Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Cheng Yaojin explains how the Jing River Dragon King met his end. After changing the rain decree to win a wager against Yuan Shoucheng, the Dragon King violated heavenly law and was sentenced to execution.
• Yuan Shoucheng told him that Wei Zheng would carry out the execution and advised him to seek help from the emperor. The emperor tried to keep Wei Zheng in the palace, but Wei Zheng slew the Dragon King in a dream. The emperor’s fanning cooled Wei Zheng and, unknowingly, helped him catch the fleeing dragon.
• The Dragon King’s head fell into the human world, while his resentful ghost later dragged the emperor’s soul into the Underworld to accuse him of breaking his promise. An unnamed expert arranged for the emperor’s return and sealed the ghost in the Underworld. Wei Zheng’s Golden Light Sword Formation suppressed the Dragon King’s head in Chang’an.
• Cheng reveals that the expert was Imperial Advisor Yuan Tiangang. Shen Luo suspects Yuan Shoucheng may have deliberately set events in motion, but Huangmu Adept says Yuan Shoucheng disappeared after the execution and that Yuan Tiangang denied knowing him.
• Cheng warns Shen Luo and Lu Huaming to keep the story secret because it concerns the emperor.
• Outside the government office, Ma Xiuxiu approaches Shen Luo to collect a Dream Recall Talisman he had promised her. He apologizes for the delay and gives her the talisman; she eagerly takes it.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo reflects that the Dragon King’s attempt to protect his kind was undone by his pride and desire to win. He also shows growing confidence when speaking to Ma Xiuxiu, lightly challenging the Treasure Gathering Hall’s ability to track him down.
• Lu Huaming is astonished by the Dragon King’s death and questions how it happened. He also voices disbelief at Yuan Tiangang’s power, earning a sharp rebuke from Cheng Yaojin before apologizing.
• Cheng Yaojin recounts the events and stresses their secrecy. His exchange with Lu Huaming reveals his impatience with his disciple.
• Huangmu Adept welcomes Shen Luo’s questions and confirms that Yuan Shoucheng’s identity and motives remain unresolved.
• Ma Xiuxiu is focused on the long-overdue talisman. Her composure slips when she sees it, suggesting it is important to her.

Significant themes

• Consequences of pride and broken rules: The Dragon King’s effort to win by defying the heavenly decree leads to his death.
• Unintended consequences and responsibility: The emperor tries to save the Dragon King, yet his actions inadvertently help Wei Zheng complete the execution.
• Mystery and hidden motives: Yuan Shoucheng’s disappearance and possible role in the Dragon King’s downfall remain unexplained.
• Power, duty, and secrecy: The story spans heavenly law, imperial authority, and supernatural intervention, while the characters are cautioned to guard sensitive knowledge.

Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Yin Meridian Opening”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ma Xiuxiu apologizes to Shen Luo for losing her composure while discussing her father’s life and death. Shen Luo reassures her, and she leaves with the Dream Recall Talisman.
• Shen Luo visits Everjoy Ward in Chang’an, where he eats water-basin mutton while listening to ordinary people discuss the city’s growing unrest and the appearance of demons, ghosts, and other supernatural beings.
• Reflecting on his earlier defeat by the dragon soul, Shen Luo becomes increasingly determined to improve his cultivation.
• Since he has exhausted his supply of Two-Origin True Water, he decides to rely on the Mysterious Yin Meridian-Opening Art to expand his Magic Meridians and improve his natural cultivation speed.
• After returning home, Shen Luo prepares carefully for the dangerous technique. He brings out his Soul Condensation Stage Ghost General and asks to borrow its Yin Baleful Qi.
• The Ghost General willingly agrees despite the possible harm, emphasizing its loyalty to Shen Luo.
• Shen Luo chooses to begin with a branch meridian of the Yin Heel Meridian, a route he previously opened in his dream and therefore understands best.
• He carves a blood-based rune formation into his calf and uses the Mysterious Yin Meridian-Opening Art to draw Yin Baleful Qi from the Ghost General.
• The Yin Baleful Qi appears as dense black mist rather than the solid black energy previously seen in the Six-Chen Whip. Shen Luo nevertheless proceeds.
• The Ant-Pattern Meridian Devouring process begins, causing severe pain as the Yin Baleful Qi attempts to enter his meridian.
• The meridian suddenly ruptures. Shen Luo uses the Great Dissection Technique to repair it and immediately resumes the attempt to open it.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: His defeat by the dragon soul intensifies his urgency to grow stronger. He moves away from dependence on external resources and focuses on improving his innate cultivation potential. Despite fear and pain, he demonstrates preparation, discipline, and willingness to risk serious injury.
• Ma Xiuxiu: Her emotional reaction reveals her deep concern for her father, while her quick departure suggests the importance of the Dream Recall Talisman.
• Ghost General: Its unwavering obedience and willingness to endure harm for Shen Luo reinforce its strong loyalty and military sense of duty.

Significant Themes

• Self-reliance versus external assistance: Shen Luo recognizes that pills and spiritual treasures can only help temporarily; improving his own aptitude is the more lasting solution.
• Risk and perseverance in cultivation: Advancing through the meridian-opening technique requires enduring pain and possible permanent injury.
• Loyalty and obligation: The Ghost General’s willingness to sacrifice itself highlights the bond between master and subordinate.
• Approaching catastrophe: The citizens’ discussion of supernatural disturbances foreshadows the coming Demonic Calamity and emphasizes that ordinary people will eventually be affected.
• Knowledge from dreams shaping reality: Shen Luo relies on experience gained in his dream to guide dangerous cultivation in the real world.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Ma Xiuxiu: A brief, respectful exchange in which Shen Luo comforts her and accepts her apology.
• Shen Luo and the townspeople: He remains silent while listening to their conflicting views about Chang’an’s unrest, privately recognizing the seriousness of the threat.
• Shen Luo and the Ghost General: Shen Luo requests its Yin Baleful Qi, and the Ghost General immediately agrees without asking for compensation.
• Shen Luo and his own cultivation: The final sequence focuses on his battle against pain and meridian damage as he repeatedly attempts to complete the opening process.

Chapter Summary: “Ghost Encounter”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo finally succeeds after seven failed attempts in opening the Three Yin Intersection Acupoint, creating a new Magic Meridian from the subsidiary meridian in his leg.
• The breakthrough is achieved by using the last of the Ghost General’s Yin Fiend Qi. The Ghost General is nearly drained and retreats into the Cosmic Bag, leaving Shen Luo concerned about its condition.
• Shen Luo realizes that opening additional Magic Meridians could greatly improve his cultivation aptitude and speed, potentially helping him overcome his limited lifespan.
• Before he can check on the Ghost General, Shen Luo senses impure Yin Fiend ghostly qi spreading throughout the area. From the rooftop, he sees fires and smoke across the market district.
• He discovers the mutton-soup vendor being pursued by an evil ghost. Shen Luo uses a Minor Thunder Talisman to destroy the ghost, while the Ghost General absorbs the scattered Yin Fiend Qi through the Cosmic Bag.
• The terrified vendor initially mistakes Shen Luo for another ghost. Shen Luo calms him by sending Yang Hardness Force into his body.
• The vendor explains that a pale ghost emerged from a well beneath an old locust tree while he was fetching water. He fled, fell, and crawled through the streets.
• Shen Luo determines that the vendor’s legs are not broken and advises him to hide in a house protected by peachwood talismans until dawn. The vendor refuses because he is worried about his wife and children at home.

2. Character Developments

• Shen Luo achieves an important cultivation breakthrough, gaining confidence that the accomplishments from his dreams can be reproduced in reality.
• His ambitions grow: he now sees the possibility of opening multiple Magic Meridians, dramatically increasing his cultivation speed and extending his chances of survival.
• Shen Luo also demonstrates greater responsibility and compassion by rescuing the vendor, treating his injuries, calming his terror, and offering practical protection.
• The Ghost General is weakened almost to the point of collapse after supplying Shen Luo’s breakthrough, but it remains useful by devouring the Yin Fiend Qi left behind by the destroyed ghost.
• The vendor shifts from panic and confusion to partial calm after Shen Luo reassures him, though fear for his family ultimately overrides his instinct to seek safety.

3. Significant Themes

• Progress through danger and sacrifice: Shen Luo’s breakthrough requires exhausting the Ghost General, emphasizing the risks involved in advancement.
• Hope against mortality: The new Magic Meridian gives Shen Luo renewed hope of overcoming his poor aptitude and limited lifespan.
• The contrast between cultivation and ordinary life: While Shen Luo pursues magical advancement, common people are suddenly caught in a supernatural disaster they cannot understand or resist.
• Fear versus courage: The vendor is paralyzed by terror, while Shen Luo remains composed and acts decisively.
• Protection and responsibility: Shen Luo’s response to the ghost attack shows that his power carries a growing moral obligation to protect vulnerable people.

4. Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and the Ghost General work together indirectly: Shen Luo channels its Yin Fiend Qi to open the Magic Meridian, then the Ghost General consumes the remains of the destroyed evil ghost.
• Shen Luo rescues the vendor from the pursuing ghost and uses his Yang Hardness Force to restore the man’s composure.
• The vendor explains the ghost’s appearance at the well, giving Shen Luo information about the supernatural disturbance spreading through the market.
• Their interaction ends with a conflict of priorities: Shen Luo urges the vendor to hide until daylight, while the vendor insists on returning home to protect or reunite with his family.

Chapter Summary: Ghost Plague in the Bustling Market

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo rescues a terrified peddler whose family is apparently threatened by ghosts. He places a Ghost-Subduing Talisman and Minor Thunder Talisman on him and instructs him to pass houses protected by door gods and bronze mirrors before attaching the talismans to his own doorway.
• Investigating a deep well beneath an old locust tree, Shen Luo discovers that its water contains an unusually dense concentration of Yin Qi.
• A horribly mutilated corpse falls from the tree, prompting Shen Luo to climb above the alley. From there, he sees that the nearby market has become a scene of slaughter, with corpses scattered everywhere.
• An enormous evil ghost attacks him. Shen Luo uses the well water to form a powerful spinning water blade, cutting the ghost in half and collecting the remaining Yin Baleful Qi.
• He then rushes toward a burning house after hearing cries for help. Inside, a female ghost is attacking a young girl while using her long hair to strangle three adults.
• The female ghost traps Shen Luo in her hair and attacks him with a corrosive scarlet tongue. Unable to use hand seals or talismans, Shen Luo relies on his Pure Yang Sword Qi and Pure Yang Sword Embryo to break free and destroy the ghost with flames.
• After absorbing the ghost’s Yin Qi, Shen Luo finds that one of the victims has died. He transfers Pure Yang Qi into the other two adults, reviving their fading vitality.
• The chapter ends with the surviving little girl sitting unnaturally still and staring blankly at Shen Luo, suggesting that something may still be wrong with her.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates compassion by protecting the peddler and attempting to save the attacked civilians rather than simply pursuing the source of the haunting.
• He displays growing skill and adaptability, combining well-water manipulation, talismans, defensive techniques, and his Pure Yang Sword Embryo in battle.
• His encounters reveal that the ghosts are unusually dangerous: one possesses overwhelming physical savagery, while the female ghost has binding hair and a corrosive tongue.
• The peddler’s fear and desperate gratitude emphasize the helplessness of ordinary people during the supernatural outbreak.
• The little girl’s sudden silence and vacant stare introduce uncertainty about whether she survived unharmed or has been affected by the ghost plague.

Significant Themes

• Supernatural disaster and helplessness: The once-busy market is transformed into a massacre, showing how quickly ordinary society can collapse under a ghostly threat.
• Protection and responsibility: Shen Luo acts as a guardian, using spiritual methods to protect both the peddler and the surviving victims.
• The clash between Yin and Yang: The ghosts are empowered by Yin Qi, while Shen Luo’s Pure Yang Qi and sword techniques serve as their destructive counterforce.
• Hidden danger: Even after the visible ghosts are destroyed, the eerie behavior of the little girl suggests that the true threat may not yet be over.
• Mortal cost: Shen Luo can save some victims, but he cannot prevent every death, underscoring the limits of his power.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo gives the peddler precise protective instructions, earning the man’s reverence and gratitude.
• He directly confronts the evil ghost in the alley and defeats it with a water blade.
• During the house attack, Shen Luo battles the female ghost while trying to protect the child and the three adults.
• The female ghost’s hair restrains Shen Luo, forcing him into a close and dangerous struggle before he counters with Pure Yang Sword Qi.
• Shen Luo restores the two surviving adults with Pure Yang Qi, while the little girl silently watches him in a disturbing final image.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luo saves a frightened girl and her unconscious family, leaves them behind a Ghost-Subduing Talisman, and continues through Chang’an.
• He kills several groups of relatively weak ghosts, using his swords and Minor Thunder Talismans, and absorbs their Yin Baleful Qi.
• Shen Luo rescues fleeing residents from a ghost attack and tells them to shelter in homes protected by door gods until dawn. He is puzzled that no officials have appeared to respond to the disaster.
• He sees a temple protected by Buddha Light, where monks’ chanting strengthens the barrier. He kills the two giant ghosts attacking its gates.
• On the way to the Cheng Residence to alert Duke Cheng and Lu Huaming, Shen Luo reaches Everjoy Ward and finds its soldiers nearly wiped out.
• More than a hundred water ghosts are emerging from the Tongji Canal. Their apparent leader, a powerful Deer-Headed Ghost, signals them to attack Shen Luo.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo acts compassionately toward civilians but remains focused and decisive, repeatedly choosing to protect people even when doing so delays his urgent mission.
• He shows growing resourcefulness and confidence in combat, combining weapons, talismans, and his ability to collect Yin Baleful Qi.
• The Ghost General, whose Yin Fiend Power has recovered, offers to help; Shen Luo refuses because he is in a hurry.
• Residents recognize Shen Luo as an “Immortal Master,” while the Deer-Headed Ghost displays unusual intelligence by directing its forces rather than attacking immediately.

Significant themes

• Duty amid catastrophe: Shen Luo repeatedly pauses his mission to defend ordinary people.
• Faith and protection: The temple’s Buddha Light and chanting provide a powerful refuge against the ghosts.
• Escalating supernatural danger: Ghost attacks grow more widespread and organized, suggesting a crisis beyond isolated hauntings.
• Isolation and uncertainty: The absence of government forces leaves Shen Luo questioning what has happened to Chang’an’s authorities.

Plot and events

• Shen Luo cuts through a crowd of Water Ghosts with the Pure Yang Sword Embryo, then attacks their leader, the Deer-Headed Ghost. His Falling Thunder Talisman fails to break its blood-red barrier, but the Golden Armor Immortal Garment shields him from its counterattack and knocks the ghost back.
• The sword embryo decapitates the Deer-Headed Ghost and severs its saber. However, the creature regenerates, reattaching its head backward, and escapes while the other ghosts distract Shen Luo.
• Shen Luo sends the Ghost General to deal with the remaining ghosts, absorb their Yin Fiend Power, and wait in the courtyard. He pursues the leader rather than killing it immediately, hoping to find its lair.
• The chase leads from Everjoy Ward into Yongxing Ward, which is also under attack. Shen Luo considers rescuing a group of foreigners, but city guards and two black-robed cultivators arrive, so he continues after his target.
• The Deer-Headed Ghost reaches Qinghua Lake and dives in. Shen Luo follows, using the Water-Repelling Art.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo displays confidence and tactical restraint: he uses several tools in succession, delegates the lesser fight to the Ghost General, and chooses to track the leader to its lair. His hesitation over the endangered foreigners reveals a conscience that complicates his pursuit.
• The Deer-Headed Ghost proves unusually resilient, able to survive decapitation and reattach its head, though clumsily. Its escape prompts Shen Luo to investigate its destination.
• The Ghost General obeys Shen Luo’s orders, but once left alone, regards the remaining ghosts hungrily—as potential food to absorb.
• Shen Luo and the city authorities do not directly coordinate, but their separate actions converge on the same crisis: the guards’ arrival lets Shen Luo continue his chase.

Significant themes

• Persistence and resourcefulness: Shen Luo adapts when his first attacks fail, while the ghost’s regeneration makes it a difficult quarry.
• Duty versus personal objectives: Shen Luo weighs saving civilians against pursuing the leader, and proceeds only after help arrives.
• Power and restraint: He delegates the fight and cautions the Ghost General not to overreach or interfere with human cultivators.

Plot points and events

• Shen Luo follows the deer-headed ghost through the lake and a river channel into an apparently abandoned private estate.
• He finds a ritual underway: a man in red and a scaled woman channel power into an altar made of human heads and skulls. The formation releases ghosts, which are marked with blood light and sent into the city. Shen Luo realizes it is one source of the city’s ghost outbreak, though likely not the only one.
• Before he can attack the pair, hundreds of ghosts surround him underwater. As he tries to escape, an elderly Daoist appears overhead and strikes him with a huge blue, foot-shaped blast.
• The Daoist’s attack drives Shen Luo into the lake and injures him. Shen Luo counters with a water-splitting technique, dividing the lake and trapping the ghosts, then summons rotating water blades that tear them apart. He begins absorbing their Yin baleful energy and prepares to launch another water attack at the Daoist.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo acts cautiously while tracking the ghost, then shifts into direct combat when discovered. Though hurt and outmatched by the Daoist’s Soul Condensation-level power, he responds resourcefully and shows considerable control over water-based techniques.
• The red-robed man and scaled woman are revealed to be collaborators in a ghost-summoning ritual. They notice the returning deer-headed ghost but have not yet confronted Shen Luo.
• The elderly Daoist intervenes to block Shen Luo’s escape and attacks him from above, becoming the immediate threat.
• The confrontation remains unresolved: Shen Luo is still trapped at the estate, facing the Daoist after clearing the surrounding ghosts.

Significant themes

• Hidden evil behind public disorder: The ritual provides a concrete source for the city’s spreading hauntings, while hints of other sites suggest a broader scheme.
• Caution and sudden escalation: Shen Luo’s stealthy investigation quickly becomes a desperate battle.
• Adaptability under pressure: Injured and surrounded, Shen Luo turns the lake itself into a weapon.

Summary: “Silencing Witnesses”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo battles the powerful Old Daoist Cangmu above a massive green lotus leaf.
• Cangmu easily destroys Shen Luo’s initial water-blade attacks and counters with a golden rope.
• Shen Luo uses his serpentine flying sword and reveals the Mother-and-Child Swords, splitting the weapon into multiple blades to confuse Cangmu.
• The apparent attacks are revealed to be feints. Shen Luo’s true killing move is the Pure Yang Sword Embryo, which secretly circles beneath Cangmu and strikes upward.
• Shen Luo combines the sword with a Falling Thunder Talisman, shattering Cangmu’s first defensive shield and nearly piercing his abdomen.
• Cangmu survives by activating a second protective artifact: a yin-yang pattern on his Daoist robe that forms a powerful defensive barrier.
• Shen Luo pours more Magic Power into his attacks and sends all of his flying swords toward Cangmu, but suddenly withdraws when he detects danger.
• He discovers that the man and woman near the formation array were only phantoms. Their true bodies—Qian Tong and Nü Chuan—appear nearby, revealing that Shen Luo is surrounded.
• Cangmu, Qian Tong, and Nü Chuan discuss Shen Luo’s unexpected strength and confirm that he came alone.
• Cangmu proposes killing Shen Luo quickly, but Qian Tong prefers to toy with him first.
• Qian Tong summons a golden ingot that expands to the size of a house. It releases golden light that immobilizes Shen Luo, leaving him unable to escape with the Slanting Moon Step.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates tactical intelligence, composure, and resourcefulness despite being outmatched. He uses layered feints, multiple flying swords, talisman-enhanced attacks, and careful observation rather than relying only on brute force.
• He also proves highly vigilant: even while dueling Cangmu, he monitors the other figures and recognizes the illusion before they can launch a surprise attack.
• Old Daoist Cangmu is revealed to possess overwhelming power and several life-saving defensive techniques. Though initially contemptuous, he acknowledges that Shen Luo is more difficult to defeat than expected.
• Qian Tong appears confident, playful, and cruel. He enjoys controlling the situation and chooses to “toy” with Shen Luo instead of immediately killing him.
• Nü Chuan is mocking and amused by Cangmu’s difficulty in defeating Shen Luo, suggesting a competitive or antagonistic dynamic among the three enemies.

Significant Themes

• Deception and counter-deception: Shen Luo’s sword feints challenge Cangmu, while the enemies themselves use phantoms to conceal their true positions.
• Strength versus strategy: Shen Luo cannot match Cangmu’s power directly, so he relies on timing, misdirection, artifacts, and surprise attacks.
• Hidden danger and vigilance: The apparent one-on-one battle is actually an ambush, emphasizing that Shen Luo must constantly assess the entire battlefield.
• Overconfidence and control: Cangmu initially underestimates Shen Luo, while Qian Tong’s confidence leads him to prolong the confrontation for amusement.
• Isolation and peril: Shen Luo is confirmed to be alone and surrounded by three powerful opponents, making his capture or death increasingly imminent.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Cangmu exchange attacks in a tense duel, with Cangmu mocking Shen Luo’s abilities and Shen Luo responding through increasingly sophisticated tactics.
• Nü Chuan taunts Cangmu for failing to kill Shen Luo, while Cangmu reluctantly admits that Shen Luo is dangerous.
• Qian Tong and Cangmu coordinate their efforts but differ in approach: Cangmu favors a swift execution, whereas Qian Tong wants to torment Shen Luo.
• The chapter ends with Qian Tong asserting dominance by immobilizing Shen Luo beneath the giant golden ingot.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luo fights back against Qian Tong’s Golden Ingot by raising a massive column of water, but Qian Tong turns the artifact into black liquid infused with Yin Baleful Qi, which engulfs him.
• Shen Luo opens his Cosmic Bag and begins drawing the baleful qi into it, revealing the artifact. Qian Tong is pleased and claims it for himself, while Nü Chuan mocks his taste and Cangmu urges him to end the fight.
• Qian Tong uses a talisman to summon a huge Baleful Ghost from the black liquid. When it tries to devour Shen Luo, Qian Tong blocks Shen Luo’s escape and knocks him into the ghost’s mouth.
• Qian Tong tells his companions that Shen Luo will be corrupted into a Corpse Gu. Cangmu and Nü Chuan leave to continue operating the Profound Yin Grand Formation, and Nü Chuan retrieves a web of black crystal threads.
• Alone, Qian Tong secretly peers inside the ghost, hoping to steal Shen Luo’s crimson sword. He then halts the baleful qi’s attack and offers Shen Luo a private bargain: freedom in exchange for the Pure Yang Sword Embryo nurtured within his body.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo remains resourceful and composed under pressure, using the Cosmic Bag to counter the baleful qi and calmly questioning Qian Tong’s offer even while trapped.
• Qian Tong shifts from confident captor to covert opportunist. Though he publicly claims to want the Cosmic Bag, he actually covets the sword embryo and negotiates secretly rather than risk destroying it.
• Cangmu is impatient and focused on the group’s larger mission; Nü Chuan is practical and wary of Qian Tong keeping more than his agreed share. Their exchange reveals tension over dividing the spoils.

Significant themes

• Greed and deception: Qian Tong hides his true prize from his allies and bargains with his captive for personal gain.
• Resourcefulness under threat: Shen Luo’s quick use of the Cosmic Bag offers a brief counter to overwhelming magic, but his survival still depends on negotiation.
• Power and pragmatism: The captors treat Shen Luo as a potential resource—intending to turn him into a Corpse Gu—while Qian Tong values the rare treasure inside him more than his death.

Summary of “Breaking One’s Word”

Key plot points and events

Shen Luo is trapped inside the Baleful Ghost by Qian Tong, who demands the Pure Yang Sword Embryo in exchange for his freedom. Qian Tong claims he is motivated only by profit and offers to help Shen Luo escape the Body Refining Altar’s surveillance. He proposes opening a gap in the ghost’s body so Shen Luo can flee while Qian Tong conceals the sword embryo within the Baleful Ghost.
Shen Luo remains suspicious but agrees after Qian Tong creates a larger space and enters the ghost’s body. They introduce themselves, and Qian Tong reveals that he is the Yin Wealth God, a ghost cultivator known for profiting from the dead. Shen Luo falsely claims to be from Azure Water Gate, prompting Qian Tong to invent a connection with one of the sect’s elders to strengthen Shen Luo’s trust.
Shen Luo produces the sword embryo and asks Qian Tong to open an escape route first. Qian Tong does so, and Shen Luo throws him the sword embryo while rushing toward the gap. However, the sword embryo suddenly attacks Qian Tong, revealing that Shen Luo intended to ambush him. Qian Tong easily catches it with a silver glove, while simultaneously sealing the escape route and restraining Shen Luo with the Baleful Ghost’s mucus.
Qian Tong then twists the situation, claiming Shen Luo broke the agreement first by attacking him, so he is justified in reneging on his promise. He prepares to kill Shen Luo, crushing his chest with the ghost’s power as Shen Luo silently forms hand seals, suggesting he may have a hidden counterattack prepared.

Character developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates caution, determination, and resourcefulness. He refuses to surrender passively, negotiates under pressure, disguises his identity, and attempts to use the sword embryo as a weapon while escaping. His quiet formation of hand seals indicates that he has not given up.
• Qian Tong is revealed as clever, manipulative, and opportunistic. He presents himself as a reasonable businessman but carefully controls the situation, anticipates Shen Luo’s treachery, and uses twisted logic to justify breaking his own promise. His ability to seize the sword embryo shows his preparedness and strength.
• The Body Refining Altar’s role becomes clearer, as Cangmu Daoist and another figure are apparently controlling the larger formation and searching for the sword embryo.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and broken promises: The chapter explores the unreliability of agreements made under coercion. Both sides expect treachery, and Qian Tong uses Shen Luo’s attempted ambush to rationalize his own betrayal.
• Trust versus survival: Shen Luo must decide whether to trust an enemy because refusing leaves him with little chance of survival.
• Deception and manipulation: False identities, fabricated connections, concealed intentions, and the manipulation of moral responsibility drive the confrontation.
• Preparation and hidden strength: Although Qian Tong appears to have complete control, Shen Luo’s concealed hand seals suggest that appearances may be deceptive.

Character interactions

Shen Luo and Qian Tong engage in a tense verbal and strategic negotiation. Qian Tong repeatedly pressures Shen Luo by emphasizing his helpless position, while Shen Luo challenges the sincerity of the proposed deal. Their interaction shifts from cautious cooperation to open betrayal when the sword embryo attacks and Qian Tong seals Shen Luo inside the Baleful Ghost. The chapter ends with Qian Tong apparently triumphant and Shen Luo in severe physical danger, though Shen Luo’s secret preparations hint that the conflict is not over.

Chapter Summary: “Escape”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo escapes Qian Tong’s Baleful Ghost by unleashing Red Lotus Karmic Fire, which was hidden within the Pure Yang Sword Embryo.
• The flames burn through the Baleful Ghost’s black, viscous body and force Qian Tong to release the sword embryo. Shen Luo then uses the opening to escape with the sword’s aid.
• Qian Tong reveals that the flames are Red Lotus Karmic Fire and suggests Shen Luo may be connected to the Underworld and investigating their activities. This redirects Daoist Cangmu and Nü Chuan’s suspicion away from his failure.
• Concerned that the Underworld may have discovered them, the group decides to relocate, though Nü Chuan warns Qian Tong that he remains responsible for the incident.
• Shen Luo returns to Everjoy Ward, finding the area deserted and filled with corpses. He confirms that his courtyard’s defensive formations remain intact.
• The Ghost General reports that more ghostly creatures attacked after Shen Luo left, while officials evacuated civilians toward the Imperial City. Shen Luo sends the Ghost General into the Cosmic Bag to absorb accumulated Yin Baleful Qi.
• Shen Luo strengthens the courtyard’s defensive formations, then begins recovering from his injuries and expelling the Yin Baleful Qi that entered his body during the escape.
• When the formations detect an intruder, Shen Luo discovers that daylight has been obscured by unnatural black clouds and pervasive yin energy.
• An Armored Zombie breaks into the courtyard but is destroyed by the newly arranged formation and Shen Luo’s sword strike.
• Realizing more ghostly creatures are gathering and that the courtyard is no longer safe, Shen Luo prepares to flee toward Duke Cheng’s residence in the north.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates quick thinking and resourcefulness by using the Red Lotus Karmic Fire as a surprise weapon. Though injured and temporarily weakened, he remains cautious, reinforces his defenses, and prepares to relocate.
• Qian Tong is humiliated by Shen Luo’s escape and becomes increasingly resentful. He also manipulates the situation by blaming Shen Luo’s supposed connection to the Underworld.
• Daoist Cangmu becomes alarmed that their activities may have been discovered and agrees that the group must move.
• Nü Chuan remains suspicious and critical of Qian Tong, making clear that he cannot avoid responsibility for allowing Shen Luo to escape.
• The Ghost General proves loyal and useful by defending Everjoy Ward, helping protect civilians, and refining Yin Baleful Qi under Shen Luo’s direction.

Significant Themes

• Escape through ingenuity: Shen Luo survives not through overwhelming strength, but by concealing a dangerous technique and exploiting Qian Tong’s moment of surprise.
• Mistrust and manipulation: Qian Tong shifts blame toward the Underworld to conceal his own failure, while Nü Chuan remains unconvinced.
• Growing supernatural crisis: The city is overwhelmed by ghostly creatures, evacuations, corpses, and unnatural darkness, suggesting that the disaster is intensifying.
• Survival and preparation: Shen Luo’s recovery, reinforcement of the formations, and decision to relocate emphasize the need for constant vigilance.
• The danger of Yin Baleful Qi: Both Shen Luo and the Ghost General use the invading yin energy for cultivation, showing how a lethal force can also become a resource.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo directly counters Qian Tong’s attack and escapes, leaving Qian Tong furious and alarmed.
• Qian Tong tells Daoist Cangmu and Nü Chuan about the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, influencing their perception of Shen Luo and the Underworld.
• Nü Chuan confronts Qian Tong over his failure, creating tension within the group.
• Shen Luo receives a report from the Ghost General, praises his service, and orders him to recover inside the Cosmic Bag.
• Shen Luo later defends his residence alone, destroying the invading Armored Zombie before deciding that continued occupation of the courtyard is too dangerous.

Chapter Summary: “First Mission”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo begins cultivating with the Ghost General’s purified Yin Baleful Qi, having exhausted the supply stored in the Cosmic Bag.
• Over three days, he uses the Mysterious Yin Meridian Opening technique to open the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand-Yangming. The process causes extreme injuries: his meridian ruptures three times, the Quze and Hegu acupoints explode, and severe damage reaches his heart meridians. A Milk Spirit Pill saves his life.
• After successfully condensing the Magic Meridian, Shen Luo discovers that his cultivation of the Huangting Scripture has become much smoother and faster. He realizes that opening more Magic Meridians could dramatically improve his cultivation aptitude.
• His cultivation is interrupted when his official waist token signals him to report to the Hidden Troops Hall.
• There, Shen Luo meets the ten cultivators assigned to his squad:
  • Zhou Meng, an elder of the Mountain Fist Sect, leads five sturdy-looking disciples.
  • Zhao Tingsheng, a seemingly elderly cultivator of the Withered Glory Sect, leads four youthful disciples who use snake-patterned purple gloves.
• He Wenzheng explains their first mission: infiltrate the largest fireworks workshop in Dunyi Ward and destroy its supplies of saltpeter and gunpowder before criminals can exploit them.
• The squad is surprised that their first assignment is sabotage rather than fighting ghosts, and the chapter ends as they question whether the mission is really that simple.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates intense determination and endurance by risking severe bodily damage to open a new Magic Meridian. His improved cultivation confirms the importance of meridian development and gives him greater confidence in his future progress. He also assumes a leadership role over the newly assembled squad.
• Ghost General: Has absorbed all the Yin Baleful Qi in the Cosmic Bag but has refined it into purer energy within his body, allowing Shen Luo to draw on it for cultivation. His willingness to support Shen Luo reinforces his subordinate relationship.
• Zhao Tingsheng: Introduced as a Withered Glory Sect cultivator whose aged appearance is caused by practicing the Withered Bone Mental Cultivation Method. Despite the sect’s reputation for poison, eccentricity, and ruthlessness, Zhao appears polite and approachable.
• Zhou Meng: Established as the blunt, practical leader of the Mountain Fist group. His skeptical reaction to the mission reflects the squad’s general expectations.
• The new squad: Initially unfamiliar with Shen Luo and seemingly unimpressed by his obscure Spring Autumn Temple affiliation, they remain cautious and somewhat distant toward him.

Significant Themes

• Endurance and advancement: Shen Luo’s painful meridian-opening process highlights that cultivation requires accepting enormous physical risks for long-term power.
• Cultivation aptitude and self-improvement: The chapter emphasizes that one’s innate potential can be enhanced through effort, as Shen Luo’s newly opened Magic Meridian greatly improves his circulation of Magic Power.
• Appearances versus reality: Zhao Tingsheng looks like an old man despite being a young-looking cultivator in spirit and conduct, while the Withered Glory Sect’s ominous reputation does not immediately match Zhao’s demeanor.
• Duty and unpredictability: The cultivators expect a dangerous supernatural battle but are instead assigned a practical sabotage mission, showing that service to Chang’an involves varied and unexpected responsibilities.
• Team formation: Shen Luo must lead a group of cultivators from unfamiliar sects, establishing the need for cooperation despite differences in background and reputation.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and the Ghost General discuss the depleted Yin Baleful Qi supply and future ghost-slaying missions, reinforcing their master-subordinate bond.
• Shen Luo undergoes cultivation while drawing Yin Baleful Qi from the Ghost General.
• Shen Luo exchanges introductions with Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng, questioning Zhao about the Withered Bone Mental Cultivation Method.
• Shen Luo recalls Xie Yuxin’s warning about the Withered Glory Sect, causing him to view Zhao with cautious curiosity.
• He Wenzheng introduces the squad and explains their assignment, while Shen Luo and Zhou Meng openly express surprise at the seemingly mundane nature of the mission.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luo cautiously crosses the ghost-infested streets of southern Chang’an, avoiding fights when possible and memorizing what he sees. He encounters few cultivators and no government forces until he reaches Yongye Ward.
• After helping soldiers defeat a group of ghosts, he learns that ghosts appeared across the southern wards simultaneously. The Great Tang forces failed to eradicate them and now hold a defensive line between Yongye and Chongfu Wards; the rest of the south has fallen.
• Yongye Ward has become a refuge for displaced residents. The old soldier says the government is gathering its forces and has sought help from major sects.
• Shen Luo reaches Cheng Duke’s Residence and reunites with Lu Huaming. He reports his escape from three Soul Condensation cultivators of the Body Refining Altar and shares what he witnessed.
• Lu Huaming takes Shen Luo to the Hidden Troops Hall, where cultivators are registering to serve the government. Shen Luo agrees to enlist and fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo remains cautious and observant, but commits himself to helping Chang’an’s people. His willingness to share intelligence and enlist shows growing involvement in the city’s defense.
• Lu Huaming welcomes Shen Luo warmly, praises his survival and useful information, and guides him toward service. He is called away urgently before Shen Luo completes registration.
• The old soldier explains the crisis and expresses confidence in the government and its allies, reinforcing Shen Luo’s resolve.
• The chapter closes as an official asks Shen Luo for his name, beginning the enlistment process.

Significant themes

• Crisis and displacement: The sudden, coordinated attack has overwhelmed the city and uprooted its residents.
• Duty and solidarity: Soldiers, cultivators, and government forces are expected to unite in defense of the people.
• Hidden coordination and uncertainty: The ghosts appear to be controlled by an unseen enemy, and the government is delaying its counterattack while assembling a broader response.

Plot and events

• Shen Luo reports to He Wenzheng, a Ministry of War clerk, for the conscription. He learns that cultivators are organized into a military hierarchy based on cultivation level: squads, sections, and banners.
• He Wenzheng records Shen Luo’s background and abilities, explaining that the information helps assign compatible teams and arrange compensation if he is killed.
• Shen Luo is given temporary lodging at Elegant Gathering Garden and a merit-recording waist token. Ghost-slaying and assigned missions earn points that can be exchanged for rewards, while missions are compulsory and assigned by the Military Affairs Office.
• Shen Luo chooses a secluded building, sets up an array, rests, and prepares to retry the Mysterious Yin Meridian-Opening Art—this time on the more dangerous Hand-Yangming Large Intestine Meridian.
• He summons the Ghost General, whose Yin Ghost Physique appears stronger and more stable. The Ghost General says he recovered his Yin Baleful Qi unusually quickly after Shen Luo nearly drained it during their previous practice, and asks when they will try again.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo is cautious about revealing personal details, especially his techniques, but accepts He Wenzheng’s explanations and follows the conscription procedures.
• He Wenzheng is courteous and attentive, briefly fearing Shen Luo’s displeasure before easing once Shen Luo proves reasonable.
• The Ghost General shows improved strength and confidence, and appears eager to continue the technique despite its effects on him.
• Shen Luo’s confidence in his meridian-opening experiments has grown through past dream experiences and earlier success, though his next attempt carries greater risk.

Significant themes

• Duty and authority: The conscription places Shen Luo under military command, with missions assigned rather than chosen.
• Practical bureaucracy: Cultivators’ abilities, achievements, and even possible compensation are managed through records and tokens.
• Risk and reward: Dangerous service offers merit and valuable rewards, while Shen Luo’s cultivation experiments also involve escalating physical risks.
• Unintended consequences: Draining the Ghost General’s Yin Baleful Qi seems to have strengthened or stabilized him, hinting that their practice may benefit both in unexpected ways.

Chapter Summary: “Neither Righteous Nor Evil?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Wenzheng explains that the mission involves destroying dangerous objects, investigating ghost activity, and rescuing civilians. Zhou Meng questions why so many forces are needed, but Shen Luo and Zhao Tingsheng support the decision to cooperate because the crisis is connected to the Body Refining Altar.
• The group travels from the Great Tang Government Office toward Dunyi Ward, passing orderly refugee camps and heavily patrolled areas before entering districts devastated by the ghost disaster.
• In Yongping Ward, they encounter widespread destruction and countless corpses. Zhao Tingsheng’s Withered Glory Sect disciples scatter Corpse-Gathering Powder over bodies and into wells to prevent disease.
• Zhou Meng reveals that the powder also collects corpse qi for refining Corpse Poison and Corpse-Transforming Pills, prompting Shen Luo to reflect on the Withered Glory Sect’s morally ambiguous nature. Shen Luo concludes that an action can serve both practical and questionable purposes, yet still produce a beneficial result.
• Upon reaching Dunyi Ward, the group finds the area occupied by ghosts. The ghosts are strangely subdued, wandering within fixed territories rather than attacking violently.
• They locate the firecracker factory, whose courtyard remains intact despite the surrounding destruction. More than a hundred ghosts gather around it, suggesting that the Body Refining Altar is using or protecting the site.
• Unable to inspect the factory from a distance, Shen Luo agrees to investigate from underground. Lu Chen uses an earth-escape technique to take him within thirty feet of the factory, allowing Shen Luo to extend his Divine Sense upward. After completing the inspection, the two prepare to return.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates sound judgment and leadership, supporting coordinated action and cautioning the group not to attack recklessly. His defense of the Withered Glory Sect shows his tendency to judge actions according to both their benefits and harms rather than through simple moral labels.
• Zhou Meng remains blunt, skeptical, and confident in his sect’s strength. He initially resists cooperation and later exposes the Withered Glory Sect’s hidden motive, though he accepts the need for caution when Shen Luo cannot determine what lies inside the factory.
• Zhao Tingsheng is shown as practical and compassionate—or at least outwardly so—by taking steps to prevent disease from spreading among the corpses. His sect’s morally ambiguous methods become a central subject of discussion.
• Lu Chen proves useful and eager to contribute by volunteering his earth-escape abilities, enabling Shen Luo to investigate the factory safely.
• He Wenzheng acts as the mission coordinator, emphasizing cooperation and providing the map needed to navigate the ruined ward.

Significant Themes

• Moral ambiguity: The Withered Glory Sect’s use of corpse qi illustrates how seemingly benevolent actions may also serve self-interested or sinister purposes. The chapter questions whether people and organizations can be classified as purely righteous or evil.
• Practicality versus morality: Shen Luo recognizes that collecting corpse qi may benefit the sect while also preventing disease, suggesting that good and bad motives can coexist.
• Cooperation during crisis: The mission requires different sects and factions to work together despite distrust and conflicting reputations.
• Destruction and responsibility: The ruined wards, unburied dead, and refugee camps emphasize the human cost of the ghost disaster and the need to preserve order amid catastrophe.
• Caution and investigation: Rather than rushing into battle, the group prioritizes gathering information about the Body Refining Altar’s plans.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Meng challenges He Wenzheng’s decision to deploy multiple groups, while Shen Luo and Zhao Tingsheng defend the coordinated approach.
• Zhao Tingsheng’s handling of the corpses leads to Zhou Meng revealing the hidden purpose of the Corpse-Gathering Powder. Shen Luo responds by offering a balanced interpretation rather than condemning the Withered Glory Sect.
• At the factory, Zhou Meng advocates attacking the ghosts directly, but Zhao Tingsheng and Shen Luo emphasize that the visible ghosts may not represent the full danger.
• Lu Chen follows Zhou Meng’s suggestion and assists Shen Luo in secretly approaching the factory, demonstrating cooperation between the two sects despite their differing attitudes.

Chapter Summary: “Trap”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo’s reconnaissance reveals that the ghosts surrounding the firecracker factory are only at the Qi Refining Stage, while two stronger Fasting Stage cultivators occupy the factory.
• He orders Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng to enter the factory with him, while the others hold off the ghosts outside. Their primary objective is to destroy the factory’s gunpowder and saltpeter; capturing the enemy cultivators is secondary.
• The group launches its assault. Shen Luo cuts through several ghosts with the Pure Yang Sword Embryo and enters the factory, followed by Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng.
• Shen Luo destroys a building with his mountain-shaped seal, forcing the two enemy cultivators—a coarse-looking man and a woman in red—from hiding.
• Zhou Meng engages the male cultivator in a contest of physical strength and Astral Qi. When the woman attempts to attack Zhou Meng, Shen Luo uses an illusion to distract her, allowing Zhao Tingsheng to seize and immobilize her with corpse qi.
• Shen Luo subdues the male cultivator by threatening to destroy his Consciousness Sea, while Zhou Meng forces him to his knees.
• A search reveals that the factory contains no gunpowder, saltpeter, or supplies. The enemy’s claim that the materials are hidden somewhere in the courtyard suggests the group has walked into a trap.
• When the captives refuse to cooperate, Zhao Tingsheng eases the pressure on the woman, but she exploits the opportunity to unleash a piercing scream that summons the surrounding ghosts to the factory.
• Zhao Tingsheng kills her to stop the alarm. The male cultivator then breaks free, swallows a black pill, and begins generating a massive vortex of black light, apparently preparing a desperate counterattack or triggering the true trap.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates decisive leadership, tactical awareness, and confidence in combat. He prioritizes the mission objective and quickly neutralizes threats, but his surprise at the empty factory shows that the enemy has successfully outmaneuvered him.
• Zhou Meng displays tremendous physical strength and defensive power, directly matching the male cultivator’s Astral Qi and overpowering him.
• Zhao Tingsheng reveals a ruthless and highly effective method of controlling enemies through corpse qi. His actions also show his willingness to kill immediately when the woman’s scream endangers the entire group.
• The enemy cultivators prove more cunning than expected. Although initially captured, they remain defiant and use their apparent helplessness to activate the surrounding ghosts and turn the battle into a larger crisis.

Significant Themes

• Misdirection and entrapment: The empty factory and the enemies’ deliberate provocation reveal that the assault may have been planned as a trap.
• Tactical cooperation: Shen Luo, Zhou Meng, and Zhao Tingsheng complement one another through swordsmanship, physical strength, and corpse-qi techniques.
• Mission versus survival: The group must balance destroying the gunpowder with avoiding a prolonged battle against the approaching ghosts.
• Desperation and sacrifice: The female cultivator sacrifices herself by raising the alarm, while the male cultivator prepares a final, possibly suicidal technique rather than surrender.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo commands the group and assigns Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng to help him seize the factory.
• Zhou Meng physically suppresses the male cultivator, while Shen Luo threatens him into submission.
• Zhao Tingsheng restrains and interrogates the female cultivator, but she exploits his momentary mercy to call the ghosts.
• After her death, the male cultivator breaks free and confronts the group with the black vortex, shifting the encounter from a successful capture to an escalating ambush.

Chapter Summary: Wholeheartedly Convinced

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo, Zhou Meng, and Zhao Tingsheng are caught in a powerful black vortex created by the brutish enemy, who intends to detonate the saltpeter and gunpowder stored in his rings.
• Realizing the danger, Shen Luo throws Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng out of the courtyard but remains behind to confront the explosion.
• He uses a high-grade bronze bell Magical Artifact and its bell-shaped phantom to contain both the enemy and the blast. The artifact is destroyed, Shen Luo is injured, and a massive crater is left behind, but the others survive.
• The group escapes through Yongping Ward while fighting off pursuing ghosts and eventually returns safely to the northern safe zone.
• At the Great Tang Government Office, Shen Luo receives twenty merit points for completing the mission. He, Zhou Meng, and Zhao Tingsheng each gain an additional twenty points for killing two Grain Avoidance Stage cultivators, while the other members receive lesser rewards.
• Despite the high merit reward, Shen Luo is dissatisfied because he was wounded and lost a valuable Golden Armor Immortal Garment.
• Over the following month, Shen Luo takes part in intelligence and minor ghost-clearing missions. The government office and the enemy forces maintain a tense stalemate while both sides prepare for an unknown future development.
• Shen Luo independently hunts ghosts in southern Yongping Ward to gather Yin Baleful Qi. Through repeated effort, he opens two additional meridians, bringing his total to seven Magic Meridians and bringing him closer to the Early Soul Condensation bottleneck.
• His skill with the Pure Yang Sword Embryo and Thunder Talismans earns him a reputation, and several sects—including the Mountain Fist Sect and Withered Glory Sect—attempt to recruit him. He refuses because he remains loyal to Spring Autumn Temple.
• Ma Xiuxiu visits to request three more Dream Recall Talismans, since the previous ones failed to save her father. Shen Luo agrees to provide them later and suggests trading for cultivation-enhancing spiritual medicine, such as a Milk Spirit Pill.

Character Development

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates courage, tactical judgment, and self-sacrifice by protecting his companions at great personal cost. He becomes increasingly respected for his combat abilities, advances his cultivation significantly, and remains loyal to his original sect despite recruitment offers.
• Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng: Their trust in Shen Luo changes into genuine respect and wholehearted conviction after witnessing him save their lives.
• Ma Xiuxiu: Remains determined to save or aid her father, continuing to seek Dream Recall Talismans despite the previous failure. She also shows continued interest in Shen Luo’s circumstances.
• Lu Huaming: Appears increasingly occupied with government affairs, suggesting that major strategic preparations are underway.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and leadership: Shen Luo’s willingness to risk himself for his companions establishes him as a true leader.
• Trust earned through action: Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng become loyal to Shen Luo because of what he does, not merely what he says.
• The cost of victory: Even successful missions leave Shen Luo injured, poorer in magical resources, and aware that rewards do not always compensate for losses.
• Cultivation through persistence: Shen Luo’s progress comes through repeated failure and continued effort.
• Loyalty versus opportunity: Although prestigious sects seek to recruit him, Shen Luo prioritizes his allegiance to Spring Autumn Temple.
• Tense balance before conflict: The government office and the occupying forces refrain from major action, creating an atmosphere of preparation and impending confrontation.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Luo physically saves Zhou Meng and Zhao Tingsheng during the explosion, profoundly strengthening their respect for him.
• Shen Luo and the group cooperate during their escape and subsequent return to the government office.
• The government office rewards the team according to their contributions, recognizing Shen Luo’s leadership and the group’s victories.
• Ma Xiuxiu and Shen Luo negotiate the purchase of Dream Recall Talismans, with Shen Luo offering flexible terms in exchange for rare cultivation resources.
• Their conversation remains friendly but restrained; Ma Xiuxiu senses that Shen Luo does not wish to discuss his official missions in detail and does not press him.

Chapter Summary: Phantom Stinger Demon Core

Plot Points and Events

• After Ma Xiuxiu leaves, Shen Luo spends over half a month cultivating in seclusion.
• He successfully opens two additional Magic Meridians, bringing his total to nine and raising his aptitude to roughly that of an ordinary Dao Body.
• He deliberately opens the Hand Three Yang Meridians, linking his Dantian to his hands and dramatically increasing his casting speed.
• Shen Luo tests his progress by casting five water blades nearly instantaneously, piercing holes through a wall. His Magical Artifact activation speed also improves significantly.
• He reaches the Peak Early Soul Condensation Stage and begins considering how to break through to the Middle Soul Condensation Stage. Because he lacks confidence in advancing unaided, he recognizes the need for external resources.
• Ma Xiuxiu visits again to collect the three Dream Recall Talismans. In exchange, she provides:
  • Blueheart Pills
  • Vast Spirit Pills
  • Two hundred pieces of Immortal Jade
  • A valuable blue water-element crystal
  • A Soul Condensation Stage Demon Core
  • A three-hundred-year-old Vermilion Dragon Grass
• Shen Luo gives her the three completed talismans, satisfied with the generous payment.
• He then visits a marketplace in Chang’an City and enters the shop of Fellow Daoist Wang.
• Shen Luo exchanges the Vermilion Dragon Grass for a Phantom Stinger Demon Core, receiving a silver-white core that emits a disorienting aura.

Character Development

• Shen Luo: His cultivation and combat ability improve substantially. His nine Magic Meridians greatly enhance both spellcasting and Magical Artifact activation, increasing his confidence and potential. He also demonstrates practical judgment by bargaining with Ma Xiuxiu without becoming overly greedy and by promptly using the Vermilion Dragon Grass to obtain the Demon Core he needs.
• Ma Xiuxiu: She appears increasingly urgent to obtain the Dream Recall Talismans, suggesting they are important to her or her faction. Despite the scarcity caused by the ghost plague, she offers Shen Luo a generous collection of valuable resources, indicating that she considers the talismans highly important.
• Fellow Daoist Wang: He is presented as a reliable merchant who recognizes the quality of the Vermilion Dragon Grass and honors the previously arranged exchange.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation through specialization: Shen Luo’s deliberate choice of meridians shows that strength depends not only on increasing cultivation but also on optimizing one’s abilities for combat.
• Resource scarcity and strategic exchange: The ghost plague has disrupted supplies, making pills and cultivation materials precious. Shen Luo advances by trading valuable resources rather than relying solely on cultivation.
• Preparation for a breakthrough: His improved aptitude and newly acquired pills, Demon Cores, and spiritual materials all support his goal of reaching the Middle Soul Condensation Stage.
• Mutual need and hidden urgency: Both Shen Luo and Ma Xiuxiu pursue important objectives through an exchange, while Ma Xiuxiu’s restrained excitement hints at larger events surrounding the Dream Recall Talismans.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Ma Xiuxiu maintain a polite but transactional relationship. Shen Luo subtly tests her willingness to pay more, while Ma Xiuxiu responds with an unexpectedly generous offering.
• Their exchange reveals a balance between Shen Luo’s bargaining instincts and Ma Xiuxiu’s urgency.
• Shen Luo’s interaction with Fellow Daoist Wang is direct and efficient: he provides the requested Vermilion Dragon Grass and receives the Phantom Stinger Demon Core in return.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Luo acquires a Soul Condensation Stage Phantom Stinger Demon Core. A merchant has not yet found the rare, highly poisonous core Shen Luo seeks for Mao Chun.
• Shen Luo summons Bai Xing and gives her the Phantom Stinger core to help her overcome the Starfish Race’s slow cultivation.
• Bai Xing immediately begins refining it. Shen Luo seals the room with Restrictions and guards her through the breakthrough.
• When Bai Xing suffers a painful, unstable transformation, Shen Luo channels power into her to help her merge with the core.
• Bai Xing successfully reaches the Soul Condensation Stage and transforms physically into a young woman, gaining the ability to move much more freely.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo shows practical care for his spirit beasts, investing in their growth because their abilities could help him survive. He supports Bai Xing’s dangerous breakthrough and stays beside her as a guard.
• Bai Xing expresses gratitude and loyalty, but also shows growing confidence and independence: she chooses to break through immediately and asks Shen Luo for help when needed. Her new human form gives her greater mobility.
• Their relationship has grown closer since their journey to the Yin Ridge Mountain Ancient Tomb, and Shen Luo treats Bai Xing’s advancement as both a personal responsibility and a strategic benefit.
• Shen Luo has already released Lang Sheng from their Spirit-Linking Contract and replaced him with a stronger Shrimp Soldier, reflecting how his rising power has changed the usefulness of his summons.

Significant themes

• Mutual support and loyalty: Shen Luo strengthens the companions who serve him, while Bai Xing responds with gratitude and renewed devotion.
• Growth through sacrifice and risk: Bai Xing’s breakthrough is painful and uncertain, requiring both her effort and Shen Luo’s intervention.
• Preparation and survival: Shen Luo’s attention to his spirit beasts and study of the Cloud-Drooping Formation are driven by the dangers awaiting him in Chang’an.

Closing development

With Bai Xing now at the Soul Condensation Stage, Shen Luo has three such cultivators available, counting himself and the Ghost General. He plans to teach them the Cloud-Drooping Formation, which can be operated by three Soul Condensation cultivators instead of the six Fasting Stage cultivators it originally required.

Chapter Summary: “Guarding Guangde Ward”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Alarm bells announce a large-scale ghost assault across Chang’an. The Government Office mobilizes cultivators to defend every ward.
• Shen Luo joins He Wenzheng at Hidden Troops Hall, where he learns that the ghosts are using unusually powerful and durable Zombies.
• Shen Luo’s squad is assigned to defend Guangde Ward, a location secretly identified as one of the ghosts’ main targets.
• Zhou Meng reveals that his sect’s intelligence network had warned him Guangde Ward would face a particularly dangerous assault. Zhao Tingsheng suspects He Wenzheng of deliberately sending them as expendable troops, but Shen Luo rejects this distrust and emphasizes that all cultivators must cooperate to protect Chang’an.
• Upon reaching Guangde Ward, the group finds Imperial soldiers struggling to contain a massive Zombie horde. Shen Luo immediately flies ahead to assist.
• Using the Pure Yang Sword Embryo, Shen Luo destroys a large number of Zombies in a single sweeping attack, rescuing a collapsing defensive line and earning the soldiers’ gratitude.
• Shen Luo discovers that, despite their frightening appearance, these Zombies are less physically durable than the zombie ghosts he previously encountered.
• Deep within the ward, the ghost forces’ leaders—Nü Chuan, Cangmu Daoist, and Qian Tong—observe Shen Luo’s interference. Cangmu Daoist and Qian Tong recognize him as their former opponent, setting up a renewed confrontation.

2. Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates leadership, decisiveness, and confidence. He accepts the dangerous mission without hesitation and immediately takes personal responsibility for protecting the soldiers.
• He also shows sound judgment by preventing Zhao Tingsheng’s suspicion from damaging cooperation among the allied forces.
• Bai Xing continues to support Shen Luo directly, transforming into a white bracer that enhances or assists him in battle.
• Zhou Meng proves valuable as an intelligence source, using his sect’s connections to warn the group about Guangde Ward’s importance.
• Zhao Tingsheng briefly gives in to suspicion but quickly recognizes his mistake after Shen Luo reprimands him.
• Nü Chuan, Cangmu Daoist, and Qian Tong emerge as important enemy figures. Their recognition of Shen Luo suggests that their earlier conflict will influence the current battle.

3. Significant Themes

• Unity against a common enemy: Shen Luo stresses that mutual suspicion among the allied cultivators is dangerous when Chang’an’s survival depends on cooperation.
• Leadership and responsibility: Rather than merely directing others, Shen Luo personally enters the most dangerous battlefield and protects the Imperial troops.
• Escalation of the conflict: The deployment of Imperial Guards and coordinated attacks on every ward indicate that the ghost invasion has reached an unprecedented scale, possibly signaling the final battle.
• Appearance versus reality: The Zombies look terrifying and possess great strength, but Shen Luo discovers that their actual durability differs from that of previous zombie ghosts.
• Past enemies returning: The appearance of Nü Chuan, Cangmu Daoist, and Qian Tong connects the current crisis to Shen Luo’s earlier battles.

4. Character Interactions

• Shen Luo consults He Wenzheng about the emergency mission and accepts responsibility for Guangde Ward.
• Zhou Meng shares intelligence about the ward’s danger, while Zhao Tingsheng questions the motives of the Government Office.
• Shen Luo reprimands Zhao Tingsheng and persuades the group to maintain trust and cooperation.
• Shen Luo works alongside Bai Xing, who transforms into equipment on his arm.
• After Shen Luo saves the soldiers, Nü Chuan identifies him as the cultivator disrupting the ghost assault. Cangmu Daoist and Qian Tong recognize him, creating an imminent face-off between Shen Luo and his former adversaries.