Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng sends Lesser Imp Sibya, Sky Squad, and the Xierjie sisters to carry out an unspecified mission. A male Fairy who betrayed the group is left in the sisters’ hands; they break his legs and take him along.
• Er Dongsheng escorts a group of injured Fairies to safety, gives them food, and prepares a cave for them. The Fairies use their plant-growing skill to cover its walls and ceiling in vines.
• He demonstrates how to make a heated sand bed, then leaves the Fairies to settle in.
• Half a month later, the Xierjie sisters return with more people—and Fairy Queen Elsa Zha. She visits Er Dongsheng, accepts his hospitality, and begins to explain why she came, but the chapter ends before she finishes.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng is increasingly confident in his strength and begins thinking about recruiting capable subordinates, while recognizing that he will need ways to keep them loyal. His growing Demonic nature also shapes his preferences: he is more attracted to powerful women than to the weak Fairies he is helping.
• Little Lulu enjoys being admired by the Fairies, who mistakenly assume her closeness to Er Dongsheng means she must be exceptionally powerful. Er Dongsheng’s teasing affection—patting her head and messing up her hair—makes her flustered but happy.
• Elsa Zha is intrigued by Er Dongsheng’s unusual cave and heated sand bed, finding that he defies her expectations of a powerful Demon.

Significant themes

• Strength and loyalty: Er Dongsheng believes betrayal happens when a leader is not strong enough to prevent it; he wants strong followers but intends to secure their loyalty.
• Power and appearances: The Fairies misread Lulu’s relationship with Er Dongsheng as proof of great strength, while Elsa is surprised that a formidable Demon lives so simply.
• Care mixed with self-interest: Er Dongsheng helps the injured Fairies, but regards them as burdens and makes clear that their future care is not his responsibility.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng directs Sibya and the sisters, then takes charge of the injured Fairies and provides them temporary shelter.
• Lulu and Bei’er jokingly suspect the Fairies have come to take Er Dongsheng away; Lulu then basks in the Fairies’ admiration.
• Er Dongsheng playfully scolds and ruffles Lulu, revealing their affectionate, sibling-like bond.
• Elsa Zha and Er Dongsheng exchange courteous remarks as she visits his cave, setting up an important request that remains unfinished.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng offers the Fairy Queen a Second-Level Demon core—Chixiao’s—and demands information about Third-Level Demons in exchange.
• Ailusha explains that several Succubi have suddenly become Second-Level Demons, upsetting the Trading Camp’s fragile balance. The Succubi are building an aggressive coalition, while the Fairies lead a defensive faction; other powerful Demons remain neutral for now.
• Chixiao had recently joined the Succubi, but Er Dongsheng killed him while pursuing the Xierjie sisters. The sisters’ return and the enormous explosion in the southern sky confirmed his death, spreading the name of Lord Baal through the forest.
• Ailusha hopes to secure the core and prevent Er Dongsheng from joining the Succubi—or becoming her enemy. She promises her information is true and swears before the Abyssal Will.
• Er Dongsheng accepts, but makes his own carefully limited oath: he will not target Ailusha or the Fairy Race in the near future. The Heavenly Dao Will then descends, physically crushing both into the bed as a warning to honor their promises.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng weighs his desire to seize Ailusha against the risks of provoking another powerful faction. He chooses caution, recognizing that he is not strong enough to ignore every Second-Level Demon and that the Succubi’s sudden rise is suspicious. His ambition remains intact: he resents the Heavenly Dao’s restraint and vows to surpass it.
• Ailusha displays political skill and courage. Though aware that Er Dongsheng might take her by force, she uses the danger of the changing balance of power—and the prospect of a sworn, trustworthy exchange—to protect her people.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Strength determines who can make demands and who must compromise; Ailusha’s limited safeguards illustrate the weak position of the Fairies.
• Ambition versus restraint: Er Dongsheng’s desire for Ailusha and greater knowledge conflicts with the practical need to avoid opening another front.
• Oaths and authority: Sworn promises can bind even powerful Demons, while the Heavenly Dao enforces them through overwhelming force.
• Political instability: The Succubi’s unexpected growth threatens to turn longstanding rivalry into open war.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng and Ailusha negotiate cautiously, each using leverage: he offers Chixiao’s core, while she offers knowledge and a sworn guarantee.
• Ailusha appeals to Er Dongsheng’s self-interest by warning that detaining or attacking her would gain him little and create another enemy.
• The Heavenly Dao intervenes over both negotiators, enforcing their oaths and exposing even their great power as subordinate to a higher authority.

Key plot points and events

• After watching the Fairy Queen depart, Er Dongsheng asks the Abyss System to analyze Third-Level Demons. Its simulation suggests they develop an elemental body—an “Elemental Avatar”—and mysterious Spirit Rune Chains linked to Laws. The system can offer only a tentative model, leaving Er with many unanswered questions about Laws and his own path to advancement.
• The sisters return from their journey with a large store of food and several valuable or unfamiliar items from Chixiao’s belongings. Their convoy suffered few losses, partly because Baal’s fearsome reputation deterred attackers.
• The sisters ask Er to take their weakened tribe into his service. He agrees provisionally, accepting the added responsibility because he values the sisters’ potential and wants capable, willing followers rather than slaves controlled through their True Names.
• Er gives the tribe the surplus food, letting Bei’er and Lulu pick through it for “treasures” first. Their chaotic rummaging causes a mess, while Er turns to examine the remaining items from Chixiao.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng gains a rough direction for his own growth, though the nature of Laws and Third-Level power remains unclear. He also shows a pragmatic but idealistic approach to leadership: he accepts responsibility for the tribe, yet expects its members to prove themselves and wants strong, motivated subordinates.
• Xierjie and her sister take the risk of asking for protection and service, then respond with relief and gratitude when Er accepts.
• Bei’er and Lulu remain mischievous and energetic, eagerly digging through the food supplies and making a mess.

Significant themes

• Growth through uncertainty: Er has only a hazy understanding of the next stage, but having a path is better than having none.
• Leadership and loyalty: Er weighs the burden of taking in a tribe against the value of talented followers, preferring development and allegiance over coercive control.
• A fragile respite: The group enjoys a moment of safety and abundance, but the gathering storm and shifting powers suggest that peace will not last.

Character interactions

• Er consults the Abyss System for guidance, but must accept the limits of its analysis.
• The sisters appeal directly to Er for their tribe’s future; he grants them a conditional place in his service.
• Er rewards the tribe with food while accommodating Bei’er and Lulu’s treasure hunt, blending generosity with practical management.

Plot points and events

• A month after the prolonged Blizzard ends, Er Dongsheng takes Lulu, the fairy sisters Xierjie and Ximir, and mutant fairy Sibya to a forest clearing to collect samples of the many local vines, including their roots, stems, and leaves.
• The group also gathers poisonous insects exposed by the clearing of the protective leaf litter. Er Dongsheng kills a scorpion and keeps it as potential food; the girls collect other frozen insects.
• The expedition is part of Er Dongsheng’s search for a dependable food source. Winter makes hunting increasingly dangerous and uncertain, and he worries that a growing group cannot survive on prey alone.
• Drawing on memories of Huaxia’s farming traditions, he decides to investigate whether Abyssal plants—especially hardy, fast-growing vines—might provide edible crops. He wants plants that can be grown naturally, without draining the fairies’ stamina to force their growth.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng shows practical foresight: despite having food for the moment, he plans for shortages months or years ahead and looks beyond hunting for a lasting solution.
• His former human identity and knowledge of agriculture shape his approach, setting him apart from the forest’s other groups, which apparently do not farm.
• He treats Lulu and the other little girls indulgently, expecting little work from them and allowing mutant fairy Ximir to be Lulu’s playmate despite other fairies’ jealousy.
• Xierjie’s group benefits from Er Dongsheng’s protection and food, but he resists becoming responsible for feeding them indefinitely. The sisters share his concern that hunting is growing harder.

Significant themes

• Planning and self-sufficiency: Immediate survival is not enough; stable food production is essential for a community’s future.
• Knowledge and cultural inheritance: Er Dongsheng applies human agricultural history to a world with unfamiliar plants and dangers.
• Resourcefulness and adaptation: Even insects and unexplored vines may become useful resources.
• Limits and trade-offs: The fairies could accelerate plant growth, but the stamina cost—and the extra food needed to replace it—would make that strategy counterproductive.

• Key plot points: Xierjie and her sister use their combined demonic powers to wrestle mature vine roots from an immense underground tangle, hoping the plants might provide food for their people. As a blizzard approaches, Er Dongsheng calls the group back to the cave. They make it inside just before the storm and seal the entrance with a vine-wrapped rock door. Er then organizes the harvested vines and demonstrates how to test their roots for starch: wash, peel, crush, strain, and leave the liquid to settle for twelve hours.
• Character developments: Er Dongsheng continues to act as the group’s practical leader, applying knowledge from his former life to solve problems and prepare for winter. The fairies’ food-focused determination reflects how urgently they seek reliable supplies. Sibya remains grateful to Er for keeping him useful, while Ximir has gained Little Succubus’s favor. Little Succubus shows perceptiveness about others’ feelings and motives; Bei’er, meanwhile, is cheerfully devoted to eating and joins the experiment despite having little reason to.
• Character interactions: Xierjie and her sister cooperate closely to extract the stubborn roots. Er directs the children and fairies during the return and sorting, then teaches them the processing method. Lulu, Ximir, and the other fairies help, while Little Succubus and Bei’er eagerly involve themselves. The passage also contrasts the fairies’ limited access to Er’s elaborate cooking with the favored treatment of Bei’er and Lulu, and notes Ximir’s growing bond with Little Succubus.
• Significant themes: Survival through cooperation and resourcefulness; the discovery and transformation of unfamiliar natural resources into food; and the group’s evolving social bonds, marked by gratitude, favoritism, and careful judgments of trust.

Key plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng and the others process roughly thirty or forty plant varieties, hoping to find starch. Little Bei’er insists on contributing by choosing a tiny vine and adding its leaves to the mixture.
• While Er Dongsheng tests the results, he reflects on the uncertain situation at the Trading Camp and the mysterious appearance of Second-Level Demons. He suspects the Succubus Queen has not overlooked him and resolves to stay prepared.
• One bucket contains a strange green mist. Er Dongsheng sees it transform into skulls and then alluring women, whose cries become seductive moans. He is drawn into the vision until Bei’er slaps him awake.
• Nobody else remembers seeing anything, and the system’s recording shows no unusual event. Er Dongsheng suspects the phenomenon may be connected to his soul and the Ink Spirit Flame, which had briefly gone dormant.
• He covers the bucket, warns the others to stay away, and painstakingly examines the system’s footage. By magnifying Bei’er’s pupils, he discovers something unexpected in the cavern. The chapter ends as he realizes the vision was real and reacts with alarm.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng remains practical and vigilant: he conducts the plant tests, worries about the political threat posed by the Succubus Queen, and methodically investigates the unexplained vision rather than dismissing it.
• Little Bei’er is playful and stubborn, but her instincts prove valuable. She senses Er Dongsheng’s distress and snaps him out of the trance; her eyes also provide the clue that helps him uncover the truth. She privately enjoys getting a small measure of revenge.
• The Xierjie sisters, Lulu, and Ximir help process or select plants, but they are unaware of the apparition Er Dongsheng experiences.
• Er Dongsheng’s interactions with Bei’er show both affectionate indulgence—he lets her participate despite her unpromising plant choice—and growing trust in her unusual perceptions.

Significant themes

• The Abyss’s unpredictability: Its plants may conceal powerful toxins or stranger effects, making even ordinary experiments dangerous.
• Hidden threats and unreliable perception: Er Dongsheng’s vision is invisible to others and absent from the system’s record, raising questions about what is real and what can be trusted.
• Vigilance amid political uncertainty: The looming schemes of the Succubus Queen and the unexplained phenomena reinforce Er Dongsheng’s determination to prepare for danger.

Plot and key events

• A pale, ghostly face briefly appears in Little Bei’er’s eyes, but Er Dongsheng recognizes it as a wraith—a legendary Abyssal demon thought to have been wiped out by Demon Lord Lilith. He suspects it may be connected to the nearby wooden bucket, but decides not to provoke it unless it acts first.
• Er Dongsheng and the others continue testing substances they have processed into six buckets. He tastes the white powders one by one, with Little Bei’er standing by to help him rinse his mouth.
• Several samples prove toxic; another is harmless but nutritionally useless. A fourth is safe but so revolting that Er Dongsheng tricks everyone else into tasting it too, leaving the group gagging.
• The pitch-black substance in another bucket turns out to be a success: it is mildly sweet, nonpoisonous, and rich in energy. Er Dongsheng declares it suitable as their staple food.
• Lulu and Bei’er refuse to try it, having learned to distrust Er Dongsheng’s offers. He gives it to the sisters instead, who confirm that it is excellent, high-grade food.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng remains cautious about the wraith, but is willing to risk repeated poison tests to find food. His relief at discovering the black substance shows how important the search is. His mischievous side surfaces when he tricks the others into tasting the awful sample.
• Little Bei’er insists that her own bucket be included in the trial and helps Er Dongsheng recover after each tasting. She and Lulu have become wary of his pranks.
• The sisters initially approach the black substance reluctantly, but their experience lets them recognize its value. Their excitement validates Er Dongsheng’s discovery.
• The group’s exchanges balance danger and hardship with humor, especially as Er Dongsheng’s changing reactions prompt the others to join—or avoid—his tastings.

Significant themes

• Survival through experimentation: Finding safe, nourishing food requires persistence and considerable risk.
• Uncertainty and danger: The wraith’s unexplained appearance suggests a larger threat that remains unresolved.
• Trust and caution: Repeated pranks have made Lulu and Bei’er skeptical, even when Er Dongsheng is telling the truth.
• Hope after hardship: The discovery of a viable staple food rewards the group’s painful efforts.

Key events

• Er Dongsheng identifies a kudzu-like vine as a possible food source and extracts what he calls Abyssal starch.
• Bei’er insists he taste the strange mixture in her little wooden bucket, hoping to win the “championship.” Though he worries it might be poisonous, he gives in and samples it.
• The mixture tastes salty, leading Er Dongsheng to realize it may be salt—an exceptionally valuable discovery after years without it.
• His first attempts to find the source fail: the vine’s roots, stems, and leaves do not taste salty on their own. Further experiments reveal that the leaves must be swished in water inside the wooden bucket to produce salty water.
• Salt will improve cooking and food preservation, help disinfect wounds, and make long journeys or relocation more practical.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng moves from reluctance to excitement, recognizing that Bei’er’s accidental discovery may be more important than the food vine. He methodically tests the ingredients, though he does not understand the process scientifically.
• Bei’er is proud and eager for praise, repeatedly pressing Er Dongsheng to try her mixture. She claims credit for the discovery, but tasting the concentrated leaf mixture herself leaves her comically disgusted by its bitterness.
• The others are puzzled by Er Dongsheng’s excitement and astonished when the salt-making method is revealed. Their reactions underline how unfamiliar this resource is to them.

Significant themes

• Accidental discovery and practical experimentation: Persistence and curiosity turn Bei’er’s messy experiment into a useful resource.
• Survival through basic necessities: Salt is more than a seasoning; it supports preservation, wound care, and future travel.
• Humor and affection: Er Dongsheng’s exasperation and Bei’er’s proud, demanding antics create a playful bond, with the little sea demon’s “tsundere” pride at the center.

Key plot points

• Er Dongsheng rewards Little Sea Demon for helping eliminate the vines, then takes a vine and its seeds to the Fairies’ cave during a severe blizzard.
• The Fairies’ settlement has improved under his guidance, with sand pits, a central fire pit, and handmade tools. Er Dongsheng orders them to test-plant the vine seeds as a possible future food source, placing Xierjie in charge.
• Back at his own cave, he examines a mysterious black-and-blue plant recovered from Chixiao’s possessions. His experiments have apparently awakened the long-vanished Wraiths.
• The system identifies the plant as resembling legendary soul-luring grass, which attracts nearby souls and is especially irresistible to Wraiths.
• Er Dongsheng learns of an ancient war between Wraith Lord Asmodeus Orpheus and Succubus Empress Lilith Selvia. Lilith supposedly won, after which Asmodeus and the Wraiths disappeared.
• Convinced that the Wraiths are coming for him—and possibly Little Bei’er—Er Dongsheng prepares for their arrival. As night falls, he begins cultivating but succumbs to drowsiness, seemingly as the Wraiths reach him.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng balances practical leadership with growing concern about the ancient threat. He remains protective of the children, especially Bei’er, but keeps the danger from them and resolves to confront it himself.
• Little Sea Demon receives affectionate praise and promises of food, reinforcing her playful, food-focused nature.
• Lulu feels jealous of Bei’er’s closeness to Er Dongsheng and wishes she were small enough to be carried the same way.
• Xierjie and the Fairies respond obediently to Er Dongsheng’s instructions; Xierjie accepts responsibility for cultivating the seedlings.
• Bei’er sleeps peacefully in Er Dongsheng’s arms, unaware that she may also be in danger.

Significant themes

• Leadership and responsibility: Er Dongsheng directs the Fairies’ survival efforts and takes responsibility for protecting those in his care.
• Ancient history resurfacing: The return of the Wraiths raises questions about Abyssal history, vanished Demon Lords, and whether another era-defining cycle is beginning.
• Protection amid danger: Er Dongsheng shields the children from fear while preparing to face a threat that may endanger them.
• Preparation and uncertainty: He recognizes the danger but lacks complete knowledge, choosing to meet it with whatever resources he has—particularly the Ink Spirit Flame.

Plot points and events

• As the campfire burns in the cave, the temperature suddenly falls. The Soul-Luring Grass begins glowing blue-black, illuminating Er Dongsheng as he sits nearby.
• Er Dongsheng experiences pain and confusion, then wakes in a sunlit version of his former home. He discovers he has his old human body again, without his demonic features.
• His Eldest Senior Sister wakes him and takes him to see his master. Overwhelmed by seeing the people he lost, Er Dongsheng kneels and weeps.
• His master comforts him, then rebukes him for kneeling, insisting that a martial artist should bow only to heaven, earth, and parents. The familiar exchange reinforces how deeply Er Dongsheng’s values and training come from his master.
• After his senior sister reminds him of an afternoon martial-arts test, Er Dongsheng recognizes that he is trapped in an illusion made by the wraith. He reasons that the wraith is hiding among the figures or details of his memories and must be found before the illusion imprisons his soul.
• He considers his master, senior sister, and other possible figures as suspects, but cannot identify the wraith. Instead, he pauses to enjoy the sunlight and butterflies, which he has not seen in a long time.

Character development

• Er Dongsheng is emotionally shaken by the return of his human body and the sight of his master. His grief reveals how strongly he still loves and misses his former life.
• Despite his emotional response, he regains his composure and applies his understanding of the wraith’s method, showing caution and strategic thinking.
• He also shows a softer, reflective side: even while aware of the danger, he chooses to savor the warmth of the sun.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng and his Eldest Senior Sister: She treats him with familiar, brisk affection, waking him and guiding him through the day as she once did.
• Er Dongsheng and his master: He breaks down upon seeing his beloved teacher. The master responds with concern, then sternly reiterates his principles about dignity and refusing servility.
• The illusion’s familiar conversations and surroundings make Er Dongsheng’s search especially difficult: the wraith has built its trap from memories he cherishes.

Significant themes

• Illusion, memory, and reality: Er Dongsheng questions whether the scene is real, but recognizes it as a carefully constructed trap drawn from his memories.
• Grief and longing: The reunion gives him a brief return to the people and ordinary pleasures he has lost.
• Dignity and resistance to submission: His master’s teaching against kneeling reflects the values that shape Er Dongsheng’s conduct.
• Danger mixed with comfort: The illusion threatens to destroy Er Dongsheng’s soul, yet its beauty and warmth tempt him to remain.

Key plot points and events

• In a sunlit illusion, Er Dongsheng spars with Eldest Senior Sister and then challenges the old man who resembles his master.
• He recognizes that the old man is a Wraith’s illusory clone, not his real master. The Wraith is using the familiar form to attack him and wear down his strength.
• Er Dongsheng overcomes his reluctance to fight someone wearing his master’s face and fatally strikes the clone. The blow hurts him too, since both are bound to the illusion.
• With the Wraith hidden and claiming victory is inevitable, Er Dongsheng decides to end the illusion himself. He hurls his spear at the enormous sun, causing the entire scene to collapse and the Wraith’s voice to disappear.
• Er Dongsheng awakens back in his cave. Little Bei’er is asleep on his chest, while Lulu watches him from a nearby bed. The Wondrous Vine is dimmed, and Er Dongsheng realizes the Wraith escaped, leaving trouble ahead.

Character developments

• Er Dongsheng shows how far he has changed: he can now strike even an illusion wearing his master’s face, though the act still brings him sorrow. He sees destroying the dream as a final farewell to his old life and identity as a disciple.
• The Wraith proves cunning and persistent, splitting into clones and exploiting Er Dongsheng’s attachment to his past, but it fails to capture him in this encounter.
• Er Dongsheng’s master appears only as an illusion, but his image remains emotionally significant to Er Dongsheng.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng spars with Eldest Senior Sister, then exchanges weapons and blows with the false master, trading teasing remarks that mask their hostility.
• After waking, Er Dongsheng gently checks on Lulu and comforts her, while the sleeping Bei’er provides a quiet contrast to the ordeal he has just endured.

Significant themes

• Letting go of the past: Er Dongsheng destroys the illusion rather than remain in a comforting but false reunion.
• Attachment and resolve: His affection for his master makes the fight painful, but no longer prevents him from acting.
• Illusion versus reality: The Wraith turns cherished memories into weapons, while Er Dongsheng chooses painful truth over an artificial dream.

Plot points and events

• After the Wraith’s failed attack, it does not return, and Er Dongsheng enjoys a long stretch of peaceful—but increasingly boring—days during a month-long blizzard.
• He notices that Lulu and Ximir spend nearly all their time together, while Bei’er has been acting unusually secretive. When he finds Bei’er asleep under the bedding, he checks on her and realizes she is fine.
• Desperate for entertainment, Er Dongsheng makes a crude deck of wooden playing cards and tries to teach the others Fight the Landlord. The game collapses quickly: Lulu struggles to remember the numbers, and Bei’er tries to eat a card.
• He switches to five-in-a-row, but Lulu changes her move after Bei’er tugs her hair and apparently advises her. Er Dongsheng gives up, frustrated that the Demons do not follow game rules.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng remains comfortable and resourceful, but his boredom drives him to invent games; his confidence in entertaining the others gives way to exasperation.
• Lulu and Ximir have grown close, with Ximir now regularly staying in Er Dongsheng’s cave as Lulu’s devoted companion.
• Bei’er is still lively and mischievous despite her secretive behavior. She disrupts both games—first by chewing a card, then by influencing Lulu’s move.
• Er Dongsheng repeatedly tries to teach and organize the others, but their reactions turn his plans into comedy.

Significant themes

• Boredom and the search for diversion: Peace after danger is welcome, but prolonged isolation makes Er Dongsheng restless.
• Good intentions versus reality: His plans for group entertainment repeatedly fail in practice.
• Playful disorder: The Demons’ unconventional behavior—forgetting, eating, or changing game pieces—undermines rules and expectations.

Key plot points

• At the Succubus Queen’s camp, a scout reports that a mission failed because of Baal. Lusbeta Lilith, now transformed and marked by pale patterns rather than the Abyss Star, devours the messenger and dismisses its strength as worthless.
• Lusbeta plans to recover her power, leave the region when Cold Winter ends, and explore the Land of Death. She orders several Second-Level Demons to hunt Er Dongsheng and return with his corpse.
• Meanwhile, Er Dongsheng, unsettled by a growing sense of danger, walks away from home to draw out whatever is following him. After noticing the forest has become unnaturally quiet, he realizes his pursuer is beneath the snow.
• He blasts the ground with a fireball, revealing several cloaked black figures. When he grabs one and tears off its cloak, he discovers there is nothing inside.

Character developments and interactions

• Lusbeta has become colder and more menacing, and shows no concern for her subordinates, consuming one for failing. She is focused on restoring her strength and regards Er Dongsheng as an easy target.
• Er Dongsheng remains practical and forward-looking, thinking about migration, supplies, and his companions’ plans. Though alarmed, he stays composed and confronts the unseen threat directly.
• Lusbeta’s demons obey her order to pursue Er Dongsheng; the chapter ends before their connection to the cloaked figures is confirmed.

Significant themes

• Predation and power: Lusbeta treats weaker beings as disposable resources.
• Hidden threats and uncertainty: The silent forest and apparently empty figures suggest danger that cannot be understood by ordinary observation.
• Planning amid instability: Er Dongsheng considers how to protect and move his group even as a new threat closes in.

Plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng discovers that the attackers’ black robes are empty: the creatures can turn into black liquid and disappear, making them difficult to locate or strike.
• A creature emerges from an Abyss Tree and attacks when Er’s protective field falters. It later immobilizes him with Shadow Binding, while another begins dissolving at his feet to consume him.
• Realizing the creatures may be controlling his shadow, Er summons the Spear of Destruction and drives it into his own shadow. The strike kills the hidden attacker and breaks the binding.
• Er pins the other two creatures with the spear. Before he can question them, they ignite and turn to ash, declaring that their lord will avenge them.
• The Ink Spirit Flame consumes the creatures’ pale flame, apparently treating it as prey. Er leaves for home, where he hears Xierjie and her sisters calling urgently for him.

Character developments

• Er is forced to confront how dangerous the unfamiliar creatures are. Though frightened and close to death, he keeps thinking and takes a desperate gamble that succeeds.
• His recent comfort has made him somewhat careless, and the encounter reminds him of the terror of facing death.
• The Ink Spirit Flame shows an unexpectedly possessive, predatory side by devouring the other flame.

Character interactions

• Er tries to question the creatures, but they refuse to answer and die before he can learn who sent them.
• The attackers taunt and underestimate him, while Er uses himself as bait to draw them all out.
• The chapter ends with Xierjie and her sisters summoning Er, hinting at another emergency.

Significant themes

• Survival through observation: Er’s victory depends on identifying the link between Shadow Binding and his shadow.
• Vulnerability amid power: His strength and defenses are not enough against an unfamiliar ability.
• Unresolved danger: The creatures’ “lord” and the urgent call from home suggest that the threat extends beyond this encounter.

Summary

The author celebrates the novel’s selection for Sanjiang and thanks their editors and readers for helping them stay motivated. After more than a month of consistent daily updates, they reflect on writing as a joyful, personal creative pursuit: they welcome reader feedback, prefer emotionally rich stories to action-driven commercial fiction, and feel closely connected to the protagonist, Er Dongsheng.
The author promises to continue writing the novel wholeheartedly, describing Er Dongsheng as an imagined version of themself. They also explain that the book’s performance during Sanjiang may affect its chances of receiving further promotion, and ask readers to support it with votes, recommendations, and bookmarks.

Character and relationship notes

• The author and readers: The author expresses gratitude and affection, emphasizing that reader encouragement has sustained their confidence and that reader suggestions help shape the story.
• The author and Er Dongsheng: The protagonist reflects the author’s own fantasies and feelings. In particular, his love for the little girl echoes the author’s wish for a younger sister and a shared adventure at sea.
• The author and editors: Taozi and Weini are thanked for their strong support.

Themes

• Writing as a heartfelt, joyful act rather than a purely commercial pursuit.
• The bond between creator and readers, including the value of feedback.
• The personal connection between an author’s imagination and their characters.
• The uncertainty of a new author’s career and the importance of reader support.

Plot points and events

• Er Dongsheng returns to find the Fairies worried about the Kudzu Vine crop. Though the vines had grown well, they are now drooping and appear close to dying.
• The soil is moist and fertile, and the Fairies have followed Er Dongsheng’s instructions, so he rules out poor soil and receives no useful explanation from the others.
• Ximir, a shy mutated Fairy with the unusual ability to sense plants’ feelings, reports that the vines seem to be “very hungry.” Er Dongsheng praises her but cannot yet determine what the plants need, so he suspends the food-growing experiment.
• With winter apparently nearing its end and supplies still sufficient, Er Dongsheng announces a more urgent plan: the group must migrate.
• He points to signs of danger: a threatening aura spreading from the north, while the Land of Death and its volcano remain ominously quiet. His instincts warn that worse conditions are approaching.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng is practical and decisive: he investigates the failing crop, listens to Ximir’s unusual insight, and sets aside the unresolved problem rather than wasting time.
• Ximir overcomes her fear enough to share what she senses. Er Dongsheng’s praise gives her standing among the Fairies, though it also makes them envious.
• Shiweier speaks up as both Er Dongsheng’s subordinate and her people’s chief, asking to know his plans so her race can prepare.
• Little Bei’er remains attached to Er Dongsheng and is untroubled by the idea of moving; to her, wherever he is feels like home.

Significant themes

• Survival and adaptation: Failed cultivation and the coming danger force the group to adjust its plans.
• Leadership and responsibility: Er Dongsheng must balance immediate needs, long-term food security, and the safety of the whole community.
• Intuition and uncertainty: Ximir’s plant-sensing and Er Dongsheng’s foreboding offer clues, but neither yet provides a complete explanation.
• Home and belonging: The migration frightens the group, while Bei’er’s response suggests that home is defined by the people one trusts, not just a place.

Plot points and events

• As winter ends, snowmelt feeds rapid plant growth, while the Exotic Beasts retreat and ordinary Abyssal animals return. Meanwhile, the Abyssal Species and Demons who had hidden through winter have nearly vanished, leaving the forest strangely ominous.
• Sensing danger, Er Dongsheng decides to leave with his household. He has already collected supplies, but must choose a destination.
• He rules out the east, where the dangerous Land of Death lies; the north, controlled by hostile Half-Elves and near the Trading Camp; and the barren south. He favors the west, beyond the vast mountain range.
• Legends describe the lands beyond the mountains as a vast world of Demon kingdoms, cities, powerful Demons, abundant resources, and opportunities for advancement. Er Dongsheng hopes to escape his isolated “training camp” life and make a name for himself.
• The decision is urgent: the Death Volcano has begun releasing black smoke, suggesting an eruption may be near. Yet crossing the mountains on foot is effectively impossible, and past expeditions have either perished or never returned. The chapter ends with the problem of how to cross.

Character development

• Er Dongsheng shifts from wary observer to determined leader, choosing migration rather than waiting for the forest’s threats to worsen.
• His ambition becomes clear: he wants adventure, power, and lasting renown, not a quiet life in a small, familiar region. Still, his vision of the western lands is partly based on legend, and he recognizes that reality may not match his hopes.

Themes

• Ambition and exploration: The pull of an unknown world outweighs the safety of staying put.
• Risk and uncertainty: Migration may offer opportunity, but every route—and especially the mountain crossing—holds serious danger.
• Change and foreboding: Nature’s spring revival contrasts with the unexplained disappearance of Demons and the growing threat of the volcano.
• The limits of legend: The promised western world inspires Er Dongsheng, but its true nature remains unverified.

Character interactions

• Er Dongsheng discusses the decision with no other character directly; his role as head of a household shapes his caution. Unlike a solo adventurer, he must weigh food, shelter, and safety for everyone traveling with him.

Chapter summary

This chapter is primarily an author’s appeal to readers rather than a continuation of the story. Sixue urges readers to support the book during an important week by recommending it, bookmarking it, clicking through, and voting for it in the Sanjiang rankings, where it remains near the bottom.
The author also previews Er Dongsheng’s coming journey: he is leaving his familiar starting region for a wider world of ancient ruins, a mysterious underground cavern, a colossal pillar reaching into the sky, and a strange seal. As he encounters other demons and struggles to survive, conflict and conquest are expected to follow. The chapter closes by thanking readers and asking for their continued support.

• Character development: Er Dongsheng is poised to move beyond his starting land and into a more dangerous, expansive world; his future survival and ambitions are emphasized.
• Themes: Exploration of the unknown, survival, and the inevitability of conflict—alongside the author’s gratitude and appeal for reader support.
• Character interactions: No in-story interactions occur; the author addresses readers directly.

Plot points and events

• Unable to cross the dangerous mountains and valleys on foot, Er Dongsheng decides to travel by air, despite knowing little about the dangers above.
• He recalls the Floating Gourd, a strange seed identified by his system. When infused with Abyssal energy, it expands into a huge, nearly weightless balloon that rises into the air.
• Er Dongsheng realizes the gourds could lift a basket and serve as the basis for a natural hot-air balloon. He begins building one and organizes the group to prepare for a long journey.
• The group gathers supplies: they weave baskets and vine ropes, preserve meat, and make other provisions. Er Dongsheng plans a very large balloon, reasoning that its size will make the trip safer.

Character developments and interactions

• Er Dongsheng shows resourcefulness and optimism, treating survival as a matter of observing nature and making use of whatever is available. He credits the system with helping him survive, even if it has not greatly improved his combat ability.
• Little Succubus admires him and helps with practical tasks such as sewing hides, tending the fire, and cooking.
• Little Bei’er joins the preparations by staying quietly in Er Dongsheng’s arms, though she has been unusually sleepy and listless. The cause is unclear.
• When the Floating Gourd expands, both little ones are astonished. Bei’er proudly echoes the praise given to Er Dongsheng, even though the feat was not his own.

Significant themes

• Resourcefulness and survival: Careful observation can turn unfamiliar natural materials into life-saving tools.
• Courage in the face of uncertainty: Er Dongsheng chooses the unknown risks of the sky over the known dangers on the ground.
• Collective effort and preparation: The journey depends on everyone contributing and on making thorough provisions before setting out.

Chapter Summary: “Rootless Duckweed” (Volume 1 Finale)

Key Plot Points and Events

• After days of frantic preparation, Er Dongsheng and his companions complete their plans to leave the forest and migrate to a new land.
• They stockpile food, water, seeds—especially edible vine seeds—and other essential supplies, knowing they may never have the opportunity to return.
• The group constructs four enormous hot-air balloons using inflated Floating Gourds and sturdy vines:
  • One balloon carries food and supplies.
  • Three serve as living quarters.
  • The balloons are connected into a large mobile settlement containing beds, braziers, furniture, tightly packed Fairy tree houses, and even a heated brick bed.
• Oil Vines are collected as long-burning fuel in preparation for the difficult journey through the sky.
• Feeling that an unknown disaster is approaching, Er Dongsheng orders everyone to depart immediately rather than risk waiting.
• Once the supplies are loaded, the anchoring ropes are released. The balloons slowly rise, carrying the group away from their longtime home.
• Er Dongsheng cuts the final vine rope with a flaming blade, officially severing their connection to the land.
• As they ascend, the group sees the black mountain and their former homeland shrinking below them. Er Dongsheng declares that they will temporarily become “rootless duckweed,” uncertain where their next home will be.

Character Developments

• Er Dongsheng demonstrates strong leadership and foresight by organizing the migration, preparing extensive supplies, and recognizing that remaining in the forest is increasingly dangerous.
• Though he is determined to move forward, Er Dongsheng reveals a previously buried emotional side. He feels deep sorrow at leaving the place connected to both his own memories and those of the demon whose body he inhabits.
• His decision to leave is both forced by circumstances and motivated by ambition: he wants to see a wider world and ultimately rise to the highest Throne.
• Little Succubus displays profound attachment to their home. She remembers the experiences that shaped her relationship with Er Dongsheng, including fishing for worms, eating barbecue, making soup, receiving gifts, and learning to stand and train.
• Her question about whether they will return exposes her fear and uncertainty. Er Dongsheng reassures her, making a promise that they will someday come back.
• The group as a whole shows growing cooperation and unity, with everyone contributing to the preparations and trusting Er Dongsheng’s judgment.

Significant Themes

• Departure and exile: Leaving the forest represents the end of an era and the beginning of an uncertain journey.
• Attachment to home: Even beings associated with violence and cruelty possess memories, family bonds, and emotional ties to their homeland.
• Hope and ambition: Although the migration is dangerous, Er Dongsheng views it as a necessary step toward greater power, freedom, and glory.
• Transformation: The group changes from a settled community into wandering survivors, symbolized by their transition into “rootless duckweed.”
• Memory and identity: Er Dongsheng’s emotions reflect the shared history between himself and the original demon, suggesting that both past and present identities are intertwined.
• Uncertainty and impending danger: The unnatural silence of the forest and the animals’ disappearance imply that a major catastrophe is approaching, reinforcing the urgency of their escape.

Character Interactions

• Er Dongsheng works closely with the entire group, assigning responsibilities and coordinating the preparation of the balloons and supplies.
• He shares a tender farewell with Little Succubus, comforting her as she mourns the loss of their home.
• When she asks whether they will return, he promises that they will, offering both reassurance to her and determination to himself.
• The chapter closes with Er Dongsheng leading the group into an unknown future, while everyone watches their former home disappear beneath them.