Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Enlightenment in Undying Mountain

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming returns from Beidou Star to Undying Mountain, which now exists in the Chaos outside the known star regions. He reflects on the mountain’s ancient origin, immense power, and status as one of the universe’s supreme divine mountains.
• Having transformed into an Immortal Tears Green Gold Spirit and begun a new lifetime, Li Ming studies Undying Mountain’s powerful Dao resonance and uses it as a place of cultivation.
• He revisits the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree, which has regrown to its former glory. Li Ming recalls that Undying Heavenly Emperor once turned the tree into a coffin and speculates that Taihuang may have deliberately used that coffin to provoke and lure out the hidden Undying Heavenly Emperor, only to be killed when his “fishing” attempt failed.
• Li Ming considers the history of Life Forbidden Zones and the whereabouts of figures such as Undying Heavenly Emperor, Undying Daoist, Stone Emperor, Spirit Emperor, and Empress Numinous Treasure. Since Undying Mountain and Kunlun are now under his control, two major potential forbidden zones have effectively been removed.
• He examines the Divine Spring Water Veins, which contain immense life force and can nourish Immortal Medicines, and visits the Immortal Tears Green Gold Mine Cave where he once transformed.
• The mine cave is now being used to nurture the dead Immortal Fetus from the Ancient Mine of Beginnings. Li Ming doubts that Taichu will revive, though he considers nurturing one of Taichu’s descendants there instead.
• Li Ming drinks immortal wine brewed from deceased Sacred Spirits and decides that, once Stone Emperor emerges and reaches Emperor Enlightenment, he will capture and refine him into wine. His confidence in his Chaotic Body makes him dismiss Sacred Spirit curses and heavenly retribution.
• The chapter then shifts to Li Ming’s nineteenth-generation descendant, Li Ling, who has become the Buddha Emperor. After living peacefully for tens of thousands of years and entering a Second Lifetime through an Immortal Medicine, he travels throughout the universe spreading Buddhist teachings and relieving suffering.
• The Buddha Emperor eventually visits Beidou Star, the most important site connected to the Roads to Immortality, before arriving at Undying Mountain. His appearance on Beidou releases overwhelming Buddha light and Extreme Dao pressure, inspiring awe throughout the star.

Character Developments

• Li Ming is portrayed as increasingly powerful, confident, and detached. He treats the treasures and divine resources of Undying Mountain as personal possessions and views even Emperor-level Sacred Spirits as materials to be exploited. His control over Kunlun and Undying Mountain greatly expands his influence.
• He also demonstrates a more analytical side by reconstructing the likely motives behind Taihuang’s death and the political struggles among the forbidden-zone Supremes.
• Taichu remains in a lifeless state despite being placed in the Immortal Tears Green Gold Mine Cave, suggesting that the Lord of Taichu’s theft of his vitality may have permanently damaged his chance of revival.
• Stone Emperor is foreshadowed as a future target of Li Ming. Rather than treating him as a peer, Li Ming already regards his eventual capture as inevitable.
• Li Ling, the Buddha Emperor, develops into a compassionate universal protector. His Buddhist cultivation leads him to travel across the Myriad Heavens and Domains instead of remaining secluded in Mount Sumeru.
• The Buddha Emperor’s lineage is revealed to be extraordinary: he descends from both the Demon Venerable and the Immortal Matriarch, making three supreme figures emerge from one family line.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Li Ming’s possession of multiple divine mountains symbolizes his growing dominance over places that once served as major Life Forbidden Zones.
• Immortality and transformation: The chapter repeatedly explores Nirvana, new lifetimes, Sacred Spirit formation, and the limits of revival, especially through Li Ming, Taichu, the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree, and the Immortal Tears Green Gold Spirit.
• Hubris and failed calculations: Taihuang’s presumed attempt to lure out Undying Heavenly Emperor illustrates the danger of misjudging a hidden enemy. Even a powerful Emperor can become prey when the “fish” is stronger than expected.
• Exploitation of sacred resources: Li Ming’s use of divine mountains, Immortal Medicines, Sacred Spirits, and even future Emperors as cultivation materials reflects his ruthless, utilitarian worldview.
• Compassion versus ruthlessness: The Buddha Emperor’s mission to save and enlighten living beings sharply contrasts with Li Ming’s willingness to kill and refine powerful beings for personal benefit.
• The Roads to Immortality: Beidou Star’s three Roads to Immortality remain central to the universe’s future, drawing the attention of Emperors, forbidden-zone Supremes, and ancient lineages.

Character Interactions

• Li Ming and the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree: Their relationship is entirely one of ownership and use. Li Ming has repeatedly harvested and refined the tree, while it survives through extraordinary regeneration.
• Li Ming and Taichu: Li Ming observes Taichu’s failed revival with disappointment and considers replacing him with one of his descendants if necessary.
• Li Ming and future Stone Emperor: Although they have not yet confronted each other, Li Ming has already decided to seize and brew Stone Emperor once he reaches his peak.
• Taihuang and Undying Heavenly Emperor: Their past conflict is reconstructed as a failed attempt by Taihuang to provoke a hidden and immensely dangerous opponent.
• The Buddha Emperor and the wider universe: Li Ling’s travels allow him to interact with countless living beings, spreading Buddhist Dharma and providing protection. His arrival at Beidou commands reverence from both ordinary beings and ancient imperial clans.
• The Buddha Emperor and Li Ming: Their direct meeting is set up by the Buddha Emperor’s arrival at Undying Mountain, creating a likely contrast between Buddhist compassion and Li Ming’s domineering philosophy.

Key plot points and events

• The newly enlightened Buddha Emperor visits major Daoist and Imperial Clan legacies, studies their Extreme Dao Weapons, and then travels to Undying Mountain to pay respects to his ancestor, Li Ming.
• He tells Li Ming that he has attained Emperor Enlightenment and asks for guidance on longevity. Near the end of his second lifetime, he chooses the Sacred Spirit Transformation Method for his next transformation, hoping both to strengthen himself and inspire other Supremes to follow.
• Li Ming approves of his plan and also learns that the Buddha Emperor has devised a Faith Power-based method for extending life. He advises him to use it after completing the Sacred Spirit transformation.
• Declining Li Ming’s offer to transform in Undying Mountain, the Buddha Emperor returns to Beidou’s impoverished Western Desert. He spreads Buddhist teachings, alleviates suffering, and establishes Buddhism throughout the region. After gathering immense faith, he enters slumber on Mount Sumeru.
• The world believes the Buddha Emperor has died, but Li Ming witnesses the truth: he has become a Sacred Spirit Stone Embryo.
• Li Ming returns to Undying Mountain and begins preparing for another lifetime. He deliberately lets his aging show, hoping to lure those who covet his Chaotic Body or Immortal Tears Green Gold Spirit Origin.
• After more than ninety thousand years, a Sacred Spirit from the Tianshan Forbidden Zone approaches him, offering protection in exchange for some of his origins. Li Ming recognizes the predatory offer and attacks before the visitor can finish.

Character developments

• The Buddha Emperor emerges as a compassionate, purposeful ruler: he seeks longevity not only for himself but to set an example for other Supremes and eventually benefit his followers. He also honors his mentor, Peacock Wisdom King, whose life’s goal of nurturing a Buddhist who attained the Dao was fulfilled.
• Li Ming shows affection and respect for his descendant, supports his chosen path, and reflects on the different routes to immortality. He also turns strategically deceptive, using his apparent decline as bait for would-be attackers.
• Peacock Wisdom King, though absent, is remembered as a mentor who lived long enough to see his Buddhist pupil attain the Dao and then accepted death peacefully.

Significant themes

• Longevity and transformation: The chapter explores multiple ways to gain another lifetime, with no single path suited to everyone.
• Faith and service: The Buddha Emperor’s devotion to relieving suffering builds a Buddhist community and immense Faith Power.
• Legacy and mentorship: Li Ming’s guidance and Peacock Wisdom King’s influence shape the Buddha Emperor’s choices.
• Public death versus hidden survival: The Buddha Emperor’s apparent death conceals his transformation, while Li Ming’s apparent weakness conceals his trap.
• Predation and mistrust: Some powers see even a near-immortal being’s body and origins as resources to exploit.

Character interactions

• The Buddha Emperor respectfully visits Li Ming as his descendant; Li Ming praises him, asks about Peacock Wisdom King, and offers help with his transformation.
• They discuss the Buddha Emperor’s plans and methods, with Li Ming affirming his choice while advising him on how to combine transformation with Faith Power.
• Later, Li Ming confronts a Sacred Spirit who presents a self-serving “offer” to study his origins. Li Ming responds with immediate violence.

Plot points and events

• Li Ming’s Heavenly Demonic Saber destroys the avatar of a Sacred Spirit Supreme. He then sends the saber to Beidou’s Tianshan Forbidden Zone, where it cuts the mountain’s summit clean off. The damage turns Tianshan into the Heaven-Severing Mountain, publicly humiliating its dark supremes without killing them.
• The sacred spirit supremes are furious but too afraid of Li Ming’s power to retaliate. They believe he has rejected their invitation to join them and resented his refusal to share his Chaotic Body Origin.
• Li Ming returns to seclusion in Undying Mountain. Now more than 90,000 years old and approaching the end of his lifetime, he reflects on the importance of transformation and considers different Red Dust Immortal paths.
• Having settled on how to begin a new lifetime, Li Ming enters a Nirvana Pool filled with the Origin Essence Blood of dozens of Dark Supremes. The pool erupts with clashing bloodlines and Dao laws as his transformation begins.

Character developments

• Li Ming grows more openly ruthless and self-assured: he treats his Chaotic Body Origin as an invaluable personal possession and believes strength determines who is right. At the same time, he plans carefully for his next transformation, drawing on his knowledge of the world and techniques learned from the Undying Heavenly Emperor.
• The Heaven-Severing Mountain supremes are left humiliated and resentful, but their fear of Li Ming keeps them from confronting him.
• Li Ming’s reflections reveal his views on other figures’ paths: he respects Ye Fan’s dangerous, varied transformations and recognizes Duan De’s eventual achievements, though he harshly criticizes Duan De’s caution and lack of ambition.

Significant themes

• Power and pride: Li Ming’s attack makes clear that even an invitation or grievance means little when one side holds overwhelming strength.
• Transformation and longevity: Repeated transformation is presented as the key to extending life and reaching greater realms, though different beings follow paths with different risks.
• Ownership of one’s Dao: Li Ming refuses to let others access his Chaotic Body Origin, rejecting the idea that protection entitles them to it.
• Preparation against mortality: As his current life ends, Li Ming relies on foresight, stored resources, and careful planning to face the dangers of renewal.

Character interactions

• Li Ming and the sacred spirit supremes have a hostile, one-sided encounter: they invite him to join their ancestral court, but he answers with a devastating show of force and refuses to share his origin.
• The primordial species of Beidou witness the saber’s arrival and recognize Li Ming’s terrifying aura, while the supremes’ anger remains confined to words.
• In solitude, Li Ming measures his own plans against the transformation methods of figures such as the Divine Silkworm Ancient Emperor, the Undying Heavenly Emperor, Ye Fan, and Duan De.

Chapter Summary: Li Ming Lived His Fifth Lifetime

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming meditates in the Nirvana Pool within Undying Mountain, absorbing the Grand Dao fragments and Origin Essence Blood left behind by Dark Supremes.
• His Chaotic Body, physical form, and Primordial Spirit undergo an extremely dangerous transformation. The Heavenly Demonic Saber suppresses the destructive power of the Dark Supreme Laws while Li Ming uses his Chaos Origin to refine them.
• Various manifestations of his Dao appear during the process, including the Great Dao Green Lotus, the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree, and the Heavenly Heart Imprint. These symbolize his unparalleled comprehension of the Myriad Dao.
• An Immortal Fetus forms inside Li Ming. His old body burns in Chaos Flame, with his flesh, blood, and bones transforming into energy to nourish the fetus.
• His body eventually shatters and is reborn from a Great Dao Cocoon. Li Ming successfully sheds his mortal form, completes his transformation, and lives his Fifth Lifetime.
• After awakening, Li Ming feels stronger in every aspect and decides to kill several Dark Supremes as a “celebration.”
• Instead of revealing his success, he forcibly grabs the Heavenly Heart Imprint, manifests it as a rabbit-like figure called Little White, and beats it into submission. He orders Little White to disguise his transformation as a failure and make it appear that his Dao has collapsed.
• Across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, the false signs of Dao Dissolution cause everyone to believe that the Demon Venerable’s transformation has failed and that he is nearing death.
• The Human Race panics because Li Ming’s death could destroy the balance of power and invite the Primordial Imperial Clans and Dark Supremes to launch another Dark Turmoil.
• Dark Supremes from nearly every Life Forbidden Zone emerge or send avatars toward Undying Mountain. Believing Li Ming to be in his twilight years, they prepare to seize his Chaotic Body Origin and uncover the secrets of his strength.

Character Developments

• Li Ming: Completes an unprecedented fifth-life transformation, greatly advancing his body, Primordial Spirit, life essence, and Chaotic Body. He becomes even more confident, ruthless, and playful, using deception to lure his enemies into attacking him.
• Little White / the Heavenly Heart Imprint: Is forcibly manipulated by Li Ming and ordered to help maintain the illusion that he failed. Its role shifts from a cosmic Dao symbol to an unwilling participant in Li Ming’s scheme.
• The Dark Supremes: Their fear of Li Ming turns into arrogance once they believe he has weakened. Their greed for the Chaotic Body Origin motivates them to leave hiding and act openly.
• The Human Race: Having prospered under Li Ming’s protection for one hundred thousand years, they are shown to be politically powerful but still vulnerable to the collapse of his influence.

Significant Themes

• Rebirth and transcendence: Li Ming’s destruction of his old body represents a complete departure from mortality and a further step toward the Red Dust Immortal Realm.
• The price of immortality: The transformation is presented as a life-or-death process in which failure means true death, emphasizing the danger of pursuing supreme power.
• Power and deception: Li Ming’s decision to fake failure demonstrates that overwhelming strength can be enhanced by strategy and misdirection.
• Fear, greed, and opportunism: The Dark Supremes remain inactive while Li Ming is dominant but immediately become aggressive when they believe he is dying.
• Political balance and legacy: Li Ming’s long rule has elevated the Human Race, showing how one supreme cultivator’s existence can reshape the fate of entire civilizations.
• The cyclical nature of history: The possible return of Dark Turmoil recalls earlier eras in which Ancient Emperors and Supremes devastated the universe.

Character Interactions

• Li Ming confronts and absorbs the Dark Supreme Grand Dao Laws during his transformation, overpowering their resistance.
• He interacts violently and humorously with the Heavenly Heart Imprint, personified as Little White, beating it and threatening to consume it unless it cooperates.
• His “death” indirectly affects every major power in the universe, provoking fear among the Human Race and renewed ambition among the Dark Supremes.
• The approaching confrontation between Li Ming and the gathered Forbidden Zone Supremes is established as the chapter’s main impending conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Demon Venerable, Come Out and Fight!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Demon Venerable, the legendary Chaotic Body and strongest Heavenly Venerable of the Mythology Era, has entered his twilight years. His Great Dao is undergoing Dao Dissolution, leading many Dark Supremes to believe he is about to die.
• Numerous Dark Supremes emerge from their Life Forbidden Zones, hoping to seize Demon Venerable’s Chaotic Body Origin and physical body. Their gathering threatens to trigger another devastating Dark Turmoil across the world.
• Light Emperor attempts to recruit the Ancient Mine of Beginnings’ other Supremes. Myriad Dragon Emperor, Blood Phoenix Ancient Emperor, and Golden Ancient Emperor refuse, choosing instead to wait for the Road to Immortality and protect their surviving descendants.
• Light Emperor leads several Dark Supremes to the Undying Mountain, intending to force Demon Venerable out and claim the mountain as a new forbidden zone.
• The Heavenly Demonic Saber suddenly attacks. Light Emperor arrogantly tries to seize it, but the saber fully awakens, destroys his newly refined God Refining Pot, and kills him with a single slash before he can undergo Extreme Sublimation.
• The saber absorbs Light Emperor’s weapon and remains even stronger, proving that it has become an extraordinarily powerful, possibly living Immortal Weapon capable of killing Supremes independently.
• Although the other Dark Supremes are initially frightened, they reason that controlling the saber must have consumed Demon Venerable’s remaining strength. Believing him nearly helpless, they decide to continue the attack.
• More powerful figures emerge, including the Corpse Emperor, Ghost Emperor, Skeleton Emperor, Heaven-Abandoning Supreme, and Light-Dark Supreme. All seek to study or divide Demon Venerable’s Chaotic Body Origin.
• The chapter ends with the Dark Supremes openly challenging Demon Venerable to come out and fight. As the Corpse Emperor prepares to fire an arrow, he senses an unprecedented and ominous danger, suggesting that the attackers may have badly misjudged the situation.

Character Developments

• Demon Venerable/Li Ming: Though apparently dying from Dao Dissolution, he demonstrates that he still possesses terrifying power by controlling or awakening the Heavenly Demonic Saber enough to kill Light Emperor instantly. His true condition remains uncertain.
• Light Emperor: Driven by resentment over past humiliations involving Li Ming and the destruction of his descendants’ Extreme Dao Weapons, he becomes overconfident and is killed almost immediately after confronting the saber.
• Myriad Dragon Emperor, Blood Phoenix Ancient Emperor, and Golden Ancient Emperor: They show restraint and pragmatism, refusing to risk themselves for revenge or the Chaotic Body Origin. Their decisions are motivated by the safety of their surviving descendants and hopes of entering the Immortal Domain.
• The Heavenly Demonic Saber: It is revealed to possess extraordinary autonomy and power. By absorbing Supreme blood, weapons, and energy, it appears to be evolving into a genuine living Immortal Weapon.
• Corpse Emperor, Ghost Emperor, and Skeleton Emperor: The Underworld’s ancient powers emerge together, revealing their desire to research the Chaotic Body and potentially create similar bodies.
• Heaven-Abandoning Supreme and Light-Dark Supreme: Ancient survivors of the Mythology Era reveal themselves after remaining hidden for countless years. Their long-standing regret over missing the chance to enter the Immortal Domain fuels their desire to seize this opportunity.

Significant Themes

• Greed and opportunism: The Dark Supremes interpret Demon Venerable’s decline as a chance to obtain his unmatched body and origin.
• Overconfidence and miscalculation: Light Emperor’s contempt for the Heavenly Demonic Saber leads directly to his death, while the remaining Supremes may be repeating the same mistake by assuming Demon Venerable is powerless.
• The pursuit of immortality: Many Supremes endure endless slumber and sacrifice morality in the hope of entering the Immortal Domain when the Road to Immortality opens.
• Legacy and revenge: Old grudges from the Mythology Era resurface, especially Light Emperor’s resentment toward Li Ming.
• The mystery of the Chaotic Body: Demon Venerable’s body represents a supreme path of cultivation that countless ancient experts wish to understand, reproduce, or exploit.
• Hidden power and impending danger: The terrifying aura sensed by the Corpse Emperor hints that Demon Venerable may have prepared a powerful counterattack or that an even greater threat is about to emerge.

Character Interactions

• Light Emperor attempts to persuade the Ancient Mine Supremes to join him, but each refuses for personal and strategic reasons.
• The Dark Supremes form an uneasy alliance to divide Demon Venerable’s Chaotic Body Origin, while secretly suspecting one another of waiting to seize the spoils.
• Light Emperor taunts the Heavenly Demonic Saber and tries to suppress it, only to be killed by it.
• The newly arrived Supremes discuss the saber’s nature and conclude that it may have become a living Immortal Weapon through the blood of countless Supremes.
• The group collectively taunts Demon Venerable, repeatedly demanding that he emerge and fight, unaware that the ominous danger sensed by the Corpse Emperor may be connected to their impending downfall.

• Li Ming’s ominous return: At the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland, Li Ming appears as a skeletal old man, his life force nearly spent and his Dao Imprint cracking. Despite his frail appearance, his presence terrifies the gathered Dark Supremes. He challenges them without fear, while Human cultivators watching from afar mourn the apparent end of the Demon Venerable’s era.
• The ambush turns against the attackers: Heaven-Abandoning Supreme attacks first, hoping to seize Li Ming’s Chaotic Body Origin. Li Ming shatters his spear, absorbs the Dark Supremes’ combined assault by transforming into a black hole, and kills him with one punch—even after Heaven-Abandoning Supreme enters Extreme Sublimation. The remaining Supremes are shaken, then decide they must fight together before Li Ming kills them.
• A deadly formation: The Dark Supremes activate a carefully prepared formation built from linked Extreme Dao weapons, diagrams, and their own blood. They believe it can kill even a True Immortal and trap Li Ming until his exhausted life force gives out. They demand his Chaos Origin and essence blood, but he remains composed.
• The Kunlun Immortal Bell appears: The Corpse Emperor reveals that the Underworld possesses the Kunlun Immortal Bell, a mysterious genuine Immortal Weapon. Two powerful Sacred Spirit Supremes from the Underworld control it, strengthening the formation further. Li Ming is surprised by the Underworld’s hidden forces and by the Bell’s presence, but senses no trace of the Undying Heavenly Emperor.
• Li Ming’s strategy: His aged, near-death appearance is a deliberate lure meant to draw out his enemies. Though he has already shown overwhelming power, he holds back again when the two new Supremes appear, hoping to see whether more opponents will reveal themselves.
  Character developments and interactions: Li Ming shifts between the appearance of a dying hero and the control of a calculating hunter; his calm contrasts with the Dark Supremes’ fear, greed, and growing desperation. Heaven-Abandoning Supreme’s confidence ends in instant defeat. The Corpse Emperor’s revelation briefly restores the attackers’ confidence, while the two Underworld Sacred Spirits expose the faction’s hidden strength. Human observers, meanwhile, respond to Li Ming’s apparent decline with grief and admiration.
  Themes: The chapter explores how appearances can deceive, the perilous price of ambition, and the fading of even legendary figures. It also emphasizes strategic patience: Li Ming turns his apparent weakness into bait, while the Dark Supremes’ desire for immortality drives them into a dangerous confrontation.

Plot and key events

• Li Ming is ambushed at the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland by a large coalition of Dark Supremes. The Underworld’s five leaders—the Corpse, Skeleton, and Ghost Emperors and two Netherworld Soil Sacred Spirit Emperors—wield the Kunlun Immortal Bell, while other Supremes maintain the surrounding formation.
• Though visibly aged and showing signs of Dao Transformation, Li Ming withstands the combined assault. His Chaotic Body, Flying Immortal Power, and command of chaos let him overwhelm the bell and its wielders.
• The Underworld Supremes enter Extreme Sublimation, then use Nine-Revolution Immortal Elixirs to restore themselves to their prime. Li Ming still attacks decisively, killing both Netherworld Soil Sacred Spirit Emperors.
• The Beast God, Golden-Winged Roc Emperor, and other Supremes join the fight and begin Extreme Sublimation. Li Ming exploits the vulnerable moment, killing two of them before they can complete it.
• Li Ming continues to dismantle the coalition, eventually killing the Corpse Emperor by destroying both his body and Primordial Spirit. The remaining attackers are badly wounded and increasingly terrified, but continue to believe they may yet finish off the seemingly failing Demon Venerable.

Character developments

• Li Ming is revealed to be far more powerful and resilient than his aged appearance suggests. Calm and disdainful, he remains in control even when surrounded and repeatedly demonstrates that the attackers have underestimated him.
• The Corpse Emperor begins the battle arrogant and contemptuous, convinced the Underworld can exploit Li Ming’s age. His confidence hardens into defiance, but ends in his death.
• The other Dark Supremes shift from certainty of victory to disbelief and fear as their strongest weapons, transformations, and elixirs fail to stop Li Ming.
• The Beast God and Roc Emperor join the assault for the promised reward of Li Ming’s Chaos Origin, but are caught off guard by Li Ming’s attack during Extreme Sublimation.

Character interactions

• The Underworld Supremes reject Li Ming’s appeal to his past standing as an equal of their founder, the Netherworld Venerable, and demand his Chaotic Blood and Chaos Origin.
• Li Ming answers their contempt with direct challenges and overwhelming force, repeatedly singling out the weakest or most exposed opponents.
• The Corpse Emperor refuses to submit, asserting that neither the Netherworld Venerable nor Li Ming can make him bow.
• The other forbidden-zone Supremes join the Underworld’s attack, but their cooperation only gives Li Ming more targets.

Significant themes

• Declining appearance versus enduring power: Li Ming looks close to death, yet his strength does not fade as expected.
• Arrogance and misjudgment: The attackers mistake age and visible decay for weakness, and their confidence repeatedly proves fatal.
• Power at a cost: Extreme Sublimation and the Nine-Revolution Immortal Elixir offer temporary strength, but neither guarantees victory.
• The danger of exploitable moments: Li Ming turns the Supremes’ vulnerable transformation into an opening for sudden kills.

Key plot points and events

• After Li Ming kills the Corpse Emperor, the Beast God, Roc Emperor, Ghost Emperor, and Skeleton Emperor try to flee using the Kunlun Immortal Bell. Li Ming catches and kills the four, while the bell abandons its allies and escapes.
• Li Ming remains inside the formation, deliberately appearing near death to draw out more enemies. The Tongtian Nether Treasure arrives with the Source God and Source Ghost, hoping to seize his Chaos Origin.
• The Dark Supremes turn the Immortal Weapon against Li Ming. He repels it, uses its momentum to kill one Supreme, then smashes the Tongtian Nether Treasure apart.
• Li Ming breaks through the formation and kills the Source God, Source Ghost, and Light-Dark Supreme. The remaining Dark Supremes launch a final coordinated assault, but Li Ming slaughters them all in a catastrophic battle within the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland.
• The battlefield is left in ruins. Li Ming appears lifeless, his body drifting through space as his Chaos Essence Blood spills into the void. The surviving Dark Supremes eye his remains, and the Lord of the Ancient Mine of Beginnings is the first to move toward him.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ming reveals that his apparent weakness was largely a ruse: despite looking ancient and dying, he possesses overwhelming strength and controls the battle. He shows no mercy to the attackers or to weapons that betray their masters.
• The Dark Supremes shift from confidence and greed to fear and desperation. Even after witnessing Li Ming’s power, they continue attacking because they hope to claim his Chaos Origin and believe retreat would leave them with nothing.
• The Kunlun Immortal Bell acts solely to save itself, sacrificing the Beast God and Roc Emperor rather than helping its allies.
• The Source Ghost dies lamenting his pursuit of eternal life and a Chaotic Body, only to be killed by one.

Significant themes

• Arrogance and greed invite destruction: the Supremes’ desire for Li Ming’s power leads them into a slaughter.
• Betrayal and self-preservation: the Kunlun Immortal Bell abandons its allies when danger becomes real.
• The illusion of weakness: Li Ming’s frail appearance conceals a power that steadily overturns his enemies’ expectations.
• The cost of pursuing immortality: the Dark Supremes’ long quest for eternal life ends in ruin, while the battle itself threatens the stability of the world.

Chapter Summary

• Demon Venerable’s apparent death: After fighting more than twenty Dark Supremes, Demon Venerable falls into the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland, grievously wounded. His heavenly heart imprint and Dao appear to shatter, and his primordial spirit cannot be detected. With dangerous Dao and Immortal Dao runes surrounding his body, human Quasi-Emperors cannot reach him.
• The universe reacts: Many believe Demon Venerable’s attempt to become a Red Dust Immortal has ended in failure. Some blame his pride for refusing Emperor Zun’s invitation to become an immortal, while others mourn him and fear renewed conflict over his corpse, chaotic origin, and essence blood. Several Quasi-Emperors who try to approach the battlefield are killed or badly injured.
• The trap is revealed: The Lord of Taichu enters the battlefield, intending to seize Demon Venerable’s chaotic origin and blood. His attack is concealed by the Light of Taichu and the power of an Immortal Sword. But Demon Venerable suddenly sits up: his death and the collapse of his Dao were a deception designed to draw out anyone seeking his corpse.
• Demon Venerable strikes back: He punches the Lord of Taichu, blasting apart half his body. The Lord regenerates, then argues that Demon Venerable is genuinely old and badly injured, and may not be able to attack again. Demon Venerable remains defiant as the two prepare for a real confrontation.
• A new mystery: Demon Venerable recognizes the Lord of Taichu’s unusual body as resembling a True Immortal corpse awakened into a Corpse Spirit. He questions why someone who already possesses a True Immortal body still covets his chaotic origin.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Demon Venerable (Li Ming) proves more calculating than his observers realized. Though wounded, he uses his apparent death to bait a rival, and his calm, mocking composure contrasts with the desperation others assumed he felt.
• The Lord of Taichu drops his guise as a venerable elder and reveals a predatory, sinister nature. His confidence in his plan turns to fury and alarm when Demon Venerable exposes the deception and wounds him.
• The human Quasi-Emperors remain devoted to Demon Venerable, but their concern is paired with helplessness: they cannot enter the deadly battlefield or protect his body.
• The Dark Supremes watch rather than intervene, each wary of rivals and quietly pleased when another Supreme might be eliminated.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Demon Venerable’s apparent death, the broken Dao, and the Lord of Taichu’s respectable façade all conceal more than they reveal.
• Ambition and betrayal: The Lord’s attempt to exploit a presumed death reflects the ruthless competition among the Dark Supremes.
• The price of immortality: The universe debates Demon Venerable’s pursuit of the Red Dust Immortal path, contrasting it with the supposedly safer offer he rejected.
• Uncertainty and power: Even the greatest figures cannot easily judge who is truly defeated, and the struggle over Demon Venerable’s remains threatens to reshape the universe’s balance.

Key plot points and events

• The Lord of Taichu reveals that he wants to steal Li Ming’s chaotic body, believing it could let him surpass his true-immortal state and become an Immortal King. He recounts his origins: born from a true-immortal corpse in the Immortal Domain, he fell into this world and eventually became a Supreme.
• Li Ming recognizes Taichu’s connection to the Saint Spirit Immortal Embryo in the Ancient Mine of Beginnings. Taichu realizes the original Primordial Immortal Fetus may still be alive, but remains fixated on taking Li Ming’s body.
• Taichu springs his trap, using black mist and grand-dao chains to imprison Li Ming. Li Ming breaks the restraints effortlessly, reveals his overwhelming strength, and begins dismantling Taichu in battle.
• The clash shocks the universe: observers learn that Li Ming survived his apparent death, and many speculate that his Dao and cultivation have advanced beyond the usual limits.
• Li Ming disarms Taichu, seizes and destroys the weapon spirit of his Immortal Sword, then quickly refines the weapon. Taichu grows increasingly desperate, even swallowing some of Li Ming’s blood to strengthen himself.
• Li Ming admits privately that his death was feigned and that he had already begun another life. He defeats Taichu, captures his primordial spirit, and tortures it for information when Taichu refuses to cooperate.
• Taichu’s final hidden form is exposed: he is a Nine Netherworld Ao, a member of a legendary, monstrous lineage able to devour and refine worlds. He transforms and launches a last attack, but Li Ming overwhelms him with Immortal Ascension Light and prepares to kill him.

Character developments

• Li Ming remains calm and dominant despite his visible injuries. His apparent frailty proves misleading: he has already begun a new life and is far stronger than his opponents—and the watching universe—realized. He is also pragmatic and ruthless, using captured weapons to interrogate Taichu.
• The Lord of Taichu shifts from arrogant confidence to disbelief, fear, and desperation. His ambition to become an Immortal King drives his attempted possession, while his hidden Nine Nether nature becomes a final, desperate weapon.

Significant themes

• Ambition and corruption: Taichu’s desire to escape his limits through possession is portrayed as a dangerous shortcut that ultimately fails.
• Appearance versus reality: Li Ming’s wounded, dying appearance conceals his strength and deliberate deception.
• Evolution and transformation: The chapter links new lives, changing bodies, and powerful lineages to the pursuit of higher realms.
• Power and survival: Taichu’s final transformation cannot overcome Li Ming’s superior cultivation and control.

Character interactions

• Taichu tries to persuade Li Ming that his body is destined to be taken; Li Ming rejects his reasoning and mocks his assumptions.
• Their battle becomes an increasingly one-sided struggle, with Li Ming taking Taichu’s sword and breaking down his defenses.
• During the soul interrogation, Taichu pleads and offers treasures and Immortal Domain techniques, but Li Ming refuses to bargain.
• Their confrontation ends with Taichu’s concealed true form exposed and Li Ming poised to finish him.

Key plot points and events

• Li Ming defeats the Lord of Taichu’s final attempt to escape death. His superior divine thought and the Immortal Dao Runes in his saber suppress the Lord’s self-immolation, allowing Li Ming to refine his Primordial Spirit and obtain the Nine Nether Secret Art.
• He studies the art by transforming into a Nine Nether and devouring vast stretches of the Chaos Sea. The experience reveals its immense power, though using it makes his temperament feel more savage.
• After completing his Fifth Lifetime, Li Ming sheds his aged appearance and reemerges as a young man, radiating overwhelming vitality. News of his survival and victory over more than twenty Dark Supremes spreads throughout the world; humanity celebrates, while surviving Supremes fear his coming retaliation.
• Li Ming returns to the Undying Mountain and enters its Fire Domain, where he takes hold of its mysterious Immortal Flame without harm. He uses it to melt Immortal Gold and strengthen the Heaven-Burying Coffin.
• He then gathers eighty-one Dark Supreme skins, along with their remains, and begins forging them into a Myriad Souls Banner. Dark Supreme bones form its pole, while Immortal Dao Runes are inscribed on the banner.

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ming’s victory confirms that his divine thought has surpassed the Lord of Taichu’s, despite the latter’s True Immortal Body. By entering a Fifth Lifetime, Li Ming is renewed and stronger, with no need to maintain his former disguise.
• His study of the Nine Nether art expands his understanding of ancient cultivation methods, but its bestial influence poses a subtle danger to his temperament.
• The Lord of Taichu, having failed to turn the battle around, is completely refined by Li Ming; his essence provides both the secret art and its knowledge.
• The onlooking Dark Supremes react with a mixture of terror and envy: they fear Li Ming’s power, yet covet the treasures he has accumulated.

Significant themes

• Rebirth and renewal: Li Ming’s Fifth Lifetime transforms an apparent decline into a triumphant new beginning.
• Power and survival: His victory overturns expectations and establishes him as the unrivaled force of the era.
• Cultivation through inheritance and adaptation: Ancient arts offer valuable insight, but Li Ming’s own path remains distinct.
• Pragmatic use of power: Li Ming converts his enemies’ bodies and weapons into resources, disregarding conventions about the dignity of defeated Supremes.
• Mystery and legacy: The Immortal Flame and Heaven-Burying Coffin hint at deeper connections to ancient figures and events.

Chapter Summary: “Collecting Rent from the Dark Supremes of the Ancient Mine of Beginnings”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming completes the Myriad Souls Banner, forging it from the skins and remains of eighty-one Dark Supremes. Its pole can function as a spear or staff, while its banner cloth contains the imprints and Great Dao auras of its victims.
• The weapon is tempered by a world-shaking Heavenly Tribulation and absorbs the universe’s resentment, curses, corpse aura, death aura, yin energy, and Emperor Fiend Aura. It develops a powerful Weapon Deity and appears capable of evolving further by devouring more powerful beings.
• The banner’s terrifying presence frightens the Dark Supremes across the Forbidden Zones. Its Weapon Deity even provocatively invites them to enter the banner and “enjoy the blessings of immortality.”
• Li Ming declares that the remaining Dark Supremes may become the banner’s future victims and travels to the Ancient Mine of Beginnings, intending to demand compensation from its inhabitants.
• More than twenty Dark Supremes reside within the mine, including the Myriad Dragon Emperor, Blood Phoenix Ancient Emperor, and Golden Ancient Emperor. Several are attempting to transform into Sacred Spirits within the Sacred Spirit Mountains.
• The mine’s inhabitants awaken and confront Li Ming, but his power and the Myriad Souls Banner overwhelm them. Their attacks are ineffective, and the banner absorbs their laws as nourishment.
• The Myriad Dragon Emperor is chosen to negotiate because the former Lord of Taichu is dead. The Dark Supremes argue that the Lord of Taichu’s crimes should not implicate them.
• Li Ming rejects their reasoning, claiming that because they knew of the plot against him and failed to report it, they share responsibility. Since he killed the Lord of Taichu, he declares the Ancient Mine of Beginnings his territory and demands that everyone living there pay “rent.”
• Faced with Li Ming’s overwhelming strength, the Dark Supremes realize they cannot resist and must surrender wealth to avoid destruction.

Character Developments

• Li Ming becomes even more domineering and ruthless. He treats the Ancient Mine of Beginnings as conquered property and uses the “rent” demand to humiliate and extort its inhabitants.
• His admiration for the future Ruthless Empress is revealed. He has consciously imitated her methods, including refining former bodies into weapons and creating techniques modeled after her.
• The Myriad Souls Banner develops unusual intelligence and ambition, seemingly influenced by the countless Dark Supreme souls within it. It behaves almost like an independent predator.
• The Myriad Dragon Emperor, once hostile and powerful, is forced into the role of negotiator. Although he tries to project authority, he is visibly intimidated by Li Ming.
• The Golden Ancient Emperor attempts to reason with Li Ming but speaks with concealed fear, revealing how much Li Ming’s recent victories have weakened the Dark Supremes’ confidence.
• The Blood Phoenix Ancient Emperor tries to mediate and distinguish the guilty Dark Supremes from the uninvolved ones, but Li Ming refuses compromise.
• The remaining Dark Supremes grow resentful toward the dead Lord of Taichu, the Light Emperor, and their allies for provoking Li Ming and leaving everyone else to pay the consequences.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Li Ming’s strength has become so overwhelming that even numerous Dark Supremes cannot challenge him openly.
• Humiliation and reversal of hierarchy: Former rulers of the world are reduced to materials for Li Ming’s weapon and are now forced to pay him tribute.
• Predation and evolution: The Myriad Souls Banner embodies endless growth through the absorption of stronger beings, suggesting that power can continually feed upon itself.
• Responsibility and collective punishment: Li Ming argues that those who knew of the conspiracy but remained silent are also guilty, allowing him to justify punishing the entire Ancient Mine.
• Imitation and legacy: Li Ming’s weapon and cultivation methods pay tribute to the Ruthless Empress, showing how admired figures influence his identity and actions.
• Fear among the powerful: The chapter emphasizes that even ancient, near-immortal beings become helpless when confronted by a force beyond their understanding.

Character Interactions

• The Myriad Souls Banner openly taunts and invites the Dark Supremes to become part of it.
• The Myriad Dragon Emperor formally questions Li Ming’s intrusion, but Li Ming ignores his authority and treats him as a subordinate.
• The Golden Ancient Emperor argues that Li Ming has already punished the actual conspirators, while Li Ming insists that silence and association constitute guilt.
• The Blood Phoenix Ancient Emperor attempts to calm Li Ming and defend the uninvolved Dark Supremes, but Li Ming dismisses the appeal.
• The Dark Supremes collectively shift from defiance to resignation, recognizing that negotiation is merely a way to determine how much wealth they must surrender.

Chapter Summary: Subduing the Ancient Mine of Beginnings

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming enters the depths of the Ancient Mine of Beginnings and collects half of its Primordial Life Stones. Although the Dark Supremes are angered, none dare oppose him after his recent slaughter of more than twenty Dark Supremes.
• He discovers a powerful Dragon Vein that supplies much of the mine’s Light of Taichu, vitality, Primordial Life Stones, and sealing power. The Dark Supremes beg him not to remove it, warning that doing so would severely weaken the forbidden zone.
• Li Ming initially threatens to take the Dragon Vein or demand the Dark Supremes’ skins for his Myriad Souls Banner. He ultimately agrees to leave the main Dragon Vein intact in exchange for treasures, including Nine Immortal Metals and Immortal Medicine fruits.
• He then claims the remaining possessions of the slain Lord of Taichu, Light Emperor, and other Dark Supremes. He searches the Lord of Taichu’s former sanctuary and discovers:
  • The placenta-like site where Taichu was originally nurtured.
  • A special Dragon Vein connected to the placenta.
  • The nearly dormant Humanoid Immortal Medicine, preserved in ancient Snow-Ice Source.
  • Numerous treasures accumulated by the Lord of Taichu.
• Li Ming takes the Humanoid Immortal Medicine, the placenta, the independent nurturing Dragon Vein, countless treasures, and several Immortal Platforms containing powerful Dao remnants and Immortal Dao Runes.
• He deliberately leaves the Spirit Mountain nurturing Sacred Spirit embryos, hoping the Dark Supremes there will successfully transform and provide a peaceful example for others.
• News of Li Ming’s looting spreads, shocking the Primordial Imperial Clans and greatly inspiring the Human Race. Ancient Emperors warn the imperial clans not to provoke humans associated with the Demon Venerable.
• Instead of returning to cultivate, Li Ming proceeds directly toward the Heaven Forbidden Zone, specifically Burial Heaven Island. He intends to punish it for coveting his Chaotic Body Origin and believes the zone should eventually return to Earth and Mount Tai.
• Li Ming discovers that Burial Heaven Island contains the “Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin” terrain, extensive Immortal Dao formations, and many ruins taken from the fallen Ancient Heavenly Court.
• Twelve Dark Supremes of the Heaven Forbidden Zone emerge and undergo Extreme Sublimation to restore their peak strength. They call on the other forbidden zones for help, warning that Li Ming’s campaign against them will eventually threaten everyone.

Character Developments

• Li Ming becomes even more dominant and feared. He acts as an extortionist rather than an indiscriminate destroyer, showing that he can compromise when a treasure is not personally important or when preserving it avoids needless slaughter.
• His interest in the Humanoid Immortal Medicine reveals a deeper goal: understanding Immortal Medicines and developing a method to live through repeated lifetimes.
• Li Ming’s actions also show a growing sense of responsibility toward humanity and Earth. His desire to reclaim the Heaven Forbidden Zone for Mount Tai suggests that his connection to Earth remains important.
• The Dark Supremes of the Ancient Mine are reduced to helpless submission. They recognize that even their combined strength cannot reliably defeat Li Ming at his current peak.
• The Dark Supremes of the Heaven Forbidden Zone are more desperate and confrontational. Unlike the Ancient Mine’s inhabitants, they choose immediate resistance and attempt to unite the forbidden zones against Li Ming.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and submission: Li Ming’s victories have shifted the balance of power. Once-feared forbidden zones now negotiate with him from a position of weakness.
• Extortion versus extermination: Li Ming presents himself as collecting “rent,” allowing him to seize resources while claiming he does not intend to destroy every Dark Supreme.
• Immortality and rebirth: The Humanoid Immortal Medicine represents the possibility of living a new Lifetime, reinforcing the chapter’s focus on transformation, Nirvana, and the pursuit of immortality.
• Legacy and hidden origins: The placenta, Dragon Veins, and Immortal Platforms connect the present conflict to ancient beings, the Perfect Era, and the fallen Heavenly Court.
• Political consequences of individual strength: Li Ming’s actions inspire humanity, terrify the Primordial Imperial Clans, and force the forbidden zones to consider forming a united front.
• Return to Earth: His intention to reclaim Burial Heaven Island for Mount Tai introduces a broader mission beyond personal cultivation or treasure gathering.

Character Interactions

• The Ancient Mine’s Dark Supremes repeatedly plead with Li Ming to spare their primary Dragon Vein. Their fear and submission contrast sharply with their former status as rulers of a forbidden zone.
• Li Ming bargains with them through threats, offering to leave the Dragon Vein untouched only if they provide valuable treasures.
• He gives the Dark Supremes a superficially cordial farewell, even suggesting they may one day meet in the Immortal Domain and discuss immortality, though they respond with silent resignation.
• Li Ming’s actions toward the Sacred Spirit embryos show a rare degree of restraint: he refuses to seize the Spirit Mountain because he believes their transformation may reduce future bloodshed.
• At the Heaven Forbidden Zone, the twelve Dark Supremes attempt to rally support from the other forbidden zones, portraying Li Ming as a hypocritical menace whose previous claims of peaceful coexistence cannot be trusted.
• Their appeal appears to succeed, as powerful auras rise from other forbidden zones, setting up a large-scale confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Trample Heaven”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The revived Myriad Souls Banner releases terrifying black mist across the Life Forbidden Zones, frightening the hidden Dark Supremes before the battle even begins.
• Li Ming declares that the Heaven Forbidden Zone belongs to him, challenging anyone who disagrees to fight.
• A Dark Supreme is instantly killed and absorbed by the Myriad Souls Banner, establishing the overwhelming danger of Li Ming and his weapons.
• Li Ming destroys more than a dozen Extreme Dao Weapons with one punch and begins slaughtering the Dark Supremes with his signature Flying Immortal Power and Immortal Ascension Light.
• The remaining Dark Supremes unite, burn their Origin Essence Blood, and undergo Extreme Sublimation in an attempt to overwhelm him. Their attacks vanish into the black-hole-like space surrounding Li Ming, while his punches kill them one by one.
• The Myriad Souls Banner absorbs the fallen Dark Supremes, growing stronger and transforming their remains into terrifying Emperor Fiend Aura. The black mist pursues and corrodes the survivors, making the battlefield resemble a ghost realm.
• Even attempts to use the Light of Dao Transformation fail. The Dark Supremes are trapped, devoured, and mocked by the Banner’s Weapon Deity, which casually describes one victim as tasting good.
• The Heavenly Demonic Saber independently kills a Dark Supreme attempting a suicidal attack, demonstrating that Li Ming’s weapons alone are now sufficient to eliminate imperial-level enemies.
• The last two Dark Supremes launch a final, desperate attack using Dao-Dissolving Fire. Li Ming calmly captures both in one hand and crushes them before feeding their remains to the Myriad Souls Banner.
• All twelve Dark Supremes of the Heaven Forbidden Zone are destroyed. Their corpses, weapons, blood, and treasures are collected, greatly strengthening the Myriad Souls Banner.
• Li Ming enters and claims the Heaven Forbidden Zone, discovering Burial Heaven Island, whose terrain resembles the “Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin” formation. Knowing its true origin, he identifies it as the sacred summit of Mount Tai.
• News of the victory spreads throughout the universe. Humans and powerful cosmic races alike proclaim Li Ming the Demon Venerable, recognizing him as unmatched beneath heaven.

Character Developments

• Li Ming fully demonstrates his transformed, peak-state power. He has progressed from being merely feared to becoming an unquestionably invincible existence capable of effortlessly destroying multiple Dark Supremes.
• His confidence and authority grow more explicit: he openly claims the Heaven Forbidden Zone and treats the resistance of ancient emperors as insignificant.
• Li Ming increasingly resembles a mythic, immortal-level sovereign. He does not need to rely on his weapons during the final battle, personally crushing the last two Dark Supremes with ease.
• The Myriad Souls Banner evolves rapidly by devouring the Dark Supremes, their Primordial Spirits, bodies, weapons, and Origin Essence Blood. Its Weapon Deity becomes more animated, boastful, and contemptuous.
• The Heavenly Demonic Saber also displays independent lethality, automatically intercepting and killing an enemy without requiring Li Ming’s direct command.
• The Dark Supremes’ pride collapses into desperation. Though they initially believe their imperial dignity and combined strength can defeat Li Ming, they ultimately realize that neither cooperation, sacrifice, nor Dao Transformation can close the gap.

Significant Themes

• Absolute power and domination: Li Ming’s victory establishes him as an overwhelming force who can suppress an entire Dark Restricted Area alone.
• The decline of former supreme beings: The Dark Supremes were once rulers of the world, but their ancient status offers no protection against Li Ming’s current strength.
• Fear as authority: Li Ming’s reputation alone prevents many Dark Supremes from emerging, while his public declaration forces the entire universe to recognize his supremacy.
• Consumption and transformation: The Myriad Souls Banner becomes stronger by devouring its enemies, turning their deaths into additional destructive power.
• Dignity versus survival: The Dark Supremes refuse to surrender because of their pride as ancient emperors, choosing desperate final attacks even when defeat is certain.
• Myth becoming reality: Li Ming adopts Ye Fan’s famous declaration—“I am the Demon Venerable. I shall suppress and kill all enemies beneath heaven”—and makes it his own symbol of invincibility.
• Revelation of ancient origins: Burial Heaven Island’s connection to Mount Tai and the “Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin” imagery links the present conflict to deeper mysteries from the Chaotic Ancient Era.

Character Interactions

• Li Ming openly challenges the Dark Supremes, but most avoid responding because they fear the consequences of provoking him.
• The Dark Supremes attempt to cooperate and surround Li Ming, relying on their numbers and imperial pride, but their combined attacks cannot even touch him.
• Several Dark Supremes encourage the others to fight to the death, arguing that killing Li Ming could provide enough Chaos Origin to sustain them for another Lifetime.
• Li Ming offers no negotiation or mercy, answering every challenge with overwhelming force.
• The Myriad Souls Banner interacts mockingly with the defeated Dark Supremes, treating their remains as food rather than respecting them as former emperors.
• The Heavenly Demonic Saber and Myriad Souls Banner function almost autonomously alongside Li Ming, efficiently killing and consuming enemies while he observes or intervenes only when necessary.
• By the end, the entire universe becomes an indirect participant: countless races and observers witness the battle and collectively acknowledge Li Ming as the sole sovereign of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating every Dark Supreme in the Heaven Forbidden Zone, Li Ming investigates its unique terrain. He discovers nine Dragon Veins surrounding a coffin-shaped divine island, resembling the legendary “Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin.” At its center is an ancient cave filled with immortal energy and longevity aura, explaining why the forbidden zone served as a refuge for countless Dark Supremes.
• Li Ming finds traces indicating that a coffin once rested there—its shape and size matching the Heaven-Burying Coffin he forged. Although he attempts to trace the past with secret techniques, the many Dark Supremes and karmic forces prevent him from uncovering the truth.
• He relocates Burial Heaven Island to Undying Mountain but does not yet return it to Earth. His destruction of the Heaven Forbidden Zone terrifies the other forbidden zones, making them realize that his campaigns are intended not only to punish opponents but also to extort treasures and protection payments.
• Li Ming next targets the Divine Ruins Forbidden Zone. The Divine Ruins are revealed to be extraordinarily ancient, possibly remnants of a Heavenly Court that fell from the Immortal Domain before Emperor Zun’s era. They later became part of Emperor Zun’s Ancient Heavenly Court and contain numerous divine formations, Immortal Dao runes, and ancient ruins.
• The Lord of the Divine Ruins attempts to rally more than twenty Dark Supremes to attack Li Ming. However, when he emerges and undergoes Extreme Sublimation, every other Supreme retreats and leaves him alone. Li Ming mocks the situation, declaring that he will kill only the Lord of the Divine Ruins if the others surrender treasures.
• The Lord of the Divine Ruins is brutally killed. His body, Immortal Platform, and Primordial Spirit are destroyed, and the Myriad Souls Banner devours him. The remaining Dark Supremes accept Li Ming’s extortion rather than risk their own deaths.
• Li Ming collects Immortal Gold and other treasures from the Divine Ruins. Several Dark Supremes who lack Immortal Gold are forced to offer their own shed skin, including the skin of a mysterious non-Dragon Primordial Species. He also obtains a rare Fortune Origin Eye.
• While exploring the Divine Ruins, Li Ming discovers the tomb of Ruins’ Daughter on a bloodstained crimson mountain. He realizes that both she and the previous Lord of the Divine Ruins—figures who survived into Ye Fan’s era in the original timeline—had actually died hundreds of thousands of years earlier in this altered world.

Character Developments

• Li Ming grows increasingly dominant and confident. He acts as an untouchable ruler of the forbidden zones, combining overwhelming strength with calculated extortion rather than indiscriminate slaughter.
• He also shows curiosity and caution when investigating the Nine Dragons terrain, the Heaven-Burying Coffin, and the altered history of the Divine Ruins.
• The Lord of the Divine Ruins is portrayed as arrogant and overly confident. His attempt to organize resistance collapses when his allies abandon him, leaving him isolated and ultimately killed.
• The other Dark Supremes become increasingly cowardly and pragmatic. They willingly betray their leader and surrender treasures to preserve their own lives.
• Li Ming’s thoughts about the Fortune Origin Eye reveal his concern for his children and descendants, as he considers which of them should inherit it.
• His discovery of Ruins’ Daughter’s altered fate reinforces his awareness that his influence is reshaping the timeline and changing the destinies of major figures.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: Li Ming’s reputation alone is enough to paralyze entire forbidden zones and prevent coordinated resistance.
• Self-preservation and betrayal: The Divine Ruins’ Dark Supremes abandon their leader immediately, showing that alliances built on fear and mutual benefit collapse when survival is at stake.
• Extortion as political control: Li Ming does not seek to exterminate every Dark Supreme. Instead, he kills a symbolic challenger and forces the rest to pay tribute, establishing dominance while preserving useful resources.
• Altered history and fate: Events and characters known from the original timeline have changed drastically because of Li Ming’s presence. The deaths of Ruins’ Daughter and the former Lord of the Divine Ruins highlight how profoundly the world’s history has diverged.
• Ancient mysteries: The chapter deepens the mystery surrounding the Nine Dragons Pulling a Coffin, the Heaven-Burying Coffin, the Immortal Domain, and the origins of the Divine Ruins.
• Death and the passage of time: The longevity aura, ancient tombs, ruined Heavenly Courts, and surviving bloodstains all emphasize the immense timescale of the world and the persistence of ancient legacies.

Character Interactions

• Li Ming’s presence terrifies the Dark Supremes across the forbidden zones, influencing their decisions before he even arrives.
• The Lord of the Divine Ruins calls upon his fellow Supremes to fight, but they silently betray him by refusing to emerge.
• Li Ming addresses the hidden Dark Supremes directly, offering them survival in exchange for treasures while singling out their abandoned leader for execution.
• The Dark Supremes respond pragmatically, handing over Immortal Gold, rare materials, their own skins, and the Fortune Origin Eye.
• Li Ming’s interaction with the remains of Ruins’ Daughter is indirect but emotionally significant: examining her tomb causes him to reflect on the altered timeline and the growing consequences of his actions.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming discovers two powerful imprints near the Immortal Tear Green Gold mirror: a green lotus belonging to Snow Lotus Fairy and a Jade Ruyi belonging to Xiao Yao, suggesting both Dao companions had visited the Divine Ruins after attaining Emperor Enlightenment.
• He suspects their unexplained visits may be connected to the death of Ruins’ Daughter, though he cannot determine the truth.
• Li Ming locates his lost Devouring Heaven Demon Jar inside the enormous coffin on the blood-stained platform. The jar had been made from his discarded First Lifetime body and somehow ended up in the Divine Ruins.
• The coffin is covered in thick green “hair,” revealing that Ruins’ Daughter’s corpse has undergone a terrifying curse or corpse transformation.
• When the coffin begins to awaken, Li Ming opens it without hesitation. A green-haired corpse attacks him, but his defenses completely nullify its assault.
• Inside, he finds Ruins’ Daughter submerged in ancient blood, alongside her Eternal Blue Gold scepter. He destroys the evil spirit possessing her corpse with Immortal Ascension Light and burns away the corpse hair with Chaos Flame.
• Li Ming retrieves the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar and throws it into the universe, intending for it to eventually reach someone destined to inherit it.
• After examining the scepter, Li Ming discovers hidden writing revealing that Ruins’ Daughter had secretly loved and admired him throughout her life.
• A jade statue of Li Ming falls from the scepter, confirming the depth of her devotion.

2. Character Developments

• Li Ming: Remains overwhelmingly confident and powerful, showing no fear toward the corpse transformation or the awakened evil spirit. He becomes curious and unsettled when he learns that Ruins’ Daughter loved him and searched the universe for him during his long slumber.
• Snow Lotus Fairy and Xiao Yao: Their mysterious marks imply that they independently explored the Divine Ruins or other forbidden zones after becoming powerful. Their undisclosed actions hint at secrets Li Ming has not yet uncovered.
• Ruins’ Daughter: Revealed not merely as a minor historical figure but as a brilliant Alternative Enlightenment cultivator who admired Li Ming, hoped he was still alive, and spent her life searching for him. Her preserved corpse was cursed and transformed after death.
• Lord of the Divine Ruins: His devotion to his daughter is evident through the enormous coffin, protective mirror, and preservation of her corpse, though Li Ming criticizes him for allowing her remains to be cursed.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden connections across history: The imprints of Li Ming’s companions and the location of his demon jar suggest that past events are more closely tied to him than he realized.
• Love and remembrance: Ruins’ Daughter’s lifelong admiration, search for Li Ming, and statue of him emphasize devotion surviving even across vast distances, time, and death.
• Power and mortality: Although Ruins’ Daughter reached an extraordinary cultivation realm, she still died and became vulnerable to corpse transformation, contrasting with Li Ming’s near-invulnerability.
• Legacy and fate: Li Ming deliberately sends the Devouring Heaven Demon Jar away so it can find a future inheritor, continuing the cycle of inheritance and destiny.
• The danger of forbidden powers: The green-haired corpse, mysterious curse, blood-filled coffin, and black mist reinforce the horror and unpredictability of the forbidden zones.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Ming confronts Ruins’ Daughter’s awakened corpse, allowing it to attack him before effortlessly destroying the possessing evil spirit.
• The Immortal Tear Green Gold mirror responds protectively to the disturbance, suppressing the black mist and stabilizing the mountain, while seemingly accepting Li Ming’s presence.
• Li Ming interacts indirectly with Snow Lotus Fairy and Xiao Yao through their lingering marks, deepening his suspicion that they know more about the Divine Ruins.
• His discovery of Ruins’ Daughter’s hidden confession creates an unexpected emotional connection between them, despite her being dead and their never having met in person.

Chapter Summary: “Smashing the Underworld”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ming, known as the Demon Venerable, finishes dealing with the Divine Ruins Forbidden Zone and takes away the blood-colored divine mountain containing a statue of himself. The statue’s resemblance to him evokes complicated feelings, especially because it is connected to the “Ruins’ Daughter.”
• He visits the Immortal Mausoleum Forbidden Zone. Rather than fight, its Dark Supremes offer Immortal Gold, Immortal Medicine, Supreme skins, and other treasures to prove they had not participated in the plot against him. Satisfied, Li Ming accepts the tribute and leaves.
• At the Heaven-Severing Mountain Forbidden Zone, the Sacred Spirits also surrender treasures to avoid destruction. Among the offerings is the rare Black Tortoise Immortal Medicine, an unexpected and valuable gain for Li Ming.
• Li Ming then sends out the Myriad Souls Banner, which has grown immensely powerful after absorbing the skins and Dao auras of more than a hundred Dark Supremes. The weapon intimidates numerous smaller Forbidden Zones into paying tribute. Those unable to provide sufficient treasures are forced to surrender their Supreme skins.
• The Dark Supremes resent and fear Li Ming but refuse to confront him. They comfort themselves by believing that time will eventually end his life and that he will fail on the Red Dust Immortal Path.
• Li Ming discovers that the Underworld Forbidden Zone has secretly fled into Chaos to avoid paying tribute. Using fragments of the Tongtian Nether Treasure and remnants connected to the Underworld, he deduces its location and attacks it directly.
• Within the Underworld, the Myriad Souls Banner devours countless yin soldiers, generals, Yin Gods, and ancient bones. It also captures the Prison-Suppressing Emperor and Yama Emperor, who are weakened and close to needing another Dark Turmoil. The Heavenly Demonic Saber kills both of them before they can resist.
• With the Underworld subdued, Li Ming effectively controls or dominates nearly every major Forbidden Zone. He has killed more than thirty Dark Supremes in this campaign, achieving an unprecedented victory.
• Despite his success, Li Ming still cannot locate the Undying Heavenly Emperor, who is likely hiding and recovering after devouring the Solar and Lunar Saint Emperors.

Character Developments

• Li Ming/Demon Venerable: His dominance over the Dark Restricted Areas becomes nearly absolute. He shifts from personally enforcing his authority to using the Myriad Souls Banner as an independent weapon of intimidation and punishment. He is increasingly confident, calculating, and unconcerned with the hatred of the Dark Supremes.
• The Dark Supremes: They have been psychologically defeated. Once powerful rulers, they now submit to Li Ming, pay protection tribute, and endure humiliation rather than risk death. Their hopes rest almost entirely on Li Ming eventually dying through failed transformations.
• The Myriad Souls Banner: The banner evolves into a terrifying demonic weapon, strengthened by the skins, remains, and Dao auras of more than a hundred Dark Supremes. Its power now rivals an Immortal Weapon, and it shows signs of possessing its own sinister will and potential for further growth.
• Prison-Suppressing Emperor and Yama Emperor: Both are revealed to be physically and spiritually exhausted. Their survival depends on launching another Dark Turmoil, but Li Ming kills them before they can replenish themselves.
• Undying Heavenly Emperor: Though absent from the main events, he is portrayed as a master ambusher who has preyed upon countless powerful figures during moments of weakness. His survival and hidden preparations make him Li Ming’s remaining major concern.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming power and domination: Li Ming’s strength has become so great that entire Forbidden Zones choose surrender over resistance.
• The decline of former rulers: The Dark Supremes, once symbols of power and longevity, are reduced to bargaining for survival and surrendering parts of themselves.
• Time versus immortality: The Dark Supremes believe time will eventually defeat even Li Ming, while Li Ming continues pursuing the Red Dust Immortal Path and challenging the assumption that all beings must ultimately decay.
• Fear, humiliation, and survival: The weaker Forbidden Zones submit not because they accept Li Ming’s authority, but because fear of death outweighs their pride.
• Retribution and consequence: Those who attacked or plotted against Li Ming are killed, while those who remain neutral and offer tribute are spared.
• The dangers of unchecked ambition: The Undying Heavenly Emperor’s history of ambushing powerful figures illustrates the destructive and paranoid struggle among beings seeking eternal life.

Character Interactions

• The Immortal Mausoleum and Heaven-Severing Mountain Supremes negotiate with Li Ming by insisting they did not participate in the attack against him and offering treasures as compensation.
• The Myriad Souls Banner openly provokes the Dark Supremes, inviting them to merge into it while forcing them to surrender tribute. Its taunts intensify their humiliation.
• Li Ming’s relationship with the Dark Supremes is entirely one-sided: they fear and resent him, while he views their emotions as irrelevant unless they become an active threat.
• The Prison-Suppressing Emperor and Yama Emperor attempt to flee and presumably plead for mercy, but Li Ming’s weapons kill them without allowing meaningful negotiation.
• Li Ming reflects on the Undying Heavenly Emperor’s past attacks on figures such as the Beginningless Emperor, the Ruthless Empress, and other Red Dust Immortals, emphasizing how many powerful beings have become his enemies.

Plot points and events

• More than a million years after his previous visit, Li Ming returns to the Underworld. With the Myriad Souls Banner, he effortlessly devours nearly all its inhabitants, including Quasi-Emperors.
• In the Yellow Springs, he finds an ancient corpse in a strange yellow-clay coffin. The Corpse Emperor had placed it there in hopes that it would awaken through corpse-spirit transformation and attain Emperor Enlightenment.
• Li Ming recognizes a Reincarnation Seal within the corpse and studies it before feeding the remains to his banner. He then places Ruins’ Daughter in the Yellow Springs and applies Netherworld Venerable’s method to help her form Reincarnation Seals.
• Ruins’ Daughter’s transformation proceeds unusually well: two seals form quickly, likely because she had already attained Alternative Enlightenment and lived a Second Lifetime. Li Ming spends over ten thousand years studying the process and derives a preliminary method for gaining a new Lifetime by generating life at the extreme of death.
• News of Li Ming’s earlier victories reshapes the world. His defeat of more than twenty Dark Supremes and destruction of the Heaven and Underworld Forbidden Zones intimidate the remaining Supremes and Primordial Imperial Clans. The Human Race regains its leading position, while the deaths of the Supremes cause unprecedented celestial mourning.
• Ten thousand years later, Li Ming awakens from his study, confident that he has understood the Corpse Emperor Transformation Method’s basic approach. He remains cautious, knowing that one failed transformation could undo his progress toward becoming a Red Dust Immortal.
• The chapter ends with the Undying Heavenly Empress arriving in the Underworld. She greets Li Ming with open affection, calling him “Demon Lord.”

Character developments and interactions

• Li Ming expands his knowledge of transformation methods and pursues a way to revive Ruins’ Daughter. His confidence in his long life and accumulated power is balanced by a serious awareness of the risks of transformation.
• Ruins’ Daughter becomes the focus of Li Ming’s experiment. Her prior enlightenment and Second Lifetime appear to make her especially suited to the Reincarnation Seal process.
• The Corpse Emperor is revealed to have tried creating another corpse-awakened Emperor to free himself from Netherworld Venerable’s influence.
• The Dark Supremes and Primordial Imperial Clans retreat into self-preservation after Li Ming’s victories; their alliances weaken as each fears risking itself for others.
• The Undying Heavenly Empress approaches Li Ming with evident admiration. Li Ming, meanwhile, privately appreciates her beauty.

Significant themes

• Life emerging from death: The Corpse Emperor method seeks renewal by reaching the utmost limit of death.
• Knowledge and experimentation: Li Ming uses past knowledge and careful study to develop a dangerous but potentially valuable transformation path.
• Power and political change: Li Ming’s victories alter the balance between races and force formerly dominant groups into submission.
• Caution amid ambition: Despite immense power and confidence, Li Ming recognizes that immortality remains uncertain until he truly becomes a Red Dust Immortal.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Undying Heavenly Empress encounters Li Ming’s Myriad Souls Banner, forged from the bones and skin of more than a hundred Dark Supremes. Its aura is nearly that of an Immortal Weapon and seems almost alive, suggesting it has absorbed the souls and remains of the Underworld’s former inhabitants.
• Recognizing Li Ming’s overwhelming strength, the Undying Heavenly Empress respectfully addresses him as the Demon Venerable.
• She reveals that the Undying Heavenly Emperor is still alive, despite having disappeared after his failed attempt to lead an “Ascension of the Entire Religion” into the Immortal Domain.
• The Empress recounts that the Undying Heavenly Emperor became increasingly abnormal in his later years: violent, bloodthirsty, unstable, and sometimes attacking himself with the Undying Heavenly Saber. He also sealed away the Empress, his two Phoenix Eggs, and the Eight Divine Generals.
• Li Ming concludes that the Undying Heavenly Emperor was contaminated by the same Dark Strangeness that once affected Emperor Zun. The black mist and strange runes surrounding the Emperor were likely signs that the Dark Strangeness was trying to seize or fuse with his body and Primordial Spirit.
• Li Ming theorizes that the Undying Heavenly Emperor has reached a temporary balance with the Dark Strangeness and is hiding somewhere, possibly hunting powerful Ancient Emperors for Origin Essence Blood to continue his transformation.
• Li Ming offers to help the Undying Heavenly Empress break through from the Quasi-Ninth Peak and achieve Emperor Enlightenment, claiming that his Chaotic Body and transcendent Great Dao allow him to suppress or bypass the Heavenly Heart Imprint. The Empress responds flirtatiously, implying she may repay him personally.
• Ten years later, a terrifying Dao-Proving Heavenly Tribulation erupts in the Chaos Sea at the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland. Its appearance shocks the universe because no one was expected to attain Emperor Enlightenment in the current era.
• Countless experts and Dark Supremes awaken in confusion and alarm. They recall the Demon Venerable’s earlier massacre, which destroyed several forbidden zones and turned many Dark Supremes into materials for the Myriad Souls Banner. The chapter ends with the identity of the person undergoing tribulation still unrevealed.

Character Developments

• Li Ming/Demon Venerable: Demonstrates overwhelming power and insight. He quickly identifies the signs of Dark Strangeness corruption and becomes even more determined to locate and eliminate the Undying Heavenly Emperor. His ability to help others achieve Emperor Enlightenment highlights his growth beyond ordinary imperial-level restrictions.
• Undying Heavenly Empress: Reveals herself to be the original legendary Empress, a Quasi-Ninth Peak powerhouse only one step from Emperor Enlightenment. She is still wary of the Undying Heavenly Emperor but becomes relieved at the possibility that his corruption may eventually destroy him. Her flirtatious response to Li Ming suggests growing familiarity or interest.
• Undying Heavenly Emperor: Though absent, he becomes a central threat. His survival, corruption, and possible struggle against the Dark Strangeness establish him as a hidden and unpredictable antagonist.
• Dark Supremes: Their fear of Li Ming has intensified. Rather than confronting him, they now retreat into deep slumber and avoid interfering with the world.

Significant Themes

• Corruption versus resistance: The Undying Heavenly Emperor’s condition mirrors Emperor Zun’s struggle with the Dark Strangeness, raising questions about whether powerful beings can retain their identities after contamination.
• Immortality and desperation: The failed mass ascension reflects the obsession of ancient powerhouses with entering the Immortal Domain, while the Emperor’s sealing of his loved ones suggests he no longer trusted his own success.
• Overwhelming power and deterrence: Li Ming’s massacre has reshaped the universe. Even the Dark Supremes, once untouchable figures, now avoid conflict and hide from him.
• Transformation and transcendence: The Myriad Souls Banner is approaching the level of an Immortal Weapon, while the Undying Heavenly Emperor and the Undying Heavenly Empress each pursue different paths toward higher existence.
• Uncertainty of the new era: The sudden appearance of a Dao-Proving Tribulation suggests that major changes are beginning, despite the absence of a conventional Golden Age.

Character Interactions

• The Undying Heavenly Empress formally acknowledges Li Ming’s superiority by greeting him as the Demon Venerable.
• She warns Li Ming about the Undying Heavenly Emperor and shares her memories of his disturbing later years.
• Li Ming questions her about the Emperor’s condition and interprets the evidence as proof of Dark Strangeness contamination.
• The Empress gradually accepts Li Ming’s explanation, realizing that the Emperor’s black mist and runes were symptoms of possession rather than cultivation.
• Li Ming offers to guide her toward Emperor Enlightenment, and she responds with a suggestive offer of repayment, adding a flirtatious undertone to their relationship.
• The chapter closes with the wider universe reacting to an unknown person’s attempt to attain Emperor Enlightenment, setting up the next major revelation.

Key plot points

• The Undying Heavenly Empress attempts Emperor Enlightenment during an age when the Grand Dao is unmanifest. Her tribulation is immense, unleashing thunder, Immortal Weapon imprints, and mysterious Immortal Medicines.
• As she nears collapse, Li Ming intervenes: he forces the reluctant Heavenly Heart Imprint to appear and merge with her. His Myriad Souls Banner then swallows the tribulation’s attacks and scatters the remaining danger.
• The Empress survives, heals, and successfully brands her Dao onto the Heavenly Heart Imprint, becoming the new Imperial Sovereign. She thanks Li Ming, who accepts her gratitude.
• She keeps a low profile afterward. Rumors about her closeness to Li Ming—framed as a “hook” and the Undying Heavenly Emperor being cuckolded—spread, though no one dares question them directly. After two lifetimes, she disappears from history; her later fate is unknown.
• Li Ming then tends to his children’s futures. He places his daughter, renamed Li Lian, in a stone egg within the Fortune Origin Eye, where a mysterious green lotus seed continues to transform. He also settles his son, Li Hu, inside the Immortal Tear Green Gold Vein, hoping its essence will strengthen his constitution.

Character developments and interactions

• Undying Heavenly Empress: Proves her resolve and strength by surviving a near-impossible tribulation, but her success ultimately depends on Li Ming’s intervention. She treats him with respect and gratitude, then withdraws from public life.
• Li Ming: Acts as both powerful protector and playful, irreverent meddler—literally beating the Heavenly Heart Imprint into cooperating. He also shows a paternal, future-focused side by preparing extraordinary environments for Li Lian and Li Hu.
• The Dark Supremes: Watch the tribulation with skepticism and unease, especially at the Myriad Souls Banner, which was made from their surrendered skins. After the Empress succeeds, they recognize Li Ming’s role and fuel the rumors about the two.
• The Heavenly Heart Imprint: Initially judges the Empress too weak, but submits after Li Ming’s comic, forceful coercion.
• Li Lian and Li Hu: Neither appears as an active character; both are being nurtured toward exceptional futures through powerful resources and carefully chosen settings.

Significant themes

• Perseverance and intervention: The Empress has the strength to endure, but in this hostile age, even extraordinary talent may need outside help to cross the final threshold.
• Power, reputation, and rumor: Li Ming’s intervention becomes public spectacle, while gossip turns a moment of assistance into suggestive speculation.
• Legacy and transformation: The chapter shifts from the Empress’s brief reign to Li Ming’s efforts to cultivate the next generation, emphasizing rebirth, inherited potential, and long-term preparation.