Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Ambushed—This Place Was Actually ‘Purgatory’!”

Plot and major events

Lu Chen awakens on a teleportation platform surrounded by corpses and blood, realizing he has not reached the Summit of the Void and that Liu Fuyao and Yun Feiyan are missing. He is ambushed by a Golden Core Realm middle-aged man working for Qin Fan. The man reveals that he secretly placed a formation talisman on Lu Chen while pretending to pat him on the shoulder in Void City, redirecting him to Purgatory, the eighth of the Thirteen Void Passes. Qin Fan ordered his death so that Lu Chen’s valuable treasures could be seized.

Conflict and reversal

Believing Lu Chen’s Qi Refining, Fifth Level cultivation makes him helpless, the assassin attacks with a Mid-Grade Spirit Artifact spear. Lu Chen effortlessly catches the spearhead between two fingers and snaps it, exposing the enormous difference between his apparent cultivation and his physical strength. He then catches and defeats the assassin with a single punch.

Lu Chen’s actions and development

Lu Chen has recently strengthened his body through an all-night cultivation session with Li Yunsheng, borrowing the essence of Li Yunsheng’s Nascent Soul Realm power. This has advanced his body cultivation to the Middle Iron Bone Stage, allowing him to fight even Golden Core cultivators despite his low spell-cultivation level. He ruthlessly tears out the defeated man’s Golden Core, discovers it is metal-attributed, and takes the assassin’s possessions. This reflects Lu Chen’s increasingly merciless attitude toward anyone who attempts to kill him, as well as his confidence in his hidden strength.

Future goals and significance

Lu Chen intends to use the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm’s dense spiritual energy, along with the Five-Element Golden Cores he has gathered, to forge an Immortal Golden Body. If successful, he believes even Nascent Soul patriarchs will be unable to defeat him. Escaping Purgatory and clearing the final pass, One Dream, Ten Thousand Years, would allow him to reach the Immortal Ascension Road.

Character interactions

The middle-aged assassin taunts Lu Chen, boasting that killing a weak Qi Refining cultivator will be effortless. Lu Chen responds calmly and provocatively, challenging him to attack. After being defeated, the assassin begs for his life but condemns Lu Chen as a “devil” when Lu Chen extracts his Golden Core. Their encounter highlights Qin Fan’s treachery and Lu Chen’s overwhelming physical power.

Ending cliffhanger

Before Lu Chen can investigate the storage ring, a terrifying roar comes from outside the platform. A mysterious figure surrounded by black qi, with glowing crimson eyes, appears and fixes its gaze on him, suggesting that Purgatory contains an even greater danger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fan sabotages Lu Chen’s teleportation, sending him to the eighth of the Thirteen Void Passes, Purgatory, instead of directly to the Summit of the Void and the Primordial Immortal Sect.
• Lu Chen defeats and restrains Qin Fan’s subordinate, Qin Shan, then extracts his Golden Core in anger, vowing to kill Qin Fan despite his connection to the powerful Archaic Qin Household.
• A Purgatory Demon Wolf, whose strength is comparable to a Great Perfection Golden Core cultivator, appears at the teleportation platform. Qin Shan mocks Lu Chen, believing the beast will kill him.
• More than a dozen Qin Household disciples teleport in and are ordered to kill Lu Chen. They target him because he possesses the valuable resources taken from numerous young prodigies after the Life-and-Death Arena.
• The demon wolf suddenly attacks the Qin disciples, killing one outright and burning three others to ash with demonic fire.
• When the wolf turns toward Lu Chen, he throws Qin Shan at it, allowing the beast to tear Qin Shan apart.
• Lu Chen uses a map prepared by Ye Chenyu and discovers a shortcut through the eight-hundred-li Purgatory Gorge, leading directly to the ninth pass. He leaves the others behind and begins crossing the dangerous gorge.
• The Qin Household disciples eventually kill the demon wolf, but at the cost of four more lives. Of the original fifteen disciples, eight are dead, while the survivors are badly wounded.
• Qin Shou and three other disciples pursue Lu Chen, while three severely injured members are abandoned at the one-way teleportation platform.
• Meanwhile, Li Yunsheng storms into Qin Fan’s residence in Void City, angrily confronting him for attacking her people.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen becomes openly furious and defiant toward Qin Fan. Rather than being intimidated by the Qin Household, he retaliates decisively, uses Qin Shan as bait, and immediately focuses on escaping Purgatory through the fastest route.
• Qin Shan is revealed as ruthless and vengeful, willing to sacrifice himself if it means bringing Lu Chen down. His arrogance ultimately leads to his death.
• Qin Shou demonstrates authority as a subordinate of Qin Heng, one of the Qin Household’s Five Heroes, but his confidence is shaken when the demon wolf massacres his group.
• The Qin Household disciples are motivated by greed as much as loyalty. They view Lu Chen as a treasure vault rather than merely an enemy.
• Li Yunsheng takes a protective and confrontational role, directly challenging Qin Fan over his treatment of her allies.
• Ye Chenyu, though absent from the events, is shown to have carefully prepared supplies and information that help Lu Chen survive the unexpected trial.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and political hostility: Qin Fan manipulates the teleportation system to endanger Lu Chen, escalating their personal conflict into a feud between powerful factions.
• Strength and survival: Purgatory is designed to eliminate all but the strongest cultivators, emphasizing that the Immortal Ascension Road is a brutal competition.
• Greed and exploitation: The Grand Void Immortal Sect profits from selling teleportation talismans and maps, while the Qin disciples pursue Lu Chen for his treasures.
• Resource inequality: Wealthy forces can purchase shortcuts and advantages, whereas poorer cultivators must risk their lives crossing the passes normally.
• The cost of ambition: Countless cultivators risk death to pursue immortality, and the Qin Household’s losses show that even wealth and numbers cannot guarantee survival.
• Revenge and defiance: Lu Chen’s determination to retaliate against Qin Fan grows stronger, while Li Yunsheng’s confrontation suggests that the conflict will soon expand.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Qin Shan clash over Qin Fan’s betrayal, with Lu Chen overpowering and holding Qin Shan before using him as a shield against the demon wolf.
• Qin Shou recognizes Qin Shan and orders the Qin disciples to kill Lu Chen, treating him as a valuable target because of his accumulated treasures.
• The Qin disciples are forced to fight the Purgatory Demon Wolf, suffering catastrophic losses.
• Li Yunsheng confronts Qin Fan directly, pointing her sword at him and accusing him of harming her people, setting up a new confrontation in Void City.

Chapter Summary: “Lu Chen in the Eighth Pass?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Yunsheng storms into the Qin Household’s residence after learning that Qin Fan attacked Lu Chen. She confronts Qin Fan, but neither can fight inside Void City because combat is forbidden there.
• Li Yunsheng warns Qin Fan that if Lu Chen dies in Purgatory, she will pursue Qin Fan until one of them is dead.
• Qin Fan discovers that Qin Shan, the Golden Core cultivator he sent to assassinate Lu Chen, has died. He is shocked because Lu Chen supposedly possesses only Qi Refining, Fifth Level cultivation.
• To avenge Qin Shan and eliminate Lu Chen, Qin Fan orders his subordinate to spread the news that Lu Chen is in the Void Eighth Pass.
• The rumor immediately attracts countless cultivators. Because Lu Chen possesses the Supreme Divine Iron, a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Medicine, and the storage rings of numerous prodigies, many see him as a treasure vault worth killing for.
• Teleportation Array Talismans leading to the Eighth Pass become highly sought after, and multiple major factions—including the Carefree Sect and Supreme Sect—send people there.
• Shen Li and Liu Yan’er learn that Lu Chen is being hunted. Tang Xiaoman approaches them, offering to help rescue him in exchange for the return of her storage ring.
• Tang Xiaoman conceals the real reason for her urgency, claiming that the ring contains an inheritance left by her deceased mother. In truth, it holds something dangerous whose loss could bring disaster to the Beast Taming Sect.
• The three women purchase expensive teleportation talismans and prepare to enter the Eighth Pass.
• Meanwhile, Lu Chen reaches the entrance to the Eight-Hundred-Li Purgatory Valley, a gloomy and death-filled gorge, and proceeds inside without hesitation.

Character Developments

• Qin Fan becomes increasingly enraged and vengeful after Qin Shan’s death. His confidence is shaken by the realization that Lu Chen may be far more dangerous than his cultivation level suggests.
• Li Yunsheng openly defends Lu Chen and demonstrates strong concern for his safety, even risking a future life-and-death confrontation with Qin Fan.
• Tang Xiaoman reveals herself to be resourceful and deceptive. Although she pretends to help purely out of concern for Lu Chen’s companions, her true goal is recovering a crucial item from her lost storage ring.
• Shen Li and Liu Yan’er show loyalty toward Lu Chen by immediately seeking a way to enter the Eighth Pass and help him despite the danger.
• Lu Chen remains calm and fearless, advancing directly into Purgatory despite the large-scale danger gathering around him.

Significant Themes

• Envy and greed: Lu Chen’s visible wealth turns him into a target for countless cultivators, illustrating how possessions can provoke betrayal and violence.
• Hidden strength and underestimated enemies: Qin Fan assumes Lu Chen is helpless because of his low cultivation, but Qin Shan’s death suggests Lu Chen possesses extraordinary abilities.
• Loyalty and protection: Li Yunsheng, Shen Li, and Liu Yan’er are willing to risk themselves for Lu Chen.
• Deception and concealed motives: Tang Xiaoman’s false explanation highlights the secrecy and competing interests surrounding the rescue mission.
• Danger beyond cultivation: The chapter emphasizes that influence, strategy, treasures, and unknown abilities can matter as much as a person’s cultivation realm.

Character Interactions

• Li Yunsheng vs. Qin Fan: A hostile confrontation centered on Lu Chen’s safety, restrained only by Void City’s rules.
• Qin Fan and his subordinate: Qin Fan gives the order to expose Lu Chen’s location and mobilize his enemies.
• Tang Xiaoman with Shen Li and Liu Yan’er: She recruits them into an alliance by offering help, while secretly pursuing her own urgent objective.
• Lu Chen and the approaching factions: Though he does not directly interact with them in the chapter, his presence in the Eighth Pass draws numerous enemies toward him as he enters Purgatory Valley.

Chapter Summary: “Terrifying Purgatory Gorge”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen enters the extremely dangerous, eight-hundred-li Purgatory Gorge, using it as a shortcut to the Ninth Pass.
• Qin Shou follows with three subordinates, despite knowing that the gorge is filled with poisonous miasma. They take Detoxification Pills before entering.
• Concerned for Lu Chen’s safety, Li Yunsheng orders Black Feather and nine Ink Phoenix Guards— all Golden Core cultivators—to protect him. She specifically commands them to kill anyone from the Qin Household who attempts to harm him.
• Li Yunsheng’s growing influence is explained: after reaching Nascent Soul Great Completion, she gained the support of her family’s entire lineage and confidently broke off her engagement with Qin Fan.
• Qin Fan also sends people to hunt Lu Chen. Numerous cultivators gather at the Eighth Pass, hoping to kill Lu Chen and seize his treasures.
• Several cultivators flee Purgatory Gorge in terror, suffering from severe Corpse Poison. Their bodies melt into bloody water and skeletons, terrifying everyone outside the gorge.
• Duan Zhengde appears and sells Detoxification Pills, claiming that his younger sister is the disciple of the Poison Saint of a Thousand Hands. He charges an exorbitant ten High-Grade Spirit Stones per pill.
• Liu Yan’er purchases three pills and shares them with Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman. After taking them, the three women enter the gorge safely, proving that the pills are effective.
• Seeing this, the other cultivators rush to buy the pills and begin entering the gorge.
• Inside, Lu Chen is confronted by three powerful Flying Zombies, each comparable to a Golden Core cultivator and covered in lethal Corpse Poison.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates fearlessness by entering Purgatory Gorge, but now faces a serious threat from three Flying Zombies.
• Qin Shou: Shows arrogance and confidence by pursuing Lu Chen into the gorge, dismissing him as a weak Qi Refining cultivator.
• Li Yunsheng: Emerges as a powerful and influential protector. Her breakthrough to Nascent Soul Great Completion has transformed her status and enabled her to oppose both Qin Fan and the Qin Household.
• Qin Fan: Continues trying to eliminate Lu Chen indirectly by sending trusted subordinates into the Eighth Pass.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Display courage and loyalty by purchasing the expensive antidotes and entering the deadly gorge themselves.
• Duan Zhengde: Reveals himself as a shrewd merchant who exploits the crisis by charging an extremely high price for effective Detoxification Pills.
• Duan Zhengde’s younger sister: Though shy and delicate in appearance, she is revealed to be the disciple of the feared Poison Saint of a Thousand Hands.

Significant Themes

• Strength determines status: Li Yunsheng’s improved treatment by her family and her ability to break off her engagement reflect the cultivation world’s belief that power determines a person’s value.
• Greed and miscalculation: Many cultivators enter the gorge expecting Lu Chen to be easy prey, underestimating both the environment and the dangers within it.
• Appearances versus reality: Lu Chen is dismissed as weak, while the seemingly harmless young girl beside Duan Zhengde is connected to the terrifying Poison Saint.
• Loyalty and protection: Li Yunsheng risks conflict with the Qin Household to protect Lu Chen, while Liu Yan’er and her companions follow him into danger.
• Danger hidden behind opportunity: Purgatory Gorge offers a shortcut to the Ninth Pass, but its benefits are balanced by deadly miasma, Corpse Poison, and powerful undead creatures.

Character Interactions

• Qin Shou and his subordinates pursue Lu Chen despite the gorge’s dangers.
• Li Yunsheng gives Black Feather direct orders to protect Lu Chen and kill Qin Household attackers, openly challenging Qin Fan’s faction.
• Liu Yan’er recognizes Duan Zhengde from their previous encounter and tests the credibility of his pills.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman cooperate by sharing the Detoxification Pills before entering the gorge.
• Lu Chen faces the three Flying Zombies alone, ending the chapter on a dangerous cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen becomes trapped in Purgatory Gorge by three extremely rare and powerful Flying Zombies. Their corpse qi is corrosive enough to melt rock, forcing him to flee rather than fight.
• Qin Shou leads several Qin Household disciples into the gorge while pursuing Lu Chen. They encounter ordinary zombies, but Qin Shou easily destroys them with his Crimson Flame Saber.
• Lu Chen suddenly rushes past Qin Shou’s group, pursued by the three Flying Zombies. Qin Shou realizes Lu Chen has unintentionally—or deliberately—led the monsters toward them.
• The Flying Zombies overtake the Qin Household disciples and devour them in corpse qi. Qin Shou abandons them and desperately escapes, enraged at Lu Chen.
• Lu Chen outruns both Qin Shou and the zombies, but soon encounters a large group of cultivators from several major sects and families.
• The cultivators recognize Lu Chen as a valuable target because of his spiritual medicines, divine iron, and stolen storage rings. They rush to kill him and seize his wealth.
• Before they can attack, Lu Chen stops and stands confidently as the three Flying Zombies arrive behind him, flooding the area with terrifying corpse qi and putting all the greedy cultivators in immediate danger.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates remarkable speed, survival instincts, and tactical cunning. Though physically weaker than the Flying Zombies and many pursuing cultivators, he uses his speed to escape and potentially turn the zombies against his enemies.
• Qin Shou: Initially appears dominant, easily slaughtering weaker zombies and boasting about his strength. However, when faced with the Flying Zombies, he abandons his companions and flees, revealing fear and selfishness beneath his arrogance.
• Qin Household disciples: Begin confidently under Qin Shou’s protection but quickly become helpless once the Flying Zombies appear. Their deaths emphasize the danger of Purgatory Gorge.
• The pursuing cultivators: Their greed blinds them to the danger. They view Lu Chen as a “walking treasure vault” rather than recognizing the threat surrounding him.

Significant Themes

• Survival through intelligence rather than strength: Lu Chen cannot directly defeat the Flying Zombies, so he relies on speed, evasion, and possibly using them against his pursuers.
• Greed and its consequences: The cultivators’ desire for Lu Chen’s treasures causes them to rush into a deadly situation without considering the dangers of the gorge.
• False confidence and cowardice: Qin Shou’s earlier bravado collapses when he encounters a genuine threat, exposing the difference between defeating weak enemies and surviving overwhelming danger.
• The danger of underestimating Lu Chen: Although others regard him as weak because of his low cultivation, his speed and resourcefulness make him far more dangerous than they expect.
• Life and death uncertainty: The chapter’s title is reflected in the sudden reversal of fortune: those who believe they are hunting Lu Chen may instead be walking into their own deaths.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen is pursued by the three Flying Zombies and uses his superior speed to keep ahead of them.
• Qin Shou and his disciples encounter Lu Chen during his escape. Lu Chen passes them without explanation, indirectly bringing the Flying Zombies into their path.
• Qin Shou blames Lu Chen for the deaths of his subordinates and flees rather than attempting to rescue them.
• A large coalition of sect disciples and Qin Household members confronts Lu Chen, intending to kill him for his treasures.
• Lu Chen faces the greedy group just as the Flying Zombies arrive, creating a tense cliffhanger in which the hunters may become the hunted.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The cultivators who entered the Void Eighth Pass were revealed to be hunting Lu Chen for the treasures he possessed rather than attempting to clear the pass.
• As numerous Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators rushed to attack, Lu Chen triggered the three Flying Zombies behind him. Their overwhelming corpse qi engulfed the attackers, allowing Lu Chen to escape.
• Qin Shou, a Middle Golden Core cultivator from the Qin Household, pursued Lu Chen and launched a powerful flame blade attack.
• Lu Chen effortlessly caught and crushed the blade light, then defeated Qin Shou with a single Five-Element Fist.
• When Qin Shou attempted to self-detonate his Golden Core, Lu Chen seized him and forcibly removed the Core, preventing the explosion.
• Lu Chen took Qin Shou’s storage ring and Crimson Flame Saber, revealing that he had deliberately displayed his wealth in Void City to lure greedy enemies into a trap.
• The chapter ends when Su Mei appears with Lu Chen’s allies Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman as hostages. She threatens to kill them unless Lu Chen surrenders.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates that his true strength comes from body cultivation rather than his apparently low Qi Refining realm. After reaching the Middle Iron Bone Stage, he can overpower Golden Core cultivators with ease. He is also shown to be calculating and deliberately manipulative, using his wealth as bait to attract enemies.
• Qin Shou: His confidence and arrogance collapse after Lu Chen defeats him effortlessly. His attempted self-detonation fails when Lu Chen extracts his Golden Core, leaving him helpless and terrified.
• Su Mei: Reemerges as an active antagonist. She displays ruthless control over the situation by capturing Lu Chen’s companions and using them to force his surrender.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Their capture places them in immediate danger and establishes them as leverage against Lu Chen.
• Lin Yue: Appears alongside Su Mei as an accomplice and guardian of the hostages.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated ability: Lu Chen’s low spell-cultivation level conceals his formidable body-cultivation power.
• Greed and reversal of hunter and prey: The cultivators enter the pass intending to kill Lu Chen for his possessions, but their greed leads them into the path of the Flying Zombies.
• Strategic deception: Lu Chen intentionally flaunts his wealth to lure enemies into situations he can exploit.
• Power versus perception: Qin Shou and the other cultivators judge Lu Chen by his cultivation rank and discover too late that conventional measures of strength are misleading.
• Hostage leverage and moral pressure: Su Mei shifts the conflict from direct combat to an emotional confrontation by threatening Lu Chen’s allies.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen manipulates the pursuing cultivators by drawing them toward the Flying Zombies.
• He humiliates Qin Shou in combat, explains the superiority of his body cultivation, and strips him of his Golden Core and treasures.
• Lu Chen reveals to Qin Shou that the entire attack was part of a deliberate trap targeting greedy cultivators.
• Su Mei confronts Lu Chen directly and threatens Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman, forcing him to choose between surrender and risking their deaths.

Chapter Summary: Tang Household of the Beast Taming Sect

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen is confronted by Su Mei, a former powerhouse of the Joyful Union Sect who betrayed the sect and allied with the Black Tortoise Sect.
• Su Mei has captured Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman, using them as hostages to force Lu Chen to surrender. Lin Yue, Su Mei’s disciple, threatens Liu Yan’er and strikes Shen Li when she insults Su Mei.
• Lu Chen refuses to show fear or submit, despite recognizing that Su Mei’s Peak Golden Core cultivation vastly surpasses his apparent fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation.
• Tang Longxiang, the heir of the Tang Household of the Beast Taming Sect and Tang Xiaoman’s elder brother, arrives to rescue the women.
• Tang Longxiang demonstrates powerful earth-element techniques, binding Su Mei and Lin Yue while freeing the hostages. He then confronts Su Mei directly.
• Su Mei’s flying sword attack is blocked by Tang Longxiang’s earth dragon and even knocked aside by his physical strength. Recognizing his power, she retreats with Lin Yue.
• At the same time, three Flying Zombies emerge from the depths of Purgatory Gorge and slaughter numerous cultivators who had been pursuing Lu Chen for his treasures. Their strength increases after consuming the victims’ blood essence.
• Tang Longxiang pursues Su Mei, while Lu Chen reunites with Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman.
• Liu Yan’er explains that the three women were ambushed after being driven into a cave by swarms of beetles capable of devouring Spirit Artifacts. Su Mei had been hiding in the cave and sealed their cultivation before capturing them.
• The chapter ends when the three Flying Zombies target Lu Chen again and rush toward him, placing everyone in immediate danger.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Remains composed and defiant despite being placed at a severe disadvantage. His concern for Liu Yan’er and Shen Li reveals his personal attachment to them, while his attitude toward Tang Xiaoman is more detached.
• Su Mei: Is portrayed as ruthless, arrogant, and confident in her Peak Golden Core strength. Her betrayal of the Joyful Union Sect continues to define her role as an antagonist.
• Lin Yue: Demonstrates fierce loyalty to Su Mei but also cruelty and impulsiveness, striking Shen Li for insulting her master.
• Tang Longxiang: Makes a powerful entrance as a protective elder brother and formidable cultivator. His earth-based abilities and physical strength allow him to challenge Su Mei directly.
• Liu Yan’er and Shen Li: Both remain outspoken even while captured. Liu Yan’er urges Lu Chen not to endanger himself, while Shen Li openly condemns Su Mei’s tactics.
• Tang Xiaoman: Her identity as the little princess of the Beast Taming Sect is revealed, raising the stakes of her capture and explaining Tang Longxiang’s intervention.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and betrayal: Su Mei’s betrayal of the Joyful Union Sect contrasts with Lin Yue’s unwavering loyalty to her.
• Family protection: Tang Longxiang’s arrival emphasizes the strength of familial bonds and his determination to defend Tang Xiaoman.
• Power versus appearance: Lu Chen appears weak due to his revealed cultivation level, while Tang Longxiang’s true strength is far greater than expected.
• The dangers of Purgatory Gorge: The gorge is shown to contain unpredictable threats, including artifact-eating beetles, corpse qi, miasma, and powerful Flying Zombies.
• Predator and prey: Cultivators seeking Lu Chen’s treasures become victims of the Flying Zombies, demonstrating how quickly the balance of power can change.

Character Interactions

• Su Mei attempts to manipulate Lu Chen through Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman, but Lu Chen mocks her strategy rather than surrendering.
• Lin Yue physically attacks Shen Li to defend Su Mei’s honor, intensifying the hostility between the women.
• Tang Longxiang confronts Su Mei and Lin Yue, freeing the hostages and forcing Su Mei to retreat.
• Liu Yan’er reunites with Lu Chen and explains how Su Mei ambushed them.
• The rescued group is immediately threatened again when the three Flying Zombies turn their attention toward Lu Chen.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tang Longxiang appears at the critical moment and rescues Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman from Su Mei. Lu Chen is relieved because he can continue hiding his true strength.
• Lu Chen recognizes Tang Longxiang as a remarkably powerful Peak Golden Core cultivator with an Earth Spirit Root and consummate Earth Manipulation Art.
• Three Flying Zombies attack Lu Chen again. He releases the three women and orders them to flee while he holds off the monsters.
• Qin Shou, still alive, is abandoned by the fleeing group and has his blood essence drained by the Flying Zombies, dying as a dried corpse.
• Lu Chen kills one Flying Zombie with his Fire Fist, exploiting fire’s natural suppression of corpse creatures. The Zombie is burned to ash, leaving behind a valuable Blood Core.
• The remaining two Flying Zombies flee after sensing Lu Chen’s overwhelming strength.
• Members of the Yin Corpse Sect surround Lu Chen, revealing that someone has placed a bounty on his life. Lu Chen suspects Qin Fan is behind it.
• The Yin Corpse Sect unleashes six Flying Zombies, including an unusually powerful, muscular Zombie that may be an Unmelting Bone.
• Lu Chen unleashes his full strength with “Fire Fist, Fist Shaking the Nine Heavens.” His attack destroys five Flying Zombies and severely blasts the armored Zombie, reducing the others to ash.
• Five Blood Cores fall from the dead Zombies, delighting Lu Chen.
• Before he can collect them, a gigantic black hand descends from the sky, tearing through space and radiating Nascent Soul-level power. Lu Chen realizes he cannot withstand the attack and is suddenly faced with imminent death.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Continues pretending to be only a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator while secretly possessing overwhelming physical and Fire-element power. He becomes increasingly confident and aggressively hunts Zombies for their Blood Cores. However, the sudden Nascent Soul-level attack exposes the limits of even his hidden strength.
• Tang Longxiang: Is established as an exceptional young genius, possessing an Earth Spirit Root and Peak Golden Core cultivation. His timely intervention demonstrates his protectiveness toward Tang Xiaoman and his importance among the younger generation.
• Tang Xiaoman: Learns that Lu Chen defeated a Middle Golden Core cultivator despite appearing to be at Qi Refining, Fifth Level, causing her shock and suspicion.
• Qin Shou: Dies after being abandoned by Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman. His death highlights the brutal danger of the gorge and the group’s unwillingness to risk themselves for him.
• Yin Corpse Sect attackers: Their confidence in their corpse army collapses when Lu Chen destroys their carefully cultivated Flying Zombies in a single attack. Their leader experiences shock and despair.
• Flying Zombies: Demonstrate intelligence by fleeing from Lu Chen once they recognize him as a threat, but the Yin Corpse Sect’s Zombies are destroyed by his superior Fire Fist.

Significant Themes

• Concealed strength and mistaken identity: Lu Chen’s apparent weakness allows him to surprise enemies repeatedly, while others underestimate him at their peril.
• Natural opposition between fire and death: Lu Chen’s Fire-element power is especially effective against Zombies, emphasizing the thematic and elemental conflict between vitality and corpse qi.
• Greed and exploitation: The Yin Corpse Sect seeks to kill Lu Chen for a bounty and obtain his treasures, while Lu Chen similarly views the Zombies as sources of valuable Blood Cores.
• The brutality of the cultivation world: Qin Shou’s death and the Sect’s willingness to sacrifice powerful Zombies show how quickly alliances collapse when survival and profit are at stake.
• Escalating danger: Although Lu Chen easily defeats the Flying Zombies, the appearance of a Nascent Soul-level attacker reveals that far more powerful forces are active in the gorge.

Character Interactions

• Tang Longxiang rescues Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman from Su Mei.
• Lu Chen orders the three women to escape while he confronts the Flying Zombies alone; Shen Li worries about his safety, while Tang Xiaoman is stunned by his supposed victory over Qin Shou.
• The women leave Qin Shou behind despite his plea for help, allowing the Zombies to drain his life.
• The Yin Corpse Sect’s masked leader confronts Lu Chen, explains the bounty on his head, and attacks him through a Zombie army.
• Lu Chen responds by annihilating the Sect’s Zombies, turning the confrontation decisively in his favor—until the mysterious black hand suddenly intervenes.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A mysterious black hand descends from the sky and suppresses Lu Chen with overwhelming, Nascent Soul-level power.
• Lu Chen struggles against the force using his powerful body cultivation, but realizes he cannot withstand it physically.
• The Yin Corpse Sect woman and her burly Zombie escape the attack. The Zombie’s resilience suggests it may be the legendary Unmelting Bone, the king of Zombies.
• The black hand crashes into the gorge, devastating the terrain, scattering corpse qi, destroying the woman’s five subordinates, and injuring the woman herself.
• Observers outside the gorge assume Lu Chen has been killed. Shen Li feels unexpected sorrow, Liu Yan’er fears the death-triggered curse inside her, and Tang Xiaoman worries about losing his storage ring, which remains with Lu Chen.
• The attack was activated by nine black-clothed Golden Core cultivators using an array platform containing the sealed full-force strike of a Nascent Soul Initial Stage ancestor. The technique severely drains them, leaving only about thirty percent of their vital essence.
• The assassins reveal that Qin Fan ordered Lu Chen’s death, apparently because the Grand Void Holy Maiden rejected Qin Fan, leading to rumors that he had been humiliated or cuckolded.
• When the assassins return to retrieve Lu Chen’s corpse, Lu Chen suddenly emerges alive, shocking them.
• Lu Chen reveals that he survived by hiding inside the Yin-Yang Space at the instant of impact. He recognizes that his weak Qi Refining cultivation limits his abilities and resolves to improve his spell cultivation.
• The chapter ends with Lu Chen confronting the assassins and accusing Qin Fan of sending them. Their leader can only marvel that Lu Chen survived, calling him a monster.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates extraordinary physical toughness but acknowledges that his body alone could not survive the attack. His use of the Yin-Yang Space reveals an important defensive ability. He becomes more determined to strengthen his weak spell cultivation and confront Qin Fan.
• The Yin Corpse Sect woman: Shows fear and desperation, escaping with the help of her powerful Zombie. Her survival and the Zombie’s durability hint at the sect’s deeper secrets.
• The burly Zombie: Endures Lu Chen’s earlier attack and survives the black hand’s aftermath, implying that it may be the legendary Unmelting Bone.
• Shen Li: Unexpectedly feels grief at the possibility of Lu Chen’s death, suggesting developing emotional attachment or concern.
• Liu Yan’er: Remains bound to Lu Chen through the God-Slaying Forbidden Curse and fears dying if he is killed.
• Tang Xiaoman: Displays a primarily practical concern, worrying about recovering his storage ring rather than Lu Chen’s survival.
• The nine assassins: Their confidence turns to terror when Lu Chen survives. Their loyalty to Qin Fan is also connected to political and romantic resentment surrounding the Grand Void Holy Maiden.

Significant Themes

• Survival and resilience: Lu Chen survives an attack far beyond his apparent level, emphasizing his abnormal vitality and resourcefulness.
• Hidden power and deception: Lu Chen’s low cultivation level conceals his true capabilities, while the assassins’ array hides the source of their devastating attack.
• The importance of preparation and versatility: Physical strength is not enough against higher-level opponents; Lu Chen recognizes the need to develop his spell cultivation and supernatural abilities.
• Revenge and humiliation: Qin Fan’s assassination attempt appears motivated by wounded pride and romantic rejection rather than justice or necessity.
• Misjudgment: Nearly everyone assumes Lu Chen is dead, only to discover that they have underestimated him again.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen is attacked by the black-clothed assassins while the Yin Corpse Sect woman and her Zombie flee the destruction.
• Shen Li, Liu Yan’er, and Tang Xiaoman each react differently to Lu Chen’s presumed death, revealing their contrasting relationships with him.
• The assassins discuss Qin Fan’s motives and prepare to claim Lu Chen’s corpse, but Lu Chen interrupts them by emerging alive.
• Lu Chen directly confronts the assassins and links their attack to Qin Fan, turning the chapter from an apparent defeat into the beginning of his retaliation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen, enraged by repeated assassination attempts from Qin Fan, confronts nine black-clad cultivators sent by the Qin Household.
• The assassins assume Lu Chen survived a Nascent Soul attack only because he possesses a top-grade defensive Spirit Artifact, underestimating his true strength.
• A Golden Core cultivator attacks Lu Chen but is killed instantly when Lu Chen destroys his leg and shatters his body with one punch.
• The group’s leader attacks with a powerful flying sword while the others join in. Lu Chen easily evades their attacks, destroys the sword with his fist, and kills the leader by crushing his chest and organs.
• Lu Chen extracts the leader’s metal-attributed Golden Core and then obliterates the man’s body and soul.
• The remaining seven assassins flee, but a group of female sword cultivators intercepts and seriously wounds them.
• The newcomers are Ink Phoenix Guards led by Black Feather, Li Yunsheng’s maid. Black Feather reveals that Li Yunsheng sent them to protect Lu Chen.
• Lu Chen orders the guards to conceal the encounter, spread the rumor that he was killed by Qin Household forces, and claim that the Qin Household seized all his possessions.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Reveals overwhelming physical strength despite appearing to be only at the fifth level of Qi Refining. He becomes more ruthless and strategically minded, deciding to retaliate against the Qin Household by making them the target of suspicion and pursuit.
• Qin Fan: Although absent, he is established as the driving force behind the assassination attempts and as someone Lu Chen now intends to punish indirectly.
• Li Yunsheng: Her actions show that, despite Lu Chen’s insulting view of her, she is concerned about his safety and has secretly assigned elite guards to protect him.
• Black Feather and the Ink Phoenix Guards: Initially shocked by Lu Chen’s disrespect toward Li Yunsheng, they quickly recognize his terrifying power and obey his orders.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: The assassins mistake Lu Chen for weak because of his apparent cultivation level, only to discover that his real combat ability is far beyond appearances.
• Revenge and counterstrategy: Rather than merely defending himself, Lu Chen turns the assassination attempt into a plan to destabilize and punish the Qin Household.
• Power and arrogance: The black-clad men’s contempt leads directly to their destruction, while Lu Chen’s confidence is validated by his effortless victories.
• Secrecy and manipulation: Lu Chen uses misinformation to conceal his survival and redirect danger toward his enemies.
• Complicated relationships: Lu Chen insults Li Yunsheng and distrusts her motives, yet her decision to protect him suggests a more complicated relationship than his bitterness implies.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen openly mocks and challenges the black-clad assassins, repeatedly calling their assumptions—and ultimately their abilities—foolish.
• He kills the assassin leader face-to-face and taunts him about the difference between their supposed cultivation levels and actual strength.
• Black Feather formally greets Lu Chen as “Young Master” and explains that she was sent by Li Yunsheng.
• Lu Chen insults Li Yunsheng as a “bitch,” shocking Black Feather and the Ink Phoenix Guards, then orders them to help him fabricate his death and frame the Qin Household for taking his belongings.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen confronts seven elite assassins from the Qin Household, all Golden Core Realm cultivators sent by Qin Fan to kill him.
• After Lu Chen defeats and severely wounds them, they beg for mercy and blame Qin Fan for ordering the attack.
• Black Feather asks how they should be handled. Lu Chen invokes Li Yunsheng’s order that anyone who attacks him must be killed, and the Ink Phoenix Guards prepare to execute the assassins.
• Lu Chen changes his mind, realizing that killing seven Golden Core cultivators would waste a valuable opportunity to increase his own strength through the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture.
• He orders the guards to take the assassins into a barren Rocky Stone Forest, where he can act without witnesses.
• Lu Chen uses his technique to forcibly drain the cultivation of the first assassin, reducing him to a dried corpse. His own cultivation rapidly advances from the fifth level of Qi Refining to the tenth level.
• He then devours the cultivation of the remaining six Golden Core cultivators. After two hours, his cultivation reaches the mid-Foundation Establishment Realm.
• Lu Chen reflects that suppressing his cultivation had been unnecessary because the Yin-Yang Cauldron already conceals his true strength. He resolves to stop limiting himself.
• Upon emerging, he orders Black Feather to spread a false report claiming that the Qin Household killed him and stole all his treasures, setting the stage for a larger conflict between the Qin Household and everyone who wants Lu Chen’s supposed possessions.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Becomes more decisive, ruthless, and confident. He abandons his previous strategy of genuinely suppressing his strength and recognizes that he can safely cultivate while still hiding his realm. He also embraces the Five Elements Swallowing Heaven Scripture as a powerful means of rapid advancement.
• Black Feather: Her view of Lu Chen changes dramatically. His calm authority and ability to devour Golden Core cultivation make her sense that he may possess strength comparable to, or greater than, Half-Step Nascent Soul experts.
• The Qin assassins: Their arrogance collapses into terror once they realize Lu Chen can drain their cultivation. Their fear emphasizes the gap between their former status and their helplessness before him.
• Qin Fan: Though absent, he is portrayed as increasingly hostile and persistent, repeatedly sending people to assassinate Lu Chen.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Lu Chen’s concealed cultivation allows him to appear weak while remaining extraordinarily dangerous.
• Power and survival: The chapter emphasizes that weakness in a life-or-death cultivation world invites attack; Lu Chen decides he must possess real strength rather than merely pretend to be weak.
• Ruthlessness and retribution: The assassins receive no mercy because they willingly attacked Lu Chen. Their fate reflects the harsh law of the cultivation world.
• Rapid cultivation through forbidden methods: Devouring the cultivation of others offers tremendous advancement but is associated with demonic arts, raising questions about Lu Chen’s methods and how others may perceive him.
• Strategic manipulation: Rather than simply retaliating against Qin Fan, Lu Chen creates a false death report designed to provoke conflict and lure enemies toward him.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Chen calmly questions Black Feather about Li Yunsheng’s orders, subtly reminding her to act without needing his repeated permission.
• Black Feather and the Ink Phoenix Guards obey Lu Chen immediately, though Black Feather is visibly intimidated by his growing presence.
• The assassins shift from mocking Lu Chen as “trash” to begging him for mercy, highlighting his sudden dominance over them.
• Lu Chen deliberately ignores their pleas and uses them as resources for cultivation.
• Afterward, he instructs Black Feather to spread the false news of his death, turning her and the Ink Phoenix Guards into participants in his broader scheme.

Chapter Summary: “Lu Chen Is Dead?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After devouring seven Golden Core cultivators from the Qin Household, Lu Chen breaks through to the Middle Foundation Establishment Realm. His divine sense expands dramatically, his spiritual-energy absorption improves, and his body cultivation reaches the Middle Iron Bone Stage.
• Confident in his new strength, Lu Chen decides to hunt the Qin Household’s forces in retaliation for their attempt to kill him.
• Before departing, Black Feather gives Lu Chen a transmission talisman and leaves with the Ink Phoenix Guards.
• From a cliff overlooking Purgatory Gorge, Lu Chen recalls his battle with the Yin Corpse Sect’s terrifying Zombie. He recognizes that the creature was likely close to the level of an Unmelting Bone, a Zombie King capable of killing Nascent Soul cultivators, and vows to remember the Yin Corpse Sect as an enemy.
• Lu Chen alters his facial appearance through bodily control, disguising himself as an ordinary man, then jumps into Purgatory Gorge to begin his hunt.
• In Void City, Qin Fan learns that the Soul Tablets of Qin Zhong and his other eight Golden Core subordinates have shattered. Enraged, he realizes that all nine men sent to kill Lu Chen have died.
• Qin Fan suspects Li Yunsheng, but his strategist, Mr. Zeng, warns him not to make accusations without evidence and urges him to remain patient. Mr. Zeng privately views Qin Fan as narrow-minded and emotionally unstable.
• A rumor spreads through the Void Eighth Pass that Lu Chen has been killed by the Qin Household, who supposedly seized all his treasures. Because of the Qin Household’s power, other cultivators hesitate to challenge its members.
• In a ruined city, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman visit Duan Zhengde’s newly established tavern. Duan has expanded his business from selling Detoxification Pills to selling spiritual wine.
• The three hear the rumor of Lu Chen’s death. Liu Yan’er immediately rejects it because her life is linked to Lu Chen through her Divine Aperture; if he had died, she believes she would have died as well. Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman remain troubled because they witnessed the devastating attack in Purgatory Gorge and doubt anyone could have survived it.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen grows substantially stronger in both spell and body cultivation, becoming exceptionally powerful among cultivators of the same realm. His improved abilities give him confidence to pursue the Qin Household directly.
• He also demonstrates greater caution and adaptability by disguising his appearance before entering enemy territory.
• Qin Fan reacts with uncontrolled rage and grief after losing his trusted subordinates, revealing his emotional instability and dependence on his retainers.
• Mr. Zeng emerges as a calm, calculating strategist. Although he assists Qin Fan for personal reasons, he privately disapproves of Qin Fan’s character and doubts his suitability to become heir.
• Liu Yan’er shows strong faith in Lu Chen and uses her connection to him as evidence that he is still alive.
• Duan Zhengde continues to display his opportunistic business sense, establishing a profitable tavern in the chaotic Void Eighth Pass.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and retaliation: Lu Chen prepares to punish the Qin Household for attempting to kill him, while the Qin Household struggles to understand how its forces were defeated.
• Deception and misinformation: Lu Chen disguises himself, while the false rumor of his death spreads through the Eighth Pass and protects the truth of his survival.
• Power and political maneuvering: The Qin Household’s influence intimidates other cultivators, while Qin Fan’s succession struggle reveals the dangerous politics within the clan.
• Survival and transformation: Lu Chen’s breakthrough marks a major stage in his development, allowing him to move from defending himself to actively hunting his enemies.
• Loyalty and trust: Liu Yan’er’s confidence in Lu Chen contrasts with Shen Li and Tang Xiaoman’s fear, emphasizing the different ways the characters respond to his apparent death.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Black Feather: Black Feather supplies Lu Chen with a transmission talisman before departing with the Ink Phoenix Guards.
• Lu Chen and the Yin Corpse Sect: Though the sect is not physically present, Lu Chen remembers his clash with its Zombie and formally marks the sect as an enemy.
• Qin Fan and Mr. Zeng: Qin Fan demands action after his men’s deaths, but Mr. Zeng restrains him and advises patience. Their exchange highlights Qin Fan’s impulsiveness and Mr. Zeng’s superior judgment.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Liu reassures the others that Lu Chen is alive, while they remain shaken by the destructive power of the attack he endured.
• Liu Yan’er and Duan Zhengde: Their meeting at the tavern shows Liu’s familiarity with Duan’s repeated business ventures and Duan’s eagerness to profit from her group.

Chapter Summary: “Who Was It That Dared Throw Shit at Me?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen openly provokes members of the powerful Archaic Qin Household inside a tavern, shocking everyone present.
• A Qin disciple nicknamed “Monkey,” whose cultivation is at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm, attacks Lu Chen with a saber.
• Lu Chen effortlessly catches the saber with one hand, causes Monkey to lose his balance, and humiliates him.
• Monkey attacks again, but Lu Chen dodges and knocks him unconscious with a single punch. Monkey’s strike also destroys the tavern, enraging its owner, Duan Zhengde.
• Lu Chen begins a carefully planned frame-up. He pretends to discover a piece of Supreme Fire Spirit Iron on Monkey’s body, despite having secretly placed it there himself.
• The surrounding cultivators recognize the item as Lu Chen’s possession and conclude that the Qin Household must have killed him and taken his treasures.
• The cultivators surround Qin Wu and the other Qin disciples, demanding Lu Chen’s supposed belongings.
• Qin Wu attempts to intimidate them by revealing that he is the son of a Qin Household elder, causing the cultivators to hesitate.
• Just as Qin Wu becomes arrogant and orders them out of his way, someone throws a foul-smelling lump of excrement at his face. The chapter ends with Qin Wu furiously demanding to know who dared attack him.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, confidence, and composure. He deliberately disguises his appearance and orchestrates a deception designed to turn the cultivators against the Qin Household.
• Monkey: Begins as an arrogant and aggressive enforcer but is quickly humiliated, defeated, and knocked unconscious by Lu Chen.
• Qin Wu: Reveals himself to be entitled and dependent on his family’s reputation. His confidence comes from his father’s status rather than his own ability, and his authority begins to collapse when the cultivators surround him.
• Duan Zhengde: Acts as the tavern owner and tries to prevent a fight, but becomes furious when Monkey destroys his business.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: Fail to recognize Lu Chen in disguise and are shocked both by his actions and by the apparent discovery of his Supreme Fire Spirit Iron.

Significant Themes

• Overconfidence and humiliation: The Qin disciples rely on their clan’s prestige, but Lu Chen easily exposes their weakness.
• Cunning versus authority: Lu Chen defeats the Qin Household not only through strength but also through manipulation and staged evidence.
• Power and intimidation: Qin Wu’s threats temporarily silence the crowd, showing how influence and family background control the cultivation world.
• Reversal of public perception: By planting the spirit iron, Lu Chen transforms himself from an alleged victim into a reason for the cultivators to confront the Qin Household.
• Comic justice: The arrogant Qin disciples suffer physical and social humiliation, culminating in Qin Wu being struck with excrement.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen taunts Monkey into attacking him and then defeats him with effortless movements.
• Duan Zhengde attempts to mediate but is pushed aside, and his tavern is destroyed during the fight.
• The disguised Lu Chen indirectly interacts with Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman, who observe him without realizing his identity.
• Qin Wu confronts the surrounding cultivators, using his father’s status to threaten them.
• The cultivators shift from fear to hostility after seeing the Supreme Fire Spirit Iron, while the final thrown lump of excrement further undermines Qin Wu’s authority.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Zhengde deliberately throws a lump of fresh beast dung at Qin Wu, provoking the Qin Household disciples and humiliating them publicly.
• He boldly claims that even the powerful Archaic Qin Household cannot find someone who kills its disciples and hides, encouraging the surrounding cultivators to stop fearing Qin Wu’s background.
• Lu Chen quietly slips away, having successfully convinced the crowd that the Qin disciples possess treasures stolen from him.
• The cultivators begin eyeing Qin Wu and his companions as prey, realizing that Nascent Soul experts cannot enter the Eighth Pass of Taixu and that the Qin Household’s influence is limited there.
• Qin Wu is suddenly stabbed through the chest by Duan Zhengde’s seemingly innocent younger sister. Her sword is coated with a deadly poison, which destroys Qin Wu’s Golden Core and kills him.
• Monkey, one of Qin Wu’s disciples, attempts revenge but is also poisoned and killed instantly. The remaining Qin disciples try to flee, only to collapse and die from the poison as well.
• Duan Zhengde warns the crowd that the corpses contain poison refined by the Poison Saint of a Thousand Hands. The cultivators withdraw, allowing him to loot the Qin disciples’ storage rings.
• Duan Zhengde then encourages the cultivators to hunt down other Qin Household members, suggesting they may possess Lu Chen’s treasures.
• Outside Stone City, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman catch up with Lu Chen, who has changed his appearance and body. Before they can question him further, a group of black-clad assassins surrounds them, led by Su Mei.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen demonstrates careful manipulation and strategic thinking. He orchestrates the situation so that the Qin Household is discredited and targeted, then leaves before the conflict escalates.
• Duan Zhengde reveals himself as far bolder and more ruthless than his comic behavior suggests. He openly insults the Qin Household, helps turn the crowd against them, and profits from their deaths.
• Duan Zhengde’s sister is revealed to be an extremely dangerous poison cultivator and the successor of the legendary Poison Saint of a Thousand Hands. Her innocent appearance conceals her lethal strength.
• Qin Wu loses his previous sense of superiority and confidence when his family’s reputation fails to protect him. He dies helplessly after being poisoned.
• The surrounding cultivators shift from fear and respect toward greed and hostility once they realize the Qin Household cannot immediately retaliate.
• Su Mei reappears as the leader of a hostile group pursuing Lu Chen, suggesting a continuing conflict.

Significant Themes

• The limits of reputation and power: The Qin Household’s prestige becomes meaningless inside the Eighth Pass, where outside protection cannot reach its disciples.
• Manipulation and indirect revenge: Lu Chen defeats his enemies not through direct combat, but by controlling rumors and turning the crowd against the Qin Household.
• Deceptive appearances: Duan Zhengde’s sister looks harmless and shy but is secretly a deadly expert, emphasizing that appearances can conceal great danger.
• Greed and opportunism: The cultivators quickly abandon caution and morality when they believe the Qin disciples possess valuable treasures.
• Consequences of arrogance: Qin Wu and his companions rely too heavily on their family name and fail to recognize the danger surrounding them.

Character Interactions

• Duan Zhengde taunts Qin Wu and openly challenges the Qin Household’s authority.
• Lu Chen silently coordinates events through deception, while Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman follow him and later confront him about his identity.
• Duan Zhengde’s sister kills Qin Wu and Monkey without hesitation, demonstrating her deadly relationship with her brother and her mastery of poison.
• Duan Zhengde uses the sister’s reputation to intimidate the crowd and secure the Qin disciples’ treasures.
• The chapter ends with Su Mei confronting Lu Chen and his companions, creating the setup for another major confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Your Opponent Is Me”

Plot and key events

Lu Chen and his companions—Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman—are confronted by Su Mei and her disciple, Lin Yue, who are leading a group of Golden Core cultivators. Lin Yue reveals that the Blissful Sect has placed a bounty on Liu Yan’er, offering Spirit Stones for her death and the Azure Nether Sword for her capture. The Artifact Refining Sect has similarly offered the Supreme Spirit Artifact Thunder Purple-Gold Hammer for Shen Li.
Lin Yue orders Tang Xiaoman to leave, unwilling to provoke the powerful Beast Taming Sect, but threatens to kill her when she refuses. She also demands Lu Chen surrender the Supreme Fire Spirit Iron, which he refuses. Lin Yue then commands the men in black to attack.

Character developments

• Lu Chen remains calm and confident despite being surrounded, recognizing that Lin Yue is only in the Early Golden Core Stage. He appears to be protecting his companions and deliberately challenges Su Mei.
• Liu Yan’er demonstrates deadly control over wind techniques, killing one of the attackers with invisible wind blades.
• Shen Li reveals the overwhelming power of her Ice-Fire Dual Spiritual Roots, summoning an ice dragon and a fire dragon that nearly destroy Lin Yue.
• Tang Xiaoman unleashes the Beast Taming Sect’s powerful Myriad Beasts Profound Art, producing countless beast phantoms and repelling the attackers.
• Lin Yue, despite her confidence and desire for the Supreme Fire Spirit Iron, is quickly outmatched by Shen Li and must be rescued by Su Mei.
• Su Mei proves to be the true threat, effortlessly destroying Shen Li’s combined attack and attempting to capture her.

Character interactions

Lin Yue taunts and threatens the three women while explaining the bounties placed on them. Tang Xiaoman angrily rejects Lin Yue’s command to leave. Lu Chen and Lin Yue exchange hostile remarks over the Supreme Fire Spirit Iron. During the battle, Liu Yan’er and Shen Li fight alongside Tang Xiaoman, while Su Mei intervenes to save Lin Yue. When Su Mei tries to seize Shen Li, Lu Chen pulls Shen Li to safety and steps between them, declaring, “Your opponent is me!”

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes betrayal and pursuit, as former allies and sects hunt the protagonists for profit or powerful treasures. It also highlights the growing strength and individuality of the main characters, particularly the women’s willingness to fight back despite overwhelming odds. The final confrontation establishes Lu Chen and Su Mei as personal adversaries and shifts the battle toward a direct clash between them.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Su Mei nearly captures Shen Li, but Lu Chen intervenes and rescues her.
• Lu Chen confronts Su Mei, a Peak Golden Core cultivator and former Joyful Union Sect disciple branded a traitor. He challenges her after absorbing the cultivation of seven Qin Household Golden Core cultivators and advancing to the Mid-Foundation Establishment Realm.
• Su Mei attacks with a massive spiritual-energy palm, but Lu Chen destroys it with one punch. He then crosses the distance instantly and severely blasts her into a distant hillside with a single strike.
• With Su Mei defeated, her black-clad subordinates panic and flee. Lu Chen pursues them, forcibly extracting their Golden Cores and crippling them without killing them.
• He obtains eleven Golden Cores, giving him the resources needed to cultivate his Five-Element Spirit Root and prepare for a breakthrough into the Golden Body Stage.
• Before he can leave, a mysterious young man ambushes him with the Supreme Spirit Artifact Southern Brightfire Bell, trapping him inside and threatening to refine him into ashes unless he cripples his own cultivation.
• Lu Chen recognizes the attacker as the “sneaky bastard” who has ambushed him before. Refusing to submit, he prepares to break out by punching the bell from within.

Character developments

• Lu Chen displays overwhelming physical strength, speed, confidence, and ruthlessness. His single punch defeats Su Mei, and he treats the fleeing Golden Core cultivators as sources of cultivation resources rather than immediate targets for execution.
• Shen Li is reminded of the enormous gap between her own Middle Golden Core cultivation and Su Mei’s Peak Golden Core power. After Lu Chen saves her, her view of him shifts toward shock and admiration.
• Su Mei is revealed to be conflicted about her betrayal of the Joyful Union Sect. She resented Ye Chenyu’s appointment as sect master and became entangled with the Black Tortoise Sect, believing she could no longer turn back because of the powerful figure supporting her.
• Liu Yan’er struggles against multiple enemies but survives through her Wind Spiritual Root and agility. She, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman are all stunned by Lu Chen’s strength.
• The mysterious young master emerges as a recurring antagonist who relies on ambushes and the powerful Southern Brightfire Bell to restrain Lu Chen.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated power: Lu Chen’s ordinary appearance conceals combat ability far beyond what others expect.
• Cultivation through resources and force: The harvested Golden Cores give Lu Chen a practical path to overcome the limitations of his Five-Element Spirit Root.
• Betrayal and moral entrapment: Su Mei’s backstory shows how resentment, ambition, and coercion can turn someone into a traitor who feels unable to return to her former path.
• Confidence versus arrogance: Lu Chen’s defiance is repeatedly tested, first against Su Mei and then against the mysterious young master.
• Ambushes and escalating danger: Even after achieving a decisive victory, Lu Chen is immediately caught in another trap, emphasizing that his enemies are becoming more dangerous and resourceful.

Character interactions

• Lu Chen protects Shen Li from Su Mei and then openly provokes Su Mei into fighting him.
• Shen Li warns Lu Chen about Su Mei’s strength and later witnesses his astonishing victory.
• Liu Yan’er and Tang Xiaoman fight Su Mei’s black-clad forces, while Shen Li joins Liu Yan’er to help relieve the pressure.
• Lu Chen intimidates and defeats the black-clad cultivators, extracting their Golden Cores one by one.
• The mysterious young master confronts Lu Chen from atop the Southern Brightfire Bell, demanding that he cripple himself. Lu Chen rejects the ultimatum and begins attacking the artifact, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “An Opponent Stronger Than Peak Golden Core?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen is ambushed by Ye Xianliu, a handsome disciple and heir of the Ancient Desolate Ye Household, who traps him beneath the Southern Brightfire Bell, a Supreme Spirit Artifact.
• Ye Xianliu mistakenly believes Lu Chen is a demonic cultivator because Lu Chen had removed another person’s Golden Core. Shen Li corrects him, explaining that Lu Chen had actually saved her, Liu Yan’er, and Tang Xiaoman from black-clad attackers seeking their bounties.
• After realizing his mistake, Ye Xianliu releases Lu Chen and apologizes.
• Lu Chen introduces the three women and reveals their identities:
  • Liu Yan’er, saintess of the Blissful Sect
  • Shen Li, young master of the Artifact Refining Sect
  • Tang Xiaoman, princess of the Beast Taming Sect
• Lu Chen tests Ye Xianliu’s motives, asking whether he intends to capture Liu Yan’er and Shen Li for the enormous rewards offered by their former sects. Ye Xianliu proudly refuses, claiming that his status as the Ye Household’s heir makes such behavior beneath him.
• Lu Chen realizes that Su Mei and her disciple Lin Yue have escaped during the confusion. He is unconcerned, having already confirmed that his Iron Bone Stage cultivation allows him to overwhelmingly defeat Peak Golden Core cultivators.
• Lu Chen reflects on his growth and concludes that he is now nearly invincible below the Nascent Soul Realm. However, he recognizes that he is still far weaker than higher-level experts and must continue cultivating.
• Ye Xianliu apologizes again for allowing Su Mei and Lin Yue to escape, then sends a message ordering the Ye Household’s forces to kill them if they are found.
• Lu Chen conceals his true identity, claiming to be a rogue cultivator named “Lu Bufan.”
• Before the group can continue, members of the Qin Household arrive. Their leader accuses Lu Chen of injuring Qin family members and stealing a Qin Household treasure.
• Lu Chen immediately notices that the woman’s strength exceeds that of an ordinary Peak Golden Core cultivator, setting up a new confrontation.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen: Gains confidence after confirming that his Iron Bone Stage body can crush Peak Golden Core cultivators in strength and speed. He feels he has finally escaped his former helplessness but remains aware that Nascent Soul and higher realms still threaten him. He continues to be cautious about revealing his identity and abilities.
• Ye Xianliu: Revealed as powerful, proud, and outwardly honorable. Though he initially attacks Lu Chen based on a misunderstanding, he quickly admits his mistake and attempts to compensate. His refined manners contrast with his somewhat theatrical confidence and status-conscious attitude.
• Shen Li: Acts as a mediator by defending Lu Chen and explaining the truth to Ye Xianliu.
• Liu Yan’er and Tang Xiaoman: Remain allied with Lu Chen and follow him through the aftermath of the battle.
• Su Mei and Lin Yue: Escape successfully, avoiding Lu Chen’s retaliation despite Su Mei having been defeated earlier.
• Qin Household woman: Introduced as a new and unusually powerful antagonist whose cultivation appears to surpass the Peak Golden Core level.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstanding and justice: Ye Xianliu assumes Lu Chen is evil based on incomplete information, emphasizing how easily justice can become misguided.
• Power and self-protection: Lu Chen’s reflections show that strength is essential for survival in a ruthless cultivation world.
• Hidden identities and deception: Lu Chen continues using an alias and concealing his background, demonstrating the importance of caution and strategic secrecy.
• Status and honor: Ye Xianliu refuses to pursue bounties because he believes his noble identity places him above such actions.
• The limits of strength: Although Lu Chen has reached a major milestone, the chapter reminds him that stronger realms—and more dangerous opponents—still exist.

Important Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Ye Xianliu exchange insults and challenge each other’s assumptions before reaching a temporary understanding.
• Shen Li intervenes diplomatically to prevent Ye Xianliu from continuing his attack on Lu Chen.
• Lu Chen probes Ye Xianliu’s character by questioning his interest in the rewards on Liu Yan’er and Shen Li.
• Ye Xianliu attempts to repair the damage caused by his mistake by ordering the pursuit of Su Mei and Lin Yue.
• The chapter ends with Lu Chen confronting the Qin Household’s representative, whose strength may exceed anything he has previously faced at the Golden Core level.

Chapter Summary: “Only Strength Lets You Reason!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Chen defeats Su Mei, a Peak Golden Core cultivator, but immediately encounters an even stronger opponent: Qin Ziyi, the foremost genius of the Archaic Qin Household’s younger generation.
• Qin Ziyi arrives after a Qin Household disciple accuses Lu Chen of injuring one of their members and claims that Lu Chen’s companions killed Qin Wu, “Monkey,” and others.
• Lu Chen denies the accusations and points out that the Qin Household is attempting to frame him and seize his belongings. He also demands that Qin Ziyi hand over items allegedly taken from him.
• Qin Ziyi refuses to believe Lu Chen and orders him to surrender so she can investigate the matter. She promises to release him and compensate him if he is proven innocent.
• When Lu Chen challenges the Qin Household’s authority and refuses to submit, Qin Ziyi declares that strength determines who has the right to reason.
• Lu Chen accepts the challenge, eager to test himself against an opponent stronger than the Peak Golden Core cultivators he has already surpassed.
• Qin Ziyi agrees to fight and reveals her formidable abilities: she summons seven flying swords, each radiating powerful Sword Qi.
• Lu Chen’s aura also erupts, revealing overwhelming blood and qi that forms the image of a dragon, identifying him as an exceptionally powerful Body Cultivator.
• The chapter ends as both sides prepare for battle, with the surrounding cultivators shocked by Qin Ziyi’s seven-sword technique.

Character Developments

• Lu Chen grows increasingly confident in his strength. After defeating Su Mei, he no longer considers Peak Golden Core cultivators a serious challenge and actively welcomes Qin Ziyi as a worthy opponent.
• His refusal to submit demonstrates his pride, independence, and unwillingness to accept false accusations. His battle instincts and desire to test his limits become especially clear.
• Qin Ziyi is established as a powerful and disciplined genius. Although she has deliberately suppressed her cultivation below the Nascent Soul Realm to enter the Ancient Immortal Secret Realm, she has continued strengthening her Dao foundation and body.
• Qin Ziyi also shows authority over the Qin Household disciples, immediately silencing them when their mockery goes too far.
• Ye Xianliu acts as a mediator, attempting to clarify the misunderstanding and prevent the conflict, but he is shocked when Lu Chen chooses to fight Qin Ziyi.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman become tense and angry at the Qin Household’s accusations, defending Lu Chen and objecting to Qin Ziyi’s demand that he surrender.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus reason: The central theme is Qin Ziyi’s claim that only the stronger party has the power to determine the truth. Lu Chen challenges this worldview, exposing the injustice of allowing power to replace evidence and fairness.
• Aristocratic privilege and injustice: The Qin Household assumes its status gives it authority to accuse and control others, reflecting the influence of ancient cultivation clans.
• Reputation and hidden power: Qin Ziyi is famous as the Qin Household’s greatest younger-generation talent, while Lu Chen’s strength and Body Cultivation abilities continue to surprise those around him.
• Testing one’s limits: Lu Chen welcomes stronger opponents rather than avoiding them, emphasizing cultivation through combat and confrontation.
• Prejudice against Body Cultivators: Lu Chen’s dragon-shaped blood and qi reveal a rare cultivation path that shocks Qin Ziyi and the spectators.

Character Interactions

• Lu Chen and Qin Ziyi: Their interaction quickly shifts from accusation and distrust to direct confrontation. Qin Ziyi demands submission; Lu Chen rejects her authority and challenges her to prove her superiority in battle.
• Lu Chen and the Qin Household disciples: The disciples insult and accuse him, while Lu Chen dismisses them as relying on Qin Ziyi’s reputation rather than possessing strength of their own.
• Ye Xianliu and Qin Ziyi: Their unexpected reunion highlights connections between the Ye and Qin households. Ye Xianliu tries to mediate but cannot persuade Qin Ziyi to abandon the investigation.
• Lu Chen and his companions: Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman support Lu Chen and object to the Qin Household’s unreasonable treatment of him.
• Lu Chen and Ye Xianliu: Ye Xianliu recognizes Lu Chen’s formidable abilities but remains alarmed by his decision to challenge someone as powerful as Qin Ziyi.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Ziyi reveals that she possesses seven natal flying swords, each corresponding to metal, wood, water, fire, earth, lunar, and solar elements.
• All seven swords are supreme-grade weapons forged from extremely rare divine metals, demonstrating Qin Ziyi’s immense resources, talent, and dedication.
• She challenges Lu Chen, who is disguised as the ordinary-looking cultivator Lu Bufan. The surrounding cultivators retreat to watch the confrontation.
• Qin Ziyi launches her Fire-Element Flying Sword at Lu Chen. He attempts to catch it barehanded, astonishing everyone.
• The sword initially evades him and nearly pierces his head, proving Qin Ziyi’s sword control and combat skill.
• Lu Chen activates his powerful body-tempering ability, causing his skin to take on a metallic sheen. He withstands the sword’s sharpness and successfully grabs it.
• Instead of merely blocking the attack, Lu Chen stores the Fire-Element Sword inside the Yin-Yang Cauldron in his dantian, preventing Qin Ziyi from sensing or reclaiming it.
• Qin Ziyi becomes furious and demands that he return her treasured sword. Lu Chen taunts her, challenging her to take it back by force.

2. Character Developments

• Qin Ziyi is established as an extraordinary sword cultivator. Her seven supreme-grade swords and mastery of unconventional sword techniques place her among the strongest members of the younger generation.
• Her normally cold and composed demeanor breaks when Lu Chen steals the Fire-Element Sword, revealing how deeply she values the weapons she painstakingly created.
• Lu Chen displays remarkable physical strength, courage, and resourcefulness. He not only survives Qin Ziyi’s attack but recognizes the practical value of her Five-Element swords and decides to keep the captured weapon.
• Lu Chen’s body cultivation appears unusually powerful, especially since true body-cultivation traditions are believed to have disappeared.
• Ye Xianliu gains greater respect for Lu Chen after witnessing his ability to evade and capture Qin Ziyi’s sword.
• Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman remain spectators, shocked by the intensity and danger of the battle.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Lu Chen’s plain appearance conceals abilities far beyond what the others expect.
• Talent versus experience and resources: Qin Ziyi’s seven swords represent enormous effort, wealth, and mastery, while Lu Chen counters through unusual physical cultivation and clever tactics.
• Possession and power: The stolen sword transforms the duel into a personal conflict, as Qin Ziyi fights not only to defeat Lu Chen but to recover something precious.
• Innovation against established cultivation methods: Qin Ziyi relies on sophisticated sword control, while Lu Chen uses his body and the mysterious Yin-Yang Cauldron in ways others cannot understand.
• Pride and provocation: Both fighters refuse to back down, with Lu Chen deliberately taunting Qin Ziyi after gaining the advantage.

4. Character Interactions

• Qin Ziyi begins the confrontation by ordering Lu Chen to surrender, but he openly challenges her instead.
• Her initial attack nearly kills him, yet Lu Chen’s successful evasion surprises both Qin Ziyi and the spectators.
• Lu Chen’s decision to catch and steal the Fire-Element Sword shocks everyone, especially Qin Ziyi.
• Qin Ziyi angrily demands its return and threatens to kill him.
• Lu Chen refuses, teasing her and insisting that she must defeat him if she wants her sword back, setting up a more serious continuation of their battle.

Chapter Summary: Qin Ziyi Was About to Go Mad!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Ziyi attacks Lu Chen with one of her seven flying swords, intending to cripple him. However, Lu Chen’s extraordinary physical strength allows him to seize the sword barehanded.
• Qin Ziyi becomes furious because the seven swords form a powerful sword formation and are her bound life swords. Losing even one significantly weakens her.
• She unleashes a massive wave of Sword Qi, but Lu Chen’s protective Astral Force blocks it effortlessly.
• Qin Ziyi sends the remaining sword lights at Lu Chen. Rather than dodge, he allows the swords to strike him and mysteriously absorbs or takes all of them, leaving Qin Ziyi without any flying swords.
• Driven into a rage, Qin Ziyi activates the full power of her Chaos Sword Body and attacks Lu Chen directly with her fists.
• Lu Chen discovers through his abilities that Qin Ziyi possesses a Supreme Chaos Spiritual Root and cultivates the powerful Chaos Sword Body.
• The two exchange increasingly powerful punches. Their battle shakes the ground and void, and neither gains a decisive advantage.
• The chapter ends with Lu Chen and Qin Ziyi engaged in a high-speed, evenly matched physical battle, while the others watch in shock.

Character Developments

• Qin Ziyi: Initially confident in her swordsmanship, she becomes enraged and nearly loses control after Lu Chen takes all seven of her bound life swords. Despite this setback, she reveals the terrifying strength of her Supreme Chaos Spiritual Root and Chaos Sword Body. Her determination shifts from defeating Lu Chen to forcing him to return her weapons.
• Lu Chen: Demonstrates overwhelming defensive and physical abilities by catching and absorbing Qin Ziyi’s swords, resisting her Sword Qi, and matching her Chaos Sword Body with his own strength. He remains calm and amused throughout the battle, even teasing Qin Ziyi by jokingly offering to become her husband.
• The Qin Household disciples: Their initial confidence and mockery turn into fear and disbelief when Lu Chen takes Qin Ziyi’s entire sword set.
• Ye Xianliu, Liu Yan’er, Shen Li, and Tang Xiaoman: They recognize the extraordinary nature of the fight, watching with excitement and nervous astonishment.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated opponents: Lu Chen appears ordinary but possesses physical power far beyond expectations, while Qin Ziyi’s true abilities are revealed only after she loses her swords.
• Pride and loss of control: Qin Ziyi’s identity and confidence are tied closely to her flying swords. Their loss drives her into a furious, desperate state.
• Body cultivation versus sword cultivation: The chapter contrasts Qin Ziyi’s Chaos Sword Body with Lu Chen’s formidable physical cultivation, presenting a clash between two exceptional paths to power.
• Rivalry and excitement in battle: Lu Chen welcomes the challenge of a worthy opponent, enjoying the rare chance to fight someone who can match him.
• Humor amid danger: Lu Chen’s flirtatious remark adds comic relief and further provokes Qin Ziyi during their otherwise deadly confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Qin Ziyi and Lu Chen clash first through sword techniques, then through direct physical combat.
• Lu Chen’s teasing marriage remark infuriates Qin Ziyi and intensifies their confrontation.
• The Qin Household disciples move from cheering for Qin Ziyi to fearing Lu Chen.
• The observing cultivators are stunned by the fighters’ speed, strength, and apparent equality, leaving the battle’s outcome uncertain.