Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Not Necessarily Safe

Key Plot Points and Events

• Little White suddenly rushes to Ye Buhui and clings to her, sensing something unusual.
• As Ye Buhui resumes her chess game with Du Chenglin, she experiences a breakthrough and successfully solves the previously difficult position.
• Her success marks her advancement into the first rank of chess and appears to trigger a mystical phenomenon visible only to Little White: numerous silver-white, olive-shaped lights surrounding Ye Buhui.
• Little White consumes one of the mysterious “olives.” It melts into a cool energy that heals her lingering injuries, leading her to suspect that Ye Buhui’s enlightenment has produced a substance akin to Imperial Nectar—possibly a purer form of “Moonlit Imperial Nectar.”
• Du Chenglin and Su Ziji cannot see the phenomenon. Du Chenglin nevertheless recognizes that Ye Buhui has undergone a profound transformation, including Meridian Cleansing and Marrow Tempering.
• Impressed by her extraordinary talent, Du Chenglin offers to formally accept Ye Buhui as his disciple.
• Ye Buhui admits she is tempted but refuses because her deceased father’s final letter forbade her from taking a formal master.
• Du Chenglin accepts her decision, saying they lack the fate to become master and disciple, but promises to help her if she encounters difficulties.
• He prepares to leave and advises Ye Buhui to travel north, warning that the prolonged rain may soon make the area dangerous.

Character Developments

• Ye Buhui: Achieves a major breakthrough in both chess and cultivation. Her enlightenment clears her mind, allows her to break through the chess game, and apparently purifies and strengthens her body. She demonstrates humility and loyalty to her father by refusing a prestigious apprenticeship despite her desire to learn.
• Little White: Shows unusual sensitivity to mystical phenomena that even Du Chenglin cannot perceive. Her curiosity and greed lead her to consume one of the silver olives, gaining healing benefits. Her reaction suggests she may understand Ye Buhui’s breakthrough better than the humans do.
• Du Chenglin: Moves from observing Ye Buhui as a talented player to recognizing her as a rare genius with immense cultivation potential. He briefly attempts to recruit her as a disciple but responds with patience and composure when she declines. He also remains intrigued by the mystery surrounding Su Ziji.
• Su Ziji: Remains mostly silent and observant. Du Chenglin senses that he possesses unusual qualities hidden beneath layers of mystery, though his true path remains impossible to discern.

Significant Themes

• Talent and enlightenment: Ye Buhui’s breakthrough shows how sudden insight can surpass years of conventional effort.
• Fate and mentorship: Du Chenglin and Ye Buhui are well matched, but personal circumstances and her father’s final command prevent them from forming a formal master-disciple relationship.
• Hidden supernatural forces: The silver olives reveal that profound human achievements may generate mystical effects invisible to ordinary observers.
• Worldly attachments versus transcendence: Du Chenglin worries that Ye Buhui’s marriage and worldly ties may prevent her from pursuing immortality, emphasizing the conflict between human relationships and spiritual advancement.
• Uncertainty and danger: The chapter closes with a warning that the persistent rain is more than a minor inconvenience and may signal impending danger.

Character Interactions

• Little White’s frantic embrace of Ye Buhui creates a tender, playful moment while also drawing attention to the hidden mystical energy around her.
• Ye Buhui celebrates her chess victory with Du Chenglin, who responds by acknowledging her exceptional progress.
• Du Chenglin offers Ye Buhui guidance and a formal apprenticeship, but she respectfully declines because of her father’s instructions.
• Their exchange remains warm and respectful, with Du Chenglin accepting her choice rather than forcing the issue.
• Du Chenglin’s final warning to travel north introduces concern for Ye Buhui, Su Ziji, and Little White’s future safety.

Chapter Summary: “Heartless and Insane”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chenglin advises Ye Buhui to leave for the capital and take the examinations, subtly warning that Shuanghua Prefecture is becoming dangerous. Authorities are making major preparations at Coiling Dragon Lake, while Water Demons and Great Demons gather after the opening of the Dragon Palace.
• A young informant arrives at Su Ziji’s home with urgent news: Imperial Envoy Luo Pei has taken Prefect Huang Liangping to Coiling Dragon Lake and ordered two executioners to prepare for his beheading the following day.
• The executioners are known for their precise, painless killings when properly paid, suggesting that Luo Pei intends Huang Liangping to die cleanly and preserve his corpse.
• Su Ziji rewards the messenger with silver, earning the young man’s admiration. Wild Daoist then arrives and confirms that Shuanghua Prefecture has become a dangerous center of competing supernatural and political forces.
• Wild Daoist believes that killing Huang Liangping may provoke retaliation from the prefect’s backers and expose traces of their own involvement. Su Ziji agrees that they should remain hidden, but insists on witnessing the execution because he believes it may complete the scheme he initiated and help him obtain the Seed of Humanity.
• Meanwhile, a group of armed men approaches a poorly guarded section of the dike during the rain. Acting under orders from their “Master,” they plan to kill the guard and use gunpowder to destroy the dike, causing further flooding and disaster.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji displays both generosity and strategic calculation. He rewards the messenger sincerely, but remains focused on the larger political and supernatural game surrounding Huang Liangping’s execution.
• Wild Daoist shows caution and practical intelligence. He recognizes that the prefect’s death could trigger dangerous consequences and advises avoiding the coming conflict.
• Du Chenglin emerges as perceptive and concerned for others, attempting to warn Ye Buhui without revealing sensitive information directly.
• The young informant is portrayed as streetwise and motivated by both loyalty and money. His respect for Su Ziji grows after receiving fair treatment.
• The dike attackers reveal strong loyalty to their master, especially the speaker who reminds the others that their leader once saved one of them. Their willingness to commit murder and sabotage shows how deeply they are bound by gratitude, obedience, and promised rewards.
• Huang Liangping, though absent, becomes central to the chapter as a condemned official whose execution may have consequences far beyond his personal fate.

Significant Themes

• Political and supernatural upheaval: Government actions, demon activity, the Dragon Palace, and flood-control efforts all converge, making the prefecture a volatile “vortex.”
• Loyalty versus morality: The attackers justify murder and sabotage through loyalty to their master, while also being influenced by financial rewards.
• The vulnerability of ordinary people: Farmers face ruined crops, famine, displacement, and death, while officials and supernatural powers manipulate events around them.
• Power and hidden schemes: Su Ziji’s refusal to intervene openly reflects the chapter’s emphasis on concealed motives, indirect manipulation, and waiting for larger forces to reveal themselves.
• The loss of traditional protection: The farmer recalls that people once worshiped the Dragon Lord during floods, but official suppression caused the custom to disappear, leaving the population feeling helpless.
• “Heartless and insane” authority: Luo Pei’s decision to execute the prefect immediately, amid the broader crisis, suggests ruthless political calculation and raises doubts about whether his actions are rational or driven by hidden motives.

Character Interactions

• Du Chenglin gives Ye Buhui indirect advice to escape the prefecture, though she does not understand the full danger.
• Su Ziji receives the informant, listens to the news, and compensates him generously, creating mutual respect.
• Wild Daoist and Su Ziji discuss the risks of the prefect’s execution and agree that concealment is necessary, though Su Ziji still plans to attend the event.
• The attacking men argue among themselves, with one expressing reluctance and another silencing him by invoking their master’s past kindness and the promised reward.
• The old farmer’s sorrowful reflections contrast with the attackers’ secret preparations, emphasizing how ordinary civilians suffer from schemes they cannot see.

Chapter Summary: “Karmic Retribution”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the Sun Estate, Sun Buhan and the Heavenly Secret Monster discuss the prolonged rains and flooding devastating the region.
• They reveal that Water Demons cannot truly control the weather on a large scale. Instead, they exploit Heaven’s natural rainfall by accurately predicting and subtly extending it, creating the illusion that they can command wind and rain.
• This deception was originally devised by the Dragon Lord, who eventually gained some genuine authority over weather through the power and belief generated by the ritual. This authority helped establish the Dragon Lord’s influence over the Human court.
• The chapter explains the Demon Race’s strategic situation:
  • Land Demons are easily discovered and killed by humans.
  • Winged Demons remain vulnerable because they must eventually land.
  • Water Demons are safest and strongest because humans cannot easily enter their aquatic territory.
• With the Dragon Lord gone, the Water Demons have become divided. Sun Buhan argues that controlling the Dragon Palace is essential to reunifying the Demon Race and regaining authority over the weather.
• Sun Buhan insists that the young princess must not be allowed to retain control indefinitely. He plans for a stronger demon ruler to inherit the Dragon Lord’s authority, potentially through marriage to the princess.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster explains that the imperial envoy and various humans and demons are being drawn into a plan to force open the Dragon Palace. The princess’s refusal to leave the palace has made her position both mysterious and precarious.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster suddenly senses a major change. A Winged Demon reports that Fenghuan Dam has been deliberately destroyed, flooding three counties and killing one or two thousand people so far.
• Sun Buhan concludes that the imperial envoy will now bear overwhelming responsibility for the disaster. With the prefect’s execution almost certain, the envoy’s only chance to reverse the situation is to open the Dragon Palace.
• Sun Buhan eagerly leaves to prepare for the next stage of the plan.

Character Developments

• Sun Buhan is shown to be calculating, ambitious, and ruthless. He views the flood and the likely deaths of thousands as useful political leverage. Though he claims the Dragon Palace should ultimately belong to a worthy demon ruler, the Heavenly Secret Monster clearly doubts his motives.
• The Heavenly Secret Monster is cautious and intellectually perceptive. It understands the long-term weaknesses of the Demon Race and remains suspicious of Sun Buhan. Despite supporting the broader demon cause, it stresses that the princess must not be harmed.
• The Dragon Lord is developed through recollection as a brilliant strategist who transformed a limited supernatural ability into genuine political and spiritual authority.
• The princess remains absent but becomes increasingly important. Her refusal to emerge from the Dragon Palace may be a deliberate final strategy of the Dragon Lord rather than mere fear or weakness.
• The imperial envoy is placed under mounting pressure. The engineered dam failures make him responsible for worsening floods and leave him with almost no political options.

Significant Themes

• Deception becoming reality: The Water Demons’ false reputation gradually created real authority, illustrating how belief, ritual, and political perception can produce genuine power.
• Survival and asymmetrical conflict: The Demon Race’s smaller population makes open war with humanity dangerous, forcing demons to rely on strategy, manipulation, and control of natural forces.
• Political power through essential resources: Because Great Wei depends on agriculture, control over rain and floods provides enormous leverage over the imperial court.
• Succession and legitimacy: The struggle over the Dragon Palace concerns not only power but also who has the right and ability to inherit the Dragon Lord’s role.
• Karmic retribution: The chapter references the Human court’s earlier execution of a Heavenly Secret seer and suggests that its current reliance on the seer’s unwilling disciple is a form of poetic justice.
• The moral cost of strategy: Sun Buhan treats mass suffering as a calculated means to achieve demon supremacy, emphasizing how political ambition dehumanizes both enemies and supposed allies.

Character Interactions

• Sun Buhan and the Heavenly Secret Monster share information and debate the Demon Race’s future, but their alliance is marked by mutual distrust.
• Sun Buhan advocates replacing the young princess with a stronger ruler, while the Heavenly Secret Monster insists that the princess be protected.
• Their discussion reveals differing priorities: Sun Buhan focuses on immediate political advantage and control, whereas the Heavenly Secret Monster is more concerned with long-term consequences and the princess’s potential.
• The Winged Demon’s report of Fenghuan Dam’s destruction abruptly changes the conversation from strategic planning to immediate action, allowing Sun Buhan to exploit the disaster and accelerate his scheme to open the Dragon Palace.

Chapter Summary: “Fish Dead, Net Torn”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Buhan and the Heavenly Secret Monster discuss the sudden acceleration of the blood-sacrifice plan intended to open the Dragon Palace. Neither can identify who interfered, though Sun Buhan suspects Prince Shu.
• Before dawn, Wild Daoist informs Su Ziji that Fenghuan Dam has burst, flooding several counties, including Linhua. The flood has destroyed crops and may cause famine, while some people have likely been swept away and killed.
• The Imperial Commissioner, Luo Pei, appears to be responding by executing Prefect Huang Liangping at Coiling Dragon Lake. He has prepared a high platform, offerings, and prison carts, suggesting that the execution is actually part of a secret blood sacrifice.
• Su Ziji deduces that Luo Pei intends to sacrifice Huang Liangping to the Dragon Lord of the Water Palace in order to open the Dragon Palace, awaken the Dragon Lord, and perhaps stop the flood.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist hurry to Coiling Dragon Lake. Ye Buhui asks to accompany Su Ziji, but he refuses because the scene will be dangerous and chaotic.
• During the journey, Su Ziji and Wild Daoist consider Luo Pei’s motives: he may want to save the region and gain merit, counter Prince Qi’s influence, or participate in a larger struggle involving Prince Shu and the Dragon throne.
• Su Ziji senses multiple powerful demonic auras traveling toward the lake, indicating that the Demon Race is also responding to the attempted awakening of the Dragon Lord.
• The chapter ends as Su Ziji and Wild Daoist arrive at the lake, with other forces already moving ahead of them.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji becomes sharply alert and morally outraged upon learning of the flood and the possible sacrifice. His concern for the victims is immediate, but he also thinks strategically about the political and supernatural consequences.
• Wild Daoist reveals his intelligence network and demonstrates both urgency and fear. He recognizes that Luo Pei’s actions are far outside normal legal procedure.
• Ye Buhui shows her attachment to Su Ziji and her anxiety about his safety. Though she wants to accompany him, she accepts his decision and urges him not to take unnecessary risks.
• Luo Pei is portrayed as dangerously decisive and potentially desperate. His willingness to sacrifice a high-ranking official suggests that he is prepared to defy the court to resolve the disaster.
• The Demon Race is shown to be divided and politically unstable. The possible return of the Dragon Lord threatens the independence of the various Water Demon factions.

Significant Themes

• Desperation versus law: Luo Pei may be attempting to save the flooded region, but doing so through an illegal blood sacrifice could bring severe punishment from the court.
• Power and political struggle: The Dragon Palace is not merely a supernatural site; awakening the Dragon Lord could shift the balance between human factions and rival demon powers.
• The danger of restoring old authority: Although the demons may long for the Dragon Lord’s return, they may not willingly submit to a new ruler after becoming independent powers.
• Moral compromise: The phrase “fish dead, net torn” reflects a situation in which Luo Pei may be willing to destroy his own political future—or provoke catastrophe—in order to accomplish his goal.
• Hidden interference and competing agendas: Multiple factions appear to be acting behind the scenes, and the true instigator of the accelerated sacrifice remains unknown.

Important Character Interactions

• Sun Buhan questions the Heavenly Secret Monster about the mysterious interference in the Dragon Palace plan, then raises the possibility of Prince Shu’s involvement.
• Wild Daoist urgently briefs Su Ziji on the dam collapse, Luo Pei’s preparations, and Huang Liangping’s removal from prison.
• Su Ziji shares his theory that the execution is actually a blood sacrifice intended to awaken the Dragon Lord.
• Ye Buhui and Su Ziji have a tender but worried exchange in which she asks to go with him and he gently insists that she remain behind.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist discuss the competing interests of the Imperial Commissioner, Prince Qi, Prince Shu, the Dragon Lord, and the fragmented Demon Race while traveling to Coiling Dragon Lake.

Chapter Summary: “Revenge Seed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji arrives at Coiling Dragon Lake during a public execution, positioning himself where he can observe both the execution platform and the lake.
• Imperial Envoy Luo Pei arrives and orders the execution of Huang Liangping, the disgraced prefect accused of corruption, murder, abuse of power, and deliberately destroying the river dam.
• Huang Liangping, badly tortured and unable to stand, remains outwardly composed. However, when death approaches, his legs tremble and he angrily denounces Luo Pei before being silenced.
• Huang Liangping is beheaded. A streak of bloody light leaves his body and sinks into Coiling Dragon Lake.
• Luo Pei orders the corpse collected and Huang Liangping’s severed head placed among the sacrificial offerings, emphasizing the execution’s ritual and dehumanizing nature.
• Dark clouds gather over the lake, though the spectators fail to notice.
• Su Ziji receives a system notification that a “Revenge Seed” has formed. He absorbs it into the Coiling Dragon Heart Method.
• The absorption grants him the divine ability [Affinity Through Gaps], raises the Coiling Dragon Heart Method to Level 5, and increases his Heaven’s Mandate from 4 to 5.
• Immediately afterward, Su Ziji is mysteriously transported above the lake and pulled beneath its dark waters.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji continues acting as an observer and manipulator from the sidelines, but his involvement with Huang Liangping’s downfall produces a tangible supernatural reward.
• Huang Liangping changes from a powerful, corrupt official into a condemned prisoner. Though he tries to maintain dignity and defiance, his fear at the moment of execution reveals his basic human vulnerability.
• Luo Pei is shown to be exceptionally ruthless and willing to disregard normal political and official conventions. Despite his composure, he recognizes that executing Huang Liangping may bring about his own downfall.
• The Wild Daoist demonstrates his ability to read faces and identifies that both Huang Liangping and Luo Pei bear signs of impending death.
• Zheng Yingci remains withdrawn and contemplative, staring at the lake rather than watching the execution, suggesting emotional unease or deeper awareness of the situation.

Significant Themes

• Mutual destruction and political corruption: Huang Liangping and Luo Pei are both implicated in deadly wrongdoing, suggesting that the corrupt official system destroys both criminals and those who punish them.
• The inevitability of death: Huang Liangping’s trembling legs emphasize that even the apparently fearless cannot escape instinctive fear when facing execution.
• Dehumanization by power: The display of Huang Liangping’s head beside sacrificial offerings makes a former fifth-rank official appear no different from slaughtered livestock.
• Ruthlessness and justice: The chapter questions whether Luo Pei’s execution represents justice or merely another form of cruelty.
• Supernatural consequences and revenge: Huang Liangping’s death generates the “Revenge Seed,” implying that resentment, injustice, and death possess mystical power that can affect Su Ziji’s cultivation.
• Fate and ominous transformation: The darkening sky, the lake’s hidden disturbance, and Su Ziji’s sudden descent suggest that the execution has triggered a larger supernatural event.

Character Interactions

• The Wild Daoist and Su Ziji discuss the facial signs of Huang Liangping and Luo Pei, interpreting both men as destined for death.
• Luo Pei and Liu Zhan coordinate the execution and confirm that the proper time has arrived.
• Huang Liangping directly curses Luo Pei, accusing him of destroying official and scholarly norms before being silenced and executed.
• The officials react uneasily to the execution, with some unable to look at the severed head, while Qiu Chang reflects on the tragedy of an official dying like an animal.
• Su Ziji silently judges both Huang Liangping and Luo Pei, recognizing their shared brutality while benefiting from the supernatural aftermath of Huang Liangping’s death.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the Dragon Palace”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Dozens of meteors plunge into the lake, signaling that numerous people or demons have entered the Dragon Palace through their Primordial Spirits.
• Su Ziji suddenly collapses into an unnatural sleep. Wild Daoist suspects that Su’s soul has left his body and quickly carries him back to the ox cart before the soldiers can investigate.
• On the high platform, Luo Pei notices that Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci are both sitting motionless in meditation. Although he suspects they may be plotting something, he chooses not to interfere, hoping they can communicate with the Dragon Lord and assist with flood control.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci awaken inside the underwater Water Palace as Primordial Spirits. They discover a vast, magnificent Dragon Palace filled with demon officials and lesser demons.
• Liu Zhan uses the Primordial Spirit of a sect treasure to conceal them from detection. He then takes over the body of a demon official, instructing Zheng Yingci to possess another lesser demon.
• Liu Zhan explains that the palace is not ordinary reality but a strange, dangerous spiritual realm. Physical objects cannot enter, but Primordial Spirits and spiritual treasures can.
• He warns Zheng Yingci not to act independently, since many competitors have entered the palace and even apparently ordinary demon officials may be extremely powerful.
• The two infiltrate the palace by imitating the behavior and routines of the demons whose bodies they have seized. Zheng Yingci observes the enormous number of official-looking Monsters and begins questioning their origins.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Becomes mysteriously unconscious after the meteors arrive, suggesting that his soul or Primordial Spirit has entered the Dragon Palace. His condition creates uncertainty and danger for Wild Daoist.
• Wild Daoist: Acts quickly and protectively, carrying Su Ziji away from the lake and avoiding both the soldiers and the officials on the platform.
• Luo Pei: Shows greater caution and restraint. Though suspicious of Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci, he decides not to provoke them because their possible communication with the Dragon Lord could benefit the flood-control effort.
• Liu Zhan: Demonstrates careful planning and superior experience. He immediately recognizes the danger of the spiritual realm, conceals himself with a treasure, seizes a demon official’s body, and gives Zheng Yingci strict instructions.
• Zheng Yingci: His youthful confidence is shaken when an ordinary demon official nearly detects them. He realizes that he has overestimated his own strength and begins learning to observe, imitate, and act cautiously under Liu Zhan’s guidance.

Significant Themes

• Danger beneath appearances: The apparently ordinary demon officials possess intimidating strength, while the spiritual palace itself is far more dangerous than it first appears.
• Humility and growth: Zheng Yingci’s arrogance is challenged, forcing him to recognize his limitations and accept disciplined instruction.
• Reality and illusion: The Dragon Palace is described as neither fully real nor simply imaginary. Its inhabitants seem to be memory fragments or spiritual constructs that can still act according to ingrained habits.
• Infiltration and identity: By possessing demon bodies and following their habitual behavior, Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci blur the boundaries between observer and observed.
• The power of the Demon Race: The immense number of demon officials and Great Demons suggests that the ancient Demon Court may once have been extraordinarily prosperous and powerful.

Character Interactions

• Wild Daoist protects Su Ziji and makes the decision to retreat without waiting for further investigation.
• Luo Pei observes Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci but deliberately avoids confrontation.
• Liu Zhan mentors Zheng Yingci, correcting his arrogance and emphasizing obedience and caution.
• Zheng Yingci follows Liu Zhan through the palace, silently studying the demon officials while struggling to understand whether they are living beings, memories, or spiritual remnants.

Chapter Summary: “Inheritance Realm”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zhan realizes that the group is inside a Monster inheritance rather than the real world or a conventional time-reversed past. The inheritance is a fragment of the Dragon Lord’s Primordial Spirit that has created a lifelike illusion.
• Although the realm is illusory, injuries and benefits gained within it affect the participants’ real bodies.
• Liu Zhan explains to Zheng Yingci that Monsters preserve ancestral memories through their bloodlines. This scene is likely the Inheritance Spirit activated by the Dragon Lord.
• He reveals that the Young Dragon appearing during the sacrifice will be the future Dragon Lord’s vessel. The Young Dragon is not physically present in the memory; she is experiencing the Dragon Lord’s memories from within the Dragon Lord’s body.
• Liu Zhan orders Zheng Yingci not to interfere until the inheritance is complete. Attacking prematurely would result in rejection from the memory and could damage the inheritance. They must wait until the Young Dragon begins absorbing the Inheritance Spirit, when her defenses will be weakest, then seize it.
• A loud, mournful sound echoes through the Dragon Palace. It is followed by the announcement of Cai Li, a high-ranking official of the Great Wei dynasty, who has arrived at Coiling Dragon Lake to conduct a sacrifice on behalf of the emperor.
• Liu Zhan identifies the historical period and recalls that this sacrifice was likely a blood sacrifice involving the souls of corrupt officials. The court also granted the Dragon Lord the honorific “Radiant Spirit, Universal Grace.”
• Horns summon the assembled Monsters to a nine-tiered sacrificial platform. Liu Zhan notices that both the Young Dragon and the Dragon Lord are absent and concludes they will appear once the ritual begins.

Character Developments

• Liu Zhan: Demonstrates extensive knowledge of Monster inheritances, Primordial Spirits, history, and the mechanics of the memory realm. His strategic plan shows patience and ruthlessness: he intends to wait until the inheritance is vulnerable before stealing it. His hostility toward Monsters remains absolute, even toward officially recognized Dragon Gods. However, the imperial honor granted to the Dragon Lord makes him briefly sympathize with Hui Dao’s resentment toward the Daoist establishment.
• Zheng Yingci: Continues to follow Liu Zhan’s instructions and learns how Monster inheritances function. He becomes increasingly uneasy about Liu Zhan’s familiarity with these inheritances, wondering whether the rumors that Daoist arts were taken from the Demon Race are true. His ability to conceal himself among the little demons shows caution and obedience.
• Hui Dao: Does not appear directly, but Liu Zhan reflects on his refusal to serve and begins to understand some of his grievances, even while judging his disobedience harshly.
• Cai Li: Introduced as the imperial envoy overseeing the sacrifice. His powerful voice, amplified throughout the Dragon Palace, illustrates the influence of imperial authority and Dragon Aura within the supernatural realm.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and ancestral memory: Monster bloodlines preserve fragments of Primordial Spirits, allowing descendants to relive the experiences of their ancestors.
• Reality, illusion, and consequence: Though the inheritance realm is a constructed memory, actions within it have real physical effects, blurring the boundary between illusion and reality.
• Power and exploitation: Liu Zhan views the inheritance not as sacred history but as a resource to be captured and weaponized.
• Ideological conflict: Liu Zhan’s belief that all Monsters—even enfeoffed Dragon Gods—must be destroyed contrasts with the imperial court’s willingness to honor and empower them.
• Institutional injustice and resentment: The court grants divine honors to a Demon God while rarely recognizing Daoists, contributing to Liu Zhan’s bitterness and helping him understand Hui Dao’s dissatisfaction.
• Patience and strategy: Success depends on waiting for the precise moment when the Young Dragon is most vulnerable rather than acting impulsively.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zhan explains the nature of the inheritance realm and his plan to Zheng Yingci, effectively instructing and testing his disciple.
• Zheng Yingci obeys his master but privately questions Liu Zhan’s past experience and motives.
• Liu Zhan encounters higher-ranking demon officials and follows their orders while concealing his true identity and intentions.
• The assembled Monsters respond collectively to the imperial announcement and horn summons, creating tension as outsiders disguised as demons await the beginning of the sacrifice.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci exchange a silent glance at the altar, coordinating their roles without exposing their plan.

Chapter 168 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Buhan infiltrates the Dragon Palace disguised as a high-ranking demon official named Baihong. He wears an elaborate official uniform and joins the preparations for the Young Dragon’s inheritance ritual.
• He instructs several demon subordinates to remain hidden until the ritual ends, then kill the Dragon Lord and seize his inheritance. Like Liu Zhan, Sun Buhan plans to attack when the Young Dragon is absorbed in digesting the inherited memories.
• While waiting for the ceremony to begin, Sun Buhan moves through the assembled demon officials, observing them for other infiltrators and assessing the Dragon Palace’s defenses.
• He is unexpectedly approached by Great Demon Duzui, who asks his opinion of the newly developed Demon-Ghost Path. Sun Buhan improvises an intelligent explanation, earning Duzui’s praise and a promise to recommend him for greater responsibilities.
• Sun Buhan then encounters the Young Dragon, who appears within the inheritance as an incarnation rather than her true body. She questions why he is not standing in formation.
• When Sun Buhan notices several obviously suspicious monsters, the Young Dragon orders officials to investigate them. The intruders immediately flee, confirming Sun Buhan’s suspicions that other factions are also attempting to exploit the ritual.
• The Young Dragon realizes that people are “fishing in troubled waters,” but her attention turns suspiciously toward Sun Buhan and the little demon accompanying him, suggesting that his disguise may be in danger of being exposed.

Character Developments

• Sun Buhan: Demonstrates careful planning, strong observational skills, and considerable improvisational ability. However, his casual conversations nearly expose him because he does not perfectly imitate the personality of the demon whose identity he has assumed. His surprise at the Young Dragon’s awareness also makes him question the nature and power of the inheritance realm.
• The Young Dragon: Appears lively, perceptive, and more intelligent than Sun Buhan expected. Though she is only an incarnation within the inherited memories, she can detect irregularities, command the palace officials, and quickly identify suspicious behavior.
• Great Demon Duzui: Reveals himself as an influential official who values Sun Buhan’s supposed insight and considers him talented enough for greater responsibility.
• Sun Buhan’s Subordinates: Follow his orders and remain prepared for the planned assassination, though they are kept at a distance during the initial stages of the ritual.

Significant Themes

• Deception and identity: Sun Buhan’s disguise allows him to enter the Dragon Palace, but successfully imitating another demon’s personality proves more difficult than changing his appearance.
• Inheritance and memory: The Dragon Palace is being reconstructed through the Young Dragon’s inherited memories. The chapter explores the uncertainty of this realm, where figures are incarnations rather than their true selves.
• Ambition and betrayal: Multiple groups intend to kill the Dragon Lord or steal his inheritance, turning the ritual into a contest of hidden agendas.
• Power and social hierarchy: Sun Buhan’s proximity to high-ranking officials demonstrates the importance of status and access in carrying out political or military schemes.
• Cultural contrast: Sun Buhan humorously compares the Dragon Palace’s excessive wealth and ornate clothing with human imperial courts, emphasizing the Dragon Race’s association with riches.

Character Interactions

• Sun Buhan orders his disguised allies to wait for his signal before attacking.
• He converses with Great Demon Duzui about the Demon-Ghost Path, unintentionally earning Duzui’s admiration.
• The Young Dragon questions Sun Buhan about his identity and absence from formation, creating the first direct threat to his cover.
• After the Young Dragon exposes a group of infiltrators, she fixes her attention on Sun Buhan and his companion, implying that she may suspect them as well.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Four demon soldiers sound their horns, signaling that the Dragon Lord has summoned the assembled demons and that the ritual is about to begin.
• The Young Dragon questions Sun Buhan but dismisses him when the summons interrupts them. She then takes her place on the second tier of the altar.
• Sun Buhan and a lesser demon debate whether the Young Dragon is genuine. Her unusually lively personality differs from the stern, quiet figure seen in the Dragon Lord’s memories, making Sun suspicious.
• They conclude that she is probably a memory-image rather than an imposter, since the Young Dragon is both the vessel of the inheritance and someone too important to the Dragon Lord’s memories to have been possessed without destabilizing the entire inheritance.
• Sun Buhan returns to his position among the ceremonial guards. He has secretly seized the body of a Water Palace martial official and placed his own demons among the official’s soldiers.
• The Dragon Lord arrives in magnificent ceremonial robes and begins ascending the nine-step altar. His presence overwhelms Sun Buhan, who instinctively lowers his head.
• Sun Buhan realizes that this is not the real Dragon Lord but only a memory of him. Nevertheless, the Dragon Lord’s status as the first True Dragon—and the innate essence he gathered from countless demons—still inspires fear and submission in Sun.
• Su Ziji awakens within the memory and discovers that he is inhabiting the Dragon Lord’s body during a grand sacrificial ceremony in the Water Palace.
• Guided by newly transmitted memories, Su Ziji understands his identity as the Water Palace’s Dragon Lord. He proceeds through an elaborate procession of palace maids and Demon Generals toward the altar.
• From the altar, Su Ziji observes the strange underwater setting: although the Dragon Palace lies beneath Coiling Dragon Lake, a separate space above the altar contains sky, clouds, and sunlight.
• He sees the Young Dragon standing alone on the altar and the many powerful demon officials gathered below. Though their spiritual pressure is overwhelming to him, the Dragon Lord’s body remains calm and carries out the ritual automatically.

Character Developments

• Sun Buhan: Becomes increasingly suspicious of the Young Dragon but is forced to suppress his doubts when the ceremony begins. His reaction to the Dragon Lord reveals deep racial resentment, fear, and humiliation. He struggles with his weakness and reminds himself to endure until the proper moment.
• The Young Dragon: Appears more lively, sly, and expressive than she does in the Dragon Lord’s memories, making her seem potentially abnormal or significant. Her true nature remains uncertain.
• Su Ziji: Gains control of the Dragon Lord’s memories and body without panicking. He begins learning about the Dragon Lord’s identity, power, ceremonial role, and environment while recognizing that the body’s actions and authority are not his own.
• The Dragon Lord: Is presented through memory as an immensely powerful, almost cosmic figure whose presence commands instinctive submission. His status as the first True Dragon is emphasized.

Significant Themes

• Memory versus reality: The chapter repeatedly distinguishes the remembered past from the actual present, showing that memory-images can possess convincing personalities and power.
• Inheritance and identity: The demons’ inherited memories and the ability to occupy bodies raise questions about who truly controls a person’s body and legacy.
• Power, hierarchy, and racial oppression: Sun Buhan’s involuntary submission to the Dragon Lord reflects the rigid hierarchy between dragons and other demon races, as well as his resentment toward it.
• Appearance versus truth: The Young Dragon’s behavior does not match the image preserved in memory, suggesting that even inherited memories may be incomplete or deceptive.
• The burden of power: Su Ziji experiences the Dragon Lord’s authority and abilities through the body, but understands that the power belongs to the vessel rather than to him personally.

Character Interactions

• The Young Dragon and Sun Buhan exchange a brief, interrupted conversation before she leaves for the altar.
• Sun Buhan and the lesser demon privately analyze the Young Dragon’s behavior and debate whether she is genuine.
• Sun Buhan’s internal reaction to the Dragon Lord contrasts sharply with the Dragon Lord’s commanding public presence.
• Su Ziji interacts indirectly with the demon officials and ritual participants through the Dragon Lord’s body, sensing their emotions and spiritual pressure while they respectfully bow before him.

Chapter Summary: “Spiritually Responsive and Gloriously Protective”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji remains trapped within the Dragon Lord’s body, unable to move or speak, but he can see through the Dragon Lord’s eyes and access information about everything he observes.
• This ability provides him with immediate knowledge about the identities, loyalties, natures, and histories of the demons around him, as well as the functions and origins of magical objects such as the Water-Quelling Gui pendant.
• Su Ziji discovers that he can also hear and partially share the Dragon Lord’s thoughts, allowing him to understand the Dragon Lord’s suspicions about the sudden sacrifice from the Great Wei dynasty.
• The Young Dragon contacts Su Ziji through inherited dragon knowledge, recognizing him as her teacher. She also senses that a human has infiltrated the Dragon Lord’s domain, suggesting that Su Ziji is not the only outsider present.
• The Dragon Lord realizes that the mortal-world sacrifice has begun. A scene appears in the sky showing Great Wei officials bringing the corrupt censor Zhuang Yu to Coiling Dragon Lake for execution and blood sacrifice.
• Zhuang Yu is executed for corruption, framing innocent people, and arranging the murder of a witness. His blood is offered to the Dragon Lord in exchange for favorable weather.
• The Dragon Lord rejects the blood sacrifice as an attempted scheme, scattering the bloody energy rather than accepting it. The surrounding demon officials absorb the energy and appear pleased by its potency.
• The imperial edict praises the Dragon Lord for bringing rain to the drought-stricken Great Wei and grants him the honorific title “Spiritually Responsive and Gloriously Protective.”

Character Developments

• Su Ziji: Gains a deeper understanding of the Dragon Lord’s power and position while being forced into a passive observer’s role. His supernatural access to the Dragon Lord’s memories and thoughts gives him unprecedented insight, but he remains concerned about the hidden conspiracy and the Young Dragon’s safety. Seeing Great Wei also awakens the possibility that he may descend from its former imperial family.
• The Dragon Lord: Is portrayed as proud, powerful, and disdainful of mortal manipulation. He regards the demon officials with cold authority and refuses to submit fully to the emperor, responding with a respectful bow rather than kneeling. Despite his strength, he appears bored and largely uninterested in the sacrifice.
• The Young Dragon: Demonstrates increasing awareness and independence through her inherited dragon knowledge. She recognizes Su Ziji’s presence and immediately notices the intrusion of a human, indicating that she may become important in uncovering the conspiracy.
• The Demon Officials: Their resentment and jealousy toward the Dragon Lord are evident, though they are too thoroughly dominated to rebel. Their eagerness to consume the discarded sacrificial energy reveals their self-interest and dependence on the Dragon Lord’s power.

Significant Themes

• Power and hierarchy: The Dragon Lord’s authority is based on conquest and control, while his interaction with the emperor reveals a complex balance between divine power and imperial legitimacy.
• Observation versus agency: Su Ziji possesses extraordinary knowledge but cannot act, emphasizing his helplessness and the tension between understanding events and being unable to influence them.
• Political and religious manipulation: The blood sacrifice and imperial edict show how rulers use ritual, divine beings, and public morality to pursue political goals.
• Legitimacy and equality: The Dragon Lord’s “imperial bow” symbolizes a relationship with the emperor that is respectful but not submissive, reflecting the idea that even divine or imperial authority has limits.
• Identity and inheritance: Su Ziji’s emotional response to Great Wei’s clothing and customs raises the possibility of a hidden royal ancestry.
• Conspiracy and danger: The arrival of multiple outsiders, Luo Pei’s blood sacrifice, and the infiltration of the Dragon Lord’s palace suggest a coordinated plot directed at the Dragon Lord.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji observes the Dragon Lord’s interactions with the demon officials and interprets the fear, resentment, and submission underlying their behavior.
• The Young Dragon reaches out to Su Ziji as her teacher, creating a secret connection that the Dragon Lord does not seem to detect.
• The Dragon Lord rejects the blood sacrifice offered by the Great Wei officials, while the demon officials exploit the discarded energy for themselves.
• The imperial decree publicly honors the Dragon Lord, but the Dragon Lord’s refusal to kneel establishes that his relationship with the emperor is one of mutual recognition rather than simple subordination.

Summary of “A Tiger’s Covetous Gaze”

Key Plot Points and Events

• An imperial decree from the True Dragon of the mortal realm descends upon the Dragon Lord, strengthening his ceremonial robes and releasing a powerful wave of Yu energy across the altar.
• The wave suppresses the demons present. Weaker demons lose control of their forms, while outsiders inhabiting demon bodies suffer even more severely because they lack experience with the court’s authority.
• Zheng Yingci nearly loses control of his possessed body and risks exposing himself. At the crucial moment, Liu Zhan secretly takes control and sends white light into him, stabilizing his soul and concealing their identities.
• Sun Buhan notices Liu Zhan’s intervention and realizes that he and Zheng Yingci are outsiders. He concludes that many others around the altar are also disguised intruders and orders his allies to wait rather than act immediately.
• Su Ziji, experiencing the ritual from within the Dragon Lord’s body, senses that the imperial decree is both a blessing and a form of restraint. The Dragon Lord is dissatisfied because the decree adds only a few characters to his robes rather than granting him a true imperial title.
• The Dragon Lord accepts the decree, completing the sacrifice and causing the inheritance to become fully unsealed.
• Su Ziji realizes that the inheritance will pass on the instant the Dragon Lord steps down. Because the “little dragon” does not yet exist, this is the ideal moment for the outsiders to seize the inheritance before its intended recipient can receive it.
• The demons and outsiders around the altar become tense and prepare for conflict. Sun Buhan identifies the presence of Land Demons and Winged Demons, who have entered the underwater Dragon Palace despite being disadvantaged in the environment.
• These rival factions hope to seize the Dragon Lord’s legacy and use the Dragon Blood to transform their own races into dragons. Sun Buhan regards them as greedy interlopers and intends to prevent them from succeeding.

Character Developments

• Zheng Yingci becomes more cautious after experiencing the terrifying suppression of the imperial decree. He recognizes the immense authority of the demon court and understands why the Monsters cannot overthrow the established order.
• Liu Zhan demonstrates both awareness and loyalty by taking control of Zheng Yingci’s body and rescuing him without exposing either of them.
• Sun Buhan proves highly observant, detecting hidden outsiders through subtle changes in aura. He shifts from concealment to active preparation and positions himself as a dominant competitor.
• Su Ziji gains a deeper understanding of the ritual and uncovers the true strategic importance of the inheritance’s unsealing. His perspective reveals that the imperial decree may be politically advantageous while also limiting the Dragon Lord’s freedom.
• The Dragon Lord accepts the decree but privately resents the court’s refusal to grant him a genuine imperial title, revealing his ambition and dissatisfaction with the current hierarchy.

Significant Themes

• Authority and suppression: The imperial decree symbolizes the overwhelming power of the orthodox court over the Demon Race, forcing even powerful beings to submit.
• Inheritance and opportunism: The unsealed Dragon Lord legacy attracts competing factions, all willing to exploit a brief moment of vulnerability to claim power.
• Identity and concealment: Outsiders hide within demon bodies, relying on secret arts and careful behavior to avoid detection.
• Political favor as control: The decree appears to honor the Dragon Lord, yet Su Ziji recognizes that such recognition may also function as a shackle.
• Racial survival and ambition: Land Demons, Winged Demons, and Water Demons all view dragon blood as a path to greater power and the long-term revival of their races.

Character Interactions

• The imperial decree affects everyone at the altar, forcing the weaker demons and disguised outsiders to endure its power.
• Zheng Yingci silently appeals to Liu Zhan, who intervenes without openly acknowledging their connection.
• Sun Buhan observes Liu Zhan’s rescue of Zheng Yingci, exposing their alliance and ordering his own followers to remain patient.
• Su Ziji mentally analyzes the Dragon Lord’s actions and motives while sharing the Dragon Lord’s physical experience.
• Sun Buhan views the Land Demons and Winged Demons as rivals and thieves, while they openly express their determination to seize the inheritance before anyone else.

Chapter Summary: “Stuff You to Death”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji undergoes the Dragon Lord’s inheritance inside the dragon’s body. The process forces immense memories and power into his soul, causing severe pain and nearly overwhelming him.
• An imperial decree from the former Wei Dynasty appears and unexpectedly protects and nourishes Su Ziji’s exhausted soul. This strengthens the possibility that he possesses a connection to the previous dynasty’s imperial bloodline.
• Su Ziji realizes that the Dragon Lord’s inheritance contains extensive knowledge of:
  • The Demon Realm
  • Demon arts
  • The Coiling Dragon Secret Art
  • The origins of True Dragons and their connection to the imperial court
• Much of the inheritance is unconsciously redirected toward the Young Dragon, who was originally meant to receive it gradually. Su Ziji acts as an accidental intermediary and buffer.
• The Rosewood Pendant activates and extracts the parts of the inheritance that the Seed of Humanity rejects. These are converted into rapid improvements in Su Ziji’s cultivated abilities:
  • Coiling Dragon Heart Method reaches Level 5, just short of the limit imposed by the Seed of Humanity.
  • Go advances to Level 10, increasing his Intelligence.
  • Four Books and Five Classics rise to Level 14.
  • Academy Pavilion Script reaches Level 8.
  • Ink Wash Painting reaches Level 10, increasing his Charm.
  • Violet Clarity Freedom Ode reaches Level 5, increasing his Aptitude.
• As the inheritance ends, the surrounding Great Demons and other factions prepare to attack once the Dragon Lord leaves the platform.
• Su Ziji receives the Dragon Lord’s thoughts about a newly developed Demon-Ghost Path. The Dragon Lord hopes to solve the Demon Race’s declining population and limited lifespans by transforming their powerful Primordial Spirits into Demon Ghosts capable of expanding into the Underworld.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji demonstrates remarkable endurance by surviving an inheritance that was not meant for him and was especially dangerous because he was viewed as an outsider or “thief.”
• He gains valuable knowledge and major increases in his scholarly, artistic, spiritual, and cultivation abilities, even though he cannot fully inherit the Dragon Lord’s core power.
• Su Ziji becomes more considerate toward the Young Dragon. Rather than hoarding the inheritance, he ensures that it is transferred to her so she can benefit from what was originally intended for her.
• The Young Dragon is overwhelmed by the sudden flood of inherited memories and power. She complains that the inheritance nearly “stuffed her to death,” but remains curious about why it reacted so violently to Su Ziji.
• The Dragon Lord is revealed as a thinker concerned not only with personal power but also with the future survival of the Demon Race. His research into Demon Ghosts reflects both strategic ambition and concern over demographic decline.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and legitimacy: The imperial decree’s protective response hints at Su Ziji’s possible royal bloodline, while the inheritance raises questions about who is truly entitled to receive it.
• Knowledge as power: Even when Su Ziji cannot directly absorb the Dragon Lord’s cultivation, the converted knowledge dramatically strengthens his learning, arts, and spiritual techniques.
• Accidental responsibility: Su Ziji becomes responsible for preserving and passing on the Young Dragon’s inheritance, showing that unexpected circumstances can force him into a guardian-like role.
• Human–demon relations: The Dragon Lord recognizes humanity’s faster reproduction and growing pool of talent as a long-term threat to the Demon Race.
• Mortality and survival: The Demon-Ghost Path is presented as a possible answer to the Great Demons’ limited lifespans and the Demon Race’s weakening population.
• Life, death, and expansion: The Underworld becomes a potential new sphere for demons, suggesting that the boundary between living demons, spirits, and ghosts may be transformed into a path toward racial survival.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and the Young Dragon communicate through their mental link. She explains that the inheritance was meant to be absorbed slowly, while he realizes that his presence caused the process to become dangerously forceful.
• Their conversation reveals mutual dependence: Su Ziji buffers and organizes the inheritance, while the Young Dragon remains its intended recipient.
• Su Ziji’s thoughts show growing sympathy for the Young Dragon, especially because he fears that his accidental involvement might once again deprive her of an important opportunity.
• The Dragon Lord’s internal reflections indirectly connect him to both characters, explaining the purpose of the inheritance and the broader political and biological crisis facing the Demon Race.

Chapter Summary: “A Wise Ruler”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Dragon Lord reflects on a prophecy that the Demon Race will eventually face a devastating catastrophe, with the Water Demons playing a role in their revival.
• He explains that the Demon Race is relatively young, having risen only in recent centuries. Its growing strength and establishment of the Demon Court have made it a threat to humanity, making conflict between the two races inevitable.
• The Dragon Lord reveals his long-term strategy: strengthen the Water Demons, develop Demon Ghosts, and expand around the Human Race’s territory. Su Ziji recognizes him as an exceptionally capable and farsighted ruler.
• Su Ziji wonders how such a powerful Dragon Lord could have fallen, questioning whether Heaven’s Mandate or the united resistance of humanity made his defeat unavoidable.
• After the ritual ends, the Dragon Lord laments the schemes of Emperor Shizu of Great Wei and suggests that the emperor has a personal connection to his daughter, Lian’er.
• Before Su Ziji can process this revelation, a Tiger Demon named Qi Gu attacks, seeking to seize the Dragon Blood and gain dragon power. He claims the Water Demons have enjoyed prosperity while ordinary demons, including his family, suffered under human persecution.
• Qi Gu brutally kills the Dragon Lord’s guards and tears through the phantom demon forces within the inheritance world.
• Although the Dragon Lord remains calm and motionless, Su Ziji is trapped within his body and fears being unable to defend himself. He realizes that the inheritance being transferred to the Young Dragon may contain enough authority to reverse the crisis.
• Sun Buhan intervenes just as Qi Gu reaches the Dragon Lord, sending another demon to block the Tiger Demon.
• Several attackers then rush toward the Dragon Lord, but a disguised Tree Demon appears to defend him. The other demons mock the Tree Demon’s apparent desire to become a dragon.

Character Developments

• The Dragon Lord is portrayed as a wise, strategic ruler who understands the inevitability of war with humanity and prepares for the Demon Race’s future rather than relying solely on prophecy. His mention of Lian’er also reveals a complicated connection to Emperor Shizu.
• Su Ziji gains deeper respect for the Dragon Lord and begins to understand the scale of the historical forces surrounding the inheritance. He remains anxious and powerless because he cannot yet control the Dragon Lord’s body, but he places hope in the Young Dragon’s absorption of the inheritance.
• Qi Gu, the Tiger Demon, is introduced as powerful, resentful, and driven by personal loss. His wife and cubs were killed by humans, and his bitterness toward the favored Water Demons fuels his reckless assault.
• Sun Buhan demonstrates loyalty and quick judgment by intervening to protect the Dragon Lord and Young Lord.
• The Tree Demon unexpectedly reveals himself as an ally, defending the Dragon Lord despite being ridiculed by other demons.

Significant Themes

• Foresight and leadership: The Dragon Lord’s rise comes from strategic planning and political awareness, not merely supernatural prophecy.
• The inevitability of conflict: The chapter presents the struggle between humans and demons as a consequence of competing ambitions, with “two suns” unable to coexist.
• Fate versus free will: Su Ziji questions whether the Dragon Lord’s fall was predetermined by Heaven’s Mandate or caused by forces too large for any individual to overcome.
• Class resentment and unequal protection: Qi Gu’s anger reflects the division between the prosperous Water Demons and lesser demons forced to hide and suffer.
• Power and inheritance: The Dragon Blood represents both authority and the continuation of the Dragon Lord’s legacy, making it the focus of the struggle.
• Appearance versus allegiance: The Tree Demon is mocked for aspiring to become a dragon, yet proves more loyal than those who dismiss him.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji listens to and evaluates the Dragon Lord’s political philosophy, developing admiration for him while questioning his eventual downfall.
• The Dragon Lord’s reference to Lian’er and Emperor Shizu hints at a personal and possibly familial relationship between the demon ruler and the human emperor.
• Qi Gu confronts the Dragon Lord directly, accusing him of abandoning lesser demons and protecting only the Water Demons.
• The guards attempt to defend the Dragon Lord but are quickly slaughtered by Qi Gu.
• Sun Buhan sends a warrior to stop Qi Gu, delaying the attack on the Dragon Lord.
• A Tree Demon blocks additional attackers and is immediately mocked by other demons, establishing a contrast between superficial status judgments and genuine loyalty.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Way Standoff”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chenglin, revealed to be a Tree Demon, defends the honor of the former Dragon Lord and Young Lord, condemning the younger demons for disrespecting their rulers and history.
• Sun Buhan, angered by the mockery, orders his followers to kill the rebellious demons.
• A fierce battle erupts between Sun Buhan’s experienced guards and the newer, less-trained demons. The guards dominate, using the Demon Court Martial Canon, a combat system refined by the Dragon Lord from Great Wei’s Martial Canon.
• The Tiger Demon is the only new demon able to resist for any length of time, but it is ultimately badly injured by the superior martial techniques of the older demons.
• Su Ziji observes through the Dragon Eyes that the combatants are phantoms rather than their true bodies. When phantoms die, their corpses remain, while the Demon Souls of actual demons escape in damaged forms. Sun Buhan and his followers deliberately allow these Demon Souls to flee, revealing an unspoken rule among the Monsters.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci arrive and become involved in the conflict. Several Water Demon Generals attack Liu Zhan, but he survives by using the Primordial Spirit of a Dharma treasure, which manifests as a protective shield.
• With the failed attack, all sides pause, creating a three-way standoff:
  1. Land Demons and Winged Demons seeking the Dragonblood Inheritance,
  2. Sun Buhan and the Water/Sea Demons attempting to monopolize it,
  3. Liu Zhan, Zheng Yingci, and Du Chenglin, whose presence is viewed as meddling by the demons.
• The Tiger Demon and the injured Wolf Demon recognize that continued fighting will bring them little benefit and may endanger their true bodies. Both withdraw, followed by several other demons, leaving the area significantly less crowded.

Character Developments

• Du Chenglin is established as a loyal traditionalist who reveres the Dragon Lord and remains committed to protecting the Young Dragon of Coiling Dragon Lake, even though this places him against nearly every demon faction.
• Sun Buhan is shown to be ruthless, politically dominant, and protective of the Water Demons’ claim to the inheritance. His knowledge of the Demon Court Martial Canon gives his forces a decisive advantage.
• The Tiger Demon develops from an aggressive challenger into a pragmatic survivor. Though furious at the older demons’ refusal to aid newcomers, it recognizes when the battle is unwinnable and withdraws.
• The Wolf Demon is revealed to be calculating, attempting to use the Tiger Demon as leverage against the Sea Demons, but ultimately retreats after realizing the danger.
• Su Ziji acts as an observer and investigator, uncovering the distinction between phantom deaths and the destruction of real Demon Souls, as well as the hidden cooperation among the Monster factions.
• Liu Zhan demonstrates exceptional ability by infiltrating the Water Palace illusion and bringing in the Primordial Spirit of a Dharma treasure, surprising Sun Buhan.

Significant Themes

• Tradition versus new power: Older demons claim authority through the Dragon Lord’s legacy and formal training, while newly born demons resent their exclusion and lack of support.
• Factional rivalry and inheritance: The Dragonblood Inheritance represents the future of the Demon Race, but different groups dispute whether it belongs to all demons or primarily to the Water Demons.
• Pragmatism and survival: Despite their ideological arguments, many demons retreat when the cost becomes too high, showing that self-preservation outweighs loyalty to a cause.
• Hidden rules and political restraint: The Monsters appear to follow an unwritten agreement not to interfere with escaping Demon Souls, suggesting deeper political arrangements beneath the apparent violence.
• Legitimacy and loyalty: Du Chenglin’s defense of the Dragon Lord contrasts with the newer demons’ disregard for the past, while human involvement further complicates questions of rightful inheritance.

Character Interactions

• Du Chenglin confronts the disrespectful new demons, prompting Sun Buhan to order their extermination.
• Sun Buhan’s guards clash with the Tiger Demon, whose anger at the older demons’ selfishness reflects the broader conflict between established and emerging demons.
• Sun Buhan and the Land Demons openly challenge each other over ownership of the Dragon Lord Legacy.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci are treated as outsiders by all demon factions, while Du Chenglin is similarly isolated because of his loyalty to the Dragon Emperor and Young Dragon.
• The arrival of Liu Zhan’s Dharma-treasure Primordial Spirit interrupts the fighting and forces all three factions to reassess one another’s strength.

Summary of “Dividing It Equally”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the other contenders leave, the remaining demons form a temporary alliance to seize the Dragon Lord Legacy. They attack both the Dragon Lord—whose body contains Su Ziji—and the human Daoists, Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci.
• Sun Buhan recognizes the demons’ strategy and unleashes his true, monstrous power. His attack devastates the charging Land Demons, reducing several to their original animal forms and demonstrating the gap between him and the weaker demons.
• Su Ziji observes the battle from within the Dragon Lord, realizing how overwhelmingly attractive the legacy is to the Demon Race. He worries about the Young Dragon, whom he has been teaching the Coiling Dragon Heart Method, and hopes she will successfully inherit the legacy.
• The battle becomes increasingly dangerous. Su Ziji understands that failure could result in him and the Young Dragon suffering severe injuries or death, while the demons or Daoists might seize their Dragon Blood.
• Liu Zhan saves Zheng Yingci from a python demon by using the Primordial Spirit of the Primal Thunder Pearl, a treasure especially effective against demons. The attack severely burns the python and frightens the other demons into retreating.
• Liu Zhan reveals that although physical treasures cannot enter the realm, their Primordial Spirits can. He warns the demons not to attack him again.
• Recognizing that he cannot defeat everyone alone and that the demons are divided among themselves, Liu Zhan proposes an alliance with one side. He suggests joining forces to eliminate the Land Demons and splitting the Dragon Lord Legacy equally.

Character Developments

• Sun Buhan reveals his frightening combat ability and demonic nature, easily overwhelming numerous Land Demons. His calm, cold confidence shows that he is far stronger than the cannon-fodder demons attacking him.
• Su Ziji remains composed under extreme danger. His perspective begins to merge with that of the Dragon Lord, giving him a powerful, almost transcendent view of the battlefield. He also shows concern for the Young Dragon, despite benefiting personally from the legacy.
• Liu Zhan proves that his strength extends beyond Daoist techniques: his martial arts are impressive, and he is willing to expend a powerful trump card to save Zheng Yingci. Afterward, he shifts from trying to monopolize the legacy to pursuing a practical alliance.
• Zheng Yingci is shown to be considerably weaker than the major demons and is nearly killed by the python. His fear and caution deepen after realizing that death would damage his Primordial Spirit, even if it would not permanently kill him.
• The demons are revealed to be united only by their desire for the legacy. Their temporary cooperation begins to fracture once Liu Zhan displays the Primal Thunder Pearl.

Significant Themes

• Greed and dangerous ambition: The Dragon Lord Legacy is so valuable that the demons willingly risk their lives for even a chance to obtain it.
• Temporary alliances and betrayal: The demons cooperate against common enemies but remain rivals. Liu Zhan exploits this division by proposing a partnership.
• Power and survival: Characters must constantly assess their strength, resources, and vulnerabilities rather than rely on ideals or confidence.
• Inheritance and worthiness: The legacy cannot be fully borne by ordinary participants; only the Dragon Lord’s direct Young Dragon descendants are truly suited to inherit it.
• Calm amid mortal danger: Su Ziji’s emotional transformation—from potential fear to intense yet controlled excitement—reflects his growing alignment with the Dragon Lord’s perspective.

Character Interactions

• Sun Buhan protects the Dragon Lord while fighting off the Land Demons, unintentionally giving Su Ziji time to observe the battle.
• Liu Zhan rescues Zheng Yingci from the python demon, reinforcing their partnership and revealing Liu’s willingness to risk his own position for his companion.
• The Primal Thunder Pearl’s power makes the demons wary of Liu Zhan, causing them to reconsider attacking him.
• Sun Buhan and Du Chenglin both react cautiously to Liu Zhan’s hidden trump card, recognizing that he is more dangerous than expected.
• Liu Zhan attempts to reshape the conflict by offering an alliance to one faction: together they would drive out the Land Demons and divide the legacy rather than fight over it individually.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Sun Buhan rejects Liu Zhan’s proposal to divide the Dragon Palace inheritance evenly, insisting that it is an internal matter of the Demon Race and that humans should receive nothing.
• The demons rally behind Sun Buhan and decide to kill Liu Zhan first, then divide the inheritance among themselves.
• Several Land and Water Demons temporarily set aside their hostility toward one another and attack Liu Zhan and his disciple, Zheng Yingci. Sun Buhan orders them to target Zheng Yingci as Liu Zhan’s weakness.
• Liu Zhan fights back with the Primal Thunder Pearl, but the demons prepare for its lightning and withstand its attacks. A Wolf Demon tears a piece from Zheng Yingci’s arm before Liu Zhan kills it by sacrificing his own blood essence to amplify the Thunder Pearl.
• While observing through the Dragon Eyes, Su Ziji analyzes Liu Zhan’s magical artifacts, defensive robe, and unusual techniques, realizing that Liu Zhan may have learned secret arts connected to the Demon Race.
• Su Ziji senses that the Young Dragon’s inheritance is being digested within him. He begins to believe that, once he gains control of it, he may escape and possibly aid Du Chenglin.
• Sun Buhan mocks Zheng Yingci as the “one destined by fate,” confusing Zheng Yingci and provoking Liu Zhan. Liu Zhan condemns Sun Buhan for betraying the Dragon Lord despite receiving his favor.
• Their argument exposes the conflict between Sun Buhan’s openly ruthless survivalism and Liu Zhan’s accusations of hypocrisy.
• Su Ziji suddenly realizes that he has strangely overlooked Zheng Yingci’s importance. Through the Dragon Eyes, he perceives that Zheng Yingci possesses a deep connection to the Dragon Race, especially the Young Dragon Girl, and may have been destined to form that bond even earlier.

Character Developments

• Liu Zhan: Becomes increasingly protective of Zheng Yingci, using his own blood essence to strengthen the Thunder Pearl after Zheng Yingci is injured. Though outnumbered, he remains defiant and verbally challenges Sun Buhan.
• Zheng Yingci: His dependence on Liu Zhan deepens after repeatedly facing danger. He sees his master as the only reliable source of safety, while Sun Buhan’s remarks make him question his own mysterious destiny.
• Sun Buhan: Reveals his ruthless pragmatism and willingness to exploit Zheng Yingci’s vulnerability. He abandons any pretense of honor, openly embracing the Demon Race’s principle that strength determines ownership.
• Su Ziji: Gains greater insight through the Dragon Eyes, understanding both Liu Zhan’s abilities and Zheng Yingci’s hidden fate. His attitude shifts from detached amusement to serious concern as he recognizes Zheng Yingci’s potential importance to the Dragon inheritance.
• The Demons: Former rivals temporarily unite against Liu Zhan, demonstrating that fear of losing the inheritance can override their internal divisions.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus morality: The demons justify betrayal and violence as natural consequences of strength, while Liu Zhan condemns them as dishonorable.
• Hypocrisy and moral conflict: The exchange between Liu Zhan and Sun Buhan highlights the tension between claiming virtue and acting ruthlessly. Both accuse the other side of disguising self-interest behind moral language.
• Destiny and hidden fate: Zheng Yingci’s designation as someone “destined by fate” suggests that his connection to the Dragon Race may have been predetermined or concealed by powerful forces.
• Inheritance and power: The chapter emphasizes that magical inheritance grants not only strength but also the ability to perceive hidden truths and alter one’s position in a life-or-death struggle.
• Teacher-disciple loyalty: Zheng Yingci’s injuries reinforce his trust in Liu Zhan, while Liu Zhan’s willingness to expend his own blood essence demonstrates his commitment to protecting his disciple.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zhan and Sun Buhan: Their negotiation collapses into mutual hostility. Sun Buhan accuses humans of hypocrisy, while Liu Zhan attacks the demons’ lack of loyalty and righteousness.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci: Their bond strengthens as Liu Zhan repeatedly protects Zheng Yingci, and Zheng Yingci becomes increasingly reliant on him.
• Sun Buhan and Zheng Yingci: Sun Buhan treats Zheng Yingci as a strategic weakness and reveals that he may possess a special destiny, though Zheng Yingci does not understand the implication.
• Su Ziji and the others: Su Ziji remains physically removed but observes everyone through the Dragon Eyes, gradually uncovering the secrets behind Liu Zhan’s abilities and Zheng Yingci’s connection to the Dragon Race.
• Su Ziji and Du Chenglin: Su Ziji begins considering how controlling the Young Dragon’s inheritance could allow him not only to escape but also to help Du Chenglin, whom he views favorably despite learning that Du is a monster.

Chapter Summary: “Hand Over the Legacy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zhan and Sun Buhan temporarily set aside their hostility to eliminate the remaining Land Demons before the Dragon Lord Legacy is fully absorbed. They recognize that time is running out: if the young dragon completes the inheritance, the legacy realm may disappear.
• Liu Zhan’s Thunder Pearl is heavily depleted, and he proposes dividing the legacy equally. Sun Buhan accepts a temporary alliance, though neither truly trusts the other.
• Together, the Water Demons and Daoists eliminate most of the Land Demons. Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci account for roughly thirty percent, while Sun Buhan’s forces destroy the remaining seventy percent.
• Du Chenglin remains as the final protector between the attackers and the Dragon Lord. Sun Buhan tries to persuade him to abandon the young master and princess, arguing that the Demon Emperor is dead, the princess is too young, and the Demon Race needs a stronger ruler.
• Du Chenglin refuses, declaring that he serves only the Demon Emperor and the young master. Sun Buhan and Liu Zhan then join forces against him.
• Sun Buhan uses a command tablet once bestowed by the Demon Emperor to restrain Du Chenglin. Liu Zhan follows with a devastating attack from the Thunder Pearl, using essence blood to unleash a crimson beam that pierces Du Chenglin’s body.
• Though mortally wounded and on the verge of disappearing, Du Chenglin seizes the command tablet. He vanishes along with it, denying Sun Buhan the valuable artifact.
• With Du Chenglin gone, the surviving Water Demons and Daoists surround the Dragon Lord. Their immediate objective is to force the young dragon to surrender the legacy before it can be fully digested.
• Sun Buhan presents his demand as an act of concern, promising to honor the princess as empress and claiming that her descendants will inherit the position of Dragon Lord.

Character Developments

• Liu Zhan: Demonstrates strategic flexibility and ruthlessness. He repeatedly compromises when necessary but remains calculating and self-interested. His irritation with Zheng Yingci reveals his disappointment in his disciple’s weakness, while his thoughts hint at another, more suitable potential disciple whose identity prevents him from accepting them.
• Sun Buhan: Shows himself to be politically manipulative and opportunistic. He can temporarily cooperate with Liu Zhan while still planning for future conflict. His rhetoric about protecting the Demon Race masks his ambition to control its succession.
• Du Chenglin: Solidifies his role as a loyal and courageous guardian. Despite severe injuries and overwhelming opposition, he refuses to betray the Demon Emperor’s family and makes a final sacrifice by taking the command tablet with him.
• Zheng Yingci: Appears frightened and dependent on Liu Zhan’s protection. His weakness causes Liu Zhan to view him with dissatisfaction, suggesting tension in their master-disciple relationship.
• The young dragon/princess: Remains physically unable to respond while absorbing the legacy, making her vulnerable. Her position as the rightful heir conflicts with the political pressure for a new, stronger ruler.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus political pragmatism: Du Chenglin’s unwavering devotion contrasts with Sun Buhan’s argument that survival and political strength justify replacing the old succession.
• Betrayal and temporary alliances: Enemies cooperate only because circumstances demand it, with both Liu Zhan and Sun Buhan clearly expecting to compete again once the legacy is secured.
• The manipulation of legitimacy: Sun Buhan frames his ambition as service to the Demon Race, using promises of honor and protection to disguise an attempted seizure of power.
• Sacrifice and resistance: Du Chenglin’s final act prevents the command tablet from falling into enemy hands, allowing him to preserve at least part of his master’s legacy despite defeat.
• The urgency of inheritance: The chapter emphasizes the race against time as the young dragon’s completion of the legacy could determine who controls the future of the Demon Race.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Zhan and Sun Buhan: Move from open conflict to an uneasy tactical alliance. Both acknowledge that continued fighting would benefit their enemies, but neither trusts the other.
• Sun Buhan and Du Chenglin: Sun Buhan attempts to undermine Du Chenglin’s loyalty through political persuasion and promises of future authority. Du Chenglin rejects him outright.
• Sun Buhan and Liu Zhan versus Du Chenglin: Their cooperation culminates in Du Chenglin’s defeat, though his final counterattack takes the command tablet.
• Sun Buhan and the princess: Sun Buhan adopts a falsely reassuring tone, promising her safety and ceremonial status while demanding that she surrender the legacy and abandon her claim to rule.

Chapter Summary: Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method

Key Plot Points and Events

• On the high platform, Sun Buhan and Liu Zhan confront the Dragon Lord over the Dragon Palace inheritance. The Dragon Lord argues that killing her would provoke the Dragon Palace and trigger a civil war between dragon heirs, while surrendering the inheritance would avoid conflict.
• Although Sun Buhan claims he does not intend to kill her, Liu Zhan secretly launches a fatal attack using the Thunder Pearl and his essence blood. His goal is to kill the Young Dragon and plunge the Demon Race into civil war, benefiting humanity.
• The lightning strikes the Dragon Lord, but Su Ziji gains a crucial breakthrough. He sees the inscription for the Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method, which has reached Level 1, and realizes that the inheritance has been fully absorbed while the Inheritance Spirit still has a short time remaining.
• Su Ziji stops the Thunder Pearl’s lightning with one finger and uses the inheritance’s power to summon golden chains that bind every demon on the altar.
• Liu Zhan is suddenly killed by the Young Dragon, who emerges separately from the Dragon Lord. She pierces his chest and destroys his body before he can react.
• Liu Zhan’s disciple, Zheng Yingci, attempts to flee, but the Young Dragon kills him just as easily. Her playful, catlike cruelty emphasizes the overwhelming gap between her power and his.
• The Young Dragon claims the ownerless Thunder Pearl before Sun Buhan can seize it. Sun Buhan is horrified that the inheritance has been completed so quickly and cannot understand how both Su Ziji and the Young Dragon can exist simultaneously.
• Su Ziji explains internally that his bloodline resonated with the former dynasty’s imperial family, allowing him to receive Great Wei’s protection and accelerate the inheritance process. The Young Dragon’s own identity as Great Wei’s Dragon Maiden may also have enabled her to absorb the inheritance extraordinarily quickly.
• Su Ziji turns the Thunder Pearl against Sun Buhan. Its lightning destroys Sun Buhan, disperses his python phantom, and annihilates the other bound demons and the surrounding palace scene.
• The illusion collapses, revealing the more modest but partially restored Water Palace. The corridor has expanded and gained additional rooms and decorations, though deeper areas remain sealed by an unknown force.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji completes the inheritance and gains decisive control over the palace and Thunder Pearl. He moves from helpless observation to absolute dominance, demonstrating that the demons’ schemes have become irrelevant.
• The Young Dragon reveals herself as an exceptionally powerful and merciless figure. Her childlike appearance contrasts sharply with her effortless slaughter of Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci. Her vertical pupils and playful attitude suggest a predatory, almost feline nature.
• Liu Zhan is exposed as more ruthless and strategically ambitious than Sun Buhan. He intends to kill the Young Dragon not to obtain the inheritance directly, but to cause a destructive civil war among the demons. His confidence proves misplaced, and he dies instantly.
• Sun Buhan loses control of the situation. His attempts to manipulate the Dragon Lord and seize the Thunder Pearl fail, and his disbelief reveals how completely Su Ziji and the Young Dragon have surpassed his expectations.
• Zheng Yingci is shown to be loyal to Liu Zhan but powerless without his master. His immediate panic and death emphasize the terrifying change in the battle’s balance.

Significant Themes

• Fate and coincidence: Su Ziji reflects that several unlikely events—his bloodline, Great Wei’s protection, and the Young Dragon’s identity—have aligned too perfectly, suggesting that an unseen force may be guiding events.
• Power and hidden identity: The existence of both Su Ziji and the Young Dragon undermines the demons’ assumptions about the inheritance and reveals that appearances and conventional rules are unreliable.
• Schemes rendered meaningless: The demons’ political calculations, alliances, and attempts to provoke civil war all fail once the inheritance is completed.
• Predatory innocence: The Young Dragon’s adorable appearance and childish manner contrast with her brutal treatment of her enemies, highlighting the danger of underestimating her.
• Restoration and incomplete progress: The Water Palace is visibly repairing itself, symbolizing renewed strength and inheritance, but the blocked corridor shows that Su Ziji’s journey and access to the palace’s deeper secrets are not yet complete.

Character Interactions

• The Dragon Lord verbally challenges Sun Buhan’s claim that he cannot kill her, correctly recognizing that his true intentions are hostile.
• Liu Zhan disregards Sun Buhan’s apparent restraint and attacks independently, believing the Young Dragon’s death would benefit humanity.
• Su Ziji and the Young Dragon act in parallel: he restrains the demons and controls the Thunder Pearl, while she personally eliminates Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci.
• Sun Buhan attempts to seize the Thunder Pearl from Liu Zhan’s remains, but the Young Dragon effortlessly claims it first.
• Su Ziji confronts Sun Buhan directly and executes him through the Thunder Pearl, ending the demons’ resistance and securing the restored palace.

Chapter Summary: “One Waning, One Waxing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji awakens inside the ox cart after spending what felt like a lifetime within the world created by the Inheritance Spirit. His cultivation and knowledge gains have transferred fully to his physical body.
• His cultivation advances:
  • Crimson Palace True Inscription Elixir Method reaches Level 1.
  • Coiling Dragon Heart Method nearly reaches Level 6.
  • Four Books and Five Classics and Violet Clarity Freedom Ode also increase.
• The Young Dragon has defeated Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci within the inheritance world, leaving both severely injured in reality.
• After the sacrifice, the prolonged rain finally stops. Sunlight breaks through the clouds, and the sky clears, convincing Imperial Envoy Luo Pei that the Dragon Lord has answered the ritual.
• Luo Pei praises Liu Zhan and promises to request recognition for both the “True Person” and the Dragon Lord, unaware that Liu Zhan’s condition is the result of defeat rather than success.
• Liu Zhan realizes that the attempt to seize the inheritance has failed disastrously:
  • He is badly injured and may require years of seclusion.
  • Zheng Yingci’s cultivation potential, meridians, and fortune have been severely damaged.
  • The Thunder Pearl has lost its spiritual power, suggesting that the Young Dragon seized or absorbed its essence.
• Su Ziji accepts the Crimson Palace Thunder Pearl, which is compatible with his Coiling Dragon Heart Method, and fuses it into his cultivation.
• Wild Daoist observes that Luo Pei’s fortune and appearance have rapidly improved after the rain stops. He also notices that Su Ziji’s own fortune has increased dramatically.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji grows stronger through the inheritance and gains the Thunder Pearl, though the process causes temporary physical strain and nearly makes him vomit blood. He remains calm and amused, concealing the full extent of his gains.
• The Young Dragon is revealed to possess extraordinary power: it can defeat powerful cultivators inside the inheritance and apparently affect spiritual treasures across the boundary between worlds.
• Liu Zhan changes from a confident schemer into a frustrated, injured loser. He recognizes that his plan has cost him both his treasure and his disciple, and he decides he must leave immediately.
• Zheng Yingci becomes a ruined “chess piece.” His body, cultivation potential, affinity with the Dragon Palace, and fortune have all deteriorated.
• Luo Pei becomes overjoyed and hopeful when the rain stops, interpreting the event as proof that the ritual succeeded. His political prospects and immediate safety improve.
• Wild Daoist begins doubting his own face-reading abilities after witnessing fate change so quickly. However, his observations also lead him to suspect that Su Ziji is somehow benefiting from the decline of others.

Significant Themes

• One wanes, one waxes: The chapter’s central idea is that fortune and power may shift directly from one person to another. As Zheng Yingci’s fate collapses, Su Ziji’s fortune expands.
• Appearance versus reality: The clearing sky makes the sacrifice appear successful, but the true result is Liu Zhan’s defeat and the Young Dragon’s victory. Luo Pei misunderstands what happened.
• The power of fate: The chapter portrays fortune as something visible, measurable, and capable of changing suddenly through supernatural intervention.
• Hidden strength and strategic concealment: Su Ziji allows others to misunderstand the situation while quietly acquiring greater power.
• Political interpretation of supernatural events: Luo Pei transforms the weather change into a political and religious success, showing how miracles can be used to justify authority.

Character Interactions

• The Young Dragon and Su Ziji remain mysteriously connected, with the Dragon’s actions benefiting Su Ziji directly.
• Liu Zhan and Zheng Yingci suffer together, but Liu Zhan views his disciple coldly as a failed tool rather than a person.
• Luo Pei and Liu Zhan interact under a major misunderstanding: Luo Pei thanks Liu Zhan for the supposed success, while Liu Zhan can barely endure the praise because he knows the sacrifice concealed his failure.
• Su Ziji and Wild Daoist discuss the changed weather and Luo Pei’s altered fortune. Su Ziji offers a rational explanation, while Wild Daoist becomes increasingly unsettled by the supernatural shift.
• Wild Daoist’s final observation—that Su Ziji’s fortune has grown as another person’s has diminished—deepens his suspicion and complicates his feelings toward his young master.

Chapter Summary: Emperor Shizu of Great Wei

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Ziji returns and immediately tells Ye Buhui that they must go home, settle family matters, and then travel to the capital for the examinations.
• Although he initially presents the journey as a practical decision before winter, Su Ziji is clearly motivated by hidden dangers and the need to act quickly.
• He and Ye Buhui decide to relocate the Su Family ancestral graves before leaving.
• Ye Buhui notices blood on Su Ziji’s clothing. He claims it came from someone else and insists he is uninjured, but she remains worried.
• Ye Buhui asks Su Ziji to prioritize his safety. He reassures her that having a family has made him more cautious, though he privately realizes she has already sensed that he is involved in dangerous affairs.
• Su Ziji reflects on Ye Buhui’s mysterious background. Her bloodline may be connected to the former dynasty, while the Zheng Dynasty had mistaken her for possessing the current dynasty’s Crown Prince Bloodline. Uncle Ye’s final actions suggest he deliberately kept her away from the imperial court and concealed the truth about her identity.
• At a remote Daoist temple, Cao Yiyan becomes restless while meditating and fears that something may have gone wrong with Liu Zhan or with the operation involving the Great Wei imperial clan.
• His divination is obscured, increasing his unease. Before he can investigate, a Daoist disciple reports strange activity in the underground ancestral hall.
• Cao Yiyan discovers that the dragon tablet of Emperor Shizu of Great Wei has begun emitting a red glow. He interprets this as a sign that Great Wei’s fortune and imperial line are reviving.
• The reaction astonishes him because he has already sacrificed twenty-eight imperial bloodlines in an attempt to restore Great Wei, yet the ancestral tablets had remained inactive until now.
• Cao Yiyan concludes that the recent event he sensed was not a disaster but a major blessing, and he vows to continue his brutal efforts to restore Great Wei regardless of the cost.

Character Developments

• Su Ziji becomes more cautious and protective. He deliberately hides the true reason for leaving from Ye Buhui, believing that knowledge without the power to act would only endanger and burden her.
• Ye Buhui demonstrates sharp intuition and emotional maturity. Though Su Ziji tries to conceal the truth, she recognizes that he is involved in danger and has become more anxious and restrained than before.
• Su Ziji’s feelings toward Ye Buhui deepen as he acknowledges his responsibility for her safety and considers finally speaking honestly with her about the dangers surrounding them.
• Cao Yiyan is shown as deeply committed to reviving Great Wei. Despite recognizing the enormity of his crimes, he regards the slaughter of imperial bloodlines as acceptable if it restores the dynasty.
• Cao Yiyan’s reaction to Emperor Shizu’s tablet reveals both his reverence for Great Wei’s history and his willingness to interpret supernatural signs as confirmation of his cause.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and protection: Su Ziji withholds information from Ye Buhui to protect her, but the chapter suggests that secrecy may also isolate and burden the person being protected.
• Hidden identity and bloodline: Ye Buhui’s unexplained heritage and possible connection to imperial bloodlines remain central mysteries.
• Duty versus morality: Cao Yiyan sacrifices countless members of the Great Wei imperial clan while claiming to serve the dynasty’s restoration, raising questions about whether political salvation can justify atrocity.
• The power of ancestry and imperial legitimacy: The glowing dragon tablet suggests that the fortunes of a dynasty are tied to its ancestral line and that historical figures continue to influence the present.
• Family and responsibility: Su Ziji’s new family life makes him less reckless, while his concern for Ye Buhui conflicts with the dangerous political forces surrounding them.

Character Interactions

• Su Ziji and Ye Buhui share a tender but tense exchange: she senses danger, asks him to protect himself, and he comforts her while concealing the larger truth.
• Su Ziji mentally reassesses Ye Buhui, recognizing that her intelligence and instincts are far greater than those of an ordinary bookstore owner’s daughter.
• Cao Yiyan interacts with his subordinate after being informed of the disturbance in the underground hall, then personally investigates the ancestral tablets.
• His emotional address to the dead emperors reflects his desire for ancestral approval and his belief that his violent actions are justified by loyalty to Great Wei.