Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Punching Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Inside the grand hall beneath Black Lake, Lu Chen uses the Emperor Zombie as a projectile against the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort, then punches her through the wall.
• He attacks the two ghost generals restraining Lei Ting. One is obliterated completely, while the other tries to use Lei Ting as a shield.
• Lu Chen’s punch passes through Lei Ting harmlessly and destroys the ghost general behind her, demonstrating his precise control of force.
• Lu Chen removes the Lock-Dragon Nails from Lei Ting’s spine, restoring her sealed cultivation.
• Enraged by the Ghost Consort’s deception—she had disguised herself as Lu Chen to ambush her—Lei Ting unleashes her Lightning Nine-Link Whip. The attack devastates the Corpse Soldiers and ghost generals throughout the hall and seriously injures the Emperor Zombie.
• Lei Ting prepares to extract the Emperor Zombie’s Blood Core, discovering that it contains a trace of immortal Dao aura.
• Before she can do so, the Ghost Brides return from Black Lake and attack. Lei Ting blasts them down with lightning.
• Lu Chen realizes the Ghost Brides are pretending to be incapacitated. When one attacks Lei Ting, he intervenes, crushes its neck, and absorbs the escaping soul shadow into his own body.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen displays overwhelming physical strength, speed, and combat precision. He can strike an enemy hidden behind Lei Ting without harming her, showing exceptional control over his power. He also becomes increasingly ruthless, annihilating enemies physically and spiritually.
• Lei Ting regains her cultivation after Lu Chen removes the Lock-Dragon Nails. Her restored power is immediately shown through her devastating lightning attacks. She is furious at the Ghost Consort’s deception and eagerly seeks to obtain the Emperor Zombie’s Blood Core.
• The Emperor Zombie is revealed to be the remnant of the former ruler of the Five-Elements Dynasty. He has cultivated for years in hopes of becoming a Ghost Immortal and possesses a Blood Core containing immortal Dao energy.
• The Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort is badly defeated and driven out of the hall, though her later condition remains unknown.
• The Ghost Brides prove themselves unusually resilient and cunning, recovering quickly after being blasted into Black Lake and using feigned weakness to launch a surprise attack.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and dominance: Lu Chen and Lei Ting rapidly reverse the situation, destroying powerful undead and ghostly enemies.
• Deception and vigilance: The Ghost Consort’s disguise and the Ghost Brides’ feigned helplessness emphasize the danger of trusting appearances.
• Control versus destruction: Lu Chen’s ability to harm only the intended target contrasts with Lei Ting’s wide-ranging, devastating lightning attacks.
• Ambition and ruin: The Emperor Zombie’s history reflects the collapse of the Five-Elements Dynasty and his failed pursuit of immortality.
• Death and spiritual annihilation: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes the destruction of both body and soul, portraying combat as more than physical defeat.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen attacks the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort while she tries to protect the Emperor Zombie.
• He rescues Lei Ting from the ghost generals, accidentally—or at least boldly—placing his fist against her chest while striking through her shield.
• Lei Ting reacts with surprise and embarrassment, while Lu Chen remains casual due to their previous intimacy and dual cultivation.
• After regaining her strength, Lei Ting fights beside Lu Chen and massacres the undead forces.
• Lu Chen protects Lei Ting from the revived Ghost Brides, killing one and absorbing its escaping soul.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen swallows the ghostly shadow that emerges from the disguised Ghost Bride, revealing his ability to devour and refine ghosts through the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture.
• The ghost is revealed to be the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort, who attempts to escape from Lu Chen’s body. He traps her inside the Yin-Yang Cauldron and refines her power into a Ghost Pill, leaving a fragment of her soul sealed within it.
• By preserving the remnant soul, Lu Chen avoids being teleported to the Ninth Pass.
• The furious Emperor Zombie believes his consort has been killed. Lu Chen grabs him and investigates a hidden passage beneath the Emperor Zombie’s study, with Lei Ting following.
• Underground, they discover a vast secret chamber containing formations, an altar, and a pill furnace. The formations gather spiritual energy to refine a powerful pill.
• Lu Chen identifies the pill as a Ghost Tribulation Corpse Pill, a top-grade pill with nine patterns capable of helping a ghost-path cultivator transform into a Ghost Immortal.
• Despite Lei Ting’s warning that a righteous cultivator would die from consuming it, Lu Chen swallows the pill without hesitation.
• The chapter ends as the pill’s immense ghostly power erupts inside Lu Chen, covering him in black qi and leaving Lei Ting horrified.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen demonstrates increasing confidence and fearlessness. He treats ghosts, spiritual energy, and dangerous pills as potential sources of cultivation rather than threats.
• His mastery of the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture and Yin-Yang Cauldron is emphasized, allowing him to refine even a powerful ghost consort.
• Lu Chen also reveals a reckless willingness to test his body’s limits by consuming a pill meant for ghost-path beings.
• Lei Ting becomes increasingly shocked by Lu Chen’s abilities and behavior. Her concern for him is evident when she warns that the pill will kill him.
• Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort shifts from a hidden ambusher to a terrified captive, losing her power and becoming sealed within the Ghost Pill.
• Emperor Zombie is shown to be deeply attached to the Ghost Consort and enraged by what he believes is her death.

Significant Themes

• Power through absorption: Lu Chen’s cultivation method allows him to turn enemies, ghosts, and dangerous spiritual forces into sources of strength.
• Recklessness versus caution: Lei Ting represents conventional knowledge and caution, while Lu Chen repeatedly ignores warnings and relies on his unusual constitution and techniques.
• Boundaries between righteous and ghost cultivation: The Ghost Tribulation Corpse Pill is deadly to righteous cultivators but potentially transformative for ghost-path beings, highlighting the opposing nature of the two paths.
• Hidden secrets and forbidden advancement: The underground laboratory and secret pill reveal the Emperor Zombie and Ghost Consort’s attempt to achieve Ghost Immortality.
• Unpredictable cultivation: Lu Chen’s actions challenge established assumptions about what is possible for a righteous cultivator.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen casually devours the Ghost Consort’s spiritual form while Lei Ting watches in stunned disbelief.
• The Ghost Consort begs for her life inside the Yin-Yang Cauldron, but Lu Chen refuses to show mercy.
• Lu Chen forces the Emperor Zombie to guide him—unwittingly or unwillingly—to the hidden underground chamber.
• Lei Ting follows Lu Chen despite her uncertainty, then warns him not to consume the Ghost Tribulation Corpse Pill.
• Lu Chen ignores her warning and swallows the pill, ending the chapter with Lei Ting terrified about whether he will survive.

Chapter Summary: This Time, You Won’t Be So Lucky

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen swallows the Ghost Tribulation Pill, an exceptionally powerful elixir created by the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort and the Zombie Emperor to help someone survive the Ghost Immortal tribulation.
• Rather than being poisoned, Lu Chen uses the Yin-Yang Cauldron to refine the pill’s immense ghostly power into pure Five-Element vital energy.
• He activates the Inner-Fire Body-Tempering Method from the Five-Element Body-Refining Art, using the converted energy to temper his entire body. The process causes extreme pain as spiritual fire burns away impurities in his flesh, bones, meridians, and blood.
• Lu Chen’s divine sense expands dramatically, eventually reaching a range of three thousand feet—an ability comparable to that of a Golden Core cultivator despite his spell cultivation remaining at the Mid-Foundation Establishment Realm.
• After half an hour, his Body Cultivation breaks through to the peak Iron Bone Stage. Though he fails to reach the Golden Body Stage, his physical strength increases severalfold.
• Lu Chen and Lei Ting prepare to enter the Ninth Pass. Lu Chen extinguishes the remnant soul within the Corpse King’s Blood Core, while Lei Ting does the same to the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort’s ghost core.
• Their actions trigger the trial’s transmission mechanism, sending both of them into the Ninth Pass.
• Throughout the Void Eighth Pass, cultivators and observers in Grand Void Hall are shocked when the missions to kill the Corpse King and the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort are simultaneously marked complete.
• The major powers speculate about who accomplished the impossible missions, while the Qin Household mourns heavy losses among its disciples in the Eighth Pass.
• Upon arriving in the Ninth Pass, Lu Chen is immediately surrounded by cultivators and confronted by Qin Ziyi, who declares that he will not escape punishment this time.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates extraordinary adaptability and strength by refining an elixir intended for a Ghost Immortal. His physical cultivation reaches the peak Iron Bone Stage, and his divine sense becomes extraordinarily powerful. He remains determined to test the limits of his cultivation rather than pursue the Ghost Immortal path.
• Lei Ting: Gains a clearer understanding of Lu Chen’s abilities, recognizing that he possesses a genuine Ancient Body-Forging inheritance. Her memories of their earlier dual cultivation cause embarrassment, adding a more personal dimension to her attitude toward him.
• Qin Ziyi: Reappears as a hostile opponent. Her presence in the Ninth Pass suggests she has been waiting for Lu Chen and is determined to confront him directly.
• Qin Household: Suffers major losses in the Eighth Pass, particularly among the forces belonging to Qin Heng and Qin Fan, intensifying its hostility toward Lu Chen and the trial’s outcome.

Significant Themes

• Turning danger into opportunity: Lu Chen transforms a deadly Ghost Tribulation Pill into a tool for advancement, reflecting his unusual constitution and resourcefulness.
• Physical endurance and rebirth: The painful body-tempering process emphasizes that true transformation requires suffering and perseverance.
• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: Lu Chen’s Foundation Establishment cultivation conceals a body and divine sense powerful enough to rival much higher-level cultivators.
• Competition and political intrigue: The completion of the two highest-ranked missions shocks the cultivation world and sparks speculation among powerful observers.
• Escalating confrontation: The chapter shifts from cultivation and breakthrough to the looming conflict with Qin Ziyi and the forces waiting in the Ninth Pass.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Lei Ting: Lei Ting watches in disbelief as Lu Chen refines the Ghost Tribulation Pill and becomes increasingly aware of his exceptional body-cultivation inheritance. They cooperate to enter the Ninth Pass.
• Lu Chen and the defeated enemies: By extinguishing the remnant souls in the Corpse King’s Blood Core and the Thousand-Faced Ghost Consort’s ghost core, they complete the major trial missions.
• Lu Chen and Qin Ziyi: Their reunion ends the chapter on a threatening note, with Qin Ziyi confronting Lu Chen and implying that she intends to defeat him this time.

Summary of “Qin Ziyi Lost Her Temper”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen is teleported to the Ninth Pass, where Qin Ziyi has been waiting to confront him.
• Qin Ziyi blames Lu Chen for rejecting her previous offer to spare his life and immediately seeks revenge, particularly because he stole the seven flying swords she had painstakingly refined.
• Having recently broken through to the peak of the Iron Bone Stage, Lu Chen is no longer intimidated by Qin Ziyi’s sword techniques. He views the confrontation as an opportunity to test his improved strength.
• One of Qin Ziyi’s Golden Core subordinates attacks Lu Chen with a battle axe, but Lu Chen defeats him with a single punch.
• Qin Ziyi’s other followers attack together with Spirit Artifacts and sword techniques. Lu Chen effortlessly repels them, destroys several weapons, and severely injures their owners.
• Qin Ziyi initially watches her subordinates fight, using them to assess Lu Chen’s current cultivation.
• Lei Ting arrives and offers to help, but Lu Chen refuses, choosing to face Qin Ziyi alone.
• Qin Ziyi fires Chaos Sword Qi at Lu Chen, but he breaks it with one finger. She then attacks him with countless streams of Chaos Sword Qi, none of which can damage his body.
• Qin Ziyi charges at him directly, but Lu Chen sends her flying with one punch before she can even draw her sword.
• Realizing that Lu Chen possesses combat power comparable to or exceeding that of a Half-Step Nascent Soul cultivator, Qin Ziyi becomes furious and unleashes her full strength.
• The chapter ends as Qin Ziyi summons an enormous Chaos sword phantom and launches a devastating attack, claiming that the strike contains 120 percent of her power.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: His breakthrough to the peak of the Iron Bone Stage has dramatically increased his physical strength and defensive ability. He has progressed from barely surviving Qin Ziyi’s eighth sword to casually blocking her Chaos Sword Qi and overpowering her in close combat. His confidence has also grown, and he now openly provokes Qin Ziyi.
• Qin Ziyi: Her hatred and frustration toward Lu Chen intensify. She initially remains composed and uses her followers to test him, but his overwhelming strength causes her to lose her temper. Her pride as a powerful Peak Golden Core sword cultivator is shaken, prompting her to use her strongest technique.
• Lei Ting: She reappears as an ally to Lu Chen and demonstrates concern by offering assistance, though Lu Chen insists on fighting alone.
• Qin Ziyi’s Subordinates: They begin confident in their numerical advantage but are quickly reduced to shock and fear after Lu Chen defeats them with ease.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and power reversal: Lu Chen’s recent breakthrough completely changes the balance between him and Qin Ziyi.
• Physical cultivation versus conventional techniques: Lu Chen’s body is strong enough to withstand divine weapons and even Chaos Sword Qi, emphasizing the terrifying power of body cultivation.
• Pride and humiliation: Qin Ziyi’s confidence collapses as her strongest attacks fail, driving her from controlled hostility into open rage.
• Testing strength through combat: Lu Chen deliberately welcomes the fight to measure his new abilities, while Qin Ziyi uses successive attacks to determine the limits of his power.
• Limits of the cultivation system: The cultivators recognize that Lu Chen appears to possess Half-Step Nascent Soul-level combat power, despite the restriction preventing Nascent Soul cultivators from entering the Thirteen Void Passes.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Qin Ziyi engage in a hostile confrontation rooted in their earlier near-death battle and the theft of Qin Ziyi’s flying swords.
• Lu Chen repeatedly taunts Qin Ziyi by calmly dismissing her attacks and telling her to use all her abilities.
• Qin Ziyi’s followers attempt to defend her honor but are defeated almost instantly.
• Lei Ting offers to intervene against Qin Ziyi, but Lu Chen rejects her help, reinforcing his confidence and desire to settle the conflict personally.

Chapter Summary: Peak Golden Core? Chaos Sword Body? Nothing Special!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen arrives at the Ninth Pass of Grand Void and immediately encounters Qin Ziyi, who is enraged because he previously stole seven of her natal flying swords.
• Qin Ziyi is shocked to discover that Lu Chen’s cultivation and physical strength have advanced dramatically. His body now surpasses even her Chaos Sword Body.
• She attacks with a devastating Divine Chaos Sword strike, but Lu Chen counters it directly with his fist. He emerges unharmed from the sword light and knocks Qin Ziyi away twice, astonishing everyone present.
• Lu Chen declares that he will take Qin Ziyi’s eighth flying sword. Before he can defeat her, Qin Ziyi activates the divine soul of a strange beast and uses it to complete the Ninth Pass’s mission.
• Qin Ziyi is teleported to the Tenth Pass and vows to wait for Lu Chen in the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm, where she intends to kill him.
• Lei Ting warns Lu Chen that Qin Ziyi has deliberately suppressed her cultivation and is highly likely to break through from Peak Golden Core to Nascent Soul once inside the secret realm. Lu Chen remains confident and refuses to avoid the secret realm.
• Lu Chen prepares to clear the Ninth Pass. Duan Zhengde approaches and proposes joining forces, claiming that his intelligence and strategy can complement Lu Chen’s overwhelming combat power.
• Lu Chen agrees to test Duan Zhengde’s abilities. Soon afterward, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman arrive, bringing the prospective group to seven people.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: His breakthrough to the Peak Iron Bone Stage has transformed him into a physically overwhelming fighter. He confidently defeats Qin Ziyi despite her Peak Golden Core cultivation and Chaos Sword Body, becoming increasingly arrogant and eager to challenge stronger opponents.
• Qin Ziyi: Her confidence and reputation as an invincible sword cultivator are shaken after Lu Chen withstands her strongest attack and injures her. However, she remains calculating, using her completed mission to escape and planning to break through to Nascent Soul so she can defeat him later.
• Lei Ting: She serves as the voice of caution, recognizing the danger Qin Ziyi will pose after her breakthrough. Her surprise at Lu Chen’s strength also reinforces how extraordinary his advancement has been.
• Duan Zhengde: He reveals himself as a strategist who relies on intelligence rather than direct combat. He seeks an alliance with Lu Chen and confidently claims he can guide the group through the pass quickly.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Their arrival expands Lu Chen’s group and suggests that the next stage of the pass will involve cooperation among several established companions.

Significant Themes

• Physical strength versus cultivation and talent: Lu Chen’s Peak Iron Bone body allows him to overpower a Peak Golden Core cultivator with a famed Chaos Sword Body, challenging conventional assumptions about realm superiority.
• Confidence and rivalry: Lu Chen’s victory intensifies his rivalry with Qin Ziyi, while Qin’s escape ensures their conflict will continue into the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm.
• Strategy versus brute force: Duan Zhengde emphasizes that clearing the pass requires more than combat power, introducing the importance of planning and cooperation.
• Progression and hidden potential: Qin Ziyi’s suppressed cultivation and impending Nascent Soul breakthrough establish that current victories may not determine future outcomes.
• Teamwork and alliances: The formation of a larger group indicates a shift from individual confrontation toward coordinated efforts to overcome the pass.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Qin Ziyi clash violently, with Lu Chen repeatedly overpowering her and provoking her by targeting her eighth flying sword.
• Lei Ting warns Lu Chen about Qin Ziyi’s likely breakthrough, but Lu Chen dismisses the threat and insists on entering the secret realm.
• Duan Zhengde attempts to recruit Lu Chen by presenting himself as the group’s strategist, while Lu Chen tests whether his confidence is justified.
• The arrival of Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman turns the proposed alliance into a seven-person group poised to clear the Ninth Pass together.

Chapter Summary: “Dragon Pearl, the Slumbering Dragon Soul?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman reach the Ninth Pass but fail to recognize Lu Chen because he has disguised his appearance and physique.
• Lu Chen’s staged death in the Eighth Pass successfully causes the Qin Household disciples to be targeted by other cultivators. Their treasures are stolen, and many are killed, leaving the Qin Household and its leader furious.
• Duan Zhengde claims he can bring Lu Chen’s group through the Ninth Pass within half an hour. He leads them to Thunder Valley, where powerful lightning and dangerous Thunder Beasts make the area extremely hazardous.
• Duan Zhengde proposes that Lu Chen defeat seven Thunder Beasts and throw them outside the valley so that the group can complete the Ninth Pass mission without everyone entering the danger zone.
• To persuade Lu Chen, Duan Zhengde offers a crimson Dragon Pearl containing a visible Red Dragon and later adds a millennium-old Three-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass.
• Lu Chen discovers through his special ability that the pearl is genuine: it contains a dormant Dragon Soul that can be awakened by consuming ten thousand strands of Yin-Yang Essence.
• Recognizing the immense value of a True Dragon’s soul, Lu Chen agrees to help Duan Zhengde after Lei Ting expresses interest in the Thunder Tribulation Grass.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen demonstrates the success of his deception and shows increasing strategic caution. Though thrilled by the Dragon Pearl, he pretends to doubt its authenticity so he can negotiate a better reward.
• Duan Zhengde is revealed as opportunistic and shamelessly eager to rely on Lu Chen’s superior combat strength. However, he possesses astonishing treasures connected to his family’s heritage.
• Lei Ting displays her exceptional knowledge of lightning-related treasures and becomes strongly motivated by the Thunder Tribulation Grass, which could improve her chances of reaching the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman remain skeptical of Duan Zhengde’s plan and the authenticity of the Dragon Pearl, though Tang Xiaoman recognizes that the pearl appears genuine.
• The chapter hints that Duan Zhengde may be a descendant of the mysterious Ancient Desolate Duan Household, a once-powerful clan that disappeared under unknown circumstances.

Significant Themes

• Deception and strategy: Lu Chen’s fake death destabilizes the Qin Household and turns its disciples into targets, showing how carefully planned deception can reshape the battlefield.
• Greed and negotiation: Duan Zhengde attempts to benefit from Lu Chen’s strength without taking risks himself, while Lu Chen uses the opportunity to secure greater rewards.
• Ancient treasures and lost legacies: The Dragon Pearl and the possible connection to the vanished Duan Household suggest that powerful relics and forgotten bloodlines still influence the present.
• Power and cultivation: The Dragon Soul could potentially give Lu Chen access to a True Dragon, while the Thunder Tribulation Grass may help Lei Ting break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Risk versus opportunity: Thunder Valley is nearly lethal, but its dangers are balanced by the valuable rewards the group may obtain.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen challenges Duan Zhengde’s claim that he can complete the mission quickly, forcing him to reveal his plan.
• Duan Zhengde tries to persuade Lu Chen to fight the Thunder Beasts on behalf of the entire group.
• Lu Chen, Tang Xiaoman, Liu Yan’er, and Shen Li examine and debate the authenticity of the Dragon Pearl.
• Lei Ting identifies the Dragon Pearl’s possible connection to the Ancient Desolate Duan Household and later urges Lu Chen to accept the deal because she wants the Thunder Tribulation Grass.
• Lu Chen and Duan Zhengde ultimately reach an agreement: Lu Chen will help complete the Thunder Valley mission in exchange for the Dragon Pearl and the Thunder Tribulation Grass.

Chapter Summary: “Two Punches Destroyed the Hundred-Zhang Stone Man”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen and Lei Ting enter Thunder Valley, a forbidden region where destructive lightning constantly gathers and ordinary cultivators face near-certain death.
• Zhou Tianqi secretly watches them. Still consumed by hatred toward Liu Yan’er for destroying the Zhou Family, he vows revenge and leaves.
• Inside the valley, Lu Chen and Lei Ting discover a valuable patch of Thunder Tribulation Grass, including a rare Seven-Leaf stalk.
• When Lei Ting pulls up the Seven-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass, a massive Stone Man emerges from beneath the earth. The creature had been concealed by its enormous size and was guarding the spirit medicine.
• The Stone Man attacks, easily shattering Lei Ting’s Heavenly Thunder Palm and revealing that Thunder Tribulation Grass grows throughout its body. A Twelve-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass grows on its head, making it vastly more precious than the Seven-Leaf variety.
• Lu Chen launches himself onto the Stone Man, dodges its attacks, and tears the Twelve-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass from its head.
• He strikes the Stone Man twice. The first punch cracks its head but does not destroy it; the second, unleashed with his full strength, blows the head apart and collapses the hundred-zhang giant into rubble.
• A ball of lightning escapes from the remains. Lu Chen captures it, but an immense roar from deeper within Thunder Valley signals the arrival—or awakening—of an even more terrifying entity.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates exceptional physical strength, courage, and combat instinct. He remains calm in the face of danger and defeats the enormous Stone Man with only two punches.
• Lei Ting: Shows excitement and caution while searching for Thunder Tribulation Grass. She recognizes the value of the Seven- and Twelve-Leaf varieties and participates in the battle, though she is shocked by Lu Chen’s overwhelming power.
• Zhou Tianqi: Becomes further characterized by bitterness and a desire for revenge. His hatred of Liu Yan’er remains a future threat.
• Liu Yan’er: Though absent from the main action, her destruction of the Zhou Family establishes her as a powerful and ruthless figure.

Significant Themes

• Danger and opportunity: Thunder Valley is deadly, yet it contains rare treasures unavailable elsewhere. The greatest rewards are found in the most perilous places.
• Power beyond appearances: The apparently unguarded spirit medicine is protected by a gigantic Stone Man, while Lu Chen’s seemingly simple physical attacks prove extraordinarily powerful.
• Nature’s destructive force: Lightning is portrayed as an overwhelming force of heaven and earth, emphasizing the valley’s hostility and the limits of ordinary cultivators.
• Escalating danger: Lu Chen’s victory does not end the threat; the final roar suggests that greater challenges await deeper in the valley.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Lei Ting cooperate cautiously while exploring the valley and searching for spirit medicine.
• Lei Ting initiates the encounter by harvesting the Seven-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass, accidentally awakening the Stone Man.
• The Stone Man attacks both cultivators, while Lei Ting attempts to defend them with her Heavenly Thunder Palm.
• Lu Chen takes over the fight, using the Stone Man’s own movements against it before destroying it and claiming the Twelve-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass.
• Zhou Tianqi observes from afar but does not confront the group, choosing instead to preserve his strength and plan revenge.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen and Lei Ting enter Thunder Valley and encounter a Hundred-Zhang Stone Giant. Lu Chen destroys it with two punches, demonstrating the immense power gained from his recent cultivation breakthrough.
• When Lu Chen retrieves the lightning core from the Stone Giant, his actions awaken a terrifying presence deep within the valley. Thunderclouds gather, lightning fills the sky, and the entire valley begins to shake.
• Countless Thunder Beasts—including Lightning Silver Wolves, Lightning Storm Bears, Purple Lightning Spirit Foxes, and Winged Thunder Serpents—charge from the valley’s depths.
• Rather than retreat, Lu Chen attacks the beast horde head-on. He deliberately restrains his strength so the beasts are gravely injured but not killed, allowing Lei Ting to collect them for their mission objectives.
• A powerful Thunder Qilin eventually emerges and attacks Lu Chen. Their first clash reveals that the Qilin’s strength surpasses the Peak Golden Core Realm, but Lu Chen withstands it and sends it flying with successive punches.
• Lu Chen orders the stunned Lei Ting to collect the surviving Thunder Beasts and leave so he can fight without worrying about protecting her. Lei Ting obeys, recognizing that she would only hinder him.
• Outside Thunder Valley, the disturbance attracts nearby cultivators. Liu Yan’er and the others are confronted by her former master, the Blissful Sect Master, who arrives with Zhou Tianqi and a large force of sect elders and disciples.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: His cultivation breakthrough has dramatically increased his physical strength and combat ability. He remains calm in the face of overwhelming danger and shows precise control by injuring rather than killing the Thunder Beasts. His battle prowess now appears comparable to the early Nascent Soul Stage.
• Lei Ting: Initially shocked by Lu Chen’s strength and reckless behavior, she gradually accepts his superiority and follows his instructions. She demonstrates practical judgment by retreating once she realizes she would interfere with his battle.
• Liu Yan’er: Becomes visibly frightened when her former master arrives, suggesting unresolved conflict and possible danger connected to her past.
• Thunder Qilin: Introduced as the strongest creature in Thunder Valley so far, possessing power beyond the Peak Golden Core Realm and serving as Lu Chen’s most serious opponent in the chapter.
• Blissful Sect Master and Zhou Tianqi: Their arrival establishes a new external threat and shifts the conflict from Thunder Valley’s beasts to Lu Chen’s enemies outside the valley.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through cultivation: Lu Chen’s breakthrough is immediately tested, proving that his strength has advanced to a level capable of confronting powerful beasts.
• Courage versus recklessness: Lei Ting views Lu Chen’s charge into the beast horde as madness, while Lu Chen’s confidence and controlled strength allow him to turn the danger into an opportunity.
• Strategic restraint: Lu Chen avoids killing the Thunder Beasts so their capture can fulfill the pass-clearing missions, showing that overwhelming power is accompanied by tactical awareness.
• Independence and burden: Lu Chen sends Lei Ting away to fight freely, while Lei Ting recognizes when she must rely on him rather than become a liability.
• Past conflicts resurfacing: The arrival of Liu Yan’er’s former master and the Blissful Sect introduces unresolved personal and political tensions.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen’s effortless destruction of the Stone Giant leaves Lei Ting stunned and changes her perception of his capabilities.
• Lei Ting questions Lu Chen’s decision to attack the massive beast horde, but later assists by collecting the wounded Thunder Beasts.
• Lu Chen and the Thunder Qilin engage in a direct contest of strength. Though the Qilin initially shocks Lu Chen with its durability, Lu Chen ultimately gains the upper hand.
• Lu Chen orders Lei Ting to withdraw, and she complies, allowing him to fight without restraint.
• The chapter ends with the Blissful Sect Master confronting Liu Yan’er and the others, accusing her of rebellion and setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The disturbance caused by Lu Chen and Lei Ting inside Thunder Valley creates a dangerous atmosphere, with dark clouds, lightning, and a powerful destructive aura spreading through the valley.
• While Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, Duan Zhengde, and the others wait outside, the Blissful Sect Master arrives with her disciples and elders.
• Zhou Tianqi publicly accuses Liu Yan’er of being a traitor who colluded with the remnants of the Demon Sect. Liu Yan’er insists that Zhou Tianqi was the real conspirator, but her former master refuses to believe her.
• The Blissful Sect Master attacks Liu Yan’er, easily overpowering her with her Peak Golden Core cultivation.
• Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman intervene. Shen Li summons the Icefire Twin Dragons, while Tang Xiaoman uses the Myriad Beasts Profound Art to pull Liu Yan’er out of danger.
• The Blissful Sect discovers that Shen Li is the wanted traitor of the Artifact Refining Sect. Tempted by the enormous bounty, the Blissful Sect Master decides to capture her as well.
• Shen Li insults the Blissful Sect Master, provoking her, while Zhou Tianqi and Liu Yan’er exchange hostile remarks. Zhou Tianqi’s resentment intensifies because Liu Yan’er mocks his artificial hand, which replaced the one severed by her mysterious master.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman launch a combined attack against the Blissful Sect Master, using wind blades, the Icefire Twin Dragons, and countless beast shadows.
• Despite their coordinated assault, the Blissful Sect Master effortlessly destroys all three attacks with a single sweep of her sleeve and sends the women flying. Zhou Tianqi privately celebrates, believing Liu Yan’er is about to die.

Character Developments

• Liu Yan’er is placed in extreme danger and becomes increasingly desperate to prove that Zhou Tianqi framed her. Her former master’s refusal to trust her deepens her sense of betrayal and injustice.
• Shen Li demonstrates her loyalty by immediately defending Liu Yan’er. She remains bold and defiant even when facing a much stronger opponent and the threat of capture by the Artifact Refining Sect.
• Tang Xiaoman protects Liu Yan’er with her beast-controlling technique and contributes to the group’s joint attack.
• The Blissful Sect Master is shown to be overwhelmingly powerful, merciless, and willing to prioritize sect resources over justice. Her interest in Shen Li’s bounty reveals her greed and financial concerns.
• Zhou Tianqi continues manipulating the situation through lies and false accusations. He is vindictive, especially regarding his lost hand, and takes pleasure in Liu Yan’er’s apparent defeat.
• Duan Zhengde avoids becoming involved in Liu Yan’er’s personal conflict and pulls his younger sister away from the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and injustice: Liu Yan’er is condemned by her own master despite being innocent, while the true traitor, Zhou Tianqi, manipulates everyone.
• Power imbalance: The gap between Peak Golden Core and ordinary or Middle Golden Core cultivators is emphasized as the Blissful Sect Master defeats three opponents with ease.
• Greed versus loyalty: The Blissful Sect Master’s desire for the Artifact Refining Sect’s reward conflicts with any sense of fairness or concern for her former disciple.
• False accusations and manipulation: Zhou Tianqi’s ability to distort the truth drives the conflict and places Liu Yan’er and her allies in danger.
• Friendship and solidarity: Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman risk themselves to protect Liu Yan’er, contrasting with the Blissful Sect Master’s abandonment of her disciple.

Character Interactions

• Liu Yan’er confronts both the Blissful Sect Master and Zhou Tianqi, pleading her innocence and accusing Zhou Tianqi of treachery.
• The Blissful Sect Master treats Liu Yan’er as an enemy rather than a former disciple and threatens both her and Shen Li.
• Shen Li openly insults the Blissful Sect Master and refuses to surrender.
• Zhou Tianqi provokes Shen Li and Liu Yan’er while presenting himself as the wronged party.
• Liu Yan’er mocks Zhou Tianqi’s prosthetic hand, intensifying his hatred and desire for revenge.
• Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, and Liu Yan’er cooperate in battle but are decisively overwhelmed, leaving Liu Yan’er’s fate uncertain at the chapter’s end.

Chapter Summary: “There Were Other Experts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Blissful Sect Master defeats Liu Yan’er’s ultimate technique with a single attack, seriously injuring her and sending her flying.
• Believing victory is assured, the Sect Master allows her disciple Zhou Tianqi to kill Liu Yan’er personally. Zhou seeks revenge because Liu Yan’er destroyed the Zhou Family.
• Zhou attacks Liu Yan’er with his Spirit Artifact, the “Flying Claw,” while she is too injured to evade effectively.
• Before the attack lands, an unidentified person throws a pebble that knocks the Flying Claw away.
• Lu Chen appears riding a powerful Thunder Qilin. He is disguised as the ordinary-looking “Lu Bufan,” preventing even Liu Yan’er from recognizing him.
• Lu Chen declares Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, and Duan Zhengde to be his fellow cultivators and openly challenges the Blissful Sect’s authority.
• Zhou Tianqi attempts to discredit Lu Chen by accusing him of being a spy from the Demon Sect.
• Before the conflict escalates, Lei Ting emerges from the valley surrounded by immense lightning power. Her strength is comparable to, or possibly greater than, that of the Blissful Sect Master.
• The Blissful Sect Master realizes that Lu Chen is not the only powerful outsider present and is shocked to discover that there are multiple hidden experts nearby.

Character Developments

• Liu Yan’er: Seriously wounded by the Blissful Sect Master but remains defiant toward Zhou Tianqi. Her weakened state highlights the danger she faces and her determination to resist her former sect.
• Zhou Tianqi: Reveals his vengeful and ruthless nature, eager to personally torture and kill Liu Yan’er. He also demonstrates his manipulative instincts by immediately branding Lu Chen a Demon Sect spy.
• Blissful Sect Master: Initially confident that she has complete control of the situation and can both eliminate Liu Yan’er and capture Shen Li for the Artifact Refining Sect’s bounty. Her confidence begins to falter when Lu Chen and Lei Ting reveal their strength.
• Lu Chen: Uses the alias Lu Bufan and a deliberately ordinary appearance to conceal his identity. He boldly protects Liu Yan’er’s group, displays confidence in his own power, and demonstrates that he is willing to confront the Blissful Sect directly.
• Lei Ting: Reveals herself as the Ancient Lei Household’s eldest daughter and shows that she possesses power approaching the Nascent Soul Realm. She deliberately suppresses her breakthrough so she can remain eligible to enter the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm.
• Duan Zhengde: Quickly aligns himself with Lu Chen’s group, claiming to be Lu Chen’s fellow cultivator despite initially remaining on the sidelines. His opportunistic behavior adds a lighter element to the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and concealed identities: Lu Chen’s disguise and Lei Ting’s suppressed cultivation reinforce the idea that appearances are deceptive and that the battlefield contains more powerful figures than expected.
• Power and arrogance: The Blissful Sect assumes its authority is unquestionable, while Lu Chen openly rejects its control. The chapter contrasts institutional power with individual strength.
• Revenge and factional conflict: Zhou Tianqi’s desire for revenge against Liu Yan’er reflects the destructive consequences of the struggle for succession within the Blissful Sect.
• Political labeling and manipulation: Zhou’s accusation that Lu Chen is a Demon Sect spy shows how easily accusations can be used to justify violence and turn public opinion against an enemy.
• Unexpected alliances: Lu Chen claims Liu Yan’er and her companions as allies, while Duan Zhengde opportunistically joins them. The shifting alliances complicate the Blissful Sect’s apparent victory.

Character Interactions

• The Blissful Sect Master grants Zhou Tianqi permission to execute Liu Yan’er, revealing their shared hostility toward her.
• Zhou taunts Liu Yan’er, believing her injuries make her helpless, but his attack is stopped by Lu Chen.
• Lu Chen confronts Zhou and the Blissful Sect Master, refusing to recognize their authority and warning them to leave.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, and Duan Zhengde publicly identify themselves as Lu Chen’s companions.
• Zhou attempts to turn the Blissful Sect Master against Lu Chen by accusing him of working with the Demon Sect.
• Lei Ting interrupts the confrontation and challenges the Blissful Sect’s assumptions, causing the Sect Master to realize that several formidable experts stand against her.

Chapter Summary: “Oh no, my identity has been exposed?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Blissful Sect Master confronts Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, and their companions for attacking the sect and attempting to rescue its “traitors.”
• Lei Ting emerges from Thunder Valley, having absorbed a massive amount of lightning power. Her Supreme Thunder Spirit Root and overwhelming presence make the Blissful Sect Master wary.
• Lei Ting orders the Blissful Sect Master to leave. When Zhou Tianqi insults her, Lei Ting strikes him with lightning merely by glaring at him, leaving him badly burned and unconscious.
• Enraged over her disciple’s injury, the Blissful Sect Master prepares to retaliate, but ultimately decides to withdraw rather than risk fighting Lei Ting.
• Lu Chen stops her from leaving and challenges her to a direct battle, declaring that the strong are respected and that she must defeat him to leave freely.
• The Blissful Sect Master attacks with the powerful “Blissful Cloud-Turning Palm,” but Lu Chen destroys the enormous palm with one punch.
• Lu Chen then crosses the distance instantly and punches through her protective Astral Force, sending her crashing into a distant mountain.
• Seeing their Sect Master defeated, the Blissful Sect elders flee. The Sect Master also retreats, warning Lu Chen that she will settle the score in the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm.
• Shen Li’s Artifact Refining Sect Ancestral Founder Token suddenly trembles, while the matching token in Lu Chen’s storage ring reacts as well. This suggests a connection between Lu Chen and the Artifact Refining Sect, threatening to expose his true identity.

Character Developments

• Lei Ting: Demonstrates terrifying control over lightning and overwhelming combat power. Her cold, impatient attitude is reinforced, as she has no interest in prolonged disputes and casually defeats Zhou Tianqi. She remains at the peak of the Golden Core Realm because she plans to enter the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm before advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Lu Chen/Lu Bufan: Reveals that his physical strength and combat speed are far greater than anyone expected. He confidently challenges and defeats a Peak Golden Core expert with a single punch, establishing himself as a hidden powerhouse.
• Blissful Sect Master: Initially aggressive and authoritative, but she recognizes the danger posed by Lei Ting and chooses to retreat. After being defeated by Lu Chen, she escapes while retaining her pride and promising revenge.
• Zhou Tianqi: His arrogance leads him to provoke Lei Ting, resulting in him being instantly struck by lightning and incapacitated.
• Shen Li: Begins to suspect that Lu Bufan is not who he claims to be after witnessing the reaction of the Ancestral Founder Token.

Significant Themes

• The strong are respected: Lu Chen explicitly invokes the principle that power determines status, and the battle confirms his dominance over the Blissful Sect Master.
• Hidden identities and concealed power: Lu Chen appears ordinary but possesses extraordinary strength, while his connection to the Artifact Refining Sect is close to being revealed.
• Pride versus pragmatism: The Blissful Sect Master is furious but restrains herself when facing Lei Ting, showing that survival and strategy can outweigh wounded pride.
• Powerful allies and intimidation: Lei Ting’s presence gives Liu Yan’er and the others confidence, while her lightning ability dramatically shifts the balance of power.
• Preparation for the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm: Lei Ting’s delayed breakthrough and the Blissful Sect Master’s threat of revenge establish the secret realm as the next major setting and source of conflict.

Character Interactions

• Lei Ting openly dismisses the Blissful Sect Master and humiliates Zhou Tianqi with a lightning strike.
• The Blissful Sect Master and Lei Ting exchange threats, but the former avoids fighting her.
• Lu Chen intervenes when the Blissful Sect attempts to withdraw, forcing the Sect Master into battle.
• Lu Chen and the Blissful Sect Master engage in a brief but decisive clash, ending with her defeat.
• Shen Li and Lu Chen become linked by the mysterious reaction of their Ancestral Founder Tokens, creating immediate tension over Lu Chen’s concealed identity.

Chapter Summary: “Don’t Expose My Identity!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen is shocked when Shen Li produces the second half of the Artifact Refining Sect’s Ancestral Founder Token. The two halves resonate, revealing to Shen Li that the disguised “Lu Bufan” is actually Lu Chen.
• Lu Chen urgently warns Shen Li not to expose his identity. She suppresses her surprise and pretends not to recognize him.
• To fulfill their agreement, Lu Chen releases numerous Thunder Valley beasts he has captured, including Thunder Silver Wolves, Berserk Thunder Bears, Purple Lightning Spirit Foxes, and Winged Thunder Serpents.
• Duan Zhengde is delighted by the beasts and exchanges only his allotted share for the Dragon Pearl and Three-Leaf Thunder Tribulation Grass. He selects five Berserk Thunder Bears for himself and five Purple Lightning Spirit Foxes for his sister, then quickly leaves with her after extracting their beast cores.
• Lu Chen reveals that he subdued the powerful Thunder Qilin using the Beast Taming Sect’s supreme treasure, the Myriad Beasts Record. Tang Xiaoman realizes this further confirms that Lu Bufan is Lu Chen.
• Tang Xiaoman agrees to keep Lu Chen’s identity secret in exchange for the eventual return of the Myriad Beasts Record. Lu Chen privately intends to use the treasure as leverage to obtain resources from the Beast Taming Sect.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman kill the remaining beasts, complete their challenge missions, and are transported to the Tenth Pass.
• Tang Xiaoman gives Lu Chen a Beast-Taming Pouch so he can bring the Thunder Qilin with him.
• Lu Chen gives Lei Ting the Lightning Pearl taken from the Hundred-Zhang Stone Giant after dispersing the giant’s remaining soul. The pearl contains powerful lightning energy that may help Lei Ting break through to the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Lu Chen is transported to the Tenth Pass. Meanwhile, Qin Ziyi emerges from the Thirteenth Void Pass and begins climbing the Ascension Immortal Stairway, vowing to confront Lu Chen in the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Continues successfully maintaining his false identity while exploiting his strength, captured beasts, and treasures to complete missions and negotiate advantageous deals. He also shows generosity toward Lei Ting by giving her the Lightning Pearl.
• Shen Li: Discovers Lu Chen’s true identity through the resonating Founder Tokens but respects his request and chooses to protect his secret, despite her confusion and desire for answers.
• Tang Xiaoman: Recognizes Lu Chen through the Myriad Beasts Record and uses that knowledge to bargain with him. Her relationship with him becomes more cooperative and strategically allied.
• Duan Zhengde: Develops even greater admiration for Lu Chen after witnessing his precise control over the captured beasts and eagerly claims his reward.
• Lei Ting: Gains a valuable resource that could help her advance into the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Qin Ziyi: Survives the Thirteenth Void Pass and becomes openly determined to pursue revenge or confrontation with Lu Chen.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identity and secrecy: Lu Chen must conceal his true identity even from allies, while Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman independently uncover the truth.
• Mutual leverage and bargaining: Lu Chen and Tang Xiaoman protect one another’s interests through an exchange involving the Myriad Beasts Record.
• Power and restraint: Lu Chen’s ability to capture powerful beasts without killing them immediately demonstrates his exceptional strength and control.
• Strategic alliances: Characters cooperate when their interests align, even when trust is incomplete.
• Advancement through trials: Completing the challenge missions and progressing through the Void Passes emphasizes cultivation, competition, and survival.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen privately instructs Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman to conceal his identity.
• Tang Xiaoman and Lu Chen negotiate the return of the Myriad Beasts Record while keeping their secret from Liu Yan’er.
• Lu Chen and Duan Zhengde complete their trade, with Duan Zhengde receiving only his agreed share of the beasts.
• Tang Xiaoman helps Lu Chen by giving him the Beast-Taming Pouch needed to transport the Thunder Qilin.
• Lu Chen rewards Lei Ting with the Lightning Pearl, strengthening their cooperative relationship.
• Qin Ziyi’s final vow establishes a future conflict with Lu Chen in the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Ancient Immortal Secret Realm’s entrance appears at the Summit of the Void: a gigantic Bronze Immortal Gate descends before the Grand Void Immortal Hall.
• The Eastern Continent’s most powerful figures—including the Grand Void Immortal Lord, leaders of the Archaic Five Great Cultivation Lineages, and other ancient experts—gather around it to absorb the dense immortal spiritual energy and seek breakthroughs.
• Cultivators carrying Ascension Tokens are teleported to the square, including Yun Feiyan, Liu Fuyao, Su Qingqing, and other members of the Joyful Union Sect. However, Lu Chen is mysteriously absent.
• Qin Fan claims that Lu Chen was ambushed and accidentally—or deliberately—teleported into the dangerous Thirteen Void Passes. He arranges for another cultivator to support this fabricated story.
• The Joyful Union Sect disciples become alarmed because Lu Chen, still only at the Qi Refining Realm, would likely die in the Thirteen Void Passes.
• Qin Fan reveals that he belongs to the prestigious Archaic Qin Household. His status and false concern earn him the trust of Yun Feiyan and the others.
• In reality, Qin Fan orchestrated Lu Chen’s disappearance and secretly intends to kill the Joyful Union Sect disciples inside the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm, blaming Lu Chen for humiliating him.
• The Bronze Immortal Gate activates, releasing immense spiritual energy and illuminating the Summit of the Void with golden light.
• Once the gate fully opens, the Grand Void Immortal Lord declares that those who enter must accept life or death according to fate. Cultivators must rely on themselves inside the secret realm, and revenge after leaving is forbidden.
• Only cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm may enter. Nascent Soul experts who attempt to force their way through are destroyed, even when protected by powerful artifacts.
• After one cultivator charges inside, the gathered disciples rush toward the gate. Yun Feiyan, Liu Fuyao, and the others enter, unknowingly followed by Qin Fan, who views the secret realm as the beginning of their deaths.

Character Developments

• Qin Fan is revealed as deceitful, vindictive, and ruthless. He hides his hatred behind a courteous exterior, manipulating the Joyful Union Sect into trusting him while planning their deaths.
• Yun Feiyan and the Joyful Union Sect disciples show genuine concern for Lu Chen, but their fear and helplessness prevent them from investigating further.
• Liu Fuyao remains more cautious than the others and questions Qin Fan’s story, though she ultimately cannot uncover his deception.
• Lu Chen does not appear in the chapter, but his disappearance becomes the central source of tension and motivates Qin Fan’s scheme.
• The Grand Void Immortal Lord demonstrates his authority by regulating the entry into the secret realm and establishing the rules governing conflict and revenge.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Qin Fan’s false identity as a helpful acquaintance contrasts sharply with his murderous intentions.
• Fate and survival: The declaration that “life and death are in fate’s hands” emphasizes the dangers of entering the secret realm.
• Power and limitations: Even the strongest Nascent Soul experts cannot violate the immortal gate’s restrictions.
• Opportunity and ambition: The Ancient Immortal Secret Realm offers powerful beings a rare chance to advance, making it valuable despite its dangers.
• Trust and betrayal: The Joyful Union Sect unknowingly accepts help from someone who plans to destroy them.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fan approaches Yun Feiyan and the others, presenting himself as someone who knows what happened to Lu Chen.
• Yun Feiyan questions him and expresses concern, while Liu Fuyao remains suspicious of his account.
• Qin Fan uses his Qin Household identity and a staged witness to make his story convincing.
• The Joyful Union Sect members discuss Lu Chen’s likely fate and their inability to rescue him.
• Qin Fan outwardly follows the group into the immortal gate while privately anticipating their deaths.

Chapter Summary: “A Dream of a Thousand Years, Collapse Upon Entering the Formation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Immortal Gate opens, prompting cultivators throughout the Thirteen Void Passes to accelerate their attempts to complete the trials.
• Countless challengers fight through the passes, though many die along the way. Those who clear all thirteen are revealed to be elite Golden Core cultivators.
• Survivors begin climbing the Immortal Ascension Road and the Ascension Immortal Stairway toward the Summit of the Void, which serves as another difficult elimination trial. Only a tiny fraction will reach the summit.
• At the Ninth Pass, Lu Chen and his companions encounter Duan Zhengde and his sister. Duan proposes forming a team, claiming extensive knowledge of the remaining passes.
• Lu Chen accepts, and Lei Ting joins the group. They hurry because the Bronze Immortal Gate will remain open for only one month; anyone trapped inside the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm may disappear permanently. The gate will not reopen for another 120 years.
• Duan proves that his knowledge is genuine, guiding the group through beasts, mechanisms, traps, and illusion formations from the Ninth Pass to the Thirteenth.
• The Thirteenth Pass, called “A Dream of a Thousand Years,” is a powerful illusion formation that drags challengers into dreams and forces them to confront their deepest fears, enemies, or inner demons. Injuries sustained in the dream also appear in reality, and many cultivators die within the trial.
• Upon entering, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, Lei Ting, and numerous other cultivators immediately collapse into deep sleep.
• Lu Chen remains conscious because the Yin-Yang Cauldron in his dantian protects him from the formation. Duan Zhengde and his sister also remain unaffected, suggesting they possess hidden protective treasures.
• Lu Chen realizes Duan may have intentionally withheld information about the formation. Duan had planned to rob the unconscious cultivators, but Lu Chen’s survival prevents him from doing so.
• The chapter ends with Lu Chen asking Duan what they should do next.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates caution and growing distrust toward Duan. His survival reveals the protective power of the Yin-Yang Cauldron and hints that its abilities are becoming increasingly important.
• Duan Zhengde: Shows that his apparent frivolity masks real knowledge and possibly ulterior motives. He successfully guides the group through the passes but intended to exploit the unconscious challengers in the Thirteenth Pass.
• Duan Zhengde’s sister: Remains mysterious, though her immunity to the formation indicates that she, like her brother, possesses unusual protection or abilities.
• Lei Ting: Acts decisively by joining the team and emphasizes the urgency of entering the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm before the gate closes.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Are rendered helpless by the formation, leaving them vulnerable and dependent on Lu Chen and the others.

Significant Themes

• Time and mortality: The opening of the Immortal Gate creates intense competition, while the one-month limit and 120-year waiting period make every moment crucial.
• The dangers of ambition: The promise of immortality drives cultivators to risk death in the passes and on the Ascension Stairway.
• Hidden strength and deception: Duan’s harmless appearance conceals both genuine expertise and selfish motives, while Lu Chen’s hidden treasure protects him unexpectedly.
• Trials of the mind: The Thirteenth Pass emphasizes that inner fear, trauma, and mental resilience can be more dangerous than physical enemies.
• Mystery of the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm: The disappearance of cultivators trapped within it establishes the realm as a place of unknown and possibly supernatural danger.

Character Interactions

• Duan attempts to persuade Lu Chen and the others to form a team by emphasizing his knowledge of the Void Passes.
• Lu Chen questions Duan’s background and motives but ultimately agrees to cooperate.
• Lei Ting joins the alliance without objection, prioritizing speed and survival.
• After the group reaches the Thirteenth Pass, Lu Chen confronts Duan indirectly when he realizes Duan knew about the formation’s effects but failed to warn them.
• Duan is visibly alarmed that Lu Chen remains conscious and frustrated that his plan to loot the sleeping cultivators has been thwarted.

Chapter Summary: “This Woman Is No Simple Matter!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen, Duan Zhengde, and Duan Zhengde’s younger sister reach the Thirteenth Void Pass, “A Dream of a Thousand Years,” after advancing rapidly through the previous trials.
• The pass forces entrants into dreams where they confront the most terrifying experiences buried in their hearts. Injuries or death sustained in these dreams affect the physical body.
• Although many cultivators lie unconscious across the pass, some die violently in their sleep—one vomiting blood and another exploding into a blood mist.
• Duan Zhengde explains that those who remain awake can simply leave through the stone gate. Lu Chen initially doubts this apparent simplicity because the pass is actually extremely dangerous.
• Liu Yan’er is injured in her dream, suffering claw marks and coughing blood. Duan Zhengde suggests carrying her out of the formation to wake her.
• Lu Chen carries Liu Yan’er toward the exit, while Duan Zhengde and his sister opportunistically steal storage rings, pouches, and bracelets from the unconscious cultivators.
• A masked female cultivator suddenly awakens and catches Duan Zhengde stealing from her. He attempts to disguise himself as a patrol disciple, but she immediately sees through the lie and punches him hard in the face.
• The masked woman chooses not to pursue him because she is eager to reach the Immortal Ascension Road. Her Dao Heart has been perfected through the trial, and she is now close to entering the Nascent Soul Realm.
• Lu Chen recognizes that the masked woman is exceptionally powerful, comparing her to a peerless sword hidden in its sheath.
• Shen Li then begins suffering severe injuries in her dream, prompting Lu Chen to carry her toward the exit as well.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates strong concern for his companions, acting quickly to rescue Liu Yan’er and Shen Li despite the danger. He becomes increasingly alert to the true lethality of the final pass and recognizes the masked woman as an extraordinary opponent.
• Duan Zhengde: Reveals his shameless and opportunistic nature by looting unconscious cultivators. Although knowledgeable about the pass, he is exposed and humiliated when the masked woman punches him.
• Duan Zhengde’s younger sister: Quietly assists him in collecting the cultivators’ valuables and displays a threatening presence that makes the masked woman wary.
• Liu Yan’er: Is shown struggling against a terrifying dream and sustaining real injuries, highlighting the danger of the formation.
• Shen Li: Also becomes trapped in a brutal dream, with whip wounds appearing on her body as the chapter ends.
• Masked female cultivator: Proves mentally resilient, perfecting her Dao Heart within the dream. She is perceptive, powerful, and confident, immediately identifying Duan Zhengde’s theft and defeating him with one blow.

Significant Themes

• The danger hidden beneath apparent simplicity: The pass seems easy because the living can walk out, but those trapped in dreams face death.
• Inner fear and spiritual trials: The formation tests each cultivator’s deepest terror and uses those fears to temper or destroy them.
• Companionship and responsibility: Lu Chen risks himself to save Liu Yan’er and Shen Li rather than abandoning them.
• Greed and opportunism: Duan Zhengde exploits the unconscious cultivators, contrasting sharply with Lu Chen’s concern for others.
• Strength concealed beneath appearances: The seemingly ordinary or masked figures may possess immense power, especially the masked woman and Duan Zhengde’s sister.
• The pursuit of immortality: The survivors endure the Thirteen Void Passes for the chance to enter the Immortal Ascension Road and seek eternal life.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen consults Duan Zhengde about how to cross the final pass and relies on his knowledge.
• Duan Zhengde explains the dream formation and proposes rescuing victims by carrying them outside its range.
• Lu Chen carries Liu Yan’er out while Duan Zhengde and his sister loot the unconscious cultivators.
• The masked woman catches Duan Zhengde stealing, rejects his false identity, and knocks him away with a single punch.
• Duan Zhengde angrily demands that she stop, but she leaves without engaging him further.
• Lu Chen returns in time to see Duan Zhengde’s battered condition, jokingly suggesting he may have harassed the woman.
• When Shen Li begins to suffer, Lu Chen immediately takes action to save her as well.

Chapter Summary: “Toad Dreaming of Swan Flesh?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen rescues Shen Li from the Thirteenth Pass after she becomes trapped in a deadly dream. Although the torture occurred in a dream, her real body bears severe wounds, revealing that the formation’s illusions can cause genuine physical harm.
• Shen Li realizes how close she came to dying: in the dream, she nearly used her sect’s self-destruction technique against her uncle, which might have destroyed her real body and soul as well.
• Lu Chen returns to rescue Tang Xiaoman. She awakens only after leaving the formation and has minor claw wounds from the beasts in her dream.
• Liu Yan’er suffers the most serious injuries after being betrayed and tortured in her dream by her master, the Blissful Sect Master, and Zhou Tianqi. Her meridians and dantian are heavily damaged.
• Lu Chen gives Liu Yan’er a Heaven-Restoring Pill—actually one of Tang Xiaoman’s treasured pills, taken from her storage ring—which completely restores her injuries. Tang Xiaoman is frustrated that Lu Chen uses her pill for someone else.
• Lu Chen retrieves Lei Ting, who is unharmed but disappointed because she had wanted to use the dream formation to temper her Dao heart.
• While the others recover, Duan Zhengde and his sister continue causing chaos inside the Thirteenth Pass. Many cultivators die in their dreams, while others awaken with serious injuries.
• Once the group is ready to proceed onto the Immortal Ascension Road, Qin Heng appears and blocks their path.
• Qin Heng, the eldest among the five prodigies of the Archaic Qin Household, accuses Lu Chen of killing members of his clan. He also mocks Tang Xiaoman over her proposed marriage to Qin Fan and provocatively suggests that she marry him instead.
• Lu Chen challenges Qin Heng despite being only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, while Qin Heng is a Peak Golden Core cultivator. Qin Heng attacks first with a powerful punch.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Continues to demonstrate calm confidence and disregard for conventional cultivation hierarchies. He repeatedly saves the women, provides Liu Yan’er with a priceless healing pill, and willingly challenges a much stronger opponent.
• Shen Li: Gains a deeper understanding of the danger of the dream formation and recognizes how close she came to permanent death. Her dependence on Lu Chen’s rescue becomes even more evident.
• Tang Xiaoman: Recovers from her ordeal but grows increasingly irritated with Lu Chen, especially when he uses her Heaven-Restoring Pill to heal Liu Yan’er. She also reacts angrily to Qin Heng’s comments about marriage.
• Liu Yan’er: Suffers betrayal and torture in the dream but survives. After taking Lu Chen’s pill, she fully recovers and prepares to continue toward the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm, still unaware that Lu Chen is her master.
• Lei Ting: Remains unharmed and reveals an unusual willingness to endure the dream formation for Dao-heart training, contrasting with everyone else’s desire to escape.
• Qin Heng: Is introduced as arrogant, aggressive, and confident in his superior cultivation. He looks down on Lu Chen and the women, treats Tang Xiaoman as part of a potential political marriage, and immediately seeks confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Dreams and reality: The Thirteenth Pass blurs the boundary between illusion and physical existence, making dream injuries—and even death—potentially real.
• Survival and tribulation: The formation functions as a deadly trial that tests both physical endurance and the cultivators’ Dao hearts.
• Power versus cultivation realm: Lu Chen’s low apparent cultivation contrasts with his fearless attitude and implied hidden strength, setting up a challenge to Qin Heng’s assumptions.
• Political marriage and personal autonomy: Qin Heng’s comments expose the pressure placed on Tang Xiaoman to serve clan interests, while her angry rejection emphasizes her resistance to being controlled.
• Resources and relationships: The Heaven-Restoring Pill highlights Lu Chen’s generosity and Tang Xiaoman’s frustration, creating tension within the group.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen rescues Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, and Lei Ting from the formation, reinforcing his role as the group’s protector.
• He reassures Liu Yan’er by casually giving her Tang Xiaoman’s precious healing pill, while Tang Xiaoman silently resents the loss.
• Tang Xiaoman and Qin Heng clash verbally over her arranged marriage to Qin Fan and his crude suggestion that she marry him instead.
• Lu Chen and Qin Heng engage in a direct confrontation: Qin Heng relies on his superior realm, while Lu Chen responds with calm provocation and challenges him to prove his strength. The chapter ends as Qin Heng launches his attack.

Chapter Summary: “You Want to Kill Me with One Punch?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• As Lu Chen prepares to enter the Immortal Ascension Road, Qin Heng of the Qin Household’s Five Heroes suddenly attacks him.
• Qin Heng’s first punch releases blinding golden light and sends Lu Chen crashing into a mountain wall a hundred zhang away.
• Believing Lu Chen to be only a weak Foundation Establishment cultivator, Qin Heng mocks him and claims victory.
• Lei Ting condemns Qin Heng’s ambush, but he justifies his actions through the law of the strong defeating the weak.
• Qin Heng attempts to leave for the Ascension Immortal Stairway, only for Lu Chen to emerge from the rubble completely unharmed.
• Qin Heng assumes Lu Chen survived because of a powerful defensive treasure and decides to kill him to seize it.
• Lu Chen reveals that he endured the attack through his own physical strength, having reached the Peak Iron Bone body-refining stage.
• Qin Heng attacks again with another golden, metal-element punch. This time, Lu Chen is prepared and catches the punch with one hand.
• Qin Heng is stunned when Lu Chen withstands and restrains his attack, while Lu Chen realizes that Qin Heng also possesses exceptional physical strength.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates far greater physical power and durability than his apparent Foundation Establishment cultivation suggests. He remains calm and sarcastic despite Qin Heng’s attacks, openly challenging Qin Heng’s assumption that he can be killed easily.
• Qin Heng: Initially arrogant and dismissive, Qin Heng underestimates Lu Chen after successfully landing his first punch. His confidence shifts to shock and fear when Lu Chen survives and stops his second attack.
• Lei Ting: Acts protectively toward Lu Chen by warning him about Qin Heng’s strength. She recognizes Qin Heng as a dangerous opponent, even for herself.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: React with shock and anger after witnessing Lu Chen’s apparent defeat, then surprise and relief when he returns unharmed.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus appearances: Lu Chen’s low cultivation realm conceals his extraordinary body-refining achievements, causing Qin Heng to misjudge him.
• Arrogance and underestimation: Qin Heng assumes that realm determines combat ability and pays the price for dismissing Lu Chen.
• The law of the strong: Qin Heng openly embraces survival-of-the-fittest logic, while Lu Chen exposes it as bullying backed by superior power.
• Physical cultivation: The chapter highlights the importance of bodily strength, contrasting Qin Heng’s metal-element-enhanced physique with Lu Chen’s Iron Bone body-refining realm.
• Hypocrisy and clan power: Lu Chen criticizes the Qin Household as oppressive and sanctimonious, intensifying his hostility toward Qin Heng.

Character Interactions

• Qin Heng attacks Lu Chen without warning and later taunts him as a weak cultivator.
• Lei Ting confronts Qin Heng verbally and warns Lu Chen about his cultivation and reputation.
• Lu Chen mocks Qin Heng’s claim that one punch could kill him and challenges the Qin Household’s behavior.
• Their conflict escalates from verbal contempt to a direct physical confrontation, ending with Lu Chen gripping Qin Heng’s fist and leaving Qin Heng shocked and in pain.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Heng, leader of the Qin Household’s Five Heroes and a Peak Golden Core cultivator, attacks Lu Chen, assuming his Foundation Establishment cultivation makes him an easy target.
• Lu Chen catches Qin Heng’s punch with one hand, nearly crushing his bones, then slaps him across the face and sends him flying. The watching women are stunned by the overwhelming difference between Lu Chen’s apparent cultivation and actual strength.
• Enraged, Qin Heng activates the Qin Household’s Golden Armor Profound Technique, covering himself in golden radiance and increasing his physical and offensive power.
• Qin Heng launches two powerful Metal-element blade attacks:
  • Lu Chen destroys the first blade with a single finger.
  • He similarly shatters Qin Heng’s full-strength, hundred-zhang-long blade projection with another finger.
• Lu Chen appears in front of Qin Heng before he can react and punches him in the chest. The force caves in Qin Heng’s torso, destroys his internal organs, and blasts apart a massive tree behind him.
• Qin Heng dies moments before reaching the Ascension Immortal Stairway and the Bronze Immortal Gate, bitterly regretting that he provoked Lu Chen.
• Qin Heng’s Golden Core attempts to escape, carrying his Nascent Soul consciousness and offering a chance at resurrection through possession. Lu Chen catches it and destroys the consciousness inside, ensuring Qin Heng’s complete death.
• At the Summit of the Void, Qin Heng’s father, Qin Taixuan, discovers that his son’s Soul Tablet has shattered. Qin Taixuan, a terrifying Spirit Transformation expert and head of the Qin Household, vows revenge against whoever killed his son.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Revealed to possess extraordinary physical strength and speed far beyond what his Foundation Establishment cultivation suggests. He is calm, confident, and almost disdainful throughout the battle, defeating Qin Heng without needing weapons or elaborate techniques.
• Qin Heng: Begins arrogant and confident in his strength as a Peak Golden Core expert, but becomes shocked, enraged, and finally desperate as Lu Chen effortlessly dismantles his attacks. His death demonstrates the danger of judging Lu Chen by his cultivation realm.
• Lei Ting and the other women: Initially shocked and incredulous at Lu Chen’s strength. Lei Ting recognizes Qin Heng’s Golden Armor Profound Technique and provides context about the rarity and limitations of body-refining cultivation.
• Qin Taixuan: Introduced as Qin Heng’s powerful father. His grief immediately turns into fury, establishing a major future threat to Lu Chen.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength versus apparent cultivation: Lu Chen’s Foundation Establishment realm conceals power capable of overwhelming a Peak Golden Core expert.
• Arrogance and provocation: Qin Heng attacks because he underestimates Lu Chen, and his needless aggression ultimately causes his death.
• Physical cultivation and overwhelming force: The chapter emphasizes the rarity and potency of powerful body-refining techniques, while showing that Lu Chen’s body is even more formidable than Qin Heng’s Golden Armor technique.
• Finality of death: Lu Chen destroys Qin Heng’s Golden Core and Nascent Soul consciousness, preventing resurrection and underscoring his decisiveness.
• Escalating conflict: Qin Heng’s death transforms a personal confrontation into a larger conflict with the Qin Household and its Spirit Transformation patriarch.

Character Interactions

• Qin Heng attacks and challenges Lu Chen, but Lu Chen humiliates him by catching his punch and slapping him away.
• Lei Ting explains the significance of Qin Heng’s Golden Armor Profound Technique while the other women watch in fear and disbelief.
• Lu Chen repeatedly counters Qin Heng’s strongest attacks with a single finger, emphasizing the vast gap between them.
• Before killing him, Lu Chen rebukes Qin Heng for provoking him unnecessarily.
• After Qin Heng’s death, Qin Taixuan reacts to the broken Soul Tablet and declares that Lu Chen—or whoever killed his son—will pay with his life.

Chapter Summary

• Qin Heng’s death provokes his father: Qin Heng, one of the Qin Household’s Five Heroes and the son of Spirit Transformation expert Qin Taixuan, is revealed to have been beaten to death. Qin Taixuan becomes enraged and unleashes his divine sense across Grand Void Immortal Mountain to find the killer.
• Qin Taixuan attacks Lu Chen: Qin Taixuan identifies Lu Chen as Qin Heng’s murderer and attacks him remotely from the Summit of the Void. A tremendous invisible force crushes Lu Chen into the ground, seemingly killing him. The attack terrifies Lu Chen’s companions—Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, Tang Xiaoman, and Lei Ting—because Lu Chen is only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, while Qin Taixuan is a Spirit Transformation mighty one.
• The major powers intervene: Li Daochen, the Grand Void Immortal Sect’s master, and other powerful cultivators confront Qin Taixuan. They warn him that he has violated the rules by attacking someone within the sect’s territory. Qin Taixuan coldly argues that Lu Chen would die anyway but ultimately withdraws rather than provoke the Grand Void Immortal Sect and the other major forces.
• Lu Chen survives: Although everyone assumes Lu Chen is dead, he emerges from the crater alive. The Yin-Yang Cauldron inside him absorbs most of the attack’s power, once again saving his life. Even Qin Taixuan is shocked that a Foundation Establishment cultivator survived his strike.
• Qin Taixuan sends Qin Ao: Unable to attack Lu Chen again without causing a wider conflict, Qin Taixuan orders his eldest disciple, Qin Ao—a Nascent Soul Great Completion cultivator—to descend the mountain and retrieve Qin Heng’s corpse.
• Lu Chen reassesses the danger: Lei Ting explains that Qin Taixuan likely cannot attack again because repeatedly breaking the rules would amount to challenging the Grand Void Immortal Sect and every major faction present. Lu Chen realizes he can safely continue toward the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm. He is also reassured by his hidden identity and altered appearance, which make it difficult for the Qin Household to track him.
• Ending: Regaining his confidence, Lu Chen dismisses his fear of Qin Taixuan and begins climbing the Ascension Immortal Stairway toward the Summit of the Void and the Bronze Immortal Gate.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Lu Chen demonstrates extraordinary resilience and composure. Though initially terrified by the attack, he quickly regains confidence after learning Qin Taixuan cannot act freely. His reliance on the Yin-Yang Cauldron is reinforced, and his long-term ambition to surpass Spirit Transformation experts becomes clearer.
• Qin Taixuan is shown as a furious and protective father, but also as a powerful figure constrained by political and sectarian rules. His anger cannot overcome the need to preserve the Qin Household’s interests.
• Li Daochen and the other mighty ones act as enforcers of the established rules, preventing Qin Taixuan from freely abusing his power.
• Lei Ting provides crucial information and reassurance to Lu Chen, while Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman react with fear and concern over his apparent death.
• The chapter emphasizes the tension between personal vengeance and the restrictions imposed by powerful factions, as well as the widening gap between Lu Chen’s current cultivation and his hidden potential.

Chapter Summary: “You Want to Hit Me? Do You Dare?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen kills Qin Heng, leader of the Qin Household’s Five Heroes, and takes his storage ring, Golden Core, and other treasures.
• By killing Qin Heng, Lu Chen earns valuable cultivation resources but creates a deadly feud with Qin Taixuan, the Qin Household’s Spirit Transformation patriarch.
• Lu Chen plans to use the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm to advance both of his cultivation paths:
  • Break through from the Peak Iron Bone Stage to the Golden Body Stage using the five Five-Element Golden Cores.
  • Reach the Nascent Soul Realm in spell cultivation by repairing his ruined Nascent Soul Pill with Yin-Yang Essence.
• Lu Chen and Lei Ting, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman begin climbing the 13,500-step Ascension Immortal Stairway, treating the climb as a competition.
• The stairway’s pressure increases with every step. Numerous cultivators collapse and are expelled from the trial by immortal light, while Lu Chen and the four women continue progressing.
• Qin Ao, a Nascent Soul cultivator from the Qin Household, descends the stairway and confronts Lu Chen over Qin Heng’s death.
• Because the trial forbids powerful cultivators from attacking weaker participants, Qin Ao cannot directly kill Lu Chen. Lu Chen boldly mocks him and dares him to attack.
• Qin Ao threatens Lu Chen with the Qin Household’s revenge inside the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm. Lu Chen accepts the challenge and continues toward the summit.
• After recovering Qin Heng’s corpse, Qin Ao discovers that Lu Chen took everything, including Qin Heng’s Golden Core. Enraged, he swears to kill Lu Chen.
• Qin Taixuan orders all Qin Household disciples entering the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm to hunt a young man in black with an ordinary appearance. The remaining members of the Five Heroes prepare to enter, with Qin Fan using a War Puppet Avatar.
• Unaware that he has become the Qin Household’s official target, Lu Chen continues climbing toward the Summit of the Void.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Becomes more confident and ambitious after defeating Qin Heng. He remains fearless despite provoking the Qin Household and is determined to grow strong enough to survive against Spirit Transformation experts. His dual body-and-spell cultivation goals become clearly defined.
• Qin Ao: Initially doubtful that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could kill Qin Heng, Qin Ao becomes consumed by anger after seeing Qin Heng’s corpse and learning that Lu Chen took his Golden Core. His personal hatred drives him to pursue revenge.
• Qin Taixuan: Acts decisively as the Qin Household patriarch, turning Lu Chen into a widespread hunting target within the secret realm.
• Lei Ting, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Display their competitiveness and exceptional status by joining the race up the stairway, though the increasing pressure eventually slows them.

Significant Themes

• Strength as the basis of survival: Lu Chen recognizes that his only protection against powerful enemies is rapid cultivation and personal strength.
• Defiance against established powers: Lu Chen refuses to fear the prestigious and powerful Qin Household, directly challenging its authority.
• Cultivation and ambition: The chapter emphasizes Lu Chen’s plans to master both body and spell cultivation, potentially making him invincible among peers of the same realm.
• Trials and competition: The Ascension Immortal Stairway tests endurance and cultivation while encouraging rivalry among talented young cultivators.
• Revenge and escalating conflict: Qin Heng’s death transforms Lu Chen’s conflict with the Qin Household from a personal clash into an organized hunt.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Chen competes playfully with the four women on the Ascension Immortal Stairway, while Lei Ting immediately takes the lead.
• Qin Ao confronts Lu Chen and attempts to intimidate him, but Lu Chen reverses the pressure by mocking Qin Ao and daring him to attack.
• Lei Ting identifies Qin Ao and helps establish his connection to the Qin Household.
• Qin Ao’s discovery of Qin Heng’s looted corpse intensifies his hatred and leads to the Qin Household’s coordinated plan to eliminate Lu Chen.