Chapter Summaries

Chapter 91 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Chiyan departs with Wind Spiral, He Qinglan confronts Shui Wuyuan about his condition. He asks when Shui fell to demonhood, how long the Corrupting Power has been inside him, and whether he can still suppress it.
• Shui initially denies everything, insisting that his immense power is genuine and that, as the Rain God, he cannot possibly be corrupted.
• He Qinglan indirectly exposes the truth by pointing out that Shui controls the world’s water sources and asking whether he has been polluted by the industrial waste flowing into rivers and seas.
• Shui finally admits the reality of his corruption. He reveals that he fears He Qinglan will reject him or try to escape, and briefly hints at the dangerous, possessive measures he might take to keep him.
• He Qinglan reassures Shui that he has done nothing wrong and that he does not mind Shui’s Half-Demon Body, as long as Shui remains himself.
• The two return to their hotel to rest. He Qinglan continues investigating the abnormal super-energy concentrations in Meng City, worried that other gods may have been controlled like Wind Spiral.
• He Qinglan reports to Lei Aotian that the western district’s concentration point has been resolved. Lei announces the success to his exhausted team, restoring their morale.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan: His usual playful arrogance gives way to panic, vulnerability, and possessiveness. His corruption has made him clingier and more emotionally dependent on He Qinglan, though he still tries to hide his fear behind jokes and denial.
• He Qinglan: He demonstrates sharp insight by identifying the source of Shui’s corruption. Despite recognizing the danger, he responds with acceptance rather than fear, showing deep trust and affection.
• Lei Aotian: His spirits rise after receiving confirmation that progress has been made, allowing him to encourage his discouraged team.

Significant Themes

• Acceptance versus corruption: The chapter distinguishes between Shui’s physical or spiritual corruption and his essential identity. He Qinglan accepts him as long as he remains himself.
• Love and vulnerability: Shui’s powerful exterior hides fear of abandonment, while He Qinglan’s reassurance strengthens their bond.
• Possessiveness and restraint: Shui admits he might want to imprison He Qinglan to prevent him from leaving, but he also recognizes that doing so would violate his love for him.
• Environmental consequences: Pollution from human industry has contaminated the divine water system, linking modern human development to supernatural corruption.
• Hope amid crisis: Resolving the western district’s energy point provides a rare sign of progress during the larger disaster in Meng City.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan confronts Shui directly, forcing him to acknowledge his corrupted state.
• Shui responds with denial, teasing, clinginess, and emotional confession, while He Qinglan remains calm and perceptive.
• Their exchange ends in mutual physical reassurance: Shui embraces He Qinglan tightly, and He Qinglan embraces him back, confirming that he will not abandon him.
• Afterward, Shui follows He Qinglan everywhere, openly affectionate and almost shamelessly attached, while He Qinglan secretly returns the affection despite pretending to be exasperated.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• News spreads that the Super-Energy Convergence Point in Meng City’s western district has been successfully neutralized, causing the megastorm’s wind and sand intensity to begin declining.
• Captain Lei Aotian privately attributes the achievement to He Qinglan rather than Shui Wuyuan, whom he dislikes and envies. He describes He Qinglan as an exceptionally capable environmentalist.
• Lei’s team members are inspired by the outsiders’ success. If He Qinglan and the Mountain Shaman can resolve such dangerous convergence points, they believe official personnel should be able to do the same.
• Near midnight, the communications team identifies two additional Super-Energy Convergence Points:
  • South Bay Lake in Meng City
  • The Meng City Quarry east of the airport
• The authorities confirm that destroying the convergence points can weaken or resolve the megastorm. They order Lei to eliminate both points before dawn and ask him to coordinate with Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan.
• The government offers Shui Corporation favorable treatment and promises to fulfill reasonable requests from Shui, He, and their allies in exchange for their assistance.
• He Qinglan readily agrees to handle South Bay Lake, while Lei’s team takes responsibility for the quarry.
• Since the quarry is only five kilometers from the airport, Lei calculates that they can reach it quickly in a specially provided armored vehicle. He orders the team to prepare to depart through the emergency exit in three minutes.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian becomes more motivated and patriotic after learning that the western convergence point was destroyed. His envy toward Shui Wuyuan remains, but his admiration for He Qinglan grows dramatically.
• Lei struggles with guilt over relying on powerful outsiders to solve a crisis that he believes humanity—and especially official personnel—should handle themselves.
• He ultimately accepts that cooperation is necessary and develops strong goodwill toward He Qinglan, even tolerating Shui’s irritating behavior more easily.
• Lei’s team gains renewed determination. Their previous failed attempts are reframed as progress because they can survive longer in the storm each time.
• He Qinglan is characterized as powerful, cooperative, and genuinely kind, readily accepting the South Bay Lake mission without making demands.
• Shui Wuyuan remains arrogant and provocative, jokingly asking Lei to call him “Dad,” but is still recognized as one of the key people capable of resolving the disaster.

Significant Themes

• Collective responsibility versus dependence on exceptional individuals: Lei feels that humanity should solve its own disaster rather than continually rely on extraordinary outsiders.
• Patriotism and duty: The official team is driven by its obligation to protect citizens and justify the nation’s trust.
• Cooperation across factions: The crisis forces government forces, Shui Corporation, and powerful independent figures to work together despite personal tensions.
• Progress through perseverance: Although Lei’s team has repeatedly failed to remain outside for long, their increasing endurance represents meaningful advancement.
• Environmental protection and humanity’s relationship with nature: The convergence points and megastorm are treated as environmental disasters, while He Qinglan’s unusual preference for plants and animals reinforces his environmentalist image.

Character Interactions

• Lei’s team humorously recognizes his mixed feelings about Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan but avoids openly teasing him.
• Lei communicates with He Qinglan, who agrees immediately to the South Bay Lake operation, earning Lei’s wholehearted approval.
• Shui Wuyuan jokes in the background and irritates Lei by demanding filial treatment, though Lei is now too relieved to react as strongly.
• The government’s communication team formally urges Lei to coordinate with Shui and He, establishing the three-way cooperation necessary to confront the remaining convergence points.

Chapter 183 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lei Aotian’s team leaves the airport again, prompting nearby passengers to speculate that they are elite soldiers rather than debt collectors. The observers hope the team can complete its dangerous mission safely.
• The team travels through Meng City’s violent sandstorm in a tank armored vehicle guided by radar, allowing it to move despite zero visibility.
• At 12:05 a.m., Lei Aotian uses a reconnaissance scope and discovers a huge formation of glittering stones near the eastern quarry. He suspects they may be the mysterious Super-Energy Points causing Meng City’s sandstorm and wonders whether destroying them could weaken the storm.
• The vehicle suddenly detects powerful energy fluctuations and becomes surrounded by stones that seem to appear from nowhere. The armored vehicle is violently struck and begins to risk being crushed.
• Lei Aotian orders Tie Gu to force open the hatch. After struggling against an immense pressure, Tie Gu succeeds, allowing Lei Aotian and the rest of the team to escape.
• Outside, they find the vehicle completely surrounded by countless shining stones. The stones begin moving independently and attack the team from every direction, seemingly tracking their targets.
• The Dragon-Slaying Group fights desperately to avoid being buried or crushed. Lei Aotian manages better than the others because of his superior speed and strength, but Tie Gu and Xiaoyu are increasingly injured and exhausted.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian remains calm and observant under extreme pressure. He quickly connects the glowing stones to the Super-Energy Points and recognizes the danger before the others, taking command when the vehicle becomes unsafe.
• Tie Gu demonstrates his tremendous physical power by forcing open the hatch despite the mysterious pressure. However, his slower movement makes him vulnerable to the flying stones, and he has already suffered several heavy impacts.
• Xiaoyu relies on speed and evasion, but the overwhelming number of attacking stones reduces the effectiveness of her abilities. Repeated injuries slow her down, pushing her toward her physical limit.
• The team as a whole is shown to be highly trained and disciplined, yet the supernatural nature and sheer scale of the attack challenge their confidence and understanding of reality.

Significant Themes

• Human skill versus supernatural forces: Even elite soldiers struggle against phenomena that defy ordinary logic.
• Beauty concealing danger: The stones are described as beautiful, resembling stars scattered across the ground, but they are simultaneously lethal weapons.
• Leadership under crisis: Lei Aotian’s ability to identify threats and issue rapid orders becomes essential to the team’s survival.
• The unknown nature of the disaster: The possible connection between the stones, Super-Energy Points, and the sandstorm suggests that Meng City’s catastrophe is governed by forces beyond conventional science.

Character Interactions

• Airport passengers discuss and admire the team’s discipline, speculating about their identity and mission.
• Lei Aotian communicates with the driver after the radar detects abnormal energy and obstacles.
• He orders Tie Gu to open the vehicle hatch, and Tie Gu responds with great effort, joking that Lei Aotian’s warnings have a tendency to come true.
• Once outside, Lei Aotian warns the others to avoid the stones, while the entire team coordinates defensively against the attacks. Their immediate priority becomes surviving the quarry’s relentless assault.

Chapter 92 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lei Aotian realizes that his entire team—Xiaoyu, Tie Gu, Huazi, Zhou Zhuo, and Wen Tao—is being overwhelmed by the quarry’s glowing stones and the powerful energy concentrated there.
• Fearing they may not survive if they remain, Lei orders them to retreat to the armored vehicles and return immediately. He uses powerful purple lightning to clear a path for them.
• Once the vehicles leave the super-energy convergence point, the glowing stones stop pursuing the team, confirming that the quarry’s energy is responsible for their attacks.
• Left alone, Lei Aotian embraces the danger rather than retreating. He advances toward the center of the quarry, believing it contains the source of the stones’ power.
• Lei’s lightning attracts the attention of He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan, who are investigating South Bay Lake. They recognize his power as connected to Lei Ba, an ancient, battle-obsessed god.
• Shui Wuyuan is unconcerned about Lei’s safety, believing that Lei’s fighting instinct may cause him to undergo a transformation.
• Lei is chased by the glowing stones for more than ten minutes. As he approaches the quarry’s center, the wind weakens and the attacks become easier to evade.
• Reaching the stone mountain, Lei finds a strangely calm and beautiful area filled with luminous rocks, blasted mining pits, and an unsettling sense that something is watching him.
• When he takes a single step forward, the environment suddenly changes into a lush, peaceful mountain forest filled with streams, birds, and flowers.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian demonstrates strong leadership by sacrificing his own safety to protect his team. He also reveals his fearless, battle-hungry nature by choosing to confront the quarry’s power alone.
• His confidence grows as he discovers that advancing toward the danger makes the environment less hostile. His connection to Lei Ba becomes increasingly apparent.
• Lei Aotian’s team obeys his command despite their concern, recognizing that his serious use of thunder means the situation has exceeded their ability to help.
• Shui Wuyuan confirms that Lei Aotian is connected to Lei Ba but treats the danger humorously, trusting Lei’s instinct for combat.
• He Qinglan is more genuinely concerned and repeatedly points out that Lei Aotian’s origins and powers are suspicious.
• The chapter also humorously characterizes ancient figures: Chiyan as boastful, Wind Spiral as obsessed with spinning, and Lei Ba as constantly seeking battle.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and sacrifice: Lei prioritizes his team’s survival and willingly remains behind to face the danger alone.
• Power and transformation: The quarry’s energy appears capable of overwhelming ordinary abilities, while Lei’s connection to Lei Ba may allow him to evolve through combat.
• Courage versus recklessness: Lei’s fearlessness inspires him, but his decision to advance alone also places him at extreme risk.
• Mystery and illusion: The quarry shifts from a deadly, unnatural landscape to a beautiful forest, suggesting that Lei has entered an illusion, trial, or hidden supernatural realm.
• Humor amid danger: Shui Wuyuan’s teasing descriptions of the ancient gods provide comic relief while reinforcing their distinct personalities.

Character Interactions

• Lei commands his team to retreat, while Tie Gu reacts with alarm but understands that Lei’s thunder signals the seriousness of the situation.
• He Qinglan questions Shui Wuyuan’s lack of concern for Lei Aotian.
• Shui Wuyuan explains Lei’s connection to Lei Ba and argues that combat is precisely where Lei is most likely to grow.
• Chiyan, Wind Spiral, and Lei Aotian humorously react to Shui Wuyuan’s dismissive descriptions, while He Qinglan is jokingly labeled the “rich, powerful, beautiful” ancient figure.
• River God silently shares He Qinglan’s exasperation with Shui Wuyuan’s sarcastic and grudging personality.

Chapter 185 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lei Aotian is drawn into an artificial world created by his mysterious opponent. Initially, he finds himself in a peaceful mountain landscape and assumes he must confront whatever challenge awaits him.
• As he walks forward, each step reveals a different stage of humanity’s destruction of nature:
  • Birds disappear and are replaced by gunshots.
  • Trees are cut down by axes and chainsaws.
  • Animals are killed by hunters.
  • The mountain’s soil erodes into dust, leaving only barren stone.
  • Mining vehicles and explosives tear into the mountain, extracting even its final remaining resources.
• Lei Aotian recognizes the scene as a symbolic accusation against humanity. Although he believes people have begun correcting their environmental mistakes, he understands that the mountain might view humanity’s actions as unforgivable.
• The illusion suddenly turns violent. A storm of sand and stones attacks Lei Aotian, forcing him to dodge for his life. He angrily objects that an “ideological reform” should not end in attempted murder.
• Familiar people—including teammates, relatives, friends, and acquaintances—appear in the illusion and are brutally killed by falling rocks. Though Lei knows they are false, their deaths provoke intense rage.
• When Lei touches a dead teammate, he discovers that the body feels warm and the blood seems real. This makes him question whether the figures are truly illusions and distracts him long enough for the rocks to bury him.
• The false world breaks apart, leaving Lei trapped beneath a mound of stones on the actual barren, mined mountain.
• A powerful, mountain-like man emerges and declares that humanity’s sins are so severe that humans should not exist. Since the world has failed to destroy humanity, he believes the gods must do it themselves.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian: He demonstrates courage and determination by continuing through the increasingly disturbing illusion rather than retreating. He also shows moral complexity: he understands humanity’s need for resources and acknowledges environmental progress, while still feeling guilt and sympathy for nature’s suffering. His rage at seeing familiar people killed reveals his strong attachment to others, even when he knows they may be illusions.
• The Mountain-like Opponent: His appearance and final declaration suggest that he sees himself as an agent of divine judgment or nature’s vengeance. He is uncompromising, believing humanity’s environmental destruction justifies extermination.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus nature: The chapter portrays environmental destruction from the mountain’s perspective, emphasizing the progression from a thriving ecosystem to a lifeless quarry.
• Guilt and responsibility: Lei struggles with the contradiction between humanity’s need for development and the irreversible harm caused by that development.
• Ideological judgment: The illusion functions as a moral trial, forcing Lei to witness the consequences of humanity’s actions.
• Reality and illusion: The fake victims possess warmth and realistic blood, blurring the boundary between illusion and reality and intensifying Lei’s emotional reaction.
• Extremism versus reform: Lei believes humanity can learn and change, while his opponent sees humanity’s past crimes as unforgivable and demands total destruction.

Character Interactions

• Lei’s primary interaction is with the unseen opponent, who communicates through the staged environmental catastrophe and violent attacks rather than direct conversation.
• Lei mentally argues with this opponent, criticizing the shift from moral instruction to physical violence.
• The deaths of his teammates, relatives, and acquaintances create an emotional interaction despite their uncertain reality, exposing Lei’s loyalty and protective instincts.
• The chapter ends with the mountain-like figure openly condemning humanity and positioning himself as the force that will carry out divine punishment.

Chapter 93 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mountain Shaman leaves Lei Aotian trapped inside a massive fused-rock formation, believing the imprisonment will be impossible to escape.
• Lei Aotian awakens or unleashes extraordinary Thunder Power from within the stone. Lightning begins tearing apart the rock prison, while dark clouds gather overhead.
• A powerful bolt of lightning destroys the stone mountain completely, freeing Lei Aotian, who now floats in the air surrounded by electricity.
• Mountain Shaman is shocked and assumes Lei Aotian is not human, asking whether he is connected to the legendary Lei Ba, a being known for possessing lightning-based Origin Power.
• Furious at being mistaken for someone else and at Mountain Shaman’s desire to exterminate humanity, Lei Aotian attacks him relentlessly with Thunder Power.
• Lei Aotian’s lightning shatters Mountain Shaman’s defensive boulder and injures him. Mountain Shaman attempts to retreat and explain his ideology rather than continue fighting.
• Mountain Shaman argues that humanity is a destructive plague responsible for pollution, environmental devastation, and the suffering of the planet, claiming that eliminating humans would restore peace.
• Lei Aotian’s attacks slow as he considers the argument, but he challenges Mountain Shaman’s reasoning. He asks whether environmental protectors, innocent children, and babies should also be killed simply because they belong to the human race.
• Lei Aotian turns the argument against Mountain Shaman, questioning whether a god who causes more harm than good would willingly accept being judged and killed.
• He declares that humanity’s fate cannot be decided by one self-appointed god: humans can recognize their mistakes and change.
• Mountain Shaman is left speechless when Lei Aotian asks whether he has truly never made a mistake. Though he instinctively wants to claim that gods are infallible, a troubling memory or doubt prevents him from answering.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian undergoes a dramatic power awakening, revealing immense Thunder Power capable of destroying Mountain Shaman’s stone prison and damaging him directly.
• His anger and combativeness remain intense, but he demonstrates moral clarity and compassion by defending innocent humans and arguing for humanity’s capacity to improve.
• Lei Aotian rejects Mountain Shaman’s assumption that he is Lei Ba, establishing his own identity even while his powers appear connected to that legendary figure.
• Mountain Shaman shifts from confident executioner to surprised and pressured opponent. His certainty that humanity must be eradicated begins to weaken when Lei Aotian exposes the cruelty and oversimplification of his philosophy.
• His inability to answer whether gods can make mistakes hints at hidden guilt, regret, or a past contradiction in his beliefs.

Significant Themes

• Humanity’s flaws versus its capacity for change: The chapter acknowledges environmental destruction but rejects the idea that all humans should be punished collectively.
• Individual responsibility versus collective judgment: Lei Aotian emphasizes that innocent people should not die for the crimes of others.
• Moral authority and hypocrisy: Mountain Shaman claims the right to judge humanity, but Lei Aotian questions whether any god is morally perfect enough to decide who deserves to live.
• Power and identity: Lei Aotian’s awakening challenges Mountain Shaman’s assumptions about what it means to be human and suggests a deeper connection to supernatural forces.
• Doubt in absolute ideology: Mountain Shaman’s silence shows the first meaningful crack in his belief that gods are always right and humanity must be destroyed.

Character Interactions

• The central interaction is a confrontation between Lei Aotian and Mountain Shaman, beginning as a physical battle and developing into a moral debate.
• Mountain Shaman repeatedly identifies Lei Aotian with Lei Ba, while Lei Aotian angrily rejects the comparison.
• Lei Aotian’s attacks force Mountain Shaman to retreat, but his questions force an even deeper confrontation with Mountain Shaman’s beliefs.
• Their conflict ends unresolved: Lei Aotian has not defeated Mountain Shaman outright, but he has shaken his certainty and challenged the justification for his war on humanity.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Mountain Shaman, having helped create the devastating sandstorm in Meng City, attempts to leave after encountering the awakened Lei Aotian. Lei Aotian blocks him with lightning and confronts him over his sudden hatred of humanity. Mountain Shaman argues that humans are selfish, destructive, and beyond redemption, citing the many people who ignored or mocked his environmental broadcasts. He supports Deep Earth’s plan to eliminate humanity and reset the world. Lei Aotian counters that humanity contains both evil and goodness, and that destroying one species would not prevent another from becoming destructive. He also condemns Mountain Shaman’s belief that gods have the authority to remake or cleanse the world, pointing out that Mountain Shaman’s own sandstorm is an act of environmental destruction. Mountain Shaman is left silent and begins questioning his assumptions.

Character development

• Lei Aotian/Lei Ba: Revealed as fiercely stubborn, confrontational, and easily provoked, but also morally grounded. Though he understands humanity’s darkness from his work against the Human-Deity Group, he still believes in humanity’s capacity for goodness and rejects mass extermination. His time among humans has given him empathy and a sense of responsibility.
• Mountain Shaman: His disappointment and anger toward humanity become clear. Once an environmental advocate who used livestreams and social media to encourage conservation, he has grown cynical after seeing how few people acted on his message. However, Lei Aotian’s argument forces him to reconsider whether gods truly have the right to judge and destroy entire species.
• Deep Earth: Though absent, Deep Earth’s ideology strongly influences Mountain Shaman. His plan to reset the world and remove humanity is shown to be a major source of Mountain Shaman’s radical beliefs.

Themes

• Humanity’s dual nature: Evil and selfishness exist alongside compassion and goodness; one cannot justify condemning the entire species.
• Power and responsibility: Possessing divine power does not grant the right to destroy the world or decide which beings deserve to live.
• Environmental destruction and hypocrisy: Mountain Shaman claims to defend nature while creating a catastrophic sandstorm that harms it, revealing the contradiction in his actions.
• Disillusionment and moral judgment: Mountain Shaman’s despair stems from humanity’s apathy, while Lei Aotian argues that disappointment should not become a justification for genocide.
• The cycle of rulers: Eliminating humanity would not guarantee a perfect world, since another species could eventually become dominant and destructive.
• Character interactions: Lei Aotian repeatedly prevents Mountain Shaman from escaping and challenges him both physically and ideologically. Their argument shifts from anger and mockery to a serious debate over humanity, nature, and divine authority. Although Mountain Shaman remains unconvinced, Lei Aotian’s final point—that even ancient, powerful gods cannot truly control or remake heaven and earth—creates the first meaningful crack in Mountain Shaman’s certainty.

Chapter 188 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mountain Shaman realizes the deeper danger behind Deep Earth’s plan to transform nature and exterminate humanity. Even if humanity is considered a disease harming the world, mass slaughter would inevitably create immense Corrupting Miasma and karmic resentment. The leaders of such an extermination could themselves become demons or suffer Heaven and Earth’s backlash.
• Mountain Shaman suspects Deep Earth may possess a hidden method for avoiding this corruption—or may be pursuing an even more secretive plan that cannot be openly discussed.
• Unable to resolve these doubts, Mountain Shaman withdraws from human affairs and declares that he will simply wait for humanity to destroy itself. He disappears into the mountain before Lei Aotian can confront him further.
• After Mountain Shaman leaves, the supernatural stones around the quarry dim, and the sandstorm devastating the region begins to disperse and return toward the human world.
• Lei Aotian receives messages from his worried teammates and travels to South Bay Lake, where he immediately attacks Shui Wuyuan with lightning.
• Their confrontation turns into a humorous exchange in which Lei Aotian vents years of resentment over Shui Wuyuan’s insults and mockery.
• Shui Wuyuan insists that all his insults were truthful, but then welcomes Lei Aotian back after his long absence. The two reconcile affectionately beneath their bickering.
• Lei Aotian happily greets He Qinglan, but Shui Wuyuan pushes him away and embraces He Qinglan himself, proudly announcing that she is his beautiful, powerful wife. Lei Aotian is shocked and furious.

Character Developments

• Mountain Shaman: Becomes deeply troubled by the moral and metaphysical consequences of Deep Earth’s anti-human agenda. His uncertainty causes him to disengage from humanity, showing that his former certainty has weakened.
• Lei Aotian: Reveals both his strong resentment and enduring affection toward Shui Wuyuan. Despite years of insults and humiliation, he remains emotionally resilient and still values his old friends. His return is treated as a joyful reunion.
• Shui Wuyuan: Remains arrogant, blunt, and shamelessly provocative, but his welcome to Lei Aotian reveals genuine affection. His marriage to He Qinglan is presented as an established and surprising development.
• He Qinglan: Quietly observes the reunion and appears sympathetic to Lei Aotian’s suffering. She is also shown as close to both men, though Shui Wuyuan is highly possessive of her.

Significant Themes

• The moral cost of salvation: The chapter questions whether destroying humanity for the sake of the world can ever be considered righteous when such an act creates enormous karmic corruption.
• Unintended consequences: Even those acting in the name of justice may become demons through mass slaughter, suggesting that methods matter as much as intentions.
• Doubt and withdrawal: Mountain Shaman’s uncertainty reflects the difficulty of judging humanity and deciding whether it deserves destruction or protection.
• Friendship beneath conflict: Lei Aotian and Shui Wuyuan’s insults conceal a deep, enduring bond. Their reunion emphasizes that affection can survive centuries of resentment.
• Humor and emotional relief: The comic quarrel between the old friends contrasts with the chapter’s darker philosophical concerns.

Character Interactions

• Mountain Shaman and Lei Aotian debate humanity’s fate, with Mountain Shaman ultimately refusing further involvement.
• Lei Aotian and Shui Wuyuan engage in a lightning-filled confrontation over years of insults, but their anger quickly gives way to mutual recognition and reconciliation.
• Lei Aotian warmly approaches He Qinglan, only for Shui Wuyuan to intervene possessively and reveal their marriage, triggering Lei Aotian’s outrage.

Chapter 94 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lei Aotian, despite awakening his powers, realizes he is still no match for Shui Wuyuan. Frustrated, he repeatedly tries to separate Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan, who remain openly affectionate.
• Shui Wuyuan retaliates by summoning a rain cloud over Lei Aotian, while Lei Aotian responds with a lightning-filled cloud over Shui Wuyuan. Their childish magical duel continues while they speak normally, amusing and confusing He Qinglan.
• Lei Aotian recounts his encounter with the Mountain Shaman at the quarry east of Meng City. The Mountain Shaman believes humanity is Earth’s incurable disease and should be eliminated.
• A debate follows about humanity’s relationship with nature. Lei Aotian admits humans damage the environment but believes humanity’s “fortune” has not yet run out. Shui Wuyuan argues that the gods have suffered and died because of humanity’s destruction, making passive observation impossible.
• At the badly depleted South Bay Lake, Lei Aotian discovers a black feather floating above the lake’s Super-Energy Convergence Point. The feather is contaminated with Corrupting Power.
• Lei Aotian offers the feather to be purified. He Qinglan takes it, teasing Shui Wuyuan for using his water powers for combat rather than cleansing. Shui Wuyuan happily declares that He Qinglan understands him best.
• Lei Aotian receives a call from his team. They report that the sandstorm has weakened by more than half, confirming that the convergence points are being neutralized.
• Lei Aotian explains that the eastern, western, and southern convergence points have been dealt with. Only the northern point remains; destroying it should return Meng City’s sandstorm to normal, though it will not erase the warning nature has issued to humanity.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian: His awakened power has restored his strength but not his superiority over Shui Wuyuan, leaving him frustrated and embarrassed. He shows compassion toward humanity despite recognizing its destructive behavior, revealing an ongoing moral conflict between his loyalty to humans and his understanding of nature’s suffering.
• Shui Wuyuan: Remains powerful, confident, and mischievous. He treats Lei Aotian’s interference with amusement and openly enjoys his closeness with He Qinglan.
• He Qinglan: Acts as the more sensible observer amid the two chaotic gods. He becomes increasingly comfortable teasing Shui Wuyuan and demonstrates his willingness to help by taking responsibility for purifying the corrupted feather.
• Lei Aotian’s Team: Their worried phone call shows their dependence on and trust in him. Their relief and enthusiasm reinforce Lei Aotian’s role as their leader.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus nature: The chapter questions whether humanity deserves protection despite its exploitation of the environment.
• Moral responsibility: Shui Wuyuan argues that watching humanity destroy nature is unacceptable, especially when the damage harms vulnerable beings and the gods themselves.
• Hope versus extinction: Lei Aotian believes humanity still has a chance to change, even while acknowledging that nature might survive better without humans.
• Nature’s warning: The sandstorm is portrayed not merely as a disaster but as a consequence and warning generated by humanity’s environmental destruction.
• Comedy amid crisis: The childish rivalry between Lei Aotian and Shui Wuyuan contrasts with the serious ecological and supernatural threat.

Character Interactions

• Lei Aotian repeatedly attempts to interrupt Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan’s affectionate behavior, creating comic tension.
• Shui Wuyuan and Lei Aotian exchange retaliatory weather attacks while pretending nothing unusual is happening.
• Lei Aotian and Shui Wuyuan debate humanity’s fate, with Lei Aotian defending the possibility of human survival and Shui Wuyuan emphasizing accountability.
• He Qinglan mocks both men, particularly Shui Wuyuan’s unconventional use of water powers, while Shui Wuyuan responds with affectionate praise.
• Lei Aotian’s call with his team confirms the mission’s progress and restores their confidence that Meng City can soon be saved.

Chapter Summary — Page 190

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lei Aotian, He Qinglan, and Shui Wuyuan investigate the final energy convergence point in northern Meng City, which is believed to be amplifying the city’s devastating megastorm.
• They discover that the expected divine treasure—a black feather containing divine and Corrupting Power—is missing. Lei Aotian realizes that the Mountain Shaman took it when he fled.
• The group confirms that the storm’s extraordinary strength comes from both the Wind God and Mountain God amplifying the powers of wind and sand simultaneously.
• He Qinglan explains that both gods are severely weakened, possessing less than one percent of their former power. If they had been at full strength, the storm could have destroyed far more than one city.
• Lei Aotian orders his subordinates to remain at the airport and maintain order, emphasizing that ordinary humans cannot participate in battles between divine beings.
• He Qinglan asks Shui Wuyuan how much destruction he could cause if he used his full power. Shui jokingly boasts that he could create months of worldwide rain, alarming Lei Aotian.
• The discussion shifts to Deep Earth and the limits of weakened gods. Shui estimates that Deep Earth could cause only one global earthquake, roughly comparable to Lei Ba’s power.
• Shui explains that prolonged slumber weakened gods’ Origin Power, while gods who remained active and interfered with the world tended to perish even faster.
• He recalls that ancient gods involved themselves in human wars and conflicts, ultimately destroying one another. He claims that he alone was wise enough to avoid those struggles.

Character Developments

• Lei Aotian remains practical and responsible, focusing on maintaining order and assessing the divine threat. He becomes visibly irritated by Shui Wuyuan’s reckless jokes but is also reassured that Shui has no intention of destroying the world.
• He Qinglan demonstrates careful analysis by identifying the connection between the Wind God, Mountain God, and the megastorm. He also shows curiosity about divine history and the true destructive potential of the surviving gods.
• Shui Wuyuan reveals extensive knowledge of the gods’ past and the consequences of using divine power. Beneath his shameless boasting and flirtation, he appears genuinely thoughtful about the world’s restrictions and the fate of other gods.
• Shui continues to openly pursue He Qinglan, insisting that their survival and reunion are the result of a heaven-sent bond—and of his own “hard work.”

Significant Themes

• The limits and cost of divine power: Even gods capable of world-shattering destruction are constrained by weakened Origin Power, corruption, and the world’s apparent balancing mechanisms.
• The dangers of interference: Gods who meddled in human affairs or tried to reshape the world eventually perished, suggesting that power carries consequences when used recklessly.
• Survival through restraint: Shui’s survival is attributed partly to avoiding the destructive conflicts and traps that destroyed other gods.
• Human vulnerability: Ordinary humans are powerless in divine combat and can only preserve order and survive around the edges of conflicts between supernatural beings.
• Humor amid catastrophe: Shui’s flirtatious boasting and Lei Aotian’s exasperation provide comic relief while the characters discuss apocalyptic dangers.

Character Interactions

• Lei Aotian gives his team orders over the phone before joining the investigation.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan use their divine senses alongside Lei Aotian to search for the missing treasure.
• Lei Aotian insults the absent Mountain Shaman for taking the artifact, while He Qinglan reacts with restrained speechlessness.
• He Qinglan questions Shui about his destructive potential, giving Shui an opportunity to boast and flirt.
• Lei Aotian challenges Shui’s joking claims about causing global floods, while Shui dismisses his concerns and insists he would never destroy the world before enjoying life with He Qinglan.
• He Qinglan raises the possibility of Deep Earth destroying the world, prompting Shui to provide a serious explanation of divine decline.
• Shui concludes by turning the historical discussion back toward romance, crediting both fate and his own efforts for surviving long enough to reunite with He Qinglan.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shui Wuyuan reflects on how the two world wars marked the decline of the gods. The modern world can no longer support many powerful deities: sleeping gods are gradually eroded, while active gods lose control of their power, become embroiled in conflict, and die.
• He boasts that his strength surpasses that of all currently living gods, including Deep Earth—at least under normal circumstances.
• However, Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan realize that Deep Earth may have fallen into demonic corruption. If so, the divine power amplified by Corrupting Power could make him powerful enough to defeat Shui Wuyuan and trigger multiple catastrophic earthquakes.
• The Human-Deity Group is revealed not to be controlling Deep Earth. Instead, Deep Earth is manipulating the group as a weapon to attack humanity and seize divine power.
• Deep Earth cannot destroy humanity directly because doing so would cause him and Mu Sen to suffer the backlash of Curse Grudge Power and fall into demonic corruption. Since Mu Sen and the Human Demon are linked through their Divine Souls, killing the Human Demon would also kill Mu Sen.
• As a result, Deep Earth uses the Human-Deity Group and the Human Demon to create disasters indirectly, preserving his ability to act while avoiding the consequences of personally slaughtering humans.
• Lei Aotian concludes that humanity still has a chance if it restrains the Human-Deity Group and protects the environment. He leaves encouraged, intending to promote environmental protection and “harmonious development.”
• After Lei Aotian departs, He Qinglan questions why Mu Sen is being controlled and why Deep Earth—once a dependable, protective elder figure among the gods—has developed such intense hatred toward humanity.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan: Displays unusual melancholy while discussing the decline of the gods, but quickly returns to his arrogant and sarcastic personality. His analysis reveals both his immense power and his awareness of the serious danger posed by Deep Earth.
• He Qinglan: Acts as the thoughtful counterpart to Shui Wuyuan, correctly interpreting his concerns and challenging him to consider Deep Earth’s corrupted state. He becomes increasingly troubled by Deep Earth’s transformation and seeks to understand its cause.
• Lei Aotian: Initially panics at the possibility that humanity is doomed, but regains hope after learning that Deep Earth cannot attack directly. He becomes more determined to protect humanity and the environment.
• Deep Earth: Is portrayed as a formerly respected, stable protector who has become an extreme and manipulative enemy of humanity. His apparent corruption and hatred remain unexplained.
• Mu Sen and the Human Demon: Their Divine Soul connection becomes important, explaining why Deep Earth cannot simply eliminate them or act without consequences.

Significant Themes

• The decline of the gods: The modern world is incompatible with the unchecked existence of ancient divine powers.
• Indirect violence and manipulation: Deep Earth’s inability to act openly forces him to use human organizations and corrupted agents as tools.
• Humanity’s responsibility and hope: Although humanity faces overwhelming supernatural threats, environmental care and responsible behavior offer a form of protection.
• Corruption and transformation: Deep Earth’s fall from benevolent elder god to genocidal enemy raises questions about how power, suffering, or external forces can distort a once-protective figure.
• The limits imposed by the world: Even immensely powerful gods are constrained by Curse Grudge Power, Corrupting Power, and the laws governing divine action.

Character Interactions

• Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan jointly reason through the danger posed by a corrupted Deep Earth, with He Qinglan finishing Shui Wuyuan’s unspoken concern.
• Shui Wuyuan repeatedly mocks Lei Aotian’s misunderstandings, but his explanations ultimately reassure him.
• He Qinglan supports Lei Aotian’s conclusion that humanity can still struggle for survival.
• Lei Aotian establishes a more personal connection with He Qinglan by exchanging contact information and following him online.
• After Lei Aotian leaves, Shui Wuyuan and He Qinglan discuss Deep Earth more seriously, shifting the chapter from immediate crisis management to the deeper mystery of Deep Earth’s corruption and hatred.

Chapter 95 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Deep beneath the Northwestern Wasteland, Deep Earth reflects on his failing plans. Mountain Shaman has abandoned him, and Wind Spiral—whom he had imprisoned—has been taken away.
• Long Xiao, formerly contemptuous of Deep Earth, now behaves as a completely obedient servant, suggesting that Deep Earth has gained control over him.
• Mu Sen, also under Deep Earth’s control, questions whether Deep Earth can truly oppose the flow of time when everything seems to be going wrong.
• Deep Earth refuses to concede defeat. He claims Mountain Shaman and Wind Spiral are insignificant compared with a far more powerful “sharp blade,” then declares that he intends to borrow Mu Sen’s strength for his next move.
• In Meng City, the destruction of the four Super-Energy Convergence Points causes the great sandstorm to weaken considerably by dawn.
• Passengers stranded at Meng City Airport celebrate, believing they can finally return home. However, when the airport doors open, they find the plaza buried under sand, stones, and enormous amounts of garbage.
• The shocking sight halts the crowd. Two children—referred to as Brother Xiaobai and his younger neighbor—begin cleaning up the garbage, inspired by what they were taught about environmental responsibility.
• Their example moves the adults. Other passengers begin picking up trash as they leave, recognizing that although they did not personally dump all the garbage, human actions ultimately created it.

Character Developments

• Deep Earth remains confident and calculating despite his setbacks. His willingness to use Mu Sen’s power reveals that he is preparing a more dangerous plan and may possess an even greater weapon or ally.
• Long Xiao has undergone a dramatic reversal, changing from an arrogant opponent into Deep Earth’s submissive servant. This confirms the extent of Deep Earth’s control over him.
• Mu Sen remains mentally aware of his situation and continues to challenge Deep Earth, but he is physically or spiritually controlled and unable to resist.
• Mountain Shaman and Wind Spiral are established as having escaped or been removed from Deep Earth’s influence, weakening his original strategy.
• The two children display innocence, responsibility, and moral clarity. Their simple decision to clean the plaza inspires the adults to act.
• The stranded passengers shift from desperate self-preservation to collective responsibility after confronting the consequences of environmental neglect.

Significant Themes

• Persistence against adversity: Deep Earth refuses to abandon his ambitions despite repeated failures, emphasizing his dangerous determination.
• Power and control: Long Xiao’s submission and Mu Sen’s captivity highlight Deep Earth’s ability to dominate others and exploit their abilities.
• The consequences of human behavior: The garbage-covered airport exposes the environmental damage that people often ignore when it is hidden or managed out of sight.
• Responsibility and moral example: The children demonstrate that meaningful change begins with simple personal actions. Their behavior encourages adults to accept responsibility rather than merely complain.
• The meaning of “home” and safety: The passengers’ eagerness to return home reflects their desire for security, but the polluted airport reminds them that human communities and environments are also shaped by their own choices.

Character Interactions

• Deep Earth and Mu Sen: Mu Sen challenges Deep Earth’s plan, while Deep Earth responds defiantly and announces that he will use Mu Sen’s power.
• Deep Earth and Long Xiao: Long Xiao displays complete obedience, contrasting sharply with his earlier disdain and confirming their changed power dynamic.
• The two children: Brother Xiaobai explains why the adults are not moving forward, and the younger girl accepts his reasoning. Together, they begin cleaning the airport plaza.
• The children and the passengers: The children’s actions silently shame and inspire the adults, prompting more people to pick up garbage as they leave.

Chapter 193 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the aftermath of the devastating sandstorm, passengers at Meng City Airport begin silently picking up trash from the plaza and placing it near overflowing bins.
• Airport employees join them, using sanitation carts to remove and sort the enormous amount of garbage.
• A wealthy, complaining passenger argues that he should not have to clean up trash he did not personally discard. Others rebuke him, pointing out that everyone contributes to environmental damage through consumption and waste.
• A scholar explains to his child that worsening desertification, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, and climate instability have made sandstorms more frequent and severe.
• The scholar emphasizes that protecting nature is humanity’s responsibility and praises the example set by “those two lovely children”—He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan.
• Inspired by the disaster, a young mechanical-engineering student changes his ambitions. Instead of inventing impressive machines, he now wants to create technology that converts garbage into energy or protects nature.
• Within an hour, the airport plaza is completely cleaned and the waste is sorted and transported away, leaving departing passengers with a strong sense of fulfillment.
• From above the airport, He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan observe humanity’s response. He Qinglan sees hope in people’s willingness to recognize and correct their mistakes, while Shui Wuyuan remains cynical because Deep Earth still intends to destroy humanity.
• He Qinglan stays in Meng City for a day to observe whether the airport cleanup represents a genuine change.
• A video of the airport effort spreads online and inspires residents to clean their own neighborhoods. One irritable uncle begins sweeping his courtyard and then the streets, insisting that the city and land belong to everyone.
• His son joins him, followed soon after by a usually antagonistic neighbor, demonstrating how individual actions begin influencing the wider community.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan becomes more hopeful about humanity. He believes people should be given time to change and considers the ability to recognize and correct one’s mistakes a great virtue.
• Shui Wuyuan remains skeptical and mocking, doubting that humanity’s moment of kindness is enough to prevent Deep Earth’s judgment.
• The scholar acts as a voice of environmental knowledge and moral guidance, teaching his child that humans must take responsibility for ecological damage.
• The mechanical-engineering student undergoes a major shift in values, moving from dreams of impressive industrial inventions toward environmentally restorative technology.
• The complaining businessman is humbled when others expose the contradiction between his convenience-driven lifestyle and his refusal to accept responsibility for waste.
• The uncle and his son move from complaint and reluctance to active participation, while the uncle’s neighbor joins them, showing the spread of communal responsibility.

Significant Themes

• Collective responsibility: Even people who did not personally create a particular mess are still responsible for the broader system of consumption and waste.
• Environmental consequences: The sandstorm symbolizes the destructive results of deforestation, overgrazing, desertification, pollution, and climate instability.
• Redemption through action: Humanity’s mistakes are serious, but sincere efforts to correct them may offer hope.
• Influence and leadership: Quiet examples can inspire mass change more effectively than speeches or slogans.
• Humanity’s potential for goodness: Despite its destructive tendencies, humanity is shown to possess compassion, adaptability, and the ability to cooperate.
• Hope versus judgment: He Qinglan’s faith in human improvement contrasts with Shui Wuyuan’s belief that humanity’s flaws justify Deep Earth’s plan to eliminate it.

Character Interactions

• Passengers challenge the businessman’s selfish complaints, forcing him to confront his own environmental impact.
• The scholar teaches his child about ecological damage and connects the airport cleanup to the need for society-wide leadership and reform.
• He Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan debate whether humanity deserves time to change, with He Qinglan defending human potential and Shui Wuyuan ridiculing that hope.
• The uncle pressures his son to help clean, turning a personal act into a family effort.
• The uncle’s example—and the viral airport video—encourages neighbors to participate, transforming isolated cleanup efforts into a broader movement throughout Meng City.

Chapter 96 Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Meng City’s devastating sandstorm, residents unexpectedly begin cleaning their neighborhoods. What starts as arguments between neighbors turns into a friendly cleaning competition, with the winner promised the right to choose a tree species to plant the following spring.
• The movement spreads throughout Meng City and becomes a trending topic: #MengCityMobilizes.
• Bicheng quickly joins in, organizing riverbank cleanups, garbage sorting, and checks on the growth of the Little Saplings. Other cities follow: Sea City promotes ocean conservation after witnessing Fusang’s destruction, and the entire nation eventually participates under #HuazhouIsInAction#.
• The sandstorm becomes a turning point for Huazhou. People begin noticing litter and protecting the environment without being reminded.
• He Qinglan senses that the combined efforts of humanity are restoring his Origin Power and greatly increasing the spiritual energy around the Qinglan River.
• While fishing by the river, He Qinglan hopes that humanity can maintain this cooperation and allow both people and nature to thrive.
• Chiyan remains skeptical, pointing to environmental disasters abroad, including a massive fire caused by discarded cigarette butts. He warns that the affected region may suffer the disaster’s consequences for a century.
• Wind Spiral, recovering from Deep Earth’s earlier torture and corruption, continues bathing in the river to cleanse his Divine Soul. He becomes irritated when He Qinglan’s fishing hook nearly catches him.
• Wind Spiral reports that his bird followers have observed widespread destruction, war, and environmental exploitation across the world, contrasting Huazhou’s recent environmental awakening with the rest of humanity.

Character developments

• He Qinglan becomes encouraged by humanity’s collective response and gains renewed hope that humans and nature can coexist. His recovered Origin Power reflects the positive impact of public action.
• Shui Wuyuan remains cynical and detached, joking that humans are only “pitiful” because no one loves them. He is willing to help when the apocalypse comes but refuses to act as humanity’s benevolent protector.
• Chiyan continues to distrust humans, believing they only change after suffering consequences. His anger toward foreign environmental negligence reveals both his destructive nature and his awareness of humanity’s responsibility.
• Wind Spiral is recovering physically and spiritually after being used by Deep Earth. His need to cleanse his Divine Soul emphasizes the lasting damage caused by Deep Earth’s corruption, while his observations broaden the chapter’s global perspective.
• Ordinary residents are shown developing greater civic responsibility, transforming environmental protection from an official campaign into a shared social habit.

Significant themes

• Collective action: Individual efforts may seem insignificant, but united action can produce power strong enough to affect even gods.
• Environmental responsibility: The sandstorm serves as a warning that humanity’s treatment of nature has direct consequences.
• Hope versus cynicism: He Qinglan believes people may genuinely change, while Chiyan and Shui Wuyuan doubt that humans can remain responsible for long.
• Unequal global development: The chapter contrasts Huazhou’s environmental mobilization with war, exploitation, pollution, and governmental indifference elsewhere.
• Divine power and human behavior: The gods’ strength is linked to humanity’s actions, suggesting that human morality and environmental choices influence the balance between the mortal and divine worlds.

Character interactions

• Neighbors initially insult one another but quickly turn their rivalry into enthusiastic cooperation, creating a humorous and communal atmosphere.
• He Qinglan asks Shui Wuyuan whether humanity has become more lovable; Shui Wuyuan responds with dismissive sarcasm.
• He Qinglan discusses humanity’s future with Chiyan, whose mockery challenges He Qinglan’s optimism.
• He Qinglan’s fishing accidentally disturbs Wind Spiral, prompting the recovering Wind God to complain and blow away the hook.
• Chiyan and Wind Spiral reinforce the chapter’s criticism of humanity by recounting environmental destruction and political indifference around the world.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan, Wind Spiral, and Chiyan discuss Huazhou’s apparent improvements while criticizing its continuing environmental damage, including logging, river pollution, and humanity’s wasteful practices.
• They agree that the gods should generally avoid interfering in human affairs, since excessive intervention could damage their authority and provoke backlash.
• The conversation turns to Deep Earth and Shui Wuyuan. Wind Spiral reveals that:
  • Mu Sen’s Divine Soul is connected to a human and has become extremely weak.
  • More than half of Deep Earth’s Divine Soul has been eroded by demonic energy.
  • Deep Earth’s abnormalities and descent into demonhood are likely connected.
• Wind Spiral remembers Deep Earth as a benevolent, dependable god who once protected him. Because of this, he feels sorrow and regret rather than hatred, though he suspects Deep Earth may already be beyond saving.
• He Qinglan reasons that if the world’s water deity has been corrupted, the earth deity—constantly exposed to human pollution—may be similarly tainted.
• Hoping to act before the situation worsens, He Qinglan creates a small blue carp from river water and sends it plunging into the earth. Wind Spiral senses that it travels through the soil toward a specific destination, but He Qinglan prevents him from investigating openly.
• Shui Wuyuan interrupts the scene in an extravagant outfit, provoking teasing and mockery from Chiyan. He sits close to He Qinglan and deliberately shows off his appearance.
• When Wind Spiral insults Shui Wuyuan, the Rain God retaliates by summoning a dark cloud that pelts him with painful ice.
• He Qinglan responds affectionately but modestly, fastening Shui Wuyuan’s open collar with a chain of water droplets to cover his exposed chest.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan remains cautious about divine interference but shows that he is willing to take discreet action to protect the world. His blue carp appears to be a covert attempt to locate or influence something beneath the earth.
• Wind Spiral reveals lingering compassion for Deep Earth. His former resentment has softened into grief after realizing that Deep Earth’s demonic corruption may have destroyed the god he once admired.
• Chiyan continues to act bluntly and mockingly, especially toward Shui Wuyuan, but is also genuinely concerned about the consequences of divine meddling.
• Shui Wuyuan displays a more playful, vain, and possessive side. He deliberately dresses provocatively to gain He Qinglan’s attention and confidently retaliates when mocked.
• Deep Earth/Mu Sen is portrayed as dangerously corrupted and physically or spiritually fragile, reinforcing the possibility that he is nearing complete demonic transformation.

Significant Themes

• Environmental destruction and divine corruption: Human pollution, industrial waste, and indiscriminate development are reflected in the weakening and corruption of the elemental gods.
• Limits of intervention: The gods debate whether helping humanity is justified when intervention risks political or spiritual consequences.
• Compassion versus resentment: Wind Spiral’s feelings toward Deep Earth show how personal history and past affection can overcome anger.
• Hope amid decay: Although the situation appears dire, He Qinglan’s secret action suggests that some effort can still be made before the world reaches its worst state.
• Comedic intimacy: The serious discussion of environmental and divine collapse is balanced by playful banter, especially surrounding Shui Wuyuan’s flirtatious behavior and the gods’ supernatural punishments.

Character Interactions

• He Qinglan acts as the calm, strategic center of the group, while Chiyan voices skepticism and Wind Spiral provides emotional insight.
• Wind Spiral’s account of Deep Earth changes the tone from criticism to pity.
• He Qinglan secretly signals Wind Spiral not to investigate the blue carp, implying trust and a shared plan.
• Shui Wuyuan and Chiyan engage in a humorous clash over Shui Wuyuan’s revealing clothes and lack of modesty.
• Shui Wuyuan seeks He Qinglan’s approval, and He Qinglan responds with restrained affection by covering him with a decorative water chain.
• The ice storm summoned against Wind Spiral illustrates Shui Wuyuan’s easily provoked temperament and adds to the chapter’s playful godly rivalry.

Chapter 97 Summary

• Key events: Shui Wuyuan proudly wears the Water Lian He Qinglan gave him, provoking teasing from He Qinglan. Meanwhile, Chiyan and Wind Spiral disturb Lei Aotian with a late-night video call, joking about his inability to sleep now that his divine memories and powers have returned.
• He Qinglan’s departure: He Qinglan awakens at midnight and decides to meet Deep Earth to demand an explanation for the disasters and upheaval he caused. Shui Wuyuan insists on accompanying him, but He Qinglan refuses, arguing that Shui can monitor him and reach him instantly if necessary. Shui reluctantly agrees, but before He Qinglan leaves, he pulls him into an intense kiss and transfers Sourcewater Power to strengthen and protect him.
• Meeting with Deep Earth: He Qinglan emerges from the moonlit river and encounters Deep Earth in a peaceful setting among wheat fields and flowing water. Deep Earth greets him as he did thousands of years earlier, reviving memories of their former closeness. They sit across from each other at a stone table, drinking spiritually infused spring water like old friends.
• Confrontation: He Qinglan admits he could not let the matter rest without asking why Deep Earth acted. He challenges Deep Earth’s decision to create disasters, arguing that humanity might eventually destroy itself without divine intervention and that many humans still work to protect nature. He demands to know what urgent reason forced Deep Earth to act.
• Major revelation: Deep Earth calmly states that he acted because he is about to perish. He Qinglan is shocked and refuses to believe it, since Deep Earth was one of the first and strongest ancient gods.

Character Development and Interactions

• He Qinglan remains principled and compassionate toward humanity, but his frustration shows how deeply he feels betrayed by Deep Earth’s actions. Despite his concern, he faces Deep Earth directly and insists on understanding the truth.
• Shui Wuyuan displays possessiveness and anxiety over He Qinglan’s safety, though he ultimately respects He Qinglan’s independence. His kiss and transfer of power reveal both affection and a desire to protect him.
• Deep Earth retains his gentle, elder-brother-like manner, but his calmness contrasts with the severity of his actions. His revelation introduces a hidden personal motive behind the catastrophes.
• Chiyan, Wind Spiral, and Lei Aotian provide comic relief through their familiar bickering, emphasizing the renewed camaraderie among the old divine friends.

Significant Themes

• The need for answers and closure: He Qinglan cannot accept events without understanding the motives behind them.
• Conflict between humanity and nature: The chapter questions whether humanity deserves destruction for harming the natural world, especially when some people are actively trying to preserve it.
• Mortality and the decline of gods: Deep Earth’s claim that he is nearing death challenges the idea that ancient gods are immortal and suggests a larger crisis affecting the divine world.
• Love, protection, and autonomy: Shui Wuyuan’s concern for He Qinglan contrasts with He Qinglan’s insistence on confronting danger alone.
• Changed relationships over time: The peaceful reunion between He Qinglan and Deep Earth recalls their ancient bond, while also highlighting how profoundly their choices and circumstances have changed.

Chapter Summary — Page 197

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Qinglan learns that Deep Earth is close to death, despite having slept for only several thousand years. Deep Earth explains that he wants to complete everything he has long wished or hesitated to do before falling, so he will die without regret and avoid becoming a demon.
• Deep Earth offers to show He Qinglan what happened between him and Mu Sen, the Wood God. He Qinglan accepts, allowing Deep Earth to transmit the memories directly.
• The vision begins with Mu Sen’s forest. While the other gods entered complete slumber, Mu Sen retained a fragment of his Divine Soul in a red maple so he could continue observing the world.
• Humans gradually settle near the forest. A city develops, and the forest is increasingly used, though the environmental damage is initially limited.
• A physically weak royal descendant is abandoned during a hunt and left to die in the forest. Beneath Mu Sen’s red maple, he cries out against the world’s cruelty. Mu Sen’s lingering Divine Soul takes pity on him and grants him health and strength in exchange for faith.
• The royal descendant becomes powerful, intelligent, and eventually king. He orders his people to worship Mu Sen as well.
• The king becomes obsessed with immortality. He attempts to obtain Mu Sen’s power by eating the maple’s leaves and drinking its sap, then forces his consorts to do the same and drinks the blood of their children.
• Enraged by this cruelty, Mu Sen drives the king and his servants from the forest and seals it behind a vast fog.
• Decades later, the aging king returns to the forest’s edge. He pretends to repent and begs to meet the Wood God one last time before dying.

Character Developments

• Deep Earth is revealed to be approaching his own fall and determined to act decisively before death. He is open about his past and willing to let He Qinglan judge his choices.
• He Qinglan begins suspicious of Deep Earth’s situation but responds thoughtfully to Mu Sen’s story. He rejects the idea that Mu Sen’s kindness was foolish, arguing that genuine compassion should not be condemned merely because humans abused it.
• Mu Sen is characterized as compassionate and observant. His attempt to help a suffering human demonstrates his kindness, but his lingering connection to humanity becomes the source of his calamity.
• The royal descendant/king transforms from a mistreated and desperate youth into a capable ruler, then into a greedy and ruthless tyrant. His initial suffering helps explain his resentment, but his desire for immortality corrupts the gratitude and faith he once possessed.

Significant Themes

• Kindness versus greed: Mu Sen’s benevolent gift is exploited by the king, showing how compassion can be corrupted by selfish desire.
• The limits of divine intervention: Even a god’s help cannot overcome human ambition and moral weakness.
• Immortality and corruption: The king’s fear of death drives him to commit increasingly horrific acts, suggesting that the desire to escape mortality can destroy one’s humanity.
• The consequences of attachment: Mu Sen’s decision to leave part of his soul in the forest allows him to witness and help humanity, but also exposes him to betrayal and suffering.
• Judgment and regret: Deep Earth wants to complete his unfinished intentions before death, while the king returns seeking forgiveness—or possibly another opportunity to obtain divine power.

Character Interactions

• Deep Earth and He Qinglan discuss death, regret, and moral choices before Deep Earth shares his memories.
• He Qinglan defends Mu Sen during the vision, disagreeing with Deep Earth’s suggestion that Mu Sen was foolish.
• Mu Sen’s Divine Soul responds compassionately to the abandoned royal descendant, granting him power through faith.
• The king repeatedly seeks a closer relationship with Mu Sen, but his pursuit of immortality turns exploitative and violent.
• Mu Sen ultimately rejects the king, expelling him from the forest and cutting humanity off from the sacred place.

Chapter 98 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter recounts how an ancient emperor became the “Human Demon.” After Wood God hesitated to answer his pleas, the emperor sacrificed hundreds of thousands of citizens, using their blood and resentment—along with Demon God power—to contaminate Wood God’s Origin Tree and bind his soul to it.
• This granted the emperor an immortal Divine Soul. Whenever his body decayed, he could obtain a new one and continue stealing Wood God’s Origin Power and Divine Soul.
• Because Wood God could neither destroy the Origin Tree nor remove the contaminated soul, the Human Demon became effectively immortal as long as Wood God survived. Over thousands of years, half of Wood God’s Divine Soul became bound to him.
• As Wood God neared death, the emperor became increasingly desperate and attempted to gain power by devouring other gods and even consuming Wood God’s spirit body.
• Deep Earth intervened to prevent Mu Sen’s death. He explains to He Qinglan that he is only trying to save someone important to him, just as He Qinglan would protect Shui Wuyuan.
• Though He Qinglan initially appears to accept Deep Earth’s reasoning, he secretly attacks him with purifying water. The attack reveals Deep Earth’s true, heavily corrupted form: his body contains sludge, trash, and monstrous organisms.
• Deep Earth becomes enraged, accusing humanity of destroying him and demanding that He Qinglan acknowledge the cause of his corruption. He attacks with black Corrupting Power, sludge, cages, and earthen spikes.
• He Qinglan shields himself with pure water and successfully withstands the initial assault.

Character Developments

• The ancient emperor/Human Demon: His desperation evolves into greed and madness. His desire for immortality turns into the parasitic destruction of Wood God and eventually the attempted devouring of gods.
• Wood God: Once compassionate enough to hesitate, Wood God becomes trapped and progressively corrupted. His inability to destroy his own Origin Tree allows the Human Demon’s evil to persist.
• Deep Earth: His sincere concern for Mu Sen is shown to be genuine, but his hidden corruption is catastrophic. His elegant appearance is merely a surface concealing the damage humanity has inflicted on him.
• He Qinglan: He demonstrates both empathy and suspicion. Although he claims to understand Deep Earth’s motives, he tests him with purifying water and is forced into combat once Deep Earth’s true nature is exposed.
• Mu Sen and Shui Wuyuan: They serve as the people Deep Earth and He Qinglan respectively are unwilling to lose, creating a parallel between the two characters.

Significant Themes

• The corrupting nature of desire: The emperor’s wish for immortality becomes endless exploitation and ultimately transforms him into a monster.
• Humanity’s destructive impact: Deep Earth’s ruined form suggests that human greed, pollution, and violence can corrupt even gods and nature itself.
• Immortality as a curse: The emperor achieves the immortality he sought, but only through parasitism, suffering, and the destruction of others.
• Moral parallels: Deep Earth and He Qinglan mirror one another as beings willing to act ruthlessly for those they love, raising questions about whether devotion justifies destructive choices.
• Truth versus appearance: He Qinglan’s attack strips away Deep Earth’s beautiful exterior, exposing the horrifying reality beneath.

Character Interactions

• Deep Earth and He Qinglan share a moment of apparent mutual understanding over their desire to protect loved ones.
• He Qinglan then betrays that temporary understanding by attacking Deep Earth with purifying water, deliberately probing his condition.
• The attack exposes Deep Earth’s corruption and turns their tense conversation into open conflict.
• Deep Earth responds with anger and overwhelming Corrupting Power, while He Qinglan defends himself with increasingly powerful water barriers.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Deep Earth’s initial attacks against He Qinglan appear ineffective, but they are a distraction. Black stains begin spreading across He Qinglan’s water barrier, weakening and obstructing his power.
• Deep Earth reveals that the stains represent different forms of human pollution: sewage and chemical waste, plastic, and nuclear wastewater. He explains the devastating effects of contamination on land and living creatures, including mutation and the loss of natural survival instincts.
• His attacks are fueled not only by pollution and humanity’s negative emotions but also by the resentment of countless beings harmed by human civilization.
• Deep Earth transforms the pollution into stone spikes and attacks He Qinglan, forcing him to use his Origin Power to defend himself. He Qinglan realizes that Deep Earth is deliberately delaying him.
• He Qinglan understands that the black earth cage is not meant to trap him, but Shui Wuyuan. He urgently warns Shui Wuyuan to stay away, but Shui arrives too late after sensing the Divine-Demonic Power.
• Shui Wuyuan enters the cage to rescue He Qinglan, triggering Deep Earth’s trap. Deep Earth mocks Shui for finally revealing his weakness after thousands of years of restraint.
• Deep Earth argues that Shui Wuyuan could have destroyed humanity long ago but chose not to, and claims that Shui’s concern for He Qinglan caused him to abandon his former indifference.
• When Shui attempts to protect He Qinglan, He Qinglan instead pulls him behind himself and shields him. Despite the danger, Shui remains confident that Deep Earth cannot kill him and can only fight him to a draw.

Character Developments

• He Qinglan: Becomes more cautious and perceptive, recognizing that Deep Earth’s seemingly weak attacks are part of a larger strategy. He also demonstrates concern for Shui Wuyuan by trying to keep him out of the trap, then instinctively protects him once Shui enters.
• Shui Wuyuan: Reveals the depth of his attachment to He Qinglan. Although he has historically maintained distance from humanity and suppressed his own Corrupting Power, he immediately rushes into danger when He Qinglan is threatened.
• Deep Earth: Fully reveals the emotional and ideological basis of his hatred. His anger stems from witnessing humanity’s exploitation of the planet and the suffering of other life forms. He is also shown to be calculating, using He Qinglan as bait to lure Shui into a carefully prepared trap.

Significant Themes

• Environmental destruction: Pollution is portrayed as a physical and spiritual wound inflicted by humanity upon the earth and all other life.
• Revenge and grievance: Deep Earth sees his conflict with humanity—and with those who tolerate it—as an inevitable revenge born from accumulated suffering.
• Humanity’s survival versus other life: The chapter questions whether human comfort and survival have been achieved at the expense of every other species.
• Compassion versus indifference: Shui’s long-standing restraint and apparent detachment are contrasted with his inability to remain passive when He Qinglan is endangered.
• Traps and sacrifice: Deep Earth exploits emotional bonds, while He Qinglan and Shui each attempt to place themselves between the other and danger.

Character Interactions

• Deep Earth confronts He Qinglan with graphic examples of pollution and challenges him to acknowledge humanity’s responsibility for the earth’s suffering.
• He Qinglan realizes Deep Earth is manipulating the battle and warns Shui Wuyuan not to enter the cage.
• Shui ignores the warning and enters to protect He Qinglan, allowing Deep Earth’s plan to succeed.
• Deep Earth taunts Shui about his centuries of inaction and his emotional weakness regarding He Qinglan.
• He Qinglan scolds Shui for rushing into danger but then shields him, while Shui calmly insists that he came because He Qinglan was threatened and maintains confidence in his own ability to survive.

Chapter 99 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Deep Earth and He Qinglan realize simultaneously that Deep Earth is not directly trying to kill Qinglan, but Deep Earth still unleashes the Corrupting Miasma trapped within the surrounding realm.
• The miasma surges against He Qinglan’s water barrier, nearly breaking it. Shui Wuyuan attempts to attack Deep Earth’s black Divine-Demonic Power.
• A blade of grass suddenly grows from Shui Wuyuan’s body and transforms into barbed vines. The vines bind him and absorb the corruption around them.
• The corruption rapidly overtakes Shui Wuyuan. His eyes turn black, his mind fills with destructive impulses, and he falls into demonhood.
• Deep Earth taunts He Qinglan, claiming that Shui Wuyuan has become a terrifying Demon God and will now destroy anything in his path. He tells Qinglan to flee before Shui Wuyuan kills him.
• Rather than attack Qinglan, Shui Wuyuan redirects his overwhelming Destruction Power and severely wounds Deep Earth.
• After the corrupted realm begins collapsing, Qinglan tries to check Shui Wuyuan’s condition. Shui Wuyuan rejects his touch, seizes him by the neck, and kisses him with barely restrained violence.
• Shui Wuyuan tells Qinglan, “From this moment on, stay away from me,” suggesting that he fears losing control and harming the person he loves.
• Deep Earth’s injury causes the corrupted domain to collapse, unleashing violet lightning and a tremendous Heavenly Flood. The catastrophe appears to mark the beginning of the Demon God’s destruction.

Character Developments

• Shui Wuyuan: His long-standing emotional detachment and self-control collapse after becoming Qinglan’s “weakness.” Corruption transforms him into a Demon God, but he retains enough awareness to redirect his attack away from Qinglan and wound Deep Earth instead. His warning for Qinglan to stay away reveals that he still fears hurting him.
• He Qinglan: His usual gentleness gives way to intense anger and killing intent after Deep Earth manipulates Shui Wuyuan. He refuses to abandon Shui Wuyuan despite the danger, openly declaring that Deep Earth has become his mortal enemy.
• Deep Earth: His plan succeeds in corrupting Shui Wuyuan, but he underestimates Shui Wuyuan’s attachment to Qinglan. He is badly injured when Shui Wuyuan turns his attack against him, and his confidence gives way to shock.

Significant Themes

• Love as both weakness and strength: Deep Earth views Qinglan as Shui Wuyuan’s uncontrollable weakness, yet Shui Wuyuan’s love is also what prevents him from killing Qinglan and enables him to strike Deep Earth instead.
• Corruption and loss of control: The chapter depicts demonhood as an overwhelming flood of resentment, violence, and destruction that threatens to erase Shui Wuyuan’s identity.
• Self-restraint and sacrifice: Shui Wuyuan’s final actions show that, despite his transformation, he is still struggling to protect Qinglan by keeping his distance.
• The destructive consequences of intimacy: Deep Earth’s remark that “no one who falls in love ends well” reinforces the chapter’s tragic irony: Shui Wuyuan’s first emotional attachment leads directly to his downfall.

Character Interactions

• Deep Earth provokes both Qinglan and Shui Wuyuan, treating Qinglan’s love as the cause of Shui Wuyuan’s corruption.
• Qinglan confronts Deep Earth with unusually direct hostility and vows that every future meeting between them will be a fight to the death.
• Shui Wuyuan and Qinglan share a violent yet restrained kiss after Shui Wuyuan redirects his attack. The moment shows both Shui Wuyuan’s demonic instability and his continued emotional attachment.
• The chapter ends with Shui Wuyuan pushing Qinglan away verbally and physically, prioritizing Qinglan’s safety even as the world around them begins to collapse.