path.
• Heaven and earth as conditional allies: Nature is portrayed as possessing preferences and selfishness. It supports those it recognizes as its “children” but rejects outsiders.
• Transformation and rebirth: The Saint Realm normally represents a second birth through a body reconstructed by heaven and earth. Lin Jun achieves the same realm without surrendering his original flesh, making his transformation unique.
• Great Yin’s decline: The reactions at North Pass emphasize Great Yin’s shortage of new talent and its dependence on old experts, while the Yin Ruins Sect’s removal of promising cultivators is suggested as a major cause.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun communicates with Qing He after the breakthrough, asking how long he was unconscious and confirming his new status. Qing He cautiously acknowledges Lin Jun as a Martial Saint.
• Qing He informs Lin Jun about the treasure in the Eastern Sea, prompting Lin Jun to consider the Jade Abode and the Demon-Exalting Sword.
• At North Pass, Yan Gong, Zi Yuan, and Jade Frost discuss the breakthrough’s extraordinary scale and whether it indicates multiple Dao Realms.
• Zi Yuan attempts to console Yan Gong by mentioning Lin Jun as a recent success from Great Yin, but Jade Frost points out that producing only one exceptional talent is hardly reassuring.
• Yan Gong receives the report of Quwu Demon Sovereign’s appearance in the Eastern Sea and connects it to the possible appearance of the Jade Abode, increasing the urgency of finding Lin Jun.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Great Yin’s victory over the Sea-Covering Dragon Saint and Lin Jun, the Eastern Sea has largely stabilized. The weakened Martial Alliance has collapsed, and New Flame Sect administers the region on Great Yin’s behalf.
• The situation changes when Gao Yi encounters the Quwu Demon Sovereign near Jade Abode. Gao Yi is gravely wounded after a single exchange, realizing that the Dao Realm Demon Sage could have killed him effortlessly.
• The Quwu Demon Sovereign’s presence in the Eastern Sea, while demons are simultaneously invading North Pass, suggests a larger conspiracy connected to Jade Abode and the death of Thousand-Legs Demon Sage.
• A large demon force occupies New Flame Island and investigates Thousand-Legs’ death. They threaten to massacre the island’s inhabitants in three days unless New Flame Sect provides an answer.
• New Flame Sect is unable to resist the demons or protect all the civilians. The demons openly treat humans as food, leaving Gao Yi helpless and humiliated.
• Finally, Gao Yi decides that New Flame Sect must fight rather than die passively. He leads his disciples out to confront the demons.
• Meanwhile, Lin Jun arrives at a demon-occupied food hall with Qing He. After a wolf demon offers him three human children as a reward for information, Lin Jun reveals that he personally killed Thousand-Legs Demon Sage.
• Lin Jun instantly kills the two wolf demons and enters the food hall. When he emerges, the hall is drenched in blood, implying that he has slaughtered the demons inside.
• Lin Jun tells Gao Yi that three children remain inside and asks him to arrange their care. He then instructs Gao Yi to meet him in New Flame Sect’s main hall before departing with Qing He.

Character Developments

• Gao Yi is shown as severely outmatched and emotionally strained by the Quwu Demon Sovereign’s power. Although initially paralyzed by fear and responsibility, he ultimately regains his courage and chooses to lead New Flame Sect into battle.
• Lin Jun is portrayed as overwhelmingly powerful, decisive, and merciless toward demons who prey on humans. His brief declaration that he killed Thousand-Legs immediately establishes both his identity and his confidence.
• Qing He remains cautious and observant. He is disturbed by the demons’ cruelty and by the silence inside the food hall, but follows Lin Jun’s orders without question.
• The demons are characterized as brutal and predatory, treating human civilians as food and using terror to force New Flame Sect into submission.

Significant Themes

• Powerlessness versus resistance: Gao Yi recognizes that New Flame Sect cannot realistically defeat the Quwu Demon Sovereign, yet he refuses to continue surrendering without a fight.
• The cruelty of war and occupation: The demon occupation exposes civilians to slaughter and consumption, highlighting the human cost of the wider conflict.
• Justice and retribution: Lin Jun’s arrival provides immediate punishment for the demons responsible for terrorizing New Flame Island, especially after they boast about feeding on children.
• Hidden conspiracies and strategic deception: The Quwu Demon Sovereign’s unexpected appearance in the Eastern Sea, alongside the demons’ investigation into Thousand-Legs’ death, suggests that the current crisis is part of a broader plan.
• Moral contrast: Gao Yi struggles to protect people despite his weakness, while Lin Jun acts swiftly and decisively, emphasizing different forms of courage and authority.

Character Interactions

• Gao Yi and his disciple: Gao Yi receives updates about the demons’ occupation and the approaching threat, revealing his anxiety and the limits of his authority.
• Gao Yi and New Flame Sect: He initially considers their survival impossible but rallies the disciples to defend the sect’s dignity rather than remain passive.
• Lin Jun and the wolf demons: The demons casually threaten human lives and demand information, while Lin Jun responds by announcing that he killed Thousand-Legs and eliminating them instantly.
• Lin Jun and Qing He: Lin Jun orders Qing He to wait outside, demonstrating his control and protecting him from the violence inside.
• Lin Jun and Gao Yi: Their encounter shifts the balance of power. Lin Jun leaves the rescued children in Gao Yi’s care and summons him to the main hall, suggesting that he intends to discuss or direct the next stage of the crisis.

Chapter Summary: Journey to the Dragon Saint Palace

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun effortlessly annihilates the demons occupying New Flame Island’s largest restaurant, leaving the building drenched in blood. The three children present are spared after Lin Jun knocks them unconscious for their protection.
• Gao Yi and the New Flame Sect disciples clean up the restaurant and release the civilians who had been hiding.
• During a discussion at the New Flame Sect, Gao Yi explains that the demons were likely connected to Thousand-Legs and the Quwu Demon Kingdom. Their attack may have been retaliation against Lin Jun, but Gao Yi suspects a deeper motive.
• Gao Yi reveals that he previously saw the Quwu Demon Sovereign near the Jade Abode, accompanied by several humans. Some appeared to belong to the Yin Ruins Sect, suggesting cooperation between demons and human factions.
• Gao Yi later sensed a powerful presence inside the Dragon Saint Palace and believes the Quwu Demon Sovereign and his human allies are hiding there. The Jade Abode may also have been opened, which could explain the large number of treasures detected by Qing He.
• Lin Jun entrusts Qing He to Gao Yi’s protection and travels alone into the Eastern Sea to investigate the Dragon Saint Palace and confront—or locate—the Quwu Demon Sovereign.
• Before leaving, Lin Jun gives Gao Yi spirit medicines taken from the Jade Abode, allowing Gao Yi’s injuries to heal much faster.
• Chen Dao and General Jiyuan arrive from Jinzhou with reinforcements after hearing that the Eastern Sea is under threat. They are shocked to learn that Lin Jun has already entered the Eastern Sea alone.
• Gao Yi reassures them that Lin Jun is now a Martial Saint and possesses exceptional strength. Jiyuan reflects that Lin Jun’s rapid advancement has once again exceeded all expectations.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Revealed to have advanced from being evenly matched with Gao Yi to becoming a Martial Saint within only a few months. His strength is extraordinary even among Saints, and he confidently chooses to face the dangerous situation alone. Although he wants to return to Great Yin to plant the Dao Seed Mother Tree, he prioritizes the more urgent threat in the Eastern Sea.
• Gao Yi: Becomes increasingly respectful and cautious around Lin Jun after witnessing his overwhelming power. He recognizes that Lin Jun is likely far beyond an ordinary Martial Saint. Gao Yi also takes on the responsibility of protecting Qing He and assisting the arriving reinforcements.
• Qing He: Remains too weak to accompany Lin Jun into a battle against the Quwu Demon Sovereign, so Lin Jun leaves him under Gao Yi’s protection.
• Chen Dao and Jiyuan: Arrive prepared to help defend the Eastern Sea but are stunned to discover that Lin Jun has already taken action. Jiyuan, in particular, is reminded once again how far Lin Jun’s cultivation has surpassed his own.

Significant Themes

• Extraordinary cultivation speed: Lin Jun’s rapid advancement emphasizes his unique talent and continually distorts the expectations of those around him.
• Power and changing relationships: Gao Yi’s attitude shifts from familiarity to nervous respect because Lin Jun’s new strength has placed him on an entirely different level.
• Hidden alliances and conspiracy: The presence of humans alongside the Quwu Demon Sovereign suggests a larger plot involving cooperation between demons and human factions, possibly connected to the Yin Ruins Sect.
• Duty over personal goals: Lin Jun postpones his plan to return to Great Yin and plant the Dao Seed Mother Tree because the threat in the Eastern Sea requires immediate attention.
• Protection and responsibility: Lin Jun protects the children during the massacre, entrusts Qing He to Gao Yi, and confronts the danger himself rather than exposing weaker allies to it.

Character Interactions

• Lin Jun’s overwhelming destruction of the demons leaves Gao Yi and the disciples both horrified and impressed.
• Gao Yi cautiously briefs Lin Jun about the Quwu Demon Sovereign, the Jade Abode, and the suspected human-demon alliance.
• Lin Jun asks Gao Yi to protect Qing He, while Gao Yi agrees and promises to care for him.
• Lin Jun gives Gao Yi spirit medicines before departing, creating a brief but meaningful gesture of trust and support.
• Chen Dao and Jiyuan arrive expecting to coordinate a defense, but Gao Yi informs them that Lin Jun has already gone after the main threat.
• Jiyuan once again acknowledges Lin Jun’s astonishing growth, reinforcing the widening gap between Lin Jun and his peers.

Chapter Summary: Demon-Exalting Sword Hilt

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the Dragon Saint Palace in the Eastern Sea, the Quwu Demon Sovereign forces two captured Martial Saints—Qingyu of the Yin Ruins Sect and Fengyang of the Flame Martial Hall—to sit beneath him.
• Qingyu demands the return of Haoran True Person’s severed arm, which Fengyang’s faction possesses. Fengyang mocks him, insisting he lacks the authority to negotiate on behalf of the Flame Martial Hall.
• Quwu suppresses both men with his Dao Realm power and pressures them into pretending to reconcile. They reluctantly drink together while secretly resenting each other.
• Quwu reveals the Demon-Exalting Sword Hilt, recovered from the Demon Kingdom Ruins. Though incomplete, it can supposedly open a small breach into the Jade Abode and potentially reveal Demon Kingdom treasures.
• He explains that activating the hilt requires a vast amount of Saint Realm blood essence from both humans and demons. His “peaceful gathering” was actually a scheme to obtain their blood and exploit the hilt.
• Qingyu leaves to consult the Yin Ruins Sect disciples imprisoned outside the palace. They recognize that Quwu may intend to drain their blood essence—and perhaps kill them.
• At that moment, Lin Jun, dressed as a Demon Exorcist, arrives and walks directly into the palace.
• The surrounding demons suddenly vanish, leaving behind a sea of scarlet blood. Qingyu realizes they were slaughtered without making any detectable sound, suggesting that Lin Jun possesses terrifying and mysterious power.

Character Developments

• Quwu Demon Sovereign is revealed as manipulative rather than genuinely conciliatory. His talk of reconciliation is merely a strategy to control the two Martial Saints and acquire the blood essence needed to activate the sword hilt.
• Fengyang remains openly defiant and contemptuous of the Yin Ruins Sect, but Quwu’s overwhelming strength forces him to suppress his pride and cooperate.
• Qingyu shifts from an aggressive negotiator to a frightened and cautious survivor. He recognizes both the danger posed by Quwu and the possibility that the Yin Ruins Sect’s disciples will be sacrificed.
• Lin Jun makes a dramatic entrance and is established as an extremely powerful and enigmatic figure. His silent destruction of the surrounding demons leaves Qingyu terrified.

Significant Themes

• Power and coercion: Quwu’s superior strength allows him to force enemies into outward cooperation while concealing his true intentions.
• False peace and manipulation: The staged reconciliation between Qingyu and Fengyang demonstrates how “harmony” can be imposed as a tool of exploitation.
• Greed and forbidden power: The Demon-Exalting Sword Hilt represents the temptation of ancient treasures and the dangerous lengths people will go to unlock them.
• Hidden strength and fear: Lin Jun’s effortless massacre of the demons emphasizes that the greatest threat may be the one whose abilities remain unknown.
• Human-demon conflict: The hostility between the Yin Ruins Sect and Flame Martial Hall reflects deep historical hatred, even when both sides are temporarily forced to cooperate.

Character Interactions

• Qingyu and Fengyang: They exchange hostile accusations over Haoran True Person’s arm, revealing their factions’ entrenched enmity. Quwu forces them to drink together despite their hatred.
• Quwu and the two Martial Saints: Quwu alternates between friendly language and terrifying pressure, presenting himself as a mediator while effectively treating both captives as resources.
• Qingyu and the Yin Ruins Sect disciples: Qingyu consults them about Quwu’s demand for blood essence. They correctly suspect that the request may be a pretext for killing them.
• Lin Jun and Qingyu: Lin Jun briefly acknowledges Qingyu before entering the palace, but his arrival is followed by the inexplicable destruction of the surrounding demons, leaving Qingyu deeply shaken.

Chapter Summary: “You Were Also Killed by Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Jun returns to Dragon Saint Palace, which has remained undisturbed since his previous visit.
• Inside, Demon Sovereign Qu Wu is forcing General Fengyang to provide vital essence for the Demon-Exalting Sword Hilt. Because Fengyang’s cultivation was artificially enhanced by a Dao Seed, his essence is too poor, and using it would likely kill him.
• Lin Jun enters openly as a Martial Saint. Qu Wu remains completely unthreatened and casually invites him to cooperate in using the sword hilt to open the Inner Abode of the Jade Abode.
• Lin Jun reveals that he killed Qu Wu’s son, Thousand-Legs, as well as Qu Wu’s subordinates—and then declares that Qu Wu himself has also been killed by him.
• Qu Wu unleashes a powerful Dao Realm technique that drains the surrounding area of worldly energy, incapacitating Fengyang and forcing Qingyu to rescue him.
• Qingyu and Fengyang agree to cooperate temporarily so they can survive the conflict between Lin Jun and Qu Wu.
• Dragon Saint Palace is destroyed in the ensuing clash. Qu Wu attacks with blood-colored energy, while Lin Jun counters with blades formed from Worldly Momentum.
• Lin Jun closes the distance and brutally overwhelms Qu Wu in close combat. He crushes Qu Wu’s arm, seizes his wolf-like muzzle, and tears it off.
• Shocked by Lin Jun’s dominance, Qingyu and Fengyang flee, fearing that Qu Wu’s true power has not yet been revealed and that his rage will soon make the battle even more dangerous.

Character Developments

• Lin Jun: Reveals himself as an extraordinarily powerful and fearless Martial Saint. His calm provocations suggest total confidence, while his mastery of Worldly Momentum and close combat allows him to suppress a Middle Dao Realm Demon Sage.
• Qu Wu: Initially appears arrogant and unconcerned, believing that even another Martial Saint poses no threat. His calm demeanor persists after learning Lin Jun killed his son, but the brutal injury he suffers signals that he has underestimated Lin Jun.
• Fengyang: His supposedly powerful Martial Saint cultivation is exposed as flawed because of the Dao Seed’s limitations. He becomes terrified of both Qu Wu and Lin Jun and is forced to abandon his hostility toward Qingyu in favor of cooperation.
• Qingyu: Recognizes Lin Jun as an unknown and potentially ancient powerhouse. His fear and quick decision to flee show that he understands the danger more clearly than Fengyang.
• Qu Wu’s son and subordinates: Their deaths serve as Lin Jun’s deliberate provocation and establish the severity of his conflict with Qu Wu.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and hidden strength: Lin Jun’s ordinary appearance and calm behavior conceal power capable of dominating a high-level Dao Realm opponent.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: Qu Wu dismisses Lin Jun because of his apparent cultivation level, only realizing too late that Lin Jun’s abilities do not fit conventional expectations.
• Survival overriding enmity: Qingyu and Fengyang, despite being enemies, temporarily cooperate because the conflict between Lin Jun and Qu Wu threatens everyone nearby.
• Fear of the unknown: Lin Jun’s unfamiliar identity and unusual techniques unsettle even experienced Martial Saints, suggesting that established understandings of cultivation are insufficient to judge him.
• Provocation and revenge: Lin Jun intentionally reveals that he killed Qu Wu’s son and followers, transforming a potential negotiation into a personal confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Qu Wu threatens Fengyang while pretending to offer him time to find a solution, demonstrating his dominance and cruelty.
• Qu Wu welcomes Lin Jun as a “brother” and proposes cooperation, unaware that Lin Jun is responsible for his son’s death.
• Lin Jun calmly exposes his crimes one by one, shocking Fengyang and causing Qingyu to flee.
• Qingyu rescues Fengyang and persuades him to cooperate, creating an uneasy alliance between former enemies.
• Lin Jun and Qu Wu engage in a direct battle in which Lin Jun gains the upper hand almost immediately.
• The chapter ends with Qingyu and Fengyang escaping while Lin Jun and the enraged Qu Wu remain behind, leaving the outcome of their larger confrontation unresolved.