Chapter Summaries

Huo Hai learned about the Sky Cloud Sect and the Mother-and-Child Sword Sect before entering the newly opened ruins with Qu Siyu. Behind them, Feng Jiaojiao ordered Liu Chengfeng not to harm Huo Hai, while Liu Chengfeng silently seethed at her and Huo Hai.

• Gu Yan identified the Sky Cloud Sect and the Mother-and-Child Sword Sect as powerful rivals of the Divine Mystery Sect and explained their specialties to Huo Hai.
• Feng Jiaojiao thanked Huo Hai for helping her break through to the Spirit Marshal Realm, while Qu Siyu warned him to be wary of her.
• Old men used spirit jade to activate a Spirit Formation and open the ruins’ entrance, then warned visitors against attacking one another inside.
• Huo Hai led Qu Siyu into the ruins as Feng Jiaojiao told Liu Chengfeng that Huo Hai was her target and forbade him from hurting him.
• Liu Chengfeng agreed through clenched teeth, and the sect experts stayed behind to guard the entrance as Huo Hai discovered the ruins were vast.

Chapter Summary: “Stone Statues”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu enter the ruins, finding a maze-like network of twisting passages.
• Huo Hai appears to choose paths randomly, but he is secretly guided by a pendant obtained from Blood Wolf. By channeling Mental Power into its red sphere, he senses the direction of the ruins’ center.
• They eventually reach a clearly artificial corridor lined with glowing pearls, confirming that Huo Hai has found the correct route.
• Stone pillars along the corridor transform into armored warrior statues carrying enormous greatswords.
• Huo Hai destroys an ordinary statue and determines that the weaker statues possess Early Spirit General-level strength.
• Qu Siyu uses powerful sound-wave attacks from her zither to destroy groups of statues, while Huo Hai confronts a larger statue with strength comparable to a Mid-Stage Spirit Marshal.
• Huo Hai quickly defeats the strongest statue, and together they eliminate all the remaining statues. The statues then revert to stone, suggesting they are created by a Spirit Formation rather than being ordinary puppets.
• The passage appears to contain no reward, but Huo Hai notices a strange lightning-sphere carving above a stone plaque.
• He discovers a hidden box behind the plaque. Opening it releases a deadly poison that nearly incapacitates him, despite his strong poison resistance.
• After Little Gold clears the toxin, Huo Hai finds a purple scroll made from what appears to be Spirit King-stage Spirit Beast hide. He and Qu Siyu recognize its value but remain cautious because of the ruins’ dangerous traps.

Character Development

• Huo Hai demonstrates intelligence, observation, and caution. His ability to use the pendant’s fluctuations to navigate shows that his apparent recklessness is actually calculated.
• His confidence is tempered by the poison trap. The experience makes him even more wary of the ruins’ creator and reinforces that he cannot rely solely on strength.
• Qu Siyu continues to trust Huo Hai completely, following his decisions without hesitation. Her breakthrough into the Spirit Marshal Realm allows her to handle the stone statues independently.
• Qu Siyu’s admiration for Huo Hai deepens; she feels pride in him and believes her father made the right choice in selecting him as her partner.
• Their growing cooperation is evident in combat, with Huo Hai handling the strongest enemy while Qu Siyu controls the surrounding battlefield.

Significant Themes

• Trust and partnership: Qu Siyu relies on Huo Hai’s judgment, while Huo Hai trusts her ability to defend herself and manage multiple enemies.
• Caution versus overconfidence: Although Huo Hai is powerful and perceptive, the poison trap proves that even he can be caught off guard.
• Hidden dangers and deception: The ruins are designed to mislead intruders, using concealed mechanisms, regenerating stone guardians, and deadly traps.
• Strength and preparation: The characters succeed not simply because of their cultivation levels, but because of Huo Hai’s preparation, Qu Siyu’s improved abilities, and their complementary skills.
• Mystery of the ruins: The statues and poison-filled box suggest that the ruins’ creator was highly advanced, resourceful, and exceptionally ruthless.

Character Interactions

• Qu Siyu follows Huo Hai closely and leaves route selection entirely to him.
• Huo Hai reassures her during the battle, assigning her the ordinary statues while he confronts the stronger guardian.
• Qu Siyu’s zither attacks support Huo Hai by eliminating groups of enemies quickly.
• After the battle, they discuss the lack of treasure and debate whether the plaque could conceal something.
• When Huo Hai is poisoned, Qu Siyu immediately shows concern, while Huo Hai downplays the danger and warns of the trap’s lethality.
• Together, they inspect the recovered scroll, with Qu Siyu identifying the likely Spirit King-stage origin of its material and Huo Hai insisting on continued caution.

Huo Hai and Qu Siyu explored the Underground Ruins, where he found a Lightning-Calling Formation scroll and a Beast-Taming Pill formula. They reached the central alchemy chamber and took its earth grade lower-tier pill furnace, while the pendant’s strong vibration left the ruins’ purpose unresolved.

• Huo Hai examined the scroll and discovered that its Lightning-Calling Formation could disperse one bolt of heavenly tribulation lightning.
• Qu Siyu asked to report the formation to the Divine Mystery Sect, and Huo Hai agreed on the condition that the sect exchange something of equal value.
• Huo Hai found a Beast-Taming Pill formula that could help improve the potential of his Spirit-Gathering Insects and Wine Insects.
• Huo Hai gave Qu Siyu the cultivation pills they found and continued following the increasingly active pendant toward the ruins’ center.
• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu entered a sealed alchemy chamber, where Huo Hai found no hidden pills and took the earth grade lower-tier pill furnace.

Summary: “Farewell to Liu Chengfeng”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After storing the Earth Grade pill furnace in his Inner Space, Huo Hai discovers a mysterious flame-shaped formation beneath it. The formation contains a depression perfectly matching the red orb embedded in his pendant.
• Huo Hai realizes that the pendant—not the pill furnace—is likely the ruin’s true treasure. He refrains from placing the orb into the formation because Qu Siyu, a disciple of the Divine Mystery Sect, is present and might be expected to report the discovery.
• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu prepare to leave, believing there is nothing else of value. Before they can depart, Liu Chengfeng appears and attacks them with black projectiles that explode into gray-black smoke.
• Huo Hai easily neutralizes the attack with his Blood-Shaking Thorns and disperses the smoke. He notices that Liu Chengfeng has forcibly raised his cultivation to the Spirit Marshal Realm through some external means.
• Liu Chengfeng reveals that he is obsessed with Qu Siyu and regards her as the most valuable thing in the chamber. He becomes furious when Qu Siyu moves behind Huo Hai, signaling that she has accepted Huo Hai as her partner.
• Liu Chengfeng attacks Huo Hai but is defeated instantly by a single punch. Huo Hai deliberately spares his life because Liu Chengfeng is a fellow disciple of the Divine Mystery Sect and because he does not want to distress Qu Siyu.
• Qu Siyu compassionately invites Liu Chengfeng to return with them, but Liu Chengfeng’s jealousy and resentment intensify. He accuses her of abandoning their long-standing relationship for Huo Hai and vows to take her by force.
• Huo Hai recognizes that Liu Chengfeng has begun cultivating demonic energy and is falling into true demonic cultivation. Liu Chengfeng denies being insane and boasts that his newfound power makes him stronger than Huo Hai.
• The chapter ends as Liu Chengfeng’s aura continues to rise, his eyes redden, and he prepares to attack Huo Hai again.

Character Developments

• Huo Hai: Demonstrates caution, superior combat strength, and growing concern for Qu Siyu’s feelings. Although he easily overpowers Liu Chengfeng, he chooses restraint rather than killing him.
• Qu Siyu: Clearly accepts Huo Hai as her partner by standing behind him. She remains compassionate toward Liu Chengfeng despite his inappropriate behavior and attempts to stop him from ruining himself through demonic cultivation.
• Liu Chengfeng: Transforms from a refined and respected disciple into a jealous, unstable, and obsessive figure. His desperation over Qu Siyu drives him toward madness and demonic cultivation, while an external force artificially increases his power.
• Little Gold: Quietly assists Huo Hai by absorbing any possible poison from the black smoke attack.

Significant Themes

• Obsession and jealousy: Liu Chengfeng’s unrequited feelings turn into possessiveness and violence when Qu Siyu chooses Huo Hai.
• Demonic cultivation and loss of control: The chapter portrays demonic cultivation as the result of inner darkness and emotional collapse, contrasting it with deliberate or artificial demonization.
• Restraint versus madness: Huo Hai remains controlled and merciful, while Liu Chengfeng increasingly abandons reason.
• Hidden treasures and secrecy: The pendant’s red orb appears more valuable than the pill furnace, but Huo Hai keeps its significance concealed because revealing it could cause conflict.
• Emotional commitment: Qu Siyu’s decision to stand behind Huo Hai symbolizes her acceptance of him, while Huo Hai’s concern for her feelings shows that his attachment to her is deepening.

Important Character Interactions

• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu discuss the mysterious formation and agree to leave the chamber.
• Liu Chengfeng confronts them, openly objectifying and claiming Qu Siyu.
• Qu Siyu rejects Liu Chengfeng’s advances and places herself behind Huo Hai.
• Huo Hai defeats Liu Chengfeng but spares him, while Qu Siyu urges Liu Chengfeng to return and abandon his destructive path.
• Liu Chengfeng rejects both of them, blaming Huo Hai and the Divine Mystery Sect for his suffering and preparing for another attack.

Chapter Summary: “Unexpected”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Chengfeng, consumed by demonization, repeatedly attacks Huo Hai despite being warned by Qu Siyu. His cultivation rises, but his spiritual energy becomes increasingly scattered and uncontrolled.
• Huo Hai easily defeats him each time, humiliating Liu Chengfeng and worsening his rage and obsession with gaining more power.
• Liu Chengfeng swallows a mysterious jade-green pill. The pill causes a drastic transformation:
  • His cultivation rises from near the Mid-Stage Spirit Marshal Realm to the Late Spirit Marshal Realm, approaching the Peak Realm.
  • His skin hardens and dries, green fur spreads across his body, and his human appearance disappears.
  • His intelligence and combat ability deteriorate until he behaves like a wild beast.
• Huo Hai realizes that the pill is suppressing Liu Chengfeng’s original Demonic Energy while turning him into something resembling a Demon Spirit Master or mutated Spirit Beast.
• The transformed Liu Chengfeng attacks Huo Hai with brute force. Huo Hai overpowers him through hand-to-hand combat and Basic Fist Technique, severely injuring him and leaving him unable to stand.
• Before Huo Hai and Qu Siyu can examine Liu Chengfeng, Feng Jiaojiao arrives and kills him with a Sword Qi attack formed from musical notes, believing him to be a monster from the ruins.
• Feng Jiaojiao learns that the creature was actually Liu Chengfeng and recognizes the seriousness of the transformation. She takes his corpse away so it can be brought out and investigated.
• Huo Hai, Qu Siyu, and Feng Jiaojiao continue toward the bottom and exit of the ruins. Other cultivators notice Liu Chengfeng’s body but avoid interfering because the three are powerful Spirit Marshals.

Character Developments

• Liu Chengfeng: His jealousy, resentment, and desire for power drive him deeper into demonization. After taking the strange pill, he loses his humanity, intelligence, and control, ultimately becoming a monstrous beast before being killed.
• Huo Hai: Remains calm and dominant throughout the confrontation. He recognizes the dangers of Liu Chengfeng’s transformation, restrains himself from killing him immediately, and defeats him efficiently while trying to understand the pill’s effects.
• Qu Siyu: Continues to side emotionally with Huo Hai despite Liu Chengfeng being her senior brother. She worries about Liu Chengfeng, feels partially responsible for his fate, and reacts angrily when Feng Jiaojiao kills him, though she later understands Feng’s mistake.
• Feng Jiaojiao: Acts decisively and ruthlessly, killing Liu Chengfeng because she assumes he is a dangerous monster. Once she learns the truth, she treats the matter as a major investigation requiring Liu Chengfeng’s body.

Significant Themes

• The destructive pursuit of power: Liu Chengfeng sacrifices his humanity in an attempt to surpass Huo Hai, showing how desperation and resentment lead to self-destruction.
• Loss of identity and humanity: The pill transforms Liu Chengfeng physically and mentally, leaving him unrecognizable and reducing him to animalistic instinct.
• Appearance versus reality: Feng Jiaojiao mistakes Liu Chengfeng for a monster because his transformation has erased all visible signs of his former identity.
• Uncontrolled demonic power: Increased cultivation means little when power is unstable and cannot be properly controlled.
• Consequences of jealousy and obsession: Liu Chengfeng’s fixation on Qu Siyu and hatred of Huo Hai ultimately cause his downfall.

Character Interactions

• Huo Hai repeatedly defeats Liu Chengfeng and warns through his actions that raw power cannot compensate for poor control.
• Qu Siyu tries to stop Liu Chengfeng and later expresses concern to Huo Hai about his transformation.
• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu cooperate despite the conflict between Huo Hai and Liu Chengfeng, with Qu Siyu choosing not to abandon Huo Hai.
• Feng Jiaojiao clashes verbally with Qu Siyu after killing Liu Chengfeng, but Huo Hai prevents the dispute from escalating.
• After learning the truth, Feng Jiaojiao and the others shift from confrontation to cooperation, recognizing that Liu Chengfeng’s transformation may reveal an important and dangerous secret.

Chapter Summary: “Alarmed”

Key Plot Points and Events

• While leaving the ruins, Huo Hai notices that Qu Siyu is flushed, feverish, and mentally disoriented. Feng Jiaojiao identifies her condition as an aphrodisiac-like poison.
• Huo Hai realizes that Qu Siyu was exposed to the black mist released earlier when he attacked Liu Chengfeng. Huo Hai avoided the effects because Little Gold absorbed the poison from him.
• Huo Hai uses Little Gold to detoxify Qu Siyu. The spirit insect bites her arm and draws out the blood-red energy throughout her body, restoring her consciousness and relieving the drug’s effects.
• The group hurries out of the ruins, carrying Liu Chengfeng’s monstrous corpse. Huo Hai supports Qu Siyu by holding her hand and channeling spirit energy into her as they travel.
• Outside, Feng Jiaojiao reveals that the monster is actually Liu Chengfeng, shocking the Divine Mystery Sect and the surrounding cultivators.
• Fearing that the ruins contain more dangerous pills or monsters, the sect leaders seal the entrance and restrict anyone from entering or leaving freely.
• Huo Hai, Qu Siyu, and Feng Jiaojiao are escorted back to the Divine Mystery Sect and placed under guard.
• Qu Siyu explains that ruins have caused major disasters in the past, including slaughter-based cultivation arts and contagious plague-like poisons. Huo Hai begins to understand why the sects are treating Liu Chengfeng’s transformation as a potential catastrophe.

Character Developments

• Huo Hai demonstrates quick thinking and control by using Little Gold to cure Qu Siyu. He also shows concern for her by helping her move and transferring spirit energy to stabilize her.
• Huo Hai becomes increasingly aware of his attraction and inappropriate thoughts toward Qu Siyu, which causes him embarrassment and self-reproach.
• Qu Siyu remains rational despite the aphrodisiac’s effects and trusts Huo Hai enough to allow Little Gold to bite her. Her knowledge of historical disasters establishes her as informed and cautious.
• Feng Jiaojiao acts practically, diagnosing Qu Siyu and helping transport Liu Chengfeng. She is impressed and envious of Little Gold’s detoxifying ability.
• Liu Chengfeng is revealed to have transformed into a grotesque monster, turning the incident from a personal danger into a matter of public alarm.

Significant Themes

• The hidden dangers of ruins: Ancient ruins offer valuable opportunities but may also contain catastrophes capable of threatening entire regions.
• Fear of the unknown: The sects react strongly because they cannot determine whether Liu Chengfeng’s transformation resulted from a single pill, a contagious poison, or a larger threat.
• Trust and cooperation: Qu Siyu’s willingness to trust Huo Hai and the group’s coordinated efforts allow them to escape safely.
• Power and secrecy: Huo Hai’s unusual spirit insect and abilities reveal that he possesses methods beyond those of ordinary Insect Spirit Masters.
• Historical memory and caution: Past disasters shape the older cultivators’ response, contrasting with the younger generation’s initial lack of concern.

Character Interactions

• Huo Hai questions Qu Siyu’s condition, while Feng Jiaojiao examines her and identifies the drug.
• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu share a moment of trust when he places Little Gold on her arm to detoxify her.
• Huo Hai supports Qu Siyu physically and spiritually during their escape, deepening their connection.
• Feng Jiaojiao informs the elders that Liu Chengfeng is the monster, triggering panic and the sealing of the ruins.
• Qu Siyu explains the historical significance of ruin-related disasters to Huo Hai, helping him understand the sects’ extreme precautions.

Chapter Summary: “The Ceremony”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu spend the afternoon discussing ruins. Qu Siyu explains that the Ink Lotus Domain contains many more ancient ruins than the Southern Nations, including discoveries larger than Wolf-Sealing Mountain.
• Huo Hai reflects on unresolved mysteries from the previous battle, particularly the medicine Liu Chengfeng used and the outside assistance that enabled Liu Chengfeng to reach the Spirit Marshal Realm. He decides these matters are not his immediate concern.
• As evening approaches, Huo Hai and Qu Siyu’s conversation becomes increasingly intimate. Huo Hai openly admires her beauty, and their mutual attraction intensifies.
• Huo Hai kisses Qu Siyu and carries her toward his room, but she stops him and reminds him that they should complete their wedding ceremony first.
• Qu Siyu explains that Heavenly Spirit Continent wedding customs involve bowing to one’s parents and masters, rather than worshiping Heaven and Earth. Since their families are absent, they face toward their respective homes and bow three times to each family.
• The ceremony formally establishes Qu Siyu as Huo Hai’s wife. They exchange promises, after which they consummate their marriage.
• The next morning, Huo Hai is troubled by how unusually intense his desire had been. He checks his spiritual energy, Mental Power, and body but finds no sign of cultivation problems or lingering aphrodisiac effects.
• Despite his doubts, Huo Hai accepts the marriage as a responsibility and vows internally to protect Qu Siyu. Qu Siyu awakens embarrassed but happy, realizing that the household servants likely know what happened. They begin preparing to rise and dress.

Character Developments

• Huo Hai: Becomes more emotionally open with Qu Siyu and acknowledges both his attraction and his possessiveness toward her. After their marriage, he views her as a serious responsibility and resolves to protect her. However, he remains suspicious of his unusually powerful impulses and worries that something may have affected him.
• Qu Siyu: Moves from shyness and emotional restraint to openly accepting Huo Hai as her husband. She takes the initiative in ensuring that their marriage follows proper customs, showing both modesty and determination. Afterward, she is embarrassed but clearly content and emotionally attached to Huo Hai.
• Their relationship: Changes decisively from an ambiguous romantic connection into a formal marriage. Their affection becomes mutual and openly expressed, though Huo Hai’s unexplained behavior introduces an element of concern.

Significant Themes

• Marriage and responsibility: The ceremony transforms romantic intimacy into a social and moral commitment, especially for Huo Hai.
• Tradition and family: Even without their parents present, Huo Hai and Qu Siyu preserve the custom of honoring their families by bowing toward their homes.
• Desire versus self-control: Huo Hai struggles with unexpectedly intense physical desire, raising questions about whether his behavior was natural or externally influenced.
• Emotional vulnerability: Both characters, particularly Qu Siyu, reveal feelings they had previously kept restrained.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: Huo Hai’s unexplained impulses may suggest a hidden effect from prior events, cultivation, medicine, or another supernatural cause.

Important Character Interactions

• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu discuss ruins and the wider world, deepening their familiarity.
• Huo Hai compliments Qu Siyu, prompting her blush and revealing her happiness at receiving his attention.
• Qu Siyu stops Huo Hai before intimacy so they can complete the wedding ceremony properly.
• Together, they honor the Huo and Qu families through symbolic bows.
• They exchange marital promises, with Huo Hai pledging to treat Qu Siyu well.
• The following morning, their shy conversation reflects both their new marital intimacy and Qu Siyu’s concern that the servants know about their relationship.

Chapter Summary: “The Reason”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Hai spends a month confined within the Divine Mystery Sect, enjoying a peaceful domestic life with his newly married wife, Qu Siyu.
• After less than three days, Huo Hai completely tempers his spiritual power. This greatly improves its toughness, strength, and potential, though the change is subtle externally.
• He gives Qu Siyu numerous Spirit Energy Crystals, enabling her cultivation to advance rapidly. Within ten days, she stabilizes her previous realm and approaches the Mid-Stage Spirit Marshal level.
• Huo Hai teaches her several powerful Battle Spirit Arts, compensating for the Divine Mystery Sect’s emphasis on mental attacks.
• During this period, Huo Hai thoroughly masters the Lightning-Calling Formation and prepares to leave for Wolf-Sealing Mountain to hunt lightning-attributed Spirit Beasts and pursue his advancement toward the Spirit King Realm.
• Qu Siyu gives him an official report about Liu Chengfeng. The investigation reveals that Liu had forcibly advanced using Spirit Crystals, possessed faint self-generated Demonic Energy, and had already fallen into demonic corruption before transforming.
• Liu had swallowed an unfinished pill containing artificially refined Spirit Beast Bloodline. The pill stimulated his potential, altered his body, and transformed him into a mindless monster.
• The report also explains that two aphrodisiacs had been present in Liu’s body: one harmful and fast-acting, and another slow-acting substance that functioned like a beneficial tonic while greatly intensifying desire.
• Huo Hai realizes this second aphrodisiac caused the unexpected intimacy between him and Qu Siyu after their return. He angrily criticizes the Divine Mystery Sect for failing to warn them sooner.
• Qu Siyu defends the Sect, explaining that its alchemists needed several days to determine the pill’s effects.
• The major Sects search the ruins, confirm there are no other dangerous pills, and eventually abandon the site. Huo Hai concludes that his confinement will likely end soon.

Character Developments

• Huo Hai: His spiritual power reaches a higher qualitative level after complete tempering. He becomes more open with Qu Siyu, sharing information about his Spirit Energy Crystals and actively supporting her cultivation. He also gains confidence in his mastery of the Lightning-Calling Formation, while showing anger at the Sect’s delayed disclosure about the aphrodisiac.
• Qu Siyu: She becomes more affectionate, obedient, and comfortable as Huo Hai’s wife, losing much of her former icy reserve. Her cultivation improves dramatically through Huo Hai’s resources and guidance. She also demonstrates loyalty to the Divine Mystery Sect by defending its actions.
• Liu Chengfeng: Posthumous investigation reveals that his apparent transformation was the result of demonic corruption, forced cultivation, and an unstable experimental pill rather than a natural breakthrough.
• The Divine Mystery Sect: The Sect’s investigation and surveillance show both caution and distrust. It carefully examines everyone connected to the ruins but is criticized for not promptly revealing the aphrodisiac’s effects.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and potential: Fully tempering spiritual power is portrayed as a fundamental improvement in quality and future potential, not merely an increase in strength.
• Marriage and intimacy: Huo Hai and Qu Siyu’s relationship changes rapidly from formal restraint to mutual domestic closeness, though their initial consummation was influenced by an external drug.
• Dangerous experimentation: The unfinished pill represents the reckless pursuit of power through alchemy, bodily alteration, and artificial Spirit Beast bloodlines.
• Institutional secrecy and responsibility: The Sect’s delayed communication creates unnecessary danger and resentment, highlighting the consequences of secrecy even when authorities are acting cautiously.
• Power corrupting the body: Liu Chengfeng’s transformation demonstrates the physical and moral cost of forced advancement and demonic influence.

Character Interactions

• Huo Hai and Qu Siyu spend their confinement cultivating together, listening to music, and deepening their marital relationship.
• Huo Hai provides Qu Siyu with Spirit Energy Crystals, teaches her Battle Spirit Arts, and guides her cultivation.
• Qu Siyu brings Huo Hai the report on Liu Chengfeng and explains the Sect’s investigation.
• Huo Hai angrily confronts the Sect’s failure to disclose the aphrodisiac, while Qu Siyu gently rationalizes its delay and becomes embarrassed upon realizing the drug influenced her behavior.
• Their exchange shows growing trust and affection, despite the unusual and externally manipulated circumstances surrounding their marriage.

After the restrictions were lifted, Huo Hai met Qu Siyu’s master, the Divine Mystery Sect’s grand elder, who tried to recruit him before negotiating for the Lightning-Calling Formation. He traded it for a thunder-tribulation pill and the right to choose a Battle Spirit Art, then followed the grand elder to collect them.

• Qu Siyu told Huo Hai the restrictions had ended and introduced her master, the grand elder of the Divine Mystery Sect.
• The grand elder invited Huo Hai to join the sect, but he declined because its mental-spell cultivation path did not suit him.
• The grand elder asked for the Lightning-Calling Formation, and Huo Hai negotiated a thunder-tribulation pill and an earth grade lower-tier or lesser Battle Spirit Art in exchange.
• Huo Hai handed over the formation scroll, which the grand elder examined and accepted.
• The grand elder led Huo Hai to choose his rewards, while he marveled at her Spirit King strength and resolved to reach that level himself.

Chapter Summary: “Selection”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Hai accompanies the Grand Elder into the Divine Mystery Sect’s restricted treasure vault, while Qu Siyu remains behind, trusting him to manage the matter.
• He is allowed to select one medicinal pill designed to help practitioners survive the Heavenly Tribulation.
• After examining the available pills, Huo Hai chooses the Floating Thunder Pill, an Earth Grade Lower-tier pill that increases resistance to tribulation lightning and allows the user to absorb some of its power to replenish energy.
• The pill is dangerous for ordinary practitioners, but Huo Hai believes his exceptional physique, Mental Power, and Spirit Veins make him capable of using it.
• The Grand Elder then brings Huo Hai to the Scripture Pavilion, where he may choose one Earth Grade Lower-tier Spirit Art or Battle Spirit Art.
• Huo Hai selects the Divine Control Art, a powerful mental-defense technique that protects the mind and soul from mental attacks.
• The Grand Elder warns him that the art is extremely difficult and dangerous to cultivate, but Huo Hai firmly confirms his decision.

Character Developments

• Huo Hai demonstrates confidence, self-awareness, and calm judgment. Rather than choosing the most powerful-looking Battle Spirit Art, he selects what best complements his weaknesses and long-term goals.
• His choice of the Floating Thunder Pill shows that he is preparing seriously for his breakthrough to the Spirit King Realm.
• His choice of the Divine Control Art reveals that he recognizes his mental defenses as a vulnerability and values survivability over direct offensive power.
• The Grand Elder develops greater respect and admiration for Huo Hai. She is impressed by his lack of greed and his ability to remain unmoved by valuable opportunities. She regrets not discovering him earlier, believing he might have become a key disciple and possibly the sect’s next Spirit King.
• Qu Siyu remains in the background but is portrayed as trusting Huo Hai completely. Her clothing also reflects her advancement to the Spirit Marshal Realm and higher status within the sect.

Significant Themes

• Practicality over appearances: Huo Hai chooses abilities suited to his personal needs rather than those with the greatest reputation or offensive strength.
• Self-knowledge and preparation: He understands both his strengths—his body, Mental Power, Spirit Veins, and Spirit Insects—and his weakness in mental defense.
• The dangers of power: Both the Floating Thunder Pill and Divine Control Art offer great benefits but carry serious risks and limitations.
• Trust and recognition: Qu Siyu’s trust in Huo Hai contrasts with the Grand Elder’s growing recognition of his character and potential.
• Long-term survival over immediate strength: Huo Hai prioritizes resisting tribulation and protecting his mind, showing a strategic approach to cultivation.

Character Interactions

• The Grand Elder guides Huo Hai through the restricted areas and explains the limitations of the pills and techniques.
• She cautions him repeatedly about the risks of his choices, especially the Divine Control Art, but ultimately respects his resolve.
• Huo Hai responds calmly and decisively, reassuring her that he has considered his decisions carefully.
• Other Divine Mystery Sect officials are surprised by Huo Hai’s presence in the Scripture Pavilion but remain silent under the Grand Elder’s authority.
• The chapter ends with Huo Hai securing two carefully chosen resources: the Floating Thunder Pill for his Heavenly Tribulation and the Divine Control Art for mental protection.

Huo Hai began cultivating the dangerous Divine Control Art after Qu Siyu warned him about the risks of mental spells. He narrowly stabilized the forming pattern with a mental-recovery pill and soul-calming grass, then continued tracing it as the grass’s power began to fade.

• Huo Hai returned to Qu Siyu’s courtyard with the Floating Thunder Pill and Divine Control Art, and Qu Siyu warned him that cultivating the mental spell could cause severe injury.
• Huo Hai prepared himself, studied the Divine Control Art, and began tracing its complex pattern with his mental power.
• Huo Hai discovered that the pattern could not be altered once begun and that its starting point was fading while his mental power ran low.
• Huo Hai swallowed a mental-recovery pill and the soul-calming grass, which stabilized the pattern and allowed him to continue.
• Huo Hai kept tracing the pattern as the soul-calming grass’s power waned, nearing the end of his cultivation.

Huo Hai nearly died while completing the Divine Control Art, but a mysterious light stabilized his mental sea and helped him finish the barrier. After recovering, he left the Divine Mystery Sect for Wolf-Sealing Mountain to gather thunder-attribute crystal cores and return to a ruin containing an untouched treasure.

• Huo Hai's resolve strengthened as his mental power ran out, and a mysterious radiance appeared in his sea of consciousness, freezing the unfinished diagram and supplying the power to complete it.
• The completed Divine Control Art formed a white barrier around Huo Hai's sea of consciousness, while transparent light appeared within his soul and reminded him of Ancestor Tianhui's Inheritance.
• Huo Hai emerged after recovering, showed Qu Siyu the mental light, and resolved to be more careful after nearly dying from cultivating without proper preparation.
• After resting for two days, Huo Hai left the Divine Mystery Sect to hunt thunder-attribute spirit beasts on Wolf-Sealing Mountain.
• Huo Hai sent Star Gu to scout and secretly changed course toward the ruins, where he expected to find a valuable item no one else had discovered.

Huo Hai entered the abandoned ruins and activated a Spirit Formation with the red sphere from his pendant, releasing a Primordial Flame that fused with his Spirit Source. Unable to pass it to Fang Biya, he began tempering it with his Stellar Spiritual Power before it could harm him.

• Huo Hai used the Star Gu to scout Wolf-Sealing Mountain and found no one guarding or watching the ruins.
• Huo Hai followed his pendant into the final chamber and placed its red sphere into the flame-shaped Spirit Formation.
• The sphere shattered, revealing a transparent Primordial Flame that flew into Huo Hai and merged with his Spirit Source.
• Huo Hai learned the Primordial Flame could develop a flame ability but could not be transferred to Fang Biya after imprinting on him.
• Huo Hai sat down and used his Stellar Spiritual Power to temper the Primordial Flame, gradually turning it silvery white.

Huo Hai controlled the Primordial Flame and renamed it astral flame, then hunted thunder serpents for crystal cores needed for his thunder tribulation. After gathering many cores, he found a serpent den and encountered a Late Spirit Marshal Realm Thunder Serpent King, which he ordered the Star Gu to contain while they killed the ordinary serpents.

• Huo Hai gained complete control over the Primordial Flame, renamed it astral flame, and decided to use it for refining pills.
• Huo Hai followed the Divine Mystery Sect map to the thunder serpents’ territory and killed a Spirit Adept Peak thunder serpent with a Star Gu, collecting its crystal core and gallbladder.
• Huo Hai ordered the Star Gu to hunt thunder serpents and bring back their crystal cores and gallbladders, gathering a hundred Spirit Practitioner Realm cores for his Lightning-Calling Formation.
• Huo Hai reached a clearing surrounded by serpent burrows, where the Star Gu attacked the thunder serpents emerging from their den.
• A Late Spirit Marshal Realm Thunder Serpent King emerged and struck several Star Gu with lightning, but Huo Hai ordered the Star Gu to contain it and finish off the ordinary serpents first.

Huo Hai finished slaughtering the thunder serpents and killed the Thunder Serpent King, but He Yuanchu of the Vast Earth Empire appeared and demanded Ancestor Tianhui's inheritance. When He Yuanchu threatened to capture him, Huo Hai broke free of his aura and fled.

• Huo Hai used the Thunder Serpent King to draw the colony from its caves until nearly all the thunder serpents were dead, then ordered the Star Gu to kill the king.
• Huo Hai collected the thunder serpents' materials and stored the Thunder Serpent King's corpse in his inner space.
• He Yuanchu appeared without being detected, introduced himself as an attendant of the Vast Earth Empire, and demanded Huo Hai's life or Ancestor Tianhui's inheritance.
• He Yuanchu explained that traces of Little Gold's poison had linked Huo Hai to the Demon Burial Mound and revealed why the imperial family had waited to confront him.
• He Yuanchu insisted Huo Hai surrender the inheritance and submit to the empire, but Huo Hai refused and fled after breaking He Yuanchu's aura lock.

Huo Hai fled deeper into Wolf-Sealing Mountain while He Yuanchu pursued him with an iron-ball weapon, forcing Huo Hai to gamble on a nearby Spirit King-stage Spirit Beast. He escaped He Yuanchu’s attack by using the Demon-Subduing Sword to shatter the iron ball and propel himself away, then swallowed pills that greatly increased his speed.

• Huo Hai dodged He Yuanchu’s iron-ball attacks and chose to run deeper into Wolf-Sealing Mountain rather than risk revealing Ancestor Tianhui’s Inheritance to the outside world.
• He Yuanchu struggled to catch Huo Hai through the rough terrain and planned to wait until Huo Hai’s strength ran out.
• After sensing a Spirit King-stage Spirit Beast, Huo Hai ran toward it, hoping it would distract or attack He Yuanchu.
• Huo Hai swallowed pills as He Yuanchu hurled the iron ball at him, then blocked with the Demon-Subduing Sword and shattered the weapon.
• Huo Hai used the force of the impact to propel himself away, swallowed the remaining pills, and suddenly accelerated, startling He Yuanchu.

Chapter Summary: “Battered and Healing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Hai escapes He Yuanchu by using a competition pill that dramatically boosts his speed and agility. The pill’s effects allow him to outrun He Yuanchu, but severely damage his body.
• During the chase, a Spirit King-level Black Bull appears after sensing the humans trespassing in its territory. He Yuanchu claims to be an Attendant of the Vast Earth Empire and identifies Huo Hai as an imperial fugitive, but the bull ignores his authority.
• When He Yuanchu rudely orders Black Bull aside, the Spirit Beast becomes enraged and attacks him. This prevents He Yuanchu from pursuing Huo Hai.
• Huo Hai hides underground using Earth-Attribute Earthworms. Once the pill’s effects fade, he suffers intense pain, torn leg muscles, damaged Spirit Veins, exhaustion, and severe Pill Toxicity.
• He consumes large quantities of healing pills and eventually falls asleep while his spirit power and the medicine repair his body.
• Black Bull injures He Yuanchu, forcing him to flee the forest. Humiliated by being defeated by a Spirit Beast and unable to capture Huo Hai, He Yuanchu conceals the incident and retreats to recover.
• Huo Hai spends three days recovering from his physical injuries, then uses Mist-Cleansing Grass to remove the Pill Toxicity from his body. The cleansing process takes another week and produces an overwhelming stench inside his sealed underground shelter.
• After awakening fully recovered, Huo Hai uses Star Gu to scout the area. Finding no immediate danger or sign of He Yuanchu, he decides to seek a secluded place to break through to the next cultivation realm.

Character Developments

• Huo Hai: Demonstrates extreme determination and survival instinct by using a dangerous pill despite knowing its consequences. His powerful Spirit Veins, resilient body, medicinal resources, Earthworms, Star Gu, and Mist-Cleansing Grass enable him to survive injuries that might cripple an ordinary cultivator. After recovering, he becomes more determined to increase his strength and defeat He Yuanchu.
• He Yuanchu: His confidence and pride are damaged. Although he has recently reached the Spirit King Realm, he cannot catch Huo Hai and is forced to flee after being injured by Black Bull. His concern over reputation causes him to hide the humiliating defeat.
• Black Bull: Establishes himself as a powerful, territorial, and hot-tempered Spirit Beast. He cares little about imperial status and reacts violently when He Yuanchu disrespects his territory.

Significant Themes

• Survival at any cost: Huo Hai accepts severe injuries and long-term risks because escaping alive is more important than preserving his body.
• Strength and vulnerability: Even a powerful cultivator like He Yuanchu can be hindered by stronger beings, while Huo Hai’s lower cultivation level is offset by preparation, endurance, and clever use of resources.
• Pride and humiliation: He Yuanchu’s defeat is made worse by his fear of becoming a laughingstock among other Spirit Kings.
• Preparation and accumulated advantages: Huo Hai survives because of his stored pills, Mist-Cleansing Grass, Star Gu, Earthworms, and Inner Space. His past preparations become essential to his recovery.
• Determination to grow stronger: Huo Hai recognizes that his weakness caused his predicament and resolves to break through before confronting He Yuanchu again.

Character Interactions

• Huo Hai and He Yuanchu: Their pursuit continues, but Huo Hai’s desperate speed boost allows him to escape. Huo Hai’s survival indirectly causes He Yuanchu to become trapped in conflict with Black Bull.
• He Yuanchu and Black Bull: He Yuanchu attempts to invoke the authority of the Vast Earth Empire, but Black Bull rejects his claims and attacks him after he insults and dismisses the Spirit Beast.
• Huo Hai and his resources: Huo Hai relies on his Earthworms to create shelter, Star Gu to scout for danger, healing pills to repair his body, and Mist-Cleansing Grass to purge the lingering poison from the speed-enhancing pill.

Huo Hai prepared reinforced Lightning-Calling Formations in Wolf-Sealing Mountain and broke through to the Spirit King Realm by condensing his origin essence. As heaven and earth’s recognition turned into a vast gathering of dark clouds, he waited for the Thunder Tribulation to begin.

• Huo Hai spent a day building and reinforcing a Lightning-Calling Formation in a rocky clearing deep in the mountain forest.
• Huo Hai constructed a second Lightning-Calling Formation at the forest’s edge as a precaution, then rested and prepared his supplies.
• Huo Hai condensed his origin spiritual power into a golden cocoon-shaped origin essence and entered the Spirit King Realm.
• Huo Hai felt his spiritual power double and realized he had yet to gain heaven and earth’s recognition.
• Huo Hai watched dark clouds gather overhead as the surrounding beasts fled from the coming Heavenly Tribulation.

Huo Hai faced the heavenly tribulation, using the Demon-Subduing Sword and Floating Thunder Pill to withstand its first four strikes while drawing on the power of heaven and earth. As the fifth strike gathered, He Yuanchu realized Huo Hai might be breaking through to Spirit King and hurried toward him, hoping to attack after the tribulation.

• Huo Hai used the Demon-Subduing Sword to break the first three bolts of tribulation lightning and absorbed some of their power with the Floating Thunder Pill.
• Huo Hai judged that the power of heaven and earth strengthened him as he resisted the tribulation, then met the fourth strike—a lightning ball—with his sword and was hurled to the ground.
• Huo Hai recovered by breaking down spirit jade and spirit energy crystals, while suppressing the energy converted from tribulation lightning for later use.
• As the fifth strike gathered, He Yuanchu sensed the oppressive aura and suspected Huo Hai was attempting to break through to Spirit King.
• He Yuanchu hurried toward Huo Hai, planning to take advantage of his weakness after the tribulation.

Huo Hai endured the fifth and sixth waves of his heavenly tribulation by weakening their lightning with Bone Spikes and Blazing Flame Sparrows, then prepared layered defenses for the seventh wave. A Thunder Pearl descended and neutralized the first exploding sparrow, leaving Huo Hai to send more of them against it.

• Huo Hai weakened the fifth Lightning Ball with enhanced Bone Spikes before striking it with the Demon-Subduing Sword.
• Huo Hai used enhanced Blazing Flame Sparrows to reduce the sixth Lightning Ball's power, then endured its lightning while absorbing its force.
• Huo Hai built a layered barrier from bones, Bone-Eating Worms, and Silver Pearl's silk as the seventh wave gathered.
• A Thunder Pearl descended, and its power canceled out the first Blazing Flame Sparrow's explosion.
• Huo Hai sent a steady stream of Blazing Flame Sparrows against the Thunder Pearl while replenishing his spiritual power with spirit energy crystals.