Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xiaosu tells Hu Die that, though she may no longer be useful in the campaign against Hydra, she remains essential to Little Moon. He directs her to a new Qianlong Release video identifying three surviving Nirvana Adepts, including Lone Serpent.
• The report reveals Lone Serpent’s birth name and origins. Hu Die recognizes him as her missing younger brother and realizes they share their father’s inherited snake genes, making them latent Second-Generation Gene Humans.
• Hu Die asks whether her brother can still be saved. Lin says he is currently dangerous but his future is not fixed, and promises to meet him. Hu Die gives Lin a worn reed horse she made for her brother as a child, hoping it will stir his memories.
• At Hydra’s hidden headquarters, the Overlord orders Lone Serpent and Ice Blade confined after Qianlong’s disclosure. His adviser suspects Qing Yan has known her origins and stopped obeying Hydra two years earlier.
• With Hydra’s global network shattered, the Overlord narrows the search for the Three-Character Bone Book to Remnant Seeds—especially those connected to Emperor Kun’s era and possibly sealed in Blood Coffins.
• The chapter ends with an urgent report: Lone Serpent has escaped.

Character developments and interactions

• Hu Die moves from uncertainty about her place in the conflict to renewed hope after learning her brother’s identity. Her memories of their childhood reveal how deeply she still wants to reach him, though she accepts the danger of approaching him herself.
• Lin Xiaosu supports Hu Die without promising an outcome. He agrees to carry the reed horse to her brother, but warns that a Nirvana Adept cannot be treated like an ordinary person.
• The Hydra Overlord remains fixated on the Bone Book despite Hydra’s collapse, revealing that the organization’s power was ultimately a means to pursue this single goal. His cryptic speculation about Qing Yan suggests a deeper interest in her possible awakening.
• The adviser understands Hydra’s dire position but dares not question the Overlord’s obsession. The order to search among Remnant Seeds gives him a new direction, though the task seems nearly impossible.

Significant themes

• Family and redemption: Hu Die hopes her brother can still change, and the childhood keepsake may reconnect him with the person he once was.
• Identity and inheritance: The siblings’ latent genes help explain their selection and Lone Serpent’s survival, while raising questions about how much biology determines who they become.
• Power and obsession: Hydra’s vast network has fallen, yet the Overlord prioritizes the Bone Book above lives, loyalty, and the organization itself.
• Life emerging from death: The Overlord’s reflections on Qing Yan hint at the possibility that new life or consciousness can arise from apparent destruction.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hydra Overlord learns that Lone Serpent has left Separation Mountain and orders an envoy to secretly follow him to his ancestral home in West River Province. If Lone Serpent shows unusual activity, the envoy is to kill him.
• The chief planner worries that Lin Xiaosu has deliberately used Lone Serpent as a clue to locate the Hydra Overlord. The Hydra Overlord explains that killing Lone Serpent will not solve the problem because Lin may instead follow Qing Yan’s trail.
• Qing Yan has already entered Kun Cang, a place Lin Xiaosu can access but the Hydra Overlord cannot infiltrate. Since Qianlong controls Kun Cang’s entrance, the Hydra Overlord is unable to communicate with or influence those inside.
• The chief planner realizes that Lin Xiaosu has gradually restricted the Hydra Overlord’s options on every side. However, the Hydra Overlord remains confident, dismissing Lin as too insignificant to overturn his larger plans.
• Lin Xiaosu travels through Witch God Mountain to Millennium Miao Village, where he reunites with Yi Xiang. Their affectionate and flirtatious interaction is interrupted by Yi Xiang’s mother, who warmly welcomes him.
• Yi Xiang’s mother invites Lin Xiaosu into Yi Xiang’s bamboo house—an important sign of familial acceptance within the Miao tradition. She prepares a meal while Lin and Yi Xiang spend time together.
• In the bamboo house, Lin discovers Yi Xiang reading an ancient family heirloom titled Wu-Gu, a text combining ancient witchcraft and thirty-seven generations of Miao knowledge.
• Lin examines Little Tiger, Yi Xiang’s white cat, and discovers that the “bump” on her head is actually a developing horn. He realizes that Little Tiger is beginning to evolve into Aoji, the first divine beast from the Archaic World to appear in the present world.
• Yi Xiang reveals that Little Tiger began ramming her head against the stone wall in Peacock Valley where Lin had carved words, possibly exposing her to the otherworldly energy necessary for evolution.
• Yi Xiang casually describes her peaceful “retirement,” in which she reads, gathers herbs, and receives a salary from Changsheng Group, though she insists she still has responsibilities.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates strategic foresight through the pressure he has placed on the Hydra Overlord. Personally, he is affectionate, playful, and increasingly integrated into Yi Xiang’s family life. His sensitivity to otherworldly energy allows him to recognize Little Tiger’s transformation before anyone else.
• The Hydra Overlord: Remains confident and arrogant despite recognizing that Lin Xiaosu has outmaneuvered him. He understands that the true danger is not merely being found, but having his existence correctly inferred.
• The chief planner: Experiences growing unease and acknowledges that Lin Xiaosu has defeated him strategically on multiple fronts.
• Yi Xiang: Appears content with her quiet life in the Miao village, while becoming more openly intimate with Lin Xiaosu. She also shares her family’s secret knowledge and treats him as someone fully accepted into the household.
• Yi Xiang’s mother: Shows clear approval of Lin Xiaosu and their relationship by welcoming him into the bamboo house and preparing food for them.
• Little Tiger: Begins a major transformation, suggesting that her true identity and powers are about to emerge.

Significant Themes

• Strategic deduction and hidden identities: Lin Xiaosu’s greatest achievement is recognizing that the apparent Hydra Overlord may be only a cover for a deeper, hidden figure.
• Constricting an enemy’s choices: The chapter emphasizes how a long-term plan can succeed by eliminating every avenue of escape rather than confronting an opponent directly.
• Family acceptance and intimacy: Lin’s visit to Yi Xiang’s home marks a deeper level of trust and belonging, especially through his invitation into her private bamboo house.
• Ancient knowledge and supernatural evolution: The Wu-Gu manuscript and Little Tiger’s horn connect Miao traditions with the larger mystery of otherworldly creatures and energies.
• Peaceful domestic life amid looming danger: Warm family interactions and romantic humor contrast sharply with the Hydra Overlord’s conspiracies and the impending supernatural transformation.

Character Interactions

• The Hydra Overlord and chief planner discuss Lin Xiaosu’s investigation, revealing their differing levels of confidence and anxiety.
• Lin and Yi Xiang share a playful, physically affectionate reunion, with Yi Xiang attempting to prevent her mother from discovering their intimacy.
• Yi Xiang’s mother treats Lin warmly and deliberately gives him access to Yi Xiang’s private space, signaling her approval.
• Lin bonds with Little Tiger while examining her mysterious injury, leading to the discovery of her impending evolution.
• Lin and Yi Xiang discuss her relaxed life, her salary, and her family heirloom, combining romantic teasing with the revelation of important supernatural knowledge.

Chapter Summary: The Gate of Creation

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Xiang explains that she has accepted a research mission from Ding Lizhong, chairman of Changsheng Group: to break the genetic limitations of modern Genetic Modification.
• These limitations include low success rates, Genetic Rejection, and the fact that successful subjects reach a fixed peak with no further room for improvement.
• Ding believes the ancient Gu Path may provide clues, since Gu cultivation and Genetic Modification share the same fundamental goal: altering and strengthening the human body.
• Lin Xiaosu agrees to study the problem with Yi Xiang. Her mother enthusiastically supports their closeness and deliberately leaves the house at night to give them privacy.
• During dinner, Lin Xiaosu drinks wine containing the antidote to the Love Gu. This removes her mother’s lingering concern and allows her to relax about their relationship.
• Lin Xiaosu and Yi Xiang spend ten peaceful days together in the Miao village while her mother and the villagers grow accustomed to him as a refined, studious son-in-law.
• During this time, Lin Xiaosu reads nearly a hundred ancient texts left by the previous Witch God, using his exceptional memory and comprehension to absorb them completely.
• After finishing the texts, he begins synthesizing their ideas and discovers a new understanding of the Gu Path. The chapter ends as he turns to a book called Creation Formula, which promises to explain how the Gu Path can reach perfection.

Character Developments

• Yi Xiang reveals that her ambitions are connected to her father’s lifelong research. Though she once failed to understand the Gu Path deeply enough, she is now determined to continue his work through Ding’s mission.
• Lin Xiaosu becomes an active research partner rather than merely a visitor. His intelligence, memory, and willingness to study ancient knowledge are emphasized.
• Lin Xiaosu also becomes fully integrated into Yi Xiang’s family and community, gaining the reputation of being cultured, hardworking, and promising.
• Yi Xiang’s mother shifts from worrying about the Love Gu to openly facilitating Lin Xiaosu and Yi Xiang’s relationship. Her actions show that she accepts him as part of the family.
• Yi Xiang and Lin Xiaosu’s relationship grows more intimate and comfortable, though they maintain an outwardly respectable appearance around her mother and the villagers.

Significant Themes

• Science and ancient cultivation as parallel paths: The chapter reinforces the idea that Genetic Modification is the modern equivalent of the Gu Path.
• Breaking biological limitations: The central mission is to overcome genetic rejection, low success rates, and fixed physical potential.
• Inheritance and continuation: Yi Xiang carries forward her father’s dream, while Ding’s mission represents a modern continuation of the same pursuit.
• True meaning of the Gu Path: Gu are not merely poisonous insects or external tools. At their highest level, they form a path of bodily transformation through Human-Gu Unity.
• Unity of external power and the human body: Perfect Gu cultivation allows a Gu’s abilities to feed back into its master, effectively creating biological enhancement.
• Domestic warmth and acceptance: The family meals, village life, and mother’s behavior emphasize Lin Xiaosu’s gradual acceptance into Yi Xiang’s home and culture.

Character Interactions

• Yi Xiang and Lin Xiaosu openly discuss their shared research goals, strengthening their intellectual partnership.
• Yi Xiang’s mother treats Lin Xiaosu like a future son-in-law, preparing his usual wine and seat at dinner.
• The wine secretly contains the Love Gu antidote, symbolizing the mother’s desire to remove the last obstacle to their relationship.
• Yi Xiang and Lin Xiaosu share a playful, intimate relationship, with Lin Xiaosu teasing her while she remains emotionally and physically drawn to him.
• The villagers observe Lin Xiaosu from a distance and admire his refined manners and love of reading, further confirming his acceptance as a Miao Village son-in-law.
• Lin Xiaosu’s study of the ancient texts leads to a major conceptual interaction between the ancient Gu Path, cultivation theory, and modern genetic science.

Chapter Summary: “Shattering the Flesh Star, Experiencing Creation Firsthand”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu studies the theory of the Gate of Creation, a mysterious organ-like system within the human body. When opened, it allows a person to merge with a Gu while accepting its beneficial abilities and filtering out its harmful traits.
• He realizes that this process resembles genetic modification: the body extracts useful genetic qualities while rejecting defects. He begins to suspect that his own cultivation may actually be an ancient form of genetic engineering.
• Yi Xiang remarks that Lin Xiaosu has become physically stronger. This prompts him to examine the effects of the Heavenly Star Tears, particularly the Flesh Stars that have merged into his body.
• Lin Xiaosu discovers that his cultivation has reached a limit. Only eight stars blaze above his Blood Pagoda instead of the required nine, preventing him from entering the Peering into Heaven Realm. Accepting that his cultivation path may end here, he focuses on investigating the Flesh Star’s effect on his body.
• By using his Primordial Spirit to observe the Flesh Star’s energy, Lin Xiaosu discovers the Gate of Creation within himself. It functions like the root of a tree, distributing purified nourishment throughout the body’s organs and tissues.
• He realizes that he opened his Gate of Creation long ago. His “Body Cultivation” is essentially a purified form of genetic modification: the Flesh Stars strengthen his bloodline and body while the Gate of Creation removes impurities.
• Lin Xiaosu then attempts to locate Yi Xiang’s Gate of Creation by examining the aura of her Life-Bound Gu, the Blood Butterfly.
• He finds her Gate of Creation in her right breast and helps break it open. The Blood Butterfly enters the gate, triggering Human-Gu Unity.
• Yi Xiang undergoes a dramatic transformation and gains her first new ability: she can levitate and fly, despite previously having no combat abilities.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu shifts from merely practicing martial cultivation to understanding the deeper connection between cultivation and genetic modification. He recognizes that his physical strengthening through the Flesh Stars is not separate from genetic evolution but an ancient, controlled version of it.
• He also demonstrates remarkable insight and spiritual precision by locating both his own and Yi Xiang’s Gates of Creation.
• Although disappointed that he cannot achieve the ninth-star breakthrough, Lin Xiaosu redirects his energy toward experimentation and helping Yi Xiang.
• Yi Xiang moves from being an ordinary person with limited physical power to someone capable of Human-Gu Unity and supernatural movement. Her bond with the Blood Butterfly becomes fully integrated with her body.
• Yi Xiang remains emotionally conflicted about her relationship with Lin Xiaosu. She wants his love to be genuine rather than forced by Gu, yet she also hopes he might formally choose her despite their agreement that he may have other wives.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and science converging: The chapter presents Body Cultivation and genetic modification as two versions of the same process, reached through different historical paths.
• Human potential and transformation: The Gate of Creation represents the body’s hidden ability to refine external power into something beneficial and uniquely personal.
• Purification versus corruption: Opening the gate allows the body to retain a Gu’s strengths while expelling its flaws, contrasting with failed or forced Human-Gu Unity that produces monstrous results.
• Limits and acceptance: Lin Xiaosu’s inability to form the ninth star marks a possible end to his cultivation path, but he responds by pursuing knowledge and helping others rather than dwelling on failure.
• Intimacy and trust: Physical closeness between Lin Xiaosu and Yi Xiang becomes intertwined with experimentation and spiritual assistance, reflecting both their romantic relationship and their deep mutual trust.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Yi Xiang banter flirtatiously about his strength and their intimate relationship. Yi Xiang worries about her mother’s possible reaction to their relationship, especially the possibility of coercive Gu use or pressure for marriage.
• Yi Xiang’s teasing comment that Lin Xiaosu is becoming “fiercer” inspires his breakthrough regarding the Flesh Stars and genetic modification.
• Lin Xiaosu uses his spiritual power to inspect Yi Xiang’s body and guide the opening of her Gate of Creation.
• Yi Xiang initially expects further romantic intimacy, but Lin Xiaosu instead focuses on helping her achieve Human-Gu Unity. The process causes pain and pleasure, and ends with her Blood Butterfly merging fully into the newly opened gate.
• The chapter concludes with Yi Xiang floating in the bamboo house, astonished by her newly awakened power, while Lin Xiaosu is equally shocked by the result.

Chapter Summary: “Lone Serpent Took the Board”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yi Xiang successfully uses the Gu Path to levitate, achieving something normally possible only for cultivators in the Enlightened Realm. Her breakthrough demonstrates how the Gu Path can overturn conventional cultivation by borrowing a gu’s abilities.
• The next day, Lin Xiaosu, Yi Xiang, and Little Tiger return to Peacock Valley. Lin discovers that the formation platform there is connected to the Archaic—or Primordial—World and may open during the Equatorial Sun Rift, on the third day of the third lunar month the following year.
• Lin explains that the world contains hidden Folded Spaces and that the formation seals an exit through which exotic beasts or people from another world might emerge. If the formation collapses entirely, the consequences could be catastrophic and unpredictable.
• Lin advises Yi Xiang to take her mother to safety in River City, but Yi Xiang refuses to abandon the three thousand villagers of Millennium Miao Village. She chooses to remain and protect them with Little Tiger and Xiaowu.
• Lin leaves to deal with another breach near his hometown, entrusting Little Tiger with protecting Yi Xiang. Their farewell emphasizes both their affection and the dangers they face.
• After returning near Witch God Mountain, Lin uses his Heavenly Insight Eye and Spacetime Reversal to investigate whether Lone Serpent visited the area. He discovers that Lone Serpent secretly watched Hu Die and Little Moon from a tree outside their window for two hours before leaving without revealing himself.
• This silent visit proves that Lone Serpent still retains some feelings for his family, particularly his sister Hu Die. Lin therefore sees him as not entirely lost to cruelty and believes there may still be hope for him.
• Lin meets Blue Demon, who has been waiting in a car at the foot of the mountain for days. Their teasing, flirtatious exchange reveals her irritation and concern, while Lin reports his discovery about Lone Serpent.

Character Developments

• Yi Xiang demonstrates extraordinary cultivation potential through her levitation and shows strong loyalty and courage by refusing to leave the Miao villagers behind.
• Lin Xiaosu takes on a protective and strategic role. He prepares Yi Xiang for the coming disaster, entrusts her safety to Little Tiger, and investigates Lone Serpent not merely as an enemy but as someone whose remaining humanity may determine his fate.
• Little Tiger displays unusual awareness of the Archaic World’s energy and accepts responsibility for protecting Yi Xiang, though it retains its proud and disdainful personality toward Lin.
• Lone Serpent is revealed to possess lingering human emotion. Though he avoids direct contact, his silent observation of Hu Die and Little Moon suggests attachment, longing, and a possible struggle against his own inhuman nature.
• Blue Demon appears increasingly emotionally attached to Lin Xiaosu. Her prolonged wait for him exposes feelings she tries to disguise as professional concern, and her teasing reflects their comfortable, intimate dynamic.
• Hu Die remains unaware that Lone Serpent has watched her, but her relationship with Little Moon becomes the emotional focus of his visit.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and the limits of cultivation: Yi Xiang’s levitation represents the Gu Path’s ability to bypass established rules and redefine what is possible.
• Duty versus personal safety: Yi Xiang chooses to remain with the Miao villagers despite the looming threat, placing communal responsibility above her own protection.
• Hidden worlds and impending catastrophe: The sealed Folded Spaces suggest that the apparent world is fragile and that forces beyond human understanding may soon break through.
• Humanity within monstrosity: Lone Serpent’s quiet visit suggests that even someone seemingly corrupted beyond redemption may retain love and familial feeling.
• Hope and judgment: Lin Xiaosu uses Lone Serpent’s actions as a test. If Lone Serpent still values family, he may be saved; if not, Lin will exclude him from the future “chessboard.”
• Affection expressed through teasing: Lin and Blue Demon’s banter masks concern and attraction, while Lin and Yi Xiang’s farewell conveys tenderness amid danger.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Yi Xiang discuss the coming disaster, with Yi Xiang insisting on protecting her people rather than fleeing.
• Lin jokingly orders Little Tiger to guard Yi Xiang, and the beast reluctantly agrees.
• Lone Serpent interacts indirectly with Hu Die and Little Moon by watching them from a distance, choosing observation over confrontation.
• Lin and Blue Demon exchange playful accusations about his “stakeout” and time spent with Yi Xiang. Their conversation shifts when Lin reveals evidence that Lone Serpent still possesses human emotion.

Key plot points

• While driving to find Lone Serpent, Lin Xiaosu tells Blue Demon that he may still care about his family. He plans to win his cooperation simply by finding him, offering something, and speaking with him—but Blue Demon misunderstands how decisive Lin’s tracking ability really is.
• Lin reveals that his fallback plan depends on Qing Yan, whom he believes is Dawa, a Tibetan woman he met on Miyan Road.
• Lin recounts Dawa’s kindness and her frightening ability to drain life from nearby creatures. Later research by Professor Xiang Yixiu showed that Dawa’s story was partly false: she came from Moye Valley’s Roc Branch, had a happy childhood, and was abducted at ten. Her dangerous Plague God Physique appeared only after she vanished, suggesting it resulted from Nirvana.
• Xiang also discovered that Dawa entered Kun Cang on October 11, shortly after Hydra’s members were exposed. She may have gone there as Hydra’s weapon—or to hide from the Hydra Overlord and resist his control.
• Lin plans to enter Kun Cang and ask for powerful cultivators to support a formation he expects to need on the third day of the third month next year.
• Blue Demon worries that her Gene Human abilities may not be enough to keep pace with Lin. Lin reassures her, and she ends by insisting that Gene Humans cannot advance because they begin at their peak.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Xiaosu shows confidence in his ability to trace events, but also a personal hope that Dawa—his “moon”—has not become corrupted. He believes she may still be capable of choosing her own path.
• Blue Demon moves from skepticism about Lin’s simple approach to recognizing the importance of Qing Yan and the uncertainty surrounding her loyalties. Her concern about falling behind reveals both her devotion to Lin and her insecurity about her role.
• Dawa/Qing Yan emerges as a pivotal, largely absent figure: once innocent and kind to Lin, she is now suspected of being Hydra’s most powerful hidden Nirvana Adept.
• Lin and Blue Demon’s conversation mixes strategic planning with teasing affection. He calls her his “brightest moon,” while she jokes that he uses sweet words indiscriminately before returning to the serious question of her abilities.

Significant themes

• Hope versus suspicion: Qing Yan may be Hydra’s weapon or someone trying to escape it; Lin chooses to preserve hope without dismissing the danger.
• The power of knowledge and perspective: Lin’s extraordinary Time Law turns an apparently complex search into a straightforward task, while Blue Demon lacks access to that deeper understanding.
• Loyalty and vulnerability: Qing Yan may be protecting her family from the Hydra Overlord, and Blue Demon fears she may eventually be unable to stand beside Lin.
• Change and limitation: Dawa’s transformation after abduction and Nirvana contrasts with Blue Demon’s belief that Gene Humans cannot grow beyond their initial peak.

Chapter Summary: “A Token of Allegiance for Lone Serpent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu spends two weeks in the Miao Village, both waiting for Lone Serpent to make a move and investigating the Gu Path with Yi Xiang.
• He discovers the existence of the Creation Gate, a mysterious feature of the human body essential to achieving “Human-Gu Unity.” By helping Yi Xiang open hers, he causes her physical body to ascend into the sky, proving the gate is real.
• Lin realizes this discovery could solve a major bottleneck in genetic technology, though applying it to Gene Humans will be extremely difficult because they lack the Life-Bound Gu that helped him locate Yi Xiang’s gate.
• Lin and Blue Demon track Lone Serpent through the rainy Miao mountains. Lone Serpent repeatedly circles Witch God Mountain, suggesting either a deliberate attempt to mislead them or that he has lost his sense of direction and purpose.
• Lin openly calls out to Lone Serpent and offers him protection if he reveals the identity and location of the true Hydra Overlord. He also tells Lone Serpent that Hydra murdered his father rather than causing his death accidentally.
• As a second appeal, Lin hangs up a small reed horse made by Lone Serpent’s sister, Hu Die. Lone Serpent secretly takes it, confirming that he is nearby.
• Lin explains that he has also detected a hidden fourth person in the forest: a watcher sent by Hydra to monitor Lone Serpent.
• Lin intentionally tells Lone Serpent that he cannot escape, hoping the watcher will report this to Hydra. Hydra then sends Wuguang to kill Lone Serpent, forcing Lone Serpent to choose between dying for Hydra or turning against them.
• The chapter ends with Wuguang attacking. His mist transforms into invisible blades that pierce Lone Serpent’s body.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates strategic intelligence and psychological insight. Rather than simply confronting Lone Serpent, he creates circumstances that may force him to prove his allegiance through action.
• Blue Demon becomes increasingly impressed—and somewhat humbled—by Lin’s perception and planning. She recognizes that he sees hidden enemies and anticipates developments beyond her own awareness.
• Lone Serpent begins to recover suppressed memories from his repeated Nirvanas. The little horse awakens memories of his sister, Hu Die, and reconnects him with his former identity and family affection.
• Lone Serpent’s loyalties become uncertain. His confusion and wandering suggest he has lost faith in Hydra, while the recovered memories give him an emotional reason to reject them.
• Wuguang appears as Hydra’s enforcer, ordered to eliminate Lone Serpent because his possible defection threatens the Sacred Mountain and Hydra’s security.

Significant Themes

• Identity and memory: Lone Serpent’s Nirvana rebirths have fragmented his past, but objects and emotional associations gradually restore his memories.
• Family versus indoctrination: Hu Die’s handmade horse symbolizes genuine familial love, contrasting with Hydra’s manipulation and violence.
• Manipulation and strategy: Lin uses both truth and emotional pressure to influence Lone Serpent, turning Hydra’s own surveillance system against them.
• Redemption and allegiance: Lone Serpent is given a chance to escape punishment, but Lin understands that words alone may not be enough; killing Hydra’s agent could become his “token of allegiance.”
• Scientific and bodily transformation: The Creation Gate introduces a major advancement in genetic and Gu-path cultivation, expanding the story’s larger technological and metaphysical conflict.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Blue Demon work closely while tracking Lone Serpent, with Lin leading through superior observation and strategy.
• Lin appeals directly to Lone Serpent by exposing the truth about his father’s murder and invoking his bond with Hu Die.
• Blue Demon analyzes Lin’s plan and realizes that the reed horse is an emotional tether designed to awaken Lone Serpent’s loyalty to his sister.
• Lin manipulates Wuguang through his public declaration, ensuring that Hydra’s watcher hears enough to provoke an assassination attempt.
• Lone Serpent’s confrontation with Wuguang begins the decisive test of whether he will remain Hydra’s servant or become its enemy.

Chapter Summary: “Meeting Lone Serpent”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lone Serpent kills Wuguang, a special envoy of the Hydra organization, by exploiting the weakness in Wuguang’s ability to shift between tangible and intangible forms. Lone Serpent realizes that Wuguang must briefly become tangible when launching a lethal attack, allowing him to counterkill him despite suffering severe wounds.
• Lone Serpent’s injuries begin healing, demonstrating his extraordinary endurance and regenerative ability.
• At Fengwu Mountain Residence, Blue Demon reflects on her complicated feelings for Lin Xiaosu. She originally approached him to protect him and judge whether he was worthy of her best friend Changye, but gradually fell in love with him herself.
• Blue Demon remembers Lin Xiaosu’s willingness to abandon his own cultivation path to save Changye. His devotion causes her to fall completely for him, though their mutual attraction remains unspoken.
• The next morning, Lin Xiaosu and Blue Demon travel into the mountains and discover Lone Serpent hiding in a cave.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that he deliberately provoked Wuguang into targeting Lone Serpent. By portraying Lone Serpent as Sacred Mountain’s greatest threat, he forced Hydra to attempt to silence him.
• Lin Xiaosu attempts to recruit Lone Serpent, arguing that after killing one of the Hydra Overlord’s trusted subordinates, Lone Serpent has no path back to Hydra. To protect his sister, Lone Serpent must strike first and kill the Hydra Overlord.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that Little Moon is not merely Lone Serpent’s sister’s daughter or dependent—she is actually Lone Serpent himself in some deeper, mysterious sense. He explains that Lone Serpent’s sister saw her own and her brother’s childhood loneliness in Little Moon.
• Lin Xiaosu delivers a message from Lone Serpent’s sister, who asks whether he still remembers the little horse and promises to wait for him on Witch God Mountain.
• Lone Serpent is visibly shaken by the message and begins reconsidering his choices.
• However, he warns Lin Xiaosu that the Hydra Overlord cannot be killed because he is a “Remnant Seed,” an ancient being whose physical body was destroyed long ago and who remains the only surviving ancient great power in the world.

Character Developments

• Lone Serpent: Proves himself a ruthless but highly intelligent fighter, willing to exchange serious injuries for an enemy’s death. His encounter with Lin Xiaosu reveals emotional vulnerability beneath his cold exterior, particularly regarding his sister, family, and childhood memories. He appears increasingly isolated from Hydra and may be forced into an alliance with Lin Xiaosu.
• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates exceptional foresight, manipulation, and confidence. He engineered the conflict between Wuguang and Lone Serpent and openly explains his scheme rather than hiding it. His recruitment strategy relies not on warmth but on overwhelming certainty and the promise of defeating Hydra’s seemingly invincible leader.
• Blue Demon: Internally acknowledges that she has fallen in love with Lin Xiaosu despite his relationship with Changye. Her feelings remain restrained, but her reflections reveal deep emotional conflict, longing, and guilt.
• Wuguang: His death establishes the vulnerability of even highly unusual Hydra agents and highlights Lone Serpent’s ability to analyze and exploit an opponent’s powers.
• Lone Serpent’s Sister: Though absent, she becomes emotionally important through her message and her connection to Little Moon, revealing that she remains deeply concerned about her brother despite their separation.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and survival: Lone Serpent wins by sacrificing his body and relying on superior will and timing rather than avoiding injury.
• Manipulation and strategic intelligence: Lin Xiaosu treats events and people as pieces in a larger strategy, deliberately influencing Hydra’s decisions to create an alliance with Lone Serpent.
• Loneliness and family bonds: Both Lone Serpent and his sister are portrayed as deeply isolated. Their shared history and connection to Little Moon offer the possibility of reconciliation.
• Unspoken love and emotional restraint: Blue Demon’s love for Lin Xiaosu remains hidden because of his relationship with Changye, creating tension between loyalty, desire, and self-denial.
• Humanity versus power: Lin Xiaosu’s decision to preserve Changye rather than pursue godlike cultivation is presented as evidence of genuine humanity and emotional devotion.
• The limits of power: The revelation that the Hydra Overlord is an ancient Remnant Seed raises the stakes and suggests that ordinary strength may be insufficient to defeat him.

Important Character Interactions

• Lone Serpent and Wuguang: Their battle is a contest of endurance and timing. Lone Serpent allows Wuguang to wound him so he can strike during Wuguang’s moment of vulnerability.
• Blue Demon and Lin Xiaosu: Their quiet companionship contrasts with Blue Demon’s suppressed romantic feelings. She observes his confidence and strategic behavior with admiration and confusion.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent: Lin Xiaosu confronts Lone Serpent directly, reveals his manipulation, and attempts to gain his allegiance through truth, intimidation, and knowledge of his family.
• Lin Xiaosu and Blue Demon: Blue Demon witnesses Lin Xiaosu’s unusual method of recruitment and recognizes that his apparent arrogance serves a calculated purpose.
• Lone Serpent and his sister: Although they do not meet, the little horse and his sister’s message create an emotional bridge between them, reminding Lone Serpent of their shared past and her desire for his return.

Chapter Summary: “Doufang Temple on Mount Doufang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lone Serpent reveals that the Hydra Overlord possesses a Primordial Spirit, meaning he has reached at least the Spirit Enlightenment stage—far beyond what anyone in the Dharma-Degenerate Era is believed capable of achieving.
• Because a Primordial Spirit cannot be destroyed through ordinary physical attacks, Lone Serpent argues that neither he nor Lin Xiaosu could safely kill the Overlord.
• Lin Xiaosu rejects this fatalism, claiming that even a Primordial Spirit can be destroyed if the correct method is used. He proposes being taken directly to the Overlord and promises to prove it by taking the Overlord’s head.
• To convince Lone Serpent of his abilities and strengthen his resolve, Lin Xiaosu uses his Transformation Art to perfectly imitate Wuguang, a Hydra envoy whom Lone Serpent had supposedly killed.
• Lin Xiaosu retrieves Wuguang’s buried corpse, takes his clothing, and changes into them, making the disguise complete. Blue Demon secretly warns him to remain cautious of Lone Serpent, but Lin Xiaosu proceeds.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent travel by high-speed train to Doufang Temple on Mount Doufang, Hydra’s hidden headquarters. The temple’s tourist traffic and religious function provide an ideal cover for a criminal organization.
• They pass through the temple and enter a concealed passage behind a waterfall, using a hidden Gate opened by the monk Huita. The passage leads deep into the mountain, to the Overlord’s secluded chamber.
• The Hydra Overlord appears as an ordinary older man sitting beside a lotus pool. Despite Lin Xiaosu’s flawless disguise, the Overlord immediately recognizes him and says, “Lin Xiaosu, welcome to walking into my net!”
• The Overlord instantly uses his Soul-Seizing Technique, separating Lin Xiaosu’s consciousness from his body and leaving him motionless and apparently helpless.
• Lone Serpent recognizes the technique and realizes the situation is extremely dangerous. The Overlord then asks him whether he killed Wuguang, leaving Lone Serpent terrified.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu displays increasing confidence and strategic boldness. He deliberately showcases his Transformation Art to manipulate Lone Serpent’s confidence and secure passage into the Overlord’s base.
• His disguise demonstrates extraordinary control and supernatural ability, but his confidence is challenged when the Overlord sees through him immediately.
• Lone Serpent remains skeptical and cautious. Although he agrees to guide Lin Xiaosu, he is aware that entering the Overlord’s territory could be a trap and that he may be unable to survive the Overlord’s retaliation.
• Lone Serpent’s fear intensifies after witnessing Lin Xiaosu fall victim to the Soul-Seizing Technique, especially because he has seen the same technique incapacitate powerful figures before.
• Blue Demon acts as a practical and protective ally, warning Lin Xiaosu not to trust Lone Serpent completely. She disappears before the infiltration, leaving Lin Xiaosu to rely on his own plan.
• The Hydra Overlord is revealed to be far more perceptive and dangerous than expected. He instantly identifies Lin Xiaosu despite the perfect disguise and takes control of the encounter before Lin Xiaosu can act.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Lin Xiaosu’s flawless transformation cannot deceive the Overlord, emphasizing the limits of external disguises against deeper spiritual perception.
• Power beyond conventional cultivation: The Primordial Spirit and Soul-Seizing Technique establish a level of power that physical strength and ordinary defenses cannot overcome.
• Trust and betrayal: Lin Xiaosu must depend on Lone Serpent while suspecting that Lone Serpent may betray him. The Overlord’s question about Wuguang suggests hidden guilt, deception, or divided loyalties.
• Cunning versus overwhelming strength: Lin Xiaosu relies on deception, planning, and psychological manipulation to enter the headquarters, but the Overlord counters him effortlessly through superior spiritual power.
• Hiding in plain sight: Doufang Temple represents how respectable institutions and public spaces can conceal criminal networks, allowing Hydra to operate openly while appearing legitimate.
• The danger of overconfidence: Lin Xiaosu believes he has found a way to destroy a Primordial Spirit, yet the Overlord’s immediate counterattack shows that his plan may have underestimated his enemy.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu debates Lone Serpent over whether a Primordial Spirit can be destroyed, positioning himself as confident and knowledgeable while challenging Lone Serpent’s assumptions.
• Lin Xiaosu deliberately demonstrates his transformation and recovery of Wuguang’s clothing to convince Lone Serpent that the infiltration can succeed.
• Blue Demon communicates secretly with Lin Xiaosu, warning him that Lone Serpent may have ulterior motives.
• Lone Serpent guides Lin Xiaosu through Doufang Temple and identifies the hidden route to the Overlord’s chamber.
• The Overlord immediately exposes Lin Xiaosu’s disguise, seizes his consciousness, and confronts Lone Serpent about Wuguang’s death, turning the infiltration into a potential trap for both men.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hydra Overlord threatens Lone Serpent’s sister and orders him to kill Lin Xiaosu as punishment for betraying Hydra.
• Lone Serpent appears to obey, but instead attempts to use his “inescapable distance” to attack the Hydra Overlord directly. Shadowless intercepts him, impaling his shoulder and forcing him into a battle of Lesser Divinity.
• Lin Xiaosu’s consciousness enters the Hydra Overlord’s Lesser-Divine space, where he recognizes the Overlord as the mysterious figure whose Lesser-Divine Water once initiated his own Lesser Divine Art.
• The Hydra Overlord attempts to crush Lin Xiaosu with overwhelming power, believing Lin Xiaosu’s abilities originated from him and that he can reclaim both his “investment” and Lin Xiaosu’s body.
• While the Overlord focuses on the mental battle, Lin Xiaosu’s physical body suddenly moves and decapitates him with a Five-Element Sword. This reveals that Lin Xiaosu has mastered a Soul-Division or Clone Art, allowing one part of his spirit to remain trapped while another controls his body.
• The Hydra Overlord’s physical body is destroyed, and his Lesser-Divine Avatar is reduced to roughly Lin Xiaosu’s level. However, he remains extremely skilled in Lesser Divine Art and launches Thousand Lanterns Extinguished, a devastating attack of countless sword-like lights.
• Lin Xiaosu counters with the Heavenly-Human Lock, absorbing the attack through a mysterious Gate. He declares that, with the Overlord’s physical body gone, the advantage has shifted to him.
• The Hydra Overlord then attempts to seize Lin Xiaosu’s body. A blood-colored lotus emerges from the black pool, transforming the battlefield into an immense ancient war scene filled with shattered stars, immortal paths, and countless powerful beings. The chapter ends on this dramatic cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates that he planned for the Hydra Overlord’s Lesser Divine Art and possessed a hidden trump card: the ability to divide his spirit and control his body independently. His confidence and strategic cunning allow him to reverse what seemed like certain defeat.
• The Hydra Overlord is revealed to have a direct connection to Lin Xiaosu’s origins as a Lesser-Divinity cultivator. Although his physical body is destroyed, his mastery and experience in Lesser Divine Art remain formidable. His ambition also expands from rebuilding Hydra to potentially infiltrating and controlling Qianlong through Lin Xiaosu’s body.
• Lone Serpent confirms that his apparent betrayal was a ruse. His willingness to risk his life for his sister shows both his desperation and his remaining loyalty, but Shadowless prevents his attack from succeeding.
• Shadowless emerges as a powerful and decisive enforcer of the Hydra Overlord’s orders, defeating Lone Serpent in the Lesser-Divine battlefield.

Significant Themes

• Cause and consequence: The Hydra Overlord claims that Lin Xiaosu is the fruit of the power he once planted, while Lin Xiaosu argues that the Overlord’s evil actions have created the “death tribulation” he now faces.
• Strategy versus raw power: The Overlord initially dominates through superior cultivation and experience, but Lin Xiaosu succeeds through preparation, deception, and the unexpected Soul-Division Art.
• The dangers of Lesser Divine Art: The chapter emphasizes that battles between Lesser-Divinity experts occur primarily on the spiritual level, while control of the physical body can determine the outcome.
• Creation and reclamation: The Overlord views Lin Xiaosu as something he unintentionally created and therefore believes he has the right to reclaim. Lin Xiaosu rejects this idea by proving that his own choices and methods have surpassed the Overlord’s expectations.
• Power and ambition: Even after losing Hydra, the Overlord sees an opportunity to seize Qianlong and obtain greater influence, showing that his ambitions extend beyond personal survival.

Character Interactions

• The Hydra Overlord psychologically torments Lone Serpent by threatening his sister, forcing him to beg for mercy.
• Lone Serpent pretends to target Lin Xiaosu but turns on the Overlord, demonstrating his defiance.
• Shadowless and Lone Serpent engage in a deadly physical and spiritual confrontation, with Shadowless accusing Lone Serpent of wasting his final chance.
• Lin Xiaosu and the Hydra Overlord exchange taunts during their Lesser-Divine battle, debating who truly created or controls Lin Xiaosu’s path.
• After revealing his Soul-Division Art, Lin Xiaosu mocks the Overlord for teaching him the principle that the physical body is the foundation of Lesser Divine Art.
• The Overlord responds with admiration and renewed greed, treating Lin Xiaosu’s hidden abilities as an even more valuable prize rather than accepting defeat.

Chapter Summary: Spatial Law Shatters the Primordial Spirit

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hydra Overlord activates the Sun Lotus, causing his body to expand and restoring him to his full Nine-Heavens Immortal Venerable form.
• He transforms the Sun Lotus’s power into a blood-colored heavenly blade and prepares to kill Lin Xiaosu.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that taking the Sun Lotus was part of his original plan. Using the Heavenly Insight Eye, the Five-Element Sword, and Spatial Law, he locates the hidden Sun Lotus and pulls it into his own Spatial Secret Realm.
• With the Sun Lotus removed, the Hydra Overlord’s enhanced form collapses. Lin Xiaosu then drags the Overlord into his own Lesser-Divine domain, reversing their advantage.
• Lin Xiaosu attacks and splits the Hydra Overlord’s Lesser-Divine Avatar. However, the Overlord reveals a hidden Primordial Spirit, which begins destroying Lin Xiaosu’s spatial domain.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that he also possesses a Primordial Spirit. Though inexperienced in Primordial Spirit techniques, he uses the power of his Spatial Secret Realm to trigger violent spatial turbulence.
• The turbulence shatters the Hydra Overlord’s Primordial Spirit into countless fragments, killing the ancient powerhouse.
• Meanwhile, outside the domain, Lone Serpent fights Shadowless in a brutal exchange. Although Lone Serpent is weaker in conventional combat, he relies on a willingness to trade injuries for openings.
• Lin Xiaosu intervenes at the decisive moment, knocking Shadowless back with Parting Weight. He and Lone Serpent simultaneously strike Shadowless’s throat, killing him.
• Lin Xiaosu heals Lone Serpent’s wounds, and the two stand victorious before the now-empty grand chair that once symbolized their former master’s authority.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional strategic ability, revealing that his victory depends not on overwhelming strength but on carefully chaining together every available trump card.
• He proves he possesses both a Primordial Spirit and mastery of Spatial Law, secrets the Hydra Overlord never anticipated.
• Lin Xiaosu also shows a darker, more ruthless side. After the Hydra Overlord threatens his loved ones and parents, Lin Xiaosu resolves to kill him slowly and make him suffer.
• The Hydra Overlord is exposed as immensely powerful but overconfident. His reliance on the Sun Lotus and belief that Lin Xiaosu lacked a Primordial Spirit lead him into successive tactical errors.
• Lone Serpent confirms that his greatest strength is not raw combat ability but a battle philosophy centered on sacrifice, endurance, and exchanging injury for the chance to strike back.
• Shadowless, despite superior speed and technique, is defeated because he cannot overcome the combined timing and force of Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent.
• Lone Serpent is left questioning why Lin Xiaosu trusted him, suggesting deeper emotional or strategic significance to their alliance.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Lin Xiaosu wins by exploiting weaknesses, controlling the battlefield, and using his abilities in the correct sequence.
• Hidden trump cards and incomplete knowledge: The Hydra Overlord understands his own strengths but fails to recognize Lin Xiaosu’s true capabilities, embodying the danger of “knowing oneself but not one’s enemy.”
• Reversal of power: The chapter repeatedly shifts control—from the Hydra Overlord’s dominance, to Lin Xiaosu’s control of the Lesser-Divine domain, and finally to the destruction of the Overlord’s Primordial Spirit.
• The cost of arrogance: The Hydra Overlord’s confidence causes him to underestimate Lin Xiaosu, while Shadowless’s reliance on his superior technique cannot compensate for Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent’s cooperation.
• Loyalty and trust: Lone Serpent’s victory and his final question emphasize the importance—and mystery—of Lin Xiaosu’s decision to trust him.
• Justice and vengeance: Lin Xiaosu’s determination to make the Hydra Overlord suffer reflects both personal anger and a desire to avenge the many victims of the Overlord’s cruelty.

Important Character Interactions

• The Hydra Overlord attempts to psychologically provoke Lin Xiaosu by threatening his companions and parents, but instead intensifies Lin Xiaosu’s resolve.
• Lin Xiaosu repeatedly outmaneuvers the Hydra Overlord, turning his own domain and treasures against him.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent fight in perfect coordination to kill Shadowless.
• Afterward, Lin Xiaosu heals Lone Serpent, reinforcing their partnership.
• The chapter ends with Lone Serpent directly asking why Lin Xiaosu trusted him, leaving their relationship—and Lin Xiaosu’s motives—an important unresolved question.

Chapter Summary: “Gather at Midnight Tonight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a dangerous battle, Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent discuss the possibility that Lone Serpent might betray him to regain the Hydra Overlord’s favor. Lin Xiaosu explains that he trusts Lone Serpent because of Lone Serpent’s sister and the hope she preserved for thirteen years.
• Lin Xiaosu calls Lone Serpent “brother,” strongly implying that he is romantically connected to Lone Serpent’s sister. Lone Serpent becomes overwhelmed at the possibility of finally having family and immediately pledges his loyalty.
• Using the Hydra Overlord’s voice, Lin Xiaosu orders all of Hydra’s core leaders to gather at Doufang Temple at midnight for an important mission briefing. The order spreads rapidly through Hydra’s network, forcing its surviving leaders to assemble.
• At headquarters, Blue Demon, Miaoyin Heavenly King, and Bloodmark Heavenly King worry that Lone Serpent might betray Lin Xiaosu. Miaoyin points out that Hydra is driven by self-interest and could forgive Lone Serpent’s crimes if he delivered Lin Xiaosu to the Hydra Overlord.
• Blue Demon then receives confirmation that Lin Xiaosu has already killed the Hydra Overlord. He has taken control of the Hydra Overlord’s identity and ordered Hydra’s members to gather so they can be destroyed in a coordinated operation.
• While waiting for midnight, Lin Xiaosu analyzes the benefits gained from killing the Hydra Overlord. He discovers valuable secrets in the Overlord’s shattered Primordial Spirit, including information about civilization ruins, Wing Blade’s origins, and the mysterious Three-Character Bone Book.
• Lin Xiaosu’s cultivation advances dramatically. His Lesser-Divine Secret Realm absorbs the Hydra Overlord’s power, pushing him beyond level twenty-six and potentially toward level thirty, the threshold for Lesser Divinity externalization. He also begins studying how to unite his Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit with his Human Dao attributes.
• At midnight, Lin Xiaosu disguises himself as the Hydra Overlord and prepares to begin the extermination of Hydra’s assembled leadership. Lone Serpent and the monk Huita confirm that the arrangements are complete, while Hydra’s leaders are trapped inside the temple under the pretense of a ritual to dispel evil.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu becomes more confident and strategic after defeating the Hydra Overlord. He turns the enemy’s authority and communication network against Hydra itself.
• Lone Serpent shifts from a potentially suspicious enemy into Lin Xiaosu’s devoted ally. His emotional reaction to being called “brother” reveals his deep loneliness and longing for family.
• Blue Demon, Miaoyin Heavenly King, and Bloodmark Heavenly King demonstrate caution and strategic awareness by questioning whether Lone Serpent can truly be trusted. Their fears are relieved when they learn of the Hydra Overlord’s death.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King provides an important analysis of Hydra’s nature as an interest-based organization, emphasizing that loyalty can be bought or rewritten through sufficient rewards.
• The Hydra Overlord, though dead, continues to influence events through his memories, secrets, cultivation power, and lifelong obsession with the Three-Character Bone Book.

Significant Themes

• Trust and loyalty: Lin Xiaosu’s trust in Lone Serpent is based not on logic alone, but on family, hope, and faith in Lone Serpent’s sister.
• The meaning of family: Lone Serpent’s excitement at being called “brother” reveals how profoundly he has been isolated and how meaningful belonging is to him.
• Deception and power: Lin Xiaosu uses the Hydra Overlord’s voice, identity, and authority to manipulate Hydra’s entire upper echelon.
• Risk and opportunity: The Hydra Overlord’s defeat is dangerous, but it also gives Lin Xiaosu enormous access to knowledge, power, and strategic advantages.
• Heaven and humanity: Lin Xiaosu’s cultivation goal is to unite his Heavenly Dao Primordial Spirit with his Human Dao qualities, suggesting a broader theme of reconciling cosmic power with human nature.
• The collapse of tyranny: Hydra’s own hierarchy and obedience are turned into instruments for its destruction.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu reassures Lone Serpent that he trusts him because of his sister, then jokingly or implicitly acknowledges their familial connection by calling him “brother.”
• Lone Serpent responds with immediate emotional loyalty and agrees to carry out Lin Xiaosu’s orders.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King debates with Blue Demon and Bloodmark Heavenly King about the danger of trusting Lone Serpent, highlighting the tension between personal trust and political calculation.
• Blue Demon later relieves their concerns by announcing that Lin Xiaosu has killed the Hydra Overlord and begun the final operation against Hydra.
• At the chapter’s close, Lone Serpent and Lin Xiaosu stand together behind the waterfall, with Lone Serpent confirming that Hydra’s leaders have been gathered and Lin Xiaosu poised to launch the ambush.

Chapter Summary: Parting Tears as the Waterfall’s Pledge, Farewell to Hydra

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• At midnight, more than three hundred members of Hydra’s upper ranks secretly gather in Doufang Temple’s Dharma Hall. The group includes officials, businessmen, killers, monks, and eight powerful Nirvana Adepts. Everyone wears masks to conceal their identities.
• Outside the temple, Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent notice black objects approaching through the sky. Qianlong launches eight missiles at the gathering.
• The missiles do little direct damage but release Night Poison Type 3, a dense, unnatural toxic mist that spreads through the entire temple and rapidly incapacitates most of Hydra’s members.
• Qianlong surrounds the temple with flying vehicles, robotic spiders, battle robots, and soldiers. The gathered Hydra members realize their location has been betrayed and attempt to fight their way out.
• Abbot Kong Ling reveals himself as a highly skilled cultivator and tries to break through the poison cloud. However, the poison disrupts his true qi, leaving him vulnerable. Blue Demon intercepts him, preventing his escape.
• Ice Blade orders the Nirvana Adepts and poison-resistant fighters to break through Qianlong’s encirclement. He leads the western assault, freezing walls, trees, robots, and incoming bullets, creating the first major breach.
• Other Hydra elites engage Qianlong forces across the battlefield:
  • Bloodmark Heavenly King battles Blade Demon.
  • Blue Demon fights a nearly invulnerable Nirvana Adept.
  • Miaoyin Heavenly King supports the battle with high-frequency defenses and devastating infrasound.
• Miaoyin’s sound-based attacks disrupt enemy coordination, allowing Blue Demon to destroy the blade-resistant Nirvana Adept with an Adhesive Bomb. Bloodmark also gains an opening against Blade Demon.
• Miaoyin is then attacked by a monstrous, insect-like enemy and badly wounded, but she continues playing her zither and sustaining the infrasound.
• A black-scaled giant, apparently Fierce God, emerges with the last group of combat-capable Hydra fighters, revealing that Hydra’s strength remains formidable despite the poison and surprise attack.
• Ice Blade breaks through much of Qianlong’s defensive line and prepares to escape toward the city. Just as he is consumed by anger and momentum, an unexplained breeze passes by, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

2. Character Developments

• Ice Blade demonstrates why he is considered a super Nirvana Adept. His power allows him to freeze the battlefield, destroy defenses, withstand gunfire, and lead Hydra’s counterattack. His humiliation and fury intensify his determination to escape and retaliate.
• Kong Ling is revealed to be far more powerful than his peaceful image suggests. Despite his cultivation, the poison severely weakens his true qi, showing that even Hydra’s strongest local protector is vulnerable to Qianlong’s preparation.
• Blue Demon proves agile and courageous, repeatedly confronting powerful opponents and protecting Miaoyin when she is injured. However, the battle exposes the limits of her strength against poison-resistant Nirvana Adepts.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King becomes the decisive support fighter. Her infrasound disrupts enemy minds and shifts the battlefield, but she suffers a serious shoulder injury while maintaining her technique.
• Bloodmark Heavenly King successfully exploits Miaoyin’s interference to strike Blade Demon, demonstrating his ability to capitalize on battlefield openings.
• Fierce God is introduced as another terrifying Hydra super Nirvana Adept, suggesting that Hydra’s final reserves are still capable of resisting Qianlong.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent act as observers at the beginning, recognizing the incoming attack before the main assault begins.

3. Significant Themes

• Betrayal and secrecy: Hydra’s hidden meeting is exposed, emphasizing the danger of internal leaks and the necessity of masks, secrecy, and self-protection.
• Preparation versus raw strength: Qianlong’s poison attack is carefully designed to neutralize large numbers of enemies before direct combat begins. Even elite fighters are weakened when their energy is disrupted.
• The limits of power: Kong Ling, Ice Blade, and other powerful figures remain formidable, but poison, surprise, and coordinated tactics can undermine even superhuman abilities.
• Teamwork and battlefield balance: Miaoyin’s support abilities enable Blue Demon and Bloodmark to defeat or injure stronger opponents. The battle turns not only on individual power but also on coordination.
• Humiliation and vengeance: Ice Blade’s rage reflects the emotional impact of Hydra’s near-destruction. His desire to escape and retaliate turns the retreat into a personal act of revenge.
• Hydra’s resilience: Despite the ambush and mass casualties, Hydra retains multiple elite fighters, showing that its foundations are deeper and more dangerous than Qianlong expected.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent observe the incoming missiles, with Lone Serpent reacting to the possibility of a direct military strike.
• Kong Ling and Blue Demon clash in the air. Their abilities are nearly equal, but the poison gives Blue Demon the advantage by weakening Kong Ling.
• Ice Blade and Qianlong’s forces engage in a destructive assault. He freezes robots, walls, trees, and bullets while carving out an escape route.
• Bloodmark Heavenly King and Blade Demon fight in a close contest of deceptive movements and sword techniques. Miaoyin’s infrasound disrupts Blade Demon, allowing Bloodmark to land a potentially fatal strike.
• Blue Demon and the blade-resistant Nirvana Adept battle until Miaoyin’s sound attack creates an opening. Blue Demon then uses an Adhesive Bomb to kill him.
• Miaoyin and Blue Demon work together closely. After Miaoyin is wounded, Blue Demon shields her and drives back the attacker, while Miaoyin continues supporting the battlefield despite her injuries.
• Hydra’s remaining fighters and Fierce God emerge together, reinforcing the impression that Qianlong’s assault has not yet secured victory.
• Ice Blade and the approaching unknown force are poised for a new confrontation when the mysterious breeze arrives, leaving the next development unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Hu Ya’s Bare-Handed Power-Up”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xin Yue ambushes Ice Blade using Invisibility Art and her newly unlocked Teleportation ability. Although the combination is highly effective, Ice Blade easily detects and counters her.
• Just as Ice Blade is about to kill Xin Yue, Hu Ya appears and blocks his supposedly indestructible ice blade with her bare hand. She then kills him with a single punch through his heavily reinforced chest.
• Hu Ya proceeds to eliminate more than a dozen Gene Humans accompanying Ice Blade, using one devastating punch per opponent.
• When the Fierce God breaks free from Miaoyin Heavenly King’s infrasound control and destroys the robots restraining him, Hu Ya intervenes. She blocks his attack, obliterates his arm, crushes his head, and throws his remaining followers back into the meditation hall, preventing their escape.
• Xin Yue is astonished by Hu Ya’s sudden increase in strength. Hu Ya jokingly attributes it to having eaten meat, while privately recognizing that her recent intimate encounter with Lin Xiaose has granted her a major power boost.
• Hydra’s surviving leadership flees through the waterfall and begs the Hydra Overlord to intervene. He reveals that he is actually Lin Xiaosu in disguise.
• Lin Xiaosu transforms the waterfall into countless sword fragments and effortlessly kills all twenty of Hydra’s top leaders at once.
• Lone Serpent finally understands why Lin Xiaosu trusted him: not because of familial or personal sentiment, but because Lin Xiaosu possessed overwhelming strength and could eliminate any threat if necessary.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent join the final battle. Lone Serpent kills three former comrades, while Qianlong forces capture the remaining survivors and evacuate the poisoned prisoners.
• At the end of the battle, Lin Xiaosu reunites with Bloodmark, Blue Demon, Miaoyin Heavenly King, and Hu Ya. Hu Ya is deeply moved that she and her childhood sweetheart have finally fought side by side.

Character Developments

• Hu Ya: Experiences a dramatic power increase, becoming strong enough to kill elite opponents with her bare hands. Her violent, straightforward nature is reinforced, but her reunion with Lin Xiaosu reveals a softer, romantic side beneath her ferocity.
• Xin Yue: Gains confidence from her new Teleportation ability but is reminded of the vast gap between her strength and that of true top-tier experts. Her shock at Hu Ya’s transformation adds humor to the chapter.
• Ice Blade: His confidence in his supposedly invincible ice defenses is shattered. He is killed almost instantly by Hu Ya.
• The Fierce God: Breaks free of Miaoyin’s control and destroys the restraining robots, but is decisively defeated and killed by Hu Ya.
• Lin Xiaosu: Reveals his overwhelming true strength and identity. His effortless destruction of Hydra’s leadership establishes him as an almost godlike swordsman.
• Lone Serpent: Gains a deeper understanding of Lin Xiaosu and is humbled by his power. He also demonstrates his loyalty by killing former comrades who remain on Hydra’s side.
• Hydra Overlord: Is exposed as Lin Xiaosu in disguise, and the apparent hope of Hydra’s leadership becomes the instrument of their destruction.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming strength: The chapter repeatedly contrasts supposedly invincible defenses with characters whose power completely transcends normal expectations.
• Hidden identities and true motives: The Hydra Overlord’s identity is revealed, while Lone Serpent realizes that Lin Xiaosu’s “trust” was based on confidence in his own strength rather than naïve sentiment.
• Loyalty and betrayal: Lone Serpent proves where his allegiance lies by killing former comrades, while Lin Xiaosu’s actions secure victory for Qianlong.
• Love amid war: Hu Ya’s happiness comes from fighting beside Lin Xiaosu, blending romantic fulfillment with the brutal reality of battle.
• Humor amid devastation: Xin Yue and Hu Ya’s crude banter provides comic relief despite the massacre surrounding them.
• The collapse of Hydra: Hydra’s leadership, once powerful and composed, becomes desperate and helpless as Qianlong’s attack overwhelms them.

Character Interactions

• Xin Yue and Ice Blade: Xin Yue attempts a stealth attack, but Ice Blade counters her effortlessly and nearly kills her.
• Hu Ya and Xin Yue: Hu Ya rescues Xin Yue and later teases her with the absurd claim that food made her powerful. Their exchange highlights their contrasting personalities.
• Hu Ya and the Fierce God: Their confrontation demonstrates Hu Ya’s new physical dominance, as she defeats him through direct, brutal force.
• Hydra’s leaders and the Hydra Overlord: They plead for salvation, unaware that their supposed leader is actually Lin Xiaosu, who kills them all.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent: Lin Xiaosu’s display of power gives Lone Serpent clarity about their relationship and earns his complete awe.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya: Their reunion carries strong romantic significance. Hu Ya is thrilled that they have finally fought together, though she cannot openly confess that her power came from him.
• Lin Xiaosu and the Qianlong forces: His return unifies the surviving allies and marks the transition from the battle’s chaos to complete victory.

Chapter Summary: “Lone Serpent Goes to the Front Lines”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the battle that destroyed Hydra, the group cleans up the battlefield and discusses the next stage of the conflict.
• Blue Demon and Miaoyin speculate about Li Diandian’s extraordinary increase in power after returning home to meet Lin Xiaosu, joking that his Rejuvenation Lineage cultivation might bring miraculous benefits to women close to him.
• Bloodmark asks Lin Xiaosu to travel to the southwestern front lines near Liangshan, the border between Daxia and the Gesang Kingdom.
• The border conflict is revealed to be more than a local dispute. The Litian Ancestral Hall has taken control of the Flying Eagle Army and other forces in the Middle East, using them to create instability and pressure Daxia.
• Several powerful nations—Eaglefeather Kingdom, Sunset Kingdom, and Yi State—publicly defend and absorb Hydra’s remaining influence, wealth, personnel, and capital. Their actions indicate that the conflict is becoming a global proxy war aimed at weakening Daxia and the Eastern camp.
• Qianlong plans to send all Eight Heavenly Kings and one hundred thousand elites to the southwest. Their main mission is to counter experts from the Litian Tribe rather than participate directly in conventional military operations.
• Lin Xiaosu agrees to go.
• Lone Serpent independently chooses to join the southwestern battle. He hopes to fight for the country and, if he survives, reunite with his sister. If he dies, he asks Lin Xiaosu to tell her that he did not betray her hopes.
• Lone Serpent disappears into the wilderness, while Lin Xiaosu begins descending the mountain. Hu Ya follows him.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Becomes increasingly recognized as the group’s new source of confidence after Jing Lei’s death and betrayal. He accepts responsibility for the southwestern front and shows empathy toward Lone Serpent.
• Lone Serpent: Experiences the chapter’s most important transformation. Having long lived on the fringes of darkness, he chooses to fight for Daxia and seek a life in the light. His smile and memories of his sister reveal a newly awakened emotional vulnerability and hope for redemption.
• Bloodmark: Treats Lin Xiaosu as a trusted brother and relies on his presence to stabilize the group. He is delighted when Lin Xiaosu agrees to join the southwestern campaign.
• Blue Demon and Miaoyin: Provide comic relief through their speculation about Li Diandian’s power increase, while also helping explain the broader international crisis.
• Hu Ya: Shows personal concern for Lin Xiaosu by immediately following him as he leaves, suggesting growing closeness or loyalty.
• Li Diandian: Though absent from the scene, her overwhelming strength establishes her as a major force, possibly approaching or surpassing the Heavenly Kings.

Significant Themes

• Redemption and choosing the light: Lone Serpent’s decision represents a former outcast reclaiming his humanity and choosing to serve the country.
• The cost of betrayal and legacy: Jing Lei’s death leaves a symbolic gap that Lin Xiaosu now fills, becoming the group’s new “fixed star.”
• Geopolitical complexity: Defeating Hydra’s leadership does not end its influence. Its remnants survive through governments, capital, propaganda, and international alliances.
• Proxy warfare and hidden manipulation: Local conflicts may actually be controlled by larger powers seeking to weaken their rivals without direct confrontation.
• Justice versus political power: The chapter emphasizes that truth and morality do not automatically prevail when powerful nations and institutions manipulate public opinion.
• Hope through human connection: Lone Serpent’s wish for his sister to fold him a reed horse recalls his childhood and shows that family affection remains his emotional anchor.

Important Character Interactions

• Blue Demon and Miaoyin exchange humorous theories about Lin Xiaosu’s possible influence on women’s cultivation.
• Bloodmark and Lin Xiaosu discuss the southwestern front, with Bloodmark trusting Lin Xiaosu’s strength and judgment.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lone Serpent share a quiet, emotionally significant conversation. Lin Xiaosu encourages Lone Serpent’s new path, while Lone Serpent entrusts him with a final message for his sister.
• Hu Ya and Lin Xiaosu leave together, with Hu Ya quickly following him despite the dangerous mission ahead.

Key plot points and events

• After Hu Ya defeats Xin Yue, she and Lin Xiaosu leave Mount Doufang. Xin Yue finally loses her temper and curses at them.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya spend the night at a hotel. Hu Ya accidentally cracks the bathroom sink; the next morning, they negotiate the damage down from 3,800 to 300 by arguing that the sink was defective.
• Lin Xiaosu uses his Level-Three Clearance to summon a dedicated flying car, and he and Hu Ya head together to the southwest front. Hu Ya is excited about the trip—and about the chance to spend time with him there.
• In River City, Ding Ruoshui reflects on her recent intimacy with Lin Xiaosu and her major cultivation breakthrough: after more than a month of effort, she has built a Blood Pagoda.
• Blue Demon visits Ding Ruoshui and asks her to join the southwest campaign. She explains that Lin Xiaosu may face a powerful enemy and will need water to use his sword technique, Parting Tears. Ruoshui agrees, eager to go and help him.
• Blue Demon’s request is motivated by concern for Lin Xiaosu: Parting Tears depends on nearby water, and his severed cultivation path means he cannot reach the realm that might free him from that limitation.
• As Lin Xiaosu’s flying car approaches the front, the command center identifies his Qianlong Level-Three Clearance. White Water, Qianlong’s usually aloof chief strategist, unexpectedly rushes out to meet him.

Character developments and interactions

• Hu Ya is bold, affectionate, and increasingly comfortable showing her enthusiasm for Lin Xiaosu, though her strength creates comic trouble at the hotel.
• Lin Xiaosu remains teasing and practical: he helps resolve the hotel dispute and uses his clearance to secure transport to the front.
• Ding Ruoshui has grown considerably in cultivation and remains deeply attached to Lin Xiaosu. Her eagerness to interpret Blue Demon’s request romantically gives way to sincere readiness to support his fighting technique.
• Blue Demon acts out of strategic concern and personal consideration for Lin Xiaosu, arranging for Ruoshui’s water abilities to support him.
• White Water’s unusual decision to greet Lin Xiaosu signals that the newcomer’s arrival is significant.

Significant themes

• Intimacy and comedy: The hotel mishap and the characters’ teasing relationships provide a light contrast to the coming conflict.
• Power’s practical consequences: Hu Ya’s strength causes everyday damage, while Lin Xiaosu’s clearance grants exceptional access and mobility.
• Devotion expressed through service: Ruoshui’s willingness to join the front and Blue Demon’s effort to support Parting Tears show care taking a practical, battlefield form.
• A looming threat: The unusual fighting, shelling near Ding City, and White Water’s response establish growing tension around the southwest front.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya arrive at the Southwestern Military Region, where Qianlong strategist White Water welcomes them. They are joined by Windshadow, a powerful Qianlong operative who praises Hu Ya’s fighting skill after watching footage of her recent victory.
• White Water asks Lin to assess the escalating conflict in the Gesang Kingdom. Lin rejects the common view that the enemy simply wants to trap Daxia in a costly proxy war. He believes the conflict is being engineered to create a pretext for deploying the Earthfall Beast Army.
• Lin argues that the Earthfall Army could be disguised as one of the Gesang factions and used to attack Daxia directly, letting the true sponsors—the Litian Tribe and Eaglefeather Kingdom—deny responsibility. In that scenario, restraint would not prevent an attack.
• Lin warns that the Archaic Realm may break through around the Equatorial Sun Rift, possibly as early as the third day of the third month next year. He says Daxia must defeat the Litian Tribe and the Earthfall Army before that larger threat arrives, and use its military strength to help unite the world.
• White Water reveals a border-defense plan: a prepared ambush zone equipped with more than a thousand powerful Huntwind-7 mines. Lin identifies a weakness—the beasts can tunnel beneath the mines. White Water explains that underground detection pillars emit high-frequency pulses to force them to the surface.

Character developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates strategic foresight, connecting the border conflict to both the Earthfall Army and the approaching threat from beyond the realm. He presses for decisive action rather than relying on restraint or international maneuvering.
• White Water moves from considering the conflict mainly as a proxy-war trap to recognizing the enemy’s more dangerous plan. Lin’s reasoning deepens his assessment, though White Water has already prepared substantial defenses.
• Hu Ya is recognized by Qianlong’s elite for her extraordinary combat ability, reinforcing the significance of her recent feat.
• Windshadow shows humility and respect despite his formidable strength, openly admiring Hu Ya rather than displaying arrogance.

Significant themes

• Strategic deception: A conflict can be manipulated to disguise the real attacker and make retaliation politically difficult.
• Urgency and unity: Daxia has limited time to prepare for a greater, potentially world-threatening danger.
• Power as deterrence and leadership: Daxia’s military strength may be necessary not only for defense but also to rally other nations.
• Technology and cultivation: Both can exploit the same underlying principles, as shown by sound-based methods for driving underground creatures to the surface.

Character interactions

• White Water and Lin exchange respectful but direct strategic assessments; Lin’s warnings reshape White Water’s understanding of the conflict.
• Windshadow compliments Hu Ya’s performance, and she reacts with surprise at his identity and reputation.
• The group’s discussion shifts from diplomatic and military calculations to the existential threat of the Archaic Realm, then to the practical details of defending the border.

Summary: “No Longer Holding Back”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu discusses the southwestern defense plan with White Water. Because the Earthfall Beasts are nearly immune to conventional weapons, the Eight Heavenly Kings and other superhuman experts have been stationed at the front to eliminate any creatures that escape the military’s ambushes.
• Lin remains at Liangshan for more than half a month, spending most of his time cultivating in an attempt to break through his limits. Although he possesses extraordinary comprehension and several powerful advantages, he cannot surpass the restriction that prevents eight stars from forming the legendary Nine Stars Blazing Across the Sky.
• His cultivation does, however, bring his true qi, Primordial Spirit, and Lesser Divinity into perfect unity, giving him the strongest combat power of his life.
• Blue Demon informs him that the enemy has begun a full-scale offensive. While the broader war involves the Gesang Kingdom and the southwestern military forces, Lin focuses on the coming battle against the underground Earthfall Beast Army.
• White Water confirms that the Earthfall Beasts are about to mobilize, based on reports of the mysterious flute associated with their controller.
• Lin explains to Blue Demon that the current defensive strategy is only a helpless substitute for the ideal solution: controlling the beasts and turning them against their masters. He once obtained the controlling flute, but it can only be used by people whose bodies contain Earthfall Ancestor Beast bloodline genes; therefore, he cannot operate it.
• Blue Demon reveals that Ding Ruoshui has come to the front. Their playful exchange suggests emotional closeness, though Lin denies that she is his wife.
• Ding Ruoshui’s ability to provide water is unexpectedly important because it may support Lin’s strongest technique, Parting Tears.
• Just as Lin and Ding begin discussing this, the underground detectors register movement. The number of detected signals rapidly rises from more than one hundred to over a thousand, signaling the beginning of the Earthfall Beast offensive.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Refuses to accept that his cultivation has reached its limit and makes one final attempt to advance despite the Thousand-Spirit Saintess’s judgment. Though unsuccessful, he achieves unprecedented internal unity and prepares to fight at his peak. He also shows increasing awareness of the larger dangers posed by the approaching Heaven-Tipping Calamity.
• White Water: Demonstrates careful preparation and strategic responsibility. He recognizes that military weapons alone cannot contain the Earthfall Beasts and relies on experts to handle the creatures that break through.
• Blue Demon: Acts as both a military participant and an intermediary between Lin and others. She keeps watch over the battlefield, informs Lin of the enemy’s movements, and deliberately brings Ding Ruoshui to him.
• Ding Ruoshui: Arrives at the dangerous front despite the risks. Her powerful Secret Voice Transmission and potential ability to supply water for Parting Tears establish her as an important practical and emotional support for Lin.
• The military command: Uses underground detectors to monitor the hidden army, emphasizing the importance of preparation and technological vigilance against an enemy that cannot be seen directly.

3. Significant Themes

• Preparation versus helplessness: Even the most thorough plans cannot guarantee victory against unprecedented enemies. The defenders must fight because no better option exists.
• Limits and perseverance: Lin cannot violate the fundamental rule restricting his cultivation, yet he continues striving and still finds a way to strengthen himself.
• Humanity confronting the unknown: The Earthfall Beast Army represents a threat beyond ordinary warfare, requiring cooperation between military technology and superhuman strength.
• The approaching catastrophe: The battle is not an isolated conflict; it is portrayed as an early trial before the coming Heaven-Tipping Calamity, suggesting that humanity will face increasingly impossible enemies.
• Trust and companionship: Lin’s relationships with Blue Demon and Ding Ruoshui provide emotional grounding amid the military crisis and may directly affect his ability to fight.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and White Water: Discuss the limits of the defensive strategy and the necessity of deploying elite experts.
• Lin Xiaosu and Blue Demon: Debate whether controlling the Earthfall Beasts would be preferable to fighting them. Blue Demon also teases Lin about Ding Ruoshui and his other romantic relationships.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui: Communicate secretly through voice transmission. Their awkward, suggestive exchange about her “drawing water” creates a brief intimate moment before the battlefield alarm interrupts them.
• Lin Xiaosu and the command center: Through Dragon Eye and Level-Three Clearance, Lin accesses the military monitoring system and witnesses the rapidly multiplying detector signals, placing him on the verge of direct combat.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• White Water’s defensive strategy against the Earthfall Beast Army is revealed. The defense consists of five layers: underground monitoring, high-frequency pulses to force the beasts above ground, Huntwind-7 missile bombardment, Machine Wolf packs, and a final purge by Heavenly-King-level experts.
• The defense is organized around three valleys and three mountain peaks:
  • Snow Wind Heavenly King, twenty-seven Hidden Dragon Gold Medal holders, and Hu Ya defend the first valley.
  • Lin Xiaosu commands the central valley with twenty Gold Medal holders and Ding Ruoshui as temporary reinforcement.
  • Seven Heavenly Kings, numerous Gold Medal holders, and Lone Serpent defend the third valley.
• Lin Xiaosu is given the most strategically important position—the central line—despite having no Heavenly King directly supporting him. This reflects White Water’s confidence in his strength and importance.
• The entire Earthfall Beast Army, numbering over 3,000, advances underground toward Daxia’s border. This is the same army that previously annihilated the 30,000-soldier Tiger Army Corps without suffering a single loss.
• Commander Zhang Kang waits until nearly the entire enemy force has entered the narrow ambush zone, despite the danger that the vanguard might escape it.
• Once the formation is optimal, the high-frequency pulses are activated. The Earthfall Beasts are driven violently out of the ground, revealing a vast silver-white army.
• A thousand Huntwind-7 missiles detonate almost simultaneously. The bombardment kills or cripples more than half of the beasts inside the ambush zone, leaving several hundred severely wounded and unable to fight.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates his importance and reliability by taking command of the central defense line, the position expected to face the greatest pressure. Despite the danger, he remains tense but composed.
• Blue Demon shows concern for Lin Xiaosu, warning him to take care of himself before departing to defend another position. She also reinforces him by assigning Ding Ruoshui to his unit.
• White Water emerges as a careful and strategically bold commander. His layered defense is designed to exploit the Earthfall Beasts’ weaknesses and maximize the effect of the ambush.
• Commander Zhang Kang displays strong discipline and patience. Though pressured by his staff and aware of the danger of waiting, he refuses to fire until the largest possible number of beasts is trapped.
• Hu Ya is established as an exceptionally powerful fighter whose strength surpasses that of ordinary Heavenly Kings, explaining why she is assigned to support the first valley rather than an entire Heavenly King team.
• The Heavenly Kings and elite Gold Medal holders are positioned as the final safeguard in case the technological defenses fail.

3. Significant Themes

• Humanity versus an overwhelming external threat: The battle is portrayed as a historic confrontation between Earth’s strongest army and an enemy from another world.
• Civilization’s survival: Victory would prove that the Earthfall Beasts are not invincible and allow humanity to unite against future catastrophes. Defeat could lead to the destruction of Daxia and the collapse of human resistance.
• Strategy versus raw power: The Earthfall Beasts possess overwhelming physical strength, but Daxia counters them through surveillance, specialized technology, coordinated tactics, and elite combatants.
• Patience and timing in warfare: Zhang Kang’s decision to hold fire demonstrates the importance of waiting for the moment that produces the greatest strategic advantage.
• The cost of underestimating the enemy: The narrow ambush zone was not designed for the entire enemy army, showing how the beasts’ full-scale assault exceeds prior expectations.
• The relationship between technology and cultivation: Weapons such as Huntwind-7 are combined with Heavenly Kings and martial experts, emphasizing that survival depends on both advanced technology and extraordinary individual strength.

4. Character Interactions

• Blue Demon briefly communicates with Lin Xiaosu, expressing concern and offering emotional support before moving to her own battlefield.
• Blue Demon strengthens Lin Xiaosu’s position by assigning Ding Ruoshui as reinforcement, acknowledging the central valley’s danger.
• Commander Zhang Kang faces pressure from his chief of staff, who urges him to act before the enemy vanguard escapes the ambush zone. Zhang rejects the request and orders everyone to hold fire.
• White Water’s deployment of the commanders and Heavenly Kings reveals his assessment of their abilities, especially his trust in Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ya.
• The chapter ends with the combined actions of the military command, missile forces, and elite defenders successfully inflicting the first major damage on the Earthfall Beast Army.

Chapter Summary: “A Brutal Battle”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Earthfall Beast Army launches a full-scale assault on Liangshan’s defenses. Although the first stage of the White Water Strategy destroys roughly 80% of the original 3,000 beasts, more than 500 heavily armored Earthfall Beasts remain.
• Machine Wolves ambush the beasts with machine-gun fire, but their bullets are ineffective against the beasts’ silver scales. The fourth defensive line is quickly destroyed.
• Qianlong’s temporary defense line deploys spider-shaped suicide robots carrying Glory No. 5 bombs. The robots cling to the beasts and detonate, reducing the enemy force to roughly 200–300.
• The surviving beasts enter the valleys, forcing the Heavenly Kings and other powerful fighters into direct combat. Their armor proves extremely difficult to penetrate, and even full-strength attacks only cause limited damage.
• Bloodmark kills an Earthfall Beast by first shattering one of its scales and then striking the exposed area, though his weapon is badly damaged. Lone Serpent kills another by extending his arm through a beast’s open jaws and piercing its head from within.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King uses infrasound to drive the beasts berserk, causing some to attack one another. At the Thousand-Spirit Saintess’s suggestion, the Heavenly Kings lure more than thirty beasts into the forest.
• The Thousand-Spirit Saintess traps the beasts with Spirit-Controlled Thousand Mountains, while the others place bombs inside their mouths—the most effective way to bypass their external armor. The technique strains and injures her, however, and additional beasts begin breaking into the forest.
• In another valley, Snow Wind Heavenly King struggles to stop the beasts. By contrast, Li Diandian displays astonishing strength, killing one beast with a punch and destroying or severely injuring five more with her fists.
• Lin Xiaosu deliberately allows thirty Earthfall Beasts to approach the final defensive line and river, despite Ding Ruoshui’s fear that the soldiers behind them will be forced to sacrifice themselves.
• Once the entire group enters his planned ambush zone, Lin Xiaosu attacks from the river using the third form of the Parting Sword Dao, Parting Tears. His sword creates a rain-like mist that tears through the airborne and advancing beasts, filling the river with blood and killing them one after another.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu remains calm and calculating amid overwhelming danger. Rather than rushing into battle, he waits until every beast enters the optimal killing zone, demonstrating confidence, patience, and mastery of strategy and swordsmanship.
• Blue Demon shows strong battlefield awareness and leadership, recognizing the seriousness of the situation and coordinating the defensive response.
• Bloodmark proves capable of killing an Earthfall Beast but realizes how much stronger and tougher the creatures are than expected when his scimitar becomes warped.
• Lone Serpent reveals his assassin-like combat style and becomes one of the few fighters able to kill a beast directly.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King uses intelligence rather than brute force, turning the beasts’ aggression against them through infrasound and devising the strategy of bombing them from within.
• The Thousand-Spirit Saintess demonstrates immense battlefield control by imprisoning dozens of beasts with vegetation, though the effort pushes her mental strength to its limits.
• Li Diandian unexpectedly emerges as one of the most powerful combatants. Despite her low Gold Badge ranking, her physical strength surpasses even that of an established Heavenly King.
• Ding Ruoshui is deeply concerned for the soldiers at the final defense line and is willing to act personally, but she ultimately trusts Lin Xiaosu’s judgment.

Significant Themes

• The limits of conventional power: Ordinary weapons, machine guns, and even powerful martial techniques are largely ineffective against the beasts’ armor.
• Strategy over brute force: The defenders succeed by exploiting weaknesses—using suicide bombs, infrasound, environmental traps, and attacks through the beasts’ mouths.
• Sacrifice and desperation: The Glory Bombs embody mutual destruction, while the threatened border soldiers represent the human cost of a defensive failure.
• Hidden strength: Fighters such as Lone Serpent and Li Diandian reveal unexpected abilities, showing that formal rank does not always reflect actual combat power.
• Calm amid chaos: Lin Xiaosu’s patience contrasts with the panic surrounding him, emphasizing the importance of composure and precise timing.
• Cooperation: The defense depends on many individuals combining different abilities—technology, sound, vegetation control, martial arts, and swordsmanship.

Character Interactions

• Blue Demon and Bloodmark assess the collapsing defenses together, with Bloodmark reassuring her that Qianlong’s additional line may still help.
• The Heavenly Kings coordinate their attacks under Miaoyin’s direction, using her infrasound and the Saintess’s forest trap to create openings.
• Lone Serpent’s method of attacking through the beasts’ mouths inspires Miaoyin’s plan to have the other fighters insert bombs internally.
• Snow Wind Heavenly King witnesses Li Diandian’s overwhelming performance, highlighting the contrast between her official rank and her true strength.
• Ding Ruoshui repeatedly urges Lin Xiaosu to act before the beasts reach the final soldiers, but he restrains her and insists on waiting until the ambush is fully prepared.
• Major Regiment Commander Li Dongsheng and the border soldiers witness Lin Xiaosu’s final sword technique as a beautiful yet devastating “misty rain,” marking the turning point of the battle.