Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Destruction Wisdom King

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo uses the Buzhou Suppression Divine Art to resist the golden sphere’s devouring force. His Divine Soul manifests as a Buzhou Giant Peak, successfully suppressing the sphere.
• A mysterious voice praises Shen Luo, though its source remains unknown.
• The golden chair and sphere activate, transmitting powerful Restrictions into Shen Luo and allowing him to establish control over the enormous golden Puppet Armor.
• Shen Luo learns that the Puppet Armor is the Destruction Wisdom King, a supreme construct with strength at the Half-Step Heavenly Venerable realm. Although Shen Luo’s cultivation limits its full power, he believes it can contend with Che Qingtian.
• Fire Spirit Child warns that Che Qingtian is approaching. Shen Luo calmly summons him and the Divine Rat into the Puppet Armor.
• The Destruction Wisdom King seals its chest entrance and shrinks from a mountain-sized form to several dozen feet tall without losing its terrifying aura. Its ability to alter its size demonstrates its near-living, Heavenly Venerable-level nature.
• Using the Puppet Armor’s vision, Shen Luo observes Che Qingtian arrive outside Heavenly Craft Hall.
• Che Qingtian prepares a powerful four-sword formation using white, green, purple, and yellow swords—an ability considerably stronger than the sword formation he previously used against Shen Luo.
• The damaged gate Restriction, only partially repaired by Fire Spirit Child, fails to withstand Che Qingtian’s Winter Snow Slash. The protective barrier shatters, and the gates crack.
• Shen Luo launches a surprise counterattack with the Destruction Wisdom King’s crimson giant axe. The axe destroys Che Qingtian’s sword energies and forces him to defend himself.
• Che Qingtian creates a massive curtain of sword energy with his white sword. The axe cleaves more than halfway through it, but the sword ultimately blocks the attack, leaving both sides locked in a violent clash that devastates the surrounding passageway.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Gains control of a weapon vastly beyond his own cultivation level. His fear and uncertainty about Che Qingtian are replaced by confidence, and he shifts from fleeing to directly confronting his enemy.
• Fire Spirit Child: Successfully repairs the entrance Restriction enough to delay Che Qingtian, though the repair is incomplete. He recognizes the danger and retreats into the Free-and-Easy Mirror before the battle begins.
• Divine Rat: Safely returns to Shen Luo after helping damage the Heavenly Craft Hall’s Restriction.
• Che Qingtian: Reveals greater combat capability than previously known, possessing multiple sword formations and preparing an attack several times stronger than his earlier techniques. Despite his surprise at Shen Luo’s new weapon, he reacts quickly and withstands the counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Power versus control: The Destruction Wisdom King possesses extraordinary strength, but Shen Luo’s limited Divine Sense prevents him from using it fully. His victory depends on how effectively he can control power beyond his own realm.
• Hidden treasures and sudden reversals: Shen Luo’s discovery of the Puppet Armor completely changes the balance of power after he had been forced to flee Che Qingtian.
• Preparation versus improvisation: Che Qingtian arrives with a carefully prepared sword formation, while Shen Luo relies on the newly acquired Puppet Armor and a sudden ambush.
• The boundary between artifact and life: The Destruction Wisdom King’s ability to change size and function almost like a living being emphasizes the advanced nature of Heavenly Venerable-level Puppet Armors.

Character Interactions

• The mysterious voice briefly addresses Shen Luo, hinting that another powerful presence may be connected to the Puppet Armor.
• Fire Spirit Child warns Shen Luo of Che Qingtian’s approach and then joins him inside the Puppet Armor.
• The Divine Rat reunites with Shen Luo after emerging from the Puppet Armor’s hidden entrance.
• Shen Luo and Che Qingtian finally resume their conflict, with Shen Luo attacking from concealment and Che Qingtian defending against the Destruction Wisdom King’s overwhelming axe strike.

Chapter Summary: “Breaking the Rules”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Che Qingtian attacks Shen Luo’s Destruction Wisdom King Puppet Armor with his four great swords, initially believing Shen Luo cannot control the puppet’s true power.
• Shen Luo channels his Divine Sense into the Blazing Sun Battle Axe, unleashing immense solar fire that damages Che Qingtian’s white great sword.
• He follows with the Thunder God Hammer, whose lightning destroys the sword and disrupts the other three swords. The combined attack forces Che Qingtian to use a rare Tribulation-Substitution Puppet to escape death.
• With one sword destroyed, Che Qingtian can no longer form his Four Seasons Sword Formation and is greatly weakened. Shen Luo presses the attack, driving him through the maze and causing severe structural damage.
• The Heavenly Puppet Palace detects their destruction of the maze and announces that they have violated the trial rules. Both are expelled from the palace by beams of white light.
• Shen Luo awakens above a vast sea, separated from the Destruction Wisdom King and exhausted from controlling it. He sees the Heavenly Puppet Palace floating in the distance but cannot return.
• Che Qingtian also emerges and immediately pursues Shen Luo, furious that their battle ended his progress in the palace.
• Shen Luo flees using seven flying swords arranged into a high-speed sword rainbow. Che Qingtian counters by activating an azure armor with green wings, significantly increasing his speed and beginning to close the gap.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates that he can partially control and exploit the immense power of the Destruction Wisdom King. He fights aggressively and strategically, combining the Blazing Sun Battle Axe with the Thunder God Hammer to overcome Che Qingtian’s sword formation. After expulsion, he recognizes his disadvantage and wisely chooses to flee rather than fight without the puppet.
• Che Qingtian: His confidence turns to alarm and rage as Shen Luo destroys one of his swords and forces him to expend a valuable life-saving puppet. His combat strength drops sharply, but he remains dangerous and determined, relying on his remaining swords and a winged armor to pursue Shen Luo.
• Destruction Wisdom King: Revealed as an overwhelmingly powerful puppet capable of wielding devastating fire, lightning, and eye-generated attacks. Its destructive strength is so great that it damages the Heavenly Puppet Palace’s maze, triggering the trial’s expulsion mechanism.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Shen Luo’s ability to control the Puppet Armor allows him to challenge a stronger opponent, though the armor’s immense power comes with strict time and Divine Sense limitations.
• Victory at a cost: Shen Luo gains the upper hand, but the battle destroys part of the maze and causes both fighters to lose access to the palace and its treasures.
• Rules and consequences: The Heavenly Puppet Palace enforces its restrictions without regard for the combatants’ intentions, demonstrating that breaking the trial’s rules results in immediate punishment.
• Resource depletion and survival: Both fighters expend precious resources—Che Qingtian loses a sword and a Tribulation-Substitution Puppet, while Shen Luo loses access to his strongest weapon and becomes too exhausted to continue fighting.
• Rivalry and resentment: Their conflict becomes more personal as Che Qingtian blames Shen Luo for ruining his opportunity inside the palace and pursues him with renewed fury.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Che Qingtian engage in a direct battle of overwhelming weapons: Shen Luo’s fire-and-lightning puppet against Che Qingtian’s seasonal sword techniques.
• Shen Luo’s attacks destroy Che Qingtian’s formation and force him to use a substitute puppet, shifting the balance of power.
• The palace’s rules interrupt their confrontation and expel both fighters, but this does not resolve their hostility.
• Outside the palace, Che Qingtian immediately resumes the conflict by chasing Shen Luo, while Shen Luo relies on speed and evasion to survive.

After escaping Che Qingtian, Shen Luo explored an isolated sea realm and found no way out. Fire Spirit Child suggested it might be the Firmament Secret Realm and revealed that a greater Heaven and Earth Calamity had struck the Three Realms four times, leaving Shen Luo eager to learn more.

• Shen Luo used his Pure Yang Swords to outrun Che Qingtian, then hid on a small island and slept for three days while Zhao Feiji guarded him.
• Shen Luo examined the sea beasts around the island and found that the waters were rich in spiritual energy but strangely devoid of demonic beasts and varied life.
• Shen Luo searched the surrounding islands and sea for several days, found no exit, and decided he would need to grow stronger before risking a return to the Heavenly Puppet Palace.
• Fire Spirit Child suggested the realm might be the Firmament Secret Realm, citing its location and its resemblance to an ancient Immortal Tomb Land.
• Fire Spirit Child explained that immortals could die in a Heaven and Earth Calamity and said four such calamities had devastated the Three Realms; Shen Luo asked what they were.

Chapter Summary: “Seeking a Place for Bitter Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fire Spirit Child explains the major calamities that shaped the Three Realms, including Chaos Shatter, Heavenly Pillar’s Fall, Chi You’s Fall, and the Deity Sealing. He warns that the current unrest among immortals, demons, the Demon Race, and ghosts resembles the period before the Investiture of the Gods War, suggesting a calamity greater than the recent Demonic Calamity may be approaching.
• Rather than investigate the Firmament Secret Realm or its ancient tombs, Shen Luo decides to withdraw and focus on “bitter cultivation” so he can strengthen himself before future conflicts.
• Fire Spirit Child proposes using a combination of the Soul-Refining Formation and other examination formations to investigate Nie Caizhu’s body and determine the cause of her cultivation problems.
• Shen Luo creates a secluded cave dwelling on a fog-covered island, installs multiple defensive formations, and orders Zhao Feiji to guard the area.
• Nie Caizhu willingly agrees to undergo Fire Spirit Child’s dangerous examination, believing in his abilities and wanting to become strong enough to support Shen Luo.
• While Fire Spirit Child prepares the examination inside the Free-and-Easy Mirror, Shen Luo inspects the treasures and Puppet Armors obtained from the Heavenly Craft Hall.
• He examines an enhanced Divine Artisan Cannon, a powerful Dark Night Yan Spear, a flying Puppet Chariot, and other high-grade weapons before turning his attention to the Purple Extremity Ice Pearl.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Becomes more cautious and determined. The warning of an approaching catastrophe convinces him that immediate cultivation is more important than exploration. He also shows deep concern for Nie Caizhu’s safety and carefully evaluates the weapons that may help him survive future battles.
• Fire Spirit Child: Demonstrates greater initiative and responsibility by offering to diagnose Nie Caizhu, despite the danger of using the incompletely mastered Soul-Refining Formation. His knowledge of formations and ancient techniques becomes increasingly valuable.
• Nie Caizhu: Displays confidence, courage, and determination. She accepts the dangerous examination without hesitation because she trusts Fire Spirit Child and refuses to remain a burden to Shen Luo.
• Zhao Feiji: Is entrusted with guarding the secluded cultivation site, reflecting Shen Luo’s reliance on him for security.

Significant Themes

• Approaching catastrophe: The chapter places current conflicts within the repeated cycle of world-shaking calamities, suggesting that the Three Realms may be nearing another great upheaval.
• Preparation over immediate action: Shen Luo recognizes that survival will depend on accumulating strength rather than chasing every opportunity for exploration.
• Trust and sacrifice: Nie Caizhu accepts personal danger for the sake of improving her cultivation, while Shen Luo must trust Fire Spirit Child despite his concerns.
• Power and limitation: The newly acquired weapons are extremely powerful but costly or limited in use, emphasizing that strength often comes with serious constraints.
• Seclusion and inner cultivation: The isolated island, defensive formations, and Undying Wood meditation cushion symbolize Shen Luo’s attempt to create stability amid external turmoil.

Character Interactions

• Fire Spirit Child warns Shen Luo about the possible coming calamity and encourages him to cultivate.
• Shen Luo questions Fire Spirit Child closely about the risks of examining Nie Caizhu, showing his protectiveness toward her.
• Nie Caizhu reassures Shen Luo that she trusts Fire Spirit Child and wants to improve so she can help him.
• Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child cooperate: Fire Spirit Child handles Nie Caizhu’s examination, while Shen Luo prepares the cave and studies his new weapons.
• The chapter ends with Shen Luo considering the Purple Extremity Ice Pearl, whose immense power could greatly enhance his Indigo Sea divine ability but remains too unstable to refine casually.

Chapter Summary: “An Unusual Bloodline”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo isolates himself within the Two-Extremes Dust Formation and reinforces his defenses with the Pure Yang Golden Light Sword Formation.
• He carefully cracks open the Purple Extremity Ice Pearl, separating the Purple Extremity Ice Flame from its container without losing control of the dangerous cold energy.
• Using his Indigo Sea divine ability, Shen Luo refines the expelled ice flame and absorbs its Purple Extreme Cold Aura. He then repeatedly breaks open the pearl to continue extracting and refining its power.
• Shen Luo consumes Fire Lotus Pills while cultivating, combining their medicinal power with the Undying Wood Meditation Cushion, Spirit-Attaching Jade Belt, and his cultivation experience from dream realms.
• Over three years, he advances from the early True Immortal Stage to the peak of the True Immortal Mid Stage. However, repeated attempts to reach the Late True Immortal Stage fail.
• Fire Spirit Child advises him to leave seclusion and seek a breakthrough through exploration and opportunity rather than continued meditation.
• Shen Luo agrees, recognizing that he still lacks the strength to confront Che Qingtian and deciding to explore the secret realm, which may be the Immortal Tomb Land.
• The chapter reveals that Nie Caizhu possesses a dormant ancient Witch Race bloodline. This bloodline, despite both her parents being human, has emerged after many generations and now conflicts with her human Magic Power.
• Caizhu’s cultivation has stalled because her Witch Power began manifesting after she passed the Thunder Tribulation. She is currently using the Soul-Refining Formation to awaken and control the bloodline, though the formation contains too little Witch Power to guarantee success.
• Shen Luo plans to search for ancient Witch Race artifacts to help her, particularly powerful treasures such as Li Jing’s Six-Chen Whip and possibly Yang Jian’s Three-Point Double-Edged Blade.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates greater mastery and confidence in handling dangerous energies. He successfully refines the Purple Extremity Ice Flame and significantly strengthens his Indigo Sea ability.
• His cultivation rises rapidly, but his failure to break through to the Late True Immortal Stage shows that advancement at higher realms is increasingly difficult.
• Rather than becoming frustrated, Shen Luo accepts the setback calmly and adopts a more practical plan: leaving seclusion to seek opportunities.
• His concern for Nie Caizhu reveals his protective nature and willingness to pursue dangerous or politically difficult resources on her behalf.
• Fire Spirit Child continues to serve as Shen Luo’s adviser and researcher. He identifies the cause of Caizhu’s stalled cultivation and encourages Shen Luo to change strategies. His impatience with prolonged seclusion also adds urgency to their decision to depart.
• Nie Caizhu is shown to be strong-willed and determined. Despite the uncertainty surrounding her bloodline, she insists on attempting to awaken it herself before accepting outside intervention.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and bottlenecks: Powerful resources can accelerate progress, but breakthroughs at higher levels require more than accumulated energy; opportunity, insight, or experience may be necessary.
• Control of opposing forces: Shen Luo’s refinement of the Purple Extremity Ice Flame reflects the broader challenge of balancing destructive energies rather than simply overpowering them.
• Hidden heritage and identity: Caizhu’s dormant Witch bloodline introduces the idea that ancestry can shape destiny even when it is concealed for generations.
• Conflict between bloodlines: The incompatibility between Caizhu’s Witch Power and human Magic Power explains her stalled cultivation and creates a major future obstacle.
• Persistence and self-determination: Both Shen Luo and Caizhu respond to setbacks through continued effort—Shen Luo by seeking new opportunities and Caizhu by attempting to confront her inherited power directly.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child discuss Shen Luo’s failed breakthrough, with Fire Spirit Child urging him to travel and seek a fortuitous opportunity.
• Their conversation shifts to Nie Caizhu’s condition, allowing Fire Spirit Child to explain the discovery of her Witch bloodline and the limits of the Soul-Refining Formation.
• Shen Luo expresses confidence in Caizhu’s determination and promises to seek Witch Race artifacts for her treatment.
• Fire Spirit Child is surprised that Shen Luo knows of such artifacts, while Shen Luo conceals the full significance of the powerful treasures he has in mind.

Shen Luo tracked his captured Azure Sea Ray and discovered that Myriad Waters True Immortal, Yan Lie, Taoxiang, and their companions had all made remarkable cultivation advances and acquired powerful treasures. He followed the two groups to a vast black fog barrier, suspecting it concealed an Immortal Tomb.

• Shen Luo sensed the Azure Sea Ray and followed it, learning through their spirit-linking mark that it was in pain and had been captured.
• Shen Luo found Myriad Waters True Immortal and Yan Lie riding the greatly strengthened Azure Sea Ray, and saw that both men had advanced in cultivation.
• Taoxiang and her four companions caught up, and Shen Luo observed that all five had also made major breakthroughs and carried powerful treasures.
• Shen Luo followed both groups for half a month as they traveled toward a destination without trying to evade one another.
• The groups reached a vast region of dense black fog that pulsed with magic power, which Shen Luo recognized as a powerful restriction.

Shen Luo watched Taoxiang use the Guxuan Star Disk to break the Black Mist Formation and learned about its powerful restriction-breaking ability. As the black mist neared collapse, he sent the Divine Rat away with the Free-and-Easy Mirror and disappeared himself.

• Yan Lie tested the Black Mist Formation with a streak of fire, but the mist devoured the attack.
• Taoxiang brought out the Guxuan Star Disk, and Fire Spirit Child explained its formations and its creator, Gu Xuanzi.
• Taoxiang sensed Shen Luo watching her, but he withdrew and concealed his aura.
• Taoxiang activated the disk's restriction-breaking power, making the black mist surge and bulge as though it were about to burst.
• Shen Luo gave the Free-and-Easy Mirror to the Divine Rat, which swallowed it and vanished into the void, before Shen Luo disappeared as well.

Shen Luo secretly entered the island behind the Black Mist Restriction and pursued Ghost Vine Venerable, intending to capture him and learn what happened to Xie Yuxin. He concealed the barren mountain with a formation and crept toward Ghost Vine Venerable’s cave, where the man was refining a powerful corpse.

• Taoxiang and the others opened the Black Mist Restriction, entered the island, and scattered to explore separately.
• Shen Luo emerged from the Free-and-Easy Mirror after the Divine Rat carried him through the restriction, then decided to pursue Ghost Vine Venerable.
• Fire Spirit Child concealed Ghost Vine Venerable’s barren mountain with the Soul-Refining Formation and told Shen Luo that Nie Caizhu’s bloodline breakthrough had failed.
• Shen Luo crept into the mountain and saw Ghost Vine Venerable with a decayed corpse in a black jade coffin, which he planned to refine.

Chapter Summary: “Sneak Attack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ghost Vine Venerable begins refining a powerful desiccated corpse into a refined corpse avatar. Using black qi and Corpse Worms, he rapidly infuses energy throughout the body, hoping to create a combatant with True Immortal Peak-level strength.
• He plans to use the corpse to overcome Taoxiang, Yan Lie, and the other cultivators who have underestimated him, eventually defeating them and taking their gains.
• Shen Luo arrives outside Ghost Vine Venerable’s cave and observes the refinement through his Netherworld Ghost Eye. He recognizes the corpse’s terrifying aura and decides to attack before the process is completed.
• Shen Luo also discovers the newly acquired Myriad Ghost Banner, a powerful yin-based treasure containing two True Immortal-level yin souls and numerous Great Vehicle-level souls.
• To prevent escape and prepare for the battle, Shen Luo deploys ten Pure Yang Swords, forming the Pure Yang Golden Light Sword Formation around the cave.
• Shen Luo launches a surprise attack while disguised in golden lightning. His crimson flying sword nearly kills Ghost Vine Venerable, but the latter escapes by transforming into a wooden substitute and relocating through underground vines.
• Ghost Vine Venerable activates the Myriad Ghost Banner, filling the cave with dense gray mist and unleashing filthy yin qi. The yin qi weakens and restrains Shen Luo’s flying sword, while the Bloodthorn Vine repeatedly blocks it.
• The flying sword becomes trapped in a black cocoon of yin qi, making Ghost Vine Venerable believe he has gained the upper hand.
• Ghost Vine Venerable then uses the banner to draw the black jade coffin into the mist and attacks Shen Luo with a concentrated, poisonous beam of gray-black qi.
• Shen Luo counters with powerful golden lightning, dispersing the attack and scattering much of the surrounding yin qi.
• From behind the lightning-clad figure, Shen Luo observes the battle and recognizes the Myriad Ghost Banner as an exceptionally valuable treasure, considering giving it to his Ghost General.

Character Developments

• Ghost Vine Venerable: His ambition and resentment become clear. Feeling ignored by Taoxiang and Yan Lie’s groups, he intends to prove his strength through the refined corpse. He demonstrates considerable preparation and resourcefulness, using Corpse Worms, escape techniques, the Bloodthorn Vine, and the Myriad Ghost Banner. However, his confidence turns into premature complacency when he assumes Shen Luo’s weapon has been neutralized.
• Shen Luo: He acts decisively and strategically, choosing to interrupt the corpse refinement before it can be completed. He carefully evaluates Ghost Vine Venerable’s new treasure, prepares the battlefield with the Pure Yang Golden Light Sword Formation, and uses golden lightning and True Solar Fire to counter yin-based techniques. His interest in the Myriad Ghost Banner also shows his ability to assess potential gains during combat.
• The refined corpse: Though not yet completed, it is already powerful enough to draw Shen Luo’s concern. Its eventual strength remains a major threat and motivates the attack.

Significant Themes

• Preemptive action and strategy: Shen Luo attacks before Ghost Vine Venerable can complete the refined corpse, emphasizing the importance of timing in high-level cultivation battles.
• Hidden strength and underestimation: Ghost Vine Venerable’s resentment stems from being dismissed by others, while Shen Luo conceals his identity and true capabilities behind lightning and disguise.
• Treasure and power accumulation: The chapter highlights the value of powerful artifacts, including the Myriad Ghost Banner, Pure Yang Sword Formation, and Bloodthorn Vine.
• Counterbalancing forces: Yang-aligned powers such as golden lightning and True Solar Fire oppose Ghost Vine Venerable’s corpse, ghost, and yin techniques, though the chapter shows that such counters are not always sufficient against powerful treasures.
• Confidence versus caution: Ghost Vine Venerable’s initial panic gives way to overconfidence after trapping the flying sword, suggesting that the battle may not be as decisively in his favor as he believes.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Ghost Vine Venerable engage in a direct but deceptive confrontation. Shen Luo attacks without revealing his identity, while Ghost Vine Venerable tries to identify and intimidate the mysterious assailant.
• Ghost Vine Venerable’s Bloodthorn Vine repeatedly clashes with Shen Luo’s crimson flying sword, serving as both a defensive weapon and a means of delaying the attack.
• The Myriad Ghost Banner becomes the central tool in Ghost Vine Venerable’s counterattack, using its yin souls and filthy qi to suppress Shen Luo’s weapon and threaten his body.
• Shen Luo’s golden lightning directly counters Ghost Vine Venerable’s poisonous gray-black beam, preventing the attack from overwhelming him and preserving the conflict for the next stage.

Chapter Summary: Myriad Ghost Devouring the Heart

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ghost Vine Venerable repeatedly attacks Shen Luo with gray-black baleful rays from the Myriad Ghost Banner, but Zhao Feiji emerges from the Cosmic Bag and absorbs them using the Evil-Suppressing Divine Light.
• Shen Luo releases a powerful Pure Yang Sword with sixty-four layers of Restriction, breaking through Ghost Vine Venerable’s black qi cocoon and severely damaging his blood-colored thorny vine.
• The two Pure Yang Swords combine into the Twin Swords United divine ability and strike at Ghost Vine Venerable. He blocks them with the Myriad Ghost Banner.
• The banner reveals a ghost-face pattern that creates a powerful black vortex, attempting to suck in and devour the swords. Shen Luo counters by summoning a golden sword array from above, destroying the vortex and blasting Ghost Vine Venerable backward.
• Ghost Vine Venerable summons more than a dozen Great Vehicle Stage Refined Corpses. Some restrain the two Pure Yang Swords while others guard against Shen Luo and Zhao Feiji.
• Zhao Feiji plays the Dragon-Burying Flute, causing Ghost Vine Venerable to recognize Shen Luo. In response, Ghost Vine Venerable sacrifices blood essence to unleash the Myriad Ghost Banner’s full power.
• The banner floods the cavern with dense yin energy and summons countless powerful ghostly creatures, initiating the technique known as Myriad Ghost Devouring the Heart.
• Shen Luo’s golden lightning and Zhao Feiji’s Evil-Suppressing Divine Light rapidly destroy the ghosts. However, Shen Luo discovers through his Netherworld Ghost Eye that the creatures are not truly killed; they reform inside the banner’s vast inner space.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates increasing mastery of his Pure Yang Swords, sword array, golden lightning, and Netherworld Ghost Eye. He remains calm and confident despite the banner’s overwhelming power.
• Zhao Feiji actively joins the battle rather than remaining within the Cosmic Bag. His ability to absorb yin energy and use the Evil-Suppressing Divine Light makes him a natural counter to Ghost Vine Venerable’s ghostly techniques.
• Ghost Vine Venerable shifts from confidence to alarm as Shen Luo repeatedly counters his attacks, but regains his arrogance after fully activating the Myriad Ghost Banner. He reveals the banner’s true strength and recognizes Shen Luo’s identity.
• The Myriad Ghost Banner is established as an extremely powerful artifact containing an enormous realm filled with countless ghostly creatures.

Significant Themes

• Countering power with compatibility: Shen Luo and Zhao Feiji succeed because their lightning and Evil-Suppressing Divine Light specifically restrain yin and ghostly entities.
• Hidden depth of magical artifacts: The Myriad Ghost Banner proves far more dangerous than its initial attacks suggested, possessing defensive, devouring, summoning, and regenerative abilities.
• Temporary victory versus true destruction: Although Shen Luo and Zhao Feiji annihilate the summoned ghosts, the creatures reform within the banner, emphasizing that apparent destruction does not necessarily eliminate the underlying threat.
• Escalation and adaptability: Both sides continually unveil stronger techniques, forcing the battle to progress from individual attacks to sword arrays, corpse soldiers, and mass ghost summoning.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Feiji requests permission to fight and eagerly absorbs the banner’s baleful rays; Shen Luo allows him to act but warns him not to consume too much of the banner’s power.
• Shen Luo and Zhao Feiji fight in coordination, combining sword techniques, golden lightning, flute music, and Evil-Suppressing Divine Light.
• Ghost Vine Venerable attempts to overwhelm them with successive layers of defense and offense, while his recognition of Shen Luo intensifies the personal dimension of the confrontation.
• Zhao Feiji openly mocks Ghost Vine Venerable after the first wave of ghosts is destroyed, but Shen Luo remains focused on investigating the banner’s true mechanism rather than celebrating the apparent victory.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo realizes that the ghosts summoned by the Myriad Ghost Banner are not permanently destroyed by ordinary attacks. Their yin energy can return to the banner and regenerate them, allowing the Ghost Vine Venerable to exhaust opponents through endless waves.
• Zhao Feiji’s Evil-Suppressing Divine Light is shown to be especially effective because it completely refines the ghosts, preventing their return.
• Ghost Vine Venerable summons hundreds more ghosts, but Shen Luo unleashes his strengthened Golden Lightning and destroys them instantly.
• Shen Luo then appears directly beside Ghost Vine Venerable and uses the fifth-level Indigo Sea ability to freeze the Myriad Ghost Banner and every ghost within it, including two True Immortal-stage souls.
• When Ghost Vine Venerable attempts to resist, Shen Luo uses a silver bell to immobilize him before freezing him inside a massive block of ice.
• After the battle, Shen Luo dismisses the Golden Light Sword Formation and reunites with Fire Spirit Child.
• Shen Luo intends to extract information from Ghost Vine Venerable, but Fire Spirit Child admits he cannot perform soul-searching on a mid-stage True Immortal cultivator.
• Shen Luo instead interrogates Ghost Vine Venerable, asking about Xie Yuxin and the origins of the Ghost Puppet Technique.
• Ghost Vine Venerable reveals that Xie Yuxin came from the Eastern Land of Great Tang seeking a Puppetcraft method capable of granting mortals immortality. He claims he dealt with her briefly but does not know what happened afterward.
• Shen Luo exposes Ghost Vine Venerable’s connection with Ghost Yan, his cultivation of the Heavenly Corpse True Scripture, and their possible cooperation in using the Ghost Puppet Technique.
• Threatening soul refinement with Red Lotus Karmic Fire, Shen Luo demands that Ghost Vine Venerable reveal everything he knows in exchange for a chance at reincarnation.

2. Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates overwhelming control over the battlefield. His mastery of Golden Lightning and the fifth-level Indigo Sea ability allows him to defeat both the ghost army and Ghost Vine Venerable with ease.
• He also shows greater strategic sophistication, choosing to preserve Ghost Vine Venerable rather than kill him immediately so he can obtain information about Xie Yuxin and Ghost Yan.
• Shen Luo’s concern for Xie Yuxin becomes clear; his attack is motivated not by a personal feud with Ghost Vine Venerable but by his association with her disappearance and death.
• Zhao Feiji recognizes the strength of Shen Luo’s abilities but jokingly complains that Shen Luo prolonged the battle unnecessarily.
• Fire Spirit Child serves as a practical adviser, admitting the limits of his soul-related abilities while supporting Shen Luo’s interrogation.
• Ghost Vine Venerable, initially confident in the power of his supposedly extraordinary banner, becomes shocked, frightened, and desperate once Shen Luo freezes both the treasure and its master.

3. Significant Themes

• The difference between temporary victory and true destruction: Ordinary lightning can disperse the ghosts, but only Zhao Feiji’s divine light completely eliminates them.
• Power and control: Shen Luo’s improved abilities allow him not merely to defeat enemies but to neutralize their strongest weapons and preserve them for questioning.
• Hidden alliances and exposure: Ghost Vine Venerable’s carefully concealed relationship with Ghost Yan is revealed, showing how buried secrets can become vulnerabilities.
• Loyalty and revenge: Shen Luo’s actions are driven by loyalty to Xie Yuxin and a desire to uncover the truth behind her fate.
• Life, death, and immortality: Xie Yuxin’s search for Puppetcraft capable of granting immortality connects the chapter to broader questions about the cost and corruption involved in overcoming death.

4. Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Zhao Feiji fight together, with Zhao Feiji’s Evil-Suppressing Divine Light complementing Shen Luo’s lightning attacks.
• Zhao Feiji lightly criticizes Shen Luo after the battle, while Shen Luo responds by dismissing the sword formation without concern.
• Shen Luo asks Fire Spirit Child for help with soul-searching; Fire Spirit Child explains that Ghost Vine Venerable’s cultivation is too high for him to control directly.
• Shen Luo confronts Ghost Vine Venerable about Xie Yuxin, then deliberately reveals his knowledge of Ghost Yan and the Heavenly Corpse True Scripture to psychologically pressure him.
• The chapter ends with Shen Luo threatening Ghost Vine Venerable with Red Lotus Karmic Fire, forcing him to choose between confession and soul destruction.

Chapter Summary: “Inhuman Atrocity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo interrogates Ghost Vine Venerable about Xie Yuxin, Ghost Yan, and the Firmament Secret Realm.
• When Ghost Vine Venerable initially refuses to speak, Zhao Feiji threatens him with a terrifying soul-refining technique. The pain forces Ghost Vine Venerable to surrender his information.
• Ghost Vine Venerable reveals that he and Ghost Yan once discovered a corpse-refining expert’s cave dwelling in the Boundless Sea of Sand and obtained the Heavenly Corpse True Scripture.
• Though Ghost Yan initially intended to kill him, his serious injuries and Ghost Vine Venerable’s God-Slaying Pearl led him to spare him and make him a subordinate.
• Ghost Yan ordered Ghost Vine Venerable to gather spiritual materials and capture nine women born with Yin Veins.

Xie Yuxin was one of these women.

• The women were apparently being prepared as materials for refining the Earthly Fiend Corpse King.
• Because Xie Yuxin was only at the Late Out-of-Body Stage when captured, Ghost Yan used a brutal cultivation-boosting method derived from the Medicine King Sect’s techniques. The women were placed in medicinal furnaces and forced to absorb enormous amounts of medicinal power.
• This process could rapidly elevate cultivators to the Great Vehicle Stage, but caused extreme physical and psychological suffering and left the victims conscious.
• Shen Luo realizes that Xie Yuxin likely endured this torture while fully aware, causing his anger to intensify.
• Ghost Vine Venerable denies participating directly in the torture, claiming he only gathered materials and witnessed the process. Zhao Feiji confirms that he appears to be telling the truth.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Becomes increasingly furious as he learns of Xie Yuxin’s suffering. His normally controlled demeanor gives way to murderous anger, shown when he crushes a block of blue ice with his bare hand. He remains focused on extracting the truth rather than acting recklessly.
• Zhao Feiji: Reveals a sadistic and bloodthirsty side through his enthusiasm for soul refining. Although he usually suppresses his Ghost Clan instincts to avoid displeasing Shen Luo, he eagerly embraces the opportunity to torture Ghost Vine Venerable. He also claims to possess a secret technique for detecting lies.
• Ghost Vine Venerable: Breaks under the threat of soul refinement and confesses his history with Ghost Yan. He is portrayed as cowardly and self-preserving, though not necessarily a direct participant in the atrocities against the nine women.
• Ghost Yan: Although absent, he emerges as a ruthless manipulator who uses subordinates, kidnaps Yin Vein women, and employs cruel methods to create powerful corpse-related weapons or beings.
• Xie Yuxin: Her past is revealed as one of captivity and horrific forced cultivation. Her suffering becomes a major emotional catalyst for Shen Luo.

Significant Themes

• Inhuman cruelty in pursuit of power: Ghost Yan treats living cultivators as experimental materials for refining the Earthly Fiend Corpse King.
• Moral outrage and vengeance: Shen Luo’s anger reflects the chapter’s condemnation of exploiting conscious, helpless victims.
• Fear as a tool of interrogation: Zhao Feiji’s soul-refining threat demonstrates how terror can force hidden truths into the open.
• The cost of accelerated cultivation: The Medicine Person technique offers rapid advancement but requires unbearable suffering and strips cultivation of any humane meaning.
• Complicity and survival: Ghost Vine Venerable’s role raises questions about the difference between direct participation and obedience under coercion.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo dominates the interrogation, using threats and sharp questioning to expose contradictions in Ghost Vine Venerable’s testimony.
• Zhao Feiji supports Shen Luo by torturing Ghost Vine Venerable and offering to verify his honesty.
• Ghost Vine Venerable alternates between fear, confession, and self-defense, attempting to distance himself from Ghost Yan’s crimes.
• Fire Spirit Child provides crucial background on the Medicine King Sect’s cultivation methods, helping Shen Luo understand the extent of Xie Yuxin’s torment.

Chapter Summary: Cave Heaven Sun and Moon

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo questions Ghost Vine Venerable about Xie Yuxin and learns that Ghost Yan was killed by Mo Xin with a single strike. Ghost Vine claims he never saw Xie Yuxin again after gathering materials for Ghost Yan.
• Shen Luo asks about Zhou Tie, a seemingly immortal mortal who had accompanied Ghost Vine Venerable. Ghost Vine explains that Zhou Tie does not age and is unaffected by yin energy, which led him to keep Zhou Tie for observation.
• Shen Luo retrieves Ghost Vine’s Corpse-Nurturing Bag and confirms that Zhou Tie is alive and unharmed inside it, though he postpones releasing him while continuing his interrogation.
• Ghost Vine recounts his and the others’ experiences in the Firmament Secret Realm, including the treasures they acquired and their years of cultivation.
• Shen Luo discovers that more than ten years have passed inside the secret realm, despite far less time passing outside. Fire Spirit Child explains that the realm has evolved into an independent “Cave Heaven Sun and Moon”—a self-contained world with its own sun, moon, stars, and flow of time.
• Ghost Vine attributes his dramatic cultivation progress to the realm’s abundant spiritual energy, long cultivation period, and powerful treasures.
• True to his promise, Shen Luo kills Ghost Vine with a sword qi strike but allows his soul the chance to enter reincarnation rather than having it destroyed.
• Zhao Feiji questions Shen Luo’s decision to honor his word, wishing instead to consume Ghost Vine’s soul to increase his own cultivation. Shen Luo promises to arrange other cultivation opportunities for him.
• After Ghost Vine’s death, his head begins transforming into green wood, with his hair becoming branches. The change suggests that his true nature may be connected to a tree or plant-like entity.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo remains deeply angered by Ghost Yan’s role in Xie Yuxin’s suffering, but he demonstrates restraint and carefully investigates the truth before acting. His decision to honor Ghost Vine’s final request shows his strong sense of principle.
• Ghost Vine Venerable becomes submissive and fearful, revealing everything he knows in the hope of earning reincarnation. Although he is clearly wicked, he experiences relief when Shen Luo grants his request.
• Zhou Tie is established as an unusual and possibly important figure whose body does not age and cannot be affected by corpse qi or yin energy.
• Fire Spirit Child acts as a knowledgeable guide, explaining the nature of the Firmament Secret Realm and its unusual time flow.
• Zhao Feiji continues to prioritize power and cultivation, openly suggesting that Ghost Vine’s soul should have been consumed. His fear of Shen Luo’s strength also highlights Shen Luo’s growing authority.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus mercy: Shen Luo executes Ghost Vine but preserves his chance at reincarnation, balancing punishment with the promise he made.
• Keeping one’s word: Shen Luo’s refusal to break his promise contrasts with the characters’ history of betrayal, manipulation, and exploitation.
• The nature of independent worlds: The explanation of the Cave Heaven Sun and Moon expands the story’s cosmology, showing that secret realms can evolve into complete worlds with their own laws and time.
• Consequences and redemption: Ghost Vine acknowledges his crimes and seeks rebirth, while Shen Luo warns him that repeating them would lead to total destruction.
• Hidden identities and transformations: Ghost Vine’s postmortem transformation raises questions about his true origins and hints at deeper secrets within the realm.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo interrogates Ghost Vine about Xie Yuxin, Zhou Tie, Ghost Yan, and the group’s activities in the secret realm.
• Fire Spirit Child explains the secret realm’s time difference and independent nature to Shen Luo through private communication.
• Zhao Feiji challenges Shen Luo’s merciful decision, but Shen Luo firmly dismisses his objection and promises to help him cultivate by other means.
• The chapter ends with Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child witnessing the strange transformation of Ghost Vine’s body, creating a new mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Revenge”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo freezes Ghost Vine Venerable with the Indigo Sea divine ability after destroying his Divine Soul, but deliberately preserves his body.
• To avoid alerting the island’s other six True Immortal cultivators, Shen Luo uses the Soul-Summoning Art from the Heavenly Corpse True Scripture to temporarily restore Ghost Vine Venerable’s corpse and make him appear alive.
• Shen Luo implants a portion of his own Divine Soul energy into Ghost Vine Venerable, reviving him for several days and placing him under his control.
• He transfers the Free-and-Easy Mirror’s ownership to Ghost Vine Venerable, then has Fire Spirit Child dismiss the Soul-Refining Formation.
• Ghost Vine Venerable cleans up all evidence of the battle, stores away the refined corpses, retrieves his Bloodthorn Vine, and leaves the island while carrying Shen Luo and the others inside the Free-and-Easy Mirror.
• Within the mirror, Shen Luo releases Zhou Tie from the Corpse-Nurturing Bag and reveals that he has killed Ghost Vine Venerable, shocking Zhou Tie.
• Shen Luo explains that Ghost Vine Venerable’s apparent resurrection is temporary and was intended only to conceal their presence and allow them to escape unnoticed.
• Zhou Tie thanks Shen Luo for avenging his lady, Xie Lingzi. Shen Luo then asks why she had sought Puppetcraft capable of preserving mortal life.
• Zhou Tie explains that Xie Lingzi’s efforts were devoted to saving her elder brother, Xie Xuan. Although she repaired his body and Divine Soul using the Body Refining Secret Canon, Xie Xuan awoke with his cultivation destroyed and remained selfish and demanding.
• The chapter ends as Zhou Tie begins recounting what happened afterward.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates increasing mastery, strategic cunning, and ruthlessness. Rather than simply killing Ghost Vine Venerable, he carefully manipulates the situation to preserve his cover and use the corpse as a temporary disguise.
• Ghost Vine Venerable is reduced from an enemy and powerful True Immortal to a controlled puppet. His corpse remains physically functional, allowing Shen Luo to exploit his identity and abilities.
• Fire Spirit Child continues acting as a knowledgeable ally, recognizing Shen Luo’s Soul-Summoning Art and helping dismantle the formation.
• Zhao Feiji is deeply astonished by Shen Luo’s ability to resurrect the dead, reinforcing how extraordinary the technique appears even to someone with heightened sensitivity to life and death.
• Zhou Tie recognizes Shen Luo after many years and is overwhelmed by his transformation from a relatively weak cultivator into someone capable of defeating a True Immortal. His anger toward Xie Xuan reveals his loyalty to Xie Lingzi and his resentment toward her brother.
• Xie Lingzi, though absent, is portrayed as self-sacrificing and devoted to her family, willing to risk herself repeatedly to save Xie Xuan despite his ingratitude.
• Xie Xuan is characterized as selfish, ungrateful, and morally flawed, exploiting his sister’s concern while refusing to accept the limits of his damaged condition.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and justice: Shen Luo’s killing of Ghost Vine Venerable fulfills Zhou Tie’s desire for vengeance, though Shen Luo’s methods are controlled and strategic rather than emotional.
• Life, death, and artificial resurrection: The Soul-Summoning Art blurs the boundary between death and life, creating only the appearance of resurrection and emphasizing the temporary, unnatural nature of Shen Luo’s solution.
• Strategic deception: Shen Luo relies on disguise, manipulation, and concealment to evade stronger enemies and preserve his freedom of movement.
• Sacrifice and familial obligation: Xie Lingzi’s tragic devotion to her brother contrasts sharply with Xie Xuan’s selfishness, raising questions about the costs and limits of family loyalty.
• Transformation and growth: The reunion between Shen Luo and Zhou Tie highlights Shen Luo’s dramatic rise in power over the intervening century.
• Control over the dead: Ghost Vine Venerable’s corpse, the refined corpses, and the Corpse-Nurturing Bag all reinforce the chapter’s recurring imagery of death being weaponized and controlled.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child discuss the nature and limitations of the Soul-Summoning Art.
• Zhao Feiji reacts with shock to Shen Luo’s temporary resurrection of Ghost Vine Venerable.
• Shen Luo commands Ghost Vine Venerable to refine the Free-and-Easy Mirror and use his identity to conceal their escape.
• Shen Luo reunites with Zhou Tie, who initially fails to recognize him but is soon stunned by his identity and accomplishments.
• Zhou Tie kneels to thank Shen Luo for avenging Xie Lingzi, while Shen Luo responds with humility and regret that he could not save her earlier.
• Their conversation shifts from Ghost Vine Venerable’s death to Xie Lingzi’s past, revealing the tragic consequences of her devotion to Xie Xuan.

Chapter Summary: The Mystery of Immortality

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Tie explains that Xie Xuan became increasingly weak, prompting Miss Xie to search for a way to extend his life. She eventually traveled to the Boundless Sea of Sand because of its rumored Puppetcraft capable of granting mortals immortality.
• Zhou Tie reveals that he himself has lived for centuries without aging. His earliest memories come from the Boundless Sea of Sand, and he suspects his ageless condition is linked to a form of Puppetcraft. He does not know his true identity.
• Zhou Tie had previously met Miss Xie in Great Tang. Because she accepted him despite considering him an “immortal monster,” he stayed with her and helped her seek a cure for Xie Xuan. Both were eventually captured by Ghost Vine Venerable.
• Shen Luo tells Zhou Tie that Ghost Yan is dead and that he purified Xie Xuan’s soul before sending it into reincarnation. Zhou Tie is astonished that Shen Luo helped kill Ghost Yan, a powerful figure near the Taiyi Stage.
• Shen Luo creates a wooden pavilion for Zhou Tie and seals it with a Restriction for his protection. Fire Spirit Child begins secretly investigating Zhou Tie’s body and the possibility that he possesses the legendary Undying Puppetcraft.
• Through Ghost Vine Venerable’s eyes, Shen Luo discovers a battle in the center of the island. Two powerful young men from the Witch Race are fighting a mutated ancient auspicious beast with the appearance of a lion-headed Qilin.
• Fire Spirit Child identifies the youths as members of the Witch Race, whose bodies are exceptionally strong because they cultivate their physical forms rather than external techniques. This presents a possible opportunity to help Nie Caizhu awaken her Witch Bloodline.
• Shen Luo intervenes by controlling Ghost Vine Venerable. The Bloodthorn Vine pierces and kills the demonic beast, using its immense power and deadly Corpse Poison.

Character Developments

• Zhou Tie: Reveals a mysterious past and an apparently immortal body connected to Puppetcraft. Although he feels regret over Xie Xuan’s fate, he is relatively detached from discovering his own origins.
• Shen Luo: Demonstrates compassion by arranging Xie Xuan’s reincarnation and protecting Zhou Tie. His increasing strength is emphasized through his involvement in defeating Ghost Yan and Ghost Vine Venerable. He also remains cautious about revealing Fire Spirit Child’s investigation.
• Fire Spirit Child: Shows intense curiosity about Zhou Tie’s condition and confirms that Undying Puppetcraft is real. He also recognizes the importance of the Witch Race encounter for Nie Caizhu.
• Xie Xuan: Though deceased, her devotion to prolonging Xie Xuan’s life and her kindness toward Zhou Tie define her character.
• The Witch youths: Their extraordinary physical resilience establishes them as formidable members of the Witch Race and potentially important allies.

Significant Themes

• Immortality and identity: Zhou Tie’s ageless body raises questions about whether immortality is a blessing, a curse, or the result of losing one’s original identity.
• Devotion and sacrifice: Miss Xie’s desperate search for a way to preserve Xie Xuan’s life reflects loyalty and emotional attachment even in the face of impossible odds.
• Life, death, and reincarnation: Shen Luo’s decision to send Xie Xuan’s purified soul into reincarnation suggests that a peaceful rebirth may be preferable to unnatural immortality.
• Hidden powers and ancient legacies: Undying Puppetcraft and the Witch Race represent forgotten abilities that may influence future events.
• Strength and cooperation: Shen Luo’s accomplishments are partly due to cooperation with other cultivators, while the Witch youths’ battle shows the value of physical power and partnership.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo questions Zhou Tie about his origins and the source of his immortality.
• Zhou Tie recounts his history with Miss Xie and reacts with shock to Shen Luo’s achievements against Ghost Yan and Ghost Vine Venerable.
• Shen Luo reassures Zhou Tie about Xie Xuan’s reincarnation and provides him with a safe place to stay.
• Fire Spirit Child privately discusses Zhou Tie’s condition with Shen Luo and begins investigating him.
• Fire Spirit Child then identifies the Witch youths and encourages Shen Luo to intervene, linking the encounter to Nie Caizhu’s bloodline awakening.
• Shen Luo acts on this advice and uses Ghost Vine Venerable’s Bloodthorn Vine to kill the beast threatening the Witch Race members.

Summary: “Witch Race Tribe”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo secretly controls Ghost Vine Venerable and sends him out to approach two young Witch Race members.
• The two Witch Race warriors attack Ghost Vine Venerable after he kills their “battle beast,” an ancient auspicious beast. Shen Luo initially does not understand why they had been fighting the creature themselves.
• Fire Spirit Child explains that the Witch Race strengthens its bond with battle beasts through combat, using a technique that may eventually allow them to merge with their beasts.
• Ghost Vine Venerable tries to apologize and clarify the misunderstanding, but the two warriors immediately attack, reflecting the Witch Race’s preference for resolving conflicts through violence.
• Ghost Vine Venerable uses his tree-demon abilities to overwhelm them with vines and trees. Although the warriors possess extraordinary physical strength, speed, and durability despite lacking conventional Magic Power, they are eventually disarmed and restrained.
• The warriors unleash powers derived from their Witch bloodlines—one produces red flames, while the other releases purple-black lightning—to destroy the restraints. They then flee into the forest and conceal their auras so completely that even Divine Sense cannot track them.
• Shen Luo, having secretly marked or otherwise connected himself to them during the battle, follows their trail through Ghost Vine Venerable.
• He examines their bone weapons, which are enhanced with Witch Runes but prove to be of limited value and contain little Witch Power. They are not useful for Nie Caizhu.
• The fleeing warriors arrive at a fortified Witch Race village located in a valley beneath a mountain. The settlement is guarded by watchtowers and warriors, while ominous black clouds and lightning hang above it.
• Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child realize that questioning the tribe could be the fastest way to learn whether an Immortal Tomb exists on the island. However, Ghost Vine Venerable’s previous conflict with the young warriors makes approaching openly risky.
• A powerful Witch Race elder emerges from the village with numerous warriors, including the two young men. Despite Ghost Vine Venerable’s concealment, the elder immediately detects him and addresses him in the outside world’s language, inviting him to reveal himself.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo demonstrates caution and adaptability. He uses Ghost Vine Venerable to investigate the Witch Race while relying on Fire Spirit Child’s knowledge to interpret their customs and abilities.
• His curiosity about the Witch Race increases after witnessing their unusual bloodline powers, physical strength, and ability to merge with their surroundings.
• Fire Spirit Child serves as Shen Luo’s source of historical and cultural knowledge, explaining the Witch Race’s battle-beast practices, bloodline abilities, and stealth techniques. However, he admits his knowledge is incomplete and often recalls information only after events have begun.
• Ghost Vine Venerable proves capable in close combat, using his natural tree-demon powers rather than weapons. His superior cultivation allows him to defeat the two young warriors, though he must remain hidden afterward.
• The two young Witch Race warriors are shown to be aggressive, physically formidable, and deeply attached to their battle beast. Their ability to awaken flame and lightning powers reveals the strength of their inherited Witch bloodlines.
• The Witch Race elder is established as an intelligent and potentially dangerous figure. His ability to detect Ghost Vine Venerable and speak the outside language suggests considerable cultivation, experience, and knowledge.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and cultural difference: Shen Luo mistakes the Witch Race’s ritual combat with their battle beast for hostility, revealing how unfamiliar customs can lead to conflict.
• Strength through combat: The Witch Race views fighting as a means of growth, bonding, and problem-solving, contrasting with Shen Luo’s more diplomatic approach.
• Hidden power and bloodline inheritance: Though the Witch Race does not use conventional Magic Power, its members possess immense physical strength, elemental abilities, and specialized Witch techniques.
• Concealment and perception: The warriors’ ability to erase their presence and the elder’s ability to see through Ghost Vine Venerable’s concealment emphasize the importance of detection and counter-detection.
• Cautious exploration: Shen Luo balances the need to gather information about the Immortal Tomb with the dangers of provoking an entire Witch Race tribe.
• Limits of knowledge: Fire Spirit Child’s incomplete recollections show that ancient information is fragmented, forcing Shen Luo to learn about the Witch Race through direct encounters.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child discuss the Witch Race’s battle-beast traditions and combat methods, with Shen Luo criticizing Fire Spirit Child for failing to warn him earlier.
• Ghost Vine Venerable attempts to apologize to the two warriors, but they respond with immediate violence.
• Ghost Vine Venerable defeats and restrains the warriors, yet their bloodline powers allow them to escape.
• Shen Luo follows them covertly and studies their weapons and tribe from hiding.
• The chapter ends with a tense confrontation between Ghost Vine Venerable and the Witch Race elder, who has already discovered his presence and calmly demands that he come forward.

Chapter Summary: Hou Yi, the Great Witch’s Tomb

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo, controlling Ghost Vine Venerable, apologizes to the White Fang Tribe’s chieftain, Matu, for trespassing and injuring one of the tribe’s battle beasts. He returns the warriors’ weapons and follows Witch Race customs in greeting Matu.
• Matu recognizes that Ghost Vine knows Witch Race etiquette and introduces himself as the chieftain of the White Fang Tribe.
• Yan Lie, Myriad Waters True Immortal, Taoxiang, Liu Hong, Li Biao, and Tian Sanqi reveal themselves. All six are True Immortals, causing the White Fang Tribe to become wary.
• Yan Lie explains that they are searching the secret realm for the tombs and residences of ancient experts. Matu reveals that Hou Yi, the legendary Great Witch, is buried on the island.
• The group is shocked to learn that Hou Yi’s tomb is nearby. Fire Spirit Child explains Hou Yi’s ancient deeds, including shooting down the ten suns and defeating several monsters that had devastated the human world.
• Matu states that Hou Yi sealed his weapons and treasures in the tomb so that a worthy successor could inherit them and use them to benefit the Three Realms.
• Matu agrees to lead the outsiders to the tomb the following day, asking them to spend the night with the tribe. His willingness surprises the group, who had expected resistance or deception.
• Matu explains that the White Fang Tribe once served Hou Yi and was ordered to guard the tomb until a suitable successor appeared. Their diluted Witch bloodline prevents them from inheriting Hou Yi’s power themselves.
• The group enters the primitive valley settlement. They notice a large altar with a chimney-like stone pillar, a furnace filled with burning demon-beast bones, Witch Script, and black smoke rising into the clouds. Taoxiang asks Matu about its purpose.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Demonstrates caution and diplomacy by using Ghost Vine Venerable to follow Witch Race etiquette and peacefully resolve the earlier conflict. He becomes excited at the prospect of discovering Hou Yi’s treasures.
• Chieftain Matu: Establishes himself as calm, perceptive, and honorable. Despite recognizing the visitors’ overwhelming strength, he remains composed and fulfills his tribe’s ancient duty.
• Yan Lie and the other cultivators: Their confidence has grown substantially after years of cultivation and acquiring powerful treasures. They initially appear prepared to use force, but Matu’s cooperation makes them reconsider.
• Taoxiang: Shows suspicion and practical intelligence by questioning why Matu would willingly reveal the tomb to outsiders.
• Fire Spirit Child: Provides historical knowledge about Hou Yi, helping Shen Luo understand the importance of the tomb.
• The White Fang warriors: Initially hostile because of the injured battle beast, they gradually lower their guard after Ghost Vine returns their weapons and Matu accepts his apology.

Significant Themes

• Duty and guardianship: The White Fang Tribe has preserved its loyalty to Hou Yi for generations, even though its members cannot inherit his power.
• Worthiness and inheritance: Hou Yi’s treasures are intended for someone brave and capable, suggesting that power must be earned rather than simply claimed.
• Diplomacy versus force: Shen Luo’s respectful approach prevents conflict, while the outsiders’ strength creates an atmosphere of tension and potential violence.
• The passage of time: The Witch Race and Hou Yi belong to a distant ancient era, yet their traditions and legacy continue to influence the present.
• Trust and hidden motives: Matu’s immediate cooperation appears honorable but unusual, leaving the cultivators alert to possible dangers or tests surrounding the tomb.

Character Interactions

• Ghost Vine and Matu establish mutual respect through formal greetings and an apology.
• Matu confronts the entire group after sensing their presence, while Yan Lie openly states their objective.
• Taoxiang challenges Matu’s motives, prompting him to explain the tribe’s relationship with Hou Yi.
• Shen Luo consults Fire Spirit Child about Hou Yi’s history, deepening his understanding of the ancient Great Witch.
• The group cautiously accepts Matu’s hospitality and follows him into the tribe’s valley, where they encounter the mysterious altar and furnace.

Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Black Night”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chief Matu explains that the White Fang Witch Race burns demonic beast corpses to create clouds of deathly baleful energy, which protect vulnerable tribe members from monsters.
• Shen Luo, communicating through Ghost Vine Venerable, examines the Witch Script near the furnace. Tian Sanqi notices his interest, raising Shen Luo’s suspicion that Tian may have sensed his hidden presence through the Azure Soul Pearl.
• The group is escorted to the tribe’s residential area and given shelter in a stone house.
• Matu warns them that darkness on the island is deadly. Anyone caught outside the protection of lamplight may vanish without a trace, and even True Immortals have reportedly been lost.
• The group decides to remain indoors after nightfall, but Shen Luo sends Ghost Vine Venerable away before darkness to investigate Matu’s residence.
• Ghost Vine Venerable bribes the guards with Storage Magical Artifacts containing Great Vehicle-level demonic beast corpses and is admitted to Matu’s hall.
• Inside, Shen Luo observes a strange statue of a warrior carrying a bow and saber, along with eerie green flames that illuminate nothing and make the hall feel even more ominous.
• Ghost Vine Venerable attempts to trade valuable spiritual materials and True Immortal-level demonic beast corpses for powerful Witch Artifacts. Matu refuses, explaining that the tribe’s artifacts are inherited and too scarce to sell.
• Shen Luo then offers a Witch Race Soul-Refining Formation diagram, a secret technique likely to interest the tribe. Though Matu is visibly surprised and tempted, he still firmly refuses, leaving the matter unresolved.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo: Becomes increasingly cautious, suspecting Tian Sanqi may be able to detect him. He actively investigates the Witch Race rather than simply following the group and attempts to gain access to their artifacts and secrets through trade.
• Ghost Vine Venerable: Continues serving as Shen Luo’s controlled proxy. He behaves diplomatically but strategically, using valuable demonic beast corpses to gain entry to Matu and negotiate with him.
• Tian Sanqi: Demonstrates knowledge of Witch Script and possesses the Azure Soul Pearl, which may allow him to sense Shen Luo’s hidden aura. His awareness makes him a potential threat.
• Chief Matu: Presents himself as hospitable and protective, but his tribe’s secrecy, refusal to trade artifacts, and ominous shrine create doubt about his true intentions.
• Taoxiang and Yan Lie: Remain cautious but accept Matu’s warning and agree that avoiding unnecessary risks is sensible.
• Fire Spirit Child: Warns Shen Luo not to trust the Witch Race and reminds him to remain alert for traps.

Significant Themes

• Danger hidden in darkness: The island’s darkness is portrayed as an unnatural, devouring force, creating suspense and suggesting that the island’s mysteries are tied to the surrounding Black Mist Restriction.
• Secrecy and distrust: Characters conceal their abilities and motives, while the Witch Race withholds information about its artifacts, rituals, and strange protective practices.
• Power and exchange: Shen Luo attempts to obtain Witch Artifacts through increasingly valuable offerings, showing how rare knowledge and magical tools function as bargaining power.
• Ancient mystery: The Witch Script, inherited artifacts, Soul-Refining Formation, and imposing warrior statue hint at a forgotten history connected to Hou Yi’s Tomb.
• Protection versus danger: The tribe’s defensive rituals protect its weakest members, yet the same supernatural forces surrounding the tribe may threaten outsiders.

Character Interactions

• Tian Sanqi questions Ghost Vine Venerable about the Witch Script, prompting Shen Luo to hide his aura more carefully.
• Matu warns the entire group about the deadly darkness, establishing both cooperation and suspicion between the visitors and the tribe.
• Taoxiang, Tian Sanqi, and Yan Lie discuss whether Matu can be trusted and agree to follow his warning.
• Ghost Vine Venerable negotiates with the guards and Matu, first offering demonic beast corpses and spiritual materials, then escalating with the valuable Soul-Refining Formation.
• Matu’s initial surprise at the formation reveals that the offer has struck an important nerve, though he ultimately refuses to compromise.

Chapter Summary: “Twelve Ancestral Witches”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Luo and Ghost Vine Venerable attempt to obtain Chief Matu’s bone staff, a powerful Witch Artifact that might help Nie Caizhu awaken her Witch Bloodline. Matu refuses both a trade and a temporary loan, citing an ancestral command forbidding the tribe’s artifacts from leaving their possession.
• Matu reveals that powerful artifacts once used by Lord Hou Yi are sealed in Hou Yi’s mausoleum. Ghost Vine Venerable decides to seek one there instead, though Matu warns that obtaining it will depend on their fate.
• Shen Luo exchanges the remains of a True Immortal demon beast and valuable spiritual materials for three texts concerning the Witch Race. He and Fire Spirit Child study them inside the Free-and-Easy Mirror.
• Matu explains that the Black Mist Restriction surrounding the island appeared suddenly over a thousand years earlier. Around the same time, a man named Donghua visited the island seeking Hou Yi’s legacy and apparently failed, possibly triggering the restriction.
• The strange darkness that causes people and objects to disappear only began changing after the Black Mist Restriction appeared.
• Shen Luo secretly sends a Great Vehicle-stage Refined Corpse outside the valley to investigate. Later that night, the darkness thickens around it, eventually making it vanish and severing its connection with Shen Luo.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo becomes increasingly determined to understand the island’s mysteries and secure a Witch Artifact for Nie Caizhu. Rather than acting recklessly against the White Fang Tribe, he chooses negotiation, research, and covert investigation.
• Ghost Vine Venerable demonstrates patience and diplomacy, accepting Matu’s refusal while pursuing alternative sources of Witch Artifacts. He also asks probing questions about the Black Mist Restriction and Donghua.
• Chief Matu is shown to be protective of his tribe’s heritage but cooperative when approached respectfully. He hopes someone will inherit Hou Yi’s legacy and free the White Fang Tribe from its isolation.
• Fire Spirit Child provides historical and cultivation knowledge, explaining the overwhelming power of the Twelve Ancestral Witches and the nature of Great Dao Origin Power.
• Shen Luo’s understanding expands through the Witch Race texts, especially regarding Hou Yi, the ancient great witches, and the origin of Witch bloodline abilities.

Significant Themes

• Heritage and obligation: The White Fang Tribe’s refusal to surrender its Witch Artifacts reflects its loyalty to ancestral commands and cultural preservation.
• Seeking freedom and legacy: The tribe remains trapped on the island, hoping that a worthy successor to Hou Yi will release them.
• Mystery and hidden causation: The origin of the Black Mist Restriction and the island’s deadly darkness remains unclear, with Donghua’s failed attempt at Hou Yi’s mausoleum offering a possible explanation.
• Ancient power and bloodline inheritance: The Twelve Ancestral Witches inherited Great Dao Origin Power from Pangu, while modern Witch bloodlines contain only faint remnants of that ancient strength.
• Caution versus opportunity: Shen Luo desires the bone staff but avoids provoking the tribe, choosing investigation and preparation over force.

Character Interactions

• Shen Luo and Ghost Vine Venerable jointly negotiate with Chief Matu over the bone staff and later question him about Hou Yi, the Witch Race, and the Black Mist Restriction.
• Matu offers them access to knowledge and points them toward Hou Yi’s mausoleum, hoping they might inherit its power.
• Ghost Vine Venerable’s questions prompt Matu to connect the appearance of the Black Mist Restriction with Donghua’s visit.
• Shen Luo and Fire Spirit Child discuss the Twelve Ancestral Witches, Great Dao Origin Power, and the limitations of the White Fang Tribe’s bloodline.
• The chapter ends with Shen Luo witnessing the island’s darkness consume his Refined Corpse, confirming that its supernatural disappearance is real and extremely dangerous.

Summary: “United in Heart and Sincerity”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ghost Vine Venerable, Shen Luo, and the others arrive at Hou Yi’s Tomb under the guidance of Matu, chieftain of the Witch Race.
• They encounter the enormous Sun-Moon Divine Gate, whose two doors depict the goddesses Xihe holding the sun and Wangshu holding the moon.
• Matu warns them that the tomb is extremely dangerous and explains that they must pass two major trials: the Soul-Birth Gate and the Soul Death Gate. Each trial requires them to overcome various life-and-death challenges and destroy its corresponding pillar.
• The group declares its intention to retrieve Hou Yi’s divine artifact for the peace of the Three Realms.
• Li Biao initially attempts to open the doors by force, but even after using his full strength, they do not move. Liu Hong joins him, followed by the rest of the group, yet their combined power only causes the doors to tremble.
• Matu hints that strength alone is insufficient and that the doors require “unity,” “wisdom,” sincerity, and faith.
• Ghost Vine Venerable identifies the patterns on the doors as a Yan Formation rather than ordinary carvings. Taoxiang then analyzes the symbols and realizes that the two doors represent the sun and moon, or yang and yin.
• Taoxiang proposes that the group channel yin and yang powers into the respective doors simultaneously, suggesting this may be the key to opening the gate.

Character Developments

• Shen Luo remains cautious and observant, using Ghost Vine Venerable to study the group and the gate without revealing his own thoughts.
• Matu acts as a guide and guardian, warning the group about the tomb’s dangers, though his vague hints about sincerity and unity frustrate them.
• Li Biao is shown to be impatient and eager to prove his strength, becoming embarrassed and frustrated when brute force fails.
• Liu Hong initially criticizes Li Biao but eventually assists him, demonstrating practical cooperation when he realizes the doors cannot be opened alone.
• Taoxiang emerges as an intelligent and perceptive leader. She recognizes the significance of the sun-and-moon imagery and proposes the likely solution.
• Ghost Vine Venerable, guided by Shen Luo, contributes crucial knowledge by identifying the Yan Formation.
• The rest of the group gradually shifts from individual effort and hesitation toward collective action.

Significant Themes

• Unity over individual strength: The doors cannot be opened through the efforts of one or two people, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation.
• Wisdom alongside courage: Hou Yi’s trials are designed to test both intelligence and bravery, not merely physical power.
• Sincerity and inner conviction: Matu’s warnings suggest that genuine faith and resolve may be necessary to pass the tomb’s tests.
• Balance and harmony: The sun and moon, yin and yang, symbolize the need to combine opposing but complementary forces.
• Appearance versus deeper meaning: What first appears to be a pair of ordinary stone doors is actually a complex magical formation requiring careful interpretation.

Character Interactions

• Matu warns the group and explains the tomb’s trial system, prompting questions from Tian Sanqi and Li Biao.
• Taoxiang encourages the party’s determination, while Liu Hong and Li Biao enthusiastically support the mission.
• Taoxiang signals Li Biao to take the lead, but he fails to open the doors and later receives criticism from Liu Hong.
• Liu Hong joins Li Biao in pushing, and the rest eventually participate, physically enacting the chapter’s theme of unity.
• Ghost Vine Venerable challenges the group’s assumption that force is the answer by identifying the Yan Formation.
• Taoxiang builds on Ghost Vine Venerable’s observation and explains how yin and yang powers may unlock the gate, setting up the group’s next attempt.