Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Abyss Lord orders seven subordinates to enter another world in two years and capture a mysterious man who may possess the lost divine abilities Heavenly Insight Eye and Humanity Orchidheart. They are told to look for someone exceptionally intelligent, advancing in cultivation unnaturally quickly, and skilled in Spacetime Reversal.
• Mei Jiu and Azure Abyss Liu Ye investigate Lin Xiaosu, also known as the Snow-Clad Marquis, whom Liu Ye wants to capture for impersonating him and causing turmoil in the Demon Domain.
• Mei Jiu uses Spacetime Reversal to track Lin Xiaosu but discovers that the latter’s conversations and private moments are concealed by a Kindling Lamp. They conclude it is not a Human Race or Earthly Dao Kindling Lamp and therefore underestimate its importance.
• Lin Xiaosu travels to the Ruined Capital, the birthplace and final resting place of the first Human Emperor, Xin. The city and nearby Snowfield embody Xin’s principle of “Equality of All Beings.”
• The Snowfield suppresses everyone within it to the Peering into Heaven Realm, preventing the use of Primordial Spirits and laws. It serves as a sanctuary where powerful enemies cannot freely exert their strength.
• In a tavern, Lin Xiaosu learns that the Demon Sect recently suffered heavy losses while attacking a passage governed by Equality of All Beings. The passage is defended by missiles, bombs, and large numbers of Qianlong Warriors who have apparently reached Nirvana through a newly replicable technological method.
• The Demon Sect plans to retaliate by sending its Ancient Demon Corps. Rumors suggest the passage leads to Emperor Kun’s fallen world and contains the Human Character Scroll and other great treasures. Another theory claims the Snowfield created the passage’s defenses to monopolize Emperor Kun’s legacy.
• Lin Xiaosu decides to enter the Snowfield through the Nine Extremes Terrace, rather than paying the entrance fee. Crossing the terrace requires extraordinary physical foundation and upward-fighting ability.
• He effortlessly leaps from the first to the sixth level, astonishing the Snowfield elders. The Seventh Elder offers to accept him as a personal disciple, but Lin Xiaosu declines, claiming he came only to admire the Human Emperor’s Dao-Enlightenment Grounds.
• The chapter ends with Lin Xiaosu leaping onto the seventh level, surpassing the highest achievement of the past three thousand years and shocking the Snowfield.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu is revealed to possess a naturally formed Kindling Lamp that hides his actions from Spacetime Reversal. He remains cautious, self-controlled, and deliberately conceals his identity and purpose.
• His understanding of history deepens as he reflects on Human Emperor Xin’s sacrifice for equality. Lin Xiaosu recognizes that he may be approaching a similarly dangerous path.
• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates an extraordinary physical and cultivation foundation by effortlessly climbing the Nine Extremes Terrace. His refusal to reveal his origins or accept the Seventh Elder’s offer emphasizes his independence and hidden agenda.
• Azure Abyss Liu Ye remains proud and dismissive of potential disciples, intending to capture Lin Xiaosu rather than recognize his true talent. He and Mei Jiu fail to appreciate the significance of Lin Xiaosu’s Kindling Lamp.
• Mei Jiu shows strong investigative ability through Spacetime Reversal but is puzzled by the limits imposed by Lin Xiaosu’s concealment.
• Human Emperor Xin is developed through historical recollection as a heroic but tragic figure who sacrificed his life to establish the principle of Equality of All Beings.
• The Snowfield elders, especially the Seventh Elder, shift from indifference to intense excitement after witnessing Lin Xiaosu’s unprecedented ascent.

3. Significant Themes

• Equality versus hierarchy: Human Emperor Xin’s ideal conflicts with the Heavenly Dao’s unequal structure. The Snowfield temporarily enforces equality by suppressing all cultivation levels.
• Hidden power and mistaken judgment: Liu Ye and Mei Jiu dismiss Lin Xiaosu’s Kindling Lamp because they assume it is not human in origin, illustrating how pride and limited assumptions can obscure the truth.
• Sacrifice for ideals: Xin’s death and dissolution show the enormous cost of challenging the established order.
• Legacy and succession: The Ruined Capital, Snowfield, Emperor Kun’s remains, and the Human Character Scroll all connect the present conflict to ancient figures and unfinished inheritances.
• Technology and cultivation: The mass production of Nirvana Qianlong Warriors suggests that technological advancement may challenge the traditional dominance of cultivation sects.
• Individual talent versus institutional control: Lin Xiaosu rejects the conventional path of joining the Snowfield despite being offered elite status, suggesting that his goals lie beyond ordinary sect advancement.

4. Character Interactions

• The Abyss Lord and the seven agents establish the future pursuit of the mysterious man.
• Mei Jiu and Liu Ye discuss Lin Xiaosu’s whereabouts, his Kindling Lamp, and his unusual mastery of the Yin-Yang Steps.
• Lin Xiaosu questions tavern patrons and skillfully draws out information about the Demon Sect, Qianlong Warriors, Emperor Kun, and the Snowfield.
• Lin Xiaosu encounters Snowfield guards and elders while climbing the terrace. He politely but firmly refuses to reveal his origins.
• The Seventh Elder offers Lin Xiaosu discipleship after recognizing his immense potential, but Lin Xiaosu declines and immediately continues upward, demonstrating that he will not be easily controlled or recruited.

Chapter Summary: Nine Extremes Scenery, Human Dao True Law

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu ascends to the seventh level of the Nine Extremes Terrace, astonishing observers in the Ruined Capital. Only one other person in three thousand years, Dong Sanqiu, had reached that height.
• On the seventh level, cultivation is suppressed to the Peering into Heaven Realm, but the pressure is powerful enough to challenge even Lin Xiaosu’s exceptional combat strength.
• Dong Sanqiu introduces himself and reveals that he is a member of the Cave Clan. His nine-skull necklace contains the heads of Mastery Realm members of the Demon Sect, whom he killed in pursuit of vengeance.
• Dong recognizes Lin Xiaosu as the Snow-Clad Marquis. His sister, who lives in Jiangnan, had praised Lin’s efforts in restoring peace there and sent Dong a portrait of him.
• From the seventh level, Lin sees the snowy landscape below forming a vast Eight Trigrams-like diagram—the “Human Dao True Law” left behind by Human Emperor Xin.
• Although Dong advises Lin to remain on the seventh level and comprehend the incomplete vision, Lin insists on climbing higher so he can see the entire Human Dao True Law and use it to perfect his “Square-Inch Heavenly Dao.”
• Lin reaches the eighth level only through extreme effort, using the stone wall to gain the final momentum. He then begins climbing toward the ninth level, where the pressure becomes almost unimaginably intense.
• After nearly giving up, Lin recalls the sacrifices of his predecessors, the coming calamity, and the need to protect his loved ones. His resolve strengthens, and he continues climbing despite physical exhaustion and the possibility of destroying his cultivation and body.
• Lin finally reaches the Ninth Extremes Terrace. The oppressive illusions and pressure vanish, revealing that the entire mountain is actually a gigantic snow-white turtle, with the snowy plains and their mountains and rivers forming patterns on its shell.
• From the ninth level, Lin can see the complete Human Dao True Law. He enters meditation to study it, remaining there for seven days and seven nights.
• Meanwhile, a mysterious enemy disguised as a butterfly assassinates Prince Yun in the Wilderness Capital. The poison kills Prince Yun and several attendants, while even a Way-Grasping Realm protector is incapacitated.
• The court initially blames the Myriad Poison Sect, but Lin Weiyang argues that the killings are part of a larger conspiracy involving both the Myriad Poison Sect and the Heart Sect.
• He points out that three princes—Lan Ning, Ji, and Yun—have been killed in succession, each having been a leading candidate for the Eastern Palace. He urges the emperor to strike at the Heart Sect’s local influence rather than retaliating blindly against the distant Myriad Poison Sect.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates extraordinary talent, endurance, and determination by surpassing the seventh and eighth levels and reaching the ninth. His motivation evolves from seeking insight into the Human Dao True Law to staking everything on securing the Human Race’s future against the approaching calamity.
• Dong Sanqiu: Initially appears as a solitary vengeance-seeker, but his admiration for Lin grows. Lin’s courage causes Dong to question his own long-standing reluctance to risk ascending beyond the seventh level.
• Lin Weiyang: Shows political insight and restraint. Rather than following the court’s emotional demand for immediate revenge, he identifies the broader strategic alliance behind the assassinations.
• Prince Yun: His death demonstrates the escalating danger surrounding the succession struggle and the vulnerability of even heavily protected princes.
• The mysterious gray-robed man: Appears to possess power that defies the Nine Extremes Terrace’s suppression. He searches for Lin Xiaosu and openly intends to torture or kill him, marking a major new threat.

Significant Themes

• Determination versus limitation: Lin’s climb symbolizes the triumph of conviction over physical, spiritual, and seemingly absolute limits.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Lin risks his cultivation and life because he believes the coming catastrophe and the fate of his loved ones require him to obtain the complete Human Dao True Law.
• Perspective and enlightenment: The True Law is not hidden in a secret location; it is visible in the world itself, but only someone who reaches the proper vantage point can perceive its complete meaning.
• Vengeance versus broader purpose: Dong Sanqiu’s personal revenge contrasts with Lin’s willingness to endure hardship for the survival of the Human Race.
• Political manipulation and hidden alliances: The assassination of the princes reveals that apparent acts of revenge may conceal a carefully coordinated struggle for control of the imperial succession.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Dong form a respectful connection after meeting on the seventh level. Dong reveals his personal history and warns Lin about the danger of attempting the eighth level.
• Lin respectfully rejects Dong’s caution, explaining that he needs the complete Human Dao True Law rather than merely an incomplete glimpse.
• The gray-robed man confronts Dong while pursuing Lin. Dong attempts to defend the terrace and refuses to allow the man to threaten Lin, but he is effortlessly defeated and knocked from the platform.
• In the imperial court, Lin Weiyang challenges the ministers’ assumption that the Myriad Poison Sect alone is responsible. His argument redirects attention toward the Heart Sect’s role in manipulating the succession crisis.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Weiyang proposes that the Great Wilderness Dynasty avoid directly confronting the Myriad Poison Sect and instead expose and attack its ally, the Heart Sect. By revealing the Heart Sect’s infiltrators and schemes, the dynasty can isolate the Myriad Poison Sect and weaken its influence in the mortal world.
• He persuades the emperor to release the information openly under the imperial family’s name, despite the danger of angering powerful cultivation sects. Lin Weiyang argues that this will win the favor of Azure Abyss, which would naturally oppose the Heart Sect’s attempt to unite other sects against it.
• The emperor approves the plan, and the Great Wilderness Dynasty releases extensive evidence of Heart Sect infiltration throughout the major powers of the Primordial World. More than a hundred infiltrators within the Myriad Poison Sect are exposed, including elite disciples and a high-ranking seventeenth top elder. Similar disclosures affect other major factions, throwing the cultivation world into turmoil.
• At the Myriad Poison Sect, Hydra Overlord Li Xinyu learns that Changye successfully passed the sect’s loyalty test. Changye had met Su Lin in the Wilderness Capital without sabotaging the assassination of the Seventh Prince, proving—at least for now—that she remained trustworthy.
• Changye reports that Su Lin claims to originate from Azure Abyss and intends to return there with the Azure Abyss Willow Leaf. She proposes using the Willow Leaf’s appearance and movements to verify Su Lin’s identity.
• Changye also investigates the massacre at Star-Picking Tower in Lanzhou. She concludes that the Thousand-Poison Holy Son, Li Xu, was not truly insane but was controlled and used as a scapegoat.
• The real culprit was Ding Caiyi, a Heart Sect elder and Prince Lan Ning’s secondary consort. After realizing that Prince Lan Ning and the Lanzhou network had been exposed, Ding Caiyi killed him through Li Xu’s body in order to destroy evidence and provoke conflict between the Great Wilderness Dynasty and the Myriad Poison Sect.
• Ding Caiyi herself was later killed by a Lesser-Divinity technique, indicating that the Heart Sect silenced her to prevent the Myriad Poison Sect from discovering the plot. This confirms the Heart Sect’s ruthless willingness to sacrifice even its own agents.
• Changye warns that the Heart Sect may have infiltrated the Myriad Poison Sect and other major sects. Almost immediately, the Great Wilderness Dynasty publishes detailed lists of infiltrators, confirming her fears and causing panic within the Heart Sect itself.

Character Developments

• Lin Weiyang demonstrates strategic brilliance and political ambition. Rather than fighting the nearly untouchable Myriad Poison Sect directly, he identifies its dependence on the Heart Sect and uses the dynasty, the major sects, and Azure Abyss as pieces in a larger political strategy.
• The emperor shifts from hesitation to decisive action. He recognizes that destroying the Heart Sect aligns with Azure Abyss’s interests and authorizes the unprecedented public release of imperial intelligence.
• Changye proves herself to be exceptionally intelligent, observant, and capable. She successfully passes the Myriad Poison Sect’s loyalty test, carefully records Su Lin’s statements, reconstructs Ding Caiyi’s motives, and identifies the broader strategic consequences of the Lanzhou incident.
• Li Xinyu and the Grand Elder are forced to reconsider their relationship with the Heart Sect. Their former ally is revealed as manipulative and treacherous, prompting fear that the Myriad Poison Sect itself has been compromised.
• Lin Xiaosu/Su Lin advances his understanding of the Human Dao True Law. He realizes that fully activating it would mean challenging the Heavenly Dao and inviting catastrophic punishment.
• Human Emperor Xin, appearing through Lin Xiaosu’s vision or spiritual encounter, is reinterpreted. His abandonment of his empire and loved ones was not betrayal but an attempt to protect them from the Heavenly Dao’s retaliation.
• Lin Xiaosu rejects the idea that the Human Dao must be pursued by a solitary ruler. He argues that the true Human Dao belongs collectively to hundreds of millions of people, not to a single “solitary” emperor.
• At the end of the chapter, Lin Xiaosu meets a refined middle-aged man who reveals himself through the familiar Azure Abyss Willow Leaf sword technique.

Significant Themes

• Indirect warfare and strategic manipulation: Lin Weiyang’s plan shows that the strongest enemy may be defeated by attacking its alliances and sources of influence rather than confronting it directly.
• Political power versus cultivation power: The imperial dynasty enters the cultivation world openly, risking sectarian retaliation in exchange for the protection and legitimacy of Azure Abyss.
• Betrayal and expendability: The Heart Sect treats allies, agents, and even its own members as disposable chess pieces. Its strategy is based on self-preservation above all else.
• Truth as a weapon: The public release of hidden information destabilizes every major faction, demonstrating that knowledge and exposure can be more destructive than military force.
• The paradox of the Human Dao: To fight for humanity, one may be forced to abandon personal attachments. Yet Lin Xiaosu challenges this conclusion, arguing that the Human Dao should be a shared endeavor rather than the burden of one isolated ruler.
• Sacrifice and responsibility: Human Emperor Xin’s actions reveal the painful cost of protecting others, while Lin Xiaosu proposes a new model in which responsibility is shared rather than concentrated in a single emperor.
• The Heavenly Dao’s resistance: The Human Dao True Law is portrayed as an act of defiance against the Heavenly Dao, making its true use dangerous even for powerful cultivators.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Weiyang and the emperor: Lin Weiyang persuades the emperor to publicly expose the Heart Sect, convincing him that Azure Abyss will support the move.
• Changye and Su Lin: Their meeting allows Changye to gather information about Su Lin’s origins and intentions while maintaining her cover within the Myriad Poison Sect.
• Changye, Li Xinyu, and the Grand Elder: Changye presents her investigation into Ding Caiyi, earning their trust and revealing the Heart Sect’s betrayal.
• Ding Caiyi and Prince Lan Ning: Their relationship is exposed as part of the Heart Sect’s political infiltration of Lanzhou. Once Lan Ning becomes a liability, Ding Caiyi sacrifices him.
• The Heart Sect and the Myriad Poison Sect: Their alliance collapses under suspicion after the Heart Sect frames the Myriad Poison Sect and kills Ding Caiyi to conceal its actions.
• Lin Xiaosu and Human Emperor Xin: Their philosophical exchange centers on whether the Human Dao requires solitude or collective participation. Lin Xiaosu rejects the emperor’s belief that the wielder must walk alone.
• Lin Xiaosu and Azure Abyss Willow Leaf: The chapter ends with their long-awaited encounter, signaling that Su Lin’s claimed connection to Azure Abyss may soon be verified.

Lin Xiaosu defeated Azure Abyss Willow Leaf in a wager, annihilated the Ancient Demon army while impersonating him, and entered the Daxia Realm through Fallen God Valley. There, he reunited with Xin Yue, who remained wary despite recognizing private details only he could know.

• Lin Xiaosu wagered that Azure Abyss Willow Leaf could not take him away from the Nine Extremes Terrace that day, then won by overpowering him with the Gods-and-Devils Art.
• Lin Xiaosu descended the terrace and killed the Ancient Demon general and his forces with Willow Leaf Kill, making Azure Abyss Willow Leaf appear responsible for the massacre.
• Lin Xiaosu agreed to accompany Azure Abyss Willow Leaf to Azure Abyss as a guest in one month, then left for Fallen God Valley.
• Lin Xiaosu crossed into the Daxia Realm, where he flew into a battle zone and recognized Little Tiger and Xin Yue.
• Xin Yue questioned whether Lin Xiaosu was really himself, and he cited their shared past, including her lost membership points, to prove his identity.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu proves his identity to Xin Yue and delivers Changye’s message: although Changye once killed Xin Yue, she did so to give Xin Yue a greater chance of survival than falling into another enemy’s hands.
• Xin Yue reveals that she understood Changye’s hidden loyalty and sacrifice all along. Her silence afterward came from grief and helplessness, not ignorance.
• Lin Xiaosu reunites with the Qianlong forces. Snow Wind Heavenly King and thousands of soldiers warmly welcome him, still regarding him as their former commander and “military soul.”
• He reports that the invading Ancient Demon army has already been destroyed in the Ruined Capital, relieving the Qianlong forces of that threat.
• Lin Xiaosu meets Lone Serpent, who has become a loyal warrior of the nation. Their conversation recalls the emotional bonds formed during Lin Xiaosu’s absence.
• He visits Peacock Valley, now transformed from a wilderness into a fully developed military and research base.
• Lin Xiaosu reunites with Yi Xiang in her laboratory. They share an intimate reunion before discussing the situation in the other world.
• He gives Yi Xiang the complete Archaic Gods-and-Devils Art through a Lesser Divinity Imprint. The knowledge is derived from the Creation Formula and Lin Xiaosu’s own understanding, potentially allowing Yi Xiang to pioneer “technological cultivation.”
• Lin Xiaosu leaves again almost immediately, promising to return in two and a half years after resolving the dangers in the other world.
• Xin Yue appears to flee after Lin Xiaosu’s departure, apparently intending to pursue a breakthrough or another personal mission.
• Rather than returning home, Lin Xiaosu travels to the hidden Three Heavens Taoist temple beneath Kunlun and meets Daoist Lu Yun.
• He takes the Kindling Lamp, arguing that the Celestial Cycle Grand Formation has already been rendered useless because the world’s passages have opened and spiritual energy is recovering.
• Lin Xiaosu intends to use the lamp to reverse-engineer the formation diagram of the former Celestial Cycle Grand Formation, despite Lu Yun warning that this violates a Heavenly Dao taboo and may bring Heavenly Punishment.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu returns as a powerful, decisive figure who has grown substantially through his experiences in the other world. He balances affection for his companions with an urgent willingness to challenge cosmic laws.
• Xin Yue is shown to be perceptive and emotionally burdened. She understood Changye’s sacrifice but hid her feelings behind humor and bravado. Her later disappearance suggests she is preparing to pursue her own path.
• Changye is characterized as someone who sacrificed her reputation and personal relationship with Xin Yue to protect her from the Myriad Poison Sect.
• Snow Wind Heavenly King and the Qianlong soldiers display lasting loyalty and admiration for Lin Xiaosu, treating him as their enduring commander despite his absence.
• Lone Serpent has undergone a moral transformation. Once associated with Hydra and national chaos, he is now a committed defender of the country, motivated partly by his sister’s happiness and expectations.
• Yi Xiang has become a major scientific contributor, combining the Ancient Gu Path with modern genetics. Her emotional attachment to Lin Xiaosu remains strong, and she is inspired by the new knowledge he gives her.
• Daoist Lu Yun is revealed to be the spirit of the Kindling Lamp rather than a human. His long association with humanity has nevertheless given him genuine human emotion and moral concern.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and hidden loyalty: Changye’s betrayal was actually an act of protection, while Xin Yue’s silence reflects the pain of recognizing a sacrifice she could not prevent.
• Memory and belonging: Lin Xiaosu’s return revives old bonds and demonstrates that emotional connections endure despite immense changes and long separations.
• Science and cultivation: The chapter continues merging genetic technology, the Ancient Gu Path, and traditional cultivation, suggesting a new technological route toward god-devil advancement.
• Duty versus personal desire: Lin Xiaosu longs for reunion and domestic happiness, but repeatedly chooses the larger mission over returning home or remaining with Yi Xiang.
• Challenging fate and cosmic law: Lin Xiaosu refuses to wait passively for catastrophe. His willingness to violate Heavenly Dao taboos reflects his determination to alter the world’s predetermined course.
• The meaning of inheritance: The Kindling Lamp represents not merely an ancient artifact or formation core, but the continuation of the Human Race’s legacy and spirit across generations.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Xin Yue exchange sarcastic but emotionally charged dialogue about Changye, revealing mutual familiarity and Xin Yue’s hidden grief.
• His reunion with Snow Wind Heavenly King and the Qianlong soldiers emphasizes their shared military history and enduring respect.
• Lin Xiaosu’s conversation with Lone Serpent highlights redemption, loyalty, and the personal relationships that sustained the soldiers during his absence.
• His reunion with Yi Xiang is affectionate and intimate, but also intellectually significant: he entrusts her with knowledge that may transform the future of cultivation and science.
• Xin Yue, Lone Serpent, and Snow Wind Heavenly King interact humorously after Lin Xiaosu leaves, with Lone Serpent noticing Xin Yue’s apparent plan to disappear.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lu Yun engage in a philosophical debate over the Kindling Lamp, Heavenly Punishment, responsibility, and whether humanity should obey or defy the limits imposed by the Heavenly Dao.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Yun reveals that the Celestial Cycle Grand Formation is reaching the end of its million-year lifespan. Emperor Kun’s Heaven-and-Earth Severance had isolated the Human Dao from the Heavenly Dao, but the Heavenly Dao now seeks to break free and rejoin the greater Heavenly Dao world. Anyone attempting to preserve the formation risks Heavenly punishment.
• Lin Xiaosu rejects another defensive isolation strategy. Instead, he vows that humanity will confront the Heavenly Dao openly and compete with it in every realm, treating its cultivators as equals rather than enemies to be sealed away.
• Lu Yun agrees to become the spirit of Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp and reverse-engineer the Celestial Cycle Grand Formation. Lin Xiaosu uses his own Kindling Lamp to conceal the Heavenly Dao and derive the true laws of the Human Dao within the Heroic Spirit Mausoleum.
• During the process, Lin Xiaosu advances his cultivation: his Spatial-Law Dao Flower produces a Dao Fruit, allowing him to comprehend Spatial Law more completely. Lu Yun reconstructs the complete formation diagram, consisting of 360 foundations.
• After memorizing the diagram, Lin Xiaosu asks Lu Yun to erase the information so the Heavenly Dao cannot destroy his consciousness. Lu Yun then leaves the Three Heavens and returns to Willow Grove Temple, intending to reunite Lin Xiaosu’s second uncle and aunt and live as a normal Daoist when possible.
• Lin Xiaosu travels to Kun Cang and visits Two Realms Mountain, where he reunites with Gu Jian Youchen. They discuss the Human Character Scroll, the Three-Character Bone Book, and Gu Jian Youchen’s hidden sacrifices. Gu Jian Youchen had sent the Bone Book away through his severed Three Corpses to keep it from falling into enemy hands.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that Gu Jian Youchen’s former lover has left seclusion and that Feng Ji is actually his daughter. He explains that Feng Ji’s True Reincarnation Seal may be connected to her regret over never acknowledging her father.
• Lin Xiaosu persuades Gu Jian Youchen to abandon Two Realms Mountain and the obsolete defensive formation. Gu Jian Youchen passes on another version of the Celestial Cycle Formation diagram, then severs his formation body with a sword strike that destroys Two Realms Mountain’s defensive structure.
• Gu Jian Youchen leaves Kun Cang to reunite with Feng Ji and her mother. Though the formation’s remnants will delay passage for several years, the barrier will eventually disappear, allowing stronger cultivators to enter and bringing greater disorder.
• Lin Xiaosu returns to the modern world, buys supplies and large quantities of liquor, and finally arrives at the Phoenix City Detective Agency. Miao Ruolan and Zhou Xi are overjoyed to see him after nearly a year apart.
• Lin Xiaosu spends the night with Ruolan but tells her that he must leave again the next day after briefly returning home.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu grows from merely surviving cosmic conflicts to adopting a clear ideological position: humanity must face the Heavenly Dao directly rather than rely on isolation. He also advances by forming a Spatial-Law Dao Fruit and deepens his Formation Dao understanding.
• Lu Yun completes his final service as lamp spirit by reconstructing the lost formation diagram. He accepts his own eventual erasure if necessary, but Lin Xiaosu preserves his future by sending him back to Willow Grove Temple.
• Gu Jian Youchen confronts the emotional burden of his lifelong duty. He realizes that preserving an obsolete formation and remaining trapped in Two Realms Mountain no longer serves the Human Race. His decision to leave represents freedom from inherited obligations and a return to family.
• Feng Ji is revealed to be Gu Jian Youchen’s daughter. Her True Reincarnation Seal is tied to her unresolved regret over their separation, giving her relationship with her father important spiritual and emotional significance.
• Miao Ruolan openly acknowledges her love for Lin Xiaosu, finally calling him “hubby” in her messages while waiting for his return. Her reunion with him is intensely emotional and affectionate.
• Zhou Xi remains close to both Lin Xiaosu and Ruolan, reacting with excitement and teasing humor when Lin Xiaosu returns.

Significant Themes

• Open confrontation versus isolation: Lin Xiaosu argues that humanity must no longer hide behind barriers. True strength lies in meeting powerful forces openly and defeating them through capability rather than separation.
• The burden of inherited duty: Gu Jian Youchen’s attachment to Two Realms Mountain reflects the weight of promises made by previous generations. The chapter argues that honoring ancestors means preserving humanity and its relationships, not blindly maintaining outdated institutions.
• Family, regret, and reconciliation: Feng Ji’s reincarnation-related regret and Gu Jian Youchen’s hidden fatherhood emphasize that emotional bonds can survive separation, death, and reincarnation.
• Transformation and letting go: Lu Yun abandons his role as lamp spirit, Gu Jian Youchen severs his formation body, and the ancient defensive order begins to collapse. These endings clear the way for a new era.
• Love across distance: Ruolan’s year of messages and emotional reunion with Lin Xiaosu show how affection persists despite separation between worlds.
• Inheritance and renewal: The formation diagrams, the Bone Book, and the Human Dao’s laws are all forms of inheritance. The chapter suggests that inheritance should enable future growth rather than preserve the past unchanged.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Lu Yun: They debate humanity’s future, cooperate to reconstruct the Celestial Cycle Formation, and develop mutual trust. Lin Xiaosu refuses to let Lu Yun sacrifice himself unnecessarily.
• Lin Xiaosu and Gu Jian Youchen: Their conversation shifts from wine and friendship to revelations about the Bone Book, Feng Ji, and Gu Jian Youchen’s responsibilities. Lin Xiaosu acts as both junior and son-in-law, pushing Gu Jian Youchen toward reunion with his family.
• Gu Jian Youchen and Feng Ji: Though they have not yet reunited on-page, the revelation that Feng Ji is his daughter gives Gu Jian Youchen renewed hope and motivates him to leave Two Realms Mountain.
• Lin Xiaosu and Miao Ruolan: Their reunion after a year apart is deeply affectionate. Ruolan’s messages reveal her growing openness, and Lin Xiaosu’s return briefly restores their domestic relationship before his next departure.
• Lin Xiaosu and Zhou Xi: Their reunion is warm and playful, with Zhou Xi immediately celebrating his return and teasing Ruolan about their relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Entering Azure Abyss”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu returns to his hometown after parting from Ruolan, enjoying ordinary mortal experiences such as walking familiar streets and eating local snacks.
• At his family home, he reunites with his mother, Xiaoye, and meets Zhang Yao, his elder brother’s new wife. He gives Zhang Yao a five-million-yuan wedding gift and gives his parents thirty million yuan, emphasizing that worldly wealth means little compared with the coming upheavals.
• Lin Xiaosu’s mother questions his experiences in the other world. He jokingly claims that he met an emperor, received a high position, and lives with many servants, though she refuses to believe him.
• Ding Ruoshui arrives and reveals that she has been cultivating at Springwater Palace in the Tashan passageway. Xiaoye is exposed to her as a robot, and Ding Ruoshui confirms this by testing Xiaoye’s body with her water power.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui spend intimate time together. During the encounter, he raises her cultivation from one-star Peering into Heaven to Nine-Star Peering into Heaven, though he cannot help her reach the Enlightened Realm.
• After three days at home, Lin Xiaosu secretly leaves through Peacock Valley and returns to the Ruined Capital to meet Azure Abyss Willow Leaf.
• Azure Abyss Willow Leaf publicly opens a Sky-Window and takes Lin Xiaosu to Azure Abyss. This confirms to observers throughout the world that Lin Xiaosu is connected to Azure Abyss.
• The revelation causes widespread political and sectarian speculation. The Myriad Poison Sect concludes that Lin Xiaosu’s repeated attacks on the Heart Dao and Heart Sect likely represent Azure Abyss’s broader campaign against them.
• Changye persuades Hydra Overlord Li Xinyu that the Myriad Poison Sect should exploit this opportunity by attacking the Heart Dao first. Li Xinyu begins considering the possibility of replacing the Heart Dao and establishing a Poison Dao among the Six Daos.
• Lin Xiaosu travels through Azure Abyss with Willow Leaf and reflects on the overwhelming gap between their powers. Willow Leaf possesses eighty-one Dao Fruits and stands at the extreme limit beneath the Unspeakable Realm.
• Willow Leaf sends Lin Xiaosu into the Elders’ Hall, where forty-eight elders and the Grand Elder prepare to judge and interrogate him.
• Rather than show fear, Lin Xiaosu immediately criticizes Azure Abyss for surrounding a lone guest with overwhelming force and accuses it of bullying the weak.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates strong attachment to his mortal family despite his immense power and increasingly dangerous path. He remains generous, playful, shameless, and fearless. His teasing of Willow Leaf and defiance before the Elders’ Hall show that he refuses to submit psychologically, even when surrounded by overwhelming authority.
• Ding Ruoshui: Has advanced significantly through cultivation and now reaches Nine-Star Peering into Heaven. Her relationship with Lin Xiaosu becomes more intimate and playful, while her connection to the wider conflict deepens through her service at the Tashan Defense Line.
• Xiaoye: Her true nature as a robot is confirmed to Ding Ruoshui. She behaves calmly and cooperatively, even helping Lin Xiaosu conceal his encounter with Ding Ruoshui.
• Lin Xiaosu’s mother: Remains practical, affectionate, and skeptical of his exaggerated stories. Her concern for his safety contrasts with his increasingly extraordinary status.
• Azure Abyss Willow Leaf: Although immensely powerful, he is irritated by Lin Xiaosu’s mockery and appears wary of the Elders’ Hall. His relationship with Lin Xiaosu is marked by hostility, reluctant cooperation, and mutual recognition.
• Li Xinyu and Changye: Shift from uncertainty to strategic ambition. Changye shows political insight by interpreting Lin Xiaosu’s actions as part of Azure Abyss’s plan, while Li Xinyu becomes tempted by the prospect of replacing the Heart Dao.
• The Heart Dao and Heart Sect: Their position becomes increasingly precarious as their hidden influence is exposed and Azure Abyss appears to be moving against them.

3. Significant Themes

• The tension between mortal life and transcendent power: Lin Xiaosu still values family, familiar streets, food, and domestic life even though he operates on a cosmic level.
• The instability of worldly order: Wealth, sects, cultivation systems, and political alliances may all become irrelevant or transform dramatically in the coming upheaval.
• Power and legitimacy: Lin Xiaosu’s connection to Azure Abyss changes how the world interprets his past actions, turning him from an unpredictable individual into a possible representative of a supreme power.
• Political opportunism: The Myriad Poison Sect considers exploiting Azure Abyss’s conflict with the Heart Dao to elevate itself and establish a new Poison Dao.
• Defiance in the face of authority: Lin Xiaosu consistently uses humor and provocation to challenge stronger figures, refusing to let overwhelming power dictate his attitude.
• The limits of cultivation: The discussion of Dao Fruits emphasizes that higher realms are not simple numerical increases but qualitative transformations in understanding and power.
• Appearance versus reality: Lin Xiaosu’s jokes conceal serious motives, Xiaoye appears human but is a robot, and Azure Abyss’s reputation for order is immediately challenged by its intimidating treatment of him.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu warmly reunites with his mother and welcomes Zhang Yao as his sister-in-law, using gifts to support his family.
• His mother worries about him and distrusts his exaggerated accounts of life in the other world.
• Ding Ruoshui and Xiaoye meet politely, but Ding Ruoshui is shocked when Lin Xiaosu implies they were intimate. Xiaoye’s calm reaction and robotic nature defuse the misunderstanding.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui share an intimate, teasing relationship, with her simultaneously embarrassed by and attracted to his reckless behavior.
• Lin Xiaosu repeatedly taunts Azure Abyss Willow Leaf by calling him “Senior Brother,” mocking his defeat at the Nine Extremes Terrace and suggesting that he fears the Elders’ Hall.
• Willow Leaf responds angrily but still escorts Lin Xiaosu into Azure Abyss.
• In the Elders’ Hall, Lin Xiaosu confronts the elders’ intimidation directly, framing himself as an innocent guest surrounded by bullies and setting the stage for a hostile judgment.

Lin Xiaosu defended his actions before Azure Abyss’s elders and warned that the Heart Dao’s rise and the missing Reincarnation Path dao seal threatened Heavenly Dao, but the grand elder sentenced him to the Endless Prison. There, Lin Xiaosu used his insight and music to reveal the prison’s trials and unexpectedly pacified the Primordial Spider King.

• Lin Xiaosu admitted impersonating Liu Ye and explained that he had tested the Demon Domain after the Demon Emperor’s nineteenth son threatened Azure Abyss.
• Lin Xiaosu warned the elders that the Heart Dao might challenge Azure Abyss and claimed the missing Reincarnation Path dao seal was part of an attempt to open a breach in Heavenly Dao.
• The grand elder silenced Lin Xiaosu and ordered him sent to the Endless Prison, while Mei Jiu and Liu Ye tried to oppose the sentence; Lin Xiaosu accepted it after hearing that those who escaped became honored guests.
• Lin Xiaosu entered the level-eight Endless Prison, where Zi Xia identified four trials and described the first as a wasteland hiding undying Primordial Cloud-Swallowing Spiders.
• Lin Xiaosu played his flute, drawing countless Primordial Cloud-Swallowing Spiders from the ground, then used Yin-Yang Steps to evade the Spider King’s attack and land on its head.
• The Primordial Spider King stopped its claw and gently carried Lin Xiaosu on top of its head.

Lin Xiaosu cleared the Endless Prison’s trials by defeating Primordial Earth Scorpion Kings, finding the formation’s Ghost Point, and comprehending Chaos Births Lotus in the Chaos Pool. After escaping, he discovered that Duanmu Can, the woman whose Divine Abilities he had stolen, was among his hosts, and she recognized him.

• Lin Xiaosu controlled the Primordial Spider King and led the spiders against the Primordial Earth Scorpions, then killed their kings with his Dharma Body.
• Lin Xiaosu found the Skyborne Formation Dao’s Ghost Point and entered the Chaos Pool, where he began comprehending chaos law and the Azure Lotus’s Sword Intent.
• Duanmu Can identified Lin Xiaosu as the thief who had ruined the Heavenly Dao Flaw-Repair plan, while the Azure Abyss disciples decided to let the Endless Prison’s rules stand.
• Lin Xiaosu spent a month studying the Chaos Azure Lotus, was destroyed by its sword strike, and comprehended Chaos Births Lotus through destruction and rebirth.
• Lin Xiaosu escaped the Endless Prison and was welcomed by Mei Jiu, then recognized Duanmu Can as the woman whose abilities he had stolen; she asked whether he recognized her.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Duanmu Can confronts Lin Xiaosu, accusing him of stealing two of her divine powers—Heavenly Insight Eye and Humanity Orchidheart—and damaging her Dao Path.
• Lin Xiaosu argues that their encounter was ordained by Heaven. He claims the flaw left in Duanmu Can’s cultivation is not a crime but part of the Heavenly Dao’s principle that perfection must contain a variable: “Great Expansion is fifty, while the Heavenly Dao is forty-nine.”
• Duanmu Can counters that their meeting now is also Heaven’s will and demands the return of her powers.
• Lin Xiaosu refuses, explaining that the divine powers have already fused with his eyes and heart and can no longer be restored in their original, pure form. His provocative explanation enrages Duanmu Can, who attacks him.
• Duanmu Can reveals the terrifying strength of her eleven fused divine powers, using Dao-Destroying Fist, Dao-Unifying Palm, Great Expansion Step, Red Lotus Insight Eye, and Star-Extinguishing Slash.
• Lin Xiaosu withstands her attacks with his Archaic Gods-and-Devils transformation, Rule Shadow, Swordheart, Spatial Law, Yin-Yang Steps, and Chaos Births Lotus. Their battle reaches a level comparable to the Second Mastery Realm, despite Lin not yet entering the Way-Grasping Realm.
• The fight is interrupted by the arrival of the Abyss Lord and his wife, who are revealed to be Duanmu Can’s parents.
• The Abyss Lord rules that Heaven intends for Duanmu Can to reclaim the two divine powers. He offers to cleanse Lin Xiaosu’s aura from them and restore them to her.
• Rather than submit, Lin Xiaosu proposes an exchange: he will seek Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp and give it to the Azure Abyss in return for keeping the divine powers.
• He negotiates a strict two-year deadline, arguing that he is uniquely qualified to obtain the lamp because he comes from that world, is currently its strongest combatant, and cannot yet be followed there by Way-Grasping Realm cultivators.
• The Abyss Lord accepts the agreement and permits Lin Xiaosu to leave and drink with Liu Ye and Mei Jiu.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extraordinary argumentative skill, using Dao principles, emotional provocation, and political calculation to defend himself. He remains fearless before Duanmu Can and even the Abyss Lord.
• His combat strength is shown to be far greater than expected. Though technically below the Way-Grasping Realm, he can withstand and counter a practitioner wielding eleven divine powers.
• Lin also reveals himself as a highly capable negotiator. He recognizes the Abyss Lord’s interest in the Kindling Lamp and turns a potentially hopeless judgment into a favorable bargain.
• Duanmu Can is revealed as the Abyss Lord’s biological daughter and an exceptionally powerful Dao seeker. Her frustration over losing two divine powers has hardened into intense hostility toward Lin Xiaosu.
• Despite her vast power, Duanmu Can is shocked that Lin can survive her strongest attacks, challenging her assumptions about the supremacy of divine abilities.
• The Abyss Lord appears detached and authoritative but is visibly interested in Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp. His willingness to negotiate shows that the lamp is one of the few things capable of influencing him.
• Liu Ye and Mei Jiu gain greater respect for Lin Xiaosu’s Dao insights and combat ability, while Zi Xia is forced to acknowledge his rapid comprehension of techniques she spent decades mastering.

3. Significant Themes

• Imperfection as a source of possibility: Lin argues that a flaw is necessary for growth because absolute perfection leaves no room for change or advancement.
• Heaven’s will versus personal responsibility: Both sides invoke Heaven to justify opposing claims, exposing how divine will can be interpreted according to one’s interests.
• Power beyond formal cultivation: Lin’s battle with Duanmu Can shows that combat ability is not determined solely by realm, number of divine powers, or conventional advantages.
• Identity and fusion: The stolen divine powers have become part of Lin’s body and identity, raising questions about whether they can truly be separated from him.
• Cleverness as power: Lin survives not only through strength but through rhetoric, psychological insight, and strategic bargaining.
• Possession and danger: The principle that “a common man commits no crime, but possessing a jade brings disaster” explains why Lin is willing to surrender the Kindling Lamp to a greater power rather than become the target of the entire world.

4. Character Interactions

• Lin and Duanmu Can engage in a tense verbal battle before their physical confrontation. His calm, teasing rationalizations repeatedly intensify her anger.
• Their fight becomes a demonstration of contrasting styles: Duanmu relies on overwhelming divine powers, while Lin combines transformation, laws, sword techniques, and unconventional abilities.
• Liu Ye and Mei Jiu observe the battle and repeatedly react with alarm and admiration, recognizing that the two combatants are unusually well matched.
• The Abyss Lord intervenes before Duanmu Can can continue fighting and asserts authority over both the conflict and the fate of the divine powers.
• Lin speaks respectfully but confidently to the Abyss Lord, refusing to be intimidated and converting the judgment against him into a mutually beneficial agreement.
• The chapter ends with Lin leaving under the Abyss Lord’s permission, having preserved his divine powers while accepting the dangerous mission of obtaining Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp within two years.

Lin Xiaosu won the Azure Abyss Heavenly Gang’s attention by revealing the Heart Dao’s suspected role in the Reincarnation Seal’s loss and arguing that the Azure Abyss should support the Reincarnation Sect. After forming his Temporal Dao Fruit in Mei Jiu’s arena, he headed to River Origin Fairy’s Life Pavilion to cultivate life law.

• Lin Xiaosu told Mei Jiu and the Heavenly Gang that the Abyss Lord had spared him on the condition that he retrieve Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp within two years.
• At the As-Yesterday Pavilion, Lin Xiaosu described how the Heart Dao had targeted the Reincarnation Seal and suggested that the Azure Abyss support restoring it to the Reincarnation Sect.
• Mei Jiu recounted how his Time-Light Sword Dao had taken three thousand years from his beloved’s life and how he now kept her alive by stopping time in a tower he could not enter.
• Lin Xiaosu formed his Temporal Dao Fruit in Mei Jiu’s Temporal Dao Arena and learned that his next stop should be River Origin Fairy’s Life Pavilion.
• Lin Xiaosu reached River Origin Fairy’s valley and saw a pavilion grown from a tree whose leaves were living butterflies.

Lin Xiaosu completed his Life Law Dao fruit in Azure Abyss, then learned that the Great Wilderness emperor had died and returned to the capital amid rumors of an impending purge. He discovered that the Myriad Poison Sect had killed the emperor and three princes under the influence of Skyface Half-Dao Lord, and prepared a Desperate Tactic with Changye as a further crisis emerged around his Soul-Division Art.

• River Origin Fairy opened a tree passage for Lin Xiaosu, who explored its leaves, branches, trunk, and roots before completing his Life Law Dao fruit.
• Duanmu Can confronted Lin Xiaosu about his promise to retrieve Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp, and he obtained a jade pendant to contact her.
• Duanmu Can revealed that the Great Wilderness emperor had died, prompting Lin Xiaosu to return to the capital, where his steward described the new emperor’s rise and the rumors threatening the marquis’s household.
• Changye told Lin Xiaosu that the Myriad Poison Sect had killed the emperor and three princes after Skyface Half-Dao Lord persuaded Li Xinyu to overturn her decision.
• Lin Xiaosu told Changye to prepare a Desperate Tactic and revealed that Duanmu Can’s Star-Extinguishing Slash had accidentally enabled him to develop a third Primordial Spirit through the Soul-Division Art.

Chapter Summary: “A Grand Plan Altered for One Man”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu successfully performs an unprecedented third division of his Primordial Spirit while fighting Duanmu Can’s enhanced Star-Extinguishing Slash. After more than two months of adjustment, his three Primordial Spirits stabilize, each taking on a specialized role:
  • Comprehending Yin-Yang Law
  • Comprehending Cause-and-Effect Law
  • Managing daily affairs
• One Primordial Spirit enters the Spacetime River to meet Big Yellow, who has been trapped there for tens of thousands of years.
• Big Yellow reveals that he was once the supreme figure known as the All-Heaven Evil Ancestor, far stronger than ordinary Third Mastery cultivators. Though he lacks a physical body, he claims he can seize another’s body and recover his power.
• Lin Xiaosu proposes rescuing Big Yellow by combining his Spatial and Temporal Dao Fruits. He sends a sheet of paper across the Spacetime River, proving that escape is possible.
• The paper contains a karmic contract that would bind Big Yellow to Lin Xiaosu. Big Yellow initially objects to being enslaved, but agrees after learning that the body he will possess belongs to a deeply sinful person. He signs the contract with the single character “Evil.”
• Lin Xiaosu guides the black lotus and Big Yellow across the Spacetime River, successfully bringing him to the shore and freeing him from his eternal imprisonment.
• Back in the capital, Lin Xiaosu is summoned to the palace by the new Emperor, Hong Yang, whose Heart Sect-controlled government appears ready to move against him.
• He enters the imperial court with deliberate arrogance, standing beyond even the First Rank officials to emphasize his noble status as the Snow-Clad Marquis.
• When the chief eunuch orders him to kneel, Lin Xiaosu seizes him by the throat and forces him to kneel instead, citing the late Emperor’s decree granting him the right not to kneel before the sovereign.
• Imperial Guard Commander He Xinzhǔ attacks Lin Xiaosu to defend the Emperor. Lin Xiaosu meets his palm strike and sends him flying.
• The Emperor activates the Imperial Seal, and He Xinzhǔ accuses Lin Xiaosu of rebellion. Lin Xiaosu suddenly releases the eunuch, bows to the Emperor, and dramatically lowers the tension while leaving the entire court uncertain of his true intentions.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates that his foundation is exceptionally strong, allowing him to maintain three Primordial Spirits. His division of labor shows increasing mastery, foresight, and strategic flexibility.
• He becomes more calculating and politically assertive. Rather than merely resisting the court’s pressure, he deliberately provokes it and uses legal technicalities to seize the initiative.
• Big Yellow is revealed to be vastly more powerful and important than previously suspected. His bitterness, arrogance, humor, and long-term endurance conceal the identity of a former supreme expert who has suffered a devastating downfall.
• Big Yellow’s attitude toward Lin Xiaosu changes from mocking familiarity to respectful negotiation. He accepts the karmic contract because he recognizes Lin Xiaosu’s ability and offers of freedom.
• Xiao Hong and Xiao Qing show genuine concern for Lin Xiaosu, urging him to flee when the imperial forces arrive. His reassurance restores their confidence.
• Lin Weiyang remains outwardly calm but is internally excited and anxious. He understands Lin Xiaosu’s habit of preparing hidden contingencies and wonders whether he can reverse an apparently hopeless political situation.
• Song Lifu is increasingly trapped by Heart Sect’s domination of the court, though Lin Xiaosu’s arrival gives him the first hint that the political balance may still change.
• He Xinzhǔ acts as the Emperor’s loyal protector, but his first direct clash with Lin Xiaosu reveals that the Marquis is more formidable than expected.
• Emperor Hong Yang begins the confrontation believing he has the advantage, but Lin Xiaosu’s unexpected use of the late Emperor’s decree disrupts his authority and forces him into an awkward position.

Significant Themes

• Strength rooted in foundation: Lin Xiaosu’s ability to sustain three Primordial Spirits reflects the importance of a stable foundation over flashy techniques.
• Freedom and the cost of rescue: Big Yellow can only escape through a karmic contract, showing that liberation in a dangerous world often requires surrendering some autonomy.
• The persistence of the past: The late Emperor’s seemingly empty ceremonial favor becomes a powerful political weapon years later.
• Law versus power: Lin Xiaosu uses an obscure legal privilege to challenge the Emperor publicly, demonstrating that rules can become weapons when wielded by someone bold enough.
• Political upheaval and hidden plans: The court appears completely controlled by Heart Sect, yet Lin Xiaosu’s arrival suggests that established power structures can still be disrupted.
• Family, loyalty, and exploitation: Lin Xiaosu claims to regard Big Yellow as family, but still binds him through karmic law, blending genuine affection with ruthless pragmatism.
• Identity and transformation: Big Yellow’s transition from trapped spirit to potential body-snatcher, and Lin Xiaosu’s transformation into an openly defiant political actor, mark major shifts in their positions.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Duanmu Can clash violently, with her fully fused divine abilities forcing him to risk splitting his Primordial Spirit a third time.
• Lin Xiaosu and Big Yellow engage in teasing, bargaining, and mutual testing. Their conversation evolves from insults and boasts into a serious alliance sealed by the karmic contract.
• Lin Xiaosu comforts Xiao Hong and Xiao Qing, using humor and confidence to calm their fear.
• In the court, Lin Xiaosu humiliates the chief eunuch by reversing the demand that he kneel.
• His palm clash with He Xinzhǔ establishes a direct confrontation between the Marquis and the Emperor’s military authority.
• Lin Xiaosu’s final bow to Emperor Hong Yang simultaneously acknowledges imperial authority and prevents the confrontation from immediately becoming open rebellion, leaving the court suspended in uncertainty.

Lin Xiaosu accepted the new emperor’s decree to lead the Heaven-Subduing Pavilion’s forces against Qingqiu, then gathered allies and revealed that the Heart Dao had orchestrated the deaths of the late emperor and princes. The chapter ended as Lin Xiaosu presented documents to Lei Tianlun, Song Lifu, and Li Yafu as evidence of the conspiracy.

• Lin Xiaosu asserted his loyalty to the Great Wilderness, and the court ordered him to command the Heaven-Subduing Pavilion’s forces to eradicate the Qingqiu Foxfolk.
• Song Lifu took Lin Xiaosu to meet Lei Tianlun, while Lin Weiyang explained that Lin Xiaosu had tested the new emperor and established his authority in court.
• Lin Xiaosu visited Li Yafu with Mad Wolf and Zhang Tao, revealed that Qingqiu’s blockade of Leftbinder Lake had followed his advice, and declared that the new emperor and court were controlled by the Heart Dao.
• Mad Wolf and Li Yafu chose to stand with Lin Xiaosu, and Zhang Tao knelt and became his formal disciple.
• Lin Xiaosu, Li Yafu, Mad Wolf, and Zhang Tao joined Song Lifu and Lei Tianlun, and Lin Xiaosu presented documents linking the Myriad Poison Sect’s murders of the emperor and princes to the Heart Dao.

Chapter Summary: “The Great Revelation: The Emperor Has Been Replaced”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The conspirators—Lei Tianlun, Song Lifu, Li Yafu, Mad Wolf, and Lin Xiaosu—discuss how to overthrow the usurper emperor. Their main obstacles are the emperor’s control of the court, the Imperial Guard, the Hidden Dragon Guard, and the Heaven-Subduing Pavilion’s military tally.
• Their lack of a legitimate claimant seems fatal because all the imperial princes are believed dead. Lin Xiaosu reveals that Prince Yun, Hong Yun, actually survived by using a substitute in his residence and retreating with Fufeng to Qingqiu.
• Lin Xiaosu promises that Prince Yun will ascend the throne within seven days.
• In Qingqiu, Prince Yun is discouraged and believes the usurper’s power has become too entrenched to overcome. Fufeng comforts him, while Fu Ling arrives with news that Lin Xiaosu has returned to the capital.
• Lin Xiaosu has publicly challenged the new emperor by breaking the Chief Eunuch’s leg and defeating the Imperial Guard commander, demonstrating that he has reached the Way-Grasping Realm. He then accepts an imperial order to lead the Heaven-Subduing Grand Army against Qingqiu, apparently setting up a conflict in which the army and Qingqiu will destroy each other.
• Prince Yun correctly suspects that this is a political trap arranged by the emperor and his ministers. However, he and the others are shocked that Lin Xiaosu accepted the order.
• Lin Xiaosu suddenly arrives in Qingqiu and declares that he intends to help Prince Yun reclaim the throne. He then reveals the true nature of his plan: the “new emperor” in the Golden Hall is actually Lin Xiaosu himself.
• By deliberately provoking the Imperial Guard and forcing the Imperial Seal to manifest, Lin Xiaosu created an opening to use the Soul-Division Art and secretly seize the emperor’s body through Primordial Spirit Body-Seizing.
• Because Lin Xiaosu now occupies the emperor’s body, he does not need to conquer the throne. Instead, he plans to orchestrate a formal abdication in favor of Prince Yun.
• He instructs Prince Yun to reveal that he is alive. The court will likely summon him to the capital, creating the perfect opportunity for Lin Xiaosu, as emperor, to issue a self-reproach edict and abdicate.
• Lin Xiaosu leaves for the capital, while Prince Yun, Fufeng, Fu Ling, and Hu Ji are left astonished and hopeful. He privately teases Hu Ji, promising to spend time with her after the succession is settled.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu/Snow-Clad Marquis: Reveals his extraordinary strategic ability and mastery of the Soul-Division Art. He proves that his apparent submission to the emperor was part of a layered plan. He also makes clear that imperial power is not his goal; remaining emperor would interfere with his Dao cultivation, so he intends to abdicate.
• Prince Yun/Hong Yun: Moves from despair to renewed determination. He openly swears that he will not tolerate the usurper’s crimes and accepts Lin Xiaosu’s plan. His calling Lin Xiaosu “brother” marks a major emotional and ideological bond between them.
• Fufeng: Remains loyal and supportive of Prince Yun, but shifts from anxiety to joy when Lin Xiaosu confirms that he is an ally rather than Qingqiu’s enemy.
• Fu Ling: Initially reports the alarming developments in the capital, then becomes enthusiastic once he understands Lin Xiaosu’s true intentions. He accepts him as family.
• Hu Ji: Is deeply affected by Lin Xiaosu’s return and revelation. Her emotional attachment and playful relationship with him become more apparent.
• Lei Tianlun, Song Lifu, Li Yafu, and Mad Wolf: Establish the military and political difficulties facing the restoration movement, emphasizing how impossible a direct rebellion would be without Lin Xiaosu’s hidden strategy.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Public appearances conceal the real state of power. Lin Xiaosu’s apparent obedience, the emperor’s identity, and Prince Yun’s “death” are all carefully constructed illusions.
• Strategy over brute force: The chapter contrasts a direct military uprising—which would likely fail—with Lin Xiaosu’s subtler plan to transform a seizure of power into a legitimate abdication.
• Legitimacy and political authority: Prince Yun’s survival provides the restoration movement with a lawful heir, while Lin Xiaosu’s plan preserves the appearance of constitutional and moral order.
• Sacrifice and personal ideals: Lin Xiaosu rejects the throne because it conflicts with his Dao, showing that he values his cultivation and principles more than imperial power.
• Hope after despair: Prince Yun’s hopelessness is overturned when he learns that Lin Xiaosu has already dismantled the greatest obstacle to restoration.
• Trust and brotherhood: Lin Xiaosu’s disclosure of his secret demonstrates his trust in Prince Yun and transforms their relationship from political alliance into genuine brotherhood.

Important Character Interactions

• The opening discussion between the military leaders highlights the practical impossibility of rebellion and the need for a legitimate claimant.
• Fufeng comforts Prince Yun during his despair, reinforcing their devotion and shared commitment to a peaceful life if restoration proves impossible.
• Fu Ling’s report of Lin Xiaosu’s actions allows Prince Yun to recognize the political trap behind the imperial decree.
• Lin Xiaosu’s reunion with Prince Yun shifts the chapter from mourning to action. His demand that Prince Yun choose whether to resist the usurper prompts Prince Yun’s renewed oath.
• Prince Yun, Fufeng, and Fu Ling react with shock to the body-seizing revelation, then recognize that Lin Xiaosu’s plan eliminates the need for a bloody war.
• Lin Xiaosu’s playful exchange with Hu Ji after his departure adds intimacy and comic relief to an otherwise politically tense chapter.

News that Prince Yun Hong Yun had survived spread through the realm, and the court ordered him to return to the capital under threat of punishment. He accepted the summons and arrived with Fufeng, where Lin Xiaosu greeted him, while the court prepared for a possible attack.

• Du Qinghe confirmed Prince Yun was alive in Qingqiu and showed the court an image of him with Fufeng.
• Chancellor Li Lie persuaded the emperor to summon Prince Yun and appointed Song Lifu as the envoy, setting a three-day deadline.
• Lin Weiyang explained that Prince Yun’s feigned death was part of Lin Xiaosu’s plans and considered how the crisis might draw Azure Abyss and Heart Dao into conflict.
• Song Lifu returned word that Prince Yun would enter the palace as ordered, and Li Lie prepared to trap him and his allies if they made a move.
• Lin Xiaosu walked through the capital as Prince Yun’s return drew crowds, while Changye and Elder Xiu Feng discussed using her closeness to him to uncover secrets.
• Prince Yun and Fufeng arrived at the Return-to-Capital Platform, where Lin Xiaosu greeted him beneath his umbrella.

His Majesty revealed that Prince Yun, Hong Yun, had faked his death with the emperor’s help, then abdicated in his favor and accused Chancellor Li Lie of regicide and usurpation. Li Lie’s Hidden Dragon Guard launched a coup, but Lin Xiaosu and his allies fought back, leaving Lin Xiaosu facing Longji and Hu Ji’s battle.

• His Majesty welcomed Prince Yun, Hong Yun, and announced that they had planned his feigned death so he could watch the court, then declared his intention to abdicate in Hong Yun’s favor.
• Chancellor Li Lie objected to the abdication, but His Majesty accused him of masterminding regicide and usurpation; Li Lie ordered He Xinzhǔ to kill Hong Yun.
• Huo Gang stopped He Xinzhǔ, killed him, and used the golden saber to command the Imperial Guard to halt its advance into Wenling Hall.
• Li Lie summoned Longji and the Hidden Dragon Guard, whose attacks overwhelmed Huo Gang and Lei Tianlun until Su Lin confronted Longji and Hu Ji appeared to fight him.
• Su Lin, Huo Gang, Lei Tianlun, and Song Lifu killed the Hidden Dragon Guard’s Eighteen Dragon Beams, while Hu Ji sent three attackers’ sabers away and Lin Xiaosu expanded to face the battle.

Lin Xiaosu and his allies destroyed Longji’s Hidden Dragon Guard rebellion, and Hong Yun accepted the throne after Hong Yang’s apparent abdication. Hong Yang then died from poison after exposing the Heart Dao’s agents, leaving Hong Yun to purge the court while Lin Xiaosu fulfilled his promise to Hu Ji.

• Longji summoned the million-strong Hidden Dragon Guard, but Lin Xiaosu’s Circumcelestial Slaying Formation and the Qingqiu Foxfolk crushed the army and its Heart Dao allies.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ji joined their Yin-Yang Dao and killed Longji, then Lin Xiaosu used a willow leaf to break the Heart Dao Legacy Realm and destroy the last hundred thousand Hidden Dragon Guards.
• The emperor abdicated in public, and Hong Yun accepted the throne after Hong Yang urged him to take responsibility for Great Wilderness.
• Hong Yang presented a list of more than eight hundred Heart Dao agents, revealed that he had been poisoned, and died after completing his mission.
• Hong Yun ordered Huo Gang and the Imperial Guards to arrest the listed traitors, while Lin Xiaosu returned to the Snow-Clad Marquis Residence and fulfilled his promise to Hu Ji.

Chapter Summary: Investiture of Prince Ding

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hu Ji questions Lin Xiaosu about why he surrendered the Great Wilderness throne to Prince Yun after gaining control of it. He jokingly claims he gave it up to preserve his relationship with Hu Ji and avoid violating the Celestial Fox Ancestor’s wishes.
• Lin Xiaosu privately reveals the real reason: his interpretation of the Human Dao True Law requires “no emperor under heaven” and laws for all beings. Becoming emperor—even through a clone—would contradict his Dao.
• Under the new emperor Hong Yun, the Great Wilderness undergoes a sweeping purge:
  • Prime Minister Li Lie’s faction and half the court are imprisoned.
  • Officials’ enormous hoarded wealth is confiscated, dramatically replenishing the treasury.
  • The Heart Dao and Heart Sect are declared evil paths, beginning another realm-wide extermination campaign.
• Hong Yun personally invests Lin Xiaosu as Prince Ding, a title symbolizing the stabilization of the realm, the people, and the political situation. Lin Xiaosu’s residence is expanded by incorporating the former Prince Yun Residence.
• In a private meeting, Lin Xiaosu reveals his true origin to Hong Yun and Fufeng: he comes from the Daxia Realm, a neighboring world facing destruction in two years. His goal is to protect his relatives and compatriots from being exploited by the cultivation world.
• Hong Yun pledges to treat Lin Xiaosu’s affairs as his own. He orders the three passages leading to Daxia within Great Wilderness territory to be heavily guarded, with unauthorized travelers killed.
• Lin Xiaosu advises Hong Yun on rebuilding the government, recommending Song Lifu as prime minister and Lei Tianlun as another key official. He argues that honest, inexperienced administrators are preferable to corrupt officials skilled in political manipulation.
• Lin Xiaosu emphasizes that Hong Yun must govern according to the people’s will: “He who gains the people’s hearts gains the realm.”
• After returning home, Lin Xiaosu celebrates his investiture with his servants and Hu Ji. Changye later visits him on the final day of their seven-day agreement.
• The chapter ends with Lin Xiaosu announcing that Great Wilderness affairs are temporarily settled and that his next target is the Myriad Poison Sect.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: His true ideals become clearer. He is not merely avoiding the throne out of personal preference; he refuses any position that violates his Human Dao principles. He also openly reveals his origins and mission to Hong Yun, demonstrating trust and strategic foresight.
• Hu Ji: Her devotion to Lin Xiaosu deepens, but she worries that their relationship may repeat the tragic separation between the first Human Emperor and the Celestial Fox Ancestor. She decides to enter seclusion and refine the Celestial Fox Ancestor’s true blood, aiming to break into Second Mastery.
• Hong Yun: He grows into his role as emperor but recognizes the difficulty of governing after the mass purge. His relationship with Lin Xiaosu remains based on genuine brotherhood rather than imperial suspicion.
• Fufeng: She serves as a witness to Lin Xiaosu’s revelation and to the new alliance between him and Hong Yun. Her concerns about the complexity of governance are challenged by Lin Xiaosu’s direct philosophy.
• Changye: She returns according to her agreement with Lin Xiaosu and acknowledges his ability to control events and manipulate the political situation without leaving gaps.

Significant Themes

• Dao versus power: Lin Xiaosu rejects the throne because political authority would contradict his belief in equality and universal law.
• Equality and lawful order: His Human Dao True Law seeks to eliminate absolute imperial authority while ensuring that all beings have laws to rely upon.
• Brotherhood and loyalty: Hong Yun’s acceptance of Lin Xiaosu’s mission strengthens their bond, turning personal loyalty into a political alliance.
• The people’s mandate: The chapter presents popular support as the foundation of legitimate rule, especially after corrupt officials are exposed.
• Reform through upheaval: The purge of officials and suppression of the Heart Sect show the violent costs of rebuilding a corrupt state.
• Love amid destiny: Hu Ji fears that history may repeat itself, but Lin Xiaosu promises that his path will diverge from that of the first Human Emperor.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Hu Ji: Their intimate conversation combines teasing, romantic affection, and serious discussion of Dao, destiny, and their future cultivation.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hong Yun: They move from emperor-and-subject roles back toward brotherly trust. Lin Xiaosu reveals the Daxia crisis, and Hong Yun promises to defend it.
• Lin Xiaosu, Hong Yun, and Fufeng: Their private discussion focuses on Lin Xiaosu’s identity, the protection of Daxia, and the reconstruction of Great Wilderness governance.
• Lin Xiaosu and his servants: His generous rewards and relaxed attitude show his fondness for the people around him despite his new princely status.
• Lin Xiaosu and Changye: Their reunion confirms their prior agreement. Changye praises his flawless political maneuvering, while Lin Xiaosu signals the beginning of his campaign against the Myriad Poison Sect.

Lin Xiaosu sent Changye back toward the Myriad Poison Sect with Emperor Kun’s Kindling Lamp, intending to use it to kill Li Xinyu and bring the sect under his control. After visiting Lin Weiyang, he asked which power would become an unbearable burden to Daxia in two years, and Lin Weiyang answered that every Heavenly Pillar might pose a threat.

• Lin Xiaosu told Changye that Li Xinyu coveted the Kindling Lamp and arranged for Changye to take it to the Myriad Poison Sect, where its ancient evil spirit and his Primordial Spirit Clone could attack Li Xinyu’s Primordial Spirit.
• Changye returned to the Myriad Poison Sect with the elder and explained that Su Lin had given her the lamp as part of the Azure Abyss’s effort to oppose the Heart Dao.
• Lin Xiaosu observed the reshuffling of Great Wilderness officials and visited Lin Weiyang at the Heaven-Subduing Pavilion.
• Lin Xiaosu and Lin Weiyang shared wine and tea before discussing the threat Daxia might face in two years.
• Lin Weiyang said the danger seemed to encompass every Heavenly Pillar, because possessing a jade could make an ordinary man guilty.