Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Little Maoshan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Spring Autumn Temple is being extensively renovated under Zhou Fu and other disciples’ supervision. With Shen Luo’s return and growing strength, Qin Ming is finally able to begin restoring the temple’s former prestige.
• The temple’s reputation has risen sharply after the destruction of Black Cloud Valley and the deaths of its invading cultivators. The incident has shocked the Dengzhou cultivation world.
• In a secret chamber, Qin Ming studies the Pure Yang Canon from the ancient jade pendant using the method Shen Luo taught him.
• A powerful, purple-whiskered middle-aged cultivator suddenly appears. He destroys Qin Ming’s Peachwood Talisman Sword with a single finger and demands to know who killed Master Xuan of the Heavenly Yin Sect.
• Qin Ming denies any knowledge, fearing that admitting the truth would bring the powerful Heavenly Yin Sect’s retaliation upon Spring Autumn Temple.
• The stranger reveals that an independent cultivator witnessed Master Xuan’s death near Black Cloud Valley and spread the news. Although no survivors remained from Black Cloud Valley, outsiders have connected the incident to Spring Autumn Temple.
• Before Qin Ming can respond further, a tremendous howl and a massive blue pillar of light erupt from the rear mountain.
• The visitor identifies the phenomenon as a breakthrough to the Mid-Great Vehicle Stage, astonishing Qin Ming and everyone at the temple. Qin Ming realizes that Shen Luo has reached a legendary realm far beyond the former patriarchs of Spring Autumn Temple.
• The visitor introduces himself as Chen Shiyuan, a cultivator from Little Maoshan, and asks about the person undergoing the breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Qin Ming is shown as increasingly confident and capable as the leader of Spring Autumn Temple. Shen Luo’s support allows him to pursue the temple’s revival, but he remains cautious and politically astute when confronted by a powerful outsider.
• Qin Ming’s loyalty to Shen Luo and his determination to protect Spring Autumn Temple are emphasized when he refuses to reveal Shen Luo’s identity despite intimidation.
• Shen Luo does not appear directly, but his influence dominates the chapter. His return has revitalized the temple, and his breakthrough to the Mid-Great Vehicle Stage establishes him as an extraordinarily powerful figure.
• Chen Shiyuan is introduced as an arrogant yet controlled and highly capable cultivator. He is curious about Shen Luo’s strength and claims not to seek revenge for Master Xuan’s death.
• Spring Autumn Temple’s disciples and craftsmen witness the breakthrough in awe, reinforcing the dramatic change in the temple’s fortunes.

Significant Themes

• Revival and restoration: The physical renovation of Spring Autumn Temple reflects the sect’s broader recovery and return to prominence.
• Power and reputation: Shen Luo’s strength and the destruction of Black Cloud Valley have transformed how the cultivation world views the once-declining temple.
• Secrecy and survival: Qin Ming must conceal the truth about Master Xuan’s death to avoid provoking the Heavenly Yin Sect.
• Legacy and renewal: Qin Ming’s joy at Shen Luo’s breakthrough suggests that Spring Autumn Temple may surpass the achievements of its past patriarchs.
• Uncertainty surrounding powerful outsiders: Chen Shiyuan’s arrival introduces a new potential threat or alliance, as his true intentions remain unclear.

Character Interactions

• Qin Ming directs the temple’s restoration alongside Zhou Fu and the returning disciples.
• Qin Ming studies the Pure Yang Canon alone before being confronted by Chen Shiyuan.
• Chen Shiyuan overwhelms Qin Ming effortlessly, establishing the vast difference in their cultivation levels.
• Qin Ming and Chen Shiyuan engage in a tense interrogation, with Qin Ming denying involvement in Master Xuan’s death while Chen Shiyuan exposes what he knows.
• The sudden breakthrough interrupts their confrontation. Both men focus on the rear mountain, and Chen Shiyuan questions Qin Ming about the mysterious cultivator responsible. The chapter ends with Chen Shiyuan revealing his affiliation with Little Maoshan.

Chen Shiyuan, an envoy from Little Maoshan, visited Spring Autumn Temple and offered to help it return to its ancestral sect if Qin Guan helped him approach Shen Luo. Shen Luo completed his breakthrough to the mid-Great Vehicle stage and emerged from seclusion after sensing the powerful visitor outside his cave.

• Chen Shiyuan proved his identity as a Little Maoshan envoy and asked Qin Guan to take him to Shen Luo’s cave abode.
• Chen Shiyuan learned that Shen Luo was Qin Guan’s junior fellow disciple and was astonished by Shen Luo’s rapid cultivation progress.
• Qin Guan offered Chen Shiyuan spiritual materials and asked for help returning Spring Autumn Temple to Little Maoshan.
• Chen Shiyuan promised to help the temple if Qin Guan assisted him with a matter concerning Shen Luo, but Qin Guan refused to decide for Shen Luo because the matter endangered him.
• Shen Luo finished consolidating his breakthrough to the mid-Great Vehicle stage and discovered through his divine sense that Chen Shiyuan was waiting outside.

Chen Shiyuan asked Shen Luo to represent Little Maoshan in the deadly Three Realms Martial Meet, offering recognition and protection for Spring Autumn Temple in return. Shen Luo weighed the danger against his responsibility to revive the sect and had not yet accepted when the chapter ended.

• Chen Shiyuan arrived at Shen Luo’s cave abode with Qin Guan and explained that he had come to investigate Spring Autumn Temple’s killing of a Heavenly Yin Sect cultivator.
• Chen Shiyuan implied that Little Maoshan could recognize and protect Spring Autumn Temple if Shen Luo helped with an urgent matter.
• Chen Shiyuan asked Shen Luo to represent Little Maoshan in the Three Realms Martial Meet, explaining that contestants risked death but could win great rewards for their sect.
• Qin Guan urged Shen Luo not to endanger himself for Spring Autumn Temple, while Shen Luo considered the temple’s future and his promise to revive it.

Shen Luo agreed to represent Little Maoshan at the Three Realms Martial Meet, then returned to Chang'an and reunited with Bai Xiaotian and Bai Xiaoyun. Bai Xiaotian warned that Little Maoshan had concealed the meet’s finalized rules, including a life-and-death waiver, leaving Shen Luo questioning the danger he had accepted.

• Shen Luo agreed to compete in the Three Realms Martial Meet, and Chen Shiyuan promised to restore Spring Autumn Temple to the Little Maoshan lineage and protect it from the Heavenly Yin Sect.
• Chen Shiyuan told Shen Luo the meet would begin in about ten days, gave him a voice-transmission formation disk, and left after discussing preparations.
• Shen Luo returned to Chang'an, where he encountered Bai Xiaotian and Bai Xiaoyun at a tavern and learned Bai Xiaotian had recently broken through.
• Shen Luo told Bai Xiaotian that he planned to compete in the Three Realms Martial Meet, and Bai Xiaotian warned that Little Maoshan had withheld important information.
• Bai Xiaotian revealed that the rules had already been drawn up and required competitors to sign a life-and-death waiver before entering the secret realm.

Shen Luo learned that the Three Realms Martial Meet offered points and rewards while serving as a contest for the races to gain arbitration rights. After hearing about the powerful Huang Yi and the contest’s deadly origins, Shen Luo decided to compete so Spring Autumn Temple would no longer remain under Little Maoshan’s thumb.

• Bai Xiaotian explained that contestants gained points by killing others, and that the meet would likely attract many great vehicle and mahayana late stage cultivators.
• Shen Luo realized Little Maoshan could benefit if he won, while Bai Xiaotian described how the champion would receive the races’ backing and gain rewards for their sects.
• Bai Xiaotian revealed that the winning race would gain the right to arbitrate disputes for a hundred years and named Huang Yi as the Human Race’s formidable contender.
• Bai Xiaoyun recounted how Huang Yi had beaten Bai Xiaotian at Fangcun Mountain, and Bai Xiaotian warned Shen Luo to avoid him.
• Bai Xiaotian explained that the Human Race and Immortal Race had prevented the proposed fight-to-the-death format, and Shen Luo said he wanted to win so Spring Autumn Temple could stop remaining under Little Maoshan’s thumb.

Shen Luo met Chen Shiyuan and Yu Hai at Clearwind Temple, where Chen revealed that he wanted Shen to eliminate a Shouyang Mountain disciple during the Three Realms Martial Meet. Chen offered the Spring Autumn Temple the complete Pure Yang Canon in exchange, leaving Shen to consider the missing techniques in the canon he had inherited.

• Shen Luo reassured Bai Xiaotian that he would enter the Three Realms Martial Meet cautiously and refused to let Bai Xiaoyun join him.
• Half a month later, Shen Luo visited Clearwind Temple and met its master, Yu Hai, alongside Chen Shiyuan.
• Chen Shiyuan apologized for withholding information about the meet and asked Shen Luo to kill a Shouyang Mountain disciple accused of slaughtering villagers and Little Maoshan disciples.
• Chen Shiyuan offered the complete Pure Yang Canon to the Spring Autumn Temple if Shen Luo killed the disciple.
• Shen Luo learned that the canon he had inherited lacked the sword-honing method and Pure Yang Sword Form, which explained the Pure Yang Sword Embryo's weakness.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shiyuan explains to Shen Luo that mastering the Pure Yang Sword Art requires more than sword control: the sword must be nurtured and tempered, and it needs a suitable Pure Yang Sword Form to maximize its power.
• Shen Luo questions why Little Maoshan is not sending one of its own disciples to fight Shouyang Mountain’s champion. Chen Shiyuan admits that Little Maoshan’s strongest direct disciples are too valuable to risk, while the Shouyang Mountain opponent is already at the Mid-Great Vehicle Stage and practices the dangerous Blood-Burning Art.
• Chen reassures Shen Luo that competitors in the Three Realms Martial Meet accept responsibility for their own life and death, and retaliation afterward is forbidden by the major races.
• Shen Luo remains hesitant, suspecting that he is being treated as expendable. Before he leaves, Chen gives him the Pure Yang Burning Sword, described as a gesture of sincerity and apology rather than payment.
• Several days later, Chang’an becomes nearly empty as crowds gather at the expanded venue before the Tang Emperor’s palace for the martial meet.
• Shen Luo arrives among the ten Human Race participants but does not immediately ascend the platform. He observes the other competitors and evaluates their cultivation, personalities, and likely strength.
• He recognizes Zhao Tong, the Shouyang Mountain disciple he may be expected to fight, and worries that Zhao may already know about Little Maoshan’s plans, potentially ruining the element of surprise.
• Shen Luo also recognizes Fu Donglai, a tiger-headed demon he had met before, and surveys the leading competitors of the Human, Immortal, and Demon Races.

2. Character Developments

• Shen Luo remains cautious, pragmatic, and suspicious of being used as a disposable fighter. Although tempted by the Pure Yang Sword Form, he has not yet committed to fighting Zhao Tong. His battle experience is emphasized through his ability to assess opponents quickly.
• Chen Shiyuan appears apologetic but pragmatic. He admits Little Maoshan is unwilling to risk its most important disciples, while still trying to persuade Shen Luo by praising his strength and experience. Giving Shen Luo the Pure Yang Burning Sword shows an effort to gain his cooperation.
• Zhao Tong is introduced as a potentially dangerous opponent. His malicious expression and connection to Shouyang Mountain’s Enforcement Hall suggest he may already be aware of Shen Luo’s role.
• Huang Yi, a stern black-robed Human Race participant, is portrayed as disciplined and diligent, constantly practicing breathing techniques even while standing still.
• Fu Donglai reappears as a participant despite previously preferring clerical work to combat, creating some mystery about his reasons for joining.
• Ji Yao, an exceptionally beautiful and gracious Immortal Race cultivator, draws attention even among the Immortals and responds kindly to Shen Luo’s gaze.
• Seven Kills, the leading Demon Race cultivator, is presented as aloof, powerful, and intimidating.
• Hua Li, a cat demon, is visibly fascinated by Seven Kills, though he ignores her completely.

3. Significant Themes

• Exploitation and sacrifice: Little Maoshan’s decision to rely on Shen Luo reflects how institutions protect their elite while placing greater risks on outsiders or less-valued individuals.
• Honor and political restraint: The rules of the martial meet are meant to prevent revenge and preserve peace among the Human, Immortal, Demon, and other races.
• Preparation and cultivation: The discussion of sword forms emphasizes that true strength depends not only on raw technique but also on refining weapons and choosing methods suited to one’s abilities.
• Competition and hidden agendas: The gathering is more than a tournament; each race has selected champions, and Shen Luo suspects that political maneuvering and advance intelligence may influence the battles.
• Observation before action: Shen Luo carefully studies the competitors rather than acting impulsively, reinforcing his cautious and analytical nature.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Shiyuan and Shen Luo: Their conversation combines persuasion, negotiation, and mistrust. Chen seeks Shen Luo’s help while acknowledging the danger and offering the Pure Yang Burning Sword as compensation or goodwill.
• Shen Luo and Zhao Tong: They exchange only looks, but the encounter is tense. Shen Luo suspects Zhao may know he was sent to challenge him, threatening Shen Luo’s intended surprise attack.
• Shen Luo and Huang Yi: Shen Luo silently evaluates Huang Yi’s training habits and recognizes him as a steady, disciplined opponent.
• Shen Luo and Fu Donglai: Fu waves to Shen Luo, who returns the greeting with a formal salute, showing a degree of familiarity and goodwill.
• Shen Luo and Ji Yao: Ji Yao notices Shen Luo watching her and responds with a gentle smile, briefly embarrassing him.
• Hua Li and Seven Kills: Hua Li openly focuses on Seven Kills, while he remains indifferent and refuses to acknowledge her attention.

Shen Luo joined the other participants in the Three Realms Martial Meet as Cheng Yaojin announced the contest’s deadly rules and the reward of an Ascension Platform opportunity. Elder Qi Yuan opened the secret realm, transporting Shen Luo and the thirty-nine other cultivators inside while jade screens began showing their progress to spectators.

• Shen Luo learned from Li Changqing that the Heavenly Mechanism City elder on the platform was a high-ranking Grand Puppetmaster.
• Cheng Yaojin summoned the participants to the martial platform and announced that the contest would take place in the Three Realms Sword Meet secret realm, where divine sense and access to spiritual energy would be restricted.
• The six-tusked demonic elephant explained that killing opponents earned their points and that the victor would receive a chance to use the Ascension Platform.
• The participants signed life-and-death waivers before Cheng Yaojin asked Elder Qi Yuan to open the secret realm.
• Elder Qi Yuan activated the teleportation formation, sending Shen Luo and the other thirty-nine participants away as jade screens displayed the contest to spectators.

Shen Luo entered the Three Realms Martial Meet trial, encountered Fu Donglai and He Qianshan, then continued alone through a forest with no spiritual energy. He found a wounded human woman trapped in a gorge with two demons, and the One-Horned Demon left the Blue-Skinned Demon to deal with her.

• He Qianshan proposed that Shen Luo join him in killing Fu Donglai, but Shen Luo declined an alliance, and the three contestants went their separate ways.
• Shen Luo discovered that an invisible force restricted his divine sense and that the forest contained no spiritual energy.
• A Fasting Stage Mad Leopard attacked Shen Luo, who killed it with a single slap and continued onward.
• Shen Luo heard a woman calling for help from a gorge and spotted her badly wounded behind rubble as two demons approached.
• The Blue-Skinned Demon claimed the woman, while the One-Horned Demon warned him to hurry and then left through the gorge.

Chapter Summary: “Corruption”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Blue-Skinned Demon attacks and bites a wounded Human Race woman, becoming intoxicated by her blood and vitality.
• Shen Luo ambushes him with the Dragon Horn Awl. Although another attacker briefly interferes, Shen Luo’s weapon pierces the demon’s defenses and destroys both his body and escaping soul.
• Shen Luo receives points for the kill, bringing his total to three. He realizes that the Human Race woman’s death also counted, meaning she had already been fatally injured or killed before the demon attacked her.
• The seemingly grateful woman suddenly attacks Shen Luo under the control of the hidden enemy. Shen Luo avoids the sword thrust and kills her, recognizing that she had been manipulated through the Soul-Control Technique.
• A strange fragrance fills the gorge, causing flowers and vegetation to appear. Shen Luo cuts them down, while the One-Horned Demon burns them with demonic flames.
• The resulting ashes cling to and envelop the One-Horned Demon, trapping him in an illusion. Shen Luo realizes that the hidden attacker is using illusions and Divine Thought to control their minds.
• The hidden enemy attempts to remain concealed. Shen Luo provokes him by threatening to take the One-Horned Demon’s points, then attacks with the Dragon Horn Awl.
• Before Shen Luo can kill the One-Horned Demon, the demon’s head explodes and a handsome young Immortal Race member emerges. He admits to controlling the woman and manipulating events to lure the One-Horned Demon out.
• Shen Luo distrusts the man’s explanation, recognizing that the Immortal had also tried to invade his Consciousness Sea. He warns him not to provoke him and leaves after taking the dead combatants’ storage rings.
• The Immortal watches Shen Luo depart with an enigmatic smile. Meanwhile, the bodies of the dead rapidly decay, transforming into soil as their bones dissolve into the ground.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates powerful combat ability, quick judgment, and resistance to mental attacks. His strong Divine Soul allows him to repel the Immortal’s attempted soul invasion.
• He becomes increasingly wary and ruthless, refusing to help the One-Horned Demon after recognizing that the demon is trapped in an illusion.
• The Blue-Skinned Demon is revealed as vulnerable to bloodlust and instinct. His fixation on the Human Race woman leaves him open to Shen Luo’s fatal attack.
• The Human Race woman appears to be a victim but is later revealed to have been controlled by the hidden Immortal. Her body was already doomed, and she is used as a weapon against Shen Luo.
• The One-Horned Demon is manipulated through illusion and becomes helpless despite his strength.
• The young Immortal Race member emerges as a calculating and deceptive opponent. He claims to have targeted only the demons, but his secret attack on Shen Luo reveals more hostile intentions.

Significant Themes

• Deception and manipulation: Appearances are repeatedly misleading, especially the woman’s apparent gratitude and the Immortal’s friendly explanation.
• Mental domination and hidden threats: Soul-control techniques and illusions prove as dangerous as physical attacks.
• Survival and distrust: Shen Luo prioritizes vigilance over alliances, recognizing that every participant may be a potential enemy.
• Corruption and decay: Bloodlust, soul control, illusion, and the mysterious transformation of corpses into earth suggest the corrupting influence of the gorge or the larger trial.
• Power and opportunism: Shen Luo takes the dead combatants’ storage rings and points, showing that survival requires exploiting the aftermath of conflict.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo kills the Blue-Skinned Demon after the demon attacks the Human Race woman.
• The controlled woman attempts to assassinate Shen Luo, but he counters and kills her.
• Shen Luo and the One-Horned Demon briefly cooperate against the illusionary flowers, though Shen Luo ultimately abandons him.
• Shen Luo confronts the hidden Immortal Race member, rejecting his justification and warning him against further aggression.
• The Immortal and Shen Luo part without openly fighting, leaving their relationship hostile and unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Ambush”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo leaves the gorge and crosses an open plain while replenishing his strength with a pill. He reflects on the financial burdens of rebuilding Spring Autumn Temple and decides to search for useful treasures.
• A powerful disturbance reveals a golden pillar of light, leading Shen Luo to a newly formed spiritual spring. Despite the secret realm’s restriction on spiritual energy, he collects the entire spring into bottles using the Water Control Technique.
• As Shen Luo prepares to leave, he is ambushed by Seven Kills and Hua Li. Seven Kills fires a powerful arrow from his Dragon-Cry Coldwater Bow, but Shen Luo barely blocks it with the Dragon Horn Awl.
• Seven Kills confirms himself as a terrifying Mahayana Late Stage expert and prepares an even stronger attack. Shen Luo responds by gathering the full power of the Dragon Horn Awl.
• Their techniques collide. Although Shen Luo’s weapon destroys the arrow, the arrow’s hidden power manifests as a massive cloud-dragon phantom that releases extreme cold.
• The resulting frost freezes the Dragon Horn Awl, the surrounding ground, and Shen Luo himself, leaving his fate uncertain.
• Outside the secret realm, the battle is displayed on Heaven-Hanging Mirrors. Spectators, betting houses, and Shen Luo’s allies assume Seven Kills has the advantage, especially because he previously killed several powerful opponents with ease.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Shows practical responsibility toward Spring Autumn Temple, thinking about its finances and seeking resources rather than simply pursuing combat. His confidence and combat ability are emphasized when he survives Seven Kills’s unexpected ambush and dares to counterattack despite the power gap.
• Seven Kills: Is established as a ruthless and overwhelmingly powerful Demon Race expert. His precise ambush, mastery of the Dragon-Cry Coldwater Bow, and calm preparation for a second strike demonstrate his confidence and lethal ability.
• Hua Li: Remains openly supportive of Seven Kills, reacting with surprise when Shen Luo blocks the first arrow and cheering when Shen Luo is frozen. Her reactions reinforce how dangerous Seven Kills is perceived to be.
• Bai Xiaotian and Cheng Yaojin: Both become anxious at Shen Luo’s predicament. Bai Xiaotian worries because of Seven Kills’s earlier victories, while Cheng Yaojin regrets that Shen Luo entered the dangerous martial meet.
• Chen Shiyuan and Yu Hai: Continue to resent Shen Luo and are eager for his defeat, hoping Seven Kills will kill him before he can locate Zhao Tong.

Significant Themes

• Danger beneath apparent opportunity: The spiritual spring initially seems like a fortunate treasure, but collecting it leaves Shen Luo vulnerable to an ambush.
• Preparation versus overwhelming power: Shen Luo carefully restores his strength and uses his defensive treasure skillfully, yet Seven Kills’s superior cultivation and technique still place him in grave danger.
• Responsibility and material concerns: Shen Luo’s thoughts about temple finances add a practical dimension to his character, showing that even powerful cultivators must manage worldly obligations.
• Public judgment and spectacle: The battle is treated as entertainment and gambling by outsiders, whose pessimistic odds contrast with Shen Luo’s personal struggle for survival.
• Hidden strength and uncertainty: Shen Luo’s survival of the first attack challenges expectations, leaving open whether he has further means to resist Seven Kills’s killing move.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Seven Kills engage in a direct life-or-death confrontation, with each countering the other’s strongest technique.
• Hua Li openly praises Seven Kills and celebrates his apparent victory, while Seven Kills remains focused and ignores her commentary.
• Bai Xiaotian and Cheng Yaojin observe from outside the realm with concern, reflecting their connection to Shen Luo.
• Chen Shiyuan and Yu Hai watch with hostility, hoping Shen Luo will be eliminated.

Chapter Summary: Bronze Ancient Mirror

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo and Seven Kills engage in a fierce battle over the Spirit Spring Water. Shen Luo uses his Pure Yang Astral Qi, Dragon Horn Awl, and Pure Yang Sword Embryo to break through Seven Kills’s icy defenses.
• Seven Kills counters with his Dragon-Screaming Cold Water Divine Bow and golden armor. Their attacks clash so powerfully that both realize continuing would leave them vulnerable to others.
• Shen Luo proposes a truce, warning that other cultivators could profit while they fought. He identifies himself, and Seven Kills acknowledges him as a worthy opponent.
• Shen Luo gives Seven Kills half of the Spirit Spring Water in three jade bottles. This both honors their temporary alliance and creates the appearance that they had merely divided the spring rather than fought over a greater treasure.
• When another treasure appears elsewhere, Seven Kills leaves to investigate it, while Shen Luo chooses a different route.
• Several late-arriving cultivators discover that the spring has been completely emptied and angrily regret not taking advantage of the battle. He Qianshan also investigates but eventually heads toward the newly revealed treasure.
• Once safely away from detection, Shen Luo uses an Earth-Escape Talisman to travel underground. He discovers another concentration of Spirit Spring Water and absorbs it.
• Beneath the spring, he finds an octagonal Bronze Ancient Mirror. Its surface is polished, while its back bears intricate talismanic designs and a laurel-tree engraving.
• Shen Luo recognizes that the mirror likely generated the Spirit Spring Water by absorbing moonlight essence. He realizes that keeping it at Spring Autumn Temple could allow the temple to cultivate a permanent, self-sustaining spirit spring.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates greater combat strength and tactical maturity. He successfully pressures Seven Kills with the Pure Yang Sword Embryo but also knows when to avoid a mutually destructive battle.
• He acts pragmatically by sharing the Spirit Spring Water, reducing hostility and concealing the true value of his discovery.
• Shen Luo’s priorities extend beyond personal cultivation: he immediately considers how the Bronze Ancient Mirror could benefit Spring Autumn Temple.
• Seven Kills initially underestimates Shen Luo, then recognizes his strength after Shen Luo breaks through his defenses. Their confrontation develops into cautious respect rather than enmity.
• He Qianshan and the other cultivators are shown as opportunistic and frustrated, arriving too late and relying on others’ conflicts to obtain treasures.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism over pride: Shen Luo and Seven Kills stop fighting when they realize others might profit from their struggle.
• Mutual respect among rivals: Their battle establishes recognition between two powerful young cultivators, even without creating a true friendship.
• Concealment and deception: Shen Luo deliberately presents the prize as ordinary Spirit Spring Water to discourage further pursuit.
• Resourcefulness and foresight: Shen Luo uses underground travel and carefully plans how the mirror can support his sect in the long term.
• Competition in a dangerous world: Treasure seekers constantly compete, observe one another, and exploit moments of weakness.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Seven Kills clash directly, then negotiate a temporary partnership based on shared self-interest.
• Shen Luo introduces himself, and Seven Kills promises to remember him, signaling future significance.
• Shen Luo offers Seven Kills half the Spirit Spring Water, while Seven Kills accepts without ceremony.
• Their parting reflects differing personalities: Seven Kills pursues the next treasure directly, while Shen Luo remains cautious and secretly searches for the deeper prize.
• The later-arriving cultivators criticize Shen Luo and Seven Kills for taking everything, while He Qianshan mocks their poor concealment and joins the race toward the next treasure.

After hiding the Moon-Reflecting Spirit Laurel Mirror and recovering from his battle with Seven Kills, Shen Luo went toward a golden light and encountered Zhao Tong and Huang Yi. Zhao Tong attacked him, and Shen Luo countered with water magic before thrusting a Dragon Horn Cone at Zhao Tong.

• Shen Luo hid underground to recover, then sensed a golden light and headed toward it.
• After the fighting nearby ended, Shen Luo approached the battlefield and was forced out of hiding by a falling rock attack.
• Zhao Tong revealed that he had hired Huang Yi to help him deal with Shen Luo, while Huang Yi said he would only prevent Zhao Tong from being killed.
• Shen Luo tried to leave, but Zhao Tong attacked him with a Blood-Breaking Nail, which Shen Luo knocked away.
• Shen Luo froze Zhao Tong's hand with water arrows and appeared beside him, thrusting a Dragon Horn Cone toward his brow.

Summary of “Poison Blood”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Tong attempts to kill Shen Luo with a hidden blood attack after Huang Yi stops Shen Luo from finishing him with the Dragon Horn Cone.
• Huang Yi intervenes again, knocking Zhao Tong’s attacking arm aside. This causes Zhao Tong’s blood cloud to burst overhead, showering all three men with poisonous blood.
• The poison blood burns into their skin and cannot be removed by ordinary means. Zhao Tong explains that it is connected to the Blood-Burning Art and warns them not to circulate their Magic Power, since doing so will intensify the poison and consume their blood essence.
• Shen Luo tries using the Water Control Technique, but the water evaporates on contact. He then experiments with the Nameless Art before abandoning the idea of sacrificing his arm.
• He ultimately activates the Huangting Scripture and forces the contaminated blood out through his skin. This saves him from further internal spread but causes massive damage to his flesh, blood vessels, and organs. He also uses the Great Dissection Technique to heal himself, sacrificing part of his liver that has been contaminated.
• Huang Yi adopts a different strategy, confining the poison to his left arm beneath a Buddhist Golden Bell. The arm becomes severely discolored, and he loses much of his blood essence while struggling to keep the poison from spreading.
• Zhao Tong, who understands the poison best and possesses the Blood-Burning Art, manages to suppress the poison within himself. After recovering, he approaches the weakened Shen Luo and Huang Yi with an increasingly cold and sinister expression, suggesting that he intends to exploit their vulnerable state.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates determination and ingenuity under extreme pressure. Rather than accept death or permanently sacrifice an arm, he develops a dangerous method of expelling the poison through his skin. Although he survives, he is left emaciated, gravely injured, and almost completely drained of blood essence and Magic Power.
• Huang Yi: Continues acting as a powerful but stern mediator, initially preventing Shen Luo from killing Zhao Tong. After being poisoned, he shows discipline and endurance by sealing the poison in one arm through Buddhist techniques, though this leaves him severely weakened.
• Zhao Tong: Reveals that the blood attack is his ultimate defensive technique, created by his master and tied to his sect’s Blood-Burning Art. He is frightened when the poison affects him but eventually recovers faster than the others. His final sinister approach exposes his opportunistic and treacherous nature.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus restraint: Huang Yi’s attempts to prevent unnecessary killing conflict with the brutal reality of Zhao Tong’s repeated attacks.
• The dangers of power: The Blood-Burning Art turns blood and Magic Power into destructive forces, making even attempts at healing or resistance potentially fatal.
• Sacrifice and endurance: Shen Luo and Huang Yi each endure severe bodily damage and depletion to survive, choosing different methods based on their abilities.
• Betrayal and opportunism: Zhao Tong’s initial ambush and his final approach to the weakened survivors emphasize the danger of trusting an enemy, even when all parties are temporarily threatened by the same danger.
• Different paths to survival: Shen Luo relies on experimentation and physical purging, while Huang Yi uses Buddhist suppression, and Zhao Tong relies on specialized sect knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Huang Yi restrains Shen Luo from killing Zhao Tong, insisting that Shen Luo’s earlier retaliation was justified but that he will not permit another attack.
• Zhao Tong immediately betrays this restraint by launching a concealed palm strike at Shen Luo, forcing Huang Yi to intervene.
• The three are accidentally poisoned together, temporarily placing enemies and mediator in the same desperate predicament.
• Zhao Tong provides crucial information about the poison but cannot offer a cure, since even he depends on his sect’s secret art to resist it.
• Once Zhao Tong recovers while Shen Luo and Huang Yi remain severely weakened, the balance of power shifts again, ending the chapter on an ominous threat.

Chapter Summary: “The Oriole Behind”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Tong attempts to kill the severely weakened Shen Luo, mocking him for being barely recognizable as human.
• Huang Yi stops Zhao Tong, insisting that because he previously protected Zhao Tong from Shen Luo, Zhao Tong should not take advantage of Shen Luo’s helpless state.
• Defying Huang Yi, Zhao Tong strikes Shen Luo’s head, smashing him into a deep pit and leaving him critically injured, with blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
• Huang Yi severs his own poisoned arm and kicks it at Zhao Tong to prevent him from delivering another attack. This reveals Huang Yi’s willingness to sacrifice himself to protect Shen Luo.
• Zhao Tong considers killing both men to seize their accumulated points. He attacks Huang Yi with a blood-red crystal blade.
• Huang Yi uses the Arhat Golden Bell technique, transforming his body into a golden, arhat-like form. Although he initially breaks Zhao Tong’s blade, Zhao Tong reforms it with blood mist and pierces Huang Yi’s chest, beginning to drain his remaining vitality.
• Before Zhao Tong can finish Huang Yi, He Qianshan ambushes him with a black steel spike, piercing his forehead and pinning him to the ground.
• He Qianshan reveals that he had been waiting for the other combatants to weaken one another so he could become the final victor—the “oriole behind the oriole.”
• Zhao Tong attempts to use his blood energy against He Qianshan, but He Qianshan seals his magical power with a beast-hide talisman. He explains that he is interested in Zhao Tong’s Blood-Burning Art.
• He Qianshan then turns toward the nearly defenseless Huang Yi and prepares to kill him.
• Just before Huang Yi is struck, Shen Luo’s Pure Yang Sword Embryo erupts from the pit, wrapped in golden light and crimson flames, attacking He Qianshan.
• He Qianshan blocks the sword with an azure shield and a green whirlwind, but simultaneously continues driving his steel spike toward Huang Yi, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

Character Developments

• Huang Yi demonstrates strong principles and loyalty. Despite his severe injuries and the loss of an arm, he refuses to let Zhao Tong kill Shen Luo and willingly risks his life to uphold what he believes is fair.
• Zhao Tong becomes increasingly consumed by greed and cruelty. His concern shifts from repaying favors or following restraints to calculating how many points he can steal by killing both weakened opponents.
• He Qianshan is revealed as a calculating opportunist. He avoids direct involvement until the others have exhausted one another, then intervenes to capture Zhao Tong and claim the advantage.
• Shen Luo, though apparently near death, shows unexpected resilience. His Pure Yang Sword Embryo launches a powerful counterattack, proving that he still retains the ability to fight.

Significant Themes

• Moral conviction versus greed: Huang Yi protects Shen Luo out of principle, while Zhao Tong views the wounded men primarily as sources of points and power.
• Sacrifice and loyalty: Huang Yi’s self-amputation emphasizes the lengths he will go to prevent an unfair killing.
• Opportunism and hidden threats: He Qianshan embodies the idea of waiting for others to fight before claiming victory, literally acting as the “oriole behind the oriole.”
• Deception and concealed strength: Shen Luo’s apparent defeat conceals a final reserve of power, reversing the expected outcome.
• The instability of alliances: Zhao Tong’s relationship with Huang Yi collapses once greed overcomes obligation, showing how quickly temporary cooperation can turn into conflict.

Character Interactions

• Huang Yi and Zhao Tong clash over whether Shen Luo should be killed, with Huang Yi acting as Shen Luo’s defender despite having no close personal relationship with him.
• Zhao Tong and Huang Yi engage in a brutal duel, with Zhao Tong attacking out of greed and Huang Yi fighting defensively while protecting Shen Luo.
• He Qianshan exploits the conflict between the two men, ambushing Zhao Tong after Zhao Tong has nearly defeated Huang Yi.
• He Qianshan then shifts from controlling Zhao Tong to targeting Huang Yi, but Shen Luo’s sudden sword attack interrupts him and creates a new confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Roadblock”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Just as He Qianshan is about to kill Huang Yi with a black steel spike, a Bloodthirst Banner suddenly appears and pulls Huang Yi to safety.
• The banner then turns on He Qianshan, wrapping around him and restricting his movements.
• Shen Luo seizes the opportunity to attack with the Pure Yang Burning Sword, summoning waves of crimson sword phantoms that rain down on He Qianshan.
• Trapped inside the Bloodthirst Banner, He Qianshan defends himself with his cyan round shield. Though the attack severely weakens his shield and wounds him, he releases a hidden power: radiant wings appear behind him, greatly increasing his aura.
• He Qianshan unleashes a giant cyan bird from the shield. The bird clashes with Shen Luo’s sword, explodes, and sends Shen Luo flying hundreds of zhang.
• Shen Luo, already weakened by Blood Poison, severe blood loss, and depleted Magic Power, collapses after forcing himself to fight in order to protect the others.
• He Qianshan escapes the Bloodthirst Banner and prepares to finish off Shen Luo, but Fu Donglai arrives and orders him to stop.
• Fu Donglai reveals that he is at the Mahayana Late Stage, with an aura even stronger than Huang Yi’s. He calmly states that he came to save the injured cultivators rather than kill them.
• Realizing that he is too exhausted to fight Fu Donglai, He Qianshan attempts to negotiate. He offers Huang Yi’s head to himself and one of the other two victims to Fu Donglai.
• Fu Donglai rejects the arrangement, insisting that he will intervene if He Qianshan tries to kill them. He warns that, if necessary, he will fight without restraint.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates remarkable endurance and determination despite being severely poisoned, weakened, and near collapse. He risks his life to save Huang Yi and the others, but the effort leaves him physically devastated.
• He Qianshan: Shows considerable strength by surviving Shen Luo’s powerful sword attack and revealing an unexpected transformation or trump card involving radiant wings and the cyan shield. However, his confidence is shaken when Fu Donglai arrives, forcing him to abandon his advantage and negotiate.
• Fu Donglai: Is established as a powerful late-stage Mahayana cultivator with a strong moral impulse to prevent unnecessary deaths. His calm, almost humorous manner contrasts with his overwhelming strength and firm willingness to fight for his principles.
• Huang Yi: Is saved from certain death by the Bloodthirst Banner, though he remains largely incapacitated during the battle.

Significant Themes

• Self-sacrifice and protection: Shen Luo’s desperate attack shows his willingness to endanger himself to protect others.
• Strength versus morality: He Qianshan views the situation through survival, rewards, and points, while Fu Donglai refuses to treat the wounded as prizes.
• Hidden power and reversal: The battle repeatedly shifts as each side reveals unexpected abilities—the Bloodthirst Banner, Shen Luo’s sword technique, and He Qianshan’s wing-enhanced power.
• Pragmatism versus ideals: He Qianshan relies on negotiation only after recognizing Fu Donglai’s superior strength, whereas Fu Donglai acts according to his stated principles regardless of the risks.
• The unpredictability of alliances: Former enemies and potential rivals become temporary protectors or obstacles, emphasizing the unstable relationships within the secret realm.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and He Qianshan: Their direct confrontation escalates from He Qianshan’s attempted execution of Huang Yi to a fierce exchange of magical techniques. Shen Luo nearly overwhelms He Qianshan, but He Qianshan’s hidden power turns the battle.
• Fu Donglai and He Qianshan: Fu Donglai blocks He Qianshan’s attempt to kill Shen Luo and openly challenges him. He Qianshan tries to bargain, but Fu Donglai refuses to compromise and makes clear that he will fight to protect the others.
• Fu Donglai and Shen Luo: Although Shen Luo previously refused to join Fu Donglai against He Qianshan, Fu Donglai nevertheless intervenes to save him, demonstrating that he does not base his actions solely on past cooperation or personal advantage.

Fu Donglai drove He Qianshan away and helped Shen Luo and Huang Yi recover from their injuries. After learning why Huang Yi had aided him and confirming Huang Yi would not protect Zhao Tong, Shen Luo approached Zhao Tong to settle their score.

• He Qianshan fled after Fu Donglai destroyed the black steel spikes he had sent toward Shen Luo and the others.
• Fu Donglai helped Shen Luo, who explained what had happened, and gave Huang Yi Spirit Spring Water to aid his recovery.
• After a night of healing, Shen Luo thanked Fu Donglai and learned that Lu had asked him to look out for Shen Luo.
• Huang Yi said he had helped Shen Luo because he believed the Huangting Scripture made Shen Luo a half-fellow disciple of Fangcun Mountain.
• Huang Yi declined to protect Zhao Tong, so Shen Luo pulled the spike from Zhao Tong and began questioning him while holding the Pure Yang Sword Embryo.

Chapter Summary: “A Favor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhao Tong tries to negotiate with Shen Luo for his life, offering cultivation pills and magical treasures from Shouyang Mountain.
• Shen Luo rejects these offers and demands Zhao Tong’s secret Blood-Burning Cultivation Method, which is the only thing he wants from him.
• Zhao Tong refuses, explaining that revealing the technique would make him a traitor to Shouyang Mountain and trigger a restriction that would burn him to death.
• He threatens Shen Luo with retaliation from his powerful family and sect connections, but Shen Luo mocks him, arguing that Zhao Tong is expendable despite his blood relationship to Shouyang Mountain’s Grand Elder.
• Realizing there is no way out, Zhao Tong activates the restriction within the Blood-Burning Cultivation Method by biting down on something hidden in his mouth. His body erupts into flames.
• Shen Luo attempts to kill him, but Zhao Tong survives the strike and launches a final desperate attack, forming a blazing scarlet sword against Shen Luo, Huang Yi, and Fu Donglai.
• Shen Luo protects the group with the Bloodthirst Banner and correctly predicts that Zhao Tong’s already-injured body cannot sustain the technique for long.
• Zhao Tong’s flames eventually weaken, and he dies after his body is consumed by fire and the poison in his blood burns away.
• Shen Luo receives five points for Zhao Tong’s death, including the two points Zhao Tong already possessed. Zhao Tong’s storage ring is destroyed in the flames, preventing Shen Luo from obtaining any spoils.
• The group moves away from the corpse’s unbearable stench and settles elsewhere. Huang Yi then privately tells Shen Luo that he has something to ask him.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo remains calm, calculating, and ruthless. He refuses uncertain rewards and focuses solely on obtaining the Blood-Burning Cultivation Method. His mockery of Zhao Tong’s status reveals his realistic understanding of sect politics and the expendability of individual cultivators.
• Zhao Tong shifts from confident negotiator to desperate and resigned victim. He recognizes that his sect may have sent him into danger because he was expendable, but he still refuses to betray Shouyang Mountain. His final self-immolation reflects both defiance and despair.
• Fu Donglai and Huang Yi are alert and ready to support Shen Luo when Zhao Tong transforms, though Shen Luo takes control of the situation and prevents them from acting unnecessarily.
• Huang Yi is seriously injured and begins preparing to ask Shen Luo for help, setting up the chapter’s closing development.

Significant Themes

• Expendability within powerful sects: Zhao Tong’s realization that even his prestigious lineage may not make him worth protecting exposes the ruthless priorities of cultivation sects.
• Loyalty versus survival: Zhao Tong chooses not to reveal his sect’s secret technique, even though doing so might save his life.
• Pragmatism and manipulation: Shen Luo rejects superficial promises and understands that threats and status mean little when someone is already trapped.
• Desperation and self-destruction: Zhao Tong’s Blood-Burning Cultivation Method becomes both his final weapon and the cause of his death.
• The cost of power: The technique grants Zhao Tong a brief burst of strength but destroys his body and burns away even his possessions.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Zhao Tong engage in a tense negotiation centered on Zhao Tong’s life and the Blood-Burning Cultivation Method.
• Zhao Tong attempts to intimidate Shen Luo with the influence of Shouyang Mountain, but Shen Luo counters by belittling his importance to the sect.
• When Zhao Tong launches his final attack, Shen Luo protects both Huang Yi and Fu Donglai, demonstrating his authority and tactical confidence.
• After Zhao Tong’s death, Huang Yi privately approaches Shen Luo about a favor, creating the chapter’s unresolved ending.

Summary: “A Life-and-Death Gamble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huang Yi asks Shen Luo to compete for first place in the Three Realms Martial Meet on behalf of the Human Race. Winning would increase the Human Race’s influence in the Three Realms for the next century.
• Shen Luo initially hesitates, saying he lacks both the interest and certainty of victory. Huang Yi persuades him by explaining that success would give Shen Luo political protection against retaliation from Shouyang Mountain, whose elder master may seek revenge for Zhao Tong.
• Shen Luo ultimately agrees to try, recognizing that his actions could also protect the legacy of Spring Autumn Temple.
• After recovering from his injuries, Shen Luo speaks with Fu Donglai. Fu reveals that he wants to find the Secret Realm Key and end the trial as quickly as possible—not to win, but to stop the ongoing bloodshed.
• Fu explains that battles within the secret realm are being broadcast across the Three Realms, where spectators are even gambling on the competitors’ deaths. Shen Luo is disturbed by the idea but agrees to travel with Fu since their goals align.
• Huang Yi stays behind to recover from his severed-arm injury. His meaningful glance reminds Shen Luo of his promise to fight for the Human Race.
• While traveling, Shen Luo and Fu encounter powerful demon beasts but avoid engaging them.
• Fu notices an unusual Demon Beast aura at a previous battlefield. Shen Luo recalls sensing a similarly disturbing presence underground, suggesting that dangerous and possibly abnormal creatures may be roaming the secret realm.
• Their discussion is interrupted by an explosion. They discover two Human Race cultivators—one in white and one burly—engaged in a deadly fight, with the swordsman’s blade already piercing the other’s chest.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Moves from reluctance to cautious acceptance of the responsibility of representing the Human Race. His decision is motivated less by idealism than by the need to protect himself, Spring Autumn Temple, and its legacy. He also becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the secret realm’s violence and exploitation.
• Huang Yi: Demonstrates strategic foresight and concern for both the Human Race and Shen Luo. Though injured, he continues to guide Shen Luo and uses the potential political benefits of victory to influence him.
• Fu Donglai: Reveals a strong moral aversion to the trial’s escalating brutality. His goal is not glory but ending the killing, and he becomes Shen Luo’s traveling companion. His sensitivity to the mysterious aura also establishes him as observant and cautious.
• Shen Luo and Fu Donglai: Form a temporary alliance based on shared practical goals and mutual trust.

Significant Themes

• Duty versus personal interest: Shen Luo must choose whether to accept a dangerous responsibility for the wider Human Race despite having no personal desire for victory.
• Political protection and power: Victory is valuable not only as an honor but as a shield against hidden retaliation and factional politics.
• The dehumanization of violence: The martial meet has become less a contest and more a spectacle in which lives are treated as entertainment and gambling stakes.
• Hidden dangers: The strange Demon Beast aura suggests that the secret realm contains threats beyond the known competitors and creatures.
• Moral unease amid survival: Although all participants agreed to life-and-death terms, Fu and Shen Luo begin questioning the consequences and ethics of the bloodshed.

Character Interactions

• Huang Yi pressures Shen Luo through voice transmission, framing victory as both a duty to humanity and a means of self-preservation.
• Shen Luo and Fu Donglai discuss their motivations, with Shen Luo gradually accepting Fu’s desire to end the trial.
• Huang Yi silently reinforces his request through a meaningful look before Shen Luo departs.
• Shen Luo and Fu exchange theories about the secret realm’s origins and the possible presence of unusually dangerous Demon Beasts.
• The chapter ends with the pair witnessing a violent confrontation between two Human Race cultivators, setting up their next encounter.

Chapter Summary

• Conflict at the Martial Meet: Shen Luo and Fu Donglai encounter a burly cultivator from Windfire Valley and a white-robed swordsman from the Evergreen Sect fighting to the death. Fu Donglai intervenes, separating them and preventing a mutual killing. However, both men resent the interference, explaining that their sects are sworn enemies and that they joined the Three Realms Martial Meet partly to settle their private feud and compete for inheritance and honor. Shen Luo criticizes their obsession with sectarian revenge, while recognizing that his own battles have not been entirely different.
• Discussion of peace and racial conflict: After leaving the combatants, Shen Luo and Fu Donglai debate whether the Human, Demon, and Immortal Races can coexist peacefully. Fu Donglai believes the Human Race, with its advanced civilization and ability to mediate between the other races, may offer the best hope for peace. Shen Luo is more skeptical, pointing out that humans themselves are divided and that some even support Demon God Chi You’s resurrection. Fu Donglai remains cautiously optimistic, arguing that internal conflict exists everywhere and that the world can still move in the right direction.
• Fu Donglai’s view of the Demon Clan: Shen Luo praises the Demon Clan for helping prevent Chi You’s revival. Fu Donglai explains that the Demon Clan has mixed feelings about Chi You: he is both their ancient ancestor and the source of immense war and suffering. Although some demons wish to restore their former glory under his leadership, many simply want to protect their families and avoid another catastrophe. Fu Donglai argues that preventing a great war is more important than reviving an old age of glory.
• Discovery of a mysterious treasure: The pair arrive at a valley filled with thunderous impacts and find the Azure Forest Sect’s master defending a crystalline, leafless tree bearing eight red fruits. The old man uses an array disk and bronze mirror to maintain a protective barrier around it. Three enormous Scale Oxen demon beasts attack the barrier, while a nearly hundred-zhang-long Rhino Python strikes from outside. Fu Donglai identifies the oxen as Late Out-of-Body Stage creatures and the python as at least an Early Mahayana Stage beast, noting that they have not yet used their full strength.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Luo becomes increasingly reflective about the contradictions within humanity and the wider Three Realms, questioning whether peace is truly possible.
• Fu Donglai demonstrates compassion by stopping the duel and continues to express a pragmatic but hopeful belief in coexistence. His complex feelings about the Demon Clan and Chi You reveal his rejection of blind racial loyalty.
• The two rival cultivators embody the destructive power of inherited sect hatred, valuing revenge and honor over survival.
• Shen Luo and Fu Donglai maintain a close, trusting partnership, with Shen Luo guiding them away from the duel and relying on Fu Donglai’s knowledge when they encounter the valley.
• Major themes: The chapter explores the destructive nature of sectarian and racial conflict, the tension between inherited glory and the desire for peace, and the difficulty of achieving harmony even among people who share the same race. It also introduces a new mystery: the identity and importance of the fruit-bearing tree, which appears valuable enough to attract several powerful demon beasts.